Lumen pondered the Beast-Mans actions, he had bothered to pay for a room he wouldn't even use. Lumen brought some silver, so he could have paid for this on his own. Maybe he thought Lumen to be weak, and, well, he wasn't entirely wrong. But he wasn't stupid. He knew he needed to bring coin.

Lumen scowled to himself as he sat at the edge of his bed. His stomach growling made him realize the pain within it had subsided. It was replaced with a new feeling of famish.

Lumen dug out his smaller bag, slung it across his chest. He made sure his coin and key for the room were within it. He clasped it and headed out, the door creaking loudly.

He made his way outside, his eyes scanning the quaint village. He heard chatter and clanging at a building ahead. He realized it must be some sort of food stall.

Lumen inhaled, it smelled delicious. His feet carried him there with ease as his eyes lit up at the workers preparing food. Sizzling sounds echoed through the area, along with the laughter of locals and merchants alike. Lumen wandered to the counter as one of the workers made eye contact with him. She smiled brightly. Lumen's gaze shifted to her pointed ears, beneath her tied back cyan locks.

He smiled at the young elf in front of him. She was probably about his age as well.

"Hey! what can I get for you this evening?"

Lumen hadn't even considered what he wanted. His eyes scanned the paper menu that was taped to the counter. His eyes landed on an order of three, round white balls of dough. He recognized them to be dumplings.

his fingers landed on the picture as he looked up at the woman

"I'll have these, please" Lumen felt slightly awkward. He figured it must be because he was unfamiliar with the area, although he knew nobody had probably even noticed. His hunger drove him, though, and he waited for his food patiently. Soon, three steaming dumplings were placed in a wooden dish in front of him, small white seeds dotted the tops. They smelled amazing and Lumen's stomach growled greedily.

He handed the girl ten silver and scooped up his dish and hastily sat down, grabbing a dumpling carefully as he blew on it, watching the steam rise from it. He didn't realize the extent of his hunger until food was right in front of him.

Lumen leaned in and took a small bite. His eyes lit up with delight as the savory filling spread over his tongue. It was some kind of fish with vegetables.

They were delicious, Lumen thought as he chewed. Before long all three were gone, and Lumens stomach finally ceased its growling. He sighed, feeling content, and sudden exhaustion swept over his body.

He stood and placed his dish among the pile of other used dishes.

"Come again!" Lumen nodded and waved at them as he headed out. He wandered around the village for some time. It wasn't as big as his, but it was still lively enough. He wondered where the mercenary had gone though. He saw no sign of him since they got here.

Lumen's gaze shifted around, scanning the area. He still didn't see him. Lumen pushed the thoughts from his mind. Surely this man was doing what he pleased. Lumen headed for the inn again, bell chiming as the man behind the desk greeted him with a nod. Once inside his room, he went to his lamp and switched it on. A faded orange light bled across the room, illuminating it just enough.

Lumens eyes wandered to the old curtain covering a rather large window.

He opened it for a moment, his eyes scanned the view, it was mainly of the forest surrounding the inn, it had become dark out and he couldn't make out much. He closed the curtains before slipping off his boots and cloak. Lumen found himself sitting in his temporary bed, again. It wasn't of the best quality, but it was still better than a cave floor.

He flopped his back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what the mercenary had been doing, and why he hadn't taken a room. What's the point in making yourself uncomfortable?

Lumen questioned the strange behavior, but ultimately decided to leave it be. He'd begun to figure out he wasn't getting any answers, or any more understanding out of the mercenary. Lumen scooted his body up further as he rolled to his side, daydreaming about his home.

Wondering if Biyo was okay, if he would be okay.

Lumen hated the inconvenience of such a far, well-guarded city. He had heard it was beautiful, but it was far from other towns. The elves there were knowledgeable but secluded, not allowing many strangers. The city rests surrounded by water. The only way to the heart of the city was specifically built and well-guarded bridges. The high elves of Astradel were weary of others, it was a long, complicated history.

It had been discovered that the blood of Elves had a remarkable healing property, and medicines could be made, wounds healed with it. More potent than any herb, this caused Elven hunt decrees to break out. Eventually, war followed by a fragile peace.

Certain areas were more closed than others. For the most part though, they coexisted.

Fae folk, Elves, Beast tribes, humans, and things Lumen didn't even fully understand coexisted together now, even if it was fragile, he was grateful he was alive to see peace.

Lumen considered his situation, realizing compared to the struggle of others, it seemed so insignificant. But still, it mattered to him. He had never had a choice in his life, so he finally made one, and that was his choice to embark on this journey, in an attempt to cure himself.

Lumens thoughts swirled in his mind, not particularly anxious, but they simply filled the space in his head. He soon began to drift to sleep.