Zalan picked himself up and dusted himself off, glaring at Gorb. Rep looked at him hopefully. Zalan could see the relief in Rep’s face just for him to finally be out of bed. Zalan looked away, not wanting to make eye contact after being dragged outside from his cot.

“You are ready to go see Madam Hikma now?” Rep asked optimistically.

“No,” Gorb answered for Zalan. “That was not why he emerged. The deal was that he would get to go to an Elemental and get a new Elemental Power to replace that which was taken.”

“There wasn’t any deal,” Zalan grumbled.

“Indeed. I should have been clear. Here is the deal, Zalan. You will go to the Elemental willingly and I will not drag you there myself,” Gorb said.

Zalan rolled his eyes. Secretly he was grateful to be outside for the purpose of getting an Elemental Power. It was much more enticing than the endlessly failing quest to go home. But he tried not to let his gratitude show to his two friends.

“But… what about going back home?” Rep asked Zalan.

Zalan’s face soured.

“No, I just want to go challenge an Elemental right now. I have to know if I’m permanently stuck without one,” Zalan said.

“But that will not matter when you return to your home world!” Rep insisted.

“Look, I don’t care what doesn’t matter to you. It matters to me. I’m going to get an Elemental Power,” Zalan said firmly.

Rep looked over Zalan with concern. His hands closed weakly as though trying to grasp a counterargument. He sighed loudly when he came up short.

“Fine. Can we at least go ask Madam Hikma where we can locate the closest Elemental?” Rep asked.

“What about that Flame Elemental that you talked about being at a volcano?” Zalan suggested. “You said it was an easy challenge. And fire seems like a pretty cool power.”

“That Elemental that is a six month journey on foot from here?” Rep asked, baffled.

“Yeah, that one,” Zalan said casually.

“Is that not too far?” Rep pressed.

“Why not? There’s no rush if it’s a guaranteed power,” Zalan shrugged.

“But it will be that much longer for you to get home. That used to be such a concern for you,” Rep said, sounding as though he was trying to jog Zalan’s memory.

“I have a few spare Belt of Bolt Artifacts that I purchased with the wealth from Castle Docrun,” Gorb cut in. “I can gift them to you for your journey before we go our separate ways. I have no intention of using the Artifacts myself, these days.”

“You aren’t coming?” Zalan asked, slightly disappointed. Gorb felt much better at understanding Zalan at the moment. He didn’t want to have Rep nagging him about going home without Gorb to shut down that kind of talk. He needed to feel powerful again, more than he felt the need to go home and visit his mother.

“I have been settling affairs at home for weeks. I am only here to gather what remains of my things to take them home. I wish to have some freedom rather than settling your affairs as well. Especially when you are in this state,” Gorb said with a gesticulation that waved over Zalan’s whole body.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What state?” Zalan said, annoyed.

“You were of a single mind on our first journey. You wanted nothing except to get home. Now that has been abandoned. Rather than to move to another goal, your new aspiration was to lie in bed until someone forced you outside,” Gorb recounted. “You tell me, what state am I to call this?”

Zalan scowled but said nothing. Especially because somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Gorb was right. There was always something playing fowl in his mind, manifesting in weird behaviors. But he couldn’t help himself. He felt like he was always on the brink of powerful emotions, ready to lash out at a moment’s notice. He wished he had a way to control emotions, and he wondered if there was an Artifact that could manage that.

Gorb rummaged through his things and pulled out two Artifacts, handing them to Rep and Zalan.

“If you need me, I eventually intend to go back home with Mother and Father,” Gorb said. “I know they will want me to return sooner rather than later. And I may retire from the life of being an adventurer. At the very least, I will no longer be a part of the Journey House now that I have gathered my things. My feats of strength are not as exciting without Fran to grow alongside. Perhaps I will take on a position with the guard on the walls of their town.”

“What about learning how to fly?” Zalan asked. “Are you giving up on that?”

“I can retire from adventuring while still progressing to the goal of flight. I am not one to give up on everything because one aspect does not go my way,” Gorb winked at Zalan. Zalan frowned slightly at the light emotional jab.

“Thank you Gorbonifus,” Rep said cordially. “You were a great help. I was at a total loss before you arrived.”

“Shall we prepare for our respective travels?” Gorb asked.

Gorb opened the door wide for them to follow him inside of the guild. At first Zalan was confused, then realized he had no money on him and followed. Rep and Zalan gathered from their seemingly endless supplies of gold coins and went to the door, waving to Gorb as they prepared to set out.

“See you later, Gorb,” Zalan said, glad to have been able to run into his friend, despite the interaction.

“Thank you for the Belts of Bolt,” Rep said, a hand placed over his heart. “Your generous gifts and actions will not go to waste.”

“I am grateful we were able to meet once more. That goes for both you and Zalan,” Gorb addressed the two. “Best of luck on the Elemental’s challenge. Godspeed.”

They exited the building, taking in the sun high above them. Rep looked out toward the exit they would take to get them to the volcano. Zalan glanced over the Belt of Bolt with a growing excitement. If he understood it correctly, he and Rep would be able to teleport around with the Artifact. He would have an Elemental Power back in his mind in no time. Assuming it was still possible for him to get one. The scar left on his wrist made him nervous, what if the attribute was permanently stolen away?

“How does this thing work?” Zalan asked. “We just press it and go? Should we get going? I don’t mind if we get started right now.”

Rep smiled to himself, glad to see Zalan enthused about something again.

“You want to get moving immediately? Are you not missing something?” Rep asked.

Zalan thought quickly.

“Oh, no, I have the Homeseeker in my pocket,” Zalan replied, patting it lightly.

“I meant a sword. Our swords were last ingested by the Thallasic Terror out at sea,” Rep answered.

Zalan blinked and felt at his sheath. It was empty, as it had been for days now. He had grown so used to the light weight, he forgot about his lack of a blade. He didn’t even have the sword at his side when he fought Morloch. That might have been useful to take him down.

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“Do we have to get one?” Zalan asked. “Junill keeps getting mad whenever I lose or break a sword. This is like… The third one I got from her.”

“This will be the fourth, actually,” Rep corrected.

“See, it’s even worse,” Zalan groaned.

“I share in your trepidations to go visit Junill. Her scrutiny can be… uncomfortable. But I can not consider leaving Oriton when you are both powerless and unarmed,” Rep said.

Zalan frowned. Rep was right. He had been heavily reliant on his Elemental Power for so long that he forgot how dangerous it was out in the realm without a sword. He still had his Strength. It would be foolish to go out unarmed. Especially when they had more than enough money to cover it.

“Fine, let’s go,” Zalan said reluctantly.

As they made their way to Junill’s forge, Zalan took notice of a few of the residents of Oriton around them. A few made wide berths around him and Rep. Others looked their way and stared slightly. It was when a child stopped playing in front of them to run across the road that Zalan got the feeling that something was wrong.

“Are you noticing this too?” Zalan asked.

“We have a reputation now.” Rep nodded. “We have Ma’s favor. That means many different things to many different people.”

“Oh, right,” Zalan nodded in understanding. “Should we go visit her? Is it rude not to visit her when we have her favor?”

“What purpose would the visit serve?”

“I don’t know, just visiting. We could get her flowers or something.” Zalan shrugged.

“Do you think Ma would be one to welcome a visit without a definite purpose?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Neither do I. Ma is anything but predictable,” Rep said, then shuddered at his own words.

With no more words shared between them, they silently agreed not to go visit Ma without reason. Even if they had her favor, they could easily lose it by accidentally saying the wrong thing. Zalan considered asking her about the Dark Elemental that gave her Shadow Elemental Power, but he also considered that she might not want to talk about it. He decided not to even bring it up to Rep.

Rep and Zalan stood in front of the forge. Rep took a deep breath, steeling himself. For a moment, Zalan wondered why they bothered with continuing to go to Junill when he had heard of other weapon smiths in Oriton. It could have been that Junill was the easiest to work with, despite any annoyances she gave them.

Rep moved forward and opened the entrance for the both of them. Zalan was blasted with the familiar heat of Junill’s forge on entering. But the familiar song of smithing seemed absent on this visit.

Rep and Zalan stopped short as they entered. They stared at Junill in muted shock. She was sitting down, eating a sandwich while taking a break. Zalan was so used to seeing her zipping from one point to the next in her forge that he hadn’t considered it possible to see her seated by her own accord. He noticed her regular Artifact, the Indefatigable Iron, was nowhere on her person. She normally wore it around her neck.

Junill waved to them casually when they entered, encouraging them to enter the forge. Zalan was also not used to casual hospitality before going straight to business with Junill. He had a sudden urge to ask if she was feeling okay.

“Junill,” Rep said formally. “How are you?”

“Fine, how are you?” Junill asked.

“I could not help but notice that the Indefatigable Iron is missing. Did it finally degrade?” Rep asked.

Junill eyed him curiously.

“What does the Artifact matter to you? Would you finally be free of your worries for me if you learned the necklace was gone?” Junill asked, a slight contempt in her voice.

“No, I would still find an abundance of time to worry,” Rep assured her. “But if the Indefatigable Iron had turned to dust, I could also offer to get you another one.”

“You could?” Junill and Zalan both asked.

Rep shrugged in silent consent. Junill and Zalan exchanged a quick glance, both seeming to have the same perturbed surprise on their faces.

“I thought you hated that thing,” Zalan said.

“Indeed. Perhaps not the Artifact, but I thought you had ill feelings toward my use of it,” Junill said.

“I did. I do,” Rep said. “But I know it brings you comfort. Perhaps even joy to work with it. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of comfort or joy.”

Junill’s lip twitched upward, but she quelled the emotion quickly.

“Then you may be relieved to know that it has not yet degraded,” Junill said.

She nodded her head toward a wall. Rep and Zalan saw that the necklace with the Artifact hung alongside some unfinished spearheads. It shined with power, ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Zalan wondered how it would feel to wear, considering he was coming off a series of macabre days in bed. An infinite rush of energy felt like a comfort to him in the moment.

“You aren’t using it anymore?” Zalan asked.

“Less and less each day. I am trying to find comfort without it,” Junill offered.

A strange air hung between Rep and Junill. Zalan looked between them for a few seconds, confused. Rep suddenly broke from his momentary trance with a clearing of his throat. Junill seemed to take the noise as a signal and looked back at her sandwich, from which she took another bite.

“We are here for some new swords,” Rep declared, back to his overly formal voice.

“Again?” Junill stood, a scrutiny in her eyes and voice. She turned to Zalan with derision. “Did you give them away again?”

“No!” Zalan said abruptly.

“They were consumed by a monster of the sea,” Rep clarified.

She eyed them closely as she lowered her sandwich. She chose her next sentences quickly.

“You must have used them wrong. My swords are good for anything by land, air, or sea. Which monster bested my swords?” Junill asked, leaning over the counter menacingly. Zalan already felt slightly intimidated by her being a head taller than them, but her posture made him feel even smaller.

“The Thalassic Terror,” Rep answered confidently.

Junill backed down, looking thoughtful. Then, she bounced in place with some enthusiasm.

“A Thalassic Terror! You saw one! Did you kill it?” Junill asked, excited.

“We barely managed to escape it with our lives,” Rep shook his head.

“My swords were not strong enough to penetrate it? Impossible, my swords should penetrate anything. You need to imbue them! Or perhaps gain more Strength! What did you do wrong? Were you careless? Or weak? What Levels are you?” Junill asked in rapid succession.

“The sword was definitely strong enough to strike it. Both of us were able to stab right through into its being. But the monster absorbed the blades into its essence. I am not sure it did much damage to hit it with a slash. It was a very enigmatic creature,” Rep said honestly.

Junill tapped the counter in thought. She looked at Zalan, watching to see if he corroborated Rep’s explanation. Zalan nodded quickly.

“I suppose it was a worthy loss,” Junill said, taking another bite from her sandwich. “There are few creatures worse than a Thalassic Terror. Elemental Dragons, or perhaps the Mind of Madness come to mind. Elementals are also prone to giving challenges that break body and blade. Very well, I will sell you new swords. You have earned the right.”

Junill turned her back to search through her wares.

“Couldn’t we just go to another forge if she didn’t want to sell to us?” Zalan asked quietly when she was far enough away.

“Zalan! Do not be rude!” Rep said, sounding genuinely offended on Junill’s behalf.

“What? It’s a serious question!” Zalan said, bewildered. “She’s not the only swordsmith around and you know it. Do we always have to do this negotiating about buying new swords with her?”

“I thought you were a fan of negotiating these days,” Rep said.

“Yeah, not anymore,” Zalan said glumly, thinking how terrible his plans with Morloch went. He no longer believed in trying to bargain with everything.

Junill looked over some swords with interest, glancing between them and the duo a few times. She juggled swords between their showplaces on the wall and her hands, exchanging a dozen different selections in seconds. Finally, she held up two swords and held them out toward Rep and Zalan from a distance. She closed one eye and measured them against the adventurers.

“These blades are among some of the finest things I have ever forged,” Junill tapped the two together with a light clang. “I doubt they would break against even the worst monsters. Can I trust you with them?”

“Sure, I guess.” Zalan nodded.

Rep nudged him hard with his elbow.

“It would be an honor to have your strongest wares. We will prove ourselves worthy,” Rep said, standing straight as though at attention for a superior officer.

“Very well,” Junill said, making her way to the counter where Rep and Zalan stood.

Rep and Zalan paid for their wares, and picked up their blades. Zalan blinked thoughtfully as he measured its weight in his hand. He had no idea how Junill seemed to inherently pick the best weapon for him. He knew it would be a great sword to use against terrible monsters, and it already felt like he could easily feel it acting as an extension of his arm.

Rep, Zalan, and Junill stared at one another once they sheathed their blades. Zalan looked at Rep who was looking at Junill.

“Should we get going?” Zalan asked.

“Right, yes,” Rep nodded, forcing himself to turn away. “Farewell Junill.”

“Come back and tell me how the blades work for you,” Junill suggested.

Rep turned and smiled, enticed by the invitation to return.

“We will do precisely that,” Rep promised.

The two friends left, gathered food for the road, and made their way to the nearest exit of Oriton. They prepared themselves to warp all the way to the Flame Elemental at the head of a volcano.