My eyelids struggled to open up wide, each attempt ending with darkness. In between each try, a little bit of the blurry wooden ceiling came into view. I supported myself up, the soft bed and sheets absorbing my elbow. Drowsiness gripped my body, pulling me in for more rest, but with a nudge from a shadow I got my body out. 

I reached for the glass of water placed beside me. My head pounded like crazy. The coolness of the water rode down, spreading its goodness into every corner. A sensation like that is quite refreshing in the morning, this is my favourite part of the morning. 

On the nightstand, there were a few accessories, one being a comb. It tugged onto each clump of hair, with a bit of water through it smoothened out. Hair slicked back and eyes now fully opened. Felt as fresh as ever.

I stretched out my arms high in the air, letting out a huge moan of relief. One hand swayed idly by the bed to my right. But to my left, it rubbed off of a weird material. My eyes peaked over to the right where my hand had been placed on the sleeping Zeraf’s head.

Like an elastic, my hand pulled back nearly knocking me off of the bed. ‘Did…’ I felt a knot stuck in my throat, forbidding me from swallowing. ‘Did we…do it?’ I looked below the duvet heaving a sigh of relief after confirming that we were still dressed. Dressed loosely yes, but dressed nonetheless.

Her white t-shirt did a poor of covering her assets, even nearly slipping out. It hasn’t even been five minutes and my face is already burning. I jumped out of the bed and rushed to the cushioned chair where my bag sat. Swiftly, I grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed inside the toilet. 

It may not have been as big as our old bathroom but there is nothing to complain about. The wooden theme of the inn went as far as the bathroom with chiseled walls and intricate floral designs. Even the light was decorated to look like a glowing flower. 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

I took my time and enjoyed all that this inn had to offer. A hot steamy shower really completed my morning. The fresh change of clothes fit snuggly onto my damp skin. It wasn’t much, a white t-shirt with a pair of black trousers. I left all of the combat equipment off, for now, breakfast comes first! 

Before leaving the room I looked over at Zeraf who was sleeping soundly in the bed. In the short time I was out of the room she completely dominated all the space on the bed. I couldn’t help but smile at her sleeping face. This time there is no need to put my life on the line to wake her up. She will smell the great food from here and sprint to get a plate.

The latch of the door clicked into place after closing the door. Its metallic clink rang in my ear for a few brief seconds before dissipating. My feet dragged on the long red carpet in this hallway. I might not be fully awake. Putting something delicious in me will work wonders on my energy levels.

As I neared the staircase a figure came into view. (‘’Good morning Ghost!’’) I waved my hand to grab her attention. She turned around and smiled in my direction before returning the wave. 

(‘’Did you have a good night of rest Abaddon?’’) 

(‘’The beds were very soft! But I woke up with an unpleasant surprise…’’) Though I had another question in mind I kept my mouth shut.

Only one pair of footsteps sounded across the stair area. Just as we reached the bottom Nigel greeted us with a kind good morning. I didn’t think we would meet such friendly people on our travels.

(‘’You two should head over to the bar. Ross and the staff have prepared a farewell meal!’’) My face must’ve looked terrifying to the two. I felt it contorting into a creepy smirk at the mention of food. If there is one thing that tastes better than food, it has to be free food!

Just as we sat down Ross popped up from behind the counter and placed four plates in front of us. Yellow, rose quartz pink, red, white, and green. Quite a variety of colours in front of me, I will savour every bite of this meal!

With a fork, I poked through a piece of tomato, spring onion, and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. Just as I brought up my food, an annoying scream neared closer and closer by the second. 

A wolf-eared girl leaped down the stairs and ran towards us. The floor screeched as she struggled to stop her momentum. Her hand latched onto a wooden pillar right before crashing into us. Zeraf scratched her head, blushing from the embarrassment. 

She sat down beside us, prompting Ross to pop up out of nowhere once more to deposit a plate in front of her too. The three of us were given the same meal. A fried egg with bits of perfectly cooked pork mixed in. To the side of the plate was a wooden bowl full of salad to accompany the egg. Overall, I would rate this breakfast a nine out of ten. 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 

After the meal, we all agreed to meet up by the entrance after preparing. I was the second to be ready. Ghost was a bit quicker than me though all she had was a small sack slung over her shoulder. It made sense considering her situation. 

 I was wearing a few straps over my clothes. A short sword was strapped to my hip. It jiggled around with each step I took toward the entrance. On the other side, I attached my tome full of spells. I am using this to document any new spells I happen to find useful. So far it's rather empty but I have high hopes for the future. 

Nigel crept into view from a door behind the front counter. In his hand were a few bed dressings. He noticed me staring at him and smiled at us. What a sweet man he is!

(‘’Will Zeraf be ready soon Abby-’’) Loud thumps cut off Ghost’s sentence. A tall wolf girl descended the stairs magnificently, ensuring everyone in the room could hear her. Zeraf smiled triumphantly as she alternated between which hand was raised in front of her.

I couldn’t help but sigh audibly to the point even Ghost looked at me. (‘’She sure is a character.’’) I simply nodded my head. She must think we are a duo of weird adventurers. 

(‘’Shall we leave? What are we waiting for?’’) Her annoying voice was directed at me. I could feel it mocking me. (‘’Well ZERAF! We were waiting on YOU! Now that you are here we have to look over the route once more.’’) We don’t need to but this is her punishment, having to listen to a plan she doesn’t understand!

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 

After checking if we had all of our equipment ready, we studied the map once more. It didn’t take very long but it was perfect revenge against Zeraf. She pretended to understand everything I said, which backfired on her. I asked her where we are heading today and she flopped it. Ghost and I got a good laugh out of her.

(‘’Can we finally leave Abby?’’) Zeraf moaned and groaned, tugging at my shirt. I stared at her and shook my head. This alone made her leave my side and sit down in a nearby chair. She sulked with her arms crossed sneaking glances over at me. 

Ross and Nigel emerged from the dining room’s entrance. They continued walking until they stood opposite us. Two outstretched hands lay between us. I grabbed Nigel’s and Ghost grabbed Ross’. We shook hands and nodded at each other. 

(‘’We have known each other for no more than a day, but our time spent was enjoyable. I wish you three success on your travels!’’) Nigel pulled away and headed back behind the front counter.

(‘’Stay safe and avoid dangerous situations! The world is cruel and dangerous. After the competition come back and let’s share a drink!’’) Ross shared his wishes and retreated behind the doorway. It was now just the three of us, though Zeraf remained seated.

Zeraf flew out of her seat and grabbed the door handle. (‘’This marks day two of our adventure!’’) She declared it for everyone on the ground floor to hear. 

My eyes switched between Ghost and Zeraf, it warmed my chest to have two people in my party. Even a smile broke out on my face. And this wasn’t the end either. I am sure we will have even more party members as we travel forward!

(‘’Let’s embark on our journey!’’)