Let It Go (Open)

" Ah hope yer gonna pay fer that. " The most grotesque of beasts spewed as it hunched over, thick saliva splattered across the bridge of a small girls nose. The fiendish woman's talons stretched out and coiled around the delicate wrist of the frail thing, tugging it to come closer with the goods its hand had procured.

Significantly smaller than the obese monstrosity of a woman before her the dirty blonde, shaggy haired child couldn't hope to get away. Even above the ruckus the witch was making her stomach could be heard growling, and it was no wonder why. When had she last ate? Skin had already begun to droop, and her stomach had caved in on itself; making her ribs appear like bony wings. " Stop, please! I'll give it  back! " Tears had begun to well up in her dish sized sapphire orbs. Not because she was probably going to be punished, no. She was used to that. It was a frequent occurrence for a young thief making hasty and rash decisions. She was going to have to endure yet another day without any food or drink. She needed something outside the sewer water, it left her mouth feeling like it had things crawling within it and her stomach clenching in anger.

" Oooh. Yer gonna just give it back? " Fat lips pursed together in some ill attempt to hold back the ensuing laughter. " Ahahaha. " She erupted, if you could call it a she, sending her bellowing laugh echoing down the rundown alley she ran her shop out of. Her stomach and chest rolled and heaved as she laughed, and spit flowed from her canyon of a mouth like water from a faucet. " No one's gonna wan'ta buy that now! Yer filthy, awful little hands 'ave been all o'er it! " With one could tug, she slammed the girl against the shop stall; pinning that tiny hand by the wrist atop the booth. " No, ah think ah'll just 'ave ter take that hand o'yers. " She smiled delightfully, savoring the horrified look upon the weaker face of the child.

This was bad. People had always threatened to chop off her hand, but no one had actually ever done it. Why did she have to be born into such a miserable life? Her mind envisioned the giant castles she'd seen on pictures in various stalls. They had it easy. Servants to bring them whatever they wanted, and enough coin to blow on even the most ridiculous of things. The sound of metal brushing the corner of the booth brought her attention back to the harsh reality she lived in. Wide eyed, she stared at the grimacing face of her assailant. The beast was going to enjoy lopping off her hand...

Everything went quiet as the other less than reputable denizens of the alley watched. They didn't have to ask if the shop owner would really do it or not. She'd done it a hundred times before. After all, she wasn't call Madred The Razor for nothing.

Coins splattering across the booth's surface shredded the blanket of silence that had befallen the alley. " Enough. " Stern. Strong. Solid. A voice of ecstasy inducing quality spoke. An accent, entirely Italian, rich and heavily lathered upon the word. " Coins wont be what I throw next time. " A threat. No. The golden gleam that peeked out from beneath his black duster said it was a promise. The rats that called themselves people scurried from the light the golden leaf spear brought with it as if they were afraid the light would burn them.

Those distasteful eyes narrowed, and a hand shaded her pupils as she attempted to examine the individual dumb enough to interrupt her fun time.  He was tall. Almost as tall as she wide, and simply judging by the taut skin drawn across his forearms that defined the muscles beneath, he wasn't just some nobody to be ignored. As if the look upon his face wasn't enough. " Yer think some coin an' a mean look arr' 'nough to keep me from chippity choppin' this girls hand off? " She bellowed, laughing from her gut again. Her head had even been thrown back, nearly slinging her wig off the top of that bald crown of hers. The sharp squeak of surprise and shock from the child in her grasp caused her head to lower. Sharp yet minor pain washed over her neck in waves. How had he done that?

As if the distance between them had taken but a single step, Acheron was upon the woman with his twin spear Gae Buidhe against the bottom of her many chins. This close he could see the beads of sweat forming. Could see the sudden freight that had taken over her eyes. Their intensity paled in comparison to the coals that burned within his own. Crimson glinted in the light against gold, reflecting a golden crimson light across his chiseled features. " Did you think my decree inadequate? " Lids narrowed, pupils shrank as they focused on the quivering face before him.

Then she saw it. The design upon the front of his duster. Honor Above All Else. Death. Dishonor. Twin spears crossed behind the shield crowned with a fearsome tiger, and unicorns stood upon hind legs on either side of it. He wasn't a nobody. " B-b-b-b-ut yer all dead. " She stumbled over her words.

" Are we? " He removed his spear from her gullet, and wiped the trails of blood upon her coat before returning it to the holster upon his back. " Now then. " Coldly he spoke, hand extending out to grab the bag of coin he'd thrown. With his other hand he pried each of the woman's talon's off of the girl, and placed the bag in her palm. " You're going to take this. You're going to let her go, and forget she even exists. " Slowly he stretched his hand out towards the child, who almost immediately grabbed it and rushed beneath his duster; barely peering out from beneath the folds.

Rapidly she nodded, rolls of fat jiggling in the process. " Y-y-yes, Sir. Ah never saw 'er b'fore. "

" Good! " And like that his serious demeanor vanished and was replaced with a smile upon his face. " Nice doing business with ya, Madam. " Arm across over his chest, he bowed; ebony locks swaying in motion across his face. With that, he stood upright and made his way out of the alley and back into the less rowdy main streets. " You alright, girl? " She'd managed to keep up with him every step of the way, all the while not once showing her face from beneath the material of his duster. Even so, he didn't have to see her to know  her reply. A rapid nod was felt against the flesh of his ribs, and his hand was gripped tighter. " Pix. See what you can do for her. I'll see if I can't find someplace fitting for us to eat. " In unison the stomachs of three individuals rumbled. "Ahahaha. Someplace for us to eat alot. "

Out of his hood the tiny fae emerged, immediately zipped out of sight and under his garb where the child remained hidden. " Allo!~ " She piped, striking a pose on the substantially smaller shoulder than she was used to. " I'm Pix and you're saaafe!~" Genuine, kind, and energetically she smiled whilst her hand cleaned the dirt and tears that clung to the childs face.

Yes. She was safe. Acheron would see to it she stayed that way.

Spoiler:

Coat of Arms on his duster.

The feeling of being watched was unmistakable. It was an uncomfortable sensation he felt. As a beggar, he was often overlooked and even outright ignored. How many times had people tripped over him as he sat against a building before simply going about their business like it had never happened? Maybe this was him missing the old in some unconscious attempt to forgo his plans. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd let small things alter his desired course, but they certainly wouldn't do so now. His faceless family's legacy was hinged on him seeing things through to the bitter end.

In such close proximity it was easy to hear the chuckling of the homeless girl beneath his cloak. Pix was wonderful with children. Always had been ever since he was one. Selfless, energetic and exceedingly rambunctious, the tiny fae had an aura about her that soothed most anyone that let it. Eventually, it became difficult to move in a straight like. The little girl had begun running circles around him while Pix impersonated some fanged beast threatening to devour her while chasing her around. The scene was enough to cause the aging noble to laugh, and succeeded in bringing even more looks their way. " Alright, alright little ones. " Like she were a fly, Acheron plucked the flying fae from the air and plopped his other hand upon the dirty blonde hair of the other larger child. " You can play more later. I'll even play the Knight that comes to save the damsel. " He grinned, winking at the little human girl.

With a giggle she struck a pose, much like Pix had when they first met. She was really too much. Simply the girls smile was already affecting Acheron in ways he hadn't ever imagined it would. Had he inverted himself to such a degree in his life that true interaction with another left him feeling odd? It was true that ever since the raid upon his family state, Acheron had secluded himself from day to day interaction with people. He kept to himself and Pix, and what little interaction he had with other human beings was limited to solely business or his vigilante escapades.  

“Hey!”

The sudden sound of another at his side caught his attention. Silently beneath the duster his hand reached for the shaft of Gae Buidhe, and his spare hand was used to usher the child behind him. He half expected one of the gravity-creating woman's cronies to be there with bladed weapon in hand, yet..It wasn't. Instead it was a black haired, violet eyed beaut with an all too formal posture and demeanor. Brow perking, Acheron allowed his golden hues to slide over her visage; first to locate visible weaponry, and then to appreciate her feminine physique. She certainly had a sense of fashion to her. " Salve. " He greeted while preforming a slight bow; enough to show respect for most Nobles, though certainly not enough to suggest he truly gave a damn what her lineage might be. Rather than introduce herself, or apologize for impeding his progress, the woman saw it fit to ask a question of him. Why had he helped the girl? In truth the answer was rather simple. He did it because the child needed it. Not because he felt that he should, or because of some sense of honor or chivalry.

" I'll ask you a question to answer your own. What do you see when you look at these hands? " Gently he grasped the girls wrists with his hands and displayed the pads of built up callus upon the palms of her own. " Do you see a peasants hands? A farmers? Or do you just see a part of the body used day after day for various jobs? " Once again his brow perked, though this time it gave his face a distinguished, inquisitive look. " I see a story. " He traced the broader pad of his pointer finger along the callus. " I see pages still empty, story yet to be filled in. " He trailed that finger to the parts of her hands unblemished. " If she'd lost her hand over something as simple as a loaf of bread, how would anyone know what her story was? " He released his hold upon the girl and allowed his head to turn towards her for a moment; facial features immediately softening upon meeting her bright, innocent and confused sapphire gaze. " All of us need a little help sometimes. " Strong hand ruffled filthy locks of gold; fit of giggling the response.

"Ehhh. "

Boy. He sure was the popular one. Less on guard he turned, pools of liquid gold falling upon yet another woman that had deemed him someone to talk to. " Salve. " With his greeting, he bowed but was this time mimicked by the small child. " Is there something I can do for you, Miss..?"

Acheron found himself chuckling. Not at the woman for doing anything particularly silly or humorous but because of her response; or her deduction of his question. " I helped her because I think her story would be better written with both hands. " He answered shortly, his hand tracing through the child's golden hair. " And peoples stories stories shouldn't have to have such unfortunate circumstances. Not at her age. " Lips stretched from ear to ear he smiled down at his recently saved companion. " I was there. I had the power to stop it from happening. Any person, man or woman, should always keep children from experiencing unfortunate events. Too many grow up in this day without knowing what it means to really be a child. " He knelled, using his duster to clean off the remaining debris of dirt and grime from her cheek. " If you don't get to experience the joys and delights of being a child, you'll find it harder to enjoy the ones that come later in your adult life. "

Pix found herself settling onto Acheron's shoulder as he spoke, her eyes darting from one of the newcomers to the next and back again. Jealousy was something she'd constant dealt with on her journeys with the boy that saved her. Physically, he was perfect eye candy for women to stare and gawk at. That she could deal with. But this.. These women had the nerve to approach him and engage in conversation; or at least the one did. The other seemed unable to even form coherent sentences. Naturally, her personality and over-protection of what she called "her" man urged her to be a nuisance and scare the women off. She was good at that. However, she was more than aware that Acheron wouldn't tolerate that sort of behavior, especially not in front of the young child he saved. Frustrated at her lack of "reasonable" options, she plopped down on her rear and folded her arms across her chest while attempting to wear the absolute most displeased look upon her face before speaking. " We don't need any hand outs, thank you very much!~ Hmph!~"

" Pix! " Acheron spoke sharply, eyes narrowing into daggers as he peered at his lifelong friend.

The second comers reaction amused him, so much so that he brought a lightly balled fist to his mouth to cover the chuckle that rumbled from the depths of his stomach. " Careful, Miss Roumei. It'd be a pity to mark a face such as your own. " He flirted casually. In truth, he didn't even notice when he did it anymore. Complimenting, pleasing and flattering the women of the world was just something that came to him naturally. He needn't think about it. It was like a switch in his brain. When no women were present, he was often colder, stern and disciplined. Yet in the company of a woman, attractive or otherwise, something changed. He became easier going, far more friendly. He enjoyed the company of the fairer sex far greater than the company of his gender.

Despite the others clear lack of social aptitude, Acheron fully understood where it was she was coming from and what exactly she was attempting to convey. " Mm. " The sound pierced through pursed lips as he nodded; first gently resting against the bottom of his chin as he listened to her and thought intently. Unlike many of his lineage, Acheron knew all too well what sort of story could be made from strife in ones life. In the long run, far later down the road, a person who's life has been full of hardship and complication could very well end up better off than if they had traveled any other road, but how many of them were grateful for it? He'd trade his current life for one of friends and family any day of the week without hesitation. In this particular case, the beggar girl he had saved would get the best of both worlds. Assuming both he and she were comfortable with it, she'd have a chance to enjoy a normal life as a child but also be able to learn from someone from a much harsher background.

Not that he'd explain any of that to the women, however. " Perhaps it was a little selfish of me, but it's a decision I don't regret. " His head turned upon his shoulders, and his eyes fell upon the girl that was speaking with the short, ebony haired woman.

Life had gone from miserable to terrifying to miraculous to confusing far too quickly. In less than a ten minute span she'd had her hand nearly chopped off, had a man rescue her and offer to buy her a meal, met a little winged girl that was sassy as can be, and had now met yet another person who not only wanted to buy her food but also wanted to know her name. With an instinctively shy nature the girls first reaction was to retreat back from the outstretched hand and hide beneath the duster that had proved to be an adequate enough shield. Usually when people reached out for her they wanted something. From her food, to her hair, or even to just touch her. She hated being touched really, but this woman seemed genuine. As much so as the man that had intervened in her "story" as he called it. With one hand balled tightly in the material of the mans duster, the child nodded and placed her own filthy hand in the significantly larger one. Not that she needed to nod to answer the question, not with her stomach rumbling as it was. " I'm Aiden. " Her high pitched voice muffled through the duster she held snugly against her mouth. " I-i-i-it's nice to meet you.. " Before today she would have ended it at that, but in the short amount of time she'd known the man, she'd already learned that he prized respect and decency. " Miss Lydia. " She finished off her paused sentence with a bow, albeit an all too masculine one.

Acheron's liquid gold eyes shifted to his fae companion as the generous woman spoke. " What my companion meant to say Miss, is that we're not the type to allow a woman to pay for a man's meals. " His brow perked and his head nodded slightly forward as though he were urging Pix to speak. However, like any sturborn woman, the small fae stuck her nose up into the air and refused to apologize for her rude behavior. He was hers, and she was his. Adding a child to the mix was one thing, she needn't worry about the girl attempting anything but add in another beautiful young woman who was actually of the size capable of having a romantic interest with Acheron and you got one angry Pix.

With a sigh his chest heaved and his head lowered. " Fine, fine. Don't apologize, but at least act civil. If you can't, you know exactly what you can do. " Her head snapped towards him and her eyes widened; mouth hanging in a wide O. Did he really just tell her to keep her mouth shut if she couldn't be nice? Rather than continuing to engage Pix, Acheron turned his attention back to the women that had approached him. " A meal with either of you ladies sounds wonderful. A meal with both of you sounds too good to be true. " Thin lined lips curled into a half-cocked smirk. " But I have to insist you allow me to pay for it. Given how I was raised, I believe my parents would turn over in their grave if I allowed a woman to pamper me. " He chuckled, arm bending at the elbow as he offered it to the Princess in disguise; not that he knew or anything.

Aiden simply couldn't wait any longer. Her stomach had transformed into some insatiable beast of devouring, and its sounds of anger demanded she procure some sort of food immediately. " Come on, come on! I know the best place in town! " She shouted and jumped, one hand slipping into Acheron's and the other pulling on the womans hand she still held. Despite her size and apparent like of definite muscle, the promise of food gaze the child strength one wouldn't expect from something of such small size.

" Hahaha, looks like our opinion doesn't matter. " He joked over his shoulder at the socially inept woman, tongue protruding from beyond his lips.

In and out of the crowd the girl dragged them, simply unable to think about anything other than the food she was about to devour. As a result, she ended up dragging them through more than a few individuals while Acheron was left to do little more than laugh nervously and apologize. Down a dark alleyway and around a corner she bolted before stopping in front of a door. Caught between two buildings with its only entrance hidden from view, Acheron never would have thought the small shack was for public access. Above the door hung a rickety sign that creaked as he swayed. On it's old, worn wooden surface were the faint traces of lettering that Acheron could only guess spelled out, " Anji's Place. "

Without any hesitation, Aiden opened the door. The delightful scent of well seasoned food immediately greeted them as they entered, along with a strangely garbed male. " Hello, hello! Welcome to Anji's Place. " He dressed more like someone from Zhilihan. Without a shirt on, his chest was left bare. From his arms dangled lengthy blue sleeves which matched is bellowing hakuma. In either hand was an old folding fan, which when paired with his frame-less glasses gave him a sort of educated air. " Right this way. " Politely he smiled, guiding them to a large table directly in the middle of the room. The lighting was poor at best, with its primary source coming from the glass-less windows situated periodically around the building. Besides themselves, there were no other patrons. As the semi-tall man made his way around the table, he pulled four chairs out and placed various silverware with napkins down on the surface. " Shall we start with drinks? Water? Tea? Ale? Milk? You name it and we probably got it. " Which was only semi-true. While they had most types of beverages, they certainly didn't have anything fancy.

" Two milks for us please. " He motioned a hand from himself to Aiden while helping the girl into her seat. Afterwards he pulled another chair further back and motioned for the short haired brunette to sit; gently pushing it up to the table only after she'd done so, if she chose to. While he didn't offer the other woman such courtesy, mainly because he felt it might embarrass her, he did wait to sit until after she had done so. " Help yourselves to whatever you like. No need to be shy. "

Spoiler:

Image of the man serving them.

In all honesty, he'd intentionally neglected to mention his name. Wearing his families crest was one thing. The majority of the populace didn't have the education to distinguish one Noble houses crest over another's. To speak his name, however, would be to openly admit to who he was; something he'd not done for over ten years. The idea of change both excited and scared him. His life as a beggar had been simple. Easy even. He could go unnoticed when he wanted and if he wanted. His daily life was completely uninhibited by strangers random approaching him. To leave that behind scared him. To come out of the shadows and into reality meant that he'd get to do more things like this. He'd be given the opportunity to meet countless individuals he never would have met otherwise, and he'd return to some form of his original life. To step into something so drastically different excited him.

On average, Pix was a less than observant fae. She didn't typically pay attention to the things around her, and she was prone to losing things. Yet, when it came to Acheron the tiny fairy always noticed everything. The slightest shift in his tone, or his palms sweating more than usual. When it came to the boy that had given her hope, she learned everything she possibly could. Upon his shoulder she felt the tensing of the muscles beneath his shirt, and caught glimpse of the dilemma tussling behind his molten gold cores. He did this more times than she cared to count. When it was just the two of them, he'd say he'd do something but when it came time to do it he always hesitate; over thinking the course of action. " Acheron Althaus, of the great Althaus Family~" She piped, attempting to mimic some overly official and noble tone.

Pools of shifting gold darted to their corners, pupils staring at the exotic fae girl upon his shoulders. While he was thankful she'd noticed his issue, he didn't believe her tone and announcement of his heritage was the best thing to do. Without being untrue to herself, Pix grinned and stuck her tongue out at him. " You needed the help~" She commented before settling her back against the side of his head.

Acheron settled back within his chair and watched as the woman named Roumei explained her reasons behind such speech impediments. Lydia, as she called herself, was a rather bold individual, willing to broach topics that most avoided. His mouth opened in some attempt to dethrone the woman's claim of being unfriendly, yet his words failed to form as she crinkled a coin effortlessly between two fingers. His eyes widened some, though not nearly as wide as Aiden's had. " Wooooow~ " She leaned closer towards the coin in attempt to see the coins destruction closer. " You're reaaaally strong! " She said in giddy tune before looking to the male at her side. " Can you do that?! " Eyes even wider with curiosity, Aiden stared at Acheron awaiting her favorable answer.

" Ooh, no little miss. I'm not nearly as impressive as this lovely woman apparently is. " He flattered, nodding his head back towards the coin to keep from seeing what was sure to be a look of disappointment. " That's quite impressive, Roumei. I don't see why people would dislike you solely because of that though. I mean, not with so many Arcana users these days. " He nodded to the oddly dressed male as he delivered their drinks and waited patiently for their meal orders. " If you ever need work, I could really use some help around my old homestead. " He spoke between drinks of his milk. " It isn't as grand as guarding a queen or anything, but I'd pay fair wage for it. "

As quickly as her mind had turned her attention aware from her hunger, her stomach's groans returned. " Beef stew with honey bread please! " She shouted over the talking adults, mouth wide and pearly whites showing as she smiled at the waiter.

" I'll have the same, thanks. " Acheron spoke clearly. " So, what brings you both to Colburn? Are you students here at the academy, or teachers? " The image of either of them in class amused him. It wasn't often men encountered women of such beauty, and there was little doubt in his mind that these two could easily tear one's thoughts away from even something as important as learning the Arcana.

Lydia was able to notice something, but could not point out what it was. His hesitation to answer a question that was normally simple was surprising. Was his name odd? Maybe he didn't know his name? She had run across a couple of people like that before, the lack of name and not knowing who they were. She hated it, but was not shocked by it. Lydia's attention was pulled toward the small fae creature on his shoulder as she spoke out his name. Lydia actually had to fight to keep a straight face. That name, she immediately recognized it. It was an event out of many that haunted her memory. An entire family dedicated to protecting Arcadia taken out before she could send any aid. To keep the conversation going, she pushed up a strained smile and nodded. "A lovely name. Don't be ashamed of it." she said, doubting highly that he was ashamed of it. She quickly turned the conversation over to Ruomei with a smile and a quick introduction.

"R-Ruomei." the woman replied with. Lydia had heard wrong the first time she said her name. She kept saying Roumei, but no, it was Ruomei. She nodded and moved on to ask her question. It seemed that Lydia was poking at buttons that she probably shouldn't have, but she didn't regret it. The woman was stuck on silent for a bit, which wasn't shocking due to the nature of the question. "I... am not a very... friendly-looking person... to people. Not when... I do... what I do. So people... don't talk to me. They usually... run away..." Listening to her then, Lydia felt as if she were merely nervous about peoples reactions toward her. She spoke fine. She broke her sentences with pauses a lot, as if she were very shy, but otherwise she spoke normally. "How a woman as lovely as yourself doesn't look fri-..." Lydia stopped mid sentence as she watched this coin bend like paper in this woman's hands. Lydia's noble demeanor dropped for a minute and she smirked, chuckling. "Okay, that is cool." she said in a very casual tone, one she had not spoken with before then.

When Aiden spoke up, Lydia turned to her with a smile. The child's eyes practically lit up when seeing that. It was extremely cute. When Aiden turned to ask Acheron, Lydia turned to him as well. Her expression read "Well, can you?" in a playful challenging manner. She chuckled a little at his reply. From there, Lydia listed to the other two converse, glancing toward Aiden a couple of times to see whether she was even semi-interested in the adult talk. When the drinks were brought Lydia smiled. "Thank you." Her noble demeanor was back, as if it could stay away for too long. "It isn't as grand as guarding a queen or anything, but I'd pay fair wage for it." was said as she reached for her drink, but his words caught her off guard. Her hand slipped and the glass was knocked over. She quickly reached for it, the hot liquid falling over her hand a bit, but nothing bad. "Here, miss. Let me help." the waiter said as he pat her hands down for her. "Thank you." she said again as he finished. It wasn't too often that someone didn't just go "no no, I'm fine" in a situation like that, but Lillianna didn't even realize. Lydia, on the other hand, should have known.

Lydia sighed a bit and looked toward the others. "Sorry about that." she apologized and kept her eyes low to the table. As Aiden ordered her food, Lydia stayed silent. Once it came to her turn, she agreed with Aiden's choice and stated she would have the same as her, even though she actually hadn't heard the order. "So, what brings you both to Colburn? Are you students here at the academy, or teachers?" Acheron spoke up and Lydia allowed Ruomei to answer first. Once she did, Lydia waited for an opening for her to talk. "I went to the Academy when I was young. I returned here to see the changes that have been made to the city and the Academy." Lydia explained, "I also wanted to meet a few new people, talk, have some fun... That's really it. Mission accomplished." Lydia smiled quite happily, especially toward Aiden. Lydia found that child beautiful and amazing, especially for getting through her hard times at such a young age. She wanted to ask Aiden about her parents, but something held her back. She had already asked very personal questions today, but those were two adults that knew they had the choice of not answering. Aiden was a little different in that case, so Lydia chose to hold her tongue.

Acheron's worn, callused covered hand wrapped around the thick, chilled mug that contained his milk before bringing it to his mouth. Lips parting, he allowed the liquid to pour over the thin pad of his bottom lip and tongue before it finished its journey down his throat. With a heavy sigh of relief he sat the mug back down. Its not that he was ashamed of his name. He was actually quite proud of it, but after so many years of never using the name...To say it aloud made him feel odd.

As the ladies spoke between one another, Acheron busied himself by removing his spears from their holsters. The course pad of his thumb ran across the runes that traversed the entirety of their shafts as he thought about home. He remembered dinners like this. People gathered around a table, enjoying good drink and meal while discussing their lives or daily activities. The scene was a welcome one.

Ruomei's mention of Endellion tore the older male from his thoughts and brought him back into the present. " Endellion, huh? " His tone grew deeper, and more solemn. " I've never seen him myself, but I've came across villages across the open land's that claimed to have been attacked by him. " His hand trailed off the table and beneath the collar of his duster. " They hired me to track him down, but it turned out to just be some pup of a dragon. " His thumb looped beneath a thin cord and revealed a small blue scale. " He put up one hell of a fight though. Nearly tore off my leg and fried me to a crisp. " He slipped the souvenir necklace back beneath his garbing. " But lucky for you, I was there~ " Pix piped smugly, self satisfied grin plastered across her face.

Acheron's hues slipped back to the women as they mentioned why they'd came to Coulburn. Strangely enough the two of them had similar reasons for journeying here. One wanted to meet new people and the other wanted to find find those that wouldn't be frightened of her. Mission accomplished indeed. " I was hoping to find someone well versed in Arcana here. I need.." He paused for a moment, passing a glance down towards the floor where his spears resided. " I want, " He reiterated, " to find someone that might be able to tell me who made my weaponry. " He left out the curse bit. No point in downing a perfectly good atmosphere.

When their meals arrived, Acheron unfolded a napkin and tucked it into Aiden's shirt collar. " Don't eat it too fast, hm? " He smiled, eyes closed and face bright with cheerfulness. " Don't need you getting sick before we go find you some better clothes to wear. " He promised new clothes, which appeased the girl greatly. She'd been in the same tattered dress for months, and she'd begun to outgrow it.

Quietly he took a few bites of his meal, eyes occasionally trailing across the table to view the two women around him. Ruomei seemed to greatly enjoy the relaxation, with a soft smile and satisfied look upon her face. Then there was Lydia. All in all the girl was friendly and kind. Yet, something seemed off about her. She bore a noble appearance, with back straight and shoulders square. The mentioning of his family name had left a strained, and almost awkward looking smile upon her face. Then there was the incident a moment ago. Most people would have waved the waiter off and insisted they clean themselves yet she had allowed him to do it for her. The act in itself was something only those used to servants allowed. " Mm. Where do you come from, Miss Lydia? What do you, or your family, do? " He questioned, placing his spoon on napkin next to his bowl. His eyes fell upon her own, following their trail.