The couple walked hand in hand as they entered the city. The walk from Starstone had been chilly but otherwise uneventful. Rena clung close to Enzo as they passed the guards at the gates, and smiled at the scene before them.

The streets were lined with all kinds of booths. Test-your-knowledge and puzzle game booths stood next to men wielding huge hammers and demonstrating feats of strength. Shops displaying everything from swords and shields to handbags and blankets. Every corner was a battleground of smells as food vendors enticed the crowds with a wide range of dishes from all around the world.

It was more than Enzo was prepared for. The strange mental images flashed in his mind, of being a young boy and playing at a fair… Shooting an orange ball at a hoop and missing time and again… He felt himself start to slip into the strange half-memories.

“Come on!” Rena shouted as she pulled on his arm, removing him from the visions. “You can gawk like the country bumpkin you are later, we’ve got to find a good inn!”

Rena wove through the crowd, dragging Enzo along behind her. He hadn’t completely recovered, but he trusted Rena to know what she was doing. She did have their money, after all.

The couple rounded a corner and turned down a side alley, away from all the commotion. Enzo looked around, but didn’t see anything particularly interesting in the alley. He was about to say as much, when Rena pulled him close and kissed him quickly on the cheek. She blushed and pulled away, leaving Enzo stunned.

“You were just so overwhelmed… I wanted to bring you back,” Rena said quietly.

Enzo wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

“Thanks,” he said as he tenderly held her close. “I can’t remember being around this many people at once and kind of zoned out, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Rena said brightly, taking his hand again. “Now, let’s find an inn!”

The pair strode back into the main vein of the crowd and slowly worked their way toward the more residential areas of the city. After passing several inns that looked perfectly acceptable, Rena paused in front of a perfectly average looking building.

Sturdy wood doors framed in stone similar to the walls of the city enclosed the building and gave it an aged look. The windows were opaque but in good condition, and the second story seemed to have a nice balcony to sit on and enjoy the bustle of the festival. With a smile, Rena led Enzo into the building.

The interior was quite cozy, a large oblong bar served the room from either side and hid the entrance to the kitchen in the back. Two hearths on either side of the room kept the cold out, and tables were situated around the room to allow groups of varying sizes to eat together. A large golden fish hung above the bar, shining in the firelight.

“I heard Manuel and Oskar talk about this place when they came to Baybreach with Tobias,” she explained as she made her way to the innkeeper’s desk. “Apparently Tobias is some sort of celebrity here, and they were well taken care of. Hopefully they’ve still got a room.”

“A room?” Enzo asked nervously. Rena smiled mischievously and darted over to the main desk.

Enzo let her take the lead while he surveyed the room. It was surprisingly empty, given the number of people in town. Surely this isn’t the first place people would choose to rent a room, but it's by no means bad. I wonder if the food’s any good or if we should just find places on the street.

Rena returned to his side spinning a key on her finger, interrupting his thoughts.

“It’s a good thing we came early, they only had a couple rooms left,” she said.

Enzo sighed, relieved. She was kidding about the one room thing.

“With the festival in town, they wanted to charge a gold per night per room so I just went ahead and got us one room,” she continued. “You don’t mind sharing, do you?”

Enzo paled at the thought, and Rena giggled.

“Come on, it’s just upstairs. Let’s set our things down and go explore!” She managed to gasp between laughs. She grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to his destiny, ready or not.

===========================================

“Two beds,” grumbled Enzo over their meal. The pair had left the inn several hours prior, and wandered the streets for a while. Eventually, they settled on a strange oceanic restaurant on the square near their inn. The little shop featured thin noodles and fish in a spicy broth that warmed them both on the cold afternoon.

“You could’ve mentioned the room had two beds,” he continued as Rena grinned at him.

“But the look on your face was priceless!” she replied, giving him a mocking sultry look. “And who’s to say we’ll use the second bed anyway?”

“Not falling for it this time,” Enzo flatly replied.

“Oh, you’re no fun,” Rena pouted. Enzo loudly slurped up another spoonful of soup in response.

As they ate, a commotion arose across the square. Two shopkeepers were shouting about thieves as a group of teenagers sprinted off in the other direction, cheap necklaces stuffed into their arms. Soon after, a member of the guard arrived on the scene and began calming the shopkeepers, taking their stories and vowing to find the kids.

The couple watched as the scene unfolded and was eventually resolved. The guard looked like he’d had the same conversation half a dozen times already and was ready to head home, while the shopkeepers were ready to rant and rave late into the night.

“You’d never do something like that, right?” Rena asked. “Stealing from innocent shopkeepers, I mean.”

Enzo shrugged. “Cheap necklaces? Nah,” he replied casually. “If I were a thief, I’d only steal food if I was starving. That, or I’d go for something big enough to get me set for life. What about you?”

“As an upstanding young woman, I would never steal a thing,” Rena replied, feigning petulance. “Though, as a conniving single woman, I might try to steal something tonight.”

“You are relentless,” Enzo responded, blushing.

“Come on, let’s finish up and keep exploring the city,” said Rena, pretending she hadn’t just been hitting on him. She left a few coins on the table and stood up, readjusting her coat. “We’ve barely seen anything, and I want to check out the shops for a new pack. I’ll have to find some way for you to carry everything I buy back to Starstone.”

Enzo rolled his eyes and stood from the table. “After you then, my lady.”