Their boots beat the often trodden path so worn with travel there were several tracks from carriage wheels worn into the dirt. There was no blue sky, only an endless light fray overcast, with darker clouds further south.. and to the far east. They would eventually come to rainy territory or the clouds would come to them. It really was open grassland. Eerily devoid of life. The long grass was tall even Irvine at his height could not make out anything moving inside. No little creatures scurried across their path this time. Staring straight ahead there was no one in need of assistance this time, likewise no hope of a free ride for the help they could offer. Lily stuck close to Irvine as they stepped into the grassy plains, hand coming up to grip the bag so she didn't lose sight of him. He may be able to see above it, but she could not, and it worried her.

"Oi.. Mind if I see that crystal of yours?" Irvine asked out of the blue. "I'll give it back."

Upon his next question, she seemed more reserved about her decision, unsure about letting him handle such a precious keepsake. She was told to always protect it, and letting it out of contact with her, even just a minute, would make her incredibly nervous.

"Okay.." She murmured, fingers still closed tightly around the chain, not uncurling as she didn't want to drop it or lose it.

He could still observe the crystal without taking the entire thing, right? At least, that's what she thought. They could afford to stop for a moment. The hesitation was very obvious and Irvine was not going to force Lily's hand or just take away her precious pendant. He took blue gem between his fingers and gave a it once over, leaning down to stare into the crystal. In it, he could see a ripple behind the rock. Like it contained water, or it was the magic itself having an effect across the gem like others. She was nervous, hand holding the chain shaking a little as she wasn't sure what was going to happen. Would his magic have an lingering effect on the crystal? Would just touching it make it burst into a bubble of water? She didn't know, and it was the unknown that had unnerved her, moreso than letting Irvine examine the pendant.

"I've seen some of these before.." Irvine murmured, "they're like those small crystals that would wash up on the shoreline.." He let Lily take control of her necklace again, "That was... a few years ago, though." When he let go, explaining that some would sometimes wash ashore, it gave her a bit of hope.

"Do you think they would still do that?" She asked softly, tucking the necklace below her collar to keep it safe, her hand reaching up to grip the bag.

There was no telling what kind of monsters could pop out of the grass at them, so staying together was her optimal goal. If crystals were attracting these things, she began to worry about their safety in general. Could they make it to Hollifern in one piece? At that, her bodyguard and current guide through the dense, swaying grass shrugged his shoulders. He spread the long blades out of their way to prevent them whipping him in the face, and Lily to some extent.

"It's been a while since I've seen it happen. And they were small, rough, about half the size of that pendant. Probably small chunks broken off of underwater deposits Warren talked about."

He was usually so curt, so blunt, and more often than not would not sugar coat a damn thing and enable lofty hopes that could only fall harder.

"Maybe, squirt, maybe.." He told her. "You are turning me into some fuckin' softie.." Irvine couldn't help but chuckle a bit. As he spoke about the possibility of there being more water crystals out there, her hope grew stronger, a smile lighting up her face.

"Hmph.. Well, you could stand to lighten up a bit more." She giggled, nudging his side.

As they continued onwards, the path started up a slope, slight hills ahead that were covered in the swaying grass. The grass wasn't as tall the higher they walked, so it would be a decent vantage point to get a view of their surroundings. At the top of the hill, Lily looked out at the prairie of swaying grass, trees and larger hills in the distance, a small village near the fork in the road. Just a sprinkle of buildings, it seemed. A carriage stable and a few local businesses such as a trader and a camping spot for caravans. It looked like a safe place to rest, if they wanted to stop and make camp, but it was still too early in the day to do so.

"Hey, you only bought a few of those potions.. Won't you need more soon?" She asked quietly, worrying that he may run out before they reached their destination.

"Zara has contacts," Her taller protector said, scratching his chin. "She always told me that if I ever run low I would just need to send a courier... with twice the amount my potions typically go for. Greedy hag.." Irvine said with a smirk on his face. Those were necessary for him, so the idea of running out and suffering through those vivid nightmares again was not one he desired to entertain. As he explained how he'd get more potions, Lily looked up at him with a scowl, a genuine look of contempt on her face. Her bodyguard let out a bark of a laugh, the clearest to date he had given and openly grinned.

"I've never seen a look like that from you!" He gave her head a couple heavy pets."You don't even know the worst of it. She sells them to me ten at a time for twenty freaking gold! Heh.. Don't worry, I'll be fine.." He reassured his charge and took a moment, with his hand over his eye to shield from the sun, to survey the road ahead. He brought one of those very vials to show the rather viscous, sludgy green liquid inside, with what appeared to be algae growing on top and clinging to the glass. not to mention the orange globules freely floating inside.

"It's even more disgusting than it looks," he said with a smirk, a rather sneering one too, "and they have those nasty side effects, too.. All to give me what I need.." He shook his head and pocketed it. "Sometimes they're twenty-five if I've pissed her off. So.. For a delivery this far, it'll be forty gold..Out of my pocket, to put you at ease." He said before looking out over the fields, spotting the small town just up ahead.

"I don't remember one being on the map. Must be that small.." At that direction, it was only a touch off course, but passing through would still take them to the same place. He made sure Lily was holding on to him securely before venturing back down into the high grass. His petting ruffled her bandanna and bangs again, making Lily have to straighten them out once again. She straightened the strands out, taking the bandanna off as locks fluffed up from leftover static.

"That's awfully expensive.." Lily grumbled as they headed back down into the grass, clearly miffed about the idea of paying twice as much for those potions.

"Do you even know what's in that?" She asked him, lifting a finger to poke at the vial, watching the orange globs float around.

"No idea." Was his reply to a very important question.

He had zero idea of what hideous herbal remedy for his night terrors Madame Zara had brewed for him. It tasted like a plethora of every awful matter possible turned into green slop and it did the intended job like no other. That was all he cared about. After readjusting her hair and tying her bandanna back on, Lily looked around as she gave thought about their financial situation. They'd have to do some work soon, or she'd end up broke before the week was up.

Moving back down into the grass, Lily became a bit more paranoid, jumping at the slightest movements that weren't their own. The idea that something could attack them without much warning made her very anxious, her grip tight on the bag. The walk to the small rest stop was not much longer, the grass having been trimmed by horses and hands alike, giving them ample space and a cleared place to set up camp. She had relaxed when they made it, letting go of the bag to stretch her arms with a small groan.

"I could pay for half of them... But then I'd have no money to pay you." She offered, that look of guilt returning to her eyes.

"There has to be some way to make money if we're going to be spending it on shipping and food." She sighed, running a hand up through her bangs, looking around the rest stop. As with many other established stables and in some cities, there were bounty boards and job boards, locals listing jobs for anyone to complete and earn money. It seemed easy enough, to just take a posted job listing and showing up to complete the request.

"The trip to Hollifern isn't that urgent, you know.. We could take a couple of days to do some work and build up travel funds, right?" She said as she walked over to the board, looking for something that would fit their skills.

Irvine shrugged his free shoulder. She made an excellent point.

"I can't argue with that. If you make even two gold per day, you won't be losing money everyday we sit here." There were decent bounties for some annoying critters, likely looked at too lowly by actual guild members. That left the job to desperate hunters and mercenaries. People too, for one reason or another, had 'Live' prices on their heads. Some even for 'Dead' ones. The other half was local businesses like Bars, Couriers, Barnyards and the like looking for parttime help.

"It's my medicine for my fucked up mind. I won't make you pay for it. I'll be able to cover the cost, I'll still have ten days or so before I even need to send word to the hag." He left it at that. He noticed a flyer advertising for help wanted in the mines, likely the same ones Warren talked about.

"Find yourself some work first. I'll go along to make sure no one gives you trouble."

Lily scanned the board for a job suitable of a timid, fragile mermaid such as herself. Working on a farm would require a lot of muscle, something she lacked.. same with the mines. She couldn't do a lot of heavy lifting repeatedly. She wasn't fast enough on her legs to be a courier, as that took a brisk pace and sense of direction. The only thing she found suitable would be working in a bar, as she did have some skill in cleaning and service from selling flowers. She only hoped her anxiety wouldn't be a burden.

"This job looks fine.. besides, I think you'd feel right at home." A teasing remark from the meek girl? Odd, but there nonetheless.

"It's a small place, so not too many customers, right?" She added, holding the post in her hands.

"You can only hope." He told his charge. Leaning over, he inspected the flier. "The Meadow's Respite.." A quaint little name.

He asked around for them and found the place with little issue since it was one of just five buildings not mobile in this little reststop. It also seemed to be the oldest. The saloon doors creaked as they were pushed in. The bar was helmed by an elderly gentleman who was dressed up rather dapperly for the job. A plump waitress of middle age brought drinks to the few occupied tables.

"Ah, this place is harmless.." Irvine said, looking around at the few older patrons sitting around with their drinks. Many seemed tired, downtrodden, clothes filthy and faces smudged. Blue collar workers it seemed, farmhands and miners alike looking to unwind. A low energy, barely crowded place with some decent looking folk made Lily calm down some, glad it wasn't full of thugs and mercenaries like in Woodmoore. Her boots made quiet thumps on the old wooden floor as she crossed it to reach the bar, putting the job listing on the counter as she looked at the bartender.

"I'd like to work for a couple of days." She murmured, looking up at him with a little more courage in her eyes, stamping out any stutter. She needed to take herself seriously if she wanted to work and earn more money, and today seemed like a good day to start. Besides, a job like this, she could earn a bit of extra money in tips! She already had the outfit, and just needed the old man to give her the job and when she could start.

The old man looked up with squinted eyes over a small pair of round glasses. He brought them up to get a better look at Lily and his gaze dropped to the paper.

"Okie doke.." He said with a smile. He simply took the paper and placed down behind the bar and brought out a simple white apron with the bar's symbol on the front.

"Take orders for drinks and I will handle that.. And you just take them to the customers, little miss."

Irvine doubted that job could possibly be messed up and if it was, well, he was the bodyguard for a reason and would be sticking around if Lily found any trouble.

"I'll have a water." He said as he took to a table, putting his back to the wall and sitting himself down. He brought out another cigarette and simply held it unlit between his lips.

Lily took the apron, taking her personal one off and putting it with her things before tying on the employee's apron. After securing her hair in a braid and tightening the bandanna, she was ready to begin her shift working at the Meadow's Respite. She was full of energy, happily trotting between tables, jotting down orders on a spare pad and bringing them back to the counter for the bartender. With Irvine's added security and the lax atmosphere of the bar, she was in a cheerful mood, happily moving between tables to take orders. This may have been the most social Irvine would ever see her, as there were no threats or uncomfortable tension around them.

She brought Irvine his water with a soft smile before skipping off to bring more tables their orders. He raised it with a returned smile. Lily at work brought a much more cheerful air to the place. He could see the grimey workers, whom he watched for trouble, perk up after even a brief talk with a pretty face. Many were hunched over the drinks and had their face in their hands, drowning the aches in their bodies with a spot of booze and daydreams of their comfy bed wherever it was. Lily helped to distract them further.

With such a mellow and calm energy about them, she was a bit more open, briefly speaking and chatting with some of the patrons, as it seemed to lift their spirits. She didn't like seeing people down and upset, so anything to make them a bit happier, she'd do her best. They struck up a tiny bit of conversation and some even introduced themselves. Most importantly, they thanked the meek mermaid. The energy remained fairly mellow, more upbeat. A group of workers started to trudge their way inside.

"Ah, my evening rush.." The older gent behind the bar said with a nod.

They filtered in, some taking to the bar while many filled the tables. Business had suddenly picked up quite a bit. As she brought her last order to their table, she looked up to see a fresh crowd wander in, making her anxiety spark up. As long as she kept her cool and collected, she'd be able to take their orders without hesitation. The evening rush began to settle, Lily regaining some of that relaxed composure as she brought drinks to the newcomers before making another round to check on the others. Irvine was impressed. Not that he wanted the poor kid to fail or embarrass herself, but.a few deep breaths in such a big, rowdier crowd and she was a serving dynamo. She kept her composure, was quick to serve and handle the lot. Irvine nodded in approval to himself. He started to grow lost in thought... One finger started to idly scratch at the table where he sat... And he was growing frustrated. He set his glass down lest he grip it so hard it shatter! Irvine started to pop his knuckles one at a time, the seconds too.

"Let the kid be.." He told himself, ".. the fuck was I even doing?" A moment alone, figuratively, gave him time to contemplate the journey so far. Lily's voice caught him off guard and his lone snapped to the temporary barmaid standing by.

"Is that all you're going to drink tonight?" She asked with a light smile, part of her glad he wasn't reveling in the beer or trying to get away with getting a beer on the house. Alcohol was not in her favor, as she was unpredictable when inebriated and didn't want to lost her sense of self control. He took his glass, drank and turned it upside down.

"Yeah.. Do go neglecting the rest of your customers now," He told her.

The mermaid tilted her head curiously, noticing some tension just a moment ago within him. Was he just as nervous around crowds? She reached over to take his glass, setting it on the tray she had before reaching over, patting his shoulder.

"It'll be fine." Was all she said with that sweet smile, hurrying off to bring the dirty glasses back to the bar. As the patrons relaxed and drank, some of those that had been there a while were getting to be rowdy and uproarious, giving the bar a more lively scene as workers told stories and shared in jokes, some drunkenly singing shanties and tunes, as it seemed the bar had no budget for live music. Irvine sat alone, trying to rid his head of the images of just how similar those two were. Trying to calm his racing heart and try to find some solution... Why was he making such a big deal of it now? Just... stop. That was the answer.

Lily managed to squeeze between some of them to reach their empty mugs, trying not to get pinned between one man's arm and the other's shoulder. They had sat so close, doing anything without having to make a little contact was going to be tedious. As she reached over to grab more, she felt weight on her back, one of the more drunken patrons laying a hand on the small of her back.

"Ya been doin' lotta work, shorty... come 'ave a drink with us, huh?" He slurred, leaning over with a sluggish grin, his breath reeking of ale and old tobacco. Lily didn't budge, as she feared any movement would just make the man's grip tighten on her back.

Irvine's moment of reflection, through which he had dimmed the noise of bar in his own ears, broke when he heard that specific voice over the rest. Over such burly men and broad shoulders, it was honestly difficult to spot Lily in the crowd. Irvine stood up and his boots hammered across the floor.

"She's busy." The lightning mage told the man, laying a hand heavily on their shoulder.

The drunken man craned his head around to look at the great white-haired blob, eyes drooping as he struggled to keep them at least half-open.

"Fuck off, ya cloud-lookin' git. I work hard e'ryday and I know when it'sh time to call it in and take a load off. Pretty l'il thing shouldn't be waitin' tables like that other wench, should be 'avin' a good time with some good people, eh?" He wobbled back around to look at Lily, only to find she had slipped out of his grasp while Irvine had him distracted.

She had managed to hide her entire body behind her traveling companion, glad that he provided enough cover for her to stay safe from that man and his equally drunk friends.

"Irvine.. I'm fine." She murmured, hand reaching up and gripping his sleeve from behind, giving a gentle tug. She'd have to tell the bartender about this, hoping he'd understand her decision to no longer wait on that particular table. For now, she had to call her bodyguard off of them before a fight broke out and she lost any potential money.

Heeding the words of his charge, Irvine released the bloke's shoulder and let the drunk arse keep it up. With any luck he'd pass out and his friends could carry him out. Or he would be thrown out on his drunken keister and Irvine would be grinning. Shoving his hands in his pockets, He nodded back at Lily and gave the drunken fool a final warning.

"I've got my eye on you. Watch your hands." The lightning mage took to his secluded table again. "Just when I was hoping to work off this aggression.." He murmured to himself.

Lily stepped back, taking the mugs to the bar before letting the bartender know about the handsy drunks over at that table. She walked back over to Irvine's table with another glass of water, a slightly apologetic look on her face.

"Here.. If it happens again, I'll let you know." The mermaid said quietly before going to continue serving drinks to other patrons. She made sure to avoid that particular table, not caring how much they left for a tip or if they paid for their drinks at all! She wouldn't be going back over there for any reason until those men left. The lightning mage had drank very little overall. Keeping to himself, arms folded, watching the various bargoers to make sure hands stayed away from the girl in his care. All went smoothly.

Dusk came and went, as did most of the patrons, some too drunk to walk as they staggered out to their caravans and tents, some to the stables for carriages to take them home, if they lived close by. The man that had troubled her before was still lingering around, leaning on the bar as Lily dried glasses with a cloth.

"Here, l'il missy, got yer tip right 'ere." He hiccuped, leaning over and moving to give Lily a kiss, though all he could see was a vague shape of her face. Irvine said to watch his hands, but said nothing about other parts of his body. Lily gave a small gasp and ducked out of the way, watching as the man fell over, flat on his face. He grunted in pain, bringing himself up onto his knees.

"Ya l'il bitch... should make ya regret that." He gurgled, swaying slightly as he struggled to get to his feet.

Irvine simply walked up to the bar and leaned against it next to Lily, between her and the fallen down leech that tried to work his drunken moves on her.

"How much did you make?" Her bodyguard asked, rather nonchalantly, even as he slowly brought his boot clad foot up to rest it on the back of the weary drunkard's head. Irvine didn't so much as flinch as he pressed and slammed the man face first into the floor.

".. Hm? Oh. Sorry about that.." The lightning mage told the plastered patron blandly, while rubbing the sole of his boot across the back of their head. He just turned back to Lily. The man was too drunk to fight back, his head slamming down into the hard wood flooring. There was nothing more he could do, body weak from labor and nausea beginning to rise. He remained there on the floor, passing out underneath Irvine's boot.

The sudden slam had made Lily jump, taking a small step back out of surprise. She looked up at her bodyguard, reaching into her borrowed apron and dumping the money out onto the counter. Using her fingers to deftly organize the coins, she came up with a total of eight gold with remaining change.

"Eight gold tonight.. Just in tips." She said with a light giggle, pocketing the money before she folded the apron neatly, leaving it on the bar before turning to him.

"Is there a place we can rest nearby? Somewhere a little more... private?" She asked, eyes drifting down towards the man on the floor. If more of them were like this, she didn't want to sleep out in the open somewhere that they could harass the two of them. Eight more days she could afford his services. Ah. He wouldn't be stringent about the whole payment thing in the end, anyway.

"That would be an inn," Irvine said. "Old man, got an inn in this town?"

The old gent was busying himself cleaning glass mugs at his steady pace. He laid another three gold on counter with Lily's tips as her pay for the help she gave.

"Hmm... An inn, is it...?" He slowly raised a hand to point toward the door, "That... You'll be looking for 'Bertha's Beddown'.. Just up the rud, 'cross the way.." He gave them a nod and went back to cleaning.

Lily took the three extra gold, adding it to her pocket as she thanked the old man with a warm smile. She thanked him again for the directions, reaching over and gripping Irvine by the sleeve. Not to lead him out of the bar, but to keep herself anchored in case there were anymore mishaps waiting around the corner. Walking constantly for a few hours made her legs tired, and she wanted nothing more than a soft bed to sleep in.

"Up the road, he said.." She yawned, rubbing at her eyes as her drowsiness started to take over.

"Hopefully we only need a couple of nights' stay, hm?" She murmured as she looked up at her bodyguard, a sleepy smile on her pale face.

It was nearly midnight at the time, the half moon high in the sky, illuminating the countryside with a blue glow. The clouds had vanished for now, leaving a clear sky and gentle breeze that swayed through the grass. It was peaceful, this little pocket of a town. Irvine glanced down at that face, porcelain pale cheeks and half-lidded eyes weighed down by fatigue and the late hour positively glowing under the moonlight.

He reached up to rub the back of his own head and replied with a simple, "Yeah.." At first. "We can both make good cash in just a couple days."

Bertha's Beddown was probably a little better for wear compared to The Meadow's Respite. Wood walls, peeling paint, a faded sign. The interior was rustic to say the best and aging at worst. The floorboards creaked a bit, the inside was dim even with candle and oil lamp light, and even a little chilly. The proprietress, Bertha herself, welcome them both. Stout, showing signs of her middle age with red hair pulled back tightly into a messy bun.

"Got a room on the second floor for ye," She told them, pointing right up, "a gold for the night."

Irvine paid her two. The key exchanged hands and it was off to bed. The lightning mage felt better as far as the side effects caused by his potions were concerned, but would be happy to fix his routine through the night. The short mermaid hardly cared for decor and appearance at this stage of fatigue, only wanting to climb into a soft, warm bed and call it a night. She stayed close to Irvine as they walked inside, marginally shivering from the slight chill of the inn. As he paid for two nights in the room, she gave another yawn, then a soft, thankful murmur to Bertha before following after her white-haired bodyguard.
The first thing Lily did when they reached the room was double check the window, making sure it was locked before securing the curtains across it. None of those birds, or any of those monsters, would be bothering them tonight. Once that was done, she searched their bag for her nightgown, wanting to change into that and have her clothes to wear the next day. There didn't seem to be a washroom, so it made her a little nervous, those tired eyes looking over at her companion near expectantly. Once she was allowed some precious privacy, Lily changed into the nightgown, letting her hair down from the braid. It sprang free from the tight binding, indigo locks shrouding her in thick curtains on either side.

She bid Irvine a quiet, "G'night.." before claiming a bed, curling up beneath the sheets. The mattress creaked, as did the very frame of the bed, under even Lily's weight. This place was not anything fancy, but all they needed some place to lay their heads. All he needed. At least she could help herself this time, he thought, while setting his boots aside and coat too. Taking at one of those vile vials, he tipped his head back while pinching his nose and struggled to swallow like other time. It never got easier. Irvine laid down in his bed, the wind outside picking up speed and howling slightly against the outside of the inn. He curled up, back to Lily, one arm half draped over his stomach, other under his head while he trembled from the ache his medicine caused at first. Then the drugs kicked in, lulling him to sleep.