"No. No!!!" Lenoria sank to her knees in anguish, pounding the mountain soil with her fists in an effort to vent her years' worth of pent-up anger. The news delivered to her were the last thing she ever wanted to hear, and all she could do now was stain the ground with her tears. "How did Starflower get out?"

"If it makes you feel any better," Aquamarine said, "he and the mob boss made it to the top five of the nation's most wanted fugitives. Pretty soon, everyone in Helix is going to be looking for them."

"Is that why you're here, Aquamarine?" Clara asked.

"Not at first. I was relaxing with your parents on the night of the escape when all of a sudden, a speeding vehicle caught my attention. The Constable chased after it with his own vehicle, but he suffered a terrible accident."

Lenoria's wailing grew louder and louder, prompting Alistair to comfort her with a hug. "It will be alright, Lenoria. They will be brought to justice."

"The Constable is fine, Lenoria. But he had to be hospitalized." Aquamarine continued. "I chased after the vehicle with Mr. Horsey. Turns out the driver was none other than Horseface himself. He had been found in one of his warehouses and ran away. He was heading for the city gate and he caused the gate to collapse just as I was about to catch up to him. That's when the pirates saved me-"

"With my trusty rope," Caesar interjected.

"...but Horseface got away. When the Constable came to, he struck a deal with the pirates. If they protected Lenoria until Horseface and Starflower were caught, then their crimes would be forgiven."

"Once he found out we already met before and what happened at the compound, he had an easier time trusting us." Caesar raised his cutlass confidently. "We'll take care of you, so turn that frown upside down. I can't stand seeing a pretty girl cry."

Not to be outdone by Caesar, Alistair gently raised Lenoria's tear-stained face by the chin. "We'll protect you from Starflower if he ever comes after you. Cry if you must; I'll be here beside you," he finished with a smile.

Nodding quietly, Lenoria then leaned on the boy's chest. "Thanks, Al. I-I know you will."

"Yeah, we'll help you, for better or worse," Cecilia said. "Besides, you saved our bacon back at the compound. Smart girl like you can find a way to get that scrawny elf's ass back in jail."

Lenoria was still saddened by the news. Constable Richards had been hospitalized and two of the nation's most dangerous criminals had escaped from jail. But after reassurance from Cecilia and Alistair, she stopped crying.

She had to come up with a plan, but first she had to cross the border. "Thanks, everyone."

***

23rd of Cobre, 9pm, 1659 (three days prior)

~Starflower~

"The Drunken Chef," Starflower read the sign of the inn he arrived in. He knocked on the wooden door despite the lights being off, and knocked again when there was no response.

Then, footsteps. They got closer and closer, but the door had yet to open. "We're closed," said a gruff voice from the other side. "Rooms are full and there's no food. Find lodging somewhere else."

Despite the rude remark, Starflower feigned politeness and even put on a smile. "I'm willing to sleep by the fire, friend. I can pay twice as much for the stay, but please let me in. I've traveled far and I'm hungry."

"I said we have no-" The old man was interrupted by the muffled voice of a woman. Much younger than him, Starflower thought, so she must have been a niece or daughter. He heard the sound of a latch not long after, and the door opened to reveal a middle-aged orc male walking with a limp. "Come in, but I'm serious about the food. You're out of luck for coming here, traveler."

Starflower bowed politely and went inside, closing the door behind him. A young girl offered to take his coat, but when he politely declined, she immediately went for the door and locked it up with a triad of latches. He noticed a handful of people seated at the tables, some licking day-old crumbs at the table and a lucky few gnawing on rat bones.

"Has a famine struck here recently?"

The orc proprietor limped his way to the counter and grabbed a stool to sit on. "Not a famine, but we did get our share of vermin." He shot a hardened look at some of the people at the tables. "And the ones who fed them."

"How were we supposed to know, Lewis?" One of the patrons asked. "They've never done this before!"

"Really?" Lewis, the orc proprietor, slammed his fist on the counter. "The Order convinces all of you to turn my inn upside down, loot it, set an angry mob on a group of innocent people, and you seriously didn't expect them to betray you once they had no use for you?!"

"The Order?" Starflower was intrigued, but for now he elected not to intrude.

"They said they were sorry, and they were hungry!" Another patron argued, but Lewis wasn't having it.

"Sorry doesn't quite cut it, does it? You fed them and now they won't go away. Caravans have stopped trading with us, and those Blue Jays just so happened to have more food with them after a while. And anyone who goes out to get help doesn't come back. Think about it! For once in your lives, take a look at the bigger picture!"

The patrons sank their heads, some looking guiltier than others.

"Petty squabbles at best. None of my concern." Starflower set a handful of gold coins down on the counter and found a spot by the chimney. He sat down to look at the fire, still somewhat intrigued at the ongoing conversation.

"Lewis, we have no other choice. We have to take their deal." An elven woman spoke from the crowd. "Old Man George went over to their side and got his youth back just for going over to them. We just need to be humble and fair, as the Hammer has taught us."

"We are not making deals with demons, Elder! They are the ones who started this in the first place!"

"How do we even know they're dealing with demons? And even if that was true, what else are we supposed to do, Lewis? Starve?"

"Better to starve than to damn ourselves!" Lewis's anger was not quelled in the slightest. "Look at yourselves! Our founding fathers named this village Hammer's Reach because they believed in the Hammer to provide for them. And how do you thank him? You chase one of his paladins out of town by listening to a band of terrorists! And now you want to make deals with demons?! It's no wonder the gods have forsaken us!"

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Starflower's ears perked up at the mention of a paladin. With a side glance, he paid closer attention to the troubles of the village.

"Calm down, Lewis. I was thinking we should all get together and beg for food. Maybe the Blue Jays are feeling merciful lately."

Lewis shook his head disapprovingly. "You'll be begging to the wrong people. They obviously made sure our food deliveries never made it here by trading with them before they even made it here. They're hoarding our food, and they hope to make some sort of dark deal with us for basic necessities. If you march there and beg for it, you'll be playing right into their hands."

"Lewis, we-"

"Shut it, you old hag. It's only been a week since this started and we're already out of food and most of the guards are either dead or switched over to the Blue Jays. If these people have any sense left in them, they should put your leadership up to vote." Lewis stood up. "I'm out of here. Allie, get your stuff. We're going on a trip."

The young girl from earlier stopped sweeping the floor and set her broom down. "Where are we going, Dad?"

"We're going to Thule. Maybe there we'll find Alistair and his friends and beg for their forgiveness. I'll work a lifetime if I have to if it means we can get food back on our table."

The Elder ran up to Lewis. "Where's your integrity, old man? If you leave now, this inn won't belong to you anymore."

"I'm not planning to come back. I've always been a nomad, and my little girl deserves to be in a place where the people who tried to cut off her hands aren't revered as heroes."

"You're nuts! Do you think the Blue Jays will just let you walk out? There are rumors that they can find a background on people no matter how much they stray from society! They probably have eyes everywhere and dirt on just about anyone!"

"I have to try!"

"You won't survive out there." All eyes shifted to Starflower when he finally spoke. "Not with a limp like that."

Lewis looked at the elf indignantly. "Stay out of this, traveler. My mind is made up."

Starflower smiled cockily. "I know a ranger's garb when I see one, Mr... Lewis, right? You should know better than anyone that the wilderness is unforgiving. As strong as you think you might be, all a wild animal needs to do in order to win is capitalize on your weakness. It doesn't even need to be a wild animal; what if bandits shot you on your bad leg?"

"I can always patch it up," Lewis argued back.

"That may be, but without a single healing spell at your disposal, you can only get so far. If you're too reckless, you may end up losing your life. Who will look after your daughter then?"

"I assume you're not speaking out of the kindness of your heart, traveler."

"You assume correctly. I'm speaking out of interest." Starflower waited for the murmurs to die down before he continued. "What if I got rid of your problem for you? All I request in exchange is food and a look at your records. I need to know who's stayed here in the past week."

Lewis seemed skeptical, but a shrug from his daughter convinced him to inquire further instead of turning it down. "That is confidential. Our guests need their privacy, you see. For what reason do you need to know that?"

"Nothing sinister, sir," Starflower lied. "I'm looking for my friends. Nothing more."

Lewis was hesitant to divulge the information. "I don't like the looks of this guy, but if he can save the town..."

"I see there's some trust issues in the air. That's fine, it's not like it's important or anything," the former headmaster said sarcastically.

"W-wait!" The Elder grabbed a book from the counter. "H-he's just kidding! Humor is how we're coping with this situation right now. Please forgive us."

"Why you-" Lewis shook his fist but the Elder shushed him and followed that with some whispering.

"You were getting ready to leave, weren't you? Plus, what's the harm of sending some meat to the grinder? Suck it up and play along."

Like an angry dog, Lewis bared his teeth but did nothing as Starflower browsed through the check-in book. The former headmaster went back several pages until he reached the morning of the 16th, where he found something interesting.

16th of Cobre

Lenoria T., Alistair A., Clara A. - Check-in time: Late as hell.

Rutherford S., Jo Jo, Valerie Kovaleva - Check-in time: Late as hell.

"She was here. And what's this?" Starflower had to focus on restraining a grin, but a chortle escaped him.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry, it's just...who names their kid 'Rutherford?' It's so old-fashioned." Starflower was only telling half the truth; he found it hard to believe that Ms. Sarnai's husband also stayed at the inn on the same night Lenoria did and needed confirmation.

"Now that you mention it..." Lewis looked at the page Starflower was on. "That's around the time Spark checked in."

Bingo. "It sounds to me like you don't like him."

"He's the one leading the Blue Jays," the Elder said. "It'll be hard to miss him, if you decide to get rid of them for us. He's the loudest one of the bunch."

Starflower closed the book. He had seen enough. He handed it back to Lewis, content with his findings. "No sign of my friends here, unfortunately. But as promised, I'll get rid of the Order for you."

"Excellent!" The Elder clapped happily. "Do you, um, need any help?"

"You'll only get in the way. Rest easy, though; you'll be free by tomorrow night."

"T-tomorrow? We can't wait that long!"

"It's a shame, but I had a long day. I'll need to restore my spells to stand a chance against the Order. Now, if you would like to hire someone else instead-"

"No need! Please rest up for tomorrow!"

"Good. I'll be sure to make it a spectacle worth the wait. That, I can promise." Starflower went back to his spot by the fire and sat back down on the warm wooden floor. Opening up a purple tome, he brainstormed for different ways to handle the Order of the Blue Jay. He was no hero, but building his reputation back up after the heavy blow it took for defending Thomas could help with his long-term plans.

Revenge could wait. While it came up too soon for his liking, he wasn't about to miss the opportunity to reward Nurse Sarnai for her role in his escape. After a brief glance at the wedding band, he reminded himself to prepare a [Scrying] spell the following morning.

***

24th of Cobre, 5:21am, 1659

But Starflower could only get a fraction of what he wanted to sleep. Despite wandering for over twenty-four hours in the wilderness, his body would not let him rest. Images of students burning in a fire haunted his dreams, and every single time the dream would culminate with someone crying. First it was Sarnai, then Thomas, and on his last dream...

Lenoria.

Starflower awoke early in the morning in cold sweat. He sat up feeling stiff from sleeping on the hard floor. Those sleeping around him had given him a wide berth despite the place being cramped as it was. At first, he believed they were being polite, but one good sniff of himself made him wince.

"I need a bath."

"Awake already?" Lewis was the only other person awake and had used this chance to clean the tankards that had carelessly been strewn about. "One of our guests stormed out because of our 'poor service.' Which means a room opened up, and I'm giving you priority for the favor you're going to do for us. Plus, you're stinking up the place." He tossed a key at Starflower, who caught it flawlessly.

"Hmph. Poor service, indeed," Starflower mumbled.

"You say something?"

"I said I'm deeply grateful, friend," the elf lied. "This is my chance for a bath and some proper rest. I have a plan for the Order, but I will need everyone's cooperation. I do not wish to be disturbed until noon. Is that clear?"

Lewis snarled, but he nodded with compliance. "Just don't forget. You promised we'll be free by tonight."

Starflower was halfway up the stairs before he turned back to Lewis. "Have a little faith. I used to be an adventurer, but the call to teach won me over." He waved at the man dismissively before continuing his ascent to the next floor. He glanced at the key to see the room number he had been given, and once he found a matching number on the door, he inserted the key into its lock until he heard a latch and opened the door.

Once inside, he wasted no time to strip and entered the bathroom. After he filled the wooden tub with warm water, he slinked inside and seated himself. "Much better."

Starflower meditated on the dreams that had horrified even himself. They were too vivid to be just dreams. He recalled burning his hands trying to save his students but failed every single time. How many stars flickered out that day? How many dreams ended in that sea of flames?

He thought back on his adventuring days. He wished to return to those days, if only for a little while. "Olen, old friend. When was the last time we shared a pint?"