Morning arrived, and they were not eager to get up and continue their journey. The beds at the inn had been nice and comfortable; the ground they had slept on, not so much. They felt stiff from the hard ground and the previous night’s fight—so this was what old people felt like daily. Even though they didn’t want to get up, they did. Each one took care of their needs, broke down the camp, and set out for the next leg of the trip.

  Barely an hour into their trek, they encountered a problem: a fallen tree blocking their path. Two men were sitting on the tree. “Hello there!” one of them called. “We’re collecting tolls for road repairs. If you would be so kind as to leave your valuables, we would appreciate it.” Brigands? Really? It seemed their adventures had begun in earnest; this would be another encounter, though it looked to be much easier than the previous one.

  Manuel stepped forward, drawing his sword and shield and assuming a fighting stance. The rest of the group followed suit. Erin nocked an arrow, ready to fight. Josh, wand in hand, summoned a fireball, ready to unleash it. The thief positioned himself behind and to Manuel’s left, his twin daggers at the ready. Bobby began casting a protective spell.

  They were ready, confident in their ability to handle this. The two on the tree looked malnourished and young, as if this had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. As if they had skipped their chores and decided to play at being brigands instead of doing actual work.

  Ms. Tebesa came forward, moving around the group. She made a calming gesture with her hands, approached the pair, said something to them, and then showed them something. The color drained from their faces; they looked even more terrified after seeing whatever she had shown them. They quickly scrambled off the tree, bowing, uttering apologies, and departing in a hurry.

  She turned and shrugged. “Must have been a misunderstanding.” Then, to the group’s surprise, she picked up the fallen tree blocking their way and moved it to the side. She said nothing after this, simply preparing her cart.

  So what in the world had just happened? They had been ready to take on the brigands, and now they didn’t have to. This person they were escorting had just defused the situation. Who was she, really? They looked at each other in confusion, but it was fine; they didn’t have to fight or hurt anyone—not that they even wanted to.

  They continued their journey after the confusing encounter. The rest of the day passed without incident, with a few brief rest stops along the way. They had joined a small road heading south around midday. As the day progressed into late afternoon, they came upon a house. It was weathered but well-maintained, with smoke rising from the chimney. Behind the house, small empty fields could be seen; it being summer, the fields lay fallow. Some animals resembling goats and sheep were penned nearby.

  Tebesa set her cart down to the side and went up to the door, knocking. A few minutes later, a woman opened the door and, upon seeing the visitor, broke into a wide smile. She hugged Tebesa, or at least tried to, as she was much smaller.

  “Hello! What brings you here? Not that I’m not glad to see you!” The older woman glanced at Tebesa’s companions. “You have an escort, I see. Come in. I was just preparing dinner; I’ll add more since we have visitors.”

  “Thank you, Suse. But let me put the cart up for the night. Same place as usual?” The other woman nodded.

  They were led inside; the small table suggested that only a small group lived there. The place was sparsely furnished but clean. Before entering, they cleaned off the dirt and dust and set their packs down just inside the door. Tebesa came in a few minutes later, set her pack down as well, and went to her friend, handing over a small pouch and a jar.

  “Wow, Tebesa, you shouldn’t have!” Suse exclaimed, smelling the pouch and closing her eyes. “It smells wonderful. You’re early, though; I wasn’t expecting you for a few months.” She put both the pouch and jar away, thanking her friend again.

  “I had an opportunity, and we have adventurers in town.” With this, she looked at the group with her and introduced them to the other woman.

  “Adventurers, you say? We haven’t seen any new adventurers for a long time. What was it…eighteen summers ago?” Suse mused. Tebesa nodded.

  “Since they were here, I made my run early. As soon as I heard they were in town, I put in the request. And lucky me, they accepted my offer.”

  “If you want to clean up, we have a well out back. Let us old women catch up,” Suse suggested.

  The group went outside to clean up; they were grimy, dusty, and sweaty. They went to the indicated location around the house and found the well. It took them a minute to figure out how to operate it. There was a small spigot, but no hot or cold water handles. Instead, there was a lever behind it that one had to pump to make the water flow, along with a bucket to collect the water.

  They were used to indoor plumbing. In this world, indoor plumbing might exist, but they hadn’t encountered it in any of the places they had been so far. They missed being able to have hot water without having to heat it themselves. But the water from the well was clean and tasted wonderful; it was clear, crisp, and blessedly cool.

  They returned to the house, knocking on the door before entering. The two women sat in the small sitting area—Tebesa on a small chair that strained to contain her larger frame. “Brigands, you say? What did they look like?” Suse asked. Tebesa described the two they had met on the road. “Those idiots! Brigands indeed! They’re both useless and about as dangerous as a one-legged gnome. Next time I see their mother, I’ll let her know what they’ve been up to.”

  “Local youths, then. That explains it; they didn’t seem very good at what they were trying to do.”

  “Hern will be sad he missed you. He and the boys are out and won’t be back until tomorrow evening.”

  “Too bad. Tell him I said hi.”

  The group felt much better now that they were clean, and they sat, exhausted from the long walk, leaning against the wall. They had been offered chairs but had declined, feeling awkward intruding on the conversation. They sat there, their heads nodding off as the two friends talked at the table, their laughter filling the room.

  The last thing they heard piqued their interest: “And how is your younger brother, Rotgert…?” But they were too tired and fell asleep where they sat.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  They were woken and told that the food was ready. They crowded around the small table and ate what had been prepared. The food wasn’t nearly as good as what they had at the inn, but it was a decent meal. They dug in, and before long, they felt much better, with full bellies and rested from their earlier nap.

  After the meal, they felt sleep claiming them again; it had been a long, hard night and day, and their bodies didn’t feel like they had had enough rest. They set up their sleeping bags inside the house—at least they didn’t need to sleep outside, though it might have been cooler out there. They fell asleep soon after laying their heads down.

  Morning came, and they felt well-rested and eager to finish this first half of their trip. Tebesa had informed them that they should reach their destination around noon. They continued on and passed other farms and people on carts pulled by creatures that looked like a cross between a horse and some kind of lizard. Instead of fur, the animals had scaly skin and hooved feet. The people on the wagons nodded at the group on foot as they passed.

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  Other people coming out of their houses could be seen starting their day, and they waved at the passersby. Some had carts like Ms. Tebesa’s and pulled them along, some going slower, others faster. Larger wagons also passed them from time to time.

  The sun was near its highest point when they saw the village. It wasn’t as large as Starter Town, but it was a decent size and wasn’t protected by a wall. Soon, they arrived at their destination; they had made it to the first half of the trip, to everyone’s relief. There was a small guard post of sorts where people were lined up to check in. They joined the line behind a man they thought was very tall and very thin. He was wearing what one would describe as some sort of coveralls and a woven hat.

  Their turn came to check in, and Tebesa approached the person checking people in. She, as usual, towered over the guard. “Trader Tebesa! My goodness, it’s good to see you. You’re so early!” The guard came out of his small hut to look at her group. “Is it true? Are they…?” He looked closely at them with a face of wonder.

  “Yes, they are. That’s why I’m early. And they aren’t the only ones; there’s a large group of them in Starter Town.” The guard looked at her in incredulity.

  “You don’t say! This is most wonderful news, but at the same time, a little worrisome.” Since the guard hadn’t checked them in and others were waiting, whispers could be heard: “Why is it taking so long?” and then, “Adventurers!” All eyes turned to the group, some with wonder, others with disbelief. The younger ones were especially skeptical, as they hadn’t even been born or were mere babes when the last new adventurers had been seen. “Lies! They can’t be!” one of them muttered.

  “Well, let’s get you registered and collect your fees.” Later, they would learn that anyone doing business in town needed to pay fees. With this done, they were waved through, the last thing they heard being, “Adventurers! Who would have thought I’d live to see this day?”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Ms. Tebesa thanked them and explained that it would take her a day or two to conclude her business in town. They were free to explore the area and do some sightseeing if they wished. They asked some people they encountered while looking around for directions to the inn. The inn was small, and they weren’t given the option of separate rooms—not that they would have taken it anyway. They paid in advance for two days, as the trader had said it would take that long.

  After leaving their belongings, they cleaned up and took a few minutes to relax before going out to explore. They hoped there might even be an Adventurers Guild chapter here. Since the village was small, it didn’t take long for them to walk from one end to the other. There wasn’t a great deal to see, but there were some interesting things, so they began visiting the shops they had noticed.

  To their surprise, one shop was a patisserie, offering various sweets: cookies, cakes, and candy. There were so many things to choose from—tarts, cookies, caramels, macarons, crumble bars…the list went on and on. Every square inch of the place was filled with sweets. What they had seen through the small display window was nothing compared to what awaited them inside. And the list of candy…it went on and on and on. They were in heaven.

  “Analyzing… Analysis complete. Would you like to know the nutritional content of the items in the store?” Maria asked.

  “Maria, no. Just no. Let us enjoy this. Just tell us we can eat it.”

  “While the sugar content of the items is high, and the nutritional value is low, your species will not experience any negative effects. Long-term effects are unknown at this time,” Maria stated.

  Pepe, ever the eating machine, had already grabbed a candy and was chewing it. “Hey! No free samples!” A small but very broad woman had emerged from the back. She wore white and a hat. Her hands looked enormous, making it seem impossible that she could create the delicate, delectable items in the store.

  Pepe stopped before putting another candy in his mouth. “Sorry. But we want to buy them, especially this.” He held up the candy he was eating. “I don’t know what it is, but I know I want more of it.”

  “Oh, you’re customers! Sorry. Sometimes I get people in here who just want free samples and don’t pay. I used to offer free samples when I first opened, but you know how it is.” She left them to their shopping, going back into the kitchen and returning with more trays of sweets, which she arranged beautifully for display.

  This place was heaven. The sweet smells emanating from everything in there created an aroma that complemented the arrangement, maximizing the fragrance of each item. There was the smell of chocolate—or what passed for chocolate in this world—along with tartness from some treats and the scent of various berries and other fruits.

  They picked their favorites, or at least what their eyes and noses told them they would enjoy. The wonderful smells made their mouths water, and they were eager to try these delightful desserts. They went up to pay, the woman telling them the total, and Bobby, as the keeper of the purse, paid her. With this done, she looked at them before speaking. “You’re the adventurers, aren’t you? I know everyone around here, and you aren’t my usual customers, and it’s early for traders to come by. So that can only mean one thing.” They nodded in response to her question.

  “I have some requests posted. If you could help, that would be wonderful. Stop by the Guild and ask about them, please.” She nodded to them, and they made their way out. She had placed the cakes in a decorated box with pretty red swirls and an elaborate letter that looked like an “S” on the side.

  They paused for a moment, each choosing a piece of what they had bought. The treats were so delightful and sweet that they simply stood there as the sugary confections melted in their mouths. “Yummy,” they all said simultaneously.

  Pepe had also gotten a large bag of the candy he had been caught eating. “This stuff is like tres leches and caramel candy,” he declared. The others knew what these were only because their families regularly sent them candy from the south, which Pepe and Manuel had shared with them.

  “Mentiroso! I don’t believe you. Dame!” Manuel retorted.

  “No mío,” Pepe replied. They began to bicker back and forth until Pepe finally gave in and let his cousin have some.

  “Sí es cierto! Wow, just like you said!” Manuel exclaimed, giving his cousin a thumbs-up.

  They made their way to the general store in town. The store wasn’t large, but it had some interesting items on display. A humanoid creature was stocking shelves. When he turned around, they could have sworn it was the same person as the storekeeper in Starter Town.

  “Welcome! Welcome! Can I interest you in something? We’re giving away this nifty multi-tool with every purchase, as well as this great hat.” The voice wasn’t the same, though, but they could swear he was related to the guy in Starter Town. And he peddled the multi-tool as if it were a big deal.

  “Do we know you?” Bobby asked, the others nodding in agreement.

  “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen you here before.” There was something fishy about this, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on it. “So, does anything catch your eye?” They shook their heads, saying they would let him know. “At your service,” the store owner replied, returning to restocking the shelves.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “That was so weird. They have to be brothers or cousins or something. There’s no way they’re not related.” Josh shook his head as they walked. It took a few minutes to reach the Guild.

  They entered the building, which, like the others, wasn’t very big. There was only what looked like a German Shepherd wearing a sweater vest similar in design to what Ms. Hoysver wore. They didn’t see anyone else inside, so they weren’t sure whom to talk to. They approached the desk, and the dog opened its mouth. “Yes? How can I help you?” The voice was very soft but refined.

  “Um…” Erin looked down at the…well, it had to be a person, right? It talked. “We’re looking for quests. It seems you have some on your board.” There were papers and requests stuck on the board behind the desk.

  “Guild members, I see. Yes, of course, we have quests. Been a while since I’ve been in practice.” The dog rose onto its hind legs—it was strange to see it walk like that—went behind the desk, and looked at them, checking the guild emblem: the “A” with the dash on it. He picked up a pair of spectacles and placed them on the end of his snout. “Lower level, I see. Yes, we have a few you could do. The usuals: fetch quests, delivery quests, a creature quest, and an exploration quest that’s a little bit higher level.” He reached behind him and laid the quests on the desk in front of them.

  “Oh, look! There’s the one for the patisserie! We need to do that one. It’s a delivery quest; we can probably split up and get it done quickly,” Pepe exclaimed, always thinking about food. The others nodded; they had really enjoyed the sweets.

  They decided to take two fetch quests and several delivery quests, choosing the exploration quest over the creature quest. The unchosen quest was returned to the board. “Excellent choices. Let me check you into our system. Party name?” he asked. They told him their party name, and the guild manager moved over to a stone and muttered a few words. A magical printer, with a pen that began to move and print out information on paper, appeared. “Looks like all is in order. Your registration came through with no problems. Your quests have been recorded. Please return upon completion for your rewards.”

  They left with their quest tokens, ready to begin. The patisserie delivery quest required them to go to one of the nearby farms to deliver sweets and a cake for a birthday party. It was technically a solo quest, but the order was large, so two of them went. The other three took care of other deliveries within town.

  The fetch quests were similarly mundane, and they completed them quickly. The rewards for the patisserie quest were a coupon for twenty percent off all purchases from the patisserie for three months and a subscription to Sweets, a monthly scroll with articles and recipes by the patisserie’s owner. The other quests offered monetary rewards, and they even received a multi-tool for completing a quest for the store owner—a tool whose function they still didn’t understand.