They had been traveling for a few hours now, and nothing of note had happened yet. That wasn’t to say that Saiya wanted something to happen. She had already experienced enough excitement today. But there was an expectation that an obstacle would present itself before long. She knew they hadn’t been lucky enough for anything else so far.

  But perhaps their fortunes had turned. Ignoring the very start of their journey, they got to meet team Yinsdal. A group of four adventurers who had a few years of experience on them. They agreed to team up with them, hoping to gain a measure of safety at the beginning of their journey. Having the opportunity to learn from them was a bonus.

  Saiya pushed a low-hanging branch out of the way. Yes, things had been going well. Almost too well. It made Saiya want to be suspicious. That their new companions weren’t what they seemed. And she would be, if there were anything to feed her unmet paranoia. Instead, she got the honor of enjoying the company of Team Yinsdal.

  Rya and Randon continued to walk beside her, providing Saiya with silent companionship. They had a few light conversations that really didn’t touch on anything meaningful in their lives. Saiya was still cautious, despite all the good signs so far. At least Rya felt similar, if her short answer were any indication. She couldn’t get a good read on Randon, but that would be expected. It was obvious he was the most experienced adventurer here by at least half a decade. So, it made sense that he would prove hard to figure out. It left the three walking quietly together, trying to learn more about each other without right out asking.

  The same could not be said of the larger group in front of them. Their incessant chatter had continuously interrupted the peaceful serenity of the forest. While there was plenty of overlap, Zeltara and Kaztos stuck with Halidorn and Uya, respectively. While Saiya didn’t always pay attention, they seemed to talk about just about anything and everything. The noise provided was more than enough for everyone.

  It made Saiya feel a strange mix of happiness, relief, and jealousy. On one hand, she got some freedom from having to entertain her friends for hours on end while traveling. There was only so much they could talk about before it devolved into the three trying to annoy each other. On the other hand, despite the grief it gave her, Saiya still enjoyed their company. To see others have it for an extended period of time grated on her. It was a feeling she tried to ignore.

  “You really care about them, don’t you?” Randon asked, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to see Rya looking at her companion while Randon gave her an almost fond look. Saiya didn’t know what to think of the expression.

  “What do you mean?” If Saiya had been expecting a long, thought-out answer, Randon proved her wrong. He spoke just a few moments after she finished.

  “I can tell by the look in your eyes. It shows up whenever you watch over them. You care for your teammates and want to see them safe.” Saiya felt off-kilter with the accurate assessment. She wondered how he got all that just by the look in her eye. “It makes me wonder how the three of you met.” Rya seemed to be interested in the question as well.

  Seeing no reason not to answer, Saiya said, “I believe it was around two months ago now.” And wasn’t that hard for Saiya to wrap her head around. Everything she had gone through with Zeltara and Kaztos, from Urada to here, only took around two months. It almost felt like years at this point. “I had gotten into trouble with some bullies. Zeltara and Kaztos had seen and helped me out. Then, once I was in their grasp, they refused to let go. We’ve almost been joined at the hip ever since.” Not that she wasn’t holding on just as tightly. While at first, Saiya would have been willing to let them drift away, now she couldn’t imagine life without them.

  “I see. I figured it was something like that,” Randon said. “You don’t seem like the type to start a friendship with them. I’m guessing they just took you into their group like we did with Rya?” Saiya shook her head.

  “No, that was also the first time Zeltara and Kaztos met. They had just separately seen me in trouble and both decided to help at the same time. They almost started a fight with each other at one point.” Randon chuckled at the thought.

  “What a funny coincidence. To have you three meet like that. I assume you three are from the same settlement?” Saiya nodded. “Right. That means the three of you had lived together for over a decade, but never met. I have to wonder how many times you all crossed paths without ever knowing.” It was an interesting thought.

  Saiya tried to remember whether she had ever seen Zeltara or Kaztos before ever meeting them. A flash of red hair or a young boy wearing an academy uniform. She couldn’t recall anything. Not surprising, considering she rarely went out in Urada proper until her late-night strolls while living at the orphanage. She doubted Kaztos would ever explore Urada late at night. Though perhaps Zeltara occasionally got into some mischief under the cover of darkness.

  “I can’t seem to remember anything,” she said. “Though I’m glad to have met them. They saved me that day. In more than one way.” Randon stroked his beard thoughtfully.

  “It’s just something fun to think about. I thought similarly of my teammates, though our circumstances are different. Seeing such a strong bond form so quickly is heartwarming. Though, if I may give some advice.” Saiya and Randon’s eyes meet. “Don’t be afraid to take some time and space away from each other at some point. You three are very different from what I see. Sometimes that can cause raised tempers and hurt feelings. Some time to gather yourselves can mean a world of difference.” His eyes spoke of experience, and Saiya wondered if Team Yinsdal had to deal with that themselves.

  Deciding to sate her curiosity, Saiya asked, “Is it similar with your team?” Randon took a moment to think before answering.

  “Not exactly. While we’re all friends, we’re not nearly as close as your team is.” Rya audibly cleared her throat. Randon glanced at her. “Oh, besides Uya and Rya, of course. My apologies.” Rya smirked, causing Randon to pout. He turned back to Saiya. “Team Yinsdal started four years ago, but I only joined around last year. Rya and Halidorn lost some teammates and were looking for replacements. I decided that going solo wouldn’t work anymore. Uya is our newest addition, joining six months ago.”

  Saiya asked, “So you were a solo adventurer before this. What’s that like?” While possible, she assumed that going solo wasn’t often done. Saiya hadn’t heard of any famous solo adventurers before. Sure, one member of a group could grow to much higher fame than the others. But there was always a team that worked beside them. The heroes of the past crises were the best example of this. The current hero, Gabriel Ashbrook, had three companions who helped him slay Lilathos Molinar.

  “Not exactly. I was a solo adventurer for two years. It’s much more difficult than being on a team. You always have to watch your own back, and jobs are harder to come by. Clients expect there to be a team, so there just being one person can cause doubt. I used to have a team from when I first started out but...” Randon trailed off and looked into the distance. His expression became perfectly blank. “They’re not around anymore.” Saiya almost wanted to ask for details, but refrained. She could deduce what happened easily enough. There wasn’t any point in digging into old wounds.

  “Hey!” The three looked forward to see Halidorn calling back to them. “We’re going to stop in ten minutes. It’s getting late.” Saiya looked up to see the sky beginning to darken. The red sun was on the horizon. She hadn’t realized that time had passed so quickly. The ten minutes passed in comfortable silence. While they didn’t find a clearing to set up in, the group found enough space to make a cozy camp for themselves. The two groups recombined for a meeting.

  Zeltara looked between everyone and said, “Alright, let’s set up camp quickly. It’s warm enough for us to just use sleeping bags, so no need for tents. Kaztos, go gather firewood with Randon.” The two headed off, and Zeltara turned towards Saiya. “Saiya, have Rya help you with preparing dinner. Halidorn, Uya, and I will set up the rest of camp. Sound good?” Saiya nodded, and everyone went about their tasks.

  While waiting, she busied herself with making a makeshift fire pit. Fortunately, Kaztos and Randon were quick to bring back wood, so Saiya could quickly prepare dinner. It was mostly just reheated road rations, so Saiya wondered why she really needed help. Though Uya watched the fire diligently, so perhaps she could help Saiya out later if needed. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the campfire became their single source of light. Zeltara, Halidorn, and Uya placed the sleeping bags down and assembled a lookout post using a five-foot-tall folding chair Team Yinsdal had. Unconventional, but Saiya could see the use in it.

  The seven found themselves around the warmth of the fire, enjoying dinner. Zeltara, between bites, turned to Halidorn and said, “So, we haven’t really gotten into any personal details yet, but I’ve been wondering something. Are you guys from Mousafont or somewhere else like us?” That didn’t surprise Saiya. Zeltara and Kaztos could talk for hours about things that aren’t of much substance if you let them. Odds are, they spent the past few hours talking about their hobbies.

  Halidorn took a moment to finish his meal before answering. “No, we aren’t from Mousafont. Like you, we stumbled along there during the first few weeks. We actually entered just before they implemented the lockdown. And by the time we settled, the first expedition had already been well under way.”

  “Then where are you from?” Kaztos asked.

  “We’re from a town called Illys. It’s located in the southeast of the Dominion,” Halidorn said. “Or at least it was. Who knows where it is now.” Zeltara pulled out her journal and wrote something in it. She then looked back at Halidorn.

  “I’ll keep the name in mind in case we ever run into it. If we find it, I’ll let you know.” The four members of Team Yinsdal gave Zeltara a thankful look.

  Randon said, “We’d appreciate that. We’ll keep an eye out for your home too. What was it called, Urada?” Kaztos nodded.

  “Right! It’s a small town on the eastern frontier of the Dominion. It’s a nice place to live if I say so, present company notwithstanding.” Saiya watched the rest of the group laugh at Kaztos’ attempt at humor.

  Uya stopped laughing and said, “So, I’ve been wondering. What made a couple of kids decide to become adventurers? Before meeting you, Rya was the youngest I’ve heard of at 15, and she joined because of me. Why did you get started early?”

  Zeltara took a moment to think before answering. “Well, we wanted to be adventurers, but the plan was to wait until we got older. Each of us had our own reasons for it. For me, it was exploring the world and uncovering lost history.” Kaztos nodded.

  “For me, it was to redeem my family in the eyes of the world. By becoming an adventurer, I could commit enough good deeds to restore my family’s name.” All eyes turned to Kaztos.

  Halidorn cleared his throat. “Interesting. Just what did your family do? We knew you were a noble based on that amulet of yours, but you didn’t mention your family name. I assumed you just didn’t want to tell us.” Kaztos looked unsure if he should answer. Unfortunately, the decision was taken out of his hands.

  “He’s a Molinar,” Randon said. “I remember what their symbol looks like. My father was a veteran of the sixth crisis, and he used to describe the Molinar symbol to me. That, and it’s the only family that makes sense.” Saiya felt the tension rise around the campfire. While she thought nothing bad would happen, they should be ready for a negative reaction. Just in case.

  Kaztos laughed, but Saiya could hear the nervousness in his tone. “Yes, my full name is Kaztos Molinar. Despite my family’s current situation, I’ll continue to represent them proudly. Hopefully, one day, the rest of them can hold their heads up as high as I do.”

  “There won’t be any problems, will there?” Zeltara asked. Halidorn shook his head.

  “No, it’s not any stranger than you being here. And trust me, seeing an elf as an adventurer is plenty weird. In my years of traveling, Ive never heard of one. Have you ever seen one, Randon?” The older adventurer stroked his beard in thought.

  “I can’t say that I have. It’d be incredibly dangerous for them to try, considering an elf’s lack of mana potential and physical prowess. It speaks highly of you to even try.” Halidorn motioned towards Randon.

  “Exactly! So, we’re willing to put up with a little weirdness. It’s not like we’re the definition of normal.” Zeltara seemed surprised at their quick acceptance of them. Kaztos seemed happy about it, though.

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  Zeltara got the conversation back on track. “Anyway, we weren’t planning on becoming adventurers until we became adults. Unfortunately, the cataclysm forced our hand. Now, it’s either become adventurers or be left behind in this new world.”

  “But you’re just kids. Couldn’t you have just found somewhere to stay until things settled down?” Uya asked. Kaztos grimaced.

  “And stand back while people need help? I wouldn’t be able to do it.” Zeltara nodded along in agreement.

  “That, and there hasn’t really been a place to settle down at. Mousafont looked alright on the surface. But the place was a powder keg. I didn’t want to stick around for that.” It wasn’t exactly true. They could have stayed with the caravan. But Saiya didn’t see that as a good option. Being a traveling laborer for a trading caravan sounded like more hassle than it’s worth long term.

  “Makes sense,” Halidorn said. “It was already something you wanted to do. Best to take control of your destiny when given the opportunity.”

  Zeltara bounced on her seat. “Exactly! It’s best to have our own agency rather than rely on the long-term help from others. I doubt anyone is hiring a group of outsider kids, especially at a time like this. It’s best to take one of the few paths open to us.” Her words seemed to settle the conversation. The group briefly fell silent, enjoying the warmth of the campfire.

  But it wasn’t meant to last as Kaztos spoke up a minute later. “Now that we’ve told you our reasons for becoming adventurers, I can’t help but wonder. Why did the four of you become adventurers?”

  “Oh, that’s simple. I became an adventurer for the money,” Halidorn said. “It’s a dangerous profession, but once you're established, you get paid much more than with any menial job in a town. If your career can just last a decade or two, then you’re set for the rest of your life.” Saiya suppressed a snicker at seeing the disappointed expression on Kaztos’ face. He needed to learn that not everyone had noble intentions like him.

  Uya chimed in. “Not me. I’m doing it just for fun. Going out and exploring the greater world and fighting monsters is a blast. The money is just a nice bonus.” Zeltara nodded, seeming to take their selfish reasoning better than Kaztos.

  “So, what about Rya? She doesn’t seem like the type to do this for money or fun.” Rya leaned to hide behind Uya, who frowned at the question.

  “Yeah, about that. She didn’t really want to be an adventurer. But someone has to look after her. Our father died when he was young. Then, last year our mother got sick. I took a few months off to help, but she passed away. Uya was only fourteen, too young to be out on her own. So, I had her join us.” Uya then smiled, and looked back at Rya with a look of pride. “But look at her now. She’s grown a lot since joining us. We just need to get her confidence up.” The praise only made Rya turn redder in embarrassment.

  The conversation moved on, but Saiya turned her attention to Randon. He looked at the group with that wistful look again. He had been quiet for some time now. In fact, he never gave an answer to their question.

  “So, what about you?” she asked. Randon turned to her, surprised by the question. “Why did you become an adventurer?” Randon glanced back at the rest of the group with a smile.

  “At first, it was for the same reason as theirs. The money and excitement were too good to pass up. But that time has passed.” It made sense to Saiya. But she still pressed forward. What had changed?

  “What about now?” Randon kept his gaze on the group. His smile widened as Halidorn and Uya got into an argument that devolved into them wrestling on the ground. His eyes met hers.

  “I imagine it’s now the same reason as yours.” He turned his attention back to the group. Saiya understood now, and she turned her eyes back as well. Kaztos and Zeltara were cheering on the two wrestling adventurers, often switching who they were rooting for at a moment’s notice. Saiya smiled at the sight. Yes, she definitely understood.

  The group spent another hour talking before going to sleep. Since they were in an unfamiliar area, Zeltara and Halidorn decided to have everyone take turns keeping watch. Uya volunteered to go first, citing that she was still too energetic from the earlier excitement. Saiya and Halidorn drew the short straws and ended up on second and third watch, respectively. Saiya hated that second watch would interrupt her sleep in the middle of the night, but didn’t complain.

  Fortunately, she found it easy to go to sleep. The air temperature was just right, and there was a light breeze. The smell of the surrounding wilderness helped to calm her as she lulled into slumber. There, her dreams were indistinct, but had a happy feeling to them. A reminiscence to good times, perhaps. It was an experience she’d have loved to have continued, considering her usual nightly struggles with sleep.

  Which is why it did not surprise her that Uya woke her up after what felt like only minutes. Saiya turned to face the older adventurer and asked, “Already?”

  Uya brought a finger up to her lips as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I know the feeling, kiddo. But no need to wake everyone else up. Just stay up for two hours and then wake Halidorn up. I took a little extra time for you. I’m sure he would be willing too.” Her soft tone almost brought Saiya back to slumber. Thankfully, she caught herself before her eyes closed and sat up.

  Lowering her voice, Saiya said, “Thank you. Go get some rest.” Uya nodded and went to her sleeping bag. She got in and seemed to almost immediately fall asleep. Saiya got out of her bedding and went to the lookout post. She stretched by climbing up and sitting on the seat. She wanted to sigh, as the entire forest was dark. Only their dwindling fire provided light for their camp.

  She wondered if it would even matter to keep the fire going. It would allow her to read, but she didn’t want to accidentally wake anyone. The fire dimmed further, and the area almost became pitch black. There wasn’t any way for her to see anything coming now. Deciding that sight was worth the risk of waking anyone, Saiya dropped down and added some branches to the fire. She got it going to a healthy glow before going back tot he lookout post. She grabbed a book from her satchel and started to read, hoping to finish her watch quickly.

  An hour passed, and Saiya could feel her eyes growing heavy. The words in her book blurred, so she bookmarked the page and put it away. She stretched, wondering how she was going to make it another hour at this rate. The camp remained the same as everyone slept. The only sounds she could hear were the soft crackling of the fire, the breaths of those closest to her, and the footsteps in the forest growing closer.

  Realization hit her as Saiya turned towards the shuffling of bushes and breaking branches behind her. It sounded like an animal of some kind was approaching the camp. Saiya pulled out a throwing knife and turned to face the unknown threat. Whatever it was, she would scare it off easily enough. It was probably a deer of some kind.

  Saiya froze as the largest bear she had ever seen strode through the bushes and into the light. The hulking beast was over eight feet in length and over a thousand pounds in size. It sniffed the air before turning to face the camp. Saiya and the bear stared at each other for a few moments, frozen. She opened her mouth to yell, but couldn’t seem to get the words out. It strode closer at a languid pace.

  She finally snapped out of it and yelled, “Wake up!” Her scream startled everyone awake. It also caused the bear to rear back and roar. Anyone she hadn’t awakened was conscious now. Team Yinsdal were out of their sleeping bags in seconds. Kaztos and Zeltara were a few steps behind them.

  This mattered little to Saiya as the bear charged at her. She raised her staff and shot out a fireball in a panic. Her shot landed short and failed to slow down the hulking beast. Just as it was about to ram the lookout post, she jumped off to the side and landed hard on the ground.

  The impact caused the air to leave her lungs. Saiya heard the lookout crash to the ground as the bear rammed into it. She turned onto her back, trying to catch her breath, and saw the bear turn towards her. Just as it was about to lunge at her, Saiya heard something impact beside her.

  “Grab on!” She turned to see the end of Zeltara’s grapple embedded in the ground. Saiya grabbed on, and the grapple yanked her away from the bear, who landed where she had just been. The thirty-foot drag along the ground hurt, but Zeltara brought Saiya safely next to her. The elf leaned down and helped her up, saying, “I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Her words helped calm Saiya’s beating heart.

  Meanwhile, Kaztos reached the bear and smacked it on the head with his warhammer. Its head tilted to the side from the impact but otherwise didn’t seem affected. The bear roared in renewed rage and swiped Kaztos’ weapon away. It prepared to attack him, but Kaztos stomped the ground. The earth shook, causing the bear to stumble. Zeltara fired a black marble at the bear, causing it to flinch in pain. The opening allowed Kaztos to back away to safety.

  That’s when Team Yinsdal finished the battle. Saiya watched as they worked together like a well-oiled machine. The area lit up as Randon fired a bolt of lightning at the bear. The spell caused the beast to seize up and roar in pain. Uya and Rya were next. The elder sister had her bow drawn while the younger had a throwing knife in hand. With twin releases, the bear had a knife and an arrow embedded in its right eye. Halidorn closed the distance and slashed the beast across the face with his sword.

  The bear reared back, turned, and ran back into the woods. Zeltara, Saiya, and Kaztos watched as the four members of Team Yinsdal celebrated. The adrenaline from the battle left the three delayed in joining them. Halidorn seemed to notice their predicament and ran over to them.

  “Are you three alright? That was quite a scare,” he said with a chuckle. The three quickly checked their condition.

  “I’m doing great! Just recovering from the surprise,” Kaztos said. Zeltara held up her left arm.

  “I yanked my arm pretty good dragging Saiya to safety. Otherwise, I’m good too.” Saiya grimaced as the three turned to face her.

  “I hurt my arm getting pulled. I also got a couple of scrapes getting dragged along the ground.” Halidorn looked at her with worry. Before he could say anything, Uya pushed him out of the way and ran up to examine Saiya.

  “Poor kiddo! You got pretty roughed up there. If you want, I can help. I know some first aid.” Uya bowled over any of Saiya’s protests before they could start. Before she knew it, Uya was cleaning and bandaging her scrapes next to the campfire. The rest of the group was sitting around the dwindling campfire, settling in again.

  “You guys were cool! That bear was all over us, and you scared it off in seconds. And your teamwork was perfect,” Zeltara said. Kaztos nodded in agreement. Halidorn gave a grin in response.

  “That was nothing. We’ve faced far worse than that before. You guys didn’t do too shabby yourselves. I noticed you watching your teammates’ backs. Good job.” Zeltara smiled at the praise. “You just need to take a moment to gather yourselves before rushing in like that. Even when caught off guard, a few moments to gather yourself is crucial.”

  Kaztos grimaced. “I guess I did just charge in there. I should have met up with Zeltara and Saiya and figured something out from there.” Halidorn nodded.

  “Exactly, that’s what we did. That was the fundamental difference in that battle.” Seeing Zeltara and Kaztos look so down, Halidorn continued. “Not that you did badly. It’s not like you can be ready to wake up and have to fight a Talran Mountain bear. Those things are huge. That one wasn’t even fully grown.” It was a terrifying thought for Saiya. That beast was huge enough already, and it was just a juvenile.

  Randon turned to Saiya and asked, “So what happened before we woke up?” Uya finished bandaging Saiya’s wounds and went to sit next to Rya. Saiya gave her a begrudged nod of thanks before turning back to answer.

  “I was on watch reading my book when I heard something moving around in the woods. When it came into the clearing, I saw it was a giant bear. I alerted all of you, and it attacked.” Randon nodded in thought.

  “Hmm, why did you scream for us to wake up? What was it doing? Did it look like it was going to attack?” Saiya recalled the encounter and shook her head.

  “Not exactly. It seemed curious more than anything. Why?” Saiya didn’t think she had done anything wrong, but Halidorn’s expression made her think otherwise.

  He said, “It’s because Talran Mountain bears aren’t hostile unless startled. Your shouting set it off. It probably would have sniffed around before leaving if you had done nothing.” Saiya bristled under the unsaid accusation.

  “So I was just supposed to let you sleep? How was I supposed to know that? What if it was hungry?” Halidorn raised a hand to stop her growing tirade.

  “No, waking us up was the right call, but yelling at us wasn’t. You should have calmly woken us before when it was still away from camp. Being a lookout isn’t just about alerting the camp when something is there. It’s judging the threat of whatever showed up and making a proper response. By yelling for us to wake up, it caused us to get up in a panic and startled the bear into attacking. If you had calmly woken us up, we could have shooed it away without too much trouble.” Saiya stared down at the ground, suddenly feeling small.

  “Don’t be so down on yourself. It was an honest mistake,” Randon said. “Nobody got hurt, so it all turned out fine in the end.” Halidorn nodded.

  “Exactly, you asked us to give you guys a few pointers while we’re together. This was just us doing that. It won’t always feel nice to be criticized like that. But it’s something you need to have so you can improve.” That helped Saiya feel better. She may have messed up, but the worst that resulted in was a few scrapes. Next time would be better.

  Zeltara chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that. I was about to lay into you for tearing her apart like that.” Halidorn gave a short laugh but stopped when his eyes met Zeltara’s. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Halidorn looked away. His expression was far less jovial. He muttered something under his breath that made Zeltara smirk.

  Uya yawned. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. See you all tomorrow. Come on, Rya.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and dragged her to the sleeping bags. Rya went without complaint, looking tired herself. Randon stood up and stretched.

  “I should be retiring as well. I need to get all the sleep I can get at my age. Try not to startle any more bears, would you?” Saiya scoffed at the jab but said nothing. They watched as he reached his sleeping bag.

  “Well, you three should get some rest too,” Halidorn said. He turned to Saiya. “How about I take over the rest of your watch? We’re set to switch in less than an hour, anyway. No point in me trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep just to get interrupted.” Saiya wanted to argue, but a yawn left her unbidden.

  “Fine, I won’t mind extra sleep.” Rest may become a precious commodity for them in the future. Best not to lose any this early in their journey.

  “Alright then, see you in the morning,” Zeltara said. She and Kaztos were close behind in getting back to their sleeping bags. The last thing Saiya saw before closing her eyes was Halidorn settling in for the last night’s watch.

  Saiya passed the rest of the night in a restful slumber. There were no more interruptions from anything, wildlife or otherwise. Just a peaceful night of sleep. The group woke up with the rising sun, ready for another day of travel. After a quick breakfast and packing up camp, they’re ready to head out again.

  Unlike the previous day, the two traveling groups walk much closer together. It was mostly because of Randon wanting to take part in more conversation than Rya and Saiya would provide. They came along so as not to be separated from the rest of the group. Anything could be out there, and the two traveling a distance from the rest could be dangerous in case of an encounter of some kind.

  The next two hours were enjoyable for Saiya. They had left the forest and had entered rolling plains. The grass was lush green, that only reached their ankles. The sky was party cloudy, and the air carried a hint of sweetness from some flowers. Saiya could enjoy this all day.

  Which is why it was ruined two hours later when Uya seemed to have gotten bored. She gave an overly dramatic sigh and said, “Ugh! When are we going to see anything interesting? It’s just been trees and hills since we left Mousafont.”

  “It’ll be awhile. There probably isn’t anything this close to Mousafont City. We’ll just have to keep going,” Halidorn said. Uya looked ready to complain again when Zeltara interrupted.

  “Not necessarily. The expedition pointed out something near here.” Before she could continue, Uya rushed over to Zeltara and shook her.

  “Well, come on then. Tell us where it is. I’ve been cooped up in Mousafont for weeks. I need some excitement.” Zeltara extracted her from Uya’s grasp and then answered.

  “I’m sorry to say, but there probably won’t be any. It’s apparently abandoned. It’s more like a brief rest stop on the journey. There probably isn’t anything there.” Saiya watched as Uya visibly deflated.

  “We should still go to check it out,” Randon said. “You never know what we might find in old decrepit places like that. It can serve as a checkpoint to rest at if nothing else.”

  Zeltara said, “Sounds like a good idea. It’s pretty close, actually. We just need to adjust of heading a bit to the left. We’ll find it over one of these hills.”

  Halidorn nodded. “Then it’s settled.” They changed their heading northeast and continued on. Uya’s mood seemed to pick up now that they were heading somewhere, even if it was abandoned. Saiya felt it could be a nice change of pace. Who knows, they might find something interesting there.

  The weather changed as they walked. Dark clouds rolled in to cover the sky in overcast. Saiya knew it was going to rain soon. It was fortunate that they were about to reach some cover. Hopefully, they could make it without getting soaked.

  After an hour of traveling, the group reached the top of another hill. That’s when they saw it. The ruins in the distance. Zeltara brought her goggles down over her eyes and squinted.

  “Wow, the place is big. It must have been a town at some point.” Saiya examined the town. It was hard to see this far out, but most of the ruins looked to be made of rectangular dull red stone buildings. The vast majority were only one story tall, but the largest was three stories. The buildings that weren’t damaged all had roofs, suggesting whoever lived here had limited access to wood for construction. Any wood that people might have used had since rotted away, meaning the place had long been abandoned.

  “I didn’t know your goggles had magnification,” Kaztos said as he looked at them. “Why haven’t you used them before?” Zeltara answered without looking away from the ruin.

  “They only magnify by two times. Also, there haven’t been many chances to use them. They’re rather fragile, so I don’t want to have them over my eyes if they break. Though I use them when working on my gear.” Halidorn walked up beside Zeltara.

  He asked, “Do you see anything?” Zeltara hummed before shaking her head.

  “No, nothing out of the — wait.” She leaned forward. “I think I saw somebody down there. They walked behind a building.” Randon took a step forward, trying to see himself.

  “Are you sure?” Zeltara nodded. “Then that complicates things. We don’t know whether the person down there is friendly.”

  Uya said, “Let’s go check it out. I’m sure the person down there won’t be any trouble. If he is, then we can take care of him. There’s seven of us after all.”

  “I just saw another one moving through,” Zeltara said. “There could be more hiding in the buildings. There’s going to be rain after all.”

  Halidorn sighed. “Let’s just go check it out. We need shelter too. Just be on your guard. We don’t want to get surprised.” The group began making their way down the hill. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by the sound of thunder a few minutes later. Looks like they had little choice at this point. Saiya held a knife under her cloak. She could only hope it would be unneeded for whoever was down there.