“Stay still, Saiya. I need to wrap this up,” Zeltara said while she tried to treat Saiya’s knife wound. It was unfortunately in an awkward area on her upper arm, so she struggled with wrapping it properly. Saiya responded with a dirty look that Zeltara could only roll her eyes at. She used it too much for it to be effective at this point.

  “I would if you would just stop messing with it like that.” Her tone dripped with a petulance that made Zeltara want to laugh. She only just stopped herself. The last thing the situation needed was for both of them to be suffering from knife wounds. “Do you even know what you're doing?”

  Zeltara did her best to shrug with her arms occupied. “Kind of. It would help with you would help explain it to me. This is more your area of expertise.” Saiya scoffed at that.

  “I wasn’t the one who claimed to know what they were doing. Instead, I distinctly remember you saying, ‘Don’t worry, Saiya. I can help. You don’t even need to lift a finger. I don’t need your help.’ Then you took the bandages from me.” When she said it like that, Zeltara could understand her frustration.

  “Sorry, I only wanted to help,” Zeltara muttered as she finally finished wrapping the bandages around Saiya’s arm. It wasn’t her best work. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Saiya rolled her arm twice, wincing from the movement. “It’s fine. Not like I would have been able to do much better with only one arm. Just try not to shove your way into it next time.” Zeltara nodded as the matter dropped. She instead turned to keep watch on their surroundings.

  Not much had changed. They were waiting just inside the warehouse for Kaztos and Mileas to arrive. The place was still a mess, with fallen crates and bodies lying everywhere. If Zeltara had more time and energy, she might have tried to make things presentable. Carry everyone outside to make it easier to keep an eye on them. But she just couldn’t be bothered. The previous few days had left her exhausted. The action being over didn’t help matters. Sleep sounded great at the moment.

  Besides knocking out two Kolidato members as they regained consciousness, nothing of note had happened. No reinforcements had shown up, everyone in the area was staying clear of the fighting, and no unexpected surprises had arrived. Compared to the past twenty-four hours, it was a needed break. But the dullness meant it took everything for Zeltara not to fall asleep as adrenaline left her.

  She perked up as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. From what she could tell, at least a dozen people were heading their way. A second wind overcame her as she stood tall, facing the direction of the group. Seeing her change in demeanor, Saiya grabbed a knife from her belt and waited. Zeltara assumed it was Kaztos coming back, but better to be careful.

  It proved unneeded as the group came into view. Kaztos and Mileas walked at the front of the group, talking with a guard wearing a gold-colored cape. An officer, if Zeltara had to guess. Around ten more guards followed behind them, marching in two columns. Zeltara could feel herself relax as Saiya put her knife away. The group noticed them standing there and approached.

  “Kaztos, Mileas, good to see you made it. Looks like you brought company,” Zeltara said. The officer wordlessly waved his hand, and the guards entered the warehouse. He then took off his helmet, revealing a middle-aged man with a full beard and blue eyes. His deep-red hair was striking, reminding Zeltara of fall maple leaves.

  “Good afternoon. My name is Jindan, a captain in the lower district guard. Priestess Jaroe told me you took care of some criminals here.” His expression and tone were serious, but not stern. Zeltara smiled and gestured to herself and Saiya.

  “I’m Zeltara, and this is Saiya. Mileas wanted help in taking care of the Kolidato gang. They had been stealing from the church, and she asked us to take care of them. They’re waiting inside now that we’re through with them.” Jindan nodded. The guards then dragged the half-awake Kolidato members out of the warehouse. They dropped them on the street.

  “Priestess Jaroe had complained about them before. Unfortunately, we hadn’t been able to do anything. I thank you on the behalf of Mousafont for your assistance.” A wagon rolled into view driven by another guard. The Kolidato members began to be loaded in.

  Zeltara gave a shallow bow, resisting the urge to gloat. “Thank you for the words of praise. We just did what was needed.” That would show Kaztos. She could be diplomatic too.

  Mileas scoffed. “You could have taken care of this earlier if you'd just spared a few men. It looked like these three handled things just fine.” The captain hummed in response as he watched the Kolidato members being taken away. Mileas turned back to them. Her eyes then zeroed in on Saiya’s injury. “You’re hurt. Let me take care of that.”

  Strangely, Saiya almost seemed hesitant. Still, she stepped forward and held out her arm. Mileas grabbed it as her hand glowed. After a few seconds, she let go, letting Saiya take off the bandages. Just as before, the wound was gone.

  “Thank you,” Saiya said. Mileas only nodded in response. The exchange felt strange to Zeltara, but before she could question it, Jindan turned back to them.

  “You three did good work here, despite your... humble backgrounds.” Zeltara felt that was the nicest way to say that they did great despite being society dregs. “Would you be interested in another job?” The three of them looked surprised. For Zeltara, this was the last thing she expected.

  “Just what job are you offering us?” They still had some time before the expedition started. Perhaps they could earn some more money in the meantime.

  Kaztos shared his thoughts. “Thank you for the praise, sir. We would love to hear about your offer. Anything to help the people in the city.” It wasn’t the way Zeltara would put it, but she wouldn’t object.

  While his expression remained serious, Jindan’s eyes almost lit up in satisfaction. “Don’t worry. You’d be helping every single person in Mousafont a great deal if you accept.” Zeltara held herself back from leaning forward in interest. This job sounded important. “You see, I’ve recently been put in charge of an organization tasked with helping Mousafont through this crisis. We’ve been searching for new members, but have been having trouble getting people to join.”

  Zeltara froze in place. This was starting to sound familiar. “What is this organization called exactly?”

  “It’s called The New Horizons Expedition. By the order of the Duke, we’re tasked with exploring the new lands surrounding Mousafont for resources and settlements. The hope is to secure Mousafont’s future in this new world.” That sounded all too familiar. It looked like their luck was turning around.

  Kaztos asked, “So your group was what those messengers were talking about a few days ago?” Jindan nodded, confirming their suspicions. Zeltara grinned to herself. This worked out great for them.

  “We’d love to join. There’s just one small problem,” she said. “We already tried to sign up, but the desk woman wouldn’t let us.”

  Jindan groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. “That was Quali from the sounds of it. She complained when the orders came down to accept anyone who volunteered. Must have taken matters into her own hands without my knowledge.”

  “Why would she do that?” Kaztos asked. “She mentioned it was dangerous, but this seems excessive.” Jindan shook his head.

  “Unfortunately, it is dangerous. If it weren’t for how dire the situation is, I’d do the same. But we don’t have the luxury of being picky.” He then looked over them and, for the first time, saw just how young they were. “That being said, are you sure you want to join? I don’t want to be throwing kids to the wolves if I can help it.”

  “I think we’ve proven that we’re capable,” Saiya remarked. “Don’t shed any tears over our age.”

  Zeltara voiced her agreement. “We’re determined to join the expedition for our own reasons. Just tell us why it’s dangerous. We’ll reconsider if it’s needed.” Not that they likely would at this point, but the information would help.

  “Well, I can give you a brief explanation. But I need to clean up here and get back to work. If you go sign up, you get more information there. Sound good?” The three of them nodded. Jindan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. “Well, it was around a week after the cataclysm. The severity of the situation had quickly become clear. Refugees kept pouring in, stretching our ever-thinning reserves of resources. If nothing were done, the city could starve. So, the Duke ordered my predecessor to assemble an expedition to look for supplies and settlements outside the city. They set out just a few days later.”

  “That seems fast,” Zeltara commented. A few-day turnaround for an operation that size seemed reckless.

  Jindan let out a rueful chuckle. “That isn’t even the half of it. They rushed the whole thing. My predecessor must have been in a panic to see results immediately. The expedition was so disorganized that it was doomed to fail. Though even with the rush, there were still over a hundred volunteers.”

  “That’s good. With that many adventurers, they could accomplish almost anything,” Kaztos said hesitantly. He could likely tell where the story was headed.

  “If only they were all adventurers,” Jindan said. “No, the adventurers of the sixth crisis are old and retired. They’d be fools to come back for this. Instead, all we got were inexperienced thrill-seekers. Those who had heard the stories of adventurers long past but didn’t have the skills to back it up. It went horribly. By the time a month had passed, almost eighty percent of them had died or gone missing. Everyone else has either quit or is still out there somewhere. The only reason we know this much is because of the few that made their way back to Mousafont alive. The Duke was so furious that he exiled them upon hearing of their failure.”

  Saiya asked, “What happened to the man in charge before you?”

  Jindan grimaced. “He was... disposed of. After that, they put me in charge.”

  A momentary silence overtook the group. Zeltara tried to wrap her head around Jindan’s explanation. Eight out of ten people died. That wasn’t just dangerous. It was bordering on suicidal. She almost wanted to back out, but knew that wasn’t an option. They need a way out of Mousafont, and this was it. Who knew when the next opportunity could arise? If there would be one at all.

  Kaztos cleared his throat. “I can see why Quali turned us away now. We don’t exactly look capable at a first glance.” Zeltara took exception to that, but kept it to herself for once.

  “I didn’t say all of that to scare you off,” Jindan said. “It was just so you understood. After the news got out about the fate of the first expedition, no one wanted to sign up for the second one. The pay is low, and the risks are high. There’s a good chance that you’ll die. The only ones willing to sign up now are the truly desperate. Quali just wanted to get some of those joining to see that there are other options. Once you commit, you can’t back out later.” It was an admirable reason to turn people away. But it did little to soothe Zeltara’s irritation over the matter.

  “That doesn’t excuse the fact that she took that choice from us. It would be one thing if she just warned us. But there wasn’t an option to begin with,” Zeltara said. “We got training from a sixth-crisis adventurer. We’re probably one of the most prepared groups volunteering, despite our young age.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Both Mileas and Jindan looked surprised at this information. “You three received training from an adventurer?” The Priestess asked. Zeltara nodded.

  “I suppose it makes sense how you three managed to do all of this.,” Jindan said, gesturing to the warehouse. “Can I ask who your teacher was?”

  “It was an Al’Yanda man named Dollanti,” Kaztos answered. The captain hummed in thought.

  “I’ve heard that name before. Someone mentioned by my old captain when he went through enough tankards at the tavern.” Jindan smiled, getting lost in memories. “He called him a bastard through and through.” He snapped back to attention. “I don’t know much more. Still, if he gave my captain headaches, then he must have been something.”

  Zeltara asked, “So you’ll let us sign up, right?” Jindan nodded.

  “I will talk to Quali. Come by tomorrow, and it’ll all be sorted out. For now, I need to finish dealing with this. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.” The captain walked towards his men at the warehouse and began barking out orders.

  Mileas turned to the three and said, “Well, since that business is done, let’s talk about your reward.” Zeltara gave her a puzzled look.

  “But I thought the reward was vouching for us to the expedition. We’re already getting enough.” Kaztos nodded.

  “I concur! It wouldn’t be right for us to take more from you.” Mileas gave them an amused look.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly do anything. You vouched for yourselves. You didn’t need me at all. So, it wouldn’t be right for me to give you nothing for your hard work.” That settled Zeltara’s doubts, but Kaztos still looked unconvinced.

  Before he could say anything, Saiya interjected. “Sounds good. What do you want to give us?” Kaztos shot her an annoyed look that she ignored. The sight made Mileas chuckle.

  “You three are a riot, you know that? How about we head back to Orrangi Church? There’s a few things there I can give you.” The priestess turned and walked away before they could answer. They could only follow her away from the warehouse.

  As the four of them walked away, Zeltara noticed the street started to show signs of life. People, mostly elves, peeked out from windows, doors, and side streets. For not the first time since coming to Mousafont, Zeltara felt eyes drawn to her. But unlike before, their stares didn’t feel uncomfortable. She pulled her fallen hood back up over her head. Zeltara tried to stand straighter as she continued towards their destination. Nobody approached them, instead continuing to watch them as they left the elf quarter.

  Zeltara enjoyed the downtime the rest of the way to Orrangi Church. Although she loved being in the middle of any excitement, the quiet walk after their battle relaxed whatever frayed nerves she may have had. She watched as Saiya basked in the afternoon sun and Kaztos talked with Mileas in front of them. He seemed to regale her with how their little adventure went. A sense of peace overcame her. Everything was going their way at the moment. Zeltara would take the time to enjoy it. But eventually, the peaceful walk ended as the group entered the church.

  “Take a seat and rest. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Mileas said as she entered a door to the left of the living area. Zeltara wasn’t sure where that one went, but she could only assume it was to the basement. The three took the priestess’ advice and sat on the front pew.

  “Well, that went great. I was worried after seeing how many thugs there were, but we’re better than even I thought,” Kaztos said. Saiya leaned back in the pew and sighed.

  “We barely got out of that fine. If it weren’t for luck, the whole thing likely would have blown up in our faces.” Zeltara could only nod at the point.

  “Then we’ll learn from this. Let’s try to be a little more careful in the future.” Still, Zeltara could barely contain her excitement. She never would have imagined being capable of taking down a warehouse of gang members. If only those jerks back in Urada could see her now.

  It was only a few minutes before Mileas returned, carrying a staff and a pair of boots. She first presented the staff to Saiya. “Here, this should help you more than your little fire sparker. That’ll shoot out some real flames.” Unlike Saiya’s wand, the staff was long. Resting on the floor, it was six inches taller than her. It was made of quality dark wood with a shine showing the prior owner’s care. At the top, wooden barbs held a ruby-colored orb in place. It glittered as it reflected the outside light.

  Saiya gingerly accepted the staff. “Thank you.” She seemed astonished at receiving such a reward.

  “That thing must be worth a fortune,” Zeltara muttered. Mileas laughed at their reaction.

  “That old thing? Sure, it’s an impressive-looking staff. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have much firepower,” Mileas said. “I imagine it used to belong to some daft noble who couldn’t recognize genuine quality. It’s an apprentice staff, if anything. Still, it should be more than sufficient for your skill level. I didn’t want to give you something you couldn’t handle.”

  Saiya could only shake her head. “No, this is more than enough.” Mileas nodded and handed the boots to Kaztos.

  “Here. These should be useful to you. They might be a little big though.” Kaztos bowed as he accepted them.

  “You have my deepest gratitude. You didn’t need to go this far.” Mileas scoffed.

  “Not like they were being used for anything else. I probably have over a hundred mediums down there collecting dust. No idea how most ended up there. Better that someone get some use out of them.” She then pointed at the boots. “As you can imagine, those boots are enchanted.”

  Kaztos slipped them on and admired them. “What spell do they cast?”

  “They're like that thugs’ boots you mentioned earlier. You seemed to gush about them, to I figured you’d appreciate something similar. Those boots will shake the ground when you channel man into them and stomp. The more mana, the more vibration and destruction.”

  “That sounds almost exactly like what that Kolidato member had,” Zeltara said as she inspected to boots.

  Mileas said, “That’s because it’s one of the more common boot enchantments. One of the simplest too. Again, it should be something that you can handle. You don’t want to impale one of your friends accidentally with an earth spike, do you?” The imagery caused the three of them to shiver. Mileas then turned to Zeltara. “Sorry, but I don’t know what to give you. Can’t exactly give you a medium, after all.”

  Zeltara took a moment to think about it when an idea came to her. There was something she desperately needed. “You wouldn’t happen to have an unrefined mana stone here?” Mileas stared at her in surprise.

  “I don’t know why you’d want something like that. There’s almost no use for it.” Zeltara shrugged.

  “I just need it for a project of mine.” Mileas nodded.

  “Alright, I’ll go take a look. Be back in a few minutes.” The priestess turned and walked back down the basement stairs. Zeltara watched as Saiya and Kaztos admired their new mediums. She couldn’t help but feel jealousy ooze up from within her. They got weapons that allowed them to control the elements. Meanwhile, Zeltara would get something that allowed her to interact with basic enchanted items. That’s if her hypothesis was even correct. She may end up with a useless stone at the end of this.

  Zeltara beat down that line of thought. It wasn’t her friends’ fault that she was born like this. She wouldn’t drag them down to her level over something as petty as envy. No, she’d rise up to them instead. So, she put on a smile and looked over their new mediums eagerly.

  It was a few minutes later when Mileas came back again. She handed Zeltara a small pouch. “That should have what you’re looking for.” Zeltara looked inside to find three unrefined mana stones. They were the size of her fingernails, perfect for her needs. She bowed to the priestess.

  “Thanks Mileas. You didn’t need to get me this many.” She waved Zeltara’s gratitude off.

  “Like I said, those are practically worthless as they are. And I don’t have the time or money to take them to an enchanter. So, might as well give them to you.” Though she tried to make it seem otherwise, Zeltara recognized the extreme generosity Mileas had shown in giving them this much. “Well, I have some things to take care of here. Why don’t you three take it easy? I imagine that expedition will be tough.”

  “We will! Please take care,” Kaztos responded with a bow.

  “If you need any help and we’re in the area, just let us know,” Zeltara said. It was the least they could do for what she’d given them.

  After exchanging goodbyes, the three of them left the church into the Mousafont evening. Saiya yawned, shortly followed by the others.

  “Let’s head back to camp. We can go get signed up tomorrow,” Zeltara said. It would give Jindan time to straighten things out.

  Saiya nodded while Kaztos said, “Agreed. It’s been a long day. Some extra sleep would do us good.”

  The three of them make their way back to the caravan in the sun’s dying light. Zeltara felt weary after the day’s events. That didn’t even go into the previous late night. A nice meal and a warm bed sounded heavenly. The caravan provided at least one of those. Not that she’d complain about her sleeping mat at this point.

  As they entered camp, the caravan guards greeted them. They waved back as they walked through. Zeltara believed their names were Shi and Li, but wasn’t sure. She’d have to ask Kaztos. He seemed to get along with the caravan inhabitants more than she did. They had barely made it ten feet when Pence ran up to them.

  “Where have you been? I thought you guys were staying here for now? There wasn’t any sign of you last night.” Zeltara raised her hands to fend off Pence’s excitement.

  “Sorry. We got held up in some business. How about we talk about it over dinner?” Pence agreed and allowed them to get settled down unaccosted.

  The trio spent the next two hours catching Pence up on the last few days and enjoying some free time together. But then the day’s events caught up with them, and Saiya was the first to head off to bed. Zeltara and Kaztos followed shortly after. Pence tried to have them stay up at first, seeing as the sun had just gone down. But he must have seen their exhaustion and relented. The warm feeling of sleep couldn’t have come soon enough for Zeltara. She didn’t even have a chance to write in her journal before falling asleep.

  The extra hours of sleep proved helpful, as Zeltara woke up full of energy. Kaztos also rose in good spirits. The same could not be said about Saiya, whom they practically dragged out of bed. Thrown knives be damned. The three enjoyed a quiet breakfast before heading to the expedition headquarters again.

  Like before, the three received a skeptical look from the guard in front of the building. Zeltara didn’t let it bother her. They had earned their place here. It was time to take it. She led the group as they entered the tavern. Just like a few days ago, Quali sat behind the bar with a guard sitting nearby. No one else was there. Likely, anyone who would sign up already had.

  Quali had a bored expression until her eyes caught them entering. She had an expression that one could only describe as distaste. “Ah, you three are back.”

  “Yeah, we’re here to sign up for the expedition,” Zeltara said, barely able to hide the smugness from her face. Quali sighed.

  “You didn’t need to get me in trouble with the captain.”

  Zeltara couldn’t help herself. “Well, maybe you should do your job next time.” The dirty look Quali shot her and the twin elbows from Kaztos and Saiya made her regret those words. Her expression turned apologetic.

  “What we mean to say is that we appreciate you looking out for us,” Kaztos said. “It’s just unnecessary. We’re willing to make our own choice on the matter. Thank you for signing us up.”

  Quali gave the three a stern look before shrugging. “Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I won’t weep when you turn up dead in a month.”

  The guard next to her snorts. “Please, we both know that’s not true. But I give it two weeks tops.” Zeltara is proud of herself that she didn’t respond to that.

  “Enough chit-chat. Let’s get this over with,” Quali said as she pulled out three piles of papers. “Just sign these. It’s just a general liability waiver. Just so your family won’t raise a fuss if you die. It also gives your written word that you’ll act in Mousafont’s best interest while part of the expedition.” She handed the three of them pens, and they went through the forms. Zeltara didn’t understand all the legal terms inside it, but saw nothing amiss hidden inside. She completed the forms and handed them back just after Kaztos finished his. Saiya followed a minute later.

  Quali looked over the forms and nodded. “Everything looks to be in order. Just one more thing. What do you want your group to be called?” The question stumped Zeltara. She knew that most adventuring groups had a name to call themselves, but it hadn’t come up for them yet.

  “Ah, we never really thought of one,” Kaztos said nervously. Quali continued to look at them, unimpressed.

  “Well, just come up with something. I need it to finish up here. Anything will do. You can change it later.” Zeltara tried to come up with something, but her mind was blank. She wanted it to be something that would encompass the three of them. Something memorable.

  “How about ‘The Outsiders’?” Saiya suggested. Kaztos and Zeltara turned to her surprised. “It means people who don’t belong to any social group. It also has a lesser meaning for someone who is believed to be unlikely to succeed.” When neither of them said anything, Saiya crossed her arms and blushed. “It fits us.”

  Kaztos is the first to respond. “That's a perfect name! Good thinking, Saiya.” The blond girl turned redder under his praise.

  Zeltara nodded. “Then it’s decided. Put us down as The Outsiders.” Quali nodded and put the name down.

  “Alright, everything’s in order. As a bonus for signing up, we provide you with a small stipend. It’s all you’re getting for now. So don’t ask for more.” The guard handed the three a small pouch of coins. Zeltara peaked inside to find a pile of silver coins. “You are required to be here at noon in two days. It’s a meeting that will give you more information about the expedition. You’re then expected to leave shortly after. Any questions?” The three shook their heads. Quali waved them off and got back to filling out paperwork.

  They leave the tavern and stand on the side of the road. Kaztos said, “That went well.” Zeltara scoffed.

  “Yeah, just had to argue the entire time. She should have just minded her own business.”

  “She was just looking out for us,” Kaztos said. “It was hard to see, but she was truly concerned about our wellbeing. You didn’t need to rub it in her face.” The irritation from earlier drained from Zeltara.

  She sighed. “I know. I shouldn’t have said that. It just got annoying after a while. The situation reminded me of my dad. Sticking your nose in things that aren’t your business under the guise of concern.” The thought filled her with a sense of longing. Just how is her father doing?

  “Enough, we’ve wasted enough time,” Saiya said, cutting off Zeltara’s train of thought. “We still need to go shopping for supplies. It sounds like we’re going to be gone for a while.” She started walking down the street, forcing them to follow along.

  As they caught up with her, Zeltara remarked, “You know, I’m surprised you haven’t said anything yet, Saiya. You’re usually the first to dissuade us when we’re doing something dangerous. This expedition doesn’t sound like a walk in the park.”

  “It’s not like my concerns would stop you,” Saiya said. “Besides, this was our goal all along. I knew it would be dangerous. There’s no point in bringing it up.” Kaztos came up and wrapped an arm around Saiya and Zeltara.

  “There’s no need to worry! I’m sure we’ll do just fine. We've proven ourselves capable. Now let’s drop it for now and get what we need.” Saiya shoved Kaztos off and walked away in a huff. Kaztos’ pout was enough to make Zeltara giggle. Kaztos was right. They needed to enjoy the moment.

  The newly named Outsiders spent the rest of the day shopping for what they needed. It was going to be a long trip. Who knew when they’d find civilization. So they planned accordingly. Besides food and water, they grabbed camping gear, medical supplies, and an extra change of durable clothes. Saiya picked up some herbs for potions while Zeltara picked up more ingredients for her explosives. She even managed to fit in a small toolkit, just in case. They couldn’t grab too much, as it all had to fit in their satchels. There was only so much space inside, enchanted or not.

  For Zeltara, the moment she was waiting for came just after their first purchase. The other two watched as she held up a canteen of water to her new satchel. Zeltara pulled out a mana stone and pressed it against the satchel. It glowed as the canteen disappeared into the small bag. She almost wept with joy.

  “It works. I almost can’t believe it.” For the first time in her life, she used an enchanted item. Zeltara almost dropped the stone and satchel when Kaztos came in from behind with a bearhug.

  “Congratulations! I’m happy for you!” Zeltara laughed at her exuberance.

  “Thanks Kaztos. But could you let me down?” Once back on the ground, she examined the mana stone. It seemed dimmer than before. That filled her with concern. “I think there might be a problem.”

  Saiya leaned over and examined it. “Could you hand it over?” Zeltara gave her the stone. Saiya closed her hand, and light emanated from it. Opening her palm revealed the mana stone glowing brighter than ever.

  “It’s recharged. How did you know that would work?” Kaztos asked.

  “I didn’t, but it seemed worth a try.” Saiya handed the stone back to Zeltara. “Just give it back when it stops working.”

  Zeltara gratefully pocketed the stone. “Thanks Saiya. Now, let’s head back to camp. We can take it easy until the meeting.”

  “Sounds Great! It’s been a busy few days,” Kaztos said. “Perhaps I could get some practice in with my new boots.”

  Saiya gestured with her new staff. “I need to figure out how to use this as well. The last thing I want is to blow something up accidentally. Zeltara does enough of that for all of us.”

  “Oh, ha ha. I see how it is,” Zeltara said. She held up the bag holding the mana stones. “I need to figure out how to incorporate these into my gauntlet. A glove for my off-hand would work nicely too.” Zeltara would have to experiment on it. Maybe she could see if there was a way to improve her gauntlet if there was time.

  The three made it back to camp. Zeltara separated from her friends as Pence approached them. She saw him pester Saiya about something, much to the blond girl’s annoyance. Served her right for the earlier comment. Zeltara entered the tinker wagon and looked around. An idea came to her as she saw the various storage enchantments on the walls and containers.

  She held a mana stone against one of the storage enchantments. After a second, it lit up, and Zeltara could reach inside. She pulled out a wrench and smirked. This was something to take advantage of. Who knew what else mana stones could work on? The possibilities seemed endless.