Everyone eventually leaves the castle, Roxie and Renlin being the last. They step outside and, with the help of his cherubum, step off the dais in Spidra in a moment.

Roxie spins around and finds the large front gate has been moved outwards and replaced with a large stone wall made of perfectly smooth stone.

The cherubim speaks with all its heads at once “It would seem that the village has been rearranged”

“Yeah” Roxie takes a moment look around and reorient herself, nodding to the people who have stopped to look them over and putting them at ease “Well, thanks for the teleport. Don’t be a stranger”

Renlin nods back and places a hand onto one of the cherubums’ wings, disappearing in a second and an updraft. Roxie takes her time returning home, eventually deciding to stop at S’tance’s place to see if he’s back. She knocks the door and his master answers, letting her in and guiding her to the table before starting tea. As he fills up the kettle, he takes a nearby broom and starts banging on the ceiling which is followed by rushing feet as S’tance barrels down the stairs.

“Ru’sh? —”he first looks to him before spotting Roxie “Hey. You’re back”

“Yeah, just got here—” She shrugs “Anyway, how’d it go?” Then leans across the table, propping her head up with a hand.

He seats himself and starts recounting what happened, everything from the first meeting of Madam Sarthe, to handing in Ilia and bringing Wolf up to Besholm for treatment. The pair finish off their tea and Roxie leaves with a wave, happy with the rundown.

“Are you sure you want to stick with her?” Ru’sh asks as he collects the cups.

S’tance thinks for a while, his antennae flicking occasionally “Yeah. Yes”

Ru’sh gets eye contact with him and maintains it, waiting for him to squirm. They stay like that for a long moment. Then he leans over and rubs his head “Glad to hear it. Known many a worrier who found themselves with a woman”

“Huh?” S’tance flinches and starts to blush.

Ru’sh keeps his face serious for three seconds before bursting out laughing, slapping him on the shoulder as he does so “I’m messing with you—” He gathers himself and points at S’tance “But I’m serious too, a good partner can make the worlds of difference”

“Yeah, like, to motivate each other and that” S’tance says, not sure himself.

Ru’sh starts cleaning the cups “That’s not important, a good warrior should always strive to be be-, shit—” He starts wearing as they run out of water halfway “Better. But a partner can help you relax; keep you anchored to your soul and not lose yourself to the climb”

“Yes mast-errrg” he was interrupted by Ru’sh chopping his head.

“Stop that, you’re your own man now. Act like it” He huffs and jogs out the house.

The days pass in peace, both S’tance and Roxie taking time to relax. Acaravan comes through and distributes letters and packages a few days in, most are for the crafters intown that have gone from small in house hobbies to full production whilst roping in both the beasts and the various titans thathave moved to the town, but two are for S’tance and Roxie each and contain a substantial amount of money.

“So, what should we do with this?” Roxie asks, staring at the seven gold coinsshe’s set on the table.

S’tance hasn’t opened his letter, instead just looking between it and Roxie’s pile “We could just, buy a house”

She takes and idly stacks the coins “Why? We got homes?”

“I mean one in Esta’sol, closer to work?”

She looks out the window to her siblings playing in the garden with Delila “I guess that would be useful. And it would open my room for Damien and Dacia to use”

He wistfully mentions “We could also start making better use of the crafters, get some enchanted equipment”

With that decided, they take the next trade caravan out to the city, finding themselves idly looking around the square.

Roxie looks around, eventually turning to S’tance “So. Where do we go? Do we just find an empty one and...?” She draws out the question, prompting him to answer.

“I don’t know?” S’tance joins her in looking around.

Roxie thinks for a moment before walking off whilst calling back “I think I know someone who can help”

The pair travel through the residential area, up to the noble’s district and through the iron gates up to the door of a familiar noble. Roxie steps up and pulls the long chain that hangs from the ceiling, ringing a bell just inside the door.

A cheery voice calls out “Got it!” Asa woman wearing a light blue dress opens the door thentilts her head as she looks the pair over “Roxie?”

“yeah—” She points and thinks it over for a second “Sparrow, right?”

“yes. Uhh come in, please” She gestures for them to follow her inside “May I ask, why have you visited?”

“I was hoping Ox can help us find a house to buy—” Roxie chuckles depreciatively “We have no idea what we’re doing”

She says nothing and just blinks “Oh? Well father probably won’t be able to help but mother will definitely” She walks u to the nearby stairs and shouts up “Jay! Can you please get mother!” She then waves the pair into a room.

They are lead through a short corner and into a sparse living room, the floor being covered with only a collection of rugs and packed bookshelves to cover the stone walls, all surroundinga trio of couches and a low table with massive window overlooking it all.

They sit in different seats as Sparrow tugs a rope before taking a seat herself “I have to ask, are you truly a princess?”

Roxie snorts and lounges back in the chair “Not really, just next in line tobe a head elder”

“Oh, so is it similar to an elected position?”She quirks an eyebrow.

Roxie tilts her head and thinks it over “kinda, but it’s the current elder who decides who’s a groomed. But it can’t be family, and it’s frowned upon to choose someone who’s close too”

“Aaaaa” She then turns her head to S’tance to shrinks “And what about you? I would be lying if I said that I knew a thing about you”

He rubs his hands together“I’m S’tance, a have been training in swordsmanship for all of my life”

“Do you perchance have a last name? I know it is rare amongst Tebrien,but it never hurts to ask”

S’tance freezes for a second, glancing to Roxie before responding “I do. And I don’t want to say it”

Roxie frowns “Why? Does it give people power over you or something?”

“It is from a bad history” His antenna droop before looking away.

“And if our guest does not want to say, then we will not push” A new woman states as she’s wheeled into the room, wearing a dress that looks more like a cushion than a noble’s attire.

The womanwheeling her in is wearing a tunic of the same light blue colour as the mother and sparrow. All three of them look similar but different, mostly sharing their nose and eyes.

“But first, manners—” She places a hand on her chest “My name is Andrea Refeateh’trTransdhear. And I must thank you for saving my husband” She looks into the distance with milky eyes.

Roxie perks up and leans forwards “Oh, how is he. I haven’t heard anything about him since he left”

The mother brings a hand to her cheek and blushes slightly “He’s gotten a few new scars but is more than healthy”

Roxie quirks a brow whilst the daughter shakes her head and sits down next to her sister “I’m Jay by the way”

Roxie and S’tance introduce themselves as Andrea calms down.

Andrea stops fanning herself and asks “So. I assume you are not here for my husband otherwise he would have been called?”

Roxie scratches her cheek “We need help with getting a house”

Her milky eyes go wide, and she leans forwards “Ohhh? Why, it is a good thing indeed that you came to me. Adventurer accommodation is my business” She then turns to Sparrow “Please be a dear and get my portfolio from my desk”

“Yes mother” She leaves the room a little bit before a butler comes in with a tray for a teapot and several cups which he hands out to everyone.

Roxie and S’tance are left sitting on their couch, the fireplace empty and the only feature in the entire house.

“We could buy a house you said” Roxie mumbles.

“A normal grown house” S’tance pleads.

She sighs and slumps further into the couch “Glad we went to them though, saving Ox turned out to be a better than I thought”

The pair sit in silence for a while, tired and sweaty after being dragged through the entire city several times over in the span of a day.

“I’m gonna go check on my brother” Roxie throws herself upright and strides up to the door, pocketing one of the front door keys hanging off to the side.

She takes a leisurely stroll through her new neighbourhood, the road being mostly empty of people save for the occasional porch dweller. Ignoring the stares and frowns, she enjoys the few rays of sun that beat down through the heavy overcast.

Stepping through the automatic doors of the research centre, she strides up to the clerk who perks up at her entrance.

Clearly happy to be distracted from whatever she was doing, she greets Roxie with a smile “Hello miss. How may I help you?”

Roxie leans across the solid desk “I’m here to check up on my brother, haven’t heard a word from him since he started”

Recognition flashes across the woman’s eyes. And a blush across her cheeks “Oh, you mean Luke?” she acknowledges Roxie’s nod “I’m afraid I can’t let you inside, but I will send a message through for him” She gestures off to a set of chairs and skips off into one of the doors to the side.

She returns a few minutes later with a worried look on her face but just tells Roxie that he will be down in a bit. After half an hour later, Roxie is tapping her foot and staring at the closed door into the building proper. Her teeth bared and her sense barely held back from invading the entire building so she can drag him out herself, much to the worry of the desk clerk who visibly shudders every time it reaches her. Then he stumbles through the door, sweating, his hair in an absolute mess and absent from around the crystals buried in the base of his skull. Despite the smell coming off him causing her to turn her nose, she stands and strides over to him to pull him upright whilst grabbing his head to check him over.

He weakly taps her arm “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a little overworked” He gives a smile.

She has none of it and continues checking him over “I could pull on the bags under your eyes and the smell could be classed as a weapon. You are getting in a bath, then a bed—” She grabs his head again and glares right into his eyes “Then you are going to explain why you didn’t send any letters and why you are in this state”

Then the elf that she met during the incident storms out behind him, smelling and looking similarly to Luke “What do you think you are doing! I need him for my research, I am on the verge of a breakthrough and refuse to be stoppeaughed!”

Roxie grabs him by the collar and drags him in front of her “You too, a bath and a bed—” She then leans down and invades him with her sense, getting a good look at his organs and making him squirm uncomfortably “Then I’ll rip your head off. Ok”

Without waiting for a response, she pushes them forwards and marches them out, the elve’s reluctance dying as he gets a blast of fresh air.

She turns back to the woman who’s only managing a blank expression “I’ll return them later when they don’t look like death”

A short search later and the two are dumped into a private bath, each on one side of the heated pool as Roxie takes another and spreads out her wings.

“Soooo….?” Her question dies as she notices the elf has sunk down to his jaw in the water and snoring “So?” She turns instead to Luke doesn’t look too far behind.

Her perks up and rubs his eyes “Thanks, got a little carried away” He wobbles a bit with a smile “Some of the stuff in there is crazy and..”

He’s interrupted by Roxie rising a hand “Was it worth worrying mom and dad, your brother and sister too?”

His enthusiasm dies in that moment. He closes his eyes and settles back “No. I’m sorry”

“A letter would have done, something to say that you at least made it here ok and wasn’t stuck in a ditch” Her shoulders sag and her expression becomes softer.

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, until Roxie pokes him with a toe claw “Hey, owe”

“Don’t fall asleep when I’m scolding you!” Roxie leans forwards.

He brings his leg up and rubs at the spot “I’m not! I was thinking!”

“Avoiding the question more like. I’m serious Luke, adopted or not, I call you my brother and will treat you so” She then moves over and grabs his ear “That means holding you accountable and telling you off when you do something shitty”

“Ow, ow, ow” He tries to pull away, only making it worse “Can you at least wait until we’re dressed!”

“Fine” she stops and sits back in her spot, crossing her arms.

After finishing up their bath, they drag the elf out and start heading home until his stomach grumbles, at which point they divert and head to a nearby restaurant.

Roxie stops eating her meal and points her fork at Luke “Have you got a place to stay?”

He swallows his bite before answering “Elena offered for me to stay at her place”

She quirks a brow “How long?”

“She didn’t say” He says, oblivious to her gaze as he continues stuffing himself.

She turns to the elf who’s also mirroring her look. He puts down the knife and fork before leaning forwards “I am curious how friendly you are with my daughter?”

Luke doesn’t react other than pausing his inhaling of food “Not very well, been mostly helping you out haven’t I”

He blinks, then glares at him.

“So” She changes the subject, giving the elf a grin “What was you two doing? Before I dragged you out”

The elf then proceeds to forget his food and go into a convoluted and long-winded lecture on how enchantments work, only stopping when his listeners walk off.

Before he starts again, Roxie asks “So you basically write the commands on the item and the mana follows it”

“It can become so much more complicated, so much so that putting it in such a simplistic term ruins the potential. Variables; if’s, or’s, and’s. we could command it to calculate. To prosses. To think. The potential is limitless, it’s only a matter of training ones mana to be better, giving it a better vessel, simplifying and iconing the commands—”

She stops him with a raised hand “Shut up”

With thatthe elf leaves the pair in a huff, heading back to the grey. They turn away and start walking away themselves.

“Hey. You know he does actually pay me” Luke leans forwards so he can talk to her.

“Has he paid you?”

Luke thinks it over for a second “No actually, so fuck him for now”

They continue talking on the way, Luke mainly explaining that many experiments that he was privy too during his time there. Roxie meanwhile goes over the events in the ball, and what led up to hm being recommended as a research assistant.