Peace of Mind

The dim golden light of the setting sun streamed through the window, casting shafts of light that revealed every speck of dust.

"What were you and little Nun Abby doing at First Bloom Cathedral?" Xia Lun asked again.

Tina clicked her tongue. All trace of flirtation vanished as she drew her hand away from Xia Lun's chest and back toward her bottle, then leaned against her chair.

"First Bloom Cathedral is an important stop on the first-stage Pilgrimage of the Clockwork Artificer. I wanted to help Abby complete it." "And besides that?"

"Besides that, I know there's a Safe House beneath First Bloom Cathedral that a Bishop established. It has enough supplies for the four of us to live there for ten years." Tina listlessly toyed with the little green bottle of Absinthe.

Xia Lun tapped a finger lightly on the table. "So little Nun Abby is nothing but a burden to you."

"Isn't Awu the same to you?" Tina gripped the neck of the bottle, then suddenly sighed. "But then again, they may be burdens in material terms, but they're a source of emotional support. In times as bleak as these, that may matter more than supplies." Before she had even finished speaking, she produced two small ivory-white beads as if by magic and swept them toward Xia Lun. "These are Dragonbone Amulets. With them, we can cross the Wall of Light safely."

Xia Lun picked up the two beads and looked down at them.

[Item Name: Dragonbone Amulet]

[Item Category: Paradox Item]

[Item Description: An Amulet fired from clay mixed with bone powder shed by the dragon skeleton in Dragonstone Square. Carrying this Amulet grants a slight increase in mental resistance and allows safe passage through the Light Wall Barrier.]

Huh. They're the real thing.

Xia