Amelia followed the tavern waiter upstairs to their room. They didn't bring much with them from the car aside from a few snacks and necessities.
They hadn't planned to go on a very long trip before everything turned upside-down, so they found it easy enough to carry whatever was in the trunk before they entered the town.
She had exhaustion written on her face as she briefly observed the interior.
It was... quaint.
Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, the plank boards creaked and squeaked beneath their steps, and the corridor was narrow.
'At least there's a roof over our head...' She considered. Perhaps, if it hadn't been for that young wizard, they may have died before being able to tell what had killed them.
'Small blessings' she smiled in defeat, thinking about how she and her family had narrowly escaped a gruesome death once again, just moments ago.
The waiter stopped at a door, saying something to them briefly in her language, before bowing and leaving.
Amelia and Harold hesitated for a moment, before inserting the key into the door and opening it.
Once they looked inside the room, they felt that it was... acceptable.
There were two single beds. The sheets were clean, from what they could make out, and there was a window at the other end that let beams of sunlight through. The window overlooked the street outside, and as she watched, she managed to take in the fact once again, that currently, they were in a completely different world.
"So, dear... what should we do?" She turned from the window and looked at her husband, then at her children who seemed to be doing well.
Harold let out a deep sigh, considering.
"Eat, rest here for the night, and then try to find the military? If there still is one" Harold suggested as he walked to sit on one of the beds.
"What about the... situation?" Amelia spoke with care, not to let her kids worry too much, but also said enough to let Harold know what she was referring to.
"Well..." Harold sighed when he thought back to the looks those mercenaries gave them.
"It seems Klein can handle it?" He said hesitantly. He wasn't sure he should trust that young wizard - he was unusual enough as it was. But he also felt that there wasn't much they would be able to do in this strange world without him.
They had seen firsthand what kind of creatures and beasts lay in wait, and he knew that they would find it difficult to survive.
Not only that, but the wizard also served as a helpful translator. The fact they still had their heads attached could attest to it.
Amelia hummed as she glanced back through the window.
Amanda and Harry made themselves comfortable on a bed, already beginning a pillow fight.
"Are you hungry? It's about lunch already" Amelia asked her husband.
"Honestly, rather than lunch, I'm dead tired. Couldn't sleep well last night"
Amelia nodded, then looked at her kids who were still playing with each other energetically.
In truth, she was also exhausted, though, she didn't feel like she needed sleep as she had managed to find some last night, though she did wake up briefly in the middle.
So she simply resumed watching the bustle of the town through her window lost in thought.
A while passed.
Knock. Knock.
Amelia turned her head towards the door and glanced at her husband who had already fallen asleep at some point, even amidst their children's playing.
She walked towards it, opening it slightly, a mountain of stuff greeting her.
Before she could react, twinkling eyes peeked from behind the stuff.
"Hey hey, coming in!" Klein announced, holding some things he had bought from various places.
Amelia opened the door wider, doing her best to conceal the relief she felt at Klein's presence.
"Pardon me, I decided to get you guys some things" Klein stepped through the doorway, inspecting the room.
Thump.
Klein let down his burdens, "No need to worry about me, I'll find someplace else. Wouldn't wanna intrude, haha" He chuckled and then introduced his gains "Here's some clothes and some snacks. Wouldn't want to feel to outa place here, would you?" Klein gave Amelia a wink.
Amelia glanced at the things on the floor and then looked up at the young man. Ever since they met yesterday, she couldn't recall a moment when that twinkle left his eyes.
It was... odd.
"Thank you. You've done a lot to help" She said as she sifted through the things. It was certainly better to dress as one of the townsfolk to avoid attention.
She sighed.
She had no idea what she was doing.
'Come to think of it, shouldn't he be feeling the same way?' She thought with confusion. The normal reaction would be how those mercenaries behaved, or how she and her family were taking this whole situation.
She had to remember that the entire situation was completely unexpected and devastating for both of their... worlds.
"Do you need anything else?" Klein observed the woman as she organized the things he brought.
"Hmm, not for now, thank you. Maybe a meal in the evening, if it isn't too much trouble." She replied, slightly distracted.
"Sure sure! No worries, just relax. Oh, I'll come back before you go to bed and set up a small shield enchantment, just in case" Klein smiled, then made his way to leave the room, observing the young siblings briefly as he passed by them.
Once the door closed, he chuckled to himself "We're in a bit of a pickle", he skipped through the corridor as he recalled the stories and events told by the mercenaries, "Ghosts, huh...?"
Klein shuddered with a nervous smile as he recalled Nystagmus and its oversized parent. He had the pleasure to witness something deeply disturbing last night.
If the ghosts and apparitions they saw were going to be anything like those, he needed to prepare more thoroughly.
He couldn't let his new alien friends die too, after all.