“Damn Zalia, that is one wild of a story,” Ember said with a low whistle.

“Yeah, it has definitely been an experience. I’m glad to be out of there, back to fresh air and lively forests,” Zalia agreed.

They were still seated at the little table in Harrick’s bar, amongst a few other higher ranked people minding their own business. Ember was drinking a brightly coloured cocktail with the top of a plant Zalia didn’t recognise sticking out of it. She had her own, though was making her way through it significantly slower than Ember was.

Ember was uncharacteristically peppy, joyous even, which confused Zalia a little bit having known her before the entire kingdom went to shit.

“Now, do you want to explain to me why you’re so happy?” Zalia asked.

“Happy? I wouldn’t say that. I am feeling a lot more hopeful, though.”

“Yeah, why is that?”

“Well, as bad as things look, I’ve been out there helping people, saving lives, basically since you vanished. Before the demons appeared, people were selfish, greedy, indulgent. They would kick down their neighbour if it would give them an advantage, more often than not. Now though, I see people helping others despite danger, despite having next to nothing themselves. This shared adversity has brought many of the people out there together, as if they understand that this isn’t about personal gain but the survival of the kingdom, perhaps the world. That gives me hope,” Ember explained.

Zalia mulled it over. While that certainly was true, she was a little bit surprised to find that Ember had found hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. She hadn’t seen what Zalia had seen, though, so maybe that would change. She hoped not.

“Alright, fair enough. What now? Are you going to go back out there?” Zalia asked.

“Yeah, I’ll give it a day, get some supplies and make my way down south west this time.”

“Might I convince you to come north with me instead?”

“Oh? Possibly, why do you want to go north?” Ember asked.

“Well, remember that starlight wolf god spirit thing that blessed my bow a while back, it told me that the first step to achieving some of my goals lies in the north, in the snow. I figure that means with Those Born of Heat and Stone,” Zalia explained.

“Oh shit, I forgot about them in all this. I wonder if they’re doing ok,” Ember said.

“I hope so. They did have one of those ritual sites on the mountain above them. Though, they were united as a race even before this happened, I’m sure they’re doing just fine,” Zalia said.

The conversation brought back memory of the other types of races similar to Glemp’s. Those Born of the Watery Depths and… Those Born of Wind and Sky? She didn’t quite remember the exact names Delphi had given them. Delphi…

Shaking her head, she absently tapped on the table.

“Alright, I’ll come north with you. I want to go by all the towns we can on our way there though, deal?” Ember said.

“Deal,” Zalia agreed.

Having Ember along would be helpful, as she was a healer herself. One that could do a lot more healing in a shorter time than Zalia could, though she was more of an extended fight kind of fighter herself.

“What happened with Zen?” Zalia asked.

“Zen? I don’t know. Haven’t you asked Indis about him?”

“I did, she said that Zen wanted nothing more to do with it, that he asked to be left out of everything,” Zalia explained.

Ember nodded.

“That’s right. Though I wish she had kept you out of her scheming and political bullshit as well. I assume you’ve seen the wondrous statue of yourself in the centre of the camp?”

“Uhhhh, tell me about it. It’s a nightmare come true. Do you know there was a mob of people asking me where I’ve been and what I was going to do about the demons on the first day I arrived here?” Zalia asked incredulously.

“I’m not surprised, the way Indis has been talking you up,” Ember said with a chuckle

“So I told them all that Indis would answer all of their questions and she’s had one big headache for the past two days. Definitely glad I did that,” Zalia said, smiling as well.

“I’ll bet she hated that. Did she know where you had been yet?”

“Nope.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Even better!” Ember said, laughing.

Zalia laughed too, happy to be in good company.

Boreal was busy attempting to sneak up on Harrick to perhaps steal some food or drink from the man but no matter what she tried, the man saw her and stopped her. Zalia would have stopped the behaviour but Harrick didn’t seem to mind, simply laughing at Boreal’s antics.

“You do know that what I’ve discovered means that Endaria didn’t steal these lands from the Bathar, right?” Zalia asked Ember, after a short moment of silence.

Ember shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m not worried about that, quite the opposite really. It’s good to hear that my own kingdom hasn’t committed a huge crime against an entire people and in fact, actually took in those said people as refugees. I’m just a bit confused as to how that history has been lost. Surely someone should have known about this, where are all the documents and tales or anything that points to these events in history? That’s what I’m more concerned about,” Ember explained.

Zalia frowned, it was a good point.

“Hmm, maybe when they evacuated some of the demons got through with them? Maybe this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened before?” Zalia pondered.

“Well, that’s a little concerning.”

“Also a good thing. If this has happened before, then the invasions were fought off those times too,” Zalia pointed out.

“But if that were the case, the state of the kingdom left behind must have been so dire that no history or recollection of those events endured. That doesn’t bode well,” Ember said.

“Hmm, well maybe not then. I don't know, maybe they didn’t write things down back then. From what I’ve read and seen, it looks like these events happened a very long time ago, closer to the formation of Endaria as a kingdom at all. Who knows what has transpired since then?”

“Possible. No point wondering about it, it’s not like we can find any answers to those questions right now,” Ember sighed.

“Actually, I might be able to. The starlight wolf would have been around then, maybe they know something. I wish I’d asked Ro-ak when I had the chance…”

“He sounds like a good friend,” Ember said.

“He wa- is a good friend. There was much I could have learnt from him, I just had so much to think about in those last days in Cormaine that I didn’t get the chance,” Zalia explained.

“I can see why, I think I might’ve been the same way,” Ember empathised.

“Oh, you should come by and see my Grove,” Zalia exclaimed.

“Your Grove? I thought you said that was in Cormaine?” Ember asked in confusion.

“Well, the first one was yes. Looks like I can kind of um, move it around a bit. Well, if it is destroyed I can set another up. Or if I release the magic… anyway you get the idea. I set the Grove up nearby, Aylie is there along with a whole bunch of ani-”

“Aylie?” Ember asked.

“Oh, right. Yeah, I found Aylie being hunted by a demon, a type like a feline with a disjointed jaw and slime coating it.”

“Ah yeah, I know the type. I’ve killed a few, nasty fuckers.”

“Speaking of, what kind of abilities did you get from becoming Bronze?” Zalia asked.

“Besides everything becoming more… well, more, one of my Healer class abilities transformed to help me a lot in my recent activities. It is a little uh, strange? Or well, reactive, I guess, to what I’m doing at the time. It is kind of a bit odd. It’s a little bi-”

“Ember, please, just read out what it does,” Zalia interrupted.

“Ok so, when I activate it, the ability helps a community in an impactful way dependent on what I am doing at the time,” Ember explained.

“That’s a little vague,” Zalia said.

“I know right? It is very, very vague. But I’ve found it really helpful! This one time, I was trying to get a group of refugees to safety from a group of Iron demons. I could have taken them on my own but with their numbers… let's just say they were getting around me. One second, a whole bunch of them were moments away from killing the people I was trying to protect, the next, they were protected by a large dome. Another time, it created a whole bunch of food for a town I was trying to help feed. It does things like that, always to help whichever community or person I’m trying to help. It really has helped take care of a lot of things I wouldn’t have been able to help with previously.”

“It does sound very useful,” Zalia admitted.

“What about you?” Ember asked.

“I’ve got a few nice bits and pieces. The extra five abilities I have on most others have been shining as of late. I’ve got away with a few stupid moves that I wouldn’t have otherwise simply because I am stronger than your conventional Bronze ranker.”

Zalia went on to describe the basics of what her abilities could now do and how they were slowly evolving to create synergies between classes.

“I’ve had similar experiences, such as my combat passive gaining an ability that increases the amount of healing I receive based on how wounded I am,” Ember said.

“Hey I’ve got one that does that too.”

“Healing abilities used often in combat usually get something like it.”

“That they do. Want to come see the Grove now? I’ve got a spare bed or twenty,” Zalia asked.

“Don’t mind if I do, lets go!” Ember agreed, standing from the table with a little wobble.

Zalia felt it as well, just a bit tipsy from the one drink she’d had. She wasn’t surprised Ember was wobbling based on the four empty glasses in front of her.

Since they’d already paid, or rather Ember had and a not insignificant sum at that, as expected from a Gold rank brewer, they left the bar with a wave and a stumble.

With Boreal helping hold up Ember, they left the camp. With Zalia lithely leading the way and Ember wobbling after, they found themselves at the Grove.

“Woahhh, look at that,” Ember said in awe as they walked through the entrance arch.

While during the day, the Grove was a beautiful sight, the nighttime was absolutely stunning. The warm lights floating about under the treetops cast dancing shadows amongst the boughs and trunks. In the leaves of the canopy above, little worms were emitting a light blue glow that was somehow both conflicting yet complimentary with the warmth of the lights and a reflection of the stars glittering far above.

“Welcome to the Grove,” Zalia said, the warmth of the lights entering the tone of her voice.