Yarandrala in the Capital

Ares, Ruti, and I were strolling along a road in the capital of Avalonia.

"What do we do next, Big Brother?" Ruti asked.

"The royal family has been informed of your blessing, and Ares's Appraisal has

verified it. Coupled with my status as the second-in-command of the Bahamut

Knights and the trust I've earned for my service to the crown, they're likely to accept

who you are."

"I'm sure we'll be able to draw some minor monetary support with that," Ares added

with a nod. "However, we'll need to be able to point to actual achievements to get the

king to officially recognize you as the Hero. The Hero is a legendary blessing, so

granting official recognition is a risk for the country."

"Before we came to the capital, we defeated and crushed a regiment of the demon

lord's army that was attacking our hometown. That's certainly valiant, but not really

something that only the Hero could have done," I remarked.

Ruti went quiet as she contemplated. "Then what is something that only the Hero

could accomplish?" she asked.

"There's a band of thieves that has been active in the shadows here in the capital for

the past fifty years," I responded. "A genuine criminal organization with no

connection at all to the Thieves Guild."

"No one has done anything about them for that long?"

"Many people have tried. The guards, adventurers, even the Thieves Guild. Some

attempts have gotten close, but none have successfully caught the mastermind, and

the group has survived."

"I see."

While Ruti nodded along, Ares looked doubtful.

"Certainly, if we managed to take care of a band of ruffians that no one else has been

able to destroy, that might be enough to be judged a feat worthy of the Hero, but do

you have any leads for where to begin? With the demon lord's army closing in, time

is not a luxury we can afford."

"I can't make any promises, but I do at least have a lead. The woman we're meeting

with should be able to provide us the strength necessary to take care of them," I

explained.

Ares frowned. "If there was someone who could do that, why have you just left the

thieves alone until now?"

"Well, crimes inside the city are handled by the guards, not us Bahamut Knights…"

That excuse must have been unacceptable to Ares.

"Even so, you could have at least introduced her to the guards, couldn't you?"

"…At the lower levels it isn't that bad, but those in charge wouldn't trust a high elf."

"A high elf?! Can we really put our faith in a demi-human?"

"It's fine. High elves value trust more than contracts. That difference in conduct is

probably why people with higher standings hate them. Besides, this band of thieves

has been causing problems in the capital for fifty years now. There are other clues to

be had, too, but on that alone, it's a fair bet the one in charge is a high elf as well.

Thus we use a high elf to catch a high elf."

Leaving the road, we turned off into the small, wooded grove inside the walls of the

capital. The air was still and quiet—a different world from the hustle and bustle of

the streets.

"To think there's a place like this in the city," Ares remarked in wonder.

Ruti looked intrigued as she glanced around. We continued onward, surrounded by

trees and birdsong.

"There's a house nearby, Big Brother."

Resting in a sunny spot was a brick cottage with a chimney. Beside it stood a large,

stately, almost awe-inspiring Keyaki tree. As we drew near, the door swung open and

a white blur leaped out from inside.

"Gideon!"

She hugged me and kissed my cheek. It was nothing more than a high elf greeting

among friends, but I could sense Ruti's displeasure building behind me.

"I suppose introductions are in order. This is my friend Yarandrala," I said with a wry

smile.

She glanced over my shoulder at Ares and Ruti and beamed.

"You're Ruti the Hero and Ares the Sage, right? I heard your discussion from my

friends."

"Your friends?" Ares questioned, on guard.

Yarandrala released me and spread her hands wide.

"I'm Yarandrala, a Singer of the Trees. All plants are my friends!"

As if to emphasize her point, the forest around us seemed to sway.

Yarandrala was a reliable ally during our time in the capital, lending her strength to

help track down and deal with the elusive band of thieves and to acquire the proof of

the Hero. We parted ways when we left the city, but reunited during the battles in

Loggervia, where she officially joined the party. We fought shoulder to shoulder

through numerous battles until I was ousted from the party.