“It’s… good,” Olive said, as if she were surprised to find that the words leaving her mouth actually belonged to her. She tilted the sword from side to side, studying the blade in the dim light from the lantern. “Is this made from Brightsteel?” “It is,” Arwin said. “I know it isn’t exactly the hardest weapon, but it’s light. It also has the added benefit of absorbing shock if you’re forced to block a blow, which will be invaluable for… well, you. It’s not like you can use both hands.” And it’s the only thing I really had on me at the time. “That’s a good point,” Olive said. She nodded to herself. “More than good enough for what I need here. It won’t hold an edge the best, but if it even gives me a little bit of an edge in combat, it doesn’t matter. Thank you, Ifrit. Is the armor…” “Also done,” Arwin said. He held it out. Olive set her blade on the counter and took the armor from him. She slipped into it and tightened the straps, then stretched her arm over her head and twisted back and forth. Even though Olive didn’t say anything, Arwin could make out enough of her expression in the darkness to read the delight in her eyes. The armor was definitely better than the sword – he’d had a lot more experience in recent time making it, so that wasn’t much of a surprise. And defense is more important anyway. Better to survive a fight and fail to kill an enemy than to kill an enemy and fail to survive the fight. Not that I think the sword isn’t going to hold up, but – “Is this really only one hundred and twenty more gold?” Olive asked, picking the sword back up from the table and holding it point-down before her. “There aren’t any hidden conditions? You don’t want anything else?” “A glowing review would be appreciated. We live and die by our customers satisfaction.” “Yeah. Do you know where everyone is? I saw Olive sitting around with some food so I knew you were around, but I haven’t seen the others.” “Anna and Reya went out on a girl’s day. They invited me as well, but…” Lillia trailed off and looked down, sending a pointed glance at her tail. “I have some pre-existing conditions that make heading outside a little difficult.” “Couldn’t we just hide your tail?” Arwin asked. “I could modify the armor–” “My skin is purple, Arwin. I already tuck my tail away. That’s not the issue.” “Ah. Right. Not particularly common, purple skin.” “No,” Lillia agreed, a smile flitting across her face. “I don’t think it is. Besides, I need the tail for balance and fighting. I’d rather not have to hide it away. I can stick to the shadows and hide that way pretty effectively – but that’s not really a fun way to have a relaxing day.” Arwin felt a twinge of sympathy. She was functionally trapped. Even if she could leave the city whenever she wanted, she couldn’t walk around freely. Either she had to cover herself with a long robe or walk in the shadows. Getting around freely wasn’t truly free if she was constantly worried about being spotted. There would be no true relaxation for her. Not outside the street. “I’m sorry,” Arwin said. “We’ll get this street to the point where it’s better than anywhere else in the city." A smile drifted across Lillia’s face. “Thank you, Arwin. It isn’t that bad. Even if my tavern is the extent of where I can really walk around peacefully, I have nothing to complain about. Compared to what life used to be, this is heaven.” “I can agree with that.” Arwin picked Olive’s plate up from the counter and stepped past Lillia into the kitchen. He set it down in the sink before walking back to rejoin her. “You said Reya and Anna went out together… so where is Rodrick?” “He went out to try to see if he could pick up any useful information in regard to the Wyrms or the Iron Hounds,” Lillia replied. The candle in the lantern above her sputtered and winked out, plunging the room into darkness. Lillia let out a curse under her breath. Arwin squinted through the dark, but he couldn’t see anything other than shifting blobs in the darkness. The lantern squeaked as Lillia fiddled with it. A moment later, fire sputtered back to life on the wick and the faint pool of orange-yellow light swam forth once more. “Stupid thing,” Lillia said with a huff, closing the lantern again. “They’ve been going out randomly for days.” “Is it your shadow magic getting too strong or something?” “No. That would just swallow the light, not snuff it. Not unless I was intentionally trying to put it out, at least. I’ve got no idea what’s causing it.” A small laugh slipped out from between Arwin’s lips. Lillia raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side, prodding him in the shoulder with a finger. “What?” “I was just thinking that maybe the street really is haunted. The ghost just likes blowing out small candles.” “I doubt it.” Lillia glanced over her shoulder at the lantern and laughed. “Ghosts are very real, but it’s pretty easy to tell when you’re around one. The temperature around you drops sharply and pressure builds around your chest and neck. You can’t miss it.” “I’ve fought ‘em before. You had some in your army.” “I did? That’s news to me. Nobody likes being near them for obvious reasons. Ghosts affect everything, not just their enemies. Guess the Monster Coalition must have sent them out on their own.” “They were nasty bastards to fight,” Arwin said. “Incredibly difficult to kill. Only way I’ve seen it done is with holy magic or magical items specialized for it.” “You can also do it by cutting whatever ties they’ve got to the magic keeping them around in the mortal world. But forget that – do you think a ghost would count as an inhabitant for my inn?” “I suppose you’re going to have to ask the next time it comes around. But, ghosts notwithstanding, do you have any other plans? I’m probably going to be splitting today between rebuilding my smithy and trying to figure out what to forge next. Now more than ever, I need to work on getting us more powerful.” “I’ll just be cooking. I’ve got a lot of new material to work with thanks to you,” Lillia said to Arwin with a soft smile. “Come get dinner with me at some point tonight. Don’t work through it again.” A strange feeling passed through Arwin’s stomach, sparks of anticipation swirling and forming into knots at its bottom. He stifled the emotion before it could reach his face and slip into his expression. “That would be nice. Thank you. I’m not sure what time I’ll finish, though.” “Don’t worry about it. I suspect I’ll be awake regardless.” “Well, I’ll try not to take too long,” Arwin promised. “Let me know if you need anything. You know where I’ll be.”