Len sighed in relief as he put his bare feet in the river. The water was cold, but it felt good after a long day of running around the shop. A group of mercenaries had stopped by with most of their members injured and in need of a healer. Miss Glory was the closest person to fit that. Len knew a little bit of healing magic, but he could only heal minor injuries. Broken bones, burnt skin, and bones sticking out of skin were a little out of his league for now. But watching Miss Glory work with her magic and potions was something to behold. The only other person he’d seen do such miracles was his mother.

A loud splashing caught his attention. He smiled at the small animal responsible for it.

“I see you found your dinner, Tulip.” His pet hopped out of the water with a fish in its mouth and began eating. Len closed his eyes, listening to the river flowing and the trees swaying in the gentle breeze. The setting sun provided enough warmth to keep him from getting cold. A dull ache had been plaguing his head for most of the day, but there had been no time for rest until now. All he wanted to do was sleep and relax for the next few days.

“Excuse me.”

Len jumped and looked over his shoulder, seeing who he assumed was the leader of the mercenaries. The man looked about an inch taller than Dolion and had more muscle, but Len figured it was because of his Wolfkith blood. His dark gray and white ears looked relaxed, but his tail looked a little tense and stiff. Len swore he saw a faint blush on his tawny beige cheeks, and his hazel eyes had a nervous look in them.

“If you’re looking for Miss Glory, she’s in the shop,” Len informed him. “She’ll answer any questions about the potions and salves she sold to you and your group.”

The other man smiled nervously. “Actually, I’m here to see you.”

Len arched his eyebrow in question and stood up to face him. “Me? What for? I’m just an apprentice.”

“Well, I just wanted to ask if you’d like to have a drink with me?” the Wolfkith asked. “I’m Phelan. I wanted to buy you a drink since you and your master worked hard to help my friends.”

Len tried to keep his heartbeat steady and gave him a friendly smile. “Sorry, but I’ll have to refuse. I was planning on going to bed soon.” He wasn’t completely lying, but he didn’t feel like being around strangers. Hopefully, this guy will take the hint that I don’t want to go.

Phelan slowly walked towards him. “Please, I insist. You worked so hard to help us. Just one drink together.”

“Sorry, sir. I’m going to have to refuse your invitation,” Len repeated firmly, backing away until his feet hit the edge of the water.

“I promise just one drink and-what is that?” Phelan asked in surprise and pointed at Len’s feet.

Len looked down and saw Tulip sitting next to him. She hoped on his shoulder when he lowered himself and laughed when she nuzzled his cheek. “This is my friend, Tulip.”

“T-That’s a daemon rabbit! That thing isn’t a pet! It can kill you!” Phelan shouted in outrage. He stiffened when the rabbit looked at him with its bright red eyes. It wouldn’t look intimidating on a normal rabbit, but the faded black hair and two small horns poking out of its head made it look terrifying despite its small size.

The ebony-haired male scoffed and shook his head. “She’s not a thing. She’s a living being.”

The mercenary growled, taking another step forward. “That thing shouldn’t even be in this realm! It’s a danger to everyone around it. Even you! Daemon animals aren’t meant to be pets. Let it go so I can end it before it hurts you.” 

Len held Tulip close. Both to keep her safe and from attacking the man. He could tell she sensed his unease and would attack if she deemed Phelan a threat. “No. She’s my friend and I won’t let you hurt her.”

Phelan growled louder. “That’s not your friend! That thing is-”

“He said she’s not a threat.”

Len looked behind Phelan and saw Dolion standing there. The Vulpkith’s ears were pricked up and his tail was stiff. He could feel the tension in the air as both men stared each other down. Phelan crossed his arms and growled. “And you are…?”

Dolion crossed his arms too. “A resident of Ebonwood.”

“This man has a daemon rabbit! You know those things are dangerous,” Phelan explained. “I told him to release it so I can end it before it harms him or someone else.”

“So I heard as I walked over here,” Dolion said. “But Tegan said it’s not a threat and I believe him. If that rabbit wanted to hurt him or anyone here, it would’ve done so already. And before you say anything else, I think you should take your leave. He's refused your offer twice.”

Phelan smirked and narrowed his hazel eyes. “I didn’t smell anyone else’s scent on him so I thought he was unowned. My mistake.”

Dolion scoffed at that. “He’s a person. Not property, you mangy mutt.”

Len heard Phelan snarl and looked ready to lunge at him, but a loud voice broke the tension.

“Gentlemen, either take it to the forest or stop!” Miss Glory called out to them. She stood on her porch with her hands on her hips. “No fighting near my home.”

Dolion relaxed but kept his eyes on the stranger. “Sorry, Miss Glory.”

Phelan relaxed as well and bowed respectfully to her. “My apologies, Miss Gloriosa. I only came here to ask your assistant if he would join me for a drink.”

“And I’m refusing for the final time,” Len spoke up, holding Tulip close to his chest. “Thank you for the offer, Phelan. But no.”

The Wolfkith huffed and his tail twitched irritably. “Suit yourself if you want to be with this… scavenging mongrel. If you want to be with a real hunter, I’ll be at the inn.”

Len watched him walk away, but not without whispering something to Dolion that made him growl and glare at the Wolfkith. He walked over to him, gently putting his hand on his shoulder. The other man looked at him and relaxed his stance. Len looked down at his hands and saw blood dripping from them. “Come on. Let me clean those up.” They walked back to the river and Len forced him to sit on a nearby rock while Tulip hopped over to Miss Glory. 

Dolion sighed as he looked at the puncture wounds on his hands. It wasn’t the first time he’d lost control of his claws and had scars from it. He hissed when the ebony-haired male put a wet cloth over the wounds and gently pressed down.

“Sorry,” Len apologized. “I would put a salve on them, but we ran out from helping those mercenaries.”

“It’s fine,” Dolion replied. “Sal and I saw them entering Ebonwood earlier. Seemed like a lot of their guys were injured.”

Len nodded as he pulled the wet cloth off and began wrapping a dry one around the wounds. “Six out of the ten were badly injured, but nothing Miss Glory couldn't handle. The other four had minor injuries. Mostly cuts and bruises. But I don’t know why that man wanted to buy me a drink. Miss Glory did most of the work.” He finished wrapping one hand and began wrapping the other one.

Dolion smiled. He knew why the Wolfkith sought him. It was hard not to smell the lust coming off him. The man saw a pretty face and wanted to bed the person. Even with the loose, messy braid and tired look in his eyes, the younger man still looked pretty. “So, if I asked you to have a drink with me, you’d refuse?”

The Light Elf-Seraph laughed, making sure the wrappings were tied properly. “Probably not. Seeing you and Miss Alwyn interact is more entertaining than any book I’ve read.” He looked into the golden eyes staring at him. “You haven’t asked about my friend…”

The Vulpkith shrugged. “I’ve run into my fair share of daemon animals. I know some people who have them as pets. As long she doesn’t attack any innocents, she’s okay being here.”

“Thank you, Dolion. I know you think I’m a threat, but thank you for not thinking Tulip is evil and for telling that guy off. I refused him twice before you showed up.” Len shivered at the thought of what could've happened if Dolion hadn't appeared. He could defend himself if he needed to, but he wasn't feeling too good right now. Nor did he want to cause a disturbance in the town.

Dolion’s tail twitched in irritation when he thought about the Wolfkith’s words when he left.

“When he realizes you can’t satisfy him, he’ll spread his legs and beg me to make him mine…”

Len looked down at the other man’s hands, seeing the claws slowly extend. Dolion had a faraway look in his eyes. “Hey,” he called out gently, tapping his nose. The other man looked at him in surprise and he laughed. “Your mind went elsewhere, I had to bring you back to reality. You okay? Are the wrappings too tight?”

Dolion shook his head. “No, you did it right. I was thinking about something else. You should avoid the inn for the next few days. Those mercenaries will be there and as much as I want to hit that guy, I don’t want Alwyn and her family to lose the business they’re getting from them. I’m sure they’re paying a pretty coin for the rooms.”

Len nodded in agreement and stood up. “I’ll stay away until they leave. Though I’ll miss having a drink and Miss Alwyn’s company.”

“Well, I’m not as lovely as her, but I can bring some bottles of ale and spend time with you if you’re feeling lonely. I guarantee I’m much better company than that mangy wolf,” Dolion suggested with a wink. He chuckled when he saw the younger man’s cheeks turn red. That’s something he wouldn’t get tired of anytime soon. The younger man’s reactions entertained him and it didn’t hurt that he looked very cute with a blush staining his cheeks. He noticed the younger man shiver and offered his arm for him to hold onto. “Come on. You should rest up. We’ll have that drink another time.”

The younger man wrapped his arm around the offered one and walked to Miss Glory’s house with him. “Thank you.” The sun already set and the air had gotten cooler, but that wasn't the only reason why Len shivered. Risking a glance at the town, he noticed a pair of hazel eyes focused on him and Dolion. He didn't know how long Phelan had been staring at them, but hoped the Wolfkith wouldn't cause any more trouble.

Back at the Sepulcher…

Kara woke up, groaning from the headache and pain she felt in her back and ribs. She looked over to Ilys, seeing her sister was still lying face down and unconscious. Kara dragged herself over to her and saw blood leaking from the back of her head. “Ilys,” Kara called out. She shook her sister, getting no response. “Ilys? Ilys, wake up.”

The Earth Elf female let out a gasp and sat up. She brought her bloody hand up to her head, grimacing in pain. “What…What happened?”

“That orb knocked us back,” Kara replied. She pressed her hand against the back of her sister’s head, using a healing spell to stop the bleeding. “Speaking of, where’s the Eye of Avi?”

Ilys looked down at her other hand, seeing the orb in her hand. “Huh, looks like I managed to get it out of your hands before we were thrown from the platform.” She looked at the artifact, seeing that it stopped glowing and making noises. It would look like any other dark crystal ball if it weren’t for the multitude of colorful light streams within it. “What should we do with it?”

Kara stood up shakily and helped Ilys stand. “I remember reading that the man was going to take it to the Arcane Academy branch here in Luxivita. Something about proving the entire Academy wrong about this artifact.” She yelped when she took a step, feeling a hot sharp pain go through her leg. “I must’ve landed on my side pretty hard.”

Ilys handed her the orb and wrapped her sister's arm around her shoulders. “I’ll help you walk. Let’s get out of here.” They walked back through the ruin, ignoring everything in their path. Kara couldn’t help but look at the body of the man as they walked by him, but Ilys didn't spare him a glance. Neither of them said anything as they stumbled out.

When they got out of the ruin, it was already sunset. “I’m glad there's still a little bit of sunlight,” Ilys remarked. “Come on, we should make it right before it’s completely dark if we hurry."

After about half an hour of walking, they finally reached the inn. The innkeeper looked at them with wide eyes along with his wife and son when they entered. “Are you okay?” the wife asked, rushing over to them.

“I’ll be fine,” Ilys assured her. She saw two people sitting by the fireplace and two more sitting at a dining table in the corner. All of them didn't pay much attention to them which Ilys was grateful for. “I’ll take my sister to her room, so we don’t disturb your guests.” She helped Kara to her room, laying her on the bed. “How’s your leg?”

“It hurts,” Kara replied, trying to get into a comfortable position. “I’ll try to heal myself tomorrow. I don’t have much energy right now.”

“Hang on, I have a potion in my room,” Ilys told her.

Kara looked up at the orb while she waited for her sister. Though neither of them mentioned it, they couldn’t ignore what they saw. She didn’t know what to make of it. Was what the orb showed them something that would happen in their lifetime? Decades from now? Centuries? Millennia? Kara didn’t want to worry, but she couldn’t help it. The nightmarish images from the vision were still fresh in her mind.

“Here,” Ilys called out to her, holding a potion. “Drink this. It should help with your leg. I’m gonna wash up in the bathing room. I don’t think bleeding all over the bed will sit well with the innkeeper.”

Kara nodded, sitting up to drink the potion. “I’ll wait for you to finish. The potion should’ve taken effect by then and I’ll be able to walk better on my own.” She gave her sister a serious look. “But Ilys…we should talk about what we saw when we touched this orb.”

Ilys looked at the orb for a few seconds before looking at her sister. “Tomorrow. Let’s rest now.” She left the room, closing the door before Kara could say anything.

The Snow Elf female looked at the orb again and put it on the bedside table. She drank the potion Ilys gave her in one gulp and laid back down, waiting for the potion to take effect. As soon as she closed her eyes, black eyes with colorful streaks swirling in them looked down at her. Evil laughter rang in her ears as she tried to open her eyes, but felt paralyzed and unable to do anything.

Ready to burn this pitiful world down?