Heart of a Monster

Dawn was slowly starting to break over the tree line in the distance. A bright orange was slowly taking over the darkened sky as stars began vanishing. Cold air had been lingering all through the night as the wagon rolled along the dirt path. Sweet smelling flowers just off the well-used road danced in gentle, but frigid breezes. Many trees still holding onto their leaves were browning as was much of the grass throughout the visible countryside. Although the cold of the night hung in the air, as the sunshine began to peak over the horizon, a delightful and pleasant warmth began to envelop the wagon.

It had been agreed upon that the group would not stop given they were so close to home; turns had been taken driving the wagon while others slept in the back. Presently, Vidor sat in the driver’s seat, holding the reins to the horses that were drawing the wagon. Aridean sat beside him, prepared to relieve him of driving duty if he were tired. Both Rana and Magdalene were sleeping soundly in the back of the wagon. Occasionally, Aridean would look back at the sleeping pair and wonder to herself how they managed to stay asleep despite how bumpy the road had been for the last hour. Just as the familiar tree line that grew over the ground that sheltered Stonehaven came into view, Vidor let out a loud yawn.

“Whoo, can’t wait to get home. Could really use something warm to eat and a nap,” Vidor spoke with a tired voice, breaking the long silence. Aridean quietly giggled at his childish demands, which garnered his attention with a tired smile on his face.

“Well, if you want to get started on that nap, I can take over for you,” Aridean offered as she began to hold her necklace. She ran her thumb along the smooth back and one finger over the bright ruby set on the front. Vidor gave a quiet laugh before responding.

“Thanks, but home is right there. I’ll stay awake long enough for some breakfast then probably head to our house to sleep for a bit,” replied Vidor, yawning again as the wagon began to draw near to the hidden tunnel.

“Mnn… did I hear something about almost being there?” came the sheepish voice of Magdalene. Aridean turned around to see the girl, wrapped in a thick blanket, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she sat up.

Once Magdalene finished wiping her eyes, Aridean could see just how tired and red they looked. Since Magdalene did not know where Stonehaven was located, she was the only one not to have driven the wagon over the course of the night. Even so, Magdalene remained awake for an extraordinarily long stretch of time to the point that she had passed out. Aridean had been quick to bring Magdalene’s loss of consciousness to Rana and Vidor’s attention.

She probably didn’t feel comfortable sleeping surrounded by the three of us. But when she finally fell asleep, she seemed to sleep so peacefully, Aridean thought to herself. Magdalene, still waking up, began to look over the blanket that covered her.

“Huh? When did I fall asleep? And where’d this blanket come from?” Magdalene asked no one in particular.

“Oh, g-good morning, Magdalene. You fell asleep about three hours ago and Rana covered you in that blanket before she went to sleep as well. She said she was worried you might catch a cold since you don’t have a fur coat like us and it was rather cool last night,” answered Aridean with a hint of nervousness in her tone. Magdalene looked to Aridean before looking to Rana, still asleep nearby.

“O-oh… w-well, she doesn’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. And I told you to call me Maggie,” Magdalene responded, sounding a little unsure of herself. Upon hearing her response, Vidor snorted and Aridean looked to see his annoyance on his face. Despite clearly not appreciating Magdalene’s tone, Vidor held his tongue as the wagon came up to the tree line where the secret tunnel to Stonehaven was hidden.

Vidor pulled up on the reins he held and the horses abruptly stopped in their tracks. The two horses that had pulled the wagon all through the night looked tired, just like most everyone in the wagon. Aridean felt bad for them as they had no say in how long they were to pull the wagon but was relieved that they would be getting a break soon. After another long yawn, Vidor turned to Aridean with a tired smile.

“You want to try opening the front door this time?” Vidor jokingly asked with his goofy grin.

“You know I only know fire magic,” Aridean said with a smirk. “I’ll go around to the back door and get them to open up.”

Aridean began descending from the wagon, the old wood creaked as she dropped to the ground. She felt the hard, cool dirt under her hooves as she landed. Magdalene and Vidor watched as she started to walk past the horses, Magdalene was clearly confused by what she was watching. Just before she passed the horses, Aridean heard Rana from the back of the wagon.

“It’s okay, Aridean. I’m awake, I’ll open it up,” called the female minotaur as she slowly rose from the back of the wagon. Both Aridean and Vidor looked at her, surprised to see that Rana was still awake after her last shift as wagon driver.

“Rana? How long have you been awake?” Vidor asked as his sister hopped down from the wagon. She moved to the front of the wagon and joined Aridean by the horses as she yawned loudly. Aridean was petting one of the two horses as Rana made her way to her side and began petting the other with one hand. Rana’s free hand began glowing its vibrantly green aura when she began using magic.

“I never actually fell asleep,” Rana answered as she raised her glowing hand.

Aridean could feel the rumble of the ground underneath her hooves as Rana’s magic did its work. She watched as the ground only about a meter from her began to split apart and force its way open. Slowly, the ground on the far side of the newly made fissure began to rise. The familiar sight of the smoothed-out stone tunnel came into view as Rana opened up their means of entering Stonehaven. Once the passage had been fully revealed and Rana’s hand had stopped glowing, she looked to Aridean with a smile and tired eyes. The older minotaur gestured her back into the wagon with a nod of her head before the two made their way into the wagon again.

Magdalene’s eyes had gone wide and her jaw had dropped at the sight of the tunnel opening up. Aridean could not help but wonder if that was the same look she had the first time she witnessed the opening of the passageway. Rana joined Vidor at the front of the wagon while Aridean climbed into the back beside Magdalene. Now that everyone was loaded into the wagon again, Vidor gave the reins a quick whip to get the horses moving into the tunnel.

“U-uh, if you never fell asleep… did you hear me a mo--,” Magdalene began to speak as the initial surprise wore off. Rana had started to laugh before the young girl could finish her question. Magdalene’s amazement seemed to return as the wagon entered the torchlit tunnel. Aridean observed that she had started to examined the smooth walls, floor, and ceiling.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s not much different from how Vidor use to be when he was little,” Rana gently told Magdalene. Hearing his name come up, Vidor grunted in annoyance. Magdalene, however, fell silent after hearing Rana explain that she enjoyed her childishness. Judging from the look on Magdalene’s face, Aridean thought the girl looked as though she felt bad.

Vidor drove the wagon a distance into the tunnel before pulling on the reins, prompting the horses to stop their forward march. Rana descended from the wagon again and her hand could be seen glowing with its bright green light. She moved around behind the wagon and waved her hand in a downward motion. As the minotaur’s illuminated hand came down, the tunnel began to rumble all around as the tunnel entrance descended beneath the ground again. Yawning once more, Rana returned to her seat beside Vidor.

“So the rebellion made its base underground in the middle of nowhere? Have you thought about what if someone else is on the road behind you? Or what if someone is off the road and notices you doing that?” Magdalene asked as Vidor got the horses moving again down the dimly lit tunnel.

“Aridean? You remember the answer, yes? How about you explain it, just as a refresher on your magic knowledge,” Rana responded as her eyes slowly closed. Aridean assumed Rana was starting to feel too tired to answer herself. But knowing Rana, she probably did want to test Aridean as her magic tutor. Magdalene turned to Aridean as the latter carefully thought over how to describe the answer to Magdalene’s question.

“O-oh, well, we have some specialized magicians that are constantly maintaining and reinforcing a sort of illusionary field that hides anyone opening the tunnel. Although you see what really happens while you are within the field, anyone outside the field will think we just passed into the forest behind the tunnel entrance. I-I don’t really know anything about illusion magic except it is usually catalyzed by valuable artifacts, sorry,” Aridean explained, hoping her explanation was enough to satisfy Rana. Rana could be seen nodding in the front of the wagon, whether it was her acceptance of Aridean’s answer or her attempts to just stay awake, Aridean could not entirely tell. Given Rana did not make any effort to correct or elaborate further on Aridean’s statement, she felt somewhat confident that she passed her pop quiz.

“Okay, but that raises another question: what do you do if someone is following you?” Magdalene continued to inquire. Aridean found her questions to be oddly well thought out despite her blatantly obvious surprise and awe at the surroundings. Truthfully, Aridean had only asked about these details after her first-time outside Stonehaven as she had been entirely overwhelmed when she had first arrived. Perhaps Magdalene had prepared herself for something such as this since she knew the three minotaurs were rebels or she was just more capable of organizing her thoughts for someone of her age. Upon reflection, Aridean decided that being a successful pickpocket like Magdalene likely called for keeping a sharp mind.

“Doesn’t happen often, but we just ride into the forest and circle back around at a small settlement of ours about two miles up the road,” Vidor answered. Magdalene remained quiet after Vidor answered her last question. As the wagon emerged into Stonehaven from the tunnel, Vidor directed the horses toward the nearby stables. Joseph the stable manager and two of his workers approached the wagon as Vidor stopped the horses for the final time on this adventure.

“Welcome home Stonehooves and little lady Gray,” greeted Joseph as he began undoing the straps on one of the horses. Before leading one of the horses to the stable, Joseph looked up at the wagon and noticed Magdalene beside Aridean, “hmm? You all bring home another?”

“More like she followed us home…” Vidor responded as he tossed aside the reins and climbed down from the front wagon seat.

“A… human? The rebels have more than just minotaurs?” Magdalene quietly spoke with disbelief. Aridean’s ear’s flicked as she focused in on what Magdalene was talking about to herself.

“W-well, actually, Mr. Joseph is a half-elf, like you. But there are humans, dwarves, and elves here as well. I was surprised too… I didn’t think anyone liked minotaurs,” Aridean quietly explained to Magdalene. The young girl looked up at Aridean with obvious surprise, she clearly had not expected this. After a moment, the girl turned away with a look that told Aridean that she was pondering something in her mind.

Aridean began to pack up her things that were around the wagon. She also passed Rana and Vidor their belongings as they had both already gotten down from the wagon. As she moved throughout the wagon, the wood seemed to creak with every other motion the minotaur made. Magdalene also collected her things and carefully folded the blanket that Rana had covered her in the previous night. After having cleared the wagon of their supplies, Aridean and Magdalene both hopped down over the side of the wooden wagon. Both landed with either the clop of hooves or click of shoes on stone.

“I’ve got to report to the General before anything else; nothing our contact passed to us was especially worrying, but there are things in the reports that he’ll want to see,” Rana explained with a yawn before gently smiling through her undeniable drowsiness. “Why don’t you three go and get yourselves some breakfast? I don’t know how long I may be, so don’t wait up on me.”

Having dismissed her squad and Magdalene, Rana turned and walked off to report to Mikali. Joseph and his staff had already started moving the team’s wagon and horses to the stable. Aridean was glad to see that the horses were enjoying some well-earned hay. Magdalene stood by Aridean’s side and was carefully surveying the surrounding section of Stonehaven she found herself in. On Aridean’s other side, Vidor let out another yawn before turning to Aridean with another smile on his face.

“Well, guess we got time to relax now. So Aridean, what do you say to getting something to eat before I pass out?” Vidor asked with a joking tone.

“Sounds good to me,” Aridean replied with a smile of her own. As Vidor started to make his way toward the mess hall, Aridean noticed Magdalene still in awe of the rebel base. The young girl was slowly turning in circles as she took everything in despite it all being structures of stone and foot traffic being relatively slow due to it still being early in the morning. Vidor also took notice of Magdalene’s amazement; he let out a quiet grunt as he rubbed his eyes.

“Hey, Maggie, Aridean and me are going to get breakfast. You comin’ or what?” Vidor called out to the girl. The instant she heard her name, Magdalene snapped out of her awestruck trance and looked to Vidor.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m coming,” Magdalene said, adjusting the straps to the bag on her back. As Aridean began to walk with Vidor, Magdalene kept close behind the former. Although Aridean could not see it, Magdalene’s eyes were constantly darting from building to building, alley to alley, and person to person as the group marched forward.

It was still quite early in Stonehaven as the road leading to the mess hall was mostly clear of other citizens. In fact, the incandescent orbs that acted as sunlight overhead were still turned down to resemble stars in the sky. Lanterns burned on the sides of the roads, the fires within crackling as moths circled just above the dancing flames. As they neared the mess hall, the delightful smell of warm meals became more and more prevalent. Aridean could have sworn she heard Magdalene quietly gasp and gawk in sheer awe at the sight of the city.

Arriving at the mess hall, the gang found that there was no line to wait behind. Vidor had mentioned to Aridean the perks of returning from an assignment ridiculously early before. However, she had not actually anticipated the mess hall serving no less than ten patrons at a time regardless of the time of day. Being that the trio did not have to wait, Vidor pulled the door open as Aridean and Magdalene entered the cozy, family-run looking mess hall. Magdalene followed Aridean closely as she and Vidor approached the service counter.

Despite being glad to enter the dining room of the Stonehaven mess hall, Aridean could not help but remember the way it looked a little over a week ago. Vidor’s surprise for her had fulfilled her childhood dream of dining in a fancy restaurant. Even if it had been an illusion Vidor got someone to set up for him, it was a real date and gorgeous evening the two had spent together. Since that night, Aridean could close her eyes and picture the illusionary room so vividly. However, she still wished to dine in a high-class establishment one day, not an illusion.

“Well, look who’s back already; how you doin’ A ‘n’ V?” came the familiar, laidback voice of Sven, the kitchen staff member. Just looking at his red eyes and wet hair under his hairnet, Aridean could tell that Sven had only just gotten up for a shift in the mess hall.

“Mornin’ Sven. Ready for a nap, but could I get my usual first,” Vidor responded with another yawn.

“Good morning Mr. Sven, could I also have my usual please?” Aridean greeted.

“Two omelets, one with plenty of spicy peppers, you got it,” Sven said before calling to one of the cooks in the back to prepare the meals. “Hmm? Who’s that? Don’t think I’ve seen her around before.”

“Her name’s Maggie, stuff happened in Byrden,” Vidor answered, sounding particularly annoyed.

“I-I can introduce myself! My name is Magdalene Aurisle Ruyno Yorre, but I prefer Maggie,” Magdalene quickly chimed in, obviously irritated by Vidor’s introduction for her. Sven’s eyebrows shot up on his face.

“Stuff happened? Everything okay, V?” Sven curiously asked Vidor. Anticipating an answer, Sven leaned over the counter, keeping his back straight and hands spread far apart.

“Oh, it’s nothing. M-Maggie just thinks she owes us for a little favor we did for her is all,” Aridean quickly and nervously answered in Vidor’s place. Magdalene looked up at her with her own curious expression. It was readily apparent that saving her life from a demon was not ‘nothing’ as Aridean put it.

“Huh, well, okay then. Well, I can tell you that you picked the right minotaurs to go into debt to! Anyways, what can I get you?” Sven replied with a short laugh. As Sven addressed Magdalene, Vidor turned to go sit down at an open table. Aridean was about to join him on impulse but stopped upon hearing Magdalene whisper to her.

“Hey, Ari, is yours the one with peppers?” Magdalene asked quietly. Aridean looked to the girl and shook her head. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

“You got it, Maggie. Hey, Aridean, real quick, is Vidor alright? He seems a bit off today,” Sven asked before Aridean and Magdalene could walk away.

“To be honest, I was wondering that myself… he’s been a bit irritable ever since we left Byrden,” Aridean hesitantly admitted. Magdalene looked from Aridean to Vidor at their table and then back to Aridean. Sven let out a sigh upon hearing Aridean’s answer but put a fresh smile on his face as Aridean turned away.

Sven smiled at Magdalene before turning and calling out to get another omelet prepared. With their breakfasts ordered, Aridean and Magdalene left the service counter to join Vidor at a nearby table. Sizzling on the kitchen grill echoed throughout the mostly empty dining hall. The enchanting sound of breakfast being cooked was accompanied by the delightful scent of various, fresh ingredients being warmed and combined. Mouth-watering smells wafted all through the room as Aridean, Magdalene, and Vidor waited without speaking. Although she was not starving, Aridean was starting to feel her stomach rumble just being in the presence of these stimuli toying with her senses.

After several minutes, one of the kitchen staff emerged from the kitchen door carrying three plates. Upon each plate sat a fluffy omelet, each of them looking identical to the others. Fortunately, and to Aridean’s relief, the chef had labeled Vidor’s spicy omelet with the letter ‘V’ written in ketchup. Their breakfasts were carefully set out on the table in front of them. The trio thanked the kitchen staff, who silently nodded to the gang, before he moved to retreat into the wonderful smelling kitchen.

“Oh boy, have I been looking forward to this,” Vidor spoke with childish glee in his voice. The minotaur was quick to cut off a fair-sized bite of omelet.

“Hey, is there a restroom in here?” Magdalene asked as Aridean also cut into her meal. Vidor pointed to the back of the dining hall with the hand not holding his fork as the other was busy cutting off another piece. Magdalene stood from the table and moved in the direction of Vidor’s pointing finger toward the mess hall restrooms.

“Y’know, now that we’re alone, I kind of feel like we’re on another date,” Vidor said with a smile between bites of his breakfast. Aridean looked up from her plate and returned her own smile. She reached for the ruby necklace that Vidor had gifted her at her make-up birthday surprise.

“I’m always thinking about our first date when I walk in here now,” Aridean gently responded.

“Oh, great, how am I gonna top that when your real birthday rolls around? Hmm… well, I guess I do have some ideas,” Vidor spoke with a tired laugh. “So, what are you doing later today? I was thinking we have ourselves a little camping trip down by the river in the forest sometime; I know this great clearing where you can see the night sky so clear.”

Although the idea of camping with Vidor did sound appealing to her, Aridean looked at the extra meal sitting on the table beside her. Her smile slowly faded as she stared at the rapidly cooling omelet. She did not wish to upset him, but now seemed like the best time to discuss his recent behavior.

“Uhm, Vidor, have you been feeling alright lately? You seem easily irritated as of late. It’s just not like you; even Mr. Sven sounded a bit worried about you,” Aridean apprehensively asked. Vidor’s smile was replaced with a surprised expression as he finished chewing and swallowing the last bite of his breakfast.

“Oh, I don’t know… maybe I’m just a bit more tired than I thought,” Vidor responded, his usual goofy smile returning to his face. Vidor ran a hand through his mane and began to rub the back of his neck.

But you seemed so like yourself when we got to Byrden a few days ago despite working on only about an hour of sleep over the course of two days. I wonder… Aridean thought to herself. Clearly, she was unconvinced by Vidor’s answer. She had already taken note that there was something causing him distress, but it was not something she wished to bring up. At least, not unless the two of them were alone.

“Is… is Maggie bothering you?” Aridean inquired. She felt she already knew the answer though. Vidor’s smile quickly vanished from his face and he folded his arms over his chest. Aridean set down the fork with a cut piece of her omelet onto her plate as she awaited Vidor’s response.

“Well… yeah, she is. I could get over her robbing me and her weak insults. That stuff didn’t really bother me, well not after getting my wallet back. What I don’t get is how you and Rana can be so tolerant of her after what happened between the two of you. If she wants to see minotaurs as not being savage beasts, good for her. Thing is, I can’t help but think of her as a savage for stabbing my girlfriend over nothing,” Vidor replied, his tone sounding uncharacteristically serious.

“W-well, there was more to it than--,” Aridean began to explain before being cut off.

“Aridean, you don’t have to submit to her, you don’t have to do anything to please her. She’s just some stranger, one that robbed us, insulted us, and then stabbed you. I don’t care if there’s more to it; she’s just a thief and a nuisance we should have left in Byrden,” Vidor snapped with frustration all over his face. Aridean was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Although his aggression was not directed at her, Aridean’s legs began to feel weak and her ears fell back.

“I-I’m s-sorry…” Aridean meekly stuttered, clearly distraught by Vidor’s unexpected temperament. Seeing Aridean begin to shy away from him, Vidor’s eyebrows raised on his head in surprise.

“N-no, I didn’t mean to upset you, Aridean. I’m sorry for lashing out like that. It just bothers me that you can look past what happened for someone we don’t know, especially after the life you had before coming here,” Vidor apologized in a much gentler tone than he had previously used. Aridean’s tensed up body relaxed as he spoke, “I thought that by now maybe you’d be a bit more… confident? You’ve always been so quiet and shy, but I’ve gotten to see you open up, laugh, and even try making jokes now. I just think you’d be a lot happier if you were a bit more sure of yourself.”

“Vidor…” Aridean responded, the distress she had been feeling had now vanished and was replaced by a nervous smile. “I’m grateful you think so much of me, but I only manage that much when you are around.”

“Heh, you say that, but who’s the one that charges a demon with little more than a butter knife? Well, like I said, I’m sorry if I had scared you. I’m going to head home and take some time to rest a bit. Next time I see you, you better have made up your mind on whether or not we’re going on a camping trip! And you better say yes!” Vidor said with a laugh. His expectation for Aridean’s decision on the camping date led to Aridean joining him in a quiet laugh. Vidor’s familiar happy-go-lucky demeanor and friendly tone of voice was soothing to Aridean’s nerves.

Vidor rose from his seat and pushed his chair back under the table. The wooden legs slid across the wooden floor with the quiet sound of wood scraping wood. Before turning to leave, Vidor looked Aridean in her eyes and gave one of his goofy-looking smiles. Aridean returned her own smile as she watched Vidor turn and make his way to the door of the mess hall. His hooves clopping along the floor all the way, something that would not normally be heard if they had not arrived so early.

Aridean watched as Vidor stopped momentarily at the door. He pulled the door open but stood behind it as he gestured a few new patrons into the dining room. Once the door was clear of others, Vidor moved around the door he was holding and left Aridean’s sight as the door shut behind him. Just as the door closed, Magdalene appeared from the restroom and pulled out her chair. The young girl sat back down beside of Aridean and grabbed her fork. However, she stopped when she looked over and saw Vidor’s empty plate.

“Huh? Where’d he go?” Magdalene asked, apparently surprised by Vidor’s exit.

“Vidor’s a fast eater; he’s decided to head home to sleep for a while,” Aridean gently answered as she resumed eating her own breakfast. Although she was a bit surprised by how quickly Vidor had vanished, Magdalene returned her attention to the breakfast before her.

“He’s already done? I didn’t think I was in there that long…” Magdalene spoke as she began cutting into her omelet. After just one bite, Aridean could see Magdalene’s eyes light up, “wow… this is really good… kinda regret not getting those peppers though.”

Together, Aridean and Magdalene finished their breakfasts without speaking. Other patrons of the mess hall were entering the dining hall. It was clear that more were entering than were leaving as citizens of the town outside were beginning to wake up. Sounds of sizzling grill tops and the clang of pots and pans could be heard coming from the kitchen. The enticing smells of different meals being expertly prepared also wafted through the room again. However, the sounds and smells did not elicit the same response from Aridean’s now sated stomach as it had when she sat down at the table.

Finishing their meals, Aridean began dabbing her mouth with a napkin. As she finished and set her napkin back down on the table, Aridean noticed Magdalene holding her hands together and hanging her head low with shut eyes. Magdalene held this position for some time; she almost looked like a statue with how still she managed to keep herself.

She’s… praying? Well, she did live with a pastor for eight years now. It’s just a bit unexpected, a religious thief, Aridean thought to herself as she observed Magdalene. The young girl sat, both silent and still, her hair slowly falling down in front of her face. As she looked back up and pushed her hair out of her eyes, Sven approached the table.

“Hey, Aridean, I know you just got back and all, but we were wondering if you didn’t mind throwing on an apron for a little bit,” Sven said.

“Throw on an apron?” Magdalene asked curiously.

“I help out here at the mess hall. Before coming to Stonehaven, I was a waitress back home,” Aridean explained to Magdalene. Immediately, Magdalene’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“They let a hair-covered minotaur cook food? Ugh, I’m going to have to find somewhere else to get something to eat now; I don’t want fur in my meals,” Magdalene complained as she looked over her clean plate, inspecting it for hair. Aridean’s ears fell back again in submission and even Sven looked somewhat surprised by Magdalene’s comment. After she finished inspecting her plate, Magdalene noticed both Sven and Aridean looking at her, “d-did I say that out loud?”

“Uh… well, Aridean doesn’t actually do any cooking, just cleaning and serving. We got her to try it once and the result was a mess with some kind of inedible, goopy, almost soup-like batter that was meant to be muffins,” Sven spoke, trying to reassure Magdalene on the food quality. Aridean, after remembering the incident, now wore a disappointed expression on her face, “it was still an entertaining afternoon though! Heh, Vidor still tried one of the ‘muffins’ to try encouraging Aridean.”

“He nearly passed out…” Aridean finished Sven’s story for him with a meek voice. Sven let out a hearty laugh as he remembered the scene while Aridean was sulking with embarrassment and guilt over the incident.

“Well, I need Ari to show me around this place. Once I know where I can sleep, she can come back and clean this place from top to bottom,” Magdalene declared, sounding particularly demanding. Sven did not seem incredibly bothered by the high and mightiness of Magdalene’s decree. He raised his hands as though surrendering but put his usual smile back on his face.

“Right, sorry, I had forgotten about your situation. I didn’t really want to ask her since she just got back anyways. Well, see you two around,” Sven replied in his naturally friendly sounding voice.

Sven turned and began to walk back toward the door leading into the kitchen. Aridean and Magdalene saw him raise one of his hands, waving goodbye to the two of them as he disappeared into the other room. Clanging of pots and pans could be heard as the door closed behind him and the smells of more delicious foods continued to enchant the air. As the morning rush had begun to swarm into the mess hall, tables began filling up and a line was forming at the service counter.

Aridean was slowly starting to become unnerved by the influx of other patrons. Despite her being a staff member, Aridean still struggled when she found herself in large crowds at the mess hall. She was eager to leave the mess hall and turned to Magdalene. The half-elf was observing the guests as they entered, took their place in line, and moved to their tables, some with and some without plates. Aridean, unsure on whether Magdalene was ready to go or not, sat silently and patiently for a short time.

“Well, we goin’ or what?” Magdalene finally asked, breaking the awkward silence at the duo’s table. Aridean felt her body stiffen upon hearing Magdalene speak, but quickly calmed down and nodded to the young girl.

Both minotaur and half-elf stood from their chairs and pushed them back under the wooden table. Magdalene was shifting her backpack over her shoulders as Aridean led her out of the mess hall. As the two reached the door, they found that a large brown and white furred minotaur was holding the door for them. While Aridean managed to nervously squeak a ‘thank you,’ Magdalene silently stared at the gentlemanly minotaur as she walked past and out the door.

Standing outside the mess hall, Aridean and Magdalene found themselves standing in the middle of a brightly lit, stone street. The bright, artificial suns on the ceiling of the underground base were so illuminating that Aridean needed a moment for her eyes to adjust. Magdalene had gone so far as to cover her eyes with a hand just so that she might see across the street. Foot traffic had dramatically increased in the hour they had been in the mess hall as rebels and Stonehaven citizens began moving throughout the town. Loud chatter and laughter could be heard coming from all directions as people went about their daily business. However, Magdalene seemed to think it time for the two to get down to their own business.

“Alright, first things first, where’s a bed I can use in this place?” Magdalene asked, having turned to Aridean and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked particularly impatient for some reason.

“Uhm… well, there’s the barracks, b-but that’s meant for soldiers. We could maybe find y--,” Aridean began to nervously suggest.

“The barracks? That’s where you sleep, right? Okay, let’s go then,” Magdalene interrupted with an insistent tone in her voice. Aridean looked to Magdalene, having been caught off guard by the sudden decision. She had not expected Magdalene to be alright with sharing a sleeping space with her, let alone other people.

“Uh, a-are you sure? We could probably find you something in the human or elven district,” Aridean hesitantly proposed.

“Nope, the barracks will do. I’ll have you show me around later,” Magdalene claimed while shaking her head at Aridean’s offer. “I want to see where it is I’ll be sleeping and put my things down. Let’s get going already.”

Aridean nervously gulped hearing Magdalene’s insistent stance on the matter. Although she did not sound particularly hostile, the impatience in Magdalene’s tone was somewhat worrying to Aridean. Nevertheless, the minotaur relented and gestured for the half-elven girl to follow her to the barracks. Her hooves clopped audibly as she walked along the stone road and Magdalene’s shoes were quietly clicking with every step.

During their trek to the barracks, Aridean did take the time to point out some notable buildings in the underground city. However, she was wondering if Magdalene was even paying attention to her attempts to be her tour guide. The young girl seemed awestruck as the duo entered the plaza. Quiet amazement in the sights before them were made known as Aridean heard a near silent ‘wow’ escape Magdalene’s lips. Nearing the barracks, Magdalene had stopped to observe some flower beds that were used to color the city of stone.

“I didn’t think there would be any flowers down here… they’re pretty,” Magdalene spoke. Aridean was able to recall that the outside of the church in Byrden was littered with many bright and vibrantly colored flowers. She had assumed that Raltor was the one who had planted them but was now curious after noticing Magdalene’s interest.

“Back in Byrden, the church had many flowers outside. Was that you?” Aridean asked, hoping her question would not upset Magdalene in any way. Standing up from her crouching position over a bed of lilies, Magdalene turned to face Aridean before answering.

“Yeah… planting flowers helps me feel closer to my sister…” Magdalene softly spoke, her eyes looked back at the flower bed as she mentioned her sister. Aridean was only now remembering that Raltor had mentioned something about Magdalene’s sister back when she was tied up in the cellar of the church.

“D-do… do you want to talk about it?” Aridean hesitantly asked with a gentle tone of voice. Magdalene’s eyes seemed to burn now glaring at Aridean. The dramatic gaze sent a shiver down the minotaur’s spine and the fur on her back and tail began to stand on ends.

“With you? No,” Magdalene replied, both bluntly and forcefully. But upon taking note of the distress in Aridean’s face, Magdalene’s expression quickly shifted, “Uh… n-not yet.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Aridean said, taking a nervous step back from the young girl that was practically half her size.

“I told you guys I want to change because of what you did for me, but I’m not ready to talk just yet. A-anyways, this is the barracks, right? Let’s go,” Magdalene stated before moving toward the door of the stone building labeled ‘barracks.’ Aridean took a deep breath before following Magdalene inside.

Sweet and fragrant scents of flowers on the sides of the stone road lingered in the still air. Although it was comfortably cool in the underground city, a gentle breeze would have felt pleasant walking along the street. Unfortunately, the subterranean location did not allow for any sort of winds. Further, the small structures of stone surrounding the scene would likely have broken any pleasant winds if any danced through the air anyways. Regardless, the current setting had a sort of warm safety enveloping the citizens of the city. While no one other than the dwarven citizens would call life in Stonehaven natural, all races managed to keep high spirits for the most part.

All around were cheerful smiles and idle chatter and laughter from children and adults alike. Commotion from huddled groups of varying races was blended together with the discussions of another bunch of different characters. Despite the friendly and inviting atmosphere that seemed to blanket the street, one may find it difficult to focus on their own thoughts. It was easy to overhear talk of other’s business, whether that be preparations for a mission or decisions on evening plans. However, not much else other than getting home and going to bed was on Vidor’s mind at the time.

A long and loud yawn escaped his lips as his family’s home came into view at the end of the road. Heavy eyelids and red eyes were not the only clues to giving away Vidor’s current state. His shoulders were drooping somewhat and his stride was slow as his large body leaned more to his left or right with each step. Vidor was managing to walk a straight line, if only barely. All the young minotaur could think about was how much he so desperately wanted to flop down on his bed and drift away to sleep.

“Good morning, Vidor!” called a nearby and peppy voice. Vidor turned to see one of Captain Bryn’s friends, a woman whose name he could not quite place. Vidor knew the woman, but always had a hard time of keeping names straight in his head. She stood in a small group of two other humans and a male minotaur. Although he was unable to recall her name, Vidor gave a polite wave and friendly smile in response to the warm greeting. Seemingly satisfied by his response, the woman turned back to her group to continue their conversation. Vidor continued walking toward his house, the gentle smile on his face quickly fading due to his excessive mental and physical fatigue.

Just the same as all buildings in Stonehaven, the exterior of the Stonehoof home was made entirely of smoothed stone. What set it apart from other homes and structures in the city were the two separate firepits that sat on opposite sides of the path leading to the front door. These firepits were meant for special minotaur rituals, but Vidor personally did not use them often. The loud and heavy clop of his hooves on stone rang in his ears as he passed the firepits and his tail gently swayed from side to side. Vidor covered his mouth with one hand as he yawned again and reached for the doorknob with his other hand.

Turning the knob and pushing the door into the home, Vidor entered into his family’s home’s foyer. He slowly and gently closed the door behind him, having been scolded many times for having broken the door off of its hinges multiple times by slamming it shut. A delightful smell was dancing throughout the house; Vidor could hear someone working in the kitchen. Standing in the foyer, the doorway to his right opened into an unoccupied dining room with a clean table. To the minotaur’s left, a doorway leading into the home’s living room. Vidor noticed that Rana was sitting on one of the couches in the living room.

“Welcome home,” Rana greeted with a smile while speaking Minoran; although her voice was gentle and sweet like always, it was clear that she also desired some time to sleep in her own bed. “Did you help get Maggie settled in?”

“Aridean and I got her some breakfast and now she’s with Aridean,” Vidor answered, also speaking in Minoran. Whenever they were home, the siblings would speak their native tongue along with their grandfather. However, Vidor added to his statement in near silence, “but if she ran off, I wouldn’t care.”

Vidor lazily made his way into the living room and sat in the chair at the head of the coffee table. He blew air from his mouth as he shut his eyes, sinking into the old, but reliable chair. Rana watched him with a smirk on her face; she always did enjoy seeing Vidor act childish. Vidor assumed it was because she took pleasure in feeling like the mature one of the two.

“Rana? Is that Vidor? I’m almost done with your breakfast, keep him there for just a moment,” came the familiar and authoritative voice of Mikali. Vidor’s eyes slowly opened back up as Rana rested her head in her hands and elbows on her knees.

“Is everything okay? He knows we only just got back and you look even more worn out than me,” Vidor asked his sister.

“After we finished going over the reports we brought back, grandfather informed me that we already have our next assignment lined up,” Rana answered.

Vidor looked at Rana with a curious expression. It was not unheard of for a team having just come home to have their next assignment given to them in such a short time, but it was not at all a common occurrence either. Despite his drive and no-nonsense demeanor, Mikali knew that rest was one of the key factors in keeping the soldiers in the rebellion functioning properly. He would normally order those returning from their own missions to take a day or two in order to relax.

Vidor shrugged and leaned back into the chair again. His head raised up so as to face the ceiling of the living room, but his eyes slowly closed again. Although his bed was only down the hall, Vidor felt as though he could slip into a deep slumber where he sat. Unfortunately, he was not allowed even a moment as Mikali entered the room. Mikali was holding a small plate upon which sat some eggs with chopped tomatoes and onions scattered throughout.

“Welcome home, Vidor,” greeted Mikali as he handed the breakfast plate to Rana. Rana graciously accepted the meal and happily began to enjoy her grandfather’s cooking. Mikali then took his seat on the couch opposite the one Rana was on.

“Glad to be home, grandpa,” Vidor replied with a tired smile. “Sounds like our stay won’t be long; Rana mentioned you already have our next assignment.”

Mikali drew in a deep breath before letting it out in a long-winded sigh. The old minotaur shifted in his seat a bit, trying to find a comfortable position on the scratchy old cushion. Before opening his mouth again, Mikali set his walking staff to the side of his couch. As their grandfather became comfortable, Rana was quietly chewing the food she had been given while Vidor could only think about how much he wanted to wait on hearing their next mission.

“Yes; I wanted you to hear this as the situation is urgent. You’re acquainted with the elven pathbreaker, Yuthe Galesong, yes?” inquired Mikali, sounding particularly serious. Vidor’s closed eyes quickly shot open upon hearing the name. Rana swallowed the food that was in her mouth.

“Sparrow?” Vidor quietly called out.

“Weren’t you running errands for him the past few weeks? He really had you scrambling all over the place,” Rana added before continuing to eat her breakfast.

Vidor leaned in toward his grandfather, hands now gripping the hand rests of the chair he sat in. Rana was scraping the plate her breakfast had been sitting on as she tried to collect the last few bits of tomato and onion with her fork. Mikali, however, took notice of Vidor’s reaction, having raised the eyebrow over his good eye in interest.

“So you do know him, hmm? I’ve unfortunate news regarding Galesong: we believe he may have been attacked or even arrested on his way back to Stonehaven. He was expected back here three days ago and we haven’t heard from him in four,” Mikali began to brief. Vidor’s eyes widened upon hearing the status of the elven man. His expression was slowly growing more and more worried. Rana, keeping a cool and collected calm, maintained a resolute and determined face as she now intently listened to her grandfather.

“I’m guessing this is going to be a search and rescue then?” Rana asked Mikali, whose response was to nod back to his granddaughter.

“When last he spoke, we were told that he would be stopping by a small village to the southwest. At the time, I had not thought much of it. But now that he has been missing for some time, action must be taken to ensure his and our safety,” Mikali continued his briefing.

“Just out of curiosity, are there no other teams available currently? Not only have we just returned, but we also brought along a potential new recruit,” Rana inquired. Mikali looked to her with a gentle, yet somehow still serious, expression on his face.

“Ah, yes, that half-elf you were speaking of. Let’s hope she learns quick; no other groups are able to take on this task right now. Further, I believe this assignment should pose no challenge for you. There is a reason I want your team on this,” Mikali replied sternly. As his grandfather spoke, Vidor could feel his heart starting to race in his chest. He was desperately trying to calm himself down internally, but to no avail. His fingers tightened their grip on the arm rests to the chair he clung to.

“You mentioned Galesong was stopping in a town southwest of here… Ah, so you wanted us on this because we have Aridean on our team,” Rana claimed after a brief moment of thinking. Her summation was met with another nod from Mikali.

“Smithson had to remind me, but that child is from a human village. Truth be told, she’s from the village that Galesong reported to be stopping at on his way back to Stonehaven,” Mikali explained with patience in his tone.

“Y-you mean we’re going--,” Vidor barely managed to nervously squeak out of his mouth.

“Yes. You’ll be going to the human village known as Thellia,” Mikali answered. “Being that she lived in that village, perhaps Aridean may be able to guide you around and better aid you in your search for Galesong. You’ll be setting out by noon tomorrow.”

“I assure you, Aridean will have no trouble guiding us to Thellia and through this assignment. You can leave it to us, grandfather,” Rana answered with confidence. Vidor, however, was visibly distraught. Despite the clear concern and worry in his eyes, both Mikali and Rana did not seem to take notice of Vidor’s uneasiness.

Having finished their briefing, Mikali excused himself. The old minotaur collected his walking staff and began to make his way for the front door of the stone home. All the while, Vidor sat nearly stiff as the stone walls surrounding him. As their grandfather left, Rana collected her plate that she had set down on the coffee table and made her way to the kitchen.

Vidor now sat in the living room alone but heard Rana depositing her plate into the kitchen sink. The sound of running water could also be heard.

“This should be an interesting assignment. I hope nothing has happened to Sparrow, but I also think Aridean will be excited to return home after so long. Perhaps if we have the time, she will introduce you to her father… Then again, he is retired Empire military. I suppose we will keep our distance while she visits before we return home,” Rana called from the kitchen. Clinking of plates, dishes, and utensils could be heard from within as well. Splashing of water confirmed to Vidor that his sister was cleaning the dishes. Despite how particular she was about keeping the house clean, Vidor still thought she would at least sleep a little before starting.

“U-uh… yeah, I-I bet she’ll love it,” Vidor replied. “Uh, I’m going to go ahead and get some sleep.”

“Alright, sleep well,” Rana responded as the clinking and splashing continued.

Vidor rose from his chair, feeling a little dizzy from lack of sleep and the sudden news. The minotaur gently shook his head back and forth as his head cleared. Once he felt stable again, Vidor made his way toward the hallway leading to his and Rana’s bedrooms. Within the hallway were three doors; Rana’s and Vidor’s bedrooms were directly across from one another while the last room in the house was the bathroom. Vidor moved toward his bedroom door; the clopping of his hooves muffled by a small rug set out in the hallway.

Behind the door was a simple if oddly furnished room. Vidor kept a small workbench for sharpening and constructing arrows and crossbow bolts. Beside his bench was a closet that kept more of his workbench materials than his clothing. Most of Vidor’s clothes were either neatly folded in a basket or haphazardly tossed into a bin on the opposite side of the room. In the center of the bedroom was a large mattress. What was most interesting about his mattress was that it was solely that, a mattress on the floor. While there was a pillow and sheet on the mattress, it was not held up upon a bed frame.

Vidor quietly shut the bedroom door behind him. He set his gear down beside the workbench and tossed his bag into the wooden chair that was pulled out from under the bench. Vidor then removed the shirt he was wearing, revealing a mostly slim, with some muscle, physique. Just like his arms and most of his face, Vidor’s chest and back were covered in entirely black fur. The minotaur let out another yawn as he tossed the shirt he had been wearing into his unorganized bin. He then fell face first down onto his mattress with a loud thumping sound.

“Shit,” Vidor cursed aloud as he rolled over to face the ceiling. “She didn’t even want to write him a letter and now she’s being forced to go back to Thellia?”

Vidor let out a long-exasperated sigh as he began to rub his eyes. A moan of worry escaped his throat.

“Dammit! Sparrow, what the hell are you doing?” Vidor asked no one in particular as he rolled over onto his side. Unable to think clearly, Vidor resigned himself to sleeping. As he quickly drifted to sleep, he desperately hoped that talking to Aridean about their new mission would go well.