2nd Interlude (Archive)

It is now quite late in the afternoon, and it is getting overcast; judging by the color and size of the clouds, there will be a storm tonight. This doesn't seem to faze Zelk though, and she keeps walking with her eyes fixed on the road, readjusting her backpack from time to time.

Steve walks beside her using Vel's staff as a walking stick, his backpack secure on his back. "Are you sure we shouldn't find a spot to set up camp? There's a nice one right there." He points to a copse of trees, grown in such a way that they would provide cover from any storms.

"Come on, if you're going to try to stall this meeting from happening, you can do better than that," replies Zelk.

"I am not trying to stall this meeting! I simply don't want to get wet when we can easily wait till tomorrow instead of showing up in the middle of the night sopping wet and going 'Hey dad, look who I brought!'"

"We'll be there in twenty minutes. Maybe half an hour." She glances at Steve, a little curious as to what he will say to that.

"Oh really? Then why does nothing look familiar? I've been on this road before." He is genuinely confused.

"How many times?"

"Once. More than enough."

Zelk slightly chuckles. "I'm telling you; we're nearly there."

"Well, I mean, if you say so." He looks pretty defeated.

She notices Steve's expression, and after a short moment of hesitation, she takes his hand in hers. He momentarily looks down at their hands and then half-smiles. He squeezes her hand lightly, drawing strength from the connection.

"What if he isn't home?"

"Ah! Him, not home? Yeah, right." She laughs a little. "Maybe you'll stop pulling that kind of prank now, eh?"

"No kidding. I don't have the nerves for the fallout. I'll stick to socks and wintergreen oil."

Zelks turns her head to warn Steve. "Do not touch my shampoo."

"Uh..."

She immediately stops walking, and looks at her boyfriend straight in the eye. "...Steve?"

"So yeah, maybe throw that out when we get to the inn. I'll buy you some more from the village."

She lets go of Steve's hand and starts walking again. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it!" she exclaims, arms in the air. "My favorite shampoo!"

He follows a couple of steps behind. "Well, it's only been a few days. If it were going to work something would have happened by now. Right?"

She stops dead in her tracks, and turns around to face the young man. "...I swear, if my hair turns another color, you're sleeping in the stables."

He just stops before walking into her. He holds his hands up as if to ward away her anger. "If it was going to, it would have happened by now. I was ripped off I tell you."

Zelk rolls her eyes and moves her feet again. "I swear on the Nine Bells, you're going to drive me crazy. One minute, you can be the sweetest man on Dust, and the next, I want to strangle you."

She motions the act with her hands.

He starts following again. He smiles at the compliment buried in her lamination. "Ah, well, you know. I try. Speaking of sweet, I got you a gift."

She doesn't even look behind her. "Is it a new bottle of shampoo?"

"That's not a gift, it's an apology. I got you a real and genuine gift."

Unconvinced by this statement, she nevertheless stops and faces Steve. "What is it?"

Steve keeps walking, moving around her. He calls back, "Later, later. It's for after dinner."

Zelk groans in exasperation, and follows in his steps. "Stupid. I'm so stupid," he can hear her whisper.

"What kind of response is that? It will be fine." He poo-poos her trepidation with a wave of his hand. "I wonder what we'll be eating tonight?"

"Your words," she calmly states.
_____________________________

Just as Zelk told him, it takes them under half an hour before they reach the inn that stands between Waterglass and Highwind. It looks the same as four months ago, except that there seems to be more carts stationed outside the stables than before. "There, you see?" points out the short-haired woman. "Told you so."

"Yes, you did. I apologize for not believing you."

"Well, that's not me you have to apologize to today." She turns around and faces Steve, a look of concern in her eyes. "...Are you ready for it?"

He stops. "I...I think so. I don't think I could do it if you weren't here."

She slowly nods. "Well, you let me go first inside. I don't think he will be angry if he sees you with me."

"Okay. Whatever you say Zelk. Should I wait for you to call me in or do you want me right behind?"

"You're definitely coming with me. Don't want you running away while I have my back turned on you after all," she says as a joke before moving her feet towards the inn's entrance.

"Heh, yeah." He follows on her heels. There are a lot more people enjoying their time in the lounge than the first time Steve was here. Some of the customers are drinking, but most of them are drinking some juice or eating a few snacks while they socialize with each other. A few of these people recognize Zelk, and they happily exclaim, "Oh, there's the Ice Queen! Heard you were getting married!"

Zelk responds with an easy-going tone, "Not exactly, no. My boyfriend was just getting ahead of himself, but I put him in his place."

The man laughs. "Sounds rough! Is that him?"

"Yes."

"Look guys! He's still alive!" His companions laugh with him, and they quickly turn their attention to something else once they see Zelk walk towards the bar. Her father is looking back and forth between her and Steve, confused.

He smirks at the regulars and waives hello. He follows Zelk to the bar and says, "Hello, Lomner. Look who I have with me."

Zelk softly hits Steve on the sides to remind him of his situation, and then faces Lomner Freeron. "Hey Dad," she says.

"Hi Zelk," replies the bearded man. "...What's happening? Why is he here?"

"I'll let him tell you," says the young woman, who then looks at her boyfriend. The patrons of this establishment aren't really paying attention to the conversation taking place between the owner and his extended "family", probably because they don't know about the circumstances surrounding this meeting.

"I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry I lied to you and made a fool of you in front of your friends. I wasn't thinking about the consequences, I only thought it would get Zelk's attention. It was a selfish and stupid thing to do and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I promise you, you won't regret it. I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust."

Lomner raises an eyebrow at Zelk, and after giving a quick glance at the apologetic mage, he comments to his daughter, "You came with him."

"Yes,-" she confirms. "He's my boyfriend."

He looks at Steve again, absolutely flabbergasted by this declaration.

"Yes, we are in love," confirms Steve, who then pulls out a bottle. "I brought booze. It's Myrish whiskey. I hope you like it. Zelk helped me pick it out."

Zelk hits Steve in the sides, a little embarrassed to hear him say "love". This only serves to bemuse her father even more, who then quietly takes the bottle into his large hands, and admires the gift.

"I was wondering if you'd like to share a drink over a late dinner when you aren't so busy," says Steve. "Maybe we could get to know each other for real this time."

Lomner keeps looking back and forth between his daughter and her unexpected boyfriend. "Yes. That's... a good idea." He fixes his eyes on Zelk. "Are you... staying for long?"

"I was thinking of staying until the day after tomorrow," answers Zelk. "Can I take my old room?"

"Yes, of course. I haven't touched it. I'll... call you when it's time to eat."

"Thanks. Come on Steve, let's go."

Steve grins. "Okay. Right. Let's go." He happily follows along after her, practically bouncing on his heels in excitement.

Zelk takes Steve behind the bar, and into the back rooms where she must have grown up as a kid. After walking through the small living room, which is connected to the kitchen, she walks around a corner and follows a hallway until they reach one specific door. On it is painted a colorful drawing of an elemental of water (or is it air?), and some measurements with years written next to them. The short-haired mage doesn't even look at them and enters into her bedroom and lets her backpack fall to the ground. "It went better than I expected," she comments while sitting down on her one person bed.

Steve stops and looks at the measurements and the elemental, running his hand over them. "It did go well. Is this a water elemental?"

"Now it is," she jokes. "I was trying to draw an air elemental, but I didn't quite understand that the only thing you can see is the dirt they pick up with their wind."

"Well, I like it." He enters her old room and looks around.

The room is quite small. Standing against the wall is a bookshelf half-full of used books (most of them educational), and a few feet away from Steve, right in the corner of the bedroom, there's a chest of drawers on which rests tiny sculptures of animals, all carved from wood. Their shape is quite rough, but Steve is capable of recognizing all of them; a wolf, a bear, a serpent, two owls, four puppies, and even a dragon.

"Did you carve the animals too?" asks Steve.

She follows his gaze, and after a brief flash of melancholy softens her face, she tells him, "Yeah, I did. And they're the only ones I was satisfied with; I've tried to sculpt each one of them at least ten times. The dragon? I wanna say twenty." Standing on four legs that all end with four long claws, the fictional creature stands proud, both wings deployed on its sides. Long spikes are protruding from its head, and they continue all the way down to its tail.

"Well, they might be rough but you can tell what each of them are if you are familiar with the animal. Good job." He sets Vel's staff carefully against the bookcase and sets his backpack as out of the way as he can. Stretching his arms, he says, "It's good to put that down. It gets old after a while. Should I get my own room later after things calm down? I don't mind paying."

"Oh, now you're being considerate?" she says half-seriously.

He laughs. "While I may be sorry things went down the way they did, I'll never take them back. If I did, we wouldn't be here together right now and I'll never apologize for that."

"I would like to tell you that you're wrong, but I won't." A slight smile appears on her face. "What about my gift now?"

"Well I was going to make you wait but I guess I can give it to you now. Just don't spoil dinner." He bends down at the knees and digs through his backpack, pulling out a small, red and green sack about the size of a soccer ball, held together by red ribbon that's had its ends curled. It looks nice. He hands it to her and smiles. "I hope you like it."

Zelk examines the wrapping, and Steve could swear that she appears to be just a little excited. She pulls on the ribbon, and unwraps her present.

Inside are many, smaller sacks of similar make, each held together by a different colored ribbon. They are each the size of a man's fist. "Each one is a different kind of chocolate. I wasn't sure which one you liked the most so I got you a little bit of everything they had."

Steve is rewarded with a large and graceful smile, the one that Zelk rarely shows. "Thank you Steve."

"You're welcome Zelk. I love you."

Zelk casts her eyes downward, a little shy, and replies quietly, "I love you too."

The black mage is quite pleased at that and can't stop smiling. "So what's say we have some?"

She nods, picks one of the sacks at random, and takes the wrapping off of it. "Let's just make sure we have enough of an appetite left for supper."

"Deal." He moves to join her on the bed so they can eat the chocolate together.

While traveling with the wagon caravan, Konrad notices a group of traveling bards. They hop in on the ride and in exchange provide musical entertainment around the fire in the evening. He and Breeze join them for conversation, and he asks if they've heard of a bard by the name of Jacques Brel. They answer that of course they have, being that he's a very popular performer in Lofell and in the bard community around the islands at large.

They then introduce themselves: Jesse, a drop-dead gorgeous blond in her early thirties. She has long hair, blue eyes, a svelte figure, and her beauty is rivaled only by her talent for singing. Konrad is immediately drawn to her, and the hunt is on.

Traveling with her is River, her former apprentice. Not even twenty years old,  River is a lean, small-chested redhead with shoulder-length auburn hair and beautiful brown eyes. She wears clothing that hugs her curves. Konrad's impression of her is of an airheaded teen with a head full of fluff - a nice girl, perhaps not downright dumb, but not impressive in wit or retention.

There is also Peter, Jesse’s current apprentice. Peter strikes Konrad as an unassuming, thin adolescent boy at the genial age of 16. He's eager to please his mentor and studies hard to do so. it's obvious he'd like to get River's attention, but doesn't quite know how to do so. Konrad almost feels sorry for him...almost.

And finally, there’s Frey, a Myrzen firecracker in her twenties who only joined the group recently. She’s a short brunette of Myrzen origins whose soft facial features would make her an excellent model for painting in spite of her scrawny figure. She has shoulder-length hair, green-blue eyes… and a contagious smile. Again…the game is afoot.

Frey explains she’ll be with the caravan for only a few days since when multiple bards travel together, tips tend to spread out, meaning less money for each performer.

Konrad sets Breeze loose among the ladies, and sits with Peter for a while, asking him what inspired him to be a professional and how long he's been taking lessons, secretly trying to find out who not to bother with flirtatious advances to avoid snuffing the candle the boy may hold for one of his traveling companions. Peter tells Konrad that he grew up around many places where bards performed, and came to admire them. He was mostly self-taught, until last year when Jesse took him under his wing. Konrad has the impression that the boy chose this career to achieve social recognition from his peers.

Playfully, Konrad comments, "I'll bet you found a little extra motivation after your fellow pupils introduced themselves!"

Diplomacy 17 (take 10)

Peter blushes and says he's the only pupil here, and that although River is new to this, she at least has some experience; he wears his heart on his sleeve whenever he talks about her.

"Oh, anyway, that's far too long for me,” Konrad says “If I tried, I would probably remain strong for a month at best in such personal proximity, before I caved and started seeking electives on the side of the main course."

Peter looks worried, for just a moment, and then agrees with a laugh. As the caravan travels, Konrad observes that they all stick together, except when they stop between towns, moments during which they’ll sometimes wander alone or sing for other groups of travelers or merchants. When in town, they more often than not stay together, except for maybe Peter who stays close to his teacher. The red mage joins them at the first opportunity the next morning when they're doing vocal warm-ups to prep his singing voice, and they always welcome Breeze and her friend; Konrad couldn't ask for a better wingman!

When they're splitting off, he offers to tag along with River as she sings for some travelers, to sing with her. She agrees to let him come, but as a bodyguard and hat-keeper, and only if Breeze comes too. The fairy is happy to oblige.

"So tell me," Konrad starts, to break the ice, "what sort of demeaning tasks do I get to look forward to as your own personal manslave for an entire day?"

She gives him a small black hat, smiles, and explains that with Breeze's help, he will attract an audience and receive the tips on her behalf, his employer.

"Oof, the bitter sting of rejection. I'll never fully recover from this one," he jokes. "Anyway, how long have you known the other ladies in your group?"

River smirks, knowing exactly what's up: Mr. Wildfire wants the juicy details on the older girls. She explains that she's known Frey for only a few days, but she's been very friendly. The other bard had been her mentor for many years, until River decided to strike out on her own. It's the first time they are both traveling together for a tour across the Feathers.

"Any crazy exes I should worry about? Or non-exes, as the case may be? Or are they happily married to the music?"

She doesn't really know about her mentor's love life; it always felt weird to bring that up with her, and she's also been hush-hush about it. The Myrzen woman however seems to be free as a bird.

Konrad nods and nods again. "How about you? You got any special guy waiting for you, or are you still flying solo?"

The question is just that: an innocent question in the clinical sense, without any funny business or suggestive tones, but there's a very slight pause before she casually answers that no, there's no soul mate waiting for her back home.

And now, Konrad drops the pretense. "It must be so obvious, huh?" he asks, with a hint of sympathy.

Confused, she asks what he means is so obvious.

"Wow, it's worse than I thought. Don't you know who I mean?"

Thinking they were talking about her, she says she doesn't understand what's so obvious about herself.

Konrad suppresses a sigh. "Not you, him. Peter. He was red in the face when he said your name the other day."

Dumbfounded, she continues, "Yeah? What about him?"

"Ugh, listen. I'm telling you that he's got the hots for you."

River blinks a few times, and finally understands what Konrad is getting at. "I have noticed... It's pretty cute. Hey, just don't make fun of him for that, okay? I don't think he'll take it well."

Konrad holds up a hand to placate. "Oh, I won't. It's only that it's been a year and he hasn't made a move at all. Sure would be a welcome change, wouldn't it?"

She explains that they've known each other only for six months.

"Huh? Oh, my bad..."

She also finds the idea of him making a move on her uncomfortable, since it couldn't possibly work between them. It's cute, but he's way too young.

Konrad raises an eyebrow. "Too--" He contains himself to just looking plain incredulous, disbelieving. "'Too young'? Pardon me, but are you sure? I've dated women a decade in either direction, it's not uncommon. I'm 32, you can consider me an authority on this matter."

River opens her mouth to say something to counter this, but refrains, as if her response wouldn't make sense. She tries multiple times to explain herself, until she finally just says that it would just be weird. Besides, he hasn't even made a move on her. She seems ready to change the subject. Well, he thinks that pretty much seals it, almost, though he will try again in a few days. Unfortunately, she's probably too flustered to go on about her teacher if he kept talking.

"Ah well, who knows. The optimist in me thinks maybe there's hope for him yet. Anyhow, speaking of moves, I'm ready to 'move' another crowd if you are."

From this point on, Konrad has his hands full gathering an audience and gathering tips. River gives them a few pointers on how to do it well, which prove quite useful. "Too young", he thinks, Why, when I was...

During the next few days with the caravan, at some point, Frey starts staring at Konrad, smiles, and maintains contact until she's made it clear that she's interested. Then, once she knows that he knows, just as Konrad is starting to smile from the combined realization and humor that innately breaks the tension between people who lock eyes, and once she knows that he knows, she breaks the contact and casually walks off to go take care of some errand.

As she goes, Konrad laughs quietly to himself. Now, that's the kind of look he hadn't gotten in over a decade. He breaks into a soft chuckle and shakes his head. "Heh, the language of my people." He was never one to take the easy way; he loves a challenge, a little difficulty at least. He's not one to pass up a lay when it's served on a platter, and it looks like he's getting in someone's pants at least; free consolation prize. But first, he has to win a contest...

For now, he looks for Jesse, Peter's teacher, just for some gossip, and while asking her about her students, he asks if all bards teach.

Oh, not all of them. She herself was taught alongside a few other aspiring bards, and she decided to take the young boy under her wing to continue the tradition of her own teacher.

"So, you're saying he might be your only student? After a few months, what are your thoughts toward continuing to continue the tradition?"

She isn't against the idea of gaining more pupils one day, but she just isn't planning that far ahead right now.

"I see. How far ahead are you looking? Where's your horizon?"

Next month is the farthest she is thinking of. Once she starts getting tired of this life, she thinks of just settling down and giving singing and music classes.

Konrad nods. "Makes sense. You're coming from that age. Get all the fun out of the way, I get it. A bit like your friend from the southeast corner. How long have you known her?"

Jesse says she's only known Frey a few days. She specifies that Frey is only a few years younger than herself, and when pressed, Jesse reveals her own age, that she is only 30 years old. She quips about Konrad being the one who should be thinking of settling down really. Apparently River tattled on him...

"Heh, maybe one of these days. It's not out of the cards. How far have you traveled? Have you met many people from Myr, or maybe in Myr?"

She has traveled everywhere in the Archipelago. Lorinth was the only place where she had a hard time, since she didn't speak the local language, but she made do. That tells Konrad that she at least knows MishMash, Lofellian, and Chromium, in addition to Imperial. Hot.

"Interesting, interesting. So, you know how to 'do as they do' when in Myr, then. Now that you have, what do you think of it?"

She finds the Myrzen to be more dismissive than the norm, and a little too laid back, but she doesn't think that they're different from other people; there are always exceptions. Myrzen have a strong sense of patriotism, but so do the Lorinthians.

"As patriotic as one can be," he says, careful to avoid sounding severe. "To tell the truth, I thought you might be describing our interpersonal mannerisms. Such as staring alluringly from across the room."

Not quite getting that, she simply responds that Myrzen can be pretty passionate.

"Such as when Frey made sure I noticed her staring me down earlier."

She comments that Konrad probably caught Frey's interest, then. She didn't even seem unsettled by his scar.

He smiles again. "Oh, do you not like the scar?" he asks casually, licking the side of his mouth where the scar tissue almost touches. "Would you like to know how I got it?"

"Eh, not sure I want to, no. Unless it's a cooking accident. Then maybe I'll sing about it."

"Aha, well, you never know, you might find yourself or one of your apprentices singing about it one day. It's quite a story." He tilts his head to the side, making the scar smaller. "What about you? Scars-wise. You think I could do without mine, if I got rid of it? Or would you give me a fair shot?"

"I'm sorry, but that'll never happen." She smiles. "We're on the same team."

It doesn't take much for him to recover. He'd met two or three on this team, and it was a damn good team. "Maybe you and her then? I could help you out, hook you up if she's into it. Only if you let me watch, though!" He elbows her, genuinely having a laugh.

"I rarely need help," she says, amused. "Besides, she prefers men, as you have noticed."

"Oh, I wouldn't expect a fox like you to need help from the likes of me," he says, trying to flatter her. "But, if you'll excuse me, we can continue this another time. There's someone I have been overlooking."

She gives a small, near-comical wave to Konrad.

Later, just after dinner, at a camp in the forest near the main road, Frey leans in on Jesse. They exchange a few whispers, and the young Myrzen glances at Konrad. After saying one last thing to Jesse, she gets up and leaves to take a walk in the general direction of a small clearing the group found when they arrived here. The merchants, other travelers and bards are quite busy, and almost no one notices Frey slipping away.

Sense Motive 11

She doesn’t seem to be luring Konrad into the woods for anything dangerous, so he waits five minutes before heading out into the woods. It takes some time to find Frey's trail, and she seems to have gone deeper in the forest, quite far away from the caravan's camping site. There can't be more than half an hour of daylight left, so the red mage sparks a flame inside his bullseye lantern and dims it. He spends a few more minutes walking, until he hears the sound of water. There's a river nearby. He walks in the direction of the sound of running water, and sees the silhouette of Frey standing in the water. He notices her clothes laying on the river bank, just a few meters away from her. He let the lantern burn a little brighter and shines it on the surfaces of the river. The young woman notices this immediately and turns to face Konrad. She recognizes him, but doesn't appear affected by his sudden appearance. Without a hint of concern or embarrassment, she continues to wash herself, making no effort to cover up.

The male Myrzen sets the lantern to the ground and starts to disrobe as he approaches the water. "Bathing? At this hour? A little early for that, don't you think?"

"Early? I thought it was the perfect time; the water will get cold once the sun sets in." Konrad's boldness doesn't phase her. She decides to lower herself into the water, watching as he undresses, no doubt until he removes his knickers and socks. "What about you?"

"A bath would be nice... but I came for a different kind of warmth."

"Are you sure you're up for it? You might get burned."

He keeps walking forward, stepping into the river, until he's inches away. "We all get burned or bitten at some point. I was never shy."

"Yeah, I can see that," she says, eyeing his scar. A small smirk slowly makes its way on her face.

"So you like it. I can give you a closer look, but I'm afraid I'll have to charge." He advances confidently to her and embraces to give her a kiss, which she deepens upon contact, putting her arms around Konrad's shoulders as he proceeds. [Fade to Black]

Their session proves to be one of the longest Konrad has ever had, though he admirably undertakes the challenge. Of everyone he's been with, Frey takes home the trophy for "most yearning", and in a double sense, having enjoying their time to the point that from then on she urges him for some alone time at least twice a day until they part. However, Konrad notices around day three that he isn't the only man she's fooling around with.

Admittedly, there could be nothing more to Frey than what Konrad sees on the surface, and as a fellow Myrzen, he can appreciate how she lives her life. Still, he approaches her with some curiosity about her proclivities. She's frank about her hedonistic tendencies, and admits that she enjoys Konrad's company, but she isn't looking for anything serious or getting to know each other. So they can either have fun, or he can go speak to someone else.

"That's alright, I'm not looking for anything like that. I can appreciate you living however you choose to live. Thing is, I'm a very jealous fellow. While I'm with a woman for any length of proximity, I have one rule: me, just me, until we say farewell. What do you think of that?"

"What? You're monogamous?" She chuckles. "Well, good for you, but I'm not going to chain myself to anyone."

"I'm not saying you have to, once this trip is over, I expect I'll be moving on. Besides, how much more enjoyment could you possibly be getting out of the other random people you meet? You should already know, I'm worth it."

Diplomacy
I'm aware I'm probably just talking myself up, but that's why it's called Diplomacy.

"Don't flatter yourself too much," she says, amused. "Our time together was enjoyable, but it's not worth not doing whatever I want, when I want to."

Deception

Konrad senses no doubt in her, so he backs off. "Very well. It was fun, though, and you've made me aware of something I need to work on. Still, I hope you find someone who can keep up with you."

She smirks. "I'll keep looking."

Over the past few days, Konrad has been observing River and Peter's interactions: both are friendly, while Peter avoids making any advance. He decides to ask Jesse off-the-cuff how long she intends to train the boy, to which she answers two more years; he has talent, but he needs a lot more training if he wants to be successful one day. When he asks about River, Jesse explains that she's already independent, but it's her first tour across the Feathers. They're traveling along the coast, and since they started in Littlepen, so they are almost halfway done. By his mathematics, they have around a month left.

Once he has what he needs, Konrad finds Peter. "You know, you have one month until this tour is over, and then she moves on while you continue to follow your teacher."

The teenage boy is confused at first. "You mean River?"

"Peter...who else could I be talking about? Unless I'm misreading your interest in Frey."

Peter stammers a bit. "Oh, no, not her." He avoids Konrad's gaze for a moment, and adds, "I know River is going to leave soon, but it's clear she isn't interested. I don't want to annoy her."

In front of him, Konrad sees a thin young man who feels intimidated by him, and very briefly, Konrad considers taking River for himself, crushing this young man's heart and teaching him a lesson. Hell, the lad would probably lie down and throw a pity party, but Konrad reminds himself to behave.

"'Clear' how? She thinks it's kind of cute. I think she thinks she knows what her type is, and I think she's off the money. If you had a little more backbone and some confidence, you could probably make her see that," he says, purposefully omitting River's preference and focusing on the positive.

He blinks a few times. "So I just do...what, start acting confident?"

"You need a learned perspective," Konrad explains more gently. "Stop agonizing over it, for one. If you feel like you're going to get rejected, then go out there and get rejected. According to you, you've got nothing to lose. And let me guess, and this might be a little too inward-thinking, but how concerned are you with...underperforming?"

"Underperforming? I...don't know. I've never been taught how to flirt. I'd probably look pretty stupid if I tried it with River." He shakes his head.

He’s not cottoning on to what's being alluded to; Konrad resists the urge to wince in frustration. This genial young man can't read well between the lines. What is the world coming to? "C'mon, I've seen you two together, and you're sort of doing it already. There's no science behind it. Maybe you just need a little pick-me-up of one flavor or another to get your motor running."

He's silent for a moment. So far, Konrad's never seen him pick up a drink. "You mean booze?"

"Yes, I do. Some call it 'liquid courage' because it helps you speak whatever's on your mind. For a lightweight like you, a couple beers will do. Or a small swig of something strong.”

"Will that really help though?" He doesn't seem convinced of the effect that alcohol can have on a person.

"It'll loosen you up, trust me. Speaking of which, I had another idea. It would involve a fourth party, but I think I could find someone who'd be willing to help you with your problem."

He raises an eyebrow. "Someone else? Nothing too crazy, right?"

"Really nothing elaborate, mind. Look, you're at that age. I get it." Konrad tries to convince him as he explains. "There's a urge in your loins that you want do something about. It was all I thought about for a solid decade. You feel sweaty and awkward, but you'll feel much less so after you've dealt with it. Do you understand what I mean?"

Diplomacy

"...I think I do." He's still unsure about all this, most likely wondering whether Konrad is serious or not.

"Listen, it only seems like a big deal. It's not. You just need some space and privacy, and no one else need concern themselves."

"I...I don't know," he confesses. "This isn't a bad idea, but I don't want my first to be with a girl who was paid to do it."

"Of course not," he soothes. "You want someone sympathetic to your situation. Someone who wants to help you out willingly because they enjoy it, and because they want you to learn. If I found someone like that, then you'd be willing, right?"

"Well...in that case, maybe." His cheeks are red with embarrassment. "You really think you can make that happen?"

Konrad winks. "I was born to make it happen. I will do my absolute best, but even without, a stiff drink and believing you'll be rejected does in fact work for most people," he chuckles.

Again, he is skeptical about this statement, but has decided to trust Konrad.

Later that evening after dinner, while their caravan group is having fun by the campfire, Konrad catches Frey just as she is leaving her tent with a bottle of rum. "Hey, Frey. Anyone in there?"

She turns to face him. "In the tent you mean? Nah. My date for tonight got cold feet." She lets out an audible "tsk", and asks, "Wanna hook up?"

"Let's go in to discuss this further," he answers frankly.

She smiles, lift up one side of the tent, and says, "Make yourself at home."

He enters, and when they are both in, he takes one final look outside to make sure there's no one around to listen in.

She notices his behavior. "What's up?"

"I have a proposition for you. I want to hook you up."

"Oh?" This catches her attention. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

He smiles. "They're new to this, and they're kinda...on edge. I'm offering a way to take the edge off, and that's where you come in."

"They?" she repeats. "As in, plural?"

"Oh, nonono. 'He', excuse me. Unless...nah, he probably wouldn't want that."

"Wait..." She sits down on her cot, puts the bottle down. "Who is ‘he’ exactly?"

Konrad mirrors her and sits down. to avoid standing over her. "Oh, he's a good kid. Thin, athletic, sensitive. Been traveling with him for..." He gives the amount of days he's been traveling with the bards.

"Peter?" She eyes Konrad suspiciously. "And why am I being drafted for this?" she asks, wondering why they're having this talk.

"As I said, he's new to the game. He's got some pent up stress he needs to release. What's wrong, you don't like him?"

She opens her bottle of rum, and gulps down one swallow of it. "That's not the question. I just don't see why I'm needed. He can just jerk it off if need be, or find a nice girl at the next town we hit."

"Yes, but that's the thing. He has found someone, but he's got issues. At that age, you know?"

"Oh, this is about River?"

"Yes. She ever talk to you about him?"

"No, we haven't really talked about boyfriends." She seems to be considering the proposition. "You spoke to Peter about this?"

"Yeah. I just can't stand a man too shy to take rejection or use the balls he was born with. But he knows his problem. Said if I could help him out on the DL, he'd like to try. You could 'help' him for a whole night, if you want, but that's up to you two."

"And I was naturally at the top of his list then?"

"He's just intimidated by you. Who wouldn't be?"

In truth, Konrad had noticed the way Peter minds his business around the older, talented Myrzen singer. She ponders for a bit, takes another swallow, and finally says, "This would be his first time, right?"

"Yeah, he wants it to be special."

He reads that she isn't surprised to hear what Peter thinks of her, but the idea that Peter wants his first time to be special seems to convince her, so she puts the bottle away and finally tells Konrad her decision. "Fine, I'll do it. Give me fifteen minutes to get ready, and bring him here, but don't tell him why. I'll take care of it."

"You're the best, Frey."

"'Course I am." She smiles. "Now, give me some privacy. I've got a few things to take care of first."

Konrad leaves the tent, and the 15-minute countdown to get the message to Peter begins. Konrad sits down with a hunk of dried meat he bought in town. Most of the caravaneers are still awake. Some are telling stories, others are playing with new trinkets they bought, and River has just started playing with her lute while singing a funny song along other travelers and merchants. Jesse has gone to another campfire for a more serious performance. Konrad munches on his meat for five minutes, and starts stretching about ten minutes after he left Frey's tent (by his reckoning). When a quarter of an hour has passed, he whispers to Peter that Fey would like to talk to him.

"Huh? What about?"

He shrugs, "Whatever it is, I wouldn't delay. It sounded serious."

Deception 18 (Take 10)

A little worried, Peter gets up, and as he goes to Frey's tent, when his back is turned, Konrad starts messing with the fire to get people's attention. Everyone is impressed by how easily he can move the flames, while he is a little surprised at how dangerous it could be if he wasn't as proficient as he is. One false move, and one wave of flame could set fire to someone's clothes.

"Full disclosure: I am wearing an enchantment that makes me better at this. I wouldn't dare to do it without it, if I were you."

He doesn't see Peter, or Frey, until morning of the next day.

The next morning, Konrad goes to see Frey.

"Hey, how did it go?" he asks.

The young bard is sitting by herself near her tent, eating an apple. "Oh, hi." A yawn escapes her mouth. "It went well; we slept near a pond, so my back hurts a little right now, but it'll pass."

Konrad grins to himself, wondering if it was upriver, or downriver... "Glad it went well."

She gives Konrad a smile, and he leaves her to find Peter in his tent, laying on his cot.

"Heya. How you feeling?"

Startled, he sits up immediately, but calms down once he recognizes Konrad. "Damn, sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"It's alright. So Frey told me she had a good time last night."

"Oh, right." He starts to scratch the back of his head, but he seems less nervous than before. "She was… very gentle. Uh, thanks."

Gentle, huh? "No problem. You all loosened up now?"

"Yeah...yeah, I think so." He smiles a little.

"Happy for you. Let me know if you need that drink." For today and the next day, Konrad observes Peter's interactions with others, particularly around Frey and his crush.

Peter's interactions with the others don't seem to change much. He's a little more friendly with Frey than before, but is clearly not trying to flirt with her or anything. As for his interactions with River, they don't seem to have changed, except that he's the one to initiate the conversations now. What's more interesting is that after a short conversation with Frey, River appears shocked by something, and the older bard simply walks away casually.

Clearly, Frey did not choose to remain quiet, as Konrad suggested. He joins River and comments about the weather, before asking, "You look white as a sheet.”

"Huh? Oh, nothing," she answers with some difficulty. "Just got my head in the clouds, that's all."

"It happens. How's business?'

The change of subject puts her more at ease now. "Breeze has been a great help; having a fairy on your side can attract huge crowds." She thinks for a moment. "Do you know if she has any other commitments right now? I don't know how long you two have been traveling together, but if she wants to stay with me, I promise I would take good care of her."

Diplomacy 20 (opposed)

He believes that River would indeed take very good care of Breeze. Adorable, she's grown rather fond of Konrad's little friend, and he finds it humorous that she asks to take him off his hands, like a cheeky chaperone asking to steal a parent's child for a few chores. "Ha! Delightful creature, isn't she? Blue certainly helps to draw a crowd. You're very kind to offer, but she's currently employed by the Coins, I'm afraid."

"Oh." She is clearly disappointed. "It would have been very fun to have her travel with us. At least, we'll get to be together for a while still."

"Oh, I’m sure we may bump into each other again down the road. I admit I would be sad to part from her, and I promised I'd never leave her. She had gotten lost on my account once, you see."

"She did? Well, make sure not to let her out of your sight again. It feels like..." She searches for the right words. "It feels like the world would become a sad place if she wasn't here. I'm probably speaking nonsense."

"No, no you're not," he chimes. "The fairies seem to counteract the darkness in the world by their very presence. Whenever Breeze is around… she glows, and the world seems to shine brighter. I'd love for Fairies to be a common sight on the islands. You could write a song about it, if you're feeling inspired."

Diplomacy

He tries, in vain, to make the topic contrast too much with what was bothering her for her to keep quiet about it. Instead, his suggestion resonates with River, and she smiles. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll try to come up with something; it's too good to pass up."

She already begins to think some more about it.

"You'd be a crazy not to. Every idea is an opportunity. When you're inspired, and a good idea comes along, you owe it to yourself to seize upon it."

She nods, and go on some errands in town while Konrad searches for Frey...

The Myrzen bard has just finished setting up her tent outside of town, and is now placing her cot on the ground.

"Hey," he greets - suspicious, and concerned. "You realize we're not in Myr anymore, right? People are different out here."

"Huh? What has that got to do with anything?"

"Come on, now. You told River about your night with Peter."

"Oh, that. Yeah, what about it?" She places the covers on her cot.

"The whole reason we helped him out was to get him to man up with her. You don't think telling her about it was going to affect his chances?"

"Of course it will; it's going to be easier for him now."

He scoffs lightly. "Well, here's hoping. These Free Feathers types don't always take an interest in someone who wants them after said someone gets horizontal with another who, in the same position, I'd perceive as a rival."

Frey giggles. "She didn't imagine herself with Peter until now. And now, she knows that if a woman of my age can hook up with him for one night, she can too. It'll be fine."

Konrad blinks. "Huh..." Strange to see it from her perspective, but perhaps she had the right idea after all. Women...

"Now, help me flatten my covers."

Konrad chuckles. "You think I came in here to help you do your own chores?"

She smirks. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning; we could have fun one last time, if you're up for it."

"I gave you my ultimatum already, sweetheart, and you backed out. This is going to end with a handshake, not a corkscrew."

"Ugh, fine. I'll just find myself a date somewhere else in town."

He flips her a silver coin. "Have a drink on me." He slows it in the air with his cantrip to help her catch it

"Thanks! Now get out. I still have to place my stuff, and you just said you wouldn't help me." She amicably shoos him away.

Konrad practices weaving and studies material on the subject as days go by, and he observes the fruits of his (and Frey's) labor, in Peter and River. Just as she said she would, Frey leaves the next day after saying goodbye to her bard companions, Konrad, and Breeze. For a few days, nothing happens between Peter and River, until Konrad spots them together, drinking some ale. They get a little frisky, but it doesn't evolve into anything concrete until two days later. One night, the red mage notices them slipping away together, probably in search of a quiet place, and look over at Jesse with a wink and a knowing smirk.

Then, he scribbles on a piece of note paper and wafts it toward her: "youre looking pretty lonely over there, sure you dont wanna go switch hitter?"

She looks at Konrad, who is flicking his tongue out playfully, giggles, and takes out a pen and writes on the piece of paper before handing it back to him. "I don't need to switch when I have toys."

He writes back: "toys dont measure up to the raw package, try it once and youll never have to wonder"

Amused, she writes another response. "How about you switch too then, and I watch?"

Back to her: "if i do toys, then i get your butt, fairs fair"

She laughs quietly, and picks up the pen again. "I don't want you to do toys. I want you to do the raw package too."

Back to her again: "sorry, cant reciprocate that, i lack the parts"

She laughs out loud now. "You're only missing one hole out of three,” she says.

"One very important hole!" he laughs. Then, he leans forward. "Are you serious?" he asks, for clarity.

She giggles. "I don't know. Are you?"

The smile on his face begins to crumble, but it remains. Konrad says, "Let's say I am. Are you?"

She contemplates the possibility, and finally says, "Well... it wouldn't be the first time I spent a night with a man..."

The name of the planet you live on is called Dust.

It has now been one month since the party has gone back on the job. A couple more weeks, and the color of the leaves will soon go from green to orange and yellow. For now, the air is still cool, and the sun shines brightly in the sky. While walking towards the apartment where Mihai and Fedler lives, Konrad notices the ranger walking down the street, probably going on some errand right now.

"Hey Fedler, what're you up to right now?" asks the red mage.

She is slightly surprised to see him, but replies in a cheerful tone, "Oh, I was going to buy some meat for supper tonight. You?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. What's Mihai doing this week?"

"We're just relaxing for now until Saemon calls for us again. Nothing special."

"Very good. Quick question for you: how are we doing? You and me?"

This question initially throws her off balance, but she casually says, "We're fine, as long as you keep respecting your coworkers."

"That's good, I'm glad. Why don't we get more into it this week? I owe everyone a real explanation, and I really should start with you."

"With me? Uh, yeah, sure." She's not sure where Konrad is going with this, but she doesn't question his intentions.

"Great. I'll meet you at the Coins office tomorrow."

"...Okay. Tomorrow it is."

"Excellent, let's do lunch. I've got us covered."

"Sure then." She is perplexed, but just nods.

He waves goodbye.
_________________________

The next day comes, and he's in front of the Coins' office with a basket of food.

Wearing a simple white tunic under a dark jacket and blue trousers, Fedler arrives at the point of rendezvous, and raises an eyebrow once she spots the basket. "...A picnic?"

Konrad isn't wearing anything different. "It's not what I usually do. But I figured we should talk about this somewhere where people won't overhear."

Fedler eyes Konrad suspiciously. "We're just gonna talk, is that right?"

He laughs. "Relax, I wouldn't dream of stealing you. Not if I want to enter a waking nightmare. And I'm fairly certain Mihai could make that happen."

She lets out a chuckle. "Sure then. Lead the way."

They start walking towards the edge of town, and Konrad decides to ask some questions.

"I don't think you told me exactly how things are going with you and him, by-the-by," he says.

She glances at the red mage, and replies, "Things are going well. And he doesn't snore."

"Huh. He used to snore?" He looks inwardly. "Do I snore?"

"You do," confirms Fedler. "We've made camp in the wild plenty of times."

"Oh...well, I'm not apologizing."

"We just put a sock in your mouth when you do anyway."

"So that's where all my socks go... I thought someone was stealing them. Can you imagine? Socks, being stolen!"

The redhead laughs quietly. "No, I definitely can't."

"So what exactly is the plan between you two? After all, you have a home together, and it's been..."

"Almost five months."

"Well, I suppose you're getting there. So, the plan?"

She muses his question for a time, and as they approach the walls of the city, she says, "I'm still not sure. We've signed a contract for one year, so once it's up... we'll talk about it. Maybe decide on something more permanent."

"I guess you'll be deciding whether you want to keep up this mercenary business, or just step off. Funny how things work out. Actually, I played 'matchmaker' with this young couple on the caravan I came to Highwind with. He needed a little lesson in being bold, that's all."

"Matchmaker? Really?" Her lips curl into a wide smile, not sure whether Konrad is serious or not.

"Heh. That's what I tell myself now, looking back on it."

"And was his ladylove swooned?"

"Smitten. We can't all be me, but he won the heart he was seeking. They were bards on tour. He was just a trainee, but there was a fourth tagging along for about a week. She was from Myr. It was quite refreshing to meet one of my people on the road."

"Bards, uh?" Fedler suddenly appears melancholic. She doesn't say anything for a while, and is content looking down at the ground. They are now exiting the town.

"Yes I know. Still, it's seems uncommon the amount of bards I've run into since I was put in this adjunct. You, once upon a time. Jacques Brel... and now these four. I certainly haven't spent as much time on dry land in the past as I do now. Steve Oldturn as well, if that little charlatan gets his wish."

"Oh, I'll make sure he doesn't slack off, believe me." She looks at the road that is following the coast, the ocean that is reflecting the sun on her left, and the forest than stands tall on her right. "Did you have a place in mind for your picnic?"

"No, but this seems like a good spot to put down," he answers, pointing to the right toward the forest, where there's plenty of grass where they can sit.

"Sure," agrees Fedler. "Let's go."

They find a nice spot, prepare everything, and start putting sandwiches together.

When they've had a couple, he asks her, "So, can you elaborate on what you said yesterday, when I asked how we're doing?"

"Not sure what else I can say. Just don't be a jerk, and we'll do fine."

He nods. "I'm trying. I have my own ideas on how we should solve issues as they arise, but I'm learning to let the group be my guide." He drinks some water. "I brought you out here to make a confession, didn't I?"

"...Does it have anything to do with why you've asked Mihai to tell you anything different he might have noticed from me? Back on the Barracuda, when we were after Kira."

He's on full alert when he hears her say that. "He told you about that?"

"Yeah, just yesterday, when I told him you invited me over lunch." She drinks some water too, and asks, "So, is that what this is all about?"

He breathes out. "Yes. It has to do with why I kept my past a secret from you."

She sighs. "Isn't the cat already out of the bag? We already know you were a pirate."

"Well I'm afraid the cat has a siamese twin, Fedler dear."

She turns to face him. "Then why aren't the others also here to hear what you have to say?"

"Because this concerns you personally. Do you know a trading company called Western Islands Shipping?"

She frowns. "Yes. It was my mother's shipping company. Zelk told you about it, didn't she?"

"She did. And I think you're starting to understand."

"What are you getting at?" she tells him in an irritated tone.

"One of their ships was seized and plundered by the Capricorn. My captain's ship. Your sister was aboard at the time."

Fedler's arms, previously wrapped around her legs, are now starting to shake. With a gruffly voice, she utters, "You don't know anything about my sister."

"You're right. I don't. But you needed to know."

Her green eyes are now glaring at Konrad, and her whole body has become tense. "Why. Why the fuck are you telling me this now."

He can feel the heat coming off her gaze, but he doesn't waver. "Because I failed to tell you a long time ago. Because I think you deserve to know. And because I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry?" The ranger's facial features are now being deformed by rage. She slowly begins to stand up on her feet, towering over Konrad. "You don't feel sorry! You don't feel anything for anyone except yourself! You were so angry at Kira for what she had done to you, even though you've done worse to me, and you knew it!"

Konrad stands up too. "What do you know about what she did? Huh? You think it's the same when someone cozies up to you, and pretends to...pretends to feel for you the same as you do for them, and then stabs you in the back? Literally tries to kill you and tear down everything you've built? Everyone you've cared about?"

"You don't care about anyone! You haven't built anything! You just destroy the lives of others and take what they've built for your own!" Tears start to well up in her eyes, and she takes a step forward. "You and your friends killed my sister. My mother hanged herself in her own office. Then my own father stole my inheritance and left me and Yen to fend for ourselves, homeless! I don't give a fuck about what you think you've lost!"

"What, you want to do something about it!? Right now?"

This taunt is enough to trigger Fedler, and she swings her fist at Konrad's face. He takes it.

And then he swings back. The punch bloodies Fedler's nose, but she doesn't stop; she positions herself, and launches her knee in the air to hit his stomach. He grabs her in an attempt to hold and throw her to the ground, but before he can, she grabs the red mage's head, making it impossible for him to do what he wants without falling to the ground himself, and starts punching.

"Sorry my ass!" she vociferates.

Konrad trips her, and as she intended, he falls with her, but she also loses her breath. Konrad doubles down and start hitting her in the stomach, and for a moment, Fedler can't do anything, but she doesn't let the pain subdue her. One lucky hit with her elbow lands in his face, breaking his nose and spraying blood all over the basket.

"Shit," he exclaims. He aims a top-down strike at her face in retaliation, intending to continue punching her until she tires out, but she move her hips and takes hold of Konrad's head between her legs. She grabs one of his arms, and keeps him in this position. Konrad can't move, but she can't attack. He bites into her leg, feels the blood spread in his mouth. She cries out in pain but refuses let go.

He stops biting to speak. "You're holding back."

"Shut up!"

"Do it. What have you got to lose?"

"I'll kill you. I swear to Deremonda, I will."

"Look at me. Do you think I'll just let you?" Fire crackles at his fingertips for emphasis. "Break my arm, and I'll explain to the Coins what happened. It's written all over your face. Try to kill me, and you won't survive, I guarantee it. You'll have to work for your revenge."

"You're just a liar. You're not sorry at all."

"CHOOSE."

A few more seconds, and she lets go of Konrad's arm, breathing hard, staring at him. He gets up.

"I took nothing from you and your family but your sister. Ow." He touches his nose gingerly. "What did I take from your parents? Your weak-willed mother obviously valued your sister's life above yours and her stepson's, and her granddaughter's. If the favorite didn't live, life wasn't worth living even though you and her husband were still in it. And your father! Ran away with all your money, right? What a great man he turned out to be."

He manifests the strongest Fire spell he can in his hands. He lets the crackling of the spell expand as much as it can, showing her the power in it, and incinerates the picnic along with the spot they had created.

"I am sorry for killing your sister. But that is all I have done to you. You can blame your own blood for everything else."

Fedler doesn't even flinch at the display of magic. She only glares at Konrad, her eyes full of hate, until she finally looks away and tries to stand up. Her injury prevents her from doing so however, and she moans in pain. Slowly, she raises her hands and cast one spell on her leg, and then another. For the next minute or so, she keeps casting more spells on herself, until it she is completely healed. Free from the physical pain, she then breaks down in tears, and covers her face with her hands.

Konrad keeps going back and forth, and well, he thinks he knows what to do. He hesitates for a moment, just watching her cry. Then he kneels down next to her, and goes to give her a hug.

To his surprise, she doesn't fights back against his embrace. In fact, her body goes limp, and Konrad is the one holding her up. She keeps sobbing, so much that her throat must hurt. Her face is hidden behind her face, but he can hear a whisper, "I didn't want to know... I don't want to."

"I guess I shouldn't have told you. But you'd always suspect, wouldn't you?"

She doesn't have the energy to respond to this, and she can only lean on Konrad, apparently incapable of forming coherent thoughts.

What am I doing.

He is holding her for now, reasoning that she'll move or talk when she's ready.

For the next fifteen minutes, Fedler keeps crying, her tears rolling down her face. She progressively calms down, but still refuses to look at Konrad.

"I wish you would forgive me, for what happened in the past," he tells her. "But I don't expect you to. You're entitled to hate me for the rest of your life if you want."

Fedler lets out a whimper, and with coarse tone, she says "I'm tired. I don't want to hate anyone anymore. It hurts too much."

"...Sorry I ruined lunch. And the leftovers. I was going to let you take them home."

She stays silent for a while, before she finally responds, "...I want to go home."

Konrad stands up and pulls her up with him. "Let's go."

Uuugh, my nose.

The redheaded ranger finds it a little difficult to stand up, but now numb to the pain, she lets Konrad help her without raising a fuss about it. Now that she is standing on her own two feet, they both hear a third voice pipe up. "You always have to ruin my fun, don't you Konrad?"

Oh, what is this garbage?

And just like that, he's flared up again. "Oh get in line, demon. You're lucky I have a list of scum drafted up, or I'd dedicate my life to it."

"I'm not sure what you mean, but if you say so," mocks the disembodied creature. The voice is all too familiar, but also different. The inflection, the tone, the scorn; they're all the same. But the voice, instead of shifting between genders and ages, is now one of a man. A voice that Konrad believes he has heard before, but he's not sure. Fedler however has her mind on other concerns. Her eyes have widened, and she instinctively examines her surroundings to identify the source of that voice, but she soon realizes it's really him. "What do you say Fedler?" asks Snicker. "I could give you the power to kill him. And I wouldn't even ask for anything in return; a freebie, just for you."

"Holy crap you are so transparent now, it's pathetic."

Fedler takes a deep breath, and speaks up. "Shut up, Snicker. I'm not as sick as you, and I would never take one of your gifts."

The disembodied voice sighs. "Can't blame me for trying, right? I had planned to tell you about Konrad's crimes at a more opportune moment, but he spoiled my big surprise. No matter; he still deserves to be punished, don't you think?"

The ranger stays silent.

Konrad shakes his head."The lesser of two pain-in-the-asses is clearly me." Dammit, I was just starting to forget that he could be watching at any moment.

The air and scenery around Konrad and Fedler suddenly distort into something else. In the blink of an eye, the two mercenaries, who were previously standing on a small hill situated between a forest and the ocean, now find themselves in a small kitchen that is connected to a living room.

"Hey, stop that. We didn't make any deals with you," says Konrad.

"What the hell?" exclaims the redheaded ranger. She takes a few steps around the room and tries to touch the table on which rests a small jar of cookies, but her hand goes right through it. "...It's not real. It's an illusion."

Konrad suddenly recognizes the layout of the house; this is the place where he grew up. He goes over to a wall and touches it, but just like Fedler, his hand goes right through it.

He grabs Fedler's hand and starts leading her to where the outside of the house should be, straight through the wall. "Let's go," he commands, hoping he can find the boundaries of the illusion and just walk out. Unfortunately, going through the wall changes nothing, and he finds himself back into the kitchen with Fedler behind him.

"What are you doing?" he growls at their invisible poltergeist. "What is this for?"

Right at this moment, the door that leads outside opens, and people start walking into the house, laughing. It's an old couple, a man and a woman, both in their sixties, holding groceries in their arms. They tell someone outside to hurry up, and put the bags of food on the counter. "Who... who are they?" asks Fedler.

"His parents," replies Snicker with a tone that is almost serene. "Just look at them... Who would believe that Konrad was their son?"

Konrad rolls his eyes. "Oh boy, I can't wait to compare, I already know mine's bigger."

Soon after, a man in his late-thirties step into the room. Snicker, not paying any sort of attention to Konrad, continues to explain what is happening. "That's his brother. They resemble each other, don't you think? Now, wait for it..." Fedler is slightly disturbed by this scene, but she says nothing. Then, two children enter the house, laughing, and run straight through Konrad and Fedler. The girl appears to be the oldest, and must be around ten years old, while the boy is seven or eight years old. "There they are. You've never seen them before, have you Konrad?"

"Impressive," comments the red mage. "My brother made babies. If this is even real."

The little girls keeps chasing after her brother, trying to corner him somewhere, and their father tells them to make sure not to break anything. "Do you really think I would settle for something fake?" inquires Snicker in a rhetorical manner.

"...Go on, then. Have your fun."

"What a lackluster reaction. But I'm sure Fedler can appreciate what I am trying to do here." The young woman is visibly beginning to feel uneasy about this whole situation. "Did you know that, only a few blocks away from here, there's a young man named Caleb who likes to gamble his money during poker games?"

"What does it have anything to do with this?" says Fedler.

"Oh, everything," explains Snicker. "You see, poor Caleb got deep in with the sharks. They were threatening to break his legs, and he just couldn't accept it. So I offered to help him, for a modest fee of course; only five minutes of his time."

Konrad's eyes darken. "I'll break you like a toy for whatever it is you did."

The demon laughs at Konrad's taunt, and doesn't say anything else. Then, a shadow appears in the door frame. It is a man, young and well built, no more than twenty years old. He is holding a hammer in his right hand.

"Is this happening right now?" asks Konrad. "Don't you lie to me."

"Why, do you wish to stop it?" inquires Snicker, amused. The Granger adults have now just noticed the stranger standing in their home.

"Tell me what's happening."

"Punishment," answers Snicker. "Nobody refuses me." Fedler's breathing accelerates, and ‘Caleb’ takes a step towards the old man before swinging the hammer and hitting him in the head. The rest of the scene is almost a blur; the possessed poker player swiftly grabs a knife from the counter and uses it on the old woman, before he immediately turns towards his remaining targets. Konrad's brother yells to the children to run away while he grabs the chair he was sitting on with the intention of using it as an improvised weapon. It doesn't matter to Caleb; he raises his hand, and a mysterious force throws his enemy against the wall, passing through Fedler. The young man closes the distance and expertly slits the throat of the elder brother. Fedler has put a hand on her mouth, and tried to look away, but whether she closes her eyes or not, it changes nothing. She sees everything.

Caleb then starts walking at a slow pace, and calmly opens the door behind which the children have disappeared. He smiles, and then closes the door behind him. This is when the vision ends.

"No..." Konrad will never make another deal with Snicker. His screams for his family's life are barely louder than a whisper. When the vision ends, he collapses on his knees. His tears begin to run down as he blinks, eyes closing.

Fedler is in shock, and she has her eyes fixed on a point in the ocean, exactly where she last saw the vision of Snicker's smile. She cannot move, too horrified by what she just witnessed. From the moment Konrad begins to cry, his tears blur his vision. It takes him a moment to blink them away, and he remains kneeling there looking at the empty space where his family stood, transfixed by their deaths. It was so easy.

"I'm going to find a way to hurt him," he croaks out. "And when I am finished hurting him, I will destroy him."

Fedler slowly approaches the red mage, until she is standing right next to him. The sound of the waves splashing against the beach appears almost out of place. Suddenly, Konrad feels someone touching him on his shoulder. It's Fedler's hand.

He reaches up and places his hand over hers.

He stands up and looks at her, and there's something new added to his "apology" that can be seen in his eyes. Without waiting for her, without a word, he returns to the road, and starts walking back to the city.

The ranger follows her companion in silence.

This meeting takes place in someone's apartment. I'll need the go ahead from you guys before moving you to Sonlake's office.