— Krax, Elena, and Oberon were now inside on the second floor of an abandoned building, with Elena being the only one sitting there counting the hydrovoltites Krax had brought. —
Although I had planned to bombard her with questions the moment I saw her, I decided it was better to let Elena finish her calculations. I know her personality well enough to tell myself it's best to leave her alone when she's busy
— After an hour, Elena finally finished her calculations. Oberon was sitting on the floor, eyes closed and his back pressed against the wall, while Krax tended to his sword.
Elena approached them —
"So why were you looking for me?"
— Oberon opened his eyes, revealing a tired expression and dark circles under his eyes to Elena —
"Oh! It looks like you didn't sleep very well last night."
"Yeah, and I want to switch roommates."
"That won't be possible. I'm not sleeping in the same room as an anthropomorph with hormonal issues."
"Speak well of Kaelen, or don't speak at all."
What do you mean, hormonal issues?
"In any case, I didn't come looking for you to argue about that."
— Oberon stood up, approaching Elena in such a way that the difference in their heights was perfectly clear —
"You're going to explain to me in detail exactly where you want to take us and how you're going to do it."
"Oh oh, and if I refuse, what then? You barely know how the tower's economy works; you need me more than I need you. Besides, you're on your own with all your decisions—Kaelen owes me one, and Krax is working with me. Or did you forget?"
"You said it yourself, you need me."
"And that's why I plan to save your body, which is about to fall apart. Do you think a punctured lung heals for free? We're not in a children's story. Just go back to the tavern."
— Elena had already turned around, heading to speak with Krax in private, but Obi's words stopped her —
"I'll go with Krax on the missions."
— A statement that slightly surprised Elena, who could barely hide her laughter —
"Are you sure? You'll have to get your hands dirty."
"Will I finally get answers if I do?"
"Well, Krax is a bit slow when it comes to transporting resources, and I'm always worried he'll let one slip through by accident, so fine—I'll share the plan with you if you follow the orders I give you."
Becoming a dog would be absurd under normal circumstances, but I'm in a desperate situation.
"Well, so be it."
"Great, let's head back to the tavern—it's already getting dark."
— On the way, there was silence in the group. Elena couldn't carry the box of minerals with her, so she hid it in the building; after that, she was the one who led the group to the tavern —
"I won't be going in for now—I have to go practice my dagger throws."
"It was an exhausting day. Are you sure you don't want to rest?"
I couldn't see Krax's concern in the same way anymore; the image I had of him had been completely shattered. I no longer saw him as a traveling companion I considered a friend, but more as a friend who could kill me without any moral qualms. Part of me—even if I didn't want to admit it—felt a little afraid: afraid of his words, afraid of becoming something worse than him.
"It's nothing. If I let a day go by, I'll lose my edge."
"All right, then come back soon."
— Obi broke away from the group after that, heading to his training area. Upon entering, you could see the marks left from his previous training; it was something that comforted him, even if just a little, telling him that his work wasn't in vain.
Getting into position, he began his daily training, throwing the knives one after another, but this time in a more controlled manner —
I can't hurt myself too much; it'll only slow me down more than it'll help me progress.
— Meanwhile, Krax and Elena had already entered the tavern, finding only one man at the counter —
"I'm going to see if Kaelen is in his room,"
— she said as she hurried up the stairs, but Elena stopped her, looking at her with a more serious expression —
"Let's talk; go straight to the room afterward."
— With that said, Elena walked past Krax with a cup of coffee in hand, heading up the stairs to her room. Krax said nothing; he just did the same, but went to Kaelen and Oberon's room only to find no one there —
"Where could Kaelen have gone? This is the first time she's been absent. I hope she's okay; the people around here aren't very trustworthy."
— He closed the door, this time heading toward his room. Seeing Elena sitting on her bed with an open book, Krax moved closer to her —
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
— Elena looked up from her book for a few seconds to look at Krax, then returned to the book just as quickly —
"I get the impression you're forgetting our goal."
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't know how to explain it—let's just say it's a woman's instinct."
— She took an elegant sip of her coffee, an elegance shattered by a slight burn on her tongue —
"Ouch!!! It's too hot."
"It seems your woman's instincts can't even save you from burning your tongue."
"But they can warn me about a dangerous person. I don't know how you got friends with those two one-brained idiots, but I don't care, and you shouldn't care either."
"I don't understand what you're getting at."
"Oh, really?"
— Krax could see the coffee cup Elena had thrown at him about to hit his face; even though it would have been easy to dodge, he decided not to —
"Oberon, a being from the Sapiens world, wasn't even in my plans; he shouldn't even be here, but somehow not only is he here, but on top of that, he has your respect. Isn't that incredible?"
— Krax was listening to everything, his arms behind his back, his eyes fixed on the floor; he had decided to do nothing.
Elena got out of bed, approaching him until she could cup his cheeks while smiling —
"I hope you haven't forgotten your goal, at least. Every second that passes is one in which your sister could be dead."