The towering, gothic spires of Ashborn Academy were a welcome, if intimidating, sight after the brutal, untamed wilderness of the goblin-infested forest. We reached the main gates just as the sun began to set, its last, dying rays painting the sky in hues of bruised purple and blood orange. The journey back had been a quiet, somber affair, the weight of what we had seen and done a heavy, unspoken thing between us.
As we stepped onto the familiar, polished cobblestones of the Academy grounds, a collective, weary sigh seemed to pass through our small, battered group. We were home. Or, at least, as close to a home as any of us had.
"Aurelia," I said, my voice a low, tired murmur as I stopped near the entrance to the main hall. "Handle the quest documentation. Get the report submitted to the council. Now that we've cleared the mission, we can all go on vacation."
