As the morning light gently spilled into the room, Iris stirred from her sleep. She sat up and stretched, feeling rejuvenated and prepared to face the day's trials. Making her way to the inn's baths, the adventurer tended to her morning rituals–relieving herself, and washing her face before carefully arranging her hair, ensuring it was tied tightly and out of the way.

Equipped and prepared, Iris secured her sword and descended the creaking wooden staircase, and entered the inn's common room. The early sunbeams streamed through the windows, casting a warm and inviting glow that embraced the charming rustic furniture, lending an air of coziness to the space.

Within the common room, Reeve Evelyn engaged in a lively conversation with two men and a woman at the bar. The village leader sipped from a small cup, her attention momentarily diverted as she caught sight of Iris approaching. With a friendly smile, Evelyn beckoned her over, a sense of anticipation in her voice. “Iris, just the person we were waiting for. You slept late!” she said with a chuckle. “I'd like you to meet these fine folks. After hearing about your quest with that fox, they were inspired. They're keen on becoming adventurers and have expressed an interest in joining the guild you’re forming.”

The eager expressions on the faces of the trio showed their excitement at the prospect of a new beginning. Iris couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, knowing that her efforts were starting to bear fruit. She greeted the aspiring adventurers warmly, her enthusiasm washing away the last vestiges of her tiredness like a shot of caffeine.

“I'm so glad to hear that you're interested in the Adventurer's Guild,” Iris said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I'd recommend making your way to Brightburn and meeting with Sera Tamril. She's a merchant turned administrator who's been helping me with the formation of the Guild. You'll find her at The Frolicking Fawn Inn.”

The woman, who seemed particularly eager to learn the ins and outs of the Guild, nodded vigorously. “Thank you, Iris. I hope to gain enough knowledge and experience to bring back to Stilstead and start a branch of the Adventurer's Guild here.”

Iris smiled encouragingly. “That's a wonderful goal. Just remember, it may be some time before I return to Brightburn and officially found the Guild. But in the meantime, Sera will be able to guide you and help you prepare for your new careers as adventurers.”

Evelyn gave the woman a proud smile. “As Reeve, I can’t be focusing on the quests myself. Especially with that cursed forest south of us, I figure we may become an important stop for such people. I’ll get her set up somewhere.”

Iris glanced around the inn. “Why not here? Expand the inn a bit and give her a counter. The adventurers can stay in the inn and drink and eat here in the tavern. It doesn’t have to be something fancy.”

The Reeve took on a thoughtful expression as she gazed around the inn. “That’s not a bad idea, Iris. Yeah, we can do that. Then we can have the quest board here in the common room.”

Iris smiled, happy to have helped. “See? Perfect.”

As the trio thanked Iris and left, preparing for their journey to Brightburn, she felt a surge of pride and hope for the future of the Adventurer's Guild. It held the potential to positively impact the lives of its members, a thought that filled Iris with optimism.

With the aspiring adventurers gone, Evelyn turned to Iris with a curious expression on her face. “So, what do you and this party of yours plan on doing next? I know you’ve had quite the adventure lately, but you don't seem like the type to sit idly by.”

Iris chuckled, appreciating Evelyn's insight. “You're right, I sat still for too long back in Cosdale. I guess now I’m filled with an anxious desire to get this done,” she said with a pensive sigh. “Our current plan is to follow a lead on the Marauder Prince. We found some intriguing documents at the bandit camp, and we're hoping they'll point us in the right direction. If we can figure it out, we’re going to head out today.”

Evelyn nodded, a slight frown appearing on her face. “I see,” she said her voice filled with genuine empathy and support. “Do be careful, Iris. That man has lasted as long as he has for a reason. But, it’s clear that your efforts are already making a difference, at least around here.”

As they continued to chat, Ser Meredith entered the inn, carrying a satchel over her shoulder. Spotting Iris, she approached with a warm smile. “Ah, Adventurer Iris! I apologize for missing you yesterday. I came by, but heard that you were out helping a local farmer with a… monster?”

Iris shrugged. “It was a magical beast, but I managed to handle it… I hope.”

“Ser Meredith, welcome,” Evelyn greeted the knight before turning her focus back to Iris. “I will let you two work. I have other business I must attend to. Thank you again, Iris. I hope that wherever your quest leads you, you will be safe and make your way back through Silstead again.”

Iris smiled. “Thank you, Evelyn. We’ll see each other again.”

As the reeve walked away, the knight nodded. “I've brought the documents I mentioned. The ones that we found at the other bandit camps,” she said while offering the bag to Iris. “I hope they'll be of some help in your investigation.”

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“Thank you, Ser Meredith,” Iris replied gratefully, accepting the satchel. “Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Why don’t you come take a look as well, an extra set of eyes can’t hurt.”

Together, Iris and Ser Meredith made their way to a table in the common room, spreading the documents across its surface. As they began to examine the papers, looking for any clues or connections to the Marauder Prince, the rest of Iris's party trickled down from their rooms, their curiosity piqued by the new information.

Bree joined them first, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she glanced over the documents. “What have you got there?” she inquired, her interest piqued.

Ser Meredith explained, “These are the documents we found in our raids. We're hoping they'll provide some insight into the Marauder Prince's whereabouts or intentions.”

Soon, Gryff, Laken, and Kaira joined the group as well, each of them taking a seat at the table and diving into the task at hand. They eagerly poured over the documents, searching for any hidden messages or patterns that might lead them closer to their quarry.

As they worked, the group discussed their findings, bouncing ideas and theories off one another. They compared the information they had gathered at the bandit camp with the new documents, hoping to uncover any connections or similarities.

“I've noticed that some of the symbols used in these documents seem to be repeated,” Ser Meredith observed, tracing a finger over one of the pages. “Perhaps they're some sort of code or shorthand?”

Gryff leaned in, examining the symbols more closely. “Hmm, could be. We should try to figure out what they mean. We could be overlooking crucial information.” He glanced over at Bree. “Want to take a shot at them again?”

Kaira, who had been mostly quiet up to this point, suddenly spoke up. “I think I've seen something like this before, back when I was part of an investigation into a particularly nasty gang in Brightburn. I think it was… a season before the Flash. The symbols were a way for criminals to communicate without being easily understood by outsiders.”

Ser Meredith snapped her fingers. “I remember that! Lady Arden was awake late every night for weeks as she worried about the populace. She nearly had the House Guard go door-to-door.”

The guard captain-turned-adventurer nodded, looking much better after another night of rest and healing. “It was brutal. But we figured it out. The symbols turned out to be markers that identified various targets, safe houses, and other crucial information. With that knowledge, we launched several key raids that led to the elimination of the leadership.”

Iris shook her head in disbelief. Just a season before the Flash had brought her to Eona, she had been studying Literature as her major. Fighting and magic were entirely foreign to her, something she had to learn out of necessity since arriving in this strange world. She’d always been sporty and worked out, but that only ensured she was decently in shape when she arrived.

Man, none of that shit really prepared me for this. It’s been hard work since I found my ass here, all that learning how to fight. And I’m still shit at it. Thank the gods for magic, eh?

The idea of wielding magic and fighting with a sword or bow would have seemed ludicrous to her, no matter how much she loved escaping into a good fantasy setting, but now it was her everyday life. It was as if she had stepped right into one of the fantastical stories she had studied back on Earth.

I wonder how some of my shows ended… You know, actually, thank the gods that this isn’t a cultivation setting. I’d suck ass at that.

With a sigh, she turned back and focused on the investigation.

They passed around the documents, but they ended up in front of the group's medic for her to analyze. After a bit, Bree's eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. “Wait, I think I've figured something out. There's a pattern to the way these symbols are arranged–it's another code!”

A code within a code? Codeception?

She chuckled, which garnered her a Look from Kaira. Iris quickly put on a serious face, but one that maybe seemed too exaggerated, because the cute pixie-haired elf laughed softly into her hand and rolled her eyes.

With the group's excitement mounting, they focused their efforts on deciphering the code hidden within the text. Bree once again proved her puzzle mastery as she cracked the code. She discovered that it mentioned something about an eye of the storm.

Laken’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait! A map, give me a map!”

Ser Meredith jumped up, telling them she’d be right back before rushing out the door. Iris raised a brow and was about to make a comment, but the woman burst back in holding a large rolled-up parchment.

“I got one!” the knight said with a bit more excitement than was probably warranted.

The woman sat down next to Iris and spread out the map on the table, while Laken scrambled and shifted through a stack of parchments. Gryff and Bree placed some mugs down on the corners so that the map would stay flat as Laken stared at it intensely. Kaira moved over and sat next to Iris as everyone waited for the man to reveal his revelation.

Laken's eyes widened in sudden realization, and he held his breath for a moment before exhaling sharply. “I found it! Look here,” he said, pointing at a reference in a letter and then down at the illustration on the map of a forest southwest of Cosdale. “The bandits have a hidden fort called Storm's End right in this location.”

Iris's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the point on the map. Her breath caught in her throat as a sense of shock and recognition slammed into her harder than Truck-kun ever could. The room fell silent, and everyone's eyes turned to her. Kaira, concerned, reached for Iris. “What is it?” she asked softly.

“That's... That’s where I arrived,” Iris whispered, her voice barely audible as the gravity of the situation sank in.

As they all stared at the map, suddenly a hand reached over Iris's shoulder and pointed at the same spot that the [Ranger] had indicated, accompanied by a series of barks and yips.

Everyone looked up, and Laken gasped.

Iris turned and found herself staring into the eyes of the kitsune, the mismatched colors of her irises were a delicious irony on a face that was oh so like her own.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as everyone's gaze fixed upon the unexpected visitor. The kitsune’s eyes were locked onto Iris's, her three tails swaying behind her, and after a moment of charged silence, a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face.