Hayli arrived the next morning, smiling and swaying back and forth as she waited in the lobby. As soon as she caught sight of me, she ran over and threw her arms around me in a hug. I patted her back awkwardly not sure how to hug someone that wasn't a relative of mine.

“Good morning, Earth.” She greeted me with a grin stretched across her face.

“Um. Good morning.” I replied not used to affection from someone I barely knew. Not that I didn’t appreciate being hugged and it not feeling like they were trying to crush my ribs. Then again, I wasn't sure I would have known if she was since her arms weren't the strongest around.

“I want to go to Hana.” Hayli announced as we walked out the door. Hana was a small village near the capital that was famous for hosting adventurers and a few former retired heroes. Ulther and some friends had stayed there soon after they finished training. A picture of them was said to hang on a wall of a local pub with the warning, “High Collateral Damage, Hire at Own Risk.” It also was called the “Shopping District” by capital residents. I really hoped no one asked for my last name while there.

“Sounds good.” I replied.

“Ah, right. I suppose I should tell you. I like girls. Just in case you thought this was something else.”

“I didn’t.” I didn’t. 

“Good. As long as you are Earth, we are friends.”

I tried to ask what that means but then Hayli grabbed my hand and pulled me along the cobbled streets, narrowly avoid collisions with the other people trying to walk around the capital. A few of them swore as we nearly barreled over them. Eventually we reached a Carriage Station. We went inside and bought a two-way ticket to Hana.

A carriage pulled up front and we entered. A passenger was already inside. Or to be more exact a single demoness. Black horns like ram, skin a slight blue, hair the color of the sky at moonrise, eye that were pitch black holes that seared into one's soul. I froze upon seeing them. My hand gripped my sword. 

“Oh. Hello.” Hayli greeted them as we entered. “I’m Hayli and this is Earth.” She curtseyed.

“Nice ta meet’cha Hayli. I’m Olli. Well, sorry I can’t stay and chat, but I have business to attend to, Princess.” I couldn’t tell which part wasn’t sarcastic. It was such a familiar way of talking, one from the mouth of a busy demon was. The ram horned demoness got up. “I expect I’ll see you again soon, my dear Earth.”

My hand was still on my sword’s hilt as she left and closed the door behind her. Her. Why her. Seriously why was she here. I really hoped that wasn't a bad sign of things to come. I shook my head. No, she was… of that type of status by her birth- those who profit at all costs. Of course, she could be here, trade and what not. The timing was just… bad.

“Is everything alright?” Asked a concerned Hayli.

I relaxed as the tension slid out of my body, “Yeah. Sorry.” I sat down across from her.

“Did you know her?”

“Knew.” I left it at that. Not good to dwell on that one. Besides I wanted to enjoy a day with someone that wasn't Vern, Fredricka, or Ulther, Callie and the kids.

“Okay.” Hayli let out a deep sigh and smiled as the carriage began to roll forward.

The carriage bumped along as we as we sat across from one another waiting for the first one to break and start a conversation to destroy the silence.

“So, Hayli, where are you from?” I asked trying to start a conversation before an awkward silence could form.

“I live in the east in a small town called Hill Valley. It located on a peninsula near the coast so it’s great for a Water Dragon like me.”

“Water Dragon?” I cocked my head to the side.

“Yep, you’re looking at what the books call the most beautiful creature in the sea.”

“I think the books only describe the actual animal and not humons.”

“Are you saying that I’m not beautiful?” She winked at me.

“Yes. Cute, but not beautiful.” I lied. She was both. Not like that mattered though. 

“That’s half rude. Where are you from then?”

“Now? I live in Nathers. To the south of here. It’s boring. Currently, I mean. Vern and I used to make trouble for them before being banned from the woods.”

“Why would you be banned from the woods?”

“No, we banned ourselves in order to protect ourselves. We weren’t going to wander back over the line for a fifth time.”

“Oh.” She was truly stunned by the stupidity of the statement that we had managed to get into demon territory from Nathers' woodland, not once, not twice but five times.

“So, Water Dragon, how’s it being a Hero?”

“Great. I get things and all I have had to do officially was to show up at one gathering when I was younger with all the other heroes.”

“Oh. Yeah that.”

“Did we meet then?” She asked.

“Probably not, I was preoccupied with someone else for part of it and the other half was spent exclusively with my siblings and parents.”

“Oh. Well, too bad we didn’t meet then. It could have been fate then for us to meet again.”

“Fate is a myth. It would be an eventuality, seeing as we are parts of the same shared group.”

“I guess so.” 

“You’re not stuttering anymore.” I noted. “And you sound more relaxed.”

She blushed, “Um, I get nervous around new people. This is how I usually talk around my friends or Sairah. Also, I may have drunk a potion to calm my nerves. Well, two of them."

“Huh. It was cute seeing you so nervous though.” I looked outside as we passed through the gate of the capital. Long rolling hills fall into view. A few people on horseback wander around in them, along with a few deer. I hate deer. Their horns weren't a shape I enjoyed looking at.

“Earth, do you know any magic?”

“Not really, do you?” I said, not really lying. I could use magic items easily, but actual casting was beyond me. Some connection was twisted that cut me off from that realm. Probably from someone's magic messing up our mother's womb. I jest. But still... it is annoying, that curse of mine.

“If I get enough water, yes. Besides that... well I know a bit of hypnosis.”

“Hypnosis?” I asked in a mix between concern and curiosity.

“Yeah, just enough to make people do small things like eat a bug, pee themselves or kiss me.” She winks at me. “But Sairah would kill me if i used it for that. Or if I forced you to kiss me. Not like I'd do that, since Earth is a guy."

“Well, I hope that's true because I'm sure I'd also be killed by her. So yeah. I’ll pass on that. Might be fun to see what being hypnotized is like. Always sounded like a neat thing in books.  Not for that reason though,” I stretch my arms above my head. “Anyways why was she still worried about that. We’re basically still new friends. Besides as you said, I'm not one you'd do that to.”

“Aw.” Hayli fake pouted. "My blackmail scheme, ruined!"

“Ha. So, new friend, exactly what are you planning for us to do in Hana?”

“Um, hang out, look around… It was really just to get away from Sairah, honestly. I need to get away from her every now and then she tells me. Or I’ll grow codependent.”

“So, she’s planning to make you codependent to me instead?”

She laughed, “That would be fine by me, bestie.”

The carriage bumped along as we continued chatting idly, getting to know each other. I asked her about Sairah and her training and such. She asked me about Vern and my family and how being a Shield was. We talked until the carriage lurched to a stop and the bell from the driver ringed. The door opened and the driver helped us out. I gave him a coin I had received from Fredericka as a tip. He thanked me and wished us a good day before departing with new passengers back to the capital city.

I watched as he left then looked around at the village. It was the kind of place where you want to go and yet also wish to stay away from. The air smelt of violence and excitement and also manure form the nearby fields. People of all species mingled and laughed as they went about town. A large number had armor of some kind and a weapon at their sides.

Hayli started towards a building marked as “Hero Pub- All Ages Welcome!” I assumed that was where Ulther had his incriminating picture hung.

“The Pub?”

“Uh, huh. They have memorabilia from the last Hero from Hill Valley in it.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Like twenty of my lifetimes ago. Let's hurry and get this done with.” She approached the door and pulled it open. I should probably have asked what that meant but, I was thirsty.

We shuffled into the more friendly and all-ages area and sat at a table by the far wall. Above us was a mural of the Heroes of the First Great War. Five figures in heavy ornate armor standing on a field in front of an army of thousands. They looked so garish and obvious it was no wonder why all of them died in battle. Pretty hard to avoid being killed when you are basically wearing a target. After that war heroes’ armor became more… basic, with only subtle changes like carvings on the helmet or an armband or headband. Vern wanted his to be as reflective as possible, which meant I would eventually have to talk him out of that.

I ordered some root beer from the bar by yelling at them from behind the line that divided the areas. It was a weird way of doing it, but it worked faster than waiting for someone to emerge from the restricted area and asking them for it instead.

Hayli had gotten up to look for memorabilia from her hometown Hero. I meanwhile went and looked for Ulther’s photo. I eventually found it among a wall of pictures with a sign above that read “Collateral Damage Champions.” Ulther and company were beside a group of insect Humons and above a group of adventures wearing helmets and potato sacks.

I looked at them some more, noting a large number of them were smiling in front of their destruction, like they thought they had done good. Ulther and friends were one of the few that weren’t smiling, staring ahead with dead serious looks in their eyes that honestly made them look even more ridiculous than the ones that were smiling.

Hayli called me back to the table.

“So?”

“They only had her breastplate.” Hayli looked upset at that.

I pushed a frothy cold mug of root beer in front of her, “Well, was that all you wanted to do?”

“No. I want to go shopping. I need more clothes for the island.” She replied after taking a gulp of her drink.

I had forgotten about the island actually. I wondered if we had packed enough, since I knew Vern and I weren’t inclined to do laundry too often. I probably could pick up some other things as well. Like soap and more writing supplies.

We finished our drinks and left for the shopping district of the “Shopping District.”

The stores had large windows upfront with displays of their wares in them. Hayli pulled me into one with a ball gown on a mannequin in the front of it. I groaned in protest as she did so and still continued to follow her anyway. I hated dress stores, since they made me feel weird. Like I felt out of place and half the time I spent staring at dresses and thinking about what they felt like. I mean they looked so comfortable. Have you felt a dress? Way nicer than what I was usually wearing. Nicer feeling, I mean. Like the shirt I had one was rough, course, irritating. Hated it. Maybe I could wear one that was short as a shirt. Wasn't really that different from some of the styles I'd seen men in the capital. I mean it wasn't like I wanted to wear a dress like a dress should be worn. Like I've thought about that many times, so many times that- (I am going to cut my past-self off here before I die of temporal cringe.)

Hayli held up a long white dress up to her body and stared in a mirror. The chest was a bit tight looking, and the stitching looked subpar plus the color was a bit too bright. It looked good though, if not a little impractical for an island where it would be awful for the forests and sand and dirt and water and so on.

She grabbed it anyways.

She also grabbed a pair of black sundresses and a ballerina outfit. I bought some socks because the ones they had were a lot softer than the scratchy ones I had on. I wasn't actually sure they were for men, but it was socks. The clerk rang us up and gave us a large woven bag to carry the dresses around in. Hayli drug it behind her as we continued along.

A small shop rested in a corner made of grey cold stone. A sign on the door read “General Store” and below that “Magic Items Half Price”. I pulled Hayli into this one and went looking for hygiene supplies and some more graphite.

“How much is this potion?” I heard Hayli ask the shopkeeper upfront as I compared the amount of soap to the cost. I had only a finite amount of money on hand, so I had to be sure to get my money’s worth. I sniffed it. Lavender and honey. Good enough. Though that chocolate and mint one seemed interesting. The price was a bit much for me unfortunately.

“A coin and a half.” The shopkeeper replied to Hayli.

I heard the exchanging of coins for goods and grabbed my soap and walked over to the counter with my soap and graphite and did the same exchange.

“So, what potion did you buy?” I ask as we walk out the store.

“N-Nothing.” She sweated. “Just some, um… curative potion. To fix something.” She looked at me, something shining behind her eyes.

“Huh, okay then.” Was she sick or something? She didn’t look it, though that wasn’t a good way of telling if someone was or not. 

Was this a good day so far? I mean I was talking and hanging out with her like I did with my friends all two or possibly three of them if you count Fredericka and discount Vern and the rest of my family. I suppose it was, not that I’d know.

Speaking of my friends… I hope Fredericka isn’t going to stalk Vern too heavily today. Mostly because he had told me he was going to sleep in all day. She couldn’t be dumb enough to break into his room and watch him sleep… right?

I walked pockets full of soap and graphite, kicking up the dirt as Hayli commented that we should eat. To be more precise, my stomach let out a loud growl and I was basically forced into a nearby eatery.

“When was the last time you ate?” She asked chewing down on some toast.

“Uh, last night.” I reply, buttering my toast.

“You skipped breakfast. That's not good you know.”

“Well, technically this is my breakfast.” I stuff my mouth with the toast as Hayli shakes her head at me. Judging me.

“It’s half past one. Too late for breakfast, Earthy. We are eating lunch.”

I shrug. “Does it really matter what we call it? A meal is a meal. Also, I think we'll be busy getting to know each other. Seriously, if you want me to be your 'bestie' we should get to know each other more.

“Well ask away, bestie.”

I thought for a moment, mulling a question over in my head. “How do you feel about being a Hero?”

“Um… it’s an honor, I guess. I mean I don’t mind being given attention and all that, but it’s a little intimidating when I think about it. I don’t like fighting all that much, not that I’m bad at it or a-anything.” She replied.

“Then how do you feel about the task of the heroes?”

“How do you feel about it?”

“What version?” The oracles were often getting new visions of the Heroes which kept changing the exact details of prophecies. (I probably used ones that were ten versions behind.)

Hayli didn’t respond. I expected that, a hero voicing an opinion on the prophecy could be overheard and have their words misconstrued or something. Or maybe she didn't have an opinion about it at all.

I stared at my companion as she ate, noting her sharpened teeth. Her pupils were slightly ovular in the vertical direction and her eyes a light green. Her ears were pointed and scaled.  They moved much like a horses, turning front to back towards sounds around her. I wondered if they also could be used to tell emotion. Her scales were a beautiful cyan color glimmering in the light. Her hair was a whitish blonde, currently in the same crown-like style she had it when we had met. Two days ago. Not even that actually.

Hayli swung her legs under the tab, letting them kick me. It hurt, but it wasn’t that bad. I still scooted over enough so I’d be at the furthest point away from her, so I’d be less likely to be unconsciously kicked in the shins.

“Hey, s-stop s-staring at m-me.” She stuttered out. 

“I’m not staring at you; I’m studying you to describe later.” I bite into some more toast while shrugging. 

“It’s weird, and people are staring at us.”

No one was staring at all.

“Sure.” I look at my toast. It was toast.

“T-Thank you.” She smiled. “How’s- How’s the toast?”

“Like slightly burnt bread.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“S-So, um…” I try to think of something to engage Hayli in conversation.

“Yes?” She asks, expectantly.

“I’m done!” I announce, having no ideal on what topic to talk to her on. I place the coins on the table and pull Hayli outside.

A few people stare as I drug her through the streets, whispering things that were probably bad. I ignored them as I continued towards Hana’s Carriage Station in order to end the day to avoid awkward silences and me making a fool of myself. I paid for the carriage and pushed Hayli into it when it arrived.

Hayli sat across from me as we rode back to the capital, just as we had on our way from it.

"I'm sorry for that, I'm bad in awkward situations." I let out a long breath and rubbed the back of my head.

“No, it's fine. I-I didn't help did I. Um, Earth, t-thank you for today.” She softly says as the carriage bumps over the dirt road.

“You’re welcome?” I reply. I was sure I had ended the day poorly, but if Hayli was thanking me, I guess I should be somewhat happy. 

The carriage pulled eventually into the capital and stopped. I opened the door and stepped out, Hayli behind me. Three other passengers replaced us, and it wheeled away. I watched it as it goes into the darkness.

I turned to Hayli, “Um. See you soon. I guess.”

She smiled and hugged me. Then she turned and headed towards the castle, as I went back towards my hotel. I touched my face and slapped it a few times, trying to remove that stupid grin from my face before Vern saw it.