Fantastical Beasts and How To Imagine Them

Heinrich turned and left the others without a single look back. Even with his usual detached demeanor he could at least show the minimum of professional courtesies. But dealing with some mad mage with no touch with reality in this rotting garbage heap of a kingdom wasn't even worth that much.

Along the way to his destination, he noticed something. Tracks in the snow. If one blinked they'd have missed him turning off on a detour from the market and following right after.

The four had split up shortly after that, giving just enough time to let Feo give a small bow of her head, and Feo had found herself following Heinrich.

"... I've only heard a little about Eisleyn... if you wish for us to get paid and not run out of town, or worse, it would be wise to avoid that kind of conversation in the future," she muttered, not looking up at the man as she kept walking with that usual blank look on her face, though framed and thus more prominent thanks to her scarf and winter hat. "... Regardless, and even if I know you only did it because you were paid to... I'd like to thank you for standing up for me. It'd be easier for us both if we were on the same side like that in the fu...ture..."

Feo trailed off, however, stopping in her tracks as she realized something; Heinrich wasn't there anymore. H-He'd vanished somewhere in the middle of her talking! T-That... that louse!

"Gh..." A rather unhappy grimace washed over the girl, before she took a deep breath, let it out, and returned to her usual, neutral expression.

"Hey, who're you?" a young voice spoke up, and she turned around to face a boy just a bit shorter than her. "You look sorta` funny... Ah, it doesn't matter! We need someone else for the snowball fight!"

"A... snowball fight?" Feo repeated, and another child seemed to materialize out of nowhere on her opposite side, this one a young girl, the shortest of the three.

"Yeah! A snowball fight! We don't got enough people!" she explained.

"E-Er... I don't know if I'd be rather useful for that sort of thing.." Feo protested, but both kids had her by her gloved hands and were pulling her down the road.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Yeah! We're making a fort so we can sing!"

"... Ah... R-Right... If it's alright with you, might I also ask you a few questions, then?" the tallest of the three relented, looking flustered as she tried to keep up with the overly-excited children.

"Pffthahaha! You talk funny!" the boy said.

"But she's dressed really fancy! Maybe she's a 'know-ball'!"

"E-Erm, no, I'm not..." The three went further and further away from where Heinrich split off, to a fate Feo couldn't have known would end after at least twenty snowballs had successfully found their mark on that framed face of her's over the course of the afternoon.

As they began to move away, Solana hummed happily to herself. In fact, as soon as the other two were out of her sight, her previous irritation seemed to disappear entirely. "But we are already here." She stated, tilting her head. She blinked, then giggled. "Ah I see I see! Our history is unknown to each other! After all I thought you a ghost!"

She beamed at Aster, taking her hand and beginning to walk in seemingly a random direction. "For once I am happy that my mind played tricks." She giggled, marching oddly forward, kicking up her legs quite high and sending snow flying forward. "So, bright flower, tell me of you! I want to hear everything!" She glanced back, a bright smile on her face.

Aster was smiling as Solana spoke, but the sad look in her eyes betrayed her. Even if Solana looked the same (well, at least similar) there was just something completely...off about her. From the way she spoke, to her flights of fancy, to the way she seemed to question what was here or there...it almost seemed like the girl had lost her mind. Indeed, Solana mentioned this herself about her mind playing tricks.

Aster forced herself to look pleased, however, and managed a soft laugh.

"Oh...well..." she contemplated as they trudged through the snow. "After the palace, I just started taking odd jobs. I was part of the Grimm Guild when it was still around. Fighting corrupted beasts and whatnot. Now that it's gone, I earn money by helping others with monster problems by myself."

To be fair, she wasn't lying. She was just leaving out certain details. Still, Aster wasn't too comfortable with the topic focusing on her. She'd touch Solana's arm softly.

"Though, if I'm honest, I want to know more about you," Aster said. She looked at Solana with worry. "Where have you been since I left?"