Just going to go ahead and say...oh look, a timeskip. What? I had no choice...
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A Year Later

        "Don't you think it's a bad idea to show up here like this? They've already found out about me so going anywhere near the city without trying to be stealthy even when the city is in danger is a bad idea," Zhu reasoned. (Y/n) ignored him.

        Sander was still technically the place he called home. Although he was still a fugitive simply because of a stupid suspicioun that had only partially proven true, he always returned to Sander every two weeks to restock his supply on the various necessities needed to survive the desert. He lived off of the desert, and Vapor always waited for his return so that she could help him in any way that she could.

        He'd learned to live a comfortable life in the desert which wasn't too hard with Zhu's help. (Y/n) often visited the Caluso's tribal village where Vegar and the ever so sneaky Star lived but for the most part, he remained in solitude. It wasn't too bad since Zhu was always there, but he often times found it a bit hard to deal with whenever his past decided to resurface in his mind.

        "(Y/n)! Pay attention! If you're going to fight, at least stay focused," Zhu scolded as he alerted (y/n) of an incoming attack. The Trock that had attacked was unfortunate enough to recieve the full force of (y/n)'s frustration, but was otherwise okay if being knocked unconscious was considered okay. It wasn't the first time (y/n) had faced the desert dwelling species since he often had to fight them for resources. They never ever attacked Sander in such large numbers, so (y/n) knew something was wrong.

        "Look, over there! It's Emirate! He's out here too. You can't let him see you," Zhu warned.

        "I don't think it matters right now. Sander is being attacked. He could care less about me helping fight off the threat." (Y/n) took down another Trock with a swift blow. Who needed a weapon when one was the weapon themselves?

        He was attacking from a direction that the Trocks themselves were going in, so he was quick to notice that he was being mistaked for a target by a few others he didn't recognize. Not only were they unfamiliar, but they did not wear the tribal clothing that Sander or even the Caluso tribal village was known for. One in particular was letting her arrows stray too close to him which (y/n) didn't appreciate. "Sword weilder on your left," Zhu warned.

        (Y/n) rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the sword weilder who had not seen him behind the Trock he was attacking. "Hey, watch it! I'm on your side, so I'd like to not be stabbed," (y/n) quickly said to the black haired swordsman before lashing out on a nearby enemy. The sword weilder gave a curt nod before going back to offense as well.

        (Y/n) didn't know how much time had passed after that but he did notice that the newcomers, which he learned there were more than just three, had disappeared some time during the fight. He didn't really care since everything was now over and he sat in the sand resting a bit before he'd have to retreat himself once anyone from Sander recognized him. Entering the city wouldn't be a problem at all now that Sander's warriors were tired out from the recent fighting.

       "We should still go to see Vapor. It was our intention in the first place," Zhu said. (Y/n) nodded in agreement and lifted himself from the ground, but winced at a sudden unknown source of pain.

        "It seems you have a slight injury," Zhu commented. (Y/n) then noticed the small but relatively deep cut on his upper arm.

        "How did that go unnoticed?" he muttered to himself as he stared at the troublesome cut.

        "I'll take care of that," Zhu said. The cut outlined in green and began to glow as it disappeared. Even now, Zhu's healing ability took some getting used to, but (y/n) said nothing about it. He surveyed the area before making any other moves. Either no one noticed he was there or they didn't realize who he was. Perhaps Vegar had been right about a change in style. He must have seemed like a regular Sander resident with his new look of sorts.

        "Let's go. Vapor is probably expecting us to show up anyway," (y/n) sighed as he began to walk towards one of Sander's main entrances. He spotted his disgarded bag along the way not hesitating to retrieve it. To his surprise, no one stopped him to ask if he was a travler or not. Were things that bad in Sander that they'd decrease their security, or was everyone simply still recovering from the recent attack? Whatever the case, (y/n) didn't dwell on it long deciding to enjoy his normal walk to Vapor's shop.

        It had been such a long time since he'd been able to simply stroll up to the building rather than sneak in. He made sure to stay clear of that accursed woman's accessory shop and eventually made it right to his former home. (Y/n) walked right in, and just as expected, Vapor wasn't surprised. "I figured you'd take advantage of the city's confusion," she said without looking up from her book.

        "I don't even get a hello? Really?"(y/n) joked before heading upstairs.

        "I've already got some things packed up there for you," Vapor called after him.

        "It wouldn't hurt her to show some sort of interest in your safe return," Zhu commented.

        "She's always been like that but that's okay. She cares but has a weird way of showing it," (y/n) thought as he entered the room he still claimed as his. It was cleaner every time he arrived with there being much less clutter each time. Zhu didn't hesitate to make an appearance and plop down onto the middle of the floor. "You never wait do you?" (y/n) said as he ran a hand through Zhu's surprisingly soft fur.

        "Why should I? No one other than Vapor knows you're here," Zhu said. (Y/n) just shrugged and proceeded to sit next to Zhu and lean into the fox's fur. Relaxation was the best part about visiting Vapor in Sander. As long as no one knew he was there, he could enjoy his free time to its fullest.

        "Visitors? I wasn't expecting anyone to show up at such a time," (y/n) heard Vapor say. She was alerting him knowing that he could hear her even from where he was.

        "Sorry but we were sent by Emirate. He said you could help us out," an unfamiliar person spoke.

        "Oh, I see. What do you need help with?"

        "The Wind Priestess, Anduran, was kidnapped by the trocks. A harpy was with them as well. Emirate says you'd be the best person to ask for a plan of action," a different more feminine voice was heard.

        "Hmm, I see. Things are on that level then. How about you guys do me a favor first. I want you to go and capture a Trock officer. I'll explain the rest when you return," Vapor said.

        "Alright. We'll get that officer and come right back," someone else assured. (Y/n) had already figured that these unexpected visitors were those he had seen earlier on the battlefield, but he was still a bit curious.

        "But before you go, I want to send someone with you to witness how well you can fight against the trocks before I help you," Vapor said. (Y/n) nearly choked on his spit at the sudden indirect mentioning of sending him with them.

        "Who might that be?" someone asked.

        "You'll see. He'll follow after you once you get going," Vapor said, no doubt with a look of mischeif.

        "If you say so. Let's get going then," the very first person said. When it seemed like they were gone, (y/n) and Zhu headed downstairs.

        "Seriously? Whatever's going on in Sander isn't my problem even if Anduran did get kidnapped," (y/n) argued as Zhu disappeared.

        "If Anduran isn't returned soon, there might not even be a Sander to save. I don't know how good this team is, so I'm sending you. Plus I'm forcing you into human interaction. Being alone with a fox all of the time isn't good for you," Vapor said.

        "I'm not always alone with a fox. Vegar and Star count as humans too," (y/n) muttered, annoyed by Vapor's little scheme. Vapor would always be Vapor it seemed.

         "Just go already before you lose them," Vapor urged as she pushed him towards the door.

         "Yeah, okay. I'm going," (y/n) muttered, not wanting to be pushed around. He shook his head in disappointment before leaving Vapor's shop to chase after the team. Hopefully, he wouldn't be spotted by anyone who knew him to be the fugitive that stole souls.
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For anyone who didn't know, Trocks are those weird rock covered species that are in the Sander area. Harpies are those flying things with wings instead of arms and are also somewhere near Sander. Until next time you awesome readers!