House of Amarin

The group was traveling through the cold highland, the fresh snow being crunched up under their feet while the two wooly bison dragged along their cart with rhythmic croaks of their wheels. It was filled with exotic food and items from the jungle, a rarity up here at the Berisons' territory. By now, they were close to the principal city of the Kayrinev Kingdom, called Sussarim. Against the backdrop of a lone mountain, it looked strong, almost like an impenetrable bastion with its high walls and giant, fluttering blue flags displaying a silver snowflake on it. On the main road, they passed some other caravans, people simply traveling, and some patrolling squadrons belonging to the kingdom. It was the first test of their papers when they did, and they withstood inspection with flying colors, letting them continue their journey. Something which was enjoyed by all of them, even if Koa liked to complain about walking in the thick snow.

"My only complaint is that we can't really use spells that are too telling!" Keily sighed, walking next to Koadriana, "I could easily warm all of us up!"

"Drop it!" Sion looked back, two steps ahead of them, walking next to Aurora. While speaking, their hot breath created little clouds, rising towards the grey sky, making them pull the thick clothing tighter around their necks. "We can only use some basic, trivial spells! Anyone capable of more has been drafted into the army around here! We would look out of place and warrant an inspection from the local forces!"

"I know!" He sighed, flicking his hand, dispelling a little ember dancing around it. "Not that I'm against the weather; it's not that cold, only around zero degrees! Maybe a little under it?"

"Yeah." Aurora agreed, writing her thoughts through their bracelets, "Back at home, the winter is way colder than this, so I don't know what Koa's problem is!"

"Err…" She flinched, but Lia also chimed in before she could say anything.

"Her problem is not the cold!" She giggled, leading the pack, holding the reins of the four-horned bison while Rinzen was walking next to her. "But the marching part of it! Why do you think she wanted to ride on the carts from the get-go? She has been complaining about trekking through the snow and not that it's cold!"

"Tsk! So what?" Koa pursed her lips, pouting because her true motivation was called out. "I like lazing around!"

"At least now you look like someone who did travel!" Simbad shrugged, his voice coming from the back, leading the second bison with Raufon.

"Like what you see?" She teased, shaking her butt a little, wearing tight pants under her thick coat that she lifted for the 'occasion.'

"No." He answered directly while his eyes traveled to Celine beside Koa.

"Hahaha, I see, I see~!" She grinned, gently nudging her red-haired friend, who blushed a little.

"Try acting normal; we are coming to the gate soon enough!" Lia was sent back as they neared the main road and joined a queue heading into the city.

Looking ahead, it was visible that everything and everybody was being checked and investigated before being let into town. When their turn arrived, the guards at the gate took their papers, and while one of them was validating it, the other looked at their cargo, searching for any profound magical source that suggested smugglers or prohibited items.

"Keeping up a pretty tight watch, I see!" Lia chuckled when she got back her merchant's passport.'

"We have to. Vigilance is what keeps us safe in these times! Especially after what happened last year!"

It was a local event, happening a bit after Reyra fought against Loonah. There was a sighting of an Undead Beast that was brought down with the cooperation of the Kayrinev and Fedra families and their armies, two subordinate powers of the House of Berison.

"Luckily, the road was safe while we traveled, so thank you for your work!" Lia bowed politely, making the guards smile, speed up their process, and become a bit warmer towards the group.

"Don't mention it! We can't relax; they would strike when we are most vulnerable! Anyway! All seems to be in order! How long are you going to stay? Will you sell your products here or…?"

"As it is stated in the manifest," Lia smiled, knowing it was a trick question, "We are inbound for the Nerifit's territory! We already have a buyer! We just want to stop and rest a little before returning to the road! We are coming from a long way off!"

"That you are!" He chuckled, nodding at the other guards close by. "We will house the animals and cargo, stamped and sealed! You must understand that we can't let it into the city if you are not selling here! Smuggling and using the black market is deemed a capital offense!"

"I understand." Lia nodded without raising a fuss, "I am also aware that there is a daily fee for taking care of them. This isn't my first rodeo!"

"Glad to hear! Welcome to Sussarim!” He stepped away, and while people led their bison and cargo to a separate place, the Misfits entered the big city with its clear, cobblestone roads and many brick houses.

"Where to?" Sion asked, and it was Rinzen who answered.

"I know a tavern here that we can visit. We can stay there without issues."

"Won't the owner be a problem?" Simbad asked, worried that if Rinzen knew about it, they would recognize her.

"No." She answered, shaking her head with a soft smile, "He is a spy for my family. We have them in every subordinate kingdom, reporting directly to us."

"Oh." The others looked at each other, not knowing whether they should laugh or not.

Walking through the streets, the city seemed lively, healthy, and welcoming. Going past the different shops, pastries, and bars, it was evident that people were living without much fear of the Dark Ages… if history will even call it that a second time.

"We are here!" Rinzen walked forward, leading the group to a three-story, redbrick building, blowing white smoke from its multiple chimneys.

"Icebreaker," Sion murmured, reading the establishment's name above the door while they walked inside.

Entering, the ground floor was set up as a restaurant with a wide bar at the far end and two staircases leading up to the next floors on either side of it. "Oh." Rinzen stopped the moment they entered.

"What is it?" Lia asked, trying not to be loud, watching the few people inside, having lunch, talking, and enjoying themselves, only briefly looking at the newcomers.

"It's not him at the bar…" Rinzen answered, pulling back her hood, looking a bit unsure what to do.

"Let's go, it doesn't matter!" Lia nudged her a little and walked forward, quickly striking up a conversation with the innkeeper.

It didn't take long to convince him to rent out the complete third floor for themselves, paying for two days in advance. The innkeeper's face was visibly glowing with happiness when Lia counted down the price with her shiny coins. Throughout the conversation, the Berison's name never came up, not even once, and the innkeeper never made any suggestions he recognized Rinzen. If not because he was a servant to the Berisons, then maybe because she was part of the Six leaders of Meriath… but no, nothing. It wasn't a big surprise as Rinzen wasn't a public figure; even back home, most things were done by her family's council and by her mother, who was much more recognizable than her daughter. Or he was an excellent spy who wouldn't fail his mission so easily, not even in the presence of Rinzen.

"I will send a message, asking Mother… no… I can't. She doesn't know I am here." Rinzen mumbled after the group was gathering in Lia's room, having a meeting.

"Do it." She encouraged her, "You are part of the Six; you outrank her! Just ask her to send us the names of all the personnel you have in here and are in contact with your House! She doesn't need to know we are here, and she doesn't need to start investigating! We are doing it this way for a reason!"

"Undeads are slippery when they want to hide…" Simbad agreed, leaning forward, crossing his fingers, and resting his chin on the top of them. "If they notice that your House started moving, sniffing around, they will go into hiding for another few years!"

"Um. Okay." Rinzen nodded, starting to fall back into the role of the leader of House Berison. "It will take some time. A day for an answer to come, I think."

"We have time!" Lia smiled, patting her head. "We will do our own investigation, too, in the meantime! I already planned it out! Keily, Koa, you two will go through the local bathhouses and pick up any rumors you think are worthy of attention!"

"Oh, you know what I like!" She giggled, licking her lips while glancing at Keily.

"The places are separated here." Rinzen looked at her calmly, "Men and Women have different areas to go to."

"Tsk… too bad!" Koa clicked her tongue in answer while Keily simply wiped his forehead with relief.

"Raufon, Ceiline, and Simbad, you three will visit the pubs, taverns, and all the similar establishments in the city with the same mission! While doing so, try to plant peashooters here and there so we have ears and eyes in the city!"

"My own ears will be as sharp as knives!" Raufon laughed, slapping his chest confidently while the other two merely nodded.

"Aurora, Sion, you two will visit the merchants' guild and look through any information we can get on what goes around the city! Who has wealth, and who likes to spend it? Where are they ordering from? Anything looks out of place or suspicious?"

"Roger!" They saluted at once.

"Rinzen and I will wander around the city and get a feel of the place! If there are Undead here, hopefully, we can sniff them out! If we find everything in order in the following days, we simply break camp and move!"

"What if we find something?" Keily asked, raising a hand.

"Do nothing! We are only the hound dogs this time! If we notice anything suspicious, we only investigate! When we got proof, I immediately called for Mother, and she would come in person! This is not a joke, and this is highly dangerous! Okay… for now, rest! Explore the city if you want, but always keep an eye out!"

When the group dispersed, Koa took Keily and Raufon out for a walk while Ceiline and Simbad went down to eat something before doing the same. Of course, Sion and Aurora immediately went to work, deciding to covertly place warning traps around the tavern and their lodging to secure themselves, leaving Rinzen alone with Lia as they were sharing a room.

"While you send a message, I'll do the same!" Lia moaned, jumping on her bed and laying back with a tired expression. She felt it hard to travel the land on foot but would be the last to complain about it. Now that they were in a warm place with a comfy bed, she wanted nothing but to laze around a little.

"The Headmaster?" Rinzen asked, looking at her with a knowing expression.

"Yep! I am curious how he is! It has been a slow recovery…" She murmured, looking away for a moment.

"You visited him almost every month."

"Of course, because I was… I am worried!" Lia nodded rapidly, "He almost died! And he is my teacher!"

"I think you like him."

"Eh?" Lia flinched at her plain and simple statement. "Well, I do, but that is because he taught me a lot! I like you too!"

"Mhm, I like you too." She nodded without missing a beat but then continued, "But since that event, you have been more concerned about his well-being than normal."

“Well… because… I know exactly how dangerous that situation was! I would visit you as much as possible if something like that happened to you!"

"Mmmmm… I think you feel something else for him." By now, both of them had given up on sending any message and were sitting on the same bed, looking at each other.

“Well… maybe…” Lia whispered, looking away with a blush and playing with her long, braided hair. "He is… confident, and even though he can be a jerk, he never acts unreasonably! Knows what he wants, how he does it, you can rely on him… and hauh… yeah… I think I may feel something for him…!" She moaned, pulling on her braid and throwing herself at Rinzen, hiding between her breasts. "I don't know!"

"Well… I don't either." She replied plainly, stroking her head. "So I don't have any advice… but… good job?"

"Eh… I don't even know how he feels about it anyway…" She grumbled, mixing a nervous laugh and an angry snort together.

"Why not ask him?" She questioned, making Lia stiffen and look up at her with wide eyes, and both of them said at the same time, "Yeah… no."

Hearing it, none of them could hold back a laugh and simply sighed, getting relaxed at once, for a moment, forgetting their mission too.