Super unedited. This is early to make up for the chapter being so late last time.

Enjoy this one lovelies ;)

~

Ruy was not expecting to be awoken by a deafening t-rex roar, but it woke him up nonetheless. Launching up in his bed wasn't the best choice, as the gash in his abdomen still ached.

"Merda," Ruy spat, whipping his head around. He was in a fairly large room filled to the brim with knick-knacks, piling boxes, and a mattress that his feet dangled off of. A small light was lit overhead the wire bed frame, and small lights were wrapped around the exposed beams above him.

What the hell happened?

A soft voice cleared their throat from outside the door, "Are you decent?"

Ruy cursed again, throwing the covers away from him. Wherever the hell he is, it has to be bad. Gods, Sophie has to be worried sick about him. He assured her he would be home as soon as possible.

Shucking on an open button-down shirt he found in a box and a pair of heavy cargo pants, he swung open the window at the end of the room. With one foot out the window, the woman entered the room with her eyes covered.

"You didn't respond, so I welcomed himself in-" The woman peeked through her hand, catching Ruy halfway out the window with a stupid look on his face.

And it was Edaline fucking Ruewen.

Just his luck.

"What are you doing?!" Edaline yelped, scrambling to help him out of the windowsill. At the sound of that, two goblin bodyguards slammed into the room, assuming he attacked her.

"Where am I?!" Ruy insisted, jumping back into the room and limping away from her.

Edaline pursed her lips, gesturing around her, "Our home, Havenfield. You rolled onto our front steps two days ago-"

"Two days?!" Ruy began to pace, "Oh no, Blondie is going to kill me." Ruy turned to Edaline. Sophie's mother. Sophie's real mother was right in front of him. How should he do this?

I'm madly in love with your daughter, and I would fall on my own sword for her?

No, too much.

Hi, I'm Vespera's bastard son, and I just escaped a Neverseen castle?

Nope.

"Thank you for helping me." Ruy rasped out. Edaline smiled, grabbing a small tray of tea and bandages.

"You are welcome." Edaline side-eyed him, "You have an interesting accent. You sound like you are from a Vatarian city?"

Ruy remained quiet, opening and closing his fists.

Edaline smiled, pouring herself a cup of licorice tea, "I'm not dumb. I have a feeling you are from my daughters, uh, what do they call it?"

"Guild. They call it a guild." A grizzled voice answered from the door. Grady leaned against the frame of the door, glaring something vicious at Ruy.

Ruy gulped, the confrontation he never wanted to happen now inevitable.

"Kyer Halloway, huh? Are you the reason the matchmaker's offices crumbled in on themselves, Mr. Halloway?" Grady spat.

Ruy cringed, "I mean... it wasn't entirely my fault?"

Grady sharply laughed, "You sound just like my daughter."

"I'm sorry Mr. Ruewen, I was undercover. I couldn't give you my real name."

"And what is your real name?" Sandor asked.

Ruy felt as if his body was on fire. Was he really going to come out with all of it right now? Here?

Edaline noticed his apprehension and handed him a cup of tea, "Everyone, that is enough. Let the boy rest. Grady, you are interogating him."

Grady straightened, glancing at his wife before looking back at Ruy, "If he is going to stay here, he is going to work. Meet me at the pens right before dinner." He stomped away, Grizel rolling her eyes and following him. Sandor took a chair beside Edaline, accepting a cup of tea within his massive paw hands.

Ruy stared down at the tea, his training making him sniff it for poison.

"Are all of you Assassins apprehensive?" Sandor asked, jumping when Edaline kicked him beneath the table. Edaline patted his bed, taking a casual sip when he sat down.

"Can you at least give us something? I feel like I recongize you from the Battle of Foxfire, but I can't remember how?" Edaline asked.

Ruy thought for a moment, "Yes, I'm a Cyevan Assassin. I have worked for Mentore Morretti for around three years now."

"And why did you roll onto the front of the house in the middle of the night?" Sandor asked.

"I was undercover in a Neverseen base. I was discovered during my escape, and I grabbed a crystal they had in their stores. It led to your home."

Edaline went pale, darting to Sandor, whose face was dark.

"The Neverseen have a crystal to Havenfield?"

"They have a crystal to everywhere." Ruy responded.

Edaline turned to Sandor, "I don't know how I feel about that, Sandor."

"I promise you, I will keep you safe."

Edaline looked down at her tea, stirring it before changing the subject.

"So is my little girl alright?"

Ruy nodded, "She is doing alright. The guild is in perfect working order and is expanding as we speak."

Sandor leaned forward, "And how close is she to defeating the Neverseen?"

Ruy froze, glancing around. This place could be bugged or watched.

Sandor noticed his apprehension, "I can assure you this area is secure."

"You can never be too sure." Ruy answered, shifting in his seat, "I promise you, I can answer questions. But I should return to my guild as soon as possible."

"You're still injured. Assassin or not, I won't allow you to leave my house limping. " Edaline stood, walking towards him with scissors. Ruy flinched, scrambling back.

Edaline's eyes flashed, her scissors dropping.

"I... I just wanted to change your bandages." She assured.

This was Edaline, Sophie's mother. If Soph trusted her, then he could as well.

He slowly lifted his shirt back, allowing access to the bandages. Edaline silently changed them, humming to herself. Sandor was glaring daggers at Ruy, making him shuffle nervously.

"Has my daughter been treating you well in her guild?"

Ruy laughed, "She has been treating me very well."

Edaline smiled, "Good. I would give herself one heck of an earful if she wasn't treating her employees properly."

Right. Employee.

It was quite jarring to hear the proper and crisp tone of the elves compared to the bawdy and cursing mouths of Vatarians. It is hard to believe Sophie lived with this couple for so many years.

Ruy dropped the shirt when Edaline snipped off the last bandage. He needed to be smart about this. The Neverseen were probably still looking for him and Seamus. If he left now, he could be leading them right to him for an early death.

"If you don't mind Mrs. Ruewen, I should probably stay here for a few days. Just to make sure the Neverseen are off my back before I return to the guildhall."

Edaline smiled, "Of course! But know Grady will probably put you to work."

"I figured as much."

"Well, we just brought you in here becuase we didn't really know if you are friend or foe. If you wish, we can set you up in a better room-"

"This will be fine. There are few windows and it seems like an untouched part of the home. It will be a good place to hide out."

"Halloway! Come out here and help me with the feed!" Grady barked from the foyer.

"He's still injured!" Edaline yelled back.

"He was fine enough to try and throw himself out a window! That means he is fine enough the gather the hay!"

Edaline shot him a tired look, but she shrugged.

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do since you are giving me your home."

Edaline smiled jokingly, nudging Sandor, "Aw, my little Sophie knows how to pick her men at her guild. A gentleman."

Sandor just rolled his eyes.

Ricin galloped into Renisanca towards the guildhall after Sophie got an urgent and mysterious message in the middle of her bath. After her interaction with Eira, Filomena sent her home, insisting she relax before she gets riled up again. Sophie felt guilty for taking a bath when the world around her was falling apart. But there was one thing scarier than the world imploding, and that was aunty Filomena when she was mad.

But in the middle of her cucumber face mask she was looking forward to for weeks, Nour called her, yelling for her to haul ass.

Her mind was running of everything that could be wrong. Could it kill people to be more specific?!

Did the Neverseen make a move?!

Did they lose Egypitnat again?

Oh gods, did Ruy not make it out?

Ricin nearly ran over an old woman selling flowers in the marketplace, who yelled obscenities at Sophie. For once, Sophie forgot her manners and pushed Ricin faster.

Mansi was waiting outside the guildhall, her bump even bigger today.

"Mansi! What happened?!" Sophie yelled, jumping from Ricin's saddle before he even had the chance to stop.

Mansi smiled at her, "Oh hey Lia. I wanted to ask about my joining blanket for our wedding ceremony." Mansi held up two swaths of blue fabric with Wampanoag stitching lining the sides and beading in the middle. "Do you like the baby blue or sky blue more?"

Sophie blinked, her jaw hanging open.

"I-Is this why I was called in to the Guildhall?" Sophie stuttered.

Mansi shrugged, "I didn't know why you were called in, I was back at home and came to ask Alvar about the blankets. I just happened to run into you- what's on your face?"

Sophie didn't even realize, but she forgot to wipe off her mint green cucumber face mask in her panic.

"Just my chance at a peaceful afternoon drifting into a memory- where is Nour? He is the one who called me in."

Mansi's face dropped, "Do you think it's something serious?"

Sophie crossed her arms, "Since he had the audacity to interupt my bath, I assume it is."

The doors swung open, Nour out of breath.

"Leto." Was all he said.

Sophie's heart dropped.

"He died?" Mansi asked, her hands clamped tight around the blankets.

Nour shook his head.

"The man is better than ever."

Ruy grunted as he lifted a massive bale of hay into the pen, nearly falling on his face with the weight gone. Grady grunted beside him as he placed down more feed. Stretching out his shoulders with closed eyes, he embraced the setting sun.

But when heat braced his back and growing warmer and warmer, he knew something was off.

"You should probably move." Grady huffed. Ruy hit the deck right on time, avoiding a Flaredon bite to his spine.

Grady tutted at the Flaredon, "No, Gildie. We don't bite visitors." The Flaredon, named Gildie, huffed and shuffled away.

Grady sighed, picking up his jacket from the grass blanket.

"That should be enough, Halloway. Dinner should be ready by now." Ruy started towards the house, but Grady stopped him. Ruy cocked an eyebrow, but Grady pointed to their front door.

Where a horde of councilors waited.

"Merda!" Ruy ducked beneath the bales, peeking out beside the edge. Grady looked ready to join him but groaned when a familiar voice called out, "Ah! Mr. Ruewen!"

Grady swallowed, "Don't move. Don't speak. Don't let them see you."

Ruy nodded, tucking his massive body as close behind the hay bales as possible.

The Councilors shuffled down the hill, closely escorted by their bodyguards.

"How can I help you?" Grady asked.

"We have a report of an unauthorized leap to your premesis. We believe it may be the work of the Neverseen."

Grady's face dropped, "What?"

"Yes. So if you do not mind, we brought some men to search the area. It seems it was just one person that teleported, and we just want to make sure they aren't still here."

"I assure you, my wife and I would've notied some Neverseen rat scuttling about my home-"

"Mr. Ruewen." A gruff ogre bodyguard stepped forward. Grady smiled innocently, tiredly.

"The man who teleported is Ruy Tonio Ignis. We have very reliable information."

His name settled between the group, like an anchor against the wake of the sea.

Unintentionally, Grady's eyes drifted to the barrels Ruy crouched behind.

Grady had one of his mortal enemies in his home. Helping him with chores.

The ogre caught his eye. Gently pushing Grady aside, he began to remove the barrels.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"I should remind you, Mr. Ruewen, that harboring enemies of the Lost Cities would make you an accomplice. Especially dangerous exiled criminals such as Ruy Ignis." Aline snarled.

Grady's heart dropped when the ogre removed the final barrel.

Revealing the empty spot to the council.

The ogre huffed, looking to the other guards.

"Spread out. We must be sure he isn't here." They all spread out through the hills of Havenfield.

"I assure you, we would never hide anyone like Ruy Ignis." Idiot. What an idiot Grady was. Ruy played them for fools.

The Neverseen rat rested in their home and used their daughter's love and her mysterious guild to trick them all. But he could not reveal that they did hide him for fear of being an accomplice.

Grady didn't even notice Edaline approach behind him, hearing everything. There was a fire in her eyes that even Grady feared. She was clearly not happy Ruy abused her kindness.

A shadow jumped from one pen to another, his azure eyes blown wide. And the sound of the pen opening.

Ruy looked for another exit, but by promptly hiding in the pen, he had caged himself in. The ogre sniffed, struggling to nail Ruy's scent in the smell of animals. But he did smell Ruy.

A sticky drop rolled down Ruy's shoulder, making him slowly turn around.

Gildie growled at him, her mouth full of teeth and furious drool. Her slowly healing singed feathers glinted in the setting sun, the nigh hiding Ruy as well as it could.

"Nice bird." Ruy laughed with a strained voice, shuffling away from her.

Julie launched for his neck, screeching.

"There!" The ogre cried.

Ruy rolled out of the way of Goldie's attack once more, Gildie overstepping and running straight into the ogre running for him.

His heart pounding and his mouth tasting faintly of smoke, his body began feeling like fire. His back felt like a thousand spider bites convulsing on the muscle beneath his shoulder blades.

Just then, Ruy felt the flesh emerging from his back.

Using every single note his father taught him and all of his shoddy practice sessions at the Castello, Ruy launched into the sky. The wind whistled in his ears, his wings shaking with the effort.

In the blink of an eye, Ruy Ignis was gone.

Edaline spun around, "Why are you hunting down Ruy so harshly anyway?

Alina's face was grim, "We believe he is responisble for Fitz and Sofia Vacker's disappearance."

They didn't even know they were missing?!

After insisting they had no idea he was there and were innocent, the council and their bodyguards went back to their respective homes to plan their next steps to apprehend the vicious criminal.

Ruy had flown over the pens and down the cliffside, clenching his eyes and fists as he straightened out over the ocean, speeding away.

There is no way he could fly all the way to Inalia. Not with his wings. He had just learned how to fly properly. He found a small rock protruding from the ocean, where a flock of seagulls had landed. Sitting his but on the rock, he became one with the seagulls.

After waiting for a while on seagull island, he began back to Havenfield. He landed softly, his palm face down against the soft grass to keep his balance.

Ruy didn't know what he was expecting when he knocked on that door.

But it certainly wasn't kind and motherly Edaline to come swinging through the door with a kitchen knife in her hand. Ruy stumbled, landing in the mud as he faced Sophie's enraged mother.

"You lying rat! You said you were a part of Sophie's guild, but you were really one of them?! You've been tormenting our family for years yet you still took refuge in our home?!" Though he knew she wouldn't do anything with the knife, as was elves and their aversion to violence, he had never been so scared in his life.

"No, Edaline, let me explain-"

"It's Mrs. Ruewen to you!" She yelled, brandishing her kitchen knife. Grady peeked over his shoulder, clearly terrified of his wife more than he was mad at Ruy.

"Ruy. Ignis. We had Ruy Ignis in our home, Grady!" Edaline exclaimed in disbelief.

"I-I know, honey."

Edaline stomped her foot, "Ooh, and I served him tea. TEA, GRADY!"

"Why are you yelling at me?! He is the one in trouble!" Grady complained. Edaline whipped her head back to Ruy, who stared terrified from the mud. Edaline glanced at his bandages, worried about him getting dirt in them when she just cleaned them out. But then she remembered she is supposed to be threatening him.

"Tell us why we shouldn't report you to the Council right now?!" Sandor cut in.

"Because I didn't lie!" Ruy groaned out, getting up from the mud holding his wounds. They all shared a look, clearly not believing him. They then spotted the monstrous wings sprouting from his back. Sandor and Grizel stiffened, shuffling Grady and Edaline behind them.

"Please believe me. I didn't lie to you! I am Sophie's second in command- I am a part of the guild." Ruy got up fully, letting his wings slump behind him. His father would scold him for dragging his wings across the floor, but it wasn't his priority right now.

"Please. Just let me explain." Ruy begged.

"All of it?" Grady scowled.

Ruy nodded, "All of it."

Edaline scowled, stomping away. But then she emerged with a blanket, wrapping it around Ruy's dirty shoulders. She avoided his wings the best she could. She led him inside.

"Don't stay out there. You'll get a cold." She snapped.