"I don't care what it is you lot are searching for that demands you go anywhere near that province," Madra snapped, her voice sharp with barely restrained anger. "But let me make this painfully clear: this side of the Empire is not a place where wet-behind-the-ears youths can wander about without regard for their own safety."
She stopped short, turning on them with a glare that carried the weight of lived experience rather than mere irritation.
"We understand the situation was dangerous just now," Lucius began.
"Do you?" Madra cut in immediately. "Because from where I stood, it certainly didn't look that way. You went far too close to Hellion Hounds. None of you are Fire-type mage. I see no Beast Arcstones among you, which means none of you are Mystic Trainers either. So tell me," her eyes swept over them one by one, "how exactly did you intend to handle that situation?"
Silence answered her.
Madra exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Be reckless back in the central provinces if you must. Not out here. This land is not a place of leisure. It's left to its own machinations, and those are cruel."
They came to a halt as the port town came into view, the midday sun casting brilliant light across the ocean. Ships bobbed gently in the harbor, an almost mocking contrast to the danger they had narrowly escaped.
"Bodroy, dear," Madra said, her tone cooling but no less firm, "I`m going back because Gwen is the only one running the tavern right now. I'll see you back at the tavern."
She walked off without sparing the trio a glance.
Bodroy lingered behind, his heavy steps slowing as he fell in beside them. "She was harsh just now," he said quietly, "but it wasn't meant as an insult. We lost one of our own children to a Mystic Beast there."
His voice lowered. "She doesn't take kindly to seeing others make the same mistakes."
They walked a few steps in silence before Bodroy spoke again. "So tell me. Where exactly are you trying to go?"
"There's a town beyond the forest," Flavian said. "It has a sundial carved from amethyst. That's our destination. We're searching for an item confirmed to be there."
Bodroy stopped.
"Alten," he said gravely. "That town lies on the far side of the forest and well within the domain of the Decayer."
The name settled heavily between them.
"What could possibly be worth walking into so many life-ending dangers?" Bodroy asked. "What encounter could be that important?"
Lucius frowned. "You mentioned the Decayer last night, but we never asked. What exactly is it?"
Bodroy released a long, weary sigh. "The Decayer is the reason time freezes in parts of the western region. It drains life, locking land, creatures, and even moments themselves in place. Everything caught within its influence decays while remaining trapped in time. It kills… without ever truly letting things die."
He looked at them then, eyes sharp beneath his heavy brow. "So I'll ask again. What could matter enough to face such a calamity and still not turn back?"
Olivia finally spoke.
"It's not that we aren't afraid," she said quietly. "It's that we don't have the luxury of turning back. Our families in the capital have put us in an impossible position. The item we're searching for, if it exists, gives us leverage. A way to stand against their demands."
Her voice steadied as she lifted her gaze.
"Without it, we have nothing."
"Well then," Bodroy said at last, his voice firm, "it's clear that no matter what is said, you three are determined to reach Alten by any means necessary. So let me make one thing unmistakably clear, it will not be by land."
He gestured vaguely northward. "The forest is a literal hellscape. Going around it is no better. The mountains hemming it in are infested with Frostwhispers. That leaves only one viable route."
His gaze settled on them. "The sea. And even that is far from safe, only less deadly than the alternatives. I know none of you are Wind magi, nor do you possess beasts capable of flight, so water is your only option."
"We understand," Flavian replied.
The trio walked alongside Bodroy through the town, following the curve of the harbor wall as waves lapped against the stone below. Sailcloth snapped in the wind, and the smell of salt and pitch hung heavy in the air.
"The best I can do," Bodroy continued, "is speak to a friend of mine. If anyone's willing to take you to the closest landing point near Alten, it would be him."
He led them farther down the pier, beyond the busier docks they had seen earlier. Moored there was a medium-sized vessel flying a flag marked by a slashing bear claw. Men hauled crates aboard under shouted commands.
Standing watch was an exceptionally tall, dark-skinned man with long, plaited hair. A curved saber rested at his waist as he barked orders at the crew. When he noticed Bodroy approaching, recognition crossed his face, and he strode forward.
"Bodroy, my friend," the man said with a grin. "Didn't we speak just a few days ago? What brings you here so soon?"
"We did," Bodroy replied, "but this is another matter entirely." He gestured toward the trio. "These youngsters need passage to Alten."
The moment the town's name left his mouth, all activity around them froze. The crew stared at the trio in stunned silence.
"What are you all gawking at?" the man snapped. "Back to work!"
The men hastily resumed loading the ship.
"That aside," the man said more quietly, "walk with me."
They moved away from the vessel, boots thudding softly against the pier.
"You understand why they reacted that way," he said. "Better than most. You and Madra were sailors once."
"I do," Bodroy replied evenly. "And I also know you don't turn down a job when the price is right, Demba."
Demba let out a low chuckle. "True enough. But do our young friends here have the means to pay? And more importantly, do they truly understand what they're walking into by going to that wretched place?"
"We do," Lucius said without hesitation. "On both counts."
Demba stopped and turned, studying the trio in silence. After a long moment, he sighed.
"Very well," he said. "I'll take you."
Relief flickered briefly, then vanished as his tone hardened.
"But hear me clearly. At the first sign that my crew or my ship faces irreversible danger, I will abandon the mission without hesitation. Do you understand?"
The trio nodded.
"Good. We sail after nightfall. Be ready."
With that, Demba turned and headed back toward his ship.
"That," Bodroy said as he took his leave, "is the best I can do for you."
Lucius exhaled slowly. "It seems we finally have a way to reach that town."
"Then let's hurry and find that damned ring," Olivia muttered. "So I can free my mother."