Chapter Text
“so, what do you say?”
you find yourself in a rickety tavern, holding a jug of ale that honestly smelled more stale than what was safe to consume, as you crinkle your nose in distaste towards the smell.
instead you focus on the small group of adventurer’s standing before you. while four certainly was not the least amount of people you had seen, but compared to other groups in the empire, it was almost... sad. but, you supposed, that gave the group a little character.
blinking out of your reverie, you look at the man looking expectantly at you (but not impatiently, you noted with a pleased hum). blond hair and garbs that were pretty much textbook adventurer wear, at least where you had come from that is.
“ah, my apologies,” you murmur, “i think that ale might be too stale for me to drink... what was your question?”
he laughs good naturedly, and it seems that his easy-going nature causes his three companions to relax just slightly too.
“i can’t say much for the ale, but i do hear this place makes a good roast, and if you decide to join us, i’ll treat you to a plate!”
while you silently observe the four once more, you pretend to stare at the wooden mug. (and maybe laugh to yourself about how you definitely could buy more than just a plate of dinner from this place, maybe even the establishment yourself if you felt like it.
but instead, you had played the part of a humble adventurer, so now here you were. while the idea worked, it took some self-convincing to not suddenly splurge on the more expensive inns with your funds you had collected over the years.)
“if it’s a bad time, we must not disturb them,” a man with a much deeper voice speaks, he stands tall, clerical robes combined with chainmesh and some armor, like his teammate.
you can tell there’s a third pair of eyes on you, and the way her arms are crossed, you can tell the purple haired elven woman isn’t exactly a fan of yours. from her thoughts you could tell she thought your act of ignoring their words, despite the group seeking you out, were rude. but the calming hand the first speaker placed on her shoulder was successful in stopping any sort of snappish comment.
so, you raise a hand, hoping at least they’d see your beckon to sit, “agh, no it’s no bad time, just a little tired from the work, you know how it is...” you get an understanding nod, “i suppose this is why i work alone, my social skills aren’t exactly to par,” you chuckle quietly.
the purple haired woman has an embarrassed blush on her face, you resist the urge to laugh.
“i do have a question for you though, sir hekkeran, why seek me out? i thought foresight already had it’s team members already?” from your question, the group appears to share considering looks, silently communicating to which you could respect given how long you heard they all worked together.
then they seem to come to a silent decision, and they look to the man named hekkeran who nods again, “well, we don’t normally divulge this information, but this is about our other teammate, arche.” and soon you learn about the young woman who had come from disgraced nobility, desperately working to earn enough money to find a place for not just herself but for her younger sisters, two little girls who were kept in the dark about their father’s misdeeds but also of the sacrifices being made for them.
(a part of you that you had believed to be tucked far away stirs at that. the thought of any family having long since passed, at least you had believed so, it was a warm memory, but it only tugged at your heart painfully now if you allowed it to).
you bring your hand to your chin in contemplation, “i believe i understand,” you begin, “so if your offer is still on the table...” you trail off, looking at the trio currently sitting before you, smiling gently when you see the hope in their eyes.
before he answers, the doors burst open, and a young woman with short blonde hair all but bursts through the doors, “i’m so sorry i’m late!”
hekkeran grins good-naturedly, “nope, you just made it.”
the girl’s frantic expression begins to relax, and you scoot over on the seat of the booth, giving her room to sit, and rather than subjecting her to the poor quality ale, you offer your canteen of water which she takes gratefully, wherever she had been coming from, it was no doubt in a sprint. the purple haired woman’s intense gaze softens, but only just.
as the much taller man fills her in, you study the group before you, it was easy to underestimate them, with the way their personalities could be easily be taken at face value, but you could see where their hidden strengths were too, in their team. (but you didn’t live as long as you did without being taught the hard way that such strengths were easily twisted to weaknesses too).
a naïve part of yourself could only hope they didn’t learn such a lesson too quickly.
soon enough, the afternoon sun began to set into the evening, it would be time to return to the palace. so you stand, say your goodbyes and walk yourself out, disappearing into the crowd just as easily as you had always done.