Corrin patted his friend on the back as they walked into the adventurer's guild, but he didn't have any words to accompany the gesture. He wished he knew what to say—wished he knew how others pulled him up out of the dark—but he didn't.

But thankfully, they weren't alone.

Wyn didn't look his way as Corrin strode past him, but his lips curled up just a bit, and that was enough for now.

They headed straight for the back of the busy building, waiting in a short line before reaching the receptionist.

"Corrin, Wyn!" The young woman smiled brightly. "I have some good news! Your silver rank promotion was approved, congratulations!"

Corrin took a moment to be impressed with her ability to remember their names. She'd only talked with both of them briefly a few times, and he didn't know her name—something he now felt a bit bad about. But we quickly moved on from that as his mind caught up to what she'd said.

"Wait, we're approved?" He grinned. It had taken a chunk of the winter, but in truth it hadn't been that difficult. While standard dictated they take ten bronze rank jobs and three silver before being able to apply, they'd been able to move ahead in the process thanks to a recommendation from a silver-group they'd encountered in the dungeon.

She smiled brightly, then grimaced as she seemed to remember something. "Well… I do apologize, but Wyn's promotion is provisional, and only relates to the dungeon. In regards to dungeon bounties and regulations within Titan's Pass, you'll have the same rights as a silver-rank adventurer, but outside of the dungeon or the city, you'll still only be bronze."

"Whaaat?" Corrin groaned. "Talk about a scam!"

"I'm sorry," she smiled apologetically towards Wyn. "It was the guildmaster's final say, and it came up during interviews that you have a blessing which benefits you in dungeons specifically."

"It does other stuff too! Tell her Wyn!" Corrin complained. That wasn't fair! The last thing Wyn needed was another thing piled on him, well Corrin wasn't happy about it at all. Where was the guildmaster's office? He'd march in there and give them a piece of his—

"Don't scare her Corrin," Wyn nudged Corrin's arm with his elbow. It actually seemed like some more energy had returned to him in spite of the news. "That's more than fair. I just started getting mantling the other day, and I haven't finished any minor channels yet."

"Yeah but still…"

"You got silver without conditions right? That's something to celebrate."

The receptionist nodded, letting out a breath of relief. "That's right, Corrin received a full promotion to silver. I have his ring right here."

She placed the new signet ring on the counter, and Corrin reluctantly accepted it, turning it over in his palm before replacing the bronze ring on his finger. Despite his misgivings, he couldn't help but feel a measure of pride welling up as he looked at the ring. It was proof of his growing skill, after all.

"Wait, what do I do with the old one?" He asked.

"You can hold onto it, like a keepsake or memento. If you get famous, it'll become a collectors item!"

"Really?" Corrin inspected the bronze-ring in his hand.

"It's true. I have Marian The Relentless's bronze ring in my collection, from before she ever left Titan's Pass! Plus, I've got the whole silver set of The White Dawn!"

She looked so proud about that, Corrin didn't have the heart to say he had no idea who those people were.

"Well, I'll have to hold onto it then," he said instead, pocketing the ring. "For now though, would you mind transferring our weapons to the eastern gate?"

"Are you planning on taking a bounty?" she asked, pulling up some paperwork.

"Actually… we're leaving tomorrow."

She stamped something onto the first paper and moved onto the second, familiar gold rings sizzling atop the ink as she nodded along. "Right right, well what about the…" she paused as she went to tap the papers on the counter. Her smile faltered for a second. "What was that?"

"Yeah," Corrin said. "Onwards to Taravast. The adventuring thing's more part time for us, we're aiming to be spirit knights."

Her eyes glanced down at the papers in her hand for a moment, and Corrin thought he saw something there, but it vanished as she tapped the stack against the wood, and smiled again. "Ah. I'll be sad to see you go, but I hope your journey goes well! I'll have your weapons sent to the eastern gate right away so they'll be ready for you tomorrow."

"Thanks for all your help, have a good life!" Corrin smiled. There wasn't much to say after that. Their business in the guild was almost done.

"Well well, and here I thought you would sneak off without saying goodbye."

Corrin turned with a smile to see Aya the ice mage grinning at him. Besides her were Jon and Freya who seemingly had also caught them.

"Of course not," he chuckled, holding up his hand. "Check out the new ring. Pretty nice right?"

Aya just smirked back and held up her own hand, showing off a similar one.

Corrin's eyes widened a bit. "When did that happen?"

"Just the other day," she said proudly. "Been a long time coming. These two still have a bit of a way to go."

"Yeah yeah," Jon muttered. "And you've been adventuring for longer than either of us, what's your point?"

"Don't be testy, it's not my fault you didn't make the cut."

Wyn stepped forward and threw his arm over Jon and Freya's shoulders, a small smile on his face. "Don't worry, I'm still with you two. We outnumber these so-called elites, so we'd better not let them get big heads about it."

Freya whispered something in his ear and he bit back a laugh.

They bantered a bit longer, but there wasn't too much to say, and Corrin and Wyn had another place to be. Soon enough they were at the entrance, ready to head out.

Aya held out a hand, clasping Corrin's firmly. "It was a pleasure working with you, stop by for some drinks if you're ever back in town."

"You got it," Corrin grinned.

He nodded to Jon, and gave a gentle handshake to Freya, Wyn doing the same, and then they were gone, waving as the door closed behind them.

And Corrin noticed Wyn was walking a little taller.

"Good people right?"

"Yeah," Wyn smiled. "Good people."

***

Kei and Lilian were waiting for them outside the tavern, which was raucous with jeering and music. Kei in particular was giving the door a look like she didn't want to touch it, and Lilian was looking with a strange curiosity.

"Hey!" Corrin called as they walked up. "Sorry we're late, got held up a bit with this kid that couldn't find his mom."

"Did you find her?" Lilian asked.

"Yep, all safe and sound. This is the place, huh?"

Kei's expression soured again. "Seems that way. This is just like him."

"Ah I'm sure it's fine," Corrin laughed and waltzed in. The large room, filled with tables where groups gambled and drank, was crowded, but he quickly spotted the familiar face at one of the booths off to the side.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Ven caught sight of them across the room, smiling as he waved them over.

"My friends! How long has it been now, a month?"

"About," Wyn agreed as they got into their seats. They'd gotten together twice before since getting to town, but that was all.

"And you must be Lilian? Wyn mentioned he was attempting to cure you, so if you're here…"

Lilian smiled and shook his hand. "I'm grateful to him—to all of them really. They've made this winter an interesting one."

"And I would know," Ven laughed. "I was stuck with them for quite some time myself. Though I must say having to split bathing time with them probably soured my opinion a bit more. But then again, they're among the more interesting folks I've seen across the sea."

"I can't imagine," she chuckled. "You must have plenty of stories."

Ven leaned back, taking a sip. "More than you'd think."

"Does one of them end up with you naked and running from a tavern's worth of people?" Corrin muttered.

Ven shot him a look then spread his arms out. "I'd say I've done quite well for myself since then. Even if this city isn't right for me, I do love gambling here. So please, the drinks are on me tonight. All it'll cost ya is a few games." He reached into his coat and pulled out a set of dice.

"Yeah okay," Kei scooted in for the game. "But we're not using your dice."

They ordered some drinks and found another pair of dice before the game began, Ven tossing the bone-white set onto the table.

"So, what's next for you?" Wyn asked.

"Lady luck gifted me a lucrative contract taking cores to the southwest. Not a bad way to start the new year."

Corrin whistled. "Glad to hear that, so you won't be headed back to Precipice for a while then? Call." He tossed some copper in.

"At least a month or two from now," he said. "I'll have to hire an escort though, haven't found a good party yet. Leave town soon as I do, nice to be back on the sea again. You all are leaving tomorrow, no? Where's your next stop?"

Kei sighed. "Well, I wanted to take the northern path across the central basin all the way to Vanmar…"

Wyn finished the sentence. "But we're taking the southern route instead. I'll raise two."

Ven frowned. "I suppose it's not that much longer, but isn't it supposed to be the more dangerous of the two?"

"Only because of the Eulal Marsh," Kei said. "Which these two assure me they'll handle. But yeah, it's a bit of a detour."

"Why bother?"

"I have business in Liresil," Wyn said.

Ven eyed him, considering that for a moment. Then, he smiled slyly. "Yes, I'd imagine you would. But you're not going to give me any fun details are you? Call."

Wyn took a sip of his drink, smiling back. "Nope."

"I really will miss you three," Ven chuckled. "Hard to believe it was only a few months ago Kei looked ready to vomit getting onto Siensa."

Kei scratched her head, laughing awkwardly. "Give her some extra feed for me, alright?"

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it. Though you'll have to forgive me if I skip heartfelt farewells. Not my style."

"No?" Corrin chuckled.

"Of course not," Ven held up his glass. "Let the wind blow where it blows. The road always winds back eventually. So travel safe, and tempt fate until she's sick of you. When we meet again, let it be like nothing has changed at all!"

"Hear hear!" Wyn shouted as they all clinked their mugs together.

Lilian leaned forward, brushing her fingers over the dice. "So, how do we win this?"

"You don't." Ven winked. "But it's fun trying."

Laughter followed, and then the night rolled on—dice spinning, coins clinking, glasses raised, and no one keeping track of the time.

***

Corrin adjusted the pack on his shoulder, looking back towards the eastern gate of the city. It wasn't as large as the western one, and it was left open most of the time, so people could come and go after a quick check, but it was still an impressive structure. To the east was a vast expanse of land, not flat, but not mountainous either. A hilly region that descended down into what he understood was a massive river basin that made up the center of the continent. Within it, a whole new set of challenges awaited, but he was excited to travel on real land again.

If only they could ever leave…

"What is taking those two so long?" He sighed as he kept watching the gate for any sign of Lilian and Kei. They'd agreed to meet here almost an hour ago, and he was growing impatient.

Wyn smirked. "Like you can talk."

"I'm not that bad," Corrin chuckled. "We could've been training at this point. In fact, screw it, put down that pack Wyn."

Wyn pointed back towards the gate. "Too late, they're here."

Of course.

Corrin looked back, almost annoyed at the timing, but his eyes widened a bit as he saw Kei and Lilian walking—or rather riding towards them, sitting on the front of an oxen-drawn wagon with a big grin on her face. The back of the wagon was filled with Kei's belongings, along with some actual supplies.

"Is that really necessary?" Wyn asked.

Kei laughed. "I didn't walk all this way you know? I said I was going to get another cart."

"I thought you were kidding! Isn't this a huge waste of money?"

"Of course not, just think of all the time we'll save without having to forage as much."

While the two of them argued, Corrin was just excited for the new companions. The oxen were strong beasts of burden, and they looked—in his opinion—tough as hell.

"I shall name you Crusher and Bruiser!" he proclaimed.

In response, Lilian hopped down from the cart, giggling. "They already have names you know?"

Corrin waved his hand dismissively. "Unimportant. These are much cooler."

"I think that's debatable…"

There was a brief pause as the two looked at each other. Then they started to laugh. Corrin was happy that the last night seemed to have helped both Lilian and Wyn. Corrin had even woken up before his friend, but the bags under Wyn's eyes had disappeared.

There was a bit of explanation to be had about the cart, which Kei had gotten no doubt because she didn't want to walk as much as the two of them, especially if they would be taking the southern route through the basin. Corrin considered the ground, still lightly covered in snow even as the deep winter breathed its last, and figured it was alright. Trying to have Kei keep pace with them was a lost cause anyways, and he didn't mind getting to keep his belongings in the cart as well. It would make training on the road even easier.

Soon enough though, the cart was loaded, and the sun was only getting higher in the sky.

Eventually, the laughter and chatter trailed off, and Lilian's face softened as she looked at the three of them. "You know," she said. "Even before all that happened, I'd been dreading this morning."

Corrin rubbed the back of his neck, the humor draining from his smile. "You sure you don't want to come with us? We'll make extra space on the cart."

That got a smile out of her, but she shook her head. "The offer makes me happy, but no. Just as you all have your own path to follow, I have mine as well. Titan's Pass is where I belong."

She gazed back at the huge stone walls behind her, her long hazel hair catching in the morning wind.

"I'd almost forgotten it, the years have been so painful, but I truly love this city. My grandmother and I had that in common I suppose. How could I not? It brought all of you to me."

Corrin wiped his eyes as they started to feel a bit funny. Lilian seemed to notice and stepped forward, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you for keeping us all laughing. You're a really fun person to be around. Never stop being such a wonderful fool."

"Hey!" Corrin protested half-heartedly. He hugged back. "Thanks. I hope you get to do all sorts of fun stuff now that you're better."

"I will," she promised. She turned to Kei next. "You know, I'm picking up the mask carving in my grandmother's stead. Seeing as how we're both carrying that forward, I suppose that makes us something like sisters doesn't it?"

Kei choked up and threw her arms and Lilian's waist. "I think I'm okay with that. I'll be back to visit someday, I promise. And I'll keep carving even in Taravast."

"You'd better," Lilian's voice caught as she forced laughter out. "Your Ther'al masks are still terrible."

After a minute, the two girls broke apart.

And then there was one.

For a moment, Lilian and Wyn simply stared at each other, eyes watering, and Corrin felt as though they exchanged a million words without making a sound. But finally, Lilian spoke five simple words.

"You saved me. Thank you."

Wyn smiled, nodding once. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

She sighed and took a step forward, wrapping him up as well. "Take your own advice Wyn. I'll be just fine thanks to you."

She pulled away after another moment, and took a step back, glancing past them.

"The sun is so bright today isn't it?" She laughed to herself, and then continued. "Thank you, all of you. My grandmother—Jolaine truly enjoyed the last few months, I'm sure of it. I know I did. To put it as she put it, should any of you ever return to Titan's Pass, my door will be open, now and forever."

The wheels of the cart began to turn, with a slow rickety creak as the oxen trudged through the snow, and all three of them shouted and waved until Lilian's silhouette disappeared beyond the hill, and the walls of Titan's Pass slowly vanished soon after.

Whether on the road, or staying in one place, be they adventurer, spirit knight, or even just a simple carver: everyone moves forward.

Corrin turned back around, facing the road ahead, and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

Atop the cart, Kei stretched. "So the southern road huh? You think the detour is going to be worth it?"

"I'm certain," Wyn said. "Before I reach Taravast, it's the one place I have to go."

"Well, Eia agreed, so I guess I can't argue. Still, it's going to take us forever!"

"It'll only be a few months," Wyn smiled. "And besides, we'll be able to move around this time. That's way better than the back of a strider right?"

Kei lay sideways on the seat, letting out a long sigh. "I suppose so. Well, at least the destination will be nice. I've heard Liresil is one of the most beautiful cities in Aeora."

"Really?" Corrin asked. "I guess that makes sense though."

After all, the city of Liresil was home to their destination, second only to Taravast itself. Something was waiting for them in The Singing City.

They were headed to The Spirit Tree.

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