Chapter 102: A Date
The next morning came slowly, with the kind of warmth only quiet victories bring. Sunlight filtered through the stone windows of the Elandra Guild dormitory, casting long stripes across the floor where a pair of boots sat—muddy, worn, and finally unmoving.
Inigo stirred in his bed, blinking against the golden light as he sat up. For once, his muscles didn’t ache from battle, and the air didn’t carry the tension of an impending mission. It was quiet. Peaceful. The kind of morning most adventurers forgot could exist.
He stood, stretched, and grabbed a shirt off the back of a chair. His jacket hung nearby, but today, he left it behind. No armor either—just a simple white tunic and dark pants. Civilian clothes. A rare treat.
Outside his room of the inn, he checked in as he wouldn’t want to get his own place be dirtied, the streets was just beginning to wake. Staff swept the halls, clerks yawned as they checked their boards, and the faint scent of bread drifted in from the lower kitchen. Most of the patrons were still asleep.
He headed down to the courtyard, boots scuffing lightly against the stone floor, and found Lyra already waiting by the fountain. She was wearing a loose brown blouse, her bow nowhere in sight for once. Her hair was tied up messily, and she looked more relaxed than he’d seen her in months.
"You’re late," she said as he approached.
"You said morning," Inigo replied. "This still counts."
She handed him a paper cup. "Coffee. Strong. No sugar."
He took it and took a sip. "Tastes like a punch to the throat."
"Exactly how it should be," she grinned.
They didn’t speak for a moment, just leaned against the edge of the fountain and watched the rising sun spill over the rooftops of Elandra. Merchants were setting up their stalls in the distance. Guards walked their routes in the outer circle of the city. Normalcy, for once, looked real.