The night after the sun appeared in the sky was a hectic one at the bar.

Admittedly, every night at the bar was fairly hectic. Having only two attractions to entertain hundreds meant that most people spent their time filling up on booze and then sweating it out in the bathhouse.

Still, when the permanent darkness that permeated the air finally disappeared, in its place came a certain level of liveliness. Everyone that came that night was drunk before even having a drop to drink, and more customers had come than could remotely fit into the two-storied building.

Although, can’t really call them “customers” anymore, now can I? She still couldn’t believe she’d done it, but a while back, Nadja had made the call to stop charging people for drinks. It wasn’t really out of the goodness of her heart: It was more so that people just didn’t have the coin. No one in the city was physically getting paid, after all, so they had no way of replacing any money they spent.

Even then, some people insisted on giving her tips with whatever money they’d brought with them. With Elphaea not caring for a cut, it was surprisingly good money regardless.

Strangely enough, though, she realized she probably would still work behind the bar even without the tips. Considering how much money had always been on her mind back in Ftheran, it was a bizarre sensation to have.

Part of that (a big part, admittedly) was that she didn’t actually need the money while she was here.

Past that, though, the truth was, she was having fun.

While she was convinced that half of them were lying, the fighters always came in with stories to tell. The builders were a familiar slice of home. The shadows were a peek into a lifestyle she knew nothing about. All enjoyed a good drink, and all filled the beautiful forest bar with their own brand of warmth.

The experience she was earning with her class certainly helped too.

So all in all, she was largely happy.

And yet…

She closed the bar that night to many whines and groans from those who would drink well into the morning if she let them. Once everyone had been coaxed from the bar and back towards their houses, however, she made her way to the bar’s second story and slumped to the floor.

It was calming there. She watched the stars through the trellised roof, breathing in the crisp night air. Still, though, her anxiety percolated upwards, breaking out of the thin walls of the cage she kept it in.

She breathed deep breaths. Out and in and out and-

“Is something disturbing you, child?”

Gods- Nadja’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest as the unexpected voice sounded from right beside her. When am I going to get used to that?

A face pulled itself out of one of the tree trunks that made up the corners of the room. The dryad looked down at where Nadja lay, ferned brows pushed together.

She strongly considered just denying it. An ancient forest nymph likely had better things to do than listen to her problems.

But, well, she was asking, wasn’t she? And in a manner of speaking, it did kind of concern her.

“I’m… I’m enjoying myself. For now. But I don’t really know what happens next,” she admitted. “Everyone’s only here for a short while, and then they all go home, and… I don’t know what to do. It feels like this is just a short break before I end up being lost again.”

It was something she’d been thinking about near constantly as the days passed. Even more so now that the sky had cleared up — to her knowledge, that had been the goal of this entire settlement in the first place. Now that it was done, the city’s days — and thus her days at the bar — were numbered.

Elphaea pulled more of her body from the tree, leaning out above where Nadja lay. “You will not go back with your people? You came from Ftheran, did you not?”

She hadn’t really explained her entire situation to the dryad. There hadn’t been much of a reason to, but… “No. Definitely not. Ftheran isn’t… isn’t home for me anymore.”

In some sense, having Tess be Emer’Thalis’s settlement owner put the final nail in that coffin. There had already been some thieves who’d wondered if she’d purposefully helped Tess steal the scepter. What would they do to her if they found out she’d run off to join Tess in her city and had been given a swanky new job?

Sure, that’s not actually how it had gone, but it would look that way, wouldn’t it?

And besides, she had nothing left for her in Ftheran. And especially considering how much she’d always wanted to leave some day, going back now would feel like defeat.

“So then go with fighters back to Drawgin,” Elphaea replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Nadja laughed at the sheer absurdity of it. “Elphaea, it’s a fighting city. Everyone there eats, breathes, and sleeps fighting. They would never even let me in.”

The dryad hummed deeply, a sound that seemed to bounce off each leaf in the forest and echo into the night. “I think you are likely mistaken, young one. You are known to them. You think if you came back to the city with hundreds of fighters vouching for you, they would not give you leave to enter? If they enjoy you bartending here, I am sure they would enjoy it there as well.”

Huh. Was it actually that easy? Just… show up with them? Try to find a bar that would take her? It was possible, she supposed, although it still felt kind of wishy washy.

“And if I am wrong,” the dryad continued, “you would have a home with the shadows. They are not keen on outsiders, but it is a rule they have recently broken once, and they will listen if I ask it of them. And failing that, this bar is always open to you should you need a roof over your head. I have recently discovered that I may be trapped here for some time, and providing food for a single human would be no burden…”

If the dryad’s words about Drawgin had surprised Nadja, her words now took her aback by several leagues more. She’d let me just live here? Indefinitely? And she’d get the shadows to let me move in with them too?

It wasn’t an offer she expected to accept: As much as she wanted new experiences, the idea of Nadja suddenly becoming a forest dweller was almost comical to her. Can you imagine me hunting? Stabbing a giant spider with a spear?

She chuckled at the image. Maybe if she hadn’t taken the Bartender class, but…

Still, she had to admit that even having the option on the table helped to take away some of her fears.

But, well… Not all of them, she realized.

“What if I get kicked out? Of the city, I mean. I don’t think Tess really wants me here…” It would be one thing to go to Drawgin alongside all of the fighters. If she was asked to leave before then, though, she wasn’t really sure what she’d do.

Elphaea snorted, the sound somehow still musical while stirring up a small breeze. “Yes, I do believe you tried to kill her, young one.” She chuckled. “In all seriousness though, even were she to have the gall to attempt to force out my only employee, I imagine she would face a coup if she tried.”

Nadja laughed, but fell silent as the dryad continued to stare at her, deadpan. “You’re not serious, are you?”

Elphaea arched a single brow upwards. “Am I not? I confess that I do not leave the forest oft enough — and in fact, no longer can leave the forest enough — to be the best judge of this settlement’s social pulse. From what I have gathered, however, it would be safe to say that you are the most widely known and popular inhabitant. And that is including the Pr-” She stopped herself before correcting whatever she’d been about to say. “Pardon. The settlement owner.”

Nadja’s eyes went wide at that. She couldn’t actually mean that, could she?

But then again, she certainly had talked to quite a lot of people lately. And there were really only two attractions in the city. Hells, the bathhouse didn’t even have someone who ran it. With the self-cleaning enchantment, it just needed someone to throw some wood into the furnace. On top of that, especially since she’d hit the Charisma threshold, she’d been finding it practically second nature to spark up conversations.

Shit. I probably am the most well known person here now. How had that happened?

With that realization, she could feel as the last of her anxiety melted away. It was a good feeling, to be honest. Better than good. Something she’d always kind of been missing.

The thieves guild had been important to her. They’d helped her. She owed them a lot, and she doubted she’d ever forget that.

But she’d never really felt that needed. Or even that strongly wanted.

At first a pity project. Then a sort of pet. And finally, someone to serve them. They hadn’t lorded it over her. Hadn’t tried to make her feel like she was under them. And yet. It had always been there, lingering in the air.

But that was gone here. She was, somehow, really having fun. She was getting to know everyone. They looked forward to chatting with her. Telling her new stories. (And on a few occasions, somewhat drunkenly asking her out.)

She didn’t delude herself into thinking they’d cry themselves to sleep if she left, but at the very least, she was starting to feel wanted here.

“You know. I feel a lot better now. Thank you.”

Elphaea smiled and began to recede back into her tree. “I am happy to help, young one. Now, it is late. Sleep well, and I will see you on the morrow.”

The following day of work saw Nadja in much higher spirits. As was her usual way, she slept in late, and before starting any work for the day, she went off to get a bit of practice in.

That was one of the unexpected pros of Emer’Thalis: It was easy to work on her music skills here. Having lived on the bottom floor of a house, tightly packed together with others above and to her sides, she’d always run the risk of bothering someone with the noise.

Not here. It was a fairly simple matter to wander off and find a stretch of ruins far enough away from everyone to play with abandon. She’d brought a number of smaller instruments with her on leaving, and today she opted to practice with her flute for a time.

When she deemed it time, she packed up and made her way to the bar. She usually opened right after lunch, closed for a few hours, and then opened back up later in the day.

After opening, customers streamed in as they always did, a few having even been waiting for her. By their nature, the lunch hours were never quite as packed as the later ones, but that suited her just fine.

Another customer entered, an older gentleman with a finely styled white mustache. His face seemed familiar for a second, but she couldn’t place it. The curse of having so many new faces come in and out each day.

She called out to him as he strode up to the bar. “Hello, hello! What can I getcha? Wine, shine, or water?”

He beamed at her, showing off a set of shiny white teeth. “Hello! I’m aware this may perhaps be a touch of an unusual request, but I was wondering if it would be possible to steal one of your wine bottles to go. I would, of course, be more than happy to pay for such a thing.”

Weird. I really do swear that I remember his face from somewhere. Well, whatever. “Hate to say no, but you’re out of luck, friend. Already hard enough keeping hundreds of people drunk. Can’t have everyone running off with the goods.” The speed at which Elphaea could make wine was unreal, but she was hardly pumping out enough for people to take home a personal bottle.

The man stroked at his mustache, pulling it downwards to match the curl of his lips. “That’s quite unfortunate. If there’s nothing to be done, then there’s nothing to be done, but is there any way I could perhaps sway you? I have a friend who hasn’t had a drink in quite some time who is sorely in need of one. I’m afraid she struggles greatly with crowds and noisy environments though, and I was hoping to surprise her with a bottle.”

Huh. Was he friends with someone from Ftheran? She wouldn’t have guessed it was possible to be a fighter if you couldn’t handle loud environments, but then again, what did she know?

Eh. One bottle probably can’t hurt. She was right about to cave when it at last hit her.

Wait. I do remember him! He was one of the people who’d walked into the bar with Tess! And while she wasn’t going to hold it against him — after all, she’d been in a similar boat not too long ago herself — she did reconsider his request.

He’s trying to get some wine for a friend. And that friend is someone who apparently doesn’t want to come here and grab it for herself…

Damn. I should be a detective.

“You should tell her to swing by when I grab my after-lunch break! Would be happy to help her out when there’s no one else around and it’s not so noisy.” Let’s see how he feels about that one, then.

To his credit, the man’s smile didn’t falter. “I’m sure she’d appreciate that greatly, though I must confess, I was hoping to surprise her. This is, ah, a touch embarrassing, but it would be a gift for a lady friend, if you catch my meaning. To be enjoyed under the stars now that they’re out.”

For a second, she almost bought into it. I’m not keeping grandpa here from getting some, am I? She shook her head. A man his age had had a lifetime to train up his Deception skill. She wasn’t getting played here.

“Ahh, a romantic. Well, tell you what. For all I know, you could be yanking my chain and just trying to grab a bottle for poker night with the boys, and while I have nothing against that, I just don’t have enough to be giving it out to everyone who wants a bottle of their own.” As was often the case, the best way to lie was with the truth. “If you wanted to swing by with your lady friend at closing time, though, I’d be happy to pour you both a glass and maybe leave you the bottle. Great date. Could even sit on the second floor and look at the stars together.”

If he’s not lying to me, I’ll even do it. Not that much work on my part.

Much as he expected though, the man seemed to flag. “Ah, I appreciate that. I do. It’s just- I don’t want her to feel like it’s too much. It’s a kind offer, but-”

That just about confirmed it for her.

She grabbed a bottle of wine from behind the bar and then shouted out. “Elphaea! Taking care of something! Be back soon!” She wasn’t sure if the dryad was listening in, but it couldn’t hurt to at least try to tell her boss when she was skipping out. She turned to a few random customers as well. “You. I’m hopping out for a second. If Elphaea doesn’t come, make sure no one takes anything.” It wouldn’t do to come back to a suddenly unstocked bar, after all.

With that, she made her way from behind the bar and headed towards the door.

Bewildered, the white-haired man followed after her. “Excuse me, but might I ask where you’re going with that bottle of wine?”

Good question, actually. “Well, I still have no idea where her tent is. But it sounds like there’s a pretty good chance you’re here because she asked you to grab her a bottle, yeah? Which I’m guessing means she’s somewhere waiting for you and probably not in her tent.” A little bit of guesswork, but seems like a good bet. “Not like there’s many places to check, so… Probably the dining area? Maybe the bathhouse if that’s a bust.” She left the bar behind her, walking briskly through the woods.

“Oh dear,” said the man.

Well, that just about confirms it.

“Might I potentially dissuade you from this course of action?” he pleaded. “While I will admit to not knowing the full story, I am aware that you two are not on the best of terms. However, I was doing this as a favor, as she’s had quite a traumatic couple of days, and-”

“Great! If she’s had all this big bad trauma, then I’m sure seeing little old me won’t be a problem for her! Glad we could clear that up.”

He groaned. Seeing the sheer level of exasperation of the old guy made her feel a touch bad — he wasn’t the one she had an issue with — but so be it.

“Are you confident this is truly the course of action you wish to be taking? If I recall, you seemed to try to strike her on your last meeting, and if I further recall, the Lady Dryad appeared most displeased.” He pivoted to a new line of attack, but it fell on deaf ears.

“Relax. I’m not going to try to kill her... this time. I’ll use my words, honest. I’m sure Elphaea will be thrilled.” Nice that they built the bar so close to everything. Just a liiittle bit longer.

To this, the man simply sighed.

“Well, I tried. I do apologize for this, dear, but while I will not stop you, I do feel that I have an obligation to at least forewarn her…”

With that, he took off, moving at a far faster clip than she would have thought possible for someone of that age.

“Mother-” She started sprinting after him. There was no way Tess was disappearing on her this time.