Lily's shift began not much longer after she arrived at the bar, changing out her apron for the work apron she used that previous evening. As her bodyguard wasn't present, it seemed, Lily felt she'd have to take extra precaution in who she was serving and who was going to be a nuisance. The lunch rush was just as busy as the night before as workers took their breaks to enjoy some food and drink, as well as some returning just to see that cute new waitress. She kept up with the work, glad there was another barmaid to help out with the work.

Hours ticked away as Lily worked, making sure everyone was kept happy and that their orders were filled right away. She had nearly dropped a mug or two when someone bumped her, though she kept her composure and apologized for her near mistake. The drunk from last night had come back with some friends, ready to tussle with Irvine for what happened the night prior. Upon seeing him missing, it seemed they'd fall back into their old ways, harassing the waitresses and making a ruckus with their loud laughter and obnoxious conversations. It was going to be a long evening.. The hours waned and for once Irvine was sweaty, sore, tired, and in need of a place to sit. He had impressed with his work ethic and all that he was willing to do to help the pace of the construction, and by the time work was called and the sunlight was draining, they were well ahead of schedule. Irvine was offered a drink, but he declined. No, he decided to go the bar a bit early. He wanted to check in on his charge. He was twenty gold richer, anyway, and it would be a big help to his coin purse. Sweat soaked, mohawk down, he stepped into the bar with jacket under his arm.More patrons had come to spend a little while at the bar, drowning sorrows and enjoying the evening with friends and coworkers alike. Lily had been kept rather busy, trotting from table to table to bring drinks as well as clear the messes these country folk made so easily. She had just turned heel after setting two pints down at a table, moving around so fast her small frame slammed up against Irvine, nearly knocking her off balance. Her hand shot up in reflex, gripping the front of his shirt so she didn't fall over, then her she looked up to see who she had run into. A wave of relief washed over her as she realized it was him, steadying herself before she regained composure.

"Irvine, I have a small problem." She whispered, though couldn't say much as another round of drinks was ready.

"Ah, um.. Have a seat, I'll serve you in just a minute!" The mermaid said in that service tone many of her job title would use. She served more drinks to other tables before coming over to where Irvine would choose to sit down, a mild look of discomfort on her face."That man from last night.. He's refusing to pay, and keeps saying he 'owes me something..' Think you could..?" She kept her voice low, eyes flickering back to the other table at the corner of the bar.

"Oh, so now you want me to be mean?" Was his smartass remark made with a smirk on his face. It was in jest. He rotated his sore shoulders and heaved a sigh.
"Sure.. Bring a water back here for me while I have a chat with him?" He gave his charge a reassuring nod before rising from his seat with a grunt like he was at least double his age, dealing with such physical problems. Lily didn't find his jest to be very funny, a pout popping up though it didn't last long. There was a difference between hurting someone for cruel and unreasonable intentions, over protecting someone from an otherwise tough and terrifying threat.

She withdrew some water for him and put it in a clean glass, having it ready and waiting for him whenever he was done with her request. He walked over, dragged an empty seat with him and set it between two other burly men, so that he would be directly across from the bastard when he sat down. He looked the sloshed bloke square in his eyes."Pay your tab. Give my friend a tip for your trouble. Leave." He spoke slowly, sternly, laying out for them the path of least pain.The man looked up, much more sober from the night before, and sneered at Irvine. "Eh, it's the cloud boy again." He huffed, tipping his tankard upward and downing the rest of his ale."What's wrong with 'havin' a bit of fun, eh? Ain't hurtin' anyone.. Not yet, that is." He told Irvine, dropping the tankard heavily on the table. "Ya owe me for this bruise, boy. You and that little wench of yers.." He said, moving to stand up, hand flexing, glinting with a spark or two. He raised his hand up, a pale gray and green glow around it as he summoned ethereal swords in both hands, translucent and glimmering with fresh magic."Let's go, brat. You an' me, right now." He growled the the white-haired man, ready to have an all out brawl right there in the tavern.

Irvine was unperturbed, even as a heavy silence fell over the rest of the crowd and few scrambled for the door. He sat there with a blank expression through and through, gaze following the man as he stood up and summoned his weapons.
"If you want to do this," the lightning mage slowly stood up, "then we take it outside. Then you can wail on me as much as you like.." Irvine stuck his thumbs into his pockets and simply watched. He waited for answer.
"Do anything in here... I'll take it outside anyway. I'm giving you the option to walk.. So?"

The man set that glare on him, craning his neck left and right to pop it, releasing some tension there. "Ya think yer plenty cool for some stranger, hm? Lot like you wander through here all the time, adventurers lookin' for their big chance at glory, or in search of some grand treasure. Got news for ya.. ain't nothin' here but hardworkin' folk earnin' their livin', not worryin' 'bout gettin' rich and famous for a bunch of fables." He told Irvine, swords turning idly in his hands as he watched him."Outside it is then, boy." He demanded, turning towards the door to wait for Irvine outside the establishment. It seemed he was a well known troublemaker in these parts, always picking fights with stragglers and travelers, taking no liking towards newcomers unless they were meek and helpless people he could bully.

Irvine took a moment to turn back to look at Lily, who returned that look curiously. He was not the same monster from then, no, likely more unstable given his tenuous grasp on emotion at best. Like a tranquil puddle, that the little mermaid simultaneously calmed and jumped right the Hell in. She was equal parts such a bother with that pout of hers and a breath of fresh air until now he never would have admitted to. She wanted him to stay safe, to not have to fight, but it wasn't something she could control. She, along with other patrons, would crowd to the windows and doorway to watch the impending fight.

If she was scared of him forever, he would not blame Lily for a second. He would prove that old him was well and truly in the past, gone with the island. He offered her a wink... A blink? Could she tell? The lightning mage casually walked outside, prepared to saunter on through any attacks if they came before he even set foot on the dirt streets. If not, he would comfortably stand before the drunk dullard who spouted nonsense and wait.The drunken swordsman kept it a clean fight, not pulling any dirty tricks as he waited for Irvine outside. Once he locked his sight on the one-eyed lightning mage, he readied his blades, wanting to wait and see just what kind of magic Irvine had in store. His swords were ethereal, made of luminescent magic and glimmering as the tip shone menacingly. As it had no metal, his lightning would not be as effective as it would on normal weapons.Irvine rubbed the back of his neck. This guy was serious... He could offer up chances until he couldn't talk anymore and still this bloated bloke would be willing to fight him. The lightning mage rubbed his chin for a moment in thought... And simply raised his right hand. His pointer finger facing his opponent, thumb up with the rest of his fingers curled against palm. Blue electric energy coursed around his finger and he fired with a thought. He shot a bolt every few seconds with strength enough that nerves might lock up. He aimed for non-vital areas, wanting to temporarily cripple this loud-mouth at best and keep him down. He was in no mood to actually try.The swordsmage raised up his arm as he tried to block the bolt shot, the swords of his swinging around to block the others. They seemed to be sentient to a degree, moving swiftly to absorb the shock. The color of the swords' auras shifted, moving from a dull green to a bright blue, ready to fire Irvine's own magic back at him. The swords split into another set, four swords now circling around the man, infused with lightning magic, blue sparks arcing about. The man swung one arm forward, two of the swords flying forwards to stab at Irvine while the other two acted as a shield to absorb oncoming attacks.

Irvine gave a slight groan. The first thing to cross his mind was not worry or surprise, but frustration that he would actually have to try against this guy! He avoided the swords as they came at him, silently devising a method to deal with this bastard without being too violent... No. No! Lily had been privy to what he could do! She watched him step on this drunken asshole's head for causing her problems and now he was threatening his life! He was thinking about their moment in their room far too much. No, now was the time to fight, win and be done with this bloke.

The mermaid was quietly rooting for him, as she personally developed a dislike for this man and wanted to see him brought to justice, in a sense. She and the others gasped and murmured as they watched on, curious about the fight between these two mages. In the moment, the man realized using lightning magic on a lightning mage would do as much good as pouring water into a puddle. Bringing the swords back up around him, he waved a hand to dispel the lightning, the swords changing back to their dull colors. They spun around him once more before two combined at the handle to form a sort of double-bladed weapon, the man sending it out to Irvine, aiming for that mohawk of his. It seemed this was how he developed a fighting style, being drunk and unable to move, there was no mobility in his combat.Irvine reared back, lightning magic surging around his arm as he slowly made a fist. With a bestial grunt, he threw his punch aimed for the very sword on a course for his head! With force of lightning piercing the sky itself, with a crack of thunder, he wanted to destroy the blade with a powerful electric blast and send several powerful trails of lightning coursing toward the sword swinging drunk from his fingertips.The bolt of lightning was en route to the pair of spinning swords, connecting with that lightning packed punch and completely dissolving them back into natural magic. The aftershock he sent could not be blocked all at once, both remaining swords and the drunken man being sent back a few feet, the summoned weapons dissipating as he sat there, dazed and convulsing from the direct lightning attack. It seemed he was down and out, a roar of cheers coming from the bar as patrons and barmaids congratulated Irvine on the fight via whistles and various applause. Lily especially, as she gave Irvine a long look of gratitude, glad he stepped up and knocked that man down a few pegs. Irvine just let out a sigh. Overall, he was annoyed he had to use that much mana against some drunk. His swords offered up a defense that forced him to try when he had hoped before to just zap him a few times, make him lock up or something and just pass out. No, the sloshed bastard had to make things complicated. The lightning mage accepted thanks and handshakes and what not while maneuvering back to the pub.

He stopped next to Lily and said, "If you're free, come on and sit with me. Get off of your feet for a bit.." Because he was going to do that very thing.Lily looked up at him, giving him a nod before she walked back into the tavern, going over to the bartender to tell him she'd like to take a break, as she had been working for nearly eight hours. She took a glass with her, filling it up from her water pouch beneath her apron before sitting down at the table he chose.

"I feel a little bad that someone like him has nothing better to do than be a nuisance to the public.." She said softly, taking her bandanna off and letting her hair down for a few minutes."I've been told he rarely pays his tab and that he's why there is always a position open around here.. Maybe now this place can have a more stable environment." The mermaid said, taking a long drink of her water.
The lightning mage reclined in his seat, drank and let the cool water soothe his slightly parched throat."He had plenty better to do. It was his choice to be an ass and he got kicked for it.." Irvine replied bluntly. His hopes for this quaint place mirrored hers. That, or when they left he would just be an even worse drunken fool to everyone without him around to keep the swordmage in check. His abilities were nothing to scoff at. For anyone else."The rest of the pub seems to like you. What'd you end up with tonight?" He asked.
The mermaid looked up at her bodyguard, setting her glass down before she lifted up her apron, setting the garment on the table with a heavy clunk of rattling coins. She sorted through the coins, her face glowing as she realized just how much she had really made that evening. Change had racked up and her tips were plentiful, the mermaid earning nearly thirty gold after adding up the change. She looked up to Irvine with a big smile, starting to put the coins away into her personal wallet."I think we have plenty to get to Hollifern with, so we don't have to worry about that for a little while." She said with a light giggle, though she looked up at him, eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't think about charging me two gold a day now that I have more, though, okay?" She said, her grin giving away the teasing tone in her voice. She was making a joke, to relieve some of the tension that was inevitably still between them.
"What that kind of change, I might have to," Irvine joked back, he tried, a mild chuckle following.He brought a patchwork, drawstring satchel and set it on the table. "I made twenty today myself. On top of what I already.. We should be fine."His only big concern as far as money went was having enough to afford Madame Zara's undoubtedly outrageous price for another batch of the medicine. It was currently covered and he still had over a week worth left and then some."If the boss man will let you get out of here, whaddaya say we got hit the hay? I'm beat.."
Her eyes had rolled some at his joke attempt, though she still smiled. At least he had some kind of sense of humor. When he suggested turning in for the night, she stood up, giving him a nod."All right, lemme turn in the apron and I'll be ready to go." She told him, bringing the apron back to the bar.She explained to the bartender that she was going to be leaving the service, taking whatever payment he'd give her, whether it was a couple of gold or even just a few copper. She wouldn't mind. Like the night before, the old gent had given Lily three gold like the night before with a smile behind his thick silver mustache. He tipped his hat to the girl, who had been such a cheerful ray of sunshine and a number of patrons privy to the mermaid's departure said their goodbyes, too. When paid, she went back to Irvine, confirming she was going back with him. She did work a decent amount of time, and staying to work further would just be exhausting. Her legs were already throbbing from the constant walking, the mermaid turning to look up at Irvine sheepishly."I.. don't suppose I could give you a gold to carry me back?" She asked, another mild joke.Irvine was on his feet, ready to trudge back home. At the question, he reeled a bit. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. Sure, the girl was tired, that was the easiest and clearest explanation, but it also told the lightning mage she still held trust in him.
"Typically, I take cash up front. I know you're good for it, though." So, her bodyguard turn and knelt down, arms ready to support Lily. "Hop on."
Lily hadn't expected him to actually act on the question, her face warming to a degree as she stood, a bit stunned, before shaking the nerves away. Why was she so nervous about it, though? The underlying fear, or something different? She stepped over, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her knees hugged his sides, skirt tucked and pinned between the two, though riding up slightly as her legs stuck out.
"How about I buy breakfast in the morning? Will that cover it?" She asked, leaning forward so her head rested on his shoulder, able to see mostly one side of his face, the side with his good eye."That should be well earned, huh?" She yawned, eyes drooping slightly from her exhaustion, one hand covering her mouth. Irvine nodded.
"Sounds good to me, Squirt.." He told Lily with a soft chuckle. He stood up with a small grunt, jostling Lily a bit to get comfy with the mermaid on his back. He started out into the dim evening, time creeping closer to full blown night. There was a slight chill in the air and he turned his gaze skyward to the light grey overcast. The rain was coming back. The walk to the inn was a short one, the stairs creaking under their combined weight. Hell, even bowing just a bit. Irvine could feel it. A sigh of relief filled the mermaid as they reached the inn, though the sounds of boards creaking and the slight draft only renewed her anxiety. He unlocked the door and gave a relieved sigh to be back in the comfort of their somewhat drafty room. Beds were beds and he sat down to let Lily just plop off of his back. Crack. Crash. Two of the legs snapped and the bed tilted, forcing Irvine to slide right off on to his keister."Oof...." He looked back, blinking a couple times. "Whoops.."
When he had dropped down onto the bed to let lily down, she gave a soft gasp as two of the legs snapped, making her slide forward against him. With a quiet "oof" of her own, she sat up a little, then sighed."I guess that was going to happen sooner or later.." Lily murmured. It was her bed from last night, so her weight alone must have not been heavy enough to break the brittle bedposts. She looked to the other bed, a little warmth springing up on her cheeks."I suppose we could share that one, just like before.." She murmured, getting up to change. Lily walked to where she had left her nightgown, glancing over her shoulder at her bodyguard, giving him that look, a signal, to give her a bit of privacy. Irvine had turned his back Lily to give her the privacy she needed. No protest, no hesitation, he owed her that.
It would develop into a routine over time, Lily looking at him with concern and expectance so that she could change her clothes, given that there was nowhere else to go that is. Once she was out of her day clothing and her hair was neatly combed, she was ready for bed. When the lightning mage was free to look, he took off his boots and got as comfy as he liked. He took a quiet moment to me tally admit that Lily look pretty cute in her nightgown, hair down like it was.."Those potions.. Do they, uh.. put you straight to sleep?" She asked softly, sitting on the edge of the still standing bed, fingers plucking at the blankets and pulling stray fibers off, something to distract her from the situation. It was an innocent enough question, but she wanted to make sure that he would be completely out before making the final decision to sleep so close to him again.
He brought out one of those medicinal vials to take for bed and rolled it between his fingers."Mm... It takes a couple minutes to set in. But, after that I pass out pretty quick," Irvine admitted. He gave a yawn and trudged around to the other side of the bed where he sat down a bit more gently. He uncorked the potion bottle, downed it and coughed several times."Fucking disgusting.." He would forever voice that complaint as the pungent, bitter flavor burned his tongue. Irvine reclined in bed with a sigh and closed his eye.
Lily nodded in understanding, shuffling over to lie down once he settled. For all it's intents and purposes, the taste of the potion may have been far better than what he experienced if he had not consumed it. As he got comfortable and seemed to have fallen asleep, Lily shifted to lie down, resting towards him. Even in her sleep, she couldn't seem to turn her back towards him, a minor comfort for her to face him as she slept. Delicate hands gripped the blanket, Lily's natural reflex to cuddle something strong as ever. Nothing was safe from her grasp when she slept, whether it was a pillow, Irvine's arm, or even her own hair! Not much later, she was asleep, softly snoring despite her nerves from earlier. The idea that he was completely unconscious gave her the relaxation she needed to remain asleep, her only movement being that she curled her legs up closer and her arms tightened around whatever she had clutched in them. The chill of the wind seeping through had roused the short mermaid, getting up only to grab the blankets on the other bed and double up on the other. With the extra layer keeping them warm, she had no trouble going back to sleep.
Control was difficult in the throes of sleep, surely. Lily could have been constricting bloodflow, the little cuddle monster, and her lightning-smiting protector would never have batted an eye. Disgusting, but effective in multiple ways, Madame Zara's powerful remedy allowed Irvine to sleep peacefully through whatever Lily could do. He was no less a source of warmth as the cold of the outside slowly crept in, growing worse as a gentle mist of rain started to softly patter against the outside of the inn. While his partner was somewhat mobile, he remained still with left arm there to be squeezed to the comfort of the mermaid at his side while his right was draped over his own chest. His only shift at all was to eventually bring his arm around Lily's shoulders in the night and bring the girl to his side fully.Waking up in the morning, however, was a bit of a challenge. She had managed to tangle herself in her own hair and Irvine's arm, making it increasingly difficult to unravel until he woke up. She just sighed, deciding to wait until he was awake and ask him to help free her from this hairy situation. It would prove mildly frustrating when she was an hour short of Irvine coming to from his hard slumber. His potions had a specific time frame. They kept him fast asleep, nigh-comatose where little could rouse him, for good reason to avoid the horrible side effects that came with the herbs that negatively effected mana.The lightning mage awoke with a groan. He attempted to sit up, but stopped. The silken, cool thread his arm felt like it was ensnared in, combined with the warmth as well, drew his attention. He looked to Lily, who seemed practically cocooned in her own hair and entangled with him at the same time.
"What the hell did you do?"
Lily looked at him, her face bright from embarrassment.
"I sort of... rolled in my sleep." She murmured, almost under her breath as she didn't want to own up to her silly mistake.
"Rolled, huh? How many times?" Was his wiseass remark that earned him a slight glare.
"Could you help me out..? Without cutting my hair, that is." She asked him, attempting to sit up, wiggling until she was at least upright enough. She tugged at one side, gaining some slack and moving her arm, beginning to loosen herself from her own ensnaring hair. It was soft and silky, smooth to the touch without so much as a kink or split end in sight."I'm not sure if you noticed, but merfolk hair grows incredibly fast." She told him, picking at strands to free his arm, threading her fingers through the locks as she freed herself with his help. True to her statement, her hair had grown about an inch since they had met, though it was almost indistinguishable from its original length."Every month or so, I trim up my bangs, but I've let the rest grow since I was a kid." She said, untangling the final bunch from around her waist, her eyes turning back up to him. He moved only when Lily required it. When it was completely untangled, she combed it out, emphasizing that it was really almost as long as she was tall.
"This has grown out since you were a kid? That's actually impressive.." He had helped with the untangling process where he could and when finally free, he brought that very hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. Then his eye met hers. Irvine brought one hand up and gently patted his charge's head a couple times."It's fine, it's fine... I just might have to reconsider anytime we have to sleep next to each other." He said with a little smirk.
Lily's cheeks puffed up into a slight pout when he joked about her hair, though she seemed to calm down when he gave her head a couple of pats."It didn't bother you at all that I was squirming a few times.. I even got up to get extra blankets because it was getting a little cold in here." And told him, moving to get up and stand beside the bed, stretching her arms upward and curving her back to get any kinks or remaining stiffness out."I guess we should get dressed to go get breakfast, huh? I did offer to buy this time." Her smile returning, it was almost like nothing had changed. Almost. There was a difference in how she did things around him now, always passing glances as if he was going to snap. As usual the look of expectancy was given to him, shortly before she changed into her spare clothing."I'm ready to go whenever you are." She announced as she finished lacing her boots, twirling once, her hair and skirt flaring out some as she did so.
Irvine dressed in little time, pulling on his coat and boots, and opened the door for his charge after collecting their things. Hands promptly shoved into his pockets, he took a deep breath of the cool, humid air, raindrops in the light drizzle nice against his face. They would be saying goodbye to this little rest stop, and hopefully would make good headway toward the southeast. The only place to really grab a bite was the pub where Lily had taken up shifts, as meager the selection was. Hash, eggs, bacon and stew. Irvine ordered something simple, A little hash, eggs and bacon together. His single eyed gaze turned to the window being gently clattered by the rain. How peaceful.The sound of rain brought a smile to Lily's face, the mermaid getting a chance to use her new raincoat. She tightened the white cloth around her shoulders and pulled the hood up, the cloth almost too big as it dipped over her eyes. She'd live with it, though. As they exited the inn, she was in a cheerful mood, splashing in puddles as they formed in the road. The tavern she had worked in didn't offer as much sweet breakfast foods as she would have liked, opting to get a plate of eggs and hashbrowns as she liked her meals simple and easy to cook. She already had payment ready, looking over at Irvine as he seemed pensive and calm.
"Hey, can you bring out the map? I wanna see how close we're getting to Hollifern." She requested, keeping her voice down as to not disturb any of the other patrons.He obliged the request, laying his plate over one end to keep it somewhat flat against the tabletop. There was no marker for this little oasis, hardly a legitimate town, but it was no doubt surviving.
"We avoided this fortress thing here, so..." He laid his finger over a rough estimation of where they could be. Judging from scaling, they had a few miles and a lot of open ground to cover before they saw the beach, and from there they were would head due east several more miles. They would be at Hollifern's doorstep."There's no telling what else could be out here not marked on our map.. But as things look, it's going to be a lot of roughing it outdoors..." That got him thinking. "A tent might not be a terrible idea if we can find one."
Lily leaned forward to look over the map, noticing there were only a handful of marked towns and cities. That fortress looked intimidating to say the least, and she was glad that they didn't have to approach it on their journey. As he mentioned a tent, she looked up at him, tilting her head in thought. Would it be so different than sleeping in an inn? And if something attacked again in the middle of the night, could she rely on him to protect her? No.. if anything, she'd have to protect him! Her magic was growing stronger the more she used it, and so anything that came at them would be met by lukewarm water attacks and a mildly upset mermaid.
"What is that?" She asked him, pointing towards what looked like another detour.
"No idea.." Irvine murmured back, cheek in palm as he stared at their route.Ruins, it seemed, that drifted off to the south of the eastern road, out of the way. Whatever it may have been was not there now. She wasn't sure how recent this map was, only hoping it was current. The island that rested adjacent to the bay was marked with a large phrase: "Maris Island." That was Lily's destination, but getting there was difficult. She was not fond of wide open waters, and would prefer a boat over swimming blindly out to sea. Hollifern Bay was filled with plenty of ports, so taking a boat was her desired option.
"Thinking of some sight-seeing since you're so flush with cash now?" He asked, jokingly.He would mentally admit to some curiosity over that peculiar marking. Not terribly out of their way and Heck, it might be worth exploring even. Maybe there something interesting among old rocks. As they looked over the map, Lily took small bites of her food, cheeks warming up when he suggested the sight-seeing idea. So what if she did? She had hardly left her small home up north and rarely got out, so exploring a little would be almost impossible for her to ignore. "... Excited to see your family again, Squirt?" The lightning mage asked out of the blue, "I'm not exactly one for mushy, heartfelt get-togethers. Forgive me if I stay outside.. I won't be able to scare them either."
When he brought up her family, her eyes widened, sparkling a little.
"I am! ... I never asked my grandmother about them, as she always seemed upset to talk about them. Did she not like them or something? Did they get in a fight? I never knew.. I've always wanted to know them, though.. If my mother looks like me, or if I have any siblings. It's exciting, really.." She said, eyes looking down in thought, imagining the kind of people that like there and what it would be like to have a family again."If my family would be anything like me, I think they would want to meet you, Irvine. You did bring me all the way there, why not be friendly and thankful?" She supposed with a slight smile. Awfully ambitious, these dreams of hers. All they had to do was make it there and see for themselves.
"Yeah, yeah.. We'll see when we get there, right?" Might as well stay optimistic for her sake.It was his fault the little mermaid had cried far too much and he was not looking to repeat it. Pout? Sure. Puppy dog eyes? They were mighty powerful. But, no more sad tears. At least, he did not want to be the cause. His fork scrapped against the wooden plate before he knew it and looked down to see he had finished his small breakfast already. That was it then.Lily would have had to pay just five silver pieces for their meal, but the owner decided that it would be free for them as a last goodbye to the best waitress and brightest smile to ever grace the rickety walls and creaky floorboards of his shanty pub. As well as the lad who took care of one of the biggest pains this side of Elestrona to ever drunkenly stumble through his doors. He bid them farewell."Lets get a move on," Irvine said as he threw on his own blue rain cloak.
The mermaid hummed happily as he agreed to her idea, even happier that her former employer had given her the meals for free. She bade them a cheerful farewell before leaving the tavern with her bodyguard, pulling her white cloak on so they could get back on the road. Finding a tent would prove difficult in a town with very little, so traveling to the a larger town would do well for them. After an hour or two of walking, a slight rumble shook the grass and sparse trees in the grasslands, Lily's hand automatically coming up and grabbing Irvine's sleeve. Her eyes scanned the area for one of those monsters, her other hand already pulling water out to defend herself. No roars or multiple ranges of screeches rang out, however, the rumbling continuing for only a minute. The mermaid looked around, finding nothing there to fight. That was odd.. Not much longer, the earth beneath them shook again, churning and beginning to crumble as something was breaking apart the land.As soon as the land split open, a large growl burst forth, something beginning to crawl out. Large snakes, possible worms, made of earth magic, black energy filling their inner cores, metal pincers at the front that spun like drills. Tiny legs poked out from every other segment of their bodies, twitching and clawing as these things rose to the surface. Another wail, and they went on the search for magic. They had no eyes, relying on their senses to find the two mages hidden in the grass. There was a total of four, colors varying as some were made of clay, others hard dirt and one sand. All of it rendering his lightning magic all but useless. A large enough blast might obliterate those of weaker stuff, but it might also give them ample supply of magic to feed on and grow from. Burrowers... Fucking great!Irvine sneered. He took note of their blindness, how they slithered around aimlessly, feeling their way through their darkness. He raised a finger to his lips. Tried to convey a motion to not move without making a sound. The lightning mage attempted to devise a plan. Quickly. The patter of rain around then grew heavier and the collective of earthen worms clicked and clacked, their metal mouths grinding in noises of displeasure. The noise would surely provide a cover. Thunder rumbled above. Would it be enough? Irvine hesitated to fight even when the storm overhead would provide him more power. The rain made loud patters against the pair of mages, an impromptu extension of echolocation, if these things had ears at all. They seemed more keen on picking up movement through their bodies, needing to be close in order to sense them. Some slithered closer to them, making Lily shudder as she pressed herself closer to Irvine, very carefully edging close so she didn't disturb the raindrops and blades of grass. She looked up at him, motioning for him to lean over so she could whisper to him.
"If I can use the rain to hold them still.. You could hit them?" She murmured so quietly, barely an octave above the sound of rain and the thunder, lightning flashing across the sky.
"Easily." Irvine told her in an equally hushed tone.

If she could use the water around them to tether these monsters and keep them from wriggling away, he could use bolts of lightning on them. The metal pincers would act as decent conductors to destroy the heads, and inadvertently the rest of them. They had to try! He slowly raised one hand toward the sky and started to gather power. It would have to be a larger blast all at once - Water, Metal, hopefully fragile bodies and maybe they were filled were a few metal shards, this very well had the potential to wipe them.all out at once. They could only hope.
"Say when." The lightning mage whispered as the clouds overhead, in a very distinct area, began to blacken.
Bolts of lightning tore through the sky with fury as focused his magic for a devastating thunderclap. Irvine too wrapped one arm around the mermaid's waist. This was going to be a big boom and he was her bodyguard, after all. Lily needed both arms free in order to ensnare the creatures in water, letting him pull her against his side. She focused on individual orbs of water, using the puddles around them to yank the creatures up into the air and off the ground. Their stumpy legs wriggled to gain some kind of traction, pincers gnashing to bite whatever invisible force was holding them up in the air. They were incapacitated, helpless in the rain against the pair of mages.
"Now!" Lily told her bodyguard, hands starting to shake involuntarily from over-using her magic.

To make it easier, she pulled all four into one big bubble, watching as they struggled to get free. If they wriggled too much, she'd break form and they'd be free, so Irvine need to make this shot strong and clear to get all four. Within the bubble, the four started to connect together, pincers to tail and forming a very long worm that began to struggle even harder, the bubble vibrating from movement.
"Begone." His lone eye and his hand pointing skyward sparked at the same time, his entire body flaring with magic power.
The very sky opened, the blackened vortex that had come together at Irvine's focusing on the greatest power he could muster with his own handicaps. It spread open and a column of lightning crashed down from the heavens with explosive force. The bubble and the trapped creatures wriggling within were swallowed in the blue light. The earth erupted up, rocks and dirt disintegrated and a powerful blast of air ripped past both mages strong enough to throw them several feet back due to proximity. Irvine had grabbed his charge for one of two reasons and this was one. He held Lily tight and rolled to make sure he was the one to hit the ground with the mermaid on top of him. He held Lily's head to his chest and braced against the mighty wind washing over them. Within seconds it was over. They could raise their heads. The very air popped and crackled if one were to listen well enough, with the immense lingering static charge. The earth had been sundered and a crater and scorch mark several meters wide was left. The force of static in the air was so great, the ends of Lily's hair lifted slightly from it, her body tingling some from being so close to the source of magic. When the bolt of lightning struck her ball of water, her arms dropped, coming up to wrap around his waist as they had been blown back a short distance. Lily grunted when they landed, head pulled against his chest to keep from hitting it too hard during impact. She peeked one eye open, slowly moving to sit up against Irvine to look around.The crater was still smoking despite the rain, though it seemed it wasn't over just yet. Irvine had managed to loosen so much soil around them, the tunnels the creatures had burrowed beginning to cave. The crater would soon split in multiple cracks, dirt and rocks starting to fall into a chasm that was growing larger, rain washing uprooted grass and dirt into it like a large drain. The earth continued to split and crumble apart, showing the cavities that the worm creatures had made. Pockets and tunnels revealed, the inside of the chasm barely resembling a hive before the holes fell in and filled with water. The crater had managed to completely destroy a part of land and opened up an abyss, far too wide to jump across and going around it would prove difficult as one end broke into a river, the other side a quarry. That attack had completely changed the area around them, and destroyed the only road south.Irvine paled. He slowly stood up, helping Lily to her feet as well, and he carefully eased toward the edge. His eye darted around, catching hints of the system of tunnels carved through the earth. A part of him realized his own destruction and guilt panged at his heart. Lily crept towards the edge, looking over into the chasm, her hand still gripping his sleeve tightly. She didn't want to fall in and get hurt, and it looked far deeper than she could ever withstand. There had been little choice in the matter, knowing full well what those sorta of creatures were capable of. He had done far worse in the past...
"The amount of time they must have been alive.. Burrowing through the land like this..." It sent fear through even Irvine Bastio. The idea that monstrosities such as these could have been alive for much longer than they knew. Could they simply be far faster at traveling through the earth? A likely possibility. But, the very idea was not to be dismissed and that was truly frightening. He turned away from the charred scar in Elestrona he had helped to create, and started to walk. It was no use to stand around. "C'mon. We'll report this to a guild and they'll send an Earth Mage or two this way."
"Those must not have been the only ones.. One was sand." She said softly, looking up at him.There was no sand in this part of the kingdom, and clay deposits were usually found near rivers and lakes. There must have been far more of these dangerous pests out there, burrowing and causing problems for others. She followed close behind, afraid to be separated in case there were more that could bust out of the ground at them."Wait.. what about the road? We can't cross that.. How.. How are we going to get to Hollifern?" She asked him, tugging on his arm as pure concern took over her face, eyebrows drawn close as those big eyes stared up at him.

Irvine stopped. Right. He had only just noticed, looking back at the watery abyss, that in the chaos they had unfortunately wound up on the wrong side of that massive ditch. There was always the option of taking the eastern road back at the crossroads, as it curved back around south and towards Hollifern Bay. That kind of trip would make the journey twice as long, and Lily wasn't worried this sort of thing might become common.

"Fuck.." Was the first word out of his mouth, grimacing as he brought a hand up to his head.He looked down into those eyes and heaved a sigh. Irvine twisted his head to have a look at the options going forward. Directly ahead, one big goddamn hole in the earth, whoops. To their left, craning his neck, he could see the first doozy of a step into a quarry. Out of the question. To their right, the shift in the earth had turned a fairly tranquil river into a raging rapid and the chasm stretched well beyond where it parted those waters."I would just go with double back, but knowing our luck, more would show up. You and I would have no choice but to use the same tactics and we'd make another damn hole..." He brought out their map and, with Lily's help, covered the faded paper as best he could."We're here.. Cutting across to the east is really out of the question now... Fuck."
Seeing Irvine become so unsure about their route, Lily had a mild note of panic begin to rise in the back of her mind. Did they really have no other choice than to go completely around? looking at the map, she scanned their options, blowing a short sigh before looking back up at him.
"Then.. maybe we shouldn't make another hole? There has to be another way to kill them over such a big explosion." She murmured, thinking about their solutions. They had to develop a better way to fight these things, should them come about again.
"Easier said than done. They adapt so quickly if we're not careful, and if they come out that size then.. Minor magic won't do the trick. Not from me and you're still learning to use yours in combat.." Irvine did not want to shoot down her logic, because it was sound and sensible - Do not make impassable holes in the continent. Still, options were sometimes limited, such as then.
"What about the forest? I don't think they'd be able to burrow through all the roots there, so the trees should provide some kind of protection for a little while. We do need to report these to the guilds, though.. Maybe they can send some mages into the field to get rid of them?" Lily suggested, lifting a hand up to prevent rain from getting on the map.
"I'm sure that's what they'll do. Try to, anyway.." As much of a tremendous pain in the ass these elemental monsters were to them, literally popping up from the ground, they were mainly a concern for the guild. Not them. Not him.If Lily is in immediate danger or his own neck is on the line, that changes things. He looked to the forest. Dense enough, seems like.

"You've got quite the convincing argument. The forest it is.. I don't wanna backtrack that much, anyway. Stay close." He did have a point, as these monsters changed so quickly from absorbing magic. Hers wasn't strong in an offensive sense, and his was so strong, it tore apart the earth whenever he put effort into it. His next plan, though, made her a bit nervous.

"We're.. we're going off the road?" She asked, trotting along and keeping up with him, her hand permanently attached to his sleeve as she feared losing him in the dense foliage.

Lily had never considered getting off the main road, cutting across the country in order to reach Hollifern. They were, quite literally, the paths of least resistance, and were safe as there were some patrols here and there between cities and villages. Due to the amount of creatures that kept cropping up, Lily jumped at almost every minute movement in the dense woods, though she was glad the trees provided more cover from the rain. Getting wet and stranded didn't sound too pleasing right now.

"Don't suggest the forest, squirt, if you couldn't handle it," He sighed, looking down at the mermaid latched to his side.

He gave Lily a gentle bonk on her noggin with a closed fist. Could he blame her for being paranoid, though? No. Irvine grumbled to himself, gaze shifting around, eye out for danger.

"I'd rather deal with more drunks and bar brawls right. Goblins, giant bugs, ghouls, slimes... Why can't it ever freaking be something as simple as slime?" No, they dealt with element eating, magic sucking constructs from Hell! "Literally, anything else.." Irvine sighed. Lily reached up to rub the spot where he bopped her, making her shoot a glare up at him.

"I had meant take the road through the forest..." She pouted, starting to look around for anything that may attack them.

"The roots in the ground off the path will make it harder on any more diggers," He replied, reiterating her earlier point. He had simply went more literal in hopes to keep more earth worms away. "That... or they bring trees to life and I have to deforest this place." Not a fun idea, but necessary sacrifices!As nothing seemed to be breaking out at them, she began to relax, letting out a quiet sigh. Her hand stayed clenched to him, though, as she didn't want to lose that sense of security he provided. The rain around them had once been calming and peaceful, but now she began to associate it with danger. Monsters were the least of her worries when walking through the woods, as there could be far more sinister beings hiding away, just waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander into their territory.

"Irvine.. What are you going to do when we get to Hollifern? Are you.. just going to leave?" She asked softly, looking up at him. Part of her was curious, if he was going to go off on his own, the other part wanting him to stay around longer. She'd miss him, eventually. Lily's question gave him pause... What would he do? Travel back to Woodmoore to keep being a bar bouncer? Hopping around from city to city didn't sound so bad, keep work lively that way and what not.

"I uh.. I dunno. I don't think I would up and leave. I would, uh, say goodbye and all that. If I leave." He shrugged his shoulders. "You uh.. want a guy like me sticking around?" He asked, gently scratching his cheek. As he stood for a second, so did she, her gaze locked on him as she waited for an answer. When he did, she tilted her head in thought, cheeks flushing some.

"I wouldn't mind.. I mean, for a while that is, if you stayed. It would certainly mean you're not out causing trouble or getting into fights with strangers." She said, looking down at the grass. "I know there are things we can't change, and we shouldn't remind ourselves of, but time can change that. Given enough time, the hardships and bad memories will fade. Anyone can recover from a painful time if they're surrounded by friends and loved ones, right?" She said, hoping she wasn't striking a nerve and causing him to recall bad memories.

"I think.. the first step towards that is to just forgive and forget the past, and move on. It's done, and nothing can change it, so why dwell on it?" She said, finally looking up at him, a mix of sadness and hope on that face."Even though I've had time to get over my grandmother's passing, nearly six months, I still think about all the happy memories we shared instead of the bad ones." She said, her free hand touching her necklace as her mind wandered, searching for the right words to distract herself from the potentially dangerous forest.

"You've got to have at least one happy memory, right?"

Any other time, he might have said no and just walked off. That moment to talk, grieve, let out that emotion he hardly knew anything about and had never found an outlet for, until then, had changed him in a small way. He was willing to humor Lily.. and he actually had answers.

"I told you before that I've got something precious to me, too.." Irvine brought a rather faded cord and there were a pair of metal tags attached to it. One beat up and rust splotched, the other partly melted and almost completely covered in red rust."They made us wear identification tags." He told Lily in a somber tone. "One is mine. The other is Kari's. She gave it to me, before... all of that happened. She hated to wear it. It's why she usually got in trouble.." He stowed them away.Blue eyes were drawn to the tags, Lily's head tilted curiously as she examined what and could. Identification tags, like cattle.. it made her squeamish at the idea. Her kind were sought by slavers, so the very idea that she could have been enslaved, numbered, branded.. it disgusted her. Her face lightened when he spoke of his fond memories, glad he could feel something besides sadness when he thought of those memories. To look back and no longer feel weighed down by guilt or regret was truly the right step forward. "My best memories, right now, are of her. As for forgetting about it... I hope to one day. Even Kari. Those little... I guess, happy memories only lead to bad ones," The lightning mage brought a hand up to clutch at them beneath his shirt. "For now... These tags are my reminders and I hold them close." While his single eye was visibly saddened, he did smile a bit. Irvine looked to Lily and patted her head."You kind of help with that. When you get in so much trouble or whine as much as you do, I find it hard to focus on much else!" He teased, chuckling to himself, and it grew to light laughter making him cover his mouth.She beamed when he patted her head, though it quickly turned sour when he teased her about attracting trouble or her complaining, whining as he called it. Those rosy cheeks puffed up in annoyance, her hand letting go as she crossed her arms. She didn't find it very funny!

"Yeah yeah.. keep laughing, see if I pay you for the rest of the trip." She muttered before it dawned on her... She hadn't paid him that morning. Digging into her wallet, she held out a gold coin though refused to make eye contact.
"I.. Do owe you for the day, though.." Lily admitted, her gaze focusing on passing trees and bushes. Irvine didn't take it.

"Today is your one freebie." He told Lily, gently curling her hand back around the coin. She may have turned the other cheek for his cheeky comments, but the lightning mage petted her head anyway.