Zay opened his eyes after what felt like an unknowable stretch of time. His body ached with stiffness, and he shifted his arms slowly, flexing each shoulder before tilting his head to the side. A faint crack echoed from his neck. He winced, then stood carefully in the back of the caravan, his knees creaking slightly beneath him. He stretched, arms raised high, fingers curling toward the roof as his spine adjusted with quiet pops. After holding the stretch for a few seconds, he sat back down with a heavy breath.
'Damn... how long has it been since I passed out?'
He closed one eye and exhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders before raising his right hand toward his face. His fingers moved deliberately as he activated the Arbiter: Resonance Lens.
[Date: February 20th, 3:42 P.M. — Year 2 of the Draconic Calendar]
He stared at the floating display, then rubbed at his eyes with the base of his palms. After blinking several times, he looked again. The numbers hadn't changed.
'I've been... asleep for like... two or three days?'
His brows furrowed. Cold air drifted across his face from the open tailgate, carrying with it the quiet sound of wind brushing against snowbanks. Outside, snowflakes fell steadily, melting as they struck the warm wood of the caravan's interior.
He turned slightly, glancing over to where Rei had last been resting. Rei was already sitting up, his back leaning lazily against the wall, one leg bent while the other stretched out. He gave a slight nod, lifting a hand in greeting.
"Welcome to the world of the living, Zay. How was your beauty sleep?"
Zay rolled his eyes with a tired expression, then took a deep breath. His chest expanded before relaxing again as he slowly released the air.
"It was absolutely lovely."
Rei gave a faint chuckle, brushing a few strands of dark hair away from his face with the side of his hand.
"Well, that's good. Listen, I've got some new info. Over the past three days while you were knocked out, I had some conversations with the coachman and did some reading. Found a stash of journals hidden under the seats."
Zay offered a slight nod, arms folding loosely across his chest. It wasn't a verbal answer, but it was enough to show Rei he was listening.
"There's apparently a creature made of vines to the south. From what I can tell—and based on what I could decipher—its name might be the 'Ancient Vines Spirit.' I'm still not sure about all the details, though. The journal that mentioned it was written in a language I barely understand. I think I got the name right, but no promises."
Rei paused, shifting his weight as he leaned forward. His gaze flicked briefly to Zay before landing on Naomi, who returned his look with a calm nod.
"There's also this."
Rei pushed off the floor and rose to his feet with a smooth motion. He walked toward a small stack of journals beside the bench, his fingers brushing over each cover with care. After a few seconds of searching, he stopped at one bound in deep red-dyed leather. He crouched slightly, reached down with his right hand, and lifted it with just enough pressure to hold it securely without bending the cover.
He turned and took three short steps toward Zay before holding the journal out in front of him, palm open.
Zay reached forward, his fingers brushing the strange leather. As soon as he touched it, his left eye narrowed slightly.
"What the hell is this made of? It doesn't feel like normal leather."
Rei exhaled quietly, his fingers loosening their grip as Zay took the journal. "That's the weird part. It's leather, but not like any I've ever felt. I have no idea what the exact material is. At least feels like leather, that is."
Zay placed it in his lap and opened the cover. The first page stared back at him, blank.
He turned the page, and symbols scrawled across the next one caught his eye.
'Dei? What the hell is that language doing here?'
"I tried to read it, but I've never seen that language before. Nothing I've ever come across even remotely resembles those characters," Rei said as he rubbed the back of his neck and sat back down onto the floor, stretching his legs out in front of him.
Zay's gaze lifted to meet Rei's, then shifted toward Naomi. Her expression remained unreadable as she glanced toward the back of the caravan. Zay followed her gaze, checking the tailgate to ensure no one was nearby. Snow continued to fall lightly outside, collecting along the lower corners of the frame.
"Honestly... I'm not sure what language this is either. Never seen it in my life. But some of these characters look a bit like the language of Sums. It's native to Pluvialis. More specifically, Sums is the dialect of Trivlo. That's a small tribe on the outer edges of the continent. I was lucky enough to learn some of it during my time at an academy."
Rei leaned back on his elbows, a tired sigh escaping him. "And here I thought you might actually know it. Well... I guess you do. Just not completely."
He scratched the front of his neck lazily with two fingers before letting his arm drop to his side. Then he shifted his position, slowly lying back against the wooden floor with one arm bent beneath his head for a makeshift pillow.
A few minutes passed in silence. The caravan rocked gently with each bump along the uneven, snow-covered trail. The sky outside had darkened, and distant thunder rumbled across the horizon, low and drawn out.
Suddenly, one of the horses let out a sharp neigh. The caravan began to slow.
From outside, the coachman's voice rang out clearly above the snowfall.
"We're about to come to a stop for Vex. Make sure you have everything!"
Zay's eyes drifted back to the strange journal in his lap as the sound of hooves crunching through snow grew louder outside. The scent of cold air and wet wood filled the cabin.
The caravan rolled to a stop, the wooden wheels creaking slightly before settling into the snow-patched earth. Moments later, the tailgate lowered with a dull clunk, but before any of them could glimpse the coachman, he had vanished—slipping away without a trace.
Without a word, the three of them hopped down from the back of the caravan. Each of them stretched their limbs, bones popping faintly in the cold air. A sharp crack echoed behind them—the snap of a whip. Zay closed the tailgate, and the caravan lurched forward once more, disappearing into the falling snow.
Rei Alvor paused, eyes narrowing as he stared at the retreating vehicle. His gaze caught a strange, faintly glowing symbol etched near the bottom of the tailgate, but the snowfall quickly swallowed it from view.
'Odd...'
He closed his right eye, peering downward with his left, confirming the katana and its sheath still rested securely at his hip. Without further delay, the trio passed through the open iron gates of the town known as Vex.
Small buildings clustered around them—shabby yet sturdy, built from stone and dark wood, their windows fogged from the heat inside. Zay lifted his hand and pointed to a nearby tavern.
"There. That's our first stop. We need information, a map... and maybe a place to sleep. That's the best place to start."
Naomi and Rei nodded silently.
The building ahead was built from weathered stone, thick wooden beams framing its door and windows. Soft amber light spilled from hanging lanterns on either side of the entrance, flickering against the freshly fallen snow.
As they approached, Rei tilted his head up to read the sign carved into a dark wooden plank above the door.
"Oasis Bar," he muttered.
Zay followed his gaze, then gave a slow nod as he reached for the handle. The door creaked open with a faint jingle of chimes, and the three stepped inside. Naomi quietly pulled the door closed behind them, her breath leaving her in a whisper-light sigh.
Warmth and murmurs met them.
Inside, the bar was dimly lit by low-hanging lanterns and candles mounted to the stone walls. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke, aged wood, and something vaguely sweet—maybe spiced wine. Faint music played from a corner, the strings slightly off-tune, likely performed by the hunched man plucking a lute near the hearth.
Patrons turned at their arrival, most mid-conversation, a few gripping their mugs more tightly. In the far corner, a cloaked figure sat with a pile of playing cards, flicking one between their fingers like a coin. Near the window, a pair of scarred mercenaries eyed the newcomers while pretending not to. One of them exhaled smoke from a long, curved pipe, while the other muttered something behind a crooked smile.
"Haven't seen them before."
"Think they're bounty hunters?"
"No chance. Look at 'em. Too young."
The whispers rippled and faded as the trio made their way to the bar.
Behind the counter stood a tall man in a navy-blue suit with a sleek black tie. His shoulder-length black hair was neatly parted, and his beard, trimmed to a sharp edge, matched in color. He radiated an oddly calming charisma, both well-kept and slightly weathered.
He looked up as they approached and smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly. That smile curled into a smirk—briefly—and then returned to a warm, professional expression.
"Welcome to Oasis," he said, voice smooth and unhurried.
"What may I get you three?"
Rei stared at him for a moment, the man's confidence almost disarming. The bartender tilted his head toward Rei with an amused glint in his eye.
"Quite handsome, aren't I?" he said with a low chuckle, drying a glass with a white cloth as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Zay slid a stool out and sat down without a word. Naomi settled to his left, while Rei joined on the right, still quietly evaluating the man.
The bartender reached beneath the counter, retrieving a slender bottle and three clean glasses. He popped the cork with a practiced motion and poured a smooth, amber liquid into each. As the liquid hit the glass, it shimmered faintly—almost glowing for a moment under the low light.
He slid the drinks across the counter with ease, each glass stopping just short of their hands. The flame of a nearby candle flickered as the glasses passed, casting dancing shadows across the counter's surface.
"First drink's on the house," the bartender added with a wink. "You all look like you've come a long way."