We’d all stare at him intensely, and he’d look back and catch us just staring at him, waiting for a damn response. “Oh! I’m no God! Don’t worry!” He’d say as he smiled and looked back at the path we were following. Iferos would look disappointed, perhaps since he was hoping that Yani actually was a God.

The carriage ride was surprisingly pleasant, the seats were even lined with hand-woven silk cushions you’d only find at the most distinguished cities and trading halls. “So, what brought you all the way out here?” I’d ask, scooting closer to the window that separated where we were seated and where Yani was.

“I was going to meet up with a good friend of mine but got sidetracked on the way to Parthia’s Last Light and ended up here, with you guys!” He’d say, giving me a thumbs up and a playful wink. “We’ll make quick stops to rest and eat, if ever you were thinking that we were going straight without any breaks.”

While we were on the way, Reanne managed to get Iferos as one of her students for her tutoring, alongside Viella. The young boy who wasn’t able to complete his education and the cold-hearted woman who was slowly warming up to everyone, it was an unusual pair of students to have, and yet she loved them both all the same.

And just like that, those two days would go by in a flash. I looked out the windows of our carriage and was mesmerized by the large lake, and even larger mountains that was overlooking it, and just below these mountains was a small village that looked so tiny in comparison. “Woah! It’s beautiful!” Iferos would exclaim, peeking over the window, half his body almost outside the carriage.

The lush green fields of grass that seemed as if it was untouched by the countless wars and strife in Eden; appearing untouched by the hands of time as well. It wasn’t very often that you could come across a place that looked as peaceful as this, especially when you’re at war. “Why is it called Altrae’s Passing?” Viella would ask Reanne, and we were all suddenly curious after she mentioned it.

“It is said to be the river that Altrae, who was the fallen God of rivers and fishing, crossed as he was on his dying breaths,” She would point at where the river was leading to, “which ultimately led to the creation of the largest lake in the whole continent, which is now known today as Altrae’s Rest!”

She rambled on and on about more facts and trivia that she knew to us, and it was honestly charming to hear her talk about the things she was interested in, so I listened closely; my full attention was on her.

“We’re almost there!” Yani would yell out, pointing at the village that seemed to be bustling with people. It looked so small just a little while ago, but looking at it now that we’re closer, there was a variety of buildings to be seen, and I could even make out what appeared to be a several watchtowers, all facing in the direction of the Deimos Caverns.

After a few more minutes of riding, we were finally at the entrance of the town, which was evidently marked by the only road leading towards the village. “Halt!” A guard in would say, “What brings you-“ He would stop to take off his helmet, revealing his beautiful golden hair, shining as bright as the sun. “Oh my! If it isn’t the Yani Gella!” He would approach Yani, reaching into his pockets and pulling out five silfes. “That’s for helping me out the other time. Now, what brings you all the way here once more?”

Yani would get off his seat and grab the money from the guard. “I was actually on my way to the Last Light. And I was thinking of sailing through the passing to get there faster.”

“Who’re the people inside then?” The guard would say, moving closer towards the window to inspect us.

“Oh, they are just travelers and some companions of mine, they were looking to stay at an inn for a while and take a boat through the passing and into the Last Light.” Yani would stay behind the guard and give us a wink.

“If that’s the case… Then welcome, travelers!” He’d say excitedly, “Any friend of Yani’s is a friend of mine!” He’d then reach for the handle on the door to the carriage, opening it and giving us a warm welcome, even offering to give us a short tour of the city. “Oh, by the way, I don’t see Ethanael with you, where is he?” The guard would ask Yani.

He’d shrug, “That’s actually the reason I’m headed to the Last Light. I was supposed to meet him there a few days ago, but got sidetracked and well… Now I’m here.”

“Quite a shame, really. I’ve been missing Ethanael’s non-stop yapping. Bring him next time, will you, Yani?” He’d give him a pat on the shoulder as he said so.

“Yeah, yeah. I will, dont’cha worry!” He’d say enthusiastically, it seemed that he also missed this Ethanael fellow.

We’d all get out of the carriage, and Yani would hold out his left arm like before, glowing bright purple, and suddenly his creation would be unmade. He then approached the owlbears, taking off the collar that was on the mother, and telling them to go back to the forests nearby for protection. The collar and reins he was holding would alter appearances, changing back into his signature fishing rod.

“Anyways, I bid you a warm welcome to Altria, everyone!” The guard would say, putting back his helmet and clearing up the path going inside, and going back to his post to stop another group of travelers that was approaching.

Yani would lead the way, as we all looked around in awe at the intricate architecture as it was our first time ever being in this city. We had always thought that it was just a small village, but this was far from it, the long and wide streets gave enough room for the large amounts of people to go through, and speaking of the people- there was such a wide variety of different races settled in here! There were even Elves and Dwarves having friendly banter by the side of the pathway, which was something that was very rare to see!

The buildings were made with beautiful white bricks, with simple and intricate engravings on them. The rooves were all in different colors too, with each roof being different from the next, and yet the colors always seem to complement each other. Not only were the rooves differing from one another, but also the sizes of the houses! It was as if each one was carefully made to fit the contrasting needs the different races that lives in Altria.

Yani took us to a rather calm part of the city just by the outskirts, and while there wasn’t as many people here compared to the central area, there was still plenty. We stopped right in front of a large inn with a red brick roof. “Alright, this is where we part ways for now.” He’d suddenly say.

“What?!” Iferos would shout, “But…” He was saddened by such sudden news; he didn’t want anyone to leave ever again.

“Don’t worry,” Yani would pat the little boys head with his soft pastel pink paws, “Find me in the inner sanctum of Parthia’s Last Light, I’ll be waiting for you all there.” He’d say with a big joyful yet bittersweet smile across his face.

“Okay… You promise, Mr. Yani?” Iferos would hold out his pinky finger towards Yani.

“I promise, Iferos!” He’d say, as he lightly tapped his paws on Iferos’ hand.

“Before I leave, I have a parting gift for everyone!” He’d pull out a pouch from his backpack and toss it at me. “Whenever you want to buy something, just say you’re a friend of mine, you’ll know what to do if they don’t believe you.” He’d wave everyone goodbye and start sprinting off in the direction of the docks. We weren’t all too sad that he left, since we were bound to see him when we get to Parthia’s Last Light, anyways.

The three of them gathered around me, eager to see what was in the rather heavy pouch. “Holy shit.” Viella would shout, and we were all shocked at what was inside. “A HUNDRED PARTHS?!”

It was an absolutely fucking ABSURD amount of money to be giving to people he had just met not too long ago, and we’d all also notice a little badge with a claw mark engraved onto it, I think this is what he was talking about when he said I’d know what to do if they didn’t believe that we were acquainted with Yani. Who even is he to have this much influence?!

 “Uhm… What’s a parth…” Iferos would say, feeling embarrassed that he didn’t know what it was.

“It is the highest form of currency used all across the continent!” Reanne would exclaim, “The lowest being brands. A hundred of these brands makes a single silfe, and a hundred of these silves makes a single vel. A hundred vel makes a single parth.” She would say, examining if the money Yani gave us was legitimate or not, and it turns out that they were. We were fucking rich.

“Alright! Let’s rent four rooms at the inn and we’ll figure out what to do with the rest of the money tomorrow!” Viella would say, excited at the fact that we finally had money. I already made up my mind to get a brand new sword the moment I saw how much we had.

We all entered the inn, and immediately we were greeted by a cozy lounge not too filled with people, with a small fireplace to the left, and Elven women by the bar and front desk. “Hello, travelers! Are you newcomers to Altria?” The woman standing at the front desk would say, urging us to come closer.

“Oh, yes!” Reanne would gleefully answer her, “We would like to rent four individual rooms please.”

“What are the sizes of the rooms you would like? Unfortunately, all of our lower classed rooms are unavailable. The only rooms that are currently available are the middle class and higher class rooms.” She’d say, as if looking down at us due to our outward appearances, which… To be fair, we did look like we had just lost everything, since our clothes was still in tatters.

“Ah.” Reanne would look visibly pissed off; I’ve never seen her this mad at all. “Well, in that case, how much would four higher class rooms cost, Er… What’s your name?”

“It’s Ayala, Miss.” The proud elf would look equally as pissed as Reanne, and the air was getting tense. “And the rooms you are asking of cost more than what you could afford.” Ayala would give a slight smile directed at us, and everyone in the lounge suddenly went silent.

“Ah. If that’s the case… Talis, show her.” I instantly knew what that meant and came forward, reaching into my pockets to show her the badge engraved with a claw mark. At the same time, Reanne would also discreetly put two parths down onto the desk and slide them towards Ayala. “Would that be enough to cover our stay for a week, Ms. Ayala?” Reanne would give her a passive-aggressive smile, it was enough to even terrify me.

“Y-Yes! I’ll lead you to the rooms immediately! Please follow me!” The once proud elf was now bowing her head at us, and she would lead us up a flight of stairs and to the fourth floor of the inn, “T-These are your rooms! Please enjoy your stay and let me know if there’s anything you need, Ma’am!” She would bow one last time towards Reanne and scurry off back to the front desk, absolutely embarrassed.

“That was so cool, Reanne!” Iferos exclaimed, “You really showed her who’s the boss!” Reanne would let out a sigh of relief, she couldn’t even believe that the badge would work. We all said goodnight to each other, and all entered our separate rooms.

Even through the rather thick walls, I could hear Iferos’ excitement as he got inside. I examined the large room, and it was unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been in before! It had everything in here, from a small dining table with fancy chairs with golden linen cushions, a large king-sized bed, and even a personal wardrobe! We had everything we needed all in our own rooms, and it was perfect for us who needed a place to stay at temporarily.

Not only that, but taking a look out the window was gorgeous, you could almost see the entire city from up here! The river that connected to the great lake seemed to span over the horizon, and the sunset reflecting off the water was such a pleasant sight to see.

As I went to bed, the sun finally set and nightfall came, I couldn’t help but think of Damian. I wonder if he managed to make it out alive. He promised us that he would meet us at the Last Light, and before I went to doze off, I prayed. Oh, Skiiva, may you protect my friend from the horrors of the world, and use your guiding winds to lead him back to us, if fate allowed it.

“Talis…” A soft voice would awake me, and I opened my eyes and it was an unfamiliar place. There wasn’t any buildings to be seen, and it was only the grassy plains that resembled the likes of the area around the city. I noticed the same mountain that was overlooking the city, and the lake and river that connected to Altrae’s Rest.

“Talis!” The soft voice would shout at me, I stood up and focused my eyes on the person calling to me, it was a beautiful Elf with beautiful silver hair reminiscent of the color of the clouds above us, wearing an intricate robe of white with golden linings, and… Four wings? “Please stop dozing off randomly, tempests form whenever you snore, you know that.”

“What?” I’d ask, looking at her in confusion, “Who are you?”

“I can’t believe you. Feigning ignorance now, are we?” She’d come closer to me and pinch my cheeks, her hands felt warm. “How could you forget your big sister! It’s me,” Everything would suddenly disappear, and I would awake. It was still the middle of the night, and I was still confused as to what that dream meant.

“…Talis…” The same voice from a few nights ago would call to me once more, and it sounded as closer as ever. It kept repeating my name, and oddly enough, it sounded just like the woman from my dreams… Her soft voice was… Familiar. I just couldn’t think of why it was.