A rough wind rushed through the air, the unexpectedness of it sending a shiver down her spine.

She did not know for how long she had been confined to the underground cell of the pale woman, the assumed persona that Vyra had come to provide to her, the wicked woman whom had pounced upon the girl’s desperate plea for aid. Only to respond with a depraved iteration of disregard, worse even, that of malice. Malice towards her, malice towards Alisa, a malice so entrenched in condemnation that Vyra had become convinced she were never to leave her cell, save for as a corpse.

The bright sunlight that shone above, cascading upon everything within the Hargeon street including that of the grime-covered skin of the Demi-Human, proved otherwise.

It did not make it feel any less like a dream. Her eyes struggled to properly adjust to the brightness of the world above ground, her mind approaching every instance of light reflecting off of the numerous windows within the otherwise abandoned alleyway with the half-expectation of awakening again in the cold, darkness.

Perhaps it would have been for the better, a thread of doubt within her mind suggested. Time had been both irrelevant and ever constant whilst imprisoned under the pale woman; how long she had been there was a mystery to the world, and likewise, how the world had moved on were a mystery to her. Looking around provided no insight, but a faint sense of comfort; Vyra was still within Hargeon, albeit within one of the more abandoned parts of the city, but Hargeon nonetheless.

A faint sigh of relief escaped her lips as this realization set upon her; the pale woman could have left her anywhere, the prospects of her ever finding home again falling drastically had it been anywhere else. At least here – abandoned area or otherwise – the odds fell much more within her favor.

Proceeding cautiously, fearful for what of the pale woman’s forces may still have still remained, a growing thought within the Demi-Human’s mind seemed to encapsulate her feelings; she wished that she had seen more of the city. Vyra wished that she had done more than remain within confines of the Blue Pegasus guild hall, a place that while having been her home since her fateful meeting with Alisa, had as much served as a bird’s nest that she seldom felt safe venturing too far from.

That fear was now coming to bite her as she meandered through alleyway upon alleyway, harsh memories of a time wished forgotten flooded back to her. Her breathing steadily increased, anxiousness taking to the forefront as each turn seemed to lead from one alleyway to another, an effective labyrinth  that did not seem to end.

“It’s hopeless,” she murmured in defeat, slumping back against a nondescript wall of some establishment since left to ruin. A tear began to roll down her cheek, a new layer to add her existing mascara of dried tears and blood. Despair crept forward, until something seemed to bring life back onto her.

A sound! Multiple!

Comradery. Celebration. Sounds which encapsulated the very contrast of her story. And more even, they sounded close. Close enough that even as physically drained as she was, it felt within reach. But distance was relative and mattered little when barriers existed, and there stood no shortage of those for Vyra presently. Traversing back through the alleyways in hopes of finding a way of reaching the noise yielded no hope of success, save for one alley that led to a dead end, albeit an old wooden wall composed of weathered planks of varying states.

With little option and this being perhaps her best chance for success, Vyra hoped for some inspiration, some means of getting through. The thought occurred to try to scale the wall, but even as she barely had gotten a lone foot off the ground, a sense of terror rushed through her at the idea of entrusting these boards to maintain under her weight. Frustrated, she slammed her fist upon the wood, the pain of it secondary to knowing – and hearing – the comradery just beyond the planks. A few moments passed as the sounds of merriment filled the area, Vyra having closed her eyes as she imagined being a part of it, her hand caressing along the length of the wooden plank.

Then it dawned upon her.

Opening her eyes and staring intently at the boards upon her eye level, she reached and began to pull. And pulled she did, as hard as her body enabled it, the repercussions of her physical fatigue became felt far more than at any point prior. Her muscles strained, her wrists and hands shaking as she continued to try pull, feeling the energy being sapped from her. Vyra leaned backwards, hoping to leverage a plank free, continuing to sink closer and closer to the ground, pain amplified as her arms ached being stretched. It left her wondering how much longer she would be able to keep going.

At first, a crack. Then another. Then before even she could appreciate or react accordingly, the plank had been torn from the wall along with bits and pieces of adjoining planks. She landed upon her back, the small explosion of wood fragments sending splinters everywhere. Whilst in pain, a glance forward brought a smile to her face, the first since she had returned to the world, as she looked upon a hole within the wall, not too large but big enough that even she could manage to squeeze herself through.

Getting up slowly, the aftermath of her efforts now being fully realized, the Demi-Human carefully contorted herself through the hole, trying her hardest to neither get stuck nor harm herself upon the freshly-severed wood. By the time she had gotten most of her body through, a hasty attempt to get the rest out was met with a sharp fragment of wood producing from a broken plank, running along and cutting through her inner bicep, drawing both a deep, long reddish gash upon it and a winch escaping from her mouth.

Emerging onto the street, covering of grime, sweat, and blood aside, Vyra could not help but feel elated; the abandoned part of Hargeon that she had ended up in was not far from the high-rise of Hargeon, where the Blue Pegasus guild hall was located. Moving with the speed that her physical capabilities and adrenaline would allow her, Vyra rushed through the streets, ignoring the shocked awes and remarks by the passerby’s that traversed opposite of her. Right now, they were the last thing on her mind.

She just wanted to be home.

She had lost all semblance of time, how long she had travelled, what time of day it was even. None of that mattered as she looked upon the Blue Pegasus guild hall once again. It had felt like she had gone forever, Hargeon feeling infinitely largely than it ever had before, whether due to her previous confinement or otherwise just the anticipation. But she was excited. Excited to be back.

So when the guard at the front of the guild hall pushed her back, she found herself flying, landing upon her backside again.

It was the last thing she had anticipated.

“Hold it, nobody allowed in except members of the Blue Pegasus Guild!” The man, a burly figure, not a face that Vyra ever recalled having seen before within the area of the guild hall. “Go and back to whatever part of the city you hail from.”

She looked at the man with a look of incredulity, “What… what do you mean!?”

The man sighed, “Was I not clear a moment ago? During the Festival this area is limited only to members of the Blue Pegasus Guild, which,” He chuckled, “I mean, just look at you. Clearly, you don’t look the part of a member.”

Vyra was left stunned. Festival? Had she been gone so long that time had passed for a time of merriment to take place? Had this been always planned? She didn’t recall ever hearing of such a thing. Thoughts of even worse ideas crept into the back of her head, but she refused to listen, hoping that this guard, whoever it was that authorized him, would recognize who she was. “Please! I just want to go home…”

“Girl, I’m getting tired of this. Are you in the guild?” He looked with indifference, not seeming to care much towards either her or interested into reading into the nature of her current circumstances.

“I mean, not exactly… It’s complicated,” She was reluctant to go too deep into detail. A part of her felt like this man would not have believed her even if she tried.

“Do you have one of those guild tattoo things? The one that all Blue Pegasus members have?”

Her mind flashed back to a memory she had when she first met Alisa, when she suggested where she would have had her Blue Pegasus tattoo. At the time, it was a thoughtful gesture, one that she meant, but in the two years that had passed, circumstances had prevented her or Alisa from ever pursuing it further. “I… I…” She sighed, “No… I don’t…”

“Then get out of here! I will not extend you the curtesy of being able to walk from here on your accord again!” His gaze, one previously of annoyance instead turned into ire. His hand, having been free, now remained loosely clenched along the hilt of a sheathed blade, the slight shaking of his hand indicative of a willingness, if not even eagerness to draw it. “Leave. You have no place here.”

Tears now falling upon her face, Vyra could not help but look at the guard, then to the large building that existed beyond the gate, the building that she had called home for the past two years. After everything she had endured; the cruelty that was shown her by the pale woman, and now this?

She had thought she escaped hell. Apparently she was wrong.

She wanted to die.

She wished that she had just been left to rot within the pale woman’s cell.

For Vyra to escape the hell that she had found herself within, an unknown prison amounting to little more than her eventual tomb, to this, a world that had forgotten her. A world that had abandoned her. In that moment, the pain that radiated through her legs, the fatigue that overwhelmed her body, the emotional anguish that she had been put through, all of it had become lost to a feeling of utter despair.

“But…” Her words were hoarse. Weak. The life exhausted out of her as she looked out with a dead expression upon her face, “I thought she cared about me…”

Cloudiness permeated within her mind, the strength that remained exhausting from her body. The color within her eyes started to fade, a blackness that began to swirl within her irises.

The moment the woman who slept within the shadows had been waiting for was all but here. And she had not needed to do anything to achieve it.

A lone voice cleared the void.

Vyra had hardly registered anything of it before she caught the briefest of glances to the sound calling out to her. She turned her head slightly, her eyes widening in a combination of disbelief and unrequited rapture to see the woman proceeding towards her. “Alisa!?” Driven by instinct and unwrought emotion, she wanted to reach out, reciprocate the mauling hug that encased her, she wanted to do something. But all she could do was bask in the touch of the woman whom she had missed, her heartbeat racing as her mind processed exactly what was happening, the reality than that of the fear had manifested.

“Alisa…” Her words were little more than whisper, rich with emotion, the Demi-Human’s composure dangling upon a weaken thread as it lingered over an emotional pitfall. She struggled to process it, struggled to fully comprehend the last few moments, the turnaround of the situation. So much so that Vyra had hardly heard the guard’s remark, but a slight coldness rushed over her as the Blue Pegasus guild leader, the woman whom Vyra had idolized, pulled away, severing the tight hug which she had held.

Like seeing the oasis within the scorching desert, she held her arm out, reaching back out for Alisa, her mind still struggling to fully appreciate that this were reality than her mind betraying her. Was it real? Had she actually reunited with Alisa? But she wouldn’t have turned her back upon the Demi-Human, certainly not? Uncertainty ate away at her as she watched the woman and guard interact, weightless words exchanged before a moment like none that she had ever seen out of Alisa. In an instant, the guard was sent flying, Vyra not quite able to fully appreciate it until after the dust had settled and the man who only a moment ago had absconded her lay in a makeshift hole within a the Blue Pegasus Guild Hall.

It left her stunned. Not the display of strength; that was something that Vyra had always envisioned of Alisa, between the respect she seemed to command among the people of Blue Pegasus, an appreciation that over the past two years she came to idolize and take great solace within. It was also the sort of power that would explain the ire of the pale woman, the sheer cruelty harbored towards her – and Vyra as a result.

But she didn’t care about that. Not in that moment. What mattered to the Demi-Human was the care.

Alisa still cared. Despite what she thought, despite the nightmare that blurred itself within her mind, the idea that she had been abandoned and forgotten, Vyra still had a home. She still had someone who cared for her. And with eyes never splitting from the hole in which the guard lay, the same hole by which some members of Blue Pegasus had ventured out to see, for some reason she struggled to wrap her mind around how wrong she had been, struggling to come to terms with what was the truth.

“Huh!?”

The sweet voice of the Blue Pegasus Guild Leader brought Vyra back to reality, a complete look of disbelief upon her face as she stared first to the extended hand and then to the face of the woman. Her eyes stuck upon the welcoming smile, the same compassion that she had first seen two years reappearing within her mind, memories of a happier time before the events of what recently occurred had plagued them.

But now there was pain. A pain not only existent from her injuries, old and new alike, but a pain of reflection. A pain of a life once escaped brought forth again, its presence suffocating away any hope that Vyra had. But even in her escape, its scars remained, ripping her apart from within.

Vyra said nothing, but the tears that had begun to descend down her face told the story well enough. As she reached out to match Alisa’s, the dirt and raggedness being a stark contrast against the manicured and clean hand of the woman before her, she felt something stir within her. A sudden rush of energy, excitement perversely mixed with sadness and sheer terror made manifest, built within and whether by instinct, out of fear, happiness, loneliness even, it mattered not.

But as her arms wrapped tightly upon Alisa, holding her within an embrace so constrictive that it would have seemed that her life depended on it, the tears flooded as Vyra cried. Crying out in pain. Crying out in fear. Crying out wishing she could take everything that had plagued her back. Crying out missing the woman who had saved her life not just once, but now twice.

“Master!?”

“What happened?”

“Are you OK?”

A cacophony of voices flooded through as more and more Blue Pegasus members ventured forth from the estate, their attentions and focuses divided in all directions. Some towards that of the guard whom had hardly moved since the strike by Alisa, others having already gathered and begun to call out for medical attention. But many towards their precious Guild Master, many of them moving closer to see what happened, only to be left in awe at the sight of Vyra, both given her condition and her apparent return.

“Vyra! You’re back!”

“Oh Gods, what happened to her!?”

“She’s hurt! Someone! Get Fiona!”

The words of the people seemed like background, for the moment the only thing that Vyra seemed to care about being the woman whom she held as tight as possible. Then she opened her eyes, seeing the growing circle of people whom had now encircled her and Alisa, only seeming to grow as more people departed from the building, their presence only drawing further attention. Through teary eyes, she saw plenty of faces, some she were familiar with, many she had never seen, almost all with an expression of disbelief upon their faces.

A girl approached, one perhaps no older than Vyra, concern for the girl foremost within her intention. A step closer followed by another until she stood out from the crowd, her features standing out to the Demi-Human. Vyra’s eyes panned towards her, her eyes widening as she gazed upon the features, the long elven ears and white hair that complimented the paler toned skin.

A terrified cry broke the murmur, the circle that had enwrapped themselves around the situation found themselves as much stunned as they had been concerned. The girl, despite her most noble intentions, were left stunned, two more elder members of the Blue Pegasus guild stepping forward to pull her back, allowing Vyra nobody save for Alisa in her immediate vicinity.

She kept her eyes locked on the girl, her grip around Alisa tightening further even more, only weakening in strength as the two escorted the girl away. Her breathing steadied, the tears fell still, her body feeling heavier and heavier with each passing second. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, loud enough that perhaps through the shocked remarks Alisa would be able to hear. Her grip waned as she slipped down to a knee, collecting herself with enough remaining strength to step upright, but it was evident to everyone that she was spent.

“Hurry! The girl needs a healer!”

“Gods… She looks like she's been through hell...”

Her mind raced.

Fear collided with comfort. What safety she felt in Alisa’s arms as much struggled against the hell she had lived through, all too fresh within her mind. Her grip waned at points, so much of her never wanting to escape from this moment, Alisa and her together again, a dream that she had wished for over and over again. That it had come true in the wake of all of this, Vyra wished that she could have turned back time.

She missed Alisa. She had missed Blue Pegasus. But she had stared into the abyss, looked upon a woman whom saw that desire as a weapon. And as she were there with Alisa, holding on for dear life whilst guild members of whom she had met and never seen before expressed their own worry towards the Demi-Human, in the back of her mind, she knew that it could have all been gone in an instant.

The woman’s words reassured her, the faintest muster of a smile forming up her face as she listened, her grip softening, the fear waning, if only just. That notion, that everything would be okay, Vyra wondered if it would ever be true. Never mind the trauma she had endured. Never mind the conditions she had been left towards; thrown within a cage, her cries dismissed like that of an unwanted animal. She had seen the worst of what Magic could do, corrupting a creature to the point of it becoming an abomination, people – enslaved just like her – ripped of their souls, becoming little more than husks.

And worst of all, because she had gone against Alisa’s advice. To try to deal with her other half on her own.

No, it was not going to be okay.

The crowd seemed to only grow, the numbers of eyes fixated upon her, like that of a murder of crows stalking upon a wounded rabbit. Gasps and commotions, a flood of remarks meant for no person in particular, all lent to an ever-deafening cacophony that only seemed to get louder and louder and louder.

And then it stopped. Ceased by the words of Alisa, cutting through it all, her words amounting conviction that seemed to all but silence anyone and everyone within earshot. The Demi-Human said nothing, just looking up, seeing as serious of a face as she could ever recall upon Alisa in all of the time having spent before with her.

The sounds of the people dispersing out from their congregation allowed her with enough peace to let out an exhausted sigh, her head drifting slightly upon Alisa’s frame. These last few moments had been an ordeal by their own right; for it to become a spectacle for so many others, many who no doubt knew little to nothing of her, was the last thing Vyra hoped for. For the slightest amounts of time, Vyra felt a calmness, a sort of peace that otherwise had been absent. Her eyes shut as her breathing steadied, widening in unexpected delight as her body seemed weightless, it taking a moment for her to realize that she was being lifted in Alisa’s arms.

Though taken off guard by this, there were no protest coming from the Demi-Human. In this, she felt something that for so long it felt like had been absent; a sense of safety. If there were anyone whom Vyra had put her trust within, it was the woman that carried her back through the large doors that only a short time ago she thought she would have never ventured through again.

Much of it had seemed to change since the last time that she had passed through those doors, what had come to feel like so long ago. The typically longue-like area just beyond the doors had been significantly rearranged, the immediate bar-like space still as it was, but much of the tables and chairs that occupied space having been either pushed to the furthermost walls or otherwise placed somewhere else within the guild hall entirely. Boxes of ornaments, decorations, and all other sorts of festive items lay scattered throughout, some having already been prepared within the guild hall’s interior itself, though there still seemed plenty left to take care. Undoubtedly what at least some of the members had been in the middle of prior to the incident outside.

It was particularly impactful for Vyra though, seeing this area once again. It had been the last bit of the guild hall that she had seen before she had set out to explore the slum parts of Hargeon. The same slum parts that she had found herself apprehended by the pale woman. As Alisa walked through with Vyra still in her arms, the Demi-Human’s eyes darted all throughout, her mind still struggling to fully wrap around this festival that seemed to have the entire city’s attention. From the streets to Blue Pegasus, that everyone seemed so interested in it, it really did make Vyra fear just how much time had elapsed since she were last here.

A familiar voice resonated from across the room, just beyond the thick, wooden bar, “Mistress Alisa, is that? Oh, my God!”

She turned her head to face him, not quite sure whether to be pleased or fearful to be seeing him once again, but eventually settled upon a weak smile as the bartender approached. One of the few whom she had come to regard as a friend or as close to a friend as possible within the Blue Pegasus guild, the Demi-Human found herself struggling to maintain what little composure she had, a feeling of both embarrassment and weakness enveloping her. “Please, allow me to help,” the man asked of Alisa, not even waiting to hear a response before he had already begun dragging one of the most spacious and comfortable couches closer to the duo. It was in this moment that Vyra had come to realize how little of the man was shown from behind the bar. He stood nearly, if not even taller than Alisa did, muscles abound and yet still having the decorum and mannerisms that one would almost expect out of any high-profile servant. “This should more than suffice for her.”

Before she perhaps even realized it, Vyra found herself resting upon the couch, Alisa overlooking her, the bartender not too far behind, close enough to show concern towards Vyra, but also allotting Alisa the respect due. “A few of the younger pupils said that they sought out Fiona already. Is there anything I can provide Mistress?” The bartender asked, Vyra unable to shake the sense that the man felt a sense of guilt towards her current state. He had tried to warn her.

She just did not listen. And she had paid the price.

“I comin’, I comin’! Gods! Ya be’ thinking that some’ne all but died with how people be’a acting. Ain’ a doubt in me mind one of you youngin’s just be drinkin’ more ya can handle! I swear, ye put a bar in a guild hall, that a given. But then ye go head and be bringin’ in all these festive brews.” The booming familiar voice echoed through the guild hall, getting louder as the accent got thicker which each step. “Swear, they don’t listen I tell ya. Bosco beer hits differen’. Oh, my Lady, surprise to see you loungin’ ‘bout, especi’ with all the festivi-“ The large woman, the beloved – and feared – healer of Blue Pegasus, had all but come save for a step or two beside Alisa when she finally looked down upon the couch, realizing just whom lay there.

“OH ME GOD!” Fiona practically bellowed out, the pure loudness of it and its breaking of the uneasy silence that seemed to persist throughout the open lounge out into just beyond the main doorway. Quickly descending to one knee, Fiona leaned close, examining everything to the broken girl, Vyra only able to look on, as much terrified of seeing Fiona in such a frenzy as she were terrified of doing anything to try to stop her. “Me God, Vyra… My Lady, what happened to the gal!? Dear, can’t say I ‘member seein’ her this bad off…”

Hearing that sent a chill down Vyra’s spine. When she had first been here, it marked the first time that she could truly see the toll that living in poverty among the streets had inflicted upon her. Fiona and Alisa were the only other two whom saw her in that sort of condition. For Vyra to hear Fiona say that she looked even worse, it took every bit of willpower to not break down in tears.

“I, uh, I…I…” A collection of stammering and incomplete words escaped through the lips of the bartender, causing at the minimum Fiona to turn her head back with enough speed to convince one that it were on a swivel.

“Ya know somethin’ laddie? Best go ‘head and say so, ors I promise ain’t no level of healin’ gonne make up for what I gone do…”

The bartender looked upon Fiona, then glanced to Vyra. Even the Demi-Human could see the man’s expression change as he shifted perspective to perspective; fear resonating as he looked upon Fiona whilst despair as he eyes lay upon Vyra. He sighed. “Do you recall the girl who used to be in the guild? About ye height, brunette, ordinary otherwise? Quit, I don’t know, a week or two ago, to go off to parts unknown? Well, she had made a point of telling Vyra… Of telling her about that group, the supposed one that helps mages…”

Fiona’s eyes looked the man with an intensity that Vyra could not help but grateful that she did not see, given how the bartender seemed to respond, “Helps mages?” Suddenly, a light seemed to go off in the large woman’s head, “Wait… You mean that supposed rumor?”

“That the Witch Hunters had begun using to lure people in?” The bartender, glanced back to Vyra, “I pray that it wasn’t.”

Even just hearing the name, witch hunter, it was enough to send a wave of panic through Vyra. Though left with effectively nowhere to go upon the couch, she nevertheless backed up, doing little more than further pushing her back against the cushions behind her. Whatever to get away from even the mere mention of such a thing, a part of her had still not come to terms with she was safe now.

Even with Alisa beside her, it could not erase what she had endured. The memories that that term brought back, they remained – as much she wished them not.

A silence befell upon the main lobby of the Blue Pegasus guild hall.

Preemptively warranted by Alisa’s outburst, the suddenness of it melded with the fiery passion of a mother facing an injured child, it sparked seldom a word from anyone under the same roof; neither those whom had lagged behind, curious to Vyra’s condition and having stuck to the outermost sections of the lobby, nor those whom had been oblivious, instead tending to the preparation that the Hargeon festival demanded of them.

But no matter their reasonings for being there, not a soul looked away from the small gathering within the near center. Not surprising, given the company. The beautiful Guild Leader whom were responsible for all before them, the elderly yet intimidating nurse whom had tended to enough injuries rivalling that faced throughout a lengthy war, and the curious Demi-Human, whose rag to riches lifestyle fostered not only pity for what had been faced, but contempt for the fortunes having lucked into.

Last but not least, the bartender. A respectable man, held in good standings throughout with much of the Blue Pegasus guild. But not one immune to the fury of Alisa, whose verbal lashing sparked a myriad of reactions from those who stood witness, their awe as much split between the outrage itself and the reasoning why…

Witch Hunters. A radical response to what some ignorant minds considered unhinged mages. To those within Blue Pegasus and guilds throughout Fiore, for a time they were nothing more than a nuisance; ignorance bred by idiocy and jealousy masquerading as self-governance. At least, for a time. Growing municipalities and the acceptance of prejudiced politics had proven to be a complete reversal of fortunes, not only in scope but also in potential. Potential for growth, influence, and much to the dismay of Blue Pegasus and every other guild out there, the potential for ruin.

But, despite that risk, it had at worst seemed like that of an empty threat. Never had they shown themselves to be willing to go as far as to actually strike out against Blue Pegasus before.

Tears began to descend upon the cheeks of Vyra as she looked upon Alisa, feeling not only an immense level of shame for having allowed herself to suffer, but also an unyielding amount of guilt for all of this. She looked to the woman, almost flinching upon the touch of Alisa’s hand upon her hair, seeing the glass of juice offered to her. Affection given, but certainly not affected deserved.

A weak nod followed a simple word. “Yes…” Spoken softly, but one which carried the weight to cause everyone to react. Gasps muttered by those who realized their sudden vulnerability, the sounds of glass shattering in boxes dropped from fright, wordless vocalizations that ushered in a new reality filled the air. Heavier tears followed into wailing as Vyra broke down, the memories of everything she endured coming rushing back as she cried out, the atrocities committed to her being relived through her retellings to Alisa.

“They kept down I don’t know where, underground in the cold, locked in a cell. Every day, they just looked at me, like an animal, what they said, what they wanted to do… But her…” Her breathing paced, a sense of dread running through her as the face of the pale woman seemed burnt upon her memory, “The pale woman… Aegir… I thought she was going to help, but she just wanted to know about you… I heard them, them talking about what she planned for me…”

The hysterics calmed slightly, Vyra collecting herself enough to convey everything she needed to Alisa, holding back the desire to further cry out. “They, they tortured creatures with Magic, turning them into monsters. And, Gods… They kept others there, people, chained and collared. Then… she did something and they became something else. Monsters.. Husks… I don't know what to call them...”

Vyra reached out and grabbed hold of Alisa, utter shame and dismay running through her, “She tried to shoo me away. She wanted nothing to do with me, but I pushed. I was scared. I thought if I said who I was, that I knew you, if I explained her, that she would have done something. But she was just trying to use me, to hurt you…”

“I should have seen it coming. I wish I could have taken it back, but, I… I didn’t know what to do… I missed you and I felt like I was losing control… I thought they could have helped… But… It was too late… I lost control…” She pulled away, not sure whether she hated herself more or if she were just terrified. A combination of both perhaps, but the guilt just utterly ate away at her. “People… They died… and I… She, both of us, killed them… Thugs, gangsters, but they still had lives! And she killed them, a dozen of them…”

She looked directly into Alisa, agony still resonating through her, “I thought I could control my Magic, I really did… But a girl’s dead because of me… I watched her choke, clawing for help, and I… I couldn’t do anything!”

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

It was hard, if not impossible, for Vyra to fully reconcile the emotions that ran through her.

Pain, there was no shortage of it. Her lifetime had been one of pain, the last few years only having been where the notion of waking up in the morning did not bring her utter dread. Her past had been interwoven with it, the events of recent days only being just a fresh stitching added onto the canvas.

Fear, it seemed to be all around her. Whether the ramifications of her being different, the hubris and disgust directed upon her by those within Hargeon or elsewhere, Vyra had come to fear the world and its people. Almost as much as she had come to fear herself, the entity within her. A cruel iteration of her own self, one of which cared neither for her nor the implications of what she did and how it would impact her.

Safety, in this moment existed. Though having been welcome by Alisa and the rest of Blue Pegasus had given her a feeling of safety in a world that deprived her of it, it seemed that the encounter with Aegir and the rest of her Witch Hunters had all but ruined that premise. Yet, within the arms of Alisa, as much reflecting upon the sins committed onto her as the sins she herself committed, that feeling returned to her. A sense of safety, of feeling protected.

And a feeling of being loved. What more had she wished for herself, the idea of feeling like a person, of being accepted, of being loved. The idea that someone, anyone at all, would come to miss her, to want to be in her company again. It had felt like ages since she felt the warmth of that, not that of the morose acceptance shown towards her by much of the Blue Pegasus, but the genuine care that she had received from the woman before her.

How was she to respond? How was Vyra to react? She had confessed the plights and afflictions inflicted upon her to a woman whom – much like Vyra would do anything to appease – would do anything to protect her. But even the Demi-Human, for as much as she thought of the Blue Pegasus guild master, did not expect the fury that came forth from the motherly figure. Anger, or more appropriately unbridled fury, seethed from the woman, it not quite clear whether more directed at the Witch Hunters for their boldness within the city of Hargeon or more from actually seeing their work made manifest in Vyra’s current situation.

It did not matter. It was apparent enough that regardless of what they may have sought to derive, whether out of Vyra or Alisa, they were only to get one thing in return.

A mother’s fury.

A fury that even left Vyra intimidated, her eyes widened as she looked onto the woman, as much enraptured in the emotion before her, seeing a side of Alisa that she had never known to exist. Sure, Alisa in the past had shown some hostility, a disgusted look thrown the way to those that lacked humanity themselves; the baker who prompted the unlikely meeting of the duo and the guard whom now lay unconscious just beyond the door outside. But never had Vyra seen this out of Alisa.

It scared her. And throughout, a feeling of guilt built within her. Vyra was seeing a new side of Alisa because of Vyra. The justifications, the reasonings, the excuses, all of it aside, if it were not for Vyra, this would not be happening.

"It's not your fault either..."

She rose her arm, her hand pressed gently upon Alisa’s cheek. From eyes that had cried more tears than any lifetime should have yielded, Vyra looked into Alisa’s, for the briefest moments feeling like time felt still. The Demi-Human understood, or at least wanted to believe she did. It was about her home, her family, one that she refused to put at risk and one that she would not stand to lose.

But more, Vyra wanted Alisa to know that she was still here. No matter how much Alisa would have sought to see Hargeon asunder in a moment of revenge, in the right now Vyra only wanted the woman to remember that. To remember her. To know that she hadn’t lost her.

Alisa averted her gaze, suddenly creating a space between Vyra’s hand and the flesh that it once softly lingered upon, a sudden seed of doubt that left the Demi-Human fearful that she had crossed a line. She wanted to say something, but the words failed to escape her lips, panic weakening her resolve while the words of the guild master brought her to complete silence. At first, she did not know what to expect, as much expecting something awful as something possibly consoling. But as the words traversed through the air, Vyra was left stunned.

“What… Me!?... Wait… Really!?” She struggled to express her words, shock fighting with delight to be the foremost emotion. Vyra didn’t know what to say; so much time had passed since that first night, when she had first posed the idea of joining Blue Pegasus. Perhaps then it had been nothing more than her wanting to be sweet towards Alisa, maybe some part of her never wanting to return to the life she had been living, but nothing had come of it then.

She had come to believe it was Alisa’s doing, feeling that the Demi-Human was not ready. Whether her Magic or the dark persona that lived within her, a part of Vyra had come to believe that for as close as she may have thought herself to be towards Alisa, that would be the extent of it. She would never be a member of Blue Pegasus. They didn’t want her there.

Forever bound to simply being “Alisa’s Pet.”

That was what they thought of her. The cruel phrase echoed aloud by the people within the city, seeing the once homeless goat girl suddenly finding herself in a position of prominence and luxury. The same phrase said in private by some of the same people whom walked the same halls Vyra did within the Blue Pegasus guild hall, some driven by jealousy, others out of reasons otherwise unknown to her.

And the phrase that Aegir found most intriguing, a proper title to provide to the lab rat that had wandered into her little experiment.

Vyra hated it. Hated feeling like she was not worthy of such a life. What was the point of such a reversal of fates if she were still viewed no different? So much time had passed though, and so common had she heard the phrase that she had all but lost hope.

“You… You mean it?” She choked on her words, a feeling beginning to build within her, it only being a matter of time before inevitably erupting.

As the tears descended down her cheeks, they were not those of pain, but rather of relief. Relief that she had been wrong. She had not been forgotten. Alisa viewed her as worthy. Everyone, from the racists in Hargeon to the racists in Blue Pegasus to the pale woman herself, they were all wrong.

She wasn’t just “Alisa’s Pet.” She was so much more than that.

Vyra reached out, grabbing hold of Alisa, saying not a word for a time, simply allowing a moment to simply hold the woman close. Hardly a word spoken, just her holding Alisa close, taking it all in. “Yes,” she said finally, the excitement in her voice evident as well as the emotions struggling to be held in check. But then the dam broke and the emotions flooded out, “Yes!” she exclaimed again as the tears came out, the dream that she had envisioned for herself over two years ago finally being realized.

So much time.

So much time had been lost.

For years, Vyra had found herself walking along an unsteady bridge, part of her as much wanting to join Blue Pegasus to see the excitement upon Alisa’s face – the same excitement shown when Vyra first suggested the idea – as she had come to genuinely want to be a part of the guild. But for that excitement came with it an immense fear; Was she good enough? Would Alisa truly accept her? Would her Magic prove too dangerous?

Fear kept her away reaching out, figuring that when she was ready, someone more capable, someone more qualified, would reach out and let her know. Maybe those who had walked similar paths as she had. She would have preferred it to have be Alisa, and as the woman sat before her now, holding her and sharing such a tender moment, Vyra could not be more thrilled that it were. A part of her wondered if it had been sooner, if Alisa – no – if SHE had been quicker to say just what she wanted, to say that she wanted to join Blue Pegasus… Then maybe this could have been avoided.

But the past was the past.

So like how Vyra had moved past the hellish life that she had come from before all of this, before arriving in Hargeon, before meeting Allisa, so too would she eventually move past the agony clawing at her. It would be a process, one that would require time. But that awkwardness, the uncertainty of what her future may hold would no longer dwell upon her. No longer would the fear in the back of her mind keep her bound to the despair that she was not good enough.

She was.

Alisa knew it. Likely others, those whom strolled in perhaps, having bored themselves from tending to the guard whose repugnant behavior stained everyone whom was associated by it. Maybe those that chose to forsake this festival, instead opting to lounge about within the luxurious confines of the Guild Hall. Maybe even others, those whom Vyra did not know, those who knew her, knew of her, it would not be hard to imagine there being plenty within Blue Pegasus that had a far greater understanding of Vyra than vice versa.

But that didn’t matter. Whether they saw it or not, it did not change that Vyra was to become one of them, a feeling that felt far more surreal than it did genuine. It made her want to hold on, to at no point depart from this moment.

It was blissful.

The slight motion, a shifting of their bodies connected that tore Vyra from the dream she had been enthralled by. For the slightest of moments, uncertainty, confusion even. As her eyes pulled away from those of Alisa, she averted her glance slightly, her eyes settling upon a small object in Alisa’s hand. Questions began to form, the Demi-Human struggling to quite figure how to ask. Fortunately, Alisa seemed to do that for her, a stunned look forming as the confirmation for her guild stamp seemed to echo within proximity.

“You… you remembered?” It touched Vyra. So much had happened that night, that day even, that something as small as where she would have had a hypothetical guild stamp upon her body, had been retained by the woman before her. Ironic, that it took even her a moment to remember exactly where she had first proposed it. Upon her thigh, the beginnings of smile forming upon her lips as she enthusiastically pointed to the spot. “In purple! A bold, vibrant colour,” she exclaimed, parroting back how Alisa had described her choice the first time.

Her heart raced with excitement, imaging how she would look with the stamp upon her body, but perhaps more imaging how others would respond. Those that decried her as being just “Alisa’s Pet”, how their tunes would change upon seeing the stamp. If they would show her the respect that had long been deprived? A part of her did still doubt it. But more she didn’t care.

Alisa’s words again seemed to draw Vyra back to reality. Whether her dreams or fatigue, there was the weak smile, overwrought with a sense of embarrassment, per either of the reasonings. As much caught up within the next life that awaited her as she were still dealing with the fallout of the life she were escaping from. But in the soft voice of the Blue Pegasus Guild Master – her Guild Master – came an unexpected invitation. “Festival!?”

It should have dawned on her. The events outside, the commotion within the streets, the crowded voices that flooded Hargeon, even all of the decorations and festivities here within the otherwise normally-reserved guild hall. So much had been going on, Vyra had barely come to fully appreciate everything, all of the décor had been like an afterthought, a backdrop to the far more pressing situation at hand. Now brought to focus, Vyra couldn’t help but look in wonderment, even further regretting having been gone as to miss something like this.

“This is the Festival stuff?” She asked as she pulled her finger from her thigh and her preferred stamp location, instead it darting from decoration to decoration, leaving barely enough for one’s eye to fully process just where it was going next. “It’s all so pretty!”

Thoughts of what was present within the city, how Hargeon would have responded to such a time of excitement floated within the Demi-Human’s head, causing her own levels of excitement to build. If there were anything that she could recall that stood to get her as excited as her formally becoming a member of Blue Pegasus, though it would be a distant second, the idea of this festival was certainly that. “Do you mean that? We can enjoy the festival?” She paused for a moment, whatever indecisiveness she was feigning being plainly obvious. But with a wide smile she looked to Alisa, the smile widening even fuller, “I’d like that! Master!”

There was no separating the girl from the smile that radiated upon her face.

The excitement and joy filled the room, like a drug spread through the air, its presence felt by everyone who stood in watch or happened upon them.

For many, not just Vyra, but Alisa, and others throughout the Blue Pegasus Guild, this had been something overdue. Something that all of them had been excited for. The girl whom hailed from the streets, fearful of herself, leery of others, for a time trustful only of Alisa, who eventually broke out of that shell and became as much a part of Blue Pegasus like all of them. Save, of course, for the stamp that truly bound them together.

That were no longer the case.

Even the briefest of glances, enough such that the sight of the vibrant purple mark upon Vyra’s thigh registered within their mind was enough that was needed. The time wondering was no more. Speculation if she were to become one of was no longer necessary.

Vyra was Blue Pegasus.

“She finally joined…”

“Good for her!”

“About time!”

“She old enough to drink!? Let’s party!”

Clamor echoed amongst a crowd that had gathered within the main area, much of which the fallout from outside, finally having exhausted whatever excitement may have been derived there. Amongst the one-off remarks came with some a sense of disappointment, having wished to see more of what happened, to have seen how the circumstances outside transpired to the sight before them, rather than seeing the waning moments. As Vyra enjoyed the moment with Alisa, the words seemed to be little more than things within the moment. Like the festive décor that were hung throughout the rafters, secondary to the world just before her.

But, it was hard to deny she was certainly intrigued by the decorations up above. It was something new to the Demi-Human; in the two years that she had lived within the grounds of the Blue Pegasus Guild Hall, to see the decorations high above, vibrant in color, plentiful in quantity, it was so different than what she had been used to. A breath of fresh air being infused, their purpose being a mystery to Vyra. A beautiful mystery, but a mystery.

The word felt foreign to Vyra. “Mardi gras?” The phrase left a blank look on her face, her mind drawing a blank as it scrounged through faint fragments of memories of a time long ago. Recollections of a Vyra from a younger time, lost and alone, struggling to survive, hoping to remember something even loosely similar to what she was seeing before. But in there came a light! Vague memories, a younger Vyra, in a fleeting moment of happiness, wandering through towns in time of merriment. Something like this? Hard to say. Doubtful.

But in them all reminded her of something present. Happiness. Echoes of a younger Vyra wandering through and enjoying the joys of local festivals, rare moments within her travels that left her feeling absolutely glowing. Left her willing to keep going on despite the despair.

It flashed back to her as she looked back to Alisa, the pain and joy of those memories vivid within her eyes, moisture starting to condense into near tears. “Once upon a time,” Vyra said as her words cracked at first, her voice returning as a confidence came to life within her. Her past was her past, but she was in the present now. “I had been to festivals, but… they weren’t quite like this.”

She looked briefly to the decorations once again, seeing them hanging from the high ceilings and wondering just who had the misfortune of hanging those. Perhaps whomever most annoyed Fiona on that day. “A lot of them, things were different. A lot of things were different,” she looked to the floor briefly, her face then shooting up again with a renewed sense of enthusiasm in her face, “But I’m glad that!”

A voice that had been quiet perked up, breaking from the commotion that lingered in the background. “I think it’s fairly obvious, wouldn’t ya Master?” The man whom had been there since they first walked in, the man whom carried with him the sense of guilt of leading Vyra into Aegir, of not trying harder to stop her, he had stepped forward again. Invigorated perhaps by the delight upon Vyra’s face, the reunion of Alisa and Vyra leaving seldom few people within their proximity unaffected for the better. Luka was no exception.

“While of course, I would never dare encourage that someone try to evade Fiona’s ever watchful guise,” he spoke with a confidence restored while moving closer to Alisa and Vyra, intentionally leaving the elder healer to his backside. “The girl needs ya, and let’s face it… You’re long overdue for some relaxation too,” Luka’s words were soft, quiet. Loud enough that amidst the commotion it would have been heard only by Vyra and Alisa, the latter of whom being his primary focus. Having often worked the bar, the man had become one of the more in tune to the daily routines, Alisa’s being no exception.

Vyra said nothing, simply looking upon Luka and then shifting her attention to Alisa. An uneasy feeling made it hard to simply sneak out, lest she face the wrath that she often times envisioned coming from Fiona. But it was hard to not recognize the idea of doing exactly that to see this festival firsthand was certainly tempting.

“If I may,” Luka began, turning his head to make sure that Fiona had not come closer as to listen in, “I know the perfect outfit here for our newest guild member. A little high society maybe, but in the master’s company, one shouldn’t expect anything less.” A quick look to the Demi-Human and seeing the wide-eyed expression on Vyra’s face was enough to see that at least she were sold on the idea. Shifting his eyes to Alisa, he cracked a smile, “The least I could do.”

It happened so fast, Vyra hadn’t even realized that Alisa had said anything. If she had even said anything. But in what felt like an instance, she was there before Luka, the man whom she had almost exclusively known with a large wooden bar between them now rummaging through an impressive closet located somewhere Vyra wasn’t familiar with in the Blue Pegasus Guild Hall.

“Hmm, one of these maybe? Eh, I think a little too short on the gown.”

Each article examined came with the briefest of feedback provided, Vyra not even knowing quite what was being examined until the man had already moved onto the next article. And those were just the ones that weren’t selected. The Demi-Human found herself in the dark as to just what was within the growing mound of clothes that Luka felt appropriate for her.

“So…” Luka turned around and placed the stack just before Vyra, perhaps a dozen or so garments stacked one on top of another. “Let’s find you something special, shall we?”

It took some time. Vyra trying on a piece, examining herself within one of the massive mirrors within the dressing room, finding herself in love with the outfit, then presenting it to Luka waiting outside for his honest feedback. If he had such taste as to figure what looked good, certainly he knew what would be best upon her.

Rinse and repeat, she went through outfit upon outfit, but each of them seeming to fall short compared to one of the first ones that she had tried on. Exotic in looks, it was different than what she was used to. Fancy, appropriate for this festival, but also sexy. Empowering even. Even despite going through a medley of outfits, she found herself returning repeatedly to it.

“That one eh?” Luka said, a part of him not particularly surprised. A smirk appeared upon his face, “An excellent choice!”

Some short moments later, Luka and Vyra found themselves back within the main area of the Guild Hall, Alisa having remained there, though it was hard to say if patiently were the right term to describe it. Fortunately, Fiona had seemed to disappear, no doubt having tended to someone whom hurt themselves in the festival preparations. All the better, Luka reasoned.

“Oh Master!” Luka called out, stepping to the side as he captured the woman’s attention, “Your date is ready!”

And there stood Vyra, adorned in the outfit that she had fallen in love with, hoping that Alisa would feel the same.

To venture through the streets of Hargeon was a mindless thing, something that she had done countless times over.

But to venture through now, with the streets alive with festivities, celebration radiating throughout, and the sound of merriment over that of the typically quiet Hargeon afternoon, it was a completely different experience to the latest Blue Pegasus mage, Vyra.

Venturing from the Blue Pegasus Guild Hall into the loud ruckus that were the loud, rambunctious, sun-drenched streets of Hargeon, Vyra remained close to Alisa, emotions swirling inside her that became all the more unclear the closer the two of them got to the festivities. With the audible melting pot of cheers, music, drunken antics, and more becoming more refined and clear, she felt the beginnings of the knot within her throat forming.  She swallowed hard, a sense of fear beginning to creep along her backside; so much of this harkened her back to memories of when she had first met Alisa, the moments of uncertainty that littered throughout that day, the fear of following Alisa through alleyways further into the depths of a city that had rejected her.

Now as she joined the woman again, not as an abandoned transient, but as a person having rose to a point that some would consider prominence, she still could not help but feel just as insecure as that same girl two years prior. Vyra had not even noticed it, but as the sound of a small group erupting in cheer brought her out of her loose memories of a time before, she noticed her hand having entwined her fingers around those of Alisa, holding onto her new Guild Master’s hands like that of a child afraid of being led astray.

Perhaps a sense of reliving the past, old memories rushing through her during a time where it ought to be the last thing on her mind. Perhaps the feeling of exposure with this outfit being a heavy departure from what she had mostly been seen before in. She loved the outfit, loved how she looked in it, how it felt upon her skin. But throughout her admirations for it, venturing out into the actual city, for some reason the idea that she were to become a focus of a sea of eyes was something she was not prepared for.

It made her feel small, subject to the scrutiny of eyes that had long watched her live a life that was never deserved.

It made her feel unworthy.

And yet the woman beside her made all those doubts disappear away, or at least enough such that she could walk forward without the weight of doubt chaining her onto the ground. She followed Alisa close, her grip never wavering as she held on dearly, as much taking comfort in the woman’s touch as she did out of fear from what may happen if allowed loose, the Demi-Human distrustful towards the intentions of men with sinister eyes and minds intoxicated on ale.

A stray hand had Vyra stepping closer to Alisa, her cheeks flushing red at embarrassment. The streets were far different than what she was used to, than what she could have anticipated it being. Though in her escape from the Witch Hunter compound she had heard glimpses of the festivities around them, from that perspective they didn’t seem to be anything quite like this. Not as overwhelming as they had proven to be. “All these people, I... I didn't realize people cared so much about Mardi Gras... Was it always like this?” Vyra asked, unsure if Alisa even could hear her over the music and ambience.

Feeling lost as they ventured through the streets, the Demi-Human could not help but find some sense of relief as she felt their direction being adjusted, looking out inquisitively as Alisa led her towards a large stall stationed ahead. She kept silent, watching, her nose picking up a smell that left her mouth watering. Sweets. She didn’t know just quite what she was looking at, thin almost-tubelike pieces of bread, with a glazed look like that of freshly baked bread, plentiful specs of white powder giving it a final coating. Vyra watched with intrigue, her mind wondering just what she was looking at, almost in disbelief watching as Alisa ordered several for the two of them. “Churros? Are those that?”

The faintest sounds of a chuckle echoed out from the other side of the stall, drowned out by the comradery taking place around. In what felt like an instant, Alisa held within her hand now three of the curious confectionary, offering one to Vyra who seemed to marvel at the treat now within her hand. Her eyes narrowed, within the delicate grasp of her hand she brought it closer, giving it a sniff, carefully sticking out her tongue to get the faintest of tastes. As organ and treat made contact, the Demi-Human’s eyes widened in awe; however precarious she may have at first approached the concept of ‘churros’, it took only the faintest of tastes to get her to swallow forth the snack in a short order of a few bites.

“That was good! Can you buy some more? Please!? I’ll pay…” The excitement in Vyra’s voice faded away as the reality dawned on her. She had no money. Rather, of what jewels she had amounted to a horribly paltry total; the unfortunate byproduct of having been limited to physically-exhausting, low-paying jobs the likes of which were limited to unguilded mages. “Well, one day I’ll pay you back. I swear!”

Although certainly the idea of another would be enticing, Vyra as much knew not to push. Alisa had shown her a gift that had extended far longer than anything that she could have once imagined, so if the woman sought not to allow the Demi-Human to overindulge, who was Vyra to object. Regardless of how many churros may have come, it would not tarnish the smile left upon the girl’s face, a welcome contrast to the apprehensive look of concern that had been carried through much of this.

A sense of confidence finally began to envelop around her, the Demi-Human finally feeling a bit more comfortable, the intimidating factor that was the big festival of people suddenly not looking quite as big and intimidating now that she was actually within the thick of things. In fact, it was nice. To actually be amongst the merriment, it gave everything a different feel than what she had figured it to be.

“This is nice,” the Demi-Human remarked, her words trailing slightly, her focus lacking as her eyes scanned throughout, curious to everything going on. With a clearer perspective, everything was different now, her outlook able to focus, find delight in what was going on. The people, drunk in delight and alcohol alike, were not those whom viewed her as something less than human. She was like them; someone looking to enjoy themselves.

She just didn’t see it until now.

“All of this, the music, the food, these outfits,” Vyra lamented as she tipped her head down towards her own outfit. Somewhat risqué certainly, not something that she would have worn normally, but even she could not deny there was something to appreciate about wearing something as beautiful as this. This was a special occasion, in more than one way, and it felt right wearing it.

Looking around, she glanced upon the people, her eyes darting back every so often to Alisa, a part of her terrified at the prospect of being separated from the woman after all of what she had gone through. It went on for a time, her scoping through, keeping close, before eventually she stopped, turned to her new guild master and gripped her arms tightly around the woman, “Thank you for bringing me to this… It's nice to feel welcome again…”

A faint breeze blew its way through the street, hardly enough for most to register. Likely the Demi-Human may not have herself had it not been for the handful of strands of hair blown before her face, one or two wrapping if just upon the churro she had within her hand. Another one, curtesy of Alisa; her kindness being something that Vyra could not help but both admire and also feel a sense of guilt towards taking advantage of. While Alisa may not have viewed it from such a viewpoint, Vyra’s time in the captivity of the Witch Hunters had helped to begin opening her eyes to things, the treat in her hand being a prime example of the sort.

A treat that she enjoyed as likely anyone else in the area or whom had come before. But for Vyra it came at no cost, to not suggest that it were a hefty toll upon the securities of any person out celebrating here, but having a tangible value to them. A churro, a drink, a bit of fun at a tavern later, all of it came at some sort of cost to these people, a factor that they had to always be considerate of. What worry did Vyra have? Alisa had given her so much, had treated her better than anyone else in Vyra’s life as far back as she could have ever hoped to remember, but what had she done for Alisa?

Not enough. Nowhere near enough.

It had lingered throughout her for some time, the thought first manifesting when she had gone with Luka to try on outfits. Perhaps the fourth or fifth dress, as she admired herself within the mirror, the face that stared back seemed to drill through her with cruel eyes. Judging eyes. Eyes that could not help but make her think that standing within the dressing room, surrounded by outfits whose total value exceeded what most would hope to make in any reasonable sense of time, was wrong.

Wrong of her to enjoy these luxuries without having earned them yet.

The moment of reflection ended as the soft, loving words of her new Guild Master brought the Demi-Human back into the immediacy. She lifted her gaze slightly, seeing the kind eyes as much split between her and the churro similarly in her hand, not unlike Vyra’s, minus the strands of blue hair still stuck upon the treat’s exterior. Without words, the Demi-Human simply looked on, eyes as much confused as they were embarrassed evident enough of her having been briefly absent-minded.

But hearing Alisa’s description of the festival did seem to generate a kinder, more lively response out of the Demi-Human, what could have nearly described as a chuckle escaping Vyra’s lips as the Guild Master spoke to the effects of the festival. Its capability to bring out the most lively of natures in people; just the idea of it was something for Vyra to take admiration towards. If there were nothing else that she had learned of from within the two years she had spent within Hargeon, it was the people seldom had time to enjoy things. Everyone either fell into a camp of being constantly busy, distracted, or otherwise unable to just appreciate the small things.

Even with the few glances she cast of the people nearby, it felt like a completely different environment, like a bustling tavern having taken to the streets instead. A shame that this may have been only for the rest of this festival, however much longer it stood to last. Even more, she felt the feeling of shame build in the back of her throat as Alisa gave her reassurances, more than what she felt she deserved. Shame or uneasiness, she couldn’t quite tell just what it was, but it didn’t seem to go away. Not until the suggestion of what to do next did Vyra seem to feel any at all better, signifying to perhaps the more unlikely of locations to visit next than what Alisa may have been expecting.

A bench.

A simple wooden bench, positioned out not unlike others that lined throughout the street for as far as the eye could see. But unlike so many, this one stood unique, namely given the lack of anyone whom had found use of it. No butts upon the seats, no drinks upon the flat surface, it were as pristine as anyone could have expected from a bench under these circumstances. Though first impressions may have led one to think that Vyra may have been mistaken, as she took Alisa’s hand and guided her in its direction did any doubt ceased to remain.

Keeping hold of Alisa’s hand, Vyra made a valiant effort in trying to free her churro from the few strands of hair that had remained attached, manipulating the air around it as much as able, but finding little success no matter her efforts. In a last ditched effort that as much reflected a final attempt as salvaging the treat as it were a concession of failure, the Demi-Human simply shoved what she could of the churro right within her mouth, holding it in place by her teeth as she finally plucked away the stray strands. Nothing short of remarkable the difference in difficulty of something as simple as removing a few strands of hair when one finds themselves lost for arms. It took no time at all for her to have freed her captive churro from the light blue clutches that once held it, a freedom that stood only until she finished her next bite.

The briefest of respites for the confectionary came by way of the Demi-Human, somewhat lost in thought as her gaze looked around on both sides of the street, her mind making a mental, albeit fleeting, note. To appreciate the crowds perhaps, her mind as much wanting to capture the moment, a small part of her struggling to believe that this was actually real.

“I wasn’t sure you wanted me,” the Demi-Human began, her words a bit weak – a striking contradiction to that of the excited girl whom has made her debut only moments earlier – “To join Blue Pegasus, that is. I thought that at first it was my Magic, that I would be putting at risk. Maybe, maybe I still am,” Vyra glanced down at her hand, the vivid memories of the agony which was inflicted upon her when she first discovered her Magic playing out within her mind, the scenes of her Magic on display having killed those people prior to being taken by the Witch Hunters as much an addition into the dark recesses that clouded her whenever she blinked. She swallowed, “The more time passed, the less I saw you… I thought it was my fault…”

“But now, I’m happy, but… but I’m afraid. Them,” she weakly paraded her finger down the street, loosely throwing every passerby into a collective group, “They all look at you as someone strong. You inspire them! You’re Blue Pegasus! But what will they think of me? Will they see this and think the same? Or once the ale is gone and everything’s back to normal, will they keep looking at me like I’m your little pet?”

Vyra sighed, leaning back slightly against the table, pausing for a brief moment as the feeling of cold, once-wet wood made contact against her exposed backside. “I know it shouldn’t matter, that they wouldn’t care about me either way, but I… I don’t know, I just don’t wanna disappoint you. I want to make you proud, to live up to your expectations.”

“I’m just afraid I won’t be good enough…”

The rowdiness of it all was something that one could not seem to escape from, though in the immediate moment, was it something in which one would want to walk away from?

She sat there, at the bench with her new Guild Master, Alisa, enjoying what could have only been described as a moment of peace during these festive times. It was an atmosphere that was largely unseen within Hargeon; Vyra in her two years now of having lived within the city never seeing the people acting in such a manner.

It was a welcome change.

Albeit one that was difficult to quite get used to.

Good company helped though in making the Demi-Human not feel quite so small, like that of a mouse scurrying about a proverbial pack of hyenas. It made being here tolerable, enjoyable even. With the events of before still sadly residing within her mind like a loose cloud not quite able to fade away on its own, it was doubtful to believe that Vyra would have come here on her own.

Certainly never in a sort of attire like this! There was a delightful irony to being dressed as provocatively as she were – relatively tame in respects to the garment worn by Alisa – in that as exposed as she may have been, there was a part of her that felt more confident in her own person. Scanning across the street, loosely identifiable faces entered and exited frame, faces all shades of red, the color intensifying with each drink taken. It almost became a little bit of a game for the Demi-Human, seeing how a person acted, how much they drank, and then guessing how they would make it before stumbling over their own feet.

A giggle escaped from her lips each time it happened, a near full smile breaking out upon her face when her guess proved close to accurate.

That brief reprieve, that moment of carefree joy, failed to protect Vyra for what Alisa would say.

Turning her head as her guild leader began, the smile remained on her face, looking upon Alisa with admiration, not sure what to expect but always appreciative of the perspective given. But to hear that Alisa was worried for her, it felt like a bomb erupted within her. Her heart sank. The anticipation in her face immediately gave way to fear, worry.

As much as Vyra wished to believe that she had become strong, it is impossible not to forget what had preceded all of this, that before she were a member of Blue Pegasus she was a terrified girl with a Magic that she lacked control over; a Magic that had claimed over a dozen lives in the city that she had been fortunate enough to call home.

Fear fed into guilt, guilt of the burden she would be upon Alisa. And though she had heard it before, the reassurances from Alisa that she wouldn’t be, she knew different.

In two years, her first exposure to what this world truly had to offer resulted in her nearly dying, or worse even, something happening to Alisa.

And though she would have been there for her, Alisa could not protect her forever.

At some point, the onus would fall upon Vyra to protect her. It had to. Alisa had given her more than what she could have ever wanted, and the Demi-Human would see that one she would repay that.

“But you’re not a monster,” to hear Alisa confide in her, Vyra found herself not entirely sure how best to respond. What she was saying, the idea that the people would look at her in the same light as they may have perceived Vyra, the Demi-Human struggled to wrap her head around that. “That... that's not how they really feel, is it?”

Her heart sank further as she listened to Alisa list off the remarks said of her, Vyra’s own mind harkening back to the remarks that she had spoken about her. The “Alisa’s Pet” remark always rang true within her head, but it had hardly been all that she had heard. “Must have had a pretty mouth to go from the streets to silken sheets,” “You think she charges them anything or that come with her house services?”, “Want the best chance for your kid’s future, just throw them to the street for Alisa to pick up”.

Snide remark upon snide remark, so much of what she had endured she thought was exclusive to her. A cruel fate, but one she had found as much willing to endure. But that was not a fate that should have been held by Alisa either.

As if driven by instinct, she tightened her grip around Alisa, feeling the want to shed tears for the woman whom had taken her in, unable to but instead simply left wanting, “You’re not a monster! You’re a hero! You’re my hero…”

A lone tear trailed down her cheek.

“I never thought I would have a real family… You’ve given me a home… You showed me Magic… You allowed me into Blue Pegasus… You saved my life... I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to properly thank you, but I promise, one day I will make it up to you…”

“I promise…”

It was a promise made. A promise she sought to made good upon, one day.

Alisa Vollan had given Vyra everything the girl had never had before.

The Demi-Human only hoped that she would be able to live up to the woman's expectations. That as she eventually walked the world beyond that of the South, that of Blue Pegasus's playground, that she would be able to make Alisa proud.