Embla tried to eat with gusto. Tried being the operative word here. These people did pay for her food after all. Even after she stole food from one of their own. Her red eyes lingered on the person sitting across from her; her red eyes piercing into his gold ones. The very person who tried to shoot her in the face with arrows over a hotdog. She grimaced. Why did she have to run into him of all the people in the Guild? Well, she thought about it and the chances were highly likely that she would. There was no way a normal person or even a knight could've moved like that back on the street.

Yuki looked between the two and clapped her hands, catching their attention. She smiled as they looked at her.

“So, why don’t we all introduce ourselves to our guest?” Yuki said. Whatever happened between those two was none of her business but…

Isn’t this tension a bit too much for a hotdog? Yuki smiled wryly.

“Right, I guess I’ll go first. My name is Red. Red Magdaros. I’m a swordsman from Alfheim. As for what I am, hehe, I am a Dragon,” Red said. He ran a hand through his spiky red hair before smiling brightly at her. He held out his other hand for a shake.

Embla nodded and accepted his handshake. He was nice. Not like a certain someone she had just met. Seriously, it was just a hotdog. Add to the fact that she barely met any dragons in Midgard. Most of them tended to stay in either Vanaheim or Alfheim. There were a few exceptions but that's where the dragon population tended to base themselves.

Yuki sighed in relief.

“My name is Pandora Izayoi. I’m a Half-Elf Priestess and the party healer! Pleased to meet you!” Pandora beamed brightly at her. Embla almost had to look away from her bright face. In fact, her face was so bright, Embla thought that she was looking at the sun itself. But she noticed something that bothered her just a little.

“You look like that psycho blonde? Are you two related or something?” she asked, sipping her drink.

“Oh… yeah! This idiot here is my twin brother,” Pandora said, wrapping her arms around her brother’s shoulder.

“Brother? Really? Who’s older?” Embla asked.

“We don’t really care about who’s older. We just take turns,” she said.

“Care to introduce yourself then, psycho blonde?” Embla deadpanned at the blonde boy who was now introduced as Pandora’s brother.

Yuki, Red, and Pandora looked between the two as they glared at each other. Red unto Gold, sparks flying between them. It was like watching an angry cat face off against a hawk. The cat being Embla and the hawk being the blonde boy.

“Caelum. Caelum Izayoi,” Caelum said, stuffing some food in his mouth.

“We just call him Cal,” Yuki said.

“So now that we’ve introduced ourselves? Are you going to tell us your name or do we have to keep asking Yuki who you are? Or do you really like being called Hot Dog Thief that much?” Caelum said.

Embla felt a vein pop inside her head at his words. “Embla. My name is Embla,” Embla said, looking at him dryly. Of course, she was going to introduce herself. What kind of person didn’t introduce themselves to someone they just met?

“What kind of idiot names their child El- OW!” He glared at his sister, who had her hand outstretched.

“No last name?” Pandora tilted her head in question.

“Feuerdrache.”

“Right, and you know me. We’ve met before. My name is Shirayuki Honokami but you can call me Yuki for short. I’m the party leader.” Yuki smiled and bowed in greeting.

This girl is definitely from Alfheim, Embla thought as she observed Yuki’s mannerisms.

“So Embla, what brings you to Yggdrasil?” Red asked.

“Well, I came here to see someone but that someone isn’t here right now,” she said, placing the spoon in her mouth. Her face lit up once more as she relished the taste of tavern food. She swallowed her food and returned her attention to them. “Now, I’m broke and have nowhere to stay.”

“That’s… not good. Wait, is that why you were staying in the woods?” Yuki shot up and slammed her hands on the table. Embla jumped and moved back a little as the fox girl leaned in and narrowed her eyes.

“Y- Well? No. I still had money at the time.” Embla scratched her cheek as she averted her gaze from the sanguine eyes of the white-haired girl in front of her.

“What happened to your money then?” Yuki sat back down.

“I spent it on food.” Embla smiled sheepishly.

“Is that why you stole my hotdog?” Cal asked, placing his hand on his chin. His yellow eyes scrutinized her face. Embla shrank a little.

What’s with that intense stare, she thought as she fumbled to find the right words. “Well, yeah. I didn’t have any money.”

“Where are you staying now?” Red asked.

“Well, I don’t know. I might just find somewhere warm to stay or ask the Guild if I can sleep in one of the storerooms for the night.” Embla placed a finger on her chin. Sleeping somewhere like a storeroom wasn’t new for her. She had occasionally broken into barns during her travels and slept in the loft. She had always left before the owners woke up and found her.

“Okay, okay! No, just no. You’re staying with us,” Pandora said. She looked at Embla with some pity in her eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like I’m some homeless person?” Embla asked.

“You kind of are,” Cal said.

“I’m not homeless! I’m just a traveler.” Embla sent him a sideways glance which morphed into a discreet sneer.

“Whatever the case may be, this is a good opportunity for me to repay you for helping me out back at Caine’s. I can’t in good conscience let you stay in the storeroom of the Guild,” Yuki said. Her face was filled with worry and some pity for the girl.

Embla was taken aback by her sincerity. She felt touched. No one had ever offered her lodging freely before.

Wait… aren’t I taking advantage of her? She looked at Yuki, who was waiting expectantly for her answer.

“It’s fine really. Annalise lets me stay there for free and brings me food and stuff,” Embla said. She was not going to take advantage of this woman’s kindness.

“No, no, it’s fine really.” Yuki grasped the ravenette’s hand with bright eyes. Embla found herself caving at such a bright and hopeful expression. She didn’t need to be psychic to know that Yuki wanted her to stay with them.

“Are you sure we can even accommodate her? The place we bought out isn’t exactly the roomiest of places,” Cal said, sipping juice from his cup.

“I’m going to have to agree with Cal on this one.” Pandora looked at Yuki with a guilty look on her face. “We are sort of out of rooms. We only got three bedrooms with you and Red sharing a room and Cal and I took the other two rooms.”

“She can sleep with you then.” Yuki didn’t even spare her a glance as she continued to look Embla in the eye. Embla kept feeling herself grow smaller. Yuki’s stare was akin to a compressor of some sort. Whatever pressure she generated with that stare did not belong to the average Joe.

Are all people from Alfheim like this? Come to think of it, Koji’s stare is like that too, she thought as she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face.

“Alright, alright. Yuki, you’re making the girl uncomfortable with your staring,” Red said, patting her on the back.

“Huh? Oh… sorry.” Yuki sat down with an embarrassed look on her face. “So, will you take us up on our offer? You don’t have to stay long. Just until whoever it is you’re waiting for comes back.”

“Or if she gets enough money to rent a room here at the Guild instead of asking Annalise to give her a sack to sleep on in the storeroom,” Cal said.

“Those sacks are comfortable mind you. It’s better than sleeping in a tree.” Embla crossed her arms as she locked eyes with Cal. Metaphorical sparks flew between the two as they held their gazes on each other.

“Okay, okay. Don’t fight you two.” Red sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Was this going to be one of those nights? He thought as he looked at the two with a less than amused gaze. More often than not, he was the one cleaning up after the twin’s messes and now a third party was here who had beef with Cal. He could only imagine what the damage would be if those two fought.

“You know what? I think I will take you up on that offer, Yuki.” Embla smirked at Cal, whose look of irritation grew upon hearing those words.

“Really? You will?” Yuki asked, clasping her hands in happiness. Pandora and Red looked at her like she was stupid. Like she hadn’t just witnessed the growing tension between Embla and Cal.

“Yeah. I will if you’ll have me.”

“Great! Follow us!” Yuki hummed a happy song as she left a large sum of money on the table and promptly dragged the poor huntress out the door. The others looked at each other and shrugged. Pandora and Cal followed after them while Red stayed behind and paid the right amount.

The place where Yuki and her party were staying was mediocre, to say the least. No, it wasn’t mediocre. It was below average compared to other houses she had seen even in the most remote parts of Midgard. The house looked like it wasn’t up to health and safety code. The lawn was overgrown with grass and she swore she could smell and hear several dangerous creatures scuttling around in the overgrowth. The porch, while clean, looked like it would collapse in on itself at any moment. One of the outdoor shutters on the window was loose and flapping slightly in the breeze. A strong wind would be able to knock it over no problem. At least the door was the only thing that appeared to be in working condition. Embla could only gape slightly at the house.

Like other houses on the block, this house was two stories. She could easily guess that the first floor was used for day to day activities while the second floor was used for rest and privacy. Embla absentmindedly noted the flower pots that sat on the porch of the house as she followed the others inside.

“Sorry if it looks… dilapidated. We’ve had a hard time getting funds to buy the necessary supplies to fix this place up,” Red said as he fished for the key inside his pocket.

“Yeah, damn Celestial Force,” Cal muttered under his breath, “Taking up all the good-paying quests.”

“Is that why Yuki was at Caine’s?” Embla looked between each of them.

“More or less,” Yuki said as she gestured for them to all walk inside.

It was nicer on the inside. A living room was located on the right as soon as she walked. The room was fairly large. The wallpaper could’ve been better though. It was an aging blue but the carpet and furniture were the redeeming qualities of this entire room.

Cal walked past them and collapsed on one of the couches. He picked up the remote that sat on the arm of the chair he sat on and pressed a button. A thin projected light screen popped up from a small box on the TV stand.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen TV…” Embla smiled as a rush of memories from her childhood came to the forefront of her mind. She turned and followed after Yuki, who had disappeared down the hall while Red and Pandora remained in the living room with Cal.

“This is the kitchen,” Yuki said as she walked over to the sink and began to wash her hands.

The kitchen was what Embla expected a kitchen to look like.

“Well, are you ready? I need to show you where Pandora’s room is. You two will be bunking together. We can get you a bed tomorro-” Yuki’s words were interrupted by Embla.

“Actually, I brought a sleeping bag with me because I kind of expected to be sleeping in the storeroom. I can just set it up on the floor in Pandora’s room,” Embla said. She didn’t need Yuki to spend money on her. After all, she had already paid Embla back by letting her stay with them.

“Are you sure?” Yuki asked, leaning on the sink.

“Yeah, besides, I won’t be here that long. Just a few weeks while I wait for that person to come back.” Embla waved off her concern with a smile.

“Right. This way,” Yuki said as she led Embla back down the hall and up the stairs. “Please mind the bucket. It just rained here a few days ago and we keep forgetting to dump it out.”

Embla nodded and looked up to see a leak in the ceiling. She gingerly stepped around the bucket on the stairs and followed the white-haired fox to the second floor. The pair walked until they reached a room two doors down the hall. It was the room on their right and before the master bedroom where Embla assumed Yuki and Red stayed in.

“This is Pandora’s room. The bathroom is across the hall and you can just set your bags down in there,” Yuki said, opening the door.

“I’ll make myself comfortable then.” Embla looked at her gratefully and walked in.

“I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be downstairs if you need me and Embla?”

The girl looked up at her upon hearing the mention of her name. She stopped rolling out her sleeping bag and looked at Yuki expectantly.

“Thank you for saving me from that Sabyr back at Caine’s,” Yuki said.

“You’re welcome. I’d do it again if it happened,” Embla said.

Pandora was a heavy sleeper. The girl had come in, dressed in her nightclothes two hours after Yuki had left. Embla was finished with her nightly ritual and was prepared to become a human burrito when the elf came in. The elf greeted her warmly and said that if she needed anything, all Embla needed to do was wake her up.

That being said, Embla rolled in her sleeping bag as she shimmied her way to her bag to get her earplugs. Yes, Pandora Izayoi had a set of lungs on her and could snore a storm. After grabbing and putting them on, she lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. The light of the Moon shone through the window illuminating the room.

I hope you get here soon, Kojiro. Embla thought as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

It had been a few days since Embla had been invited by Yuki to stay with them while she waited for Koji. Needless to say, this was the best Embla had had so far in all her years since she left Hnitborg.

Yuki and Pandora were kind to her and she had gotten on fast with them. They were the first girls aside from Annalise and Lili that were kind and friendly to her. The first girls since her older sister to be worried about her.

Red was someone who she thought she would never get along with but she often found herself helping him and Pandora in the kitchen. Embla could honestly admit that his food was indeed to die for.

As for Cal, or as she liked to call him, Psycho Archer, the two were on thin ice at best. Constantly on thin ice. The two walked eggshells around each other and sent the other dirty looks. The incident with the hotdog and the subsequent fight was not forgotten nor will be.

She sighed as she put her boots on. Today, she was going to be her own independent person. If there was one thing Embla hated more, it was leeching off other people. She was so used to providing for herself that having other people give her food was making her feel uneasy.

“Time to go find a job.” Embla clenched her fist as she walked out of her and Pandora’s shared room. Upon getting downstairs, she heard the others in the kitchen and decided to leave them be. She had told Yuki and Pandora that she was going to go see if she could find a job at the guild to take on.

“How long has it been since I made any new friends?” Embla absentmindedly thought out loud to herself as she walked out of the house and onto the street. It was like any other day in this city. Loud. Annoying. Too stuffy. She sighed as she made her way down to the Guild, which was surprisingly close.

Upon arriving, Embla sauntered over to the front desk. The woman sitting at the front was the same woman who had always helped her whenever she was in the city. The blonde hair was tied in a ponytail as she heard the satisfying clicks and clacks of the mechanical keyboard.

Embla rang the bell to catch her attention. The woman looked from her screen and stopped typing upon seeing her. The blue eyes lit up with recognition and happiness.

“Embla, it’s been a while. You usually don’t come into Yggdrasil for two months or so. You’re kind of ahead of schedule.” The woman checked the calendar a few times then looked back at Embla.

“Yeah, I’m not supposed to be here until Siv but Koji told me to meet him here,” she said.

“Oh. Well, what did you find out?” she asked.

“Nothing yet… the man isn’t here in the city, Annalise. Like, he left a few days before I got here! Now, I’m a sitting duck with no money. Luckily this party found me and offered to have me stay with them until he’s back.” Embla leaned on the counter as she aired her grievances to Annalise. The woman merely laughed and smiled.

“Sounds like a nice party. Are you sure they’re not taking advantage of a young lady all alone?” Annalise asked.

“No. I saved one of their members so they felt like they owed me or something. Anyway, I need some money. Are there any requests from a party? A guide maybe?” Embla asked.

“Well, there is one group that’s taking a quest out somewhere I think you might be familiar with.” Annalise’s fingers moved so fast that Embla thought she broke the light barrier.

“Which area? Is it in Midgard because I’m more familiar with the places here than in any other country,” Embla said.

“Yes, it is. It’s in the Hinterlands.” Annalise clicked something and the printer whirred to life next to her. She grabbed the paper and handed it to Embla.

“Zero stars? This party is zero stars?” Embla looked up at the woman with some measure of shock written all over her face.

“Unfortunately, but they aren’t a zero star party in terms of combat prowess. I think… I’d like to hope they’re not but they’ve come back from every quest so far unharmed,” Annalise said.

“Your score system really sucks if it places supposedly strong party like them at zero stars.” Embla read the paper over.

Request for Guide

Requirements: Guide must know the geography of the Ancient Pines, ranging from local flora to fauna as well as sources of water and places to camp. The guide must also have basic combat training as required by the constraints of the quest.

Party Requesting: Memento Mori

Will discuss payment details at the front gate on the day of.

“Didn’t you live around there?” Annalise asked. “You and your sister?”

“Yeah, a long time ago. I might visit the Old Man and his wife while I’m there then.” Embla handed the paper back to her. “I’ll take on that request.”

“Let me stamp it. And pull your card out so I can add this to your log,” Annalise said. Embla nodded and pulled her card out.

Zero stars? Looks like I’ll be doing all the defending, Embla thought. A zero-star party was considered the lowest of the low but that was where everyone started. At least, everyone who was part of a party. Solo adventurers were treated differently but that’s for a different time. The party system of the Guild was based on Stars with five being the highest and zero being the lowest. Every party started at zero stars but advanced through the difficulty of missions and recognition by the guild of their efforts. As far as she knew, most parties only ever ended up as a three or four-star party at the most. Five-star parties were very rare to find.

“Here you go. The party is heading out today actually. They’re planning to leave a little after noon so you have time to catch up to them,” Annalise said.

“Great! Thanks!” Embla ran out the door with the paper in hand. She ran all the way back to the house and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Yuki opened the door.

“Oh, did you find a job?” Yuki asked.

“Yeah, I have to meet the clients down at the gate by noon,” Embla said.

“Oh, what a coincidence! We’re heading out at noon too!” Yuki clapped her hands together.

“Quest?” Embla asked.

“Yeah, we finally managed to snag a decently ranked one before the others could. Oh! I should let you pack! Come in!”

Embla nodded and ran up to her and Pandora’s room. She rolled up her sleeping bag, grabbed all of her recently washed clothes, and checked her bag’s inventory. After seeing that everything was in working order, she strapped her swords to her waist and walked down the stairs.

“So you got a job huh? Here I was thinking that there was no party crazy enough to take you on.” Embla looked and saw Cal leaning on the wall with an infuriating look in his eye. She glared and was about to spit fire at this blonde when Yuki and the others showed up.

“Ready?” Yuki asked the two. They shrank at the pressure she was putting off and nodded.

The walk down to the gates of Yggdrasil was a very lively one. Yuki noted that Cal was being far more expressive than usual. Of course, this primarily manifested itself in the form of…

“If you keep stuffing your face like that, I’m going to have to call you a squirrel.”

“Shut up. I’m really hungry! Besides, I’m carbo-loading.”

“I’m just saying if you keep eating like that, you’ll get fat.”

“...”

“Ow! Did you just scratch me!? And.. did you hiss!?”

“Quiet down you two.” Red looked over his shoulder and saw Embla and Cal giving each other dirty looks.

“So where’s this party of yours?” Cal asked, looking around.

Embla looked at him dryly before looking around. Was he implying that she got scammed? Her?

“They’ll be here soon. We still have three minutes before noon,” Embla said, scanning the flow of people coming in and out of the city, either via carriages or by walking.

“What is the party name? Maybe we can point you in the right direction.” Pandora began looking around as well.

“Oh right! Um, let’s see. The party’s name is…” Embla took out the rolled-up paper from her pack and read the name. “Memento Mori.”

Cal almost choked on his own spit while Pandora’s eyes widened. Red smiled. Yuki walked up to Embla and grabbed her hands, a bright smile appearing on her face. The elated look she had on almost blinded Embla had she not averted her gaze on time.

“Is… is that someone you know?” Embla asked hesitantly as Yuki’s grip grew tighter.

“No! We are Memento Mori,” Cal said.

“Wait… what?”