After another few weeks of training, Mist grows even further, going from the size of a medium-sized dog to a large dog. His voice still reminds me of a child, but his appetite definitely exceeds that of any human being. Eventually, we register him with the dragon association, where they give vouchers for food for healthy growth. Mist misses his yam and bacon, but he doesn't mind the random cuts of meat that he now devours.

After hunting monsters all day and evening, our team still owns four skills each. We're at a standstill, and I read in the Callena library that many parties reach a dry spell at this point. Many parties disband at this stage, satisfied with their current fighting abilities, to pursue another occupation in Halo Island. I know our party has much bigger plans than that.

The autumn deepens, and I wonder about the cutting of winter that will quickly approach. Back at the village, we tried to stock up before then—food and firewood. Here in Callena, I imagine that the markets will still be running.

I bring it up with my party as Mist takes a nap on the living room couch. He certainly makes the cushions sink, his snoring filling the space like a guard dog's. "We haven't been to Law City before," I say. "Juno, you always said you would take us. Why don't we go and see what kind of quests we can accept nearby?"

My party mulls over this for a bit. Until we decide to go sometime in the next few days.

As the day approaches, I reflect on the Voice of the goddess, along with the change that will burst forth in Blossom World. The elders and instructors have called for several more meetings, where they addressed the new monsters and the toxic guild rivalries. Miria and Nin both sent envoys to attend the meetings and speak about the monsters that are changing in both of those bigger countries.

On the airship, I squint as Law City creeps into view. The most advanced city in Halo Island rivals the technology of the largest cities in Nin and Miria. I spot the paved roads, which weave through the buildings in a systematic way. A load of artificial light is strung from the buildings, and although it lacks greenery, it makes up for it with large stone structures. The apartments themselves rise at least ten stories tall, and although they are all painted, they don't at all stand out against the starry lights, which remind me of looking up at the sky at midnight.

Wow, Mist says. Wouldn't it be unique if a dragon lived here too? Not the most traditional place for a dragon lair, but it could work.

"I don't think you would enjoy it," I say simply.

After we land in the airport, Juno takes control and tells us that the must-visit in Law City happens to be a mansion called "Nina's Place." We stroll down one of the paved paths, watching as carriage-like cars drive past, with no need for a horse. Only fuel.

I try to hide my shock at Law City. Everything in me says I should hide that I lived such a simple life, free from buildings like these and cars and roads so smooth they look like paper.

Nina's Place, a ten minute walk from the airport, is hard to miss. It rises almost as tall as an apartment. Its exterior reminds me of a castle, painted a gorgeous cream. A fountain in the courtyard has an actual marble dragon as the centerpiece, which Mist spends a good amount of time fawning over. The grass looks natural too, as if taken from a Callena hillside. All sorts of flowers, from lilacs to asters, line the perimeter of the mansion.

"Don't be too shocked," Juno says as we line up for entrance—at least twenty people ahead of us. "It's a... different sort of crowd. I figured we should experience it at least once though."

I notice the attire of the people in front of me. A man wears a baby blue suit with a silver tie, his partner wearing a dress that wraps around her like a cloud—complete with about twenty bows weaved through her braid. I don't find anyone dressed like me, just with slacks and a sweater.

Even Princess, with her pink overalls, says, "Don't you guess feel underdressed? Shouldn't you have warned us about this, Juno?"

Juno smiles sheepishly. "I figured we would just want to see it. Not to be an actual part of the Nina's Place crowd."

"Luckily I did hear about this place," Avery says, adjusting her denim jacket. "It's just a right of passage for most parties. We'll be in and out in a second."

Something like fear uncurls in my stomach. I tamp it down, focusing on the scent of the wildflowers. The murmur of the gossiping people in front of us—and now, behind.

We finally reach the front of the line, and Juno pays an inconsequential entrance fee. We enter into an atrium that reeks of alcohol. Not the type in a typical tavern, but fancy spirits mixed with the sweetest beverages possible. Maroon carpet and chandeliers mix together into a sheen of red that paints the cream walls. I spy jewels on the attendees, diamonds and sapphires that could probably buy all the mythic items I could ever want.

We make our way into the main party room, passing drunk people swaying and also dancing? At least—that's what I think the lady in front of me is trying to do, swaying to the guitar that sings out sweetly from the speakers. The main room reflects the atrium, except the chandeliers are larger and the carpet is plusher, mixed with white patterns that likely called for a lot of experimentation from the designer.

The spirits mix with the slight undertone of cinnamon. Brightness pummels into me from the floor-to-glass windows. And I can tell why Juno wanted to bring us here. The rich, the lazy, and those attuned to gossip. He wanted us to see a different side of Halo Island.

"Let's peruse," Juno says.

"Peruse?" I'm sure my party hardly hears me above the burst of laughter that echoes out from one of the ladies nearby.

Somehow, I find myself wandering towards one of the armchairs. I sit down, trying to look like I belong here. I accept a flute of sparkling wine from one of the attendees, sipping it even though I have no taste for it.

"So he was telling me," a lady dressed in gleaming red practically shouts from her place on the nearby couch. "He was saying that he doesn't want to do the quest that he needs to do for marriage. Are you kidding me? Acting so good and committed before. What a bunch of bullshit."

"He is not worth it," a guy in a pink dress shirt says. "He is totally missing the whole point."

"And you won't believe what he had the gall to tell me after that," the lady says.

"Oh do tell."

"So it was late and I just got back from the nightclub...."

"Nightclub!" an accompanying woman says as she nurses a square of a ham sandwich.

I tune them out, until I hear the lady gasp—the one disappointed by her lover. "My boy did tell me something else though. He said that if he ever stumbled upon a dragon, that he would let it imprint onto me. To make up for how many times he broke my heart."

"That's the least he could do," says the yes-man.

The party members slowly start to gather around me and Mist. I know what they want as they sip their wines and nod their heads slowly, as if I'm already talking. But gossip is definitely not my forte, even if I did want to prove that I belong here.

Say something! Mist yells, jumping up to lay beside me on the armchair. He almost flips us all over.

"I was doing a Callena party quest...."

"Yes, yes."

I can't tell who's encouraging me to go on, whether it be the original gossipers I was eavesdropping on or someone else entirely. Eventually, I clear my throat when I see Juno successfully flirting with a few girls, a few yards away. The urge to prove myself grows even stronger, and I inject my voice with a semblance of pride.

"And I stumbled upon a dragon egg," I say. "In the middle of the party quest! It was only a matter of time before I started raising him. Mist."

The partygoers closest to me eye me, and then Mist. The "heartbroken" lady says, "Is that it? Someone needs to refine their gossip. That was hardly a story."

They fade out, dispersing to various parts of the room. I hear someone start to talk about the dragon that he stumbled upon. Someone else laughs about almost getting married but calling it off at the last moment. The trio that I was originally listening to starts to nap on one of the couches, occasionally mumbling about visiting the market to buy a new brand of Law City candy.

Nice going, Hope, Mist says. You successfully scared them off. Now who is going to tell of our greatness!

"Greatness," I say. "I definitely don't feel that right now."

Because Juno seems to be having a great time, I stay seated and pretend to look comfortable with Mist beside me. The dragon constantly eyes the food. Princess and Avery start to talk to a trio of other girls. In all my quest for gaining more skills, I may have forgotten the other part—the social aspect of things. The people here might not know ten skills, but they understand the power of their words. Maybe some words are meaningless, but if they work their way up through the power of gossip—isn't that something I can learn from?

Eventually, I stand up, wanting to try again. I want to join the meaningless chaos, laughing about things that won't matter a second from now. I want to have that thirst for fun and noise, the ability to be young.

As soon as I take a step in a clique's direction, one of the floor-to-ceiling windows shatters.

Mist immediately flies above my head, scanning the room for danger. I see that the source of the attack came from outside. In fact, a party of four attacks another party of four.

With skills.

The majority of partygoers fade behind, but I step forward. A party attacking another party may be the greatest sin in the eyes of the party association. After all, we are meant to protect Blossom World from monsters, not each other.

The mage of one party casts Radiance, defended by the other party's warrior skill which shields all of her party members. The two archers send a Flamearrow to each other. Both narrowly dodge.

Juno finds me and tugs me back. But I stand my ground. It's not like I want to join them. But I want to stop it in some way. But how? I have no shielding skills like a warrior.

In the end, I stay a bystander while Mist continues to circle over me. As the battle heats up, I can tell the source of the attack, a core that lays on the ground. It shines a mysterious purple, and I know it must've come from a rare monster, probably one that didn't exist until recently.

The mage on one party casts Blast. And I know hell is about to come alive. The warrior on the opposing side casts a shielding skill. But it isn't enough. The rogue on the defending party isn't caught within the warriors mana.

On the explosion, the rogue flies through the sky, body torn from the pure blue of the attack. He flies so far that I think he might hit me—like an arrow to a bullseye. Instead, the rogue lands a few feet away from me.

I study his face. He looks a bit like Juno if he came from Awata instead of the Golden City. Instantly, my heart squeezes with a pain.

A pain of helplessness. A powerlessness.

Could I have actually done something?

The police of Law City race down toward the offending parties, but too late to avoid the one death that lies so close to my feet.

Nina's Place clears out. All the gossipers, splitting up into their cliques to probably process the disaster over more wine and fancy cheeses—perhaps at a new, smaller bar. Princess and Avery race up to me and Juno. They grab my hand, but I can't stop studying the trickle of blood that spills out of the rogue's mouth like a little crimson river.

I can't stop imagining that death smells like this—wine, dust, and a good portion of fear. The police restrain the seven remaining party members. All for a core? Could it be worth more than a life?

A bit of the rogue's death soaks into me too.

"Let's get out of here," Juno says, dragging my hand.

Eventually I leave, but I can't get the eyes of the rogue out of my head, gray and lifeless. I can't stop thinking about how I did nothing, when I want to be such a great protector.

I want to be someone who has a multitude of skills, and a bravery to step in when something wrong happens. But it seems like I made zero progress in my wishes to stop being a coward.

This is why you stay in the temple, and stay away from the fighters who care only about themselves and their cores. I hear my father's voice, chiding, grating me.

I hold Juno's hand and follow toward the entrance of Nina's Place. For a second, I almost fooled myself that I like to gossip as well. I guess the explosion saved me from my pretending.

"It's true," Avery says as we finally make it outside, on one of the paved roads. "Monsters are getting more vicious, but so are party members. We were lucky not to be caught in the Blast."

"I just wish we could've done something," Princess says.

She echoes my sentiment. I don't think we will stay in Law City very long, but Juno makes a point of visiting the rogue Avatar building. It looks more like a sauna than an actual place where the Avatar resides—nondescript walls painted gray, tinted windows, and a few of the twinkling signature lights of the city.

As I see the rogue die at my feet again, I see Juno becoming a rogue for the first time. Could I handle any of my party members dying? Could I be strong enough to weather all of that lost? I don't think I can handle the image of any of them bleeding on the ground, life leaving them as they breathe their final breath.

Helplessness—it overtakes me. It tugs at my hands and ankles, pulling at the hem of my shirt. 

Hi adventurer! Does Law City remind you of any place, whether in a book, video game, or real life? I am super excited for summer to pass, as it's a bit sweltering where I am. I hope you are enjoying each day and finding new places to explore—just like Hope and his party!