Archive of Our Own

It was quiet when they arrived.

The small town of Norona wasn’t large by any means, only fitting within its borders a scarce hundred or so at best — not that that held any truth now as the streets were long made barren since the news hit.

The air was as still as the heavy fog that blanketed the town like snow. If you listened closely you could make out the calls of the songbirds in the distant forests, but here the loudest sound was the faint, hesitant footfalls of Mirabelle. Her brows were tugged together as her gaze fixated on an empty swing set while they passed the small park. It was unnerving. The metal chains squeaked and groaned with the slight breeze that tugged them back and forth.

Her, Isabeau, and Odile were the only ones drifting down the street that evening. The air was near suffocatingly silent in a way that made the poor housemaiden’s stomach clench. The familiar warmth of Isabeau by her side was the only thing to soothe her as she swallowed the thick lump in her throat. Could it be that this town was already…?

Her fists tightened around the light fabric of her dress. Her throat burned while their lonesome steps seemed to echo louder with each tap.

“Hey, Belle, Belle—“ she risked a timid glance up to meet the soft eyes of her teammate. Isabeau had gently placed his hand, large and calloused yet still holding all the care in the world, on her shoulder. His smile only breathed fresh, warm life into her and Mirabelle already felt her pulse steady.

“It’s okay,” he continued. “There might still be someone. We just got here, we can’t give up. Though, it is, uhh…” his eyes flickered to the side, towards the abandoned park, and his smile faltered. “It is a bit creepy here.”

Creepy was an understatement. Odile’s grim chuckle said just as much. The older woman had only been journeying with them for a few weeks now after narrowly escaping the flood of time craft that’s shaken the rest of the region. She took the chance to speak now when she noticed Mirabelle’s yet uncertain gaze flash towards her.

“Our fighter here is right,” she said. “It’s unlikely that the king’s craft has already made it this far. I’d bet that most of the townspeople have either fled or are hiding — we can’t forget that the sadnesses are just another part of our problem here.” The last part was merely grumbled out as she narrowed her eyes and glanced around their small party. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down, not when they could still be attacked at any moment.

The sadnesses were…

It was a challenge in itself to shake away the echo of their agonized cries from her mind. They often sounded too human for comfort.

Mirabelle let out a shuddering breath. Her head nodded, slowly, before her steps then fell into rhythm with their own. “I understand, madame. Thank you, both of you.” Her soft features weren’t meant to be steeled with so much resolve and so much fear trapped within those delicate eyes. Her grip on her dress loosened as they continued on, leaving the park behind in the midst of the rolling plumes of fog.

There was no one to greet. The further they ventured in, the more evident it became that the town must have been largely evacuated. Mirabelle’s reflection welcomed her in the glass windows of the homes they passed. The sky was gray rather than its sunny, milky white that Mirabelle loved so much to see from the very top of the House of Change. She couldn’t help but miss the warm air kissing her skin with the distant sounds of laughter and chatter of her fellow housemates following wherever she went. The air of the last town they crossed, Vynn, was so still it had made her blood run cold.

A gentle squeeze to her hand grounded her again. Isabeau’s smile was all she needed to let her heart feel just a bit lighter. Oh Change, what would she do without him? The closer they got to collecting all of the orbs left her quaking like a leaf in a storm every night, and every morning her stomach churned with the ruminating thoughts of what the king was truly like. Was he as tall as they said? Was he really so evil that nothing in Vaugarde, maybe in the world, could change his mind? She couldn’t even wrap her mind around the idea of someone being so against change that they would freeze an entire country in time without remorse.

While Odile checked through the various homes — knocking, waiting, only to turn back in silence and continue on — Isabeau nudged Mirabelle and pointed ahead. “Hey, that looks like an inn nearby! Looks like we can stay for the night if you want, Belle…?” His voice trailed off as he turned to see her reaction. She merely nodded and lightly tugged the corners of her mouth upwards.

“Th-That sounds like a wonderful idea, Isabeau! Oh, but…” Her own voice betrays her and she frowns. Isabeau cocks his head in turn and she sees Odile approaching the duo again, hands stuffed in her pockets and expression sour. Mirabelle continues on, thumbs twiddling together. “If no one is here, then we can’t pay for our stay…! How can we let the owners know that we appreciated their hospitality?”

Isabeau had to hold back his coos while his eyes shimmered with pure adoration. Odile only raised a fine brow, clearly unimpressed.

“Awwww, Mirabelle….”

“You’re joking, right?” Odile still couldn’t believe someone as pure hearted as Mirabelle existed. It was almost sickening, actually. Only because she knew for a fact that most people would fail to return even a fraction of her kindness. “I’m….positive they won’t mind our stay. We can even clean up after ourselves to stay respectful.”

“Of course we would-!” Mirabelle tensed. It was terrible just to imagine leaving behind a kind person’s inn in disarray, just because they couldn’t be bothered to clean! “I’ll be sure to leave some money behind on their counter!”

Isabeau laughed and the sound was hearty and full. His smile stretched across his entire face that blushed with amusement. “Don’t worry Belle, we’ll be the best guests they can ever imagine! They won’t even know we were here!”

Odile smirked. “Well, they won’t unless someone decides to go and write all over the walls ‘MIRABELLE AND CO. WERE HERE’. But somehow I doubt that will be an issue.”

The housemaiden only laughed, much smaller than Isabeau’s but still just as warm. “I think so too. But if they do find out, then they’ll know we still paid for their service!”

That’s it. Positive. Think positive, Mirabelle. It’s in the little things.

She kept her smile up, albeit softer than usual, while Isabeau guided the group towards the inn. His shoulders were rolled back to make the already quite-large man to appear even bigger (sometimes it was amusing how he himself forgot how tall he was and often would smack his head into door frames on occasion). He still kept his cheerful demeanor up when he twisted the knob of the two story building. The outside was nothing particularly special with just a wooden sign built atop the balcony of the inn, chipped and cracked in places that were clearly worn with time.

The paint was beginning to peel and the flowers out front were starting to wilt. Mirabelle winced. How many flowers have they come across that have long since been abandoned? A little voice at the edge of her mind wondered what became of the greenhouse, back at the House. Were they going to be okay? Would she really be able to… reverse this?

She didn’t get to think about it any longer however, because a jolt and soft gasp caught her attention. Isabeau held the door open, staring inside with wide eyes while his words struggled to catch up with his thoughts.

“P-P-“ he sharply inhaled, chest puffing out comically, before….

”PEOPLE!”

Mirabelle and Odile both straightened right up at this and soon all three of them were stumbling inside (Mirabelle’s legs were definitely shaking at this point because oh, Change, what if they were frozen? What if this poor town had already been ravaged by craft even though it doesn’t even make sense because everything outside is still moving normally but what if, what if-)

Yet right in front of them was a small group of people, moving, breathing in a way that dashed her worries with ease. Isabeau shot his arms up in the air and shouted “crab yeah!! I knew it!”

“Well, at least some people are still safe,” Odile mumbled more to herself than anything.

Mirabelle clasped her hands together as her smile brightened the most it had all day. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re all okay!!”

Sure enough they were face-to-face with a handful of people who were huddled together in the lobby of the inn. A couple of kids sat side by side on the main staircase while several adults idly stood about by the scattered tables and fireplace that crackled softly in the corner. The main room was nicely dressed despite its humble outward appearance with covered lanterns lining the multiple hallways and up towards the second floor. A large, dark quilted rug sat under their feet while the floor itself was a cool stone that contrasted with the bright walls that held several portraits and random photographs.

It was a little jarring how homey it was inside with the outside of town looking like the setting of a silent horror film.

Odile made sure to close the door behind them after peeking outside while a few of the inn’s residents rushed over to meet with them. A young woman along with an older man were the first to greet them with the light thump of the man’s cane being the first to entice Mirabelle’s interest. They both were smiling in some mix of delight and relief.

“I’m glad as well to see some new faces! Thank the Change God that there are still travelers who haven’t been caught by the king’s craft.” The elderly man looked between all of them before bowing his head. “My name is Malo — I’m the owner of this inn. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. We have a kitchen with plenty of food still and many spare rooms.”

Isabeau and Mirabelle both gasped in unison and aggressively, urgent and well-intending, bowed their heads in return. Mirabelle couldn’t subdue the blush dusting her cheeks as she stammered out her next words. “Th-Thank you so much! I- uhm, it really means a lot! I promise I’ll pay you for your hospitality sir!”

“Ahhh, I’m so glad there’s food here. I don’t know how much longer my poor tummy could handle feeding only on cold bread and peanut butter!” Isabeau held his stomach to demonstrate his point and Malo only laughed.

“Please, it’s no trouble! Vaugarde is in deep danger at the moment and it’s up to us all to look out for each other. My inn is a refuge for the few of us left of this town.”

This time Odile was curious. She peered at the man inquisitively with a brow lifted. “The few of us left…?”

Now the young woman by Malo’s side chipped into the conversation. She couldn’t have been much older than Isabeau, and with the way she sighed as dramatically as she could with her eyes falling closed, you’d think the two of them would be theater buddies. “C’mon ‘pa, don’t scare ‘em! You make it seem like they’re all dead or frozen!”

And then she smiled sweetly at them, her short choppy hair framing her cheeks as she propped her hands over her hips. “I’m Elouise, I work at this here inn with my grandpa. What he meant to say is that this place is for anyone to stay safe in, especially since there’s hardly any visitors or anyone needin’ beds what with most of the town evacuated. Pretty much everyone turned on their heels and ran for it when word got out about the king, most to either find family, or to flee somewhere like Ka Bue.”

Ah. That made much more sense. Mirabelle and Isabeau visibly slackened.

Odile glanced around the lobby to see one, two, three… nine people occupying the space, including Malo and Elouise? The two children on the stairs whispered to each other through cupped hands and the other adults simply gazed in their direction a few times whilst muttering to each other. There was another person huddled up in the corner of a booth, head down and – asleep? Odile wished she could afford a nap at a time like this.

“So,” she started slowly. Her eyes traveled back to meet with their new associates where they matched her gaze. “You all decided to stay here in Norona? Why? It makes sense that Ka Bue is a reasonable idea for those who haven’t been frozen in time yet. Honestly, any place is better than Vaugarde at the moment.”

Elouise held one arm at her side with her hand and glanced away. “Well…”

“We thought about it. We did.” Malo intercepted her to continue on. “But then we started getting a few people who fled from their own homes, looking for refuge. I couldn’t very well turn them away, and this inn… Well, I’ve had it since my daughter was a little girl. To leave this behind feels like leaving her behind.”

Elouise jolted back into action and balled her fists. She huffed, brows pinched together and her mouth pulled into a firm line. “My mom was on a trip when this all happened, a- and I wanna stay! In case she makes it back! Or- when she makes it back.”

Mirabelle smiled softly at them while Odile averted her own slightly guilty gaze. These two were so strong to stay behind and help people who needed it! Just imagining if someone like her own mother was somewhere she couldn’t reach and not knowing if she was alright… she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere, she’d simply just be sick with worry!

Isabeau nodded along to their story and crossed his arms. His own smile was sympathetic. “I’m sure your mother will make it here. And, if not, you don’t need to worry!”

Suddenly his smile only got larger, more honest and his bolster matched Elouise’s own. His companions could see it – Isabeau was pumped. He could so easily go from 0 to 100 in no time at all with just a little push, and Mirabelle too often found herself thankful for his energy. “We’re going to stop the king! My friend was blessed by the Change God to do it, and we’ll make sure you can meet again! I promise!”

And Isabeau was one to keep his promises.

The way her eyes shimmered didn’t go unnoticed as the girl swallowed down her tears and simply nodded. The few people close enough to hear (not that it was difficult, Isabeau wasn’t exactly known for his subtlety) wore small matching smiles. The man just had that effect on people. He was like a spark of ember that could easily erupt into a raging fire bright enough to light up the darkest skies.

Mirabelle let out a shuddering sigh and wiped at her wet lashes. She was so lucky…so lucky to have such good friends. If it weren’t for Isa, she genuinely wondered some nights if she ever would have made it even half as far.
A brief silence passed between them, not that it ever would deter that ravenous optimism their fighter held, before Malo cracked a smirk.

He barked out a laugh, short and sharp. He didn’t look like he entirely believed it but the man had a gleam in his eyes that Mirabelle swore wasn’t there before. “I like you! You’ve really got some courage, though it looks like you certainly have the brawn to back it up,” he nodded towards Isabeau’s general frame and Elouise giggled. “Are you three truly journeying to the king? You’ve still got a long way to go, I'm afraid.”

“Oh we know,” Odile sighed. “We’re…looking for some relics that will allow us entry to the House of Change. We don’t need to stay any longer than the night, but we would appreciate your hospitality nonetheless.”

Malo and Elouise stepped to the side while the elder swept one arm across the lobby to gesture at the whole of the building. “Then make yourselves at home! We have plenty of food prepared already for dinner so if those peanut butter sandwiches weren’t enough, we can certainly fix that.” Isabeau did a little fist pump.

Movement in the corner of Mirabelle’s vision alerted the girl of Madame Odile’s departure to another section of the inn. There was a set of double doors at one end of the room that were propped open and she could smell a faint whiff of something savory and meaty. That was all she needed to notice for her stomach to begin growling with desire and she let out an embarrassed squeak.

Isabeau glanced towards her as Malo and Elouise left to attend to some of the other inn’s residents. He smiled knowingly. “Alright Mira, let’s get some food in you! No cold sandwiches tonight!”

And oh Mirabelle hadn’t realized how much she missed a good stew. The pot that was prepared was massive, enough to serve everyone once, maybe twice, and the broth warmed her insides up in a way that only the House cooks could. Potatoes, vegetables, tender meat simmering in a hot bone broth with thick slices of warm bread and butter. They’ve been on the road for too long, she noted at some point between her mouthfuls of food. Miles stretched between this little town and the last city they came from and tracking down the next orb took a lot of time and caution.

They were only three orbs in with two to go.

Each orb only brought them closer to the inevitable, and sometimes Mirabelle wondered if she would ever be ready. Mirabelle barely took note when they were seated at an empty table that Odile was staring really hard at her own bowl of food. Isabeau did notice, however.

“Uhm, m'dame? Did the bowl threaten you? What is it saying?” Odile shot a half-baked glare at the man before she focused again on her heaping spoon. Then after another brief moment of thought, some wave of realization washed over her.

“Huh...I hadn’t realized they used umami bombs in this.”

!!

Mirabelle dropped her spoon in immediate distress. “Wh-What?! Umami…”

“--BOMB?” Isabeau finished for her, stiff as a board while his voice came out louder than Odile would have liked.

Her expression soured as she stared at him as though he just said that pineapples were spicy.

“Gems, they aren’t ACTUAL bombs. They’re fermented soybeans, I normally see them used in Ka Bue. Their name is simply from their powerful umami flavor, especially when coming in such a small form.” She took a bite of her stew with a soft look in her eyes. “I knew something tasted familiar.”

“Wow, Madame Odile, I’m surprised you noticed it! I don’t think I would have realized the ingredients weren’t all local to Vaugarde.” Mirabelle was impressed, though she knew Odile was an incredibly bright woman. She was observant to all of the smallest details, able to pick up on when someone wasn’t being truthful or even if a storm was brewing in broad, cloudless daylight.

Isabeau gripped the edge of the table and leaned closer. Their little table was already fairly separated from the rest of the patrons, but he still lowered his voice and smirked. “Okay, okay, is that what it is? Cooking?”

Odile blinked.

“Yes, preparing stew is indeed cooking.”

“No!” He quickly shook his head with a laugh. “I mean, is that what you’re here to study? Maybe a Ka Buan chef trying to expand your palette with foreign dishes?”

Ah.

The woman sighed, though the light tug at the corners of her mouth gave away her amusement. “No, I’m not a chef. Really, don’t you think if I was then I would have stopped you from cooking for us this whole time?” It was a fair point. Isabeau was…really not the most creative with his food. Hence, the eternal peanut butter sandwiches. Though, admittedly, Mirabelle will add that his idea of putting honey and cinnamon on them was a wonderful idea!

The man only leaned back in his seat with a shrug. “I dunno! Maybe you wanted to be, like, my wise old teacher and help pave the way to my newfound passion in cuisine?”

“Ah, yes,” she idly responded as she glanced down at her nearly-forgotten book. “Clearly, I’m a wise old chef. Congratulations, you figured it out.”

“Well, it was worth a shot!” His smile never faded for a moment.

Mirabelle couldn’t help her giggle and glanced around the quieting inn. A good handful of the others had already begun turning in for the night as the moon started its protective watch overhead. It was surprising how quickly they lost track of time now that they weren’t on the road. Just one night. Just one night in a nice, cozy bed, and tomorrow they would have to get going again.

She’ll have to make sure she enjoys it.

The maiden vaguely blinked in the direction of one of the other tables on the opposite side of the lobby. The fireplace lit the darkness with a dim crackle and pop that soothed her nerves, and through the dancing shadows she saw the two children from before. Their faces were framed by the contrasting hues, their smiles meeting their eyes as they excitedly bounced on their heels and chattered to the other person sitting in the booth.

Her smile was soft while she watched.

The black haired person was finishing up carving a small, wooden figurine for the two that quickly brought a spark of life to their eyes the moment it was handed over. One of the kids tried to grab it but the other boy held it away, tongue sticking out, and the two began to bicker over it before a full on chase ensued.

It was almost like…

Her smile twitched.

A gentle nudge grabbed her attention. She looked over to see Isabeau with a gentle smile of his own as he squeezed her shoulder. “You okay?”

Her own hand reached up to interlace her fingers with his, grateful for the small moment of touch, and nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry. I think I just need to rest now. Things have been so stressful lately, and I…” her gaze momentarily transferred to the two playing children, her eyes betraying the sadness enveloping her heart. Her voice was quiet, hushed, almost afraid that saying it aloud would somehow break the temporary safety that shielded the small inn.

Odile and Isabeau both exchanged a look.

The woman sighed and brought herself to her feet. “You’re justified in needing rest. We all do. We should wrap the night up and get what sleep we can. I trust that we can all be prepared to leave by sunrise?”

Isabeau’s head sank as he smiled sadly and wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Oh, M'dame, you’re so strict with us.”

“I shouldn’t be. How old are you again?”

“Gasp!!” His eyes went wide and singed with indignation after he threw a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Don’t you know? You never ask a Vaugardian bachelor his age!”

Mirabelle sputtered out a laugh and Odile cracked a smirk at him. She merely shook her head before setting towards the staircase leading up to the rooms. Malo had insisted they leave their dishes behind, being the generous man he is, and said their only focus as their future saviors should be on resting.

She looked back over her shoulder at the two. “Get some sleep. Try to not make me have to wake you – it’ll be your first step to losing that bachelor title.”

Isabeau only smiled. “Ow. Okay, low blow, but I should have expected that.” He turned his attention back to Mirabelle and offered his hand to pull her to her feet.

Mirabelle let out a soft laugh, just quiet enough that Isabeau could hear it and his expression melted. Ever since they met and began their journey, the two of them were like two peas in a pod. Talking to Isabeau, being near him, sharing space with him and sharing anything plaguing her mind came naturally – it was like breathing air. It was like having Euphrasie back in a way, except she never felt an ounce of pressure to be her best self at all times.

Isabeau was just…a truly wonderful friend. Mirabelle knew that as they both made their way towards the bedrooms that she could ask him for anything. Which was why she didn’t feel terribly uncomfortable asking him to share a room for the night.

He was perplexed at first, a light flush to his cheeks appearing as he processed the request. “Huh? Y-You mean, me? You know, you’re more than okay to have some privacy for the night! I know we’ve been camping together for a while, a-and I don’t want you to think you have to ask because we’re a team-”

She only shook her head. Her fingers nervously toyed with each other as she tried to keep her resolve (but it was difficult to meet his eyes. What if he thought this was weird? What if he thought she was trying to seduce him? The thought made her terribly queasy.) “It’s- I don’t feel like we have to at all! I just… I don’t know if I could sleep well alone. With the curse and the sadnesses, and…” then Mirabelle curled into herself right where she stood. “Sorry if that’s weird! Is that weird? I- I don’t mean it in any way! Just, well, y-you’re my friend and I--”

Isabeau didn’t let her finish. His hand plopped right atop her head and gently stroked through her kinky locks of dark hair. Despite the faint blush on his cheeks still, Isabeau didn’t let an ounce of judgment seep into his tone. He could never judge her. “Mira, hey, it’s totally okay! I get it. Sleeping is difficult lately, and if I can help you get some rest then I don’t mind sharing at all! You’re my best friend – unless, uh–” the fighter nervously picked at the back of his neck with his other hand. “Is that okay to call you that? Is that weird?”

She had to stifle a laugh in return now. Of course he was just as nervous as her! Isabeau tried to act tougher than he was sometimes, but the truth of the matter was that he could be shy. His heart was always just as tender as hers. And just someone understanding that feeling eased her nerves immensely. “Yes, Isabeau. We’re friends. I’m glad you feel the same.”

The way he lit up was like she just told him he himself was blessed by the Change God. He positively wore his heart on his sleeve and knowing he was so happy about their friend status brought this fuzzy feeling to wash over her.

It was nice. To have someone like him by her side.

And so it was just as nice when they could comfortably share one of the rooms without any fear or expectations between them.

A certain worry tugged at the edge of her mind however as she laid curled up under the thick comforter, back to Isabeau as she listened to his quiet snores. The bed was big enough for them both to share without being on top of the other, yet she could still feel the warmth radiating off his body in waves. Like a big cup of hot cocoa in winter-frosted hands.

But she wondered, idly, as she tucked the blanket up to her chin, if she was supposed to feel something.

Her books made it seem so easy. Usually in scenes like this, her heart would be hammering and her skin would be flushed as butterflies bloomed in her belly. Yet being this close to Isabeau, relying on him for comfort, sharing her fears and weaknesses in him and confiding her insecurities knowing he would never wrong her or desire any romantic relationship…

It only felt natural.

Like breathing air.

…

As expected, Madame Odile was the one to wake Isabeau up.

As much of a log as he tended to be during the night, he was always one of the fastest of them to be ready to set out. By the time Mirabelle was fixing her bow, he was doing warm up stretches in the center of the room as the early light of dawn streamed in through the window. Odile hung back by the doorframe and spared a glance up at them from her book after a few minutes of waiting.

“Ready to go?”

Mirabelle had her hands clasped and smiled at the older woman. “Yes, ma’am!”

“All set!” Isabeau chirped out after her.

As the trio began their descent towards the main floor they started going over the plan for the day. Odile pulled out a map for them each to look over, one that was marked up beyond repair in varying blotches of black ink. Hurried words were scribbled in various places while certain areas were crossed out that made Mirabelle wince from memories of close encounters she tried to forget. The woman was much better at directions than either of them so it was no argument when she decided to take up map duties.

Their path was a single jagged line cutting through the Feuille D’or Plains and going straight towards the coastal mountainous region of V’aal Ruz. Which was…certainly going to be a problem on its own. Finding the orb there was already difficult, but everyone and their mother knew that hostilities were growing between V’aal Ruz and the rest of the country. Mirabelle wasn’t one to gossip, but she was certain that after the curse is lifted, they’ll likely begin making official demands to separate and form their own nation.

Odile sighed as she watched Isabeau cram biscuits and wrapped cups of fruit into his pack for the road. The kitchen was starting its full swing with the few employees remaining working hard to make sure everything would be ready by the time the sun made its full entrance. However her focus wasn’t on the plates of food being set before them, or Isa sending a friendly wave towards Malo, who seemed to be making his rounds and checking on everyone.

She grumbled under her breath, loud enough for Mirabelle to hear. “...V’aal Ruz will not be an easy task. The last thing they want is more Vaugardians to come over in a time of crisis. I heard their borders have been closed off to everyone, including refugees.”

The housemaiden kept her eyes down. She heard similar stories… how could they possibly be keeping this feud up when they should just be working together? It made no sense. Now was the worst possible time to be sitting on grudges! Odile, observant as always, took notice of the way Mirabelle’s hands clenched into the fabric of her dress. She forced the crease between her brows to loosen and merely nodded an acknowledgement to Isabeau who returned to the conversation.

“I can’t say how receptive they’ll be to allowing us through if it’s to defeat the king, but we should try to find an alternate route in case it goes awry. We don’t have to be there longer than necessary.”

They could only hope the journey won’t be an utter disaster.

With that said and done, it wasn’t long before they headed out from the momentary comfort of the inn. Malo and Elouise wished them safe travels as they departed and Isabeau had to pull Mirabelle into his side when he noticed how wet her eyes became. With the lingering warmth of the fireplace quickly fading from their skin with every step further from the town, further from the innocent people Mirabelle knew she wouldn’t be able to protect, the group had fallen silent. Anyone who made the decision to stay knew that there were no miracles. Nothing would stop the tsunami that was the king’s curse – it consumed every ant, every animal and plant, and every breathing creature that it found in Vaugarde.

She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t say to the others the truth that she didn’t really know if her ‘blessing’ would be enough to bring everyone back.

Did she want to think that that was the case? That Euphrasie gave up her entire life just to save lil’ Mirabelle?

No.

The thought was enough to make her insides flip and head spin with guilt.

For a moment the image of the two children at the inn flashed in her mind; the way the two of them smiled as though their entire country wasn’t on the brink of collapse. It was in the way Malo smiled at her so softly, like she was a single firefly found in the deepest trench.

It didn’t sit right with her. She felt more like…a flea. Sucking the blood of its host and then jumping ship at the soonest sign of trouble.

Yes. That was Mirabelle.

A flea for leaving everyone at the House behind, for taking a blessing that wasn’t hers, for making people stay by her side expecting more than what she could knowingly provide-

There was a sharp gasp.

A screech burned her ears.

And then the wind was knocked out of her – the focus she had previously trained solely on her muddied shoes snapped back to the reality. Mirabelle crashed to the ground and her hands scraped into the dirt. She could feel the little rocks digging into her skin and leaving little dark stinging trails behind. Odile’s voice reached her ears but the words didn’t register.

What just happened?

What was going on?

How long had she been so lost in her thoughts? She felt no sign of the cobblestone back in Norona and long stalks of wheat tickled her cheeks and nose. They cradled her body where she laid on the dry earth, dazed and confused and trying to piece together what all she managed to miss in those moments.

Steady, Mirabelle. Breathe, Mirabelle. Think, Mirabelle.

What pushed her? It must have been Isabeau. She can hear his frantic voice alongside Odile’s shouts. She could smell an odd mix of paper and soil in the air. Craft.

That was the smell of their craft..!

The housemaiden forced herself to her elbows. The thoughts from before that were sinking her down below the surface were forced away as the current situation grounded her. She could feel sorry for herself later. Her friends needed her! Isabeau was standing just ahead of her, tall and strong as the largest favor tree and shielding her from any of the incoming attacks.

It only took a quick peek around him to see it.

The sadness.

Her breathing hitched and her stomach twisted. Breathe. It’s okay. Mirabelle, it’s okay. You’ve fought sadnesses before. You know you can beat them!

Even though this one was large. Larger than the others they’ve faced. Its two heads carried more eyes than she could count as they threatened to drip from its oily, sludge-like body. It had two arms that didn’t seem to do much in terms of offense as they just separated and conjoined within the rest of its muck as they pleased. She winced from the sound of a shrill, high pitched squeal that was so strong it made her ears thrum with pained anger.

Isabeau whipped his head back, his gritted teeth unclenching just a bit when a near-smile ghosted his lips. “Mira! Be careful! This one is on the defense!”

“Oh, are you back from daydream land now?” Odile’s words were scathing as she aimed another attack at the monster. Her paper craft sliced right through its center, yet the thick stringy cords that kept the body intact only tightened and pulled the sadness’ severed frame back into one unit.

Shame bubbled up in her chest as she tried to ignore the tears burning her vision. Mirabelle pulled herself to her feet and shakily nodded. “S-Sorry! I’m sorry! I’m here now, w-we can stop it together!”

Isabeau tried to smile reassuringly at his friend before he sidestepped out of the way of an oncoming attack. His heels dug into the soil of the field beneath their feet as his focus shot back to their enemy. “We’re just glad you’re okay Mira! We need your scissors attack, it’s craft type is paper!”

Ah. No wonder it was such a struggle. Odile must still be trying to gain her energy back for another scissors attack and Isabeau was solely a protector craft-user. Mirabelle steeled herself, cheeks puffing out in a way that Isabeau would squeal was adorable had this been a non-lethal situation, and nodded. “O-Okay! Okay, here I come!”

Deep breathes, steady yourself. The waves of wheat around them brushed against her legs and the wind whipped at her dress as she tried to stay moving. A moving target was much harder to hit. Sadnesses weren’t that great at keeping up with a lot of movement, this was one of the things Isabeau taught her. She just needed to stay focused. Don’t be a clutz. Don’t trip over your own feet.

She huffed out a breath as she was close enough to the sadness that she could just reach out and dip her hand into the rolling dunes of mirk. “Jolly- Jolly Round Rondo!” She twirled on the tips of her toes, leaping with the grace of a cat around the sadness as it tried to grapple onto her. Craft encased her hand as she swiped it forward and cut it deep into the soft, meaty flesh of the creature.

It screeched out, so piercingly loud that it made Mirabelle stumble back with ringing ears, before sharp tendrils burst from the sadness and sent the girl flying backwards. Isabeau was right there to catch her before she could make another crash landing into the ground. His own face was twisted up in discomfort from the aching noise though he managed to keep himself rooted in place.

Odile was opposite of them on the other side of the enraged sadness. Her hand raised up so she could cast a slow spell on it, and luckily it was enough to soothe the raging mess of limbs so they were easier to avoid. Still, they refused to hide away now so caution was most important. It was a mess of a situation – it was like thorns that could move and seethe and hiss at any sign of movement and effectively keep them distanced.

Gems alive. Why did she have to get sucked into all this? Why did she have to choose now to have her Vaugardian soul-searching journey? She could be in Ka Bue right now with a nice glass of peach sake and a book, but instead she was here trying to keep her skin from looking like a pin cushion.

At least Mirabelle could get her bearings again. She was light on her feet, but this? It would be a toss up even for her.

“Mirabelle!” She called out and received a shocked squeak in response. “Do you think you can-”

A shadow flitted across her vision. Her shoulders didn’t have time to even tense before she heard another force of dramatic squealing from the sadness. Her mouth hung open and her words died on her tongue. She saw soft fabric twisting in the wind and light glinting off the sharp edge of a blade that wasn’t any of their own.

What.

Isabeau and Mirabelle were also stunned in place. Neither of them even dared to move and risk breaking the sadness free from…someone? A cloaked figure stood atop the sadness with a dagger wedged deep into its core. The flesh writhed and rippled out from the piercing to try and force the foreign object out but the stranger’s grip was vice-like. The monster’s tendrils immediately melted like water as the creature sank low, lower into the soil and evaporated in the sun as though it was never there to begin with.

Their head was down, expression shielded by a messy mop of wavy black hair along with the rim of a…very large wizard’s hat?

Odile’s mouth continued to hang open even when the final hisses of the defeated sadness had faded into the natural ambience of the plains. Suddenly she could feel the feathery touch of the wheat. Birds sang from high up in the cloudless sky. She saw Mirabelle and Isabeau with similar expressions – wide eyed and jaws slackened and wordless.

Their mystery savior straightened up and pocketed their dagger. They were silent and not even bothering to offer any of them an acknowledgement. They then patted off some stray dirt from their cloak.

Mirabelle cleared her throat after another awkward silence passed between them. The strange, short person had started to trudge off away from their group and the housemaiden jolted as suddenly everything began catching right up to her.

“W-Wait! Uhm, excuse me!” She stumbled over her feet after the newcomer. Her beating heart was finally beginning to slow with the realization that the danger was gone, but because of this stranger who showed up out of nowhere and now was. Leaving? She hesitated on her words and willed them out, especially when she saw the person’s steps falter. “Thank…you? Yeah! Thank you! F-For saving us, I mean..!”

Was that the right thing to say? What else do you say in this situation?

It was embarrassing to trip over her own words so much but her anxiety was consistently keeping her tongue in a knot.

Isabeau was shaken from his own stupor and stepped a few paces closer to the person. He had the same wide, friendly grin he always had as he crossed his arms. He was sure to have a bit of distance between them still, careful to not scare them off too soon. “Yeah, that was super cool! You made that sadness look like a piece of cake. I was getting a little worried there until you showed up!”

Odile joined his side with nothing more than the sound of crunching leaves underfoot. She didn’t leave any comments just yet and simply settled for spectating.

A brief pause.

And then the person slowly turned around to properly face them. Their face is still partially hidden underneath their hat but Odile easily spotted the astonishment marking their features. Their eyes were widened a fraction with the lightest warmth that tinged their cheeks.

“Oh.” They state. “You’re welcome. You just…looked like you were having trouble.”

They don’t quite meet anyone’s eyes and Odile couldn’t keep her suspicion masked. That accent he had was unlike one she’s heard before. Why didn’t she recognize it? She liked to think of herself as a fairly well-read individual with familiarity of the surrounding countries, but his accent was different from anything around Vaugarde, Bambouche, or even Farund. And this person looked like they were so on edge. They didn’t face the group fully and their shoulders were stiff and straight. For what reason could that even be? They clearly had a high caliber of fighting skill and their little group had no reason to pose a threat.

Isabeau let out a chuckle, anxious himself now, and nodded along. “Y-Yeah, we were! But you must be really good at your craft. That was scissors craft, right?”

Before they could respond, Mirabelle interjected herself after finally getting the courage to get ever so closer alongside her friends. She tried to keep her own voice low as she could feel a sort of odd, anxious energy radiating from them in waves. And, well, she knew what that was like.

“You’re amazing, really..! I wasn’t exactly sure I could have finished that sadness on my own, a-and scissors craft isn’t really my specialty either. Well, sort of. I, uhm. I use dual types, so that and paper…” Her voice only got more quiet as she trailed off. Her fingers laced around each other before coming undone, just for her to repeat the process again, and again, curling her knuckles as she did so.

The traveler only nodded in response. “Well. It was no problem. I was happy to help-”

“CRAB!!”

They nearly jumped out of their skin as Mirabelle suddenly gasped. Isabeau and Odile were also taken aback with both of them immediately stepping into a battle-ready stance and surveying all around the area.

“What?” Urged Odile. “What is it, Mirabelle?”

She stuttered and huffed out anxious breaths and waved her hands feverishly. “N-No, no, I’m sorry! Oh change, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you..!” Isabeau and Odile cocked their heads and Mirabelle’s cheeks burned. She buried her face in her hands and let out a miserable little groan of embarrassment. “It’s just…I realized why they looked so familiar… they were at the inn before..!” They were the person with the little figurines, and the two kids!

Odile’s shoulders slumped and her eye twitched. “What.”

Isabeau let out a large breath he didn’t realize he was holding and gripped his chest. “Oh Mira, you can’t scare me like that! I was so worried. My wee heart is too tender for this!”

“I’m sorry I’m sorry-” she only kept on apologizing into her hands. She couldn’t even look at them now! What kind of outburst was that? It was completely normal for them to have happened to be at the same inn!

But they paused when another soft sound joined the mix. An airy laugh that was so light they could have mistaken it for the wind. Mirabelle peeked through her fingers and Isabeau only grinned wider when he saw the cloaked one covering their little smile with a gloved hand.

The housemaiden couldn’t tell if she should only feel worse or better from this, so she just settled for slumping her whole face against Isabeau’s arm. The man couldn’t help his own fond laugh as he patted her head. “There, there,” he said. “You had a moment. We still love you.”

He couldn’t tell what the garbled mess of words he received in response was, but that was okay.

He instead looked back to the stranger in question whose smile had since faded and now they were left awkwardly shifting in place. One of their boots was scuffing against the dirt and wait are those heels are they really wearing heels-

“So,” Odile found it to be her time to converse considering Mirabelle was having a crisis and Isabeau’s face for reasons she really didn’t care to know was suddenly 4 shades darker than normal with a silly smile plastered on. She focused on the other who cautiously returned her gaze. “What’s your name? You can call me Odile, and these two goofballs are Isabeau and Mirabelle.”

“Goofballs?” Isabeau asked. “Awe, m'dame, you’re too kind! I knew we made you laugh behind closed doors!”

“Don’t push it, I can knock you back down to being my human shield.”

“AWE.”

She willingly ignored the man as she continued to stare down the traveler who somehow looked like they were shrinking even further into their cloak.

“I’m, uh. I’m Siffrin. Nice to meet you.”

Huh. Siffrin.

She chewed on the word. It was an odd name. Certainly not Vaugardian either. Though it wasn’t her place to ask a random stranger what they were doing here in the country during a national emergency. She supposed that she was really no different, either.

“Well, Siffrin, I should thank you as well for your quick work from before. We weren’t expecting an ambush so quickly. It’s truly lucky that you managed to be right in our area at the time of that attack.”

She was careful with her words, unwilling to allow her cautious nature to cause a misunderstanding. She couldn’t help her wariness. It wouldn’t be the first time if someone was planning to deceive them and either rob the team blind or try to steal the orbs for the black market. As heinously stupid as that was. And it really struck her as strange that this person just happened to be at the inn, and left the inn to go in the same direction as them at the same time…

Yet Siffrin only flushed and lowered their head with a meek nod. “It’s fine. It was lucky. I don’t want to, uhm, slow you down more…so I’ll just.”

They took a step back. Then another.

And then they whirled around and started speed walking through the shimmering waves of wheat that surrounded them. Isabeau and Mirabelle both jerked, took one look at each other, and unanimously decided to take off towards them. Odile wanted to grab them, tell them to let it go but those two could be unnecessarily fast when they wanted to be. Curse these old lady bones.

“Wait!!” Mirabelle called after them.

“Yeah, hold on!” Isabeau followed. Oh sheesh Siffrin was really short and the wheat somehow was even taller than them–

But Isabeau spotted a flash of that pointy hat and lightly grasped Mirabelle by the shoulder. He pointed in that direction to which she nodded and they broke into a sprint to catch up. A trail of dead leaves and snapped sticks and roots were left behind in their hustle.

Isabeau had no trouble with pushing the tall stalks to the side and paving his way forward, and Mirabelle simply stuck right behind him to avoid being slapped in the face with heaps of foliage. She was so focused on keeping her footing that she didn’t realize when Isa slowed to a stop, and she smacked right into his back with a light “oof!”

She had to peek out from behind to see that Siffrin was once again in front of them, facing the two with a face scrunched up in pure confusion. Their eyes flicked back and forth between the two and Mirabelle swallowed thickly.

But she was lucky. She had her best friend right there to help with the words.

“H-Hey!” His smile was sloppy and nervous as his chest huffed. “You don’t have to leave yet! I mean, well, we think you’re pretty neat. A-And your craft is super cool!”

Siffrin only squinted. Clearly he was lost.

“Thanks…? But you’re safe now. You don’t need to do anything else.”

Mirabelle let out a small sound and offered her own lighthearted glare at them. “Well, where are you going? Maybe we can go together…!”

“Yeah!” Isa was quick to follow up when he saw the way Siffrin stiffened. “Plus, these plains are massive. People get lost in them super easily. It would be a lot safer for you and us.”

Siffrin didn’t respond immediately. They just stared right at them as though they each grew an extra head and started doing limbo. Even when Odile finally managed to catch up with them, heaving and grumbling about how they should slow down for her next time, that she isn’t built sturdy anymore like they are, the traveler remained silent.

Odile noticed the period of quiet between them and straightened up. “Wait, what’s going on?” She breathed out. “Isabeau, did you break them?”

“What?!” Isabeau jumped, hands raised in surrender. “No, no I didn’t! At least, I think? Oh, crab, wait, did I break you Siffrin??” His puppy eyes were then locked onto the person in question and that seemed to be enough to snap them from whatever their ocean of thoughts were. They didn’t seem to know how to respond to that question at all either, so they just abruptly shook their head so hard Mirabelle was worried it would fall off.

“No..! I’m just, uhm. Are you. Are you sure? I’m really fine. You don’t have to worry.”

“We’d love for you to come with us!” Came Mirabelle’s spirited reply. Odile now looked just as stunned as Siffrin a moment ago as her glasses slipped down her nose.

“Wait what? They’re joining us?”

“Maybe!”

“Maybe???”

“...maybe?”

A resounding maybe.

Wonderful. She had a lot to work with here.

Odile pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath.

“Okay. Okay, let’s just be smart here. Siffrin, tell me, where are you actually headed?”

This made him look away this time. “...I’m just traveling. Nowhere in particular.”

Mirabelle let her frown show. “Really? But what about the curse? It’s dangerous to just be wandering the country right now without a goal.”

Odile, again, kept the voice at the back of her head from being too loud. Everything about them was strange. But she refused to comment on it. First impressions didn’t tell her everything. So she went right to her next question. “Okay, so you have no destination in mind. We’re heading to V’aal Ruz.”

“We’re getting the last of the orbs to get into Dormont’s House of Change!” Isabeau concluded. He said it so cheerily it was like they were only talking about the weather.

Siffrin only looked mildly surprised and instead his brows were pushed together as he looked between the three. “So you’re the ones who said you’re going to defeat the king?”

Mirabelle happily bobbed her head. “That’s right! I’ve been blessed by the Change God, so I’m going to end this curse for good!” Somehow the statement eased her nerves just a bit. It seemed to do the same for Siffrin as his tense frame loosened a small amount.

“It sounds crazy,” Odile says and smirks. “But they’re right. We’re close, and if you’d like to travel with us for a bit, your skills would be extremely useful to us.”

Siffrin smiled. It didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I wouldn’t really worry. I think you’ll do fine against the king.”

Something about the statement felt wrong to Mirabelle. She didn’t really think it was as simple as. Doing fine. How could they not worry? “I think your help would really up our chances..!” She stepped closer just for Siffrin to step back again.

They shook their head and waved one of their gloved hands in dismissal. They still carried this cheery smile on their face. “You guys are really talented! You said you were blessed by the Change God, right? If anyone can do it, it’s you. I…really don’t think I’ll add much.”

Mirabelle’s face started to fall. Her hands tightened just a bit against her dress and she had to steady her breathing. Isabeau and Odile took to either side of her and she could see the concern and frustration on each of their own faces respectively. Siffrin wasn’t ignorant to their expressions and they only seemed to shy away into their cloak. Suddenly their eyes couldn’t look forward and instead went anywhere else.

“We won’t force you, but I think it really is in everyone’s best interests. It’s dangerous out here, as you saw from that sadness. The curse can strike at any moment, and if we want Mirabelle to succeed in her mission, the more of us means the better. Plus, these plains will go on for days before we reach the mountains. It would be wise for us to camp together.” Odile kept her voice flat as she spoke. She wasn’t here to dance around the topic and make light of their situation at hand. What they did…any of them could be at extreme risk, at any moment.

And again, she questioned to herself why she was doing this.

The words seemed to have some effect on the traveler however as their shoulders slumped and they slowly nodded. Something changed in their mind and he set his lips in a firm line.

“...okay. I’ll go with you.”

Mirabelle very much did not enjoy the way he sounded so sad about it. Isabeau didn’t seem to notice though as he immediately threw a fist in the air and cheered. He leapt forward towards Siffrin, smiling all the while with the warm twinkle his eyes never failed to have and patted his hand on their shoulder. A yelp Mirabelle nearly thought she imagined came from them as they suddenly jolted from the touch like a startled cat. Isabeau jumped himself from the little spook and yanked his hand away. “O-Oh, sorry! Sorry, but, hey! It’ll be great to be travel buddies! Your super cool knife skills with my charming charisma – those sadnesses won’t know what hit ‘em!”

Mirabelle giggled. Oh she adored him. He always found a way to be positive and let his happiness envelope everyone around him like the fluffiest blanket in Vaugarde. It was like a super power, and she truly wished it was one she could have herself.

She nearly missed the breaking twigs behind her before Madame Odile was next to her. She watched as well, quiet for a moment and taking in the sound of the wind rustling through the ever expansive fields. The Change emblems on Mirabelle’s mantelet clinked against each other from the crisp air and she smiled up at the older woman.

“Well, can’t believe we’ve got another mouth to feed now. Are you sure you want them to come with us even when we finish the plains?”

Mirabelle shrugged. “I’m sure that’s something Siffrin can decide. But I think it’s nice to have another person with us for now, especially since they seem really strong. I- I just hope that more of us means no one will get hurt.” Suddenly her face turned solemn and she looked away. Odile felt her expression soften – it was never easy seeing a distressed Mirabelle when the girl was always trying so hard to keep them all afloat.

Mirabelle was constantly worried about any mistake costing them things that can never be taken back. And it was a valid fear. Odile joining the team hardly took any thought on her part – it was just the obvious thing to do in her opinion. Either help to defeat the king and risk her life, or sit and let herself become frozen in time. It was a no brainer. Yet she’d be a liar if she said she never thought about the prospect of them encountering a sadness they couldn’t defeat.

Still, she shook the troubling thoughts from her mind and unrolled their map to see where they had to go. “We still have a lot of ground to cover,” she said. The rest of the team (mainly Isabeau) ended their conversations to listen. “Now that we have, erm, Siffrin with us, we can resume our focus on getting through as much of the plains as we can. It’s going to be these wheat fields for miles so you ought to get used to the view. We can continue for another hour or so before we stop for breakfast, alright?”

“Yes ma’am!” Came Mirabelle’s chipper reply.

They didn’t even get 10 steps in before Isabeau was once again voicing his musings and Odile had to rub the looming headache from her eyes. It was too early for all of this. Isabeau always managed to have the strangest questions that left her head spinning, like if water was wet or if free will could truly exist in a hypothetical situation where their paths are all pre-determined. At least it didn’t look like this Siffrin character was going to be very talkative. He seemed content to just listen to whatever Isabeau ranted about as they all trudged along under the rising sun.

She glanced back at some point to peer at them. Mirabelle was laughing as their fighter did some strange impressions of…someone that the two must both be familiar with. Siffrin was hung back, almost walking behind them, his head lowered but she still could tell that he was listening from his ghost of a smile. Gems. She really was going to be the unofficial guardian of all these adults, wasn’t she? Odile wasn’t a fan of the way her heart warmed just looking at each of them. She wouldn’t be able to handle another kid joining their little group, no.

So this was it. Siffrin was the limit. No one else.

That would be easy enough, right?

They walked for only a few minutes before Mirabelle stammered out a question for the team’s rogue. “Uhm, Siffrin?” She asked in a quiet little voice and the other peaked out from under his hat at her.

“Yeah?”

“Well, it’s kinda weird that you managed to be in the same place as us when that sadness attacked. We aren’t super close to the inn anymore, so… what were you doing here?”

She made a small noise of surprise when Siffrin let himself smile in her direction. That seemed to be an easy question.

They breathed in, and then out as he looked up at the sky.

“I was taking a nap.”