“Bullshit.”

Stiri raised a brow as he watched the young bard across the table from him young lady with short hair and a round face. A glance at the half-blank paper before her told Stiri that she had stopped writing a while ago.

“It’s not.” Stiri said, trying to maintain that same cool manner he had presented this entire time.

“Alright, well, if it is, I notice that you’re very much alive right now.”

“Well… I didn’t die.” Stiri said, taking a sip of the tea that he had ordered eariler, “I just.. passed out. I got better.”

“Yeah, that’s another thing.” She takes the other pages and flips through them, the charcoal smudging as she does, “How many times did you pass you in all this? I lost count.”

“Me too.” Stiri said, ignoring the light flush that rose to his cheeks, “But-“

“But nothing! You don’t have to tell every moment of a story!”

“I didn’t; I skipped in places-“

“You jumped around this whole thing like a confused rabbit.” She said. She tossed the papers aside. Was this even worth saving? COULD she save it? She was more angry at the time she had wasted in recording this. “I came here to get a good story-“

“I gave you a good story.”

“-About the assassin who saved magic. I wanted the truth!”

“I gave you the truth.”

“You didn’t!” She tapped the papers impatiently, “none of this makes sense! Nobody has any reason to do what they do! I mean, why did Christen follow you- you killed her father!”

“Her father was Lord Necanda-“

“He didn’t raise her, she didn’t know him, and all she had was your word on it; she had zero reason to believe you or trust you.” She shook her head, and started packing up her supplies, “Honestly, that I wasted my time-“

“You didn’t!” Stiri insisted, “It’s… mostly true.”

“Is it?” She raised a brow, “Are you even Stiri, or did you tell me all that just to convince me to pay for your room while you told me all this shit.”

Stiri sighed and slumped in his chair, “It’s… mostly true.”

“Ok. How did you survive then?”

He glanced away, “I might have exaggerated the whole thing with Kos-“

“Oh did you now? I had no idea; it seems SO REALISTIC.” She narrowed her eyes, “How did you actually do it.”

“Well… like I told you.” He said, a light flush crossing his cheeks, “I did throw the stone in the water. Tenlon never…” He cleared his throat and looked away, “Might never have attacked the ship.” He glanced back at her, “I got on the ship, and when we were out to sea I threw the stone into the ocean. “ He shrugged, “And I went off.”

“And everything else?”

“Well, I never heard anything from Kos again, and he could have come after me, so-“

“So you assume he’s dead.”

“I hope he is.”

“Was he really your father?” She frowns, “That seems so trite-“

‘He was. Probably.” Stiri glanced away.

“Probably. You don’t know.”

He didn’t answer, He went for another cup of tea, but didn’t realize that his cup was empty.

“And Christen and Rico?”

“We went to the islands.” Stiri said, “Christian found a nice farmer, and ended up starting a family with him.”

“And Rico?”

“He’s still around.”

“Where?”

“Here.” Another voice said. Stiri flushed as a taller, red-haired man sat down next to them. He leaned over, and took Stiri’s hand, kissing the back of it before letting it go, “I was looking for this one, and when I saw you two talking, I thought I’d just listen in; I do love listening to his stories.”

“You think they’re good?” The bard asked.

“I think they’re amusing.” Rico said with a chuckle. He looked at Stiri, “You really are an awful storyteller, love.”

She sighed, and finished packing up her stuff, “Great. So, do I assume all of this is fake?” She grumbled and stood up, “Thanks for wasting my time-“

“It’s not … wasted, Per se.” Rico said, “There’s some truth; the major points. I’m sure someone of your skill could probably take those points and make a better story out of it.”

“But is it the truth?”

Rico shrugged, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” He said.

She sighed, and glanced at the two of them. “So.” She said, crossing her arms, “The assassin Stiri - who was far from being “Legendary” before these rumours came about- bumbled around the continent, drank himself half to death, and ended up stumbling into a way to stop the most powerful magus in centuries… and then ran off to live a mundane life with his fire mage boyfriend.”

“Fire mage husband. But yes.”

She frowned, and headed to the door, “That’s a lousy story.” She grumbled as she headed to the door. She stalked out, slamming the door behind her. Just before it closed, she caught Rico saying “Then make it better!”

She shook her head and headed back to her ship. Make it better; like she could make this mess better. She’d take this story and throw it in her trunk. It could rot there for all she cared. Maybe one day she’d show it to someone for a laugh.