From between the curtains, bright rays of sunlight illuminated the spacious room. A snow-white girl restlessly stirred from under the tightly wrapped blanket, eventually freeing herself from its soft entanglement and silently sat up on the bed. Her head scanned her surroundings, searching for something with her still-closed eyes. Her mouth continuously worked determent to get rid of the dry feeling in her mouth. She threw herself to the side expecting to find a comfortable warm and slightly rough-feeling pillow but her head landed in nicely piled pillows, sending them all flying high into the air.

 

"Ilis?" A mumbled word came from Kia as soft cushions rained down around her.

 

The undead mage sat up again, she rubbed her eyes slowly unglueing her shut eyelids. The dim light caused her to squint in an attempt to locate her elf. The front door slowly opened accompanied by a loud creaking noise. The person opening the door evidently tried their best to prevent the metal hinges from screeching their songs of needed maintenance.

 

"Did I wake you up?" A soothingly familiar voice reached the sitting girl who turned her head to glimpse at the figure entering. "Did you sleep well?" The voice sounded followed by nearing footsteps.

 

"No and I don't know." The necromancer answered, resting her head on Iris's shoulder, who sat down beside her.

 

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

 

"I just feel a little dizzy."

 

"Do you remember what happened before you dose off?"

 

"I-I remember being angry and sad and then very, very cold." The mage said, latching herself onto the warm elf.

 

"Oh."

 

"A-and I remember you being angry at me." Kia finished, trying to hide her face in the folds of Iris's shirt.

 

"I would never be angry at you," The risen stroked Kia's cheek before moving her finger under the mage's chin. "I was just sad to see you like that." She kissed the girl on her small lips.

 

"See me like what?" Kia asked after recovering from the pleasant kiss.

 

"It doesn't matter now," Iris replied but before the necromancer could respond she spoke again. "Are you feeling alright now?"

 

"I think yes." The girl responded while looking down at her body. "Where were you just now?"

 

"I was getting our clothes and something small."

 

"Something small?" Kia looked up at Iris, eyeing her with puppy-like or rather kitten-like eyes which shined with both natural and unnatural light.

 

"Later, when you get better." The elf said to the curious kitten beside her.

 

"Iriiisss, what did you get?" Kia begged the risen.

 

"It's a secret~"

 

"That's not faaaiir! That makes me even more curious!"

 

"I will tell you when you get better," The smiling elf said not budged by the necromancer's attack.

 

"Cruel," Kia's body slouched before Iris noticed a bright spark flash appear in the deep depths of the blue and golden eyes. "Iris?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"How do you get rid of a bad taste in your mouth?" A sudden unexpected question hit the elf.

 

"Drinking some water should help."

 

"Mmmmmmmm." A far too long hum came from the scheming undead before her hand swiped at the air pulling out a glass of unnaturally intense azure water. The girl sipped the water leaving more than half of the liquid still in the crystalline glass. "Yum, I feel better now., Iris." Kia announced.

 

"What's that?"

 

"My super secret potion, I can't tell you the name." The overly proud undead proclaimed staring with calculating eyes at Iris. "But we can trade."

 

"Could I taste it? You don't have to tell me the name."

 

"Oh." Kia stared at the elf who reached for the glass, her eyes managed to widen even more as her body willingly surrendered the secret potion.

 

Iris took a sip of the blue water. Her mouth was instantly filled with a bitter metallic taste which stayed on her tongue as she drank the remaining liquid.

 

"Huh? How did you drink it, it is so bleh!" The necromancer raised her voice with a mix of confusion and awe before she shook from recalling the taste of the liquid.

 

"Oh, I feel somehow fresher now."

 

"Wait really?" An even more confused question came from the girl.

 

"No... Pffff!" Iris replied unable to contain her laughter as she stared at the dumbfounded girl.

 

"You're such a bully." Kia pouted at the giggling elf.

 

"Oh, too much, too much!" After a very long moment. Iris managed to calm down before speaking again while wearing a giant grin. "What was that anyway?"

 

"It was just water." A slightly defeated-sounding Kia replied.

 

"I don't think it was normal water, where did you get it anyways?"

 

"From home."

 

"Wasn't the water black there?" Iris could swear the water in Necropolis was black.

 

"It was dark?"

 

"Aaa I guess that makes sense." The elf tried to recall memories of the giant empty underground city.

 

"Iris?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I really do feel better." The girl said with no hint of a clever scheme underneath.

 

*Sigh*

 

"Then we will have to change first." Iris replied.

 

The elf quickly began to unlatch and untie the many latches and knots holding Kia's dress together. With only a few difficulties the elaborate dress dropped unceremoniously onto the floor with almost all other accompanying attire.

 

"Why do I have to keep this, it is not even enchanted?" Kia asked, pointing at a corset which covered much of her already perfectly shaped body.

 

"Hiding two round and soft spheres~" The girl flushed with red after a brief moment, not daring to ask the elf further questions.

 

With one swift motion, Iris put on the exotic sleeveless black dress which stretched and tightened by itself helping the elf to quickly put it back where it belonged. After finishing with Kia, Iris quickly changed into her clothes and led the mage outside through the spacious corridors. When Iris pushed the larger wooden door leading to a side exit she was hit by the first wind of the northern winter.

 

"Wow." Kia spun around her heel as for the first time she saw the grand façade of the even grander manor which was akin to a small city district.

 

The two walked through the carefully kept garden of tall hedges and exquisite flowers. They silently passed two gardeners who paid them no mind as they trimmed a hedge with the utmost concentration on their craft, carving a small yet detailed statue. They walked onto the well-maintained street lined with large noble households of stone and grey brick which looked like small models compared to their vampire acquaintance's.

 

Iris turned left to see the large palace towering above them. She led Kia right towards the most inner set of walls passing many servants and elegantly dressed humans who casted suspicious glances towards the cloaked figures. They walked under the singular gate guarded by well-equipped soldiers and entered the middle district. Passing "The Bright Lighthouse" on their way which was bustling with human activity.

 

"I am telling you it's not of your business!" A woman shouted at a familiar-looking old man in front of Iris before slamming the door with a loud bang.

 

The bold man swung his arm in the air in resignation before turning towards Iris, tired grey eyes opened wide as he laid his gaze at the two adventurers.

 

"Oh, by the first white snow of Pruina I was wondering about you."

 

"Goodmorning, Guild Master."

 

"Ever so polite," Denson cordially bobbed his head to the two before looking around himself. "Do you have a moment?"

 

"Perhaps."

 

"It's actually about you I would imagine." The man answered.

 

"What does that mean?"

 

"I would rather find a more private place." The man answered, he motioned the two to follow him as he headed towards the lower district.

 

Iris looked at Kia beside her before following the man through the winding streets.

When they reached the neglected building of the Adventurers Guild Denson opened the door to the guild house and imminently went upstairs before shortly returning with a... fabric tightly wrapped around a spear-shaped object.

 

"I got this from headquarters," A strangely smiling man explained. "Now what if I tell you all-knowing and all-seeing headquarters had forgotten that their local branch was still operational and thanks to a lucky coincidence they remembered an existence of a tired old man."

 

"I do not think I understand."

 

"I logged you in the registry and just so happens someone had requested to send you a gift." Denson happily explain which explained nothing to the elf.

 

"I do not understand how that caused the headquarters to remember about an entire branch of their organisation?"

 

"Aspects only know why, I had sent them regular reports but they had written that they had not received any of the reports until now."

 

"Wait how could you send and receive messages from the south in such a short time?" The elf asked. "From here to the south is a minimum of five days on a good mount at that."

 

"Ahhh, heck. Well since you got me free from this frozen hell I guess I can tell you a little trade secret." Denson made a face of realising he said something he shouldn't. "The log books in each major guild house use some kind of artefact magic to write on the book's sibling copy located in the headquarters." He said handing the spear tightly wrapped in grey fabric. "Some poor soul is going to replace me in a few weeks."

 

"That's, that's great. I think?"

 

"I am jabbering too much again probably. Where have you two been anyways?"

 

"We were in the dungeon." Iris replied.

 

"Is this not the spirit I wish most people had. Constant and hard training creates a master, not just their level." Denson patted the elf on her shoulders. "Well, I have to wrap up business in this city before they come to pick me up." Denson led them to exit, closing the many locks on the door before waving goodbye once more and disappearing behind a corner of the zigzagging streets.

 

"What's that?" Kia weakly tugged on the hem of Iris's left cuff as the elf stared at the suddenly departing human.

 

"A spear."

 

"I knooow that but why did you get it?"

 

"I don't really know? I don't have anyone who would send me anything." Iris responded to the cloaked girl. She untied a knot which held the brown fabric wrapping the spear. A crudely shaped metal spear tip peeked from under the loosened cloth, it resembled a chipped shard of flint or black glass but a purplish rune prominently carved into the centre of the spearhead dashed away the possibility of such low-level materials being used here unless someone wanted to play an extremely expansive prank on her.

 

"Can I see it?" Kia asked at the same time as the elf tied the knot back on.

 

"When we get into the dungeon." Iris explained, glancing at her surroundings for any would-be thieves.

 

A fierce flame appeared in Kia's glowing eyes before a frown appeared on her immaculate face. "But you said you are going to show me the small thing."

 

"Yes, but that's why we are going to the dungeon." The hoplite slowly resumed her stride back to the middle district with a somewhat confused necromancer shortly following behind her.