After riding for a few hours, they stopped in a nearby town. Michael wasn't sure if they were still in Wilmere but this town was smaller than usual, like it was designed to accompany travelers passing by. Stefan led the horses into the stable so they could rest and hydrate then took the party to the next tavern.
"Whatever you have, four servings," Stefan dumped a handful of coins on the front. "Some bread at least, and give me the latest issue of the paper."
Ellis still studied the markings in the map.
Mave sat beside him, across from Stefan and Michael.
"What do you see," Mave said to Stefan. "Anything relevant?"
"No," he kept reading. "If you're asking about us, then we're still in the clear. Having other parties and bandits is already enough. I don't wanna deal with the public eye as much as you do."
The waitress stopped by them and passed out their food. It was some meat stew and potatoes with small slices of bread.
"A couple more clicks from here," Ellis pointed on his map. "Then we're back to where we started."
"Should we start tomorrow?" Stefan asked with his mouth full. "Or are we going to head out after this?"
"The sooner the better. Who knows if other parties are already there. It's our quest, we're meant to complete it. If someone else retrieves that artifact, they'll fail us and revoke our license."
Michael gulped. "That doesn't sound fair."
"Nothing is fair, kid." Stefan stole another piece of bread from Ellis. "Think about all the other adventurers that failed to reach their quota. If the guild wanted to get rid of you, they would find a way."
"What's the magical artifact you guys were trying to get?"
"It's a scroll."
Michael imagined it was some sort of weapon.
"Yeah, a scroll. Everybody's losing their minds over a scroll. Nobody knows what's even written inside of it but everybody wants a piece. It could be some powerful spell to destroy a town or it's just a spell that removes grime from the kitchen counter. Either way, Wilmere would take that risk and retrieve that scroll even if it costs the lives of some adventurers."
"It's brutal," Ellis said. "But we get paid. The gold blinds the foolish man and he forgets what he's fighting for. That's the real value of money."
"You know," Stefan waved his spoon around. "We had the scroll in our hands. Just so happens that a certain someone—"
"Shut your mouth." Mave threatened him with her spoon. "If any of you two would have held then it would have been worse than lost."
"It was in your hands."
"What did you think I was doing?"
"It's not your fault, Mave," Ellis stopped them. "The quest must have been leaked. There was too much activity in the uncharted as if someone knew about the artifact before we did. Remember, we weren't the first choice for this quest."
"We got ambushed," Stefan bumped Michael's shoulder. "Too much sounds, too much yelling, made the mana beasts attack. Mave—I mean, we dropped the scroll and the mana beasts must have eaten it then crawled back into its nest. That's where we will go."
Michael thought about his encounter with a mana beast. "How do you know the thing ate it?"
"Mana beasts eat anything that moves. Not a lot of people wander in the uncharted so they're very hungry."
"Then…that means we're going to fight against them? All of them until we find the scroll?"
"If that means completing this quest, we have no other choice."
"The worst part is," Ellis said. "When we fail, we have to suffer the consequences and the quest is passed onto another party. They want this magical artifact and prefer you die trying."
Michael stared at his stew. "Are magical artifacts that serious?"
"More than serious. They can only exist once, never replicated again even by the most talented mages. The artifacts have the potential to make you the strongest, that's why the kingdoms are always at a competition with each other."
Mave looked outside. "We should move."
They agreed, finishing their meal and returned back to the horses. Ellis directed them to the path where they had first taken to the uncharted. As they rode further, Michael could count there were less sights of the population.
It became uneven rocky roads, blinding forests, and the howling winds. He even thought they were the first people to ever cross these paths.
Ellis even started drawing and marked new sketches on his map. He strictly advised that they move correctly and remember the way back. Because the uncharted was lands that weren't even recorded by anyone. He said it was worse at night, with tall trees and pitch black making the trail blind. Lighting a torch in the uncharted was a death sentence by itself, serving as a free beacon for mana beasts to locate their next meal.
Michael felt chills running down his neck.
***
It must have been another few hours of riding. They were only in the early afternoon, far from when the sun would set. Ellis ordered Stefan where to stop the horses and he listened.
Ellis hopped off the wagon and pointed into the forest. "Down there."
Michael tried to make out where they were. "Are we in the uncharted?"
"We're already in the uncharted."
Mave and Stefan hopped off right after him. Michael threw off their packs and swords, watching them gear up. Stefan hitched the horses next to a stray tree and whistled something to them as if he could speak their language. Michael didn't know how long they would be gone but it should be before things turned dark. Ellis repeatedly emphasized that they should never be in the uncharted at dark.
Ellis folded his map and stretched the shortbow around his body, slinging the quiver on his back. He sheathed a dagger on his waist and made sure the straps on his leather armor were tight.
Stefan drew his sword in his hand, ready for any incoming attacks. The blade had a alluring hue of azure, almost refracting every glimpse of sunlight as he flourished it. He wore his usual steel plated armor despite them being dented and dirtied.
Mave wore something similar, just somewhat slimmer due to her figure. She stared down to where Ellis had pointed, also bearing her lustrous silver longsword. Her weapon looked refined like it came from somewhere expensive, given that she came from a noble family.
Must have been nice, Michael thought, having everything given for free because she was lucky enough to be born in the right time.
Michael just had small leather armor like Ellis. He was also in charge of carrying the supplies on his back along with his own sword.
He unsheathed it, realizing he hasn't held her ever since the start of the day. There wasn't an abrupt voice that talked to him. There wasn't a voice at all. She already knew what Michael was thinking. He didn't want to hear her voice. If he did, he would have regretted coming here. She couldn't cheer him for motivation or please him with her anymore. This was his time to prove himself that he was more than a chore boy back home. Michael was an ego master.
They set their quest in the uncharted forest. Stefan hacked down grown bushes and spoke in a low murmur, careful to not make much sound. Michael never thought things would be this quiet. Whenever he would run into the forest outside of Alanor, his hometown, there was always the sounds of birds chirping or small animals scurrying away. In the uncharted, there was no wildlife at all. Apart from the subtle winds that passed through their ears, the only sound Michael could make out was their own breathing and footsteps.
Ellis walked in front, right as Stefan shadowed behind him. He signaled for the group to stop, turn, or yield an incoming threat. Michael just followed everything they said. They had turned all the way back home to pick up Michael as if he was the missing component to complete their quest. And he would honor that chance with all of his efforts.
"Right here," Ellis said in a low voice. "Heavy tracks. Someone's been here before us."
Stefan knelt beside him. "How long?"
"Could be this morning, I'm not sure. Too close to where we're headed."
"You think they'll be happy seeing us again?"
"I doubt it."