All were welcome into The Risen Moon. Be they a newer adventurer searching for their fortune and fame, a seasoned veteran of the world who merely is stopping in to check up on everybody, or simply one of the many villagers and merchants that occupied Remnant, looking to finally relax for the day.
The first room the patrons walked into was a lobby. It was illuminated by a pair of lanterns hung carefully along the walls. Across from the entrance was the door to the tavern proper. It was closed as Noah made his way across the empty lobby. Empty except for the towering man that stood beside the door. A poorly healed scar adorned his face, and a hand axe hung along his side.
"Name?" the man said, holding an arm in front of a door.
Noah, hoping to not speak to the man at all, ignored the question and tried to move his arm out the way. In response, the bouncer grabbed onto Noah's hair and yanked him off the ground. The boy screamed in pain, trying to claw at his attacker's hands.
"Now, now," he said, putting Noah back on the ground while keeping a grip on the gray hair. "Can't just let entybody in here."
"I suppose not," Noah replied, still grimacing from the violent correction he just got. "My name's Noah."
"That wudn't so herd now, was it?" The bouncer let go of Noah's hair completely, then produced a little black notebook seemingly out of thin air. It was likely a similar magic that had conjured the item box earlier that day. The bouncer thumbed through the pages of his notebook, then gave a smile only half filled with teeth before beaming down at Noah.
"You can commin," he said, pushing the door open for Noah. "Haf a good eveing!"
"Thanks," Noah growled, rubbing his head for comfort as he entered the tavern. The lobby door slammed shut behind him, but not a head in the place turned.
They wouldn't have noticed, really. The tavern floor of Moon was having one of its busiest nights. Every table in the middle of the place was packed, and even then a good many had others standing around. Lining the walls were many booths and larger tables, but Noah couldn't spot an empty seat among them. Everybody in there was laughing and cheering. As Noah started to walk around the place, he watched and laughed along with the others as somebody, another adventurer judging by his clothes, leaped atop his table and began playing a conjured fiddle as loud as he could.
"Pardon me, monsieur," Noah heard someone say as they tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see a young lady in a black and white maid's outfit. "Monsieur Noah, correct?" Noah nodded, taken aback some by a girl obviously the same age as him speaking with such respect. "If you'll come with me sir. There's a table for you."
At first, Noah didn't believe the girl would have any better luck finding a place to sit than he did. However the maid possessed a strange power. It let her know the moment a group of loud, drunk adventurers were going to leave their seats and take their merrymaking elsewhere. She sat Noah down at the table (one that was a only a little walk towards the stairs), and started clearing the table of the glasses and platters.
"Excuse me," Noah spoke up, hoping to grab her attention before she wandered off. "Is there a woman named Raelynn working tonight?"
"Yes Monsieur," the girl answered. "Would you like her to serve you instead?"
There seemed to be a tinge of worry in her voice. Noah decided against pursuing his line of questions any further. "No thank you," he answered. "I'd love your service, Miss-?"
"Adeline." A smile lit up her face. Noah didn't know a simple response of his could brighten this girl's day like that. She wasn't bad to look at either, and Noah was graced with a lovely view of her rear as she walked away from his table.
Noah continued to enjoy the atmosphere of The Risen Moon as his food and drink came. A band formed of both villagers and adventurers formed in one of the corners. If Noah had drank a bit more he would've found them just as enjoyable as the rest of the crowd did. Instead, he just enjoyed the happiness of others.
Maybe he enjoyed nights like these before. Noah imagined himself with a group of friends and comrades, all of them gathered around a table telling each other stories. Perhaps one of them would jump up on the table like the man did earlier. Noah smirked as he watched the band, imagining himself playing the fiddle just as well as the current lady was.
It was just as likely he was more the type to keep to himself. He would've holed up in one of the corner booths, maybe all alone, maybe with one or two others. He might've even hated being around such a big crowd. The old Noah may have walked into the bar and then went right up to his room.
Then there was the other thought, one that popped into his head as the pretty Adeline walked back to his table with a full glass of beer. Did Noah have a girlfriend before? Maybe he had a boyfriend. Maybe he was married with a family. Maybe he was all alone in the world.
Too many thoughts were starting to hurt his good time, and Noah put a nice dent in his beer. He must've looked funny because Adeline giggled a bit as she watched him quickly finish his beer. It was while she went to fetch another for him that a stranger approached the table. He was a young man, not much older than Noah, with a spiky head of brown hair. He was wearing a leather vest with no shirt under it and a pair of ratty red pants. Noah would have assumed he was just some other villager if not for the Starting Bracer around the guy's wrist.
"This seat taken?" he asked, grabbing the chair beside Noah. He sounded like he had been having a good time, but wasn't slurring all his words yet.
"Nah," Noah answered, gesturing for him to sit. There was no point in being rude. And it was a good chance to practice some friend making skills.
The stranger sat down with a sigh. He leaned the chair back on two legs and kicked his feet up on the table. Clearly this was a guy who knew how to take it easy.
"Youall alone here, seri?" he asked Noah. When he noticed Noah's confusion at the last word, he let out a chuckle. "Seri is what they call new guys like us. Kinda mean if you ask me, but I hear worse at school."
Noah nodded in some understanding, though he wasn't entirely sure what a "school" was. "Yeah, I'm by myself," Noah answered.
"You're not, anymore," he said. He held a hand out to him, still maintaining the precarious balance in his chair. "Name's Teague. I'm a Brawler."
"I'm Noah." Noah shook his hand firmly. What did he mean he was a Brawler? Was that his job? Or maybe it was-. "I'm a Slate."
"Well I'll be damned." Teague couldn't seem to hold back his laughter, and Noah wasn't sure what part of sharing who he was had been funny. "A seri and a Slate. Man, you really didn't make it easy on yourself."
"I guess not." So apparently Slates had a tough time for some reason. Good knowledge while Noah was still early in his adventures.
"Now why'd you go and do that?" Teague asked as he scanned Noah for anything remarkable. Though, Noah wasn't too sure how well his new pal could analyze past the glazed look in his eyes. "Did someone play a mean joke on you?"
"Not sure," Noah answered. "I don't remember why I picked it."
"Hm?" At that, Teague put his feet down and leaned forward to sit properly. "Whatcha mean 'don't remember?'"
So Noah found himself again explaining what all had happened since he woke up. Teague sat silently and nodded, possibly out of understanding or maybe just keeping his head off the table. Noah noticed Teague's eye widen as he retold the story of his fight with the monster Utuk and his victory. He left his personal thoughts of Raelynn out of his story, but then he finished with him getting mauled by the bouncer at the door.
"So now I'm here," Noah finished, taking the last sip of his drink. Teague snapped his fingers behind him, not once taking his eyes off the boy. One of the many barmaids that had just been walking by apparently understood Teague's particular snap as it was only moments of silence later when two glasses of beer were brought to their table.
"That is an interesting story there," Teague said before draining half the glass in a single gulp. Noah took a small sip as he listened eagerly. "Not everything mind you. All of us woke up in houses in Dusk Ruins and made our way here. And we all run across a mob like you. It ain't anything too special."
Noah sighed relief into his mug. Good, he thought. This isn't anything weird.
"But-," Teague began, immediately drawing Noah's attention again. "-that memory loss thing ain't normal. It's not unheard of. But it ain't how everybody ends up."
"Then there's gotta be someone who can help me," Noah replied. This was it! His first real clue! Unfortunately, Teague had to continue speaking and ruin it.
"Sort of, but they ain't anywhere near here." Teague finished his drink and let out an exaggerated sigh. "My advice is to just keep going along til you find somebody who recognizes you. There might be a person who can help you in a place like Shezai or Landmark, but that's a ways down the path." Noah hung his head, seemingly defeated by the recent bit of bad news. Teague took notice, snapped twice again, and tried comforting Noah by tussling his hair.
"There, there, my fellow seri," Teague said. Noah had half a mind to just glare and scowl at him, but obviously the drink was starting to hit him. The guy's cheeks were beginning to flush, and he looked to be having some more trouble holding his head up. "It's not all bad. Just keep journeying and you'll find a way eventually. And don't forget-."
A bottle of clear liquid and two tiny glasses had been placed on the table. Teague filled them both and handed Noah one (thankfully taking the one that was overflowing for himself). He really shocked Noah when he climbed atop the table.
"A JOURNEY IS NO JOURNEY WITHOUT REST!" Teague announced to the crowd. There was a roar of cheers and echoes of the same ridiculous phrase, and everyone who held a drink in the place downed them. Noah, smiling at his bizarre companion, drank his shot all at once. There was a temptation to gag as the bitter liquid fire entered his throat, but he fought against it.
"Excuse me Monsieur Teague, could you please get down from there?" said a familiar voice from beside Noah. It was Raelynn, in a similar maid outfit that Adeline had been wearing earlier. Speaking of Adeline, she was standing alongside Raelynn looking understandably nervous as the table wobbled dangerously under Teague. Raelynn, however, kept a very stern and serious look on her face, much different from the carefree demeanor she had displayed earlier.
"Fine, fine," Teague said, slowly lowering himself back to the ground. "I'll be good."
"Thank you, sir," Raelynn said. Noah then found her hand on his shoulder. "Monsieur Noah, I'd like you to accompany me please."
"Where?" Noah asked, not so much upset that Raelynn was asking for his attention, but rather he didn't want to leave Teague all alone.
"It's probably your free room," Teague answered. "All seris get one for a few nights. Enjoy it while it lasts."
"He is correct Monsieur," Raelynn said. "Now. Please, follow me."
So Noah got up and started following Raelynn to the staircase nearby. He saw Teague wave goodbye, so he waved back. Hopefully he could catch up with the strange Brawler either later on that night or the next day. While he waited, he would just follow the young maid's lead as she took him up the dark stairwell.
--
The situation was surprising, but far from unpleasant. It may have been a public bath in the bathhouse yet it was mostly unoccupied. Sunk into the steaming, green water down to his waist was the young fae with not many memories. Sitting behind him outside the shallow pool was the young lady assigned to him during his stay at Risen Moon. While her ward was sighing peacefully as he relaxed best he could, she was rubbing oils and shampoo into his silvery hair.
"Y'know," Noah said, closing his eyes and letting out a happy little noise. "As far as I can remember, you're the first girl I've ever been naked around."
"Really now, Monsieur?" Raelynn replied. "I'm quite honored."
A pout was starting to form on Noah's face. Thankfully Raelynn couldn't see it as she started to wash his hair. Noah could understand being professional with him when they were downstairs earlier, but it was getting ridiculous. All the way from his room to the bath and anywhere in between, Noah had been prodding her with jokes and smiles, trying to get the Raelynn he had woken up to. In response, he continued to get the same chill from her as before. Single word statements, no real emotion in her voice, and worst of all no smiles. And that word she kept using. It was always "Monsieur" this and "Monsieur" that. It was probably some kind of title for adventurers, but Noah didn't like it. Just something about how they said it to him and Teague made it sound like they were fighting against something. Some impulse beyond their control.
"Did you have a pleasant day after you left, Monsieur?" Raelynn asked, starting to work in the shampoo a little deeper.
"Enough of one I suppose," Noah answered. "Met a little man. Bought some things." Noah hoped maybe to get a quick smile out of her. "Thanks for the clothes by the way. They're really nice."
"Merely one of my duties, Monsieur." Same cold, almost mechanical type of response.
Fine, Noah thought. If I can't make her smile, let's at least see if she'll frown.
"So why was that girl following you around earlier? What was her name? Addy-something or other."
"Adeline, Monsieur. And she's new." She starting scratching his head, drawing out an odd purring sound from Noah. Raelynn didn't react at all as she continued speaking. "Monsieur Poe, our employer, asked me to help her out while she gets used to the job."
"That's kind of you." For some reason, one Noah definitely didn't understand at the time, he continued with his thoughts. "I think I'll try and talk to her when she's not at work. She seemed nice. And really cute to-."
Noah yelped as he suddenly felt a great pressure to the top of his head. It seemed Raelynn had dunked his head into the water. Ostensibly it was so she could rinse all the soap out of his air. What Noah hadn't seen was the scowl that Raelynn wore on her face.
"Excuse me," Noah heard a muffled voice call. The hands were immediately removed from his head, and Noah surfaced with a big gasp. It was not how he expected his first ever underwater experience to go.
"Monsieur Rapide," Raelynn said. Noah turned around to see who she was talking to. A man wearing only a towel around his waist had entered the bath house.
What a man he was indeed. Whoever this Monsieur Rapide, he seemed to fit the mold of masculinity perfectly. Skin that was tanned to just the right shade of bronze. He was tall and muscular, with scars here and there that could have grand stories written about them. Long blonde hair that went past his shoulders. And last but not least was a pair of leaf green eyes, beautiful and full of vibrant life.
"Young lady," he replied, waving at Raelynn. Then those green eyes stared directly at Noah, and he got a big grin on his handsome face. "You're Noah, right?" Noah nodded, and the man's smile seem to grow even more. "Teague wasn't pulling my leg then."
"Monsieur Rapide, I know you and your group prefer to bathe just with each other," Raelynn said, standing up after she put the soaps and oils in the little bucket she brought with her. "We'll step out now."
"You can wait outside for a bit, babe." Rapide started to take off his towel, causing Noah to immediately turn away from him and shut his eyes tight. "I'd like to chat with your ward for a bit."
"Of course," he heard Raelynn answer. Noah heard two sets of footsteps, one coming closer and one moving away. "I'll be waiting outside for you, Monsieur Noah."
Noah thought he heard a soft, girlish giggle before the door slammed shut. There was a light splashing sound, and again Rapide spoke in his deep, almost soothing voice.
"You can open them now, little seri," he said. Noah opened his eyes slowly. Rapide was half submerged in the bath as well, sitting on one of the underwater seats a few feet away from Noah.
"How'd you know my name?" Noah immediately asked. He wasn't sure why he was being so cautious. Rapide seemed like a pretty nice guy. Maybe Noah was trying to leave a strong impression. He didn't want to seem to naive or carefree.
"Teague told me. Spoke pretty highly of you."
Noah cracked a little smile. He liked Teague. He was hoping that they would encounter each other again at some point. Hopefully there would be many more beers to be shared with the Brawler.
"What did he say?" Noah asked, curious and starting to lower his guard more.
"Just the basic stuff you learn when you first meet a person." Rapide groaned softly, stretching out his legs and resting the back of his head in his hands. "Said your name. Said you were a Slate. Even told me you took down the kobold. That's actually more impressive than you realize."
At that compliment Noah chuckled a little. "I was hoping it'd be worth something," he said. "That thing was tough." Rapide chuckled as well, which Noah took as a good sign. Something about just being around Rapide. It made Noah want to seem more impressive.
"Yeah, kobolds can be rough." Their small laughter died down. Then Rapide looked over at Noah, and Noah noticed that he was starting to slowly slide down the bench, getting closer.
"He also told me something else," Rapide said, speaking in a softer voice. "Teague said you were having some memory troubles. Said there was just something odd about you."
Rapide moved faster. Too fast for some regular guy. In an instant, he was standing in front of Noah. He had placed his arms on each side of Noah, trapping fae in place as he closely examined him.
"Go away," Noah whimpered. He was scared now. Despite the heat of the water, he couldn't stop trembling. Rapide was getting closer. Noah pushed against his chest. It was no use. It was like trying to move solid stone.
Just as suddenly as it started, Rapide moved away from Noah. He walked to the opposite end of the bath and sat on one of the benches there. Noah was still shaking. Nobody should be getting that close. Nobody at all.
"Sorry about that," Rapide apologized. He started to chuckle, but Noah was sure the dark, angry look on his face defused any attempt Rapide was making to lighten the mood.
"Noah, I am genuinely sorry." Rapide didn't get any closer, and Noah still wasn't letting his guard down. "Curiosity got the better of me and I'm sorry."
Noah looked at him, still angry and confused as well. Was he some kind of oddity. True, his behavior may have seemed a bit off to some, but surely he wasn't some bizarre entity that needed to be studied.
"Teague was underselling you," Rapide continued. "You're far more fascinating than he told me."
"I'm not some toy to play with," Noah spat at him.
"Right, right you are. Far from it." Rapide's grin had returned. "You're a potential ally. And a strong one at that."
"Ally?" The word did mean something to Noah. He hoped it meant something similar in Rapide's mind. A comrade. Someone who would aid you in a time of need.
A friend.
"Adventuring by yourself is a long, lonely journey, Noah," Rapide explained. "There are many mysteries to this world. Even here in the Lowlands. Maybe one of them has to do with why you lost those memories of yours."
"Maybe." Rapide sounded like he had traveled many roads before. Perhaps it was his prying at Noah's desire for answers, or perhaps it was just the aura that Rapide seemed to exude.
"Join my party for a bit. If you like it, stay with us. If you don't, I won't stop you from leaving."
Noah pondered his choices for a while. Rapide did scare him before, but that seemed to be a genuine accident. Someone that sounded wise as Rapide would make a good ally. Plus, Teague would be there.
"Tell you what," Rapide said as he turned around to get out the bath. Noah almost closed his eyes in time, but still managed to catch a glimpse of his bare ass. His voice seemed to move with him as he continued speaking. "We're going on a day trip tomorrow. Exploring a nearby field to stretch the legs. Meet us by the Gate if you wanna tag along."
Noah nodded vigorously. He could hear Rapide laughing at him all the way to the door.
--
As he lay in his bed, the candle on the nightstand beside him still burning, Noah kept thinking about what to do next.
A question with varying answers for sure. If he had been asked that only an hour ago, Noah would've been pondering whether to join with Rapide or not. A half hour later, the choice had changed from whether to sleep in the pajamas he was provided or just to lay down in only his briefs again.
Noah was not considering any of those or the many other random thoughts that were on his mind minutes before. Because at that moment, Noah was wondering what to do next with Raelynn, who was currently straddling his hips and running her hands slowly up and down his bare chest. While Noah had "poorly" chosen to sleep only his briefs, Raelynn had decided to join him in the bed wearing a mint green night gown. She had taken the braids out of her hair too, and goddamn did she look beautiful.
"I hope you weren't too annoyed about all the formalities and stuff," Raelynn said as she rested her hands on Noah's shoulders, starting to massage gently. Noah let out the same purring noise as he had earlier, only this time he was blushing and noticeably embarrassed by the sound.
"Well I'm glad the real you is back," Noah replied, still confused on exactly what to do. He thought about maybe touching her. Not in any dirty way, though at the moment it seemed taking a chaste approach may have been out of the question. Instead of doing anything, Noah just glued his arms to his side, trying to relax and enjoy his massage.
"Poe demands we treat all adventurers with great respect. And he's got eyes everywhere. Except when we're in private with adventurers." She started working closer to his neck, and when her hands found a particularly good spot, Noah found himself purring uncontrollably. And very loud, too.
"I had heard stories saying that fae purred, but this is ridiculous."
"I can't help it far as I can tell," Noah answered. Which was true. He really didn't know anything about what it meant to be a fae. Before he could think of anything else his fae blood might bring, Raelynn had found another sweet spot, drawing this time a soft groan from his lips.
"It's actually a bit cute." Her warm smile had returned. Noah was glad to see that. The cold, work personality she had wasn't nearly as great to be around.
"So Raelynn," he said, putting his hands over hers and moving them off his shoulders. "How far exactly does this 'personal attendant' thing go? I mean, are you staying the night in here?"
"I am," Raelynn answered. Then she kissed him. Just a simple kiss. A brushing of her soft, warm lips against his. "And for how far this goes, it's however much you want, Monsieur Noah."
Noah was left flabbergasted by the kiss. He didn't really do anything. He just sat there and took it. He cursed whatever divines there were that existed in the world. How could they give him all the combat instincts he had displayed, yet leave him dumbfounded for moments like these?
"How about we just leave it at that for now?" Noah asked. Later on he would probably say something reasonable like his encounter with Rapide in the baths had left him shaken up. He would leave being nervous about screwing up intimacy a secret for as long as he could.
"Alright then," Raelynn answered. She rolled off of Noah, laying by his side. "But you'll have to let me sleep here."
"That's fine." It was probably a point with no compromise. Raelynn gave him a peck on the cheek before wrapping an arm around him and snuggling close to him.
"Sleep well, Noah," was the last thing Raelynn said to him that night, closing her eyes and yawning as the candle burned out.