The ashes before Strife

Episode 2 : Party of Friends ; 2

The nobles of this world are just as big a pain as in my previous one. Though more chatty.

I pulled out a piece of paper with directions to the party on it reading them aloud "by the main water fountain go down the commerce district and look for a shop called ugly concoction." That's a weird name for a medicine store.

I arrived at the fountain and circled it until I realized the street with rows of street vendors and a big tree at the center of it was the right one. I then jumped off lupra and walked beside her down the street for a few minutes asking a stall vendor where it was to learn it was at the very end of the street.

I recognized the blue and white building from my wanders around the city, the smell of alchemy materials from the front door made it evident I was in the right place even though it looked compact with the number of adults standing inside.

I guided Lupra around the building looking to see if there was another way in, judging by the increased amount of children's screams and laughter it was apparent that I was going the right way.

As I kept walking around a stone wall separating the garden from the street ejecting from the houses stone borders came into sight. Curious as to what was happening on the other side I lifted myself up standing atop a long pillar of ice to peak over along with Lupra who joined me.

I saw roughly thirteen kids all playing together the oldest looking to be 9 years old, all wearing pink cone-shaped hats including the two noble brats who lupra growled at when she noticed them but I stroked her mane to calm her down just noticing the table with a pile of gifts on it.

There were 5 different girls there all with different hair colors playing with the noble brats so I had no clue who it was that was actually the alchemist's daughter.

I then looked further down the stone wall noticing the wooden fence door as well as a salmon pink-haired girl sitting alone in the corner next to some gnomes trying to avoid attention.

I took a gamble thinking it was the birthday girl having her first social interaction, I then turned the pillar of ice to mist absorbing the mana back from it, and walked down to the gate entrance instructing lupra to stay outside the gate as I didn't want to draw attention. "You think that girl is the stalker Lupra?" She barked affirmatively as we walked forwards.

As I entered no one seemed to notice me until I turned my head to look at the pink-haired girl whose gorgeous amber eyes stared into my green eye reminding me of a sunset I saw in my old world, yet I felt a strange presence of threat from her that was there yet nonexistent. I shot her a quick smile causing her to blush and she quickly moved her hat to cover her face making me chuckle at how cute the reaction was.

I then walked over to the table with all the presents to give in mine going around the crowd encircling the two brats but was stopped when a pink-haired elf woman came out the back door in plain clothing leading all the adults outside stopping me from placing the gift down as they now surrounded the table. Judging by how the elf was acting as the organizer keeping the adults entertained I made my final assessment that the gnome girl was the birthday girl.

Unable to place my gift on the table I decided to give it to the girl directly but when I looked back she was now trapped in the corner with a distressed expression as the two brats peered down at her sitting on the floor in between two gnomes. I couldn't hear it but I could tell that they were making fun of her.

Annoyed by this I blew a high pitch whistle using my fingers calling lupra to peer over the fence right above the girl who scowled at the two boys scaring them making them run to the large group of kids not noticing me jog past them.

"Are you ok?" I extended my arm to her as she gave me a hope-filled look of admiration, she took my hand with her delicate small hands and I raised her up from the black cushion her grey and green dress covered before and asked "what's your name?" With a happy smile across my face trying to hide my awkwardness of being so close to her seeing her short pointed ears.

She looked at me with a joy-filled expression "it's Lumine... will you..." I looked at her and watched as the shy elf blushed heavily trying to get her words out of her mouth until finally, she said loudly "will you please be my friend!"

Her eyes were closed as if desperate for me to answer yes, I grinned and said "of course!" She then opened her eyes in realization almost surprised that I was still here holding her hand with a big smile staring at her, she then finally smiled herself and forced herself into hugging me wrapping her arms around my back making sure I wouldn't try to run away.

"Oh my, Lumine you've finally made a friend." I turned my head around to see Lumine's mother kneeling on the ground stroking her head "boy I really must thank you for becoming friends with my daughter, she's quite a shy person you see." Lumine finally released me from her grip but stayed tied to my hand as I responded "it's fine. I don't really have any other friends either other than Lupra." The elf then gave a confused look "who's Lupra? Your the only child here whose name is unbeknownst to me."

"Lupra you can come in now!" The gate door then slammed open and the two elves looked as a white wolf with a cyan mane came barreling towards me licking my face and hair until I finally got her to stop using my only free hand. "This is Lupra, my tame. I've been with her for about a year now."

The two looked onto the wolf and Lupra stuck her nose into my hand that was still holding Lumine's who had only just realized quickly taking it away before hiding behind her mother hurting me slightly on the inside. "You have a remarkable wolf boy. Make sure to treat her well, by the way, my name's Andras, I'm Lumine's mother." I did a slight bow in response as her hands were busy fondling Lupra's blue mane.

"Uhm I've watched you ride her before.... can I as well?" Lumine spoke as she started to reveal herself reaching her hand out to Lupra who quickly put her snout in dazzling Lumine.

"That's up to Lupra really once she trusts you enough." Lumine's face stayed happy despite my answer, I then looked around to see the white coat brat coming over with who I assumed was his father in a proud mocking manner as well as the chubby brat just arriving in different clothes than before being terrified when he noticed me.

"My, my, miss Elgrave it's a surprise to see your daughter speaking to anyone other than my son Edgard. Has she finally broken out her shell?" The tall buff man wore a white coat similar to his sons but instead of arrogance in his tone, it was respect or perhaps fear. "It would be nice to know the young man's name. Perhaps you could be friends with my son as well?" He peered down at me with a friendly gaze as his son stood upright and arrogantly.

"It's cayde sir. I'm sorry to say this but I'm not exactly on good terms with your son after he tried to pour paint on my tame in the adventurers guild last week." I gestured for lupra to play with Lumine who then placed a red ball in her sloppy hands waiting for her to throw wagging her tail.

His gaze turned malicious "is that so? How come I've never heard of this Edgard?" He picked up his son by the color of his coat as if he were a kitten now with all manner of arrogance gone and now replaced with fear.

"He's lying father clearly! If I did do anything of the such, surely you would have found out about it! He's trying to deceive you!" He peered back down at me as I gave an indifferent attitude watching lupra play catch with Lumine.

"Cayde." He now picked me up with his large hand around my waist "did you by any chance get any vengeance on my son?" Edgard then shivered in fear as I recalled the memory of covering him in grease and feathers to his father who then let out a bellowing laugh "you actually dared to do such a thing to my son kid? Hahaha, you've got guts ill give you that. My son said it was because he snuck into the kitchen and a pot fell on him.!"

He gently placed me back down and Lumine's mother sighed in relief while many others were still laughing from the story. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin "here. consider this as compensation for disciplining my son for me. Now ill take my leave, it appears I need to have some father-son bonding time. Good luck to you young Cayde!"

He then carried his son away followed by a butler staying silent but with an angry expression on his face "bye shippy!"