Life moved on, or rather it had never stopped. To my right a stern woman haggled over a bolt of red cloth. Her opponent–an equally stern but smaller elf–combatted her words. They held fierce gazes and wielded their tongues like swords, but their eyes held joy.

A memory played of a woman bringing a child to a flea market. In an attempt to cheer him up, she introduced him to a world of color and sound that smelled faintly of oranges, leather and fried sugar. Only the woman was clear while the other faces were too blurry to remember. In some instances there were patches of gaping black where color should have thrived.

I shook my head and moved past the arguing pair and continued down the open market. By the time I reached the food district I experienced another seven memories. Each one different, and each one incomplete.

Scarred remnants after the encounter with the mind-god in Helio, the scenes surfaced, all with their rips and tears.

Not only that, they came and left leaving me with a detached association of a feeling. Like the flea market scene, where I knew I had been excited and temporarily disconnected from all the misery. But that was the rub. As vivid as the memory burned, the emotions behind it were an afterthought.

Once they played through their sequence and delivered the information I could feel them retreat into the depths of my mind. Already the market memory was harder to recall. The memory itself wasn't degraded further, not like the blaring holes. But…

I dodged to the right as a man stumbled past me. He pinwheeled his arms and attempted to grab my arm but I pulled away. Nose met stone and crunched.

"Mmmmmnngg," he groaned. The man pushed himself up and a pair of brown eyes slowly focused in my direction. As he gained clarity his dazed expression morphed into anger and he glared while blood ran down his chin. "Hey, man! Why'd you trip me?!"

Really? Maybe I am cursed. Not even thirty minutes and I'm already attracting trouble. I should ask Cal.

A memory came: a smiling face of a bearded man setting down his book to answer an excited kid. I tore it apart and cast it back into the void before it took hold.

"H-hey! You lishtenen to mee?!"

Huh? Oh.

The boozed idiot wasn't on the ground anymore. He stood, at eye-level thanks to a slouch and stomped his foot. To grab my attention or steady himself, I didn't know; perhaps both. What I did know for certain was that his breath wrecked and he smelled like sweat and bitter ash.

"Hey!" he repeated.

I turned and cocked my head. "Did you want something?"

"You broke my nose!" he shouted, spit landing on my arm.

Right. Enough of this.

I pulled away, slipping from his grasp and started walking. Shuffling footsteps behind me drew a sigh as I waited for the stupidity to erupt.

Three… Two… Of course you did.

"Donf waalk away from meee! I'm talk-" he shouted before freezing in place. My tail pressed against his throat, drawing a bead of blood. He started to shake in place but did not dare to breathe. "Pl-please. I-I-"

I glanced toward the blunt knife in his hand. Barely more thaan a toothpick, it held a rusty edge too thick to efficiently carve with. His eyes widened in terror and he dropped the knife, the shaking increasing.

"Most people don't talk with their weapons out, but maybe that's just me," I said.

"Please, I'm sorry," he whispered.

I could slit his throat. He wasn't even prepared for it. If I showed a stance like this to the others Eodyne would have broken me in two.

While I studied him, another thought entered my mind. There was no memory to play. Throughout the entire journey from the underarena tunnels to here, they bombarded me constantly, fleetingly. However, none appeared now.

I guess because it's a novel experience? Huh.

The door to my left burst open and a elf barged through, a scowl on her face.

"Michael, I swear on Numira's left tit, I'm going to flay you al-" She stopped as she noticed us and took in the scene.

Mana burst through her eyes and dark-purple specs appeared inside her irises. In an instant, she cut off the skill and stiffened.

"Alex! Ge-"

"Shut up, Michael," she snapped.

"I-"

She turned to me. With dark brown hair the same color as her eyes, she was less exotic than my usual company. I had grown so used to seeing people with anime levels of weirdness around me that it was almost charming to see someone more mundane. She had a pretty face though, bolstered by the smile she presented.

"Excuse me sir? If you don't mind, could you let him go? Michael is an idiot but he's harmless. If you want, I'd be happy to turn him into the guard. There's no need to take his life, it's not worth it."

Michael looked ready to protest but one glance at me made him think better.

I shrugged and retracted my tail before pushing him away. He stumbled and nearly tripped but caught himself at the last second. His surprise turned into a glare.

"You-"

Wham!

I whistled. She had thin limbs but the girl packed a mean punch. Michael collapsed and flinched away as she raised her first.

"Enough out of you. Apologize to the nice man and get your ass home!"

"But he-"

She stepped closer and he eeped. Without looking back, he scrambled to his feet and zipped down the street in a stumbling gait. Within seconds he was gone.

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Alex approached with an exasperated expression before smiling. "I'm sorry about him. He is an idiot but my friend would be heartbroken if her husband lost his life. Thank you again for sparing him."

Her smile highlighted a soft face and voluptuous lips. Her makeup was subtler than others, enough to add to her features without looking like some of the clowns in the upper ring. My eyes narrowed. The smile was natural, but her eyes failed to hide the apprehension. Even the exasperated expression from before was carefully controlled.

My tail slid underneath the rusty knife and flicked it into my hand. I twirled it between my fingers, copying one of Isaac's tricks to bounce it around. Her smile strained.

"He doesn't take care of his blade. I'm surprised he's married," I said after letting the silence drag long enough.

"He's an idiot but loyal. Not perfect, but people have their vices," she offered, her voice softening.

I spun the blade and grabbed the tip, presenting the handle to her. She nearly flinched but took the blade and deposited it in her apron.

"Hope the next person is as understanding," I said with a wave.

"Wait!" she shouted. I raised an eyebrow and she blushed. "Let me make it up to you. It's… the least I can do."

I raised my other eyebrow and she spun, gesturing toward the building behind her. "We may not have the best drinks for a noble at the Copper Shoe, but it's strong enough to burn on the way down!"

Inspecting the building revealed clues I had missed. The booze smell wasn't solely from the drunkard, but it permeated the air. That and the smell of vomit nearby. Now that I looked around, I was far from the usual clean and busy roads of the city. Only a smattering of people travelled down the road, and most wore plain clothes that looked comfortable. Nothing a peacock would wear.

This time a memory did flood in, of wild nights and short-lived young adult fun followed by holding a girl's hair back as her body rejected the medication.

"Well? What do you say? First round on the house?"

I was jolted out of the memory and hid my wince. Her expression slipped and she sighed.

"Sure," I said.

"Oh? Okay then! Follow me."

She bunched her apron and strutted to the door. Her hips swayed just enough for my eyes to catch it. When she saw met my gaze she winked and pushed the doors open. Sound exploded, as people's voices started to filter through.

I followed behind and she moved past the filled tables and headed for the bar. A big-bellied bearded man stood behind the counter, polishing a glass. He glared openly around the room but when he spotted Alex he grinned.

"Caught up to him quick, aye?" he shouted.

Alex winced. "Yeah, I did. If he went straight home, Lindy might actually let him in the house."

The man caught her slip and glanced toward me. Subtly, he shifted his posture and set one of the glasses behind the counter. He kept it there and grunted.

"She's too good for him."

"She is, but you know him. He's trying. Better here than somewhere else."

"Bah! We'll see how long the excuse holds up."

The air filled with awkward tension. Those nearest to the bar scooted away and turned their backs, not wanting to get caught in the argument.

Another memory teased itself to the front but it was barely scraps as a black void erased the majority of the scene.

Ignoring the hard look in the man's eyes, Alex put a hand on the bar and smiled. "Mug of Copper, for him, and a pale-red for me. Put it on my tab."

"Taking your break then?" the man said while glancing at me.

His arm twitched, but his face remained neutral.

"It's not too busy, so I might as well. There's enough soup and loaves for the night. The meat is ready whenever. I switched the rune to lowheat so they'll stay warm."

The man grunted and walked away. I smirked at the display, having caught the subtle exchange. Whatever they communicated, he had stopped channeling mana into the runes underneath the counter.

I sat down as he set our drinks and disappeared into the kitchen. The mug wafted chill air, the cup surprisingly cool. The copper-colored booze made my nose itch.

Alex took the seat beside me and cupped her own drink, sipping lightly.

"Well go on. It's rough but the burn is smooth."

If this is a poison attempt it's not exactly subtle. Zagreus should be able to heal me if she's stupid enough to try.

I sniffed, smelling something sweet like citrus. With a shrug, I took a sip and scrunched.

Alex laughed and took another sip of her own drink. "You handled that better then most. Not bad, huh?"

I licked the inside of my mouth and took another sip. "It's growing on me."

We kept sipping and I took in the room. The noise reminded me of the arena. People talking over each other, cheering and whispering alike. Most were men, sharing a drink and enjoying a meal. Some shady individuals sat in the corner using some kind of skill that made others ignore them.

Their mana control painted them as children.

Pathetic. Nothing like Vell…

"That's a scary expression," Alex said.

I frowned and took another sip. The burn lasted until it hit the middle of my throat and turned into soft tingling the rest of the way down. "Sorry. Was remembering something."

"A common sight in a place like this. Is it somebody you hate?"

"What makes you think that?" I said, noticing how close she leaned. Her shirt hung loosely, exposing smooth skin.

She traced a finger across the counter and met my eyes. "Mmm. People with your eyes tend to be angry at someone, rather than something. Although, they don't usually look as scary. I've never seen someone with eyes like rainbow fire."

My smile dropped and I started threading my mana. I aimed my tail at her throat and prepared to push off the stool.

"You can see through the illusion," I whispered. "Is this a setup? Really? The arena wasn't enough for you?"

Alex's breath hitched and she spilled her drink as she quickly raised her hands. "No! It's not what you think."

My eyes narrowed. "Then what is it?"

She swallowed and glanced around the room. People hadn't noticed yet, but she stared at where the barkeep had departed before lowering her hands slowly. My tail stayed poised, and she bit her lip. Her cheeks turning red.

Wait what?

"I have a skill," she whispered. "It let me sees through illusions. I wasn't trying to trick you, I promise!"

"I see…"

She did it again. What is she doing? A manipulation attempt?

"What are you doing? What's your game here?" I demanded.

She blushed and leaned in closer. I pressed my the tip of my tail into the wood near her leg but she opened her mouth and licked her lips.

Seriously, what is-

A new memory. Of a highschool party, some weekend during a holiday break. Dancing, drinks, strobing lights. The young man before me licked his lips and flexed under the gazes of the cheerleading team.

Oh.

"I… Offered to repay you for sparing my brother's life. I wasn't trying to trick you, I swear on the gods. I was-" she explained.

"Trying to seduce me?" I interrupted.

She chuckled, and the dim light of the room caught her makeup, adding a golden glow to her cheeks. "Well, it's rather obvious."

"I see," I said, standing up. "Thanks for the drink."

She grabbed my wrist and leaned in. "I don't know what you're running away from but I'm not a part of it. I'm not trying to seduce you as honeytrap. You're tense and I am too. Why not help each other?"

I glared and searched her eyes. She shivered and tightened her grip.

Strangely enough, I wasn't angry. Even if she was a part of some scheme and she was a very convincing actor, I wasn't mad about it. I should have been angry. Another annoying thing to take care of soon.

Soon… But not right now.

"Why?"

She cocked her head, momentarily surprised.

"Why?"

"Why would you want to sleep with me after I nearly killed your brother."

"We all have our problems," she said. "Handsome, clean, incredibly dangerous? Are you going to judge me for finding someone like you attractive?"

I laughed. "No, I guess not."

"So?"

I sighed and pulled up the system clock.

7:43 p.m.

The others can handle my absence for a bit longer. Turning to Alex, I took in her pretty face and shiny lips. With a sigh, I nodded. She downed her drink and lead me by the wrist to one of the upstairs rooms.

When she closed the door she pushed me onto the bed and turned around, a finger on the buttons of her blouse.

A new memory flashed but I crushed it and growled. She froze and jumped as my tail sliced upward. The halves of her dress split apart and hit the floor, exposing smooth yet tattooed skin. Her eyes lit up and she pounced, pinning me to the bed. The tattoos glowed and ozone filled the air as she channeled mana throughout her body. She paused, staring down, waiting.

"Can you keep up?" she teased.

Burning leaves, crushed metal. I smelled the gasoline and felt the tendrils squirm, forcing me to watch. Baring my fangs, I shattered the memory and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Let's see if you can," I whispered.

Nobody disturbed us for the rest of the night. The noise dampening runes embedded into the walls worked as they intended.

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