Eris and the others had escaped the bandits and successfully rescued Pino.
After reaching a certain distance from the bandits' camp, the five of them rested under the refuge of a large tree.
"Thank you for helping us! I promise we'll do anything to repay you!" Pell cried out, tears flowing down her face.
Pino let out a low rumbling growl while nodding his head, a scary smile forming from his sharp canines.
"You already healed my injury. That's already enough." Eris answered.
"We should rest first. I'll gather some herbs and mushrooms for us to eat," Lili suggested. "Uhm, you do eat mushrooms, right?" her question directed at Pino, the Werewolf.
Pell answered for him with a shy smile, "Yes, he does."
Straf went on to prepare the campfire, clearing the area of dry leaves and gathering bark, twigs and branches for the fuel. He lit it up using a faint flame from his sword. "Perfect!"
Having finished their dinner, they settled in a loose circle about the fire and eased into conversation.
"So, how did you guys end up here? This forest is pretty far from the Holy Empire," Straf asked, curious about the pair's circumstances.
Pell looked at Pino, assuring him that the adventurers before them were trustworthy. "We were cast out by the Empire… after Pino became a Werewolf."
Pino stared at the ground, shoulders slumped from the weight of his guilt. Words were unable pass his mouth, but if it did, he would have said, I should have fled alone. My sister does not deserve a life with a monster.
"How exactly did he become a Werewolf?" Lili asked.
"Our town was attacked by a giant wolf. I was going to be struck by its claw when Pino had pushed me. He got wounded, instead. Me and the other nuns tried to heal him. But, he started to change," Pell replied, her voice heavy with grief. "It should have been me."
"I'm sure Pino wouldn't want that for you, Pell. He seems to love you very much," Eris said with a comforting tone.
Wiping the tears from her face, Pell assured Pino. "Don't worry. I'll search everywhere to find a cure." There was no doubt in her mind - only unwavering resolve.
"Sounds like you'll be needing a party," Eris proposed. "And we're actually looking for a healer."
"Miss Eris, are you asking me to join party?"
Eris nodded, "You and Pino are welcome to join if that's what you want. It'll be easier to search for something with more eyes."
Pell hesitated to give an answer, as she didn't want to be a burden to anyone. "Miss Eris, I'd like to but…"
"You said you'd do anything, right?" Eris went on to say, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Lili met their eyes with quiet reassurance. With a friendly smile, Straf warmly welcomed the two new members to the party.
"We'll do our best to help out the team!" Pell exclaimed, her voice filled with gratitude.
Pino growled gleefully, his wolf eyes glistened as if wanting to shed a tear. Finally, after being forsaken by the world, someone had accepted them.
Strangers becoming friends. Friends becoming family. This is what it truly means to share an adventure with your party.
The five of them continued their journey. Their destination was Bridgetown.
Days had past in their usual routine until they saw something peculiar in the middle of the forest.
A house?
Nestled deep among towering pines and moss-covered oaks stood a small cottage. Creeping vines wrapped around its roof and windows. A thin stream of smoke drifted from the stone chimney, hinting that somebody was probably living there.
Around the house, the wild forest has been tamed into a neat garden with rows of vegetables, magical herbs, spices snd flowers.
"What's a house doing here?" Lili asked, her brows curled in confusion.
"Also, who could survive in the forest like this?" Pell added, noting that danger lurks in the area, not only from monsters, but also from other humans with evil intentions.
"Maybe… It's a cannibal!" Straf shivered at the thought that crossed his mind. "And we're next in line!"
"Why would a cannibal grow such a garden, you idiot," Lili quickly dismissed the idea. Although, a hint of worry still lingered. It was unlikely for someone "normal" to live so far from the safety of towns or cities.
Before anyone else could speak, a deep and worn voice spoke behind them.
"What have we got here, eh?"
With widened eyes and trembling lips, all of them turned slowly, revealing the figure of an old man.
"Good day, most kind sir. You don't seem to be a cannibal, by any chance, are you sir?" Straf nervously asked, sweat flowing like a river from his forehead.
The man chuckled with a booming laugh, "A cannibal? That's probably the weirdest impression I got from travellers."
Straf let out a sigh of relief. However, he was not safe from Lili's scolding.
"What are you doing living in the middle of the forest, sir?" Eris asked.
The old man smiled and looked at his tiny cottage, "Well, I like it here. It's peaceful. You guys in a hurry? I can make you guys dinner."
Once again, Straf felt uneasy at the invitation, "You'll make us some dinner or you'll make us your dinner?"
Lili smacked his head in frustration, "You idiot!"
They proceeded to go inside the house, where they sat on the floor and gathered around the fireplace while the old man cooked. Shelves filled with jars of herbal medicine, dried foods and resin lined the interior while books sit atop a small table. After introductions, they learned the man's name was Rengal.
Rengal was a man in his sixties that exuded an air of dignity and respectability. He was once an adventurer, who travelled the breadth of kingdoms, slaying fierce monsters and conquering perilous dungeons. Now, his life was at a modest cabin, tending to his garden and splitting wood for the chimney. His hair and beard had already silvered and his body had shown signs of aging but there was still a quiet strength in his movements. After all, this man had been living in the forest alone for almost a decade. A feat not for the incapable.
"A Witch, a Werewolf, an Empire nun and someone from the Shas. You've got an excellent bunch with you, eh miss leader?"
"Were you from Shas Freehold as well, sir?" Straf asked, curious if the man was from the city of adventurers, as well. He had that aura that comes from having lived in a place that values strength over all.
"Yeah, worked there for some time but then I decided to retire," Rengal said, continuing to prepare their dinner. "Okay, should be done in a few minutes. Go help yourselves to some plates over there."
The group went on to eat their dinner. Eris and the others had also decided to stay the night at Rengal's cottage, rolling out blankets near the campfire. Though cramped, they were able to sleep well, not having to worry about taking shifts to patrol the area.
Rengal woke in the deep hours of the night and went outside to sit beneath the stars.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Rengal asked.
Behind him, Eris followed with quiet footsteps. "You noticed me?"
Rengal let out a soft laugh, "When you live in the forest for so long, you tend to become more vigilant."
"So, can't sleep?"
"I guess I'm still used to waking up to patrol," she replied.
"Come, sit with me, then, no need to patrol here."
The old and young adventurers lingered in silence for a few moments, appreciating the magnificence of the night sky.
"Is it worth it?" Eris asked.
"What is?"
"Leaving your home, your family to go on adventures?"
Instead of answering, the old man brought something out of his pocket. A single feather of pure white that shimmered a soft, ethereal glow.
Eris looked on in awe, wide-eyed with astonishment. "That's a Unicorn's feather!"
"It sure is. This here is my treasure," Rengal brushed his fingers over the feather's delicate barbs. "They say a Unicorn's feather holds the memory of every place it's been to."
Rengal experienced the freedom of flight vicariously through the feather. His senses blurred as if going through a dream. The air roared past his ears, cold and clean. The clouds hit his skin like damp mist, and every shift of the wind sent a thrill down his spine. He saw treetops shrinking into a green sea, great rivers moved like silver threads sewing the earth together.
Rengal offered Eris the feather. "Would you like to take this?"
Eris considered taking the feather from his hands. It was her dream. But, she pondered what it meant.
I can't take this. This is his treasure. Proof he lived his life as an adventurer. I have to find my own.
"I can't."
"Good, you understand. Going on adventures, it's not about leaving others. It's about finding yourself. Your own purpose. Your own treausre."
"Thanks, Mr. Rengal. I'll come back here with my own feather!"
"I've no doubts you will."
Eris went back inside to sleep while Rengal stayed outside to fly some more through the Unicorn's feather.
In this life, the greatest impacts sometimes come from those we barely know.