I held my sketchbook tightly against my chest as I made my way to the Adventurers Hall. Assuming I remembered the path.

The moon was high, and the streets were plentily illuminated. I think that illumination may be the reason for fewer guards. I definitely wasn't complaining.

After Sophia left, I managed to convince Naya to let me turn in the Witch quest so she could find an inn. It wasn't difficult, but I think she was a little distracted.

She kept touching her cheek and mumbling something about an arrogant human.

I think she was talking about Sophia. No, she definitely was. However, I also noticed she calls lots of humans arrogant.

I shook those thoughts away. Understanding Naya won't be easy, much less her interactions with Sophia.

They always make me feel like a third wheel.

Then again, I was usually pretty silent when they spoke. 

I made a mental note that I should interact more.

But in any case, I'm strong now. If anyone caused trouble, all I needed to do was summon something. I have cooler and scarier things than Morp.

An image of Morp being stabbed by a bone spear flashes in my mind. I missed her already.

Loosening my grip on the sketchbook, I held it out before me. It was a habit I've always had; it was like a shield to protect me from the outside world. No matter where I was, it was with me. My Dad bought it for me when I was a kid when he first noticed my artistic talents. It hadn't left my side since. 

The slight illumination from the magic lights shined on its blank exterior. Those lights still surprised me; my village didn't have them. I wonder how they work.

Everything out here surprised me; it was like a whole new world. My attention could be easily swayed by something interesting or new. If Naya wasn't there to hold my hand, I'd probably have gotten lost many times in the city.

I stopped in front of one light and beneath it for the extra illumination. Then, I flipped my sketchbook to one of the last few pages, to a painting I had been working on every night for the past week.

It was a beautiful Elf, it was Naya.

My memories returned to the day that felt like years ago.

The shock I felt back then, when she woke me up in Carla's tower, was the greatest I had ever felt in my life.

The few legends I heard about Elves said they were the types to kill if you even looked at them funny. 

Another memory of my meeting with Naya flashed through my head. It made my cheeks heat up.

I'm pretty sure I looked at her funny.

I brought my hand down and touched the picture.

It was a painting of a scene I made up.

Naya's violet-colored hair, which she usually has tied into a ponytail, swayed in the evening winds. Her dazzling, amethyst eyes stared blankly at the walls of a giant castle nestled in the mountains. 

It reminded me that Naya was a near-perfect-looking woman. It was a shame that her face was usually blank, other than small changes. I think I was slowly getting better at identifying her emotions, though.

I'd pay to see her smile all the time!

...but only a little bit. I need to save!

In this painting, I drew her half looking at the distant castle and half in the process of turning to look behind her.

Her ears perked upward like I noticed they do when she caught a distant or sudden noise.

The scenery around her wasn't done yet, nor was the distant castle. It would be in time.

I sometimes wonder what would happen if I tried to bring this painting to life. I really thought it would turn out to be my greatest work.

I giggled when I recalled the masterpieces she wanted me to make for her. No way she ever had that much gold.

Another memory, this time of when Naya stabbed that man for merely speaking down to me. Nobody had ever done that before, ever. Even other Dwarves back in my village, nobody stood up for me.

Then all the moments she purposefully reached out to grab my hand to ensure I was safe.

I'm aware that all of the fights thus far would have been easier if Naya didn't have to worry about me. 

I hope my drawings change that.

The unfinished painting before me, illuminated by the pale light, would hopefully have me in it soon.

"Hey, kid, what are doing out so late?"

The sudden young male voice startled me and made me jump. The sketchbook fell from my hands to the stone ground.

"Ah!" I exclaimed and hurriedly leaned down to pick it up.

But as I reached down, it was swiped away.

My heart fell to the pits of my stomach, and an overwhelming anxiety instantly filled my body.

"Hey! Give it back!" I shouted. I'm sure the desperation showed in my voice.

It was my treasure.

"What is-"

I didn't care to wait; I immediately charged with as much force as my shorter body could muster and slammed into him. Head first into his stomach.

"Ow! Hey!" 

He was not prepared and fell to the ground.

I landed on top of him and took advantage of his momentary lapse to swipe back my sketchbook. Luckily, his grip was not strong.

Before he could touch me, I jumped off with my sketchbook in hand.

My heart was still racing as I frantically checked it for any damages.

Good, it was fine. If it was damaged... 

I didn't even want to imagine.

I released the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding.

With a thought, it was pulled into the ring Sophia gave me. 

The man stood up and brushed himself off. "Damn, so violent." He said, with a hand rubbing his stomach.

Now that I wasn't distracted, I could see his complete appearance.

His hand rustled through a head of short, rough-looking light brown hair. Below that, his eyes were a similar hazel color, and I noticed they did not hold animosity. But other than those, I can tell he was young. 

When I saw humans, I could guess their ages pretty accurately, and I thought this man, or teenager, was about 16. 

The same age as me, though taller since I'm a halfling.

He noticed my stare and smirked. "Like what you see?"

"Gross!" I stuck my tongue out in mock disgust.

The boy placed his hands out in surrender and chuckled. "Harsh, little lady."

"My name is Rula!" 

His smile widened, and he nodded. Then he looked at me thoughtfully as if contemplating something.

I was a little disappointed; I had hoped he would have heard of me. But that was obviously a silly desire, considering Naya's done all the cool stuff. Well, a couple cool things. But I was there!

It looked like he decided something as he resolutely nodded his head. "You shouldn't be out this late; the Vermilion Rats tend to roam the shopping district around this time."

I quirked a brow and looked around. 

There were still guards wandering around and even some people roaming the streets. 

It was difficult to believe I had to worry about some miscreants. 

Maybe he just likes me? 

Then, an idea struck me. A silly idea, but one that made my heart beat in excitement.

"Tell me about them!" 

I think I spoke a bit too excitedly because he looked at me dubiously.

"Just a dangerous gang, girl. Do you have a place to go?" 

Girl? I'm the same age, and he speaks as if my elder. Annoying! This must be how Naya feels around humans!

My head quickly shook. "No, no, just tell me more about them!"

He shook his head. "How about you just come with me to the Adventurers Hall."

That wasn't a question, more like him just saying what I would do. I didn't like that.

I was not some weak little girl anymore.

"I refuse!" I crossed my arms and curled my lips.

The arrogant boy just stared shockingly at me, but I didn't let go of my expression.

It was awkward just staring like this.

Finally, he broke into another chuckle and shook his head again. "Fine, fine. Continue on your own way, then." 

He didn't wait and moved past me. 

That surprised me; I thought he would be a little more forceful. These humans sure are odd.

I stared at his back as he went further down the road, up until he took a turn into a different path.

That was a weird encounter.

I had my doubts. I didn't believe he was actually concerned for my safety. In fact, if I had pockets, I wouldn't be surprised to find them missing a few coins. 

I shrugged. 

It was time to continue my own trip.

That boy did remind me how important it was to keep my sketchbook safe. 

I kept walking down the street for a while.

The illuminated roads helped, but I had to admit something.

I was lost.

There wasn't a large plaza in front of me nor in any other direction as far as I could see. The plaza was noticeable, considering how empty it was in the center, aside from a dragon fountain. I should have been able to see it from a distance.

I wasn't too concerned. I think that being able to summon powerful beings made me arrogant.

Just like Naya!

I didn't keep the smirk from my face. I nearly giggled out loud.

Naya's arrogance was justified, given how powerful she was, and I hoped I could be just as strong one day!

I controlled my expression. For now, I was just a lost halfling.

I began to look around the area, and other than the cluttered buildings, I hadn't noticed anything noteworthy.

Could it be that I had a poor sense of direction?

There hadn't been a time when I had to travel very far, and I hadn't ever been in a large city before.

I walked a little more; I figured I might as well go forward.

It wasn't long before anxiety began to creep into my body. As strong as I may be, getting lost in an unknown place wasn't very fun.

Luckily, it wasn't pitch black, and I noticed a girl further down the road.

She had white hair down to her lower back that seemed to glow in the surroundings.

I sped up. "Excuse me!" I shouted.

The girl stopped, and her hand went to her side, which I noticed held a silver longsword.

"I'm lost!" I shouted again and stopped right behind her.

She snapped around and pulled her sword out a little.

I scampered back a little.

But I couldn't help but stare in shock at her face. Not only was her hair white, but so were her eyes. If I hadn't known any better, I'd guess she was blind. But, she looked angry, with furrowed brows and a deep frown. 

"State your name!" She spoke with a cold, bell-like voice that still held hints of immaturity. My hidden talent told me she was about 17.

However, when she glanced down at me, her expression softened.

"I'm Rula!" I hurriedly say with a hand on my chest.

"Forgive me, Rula." She let go of the sword hilt, and it clinked with the sheath it slid back into. Her eyes then softly close. "Rozen's streets have me feeling a bit on edge tonight." 

Her posture loosened, too. Which made me realize it wasn't because she determined I wasn't dangerous but because she must have thought I was just a weak little girl!

"Just so you know, I'm really strong!" I say with a slight glare.

Her expression was blank, but she nodded. "Ok."

I cleared my throat. That was a little embarrassing. "A-anyway, can you tell me where the Adventurer's Hall is?" 

"You did say you were lost, but to think you don't know how to get to the heart of the human district."  

My cheeks burned. "I'm new here!"

"I know." She nodded, and finally, a slight smile came to her otherwise blank face.

She reminded me a lot of Naya.

"That was a terrible joke!" 

The girl just shrugged. 

I shook my head and moved closer. "So, what's your name?" 

"I am Evelyn." 

"No fancy surname?" 

"Just Evelyn." 

"Huh."

"You don't have a... fancy surname?" She kept her smile, though it seemed mocking. Maybe it's wrong to ask stuff like that.

"Of course I do!" I bumped my chest with pride. "Deepstone! Rula Deepstone!" 

"Deepstone... A Dwarven name."

"Of course!"

However, I realized then that I hadn't used my surname to introduce myself in a long time. Naya didn't even know my last name. Introductions with full names were something only humans did. I guess I could tell her later, but I doubted she would care.

"Well, Rula Deepstone." She glanced up at the moon, then back toward me. "It's late, and this path is dangerous." 

That reminded me of the boy earlier, "The Vermilion Rats!" I exclaimed.

I'm sure my face showed my excitement.

Her expression fell, "You're new here; where did you hear that name?" Her brows regained their furrow.

"Calm down, lady! I just heard it from a boy a little bit ago." 

People in this city seemed to always be on edge.

I guess a necromancer's presence does that.

She still squinted at me, but at least her hand wasn't on her sword. 

"I'll choose to believe you, Rula Deepstone." 

"Just Rula!" 

She straightened up again and released a light giggle, smiling again. It was definitely preferable! 

"You're an interesting person, Rula." 

"Thanks?" I tilted my head, but I still hadn't let go of my idea! "Never mind that, tell me about the Vermilion Rats!" 

"Are you an Adventurer, or do you hope to become one?" 

"I am one! In fact, I'm on my way to turn in a quest w- I finished!" I almost said we, but maybe it was best to not reveal Naya without her permission first. I didn't think she'd care, but I'm a good teammate!

"I don't recall a quest issued for the rats." She was looking at me dubiously.

"Are you an adventurer too?" 

"No."

"Then how would you know!" 

"My information network is vast."

"Stop trying to sound so mysterious!" The girl was super frustrating to talk to and seemed the type to only give out the bare minimum. But I really wanted to know about the rats. "I just want to learn more about Rozen!"

She still looked like she didn't believe me, but she nodded anyway. "The Vermilion Rats is the only gang in Rozen that spans each district. They engage in every illegal activity you can name."

Finally, I'm getting somewhere. Although Naya probably wouldn't care about this information, I am my own person, and I do!

I can already smell the gold.

"Are you looking for them right now?" She definitely seemed to me like she was on the prowl, and she looked like she wanted to cut me down when I stopped her.

"You want to come with me." She spoke as if certain of her conclusion.

"Yes!" I quickly covered my mouth. I was too excited; she might think I'm even more suspicious!

She only chuckled a little. But I saw it; her hand twitched! I think she wanted to mess with my hair like Sophia sometimes does. She looked at me closely, appraising me.

I think I can lie about my abilities if I need to, but I don't think it matters. Even if my enemies knew what I could do, it was impossible to predict what sort of stuff I would summon.

"What can you do?" There it was; I expected that question.

"I can summon really strong stuff!" I applauded myself for that answer since just saying I was a summoner didn't really reveal anything.

"Oh?" She looked at me with a renewed fascination. "Interesting. You may join me."

"Just like that?" Now I felt suspicious of her.

She nodded and didn't elaborate further. She turned around and kept walking.

"Tonight, I will clean a Rat hideout, and you will join me."

"Woah, woah! Already?!" 

Not that I would reject! 

I ran after her and matched her pace, excitement filling my head and the quickening of my heartbeat. 

This will be a really cool story to tell Naya tomorrow!