Chapter 50

"That was pretty good, even though it was cold," Xain remarked, leaning back with a satisfied sigh as he finished his meal.

"It was alright, I guess," Larkin added, dropping his utensils on the plate. "But after eatin' your cookin' all the time, everythin' else is just gonna feel okay at best."

Zee, wiping her mouth, chimed in thoughtfully. "I wonder who cooked this." Though she generally preferred fruits and veggies, the fish in her salad had been surprisingly good.

"Probably Pip. Or is it sexist to say that?" Xain asked while scratching his cheek.

At that moment, Pip returned to clear the table. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked casually as she began stacking their plates.

"Zee was wonderin' who cooked the food," Larkin answered, handing over his empty tankard as Pip moved efficiently around the table.

"It's not me if that's what you're thinking," Pip admitted, shaking her head with a small laugh. "I can't really cook."

*Huh. Looks like you were being sexist,* Ercale's voice suddenly echoed sarcastically in Xain's head.

*Do you only pop in to make fun of me now, or what's going on?* Xain shot back mentally, rolling his eyes as he turned his attention back to Pip. "So is it your boss that cooks, or is there someone else?"

"Yep, you guessed it right and it's just me and the boss running this place," Pip replied, expertly balancing the plates and tankards as she cleared the table.

Xain looked around the busy tavern, his eyes widening a bit. "Wow, the two of you manage all of this?" he motioned to the semi-crowded space, filled with bustling patrons. "That's gotta be stressful."

Pip chuckled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "I worked a stressful job before this, so I'm used to it," she said, smirking slightly as her eyes met his. "Besides, I've hung around some pretty stressful people too."

Xain chuckled at her playful tone. "I'm not sure if I should feel pride in being part of that category."

From the sidelines, Zee watched their exchange, her gaze hardening as she fixed an icy stare on Pip. The bubbling feeling of jealousy in her chest was undeniable, flaring up once again at the easy rapport between them.

In the midst of her chuckling, Pip caught something from the corner of her eye. Turning toward the window, she noticed the orange glow of the setting sun. "Looks like the sun's starting to set," she remarked, casually.

Xain's laughter abruptly stopped. "Huh?" His eyes widened as he quickly pulled out his chronoscope and flipped it open. "What!? We've been here for over two hours!?"

Both Zee and Larkin turned toward him, equally surprised.

"Eh? It's been that long?" Zee asked, raising an eyebrow.

Larkin leaned in skeptically. "Are ya sure your device ain't actin' up? Maybe it's broken?"

Xain shook his head, closing the chronoscope and sliding it back into his garb. "Nope, it's working fine. Seriously though, we were supposed to just stop here to eat. How did so much time pass without us noticing?"

Pip, watching their reactions with a curious expression, asked, "Do you all have somewhere to be or something?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Xain gave a slightly sheepish smile. "Kind of… It's a long story. One we don't really have time to tell."

*The less she knows the better,* Xain thought to himself, *especially if Amara shows up.* He then gave Larkin a quick nod, silently motioning for him to get some coin ready.

"So, how much do we owe you?" Xain asked, turning back to Pip.

Pip paused, then shook her head with a small smile. "Don't worry about paying. It's on the house."

The trio all stopped in their tracks, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" Xain asked, confused.

"It means it's free," Pip replied with a grin.

Xain blinked, then shook his head again. "No, I mean, I know what that means. But why is it free?" Normally, he'd gladly accept free food, but this time he felt like paying. For Pip.

"It wasn't my decision. The boss saw that I know you and said it's on the house," Pip explained, nodding toward the orc behind the bar. The orc waved at them with a big, toothy grin and gave a thumbs up.

"Well then," Larkin said with a shrug, pocketing the coins again, "it would be rude not ta accept his gift."

"But—" Xain started, but Zee cut in with a knowing smile.

"It's what he wants, Xain. Just go with it."

Xain sighed in defeat, standing up from the table. "Alright, alright. Thank you for the food," he said, nodding to Pip.

Pip grinned and waved him off. "Hey, I'm not the one you should be thanking, but I'll take it anyway."

Xain chuckled at her playful tone. "You really took that 'be selfish' thing to heart, didn't you?"

Pip smirked. "Of course I did. It saved my life, after all."

Larkin stood up too, stretching his arms. "Feels like we're watchin' 'em, flirt, eh Zee?" he whispered, giving her a light nudge. But when he didn't get a response, he frowned. "Zee? Ya okay?"

Zee finally stood up, her expression more tense than before, upgrading her earlier icy glare to a full-on death stare directed at Pip. "I'm fine," she muttered through clenched teeth.

Larkin blinked, unsure how to proceed. "Oookay," he mumbled, deciding it was best not to push any further.

The trio headed for the exit, chatting casually as Pip dropped off their plates and tankards at the bar. Before stepping out of the inn, Xain turned to Pip with a smile. "It's been great meeting you again, Pip. Wish I could've stayed longer to catch up more."

Pip raised an eyebrow, smirking as she playfully punched him on the shoulder. "What is this? Some line you picked up from all those books you read? Save it for someone else, Xain," she teased.

Zee, meanwhile, was totally fine. She definitely wasn't barely holding herself together, trying to keep from snapping. Definitely not.

"Yeah, it's been nice meetin' ya, little lady. Gotta say, not every day we run into folk like ya," Larkin chimed in with a friendly nod.

Pip rolled her eyes with a grin. "Yeah, yeah, maybe next time we'll actually have time to talk."

Then, she turned toward Zee, who wore a forced smile behind her closed eyes, trying to hide her internal rage. Pip paused, narrowing her eyes as if considering something.

"Hmm..."

Without warning, Pip grabbed Zee's hands, catching the elf completely off guard.

"Eh? What's going on?" Zee asked, clearly confused as Pip began pulling her toward the bar.

"Come with me," Pip said with an air of mystery, dragging Zee along while Xain and Larkin exchanged puzzled glances.

"Uh... where are you two going?" Xain called out, raising a brow.

"Just something between us girls!" Pip called back, as if that explained anything.

Before anyone could protest, Pip led Zee to the bar, leaning over to ask the orc. "Hey, boss, I'm borrowing the kitchen for a sec, okay?"

The orc waved them off with a thumbs-up, clearly used to Pip's antics. The noise of the tavern grew quieter as Pip pulled Zee into the kitchen, shutting the door behind them. They were now alone.

Zee, still baffled, looked around before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Okay, seriously. Why did you drag me in here?" she asked, a dozen paranoid thoughts racing through her mind. *Could she have noticed how I was glaring at her? Maybe she's planning to take me out, quietly eliminate the competition so she can have Xain all to herself? Should I pull out my dagger now or...*

Her spiraling thoughts were interrupted when Pip crossed her arms, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Would you stop looking at me like that already?"

Zee froze mid-thought, her expression trying to remain neutral. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, playing dumb.

Pip raised an eyebrow. "Come on. I'm not as dense as Xain is. I know how you feel about him."

Zee's face instantly flushed a deep shade of red, her mouth hanging open as she stuttered. "Wha-wha-wha—"

Pip just stared at her, amused. "Look, I brought you here to clear the air. I'm not interested in Xain romantically."

That statement snapped Zee out of her embarrassed spiral. "You're... not?" she asked, blinking in disbelief.

Pip shook her head. "Nope. Not even a little." She paused for a moment, then added with a casual shrug, "I don't even like guys."

Zee's eyes widened as the realization slowly dawned on her. "Eh?" Her mind was struggling to catch up. "Oh..." she muttered, the gears in her head finally starting to turn. And then it fully clicked.

"OH!" Zee nearly shouted, her face turning even redder as she finally understood.

Pip let out a long sigh. "Yeah, about the reaction I expected."

Pip placed both hands firmly on Zee's shoulders, locking eyes with her. "Listen up," she said with a mischievous grin. "You lucked out this time because I'm not into Xain. But if I was, you'd definitely be losing points right now."

Zee blinked, confused. "Wha—losing points? What are you talking about?"

Pip continued without missing a beat. "Sitting there silently glaring at your competition isn't gonna get you anywhere, and jumping into conversations just to block someone else doesn't work either. You've gotta play to your strengths, Zee."

Zee squinted, still processing, but Pip wasn't finished. "You're a cute, airheaded girl. Own it. Play to that strength!"

Zee's eyes widened. "Wh-why are you calling me an airhead!? We've just met!" she exclaimed, flustered.

But Pip waved her off, completely ignoring the outburst. "Zee, you need to charm him with your natural personality. Be approachable, don't overthink everything, and stop comparing yourself to other girls. Guys like Xain? He's oblivious to mind games, so just be your honest, clumsy, cute self."

Zee blinked again, now fully aware of the 'airhead' comment but trying to focus on Pip's love advice. "Wait... why do you even want me to get with Xain so badly?"

Pip laughed, crossing her arms. "Why wouldn't I want someone who I consider a friend to go out with a cute girl?" She winked, causing Zee to blush at the unexpected compliment.

Before Zee could say anything else, Pip gave her a playful shove. "Now, get back out there, remember my advice, and you'll win his heart in no time!" She spun Zee around and practically pushed her out of the kitchen, giving her no chance to respond.

Meanwhile, outside, Xain and Larkin stood waiting, awkwardly glancing at the inn door.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Xain asked, looking mildly concerned.

Larkin shrugged, unfazed. "How am I supposed ta know?" he replied, just as they both saw Zee and Pip emerge from the inn.

Pip, looking far too pleased with herself, gave them a cheerful wave. "Alright, we're done! You can have her back now!" she announced with a grin, giving Zee a playful nudge toward Xain and Larkin.

"Hope you all come back again sometime!" Pip added before disappearing back into the inn, likely to avoid the barrage of questions she knew would follow.

Xain watched her go, raising an eyebrow. "Wow... she seemed like she was in a rush," he said, turning to Zee with a curious look. "So, what was all that about?"

Zee, still flustered from her unexpected crash course in love advice, muttered something under her breath before quickly saying, "It-it was... um... girl talk!" She flashed an awkward smile and gave an 'okay' hand sign, hoping that would suffice. "Again that doesn't say anything!" exclaimed both Xain and Larkin simultaneously.

End of Arc 5.