A battered Hero and Healer trudged through mud, once again, as they gradually made their way back to New Frontierland. Their clothes were covered in mud and ripped in various places. They were also bruised and scraped up; their condition earlier had been even worse, but Junil had used most of her healing magic to tide over the worst of the injuries.

The sun was close to dipping below the horizon, casting a shadow over the side of the Fort Logger hill they were walking down. To light the path ahead of them, Junil was shining a green light from the end of her wand and pointing it directly ahead of them.

Currently, the two were in the middle of a conversation regarding the events of the past hour.

“I haven’t been able to stock up on any potions,” Junil grumbled. “You know why, obviously. So I can’t heal us past this.”

“I do know,” Ronn replied. “And I am now reevaluating whether I should intervene in Fraul’s plans.”

The Healer stomped on the ground as she walked forward.

“Dang it, Ronn, you should’ve done it two days ago!” Junil exclaimed. “If you have, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation right now!”

The Hero peered down at the Healer.

“Why had you not stocked up on potions while we were at the Capital?” he asked.

“I didn’t buy any at the Capital because potions in New Frontierland are usually cheap,” Junil replied. “I saw the prices in the Capital and they were higher than normal! So I held out, thinking I could get them in New Frontierland for better prices. Contrary to what is actually happening right now...”

The two continued trudging through the mud.

“If you want me to, I can get the leeches,” Junil said. “That might help with some of the bruising.”

Ronn’s response was immediate.

“I am fine.”

“Really? You don’t usually refuse treatment.”

“What you have provided is sufficient.”

Junil gave a sly grin. “You don’t like the leeches, do you?”

“I simply do not find them to be an optimal form of treatment,” he replied, promptly.

Junil gave a chuckle, but stopped and hunched over a little the moment she felt some aches shoot through her chest.

“...Gah, I can’t even laugh. Everything hurts.”

The two walked in silence. The only sound that punctuated it all was the uncomfortable squish-squish-squish of their shoes sticking to the mud with every step forward.

“We could’ve just... gone back down,” Junil muttered. “Walked back to New Frontierland like regular people. Not going down a water slide.”

“We needed to apprehend the Second Coming as soon as possible,” Ronn retorted. “However, we have not succeeded in such a task.”

“Yeah, and now we’re—”

“It was ultimately preferable to attempt to stop her,” Ronn interjected.

Junil scoffed. “Yeah, fine. It’s a lot of pain for nothing.”

“Not nothing. We know where she is at this very moment.”

“Your goal was to try to get to her before she got into the city. Of course, that failed. She’s now in the city and we’re not. What do you say of that?”

“We cannot realistically expect all of our plans to work without issues,” Ronn replied.

“Of all the plans that could’ve failed, it was the one that would’ve given us the most work to do after it’s failed,” the Healer muttered. “Tell me this, Ronn. You said we had to go down the water slide to stop her. We didn’t stop her, so now we have to search for her. How do we search for her?”

Ronn took a few seconds before he responded.

“We’ll have to sweep New Frontierland for the Second Coming now.”

“Easier said than done, Ronn... Tell me this, how in the world are we going to do this discreetly, without alerting everyone to the existence of her?”

“It is not a difficult task,” he reassured. “We simply need to vet all the passengers who plan on traveling to the Capital.”

“You’re making this up on the fly, aren’t you?” Junil asked.

“...A vital component of a respectable Party leader is the ability to remain flexible.”

“So that’s a yes?”

He did not directly respond to that last question, instead continuing with his explanation of the plan.

“There are a limited number of vessels that can depart from New Frontierland to the Capital every day. We are very well capable of screening a majority of the vessels that leave.”

“If she isn’t departing to the Capital already...” Junil muttered.

The Hero shook his head and glanced down at the shivering Healer.

“The hour is late,” he replied. “None of the ships will be running.”

“You think I don’t know that?” the Healer snapped.

A few moments of awkwardness permeated the silence.

“It appears that you are in a particularly poor mood, Miss Junil,” Ronn stated.

“No, really?” Junil snapped. “I wonder how you found out, maybe it has something to do with the bruises on my face? Or the scrapes on my back? Or my ripped, sopping wet clothes?”

“How did you receive so much bruising?”

“That Demonfolk girl,” the Healer grumbled. “She smacked me across the face several times with a shovel.”

“With a shovel? The same one she used before to damage my sword?” he asked. “It is fortunate that you did not receive any worse wounds.”

“Your words of reassurance aren't making me feel any less pain, I hope you know.”

“My apologies.”

Junil grumbled. “And there was the whole thing with that boat literally running over me, too. Ronn, you’re heavy. You need to get lighter armor. Or slim down.”

“My armor is the highest quality relative to its weight,” he replied. “If it were made from a lighter material, that would compromise its structural integrity.”

“Also doesn’t change the fact that I’m feeling immense back pain from the raft, too.”

“Again,” Ronn reiterated. “I apologize, Junil. I had not anticipated such events to unravel so quickly.”

The Healer gave a glare up to Ronn. “You didn’t, huh? How about asking me before you throw me? I’ve got an earful to give you, but that’ll be once we get to New Frontierland, since I’m currently in the middle of formulating a rant for a particular someone.”

“For whom?”

“The moment we get back to New Frontierland,” Junil continued, adamant. “I am going to walk right up to Fraul and give that woman a well-deserved black eye!”

“I would recommend against such an act, Miss Junil.”

“It’s that, or she coughs up the half dozen or so potions needed to heal us back,” the Healer replied. “I knew she was a money-grubber, but it seems she’s only gotten worse! Maybe some fisticuffs will encourage her to change her mind.”

“Madame Fraul holds a physical advantage over you,” Ronn pointed out. He knew that magic users typically were not as physically fit as other combatants, but even Junil was physically weak compared to Fraul. “I advise refraining from such measures. You will only injure yourself further if she chooses to participate in self-defense.”

“The pain will only make me stronger. Ronn, you can’t stop me.”

“I can, and I will.”

Junil grumbled. Most would’ve interpreted that as a threat, but she knew Ronn rarely, if ever, meant to threaten anyone. To him, that was no different from stating a promise that he was going to follow through on.

As in, he promised to stop her if she tried to give Fraul the punch she deserved.

“We also need to resupply. I will need to withdraw more cash,” Ronn replied. “We will pay for our clothes to be cleaned by a mage, they should be able to do it rather swiftly.”

Junil glanced back up at him. “That was several tens of Large Electrum Coins you had with you in the Capital. Don’t tell me it’s all gone?”

“It is, indeed,” the Hero replied. “Most of it had been spent for the damage done to the Rail Engine, and paying off one of Fraul’s outstanding debts to the residents of Fort Logger.”

“And that is what also annoys me,” Junil replied. “They could’ve been lying, for goodness’s sake!”

“They were not,” Ronn confirmed. “Do you not remember that I can tell if someone is lying?”

“I— well, no, I forgot,” Junil admitted. “But that’s the first worry that comes to mind if someone claims I owe them money.”

“You should have no worries there, Junil. They were authentic with their grievances with Madame Fraul. I will need to discuss with her about this issue, of taking on debts that she does not pay back.”

The two stepped through more mud, as the dirt caked the bottom of their pants.

Ronn continued speaking.

“Withdrawing our funding needs from New Frontierland will likely empty the reserves of money from their banks. I will need to be fiscally responsible and withdraw most of it from the Capital.”

Junil’s eyes snapped over to look up at the Hero.

“Withdrawing the—? Alright, Ronn, I know you want to be ‘responsible’, but this is getting ridiculous.”

“New Frontierland already has a potion shortage issue. Compounding a banking issue on top of that is not the responsible thing to do, Junil.”

“We just need to withdraw enough for our current expenses!” the Healer yelled. “You don’t need to withdraw a massive lump sum immediately!”

The Hero took a moment to consider Junil’s words. His armored, gloved hand stroked the chin of his helmet.

“You are correct, Junil. It appears that I have not considered such options.”

“Why haven’t you considered that option?” Junil echoed.

“Because I simply wish to be efficient. It is, thus, more efficient to take the time to withdraw a single large sum, rather than taking the time to withdraw multiple times.”

“You could... y’know, just withdraw all your money and carry it on yourself?”

Ronn shook his head. “That would not be secure, Miss Junil.”

The Healer shook her head, and mumbled something about Ronn being the security, but didn’t say much else.

The duo continued walking through the mud sludge as they got to the base of the hill, towards New Frontierland. Most of the mud had washed all the way down here, and the rain had come down so hard that they now had what was basically a river that popped up.

That they, of course, now had to trudge through.

“Allow me to carry you across,” Ronn offered. “The flood otherwise would wash you away.”

Junil groaned, but didn’t contest the offer. Ronn proceeded to hoist her over his shoulder and carefully stepped through the flash flood. Water rushed up against his metal boots, but otherwise he seemed to be weathering the flash flood rather well.

“Don’t drop me, alright?” the Healer asked. “I’ve tasted enough mud for today.”

“No worries, Miss Junil.”

After making it to the other side, the Hero placed the Healer back on the dry surface. She dusted some dried mud off her clothing.

“We’ll also need to pay a cleaning mage to clean out our clothes,” Junil muttered. She looked at the sky, to see that the sun had already sunk beneath the horizon. “And at this late hour, I doubt any businesses are open.”

“I know one that is very likely to be open,” Ronn stated. “An old friend of mine. He will be glad to admit us.”

Junil glanced down at her mud-soaked shoes.

“Hope he doesn’t mind dirt getting trekked on his floors.”

The gas lanterns of New Frontierland could be seen, as they approached the town. It didn’t take long for them to get to the streets, which were now devoid of most activity due to the night. A few lights could be seen behind windows; candlelight and gas lamps of people who were staying up.

The Hero and Healer walked through the quiet streets, with Junil following Ronn. They soon made their way to a storefront at the corner of an intersection, one out of a handful that were still lit inside.

The large sign above the store advertised it as a general store.

Ronn squeezed through the front door, to see that a man and woman were inside. The woman was paying for something, but the moment she turned around to see who had entered, she immediately gawked at Ronn.

“...Take no heed,” Junil said. “Official Hero Party business.”

The woman stepped around the mud-soaked Hero, before scurrying away into the night with whatever she had bought.

The man who was inside took only a moment to recognize who the two were.

“Ronn!” he exclaimed, his arms outstretched. “How have you been, old buddy?”

It seemed like he was moving in for a hug, but upon realizing that Ronn was still muddy, decided to rescind his approach.

“I have been fine, Sir Strellson. How have you been?” Ronn asked.

“Fine myself, too. But you look a little worse for wear,” Strellson replied. “Same with your Healer here, Junil is her name?”

Junil nodded. “Yes, we’ve been through quite a bit earlier...”

“And that is what the subject of this visit is about,” Ronn added. “Both Junil and I are looking for a quick cleaning. For Junil, a mending of her clothes.”

“Certainly looks like it!” the storekeeper exclaimed. “Since you two walked in covered in mud. Seems you both are a little...”

“Battered?” Junil finished the sentence for him.

“Yes, that. Battered would be a way to put it,” the storekeeper continued.

Ronn nodded.

“However,” the Hero said. “I must ask you a favor. While I do appreciate your services, I will be unable to pay you for these that I must ask of you immediately. I shall pay you back, but not within a week, at most.”

“Huh,” Strellson replied. “So you’re saying you’re broke right now.”

“Indeed, I do not have the sufficient funds on me at the moment. The banks are also closed for the night.”

The storekeeper raised an eyebrow.

“Really? First time I’ve ever seen you short on money,” Strellson replied. “Are you being financially irresponsible again?”

Strellson laughed, while Ronn joined him with a few chuckles.

“Although I am financially responsible, I may have under-budgeted in this instance,” Ronn replied.

“Really? What did you under-budget for?” Strellson asked.

“Property damage,” came Junil’s deadpan reply.

The storekeeper glanced down at the Healer. He laughed, but paused when Junil did not laugh with him. He scratched his head, giving her a puzzled look.

“What?” he asked. “You’re joking, right?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not,” the Healer confirmed. “Ronn here wrecked a rail engine, and he also covered for some of Fraul’s debts. Which means we’ve got barely any cash on hand.”

“Really?” Strellson asked, brushing a hand through his gray hair. What are you even doing to cause that amount of property damage? Some kinda roughhousing?”

“That is, unfortunately, something we cannot disclose,” Ronn replied. “However, it is indeed of utmost importance. Are you willing to hold the payment for my expenses until Junil and I are no longer busy?”

“For cleaning and clothing repair? Y’know, why not? You’ve given me plenty of chances in the past, I’ll return the favor.”

Strellson shot a grin at the Hero, and continued speaking. “This one’s on the house. But first, let me get my wand.”

“I very much appreciate your consideration, Sir Strellson,” Ronn said. “Regardless, I shall properly compensate you once I have the funding.”

“Suit yourself,” Strellson replied. “But just know that if you don’t pay for this one, I don’t mind.”

The storekeeper pulled a wand from beneath the front counter. It was a light blue, as compared to Junil’s mint-green wand. He tapped twice on the counter, allowing the tip of the wand to glow blue.

“I hope you both don’t mind getting soaked again?” he asked.

“Nothing can be worse than being run over by a boat while getting dragged through a budget canal...” the Healer said. “Go on ahead.”

Strellson grabbed a bucket of water from beneath the front counter, of which Junil couldn’t help but stare at him for doing that.

“You just keep your water right there? At your feet?” she asked.

“Yes, why not?”

“What if you kick the bucket over?”

Strellson tapped his wand again. “I can simply manipulate the water back into the bucket.”

Junil nodded. “Fair enough.”

The storekeeper began to charge his magical energy into the wand. After a few seconds, the still water in the bucket began to quiver.

“Hold your breaths for about five seconds,” he said. “Starting... now.”

He pointed the tip of his wand between the two, and a stream of water immediately shot from the bucket to both of them. However, the moment the water made contact with Junil and Ronn, it didn’t splash around, but rather snaked around their body.

Dirt and grime lifted from their clothes and armor as the water circled its way up their body. Strellson continued raising his wand, until it had reached their heads, and then flicked his wrist back.

The water jumped from their heads right back into the bucket.

The Healer, who had been visibly holding her breath, finally released it.

“Five years, and I still can’t get used to that,” Junil gasped. She pulled at her shirt, to ensure that it was entirely clean. Not a single drop of water from the spell remained.

“I’m also surprised how dry my shirt is now,” she added.

“It took me ten years to get the basics of that spell down,” Strellson replied. “First time I tried it on a person, I almost lifted all the water out of my mentor’s body.”

“That would’ve been unpleasant to witness...”

The storekeeper gave a thumbs up. “Well, it was worth it in the end, wouldn’t you say?”

“Indeed,” Ronn said. “Your magic works wonders, Sir Strellson.”

The Healer tugged at a small section of ripped fabric on her clothes, one of many rips and abrasions from her being dragged down the flume.

“Can you repair my clothes, too?” she asked.

“Of course, why not? First, let me get you a temporary change... and also, tell me what your clothes are made of, I might need some supplementary material,” Strellson said quickly.

“Magically-enhanced wool,” Junil replied. “Those are my cold weather clothes, all my outfits were enchanted to be durable.”

Strellson grabbed a white shirt and shorts from a drawer behind the counter, before placing them on the table.

“There’s a room you can change in,” he said. “Hand me your clothes so I can fix them.”

“Right here?” Junil asked. “Wouldn’t my clothes require some type of spell to repair?”

“I have just the tools, so don’t worry.”

The Healer nodded, picking up the shirt and shorts, before stepping through the door into the changing room. Once it closed shut, Strellson glanced back at Ronn and continued speaking.

“So, how have things been?” Strellson asked. “Your Healer friend, she’s grown up quite a bit since I first met her. Still as irate as ever, it seems.”

“I apologize for her rudeness,” Ronn replied. “We have had a particularly difficult week, due to our current assignment.”

Strellson waved it off.

“It’s fine,” he reassured. “Her attitude can be nasty, but that can be excused a little, since she’s the best Human Healer there is.”

“She insists on utilizing leeches and other ‘natural’ remedies rather than proper magic healing techniques. While Miss Junil is typically stingy with her magic, I have not seen her so sour in such a long time.”

The storekeeper shrugged, and raised his palm up as he spoke. “Well, just look at potion prices lately. Anyone would be angry over having to expend magical energy with the prices here!”

“That is true,” Ronn admitted. “And that is also why I will ensure that you are compensated for your troubles.”

Strellson laughed, then slapped the counter. “Oh, you really don’t want to be in debt to me! Whatever suits you, remember that this is supposed to be on the house.”

“If this is on the house, and I pay for it regardless...” Ronn said, curtly. “Then I suppose I am the house.”

The Hero’s dry delivery made Strellson roar in laughter, as a confused Junil stepped back into the room.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, holding the bundle of clothes in her hands. She was now dressed in the plain shirt and shorts, and placed her own clothes on the counter for Strellson to attend to.

“Oh, nothing. Ronn just cracked a funny joke,” the storekeeper said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Junil glanced over at Ronn.

“Him? Making a joke?” she asked, in mock surprise. “That can’t be right, Ronn doesn’t make jokes. This surely can’t be him.”

“I assure you, Miss Junil,” Ronn said. “I am certainly myself at this very moment.”

“Oh, now this for sure is Ronn,” the Healer finished.

Meanwhile, Strellson was examining Junil’s damaged clothes. He picked up the sleeve with two fingers, to examine the multitude of holes and abrasions that went right through it.

“What in the world happened that caused this?” Strellson asked. “A pack of wolves?”

“The wolves might’ve been the preferable option, because at least Ronn here could’ve gotten them off me,” Junil stated. “I was run over by a boat, that’s what caused the damage.”

Strellson stared at her.

“Oh. I hope it wasn’t painful,” he said, in an attempt at consolation.

“It was very painful.”

Silence, for about five seconds. Then, Junil continued.

“After I had been repeatedly bludgeoned across the face with a shovel.”

“Okay then, I won’t ask,” Strellson said, grimacing. “I’ll be fixing your clothes. Uh, Ronn, do you usually put her on such dangerous assignments?”

The Hero shook his head. “No, we had both been on the same mission. Junil simply happened to run into unfortunate circumstances.”

“Unfortunate because you threw me at the other raft!” the Healer exclaimed.

Strellson opted to just ignore the brewing argument. First, the man spread Junil’s clothes out flat on the counter. Then, from a table behind him, he grabbed an interesting magic-based tool — something that looked like a clothes iron — that he placed next to the clothes.

That caught the Healer’s attention, and she shifted her irate focus back onto the storekeeper.

“What’s that?” Junil asked. “You’re not going to try to fix my clothes by ironing them, are you?”

“No, surely not,” Strellson said, shaking his head. “I was inspired to make this when I saw them selling magic powered clothes irons in the Capital.”

“What’s the difference?”

“This here,” the storekeeper continued, pointing at the device. “Was a lot more expensive to make. But also worth it. Watch.”

Right above one of the rips in the wool fabric, he placed a square cut-out of wool. Then, the storekeeper ran the clothes iron over it. However, what was most notable was that the iron’s metal section was glowing a light blue, rather than the typical red or orange of conventional irons.

Once he had swiped it over twice, then three times, the seam where the square cut of wool met the surface of Junil’s coat seemed to disappear.

“What? How does that work?” the Healer asked.

“A merging-based magic. Works on organic material like this, I’ve also seen it applied in grafting apple tree branches. It’s technically derived from healing magic.”

“Extraordinary,” Junil said.

Strellson continued ironing the cuts and tears away on Junil’s clothes, until not a single one remained. Soon, her outfit looked new — rather, it looked newer than new.

“The enchantments should apply to the mended areas, too,” Strellson reassured. Junil held up her coat, and then her pants, to take good looks at both of them.

“Flawless,” she said. “I’m amazed, genuinely.”

Strellson smiled. “Glad to hear it from you, lass.”

As Junil stepped back into the changing room to get into her normal clothes, Ronn and Strellson had a final word together.

“I am very grateful for your services,” Ronn said.

“No problem to an old friend. Come around more, I hardly see you anymore.”

“Hm,” Ronn replied. “My schedule is booked, which makes it difficult for me to arrange a visit.”

Strellson patted his friend on the back. “No, silly, not like that! I’m just saying that if you’re ever in New Frontierland and happen to be passing by my shop, just step in for a few seconds, say hi! You can spare a few seconds, right?”

“Reasonably?” Ronn said. “Yes, I can. I will keep that in mind.”

“Attaboy!”

Once Junil had returned, the two gave their goodbyes. The Healer thanked the storekeeper, before the two had departed.

“What now?” Junil asked. “I feel refreshed, still a little tired. But at least we’re not filthy anymore.”

Ronn glanced down at Junil, and his next sentence only filled the Healer with dread.

“We will be looking for the Second Coming now.”