A slightly hungover Deidre leaned on the wall of the carriage. Her stomach still felt off, she had perhaps overdone it. Of course no one expected her to raid the brewery at three am in a still drunk rampage- but still. She looked at the stack of books that Leannan had bought instead of enjoying the Tyr's Day festivities. She recognized the names on the spines from books that Brio had in his office. Across from them Lara sat covered in her bandages and feeling worse than Deidre by far. Most of the winnings went to pay off the damages that Deidre had caused so the pain was mostly not worth it.

The local road was a smoother travel than the paths the kingdom had built long ago and never repaired. It also was much calmer, less other riders and carriages, no snaking through or around settlements. Just a path through fields and woods, as a path should be.

Of course the emptiness was probably overstated by it being the day after the festival and people unable to move from the partying and dining from the night prior. It probably would have plenty of local farmers and traders off to peddle their wares in bigger markets. The fields of farmland would have workers in them, sweat dripping off them as they worked, mere shadows in the distance- blurred and vaguely humanoid to the passengers in the carriage. 

A strong gust of wind shook the cabin, causing Lara to moan in discomfort. The winds had been gusting since they left, a fact that annoyed the driver much more than the passengers as he had to wipe dirt and leaves off his face quiet often. He was pretty sure he swallowed something as well. But at the very least the steeds seemed to be unbothered by it. They were disciplined horse, unlike the ones he was used to. Then again he hadn't been sent out to drive members of the upper crust in a while- being a mere carriage driver instructor in the meantime which left him often with younger and more wild horses. He did wonder what the passengers wanted out in the Briar Dukedom, but he didn't get paid to question the why of the locations, only the how to get there.

The last few miles of the trip went through a forest, which cut the wind mostly out of the equation for the passengers but only made things worse for the driver. He patted the gun shaped caster on his lap, loaded with three large capacity shots. This was native land, and despite being told they had a somewhat easy truce with the villagers in Aria he still didn't trust the savages to not attack visitors, especially in a carriage as he was driving. He could almost feel their eyes glaring at him in the woods, ready to attack the moment the saw even the slightest hint of weakness. But that moment would never come, he thought. No dirty savage was catching him unawares. 

Inside the cart, the light now dimmed thanks to the forest, Leannan had been forced to stop reading and pick up a conversation with the Bloody Knight to pass the time.

"Brioche ever mention anyone you might be able to recognize in Aria?"

"Brioche?"

"That's his full name, right?"

"Yeah, but he hasn't used that in quite a while. What dusty box of legal papers did you read that in?"

"Oh, no. A local from Aria told me to it after I left the bookstore. She had been in the Rune section and I had a chat with her."

"Well, makes sense they'd know his full name. And to answer your question. Yes and no. I mean I'll recognize people like the head of the theater as he's formerly of the capital. If Lyre is alive then I'd recognize him being the brother of Brio and all."

"Brio has a brother?"

"Had. Or maybe had. He says he killed him but... a certain someone has said to kill him on this mission."

"Kill a dead man?"

"Well the order was, if Lyre Protothea persists as he was, kill him."

"Protothea?"

Lara laughed, "Right, Brio's actual last name is Protothea. Lyre refused to take my dad's name, complaining that he'd rather keep his father's name than one from a uncle who didn't know they existed a year prior. Can't say I disagree with his reasoning."

"Yeah, Lyre was like that. Honestly I enjoyed him more than Brio. He was just as big as a nerd, probably knew as much about runes as Brioche, just he was able to read and also have human intereaction."

"Was he also a rune user?"

"I mean he could blow up runes because of his abnormality."

"So he made magic explode? A bit extreme for an abnormality?"

Lara smiled, "Yeah he had trouble opening locked doors without bursting them in."

"The best was when he managed to destroy a factory when we went on a field trip because the sub didn't know of it and wanted everyone to try and active a Eritrude Caster Cannon. Brio saved us with redirection runes."

"Sounds way better than Brio."

"Leagues better trust me. Oh, that girl you mentioned. Are you looking forward to seeing her?"

"What!"

"Oh please, a girl in the rune section and you don't want to be friends with her. I bet you could even take her back to the capital as a servant, have a personal friend that actually can help you learn."

"I'm not into slavery. Besides, I don't need to be friends with someone because they like what I like."

"Oh, so you would have had a conversation with her if she had been in the cookbook section?"

"Well, no."

"Come on, Leannan, your desire for friends and the like read as loudly on your face as Lara's s snoring."

Lara was snoring quiet loudly having passed out from her exhaustion with little warning, a fact that had caused their conversation to pick up the volume enough the driver had begun hearing the muffled notes of it.

"Fine, I want more than just your overbearing ass as a friend."

"There we go. It's nice to admit things, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Bloody Knight."

Deidre scowled and turned away, "Ah, what's the cutie's name?"

Leannan blinked, and thought for a second, back to the night before. "Lyrica, I think."

"Good girl. Now I can steal her from you." Deidre winked at Leannan who simply rolled her eyes at the giantess.

--------------------------------------------------

Brioche Aria Protothea Galahad, High Defender, was engaged in a battle of attrition with his pet lizard, a flying mini-dragon he had been gifted a few years back and named "Drago" because he couldn't figure a clever name and Dragon felt too basic even for him. 

"Drago, bring your food back already and get in the cage. I can't have you loose and wandering."

The lizard hissed, and went back to biting on the large meat cube he had received from Brio. 

"Why am I trying to reason with a lizard?" Brio pondered aloud. He began casting a rune to try and get the meat to become slippery, but was stopped as his aunt entered the room, whistled once and closed the cage door on the now entrapped Drago.

"Aunt, what do I owe this pleasure?" Brio asked.

"I can't see my favorite nephew?"

"I thought that title went to my brother."

"Well, it goes to you. Not much competition for it really. After all you made sure of it."

"You know well I didn't make sure of anything. I heard the orders they gave Deidre.
 "They said if, Brio. If. Anywho, I was wondering if you could return the book on 'The Era of Settlers' you borrowed. I need it for my class."

"Second shelf, row with the clock." Brio replied.

"My thanks." Professor Galahad said grabbing the book. "Ah, and try to get out more dear, your paler than my sheets."

Brio grumbled in reply as she left. Get out more? What was the point? All he need was his books, magic and time. And whatever the Tune Somnia held. Then he could enjoy himself like that.

He looked over at his pet, wondering how it felt to be trapped after freedom, and wondering softly if he too was trapped.

--------------------------------------

"Get out, we've arrived." The voice of the driver called out as the carriage slowed down to a stop. The passengers waited as the driver came around and opened the door and jumped out. They took a few seconds to adjust to the direct sunlight and then as the driver went to the stable began to look around.

Aria was a city in size, but not in population. The numbers of people who live in it were low, it mostly served as places for business with in the city while the Aria-Codas (Small bunches of houses surrounding the eastern and northern sides) served as the residential district. The buildings all were either made entirely of stone or mostly of it, and the highest building only reached two stories high. It was close to how the middle part of the capital looked, just without the overwhelming castles and such that rested upon the hill. The only thing on the hill here was the famous "Garnett's Auditorium" a famous theater for plays and music. It was the only building that looked more wood than stone and it stuck out like a flame in the dark. It was the main source of income for the town during the summer when people wanted to be out of the hot sun. At the spring as it were it was still profitable though never as full as it could be.

"We should visit Garnett's before we're done." Deidre said.

"You like plays?"

"Yes. I can't like plays?"

"You barely like anything fun."

Lara interrupted, "What are we supposed to be doing?"

"Lara you should probably go in an rest up. You look like shit girl. We'll pick you up after we gather some information, okay?"

Lara saluted and walked slowly to the inn. She clearly still had yet to get her legs under her. The other two felt a bit sorry to drag her here just to stay inside, but it would be easier to move if the beaten up girl wasn't deadweight. Besides they'd get the band back together when she got rested a bit and wasn't a body of aches.

"Anyways, let's start asking for a guide to take us to the local tribes." Deidre said once her childhood friend was out of earshot.

"Where do you suppose we'd find the service of one of those?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. That's not really a job I think that would be advertised."

"Well, we could go and ask somewhere if anyone knows any guides."

"Ah, a pub, good thinking."

"I didn't say a pub- oh, she's fast." Leannan stated as the Bloody Knight picked up the pace. The younger girl struggled to keep up, apologizing to any pedestrian she tried running over in her attempt to reach the booze hound. 

Eventually Deidre disappeared into the salon style doors of a pub, and after fishing out her identification book for the bouncer out front, Leannan followed. 

The pub was large with many tables and two bars, one for the fancy drinks like the Galahads enjoyed and another for hard liquor. Deidre was seated at the latter, half done with a golden brown mug of something.

"How the hell are you half a glass in?" Exclaimed Leannan. "Besides you shouldn't be boozing, we have to find information."

"Ah lighten up, it's just one beer."

"I know you, Bloody Knight. It won't be just one if I let you alone." She pushed coins toward the bartender to pay for the beer and told him to cut her off. He nodded and went off to get drinks for patrons who weren't dry.

"Ah, come on. Hey! Hey! Over here!" She yelled at the second barkeep, a young tanned woman with a bowlcut. 

"What can I do for ya?"

"Beer." Deidre demanded.

"Don't. She doesn't need it. Ah, you local?"

"Well, I live near."

"Do you know anyone that would be willing to take me and my drunkard companion here onto the tribal land?"

"Uh... odd request. Now, let's see. Ah, I think Lyrica's your gal. She's basically our ambassador to the three tribes at this point. She'll either be at the Fight Ring or the Animal Shelter today. She has to help finish up a musical tomorrow morning so even if you do find her it might be two days before you can go."

"That's a lot of info. You friends with her?"

"Well, she is pretty much famous around here. Most people know her and she has a set schedule at this point."

Leannan thanked the barkeep and dragged the saddened alcoholic staring at bottom of her empty mug outside.

"Well, I suppose you'd prefer we check the fight ring first?" Leannan asked.

"Well yeah, it's a Kaga certified one. Need to make sure nothing bad is going on and the doctors are up to snuff."

"Probably has your poster in it."

"That's why I dyed my hair."

"To the same color but a different shade?"

"You'd be surprised how the smallest change can work as a disguise. One of my juniors in my corps- oh, right. Is this Lyrica the same as the cutie you saw yesterday?"

"How am I supposed to know? I mean it's a weird coincidence but Lyrica seems like a more common name than Deidre or Leannan around here."

"Deidre is very common."

"Yeah around the capital area, since you and your mother are known by first name there. Out here, no."

"Famous, huh? I wonder what your Rune Nerd meet cute is famous for?"

"Uh, theater. She's helping with a musical."

"That could be an odd-job."

"I doubt that." Leannan turned and asked for directions to the Kaga Training Endorsed Legal Fight Ring. After receiving them she asked, "You hoping to see your Lyre here? A bit of flirting before the killing"

"Why would I flirt with my target? Besides I don't like men."

"To get him vulnerable. I mean if he's related to Lara... Eh it's not like we'd see him in a fighting arena if he's related to 

Brio."

"Of course we will, he and Brio might not have been that similar but they both loved fighting."

"Brio loves fighting?"

"Well, he enjoys using it to practice his rune drawing speed."

"Runes in a close quarters fight seems hard."

"Oh, it is. He got knocked out a lot. Eventually he had to learn to not use those complex ones he's so fond of in the fights."

"Maybe I should have a go at a round when we get there."

"Just don't end up like Lyre should be."

"I'll use runes to boost myself beforehand so I can walk afterwards."

"As future proprietor of the Kaga Training Endorsed Legal Fight Ring enterprise, I cannot say that is fully legal."

"Then I'll secretly cast runes."

"Let's go with the first idea. I've seen you draw runes, no way are they small enough that people won't see them."

"I'll just use my pinky."

"That still doesn't fix the issue of the stream of magic that will be coming out of your leg bottle."

"It's called a Rune Inker."

"Maybe we should just find this Lyrica girl and not get in any fights."

"You think you're up to that, Bloody Knight."

"I am going to kill you, I swear to heaven."

"What would your Lyre think?"

"I swear to twins-damned heaven I will strangle you."

------------------------------------

"Oh, Lord Brio, you are out? What a blue moon!"

Brio stared at the man who spoke, an ambassador from Saitya. His hair was dark and his body was either covered in white tattoos or black ones depending on what patch of skin they resided on. Even among other Saityan tribespeople, Adal Maji had many more of both vitilgo patches and tattoos.

"Oh, it's the false ambassador. What do you want?"

"False ambassador?"

"Yeah, false. I mean Saitya is liable to break in two any day now."

"Hmmm, well yes the situation is around that level, but I'd still be an ambassador, Lord Brio."

"Of course that assumes that Ruskalyka won't take advantage and invade."

"At that point we'd just call on help from you."

"At that point the entire continent might as well go to war. Perhaps one of the broken pieces might be protected by us- and that would probably not invite that war."

"Anyways, speaking of Ruskalyka- you sent over some people to your old home Dukedom, correct?"

"That is correct, but what does- ah, you must have reports of spies."

"Correct. And I will not be incorrect in assuming you sent the other Rune user?"

"Correct. She is much less subtle than me. If they found out..."

"Yes, they'd capture her and use her for their own deeds, and at that point they have the most of your type and would be hard to stop in their desires of expansion."

"Well, unless we find a baby that can use it, yes."

"Just informing you. Not much you can do since they're likely already wherever they went."

"I'll just have to pray that my adopted sister cousin doesn't do anything too drastic- or that your suspected spies aren't in the city they are."

"Well, then, a good afternoon to you."

"And to you."