I'll Drink to That

“Two drinks, please!”

Serena ordered some wine for her and Svector. The two had stopped at an inn for the night and sat on one side of an nearly empty bar.

It reminded Svector of some of the quieter nights back home. Those were always his favorite, as the few customers that stayed that late always had the most interesting stories to tell. They were just a bit away from Verdant, but Svector’s legs were giving out from all of that walking. He needed a place to rest, even if he wanted to continue.

“Normally I order beers when a mission is a success,” Serena said. “But things are still a bit more solemn, so wine it is.”

“Things are going better at least,” Svector responded. “We have a trail to follow for Adelyn, and we know where Rumia is.”

“You’re optimistic, I like that. We could do with more if it in the world,” Serena said. The bartender gave the two of them their wine. Svector could smell the grapes used, it definitely was not something he recognized. One thing that surprised him was how dark it was compared to usual brands. If he took this glass outside, he wouldn’t be able to see it in front of his face.

“I have to be,” Svector said, taking a sip of his wine. “At least when it comes to those two.”

“Hey, if those two kids are even half as capable as you say they are, then I’m sure they’re fine. This world isn’t a bad place,” Serena said. “Just… a bit dark.”

“Doesn’t make me miss them any less,” Svector said. He took a sip of his wine, sweet, a little bit tart, even. It served its purpose well enough. “You should tell me a bit more about yourself, though.”

“Mhm…” she thought. “Officially, I’m a bounty hunter, but I do a lot of other things too. I end up travelling all across the country so I end up doing all sorts of things.”

“Suppose you had a free week to hang out?” Svector responded.

“I have enough money to last a while, you don’t need to worry about me,” Serena answered. “I should be asking about you. I know I said this place isn’t bad but I can’t have you getting mauled by wolves like you were when I found you.”

“Ah, that’s fair,” Svector laughed a little bit. “I promise I won’t be that bad.”

“You use fire magic, yeah?” Serena asked. “If you come from a different world I’m surprised you know it.”

“It’s not commonly practiced over there. I only know about it because of a friend,” Svector sighed. “And I only learned because of the girls. Adelyn in particular. She took a big interest in it.”

“Did you teach her?”

“Ahahah, I wouldn’t say that. Adelyn taught me more than anything, she’s way better than me at that kind of stuff,” Svector said. “I just needed to look after her for a bit. Though, I guess now she’s looking after herself.”

“You said their mother wasn’t around, as well? What’s the story with that?”

“It’s strange, we were quite good friends, but then one day… she vanished, and left her two kids behind. Heck, I didn’t even know she had a second kid until she was gone.”

Svector took another sip of his wine. He was remembering those simpler days, back when Adelyn and Rumia were both growing up, together.

“I don’t think I know of any father either. So I took them in, and before I knew it I had two little heads running around for the next ten years. Honestly, it was a lot more fulfilling than I thought it would be.”

“Oh, I see. That’s why you’re so worried,” Serena put her arm on Svector’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you the best I can. We’ll find them soon.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

At least some alcohol can wash the stress away. He might even need it the most at this moment.

As they spoke, the sound of the door opened at the front of the bar. The two customers looked over at the new arrival, a lady clad in white, not too far off from a ghost. She glowed in the moonlight that shone through the door as she opened it.

“A glass of mead, please!” The woman said, seeming quite cheerful, before taking a seat right next to Svector. “Ah, I’m in quite the good mood, really.”

Svector figured that line was an invitation to give her attention. A lot of customers did that at the bar, but more often than not they had quite an interesting story to tell.

“What puts you in such a mood, then?” Svector asked, with a small smile on his face.

“Oh, you’re looking at the new Head of Environmental Relations,” the woman responded. “Of the entirety of Verdant! This is much more than I was expecting. I’m having a drink to celebrate!”

The bartender gave the girl a glass of mead.

“Hey, I’ll drink to that,” Serena added. “I love hearing good news.”

“I suppose that would be a more fun thing to drink to,” Svector said. “A toast to your promotion, then.”

The three raised their glasses up and clinked them together at once, before taking a drink of their own. It did perhaps feel odd to congratulate this woman they barely knew, but it felt better than the more sorrowful atmosphere than before.

“I have to ask your name, madam,” Svector politely said.

“Ah, my apologies. My name is Liana. Though I figure you would have learned that tomorrow,” the lady responded.

“I suppose I would’ve,” Svector responded. “Though I’m an outsider to your city’s politics, I’m not from these parts.”

“Ohhh, I see. Quite a few travellers I’ve encountered,” Liana noted. “They’ve given me quite a few ideas recently. One of them even gave me a new song!”

“Oh! You sing?” Serena spoke up, seemingly quite interested. “Mind putting on a show? Sorry, I just love hearing these kinds of things.”

“I agree,” Svector nodded. “Plus, celebratory nights are a good time to sing your heart out.”

Liana seemed convinced by their encouraging words, and got up from her seat. She stood in front of the two of them and the bartender.

“This is a song taught to me by a young traveller. I’ve decided to name it, Compassion of the Beast.”

Svector and Serena sat quietly as they watched the woman sing. Her voice was divine, with a tone that sounded both proud yet compassionate. Her cadence punctuated each line, creating a strong rhythmic melody that still somehow felt warm.

Her vocals moved quite slowly, but were still appealing. Her medley demanded one’s full attention as the song tapered off towards the end. Quietly finishing with a low but respectful tone that ended the song.

Svector and Serena clapped at the performance. They were quite impressed, as the music died down.

“Wow, you’re a really great singer!” Serena said. “Do you come around here often?”

“It’s my ideal place to drink, plus it’s a lot quieter than most other bars in the city,” Liana said. “I don’t… normally sing during drinking hours, so.”

“You said you learned that from a traveller,” Svector brought up. “What’s the story behind it?”

“Ahh, it was a group of travellers quite young,” Liana began to explain. “The one I learned from was named Teddie. He was quite the special boy, a very talented singer too. They’re the reason I got my job.”

Quite young? Svector thought that was surprising. However, that statement did make him want to ask.

“A group of kids?” Svector asked, with a little bit of curiosity in his eyes. “Who were they?”

Liana thought for a moment, but then said: “Teddie, Edward, Adelyn, and Cozy.”

Both Serena and Svector stopped when they heard Adelyn’s name. For Svector, it was a guess based on PASCAL telling him that Adelyn had made some friends, and it looked like it paid off.

“So, you did find her,” Svector said, as if any trace of alcohol in his body vanished at the mention. “Adelyn, where is she?”

“Hm? Are you looking for her?” Liana asked.

“...I’m her guardian. I lost her and left her alone, so I’m trying to find her again,” Svector explained.

“We’ve been trailing her for a while, hopefully we can catch up,” Serena added. “If you could help us in finding her then we would be so grateful.”

“Well,” Liana paused for a moment to think. “If you’re her guardian, then you have my support. I owe those kids my position.”

Liana sat back down. She seemed to be thinking for a moment, while the other two waited for her decision.

Svector did not want to pressure her, but he wanted to know as soon as he possibly could. After a moment, Liana looked up at the two of them.

“I believe Adelyn went onto the City of Pugna,” Liana explained. “If you were to walk it would probably take you multiple days to get from here to there.”

“There’s no way we’re multiple days behind, right?” Serena said. “Is she still on her way?”

“I can’t say for sure, but due to their assistance with the government, they were granted transportation by the Governor of Nature, my boss,” Liana answered. “That would cut the travel time to one day at most.”

“Shoot,” Svector gritted his teeth. “We’re going to fall too far behind if we just walk there like we normally do.”

Liana paused once more, and multiple ideas seemed to run through her mind. She soon slammed her hand on the table.

“I’ll ask Custos, my boss, if he can give you a ride too,” Liana offered. “Tomorrow. It’ll be a lot faster than you two walking. I hope I’ve built up enough goodwill to have it considered.”

“We won’t know until we try,” Svector nodded. “Thank you for your help. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Your child and her friends gave me a lot of things. A stronger position to argue for my own dear friends, it’s only fair that I repay her.”