The three travellers followed the subterranean waterway until it finally opened onto a dead end. Beyond it lay the surface.
As they stepped out from the cavern, a breathtaking panorama unfolded before them. They stood atop a towering cliff overlooking a vast stretch of untamed wilderness. Silver streams wound through seas of emerald vegetation, while flocks of strange winged creatures drifted across the sky. Scattered villages dotted the landscape, and in the distance, a sizeable town rested amidst the greenery like a jewel set within the land.
Godric withdrew a map from his luggage.
His gaze shifted between the parchment and the settlements below. After a moment of careful study, he lowered the map and pointed toward town.
"You see the town down there?" Godric asked. "That is Bazareff. It happens to be our destination."
Victoria followed his gesture and released a weary sigh.
"So now we must climb down this cliff and find our way back to the road. Sounds delightful."
"Especially considering we only have one Luluth," Aiden added. "What a nuisance."
"It is reassuring to see the two of you in agreement for once," Godric remarked as he rummaged through his belongings and produced a large, folded cloth. "It saves me the trouble of settling disputes and delivering lectures."
He spread the cloth across the ground like a travelling mat.
Aiden raised an eyebrow and folded his arms against his chest.
"And what exactly are you doing?" he asked. "This hardly seems the time for a nap. We have already lost enough time as it is."
"Be quiet and watch."
Godric pointed his wand toward the cloth.
"We shall fly to Bazareff instead. Any objections?"
Victoria and Aiden exchanged puzzled glances.
"What?" they blurted in unison.
Before either could make sense of his words, the cloth lurched upward and swept them into the air.
The enchanted fabric glided away from the cliffside, carrying its passengers over the sprawling wilderness below. Aiden's bewilderment lasted only a heartbeat before it gave way to excitement. His laughter echoed through the open sky as the wind rushed past him.
The lone Luluth reacted rather differently. The creature clung desperately to Victoria, trembling as though convinced each passing moment would be its last.
Meanwhile, Elysia appeared to be enjoying every second of the flight.
Victoria closed her eyes for a moment and released another long sigh.
"Am I destined to endure this for the entirety of our journey?"
The enchanted cloth surged forward without the slightest sign of slowing.
What had begun as a flight over endless forest canopy gradually changed as the landscape beneath them shifted. Dense green stretches gave way to broken clearings, then to winding paths and scattered signs of habitation.
Soon, the ground itself drew uncomfortably close.
They were no longer high above the wilderness. Rooftops, chimneys, and bustling market stalls now rushed beneath them at a dangerous speed, the presence of a living settlement replacing the once-unbroken sea of trees.
Aiden swallowed.
"Godric," he began, unusually polite. "Would you mind slowing down a little? At this rate, we're going to crash."
"No. There is nothing I can do about it."
The mage answered with remarkable calm as he secured the last of his belongings.
For a moment, everyone stared at him in disbelief. "What?!"
"Enchanted cloths are notoriously capricious," Godric explained. "Once imbued with sufficient magic, they tend to develop peculiar habits of their own. Frankly, I am surprised this one carried us as far as it did. It has already exceeded my expectations."
He slung his pack over his shoulder and glanced at the bustling town drawing ever closer.
"I suggest gathering your belongings. We shall disembark before the landing becomes unpleasant."
By then, they were already passing above the crowded streets of Bazareff.
Without the slightest hesitation, Godric stepped off the cloth and landed neatly upon a nearby rooftop.
Aiden cursed under his breath before following. His descent proved less graceful, ending in a wagon piled high with hay.
Victoria, however, remained where she was.
The notion that a mere piece of enchanted fabric could ignore its rider's will did not sit well with her. If the cloth wished to act on its own, then perhaps it was time it learned otherwise.
As the ground rushed up to meet her, she seized the rebellious cloth in both hands. The terrified Luluth clung desperately to her shoulder.
A heartbeat later, Victoria landed atop the cloth with enough force to drive it into the earth.
The impact left a shallow crater in the road and reduced the enchanted fabric to a crumpled, defeated heap.
Godric and Aiden tensed immediately, fearing the noise would draw unwanted attention.
Fortunately for them, Bazareff was in the midst of celebration.
Music echoed through the streets. Laughter rose from crowded taverns and market squares. Townsfolk danced beneath colourful banners strung between buildings. Such festivities were hardly uncommon in Bazareff, a town renowned for finding reasons to celebrate.
The crash vanished beneath the revelry.
Once they were certain no alarm had been raised, the three mages regrouped.
"Is this where we're supposed to find the explorer?" Victoria asked as she surveyed the lively streets. "It's noisy and crowded."
"Hopefully," Godric replied. "But before we begin our inquiries, we should secure lodging. Aiden—"
He stopped.
There was no response.
Godric and Victoria exchanged a glance before looking around. Aiden was nowhere to be found.
The mystery lasted only a moment.
A short distance away, the self-proclaimed Flame God had already immersed himself in the festivities. Surrounded by a small group of amused women, he danced with shameless enthusiasm while showering them with compliments.
A heavy silence settled over Godric and Victoria.
Without exchanging a word, they marched toward him.
Aiden barely had time to register their arrival before finding himself bound and dragged down the street.
The townsfolk paid the spectacle little mind. Some laughed openly, while others assumed it was part of the ongoing festivities.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Aiden protested as his heels scraped against the cobblestones. "I have a reputation to uphold! I am the Flame God, master of the Comet Guild!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Godric replied without so much as glancing back. "You are no longer a guild master. And if matters continue as they have, we shall soon earn the title of criminals besides. Your reputation is hardly our greatest concern."
"Fine, fine!" Aiden relented. "I understand already. Let me go. I promise I'll focus on the task at hand and... and do whatever needs to be done."
"Hmph." Victoria cast him a cold glance.
"See that you do. Otherwise, I may decide those legs of yours are more trouble than they're worth."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Enough." Godric finally released the ropes. "We have wasted enough time. Let us find an inn."
Aiden quickly put a respectable distance between himself and Victoria before she could reconsider.
"What about that one?" Victoria asked, pointing toward a large inn standing at the corner of the street.
Its wooden sign swayed gently above the entrance while the sounds of laughter and conversation spilled out into the bustling avenue.
***
After entrusting their Luluth to the hostlers, the trio stepped into the Green Inn, where warmth and the heavy scent of roasted meat and ale greeted them at once. Behind the counter sat an elderly demi-human woman with weathered features and sharp green eyes, a pipe resting between her lips as she idly turned the pages of an old book.
She was known as Miss FishGreens, the long-standing proprietor of the inn for over fifty years.
Without even looking up, she spoke in a flat, practiced tone.
"If you're here for a room, it's one gold coin per night. Two gold coins per room per day if you intend to stay longer. Food and water are paid in silver. Wine is a gold coin a bottle. Rare stock, so no bargaining."
Victoria blinked slightly at the efficiency of the greeting, or rather the lack of one. It was the first time she had met an innkeeper who began with prices instead of hospitality, though she supposed it saved time.
Elysia, amused, let out a small giggle in her mind, only to fall silent when Victoria shot her a cold glance.
Godric, unfazed, responded with measured calm as he studied the room. "The prices are rather high. We require three rooms for a week. Perhaps an arrangement can be made?"
"The price is the price, young man," Miss FishGreens replied without lifting her eyes from the book. "There are cheaper inns in the surrounding villages, though I doubt their conditions would suit travellers such as yourselves."
Aiden immediately leaned forward. "Why not take a single room? It would save us a considerable amount."
The suggestion was met at once with Victoria's sharp expression. "Sharing a room with you sounds unbearable."
Aiden clicked his tongue. "As if I would enjoy it. I prefer my own space."
Godric exhaled quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning back to the innkeeper. "Perhaps you could show us a little mercy, Miss FishGreens."
That earned a faint chuckle from the old woman as she finally lowered her book just enough to regard them.
"You saw the crowds outside. Once the festivities die down, every traveller, merchant, and drunkard in Bazareff will flood this place. I already turn customers away most nights." Her gaze lingered on them a moment longer before drifting toward the stables beyond the window. "If you lack coin, you might offer something else of value instead."
"Such as?" Godric asked.
"That Luluth of yours."
Victoria answered immediately. "That won't happen. It's the last we have." Her eyes shifted, and she added without hesitation, "Take him instead," nodding toward Aiden.
Aiden froze mid-breath. "Are you seriously trying to sell me?"
Miss FishGreens didn't even look up. "I have no use for him."
Victoria leaned toward Godric then, lowering her voice as the situation settled into uncomfortable silence. "How much do we have left?"
"Six gold coins and fifteen silvers. That's all," he replied. "Aiden and I already gave most of our funds to our guilds before leaving."
Victoria stared at him for a moment, then let out a slow sigh. "...We are finished."
The brief silence that followed was interrupted when the inn doors suddenly swung open, letting in a wave of noise from the street. A young nobleman entered with two women clinging to his arms, both laughing and flushed with drink, while a weary older man hurried in after them, his voice filled with panic as he pleaded for decorum and the preservation of his lord's reputation.
The young man only laughed it off. "Relax, Oscar! I am simply enjoying my youth!"
Then his gaze drifted across the room.
It stopped.
Recognition struck instantly.
Without hesitation, he shoved the women aside, drew his wand, and pointed it dramatically toward Aiden and Godric as if the entire inn had been waiting for this moment.
"Aiden! Godric!" he declared. "At last, we meet again! Arm yourselves! I, the elegant Lambert Normandie, shall bring this rivalry to its rightful conclusion and demonstrate my victory here and now!"
The entire inn fell into a brief, stunned silence as everyone present shared the same unspoken thought: "What a weird man."
***
In the Valley of Mendiants, while the Selifehian enjoyed a rare moment of peace beneath in the vale's shadows, Myorr caught sight of something unsettling in the distance.
From beyond the rolling mist that clung to the valley's edge, a piercing gaze lingered upon them.
It belonged to a colossal wolf—far larger than any beast spoken of in common tales. Silent and unmoving, it watched from afar with an intelligence that felt almost human.