The party arrived at the vast docks of Cors early in the morning. Cosmo had managed to sleep for a few hours on the boat as they coasted over the water, which had been as smooth as glass the entire journey there. He had awakened just a few moments ago to a glowing mass of wooden buildings surrounded by swaths of people milling about, despite the early hour. Tall, black oil lamps were almost as numerous as the townsfolk surrounding them, providing a warm lighting to the streets and docks.
Cors was a simple town, constructed mostly from the wood of the black trees Cosmo had seen on the mainland. Cobblestone streets unsuccessfully defeating an onslaught of moss and overgrowth winded through the city, being pushed up by the roots of nearby mangrove trees, which grew just as rampantly as the detritivores which laid claim to the stone paths. Where the cracked walkways could not reach, petrified wooden piers stretched hundreds of feet into the sea, crowded by mariners, enormous trading ships, warships, passenger ferries, and market stalls, all buzzing with activity.
What Cosmo found the most bewildering was a towering stone temple, looming over the quaint wooden structures of Cors. Similar to how the Temple of Farvoraf seemed to be regarded as the center of Trovvs, this polished ziggurat was nearly impossible to look away from. Illuminated by a vast ocean of streetlights, the temple was guarded by a patrol of golems, tall enough to be seen all the way from the outside of Cors. A chill ran down his spine as Cosmo got a glimpse of their lifeless eyes, which were hollow and black.
"It is said that for as long as the mangroves populate the shores, the city of Cors will never sleep." Lileth said as she tied the boat to the docks with ease.
"Good." Molniya said. "They should give us enough cover so that we are able to remain hidden from Varren."
"Cover that we hopefully won't need. Let's just pray to Tatiova that Varren does not either recognize me or have some twisted spell that allows him to detect our presence." Elias made a face as he got out of the boat. Cosmo, Lysander, and Molniya followed as Lileth kept it in place.
"The inn I stay at is just up the road." Lileth said, after testing the knot she had tied. "Follow me." The five walked across the creaky dock, apologizing as they squeezed past the numerous patrons of the dockside merchant stands. This had been the first time in a long while where Cosmo had walked through the streets of a town and not received strange looks or glares. He chuckled and brought this to Molniya's attention.
"While my people may not be the most trusting, at least they live in a bearable climate." She shivered as she made the remark, scowling at the sharp gusts that cut through her clothes. "I'm going to freeze if I'm out here much longer."
"This weather actually reminds me of home." Cosmo smiled. "I don't mind it at all."
"Of course you don't mind it, Kyosah." She rolled her eyes. "I don't own a pair of thicker clothes. If you wear much more than what I am in the Boiling Pot, you'll collapse from a heat stroke before you get too far." Cosmo ignored her abrasive tone and sarcasm.
"Well, you're in luck. When fleeing from my home, I received a traveler's coat from an old friend." Cosmo quickly asked Lysander for his travelpack, struggling for a few moments until he produced the olive coat, looking somewhat worn from the weeks of travel. Molniya wrinkled her nose.
"It smells like a fumarole." She winced, recoiling from the scent as they traversed the busy street. Cosmo assumed fumaroles did not smell pleasant.
"Well, not much can be done about that." He responded, embarrassed. "But it will prevent you from freezing." She begrudgingly took the coat, slipping her arms through the sleeves, which were somewhat short on her. Wearing it, she looked adventurous and handsome, but also world-weary. Cosmo was brought from his thoughts when Lileth spoke up.
"Here we are." The group had stopped in front of a three story wooden building, which was reminiscent of Hallar's tavern. Cosmo trusted this location a lot less. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about how the lantern outside swung in the breezeless morning, or how the support beams creaked under the building's own weight, or how the door squeaked as Lileth pushed it open that made him feel as though something was wrong.
Rather than lingering on these thoughts, Cosmo collected himself and walked through the entrance, where he was met with a cozy lobby. The walls were decorated with animal pelts and paintings of beautiful wintry landscapes. A fire crackled in a nearby brick fireplace, which was surrounded by a couple red satin armchairs and a sofa.
A shifty man wearing a hat that obscured his eyes from view stood near the fireplace. Several feet away sat a goblin, who rested his feet on an end-table with a blissful look on his face. Two halflings sat on a bench on the opposite side of the room, looking out of a window and then back at one another with dreamy looks in their eyes. Cosmo was most surprised, however, to see an orc and a loxodon conversing on the left side of the large counter, where patrons would reserve rooms. As their group neared the counter, he picked up on some of their conversation.
"I suppose I came to you looking for guidance." The orc said. "Ever since what happened that one night in Kran, I've wondered if fleeing from the attack was the right thing to do." Cosmo's curiosity was piqued, and he listened a little more.
"What you spoke of was unreal." The humanoid elephant responded, in a voice so low that it seemed to rattle the floorboards. "If one of these lizardfolk that you speak of approached my city with the power of lightning at her fingertips, I don't know if I can say I would act differently." As Cosmo realized what the orc was referring to, he smiled, returning his attention to the tall counter in front of him.
The innkeeper was a hulking man who seemed to be a humanoid lion, with a large snout, whiskers, and silvery fur covering him from head to toe. An enormous mane surrounded his head and one of his eyes shone emerald with jaded ferocity. The other was a cloudy grey, a surly scar afflicting its vision. He looked up from a book he had been reading. Comparatively, the novel seemed miniature.
"Oreon Moonhide." He introduced himself gruffly as he marked his place and set down the book. Cosmo got the impression that the leonin disliked conversation with his clients. "Eighty silver for a room. Ninety for the larger ones on the top floor." Lileth produced a coin purse, seemingly from nowhere, and placed a gold piece on the counter.
"I'll take a larger room." She then grabbed another stack of gilded coins from the purse, pushing them across the counter. "For a week." This, apparently, was deemed worthy for Oreon's attention. His eye widened.
"Of course, ma'am." He had exchanged his previously ambivalent tone for a more polite one. Prying open a counter below him, the leonin grabbed a ring with two keys on it and threw it in front of Lileth. Setting a few silver pieces down as her change, he opened his mouth once again. "Have a pleasant stay." Oreon gave a slight nod to the five before returning to his book. Seeing as the innkeeper didn't have much to say, the party followed Lileth up a nearby flight of stairs, which creaked loudly under their weight.
The hallway upstairs was short and dimly lit, constructed of ancient wooden planks which were nearly consumed by algae and moss. Four doors stood on each side of the hall, each with a lantern next to it that seemed to be minutes from flickering out. Lileth approached a door on the right that was adorned by a sign inscribed with the letter C, which was also engraved on the key in her hand. Another loud creak was heard in the inn as their room's door opened to reveal a dark interior. Cosmo wondered if every piece of wood inside of Oreon's establishment made so much noise.
"The lanterns here are always on their last leg." Lileth scoffed as she held up a rusty black lantern, attempting to light a flame inside of it. Upon alighting it, the room was embraced by a low and warm glow, allowing Cosmo to see everything.
Their lodging was simple, despite the extra fee involved in renting it. There were four beds, two symmetrically pushed up against each wall. Each bed had a small nightstand next to it, with an oil lantern like the one in Lileth's hands adorning them. On the far side of the room was a huge window, spanning the entire wall with two deep red curtains hanging on each side. A simple spruce table and three chairs stood in front of the window.
"We have until nightfall until I am in need of your assistance." Lileth said calmly, setting the lantern down. "Everything will go smoothly if I can ensure we will be obscured by the shadows."
"I'm going to decide not to ask where you acquired such vast amounts of gold to pay for this room." Elias said, a deadpan expression on his face.
"Good. Trust me, it's better that way." Lileth responded, with a smirk.
"If I may be so bold to ask," Molniya started, interjecting herself between Lileth and Elias's conversation. "What exactly does your plan entail?" She brings up a good point. Cosmo thought. I'm just beginning to realize that I didn't even specifically ask what we'd be doing.
"I'll tell you when we regroup here tonight." Lileth answered, looking out the window. "It gives you less time to ask questions like these." Cosmo nodded, not bothering to argue the point which seemed moot anyways.
"In that case, I saw a library on our way here." Lysander mentioned. "If I have all day, I might as well spend it researching and see what I can glean from it."
"I'm intrigued." Elias added. "I will join you in your research, perhaps I will be able to find documents regarding healing magic." He paused. "Cosmo, Molniya? Care to join?"
"I'm going to pretend as though I'm not offended that you didn't include me." Lileth remarked sarcastically.
"I think we'll have to decline." Molniya answered, shooting Cosmo a sly glance as she answered for both of them."
"We?" Cosmo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you plan to learn the ways of combat by yourself? You do remember our deal, don't you?" She asked, smirking.
"I never made a deal with you." Cosmo retorted. After only hearing vague rumors and fables regarding Cors, he desperately wanted to learn something real or concrete regarding the city. Plus, this library that Lysander spoke of was most likely the best place to find information about the Divine Prism, which he could only assume was Lysander's reason for going there.
"You didn't, yes, but, if you don't want to get thrown to the side like a useless pawn the next time we encounter Varren, you will." Molniya retorted, attempting to enrage Cosmo. However, he knew that what she said wasn't far from the truth. Even though he had been able to wound Varren, Cosmo couldn't count on getting that lucky a second time.
"I suppose that's right." Cosmo nodded. "Where will we be able to acquire weapons, though? Most of the money I began this journey with is now gone."
"I'll buy them, then." Lileth said, flipping a golden coin in the air with a metallic ringing. Everyone in the room looked at Lileth in surprise.
"You can't be serious." Cosmo managed, still caught off guard.
"Why wouldn't I be?" She once again flipped the gold piece in the air, only to catch it before the coin reached its apex. "When you can have all of the money in the world," She shifted her eye color absent-mindedly, cycling between beautiful orbs of extraordinary complexity. "What value does one more gold piece hold?" Lileth looked at Cosmo, flicking the gold piece at his chest, which fell into his hands.
For a moment, there was a deeper connection between the two. He looked deep into her eyes, which could be crimson, or auburn, or jade, or mauve at her desire. An endless sea of questions arose every time she spoke. Lileth was the definition of an enigma: constantly changing and adapting, unpredictable and impulsive, but somehow still calculating and analyzing others just enough to come out ahead in the end. However, this is all Cosmo was capable of gleaning from Lileth's mysterious character. What exactly is really in it for her? Why did she choose us specifically? Is it really the correct decision to trust someone who has devoted their life to scandalous acts of crime and blatant thievery? Cosmo remained unsure about these questions, but something seemed off about Lileth in a way he couldn't describe.
"If you're offering to pay for our weapons, we'll take it." Molniya responded, her head held high. "But we'll need more than this."
"Have at it." Lileth responded bluntly, tossing a small sack of golden coins to Molniya, who appeared shocked that she was even holding the bag in the first place. "Happy hunting!" She waved coyly at the four, a mischievous grin spread across her face. For now, Cosmo had to concentrate on what was directly in front of him. His questions regarding Lileth could wait for later.
* * *
Most of the various merchants and stores occupying the crammed streets of Cors were one or two stories tall and seedier than most places Cosmo had visited in his journeys. Nonetheless, with the money that had been given to them by Lileth, Molniya and he were able to purchase professionally smithed weapons of steel. The lizardwoman had demanded a spear, insisting that it was the "proper" manner in which to do battle. A knife that extended about the length of his forearm had caught Cosmo's eye. He grinned as he felt the blade's weight in his hand. It was heavy, but familiar. Perhaps he now even stood a chance against Molniya in combat.
"You can tell they don't import these from Ogof." Molniya scrutinized, as she wrinkled her nose and inspected the tip of the spear. Few chips or tarnishing in the metal was noticeable, but by this point Cosmo was familiar with her standards.
"It's probably the best we could get, though." He sighed in response. "None of these merchants seem too keen on ensuring the quality of their product." He lowered his voice so that the operators of the nearby crowded market stalls could not hear him.
"Of course they don't." She shook her head, her illusory golden hair shining in the dim morning sunlight. "If they had, they would have correctly sourced their weaponry." This time, it was Cosmo's turn to shake his head.
"Ruthless and jaded as always." He smiled, having almost grown comfortable with the otherwise offputting traits of hers.
"Are you implying I should expect anything less than the best?" Molniya asked, cocking an eyebrow. After moments of thought, Cosmo couldn't seem to find a valid rebuttal.
Several hours passed as the two wandered through Cors, looking for an open field or forested area to train in. Since a large portion of the island was densely populated, this appeared to be much more difficult than expected. Despite this, the two eventually traversed the length of Cors, reaching the last few shops and taverns before a vast and idyllic countryside stretched over the horizon. By the time Cosmo and Molniya had prepared themselves to spar, wrapping his spare clothes around the dagger and spear to assure they would not be injured, noon had passed and brought along with it a disturbingly dim sun that felt about as radiant as dying torchlight. A dismal grey dominated the sky, shutting out the bright rays Cosmo had grown so accustomed to in the Boiling Pot.
"If you ignore the shoddy craftsmanship of that smith in Cors, you have good taste in weaponry." Molniya commented, as the two began to position themselves just outside of kicking range, as she had instructed him earlier. "I am proficient in only two weapons. You're lucky that a knife is my other specialty.
"Well," Cosmo began as he looked at his own weapon. Even though the two were just sparring, he was almost as nervous as when he had faced Folcanrog head-on. In a way, the elder dragon and Molniya are not too different. He thought, before continuing. "What do you plan to teach me?"
"You're just as eager for me to beat you senseless as I am." She chuckled, before looking him in the eye. "To start, I will teach you three things. They're so simple, even someone like you is capable of understanding them." Cosmo ignored her snide remarks. He was aware of how Molniya taught. This time, he did not intend to lose. "The first thing you must learn is footwork. Having an expertly-crafted weapon means nothing if you have no idea how to move properly in battle." She stood on the balls of her feet, slowly swaying as to avoid prediction. Her long hair moved hypnotically behind her.
"Next, is distance." She instructed, without giving Cosmo time to respond or ask questions. "In the heat of battle, all your opponent needs is one well aimed or timed attack to your knife hand and you're done for. In order to prevent your untimely death, keeping the appropriate distance from them is key. You need to be close enough to strike your foe when they slip up and provide you an opening. However, you need to balance this with the appropriate distance from your opponent, which will vary depending on the weapon they're using."
"So, since you're using a spear, I need to keep the most distance in between both of us as possible, but how will I be capable of attacking you if you're so far away?" Cosmo asked, picturing the scenario in his head.
"What you lack in combat training, your magic should be able to compensate for. Even if you are fighting an enemy such as Varren, one you cannot use magic on, spells can assist an individual in any number of ways outside of merely hurling a ball of flame at your opponent." She explained, rolling pebbles around her fingers and grimacing at her skin.
"Third, is timing. This is the most important one." Molniya looked him in the eyes with a sobering stare that sent shivers up his spine. "It's only something you can get a feel for after much practice. Timing is the essence of combat: when to strike most effectively and when your opponent is going to strike you. When up against a new opponent, their weak points and openings are going to be the thing you focus on most. Then, in the latter half of the battle, you will be able to attack where it counts most and triumph over your opponent. Overall, timing is what makes a soldier a true warrior. Are you prepared to see an example?" She smirked, her eyes narrowing.
"I understand." Cosmo gripped his knife until his knuckles turned white. His eyes shone with frustrated determination as he readied himself. "Do your worst." A commanding tone surged in his voice, almost by accident. Molniya smiled and, in an instant, she had closed the distance between them, slamming the wooden shaft of her spear into the bridge of his nose.
The world spun as she advanced, swatting him on the sides of his face twice more before he had the wherewithal to retreat several paces. As Molniya charged, Cosmo reacted this time, dodging to the side and sliding across the saturated earth below them. Using his momentum, Cosmo smacked the butt of his dagger into her ankle, causing her to falter as she wheeled on his new position. In that second of hesitation, he advanced, striking Molniya in the side once and her ribs twice. She retreated momentarily.
"You fight like an ogre." She spat, charging his position and redoubling her speed. Before Cosmo could dodge, Molniya swung the wrapped end of her spear into his shoulder, causing him to flinch as pain flared in the joint. "Instead of disarming or injuring the arm I use to aim my attacks," She kicked Cosmo in the chest, sending him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. "You aimed for the vitals in a risky gamble that did you no good. You must fight like you are against a serpent." Molniya pressed her foot into his chest and held the tip of her spear against his throat. "A snake without its fangs; without its venom, is no threat to you."
"I see." Cosmo gulped. He had next to no idea of how sparring with her was going to go, yet this particular situation was not exactly what he had had in mind.
"Once your enemy cannot fight back, you have the choice to let them live, or put them out of their misery." She chuckled, extending a hand to Cosmo. He shamefully took it, which still felt scaly despite her outward appearance. As Cosmo stood back up, Molniya put distance between the two of them.
"Again." He managed. Cosmo still struggled to breathe. His shoulder flared with pain and he felt disoriented, but pressed on. Varren's arrogant expression was still burned into his retinas.
"Well, of course we'll spar again. As I'm sure you know from past experiences, you don't learn anything by losing only once." She readied her spear, vigor in her eyes. "I'd say you'll start learning something by the sixth time." Molniya smirked confidently. From Cosmo's perspective, the disguise didn't work at all. Even under her extremely realistic human appearance, her expressions were all the same, down to the way her eyes shone with fervor in the middle of battle.
"Quit talking and prove it." Cosmo's aggression flared, the frustration boiling into anger as he gripped his knife and steadied himself. Molniya's eyes narrowed and she advanced, approaching him from the side.
Responding with zeal, he ducked under a well-executed jab from Molniya's spear, which soared over his head. Planting his foot, Cosmo wheeled on her forcefully, aiming for the shaft of her spear with the blade of his knife. If I can just get it out of her hands, I'll have the advantage. He planned, wincing as pain shot through his shoulder.
Before he could react, the spear was lurched from its previous position, causing Cosmo's attack to hit nothing but the space where Molniya's weapon had been. A split second later, she had slammed him into the dirt and planted her foot on his chest.
"Is that adequate proof?" She sneered. "You know, sparring with you is going to make me lazy." He stood up, this time without her assistance.
"Don't be cruel." Cosmo shook his head, frustrated.
"Don't promise what you can't deliver. Now, give me a proper challenge." She backed away from him, readying her spear and signaling to him that she was prepared for battle.
Cosmo advanced, sidestepping in a circular motion around Molniya's position, inching ever closer to her and watching her every move. Once he had gotten close enough, her hands tensed around her spear. She's going to attack. He knew it instantly, his eyes wide. Planting his foot into the ground, he lunged away from Molniya's spear. Despite his best efforts, she predicted the dodge, tilting the angle of her weapon at the last second, which was now headed directly for his side. Fortunately, Cosmo had prepared for this.
Slamming his other foot into the earth, he narrowly avoided the lurching attack and grabbed the spear, flinging it across the field and out of Molniya's reach. She scowled, diving forwards and latching onto Cosmo's legs, bringing him to the ground. His dagger sank into the ground, just out of his reach.
"Perfect. We'll see just how well you can fight without these shoddy weapons." She smiled viscously, twisting Cosmo's arm with malice and pinning his wrist to the ground. Pulling his knee upwards, his leg made contact with Molniya, who tumbled over his head and crashed into the ground. Briskly, he ripped his dagger from the ground, prepared to press it into her neck and claim victory for himself.
Just as Cosmo attempted his counterattack, Molniya's foot slammed into the back of his head, pressing him into the ground and keeping him there. The world spun as though she was dangling him from his legs and for a moment, Cosmo wondered if he would be sick.
"Better luck next time, Kyosah." She spoke, through gritted teeth. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me." Molniya removed her foot from its resting position on the back of Cosmo's head, moving to retrieve her spear. Goaded by rage and frustration, he leapt to his feet.
"How can I learn anything if you injure me so greatly?" He asked, incredulous. Molniya pulled the spear from a section of tall grass, turning around to face him. A look of dismissive apathy painted her pale face.
"Injuries are how one learns an art such as battle. At times I wonder just how childish you are, Pustum." She spat the final word, causing an uncomfortable cold sweat to wash over Cosmo as a sinking feeling gnawed at his stomach. "If you wish for your opponent to take you seriously in battle, then dropping that pitiful look in your eyes might be a good first step." Cosmo took a deep breath as shame flooded his being. A moment of tense silence passed until he could manage a response.
"My apologies." He responded, unsure of whether he meant it.
"Unfortunately, apologies won't make you more of a man." She grimaced. "Remember my words from earlier. I did not speak them for no reason." Molniya readied her spear once more, nodding at Cosmo to signify that she was ready. Closing his eyes, Cosmo looked within himself and breathed. I am acting like a child. He shook his head in disappointment, upset he had even thought of acting the way he had. I must remain calm and focused. Emotions such as these have no place during battle. Cosmo recalled what had taken place in Trovvs, looking at the blotched scars along his arm.
"This time, I will not lose." He stated, conviction swelling in his voice.
"That's more like it." Molniya responded, gripping her spear defensively as Cosmo charged her position headlong, watching for her sudden movements and looking for openings within them.
Jabbing her spear forward, Molniya attacked with precision and ferocity, nearly slamming the padded end of the weapon into Cosmo's forehead. Avoiding the attack, he leaped to the right and lunged for the spear, only for Molniya to advance, grabbing the lethal end of the weapon and swinging the wooden shaft in his direction. She's expecting me to be opportunistic and grab the spear. I don't know what her plan is, but it would be foolish to walk directly into it. He thought, remaining calm despite his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Feinting a dodge to the left, he pushed off of his left foot and rolled under her attack, the momentum creating an opening on her left side. Seeing the opportunity, Cosmo leapt forward, prepared to strike Molniya in the side and incapacitate her. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of cloth in the sunlight as she adjusted the grip on her spear and prepared an artful counterattack to Cosmo's left. I will not lose. His own words from mere seconds ago echoed in his mind.
"Vyzér!" He shouted, the incantation ingrained in his mind. Producing Dragon's Focus from his pocket, Cosmo extended his hand to the left and fired off an explosion, shunting him several feet to the right and rendering Molniya's attack ineffective. Gritting his teeth, he slid his feet along the dusty ground and released another explosion, closing the distance between the two at unimaginable speed. Cosmo pressed his arm against his chest and bashed his shoulder into Molniya, slamming her to the ground as her spear was sent flying from the impact.
"Gwyth." He extended Dragon's Focus in her direction, pressing her into the ground with magic. She smiled, despite her injuries, and tapped the ground with her hand three times. Cosmo released the spell and offered his hand as she had done to him following their earliest match. To his surprise, Molniya took his hand and stood, emphatic in comparison to her previous mood.
"I was beginning to think you'd never listen." She chuckled, breathing heavily. Cosmo felt proud that he had been capable of depleting her stamina, and then somewhat guilty for the scale of his physical attack. "While I fail to understand your previous reluctance to utilize magic during our battles, you move fluidly and intentionally. Your skill is leagues from that of Varren, or anyone with plenty of combat experience for that matter, but if you continue to improve at this rate while we reside in Cors, we could be able to change that." Molniya paused, as though the words she wanted to say couldn't leave her mouth. "Overall, I'd say I'm impressed." She nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders. Cosmo was more than flabbergasted from her response.
"Surely, you must be joking." He responded, uneasily. Molniya was not one to compliment people. Now that she had finally broken this pattern, Cosmo found that he didn't have the slightest idea of how to respond.
"Well, if your believing that I'm joking prevents your ego from growing, so be it." She answered, wryly. "You surely aren't anything special, but I think we're finally getting somewhere."
"Oh," Cosmo fumbled for his words. Not only were her words a complete deviation from her typical mannerisms, they were coming from someone Cosmo admired greatly, as far as combat, technique, and intelligence were concerned. "Thank you, Molniya. I remain greatly apologetic for how I behaved earlier."
"Ah, who really cares about an opinion such as mine? Perhaps I've become all eccentric and jaded like my father." She laughed, the wind blowing her hair over her face. Molniya's now sharp blue eyes shone in the afternoon sun and they rooted him in place as though he had been turned to stone. The two made eye contact and Cosmo's eyes widened, hoping she hadn't thought him to be staring. "Alright, Cosmo. The day is young, and it takes much more than four sparring matches against someone like you to wear me out." She smirked again, an expression he had become all too familiar with seeing. Despite her words, he smiled.
"For once, I agree." He responded, catching his breath and stretching. "I can't keep beating you if we don't continue." Molniya laughed.
"You let a human get one win under their belt, and they believe they are the king of the universe." She shook her head. "We'll see how well you do when I use magic." Cosmo and Molniya continued to spar for the remainder of the afternoon, the sounds of explosions, thunder, roaring flames, and chilling ice echoing across the empty field as the two fought to the best of their abilities. After hours of training, the two were fatigued and covered head to toe with bruises and scrapes. Even though he outwardly appeared inches from death, Cosmo had learned much over the course of training with her. After agreeing to meet additional times in the future, they returned to the inn, unsure of what exactly Lileth had in store for them.