Heading down into the city, Tristan made sure to renew his Disguise Form, and Felicity wriggled her way down his torso and into his armor, peeking her head out – just in case they came across Elf-blooded individuals, which was likely given the size of the vast settlement.

William led the way on Midnight, and Tristan was hit with the bustling sounds of city life that he knew quite well. The main difference was that instead of hearing quite a lot of Demon's Tongue, he was hearing more Beast Speech. But he was not attracting any attention, and following William they made their way along wending roads filled with people going about their business; primarily into taverns, brothels, and other places of leisure to end the day of work.

Merchants were closing stalls, and businesses began to shutter their windows and doors as the evening pressed on, and the scent of the ocean hit Tristan's nose, overriding the scents of the city. He could smell, even taste, the salty sea breeze. The crashing of the waves on the jetties in the distance was like a dull lullaby; repetitive and soothing. As they got down to the docks, the smells shifted; he could smell fish. Not a foul, pungent odor like the Buggorf he had killed in the Delve; but a subtle scent.

Throughout their short trek across the city, he saw dozens of different heritages all intermingled. A far cry from the kingdom of Bhant. He was certain that even if he was not under the effect of an illusion spell, he would have only received a handful of glances thanks to his unique bloodline and the accompanying visual elements to his hair, eyes, and ears.

They arrived at a long dock. A huge, rectangle, single-story building was built out to the end of the dock, with some space on either side to walk. A stables was adjacent to the building, and as the two walked their horses in, William flashed his Pathfinder Company emblem. That secured them free accommodations, and the young man glanced back at Tristan, "Let me explain what happened," he said.

Tristan nodded, "Lead the way."

William led him out of the stables and over to the longhouse. The Pathfinder Company symbol was hanging from a freshly painted and carved sign; Tristan could smell the wood shavings still. William opened the door, and a wave of sound hit Tristan's ears – conversation. Vibrant conversation.

Continuing to follow the Pathfinder apprentice, the duo made their way past several people who were bearing the Pathfinder's emblem; all manner of heritages, armors, and surprisingly no weapons save for belt knives one would use for simple tasks.

"Do we leave our weapons somewhere?" Tristan asked.

"No," William replied. "Just keep them on you, don't unsheathe them."

They went up to the counter at the back, and William flagged down the attention of a short, squat Demihuman – a Pigkin, with beady, black eyes, a wide, broad-chested physique, and rosy-red cheeks.

The man chuckled, "William! You're back! Where's Heather, Boris, and Nelly?"

William's face darkened and he shook his head, "We need to talk, Phil. This person I brought can explain – but in private."

Phil's face took on a somber look, he nodded tersely and gestured to a back room. Going deeper into the longhouse, Tristan was led to a small conference room with a table and six chairs. A map of the world was pinned to the wall with dozens of small notes written on paper and extended to various points on the map by string. Phil took a seat and gestured across from him. "Now, William, who is your friend."

William glanced at Tristan and nodded, "He's safe," the young man said.

Tristan let his disguise fade. "I am Tristan Winterbloom. I saved William's life along with an ally, who is not present at this time. William, want to share your story, and I'll pick up after your injury?"

William nodded and shared his story, whilst Phil sat in rapt attention. Once William got to the point where his memories were foggy, Tristan took over and filled him in with the occurrences of the Delve, ending with, "…I am sorry for the loss of your members. My sincerest condolences."

Phil sighed and pulled a bracelet from his wrist, rubbing where the band sat upon his flesh. There was a small brand underneath it, the flesh seared with a black poker carrying an emblazoned symbol of a chain. "We lost good people," he softly said. "Thank you for saving William. It is…a shame. We will honor their memories." He looked up to Tristan, "What can we do to repay you for saving William?"

Tristan pulled out his family's crest, holding it up. "My half-brother, Bertram Anorox, joined the Pathfinder Company a few Seasons ago. I'm trying to track him down."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"We can check with our keeper of records to see if he was here recently," Phil stated. "Speaking of – William, I'll cover your check in. You do whatever you need to do."

William stood up and put a hand on Tristan's shoulder, "Thank you, Tristan, for saving me and sheltering me. I take my leave…I'm going to sit on the edge of the docks and say a few prayers." The young man left, and Tristan was left alone with Phil, and the still-hidden Felicity.

Tristan cleared his throat, "How long will this check with your keeper take?"

"Not too long. A day, at the most. Would you like to stay here? Normally we do not offer accommodations to outsiders, but you saved one of our own – a free night's sleep is the least we can do."

Tristan shook his head, "I will not." He spun his essence crucible, activated his stored Disguise Form spell, and took on his Human from Bhant appearance. "I do not wish to endanger you and yours. I have enemies and would not bring them upon you."

"Noble," Phil said as he stood up and straightened his jacket. "Well, we shall keep your name secret. Just Tristan, no last names. And I've got your face committed to memory – both – so I'll know you by sight. Just come back tomorrow around the evening."

Trsitan stood up and bowed slightly at his waist, "Thank you." He turned and left, heading down the hallway, through the revelry, and out into the crisp, ocean-scented night air.

Felicity poked his chin with her paw, "I want to spend some time here. You go back to the Fey Realm with the horses. I'll find you."

"You sure that's smart?"

Felicity shrugged, and her antlers knocked against Tristan's armored gorget. "I want to get up to some mischief. I've been cooped up, traveling on the road, for days without any good trouble!"

"Good trouble is a bit oxymoronic," Tristan said with a chuckle. "But, sure. Just be safe, please."

"Will do." She scrabbled out of his armor and took off into the skies above.

Tristan walked back to the stables, reacquired both of his horses, and led them on foot through the city and along the docks. He made for the sandy beaches that ran further past the jetties to the east, spinning his essence-crucible as he did so, and fueling his ring.

The two towers that marked the entrance to the bay were glowing at the top – enormous pyres that burned from some unseen source, with a rotating mirror atop that turned both into lighthouses. As Tristan got to the sand, he saw several other people of varying heritages, sitting around and watching the waves. Chatting, having small picnics – no one gave him a second glance.

Going to a slightly secluded part of the sandy beach, hidden behind an outcropping of rocks, he sat down and took off his boots, chausses, and leg armor. Standing up, he felt the soft sand between his toes. All of the lakes and rivers he had been in before had gravely stones at the bottom; but this was soothing, and he found himself grinning with delight as he reveled in the sensation.

Onyx let out a slight whinny, and glancing back, Tristan sat that the horse was looking at him with a…well, the best way he could describe it was a curious expression. "Hey, don't be like that," Tristan said. "We've got a bit longer left."

Midnight pushed up against Onyx and clomped her hoof down into the sand a few times, before prancing in a small circle. Tristan tried his best to guess what she wanted, "You want to go for a run?" she whinnied in response, and Tristan nodded, "Sure. Just don't take too long. A quick sprint up the beach and back."

Both horses neighed and took off at a gallop, racing out over the sandy beach, and Tristan couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the two majestic beasts racing over the soft sand, the sparkling moonlight in the background. I need to memorize this, he thought, this would be a brilliant painting.

Tristan sat down in the sand, still spinning his essence crucible, and as both horses came back, he grabbed up his gear, walked between the two, and activated his ring. The trio were transported back to the Fey Realm, and Tristan handed them off to their fairy dragon handlers. Going inside the Queen's Wood, he went up and up until he got to the study.

Obadai was sitting on one of the cushions, his chin resting against his chest as the slight sound of snoring hit Tristan's ears. Backing away slowly, Tristan went back down the spire and sought out Beatrice, the jeweler. After getting some direction from fairy dragons who were passing by, he went to her house and politely knocked.

A few seconds passed before she answered. Dressed for an evening of relaxation. "Ah, Lord Tristan. How can I help you?"

"I arrived at Jewel's Point and need products to sell."

"Let me get my shoes and I'll show you…"

The woman led Tristan over to the crafting and mercantilism area in front of the Queen's Wood, and gestured to several flat, wooden boxes. "I've got several pieces ready for sale. All manner of cost." She tapped on a leaf with writing on it, "And I've listed out varying prices."

Tristan nodded, "Perfect. Have you happened to see a Foxkin and Sheepkin around?"

"Oh, they moved in a few houses down." She led Tristan to their residence, bid him goodnight, and left.

Tristan walked up and knocked politely. Waiting a few seconds, Dorothy the Sheepkin answered. "Ah, Lord Tristan. Thank you for your hospitality. This place is quite special."

"You are welcome. How is Meeshka holding up?"

"It is…a slow process, grief. She will take some time to cope."

Tristan sighed, "I am all too aware of grief. I lost several close near-family in the past Season." He looked up to meet her gaze, "Tomorrow I plan on going into the markets of Jewel's Point and selling some products. You are welcome to join me, sell some items, and then as I promised I will split the profits so you may begin whatever venture you desire."

"Forgive me, Lord Tristan…but I think for the time being we will need to pass. I would ask you to allow us to remain in the Fey Realm, for the time being. Meeshka needs time to recover, and this place provides all we need for now."

Tristan nodded, "As long as you contribute as you can. I know you are a tailor – please utilize the strandvine and the wool bushes to create clothing items we can take to sell."

"It would be my pleasure. Thank you for your generosity."

Tristan waved goodbye and went to the Queen's Wood, going in and settling down for the night as he laid back against the pillows. He could acutely feel the lack of Felicity's presence, and sleep did not come easily to him.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.