Twilight

Arjuna leaned against the bed frame of the inn and looked out the window. The morning sun beamed through and the sound of birds chirping and the bustling streets below him could be heard.

"they had a feast without me," Arjuna said with an annoyed expression on his face as he continued to toss and turn on the bed.

Boops quietly asked Arjuna as he rolled around on the inn bed.

"aren't you forgetting something?"

Arjuna looked around the inn room one more time, half closing his eyes as he tried to recollect any important events that happened in the last day.

Boops could be heard smashing his body against a wall in Arjuna's headspace.

"remember that elf lady you met? She asked you to meet her today with your companions"

A quick breath escaped from Arjuna's lips as he leaped out of bed while simultaneously grabbing his coat and gear that were placed on the wooden table next to his bed. It took him only a few seconds to strap on his various daggers, potions, and more onto his belt. He rushed to the door slinging on his quiver full of black-feathered arrows as he gripped his bow in his hands.

He opened the door with a quick push, and Alanis stood leaning against the hallways' wall. A young girl around 14 or 15 with white hair and a red rose tucked in it.

"you're late," Alanis said with a small grin as she impatiently tapped her finger on the wooden walls.

Rei shook her hair, slightly moving the red rose as she also chimed in.

"it's not polite to tell us about an endeavor the night before and then show up late!"

Arjuna walked out of the door sweeping his raven black hair to the side as he apologized to the two without a hint of embarrassment.

"Sorry, I forgot about it"

Saying that Arjuna quickly walked down the stairs and headed towards the inn entrance with a slightly increased pace.

Alanis and Rei watched as Arjuna left the inn, Rei turned to Alanis and asked

"he forgot about an event he told us about last night?"

Alanis shrugged her shoulders as she walked down the stairs with Rei following her

"you get used to it," she said running her fingers over a wispy green vial of liquid that she kept on her belt. She shook her head slightly to keep herself focused and hurried out of the inn door chasing after the black-haired figure that briskly walked down the streets hoping to not be late.

Rei also hurried after Alanis and Arjuna. Her white hair rose up in the wind as she rushed towards them, her light blue eyes sparkled as and her hands gripped the wand she was given as she took quick steps towards them.

Her wand currently, wasn't as impressive as Rei had imagined it to be, when Alanis had told her that she was going to get a wand, she was extremely excited but the wand in her hands was just extremely plain.

It was simply a pure white wand that she could lift easily with one hand, at the end of the wand smaller branches of the white-colored wand crossed and twirled around a single space that seemed to be able to fit a sort of crystal-shaped item.

Nevertheless, Rei wasn't raised to complain and she accepted the wand happily. Though Rei was given a wand, she was still being educated on the basics of spirits and magic, in fact, she had barely even started to use any regular spells.

Still, Rei was making sufficient process on both her knowledge and fighting skills, she was taught basic self-defense and close-quarters combat by Arjuna almost every day in the mornings and was drilled with magic and spirit knowledge in the afternoons by Alanis as Arjuna went to fulfill some quests and hunt down some monsters in the forest that surrounded the entire city of twilight.

Rei had spent the past few weeks with Arjuna and Alanis, in relative harmony and balance. Every day seemed to be a new adventure, sometimes Arjuna would reveal a small smile which made both her's and Alanis's day. Other times they would raid a small goblin camp which they made quick work of. Though currently, Rei could only throw a few mana arrows into the mix.

Rei rubbed the plain white wooden wand in her hands with a gentle smile on her face as she continued to walk forward. She was raised as a noble girl, and the wand in her hands seemed like something a person could make in just a few hours. But for some reason, as she looked at it, it felt more special than the bits of fancy jewelry and dresses that she was given as a child. She felt a sense of pride as she walked down the streets holding it in her hands.

Was it because it was given by people she looked up to? Or perhaps it was the meaning behind the gift, that she was one of them. Truthfully Rei didn't know, she didn't understand her own emotions well enough to tell. But as she looked up, to see the stoney cobblestone streets, the various wooden carts that were being lugged around with barrels full of wine and preserved food. The various buildings and houses marked with distinct dark brown wooden beams and light tannish colored wood as the normal walls.

The people bustling about all seemed to let out a collective yawn, perhaps that was the only downside of having such an active nightlight in this city. Everyone was tired in normal people's hours.

The crowds seemed to magically part and in Rei's view, two figures waited for her. One was a beautiful blond-haired elf, wearing the distinct green and golden laced garb of an elf. Most of it though was covered with a brown hood but even from where Rei was she could see a small smile directed towards her from underneath the hood.

Next to the elf was a handsome black hair boy. His long hair gently blew in the wind as he tried to brush it away from his eyes. His brown hazel-colored eyes squinted slightly as a smile passed through his lips as he raised his arms to give Rei a small wave.

Rei smiled, a genuine smile that came from the depths of her heart. And with a happy skip in her step, she ran over to the two awaiting people.

Arjuna turned around to look at the place that the three of them had stopped in front. Now that he looked at it, he could tell that this was the building that he was sort of dragged over to. It reminded Arjuna of some of the merchant guild photos that Perseus had shown him.

It was a neat building lined with golden lines and white marble on the floors and walls. Statues of people holding tabulating devices and balances were lined down the entrance of the building.

Arjuna looked up at the huge sign at the top that he wasn't able to read the last time he was here.

[Ivoryhood merchant guild]

The Ivoryhood merchant guild? Arjuna turned to Alanis who gave him a small shrug. She didn't know anything about this place either. Most of the time she was out in the forest with him and Rei teaching their newest disciple and hunting down monsters.

Rei curiously watched as numerous people both rich and poor looking walk into the guild, some had smiles on their faces others concerned and worried ones.

"you're late"

A voice called out to the three of them.

Arjuna swerved around to see the woman he had met yesterday night.

Rina Phisatra was her name if Arjuna remembered correctly. She stood in an elegant pose her wavy brunette hair lightly brushing against her neck. She slowly walked down to where Arjuna was while Alanis and Rei watched with slight suspicion.

Rina and Arjuna looked at each other for a few seconds. Rina lifted her hand and gently placed it on her lips

"my, I never knew you were the type of person to escape by a window"

Arjuna replied

"didn't think I was getting out any time soon"

Rina looked at Arjuna with a smile

"you act just like him"

"anyways," she said turning to the two people watching her with interest and caution.

"I would presume you are his two companions, come," she said briskly walking past them.

"I have prepared our provisions at the gate, we set out on a journey, on this journey, I will teach all three of you three very important things." She said stopping for a second and turning to them.

"spirits," she said nodding towards Rei, "wind," she said smiling towards Alanis. "and punctuality," she said looking at Arjuna with a small smug grin on her face.

Arjuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes a followed Rina as she turned around and briskly traveled towards the city entrance.