Zim had not entered the dream world for days because he had been busy murdering his boss.
When Livia saw the boy again, she immediately sensed how much he had changed. The impulsive restlessness had vanished from Zim's face, like the last snow on Waterdeep's rooftops washed away by an early-summer rain. It seemed like an inevitable step toward adulthood.
He had become confident and serious. There was also a new scrutiny in the way he looked at people, as though he were silently judging which of them was stronger.
"Mr. Zim, are you all right?" Livia greeted him hesitantly.
Zim swept his eyes over the merchant's daughter with the gaze of someone who had killed before. Just before a chill could run down her spine, he smiled.
"I've never been better."
"That's good. I was worried about you. You haven't come here in such a long time."
Zim felt strangely emotional. This girl seemed as though she would never have any worries. Her eyes were always clear, carrying the resilient innocence of someone who had never truly experienced the cruelty of the world.
Zim had murdered his own innocence long ago on the streets while stealing and struggling to survive. Seen that way, the first person he had killed was not his boss.
It was himself.
Zim glanced around and noticed many unfamiliar faces. The dream world had undergone a major expansion. Beneath the stars, more than a dozen cold silver-cast roads wound across the dark earth toward the central Tower. A single climber walked along each road, though they were separated by considerable distances. Those who were too far apart could not clearly see one another's features.
"Where did all these people come from?"
"Candlekeep. They're apprentices and monks Mr. Skyl recruited there."
"No wonder they all look so ancient." Zim made no attempt to hide his mocking tone as he teased the stuffy Candlekeep scholars.
Compared with the original four apprentices, most of the Avowed who had joined later were indeed much older.
Livia's expression dimmed slightly.
Zim raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Don't you like them?"
"Of course I do."
Bordon and Tawna shook their heads at the boy, so he did not pursue the matter. Instead, he congratulated Livia.
"You've made impressive progress. You're almost at the Tower."
Rather than cheering her up, his words only made Livia look more dejected.
Zim frowned. He was not accustomed to the delicate moods of wealthy young ladies. She looked as though her life were falling apart and the world would end tomorrow.
"What's actually wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Zim laughed in exasperation.
"Take a look at yourself in a mirror. Oh, right, there aren't any mirrors here. Fine, then I'll tell you. Who are you making that miserable face for? You obviously want us to notice. We ask what's wrong, but you refuse to tell us. What good does keeping it bottled up do? Just tell me who upset you. If they're in Waterdeep, I'll clean out their entire house tonight, uh, I mean, I'll go to their door and fight them. How does that sound?"
Livia stared at him in surprise. She chose to ignore the highly suspicious comment about cleaning out someone's house, reflected on her behavior, and sincerely apologized to her friend.
"I'm sorry, Zim. It's just that the new members are all extremely talented."
Zim raised an eyebrow, turned toward a nearby Candlekeep scholar, and shouted, "Hey! You, new guy! Have you people been bullying Livia?"
The Candlekeep scholar had been happily and intently transcribing magical symbols into the sand. Zim's sudden shout startled him so badly that his hand jerked, interrupting his work.
He looked up at Zim and demanded, "Why are you making such a disturbance?"
Livia, Bordon, and Tawna were all stunned by Zim's outburst.
Zim, however, immediately apologized with the streetwise smoothness and adaptability of someone raised at the bottom of society. Deliberately offending someone was often an excellent way to attract their attention, and thieves regularly used the tactic. Zim knew nothing about complicated upper-class etiquette, so he preferred to be as direct as possible.
"My apologies, sir. Forgive the interruption."
He placed a hand over his chest and bowed without the slightest embarrassment. Then he looked the Candlekeep scholar directly in the eyes.
"I only wanted to confirm one thing. Have you been bullying my friend?"
Livia's cheeks turned scarlet. She bobbed up and down like a bobblehead, repeatedly curtsying.
"I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive my friend. He hasn't been here for a long time, so he doesn't understand the situation. Zim, they haven't bullied me. I'm merely envious of them. They're far more capable than I am."
Bordon and Tawna quickly supported her explanation.
Zim finally understood what had happened. Livia had once been the leader of their small group. Then professional scholars entered the dream and tore away the cloak protecting her pride, forcing her to recognize her own weakness and ignorance.
For a young person, that was certainly enough to make anyone depressed.
Welcome to the real world. Zim had learned that lesson long ago. The pampered young lady, however, was tasting the bitterness and complexity of human relationships for the first time.
The Candlekeep scholar was already in his forties, so he had no intention of arguing with a group of children.
He was actually a decent man and did not mind speaking with Zim and the others.
"Children, you were the first to enter this dream. Do not squander the gift you have received. You should use every available moment to gather lights inside the skull and advance to become Tower apprentices as soon as possible."
Zim raised an eyebrow. The Candlekeep scholar spoke with the confidence of someone who already understood the road ahead. He knew precisely what his future objective was and showed no hesitation whatsoever.
"You've met Skyl and spoken to him, haven't you?"
The Candlekeep scholar smiled delightedly.
"Of course. Mr. Skyl is an honored guest of Candlekeep!"
Looking like an obsessed fan, he immediately launched into an endless account of Skyl's experiences at Candlekeep, leaving Zim no opportunity to interrupt.
"Awrooo..." the undead Mia mumbled.
"Achoo!" Stan sneezed.
Summer had ended, and the weather was growing cooler. The chill became especially noticeable after nightfall.
Perhaps the battle at the Way Inn had frightened some of the beings secretly watching them, because Skyl's journey south had been relatively uneventful. They encountered no devil worshipers and no Red Wizards. Only a few wandering goblins, trolls, and other evil creatures tried to rob them along the road, and Skyl naturally disposed of them with little effort.
Their small party had now gained another member, a young tiefling named Doric.
Tieflings were a type of planetouched whose infernal heritage marked them even before birth. They were often born with inhuman physical traits, such as crimson skin, horns, or long tails. Many people also believed tieflings were naturally inclined toward evil, so they were widely feared and discriminated against. Parents frequently abandoned children born with tiefling features.
Doric was still very young. After her family abandoned her as a child, she wandered into Neverwinter Wood in the North, where a community of wood elves took her in. She later joined a large organization known as the Emerald Enclave and began following the path of a druid.
Skyl wanted to study the ways of nature, so the elven woman asked Doric to guide him while she departed with the rest of her companions.
The Emerald Enclave was dedicated to preserving the natural order. Describing it as a moderate organization devoted to wildlife and environmental protection would not be entirely inaccurate. Like the Harpers, it was an influential force for good that could not be ignored in Faerûn.
Traveling by night and resting during the day gave Stan plenty to complain about. With both an undead and a tiefling in the party, they attracted too much attention to comfortably remain in towns. As a result, they continued steadily south without lingering along the way.
They passed Dragonspear Castle, fought their way through the Trollclaws, traveled past Baldur's Gate, and were now on the verge of reaching Candlekeep.
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