The city of Esteria buzzed with movement. Taller buildings lined the cobbled streets, and shimmering blue banners flapped in the sea-kissed wind. A large ocean gate stood in the distance a looming structure carved with ancient runes, humming faintly like it breathed magic.
Rei stepped off the boat with Kajala beside him, the rest of the group following close behind. Their boots clapped against stone as the bustle of the port surrounded them vendors yelling, children running, and mages hauling cargo with floating spells.
But the crowd parted slightly when he walked through.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes like cracked ice and a presence that seemed to silence noise itself.
Reiner Cold.
Black hair hung messily down his back, the tips dyed blood-red like they'd been dipped in war. His shirt a worn blue button-up strained slightly at his chest. Scars, old and deep, ran across his neck, jaw, and arms signs of battles that no one wanted to ask about.
Beside him, with arms crossed and a fiery pout, walked a noble girl with crimson hair tied into a messy ponytail and a dagger at her hip. Her golden earrings clinked lightly with each annoyed step she took.
"Stop walking so fast, Reiner! Gods, not everyone's got monster legs," she snapped.
Reiner stopped. Turned. His expression didn't change, but his voice dropped with a cold gentleness only she ever seemed to hear.
"Didn't mean to leave you behind, Mentil."
She rolled her eyes. "Tch. Idiot. I'll burn your sleeves off next time."
Kajala nudged Rei with a grin. "Well well, new recruits? Look at Mister Doom-and-Gloom over there. Think he frowns in his sleep too?"
Rei was too busy sizing Reiner up. The way he walked. Balanced. Lethal. That wasn't just a fighter that was a survivor. Like him.
Lancer, always the one to break tension, stepped forward and clapped his hands together.
"Alright, everyone. Eyes here. We've got a job," Lancer said, pulling a rolled scroll from his belt. "Esteria isn't just a vacation. Our guild's been asked to investigate a possible connection to one of the Seven Sins."
Rei tensed. "Pride?"
Lancer nodded. "Exactly. The Sin of Pride. There's been some... anomalies reported. People disappearing near the ocean gate. Light magic in strange patterns. A noble's son vanished two nights ago."
"And we think it's linked to Maestro Prenz?" Elyra asked, frowning.
"We don't know," Lancer admitted. "But that's what we're here to find out. First stop the local cagey. Old man named Tallow runs it. Supposedly has eyes on everything that comes in and out of this city."
Kajala perked up. "Ooh, a shady informant! Finally, something fun."
Reiner crossed his arms. "You'll want someone who can keep idiots from getting themselves killed."
He didn't look at Kajala when he said it. But Kajala still pointed dramatically to himself, whispering, "Rude."
Mentil stepped forward, hand on her hip. "We're joining you. Like it or not."
"No one asked you," Rika said, her ears twitching.
Mentil smiled, sharp and fiery. "Didn't wait to be asked, kitten."
Tension crackled until Lancer broke it again with a clap. "New blood's good. We'll need the strength if we're dealing with Pride."
As the group turned toward the narrow alleyways that led into the underbelly of Esteria, Rei glanced once more at Reiner Cold.
They didn't speak.
But something passed between them the unspoken understanding of two people who had seen death too many times and kept walking anyway.
And in the shadows of Esteria, something was already watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.