The soft prickly grass, cold, the way he likes it. Kus made himself small. He stared at the red hot stone tablet, the meat sizzled on it. The fme underneath seemed to enjoy its only task, it danced as it feasted on a buffet of diverse dry and figs to keep itself going, just a little longer. It danced to the music as well and so did the attendees. Except for Kus, or maybe not, it depends on what you would cssify as dancing. If swaying side to side in tandem with rhythm is dancing, then, by all means, Kus is dancing.

  "Oh the sober man are plenty!" Letr leaded, pointing to the crowd."AND DRUNKARDS BARELY TWENTY!" The crowd returned. Except for Kus, who returned the lyrics quietly."There are men of over ninety!""THAT HAVE NEVER YET KISSED A GIRL!""Oh give me a ramblin' rover! Frostsong to Silvanus!" A quick pause, "Together now!""WE WILL ROAM THE CONTINENTS OVER AND TOGETHER WE'LL FACE THE WORLD!"

  Everyone in attendance cpped, "ENCORE, ENCORE, ENCO--" Cher's chanting was interrupted when Shar shoved a chicken wing into her mouth. Aside from Cher's sudden chanting, the forest's ambient volume was at normal levels. Trees stretched high into the sky, a canopy of leaves covered it. There were few gaps but the moonlight took full advantage of it and illuminated parts of the forest floor. Flowers, roots, insects all resided on the floor and was scattered in varying concentration. Well, not all of them are on the floor. Parasitic pnts would have roots in the trunks of trees, some insects made their homes in them as well. Some chirped while some croaked, repcing the frogs and birds who are currently transiting through the kingdom of sleep.

  Letr sighed a sigh of relief, "Thank you." As he sat down. "I needed the break from her."

  "Hey!" Meat spttered across the floor as Cher shot out a remark which ultimately sounded like nonsense.

  The completely unsanitary response resulted Shar spitting out a remark of her own, "Disgusting." Albeit significantly more sanitary.

  Letr threw his arms in the air, "It's a joke." He surrendered. Toskr patted Cher on her back. Eliciting a thankful "Mhm." From her.

  "Enough! Drink!" Toskr aborted the awkward atmosphere as stone cups, supported on levitating coasters were shoved in front of everyone. "I did not spend thirty minutes hunting and foraging just for you all to not get drunk." He downed his own cup, unable to keep up with the throughput, red overflowed from his mouth. He didn't seem to care that it stained his arms and clothes.

  "Quite the bloody drunk aren't you?" Before downing from her cup along with Cher.

  Letr pyed a little tune in amusement, "Only type of drunk I can be!" Toskr said with a smile.

  "That's a very nice song." Heads turned towards Kus, "Uh. Why that song though? Most of it is about adventuring."

  Letr set down his guitar on the soft grass. "Oh, a friend of Father came to visit. He shared stories of his travels and songs he's heard. This happened to be my favorite." He quickly repeated the final notes of the song. "Sounds nice, eh?"

  "Silvanus not good enough?" Shar challenged.

  "Actually," Cher faked a sniff, "I'm not sure if you know, Dearest Shar, but a city is far smaller than a continent." The others ughed as Cher mocked Shar. Who simply responded with inaction.

  "It's fine but there aren't any floating isnds in the Evergreen." Kus said.

  "The Cirrosrata? That's the opposite end of the world! You have quite the journey." Letr responded in shock. "Of all pces, the Cirrosrata? Regardless of which path you take, it's not going to be easy." Letr pyed a random tune the whole time, "I take it that to be your dream?" Kus nodded.

  "So, what are yours?" Motioning to the group.

  "Seeing history unfold. One of my many privilege." Toskr replied thoughtfully, as a somber expression graced his face.

  "Live the way I want to. Simple, carefree, unbothered." Shar answered monotone. Fitting of her.

  "Eat every single piece of cuisine from every culture. The wolves' too." Cher while shoving down more food.

  "The most popur bard!" Letr announced while strumming.

  "But, the wolves' too? That's incredibly dangerous." Toskr commented to Cher's ultimate goal.

  "Hmh. I hear the curse is getting weaker. They're less aggressive now." Cher answered.

  "From what my parents said, that's true, but it's been hundreds of years and it only weakened *slightly*. You're in for a *long* wait." Toskr waived dismissively, "Didn't mean to rain on your parade. My bad, let's toast shall we?" But, before he continued, he noticed Kus' cup was empty.

  "To us!" Toskr said simply, as everyone downed their cups. Kus coughed it up immediately, "Sorry, forgot you're human."

  "Sorry, forgot you're not." Toskr scoffed at his remark and helped him up.

  ---

  "Is this an alien experience, Aurora?" Lucien asked but it went over her head as she focused on an alien tool, with an even more alien design. A long piece of metal, pted with gold or made entirely of it, she wasn't sure as it was nestled between her fingers. The smooth piece of metal ended in an oval, with a depression at the centre to hold food.

  "No, not quite." Abdo answered with a smile for her. He sat next to Aurora. "I've drilled her before. A spoon of all things should be the least of her troubles." He pushed through gritted teeth and drank some water.

  "If this meal is difficult with a spoon, you are very much welcome to eat with your hands, Aurora." Lyris suggested with a smile. "This is a *private* room for a reason. Please, enjoy its benefits." Looking at Abdo.

  "I apologize. I've given my sister a crash course on etiquette. However, as you can see," He motioned towards her, "She is not a great medium to carry out its rules. I hope it does nothing to tarnish my image."

  "Fret not Abdo. I asked them here despite that. Aurora, please, rex. I know you are not comfortable with it." Aurora stole a quick gnce at Lyris and Abdo.

  A long whistle interrupts the conversation, "Sars, Sais. Harbour as requested." The waiter gently sets the bottle on the table. "Enjoy." He said before leaving.

  "It is as Lucien says. I present a proposal: How about we just talk like you normally do? No fancy words," As she dragged on the "s". "No pristine speech. No nothin'. It just *wouldn't* be fair to make you talk like us."

  Aurora let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, trying to talk like you all is TIRING! I've had to use so many difficult words and I don't even really know what they mean." She ranted her feelings.

  "Oh, I don't doubt it in the *slightest*." Lucien narrowed his eyes at Lyris' comment. She responded to it quickly, picking up the freshly arrived Harbour and pouring it into Aurora's cup.

  "Thanks!" She said with a smile as she began shoveling food into her mouth. While she was given the allowance to do as she pleased, Lyris and Lucien were both surprised at how much she was controlling herself. She emptied the entire cup in one go and poured more for herself. Silence permeated as everyone took sometime to eat a little more. Lyris was about to ask for the st piece of trout but Aurora yanked it off the serving dish and downed it. She clicked her tongue in response. She whistled, "Trout, bck, hot." Two whistles were returned from the outside.

  "What do you and your brother do?" Lucien pointed at Abdo, "He does you two no service. I simply know you exist, nothing more."

  Aurora chuckled. "I don't doubt that. He is busy though. From what I understand, he would stay in your building for work."

  "Yes, indeedy." Lyris choked on her drink, "Excuse me." *That was the st thing I expected him to say.* "I've tried to send him home but he wouldn't go back. But, it isn't a building. It's my home."

  "What?!" Aurora excimed. Guests dining outside in the public area turned their heads towards their room. Abdo pced a hand on his forehead. "Sorry, it just surprised me at all. Thank you for letting him stay." Abdo sighed a breath of relief. "No worries."

  "What was the question again?" Aurora asked. "Oh, I remember. I'm a huntress. Exclusively animals." Mimicking herself firing an arrow. "Kus is the chef, he'd cook up a feast if he got a chance to. He really enjoys it."

  "What a shame!" Lucien smiled. "I'd kill for something from the Ward." He paused for a moment. "Damn! I haven't had any... In years!"

  He quickly covered his face and turned away at once. After all, Aurora was staring straight at him with a huge smile on her face. "That's adorable." She chuckled, "If the opportunity presents itself, I could ask if he's willing to entertain you."

  Lucien cpped his hands together, "Great idea. Once the Grand Accord is over, *regardless* of outcome. Perhaps we can have a party? To congratute Luden to his ascension or his effort." He couldn't help but ugh out loud at that.

  "You mean *our* effort." Abdo chimed in.

  "Of course, of course." Lucien continued through his ughter.