The night had been lengthy. 

Naya looked forward to a long sleep before dealing with the humans the next day. Lying on the comfortable bed, she thought of the past year; she was long used to sleeping on grass and trees. Of course, those were also nice with the whispers of the wind. Still, a sense of civilization brought her a different kind of peace.

It was comfortable. 

Lia's soft laughter filled Naya's ears. 10 gold on a room is absurd. 

Naya's ears twitched, and she scanned the room for what was likely the umpteenth time that night.

It was massive, with a long couch on one end with a fancy table sitting before it, a bed larger and longer than Naya's body, a work desk, a kitchen area, and even a separate room for the washroom.

Although it was embarrassing, she didn't regret the purchase. After all, she got it for a week. 

I will not settle for less!

Rula will be devastated. Lia spoke in a teasing tone.

That's...

She had to admit: Rula probably wouldn't like the unnecessary expenditure of gold.

But that did remind her of the earlier conversation. Which caused her face to heat up again that night, and Naya's hand reached to her cheek, where it was like the touch of Sophia's lips had stayed.

She quickly shook those thoughts away.

Lia mockingly snorted but didn't say anything more.

That aside, Rula had said earlier she wanted to turn in the quest by herself, to which Naya agreed without much thought. 

She may have been slightly distracted, but the path to the Hall was a straightforward one with no turns into darker areas. She also made sure it was an easy path from the Inn to the Hall. 

However, now that she was not as absentminded, Naya found herself with some anxiety over it. 

Rula had never been alone, and who knew how long it had been since she was in a big city.

She should be okay; the Hall is only a small distance away, and even at night, Rozen is not dead. Lia spoke with a placating tone.

I'm aware... but... she is still young.

Only younger than you by 3 years. It may be small, but this is a good thing. She needs to be able to rely on herself.

Naya hadn't thought of that, but it did remind her of Rula's desperation for power and how she reacted to it back in the Soran Forest.

Rula clearly did not like being useless. Even something small, like having to be escorted across a small distance, would likely make Rula feel terrible.

That eased Naya's mounting anxiety, but only a little, and she laid back on the bed.

I envy your relationship. Verala spoke softly, almost barely audible.

I do not allow you to speak freely, Witch.

Again, as usual, Verala didn't say anything more.

For some reason, it made Naya feel oddly bad to receive no resistance. 

Naya hated feelings she couldn't comprehend, so she thought of other things.

The most pressing of which was what her plans were now that there wasn't a reason to stay in Rozen. Originally, she wanted to leave immediately. However, various things made her think otherwise.

Firstly, she had a few things left in the area to investigate; she hadn't forgotten the homunculus core. That alone was enough to keep her. However, there appeared to be more at play in the human territories than she initially thought. She wanted to investigate the kingdom to see if they were the ones working with Witches.

I suppose it wouldn't be as easy as you just telling us which Kingdom worked with your coven? Lia asked, obviously not directed toward Naya.

Naya didn't stop it that time.

You would think, given the sheer potential of the Necromantic Devil, I would be given a bit more authority. However, that was not the case. I know nothing.

Great! Lia scoffed. So you're entirely useless.

I wouldn't say that... I imagine it was because of my rather... odd relationship with the Devil - unheard of, really. 

Explain it.

It was true that she didn't behave how Naya expected Witches to behave, especially those in as high a circle as Verala.

As difficult as it might be for you to believe, I was not a willing participant of the Devil's will. I merely took advantage of its desperation to make the contract at least a little more favorable.

You... negotiated with a Devil?

Even Naya's ears perked up at that. In her mind, Devils were the most narcissistic beings in the world and merely offered contracts, uncaring if they were rejected.

Yup! Verala seemed proud, and her soft voice took on a tinge of arrogance. It was only possible because it was extremely desperate. I don't know why. But anyway, all I did was prevent it from making me totally follow its will. 

What is that supposed to mean?

It means... Verala deflated. Well, it just meant that it was a little easier to resist. Let's leave it at that.

Hmm~ Lia hummed thoughtfully. It is strange you were not afforded a higher position. The Necromantic Devil, while straightforward, would be capable of taking on the world by itself.

So would most other Devils.

I... suppose.

After that, the conversation died.

Naya spent more time waiting idly on the bed. She didn't want to go to sleep until Rula was back.

Minutes quickly became hours, and Naya started to worry.

Rula...

Naya jumped off the bed.

I doubt she got into trouble at the Hall, given your presence, but still... Lia's tone was just as worried as Naya felt.

She quickly made her way outside of the room, into the long hallway that led to a flight of stairs to the first floor.

When she reached the bottom floor, a rotund man with a scraggly beard bowed his head. "M-miss Naya, is there a problem?" 

"I will be back." 

Naya left the Inn. 

The road was illuminated by the magic lights, but Naya had already gotten used to them. It was a long, straight road down a slight decline.

She sped-walked down the road until she came to the bottom, where there was a crossroads. 

She could have gotten lost...

Naya didn't believe it though, given the sign that pointed toward the Dragon Plaza, where the Hall stood proudly amongst various other buildings.

So she continued in that direction.

A few minutes later, she emerged from a road into the plaza with a Dragon Fountain illuminated in a blue glow, spitting water into the air. As beautiful as it was, she was too distracted to care.

With a turn, she moved swiftly to the Hall.

Through the windows, she could see lights indicating it was still open. Only, there weren't many people inside, save for a few sitting at tables doing what looked like various meetings over quests.

The Adventurer Guild never sleeps. Lia spoke with melancholy. 

Naya pushed open the doors and moved through the lightly shocked stares directed toward her.

Before she even reached the counter, a girl with short brown hair and hazel eyes nearly sprinted over to stand before her.

Naya's eyes widened slightly. "You're still here?"

It was Sal, the one who had been handling any of the dealings Naya had with the guild. She was happy. It meant things would be less difficult, and she liked the receptionist. 

Though Sal did look a little tired.

Sal released a deep breath as she stopped before Naya. "Naya! What are you doing here so late?"

That made Naya's heart sink and she frowned. "Rula was not here?"

Sal looked like she picked up on it, and frowned. "No... is she missing?" She asked worriedly.

Naya nodded. 

Sal's eyes widened. "The Wit-"

"Is dead."

A bright smile came to Sal's face, "Thank the gods!" 

"Rula is still missing." 

She... probably just got lost.

That did nothing to ease Naya's mounting anxiety and sped up heart.

Naya didn't wait for a response and turned to walk out of the Hall.

"Naya-" Sal called out behind her.

"Wait!"

A man yelled, and Naya recognized the voice. But she didn't stop; she would not be interrupted.

"I can help you find her." 

The man didn't yell that time, but Naya heard it clearly. She stopped.

"Human..." Naya glared.

"My name is Alex, not Human."

It was the same pattern from the same man who introduced Naya to the guild ranking system when she first arrived at Rozen. The hunter, Alex, with his reddish-orange hair and green eyes.

He looks like some form of hunter, so maybe...

"How?"

"I am a tracker specialized in mages." He smiled, "I can find anybody, anywhere."

"Why?"

"I can't imagine an Elf being in my debt as a bad thing."

"Human..."

You don't have a choice.

I'm not stupid.

"Alex. And is that a no?"

"Fine, I accept." 

"Perfect!" Sal eagerly rejoined Naya. "When we find her, we can officially turn in the Witch quest!" 

She seemed confident nothing could have happened to Rula. It brought Naya some relief since a city resident seemed optimistic.

The receptionist specializes in dealing with people; this city is just as dangerous as any other. Verala shattered her little relief.

Lia snorted. And Rula can summon something like Morp, which decimated your puny undead.

I never said she was weak.

Shut up! 

"I want this to be quick," Naya spoke toward Alex. Two people arguing in her head wasn't something she wanted to deal with.

"Since she's presumably still within the city, it should not be difficult," Alex spoke while taking a small pack off his belt and kneeling on the floor.

Most of the people remaining in the Hall had their eyes on them. Especially since most likely heard, through the relatively silent Hall about Naya killing the Witch.

"My methods are unique, and I will not disclose how it works." Alex sat with his legs crossed, eyes closed, and his hands now clasped around what appeared to be a red orb.

Familiar threads of Mana sprang from the orb, slowly unraveling around the man's fingers like worms climbing his arms. 

Are those threads the common casting method for all Human spells?

Yes. Verala answered.

The threads hummed very slightly, an ethereal noise that Naya, even with her Elven hearing barely picked up. 

A red hue covered Alex's arms up to his bicep, and the red threads weaved above his enclosed hands to create a complex magic circle.

It's beautiful. Verala spoke with envy.

Within seconds, a single strand of red emerged from the center of the circle, extending upward toward Alex's head. It made contact with his eyes.

Alex snapped his eyes open, and they contained a slight red glow.

He placed the red orb back into his pouch and fastened it to his belt. He stood, "Now, I just need anything she has touched recently."

Naya frowned, "I don't-"

"We still have the Flameclaw quest paper she turned in to me!" Sal interrupted and ran back behind the counter and into the back rooms.

Would just that be enough?

Of course not... Verala mused. But his magic is unfamiliar. If he can track her with just that then he is terrifying indeed. 

You're knowledgeable about human magic?

Of course! Verala was clearly very prideful of that.

Ironic.

Verala didn't speak again.

Naya felt at least a little glad to have a source of knowledge on human magic. But it did little to diminish the foreign entity living in her mind. Whenever she thought back to Verala's spell, she felt an anger mount.

She doubted anything could happen that would convince her otherwise.

Sal came running out of the back door moments later with a previously folded quest paper in hand. She panted. "Th-this is the quest paper she gave me... Luckily, I hadn't gotten around to storing it."

Alex grabbed it from her and once again closed her eyes.

A second later, they snapped open, and gone was his natural green, replaced by a bright shade of lime.

"I have her signature." He brushed past Naya toward the Hall exit. "Now, we explore a little."

Naya followed after him.

"Please come back when you find her; the Witch is a huge deal!" Sal yelled after.

Naya nodded, and the door shut behind her.

If she's hurt...

Alex led her to the center of the plaza, to the dragon fountain. He turned his head in a few directions and scanned each, before finally deciding on one.

Naya followed again. 

She found her anxiety almost impossible to suppress. If it were only a few months ago, Naya would find it unfathomable for a mortal to make her feel that way. It was a problem.

You're treating Rula like a child, and that is a problem. Lia spoke softly.

Perhaps Lia was correct. 

The streets of Rozen painted a completely different picture at night. The roads were far emptier. Save for a few people wandering, with no shortage of shady figures in obscure corners.

Naya didn't see anyone through her brief observations that would prove a challenge for Rula's summoning magic.

Still, she couldn't shake the possibility that Rula was caught off guard. Her summoning magic wasn't instant.

I will train her immediately. 

That's what she wants. Lia added.

The halfling, Rula. Her ability is fascinating; with more training, who knows what kind of miracles she could summon. Verala spoke eagerly as if looking forward to an apprentice showing what they learned.

"She seems to have wandered quite a bit." Alex stopped after saying it and looked right and left at a smaller crossroad.

"This is not close to the Hall," Naya observed.

They had walked quickly for a few minutes by then, having taken a few turns and different paths.  

How did she get that lost?

It had to be a hidden talent.

"Right." Alex walked down the right path.

Again, they continued down a straight road until Alex stopped below one of the many magic lights.

"She appears to have stopped here for a while, and..." 

He seemed hesitant, and Naya's heart sank. "Speak."

"Something greatly panicked her...not in a violent sense... more like something was taken from her, like a pickpocket." He mused, squatting in the area.

That man... he is detecting aura traces... Verala spoke in awe.

Right. Lia mirrored her surprise. A ridiculous power in a random human city.

Normally she would care, but right now, Naya was experiencing too much wild emotion.

"Is she in trouble?"

Naya glared at the spot Alex was looking.

Her sketchbook. Naya knew how valuable it was to Rula. She would almost always have it on her person, even though she has a spatial ring. If someone stole it, Rula would likely pursue the thief. 

Naya's anxiety was shoved aside by a more forceful, violent anger threatening to spill out.

If they hurt her...

Her fists clenched tightly against her palms, her nails threatening to pierce her skin.

Calm down. Lia soothed.

Alex glanced back at Naya, and his eyes widened slightly. "Don't misunderstand; she appears to have calmed down and didn't leave this spot in a hurry to indicate either a chase or a fight." He stood after that and pointed further down. "She continued walking that way."

Naya unclenched her fists and released a breath. "Let's move." 

Alex nodded and continued moving.

The buildings in that part of town were simple, but not shoddy. It was a well-kept area, and the only worry Naya had was the many, many dark alleys. She could see and hear quick footsteps within them. They held the darker side of Rozen.

Her being an Elf meant she didn't have to deal with any of that.

But Rula was a halfling, which Naya already learned some did not like.

A little further, and Alex stopped again. "Another brief pause here; she likely met with someone."

"Who?"

"Couldn't tell you."

Aura sense is something he attunes to. Otherwise, his vision would be one block of indecipherable colors. He can only see Rula's traces right now and likely only a fraction due to how little the quest meant. Verala explained.

I'm astonished by how much you seem to know.  Lia sounded genuinely impressed.

Humans crave what they can't have. Verala added sadly, then stopped speaking.

Alex only moved forward a little further, where he stopped near a wide alley leading to the back of the buildings lining the road. Naya heard many steps scatter from there as they approached.

"Your companion... Rula is confusing." Alex cleared his throat, "She is nearby, but I can't fathom why she would enter this alley. Furthermore, she was excited by it."

Naya quirked a brow and didn't wait. She moved in front of Alex and turned into the empty alley.

Crates lined both walls on the side, and carvings were made on the bricklayer of the buildings. Some of the scribbles were barely legible, but one written in large letters said, "Rat Trap."

The Vermilion Rats. A foolish group that pretty much owns the Rozen underbelly. Verala explained. They're going to get far more rowdy now that the Thieves Guild is probably out of the picture for a while.

Naya snorted. "A stupid name."

Alex walked up and looked at it. "Ah, the Rats." He sighed and shook his head. "They'd be dealt with if the government swallowed their pride and asked us for help."

"Let's go."

The alley was long and contained twists and turns into both narrower and wider paths. Every time they'd near the beginning of another turn, Naya's ears would twitch with the sound of scattering steps.

A sharp right turn led to an unassuming brown door on the back of an ordinary, tall building. 

"And here we are." Alex turned back. "She is in-"

Naya pushed Alex aside and walked up to the door.

Her ears twitched, and her heart raced.

"Wait!" Naya heard the muffled voice of Rula, sounding like it came from below ground.

Naya brought her leg up and snapped it toward the door with explosive force.

Alex jumped back.

The brown door, sturdier than she expected, broke off its hinges and propelled forward. It slammed into a wall with a loud boom, sending wood from the wall into the air and crashing down onto a table.

"Damn," Alex muttered.

Naya walked through the wreckage and quickly scanned the room.

There were bodies on the floor with blood spilling from open wounds on their necks.

Verala wistled. A single, clean strike. They didn't even fight back. That was certainly not Rula."

What is that girl doing... Lia muttered.

Naya used her leg to kick the bodies over so their fronts were visible. There was no other battle wound on any of the bodies.

"Did you hear that?" Naya heard Rula's voice from below. The person she was speaking with was either not responding or spoke quietly.

Wasting no time, Naya moved toward the door on the far side of the room, through a few more bodies with one blade wound to the neck.