God’s Tree

With heavy coin purses and lighter storage rings, Argolaith and Kaelred stepped into the streets of Val'Haren, their eyes scanning the bustling crowds and towering buildings.

The city was alive with activity, and now, with gold and magic stones in their possession, they had options.

Argolaith stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, now that we're rich, what's next?"

Kaelred gave him a look. "We're not rich, Argolaith. We just have enough money to last for a while."

Argolaith smirked. "Sounds like we're rich to me."

Kaelred sighed. "We need a place to stay first. Then, we figure out what comes next."

Argolaith nodded. "Alright, let's find an inn."

The streets of Val'Haren were lined with inns and taverns, each catering to different kinds of travelers.

The Gilded Hearth – A luxurious establishment with gold-trimmed banners and polished marble floors.

The Steel & Flask – A rowdy tavern filled with mercenaries and adventurers, offering cheap drinks and even cheaper beds.

The Whispering Lantern – A quieter, more mysterious inn, tucked between two alleyways, with dim lights and few customers.

Kaelred glanced between them. "Where do you want to stay?"

Argolaith rubbed his chin. "Depends. Do we want comfort, chaos, or mystery?"

Kaelred smirked. "You're making this sound more dramatic than it is."

Argolaith grinned. "I vote for the Whispering Lantern. It looks… interesting."

Kaelred sighed. "Of course you'd pick the most suspicious one."

The inn's entrance was narrow and shadowed, but the inside was surprisingly well-kept.

A few figures in dark cloaks sat at tables, sipping drinks and exchanging quiet conversations.

The innkeeper, a thin man with graying hair and sharp eyes, looked them over.

"Travelers?"

Kaelred nodded. "We need a room for a few nights."

The innkeeper's expression didn't change, but he nodded. "Two gold coins per night. Payment up front."

Argolaith raised a brow. "Pricey."

The innkeeper smirked. "Privacy isn't cheap."

Kaelred placed the coins on the counter, and the innkeeper handed them a key.

"Room's upstairs. No trouble."

Argolaith grinned, grabbing the key. "We're always on our best behavior."

Kaelred gave him a deadpan look. "That's a lie."

The innkeeper chuckled before returning to his work.

Once inside their room, Argolaith dropped onto the stone-framed bed, letting out a sigh.

"This is the first real bed I've had in a while."

Kaelred sat at a small wooden desk, pulling out his tome.

"Now that we have money, we need to decide what we're doing next."

Argolaith tilted his head. "Didn't we already decide? Find our Five Trees."

Kaelred nodded. "Right. But that's a long-term goal. In the meantime, we need information, resources, and experience."

Argolaith rubbed his chin. "So… what are our options?"

Kaelred flipped through the tome, thinking.

"We can explore the city, see if there are any job postings. Maybe find an adventurer's guild or a mercenary company."

Argolaith smirked. "Sounds fun. What else?"

Kaelred glanced at him. "There's also the option of looking into magic studies. Even though we don't have our Five Trees yet, there might be something useful we can learn in the meantime."

Argolaith nodded. "Alright. First thing tomorrow, we explore."

As the two settled in, the room fell into silence.

But just as Argolaith was about to drift off, a faint knock came at the door.

Kaelred tensed. "We expecting company?"

Argolaith frowned. "Not that I know of."

Kaelred reached for his sword, and Argolaith opened the door slightly.

A hooded figure stood outside, their face hidden in shadow.

"You two have something valuable. Something worth killing for."

Argolaith's grip tightened on his sword. "Who are you?"

The hooded figure chuckled. "Let's just say… you're not the only ones who know about your little sale at the Merchant's Guild."

Kaelred cursed under his breath. "Should've known."

Argolaith smirked. "If you're planning to rob us, you should've brought more people."

The figure tilted their head. "Who said I came alone?"

From the shadows of the hall, more figures emerged—silent and armed with daggers, blades, and crossbows.

Kaelred gritted his teeth. "Great. First night in the city, and we're already getting robbed."

Argolaith drew his sword. "Guess we're making a name for ourselves already."

The lead figure grinned beneath their hood.

"Shall we begin?"

The air tensed as Argolaith and Kaelred stood inside their rented room, facing down the group of armed thieves who had slipped into the Whispering Lantern Inn under the cover of darkness.

The lead figure, cloaked in shadows, tilted his head slightly, his fingers twitching near the hilt of a curved dagger.

"Hand over the gold and the magic stones, and we'll be on our way. No need for bloodshed."

Argolaith grinned, stepping forward. "See, that's where we have a problem. I really don't like being threatened in my own room."

Kaelred, blade already drawn, sighed. "We just got here, and we're already dealing with this?"

The thief smirked, taking a slow step forward. "You made a mistake selling rare wyvern parts in broad daylight. Word travels fast in Val'Haren."

Argolaith's eyes narrowed. "So, you thought robbing us was a good idea?"

The thief shrugged. "Gold is gold."

Kaelred shifted his stance. "You sure about this? You're outnumbered."

The other thieves moved slightly, positioning themselves strategically inside the narrow hallway and near the dimly lit stairwell behind them.

The lead thief chuckled, pulling down his hood slightly to reveal a scarred face and sharp, piercing eyes.

"Am I?"

In that instant, two thieves lunged forward.

Argolaith sidestepped instantly, his sword flashing as he parried the first strike.

The thief's dagger scraped against his blade, sending sparks flying in the dim light.

Kaelred, moving with practiced precision, ducked low and kicked out the legs of his attacker, sending the man crashing to the ground.

The fight erupted into chaos.

Blades clashed in rapid succession, Footsteps pounded on the wooden floors as the thieves tried to position themselves for a better strike.

Shadows flickered, moving erratically in the lantern-lit hallway. One thief managed to slip behind Argolaith, attempting to drive a dagger into his back—

But Argolaith twisted at the last moment, grabbing the thief's wrist and slamming him face-first into the wooden doorframe.

Kaelred, still focused on his own fight, blocked a dagger strike with the guard of his sword, twisting his wrist to disarm his opponent in a clean motion.

The thief, realizing his weapon was gone, hesitated—

And Kaelred drove his fist into his jaw, sending the man collapsing to the floor.

The lead thief, still standing in the hallway, watched the scene unfold with a frustrated expression.

"Tch. These guys are stronger than they look."

He reached into his belt, pulling out a small vial filled with glowing blue liquid.

Kaelred's eyes narrowed. "That's not good."

The thief drank the potion in one gulp.

And his body pulsed with unnatural energy.

The thief's muscles tensed, veins glowing faintly under his skin as the potion surged through his body.

Argolaith adjusted his grip on his sword. "That's… cheating."

The thief grinned, his eyes glowing faintly now. "It's just a little enhancement. Let's see if you can keep up."

Then he vanished.

No—

He moved so fast it looked like he vanished.

Argolaith barely had time to block as the thief appeared right in front of him, his dagger slamming against his sword with unnatural speed and strength.

The impact rattled his bones.

Kaelred cursed under his breath. "That's definitely not a normal elixir."

The remaining thieves, seeing their leader enhanced, regained confidence and moved in again.

Argolaith gritted his teeth. "Alright. No holding back."

The lead thief moved like a blur, striking from angles Argolaith could barely keep up with.

His dagger was relentless, carving through the air in rapid, unpredictable patterns.

Argolaith, unable to match the enhanced speed, shifted his focus to counterattacks instead.

He waited—

Watched for an opening.

Then—

As the thief lunged forward again, Argolaith twisted his blade at just the right angle, catching the incoming strike and using the momentum to slam his shoulder into the thief's chest.

The impact sent the thief stumbling back, but he recovered unnaturally fast.

Kaelred, meanwhile, was handling the remaining thieves, cutting them down one by one.

One collapsed from a clean slash across the leg, another dropped after Kaelred smashed the hilt of his sword into his temple.

The fight was brutal, but the two of them were slowly gaining the upper hand.

Argolaith blocked another rapid strike, his arm burning from the force of the blows.

This is taking too long. Then, an idea formed.

Argolaith gritted his teeth, activating a stored rune from his ring.

The momentary pulse of magic shifted the gravity around them, causing the enhanced thief to suddenly stumble as his balance was thrown off.

That was all the opening Argolaith needed.

He lunged forward, slamming the flat of his sword into the thief's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

The thief gasped, staggering.

And then Kaelred appeared behind him, slamming the hilt of his sword into the back of the thief's skull.

The enhanced thief collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Silence filled the hallway.

Argolaith took a deep breath, lowering his sword.

Kaelred glanced down at the fallen thieves, then at Argolaith.

"…Well, that was fun."

Argolaith grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

Kaelred sighed. "I hate that I believe you."

The innkeeper, who had wisely stayed out of the fight, peeked out from behind the counter, eyeing the unconscious thieves.

"You two cause quite the ruckus."

Argolaith smirked. "They started it."

Kaelred sheathed his sword. "What do we do with them?"

The innkeeper shrugged. "Guards will take care of them. Thieves like these always crawl around Val'Haren, looking for easy prey. They just picked the wrong people tonight."

Kaelred glanced at Argolaith. "Any idea who sent them?"

Argolaith tilted his head. "Could be anyone. We did make a lot of gold today."

The innkeeper leaned against the counter. "You're new here, so let me give you some advice. In this city, if you've got money, someone's always watching."

Kaelred nodded slowly. "Noted."

Argolaith grinned, stretching his arms. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Let's get some sleep."

Kaelred sighed. "Fine. But if we get attacked again, I'm charging extra for my services."

Argolaith chuckled. "Put it on my tab."