Now the hardest part begins

10 minutes earlier.
Lionel grabs my hand. If he didn't come, then I would have given the wannabe womanizer a taste of my dagger.

"Aria, are you alright?" Lionel asks me.

"Yes. Everything is fine. Why did you do that?" I say to him. I mean, I could have handled it by myself.

"I didn't want to see how this uncouth guy hit on you."

I look at him surprised. Is he some kind of jealous?

As he already grabbed my hand, we can at least dance. At least for one song I should forget all the trouble.

I grab his other hand and pull him into the dancefloor. He starts to smile, and we dance in the crowd. It's too bad that we are destined to be enemies. I really start to like him...

Then Lionel stops dancing.

"Aria, I wanted to..." He grabs in his pocket and brings out something shiny..

Now the full moon brightens the dark sky and  the orb in Lionel's bag on the belt starts to glow. 

"Oh, it's time! We should not waste any time," I say.

Still holding hands, we run through the crowd to the others. As we run, he puts whatever he had in his hand back into his pocket.

Caspian is standing there and we stop in front of him.

"It's time. Tell the others. We'll meet at the Drowning Cat Inn." Lionel says with a serious face.

Caspian looks at our hands. I didn't notice that we were still holding hands. Flustered, I let go of his hand. Lionel looks flustered too. But we have no time for something like that. The orb is ready to show us the place we desire. The tower of the mage of the north.

Lionel and I have already entered the inn when Caspian arrives with Rosa, Knox, and Sisli. Now Thorin comes over.

"Can I get you a table?" Thorin asks, smiling.

"We do need a table, but we need one away from the hustle and bustle," Lionel says.

"I could offer you the table in the next room. It's not particularly well-furnished, since we only use this room as a break room. But you'll definitely have some privacy." Thorin says.

"That would be perfect," Lionel says.

We enter the room, and Lionel places the orb on the table.

The orb glows in a dim white light. We all stare at the orb.

"And what now?" Knox asks.

"Someone with magical powers should hold the orb. The stronger the magical power, the more certain it is that the orb will indicate the location with the greatest magical power. The magical power of a healer is sufficient for this. And since the tower radiates the greatest magical power, it should be indicated," says Lionel.

Rosa seems to be ready to do it.

"I have proven strong magical healing powers. I should be able to help you," she says, simply taking the orb in her hand.

When she is here, why do I have to be here? I seem to be superfluous here. Not that I'm clamoring for the job.

The orb starts to glow in a clear white light. Some kind of map appears inside the orb. It shows the market, which is our current position.

"It's not working!" Rosa says, irritated.

"But why?" Sisli asks.

The orb detects strong magical power. It won't recognize my powers and be misled by them, will it?

"Try hitting it against something. It seems a bit broken!" I say, slightly nervous.

Lionel takes the orb from Rosa's hands and places it in mine.

"Please do it!" Lionel says.

"Fine. I'll try!" I say.

The orb begins to glow brighter, and the map changes. We look into the orb. A marker is placed next to a river.

"That's the Reverse River!" Sisli shouts.

"That sounds mystical. Is that a magical river?" Caspian asks.

"Sort of. They say it's very beautiful and special. It flows over many rocky outcrops, creating a collection of small waterfalls. And the most special thing is that the water flows backward. So up the mountain." Sisli says.

"I've heard about this river. It's only a two-day march from here," says Knox.

"According to my information, the tower probably just changed its position today. Since it moves roughly every three days, we should be able to make it! Pack everything we need and remember the supplies. We're leaving in an hour," says Lionel determinedly.

"I want to talk to you for a moment," Rosa says to Lionel.

Is this the moment when she relieves me and I can let the storyline take its course again? I don't know if I want that. But objectively speaking, it would definitely be best.

"Lionel, it was nice to see you again. Now, however, our paths seem to be diverging. After the suffering at the border, I can no longer go into battle. That's why I'll stay here."

"Did anyone ask her to come with us?" says Sisli, irritated and ignorant at the same time.

Nobody said that. But at least from my perspective, it would make sense.

"Sisli!" I whisper and cover her mouth with my finger.

She looks at me, irritated, but she seems to understand that I will have my reasons, as she doesn't make a fuss about it. Oh man, did I mess up one of the main characters? A healer who can't cope with the suffering around her. Very difficult...

"We were also happy to see you again, but now we have to prepare to leave. Take care," says Lionel.

Clearly not the farewell she had in mind. She hugs Lionel once more and leaves. Visibly stiff, he waits until she lets go of him. Despite his outstretched arms, Caspian only gets a wave from her. That must have hit his ego hard.

We load the covered wagon and bring the horse back from the stables. Now everything is ready. The wagon is parked in front of the inn, and we say goodbye to Iris and Thorin.

"Goodbye. Take care of yourself, and good luck for your mission!" Iris says.

"Goodbye from me too. When your mission is over, feel free to come back. I still have my story to tell you. And I can always use help carrying my crates," says Thorin, giving Caspian a mischievous look.

Caspian looks a little uneasy and is the first to climb into the back of the wagon.

Lionel and Knox sit in the front. I put Sisli on my shoulder and crawl into the back of the wagon.

"Goodbye, and thank you for everything!" Sisli and I shout.

Now that reality has caught up with us, almost nothing remains of the exuberant and good mood during the festival. Instead, the tension is rising.

Now the hardest part begins.