It was dripping blood that broke the silence. Not of blood, like Zeltara first thought, but of some black substance that reminded her of ink. It was all over him, staining his clothes in a splatter. His veins were discolored to match the shade of black. It did little to replace the blood that appeared to be drained from him. All that remained was a thin husk of a corpse. His expression contorted in a way that let Zeltara know that his last few moments were as agonizing as they were horrific. They had found the man who had been screaming for help, but were too late to save him.

  Zeltara separated from the other two and approached the body. She kneeled down and inspected the area. If it weren’t for the shock she was feeling, Zeltara knew she would likely be ill from the sight. She could still feel the faint urge to vomit at the sight before her.

  “Well, we found who we were looking for,” Saiya said. Zeltara appreciated the unexpected attempt at levity, but felt it wasn’t the time. Kaztos appeared to have a different opinion as he faced Saiya and scolded her.

  “And what good is that when the man is already dead? We were too late to save him, and your comments aren’t helping.” Looking at his hands, Zeltara noticed his fingernails were broken. Further investigating showed scratch marks on the ground. One indent had the man’s fingernail embedded. It at least confirmed a struggle, if nothing else.

  “Would you just back off? I thought you two wanted me to lighten up. I don’t need your criticism.” Zeltara wondered how this had happened to him. No visible wound was severe enough to explain his blood loss. She looked at both sides of his neck. Then she found it. A puncture wound. A small trickle of blood remained below the injury.

  “Do you think now is the time to make jokes? We’re in a serious situation here. The man deserves more respect than that.” She could feel a headache coming on. Both of them had been off for a while now, but Zeltara didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like she was much better. It was best to focus on the task at hand. Zeltara placed her fingers on his wrist to check for a pulse that she knew wasn’t there. After a few seconds, she confirmed her suspicions. Zeltara observed something interesting while holding the body’s hand and shared it with the other two.

  “The body is still warm.” Her comment stopped the argument in its tracks. Saiya and Kaztos turned to look at her.

  “That’s how it works, Zeltara. He just died,” Saiya said. Zeltara shook her head and looked at them.

  “No, not this warm. His temperature should have lowered some by now. Especially with the body in its current condition. Yet, it feels like he is running a high fever. I wonder why that is.” Saiya and Kaztos considered her words. However, it seemed like they weren’t able to figure anything out either. Kaztos shifted the conversation.

  “Do you have any idea what could have caused this?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara stood up and rejoined the group.

  “I have no idea. I’ve never seen or read of anything like this before.” Kaztos nodded in response and looked away. He seemed lost in his thoughts. She felt herself getting frustrated. If only he would tell her what was wrong. Then they could fix it. She continued speaking. “Whatever it may be, we’ll have to keep an eye out. If it can do that to an adult man, then who knows what it will do to us.” Kaztos nodded and turned back to her. His face then filled with disgust as he stared past her.

  “Saiya! What are you doing?” Zeltara turned around to see Saiya at the man’s corpse. She was searching his pockets and clothes. Hearing Kaztos’ angry exclamation, she turned to them, annoyed.

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m checking to see if he has anything that could help us.” Kaztos’ face turned red in anger. He took a step towards the body.

  “The man has just passed away, and now you're desecrating his body. Show some common decency for the holy lords’ sake.” Saiya stood up and faced Kaztos. She seemed ready to bite his head off, but Zeltara intervened before she could say anything.

  “Kaztos, I know that this is normally not ethical. Usually, I would agree with you about leaving him alone. But you have to see the necessity of the situation here. We’re in a dire situation and need to use everything at our disposal.” Zeltara kept her tone calm. She hated to take a side here, but they had to make use of any available option. She hoped to convince him to allow this to happen. But based on his demeanor, Zeltara could already tell that she had failed.

  “So just because the situation is desperate, we are supposed to abandon our morals at our first opportunity? How can you do this and live with yourself? The man has already been murdered, yet you want to humiliate him as well. That’s not what someone with common decency would do. And as a Molinar, I won’t allow it to happen.” Zeltara was taken aback by the fervor of his response. She tried to think of something to say but couldn’t find the words. In the meantime, Saiya seemed to have reached her limit and stepped towards Kaztos in a rage.

  “I’ve had just about enough of your-” The crashing of a rock stopped them in their tracks. All three turned and readied their weapons. All they could see was a shattered rock that had fallen from the walls above onto the path. Because of the ever-worsening lighting, they couldn’t see to the top of the formation. The three stood ready for something to pop out, but nothing did. They dropped their guard. Zeltara took the chance to get Saiya and Kaztos to focus on the problem at hand.

  “Whatever killed this man is still out there. We need to focus on staying safe for now, so stop squabbling.” As she said this, the three could hear noise coming from above. It sounded like the gallop of many small footsteps. Zeltara couldn’t be sure. The three were tense, waiting for whatever it was to attack them. The noise moved around, sometimes going back and forth. Fortunately, the three soon heard the noise getting farther away. After a few minutes, even Zeltara couldn’t hear it anymore.

  She sighed with relief and turned to her friends. “I know things are tense between us right now. But this isn’t the time. We need to think of our safety right now.”

  Kaztos looked dejected as he said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let this happen. The world has gone to ruin these past few days, but I can’t allow us to follow in its footsteps. If we do, then we’ll truly lose everything. So, I’ll stop you if you try.” One part of that caught Zeltara’s attention, and she tried to decipher it. Before she could, Saiya turned and went back to the corpse. A strong sense of weariness washed over Zeltara as she knew what she needed to do.

  “Just leave it, Saiya. It’s not worth it.” Saiya growled but walked away from the body. Her whole body screamed tension and anger to Zeltara. She couldn’t think of anything to say that would help. Zeltara felt helpless about the situation, so got them back on track. “Let’s keep going. We need to get through this crevice to have a better sight line. The last thing I want is to have something sneak up on us.” Kaztos grumbled out an agreement while Saiya just started walking. Zeltara moved to follow her. She felt the need to scream at this point and could barely stop herself. It wouldn’t help anything at this point.

  The three continued their way down the path. Zeltara felt a migraine taking hold. It seemed like Kaztos and Saiya were one step away from attacking each other. She didn’t know what to do about it, but she had to think of something. It fell to her to do so. The stress of the situation was getting to her. Nonetheless, Zeltara continued onward with her friends. She would be able to come up with something. There wasn’t any other choice at this point.

  It took only fifteen minutes to exit the crevice and be back on familiar terrain. If the situation weren’t so tense, Zeltara would have wondered about the uniqueness of the area. A steep plateau that large wasn’t natural. It would have been fun to investigate. Instead, she had to continue walking. She deliberately positioned herself between Saiya and Kaztos to prevent any kind of conflict.

  The light from the remaining fires above had finally dimmed. With it, darkness returned to the night. The ashfall had ceased, which Zeltara was thankful for. A thin layer of ash covered the ground, which would soon be gone. Something else she would wonder about. Now that it wasn’t needed, she took off her cloth mask. She noticed that Kaztos and Saiya did as well. Zeltara wished she could take a bath. Being covered in ashen residue didn’t help her already sour mood. Too bad they had to conserve every drop of water they had.

  After ten more minutes of travel, they reached the next obstacle. A cliff face that extended to the horizon on either side of them. The bottom wasn’t visible from where they were. With no visible way to walk down, there wasn’t likely an easy way down. Great, another problem to take care of. Zeltara figured they could scale down the cliff, but it seemed like a risky idea. She turned her attention to Saiya and Kaztos. Both seemed content to face away from the group.

  “Well, it looks like we need to figure something out here. Do you guys have any suggestions?” Zeltara asked. She tried to fill her tone with cheer, but failed completely. She hoped it would get the two to respond. Unfortunately, they seemed to continue ignoring everything around them. Zeltara felt like she was about to lose it. It took almost everything not to yell at them. Instead, she said, “Let’s take a short break. Maybe we can think of something after a bit of rest.” Zeltara could barely stop herself from giving a sarcastic remark at the end. She instead sat on the ground to give her legs a break. Kaztos and Saiya followed suit, and the three rested.

  The tension was suffocating, and Zeltara would almost rather be by herself than with the two of them. Who knew that friendship would be so stressful? At this point, it seemed like they argued more often than not. Maybe others would believe that they were incompatible with each other, but Zeltara refused to see it that way. These two were the first people to give a damn about her outside of her father and Selossa. She didn’t care how many arguments or how much screaming it took. They were going to be there for each other.

  Zeltara took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. Now wasn’t the time for more arguments. They were still in a desperate situation. But she still didn’t know what to do. How could she get them to open up? Finally, with no other ideas, Zeltara decided to just start talking. Maybe she could say something that would lessen the tension.

  “You know, if you had asked me a week ago how I thought things would go on our practice adventure, I wouldn’t have said this. It’s just crazy to imagine, you know? The situation we find ourselves in.” Kaztos and Saiya don’t react to what she said. This doesn’t deter her from continuing. “Just think about it. The first time we decide to go out and do something fun, and boom, the world ends. Not that things were going as planned to begin with. I mean, goblins almost slaughtered us and all that.” By now, Kaztos and Saiya were glancing back at her. “But you know what? Even with how stressful things were, that was the most fun I’ve ever had. Crazy to think about, huh? It’s true though, this last week and a half has been the most exciting time of my life. Before I met you two, I didn’t really have any friends. I mean, no one really wanted to hang out with the half-elf girl.” Both of her friends had adjusted their sitting positions to face her. They appeared confused about where she was going with this. Zeltara had no idea.

  “I wanted to go out and explore the world, but that almost seemed like a far-off dream. Every night, I lay in bed wondering if I was doomed to work at my dad’s workshop for the rest of my life. Not that there’s anything wrong with an honest career like that. My dad and I get along very well. It’s just that I wanted something more out of life, you know? But then I met you two. That was a game-changer. For the first time, I had met people my age I felt I could relate to.” Two small smiles appeared on Kaztos and Saiya’s faces. She felt a wave of accomplishment fill her. She was doing it.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Now I have people I can hang out with and be around. I don’t have to worry about mean-spirited mocking or ridicule. Because it felt like you two got it. I know things are rough right now, but don’t give up hope, okay? I’m not, and we’ll figure a way out of this mess. Think of this like a furnace to our friendship’s metal. By getting through this, our bond will be forged stronger than ever.” What was this sappy crap she was saying now? By now, she was rambling about anything that came to mind. Zeltara kept going though, as it seemed to be working.

  “I don’t know about you two, but I can’t wait to get out of this. Maybe we can take some time after this to relax and enjoy ourselves. Do things like listen to music or go out camping. Yeah, we can sit around a campfire and trade stories. Then we can stare up at the moon and stars. Point out all the constellations in the sky.” At this, Zeltara looked up, just imagining it. However, she took notice of something. It was what had been bothering her before. “You know, now that I mention it, where is the moon? It’s been a few days, yet I haven’t seen it.” Saiya and Kaztos looked up at the sky as well. “We were close to a full moon before all this started. It’s like it disappeared or something. Or maybe destroyed. Just another thing that’s gone wrong with this world.”

  Zeltara stopped herself then, knowing that was probably the wrong thing to say. She looked at Kaztos, who started to pace and mumble to himself. His breathing became unsteady as he looked close to losing it. She cursed herself for that. She was so close to fixing the situation. Now Zeltara just made things worse. She tried to think of something to say to Kaztos to calm him down. Nothing sprang to mind, and she didn’t want to exacerbate the situation further. Before Zeltara could figure something out, Saiya marched over to Kaztos. Her face filled with anger and frustration as she grabbed Kaztos by the collar. She then pulled him down, so they were face to face. Her words were underscored by the rage she felt.

  “I’ve had enough of you these last few days, Molinar. You’ve been losing it for the last few days. I don’t care why, but it stops now. You're putting us in more danger. All you’ve contributed to this group has been stupid moral arguments that have left us in a worse position. You’re nothing more than a burden right now.” Zeltara stood there, shocked at the words Saiya spewed at Kaztos. He looked similarly dumbstruck at being berated in such a way. Zeltara approached to break up the fight but stopped dead when Saiya shot a glare over at her. She then turned back to Kaztos.

  “You go on about how you will stand up and restore your family. That you’ll be a man of action and thrive in moments of disaster. Well, look at where we are now. A disaster that could end in our deaths. You always say that you’ll prove to the world just what a Molinar is. They are always the first to act and are people to strive towards. Well, you’re a Molinar, so act like it.” Kaztos just stood there without a response. That seemed to anger Saiya further as she prepared to lay into him some more. Seeing this, Zeltara decided that enough was enough and walked over to Saiya. She grabbed her arm and pulled it away from Kaztos. Saiya turned to face her as she began speaking.

  “That’s more than enough, Saiya. You have no right to attack Kaztos like that. We have enough problems without you losing your temper.” Saiya scoffed in response as she pulled her arm away from Zeltara’s grip.

  “At least I’m willing to do something instead of letting him flounder for days on end. You wouldn’t do anything, so I stepped in,” Saiya said. Zeltara could feel her self-control waver. She couldn’t stop herself from firing back at Saiya.

  “Excuse me? What I’m not doing about it? I didn’t realize it was my job to shake Kaztos down and interrogate him to see what was bothering him.” Zeltara could feel herself getting indignant just talking about it. What gave Saiya the right to criticize her? “I was just giving him time to talk to us at his own pace. It’s better than yelling at him. I don’t see why you have a problem with it. ”

  “Because that was working so well. Look at what was just happening. He was about to lose it and do something stupid. If we had just done this earlier, we could have figured this out long before it came to this.” Zeltara felt enraged. Why was this her responsibility? She didn’t ask for this. Ignoring the potential consequences, Zeltara was about to let Saiya have it when Kaztos spoke up.

  “No, she’s right. I’ve been acting out of line for some time now.” Saiya and Zeltara turned to look at him when he spoke. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Kaztos so deflated. “I’ve been of no help since this crisis started. All I’ve done is space out and get hung up on trivial matters. Saiya had every right to berate me for my actions so far. No matter what my personal hang-ups are. I need to look past them. Our safety is the most important thing right now. I promise to do better from now on.” Saiya seemed almost mollified by his words. Zeltara almost wanted to drop the matter, but knew she couldn’t. Things needed to get straightened out right now before it got worse.

  “No, we can’t let things settle here. Just a few moments ago, we were at each other’s throats. If we don’t talk about our problems now, then they’ll just get worse from here. We might end up killing each other at this rate.” Kaztos shook his head in response.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know I’ve said that before, but it’s true this time. I won’t burden the two of you with my personal feelings.” His reassurances only made Zeltara finally lose her patience. How dare he think this is just about him? Her patience shattered, and she began to yell at the two of them.

  “Did you just listen to a word I said? Why do you think I’m just talking about you? What about Saiya? What about me? You think things have been great for me just because I’ve stayed calm? I’m terrified right now!” Kaztos and Saiya could only stare as she felt herself break down. The emotions she had been holding back since the beginning overflowed. “I’m scared. This was only supposed to be a few-hour trip through the woods. Then we got attacked by goblins and almost died. Then the world ended, and we may be the last living people in Aleucea. We’re probably going to die at this rate. I miss home, where my dad is. Is he ok? Is he even alive? I have no clue. Instead, we’re out here wandering around with no idea of what we’re doing. And you two.” Both jolt at the mention of them. “You both look at me like I know all the answers. Why do I have to be the leader? Who gave you two the right to thrust that on me? I don’t know what I’m doing. Things just keep getting worse, no matter what I try. I’m not cut out for this.”

  Zeltara couldn’t keep it together anymore and started to cry. The emotions of the last few days had caught up with her. She couldn’t see as tears filled her vision. It came as a surprise when she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her. Wiping her face, Zeltara saw Kaztos and Saiya looking at her with remorse on their faces. They embraced for a few minutes as she recomposed herself. She enjoyed the comfort of their embrace. It reminded Zeltara of her dad’s hugs as a child. She wiped her tears and backed away from the hug. Zeltara felt lighter than she had in days. Saiya, seeing her calm down, cleared her throat and talked.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right that we put you in the position of leader without talking about it first. I also shouldn’t have criticized you like that. It wasn’t your responsibility to help Kaztos. I guess all of this has been getting to me as well. I’m not used to stressful situations like this and took it out on you two. The fact of the matter is that I’m scared too.” By the time she finished speaking, Saiya was looking down in embarrassment. It reminded Zeltara of when they first met. She turned her attention to Kaztos as he spoke.

  “I wish to apologize as well. I also put you in the position of leadership without your approval. We should have talked about it before this. It’s just that you seemed capable of the job.” Zeltara became flustered at the apologies and praise.

  “Thank you for that, but you’re wrong. I’m not cut out to be a leader. Look at where we are now. I should have done something before this.”

  Saiya said, “No, you had no way of addressing that. I said my criticism in frustration, and it isn’t true. You are a good leader for us.” Zeltara scoffed at hearing this. Kaztos, seeing her disbelief, gave his thoughts on the matter.

  “I have to agree with Saiya. There was a reason we gravitated towards you in a moment of crisis. You have the makings of a leader in you. You’ve repeatedly come up with excellent plans in a timely manner and mediated disagreements between Saiya and me when necessary. I don’t know how you feel Saiya, but it’s apparent we often don’t see eye to eye.” She rolled her eyes at this. “You made sure to listen to both of our opinions before choosing a course of action. Not everyone would do that in your position. You’re an amazing leader for us.” Zeltara could feel a smile creep onto her face. Their confidence in her helped soothe away some insecurities.

  Zeltara said, “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that. If you two truly think I’m the best fit for leader, then I accept. Please, just help me stay on the right path. I’m figuring this out as I go.” Kaztos and Saiya nodded in agreement. The blond girl then turned to Kaztos.

  “Sorry for what I said earlier. I was concerned about you earlier and got frustrated by your evasiveness. I could have addressed things in a calmer manner.” Kaztos waved his hand dismissively.

  “No, what you did was necessary. Though harsh, most of what you said was the truth. I have been distracted and unhelpful for almost our entire trip so far. With the perilous situation that we find ourselves in, my inattentiveness could prove deadly.” Zeltara finally got to the heart of the matter.

  “I know we’ve asked you this before. But Kaztos, what has been bothering you so much? If you don’t want to talk about it, then we’ll stop asking, but we’re both worried about you.” Both Zeltara and Saiya stared at him intently as he considered the question. Finally, he sighed and looked both in the eye.

  “Very well. I’ll tell you. Do you remember my dream to restore the honor of the Molinar family?” Saiya and Zeltara nod at this. “Well, this isn’t as simple as most people would think. It’s not the people of Aleucea that I have to prove myself to, but the Amedori. They were the ones who cast my family into this position after my uncle’s actions during the sixth crisis. They declared my house forever disgraced. It is they who would decide when my family had redeemed ourselves.” Zeltara understood things so far, but she had a question.

  “But what does that have to do with your current issues?” Kaztos grimaced and gestured around them. Zeltara found it odd to see such an expression on the young noble’s face. She was used to seeing him carefree.

  “Look around. Our current situation is evidence enough. You were right in saying that this cataclysm is beyond the Amedori themselves. Why else would they allow the very heavens, their homes, to burn? Whatever was done to this world has overcome the very stewards of the world itself. It’s a very terrifying prospect.” Zeltara agreed with the fear such thoughts brought to her. What made it worse was the evidence pointing to the validity of these thoughts. What hope did they have if the very high lords of the realm were gone? She also understood what Kaztos was getting at.

  “So, what you're saying is that the Molinar family redemption is linked to the Amedori. Without them, you cannot restore your family’s standing.”

  “Indeed, my dream in life will be gone without the Amedori. Everything I’ve done to work towards my goal was and will be for not. What’s the point of going on when your dream is crushed before you can truly try?” Zeltara hummed in consideration. She could see why this had been rather distressing for him to think about. Still, she had to ask something.

  “I’ve been wondering. You tend to speak about the Amedori rather positively. I find that interesting considering your position. Wouldn’t you have hard feelings considering your circumstances?” Kaztos didn’t even seem to think before answering.

  “Of course I sing their praises. They are our guides through life and beyond. Stewards of both the earth and heaven. They are wise and just lords who preside over us. Why wouldn’t I view them positively? It was my uncle who brought the family to war against them. It was their duty to enact righteous justice. Sure, I also suffer from this judgement, but I hold no grudge against them. It was the right thing to do.” That answer fascinated Zeltara and told her a lot about Kaztos. She wondered just how much his perspective was predicated on the actions of the Amedori.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t dwell on those thoughts at the moment. She needed to think of a way to help Kaztos with his current dilemma. She doubted general reassurances would be enough here. Recent events had shattered Kaztos’ worldview. She didn’t realize how religious he was until now. The realization that the Amedori that he believed in may be dead would be terrifying. Zeltara needed to think of something he could take comfort in to the point of continuing on. Perhaps something tied into keeping his dream going. Kaztos was driven by a raging fire within him, and she didn’t want to see it diminished. She glanced over at Saiya to see if she was any help. The blond girl seemed to understand what she was going for.

  “To me, it seems like nothing has changed,” Saiya said. Kaztos turned his head in surprise upon hearing this. “Are the Amedori really needed to achieve your dream? You want to improve people’s view of House Molinar. Well, why not just continue on as you are? All you’re doing is cutting out the middleman, right? Now you don’t have to wait for a sign from the heavens. Instead, you just have to change people’s opinions of you.”

  Kaztos seemed to consider Saiya’s words. Zeltara hoped he would accept this change to find more peace within himself. After thinking, Kaztos said, “There is wisdom in your words. Having the people’s belief in the Molinar name restored would go a long way in achieving my ambition. But I just can’t ignore the Amedori’s part in this. If they are still out there, I need to prove myself to them. It’s a crucial part of the matter.”

  “Then don’t worry about it for now,” Zeltara said. “The fact of the matter is that we don’t know what’s going on. But do you know what I think? There’s no one’s opinion that matters more than yours. Is what you're doing good enough for yourself? For now, just be what you think Kaztos Molinar needs to be. Then, at least you’ve proven yourself to one person.” Zeltara paused. “Well, three. We’ll still like you. Right, Saiya?” The blond girl voiced her agreement.

  Of all the reactions she expected, Zeltara didn’t expect Kaztos to laugh. It was a full-belly laugh that almost brought tears to his eyes. He caught his breath and said, “Those words. They're almost the same as his. And just like then, they were just what I needed to hear. Thank you.”

  Zeltara almost wanted to ask but decided to leave it be for now. She realized this was the least tense Kaztos had been since all this began. It looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. “I’m glad to hear it, Kaztos.” She then turned to Saiya. “Thank you. Your direct approach solved this problem. Even if you were rude about it.” Saiya seemed to blush lightly at the praise.

  “No problem. I meant what I said earlier. You’re a good leader for us.” Zeltara nodded in response. She felt a sense of harmony wash over them. While this didn’t fix everything, it helped to strengthen their connection, which had weakened over the past few days. Just one problem solved out of the countless still facing them.

  Zeltara took a moment to enjoy the moment before she said, “How about we get back on track? We still have a cliff to get down. Let’s take a quick look around and come up with a plan.” The other two nodded in agreement, and Zeltara observed their surroundings.

  By now, darkness had set in, leaving visibility low. In fact, she couldn’t see anything beyond the light of her lantern. This was unnatural. Even on new moon nights, it wasn’t this dark. Zeltara glanced up to see that the burning in the skies had almost completely stopped. Blackness took its place as there weren’t any stars in the sky. It reminded her of the legend that said that the stars were the houses in heaven. Perhaps the story held more truth than she initially believed.

  “Saiya, Zeltara, come here and look.” Kaztos’ voice caught her attention. Zeltara turned to see Kaztos looking out from the cliff. She walked to join him on the edge. Saiya joined them a moment later. Kaztos was pointing at the horizon. When Zeltara looked at where he was showing, her breath hitched.

  There in the distance was a series of lights. It was unlikely they were natural, which left one possibility. Zeltara voiced her thoughts out loud. “Those lights look man made. That might be a village in the distance.”

  “Incredible! At long last, we’ve found the destination to this journey. We’ll get out of this situation yet.” Kaztos’ tone was filled with a genuine exuberance that Zeltara missed. She noticed Saiya briefly smile at it too.

  “We need to be careful when approaching. Who knows how friendly these people are?” Saiya’s warning brought them back to the matter at hand.

  “I agree, but we have little choice. Our supplies won’t last forever,” Zeltara said. Saiya and Kaztos agreed. “Alright then. Let’s get back to figuring our way down. We’ll split up and try to find something. Let’s go.” The three split up and looked around. For the first time since waking up in that cave, Zeltara felt hope. They had a destination set for the first time since this started. With any luck, they’ll make it to that village and get through this ordeal alive.