Dawn of Adventure {Book One of The Paths We've Traveled}

Chapter Forty-Six: Dancing in Circles

"And how many nights will you be staying with us, sir?" The pretty young receptionist smiled up at Jellal, brown hair pulled back into loose ringlets. No curve graced his lips, but it wasn't that he was displeased. Smiles just didn't come as easily as they used to. Especially after the episode in the forest that still haunted him at night.

"Just a few. Can I pay day by day? I'm unsure as to how long exactly I will be in town."

The receptionist affirmed his question, and he thanked her. She gave him a key for room 312 and some instructions, for which he thanked her again. He turned, searching for the stairwell she spoke about.

"Excuse me, sir?" He glanced back at the wagon, and she smiled sheepishly. "I was just curious as to what your accent is? I mean, where do you come from?"

Jellal smiled at that. He hoped it didn't look weird. "Fiore. Ishgar. Don't worry, it's not a bother. You'd be surprised by the amount of people who've asked the exact same thing in the past two weeks." Then he really did leave the lobby, slipping up the stairs and disappearing into the upper levels.

If only he'd been a minute slower.

XXX

Erza pushed open the door to the hotel, exhaustion weighing down her shoulders. Of course, the heavy backpack she wore did little to help with that tension. Her teammates piled into the building after her, chattering and laughing and arguing. She smiled, unable to contain the overflow of love for her friends.

The lobby they entered was spacious. Like most of the places they'd stayed at in Coracre, the hotel was not ornate or self-important. Instead, its beauty was simplistic and functional. Plants stood on either side of every arched doorway, filling the air with the sweet smell of nature. A few couches and armchairs lined the empty spaces on the walls, rugs covering the cool wooden floor. Hallways branched off from multiple points, each one marked by a sign above. And at the far end, a desk with two young women took up most of the wall.

Erza walked through the room, trusting her friends to be close behind. She greeted the free receptionist with a smile, aware of the woman's wide eyes as she stared at the armor the Requip mage wore. And then at the bare chest Gray revealed.

"Good afternoon," the young woman said, slightly lost for words as she took in the entire group that had just entered the hotel. She realized after several moments that she'd been staring for far too long. "Uh, what can I do for you today?"

Erza's smile brightened as she pushed aside her fatigue. "We're looking for some rooms for the night?"

The receptionist nodded, scanning her notebook to locate the empty rooms. "Hm. We have several open rooms. Any in particular you were looking for?"

"Do you have any that have like three beds?" Gray interrupted, not bothering to hide his weariness. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we all want beds."

The receptionist bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry sir, I don't believe we have anything like that. Our options include one single, two singles, one double, and two doubles."

Gray groaned. "Great. Guess it's the floor for me."

"Oh, I can take the floor. I really don't mind," Wendy spoke up, expression bright and open. Erza glanced at the young woman, taking in Wendy's blue hair pulled back in a high ponytail, several strands framing her face and showing how the past year had matured her. And in lieu of her usual dresses, she wore a tight red blazer and a black skirt, black sandals covering her feet. Even just the slight change in outfit had aged her. With a jolt, Erza realized just how much Wendy had grown up right under her nose.