Delde pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately being hit by the smell of cooking food and alcohol. There were few windows on the building, and they were on the smaller side anyway so most of the light within was provided by the crackling fire within the large stone fireplace along with a few small lamps hanging from wooden beams across the ceiling. Much of the interior, from the floor to the walls, to the ceiling were all clad in wood giving the inside of the first floor a warm, rustic feeling despite the stone exterior. There was a long bar at the wall opposite of the door she had just come through that housed a verity of bottles of alcohol and drinking utensils that was already crowded with patrons sitting at padded stools and standing, either putting in drinks orders or enjoying what they had. Delde could see a staircase to the left of her that she assumed led up to the floor that housed all the rooms available for rent at the inn, but she had no reason to examine the upper level.

Instead, she looked around the tables that were scattered across the wide space of the ground floor, searching for familiar faces. They were not as crowded as the bar was and she could see that the dinner service was still ongoing from others eating their meals. As Delde looked about she noticed small signs that proved the quality of the establishment to her; the chairs were all padded with leather or hide, the tables legs carved with patterns of ivy growing up and down them, the walls had a mix of framed painting and small tapestries hanging on them, the cutlery being used was made of metal, not wood or horn, and the plates were ceramics of good make from what she could tell. The young wizard fought back a grin at the thought of her father’s expression when he saw an invoice to replace some of the furniture of the Seven Silvers. It was rather amusing to think of when the expression was not directed at her.

There were a small group of patrons who were gathered in one corner listening to a blonde-haired half-elf bard singing a song about the valiant knights of Taldar which had his audience enraptured and entertained the rest of the customers enough to not warrant anyone asking him to keep it down. The noise inside the Severn Silvers was loud, but not to the point it was uncomfortable or difficult to have a conversation. All in all, while Delde didn’t consider herself to be a very social person, nor a great connoisseur of taverns or inns she could see why the Seven Silvers had such a good reputation and why perhaps other rival businesses hadn’t been able to get established.

After entering she had retreated to stand by one of the walls, beside a painting of a nymph in a grove of flowers, whilst she studied the faces of the people around to see if she could spot one of her friends. Delde began to get apprehensive about being in the Seven Silvers so early, it was difficult to judge when to arrive for something when there wasn’t a specific time given and although the place seemed fine Delde had no desire to just stand around for hours waiting for her friends to show up. She could just leave and come back later. But then what if one of them saw her leaving? Would they think that she had decided against meeting up with them? But what if there was some issue and they had to reschedule? Perhaps Adriana had sent out her letter before it came up and hadn’t been able to find her to inform her of the change? Or what if this whole thing was another elaborate and cruel trick on her from her half-siblings, getting her to go out to the tavern and stand around like a fool for hours, waiting for a group that were never going to arrive? It would be just like her thirteenth birthday all over again.

She could feel herself becoming more agitated by the moment and was just about to step outside and get some fresh air when she saw someone waving at one of the tables to catch her attention. It was Adriana. Smiling as normal and with scars on her face so faint they could easily be missed by someone who didn’t know the were there. Deldes breath calmed, and her face stopped feeling like it was burning up. Igmar and Baye were sitting at the table with her, although Dal wasn’t present just yet. There were no plates or cups on the table either, so it seemed that she wasn’t late either.

It seemed slightly odd to Delde, to see her friends outside of their armour and in more casual wear. Igmar and Baye were wearing simple tunics and trousers like most of the people in the tavern were, but Adriana was in a stunning yellow dress that probably cost more gold than the average patron in the building made in a month. She did notice that Adriana was armed with her scimitar sheathed at her side, along with Baye who had a hatchet tucked into her belt, and Igmar who had the enchanted blade formerly wielded by Azar with him. Delde and Adriana both had thoroughly examined the sword to check for any malignant magic and found none and the dwarven fighter, through virtue of being the best with a sword and the most knowledgeable about them thanks to his time in his uncle’s forge was seen by the group as the best person to carry it.

Walking towards the table at a measured pace to seem neither overly anxious nor overly enthusiastic Delde weaved her way through the tables and patrons of the Seven Silvers. As she did so she realised how foolish it had been to suspect her siblings of arranging this as some obnoxious prank on her, the letter addressed to her had mentioned details from their time in the crypt that they wouldn’t have known such as the conversation she and Adriana had. Delde gently shook her head in exasperation of her overly imaginative mind, she was starting to see that she had a mild issue with overthinking thinks. But it didn’t matter for the time being as she pulled up a chair and sat next to her friends as Onyx sat by her feet.

‘I am happy that you were able to join us today Delde. Dal will be coming along soon; he is finishing up his shift here. How have you been? It has been days since we last spoke’.

‘I’ve been doing fine, mostly I’ve been going over the spell book that we recovered from that robed graverobber. There wasn’t anything in it about who he or what his mission was, but it has been a good source of new spells for me to incorporate into my repertoire. Nothing necromantic I assure you’.

She said with a half-smile, anxious that her attempt at a jest would be taken as just that.

‘How have the rest of you been then? Anything interesting or important turn up with the town council’s investigation?’.

Delde didn’t seriously think that they would share anything with any of them, but she hoped that perhaps the others had overheard something. Igmar, due to being a member of the guard had a good chance of that.

‘Naw, nothin’ much. The folks that went doon tae the crypt tae collect the bodies o the folk that died came back yesterday. The funerals’ll be held in the next couple o days’.

‘Yes, Father Prasst had been very busy with preparations recently. I do not think that there has ever been a mass death like this in over fifty years, many people have been coming to him for spiritual support and guidance in these difficult times as well’.

The mood at the table had swiftly turned grim and morose. Delde hadn’t been aware that the bodies of the dead from the crypt had been retrieved, though she did know that it was happening. As difficult as it was for all of them to see what had happened at the crypt, in hindsight having to face the dangers of the crypt may have helped them better deal with that horror. They had been too busy to dwell on the magnitude of what had happened. But she imagined that for the people of Kassen who had to recover the bodies of their fellow townspeople it would be just as difficult, if not more so to see what had happened. They had expected a normal “Quest of the Everflame” and instead had to deal with the aftermath of a massacre.

‘Oh, hey Delde, you made it! How’ve you been?’.

Dal appeared, dressed in better-quality tunic and trousers than the others, with his enchanted dagger sheathed at his side. He hopped up on a chair looking at everyone and then became aware of the gloomy feel of the group.

‘What, did I miss something, is everyone alright, did something happen to Onyx?!’.

Onyx, responding to his name being called jumped up on the table and padded his way to the gnome who proceeded to affectionately stroke and clap the feline.

‘Aw who’s a good kitty? Who’s a happy boy? I missed you too Onyx’.

The black cat lay on its back and let Dal rub its belly as the rest of the party watched with amusement, the dark cloud that was gathering over the table dissipating. A part of Delde was concerned that someone would be upset that a cat was lying on top of a table in a place that sold food, but none of the customers or workers showed any interest in Onyx; Dal worked there as well so she assumed that he wouldn’t have let Onyx up if it was against the establishments policy.

‘Onyx is fine, as am I. I was just telling everyone that I’ve mostly been reading through that spell book we found and expanding my repertoire of spells. Outside of that I’ve mostly just gone back to life as normal, how about all of you?’

‘Aye, it’s been similar fer me an aw, though ah have felt… Ack, never mind we can talk more aboot that after we’ve had somethin’ tae eat’.

Everyone agreed with Igmar, but Delde felt that there was more going on. When the dwarf was about to mention something about how he felt she noticed everyone else had an odd sort of look about them. She had the distinct impresson that there was more going on with them than they were letting on but chose not to press the matter. Igmar said that they would talk about it more after they ate, and truthfully Delde wasn’t interested in forcing anyone to talk about something they didn’t want to.

Dal took care of ordering for the group and within a few moments, plates filled with grilled chicken covered in a creamy, herb infused sauce, soft, fluffy potatoes, fresh vegetables along with some bowls holding freshly baked rolls and soft butter were brought to the table. It was a warm, filling meal that reminded Delde distinctly of the food that Dal made for the party while they were on their journey. It occurred to her that it was most likely that he had learnt how to cook here and that he might even occasionally work in the kitchens of the tavern. They only had water from jugs to drink from which Delde didn’t mind as she had no intention of getting drunk, even if a part of her was somewhat curious about what some of the bottles of alcohol behind the bar tasted like.

They had a friendly, light conversation, keeping well away from the weightier subjects such as what happened down in the crypt and the ongoing fallout from it. The conversation mostly covered the weather, which was unseasonably pleasant for the time of year and how everyone was settling back into their normal lives. There were no great revelations from anyone, but Delde greatly enjoyed their discussion, she was so used to living isolated from the rest of the world that talking to other people her own age was a rare pleasure for her, one she hadn’t realised she had missed out on.

Eventually they finished their meal, and after a light desert of fresh berries and whipped cream the conversation hit a lull.

‘So anyways, I guess I should get to the point of why I suggested that we all meet up again. The truth is that I realised that there was something really important that we forgot to do on our journey’.

Delde was stunned silent, as was the rest of the table. Had there been something they’d overlooked, some secret chamber or hidden message that they had failed to understand. She wracked her mind but could think of nothing. Meanwhile Dal sat there looking immensely pleased with himself.

‘Whit are yie goin’ on aboot noo, we did just aboot everythin’ we could dae in that tomb’.

‘I agree, I can think of nothing that we overlooked in our mission in the crypt of Kassen. We overcame the dread force animating the dead within it, saved what survivors there were remaining and brought back the Everflame as tradition dictates. What more could there be for us to do?’.

‘Probably somethin’ dumb knowin’ my brother’.

Baye muttered in a half whisper.

‘Ah ha, you see we overlooked a vitally important thing on our mission because!...’.

He put his hands beneath the table and brought up a small, weathered looking twine sack that was holding something hard and heavy judging from the sound it made when it was placed on the table. With a flourish Dal whipped the bag down revealing the item within.

The bottle of local brandy that they had been given along with the rest of the survival equipment offered by the town when they set out. It had been resting in Delde’s backpack for the entire journey and she had completely forgotten about it when she returned the backpack she had been given when they returned to town.

‘Y’see I had meant to suggest that we all take a swig of it before we went in to fight that super skeleton or whatever it was, y’know, for courage, but when it got to the time I figured I wanted to be as sober as I could be if I was going into a tough fight. So, then I thought I’d suggest we take a drink once we’d won, a celebratory kind of thing, but then the whole ghost of Kassen thing showed up’. His voice lowered when he mentioned the spirit of the town founder. ‘Anyways, I kind of forgot about it after that. By the time I remembered about the bottle we were halfway back through the Fangwoods, and Roldare and Dimira were there, and I felt weird about just having this sort of celebration with them there. I mean there would’ve been enough in the bottle for us all, but I didn’t think that brandy was going to help them after all they’d been through, so I just left it. I was going to suggest we have a drink when we got back to town, but when we got here, we had to tell everyone about, well everything that happened, and the mood didn’t feel great, so I didn’t say anything. But now, I recon it’s been a few days, and we’ve earned the right to enjoy a drink so I asked ol’ Trelvar if he had the bottle, and he did and he said we could have it. So here we are! Now who wants a drink?!’.

The gnome didn’t even wait for a response as he began to fill up everyone’s cups with the amber coloured liquid. Delde was more of a wine drinker when she drank alcohol, which was rare, but she felt that Dal was correct, they had earned this drink. She also felt somewhat embarrassed that he had put so much thought into this all the while she had the bottle in her backpack and never gave it a second consideration.

‘So, what are we toasting to? I mean I feel we should toast to something, I’m just not sure what’.

‘Hoo aboot tae victory? We did overcome impressive odds against us’.

‘Meh, feels a bit generic don’t ya think?’.

‘Perhaps we should give thanks to Sarenrae for her divine benevolence that helped us overcome the darkness within the crypt?’

‘Eh, I’m more of a Cayden Cailean man myself. Not that I don’t appreciate the healing and other magic that you used for us in the crypt! I just don’t want to make this too much of a religious thing’.

‘Then how about drinking to the memory of Kassen?’ Delde lowered her voice for the next part. ‘After all, it was because of his ghost that we were able to win in the end’.

‘Hmm, true, true, but he’s not here right now and Trelvar has a policy on not pouring out drinks on the floor. Slipping hazard, you know. And I’d kind of want to have the toast be more about us if I’m honest’.

‘Urg, you always do this Dal. Make a big deal about somethin’ when you already have an idea in your head about what you want to do. Let’s just toast to bein’ able to do a good thing. We saved Roldare and Dimira. Plus, we avenged all the folks who died down in the crypt. We even managed to do it without any of us dyin’ or getting’ too hurt. Might not make us big heroes like Kassen, but I reckon we did alright by his standards’.

‘Ah that’s more like it! Here’s to being small town heroes! People’ll probably forget about all this in a couple of years, but we’ll always remember what we accomplished together!’.

They all raised their cups to that and drank deeply of the amber fluid. It was sweet yet burned when it went down Delde’s throat, not an unpleasant experience, but neither was it something she felt especially enamoured with. She couldn’t see why drunks were so taken with the act of drinking. But as the burning in her throat turned to a lightheaded warmth through her body, she started to see the appeal. She didn’t request a refill however, Delde wanted to keep her wits as much as she could.

Igmar, Dal and Baye all went back for more though, while Adriana and herself nursed what little remained in their cups. The mood of the table became a happy, cheerful one as they all laughed and congratulated each other on their accomplishments and contributions to their collective victory within the crypt of the Everflame. It went on for an hour or so, with Adriana and Delde both eventually convinced to refill their cups, though both refrained from drinking too quickly to maintain decorum. The other three seemed to be able to hold their drink well though and didn’t get as raucous as Delde had expected them to become. Once the bottle was empty the mood became more relaxed Delde remembered something.

‘Igmar, wasn’t there something you were going to say or ask about after we ate? I can’t remember if you mentioned it or not’.

‘Hmm? Oh, aye, well it’s no that important, ah was just wonderin’ if… has onybody else felt that folk have been treatin’ yie differently since we’ve come back?’.

‘How do you mean?’.

‘Well… like people givin’ yie odd looks when they see yie. No lookin’ yie in the eye when they talk tae yie. Stoppin’ talkin’ when yie get near an actin’ nervous. Things like that’.

Delde shrugged.

‘It doesn’t sound that odd to me. That’s normally how people in the town react when they see me most of the time anyway. Maybe they’re just intimidated to see a member of the guard about?’.

‘Err, ah dinnie thing so. Ah’ve been a toon guard fer a few years noo an a ken hoo folk react tae one. Noo people are actin’ different an ah’m noo sure why. Or maybe ah’m just over reactin’ tae nothin’. Whit aboot the rest o yie?’.

‘I mean, yeah, I suppose I’ve noticed people acting a little odd, maybe a bit skittish around me. I thought at first they were just worried that I was going to pull a prank on them but I’ve not really been in the mood for one since we got back. And normally short-change and me hang about a lot, but now it feels like there’s this distance between us since I got back but every time, I try to talk about it he just brushes it off and usually finds a reason to leave. It’s kind of annoying and I can’t think of anything that I’ve done to upset him or anyone else. I mean you’d think people would be throwing flowers in the streets for me, and the rest of you as well, after what we did, but it feels like I’m being avoided’.

‘I admit I have found myself in similar situations as of late. I had put it down to it merely being due to my worship of Sarenrae and the people of Kassen not fully understanding my calling, but from what you have said there may be more to it than that. Father Prasst has remained a stalwart mentor figure for me, though he had been kept busy by the resent funeral preparations along with giving spiritual support and guidance to the townspeople. My parents though have been perhaps more distant towards me as of late now that I think of it. They have not mistreated me! Only, our daily meals together have become… awkward. Our conversations more stilted and forced where before they would speak more freely with me. It is as if they seem me as a new person since I returned from the crypt of Kassen, not just as an adult… I’m not sure how-to broch the subject with them’.

A dark atmosphere covered the table now and Delde didn’t know how to handle it. She herself hadn’t felt like she was treated any differently since returning. Well, there had been Roth but that was understandable by her half-sibling’s logic; she had proven herself to be powerful and he wanted to use her power to benefit himself. There was no mystery behind it, just petty aspirations of power. The others though seemed deeply troubled by the change in treatment they were experiencing and Delde had to admit she wasn’t sure why they would be treated any differently, or if they were to be treated differently why wouldn’t they be lauded as heroes by the townspeople rather than practically shunned and feared by them.

‘I’d think it was obvious why the locals are avoiding you. Of course, I’ve been at this a lot longer than you lot have’.

Heads whipped around to see the source of the voice that had just spoken up. Somehow, at some point a stranger had drawn up a chair and sat himself at their table with none of them noticing it. He was dressed in dark, well-travelled clothes that looked like what a ranger or trapper might wear, but they were of better quality than what most of the locals would wear. He also wore a black cloak with the hood off revealing a face with muddy brown eyes and hair that would be unremarkable were it not for the ugly ragged scar running down it.

‘Who are – Whit are yie daein here!? We were havin’ a private talk, didnae invite yie tae join in’.

Igmars hand had gone to his belt where he would normally have a weapon, but Delde noticed that he was in civilian garb and unarmed for their meeting. She got the distinct impression that the dwarf dearly wished that he had some weapon on hand now that a stranger had intruded on their discussion, but he refrained from escalating the situation.

‘W-wait, you Cygar aren’t you? The guy whose been renting out that room upstairs for the past few months’.

The name sounded familiar to Delde but she couldn’t work out how she knew it. Her best guess was that Dal or someone else had mentioned him at some point on their journey in passing; Delde hadn’t paid much attention to what her companions said when they first left Kassen. The serious looks on Dal and Igmar’s faces though told her that they both took this “Cygar” seriously whoever he was. The man just grinned at them as he spoke.

‘Well, I guess word travels fast in a small town. And I’ve been tryin’ to keep a low profile as well. Though to be fair I’ve been about for a while now, so I guess it makes sense for one of the town guards and one of the serving staff at the tavern I’m staying at to recognise me’.

It was an accurate statement, but the way the man said it made it almost sound like a threat, the way he causally remarked about knowing who Igmar and Dal were. It wasn’t as if it would be hard to learn what the two did, but Delde couldn’t help but wonder what else this stealthy, secretive man knew.

‘You said that you knew why people have been treating my – companions differently. Why is that then, and what exactly have you “been at” longer than us?’.

Delde kept her tone even and looked the man straight in his dull brown eyes. She didn’t want to come across as rattled or overly curious, but as suspicious as she was of the man Delde also wanted to her what he had to say.

‘Well Ms Vargidan, to be fair you’ve also been treated the same as them. But I suppose it’s like how you’ve always been treated so you haven’t noticed much different with the locals about town. Maybe some of your siblings have started to act a bit different though? Your old man paying you a little more attention perhaps?’.

Social interactions were not Delde’s strong point, but the half elf thought that she had a good handle on hiding her reactions and emotions. Not good enough to hide from Cygar though as his grin broke into a smile full of crooked teeth.

‘Ah, so I’m right. Good to know I’ve not gotten rusty these past few weeks here. I’d never here the end of it if I did’.

‘From who?’ Baye asked, her brow furrowed and her eyes hard.

‘From friends. Well people I work with. I get along well enough with them though, so I’d consider them friends’.

‘Onybody we’d recognise? Only we’ve seen a few traces o other strangers passin’ though here. Were wearin’ dark clothes an aw’.

‘Ha, thinking I might have something to do with what happened at the crypt? No, my friends are scattered across the lands, but I’m their only representative here. But if you’re not willing to hear what I have to say then I can just go’.

There was a silent pause at the table as none of them were completely sure whether to hear him out. The man’s incessant smiling gave Delde the impression of a capricious cat toying with a mouse, an activity that Onyx was most fortunately above.

‘If you have some knowledge that we are lacking I would be willing to hear it, or indeed if you have some constructive advice. But if you are here to simply mock us then you may kindly find another table to sit at’.

Adriana’s voice didn’t reach the point of a shout, but it was a couple octaves louder than the rest of their conversation had been. Enough for her to impress her point as she stared down the stranger.

‘Fair enough, fair enough’ he said as she raised his hands in mock surrender, the smile returning to a grin. ‘Didn’t mean to come across to aggressive or to talk down to you. Just a bad habit on my part, I apologise, truly’.

His tone sounded sincere, but Delde couldn’t tell if he meant what he said or if he was just placating them. The fact that he remained grinning didn’t help his case.

‘As I was saying, yes, I do know why you’re feeling like outsiders in your own town. It’s obvious really, it’s because of what you did. You lot fought your way through an undead infested tomb and came out alive, unharmed, and with a couple of survivors to boot. That’s not a normal thing you know’.

‘You speak as though we would be the only people in Kassen who would attempt to do the right thing. I believe most of our fellow townspeople would attempt a similar thing as us’.

‘Some people yes. The head of the town guard and a couple of the more able of his men, your head -well only priest, the local wizard, your old man’ He pointed to Delde. ‘Some of the local rangers. Sure, some people would make a go of it; they’d probably do about as well as you if not better too. But their fully grown men and women. People who’ve trained for dangerous situations, who are known for their power and ability. From what I understand, the whole going to the crypt thing is meant to be a coming-of-age ceremony in these parts, right?’

They collectively nodded in agreement.

‘Most of the time that probably means a few kids head out into the wilderness and when they come back that have a couple of stories to tell and get treated a bit more like adults. When you lot left that’s what folks her were expecting, but when you got back you were hardened veterans’ his smirk grew for a fraction of a second. ‘At least by their standards. And as for most people in your situation doing the same thing, I think your being a bit over optimistic’, he carried on talking, preventing Adriana from arguing. ‘Most people would want to do what you did. Might even give it a good try. But there comes a point when most folk would look at what they were walking into and just write off those people you saved. They’d feel bad about it, but nobody here would say they did the wrong thing now would they? Would you?’.

He looked questioningly at Adriana.

‘I… I would not’.

‘No, of course not. But you lot did go on, didn’t you? And I’m betting that there were a few points when you were down there that you considered going back, or at least recognised that it’d be a lot easier than going forward right?’

‘Maybe… aye. Whits yer point?’.

‘The point I’m trying to make in a roundabout way is this. Most people in this world when confronted with an extraordinary obstacle just accept it and turn away from it. But some people, people like you, don’t. They push forwards. Sometimes they fail. Sometimes they die. But sometimes they win. Like you did. And now a lot of people in town are asking themselves if they were in your situation what they’d do. And they probably don’t like to think about how they might not measure up to a bunch of what they thought were kids’.

Delde mulled over what the man’s words. They had a ring of truth to them; Delde and her friends had accomplished something impressive and admirable, but she could see how others might look at them and feel inadequate in comparison. She would never say something like that to someone and she doubted any of them would, but Delde understood how quickly a seed of an idea could grow into a pervasive thought.

‘But… Even if some people did feel like that… would there not be others who didn’t care about such thoughts? And as you said, there are people in Kassen that would have been capable of similar feats such as we achieved. They presumably would not have such misplaced feelings towards us, would they?’.

‘No, you have a fair point there. But there is more to it than that. Consider this: what would you do if I suddenly attacked you’.

‘What!?’

‘You heard me. What would you do if I just started attacking all of you, right now in the middle of this fine establishment. Purely hypothetical of course. Let’s go one at a time. First of all… you Dal’.

The young gnome seemed taken aback by the strange request and looked around the table to see if anyone had some sort of response to this, such as leaving or arguing with this “Cygar”. None of them did though as they were all equally surprised with the request. Dal’s face grew its own cocky grin in response to the mans and he looked him in the eyes as he responded.

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‘Alright, I’ll play along with this. First, I’d slip under the table so you couldn’t get a good look at me, then dart out and get behind you to hit you with this’. He twirled his magic dagger in his hands, the enchanted steel dancing across his fingers, even though Delde hadn’t seen him draw it. ‘Which you wouldn’t spot me grabbing before I went under the table. So, how’d I do?’.

‘Not bad. But don’t think I didn’t clock your fingers slowly goin’ for your blade bottle as soon as I sat down. Now how about you Baye? If that’s what your brother’s doing what’s your move?’.

Fierce eyes looked back at him as she tersely responded in a low voice that threatened violence.

‘I’d throw this cup at your grinnin’ face. Then another thing. And another. I’d keep throwin’ stuff at you until you finally shut up. Maybe I’d throw my hatchet, maybe I’d rush you with it’.

‘That so? And you Igmar?’.

‘Ah’d draw this blade at ma side an start layin’ intae yie with it. Knock ony weapons yie have oot o yer hands and keep yie oof balance. An ah’d keep it up until yie were doon an ah could call the guard in’.

‘Hmm, interesting. What about you Delde? What sort of spells would you cast in response to me suddenly attacking you all here?’.

‘I would cast a Web spell at you, to inhibit your movement and leave you more vulnerable to attack. After that I would alternate between attacking you and reinforcing our own defences with magic. Although if you think that this will give you some insight into our tactics if you do choose to assault us you will find that both my companions and I are very adaptable’.

He gave an amused chuckle to her response.

‘Oh, I’ve no doubt about that, don’t you worry. And finally, we come to you Adriana, what would the mayor’s daughter do if I suddenly lashed out at you all?’.

‘In the situation in which everyone has described their actions? I would use the power granted unto me by the goddess Sarenrae to aid my friends in our fight against you. With my help any wounds that you would manage to inflict upon them would be healed swiftly, quickly turning any fight between us into one of attrition. Between that and our superior numbers you would soon fall’.

Cygar, throughout all their descriptions on how they would overcome any attempt by him to attack them sat relaxed on his chair. He listened to them in much the same way that Delde imagined an experienced craftsman would listen to an apprentice describe their days work. There was an acknowledgement of what he heard, even interest in what they were saying. But his face betrayed no hint of concern. Either he truly meant it when he said that he was simply putting forward a hypothetical scenario, or he was absolutely certain that he would be capable of overcoming all five of them at once. Delde wasn’t sure which one was the real answer.

‘Not bad, not bad at all. You’ve all got a good understanding of basic tactics along with your own and each other’s capabilities. You’d put up a fight, no doubt. But the thing that I find interesting is that not one of you even considered trying to get help in this scenario. After all, we’re in a public, crowded place, there’s probably a couple of members of the town guard here and if there isn’t then if you shouted then they’d show up soon enough’.

‘Oh, come on! You never said that that was an option! If we knew we could have gotten help we would’ve! You asked what we would do if you attacked us, we didn’t know we could call the guards!’.

‘Hey now’, he raised his hands again in mock surrender. ‘I asked what you would do if I came at you here, now. You could all just run away. Or call the guards. Or anything. But you all chose to stay and fight me. Just now there Dal you didn’t consider backing away, you just figured the guards would help in the fight. Even you Igmar only considered calling in the guards after I was dealt with’.

‘Ah, well ah didnie want tae get onybody else hurt in a fight. No one ah’m sure we could win on oor own onyway’.

Igmar didn’t sound entirely confidant when he spoke and Delde found herself questioning her response as well. Cygar was right, they could have just said they would run, call the guards, get to safety. It would have been the smart move to make but it never occurred to her. Delde was sure she would have thought of it before, so why did she not consider it now?

‘And there’s your other reason for why people find you difficult to be around now. You’ve all had a taste of violence and found that not only can you stomach it, but your good at it as well. It changes how you see things, how you treat threats, how you think, even how you move. I mean look at you all! Every one of you is armed, and some with magical weapons to boot! And you Delde, I can see those bracers your wearing, enchanted for protection, aren’t they? In the middle of a town? I bet you cast a mage armour spell on yourself as well before you even left your family estate today, didn’t you?’.

Delde was stunned by Cygars accurate assessment of her behaviour. But even more than that she started to realise what he was telling them; wandering about town, armed for battle was not the sort of thing a normal person did. Igmar though took umbrage to the strangers’ accusations.

‘Noo look here! Yer actin’ like we’re a bunch o bandits or the like. There are plenty o folk here wae weapons on them in here, just look aboot!’

He gestured towards a couple of what looked to be mercenaries and hired guards standing by a group of merchants.

True enough. But those people are on the job, aren’t they? When they’re finished, they set down their weapons and relax. You though? You’re walking around with a sword that could feed a family of five for a week if you sold it, and not just on the job. I’ve seen all of you about town since you’ve come back. You always stay armed and are looking out for trouble, assessing potential threats. People pick up on things like that and can notice a change in you, even if they don’t know the reason. And the ones that do recognise the signs, well, they aren’t quite sure what to do with you lot yet. To put it simply, you’ve become dangerous, and people get skittish when they get close to danger’.

They all sat silent at Cygars explanation. It made sense but it didn’t make Delde particularly happy to discover that she had become accustomed to violence to the point that some people had noticed. She wasn’t sure quite what to make of this revelation, she didn’t feel especially aggressive, violent, or dangerous as the man put it, and hadn’t engaged in any combat since they left the crypt. The young half-elf wondered how this would affect her development as a wizard, would she subconsciously lean more towards more combat-oriented spells now? Was this a thing that she could overcome or grow out of? Delde’s mind raced at the questions this raised.

‘Calm down. I’m not trying to imply that you’re a bunch of raging berserkers, just pointing out that you’ve all got a bit of experience fighting and it shows to people who know the signs. Maybe even a bit to others who don’t. End of the day you’re each your own person and can make your own decisions. If you want to put what happened in that crypt behind you, you can. The locals’ll probably ease up eventually and you’ll forget a bit about it yourselves’.

Delde considered his words carefully. She supposed he was correct in his assessment, it was reasonable that people felt intimidated by what she and her friends had accomplished, and after fighting their way through so many dangerous encounters it was possible that it could have affected them all in subtle ways that others could detect. They probably could stop carrying weapons with them and leave their magical items at home for a start. Personally, Delde didn’t think that her behaviour had been affected that much by the events that transpired in the crypt of the Everflame, but she couldn’t say that she was the same as when she left Kassen. It was nice to be assured that they weren’t on some sort of course to become frothing, frenzying, blood-drunk psychotics though.

‘I thank you for your insight into this matter. I am not sure if it fully applies to us, but you have given us all a good deal to consider that we may not have done without your words’.

‘Not a problem Miss Uptal. Not a problem at all. But I do have a confession to make, you see I did have something of an ulterior motive for coming over here to talk to you. I just happened to overhear what you were saying and thought I’d offer you my personal opinion’.

‘An whit would yer reason be then?’.

Igmar looked suspiciously at the man, the dwarf’s gaze steady, his body tense.

‘Well, how about I properly introduce myself first. Be all polite and whatnot. My name is Cygar Anravis, of the Pathfinder Society, perhaps you’ve heard of us?’.

A disbelieving Delde’s eyes practically bulged out of her head when she heard him say that. She knew of the Pathfinder society well, several of the more fascinating, and some of the more fanciful, tomes in Holgasts library were chronicles written by members of the organisation. They had always held a special place in her heart as they managed to simultaneously be both highly informative, yet immersive and entertaining. Delde had always wondered how much of what was written was exaggerated or invented wholesale to make for a more entertaining read, but everything that she could read on whatever subject matter the chronicles covered only seemed to confirm what they said. The idea that an agent of the Pathfinder Society would ever deem the tiny town of Kassen as a place worthy of their attention boggled the young wizard’s mind.

The rest of her friends all seemed to recognise the name of the organisation, though they did not seem to share her shock or fascination about this revelation.

‘Aye ah’ve heard o the Pathfinders. Troublemakers frae whit ah’ve heard’.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes Delde was about to try and diffuse the situation, but Cygar just gently laughed.

‘More like troublefinders in my experience, but I suppose it’s a matter of perspective. But anyway, I’ll broadly explain my position in the organisation. You see, the Pathfinders investigate and explore the hidden parts of the world, look for secrets that the world’s forgotten and record them for posterity so that others can learn and grow. But not everyone’s as high minded as us. Some people want to use such things for their own benefit, usually at the expense of others. There are also some things that we find that are better left hidden and forgotten for everyone’s safety. My job is to go where my bosses tell me and keep an eye out for people looking to uncover the secrets of the past for their own unsavoury purposes. That’s what brought me here’.

‘Things… Like a pair of keys maybe?’.

Dal said as he sat on the edge of his seat, clearly enthralled in how the evening was progressing.

‘Ah, so that’s what they were here for’.

The gnome immediately slapped his hand over his mouth and looked both guilty and embarrassed he let what they had discovered slip, though no one said anything to him in reproach for it.

‘It’s alright. I know most of what’s happened anyway, just some of the details I want to get from the horse’s mouth as it were. And in return, if you tell me what I want to know I’ll tell you what I know about the ones that started this whole damn mess’.

There was a flash of darkness across Cygars face as he mentioned the graverobbers and for the first time he showed an expression beyond mild amusement. Delde got the distinct impression that the man held the people he was talking about in great contempt.

‘If you know anything about the villains behind the desicration of the crypt of Kassen then you should inform the town council at once. The are the official authorities investigating the matter and have the legal power to charge them for their crimes’.

A statement that while technically true made Delde once again restrain herself from rolling her eyes. For the first time since they had returned to Kassen they had a lead on the mysterious graverobbers and she was just going to hand it off to a group of old men who would just sit at a table and bicker on what to do.

‘Already did actually. Told them everything I know. Not that they were particularly happy with what I had to say. You see, there are certain…’ he waved his right hand in the air ‘ecumenical complexities that make going after the perpetrators… difficult. Impression I got from them was that the town council was going to write a strongly worded letter to the city council of Tamran to investigate the matter themselves. They don’t want to get mixed up in all the problems investigating this’ll cause’.

‘What! How could fath – the town council not wish to bring the criminals to justice?! They committed a dreadful violation of a sacred site to our town and due to their actions indirectly caused the deaths of many townsfolk!’.

‘They weren’t happy about it, but like I said… ecumenical complexities’.

As Adriana fumed over the apparent inaction of the town council and her father Delde pondered on Cygars words. “Ecumenical complexities” suggested that there was some sort of religious element to the issue, more specifically towards the graverobbers that would make convicting them more difficult. She wasn’t a religious scholar though so Delde was unsure of which faith the Pathfinder agent could be referring to; the only faith that she could think of off the top of her head that could be related to graverobbing would be followers of Norgorber, the god of thieves, secrets and murder. That said worship of that god was not popular in Nirmathas and she doubted that the church had enough authority to cause any real problems for Kassen. Perhaps it was more out of concern for what the followers of a god of thieves, murders and assassins would do rather than the actual church itself?

‘So? How about it? You tell me what happened while you were in that crypt and everything that you discovered about the graverobbers, and I’ll share with you what I know about them’.

Delde wanted to agree to the exchange on the spot, but she understood that she was part of a group that all deserved to have a say on whether they accepted Cygar’s offer. They all looked around at each other with questioning eyes, not speaking but making their feelings known to the others all the same. After a few minutes it became clear to them all that they were of one mind in the matter.

‘Alright, this is what we know about what happened…’.

The spent the next hour or so going over what transpired whilst they explored the crypt of Kassen, along with telling him about the body they found by the Grey Lake. They avoided going into detail on any of their personal conversations and on the specifics on their interactions with the spirit of Kassen; they focused on the facts that they felt that he would be more interested in. Namely the corpses of the grave robbers and the few articles that they had on them. After they described the final robed body they found, the one in the iron mask he snapped his fingers and smiled grimly, like a cat who had cornered his prey.

‘And there it is! I knew that they’d never let an operation like this go forward without one of their own leading it. The town council here wasn’t keen on me hearing that particular detail but it clears up all my suspicions now. I know the who, an idea of the why, and a general understanding of the how. Little surprised at how quickly they burn through hired hands though… maybe an angle I could exploit?’.

‘So? We told you what we know. Now’s your turn’.

Baye was still staring at him intently, although Delde wasn’t sure if it was to gain some insight into him from his expressions or if she was waiting for him to make good on his suggestion that he might attack them.

‘A deals a deal. So… any of you ever heard of the Cult of Razmir?’

Knowledgeable as she was, Delde had never heard of such an organisation. It sounded like some sort of religion, potentially the source of the “complications” that Cygar had alluded to, but she had never come across it in her studies. She glanced over towards Adriana, as she noticed the rest of the party also did, but the cleric showed no sign of recognition on her face.

‘Nobody? Well, I don’t blame you. They’re a new religion, well I say religion, from what the Society has managed to turn up the groups just one giant con. The leader, the “Living God Razmir” is just some powerful wizard who got it into his head that he should be worshiped as a god and has just enough power to make some people fall for it. He’s conquered a small territory in the river kingdoms and sends out missionaries that are in on the con. They make clever use of wands and the like to mimic true clerics powers and convince people to join the cult and rise in its ranks. And fun fact, the way you go up the ranks in the cult is almost entirely based off how much money you make for it. They’re a damned disgrace’.

‘I find it highly unlikely that a mortal could convince any but the simplest of people that they were a true god. Are you sure that they are not just a small cult with unusual practices that worships a less well-known power such as an obscure Archon or the like?’.

‘Trust me, they’re no more holy than I am. They‘re aren’t any true clerics in the Cult of Razmir and all the leaders are interested in is making more money, for themselves and their distant master. The Pathfinder Society doesn’t have any active agents in the territory held by Razmir, but from what we’ve been able to work out he’s capable of casting spells of the ninth level, possible of the tenth’.

With a spluttering cough Delde was stunned at what Cygar had said with almost casual ease. Her father was the single most powerful spellcaster she knew and even he by her estimations was only capable of casting spells of the sixth level. To cast a spell of the tenth level was to be as close to divine as a mortal could get; if she wasn’t as learned as she was seeing such a display of power might make her believe a claim of godhood.

‘Is that, like a lot?’.

‘…Yes, yes, it is. If this Razmir can cast spells of the tenth level, then he would be one of the most powerful spellcasters on the planet’.

Adriana for her part still looked unconvinced.

‘Regardless of the legitimacy of their faith, what leads you to believe that they are responsible for the desecration of the Crypt of Kassen?’.

‘Well for one thing their so called “priests” wear robes, carry a wide variety of magical items and all wear masks made of metal. The fact that the body you found that seemed to hold the most in the way of instructions would indicate that he was if not the leader of the expedition, then he at least had some authority on it’.

The cleric seemed to accept this explanation, but Cygar continued speaking.

‘The other thing is that they’ve recently established a “church” in Tamran and have been highly active in the area. Aggressively so. From what I’ve been able to learn, the local leaders seem to have the impression that there’s some great untapped treasure hidden in these lands, and they want to get to it before anyone else. I heard that they were sending out some people in this direction, so I set myself up here waiting for them to pass through. Unfortunately, it seems they were told to be as subtle as possible and avoided this place… So that’s what I’ve got. The “who” is the cult of Razmir, the ”why” is for profit, and the “how”… well that’s a bit trickier. You see, I heard that there was a robbery at the map makers in Tamran, that’d explain how they had such good records on the area, but I’ve never heard anything about any great hidden treasures in this area and I’ve no clue as to what’s got the cult so convinced. I’ve sent out a request to some of the more scholarly members I know to look into the history of the area, see if there’s something that isn’t widely known, but I can’t work out how the cult could’ve known about this. They’re con artists, not historians’.

Cygars frowned to himself over the mystery as the others looked knowingly at each other. They hadn’t spoken about speaking to the spirit of Kassen but what it had told them sounded pertinent to the issue at hand. After a moment of silence in which the Pathfinder agent was muttering to himself Delde was the one who spoke up at last.

‘There was actually one more detail we didn’t share with you. It’s one of the more fantastical elements of our adventure and not one we wanted people to learn about. We figured we either wouldn’t be believed, or we’d start some sort of mass hysteria. You see…’.

Delde told him all about the spirit of Kassen and what it told them about himself, Asar their fellow adventurers, their final quest, and the lost city of immense wealth they left behind. It felt rather thrilling to Delde to have a real-life Pathfinder listening enraptured to her words. When she was done, he let out a low whistle and pondered on what she had said.

‘Well, not the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. And it does help explain a bit more about the cults plans. An ancient hidden city full of enough treasure to let three adventurers retire? Not just retire even, but enough to let one basically fund the foundation of a town and another to hire a small army? That would be sure to grab their attention. I’m still not clear on how they could’ve heard about it though, maybe a descendant of this Asar or the other survivor? Someone who grew up with stories of the lost city and knew about the keys? I don’t suppose the ghost of Kassen mentioned the name of the other survivor, did he?’.

‘I’m afraid not, no’.

Cygar shrugged.

‘I’ll tell my superiors about this, and they’ll be able to narrow down the possible leads. It’ll still be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but it’s a much smaller haystack now thanks to what you’ve told me. Might be that the cult of Razmir just happened to stumble across the story and believed it enough to put the effort into investigating it and turned out to be onto something’.

What he said sounded reasonable, if Cygars intelligence was correct. If the cult of Razmir was intent on gaining wealth above all else then it was possible they would devote time and energy towards looking into any potential avenues, even ones as nebulous as a rumour about a hidden city of treasure. Still, Delde felt that they were missing something. The operation seemed too well organised for it to just be a desperate attempt and whoever organised it knew about the location of the crypt and where the keys were within it. Her personal suspicion was that Asar had descendants that knew of the reasons behind the man’s death and had passed down their knowledge through the generations. It was possible that one of them had joined the cult of Razmir and gained enough authority and status within it to organise an expedition to gain what they felt was rightfully theirs. Of course, it was all just a theory for the time being, and she believed that the Pathfinder Society would investigate such angles along with any other; their chronicles assured her that while they had an eclectic selection of members, they were still an expert organisation when it came to investigation and exploration.

‘Well now with that I suppose we’re done here… Unless of course you would be interested in seeing this through further?’.

‘W-what do you mean by that?’.

‘Exactly what I said. Look, in all seriousness, what do all of you intend to do now? Do you want to go back to your old lives? Can you after everything that you’ve been through? If you’re interested in seeing this thing through to the end, I’d be happy to help you. You’ve proven yourselves competent enough to not run or die at the first sign of danger, and judging from what you’ve just told me you’re smart enough to notice things that others might miss. You’re a good team who’s got some investment in finding out exactly what happened and seeing the ones behind it brought to justice. As far as I’m concerned, you’d be a valuable part of my investigation… So, what do you think?’.

‘W-we cannie just leave toon! We’ve family, we’ve jobs here. We cannie just abandon that aw at the drop o a hat!’.

‘Can’t you? I mean from what I understood doing that whole Quest for the Everflame thing basically makes you adults in the eyes of everyone here. And with all the locals knowing what you’ve been through I’d say they’d all accept that you can handle yourselves. I don’t know for certain, but I’d bet any jobs or the like you have here wouldn’t go undone for long if any of you decided to leave. And as for friends and family? Well, we all have to leave the nest at some point, don’t we? The only real question is whether you’d want to do it… You can stay here if you want, no shame in it, Kassen seems like a nice enough place if it’s your thing… But if you want to discover the truth about why that crypt was broken into, see more of the world beyond the woods here, make your own path in life? I’m giving you the option, it’s just a matter of if you want to take up the opportunity’.

Everyone sat in silent contemplation once Cygar made his pitch to them. Delde couldn’t deny there was a great allure in stepping out beyond Kassens borders and learning more about the wider world for herself, she’d always imagined that she would do so eventually. The half-elf had just expected that it would be years from now and that she would be moving on a more academic path as opposed to the chaotic life of… was Cygar suggesting that they become adventurers? It certainly sounded like it to her. Spending her time between camping out in rain drenched forests and crumbling abandoned ruins, fighting wild animals, bandits and wandering monsters, all the while trying to earn enough money to pay for supplies and better-quality equipment and hoping that there would be enough to make a profit at the end of the day. It rang of madness to Delde, or at least it would have a few weeks before.

Now though, after everything she had been through, the threats she had faced, the challenges she had overcome, the mysteries that she had brushed up against, the friends she had made. Now there was a part of Delde that wanted to step onto that path, to see how far down it she could go, what she would discover. About the world. About herself. In a few short days she had grown more as a wizard than she had in months of self-studying in her mentor’s library, and while her life had been threatened more than once, she had to admit it was much more exciting than doing Holgasts menial chores. How much more would her powers grow, how much more would her limits stretch if she took this opportunity?

Her eyes scanned the faces of her friends, looking for some insight into their own thoughts on Cygars offer. She wasn’t talented enough a reader of expressions to work out what they were thinking, but Delde could see that they were all deep in thought. The fact that none of them were dismissing the idea outright said to her that there was a chance they could take up Cygars offer. She was intrigued by the idea, but the thought of doing it on her own dulled the flames of excitement in her breast. Delde understood how much of what she had done was due to the aid of the entire group and trying to go down the path before her without them all at her side made her… uneasy.

‘I don’t need an answer right now you know. Anything that I do it’ll be in a couple of days yet. But I will be leaving Kassen after those couple of days are up. If any or all of you want to join me? Just give me a shout, I’ll be here until I go’.

With that he picked himself up out of his chair and walked into a small crowd of drunken townsfolk before disappearing. Delde couldn’t pick out any trace of where he had gone and wasn’t sure if it was through magic or mundane stealth that he had vanished. Both were quite possible for a Pathfinder agent in her mind.

Delde and her friends sat in silent contemplation for several minutes, all of them hesitant about speaking first. As much as Delde found the concept appealing she was reluctant to go forward without the others at her side. It felt infantile to say that she was too scared to go out on her own, but as capable as she was the half-elf knew that she was better with her new friends at her side. That said, she had no intention on forcing or pressuring them to go along with Cygars offer; Delde had little binding her to Kassen if she was being honest with herself, she would miss Holgast, his library and her room, outside of that she didn’t expect to feel any guilt about leaving her family behind her.

For the others though? They had family and friends that they cared for. They had jobs, the beginnings of careers. They were invested into the town and its society in a way that she simply wasn’t and while Delde didn’t fully understand what it was like for them, she doubted that it would be something that any of them could walk away from with ease.

The awkward silence was becoming unbearable for Delde now as although she had no trouble with an absence of conversation, she badly wanted to reach a consensus with everyone on what they would do as a group. If they would even remain a group.

‘I’m not sure about all of you, but I’d like to take up Cygar on his offer. I know about the Pathfinder Society from my studies and they’re a reputable group if somewhat eclectic. If he’s really one of their agents and he’s looking into the group behind what happened in the crypt, then I think we can trust him. I… I want to get to the bottom of what happened there. I know we managed to rescue Roldare and Dimira, along with laying to rest the undead but… It feels like there’s more to it than just that. It doesn’t sit well with me to just accept that there’s some greater plot going on and that it’s just going to play out without me, or us… It might sound strange but… I just feel that we started unravelling this mystery, to just walk away from it now would feel… unsatisfying? I don’t know if that’s the right word, but that’s how I feel’.

‘I can sympathise with your feelings somewhat Delde. While I would not be as bold as to say that the Dawnflower put us on this path for a reason, I cannot in good conscious ignore the fact that the villains ultimately responsible for the horrors that took place within the Crypt of Kassen still, for the most part, walk free. I do not think I will be satisfied until the stolen keys are returned to their proper resting places, and if what that man says is true’. The low tone in her voice suggesting that Adriana was not entirely certain that it was. ‘Then there is an unacceptable chance that the perpetrators behind that most foul of desecrations will not suffer the retribution that they have earned for their deeds. I will stress that I believe that we should not simply rely on the word of this stranger, but that we should look into the matter for ourselves. But… it is not something we could do from the safety and comfort of Kassen. Leaving it with him may be our best opportunity to deliver justice for the poor souls that were lost in the crypt and for those that remember them. I would be willing to accompany you if choose to leave Delde, and I hope that the rest of you would be willing to consider joining us as well’.

‘I’ll come along’.

Baye said with an almost flippant tone that Delde would have expected more from her adoptive brother than the halfling. Indeed, Dal seemed just as surprised at her announcement as she was, though neither of them said anything.

‘I don’t have as high-minded ideals as you too I’ll admit. I’d been plannin’ to head out’ve Kassen for a bit after the Quest for the Everflame. Probably already would’ve if it hadn’t been for everythin’ that happened. Always kind of wondered what it’d be like to take up bounty hunting. Sounds like this’ll be the best chance I’ll get. We work good together. We’ll have a general goal. If it goes good? Great. If it starts to go bad? I say we walk away. This Cygar makes out he’s got contacts and resources and if he does and he uses them for us then that’ll make things for us a lot easier. But if he was as good and connected as he makes out he wouldn’t have let this cult give’m the slip. I reckon he’s gettin’ just as much out’ve helpin’ us as we’re for helpin’ him… But sure, I’ll go with you. Always wanted to see a bit of the world before settlin’ down. Now’s as good as ever’.

‘Now wait a minute, you can’t just leave Kassen all of a sudden! You know that mum’ll be worried sick about you! Wasn’t the whole fighting undead in an underground crypt enough for you!?’.

‘Nope. And like the man said, I did the Quest for the Everflame. I’m an adult now in the eyes of the town. If I want to leave town I can. Nobody can stop me’.

Baye stared down Dal, daring him to press the issue.

‘Well then it looks like I’m coming along too!’.

‘Wha- Oh come on! I don’t need a babysitter! I thought we settled this back in the crypt’.

‘It’s not that I don’t think you can’t survive out there, I really think you’ll be fine… But you know mum. She’ll worry and worry about you, and as much as you’d like to pretend that it doesn’t bother you, I know it would. If I come with you then at least she’ll feel a little better knowing that we’ll be looking out for each other’.

‘And that’s the only reason you’d want to tag along?’

‘Alright, you got me! I would kind of like to see some other places that aren’t Kassen, the forrest filled with wild animals or creepy crypts. I mean, don’t get me wrong I like Kassen, it’s a nice place and all, but yeah, I’d be lying if I said that I’d never wondered what it’d be like to see a bit more of the world. I’ve been working in the Seven Silvers for years now and I hear all these merchants, guards, and riverboat sailors talking about these other towns and cities… It’d be interesting to see what their like for myself is all’.

‘So “lookin after Baye” is more an excuse you can give mum to make it look like your bein’ responsible t’ mum then?’.

‘Hey, it can be for more than one reason, I can multitask you know!’.

Both Dal and Baye grinned at each other and for a brief second Delde felt a sliver of envy towards the siblings. The two shared no blood ties between them, but they were closer than Delde and her own brothers and sisters, although admittedly she wondered how closely they were in fact related. The pair were both even concerned with how upset their mother would be at them leaving. Delde suspected that her own father would barely register her absence and her half siblings would care little more than him. She shook her head and pushed the thought from her mind. Now wasn’t the time for jealousy or regret.

Now they all looked to Igmar, the only one who was yet to confirm whether he would join them. The dwarf gave a deep sigh, the kind that Delde typically gave after finishing a long hard day of chores as he looked up from his empty cup.

‘Ah… Ah’m no sure if a can gie yie aw an answer just yet. It’s no that a dinnie see the appeal… But ma uncles here an he’s the only family ah’ve got noo. An ah’ve got ma job helpin’ oot the toon guard, ah cannie just walk away frae that…’.

‘Oh come on! I know he looks shifty, but Cygar’s got a point about us staying here. You leaving Kassen isn’t going to cause the town guard to just collapse, I mean I’ll be going so that’s more than half of your job gone already!’. He grinned at his joke and Igmar despite himself cracked a small smile. ‘And as for your uncle, Braggar Ironhame has lived in this town for longer than most of us have been alive. I think he was actually one of the first settlers that came after the whole great battle happened. He’ll be here for a long time yet and’ll still be here once we’ve finished getting to the bottom of who stole those amulets, or keys. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what it is we’re meant to be looking for. But once we find them and bring them back, he’ll still be here. So, what d’you say? Coming with us?’.

The dwarven fighter’s manner seemed a tad more relaxed than it was when he gave his first response. His face and posture were less tense, along with the fact he appeared more willing to make eye contact with everyone else at the table.

‘Well… ah cannie deny it felt gid tae actually have a proper fight rather than just doin’ drills an practicin’. An uncle Braggar doesnie really need me tae help oot at the forge either… He left his hame when he wisnie much older than me tae find his own way in the world, so ah doubt he’d grudge me daein the same. If ah’m honest wae maself ah’m a better fighter than a smith, an there’s no much call fer a fighter aroond these parts. Might be gid tae travel a bit, see more o whit soot there. An ah’d like tae see the folk behind whit happened in the crypt get the justice they deserve… Maybe it widnie be the worst thing tae leave toon fer a bit… Asides, yie need someone tae take up the vanguard in a fight. Adriana’s aw’right, but she need tae focus on castin’ her spells an healin’. An you Dal? Yer gid when yer sneakin’ up on somebody, but ah didnie think yie’d do well in an upfront fight’.

‘That’s because I’m smart enough to not stand in front of someone and get hit, it’s called tactics! I figured you would know about that sort of thing!’.

The two laughed away, their playful bickering in full force now.

‘Aw right, ah’ll talk tae ma uncle aboot goin’. Ah’m no sayin’ yes… But ah’ll probably be goin’ we yies as well’.

‘All right! That makes all of us then! We need another drink to celebrate, I’ll be right back!’.

Dal scampered off towards the bar, masterfully manoeuvring between all the much taller customers without so much as grazing against any of them. The gnome slipped behind the bar and seemed to have some whispered words with the barman and owner Trelvar Silvers. The barrel shaped man with hair the colour of his namesake gave a broad smile and handed Dal a bottle of alcohol from one of the top shelves. He glided back to the table with ease and a toothy smile on his face.

‘I convinced Trelvar to give us a bottle of the good stuff. This is Red Bark whiskey from Andoran, normally costs a pretty penny, but the boss gave me a good discount’.

‘If it cost you a great deal then I would be willing to cover half of the price if you would want’.

‘Huh? No, its fine. Like I said I got it on a good discount on account of working here. Come on, pass me your cups and I’ll fill them up. And let’s have a good toast ready this time!’.

Once all of the cups were filled, they raised them all.

‘How about to our new endeavour!’. Suggested Adriana.

‘And to new beginnings!’. Delde added.

‘Is it new or are we just finishin’ off what we started?’. Baye asked.

‘Well, I figured it’s a beginning of a new chapter of our lives. It’s the first time we’re all leaving Kassen’.

‘Fair enough’.

‘Come on! This is just like last time! Why can’t we come up with a good, classy toast like they do in all the stories?’.

Dals mentioning of stories made Delde think back to some of the books she had read before, specifically the few copies of the Pathfinder Society chronicles that Holgast had. They had been in the back of her mind since she learnt they were in the presence and now about to participate in an operation backed by them. In one of the books, it had mentioned a toast that the Pathfinders made before setting forth.

‘Then how about… to friendship, adventure and the promise of new horizons!’.

‘Now that’s more like it!’.

Their voices joined as one as they called out.

‘To friendship, adventure and the promise of new horizions!’.