The dwarf leaned forward, placing both his stubby hands flat on the wooden table, his smug grin returning like an old friend. "We leave in two days," he said with finality, his thick accent rough around the edges. "That should give yeh enough time to prepare. You'll need it."
"Two days?" Jason echoed, raising an eyebrow. "To get ready for what exactly?"
The dwarf chuckled and pulled out a worn piece of parchment from inside his coat, slapping it on the table. "A journey across harsh lands, unpredictable territories, and possibly hostile territories. We're traveling halfway across the damn world, lads—and lasses. This ain't no walk through the woods."
The room went quiet as his words settled over the group like a heavy fog.
"We'll be on the road for about… forty-seven days, give or take," he continued casually, as if he'd just announced a picnic. "Through mountains, deserts, rivers, and a few monster-infested passes. So, get your gear, get your provisions, and get your damn heads in order."
"Forty-seven what?" Eleanor stood up suddenly, her chair scraping loudly against the wooden floor. "You expect us to march through the wild for over a month and a half, chasing after some vague artifact you won't even tell us about?"
"I'm not expectin' anything," the dwarf replied, folding his arms smugly. "I'm demanding it. And not for myself—but because of him." He jabbed a thick finger at Marcus.
Marcus dropped his head into his hands and groaned loudly. "Forty-seven days. For real? For a bloody artifact I don't even know the name of?" He looked up at Sera with eyes full of bitter regret. "You tricked me. You actually tricked me."
Sera gave a slight tilt of her head and offered the faintest smile, not cruel, not kind—just knowing. "You walked willingly, Marcus. I never forced you. I even gave you a fair warning, remember? That you'd feel the pull. That when it starts, you'd have to come. And you did."
"You didn't exactly make it easy to resist," he muttered bitterly, then slammed his palm on the table. "Shit! I should've kept my damn pants on!"
Sophia couldn't help but wince slightly, folding her arms. "This is insane. No beasts, no bandits, no dungeon has sounded this bad before."
"And there'll be all of that and more on this trip," the dwarf added cheerfully. "You'll need proper clothing for the cold north, light armor for the drylands, potions for exhaustion, rations for the wild—you'll need horses, a cart if possible, and a guide. That's bare minimum."
Eleanor sat down again, shaking her head. "Forty-seven days. That's not a mission—it's a damn pilgrimage."
Jason looked over at Marcus. "You good, bro?"
Marcus didn't reply immediately. He was staring off, jaw clenched, fists trembling slightly on the table. Finally, he muttered, "This is all my fault…"
Liam placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression calm but firm. "It doesn't matter now. We deal with it. Together."
The group exchanged glances, silent but understanding. This wasn't the path they expected—but it was the one they were on now. No turning back.
The dwarf cleared his throat. "Two days," he repeated, pointing at them all. "Use 'em well. We travel hard, and I won't be slowing down for crybabies."
"I hope you're worth all this trouble," Sophia muttered at Sera as they all got up from the table.
Sera simply smiled, brushing a lock of her hair behind her pointed ear. "You'll see soon enough."
Liam sat quietly, eyes fixed on the grainy texture of the table, his fingers drumming absent-mindedly against the wood. The voices of his companions had died down into a low murmur behind him, their frustration still lingering in the air like smoke after a fire. He was trying to piece everything together—the mission, the distance, Marcus's condition, the blood covenant, and the fact that they were being dragged into something far beyond their control.
He took a deep breath, steadying his voice before finally looking up at the dwarf.
"We'll need two rooms," he said firmly. "And meals. At least until we leave."
The dwarf's face lit up like a lantern being ignited in the dark. "Aye! Done and done!" he said with a grin so wide it nearly swallowed his face. "That's the least I could do, considerin' the honor of havin' a fine group like yerselfs accompanyin' us on this grand expedition."
"You mean, being forced to accompany you," Eleanor corrected sharply, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
The dwarf raised both hands innocently. "Now, now, don't go pointin' fingers like I'm the villain here. I didn't make the covenant. She did." He pointed toward Sera, who sat in the corner of the room, swirling a cup of herbal tea with calm grace.
"And you just happened to benefit from it," Liam replied, his tone low and hard.
"Aye, well, fate has a funny way o' workin' things out, don't it?" the dwarf said, clearly unfazed. "Besides, I'm a man o' business. I see opportunity, I take it. Simple."
Jason let out a bitter laugh. "You make it sound like you're selling cabbages at a stall. You've shackled someone to a mission that could kill us all."
"I didn't shackle no one. Lad gave his heart—and maybe a few other parts—to an elf woman, and now he's got a price to pay." The dwarf gave Marcus a pointed look. "Don't blame me for the choices ye made with yer trousers down."
"Alright," Liam said, raising his voice slightly to stop the argument from spiraling further. "You've made your point. Now honor my request. Two rooms. Meals for all of us. And no more games."
The dwarf nodded eagerly. "Of course! Course, lad! Like I said—it's the least I could do. And might I add, the roast boar stew tonight is divine. You'll sleep with a full belly and dreams of glory. Heh!"
Sophia leaned toward Liam, whispering, "We shouldn't trust him, you know that."
"I don't," Liam replied, eyes still on the dwarf. "But for now, we need rest. And we need Marcus alive."
Marcus, who had been quiet all this time, lifted his head and sighed. "This is such a mess."
"It is," Liam agreed, "but we'll get through it."
"Dinner will be ready in an hour," the dwarf chimed in. "Ale too! On the house! Least I can do, seein' as you'll be travelin' half the world for somethin' you know nothin' about."
Jason scoffed. "Oh, great. Thanks for the generosity."
Eleanor shook her head. "He's just thrilled he got his hooks into us."
Sera finally spoke up then, her voice as soft as a breeze but carrying weight. "You won't regret it."
Liam turned toward her slowly. "I already do."
But Sera didn't respond. She simply smiled that same enigmatic smile she always wore, as if she knew more than any of them and was just waiting for the moment to reveal it.
The dwarf clapped his hands. "Well then! Rest up, champions! Two days from now—we embark on the adventure of a lifetime!"
The group didn't cheer. They didn't laugh. They just stood in silence, weariness and frustration written all over their faces as they followed the innkeeper's assistant to their rooms.
But Liam remained at the table a moment longer, watching the dwarf and Sera quietly as they whispered something to each other.
Whatever lay ahead, one thing was clear.
They were in deep.