Jolting awake to the sound of horrific screams, she hurried out of bed with dread filling her heart. Reaching out for the ceremonial dagger that laid atop the shrine to Adishesha beside her bed, she grasped it tightly in her left hand leaving her room fearful of what she would find as the screams continued to echo without end. 

Stepping out into the hallway, her eyes had trouble adjusting to the sudden darkness surrounding her. Raising a hand along the cold wall, she blindly used it as a guide while rushing towards the sound of the screams as they weakened into bloody gurgles.

After what felt like forever she found herself in a big room. Dim light shone down from above revealing a dark figure standing over bodies covered in utter darkness, pools of blood growing beneath them.

The last scream coming from within the room had long since vanished, replaced with the sound of anguished sobs. Standing amidst the bodies stood a single figure shrouded in darkness, staring downwards; weeping. Beneath them lay a body pierced through the chest with the end of an ornate spear sticking out of it. 

Feeling something snap inside of her she ran towards the figure stabbing them from behind. The daggers blade pierced straight through to the other side leaving the tip visibly glinting in the dim light, blood dripping down it.

An audible gasp could be heard as the figure raised their hand to the blade protruding from their chest. The darkened figure turned its head toward her uttering a single word. “T-Tessssa?”

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tessa twitched in place where she sat atop a bar stool resting her chin on her palms stuck in the nightmare. The voice called out her name once more, finally rousing her from her slumber. “Tessa? Are you okay?”

Tessa let out a soft, little Mmph. Opening only her right eye, she looked up to see her friend and the bar’s owner giving her left shoulder another gentle shake. “Yeah, I’m fine, Dusa. Just a little tired is all.” Seeing the look of concern growing across Dusa’s face she let out a sigh closing her right eye once more. ”Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Just been a long few days…”

Dusa inched herself closer resting her chin on her palms just like how Tessa was. The snakes atop her head inspected Tessa curiously while she herself looked at her like one would when concerned for an old friend. “Nightmares keeping you awake again? Or something else?”

Realising she wasn’t going to get out of the questioning Tessa finally opened both eyes to look into Dusa’s own. “Something else.” Seeing the questioning glance in her eyes not go away she let out another sigh knowing full well how obstinate she could be. “It’s those stupid refugees from Durnheim, they’ve been ransacking all the places I usually go to hide and taking them as their own…one after the other.”

The snake hair atop Dusa’s head curled themselves into a high ponytail dangling down her neck as she hummed softly. “Hmm…I had heard that the school of magic had been destroyed, but I didn’t realise that just that many of the refugees had come to the city instead of spreading out across the land.”

Kicking at the base of the bar idly with her foot, Tessa shrugged still looking as sleepy as ever. “Yup, it's getting hard to get through the night without being annoyed by some artificer trying to find new soulbound artifacts of power, try and claim them for their own and make an attempt on my life at the same time.”

Tilting her head curiously, there was a gentle reassuring tone to Dusa’s voice as she spoke. “You know…my offer is still on the table to have you live here with me at the bar.”

Rolling her eyes, Tessa looked up at Dusa huffing. “I still got places to go Dusa. Besides, you know Abigail and I don’t get along.”

Slipping her left hand away from under her chin, Dusa tapped a finger against Tessa’s nose. “That’s on you, Tess. You know she would be your friend if you would just let her. She’s wanted to be friends with you for years.”

Wrinkling her nose, Tessa shrugged as she sat up straight, turning around to see Abigail keeping to herself cleaning up the bar. Leaning backwards with her elbows on the bar she slid a few inches closer towards Dusa speaking quietly. “Yeah…right.”

Tessa glanced back over her shoulder. “You know I don’t like being indebted to people, it’s why I won’t take you up on your offer of a home either. All you ever get out of making friends is giving yourself the opportunity to be betrayed or hurt in return.”

As Tessa turned to look back at Abigail, Dusa began pulling gently at Tessa’s hair drawing her gaze back towards her upside down. “Do you feel the same way with me?”

Looking at her in this awkward manner, Tessa averted her gaze but made no attempt to stop her. “You know I don’t. You’re different. I can’t really explain it, but part of me just trusts you, ya know?”

Upon hearing the words Dusa’s lips parted with a broad smile. “See? You might not think you know it yet, but part of you deep down knows you can’t keep going on doing this alone. It hurts you more than it helps you to not build connections with others, I think you just haven’t met the right people yet.” Letting go of Tessa’s hair, she slid away to the counter behind the bar where she stored her alcohol.

Tessa watched Dusa for a moment upside down as she went about cleaning up the bar before raising her head back up to look out to the rapidly dwindling light outside. “I wish I had the confidence you have to believe that. But everything I’ve experienced out there has taught me otherwise, ya know? This isn’t a safe place we live in.”

With her back still turned towards Tessa, Dusa picked up a bottle with a snake's head cork. Grasping ahold of the cork it made an audible pop as it came free. She began pouring some of its contents into a rather simple looking shot glass. “You’re right, it isn’t a safe place out there.” Turning in place, she took a step back towards her friend as she continued to speak. “But right here? Right now? You’re in as safe a place as any that exists within all the realms with this place being under Delisle’s protection. One you could call home if you ever wanted to.”

Hearing Dusa go back to work behind her, Tessa’s fingers idly rapped along the bar. “C’mon Dusa as nice as the offer is…you know I won’t take you up on that off-” She stopped mid word hearing a creak all too close to her ears as a hand shot out in front of her holding a shot glass. 

Laying her head and back back on the counter behind her, Tessa eyed the familiar yellowy green liquid all too eagerly as it was waved back and forth teasingly.

Teetering on the metal bar underneath the counter Dusa knew she had caught Tessa’s attention and Tessa knew that she knew as she spoke with a gentle, caring demeanor. “You said you haven’t been sleeping well, right?”

Feeling her heart skip a beat, Tessa reached up for the shot glass only for it to be pulled away as Dusa settled herself back down on the floor. “Uh uh! You know this doesn’t come free!”

Raising herself once more, she swung around on her chair still eyeing the shot glass a moment longer before looking up to Dusa. “What are you having me test for you this time?”

“Something I hope will be just as awesome as the Lamia Fang Hazard you so desire!” Dusa couldn’t help the cheeky smile she gave Tessa as she set the shot glass down on the counter before turning away to finish preparing the new drink she had been working on earlier.

Her eyes once more fixated on the shot glass, Tessa reached out for it as quietly as she could. When she got within reach of touching it, one of the snakes atop Dusa’s head uncoiled itself, extending outwards to nip at her outstretched hand.

Wincing, Tessa retracted her hand in a hurry narrowly avoiding its bite. Dusa turned towards her to see what all the fuss was about after hearing the snake hissing. “Silly girl, you know better than that! Hold your horses, you will get your treat soon enough!”

Blowing her breath out past her lips, Tessa went back to resting her head atop her right palm as she idly drew along the bars counter with a finger watching Dusa make the drink. “You ever going to tell me how you managed to get someone like Delisle and his artificers to protect this place?”

Turning around as if on cue, Dusa placed a red hued drink down in front of her. A cheeky smile grew across her lips. “Nope!”

Tessa rolled her eyes as she took a hold of the glass. “Of course not…” She began to swirl the drink around in the glass, noticing the red drink took on hues of orange and gold. “Interesting, did you mix something new in today?”

Smiling broadly, Dusa sat down on her own stool behind the bar resting her head back onto her palms. “Mmhmm! Abigail brought me some new ingredients from the Syndicate’s tower at Delisle’s request. After some testing I found that some were useful for beverages as well as for alchemical purposes.”

Raising the glass to her lips Tessa took a sip. “I like this one, it's oddly soothing.” She swirled the liquid around in her glass amused by its color changing nature. 

Dusa beamed as her hair wiggled ecstatically. ”Good, there was something that was similar to what I use in the Lamia Fang Hazard you like so much and had hoped you would like this one just as much.”

A look of concern came across Tessa’s face as she finished the drink. “Aren’t you worried what Delisle might do if he finds out what you are doing with the supplies he sends you?”

Rolling her eyes Dusa puffed out her cheeks blowing her breath out in a huff. “Nope…he knows that some of the product that he sends me gets used for other purposes when I am testing just what it is capable of becoming when mixed with other reagents.”

“Fair enough.” Tessa picked up the shot glass but before she could bring it to her lips Dusa spoke quietly under her breath.

"Why not just take and use that artifact you told me about last week that you had found hidden away somewhere and live a better and safer life away from the city?" 

Sitting up abruptly. Tessa placed a finger against her own lips.

Dusa raised her eyebrows at Tessa. "What’s to worry about? The only one here is Abigail and she won’t tell anyone if she finds out.”

Furrowing her brow Tessa whispered back at her worriedly. “You can’t know that for sure. She works for Delisle just as much as she does for you.”

Sighing, Dusa looked at her with concern in her eyes. “I guess that is fair. But come on Tessa, surely you don't want to just be a barmaids drink tester for the rest of your life…do you? There has to be something out there for you better than this, you are better than this life most of us have here."

Tessa raised the finger away from her lips covering the left half of her face with her hand as she groaned. Leaning back down, she spoke more softly than before as her hand lowered once more. "Because you know as well as I do that people have died from having touched those things. Even if you feel drawn to them there is always a risk that it will reject you or cause irreversible transformations even if you can properly attune to them. So why would I want to take that risk?”

One of the snakes atop Dusa's head broke away from the others patting Tessa's head before settling itself back atop her head. "You know very well why, it's dangerous to live alone in the City and not be an Artificer. You said it yourself, Tessa. Durnheim’s refugees have been taking over the places you normally live as their own. Just how many of your hiding spots have you lost this last week alone?"

Drinking down the shot abruptly Tessa set the shot glass back down onto the bar. "All of them but one."

Dusa raised two fingers into the air. "Two."

"One."

"Two, you can always live in a room above the bar."

"One, I won't put you out like that."

"Two, you won't put me out and you know you will be safe here."

"You really don't like to lose, do you Dusa?"

"Nope!"

Letting out a sigh, Tessa looked up with a lost look in her eyes. "I will think about it if I lose my last hiding spot, and not a moment before!"

Nodding, Dusa gave her a soft smile. "That is all that I ask, that you at least consider it." 

Standing up Tessa turned to leave the bar. “With that though, I am off for the night.” She paused long enough to give one last look over her shoulder at her friend. “Try and take care of yourself alright?”

Dusa smiled at Tessa, still resting her head on her palms. “Hey…aren’t I the one who should be saying that to you instead?”

Walking her way towards the door, Tessa placed her right hand on the door handle opening it. “Yeah, yeah…I will be careful.”

An inquisitive but caring look came across Dusa’s face. “Promise?”

Hanging her head, Tessa turned around and gave Dusa a smirk before heading out through the door into the streets. “Promise.”

Dusa called out after Tessa as the door shut behind her. “Don’t forget about my offer, Tess!”

Waiting until Tessa had left before moving, Abigail walked up to the bar holding a broom in her hands leaning against the bar beside Dusa. “You know she won’t ever take you up on your offer to live here, right?”

Not moving from her relaxed position at the bar, Dusa’s gaze lingered on the door. “Oh I know, but it doesn’t hurt to say it now, does it?”

Shrugging, Abigail took the seat where Tessa had been moments earlier and sat down beside her. “I guess, but she hasn’t changed in all the years we’ve known her Dusa. You can’t really expect her to change now, can you?”

The smile lingered on Dusa’s face as she spoke. “You can always hope that people will change Abby, but it's up to them if they choose to do so.”

There was a sceptical look across Abigail's face as she shrugged again. She raised one of her bunny ears and patted Dusa’s head with it. “I guess…”

Looking up at her with a brighter smile, one of the snakes atop Dusa’s head untangled itself from the others before going up to Abigail’s cheek flicking its tongue teasingly against it. “Sometimes it isn’t the right time in our lives to meet the people we meet and we squander the chances life gives us to be better people. I like to think that given the right circumstances Tessa will change too and choose to grow just like you did.”

Abigail went cross eyed as the snake went and flicked its tongue along her nose. Wrinkling her nose she looked back to the door. “If you say so, but I will believe it when I see it.”

Dusa snickered as she grabbed a hold of Abigail's cheek pinching it. “I do say so! Now get back to work while I go lock up for the night!” Letting go of her cheek, she used the same hand to spank Abigail's butt before hopping over the counter and heading towards the door.

Abigail let out a little squeak, her face turning beat red despite the white fur covering it. She hurried off to finish her chores quickly not wanting to disappoint Dusa. “Yes, Ma’am!”