The tavern windows glowed bright orange, casting long shadows into the undergrowth. Echoes of a hundred voices emanated from inside. Though it was long after dark, the activities were just getting started.
Edward and Sako’s band occupied two roundtables. Their members intermingled, sometimes hopping back and forth or shouting across. The two leaders themselves sat on the outer end, closer to the wall, their staves tucked away in the corner of the tavern. They interacted with the rest of the group whenever someone brought them in, but mostly conversed with each other.
“It’s a diverse little crew you’ve got,” Sako remarked.
“Yes, I suppose,” he mused. “We’ve picked up many stragglers throughout our travels.”
“No kidding. I recognize one member who might be from the same region as us.”
“Who? Wada?”
“The one with the long, dark purple hair.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Have you traveled across the continent?”
Edward leaned back, thinking once more. “At this point, we’re fairly close to,” he laughed.
“Wow,” Sako breathed out, gazing back at Edward’s group. “How long have you been traveling?”
“Me? Maybe three years at this point. Or four.” He took a sip out of his mug. “I think our newest member we picked up almost a year ago. Seven moons.”
Sako nodded as he poured himself another drink. “That’s a long time away from home.”
“Well, I’m home now, at least,” Edward smiled.
“This is your home country?”
“Yes. I wanted to come back and my troupe was curious to see where I’m from.”
“Oh, how generous of them.”
“Honestly, they seem more excited than I,” he laughed. “How funny is that?”
“You don’t say? Although, then again, it is a foreign land to them.”
“Yes, yes indeed.”
Nodding away, Edward took a moment to soak in the lively environment. Jakuda noticed and exchanged an off-hand remark with him. They tossed a few banters back and forth before Edward returned to his new companion.
“What brings you here from the north?”
“We’re searching for a lost one.”
“Oh.” Edward raised his brows and dipped his chin. “I see.”
“This young man, we do not share blood, but he was like a brother to all of us.”
“You think you’ll find him here?”
“Honestly speaking? Maybe not. But we’re hoping.”
“What happened to him?”
As he hesitated in his response, Edward realized he asked a tricky question. Sako answered it anyway.
“Dead, probably,” he answered with a grim look. “He was kidnapped four years ago when this empire occupied ours.”
“Oh. Sorry to hear that.”
“Ah, don’t be. Nothing you could have done about it.”
“What keeps you searching, then?”
Sako shrugged. “False hope is better than no hope.”
“Ah,” Edward nodded. “I guess, what else can you do?”
“No, we would wish for nothing else but to reunite our family.”