"Upon the air growing dewy, a voice could begin to be heard from behind the trees, whispering,"

The fire between the three crackled and lit up the mage's every exaggerated expression, the way he swung about his hands. It, too, was all that kept the party warm with the dewy air and the moon high above them. The speaker did not seem affected by the cold, only wrapped up in his own tale,

"Odin, odin, odin," Niles laughed, "Please, tell us something that will actually give us shivers. Perhaps a tale about the time a bum tried to piss on you."

"That was you!"

"I did say 'a bum'."

Odin sputtered.

From the third point of their triangle, their leader spoke up, "It seems you two get into some trouble when I've my back turned, hm?"

Niles' grin turned a little sheepish and he held a finger to his lips as he glanced back to Odin. Leo chuckled in response, "Odin, continue with your ghost story. I find it quite the riveting tale."

"But, milord," Niles snorted, "how can a ghost story be frightening when there's nothing behind it? Spirits don't exist."

Odin and Leo stared at him.

And stared.

And stared.

Niles narrowed his eye at them, "What?"

"Niles," Odin spoke in a serious tone, "ghosts are real."

"Please."

Then Prince Leo spoke, "Niles. We are two powerful mages. We, of all people, would know that the existence of spirits is an undeniable fact. That is what we are even doing in this forest: looking for a spirit's garden."

"You two are both shitting me," Niles said, then leaned back with the intent to tune out the rest of Odin's tale. It was all silly child's play.

Ghosts weren't real. Niles knew real, he knew scary. Scary was what lurked in alleys and cut purses and cut throats. It carried a knife or a bow and took food from the hands of children. Of everything in the forest, *he was probably the scariest thing.

Not any see-through specters that had in their past life wandered into the forest and found the misfortune of meeting a bear.

Not any stupid ghosts.

"Niles."

He jolted.

Oh. Right. That was his name.

"...Yes, milord?"

"The moon's at its highest place; it's time for us to move. We only have a number of hours for which the garden is accessible, elsewise we'll need to wait for the next moon's crescent."

"Yes, milord, we'll find it with haste," Niles replied as he climbed up from his seated position. He glanced over at Odin stretching and making absurd poses to ready himself, then back to the prince. "I'll pair with you, Lord Leo. Odin can handle himself."

"Oh? And you can't, Niles?" Leo replied with a little smirk.

"Of course I can! Milord simply needs a guard. Have I ever failed you?"

"Are you inviting me to ponder that?"

"...Milord, do we not need to move?"

Leo let a triumphant puff of air out through his nose; he knew he'd won that bout of banter.

Off to the other side of the fire, Odin thrusted a hand into the air and he ducked down, "Hark! The spirits of the forest know my darkness, and heed my words: guide me to the ghostly grove!"

"Uh," Niles coughed as he picked up his bow and quiver, "see you later, Odin."

"Goodbye, my brother in arms!"

"...Shall we, Lord Leo?" Niles led his arm behind his prince, guiding him to start walking. Leo nodded hastily in agreement, taking steps out into the forest. Neither of them wanted to see Odin's spirit-searching techniques. They were strange and Niles was certain that of his many nightmares, they were one of them.

The woods were, unsurprisingly, very dark once the fire had been snuffed out and left behind. Nohr wasn't known for its sunshine, after all. The moon hardly filtered through the branches overhead, leaving only their attuned vision to see the ragged game path their feet travelled.

Niles held fast to his bow, other hand ready for his quiver. He needed to be ready to protect his lord. They couldn't see too far, and who knew what was in the forest, there could be bandits or bears or ghosts or,

"Niles, that bow won't be protecting you from the incorporeal. You'll need my tome for that. At ease."

"Psh, milord, trying to frighten me with false stories once more. You know, out in these woods, there are all manners of beasts."

Leo opened his mouth to respond, but Niles thrust his arm out in front of him, a cue to stop.

The bushes were rustling.

He'd mentioned a beast, so of course…

He nocked his bow, drew, held it at the bush, watching.

Then the beast showed its face, leaping from the bushes with a loud, thundering, "mew!"

Niles dropped his arrow, "Oh."

"There's your beast, Niles! Ha!"

The cat settled down on the ground right in front of them, blocking their path. It sat back on its haunches, licked its paw, combed it over its head. Beneath the trees it was hard to see the critter; a lithe little ball of black fur, with only its golden eyes lighting it up in the dark. But it had parked itself right in their path.

Niles had to redeem himself now. Being so scared of a little kitty, then mocked by his lord? But what could he do?

"...A black cat, good luck! We should follow it."

"You know, elsewhere they're considered ill omens."

"But, milord, are we not Nohrian? Black fur is the Dusk Dragon's blessing, and all."

Leo snorted, "Certainly. What happened to your previous lack of superstition?"

"I know good well from experience that if you can follow a cat, you'll find something nice. Why, once I found a whole dead bird!"

"Eugh! What would you want a dead bird for?!"

"To eat, of course!"

Leo's expression was one of utter terror: pale face, brows furrowed, eyes wide. His lord didn't often think much into his past. A dead bird was a feast for him.

"I- of course, Niles. Go ahead. Follow the cat."

As if the cat understood, it began to move. It walked at a leisurely pace, but out off of the path. And taking his lord's orders, Niles followed after it, and Leo followed Niles with a hint of amusement. The cat gradually sped up, meandering through the thickets, with only glints off its golden eyes making it easy to see.

Then it hopped up over a log, and Niles was certain he was going to lose it. He couldn't jump that fast, and Leo certainly could not even in his lighter-than-usual armor. But when he climbed over, the air changed.

There were little lights floating around, and the woods had been cleared out in a circled. Plants decorated the space, all kinds growing around. But of them all, in the center was what stood out most: glowing blue roses.

Leo climbed up slowly after him, "Oh? It seems your idea actually had merit, Niles. You've found us the garden."

"Oooh? And what's my reward, milord?"

His lord brushed past him with a knowing smirk, "We'll see."

Niles whistled, and Leo chuckled. His lord was off to do whatever research it was he came for. He was always interested in plants, and it was clear why glowing flowers would be of interest to him. Those were what he went straight for, but he'd likely inspect the rest of the space, so Niles rationed they'd be there for a while. The space was also decorated with deteriorating bits of architecture, some broken columns here, a set of benches there. Niles decided he'd take up one of the benches.

He sat back, letting out a noise of exhaustion. They hadn't actually walked all that long; the moon was still in a high position. The cat had just sped up and made him walk a little faster than usual. It wasn't like he was out of shape or anything. The kitty just knew how to move… well, maybe he was a little out of shape since the war had ended.

That kitty had gotten him good. He had to catch his breath.

And then out from the weeds in front of him came a "prrummph", and a ball of fluff had plopped onto his lap.

"...Well, hello there," Niles cooed at the cat. He settled a hand down onto its fur, and he was surprised when it reached up its head to meet with his hand. Niles liked cats; they were like him. They lurked in alleys and scavenged and didn't take any shit. If he had any friends while he lived out on the streets, they were the cats. If they thought you were a part of their hunt group, they'd even bring you bits and pieces of things they'd caught and share. Cats were pretty great.

But Niles didn't expect to just, find a lap cat out in the middle of the forest. A wild cat, maybe. But not this cute little thing that was climbing up his shirt and purring, searching for affection.

It was so damned cute.

He peeked up to look at what Leo was doing, to see if Leo was looking at him doting on this fluffball. But, luckily, his lord was too busy picking plants and jotting notes to look over.

So Niles felt safe playing with the kitten. Just a little.

…

"Niles."

"Ah. Milord." He didn't know how he ended up laying back on the bench, holding the kitty in the air, squishing its paw pads. He did not know how he ended up there.

"We're done here," Leo hummed, then stopped for a moment. He bent down, then plucked one of the weeds from the base of the bench. He held it up to his nose, sniffed it, "Oh. Hah."

He held it out to Niles, "Catnip."

The cat wiggled out of Niles' hand and pounced for it, swiping it out of Leo's hand.

"Tsk," Niles said as he sat up, "and after all I did for you."

"That's why it came here," Leo chuckled, bending down to pick some more, "it was looking for a good time. I'll bring some back for my brother's cat, I suppose."

"How sweet. I know your niece will love it."

"The cat is not my niece."

"I'm certain King Xander would be offended that you don't view her as a member of the family."

Leo shook his head, "Come."

"If you want me to."

"*Niles!"

"...Yes, milord."

Niles followed after him, out of the strange garden. As they stepped over that log, he felt that same change in the air… he'd never get used to magic things. The corporeal was what he understood.

The walk began fairly silent, but Niles swore he could hear something behind them. A tiny little swishing. He didn't reach for his bow; he knew what it was.

He stopped his steps abruptly, spun around, and scooped for the ground.

"Aha! Gotcha!"

Kitty retrieved.

"Niles, what-"

"Milord! Can we keep him!"

Leo looked him over, with brows raised. He hummed. "So the cat's a boy now."

"Heh," Niles' face split out into a grin, "of course he's a boy." He held the cat up by under its armpits, carried it over to Leo, and attempted to smoosh the cat's belly into Leo's face, "look at him! He's quite a healthy boy!"

Leo stumbled backward, knowing that touching a cat's belly meant a certain flaying, and he didn't want to his beautiful face to meet its end by paws. "Why are you gesturing to its testicles?!"

"It's a boy! My, he might even rival me. Do you think, Lord Leo?"

"Niles! I-" his lord was bright red in the face.

"Milord, you know I'm-"

"You can have the cat!"

Niles laughed and Leo stormed ahead, red-hot with embarrassment.

"Just! Keep him away from Siegkat; my brother will kill you if your little tom impregnates her," Leo called back.

The cat made a confused little "merp" and crawled up in Niles' cloak. "Shh, if you don't tell him, I'll let you keep your balls," Niles cooed at him, and tucked the cat in, "no fixing for you."

The rest of the walk was quiet with Leo calling out a "hush!" every time Niles spoke up. Niles must have gotten him a little too flustered. They met back up with Odin at their former campground, and the mage had his shoulders hung low.

"Milord, it is with utmost apologies I report that the great Odin Dark was unable to find the secrets that the forest holds behind its branches. The spirits did not wish to commune with-" his voice jumped several octaves- "what is this fell creature!"

Odin ran over to Niles and nearly tackled his partner when he spotted the ball of fluff in his cloak.

"It's a cat," Niles stated, then handed it over to Odin, "you can name it."

Odin lit up bright and he gasped, "I have several tomes' worth of names back at the castle! Hear me, creature, you shall have the name most befitting both your terror and your adorableness!"

Then he pressed a sloppy, uncomfortably wet kiss to Niles' cheek, "Thank you, Niles the one-eyed snake!"

Niles took the cat back and wiped his cheek off with its fur. "Uh, yeah, good luck with that Odin. And great title for me, by the way. Keep using that one."

Niles cradled the cat in his arms, and walked up ahead of the rest of the group.

"Uhm, Lord Leo," Odin started to speak, "Does Niles know-"

"Shh," Leo said with a little grin. "He thinks the ghostly wisps are just fluff."