The Nexis Quest

Cavernshade

"Are you crazy?" I asked as I followed Nova, who was scoping out the restaurant through the windows.

"Relax, I'm not stupid. I have a plan," she replied confidently.

When we reached the back of the restaurant, she turned to me. "Let's fix our clothes."

I looked down at my outfit—light blue jean short overalls and a pink tee-shirt. Nova must have noticed my confused face because she rolled her eyes and said, "Fancy restaurant means fancy clothes." She gestured to my ponytail. "Put your hair up."

I quickly pulled my hair into a bun as I noticed Nova braiding her own. She then handed me earrings and a scarf. "Best I can do on short notice." She straightened her own outfit, which, ever the fashionista, was a pink layered skirt, white floral top, and leggings. Considering how expensive her clothes looked and what the orphanage where she was staying looked like, I'd long wondered where she got them from.

"Let's go. Walk with confidence," she instructed, and we strolled into the restaurant.                            Ankoku's Perspective 

I saw two women walk into the restaurant—or at least, that's what I thought at first. On closer inspection, I realized they were girls around my age. They walked with incredible confidence, and I couldn't help but be intrigued. Himari would like these two, I thought.

The restaurant, "The Silver Spoon," was one of the fancier places in Cavernshade. Working here wasn't my dream job, but it paid the bills. Plus, it allowed me to observe people—something I was particularly good at.

As I served other tables, I kept an eye on the two girls. They found a secluded table and sat down, blending in surprisingly well. They ordered food and enjoyed the meal while trying to remain inconspicuous. The aroma of roast chicken, buttery mashed potatoes, and fresh bread filled the air, making me realize how hungry I was.

Just as they were finishing up, one of my colleagues, who was more observant than I gave him credit for, approached their table with a puzzled look on his face. "Excuse me, but I don't recall seeing you come in. Do you have a reservation?"

The girl with the fiery hair flashed a charming smile. "Oh, our parents are right over there," she said, pointing vaguely to the other side of the room. "They asked us to wait here."

The waiter looked skeptical, but before he could say anything else, the girls bolted from the table, weaving through the crowd. The waiter shouted behind them, but they didn't stop. They dashed out the door and into the busy street, leaving a trail of laughter and adrenaline in their wake.

"Typical," I muttered, more amused than annoyed. Deciding to follow them, I quickly made my way outside.

---

"That was close," I heard the girl with the dark hair say as they caught their breath.

"Told you we'd get a free meal," her friend replied with a grin.

"Nice trick," I said, stepping out from behind a corner. They jumped, clearly not expecting anyone to follow them.

"What do you want?" the fiery-haired girl asked, her eyes narrowing.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "More like what I want to know."

"And what do you want to know?" the dark-haired girl asked, suspicion evident in her voice.

"Let's just say you two are interesting," I replied. "And if your not criminals or something my sister, Himari, would love to meet you two. She's around your age and could use some new friends."

The girls exchanged glances. "Alright," the dark-haired one said slowly. "But no funny business."

I smirked, couldn't help being amused by the situation . "Same to you."

---

As we walked through the bustling streets, I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with these girls. They were bold and daring, qualities I respected. Plus, I could see they were in over their heads, and something in me wanted to protect them. Maybe it was because I'd seen too many people get hurt in this town, including Himari and myself.

"So, what's the deal with you two?" I asked, glancing at the dark-haired girl. "You don't seem like the typical tourists."

"We're not," she replied cautiously. "We're on a mission."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Way to keep it vague, Alissa."

I chuckled, appreciating her sarcasm. "A mission, huh? Sounds intriguing. Well, here we are."

We stopped in front of a modest but cozy-looking house. I opened the door and ushered them inside. The interior was warm and welcoming, filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies.

"Himari! We have guests," I called out." Shoes off" I told them and they compelled.

A moment later, my sister, who looked remarkably like me, appeared. She had the same black hair reaching about an inch under her chin and silvery, blue eyes, and golden tan skin. but her demeanor was softer, more reserved. She wore a pink boilerdress and had a shy smile.

"Hi, I'm Himari," she said quietly, looking at the girls with curiosity.

"Hi, I'm Alissa, and this is Nova," Alissa introduced them. "It's nice to meet you."

Himari's eyes lit up. Then she said with a sly smile "I assume my brother has been annoying you both with questions he has trust issues. Come in, sit down. Would you like some cookies?" I shot her a look and she giggled.

---

As we settled in, Himari brought out a tray of cookies and tea. We chatted about our journey so far, with Himari listening intently. She seemed genuinely interested in their adventure and eager to help.

After a while, I leaned back in my chair, feeling a bit more at ease. "So, you're looking for the Nexis. That's quite a quest."

"You know about it?" Nova asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Of course," I replied. "It's a legendary treasure. Many have tried to find it, but none have succeeded. But I have a feeling you two might just have what it takes."

"We're determined," Alissa said firmly. "We won't stop until we find it."

"But now it's our turn for questions" Alissa said "What's The Crimson Talons doing here?

My unease spiked again immediately I narrowed my eyes "How do you know of them?"

"I recognized the symbol when we were attacked earlier", She stated calmly. Before I could do anything Himari shot me a warning look and grabbed my hand and saying "we don't have the best history with them." 

"Understatement of the year" I mumbled  then sighed I guessed we should give an explanation so I said "When Himari first showed signs she was special" I stated trying to carefully choose my words "Our parents tried to sell her off at an underground network called The Docks.", "Stupid name" Alissa said and I nearly smiled. "So your like us" Nova chimed in "You have abilities" 

I nodded slowly "Yes she does", wary still every time we revealed this information something bad happened but I guess Himari didn't have that worry as she piped up "Not just me my brother as well"