Kaztos felt a sense of anticipation as they approached the ruins. Knowing that there were people in there made him curious. Could they be travelers looking for shelter like them or bandits using the place as a hideaway? Either way, he knew that the combined forces of Teams Yinsdal and Outsiders should be able to handle whoever they were. The tension already almost had him bouncing with excitement.

  “I hope whoever these people are, they don’t mind us taking shelter here,” Zeltara said as raindrops started falling. It couldn’t even be called a drizzle yet, but everyone knew they were minutes away from rainfall.

  Saiya pulled the hood of her cloak up. “Knowing our luck? They very much will. And they’ll make their protests known with weapons.” The statement made Rya squeak and huddle closer to her sister. Uya giggled.

  “Come on, kiddos. No need to scare my sister. These things have a way of working themselves out.” Spoken like someone who didn’t know their luck. Even Kaztos could admit that their fortunes swung wildly at both ends of the scales.

  Halidorn shushed them. “That’s enough. We won’t know until we find whoever that was. Just be on guard. These could be bandits. I heard rumors of a group working in the region.” Zeltara shook her head.

  “Nah, they didn’t look the part to me. If anything, they’re refugees who found somewhere to ride out the storm.” The group reached the first buildings of the ruins, allowing Kaztos to take a closer look. They looked old. The stone was sun-bleached and eroded. This town had likely been from a warm climate of some kind. Perhaps a desert?

  The stone buildings were intact for the most part. Only a few suffered severe structural damage. The roofs were also made of stone, so they offered shelter at least. Kaztos took a closer look as they walked by. He saw that any furniture or personal belongings inside the few buildings had long been stolen by thieves or eroded away by time.

  Kaztos felt as the rain picked up to a drizzle. It was cool enough to make him shiver briefly. He saw Zeltara hold out her hand, allowing rain to fall on it.

  “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve seen rain. There wasn’t any out in the wastelands. It feels refreshing after so long.” Kaztos took the opportunity to enjoy the rain for a moment. He had to admit that it felt nice.

  “It rained two weeks ago in Mousafont,” Randon said. So they missed it by several days then. “Though, it wasn’t as heavy as this is going to be.”

  Zeltara turned to Halidorn. “We need to find a suitable building and take shelter. It’s going to be a downpour soon.” Halidorn looked around, searching the buildings.

  “You’re right, but I don’t think any of these will do very well. Most of them are too small or damaged to be usable.” The group followed Halidorn’s gaze as he turned towards the center of the former town. “We should head further in. I want to find those people before settling in. The last thing we need is an ambush when we’re unprepared.”

  As he finished speaking, a man peeked around the corner. The group tensed up but didn’t pull their weapons yet. Seeing this, the man came out from behind the building, followed by a dozen others. All of them looked haggard, their clothes dirty and torn in some places. Some seemed to struggle to stay on their feet. Their expressions screamed wary, but they didn’t seem hostile. The group kept their distance a few dozen yards away from them. For a moment, nobody said anything.

  Kaztos felt he could trust these people. They just needed a helping hand. So, he took a step forward and called out. “Hello! Sorry for intruding into your home. We’re members of the New Horizons Expedition from Mousafont City.” His words had the opposing group briefly mutter among themselves. After a few moments, the first man took a few steps forward and raised his hands nonthreateningly. Kaztos could see that he was in his late twenties with dark brown hair and eyes.

  “Hello. My name is Gilahar. You said that you’re from the expedition, right? Are you here to help us?” From behind him, another man scoffed at the question. He took a few steps forward to stand beside Gilahar. He looked to be middle-aged, with graying hair and beard. His blue eyes looked at them with undisguised suspicion.

  “No, they aren’t. They’re probably just here for shelter like us. We were abandoned Gilahar, don’t you remember? Mousafont isn’t sending people out to help us now.” The two men turn towards each other with heated expressions.

  “You don’t know that for sure. They could have changed their minds. All I know is that we will not chase away the only chance we have for survival.” The two men looked ready to come to blows. Before they could, Zeltara loudly cleared her throat to get their attention.

  “Excuse me, but could you explain what’s going on? You seem to know who we are, but I can’t say the same for you.” The two men paused in their argument. Gilahar faced them again while the other man looked out into the distance, muttering to himself.

  “Well, we’re members of the expedition, like you. Almost a hundred of us went out to explore the wilds for Mousafont. That was over a month ago. Now we’re all that’s left.” At first glance, Kaztos couldn’t imagine that they used to be adventurers. But looking closer, he could see the remnants of gear. A sword here and a piece of armor there. He didn’t know what could have left them in this state.

  Halidorn asked, “What do you mean? If you’re from the first expedition, then why didn’t you come back?” The older man scoffed.

  “You should know better than anyone. You’re not allowed back into Mousafont without something to show for it. We don’t have anything to give them, so they turned us away without even a single bronze piece. Left us out here to die.” Gilahar ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

  “That could have been phrased better, but that was essentially what happened. We ran out of supplies and gear and have nothing to show for it. We barely made it to these ruins after leaving Mousafont again. Now we’re just stuck here with little food and water left.” Again, Kaztos could see the desperation in the other group. It was a good thing they had made it here in time. He doubted they would have lasted a few more weeks.

  Kaztos knew what needed to be done. “We could all help you get back on your feet. We can get you clean water and some food to eat. Maybe even help find some proper shelter. I doubt these buildings are very comfortable as is.”

  “Why are you volunteering us to help? We have our own problems to worry about. We just needed somewhere to ride out the storm,” Saiya said. Her protest was predictable at this point to Kaztos. He prepared to argue but was beaten to the punch.

  “Oh, don’t be like that, Saiya,” Zeltara said. “These people need some help. They’ll die out here if we don’t.”

  “Weren’t you against us helping those people at the gates?” Saiya asked. Zeltara gestured to the first expedition members. Gilahar and his group saw the coming argument and moved away to give them space. Kaztos wondered if it was out of politeness or to keep their distance in case a fight broke out.

  “That was different. We couldn’t do anything for them because of how many there were. There’s less than a dozen here now. It wouldn’t even inconvenience us that much.” Zeltara sighed. “I’m not saying we have to help everyone like Kaztos thinks. But it won’t hurt us to give a helping hand here.”

  Halidorn shook his head. “We don’t even know them. They could take advantage of our kindness. We should just hunker down until the storm passes and keep our distance.”

  Uya nodded her head. “I agree! They’re proof that the wilds out here are dangerous. We can’t afford to give them anything if it’ll screw us over.”

  Randon finally offered his opinion. “I vote we help. We don’t have to give them much. There are several things we can do to get them back on their feet. And I can’t just leave them like this without at least trying.” The group briefly falls silent. Without realizing it, this had turned into a vote. Each side had three people supporting it, one of them a team leader. They needed someone to break the deadlock.

  At once, the six of them turned to Rya, who had been watching the conversation unfold nervously. She flinched upon seeing all of their glances land upon her. She turned her gaze to the ground and muttered, “Uh, I...”

  Uya took a step towards her sister. “Come on, Rya. Tell them how we can’t help these people.” Zeltara quickly jumped in.

  “Don’t listen to your sister. Just think about what you want to do. Should we help these people? We won’t be mad at whatever you choose.” Rya fidgeted in place, her gaze not leaving her feet. For a few moments, she said nothing. The group looked at her in anticipation.

  Finally, she gave her answer. “Um, I think we should help them. I wouldn’t be right to let them starve.” Zeltara and Kaztos cheered while Randon gave her a smile.

  Meanwhile, Saiya rolled her eyes and turned away. Uya and Halidorn gave Rya a kind look. The older sister said, “It’s your choice, sis. Like Zeltara said, we’re not mad about your choice.”

  “I agree,” Halidorn said. “I’m glad you made the choice you wanted to. Zeltara and Randon are right in a way. We’re going to be here for at least the rest of the day. Spending it helping them won’t be a terrible use of our time.” Zeltara called Gilahar over to join them again. His group followed close behind.

  When he reached them, she said, “We talked about it and decided to help. What do you guys need to get back on your feet?” Kaztos watched as tears sprang up from the man’s eyes.

  “Thank you all so much. We are forever in your debt. What we need most are the basics. Food, water, shelter, and some medicine.” Zeltara nodded.

  “Do you guys have a building to use already?” Gilahar sighed and looked back towards his group.

  “No, we only made it here yesterday. After Mousafont turned us away, we’ve been wandering. We settled into a few houses, but they all have leaking roofs and wet floors. Some of us are hurt or sick, so we can’t use the houses for long. It’ll just make their conditions worse.”

  Zeltara said, “Very well then. This is what we’ll do.” She pointed at Uya and Rya. “First, you two hunt for some wild game. Try to get enough to feed everyone here for the night. Be back before the rain gets too bad.” She then turned to Saiya. “Saiya, you will check their sick and injured. Make sure they’re not about to collapse. Once we find shelter, you’ll help treat them and keep an eye on them while Rya and Uya cook.”

  “Fine,” Saiya said, resigned. She started towards Gilahar’s group. They were skittish at first, but quickly allowed her to check them over. Zeltara then moved her gaze towards Kaztos.

  “Finally, you three go with Gilahar and whoever he wants to bring along. You all try to find a building to shelter in. It needs to fit everyone here and require only minimal repair work. No sense wasting unnecessary time.” She pointed towards the center of town. “Try to find a building that was an inn or something. That will probably be our best bet.” Kaztos nodded, ready to start his task.

  Randon said, “Sounds like a plan. But what are you going to do in the meantime?” Zeltara pointed at her satchel.

  “I have some tools in here. With whatever everyone has on them, I’m going to make some rain catchers and animal traps. That way they can provide for themselves after we leave. Speaking of which, can I borrow the axe, Kaztos? I’m going to need to collect wood.” Kaztos pulled their wood axe out of his satchel and tossed it to her. She caught it and rested it on her shoulder.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Look at you, the go-getter. Maybe I should just let you be the leader,” Halidorn said in a teasing tone. Kaztos could just make out Zeltara’s blush before she turned away.

  “Enough talking. Who knows when the rain will pick up. So everyone, get to their tasks.” Zeltara walked away, followed by Rya and Uya.

  Gilahar went over to his group. “Go into one of the houses for shelter. I’ll go with our new friends to find someplace safe.” Several voiced their agreement and entered the ruins of several homes. Saiya followed them in to keep checking them over.

  However, the older adventurer from earlier stayed. “If you think I’m going to leave this to you Gilahar, you have another thing coming.” Gilahar shook his head. It seemed as if he had been expecting this.

  “Alright, you can come with us. Let’s split up into two groups. Each of us can take a different street.” Before Kaztos knew it, Gilahar left with Halidorn and Randon. He looked at the older man, who regarded him with contempt.

  Kaztos put on his best smile. “Well, let’s get a move on, shall we?” The older man scoffed and began walking down the street. Kaztos rushed to catch up with them. “Well, my name is Kaztos.”

  Before he could say anything more, the older man said, “I know just who you are, Molinar. I don’t need any of your kind’s help. I had seen enough of it during the crisis.” Kazto’s smile disappeared. Ah, he recognized his amulet. This was going to be awkward. The two walked along in silence for a minute. Kaztos kept his eye out for any suitable buildings among the ruins. So far, he hadn’t found any.

  “Well, I can assure you that I’m not like my recent ancestors. I try to emulate those who came before them.” The older man said nothing. “So, you were a part of the sixth crisis. We’re you an adventurer, Mister...?” Kaztos trailed off, hoping to get his name.

  His attempt worked. “Wallos, and no. I wasn’t an adventurer back then. Too young. Though my father was, and he died trying to stop that monster. So I don’t want to hear your lip. The only reason you’re here is to help us. You can go die for all I care after that.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. So did you become an adventurer to honor your father?” Wallos grumbled to himself before answering.

  “No, I did it to help support my family. Not like that worked out. Turns out, adventuring gives shit pay unless you’re great at it. Apparently, I wasn’t. So I eventually quit.” Kaztos gave Wallos a smile.

  “Well, you must have at least been good. You wouldn’t still be here otherwise. From my understanding, bad adventurers die.” Wallos snorted at that. Kaztos concealed a grin. He’d get through to the man no matter what. “But I have to ask, why are you out here then if you retired.”

  Kaztos could see a spark appear in Wallos’ eye. “Because Mousafont has been my home for a decade now after I retired. It has been good to me, so I wanted to lend a hand in saving it. But I failed. I had hoped they would accept me back despite my failure, but apparently that was too much to ask.” His tone turned bitter. “That damn place had been my home for ten years, and they just abandoned me at their first opportunity. They took my kindness and stomped it into the dirt.”

  Kaztos could hear his breathing become uneven as Wallos struggled with his emotions. He guessed the older man needed someone to vent to and hadn’t been comfortable enough with anyone in his group. Or maybe it was because Kaztos was a stranger. It didn’t matter, as he knew what to do.

  The two came to a stop as Kaztos put a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “That wasn’t right of them. You deserved better.” The older man tried to shrug Kaztos’ hand off but failed.

  “Like that’s ever stopped anyone before.” Kaztos nodded; his grip remained strong.

  “I know that better than most. That’s why I’ll make a promise to you. We’ll make sure you can fend for yourselves. Then, once we return to Mousafont, I’ll convince the expedition leader to send your people more help. You’ll make it through this, so don’t give up.” The two’s gazes locked. Kaztos could feel himself being judged.

  “You’re just a kid. How do you plan to make it back to Mousafont alive? Dozens died on the expedition. What makes you so different?” Kaztos didn’t back down. He gave the older man an intense look that showed his determination.

  “Because I am Kaztos Molinar, and on my family’s name, I’ll help your people. I swear on my honor.” The two kept their gazes on each other for another few moments. Then, Wallos turned away.

  Under his breath, he said, “I’ll hold you to that, kid.” Wallos then continued along the street. Kaztos followed him with extra force in his steps. He would help these people, starting with shelter. He paid more attention to the surrounding buildings, trying to find one that was suitable.

  The rain continued to intensify. Kaztos knew they needed to find something soon to ride the storm out. If it got any worse, they wouldn’t be able to bring everyone here. Thunder became more frequent, and the wind got harsher. Still, he kept his eyes open for anything they could use. That’s when he spotted it further down the street. A one-story building, several times larger than the rest.

  “There it is! Come on!” Kaztos shouted to Wallos as he started running. The older man chased after him, complaining the entire way. After a minute, he made it to the entrance and slowed down. After stepping inside, Kaztos looked around. He smiled. It was almost perfect.

  Wallos caught up and entered. The older man took a moment to catch his breath. “I’m not that young anymore. Did you have to run?” He then observed the room they were in. “Would you look at that? This will do.”

  If Kaztos had to guess, this place used to be a restaurant. Most of the furniture was lost long ago, but some stone stools and tables stayed. There was a counter along the back wall that likely used to serve alcohol. An open fireplace was on the right wall of the room, ready to be used. Kaztos couldn’t see any leaking besides the back left corner. The rest of the building appeared to be in good condition.

  He searched all the side rooms. Behind the counter was a kitchen. A few ancient-looking cooking utensils and pots remained. There was an empty ice chest that was powered with an enchantment. Kaztos wondered if Saiya could get that working for storage. There was also a pantry to keep more food dry if needed. Another side room held bathrooms. He didn’t know enough about plumbing to know if they still worked, but it was a good starting point. Finally, there was another empty room. Kaztos didn’t know what it was for. Perhaps a break room or office?

  Whatever the case, they found what they were looking for. Kaztos turned to Wallos. “Stay here and get a fire going at the fireplace. I’ll let everyone know we found somewhere to stay.” The older man gave him a glare.

  “And how do you expect me to do that? Do you see any wood?” Kaztos responded by pulling a pair of small logs and branches from his satchel. Wallos looked on at them in amazement. “How did you do that? Your little bag there couldn’t hope to hold this.”

  “It’s enchanted. I keep a few hours worth of firewood in case of emergencies.” He also carried their tents and wood axe. Saiya held most of their food, water, and medicine. Finally, Zeltara carried any tools they might need for repairs or anything else. That, along with their own emergency rations, left little for personal effects. Still, it was worth it to remain unencumbered. “So, could you get a fire going? I need to head out before the storm gets worse.” Wallos numbly nodded. “Thank you!”

  Kaztos exited the building and looked for the other group. It only took him a few minutes to find Halidorn, Randon, and Gilahar. He pointed them in the right direction before heading back to where Saiya was with the first expedition members. It took almost half an hour, but everyone had made it to the ruined restaurant.

  He made it back in time to see Halidorn give the building a once-over. “This is perfect. Good job, Kaztos.” He glanced over at the hole in the roof. Rain was coming in and spreading over the floor. “We should take care of that. Come on Randon. Maybe we can find something to cover it.” The two adventurers exited the building, leaving Kaztos to his own devices. He watched as the first expedition members settled onto the ground. They brought whatever clothing, sleeping bags, or tents they had left and created bedding to rest on. They set their sick and injured on there, totaling around five.

  Meanwhile, Saiya continued to monitor their conditions. Kaztos wasn’t very knowledgeable about medicine, but no one seemed in terrible shape. Everyone had been capable of walking here after all. That didn’t stop Saiya from helping. It was something Kaztos appreciated. While Saiya may argue most of the time about helping, she committed to whatever decision they made. She disregarded her previous thoughts on the matter to focus on the task at hand.

  His musings stopped when Zeltara walked in. She was carrying wood and some plant fibers in her arms. The wood axe was strapped to her belt. She gave everyone a once-over before saying, “Good to see we found a place. And it looks like almost everyone’s here. But where’s Team Yinsdal?”

  “We haven’t heard from Rya and Uya, but Halidorn and Randon are outside trying to patch the roof hole,” Kaztos answered. Zeltara nodded before heading towards the kitchen.

  “Sounds good. I’m going to find some pots. We need something to store the water from the rain collectors.” Gilahar got up and followed her.

  “Allow me to help. It’ll go faster with the two of us working together.” Kaztos didn’t hear Zeltara’s answer as they entered the kitchen. He then heard a scraping sound on the roof. It slowly approached the hole, and soon rain stopped falling in. It looked like they'd found something to patch the hole. A minute later, Halidorn and Randon reentered the restaurant, almost soaked from the rainfall. They walked by the fireplace and settled in to dry.

  Another half hour passed. Kaztos watched as the mood of the first expedition members brightened. At first, they had been silent as they stared at the burning fire. Then they started talking, their tones and words getting more hopeful as time went on.

  It all came to a head as the sisters returned from their hunt with meat. Uya held their spoils up. “Nice place you have here. We’ve got dinner for everyone. It’s venison. We also got a few rabbits and found some apples.” Rya held up a filled bag of dead rabbits.

  “I’m glad you made it back. Come sit by the fire to dry off,” Halidorn said. Uya didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly made her way to the fireplace with Rya timidly following behind. They stopped only long enough to hand the meat to Saiya, who looked at it, annoyed.

  “What am I supposed to do with this?” She asked. The answer came as Zeltara and Gilahar carried in a pot of water.

  “Hey, we got the water collectors set up. There were some old pots in the kitchen. They just needed some cleaning before we could use them.” She then went over to the fireplace. There, an old hook sat to hang the pot. Zeltara set it down. “There. Just have to boil it and we’ll have drinking water.” Saiya came over with the venison.

  “Might as well make a stew. It’ll let people get their fill of food and water. You have more pots collecting, right?” Zeltara nodded. “Then we can just use this to make dinner then. We can boil more water afterward.”

  “Then I’ll get started on the traps in the meantime,” Zeltara said. She then turned to Kaztos. “I have some extra wood I carried in my satchel. It’s set in the kitchen right now. Do you think you can board up the windows? It’ll stop any more rain from getting in and help keep heat inside.” There were several open windows in the building. Any coverings they had to block the outside elements had long eroded away.

  “Sounds good!” Kaztos said. “Did you leave some tools I can use?” Zeltara nodded. “Then I’ll get right on that.” He entered the kitchen and saw that he had everything he needed on the center counter. Kaztos started by cutting the wood into approximations of planks. Then he set about covering the windows. Since the wall was made of stone, he couldn’t nail the planks directly into it. Instead, he used the lip on the outside of each window to set the newly assembled wood boards on. He then added a wooden base for stability. Perhaps it was for the best, because they could easily remove them if needed.

  It took most of the remaining day, but everyone had settled into their new shelter. There was food cooking, warmth around a fire, and bedding to rest in. One of the first expedition members had taken the rabbit and deer pelts, saying they could turn them into more bedding in time.

  Meanwhile, another member was helping Saiya cook the stew. Zeltara was off at the back counter, working on the traps. Finally, Gilahar and Wallos were conversing with Halidorn and Randon by the fire. Kaztos leaned back against the wall, taking the time to enjoy the moment. It took a little work, but things were looking up.

  Dinner had been served with much fanfare. It was difficult, as they were short on bowls, but they made it work by sharing. At least there were enough utensils. The first expedition members quickly devoured their portions and had more. Despite the excess Saiya made, Kaztos worried that they might have enough.

  In the end, they ran out of food. No one complained about still being hungry, so Kaztos considered it a win. They still had the rabbits for tomorrow. The storm raged outside, but there wasn’t any worry. Instead, a feeling of contentment filled the air as everyone enjoyed full stomachs and the warm fire. Gilahar in particular, leaned back and sighed. He then turned to them with a warm expression.

  “Thank you all for helping us. We had honestly lost hope of surviving out here. We barely made it to these ruins alive. I doubt we had to strength to make it further.”

  “Speak for yourself. I could have kept going.” Wallos grumbled from across the room. Gilahar smiled at the boast, but said nothing.

  “It’s not an issue,” Randon said. “Everyone needs help at some point. I’m just glad that we could provide it.”

  Halidorn said, “I’m glad we helped you now. I should have thought things through more.” Uya nodded.

  “I agree. We probably would have just ended up in one of those houses struggling with the wet and cold if we did nothing.” She put an arm around Rya. “Looks like you got one over on me, sis.”

  Kaztos glanced over at Saiya, wondering what she would say, only to find her reading a book. She didn’t seem interested in the conversation. Kaztos could admit that it was vain, but he wanted her to admit to being wrong too. But He’ll accept the warmth of a job well done instead.

  While the rain continued to fall outside, the group continued to enjoy the festivities. Apparently, Team Yinsdal and a member of the first expedition each had a deck of cards. Soon, two games grabbed most people’s attention around the tables. Kaztos would have to keep that in mind for the future. A deck of cards would be a good way for them to pass the time if needed. He briefly wondered if he should join but decided to look for where his friends were.

  While Saiya was still reading her book at the back counter, Zeltara wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Kaztos walked over to Saiya and sat down next to her. The book she was reading said Basics to Enchantments and Spell Circles on the spine. “So, is it an enjoyable read?”

  Saiya's eyes kept moving across the page as she answered. “It’s a bit dry, but I find it fascinating. I’ve only heard of spell circles before. Reading about how they work is neat.” The term spell circle held almost no meaning to Kaztos. He was never that interested in the specifics of mana. Only recently had he ever started using his for more than the occasional utility medium.

  “What is a spell circle exactly?” Saiya’s eyes slowed as she hummed.

  “I can only give an incomplete explanation since I’m still learning. They are like enchantments, just more temporary. Someone can etch or weave an enchantment into something for a limited set of actions. They are supposed to be for long-term use. A spell circle is usually drawn onto something. Thus, they don’t last as long. But if you know the formulas, then you can change what the spell does in the moment.” Kaztos only partially understood the explanation. What was a formula? “But I’m assuming that you aren’t here to talk about my book. What do you need, Kaztos?”

  Kaztos asked, “Do you know where Zeltara is? I want to make sure she’s alright. This storm is harsh.” Saiya pointed towards the kitchen.

  “She went in there about ten minutes ago. I haven’t heard anything since.” Saiya closed her book and put it in her satchel. “Come on. Let’s make sure she didn’t find any trouble.” They both stood up and walked around the counter.

  “Surely she couldn’t have gotten into anything? It’s been ten minutes, and I doubt she left the building.” Saiya smirked.

  “This is Zeltara we’re talking about.” A good point. Kaztos wondered how her father had kept Zeltara under control for as long as he had. Though, looking at where they were now, he eventually failed in that regard.

  They entered the kitchen to find Zeltara moving around more pots. Several pots were already filled with water off to the side. Kaztos noticed her carrying empty pots toward the window where wooden tubes came in. Water flowed out of them, hitting the floor.

  Zeltara asked, “Could you two help? I want to give these guys as much water as possible. Who knows when it’s going to rain next.” Saiya and Kaztos moved forward, helping Zeltara move filled pots into the pantry while Zeltara set up more empty ones. It took a few minutes, but they had everything in place. “Thanks. Those filled pots were heavy.” Kaztos felt they weren’t too bad but knew better than to say anything.

  The three sat down on stone stools at the center counter. For a moment, they enjoyed the moment of peace. It was quiet, even with the festivities happening in the next room. For the first time in over a day, they had some privacy to themselves.

  “So, not how you two expected this to go, huh?” Saiya said. She pulled a waterskin from her satchel and drank some water. Kaztos held out his hand, and she gave it to him. He had a quick drink before giving it to Zeltara.

  “Perhaps not,” Kaztos said. “But I can’t say it’s gone poorly. I’m glad of what we’ve accomplished so far.” Zeltara finished drinking and gave the waterskin back to Saiya, who put it away.

  Zeltara smirked. “Yeah, but getting scared by that bear wasn’t fun. Thank the Amedori Team Yinsdal was there, or we would have been in trouble.” Kaztos gave a dismissive wave of the hand.

  “We would have figured something out. But you're right about one thing. We were fortunate to meet them. Their help has been great so far.” It was too bad that they would part ways at some point. But it needed to be done if they were going to grow as adventurers.

  “They’re also easy to get along with. Even Saiya’s made a few friends,” Zeltara said as she pointed towards the blond girl.

  Saiya ignored the jab. “What’s the plan? We can’t stick around here forever. We’ve already helped these people enough.” Zeltara turned to the window where the pots were being filled with water.

  “The storm will probably end sometime tomorrow. We’ll leave once it’s clear. Until then, enjoy the relaxation. Who knows when we’ll get the next opportunity?” Kaztos smirked.

  “What, traveling through the wilderness isn’t relaxing?” Saiya and Zeltara gave him a dry look.

  “No, it’s not. Last night proved that,” Zeltara said. She stood up and stretched. “Now come on. Let’s enjoy the rest of the evening.” The three of them walked back into the common room.

  Kaztos paused at the doorway. He took a moment to take in the festivities before him. He wouldn’t call it a party, but it was a stark difference from earlier in the day. Seeing the faces that used to be so downtrodden now have joy in them felt great. Even Wallos looked like he was enjoying himself. Kaztos knew he made a difference here, even if it was a small one. After taking the time to enjoy the feeling, he walked into the room and enjoyed the rest of the night.