To think that she was about to return to this place, this city of all possible places. Even now as Esperia walked quietly through the pathway and arrived in a shadowy alleyway within the city of Oak, she had to admit it was a place that brought her discomfort.

It was odd to explain, but this city had once been the staging ground for a battle between the Rune Knights and the Phantom Lord guild several years ago, a battle where she had finally convinced Fia to leave the knights after the exposure that they were sacrificial pawns.

Not that it mattered much, Fia was gone now and... Shaking her head lightly to erase the gloomy thoughts from her mind the silver-haired witch wandered quietly amidst the streets. Her golden eye partly concealed underneath some of her longer locks, Esperia might had looked like an enigmatic adventurer, and it was perfect for her in a situation like this. After all, right now she had come to Oak to do some sightseeing and investigate a bit about some lingering suspicions. Still, without solid evidence, she couldn't make a truly decisive decision on her plan, not to mention she still had no evidence that tied Odin to Nacht. Certainly, he was a Lich and a member of the Midnight Cult, but did that also mean he had ties to Nacht? Until she saw him in person there was no way for her to make sure.

"hmm?"

As she walked past a store Esperia stopped in her tracks, her gaze shifting sideways to the window upon which her reflection was visible. There was no doubt about it... In those last few years she had changed so much from the playful little lewdling that she had been, not just in appearance. Raising a finger to the curved horns that ran along the side of her face and the scales that decorated her cheekbones and neck she couldn't help but hum softly. "The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to look like 'her'."

A momentary pause followed as she caught sight of a young lady in the reflection of the mirror. Although she might had been investigating something currently, there was no need for her to rush it, right? Besides, a stylish lewdling knew when the right moment to strike was! Or was it the right time to seduce? She forgot... Nonetheless, with how lost the poor lady seemed, a part of her couldn't help but wanting to take the bait, both to help her and perhaps to distract herself with some unexpected shenanigans?

She certainly could use it after all the recent events she had to endure lately. But for now, she eagerly awaited to see what type of adventure approaching this stranger could bring, and so she stopped a few steps away from her, raising her voice just enough to be heard. "Are you alright miss? You're looking as if you're searching for something or someone~"

Ever since the incident in that alley, Rinni had been roaming the streets of Oak. She had so much on her mind weighing her heart down with grief and pain. Her heart hurt so badly she couldn't help wish she didn't have one. She had lost so much in a short time she had to remind herself that she still had her brother and her parents and... Lucian. Despite everything, he had found her. The teen was forever grateful for that. She wasn't sure what she'd do without Lucian. He was like family to her. She meant no disrespect to her biological family... but... they could never understand her the way he could.

She wasn't like them anymore. And she needed Lucian now more than ever to guide her down the right path. As she walked alone, she paused to sit on an empty bench opposite to that of a store of some kind. She wasn't really paying much attention to her surroundings, as her mind was lost running over recent events. She hadn't even noticed she was crying until she felt a drop hit her hand as it rested in her lap. Her amber eyes dropped to peer at the single droplet that rested between her knuckles. She blinked back the rest of her tears, grateful she wasn't the makeup-wearing kind of girl. Being a tomboy had its perks, at least.

Her hands shifted to rest on the bench, her fingers lightly gripping the edges of the seat. Her amber eyes stared unblinkingly at her feet, clad in boots that met with a pair of warm winter gray pants. Her top area was covered in a turquoise sweater. The winter was still cold, but it was slowly warming up. Today was one of those days, thankfully. However, she didn't seem bothered by the cold. In fact, she appeared to be numb to everything right now. So much so that she hadn't noticed the strange woman approaching her until she spoke, snapping her out of her trance.

It was then that the teen werewolf caught the fragrance of flowers, very powerfully beside her. 'Why do I smell a bouquet of exotic flow-' She thought as she turned toward the source and gasped loudly as though startled. "Oh!" She hadn't even noticed this woman until a moment ago. She spoke to her... didn't she? What had she said? Rinni struggled to recall as she awkwardly stared at the older witch. She really needed to pay attention and not get so distracted by her own thoughts.

"I'm sorry... you startled me! I didn't ... ah... d-did you say something?" Her hand quickly rose to wipe the tears from her moistened face, her eyes red and puffy.

It was clear to her that whatever had been occupying this fair maiden's mind, it was of such importance that it had distracted her to the happenings of reality. A dangerous thing to let happen, for Esperia knew that reality could be dangerous and unforgiving to the unprepared. Perhaps it was for that reason she felt a bit concerned? Or perhaps it was a different type of sensation that inspired her to try to ensure this girl was doing fine before she would take her leave.

Even as the girl remained lost in thoughts, Esperia patiently awaited a reaction, her lips still curved up in a smile as she pondered just what was occupying the teenager's thoughts. It was a pity that Gaia's blessing didn't include the ability to read one's thoughts, then again that type of power seemed like a double-edged blade for sure.

The startled reaction of the werewolf earned a soft chuckle from Esperia who hummed playfully in return. "I thought your kin was renown for having sharpened senses, if I can startle you without even making any efforts to conceal my presence, then I worry about your safety within a place like Oak city my dear~"

The silver-haired witch shook her head gently in return to Rini's concerned response about the fact she didn't remember what Esperia had said moments ago, yet the hand that raised to her face to wipe the tears from her cheeks did not go unnoticed, earning a concerned glance from Esperia. "Nothing important~ I just asked what was bothering you~ You looked quite lost, and on top of that, seeing a fair maiden like yourself haunted by thoughts that would stain her pretty cheeks with tears, is more than enough to earn my concern."

She tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion as her gaze remained focused on the girl in front of her. "My name is Esperia, did something happen that made you so distressed? If possible I would like to help ease your suffering a little, at the very least having someone to talk to does help ease the burden weighting down on those shoulders of yours~"

Rinni was instantly startled to discover that this strange woman knew what she was. In fact, this was the first person she encountered who recognized her for what she really was. She often kept the fact she was a werewolf at all to herself. How powerful was this mage to identify her so easily? She felt the hairs on her neck and arms stand up as a chill ran along her spine. Was it her fangs? Her long nails that gave her away? Or maybe this woman had some sort of mind-reading magic? Or an ability to sense what a person was?

"Y-you... you know what I am? How... I..." She shook her head trailing off a moment. "No-no. I'm... I was just lost in my thoughts a moment. I'm usually not that easy to sneak up on..."

She looked up at the woman standing beside her and forced a smile as she timidly introduced herself. "I'm Rinni." That was all she was going to say. No point in mentioning where she was from, her surname, or other personal detail. After all, she knew nothing about this woman nor where she was from. She could be just as evil as him... or worse, working with him...

The woman offered an ear or shoulder to help carry the weight of what was burdening her. It wasn't as though Rinni didn't appreciate the offer... but she had only just met this woman she now knew as Esperia. She didn't normally open up to nor confide in complete strangers so easily. She was shy and after recent experiences distrustful of strangers. The teen scooted over to allow Esperia a seat beside her. Reaching up, she brushed a loose strand of brown hair behind her left ear and her amber eyes looked toward the Mage that now sat beside her, should she choose to accept the offered seat.

The woman had white hair and two different color eyes. Her overall appearance was offputting to the werewolf, and her presence was intimidating. She wasn't entirely sure, but she may have seen wanted posters of this person somewhere. She shook this notion off and spoke carefully, not wanting to name names out of fear of having too much information to use against her. "I don't really think you could help, Ma'am. A... a lot has happened to me over the last year up until now. I mean... I thought it was bad when I was bitten by a werewolf last year... but... this year... my guild was destroyed... and my best friend was murdered right in front of me... and one of the men involved... I can't outrun... he always finds me... he's always there... he could be watching me right now... I wouldn't even know... he has this... eye thing..."  She didn't bother to mention her guild's name. It probably wouldn't be hard to guess what she referred to, to be honest.

The incident was probably in every newspaper across Fiore. She also didn't bother to mention her best friend was her fox companion Winter. A friend was a friend so species didn't matter, in her opinion. She left out any mention of her family for their own safety. And of course, the man she spoke of was Gunter Von Wolf... and having no idea if Esperia knew him or was connected to him in any way... she chose to leave out his name unless asked.

Not wanting to talk about her... situation with Gunter... to this strange woman any longer, Rinni stood up and wiped her tears and politely bid her farewell and headed on her way. She had a job to do elsewhere and couldn't afford to be late.

- Exit cause traveling soon -