“Another member ‘missing,’ they’re sending us a message,

At this rate, maybe we should comply,”

“No boss, we mustn’t, they can’t break the rules and be rewarded for it!

We mustn’t back down!”

“I know that but, I refuse to risk any more lives,”

“Just give it a little more thought boss, we can’t let them take advantage of us!”

“I won’t make any rash decisions I promise,”

“Good, then in the meantime, I’ll look for more…………..”

****

“How long were you watching us?” Karina interrogates the mysterious person,

He runs his fingers through the white steak in his otherwise jet-black hair, nervously.

“Watching you? I’m afraid you have it all wrong,

I was going about my night when I happened saw you five laying here,” he says in forcefully ‘mysterious’ voice,

“I have to assume someone robbed and left you here beat up?”

“Hmm, out of all the assumptions you could have made, you just happened to guess that?” Karina presses ,

“Well, err, umm, things like that are a common occurrence here,”

“Who are you?” Lyra asks blankly,

“Who I am isn’t important,

What I have to offer is”

…..

The five of us exchange both cautious and curious looks,

“What do you want from us exactly?” Apollo using an intimidating voice of his own,

“Nothing more than a mutual agreement,

I can teach you how to not get swept again and in return you can help me by temporarily joining my cause,”

“There are plenty people in this city, why don’t you ask them,

We’re not interested,” Karina yawns

“Everyone here is already allied to a faction, and most visitors like you rarely last a day here before leaving, there are so many things to experience they miss out on,”

“What a coincidence then,” Pinoki quips,

“We were planning to leave as well, and as far as experience goes, you just ruined our ‘stargazing’, the best sight in this entire city,

And if we are talking about smell, well, mmm, mmm, mmm,

Do you guys smell that?

It’s quite an exquisite, pungent odor that one can relate to smell of a male cow otherwise known as bull’s excrement,”

“He’s calling you a liar,” Lyra interprets,

“Just hear me out at least, I can give my word that I’m being honest,” he extends his arm,

(On his wrist, isn’t that?)

“Where did you get that?” I reach out,

“Why do you want to know?” He cautiously pulls back his hand

“Where did you get it?” I repeat

“I got it from my um, job you could say,”

“What exactly is this job of yours?”

“I am an adventurer,”

“Tell us more” Pinoki perks up, his interest caught,

“Well….”

“…Claude!

Clau~auddde! “

A girl calls, running up,

“I’ve been looking all over for you,

Don’t go wandering all over by yourself, without me, Claude!”

“*Cough, cough* I’m in the middle of something right now Amelia,”

“Huh?

What’s with the fake voice?”

“Fake voice? this is how I always talk,”

“Quit pretending, and why are you in all black, don’t tell me you took these out from the guild storage room,”

“Do tell us, ‘Claude’,” Karina jabs

“You see what you did Amelia,” the young man’s voice no longer deep, he argues with the girl who just came up

“What did I do!?”

“I was trying to recruit some new members to our faction, and you just had to run your mouth!”

“I did nothing of the sort,

How is a sister to feel knowing her brother left her alone to wander a dangerous city?”

“Don’t give me that crap, ‘Sweep’ isn’t dangerous, you’re just trying to avoid the fact that you ruined a good plan,”

“It wasn’t going to work anyway Claude,

Nobody is going to fall for the whole mysterious man who goes around teaching outsiders the battle formula!”

“It could have worked, now I will never know”

“It wasn’t working,” Pinoki inputs,

“You are bad at negotiating,”

“My head hurts Apollo randomly says,

“Physically and mentally, I’m tired. I want to sleep,

Can you two leave maybe come back tomorrow,”

“Apollo, we are literally in the middle of street,” Lyra reminds

…….

“You two, seem like ok enough people, can you show us somewhere we can stay without getting scammed and then beaten up?” He turns to the siblings,

“The guild does have extra rooms you will have to agree to join if-

“-Didn’t you hear what I just said, I want to sleep, it has been a long day, whatever offers you have, save it for later,”

“Alright then I can agree to that,” the young man beams relived to at least have gotten someone a chance to convince the group,

……….

“Can we really trust these people?” Pinoki whispers as we trail behind the two, following them to their ‘home’

(On his wrist, I’m sure that was a watch,

A digital one at that, that is the first time I’ve encountered technology that I’m familiar with,

I have to find out where it came from)

“I think we should listen to what they have to say,” I confide to the others

“We can use them to get to a solid understanding of Furlheim, then we can figure out our next move” Karina agrees

***

I need you♪

I wanted you♪

Come to me♪

Ecstasy♪

Distorted vocals coupled with delayed guitar strums echo from within, a miniature but grandiose mansion-like structure, its outer walls, a faded black color, are filled with detailed lines and patterns, it looks so ancient, so rustic, a bright light emanates out into the night from the closed windows overhead, in tandem with the curious music.

“You can put that away, this isn’t an evil ploy I promise,” the young man, Claude notices Karina’s dagger out,

“This is, where we stay, ‘the institute’,” he goes over to main door,

“Prepare yourself to be amazed.”