Understanding eachother

Ethan staggered into the alley behind the tavern, breathless and half-running, half-tripping over his own steps.

Ethan: “Uhhhh! Ahhhh— I… I’m here! Uhhh! Ahhhh!”

Ethan's Thoughts: “God… why am I out of breath? She practically dragged me across half the city. And… why am I smiling? Stop smiling. Stop—”

Mark spun toward him, angered.

Mark: “We’ve been waiting for half an hour! What the hell were you doing!?”

Leo clicked his tongue sharply.

Leo: “Tschhh… I told you I don’t trust him.”

Ethan's Thoughts: “Of course. Leo. Always Leo. If something goes wrong, I’m the culprit. If something goes right, it’s “coincidence.” Wonderful.”

Linda: “Shut it, both of you. The point remains: Ethan, where were you?”

Ethan swallowed.

Ethan: “I— I’ve met someone. She showed me around…”

Mark leaned forward like a wolf scenting blood.

Mark: “And? Spill it. What did you learn?”

Ethan: “Well… I know where the tavern is. And a few other things…”

Emily brushed her hair behind her ear, glancing around the street nervously.

Emily: “Let’s not talk here. Let’s go to the tavern.”

THE TAVERN — AURELIA’S WHISPERING CHALICE

The group entered, pushing through a short arched doorway thick with the scent of old oak.

Inside, the tavern was… warm.

A golden haze from lantern-light bathed polished wooden beams. Hearthfire crackled on one side, spitting sparks into a chimney that clearly hadn’t been cleaned since last winter. The place smelled of roasted chestnuts, spiced wine, and the faint metallic tang of adventurers who hadn’t bathed after a quest.

People were shoulder-to-shoulder — mercenaries swapping stories loudly, townsfolk sharing gossip, a bard tuning a lute badly in the corner.

Ethan felt, strangely, safe.

They found a circular table in the corner. Everyone sat. Silence pressed onto them like a heavy cloth.

Linda broke the stillness first.

Her fingers tapped the table in a steady, controlled rhythm — the rhythm of someone trying not to panic.

Linda: “Well… since no one wants to speak, I’ll begin.”

Linda: “We went to the Guild. Apparently… we’re ghosts. No one knows us. Yet we're in their database. But here’s what bothers me: we were registered with only our names. No family names. No background. Nothing.”

Emily folded her arms, leaning in.

Emily: “So… what you’re saying is whoever did this is above all those laws?”

Mark exhaled through his nose.

Mark: “Apparently so.”

Then, surprisingly — he straightened, cleared his throat, and spoke quietly:

Mark: “Look… I want to apologize. For my behavior earlier. If we’re going to find the root of this nightmare… fighting each other is only going to make it worse.”

Ethan felt something loosen in his chest.

Ethan's Thoughts: “Finally. Some reason. Thank God.”

Linda nodded.

Linda: “Apology accepted. We’re all on edge. This is difficult for every one of us.”

Leo glanced down, avoiding eye contact.

Leo: “Tschhh… I’m sorry too. I just… we need to work together. That’s all.”

Emily brightened at the shift in tone.

Emily: “Right! Good! Now— rooms. I booked them. The inn only had two spares: boys with boys, girls with girls.”

She pointed at Mark before he could even inhale.

Emily: “And I’m not taking ‘no’ on that one.”

Mark: “…Of course.”

After a moment, Ethan spoke.

Ethan: “With everything we spent today, we're down to our last coins. We’ll need work. Missions. Quests. Fighting. We can’t do that if we don’t even know each other’s abilities. Or have eachother's trust.”

Emily leaned forward so quickly the table shook.

Emily: “Right!? It's weird, isn’t it? We remember our abilities perfectly. Muscle memory, instincts, everything. But anything personal?”

She tapped her own temple.

Emily: “Gone.”

Linda nodded approvingly.

Linda: “Exactly. So let’s share. Classes, skills — anything useful.”

Mark stood a little taller, as if reciting something etched into his bones.

Mark: “Warrior. Pure strength. Skills: • Splinter — heavy axe swing, sends a cutting wind forward. • Whirlwind — spinning attack around me. • Berserker — lowers my defense, increases my attack.”

Leo crossed his arms, tail flicking.

Leo: “Lizardman. Skills: • Acid Spit — self-explanatory. • Night Vision — I see in the dark like it’s daylight. • Stealth Incarnate — nobody sees me unless I wish it.”

Emily lifted her hand.

Emily: “Archer. • Regen Arrow — creates three arrows every thirty seconds. • Gale Arrow — three arrows that never miss. • Phoenix Feather — fire-enchants my shots.”

Linda folded her hands gently.

Linda: “Healer. • Touch of Light — small healing. • Root — binds target with herbal roots. • Mana Area — regenerates mana, but I must stay still.”

All eyes shifted to Ethan.

He exhaled.

Ethan: “Tank. • Summon Shield — magic shield for 30 seconds. • Pierce Strike — low damage, goes through metal. • Bodyguard — take someone else’s damage for 3 seconds.”