When he finally stepped out, Fabrisse looked . . . well, presentable. The cloak helped. It was plain and ink-dark, but it didn't fight against the buttoned, muted grey waistcoat that he'd chosen. The tones fell in quiet agreement, and he didn't feel like doing more for what would possibly only be breakfast and hanging out.

He hadn't expected himself to look that well put-together, and it was evident Liene hadn't, either. When he stepped out, she drew a sharp breath and stared at him for a good three seconds before muttering in a volume that was clearly not meant for him to hear, "Oh, I am very much in trouble."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she gave him a sheepish grin. "Aww, look at you. You might want to hide yourself behind me because the girls will swoon over you and you don't want that."

"I don't think that will ever happen."

[QUEST RECEIVED: Charm Offensive]

Objective: Acquire one (1) new friend through your newfound charm

Time Limit: 2 bells

Rewards: +80 EXP

+1 EMO

Hold on. This is supposed to be a main quest?

He blinked at the floating text. No, he wasn't going to go out of his way to finish this. Not when he was with Liene, and not when there really wasn't a need to—

[Acceptance Window: 1 bell]

Now that's new . . .

Still, he had sixty minutes to decide. The gain wasn't going to be worth it, so this would be opportunistic at best.

"So," he said, dismissing the quest window. "Where are we going?"

Liene brightened. "There's a place I want to show you. It's down past the valley walk, near the edge of the southern terrace."

"That's quite far from the main halls."

"Exactly." Her smile turned conspiratorial. "I can bring you back with Zephyrs' Run if you're short on time."

They cut through the last of the paved paths until the stone gave way to uneven grass. The Synod's wards faded behind Fabrisse until only the rustle of reeds and the low whirr of distant man-made ley currents remained.

This section of the valley was outside of Synod proper and streaked with faint lines of blue luminescence where old aether runoff seeped through the soil. The place felt forgotten, like the wards had decided it wasn't worth noticing anymore.

Fabrisse paused, taking it in. "You come here often?"

"Sometimes," Liene said. "It's quiet, and no one bothers to check the old channels. You would love this place if you hang outside of the Synod more!" She hesitated, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Actually, there's someone I want you to meet."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Someone?"

Her smile softened. "You'll see."

Oh. So that's why the system was giving me that quest. It's essentially free experience points.

With that in mind, he accepted the quest.

She led him down toward a shallow pool where the water glowed from the residual aetheric current beneath it. At first he thought the shimmer near the bank was just light refracting through the surface, but then that light . . . moved. He made out the shape: slender legs, a neck like glasswork, and antlers that bent light through a prism haze.

The creature's head rose by degrees and met Liene's gaze with a trembling grace.

"Hey big girl." She smiled at it. "How are you doing?"

Fabrisse drew in a breath. "That's—"

"An Aetherfawn," she finished quietly. "I know. She's not supposed to be here."

A new question popped up in Fabrisse's mind, one he absolutely had to consult the Eidralith on. Does a beast count as a friend?

[Response: Conditional. Affinity established through interaction, care, or mutual recognition qualifies. Status: Pending.]

That sounds like a yes.

He glanced at Liene. She crouched beside the pool, hand hovering over the Aetherfawn's translucent flank, movements careful and deliberate. Fabrisse's mind ticked over the system's criteria. Interaction: check. Care: check. Mutual recognition: check. Definitely counts.

Still, he frowned. With Mercy, it had taken multiple sessions just to build enough trust for the creature to respond consistently. A human friend was one thing—predictable, bound by rules, capable of conversation. Bonding with a creature, however intelligent or magical, was a different calculus entirely.

He crouched beside her, noting the fine cracks running along the creature's translucent hide. "It's injured."

"I found her two nights ago. I've got no idea how she made it this far without being detected." Liene's voice lowered. "If I report it, they'll classify her as a Category-3 intrusion. Containment at best; dissection if she destabilizes."

"They won't just dissect a beast."

Liene shook her head. "Instructant Viviano heads the Department of Bestiary Regulation. She's . . . thorough. Anything that moves outside of approved habitats gets her attention, and anything that moves inside her lab without clearance gets classified as unstable immediately. You saw how my brother had to contain the clucklebeaks."

It did make sense.

"So you're hiding her."

Liene met his eyes, steady. "I'm treating her. There's a difference."

She inched closer to the pool, letting her knees rest on the soft grass. Her hand extended over the Aetherfawn's translucent flank, but didn't touch it directly. Instead, she traced an arc in the air, and a thread of soft, golden aether flowed from her fingertips, weaving across the creature's surface like a gentle brush of light. The cracks in its hide glimmered as the magic eased the tension along its resonance.

"Shh . . .it's okay," she murmured. "It's still me; remember? I've got you. You're safe here. Nobody's going to hurt you."

The Aetherfawn's ears twitched as the warm aether touched its skin. She continued, "Remember the stream, the glow under the moss? You like it there, don't you? That's where we'll rest next. Just a little while longer."

Fabrisse crouched a little closer, keeping his hands low, letting his presence speak of caution rather than threat. The Aetherfawn's head jerked toward him, and its legs immediately tensed.

"Easy," Fabrisse whispered to himself.

Liene whispered, "Shh . . . it's okay, big girl. That's just Fabri, see? He won't hurt you. He couldn't even trap a Skitterwhit."

"That was uncalled for . . ." Fabrisse shifted another fraction closer, hand inching forward. "I want to help too."

The Aetherfawn flinched, letting out a high, keening trill.

"Not yet," Liene whispered. "Let me treat her first. We'll get you acquainted later."

He glanced at the timer.

[Time Remaining: 1 Bell, 48 Minutes]

This is going to be a long two bells.

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.