The pendant had been their salvation—a one-time-use magical item that Gwen's father had given Vivian years ago, "just in case." When the slave traders had cornered them, Gwen had crushed it, activating the random teleportation.
They'd appeared in this forest last night, collapsed from exhaustion, and slept until morning. The dense trees and their own fatigue had prevented them from seeing the tower until now.
"What IS that thing?" Vivian asked.
"I don't know." Gwen's hand instinctively went to her bow. "But we should be careful. A structure like that means power. And power usually means danger."
Vivian nodded slowly. "Should we... go into the town?"
Gwen hesitated. Every instinct screamed at her to run—to disappear back into the forest and keep moving. But they hadn't eaten in days. They had no supplies. No money. No plan.
They needed help.
"Yes," Gwen finally said. "But we stay alert. Trust no one."
"Agreed."
They stepped out of the forest together.
