“That blade needs an upgrade, and you know it.”

Tyr studied the Nifilan Edge in his hands. Dull as it was, he sharpened it to the best of his ability every day, and continued to use it despite the abundance of materials he’d gathered which could make a more-powerful blade. Molin was right though, he was going to need something sharper if he was going to hunt something more powerful than the tiny Copper Blangonga he’d just barely managed to kill within day-long time limit, even with help.

“Maybe you’re right… but I can’t just let the smith here work on it.”

“And why not? We’ve got a fine smith.”

“But he doesn’t understand the importance of this katana, and he never could. No, if I have Jacob do any work it’ll be for a new blade.”

“And what’ll you do with that one then?”

“Well,” Tyr said as he slid off his bunk next to his red-haired companion. “I think I’ll keep it. Maybe I can send it back home some day for an upgrade.”

Molin laughed. “That’s right, I forgot you can’t go back there. That really sucks.” Molin had a way of taking bad news in stride. It was probably infuriating on some level, but whether it was just his chakra or his patience, Tyr didn’t mind. This apathy about his attitude was what Molin liked about Tyr, and what made them an excellent team, even better than Jaruk sometimes. As much as he proved himself on the field, Tyr wasn’t generally considered the best of hunting partners. He was stoic, gloomy, had no concept of being outmatched, and he didn’t have great equipment. So, in order to keep morale up, Clay Claw would only assign him missions he could complete with one or more of the handful of people that liked to hunt with him. And, since Molin found himself in the same boat, they were often paired.

“Well, then you better get to it because I hear we’ve got another mission coming up.”

“What could they want from us so soon?”

“Guard duty. I hear your girlfriend requested us herself.”

Tyr still wasn’t responding. For three months he had been silent about the issue. And, so long as he received special treatment from Adaline, the taunting was never going to end. Even so, he found that ignoring them at least kept the goading down a bit. “Where’re we going to?”

“Loc Lac. And it’s the peak of trading season.”

“Then maybe I can get myself a new blade there instead.”

“I’d suggest getting it beforehand, and then maybe a second one while you’re there. You can’t have too many weapons.”

“The armory might disagree with you on that. I hear they had to clear out a whole section to support your surplus,” Oliarta interjected from her own bunk. “And I’m glad to hear you’re finally getting yourself something new, Tyr.”

“Who else is coming?” Tyr asked.

“Orion, of course, Guard of Death too, Molin, you, me, Jaruk, Hammer Maiden, and… blast… umm…” She paused for a long moment, rubbing her forehead to try and help her concentrate. “New girl… uses the chain daggers…”

“Dervish Guard?” Molin hazarded.

“That’s the one! So, eight of us in total, as usual.”

“And since Orion can’t fraternize while on the trip,” Molin mused, “That leaves the perfect ratio of men to women.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Oliarta said with a grin. Tyr just shook his head and took off. “Hey! Come on!” Almost instantly they were right beside him; they each hit him in one of his shoulders. “We were just kidding around. Everyone knows you and Adaline aren’t really a thing.”

“Yet,” Molin chimed in, and Oliarta hit his shoulder much harder than she had Tyr’s.

“Hey! Okay! Let’s stop all this nonsense and get to getting you a new weapon. You gonna try something besides a longsword this time?”

“Nah. I don’t have the skill with another weapon to hunt with my chakra like this.”

“What if that’s the problem?” Molin asked. “What if your body doesn’t recover because it’s stuck on longswords and how to manage chakra with them?”

“You a medic now, Molin?” Oliarta replied.

“He may be right, but I can’t risk anyone’s life on a maybe,” Tyr said as they approached Jacob’s shop.

He was a thick-skinned man with strikingly white hair. He styled it up in the front, bringing every strand he could into a twisted horn which then flowed back to a long ponytail that he kept slung over one shoulder. Over his other shoulder he typically carried his blacksmith’s hammer, or his latest creation, whichever was more appropriate. When Tyr approached, he was just handing off a set of dual blades to an excited young girl that reminded him of Natalie.

It stopped him in his tracks, and by the time anyone noticed it he was a dozen steps behind. Was it that all young girls wanted to study dual blades? Or was it just fate playing games with him?

“Tyr? You okay?” Oliarta sounded more worried than he’d expected, and when he looked at her she seemed blurry.

He wiped the tears from his eyes before he replied. “Just thinking of home,” he said as he stepped past her and up to the smith. “I’d like to commission a katana.”

“Sure,” Jacob replied. “Whatcha wan’?”

“Had to hunt down a couple Hapurus for all the materials, but I’d like something made from what I have in storage.” He handed over his hunter’s badge without another word, because nothing else needed to be said. The materials for the blade would be taken out of his storage, the zenny taken from his account, and he would be contacted by official runners when it was finished. As soon as Jacob took note of his Hunter Registration number, he handed it back and the three went on their way.

“So, Hapu Katana. You’re an adventurous one.” Molin chuckled a bit.

Oliarta raised an eyebrow. “Is that sarcasm?”

“Not at all. I’ve just never heard of anyone who wanted one. The materials are hard to break down to something as thin as a katana.”

“That’s why I’ve asked a skilled blacksmith instead of doing so myself,” Tyr finished just as they turned on the main street towards the arena. There hadn’t been a day in the city where he didn’t go. There was something about the experience that he couldn’t escape, a magnetic force that drove him to enter or to watch whenever he could. It was excellent training when he fought, so at least that half wasn’t an issue, but why he watched was another matter.

Studying other styles had been the initial excuse. He wanted to know how other hunters fought and combat strategies for wyverns he would eventually have to fell. But, at some point, he had to admit to himself that he’d seen the host of opponents available in Fahrenn. Even the multitude of hunters who entered the arena became familiar to him, and so did the way they fought. So, he’d tried excusing his continued presence as a distraction, but more and more the fights reminded him of all he should’ve done instead of what he did do. His final excuse had been that his friends were there. That was when he found himself at the arena late one day when most others had gone home or to sleep, just to watch Dervish Guard practice against a fresh Rhennox. He’d been one of four people there. After that night, the excuses stopped, but the question remained.

Tyr wasn’t the only one surprised at what he saw that day. It was Kean in the middle of what could only be described as a mass of Blangongas. The horde crashed and roared, tore and bit, lifted chunks of earth and sent them slamming into the ground, but Kean fought the tide with all he was. How many had already died? And how many were left? Tyr could barely tell, even with his eyes engrossed on the field.

Kean was more than a white blur, he was the spectral hand of death given form. He used the spikes on his armor as secondary weapons, ramming them into and through attacking pelagii nearly as fast as he gutted them with his sword. His entire body had been made into a weapon, and yet not a drop of blood had made it past the spikes to stain his ice-white armor. It was similar to watching Azusa, but Kean didn’t have the same aura or presentation.

“He’s good,” Molin said.

“Not nearly as good as our Tyr though,” Oliarta countered.

“I don’t recall the last time I took on a sea of Blangongas alone.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s doing it just to show off.”

“Would you be saying that if he were a Legend?” Tyr asked.

Kean was ruthless, deadly, but the Blangongas still overran him after five minutes, and the arena guards had to flood the arena with a rain of sleep shots and dung pods to keep him alive. Still, when all was said and done he had killed eight of the twenty-four he’d commanded them to release.

“What a show, ladies and gentlemen! Give it up for Prince of Loc Lac!” The announcer’s booming voice echoed through the crowd. It was hard to read their emotion at his loss, or his victory. Tyr wasn’t certain how to classify eight kills against overwhelming odds.

“Well, he’s still no Legend. And so I can say whatever I want about him. Prince or not.”

“True. So long as no loyalists report you, you’re free to say anything,” Molin said loftily. “Speaking of loyalists, your princesses are waving, Tyr.”

True enough, Adaline and Sarah were both smiling and waving in their direction. They all waved back, some with more enthusiasm than others, and, when beckoned by Adaline they all approached dutifully.

“Guards, I trust you’re all having fun?” she asked with a particular smile for Tyr.

“As much as can be expected,” Molin replied. “And yourself, Doting Princess?”

“Well, I would be doing better if the Prince of Loc Lac didn’t insist on me being dragged along to every event held in his name. He’s married to my sister, after all, not me.” When she turned her head to give Sarah a look, her sister had already gone. “And she always rushes off to be by his side, even when there are more…” She took a pause to take a sideways glance at Tyr. “Interesting things somewhere else.”

“Not all that is interesting is good, Princess” Tyr replied.

“Most are good,” Oliarta said.

“Speaking of which,” Adaline said, and her guards immediately stood at attention. “Tyr, I’m interested in having a conversation with you about our travel plans.”

“Wouldn’t something like this be better discussed with Orion?”

“He’s not the one my father requested I bring to dinner.” All eyes went to Tyr, who took the news without the level of shock one might expect from the typical low-ranking guard who’d been asked to dinner with the King. Not that Tyr was your typical low-ranking guard in the first place.

“When’s dinner?”

“Tonight, and until then I’d like you to accompany me around the city. I’ve some shopping to do, and I want you to be prepared for what you’ll be doing in Loc Lac.” There was a smirk in her words, but she hid it from her face. “You two are… Molin and Oliarta, yes?”

“That is correct, Doting Princess,” the addressed answered, uncertain why she’d be using their names to address them. They both swallowed as hard as Tyr should have.

“You have both made it perfectly clear that you are his friends. So, I want to inform you that if I hear another whisper on the winds that either of you have been taunting him about me… well, let’s just say that I know you Commander very well.” She turned herself to them, and the hem of her dangerously short dress fluttered in the winds that swept through the arena. “Am I clear?”

“Clear as purecrystal,” they replied.

“Then you may go about your business. And do have some fun while you’re at it. I hear tell Climbing Captain is nothing like himself while he’s on active duty.” A smile, as short as her dress, and then she made to leave. “Come along, Tyr. I’d love to keep the Prince waiting, but I can’t afford to today.”

Although Oliarta and Molin tried to exchange meaningful looks with Tyr, he didn’t bother returning them. Instead, he walked alongside Adaline down the halls that led out of the royal booth and back towards the ground level. “I don’t appreciate you threatening them,” he said once they were out of range from any prying ears.

“I don’t appreciate being treated as a joke, especially when I take our relationship quite seriously.”

“And I take their friendship seriously, Adaline. So, don’t do it again. Please.” They slowed to a stop at the top of the stairs and exchanged a long look. Then Adaline turned, raised herself up to her toes and slowly kissed Tyr on the lips. Tyr, in turn, wrapped his arms around the princess and brought her in closer. For a few moments they stood there, gently pressed against each other as their lips clung to the tiny sparks that trickled beneath their skin. When his arms fell back to his sides, Adaline obediently stepped back to a safer distance and they continued on down.

“Alright then, I won’t threaten them again. Not that I think it’ll be necessary after doing it once.” She wore a thin smile as she descended ahead of him, and her purple dress swished back and forth with her hips. “So, about your duties in Loc Lac. I’ll require a personal guard at all times of the day and night, and so I requested you, naturally. The others will be allowed to do as they please, but you are not to leave my sight, and I am certainly never to leave yours.”

“Adaline, you know I’m not going to do that. I’ll be your guard, but I won’t be watching you take your baths.”

“Not even if I say please?”

“That only works one way, and you know it.”

They made a brief stop at the infirmary to check on Kean and Sarah, who both waved politely to them. “I thought he wasn’t going to be your guard until Loc Lac,” Kean said with a grunt of pain. Apparently, he was still having some trouble with his wounds.

“I’m acclimating him.”

“I believe the term is torturing,” Sarah responded, whipping her blue hair over her shoulder as she turned to them. “It is good to see you again, Blank Blade. It has been too long.”

“Since the day of the wedding,” Tyr replied. If anyone noticed the brief glimpse towards the floor, or the way Sarah pushed her hair back behind her ear, they said nothing about it. “Are you going to be coming with the caravan to Loc Lac?”

It was Kean who responded on behalf of his wife. “Actually, we’ll be heading there a few days later. There are things that need to be taken care of here before we can return home.”

“Then we’ll see you there,” Adaline said on behalf of her guard. “Until then, we’ve things to take care of.”

With little else to say, and less to say in front of everyone present, Tyr and Adaline left the couple alone to recover. Sarah, having watched them leave for a little too long, turned her attention back to her injured husband. “You don’t have to keep trying to outdo every Legend you hear about.”

“Azusa is only a Legend because she practiced enough to be one. No one is born a Legend, and if she can become one at such a young age, then so can I.” He laid back in bed and winced at his bandaged sides. “I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“Perhaps her choice of weapon allows her an advantage?”

“There is no such thing!” Kean’s fist hit the bed hard enough to make himself cringe, so he continued with a forced calm. “Every type of weapon has its strengths and weaknesses so that no one is objectively better than the others. Her gunhammer hits hard, but I should have the speed and accuracy advantage…” With a deep sigh, he settled down.

“I don’t pretend to know much about hunting, Kean, but what I do know is that the gods don’t appreciate envy or lust.” She tried to smile, let him know she was only kidding, but he knew she believed.

“If the gods want to stop me, then they’ll have to do a lot better than they have thus far.” Kean sat up slowly, fighting back to urge to cry out in pain as he grabbed his Monoblade. “Because I will be a Legend. And I will stop at nothing to make certain of just that.”

~~~

The light of Sol did not glint off the blade of Tyr’s newest katana. The Hapurubokka shells weren’t known for their sheen, and neither was the sharpened bone used to craft the blade’s edge. Still, it was far sharper than the Nifilan edge, and stronger as well. The Genprey he was fighting realized this the hard way when it made an ill-fated lunge at the young hunter and found itself cleaved in two before it could hit the ground. There had been a dozen small encounters like this one during the past two days, fighting off the minor beasts of the desert, and yet nothing larger than the princess’ carriage had been within half a dozen kilometers of them.

For most of the group, this wasn’t a problem at all, but Dervish Guard was itching to prove herself to the group and the Princess. “And besides all that,” she explained to Tyr while her daggers cut through a Genprey’s neck. “Feora needs to get out of this desert heat soon, and the best way to do that is to get on the Princess’ good side.”

“You do know that if you just asked,” he said, slashing through the last of the attacking predators. “She’d probably say yes.”

“But how am I supposed to even talk to her?” Dervish Guard whined as she slid her daggers into their sheathes at her side, the chain around her waist like a belt.

“You just do, Dervish Guard,” Oliarta said while she put her own greatsword away, reattaching it to its holding strap. “Doting Princess is the approachable one in the family.”

“But what if she says no?”

“Then your little Lagombi will have to walk,” Molin said. “It’ll make him stronger.”

“Feora isn’t a Lagombi! She’s one of those Felyne subspecies, you know. They call them Pahndas.”

“Whatever it is, we’re moving on,” their Captain said in a tone which could only be described as final. “And if anyone’s gonna talk to the princess, it’ll be Blank Blade. She’s asking for him again.”

Everyone would’ve given Tyr a look, but most of them were preoccupied with other things. When he stepped inside the carriage, however, he was surprised to see that there was curtain drawn across the center. He hadn’t noticed one of those in Sarah’s carriage. “Adaline?”

“Oh, Tyr. You’re early.” She pulled back the curtains a bit and peeked out at him, showing a bare shoulder. “I was just changing into something a little cooler. Unless you’d like to see me as I am?” Fluttering her eyelashes, she started drawing the curtains back again and Tyr shut his eyes tight. “Fine then.” There was a violent swish as the curtains closed. “How have things been out there? I trust there’s been nothing too difficult?”

“Nothing that any hunter hasn’t had to deal with from time to time. How has the trip been for you?”

“Just fine. But I forgot how hot the desert can be without proper ventilation. This whole carriage thing is dreadful.” The curtain opened almost as suddenly as it’d been closed, and Adaline sat in an incredible outfit. Her pants billowed slightly all the way down to her ankles, which would’ve been normal enough if not for the fabric. It must have been made of some fine material, because it was fairly transparent and dyed the richest white. And her top looked as though someone had taken a shirt and then chopped off most of it so that now it only covered what would’ve otherwise been indecent and her shoulders.

Tyr had seen a few female hunters wear armor that covered less, that was certain, but with the transparent nature of her outer layers, that didn’t matter much. “But I suppose it could be worse. I could be out there in all that heavy black armor.” When she noticed that he was staring, she leaned forward and smiled. “Problem?”

“I…” he shook his head and forced his eyes back up to meet hers. “I’ve just never seen an outfit quite like yours. What… is that fabric?”

“You know, I’ve honestly never asked. Sarah would know though. All I know is that it looks nice and breathes well.” Adaline smiled coyly and moved so that she was sitting next to him. “What I really brought you in here for was to ask you a question I couldn’t in the city.”

He scooted away slightly and looked away, making certain to give her room. “Which is?”

“You wish I was Sarah, don’t you?”

When he looked back at her he could see the tears that weren’t apparent in her voice, but wasn’t certain how he was supposed to feel about them. Angry? Sad? Emotional confusion didn’t hit him as often as it used to, but it always seemed to happen at the worst moments. “I… why do you ask that?”

“Because I’ve done everything I can these past few months. I’ve come to talk to you every day I can get away. I’ve offered you anything you want, and I’d slow down if you would only ever ask me to, but it’s not enough for some reason. I saw the two of you with my own eyes, so I just want to know what she’s done that I haven’t.” She was crying, and Tyr had never seen her cry. Tyr hadn’t really seen anyone cry in the last few months, and hadn’t seen anyone cry because of him since leaving home.

“Adaline, I don’t… I would never… I’m not sure what to say. I’m sorry.”

“Then think on it, please. Think of what you have to say and tell me while we’re in the city, please.”

“Adaline, I-“

“Just please, Tyr. If I’m not right for you then I want to know why, and I want to know why it’s still her even though she’s taken.” With a surprising amount of control given her tears moments before, the Princess moved back to her side of the cart and motioned to the door. “Please, leave me be.”

Adaline couldn’t watch as Tyr stepped back out into the desert heat, taking one of her heartbeats with him, and she sighed heavily when the door finally closed. Her head hit the back of the carriage, and then it hit it again, and again. “I wish someone would tell me how to tell someone you love them when all you’ve done is lie to them.”

The Sea of Sand wasn’t as sudden as most people made it out to be. In fact, one could find themselves nearly a kilometer in before noticing that they were sinking in some zones. Most people learned where the shore was through guides that led them to the docks, and the caravan was no stranger to the experience. When they arrived, a sleek sailing vessel awaited them, and yet Tyr wondered how it would ever move.

He’d heard the stories, of course. The tales of sands that flowed like water. It was said that one could drown out there, and yet it was in the center of that great sea that Loc Lac stood, built into a massive stone island that held the only body of water for a long, long ways. Seeing Adaline still in her white outfit put plenty of the sailors in the mood for whistling, and even the guards couldn’t help but steal an appreciative glance or two at the princess when no one else was looking. She ignored them all and introduced herself to the captain with all the grace and dignity one would expect from royalty.

“I am Princess of Fahrenn. My guards and I are here for entrance into Loc Lac, and we precede Prince of Loc Lac and his new wife by two days.” She handed the Ship Captain a folded note which she produced from beneath the small amount of fabric over one of her shoulders. “This will explain it all.”

After an exaggerated examination of the note, and a few glances at the woman who gave it to him, the Ship Captain agreed that all was in order. The guards, who together knew about as much about sailing as they did flying through the stars, boarded the ships a bit more-cautiously than their fearless royal leader. Even Orion, who’d been on this trip a dozen times before, took a deep breath before boarding.

“These sand boats aren’t natural things,” Orion told Oliarta as they settled down into their rooms. Everyone was paired off to keep fraternizing at a minimum, which meant that Oliarta and Orion were together, Molin and Jaruk, Tyr and Hammer Maiden, and then the most-obvious pairing of Guard of Death and Dervish Guard.

“The Sea of Sand is natural enough, so I don’t see why sand boats wouldn’t be,” Oliarta replied.

“They just aren’t…” Orion groaned.

“What’s not natural is you rooming Tyr and Hammer Maiden instead of Guard of Death and Hammer Maiden.”

“Hammer Maiden’s not the kind to have any interest in a guy like Tyr. And, more importantly, Hammer Maiden will likely end up by herself if the princess has her way.”

“You sneaky little Diablos,” Oliarta said, while down the hall there was a different kind of conversation going on.

“You bore me,” Hammer Maiden said with a sigh. “For someone who’s supposed to be dating the Princess, you don’t seem all that exciting.”

“I apologize for not being more gossip-worthy, but it’s going to be a long ride. Maybe we should find something other to do than be disappointed in each other.”

“What you do isn’t really my concern,” she replied. “I’m going to go on deck and see if there isn’t more to this ship than our quarters.” With that, she left, and Tyr found himself oddly alone for the first time since he joined the Guard. He had no reason to bother the others, and especially not to bother Adaline.

So, he thought. He thought of Sarah and Adaline, of what they’d both done and said since he met them. He thought of Orion, Oliarta, even Molin, and how they’d encouraged him to be his best despite his chakra being broken. He thought of Hammer Maiden’s apathy, of Dervish Guard’s worrying, and even of Kean’s brutality. Then, of course, he thought of himself. Of hunts he would’ve done alone back home that he could barely finish in a group now. Of the people he’d left behind in Nifila. Of all the things he’d missed out on because of his chakra.

The sad and terrible truth was that through all of it he didn’t feel much at all. He had been improving, every hunt a little better, every day an inkling of feelings, but it still wasn’t much. He felt like was experiencing the emotions from a distance. Like the happiness and the sadness were only loosely attached. It didn’t make him want to cry, or to smile, it just shifted his stomach a bit in some small direction. And every direction seemed bad except for the ones that brought it closer to his heart.

It wasn’t fair, but he was used to that. His mother’s inability to speak wasn’t very fair to her. Natalie had died because of him, even though he had only tried to help her. The way the Guild treated Nifila, like it was just any other place in the world. The way the Guild had treated him, acting like he was some rebel, some problem because he took care of the things no one else would before it was too late. The Guild had never understood, and it had made his life infinitely more difficult at every step of the way. He hated the Guild. But even that hate was just a muted remnant of what it should have been.

Tyr was so consumed with his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice Hammer Maiden returning. “Back so soon?”

“I didn’t know you were capable of sarcasm.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nearly solset. I have been gone for a long time.”

Tyr sat upright. “You’re kidding.”

“Are we just going to accuse each other of things that aren’t true all evening? Because I’d prefer to go to bed.”

Adaline didn’t have her way, as Orion had put it, and by noon the next day, the island city came into view. Loc Lac was a city unlike any other built in the world. The massive stone slab that housed it had been carved from a mountain, the only known bit of solid land in the entire area, and it had taken a hundred years to complete its construction. All that was a long time before Adaline and her entourage arrived in the harbor, located deep within the bowls of the city, where the majority of the populace lived, safe from sandstorms and the occasional attacks from Jhen Mohran. The Loc Lac most hunters knew, however, lay at the top of the spiraling staircase.

“Now, since none of you have ever been to Loc Lac before there are three things you need to remember. One: Stay away from the edge of the city. A good, strong breeze and you’ll find yourself at the bottom of a sandy grave. Two: Merchants are on the east side of town, and the Hunters live on the west side of town. Don’t get the two confused.” Orion rattled all of this off as though he’d done it a thousand times before. Perhaps he even had.

“And what’s the third, Captain?”

“The third thing is that if the Jhen Mohran comes to town, not a one of you is going to even try and sign up for it, or I’ll personally toss you into the Sea of Sand and make certain you don’t come back. It’ll be less painful for your families. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes sir,” they all chimed back.

“Good,” Orion said. “Well then, all that’s left to do is have some fun while we’re here.” As he said this, the party reached the upper landing and several of their jaws dropped. North of them was the city, a sprawling metropolis complete with an incredibly large lake and the famed Loc Lac Tower. People of all shapes, sizes, and Hunter Ranks bustled about in their business, and hardly anyone paid a lick of attention to the group of black-armored guards and their lovely princess. After nearly a fortnight of nothing but sand, it was a welcome change.

Had the party turned around, they would have seen the vast and endless sea they’d just crossed, its rolling waves dotted with the occasional hint of some giant wyvern or another. They would have wondered at how the pale blue sky cut sharply into the swirling browns and tans, instead of mixing together like they so often did along the horizon. If they’d turned around, then Oliarta might not’ve been almost knocked down by a man in shining Uragaan who was too proud to alter his course.

“Watch where you’re going!”

“Bite me,” the man called back as he ran his way past the stone pedestals that served as the city’s gate.

“My fun is gonna be finding that jerk and showing him what a real hunter can do…” Oliarta said, marching off after him.

“We meet back at these gates in a week, Motherly!”

“Got it, Captain!”

Orion sighed, and dismissed the rest of them. “Doting Princess, if you’ll excuse me, I have business of my own to attend to.”

“You may go, Climbing Captain. I have Tyr should I need anything of the Guard.” She smiled as the last of the soldiers who were only soldiers for the journey left her, and turned her attention to her personal escort. “Tyr, where would you like to go?” There was a softness in her voice, perhaps a melancholy, that he hadn’t heard from her before, not even when she was crying in the carriage.

“I thought I was here as your escort,” he replied.

“That was just the official excuse. I really just wanted to have you with me. On a kind of… week-long date?” It seemed to Tyr that Adaline was finally uncomfortable with something she was doing, which was another oddity. Even when she’d proposed the ‘kiss for a favor’ deal she had been bristling with confidence. Was she really that nervous about something he technically couldn’t say no to?

“I’ve already bee-“

“No, Tyr. You have to want to this time. If you don’t want to then I’ll get one of the others to escort me around, but…” Her gaze fell, and Tyr was distracted for a moment by the sunlight glinting off her brilliantly golden hair. “I want a chance to show you what I’m like when I’m not Doting Princess. Who I am when I don’t have to be my title.”

“I don’t see why… Yes,” Tyr said, and in an instant she was beaming at him. “But I’ll need to buy myself some casual clothes. If I’m not on duty then I’m not going to wear armor all day long. And I still won’t be watching you bathe.”

“That’s alright,” she said, taking a hold of his gloved hand and pulling him along. “That’s more than alright.”

They headed eastwards, and, before Tyr could fully appreciate what was happening he found himself in a changing room with a set of loose-fitting, wine-red clothes. His armor was removed, and sent by runners to the Princess’s room, and Adaline’s smile was easily twice as enthusiastic when they were out on the town. True to her original promise, they spent the majority of the first day shopping.

She would always ask his opinion on anything she tried on or looked at for more than a minute at a time, and would offer to buy him anything he seemed interested in in more than just a fleeting way. He politely declined most of it, since he could afford anything he thought he needed, but soon enough she backed him into a corner.

“You really like it, right? So why can’t I just buy this one thing for you?”

“Adaline, really, it’s a lovely thought but it’s just a trinket.”

She shook her head. “You’ve picked it up four times now since we’ve been here. It’s got to mean more to you than that.”

“I just find it beautiful…” he said, examining the sparkling blue pendant, carved in the shape of a Rathian. “Back in Nifila, I killed both Rathalos and Rathians on what seemed like a daily basis for the villagers. I had to deal with the Los more often, and the armor worked better for my needs as a solo hunter… but I always liked the Rathian more.”

“Then let me buy you this one thing.”

“It’s not worth the price they’re asking for it though. It’s just finely carved machalite.”

“But you’re worth it,” she said in a much softer tone, and that was when Tyr knew he couldn’t argue any more.

“Alright, Adaline. I’d love it.” It was an exaggeration, but still Tyr found himself smiling as she quickly purchased the overpriced necklace, and continued to smile as she offered to put it around his neck. He declined to let her, however, and pocketed the necklace instead. “I’d rather just make certain it was kept close to me.”

“Thank you, Tyr,” she said as they left the stall, heading towards a less-crowded portion of the city as Sol began to set.

“For what? You’re the one that bought me the necklace.”

“For coming with me today, and for agreeing to this crazy scheme of mine.” Adaline brushed a bit of hair back behind one ear, and for a moment he could finally see how she and Sarah were sisters. “I honestly thought I’d get here and you’d see your chance to leave and just take it. Or that you would’ve told me off in the cart and then nothing would’ve mattered.”

“I still owe you an answer for that, don’t I?”

“Don’t tell me yet, I want to enjoy this just a bit longer,” she said, leaning against his arm as they walked along. For a while that’s all they did. People paid them little mind, unlike in Nifila or Fahrenn, and Tyr found that comforting somehow. When they stopped, they were staring out at Sol a few meters from the western edge of the city. The whole world was lit up in orange, red, and streams of fading blue; the thick smell of sand in the air had calmed to a light dusting. Loc Lac might never sleep, but it certainly slowed to a crawl the moment Sol went down.

Even there in the dark of the city’s night, they stood in silence. Adaline pressed close in her affection, clinging to the warmth he still radiated, and Tyr lost in the comfort he felt. It was only when the Princess began to shiver that either of them remembered where they were and what time it was.

“We need to get you inside. Where’s your room?”

“It’s umm…” She paused for longer than Tyr thought necessary, but it had been a long day. “It’s this way.” After she pointed out the direction, Tyr took off his shirt and handed it to Adaline, who flushed in the darkness. “Tyr, you-“

“Take it. You’re barely wearing enough to keep you warm on a night back in Nifila, much less the desert.” When she opened her mouth to disagree with him again he shook his head. “We’ll be where it’s warm soon, so don’t argue with me. I am supposed to be guarding you after all.” The shirt fell down past her hips, but Tyr still hugged her close to keep them both from freezing on their walk across the city.

Adaline had, naturally, rented herself a luxurious suite, but it was on the western side as opposed to below the city, something he hadn’t expected. “I thought they only rented these rooms to hunters...?”

“They do, unless you’re a princess with the extra zenny to throw around. I couldn’t stand the thought of not sleeping with a view of the stars.” She was no longer talking to him though, or at least not at him. Instead, she looked at the fire that kept her room heated throughout despite the large, open windows.

“Well, I suppose I should see what I can do about my own room with a view.”

“I… wanted to talk to you about that.” Between her pauses she was speaking so rapidly that some of her words blurred together. “Since you were supposed to be guarding me at all times I… thought you could just stay here.” When she finished she couldn’t meet his gaze. Where had this Adaline come from?

“Adaline… has this all been an act just to get me to sleep in your bed?”

“No,” she replied weakly. “But I can see why you would think that. I just never knew how to act around you, Tyr. I’ve never really known anyone like you at all, and so when I first made my advances I just treated you like I would any other random guy. I was…” She hiccupped, trying to catch her breath as a few tears hit the firelit floor. “I was testing you. I’m sorry.”

“And is this another test?” He was confused, and skeptical. “And what are you even testing me for?” Most importantly, he was more than a bit angry. “What do I have to prove to you? Am I just some game for your amusement?”

“Tyr, no. I just wante-“

“What you want, Princess, is something you’ll have to figure out on your own time.” He could feel the red rage in his chakra, and wished he had the strength to make any of it real, but he knew better. “When you’re ready to be honest with me, come find me.”

“I am though! I’m trying to be!” She ran into him, clinging shockingly tight to his chest. “You, Tyr. You’re all I want. All I think about and care about.” Her voice subsided into a whisper, one so quiet it could only be heard in the stillness of night. “I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life but you…”

“I wish I could believe you right now,” he said, breaking her grip on him. “But I don’t know who you are. And I can’t trust a thing you say right now.” With more sadness and rage than he’d felt in a long time, Tyr found the chest containing his armor, removed it, and went to find a place he could change on his own.

Adaline cried herself to sleep for the first time in nearly a decade, her head buried in the shirt Tyr had forgotten to take back, and when she woke in the morning Tyr was nowhere to be found.