Meeting the Spider (1)

After parting ways with Lyra and Brom, Leon clutched the heavy pouch of gold in his hand.

It was the most money he'd had in this new life.

He found a respectable-looking inn called "The Silver Flagon," a place that was clean but not overly extravagant.

The innkeeper looked him up and down, clearly unimpressed by his simple traveler's clothes.

"A room for the night is five silver," the innkeeper said, his tone suggesting Leon couldn't afford it.

Leon didn't haggle. He simply placed a gleaming gold coin on the counter. "I'll take the best room you have. For a week."

The innkeeper's jaw dropped. He quickly scooped up the coin, his dismissive attitude melting away into fawning respect.

"Right away, young master! The Sunstone Suite, on the top floor! Best view in the house!"

A few minutes later, Leon was in his new room. It was spacious, clean, and had a soft bed.

For the first time since coming to the city, he had a private, secure space.

He sat at a small wooden table.

He carefully laid out the remaining gleaming gold coins, the fruits of his first adventure.

Kira materialized beside him, her ethereal form glowing softly and her twin tails swishing with curiosity.

"Leon, what's our next plan?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper in his mind.

"Are we going to look for more quests, or do you have something else in mind?"

Leon shook his head, pushing the coins into a pouch.

"No," he said. "Our adventuring career is gonna be a journey. There is no need to make it the top priority."

"And right now, we have a more pressing concern."

Kira tilted her head. "We do?"

"Yes," Leon said, turning to look at her. "Your handmaiden. Yuna."

"You... you're really going to help me find Yuna first?" Kira's voice was filled with disbelief and clear happiness.

"I gave you my word," Leon stated with a smile. "A promise is a promise."

"Yay, husband. You are the best." Kira tried to give Leon a hug, but passed right through him. Slightly embarrassed, she returned to his side with her face red.

"But how will we find her?" Kira asked. "We don't even know where to start!"

Leon stood up and grabbed his cloak.

"Information is a commodity, Kira. You just have to know where to buy it."

"And the best place to find unfiltered rumors isn't a guild hall or an alchemist's shop."

"It's a place where tongues are loosened by ale, and stories are traded as freely as coin."

He smiled. "We're going to a tavern."

♢♢♢♢

The "Tipsy Griffon" was exactly the kind of place Leon was looking for.

It was loud, crowded, and smelled strongly of cheap ale, roasting meat, and unwashed mercenaries.

Adventurers with scarred faces boasted of their exploits, while cloaked figures held quiet, tense conversations in shadowy corners.

Leon walked up to the bar, ignoring the stares.

The bartender, a large man with a thick beard, wiped down the counter. "What can I get for you, lad?"

"A mug of warm, spiced cider," Leon said, placing a silver coin on the bar.

The bartender chuckled. "Good choice. You're a bit young for the strong stuff anyway."

He returned a moment later with a steaming mug, pushing the silver coin back towards Leon. "The first one's on the house for a new face. You a traveler?"

"Something like that," Leon said, taking a sip of the sweet, warm cider. "Just arrived in Iridis. Seems like a busy city. Lots happening."

"You have no idea," the bartender said, leaning on the counter conspiratorially. "This city's always got something brewing."

"I can imagine," Leon said, taking a casual sip. "Speaking of brewing, I heard some strange rumors on the road about trouble in the capital. Something about a royal marriage that went wrong?"

The bartender's eyes lit up. "Ah, so you have heard! The Fox-Kin princess! Now that's a story," the man scoffed.

Leon shook his head. "I'm from a small town. We don't get much news."

"Well, she arrived at the palace, beautiful as a sunrise, they say. The King was smitten. Then, poof! She 'falls ill' and dies the very same night." He made air quotes with his fingers.

"Everyone with half a brain knows the Queen didn't like the competition, if you catch my drift."

Kira's form flickered at Leon's side, her ethereal eyes filling with sadness.

"My own people... they didn't even investigate," she whispered in his mind.

"What did her people say?" Leon asked the bartender.

"That's the strange part!" the bartender exclaimed, his voice dropping. "The Fox-Kin delegation showed up, took the official story without a single question, and left. Not a peep out of them. Too quiet, if you ask me."

"The King, though... they say he's been turning the palace upside down for a month. Not looking for the killer, mind you."

"He's looking for one of the princess's handmaidens. Another fox-kin girl. She vanished the same night the princess died."

Kira's spirit jolted, her full attention now locked on the conversation.

"The King thinks she knows what really happened," the bartender continued, polishing a mug. "He's posted a massive bounty for her. A hundred gold coins, captured alive."

♢♢♢♢

Leon thanked the bartender for the drink and the chat, leaving the silver coin on the bar as a tip before walking out.

He walked down the quiet, moonlit street, Kira floating silently beside him.

Her form was flickering wildly now, not with excitement, but with anxiety and anxiousness.

"A bounty?" she finally managed to whisper, her voice trembling. "They're hunting Yuna? Like a criminal?"

"Oh, Leon, what if they find her? The Queen will never let her speak! They'll kill her to keep her quiet!"

Her distress was palpable, a cold wave of fear that washed over Leon.

He stopped in the middle of the street, under the pale light of the moon. He turned to face her flickering, panicked form.

"Kira," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Listen to me."

"They won't find her."

"How do you know?" she cried. "The King's Guard, bounty hunters... everyone will be looking for her!"

Leon looked into her terrified, amethyst eyes, a small, confident smile touching his lips.

"Because we will find her first."