The stranger was wearing a tight black suit, made of a shiny material that looked like leather but wasn't. It was thinner, softer. Shinier. Stretchy-looking too. A crimson cape attached at the neck of the suit and draped their sturdy shoulders. They had a youthful face but tired eyes. Most interestingly, their short dark red hair stood straight up from their head in spiky points.

"What can I get for you?" Grimm asked as they sat at the bar. Tiana didn't usually eavesdrop but the whole tavern had gone pin-drop quiet so she didn't have much choice.

"Information," they replied.

"Ah. Figures- you didn't look like the thirsty type. What kind of information are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a woman. Older. Dark hair, cold eyes. Wears a cape similar to mine." The stranger searched in a pocket and pulled out what looked like a remarkably clean, square piece of parchment. From her angle, Tiana couldn't see what was on it. They held it up to Grimm. His eyes widened.

"Have you seen her?" the stranger asked. Grimm shook his head, stunned into a rare silence.

Well, this Tiana had to see. She sauntered over to sit next to the stranger, who tucked the parchment away as she came close. "Hey there, stranger," she extended her hand out. "I'm Tiana, the resident hero. Might be able to help you with your little search if you've got gold to spare."

The stranger looked down at her hand and back up at her. Their eyes were an disconcerting, unusual shade of maroon. "A hero, huh? How do I know you're worth anything, let alone gold?"

Tiana scrunched her face at him in confusion. "I'm… I'm the resident hero? Find missing children, fight dangerous beasts, sometimes deal with untimely natural disasters…" The stranger continued to stare at her. "Do you… not have resident heroes where you're from?"

The stranger laughed. Not a long or happy one. It was more like a dog barking in surprise. "I suppose we do," they said. They pushed the barstool back and walked toward the door.

"Wait!" She threw some coins at Grimm and followed the stranger. "I can help you!"

The stranger kept walking, leading them both outside. The village was serene at this time of night. The sun fell over the horizon just so, silhouetting the small homes where everyone was inside eating dinner. Beyond the homes, the emerald green of the hills shone in contrast against the pale white of Triahn Mountain. A few dogs chased each other near the horse's pen, noses sniffing, but they didn't dare venture closer to inspect the ogre head.

Tiana caught up to the stranger and grabbed their wrist. "I was just kidding about the gold! Really, I'm just here to help. I mean, I won't say no if you do want to pay me but -"

They shook her off with an angry jerk of their arm. "Listen, hero," they said, injecting the word full of scorn, "this isn't some ogre to decapitate. This is a delicate mission that's already messed up enough as it is. I don't need to add a fifteen year-old girl to the mix."

The nerve of this person! She reeled back, charging up her indignation then letting it loose in an infamous Tiana tirade. "I'm seventeen, actually! And you don't look that much older than me! And since you apparently live in some backwater without resident heroes, I'll have you know that I've been training since birth to help the local villages. And you're in the villages so that means that you're local. And that means I am obligated by my Journey to help you." Even if you are a pompous jerk, she added in her head.

The stranger considered her for a moment then shook their head. "You've got some spark in you, that's for sure. But like I said, this is a delicate mission. You could get hurt. Badly. Or die. Or worse."

Tiana crossed her arms and gave them a withering glare. "Worse than death? Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

The stranger glared back at her. "No. I don't. That's the point. There are things going on here that you couldn't possibly understand. They might literally melt your brain just knowing about them."

"Try me," she said.