The feast was over, the crew heading back to their rooms for the night. In the midst of it all, two figures that looked rather odd together ambled away from the last remnants of the meal, leaving several minutes after the rest of the crowd had already dispersed. One was a tall man, cloaked in a black hood and cape; the other a tiny Deku Scrub with two swords on his belt and a tendency to speak with a . . . unique accent. They didn't seem the type to be friends, but there was at least some sort of camaraderie in the way they spoke to one another as they walked back into the night air.

"Now that right there was a feast alright," the Deku muttered as the pair strolled through the streets, already having bypassed the hotel they were supposed to be staying at. Instead they just kept on going, enjoying the peaceful calm of the starlit night.

Alpha found himself nodding in agreement, but said nothing because . . . nothing was required. That also held something of a comfort for him; so often people wanted to spend time with him, to talk with him, to fight with him . . . and then there were the commoners, who saw him as some sort of heroic champion for right. The former group was annoying, but his fangroup was intolerable. It was nice to just walk in silence with an ally who expected no such things from him.

They ended up, after a short time, standing at the edge of a fence-off cliff, overlooking the ocean. A storm was gathering, but it had yet to reach Everbreeze, so rather than drenching them it only served to deliver a cooling wind and the sounds of lightning, an element that could always soothe the Sheikah's soul.

"Nice, ain't it?" Yukie hopped up and sat atop the fence, right next to the fencepost Alpha had been leaning on. "Zaris 'n the other Golden Ones leave Hyrule, the Hakiems folla . . . 'n all that we're left with is peace like this. Even Mr. Morgoth 'n his attack frum last night's nuthin to worry 'bout in comparison to the Golden War." He sighed and leaned against the post. "Kinda nice ta have a time o' peace."

Alpha was silent for many moments. "True," he said at last, his tone subdued, "but it is a peace that shall never last . . ."

Yukie slowly nodded. "Aye . . . that it is."

* * *

The Deku left first, allowing Alpha to stay by himself a while longer. He watched the thunderclouds billowing over the ocean, felt the familiar tingling sensation of the distance lightning bolts as they surged between sky and sea. An impulse trickled through him, and before he had even consciously decided it, his scar lit up once more. Reaching inside his cape . . . inside the Void portal . . . he withdrew the Staff Brenyuu.

It had been hidden in the Void since he'd recovered it from Alik . . . why was it now that he felt compelled to hold it once again? The brewing thunderstorm might make such a weapon useful, but only if those lightning flashes continued into the morning. There was no guarantee such a thing would occur, though . . .

But even if he had no other reason, holding the weapon he had crafted and enchanted with his own two hands brought a sense of comfort that he'd not felt in a long, long time.

Still clutching its extended form like a walking stick, the Sheikah turned and walked back to the inn.

Ooc: LONG-ish POST! To make up for my absence!! It’s kinda ranty and depressing, so… yah. I was inspired by Arrika saying that my posts are taking on a non-Sakiko tone, so this is my response. Revel in Sakiko’s twisted mind!

IC: The noise of the feast – with the clattering of the dishes and scraping of metal against porcelain – and the pungent aroma of the food left Sakiko feeling slightly nauseous again. She mindlessly poked the piece of lettuce before her, rolling it around with a blank look on her face. I shouldn’t eat so much…we’ll probably be tossing and turning in the vast ocean once more. Goddesses, I’m going to miss the solid ground beneath my feet. The mage gently put down the utensil and left the merry scene, hoping to catch some fresh air while she had the chance.

When Sakiko stepped outside, she heard the storm brewing above her. Her gray eyes cast skyward, she breathed in deeply; it was at moments like this when the realization of solitude embraced her entire being. It seemed that the world that she lived in was in a continual chain – one day, the sun was caressing the gentle waves of the unbroken waters of the sea, and the other, the sky was raging up a tempest. And yet, this - the very moment of her being, her standing here, her moments with other adventurers – it was just once. It would never happen again. It was like trying to create a pattern on the sand, trying to defy the inevitable rolling of the waves creeping upon shore…

Yes, the only thing that made her believe, ten years from now, that she was on Everbreeze on an adventure, was her memory of it. And yet, this memory was such a fickle thing that twisted and fled with the passing of time. Sakiko couldn’t help but remember the old man in her childhood, who used to sit by the lake with a white handkerchief tied about his wrist…

Did I tell you how I got this handkerchief? My wife gave it to me – she had embroidered my initials and hers together. I did dearly love my wife. Did I tell you how I got this handkerchief? My wife gave it to me…”

She was afraid, years from now, when she was twisted with age, what memory she would hold onto with the tenacity of a dying woman. Perhaps she’d remember tonight, this adventure, the bond she felt with the other warriors… or perhaps she’d be trapped in an endless tormenting remembrance of her past…

Sakiko heaved a deep sigh, not noticing the crowd quickly leaving the feast. She leaned against the wall of the building, troubled by her thoughts. She didn’t like thinking about such things, but in solitary moments like this, she couldn’t stop herself... The mage stared at the sidewalk, hoping that if she stopped seeing the sky, her depressing thoughts would stop. The sidewalk was extremely dirty, of course, from the thousands upon thousands of footsteps that had walked upon it. There were bits of grass sticking out from the various stones and such; Sakiko noticed a tiny daffodil-looking flower peeping out from one of such cracks. It wasn’t a daffodil – it was much too small. She plucked it out gently, brushing off the dirt from its delicate petals. It was a little bruised, but miraculously, it was still blushing with the color of cheeriness.

Sakiko commenced to walk toward the hotel, staring at the flower mindlessly. For some reason, she felt a special attachment to this tiny thing. As she walked, she saw a tall figure emerging from the darkness, holding something like a staff. The mage, out of pure curiosity, waited to see who it was before entering the hotel. Alpha?

The mage suddenly felt a tremble of fear, but she had no reason for it. Why should I? The flower quivered in her hands, and Sakiko tried to think of something to say. But the fact that he had spent the entire day with Arrika made things even more awkward – maybe he didn’t want to talk to her…maybe he was too tired to…maybe he considered her a bother, now that Arrika’s charm had him enraptured…?

Sakiko considered just ignoring the situation and entering the hotel, but it seemed that her legs had been paralyzed. She waited until she could see Alpha’s face – bad idea, as it made her pale cheeks glow with embarrassment. What should she say? ”Alpha, I didn’t get to talk to you, how are you?” “How did you enjoy the festival?” “Are you ready for tomorrow?” “Are you exited about Gossip Isle? I guess you’re here for the treasure hunting?”

Without thinking, when Alpha was close enough, Sakiko blurted,

“Alpha, I missed you.”

Sakiko turned a deep shade of red, feeling like the biggest fool in Everbreeze. She could see it now – he was probably going to give her one of those blank stares, and say coolly, “I see.” But it was too late to run away now – the water that she had spilled had already seeped into the ground.

OOC: Haha, I wondered if anyone would take advantage of how I didn't actually put my characters to bed yet.

IC:
Alpha's slow trod through the clouded night led him back into the city with no alteration to the peaceful [and literal] calm before the storm. The Staff Brenyuu remained clenched between his fingers, its reassuring weight comforting him further with each step. A peace that shall never last: that was what he had declared this warless time to be. Dangers may rise, troubles come, and adventures emerge to assault them time and time again . . . but none of them compared to the perils that would come on the day the Golden War returned to Hyrulean borders. The Hakiems Tribe, with Zaboorak at their head, would one day revisit the so-called wrongs visited upon them by the Adventurers.

"Unless the Golden Ones kill them all first," he muttered, finding some bit of hope in that idea. It was an unlikely possibility . . . but a possibility nonetheless.

Lost in thought, it wasn't until the voice called out to him that he realized that he was no longer alone.

"Alpha, I missed you."

It was the use of his name that caught his attention; before she was finished with her greeting he looked up to find Sakiko standing there by the entrance to the inn -- goodness, he hadn't even realized he was coming up on his destination. He may very well have passed it by completely if she hadn't broken him from his reverie. Nevertheless, he wasn't exactly excited to be seen by someone right now.

'Goddesses, she can see Brenyuu!'

The one link he had left to his life as Wraith was plainly visible; he'd had no time to conceal it. A second of pure horror came and consumed him . . . but he forced himself to stop and calm down -- Sakiko had not seen Brenyuu before, and couldn't know what it was. Best to just let the moment pass with it, and hide it away again when he had the chance. "Sakiko," he said with a nod of greeting. "You're looking well. Enjoy the festival?" He flashed her a smile.

Even if she didn't know it . . . he didn't want her taking a close look at Brenyuu . . .

She thought she saw his face contort into a look of…what was it? Disgust? Terror? Anger? But she couldn’t know for sure, not in the dark, anyway. Sakiko was a bit unsettled at his reaction (if he had reacted at all), assuming that she had probably intruded in his thoughts. I knew it. I’ll just go inside, pretend nothing happened –

“You're looking well. Enjoy the festival?”

The mage’s face fell, wondering if it was just the dark that veiled her emotions so well, or if Alpha was just couldn’t see it. I thought he would know me better, especially after that night in Rauru… His reaction was so strange; she thought that he of all people would know how bothersome crowds and festivals were. And secondly, even she – would couldn’t control facial expressions very well – knew what a chaotic day it had been, and that her face probably didn’t reflect otherwise. And the smile? What was with the smile? It’s not like she didn’t appreciate it, but nonetheless, she wasn’t used to it.

Sakiko answered quietly,

“I’m glad you think so.”

If Alpha thought that he could get away with being unnoticed of the staff, he was in for another story. Because, he should have well known it by now – the mage was observant of him, and had practically memorized Alpha’s appearance; any chances to it would obviously bring questions up.

Sakiko thought that carrying around a staff was her gig, (well, most mages do carry around staffs, but…) and seeing Alpha with one was…new.

“Did you buy that…at the festival?”

'Dang it, what was I thinking?' Enjoy the festival? This was Sakiko he was talking to; if anyone was going to enjoy being around hordes of people, it wasn't her. Alpha could have slapped himself for his foolishness -- he'd merely spat out the first question that came to mind, hoping to distract her from Brenyuu. By the look on her face, it wasn't working --

"Did you buy that...at the festival?"

Dark World.

"No," he replied as calmly as he could, though that wasn't nearly calm enough for his taste. He slowly lowered Brenyuu so it was held horizontally . . . draping it somewhat with his cape in the process. "It's a . . . old item I obtained several years ago. Something I've not taken out in a long time . . ." That last one actually came out wistfully . . . though Alpha didn't notice it himself.

Sakiko's eyes followed Alpha's staff, seeing it partly disappear as his cape fell upon it like darkness over daylight. The pale girl was smart enough to know that such movement wasn't normal - it was so deliberately done that the Mage was left feeling confused. Why, as soon as she brought it up to question, would Alpha try to hide it, as if that would make her forget it's presence? As a matter of fact, it made her even more aware of it.

But if he had just brushed past her question with a simple 'yes', then her confusion wouldn't have arisen. She was, however, grateful that Alpha chose to be honest; he decided, albeit hesitantly, to speak of its significance. However.

He had mentioned that he had taken it out after a long period of time. She was sure that he hadn't been holding it when she saw him this morning; and taken out of where? Had he gone to the ship just to take out the staff? And if he did, why now, in the dead of night when everyone had retreated to bed? And if he had taken the trouble to fetch the prized staff, why hide it from her sight like this? Sakiko's eyes narrowed almost automatically, her lips pursed tightly. What did he have to hide from her?

Sakiko, however, had trust in him. He surely wouldn't have pried the staff from a dead man's hands. And if he did have something fishy going on, he wouldn't have taken the trouble go explain about it.

"So... Why did you take it out after all that time?"
Sakiko wished that she could have smiled, but the attempt turned into a half grin, which probaby looked more like a contorted grimace than anything else.

Ooc: I kinda typed that up all on the itouch, which gave me a few white hairs trying to do. If I have any grammar spelling mistakes, please ignore them. ^_^*

He stared intently at the inn door, his eyes focused on its plain and worn handle. How long had he been standing there? He no longer knew. The sun had set quite some time ago, and the booming voices and childish laughter had soon followed - they were now nothing but an empty memory in the past. Now... only the looming clouds remained above him, and the sound of the waves crashing against the island was the only sound that could be heard. That... and the sound of someone speaking; it was not worthy of note. With his oversized axe dangling by his side, the tool about two thirds of his own stature, his left hand reached for his trouser pocket and fingered an item inside. He gave it a flicker; the sound of crystal, albeit muffled, reached his ears. Good, he still had some rupees. There weren't many, but maybe he would be able to rent a room with this--

--and then he was addressed again. He turned back, only to meet the gargantuan - at least to him - form of a Zora. The boy, ignoring the question completely, attempted to stand on his tiptoes to make the height difference less jarring, but, as he soon noticed, it had little effect. Still determined however, he remained in that pose while his teal eyes, which had been described in the past as hollow and unfeeling (not that he gave them any note), stayed fixated on the Zora's face. "Traveler?" - he asked in his usual monotonous tone, his face not showing an ounce of emotion. He glanced back at the inn; a traveler wasn't exactly the kind of person he was looking for, but... it didn't look like he had any choice. Like in the last job he had taken, the master carpenter failed to pay him decently for all those badly slept nights, all that stress he had undergone, and all the effort he made to build that totem to the best of his abilities... and he needed money. With a storm fast approaching, he really didn't want to be sleeping out tonight.

There was really no other choice. He returned to a normal standing position, and, his eyes never faltering from their focus - namely, this traveler's face, he pointed at himself with his available hand. "Woodcutter." Continuing its motion, his index finger was soon pointing in the opposite direction towards that man himself. "Work?" As if the point hadn't been made clear enough, he reached for his pocket once more, only to retrieve a small leather bag tied with a makeshift piece of rope. He shook it a bit, and the sound of some rupees clinking and colliding with each other could be heard. He awaited a response.

He never stopped staring intensively at Taint's face.

She stared at him for several seconds, as if judging his answer with harsh scrutiny -- the kind he had so been hoping to avoid. For a moment he considered simply excusing himself and going to bed before she could say anything else . . . but that moment was actually too long a time to take. "So..." she started, forcing him to stay rooted in his spot, "why did you take it out after all that time?"

A fair question, but to be honest . . . "I'm not really sure," he replied with a shrug. "Just seemed appropriate for some reason. Possibly the approaching storm . . . or maybe my old friend just needed to see the outside world once again . . ."

Taint shook his head. Although the kid didn't seem to be the one for many words, Taint understood perfectly. "I've got no work for a woodcutter. Sorry, I wish I could help." He rubbed his chin deep in thought. He really couldn't think of anything- suddenly the thought occurred to him as he looked back down at the boy. That ax was huge. "Can you really swing that thing?" He asked pointing to the tool the boy held at his side.

Sakiko lowered her head slightly. See the outside world? Well, maybe you should take it out of your cape, then. However, it was his business what he wanted to do, and she had no reason to pry any further. She was afraid that she had already become quite a nuisance to Alpha, who probably just wanted to go rest. She didn’t make a response to his statement, because she didn’t think it was necessary; and even if she had responded, it would’ve been a monosyllable answer, anyway.

Stepping forward, Sakiko placed the small flower on Alpha’s chest, sticking its delicate stem onto the cloth. (ooc: If I say that it required a little magic, is that illegal? >_< gahh I am still a newbie when it comes to the delicate balance between godmodding and acceptable behavior.) The mage didn’t really know why she did that, and she had to say that the cheery little speck of color didn’t suit Alpha’s dark image very well. She knew that he was going to take it off as soon as she left – or maybe even before then – but she wanted him to have it. Not the flower per se– but what it meant, what it symbolized, to her.

And so she couldn’t see his reaction to the flower, Sakiko almost fled to the building, resolving to get at least a little bit of sleep.

Alpha blinked in surprise as Sakiko chose not a verbal response to his words, but a physical one. She stepped forward and placed a flower in through the folds of his shirt, then turned and disappeared inside the inn. He wasn't sure what to make of the action, and even after she was gone he stood there for several seconds, looking at it. After a moment he did indeed pluck it from the folds of fabric, but he didn't throw it away like Sakiko might have thought he could.

Whipping Brenyuu out from beneath his cape once more, the Sheikah twirled it around a few times before gazing up at the cloud overhead. The storm was coming in now; it would no doubt start storming soon. "Well, my friend, it's been fun," he muttered as he sent an impulse into it. At once, the two ends of the staff collapsed towards the centerpoint where he held it -- what had once been over five feet of metal shrunk down to little more than ten inches. The action definitely identified it as a weapon crafted from powerful magic, filling him with pride once again.

His scar flashed violet, and a portal in the flaps of his cape opened up once again. A moment of hesitation filled him, though; he'd thought to place Brenyuu back inside, but he had some sort of reluctance about the whole issue. It . . . it wanted to be used once more . . . but it was too risky. As he walked inside to go to bed, he placed Brenyuu back within the Void. Sakiko seeing it was bad enough, but at least she had no idea what it was. The same could not necessarily be said about other members of the crew.

Just before he entered the room, he also placed Sakiko's flower inside as well. Felt like the right thing to do.

* * *

Yukie stood at the window of his room for several minutes more . . . wondering what Alpha was doing with that Wraith guy's weapon . . .

OoC: Urgh, it's been over a year since I wrote any action scene. I'm sorry if my post is hard to follow. ><

IC:

Ah, that was no good... that was why travelers were never a good source of income; they rarely had any time for someone of his work field. It's not like they needed a house built, and considering their nomadic behavior, they'd have their own cart, wagon or means of transportation built. Yes, truly a shame. The boy turned his back to the Zora, now useless to him, and removed four small crystals from his leather pouch. He raised them up slightly, and let them glimmer and shimmer quietly in the moonlight, a bright green hue lighting up the area. No... this was hardly enough; It seemed like he was going to have to sleep outside tonight. Perhaps if he worked for the inn for a couple of nights he would be able to pay for his stay...

And then he was called into attention by that man again. He turned around, his teal-hued eyes once again staring right at the traveler's face. He returned to his tiptoed position and tilted his head ever so slightly, remaining still in that stance for a couple of moments. Then, ever so slowly, his gaze faltered from his focus and was redirected towards what the Zora was pointing towards. He then looked back towards him, and then the axe again. He finally decided to rest his eyes on the man's face. "Show?" - he inquired, nodding twice as to reaffirm his question.

He didn't let the man respond.

With a swiftness incredible for any ordinary human being - especially one who was carrying such a heavy artifact around, the boy dashed at high speeds towards a nearby wooden tree, tall and imposing at a height of nearly fourty feet. Clenching the handle of his weapon firmly, he raised it from its half-dropped position in the air and, turning his torso slightly to the side, he raised his axe to his side and swung it to one side, accompanying the movement of his body. As he was about to collide with the tree, he halted his dash by turning his right foot at a slightly angled position. Then, in one single fluid motion, he twisted his body to the opposite side, adding momentum as he swung the axe in the same direction, the blade piercing the wood like knife through butter. With a large 'thump', the tree trunk came crashing down unto the stump, remaining still in its position: the cut had been so fast, it hadn't given time for gravity to pull strongly towards either side to make the tree fall.

It would be wrong to assume he was done, however. Tapping the bark with his free hand, the motion was strong enough to make the already unstable tree to go on a collision course with the ground. Leaping up with surprising agility, the boy then ran along the upper side of the falling trunk, his feet nimble and hard to accompany and his axe always in contact with the 'floor' of this makeshift platform. Reaching the top, where the tree started to diverge into several branches, he then leaped down towards the street, his axe held high. As soon as his little boots touched the stone-carved surface, he then twisted his torso towards his target once again, stepping back with one foot to add balance to his frame as his weapon pierced the air in a diagonal slice, the light reflected by the axe being easier to see than the actual tool itself. Without a moment's delay, the actual tree trunk had been separated from the top part of the tree, and the log had been perfectly sliced vertically, splitting into two nearly symmetrical sides. The branch and leaf area then dropped directly behind the boy's body, while the log now laid to either side of himself, the concave part of the bark in touch with the floor, struggling for balance.

He turned around to look at Taint, his face still devoid of emotion. "Good?"

"I'm a little vexed about the way the people of Shadowclaw dealt with my people... But I don't hate them for it. Especially considering what happened to them before they reached the lands of the Decae." Dogura nodded. "What happened to them... You'd think the Goddesses themselves wanted them dead." Morgoth understood why the Shadowclaw were forced to do what they did, and Dogura mentally picked that up. At least he's not hostile towards us. He thought in regards to his people and the crew. Morgoth laid back down and turned to the side. "I wish there was just one of them left. One to tell me the things I always wanted to know about them, but didn't get a chance to learn. I wish I could have seen the power of that demon of the Royal family..." Dogura almost stood up at that remark. He coughed on the cigarette that he almost swallowed and stared wide-eyed at the man. He almost felt like declaring war right here and now.

How in the name of Din did he know about the family demon? Who the hell is he, and which informant was he connected to? There's no way. He's not an ordinary member of the Decae. He knows too much- He must have been closely linked- far to closely. "How old are you Morgoth?" The necromancer's eyes opened at this question. Quite a stranger question to ask out of the blue. Dogura didn't care about subtlety any longer. "I'm old." Dogura wasn't satisfied with that answer. He didn't want to threaten to kill him if he didn't cooperate anymore. It'd be best to stay on the man's good side until he knew the extent of his abilities. "I'm serious." He said calmly. "How old are you?" The man was human as far as Dogura knew- and human life span could last as far as 100. Dogura was trying to piece it all together, but it was difficult to imagine that Morgoth was older than 70. Suddenly, their conversation was cut short, as a loud crash outside caused both of their eyes to shoot towards the door. Dogura jumped out of his seat and stared for several seconds. "Wait here." Dogura ordered.

"Yeah, I think I'll decide to do that." Morgoth remarked sarcastically in reference to the iron bars that kept him in the room. Dogura melded into a shadow and disappeared from sight. He swam swiftly through the shadows and shot out of the top of the boat. He landed in a crouched position on top the crow's nest. He looked towards the source of the noise, and towards where the dust was kicked into the air. A tree had been knocked down, and thankfully it had avoided any of the other structures on the island. He could make out the captain, and another. He jumped from the crow's nest and slid down the sail, hitting the deck already running. He came to a stop next to Taint, who had a dropped jaw. Dogura noticed the small boy with the large ax, and didn't like where his mind was leading him. There was no way that someone of his stature- young looking at that- did this. Taint stood in shock and took a few steps forward and extended a hand. "I do have work for you, on second thought." Dogura couldn't disagree. Oh, wait, yes he could.

"Captain, he looks no older than 12. What if his parents come looking for him. You know what that would make us?" The Zora suddenly realized the error. They'd be kidnappers. Taint shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry little guy. But my advisor here is right. Don't you have parents?"

After pacing the room and more or less clawing at the walls, Arrika decided it was too vexing to lie down and try to force herself to sleep. She pried open the window with quick efficiency and hoisted herself over the edge, hanging from the ledge.

She glanced around- now what?

She noticed movement from one of the windows on the same floor. She sidled along the wall, hopping from one windowsill to the next, until she was dangling by her fingertips on the ledge, just out of sight of the person and would remain undetected unless they chose to look down.

For a moment she realized that if she was going to steal something, visiting a room with a conscious visitor would defeat the purpose and unnecessarily complicate the crime.

Whoever it was that was in the room, they were definitely looking out the window at something. She swiveled her head in the opposte direction and spotted a tall, lone figure in a dark cloak.

Now, who would be watching Alpha that way...? Is it Sakiko?

She peeked up over the ledge and nearly lost her grip in doing so. "Little deku?" she said aloud.

Well, this was unexpected, although not entirely inconvenient. It'd been his fault that she'd lost her mark, the Gust Jar, and a few hours of alone time had not alleviated the fact.

With a wry grin she knocked on the glass. "Let me in?" she mouthed, pointing inside the room.

Although his face remained passive, with the same emotionless expression as always, something in him seemed to have lightened up. One could not say what it was, for his stance was kept unchanged and a smile failed to come forth, but something in him radiated contempt. Work was good; work meant money, and money meant not having to live outside without any sort of food or shelter. His eyes focused on his employer-- actually, no... a bit to his side. There was something there... something coming. Something with some sort of dark aura around it. And alas, true to his senses, another tall man - this one a tad more creepy than the Zora - made himself present. It wasn't that he seemed brooding, but... there was something off about this individual, that was for sure. The human child scanned the newcomer from head to toe, paying special heed at that arm of his, as the two adult characters kept discussing... something irrelevant to him. Whatever; he had work now. Work was good; work meant money--

--and then, having absolutely no social qualms, he chirped in mid-conversation. "Ten." He repeated that word again, his index finger pointing at his own frame. There were to be no mistakes: he wasn't a twelve year old child. He was a ten year old woodcutter. As for when his employer addressed him, a simple shake of his head sufficed. "Orphan." - he added to make sure no doubts remained. Sensing the doubt in those two tall men, his teal-hued eyes focused from one individual to the other, before blurting out "Reliable". He nodded once to reaffirm his views.

Still, while a chit-chat like this could be considered pleasant - at least it had given the human a new source of income, so it had to count for something - he was not a very nocturnal individual, specially after such taxing work for the last couple of days. He stretched, arms extended up high (yet, comically, still not reaching the other two's height properly) and, deciding it would be best to succumb to sleep, turned his back on the duo. Step by step, with his axe dangling right by his side, he walked towards the inn. He spared a glance in the direction of the tree... but decided against doing anything - if asked of him, he'd clean it up in the morning. Reaching for the handle, he opened the door.

He looked back. "Pay?"