A single hammer strike drove the last nail into the spoke. Zeltara wiped the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead. She had just spent the entire day fixing various tools and parts the Al’Yanda had broken. Tinkering could be a taxing job. But even with all that hard work, it was only a fraction of what she had to do. A high pile of work filled the front end of the wagon, which she needed to get through. Zeltara didn’t mind. It just made her valuable to the caravan.

  It was only a few minutes prior that an Al’Yanda man peeked in and told her to stop for the day. She hadn’t even realized so much time had passed. As Zeltara stood up and stretched, she relished in the familiarity of the work. Tinkering was one of her favorite things to do, right behind inventing. It was fun for her to get lost in the flow of work for hours at a time. Just like back at home.

  A wave of sadness washed over Zeltara at the thought. That’s right. They were far from home now. How were things going back in Urada? Was her father doing okay? She couldn’t imagine that being the case. They may have had their arguments, but her dad loved her. What did he think when she didn’t come back that day? It hit Zeltara that, like her mother, she had left the workshop and never come back. Perhaps it wasn’t the same situation, but did her father see it that way?

  She never considered leaving so soon. While Zeltara wished to live a life of adventure, the plan was to reach adulthood before setting out. That way, she could train and create more inventions to make it safer. They were out of their depth. They had gotten lucky so far, but who knew when they’d find a threat too large to overcome? Zeltara knew that she and her friends needed to get better fast if they were going to survive in this new world.

  Kaztos poked his head through the wagon flaps, interrupting her thoughts. “Good afternoon, Zeltara! I hope you had a great day of work.” He then saw her expression. “Is something bothering you?”

  Zeltara smiled as she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. She could address them later. “I’m fine. Just thinking about home is all. My day was great. I haven’t had this much to tinker with in a while.” Her cheer became genuine as she thought about her workday. It was a fun day for her, all things considered.

  “That’s good to hear. But if you want to talk about home, just say so.” Zeltara might take him up on that, as awkward as that conversation might be. The last time someone bottled up their emotions, it ended in an explosive argument. Better to get it out sooner than later.

  “So, how was your day?” Kaztos brightened at the question.

  “It went wonderfully! I spent the day with Euronar. He’s the guard I left with this morning. We had wonderful conversations throughout the day.” He flushed with embarrassment. “Though it was mostly me talking. Euronar didn’t seem too interested.” Zeltara smiled at the thought of Kaztos talking a man’s ear off all day.

  The wagon turned and came to a stop after a few seconds. It almost caused Zeltara to fall over. Kaztos looked outside for a second before turning back inside. “It appears that we’re stopping for the day. Grab our supplies. We need to set up our camp for the night.” She nodded and grabbed three bags shoved to the side of the wagon. Each had their tents and other supplies given to them. She grunted from the weight while tossing them to Kaztos. He dropped all three outside and then offered his hand to help Zeltara out. She accepted, and he pulled her outside.

  She stepped out into the evening light. Already, the wagons were being arranged into a circle around camp. The Al’Yanda drivers were unhooking the draft bison and tending to their needs. Others were setting up their camps inside the circle. The process was both fast and efficient. It seemed like everything would be set up in under twenty minutes. Zeltara couldn’t see where Saiya was. Perhaps she was being held up by something?

  “Let’s get camp set up. You get the fire started while I raise the tents,” Kaztos said. Zeltara nodded and got started on the firepit. One pack held a shovel and stone, which she could use. From what she remembered from last night, the hole for the fire only needed to be a few inches deep. Still, it took longer than expected as she still had to figure it out.

  An Al’Yanda man came over carrying lumber. “Have this. In the future, you need to come to me for your firewood. I’ll be at that wagon every evening.” He pointed towards a wagon on the other side of camp. Zeltara looked around to see that everyone else already had their wood and was starting their fires.

  “Sorry about that. I’m new to this,” Zeltara said.

  “I know. That’s why I helped this one time. In the future, come get the firewood first if necessary. Otherwise, go without for the night.” The man walked away to one of the fire pits. Zeltara grabbed the wood and put it into their pit. It took a few tries, but she managed to light it with her flint and steel. She then sat down in relief. Her muscles were sore from the long day.

  Zeltara glanced over to see Kaztos finish up with the tents. He joined her beside the campfire. The two enjoyed the fire’s warmth in silence. The temperature had dropped in the past few days, so the campfire was comfortable. Zeltara imagined that soon there could be a cold nip during the nights if things kept up.

  They watched as camp finished setting up for the night. A dozen fires littered across the camp, each with its own group of people. Zeltara wondered about the reason for that. A caravan this small could only need around two or three fires. Why were there so many? In fact, they were given their own firepit as well. What was the significance of that?

  They were the farthest out from the center, next to the tinker cabin. It suited Zeltara just fine. It allowed them to monitor the rest of the camp in case they tried something. Though, it also meant they could watch them. She again looked around for Saiya. Her worry grew as Zeltara waited for her to arrive. Maybe something happened to her today.

  Just as Zeltara was about to get up and check, she spotted Saiya approaching them with a few trays. Relief ran through her at seeing her safe and sound. Not that anything would have likely happened, but she didn’t know for sure. As Saiya reached the camp, Zeltara said, “Good to see you, Saiya. Where have you been?”

  She set down the tray to show a bowl of stew and a bread roll. Zeltara’s stomach growled at the sight. “I was on cooking duty. I’ll be late every evening because of this. Sorry.” Zeltara waved off the apology.

  “Nonsense. If you’re cooking for us every night, we should at least set up camp and wait. Now, let me get a taste.” The three grabbed dinner and started eating. Zeltara almost sagged from the taste. After all those days of preserved rations, proper food tasted divine in comparison.

  “Spectacular! You did a wonderful job with this, Saiya,” Kaztos said between bites. Zeltara hummed in agreement as she devoured the meal. Saiya blushed under the praise as she ate at a more sedate pace.

  It took only a few minutes for the group to finish. Zeltara leaned back with a satisfied sigh. A fresh meal and a proper place to sleep. It was the best she had felt in a while. The three jumped when a younger Al’Yanda adult briskly walked to their camp and silently grabbed their dishes. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

  The three relaxed around the campfire. The comforting warmth had Zeltara saying, “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to just sit down like this.”

  “Yes, we’ve been busy trying to just survive lately. It feels different from that crushing weight threatening to swallow you whole,” Kaztos said. Saiya gave a single nod in agreement as she started into the fire.

  “So Saiya, how did your day go?” Zeltara asked.

  The blond girl glanced up from the fire. “It was good.” The answer was more abrupt than she had been expecting.

  “Did you learn anything from Yena?” Kaztos asked. Saiya only offered another nod in response. It worried Zeltara. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

  “Is everything okay, Saiya?” Said girl nodded and looked at her questioningly. “You just don’t seem as talkative as usual.”

  Kaztos nodded in agreement. “Yes, you were more open while traveling.” Saiya scowled at both of them.

  “Someone needed to keep you two in line. If it meant I needed to say it to your faces, then so be it.” The answer didn’t sound right to Zeltara.

  “No, that’s not it, at least not entirely. You were willing to exchange a lot of small talk back then, too.” Saiya seemed to close in on herself. It reminded Zeltara of when they first met.

  “I just prefer to listen to you two. That isn’t so bad, is it?” Immediately, both shook their heads.

  Kaztos said, “Of course not. We don’t want to force you to talk. We were just worried, since you seemed more comfortable around us recently.”

  Zeltara added in. “You just seemed like something was bothering you. We won’t push you anymore.” Maybe they were taking this talk it out thing too far. Zeltara knew she was still inexperienced at this. However, Saiya shook her head in denial.

  “No, it’s okay to worry. I guess it’s because it’s safe now. I didn’t want to leave anything unsaid back there when our lives were in danger. Now that we’re safe, I have little to say.” Saiya then swept her gaze over the rest of the camp. “I’m not relaxed here yet either.” Zeltara nodded in understanding.

  “I think I get it. As long as you’re fine, then.” She then gave her a mischievous look. “So, you’re saying that stress makes you talkative? Maybe we should pull some pranks on you. That’ll keep you on your toes.” She and Kaztos chuckled at the thought.

  Saiya, in a faux-casual tone, said, “Of course. But if you do that, then I’ll have to retaliate. Maybe I can set your bedroll on fire while you sleep?” Both Kaztos and Zeltara burst into laughter. Though she didn’t join in, Saiya’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

  The three continue to trade small talk around the fire. Time passed as the sun set and darkness overtook the camp. It left the caravan as an oasis of lights in the sea of darkness. As they continued to talk, Zeltara kept an eye on the other campfires. Interestingly, while each fire had its own group, people would intermingle with other groups. It made for a lot of foot traffic this late into the evening. As expected, no one came over to their camp. Many suspicious eyes turned their way, but Zeltara didn’t mind that much. They would get used to them at some point.

  Their conversation halted when footsteps approached their camp. They turned and at first could only see the outline of someone approaching. Zeltara wondered what someone would want from them. The answer came as the person got closer. They walked into the light, revealing them to be the Al’Yanda boy from last night. He had an easygoing smile as he reached the edge of the camp.

  “May I share in the warmth of your camp’s fire?” The boy asked. The wording confused Zeltara. Was it just a greeting or something more?

  “Sure, but may I ask what you mean by that?” The boy bowed before sitting down across from the three.

  “It is customary among the Al’Yanda to ask before joining a stranger’s camp. I didn’t want to offend you,” the boy said. “My name is Pence. Now, is it okay if I ask a few things?” Zeltara and Kaztos nodded at him. Pence gave a big smile. “Great! Then I have to ask, who are you? Where did you come from? How did you get here?” The questions came at them rapidly, giving them no time to respond. “Were you out in the wasteland? How was that? Did you find anything out there?” All three of them leaned back as the questions quickened. “So, do you guys work for us now? How long will you stay here? What are your jobs? Do you enjoy staying with us?”

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  Zeltara finally had enough. “Okay, okay. Slow down. We can’t answer everything if you blurt it out all at once.” Pence blushed at the rebuke.

  “Sorry, I got overexcited.” Zeltara took a breath to recollect herself.

  “How about we introduce ourselves first? Then we can answer each other’s questions.” Pence nodded in agreement. “Alright, my name is Zeltara. I’m a half-elf tinker.”

  Kaztos was the next to go. “My name is Kaztos of House Molinar. It is good to make your acquaintance, Pence.” The two again exchanged shallow bows.

  The three then turned to Saiya. She didn’t say anything at first. Pence leaned closer to her face and asked, “Is everything alright?” Zeltara could see Saiya get irritated and gently separated the two.

  “Sorry, she gets a little shy around new people. Please try to keep your distance. Her name is Saiya.” Pence looked abashed as he muttered an apology. Meanwhile, Saiya shot her a thankful look. Zeltara turned back to Pence. “So, you said you had questions. How about this? You ask us one and then we can ask you something. How does that sound?”

  Pence’s smile returned as he nodded. “Sounds good. I accept this bargain. Again, my apologies for earlier. I get eager for new people or places.” Kaztos and Zeltara nodded in acceptance while Saiya sat in silence. “So, where do you three come from?”

  Kaztos answered. “We’re from the Urada on the eastern frontier. It’s a small town by a river and forest with the same name.” Pence seemed surprised at the answer.

  “But that’s across the continent from where we were. Our caravan was on the west Domini plains, heading southwest when that light hit us.”

  Zeltara shared her thoughts. “We believe that whatever cataclysm hit the world caused the land to shift around. Our pieces of land must have ended up next to each other.”

  Pence stared at her in shock. “That sounds impossible. How could the lands shifted around?” He then seemed contemplative. “Though I can’t think of any other possibility.” Pence then looked at the sky. “I just miss the stars and moon. Lying awake at night used to be much more fun.”

  It was a sentiment Zeltara shared. She used to work under the moonlight on her inventions back home. Sometimes she would stare at the moon and stars for inspiration to strike her. The absence made her miss home even more.

  Kaztos then asked, “What is your relationship with Dinaro? You came into the tent with us last night and appeared to live with him.”

  “Oh? Well, he’s my father. My full name is Pence El’Thani.” Zeltara hummed in thought. She figured it was something like that. “My father is chief of the caravan. We trade with different settlements from all around The Holy Dominion. The caravan will buy supplies at a cheap price in one city before moving to another city to flip for new products. Once we have enough money or resources, we’ll return home. We were actually on our way back to Ji’Hanki before all this happened.”

  Interesting, Zeltara could see how they were successful. Repeatedly flipping trade goods like that for a profit was a smart move. Though, it would be hard to keep up-to-date knowledge of where cheap goods were. Dinaro was sharp to keep up with everything.

  Pence interrupted her thoughts by asking, “How did you guys survive out in the wasteland? You must have been out there since this all started.”

  “Well, we’re planning to become adventurers in the future,” Zeltara said. Pence perked up at that. “We were actually on a practice mission when the cataclysm hit. Good thing we had supplies, or we never would have made it.”

  Pence got excited. “Wow! You guys are going to be adventurers? That sounds so cool. Do you guys have a team name yet? How are you going to be an adventurer, Zeltara? Elves don’t become adventurers.” Her growl caused him to pause.

  “And what is that supposed to mean?” Pence became flustered under the glare all three of them leveled on him.

  “Sorry, I’ve just heard it around before. I’m sure you’ll be a great adventurer. I’ve never actually seen any elf adventurers before, is all.” The three stared at him for a moment before looking away. Pence let out a sigh of relief.

  Zeltara decided to extend an olive branch. “It’s fine. You’re right. Most elves would have trouble becoming adventurers. I just happen to have a secret weapon to use.”

  The look of excitement was back. “Really? What is it?” Zeltara grinned. She always loved to show off her inventions. She ignored Saiya’s unimpressed stare. The blond girl was a stick in the mud, anyway.

  Zeltara stood up and said, “Well, you’re looking at one of the greatest inventors in the world. I’ve made devices that have proven themselves capable of tackling many foes.”

  Saiya sighed. “What an inflated ego.” Zeltara continued to ignore her. Kaztos laughed at the insult. Better to ignore him too while she’s at it.

  Pence clapped. “Amazing! Could you show me one?”

  “Of course, let me just...” Zeltara paused as she realized something. “Uh, I don’t have anything on me. I used everything on the trip over.” She still had the crossbow but felt that wouldn’t be the most impressive thing to show off. “I created marbles that detonated on impact. They’d either create a small explosion or a flash of light.”

  Pence said, “That sounds cool. So, how did they work? Did you need to press a button or something to activate them?”

  Zeltara grinned. “Nope, I just need to throw them. The interior wall separating the two ingredients shatters on impact. They then mix and explode.”

  Pence’s expression turned concerned. “But isn’t that dangerous? What happens if you fall over? Wouldn’t they detonate on you?” Zeltara was about to respond when realization hit her.

  Oh, now that she thought about it, that could happen. If she fell hard enough, then the marbles would likely explode in her coat. On either side of her, Kaztos and Saiya scooted a few feet further away from her. They looked at her as if she were a live explosive. “Hey! I don’t have any marbles with me right now. I’ll just have to fix that design flaw before I make more.” Zeltara then turned away from the group, pouting. She’ll show them for mocking her inventions.

  “So why did you use all of your-” Pence started to say when Zeltara turned her head and shushed him.

  “No, it’s our turn. Kaztos, you ask something.” She then turned back away from the group.

  Kaztos asked, “Are you alright, Zeltara?” She pretended not to hear him. Saiya let out a sigh.

  “She’s being petty because we didn’t fall over backwards praising her inventions. Ignore her.” Zeltara pretended not to hear that too.

  Kaztos gazed at her with concern before turning back to Pence. “Why don’t you tell us about the Al’Yanda people? I know only basic etiquette, while my friends know even less. It’d be wonderful to hear more about the people we’re staying with.”

  “Oh, I would love to tell you more about us. But where should I start?” Pence looked thoughtful. “Well, as you know, our homeland is in the province of Ji’Hanki. It is located on the far western frontier of The Holy Dominion. Our home is almost entirely desert, so resources are limited. Our people rely on trade to survive. This caravan is actually one of hundreds that go throughout the continent. We trade for resources that our home needs to survive.”

  “What about the people themselves? Your culture?” Zeltara asked as she turned back towards the group.

  Pence smiled as he continued. “We are a rather tight-knit people. The two things the Al’Yanda value above all are the art of the trade and the sanctity of family. For my people, trading is the lifeblood of survival. Because of this, we see everything as a potential bargain. Just like we are doing now, trading information.”

  Zeltara said, “Your father was rather intense about letting us stay here last night. We were having a pleasant conversation before that.”

  Pence nodded. “That sounds like him. He can get intense during negotiations. Though you didn’t need to worry. Dad has a soft spot for kids. It must have been a test to see what you were made of. He wouldn’t have turned you away even if you had done poorly. ”

  “So you’re saying he was just messing with us?” She was right then. He probably reveled in her floundering.

  He waved her off. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Now where was I? Ah yes, family. Many of us spend most of our time away from Ji’Hanki. Because of this, families often travel together in caravans. My family isn’t the only one in this caravan. Almost every Al’Yanda here is with relatives. Each campfire represents a family. It is their own household inside the caravan.”

  Zeltara looked over to see more than a dozen campfires. Each one had several Al’Yanda around them. She wondered how they were related. All she could see were siblings. Others appeared to be father and son. Perhaps some could even be cousins. It all fascinated Zeltara. How did such a practice originate? Was that why Pence asked for permission to sit down? Was their campfire seen as another household?

  “Why aren’t there many women or children if family is supposed to be here?” Zeltara asked.

  Pence gave her a teasing smile. “Didn’t you admonish me for asking too many questions? I thought this was supposed to be an even trade, yes?” Zeltara blushed. “Ah, I’m just joking. It’s wonderful that you’re interested in my people. Let’s just call all of this one question.” She shot him a grateful smile. “Well, you must be a certain age to join a caravan. Mothers stay home to take care of the young. Once all their children are old enough, many mothers will join their families in the caravan. My mom is one example. This is my mom and I’s first trip. Women will also more often stay to maintain their homes. There needs to be somewhere to go back to after all.”

  “Do you have any more family other than your parents?” Kaztos asked.

  “Just my brother Euronar.” The name made Kaztos grimace. Pence looked at him, confused. “Everything alright?”

  “I work with your brother as a guard. He has been rather cold to me so far.” Pence shook his head with a grin.

  “Ah, that sounds like him. He is just weary since you’re an outsider. I’m sure you’ve all experienced an unfriendly reception so far. Don’t worry about it. Before long, they’ll see you as just another family.” Zeltara wondered if that must be why they were given their own camp. They considered them a family unit.

  Pence looked between the three of them. “I believe I’m overdue a question, yes?” Kaztos and Zeltara both guiltily looked away for a moment. They did accidentally pelt him with questions. At least Pence didn’t look upset about it. “What I want to ask next is, what are your plans as adventurers? What exciting quest will you be up to after leaving the caravan?”

  It took only a moment of thought for Zeltara to realize they had no plan. She looked over to see Kaztos and Saiya similarly stumped. She turned back to Pence. “That is a rather difficult question. We don’t have a plan at the moment. In fact, we weren’t planning on becoming adventurers for several more years.” Therein lay the problem for them. They hadn’t intended to go on an adventure yet, but they were thrust into one. Now, with home nowhere in sight, they had little choice but to be adventurers now.

  “Well, what’s the reason you guys want to be adventurers?” Pence asked.

  Kaztos stood up and proudly said, “To restore the honor of the Molinar name. My family will reach the glory of its past when I’m finished.”

  “I want to rediscover lost history. To explore the abandoned ruins of the past. Maybe even learn more of my people’s past,” Zeltara said. They then looked at Saiya, who at first said nothing.

  However, after a minute of staring, she said, “Maybe learn new things.” They waited for her to add more, but she didn’t. Pence seemed happy to hear their answers.

  “Wow, you have ambitious dreams to reach. I can see why you three of you became adventurers. I can’t think of any other job that gives you the freedom and ability to accomplish that.” Kaztos seemed to puff up under the praise. Zeltara, meanwhile, seemed more unsure.

  “It sounds nice, but we really haven’t figured out how to do all that. We kind of decided to figure it out later. Now we need to know now, and haven’t got an idea what we’re doing.” It was almost painful to say, but Zeltara knew it was the truth. None of them knew where to go from here. It was more by luck that they had made to the caravan. So far, every fight was overcome by the skin of their teeth. They couldn’t keep improvising like this.

  Pence said, “Well, why don’t you decide on something significant to do? Then, while you try to accomplish that, you can follow your own dreams in the meantime.” The three sat there and thought about it.

  “It sounds similar to what we decided last time we had this discussion. I think it’s fine. What do you two think?” Kaztos asked. Saiya appeared thoughtful and then nodded.

  Zeltara gave her thoughts. “I agree. We should make this goal big, though. That way it’ll take a long time to accomplish, and we can meanwhile work on our dreams without guilt. So, what should our goal be?”

  The three settled quietly to brainstorm. Pence seemed happy to wait in anticipation in the meantime. Zeltara had several ideas going through her head, but they were all discarded. What was something they could do that was important and time-consuming? Something that would help accomplish all of their dreams. It had to require a lot of traveling into unknown areas and make them famous by the end of it.

  With a sigh, Zeltara leaned back to stare at the sky. This was hard. Nothing that she thought of felt good enough. To make matters worse, the black sky brought little comfort. She was used to staring at the moon and stars. They always gave them inspiration. Thanks to the recent cataclysm, she couldn’t even do that. Wait, that was it.

  Zeltara turned back to the others. “I know! We’ll figure out what caused the cataclysm. Uncover the secrets behind it and prevent something like this from happening again. Maybe even fix the world if possible.” Kaztos seemed enthusiastic about her suggestion.

  “That sounds fantastic! I approve! Accomplishing such a feat would go a long way in restoring the Molinar name.” Saiya, on the other hand, looked more skeptical.

  “How are we supposed to accomplish something like that? Do you even have the slightest idea where to start?” Kaztos and Zeltara sobered up at that. How were they supposed to solve this?

  “Good question. I’m not sure exactly,” Zeltara said. She rubbed the back of her head in thought. “We can just ask around and keep an eye out for anything. Remember, this is a far-off goal for us. We can do other adventures in the meantime. But can you think of anything else to suggest?”

  Saiya shook her head. “Fine. Better than nothing, I guess.” She still seemed unsure, but Kaztos and she were happy. Now they knew what to do after leaving the caravan.

  Pence let out a cheerful laugh. “Sounds thrilling. I wish I could go with you. Adventuring sounds like so much fun.”

  “Now we just need to get in some practice. We’re not exactly ready to head out into the unknown yet,” Zeltara said. Kaztos gave her a pat on the shoulder.

  “Nonsense! We made it this far. I’m sure we’ll figure it out as we go.” Saiya let out a scoff at that. Zeltara had similar concerns.

  Pence looked between the three of them before smiling. He said, “Ah, you should go see Dollanti. He used to be an adventurer during the sixth crisis. I’m sure you could convince him to teach you.” He pointed off to a firepit. There, an older man sat by himself. A white cloak partly obscured his wrinkled face. He wore a turban that covered his gray hair. His face was clean-shaven but covered in wrinkles. He seemed to spend his time glaring into the fire. Altogether, someone who wanted to be left alone.

  But none of that mattered to Zeltara. All she saw was someone who could teach them how to be true adventurers. All they needed to do was convince him. Looking over at Kaztos, he seemed to have the same idea.

  Before they could do anything, an Al’Yanda man came over to their firepit. Looking at him, Zeltara recognized him as the guard who was with Kaztos earlier in the day. This must be Euronar then. He walked over and put a hand on Pence’s shoulders.

  “Come, little brother. You need to go to bed. Mother will get upset otherwise.” Pence let out a disappointed sigh. He offered the three of them a regretful glance.

  “It seems like I need to get going. Let’s talk another time, yes?” Zeltara and Kaztos nodded. Pence gave a wave goodbye and walked toward the chief’s tent. Euronar gave them a frosty glare before following his brother.

  That left Zeltara, Kaztos, and Saiya sitting around the dwindling light of the campfire. They had talked well into the night. It would be best to get to bed soon to avoid waking up late. But Zeltara knew they needed to do one more thing. So, she grabbed her friends’ hands and pulled them towards the elderly adventurer’s campfire.

  “Come on, let’s go ask Dollanti for training.” Kaztos seemed in agreement and started walking beside her. Saiya was trying to pull her hand out while being dragged along.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea.” She finally got her hand free and reluctantly followed along.

  Kaztos said, “Nonsense! I’m sure we can convince the fine fellow to train us.”

  He and Zeltara walked up to the elderly adventurer, with Saiya following several feet behind. They got close when Dollanti looked up. His glare froze the three of them in their tracks. “What do you want?” The question was spat out in a raspy voice.

  Zeltara started things off. “We heard that you're an adventurer. Is that right?” The elder didn’t answer and continued to glare at them. She became flustered. “Uh, we were wondering if you could teach us some things. Ask us what you want in return and we’ll do it.” Pence mentioned that trade was important to Al’Yanda. Maybe making it a bargain would be more convincing.

  “No. Now leave.” Zeltara took a step back at the sharp refusal. Kaztos moved in front of her and bowed.

  “Please sir, if we are to be successful in our quest then-” Dollanti scoffed, interrupting him.

  “Adventuring is a fool’s game. I’m not helping some kids march towards their deaths. Now go.” The three stood there for a second, unsure of what to say. Dollanti raised his voice. “I said leave! Go before you regret it.”

  The three scrambled away, back to their camp. Zeltara can feel the eyes of people on them. Others must have heard the commotion. Their judgmental stares leave her skin crawling. They make it back to their camp in defeat.

  “I told you,” Saiya said. Zeltara sighed.

  “No need to rub it in. I tried to imagine how it could go, but didn’t think he would be like that.” Kaztos gave her a pat on the back.

  “Fret not, my friends. I’m sure we can convince him yet. Maybe we can prove ourselves through our hard work in the caravan.” Zeltara cheered up at that.

  “You’re right. We’ll just have to wear him down, is all. He’ll be convinced in no time.” This was just the beginning. They’ve walked through a hellish wasteland to survive. One stubborn old man was nothing.

  Zeltara let out a yawn, followed by the other two. Fatigue from the day’s events settled in. “We should get some rest. We won’t be convincing anyone if we’re dead on our feet.” Kaztos and Saiya agreed. They exchanged goodnights before retiring to their tents.

  Zeltara removed her coat and settled in. As she closed her eyes, a sense of determination filled her. There was someone who could teach them. Something they needed. It would be difficult, but they would prove themselves. They just needed to work hard. She yawned. Her mind wandered as sleep encroached.

  But then her ear twitched as she heard something. A familiar sound of movement from somewhere far off, outside the camp. Some kind of shuffling, the movement of many legs. Her addled mind concluded it must have been her imagination. The start of a dream. Consciousness drifted away, already forgetting the sound. It probably wasn’t important anyway.