After their plan failed miserably in the worst possible way, the trio was chased out by the luminaries out of the town. However, the trio continued running for another two hours to reach a safe distance where they wouldn't get caught. Now stranded in the middle of grassy hills and plains stretching towards the horizon, with no money, food, shelter, a means of transportation, or even a new place to go to, the trio was only left with one option: To sit down and catch their breath before they stressed over their situation.

And that they did.

The trio, now tired and gasping for air, sat under the shadow of a tree. As they silently and calmly caught their breaths, the three sat down on the grass and relaxed their sore muscles, Joel breathing a sigh of relief before he spoke:

"I guess we can all agree that shit went sideways in the most colossal way."

"That would have been us getting caught. Or worse, I could've gotten another split on my ass." Mik corrected.

"Well…not the most colossal way, but you know what I mean."

"Thanks to you, idiots. Now we're stuck in nowhere, with nothing, and no one." Dolisia criticized in a frustrated tone.

"Yeah? Well maybe if you didn't insist on going there with a half-assed plan, maybe my ass wouldn't have been traumatized." Mik retorted, equally frustrated.

"Yeah? Well, if you had put the effort into telling me the whole story, I wouldn't have fucked up! Speaking of, what the hell did you two do? Unpaid meals, stolen wine, and a brothel? The fuck did you guys think was going to happen?"

"Oh piss off, I didn't do them on purpose!" Mik grunted, turning his head in shame.

"Huh?" Dolisia wondered.

"Right, we didn't tell her yet." Joel began, "So, basically. We stumbled onto this tavern that said 'Free Foods and Drinks'. We thought we hit the jackpot and ate until our fullest. But whoopsie do, the tavern doesn't offer free food and drinks, and the sign actually said 'Free's Foods and Drinks', so that's the first fuck up.

"We made our escape but took some wine with us before we ran like hell. After which we needed directions to exit the town, so Mik came up with the bright idea to ask. Ding ding ding, you guessed it, he went to the brothel for such."

"What?!" Dolisia bellowed, "Who the hell asks directions from a goddamn brothel!"

"I didn't know it was a brothel, okay?!" Mik retorted, embarrassment plastered on his face.

"I attest to that, neither of us knew. And that's where shit hit the fan." Joel continued, "We got in, tried to ask, but we were lured in by all the prostitutes there. It felt good until the owner of the brothel thought that you were a prostitute as well. Long story short, it started with an argument, heated with threats, and climaxed with an all-out free for all before we got the hell out of there as well."

"What the fuck, you guys?! How are you two so bad at explaining everything!" Dolisia growled

"Yeah? Well, luck is never on our side, just roll with it." Joel calmly explained.

"Goddamnit, I regret ever being a goddess in the first place! Besides..." She wondered, "Why the fuck did you not tell me the whole story?!"

"Well, we thought there's no need to. You're a goddess, no matter the situation you'll solve it. And speaking of..." Joel interrupted, "You're a goddess, right? What the hell kind of useless goddess can't fend off a guy with a sword? We thought you'd be able to freeze time, or AT LEAST open a portal or some shit!"

"Because I'm not in my godly realm!" She retorted.

"Wait, what?" Mik uttered, awestruck. "You're a goddess that can't use your powers?"

"In here? Yeah, I am. I can't make your problems disappear with a flick of a wrist, you lazy morons."

"Then why the hell are you here?!" Mik argued, "Who the hell sends a useless goddess to overseer when she's the one that needs the overseeing?!"

"Shut up! Shut the hell up! I was forced to because of my superior, and I hate it more than you do, you pair of moronic assholes!"

Upon releasing her anger into one shout of frustration, Dolisia lay her head on the ground, breathing deeply as she contemplated her ordeal.

"Goddamnit…we don't even know where to go, or what to do right now." Dolisia sighed.

As Dolisia voiced her worries, silence loomed over the conversation. Despite this being just the start of their journey, the trio were both physically, and mentally exhausted due to their complicated situation. As they relaxed under the sunlight, slowly drifting into sleep, the trio was knocked out of dreamland due to the sudden voice that called out to them from nearby.

"Oi! Oi! You three!" An elderly voice called out.

Awoken by the sudden voice, the trio hastily opened their eyes to check their surroundings, falling upon the sight of a wooden wagon on the dirt track in front of them, the driver of which was the old man that called out.

He was an elderly man with short grey hair and a short goatee—dressed in a white shirt, gray woolen pants, brown leather boots, and a brown cape. A friendly smile plastered on his face as he waved at the trio with a straw hat that he held in his hand.

"Oi, lads! Sunset is close, what's gotten you out here so late?" The old man asked as he put his straw hat on.

"Alright, let me do the talking now." Dolisia whispered to the duo before shifting her gaze towards the old man, "We lost the way in our journey and got stranded here, sir!"

"Oi, really? You lot are going to Hilltop then, no?" The old man inquired.

"Yes! We were on our way there!" Dolisia replied, enthusiastically. "If possible, can you show us the right path, kind sir?"

"Absolutely! I happened to be on my way there, you may ride along with me!"

"You'll take us there?" Dolisia inquired.

"Absolutely! The ride's a bit long, so I'd love some company!"

With a smug smile plastered on her face, Dolisia turned toward the duo.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"You're right, luck is on MY side." Dolisia said, "Now come on, we have a ride to catch."

The trio boarded the wagon. Mik and Joel were sitting in the back along with the many boxes and barrels of goods, while Dolisia was riding in front with the driver. As they boarded the wagon, the old man extended his hand toward Dolisia for a handshake before introducing himself.

"Alan Frost, a pleasure to meet you." The old man introduced himself in a friendly voice and smiled.

"Dolisia, pleasure's all mine." Dolisia introduced with a friendly smile before turning towards the duo, "The red-haired one is Mik, and the other is Joel."

"Nice to meet you. " Joel replied.

"Same." Mik replied.

"Well, a lovely bunch you all are." Alan stated with a smile, "So, what brought you out here? You all look like clean, respectable lads. All the more strange you were out in nowhere."

"Oh, we were actually stranded there. We were planning to go on a little journey, but Mik's sense of direction is a little off, so we got stranded out in nowhere." Dolisia explained, finishing with a friendly laugh.

"Without any equipment?" Perplexed, Alan questioned.

"Yeah…thinking back to it, it wasn't such a bright idea." Joel interrupted.

"Aye, don't go harsh on yourselves. You're all young, mistakes happen." Alan comforted, "However, you're lucky I found you before sunset. The night crawls with animals and bandits, it's unsafe to be out at such a time, especially for people who are not from these lands."

"Eh?" Dolisia uttered, confused. "How can you tell?"

"Oh, that's obvious. You don't dress like the people from these parts. Moreover, your friend carries something that isn't from here." Alan said, referring to Mik's revolver.

Upon hearing Alan's words, Mik and Joel's eyes shot up at the latter, dread flooding their minds from the spontaneous remark.

"For your safety, I reckon you hide it. The people of these parts don't take kindly to strangers, so it's best if you keep it hidden somewhere safe." Alan explained, "But aye, I've had my fair share of exploration. Hence why I took kindly to you lot."

"I see. Thank you for the help, Alan." Dolisia said.

"Anytime."

"Mind if I ask, but…what brought you here, Alan?" Joel questioned.

"Oh, I'm a merchant." Alan replied, "A part-time merchant since I only work in springtime."

"Hm? How come only in spring?" Dolisia wondered.

"Well, I'm retired. And I don't work for money, since I have enough for me to live with all my expenses covered until I pass away..." Alan said before taking a deep breath, gazing at the beautiful landscape, "But the beauty of these lands, and going on a journey…It would be a waste not to make the most of it, especially since I'm an old man, calmness and relaxation are luxuries that many people can't afford, and much more would die for."

Upon hearing his words, the trio gazed at the landscape as well. And true to the former's words, the glamorous light of sunset that bathed the landscape emphasized the beauty of these lands, one that was truly a luxury with no affordable price.

"What about you, lads? What do you work in?" Alan asked with a friendly smile.

"Oh, well…how should I put this…" Dolisia said, averting her gaze.

"We don't have a job at the moment. In fact, it's the reason why we started our journey." Joel stated.

"Oh? So you're all jobless?"

"Well, our current job is looking for a job, does that count as a job?" Joel wondered.

"Wouldn't that cancel the former?" Dolisia argued.

"So are we jobless or not?" Mik asked.

"Depending on your outlook on life. Pessimistic? You're jobless. Optimistic? You're still jobless, but you're just looking at it positively." Joel asserted.

As he heard the trio's surreal debate, Alan couldn't help but release a hearty laugh. He wiped a tear from his eye before speaking.

"You lot truly are something. I'm glad I don't regret picking you up." Alan said as he gazed at the sunset, which now disappeared beyond the hills. "However, we'll have to take a little break. I don't mean to interrupt your fun debate, but the sun's already set. We'll need to spend the night here for now."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Dolisia inquired.

"Risky, yes. However, continuing on through the night would be worse. It's better to spend the night regaining your energy with a good night's rest than continue on while tired, we wouldn't even be able to defend ourselves against any bandits we cross paths with."

"Reasonable enough. Though I don't suppose you have enough camping equipment for three more people?" Joel queried.

"You kidding? I always carry extra for any special occasions!" Alan affirmed, "Rest easy, I have enough for all of us to eat, drink, and sleep."

Comforted by the latter's words, the trio shared glances of relief knowing that—finally—someone in this world was kind enough to help them and cater to their needs. Their troublesome detour has fortunately ceased in exchange for a relaxing night.

Or so they thought.

….......

After dining with beans and bread, the trio was finally ready to get some well-deserved good night's rest. Moreover, Alan was kind enough to offer a blanket for each, and let them sleep inside the wagon as the latter slept under it. Alan was the first to fall asleep, followed by Mik, then Joel, and lastly Dolisia. For the first couple of hours, the trio slept soundly and calmly, not a care in the world for their fatigue was greater than to stress over some unseen harm.

However—unbeknownst to them—the harm was very much real. Furthermore, it was stalking them from the shadows of the hills nearby, awaiting the precise moment to strike.

On top of the hill, hidden behind a line of bushes, there hid six men. Each of them was armed with either a stick or a dagger. They were bandits, the very bunch that Alan preferred to camp the night over than to continue on the way and cross paths with.

"There it is, that damned wagon." Said the first bandit. "Three days of following it, now we finally got the opportunity to strike."

"Oi, he's a merchant. You never know what he has on his wagon." The second bandit interrupted.

"Oh, come on. We're six guys. He's like, what, a fart away from death?" The third bandit argued.

"It's not just him. There are also three different people with him. One's wearing white." The first bandit stated.

"Oi, seriously? A luminary's with them?" The fourth bandit questioned.

"By the looks of it, no. They don't have the star on their back, but who knows? It's a damned woman either way." The first bandit affirmed.

"Hah! Like that'll ever make a difference!" The fifth bandit laughed.

"Shut it, idiot! You're gonna expose us." The sixth bandit scolded.

"Right, right, sorry. Anyways, what're we doing?"

"We're striking the iron while it's hot." The first bandit said, "Follow my lead."

As he gestured for the five other bandits to follow him, the leader made his way from the bushes, and down the hill towards the campsite. They were silent, mindful to not make any noise so they may strike unexpectedly.

For any normal human, the bandits would have gone undetected and unnoticed. However, the red-haired boy was by no means normal.

As the bandits were still making their way to the campsite, Mik jolted up from his sleep, his eyes open wide as he observed his surroundings. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but his senses were alarming him of a danger that loomed nearby. To have his doubts confirmed, he woke up both Joel and Dolisia.

"Joel, Dolisia. I think we have some visitors."

"Five, just give me five minutes," Joel said as he turned around.

As for Dolisia, she was silent.

"Joel, I don't want to alarm you, but I think there's someone coming into our camp, and it's not just one." Mik stated.

"Huh? You sure?" Joel questioned, rubbing his eyes.

"Positive. I think it may be bandits." He replied.

"Shit…" Joel whispered as he turned to Dolisia, "Dolisia, we have visitors."

"Hm?" Dolisia grumbled as she turned toward the latter, her eyes shut. "Tell that to Alan."

"Oh, right. See if Alan is there." Joel suggested to Mik.

In response, the latter peeked out from the wagon before checking under it. Much to his dismay, Alan was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit…" Mik whispered.

"What?"

"He's not there."

Upon hearing his words, Dolisia jolted up from her sleep. Her bloodshot eyes opened wide as she glared at Mik.

"WHAT?!" Dolisia fumed, "How the hell is he not there?!"

"I don't know, he just isn't,"

"He set us up!" Dolisia whispered, "That old bastard set us up!"

….......

As the trio argued and stressed over their current predicament, an unlikely spectator watched from a safe distance. He was the very person that 'set up' the trio, albeit he didn't. From the top of a tree branch, there sat Alan, bitting on an apple as he watched the campsite from far away, not a care in the world as he anticipated the unfolding scenery.

Upon finishing his apple, Alan pulled out a spyglass from his pocket, using it to get a closer look at the campsite. His eyes fell upon the bandits who were nearing their target.

"Oho…" Alan said, chuckling. "The fun will finally begin."

He shifted his spyglass at the wagon, anticipating the trio's next actions.

"Now then…" He said, "We'll see what you're really capable of. Good luck, you three."

As to why he watched from afar, not aiding the trio in any way, is still unknown. However, Alan was very enthusiastic about watching the scene unfold. He trusted his senses, for whatever tingling feeling he got when he first saw the three has only skyrocketed as of the moment. He was sure that this would be a scene worthy of watching.