The flames in the inn's hearth danced erratically, casting a warm, flickering glow across the dimly lit interior. It was a welcoming sight, especially compared to the howling winds and the fierce rain raging outside the cramped establishment.

"More ale!" One of the local patrons shouted, raising his empty mug. "Here ya go!" the stout innkeeper merrily answered, promptly refiling his mug with a fresh ale from a pitcher.

At that moment, the inn's doors flew open, and three hooded figures entered.

Streams of water dripped from their long, black coats, leaving a trail of dark droplets on the creaking wooden floor as they made their way to an empty table in the far corner.

Everyone drew silent, looking warily at the newcomers. The only sound that could be heard was the rain, relentlessly pelting the inn's small windows.

The three, however, didn't pay any attention to the suddenly tense atmosphere, simply being happy that they managed to escape the furious storm.

I was, of course, one of them, the other being no other than Ram and Vixen.

"I told you we shouldn't have lingered on the road with such heavy clouds above!" Vixen said, scowling.

"We had made it safe and sound, didn't we?" Ram chimed in, smiling nervously, but he, too, looked relieved.

Meanwhile, I just listened to their usual bickering, happy we had finally made it under a roof.

The smell of roasted meats and spiced ale hung heavy in the air, beckoning us over. I could see many patrons huddled around sturdy wooden tables, their faces flushed from the heat of the fire.

As we lowered our hoods, the locals quickly lost interest in us, realizing we were just a group of kids not posing any threat, and the sound of a lively conversation that previously filled the room quickly resumed.

Slowly, the inn's warmth enveloped us, and I couldn't help but smile, feeling my weary muscles loosening.

It had been about two months since we parted ways with Theo. I had used my extensive knowledge of the Kingdom's trade network to secure his and the kids' safe passage on one of the many merchant caravans heading for the Capital.

He also offered me the option to accompany him, saying that his Aunt, apparently a high-standing noble, could protect us from any potential threat.

Although I was intrigued by the allure of the Kingdom's most prominent city, it lay directly opposite where I really wanted to go—the Grand Tower.

So, I wished Theo all the best in his future endeavors, and we promised each other we would meet again someday.

I then, together with Ram and Vixen, traveled south along the edges of the Silver Mountains before turning toward the east.

It was a long and challenging journey that tested the limits of our endurance - at least Ram's and Vixen's, as I could supplement my stamina with essence. So, to my companions' utter bewilderment, I felt mostly okay.

Yet, these last few days were beginning to take a toll on me, too, as we had to battle the relentless autumn storms that afflicted the Kingdom this time of year.

Luckily, our troubles seemed all but over as we were a mere day away from our destination.

Well, at least my companions' destination as they planned to spend the winter in the embrace of the familiar muddy streets of Ostengard.

I, on the other hand, planned to continue all the way toward Ereneth and beyond to seek out my parents so that I could make sure they were okay and also to say my goodbyes.

Come spring, I planned to finally begin the grand journey south to the famous magical academy—The Tower of Eluvius, aka the Grand Tower—where I would spend many years studying, and there was no telling when we could see each other again.

Being done with taking down Dominic's gang and with Theo away in the Capital, every link that tied me to Ereneth was all but gone, and I could now freely venture into the wide world to pursue my dream of becoming a true mage.

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During our recent travels, I kept my ears perked for any mention of Vincent or my elixir's appearance in the local markets, but there was nothing. It was as if he had disappeared entirely from the face of the Continent.

'Whatever, one day I'll find him, and he could join Dominic in the afterlife...' I thought as I was drifting off to sleep that evening.

The following morning, it was time to separate. Ram and Vixen would turn north, heading straight for Ostengard, while I would continue east along the main highway.

"Come meet us, come spring!" Ram said enthusiastically. To which I only smiled, not saying anything as I wouldn't be coming back.

Previously, I told them that I planned to visit my family, and it was better that way.

There was no reason for them to be embroiled in my mess or that I lied to them the whole time... Better for them to simply remember me as the gloomy orphan Jorn.

Wawing at them for the last time, I then promptly hit the road as there was no time to linger.

Soon, the winter blizzards would hit, burying the countryside under a thick blanket of fresh snow, making any travel a quite challenging prospect.

On the bright side, I didn't have to worry too much about being discovered as, at this time of the year, there were very few travelers on the road, and those last few stragglers cared mainly about arriving at their destination in time, not caring about a lonely teenager traveling by himself.

'So, how do I go about this?' I wondered. The last time I saw my parents, they were in the company of Old Sven, who promised to protect them and take them to one of his relatives in a neighboring village.

So I knew the general area where to look for them, but it was not like I could venture into some random village and start asking around. That would be a sure way to get into trouble.

'I guess my best bet would be to seek out Old Sven.' I reasoned as he was the very person who was with my parents last.

This late into the autumn, he should be back in my old village as most animals were already hiding in their lairs and nests, preparing for the inevitable arrival of winter in a few short weeks.

Thus, after spending the night in another inn, I crossed the border into Ereneth, the weary soldiers barely giving me a passing look.

I smiled under my hood, being glad that everything was proceeding smoothly. I didn't really care about trying to clear my name as the perpetrators of the conspiracy against me were still running the show in Ereneth, so it would be quite an uphill battle.

It didn't matter much, as I didn't plan to stay here either way. Since the Grand Tower was its own separate country run by the mage council, any squabbles with Ereneth's nobility had no bearing on my future prospects there.

So, with that, I resumed the journey. The familiar countryside of countless fields and meadows welcomed me, and I enjoyed the opportunity to see it once again.

Of course, I circumvented the city of Ereneth in an ample arc so as not to alert the local authorities that I had returned.

Rather, I went south through the Jagged Rocks, hiding in its numerous gorges and ravines, making sure I didn't stumble into anyone, be it a man or a monster.

Soon, I stood at the precipice of the Frontier. The neatly harvested fields welcomed me, and the smell of fresh hay followed me along the winding, unpaved path.

I spend the night in the crown of an old branchy tree before continuing in the morning. Like the previous day, I gave a wide berth to anyone on the road heading east with purposeful steps.

***

"Eh? D-Darian? Whadya doing here, lad?" The old hunter looked quite surprised to see me, to say the least.

At first, he didn't even recognize me in my beast hunter disguise, thinking I was just some random Fledling scouting the Forest.

I was lucky to stumble upon him in a complete accident while making a shortcut through the familiar woods.

It looked like Old Sven hadn't quite given up on hunting this year yet, diligently checking his rabbit traps like I remembered him doing every morning when we used to hunt together.

"I'm looking for my parents..." I replied with a subtle smile playing on my lips. "Could you tell me where I may find them?"

"Oh, right! Ya weren't there when I took them to Old Bertha..."

"Old Bertha?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Bertha's a very good friend of mine. She lives in the next village north of here and has promised me that she would take your parents and your brother in."

"And where exactly could I find her?"

"If ya follow the main road through the village, her house is the very last one right next to the Forest. Ya see... Bertha's an herbalist, and her house is quite secluded from the rest of the village, so nobody would go searchin' for your parents there!" Sven proclaimed, looking quite proud of himself.

I smiled at him in response. "Thank you again for helping us back then! If there is anything I could do to repay you..."

"Don't worry about it! Those damn nobles should stick to their business and keep us good folk alone." He said, taking a spit in disgust.

"Alright, I'll be going then, as I want to make it there by nightfall."

"Sure, sure, take care, lad..." He said before looking helplessly around, mumbling, "Where did I put that damn trap?"

I smiled again, remembering all the times he was looking for something, although he had it right under his nose, and then started running north. 'I'm almost there...'