They made it back to the caravan by late afternoon. Kaztos felt weary from the day’s events. The negotiations proved to be more dangerous than he had first expected. He hadn’t anticipated Duke Mousador being so treacherous. That was probably how he made Mousafont so prominent within his lifetime. But they still made it through unscathed, so Kaztos counted his blessings. The easygoing mood Dinaro exuded helped keep his spirits up as well.

  Their escort detached from their group as he walked up to one guard watching the caravan. They exchanged a brief conversation before the guard saluted and left. The escort walked back to them and said, “Since you’re staying here, a watch is no longer necessary. Don’t move your wagons from this lot without permission and stay out of trouble. If there are any problems, please alert the nearest official. Any questions?”

  “None that I can think of. Thank you for the help today,” Dinaro cheerfully said. He seemed to still be basking in his success. The guard nodded and left without another word. The chief then turned to the group. “You are free to go about your business. Stick around for a minute, Kaztos. I’ll need to speak to you and your friends.”

  Kaztos nodded, wondering about what needed to be discussed. Dollanti walked off while Euronar gave him a solid pat on the back. “Good job, kid. Try to relax for the rest of the day. I’m going to see what trouble my brother ended up in.” The older teen left, heading towards his family’s tent. Kaztos turned back to Dinaro, who was looking around.

  “Alright, kid. Do you see where your friends are?” Kaztos turned his gaze toward the camp and searched. He couldn’t find them anywhere.

  “They’ve gone sightseeing. They and that wayward son of ours.” Dinaro and Kaztos turned to see Yena approach them, agitated. “As far as I can tell, they left just after you did. Sneaked right past the guards. I don’t know where those three are now.”

  Dinaro chuckled in amusement. “That boy, always too curious for his own good. Don’t worry, I doubt he’ll get into too much trouble.” Yena huffed in annoyance.

  “He gets that from you. If only he had inherited my common sense.” Dinaro released a booming laugh.

  “Trying to shift the blame onto me, yes? Don’t forget when we were younger. I seem to remember having to drag you out of many problems that your curiosity got you in.” Try as she might, Yena isn’t able to suppress the smile that encroached onto her face.

  Feeling the moment turning personal, Kaztos turned his attention away from the couple. He gave the perimeter of the caravan another sweep to see if he could spot Zeltara, Pence, or Saiya. His diligence paid off when he spotted the trio approaching camp in high spirits. Kaztos wasn’t the only one who saw them, as Yena stopped talking and stared at the group. She marched over to them, almost stomping along the way.

  The three’s jovial mood evaporated with Yena’s arrival. They froze in place as Yena confronted them with her hands on her hips. Kaztos prepared to run over to soothe the situation, but Dinaro stopped him.

  “Let Yena get her word in. She won’t be satisfied otherwise. We’ll save the three from their tongue-lashing in a minute.” The chief then started a leisurely walk towards the group. His slow pace ensured that it’d be almost a minute before they made it there. Kaztos heeded his words and followed along.

  Meanwhile, Yena let them have it. “Do you have any idea how reckless it was to leave like that? We’re in an unknown city, and you thought it’d be a great idea to wander off unsupervised? We don’t know what is out there, or how dangerous it is. I don’t care if you girls can leave. You shouldn’t have dragged my son into it.” Zeltara opened her mouth to speak but, before she could get through her first syllable, a glare from Yena silenced her. “And to sneak past the guards like that? What if you had gotten caught? Who knows what they could have done to you? They could have kicked out the entire caravan.”

  By now, the three sightseers were staring at the ground, chastised. Yena took a moment to gather her breath to dress them down some more. At that moment, Dinaro arrived and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on the kids. Like I said, they were just curious. No harm came from it.” Yena took a moment to compose herself.

  “Sorry, I was just worried about them. Too many people have been lost for innocent reasons like that. Please think about that in the future. I’m going to our tent and having a cup of tea. Come along Pence, your grounded. Join me after you're done here, Dinaro.” The group watched as Yena walked away, Pence sullenly following along.

  With a sigh, Dinaro redirected his attention to Zeltara and Saiya. “Don’t take her words too harshly. She just cares about you three, is all. Everyone in the caravan does. She’s right that people have died satisfying their curiosity. The road can be perilous, as I’m sure you’ve come to realize.” Zeltara nodded.

  “That makes sense. Sorry for worrying everyone. I thought we were sneakier than that.” Zeltara then smiled. “It reminded me of my dad, actually. He would let me have it when I did something reckless. Though it’s not a feeling I miss.”

  Kaztos asked, “So, where did you go? What is the city like?” He then noticed what she was wearing. “Why are you wearing a cloak, and wasn’t Pence wearing your jacket?”

  Zeltara raised her hands. “Slow down, Kaztos. I can’t keep up with all the questions.” He mumbled out an apology. “To answer them, we went to the elf quarter. The city isn’t all that great now that I've got a closer look. And it’s so I can hide that I’m an elf at first glance.” Before Kaztos could ask why, Zeltara changed the subject. “Also, we ran into a gang called Kolidato.” She turned to Dinaro. “You should keep an eye out. They seemed opportunistic and might try to steal from the caravan.”

  “Thank you for the warning,” Dinaro said. “But enough about that. You can talk about your trip later. I have to talk to you three about something.” Zeltara’s expression sobered.

  “I think I know what you mean. It’s about us still staying here.” Dinaro nodded.

  “That’s part of it, too. But first, I have something to give the three of you.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out three coin purses. He tossed one to each of them. Zeltara opened hers and balked. Saiya looked similarly surprised. Kaztos wondered why and opened his purse as well. Inside were two gold pieces and over a dozen silver. Not spare change by any means, but not a significant amount either. Kaztos was unimpressed. Then he remembered his friends didn’t come from affluent backgrounds. Maybe he deserved to be called a rich kid.

  Zeltara looked back up at Dinaro. “Why are you giving us this? I thought the agreement was that we work for you in exchange for staying.”

  “That was the deal we agreed upon. But it wasn’t a very fair one, yes? While I may try to swindle strangers, friends are to be treated well. You three have proven yourselves friends of the caravan,” Dinaro said. The three of them smiled at the words of praise. Kaztos felt pride in what they accomplished. They proved themselves to the caravan. Maybe someday, everyone can look at a Molinar and think similarly.

  “Thank you for your generosity, sir,” Kaztos said as he gave Dinaro a respectful bow. “I’m happy to hear that we impressed you with our work ethic.” Dinaro let out a hearty laugh.

  “No, I’m thankful for all of your hard work. But that’s not all. I still have a gift for you.” He pulled out three small satchels next. They were just large enough to cover one’s open hands. “These are imbued with the storage enchantment our people are known for. They should have the carrying capacity to hold all of your essentials.” Kaztos looked upon the satchel in awe. He knew firsthand what these enchantments were capable of. It would make traveling much more convenient in the future.

  “Why are you giving us this? I thought the enchantment was a guarded secret for your people,” Saiya said. Kaztos had similar thoughts. This went beyond just a normal gift to give someone. Dinaro must feel like he owed them a great debt of some kind.

  “Oh, it is. However, any enchanter can make something like that. Even if it proved to be inferior. It won’t matter if someone gets their hands on those bags. The Al’Yanda’s process has nothing to do with the inscribed runes, but a secret process done during enchanting. So, don’t worry.” He felt better that they weren’t endangering the Al’Yanda’s secrets. Kaztos didn’t want to ruin their friendship over a potential accident in the future. “The reason I’m giving this to you is simple. It’s because you saved both the caravan and my son from those monsters. If you had never shown up, I doubt we ever would have made it out of that wasteland. These satchels are a way to repay you.”

  “Thank you, sir. This still feels like too much, but we’ll accept this gift,” Zeltara said. Kaztos gave similar sentiments. It would be rude to deny it at this point.

  “Excellent. Then there’s only one more thing to discuss,” Dinaro said. “What are you three planning to do now? I doubt you want to keep working for the caravan, yes?” He gave the three a knowing look.

  Kaztos exclaimed, “Correct, sir! We plan to strike out on our own and make a name for ourselves.” He then nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Though we’re still trying to figure out how. The city is on lockdown, so it’ll have to be inside Mousafont.” Zeltara glanced over at him as he spoke. Knowing her, she was already thinking of a way around that.

  Zeltara proved him right a moment later when she said, “Actually, I might have an idea.” Everyone turned to her. “Earlier today, I heard about an expedition leaving the city soon.”

  “I remember Friari talking about that earlier,” Saiya said.

  “Exactly! He mentioned the expedition traveling the lands outside the city to find help and resources. If Mousafont is in lockdown, like Kaztos said, then that might be our way out. I don’t know about you two, but I don’t want to be stuck here for who knows how long.” Zeltara's expression turned insecure. “That is, if you're okay with it. I didn’t exactly let you two give your thoughts on it.” Saiya waved her hand dismissively.

  “It’s fine. Not like there’s anything else to do at the moment. I figured we’d be off and exploring before long.” Kaztos nodded in excitement.

  “Sounds like a plan. Good thinking on your part, Zeltara.” It seemed just what they needed. Plus, being a part of an expedition would be a good way to get their names known. There didn’t seem to be anything better that Kaztos could think of.

  With their approval, Zeltara turned back to Dinaro. “So, we have a basic idea on what to do next. Saiya and I already talked to Yena about it, but she said to ask you. Can we stay here until we’re ready to head out? I can’t imagine it would take longer than a few weeks.”

  “By all means, feel free to stick around,” Dinaro said. “But it won’t be free. Remember, friends don’t swindle each other, yes?” Kaztos nodded. It made sense. “Two silver each per week. How does that sound?” A fair price. He reached into his coin purse when Zeltara stopped him.

  “I thought you said that we were friends? Shouldn’t that mean something? Make it one silver each and you have a deal.” Dinaro gave her a wide grin.

  “You can’t blame a man for trying, yes? Still, you’re using my camping equipment to stay here. Four silver between the three of you.” He brought his hand forward. After thinking about it for a moment, Zeltara reached out and shook it. She then pulled out two silver and handed it to Dinaro. Kaztos and Saiya followed her lead and handed him one each. “A Pleasure doing business with you. I should go check up on my family.” Dinaro walked away, leaving the three with their new spoils.

  “What now?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara looked at the sky before turning back to him.

  “It’s getting late. We should rest for today. We’ll go looking for that expedition tomorrow.” Kaztos and Saiya agreed. He didn’t fancy exploring the city after everything that had happened today. “Come on, Kaztos. We set up our camp before leaving earlier. We can try out our new satchels there.”

  The three made it over to their camp and settled in around the unlit firepit. Kaztos transferred his possessions to their new satchels. His fingers faintly glowed as he worked. Food, tools, and more disappeared into a container normally too small to fit any of it. The convenience became immediately apparent. Storing the items removed the weight, making Kaztos over ten pounds lighter. That would make a difference when traveling and fighting.

  “I can’t use this.” Saiya and Kaztos looked up at the sound of Zeltara’s voice. She looked devastated. “The enchantment needs mana to activate, so this is useless to me.”

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  Oh, Kaztos could see how that was a problem. “Your heritage really limits what you can do sometimes. I never realized how often mana is used in everyday life.” He couldn’t fathom not being able to do everyday things. Zeltara threw her satchel to the ground and held her head in her hands.

  “Just par for the course.” She lowered her hands. “I was so excited about a new tool to experiment with that I forgot I wouldn’t be able to. What am I supposed to do now?” Saiya reached down and grabbed the discarded satchel. She then shoved it back into Zeltara’s hands.

  “Quit complaining,” she said. Her glare stopped the rebuttal from Zeltara. “You’ve never let something like this stop you before, so don’t let it start now.” Her blunt words seemed to motivate Zeltara. She examined the enchanted satchel in her hand.

  “You’re right.” Zeltara glanced back at her friends with a look of determination. “So, when you activate the enchantment, how does that work exactly?”

  Kaztos answered, “Well, it’s simple. You channel mana into your finger and brush it against the sigil in the bag. That opens the space where you can either place or take things.” Zeltara nodded.

  “Is it an on and off switch?” The question confused Kaztos, so she clarified. “I mean, do you need to channel mana to turn it off afterward, or does it close on its own?” Kaztos hummed in thought.

  “It turns off on its own, from what I can tell. It needs a continuous stream of mana to stay open. Once we take our hands away, it just stops.” Zeltara smiled.

  “One more thing. Do you actively channel your mana into the sigil, or does it pull it from you when your hand touches it?” Interesting, he never thought about that. Kaztos pondered for a moment before pulling out his new satchel. He reached inside and channeled mana into his fingers. His eyes widened as he felt a tugging sensation.

  He took his hand out and said, “Fascinating. It takes your mana as long as you're channeling it into your fingers. Before, I was actively forcing it into the enchantment.” Kaztos stared down at the satchel. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

  “You don’t need to power all enchantments actively. It can be tiring to do that for a long period of time, so some will just pull your mana away,” Saiya said with a shrug. “It’s not something really talked about.” She then turned to Zeltara. “I recognize that look on your face. You already have an idea, don’t you?”

  Zeltara said, “Yeah, that last question made it possible for my idea to work. I can use a mana stone.” Kaztos found her idea surprising. Out of everything, that’s where her mind went?

  Mana stones were crystals that sometimes formed in mana-concentrated areas. Places where power pooled together and settled for long periods of time for unknown reasons. In the caves of these regions, mana stones steadily formed over years. People mined them and refined them into a variety of things. The focal point of mediums, channeling dust used in everyday tools and appliances, and it could even be an ingredient in some medicine.

  It was all because of their special property. Mana stones contained their namesake. They emanated a faint teal glow as mana leaked from them. That small amount of escaped power was normally useless, but it could theoretically power a low-level enchantment. Kaztos could see merit in the idea. There was just one problem.

  “How are you going to get your hands on an unrefined mana stone?” Saiya asked. “They’re fairly expensive. It would probably cost all the money we just made.”

  Kaztos added, “We’ll be unlikely to find one in the wild either. They’re rare to come by, and the known deposits are well guarded.”

  “I hear your concerns,” Zeltara said. “And my answer to them is I don’t know. We’ll just have to keep an eye out for an opportunity to grab one.” She put her enchanted satchel into her old one. It was already several times larger than Kaztos’ old one. It dwarfed the enchanted ones in size. “Until then, I’ll have to settle for this large thing. Hopefully, I don’t weigh us down in the future.”

  “It’s too bad I left my wallet at home,” Kaztos said. “I could have paid for what you need otherwise.” Zeltara and Saiya both gave him a look.

  “Right, a damn shame,” Saiya said, deadpan. Zeltara laughed at her response. A grin crept onto Saiya’s face at her amusement.

  Kaztos looked between the two, confused. “What’s so funny?” The question made Saiya join Zeltara in laughing.

  The three spent the rest of the day relaxing at camp. It may have been only a few extra hours, but Kaztos appreciated the break. The past few months had been nothing but work or training for them. While they occasionally talked, the three mostly settled into quietly pursuing their own hobbies. Saiya read from a medical book given to her by Yena. Zeltara opened her journal and wrote in it. Meanwhile, Kaztos found a book on Al’Yanda folklore he borrowed from Euronar. While he usually preferred physical activities, Kaztos appreciated the quiet evening.

  Pence didn’t visit that night, not that Kaztos expected him to. After his latest stunt, he was likely serving out punishment from Yena. A few of the Al’Yanda from around camp came to visit them briefly throughout the night. The sense of belonging touched Kaztos. It made him almost want to stay, but destiny called to him. Staying here would never be satisfying long term. No, he needed to keep moving forward.

  While sleeping in would have been nice, the three wake up early the next morning with the rising sun. Dollanti’s training ingrained the habit of early starts in them. Kaztos personally didn’t mind. Though, based on Zeltara and Saiya’s grumbling, they felt otherwise. While eating breakfast, they discussed what to do today.

  “So, how are we going to join the expedition?” Saiya asked between bites. Zeltara set down her empty bowl and sat up, stretching. A troubled expression crossed her face.

  “I’m not sure. Friari didn’t exactly give us a location. Who knows when they even set out? We could have already missed it for all I know.” Kaztos wiped his mouth and set his bowl aside. He noticed that Zeltara seemed anxious.

  “Don’t fret!” he exclaimed. His friend’s attention snapped to him. “You’re making this more complicated than it needs to be. Why don’t we just ask around and explore the city for a bit? If nothing else, it’ll help familiarize us with Mousafont.”

  Zeltara gave him a grateful smile. “You’re right. I was trying to plan everything out, but didn’t know where to start.” Kaztos put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t be afraid to ask us for help with planning. We may not be as good as you, but we have our own perspectives.” He reminded himself to make sure Zeltara didn’t get too stressed out. She sometimes took her role as their strategist and leader almost too seriously. They’ve already had some problems with that before.

  “Kaztos is right. If you’re not sure, just ask us. We won’t question your competency over it,” Saiya said. Good, they were on the same page. “Though I’m surprised that Kaztos was the one to think of it.” Kaztos shot her a glare.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Just that you are the type of person to rush in headfirst against anything.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm. Kaztos smirked.

  “Yet I was the one to come up with a solution. What does that say about you when you can’t even do that?” Saiya looked surprised at his reply. Unsurprising, as Kaztos usually wasn’t one to fire back.

  Zeltara chuckled. “Making Saiya taste her own medicine. I didn’t think you had it in you, Kaztos. Good job standing up to her.” Kaztos grinned at her.

  “Well, it’s like you said. It comes with being friends with you two. Best that I learn to give as much as I take, as it were.” Saiya walked up to him with a smile.

  “Is that so? Well then, I’ll have to get back at you soon.” Kaztos returned her expression, unwilling to back down.

  “I look forward to that.”

  “Alright, enough wasting time. We need to get a move on,” Zeltara said as she raised her cloak’s hood. “Let’s go look around. Hopefully, we can find where we need to go before too long.”

  They walked out of camp and explored the lower district. It ended up falling on Kaztos to ask around about the expedition. Zeltara’s appearance and Saiya’s general unwillingness to talk to strangers made him the obvious candidate. Thankfully, unlike the upper district, his family’s amulet was unrecognized by the general population. It meant people saw him as a noble, but not a Molinar. It made people receptive to answering his questions.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t mean people had the info they needed. If not speculation and rumors, then it was discussion of the first expedition. Kaztos couldn’t get any reliable information from anyone. All people shared were things they already knew. There was a first expedition, it went poorly, and now there was another being announced. No, they didn’t know where or when it would take place.

  It was midday, and they’d made no progress. On the plus side, the three had found several shops carrying anything they would need, from survival supplies to weapons and armor. They had a brief discussion about whether they should buy anything, but decided to wait until they had a solid plan. At Zeltara’s request, Kaztos asked around to see if anyone had an unrefined mana stone. He had no luck there either.

  They take a minute to rest on a bench. Zeltara leaned back and groaned. “We aren’t getting anywhere. We’ve been going at this for hours.”

  “No one said the life of an adventurer would be easy. This is just another obstacle to overcome,” Kaztos said in an attempt to cheer her up. His efforts failed as Zeltara put her head into her hands.

  “Yeah, but we’re still struggling to make it to the starting line.” She looked over at Kaztos. “How are we going to be adventurers if we’re stuck in this city?”

  Saiya sat next to them, unbothered by Zeltara’s pouting. “We could always try to sneak out. There’s an entire section of the wall missing. How hard could it be?”

  “Now there’s an idea.” Kaztos didn’t like the glint in his friend’s eye. He needed to stop this plan immediately.

  “We will not be sneaking out. Think of what will happen if we get caught. If being adventurers sounds hard now, imagine the difficulty when we’re in jail.” There was also the morality argument, but Kaztos knew his friends long enough to know that they would care about something as minor as this.

  Zeltara sighed. “I know. I just wanted it to be easier. At least we know we didn’t miss it yet. Maybe we just need to wait for an announcement.”

  “That might be for the best. Until then, what should we do?” Kaztos asked.

  “Give me some time to think on that. I just want to rest my feet for a bit.” Conversation died down as Kaztos tried to relax on the bench. The situation was making him anxious. As it stands, there wasn’t anything they could currently do. They didn’t know when this supposed next expedition would start, and Kaztos didn’t hear about any other opportunities during the day.

  It was as if the city was paralyzed. Everyone was waiting for things to go back to normal. They tried to either go about their daily lives or hide away from the world. But Kaztos knew things wouldn’t go back to the way they were. The duke’s desperation for the caravan’s food showed that the city had a time limit. That’s not including the problems the thousands of refugees would cause at some point. No, they needed to figure something out quickly.

  A shout in the distance interrupted Kaztos’ thoughts. The sound caused the three of them to bolt up and look toward the yelling. Kaztos prepared to go investigate when the yells got closer. He could make them out more clearly and realized they weren’t cries of distress.

  Down the road, a young teen sprinted their way. He continued to shout out to anyone nearby. As he got closer, Kaztos could make out what he was saying.

  “A new expedition is being formed! Duke Mousador calls for volunteers! Free food for those who join! Go to the Fallen Leaf Tavern for information!” The boy ran past them, repeating the message. His voice faded as he ran out of sight.

  “We walked past the Fallen Leaf Tavern earlier today. It’s only a few blocks away,” Saiya said. A grin spread across Kaztos’ face.

  “Huzzah! Our efforts paid off! Let’s go sign up!” He started to run toward the tavern, both hoping to work off his lingering anxiety and excited to get there quickly. Saiya and Zeltara chased after him.

  “Kaztos, slow down! It’s not a race,” Zeltara called out. Kaztos only laughed in response as the three ran toward their destination. The exertion felt great. Now there wasn’t anything to worry about. They just had to sign up and be on their way.

  Zeltara and Saya caught up with him. Despite the elf’s words, it ended up becoming a race as the three rushed to get there first. Kaztos appreciated the innocent joy of doing something so childish. He put more effort into running as Zeltara tried to pull ahead. They remained in a deadlock, with Saiya lagging behind. Knowing her, she likely didn’t want to try.

  The frantic pace meant it took them under five minutes to reach the tavern. They got so caught up in their fun that they almost didn’t realize they had made it. Zeltara and Kaztos tried to stop before passing the tavern but ended up tripping onto the ground in a heap. Saiya came to a stop behind them and smirked before walking up and touching the tavern’s door. A guard standing beside the entrance looked upon them, unimpressed.

  As Kaztos and Zeltara stood up, the guard asked, “Are you here for the expedition?” The skepticism was apparent in his tone.

  “Yes, we are! So, is it inside, or somewhere else?” Zeltara asked, her hood having fallen off during their running. The guard gave them a searching look. His eyes caught on her ears and Kaztos’ amulet. He facepalmed with a sigh.

  “We’re just taking anyone now, aren’t we? Not like we have a choice.” He muttered to himself. The guard lowered his hand and looked at them. “Yes, sign-up is inside at the bar. Try not to cause more of a disturbance.” He waved them toward the door. Zeltara and Kaztos passed him with concealed embarrassment. They joined Saiya and entered the tavern.

  The inside was almost empty. Patrons and bartenders were nowhere to be found as tables and chairs lay abandoned. Instead, two boys in their late teens were at the bar talking to a woman sitting there with a book and pen. Beside her was a guard sitting next to dozens of filled bags. As they walked closer, Kaztos could overhear the conversation they were having.

  The woman said, “Listen, the expedition is dangerous. If you sign up, you must participate or face imprisonment. Are you sure you want to do this?” She looked exasperated at the boys. Dark bags under her eyes and slouched posture revealed her exhaustion. Her voice was weary, yet still held an air of authority.

  “Yes, we do. Now, we each get a bag of food for signing up, right?” One boy asked. His eyes darted to the bags next to the guard. Both of them looked to be brothers. Their thin bodies were clad in ratty clothes. Neither of them even had a weapon. They looked nothing like adventurers. He now understood why the woman was so hesitant to sign them up. If the expedition really was so dangerous, then these two were signing their own death warrants just to get a little food.

  “You both would get a bag. But you will have to leave the city when the expedition starts. Think about this carefully.” The woman’s words failed to reach the boys. Kaztos couldn’t let this go on any longer. He walked forward, getting the attention of the three.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” he said. The boys look over at him. “I don’t think you should throw your lives away for some food.” The boys looked ready to argue, but Kaztos raised his hand to stop them. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a handful of silver coins. “Instead, how about you use this to feed yourselves? That way, you don’t have to get into unnecessary danger.” The two boys accepted the coins, awestruck.

  They bowed to Kaztos. “Thank you, my lord. We couldn’t ever repay you.” Kaztos waved his hand dismissively.

  “All I want you to do is to live the life of good men. Try to spread that kindness to someone else. And don’t recklessly endanger yourselves in the future.” The boys agreed and ran out of the tavern. Zeltara and Saiya walked over to him.

  “That was nice of you. Though, you were a big sap at the end. ‘Live the life of good men’, really?” Despite her teasing, Zeltara had a smile on her face. Saiya gave him an annoyed look.

  “He just gave away some of our funds. It was their choice to join. What if we need that money in the future?” Kaztos prepared to defend his choices. It was the right thing to do, and it was technically his money. However, the woman at the bar cut him off.

  “Well, I think what he did was kind. Thank you for that.” Gratitude just barely bled into her tired voice. “Now, what are you three here for?” They turned toward the woman who was examining them.

  Zeltara took the lead. “We’re here to sign up for the expedition.” The woman sighed.

  “I was afraid you would say that.” She gave them another look over. “So, you three kids want to sign up for this doomed expedition. You’re obviously not desperate for food, so you three are crazy enough to actually go.”

  “We’re thirteen, so we’re not kids,” Kaztos said in an attempt to smooth things over. Based on the look the woman gave them, he failed.

  “Do you have a problem with us?” Zeltara asked irritably. The woman briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Amedori above, help me.” She looked back at them. “I can’t sign you up.” Zeltara and Kaztos gave shouts of indignation. Before they could argue, the guard sitting to the side spoke up.

  “The commander said to accept everyone.” The woman glared over at the guard, her previous exhaustion melted away.

  “I know! But look at them. Three children. One’s a Molinar and the other is an elf. Do you know what will happen if I let them go? They’ll die. Just like almost everyone from the first expedition. And that actually had trained adults a part of it. They’re the youngest to show up here. I will not have their deaths on my conscience.” The guard shrugged and leaned back in his chair, unwilling to argue further.

  “That’s not fair!” Zeltara said. “You don’t know us. We’re perfectly capable of handling this. You were going to let the last two through.”

  The woman glared back at her. “I already regret that, but they were around five years older than you. And I doubt they would have gone through with it. They would have just needed to keep their heads down.” The woman’s expression softened. “Listen, you don’t need to go chasing glory. Why don’t you three just go back to your families?”

  “We’re not from around here, ma’am,” Kaztos said. “We’re refugees from Urada. Please, we need to go on the expedition. We have experience, even if we’re young.” The woman looked over at Kaztos before sighing.

  “Fine, I’ll give you a chance.” Zeltara looked ready to cheer, but the woman interrupted her. “But I need you to prove yourselves to me.” Kaztos covered Zeltara’s mouth as she was about to shout a rebuttal. The last thing they needed was for her crassness to ruin this chance.

  “What do you need us to do?” He asked.

  “Prove that you know what you're doing. Go complete an adventuring job for someone and bring them here for a recommendation. Something that’ll show me you’re capable. It’s something that anyone with experience being adventurers could do.” The three looked at each other and nodded.

  “We’ll do it and prove to you that we belong.” Zeltara said. “How long do we have?”

  “The expedition will depart in a week. Sign-ups end the day before. Come back by then.” She gave the three another considering look. “I’m doing this to protect you, you know that? I don’t want to sign up anymore people to their deaths. Not after the last time.”

  Instead of answering, Zeltara turned and walked to the exit. Kaztos and Saiya followed her. He could see that his friend was upset about what happened, but decided to give her space to work it out.

  Once outside, Zeltara turned to them and said, “Looks like we need to prove ourselves. We’re going to look for a job to complete immediately.”

  “Yeah, like it’ll be easy,” Saiya said sarcastically. She seemed just as bothered as Zeltara about what happened. Kaztos approached the two and put his hands on their shoulders.

  “Come on now. We’ll complete this task and be on the expedition in no time. We’ve faced worse before.” His friends smiled at his words. Kaztos was happy that he had lightened the mood. As they set off, he was confident that they would find something soon. After all, how hard could it be?