Panicked questions filled the reception hall as Aqua kept waving them off with embarrassed laughter. He accepted a box of tissues and then the two lynxes finally received the approval of an official response team status.

"Is it okay if we don't register with the news team, at least for our early stages?" He asked Lunar, retrieving two cups of water from the water cooler.

"Yes, of course!"

When they reached the press factory much to their relief, the director was nowhere to be seen. But their box of brochures did have a little note left for them.

"All the best for your adventures." - Matcha

"That's nice," Aqua commented and hauled the box onto his back with a strap.

They then headed to the Earth Kind office.

"Hi, I've been trying to contact my employer but they haven't responded to my calls," Aqua explained.

"I can try contacting them for you. What's their name?" the Earth Kind asked.

"Copper Strike?"

"Oh. They died in a landslide."

Words get caught in Aqua's throat. Lunar's stomach twists.

"W-what?"

"Yeah, it happened a week ago."

"I'm so sorry to hear that…" his ears drooped.

"Wait, I still received my pay two days ago?"

The Earth Kind nodded after confirming on their computer. "Yep. Terra's looking after your contract now, so there wouldn't be any delays with businesses if anything… happened..."

"Oh- oh…"

"...Would you be able to-"

"Nope," they said abruptly.

(Right. Why would anyone with common sense bother the Earth Champion about another Kind's problems?) He felt stupid for even bringing it up.

The Earth Kind looked up from the computer. "Your best bet is to go to Kragma so you can ask her yourself."

"Yes. Thanks for the help."

"How far away is Kragma?" Lunar asked.

"There's a train which will take 2hrs to get there. Then another 2 back. But we have to walk past the flower field to get to the station."

Aqua looked up at the sun which was directly above them. "I reckon we have enough time left of the day."

"What are we going to do with the parcel?" Lunar sniffed their cardboard box which was resting on the ground.

"I'll just leave it in a personal locker and we can get it on the way back. They're just around the corner."

"Okay, let's go!"

The two lynxes started their trek to the mountains which sheltered the flower field and beyond that, the train to Kragma.

Aqua's mind wandered back to Copper. He never met the guy, as he found the job through a printed advert and got the position through a phone call. But still knowing that he'd never hear the voice again felt heart wrenching.

With effort he tried to distract himself. "Since we haven't taken any classes yet or gotten any recommendations we can only respond to level 1 callings. These are isolated cases where there aren't any active hazards."

"You'd be needed for healing minor cuts or bruises of other Compound Kinds. Whereas I… I'll provide any assistance I can."

"Okay! How do we know if it's level 1?"

"Survey teams will announce what level of team is allowed in the area," he sniffed the air. "Do you smell smoke?"

"Yes. And I can see it," a sense of urgency crept into Lunar's voice.

They both transitioned into a run down the footpath.

A group of Water Kinds walking away from the flower field stopped when they saw the two. Their posture immediately stiffened and they stood up straight as their eyes landed on Aqua.

"Ser Torrent… It's rare to see you this far from Golden Bay," one of them couldn't hide the surprise from their face.

"We put out a fire in the flower field," another explained, reassuring the lynxes. "We just wished we arrived sooner."

Aqua blinked. "I see," he dipped his head. "Thank you for your service."

The group dipped their heads in response before heading to the city to report the incident.

As the view of the flower field came into view Aqua understood what they meant.

"That's terrible," Lunar managed a whisper.

They trudged forward down into the ashen fields.

A solitary wolf's pink fur jutted out from the scarred landscape. Lunar's ears angled towards the lone finger as a faint sound carried in the wind.

Lunar expertly navigated through the field, avoiding crushing any surviving flowers as if it were second nature. "Are you okay?" she called.

The wolf flinched at her voice. They stood up, muscles tense, as if they were fighting the urge to flee.

"Uh- I…" they wiped away their tears. "I'm fine. Everything's alright!"

Lunar sat down next to the wolf. "...What happened here?"

"It's kind of embarrassing haha… Don't worry about it. I'll help them regrow in a minute," their head lowered.

Aqua finally reached them, "I'm the literal embodiment of embarrassment so I don't think it can surpass me. We won't judge. Promise."

The wolf sniffled and shuffled their paws.

"...My boyfriend came to visit me. He seemed really happy and wanted to tell me something. But his allergies triggered and because he's a fire kind…"

"Oh no." Lunar held her head.

"He tried his best to put out the fire but he only made it worse. So I told him to leave."

"Luckily a survey team spotted the smoke and called a Water Kind team to fight the fire, but they were quite far away and…"

"Where were they?" Aqua asked.

The wolf turned to look at the forest neighbouring them. "All the Water Kinds are usually posted around Rebrer Forest…"

Lunar's ear twitched at the familiar sounding name.

"Hm… they should still be more spread out than that," Aqua frowned. (Is this how they've always been managed? Why haven't we changed this?)

They shook their head, "No, it's not their fault. I'm very grateful for what they've done. I just worry about the state I've left my partner in."

The wolf opened her mouth to continue but closed it again.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Lunar pitched in.