Thorne walked through the unattended western gate, his thoughts still consumed by his encounter with the elves. He had been incredibly lucky all these years not to run into any scouting party. The new threat posed a significant problem for him.

Hunting aether beasts was his main source of income. Without it, neither he nor Jonah would be able to get any coins. Would he risk it and continue his hunting or abandon it altogether? The dilemma gnawed at him as he made his way through the bustling streets of Alvar.

The familiar sights and sounds of the city were a comforting backdrop to his racing thoughts. He weaved through the crowded marketplace, the vendors shouting about their wares, the scent of freshly baked bread mingling with the less pleasant smells of the city. He nodded absentmindedly at a few acquaintances, his mind elsewhere.

Eventually, he reached the tavern where his friends were waiting. He pushed open the door to the tavern and stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to the warm, flickering light. The familiar smell of ale and roasted meat filled the air, and the sound of laughter and clinking mugs created a lively atmosphere.

Darius was the first to spot him, his towering frame making him hard to miss. The young man, now a recruit in the city guard, was hard to miss with his broad shoulders and muscular build. He waved Thorne over with a boisterous grin.

"Thorne! Took you long enough!"

Thorne smirked and sauntered to their table. Darius, ever the loud and kind-hearted protector, clapped him on the back with enough force to nearly knock the wind out of him. "You look like you’ve been through hell, mate. What happened?"

He glanced at Ben, who was sitting quietly, a book on alchemy open in front of him. Ben’s round face lit up with a smile when he saw Thorne, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

Ben was the first to notice something was off. His Silent Communication skill allowed him to convey his concern without words. Thorne responded with a small, reassuring nod. "I’ll explain later," he mouthed.

All three of his friends had successfully formed their cores, each unlocking unique skills that reflected their personal experiences and innate inclinations. These skills were not just random abilities but manifestations of who they were—their struggles, their growth, and the paths they had walked to get here.

Darius, with his years of training as a city guard, had unlocked skills that made him a force to be reckoned with in combat. His abilities enhanced his reflexes and endurance, and he had also developed a skill that allowed him to assess an opponent’s fighting style almost instantly.

Jonah, on the other hand, had unlocked a range of practical skills tied to his work as a shopkeeper. His core granted him an uncanny knack for negotiation, inventory management, and even a skill that let him gauge a customer's intent with a single glance.

Ben, however, was an enigma. As far as Thorne knew, Ben had unlocked only a handful of skills. Silent communication was one, an ability that allowed him to convey his thoughts without speaking—a trait he often used to great effect. His other skills were modest but useful, focused on identifying and understanding herbs, their properties, and their uses.

Turning back to the conversation, Thorne gave Darius a smug look and shrugged. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.” He casually dropped into a chair, propping his boots up on the table and threw the bag full of scales with satisfaction.

“What you got there shortie?” Darius asked about to open the bag. Thorne slapped his hands away and shook his head looking around meaningfully.

Thorne smirked, leaning back in his chair. "I'm taller than Jonah now," he said, nodding towards Jonah, who was engrossed in a parchment. "And it's not my fault if you have the blood of giants in you."

Darius laughed again, curling his arm to show off his muscles. The black tunic and pants of the city guard strained against his bulging biceps. "No one dares bad-talk me with these," he said, flexing for effect.

Jonah barely glanced up from his parchment, his hawk-like nose almost touching the paper as he studied the tiny script. Darius rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Jonah's head lightly. "Pay attention, man. Thorne's here."

Jonah blinked and looked up, adjusting the mugs he had placed on either side of his parchment to keep it from curling. "Oh, hey, Thorne. Got caught up in this. You know how it is."

Thorne chuckled, shaking his head. "Always working, Jonah. Take a break once in a while."

Ben, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly perked up. He rummaged through the bag strapped to his waist and pulled out a small vial. He handed it to Thorne with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Thorne gulped, knowing that Ben's potions often had unexpected side effects. "What's this one supposed to do?" he asked, taking the vial.

Ben gestured excitedly, indicating that it was something new he had been working on. Thorne sighed and uncorked the vial, downing the contents in one gulp. Almost immediately, pimples sprouted on his hands, changing colors from blue to green to yellow.

"Great," Thorne muttered, watching the colorful display on his hands. Ben quickly flipped through his alchemy book, his fingers moving frantically over the pages. He found the right entry and rummaged through his bag again, pulling out some herbs. He handed them to Thorne, gesturing for him to chew.

Thorne obliged, grimacing at the bitter taste. After a few moments, the pimples began to fade. "Thanks, Ben. Maybe next time, test these things on something else first?"

Ben grinned sheepishly and nodded, making a note in his book.

As Thorne settled in, Gilly, the barmaid, approached with a steaming bowl of stew. She set it down in front of him with a smile. "For our resident hunter. Eat up, Thorne."

"Thanks, Gilly," Thorne said, digging into the stew. He savored the rich, hearty flavors, letting the warmth spread through him.

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"So, how's training going?" Thorne asked Darius between bites. "The senior officers still giving you a hard time?"

Darius shrugged, a confident grin on his face. "Not anymore. They know better than to mess with me now." He flexed his muscles again for emphasis, causing the others to laugh.

They chatted about this and that, talking about their daily lives. Ben was frustrated with Jonah because he refused to buy him some expensive alchemy ingredients. Darius was grumbling because he had to beat up some merchant for having scammed Jonah and Jonah... was reading his long list full of items, jotting down words.

Thorne couldn’t help but ask, “what are you doing?”

Jonah didn’t seem to hear him, too absorbed in his task and Darius slapped his head again. Jonah, finally noticing the attention, grumbled as he rubbed his head. "Can you guys stop slapping my head? I’m trying to work here."

Darius smirked and gave Jonah a light punch on the shoulder. "Lighten up, Jonah. There’s more to life than coins."

Jonah gave a pained squawk and glared at the larger boy. “Not if I want to open a shop!” His eyes rounded in greed when he spotted the large bag that clinked when he took it. He opened the string and then tied it quickly and with a large smile he turned to Thorne.

“Do you have anything else for me?” Thorne arched an eyebrow and considered playing with him but then his mood sobered and unslung the pair of antlers from his belt.

Jonah quickly scooped the antlers with his hands throwing a worried glance around and hid them in a bag at the feet of his chair.

Thorne's thoughts drifted back to the elves. He leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "I ran into something today. Elves."

The table fell silent, the jovial atmosphere dissipating in an instant. Jonah looked up from his parchment, his eyes wide with surprise. "Elves? Here?"

Thorne nodded. "They found one of my kills and they were immediately on alert. I was able to remain hidden, but my presence tipped them off. It's a miracle I've been able to hunt there for so long without running into them."

Darius frowned, his hand unconsciously gripping the handle of his mug. "That's going to make things difficult for you, isn't it?"

"More than difficult," Thorne replied. "Hunting is my main source of income. Without it, we're going to be in trouble."

Jonah sighed, leaning back in his chair. "We'll figure something out. We always do. Besides if things go according to plan, we won’t have to rely only on your kills."

Ben tapped the table to get their attention, then pointed to a passage in his book. Thorne leaned over to read it, realizing Ben was suggesting they look into alternative ways to make money, possibly through alchemy.

Thorne smiled. "Thanks, Ben. That might be a good idea. But we'll need to think it through."

Darius leaned back, stretching his arms. "Well, whatever happens, you know we've got your back, Thorne.”

Jonah nodded, already scribbling notes on his parchment. "And I'm working on expanding our operations. If we can get a shop, it'll help us stabilize our income."

Thorne felt a surge of gratitude for his friends. They were all growing, finding their paths, but they still had each other's backs. He glanced at Ben, who was watching him with a thoughtful expression. He was sure that the boy was already thinking of recipes to test so that he could sell them for some profit.

He sighed, the weight of the day's events settling on his shoulders. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. We'll figure it out, one way or another."

Thorne shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There's something else. The elves mentioned they had orders to kill any humans trespassing their borders. They were pretty adamant about it."

Jonah's brow furrowed, and he muttered a curse under his breath. "The dead gods really have it in for us, don’t they? We’re so close to getting enough coins for the shop, and now this."

Darius scratched his chin, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe I should inform my watch captain about this. If there are elves actively patrolling, it could be a problem for more than just you, Thorne."

Thorne quickly shook his head. "No, Darius. If you tell the guard, they'll start patrolling the forest too, making it even harder for me to hunt. We can't afford to lose that income just yet."

Darius nodded slowly. "I see your point. But we need to be careful. Elves don’t mess around. If they catch you, they won't hesitate to kill. I have heard horror stories from the guards. They say that just last year they had captured one of the recruits and when they returned him, he had a beak for a nose and a tail that he kept stepping on and falling on his face!" His horrified expression turned into a frown when he saw the others giggling.

“Oh Darius!” Jonah exclaimed, “you are so gullible!” Jonah’s snickers died with a pained yelp when the larger boy put him in a head lock.

“Will you stop hitting me!” Jonah wheezed out making both Ben and Thorne double over in laughter.

Gilly returned, refilling their mugs with ale. She gave the boys an admonishing look. "Boys stop playing around and eat your food.” She gave Thorne an encouraging smile, “if you need anything else dear, just call.”

Thorne smiled back, grateful for her kindness. "Thanks, Gilly. I'll keep that in mind."

As the night wore on, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. Ben showed Thorne another one of his potions, and Thorne gulped, having had enough of being Ben’s test subject, and yet he couldn’t turn him down. This time, it was a potion to enhance strength temporarily. Thorne downed it and felt a surge of power, but his hands turned bright blue.

"Seriously, Ben?" Thorne laughed, showing his hands to the group. Ben quickly flipped through his book, his face red with embarrassment, and handed Thorne another vial to counteract the effect.

Thorne was just finishing his stew when the door to the tavern swung open, drawing everyone's attention. Rafe walked in, his usual arrogant swagger evident in his every step. He scanned the room briefly before heading to a table in the back, where a group of older cousins sat.

Darius leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Look who decided to grace us with his presence."

Jonah glanced over, his eyes narrowing. "Rafe. Haven't seen him around much lately."

Ben tapped Thorne's shoulder and pointed subtly towards Rafe, then made a series of quick gestures with his hands. Thorne nodded, understanding Ben's silent communication.

"Yeah, he's been hanging out with that older crowd more and more," Thorne said, watching Rafe carefully. "I wonder what he's up to."

Darius shrugged, taking a long drink from his mug. "Probably trying to impress them. He always did have a thing for being the center of attention."

Jonah nodded, his expression thoughtful. "He's ambitious, I'll give him that. But I don’t trust him. He's too eager to climb the ranks, and with the wrong crowd, that can be dangerous."

Thorne frowned, glancing back at Rafe. "You think he’s getting involved in something shady?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Darius said, his voice low. "He’s always had a chip on his shoulder. Wants to prove he’s better than everyone else."

Ben made another series of gestures, his eyes full of concern. Thorne translated for the group. "Ben thinks Rafe might be getting in over his head. And he's right. We should keep an eye on him."

Jonah sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. Just what we need—another problem to deal with. As if the elves and our financial troubles weren't enough."

The group fell silent for a moment. Thorne glanced around the room, his eyes scanning the faces of the older cousins as they held a whispered conversation. Everyone seemed to be carrying their own secrets.

"Speaking of problems," Thorne said, breaking the silence, "has anyone seen Eliza lately? I haven't seen her in a while."

Darius shook his head. "No, not for a few days. She’s been avoiding everyone, I think. Seems like she’s dealing with something, but she won’t talk about it."

Jonah looked up from his parchment, his expression serious. "She’s been acting strange for a while now. Always looks like she's in pain, and she's paler than usual. I’m worried about her."

Ben nodded, his eyes filled with concern. He gestured to Thorne, indicating he had noticed the same thing.

Thorne sighed and turned to Ben, “I’ll look for her once I have the time.”

He looked around the table and his half empty ale with a longing look and said standing up.

“And on that note, I have to go. Sid is waiting for me.” Darius and Jonah both groaned while Ben took out of his bag a potion that he showed to him as if to say, it's waiting for you.

Thorne grimaced, “let’s hope I won’t need it.”

All three boys laughed.