You, Me, and the World Between Us (Dragon Quest)

IX - Eliza of Hamlet

Eliza led the trio back to the little town of Hamlet, which sat nestled inside a ring of tall, purple mountains. Birds chirped faint melodies as they danced above them, and the plains below them shone with peace. Even monsters seemed scarce in the surrounding land. The area gave off a sense of serenity, like nothing would ever be harmed if one were to reside there. It seemed fitting, as the Hero had to be hidden from the world's knowledge for the first eighteen years of his life. Eliza knew the region well, giving the pair the impression that she had lived in Hamlet her entire life. Perhaps she had even grown up alongside the Hero. A spark of hope ignited inside of Inessa, who began to wonder if this pink-haired woman had known the world's savior, Solo.

"I see the pair of you have a minidemon as a companion," Eliza remarked with a quick glance over her shoulder at the siblings. Inessa and Thorn both lit up at the mention of the creature, and Maxim released a quiet groan. The woman chuckled slightly as she pressed onwards. "Earning the trust of monsters is considered one of the most difficult things to achieve. It's fairly common to see people with tamed slimes but look at you two. His kind is hard to calm down, but this little creature is incredibly comfortable with you already," Eliza noted with a smile. The Tsarevich rolled his eyes, wondering if he could ever have the same connection that his sister did with Thorn. Maxim smiled kindly at the minidemon as if to suggest forming a friendship, only to get jabbed in the leg with a small pitchfork in return. Or not, he thought bitterly.

Inessa giggled softly under her breath, melodious laughter filling the air as they walked. "Yes, it appears that Thorn and I have grown extremely fond of one another. We met on our travels to Endor, and we had a connection immediately" the Tsarevna beamed as she explained how she had met their companion. Eliza nodded as she listened, looking over to the blue-haired girl as she rambled excitedly. The woman opened her mouth as if to speak, but Inessa cut her off short. "Ah! The town ahead of us is Hamlet, isn't it?" she asked, warm eyes growing large as she sprinted forward. She stood quite a ways in front of Eliza, Maxim, and Thorn, her arms thrown wide as she took in the village. "It's even better than I had dreamed it would be!"

As he caught up to his sister, Maxim chuckled to himself. He joined at Inessa's side, smiling at the quaint village along with her. Taking a deep breath of the air, he felt invigorated. The Tsarevich placed his hands on his hips, a new sense of determination filling him to the brim. "You were right to suggest visiting Solo's hometown. I feel I have been blessed with more than enough courage to face any trials we may come across on our quest to save Mother," he boasted with a stately nod. Maxim spun on his heel to face Eliza, who had just joined the pair of them. He reached out, shaking the pink-haired woman's hand profusely. "I cannot thank you enough for delivering us safely to the village of Hamlet. We are truly indebted to you," he said with a slight bow.

"It's the very least I could do for you kids; traveling off on your own? Who knows what troubles you'd face. I couldn't bear to let you flounder out there, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself," Eliza said, shaking her head. She fell silent for a moment, her brows pushing together as she thought to herself. "Actually," she started once more, bringing a hand to her chin, "you haven't a nice bed to sleep in for the night. Though we're open to visitors nowadays, Hamlet's far too small to hold a prosperous inn. I simply must ask that you stay at my home for the night," Eliza declared, looking between the royal siblings. Maxim and Inessa glanced at one another before looking back to the woman, giving her the nod of approval.

As Eliza led the troupe to her home, both Zamoksvan siblings couldn't help but notice the gentle beauty the village of Hamlet held. A small number of houses sat scattered about the place, and a deep, blue lake guarded the backside of the town. The sun drifted over the mountain tops, giving the village and the sky a warm glow. A handful of townspeople wandered through the grassy pathways, chattering happily as the evening slowly passed them by. A pair of middle-aged men strolled back to their homes, fishing poles on their backs, and a group of young children danced about as they played a game of tag. It was a setting very unknown to Maxim and Inessa, far different from Endor, or even their homeland. Albeit new and different, they appreciated the atmosphere nonetheless.