On the coast, Tisha looks over her boat as the other three stare up at her. She stands on the bridge checking the cabin and the supplies they gifted her from the group. She nods before jumping off of the boat and landing in front of them.

“This boat is impressive. Better than the one I had before.”

Faye snickers. “I wouldn’t call what you rode in on a boat. It was more like a raft.”

“Faye, that’s mean,” Mila says.

“I can’t help it.”

Fiona rolls her eyes. “Listen, we owe you for your help in the Dungeon. But if you cause trouble on the island, we will fight you.”

Tan nods, hiding behind Mila. “I’m not scared of you…. anymore.”

Tisha sighs. “Listen. I didn’t like Glyn because he was a Half-Elf, but I was wrong for looking down on him. To fight as hard as he does even under his circumstances is impressive, even if he were a full-blooded Elf.”

“Are you sure you have to go?” Mila asks.

“Huh?” The girls ask.

She lowers her head. “Glyn needs powerful people to fight in the game. We only have a week left, so we have little time to go out looking for more people to join us. If you were to fight alongside us, that would ease my mind a little.”

“She has a point.” Fiona nods. “Any allies we could gain would be of help.”

Faye sighs. “Well, whatever helps us win.”

Tan flies up, looking at the group. “Are you guys nuts? I admit she’s strong, but we can’t trust her, can we?”

“Listen, I know you guys have it rough either way. But I want to go home. I may have found some respect for Glyn. He’s still a Half-Elf, and I’d be bringing shame to my ancestors to work under one.”

Tan takes a sigh of relief. “See, she can’t do it. We should just go home.”

“Well, if you change your mind, then we’ll be at the manor…. Or in the Dungeon training,” Mila says.

“If you ever come back, let’s fight. Under better terms.” Fiona says.

Faye nods. “Bring snacks.”

Tan hides behind Mila again. “Don’t come back. I’ll beat your ass if you ever come back to the island.”

“Calm down already, Tan,” Faye says.

“But she’s getting off easy!”

“Just let it go.”

“No!”

Tisha smirks as she leaves, walking away from the shoreline as she turns back to the boat. She climbs up on the deck and looks over her supplies once more before looking at the staff leaning on the back of the cabin.

Her mind goes back to the day before as the group leaves the Dungeon. Glyn holds onto the Dungeon’s Core as Mila carries a box in her hands. Tisha eyes the box curiously as the others surround her. As they exit the Dungeon and reach the top of the mountain, everyone takes a sigh of relief. Zanrit falls to his knees, looking up at the night’s sky for the first time in weeks.

“It’s….”

“Enjoying it, big guy?” Glyn asks, patting Zanrit on the back.

Zanrit nods. “Yes. It’s been some time.”

“Well, enjoy it. You’ve defiantly earned it.”

“Thank you.”

Glyn smiles. “Think nothing of it.”

“What should we do with this?” Mila asks.

“Let’s open it here. I’m hoping we get some useful equipment or a powerful weapon.” Faye says.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Glyn nods. “Yeah, it’s probably best to do it here.”

“How can we tell what’s inside?” Mila asks shaking the box. “It must be pretty small.”

Glyn shakes his head. “No. That box is like the Dungeon the space inside is larger than the container. Anyway, we open it and whatever’s inside spits out and then we use it however we like.”

“Well, let’s get on with it!” Faye yells out.

Tisha stares at the box holding tightly onto her bow.

“But first. Fiona stop!”

The group turns to Fiona, standing behind Tisha, holding out her ax. She sighs, putting her weapon down as she stares at Glyn. “Listen, this one was planning to steal the treasure from us. How can we trust her?”

“It’s fine. She wouldn’t dare taint her Elven honor by attacking an opponent she fought alongside and stealing from them.” Glyn explains.

Tisha sighs, putting her bow down. “Seriously. I was only planning to defend myself. I figured you’d have them attack me, since you can’t trust me completely.”

“Well, you’ve earned some trust and I know a know a warrior of your caliber wouldn’t do anything to dishonor herself.”

Tisha smirks. “It’s a shame. If only you were an Elf or even fully Human.”

“You call it a shame. But I’m fine being the Half-Elf that I am. It’s everyone else who has the issue.” Glyn says.

Miller smirks. “With that, I can say she’s definitively not our enemy.”

“For now, at least,” Tisha says.

“Now Mila, if you would,” Glyn says.

Mila stares at the box in her hands. “Why me? I….”

“It’s an old tradition. The person who killed the monster gets the first pick at the spoils. Since you delivered the final blow, you get to open the box and if it’s useful for you, you can keep it.”

Miller nods, holding her shoulder. “You were great in there, Mila.”

“Yeah, you were badass!” Faye yells out.

Ivar and Fiona nod as Tisha and Zanrit smile at her. She takes in a breath and grabs the lid of the box.

“Okay. Please be something useful.” She says, lifting it slowly.

A light shines from the inside of the box, illuminating the darkness of the night for a moment. As the light fades, the box disappears and Mila stands holding a large metal staff in her hands. Everyone stares at the staff as Glyn takes it to inspect the weapon.

“Well, crap.” He says.

“What?” Mila asks.

“It’s powerful. But it’s useless for us.”

“How so?” Miller asks.

“It’s a mage’s staff. It enhances one’s magical capabilities and allows one to use high-level spells almost effortlessly. A powerful tool for any mage. Sadly, we have no mages.”

Faye sighs. “So all that effort for something useless?”

“No, there’s more we can do. We could sell it off for a lot of money, possibly more money than this island has ever seen. But I have a more worthwhile use for it if Mila agrees.”

“Huh?”

“It’s your call whether we keep it.”

Mila freezes and stares at the staff. “Let’s use it for whatever you want.” She says.

“Are you sure?” Miller asks.

She nods. “I know what it feels like to be useless and just sit around wanting to be of use. And even if it’s an inanimate object, a part of me doesn’t want to let anyone else feel this way.”

“That sounds like such a you answer. Alright, then I’ll put it to good use.” Glyn turns to Tisha and thrusts the staff into her arms. “You take it.”

“Huh?”

“I see a bribe to get rid of her?” Faye asks.

“In a way. You said you wanted the treasure to buy your way back home. And while it’s not enough to just outright buy the Elven lands, this will at least either make someone powerful or give you a good amount of coin.”

Tisha stands stunned. “I….”

“And I’ll toss you in another deal. Your little raft might not be enough to get you home. But I’ll let you use my prototype commissioned ship to sail back and give you some supplies, too.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why are you being so nice? Is this some way to buy my loyalty?”

“No. I just want you out of my hair. If you stick around, you’re a liability, a rogue factor I can’t afford to have in the gameboard. Since you want to follow my orders unless you are in danger, getting rid of you is the next best thing.”

She smirks. “A pragmatist, are you?”

“Call it what you will. But I’ve got a lot to do and I can’t worry about you potentially getting in my way.”

She smirks. “Fine. Then I’ll gladly get out of your way and take this staff for my own. Don’t regret it later when you find a useful mage.”

“Trust me, it’s better to get you out of my hair than anything else,” Glyn says with a smile.

In the present, Tisha stands on the boat and stares off into the distance.

“I owe a great debt, don’t I?” She asks herself pausing. “I have no idea if this will let me go home. But if I leave before I pay my debt, then I’ll never get the chance to.”

She sighs, walking into the boat and taking the staff. “Alright then. This may be an excuse, but it’s what I have to do. I’m going to join that idiot and I’ll make him say he’s thankful for my help.”

She leaps off the boat with the staff and walks up the beach up a hill. “I’m going to show just how useful I am.”