Ep. 88 Delocard Part 2

We found a tavern called The Clever Fox nestled between shops, its wooden sign depicting its namesake. Inside, the rich aroma of roasted meat and freshly baked bread greeted us. We settled at a corner table, close enough to observe the city's inhabitants over our meal.

Maya's eyes widened at the sizzling plate of steak and vegetables placed before her. Rowan received the same, while I opted for a simple bowl of hearty stew.

"I can't believe it took us a little over a year to make it here," Maya said, stuffing a forkful of steak into her mouth.

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "Well, whose fault is that?"

"What do you mean?" Maya responded defensively.

I mimicked her enthusiastic tone: "Let's stay for the festival! Guys, let's take another job! Guys, let's train today instead of traveling!"

Maya's face transformed into exaggerated shock before settling into a pout. "Whatever," she muttered, stabbing at her food.

Rowan and I exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Our meal continued with reminiscing about our journey—the frost wolf in Silverpine Forest, our training sessions by Whispering Falls.

Not all memories brought laughter. Dawnscross for example.Or the nightmare slug that had left more than physical scars—especially on me.

After our meal, we ventured back into the streets. The sun had begun its descent, painting the colorful buildings golden. Street lamps were being lit as crowds thinned with residents returning home.

I admired a cathedral's intricate stonework, its elegant spires reaching skyward. Distracted by the architecture, I failed to notice someone approaching—BOOM—and collided with a figure, sending me sprawling onto the cobblestones.

Looking up, I found myself facing a young man perhaps a year older than me. His midnight blue doublet with silver embroidery marked him instantly as nobility. His expression, however, was pure disgust.

Before I could speak, Maya burst forward. "HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, PAL!" she yelled, thrusting her face toward his.

Panic seized me. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring my aching tailbone. "MAYA!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her back, feeling her resistance.

I bowed slightly to the noble, heart hammering. "I'm so sorry, please forgive me and my friend." Maya's shocked expression turned angry, but my warning glance silenced her.

The noble looked down his nose at us. "Watch where you're walking, rodent," he said, voice dripping disdain, "and keep that filthy dog of yours on a leash."

Heat crawled up my neck as I felt that dangerous anger stirring inside—the same darkness growing since our encounter with the nightmare slug. But I swallowed it down.

"Yes, of course, sir," I managed through gritted teeth, turning away while gripping Maya's hand.

"Ow—let go of me, Kai," she protested.

Once we'd put sufficient distance between ourselves and the noble, I released her. "What's wrong with you?"

Her eyes widened. "With me? What's wrong with you, letting that brat walk all over you?"

Something inside me snapped. My vision tinged red, and my voice emerged as a roar I barely recognized.

"DAMN IT, MAYA, THAT WAS A NOBLE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE PICKED A FIGHT WITH HIM?"

She recoiled. "I—I didn't know," she stammered, but my rage wasn't ready to be extinguished.

"YOU NEVER KNOW, BECAUSE YOU NEVER THINK, MAYA! THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!"

Her jaw dropped, tears glistening in her eyes. Then her expression hardened. Before I could react—BOOM—she struck me with a right hook that sent me staggering. The hurt in her eyes cut deeper than the blow as she stormed off.

Rowan approached, disappointment evident. "Smooth... real smooth," he said before following Maya.

I dragged myself to a nearby bench in front of a building. My cheek throbbed, but the physical pain paled compared to my emotional turmoil.

Since our encounter with the nightmare slug, something had changed within me. This darkness wasn't normal anger—it seemed to feed on my negative emotions, transforming them into blinding rage.

Was it something in this body? Something lingering from the original owner? Or was I finally beginning to unravel after all these years?

As evening deepened, I spotted Maya and Rowan approaching. Maya walked with arms crossed, still not meeting my eyes.

I stood and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I—I'm sorry," I whispered.

For a moment, she remained stiff. Then, slowly, her arms rose to encircle me. "Y-yeah, well, you should be," she murmured against my shoulder.

I noticed the redness around her eyes—evidence of tears shed in my absence. Guilt twisted in my gut, but Rowan's hand on my shoulder eased some tension.

"We all say things we don't mean sometimes," he said, smiling. "The road's been long, and we're all tired."

"There's an inn near the eastern market," Rowan informed us. "The Slumbering Dragon."

Maya nodded, some spirit returning. "And we can check out the Adventurer's Guild tomorrow?"

"First thing," I promised, grateful for the implicit forgiveness.

As we walked through lamp-lit streets toward rest, I couldn't shake the fear lurking in my mind. Whatever darkness grew inside me, I would need to confront it soon—before it destroyed the only connections I had in this world.

For now, though, we moved together under the stars, three shadows in a city of opportunity and danger. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight, at least, we were still a team.

Even if one of us was slowly becoming something else entirely.