"Never thought I'd find myself up in this part of town!" Aurrie trailed behind the rest of her group. Her wandering eyes slowed the procession down to a crawl. 

"You never been to the upper part of Farrowport before?" Tamma asked, bringing the group to a halt. "Everyone I've known has at least been to the outskirts of this part of the island one time in their life."

The housekeeper shrugged her shoulders. "Never had the need to. Been too busy workin' for as long as I can remember. Guess it never crossed my mind to venture too far out from what I called home."

"Fair enough," Miwah said. "Perhaps we could take the scenic route, Tamma. I think Aurrie and Daego at least deserve that after all they have done for us."

"It'll take a bit longer, but I don't think half an hour would make too big of a difference. We might get a few more stares though. You don't mind that, do you Aurrie?"

"Not at all." She punched the palm of her hand. "Besides, if they knew what we're capable of, they'd think twice about givin' us any odd looks."

"One of the many perks of being a Purifier is the extra bit of confidence it gives," Miwah said. She faced forward and pointed towards the split further ahead on the path. "Perhaps we can take her to the same garden that you showed me? I would love to see what Aurrie and Daego think of authentic Xiwaoan fruit."

"You got it lass." Tamma looked over her shoulder and saw Daego struggling to keep his head up and eyes open. "You all right, Daego?"

The swindler put the palm of his hand against his forehead and groaned. "My head still hurts, and I feel like there's a hurricane in my stomach. But if you girls really want to take the longer route to wherever we're going, I think I can manage."

Aurrie slapped him on the back, making him cough and clutch his gut. "Ah, you'll be fine Daego. I've seen ya down more drink than that."

"But that wasn't Rhoda Rum."

"'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is what we always say back in Bahnwa. Let's just say that this extended walk is a way of us getting even. After all, it was your fault that we got into trouble, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah." Daego closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I get it. Just ignore me. And let me know when we're by... wherever it is we're headed."

"You got it lad."

Tamma led the group through the sharp turn in the path. As they ventured along the stone trail, the occasional passerby would give the group odd glares. Everyone ignored them except for Aurrie, who would return each glare with an angry look of her own. The rest of the walk went undisturbed by anyone else, allowing them to arrive in front of the orchard in a few minutes. 

"Look at all the colors!" Aurrie said with awe. 

"I'm only used to seeing brown and gray back in the lower section of the island," Daego said. He straightened out his back and extended his head above his head, reaching for a bright yellow flower just beyond his reach. His lips formed a small smile once his fingers brushed against the petals. 

"You feelin' better already?" Aurrie asked.

"Just a bit. I'm still looking forward to resting my head, but I don't mind the fresh scents."

"Come," Miwah said eagerly. "There is one specific tree that I want to show you." Miwah took lead, practically skipping as she entered the orchard. 

"You know where it is, Miwah?" Tamma said as she caught up with the seamstress. 

"Of course."

The group reached the plot of exotic trees in a few moments. With a smile on her face, Miwah ushered the others towards the rare plant in the middle of the lot. "Here it is!" the seamstress said with glee as she extended one hand towards a low-hanging branch. Plump bunches of dark red fruit dangled within reach. "Tamma. Would Chaston mind if we shared some more of his cherries?"

The hunter shrugged. "Not like he's paying us for all the work we've done and going to do. I think it's more than fair to have a snack on his behalf."

Miwah plucked a handful of cherries and faced Aurrie first. The housekeeper extended her hand and Miwah placed some of the fruit in her palm. "Back home, we call this tree a Royal Fire Blossom. These cherries are considered a rare delicacy even in Xiwao. Very few people back home have been fortunate enough to experience them, let alone folks outside of the country."

Aurrie picked up one of the cherries and pinched it between pointer finger and thumb. "Got a nice and firm texture to it."

"That means it is perfect," Miwah said as she gave a few to Daego. 

"I'll be the judge of that." Aurrie tilted her head back and started to chew on all the cherries at once. She nodded her head and smiled once the sweet flavor kicked in. The housekeeper cupped her hands over her mouth as she held back laughter. "Y-you weren't wrong..." she said, still chewing on the last bits of her food. She promptly gulped the rest. "That tasted just like a desert!"

Daego chewed on one and raised an eyebrow. "That's some good snacking."

"Is it all right if Lug has a few?" Miwah asked the hunter. They both looked at the brillick who was digging with his paw in the dirt. He buried his mouth into the soil by the Royal Fire Blossom and lapped something up with his tongue. With large and loud bites, Lug tilted his head all the way back and licked his teeth.

"I think he's just had his fair share, lass."

Miwah giggled. "I am glad he could partake." She plucked a few more bunches from another branch and offered a handful to Tamma. "Would you like some as well?"

Tamma plucked one from the top and ate it. "Thanks lass. Keep the rest for later." The hunter looked at Daego. He hunched over again, and his stance started to wobble. "As much as I like enjoying the scenery, things aren't looking too good for our smooth-talking friend. Let's hurry up and get to Chaston's place before he passes out."

Daego grunted and staggered forward. "Think that brillick of yours could give me a ride the rest of the way?"

"Sorry to break it to you, but Lug is as lazy at they come. Ever since I lost my cart, he's been too much of a loaf to do anything."

"Then what's the point of having him stick around?"

Tamma brushed the hairs on Lug's neck. The brillick closed his eyes and purred. "He makes good company. Come on now. All this chatting isn't getting us any closer to Chaston's place."

The hunter took lead again. Like the journey up the path to the orchard, the trip to the Governor's area was just as uneventful. The few men of the Farrowport Guard that stood by the side of the path remained to their posts, ignoring the group as they moseyed down the trail. At the gate leading into the main section of the Governor's District stood Alson. His posture livened up from being slouched against the stone wall when Tamma appeared from around the corner. 

"Tamma!" the guard said excitedly. He darted up from his spot and met the hunter on the path.

"Alson!" she said as she wrapped her around his back. The guard's face turned a bright red as he patted Tamma on the back. "It's nice to see you again, lad!"

"L-likewise!" he quickly diverted his eyes from Tamma to the rest of the group. "You found some help?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sure did." Tamma leaned in next to Alson and whispered into his ear. "Remember that transformation thing I did?"

"Of course," Alson said with a nod.

Tamma pointed at Aurrie. "She can do that too."

"That's great! The more the merrier! But uh... what about the other guy? What’s he doing here?" he whispered back.

"They're together."

"Oh, thank goodness," Alson said with a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean... that... it's better to have more people around to deal with... you know what..."

"Oh." Tamma backed away and started speaking at her normal volume. "How's Chaston doing? You had a chance to talk to him since the last time we met?"

"He seemed pretty busy. I knocked on his door, but he didn't appear too happy to be taken away from his research."

"That must mean he has found something important," Miwah said.

"Are you and the others trying to meet him?" Alson asked. "I can lead you to him. Maybe he'll be more open to talking if he knows that we've got some reinforcements to help out."

"Let's get moving then," Tamma said. "We've got a lot to tell him. And hopefully he'll have just as much to tell us."