Who are you?

The workday had nearly ended, and yet even after inviting a total of forty-something guests with the remaining delayed for tomorrow, our work wasn't over. Every so often, I would get a call from one of the guests about something or the other, and either the twins or Cinder had to go and see to it. In the meantime, Rin had disappeared from the reception saying she only worked for the hours that she was paid for.

Then there was Maiko who was busy in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from an entire day of cooking. As for Senya, the pixie-haired demoness–well, to nobody's surprise the guests didn't exactly feel comfortable with her wandering around them. 

The power to detect thoughts and emotions was not exactly something the guests were too fond of, especially when a dozen of them were here vacationing with their sweethearts instead of their vow-bound family.

"The others said they'll join us in a minute or two," standing beside me frustrated, Senya had her hands crossed and her cheeks puffed up.

It was clear that being judged by her race had affected her a lot, I couldn't blame her as she was yelled at by quite a number of guests after she tried to help them. A handful of mean children also teased her about her violet skin. And although she didn't seem to mind it at the time, that too must've had its impact.

"How about we check on those horses after we're done here?" I asked, hoping it would lift her mood.

"Oh…" Her eyes lit up, but she kept leaning against the reception desk with not the slightest change of visible emotion. "Fine, if you want to!"

Turning her head, she tried to hide a smile but the curling of her lip's edge gave her pretense away. Letting her gloat, I shifted my attention to the approaching steps in the other direction. The first to arrive was Maiko, still covered in flour, oil, and burnt grease. Not long after her, the twins descended the stairs alongside Cinder.

"Any idea where Rin is?" I asked the group, but none seemed to have the slightest clue.

Wandering back in memories of our night together, her words trailed back into my mind. She spoke of wandering the forest in search of familiars, perhaps she'd gone for such a hunt once more? Pulling myself out of thought, I glanced around at everyone's faces. Seeming tired, none of them were in the best of mood.

"Forget her, we're going to talk to Erica," without wasting another breath, I began marching up the stairs toward the witch's room.

Following right behind me, the other and I reached the room before even the minute was over. Pushing the door in, I stormed right in. To my surprise, the lavish room of stone was now decorated with red curtains, carpet, and a painting of an ox-faced magus. Illuminated entirely by candles that smelled of roses, the whole place had turned into an enigma.

"My master once told me," suddenly the voice of the witch trailed into my ears. "I adore you my Erica, but don't ever invade someone's chamber without a knock. It's simply not polite."

"Is that your master in the pictures?" Walking up beside me, Maiko held her hand forward and lifted one of the paintings off the walls through her magic. Drawing it closer through the air, she inspected it closely. 

Glancing toward the blood-red bed, I finally saw Erica sitting at the edge of the bed. Turned to the wall, her face was hidden in the dark with a pinkish glow emanating from the left side of her skull. Right by her was the marionette doll, whose name I'd learned was Dandelion, or rather, Dandy as Erica called her.

"He was," taking the white leather mask from Dandelion's hand, Erica quickly covered the glowing side of her face. Then, glancing back over her shoulder she added. "The last magus of my world, Sir Belian Rune."

"Your world?" Asked Cinder, but her question was ignored by Erica.

Lifting her finger, Erica cast her own magic of deep crimson aura and hung the painting back onto the wall. Flooding the room as the encounter happened, the rest of the girls strode in to figure out who she was and what was happening.

"Wicked vibe this room has," muttered Mercy, her eyes wandering around the room's new decor.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind these scented candles in my room, to be honest. Especially after scrubbing the toilets all day," Claire heaved, taking a deep whiff of the aroma.

"Well then you're in luck," lifting herself off the bed, Erica finally turned around to face us. "I'm a merchant by trade, selling clothes, accessories and magic-infused trinkets is my second nature." 

Walking around the bed, she glanced over at Claire while making her way closer to me. Stopping only inches away she cast her gaze to Maiko who was still baffled by how easily Erica countered her magic to put the painting back onto the wall. For just a moment she glared at Maiko as if warning her to keep her hands off her things.

"But I doubt you've barged in here with your band for a purchase," turning to me, she forced a gentle smile on her face. "So, what is it? Here to extort more money for my stay? Or did someone trip and fall and decide to blame it on a witch?"

"I just want to know who you are," I replied, intending to keep this encounter as brief as possible.

"A damned witch, what else is there to tell?" She heaved, sounding terribly exhausted.

"What kind?" Maiko asked, her eyes squinted in curiosity.

"Why do you even care? I'll be off in a day or two just–" Halting herself, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Then turning her gaze back at me, she pressed her lips together before finally speaking again. "I'm a world traveler, trying to find a valley of giants for some Mithril and a special flower."

"What?" Maiko winced, stepping back from her spot.

The eyes of the others were just as doubtful, although they lacked the fear from Maiko's eyes. And even though I wanted to ask more questions, I couldn't because what happened next left me aghast. Reaching for her leather mask, Erica slowly pulled it off of her face. Glowing underneath was a luminous pink flower, sprouting through Erica's left eye socket.

"The flower is the only reason I'm still alive," reaching near the wilting flower, she revealed something just as shocking. As her hand moved across her face, the entire left side turned into a corroding metal skull. "And I need the mithril to contain the flower's power within my shattered skull."

As her words came to an end, silence loomed inside the candle-lit room. Nobody dared speak a word, for we all knew that we'd pried into something far too personal. And not to mention the pure absurdity of what we saw was enough to seal our lips shut.

"Now, please leave me for the night, we can talk tomorrow," her eyes downcast, Erica put the mask back on before heading over to her bed. "Take the candles with you if you want."

Sitting on the bed with her back facing us again, she waited for us to leave her alone. Unsure how I felt about the whole encounter, and what to make of it, I took everyone.

'I'll talk to her tomorrow.' With that thought, I escorted everyone to my room where we slept together these days.