Zelotes laid in wait for the train. “How could Lucias, number one, of all people, be capable of this?” He thought to himself. The train whistle blew again, reminding Zelotes of the fate before him, moments away. Taking a moment, Zelotes began to reflect on his life. He thought back to his childhood adventures on the ranch, and his rowdy exploits challenging other leothien boys in fights. He remembered only a few victories, but they were the highlights of his youth and his childhood adventures with Jacqué and how he spent a month playing tag with her. And then to his time under Razael’s tuterage, and the many lessons he learned. Then the ceremony, and his more recent adventures, all leading to now. The train whistle blew. It was getting closer, and Zelotes could feel the vibrations on the tracks. “I can’t have come all this way only to die like this.” He thought to himself. And maybe he hadn’t.

“Over there! ZZ!!!” The voice of Jacqué cried out.

Zelotes looked around, from the fields surrounding the tracks sprang Jacqué and Pai’Shal running to Zelotes’ side. Pulling out a knife, Jacqué began to cut away at the bindings on Zelotes’ ankle, while Pai’Shal simply cracked her knuckles and tore the bindings on Zelotes’ wrists apart. Zelotes then pulled out the gag around his maw as his rescuers each took an arm, lifting Zelotes off the tracks. The whistle blew again, the train was only a mere few seconds away. The two jumped away from the rails, carrying Zelotes with them as the train flashed by.

The group then began walking, with Zelotes placed on either of the women’s shoulders.

“I told you all I wanted to do this alone!” Zelotes said.

Jacqué simply looked at him. “Bien, it was late, past midnight and we worried about you. And it seems our concerns were très correct.” She looked at Zelotes stump. “Besides, Pai, she kept going on about how she owes you her life.”

“Where are Tulbrik and Xiyloos?” Zelotes asked.

“Tulbrik passed out after going on a bender…bien sûr. And I made Xiyloos watch Frederick.” Jacqué answered.

“Xiyloos? Watching Frederick?” Zelotes asked, surprised.

“Believe me, if I even think they’ve done something…” Jacqué trailed off.

“Oh neither you or Xiyloos want to know.” Pai’Shal finished, shaking her head.

“Well, are you two okay?” Zelotes asked.

With that, Jacqué stopped the promenade. “Moi? Elle? Okay? You’re the one who’s missing a fucking leg! Now what happened?”

“As for what happened, we can talk about that in the morning.” Zelotes spoke.

“It’s morning now.” Jacqué said, and indeed she was right. The red light of the morning star began to peak over the horizon.

Zelotes sighed. “Tomorrow morning. May we stop here so that I can pray?”

“Oui.” Jacqué and Pai’Shal stopped and placed Zelotes down, facing the sun as it began to rise.

The group continued onward back into Andsburg. As they looked through the streets, they found a medicinary. It was a simple two-story building made with stone bricks and a gabled, wooden roof and balconies at each window, with a double door at the entrance. The group entered through the doors.

“Excusez-moi? A bed you have open, do you?” Jacqué asked the maids at the entrance.

“Y-Yes, miss, what for?” The maid inquired.

“We have a warrior without a leg!” Pai’Shal answered.

“Oh dear… please follow me….” The maid led the three down the east corridor. The interior was adequately lit with beds surrounded by white curtains on either side of the aisle. They stopped at a bed in the corner, laying Zelotes down in it.

“I don’t know if we have any remedy for your loss of limb…” The maid said, looking down at Zelotes’ stump. “The two of you may want to fetch the local priests, they may have some way to regenerate his leg.” She looked over at the drakgath and elf.

“Please tell me you can do that…” Jacqué pleaded to Zelotes.

Zelotes was silent for a moment. “I can do flesh and bone repair, but I can’t regenerate lost parts…” Jacqué could see the uncertainty in his eyes before he looked back up at her and asked “Can you at least get me my hairbrush?...”

“O-Oui…” Jacqué said, leaving Zelotes along with Pai’Shal. Jacqué never got much of an opportunity to fully register Pai’Shal’s full appearance apart from her earthy coloration and horns. She noticed numerous scars littered upon her back, despite it’s tough, rocky appearance, it seems like something was able to occasionally get underneath, she also noticed a tattoo on her left arm that marked the number “Twenty-four” onto her. Jacqué moved a hand onto her back to comfort the drakgath woman.

Feeling a hand on her back, the amazonian, dragon-kin spun around to face Jacqué, preparing a blast of elemental breath, only to release who it was just before she could release her blast onto the elf. She sighed. “Don’t touch me there.”

“Mes regrets!” Jacqué uttered.

The pair continued to walk down the streets back to the inn the party stayed at, a three story building with stone brick showing through a weathered daub exterior under a wooden roof. The interior was lit by lanterns hanging from wooden beams over the tables, and large barrels of ale were mounted on a wall behind the bar along with bottles of many other spirits. Xiyloos sat at one of the tables, reading a book with a cup of steaming coffee on the table. Tulbrik sat, mumbling to himself, cleaning the lenses of his glasses with a cup of coffee at his side of the table as well, at which he did not seem to enjoy the sight of. Frederick seemed to have just woken up, as he stretched and yawned. Tulbrik and Frederick both looked at the women as they entered the tavern.

“Did ya girls find lion-lad?” Tulbrik asked, putting his glasses back on.

“Oui… His left leg is... severed from the knee down.” Jacqué answered.

The two just stared in silence. Even Xiyloos looked up from their book at the drop of the news.

“The priests can get ‘em a new leg, right?” Tulbrik asked.

“Unlikely. Most priests with that capability are found in more opulent settlements.” Xiyloos interjected.

“He’s going to be alright, is he?” Frederick asked.

“Unless we can find a replacement for his leg, we’ll need to proceed in our mission much more cautiously, given that our best fighter… Jacqué, do you know any healing spells?” Xiyloos inquired.

“Non, I have no idea how to do medicine beyond herbs and bandages. And I’m a bard, the spells that I know are mostly illusions and enchantments… party tricks.” Jacqué answered, shaking her head, her ears pointing downward.

“Then despite my misgivings with him, I suggest that we find a solution to Zelotes’ issue.” Xiyloos rose from their seat, closing the book and placing it back in the book bag.

“We should start at the temple, the medicinary maid said there might be someone there who could help.” Jacqué suggested.

Xiyloos paused. “I doubt it, but we can at least check.”

The group then left the tavern, walking through the streets before arriving at the Andsburg Collective Temple. Among the variety of priests within, the yellow robes of the two Sunfather priests stood out as being most likely besides the green and white priests of the Gardener. The group approached the leothien and human priests, catching their attention as they rose from their noon prayer.

“Ah, greetings! Have you come to embrace the gift of light with us?” The leothien asked, warmly as the group approached.

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“Mes regrets, mais we have a friend who lost his leg last night! He’s also a follower of the Sunfather! Can you please help?” Jacqué asked the two priests.

The two priests looked at each other in shock. “Excuse us for a moment…” the human said. The two went closer to the shrine, and began speaking in private, hushed. The leothien shook his head as though he were asked a question. They came back to the group. “My deepest apologies, but that requires more power than what we have and the cleric who did have the spell for that was called to Heliora. We can try to fetch him or just have him offer the spell free of charge upon his return.”

“We’ll have a moment…” Xiyloos said, leading the group away from the Sunfather priests.

“I could craft a prosthetic…” Tulbrik suggested.

The Xiyloos and Jacqué both looked at Tulbrik. “We know you’re bluffing.” Xiyloos said.

“I’m serious! I could build a prosthetic that he could walk on!” Tulbrik continued.

“Oui, oui, bien sûr…” Jacqué said, rolling her ruby red eyes. “It will be a wheel at the end of a stick.”

“And you can be completely trusted to be sober while doing it, and the results won’t be shoddy at best.” Xiyloos commented. “Tulbrik, your claims of your ability have yet to hold water. Although it may be taboo, perhaps we should ask the other priests if they are capable.”

“I know I say I have more in me pockets than what I got! And if I was asked how tall I am, I would probably say I’m well over five foot, when I’m just a little over four like the rest of me kin!” Tulbrik protested. “But I’m saying this because I’ve made a prosthetic before, and besides, who do you think made this?” He said, pointing to his gauntlet. “Or this?” He pulled out his mechanical firefly. “Besides, these things here are more useful than what the knife ear has to offer…”

Jacqué could deal with the benders and bragging, but this was always what drew her ire. “Oh at least I’m not a liability who spends half of what I make on booze and is constantly intoxicated…” She said back, angrily.

“At least I have some utility other than moral support!” Tulbrik replied. “Just ask Zelotes, oh wait, he’s in an infirmary bed!”

“C'est ça!” Jacqué was ready to jump at Tulbrik, only to feel someone gripping her arms and holding her back. She turned to look, Pai’Shal had a strong hold as her hand clamped on both her arms like vices. “Stay out of this!” The elf protested

“Tulbrik’s idea does have merit. And it would be better to have that made instead of waiting for a priest, or dealing with potential religious conflicts.” Xiyloos interjected.

“I just need materials, and a workshop.” Tulbrik commented.

“Did someone say they needed a workshop?” A voice asked from across the temple. A pair of dwarven priests dressed in earthy brown and gray robes over handcrafted chest armor approached the group.

“Bien sûr, more dwarves.” Jacqué muttered as Pai’Shal released her.

The dwarves looked at the elf, unamused at the moment before turning to the rest of the party, focussing on Tulbrik. “Dru’Halm is a god of the forge and craft, and thus creation is his will. You are welcome to use our forge.” One of the two spoke.

“What is the cost?” Xiyloos inquired.

“Only that we bless the work of the crafter once it has been made.” The same one replied.

“It’s gonna be a day of work. But I can do it. Now I just need some measurements.” Tulbrik said, stepping forward.

“Let’s get the measurements, then.” Xiyloos stated. “Jacqué, take us to Zelotes.”

“Well, first, I think someone requested that I get a hairbrush.” Jacqué said.

The group then went back to the tavern, retrieving Zelotes’ hairbrush as he requested, and then to the medicinary where Zelotes awaited. He sat with his armor doffed, reading from holy scripture in a yellow book with a sunburst encircled by a wreath on the front cover.

“Ici, ZZ.” Jacqué handed the hairbrush to Zelotes.

“My thanks, Jacqué. One moment, please…” Zelotes took a moment to brush out the small imperfections in his mane left from his battle. He sighed. “Were you able to find a capable priest?”

Jacqué breathed in. “Non, mes regrets. Mais, we are getting you a prosthetic.”

“A prosthetic?” Zelotes asked with uncertainty.

“Oui, Tulbrik said it should be done by the end of the day.” Jacqué answered.

“I-I’ll have to re-learn how to walk, how to run, how to fight, even!” Zelotes spoke with anxiety in his voice. “Please tell me it will at least look good…”

Jacqué shook her head, her red hair following the motion. “Out of all that, you’re concerned about how it looks.” She laughed.

“It will work just fine, and it will look even better!” Tulbrik exclaimed as he began wrapping a measuring tape around Zelotes’ stump.

“I hope you can prove that, Tulbrik.” Zelotes said.

Tulbrik took out a piece of paper, writing down the numbers. “I hope so too. I’ll be back!” He then left, walking down and out of the aisle.

“Pai’Shal, can you go with him, just in case.” Zelotes requested.

Pai’Shal nodded, and began following behind the dwarf.

The group stayed, waiting for Pai’Shal and Tulbrik to arrive at the end of the day, and just as the sun fell below the horizon, the four heard a loud “Behold me masterpiece!” Come from down the aisle of beds.

Tulbrik and Pai’Shal paced to Zelotes’ bed with a completed mechanical lower leg in-hand. It resembled a blockier version of the armor that would’ve covered the lower leg, with dark wood covering the steel plate sections of the prosthetic, with each of the edges between lined with brass trim with patterns of braided rope and fans shapes alternating with triangles, giving the prosthetic a look like it was a leg of mahogany wrapped in an ornate, brass net. A single piston went down from the calf to the heel of the prosthetic.

“Now, lad, all we need to do is attach it like so…” Tulbrik began fitting the contraption onto Zelotes as he positioned himself to sit at the side of the bed. It filled in the missing portion of Zelotes’ leg perfectly. “Now, think about the sensation you felt when you moved your leg… Now… I want you to move your leg.”

Surely enough, the wood and brass prosthesis moved upward much to Zelotes’ and everyone else’s amazement.

“How’s that for proving it?” Tulbrik asked, a smile spreading under his beard.

Zelotes attempted to stand, faltering as he tried, out of the unfamiliarity of his new footing. Jacqué went over to his side. “Please, Jacqué, I don’t need a crutch.”

“Please, ZZ-” Jacqué was cut-off.

“I said I don’t need a crutch!” Zelotes protested, pushing Jacqué away from him. He then attempted to stand again, almost unable to keep his balance at first, but eventually taking a step forward, and then lifting and lowering his new leg. “It feels a little heavier…”

“It’s not perfect, the main materials were heavy, but they are certainly quite durable. Plus it could double as a pretty good kick!” Tulbrik explained.

“I will need time to get used to this, but I’m not going to back down from our journey just yet!” Zelotes exclaimed. “We leave for Thaine tomorrow.” With that, and a new and awkward way of walking, Zelotes grabbed his equipment, and led the group out the door.