Once Sigmir and I had thoroughly stress-tested the bed, and washed off the result of our vigorous… testing, it was time to move downstairs, for the promised feast. Now that I was no longer engaged in the testing-process, I realised that the room was filled with the familiar magic of Lenore. It took me a second to get an idea what she had done, prompting me to thank her, as soon as the connection between us was fully open again.

“I thought you wouldn’t want everyone to hear your duet.” Lenore told me, quite a bit of amusement in her voice.

“Since when have you been able to mask sounds that way?” I asked in response, gently pushing into her mind to get an idea of the processes she had used to create the barrier covering the room. It was quite impressive, especially when remembering her relatively recent acquisition of Ice-Magic and her ability with Ice to my own ability with Death-Magic.

“The idea to combine Mist and Wind is something I’ve thought about for a while and using Mist as a carrier for all sorts of effects is something you should know about, right?” she explained, causing me to grin in response as Mist might just be my favourite concept to use in conjunction with different effects. While it lacked any real offensive power, it allowed for a wide range of applications, covering large areas, especially when it came to concealment.

“Quite impressive, I’ve got to admit.” I nodded, taking another look at the sound-muffling barrier.

“Do the two of you want to join us feasting or do you want to retreat into your Hallows?” I asked after a moment. Ylva, as she regularly did, decided to join us, while Lenore hopped onto my shoulder before moving into her Hallow, without further comment. Thanks to our connection, I was able to pick up her wish for peace and quiet, something a busy inn was not likely to provide. Respecting her wish, I tamped down the connection between us, so she could fully relax in the privacy of her Hallow.

Thinking of the inn for a moment, I decided that I wanted to do something a little different for once. With a grin on my face, I reached out and drew on my magic, coating the feathers that had grown within my eyebrows with Diamond Dust, before adding some of it into my hairs, creating a sparkly effect. By letting a tiny trickle of Astral Power flow into the Dust, it would remain frozen as long as I wanted and when I looked into the Bathroom mirror, I was quite pleased with the effect. It accentuated the avian features just enough to give me a mystical appearance, without pushing it into fully weird territory.

“Let’s go.” I told Sigmir, after looking her over for a moment. While she lacked the obvious alien features the bond between Lenore and me had given me, when looking closely, and knowing how she had looked before, the bond between Ylva and Sigmir had caused some changes as well. Maybe the changes were lesser because Ylva had yet to cross the second Divide, but they were there. A little more body-hair, thin, silver and quite ticklish but also a certain sharpness in her fingernails, which I had experienced in a very painful fashion. Luckily, while her canines had grown a little more prominent, they didn’t pose any problems,

All in all, she looked wonderful, almost good enough to prolong the stress-testing of the bed, dressed in the rather thin clothes she normally wore beneath her armour.

After knocking on the door of the other room without getting a response, we moved downstairs, with Ylva padding along behind us. The change within the main-room could barely be greater, compared to earlier in the day. Despite it being relatively early in the evening, the room was packed and on a small stage that I hadn’t noticed earlier, a familiar satyr was performing, with a rather peculiar wind-instrument, of all things. I wasn’t sure if the two round shapes near the bottom of it were some sort of resonance-bodies, similar to the body of a guitar or if they were purely for decorative purposes, whatever the case, the imagery was one I really didn’t need.

Nonetheless, I felt a little lighter as Sigmir and I walked past the filled tables, quickly arriving at the table Adra, Olivia and Rai were occupying. Luckily, it was a large corner-table and they had been kind enough to leave space in the corner for us, so none of us had to sit with their back into the room.

The service was quite excellent, as soon as Sigmir and I had taken our seats a waiter appeared and brought out an appetizer, curiously reminiscent of a modern greek restaurant, alongside some drinks. Once the food was served, Olivia stood, raising her glass and thanking us for the company on the road, a gesture we all returned, it had been an interesting experience travelling with her. While I wasn’t quite sure how much of the stories she had told had been exaggerated for comedic effect, the stories she had shared had always been interesting and informative.

Taking a sip from the drink we had been supplied made my eyes widen, it was delicious. The taste of grapes, alongside some herbs and honey, combined to create a flavour that was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Luckily, the taste of honey, together with the relaxed atmosphere around us, reminded me of another time we had enjoyed a good tavern, maybe a little too much in my case. Remembering the mead I had drunk in Kolyug, and especially the brutal hangover on the next day, made me cautious. Not cautious enough to abstain but cautious enough to channel a small amount of blood magic to keep myself detoxified, otherwise I might start getting a bit too happy.

As we ate the delicious food, the atmosphere in the tap-room became more and more enthusiastic, at least partially carried by the music still coming from the small stage. While there was only one musician, it was quite obvious that he was a master of his craft, to the point that people moved aside some of the tables to create space to dance in.

I realised that something more might be going on when Adra, who had been a little subdued the whole evening, and Rai got up and began to dance to the music. While a part of me wanted to grab Sigmir and join them, the differences in height between us made dancing together a little awkward. When it was just the two of us, and it was more snuggling while rhythmically swaying, possibly with music, I didn’t mind that awkwardness but not in a packed tavern.

“Care to tell me what is going on?” I asked Olivia, when I noticed that Sigmir’s fingers were gently drumming the rhythm of the music, almost in a subconscious fashion.

“He is a Satyr, this is what they are, what they do.” she replied, speaking just as softly as I had. I merely raised my eyebrow, needing a better explanation. While I couldn’t smell magic, there seemed to be a gentle influence in my mind, subtle and soft but there nonetheless. But just because the influence was subtle didn’t mean it was benign, even if it might be.

“Every being influences their surroundings, with their temperature, their breathing, their aura, they all affect what is around you. Satyrs, especially when they pursue the path of pleasure, bring joy and merrymaking wherever they go.” Olivia explained and while I still had questions, Sigmir’s hand had wandered from tapping the rhythm on the table to gently caressing the back of my neck, at times teasing my ears, distracting me.

“I will keep you safe.” I heard Ylva growl, just before Sigmir pulled me from the bench, placing me on her lap while continuing her gentle teasing. For a moment, I hesitated before letting my body relax into her, the music flowing around me in a most pleasant manner.

While we were watching the various people dancing, OIivia, Sigmir and I continued to talk about our travels, sharing a few more stories, a lot of laughter all the while drinking more of the wine and eating the rest of the food. It was a good thing that I had set up the blood magic effect that kept me from getting too drunk, or I might have ended up completely smashed. Olivia, at the very least, seemed to get happier and happier, the longer the evening went on. It was quite amusing to watch, especially when the tales she told became more and more fantastical, as I somehow doubted that she had ridden a flying unicorn to the end of a rainbow, where she had found a meadow filled with golden flowers. Alas, this being Mundus, I couldn’t fully count it out, but I doubted it.

One of the things I asked about, possibly encouraged by the atmosphere, was a question that had bugged me ever since meeting Olivia. Why was she still missing her hand, in a world where magic should allow for the regeneration of it. My question must have amused her, as she had a wide grin on her face when she answered, telling me how she had lost her hand in a magical accident, when she had tried to reach for more, to control the divine power granted to her with her own will. She had failed and the resulting backlash had burned her hand into ash, her Goddess sending her on a quest to understand where she had gone wrong. Until Olivia gained that understanding, the hand would remain lost.

It was a harsh story, even if Olivia didn’t look to be impacted by the telling, ordering another round of wine, pouring some into my glass before raising her own, for another toast. At times, I wasn’t sure if I was the weird one, of if Olivia was a little strange.

Despite my normal dislike for all things loud and crowded, sitting on the edge of the party, watching, talking and relaxing was enjoyable in a manner that was new to me. Maybe, letting go wasn’t too bad, as long as it was in moderation and while keeping comfortably safe. Especially when that comfort came from being held in Sigmir’s arms.