The morning sun bathed Elmwood in a golden glow, its rays filtering through the cobblestone streets and casting long shadows from the bustling marketplace. Vendors called out their wares, their voices blending into a symphony of commerce. Evan Larkspur wandered through the crowd, his mind far from the cheerful chatter around him.
He couldn't shake the vision from the night before—the shadowy figure on the throne, the cryptic words about the Hero's Party, and the unsettling glow of the crystal. It all felt like a dream, yet the weight of the crystal in his satchel reminded him it was anything but.
At the edge of the marketplace, he spotted Lila's forge. The rhythmic clang of hammer on metal echoed through the air, a familiar sound that brought him a small measure of comfort. He made his way over, dodging a cart piled high with fresh produce.
Lila was bent over her anvil, her face smudged with soot as she worked on a dagger. The blade shimmered with an otherworldly light, and Evan realized she was using shards from the crystal he'd found."Morning," he called out, trying to sound casual.
Lila looked up, her expression softening when she saw him. "Morning, Evan. You look like you didn't sleep much."
"I didn't," he admitted, pulling up a stool and sitting down. "That vision... it's all I can think about."
Lila set down her hammer and wiped her hands on her apron. "Tell me again. Maybe I missed something."
Evan recounted the details—the dark chamber, the shadowy figure, and the mention of the Hero's Party being pawns in a larger game. Lila listened intently, her brow furrowed in thought.
"It's strange," she said when he finished. "My grandfather used to talk about something similar. He said there were ancient artifacts that could show glimpses of the future—or maybe the past. But they were supposed to be lost."
"Do you think this crystal is one of them?" Evan asked, pulling it out of his satchel.
Lila took it from him, turning it over in her hands. "Maybe. But if it is, we need to be careful. These things have a way of... changing people."
Evan nodded, feeling a chill run down his spine. "What do you think we should do?"
"For now, we keep it hidden," Lila said, handing the crystal back to him. "And we start gathering information. If the Hero's Party is involved in something shady, someone in Elmwood must know about it."
"Like who?" Evan asked.
Lila smirked. "Like Finn. That guy hears everything. Let's head to the tavern tonight and see what he's picked up."
*********************
The Tipsy Griffin was as lively as ever when Evan and Lila arrived that evening. The air was thick with the smell of ale and roasted meat, and the sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the room. Finn was at his usual spot by the bar, nursing a tankard of ale and chatting with a group of adventurers.
"Evan! Lila!" Finn called out when he saw them. "Over here!"
They joined him at the bar, and Finn immediately launched into a tirade about the Hero's Party's latest exploits.
"They're unstoppable!" he said, his eyes wide with excitement. "They just took down a nest of wyverns in the Frostfang Mountains. Can you believe it?"
"Impressive," Evan said, forcing a smile. "But have you heard anything... unusual about them?"
Finn's expression turned serious. "Unusual how?"
"Like, maybe they're not as noble as everyone thinks," Lila added, her voice low.
Finn glanced around before leaning in closer. "Now that you mention it, there's been some strange stuff going on. A few villagers have gone missing, and there are rumors that a noble's been recruiting C-rank adventurers for some secret mission."
"What kind of mission?" Evan asked, his heart racing.
"No one knows," Finn said, shrugging. "But it's got people talking. Oh, and there's this guy—"
Before Finn could finish, the tavern door burst open, and a royal courier strode in, his polished armor gleaming in the firelight. The room fell silent as he unfurled a scroll and began to read.
"By order of His Majesty, the Hero's Party will return to Elmwood in three days' time. All citizens are to prepare for a grand celebration in their honor."
The room erupted into cheers, but Evan's eyes were fixed on the courier's insignia—a familiar emblem that matched the one from his vision.
"Lila," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "That's the same symbol I saw in the throne room."
Lila's grip tightened on his arm. "This is bigger than we thought, Evan. We need to figure out what's going on—before it's too late."
As the courier left and the tavern returned to its usual chaos, Evan felt a sense of dread settle over him. The Hero's Party was coming back, and with them, the answers to questions he wasn't sure he wanted to know.