About five minutes have passed, and nobody has spoken, what is there to say? After what felt like an eternity, I finally decided to speak up again.
"It's okay if you guys don't wish to join me, I'll understand"
Zac replies to me, after another stretched moment of silence, simply asking what the payout would be.
"How much are you guys looking for here? I can probably make it happen."
After another moment, Emilia motioned for everyone to gather together in a circle, and so they did. I couldn't hear much of what they were saying, a few things I heard included "New gear?" "Drinks?"
"How many zeros?" After attempting to listen in, and 5 minutes or more of them talking, I finally received a reply. It was Zac who spoke. "We will need new gear, top-quality armor, and military-grade weapons. Along with a hefty fee for us following you. 100 gold."
I replied with pep, happy to have them as new allies. "That can all be arranged, new armor and weapons of choice for all of you, and 100 gold Pieces as a fee for your great and kind services."
"Your messing with us," Zac replies, weary of my offer.
"Nope, I can have all that stuff for you in a few hours, come with me, back to the tavern we shall venture at once, hurry along now."
And with that, and no more arguments along the way, we all headed back towards the tavern, walking slowly, and watching for any other bandits that may be lurking among us, just waiting to mug us. Walking through the Springs, we entered the spot I called the Valley of Shadows, I quickly told the crew to stay low and not to make a sound, as one single creek would be the death of us if we were lucky, and if we weren't, it would become the reason we would suffer an eternity in hells worst loops. Reliving the same, infinite, loop, that we wouldn't even know we were in. We would each be seeing something different, the last time I entered, I spent 100 years there. Zac spoke up, refusing to crouch, telling us it can't be so bad and thus leaving us vulnerable to the horrors that await.