"It's this way, I think," Alvec said as he guided the other two through the streets.

  "Are you sure we really need to do this? Hoc isn't our concern, really. We can just let him burn those bridges. Might even cover for us a bit more if he did." Mavec said.

  "Don't be saying that," Illaria said as she struggled to move as slowly as the two wizards did. Her gait was much longer than either of theirs

  . "We could use more allies here in Sha-Laial. It gives us a place to run to other than the Blue Banner." Illaria stated.

  "Do we even know where Sarbie lives, though?" Mavec asked.

  "Nope, but I can sense Rem." Alvec reminded him as he swiftly cut down a side street. "And we know it's not too far from the church. She's local. As is Hoc." The sun was already hanging low in the sky at this point, casting everything in golden red light. He paused in front of a particular house. He couldn't be 100% sure that this was the one, but he could feel a gentle sense of comfort nearby. Rem was happy, hopefully receiving some gentle scritches or the like.

  "This it? Looks about how I imagined." Mavec said.

  "Well, what do we be waiting for? Illaria said as she brushed past her friends and knocked on the door forcefully. There was some soft murmuring from inside before a man a smidge shorter than Illaria opened the door. He was a well-muscled man whose hands were rough. No doubt his vocation used them often. "Hello, I'm Illaria, and we were hoping this might be the residence of a certain cleric of Kushang by the name of Sarbie? Would we be correct in thinking so?"

  The man pursed his lips and nodded yes. "That must make you Illaria." The man said. "Come on in." He said as he stepped away from the doorway.

  "We don't have to come in; our conversation should take but a moment. I really wouldn't want to intrude." Alvec said as he stepped out from Illaria's shadow.

  "To be honest, I didn't even want to come, but Alvec's using the buddy system until further notice per the Blue Banner Armies instructions," Mavec said with a sigh. The man's facial expression changed to a smile as they gently reached out and wrapped an arm around Illaria's shoulder, tugging her gently into the house.

  "Nonsense, we'd be poor hosts if we didn't invite our daughter's friends in." The man said.

  Mavec stepped back quickly. "Ok, well, that's nice, but I'm going to go back to the tower. I'm two coffees short of having the energy for this. Illaria, he's your responsibility now. Take care of Sarbie's father." Mavec took a few quick steps backward and kept on moving. Illaria looked behind her and scowled at Mavec. She caught herself doing so and quickly shrugged at Alvec.

  "You do be knowing that look wasn't meant for you right?" She asked. Alvec gave a soft smile in response.

  "I assumed you just hated him shirking his duties," Alvec replied.

  "Damn straight, keeping you safe keeps the empire safe right now, so I'll be damned if I take three steps out of your sight."

  "Relax, Illaria, we're in Sha-Laial, and I'm no slouch with combat or spellcraft. It's very unlikely they'll manage to ambush us."

  "Very well then, I do be supposing we can afford to stop here and relax a while," Illaria said. The pair followed the man into a small kitchen where Sarbie and a woman who looked like her but was twenty years older both sat. Rem was perched on Sarbie's lap and, surely enough, receiving an absent-minded scratch.

  Her father, upon entering the kitchen, gestured widely at their two guests. "Sarbie, look who we have here." He was grinning ear to ear and raised his eyebrows before lightly pointing to both of the adventurers.

  "Illaria, Alvec?" Sarbie questioned as she squinted at them. "I wasn't expecting company." She said as she scooped up Rem and pointed them in their direction. "Rem, what do you think?"

  Alvec and Illaria laughed. The fox delightedly chirped at them. Only Alvec understood his meaning. Alvec chirped back to him. It was a new sensation for him. Using his magic to shape the sounds leaving his mouth. Turning the common tongue into the speech of a fox. "He said it's us and questioned why you're not used to our scents yet. I don't think he understands we don't perceive the world the same way he does."

  "Kudos to you, though, Sarbie; that be just the sort of thing you should be doing if we drop in unexpectedly," Illaria said.

  "Our cleric has grown pretty world-wise, aye?" Alvec asked.

  "Aye, though, we best be getting to the reason we came here. Do you wish to speak with her in private?" Illaria asked.

  Alvec shot her a look. "I'm not sure it would be the most appropriate to speak in private, though it is a bit sensitive of a topic," Alvec replied.

  Sarbie let out a soft groan. "It's Hoc, isn't it?" She asked.

  Alvec sheepishly raised a hand behind his head and ruffled his own curly hair. "Yeah, it is. I take it someone's already mentioned the uh... issues he's having with the church right now?" Alvec asked.

  "Yeah, my parents and I just got done sharing what we've been up to." She quickly waved her arms. "Don't worry, I kept things VERY vague for their safety. They just know that we're currently looking into something VERY important and that if anyone, no matter who comes to ask them questions, they aren't to tell them anything more than to look for us at the tower."

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  Alvec nodded in agreement with her word choice. It was true and also useless. If the Gold came here, they'd get no real information. "Might I add a cryptic sentence to what you've said?" Alvec asked.

  "Be my guest; you had to tell your family stuff when we met them, so I figure you're already an expert," Sarbie said.

  "If you see a purple glow on the horizon, please seek shelter at the church or perhaps our tower. Whichever is closer." Alvec said.

  "Ah, yeah, that's a good point," Sarbie said.

  "Well, you certainly weren't kidding about the cryptic part there were you, Alvec." Her father stated. "Now, I believe you had something to share about our daughter's friend Hoc?" He asked.

  "Well, since you seem to be in the loop anyway, I guess we can just talk openly. We went to the church to visit him after Eddis told us that he was getting himself in trouble for learning too quickly. Apparently, he's been training with Eddis in the ways of the Green Banner Army and also training under the ghost of the sixth strength, Nath. His attitude also left a lot to be desired. I'm pretty sure he's not in a good way. I figured I'd give you a warning in case you ran into him on your own. He did not take your absence, or his getting left behind well at all."

  "You can be saying that again," Illaria stated. "He was a right tool. Naya chased after him while we came straight here. Here's hoping she gave him a stern talking to."

  Alvec snorted; he couldn't imagine Naya giving a lecture of any sort. "Nah, she probably challenged him to a fight or something. Seems more her style than verbally giving him what for." Alvec said. Sarbie and Illaria both broke into a small fit of laughter. It was hard to imagine Naya talking it out, but duking it out was, in fact, easy to believe.

  "Do you want me to talk to him?" Sarbie asked while her face pursed in a please don't ask me to.

  "Look, I'm sure all the rumors he's been hearing haven't helped his ego one bit." Her father said.

  "Do I dare ask what the rumors be saying?" Illaria asked.

  Sarbie's mother let out a small chuckle before answering. "Oh, just that she ran off with a certain tiefling she'd been seen dancing and enjoying a meal at the festival with. Something perhaps about eloping." Ilaria slightly regretted having asked. She watched as Alvec shyly twisted away from Sarbie, a flush creeping up his face. She almost wished the boy had toughed out the embarrassment; perhaps then he'd have seen how much Sarbie's face had flushed as well. The two of them hardly needed a push, just more time, so she'd let them coyly dance around that for a moment.

  "You two don't be believing the rumors, do you?" Illaria asked.

  "No." both of her parents spoke in unison.

  "Well, that's a relief. I don't think I could handle the embarrassment of explaining the whole situation." Alvec said.

  "Our daughter isn't the type to run off and make rash decisions like that. Whatever the reason she left, I'm sure that it will be fully explained as soon as it's safe to do so." Her father said.

  "Also, she's never really talked much about boys. Honestly, the way she talked about you was about the most I've ever heard her talk about any boy, and I think that's mostly because her father and I kept asking her questions. We wanted to know a bit about the boy she was hanging out with."

  "Mom, really?" Sarbie asked.

  "It sounds like I owe you a thanks as well." Her father said, extending a hand to Alvec. "She sung your praises about how you spared no expense to keep her protected. Thank you for protecting my little bookworm." Alvec shook his hand firmly.

  "I'm sure our favorite bookworm also left out all the times she saved us. She's got a nasty habit of leaving out all of the actions she took that made her look like a saint." Alvec said.

  "The time that devil kept stomping on Bait's skull, she dove right in to heal him even though it placed her within striking distance," Illaria stated. "I owe my best friend's life to you. Also, don't you dare be telling him I said that." Illaria said.

  "How about when we were in Alusai's tomb, and the repeating guns were aimed at me? I'm certain even with my spellcraft, I wouldn't have survived that many attacks if it hadn't been for her healing me. We literally couldn't have done any of this without her." Alvec said, grinning ear to ear. "Making friends with her has been one of the best decisions of my life. I'm glad we ended up here in Sha-Laial."

  The sound of heavy pounding on the door was an unpleasant punctuation to his words. "Hey, it's Hoc; I need to talk with Sarbie. Can I come in?" Came the boy's voice.

  Glancing over to her, it was easy to see that this was the absolute worst way this situation could resolve. "Let me know if you want to disappear," Alvec said as he pointed out the lit candle. "I'm sure Illaria could bluff him away while you just sat there invisibly," Alvec whispered. The question, the presentation of a choice, snapped her out of her dread for this moment.

  "No, I don't think I can run away." She said.

  "I can go talk to him instead. I can't guarantee he won't throw hands, but I promise not to use any offensive magic. I swear by my magic. I can tell him those rumors aren't true."

  "No!" She replied more sharply. "This is between Hoc and I. It has nothing to do with us. So, I'm going to set this straight. One way or another. You two just stay here and chat with my parents." Sarbie stood up and bowed politely before heading to answer the door.

  "So, might there be just a shadow of truth in them rumors?" Illaria asked Alvec pointedly.

  "Look, Illaria, you know the stakes. We can't afford to be distracted right now." Alvec said, trying to brush off the question. "And is now really the time to ask such things?"

  "Oh, I do be thinking it is. I'm sure your mother asked her similar questions, its not fair for you to be getting away without answering them." Illaria replied.

  Alvec cleared his throat slightly. "To be clear, there isn't anything happening now."

  "Are you saying there might be down the line?" Her mother asked.

  "Well, I don't know. I'm not going to breathe life into words not yet spoken. But I will say that I certainly enjoy her company and wouldn't mind getting to know her better after this adventure wraps up however it does." Alvec replied.

  "Now be sure to be telling her that as soon as you can," Illaria said. "Just not tonight. Whatever their conversation is, we don't need to be adding any more stress to it." Illaria said. Alvec nodded. Her father stepped in front of him real quick, sizing him up once more.

  "You certainly are a lot smaller than what the bards from Rust Hill said, but I see it in you. There's a steal to you. I saw a bit of your fight with the Red Banner. You don't give up easily, that's for sure. Just remember to be respectful, and I think you'll get where you're going. I don't think my daughter ever would have gone out on a limb for you in the first place if it wasn't the right thing to do. If she didn't feel like she could trust you." The man clapped him on the back and went about fetching a drink.