Leaving the Magistrate building, Lan headed home to share the news with his family. This led to an impromptu celebration, which threatened to go on into the night before Lan’s brother walked into the kitchen.

Silas stepped in, took one look around the room, and, before they could say anything, walked out and into his room.

‘Just give him a little more time,’ Lan’s mother said, taking him by the hand.

‘I know, Mom,’ Lan smiled, something that was starting to feel comfortable to him again and, with everything he had gone through, was something he believed to be true. Although he had some idea what Silas was mad about, it wouldn’t do much to approach him until he was ready.

Seeing the mood in the room shift, Lan picked up his glass, which had been filled with a new bottle of wine, dipped a finger into it, licked it, nodded and drank from it after a moment.

‘Uh, what was that, Lan?’ Maya asked as his mother and father looked worriedly at him.

‘Oh!... It’s nothing… well,’ Lan said with a shudder before telling them about both the Forget Me Not and Ever Winter shots that he had been made to drink, and although the mood did not return to what it had been, it lightened enough for Lan to leave them in good spirits.

That night, Lan dreamed of a world of endless Darkness upon Darkness, rolling into itself again and again, with the only other thing in this world of the constant ending being Tyr, a lone light drawing him forward through the end to come, through the world to be ended. She wanted to show him something, but only if he could follow her. But he couldn’t not until he could see. For though his eyes were now open, he still could not see.

The next day, he woke before the sun could do so by stabbing him in the eyes, only to find himself bursting with energy. Feeling better than he had the last few days, Lan took a long bath before dressing and heading down the stairs, and despite being hours earlier than he normally was, found the inn as empty as always.

One different thing was a pair sitting at the other end of the bar. A man and woman who seemed locked in an intense conversation and going off their green on-green outfits, they were Freion wandering merchants. And though it was interesting to see some for the first time, the fact that they were in an adventurer’s inn told Lan these two had to be new to the city. From what he remembered about the wandering merchants, they did not join a merchant’s guild because they would usually work beyond any one guild’s borders. However, those two seemed pretty young, so he wasn’t sure how well-travelled they were.

Feeling no need to bother the two, Lan left them alone and headed to his usual seat, where he found that Leah wasn’t in, so he had to deal with her father, who was as friendly as before. After some painful attempts at small talk, he was given his plate of food, which, to him, seemed a little smaller than before, although not enough to say anything about it, not to mention that the food didn’t last long enough for Lan to have evidence to complain about.

Over the last few days, he had found his body in near starvation every few hours. As if his body was repairing unfelt damage his first job had caused, so much so to make him remember Leah’s words about not burning out. As strong as he was now, he was still just mortal, something that he had to keep in mind as he got ready for his second guild job.

Lan was still a little hungry, yet he knew he was ready and had put off going out longer than his patience allowed. Even if he didn’t need a job to leave the city, he was falling behind jobs with his time off, so as he ate his second plate of food, Lan wondered if he could get the new Silk Flower job. There were still more than a few in the clearing, and he only needed five, which should give him plenty of time to look for the Darkness.

Reasoning as much, Lan’s mind drifted over to the two wanderers.

‘And you are sure they said it would last long enough?’ the woman with dark oak hair asked for what seemed to not be the first time.

‘That’s what the merchant said.’ The man beside her sighed, and Lan couldn’t help but smile, somehow already knowing how this story would end.

‘Yeah, but how can we be sure that a fruit can last more than the seven-month trip to the Scourge Lands front line.’ The woman asked.

That caught Lan’s attention.

The Scourge Lands was not a wholly accurate word. Instead of being a place, the Scourge Lands were more of a loss of place, a loss of being. Land devoured by something akin to a curse or plague that had appeared one day and seemed set on eating the world.

No one knew how or what had started it, but in the far south had once been a land of green fields and blue rivers. A Land whose mountains bled gold and silver. Then, one day, all word from what had once been a prosperous kingdom stopped, and the mountains of gold and green planes turned to sand, and the Scourge began to pour out of it into the kingdom it bordered.

Luckily for the rest of the world, that happened to be the kingdom of Castalia, a militant country that had seemed made to hold back the Scourge, something that it does to this day. Even still, the Scourge played a role in most things. It was not only the reason for the Creation of the Court of Crowns, but all other Lands, no matter their own politics and standings, were meant to give supplies and manpower to Castalia, known as the Red Tithe.

Even then, the Kingdom of Castalia was always looking for more supplies, so it was a good place for more ambitious merchants to make a name for themselves. Ambitious or stupid, as in order to make any real coin, one would have to go to the border where all the fighting took place and with ground gained and lost on a daily basis. A level one Lan would no doubt find nothing but death if the trip or mind-breaking effects of looking on the Scourge Lands didn’t do him in first.

Although Lan wondered if the last part would have done anything now that he knew he had the Mark.

‘The trader said that rock fruit could last for years.’ the man said as Lan turned to face them. ‘Can I help you, sir?’ he asked, sizing Lan up.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in, but I couldn’t help it.’ Lan shrugged. ‘Making a trip to the Front Line is quite the journey.’ Lan added.

‘You didn’t hear?’ the man went on as if having found a colleague. ‘The Front Line is going to be pushed back.’

Lan hadn’t heard that, but he knew just what it meant. Although holding back the Scourge was the objective of the war on the Front Line. The hope was to one day retake the Scourge Lands, and so efforts were made, when possible, to push it back.

The last attempt had been five years ago, and along with it had come a need for more of everything from food to weapons as new lines were drawn.

‘One could really make a killing…’ Lan mused.

‘Yeah, that’s why we are going. If only we could find something worth the time and effort to take there.’ The woman said, and Lan knew they had to be novices on their first journey. From what he could remember, Freion Wanderers were more about trial by fire than normal merchants, even if they were much nicer and trustworthy than what he knew. Lan guessed it was just their way of preparing their apprentices for a world that wouldn’t be so kind in return.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

‘Well, you can be sure that you will double anything that you spend if you time it right, no matter what you choose. Of course, you want something worth the time while not being a big enough target for bandits before you get there.’ Lan half rambled on. ‘you were thinking about taking Rock Fruit?’ Lan asked, getting a defiant look from the woman while the man nodded.

‘Well, that's not a bad choice.’ Lan shrugged.

‘Really?’ the man asked as if willing to cling to any hope of getting a good deal.

‘Yeah, Rock Fruit won't ripen until its rock-like shell is broken, usually when it drops from the tree. So if you pick it, it can stay fresh for a year or more.’ At this, the man smiled, while the woman looked sceptical.

‘So you think it’s a good deal then?’ She asked.

‘Oh, not at all,’ Lan said quickly, dashing the man’s hopes. ‘Rock fruit only grows in the last month of autumn. For the same reason you want them is why most of the good ones of this year are already heading to the front or stored away in people's cellars. If someone is willing to sell them now, they have a crack in them. Small enough not to be seen or felt, but there.’

The man’s face fell even more at this, and the woman looked ready to throw a chair.

‘Don’t just take my word for it,’ he sighed, deciding that they were even more inexperienced than he thought. ‘Who knows, you might have found a real hidden treasure. Go see whoever is selling them and ask to pick up the fruit. If it’s good, they won't have a problem with that. Then again, if it was good, they would have insisted on you picking them up.’ Seeing the downcast faces of the two, Lan thought about helping a little.

‘If you want my advice.’ Lan shrugged. ‘I would say buy arrowheads.’

‘Arrowheads?’ The woman asked incredulously.

‘The front line always needs arrows. Castalia is spoiled for wood, but metal is another story, and although they are supplied with tons of metal, they can never have enough arrows. That is because most of the fighting is done by firing waves of arrows into the Scourge Born. More established merchants that make the trip often take a barrel or two but usually go for the more valuable items. Ten well-made swords can sell for a whole barrel of arrowheads. But swords are bought at a set price. Not to mention that they were a big get for bandits. Arrows, on the other hand. Well, the front can’t run out of arrows. Most merchants think it's an amateur strategy, and it is, which means few people commit to it, which means few are capitalising on it. You can easily double, if not triple, what you spend if you time it right.’ Lan said as Leah’s father placed another plate in front of him.

For a moment, the two stared at Lan with a mix of wonder and amazement.

‘Why are you helping us? Merchants just don’t help competition without a reason,’ the woman asked.

‘Hmm, that's because I’m not a merchant.’ He said with a cheeky yet proud smile.

Before leaving the pair to go find out if the fruit was still good, Lan told them how to get to Cawl’s shop before heading there himself.

‘Sorry, the smith… is busy.’ Cali said, half looking up over the sound of ringing metal. Suddenly, she looked up and frowned. ‘Lan?’

‘I made it back.’ Lan smiled

‘You’re,’ Cali started, her eyes growing wider. ‘You’re so…’

‘I look different.’ Lan finished cutting her off.

‘That’s not what I was going to say.’ She smiled back before jumping from her chair, sticking her head through the door leading down the stairs and shouting for her father before dashing up and grabbing his arm.

‘So, tell me everything.’

‘Oh! Well, I look this way because?’

Cali rolled her eyes. ‘So, you look like you stepped out of a lover's tale now. That's nice and all, but I meant tell me everything about my babies.’

‘Ah, yeah, I knew that!’ Lan started, reaching into the Chest and removing the shield arm. Which somehow looked to only have superficial damage. ‘Just like before, I wouldn’t have returned if not for your gear.’ Lan said as Cawl came up, paused and blinked at him before walking over as Lan went on to tell them about his little adventure.

And although Cawl seemed more interested in the Darkness, Cali all but vibrated with excitement as he talked about the fight in the clearing and then in the Hollow.

‘And did you get to use the shield arm’s attack?’ she asked, grabbing his arm tighter as Cawl rolled his eyes.

‘Oh uh, yeah, I didn’t get a chance that seemed right.’ Lan half lied. In truth, there hadn't been a time in which losing the use of his arm would have left him in a good position after killing the threat. Not that he was going to use it anyway.

‘The first time out alone, you end up stumbling into a threat that could end the city. You really are your father’s son.’ Cawl sighed

‘About that, why didn’t you tell me you knew my father.’ Lan asked.

‘Hmm, didn’t see a reason to bring it up, and no,’ the large man said, clearly knowing Lan’s next question. ‘I didn’t give you that spear because he was your father. If anything, it was the main reason I wasn’t going to. But when I looked at you, I saw the same look he had when we were young, and I knew that you would go even without a weapon, so just as I did back then, I decided to give you the best chance I could.’

Hearing that, Lan couldn't help but be moved. Cawl had taken a risk by giving him that spear despite clearly having a good reason not to.

‘Thanks Cawl.’ Lan said, getting a grunt from the smith.

‘You coming back is thanks enough, now let's make sure you return from the next one.’

With that, Lan cleared his throat and removed his armour from the chest, wincing as Cawl’s eyes widened at the damage on the chest plate.

But instead of saying anything, the large man picked up the armour pieces and headed downstairs. ‘Give me an hour.’ He called from his workshop.

Even though Lan trusted Cawl’s skill, he couldn't help but shoot a questioning look to Cali, who just smiled.

‘While you wait, why not try out a few things for me.’ she asked innocently.

True to his word, after an hour in which Lan learned that he couldn’t use a mace that could fire its spikes without almost goring himself. Cawl returned with his armour, looking like it had never seen a battle.

‘This is incredible,’ Lan said, feeling where the crack had been.

‘You won’t find any marks; along with mending the damage, I have also tuned it up to your level, so it lasts a little longer this time.’

‘Thanks Cawl.’ Lan said, linking with the armour.

[Reinforced Leather armour: Well-made leather armour reinforced with steel plates, sacrificing some of the speed and mobility of standard leather armour for greater defence.]

[Defence Score: 15]

Durability A,

Rarity: abnormal.

Quality: Skilful.

Construction: Black Bear leather and Steel – D, Impact Damage Resistance - D, Piercing Damage Resistance – C

Traits: Fused Tuning Core

[Link Level: 5]

‘While you are here, I’ll take a look at your weapons too.’ Cawl said, reminding Lan about his sword.

‘Oh, about that, why didn’t you say anything about my sword being able to absorb magic.’

‘That’s because I didn’t know it could do that.’ Cawl answered, raising an eyebrow.

‘Wait, what.’ Cali asked as she dropped whatever she had been messing around with.

‘Yeah, when I was fighting in the Hollow and burned the goblins with the fire silk, my sword started to glow and burned anything that I cut with it. When I asked my father to have a look, he said it was made of something called Sagelight Steel.’ Lan said, retrieving his sword and handing it over to Cawl, whose eyes turned a metallic green.

‘Hmm, if that's what your father called it, then it must be true.’ Cawl shrugged.

‘You mean you didn’t know?’ Lan asked

‘Your father's sight is more powerful than any appraisal magic I know of. I could not see its name like he could, although I knew that the odd metal could absorb magic. I didn’t have enough to make anything with it, so I thought that if I mixed it with Mage steel, I could make something that was highly attuned to enchantments, only to end up with something that couldn’t be enchanted at all. I only sold it to you because it was perfectly stable and better than a normal sword of the same level.’

Lan nodded, ‘my father said the same thing, although it seems to absorb magic or at least fire when near enough to it, or it could just be the fire silk that works.’

At this, Cali got a spark in her eye and a dangerous smile before she ran down the stairs, giggling.

‘How…’ Lan started watching her go and wondering if he should be worried, ‘how did you find a metal that no one else had ever seen before?’

‘Hmm, it’s a long story and not mine either. As far as I know, the lump of metal changed hands at least ten times, and I would guess more. The story that came with it is that a man in odd clothes and speaking in an accent just as odd traded it along with the rest of his possessions for ordinary clothes.’

With what he had recently learned, Lan couldn’t help but wonder if the metal, seemingly unknown to this world, happened to be from a Tale. That would explain the oddness of the person that sold it. It would also explain why they were willing to part with it, not knowing how rare it would be, and that was to say nothing of its ability, just what it was.

That brought on thoughts about what the Guildmaster had said about those from Tales, not just being a part of stories and all the implications that came with it.

‘That’s not all.’ Lan said, clearing his mind. ‘Although the durability of everything else dropped over time, the sword didn’t.’

Hearing this, Cawl took another look at the sword.

‘What do you think?’ Lan asked after a moment.

‘I think I didn’t charge you enough.’