Troublemaker

Lian and Mira walked slowly through the quiet streets of the city, the events of the evening weighing heavily on their minds. The sunset painted long shadows across the cobblestones, but neither of them noticed the colors.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Lian muttered, shaking his head. “Kael just… leaving like that? It’s completely illogical. She’s impulsive, sure, and energetic, and yes, she causes chaos everywhere she goes… but she wouldn’t do this. Not like this.”

Mira glanced at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “Her behavior… it didn’t seem natural. It looked forced, like she was hiding something, and tense. She was worried.”

Lian let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Even if she is impulsive and energetic, she usually just throws fireballs at things, or yells at me for stepping on her favorite broomstick, not disappears in a mysterious dramatic fashion.” He smirked, but it was half-hearted.

Mira gave a small, patient smile. “Exactly. Something’s wrong. We need to find her.”

Lian nodded, determination settling in. “Alright. Step one: we find Kael. Step two: bring her back safely. Step three… probably dodge whatever she is going to throw at us.”

They paused for a moment, thinking back to the man at the door. He had been dressed in a crisp suit, standing there like some kind of envoy. Lian’s eyes narrowed. “She did mention she comes from a rich family. That guy… yeah, he probably came to take her back home.”

Mira nodded. “Then that’s where we need to go. But… we don’t exactly have a plan yet.”

Lian rubbed his chin. “No plan. Great. Classic us.”

They started walking, asking casually along the streets. “Excuse me,” Lian called to a passerby, “do you know where Kael’s family lives?”

The first person they asked was a merchant, arranging fruit in a small stand. Lian, Mira and Kael often bought some food from this merchant, so he knew what Kael looked like. He looked at them with a knowing grin. “Kael?” he said. “Ah, yes. I know the girl. Everyone here knows about her. She comes from the richest family in the city. Spends her days leaving chores behind and running off to play hero. A troublemaker. Honestly, she’s a little… foolish, leaving all that comfort behind just to chase some adventure.”

Lian opened his mouth to argue. “Excuse me, you—”

“Focus,” Mira whispered sharply, grabbing his sleeve. “Now is not the time for lectures. Our goal is to bring Kael back safely. Save your energy for that.”

Lian exhaled, closing his mouth, and nodded. “Right, right. Saving Kael. Got it.”

The merchant chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s lucky you two are after her. Not many would bother. But be careful—the family she comes from isn’t someone to be taken lightly. They have power in this city. Not just wealth—they can make people obey with a snap of their fingers. They prefer subtlety, threats, and psychological pressure. Violence is just… unnecessary.”

Mira’s eyes widened slightly. “Snap of their fingers? Subtle psychological threats? That sounds… intimidating.”

Lian gritted his teeth. “Wonderful. So basically, we’re walking straight into a fortress built out of threats and prestige. Fun.”

“Better than sitting here talking about it,” Mira said firmly, nudging him forward. “Let’s just use the information and make a plan.”

The two of them stood together, looking at the merchant’s stall, the fading light of the evening casting long shadows over the cobblestones. The city felt quieter, the air heavier, as the weight of the task ahead pressed down on them.

“All right,” Lian said finally, straightening his shoulders. “We know where she is now. Her family is powerful, they can make almost anything happen… but we have to go in smart. No rushing. No improvising.”

Mira nodded. “We need a plan. Something that will get Kael back safely without making things worse. We have to think about her, about her family, and about keeping ourselves safe. And we have to move fast before they realize we’re coming.”

Lian ran a hand through his hair again. “Fast, smart… yeah, sounds easy. I’m sure nothing will go wrong at all.” He smirked, though Mira could see the tension in his eyes.

Mira gave him a faint smile, a gesture of encouragement. “We’ll figure it out. We always do. Together.”

Lian nodded, feeling a small spark of reassurance. “Together. Let’s think… distractions, entrances, Kael’s temperament. She’s clever, she’s impulsive, but she’s loyal to us. That could help. We need to make a plan that counts on what we know about her, not just brute force.”

The merchant, noticing them deep in discussion, waved a hand. “Just… good luck. She’s a handful. But I’ve always thought she’s brave. That counts for something.”

Lian chuckled under his breath. “Brave. Yeah, that’s one word for it. Headstrong, reckless, fiery, dramatic… yeah, brave works.”

Mira rolled her eyes slightly. “Focus, Lian. Kael comes first.”

He exhaled, letting the humor go. “Right, right. Kael comes first. Plan comes second. Everything else… optional.”

The two of them started walking again, this time in a more determined pace. Lian occasionally glanced around, trying to imagine the mansion where Kael’s family lived, trying to picture her expression as they arrived. Mira walked beside him silently, lost in her own thoughts about Kael’s family and how difficult it would be to confront them.

Finally, they stopped at a quiet corner, a small alley that gave them a moment of privacy. Lian pulled out a piece of scrap paper from his bag and began jotting notes, sketching out rough ideas. “All right, Mira. We need options. Entrances, timing, Kael’s reactions. If we go straight in, it could backfire. We need distractions. Maybe smoke bombs, maybe something to draw the guards. We need to think like her, anticipate her family’s moves, and…”

Mira smiled faintly. “You sound exactly like you do when we plan a guild mission.”

Lian grinned slightly, shaking his head. “Yeah, except now it’s Kael instead of a goblin thief. Slightly higher stakes, slightly more… emotional collateral.”

Mira laughed softly. “Emotional collateral. That’s a nice way to put it.”

The city around them seemed quiet, the sun dipping below the rooftops. The two of them stood together in the alley, plotting, planning, preparing for the next step. Somewhere ahead, Kael waited, unaware of the storm that was gathering outside her family’s walls.

And Lian and Mira, determined and resolute, made a silent promise: they would not fail her.