The Rising Heroes gathered outside, walking back toward their quarters in silence at first. The weight of the situation hung over them, but they knew worrying would solve nothing. Preparations were the only thing in their control now.
Doran stretched his arms and looked at the weapons they carried. “Give me your blades. I’ll sharpen them before tomorrow. No excuse for a dull edge in the middle of a fight.”
Lila handed over her sword first, her eyes shining with determination. “Take care of it, Doran. It’s been with me through everything.”
Adrian followed, placing his weapon carefully into Doran’s hands. “Make it ready. We can’t afford to stumble tomorrow.”
Drakar, wordlessly passed his massive axe into Doran’s grip. His only movement after was sitting down on the nearby steps, folding his arms as Fizzle perched on his shoulder. The little creature happily munched on a cookie, unfazed by the tension around them.
Doran inspected each weapon closely. “Not bad condition, but I’ll make them shine. Adrian, your sword’s balance feels slightly off, I’ll adjust it. And Lila, I’ll reinforce the edge with oil, should give you a cleaner strike.”
“Thanks, Doran,” Adrian replied, his voice calm but steady.
Meanwhile, Sera had walked a little further with Lila. She held her staff loosely, eyes narrowing as she conjured small bursts of offensive magic. “Come, Lila. Let’s train for a bit. I’ll attack, and you try to defend and strike back. Tomorrow won’t give you time to hesitate.”
Lila gripped a practice sword tightly, nodding. “I’m ready.”
The two began. Sera’s spells shot forward small seed that opened up with some grassy explosion, forcing Lila to parry and dodge quickly. Lila’s movements were sharp, but not perfect. One seed exploded near her shoulder, leaving a faint mark on her clothes.
Lila gritted her teeth, adjusted her stance, and pressed forward again. She deflected another spell and lunged closer, swinging her blade. Sera spun lightly out of the way, smiling faintly.
They continued like this, strike and counter, spell and slash. Lila’s breathing grew heavy, sweat forming on her brow, but her strikes grew cleaner, more precise.
After a solid exchange, Sera lowered her staff. “Good enough for today. We'll be fine tomorrow.”
Lila wiped her forehead, and smiling. “Well that was fun Sera. I truly enjoyed it"
Sera smiled " Yes it was, I feel ready.”
A short distance away, Adrian sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep meditation. His breathing was steady, his focus turned inward. The air around him felt heavier, as if he was centering all his strength for the battles to come.
Doran looked at him, then at the others, shaking his head. “That guy… too serious.”
Drakar let out a small grunt, which might have been agreement. Fizzle ate happily, holding up the half-eaten cookie.
The moment was small, almost comedic, but it broke some of the tension in the group. Lila giggled lightly, even while catching her breath.
As night began to fall, the Rising Heroes gathered their weapons back from Doran. Each blade gleamed sharper, polished and ready.
Doran handed them back with a firm nod. “Tomorrow… we give it everything. No second chances.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. The preparations were complete. The real test would begin at dawn, when they would march with Redwake and the Wind Chasers into the ruins, searching for the Obsidian Jewel.
For now, all they could do was sharpen their resolve, rest, and wait for the sun to rise on what promised to be one of their greatest challenges yet.