Trials Of Life

Chapter 24: Handshakes And Headaches

The city of Ferloch stretched out before Lukas, grand and sprawling, a mirror to the capital of Headwich in terms of landmass. But where Headwich stood tall with imposing architecture and majestic towers, Ferloch's buildings were modest in comparison—lower to the ground, less ornate. The streets, though tighter and winding, had their own charm, made all the more pleasant by the noticeable lack of tourists. The city's quiet nature was a welcome change, its streets mostly free of the bustling crowds common in the capital. Ferloch had a certain tranquility about it, a cleanliness that stood out. Life here revolved around the ports, with ships constantly arriving and departing, bringing trade that fed the city’s economy. Somewhere between two to three million called this place home, yet it never felt overwhelming.

Two days had passed since Lukas had finally been able to leave his bed. His recovery was swift, though his body still carried the marks of their recent battles. His hand and shoulder remained wrapped in bandages, with a dull, persistent pain radiating from the burn on his shoulder. It was a constant reminder of what he had endured, but he ignored it as best as he could. His strides were brisk as he navigated the streets, his destination clear in his mind as he entered Ferloch's market and restaurant district.

Annoyance flared in him as he glanced over his shoulder. "Why are you still following me?"

Trailing behind, Yumiko quickened her pace, her voice strained but persistent. "I've already explained everything to you three times!"

Lukas grumbled, his patience wearing thin. He had heard it all before—Yumiko’s dreams, the strange visions of Meino, the voices haunting her sleep, and the dream of her brother. She had laid it all out for him, but he remained unmoved, unwilling to involve himself any further. He had enough on his plate.

"I told you," he said, his voice clipped, "I have business with someone here."

"And I told you, I’m not leaving," Yumiko shot back, still trying to keep up with his long strides. "Where are you even going?"

"I have a meeting," Lukas said, the edge in his tone unmistakable. "A meeting that doesn’t concern you."

The streets around them slowly grew more vibrant as the morning light began to wash over the city. The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries filled the air, carrying on the gentle breeze as bakers rolled out their goods. The scent was so inviting that Yumiko’s stomach growled, though she ignored it, her focus on Lukas.

Eventually, Lukas came to a halt in front of a large two-story building. The sign hanging above the entrance read The Hen’s Den. It was a sizable tavern, the second floor featuring a wide balcony that overlooked the street. A set of stairs led up to it, framed by an intricate lattice design overhead with vines and plants weaving through the wood, creating a canopy of greenery.

“This is where we part ways,” Lukas said, his tone final as he turned toward the stairs.

But Yumiko didn’t stop. She followed him without hesitation. “I don’t think you heard me.”

He stopped on the first step and shot her a glare. “And I don’t think you heard me.”

Before he could argue further, a voice from above called out his name. Lukas looked up. The balcony was spacious, lined with tables, and sitting near the edge of the railing, waving at him, was a woman with long red hair that caught the morning sunlight.

“Who is she?” Yumiko asked, stepping up beside him, her eyes fixed on the woman above.

“My contact. Now leave,” Lukas muttered as he strode up the stairs and started heading towards the red-haired woman.

But Yumiko, undeterred, continued after him, her gaze fixed on the woman waiting for them. The red-haired woman’s presence was striking. She radiated energy, her emerald eyes gleaming with warmth and mischief. Despite the weight of the heavy armor she wore, she looked comfortable, her long-handled war hammer propped casually against the side of the table. A devilish smile tugged at her lips as she sipped from a steaming cup of coffee.

Lukas walked across the mostly empty balcony, the morning sun filtering through the wooden beams above, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air. The woman at the table slammed her cup down in excitement. “Lukas!” she called out cheerfully, jumping to her feet with such enthusiasm that her mug nearly tipped over. She extended her hand for a handshake as he walked up to her table, but before Lukas could respond, she quickly retracted it. “Oh, right,” she said with a chuckle, “forgot you hate that kind of greeting.”

Lukas’s lips twitched slightly at her exuberance, but he maintained his usual expressionless facade. “I’d rather get this over with.” Lukas didn’t waste time, pulling out a chair and dropping into it.

The woman’s gaze shifted from Lukas to Yumiko, still standing just behind him. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “And who’s that—your friend?” she asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

Lukas shook his head, clearly irritated. “No.”

Mary, the red-haired woman, grinned, raising her brow higher. “Girlfriend?”

Lukas slammed his hand on the table with a loud thud, the sound startling a few nearby patrons. “She is neither!”

Mary’s grin only widened, amusement dancing in her eyes. “I was gonna say. Girls from the East never really seemed like your type. Besides,” she added with a playful smirk, “she’s too pretty for you, anyway.”

Lukas glared daggers at her, his voice sharp. “I came here to talk business—”

“And we will, but first…” Mary cut him off, waving her hand dismissively as she leaned slightly to the side, getting a better look at Yumiko. “I want to know about this guest of yours who’s hovering awkwardly behind you.” She tilted her head, giving Yumiko an inviting smile. “If you’re with Mr. Grouchy here, why don’t you take a seat? No need to be shy.”

Yumiko blinked, clearly caught off guard by the woman's boldness, but quickly bowed her head respectfully. “Thank you, miss. Sorry for the intrusion.” She slipped into the seat beside Lukas.

Just as Lukas opened his mouth to speak, Mary interrupted again. “Oh, Lukas here will try to skip all the pleasantries and go straight to business, but I think introductions are important, don’t you?” She extended her hand toward Yumiko, her smile friendly. “I’m Mary Pearce, by the way. I work with the Brotherhood of the Fallen. Bounty hunter group.”

Yumiko hesitated for a moment before reaching out, grasping Mary’s hand firmly. “Yumiko Hoshino. Adventurer.” She shook Mary’s hand, her grip unintentionally strong. Mary’s face twitched slightly, but she let out a hearty laugh.

“Talk about strength!” Mary chuckled, her fingers flexing as Yumiko quickly withdrew her hand, face flushed with embarrassment.

“I-I’m sorry!” Yumiko stammered, her eyes wide with concern. “I’ve heard that people from the West prefer strong handshakes.”

Mary flashed a playful smile, her emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. “That’s more of a thing for the men—like cranky over here.” She nodded toward Lukas, who only grumbled in response. “They need to pretend their strength to one another; it helps with their small egos.” Her grin widened as she added, “But a gentle, firm handshake will do just fine in the future.”

Yumiko glanced down at her hand, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. She didn’t think she had squeezed that hard.

Mary’s eyes flicked toward Lukas’ bandaged hand, her curiosity piqued. “Speaking of hands… What happened to you?”

Lukas immediately shifted in his seat, tucking his hand onto his lap as if to shield it from view. “There was an issue in Torrwr,” he said, his voice low and matter-of-fact. “Kept me down for a few days, but we dealt with it now. That’s what matters.”

Mary blinked, her expression suddenly blank. “We?” Her gaze darted from Lukas to Yumiko, and then back again. “You mean the two of you?” Her lips curled into a mischievous grin. “By the gods! Is this the first time Lukas the Loner has had a traveling companion? That goes against everything you’ve told me!”

Lukas shot her a fierce glare. “I did no such thing! She’s been following me around like a damn cold!”

Yumiko's eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I’ve explained this before. The voices, my dreams… they keep guiding me toward you. It’s destiny!”

Mary froze, her grin faltering for just a moment as her gaze shifted between the two. “Destiny?” she echoed, a trace of amusement lingering on her lips, but her eyes had darkened with a new kind of curiosity.

Lukas let out an exasperated sigh, tilting his head back to the sky as if begging for patience. “There are no damned voices, lady. You sound insane.”

Mary cleared her throat, cutting the tension with a question that seemed too direct for the moment. “Voices? What kind of voices?”

Yumiko flinched, looking away, her usual confidence faltering for the briefest moment. Lukas shifted uncomfortably in his chair, clearly not wanting to delve deeper into the conversation. Without a word, he stood up and made a beeline for the interior of the tavern.

Mary’s brows shot up in surprise. “Where are you going?”

Lukas reached for the tavern door. “If we’re just going to sit here and waste time, I’m getting something to eat and drink.”

“At this hour?” Mary called after him, her voice dripping with teasing amusement. “Drinking so early in the morning?”

“I meant coffee!” Lukas snapped, storming inside without a second glance.

As the door swung shut behind him, Mary let out a light laugh, shaking her head. Yumiko turned toward her, her expression softening.

“Aren’t you teasing him a bit too much?” Yumiko asked, genuinely curious.

Mary leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms behind her head with a smug smile. “Please. If a grown man can’t handle a bit of teasing, then he doesn’t deserve to talk to me! Unfortunately for him, though, he doesn’t have a choice—especially if he wants information.”

Yumiko tilted her head, her curiosity deepening. “What kind of information?”

Mary raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with intrigue. “He didn’t tell you? I mean, all I know is that it’s something about finding an item. He didn’t go into specifics with me, but I would expect him to share it with his traveling companion.”

Yumiko shook her head, looking down at her hands. “He wasn’t exactly wrong about us not being friends. I have been following him, and he’s been doing everything he can to escape me... But I—” Her voice trailed off as if the words were too tangled to speak. “I guess you could say it’s complicated.”

A soft smile tugged at the corners of Mary’s lips. “Complicated, huh? Following your first love can only get you so far.”

Yumiko’s cheeks flushed crimson. “That’s not it! Not even close!” she protested, her voice almost too quick.

Mary laughed, a hearty sound that filled the air with warmth. “I know, I know. I just love teasing people.” Her smile was mischievous but not unkind, and Yumiko exhaled, relieved to know Mary was only joking.

As Mary glanced around the balcony, her eyes scanning the tables and the quiet street below, her demeanor shifted. The only other occupied table upstairs got up and left, leaving them in relative privacy. Satisfied they were alone, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. “You mentioned before that you’ve heard voices and had dreams that led you to him. What exactly did you mean by that?”

Yumiko hesitated, her heart quickening at the memory of Helfgott’s warning about sharing too much with strangers. What if Mary is different? Her eyes flickered to Mary’s, searching for any sign of malice. “Voices?” she repeated, forcing her tone to remain light. “I think you misheard me…”

Mary leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with an amused smile. “If you were a gambler, you’d be the worst one alive. I can tell you’re holding something back.”

Yumiko winced internally, realizing she wasn’t as subtle as she’d hoped.

“You’re safe with me, you know,” Mary continued, her tone softening. “I don’t spill secrets—not unless someone’s earned my trust. And... I don’t know why, but I feel like I can trust you. Like we’ve met before, in some strange way.”

Yumiko swallowed, a knot of uncertainty tightening in her chest. “Perhaps this isn’t the best place to—”

Mary leaned forward, her expression earnest. “I get it. These kinds of things aren’t easy to talk about.” She took a deep breath, her emerald eyes clouding with thought. “But it’s important, and I need to get this off my chest before I forget or something comes up.”

Mary paused, glancing away toward the streets below. “Years ago, it started with dreams. Probably just like yours. At first, they were just flashes—images of a world consumed by fire. Smoke, bodies, destruction everywhere. Nothing clear at first. Just horror.”

Yumiko felt her stomach drop as Mary’s words mirrored her own nightmares. The burning skies. The endless ruin.

“The dreams came more often, and then the voices started,” Mary continued, her hand pressing against her forehead as if the memories pained her. “They didn’t always make sense. Just fragments, whispers in the dark. But I couldn’t ignore them. It was like they were pulling me. I couldn’t sleep for days, sometimes weeks.”

Yumiko’s mouth went dry. She had experienced the same terrifying pull.

Mary let out a breath, shaking her head as if to clear the fog of her memories. “And those dreams... those voices... they led me to Lukas. About three, maybe four years ago.”

“You’ve known him that long?” Yumiko asked, her voice quiet with surprise.

Mary nodded, her gaze now sharpening as she locked eyes with Yumiko. “Yeah. I didn’t know what to make of him back then. He was just some drunk slouched in the corner of a tavern, drowning in ale.” Her lips twitched into a half-smile. “I ignored the voice at first. Thought it was leading me to some dead-end. But the lady in my head wouldn’t let up. She practically screamed at me to go to him.” She watched as a family walked the morning streets below.

Yumiko leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. “What made you listen to her?”

Mary chuckled bitterly, her gaze fixed on the street below as more people passed by. “She just kept pestering me, so eventually I got fed up. I walked over to Lukas, introduced myself. He wasn’t in the mood to talk—his entire squad had just been killed. He was a wreck, barely able to string together a coherent sentence. The only thing I managed to get out of him was that he was from Hoffen. Beyond that, he was too broken to say much else. I figured it was a waste of time, so I left. But the voices... they didn’t stop.”

She stared into her mug, swirling the remnants of her coffee, lost in thought. “Later that day, I was just walking through the streets, minding my own business, when an old man emerged from a bookstore. He greeted me like he’d been expecting me and handed me a book. For free. I didn’t think much of it at first. Just a book, right?” She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I looked at the cover, and it was written in Hoffisch—the language of Hoffen. I can’t speak or read the damn thing... So I tossed it on a bench like it was trash. But then, I swear, it called to me. Beckoned me back.”

Yumiko tilted her head, intrigued. “It called to you?”

Mary nodded, her fingers tracing the edge of her mug. “Yeah. Like it had a will of its own. So, of course, I went back and grabbed it. And wouldn’t you know it, the voices—the ones in my head—they started up again, clear as day, telling me to take it to Lukas. I didn’t question it. I walked straight back to the tavern, following that damn voice like a puppet on strings. When I handed him the book, something changed. For a split second, I saw something... a spark in his eyes. It was the only time I had seen him react to anything, even if it was just for a moment. He even thanked me. At the time, I didn’t feel like any kind of praise, I just followed the instructions that were drilled into my head.”

Yumiko’s brow furrowed. “The voice… was it giving you clear instructions?”

Mary let out a long breath, her gaze distant. “Not exactly. It would scream at me, begging me to do things, to follow through. If I ignored it, the screaming got louder, more unbearable. My head would pound, my nose would start to bleed. It was... agonizing.” She paused, her expression darkening. “After I gave Lukas that book, the voices stopped. Just like that, gone. For a moment, I thought I was free. But then curiosity gnawed at me. How did that old man from the bookstore manage to pick out the one book that this... goddess or whatever the hell it is wanted Lukas to have? So, I went back to the shop.”

“What did you find?” Yumiko asked, leaning forward.

Mary’s eyes flickered with frustration. “Nothing. The shop wasn’t there anymore—only an empty building remained. I asked around, even went next door to the bakery. The baker told me no such shop had ever existed. The building in question was apparently vacant for months.”

Yumiko froze. “Never existed?” Was the voice playing with their memories? Did Mary really see the shop?

Mary sighed, rubbing her temples as if the memory still caused her pain. “I thought I was losing my mind. I had no answers. But the voices stopped, and I was relieved. Lukas came to me for help a few times over the years, and I didn’t hear a peep from the voices. I figured my crazy episode was over.” She glanced at Yumiko with a weary look. “Until recently.”

Yumiko swallowed, sensing the shift in Mary’s tone. “Recently?”

“Yeah,” Mary muttered, her fingers still massaging her temples. “The dreams came back. The same burning world, the same destruction. Then that damned voice returned, pushing me, telling me to drop everything and find him. I was in the Urkade Mountains, for crying out loud, and I stopped everything just to come back here. I didn’t want those nightmares or headaches again. But now, the person Lukas is traveling with—” she gestured to Yumiko— “is telling me she’s hearing the same thing. This isn’t a coincidence. It can’t be.”

Yumiko nodded slowly, the weight of Mary’s words sinking in. “I... I’ve had dreams eerily similar to the ones you’re describing. A female voice, so soft and gentle, has been guiding me, leading me to Lukas for weeks. I never ignored her. I just... listened and followed.”

Mary took a slow sip of her coffee, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Good. Because if you don’t listen... it becomes unbearable. I tried ignoring them in the past, but it doesn’t work. Trust me.” She set her mug down with a heavy thud, her gaze sharp as she met Yumiko’s eyes. “This is more than just fate. It’s bigger. And it revolves around Lukas—maybe around all of us. What I do know is that he needs to hear this, especially after hearing that you’re having similar experiences to mine.”

Yumiko sighed, frustration creeping into her voice. “I’ve tried telling him. For the last two days, while we’ve been recovering, I’ve been trying to explain what’s happening. But he won’t listen. He thinks I’m crazy.”

Mary rolled her eyes, a sardonic smile crossing her lips. “Of course, he doesn’t believe you. To him, we sound like fools. He’s always been like that—shutting out anything that doesn’t fit into his world of logic and strategy.”

Yumiko’s shoulders slumped. “I just don’t know what else to do.”

Mary studied her for a moment, her expression shifting to something more contemplative. “There’s one thing I’d like to know,” she said quietly. “Why hasn’t Lukas been contacted by this voice at all? Why only us?”

Yumiko shook her head, her expression turning serious as she felt the weight of her words. “The voice… she told me this is like one big game, and there’s someone else at play—someone dangerous, smart, and terrifying... I didn’t believe her at first. So she separated my soul from my body and led me through hell.”

“Hell?” Mary echoed, her brow furrowing in surprise.

Yumiko nodded vigorously, her dark hair falling into her eyes as she fought to steady her breathing. “There was something trapped in a prison there—something so terrifying I can’t even begin to explain it. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him, like a dark cloud hovering over me. The goddess guided me right to him. Maybe he’s the one we need to watch out for, or perhaps he’s just one player among many that she wants us to be cautious of. I haven’t thought about it much because so much has been going on… I’m slowly trying to piece it together, as she won’t tell me what’s happening….”

Mary raised an eyebrow, a mix of intrigue and concern flashing across her face. “It wouldn’t be nearly as fun if we knew all the details, now would it?” She chuckled lightly, attempting to ease the tension, then leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “What was your name again?”

“Yumiko Hoshino,” she replied, offering a confident nod, though a flutter of uncertainty lingered in her chest.

Mary's hair whipped around her face in the gentle breeze. “So, Yumiko, you mentioned the voice led you to Lukas… You’ve never met him before, right?”

Yumiko shook her head, her heart racing. “No. Never. Only recently did I meet him… But my brother knew Lukas. He was the squad leader of that group.”

“Really?” Mary tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with interest. “Maybe this goddess or entity has been further at play than we thought.”

Yumiko’s stomach dropped, panic creeping into her voice. “You think she is responsible for my brother’s death?”

Mary's expression softened as she regarded Yumiko, the weight of their conversation hanging heavily between them. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. The events at Dryffn seemed too horrible for a god or goddess to plan out…” Her voice trailed off, and her gaze drifted to the horizon, as if searching for answers hidden among the clouds.

Yumiko felt her heart clench at the mention of Dryffn. That was where Lukas had said he buried her brother’s body. Are they linked together? “What happened at Dryffn?” she asked, the words slipping from her lips with a sense of urgency.

Mary raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering in her emerald eyes. “You’ve never heard of the Dryffn massacre?” When Yumiko shook her head, Mary leaned forward, her tone taking on a grave intensity. “A town of thirty thousand people disappeared—just like that. Poof. Gone. Only ash remains of the people were left scattered. Lukas supposedly was there when it happened, at least, that’s what I gathered. Going back to the first time I met him, he was freaking out in the tavern when people were discussing Dryffn. He said that he didn’t want to go back to that place—and that it was a massacre. He seemed like he was there when it happened.”

“What happened?” Yumiko stood up, her pulse quickening with the need to uncover the truth about her brother’s death. “He won’t… No, he can’t tell me what happened. Every time he tries, he freezes up.” A mix of frustration and desperation surged within her. This was the moment she had been waiting for—she needed to know how her brother had passed.

Mary tilted her head upwards, her eyes tracing the intricate latticework of the ceiling above the balcony, as if the answers might be hidden there. “I don’t know. No one does. The guild kept everything under wraps. Some say a dragon came and burned the citizens alive. Others claim it was some sort of dark sacrifice. And then there are those who believe a man wielded wicked fire magic, slaughtering every single person in sight.”

“Dragons? Sacrifices? A murderer?” Yumiko’s brow furrowed in disbelief. “No matter how strong, I don’t see how someone could kill so many people without anyone hearing about it—especially if it was a dragon.” The pieces of the puzzle felt frustratingly scattered, and she longed to figure out how her brother had been laid to rest.

Just as Mary was about to reply, the chatter of voices nearby drew her attention. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling Yumiko to be quiet as people began walking up the stairs to the balcony. They watched as the newcomers passed their table, oblivious to the weight of the conversation they had been sharing. Once they had slipped inside the tavern, Mary continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “Like I said, I don’t know… But whatever happened, it scared the guild enough to cover it up. In the center of Dryffn, there’s a large boulder standing in the town square, engraved with the names of all the missing. No one wants to settle there anymore, fearing a curse or the return of whatever killed the town.”

A chill crept through Yumiko’s bones at Mary’s words. What could be so horrifying? Had whatever happened caused her brother pain and suffering? Was this the very reason Lukas was so afraid to tell her? The questions swirled in her mind like a tempest.

Mary sighed, breaking the silence that had settled over them. “Speaking of scary events, there’s something else that recently happened. The ports of this city were all shut down—and they still are—due to bad weather destroying some fishing boats.”

Yumiko nodded, the pieces of their conversation blending into a larger tapestry of unease. “Yes! That’s why we took a carriage through Torrwr! I heard some fishermen back in Headwich saying it was sea serpent kings causing all the trouble.”

Mary glanced around the balcony, ensuring that they were still alone before leaning closer to Yumiko, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Or perhaps it was another cover-up.”

Yumiko raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “For what?”

With a furtive glance over her shoulder, Mary continued, “My group, the Brotherhood of the Fallen, hears many things—information is one of the many services we offer. One of those things was that it was a guild ship that was attacked, not a fishing boat, or should I say several ships... As the story goes, one person sunk three ships and killed high-ranking guild members—level thirteens and fourteens, along with dozens of guards. All gone. They call her the Ghost of the Sea—a woman dressed in all white. Several fishermen claimed to have seen her from afar.”

“A ghost?” Yumiko tilted her head in confusion, the possibility not entirely outside the realm of her current experiences. Given everything that had happened to her lately, she found it hard to dismiss any idea outright.

“That’s what they called her,” Mary replied, her expression serious. “Who knows what she really was? For all we know, she could be a demon in disguise. There’s no way a normal person could sink three ships all by herself, especially with high ranking guild members.”

As she spoke, Mary’s eyes drifted to the street below, where passersby looked up, some casting curious glances their way. She leaned in closer to Yumiko, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just know that this world has ears everywhere we go—even when you think you’re safe and private. So be careful where you share… You’d think sharing in public is a bad idea… But sometimes, the most public places can be the most private. It’s only when you get too comfortable that you slip up.”

At that moment, the creaking of the door echoed from the tavern, and Lukas emerged, a steaming coffee mug cradled in his hands. The aroma wafted through the air as he strode toward the two women. Mary quickly exchanged a knowing glance with Yumiko. “We’ll talk more about this later—when we’re somewhere a little more private, okay?” She winked at Yumiko, her playful demeanor returning even as tension hung in the air.

Lukas approached the table, placing his coffee down before pulling out a chair and sitting upright. He interlocked his fingers, his blue gaze fixed intently on Mary. “Alright, now that you’ve had your little chat, I want to discuss what I came here for.”

Mary shrugged, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “That depends if I know anything about it. Knowing you, it won’t be cheap- and I’m not a cheap girl, Lukas.”

Yumiko observed the interaction, her interest growing. What could be so important that Lukas needed to come all the way here to discuss? She waited patiently, her heart beating with anticipation.

“I will pay you handsomely, as I always do.” Lukas reached for his coin pouch, tossing it onto the table with a soft clink of metal. He folded his hands back together, his icy blue stare boring into Mary’s emerald eyes. “Now, tell me about the anti-cursing flowers—specifically, the Headwich Bloom.”