Kalisia and Wisp walked around the market for a few more hours, but as they felt like they should find a place to sleep a giant disturbance was alerted throughout the market. *CRASH* *CRASH* “Stop squirming animal! You have done this to yourself!” “LET ME GO! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!” *FWOOSH* A small bowl gets thrown past Kalisia and wisp. “Come on soldier let me go already please you have no evidence against me.” “You are all the evidence I need thief.” “Hah your, your joking right?” “Just stop whimpering already.”

Kalisia looked at Wisp confused, “Wisp who’s that? She looks like a child but the soldier called her an animal.” “Well as you can see if you look closer that girl isn’t human, she is what this world refers to them as Elates. A race of animals in the form of humans created by their God in order to create order to the land. In a way we are close but so far in relations.” “She looks like she needs a saving hand” “Wait Ma’am think about your actions! Ah hell she is a persistent one.” Kalisia walked towards the girl and the soldier seeing that the girl is now crying from fear. “Look please girl stop crying just come with me ok? See your starting to upset the locals, Ma’am everything is under control I’m just waiting for my assistance to arrive.”

The girl looked at Kalisia with tears in her fear filled eyes. She looked at the girl and then at the soldier, then back at the girl and turned to the soldier. “Susana what are you doing are you okay? Is the soldier scaring you, it’s okay I’m right here okay? There’s no need to cry.” The girl looked intently into Kalisia’s eyes, they grew in surprise and hope. Wiping her tears away she cried out the first thing that came to her mind. “MOMMY! I’m sorry for leaving the house! I just got lonely and went out to look for you!” “I told you I would be back in an hour, you scared me when I got home and you weren’t there!” *wahhh* “I’m sorry mommy please don’t let the soldier take me!!!!” Just as she said that, the girl ripped from the surprised soldiers grip and jumped into Kalisia’s arms.

Rubbing her face and nose into her shoulders. *gasp!* Her eyes widened as she looked behind Kalisia to be faced with Wisp. “See I got her, I can get her home sorry for the troubles she’s just a new addition to the family, still has to get used to the rules haha.” “My apologies Miss, keep your pet, er I mean child under more control please.” “I will” The soldier walked off and Kalisia Wisp and the girl walked towards the nearest inn. “Don’t worry we will act more normal in the inn okay?” Wisp Looked at the girl with a glare. The girl looked away from Wisp like they knew each other. “Room for three or two? “Room for two Wisp doesn’t need a large bed.”

“Okay then room for two is going to be 10 bronze coins for a night 1 silver for a week. “Here’s a silver coin I feel like we will be here for a bit.” “Okay take your time Miss, I’ll be hear all day.” The three walk to their room and open the door. Kalisia put the girl down and in an instant the girl bolted to the corner of the room. “Woah, woah easy, we aren’t here to hurt you or anyone okay? You are safe when I’m around okay.” “Why did you save me?” The girl asked in a shivering voice, she seemed scared still. “Well you seemed like you were in need of help and you were crying” “You saw that? I was only crying to make the guard feel bad. When you walked up I still had those tears.”

“Hmm that’s not true.” “Huh that is the truth!” “You can’t lie to a sprite” “Hah I should know.” “So tell her the truth.” “Hey are you guys alright? Listen if you don’t want to talk it’s alright.” “NAH, I’m not that all into hidden anything. I was caught by that stupid guard for stealing an apple. Claimed that I was at fault for not having any money, and…..and.” She looked down slumping her shoulders, along with that her tail curled into her arms. Her cute little ears flopped down as well. “And it’s also because I have no one to depend on.” “So there that’s all okay?” “I understand now.” “Really?” “Yes however I think introductions are due so we will go first, my name is Kalisia I’m a novice healer on a journey for Goddess Myra. This here is my “protector” Wisp.” “Nice to meet you.”

“My name is Zero Elate jackal of the forest. I’m an assassin class.” “How interesting, say you wouldn’t have anywhere to go to right? So why don’t you just group up with us it will make for some fun stories.” “Hmmm I have three conditions, if you accept them all then I will join. One, Don’t make fun of my ears, Two don’t leave me alone and never come back and three, since I don’t like the way your name sounds to my tongue, I give you too options kali or……master” “Okay to number one, Okay to number two, but why on earth would you call me master I don’t own you I just offered you to group up with us.”

“Yes however we Elates have a code if an elate is saved by any non-elate she/he will become honor bound to service of the non-elate. This code is dissolved once the elate has done something of greater value or greater.” “So there you have it by our code I am bound to you till I fulfill my end. After that then we will see if I stay…. Master. Hehe” “Oh god you had just came up with the perfect counter argument like you have been waiting to call someone your master. Weirdo.” “Anyways Zero, does that mean you’ll join us itll make everything easier.” Zero looked around the room and then at Wisp, finally into Kalisia’s eyes, Zero exclaimed, “I WOULD LOVE TO JOIN!” “Then it’s settled, you, Wisp and I on a journey to take down this veksis guy.” ……………. “HUUUUH!” “Oh that’s right I forget to tell you.”

Kalisia explained the situation to Zero, wisp was watching the outside through a window just as night was about to fall. “The world seems so calm at night, no fighting, no rushing. Just peace and quiet.” Talking to herself staring outside Wisp watched as the streetlights be lit up by the patrollers. She turned to Zero and Kalisia. “There you have it Zero, that’s our journey I guess.” “Okay so what your saying is we have to kill this guy but we don’t know where to go next.” “Correct so I guess for now we should try and relax me and wisp have been running around the past week so I think it’s high time we relax even if it’s only for a few days.” “Agreed, I think we should go to sleep soon.

*stretching* “Yep I’m beat, Zero your bed is right here.” Pointing to an entire bed Zero’s eyes widened with joy and she happily pounced onto it. Curling into a ball she turned herself away from the two. Kalisia laid down facing the other wall and wisp fell asleep in Her hair. A few minutes passed and Zero turned to see if the others were awake, hearing snores she knew she was the only one awake. Using a type of magic which is a small portal like aura. She pulled out a long piece of what appeared to be a cloth, it had a large tear on one end of the cloth.

She held the cloth real close up to her face, smelling it she removed it from her face, revealing tears. Looking back at Kali and Wisp, she wanted to say something out to Kali but she became frozen with guilt and fear. (No….what will she say? What will she do? If she finds out, or if I tell her she might throw me away like everyone else.) (Stay strong Zero, stay strong…..Tell her tomorrow in private, but when exactly?) As night prolonged Zero eventually fell asleep as racing as her mind is, even the most energetic need sleep. As morning came a loud gasp was heard in the room.

“AHHHHH!” Zero was woken up by a intruding Wisp, “Why’d you wake me up like that Wisp?” “Well I already woke up Kalisia, so I figured you would need a wake up call next.” “Yeah well maybe next time don’t star directly into my eyes I might bite you!” “Alright you two come on lets go get some breakfast before we can go explore sound good?” Wisp looked apologetic at Zero, almost like she was staring directly into her soul Wisp noticed Zero had tear stains on her face as well as red eyes. But something else caught her eye, a piece of cloth that had a tear on one side. Zero looked at where Wisp was looking and sprung to her feet and hid the piece of cloth back into that weird magic gate. “Ma’am, Zero looked like she cried maybe we should treat her to something special. You know to kind of welcome her to the group.” Kalisia walked over to Zero, bent down and gave her a big hug, shocking Zero so much that she started to tear up again.

“It’s ok, it’s ok, I have you Zero. There’s no need to feel sad, no matter what you do I will never let you go after all besides my compassion I am a healer after all.” “You’ll….never…get mad at me? No matter what you won’t leave me?” “Never, ever, now lets get you some breakfast!” She patted Zero on the head and stood up turned to Wisp nudging her to follow. Zero followed behind, still thinking about when to talk Kali.

The three get to the nearest hub and find a place to eat, keeping their promise the let Zero order what ever she wanted, after all she is the newest member so she needs a warm welcome. Kalisia ordered bread with butter, an apple, and water, Wisp ordered various vegetables and some water. Zero, well she ordered the roasted pig with a glass of honey flavored water. There were two things Wisp and Kalisia learned about Zero that meal. One was how much can a little girl eat, which is now an entire roasted pig with a few gallons of honey water, and two was that they learned Zero loves sugar and meat.

“Well that meal left us with 15 silver coins and 34 bronze coins I think we should at least join the guild here that way we can make some money to survive here.” *Guilds are groups of people who come together to set up a sort of job reward business, like adventuring for money as most guilds are.* The three walked to the guild hall promptly name Jolder’s Hammer, and were almost immediately greeted upon entering. “Welcome to Jolder’s Hammer, are you here to apply to the guild, or are you here to set up a quest?” The woman at the desk looked cheerful, and so Kalisia signed up for the guild under three names, Kali, Wisp, and Zero. “There you go you are now part of the guild please take your time getting accustomed to the rules and fellow members!” “Will do! Wisp find us an easy thing to do I trust you.” “Right away Ma’am.” “Hi what kind of quest do you suggest for newcomers?”

As Wisp went to look for a quest Zero grabbed Kali with both of her hands and tugged her outside. “WHA! Zero what are you doing? Are you ok is something wrong?” Zero looked into Kali’s eyes, opened her mouth but no words came out. Realizing she couldn’t speak she closed her mouth, smiled and said “I’ll tell you soon okay?” “Uh okay?” The two were holding each other awkwardly when Wisp suddenly came out, “I have a quest for us….to….do.” “What’s going on here?” “NOTHING, NOTHING!” “What’s the quest?” “Oh it’s a simple collecting request for a farmer that’s all. We have to go to the nearby forest and-“ “The forest?” Wisp and Kali turn toward Zero with perplexed looks. It seemed something went wrong in the forest.