Saiya found the flames mesmerizing. The way the embers danced around each other as they lifted from the burning wood was something she could watch all day. One would think that she would be tired of watching something burn after what they went through. However, a warm campfire comforted something deep inside Saiya. Maybe it reminded her of the chilly nights where she cuddled up with her parents at home next to their fireplace. That, or perhaps she just gained an appreciation of seeing something set on fire. Probably meant she was spending too much time with Zeltara. That girl seemed to like explosives a bit too much.

  Said elf was currently regaling them about her day fixing various tools and objects the Al’Yanda had broken. They had finished another day of work for the caravan and set up camp for the night. The work had been rather tedious today, seeing as few had needed medical attention today. It left Saiya longing for something more exciting to happen. Though that would mean more work for her to do. Truly a lose-lose situation. At least Yena spent their free time giving her lessons.

  “Next, I had to work on one of the camp’s perimeter mana lanterns. That was really exciting. Do you know how those lanterns work? Well-” Zeltara said as she animatedly moved her hands around. That, with the excitement in her voice, could make almost anything interesting to listen to. Kaztos was sitting there, listening with rapt attention. A few days ago, Saiya would have been too.

  Unfortunately, the same routine for over a week at this point left her bored with it all. Why did Kaztos have to insist on sharing their full days every night? It was almost the same story day after day. Saiya would just prefer a moment of comfortable silence between them sometimes. Unfortunately, Kaztos and Zeltara weren’t those kinds of people. They liked to fill the area with noise. While she appreciated them, it sometimes left her feeling drained.

  She tuned back in to see Zeltara reaching into her satchel. “Anyway, I had some free time for myself and restocked my depleted supplies.” She pulled out a black and a white marble. “Tada! My great marbles are back. Now I’m almost back to full effectiveness.” Ah, it seemed her time to take part in the conversation had arrived.

  “Are they still in danger of randomly exploding?” Saiya taunted. Zeltara stopped for a moment before turning to glare at her. She met her gaze, trying to hide a smirk. Zeltara knew what she was doing, but Saiya knew she wouldn’t resist the bait. Kaztos looked between them, knowing what was coming next.

  But to her surprise, Zeltara didn’t bite back. Instead, she held up a black marble. “I made sure that they wouldn’t. Let me show you. See the groove in the middle?” Zeltara pointed to the side where Saiya could see it. “Well, that prevents a premature detonation by impact. But if you twist it.” She twisted both sides of the marble with two fingers. A click rang out. “Then it’ll be ready to explode.”

  “Fantastic! I knew you would think of something,” Kaztos said. The praise had Zeltara puffing up with pride. That wouldn’t do.

  Saiya stared at her for a moment before smirking. “You know you’re now holding a live explosive. Can you twist it back or not?” Zeltara opened her mouth to answer, but then froze. She then stared down at the marble in her hand nervously.

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t tested that yet. In fact, I didn’t have a chance to test anything about these yet.” That glowing review of confidence had Saiya and Kaztos shift a few feet away from Zeltara. She noticed this and yelled, “Hey! They're not going to randomly explode. I dropped one today, and it didn’t blow up.”

  The image of the tinker wagon exploding today filled Saiya’s head. She could barely stop herself from laughing. “Well, what are you going to do about the one in your hand?”

  Zeltara stared down at it for a moment before twisting the two sides back. She then put the marble back into her satchel. “See, out of sight, out of mind. Now, any more stupid questions, Saiya?” She stared down the blond girl, who felt tempted to keep going.

  “No, I don’t.” Saiya then offered a more genuine smile. “But that is impressive, Zeltara.” She returned the gesture and nodded. It surprised Saiya just how fun it was to rile Zeltara up. She had never been like this to anyone before, but seeing her friend pop after her ego inflated was enjoyable. Zeltara appeared to take it all in good fun. It helped that Saiya tried to give the girl her props in the end. The last thing she wanted was to offend her. Saiya had no point of comparison but assumed that this was what having siblings felt like.

  Kaztos, now seeing that their exchange was finished, said, “Well, I’m happy you found a workaround for that. I’m sure you’ll get to test them sometime. If nothing else, we’ll find an opportunity to leave camp soon.” Zeltara nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, that would be great. And if these work out, I have plans to create larger versions of them. Probably the size of a small ball. More bang for a throw would be nice in some situations.” Kaztos pumped his fist and grinned.

  “Fantastic! Then I’ll improve myself too. We’ll work our way to the top in no time.”

  Saiya nodded at that. Maybe she should work more on her channeling. The last thing she wanted was to be left behind by these two. But where to find the time? Working with Yena took all day. She shook off the thought for now. “Great, now you’ll have more explosives.” Zeltara stuck her tongue out at her. “But I’m sure you’ll create something good.” She smiled in appreciation as the conversation hit a lull. Saiya took the silence as a chance to relax and let her mind drift off.

  “Well, my day was much the same,” Kaztos said. Maybe not. She had to repress a sigh. “I only had to patrol today with Euronar. Not the most exciting, but I tackled the task with fierce dedication.” Saiya wondered how that worked. Wasn’t it just walking around and keeping watch all day? How did you do that with ‘fierce dedication’?

  Zeltara asked, “How is working with Euronar? He seems like a grump whenever I see him.” Kaztos grinned.

  “Amazing! His work shows his commitment to the caravan. It’s inspiring, to say the least. I think he is warming up to me. He isn’t bad once you get to know him.” Zeltara nodded thoughtfully.

  “I’ll just have to take your word for it.” Kaztos’ expression changed to a soft smile.

  “I think we’re making a lot of headway with the Al’Yanda. Already, they’re talking about us in a more positive light. We all put in work to prove ourselves.” It was true from what Saiya experienced. The whispers and stares had all but vanished. The caravan even seemed to treat them nicer now. She thought it was because of the time they spent there, but maybe their work had something to do with it. Saiya didn’t know why Kaztos was trying so hard, though. Their opinions didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they were staying forever.

  Kaztos then turned to her. “How did your day go, Saiya?” Zeltara also looked at her with interest. She sighed, realizing it was her turn. Why did they bother going over this every day? It would just be the same thing as always.

  Still, she knew by now it was better to play along. “It was fine. There weren’t many people in need of healing, so most of the day was spent cleaning and cooking.” That bored her to no end. It reminded her of the monotonous days at the orphanage. At least she could learn something from Yena when treating people.

  Zeltara offered a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. At least you're learning more about healing. You did a great job with Kaztos and me when we needed it. I’m sure you’ll get even better.” The praise warmed Saiya. Perhaps there was one reason she played along with their nightly recaps that made it alright.

  “Maybe you can ask for new jobs. You’ve proven yourself to be a dedicated worker. Perhaps you could even join guard duty with me.” Saiya shook her head at the suggestion. A change of jobs wouldn’t improve things. Being a guard would make things worse. No, best to go along with what works. While she doesn’t care what the rest of the caravan thinks, it would be bad to be thought of as dead weight. That risked them getting kicked out.

  Zeltara smirked at her. “Saiya is just bored. Not that I can blame her. I could do with more excitement myself. We need to improve our skills if we want to survive out there. We’re not staying here forever.”

  “Speaking of which, have you made any progress on Dollanti?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara groaned and put her face in her hands.

  “No! That old man just keeps refusing. He says that we’ll just get ourselves killed. I know adventuring is dangerous, but we don’t exactly have a choice.”

  “We could technically keep working for the caravan.” Even as the suggestion left his mouth, Kaztos grimaced. Saiya and Zeltara followed suit. The idea of working here for a few weeks or even months was fine. But Saiya wouldn’t be able to take it if this were permanent. So much for living a safe life. This journey seemed to have her hooked.

  “That sounds horrible. I’ll just have to find a way to convince him. If not, then I’m sure we can figure something out.” Zeltara spoke with little confidence. Saiya knew they needed training. Their march through hell showed they weren’t prepared for a life of adventure yet.

  “Hey, how have you three been?” The three turned to see Pence approaching. Saiya had to hide a groan as Zeltara and Kaztos brightened up.

  “Pence! It’s good to see you. How was your day?” Zeltara asked.

  “It was good. Father spent the day teaching me about where to find deals on various resources. It’s just the basics, though. These things change all the time, and I’ll need to know how to predict them someday. It’s kind of boring though.”

  Kaztos said, “Still, it’s impressive that you are learning about such things. It reminds me of my lessons back at the academy. We needed to learn about the different etiquettes of various noble courts.” He shook his head. “I’m getting off topic. Come sit down. You can tell us more about your lessons.”

  Pence took the invitation and sat down next to Saiya. She stared straight ahead as he leaned in. “Hello, Saiya. I hope you’re having a fine day.” She didn’t respond. She can see him pout from the corner of her eye. “Still quiet? That’s okay. I’ll make a friend out of you yet.” Unlikely as far as she was concerned. Kaztos and Zeltara were more than enough.

  He raised his finger to poke Saiya’s shoulder when Zeltara said, “Leave her be, Pence. If she doesn’t want to talk, then don’t bother her. She just takes some time to warm up to people.” Pence smiled but backed off. It was things like that which showed Saiya why they were good friends. They understood.

  “Sorry, I just want to get to know her a little better. I talk to you two plenty, but she remains closed off. No offense.” Kaztos waved off the apology.

  “No worries. We all make mistakes like that. It’s all part of getting to know each other better.” Pence smiled at that.

  “That’s true. And you all have proven to be interesting to know. I’m glad you guys made it here. The caravan needed some new faces. Speaking of getting to know each other, I’ve been listening to everyone talk about you. You’ve made an impression on everyone.”

  Zeltara asked, “Is that so? All we’ve done is complete the work done in front of us. I doubt Kaztos’ enthusiasm made that much of a difference.” Kaztos squawked in offense.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Pence chuckled. “Ah, but that is all that is needed sometimes, yes? Not everyone would pull their weight like the three of you have. There’s a reason the Al’Yanda are so cautious. We’re not welcomed by everyone in The Dominion.” Zeltara nodded in sympathy.

  “I’ve heard of how it is in some places in the western part of The Holy Dominion. In a way, I was lucky to grow up on the far eastern frontier.” Saiya heard stories as well. She’d have to keep in mind where they go so that Zeltara could be safe. Kaztos might disagree, but zealousness had its disadvantages.

  “We were going through the western plains when the cataclysm transported us. You think we’re careful? Western Domini people could be outright hostile to outsiders. It’s the reason we need so many guards. At least they see the value of honest trade.” Pence let out another chuckle. “Makes sense that you’re from the eastern frontier. You’re diligent eastern domini through and through.”

  Kaztos said, “I’m just glad we proved ourselves to you.”

  “That you did. Even my brother is warming up to you. Though he is still an overprotective bison herder.” Pence turned to the fire outside the El’Thani tent. Saiya and the others followed his gaze to see Euronar staring at them. Seeing he was caught, the older Al’Yanda averted his gaze. It seemed that they hadn’t gotten completely into the caravan’s good graces yet.

  Pence turned back to them. “You know, I’m a little jealous of you.”

  “No one has ever said that to me before. Why is that?” Zeltara asked. Pence rubbed the back of his head nervously.

  “Well, you guys only recently showed up and have all these jobs and responsibilities. This is my first trip, so there isn’t much I’m allowed to do yet.”

  Kaztos leaned forward with interest. “And why is that a problem?”

  “Ah, it’s just you guys helping the camp. Everyone gets to pitch in and help in their own way. I only get given chores anyone could do. If not that, then I’m with father learning about the business. Euronar isn’t interested in taking over, so I’m stuck doing all these boring lessons. I’d much rather help around here more.” Pence blushed at the end. He seemed embarrassed even at saying anything.

  Zeltara let out a huff of amusement. “I know how you feel. My father was teaching me about our tinker workshop. I appreciate the effort and learning the trade. But I’m not interested in inheriting the business. Yet, he always insists on it.” At this, Pence looked away.

  “Ah, that’s not it. I actually want to inherit the caravan someday. It’s an honor to carry on the family tradition. I would just like some more hands-on responsibility, is all.” Zeltara had to hide her blush with her hands.

  “Sorry, I thought you meant something else. Oh man, I feel like an idiot.” Kaztos and Saiya watched as the two stared away from the camp in embarrassment.

  Pence said, “It’s okay. I explained the situation poorly.” He looked ready to say more, but stopped himself. This was getting too much, even for Saiya. She was getting secondhand embarrassment just by watching this. She looked over at Kaztos pleadingly to do something. He gave her a questioning look, silently asking what he should do. She responded with a raised eyebrow. If anyone could re-energize a conversation, it would be him.

  Kaztos sighed and snapped his fingers. When Zeltara and Pence looked at him, he said, “Come on now. There’s no need to feel bad about ourselves. Pence, you did nothing wrong. You can confide in us if you feel like it. And Zeltara,” he turned to her. “There’s no need to be embarrassed about a misunderstanding. Now, let’s not let this ruin a fun night. We should enjoy each other’s company as friends.”

  “He’s right. It wasn’t a big deal. Sorry over overdramatizing things,” Zeltara said. She offered her hand to Pence, who accepted it.

  “There’s no need to apologize for misunderstandings like that. Now, how about we talk about something else, yes?” Both of them shook hands. Saiya hid a sigh of relief. This is why she enjoyed silent company more. There’s less drama to worry about.

  Zeltara said, “Sure thing. I actually had more questions about the Al’Yanda.” She froze in her seat, cutting off whatever she was going to say. Kaztos and Saiya straightened at seeing their friend react like that. Zeltara’s ears twitched, and her head snapped to look outside the camp perimeter. Saiya dreaded seeing the look of fear on her face. But she needed to focus. Saiya grabbed a knife from underneath her cloak, prepared for anything to come out. Across from her, Kaztos’ hand rests on his hammer beside him.

  “What’s the matter? Is everything okay?” Pence asked. Saiya turned to see the Al’Yanda boy looking at them, worried and confused.

  “It’s back,” Zeltara muttered. Saiya turned back to face her.

  “What’s back?” She asked. Saiya already had an idea, but wanted to make sure.

  Zeltara’s voice was unsteady. “You know. It. That thing. The abomination.” Saiya let out a breath upon the confirmation. Of course, it was back. They couldn’t catch a break, could they? Images of it grabbing her and pulling her close played through her mind. She could still feel the ice-cold hands that smothered and pulled her towards those rows of sharp teeth. Saiya felt nauseous as a weight settled from her stomach to her throat.

  “Oh, that thing,” Saiya lamely said. Zeltara nodded, but then her ear twitched again. She whirled around to face the other side of the camp.

  “There’s more than one of them out there.” Zeltara’s hands were fiddling with several black and white marbles.

  Kaztos asked, “Are you sure?” Saiya glanced over at him. His expression was perhaps the most intense she had ever seen on him. He was taut, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. She envied his bravery. Kaztos was the most injured of the three of them during their last encounter, yet the most ready to fight right now. Saiya still felt rooted in place.

  Zeltara nodded. “I can recognize that scuttling anywhere. I can hear two of them moving around out there.” The elf then shook her head. “Stupid. I should have done more to convince Dinaro. I shouldn’t have forgotten like that.”

  “Don’t blame yourself. We should have done something as well,” Kaztos said as he put a hand on Zeltara’s shoulder. “For now, we should focus on what to do now. Are we in immediate danger, or do we have some time to plan?” Zeltara took a deep breath and calmed down.

  “No, they’re staying distant. Maybe they're only watching us. Stalking us to get more information. We should have time to do something.” Pence walked forward and got their attention.

  “You’re worrying me. What’s happening? Is the caravan in danger?” All three of them exchange looks. After a moment, Kaztos nodded and turned to Pence.

  “Zeltara heard something outside the camp. It’s a monster that attacked us on our journey.” Pence grew excited.

  “Ah, a monster? What did it look like? Was it big and ugly? How many teeth did it have?” Pence asked. He looked ready to spout off a million questions. Saiya’s growling stopped him from going further.

  She said, “Enough. Take this seriously.” Her words had an unintended effect as Pence grinned at her.

  “You’re finally talking to me? That’s great! I’m glad to finally get through to you.” Saiya had to stop herself from hitting him. How did he not understand the severity of the situation?

  Zeltara got between them. “We have bigger things to worry about. Look.” She pointed to the edge of the camp. “The perimeter is lined with mana lanterns. With all of them on, the camp acts as a beacon. Besides the campfires, there isn’t a way to ward them off. An attack could come at any time.”

  “Why are you so worried about this creature? I’ve seen the guards take care of many monsters before. They can even deal with trolls on occasion. This shouldn’t be any different,” Pence said.

  “This monster is different, I’m afraid,” Kaztos said. “While we aren’t the most knowledgeable on the subject. None of us has ever seen or heard of anything like this before. It has proven to be extremely dangerous. One killed a grown man within a minute or two. It almost killed me with just a single blow. They can be almost silent when they want, and are predators in the dark. Worst of all, they appear to be immune to mana. Saiya’s spell had no effect on the one we fought. Those things out there could easily kill the guards patrolling if they aren’t careful.”

  Pence finally understood the gravity of the situation. “What do we do then? If people are in danger, then we must do something.”

  “We should warn Dinaro,” Zeltara said. Her voice projected complete confidence and command. “I’ll convince him of the danger this time. We’ll think of protective measures for the caravan.” Kaztos nodded as Saiya felt more settled with a plan of action. However, Pence seemed unsure.

  “That might not be a good idea. Dad is currently meeting with the elders from camp. They are not to be interrupted under any circumstances.” Elders? Saiya hadn’t seen anyone truly old in the caravan. The oldest person she had come across was Dollanti. She pushed the thought away. Now wasn’t the time to be distracted.

  “It’s a matter of caravan safety, Pence. We need to talk to him immediately,” Kaztos said. Pence chewed his lip as he considered the plea. They didn’t need him, but Saiya knew having the chief’s son on their side would be helpful.

  “Fine, I’ll help you.” Pence appeared to be nervous but started to walk to the chief’s tent. The three followed him. Saiya then got a bad feeling. Why was Pence this nervous? Sure, he shouldn’t interrupt a meeting, but there was a need for it. Was there more importance to it than what Pence was saying? Maybe they were about to commit some kind of faux pas that would land them in hot water.

  As they reach the tent, Euronar is sitting there watching. He eyed them, but Pence waved him off. The older brother seemed ready to confront them. Pence shook his head and motioned for him to stay back. Euronar did, but kept watching.

  Just as they were about to enter, Pence paused. Zeltara leaned in close and whispered to him.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? We can go in on our own. If you get asked, say you were with your brother.” Pence shook his head, and a determined expression settled on his face.

  “No, if there really is a danger to the caravan, then I need to report it. This is my chance to prove to father that I can help. Just let me talk to them.” He looked ready to go in. Zeltara nodded, and the group was ready to enter. That feeling got worse. Before they could go in, Saiya put her hands on Pence and Zeltara’s shoulders to stop them.

  When they looked back at her, she said, “I’m getting a bad feeling. Do we have to go in right this second? We could wait for a better time.” Zeltara seemed to think for a second before shaking her head.

  “It’s too risky. Who knows when the abominations will attack? We may need every second to prepare.” Saiya nodded, acknowledging the point. There wasn’t any way to tell which was the right choice. Waiting too long could cost people their lives. Still, she had a feeling this wouldn’t go well.

  In the end, Saiya let go of their shoulders and allowed them to continue. Zeltara gave her a nod, then turned to the tent flap. After taking a moment to gather themselves, the four enter the tent.

  There was a table in the middle of the room. Along with Dinaro and Yena, two middle-aged Al’Yanda men sat on cushions. Saiya had seen the two around the caravan, but had never interacted with them. They weren’t her exact idea of elders, but seemed to be among the oldest in the caravan. The four each had a still-steaming cup of tea. In the back, two guards stood at attention and tensed upon seeing them. They stood ready, but didn’t intervene. Meanwhile, the four sitting at the table turned to face them.

  One elder with a long brown beard asked, “What is the meaning of this? Pence, you know never to interrupt a meeting like this. And you brought the outsiders with you.” His voice grew angrier as he talked. Pence took a step back, almost running into Saiya.

  “Sorry sir. I was uh, I mean that I need to uh.” Pence stumbled over his words. Saiya had to suppress a sigh. This was already going poorly.

  Fortunately, Dinaro said, “No need to be so hostile, Poun. I’m sure they have a reason for coming in here. Pence knows just how important these meetings are. He wouldn’t interrupt us unless necessary.” He turned to Pence. “Now son, what seems to be the matter?”

  “Father, the camp is in danger!” The four at the table jumped at the announcement. The two elders talked over each other, trying to get Pence to explain. Dinaro raised his hand to silence them. Despite the calm action, the chief seemed ready to jump up and personally defend the caravan.

  “What’s wrong, Pence? You’re not making sense. Explain yourself?” Saiya watched as Pence struggled to talk. Perhaps bringing him along was a mistake. He couldn’t seem to get over his anxiety. Seeing that he wouldn’t explain, Zeltara stepped forward.

  All eyes turned to her as she talked. “Sorry for barging in like this, sir. I understand that you didn’t wish to be interrupted. However, the camp is in danger of being attacked.” Saiya felt impressed by Zeltara’s politeness. From what she heard, her friend didn’t do well in her last conversation with Dinaro.

  The chief got an intense look on his face and said, “Is that so? Please explain the threat to us.”

  Poun scoffed. “Please, like these outsiders know anything. If there were a danger, then the guards would have alerted us.” Dinaro looked between Zeltara and Poun in thought. She bristled at the accusation.

  With a controlled tone, Zeltara said, “It’s about the monster I talked about in our last conversation, chief.” Dinaro frowned. “There’s more than one now. They’re circling the camp at the moment. The caravan could be attacked at any time.”

  “How do you know that they're out there?” Dinaro asked. Saiya could hear the skepticism in his voice. This wasn’t going as planned.

  “I heard it with my enhanced hearing. The sound they make while moving is very distinct. There’s at least two of them out there.” The second elder let harrumphed. He had long gray hair that peaked out from under his turban.

  He turned to Dinaro. “Don’t tell me you believe this? These outsiders are just causing trouble.”

  Zeltara said, “Elves can hear better than humans. I can pick up a lot when I pay attention.”

  “Elves are also attention-seeking liars. You know how they are, always trying to cause trouble,” Poun said. Dinaro let out a sigh.

  “Do you have anything else to prove your claims? I took your words into consideration before. There are two more guards patrolling at night than usual. Why do I need to have more, when our manpower is being strained as it is?” Zeltara paused at this.

  “There isn’t really anything else. But we’re telling the truth. The caravan is in danger. We need to think of a way to protect it.” Poun shook his head and chuckled.

  “You know what I think? Three outsiders are here trying to cause a panic. Probably to do something in the chaos. I don’t know what you’re planning, but we won’t fall for it. And to get the chief’s son involved in this. How shameful. Perhaps he isn’t ready to be a part of this caravan like we thought.” Pence flinched at the condemnation.

  Zeltara took a breath to stay calm. “Please, you need to listen to us. There’s-” The second elder interrupted her.

  “We need to do what? How dare you make demands of us? We were kind enough to bring you in and waste our resources to save you. Don’t you dare ask for more. We could kick you out at any time. So leave before we do so, blasphemous elf.” Saiya could tell that this was going to fall apart just by looking at Zeltara. She tried to stop her, but was too late.

  Face red in anger, Zeltara took a step forward and yelled, “What did you just call me? After everything we try to do to repay you? We’re trying to help you now, but you just want to throw it in our faces. Screw you, you wrinkly old bastard!”

  “Enough!” Everyone stopped as Dinaro stood up. His face was full of rage as he stared down at everyone in the room. He turned first to the elders. “I don’t need your comments on this matter. Don’t insult our guests like this. You sully our caravan’s name. And you!” He turned to Zeltara, who flinched back. “You are here on our generosity. We didn’t have to bring you in. So you best not squander that. Now, go back to your camp and be prepared to work if you want to stay here. Pence!” He flinched. “Go to your room. We’ll be having a conversation after my meeting is done. Now go.”

  Pence spared them one last look before scurrying off into a side room. Zeltara looked almost ready to yell at the chief before Saiya grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the tent. The three left with a feeling of defeat hanging over them.

  They walked back to their campsite in silence, giving no mind to the glare Euronar gave them as they passed. Once they reached their camp, Zeltara started to pace back and forth, leaving the Kaztos and Saiya to watch. She muttered to herself, but besides the occasional insult and curse, Saiya couldn’t make any of it out.

  Kaztos intervened and walked over to Zeltara. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, “Calm yourself. This isn’t helping anybody. Now isn’t the time to let your anger get the better of you.” Saiya walked up to them.

  “I agree. We need to think of what to do now,” she said. Zeltara took a few moments to calm herself.

  “Thank you. You’re right. We need a plan of action. I just can’t believe he ignored us again.” Kaztos and Saiya took a step back to give her space. “We’ll just have to prepare things on our own. I’m not supervised while in the tinker wagon, so I can prepare weapons to fight if necessary. You two, try to convince Euronar and Yena to help us. We’ll protect the caravan whether or not they want us to or not.”

  A good sentiment, though a bit too altruistic for Saiya’s taste. At this point, they should focus on their own safety. Still, she nodded in agreement. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was all they had. She couldn’t think of anything better.

  Kaztos, on the other hand, appeared much more optimistic. “Sounds perfect! We’ll be ready when those abominations dare to cross us. They don’t have the element of surprise anymore. We know how to fight them.”

  “Thank you, guys,” Zeltara said. She gave them a weary smile. The three watched as their fire dwindled away. Saiya found herself regretting the wish for silence now. All that noise was preferable to the grim tension that had now befallen the group.

  Darkness fell as the last embers died away. The three exchanged solemn goodbyes and went to their tents. Saiya found it hard to sleep, the anxiety of their situation distracting her. They were in danger, and their ability to do anything was limited. One wrong move, and they’d be kicked out and fed to the wolves. But she couldn’t think about that right now. It took time, but she fell asleep, head filled with images of dark hands and the sounds of chilling shrieks.