days after they solved the mystery at the warehouse the three friends felt like they needed to get out of town. Ceil was safe for now. The walls of the Rusty Anchor were starting to feel a bit small. Saint was sitting at their table pushing the last piece of food around on his plate. His arm was finally out of the sling. His ribs did not hurt as much when he took a deep breath. He looked over at Sheriff and Shed.
I think I need to get out of town for a bit Saint said. Not for a competition or a job for a real adventure. Something outside the town gates. We have been training hard. I want to see how we do in a real fight. What do you guys think?
Sheriffs red eye glowed as he leaned back in his chair. You are thinking what I am thinking, kid. I heard a rumor at the bar night about an old ruin cluster a couple of hours north of here. It is supposed to have some rare energy crystals just lying around. The monsters there are not very strong so it should be an easy trip. We can grab what we can. Sell it back here in town and we will get stronger at the same time.
Shed showed his teeth in a grin. I am in. My claws are itching for a fight. Time we went out we fought those drones. This time let us find something with teeth. I need a stretch.
Saint laughed. Long as it is not another group of Marks guys I am in. I am still sore from the time we fought them.. Yeah let us do it. We can leave after breakfast. No boxes, no stall the three of us and whatever the ruins throw at us.
They finished eating packed some water and a few tools and slipped out of Ceil before the market hall opened. The morning sun cast shadows across the fields. There were floating rocks overhead. The air smelled like sweet rot and distant rain. Sheriff led the way his long coat flapping in the breeze. Shed walked beside Saint, his yellow eyes scanning the horizon. Saint carried his metal rod. Felt a mix of nerves and excitement.
As they walked Sheriff broke the silence with a joke. You know, kid I once tried to arrest a floating rock for loitering. It did not move,. I gave it a warning. I told it that if it floated any slower I would have to give it a ticket for being too lazy.
Saint snorted. That joke is the worst I have ever heard. You are a robot you are supposed to be not a comedian.
Sheriffs red eye flickered. Logic is overrated. I have been alive for maybe seven thousand years. id don't know but I got have to entertain myself or I would get bored and rust away.
Shed flicked his tail. Hissed. At least your jokes are tin man. Time I told a story about my clan it took three hours and everyone fell asleep. Even the lizards who kicked me out fell asleep.
Saint laughed harder. You two are terrible. If we get attacked by monsters I am going to use you as bait. Your jokes will scare them away before I even swing my rod.
They kept walking telling jokes to pass the time. Sheriff told one about a robot who walked into a bar and the bartender said they did not serve robots. The robot said that was okay because it did not drink it just leaked oil when it got nervous. Shed told a joke about a lizard who tried to join a hunt and ended up as bait instead. Saint added a joke about a kid from Earth who ran through a portal and ended up fighting robots and lizards of doing his homework. The laughter made the journey feel shorter. The fear of what waited in the ruins felt smaller.
Even as he laughed Saints mind kept drifting back to the shadowy girl. He remembered the way her fingers had touched his cheek and the electric tingle that had lingered for hours. He remembered her face when he cut off her mask, her eyes and dark hair. She was pretty. In a dangerous way. She had called him special. She had saved them from Marks crew.. She had also attacked him pushed him into danger and tried to kill him. Why did he keep thinking about her? Why did the memory make his chest feel warm and tight at the time? He shook the thought away. Focus on the adventure. She is an enemy, not a friend. Not anything. Still the image of her lightning aura lighting up the night would not leave his head. He wondered what she was doing now. Was she watching them? Was she thinking about him too?
After two hours the landscape changed. The fields gave way to broken stone platforms that floated at heights. Ancient ruins rose like teeth wrapped in glowing vines. Purple light pulsed from cracks in the stone. Sheriff stopped at the edge of the platform. This is it the ruin cluster. Stay sharp. The crystals should be in. Watch for movement.
They jumped across the floating platforms. Saints stomach flipped every time his feet left solid ground.. He kept his balance. Shed moved like it was nothing leaping easily from one platform to the next. Sheriff landed heavy, but steady. They reached the ruin structure, a half-collapsed tower covered in vines. Inside the air was cooler. The light was dimmer. Floating orbs drifted lazily providing illumination.
Saint whispered. It is quiet. Too quiet.
Sheriffs red eye scanned the shadows. Quiet is not always kid. Keep moving.
They pushed deeper into the tower. The first chamber opened into a room with piles of broken machinery and glowing crystal veins running through the walls. Shed plucked a crystal from a crack. This one is good. Pure energy. We can sell these for a price back in Ceil.
Saint reached for another crystal when a low growl echoed from the end of the chamber. A pack of ruin beasts stepped out of the shadows. They looked like wolves with scales and glowing blue veins running along their spines. Their eyes burned red. Sharp claws scraped stone as they advanced. There were eight of them.
Sheriff drew his revolver. Here we go. Saint stay in the middle. Shed flank left. We do this together.
The beasts charged. The lead wolf leaped at Sheriff. Sheriff fired once hitting the beast in the shoulder. It yelped,. Kept coming. Sheriff. Slammed a metal fist into its side. The wolf crashed into a wall. Shed darted in from the left slashing the throat of another beast. Green blood sprayed across the stone. Saint swung his rod hard catching a beast across the jaw. The impact jarred his arms. The wolf stumbled.
Another beast lunged at Saint from the side. He ducked barely. Rolled away. The wolfs claws scraped the floor where he had been. Saint came up swinging again cracking the rod against the beasts leg. It. Limped back. Sheriff fired two shots dropping one wolf clean and wounding another. Shed leaped onto the back of a beast stabbing repeatedly until it collapsed.
The fight was fast and brutal. Saint felt the adrenaline surge. He dodged a snap of jaws. Brought the rod down on a beasts head with everything he had. The wolf dropped, twitching. He was breathing hard. He was holding his own. Sheriff moved like a tank, punching and shooting in measure. Shed was a blur of claws and knife. They balanced each other perfectly.
One wolf got past them. Clamped onto Saints leg. Pain flared hot. Saint. Brought the rod down on its skull twice. The beast. Fell still. Shed was there in an instant slashing the two wolves that tried to swarm Sheriff. Sheriff finished them with two shots.
The chamber fell silent except for their breathing. Eight beasts lay dead around them. Saint leaned on his rod panting. I actually did it. I killed three of them. My leg hurts,. but i did not freeze.
Sheriff holstered his revolver. Checked Saints leg. Good work, kid. You are getting faster. That rod swing was solid. Shed patch him up quick.
Shed pulled out glowing herbs. Pressed them to the bite. It stung, then numbed. You fought like one of us, Saint. No weak kid talk. You are part of the team for now.
They collected the crystals from the walls and the small energy cores the beasts dropped. The bag grew heavy. Saint felt a rush of pride. This random adventure outside town had turned into a fight and he had contributed. They climbed out of the tower and started the walk back to Ceil joking to ease the tension.
Sheriff started. You know I once tried to arrest a wolf for howling loud at the moons. It told me to shove it. I said fine. Next time I am bringing earplugs.
Saint laughed. That is terrible. You are a robot. You do not even have ears.
Shed hissed. At least your jokes are short. Time I tried to scare a beast with a story about my clan it fell asleep and I had to wake it up to kill it. What a waste of a tale.
Saint added. You two are the worst. If we ever fight a pack of joke monsters I am using your humor as the weapon. They will surrender just to make it stop.
The laughter carried them back through the fields. By the time they reached Ceil the suns were low. The two moons were rising. They sold the crystals and cores at the market for a price. The stall could wait one day. Tonight they celebrated the win with extra stew at the Rusty Anchor.
Saint raised his cup of water. To adventures outside town. To fighting beasts and winning. To us.
Sheriff clinked his metal finger against the cup. To surviving.. To better jokes next time.
Shed hissed. To the team.. To never letting Saint swing that rod, at us by accident.
The night felt good. They laughed again. The shadowy girl was still there but Mark was still hunting them The Director watched from away but that did not matter to the trio in Ceil. In Ceil they had each other. That is what mattered. They had crystals in their pockets and stories to tell each other. They had grown a little stronger that day.
The peaceful town of Ceil slept under the light of the moons. Inside the Rusty Anchor the three friends planned their steps together. The road ahead of them was full of danger. They were not afraid because they had each other. They had laughs and trust. That is what they needed to face the road ahead. They were going on one town adventure at a time and that is how they were becoming the crew they needed to be.
The morning they woke up with new energy. They trained harder in the clearing. Sheriff showed Saint how to handle a rifle. Shed taught Saint how to dodge and Saint felt the burn in his body.. Saint also felt that he was growing stronger. Each swing of the rifle felt stronger. Each dodge felt faster. They were ready, for whatever came and they knew it.
Ceil continued its life and the merchants prepared for the next market day. The children played under the light of the moons. Everything seemed peaceful.. The trio knew that more adventures waited for them and they were ready. They were together. That is what mattered. They would face all the adventures that came their way. They would do it together.