Drake and Elara emerged from the Whispering Caves, blinking in the late afternoon sunlight. The fresh air felt good after the damp, musty atmosphere of the cave. Drake took a deep breath, feeling his lungs fill with clean air.
"We did it," Elara said, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "We actually did it."
Drake nodded, a grin mirroring her expression. "Not bad for a couple of amateurs, if I do say so myself." He patted the pouch containing the Sunstone, which he had temporarily retrieved from his inventory to show her.
As they started walking back towards Oakhaven, Drake remembered the Merchant's Guild's reward. "Speaking of doing it," he said, "we should probably collect our payment."
They arrived back in Oakhaven as the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the streets. They headed straight for the Merchant's Guildhall. Inside, Master Elmsworth greeted them with a wide smile.
"Excellent work!" he exclaimed, clapping Drake on the shoulder. "We've already received reports that the goblin activity has ceased. It seems you've dealt with the problem admirably."
He turned to Elara. "And Elara, we thank you for your assistance as well. Your knowledge of the area proved invaluable."
Elmsworth then produced two large pouches of gold coins. "Here is your reward," he said, handing one pouch to Drake and the other to Elara. "500 gold coins each, as promised. And since you recovered the Sunstone," he added, handing Drake another pouch, "here is the additional reward of 500 gold coins."
Drake hefted the heavy pouches, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Well, that's certainly a nice bonus," he said. He stored the pouches safely in his inventory.
Elara smiled gratefully at Elmsworth. "Thank you, Master Elmsworth," she said. "It was an honor to assist the Guild."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Drake and Elara left the guildhall. They stood outside, the street lamps casting a warm glow on their faces.
"Well," Drake said, turning to Elara. "It looks like this is where we part ways."
Elara nodded. "It seems so," she replied. "It was… an interesting adventure, Drake. Thank you for your help."
"The pleasure was all mine," Drake said with a wink. "Though I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of each other."
Elara smiled, but didn't reply. She turned and headed off down one of the side streets, disappearing into the night.
Drake watched her go, then turned and headed in the opposite direction, towards the clearing where he had first heard the whispers of the trapped spirits. He had a meeting to keep.
He arrived at the clearing, finding it bathed in moonlight. Corvus was perched on the same branch of the gnarled oak, his glowing eyes fixed on Drake's approach.
"I see you have returned," Corvus said, his voice deep and resonant.
Drake nodded. "I have," he replied. "And I have the Sunstone."