To Noct's utter relief, their entrance into the kingdom had yielded no problems for him and the witch. He almost even felt a bit stupid for being nervous the whole time through. After the preliminary checks and an exchange of important papers at the front gates, handled most generously by the Snow Witch, they had been ushered inside by the gatekeepers without any sign of hesitation. Close to an hour later, both they had already entered within the walls, seeing the fresh scene of the morning toil of Gisnell before them.

   Noct gave a sigh of relief the moment they took the first step inside. A sense of joy passed over him at the thought that all those exhausting days of traveling had finally reached its end. When he tried to look at the Snow Witch's reaction beside him, the thief was not at all surprised to see the usual vacant look written on her face as she stood still, studying their new surroundings. Since the kingdom of Gisnell, unlike Uldard, was open and welcome to the Witchfolk, she did not need to cover her face with her hood anymore or act so discreet.  Noct turned away and shrugged, deciding to follow her gaze. Before he even realized it, all his anxiety had now been replaced with a spark of curiosity. It was, after all, his first foreign visit to a kingdom, considering how he had never left his own. As he studied the scene sprawled before him, the one thing that he primarily noticed about Gisnell was that the amount of people inside it was simply... bizarre. The number had increased now that he was close enough to see for himself compared to when he first saw them from the hill.

   The witch and the thief were both standing at the opening of a large cobbled-stone street that seemed to be the start of the endless number of stalls that lined the sides of the wide and enormous pathway, stretching as far as the eye could see. High bricked buildings were laden behind them, where some townspeople were looking out their windows either staring at the masses, watering their potted flowers, or screaming at something or someone down below. Flags hung from the high poles, bearing the insignia of the kingdom: a five petaled flower with a horizontal sword underneath it. Clotheslines zigzagged above them, flapping in the slight breeze and sending shadows that danced at the ground beneath it. The smell of delicious food, perfume, and wine escaped from the open taverns and bars, alluring the passersby to make a quick stop. More than dozens... no, hundreds of people were ambling around, making Noct feel slightly dizzy and excited at the same time. To him, all their chatters were one loud noise, annoying yet comforting in its own way. His heart raced in glee. Uldard had been filled with people, but certainly not as many as Gisnell. If Noct decided to squeeze into the crowd, he would disappear completely in a matter of seconds.

   He imagined that if he were still a free thief, he would have been licking his lips in anticipation. This was exactly the perfect situation for a theft. The packed crowd of people was enough for him to sneak up behind somebody, swipe away all the gold from their pockets, and then fade into the throng before the victim could even notice anything. As Noct greedily thought about it, he was already making various strategies in his mind. When he realized he had slipped into his old ways moments later, he scolded himself.

   Old habits really do tend to die hard. Snap out of it, Noct, he reprimanded.

   "... So, little miss, since we've arrived, I assume you know where we're going next?" The thief decided to quell his urges by deciding to ask this question. He tugged at his scarf, which he had once again wrapped around his neck.

   Chell blinked in response, then slowly turned to him. On instinct, he slightly leaned down to hear her, sensing that she was about to say something. In a quiet voice, she said, "... The inns."

   Noct pulled back and nodded to her. For a short moment he remembered how, five days ago, she had told him the very same thing. An uneasy feeling swept over him when he recalled how she had never gotten to go there because of what happened. He forced a thin smile, hiding the uneasiness in his thoughts. "Alright. Since we're both pretty new here, I guess we'll have to ask someone around for directions."

   The witch shook her head. She spoke once again, this time in a louder tone. "I... came here before."

   "By yourself?" Noct titled his head, surprised.

   She shook her head again, an obvious sign of no.

   "Were the... dead with you?" he asked dryly, unsure if he should be questioning it aloud. The girl paused for a moment, before giving another stiff nod.

   "Hn... I see." Noct muttered, shifting uncomfortably. "Do you still remember the way, little miss?"

   She took a few seconds to answer, her silvee eyes blank. Then, "Yes... I remember it."

   Noct studied her. Her tone had been firm and filled with certainty when she had said it. He almost believed her, but then the memories of their previous forest mishap passed through Noct's mind. He was about to remind her of her horrible sense of direction, thinking of the likely chance of them getting lost again, but stopped himself. Even if he was mentally exhausted from their walking and eager to lay on a proper bed, the look in her eyes seemed trustworthy enough for him to go along with her.

   He sighed, then nodded. "Okay, okay. Lead the way, then. I'll follow right behind you."

   The Snow Witch did not even hesitate to turn her back to him. She started to walk, turning to the path to their right and heading away from the crowded stalls. Warily, Noct followed close behind, staring at her small figure. Until now, days later, it still seemed like a dream to him. It also still seemed funny for him to think that all of this had started because he had chosen the wrong person to steal from. The change had been so sudden. He hardly knew about her at all and barely even spoke to her, for that matter. And it didn't help the fact that she was a witch.

   Oh... right, he realized. We just made a proper conversation for the first time in the past days.

   He delighted himself in observing the kingdom around him as Chell moved in a cautious manner. It might have been just him, but Noct noticed how the witch seemed to be making sure not to touch anybody from the crowd. Although it raised a few questions in his mind, he decided to ignore it, imagining that she must have a kind of aversion. Chell led him towards the lesser crowded parts, the path growing narrower. Two children ran past them, giggling to themselves in loud voices. The sweet scent of baked bread wafted from an open bakeshop, inviting Noct's stomach. A hay wagon passed by, it's wheels clicking loudly on the cobbled ground as its rider yawned sleepily. A group of kids were huddled next to a herb shop, watching as a girl twirled something in her hands. Noct focused his eyes, until he realized that the child was controlling small drops of water. The droplets danced rhythmically as she twisted with her fingers, twirling them in midair by will. It looked like a puppeteer controlling a marionette. Her friends clapped their hands in admiration, cheering.

   As Noct witnessed the scene, he felt a sickening tug at the pit of his gut when he saw the magic happening before him. Back in Uldard, no one from the Witchfolk dared to show their spells in public, unless they wanted to earn a public execution. Since Gisnell did not bear any hatred towards their kind, he guessed that this thing was a daily occurrence. However, the mere thought made a sudden wave of anger come over him. For a moment, he was confused. He thought he had somehow gotten over his hatred over their kind after spending some time with the Snow Witch. But he had been wrong.

    Old habits tend to die hard, of course.

    He looked away, only realizing how much he had been shaking. He clenched his hand into a tight fist and slowly breathed out. Noct looked up again at Chell who was still walking in front, not even checking to make sure that he was following her. The thief did not know if this was a sign that meant she trusted him, or simply just another act of carelessness. Though she had been the one to suggest their oath, it didn't seem to him that she had given it any importance. At least, that seemed to be the impression she gave off. How easy it would have been, he wondered, if he were to leave her there without notice. As a matter of fact, he could have a fresh new start here in Gisnell if he wanted to. Forget Uldard, this kingdom seems easier to steal from!, he thought greedily.

    As he contemplated this decision in his mind, comparing the benefits of choosing to leave or choosing to stay, he noticed a certain girl passing by Chell that caught his attention.

    At a first glance, she looked younger and was taller than the Snow Witch by a few inches. Her short, golden hair glittered like a thousand gold coins showered under the sun, complimenting her emerald-green eyes that were wide and filled with the unmistakeable light of mischief that Noct was familiar of in his reflection. Freckles splashed across her fair-colored face. She was dressed in an intricate red tunic, and for some reason, had a thick roll of cloth wrapped around her right arm. A slight grin danced on her lips.

   However, her looks had not been the only reason why Noct had noticed her.

   Honestly, little miss, he thought silently to Chell. Why does this always happen to you?

   The moment the girl passed by, Noct turned around and grabbed onto her wrist in a firm grip. When he did, she jolted in surprise, startled by his sudden motion.

    "What-—!?" She exclaimed in an offended tone just as Noct tugged and turned her around to face him. "What are you doi-—!"

   "—-Excuse me, lady." Noct interrupted before she could say anything else, noticing how some of the people around them were looking towards their direction, no doubt curious about the commotion that was happening. Chell had also stopped and had turned around to look at him with a slight hint of confusion in her face. Noct continued on the other hand, deciding to ignore them all.

   "Sorry for suddenly stopping you, but I believe you just took something from my... ah... partner here." He gestured towards the Snow Witch. "Say... would you please take the care to give it back?"

   The girl made a convincing deep frown. Noct was almost impressed with her level of acting.

   "What are you saying!? I did nothing! Who are you, even? I can charge you for assault, you know!"

   He narrowed his eyes. "Hmmm, that would be unfortunate, so please don't. Also, if you really didn't do anything..." A smile crept up his face. "Then, would you care to show to me what you're holding in your other hand?"

The moment the last sentence escaped his mouth, the girl flinched. She looked away from his gaze abruptly, hiding her expression from him. Noct imagined her formulating an excuse in her mind about her left hand, which she was making sure to hide behind her back. But Noct couldn't be fooled. He could always recognize a theft when he saw one being done right before his eyes, being a master of the craft himself.

   The girl looked back at him. Very slowly, the surprised look on her face faded away. Then, she burst out into a wide and amused grin.

    All of a sudden, she said one word.

   "Wind."

    It was too late for him to realize what was happening. Noct felt a sudden and unnatural breeze push him back. Though it was not that hard, he was taken by complete surprise, causing his grip on her wrist to slacken from his hold. He staggered behind for a few steps, bumping slightly into Chell, who had moved away in time to avoid being hit. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched the girl laugh aloud cheerfully. All around them, townspeople instinctively moved backwards, faces wary.

    "Ah, you sure have such great eyesight! You're the first one to see through my spell!" The girl praised Noct, grinning widely. Then, she held up her left hand—-the one that she had been hiding all this time-—and waved the item that she had taken from the Snow Witch only seconds before: the satchel. From the corner of his eye, the thief saw Chell blink in surprise, apparently unaware that she had just been another victim of a theft, and having the very same item taken again, no less.

   Noct grit his teeth, about to make a quick grab for the satchel when the girl suddenly placed her other hand to her mouth. She gave a sharp, loud whistle, the shrill sound making everyone around freeze in their tracks. Noct flinched, the sound hurting his eardrums. When she finished, a short silence passed.

   Then a moment later, the sound of a distant flapping was heard. Chell and Noct, as well as the others gathered around them, looked up to see as an enormous bird of prey descended from the sky, its massive wingspan casting a vivid shadow over all of them. Its large beak glinted, the curve sharp enough to act as a knife. The bird flew down, circling protectively around the girl for a few times. Each beat of its large wings sent a gush of wind in every direction.

   The girl held out her hand. The bird of prey obliged to the gesture, as though it were some kind of  signal. It trained itself low, digging its claws into the thick cloth strapped around her right arm. Noct imagined how heavy it must have been, since it was easily half of her height, after all. When it settled, its beady eyes trained itself in Chell and Noct's direction, looking ominous.

   "As a reward, allow me to introduce myself!" The girl suddenly announced. Without any pauses, she continued on with a happy note, making a slight bow.

    "My name is Jul Orben and I'm called... The Falcon Witch!"

----> thank you for reading!

Q:
A new character has arrived!
What are your thoughts on Jul so far?