A Chat With Her Parents

The healer who started the match comes up to us. He starts healing us each without saying anything and I see Liz jump down from the stands in front of me.

"Eric!" She shouts excitedly. "What spell was that!?" She asks when she gets to us.

"It wasn't a spell exactly." I say and she looks at me excitedly. "It was my Nuru." I say and she squeals, literally. She immediately covers her mouth but is still obviously excited.

"Are you two good?" I hear Kagiyama ask and I turn to him. The others, Myla, Hino, Sugano, Kallen, Ramia, and her parents are behind him.

"Yeah, we're fine!" My gramps says slapping me on my back. I nod and the healer stops before nodding as well.

"Eric, sorry but could we talk." Harry, Ramia's father, asks me.

"Sure, what do you need?" I ask, missing the implication that he wanted to talk in private. I hear Liz laugh before grabbing my arm.

"Follow me, I'll show you to a private room." She says before leading us back to the hall we came from. She opens a door and we walk inside. I see the familiar meeting room and turn back to Harry, his wife and Ramia followed us inside.

"Eric, Ramia told us she's joined your guild and has been working as an Alchemist right?" Harry asks and I nod. "I wanted to thank you for that and ask you for a favor."

"Sure, what is it?" I ask him and he sighs.

"Would you allow Ramia to stay with you for the time being?"

"Yeah, is there any reason why?" I ask, and he seems a little surprised.

"Y-you don't mind?" His wife, Anna asks.

"No, actually it's the opposite. I enjoy her company and she is a great Alchemist. I was a little worried she'd be leaving." I say and Ramia softly laughs.

"Thank you. But I ask because we didn't think she was alive. We thought she had passed at the Dungeon. And I don't know what she told you about us, but we were under a pact with the Elven Leaders. The pact was to supply potions for another year and a half. In exchange, we'd receive free food and housing. But after Ramia's passing, we didn't want to be there. Every time we saw the other Elves we were reminded of her. So we entered a new pact. They let us leave and gave us the funds to do so. In exchange, we need to send a monthly supply of potions for the next two and a half years. Our friend, Lander helped us find a place here with an Alchemy lab. But we don't have room for Ramia, since ours is made for two." Harry says and I nod.

"What kind of potions do you need for the pact?" I ask.

"Mostly simple ones. Twenty healing, ten mana recovery, and five special. The special ones are the ones they'll tell us about at the beginning of the month. It's essentially just a way for them to get different ones every month." He says and I nod.

"Ramia, did you use all of the Trolls Heart or Swamp Elemental Core?" I ask and she smiles.

"No. B-but are you sure? You d-don't mind?" She asks and I smile back.

"No, I don't mind. If you guys don't use it then I'll just put it on a shelf to collect dust." I say and she hugs me.

"Thank you!" She says and I smile.

"Anytime," I whisper in her ear. She pulls back and looks up at me.

"C-could you give us a m-minute?" She asks and I nod. I leave the room and hear Ramia start explaining how she'll help them with their potion deliveries.

"What did they want?" Liz asks me curiously.

"Just to talk. But is there anything else the guilds need me for?" I ask her and she nods.

"Yeah, Strom wanted to talk to you. Then Kallen and Kagiyama have something to say. Neither of them told me what it's about though." Liz says shrugging and I smile. She leads me down a hallway and to another door. Inside I see Kallen, Kagiyama, Sugano, my gramps, and Strom. Liz leaves saying she'll lead Ramia and her parents here once they're done.

"Thanks for coming Eric." Sugano says and I nod.

"So what did you need me for?" I ask them and Strom walks over to me.

"I've found out what another of your Familiar Marks Altered Circles are. It's an Increased Power Circle. It'll increase the strength of Eimbis's magic and physical attacks. You've gotten really lucky with this, as if a Dragon alone wasn't powerful enough." Strom says with a laugh and I thank him. Just then Hino and Myla walk into the room. They have their armor on and weapons sheathed. Hino's gauntlets are hanging off her hip by a cord, she has her boot on already.

"Are you ready Eric?" Hino asks and I hear my gramps laugh.

"Sorry girls, we haven't got to that yet." He says and I turn to look at him.

"Gotten to what?" I ask him.

"We've found a Fire Elemental Dungeon. We're going to send the girls in and would like you to join them. Oh, and don't worry about running into the Devils as you did in the Spider Dungeon. We've been sending scouts into every Dungeon to check before entering. So we'll know if they're there or not." Sugano says and I nod.

"Then yes, I am ready Hino." I say and she smiles. I tell the others bye and we leave. I do ask them if we should get Liz but Myla brought up a good point. Liz uses magic weak to fire, so taking her wouldn't be wise since she wouldn't be able to bind them and doesn't want to kill them. Scott drives up to the Dungeons entrance and I add them to my party.