The night slipped away like a breath.

  By morning, Adrian was already outside, preparing coffee. It had become a habit, one of the few constants, ever since they uncovered the Nexus and found themselves with more coffee than they could ever drink. The thought almost made him smile.

  Sylmara had stopped by a few minutes ago and told them they would be meeting the elders soon. Now, all they could do was wait for the invitation.

  Sipping from his cup, Alex asked, "Have you thought about trading with the village?"

  Adrian pulled a few protein bars from his bag and shook his head. "No, but that could work. They need food and supplies. The question is. Can they pay?"

  Alex looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let us bring it up with the elders. If we can get this trade going, we would be a step closer to getting out of the slums."

  Adrian nodded. "And getting Cassian and the others out of the war zone."

  Alex’s expression darkened slightly. "That will be a lot harder, but the money will help."

  They talked a little more about their plans. The most important thing was getting Cassian out of the warzone. That plan was harder than anything else. They could teleport to the warzone, but it was an enormous risk. They would have to survive for two full hours before they could teleport back to the Nexus. The chances of finding Cassian in time were close to zero.

  The first goal they set was to buy a house outside of the slums and gather more information about Cassian.

  Some time later, they saw Sylmara and Draveth walking toward them.

  "The elders are waiting for you," Draveth said. Sylmara only nodded.

  "Lead the way," said Alex, a smirk on his face.

  They followed them back to the largest building in the village. It looked like a city hall, or in this case, a village hall.

  Inside, they were met by Kavreth and three other village elders. Kavreth was the youngest of them. If Adrian had to guess, he was in his fifties.

  "Welcome," Kavreth said.

  They nodded. Kavreth pointed to the two seats in front of the table, and they took them.

  "So, what did you want to talk to us about?" Alex asked, his smirk still on his face.

  Kavreth tapped a finger on the rough table in front of him. "How was your stay in Veythral Village?"

  Adrian wanted to slap himself. This was the first time he had heard the name of the village, and he had never even thought to ask. Before Alex could start pushing buttons, he said, "No complaints from me." A small smile found its way onto his face.

  Alex said, "Not too bad, I guess." He chuckled slightly. "You need to work on the hospitality tho."

  Adrian was not surprised. He had expected Alex to start talking nonsense and had even warned him not to. But if he kept his mouth closed, he would probably get sick or something.

  Sylmara just looked at Alex with the usual gaze she reserved for him when he started talking nonsense, but she did not say anything.

  Kavreth chuckled lightly. "We are not accustomed to visitors. I am sorry about that." He tapped his fingers again. "So, what are your plans after this?"

  "After this?" Adrian asked.

  "After you leave the village. Sylmara told me that you asked her to escort you," Kavreth said.

  "Visiting Ashfall. After that, wherever the road takes us," Adrian replied.

  Kavreth nodded. "Some things are not supposed to be shared openly," he said, his look firm.

  "Yeah, yeah," Alex said, meeting Kavreth's gaze. "We will not mention the village to anyone. Do not really care anyway."

  Kavreth smiled and looked at Adrian.

  Adrian said, "Same here."

  Kavreth nodded. "What were you offering to Sylmara?" he asked.

  "An artifact, of her own choosing," Adrian said.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Kavreth looked at him as if expecting him to continue.

  Adrian nodded and placed his MP7, the 9mm pistol, and a compass and binoculars on the table.

  Sylmara and Draveth moved closer to get a better look at the items.

  A few seconds of silence passed, everyone studied the artifacts.

  "What do they do?" Sylmara finally asked. Everyone’s gaze turned to him, expecting an answer.

  Adrian looked at them and began explaining the use of the artifacts he had placed before them. "This," he said, pointing to the compass, "always points north. It is a good tool for navigating."

  He then pointed to the binoculars. "Helps you see in the distance," he added, pausing for a moment. "You can try them out later."

  Finally, he pointed to the guns. "This shoots bullets." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

  Alex chuckled and explained the use of the guns in more detail.

  Adrian then pointed to the MP7. "I can't give you this one now, but you are free to choose the others."

  Alex had the same equipment, so giving up something would not hurt them, except for the MP7. He needed that to defend himself. They only had two, one for each. They had two pistols, but he could give one away because he still had a sword and an MP7. He would not be left defenseless.

  He could have taken out the gas burner, but he enjoyed his coffee too much to be left without it. He also did not want to cheat Sylmara too badly.

  "Sylmara has my approval to escort you. But," he said, pointing to Draveth, "Draveth must come with you as well."

  Alex said, "Of course, we do not mind his company."

  They talked a little about the path, and Adrian explained to Sylmara how she could use anything and the ammo limitations she would face if she chose the pistol. Then she and Draveth went outside to test the binoculars and compass.

  Then Alex said, "Kavreth," he smiled, "how is Veythral doing with trade?"

  Kavreth looked at him for a moment before asking, "Trade?"

  "Yes," Alex said, leaning back in his chair. "We want to trade with you."

  "What do you offer?" Kavreth asked, his interest piqued.

  "Food, supplies, medicine, artifacts, everything you need," Adrian added. If they could make this work and the village had gold to spend, the dream of getting a house outside the outskirts would move closer to reality. They could earn enough by selling food, but that would be a slow process. The price of a house in a safe and pleasant district was enormous.

  Kavreth looked at them, doubtful. "How would you provide us with that?"

  "Leave that to us," Alex said, his smile brightening.

  "That could be arranged. We are always in need of food. But artifacts? What kind of artifacts would you be able to provide us?"

  "Whatever you need. Weapons. Utility…" Alex said, each word slow and deliberate, with emphasis.

  Kavreth remained doubtful, but decided to take the bait. "Bring whatever you have, and we will talk gold," he said, smiling.

  After that, they spoke a little more with Kavreth, disclosing more details about the trade they were offering. Once the conversation ended, they went outside to find Sylmara. Adrian told her that he was going to teach her how to use the gun so she could make a decision.

  It went more easily than he had expected. He thought they would be pressed more about keeping the village a secret, but it only took a word from them. He was pleasantly surprised. They also reached a deal with the elders. In the future, they would bring supplies, which could then be sold to the village.

  He still felt bad that he had not known the name of the village. He had never even thought to ask. But now he knew, and that was enough. Veythral Village. He liked the name, though he did not know if it had any meaning. The translator didn't hint at anything.

  The elder also told them that Sylmara could escort them after two days, allowing them to leave the village sooner than they had expected.

  "That went great," Alex said.

  "Yeah, way better than I expected," Adrian replied.

  "Let us find Sylmara."

  They looked around the village, and after about five minutes, they spotted her. She had climbed a tree and was peering through the binoculars. Draveth stood on the ground, watching her.

  They approached, and Alex called out, "So, how do you like them?"

  "This is great!" she exclaimed.

  "Of course it is!" Alex yelled again.

  Sylmara was acting more childlike than before, and Adrian was glad to see it. She was a little older than them, but also cautious and defensive, with a calculating look in her eyes that spoke of someone who had survived the slums.

  A few minutes later, she climbed down from the tree. They talked briefly about the trip to the city.

  Adrian led Sylmara to a quiet clearing just outside the village. The sun was low, casting long shadows across the dirt path. He placed the pistol on a flat rock.

  "First things first," he said. "Safety. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot."

  Sylmara nodded, her hands hovering over the weapon, tense but steady.

  Adrian stepped behind her. He adjusted her stance, sliding his hands lightly over her shoulders and arms. "Feet shoulder-width apart. Knees slightly bent. Lean forward a bit. Balance your weight evenly. That way, you will not wobble when you fire."

  She followed his movements, trusting him, her eyes focused on the pistol and the target. Adrian could see the wariness in her gaze.

  "Grip it firmly but not too tight," he instructed, aligning her hands. "Good. Now aim, breathe, squeeze slowly."

  She lifted the pistol, taking a deep breath. Adrian’s presence behind her gave a subtle reassurance, but also reminded her of the seriousness of the task. The first shot rang out, startling birds in the trees. It missed the target completely.

  "Good," Adrian said, stepping back slightly. "Again. Focus on your breathing and your stance. Keep it steady."

  Her hands tightened around the pistol. She fired again, this time hitting close to the target. She lowered the weapon and gave him a small, proud smile.

  "This is harder than it looks," she admitted.

  Adrian chuckled. "Most things are, until you get the hang of them. Keep practicing. You are learning fast."

  He spent the next hour practicing with Sylmara. He had planned on using only one magazine, but after seeing how focused and interested she was, he gave her another. The day they could get supplies from the Nexus was approaching, so he did not mind.

  By the end, her shots were better, more confident.

  By the time they finished practice, darkness was settling over the village. Adrian was sure she would choose the gun as her reward for escorting them. They headed back to the hut where Adrian was staying.

  In two days, they would be leaving the village.