"Master?" Lillian asked with a worried tone in her voice. Naaririel seemed different and on edge.

"Lillian, my beloved familiar, please watch over Elyn; I shall meet you both in Mica." He answered, closing the portal between them.

Lillian sighed as she got off the table where Costaark and she were enjoying their meals. Oh, how she wanted to spend the day exploring this strange human item,but Naaririel wasn’t the serious type as long as she knew him. What was it that made him anxious?

"Ya, alright, tiny one?" Costaark asked, biting into a fluffy pancake drizzled with honey.

"My master has a job for me." She answered, fluttering above the table while opening another portal. "Let’s meet again, Cosy." With a smile and wave, the familiar disappeared.

Orcs and humans were not known for intermingling with one another. When Costaark told people of his heritage, they usually looked at him in one of two ways: with disgust or intrigue.

‘I refuse to have my relative guided by this monstrosity," was the most common response he heard.

Costaark didn’t pay any attention to any of that; the main reason he became a guardian was to help guide the souls back home and, more importantly, to be a shoulder for his fellow mortals, whether they were human or not.

The fae seemed nice; they had quite an amusing conversation,mainly Lillian talking about her master and, like him, another guardian. The half-orc amusingly wondered if Lillian’s guardian was the same one he met at the bar.

Lost in his thoughts, Costaark continued to eat his breakfast. The smoky, savory taste of the bacon paired well with the sweet flavor of the pancake drizzled with honey.

"Mmm, truly delicious." Costaark smiled; he truly had to thank the cook.

Then he took a whiff; the air seemed different for a moment. Instead of the delicious foods laid upon him, the air smelled of rot for a brief moment. None of the other guests paid much attention. Costaark had an above-average sense of smell, like his fellow orcs before him.

‘Cosy something's not right.’ He thought maybe the smell was something else, like a poor critter that met its unlucky end.

Costaark got up from his seat, made sure to place a good amount of coins on the table, and left.

For the first time that she could remember, Elyn woke up feeling refreshed. Perhaps today was going to be a wonderful day; maybe the three of them could plan to spend an extra day in Mica, relax,relax and see what the city had to offer when Elyn was done with her job.

Toll Keeper and Lillian are going to fall in love with Mica, she thought. Elyn fell for the city after hearing countless stories told by her father.

"Are there really men made of metal?" Elias and her would ask, giggling as their father would put on a makeshift puppet show for them. Sometimes their mother would even make snacks for them.

Yes, today was going to be such a wonderfully beautiful day. Elyn smiled, deciding to listen to the rumblings of the train.