Saiya looked back at the dent in the wall as they left the alley. She was glad that no one noticed Zeltara’s outburst. It would have been a hefty fine at the least, exile from the village at the worst. The day had already gone bad enough without more problems to add to it.

  Looking ahead, Zeltara’s temper appeared to taper off for now. She no longer looked like she’d rip someone’s head off if they ran into her. Though her purposeful gait wasn’t much better. Saiya would have to remember not to anger Zeltara too much in the future. The elf girl had a mean left hook with that gauntlet of hers.

  Not that she could blame her for the reaction. The conversation they had with the mayor and captain was appalling. Both she and Kaztos felt infuriated by how she was treated. She could only imagine what Zeltara felt about it. The way they dehumanized her, made her sound like a pet, was a punch in the gut. Saiya wanted nothing more than to throw a knife into them. Too bad that wasn’t in the cards.

  It was a good thing Kaztos stepped in when he did. Saiya had to applaud him for his ability to remain polite in front of hateful company. Neither she nor especially Zeltara could handle that. Apparently, the academy could teach something useful.

  Though, the fact Kaztos had to take over in the first place must have been embarrassing for Zeltara. Saiya knew she took the role as their leader very seriously. So failing at negotiating, one of the main jobs of an adventuring team leader, must have been mortifying. She knew Zeltara took failure personally.

  This entire village had gotten on her bad side in just a few hours. The whole place was a mess. If it weren’t so dangerous, Saiya would have them leave. The problem was the apparent army of monsters that stalked outside the village. That they got here with only one close call felt like a miracle.

  Though she didn’t think her friends would agree even if they could. There was too much riding on this for them to turn tail and run. Kaztos had too much of a bleeding heart, and Zeltara wanted to prove themselves capable. Saiya would just have to make the most of the situation and help steer them towards success.

  That started with getting Zeltara to calm down. While her anger was justified, it would only hamper their efforts at this point. They couldn’t get more information or make a plan when she was seeing red. It would take only a few wrong words to get the elf girl to lash out at this point. She needed time to collect herself before they could continue. And Saiya knew just how to give it.

  So, she caught up with Zeltara and said, “Wait.” Zeltara stopped in her tracks and turned.

  Her smile was a bit too wide and screamed danger. Saiya almost wanted to back off at the sight. “You need something, Saiya? We have a mission to do.” She spoke with simmering anger.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling hungry. Let’s find somewhere to eat and plan out our next steps.” Saiya sent Kaztos a pleading look as he opened his mouth. He paused before giving a nod.

  “Yes, I’m starving! Let’s go look for a tavern. I’m sure there’s a nice place somewhere in this village.” Saiya hoped she would take the bait. Zeltara looked at them, amusement beginning to peek through her blank expression.

  She sighed after a few moments. “Very well. Let’s go eat. Not like we can prepare on an empty stomach.” Saiya suppressed a victorious smile at her success. Now to find somewhere to settle in for a late lunch.

  It ended up being Kaztos who took the initiative. He approached a passing villager and asked, “Excuse me, sir. Is there somewhere in Riverfront we can eat?”

  The villager, a middle-aged, portly man, scratched his beard in thought. “Yeah, there’s Minna’s place a street over. It’s a tavern with some good grub and drink. Not a bad place to take a load either.” He pointed off in the distance to the left. “It’s about that way. Look for the sign over the door. Can’t miss it.” Kaztos thanked the man and walked back to them.

  “Should we head over?” He asked. Zeltara nodded and started to walk away. Her steps fell harder than they needed to. Saiya and Kaztos followed her. The blond girl’s stomach rumbled. Now that she thought about it, fresh food sounded heavenly right about now. The thought of more traveling rations made her nauseous.

  It took them less than ten minutes to find the tavern. Like the villager said, there was a small oval sign over the double doors. It read ‘The Resting Log’. Saiya had heard worse. Zeltara led the way and opened the doors. They walked inside.

  The interior looked nice. Wooden tables littered most of the room. Each had about four chairs. Booths lined the walls. They gave more privacy that Saiya appreciated. Along the back wall was a stage. Probably a place performers could entertain the customers. Finally, the bar sat on their left. A woman in a barmaid’s outfit was cleaning a glass.

  She looked up upon hearing them enter. “Hello! Please take a seat wherever and I’ll help you shortly.” Kaztos headed towards the bar, but Saiya grabbed his hand. She dragged him towards one of the booth seats. Zeltara followed behind, snickering. The tavern was almost empty except for a few stragglers. It was the middle of the afternoon, so Saiya wasn’t surprised.

  A few moments after sitting. The woman approached them. She smiled. “Welcome to The Resting Log! I’m Minna, the owner. What would you like to drink?” She then gave them a raised eyebrow. “No alcohol, I hope.” Saiya ignored Zeltara grumbling about the restriction.

  “What do you serve here?” Kaztos asked.

  “Unfortunately, not much for kids like you. Just milk, red blossom, and Zing. You can also have water for free.” Saiya did not know what two of those were. They must be local drinks.

  Zeltara said, “I’ll have some Zing. Sounds like a fun drink.”

  “I’ll take some red blossom. I’ve heard that it’s quite enjoyable,” Kaztos said.

  “Milk, please,” Saiya said curtly.

  Minna nodded. “Sounds good. Now, we only have some Pale soup and rolls available at the moment. Would you each like a serving?” The three of them nodded. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with your food and drinks.” She took off, leaving the three to their thoughts.

  “Are you alright?” Saiya asked. Zeltara answered by face-planting onto the table.

  “No, I’m not.” Zeltara sat back up. “I thought it was rough back in Urada. Then the Al’Yanda also gave me a false sense of security. But between Mousafont and here? A part of me wants to crawl in a hole and hide.”

  Kaztos scowled. “That was completely disrespectful. To call you a... a pet like that. To think people of authority would demean a guest like that.”

  “It made me so mad,” Zeltara said. “I just wanted to punch both of them. I’d had some scathing insults and gotten into some scuffles back in Urada, but it never felt like this. Hell, most people got along with Selossa just fine.” Saiya could barely recall the old elf woman, but she had been kind to them in their one meeting. She could easily imagine why the old elf was treated well. “But these past few weeks have been awful. The disgust, the condemnation, the constant questioning of my competency. It just makes me want to crawl into a hole.”

  “I can imagine,” Kaztos said. “It took great self-control from you not to lash out. You got treated poorly by people who don’t have the right to judge you.”

  Zeltara shook her head. “It’s not just about me though. Back in Mousafont, there were thousands of elves living there. They’ve had to deal with what I’d just gone through every day of their lives. Their homes are awful, and they’re treated worse than dirt. For them, this terrible feeling is normal. It makes me want to do something for them. I don’t know what though.”

  “Something to think about later,” Saiya said. She didn’t know where that train of thought was heading, but it wasn’t something they should broach right now. “But with regard to you, no one here knows what you’re like. Their opinions of you mean nothing. You should ignore them if possible.” It was what Saiya typically did, but she got the feeling it’d be much harder for Zeltara.

  “So you’re saying I should have kept leading our negotiations with the mayor.” Her tone was understandably skeptical. “I don’t see anyway how that could have gone well.”

  Saiya grimaced at the thought. She wanted to reassure Zeltara, but lying to her would help. They needed to be realistic. If Zeltara had insisted on taking the lead, the mayor would have been kicked out. Still, she needed to say something to her friend to make her feel better.

  “Well, you are doing something elves aren’t supposed to do.” Saiya paused. That didn’t come out quite right. Based on Zeltara’s expression, she might have taken it the wrong way.

  Luckily, Kaztos interjected. “She’s right. I’ve never heard of an elf adventurer before. You’re treading on new ground. It’s very impressive.” Saiya relaxed.

  “Exactly,” Saiya said, thankful for Kaztos’ explanation. “You’re doing something new. That’s going to rub some people the wrong way.”

  “It’ll also serve as an inspiration!” Kaztos exclaimed. “You may be the first, but you could inspire other elves to follow in your footsteps. That’s something worth being proud of.”

  Their efforts paid off, as Zeltara sincerely smiled at them for the first time since the meeting. “Thanks guys. But it’s not like I’m doing anything too impressive. It’s been difficult so far, but it hasn’t felt impossible. I wonder why no one else bothered?”

  It probably had something to do with the current crisis they're in. Saiya knew that there currently wasn’t anyone around to protest Zeltara running around like this. They were in a unique situation. While it had been hard for them, it didn’t change the fact that they were also lucky. Desperation could allow a lot of previously socially unacceptable things to pass.

  But that wasn’t what Zeltara needed to hear. “It’s probably because you're completely crazy.” Zeltara started laughing while Kaztos squawked in offense.

  “Saiya! That isn’t something you should say about her.” Zeltara put a hand up, silencing Kaztos.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting that.” The humor was still clear in her voice. “I don’t see why I should be called crazy for wanting to be an adventurer.”

  Saiya gave Zeltara a deadpan expression. “Yes, you are crazy. By the time I’d met you, you’d already invented two different kinds of explosives. In fact, that seems to be your go-to solution to any problem. Blow it up. I’ve been in more fights since meeting you than at any point in my life, and I’ve almost died in every single one of them. Your penchant for throwing bombs around has me convinced that you’ll unironically be the death of me someday. To you, the impossible is just an obstacle that hasn’t seen enough explosives thrown at it yet.”

  “I agree!” Kaztos said. “You have a passion for your craft. It carries you through all the trials we’ve seen so far. I have no doubt that it will continue to do so.” Assuming she didn’t blow them all up. Saiya was half convinced that one day they'd have to clean up her splatter from a grapple shot gone wrong. “So cheer up. Don’t let some insults from people below you to darken your thoughts.”

  Zeltara gave them a grin. The corners of her eyes held unshed tears. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.” She wiped her eyes and then giggled. “I guess I sound a little crazy when you put it like that.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t be our friend if you weren’t your crazy self,” Kaztos said. Saiya nodded in agreement. She thought back to when they first met. Of a crazy-looking elf girl confronting two bullies a foot taller than her and getting into a fistfight. “It’s why you look at the impossible and try. It’ll just make the skeptics look foolish when you one day prove them wrong. That way, your success will be even more glorious.”

  “You really think I can do it?” Zeltara asked. There was a vulnerability peeking through her smile now.

  Saiya nodded. “I know you will.” It still felt impossible, but something was growing in her. This feeling that they were going to go far. That they would be among the greatest in the world. They just had to not die before that happened.

  “You will too. Kaztos, Saiya. Let’s go make our dreams a reality. One day at a time.” Kaztos gave a here at that. Saiya only smiled. Zeltara raised her hands to her hood. A second passed, then she lowered them. “Not now, but maybe someday.” Saiya understood. There was no need to take that leap today. But a day would come.

  Minna returned, carrying a platter. “Here you go. Three pale soups with fresh out of the oven rolls.” The three each had their meals put in front of them. “And your drinks. Blossom for the boy. Milk for the blond girl. Then Zing for the hooded girl. Now, would you like anything else?”

  Kaztos said, “Thank you for the meal, miss. Would you mind answering a few quick questions for us?” Minna looked back at the mostly empty tavern before nodding.

  “I don’t mind. It’s always nice to meet new outsiders. Will you be staying for long?” Zeltara shrugged.

  “We aren’t sure yet. It depends on how long our business here will take. But I have to say, you have a nice place here. I didn’t expect a village this small to have a quality place like this.” Now that Zeltara mentioned it, the place seemed rather nice for what was supposed to be a backwater village.

  Minna giggled. “Thank you for the compliment. To be honest, I’ve only lived here for a few years. This place looked like it needed a tavern, and it’s in my blood after all.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Kaztos asked.

  “Oh, it’s just my father and grandfather were successful tavern keepers. They left my siblings and me quite a bit of money. We all went our separate ways to start our own taverns. The money allowed me to build a bigger place than would otherwise be possible.”

  Zeltara nodded. “You definitely put a lot of work into the place. And the food was delicious.”

  Minna waved off the compliment. “Oh, there’s no need for that. I’m just happy that you’re all enjoying yourselves. Now, you said you had questions?”

  “We were wondering what you knew about the monsters attacking the village?” Zeltara asked. “We’re planning to help and wanted to get some more information.”

  “Oh, I don’t really know all that much.” She looked almost embarrassed to admit that.

  Kaztos gave her a warm smile. “Any information is good. Even if it’s something we’ve heard before, another point of view would be helpful to us. So please share.”

  “Of course. I’d be happy to help.” Saiya had to give it to him. Kaztos knew how to win people over. Already, Minna looked more relaxed around them. “I heard those monsters are called the thin men. They attack at night and kidnap unsuspecting people from their beds.” They knew this already. “Though, I heard that they’re smarter than most people think.”

  Zeltara asked, “How so? From what we heard, they seem to display limited intelligence.” Not necessarily. The mayor told them they had used diversionary tactics to get inside the village. Was that a deliberate strategy, or a coincidence in attacking from multiple directions?

  “That’s what most people believe, but I’m not so sure. Several men from the militia visit this tavern daily. They share a lot of what happens after a drink or two. The way they describe it, those monsters like to set up traps.” That gave them pause.

  Kaztos leaned forward with interest. “What do you mean by traps?”

  “They like to lure defenders into ambushes. From my understanding, several from the militia had lost their lives when they chased after thin men running. They turn tail when a fight looks tough but lead people to where others are waiting in the forests.”

  “Is there anything else they do?” Zeltara asked.

  “Some of the militia think that the thin men are learning as time goes on. They describe it as their probing our defenses, looking for weak spots. Just a few days ago, one monster broke through a weak part of the barricade. On the next attack, they all charged that area and forced their way through. Ended up grabbing a few people.” Minna shivered. “From my understanding, they drag you away into the forests. Never to be seen again. I can’t imagine what happens to them.”

  Saiya had a few ideas. The main one was that the people were being used as food. It was a horrible way to die. She didn’t voice these thoughts, instead listening as Kaztos spoke. “It sounds awful. I promise you we’ll look into stopping this. Now, I had another question if you’re willing to answer.”

  “Of course,” Minna said with a nod. At this, Zeltara pulled out her journal, opened it to a page, and presented it to the tavern keeper.

  It showed a copy of the bloody drawing they’d seen earlier on the door. “Could you tell me anything about this drawing? Or perhaps about the killings that have been happening around here.” Minna frowned as she stared at the drawing.

  She then looked around the tavern before leaning in. “I really shouldn’t say anything. They don’t want anyone to talk about it.”

  “Please. It would be of great help,” Kaztos said. Minna seemed to consider his words before answering.

  “Well, I don’t know much. It’s just not brought up much. They had popped up around seven months ago.” Interesting. That would put them months before the cataclysm. “But I know this killer has been given a name.”

  “And what is it?” Kaztos asked.

  Minna hesitated for a moment before answering. “Cheshire. From what I understand, there’s been at least eight victims so far. And the attacks have been getting more frequent.” They were right. This was a serial killer. “The people seem to be mostly targeted outside their homes while alone. So, stick together, OK? Though there have been a few home invasions.” She shook her head. “Enough about that. I need to go check the rolls in the oven. Now, please enjoy the rest of your meal.” She headed to the kitchen behind the bar.

  They took a few minutes to enjoy the rest of their meal. The soup was delicious, and the freshly made rolls were sublime. It brought her back to happier times. Those rare moments back at the orphanage where everything felt peaceful. Kaztos and Zeltara seemed to enjoy themselves just as much.

  The three exchanged drinks. The Zing wasn’t Saiya’s cup of tea. It tasted sour with a lot of kick. The red blossom was more her speed. It was sweet. She’d have to get a cup for herself at some point. It was a nice moment, a reprieve from the recent stress they had found themselves in.

  After finishing their meals, Saiya turned to Zeltara. “What’s our next steps? We seem to be stuck between two problems.”

  “For now, let’s focus on the thin men,” Zeltara said. “Cheshire sounds like a problem, but not an immediate one. Maybe the town will be more open-minded in dealing with them when it’s not facing an existential threat.” It made sense. Better to stick with the problem threatening to overrun the village. They’d just have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious for now.

  Kaztos said, “We should start by going over what we know. That way, we can make a plan of action.” Zeltara nodded.

  “Sounds like a good idea. So, these thin men have been attacking the village for weeks now. They’ve been kidnapping people for some unknown reason.“

  “They are intelligent,” Saiya said. “Taking the people and the diversionary tactics could have been coincidence. Leading people into traps is not. We need to be very careful with these monsters.”

  Kaztos thought for a moment before adding, “It’s true that we need to be careful, but we can’t afford to dally. Lives hang in the balance.”

  Zeltara hummed for a moment. “We don’t know for sure what happened to those people. They could still be alive for all we know. We’re going to have to find them somehow.”

  “We shouldn’t be rushing into danger,” Saiya said. “These thin men can grab people and drag them off somewhere. That means they could probably do the same to us. We need to be careful, or we’ll end up as the next victims.”

  “They’re also smart,” Zeltara said. “I could write off the diversionary tactics. I doubt the militia here is large enough to cover the whole village perimeter at once. It could have just been a case of the thin men randomly attacking from multiple directions and one group getting lucky.”

  Kaztos asked, “Wouldn’t the fact that they just grab people rather than mindlessly attack show some higher intelligence?”

  “No, it wouldn’t. Instinct can do surprising things sometimes. There are animals and insects that will grab prey and take it back to their territory to feed. This could be no different. But feigning retreats to trick enemy forces to overextend? That’s something that again could be instinct, but it’s another tally in the intelligence column.”

  “And then they specifically attack weak points in the village defenses,” Kaztos added. Zeltara nodded.

  “Exactly. We still don’t know for sure, but these monsters are probably intelligent. Probably not at the level of people, but enough to be concerning.” Zeltara groaned into her hands. “This isn’t normal. Monsters aren’t supposed to be this smart anymore.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Kaztos asked. “The monsters we’ve faced so far have been rather smart. Between the goblins, abominations, and now thin men. Then there’s that monster in the plateau caves. Sure, they don’t seem as smart as us, but I never thought they were stupid.”

  Zeltara waved her hand. “That’s exactly it! Before now, goblins were among the smartest of the monsters in Aleucea. They stay in tribes together and make basic tools. They’re considered the species closest to reaching sentience. Something only humans, elves, and dwarves have ever achieved. Other monsters, meanwhile, only reach the mental capacity of animals. But now we’ve encountered several creatures that are at least approaching goblins in intelligence. Monsters I’ve never heard of before despite studying for a couple of years on the subject.”

  The booth fell silent as they considered the implications. The world they now lived in differed greatly from the one of several months ago. It was proving to be much more dangerous, and it went back to one event. Saiya said, “This all comes back to the cataclysm. It’s the cause of these monsters, isn’t it?”

  “It looks that way,” Kaztos said. “Perhaps these creatures were hiding away before being forced to interact with the world. But that doesn’t feel right anymore.” Zeltara nodded in thought.

  “I agree. Most of the world had already been explored. One or two species of monsters being undiscovered is one thing. The several we’ve found so far is another. At the rate this is going, there are dozens or more new species roaming the world. The cataclysm has to be the cause, but I don’t know how.” Zeltara grimaced. “Worse, we don’t even have a lead of how it happened.”

  “And I doubt we’ll find a lead anytime soon,” Saiya said. “We don’t even know where to start.” The only possible location would be the wastes, but they wouldn’t be going back there unless absolutely necessary. “But we’re getting off track. We need to focus on the current problem.” They could debate the intelligence of monsters later. For now, they needed to figure out how to save Riverfront.

  Zeltara said, “You’re right. We need to focus on Riverfront.” She leaned forward. “Alright, so our aim is to stop the thin men. How do we go about this?”

  “It’s rather obvious. We need to take the fight back to them,” Kaztos said. “There must be a place where they're all come from. We need to find and destroy it.”

  Saiya rolled her eyes. “Yes, like it’ll be easy to find it. We don’t even have an idea of where to look.” From the sounds of it, the village was being attacked on all sides. They didn’t have a direction to go on.

  “Not necessarily,” Zeltara said. “Remember, Riverfront isn’t the only settlement being attacked. There’s also Ulyfall to the north. It sounds like they’re having trouble too. Which means the thin men’s territory is probably in between the two settlements.” Kaztos seemed to understand.

  “Which is to the north! All we have to do is follow the thin men as they’re running back to their territory. Then we can figure out a way to destroy them.” Saiya wanted to groan at the suggestion. Leave it to Kaztos to forget the obvious.

  Instead, she flicked his forehead. “Don’t you remember what Minna said? These monsters like to lure people into ambushes. How would following them be a good idea?” Kaztos glared at her.

  “Well, what do you suggest instead?” Saiya thought for a moment, but couldn’t think of anything. They could comb the forest during the day, but that sounded too time-consuming. And how much safer would that be really? Kaztos noticed she was stumped and gave a victorious grin. She wanted to punch it off his face.

  Zeltara interjected before she could follow through. “Kaztos is right. We don’t have many other options. It’s also the quickest method. We can’t take too much time. Lives are at stake.” So were theirs, but when had that stopped them before? “So, we’ll try to follow them if there’s an attack tonight. If not, we can start searching in the morning.”

  It wasn’t a great plan. Saiya was hesitant to call it a good one, but she couldn’t think of anything else. “Fine, but if things don’t look good, we need to run.”

  “We can’t run at the first sign of trouble,” Kaztos said. “It wouldn’t be right as adventurers.”

  Zeltara cut in. “She’s right. There’s no point in throwing our lives away. Our mission is to deal with the thin men. We can’t do that if we’re dead. If that means retreating to think of a new plan, then all the better. In fact, we should focus only on finding their home for now. The plan to deal with it can come later.” Saiya could agree with that. It meant they didn’t get overwhelmed trying to do too much.

  Kaztos didn’t seem to agree but didn’t say anything. The conversation ended as the three ate the rest of their meals. Once finished, Minna came back and took their dishes.

  “Thank you for your patronage. That will be three silver total.” Kaztos quickly grabbed the coin, giving the tavern keeper four silver. “Thank you! Now, is there anything else you need?”

  “How much for a room?” Zeltara asked. Saiya nodded in approval. She would like at least one night without sleeping on the ground.

  “It’s two silver a night per room. Will you want one or two?”

  Zeltara glanced into her satchel for a moment. “We’d be wanting one, but how late can we get a bed? I’m not sure whether we’ll be around tonight.”

  “We close up at midnight. After that, you’re on your own,” Minna said. “Just be sure to find me before then. Have a nice day!” They returned the goodbye as the tavern keeper walked away.

  Kaztos stood up from his table. “We should get going. It’s going to be night before we know it.” Saiya and Zeltara got up and joined him.

  “Agreed. Let’s go meet with some of the militia,” Zeltara said. “They might have a little more information about the situation.” Zeltara led them out of the tavern, passing the filling tables. They had left at the right time, as the early dinner crowd had arrived. The patrons gave them curious and suspicious glances as they walked by. Saiya guessed that the news of outsiders arriving had made the rounds.

  The late afternoon sun greeted them. It looked like it was a few hours until sunset. More than enough time to gather more information. Zeltara took a moment to stretch before turning to face them.

  “Alright. We know what our objective is. Based on what we’ve heard, an attack is due within the next night or two. Are you both ready for a fight?” Saiya checked to make sure she had everything with her. All her gear was in place. She gave Zeltara a nod.

  Kaztos gripped his hammer. “I’m ready and raring to go! Just show me where those monsters are and I’ll vanquish them!” Zeltara let out a huff of amusement.

  “Don’t get too enthusiastic, Kaztos. The fighting won’t start for at least a few hours. I’ve got everything I need. Now let’s head out.” Zeltara led them towards the village perimeter.

  Saiya was happy to see that Zeltara had a spring in her step again. While the incident from today probably wasn’t forgotten, it was at least pushed to the side. Zeltara had her head back in the game. A nice meal was just a pleasant addition. A chance to unwind a bit after traveling for the past two weeks. While Saiya wasn’t confident that this would go well, she at least knew they would do everything to get through unscathed.