The next few minutes of travel went by in silence, Zalan spending much of his time trying to understand the Artifact simply by staring at it. Fran occasionally sighed in reminiscence, remembering particular attacks during the recent battle and how close to death they all came. She was perfectly happy carrying the conversation with herself. But the way she talked about their near-death experience set something off within Zalan. He was annoyed by their lackadaisical attitude toward the amount of pain they can endure when outside a town.

“Do you just not care about the pain because you know you can go home and sleep it off?” Zalan asked Gorb.

Gorb raised an eyebrow, catching up quickly to what Zalan meant. They went to train, but never once shied away from getting hurt. He looked over Zalan a second too long and Zalan threw a raised eyebrow of his own into the staredown.

“What is it you want?” Gorb asked.

“What?” Zalan asked, confused.

“You sound as though you are complaining. What would you prefer to have done?” Gorb asked.

“I mean… I don’t know. I’m trying to go back home to my world,” Zalan was too thrown off to put any conviction in his words.

“You seem lackluster in your pursuit. You offer no ideas and are happy to follow anyone’s path they set out for you,” Gorb said in a straightforward manner.

Zalan was at a loss for words.

“What am I supposed to do in a different world? None of this is real!” he challenged.

“Stop your delusions in pretending none of this is real. You treat it like it is real. You have made efforts to avoid death when attacked and you listen to others who are more knowledgeable. Those actions do not sound like someone who believes this world holds no consequence,” Gorb said.

“I don’t know how else to act,” Zalan threw an arm up in exasperation, making sure not to move the onion-like Artifact too much.

“Exactly my point. Those who do not know what they want will be carried along by others that have conviction. You will continue to be in the company of those that do not care about the pain until you discover that you either want to train as hard as we do, or find your own path,” Gorb replied.

The most aggravating part to Zalan was that Gorb sounded reasonable, not a hint of ill-will in his lesson. Gorb was trying to help, in his blunt way. Zalan sighed loudly.

“Yeah, fine, I get it,” Zalan acquiesced.

He didn’t actually believe much of what Gorb was saying. The last thing he did in the real world was go to sleep after all, how could this not be a dream world? But he appreciated the tone Gorb took with him and could see a kernel of truth in his words. He said he wanted to go home. But then what? Was that world much better than the dream? Maybe he could do the opposite of what Gorb was suggesting and embrace the delusion of this world. It was a thought that didn’t hold much weight in his head. His mind wasn’t clear here. He felt off, like he was missing something crucial and it hurt his heart to think about it. He felt that he definitely should be trying to get home.

They crossed the walls into Oriton and headed straight back to Journey House, where Fran bid the two farewells and headed to the woman’s quarters. Rep was not yet home. By the time Zalan had settled into his bed cot, a loud, full-on argument was being shared between Fran and Yelsa, bleeding into the men’s quarters. It sounded fierce and Zalan raised his head, wondering if he should go inside and say something, then saw Gorb shaking his head, encouraging him not to join the verbal war before bed. Zalan shrugged and lay back into bed. It didn’t take long for Zalan to fall asleep with a frown on his face.

Zalan awoke the next day with renewed energy and his legs fully healed. He never got tired of stretching the parts of his body that were newly healed, feeling like he got over a debilitating sickness over the course of a nap. He sat up and saw Gorb discreetly covering a wet spot on his pillow, and Zalan found it amusing that Gorb drooled in his sleep. Rep was sound asleep on another cot.

“What’s the plan today?” Zalan asked.

Gorb looked up in amusement, and the implication was clear: You still rely on others to make your plans.

“Unless Rep made substantial money overnight, I suspect we will have more time to train today,” Gorb said.

“Hmm, huh?” Rep rolled over in bed, his bleary eyes taking a minute to focus on the other two. “How was training?” he asked as he rubbed an eye.

“It went well. Zalan gained a Level,” Gorb informed.

“Fantastic!” Rep rolled his legs out of bed and looked over Zalan. “How do you feel?”

“A lot stronger! My lightning does some real damage now!” Zalan said, excitedly.

“What else happened during training?” Rep asked him.

“We obtained an Artifact,” Gorb nodded to the golden onion-like Artifact that Zalan left at the foot of his bed. Rep’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked it over. He picked it up and placed it at the table in the center of their room.

“Where did you get this?” he asked Gorb. Gorb looked away silently. Rep turned to Zalan with more urgency in his eyes. “Zalan, where did you get this?”

“We got it out of a Giant Gargoyle last night. Why, do you recognize it? Is it powerful?” Zalan asked. The change in Rep’s widening eyes made it clear to Zalan that Rep wasn’t concerned about the Artifact as much as the means of getting it.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“You took a Level One novice to fight a Giant Gargoyle!?” Rep snapped at Gorb.

Gorb lowered his head in shame.

“And were you able to find this creature in isolation, or was it surrounded by Sickly Gargoyles as well?” Rep demanded.

“Surrounded by the smaller ones,” Gorb affirmed in a small voice.

“What!?” Rep shouted.

“What is all the screaming in here?” Fran asked as she poked her head in the room.

“Are you insane?” Rep wheeled toward her.

“Ah,” Fran rubbed the back of her neck and lowered her gaze. “Someone told him about our little training adventure.”

“Adventure? You sent him to his death! What if he got bit by any of those monsters! He wouldn’t survive! He would…” Rep looked between the shared expression between Zalan, Gorb, and Fran. “Oh, no. I cannot believe this. Did you get bitten, Zalan?”

“Yeah, a few times on my leg before I Leveled—”

“A few times!?” Rep repeated, almost laughing in a frenzy. “Unbelievable! You could not have survived the poison in your veins. If you did not gain a Level when you did, you certainly would have died!” He turned back to Gorb and Fran with rage. “You two, without exaggeration, led Zalan to his death!”

Yelsa slunk into the room behind Fran, but made sure not to include herself in the conversation by keeping to the walls of the room. She nervously popped her knuckles in the corner.

“I trusted you!” Rep continued, his head turning between Fran and Gorb. “I thought you would train in the courtyard. I thought it was odd when some of the guards told me you went out of the city. I did not mind hearing that you had gone beyond the gates, but I thought you would take him to Roaches or Fogfangs! Gargoyles! How heedless can you be, Fran?”

“Watch it,” Gorb warned, his once ashamed expression now filled with scorn.

“No, her quest for glorious combat drives her to put others around her in danger! I know her lust for battle will drive her to a premature death, but there is no need to bring down your friends and family as well! Zalan needs people around him he can trust, now more than ever in his life, and you put his life in peril? I bet you never once asked Zalan how he fared once the battle was over! You were never even aware that a man in your company was moments from death! You just basked in your own glory, you heartless…” Rep caught himself, the rage in his eyes ebbing away as he blinked to himself and got about his wits. He immediately looked remorseful and cleared his throat. “I apologize… I did not mean that.”

“You did,” Fran corrected him. “But you were also correct. I did not ask him how he fared. I put him in a situation that I, myself, was largely unprepared for. I do not believe I ever apologized to you, Zalan.”

Zalan made an uncertain face, not knowing how he should react.

“I sincerely apologize for recklessly putting you in harm’s way,” Fran said, looking him in the eyes. She looked more sincere than he’d ever seen her before, like she was just realizing something about herself.

“Uh, yeah, it’s okay,” Zalan said, feeling warmth on his cheeks and quickly breaking eye-contact.

“And you, Rep. I apologize for not giving Zalan my utmost priority, even after assuring you I would keep him safe,” Fran said.

“We were reckless,” Gorb agreed. “I greatly apologize for our actions. I hope you can forgive us.”

Rep sat down at the table in the center of the room, breathing loudly, dissipating the angry frustration within him. He looked over the Artifact once more, this time raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“This is a Satiator. Not what I would expect from a Giant Gargoyle,” he said, puzzled.

The tension in the room hadn’t yet escaped and Zalan didn’t feel brave enough to ask what the Artifact did. The room was quiet. Gorb decided to put the silence to rest by asking,

“What does the Satiator do?”

“Well, when used on a single individual, a Satiator sustains them for a month without food. But you can split its use among many people,” Rep said.

The room stood quiet for a few more seconds. Zalan decided to break the silence next.

“Like, if I were to use it, I wouldn’t get hungry for a month?” Zalan asked.

Rep nodded, picking the Artifact up and looking it over. He smiled to himself, shaking his head. The tension eased at Rep’s softening expression.

“I worked late into the night to get a few bronze coins, but in one training bout you have gathered the Artifact necessary for us to make the trip to the Castle of Docrun,” Rep chuckled.

“Just this?” Zalan asked.

“Indeed,” Rep said.

He twisted the top of the Artifact and the onion peeled open, ejecting gold energy. Rep stood and pointed the Satiator at his chest, a beam of gold firing and causing his torso to glow. Then he turned his arm around and poured the gold essence into Zalan and the rest. Zalan was amazed. He just woke up, but he already felt like he had breakfast. He wouldn’t have to eat anything for a while. When Rep concluded his distribution of the gold power, the Satiator cracked in half, then crumbled to dust in his hand. Rep clapped his hands together and wiped dust off of his clothing.

“Is that what happens to Artifacts when they are used?” Zalan asked, watching the dust fall to the ground.

“Indeed,” Rep nodded. “If the Artifact has more uses, it may degrade a bit, but remains whole. Once it becomes nothing more than dust, then you can be certain there are no more uses to be had.”

The five of the adventurers stared awkwardly at the pile of dust on the guild floor, the energy of the room all over the place between being offended and well fed. No one was making eye contact. Everyone turned to Yelsa as she popped her neck.

“Shall we go?” Yelsa finally asked to everyone’s relief.

Rep gathered the books they borrowed from Madam Hikma, preparing to return them before leaving. The group stood and made their way out of the guild, only to find someone entering as soon as they were trying to leave.

“Rep,” the young woman nodded to him, then looked within the guild to see the others. “And so many guests.”

“Hello, Liv. We are just about to leave,” Rep said politely, trying to slide past her.

“Have any of you seen Heron? He was supposed to take Epan and I to challenge an Elemental today,” Liv said.

“I have not seen him,” Rep shook his head.

“Who is that? He does not look to be from around here,” Liv pointed at Zalan.

“Oh yes!” Fran said. “He comes from an entirely different realm from ours.”

“Very funny, Fran,” Liv said sarcastically. “This is why I did not want to go with you to get an Elemental Power. I can never tell if you take things seriously.”

“I am being serious,” Fran said, a playful smile on her face.

“I hope I get a better power than you.” Liv shook her head to herself.

Rep shot glanced between Liv and Fran, blinking slowly in annoyance.

“Well, we really should be going,” Rep said politely.

“Very well. If you see Heron, let him know I await him in the guild. Next I see you, I should have an Elemental Power,” Liv said confidently.