A Friend or A Rival

"Sorry, that was rude of me. Now that I really look I can see the NPC tag on you guys." She sheepishly apologized.

"It's ok. I like that you didn't notice right away. Besides, it's understandable in the situation. You were preoccupied." Tilly assured the girl. Rinai nodded in agreement.

Overall the girl made a good impression on them both and on Afira. He gave her some tips to improve her gameplay. They even traded contact info and agreed to meet up in starter village after the event ended so he could show her some important quests that most people miss.

After about an hour she was able to meet back up with her brother and party.

The rest of the day went smoothly. By the end, Afira was exhausted emotionally. So much had happened. He'd freaked out about Rinai getting hurt. He'd had a panic attack. Then was happy to make a new friend. He was wiped and ready to log off for some much-needed sleep.

He was tired enough to sleep deeply that night and woke up easily for a change. The rest of the week was more relaxed and they didn't encounter any more problems. The next update came and the event ended.

He was really looking forward to showing Nalia around starter village. Tilly had promised to show them her forge too.

With the event over the market returned to its usual hustle and bustle. Shop owners called out their bargains while wandering NPCs and players alike stopped to haggle for better deals. The aromas of cooked foods and herbs filled that air. Younger NPCs scurried around making deliveries or playing in the streets.

There are even a few NPC guards patrolling the area.

Afira stood near the edge of the marketplace taking in the lively scene. A large smile spread across his face as he strode off to find his friends at Tilly's stall.

They needed to pack up Tilly's belongings and escort her back to Grandma Nina to complete the quest. Well, he really didn't have to help Tilly at all, just report to Grandma Nina, but that wasn't Afira's way of doing things.

From across the market, he saw that the NPC who normally operated the stall had returned. Tilly was there too, the two ladies were huddled together talking in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Tilly!" Afira called out and waved as he approached.

"Afira, welcome back. Did you sleep well?" Tilly greeted him with sparkling eyes as she nudged the other worker. "Feeling alright?"

"I did, thanks. I feel much better today." He scratched the back of his head and looked a bit embarrassed then quickly changed the subject.

"Hi I'm Afira, it's nice to see you again. I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name before the event started."

"Hello, Afira. My name is Ilene. Thank you for taking good care of our stall and helping Tilly."

His eyes subconsciously kept searching the area every few moments while talking with Tilly and Ilene.

"Rinai had that problem with his equipment resetting again," Tilly said with a knowing smile, once again nudging Ilene who also smiled.

"Oh, I see. So...he's in the back?" Afira tried to sound casual and not like he was in a hurry to join Rinai. He didn't want Tilly thinking he didn't enjoy her company also.

"Will you go see if he's ready? I'm good to go as soon as you two are." Tilly gave Afira an excuse to find Rinai.

"Sure, be right back!" Afira called excitedly, already halfway to the backroom.

The two girls burst into giggles as soon as Afira was gone. "So cute right?"

"Adorable! I envy you getting to travel back with them."

When Afira arrived at the closed door to the storage room he paused, suddenly nervous. He pulled at his lower lip with his teeth and made himself knock on the door.

"Come on in," Rinai responded.

Afira opened the door to see Rinai tying the laces on his boot. Rinai glanced up flashing a lovely smile, his eyes lighting up at seeing Afira.

Afira's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm just about done here. Ready to return to starter village?"

Afira nodded his head absently as he continued to stare at Rinai's dazzling smile. He let himself be lead back to the front of the stall where Tilly had all her stuff together waiting for them.

The trip was a relatively short one through a lovely mountain valley. There was a stream softly bubbling near the path with several waterfalls visible in the distance.

All in all, a very relaxing way to spend the day with his friends after the hectic events of yesterday.

Occasionally he would smile or laugh as he got messages from his newest friend, Nalia.

Each time, Rinai would do something to gain Afira's attention. Point out a particularly interesting bit of scenery, ask a question or just start up a random conversation.

Tilly noticed Rinai's increasing tension with each new message. She found it pretty endearing the way he vied for attention each time. But she knew Rinai had a decent reason for his insecurity so she tried to cheer him up.

"When he arrived he was looking everywhere for you. He could barely hold a conversation with Ilene and me."

Rinai smiled gratefully at Tilly. "I can't help but feel threatened. She's human like him."