"Well the good news is it's not a monster." I inform Fauna. Monsters are animalistic creatures that manage to crawl their way out of one of the 7 hells to wreak havoc upon the overworld, they are untameable little bastards but fortunately their lack of intelligence makes them easy to kill if you know what you're up against. Unfortunately for us, what we're dealing with is much, much more annoying.
"If it's not a monster then what the hells is it?" Fauna demands. "It's a Hyeir." I await a shocked or perhaps fearful reaction from her, only to be met with a look of sheer confusion. I look around at the others and am met with similar looks, except for Tai whom I note has paled considerably at the news. I sigh "Hyeirs are kind of like highly advanced golems but where as a golem can only follow simple commands enchanted into it during creation and can be difficult to control, a hyeir is made of living tissue and is closer to a some kind of messed up magic puppet, only catch is, it has to be controlled through a communication spell, limiting it's range to around 50 clicks from it's creator, any further and the thing will just fall asleep."
"This isn't some rampaging monster, this is a targeted attack." Fauna's eyes fill with understanding as I complete my explanation. "And you're sure of this?" She asks, her tone dead serious as she looks me in the eyes. "Absolutely, hellborn creatures are nothing like those warped into being by magic, I'll need to go and kill the mage who made the damn thing." I turn to Carina. "Got a minute?"
She gives me a sharp nod and leads me over to one of the less crowded corners of the bar. "What is it?" She asks her words clipped and tense, maybe being in here is making her more uncomfortable than she's let on? "If I'm not back by second sunrise, I want you to leave without me." She flinches at my request before turning her head away. "If you don't think you can handle this you shouldn't go at all."
One look at her concerned expression and I just can't help myself, a teasing smile creeps upon my face. "Awwwww, you know you really are just too cute, look at you, all worried about me." She shoots me a glare that could melt through solid steel. "Calm down, I can handle myself just fine but the last thing I want is for everyone to go stir crazy over Morgana while I'm hunting this bastard down." Her expression softens. "...Just come back safe okay? Don't make us leave your ass." I shoot her my brightest smile and follow her back to the others.
"Carina's in charge while I'm gone, try not to set anything on fire without me." I announce, to which Fireball immediately protests. "I'm coming with!" Fireball declares. I open my mouth to tell them that they're a child but bite down on the response. I dig a compass out of my bag and pocket it before shoving the bag into Fireball's arms. "Watch that for me would you?" I lean down to look them in the eyes "I'll be back for it real soon okay?" They frown at me, gripping the bag close to their chest "You promise?" I smile at them. "I promise." They pout as I stand up straight to find Charles sporting a frown that gives Fireball's a run for its money.
"You're not seriously planning on going alone are you?" He asks, thinly veiled concern dripping off of his words. "Of course not." I tell him. He sighs in relief. "Tai's coming with me." I declare. "WHAT?!" Charles and Tai exclaim in unison. Tai is the first to recover from the shock. "Not that I'm not… honored by your request but can I ask why?" "Exactly." Charles interjects "If you need backup I'll go with you." I sigh, Charles wouldn't know a hint if it was written on a literal sign. "Charles your enthusiasm is adorable but I haven't trained you to fight non humans yet, this isn't your fight, and Carina's an alchemist without any combat experience so she can't come either. Besides-" I turn my gaze back to an uncertain looking Tai "Having another trained mage on hand might prove useful in dealing with the hyeir."
Charles grits his teeth but he knows as well as I do that he'd only slow me down if he tagged along. Tai on the other hand is looking a mix of nervous and excited that accentuates his boyish charm as he grins at me. "I would be more than happy to accompany you Tanya." He gives me a little faux bow and shoots a smug look at Charles who frowns at us as we head out of the tavern.
I look around the alleyway as me and Tai emerge from the trap door. Once I'm sure the area is safe I pull out the compass from my pocket. I look down at the pointer on the device and follow the small blue arrow as it points northeast. Tai glances over at me as we start moving "What's with the compass? Is it magic?" They ask, prompting me to look up at them as we make our way towards the nearby forest. "Yeah it's an enchanted artifact Morgana made, it points towards the largest source of magic within 500 clicks, and given that Hyeirs are pretty much magic leeches, it should lead us exactly where we need to go." "I see." We settle into an almost uncomfortable silence as we enter the forest.
"So why are you here Tai?" I ask. He gives me a confused look. "You invited-" I cut him off. "Not here in the forest, here a month and half west of where you're supposed to be." Something crosses their face too fast for me to catch before a look of faux confusion settles onto their face. "I already told you why I'm here, I came to deliver the box." I step out in front and turn to face them, my eyes boring into theirs. "Perhaps I'm not being clear enough. I don't buy that a magically gifted eastern noble skipped town for no reason only to show up on the doorstep of the most powerful mage in history a month and a half later."
He flinches at the accusation, his eyes narrowing in offense "What are you implying?" I step forward, encroaching on their personal space as they hold their ground. "I think you did something bad, and I think you're running from the consequences." They quirk an eyebrow at me but I keep talking before they can respond. "You clearly weren't banished, you don't bear the mark for that." Eastern nobility are marked with a facial scar when banished. They frown as I step even closer. "I didn't take you as the nosy type." Tai says with forced nonchalance. I stare into his eyes, he meets my gaze dead on. A tense silence fills the air for a long moment. "Honestly I don't care." I step back abruptly, giving Tai some room to breathe.
"Your life story is none of my business and I'm confident now that I can take you down if you try anything." I glance back at him. "The only reason I bring this up is because I wanted to make one thing clear, if your past comes looking for you, it's only you it's gonna find." He swallows hard before nodding shakily at me. I give him a broad smile. "Good, then I think we'll get along just fine, Tai." They let out a sigh and softly shake their head as a smile tugs at their lips. "I really hope we do." And with that we continue our journey through the forest in comfortable silence.