The police let go of the man in green well after the sun went down. Just in time for dinner, as Eila's stomach grumbled at the sight of the sprite boy's kiosk passing through the road. With the inn under investigation, they gave its guests the option to stay in specific rooms, stay with a sprite family willing to house them overnight, or catch a bus to the nearest bed n' breakfast. Said place was about an hour away, according to an inn employee.

The group dined at a local restaurant before leaving, using the man's money to afford a decent meal. Said food comprised fried plantains mashed and stuffed with veiled fowl meat, with sweet sauced drizzled over it. The meat itself was tender, though it had a shade of purple because of the bird's natural colors.

Though the nighttime scenery was pleasant, there was a gloomy atmosphere about it. The inn was within the restaurant's view down the street, surrounded by investigators and the nosy journalist. On the front porch of the diner were Ari and Nino, both tearing apart a sizeable chunk of raw boar procured by the man in green.

The group dined in silence, keeping their eyes focused on the food. For the twins, however, dinner was a feeble distraction from the stress and uncertainty regarding their parents. Besides the small talk and brief laughs shared at the table, Eila would side-glance at Tomas. Much as he smiled, Eila could see the fear in his eyes. She too felt it; her chest tightened at the thought of their parents in the clutches of the monster's claws. The image of the claws flashed a memory of the blizzard after, causing her to feel a cold sensation for a moment.

Closing her eyes, Eila took a deep breath and looked up at Tomas, smiling at him. Though the gesture was comforting, Tomas's body felt tense, much as he tried to hide it by eating and making conversation. The man in green glanced at both, lowering his eyebrows in concern.

After dinner, the man suggested calling their parents by cell phone, given it was one of the few numbers the twins knew of. However, none of the three possessed a phone, barring the "lily-phone" for calling Narciso. The man resigned to informing Narciso of the attack at the inn, hoping they had some news regarding their situation. The group picked up their belongings and thanked the server as they exited the diner.

As the blue moon shone upon the town, the trio strode down the road towards a bus station just outside its borders. During their walk, the man asked Eila for the flower, flicking its petals until it gave off its distinctive glow.

Narciso's drowsy voice resonated within the blossom, muttering, "Hello, my dears. What brings you to call me on this lovely, romantic night?" They sighed and continued, "The moon's glow seems so enchanting here. But enough musing about that," they chuckled afterwards, causing the man to narrow his eyes and say in a stern tone, "This is not the time for poetic musings, Narciso. For today, our enemies ambushed Zephyr Town. Did you hear about it?"

The group heard an exaggerated gasp coming from the blossom, "What? Ah," they hushed their voice, "Well, that would explain the whispering I heard earlier... But I thought it was mere chatter between the sprites, honest!"

The man placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes. With an unamused glare, he said, "I doubt how honest you are, regarding that matter. Besides that, have you heard any details about human hostages?"

"Ah, human hostages? I heard they were volunteers! Thought they were crazy to follow them, but the Netherworld Oracle might've got a few followers along the way. Who knows? Maybe they got coerced into it." They let out a restrained chuckle, causing the man to growl in response.

Tapping his foot against the gravel floor, the man responded, "They were coerced. We investigated the site of attack earlier. I doubt they would willingly follow such creatures. I shall inform you of our findings, perhaps you can enlighten us with what you have heard."

As the man and Narciso exchanged information, the twins walked past him. The bus station lay a good distance ahead of them, composed of a pair of steel benches with lotus flower designs on the backrest. Covering them was a roof made of wood and red clay tiles, where the moonlight exalted their vibrant colors.

The group sat on the benches, continuing to listen to Narciso. Ari and Nino curled beside the benches, observing the quiet, lush grasslands, the dark forest looming in the distance, and the lights of Zephyr Town down the road.

Tomas looked at the lily, thoroughly invested in their conversation, hoping to find anything about their parents. Eila rested her head on the wall beside the bench, Narciso's voice becoming distant and muffled to her ears. As she took slow, pensive breaths, she lifted her head toward the blue-tinted moon. She struggled to keep her eyes open after an exhausting day, dozing off while Ari rested her head on the girl's lap.

"Well, Aegean City's the best bet, as I overheard the Nether Oracle planning to, ahem, 'convene' with Suilah. She's due to give a performance in a few days, and no doubt the place will bustle with beings from all over Eosia. Oh! If only I had legs, I'd be there in a flash!"

The man grunted, "Focus." Narciso sighed in return, "Right, right. If the humans were told to meet the oracle in the city, then... Why, I'm not sure where they'd hide. I hear it's one of largest settlements on this continent, so could take a while to find their whereabouts." Narciso hummed, as if deep in thought, before muttering, "I'm terribly sorry, dears. I'm as clueless as you are."

Tomas and the man exchanged glances, when the boy shook his head and scooted closer to the lily, "Um, that's ok. You tried." He yawned and rubbed one eye, "But why... do all this? We're just some people from a tiny town.

Narciso added, "Why? Ho-ho, I can think up a few reasons why. First, look at the imposing man beside you. He's a wanted man in the cloaked ones' eyes. Second, your drake got in their way. And, well, the Nether Oracle doesn't take kindly at being insulted in any way." They giggled in a mischievous manner, "He's probably still annoyed from the time I poisoned some of his folk. But hey, they barged in during my precious sunbathing session, what am I to do against such rudeness?"

The man faked a cough to hide his small grin, saying, "That is true. Still, if they are headed to such a city, they have potential to cause much harm. Especially as their target is an outgoing guardian. Keep your flower blossoms alert, my friend, as we make our way to the coast."

Narciso responded, "As always. Do take care! And, well, hope your parents are found safe and sound, dears."

Once the lily ceased its silver glow, the man looked at the twins, noticing Eila's head bobbed to the side. "It has been a long day, children. The bus should arrive soon, so rest easy once we board it, alright?"

Eila nodded, her lips and eyes drooping as she struggled to stay awake. Tomas checked his watch with half-closed eyes; it was near eleven. "Jeez, mom would've pushed me to go to bed already," he mumbled. He pouted at the thought, yearning for his home.

A low rumbling in the distance caused the man to perk up, squinting his eyes as the silhouette of a nocturnal bus manifested. Wider than the diurnal ones, the nocturnal bus's metallic blue color imitated a star-filled firmament on wheels. The engine's hum quieted as it slowed down in front of the station, opening its glass door to the group. The man in green nudged the twins, pointing at the vehicle. Gathering their belongings, the group went up the steps.

The twins' eyes widened once they saw the driver, who was a female Twi'lit. She appeared humanoid, though her ebony skin distinguished her kind from humans. Her tender green eyes, adjusted to the darkness of night, swept through the group. She greeted them with a nod, waving her arm toward the rest of the bus behind her. Her neutral expression betrayed neither boredom nor curiosity toward the visitors.

The twins' eyes widened at her sight, prompting the man in green to whisper, "It is rude to stare, children." Approaching the driver, he cleared his throat, "Good evening. Are we headed to Aegean City, perchance?"

Once again, she nodded in silence, pointing at a screen beside the wheel. The screen showed a static image of the bus's routes and schedule. Aegean City was one of its last stops before looping back to Zephyr Town, passing through many small human and sprite settlements along the way. Lake Eriida was just above the city, being one of the largest bodies of water in the continent.

Looking away from the screen, the man opened up the satchel bag on his waist and asked, "How long will it take to reach the city? And how much shall it cost?"

The driver raised her hands off the wheel and held up nine fingers, shaking her hand as if to say, 'more or less' afterward. Moving her eyes to the side, she then held up five fingers and made an 'o' sign with her other hand.

The man squinted his eyes and mumbled, "Um, I assume nine hours then." And you mean to say fifty coins. Eosian currency, yes?"

The twins tilted their heads and raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her gestures. The man put a finger to his chin, asking, "Pardon me if I come off as ignorant, but are you perhaps mute?"

She gave a thumbs up with both fingers, her lips contorting into a small grin. A fang poked out under her upper lip as she smiled. Satisfied with her answer, the man took some coins from the satchel, counting them in his palm. After paying the driver, the group went to the back of the bus, where a few beds anchored to the floor and seats were placed to the sides of the main 'hall'. The twins took some time eyeing them, the bus's white inside, the golden poles. There was but a lone person sleeping on one of the beds at the back, their body covered by a grey blanket up to their face.

The twins wasted no time jumping onto the beds, taking off their shoes, socks, and enveloping their bodies with blankets. The man sat on one of the blue seats besides Tomas' bed, moving his head to examine it.

Crossing one leg over the other, he remarked, "Hmph, quite clean. I am pleased to see they keep such a level of quality for their services."

Tomas plopped his head on the pillow, facing the man and saying, "Smells like lavender too."

Eila lied on the bed behind her brother, smiling at the two with droopy eyes. The hum of the engine remained low as the driver switched gears and accelerated. The bus's light dimmed as the group readied for sleep. Ari pawed at Tomas's bed, only to retreat and curl up on the floor beside him.

It did not take long for the twins to go off into dreamland, exhausted from such a physically and emotionally overwhelming day. Their cheeks and eyes showed traces of crying, though sleep gave them much needed rest. As for the man in green, he reclined on the chair, resting his head on the window frame behind him. His eyes were closed, though sleep did not come to him right away. He lay deep in thought about the events of the day, his brow wrinkling in frustration.

"Tragedy seems to follow me... I feel as though I am cursed." He murmured, rubbing the fridge of his nose between his fingers.

Ari gave a low, brief growl as she tucked her head and tail under one wing. The man in green smiled at her, took a deep breath, and relaxed his body on the chair. His view of the grasslands as the bus passed them was entrancing, for the pasture seemed to blend into the star-filled, dark blue skies above.

In his half-asleep daze, the fields reminded him of home, and the bus's speed brought a sense of soaring through the skies. A sweet, tender feeling of nostalgia lulled him to slumber at last.