Kal and the rest of the men sat around the fire with us and told us some about Dyster and how to find them when we got into town. Kal pointed to a man with an eye patch on the same side as Tim.
"This is Hershal, he will meet you at the edge of the city, but since we will be here for a couple hours still, Tim you should go for a walk with him to the beach. We already took care of the group that was set to jump you at night. Just to make sure no one else tries to have fun with you, we will hang around," Kal said.
"K? You alright here?" Tim asked.
"Of course, go ahead."
Tim got up and walked to the beach with Hershal.
"I am sure the boys will have a lot to talk about, I know Tim, and about the eye. Herschel did the same, but Hershal had a master who helped him kill the beast and then trained to hone the eye. Tim hasn't, and killed it all, so, when you get to the city, I hope you don't mind Hershal tagging along every once in and awhile."
"I don't think it would be that bad, but how will that work with my guild experience? Also, I won't commit to anything until I have spoken to Jester. From what you have told me he sounds like a good person working with what he has, but these are just words."
"Fair enough, but if things go well sounds like you won't mind. Be good for the boy to have a mentor, and it won't affect your experience," Kal said.
"Boy? Are you talking about Corbit?" I was confused.
"You haven't asked him, have you? Tim's only seventeen. Two years ago he killed the Celaphite and then joined the war. The eye can give you deadly power but like all power in this world, It comes with a price. You lose about fifteen to twenty years of your life."
"What would make someone want to do that?" Lesha asked with a worried look.
"That miss is none of my business, and only yours if he wants it to be. I can tell you as much as I did because I could have been talking about Hershal. Well, except for that age, that was just me putting my nose where it doesn't belong, haha, but you should know. I knew his parents, but that's another one of those not my stories to tell," Kal said, going quiet.
Lesha squeezed my hand, but I was still shocked. It didn't matter, he was a member, just like Corbit. On the plus side, Mei had grown up, kind of. The Red Legion was starting to look more like an orphanage with each new day.
Though, maybe that is what a guild was, or should be. Maybe not an orphanage, but a place that the adventuring outcast and even the ones that had homes could come. They could know that they had the support of their friends and peers.
The ribbons were a big part of the appeal now, but having people going in without experience wasn't good. The same thing was true of a party that has no concern for them will just end up getting them killed anyway. If they can't work for a week then the guild has to pay for that, and most would just kick them out.
"Thank you for letting me know, and yes, if everything goes well, I will have no problem with Hershal tagging along."
"That's good to hear," came a raspy voice from the shore.
I turn to see Tim and Hershal coming back from the water. I wonder just how old he was, he looked to be in his forties but sounded like he was nearly sixty. I turned back and the men were all getting up and going over to pick up their weapons.
"Pleasure meeting you K. Jester and I look forward to seeing you when you get back."
Kal smiled at me and then pulled a medallion out, identical to Dyster's. Healia had said something about it.
"What is that?" I asked Kal as his men were gathering around.
"As much as we don't like to admit it, we have sworn devotion to Dyster for this and this reason alone. The Waystone is one of the most useful tools for an adventure, but you have to be pledged to a god to use one. Once you're in the city I will help you get one if you have the cash. They aren't cheap, so you might have to dig up some Gem Hearts or go grind the dungeon to afford one."
"How much would it cost? I did bring some gold…" I was cut off with a number that made me choke on my words.
"Eighty-Five Platinum, haha. Now if you had eighty-five thousand gold pieces with you that would be pretty crazy. Plus, being in Healia your whole life, you have probably only heard of them."
Kal dug into his pocket and pulled out a coin that was a flat silver color and it didn't really shine. He flipped the coins to me, and I caught it easily, making him smile.
"Keep it. Consider it a pre partnership bonus or something. Nice catch by the way, when you get to the city I will show you some tricks about being a tank," Kal said with a smile.
"Wait, you're a tank? Where is your shield?" I asked as the last of the men gathered around Kal.
"Ha, girl! Not all tanks like shields!"
And with that, Kal whispered something and winked out of existence, along with the rest of the men. I turned to Lesha, she was starting to look sleepy, but the dawn was starting to lighten the sky. It would be time to go soon.
"What do you think?" I asked her.
"Just like you said, they seem good, but most people try to put on a show. Though, if it was a show, they are pretty good actors, but they are killers. Who knows until we talk with Jester. I am just glad that we don't have to be indebted to Dyster, and so will Gloria."
That was true and she would also be excited about the plan to kill Dyster. It was now time to get everyone up and back on the road.