Tom immensely regretted accepting this job. Every time one of the white-haired researchers opened their mouth, he had to hold himself back to not scream on their faces. He was made aware that this would probably be a boring job, but by the gods had he underestimated it.
Sure, the pay was great, but he couldn't help but second guess himself, wondering if the money was enough to overshadow the complete boredom he felt. Day in and day out, he was tasked with protecting the old explorers, forced to listen to their endless rants and almost infinite speculations.
Every time they left camp, he would hope for an encounter with the remnants, though he knew that wouldn't happen, since they always disappeared by daybreak. If anything, the city of stone was a pretty peaceful, which was exactly what Tom hated the most about it.
Of the few things the big man enjoyed in life, throwing his massive axe around was definitely among the very top. But here? The only use he was getting out of his beloved weapon was chopping down trees at the edge of the ruins. It infuriated him, the sheer disrespect those so-called scholars showed him and him axe. He could see the sneers, the contemptuous looks directed at him. Every single time, he couldn't help but scoff at their self-granted superiority, as he knew that he could end almost everyone in that encampment. But he didn't dare to do it.
Not because he was afraid of not getting his pay, but because he knew that there were some monsters lurking in the sea of defenseless researchers. They hid well, to the point where a normal man wouldn't feel a thing, but he knew they were there, patiently waiting for the time their abilities would be needed.
As such, he was forced to follow the geezers every command like a loyal dog. It was an awful position he was in, and one where no one wanted to free him from. Until they finished studying whatever they wanted in this place, he was bound to keep playing along to their whims.
This morning was no different. Waken coldly by a young servant whose face he didn't bother to remember, he slowly got up from his straw bed, the wood creaking with his every move. With a grunt, he began to move towards the hole where a door would normally be. Of course, since this town had remained abandoned for so long, all wooden structures had long returned to the ground. And so, all the newer stuff had been brought by the expedition.
From beds, workstations, and furniture to dried food, tents tools, it seemed that this exploration group had been preparing for quite some time. Tom couldn't even begin to guess how much it had cost them. Just the money he was receiving for his daily service far surpassed what a normal peasant would earn in a month, and he was just one of the many people there.
Grabbing his axe from the place he had left it the night before — right beside the door-hole —, he narrowed his eyes before stepping into the outside world. After all this time, he should have known that every day he was woken up before the suns rose in the horizon, but, every time, he still felt the need to prepare himself for the blinding light of the suns, and, every time, he would be left disappointed.
With a sigh, he made his way down the road, approaching the site they were using. He had refused to sleep on the immediate proximity, since he was already annoyed enough by the constant talking during the day, and he honestly didn't think he would manage to hold it together if he also had to endure their incessant discussions during the night.
Within a few minutes, he could already hear their cheerful laughter, echoing through the empty houses. Tom furrowed his brows, the idea of working with these bothersome people one more day making the idea of simply leave during the night all the more appealing. But he had a reputation to maintain, since, if people were to begin to whisper about his incompetence, there would be no more honorable jobs for the foreseeable future.
Of course, if push came to shove, he could always leave the country, though that would be his last resort. It was certainly possible, but it wasn't easy by any means, and Tom wasn't exactly dying to test his luck. With that thought, the thick-bearded man reached the square that was serving as the center of operations.
His face clouded over as the noise pollution went up through the roof. Thankfully, his unfriendly face made most people to shy away from approaching him, so, most of the time; he was like an island of peace amidst the chaotic plaza. But, sadly, despite being able to shoo away most people, there were still some who appeared to be unbothered by his rough temperament.
The most annoying example of one such person was the old Linus Antikva, a once-duke who had since debuted as an amateur explorer. His face always showed a kind smile, his wizened eyes and pure white hair enough to garner respect from most of his peers. The ones he wasn't able to sway to his side from his looks and experience were convinced by the almost fanatic effort he put into his studies, his works making rounds around both the aristocracy and the common rabble.
The old man walked slowly, using his simple, unadorned cane, completely unbefitting for someone of his position, to balance his frail body. Different from the remnants, which only appeared to be weak, this man, way past his prime, was as frail as a dry twig. Once wrong touch from Tom could accidentally end this man's life.
Because of that, his insistence in talking to Tom made the burly man noticeably uncomfortable, though the father of the current Count of Antikva seemed to be blissfully unaware of this. If he was, then he was very good at pretending he didn't. With a kind smile on his face, showing his almost too white teeth, the old explorer once more approached the grizzly adventurer, who was sitting on the ground, enjoying some dry food with some water.
"Hello there, friend. It seems we'll have another eventful day, doesn't it?" Tom looked up from his hard bread and, after taking a glance to see who was disturbing his meal, he once more looked down at his food, leaving behind only a grunt of acknowledgement. Undeterred by his cold facade, the old man continued with a nonplussed smile.
"Do you mind if I sit with you? You see, the camp is pretty full of young and bright minds, and it is pretty hard for someone like me to interact with them"
Every day the old man would come, make the same question, and then sit once Tom had given his consent. Since that had been going for the past few days, the big man wondered what would happen if he just provoked the noble a little bit.
"Do whatever you like. It doesn't matter if I give you permission or not, does it? You are a high noble, so you must be quite used to having things go your way" Tom said, some venom seeping into his tongue. At that statement, which, for most, would result in a one-way trip to the chopping block, Linus simply smiled in understanding.
Taking out some strips of dried meat from the pocket of his brown robe, the almost ancient man slowly lowered himself, until he was sitting in front of Tom with crossed legs, his back straight as an arrow. Without a change to his smile, he began to chew on the meat. At that moment, Tom's image of the man had been completely shattered. Though he still looked like a frail person, he still had strong enough muscles to be able to thoroughly chew on the hard food.
Looking around, the man with the hard bread couldn't see anyone important paying attention to Linus. There were people talking around campfires, disagreements happening in front of barracks, serious discussions taking place on top of the horse carts. But not one among the ones he knew could hold themselves in a fight was looking after the old man. Perhaps it had been a request from him, or perhaps he was a monster entirely out of his league, strong enough to completely mask his strength.
The big man swallowed the piece of hard bread he was fighting to get through his throat before once more looking at Linus. While Tom, who had been an adventurer for a little over a decade, still had to fight with his preserved food, the old man, who should reasonably have more difficulty eating, was devouring the dried meat as if they were fresh and well cooked.
Tom began to sweat, as he began to think that he had severely misjudged the old man. With a sigh, he began to talk, all the while wondering how he had never realized the true powerhouse he had been badmouthing daily
"Why do keep coming here? It's not like there aren't better people to talk to. You should have realized it by now right? I'm not particularly welcome here. Everyone tolerate me, but that's all"
"Quite the self-aware gentleman you are, yes? But you seem to be misunderstanding something. I couldn't care less about what the people here think about you. You said it right the first time: I am a high noble, and, as one, I've been around my fair share of... undesirable people. Sadly, it seems that no matter where I go I still have to deal with people like that. I've long learned how to ignore them, and so should you, if you plan to undertake any jobs like this"
At that, Tom let out a hearty laugh, scaring some of the researchers and annoying some others. "No way in hell I'm doing anything like that again. I'm all for walking around dangerous places, but this right here is simply not what I enjoy. There's a big difference between walking through a dungeon filled to the brim with monsters and having a leisure journey through an empty city while listening to stuff that does not interest me. You've got to understand, man, how horrible it is to be almost forced to do something you wholeheartedly despise"
"Oh, but I quite understand the feeling, for I was probably the single most spiteful noble there ever was. Politics, economics, treachery and fake smiles, the essentials of a good noble, were subjects that numerous times feel antsy about being of noble blood. For was I not supposed to protect my own people? How could I do that while accepting bribes with a smile on my face?"
"But still, there was no one else to lead the duchy, as my brothers had passed away for various reasons, and my sisters had been long betrothed to other families. I ask you to trust me when I say that I stepped down from the slimy world of nobility as soon as I had the chance. It was nice to remind myself of what happiness looked like. To go out and actually see the results of all the work you fought for. At times, I would spend so long incarcerated on a prison of my own making that I caught myself asking if I was doing anything at all!"
Tom couldn't help but stare at the old man like he was seeing an alien. Up until now, his vision of nobles had always been that they were untouchable gods, capable of doing anything the felt like doing, trampling all over the common folks. To be fair, it wasn't as if he had interacted with many nobles, though the rumors about them were numerous and seldom positive.
Seeing someone who used to be an integral part of this whole system so casually speaking to Tom about its disgusting, hidden facade, the man was forced to acknowledge the old man. I would be one thing if he had simply pretended to agree with Tom's speech, but the glint in his eyes and the deep frown on his wrinkly face told another story.
With a faint trace of smile on his face, he opened his mouth to reply to Linus, when a man on the center of the square suddenly shouted, loud and clear for everyone to hear:
"Group one; please walk towards the east gate! Today's expedition is about to start! I repeat, group one; please walk towards the east gate! The main researchers await you! The other groups, your placement will be decided once your leaders reach some form of consent! For now, only the remains of group one; walk towards the east gate!"
With an annoyed expression, Tom grabbed his axe, which was lying just beside him on the grass, strapped it to his back, and got up. After storing the rest of his hard bread on his pocket, he bid farewell to Linus, whose smile had not changed in the slightest, and moved to the place where he saw a congregation of people arriving.
When he reached the place, he saw that, much like in the other days, people were getting shuffled around based on the judgment of a tall, sharp eyed woman. She had short, dark hair, a perfect match with her pitch-black eyes, which seemed to draw in anyone who dared to stare at her. Her skin had a bronze tinge to it, acquired through hours spent under the lashings of the twin suns.
She was one of the few people in the entire place Tom actually respected, though he would never say it out loud. That was probably one of the main reasons why he had been allocated to this group, since the man was much too stubborn and prideful to lend an ear to his previous superiors.
When she saw the burly man, almost a head taller than most people there, approaching with heavy steps, she flashed a friendly smile, a rarity among these parts. Waving at Tom, the woman addressed him.
"Tom, today I ask to be at the front with Martin and Anna" Seeing his expression quickly souring, she immediately added "I know you aren't the biggest fan of them, but please, try to at least not kill each other. And if you really want to do it, at least go somewhere we can't see" That earned her some weird looks, but she couldn't care less for the group's approval. She was in charge, plain and simple, and, if there was anyone better versed in strategy than her, then they were free to command.
Acknowledging the orders with a small nod, Tom made his way through the parting group, his mere presence making people back away. Not long after, he reached the front, where a short girl sat on a crate, polishing some silver knives. Her curly, chestnut-colored hair descended in cascades to her shoulder, hiding her expression from his eyes. From the few bits of exposed flesh Tom could see, there were a number of scars scattered throughout her body.
Next to her was a man almost as tall as Tom, though their figures much differed when it came to their wideness. Despite both having brown hair, there were no scars on the man's slightly tanned arms. He took a quick glance at Tom before once more directing his attention to his surroundings.
The man himself almost felt offended by the offhanded way he was treated, and he would, had he not known this peculiar pair of brother and sister. He was still a little peeved, of course, but that was just par with the course when dealing with these two.
Giving them a silent nod, Tom began to look around, much like the lanky man had been doing for a while. Seeing as there were no threats in the immediate vicinity, he relaxed a little bit. Just to be safe, though, he picked his axe from his back and stood ready to smash anything unknown that appeared.
With that tense atmosphere, the three of them waited for the orders to march forward. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened, and, while they could hear people talking in the back, the place they were put in was as quiet as a cemetery. Tom looked at the sky, while Anna kept polishing her daggers and her brother kept checking the alleyways for any threat.
When they heard the call to move, the trio wordlessly got up and began to walk on the front, each of them fully preoccupied with their own thoughts. Tom worried that this exploration would last longer than the other ones, since much of the area around the campsite had been amply dissected.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
If they ended up staying outside during the night, than he would have to trust the protection of the researchers to the duo walking alongside him, something that didn't really sit well with him just as much as it probably didn't sit well with them.
He let out a sigh as he shook these thoughts out of his head. It was okay to be prideful, but such arrogance, even in an environment filled with weak monsters, was akin to asking for death. Looking at the uneven terrain littered with chunks of stone, Tom resigned himself, saying that he would ask the pair for help if it was needed, though he hoped it wouldn't be.
For a few hours, they did nothing but walk through the labyrinthine city, its walkways a little bit too narrow and a little bit too long. At some point, the people in charge of the exploration had joined the three silent adventurers on the front, guiding them towards their objective today. Since Tom had completely given up on knowing where they were days before, he simply went with the flow, following wherever the people who knew what they were doing went.
They passed through houses, fountains and plazas, never stopping to rest until their superiors gave their permission. And, by now, Tom knew that they would only relay the order to rest once they were thoroughly spent. With that piece of knowledge, he couldn't help but smirk a little, imagining the daily despair of those researchers who only walked to and from their fancy labs.
His expression quickly soured, however, when they turned a corner. Amidst the rubble and the general chaos of the street in front of them, Tom saw a strange silhouette on the ground in the distance. He gripped tightly his axe as he stole a glance at the brother and sister walking alongside him. Seeing that they too were grabbing their weapons, respectively a cane and twin daggers, he felt a little less on edge, though he was still prepared to kill.
He had never seen something like that before, so he needed to exert utmost caution. The group slowly approached the being sprawled on the middle of the road. The closer they got, the weirder the thing on the ground appeared to be.
It resembled a human being, but not in the distorted way remnants did. Her proportions were all more or less correct, even for someone like Tom, who only knew how to fight. Still, he could feel that there was something unnatural about the being. It didn't resemble any species Tom had ever seen
The first thing he noticed was the color of the skin — white, way too white —. It was as if she had been wrapped in those expensive sheets of paper nobility often liked to use. It went far beyond the lack of pigmentation originated from the lack of sunbathing, to the point where the man thought she was even paler than the few vampires he had interacted with. He stared wearily at the being, his eyebrows creasing as he tried to imagine a being with even less color than a corpse.
The next thing that caught his attention was the number of wounds sprawled across the feminine body, from which greenish blood seeped out. But, if it had been just that, than Tom wouldn't even have betted an eye.
No, the thing that truly made him take a double take was the visible rate at which those wounds were healing themselves. Seeing that, he couldn't help but swallow the lump of saliva that was forming inside his throat, for he knew the dangers of a monster with such high regeneration abilities.
His eyes continued moving upwards, taking in the torn and ragged white dress, probably once just as unblemished as the skin, which was tainted with splotches of green and black, as well as a bit brownish in general. He passed through the twin peaks hidden beneath the dress, the thin, but not unnaturally so neck, and eventually reaching its — no, her — face, where he had to put quite some effort into maintaining his stoic appearance.
She had pristine white hair, in a slightly darker tone than her skin, almost as if it was made out of liquefied silver. Though it was disheveled and marred with both blood and dirt, Tom still felt as if he was staring at something that simply didn't belong to this world.
In that position, eyes lightly closed as she peacefully slept on the ground, despite the sorry sight in which they had found her, she almost looked like a runaway princess, exhausted of a long day being chased by relentless knights. With this thought, Tom became unsure about what to do.
On one hand, he keenly understood the dangerous foe that calmly rested in front of them and, because of that, he was ready to kill. On the other, it simply didn't feel right to kill someone purely based on first impressions. If that was the case, then the pair staring with wide eyes at the girl would have been dispatched from this world long ago.
But still, they remained, proof of Tom's surprisingly big well of patience. At a loss, the big man looked around, taking in the myriad of expressions shown by the rest of the group. Some were wary, some were mesmerized, and some looked like they had found a new toy to experiment with. Sensing the rift that was beginning to appear within the group, the woman on command quickly began barking orders.
"Anna! Martin!"
""Yes ma'am!"" They both responded in perfect unison. With a light smile tugging her lips, she continued, pointing towards the place where the strange girl seemed to have come from.
"Investigate that house, and then report to me. I don't want no lackluster search either, do you hear me?! Flip this house upside down if you need to, but I want clear answers on what happened here, understood?!"
""Yes!"" At that, the woman couldn't help but show the same grin that had once terrified so many cadets. She showed her white teeth, as sharp as the ones belonging to wild beast, and continued, her voice reaching far into the distance.
"Then what are you standing there for?! GO!" At that, the two quickly made their way into the building and out of Tom's sight. After that, the man had to wonder what they would do with the girl on the ground. He didn't feel like killing her, nor did he want to see her become another failed experiment. He eyed the commander as he awaited he decision. She seemed to think for a bit, weighting different options, until she came to a conclusion.
"I don't know where she is from, or what her objectives are, but you are not to touch a strand of hair from her until I say so! Understood?!" With that, even the most stubborn of the researchers couldn't meet her gaze, and were forced to simply mutter a shallow, unconvincing "Yes..."
For a few more seconds, the woman continued to stare intently at the ones who appeared to be the most eager to dissect the strange girl's body apart. She could see that most of them were young, and probably desperate to prove their worth to their seniors, but she couldn't help but cast a disapproving glace to said seniors, who moments before were also eyeing the being in front of them like a specimen to be thoroughly tested.
After seeing that some of the expedition members' legs had begun to tremble as if they were desperate to alleviate themselves, her gaze softened a tiny little bit, and she retracted the bloodlust she had been using to giving them all a scare. Feeling like her work there was done; she turned to Tom, who was staring wide-eyed at her as sweat poured from every pore of his skin.
Well, shit. I did want to give those guys a lesson, especially Brandon, that fool, but I didn't really intend to affect the other members. One day! One day I'll refine my control of my aura! Until then, well... umm... sorry?
Ignoring the embarrassing thoughts that began to form on her head, the toned woman addressed the clearly unwell man who kept stealing glances at her, His arm still firmly gripped the handle of his axe, almost as if afraid of what would happen if he let go.
She felt bad for the man, of course, but there was nothing she could do except apologize for the incident in her head, since she would never allow her image to be tarnished like that. Her reputation was that of an iron-fisted commander, and she would rather it stayed that way.
*Cough* *Cough* "So, Tom, can you help me here with the girl? We need to bring her back to our camp before someone tries to do something with her, though I doubt we have anyone this foolish among us" Hearing the request, the man almost wanted to say no, but, after seeing for himself the sheer strength that the woman in front of her could unleash whenever she felt like it, he suddenly felt very compelled to play along with it.
"...Sure?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"I don't know, you ask me"
"I already did!"
"Well... shit"
"Pfft... heheheh. Aren't you a funny one! Come on, help me pick her up. You grab the head and I lift the legs"
"Sure"
Listening to the awkward conversation, the nearby men couldn't help but cringe under the official standardized brown-colored coats. A few of them thought the situation was completely ridiculous, with the demon who was just moments before belittling them now struggling to hold a conversation with a mere adventurer. Others however, had to hide their little grins as wild scenarios played on their heads.
Blissfully unaware of the situation, the two of them lifted the sleeping girl with such care that it made some question if that blood-seeking devil belonged to the same body of that woman capable of showing such affection. Of course, no one even dared to think about uttering these intrusive questions out loud, lest they caused hell's gates to once more open.
After making sure the girl was stable, Tom was asked to wait for the return and subsequent report of the two adventurers who had gone investigate the house where the unknown girl seemed to have come from. Minutes passed painfully slowly as the two of them held onto the girl, the complete silence that surrounded them almost unnerving.
Thankfully, this agonizing wait rapidly came to an end, as footsteps could be heard from within the house and, within a few more seconds, two figures left the shadows, their faces a mask of indifference. Tom had seen those expressions quite a few times before, as they were one of the reasons why he simply couldn't get along with the duo even if his life depended on it.
Those faces were the sign that they had found something bad, but said something didn't have anything to do with them. It was the coldness one would expect from an adventurer, but it was the one thing Tom never quite managed to get the hang of. Too emotional, some of his colleagues would call him. Too susceptible to loss is what they wanted to say. That lesson, Tom learned in the most gruesome of ways, and it still haunted him in his nightmares to this day.
And yet, different from the cold, cool, and indifferent duo, Tom resisted the urge to let go, to allow himself to sink into nothingness, to become a husk of what he had once been. It was a grueling task, one which he took years upon years to reach an acceptable level, but he didn't know if he would truly be himself if he had simply given up his emotions.
After all, could life even be enjoyed without them? What would be his reaction to a masterfully crafted poem recited by the most angelical of voices, if not apathy? What would he feel in face of tragedy, in front of unconquerable challenges, besides resignation? How would he live, knowing all it took to break him, to shatter him into unrecoverable pieces, was a difficult moment?
That was why he fought every day, to keep his sanity, to allow himself to continue being... him. And that was why he could never stand the brother and sister pair, who had long given up on anything other than themselves, their unfulfilled lives watching their every move, stalking, haunting, but never manifesting beyond their own minds.
Tom would almost feel bad for them, had he not heard about their story. Not from them, of course. Knowing what he knew, knowing what they had done, he would be hard pressed to find even a little bit of empathy to spare them. They had been fools, arrogant and ambitious, too hard-headed to be reasoned with, too pretentious to listen to others, too proud to turn back, too self-pitying to grieve, too weak to recover.
Without realizing it, the conversation had already moved on without him, and they appeared to be talking about who would assume the command of the exploration group while he and the actual woman-in-charge moved the girl to the camp. Tom listened, uninterested, as the boring conversation refused to come to a close.
"What makes you think you have the capabilities of leading this group? Don't overestimate your abilities, kid; it is clear that I should take command. If you can't see that, then you are just a fool, deluding yourself to think you are worth infinitely more than you true value"
"Ha, ha, ha. Your jokes are quite funny, but, unfortunately, old people should remain in bed, lest they stumble on the floor and laughably pass away. Look! It's almost noon, isn't it? Shouldn't you and these soon-to-be piles of bones you call friends be already asleep? You wouldn't want to develop problems due to your stubbornness, would you? So you should simply take a seat, relax, and allow the younger generation to take the lead"
"Heh, and allow myself to be made a fool by those close to my heart? Young man, it seems that being around so many brilliant minds made it so that you mistakenly thought you numbered among them. It is time you wake up from your delusions, boy, before you end up hurting yourself"
"Hurt myself?! Do you even hear what you're saying, granny?! Don't you see just how much more probable it is for you to be the one to end up hurt instead?! Don't you feel ashamed for trying to hog all the achievements for yourself and your so-called friends?! Can't you comprehend the need to allow the young to learn from experience?! How much of a fool can you be?!!!"
Seeing the heating discussion, Tom couldn't help but show a little smile. While he didn't appreciate the verbal violence hurled towards the seniors, or the passive aggressive tone used to the young, he had to admit that it was quite the amusing situation. However, not everyone thought like that.
"Silence, you fools! Either you stop this useless competition of insults, or I'll have you both come with me back to the main camp. The choice is yours, either speak like the dignified men, I thought you were, or leave like whiny brats"
At that, the young man, despite being backed by some of his colleagues, had to back down and concede victory to the other team, for he was terrified of angering that woman. The old lady, on the contrary, smiled mischievously, as she knew that the victory was hers. Even if these young men with inflated egos dared to show such blatant disrespect to their elders, they would never openly oppose absolute strength, of which the commander had in droves.
"Good. If that is decided, than I, along with Tom, will take my leave. Anna, Martin, I trust you to prevent any unnecessary squabbles from happening, and to protect these fools should anything happen. Do you understand?"
""Yes, ma'am!""
"Good, Then you shall continue with exploration. Come, Tom, let us take this girl back"
"...Okay"
And so, the long and tedious journey back began, with the two of them carefully maneuvering through the scattered debris, in order to make sure that the girl in their arms was as stable as they could make her. Of course, even if one of them stumbled, they most probably wouldn't fall, but any sudden movements should be avoided when dealing with a patient. At least, that was how the commander put it to Tom.
Eventually, though, the almost mute group arrived in the campsite, which was, by that point, very scarcely populated. There were some people tending the horses and doing things on the makeshift workstation that had been hurriedly built. Most of the remaining people didn't even bother to look at the arriving trio, too engrossed on their own activities, though the ones who did failed to hide their curiosity.
Only then, in a place where she felt more comfortable in, did the commander once more open her mouth. "Do you have somewhere we can take her? I wouldn't call what I've been sleeping on a bed, per se, so I refuse to allow her to be placed there"
"Don't we have beds for any patients that might arrive?"
"Oh, you're right! Huh, despite your appearance you're quite observant"
"Oi, what do you meant with that?!"
"Nothing, nothing. Come on, let’s get going"
"...You do know where the medical tent is, right?"
"Of course I know! I was required to learn before we set out in this expedition! You see, despite how I look, I'm an actual knight commander, so I had to take some responsibilities during my life"
"So you aren't as hopeless as you seem to be" Tom replied under his breath, which didn't prevent the woman walking right in front of him from hearing it.
"Huh?! Want to say that again?!"
"No ma'am. I would never dare, ma'am"
"Good, because we're here"
Tom couldn't see it; since he had his back turned to it, but in front of them sat the biggest tent in the entire camp. Even the little workshops sprawled across the plaza couldn't compare. After all, they didn't want anyone to die because they had been too stingy, so the people in charge had commissioned a tent of the highest size and quality they could find.
Inside, there were a few rows of lightly cushioned fabric rectangles, almost all of which remained empty. Out of the ten, two had people with pretty badly broken bones, their rusty swords thrown without much care to the side. Tom winced as he thought about the cuts in the budget originated from the superfluous needs of the explorers and researchers who had decided to mount an expedition to this old city. In the end, they had only managed to hire a few high-leveled adventurers, filling the obvious gaps with a bunch of lower-leveled ones.
Of course, this backfired in spectacular fashion, as demonstrated by the two groaning men whimpering on their uncomfortable beds. Thankfully, in the other piece of cloth was not a defeated warrior, but a girl still wearing her school's uniform, her eagerness to join the group resulting in a feverish state due to the stress she was put under.
Tom looked around, but he was unable to locate the doctor anywhere within the tent. With no better option, he sighed, before looking at the toned woman standing in front of him. "We should put her on one of these cloths and wait for a doctor. Or I can go find him"
"Of course, of course, the girl should be allowed some rest. The gods know the absurd trials she had to go through" Tom was, admittedly, quite curious about what exactly had happened to the girl, but he refrained from saying anything, as he thought it would sound bad if he admitted that he hadn't been paying attention to what Anna and Martin were saying. With a vague nod, they began walking to the closest empty mattress.
Slowly, they moved her down, carefully laying her such that she was facing the refined cloth used for the tent. Getting up from his awkward squatting position, Tom let out a sigh, his expression brightening just a little bit at the feeling of a job well done. Taking a glance to the woman to his side, he could see that she also appeared to be quite satisfied.
With that, they turned around, ready to begin the quest to find the doctor, wherever he may be. However, they were interrupted by a slow, raspy, almost inaudible voice coming from behind them. It sounded confused, wary, on edge, and, most of all, very, very tired.
"Where... am ...I?"