"Hello?"

"Mister Caleb Stronter?"

"Yes?"

In his study back at the university, Caleb sat on his chair, his back straight. There was something official about the voice on the other side of the phone that made him uneasy. However, there was something familiar too...

"I'm sorry, mister. On behalf of the Menoraz Army, I regret to inform you that your grandson..."

Caleb's heart stopped. Gripping his desk with so much strength his knuckles turned white, the old man stared at a picture of him and his grandson.

"... Is perfectly fine. Hi, gramps!"

"Drake! You little prick! How can you do that to me?! I almost had a heart attack! Just wait until you get back here! You are gonna receive the beating I should have given you long ago! For all the Mystic Iferes!"

Unfortunately for Caleb, no matter how much he threatened and cursed, all he heard from the other side of the call was laughter. Finally, after a few seconds, he calmed down, and couldn't help but smile. The fact Drake was calling him, and willing to joke around - even if it was a horrible joke - reassured him that his grandson was okay.

After a few more moments of wheezing and chuckling, Drake finally got a hold of himself, and stopped messing around. From the silence, Caleb understood that his beloved grandson didn't know what to say, which was why he started the call in such a way.

"Are you okay, fighter?"

"Hahaha... Yeah."

Laughing at the old nickname, Drake finally felt more at ease. Caleb could sense that, even though they were kilometers apart.

"What happened?"

"A lot. I'm back at Menoraz now, and Frainer and Kniivar are with me, so I am more than okay, if I'm being honest."

"Then why do I feel like you aren't telling the truth?"

Once again, there was a long silence on Drake's side of the call. Caleb ignored the implications behind the words 'back at Menoraz', and the fact that he had been separated from his companions. As Drake said, he was back and together with them. If he didn't want to talk about it, Caleb wouldn't force him.

"I had to kill some people... Lapidum soldiers."

"It's not..."

"Not my fault, I know. Except some of them are. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I-I... Uff... I guess I don't know what I wanna say. I just... Hate this war. Haha... Two weeks of it and I'm already fed up, hum?"

Sighing, Caleb ran his hand through his sparse hair. He would never blame Drake for killing someone, no matter who. If Drake decided to against the Mystic Iferes themselves, he would be there to support him.

"War is like that, kiddo. You would have to be sick to enjoy it. And, unfortunately, it isn't something you or I can change. So make sure you stay safe."

For a long time, Drake said nothing, but Caleb knew he was nodding on the other side of the line. His grandson was just like that. He had already made his decision long ago, but he still needed his grandfather's 'seal of approval', per se.

"Where are you now?"

"I small town a few kilometers away from the frontlines. I'm going to rest for a few days, and then wander around. I saw some robberies and worse happening in Lapidum, so I'm going to do my best to prevent them from happening here."

"Uhum. Be careful, okay?"

"You got it."

Hanging up, Caleb reclined on his chair, and sighed. His hand unconsciously moved to the front pocket of his suit, on which he used to have a packet of cigarettes, but found nothing. Sighing even more now, he combed his hair with his fingers. He liked to smoke when he was stressed, but he promised his daughter he would stop. He also promised her he would take care of Drake. He hoped he was doing a good job.

--------------------------

Not even five minutes after he finished talking with his grandfather, Drake's phone rang. The caller's number was unknown, but Drake had an inkling he knew who it was.

"Yo, Drake! I heard you came back from your little expedition behind enemy lines?"

Hearing the cheerful voice of his friend, Drake shook his head and grinned. He wasn't at all surprised that the ranger knew about that, even if it had been just a few hours since he returned.

"How are you doing, Ben?"

"Eh... I'm all right. Just calling to say you did a damn good job with Lapidum's hidden army. A ranger wouldn't have done better."

"Thanks."

"I mean it. Unfortunately, no war is without casualties, so any death we can avoid is a victory. And you saved many, Drake."

That made him feel better, even if he knew the ranger was just being supportive. It also made him feel more at ease with what he had to say next.

"I've made a change of plans. I was going to call you tomorrow, after I slept on it, but since you called first, I might as well say it now."

"Go on."

"Before this whole f*cking war broke out, I wanted to get to Sapphire City to take the ranger test..."

"It's not exactly a test."

"Whatever it is. Now, I'm thinking of sticking around for a while more."

"Uhum... What made you change your mind?"

Drake could see the smile on Higler's face. The ranger already knew the answer, and just wanted him to say it out loud.

"I saw a lot of sh*t happening to civilians in Lapidum Kingdom, and they are on the offensive. It should be a lot worse here in Menoraz. I will try to help where I can."

"I know you will. However... You might have to make some difficult choices, Drake."

"What kind of choices?"

This time, Higler took a while to answer. He seemed to be struggling with deciding what he should tell Drake. When he finally spoke again, the ranger had a grave tone.

"That... You will have to see for yourself. Let's not talk about things that might happen. Just know that you may find your enemies... Surprising."

"You can't just say that and not tell me anything more. That's a d*ck move, Ben."

That was what Drake genuinely felt, but his friend just laughed, leaving him speechless. Putting those thoughts aside, though, he focused on what was bothering him more.

"Another thing..."

"Yeah?"

"There's a second reason why I wanna hang around here some more. It's a... Feeling I have. Like there's something important I can do, you know? Related to the war. Am I stupid to think that?"

"Not at all. Is it a sensation nagging at the back of your head, which you can't grasp no matter what?"

Drake's eyes widened in surprise by how on point the ranger was He wouldn't have been able to give a more apt description himself. Higler interpreted his silence as a 'yes'.

"That, my friend, are your instincts kicking in. It means your subconscious caught on to something, but can't quite put it together yet. I would follow them if I were you."

"Okay..."

"Haha! Don't be like that! Instincts like that saved my life more than a few times. Listen to them carefully, because it can save yours someday."

Nodding to himself, Drake chatted with the ranger a while more before Higler hung up. Then, shaking his head, he put the phone away.

"Well, that didn't help very much..."

"Tutu..."

"No, no, I'm just rambling."

Petting Frainer, Drake ordered another beer, and took a sip. The world outside was still a mess, people killing each other, and endless rain pouring down, but here, inside the warm bar, he could forget about all that, at least momentarily.

There were many signs that things weren't normal. The bar, albeit quite fancy, was almost empty. People were quiet, mostly alone, and the old barman, who was also the owner, was gazing at nothing.

Sighing, Drake gulped down his beverage, and paid the bill. Not caring about the rain that was once again drenching him - he never had the chance to dry off anyway - he searched for a hotel. It wasn't difficult to find a vacant room, considering no one was would visit a city so close to the frontlines.

The receptionist glanced at his potential client, and frowned when she saw he was carrying three or four different firearms with him. However, she quickly hid her distaste, and Drake thought he saw a flash of fear in her eyes, although he could be imagining it.

"Welcome, sir. How can I help you?"

"A room, please. Preferably with a bathtub."

At the moment, Drake wanted nothing more than to sink inside a hot tub, and only leave when the coldness that had seeped into his bones was gone. Seeing how polite he was, the receptionist relaxed slightly, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry?"

"Hum? Oh, it's nothing."

She threw him a weird glance, which he brushed off. She probably thought he was going to rob the hotel, and he couldn't fault her for thinking that. After all, he had shown up covered in dirt and mud, and armed to the teeth.

While the woman dealt with the normal procedures, and he paid - thankfully he could transfer the money from his account, because he had little to no cash in him - his eyes couldn't help but wander to the shelf behind her, where the keys to the rooms where stored.

"Not much business, hum?"

"Yeah. A lot of people left the city, and all attractions are closed. Not much allure to a city that could be invaded at any moment."

Drake glanced at her, seeing past her nonchalant attitude, and at the tiredness below it. Clearly the receptionist was more worried about how close to the war they than she showed.

"Why are you still here then?"

"I've got nowhere else to go. Besides, I would get fired if I left, and I still need to eat. There you go, sir. Room 32, third floor."

Raising an eyebrow, Drake took the keycard that was offered to him. Before turning around to find the elevator, he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry too much. General Lilac won't fall easily."

...

It was barely past five in the morning when Drake woke up the next day. For a moment he wanted to go back to his dreamless sleep - courtesy of Frainer - but his inner Caleb Stronter yelled at him for being lazy.

"Ugh..."

Groaning, he kicked the covers and pillows aside, left the soft bed, and dressed up. Frainer and Kniivar were already up, excited as always.

"What do you guys wanna do today?"

Their clear eyes stared back at him, and, while his companions didn't move, Drake understood their intentions through the Spirit Contract. Smiling, he shook his head. He had planned to give himself two days off, but neither he nor the two Iferes could bring themselves to relax knowing that there were people suffering outside of their cozy room.

"You are starting to think too much like me, and I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"Tutu? Tututu!"

"Hahaha... You lead the way, Frainer."

Following the happily floating mist ball, Drake and Kniivar entered the elevator. The wood-type Ifere was already higher than his knees, so he didn't even need to bend down to scratch her ears.

The receptionist on the ground floor was still the same from the day before, although with different clothes, and appearing more refreshed. This time she didn't flinch as much when he approached her with his rifle over his shoulder. There was a couple sitting on a couch nearby that did, however.

"I hope you had a good night's rest, sir."

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"Will you be staying with us again?"

After giving it a little thought, Drake shrugged. He really didn't know.

"Probably, but not tonight. I hope the hotel won't be full by then."

The woman giggled politely, although Drake was sure she didn't find it funny at all. Luckily for her, her salary was fixed, and it wasn't affected by how many clients the hotel had.

"By the way, you wouldn't happen to know about what farms or isolated houses are around the city, would you?"

Drake was about to leave when a thought hit him, and he turned back to the receptionist. It probably wasn't the best way to pose the question, but it was what he had. As expected, he received a weird and somewhat wary glare from her, as well as the couple.

"You know what? Never mind me."

Opening the door before they called the cops, Drake stepped into the rain again. If he came back, he would explain it. Maybe. Taking his 'borrowed' Yscalent from the stable he left it the previous night, Drake rode out of the city, ready for new - and potentially lethal - adventures.