”You’re sure you don’t want the job? You need the money, don’t you?”

Faris ran his finger across the bar’s counter, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. ”Aye. I fear it might be a tad too much of a danger for me.”

The barkeeper blinked in surprise. “A danger? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that from you before.”

”Well…” Faris bit his tongue before giving the man a fierce look. ”Now, don’t go getting the wrong idea! I’m not turning soft or anything! It’s just…” He shook his head. ”I’ve got someone to look after now. She wouldn’t leave my side if I asked her to, and I wouldn’t. I don’t want to go throwing her to the wolves just yet.”

”Ah.” The barkeeper nodded his understanding. ”A new girlfriend?”

Faris’ eyes sharpened. ”My sister.” His voice carried an undertone of something deadly, and the barkeep tensed before nodding faster.

”Right, right. My mistake.”

Faris sighed. Living as a team was more complicated than he’d imagined.

The last few weeks had been some of his best since he’d been stranded in this place. Before that, he’d lacked a purpose but to wander about doing odd jobs and chasing demons that had fled long ago. It was an easy life, but a lonely one and the toll had started to wear on him in time. He’d longed for his old friends back in Bal and Tycoon, and just when he’d needed most it, he’d found her. Lenna. His sister.

”Aye, well thanks for the tips. I’ll be seeing you again before long I think.” Faris slid off the stool, shoving his loose hair back roughly behind his ear. The barkeeper gave him a slightly surprised look as he moved to go.

”Nothing to drink this time?” he asked and Faris twitched.

”Not today,” he said even as his tongue ached for the thick burn of liquor. ”Not in the mood, I suppose. Another time?” The barkeeper told him he understood and waved him goodbye as Faris touched at his coin purse, mentally counting the remainder under his breath.

They had enough for one more night at the inn -- maybe two. A mercenary who couldn’t fight was about as good as a pirate who couldn’t steal. In other words, useless.

His feet were heavy as he trudged up the stairs to their rented room. He’d found a nicer inn for her than he was used to, but that made it more expensive. Faris scowled at the unchipped paint, at the staircases that didn’t sag, at the clean windows and the metal frames free of rust. Their money would’ve lasted longer if he only had to worry about himself, but with Lenna along…

No. She deserved better than that. Faris could deal with anything so long as he had a wall to sleep against, but Lenna…

He opened the door and searched for her out of instinct. After a moment, he found her sitting by the table with a spoon in one hand and a paper in the other. Faris brightened at the very sight of her and trudged forward throwing a chair around so he could sit with his arms folded on its back. ”Aye, you’re awake!” he said with a grin. ”Sorry if you missed me. I thought to get a head start on the morning. Things to do and all that.” He rubbed at the back of his neck before glancing at her again. ”I see you’ve gotten everything settled yourself. What’re you reading about there?” Faris let his chin rest on his folded arms. ”Anything interesting?”

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Lenna offered him food before she did anything else. Even without her memory, Faris was always astounded by the depths of her kind heart -- whether it was small gestures for a friend, throwing herself into the fire for strangers, or even trudging through a mountain for the sake of a dragon. Faris smiled to himself at her offer. ”Maybe a little,” he said even though his stomach felt nearly hollow. ”Don’t worry yourself about it.”

Lenna slid to his side and wrapped her arms around him in a casual, almost natural embrace. Faris blinked at the touch but then patted her back, smiling sheepishly at her small show of compassion. This kind of touch wasn’t something he was used to -- not even with his own sister -- but he couldn’t deny it made him feel a little warmer inside. As Lenna pulled away, he couldn’t help the surge of affection that swelled in his chest just watching her.

Lenna was too kind for the harsh world they lived in. Faris would never let any harm fall upon her.

Lenna touched at the paper she’d been reading, tilting her head thoughtfully. ”Aye. I think I saw a few things that could help us out,” she said. ”Someone is paying quite good to remove some bandits and monsters. I think we could take care of it rather easily.”

”Bandits?” Faris sat upright, eyebrows raised. ”You’re sure you’re-? I’ll take care of it myself! You don’t have to do a thing! I’d only be gone a few days at most, and you’ve yet to master the lot of your crystals!” Something fluttered in the pit of his stomach. He'd known this would come eventually. Lenna had never been the type to just sit around and wait for everything to be done for her. While he’d always admired her determination, Faris couldn’t help but curse it now.

For all the ways that this Lenna was the same, she wasn’t the Warrior of Light she’d once been. She could still call on a few powers when she needed them (the dancer class, for instance), but she’d lost that finesse and power that had fought toe to toe with him against that fiend Exdeath. She just didn’t have the same experience anymore, and a fighter without experience was nothing more than a dullard waving about a sword.

”Have you been practicing your magic? Your jobs? Which of the crystals’ve you managed by now? I don’t think there should be a ’we’ in this until you’ve got something that could keep the wolves at bay.” Even as he questioned her, she’d already drifted towards their small kitchen nook and was cooking again. Making it for him. His stomach turned.

If anything hurt her, he swore on all the high seas of two worlds and back he’d make them pay.

Lenna turned the conversation back to him and Faris crossed his arms, still seated with his legs stretched around the back of the dining chair. ”I was looking for work,” he admitted. ”It’s something I need to get done, but I still don’t know if you’re ready for it. There’s a lot more to a brawl than just slinging your spells about or your blade for that matter. And if something goes wrong…” Faris gave Lenna a dark look. ”It’s not something I want for you.”

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Faris bit at the nail on his thumb. ”You’ve taken a knack to white magic?” he said cautiously before fixing her with a serious look. ”What level of cure’ve you got? What about protect, shell, esuna? And when you say you’ve been helping people…?” He let out a low sigh. No, he couldn’t question her. Not like this. If she said she’d been practicing then she’d been practicing and he’d be a fool to doubt it. Of course she’d take the white mage class first. Lenna had always been a healer at heart. She loved everything too much not to.

His sister scooped up a plate of the eggs she’d been frying and placed it in front of Faris like it was nothing. Faris glanced at it before looking back at her. She had a spatula in her hand now and did a few practiced jabs at it like she was sporting a sword instead, and Faris couldn’t help a low chuckle under his breath. ”You’ve got a way of convincing a man,” he said before hesitantly picking at the eggs with his fingers. ”You can help...Aye. I keep forgetting that I’m not alone here anymore.”

She went on to offer to take some menial jobs here and there. Waitressing or washing dishes of the like, but those were no jobs for someone with her compassion and drive. Keeping her cooped up here, ”It would be like walling you off from your own destiny,” Faris muttered to himself. No matter his intentions, he had to let her go eventually. The fates would decide what happened next, but at least Lenna could say that she’d made her own choices.

Faris gave another laugh before shaking his head. ”There’s no keeping you from it, is there?” He looked up at her, and for the first time that morning, his grin was genuine. ”Aye then. Let’s do it together as we’re meant to. You and me, the royal sisters of Tycoon! We’ll be legends before you know it!” Faris sat up straighter and started into the eggs with a renewed vigor. If they were to get paid soon, he might as well strengthen himself enough for the job.

”So tell me the rest! What’s the story of this job and where’re we going? We’ll set out as soon as we’re able!”

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