Theron whispered curses to the cold wind as he rubbed his hands vigorously. There wasn't any snow yet but to him, but it undoubtedly was already winter. He leaned against the city wall, tired of his long day at the gates. Now that the sun was setting into the horizon, there wasn't much more time until he could go back home and drink something. The work wasn't really hard, but it had gotten unnerving recently. He knew Esior's haven was passing through a hard time, but it the new laws seemed exaggerated. Does the city council really think any citizen accompanied with a sylesti was capable of handling the outside world? Theron knew the sylestis could be fierce adversaries, but it seemed to him that any adventurer should at least be able to defend himself. At this thought, his hand reached for the worn handle of his sturdy mace. That was something he could trust any day.

Of course, that didn't matter to anyone, at least to no one important. As experienced as he could be, he was still just a guard. His duty was to stop anyone who desired to leave the town without a good reason to leave or a sylesti to protect them. Farmers could be trusted to be reasonable and stay where it's safe, but the recent craze for sylesti led to some... interesting events. The most gruesome one he could think of was the time when a wannabe trainer tried to snatch a Draeyl egg from his parents. The least he could say about it was that the party who was sent for him didn't find much of him. There was also rumors of bandits roaming the countryside, making even the most mundane travel more dangerous than he thought it could be. Guardsmen that confronted them all agreed there was something peculiar about them: they were much too efficient and organized to be ordinary thieves. Theron was quite skeptic about that, but it had been some time since he went on missions like that. Apparently, he was too “old-fashioned” for Thyrm, whatever that meant.

When he left these dark thoughts and returned to his job, he realized it was quite late. In fact, when he looked west beyond the gates, he saw that the sun had completely disappeared. The gates were supposed to be closed by now. At this hour, there was no one sound of mind that would leave the safety of the town. His orders were to watch the gates until they were closed, but there was no way he'd let some airheads sit around at the top of the towers doing nothing while he was freezing to death outside. He tried to shout at them to close the gates, but they wouldn't answer. He was about to begin insulting them in the most creative way he could think, but he rapidly realized it wouldn't look too good if someone heard him, which was very likely due to the late hour. He looked around and, seeing no one outside, decided to rush in and make those incompetents guards know what he'd do next time they dare let him out in the cold like that.

He opened the doors leading to the top of the gate's tower and, after looking back one last time to make sure there wasn't anyone hanging around past the curfew, entered the stairs. He climbed the steps two by two with a calm determination, decided to finish this day as fast as he could. At the top of the tower, he found two guards sitting at the table, warming their hands next to a lantern while having a loud discussion about what sylesti was more adapted to the northern climate. Theron instantly recognized Dana, a young woman he knew too well, with some new scrawny recruit he wasn't quite as familiar with. The two of them stopped their conversation when they saw him, a look of uncertainty on their face. Theron slammed his hands on the table before talking as clearly as he could, using his most intimidating tone:

-I would break your legs if I didn't need you to lower the grid right now. Is that clear?
-Yes sir, answered Dana without hesitation. Isn't that right Sam?
-Right away, said the new recruit.
-Good, said Theron before heading down the stairs.
-Is he always like that? Whispered Sam.
-Pretty much, sighed Dana.

While he was climbing down the stairs, he heard the sounds of the chains finally lowering that cursed grid for the night, forbidding entrance to Esior's Haven for the rest of the night. Now, unless something unexpected would happen while he was heading home, he could just relax in the warmth of a fire and have a drink before finally going to bed. Tomorrow, he'd just have to manage the mission assigned to sylestis at the town barracks. He didn't like that job either, but it was far better than to stand out in the cold like the ones watching over the town market all day long.

The first thing he saw when he opened the door to the town was some sort of yellow thing bolting through the gates. Acting on instinct, he followed it, leaving the town. It was a tri-tailed yellow zolnixi he was pursuing, carrying something on his back, but he couldn't see what it was. It didn't take much time for Theron to realize he had no chance of catching up with the sylesti. Therefore, he gave up, making a pause to recover his breath.

Then he saw Neod, Dana's red aurleon, flying through the night's sky and plunge toward the zolnixi. It was hard to see what was happening at that distance, but the guard's sylesti seemed to have picked up what the runaway was carrying before taking off. When it flew over his head, he saw that it was actually a young child that tried to escape the city. Perplexed, Theron just stood there, watching the aurleon return to her master at the top of the walls, until the zolnixi ran beside him. Muttering about how foolish young people could be, he headed back to the gates, hoping to end all of this nonsense without wasting anymore time.

At the other side of the gates, there was Dana doing her best to hold a small boy who was fighting and crying. The boy tried to speak, but he was incomprehensible through his sobbing. The yellow zolnixi was growling at her, ready to jump at her, but unable to. Finally there was Sam, looking totally clueless. Theron cautiously approached the sylesti and loudly clapped his hands, drawing its attention. Looking directly in the eye of the animal, he saw that it was a lot more scared than anything else. With a deep, imperative voice, he commanded it: “Sit, boy”. The creature stopped growling, but did not comply. Theron approached until he could almost touch it and repeated himself, using a more soothing tone while pointing the ground: “Sit, boy, or I swear I'm going to make you regret it”. The two of them stared each other, neither of them budging a single muscle. After a few seconds, the zolnixi surrendered, sitting and looking at the ground like it was guilty of some fault.

While Theron was occupied with the beast outside, Dana had managed to calm the child outside, who was now crying softly in her arms. Sam then asked:

-Should I open the gates now?
-No, Sam, answered Theron, sarcastic, I'd like to stay outside for the rest of the night.
-Are you sure?
-Of course not, you bloody idiot, shouted Theron. If you don't open these gates in five seconds, I'm going to do far worse than breaking your legs! Dana, he continued while Sam hurried to the stairs, let go of the boy, I'm going to the barracks with him.
-I don't think you should, said the woman.
-I'm the one who was in charge of watching the gates and I left my post. More than that, I'm also the one who's supposed to go request the changing, so yes, I am taking this child to the barracks and don't you try to stop me.
-I'm not thinking about whose fault it is.

Dana still laid the child down. As soon as she let go, he hid behind her, gripping her clothes like it was his only protection. Theron sighed heavily. Of course the child was scared. Not only he threatened about everyone else, but his long beard and his wild black hairs that were almost reaching his shoulders didn't help too. Most of the guards shaved and cut their hair regularly, but no one quite dared to force him to it. He earned this “privilege” a lot less by his age than by his ability to appear really intimidating.

When the gates finally opened, the zolnixi ran to meet the child while Theron approached more carefully. He put a knee to the ground and spoke softly to the child hugging his pet:

-I don't know what happened, but if you were ready to go in the wild at night, it must have been pretty important, right? The child nodded silently. Then, continued the guard, we're going to see sheriff Thyrm and we'll sort it all out. Is that ok with you? The child nodded again and got back up on the zolnixi. Dana, you and Sam will stay here.
-Why, asked the woman, the gates are already closed anyway.
-Well, Dana, said Theron, all I can say is that the unexpected rarely comes alone.

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This is the story I wanted to write. Daeli is already making it from the view of the trainer, so I figured I'd try something a bit different and see it from the view of a Haven's guard.

English is not my first language, so the writing might be a bit awkward, but it shouldn't be too bad.

Theron questioned the little boy as they were crossing the almost desert town. His name was Daniel and he was barely eight years old. The zolnixi, Flash, belonged to his older sister Elena who was collecting mushrooms and other ingredients for potions at the Fungus Grove. She was supposed to be back yesterday evening, but she still wasn't here. Theron didn't like that very much. If she was just late, there shouldn't be any problems, but if she really encountered some problems and was stuck at the Fungus Grove, it would be an entirely different matter. That place was dangerous, even for those familiar with it. There was some comestible mushrooms there, so food might not have been a problem. Still, if she took only one bite of the wrong one, the consequences could be dire. Also, just a little snow could be enough to put her in a very dangerous situation.

Flash


They finally arrived in front of the town barracks, who always reminded Theron of a miniature castle. There wasn't any guard at the door, nor was there any need to. He pushed it, entering in a

Theron questioned the little boy as the were heading through the silent town. His name was Daniel and he was seven years old. The zolnixi, Flash, belonged to his much older sister, Elena, who left town three days ago. She was supposed to have returned the day before, but she didn't pass the gates. Theron would have known, having guarded the gate during most of the entire day. Of course, she could have entered the town at night, but the guard that was there would have told him. According to Daniel, she was collecting mushrooms and other ingredients for potions at the Fungus Grove. Theron didn't like that at all. There was all kind of trouble one could encounter there: wild sylestis, poisonous mushrooms, even sometimes myconids and of course fairies. The latter weren't dangerous, but it didn't meant he had to like them.

Theron would have liked to question him a little more, but they were already at the town's barrack. The building always seemed like a miniature castle to him. Before opening the door, he turned to face Daniel and knelt down to be at his level. The child looked completely different from when Dana was holding him against his will. There were no more tears in his brown eyes,

-When we'll enter, he said calmly, you'll get down off Flash. He has to stay at the entrance. Alban, the lieutenant, doesn't like it when sylestis wander around in the barrack. Then, you'll have to let me speak with him. You won't say anything unless you're asked to. Is that clear, little boy?
-I'm not a little boy, retorted Daniel.
-Is that clear, Daniel? Repeated Theron.
-Yes, sir! he responded like a little soldier.
-Good, said Theron as he stood up. He was about to open the door when he felt the child grip his shirt.
-Mister? Asked Daniel with hesitation.
-Yes?
-You're going to get her back, won't you?
-Daniel, I swear on my beard I'm gonna do everything I need to do to bring her back to you.

Theron finally opened the door and entered in a large room. There a fireplace at his right where some guards sitting. They looked at him quickly, but didn't bother greeting him when he went past them. At the back of the room was Alban, sitting at his desk doing some paperwork like always. He was a very studious man, taking care of the organization of the guardsmen along with sheriff Thyrm. When Theron arrived in front of him, he barely glanced at him before returning to his work.

-What do you want?
-There's a young girl who has not returned from the Fungus Grove.
-If you're talking about Elena, I already talked about it with her aunt and there's no need to send a search party.
-Are you sure about that?
-Sarah was insistent that there was no need to send guards to find her.
-Do you know why?
-Why what, asked Alban, exasperated.
-Why she didn't want guards to go look for her niece.
-Why would I know? Replied the lieutenant,
-Because the Fungus Grove is a dangerous place for a young woman. I'm sincerely surprised that Sarah would let her go alone and not be worried when she doesn't come back.
-She has sylestis with her.
-That doesn't protect her from accidents. If she's lost, injured or unwell, having sylestis will do nothing.
-What would you want me to do?
-Well, send someone to look for her!
-I've got no one to spare, replied
-I want to speak with Thyrm, demanded Theron.
-He's busy, you'll have to wait.
-What is so important he can't spare a minute to talk?
-Nightfall bandits attacked the fairies in the Fungus Grove.
-What? Shouted Theron. There were bandits in the Grove and you didn't thought Elena could have got in trouble with them?
-If she did, there wouldn't be any need to find her corpse.
-She could have lost herself fleeing them, or be stuck injured somewhere. How could you forget that?
-It... slipped my mind, answered Alban hastily.
-Nothing slips your mind, Alban, I know that more than anyone else here, said Theron with a sour tone. You didn't forget that I was stuck at the Gate, you didn't forget she was potentially in a very dangerous situation and you sure as hell didn't forget no one would blame you for the death of an orphan.
-That is enough! Shouted Alban, anger in his voice.
-Indeed it is! There's nothing more to be said, said Theron before turning his back, heading for the door.
-Theron! Where do you think you're going?
-Come, Daniel, he asked, ignoring his lieutenant. We're bringing you home.

Alban sighed behind him before returning to his paperwork. Theron walked with haste, frustrated. He knew that his lieutenant was right. There were not enough guards with the recent troubles to go look for a young woman in the Grove without any information on her whereabouts. Nevertheless, he was angry to have been stuck on gate duty all week while there was things to be done. In top of that, no one deemed necessary to inform him about the nightfall bandits. Were they the bandits everyone talked about? They had be powerful if they could attack the fairies.

-What are you going to do, asked Daniel.
-I don't know... yet, he answered, pensive. First, we've got to get you home. Sarah must be quite worried about you.
-I don't care.
-Still, I have to talk with her.

Daniel whispered something in Flash's ear and it began to walk. Theron followed them silently through the town. He was determined to do what he thought was right, even if his superiors didn't approve. It wasn't like they mattered anyway, not since a long time.

Writer's note

I am experimenting a little sometimes with my writing. If there's something you like in particular or something you find hard to read (or just sentences not well constructed or any other mistakes) feel free to PM me

__________________________________________________________________

Theron walked alongside Flash, lost in his thoughts. Why was he so angry? Yes, Alban did make decisions he didn't like, but it wasn't so much a mistake on his part than a difficult decision. Resources were pretty scarce with the bandits on the roads and with the fairies who fled to the Fungus Grove in order to escape the myconids. Why the heck were they after the fairies anyway? Were they completely mad or something? Some scholar tried to explain to him how the fairies were sort of “tasty” for the myconids, but there was a lot too much complicated words in his explanation for Theron to understand anything.

Daniel's home was a sweet little house like many other's in Esior's haven. The nice tones of beige were surely very pretty in daylight, but it was too dark and too late for Theron to care. He vigorously knocked the door three times and stood back. A middle aged, neat woman with short brown hair answered the door.
-What is it, she asked before seeing the little boy. Daniel! There you are you little brat! She said while the child entered the house. Thank you so much, she addressed Theron. I hope he didn't cause too much trouble.
-No, not really, lied the guard.
-Well, come in now, I can't let the cold enter and I have some hot herb tea ready if you want a cup after a hard day of work.

The woman closed the door as soon as Theron was inside. The house was tidy, but there was still some sign of childish chaos here and there. There was more than just two children living in that house, he was sure of it. The living room that also served as a playground was filled with too much toys for just one child, unless Daniel was spoiled, which he somewhat doubted. The woman turned to face Daniel and, with reproach in her voice, asked:

-What were you thinking, running off like like that? The woman
-I want Elena back She-
-No! You're under my responsibility and even if I can't hold her from going out there, I forbid you from leaving the town as long as you're not a full-fledged adult!
-But, Auntie!
-No but, young man, go to your room! And no, your animal can't go sleep with you, he stays on the first floor.

This time the boy complied, running off to the stairs and climbing to the steps two by two. Sarah sighed and went to the kitchen, that doubled as the dinning room, followed by Theron. While preparing the infusion, she commented on Daniel:

-Such an insolent boy, I exhaust myself at work to raise him properly and that's what I get! His parents, Gods have their soul, must have been too lenient with him to make him so prompt to anger.
-I don't think he's as much angry as he's worried about his sister, replied Theron as he was taking a seat.
-Ha! If they did a poor job with him, I wonder if they even bothered educating her. She's away from the house most of the time, leaving me with all the chores. “I'm collecting herbs and ingredients” she says, but I'm sure she's just lazing about in the fields. That's no proper occupation for a young girl like her! She could be married, do you realize that? She's pretty enough to attract a good boy, even if she's orphan, but no man could put up with her temperament. Even then she could study magic and have a respectable job, but no... She just uses tricks learned here and there and insists on experimenting by herself. Well, I still love her very much even if she's not the proper lady she needs to be, Sarah concluded as she poured the herb tea for Theron.
-Sarah, said Theron with a strangely calm voice, you do not have any idea what you are talking about.
-What?

Theron didn't answer, lifting his cup to sip his beverage.
-Do you have any idea why this town is a haven?
-Well of course; it's because the guards keep it safe.
He wasn't angry at all anymore, just bitter.
-And do you know why the guards can afford to keep this haven as safe as it is?
-Well, that would be because citizens pay their taxes, so the town council can pay them
Maybe he was tired from his day or perhaps the warmth of the house calmed him down a little.
-That's not entirely true, madam.
-Then why?
Or he realized all of this was a bit insane.
-Potions, Sarah, potions play an important part in the safety of the village
-Potions?
Why was he even there to begin with?
-Yes, potions. They cause intense, sometimes traumatic stress on the body, but it is worth it.
He could have been in his bed right now, sleeping peacefully after drinking some whiskey.
-I've seen men and women alike with crippling or even fatal wounds, completely healed with just a scar for show after some months under the care of an alchemist.
It wasn't like he could go fetch her himself, right?
-But do you know why alchemist are able to do such feats?
With a team of trackers, sure why not?
-Because people like your daughter spend their times collecting ingredients, sometimes risking their lives in the Fungus Grove.
Alone, in the night, with no means to track her...
-And now, don't ask me why, but there's bandits in the grove!
It was hopeless.
-She's probably dead by now because nobody thought she was important enough.

Theron reached his belt for his flask of whiskey and drank it like it was water. Sarah didn't respond, stunned by his speech. The two of them looked at each other in an awkward silence, for a moment, Sarah avoiding talking by drinking her own beverage.

-I'm sorry for what I said, Sarah apologized.
-It's not to me you should apologize to, replied Theron.
-If there's anything I can do...

He didn't have anything more to say, but he didn't want to move. It was like he was despaired, no... tired? More like cynic. What use was he now, except being the grumpy old man who watched over the gate. Maybe if he was younger... Was he that old? Did he really lose all his passion years ago? If he couldn't even hold a promise made to a child, he could as well be retiring.

Theron suddenly stood up with a determined look on his face, startling Sarah. He called Flash with an imperative voice and the zolnixi came at once. Without hesitation, the guard headed for the door.

-Where are you going? Asked Sarah.
-I will find Elena and I need that sylesti to do so.

As he closed the door, the woman wished him good luck. He was going to need it.

Theron's house was a small shack he inherited from his father, who left his farm to try his luck in Esior's Haven but failed to gain the wealth he promised to his son. Everything he owned was squeezed in the only room he lived in for more than twenty years. It consisted mostly of empty liquor bottles, some trinkets earned in Esior's Guard and, surprisingly enough, a shelf that looked like it could collapse at any time under the weights of the books stored inside. They were quite old, mostly travel journals from distant lands and some encyclopedia about Sylestia's lore.

He grabbed a bag lying around, stuffed some food leftovers and a gourd of water, added a blanket, an old compass, flint and tinder, a lantern and, after a moment of hesitation, his bottle of whiskey. It probably wasn't a good idea to bring alcohol, but it didn't really matter. Theron wrapped his his heavy brown cloak around his shoulders and looked one last time at what he called his home. Nothing seemed warm in that place, as if the winter took hold in it and froze even the fireplace. All it needed to look truly abandoned was another layer of dust and a some more cobwebs.

Flash whimpered, wondering why the guard was just standing there, staring blankly. Theron shook his head and went out. His “mission” still needed some other supplies that weren't his... yet. He returned to the barracks, but instead of entering by the front entrance and face Alban, he went behind the building. A back door was waiting there, locked as always. The key he obtained years ago was a bit rusty, but after some struggling and a few curses, the lock clicked. There was only one thing he needed and fortunately, it wasn't far. He ordered Flash to wait and headed directly for one of the storage closets. Inside it was kept the potions given away in the mission satchels, stocked in crates. One revival draught and some potions were added to the rest of the supplies.

He was about to step outside when a voice called him. He ignored it and tried to close the door, but the other one was pulling the door open. With a sigh, he let go of the knob to see who he had to deal with. It was one of the guards assigned to watch over the barracks for the night, a face he didn't recognize, but didn't like anyway. He had somewhat of a smug attitude, thinking he caught some thief.

-What are you doing here? Asked the watcher.
-That's none of your business.
-No civilians are allowed here.
Theron showed a piece of his outfit and turned around, but the other one grabbed his arm, demonstrating his intentions of annoying him as much as he could.
-How do I know you've not stolen a guardsmen uniform to raid our storage?
-That's ridiculous, Theron replied before freeing his arm. I was a guard before you were old enough to know which end of the sword is sharp and no one's been stupid enough to try that.
-Then what are you doing here?
-Again, none of your damned business.
-You aren't planning to go the Fungus Grove, are you?
-What if am?
-Bad idea, mate.
-I don't care what you think, “mate”, he said as he left.

The night was already getting dark when he reached the stables. It was a large building, but a good part of the space was occupied by the enclosure. Willem, who was in charge of managing Esior's sylestis, was a friend of his, something like a drinking buddy. He was pretty upset to be woken in the middle of the night by insistent knocking on his door. Nevertheless, his wrinkled face brightened up as soon as Theron promised him to pay his tab next time they went drinking. Willem promptly invited him to enter, intrigued:

-What's keeping you off from a good night of sleep?
-I have a mission of sorts, Theron replied as he took one of the torches hung on the wall.
-What? Alban finally gave you one?
-In a way, yes.
-Why now?
-I'm tired of waiting for something to happen, Theron replied.

There was around forty qitaris sleeping in here, some still standing. They were used mainly as mounts or fighters, but the older ones were for delivering supplies. The Guard didn't really care about the appearance of the sylestis, but the mutations were considered important: those with horns or carousels were better at combat and the winged ones traveled a bit faster if they didn't have a human to burden them.

-I guess I understand what you mean, said Willem, but we all have responsibilities. Don't you think you're faulting them running away like that?
-I don't know what you're talking about.
-This isn't a real mission, is it?
-There is someone out there that needs my help and I'm not going to stay here. I'm tired of standing around doing nothing.
-Alright, if you want to go out so much, I guess I won't be able to change your mind.
-As if anyone could.

There it was! Adelan, just as he remembered. The old girl didn't look like much, but he knew she would be up to the task. After all, he just needed her to carry the supplies and maybe Elena if she wasn't well enough. It had been a long time since he went on a mission with the qitari, but Adelan seemed to remember him when he whispered its name, neighing softly. Theron took a moment to pet her before strapping the supplies on her back.



-Where are you going? asked Willem.
-Fungus grove.
-I hope you don't plan on mounting her; she's way too old for this.
-I have legs, they are made for walking.
-Haha! Of course, of course... Well, I'm going to sleep now, don't forget to lock the door!

Now, Theron finally had everything he needed in order to go on his mission. He went to the front gates with a quick pace, hasty to leave the city. The guards he passed by barely looked at him, convinced he had some important task to accomplish The grid was, of course, lowered by now, but it didn't matter: there was a postern he could use to get out of the city quietly. Followed by Flash and Adelan, he entered the tower where the back door was hidden.

He couldn't stop himself from muttering curses when he saw Dana and the other guard that he met at the barracks just a moment ago. She didn't even say anything, staring him with her bright yellow eyes. Theron took a deep breath before declaring:
-I am not going to explain myself once again. Just let me out.
-I already know what you want to do. Don't you think you're overreacting?
-It's all of you who are overreacting! I'm not some idiot or a senile old man, I know what I'm doing and I won't let you stop me right now.
-I could paralyze you before you can say “thunder”, replied Dana, an electric arc jumping from a finger to another.

Of course, she couldn't let him forget she had elven blood. If the slightly pointy ears weren't enough of a proof, her magic potential left no doubt. This time, he'd need some tact.

-Look, there's something wrong: I don't understand why everyone make such efforts to stop me from leaving. Now I have to know what's wrong.
-Give me one good reason to let you go.
-I'd rather look like a fool than let someone die when I could have done something.
-Good enough, Dana replied after a moment of reflexion, but you owe me one.
-Fair enough.
-You're not serious! the other guard exclaimed.
-Yes I am, she confirmed. Do you have a problem with that?
-Move it, kid, ordered Theron. Come on, Flash, Adelan, we're leaving.

Dana smiled and opened the door before him. The cold wind was invigorating, chasing away the fatigue of the day. The sky was dark, faintly lit by the crescent moon. Flash bolted out the exit, eager to explore all that new territory. He was like a bright dot on the pale horizon. Theron stepped out, followed by Adelan.

-Goodbye, said Dana.
-Goodbye, said Theron as she was closing the doorl.

So, there he was, at the middle of the cold night, on a self-imposed mission to retrieve a girl lost somewhere in the Fungus Grove. He could encounter wild sylestis, bandits or even myconids. His guide was a zolnixi barely old enough for the job and his companion, a qitari barely young enough. And, on top of all that, he was sure there was going to be snow sooner or later. Maybe he was just an old fool after all.

He smiled and went on.

I hope more is coming! I love the story so far.

Well, sorry for the delay (been practically a month) but here's another one, I hope the quality can compensate for the time lost.

-Legs are made for walking, am I dumb or what? Theron muttered to himself

It had been over an hour since he left the Haven and his legs were beginning to tire, but he didn’t slow his pace. The night was as cold as he thought it could be and even if drinking liquor to feel some warmth was tempting, he knew the only good way to avoid hypothermia was to remain active. The path was barely visible, stars and moon alike covered by the clouds. The lantern could easily replace them, but it would also be a beacon visible for miles. An encounter with bandits with that temperature was improbable, but with the rumors that were spreading about them, Theron didn’t want to take that chance. Besides, it was easy enough to know if he was walking on the road or on the grass.

Flash, after spending all his energy running around, was walking besides him. He could easily have forgotten the presence of Adelan, following discretely behind him if it was not for the sound of her hooves on the road in the silent night. In spite of the cold weather and the context he was in, going out of the city by himself felt pretty good to Theron. Being completely alone from everyone he knew gave him some serenity, something he didn’t have for a while. There was also that little feeling from doing something your uptight superior didn’t want you to do.

It was not long before the tall shapes of the mushrooms were in sight. The easy part was done, now he had to find Elena. Hopefully, she did like most herbalist do and avoided straying too much from the road. If that was the case, the zolnixi would surely be able to pick up her scent and it would be just the matter of taking care of the problem she’s in. With a little luck, it would just a sprained ankle or the like, but the chances of finding a dead body were still pretty high. It was certainly not a playground, although the presence of fairies could suggest otherwise.

The fungus grove was quite an eerie sight: bugs of many shapes and colors flew around the enormous fungus, glowing faintly. Some of the smaller varieties of mushroom also emitted a bluish light, creating a firmament of stars on the ground. It was beautiful, but also misleading: many of the journals he read about the Grove explained in detail the danger of losing the way by wandering around following the dim light. Theron took the lantern and lit it, repelling the darkness. He kneeled to face Flash and told him:

-Now, go find your master. Find Elena.

The zolnixi began to sniff around, searching for any trace of the lost girl. The guard hoped she didn't stray too far from the usual path, but if she did, well, it would be a long night ahead of him. He tried to remember the path he was taking, but also marked a mushroom every now and then. It would have been very ironic that he'd find her just to be lost together. After a while his mind began to wander, wondering how he had managed to end up in a situation like this. Seriously, what did he do these last ten years? Of course he did the usual guard work, assuring the peace and quiet of Esior citizens, but that wasn't nearly as much as he hoped to achieve when he was younger. He knew that his tendency to take sudden decisions while ignoring authority was a bit of a problem, yet any mission he took at heart was accomplished beyond expectations. When he remembered why he lost his hopes of becoming a hero for Esior, the light seemed to blemish faced to the darkness of his memories. It was while Talon was still a proud member of the guard alongside Thyrm. The three of them went on a mission a decade ago, with some other guards, but it didn't go quite as planned.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the zolnixi was growling, his body ready for a fight. Whatever Flash was sensing, it wasn't good. Adelan too, was acting nervously, looking around her like she was searching for something. Theron drew his mace and took position alongside the qitari, trying his best to find out what was lurking in the shadows. After what seemed an eternity, he heard a smug voice come from behind the mushrooms:

-Well, well, what do we have here?
-A traveler, minding his own business, replied Theron.

Three bandits showed themselves, surrounding Theron and his companions. They wore dark leather clothes lined with blue fur that looked a bit like what he heard about the new surge of bandits. Two of them had short swords and the other was holding some sort of staff. What the heck were they doing here? It wasn't like there was anyone to rob here. Apart from herbalists, who didn't have any money with them anyway, no one ventured into the Grove without a good reason. So why were they here now?

-Well, you seem to have picked a pretty bad time to mind your own business here, mate.
-Catch.

The guard threw his pouch of money to the bandit without any hesitation. It contained quite a bit of gold, but right now, money didn't matter. It wasn't the place nor the time to pick a fight: There were more important things at stake here. The bandit emptied his loot, counting every coin as he put them back in the pouch.

-I'm glad you understand the matter at hand here, but this won't be enough. I'm sure though that you have something else in your supplies that could satisfy us, don't you think.
-There's nothing of value in there.
-So you say.
-Look, I've given you my gold, but the rest of my things are worthless to anyone beside myself. So let's avoid an unnecessary fight. You had what you wanted, the only thing I'd like in exchange is to be on my way right now.
-We're the Nightfall. We don't fear anyone.
-Oh boy, you don't know anything about fights, do you? They can turn ugly real quick even when you think you have the advantage. Just one wrong move and BAM! You're dead.
-You don't scare me, replied the other. Even if you could beat us, we'd find you, wherever you are and we'd make you pay.

Theron had to do something quick or the situation could easily degenerate. There wasn't anything in his supplies that he could just give them. Every item was carefully chosen and if he missed even one when he'd need it, consequences could be dire. Except, maybe... Gods be damned, he thought.

-Alright, alright, I do have something of value.
-I knew it, answered the bandit in front of him.
-How much time passed since you've tasted good alcohol?
-Well, it's been a while.
-That's an understatement, shouted a bandit behind him. We've been drinking horse piss since months!
-Well then, replied Theron as he was searching his bags, how about some redmoon whiskey?

He triumphantly showed them the almost full bottle of one of the strongest drinks that was sold in all Esior's haven. It was quickly snatched from his hands and the two that didn't talk much began to fight for the bottle.

-You really think we're gonna let you off for a bottle of whiskey? Asked the one who seemed to be their leader.
-Well, you haven't tasted it, didn't you?
-No, I'm not really that type.
-Well, let me give you my flask so you can taste it for yourself.

Theron handed over the flask as if he was within friends. The bandit, without lowering his sword, smelled the drink carefully before taking a gulp. A shiver went through his spine as he tasted the whiskey.

-Strong stuff, eh? Said Theron.
-Yes, indeed. You know, I think it's just weird how much you're compliant with us right now.
-You know, I don't need to risk my life. Seriously, there's enough things that can kill me without tempting others to do so. Besides, I'm interested, what's this Nightfall business?
-Well, you know, we're just outcasts of the society, binding together to get our vengeance from those who wronged us, explained the bandit as he was taking another sip from the flask. Wow that stuff is hot.
-And that's innocent travelers?
-You see, we need to fund our activities ant there's not a billion way to do it when society itself reject you.
-Now that I've given enough funds, might I go on, please?
-Well, you see, we're in the middle of something here, so you should just turn back, no need to stab you.
-Ah, I see.

Theron smashed his face with a strong blow from his mace before running away like a madman, the sylesties following him by instinct. He put out his lantern as quickly as possible to avoid being spotted as easily as the first time. If his hearing wasn't fooling him, the other bandits didn't catch on quickly into what happened. With some luck, they were already too drunk to follow him properly. The guard wasn't able to run very far before running out of breath, but fortunately there was no sign of the others being anywhere close to him.

He sat against a mushroom, resting a moment before he had to take on his mission again. Now that the adrenalin was wearing off, he felt more tired than ever, but something told him the night was far from being over.