The sun had just begun to set over Crocus when Rhea had taken a bite from the bowl of fried rice, leaning against a nearby lamppost to catch her breath. The day had been long, much longer than she cared to admit. It had started with the usual Rune Knight duties: patrolling the streets, ensuring the citizens of Fiore’s capital went about their business unbothered. The market had been lively, filled with vendors calling out to potential buyers and the sounds of merchants haggling over the price of exotic fruits and spices. Rhea’s sharp vibrant-golden eyes had darted back and forth, always scanning, always watching for anything out of place.
By mid-morning, she had stopped a pickpocket, a scrawny boy who couldn’t have been more than fourteen, before reluctantly handing him over to the local authorities. Later, she had intervened in a dispute between two traders arguing over the price of a magical artifact. A small surge of her Light Dragon Slayer magic had quickly ended the argument, with both men backing off when they saw the power she wielded. But none of it had been thrilling—at least not the kind of excitement she craved. For someone who had grown up in the fierce jungles of Stella, hunting massive creatures for sport, the petty and trivial problems of city life left her feeling restless.
Rhea wiped the sweat from her brow, as she and Lector made their way back to Batra's Inn. The night had finally settled over the capital, casting long shadows across the cobblestone roads. The day had been exhausting—she’d spent hours patrolling the city, ensuring that nothing disturbed the relative peace of Fiore’s capital. For the most part, nothing had. And now, Lector had finally caught up to her, ready to spend some much needed quality time with his new friend. For a Rune Knight with the power of Light Dragon Slayer magic coursing through her veins, it had been a day that tested her patience more than her abilities.
Rhea adjusted the strap of her weapon—a black, dragonic claw-shaped gauntlet that hugged her forearm, each talon gleaming under the moonlight. The weight of it was familiar, comforting even. She had been in Fiore for only a few months, but she was already growing tired of its politics and mundanities. Tonight had been particularly uneventful, though perhaps that was for the best? She seemed to always be itching for action, when she probably should have been making a plan of some sort. Beside her, the burgundy-furred Exceed, Lector, padded along. His nose was in the air, and despite his small size, he moved with an air of arrogance that Rhea had quickly become accustomed to. They hadn't known each other long, but she had come to accept his confident aura, mostly because he reminded her a bit of herself.