“Olly doesn’t mind. It’s not like I’m peeking at him.” The little fairy sits atop the bar holding the shower curtain, kicking her legs and willing a jaunty tune into being around her.

  “Is that true, Olly? You’ve been real quiet since Lilly pulled her little trick.” I cast a glance at the shower, seeing Olly’s silhouette going through the motions of cleaning.

  “Huh? Oh. I’m fine. I like the music, it’s soothing.” He runs his left hand through his formerly messy hair before continuing. “What trick?”

  Before I can give the response I intend, there’s a soft series of knocks on the door. Three very evenly spaced taps. Lilly’s music and voice cuts off abruptly and she quickly incants her spell of shapeshifting as she drops off the bar. When she hits the ground, she’s back to her full mortally scaled form.

  I rise and walk over, “What do you need?” I say loudly and firmly through the door. After yesterday, I also reach over and grab the handle of my glaive in preparation.

  “It’s Vari? I told you I’d stop by in the morning. I came by earlier and nobody answered, so I figured you were still recovering.” Lilly has been up since sunrise — I know because she woke me up for a little while — and she didn’t say anything about anyone knocking. I shoot her a questioning look, and she just turns away, looking guilty as she bites her lip and pins her arms behind her back. The very perfect picture of a bashful princess. She’s going to be the death of me someday.

  “Sorry, Vari, one moment.” With a few quick pulses of essence and throwing two physical locks, I unlock the door, revealing a much more well-put together Vari. No longer dressed like a well-paid criminal, he’s wearing a set of very finely enchanted light armor of some bright metal, and bearing a crest emblazoned on a patch on the cloak that drapes forward over his right shoulder. The crest is blue and gold, depicting a crown sitting behind a kite shield, with both bring held up by very obviously different hands. Looking every bit the noble knight that Lilly said he must be — though she missed the mark on him wearing full platemail. This set has much less full coverage, with blue and gold dyed leather filling in the sections between the metal.

  I stare at him, a little surprised to see him in a full regalia, prim, and proper after meeting him in a rundown house-turned-crime dump. “I know, I know.” He looks a little embarrassed, rustling his hand through his hair and displacing his floppy tawny brown ears. “People in town had seen me associating with the smugglers, so I needed to actually “show up”, as it were. The Crownsguard aren’t a secretive organization — the crown has made the mistake of having a secretive order centuries past, and it went poorly for everyone involved — but we try to keep our movements a little lower key just to prevent word spreading of our operations.” He extends a hand he’d been holding behind his back, producing a silken purple bag with a crown on it embroidered in something almost like gold. “People seeing firsthand that the crown is protecting them does wonders for communities. Especially smaller ones like this. It reminds people that even though the Sovereign is far away, the people are never far from her thoughts. Take this, it’s for you. I collected it from the mayor, and they saw fit to throw in some extra when I explained that you didn’t want recognition for the work. They said that ‘people like that deserve something extra.’”

  Taking the small bag, I comment, “That’s really nice of them, but it’s not like we did it specifically for the sake of hunting down the bounty. You sure we shouldn’t…like, take a lesser cut or something? Give some back? Haven’t these people been losing money to the smugglers?” I heft the bag, feeling more than a little uncertain. Looking back at Lilly, I realize that Olly seems to have ceased bathing and is peeking out around the curtain with interest. “The idea of taking money for…killing people…just doesn’t really sit well with me.”

  Lilly looks at me with a bit of surprise. “We’re not getting paid for killing people. We’re getting paid for stopping people from killing people. Come on, Ayre,“ She puts her hands on her hips and leans forward expectantly, “You performed a public service, and those people hurt innocent people. They hurt Olly! Sure, having to kill them sucks, but they started it, and they hurt people who didn’t deserve it and weren’t involved. Would it be better for us to just get nothing and continue being poor having killed them anyways?”

  “You have a point, I guess… Olly, what do you think?” Vari continues to wait patiently, clearly in no rush, and not interested in telling us what to do.

  “I suppose I don’t really have a strong feeling one way or the other. I don’t like the idea of killing people—” He trails off, looking thoughtful for a moment, but picks up where he left off without skipping a beat, “—but those people almost killed me, so I’m a little less sympathetic in this specific situation. If anything, I think Turin got off easy.” The look Olly gives me, and the sense of coldness behind his eyes is fairly jarring, but I can’t really fault him for the feeling. Maybe I’m just being too oversensitive.

  “Alright, fine. Outvoted.” I turn to the patient lapin, who gives me a pretty smile, “Thanks. You really didn’t have to go through all of this effort for us, so I appreciate it.”

  Olly and Lilly add their own thanks in turn before he responds, “Whether you’re Eldaran citizens or not, you’re in our lands, and so I’ll treat you like I would anyone else. Being royalty, a race thought forgotten, or some guy really doesn’t really change that. If anything, I really should offer you my own formal, thanks. You did Eldara and her people a great favor, one that I would love to see you recognized for.” He shrugs, ears tossing to one side of his head, “But I understand your circumstances, so I’ll have to settle for seeing you compensated. All of that said, I need to head on to Meadowfields. The person who set me on this trail also needs to be compensated.” He pauses, thinking. “Do any of you know anyone from there?”

  A chorus of headshakes, but I add, “I can’t say I do, but I do know that the girl who saved me from those criminals was headed there and seemed to be in a hurry. Left right after helping me with basically no delay and seemed to be all but running to the gate when we parted ways.” I smile idly, remembering clearly her eyes in my mind. “She was in that order you mentioned yesterday, I think.”

  He pales visibly, his demeanor shifting from casual to alert more or less instantly, “I think what I mentioned was the Order of the Eternal Vigil, right? She wearing glossy black armor covered in runes like mine?” His words come out faster, more demanding.’'

  Lilly beats me, though. “Yeah! In fact, most of the runes seemed pretty comparable to yours.”

  Whatever last hope he had been clinging to seems to perish right then and there, and he visibly deflates. “What’s the matter?” Olly asks first from across the room, standing vaguely silhouetted against the curtains and poking his head around the side of the stall curtain.

  “You lot aren’t from around here, and if you don’t know the Eternal Vigil, I worry that there’s a lot you don’t know. With what you’ve told me, I need to leave as soon as possible. But what I will say is that if the Order has people in a hurry and in their full battle rattle, something bad is about to happen or already has.”

  “Okay, so how about something a little less vague. Assume we know nothing whatsoever. No different from newborn whelps.” I feel a cold lump in my throat. Anything that unsettles someone in a position like Vari has me deeply concerned.

  “I’ll give you the short version, then I have to go. You can find a library to find the rest in Kharbon.” He starts checking straps and latches and as he touches each one I feel a light pulse of essence on the air as runes ignite. Each one flares in sequence before dimming as he continues to talk, wasting no time in preparation. “Okay. In the simplest terms, the Order is a group of monster hunters under charter of the crown. They will deal with any threats they’re aware of and are funded by the Blackthorn clan to hunt specific monsters when they appear. They’re known as Calamities. It’s a theatrical sounding name, but as I stand here, I will tell you simply and honestly that I know maybe three people who can fight one of those things and hope to reliably come out on top. They feed on essence to become stronger. Stealing power, spells, knowledge, and experience from anything they can get their hands on.”

  As he speaks, it feels like the air is being sucked out of the room. Lilly and I both keep casting glances back at Olly, whose face has taken on a stony expression. In a brief lull as Vari double and triple checks his weapons — a longsword at his hip and a runed buckler on his right hand — Olly speaks up, reciting something from the sounds of it.

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  Beware the amethyst mist, born of the Seed of Calamity that corrupts all it touches, No longer a mortal, now a monstrous harbinger spreading only darkness and despair, The Calamity comes.

  Vari looks up and over at Olly with an appraising glance. “I’m surprised you know that. It’s part of a common catechism spread by the priests of the Order and the traveling scholars of the Blackthorn clan.”

  Olly’s expression doesn’t shift barely at all. “I overheard it once. I never had context before, but it seemed important, so I tried to remember it.”

  Vari nods in response. “Makes sense. Anyways…” He puts his hand on the pommel of his sheathed sword, “These things happen most reliably in small towns and villages. Quiet, sleepy places that could disappear to the last soul and people might go days or weeks without noticing because they’re not really destinations. In that time, the creature will have grown wildly capable after feeding on people old and young. Nothing that could be a source of essential power is left behind. Just…dust.” He turns over his left shoulder, starting to step towards the door. “Point being. If the order is sending people to Meadowfields in a hurry, nothing good can come of it. I know they were doing monster nest clearing recently, so it may be related to that…but I’m not sure. I advise you leave this place as soon as possible and hit the road to Kharbon with haste. If a calamity is active in the area, the regional capital will be the safest place to be. Not a one of those monsters has ever made it past the walls. You’ll be safe there, and the people are kind and welcoming.” After a brief pause. “Sorry to leave like this, but this is the definition of “duty calls”. I need to find out what’s going on and report it as soon as possible. Thanks, again, for your help. I wish you luck on whatever quest you’re on that has drawn such an eclectic group together — and should we cross paths again, I hope it’s under better auspices.”

  He makes for the door after a round of well-wishes. After he closes it behind himself, I silently walk over and lock each and every lock. Nobody makes a sound or moves until I turn around and put my back to the door, bringing my wings in close.

  Each of us looks at one another, uncertain where to start, apparently. Lilly breaks the silence. “So. We leave soon? If Vari is right, then we’re not safe here.”

  My voice comes out tired. I’m not sure if Lilly really gets it. “Lilly… I-”

  She very sharply cuts me off, going so far as to make a slashing gesture with her hand crossways, dismissing what I’d been about to say in totality. “I know! I know what the implication is. I’m not stupid. I’m saying that if there’s multiple people from that Order around, we shouldn’t stay here. If other people from that order are like the hellion about Olly, then we need to avoid them all like our lives depend on it because they might.” Her face is deadly serious. Not one ounce of Lilly’s lackadaisy and irreverent attitude. And the term she uses to refer to Nyssa seems…sharper than I would expect from here. I'll have to ask her about it later when this is over.

  I am thoroughly cowed. Deservedly so. But it also calls me to look over at where Olly had been poking his head, only to find that he’s closed the curtain fully again and withdrawn. No crying at least? It’s a rather dull silver lining, though.

  I move over to the shower stall after grabbing the bag I bought Olly, putting my back against the outer wall. Lilly does the opposite, moving over to sit on her chosen bed and repeatedly looking between me, the shower, the window, and the door. “Olly?”

  “Yeah. I know. I’m…probably okay. Maybe. I don’t know.” Each piece of the sentiment comes with a brief pause and sounds emotionally all over the place. I can’t really blame him, though.

  There’s something I might be able to do to at least distract him. “I know that… a lot just happened in that conversation, but since you’re sitting there naked in the shower, I figured now is as good a time as any to give you the gifts I bought.” I try to play up a jovial tone, making a pretty desperate play to lighten the mood. “Here, catch.”

  With no other warning, I toss the backpack over the walls and hear Olly scramble to catch it. From the sounds of it, he nearly falls, slipping around a bit in the sudden motion before catching himself on one of the handrails inside. “So what is it? It’s a nice backpack, but kinda small, right?”

  Curiosity piqued and maybe calmed down a little, Lilly stands with a swish of her dress and a golden lightening coming to her wings at the mention of the gift.

  “Just pop it open, Olly. You’ll see.” I hear a couple clasps pop open alongside a thoughtful and exploratory hmm. Before long, the hmm flips over to ohh in a very satisfying way. I can hear his tone shift from dreary to smiling as he begins to talk.

  “These are really nice. They look durable, too. You really didn’t have to get me anything like this, though. Especially a magicked bag? Wasn’t this crazy expensive?” He sounds distinctly uncertain, and Lilly chimes in.

  “Just put them on and show off Olly. Ayre said she thought you’d look nice in them and refused to show me, so it’s up to you to do the right thing and sate my curiosity. You’ll be doing me a massive favor.” Her voice comes out dripping with sweetness. Even going so far as to bat her eyelashes despite Olly being unable to see it. It’s quite a display, but not exactly unusual for her. If anything, it’s something of a return to form after the earlier outburst

  He mumbles something indistinct, sounding embarrassed, and she looks like a cat with a kill. Thoroughly pleased with herself as she saunters back to her bed and gives me a winning smile that I just have to shake my head and smile back at. She’s trying to do what she can to make Olly feel better with a distraction and I doubt if he’ll notice that it's her goal. He’s not the most observant when it comes to people. Though perhaps that’s the pot calling the kettle black.

  Apparently happy with Vari being gone, Lilly hops once and incants to shift back into her fairy form. and flutters up a little higher to peek over the stall door from across the room — surely seeing nothing, but putting on the performance regardless.

  After a couple minutes he steps out, looking very uncertain of himself. His posture is incredibly withdrawn, and he’s looking pretty much anywhere but at either of us. “So…it fits well.” His judgment of the outfit sounds fairly damning, given his flat tone and I immediately start wondering if I should have taken him with me to get the clothes. It would have made sense, of course, but I wanted to surprise him.

  I glance him up and down. Gone are the ill-fitting and hastily tailored scraps I made for him out of my extra clothes. From simple brown fabrics to something decidedly more…complete and fitting. They’re fairly rugged traveling clothes, mostly in light grays and blues. In deference to his arm, I made sure to get a vest styled outfit that’s been worked with basic enchantments to keep themselves whole on long journeys and hopefully resist any passive wear and tear that might come from occasional contact with his arm.

  At key points on the outfit, there’s metal fixtures. Not quite what I’d call plate armor, but surfaces that will resist a bit of force and allow Olly to strike a bit harder with his arms and legs when the need arises.

  “Oh! Olly! That’s perfect!” Lilly pops up off the bed, rushing to Olly’s side with a radiant smile as she tugs at straps and plays with pockets. Olly, wearing the sleeve, reacts better than usual, as she whirrs around him, viewing his new outfit from every angle. I notice that special attention she seems to pay to his exposed arm, gently dusting her hand over his musculature.

  He, on the other hand, seems none the wiser. Instead, just spinning to follow her as she orbits him. “You think so? I like it a lot, I just don’t know how it… looks on me, I guess.” Olly’s face rapidly turns crimson. I hadn’t expected he’d be so bashful about clothing like this.

  I chime in, “I think you look good, Olly. Maybe I’m biased because I’m the one who picked it out, but Lilly certainly seems to approve if her doting is anything to go by, and she’s one of the pickiest people I know. It’s a high mark, I think.” Lilly narrows her eyes at me, hovering behind Olly as he and I exchange words. “Either that or she’d like anything you’re weari-”

  “It’s a nice outfit, and it looks good on him! That’s all! It’s fashionable, and it makes him look like a rugged adventurer. Showing off his muscles, actually hugging his frame unlike that veritable smock he’d been wearing before, and the colors compliment his hair and skin well. What’s not to like?” After the cascade of enthusiastic compliments, Olly has turned about as red as a cooked ember-root and steps away from both of us to walk over to the mirror.

  I just look at Lilly wide-eyed. “You never compliment my outfits like that.” A very serious and not at all performative frown falls across my face, which has the intended effect on Lilly. Instead of staring directly at Olly’s back and lower, she turns to look at me with a look of something in the range of pity — not regret like I’d hoped.

  “I compliment you all the time, and you wear the same clothes basically every day. The work you do on them is nice, and they suit you well, but would you prefer I tell you “Ayre, that hempen shirt looks positively dashing!” every single day when I see you?” She floats closer and lands on my shoulder. After a little spin to ensure her surroundings suits, she falls to the ground (my shoulder) like a stricken maiden. “Oh, my dearest noble and powerful and benevolent and kind and beautiful and…shiny…and glistering… and maybe pointy… dragon! However, could either of us manage to do anything but stare at you when you strike such an imposing figure — not just imposing but also alluring. And maybe a couple other -ings as well.” She keeps up her fainting princess act, fanning her face dramatically with a rapidly conjured hand fan.

  It sets me smiling, and I see Olly turn around looking substantially more confident. It seems that Lilly’s goading has gotten him past whatever confidence hump he was feeling. Good, I’m not good at that stuff, so I’ll leave the doting to the one most suited for it.

  “I also got me some new clothes, but I would rather not steal Olly’s thunder for the first reveal.” That sees Lilly pop up to her feet again, looking excited.

  “Well? Go change! I need to see!”

  “Later. I need to do some more tailoring to adjust it for my body. Finding something to accommodate a tail wasn’t too hard, but it appears that none of the mortal races around here have a tail quite as thick as mine, so I’ll need to modify that. And the upper wear is going to need my normal efforts applied to them. It’ll take a few days, but I figured it’s a good project for the road to Kharbon.” I make a dismissive gesture. “Let’s continue to lavish Olly with attention. It seems to bother him.”