The group of five was still following in the footsteps of Santos and Khan.
Vashina was worried about the rest of the group. She was reluctant to ask a favor from a Reciardo, but she had no other choice.
—Excuse me, I… must go after my companions. I stayed behind to give them time to escape.
—There's no need to go after them; they've probably already run into someone else. —said Santos.
—Wait, someone else? —those words echoed in Vashina's mind— Are you saying that—
—Yes, I was also surprised when I found out they were here.
Santos walked on with a wide smile on his face.
The forest began to recede, and in front of the group, the moonlight greeted them in all its splendor.
A vast, barren plain stretched as far as their eyes could see. The Plain, as it was called, had been famous 400 years ago as a gathering place.
Fredar, Cuar, and Vashina had once taken part in an adventurer's initiation rite held every three years. During that event, they camped for a week, hunting and finding their own means of survival.
Each had participated at different times, but all remembered the cold, hard stone they used as a bed — harsh, yet nostalgic.
Now, the plain was filled with camps and adventurers. But not just any adventurers — they were Reciardos. Hundreds of them moved about from one place to another.
There were monsters, beasts, and creatures long thought extinct.
They saw rare elves, grumpy dwarves, exotic wildfolk, mermen and mermaids, harpies — all kinds of beings walked about the now-bustling plain.
—This is…
—Incredible…
—Yeah…
—Are you going to just stand there like trees? —Santos said.
The three stared in awe.
A man carrying books, with round glasses and the look of a scholar, noticed the newly arrived group and was surprised. He wore a green robe that hid his feet and a strange-looking hat.
—My God, it's Santos! —He hurried toward him, looked him up and down, and adjusted his glasses— You've finally arrived, this is great. Follow me.
—Wait… uh, what about them? —he pointed at Fredar, Cuar, and Vashina.
—Oh, right. If you head that way, you'll find the others. Bolt found them fighting off a horde. —he pointed toward a green tent.
—Move it…
The three followed Khan, still dazed.
—Bolt, huh. Where is he now?
—He went back into the forest. —he shook his head, sighing— He's so hyped up that he and a few others are swinging around like monkeys from vine to vine.
—Haha, and your cousin Zephyr?
—Oh look, it's Shunk! Hey, how are you, Shunk? Good to see you too, you know. —he glared at Santos.
—Sorry, my bad. How are you, Shunk?
—Forget it. —He sighed— We need to talk; it's something very serious.
As they approached the center, Santos noticed what looked like a ring made of logs and roots. Inside, people were sparring.
Outside the ring, with his back to Santos, sat a burly man whose size made the bench beneath him look tiny. His messy black hair reached his waist, and he wore loose beige pants and a sleeveless black shirt. His hands and feet were bare.
Santos stopped, staring in surprise.
Shunk noticed he had stopped, looked in the same direction, and his expression darkened.
—Vlad… Zephyr invited him after Maria Antonieta left the group. —said Shunk.
—I see… Wait, Maria left the expedition!?
—Yeah, a week before the expedition, she and another person joined a voyage to the New Continent.
—What!? But wasn't there no ship allowed to sail because of the dangers and the uncertain travel time?
—Yes, but for some reason, about a week before all this happened, a lot of strange events began occurring. One of them was that the Ivekar docks were flooded with requests for trips to the New Continent — and a bunch of other things too.
Santos remained silent, contemplating the revelation he had just heard. They walked through the camp until they reached the center, where a massive green tent, nearly three meters tall, awaited them.
Camp – Central Tent
Inside, the tent was spacious, with a large common area taking up most of the space and two hidden rooms in the back.
In the middle of the common area stood a round table with twelve chairs around it. Surrounding it, two levels of semicircular stands rose like a small coliseum, where the main members of the expedition gathered.
—As impressive as ever. Who are the leaders of this expedition?
—Quite a few this time. Obviously, Zephyr is first since he's the main explorer; Bolt handles the stronger monsters; Kassandra deals with the troublesome ones; Khan takes on the most dangerous areas; Livia is the chief doctor; Metrodora, the head healer; Chef runs the kitchen; Dol leads the vanguard; Marco Polo and Cristob handle the rearguard and long-distance matters; Ross leads the rescue team; Baldomero is the blacksmith; I'm the historian — and many more. Sit there, I'll go fetch the others.
Santos headed up to the highest row of the stands.
Camp – East Side
The medical camp was an area full of white tents, with a large one at the end serving as the main tent.
All the tents were empty, except the main one, where a group of people was being examined by the chief doctor.
Livia, the chief doctor, was an elf of stunning beauty. Her porcelain-white skin and emerald-green eyes contrasted with her blonde hair, enchanting everyone in the room. Her small lips and slender figure made even the women's hearts skip a beat. She wore a spotless white coat and strange garments underneath.
—She's fine. Just a moderate traumatic brain injury, possible skull fracture, and partial loss of consciousness. Pupillary response is present, but no verbal response. Possible subdural hematoma. I'll treat her myself shortly. —she diagnosed with a smile. She picked up a notebook and began writing— I want you to find these ingredients. Use the first ones for a soup, and have the others mixed into an ointment.
Livia looked with concern at the injured girl lying on the cot. Ukryo had carried her on his back to the camp when they were found by other Reciardos.
Cuar, captivated by Livia's beauty, nodded to show he understood the diagnosis of their companion's condition.
Arlo approached and stared at the doctor.
—Hey, my name's Arlo.
—Yes, I know, you told me earlier.
—Right… haha. —Arlo laughed awkwardly.
—Are you hungry? Go to the cafeteria and eat something.
Livia said goodbye to the group and left.
The group let out a long, disappointed sigh at her departure.
—This is unreal. I never thought I'd see an elf in my life. —said Fredar.
—I thought a goddess or something had descended from the heavens.
—Tonight, I'm going to dream of paradise.
Seeing the boys daydream, Vashina and Nina gave them reproachful looks. They couldn't deny Livia's otherworldly beauty, which seemed to make her glow just by existing.
Calling Livia a goddess wasn't an exaggeration.
—I'm here for Fressa. —A man with animal-like features approached.
He wore a white robe like Livia's and more practical adventurer's clothing underneath.
—Is there anywhere we can rest? —asked Vashina.
—Oh, you don't have tents? Come with me. —the Reciardo tilted his head in confusion— What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the meeting?
—Who, me? —the old man replied— What meeting are you talking about?
The Reciardo then began to lead the group away.