Charlie woke up feeling worse than she had walking for what felt like days on end. She snuggled under the quilted blanket and wondered if she should just stay at the little outpost she found. The smell of eggs and bacon hit her watering mouth.

“Hungry?” Susie called from the other room, “Thrash said to get you something. He wants to talk to you a bit before you head out.”

“Okay?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, “Where should I meet him?”

“He’s got an office on the second floor. I’ll bring you a plate up there!”

Charlie slung her bag over her arm and clasped her sword belt across her hips. She hated how heavy it felt after so many days of walking. She crawled up the rickety stairs until she saw a room with a bookshelf and a desk. She threw her bag on the desk as she looked through the books as she waited for Thrash. She grabbed a scroll rolled up on the top shelf. As she unfurled it, the voice in her head chimed in.

> New spell obtained: Shield.

>

> Shield: apply a small magical shield to a target. It will prevent up to fifty points of damage. If no damage is on the shield, it will prevent an entire critical attack.

Before she could ask any questions, the scroll dissolved in her hands.

“Shit.”

“I would say so,” Thrash chuckled, “I figured you were a mage.”

“I am so sorry!” She stared at her hands, “I had no idea it would—!”

“Don’t fret so much. You can always give me the amount it cost,” He shrugged.

She sighed and sunk into one of the chairs in the room, “That’d be great if I had money.”

Thrash scrunched his nose at her response. He expected her to not have much but not nothing.

“Then,” He sighed, “I guess we have to come up with a trade. What do you have?”

Charlie drummed her fingers on her bottomless mug. She didn’t know many tricks but knew one thing an outpost might need.

“I can summon a variety of liquids.”

He gave her pointed look, “Liquids?”

To demonstrate, she slid the mug off her arm and pressed one of her favorite runs on mug. A honey color liquid swirled into the mug as she slid it across the desk to him. Thrash picked up the mug with a curious expression.

“Beer?”

“It’s a bottomless mug. It will keep pouring until I stop it,” She grinned, “Got some barrels you need filled? That’ll fill it up.”

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She snatched it back up from the table. She pressed the button to dismiss the liquid before sliding it up her arm.

He nodded, “Alright, deal. It’s a deal.”

They shook hands before Susie brought two plates of eggs and bacon into the room. Charlie shuffled the food into her mouth quickly. He watched her eat with a smile.

“I thought you were a mage since you came into the camp,” He chuckled.

She swallowed, “Why?”

“Those scrawny arms can’t hold the sword you carry,” He laughed, “Anyone could see that.”

Charlie frowned.

“Besides, most adventurers around here would know to come up and talk to me first before plopping down in front of a fire. Mages don’t travel by themselves often.”

“Well, I wasn’t supposed to.”

After eating in silence only broken by utensils on plates, he set his plate aside and put his hands together.

“Do you think your group is in Vlaminer?”

“I hope so,” She put her plate on his, “Or else I’m kind of fucked, huh?”

He snorted at her response, “You can come back if you need to.”

“If… if I do come back, what might be something you guys need?” She asked.

“Just basic supplies. I head to other outposts and cities for trade but we’re pretty self-sufficient here.”

“I think I can do that,” Charlie nodded.

“Let’s go fill those barrels, then!” Thrash clapped.

They walked to the storage shed behind his house. The pile of empty barrels rested outside with their lids off to catch rainwater. She scrunched her nose at them as he opened the door.

“Would you rather me fill them with clean water?”

“You can do that too?” He blinked, “If you could do that for half of them, it would be fantastic!”

He watched Charlie slide the mug from her arm. She pressed the button and tilted it over an open barrel. The beer poured out with ease. They went through some small talk as she worked.

“So, how did some Leonie even find you to look for their people?” Thrash asked.

“I’m afraid I can’t say too much,” She smiled, “Just that they saved me from a predicament. I decided to help after that.”

“Sounds like you get caught up in trouble often,” He laughed.

“Well, it just keeps life interesting. How’d you end up over here? There’s not much around.”

Thrash frowned and looked away. Charlie sensed it was a sensitive topic related to his daughter like Susie told her the night before. He ran his fingers along his greying beard as he thought of how to answer.

“I came here to find someone, my daughter. She was kidnapped from our home in Filigor. Her mom and I tracked her near the edge of the desert before we lost them,” He smiled sadly, “That was about twenty years ago.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” She touched his shoulder.

Thrash cleared his throat, “We settled down here to wait for any other sign. My wife lasted about five years before she passed from her grief.”

“I’m a widow as well,” She pursed her lips, “It’s a rough time.”

“Aye, I wondered why I felt a similar energy to you,” He chuckled, “Maybe I need to adventure around as well.”

“You’re needed around here from what it seems, Thrash!”

“You can call me Henry,” He winked, “I think we’ll be good pals.”

Charlie chatted with him for most of that morning. He gave her some ointment for her wound after she cleaned it out. She filled up a few empty bottles from a wine he saved for special occasions. When the sun was high in the sky, she stood at the entrance to the small outpost. Thrash and Susie stood by her to say goodbyes.

“Well, Miss Charlie, I hope you find your friends quickly. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” She smiled, “You gave me a bit more hope in humanity.”

The older man stuck out his hand with a friendly smile. After they shook hands, he scratched at the scar under his glassy eye.

“I wish you speed and safety on your journey.”

“I’ll try to send some help if I can,” She bowed the rim of her large hat, “Until next time, bye everyone!”

She felt their eyes on them for a few minutes as she traveled down the wooded path. She relaxed after a curve in the road and brought up her map.

“Adi, how long until I can get to the next little settlement?”

> Following the current path will lead to another settlement in approximately three days. Total travel time to Vlaminer is eight days at current rate.

“Perfect,” She sighed, “Looks like we’ve got a ways to go.”