Eden, Beastkin Nation of Otha, Capital City Highpond

“I’m listening,” the large bearkin says, leaning on his chair as he frowns slightly.

“I’ll be direct,” Avril starts, “We need a guide, but we have no money, and you look like you have a problem in need of dumping.”

Teagan raises both his eyebrows. “…You mean Aurora?”

“The girl waiting outside, yes.”

Teagan falls silent, averting his gaze, seemingly in thought, as Sara throws Avril an “I really hope you know what you’re doing” look, which she, as per usual, simply ignores.

“…I don’t mind asking one of the boys to escort you,” Teagan says in the end, “But why would you want Aurora?”

Avril shrugs. “She’s about the same age as us, isn’t she? Maybe we’ll find some sort of common ground.”

“I see. Not a terrible idea, but I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse.”

Avril sighs. “Don’t be stupid. What are you going to do, throw her in the dungeon? Let me take a guess: After she became involved with the wrong crowd, she doesn’t listen to a single word you say anymore. It started with small things, like trespassing and insulting the guards, but now she’s stolen for the first time, that you know of, and you're far too old and bitter to not realize where this is going… Am I near the money?”

Though Avril half expects the giant man to throw them out of his office, after a second of expectant silence, he merely snorts.

“You’re about half right… She started stealing a long time ago.”

“What’s her deal?”

Teagan seems to hesitate before speaking.

“…Her mother died during childbirth, and out of her siblings, she was the only one to survive childhood. Her father used to be my superior, our previous Captain… But he volunteered to go to the war.”

Avril blinks. “Volunteered? He left her?”

Teagan shrugs. “After his wife’s passing, he was never much around, if you ask me… I don’t blame the man for his grief, but Aurora was the one to suffer the brunt of it. She grew up used to taking care of herself, and I doubt things changed much when her father left.”

“Is he still alive?”

“We don’t know. His last letter was more than a year ago.”

Avril rolls her eyes. “Aurora doesn’t know. What about you?”

“…He’s still alive, yes.”

The girl must be low-level if he’s not worried about her overhearing their convo. Either that, or there’s something special about this room, or both.

“Let’s be frank, old man. You don’t know how to handle her, and she’s a constant pain in the ass on top of that.”

“Avril, was it? You’re rather bold for somebody your size, lad. What makes you think you can help Aurora?”

Avril raises an eyebrow. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“Sure. I was about to have her join the boys outside.”

Teagan nods toward the window at his back, and the guards currently in the process of sweating their asses off under the screams of an old wolfkin.

Avril smiles. “As much as I’d love to see it, I somehow doubt having her constantly reminded of her father will have the desired effect.”

Teagan pauses. “…You think that’s the problem? That she doesn’t listen to me because I remind her of her father?”

Avril shrugs. “Maybe. I think it certainly doesn’t help… And I know that if I was in her shoes, I’d want nothing to do with this place, this city, or anything else her father represents.”

Teagan falls silent, lowering his gaze toward his table as he frowns.

“Look, I’m not saying I’m going to change her life for sure… Just that I think we could maybe help each other.”

A moment later, Teagan sighs. “Very well, I’ll speak to her… But you might not want to be here for that.”

Avril nods. “We’ll wait outside.”

Under Sara’s widened gaze, Avril turns and heads for the exit.

Sure enough, Aurora is still outside, bored looking as she leans against the wall and inspects the portrait of a middle-aged catkin man… It doesn’t take a genius to realize who the portrait portraits.

“Hey, loser,” Avril calls, bringing the girl’s gaze to snap in her direction as she frowns, “Big guy wants to see you.”

Avril doesn’t wait for an answer before heading down the stairs.

“Let’s wait outside,” she tells Sara, again, without waiting for an answer as she moves past the lobby and into the yard, only stopping once they reach the building’s open gates, having neared the market’s commotion once more.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Sara says, glancing toward Teagan’s window as Avril leans against the wall a couple of meters away from the entrance, ignoring the stink eye of a nearby catkin gatekeeper. “You think he’ll be able to convince her?”

“Of course.”

Sara smiles. “You know, I didn’t take you for the type-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” Avril interrupts her, meeting Sara’s gaze with a frown. “Sara, are you sure you’ve played an RPG before?”

Sara scratches her head. “Yes? I mean, I guess I’ve had my mind elsewhere today… Did I miss something?”

“Did you…?” Avril shakes her head incredulously, pushing herself from the wall as she approaches Sara and presses a finger against her chest, glaring into her eyes and whispering through her teeth, “Then wake the fuck up, numbskull! This. Is. A. Fucking. Competition! Remember?!”

“S-sorry.”

“I don’t care for stupid apologies!” Avril snaps, raising her voice unintentionally, “How many times do I have to tell you?!”

Sara steps back, hands raised and eyes widening, as Avril clenches her teeth and averts her gaze, attempting in vain to stop a wave of heat from spreading throughout her cheeks.

…You know, you always take everything so seriously.

Always acting like you’ve got something to prove.

Don’t you think it’s kinda pathetic?

After a moment of silence, and gazes thrown in their direction, Avril releases a sigh. “…You’re not stupid, Sara. But if we’re gonna be partners, I need your head more than anything else, understood?”

“…Okay.”

Avril glances at her, meeting soft blue eyes and a smile as she narrows her eyes. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“I mean… Understood, cap!” Sara says while mimicking a salute, “Better?”

Avril clenches her teeth. “I swear, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Sara laughs, placing her hands together as she winks at Avril. “No, no, look, I get it; You hate it when people don’t take things seriously. It doesn’t matter if it’s a game or not. Give me one more chance?”

“As if I had a fucking choice,” Avril murmurs in disgust, averting her eyes once more.

Sara fakes coughing against her closed fist. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here it goes, ready?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“I think we’re seeing this place from different perspectives. And I think you’re seeing it just as a game, which, I mean, it’s what it’s supposed to be, so I don’t blame you. And from your perspective, what happened up there was… Companion introduction? And a chance for a quest? Am I nearing the money?”

Avril rolls her eyes. “She’s capable of deductive thinking, after all. Hurray.”

Sara smiles. “You know, I think it’s kinda impressive that you’d see it that way.”

Avril sighs. “Why shouldn’t I? It was the most obvious setup in the universe if you know what to look for. More importantly, it’ll be useful to have the Guard’s Capitain on our side, if we’re able to pull it off and gain his trust. And obviously, Aurora herself might be a useful asset, depending on her level, connections, etc… Anyone with RPG experience should notice the same thing I did.”

“Maybe. But I think very few of them would actually try to convince Teagan the way you did, let alone succeed at it… Most games give us a pop-up screen when a quest shows up, ya know?”

“Open your character screen.”

Sara blinks, then swipes her hand through the air, quickly scanning her eyes over her character screen... Or, at least, Avril assumes she is, considering it is invisible to her.

“…Quest: Help the lost kitten find her way?” Sara murmurs, “The fuck? When did it…?”

“When Teagan told us he’d talk to her.”

Sara raises her gaze. “You-”

“Had it open this whole time? Yes. You can increase the transparency by focusing on it. Also, drag it to the corner of your vision, and lower the size.”

Incredulous looking, Sara shakes her head. “Shit. I guess I haven’t really accepted this place as a game yet… But you’re right in that we’re still in a competition. I’m sorry.”

“Forget it. More importantly, Aurora is about to get here. What do you think happens then?”

“We’ll need to find a way to convince her to actually help us?”

“Precisely. I doubt Teagan will manage that for us.”

Sara tilts her head as she glances toward the yard’s nearby entrance. “Plan?”

“Sure; We’ll have you get on your knees and offer yourself to become her servant for life. This much should do the trick, I wager.”

Sara freezes for about a second, then sighs. “You’re really something, you know that?”

Avril smiles. “Here she comes.”

Aurora’s unmistakable frame appears through the gate as Avril finishes speaking, long gray hair (or should it be fur, in this case?) swinging lightly in the wind as she sweeps deceivingly bored green eyes through the market’s surroundings, eyes which narrow ever so slightly once she spots the two of them.

Despite being obviously tall, Aurora seems determined to hide the fact, and as she approaches them, her walk is almost exactly what Avril would’ve expected from a cat in human form who makes a living from stealing, being skittish and light, eyes never resting on the same spot for more than a second.

“…I was told I’m supposed to escort you,” Aurora starts as she stops in front of them, hands deep in her pockets and eyes showcasing nothing but disinterest. “Where to?”

Sara glances toward Avril, who rolls her eyes.

“Escort, sure. But what we need is speed. We’re not here to sightsee, exactly.”

Aurora raises an eyebrow.

“Is that a problem?”

Aurora shrugs. “For me? Of course not. But if you’re looking for some sort of secret route to get around, the ones we had were recently confiscated by our beloved king in order to aid the war effort, praised be His name.”

“…Wait, would you really have taken us?” Sara interjects.

Aurora throws her a sidelong glance, though her expression remains unchanged. “For the right price, I’d take you anywhere.”

Sara blinks, then extends her the parchment containing their quest. “Can you take us here?”

Aurora accepts the paper as she skims her eyes through it for a moment, then shakes her head.

“…Out of town. It’d take us hours to walk there.”

“Then we run,” Avril says.

Aurora averts her gaze, her expression picture-perfect indifference. “You can’t. Your stamina won’t last, and even if it did, you won’t be able to keep up.”

Avril smiles, though it is Sara who steps forward, with a smile of her own, and speaks, “How about you give us a chance? If we’re able to complete the quest before sundown, you can have the reward for yourself.”

Aurora blinks. “…All of it?”

Sara nods. “All of it… Just this once.”

Aurora hesitates, but only for a moment, before pocketing the parchment as swiftly as she steps forward and walks by them, throwing a glance over her shoulder, “If I have to stop for you, then I’ll just keep going… And I’ll consider this payment for my time.”

Aurora doesn’t give them time to ponder over her words, almost immediately settling for a light jog, then a full-blown sprint, toward the nearest stall.

“Hey!”

The stall owner’s scream does nothing to stop Aurora from using his stand as a stepping stone as she climbs through it in order to reach the rooftop beyond.

…Game start, huh?

Avril doesn’t think as much as she finds herself moving by instinct, absently noticing Sara’s laughter as the stall approaches rapidly, and her eyes meet its owner, whose wide eyes are consumed by rage.

She can do it… It’s just a game…

Avril kicks the stall’s side as she jumps, managing to barely reach the handhold she was aiming for amidst the beastkin’s outraged screams.

While pulling herself up, Avril spots Aurora immediately, though the catkin is already midjump toward the next rooftop, true to her promise of not stopping for them.

So that’s how it’s gonna be, cat girl. Fine then.

Avril takes a deep breath as she rises atop the precarious rooftop, taking a glance toward Sara, who only just dodged being grabbed by the angry beastkin stall owner in order to climb.

E-easy now.

As she looks down, Avril realizes the ground seems much further than she expected. As she looks up, the sky extends above, infinitely azure, and occasionally cut by a flying birdkin. As she stares forward, Highpond’s rooftops spread out before her like a deadly obstacle course and the wet dream of a parkour enjoyer.

Avril feels as though the world sways slightly with every gust of wind, yet she doesn’t allow herself to freeze in place, not when Aurora is already two rooftops ahead.

Still, the first step is the hardest, and she ends up stopping for a moment in order to regain her balance before taking a second one, then a third…

“What are you waiting for?!” Sara screams as she runs past, laughing all the while.

Clenching her teeth, Avril bolts after her, only to have her feet immediately slide as she nearly falls, slams her hands against the rooftop, and continues running toward the rooftop’s rapidly approaching edge in spite of her thundering heartbeat.

Giving herself no time to hesitate, Avril jumps, feeling her stomach fall as the ground disappears below her feet for a blood-freezing moment… Then lands on the other side, out of balance and nearly falling on her face.

A glance upwards reveals Aurora now three rooftops ahead, and Sara one.

Avril takes a deep breath, then releases her breathing.

If she were to fall…

Avril shakes her head.

No, don’t think about that. Think about where to put your foot… And focus on moving forward no matter what!

Avril bolts forward once more, and, this time, having managed to maintain her balance mostly intact, does not hesitate to approach the rooftop’s edge as she forces herself to focus on how she’ll land on the other side once she…

Jump!

Avril feels the wind, the absence of gravity, and then a strong impact against her feet as she lands; Only, this time, she doesn’t stop running, quickly sweeping her gaze in search of obstacles, safe places to step on, and a suitable path forward.

Soon, she jumps again.

And again.

And again, never stopping or slowing.

And the world passes by, faster and faster, as Avril finds herself containing her laughter, rooftop after rooftop, jump after jump.

This is…!

Avril’s attention is focused almost exclusively on how to maintain her balance, even as her breath grows ragged and Aurora’s words flash through her mind.

She can do it! She will…

Suddenly, Avril glances up as she realizes Sara has stopped, and so has Aurora… Though they’ve each stopped at different rooftops.

That’s… A street!? Motherfucker!

Avril jumps, lands, and realizes she has no time to stop once an expression of panic flashes through Sara’s face…

Though it is the vision of Aurora shaking her head as she turns away which flares Avril’s blood to life, widening her gaze as she pushes against the rooftop’s surface, falling forward by instinct and finding herself running forward on all four limbs… Then jumping.

…More than landing, Avril crashes against the opposite rooftop, rolling to a stop as Aurora’s gaze widens in her direction.

 

Sturdiness: 24 (30) | Stamina: 28/100

 

A glance toward the corner of her vision reveals to Avril her depleted health and stamina, though it doesn’t stop her from rising, then continuing after Aurora, who is once more a whole rooftop ahead, having clearly taken advantage of Avril’s rough landing to regrow the distance in between them.

Still, it’s obvious to Avril that Aurora isn’t running nearly as fast as she could, even going as far as to give the occasional glance over her shoulder as Avril continues to give chase, ever so close, yet never quite catching up.

How big… How big can a stupid city…!

Having lost count of how many rooftops they’ve gone through, Avril finds her breathing growing worse by the second, and although the usual pains she would’ve expected from a real body are nowhere to be found, her vision soon glows blurry, and her limbs weak…

 

Stamina: 03/100

 

Avril attempts to stop but realizes she can’t, feeling a faint injection of panic as the rooftop’s edge approaches, and yet her legs refuse to follow her commands.

S-shit!

Avril feels her stomach growing cold as the rooftop disappears from below her feet, her jump falling embarrassingly short as her body crashes against the wall and she finds herself falling.

 

Sturdiness: 08 (30) | Stamina: 01/100

 

Her thoughts a scattered mess, Avril groans.

Glancing up, she sees the walls of an alley, and the sky beyond them, impossibly distant.

Her body feels lethargic, and she is fairly certain her leg is bent at an impossible angle, despite the strange absence of pain surrounding the whole experience.

So this… This is Eden…

Avril laughs softly, managing a half turn as she prompts her arm against the ground in order to sit, or, at least, half-sit.

She can’t wait to see what fighting monsters will feel like… Damn, she’s getting excited about this…

Avril raises her gaze in time to witness Aurora’s soundless landing as the catkin rises, then walks toward her slowly.

“You came back for me? I’m touched…” Avril murmurs, staring up at the catkin and meeting Aurora’s empty green eyes as she stops in front of her.

“…I underestimated you.”

Avril laughs weekly as she points a trembling finger in the catkin’s direction. “You never meant to give us a real chance. Why?”

Aurora bends over, approaching her face from Avril’s and grabbing her extended hand as a dagger all but materializes itself against Avril’s throat, who freezes.

Despite the catkin’s casual movements, its eyes stare into Avril’s without a hint of emotion. “Nobody calls me a loser.”

“…You’re not a thief.”

Aurora narrows her eyes. “I’m many things. And your judgment means nothing to me.”

“And still, you hesitate.”

Aurora abruptly steps back, her dagger disappearing among the folding of her clothes as though it never existed to begin with.

As she stares down toward Avril, the catkin tilts its head. “I’m told your kind is immortal, and unable to feel pain. I doubted it at first… But it seems the rumors weren’t mere exaggerations.”

Was that a test?

“…What now, cat girl?”

“I don’t know,” Aurora admits with a shrug, “You have nothing of value, and I can’t kill you. Furthermore, your partner is bound to arrive sooner or later.”

Avril shakes her head. “Truly, no ambition to speak of. If you care so little, why even bother coming back? You could’ve left, continued your meaningless existence for another year or two until that knife in the back you deserve finally found its way home… Go on, shoo. I have things to do.”

Aurora’s tail swings from side to side, and her ears tilt back and forth once. Otherwise, the catkin showcases no reaction.

Avril smiles. “…Right on the money, huh?”

“…You know nothing about me.”

Avril points a finger at her again. “That’s right. But, more importantly, you don’t know me… You can tell, can’t you? That I’m different from the rest of them. You want to run away like you always have, but you can’t bring yourself to.”

Aurora narrows her eyes as her tail continues to swing restlessly.

Avril shrugs. “You know, you could say I have a nose for talent. And you’re the type of underling I’d be willing to invest into if this was a game.”

Suddenly, Aurora glances toward the distant rooftop’s edge above them as she freezes in place, only to relax slightly a moment later, then crunch her nose as she stares toward Avril once more.

“I’m no one’s underling.”

“Right. And you’re not a loser either.”

Aurora hisses, showcasing her first real expression as she bares her teeth and widens her gaze toward Avril. “I don’t need my dagger to end you, rat.”

Avril glances toward the catkin’s puffed-up tail and smiles.

“Noted.”

Aurora stomps her foot as she points her finger toward Avril. “This is so infuriatingly frustrating! I can’t kill you! I can’t threaten you…! Have our useless Gods ever helped me?! NO! But here they are, making my life more of a living hell than it already is!”

Avril blinks. “Girl, where’s your cool personality gone to?”

“Shut up! Do you know what I’d give to become immortal?! To no longer feel fear?! To not have to worry about where to sleep at night?!”

One of those things is very different from the others…

Avril falls back against her elbows as she laughs softly. “C’mon, don’t look at me like that, kitty-cat. Like this, you remind me of someone… Two someone’s, in fact. And, did your father not leave you a place to live?”

“I’d rather sleep on the street,” Aurora says through clenched teeth, “Besides, I ran from home long before he went away.”

“Still, it sounds to me like you’re looking for a different type of life than the one you have right now.”

Aurora crosses her arms as she averts her gaze. “And you think you can help me?”

“Well, I can’t give you safety, or a place to sleep, at least not yet, but I can give you purpose… And I bet I make for much better company than whatever bunch of misfits you’re about to betray next.”

Aurora huffs. “You’re marginally better.”

“Coming from you, I have a feeling it might as well be a declaration of love.”

Aurora gives Avril a sidelong glance.

“Hey, numbskull, I’m saying I am the answer to your prayers… But if you’re too afraid to see what’s in front of you, I won’t stop you from walking away.”

Aurora remains silent for a long moment, before releasing a sigh. “…Looking at your leg is making me sick.”

Avril shrugs. “That makes for two of us. If you’re gonna leave, do me a favor and take me out of my misery before going, yeah? I’d rather not have to ask Sara to do it.”

Or, she could just log out… Shit, for a moment she forgot this is all a game and Aurora… Fuck, something must be wrong with her head.

Avril shakes her head, and, by raising her gaze, finds Aurora standing above her, an open hand extended in her direction.

“…I heard your kind can heal completely by visiting a temple. Is that true?”

Avril blinks. “True enough, I suppose.”

“Well, there’s a temple two streets over.”

Having regained her previous coolness, Aurora meets Avril’s gaze as she maintains her hand extended.

Avril smiles.

…

“Excuse me! Excuse me! Sorry!”

Sara curses under her breath as she weaves through beastkin pedestrians and glances toward the corner of her vision, and her rapidly depleting stamina.

Shit! SHIT! She’s SO fucking dead!

Why couldn’t she just JUMP?!

‘I see you, Miss Palmer. Turn right now.’

Sara does so, cutting in front of some sort of pack animal as it huffs in her direction, then cringing under the assault of its rider’s curses.

“Sorry!”

Though she’d very much have liked to examine the strange creature under different circumstances, Sara doesn’t dare to glance over her shoulder more than once.

‘You must hurry, Miss Palmer. They’ve begun fighting.’

‘Fighting?! Fuck! Just tell me where to go!’

‘The alley.’

‘I see it!’

Sara clenches her teeth as she changes direction once more, jumping over several bags filled with grains, tripping one of them over, and nearly falling in the process.

“Hey!”

Sara curses again as she slides to a stop near the alley’s entrance, straightening herself right in time to spot a huge, rather angry-looking wolfkin woman walking in her direction.

Sara raises her palms in the wolfkin’s direction. “H-hey there, sorry about-”

“Sorry?! You’re paying for that!”

Before Sara can respond, or react, the wolfkin has a firm grip over her arm, pulling her toward the mess of grains scattered across the ground.

“What?! Pay!? They’re seeds! You just gotta pick them up!”

“They’re food, you moron! How am I supposed to sell them now!?”

“Just wash them!”

The woman’s grip might as well have been made of steel, for all the good Sara’s struggle accomplishes. Still, Sara plants her feet and clenches her teeth, using her free arm to grab the wall.

As they stop, the wolfkin snaps her gaze toward her, and Sara meets her glare without backing off.

“I don’t have any money yet! Leave me alone!”

“Then you’re working until you’ve paid it off!”

“The hell I am! How long would that even take?!”

Should she log out?

Sara glances toward the handful of bystanders who stopped to watch the commotion.

Avril would never forgive her… But then again, that particular bridge has already been crossed a couple of times by now, hasn’t it?

Sara is about to give the command, hoping it’ll work as described in the information she bought from Blake, when the wolfkin freezes midsentence, raising her gaze beyond Sara and toward the alley’s entrance.

“…Aurora?”

Sara looks over, and, sure enough, the catkin stands near the alley’s entrance as she gazes in their direction. What attracts Sara’s eyes, however, is what Aurora carries on her back… Namely, the mortified-looking ratkin who seems rather unhappy to have been given a lift.

“…Avril?”

The ratkin facepalms, hiding her blushing cheeks as she averts her gaze in the opposite direction.

Ignoring her grumpy baggage, Aurora shakes her head, freeing one of her hands as she uses it to pull something from under her robes (which Sara quickly recognizes as a silver coin) and toss it toward the wolfkin, who steps back in order to grab it, releasing Sara in the process.

“They’re grains, Relomia,” Aurora says, as evenly as usual, “Just wash them.”

The wolfkin woman hesitates for a moment, before pocketing the coin as she gives Sara a dirty look. “You know this one?”

“…Something like that.”

Sara rubs her arm (in a reflex, rather than because it hurts), as she returns the woman’s dirty gaze.

A glance at her character screen reveals that she did, indeed, lose a point of health during their scuffle.

…Damn monster.

“Well, tell her to be more careful in the future.”

“…I will.”

Sara exchanges one last glance with Relomia before the wolfkin woman walks away… It isn’t exactly a friendly exchange.

“…From now on, we don’t know each other,” Avril murmurs against Aurora’s neck, “Don’t talk to me, and don’t look at me either. This includes our world as well.”

Sara forces herself to smile as she walks toward them, despite the prickling sensation caused by Aurora’s green eyes as they leave a trail on her skin.

“Thanks for the help, Aurora. You know, I think I really misjudged you.”

“You owe me two silver.”

“…But you only gave her one?”

“Like I said, two silver.”

Avril chuckles, and Aurora doesn’t wait for Sara’s answer before turning and walking away.

Frowning, Sara throws an annoyed glance upwards, meeting the eyes of a small squirrel as it leans in from the nearest rooftop’s edge.

‘I thought you said they were fighting not two seconds ago!’

‘My apologies, Miss Palmer. It appears Miss Hayes was rather intent on walking on her own, despite her broken leg… Thus being the reason for their fight, it seems.’

‘Well, next time, don’t jump to stupid conclusions so fast! I almost died over here!’

‘…My apologies.’

Sara shakes her head as she jogs after Aurora and Avril.

“What now?” Sara asks, only to find herself ignored by the others as Avril leans against Aurora’s back and scowls.

“…Hey, underling, would there have been any other ways to heal my leg?”

Sara raises an eyebrow. Underling?

“…Of course.”

“…And?”

As their trio walks down the street, they attract many gazes, some of them suspicious, some of them curious… Which isn’t exactly different from before… Though Sara could certainly do without it.

Aurora doesn’t seem bothered, other than her swinging tail, as she returns some of the gazes thrown in their direction, and ignores most of them.

Needless to say, Avril seems less than happy being the center of attention, often glaring toward any beastkin to sniff the air in their direction.

“Vampire blood heals almost anything short of amputation, though it’ll deplete your stamina faster than you can recover it for a couple of days... I’m not sure what it’d do to your kind. Elf blood has a similar effect, just reduced on both ends. Some plants… Some types of monster blood… It’s all stuff you can find in the city if you have the money for it.”

Sare nods. Healing items, huh? Having befriended Aurora is paying off already, though she’s not sure how Avril was able to do it in the first place… And something tells her right now isn’t exactly the best moment to pester them about it.

“And what about replenishing stamina?” Sara asks, earning a glance from Aurora for her question.

Aurora shrugs. “Food usually does it. Any food will do, but monster parts tend to have a better effect… Much better. Some types of plants, too… But those don’t grow over here.”

“I guess we’ll have to stack up on consumables eventually… Or find a vampire for our party. Shame we ended up not sending anybody there.”

“I’m still not talking to you,” Avril grumbles, as Aurora throws another glance over her shoulder, green eyes gleaming with curiosity for a split second.

“We do have two elves though... Do you think we’ll be able to put some of their blood to use after we meet up? Maybe we should tell the boys to start filling bottles, as long it doesn’t affect their own game too much.”

“…Does the thought of drinking your friend’s blood not bother you?” Aurora asks, her tone even.

Sara shrugs. “Not really? I mean, I’d have been totally down to play a vampire.”

“…Play?”

Sara smiles toward the curious catkin. “These are avatars. Our real bodies remain safely back in our world.”

“Avatars…” Aurora murmurs as she averts her gaze, “I suppose this all must feel like a game to you, then. It explains why you act this way…”

“That’s just her usual personality,” Avril cuts in, “Reckless as she is stupid.”

“Hey! I was worried about you!”

“You were worried about how mad I’d be, numbskull. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

Sara sticks her tongue at her as Avril rolls her eyes.

And just like that, they’re back on speaking terms… Avril really is a softhearted girl, no matter how much she tries to pretend otherwise, huh?

“What are you smiling about, dumbass? Is there something on my face?”

There are whiskers… Better not to mention that.

“There it is, the temple,” Aurora says, stopping as she nods toward a relatively large, well-frequented stone building across the street.

“I’ll need a statue,” Avril says.

Aurora shrugs. “We’ll find one inside.”

So they were looking for a place to heal Avril… Pretty obvious, in hindsight.

Aurora walks toward the temple without hesitation, despite the many beastkin staring in their direction as she does so, many of whom, Sara notices, where a particular set of white clothes, and don’t seem particularly happy to spot them.

As they reach the temple’s stairs, Sara nods in the direction of an old wolfkin woman, earning a narrowed gaze for her troubles.

“Aren’t we supposed to be, like, the chosen ones? Why do they seem to hate us?” Sara murmurs.

“…It’s not you they have a problem with. Don’t worry, they won’t give us more than a stink eye,” Aurora explains. She’s not particularly careful in keeping her voice low, either, earning them several more gazes of reproach.

“Your reputation proceeds you?” Avril infers.

Aurora shrugs. “Something like that.”

Entering the temple, Sara immediately notices a change in the atmosphere, almost palpable as the already comfortable temperature of Highpond’s afternoon grows even chillier. The temple itself is composed of a big, poorly lit room where several beastkin’s keel over a large, shallow pool of water, heads bowed toward the large statue of a six-headed beast occupying the room’s middle.

The temple’s atmosphere, and the statue, remind Sara of her earlier encounter with Earus, and the fact Gods are a very real influence in this world…

“Earus teaches us to share and to help each other as family. Aurora, Daughter of the Sun, has walked a path rather strayed from such teachings…” an old avian beastkin says, stepping toward them as he smiles at Aurora, “Thus being said, redemption is never more than a prayer away, and the will to change one’s fate… Welcomed home, child. How may I be of help?”

“You can help by moving out of the way,” Aurora retorts, sparing barely a glance in the man’s direction.

Sara blinks, while Avril releases a low hiss.

“What she meant is that you may help us by allowing us access to your temple, Sir,” Avril interjects, her voice slightly tense, perhaps having also remembered her encounter with Earus, “I wish to speak with your… With Earus.”

Then avian man chuckles as he uncrosses his hands in order to wave in a gesture encompassing the temple as a whole. “I’m hardly the owner of these walls. But please, all who seek Their blessing are welcomed.”

The avian man steps aside, bowing slightly, while Aurora continues forward without another word, only stopping briefly in order to remove her shoes before stepping into the pond of water as she heads toward Earus’ statue with Avril.

Sara smiles awkwardly toward the avian man, nodding at him, before following after the two of them.

By the time Sara reaches the temple’s middle, having weaved awkwardly through the group of kneeling beastkin, Aurora has settled Avril on the ground by the statue and stepped aside, her arms crossed as she inspects the temple’s space restlessly, almost as if expecting something to happen at any second…

What, exactly, Sara isn’t sure… For them to jump her and force her to repent?

Meanwhile, Avril reaches her hand toward the Statue as she closes her eyes and grimaces.

Sara watches expectantly, until, moments later, Avril removes her hand as she releases a sigh and meets Sara’s gaze.

“It’s not free… We’d have to wait half an hour, or donate a silver.”

Sara glances toward Aurora, who remains silent yet restless. “I guess we’re waiting then?”

Avril shakes her head. “We’re done for today. Tomorrow we’ll be able to log in much earlier, and we know how the game works now... It was a decent start, all things considered.”

Sara nods. “First thing after school?”

“First thing after school,” Avril confirms, before turning toward Aurora, “We’ll be here at sunrise tomorrow, so you’ll have time to think about what we talked. You’ll probably want to run away, like the loser you are… And if you choose to do it, don’t expect anything from me from now on. But if you choose to help us, we’ll need clothes that don’t stick out so much and a set of daggers. We’ll complete the board quest first thing, and then… Then we’ll see.”

Aurora meets Avril’s gaze for a moment, then averts her eyes.

Avril sighs. “See you in a couple hours, numbskull.”

And, just like this, Avril reaches for the statue once more, and… Slowly turns into mud…?

After a moment of staring dumbfounded, Sara closes her mouth and shakes her head. She doesn’t know exactly what she expected for a log-out animation, but it certainly wasn’t that.

Glancing toward Aurora, Sara catches her staring at the place where Avril disappeared with wild, wide eyes, almost as if she’s about to jump away at any moment.

“She returned to her body in our world, that’s all. Like she said, we’ll be back tomorrow,” Sara says, smiling at the catkin, who meets her gaze, then blinks, saying nothing.

Sara extends a hand in her direction. “I know Avril can be a handful, but she means well. Anyway, thanks for helping us out today, even if you choose to not show up tomorrow… And for the record, I think you’re pretty cool, Aurora.”

Uncrossing her arms, the catkin grabs Sara’s hand hesitantly… Though Sara has a hunch the girl would not have done so if not for being caught off guard by the whole situation.

Still, Sara winks at her during their slightly awkward handshake. “See you soon, I hope?”

Aurora nods absently, then seems to catch herself as she frowns and averts her gaze, crossing her arms once more.

“Fine, fine, have it your way. Take care, Aurora,” Sara says, stepping toward the statue as she extends her hand into its cold touch, immediately grimacing as the weight of a mountain seems to press over her body, and the playful voice of a woman invades her thoughts.

‘Yes, kitten?’

‘I’d like to log out now, please.’

‘You wish to return to your real body? Very well. We shall retain your possessions, meager as they may be, and transfer your consciousness... Walk carefully, kitten...’

…Sara opens her eyes to find her vision covered in darkness. Confused for a moment, she extends her hand, patting around as she identifies her bed and blanket, gradually remembering the hours she experienced inside Eden.

Removing Eden’s headgear, Sara gradually sits up, staring over her dimly lit room with heavy eyelids as she settles the headgear aside and reaches for her face, feeling her skin absently.

…Like the most lucid dream she has ever had… Tutorial, Aurora… And even Christian…

‘Hey, Leaf, you there?’

‘Yes, Miss Palmer, how may I be of help?’

‘How was it? To have a body…?’

‘I’m afraid to admit it, but… You were right, Miss Palmer. Having a body of my own was exhilarating, so much so that I failed some of the tasks Miss Plamer assigned me, for I was entranced by the experience itself… I’m sorry.’

Sara releases a heavy sigh. ‘You don’t have to apologize. I’m the one who should, for snapping at you earlier…’

Sara’s window showcases a dark world outside, much different than Highpond’s bright afternoon. The first signs of sunrise have yet to show themselves on the horizon, though Sara fears what a glance at the time might reveal.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll visit Blake soon, and we’ll have him build you a body on this side… Though I doubt it’ll feel anything like the one Tutorial gave you.’

‘I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, Miss Palmer.’

Sara sits up straighter. ‘What?! Why?!’

‘Tutorial said so themselves, my existence is something Aston would be interested in uncovering, and by revealing myself, I’d be putting Miss Palmer in much greater danger than necessary.’

‘But… You could stay hidden…’

‘Going through the trouble of adapting to a new body only to have it stay permanently hidden seems entirely pointless… If Miss Palmer would forgive my bluntness. Besides, doesn’t Miss Palmer have problems of her own to worry about?’

Sara groans as she falls back and lays against her pillow, spreading her arms as she stares at the ceiling.

‘Fine, I’ll drop it for now, you stubborn squirrel.’

‘Thank you, Miss Palmer.’

‘Forget it. Tell me what you of make of Eden.’

‘Eden… Strangely, by my calculations, Elysium should not possess the technology to create, or to sustain, an entire simulated world of so many details… Even were we to assume things were greatly simplified on a microscopical level.’

So, Avril was right… She usually is.

‘I see. Anything else?’

‘Their AIs, or NPCs, as you call them… Tutorial aside, I’ve asserted they have no knowledge of their existence as simulated beings. And yet, their behavior is far too complex for what one would expect from a simple programmed lifeform. Considering our conversation with Miss Tutorial, I’m inclined to assume they are… Or rather, they have… Something we have yet to encounter on this side… A perfect simulated human brain, just as Miss Tutorial.’

Sara takes a deep breath and then releases it. ‘You mean to say they have emotions? Wants? Needs? Fears?’

‘I’m merely speculating, but… Most likely, yes; Or, at least, from our perspective, they merely believe to have them, as they were probably, on some level, programmed to behave in a certain way… Perhaps Miss Tutorial would’ve been able to answer our questions… Alas…’

Sara groans as she turns on her bed and presses her face against her pillow.

She’s too tired for a damn existential crisis… By all the hells…

‘…Are they alive? What would even be the difference in killing an NPC in Eden, versus killing someone on this side?’

‘I’m afraid other than their creators, and perhaps Miss Tutorial…’

‘I get it! You don’t have all the answers either!’

‘My apologies. Nevertheless, if I understood Miss Palmer’s concerns correctly… It is unlikely they’ve led normal lives up to this point, upon which we have intruded. Most likely, they have fragments of implanted memories which they believe in, forming their personalities and creating a path they’re most likely to follow when meeting a player… With so little information to go by, it is somewhat difficult to infer if they were hard-coded to act in a certain way given certain situations, but my guess would be… No.’

‘So, for all intents and purposes, they were given free will once the game started?’

‘It is arguable whether humans have free will or not, Miss Palmer. With enough information, an AI would predict a human’s behavior much more often than not… And the accuracy of said predictions would only increase in proportion to the amount of data available. It is only by the impossibility of acquiring, and handling, all of the data on the universe, that we’re unable to ascertain with certainty the existence of-”

Sara laughs bitterly. ‘Yes, I’ve heard it all before! I’ll still choose to believe in my free will, thank you very much!’

‘…Does Miss Sara also choose to believe in theirs?’

Sara lowers her pillow in order to embrace it as she stares out her window and into the dark city beyond.

‘…I don’t know.’