Zeltara’s heart pounded as she ran with Kaztos and Saiya towards the battle. The sounds of monstrous screeching, desperate battle cries, and terrified screams threatened to overwhelm her sensitive hearing. As they got closer, the faint details of the fight became clearer, but were still hard to make out in the dark. The outline of someone flew back as the abomination swung its legs. That could have been someone who died just now. One of what may be an ever-growing pile.

  Zeltara didn’t delude herself about what they were likely to find. She remembered the nameless man back in the wasteland. These monsters could kill within a minute. Hell, the one they had fought had almost killed Saiya and Kaztos several times. It was only by the skin of their teeth that they all made it out of that alive. These abominations were lethal, and that’s when fighting them knowing their weaknesses.

  There was an almost guarantee that people had already died. Sure, there appeared to be around five men fighting the abominations, but what was their number at the start of the battle? How many had died before they had gotten here? They tried to move as fast as possible, but it took them almost twenty minutes to secure the camp. That was plenty of time for the abominations to kill several people. That so many men were still standing at this point could be seen as fortunate.

  But she couldn’t allow herself to dwell on the possibilities. She needed to focus on what lay ahead. Distraction at this point would only lead to their own deaths. Zeltara had to stay focused and be decisive. She could think about everything after and steeled herself for whatever lay ahead.

  As they closed in on the battle, Zeltara pulled out her lantern. While the three of them had torches, the Al’Yanda needed something to protect themselves. Despite the awkwardness, she ignited the lantern one-handed. A plan was already formulating in her head on how to approach the situation. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to relay it properly to Kaztos and Saiya. She’ll just have to wing it.

  “Hey!” Her friends looked over at her. “Use the torches to drive it off. Then, keep the men in the light. We’ll escort them back to camp.” Kaztos and Saiya shouted an affirmative. Good, at least they’ll have a minimal idea of what they’re doing. It came not a moment too soon as they finally reached the Al’Yanda men. Their torches lit up the area and revealed the condition of the group.

  The situation was dire. A quick glance showed no one was uninjured. Dinaro stood tall under the guard of three other men. All of them had minor cuts and bruises. The two other men lying unconscious on the ground were a different story. Luckily, one appeared to only have a big welt on their head. The other was lying in a pool of their own blood. The four men showed visible exhaustion as they shielded their wounded from the abomination.

  Further away, Zeltara could see the other battle. Now closer, she recognized the lone man battling an abomination to be Dollanti. The elderly adventurer was launching various wind spells from his staff to drive the monster off. It was nothing short of amazing that he was holding his own. He rapidly launched spells while keeping the mana lantern on his belt lit. The amount of concentration that took was more than impressive. To think the veteran adventurer had that much skill. They really needed to get him to train them later. Zeltara banished the thought and focused. Now wasn’t the time for idle fantasies.

  Seeing the two situations, she knew what they needed to do. Zeltara turned to her friends and said, “Let’s stay with Dinaro’s group. They need our help more than Dollanti does.” After receiving their acknowledgement, the three entered the fight.

  They arrived just in time to see the abomination lunge out of the darkness and pin an Al’Yanda man to the ground. Its features were identical to the one they had fought before. Did they all look the same, or was there variance? She should have to ask Kaztos later.

  Zeltara dropped the lantern in the middle of Dinaro’s group for a measure of protection. The light just reached the abomination, and she expected it to retreat. To her shock, the monster stood its ground and grabbed the pinned man with its arms. How was this thing withstanding the light? Could they develop a resistance to it? Kaztos and Saiya got closer, allowing more light to shine on the abomination. It still didn’t retreat. Zeltara had to suppress her panic at the sight. If this thing was resistant to light, could their weapons be ineffective as well?

  Saiya and Kaztos appeared to think similarly as they stopped their advance. They were unsure how to proceed. Zeltara pulled out her crossbow. Best to check if they could hurt the abomination from a safe distance. She grabbed a firebolt and prepared to load it.

  Meanwhile, Dinaro and the other two men charged and attacked the monster with their swords. Their blades glowed white as mana flowed through the weapons. Each man landed several strikes on the abomination with little effect. The monster disregarded the strikes, concentrating on the pinned man underneath it.

  The abomination’s arms lifted the man, who screamed in fear. Zeltara struggled to pull the drawstring back to load the crossbow, but lost her grip. This mistake cost them, as the abomination pulled the man into its maw and bit down on the man’s shoulder. His agonized screeches filled with pain, and Zeltara could see blood gush down the man’s arm. The other Al’Yanda proved ineffective in their attacks as the monster focused on its prey. Kaztos and Saiya’s attempts also failed as a hammer blow and knife throw glanced off its exterior.

  With the crossbow finally loaded, Zeltara lit the bolt and took aim. The man’s struggles weakened as he appeared on the verge of losing consciousness. Taking a breath to steady herself, she took aim and fired. The bolt struck true and hit the abomination in the torso. It let out a painful wail. Kaztos then slammed its side with his hammer. The monster dropped the man onto the ground and stumbled back.

  Dinaro, seeing an opportunity, held his blade sideways and channeled mana into it. He then swung, releasing a horizontal wind blade. The spell struck the burning torso of the monster, cutting into the skin. It flailed around as a viscous, inky substance poured out of the wound. A large amount landed on the injured man on the ground. Zeltara pushed back a feeling of disgust as the abomination retreated into the darkness.

  With a momentary respite, Dinaro turned to Zeltara. “What are you three doing out here? You should be back at camp, yes?”

  “We’re just here to help get you guys back safely,” she said, while keeping her eyes peeled for any movement in the darkness.

  “We would never abandon someone in need. It was our duty to come to your assistance,” Kaztos added. Dinaro looked between the two of them before letting out a huff of amusement.

  “Ah, kids these days. Always trying to get into trouble. I can see where Pence is learning it from. Well, no matter. I’ll take any help we can get.” He then turned to the other two Al’Yanda still standing. “Shi, Li. You two grab Curn and drag him to the others.” Dinaro looked at Saiya. “Tend to the injured. See if you can get them up and walking.”

  Saiya glanced over at her for approval. After receiving a nod, she ran over to Curn. Zeltara then got Dinaro’s attention. “Why don’t we run back to camp while we have the chance?”

  “We’ll never make it. The injured will slow us down too much. That’s why I want your friend to look them over. Maybe she can get one or two of them back on their feet.” Dinaro then seemed to think about something. “Unless you have a way to ward it off.”

  Zeltara considered it, but then shook her head. “Natural light is supposed to scare them off, but this one appears to be stubborn. It’ll likely attack even with the torchlight we have.” What made this one so different? From what Zeltara knew, the others didn’t appear to have this resistance. “At least direct fire still works.”

  Dinaro said, “We’ll just have to stick here for now. At least until there’s a better opening.” He turned to Saiya. “How’s Curn doing?”

  “It’s bad. I’ve just managed to stabilize him, but he’ll bleed out soon without help,” Saiya said, expression grim. Dinaro sighed.

  “Very well. Here’s what-” He was interrupted as a wail bellowed from the darkness’ edge. Everyone turned to see the abomination charge into the light. Zeltara and Dinaro jumped out of the way as it rushed past them. The monster kept up its momentum and turned. It now bore down towards Kaztos.

  “Take this, beast!” The young noble shouted as he threw a firebomb at the abomination. It looked sure to hit until, to Zeltara’s astonishment, the abomination’s torso unnaturally contorted out of the way while still keeping stride. She knew that shouldn’t have been possible with its supposed bone structure and hardened skin.

  Kaztos was similarly stunned and left himself open to the monster’s attack. He just raised his hammer to block when two legs slammed into him. His weapon saved him from a potentially fatal blow, but still knocked him to the ground. Remembering what had happened last time, Zeltara rushed forward to help. She got close and jumped onto the abomination’s torso. While hanging on the side of it, she stabbed her torch into its skin. The smell of burnt skin filled her nostrils as the monster reared back with a wail.

  The movement flung Zeltara off the abomination’s back. She landed on the ground with a hard thump. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she lay there gasping for breath. Kaztos crawled away to recover as the abomination turned towards Zeltara. It stabbed down with one of its legs, and she rolled away from it at the last moment. The monster then attempted to grab her with its arms when a wind blade struck its neck.

  Zeltara looked to see Dinaro standing there with his blade, preparing another spell. She yelled out, “Don’t! You need to use fire. Spells won’t have any effect.” Meanwhile, the abomination turned towards the chief.

  “I know. It was to give you some help.” Dinaro then started backing away as the abomination rushed him. It started stabbing with its legs, but he dodged away. The chief tried to gain distance, but the monster stayed on top of him. It kept attacking. Each stab, slash, and swing got closer to connecting. His luck ran out as his foot caught a stone while sidestepping, causing him to trip. The abomination's torso mouth opened as it lunged forward.

  That’s when a torch hit the monster on the head. While only the handle hit its target, this still caused the abomination to stop. Everyone turned to see who had thrown the torch. To Zeltara’s horror, Pence stood there, trembling in fear.

  The young boy stared the monster down. He then closed his eyes and said, “Leave my dad alone! I’m not afraid of you.” His trembling voice told everyone that was a lie. The abomination then let out a furious wail that froze Pence in place.

  “No! Pence, get out of here!” Dinaro yelled desperately. The chief attempted to stand up and get the monster’s attention again. He was too late, as the abomination knocked him to the ground as it charged his son. “Pence! Run!”

  But the young boy didn’t move as he stared at his impending death. Zeltara tried to stand, but only got to her hands and knees. She saw Kaztos just now get up and begin running. He wouldn’t make it there in time. Dinaro was still on the ground. She pulled out and lit a firebomb. As Zeltara took aim, she realized the futility of the action. The abomination had made it outside her throwing range. There was nothing she could do now. Zeltara felt helpless as no one was close enough to reach Pence. Was she about to watch a friend die?

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  Just as the abomination was about to trample Pence, someone came from the darkness. They tackled him out of the way as the monster crashed down. The two landed close to a torch, revealing Saiya as Pence’s savior. The two stood up as the boy looked at her in shock.

  “You, you saved me. I can’t believe it.” The blond girl gave him a hard glare, which made him flinch. He shielded his body with his hands. “Sorry. I just want to say thank you.” Skittering could be heard from the darkness as the abomination approached again.

  Saiya pushed Pence towards the camp. The force almost made him fall over. “Leave now! You’re in the way.” Pence seemed about to protest when the abomination wailed from the darkness. The sound seemed to change his mind as he sprinted back towards camp. The abomination seemed to make no move to follow him.

  Zeltara sighed in relief as Pence appeared to be heading for safety now. She and Kaztos got to their feet and turned to Dinaro. The chief seemed exhausted as he struggled to stand. She couldn’t blame them. They had been out here for less than half the time he has and Zeltara already felt tired. After putting out the firebomb in her hand, she and Kaztos ran over and helped him to his feet.

  “Thank you,” Dinaro said. The gratitude seemed directed at more than a hand up. Zeltara nodded.

  “Of course, sir! We’re always happy to help when needed,” Kaztos said. It was good to see him in relatively good condition. Zeltara hadn’t known if he had gotten injured from that earlier blow.

  Another wail caused everyone to turn towards Saiya as the monster rushed from the darkness. The blond girl appeared to be fumbling with something in her cloak as she backpedaled. Zeltara realized she wouldn’t get out of the way in time.

  “Wait until the last moment and dodge to the side. It can’t turn well when running,” she called out. Saiya didn’t respond, but stopped her retreat. Right as the abomination was about to run her over, she leapt to the side. She landed on the ground, avoiding the monster entirely. Seeing that Saiya needed help, Zeltara and Kaztos ran to join her.

  The abomination kept running, and with a wide turn, charged at Saiya again. She responded by pulling out her two firebombs. After using mana to light both of them, Saiya threw one at the abomination. Like before, its upper body impossibly bent out of the way as the projectile flew by harmlessly. The monster’s body then started to swing back into position as it got closer.

  Saiya must have expected this, for just as the abomination’s torso writhed back into place, the second firebomb was already in the air. The monster had no time to move again as the bottle made contact and flames covered its body. Its legs gave out, causing it to crash into the ground and roll with a pained shriek. This gave the group a momentary respite in the battle.

  They needed a way to take it down for good. Zeltara knew all they were doing at this point was delaying the inevitable. Eventually, this thing would get a hit in, and it would all be over. Already, the abomination was trying to regain its footing again. The flames burned its skin, and it had taken several hard hits. Yet, it seemed ready to continue fighting.

  Could it be because it was the same one they fought before? Had it adapted from their last battle? Unlike before, light seemed to have little effect on stopping it. That said nothing of its willingness to stand and fight. Before, the monster retreated when faced with sufficient resistance. Now, it seemed willing to fight to the death. But that might be for the best. If the abomination got away, would it become more resilient still? Could it become immune to fire for their next encounter? If that were the case, there would be no stopping it. They had to end this now.

  The abomination stumbled as it tried to stand. Seeing an opening, Zeltara ran towards the downed abomination. “Get its legs, Kaztos.” She could hear him gaining behind her. Saiya followed a few steps behind him. Once they were almost to their target, Kaztos passed her and engaged. The abomination had just regained its footing when he slammed his hammer into several of its legs. The monster let out a pained screech as it fell back onto the ground. Zeltara pulled out and relit the firebomb. This was the last one. She had only one shot at this.

  Once the firebomb was lit, she pulled out some black and white marbles. Zeltara threw them and said, “Close your eyes.” There were no cries outside of the abomination’s, so they must have listened. Next, she turned to Saiya. “Stab its hands with your knives.” The blond girl followed the order without hesitation as she pinned the abomination to the ground. It thrashed around, appearing almost panicked now. Its head raised and let out a desperate cry.

  With the abomination stuck in place, Zeltara closed the distance. Blinded and stuck in place, the monster could do nothing as she jumped onto its torso. It’s struggling increased, but she was prepared this time. Using its arms for purchase, Zeltara climbed up to the monster’s human body like appendage. Grabbing onto a shoulder, she punched the monster’s jaw. Its maw opened to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. Zeltara cut off the abomination’s wail as she stuffed the firebomb into its mouth. She then kneed its lower jaw to break the bottle. The maneuver caused her to fall to the ground again with a hard thud.

  An agonized screech permeated the area as the burning oil went down the monster’s throat. Its struggling increased as it finally broke free of the knives, ruining its hands in the process. Zeltara laid there mesmerized as light appeared from within its skin. Whatever made up the inside of the abomination must have been flammable, as it glowed brighter. A pair of arms enveloped her and pulled her away.

  “Move!” Kaztos dragged her to a safe distance. Saiya followed next to them as they made it twenty feet away. Not a moment too soon, as flames now emanated from the abomination’s mouth as its skin now blazed. It let out one last desperate shriek before it spontaneously exploded.

  The shockwave caused the three to fall over. Burning pieces of the monster flew by before crashing to the ground. After things settled, Zeltara looked at the blast area. What remained were small body parts that continued to smolder. She lay there, catching her breath as reality settled in.

  A feeling of euphoria overtook her. Relieved laughs left her unbidden, soon joined by Kaztos and Saiya. They did it. They did it! Zeltara bounced up to her feet and approached the monster’s remains. A quick examination showed that it really was dead. She let out a weary exhale as adrenaline left her system. Saiya kicked a leg and, when there was no reaction, sat down. Kaztos was booming with a joyous laugh that was music to her ears.

  “We really just killed one of those things,” Saiya said, disbelieving. Zeltara glanced over to see her staring off into the darkness in wonder.

  “Yeah, we did. Guess they aren’t so invincible.” It had been a worry of hers. She made up that plan as she went, and it had no guarantee of success. The weight of just how risky that had been just settled on her. She put her head in her hands. “Lords above, that was so stupid.”

  Saiya said, “Yeah, it was. Don’t do it again. But good job.”

  “I won’t be doing something like that again.” Even as she said it, Zeltara felt like it was a lie. Saiya seemed to believe the same, but didn’t comment. Kaztos finally finished his personal celebration and joined them. As he reached them, Kaztos pulled both of them into a hug.

  “My friends! This is a joyous victory for us! We finally slayed the monster that had been hunting us.” Zeltara let out a laugh as she gave him a pat on the back. Meanwhile, Saiya flailed around with all the grace of a wet cat.

  “Let me down, Kaztos! You know I don’t like this. Kaztos! Let me go! KAZTOS!” He let out another joyful laugh and obliged. Saiya backed away with a murderous look in her eyes. Zeltara pulled herself out of the hug with more dignity.

  The sound of footsteps caught their attention. The three turned to see Dinaro, Li, and Shi approach. Each one carried an unconscious man on their shoulders. The three looked at them with a sense of astonishment.

  Dinaro said, “You did it. I can’t believe it, but you killed one of those things. How?” Zeltara gave him a weary smile.

  “It’s like I said. They’re weak to fire.” Dinaro shook his head at the answer.

  “Kid-” a wail cut him off in the distance. Everyone’s face paled at the prospect of facing another abomination.

  Kaztos said, “It might be the one that I scared off earlier. Or the one Dollanti was fighting.” Zeltara looked over to where the second battle had been taking place. There was no sign of the abomination or the old man anywhere. She hoped he made it out okay.

  “We’re in no condition to fight another one,” Zeltara said. They had nothing to fight against it besides her crossbow. The group was exhausted after their first battle. It would be a slaughter. Dinaro appeared to have the same idea.

  “Everyone, hurry back to camp. We’ll be safe there. Right?” The chief gave Zeltara a questioning look. She nodded, showing more confidence than she felt. “Alright. Hurry up!” The group gathered their belongings and hurried back to the camp. To stay together, the three restricted themselves to a light jog. The next few minutes were tense. At any moment, their deaths could emerge from the darkness. Each second that ticked by felt like an hour.

  But finally, they passed the perimeter of the camp to safety. Zeltara sighed as the weight of the day eased. They were finally safe. In the distance, the sound of the abomination running got weaker. It seemed to retreat. Zeltara hoped it was for good.

  The group found themselves at the center of attention as the entire caravan stared at them. Dinaro stepped forward, getting all eyes on him. Before he could address them, Yena, followed by three men, ran over. She and Dinaro exchanged quiet words before she gave him a kiss on the lips. Yena then had the men grab the injured and carry them to the sick wagon.

  “How bad is it?” Dinaro asked. Yena gave him a grief-filled look.

  “Besides the ones you gave me? There were two others brought in badly injured. One of them, Golar, passed away from his wounds.” Dinaro closed his eyes and nodded. His shoulders sagged in defeat. Yena gave him a hug. After a moment, she let go. “I’m sorry, but I need to go. They need me.” The chief nodded.

  “Dad!” Pence barreled forward and crashed into Dinaro. The two embraced each other before the father pulled back. He checked his son for injuries. Euronar followed close behind, silent.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay, my boy. For a second, I thought you were...” Dinaro can’t seem to bring himself to finish the sentence. His expression turned stern. “But you are in trouble. How could you risk yourself like that?” Pence went to respond, but the chief cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it. Go with your brother. We’ll talk about this later.” Nodding at Euronar, the elder brother grabbed Pence’s hand and pulled him away. Zeltara didn’t feel bad about how the boy got into trouble this time.

  Dinaro turned his attention back to the rest of the camp and addressed them. “We need to do a headcount. Let me know who in your family is missing.” The caravan conferred among themselves. Zeltara found herself glancing over at Saiya and Kaztos. A small smile emerged, seeing them safe and sound. Both noticed her gaze and returned their own smiles. She then turned her attention back to Dinaro. People then began shouting out who was missing from their number.

  It was all taken in solemnly. Dinaro took a deep breath. “So, discounting those in the sick wagon, four are currently missing.” The crowd quieted at the news.

  “It’s three.” A voice called out from outside the camp. Everyone turned to see Dollanti gingerly walk back into camp. Dinaro brightened up at seeing the old man.

  “Dollanti! You made it back. Are you injured?” The adventurer grumbled to himself before answering.

  “No, just my old body complaining about the workout. That monster knew how to move. Couldn’t even kill it, just had to settle for driving it off.” Zeltara almost couldn’t believe it. He drove an abomination off by himself? And to do it without fire? He really was on another level.

  Dinaro nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Then it’s just three missing.” He then turned to address the caravan. “Everyone. I would like to start off by apologizing. This is partially my fault. I didn’t make the proper preparations to prevent this tragedy from happening. I didn’t properly heed the advice given to me. If you aren’t confident in my ability to lead anymore, then say it. I’ll step down and let someone new lead us. Anyone?” Silence filled the camp. Not a single person called out. Dinaro gave a sad smile.

  “Thank you for still believing in me. I’ll do my best to live up to your support. Now, we will spend the next few days recovering. There will be no traveling. Instead, we’ll focus on treating the wounded, looking for the missing, and preparing ourselves against potential future attacks. That’s all. Try to get some rest.” The crowd quietly walked back to their camps. While some went into their tents, most sat around their fires. Zeltara knew that there would be little sleep for most tonight.

  Turning, the chief motioned them over. As they walked over, Zeltara noticed Pence and Euronar sitting at the fire outside their tent. The elder brother was giving the younger a harsh scolding, by the looks of it. She turned back to Dinaro as they reached him. He gave them all a look before bowing.

  “I’m sorry for not taking your concerns seriously. If it weren’t for you, the caravan might have been lost. Thank you for helping us.” His voice then wavered. “Thank you for saving my son.” Kaztos returned the bow, which Zeltara imitated.

  “It’s no problem. I just wished things had turned out better,” she said. Dinaro then surprised them by laughing. He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Ah, the foolishness of youth. That is not your burden to bear, kid. Leave that to the adults here, yes?” He then sobered up. “As far as I’m concerned, you three earned your place here. You can stay for as long as you want. It’s the least I can do.” Zeltara had to refrain from whooping in excitement. Kaztos had an enormous grin, while Saiya’s expression softened. But then Kaztos seemed to realize something.

  He bowed to Dinaro. “There’s something we need to tell you. We used caravan supplies to create defenses without your permission. My utmost apologies, sir. Please forgive our crime.” Zeltara looked at him, bewildered as to why he would say that. Saiya looked ready to hit him. Her hands twitched as if refraining from grabbing a knife.

  Fortunately, Kaztos’ confession was met with a laugh. “You’re really something, kid. To go out and say something like that just after I accepted you. It really shows your character. But don’t worry. You did what was necessary to protect the caravan. No harm done.” The three sagged in relief. Zeltara felt wrung out from the day. Dinaro seemed to notice this. “How about you three get some rest, yes? Tomorrow, we can work on fortifying the camp. Sound good?” She could respond only with a nod. Dinaro bid them goodbye before taking off towards the sick wagon.

  Now alone, the three wander back to their camp. Exhausted, Zeltara collapsed next to the fire before pulling herself back to a sitting position. Saiya and Kaztos sat down more dignified, but were tired nonetheless.

  “I’m so glad that is over. I could sleep for an entire week,” Zeltara said. Her two friends echoed the sentiment. Saiya then threw Kaztos a dirty look.

  “Why did you say that? You jeopardized our spot in the caravan for no reason.” Kaztos grimaced as he responded.

  “It was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to taint our accomplishment with deception. It’s best that we say something right away to prevent future hard feelings.” Saiya looked ready to argue, but Zeltara cut in.

  “I understand, Kaztos. But try to pick a better time to do that in the future. It could have waited until tomorrow at least.” Kaztos blushed.

  “Right. My apologies.” A brief silence overtook the camp as the three stared into the campfire. Zeltara started to nod off before she yawned. She got up and stretched.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Let’s head in for the night.” The other two agreed and prepared to go to bed. Before they could, Zeltara noticed someone approaching them.

  As they got close, the light revealed them to be Dollanti. The three were surprised as the grizzled adventurer scrutinized them. The four stared at each other for a minute. Just as Zeltara was about to speak up, Dollanti finally said something.

  “So, are you three still interested in being adventurers?” Surprised, they all looked at each other before turning back to Dollanti.

  Zeltara said, “Of course! It’s been our goal, and nothing has changed that.” Kaztos took a step forward and raised his fist.

  “This battle has shown that we can overcome any obstacle set before us if we work hard! We’re more than ready for a life of adventure ahead.” Not how Zeltara would put it, but it got the point across. Finally, Saiya answered with a simple nod.

  Dollanti again shifted his gaze between them. They found themselves straightening under the inspection. Finally, the old man let out a tired sigh. “Fools, all of you. Still don’t realize what you're talking about.” A beat of silence as he seemed to decide. “Fine then. Training begins at sunrise. Be ready, or else.” Before they could respond, he walked back into the darkness.

  They stood there, stunned by the conversation. Zeltara turned to the other two and asked, “Did that just happen?” The other two nodded but otherwise didn’t respond. She didn’t blame them. Zeltara knew they should greet this news with excitement. They had been trying to convince Dollanti to train them for the past week. But this day had been an emotional rollercoaster. She was at her limit for the day.

  “I don’t know about you two, but I’m going to bed. Goodnight,” Saiya said. She didn’t wait for a response before climbing into her tent. The two stare for a moment before turning to each other.

  “Have a good night, Zeltara. Get all the energy you can for tomorrow. However many hours that is,” Kaztos said. She didn’t even want to think about that. Who knew how much night was left?

  “Goodnight, Kaztos.” The two crawl into their respective tents. Once inside, Zeltara crumbled onto her bedding. Unlike earlier in the night, she had no trouble resting in her gear. There was no time to think about it as she fell asleep just as her head hit the pillow.