Tamma fastened the last strap of Lug's harness in front of the building's entrance. She pushed open the front door, letting the bright morning light pour through the foyer. The scent of a passed rain coursed through the air, sending the sweet smell through the brillick's nostrils. He snorted rapidly as he darted forward, pulling Tamma along with him as he moved outside. Miwah kept close while Yalch floated next to her head.

"Slow down, boy!" the hunter said as she pulled back on Lug's leash. "We're only going to do one lap around the block and that's it! So if you want to go at full speed, you're only making your time out here that much shorter."

Lug turned his head around while still moving forward, giving the hunter a grunting sound before facing the other way. He slowed his speed to a leisurely trot and began to sniff at the passing puddles that covered the pavement. 

"It seems like he understands you!" Yalch said. He flew forward and hovered in front of Lug's face, slowly moving backwards while keeping just in front of the brillick.

"Lug and I have a lot of history. Sometimes I do think he understands what I'm saying. But other times... it's more than clear that is not true in the slightest."

"Friendship transcends language," Yalch replied. "I know that for a fact! After all I've seen, I think it's one of the few things that I can say for certain."

"Ah, thank you for reminding me, Yalch!" Miwah declared as she advanced further, walking next to the ghost. "I still have quite a few questions for you. Seeing as how Tamma can see and hear you, I think now would be the best time to get some answers."

"Sounds fair," Yalch replied. "You've got any questions for me, Tamma?"

The hunter giggled. "You know, in Bhawna spirits are associated with bad luck and misfortune. That's why I was so hesitant when Miwah first told me about you."

"You should have seen her, Yalch. Tamma looked at me like I was deranged."

"Sorry, couldn't help it. Everyone back in Bahnwa would have done the same if you were talking about benevolent spirits."

"I try to be my best me," Yalch replied while grinning.

"But that brings me back to my first question, Yalch. Just... what are you?"

The ghost turned his eyes to the side and twiddled his thumbs. "I see you started with one of the hard questions!" he replied before nervously chuckling.

"But you promised you would answer my questions!"

"I know, I know. I make on good on my promises. I am a Mentor, after all. It is my job to make sure that people like you two reach your full Potential by ranking up your Purifier forms. That's the easy explanation."

"But that is what we know now. I would like a bit more information about you."

"Oh, I'm not that interesting," Yalch said as he made a shooing motion with his hands in Miwah's direction. "Trust me. You really don't want to learn all about my history! It's rather boring."

"You you've been working with other Purifiers for years!" Tamma interjected. She paused her walking to let Lug to pull back closer to her as he sniffed towards the disposal basin. "That means you must have wild stories to tell us."

"B-but we only have so much time!" The ghost's arms drooped down to the sides as if he were exhausted. "I'll tell you what. We go in and get those Beacons back and I'll give you two some more about me. How does that sound?"

The seamstress rolled her eyes. "That means you will be breaking a promise."

"I know. But I don't think that I'm quite ready to tell you everything about me just yet. I can give you more details on being a Purifier, though!" Yalch slowly hovered in front of Tamma's face. "And we still have to go through the basics with you. If you ever get a Beacon, that is."

"Fine, Yalch." Miwah called out. "I will change the subject. Just for you." She tapped her finger against her chin and looked at the sun that hung low across the horizon. "Let me think for a moment. Ah. I know what I can ask of you. How did you end up in my village?" Miwah then placed her hands on her hips and bore a condescending look. "Can you at least tell me that much?"

"I came along in one of those Beacons. Remember what I said a while back about those with Potential being attracted to them instinctively?"

"Yes," both women said simultaneously.

"That's why I always travel as close as possible to them! To make sure they get into the possession of competent Purifiers. I had the previous owners put them away in a safe place. That's why they were hidden away when you found them. But one got loose. The one that pillager took... and..."

"You mean Eijnar?" Miwah asked.

"That's his name? Well, yes. That man. Once the jewel broke, it ended my rest early at the cost of the Beacon." The ghost then sighed, letting his arms droop down even further and his head hung low. "That one was particularly important."

"Beacons can break?" Tamma asked, tugging on Lug to force him to take a turn into an oncoming alley. 

"They're durable under most circumstances. They can be broken but it requires a whole of pressure and a bit of magic. But when they're not in someone's possession... that's when they become fragile."

"All the more reason to take them from Narrita and her crew," Tamma replied, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "Cutthroats aren't known for being particularly gentle."

"And those specifically have been in use for nearly two centuries! Getting new Beacons isn't an easy task, and at this point I'd consider the ones you had to be antiques. I'd prefer to get the remaining ones intact. If possible."

"That's the real challenge, isn't it?" Tamma said.

"Wait, Yalch." Miwah placed one hand on the ghost's back, only to have it go right through. She embarrassedly brought her hand back upon realizing her mistake. "You said that the previous owners secured the Beacons in a safe place. What about them? They have Potential. Why did they surrender the source of their power?"

"They had gotten old. It doesn't matter how strong you are. Time always bests humans. They all agreed... or at least the ones that survived... to put them away in a safe place and let fate determine who should become Purifiers in their wake."

"My mother bought the chest containing them on a whim from a passing merchant. So you are saying fate played a role in that transaction?"

Yalch nodded. "Fate intervenes far more than humans would believe. But it can only do so much. After a certain point, people have to take matters into their own hands."

"Sounds like a lot had to happen to get us into the situation that we're in," Tamma remarked as she held on tight to the leash. Lug's speed picked up and slowed down at an erratic rate.

"And you'd be right! And it seems that we're at the part where you two have to give fate a helping hand."

"Now I feel bad for taking Lug out to walk instead of heading straight to Colligan’s to meet up with the Cutthroats face to face!"

"Lug is part of the team too!" Yalch read down, letting his hand slip the brillick's forehead. "If keeping him happy makes the team more efficient, I'd say it’s worth it."

"You hear that Lug?" Tamma said while keeping her eyes focused on the animal. "You've got a new friend." The brillick turned around, only responding with a long and drawn-out whimper. "You can't see him. Or hear him. I doubt you can even smell him, either. But trust me when I say that he likes you!"

"I hate to interrupt the conversation, but we have more important things at hand," Miwah said, grabbing the attention of both Tamma and Yalch. "I love Lug too, but as Yalch said, we have a duty to fulfil! We do not have time to humor an animal. If everything that Yalch said is true, we need to do everything in our power to make sure to get those Beacons out of the Cutthroat's possession."

"Gah, you're right, Miwah. I'm thinking it's best to cut Lug's walk short. Every second we spend talking is just going to give Narrita more opportunity to do who knows what with the Beacons." Tamma pulled on the leash only to be met with resistance from the brillick. "Let's get moving boy! I know your walk is getting cut short but there's a lot more at stake here!"

With a bit more tugging, the brillick begrudgingly obeyed. The entire party turned around and marched back out of the alley in the direction that they came from. The brillick made a low growling sound the entire way through, making abrupt stops along the way to try and get Tamma to turn around. 

"Sorry Lug," Tamma said curtly. "Fate calls! You'll just have to spend the day by yourself for once."