The morning sun barely pierced the dense mist that clung to Driftport, painting the island in muted grays and browns. The chaos of the previous night's tavern brawl had settled, leaving the docks buzzing with subdued murmurs of tension and opportunity.
Edric Halvorn stepped carefully along the weathered planks, his boots splashing in shallow puddles of seawater. His pride bristled at the disorganization surrounding him, but practicality demanded he focus. They needed supplies: food, water, weapons, and maps if any existed. The Last Haven would not be forgiving to the unprepared.
"Elira," Edric said, glancing at the scholar, "find anything useful in that journal of yours?"
Elira adjusted her satchel, scanning a small, battered stall stacked with crumbling tomes. "Some of these are just rumors," she said, holding up a book titled Whispers Beyond the Sea. "But there are mentions of strange lands, impossible beasts, and human tribes that have evolved differently. People say the Shrouded Continent is… alive in a way—full of Essence that can grant power, or twist men into monsters."
Ronan smirked, leaning casually against a crate while inspecting a dagger stall. "Essence, huh? Sounds like fancy nonsense to scare fools." But he didn't fully dismiss it; his eyes flicked to a map showing treacherous currents and unknown islands. "Still… if this continent exists, it's worth knowing about. Might save our hides."
Elira flipped through the pages, scribbling notes. "The natives—if they exist—aren't like the humans we know. Some are rumored to have markings that glow in the dark, others can control animals or even manipulate elements. And there are creatures unlike anything in recorded history. Beasts the size of houses, some intelligent, some… less so."
Edric frowned, absorbing the information. "So, danger and opportunity. Typical of history's forgotten lands." His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "Then we gather what we need, stay sharp, and take every bit of advantage we can. The Continent won't wait for hesitation."
Ronan wandered toward a market of salvaged goods and weapons, running his fingers over curved blades and reinforced armor. "I like to know what I can handle before I meet whatever's out there. Fools rush in empty-handed."
Elira nodded. "Intelligence is as much a weapon as steel," she said. "If we understand the land, the creatures, the tribes—even partially—we increase our chances of surviving."
The three of them moved through Driftport's twisted alleys and crowded markets, gathering supplies from merchants who eyed them with suspicion and curiosity. Maps were purchased for gold, old books for knowledge, and simple necessities—food, rope, and weapons—were acquired after careful haggling.
Even as they prepared, rumors and whispers clung to the air like a fog:
Raiders who had returned half-dead spoke of glowing forests and rivers that seemed to move on their own.
Survivors told of strange ruins rising from the earth, older than any known civilization.
Tales of tribes who could vanish into shadows or manipulate beasts stirred both fascination and unease.
Elira jotted down everything, her pen moving frantically across the pages. "Even if it's exaggeration, patterns can be found," she muttered. "The Continent has rules. If we can find them, we can survive."
Ronan grunted. "I'll survive either way. But knowing the rules does make the job easier."
Edric's gaze lingered on a tattered map showing the route from Driftport to the edge of the Shrouded Continent. "Soon," he said softly, mostly to himself, "we cross the threshold. Then we see what legends—and monsters—are real."
The mist thickened again as they finished their preparations, carrying crates, satchels, and worn maps back toward their ships. The Last Haven had offered only a taste of danger and opportunity, a place to gather what they needed. Beyond it lay the unknown, a continent whispered of in fear and wonder.
For the first time, all three felt it—the tug of destiny pulling them toward the misty horizon, toward a land that would test their ambition, knowledge, and survival in ways Driftport never could.