A dark-skinned man races towards us, his eyes locked on Lin, who steps back and shakes his hands in front of him. “No. No, thank you. I don’t dance.” The man ignores Lin’s protest and pulls him onto the square. “Really, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just here to drink and fix everyone else’s mistakes,” Lin sputters. “I don’t know what to think about this.”

“This isn’t a place for thinking,” the man chirps. “This is a place to free your mind of its burden.” Lin stares at him in disbelief.

A place where he can’t overthink is one of the four hells for my friend.

“Let’s see you dance, Lin! Release your mind!” I call out in mockery.

He stares back at me unamused, but the man grabs his hands and spins him. He suddenly releases him, and Lin twirls twice, then wobbles to a stop. I wonder if he’ll run as far away as possible; then I see him smile. To my surprise, he even starts to tap his foot.

Torrent and Nuri twirl around, not caring who or what they may take out in their wake. His eyes are closed, and a smile stretches across his massive jaw. Another man, this one tall and lean, comes to collect Lorna. She spits on the ground and pulls out her hatchet, holding it out straight in front of her in warning.

“No,” she says curtly. The man’s eyes widen, and he promptly retreats. She looks at me, her expression oozing with disdain.

“He seems harmless enough,” I shrug.

Lorna rolls her eyes, turns sharply to leave, and runs straight into a blonde woman holding two mugs of frothy ale. The impact sends the alcohol spilling over the woman’s lace bodice, and Lorna apologizes and awkwardly tries to pat her dry.

“No need for all that. It’s a celebration; drinks are bound to spill,” the woman chuckles. Her round blue eyes meet Lorna’s, and they both fall silent. The woman glances down. “You could… help me fetch another drink. If you want?” Lorna doesn’t respond with words; her lips form a tight line, and she nods, then follows.

It’s about time that Lorna learns to have some fun. I cross my arms and tap my feet to the music; enjoying watching these encounters all too much. Suddenly, a beautiful young woman stands before me. Her cat-like eyes rest on angled cheekbones. She smiles and stretches out her hand.

“Would you like to dance?” Her accent is thick and mesmerizing, one I’ve never heard. I take a deep breath.

“I would love to dance.” I grab her palm and spin her, then catch her in my arms to slowly lower her.

She beams in delight. “So, you’ve done this before?” One of her brows arches high, nearly touching her hairline.

I hold her in position and wink.