"e to Mericross?!" Aya said suddenly. She stood from her chair looking back at Mars unsurely.

  "You mean leave Axen?"

  "There's nothing for you here, you're stantly in danger and your Aunt is a psyars reminded, she folded her arms gesturing to Aya how serious she was, was obvious from her body nguage.

  Aya paused, swallowing. Mars was right, there wasn't even any reason to stay in this hell hole. She had quit her job and the only thing keeping her here was her cheap apartment but now with the money she had made from Moon Valley plus the fee from Ats...

  And wasn't this always the goal? To make enough to live fortably. To leave Axen to the dogs? Aya looked into Mars' determined eyes. Dark brown eyes burned with passion as Mars waited for Aya to give an answer.

  Aya had made up her mind.

  "You're right, the further away from Axen I am, the better!" Aya said. She would have more freedom out from under her Aunt's watchful eyes.

  The thought of not having to deal with the daily checks on her apartment made her heart soar freely.

  The tenseness betweewo dissipated, Mars grinned.

  "That's what I like to hear," Mars stuck out her hand. "So you'll e with me to Mericross,"

  "But I haven't eveen you yet. Are you sure I could be helpful right now?" Aya said hesitantly.

  "I'm sure wheime es, we'll fight. Right now we o get out of here and give you a safe pce to figure out what your mom left you in the game and you 't leave Bloom Haven to find me right now," Mars said.

  Aya took Mars' hand and held it.

  "I'll go to Mericross with you," she paused. "But Mars I don't know afford the rent there, The rent is like 2000 Lue at the least you know,"

  "Did you miss the part where I basically have a fortune? Rent's on me Aya. sider it a favor, you pay me ba game,"

  Aya's eyes sparkled. She would be leaving Axen after all, finally, she would be away from her Aunt and the dangers of getting mugged.

  With a clear mind, she was sure she would get to the bottom of the game, Mericross would be closer trandmother too. The only reason she came to Axen was to be with that miserable hag she called an Aunt.

  Moving to a better City would give her swift access to the tryside, oy's bus system.

  "When do we find an apartment?" Aya asked. "And how do we move both our stuff, I have a lot of things,"

  Mars sed the room of Aya's small apartment, shaking her head.

  "You really don't..." Mars said after sidering her words, she didn't want to offend her new roommate. "A moving truck e by and pick up both our things,"

  "How much would that cost exactly?" Aya asked, her head inning. If it's ohing she knew, it was relocation was expensive, even if she verted all her gold it might not be enough to afford the moving costs.

  "Aya, you've got to calm down. I will take care of it," Mars said slowly. "If you keep looking a gift horse in the mouth, sooner or ter it starts to bite,"

  Aya sighed.

  "I'm sorry, I’m just used to w about money,"

  "I've been there, it won't always be like this you know," Mars said brushing Aya's hair behind her ear. "You have to trust that you ge things," Mars said grinning.

  ----------

  Aya locked the apartment door behind Mars as she left, she put her ear to the door listening for Mars' footsteps. Eventually, they retreated up the stairs and disappeared.

  "What a day," Aya said to herself. With her new groceries, she made herself some ed soup and paired it with a side of fresh bread.

  "Delicious,"

  The sun was setting and painting the sky in shades of pink and e by the time she had done her dishes and put the rest of her groceries away. Aya took a step back to look at her fridge now.

  The small regle was fully stocked, bursting with the freshest groceries she could find at the nearby venieore.

  The shelves and cupboards were full too, stacked with snacks and dry foods.

  When had she ever thought she'd reach this point? Gazing at the snacks she saw a touars in the random junk food she had decided to get.

  In a way, this was her parent's blessing from the afterlife, taking care of her after all this while. Moon Valley seemed to be their creation after all.

  Something straight out of her mother's mind, and she was meant to find it.

  "I should have an evening gaming session. I still o finish The Cry Of The Dead quest," Aya said.

  ----------

  Yvlena was once again on the grounds of the Rose Manor, she smiled, lifting her head as a refreshing breeze whistled past her, ruffling her hair as it did.

  "Firstly we've got to equip that Willow Dress," She said snapping her fingers, after retrieving it from her iory, she dohe pale green, knee length dress, twirling around in it.

  "Wow, I feel nice wearing this, could it be because of the material? I'll have to use the specs to exami ter," Yvlena said. She took off towards the Artisan District eager to swing by Risel's shop, the only other alchemist she knew.

  She wao know if there would be some type of tincture or potion that would remove the rust from Thomas O'Leary's watch. O en maybe a family member or friend would be able t.

  If anyone knew anything about potions it would certainly be Risel.

  "Where are you off to this fine m," A gentle voice said to her. Yvlena turned around to see Tom, the carpenter she'd first met at the beginning of the game.

  He was no lohe grumpy old carpenter, Yvlena could tell from his tohat ughter came a lot more freely to him now that the town was healing.

  "Just running some errands Tom," Yvlena replied.

  [Affinity with Tom increased +1]

  "I know how that be, let me not keep you, if you ever need any blueprints on that manor, you just let me know," Tom said as he walked away.

  "Could he have been the oo design it?" Yvlena wondered as she tio sprint towards the Artisan District. She put the thought aside for now, no doubt it would e in handy when she wao rebuild the Foyer and the furniture.

  She found the Apothecary not too long after and stepped io find Risel attending to a er. Yvlena waited her turn but noticed the er's unfamiliar attire.

  In her mind, they looked simir to Ricardo, the mert who had stopped in Bloom Haven for the week. Yvlena listeo the er speak and noticed the galnt lilt in the woman's tone.

  Risel smiled brightly as she packaged the potion for the er and waved her out the door.

  "Wow Risel, it looks like the shop's pig up," Yvlena said to her friend. The blonde elf maiden turo face Yvlena with a wide smile across her face, She nodded ecstatically brimming with joy.

  " you believe it, Yvlena? A traveler! This is the first one we've had in ages," Risel said.

  "Really?"

  "The town is healing and it's all thanks to you!" Risel said, nearly leaping off over her ter to trap Yvlena in a hug. She almost fell from the weight of Risel’s body falling unto her all at once.

  Yvlena patted her friend on the back.

  “I’m gd then,”

  "The Miasma and whatever it was blog the Outpost is all cleared up!" Risel said. “I hought this day would e,”

  "I'm just doing my best as the Harvest Guardian Risel," Yvlena said modestly, It was amazing how much the town had begun to flourish. With travelers begging to appear would pyers start showing up as well?

  "I came to ask you about something," Yvlena said. She took O'Leary's memento out of her iory and showed it to Risel. "It's rusted shut. Do you have anything that remove it?"

  "As a matter of fact, I do, but Yvlena...your alchemy skill is a bit too low to brew such a potion, you've got to take it to at least LV. 3 and have a bronze cauldron at least," Risel said apologetically.

  'I knew not fog on crafting was going to e back to bite me one way or the other,' Yvlena thought. She hung her head making Risel giggle.

  "Don't worry Yvlena, the more potions you brew and use in battle, the higher your alchemy level grows," Risel expihe blonde elf folded her hands.

  "Have you even breotioly Yvlena?"

  "Yes! At the abandoned Outpost I brewed the Explosive Potion," Yvlena whined, she didn't know why but Risel's face right now was reminding her of Mars.

  "Well, you have to brew more and use them in battle Yvlena!" Risel said, holding her hand up to Yvlena's fa an admonishing manner.

  "I promise! Do you have any more potions I brew?" Yvlena asked with puppy dog eyes. She stuck her lip out and wobbled it for extra effect.

  "Aww," Risel cooed, g to the other elven girl's ess. She went bader the ter t up her shop.

  "Of course, I have a bunch of potion recipes you try, battle potions as well as restorative potions, enha potions are pretty popur too! And of course, I sell them ready made!" Risel said proudly.

  Yvlena walked up to the ter allowing a familiar window to pop up.

  [Buy/Sell]

  She clicked Buy and browsed through the potions, she noticed a n of recipes and materials bcked out of her. She tried toug them to exami like a ghost, they slipped through her fingers.

  ‘Has that always been there?’ she wondered, pulling back her hand.

  “Risel, what's wrong with this sele?” Yvlena asked. Risel blinked and noticed what Yvlena ointing at.

  “Well those are the things I ’t sell you until you advan level,” Risel said bluntly.

  "Geez it's going to be like that huh?" Yvlena said with a ugh. Her attentiohose not avaible to her and focused oions she could brew at her current skill.

  "Speed Potion, Freeze Potioanglia Potion," Yvlena said. She pced her hands on her hips. Each potion recipe cost a thousand Moon Points each, it wasn't like she didn't have the points for the purchase.

  "Alright Risel, I'll take those three," Yvlena said. She g the rest of the stock, seeing bottles and Vials both big and small. “And ten of each bottle and Vial please,”

  "Pleasure doing business with you!”