The next morning, they returned back to Eldoria. They stood in a damp clearing, the mood as somber as the overcast sky.
They had no plan. They had no destination.
"So," Sherry said, breaking the silence. "What now? Do we just wander aimlessly until someone decides not to throw rocks at us?"
Riku looked at the tired faces of his friends. He didn't have an answer. "We keep moving east," he said, his voice lacking its usual confidence. "Away from the coast. Maybe we'll have better luck inland."
It was a weak plan, and everyone knew it.
They set off, their boots sinking into the damp earth. They walked in a dejected silence for what felt like hours. The only sound was the wind rustling through the tall, dark trees of the Ironwood Forest.
Then, a new sound cut through the air.
It was a scream. A woman's voice, sharp with terror. It came from somewhere deeper in the woods, off the main path.
