Dink’s Twinks

The group stands before a closed door. Ash says nothing.

Amber’s voice is sharp. “Oh gosh, I will kill that bitch if I get the chance.”

Ash blinks. “What?”

“I hate her. What the fuck went on there?” Amber mutters.

“She was so nice. What are you talking about?”

Amber shakes her head. “Really? She blackmailed me. I did not take her offer.”

“Maybe you misinterpreted. I thought she was really nice.”

“I don’t know. She was not that nice to me. It’s all fine. But if I encounter her, she will not be happy to see me.”

The conversation shifts. Daiki suggests, “Let’s go to the city, right? We want to help our little friend. Granny couldn’t help us.”

Amber gestures for Masaki to walk a bit away from the boy. Quietly, she asks, “Where do we take him? He does not have parents anymore.”

“An orphanage in the city,” Masaki answers.

Amber nods slowly. “If you think it’s a good place for him, maybe… How old is he, do you reckon?”

They decide he’s younger than Isaac—probably not even ten.

“We could bring him to the orphanage,” Amber says, “but maybe he could be a nice friend to Isaac too… Or is it a better place for him?”

Masaki shakes his head. “I don’t think I can take care of him.”

Amber sighs. “Maybe Montgomery could… though I don’t think he’s waiting for us to dump a newly orphaned kid in his lap.” She crouches slightly. “Um, little boy, what is your name again?”

“I’m Dink,” he replies.

Amber chuckles. “It’s not Twink, for sure?”

“My mom called me Dink.”

Daiki steps forward. “Let’s go. We can look for some beautiful things so we can also remember your mom.”

They move along the field beside the forest, finding small patches of daisies and poppies. Daiki encourages Dink to pick flowers, guiding him toward the ones that are already fading so as not to harm the fresh blooms.

Dink points at a daisy. “I like this one.”

Daiki hesitates. “That’s a mistake… but okay.”

They talk as they walk, Dink curious about Daiki’s unusual nature. Daiki explains that plants speak through special smells, like pheromones. Dink listens intently, smelling the air and asking what colors have smells.

Meanwhile, Masaki, slightly apart from the group, smacks Amber lightly on the head. “How can you make fun of a boy who just lost both his parents? Get your shit together.”

Amber mutters an apology. They agree to take Dink to the orphanage and recover any belongings from his parents’ home.

Dink soon asks if Daiki is a plant. “I sort of am,” Daiki replies. “I can speak with plants.”

Amber eventually joins them again, still carrying Wolfgang’s body in her arms. She tells the others she will not let go, even in battle.

They continue toward the city. Masaki takes Dink’s hand, explaining the cycle of death and reincarnation. Dink peppers him with questions—“Can I be a goldfish? A squirrel? A shark?”—and Masaki answers with patient calm.

Amber moves to the back with Ashira. “Oi, désolé Ashira… I saw you fall and die, and then I saw you stand back up all by yourself. How did that happen?”

Ash smiles faintly. “Well, the good news is I’m not dead anymore.”

Amber presses for details, and Ash admits she made a deal—“I leased my soul. An infernal subscription plan. Billing comes later. Some perks.” She describes a cloaked figure, honest and magnificent, whose contract she signed without reading.

Amber reads the parchment Ash hands her. “It’s not every day that you sign a contract with… Bell, the Duke of Hell and First Lieutenant of Zariel.”

“Yeah, Bell. That was his name,” Ash recalls.

Amber warns the contract might come with a price, pointing out it requires Ash to kill someone. Ash insists it’s probably “not a good guy” and brushes off the concern.

Daiki joins them. “But Ash, why did you want to come back?”

“I was there for five seconds, saw you guys, and thought you’d be lost without me,” Ash says. 

They speculate on why Wolfgang didn’t return and what killing a devil might mean. Daiki shares that such beings usually reform in their home planes unless killed there. Ash reveals the target’s name sounds like “Ravage” or something similar, but there’s no time limit.

The city walls finally come into view. Amber walks ahead to Masaki and Dink, letting the others finish their conversation.

Masaki later asks to see the contract himself, poring over it with intense focus. Dink chatters at Amber about birds and whether she is hot to the touch, and Amber answers curtly.

The road leads them closer to the gates, their path set for the orphanage—and whatever comes after.

---

“I’m not worried about it,” Daiki replies. “I’m only worried about it being unnatural. I’m conflicted… I’m really happy Ash is back, but I’m still weirded out. Like—you came back, but… are you now a zombie?”

“I don’t think so. I can still think freely. No, I’m not a zombie.”

“You don’t crave brains or whatever?” Daiki asks.

“I don’t think so.”

Daiki shakes his head. “It’s just a story I heard in the city the other day.”

Ash shrugs.

Daiki’s expression grows more serious. “I’m still a little worried because you got a choice. What if Wolfgang got the same choice and didn’t want to come back?”

“That’s a very good point,” Tachibana says.

Amber, still carrying Wolfgangs body, keeps walking. 

Questions about birds are exchanged before Tachibana turns to Daiki. “So maybe we should not even try to revive Wolfgang, because he already made the choice not to come back.”

Ash considers this. “Iis a choice really a choice if the cost is too high? Maybe Wolfgang felt like he couldn’t do it. Maybe he was insecure. And yeah… it is his infernal soul at stake.”

Tachibana nods. “That is true. But then—when would the cost be too high? I’m sure having him resurrected will be very expensive, both in time and resources.”

“Maybe we should ask him before we try to get him back,” Daiki says. “There are ways to contact the dead, right?”

Ash brightens. “Right, we can hold a séance. I’ve heard about that.”

“That might actually be… I’m impressed, Daiki. That’s a great idea.”

Ash explains she knows someone who uses candles to predict people’s futures. They agree to research more once they’re back in the city. Daiki moves forward to speak with Dink, the young boy, matching the child’s endless stream of questions with gentle answers about birds, honesty, and respecting nature. Sometimes the boy’s curiosity outruns Daiki’s replies, but Daiki takes it in stride, training his patience as they walk.

Meanwhile, Amber asks Masaki about his own dealings with the hag. Masaki explains she offered him information about a family member who had followed him, but he never received it. Amber shares, in hushed tones, that the hag had offered to bring Wolfgang back in exchange for all of Amber’s memories and communication with her brother—an offer she could not accept. She vows to get the bird back as a test of her worthiness to find her brother.

Masaki reassures her it wasn’t her fault Wolfgang died. Amber, shutting down the conversation, walks briskly toward the city gates, where the group soon arrives.

At the gate, guards ask what they’re bringing under the cloak. Upon learning it’s a fallen comrade, they let them pass without further questions. Inside the city, they discuss their next steps—whether to take Wolfgang to Lord Wise, find a temple, or split tasks. Amber recalls the hag saying Lord Wise cannot help revive Wolfgang, and she suggests finding the correct temple instead.

The conversation shifts to Dink’s future. Ash tells him he can choose between an orphanage or living in nature. Daiki suggests he might train somewhere safe first. Amber offers to introduce him to her own mentor, Thorn Ashwind, who might take him in as a fighter. Dink seems tempted by the idea of living in the woods, but the group agrees he should stay in the city to learn skills before venturing out.

Talk turns playful as they toss around potential names for their party—“Dink’s Twinks,” “The Order of the Dink,” “Dink and the Cool Guys.” Dink says he wants to be strong like them, and Daiki explains there are many paths to strength. They agree he doesn’t have to choose yet.

Eventually, it’s decided Daiki and Ash will take Dink to his uncle Jack, a city watchman, while others pursue different goals. They choose the Dawnbringer’s Cathedral in the city center as a rendezvous point.

---

Ash shrugs. “Yeah, that’s fine by me. We’re gonna have a little drink with Dink and then we’ll bring him to Jack.”

Daiki tilts his head. “But didn’t you say Jack was off?”

“He must be thirsty,” Ash replies.

Tachibana frowns. “What do you mean you’re going to have a drink with him? Just bring him to his uncle, please.”

Ash gestures reassuringly. “Well, yeah. Just gonna get you some lemonade, like something cool and refreshing.”

The boy perks up. “My uncle gave me a drink once. That was strong. It was not very nice.”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about,” Ash says quickly.

Tachibana nods. “Alright. Some lemonade sounds good.”

As they start walking, the boy chatters about liking lemons. Daiki grins. “Exactly.”

Amber falls in step with them, and the boy launches into a stream of absurd group name suggestions—Sir Dinkalot and the Boom Squad, Ultra Turbo Dink Attack 3000, The Secret Society of Dink Ninjas. Ash throws in, “Dink and the Kitchen Sinks,” and Daiki laughs about “the fingers of Dink.” Soon the names devolve into “Kinky Dink,” which the boy decides he likes enough to tell his uncle.

Daiki eventually steers the conversation back. “Let’s go. Where does your uncle live again?”

The boy thinks aloud, trying to recall, then leads them toward the City Watch Keep. They spot several watchmen lounging outside, and Daiki motions toward them. “You can go. I’m not good with talking—you’re much better.”

Ash steps forward with a smile. “Hello. I’m looking for somebody called Jack. Jack… Needlewood, yeah.”

The watchman repeats the name, then calls to a colleague. “You know a Jack Needlewood that works with us?” He turns back. “I can go in and ask around if you want.”

Ash nods. “We want to help this little boy find his home.”

The watchman studies the boy. “Nephew of this Jack?”

“Yes,” Daiki answers.

“Shouldn’t you just take him to his parents?”

“We don’t want to bring him to a graveyard,” Ash says flatly.

When the watchman learns the boy’s parents are dead, he nods. “Alright. The next of kin is usually a good place. Second option’s the orphanage, unless you want to take care of him yourselves.”

A few minutes later, the watchman returns. “Jack Needlewood isn’t working with us at the moment. But I can tell you where he lives—Death Street, two blocks around, third house on the right.”

They thank him and head off. Ash leans down to the boy. “If something smells fishy… just come to us.”

“I think there’s a fish market around here,” the boy replies innocently.

Soon they reach the house. Daiki points at the roof. “See how it’s flat at the top instead of pointy? That way you can recognize it.”

The boy nods. “I like it.”

They knock, and a young woman opens the door. “Maria,” she introduces herself. Daiki’s gaze lingers on a faint bruise around her eye. Ash senses her fear when a man’s voice calls from inside.

Maria urges Dink inside, but Daiki asks, “Can we see your uncle first?”

The man soon appears—skinny-faced, dark circles under his eyes, standing straight, a stained undershirt clinging to him. Ash addresses him directly. “We’ve got little Dink here. How do you feel about that?”

“Why isn’t he with his mother?” the man asks.

“She’s… super dead,” Ash says bluntly.

Maria’s eyes brim with tears. The man nods slowly. “Then I’ll take care of him.”

Daiki’s tone sharpens. “I see your wife has bruises. In a healthy family—”

“Are you blaming me?” the man cuts in.

Ash fixes him with a steady stare. “You take care of him. You take care of her. Or there will be consequences.”

The man bristles. “This is my house. My business.”

Dink tries to reassure them. “I’ll find you if I ever need you—Ash and Daiki, the superheroes.”

Ash promises to check in tomorrow. They leave reluctantly, Daiki muttering, “Poor Dink.”

Ash replies, “We give him a chance. If he squanders it… he will die.”

They head toward the Cathedral to meet the others. Amber and Masaki are already discussing their next steps for a fallen companion. Amber worries about resurrection costs, but Tachibana insists they first preserve the body. They consider temples, discarding one dedicated to the Lady of Loss as too sinister, and settle on visiting the Lady of Mercy’s temple.

The temple is quiet, its Greek-style facade leading to hushed halls. A tiefling priest listens to their request but advises them to try larger temples like the one of Lady of Luck or the Golden Hall of the Lawbringer. Amber’s eyes light up at the mention of the Lawbringer—her own faith—and with several options in mind, they prepare to move on.

---

Amber and Tachibana step outside, the door closing behind them. “All right,” Tachibana says, turning to her, “I guess we can go to… which one was she saying?”

Amber replies, “She said Lady of Luck or the Lawbringer—which is Auctur.” She explains she has been to Auctur’s temple before, and perhaps they would understand their case because of her contract and duty.

They decide it’s worth a try. When Tachibana offers to carry the body, Amber shakes her head. “Oh, he’s light as a feather. Even dead—it’s not so much dead weight.”

The Temple of Auctur stands nearby, its golden façade shining in the sunlight. Amber knows it is actually marble painted gold. The place is crowded—not just a temple for worship, but a center of law, filled with paladins, judges, and red-cloaked mage guards. Tachibana glances at the red cloaks, nodding to a couple in recognition.

Amber approaches a bald man in judge’s robes. “Bonjour monsieur,” she greets. She explains their purpose: her friend, Count Wolfgang Rüppelshammer, has fallen in battle, and she wishes to know if there is any way to bring him back.

The priest’s answer is solemn. Such acts are rare, he says, reserved for special cases—like a slain king whose return could end a war. Amber presses for details, but the priest remains firm. There is no war, and Wolfgang is not currently lord of his land. Even when she mentions his family’s importance to Wedgewatch on the Hill, the priest is unconvinced.

Tachibana asks if they can at least preserve the body while they investigate further. The priest agrees, performing a simple ritual to keep Wolfgang’s body unchanged for ten days. It is the least he can do, but the case, he repeats, would have to be much stronger for them to make an exception.

Before leaving, Amber asks for places to store the body. The priest suggests the Obsidian Path or the Silent Threshold—both temples associated with Mortis, Lord of Death.

As they make their way out, a young wood elf priestess, broom in hand, stops them. She has overheard their plight and doubts they had success with the lawbringers. She whispers of another possibility: at the Temple of Lady Luck, in the Gilded Dice, there is someone named Huliavar—“one who walks the border of dream and light”—who might help. Amber carefully notes the name.

They decide to find a respectful place for Wolfgang first. The Obsidian Path proves beautiful, its entrance lined with greenery and a central black obsidian pond leading into a flower-filled hall. Priests of many races tend to the dead here.

A human woman greets them warmly. When Tachibana explains their need, she offers them a stone slab as a temporary resting place. She explains the first steps of death: the soul remains in the body for eight days before Mortis guides it onward. Until then, Wolfgang is welcome here.

Amber chooses a slab near flowers. She lays Wolfgang down gently, covers him with a translucent cloth, and quietly promises, “I’ll be back,” before stepping away.

They leave to rejoin Daiki and Ashira in the city center. The two have been waiting—Ashira playing music half-heartedly, earning only a couple of copper coins.

Amber and Tachibana explain what happened: resurrection is possible but only for extraordinary cases. They now have two leads—the Dawnbringer Temple, where a priest once resurrected a king, and Huliavar at the Gilded Dice.

The group debates whether to contact Wolfgang’s family now or wait until they have tried both leads. In the end, they agree: one day to try, then, if nothing works, his family will be informed.

Daiki and Ashira share that they have placed Dink with his uncle, though Daiki has a bad feeling about it. Ashira reassures him they will check in tomorrow.

With the decision made, Tachibana suggests, “Let’s go to the Lady of Luck first. Who knows—maybe we’re in luck.” They set off, searching for the Gilded Dice and the mysterious Huliavar.