The next day, after having a proper –if lacking– breakfast, they set back out parallel to the road, resuming the jog toward where they thought –hoped– the caravan would’ve gone. They started much faster than before, knowing they’d have to catch up, but invigorated and with their determination steeled by the night before. But they jogged, and jogged, and jogged, and the caravan was nowhere to be seen.

“They couldn’t have gone much farther, right?” Tham asked with a frown. “I mean, they must’ve slept at some point as well.”

“Yeah,” Kayden agreed, pursing his lips. “We should be close.”

Then, as if laughing at them, the road split up before them, forking into two separate paths.

“Great,” Kayden muttered. “Just what we needed.”

“The cart tracks should be visible,” the Mimicker called out from Kayden’s back. “That’s how carts and tracks work.”

“Never been much of a tracker myself,” Kayden sighed. “That I remember.”

Kayden and Tham crouched each in a different road, trying to figure out where the caravan may have gone. And, surprisingly enough, Kayden did see wheel tracks leading off through the road on the right, deep and steady. But just as he looked up to tell Tham, Tham spoke.

“Here they are!” Tham jumped. “Found them!”

“Uhhh, really?” Kayden hesitated.

“Yeah! So, this way.”

“That’s not good,” Kayden frowned. “I… I found them too. Going this way. Wait a minute. Now that I look at it. There’s not just this one track. There are a lot of tracks.”

“Oh. That’s not good,” Tham said.

“Big roads usually have a lot of tracks,” the Mimicker agreed.

“...Good point,” Kayden admitted. “Now what?”

Tham started to look around, into the forest and beyond the road. Finally, he perked up, and called out to Kayden.

“I can see something over there,” he said. “It looks like a wooden cabin of sorts, or an inn. Maybe we can ask over there. They’ll surely have seen something of use.”

Kayden looked over and indeed saw what was a pretty small wooden building, built up in a clearing in the trees. It had some makeshift stables next to it, where plenty of horses and non-imperial carts were resting –way too many for it to make sense.

“Sure, let’s go,” Kayden agreed.

As they approached it they realized it had a sign hanging above the front door, reading, ‘Chafter’s Wandering Wonderinn.’ It looked like a pretty normal inn, though. As they reached it, Kayden opened the door, which opened inward. He paused at the door as he looked in.

“What is–?” Tham started, but trailed off as he saw the inside.

Kayden would have had a tough time describing the insides of the Wandering Wonderinn had he been asked. It shared some aspects with common inns, but it was just… wrong. Its interior oversize jarringly clashed with its exterior look, and neither gravity nor space seemed to mean anything here. Doors were everywhere –not just on the walls, but on the floor and ceiling as well. Patrons entered one door on one wall and exited through another door on the opposite wall. The serving bar seemed to cross the entirety of the inn, like a snake slithering through it all. There were windows to the outside, but they all showed different filters of the same forest in different angles.

Kayden knew it should be unsettling and dizzying, but it just felt… homey, in a weird sort of way. Patrons were laughing and drinking everywhere, all outfitted in adventuring gear and armed with all sorts of strange stuff that shouldn’t be considered weapons. And they were not all human, either. A single right hand with a face, a sword with a face, a door with a face. Too many creatures and too many faces.

“It is wondrous,” the Mimicker said. Kayden, mouth agape, couldn’t have said it better.

“Heeeyyy!” a deep, rough, and joyful voice called out to them, pulling Kayden out of his stupor. “New faces!”

The one that had spoken was a broad-shouldered and bearded middle-aged man, approaching them with his arms opened wide.

“Can never get enough of those. What’s y’all’s names?” he asked, grinning.

“Uhh, I’m Kayden, and this is Tham,” Kayden said. “Oh, and the sword’s the Mimicker.”

With that, the whole Wonderinn and its patrons went dead silent.

Kayden gulped.

Did they recognize me? he thought, nervous. From the ‘Wanted’ posters?

“Did you just say…” another patron from a nearby table whispered, “‘Mimicker’?”

“Uhhhhh,” Kayden hesitated. “Yeah. What about it?”

Silence.

“Hey, kid,” the man who had greeted them, who seemed to be the owner, started. “Look, it’s awkward if you don’t know about it, but… that sword you’re carrying is one of the most powerful artifacts in the world. It’s a Capital Sword.”

“Yeah,” Kayden said. “I already knew that.”

“So…” the man continued. “By carrying it, you paint a bullseye on your back. People will come hunting you from all around the world just to get that sword. Guilds like the Tunique Storm would kill for it. But anyone who attempts violence inside the Wandering Wonderinn is kicked out. My point?” The man paused for a moment. “You see, my name’s Abner Chafter, and I’ve vowed never to let down a fellow adventurer in need, no matter their quest. Therefore, I’ve got an offer for you. Stay with us. Join the Wondrous Wanderers Guild.”

“But you don’t even know who we are,” Kayden said. “Why would you offer us this?”

With that, the whole tavern bellowed into laughter. Chafter spoke again. “Kiddo-kid, it may sound like I’m offering the lot of you this chance because of your sword, but we all here know who you are. The whole world knows who you are. We’re offering you this because we’re hiring. There’s been a significant lack of adventurers these last couple of centuries. We’re here to change that. Besides, if you become a Wondrous Wanderer today you’ll get a 15% coupon off all drinks at the bar tonight. One-time offer.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“We actually just wanted to ask for…” Tham started but trailed off as he saw Kayden’s expression.

“...An adventurers’ guild?” Kayden said. “You could hire me… to have adventures?”

“That’s right!” Chafter said with a grin. “Safe adventuring for all ages in a danger-free environment, questing to make the world a better place.”

“Can I, uh, think about it?” Kayden said.

“Sure thing!” Chafter said. “We’re going north now if you wanna hitch a ride with us. If you’ve never traveled by Wandering Wonderinn before, this is sure to be quite an experience.”

“Excuse me,” Tham interjected. “Did you see an imperial caravan going north some few hours ago?”

“We did,” Chafter nodded. “You following it? We can follow the route it took; after all, we go where we please.”

“We would appreciate that,” Tham said.

And so they settled down at a table inside Chafter’s Wandering Wonderinn, not really sure what was going to happen. A few minutes later and after a call of ‘Please steer clear of the closing doors,’ the Wonderinn unexpectedly lifted off the floor as if growing up legs, leaving the stables behind, and started swinging gently back and forth like a ship on the sea. Curiously enough, the doors that closed moments earlier were all see-through from this side, and so through them and the windows Kayden and Tham enjoyed looking out at everything they wouldn’t have to walk through.

“This is actually nice,” Kayden said as he looked around the Wonderinn. People of all sorts were enjoying the ride, and waiters were moving around handing out drinks, food, and quests to anyone who so wished. It was chaotic, but peaceful nonetheless. Like the chaos of a group of friends enjoying each other’s company. “Here we could go on low-stakes adventures, without feeling the weight or guilt of having to save the world.”

“We can’t stay here,” Tham said right away.

“Why not?” Kayden asked curiously.

“Because we already have our own quest to fulfill,” Tham snapped. “Saving our village should come first.”

Kayden looked at him with curiosity.

“What is it?” Tham asked.

“You called it ‘our village.’”

Tham frowned. “Of course. You lived there too.”

Kayden couldn’t help but let out a smile. He’d never been told he belonged anywhere since going down from the Skylands.

“Still, it would be nice to stay here,” Kayden mentioned.

“No chance,” Tham repeated. “We won’t let our fellow villagers down. We gotta have our priorities straight.”

Kayden looked around at the Wonderinn, but then looked back to Tham. He nodded. “You’re right. I –we– have a responsibility. We’re saving the villagers of Stumpborn, no matter what. And then I –and you too if you so wish– will overthrow the Empire of the Shattered Sky. I haven’t figured out the details yet, but I know one thing: I won’t rest until I know the world is a better place with me than it was without me.”

Tham nodded resolutely.

Half an hour later Chafter approached them once more to announce the caravan was already in sight.

“What’s your next move, good fellas?” Chafter asked.

“Now we’re gonna get off and keep tracking on foot, as–” Kayden started. He paused. “Wait a minute. We could catch up to them with you. Do you think there’s any chance for you to lend us your strength for one battle? If you could help us save the trapped villagers we’ve been tracking, then…”

“No,” Chafter said.

“...What?”

“Sorry, but that’s not an option, kiddo,” Chafter said. “The Wandering Wonderinn lives in secrecy. Non-imperial adventurers only. The only reason we haven’t been taken over by the Empire of the Shattered Sky is that they all think our adventurers operate independently and alone. If we were to openly strike an imperial caravan, it would be the end for me and my family. We can’t afford such a risk.”

“Your family?” Kayden asked. “You’ve got family here?”

Chafter gestured all around. “This is my family. Everyone here is my sibling, or parent, or child. When you join the Wonderinn, you join the family. I won’t put your quest over my family. I’m sorry.”

Kayden sighed, but nodded. “I get it. Don’t worry. Just… thinking about it, how far north are you willing to go?”

“The Wonderinn can’t cross the sea,” Chafter said. “That’s what the trains to infinity are for.”

“Would… Unbadda and the Airtronic mines be an acceptable destination?” Kayden said. “There must be plenty of quests along the way your people can complete.”

Tham gasped in a low voice.

Chafter’s face darkened. “If you so wish, we’ll take you there. We won’t fight, but if your quest there leads, then we’ll do everything in our power to aid you in your journey. You’re our quest-brothers now.”

“Thank you,” Kayden said, forcing out a smile beyond the fear their destination caused him. “It means a lot.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet,” Chafter then said. “You’ll have to work if you want to earn your place. Field work –questing– is most common here, but you can also wash dishes, cook meals, or perform other household chores.”

“You can trust us with quests,” Kayden said. “We were pretty much made for questing.”

“In a very literal sense,” the Mimicker added.

“All right, then!” Chafter said. “You rest today. Tomorrow we’re sending you out. We’ll have your quests ready by then.”

Kayden grinned. “Counting on it.”

Kayden felt almost excited to go out in casual quests again. But as Chafter left and he looked over at Tham, his heart sank.

“You said… the Airtronic mines?” Tham asked.

Kayden shifted in his seat. “It’s hard to say for sure, and we don’t really know if… well. Look, Tham. You are still a teenager. You shouldn’t be forced to grow up yet. But, the truth is, your world has changed. And there are some truths grown-ups just need to face.” He breathed out. “Chances are, Tham, your –our– village is being taken to the Airtronic mines, the biggest forced labor camps in the continent. Everyone goes there. It supports an entire industry exclusively through slaves. It’s horrible. Another truth is that no one that goes in ever gets out. Those truths are hard to face. But here’s another truth. I’ve been alive for more than two centuries; that shouldn’t be possible. We survived an imperial attack; that shouldn’t be possible either. And, most importantly, Tham, you’re your mother’s son. A Spacebender’s –and a hero’s– son. That says plenty. It’s true that this won’t be easy, but nothing ever is. Just, remember: most truths are what we believe them to be. We just gotta believe we can do this. I never was the one to give motivational talks, but the world’s changing, and so are we.”

Tham smiled. “You could write a book with those words. …Thanks. It means a lot.”

Kayden grinned. “Future bards will need something to sing about when they recall our legends, right?”

“Agreed.”

The day passed by in a very strange fashion. If Kayden had been asked, he’d have said they’d been just a few hours there, but before they knew it, it was dark outside. It was disconcerting, but it felt good. Card games and wooden sword duels seemed to be the most popular activities here in the inn, and Tham made a small fortune’s worth of foreign chocolate gambling with what little he had to offer. He even picked up a lute from somewhere to play folk songs while singing about his ‘grand quests-to-be’. Sleep started to seep in, and after a long while of fooling around with the other happy patrons they settled in their upper-floor bunkbeds. Kayden wished Tham and the Mimicker good night, but Tham didn’t reply, having already fallen asleep.

“I like this place,” the Mimicker said. “Plenty of swords. They don’t talk much, but they make me feel at home.”

“I know, right?” Kayden agreed. “When this is all over, when we’ve saved the world from the Empire of the Shattered Sky, when we’re surrounded by friends again, let’s come back. Let’s quest, free of guilt and pain, and fix the little things of the world.”

“I’ll ‘drink to that,’ as they say down below.”

Kayden laughed. “I don’t think you can drink, but you do you.”

Night passed with the gentle swinging of the Wandering Wonderinn, and Kayden slept. Surprisingly, he had no nightmares. He just rested.