Clarisse woke up to a dim, incandescent glow shining on her face through the window and a burning feeling of hunger in her stomach. “Gosh, is it morning already?” she mumbled to herself, turning over and closing her eyes again. All she wanted to do was sleep for a little bit longer right now, but her stomach was revolting. She wanted to call out to her mother for help, but even that felt like it was too exhausting to do.

  She groggily wrapped her arms around herself and let out a frustrated sigh, before noticing that she was holding something: a purple shirt which had been balled up and wrinkled in her grip. The moment she recognized the shirt, all the events of the previous two days came back to her.

  Looking for snow rabbits, getting attacked by a pack of something, escaping and falling asleep in the ravine, being saved by Nikolas and Seraphim, returning to the guild, the cleric’s treatment. It was a sudden rush of memories that washed over her. In a panic, Clarisse whipped aside the blankets covering her to take a look at her leg, praying that everything was alright.

  Much to her surprise, her leg seemed completely fine. She was also dressed in a fresh set of clothes - although they felt a bit too loose for her liking. She reached out and grabbed the spot where the bite had been, breathing a sigh of relief at no longer feeling any pain. “Thank you, Aireme…”

  Looking around, she recognized that she was in the same room as the one in which she had last been awake. She slowly sat upright, easing herself off the bed and gradually shifting her weight onto her legs. She took a few steps, pacing back and forth across the room until she was confident with her ability to walk. Looking back at the shirt, it was strangely clean despite how she remembered it had been bloodied by being wrapped around her leg.

  A few minutes later she slowly opened the door and poked her head out, looking either side to make sure she wouldn’t bump into someone walking by before heading out of the room and making her way back to the front desk with the t-shirt still in her hands.

  Rika was, as usual, manning the front desk by herself. Although, today seemed to be yet another empty day as there were no new quests on the board. The adventurers in waiting had dwindled further, with those remaining simply hoping something would happen soon. The receptionist was cleaning accumulated dust from her glasses when she caught Clarisse walking out through the corner of her eye and jerked her entire body sideways in a sudden motion of attention, happy to see that at least something had turned out for the better.

  “Kid! You’re awake-'' Rika beamed, getting up from her chair and grabbing Clarisse’s shoulders. “And you’re okayyy! I bet you’re feeling really hungry right now,” she continued, looking at her with a knowing stare. “How are the clothes fitting you? I had some of my old ones lying around from when I was younger, so I thought this could be a good use for them.”

  Clarisse seemed a little confuddled by this sudden stream of attention. Rika hadn’t nearly given her this much of her time when she had first assigned the quest to her. “Actually, yes. I am feeling hungry. The clothes are okay, but how’d you know that?” she asked, unsure if this was supposed to be some sort of side effect.

  “Joshua’s magic is a little bit unique when it comes to healing,” Rika replied cheerfully. “Aireme blessed him with the ability to accelerate the body’s natural healing mechanism instead of just plainly healing wounds. As a result, all his patients end up being very hungry by the time they’ve healed. But, at least the color has returned to your skin now, hmm?”

  “Whoa - that’s pretty cool…” Clarisse’s train of thought had veered away now, caught up in her own imagination surrounding healing magic before she snapped back to reality, looking at the shirt she was holding. “Is- is Nikolas around?” she asked, hoping that he would be.

  Rika shook her head, but her smile remained as if that was a pretty normal case. “He came by in the morning and then left immediately since there were no quests. Quite the strange adventurer, wouldn’t you say?”

  Clarisse looked down, she wasn’t ready to make any judgements about him yet. She thought about what to do next, focusing on the shirt crumpled in her hands. “I want to return this to him…” she held up the article for Rika to see.

  Rika giggled, acknowledging her desire “Joshua told me you refused to let go of this one the entire time he was treating you. I was going to put the other one in the wash but it looked pretty clean so I kept it in the back.”

  “W-what?” Clarisse felt blood rushing to her cheeks and averted her gaze. “I don’t remember doing that! Please don’t tell him…”

  “Fufufu~” Rika laughed. “It’ll be our little secret. You can leave it behind here if you want, I’ll make sure he picks it up the next time he’s here. I’d tell you where he lives if I knew it myself, but apparently nobody that comes here does.” she sighed, patting the redhead.

  Clarisse was about to glare at her, but her stomach saw a window of opportunity and spoke up first with a loud gurgle, making her face go even redder than before.

  “I’ll get you something to eat from inside. Just wait right here-” Rika disappeared to the depths of the backside of the hall yet again, leaving a grateful Clarisse to pick a table and sit down, waiting patiently as she thought her situation through.

  It was about an hour before Clarisse had had her fill, slowly eating the stew Rika had brought her as she mulled over what she wanted to do next. She had painstakingly watched her failed quest be handed off to another group of adventurers who had been waiting. Although it meant one less thing for her to worry about, she knew that she was still far off from being able to take another quest even if it was available in her current state.

  “Feeling okay now?” asked Rika as she walked by her table and plopped down a pile of folded clothes and some other knickknacks on the table.

  “Yeah, I am,” Clarisse replied. Her eyes lit up, recognizing the items placed near her. “All my stuff! Thanks for taking care of it, Rika. You’re very kind,” she smiled, quickly getting up and checking them.

  “Of course! And you can keep the dress you’re wearing right now too,” Rika waved off the compliment. “I outgrew it years ago anyway.”

  “Really? I’ll take good care of it, promise!” Said the redhead, her demeanor switching tact entirely as a result. “Hopefully I grow into it soon…” she chuckled.

  Rika glanced back at her desk to confirm that nobody else needed help before turning back to Clarisse. “What are you planning to do next?” she asked, curious if she had come up with anything over her meal.

  “Hmm…” Clarisse stared down at the folded stack of clothes and then at the purple shirt lying next to her. “He told me to look for a party, but I’m not sure if I’m even ready to go adventuring right now… there were a lot of things which I could have done better when I was out there.”

  “Maybe it would be a better idea to look for a mentor instead then,” the blonde advised, raising a finger and drawing a pair of parallel lines in the air to demonstrate. “Someone with enough experience to show you the ropes, and help you get to their level.” she continued, slowly moving her finger from the bottom line to the top one.

  Clarisse considered her idea for a minute, but nothing of interest came to her mind. “I don’t know more than a few people in the guild by name, so I don’t even know where to start for that…” Her gaze fell on the shirt lying next to her again, she didn’t hesitate to bring it up now. “Do you think he could help with that?”

  Rika seemed pleased that Clarisse came to the conclusion she was hinting at, even if without much confidence. “You won’t know until you try! And honestly, all I’ve seen him do is enter, grab a quest and leave every time since he first showed up here… Not a lot of people are eager to see a kitsune either after the last few years. I reckon he could use the change of pace since there aren’t any quests to take up at the moment.”

  Clarisse’s expression hardened with a tinge of resolve upon being encouraged. “Alright then - I’ll go ask him! Do you have any idea where he is, though?”

  Rika looked embarrassed for a moment, shaking her head. “No clue, sorry. Although I doubt there’s many people who look like him, let alone any other kitsunes in Junnhaven. Asking some of the nearby guards around the square or vendors in the market street should be useful.”

  “Oh.” Clarisse paused before breaking into a laugh. “That’s okay. I’ll drop my clothes off at my room and try my best to find him today. Thanks for the advice!” she called out, already heading towards the front door holding all her things in a small pile between her hands.

  “Good luck!” Rika called back to Clarisse as she left, before returning to her desk. There was still paperwork to complete for the receptionist, and one more tab to keep track of in the redhead’s name.

  Basking in the shade of peak afternoon among the grassy knolls outside Junnhaven, the masked adventurer was tinkering with what looked to be a miniature alchemy kit. By mixing in ingredients he had collected on last excursion into the caverns and combining them with a glowing liquid from the contraption into various vials, he was synthesizing his own potions. Much to his dismay, however, his peaceful venture was soon to be interrupted by a familiar voice.

  “Nikolas! I finally- found- you!” Clarisse huffed, catching her breath as she supported herself on her knees, momentarily exhausted. “You have no idea how awkward it was to keep asking bystanders about a masked fox…” she said in between breaths, a wide grin showing on her face despite the exhaustion.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “So you have,” Nikolas replied nonchalantly, unsure of what to make of her sudden appearance. He closed his alchemy kit and strapped it back to his waist, getting up. “Good to see you back on your feet so soon. I trust the guild clerics take credit for that.”

  “Yep. Joshua took care of me,” the redhead replied, before remembering something and pulling out the shirt he had lent her. “Here- thanks a lot for giving me this. It uhm, helped me through the treatment..?”

  “Good to know…” Nikolas accepted his shirt back, folding it up haphazardly and tucking it into his backpack without much care. Most of his attention was on Clarisse, finally getting a proper idea of what she looked like without all the dirt, mud and injuries from when he first saw her.

  “You came all the way out here just to give this back?” he asked her, sounding a bit amused.

  “Kind of… but not just that!” Clarisse replied, from her point of view it was the natural thing to do since he had saved her life. “I also wanted to ask you about those tips you said you had for me as an adventurer. Is now a good time for that?” she asked, unsure if she had interrupted anything important.

  Nikolas glanced to either side of him for any excuses, but there wasn’t anything around for him to use as a distraction besides endless grassy plains with the occasional hill in between. “I guess… What do you want to know about first? There’s a lot to being an adventurer.” he asked, beginning to walk back towards the city.

  “Well, Rika was telling me that I should get a mentor…” Clarisse began, unconsciously fidgeting with a lock of her hair. “to, you know- teach me the ropes and help me start out. A Cerdiwen to my Aelus, or something like that. I was hoping that you could…” her voice trailed off as she glanced at him while unconsciously twirling a lock of hair in her hands, hoping that she wasn’t asking too much of him.

  “I am not cut out to be a mentor,” Nikolas interjected, well aware of his own limitations. “Magic is a tough nut to crack, and I’m not interested in it myself.”

  “That’s okay- I still need help with… other stuff?” Clarisse tried again, unsure what avenue she could pursue to convince him. Her thoughts wandered back to the alchemy kit she had just seen him working with. “Maybe you could teach me how to brew potions? Those are useful too!”

  Nikolas let out a sigh, realizing that it would take more than just discouragement to sway Clarisse from her course. “Alchemy is more of a novelty. I can help you start off with the basics, like weapons and armor.”

  “That’s great too!” Clarisse replied with a shine in her eyes, taking his response as an affirmative even if just for part of what she needed. “Where do you think we should go for those?”

  “Probably… the market street,” Nikolas shrugged, looking at Clarisse’s outfit and deciding that it needed an overhaul. “Let’s get you some proper adventuring gear, hmm?”

  “Yay!” Clarisse grinned, increasing her pace out of excitement for what was to come as they made their way back to the city.

  “Okay, where do we start?” The redhead asked anxiously, standing next to the main market street of Junnhaven as the sun began to sink into the clouds, looking down the busy road but not knowing where to begin.

  “Probably armor. You need decent protection over anything else,” her fox-eared companion lead the way into one of the shops. “Richardson’s – for a beginner I’d recommend starting here. You can work your way towards customized, enchanted gear later.” he said, reading out the name of the establishment as they went in through the entrance.

  The building of Richardson’s wasn’t particularly large, but its interior was packed to the brim with various sets of armors, clothing and other accessories like saddles and small items. Armor stands hung from the walls alongside the entrance, leading down to a more rustic part of the shop.

  Clarisse eyed the rows of armor lining the walls with a sense of awe but also confusion, she could picture how they’d look on adventurers rushing into battle but at the same time hesitated to see herself in them. “I don’t think anything heavy would go well for me, Nik,” she commented to him, hoping that he had a better idea of what to buy.

  “That’s understandable. One of the clerks here might be better to help you pick, though,” Nikolas called out, raising a hand to get the attention of the workers stocking the shelves with equipment.

  “Hey, it’s good to see you!” the clerk called out as he walked over, despite not knowing either of them. “What can I help you with today - armor, accessories?” His eyes quickly glanced over both of them, looking over the equipment they had on, and then locked onto Clarisse as the obvious customer, given Nikolas’s attire. “Something for you, young ma’am?”

  “Armor for her, preferably lightweight. Clothes to match would be good,” Nikolas shrugged, taking a step back and letting Clarisse take over.

  Clarisse nodded, adding onto his request. “Do you have anything with heat resistance? I’m a pyromancer, so that would be necessary.”

  “Of course! You can follow me, right this way,” the clerk replied, leading them to another section of the store and pointing out a few sets of dyed leather armor. “All of these are made of leather and ironbark fibers, resistant to heat and very durable.”

  Clarisse eagerly looked over the sets on display, but none of them looked very appealing. She glanced back at Nikolas to compare them with his armor, earning a hum from him as he kept his thoughts reserved. “Do you have anything that’s a little more… subtle? I don’t think I’ll be able to move very well in those.” she said, imagining herself struggling to walk in a full suit of armor.

  “In that case, would you like to try out some chainmail?” the clerk asked as he walked past them to the section behind and pulled out an undershirt made of interwoven links of metal. “They won’t have the same resistance or protection as the other armors, but that can be fixed with your clothes.”

  Clarisse smiled, liking the idea of having her armor be covert. “Do you have these in my size?” she asked, standing close to the chainmail he held up and seeing that it was far too large for her body.

  “We can measure you for a better fit,” The clerk said, before looking to either side for someone else. “A moment, please,” he said before walking off in search of another employee.

  Clarisse turned back to Nikolas, wanting his opinion on her decision. “What do you think? An undershirt would be better than a full set, right?”

  “Choosing movement over protection is one way to do things, although not everyone would agree it’s a better way to survive. You’ll have to be careful with the challenges you encounter,” he replied, leaning on the nearby wall and continuing his analysis. “Chainmail is a good idea to preserve your flexibility in combat, but it’ll change the way you should train using your magic - you won’t be able to take direct hits as often. Take accessories like straps and a knapsack to help carry items since those would have gone on the leather suit too.”

  Clarisse blinked with a blank expression, not expecting a multifaceted approach akin to his. “Okay…” she looked around, waiting for the clerk to return.

  It was about another minute before the clerk showed up again, this time accompanied by a scruffy-looking female co-worker. “I’ll be taking your measurements, miss. If you’d follow me to the changing rooms.” she beckoned Clarisse to follow her.

  “A-alright.” Clarisse glanced back one last time at Nikolas, who had resigned himself to lean against the wall and wait for them to complete fitting her.

  Although she had found it to be tedious, it wasn’t long before Clarisse was freed from the tailor’s measuring tapes and told to wait in the changing room. It felt eerily quiet in there, shut away from the rest of the world in a tiny cabin. Her silence was interrupted by a sharp pair of raps on the door a few minutes later, and when she opened the door the tailor handed a small box to her, shutting the door right after. “Those go under your clothes.” she mentioned before walking off.

  Clarisse opened the box, finding a folded up chainmail undershirt and skirt. She held them up to her body, looking into the mirror to see that they were the appropriate size before taking off her clothes and trying them on. The undershirt fit her snugly without being too thick, to her surprise. The skirt had some weight to it and dropped down to her thighs, but fit her well otherwise.

  In the other part of the store, a clerk attempted to strike up small talk with Nikolas. “New partner?”

  Nikolas shook his head. “Just showing her the ropes.” He made it clear that he had no intention to keep spending his time looking after fresh adventurers.

  “It’s not such a bad idea to make friends, you know,” Sera whispered to him, peeking her head out of his backpack before retreating into it and leaving him to ponder on the matter. Apparently she had been listening in on him from her hidden vantage. For how long, he had no clue.

  While Clarisse was admiring herself in the mirror, there was another pair of raps on the door. The seamstress had two more boxes, this time lighter than the single box with chainmail in it though. She opened the first one to find a pair of long grey boots which came up past her knees. They looked sturdy and were a chore to slip on due to their length, but she sunk right into them. The other box had a white dress which opened from the front into a pleated skirt, with golden hooks on one side to hold it all together. The dress was only a little loose for her around the waist, and her sleeves frilled on the ends. She looked at herself in the mirror and a thought crossed her mind that she looked pretty regal in the dress - someone important and worthy of respect.

  She stepped out of the changing room and walked back to where Nikolas was waiting for her, eager to show him her attire. “How’s this look for an adventurer?” she asked, confident that it would earn his approval.

  “It’s… alright. We can work with that,” Nikolas replied blankly after scanning her outfit with his piercing gaze much to her dismay. His eyes darted across the wall behind her, and he pointed to a set of straps which went across the chest and waist. “Try that on – it’ll help you carry extra items and give you places to hold weapons while not using them.”

  The redhead looked towards the clerk for his request, who sprung into action bringing the item off the wall to her. She tried to put it on awkwardly, mistakenly missing one of the gaps where her arm would go at first but eventually getting it right. The straps fit over her clothes well, and had space to be tightened to solve the issue of her dress being just a little loose. “This feels good.” she commented as she tested her flexibility in the outfit by moving her limbs.

  While they were looking over her new outfit, the clerk came back with all her old clothes packed into a paper bag and placed it down next to Nikolas. “Would you like to have some spare copies of the same outfit then? The outfit is fire resistant as asked…” he asked them, hoping to make more sales.

  Clarisse nodded, but then glanced at Nikolas for a number since she wasn’t familiar with what would be the right amount.

  “Two more sets should suffice,” Nikolas answered. “Everything but the boots. They look strong enough to survive a few encounters.”

  Clarisse smiled, looking at herself once again and doing a twirl. “Thanks for helping me pick this out!” she said, picking up the paper bag with her items and walking around a bit, trying to get used to the new outfit.

  “Don’t mention it.” the fox-eared boy replied, walking back towards the store’s entrance. The clerk accompanied him to the payment counter, bringing another paper bag with the extra outfits they had asked for as well.

  Nikolas dropped a couple of silver coins on the table and picked up a small pile of copper coins in change before heading out. There was no afterthought about the payment on either end, the cashier recognized the age-old tradition of mentors paying for their apprentices’ first set of gear, something which had been passed down amongst adventurers for as long as anyone could remember.

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