Jason and his crew managed to escape the inn without further incident. Kaelen’s yellow eyes had followed them to the door, but Helga’s grip on his arm kept him from pursuing. The moment they were outside, Jason pulled Thalion and Ylva into the first side alley he could find.

They pressed themselves against the cold stone wall, breathing hard.

"That was too close," Ylva muttered, her ears scanning for any sign of pursuit.

Jason nodded. His mind was already racing ahead. He still wanted to go on that adventure with Kaelen’s guild—the dungeon crawl, the egg, the possible rewards. But something was nagging at him.

What did the reptile mean by Thalion felt familiar?

There was a chance they knew each other. Kaelen was old—how old, Jason didn’t know. Reptilian creatures in this world probably lived longer than humans. Maybe centuries. Was it far-fetched to think Kaelen and Thalion had crossed paths before?

Considering Thalion’s age and how long he had been imprisoned, maybe not.

Although, the reptile had tried to clarify. He said it was because Thalion looked filthy the first time—different appearance, different smell. But Jason could tell it was something else. The way Kaelen’s eyes had narrowed. The way his nostrils flared. That wasn’t curiosity about dirt. That was recognition.

Jason filed the thought away for later.

"Ylva," he said, turning to her. "Take Thalion somewhere safe. Same town, but different location. Somewhere people won’t think to look."

Ylva’s eyes studied him. "Where are you going?"

"I need to make sure there are no loose ends. Someone might have seen us leaving the scene. I need to walk around, listen, make sure no one’s connecting Thalion to that dead orc."

Ylva’s tail flicked. "That’s dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous." Jason glanced at Thalion, who was still huddled in the blue robe, his silver hair hidden beneath the hood. "Can you walk?"

Thalion nodded weakly. "I can walk."

"Good. Go with Ylva. Don’t use magic. Don’t talk to anyone. Just... rest."

Ylva grabbed Thalion’s arm and pulled him toward the other end of the alley. "Come on, ancient one. Let’s find a hole to hide in."

Thalion managed a weak smile. "I have done that before."

Jason watched them disappear around a corner. Then he turned and walked back toward the main street.

He knew they needed a solid source of income. Ylva had money—enough to take care of them for a little while. But it would run out eventually. Food, lodging, supplies—none of it was free. And with his resistance to magic increasing, it showed he was getting stronger. Forty percent adaptation to mana manipulation wasn’t nothing. If he kept growing, kept adapting, maybe he could actually pull his weight on a dungeon crawl.

But first, he needed to survive the next few hours.

-

Jason walked through the adventurer’s district alone, his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning every face that passed. Most creatures ignored him. A few glanced his way—he was the only one without fur or scales, after all—but no one stopped him.

He had been walking for about ten minutes when he turned a corner and nearly collided with a figure he recognized.

Mira.

The catborn stood in the middle of the sidewalk, her midnight blue fur gleaming in the afternoon sun. Her amber eyes were half-lidded, her tail swaying slowly behind her. She wore the same leather armor as before, twin daggers at her hips. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Jason noticed her features were softer than Ylva’s. Same family class—feline versus lupine—but she was more cat than wolf. Sleeker. Quieter. Where Ylva was all sharp edges and bristling fur, Mira was smooth curves and silent grace.

Jason thought this was a coincidence at first. Two cat-like creatures in one day? But then he realized it wasn’t.

Her amber eyes settled the moment she saw him. There was no surprise. No accidental encounter.

She was looking for him.

"Mira," Jason said, forcing a casual smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

Mira’s tail stopped swaying. "Is it fancy?"

Jason tilted his head. "You looking for someone?"

"I’m looking for Kaelen and Helga," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "They were supposed to meet me an hour ago. They didn’t show."

Jason shrugged. "Haven’t seen them."

Mira stepped closer. Her nostrils flared. Her amber eyes narrowed.

"You’re lying," she said. "I can smell them on you. Both of them."

Jason’s stomach dropped. Shit.

Mira’s lips curled into something between a smile and a snarl. She kissed her teeth—a sharp, irritated sound.

"So that’s how it is," she said, crossing her arms. "They’re fucking, aren’t they? That’s the only reason they’d throw me off the scent. Kaelen always gets distracted when he gets back here. And Helga..." She shook her head. "Disappointing. But not surprising."

Jason felt disgusted hearing this. Because it put an image in his head he didn’t want to have. Kaelen’s massive scaled body. Helga’s thick arms and braided beard.

He shuddered.

"That’s... not what happened," Jason said.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you smell like their sweat?"

Jason opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

"I ran into them at an inn," he said carefully. "We talked. That’s it."

Mira studied him for a long moment. Her amber eyes seemed to peel back his layers, searching for the lie beneath the lie.

"You’re a terrible liar," she said finally. "But fine. Keep your secrets." She turned to walk away, then paused. "If you see Kaelen, tell him I’m not waiting forever."

She disappeared into the crowd, her tail the last thing Jason saw.

Jason let out a long breath.

Jason knew it would be in his best interest to stay close to Mira.

She was his connection to Kaelen’s guild. His in. If he let her walk away now, he might not get another chance to ask about the dungeon crawl. And with Thalion’s situation growing more complicated by the hour, Jason needed options. He needed a path forward that didn’t rely on a broken elf with exploding hands.

So he shouted for her to wait.

"Mira!"

The catborn stopped mid-stride. Her ears swiveled toward him, and she looked over her shoulder with those half-lidded amber eyes. Her tail swayed lazily, neither inviting nor hostile.

Jason jogged to catch up, his bare feet slapping against the cobblestones. He stopped a few feet away, hands raised in a gesture of peace.

"What do you want?" Mira asked, her voice flat.

Jason lowered his hands. "I want to know more about your crawl. The dungeon you’re about to go on."

Mira raised a brow. Her whiskers twitched. "You want to join us?"

"Maybe."

She studied him for a long moment, her amber eyes scanning his lean frame, his bruised face, his bare feet. Then she crossed her arms.

"Do you have your license?" she asked.

Jason blinked. "License?"

"Adventurer’s license." Mira said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone who goes on guild-sanctioned crawls needs one. Otherwise, you’re not eligible to receive rewards. No license, no payout. Guild rules."

Jason’s stomach dropped. "Why would I need a license? I’m just tagging along."

Mira’s tail flicked. "Tagging along doesn’t exist. Either you’re a licensed adventurer with a share of the reward, or you’re a liability we have to babysit for free. Kaelen might not care about the rules, but I do."

Jason sighed. "How do I get this license?"

Mira’s expression softened—just slightly. "There’s an exam. Physical, written, practical. They host them twice a year. The next one is in six months."

Jason’s jaw tightened. "Six months?"

"Six months."

He didn’t have six months. He didn’t have six weeks. He didn’t even have six days. Thalion was a ticking time bomb. Ylva’s money was running out. And somewhere out there, Tauriel was probably searching for her escaped prisoner.

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "There has to be another way."

Mira was quiet for a moment. Her amber eyes studied him—really studied him. Then she sighed.

"Follow me," she said, turning and walking down the street.

Jason didn’t hesitate. He fell into step beside her.

-

Mira led him through a maze of back alleys and side streets until they reached a building Jason hadn’t seen before. It was smaller than the Feather’s Rest, with a faded sign above the door and ivy crawling up the stone walls.

"This is where we’re staying," Mira said, pushing the door open. "Kaelen and Helga aren’t here. They’re still out doing whatever it is they’re doing."

She said the last part with a pointed look at Jason.

Jason raised his hands. "I told you. We just talked."

"Sure." Mira stepped inside, and Jason followed. She suspected Jason had joined them for a threesome otherwise their scent wouldn’t be on him.

The room was modest—a common area with a wooden table, a hearth that had long since gone cold, and doors leading to what Jason assumed were sleeping quarters. Mira tossed her daggers onto the table and sat down in a chair, gesturing for Jason to take the one across from her.

"So," she said, leaning back. "You want to join a dungeon crawl with no license, no gear, and no combat experience. Am I missing anything?"

Jason sat down. "I have experience."

"Fighting what?"

"Surviving."

Mira’s lips twitched. "That’s not the same thing."

"It’s close enough."

She studied him for a long moment. Then she reached into her leather armor and pulled out a small, folded piece of parchment. She tossed it across the table.

"What’s this?" Jason asked, picking it up.

"A temporary waiver," Mira said. "It allows unlicensed adventurers to join guild-sanctioned crawls as trainees. You get a share of the reward—ten percent instead of full. And if you die, the guild isn’t responsible for your body."

Jason stared at the parchment. "That’s... morbid."

"That’s business." Mira leaned forward, her amber eyes locking onto his. "I can get you on this crawl. But you need to understand what you’re signing up for. Stonefang tunnels aren’t a beginner dungeon. Goblins, spiders, traps, environmental hazards. People die in there. Experienced people."

Jason’s throat went dry. But he didn’t look away.

"I understand," he said.

Mira’s tail flicked. "Do you? Because Kaelen likes you. He thinks you’re funny. And because he likes you, he’ll try to protect you. Which means he’ll get distracted. Which means people could die."

Jason set the parchment down. "I’m not asking anyone to protect me."

"You won’t have a choice." Mira leaned back. "You’re weak. You know it. I know it. Kaelen knows it. The only way you survive this is if you stay in the back, keep your mouth shut, and do exactly what you’re told."

Jason nodded slowly. "I can do that."

Mira stared at him for a long moment. Then she pulled the parchment back and tucked it into her armor.

"I’ll talk to Kaelen," she said. "If he agrees, you’re in. But if you slow us down, if you put anyone at risk, I’ll leave you in the tunnels myself. Understood?"

Jason met her amber eyes. "Understood."

Mira stood up. "Then get out. I need to rest before Kaelen gets back."

Jason rose from the chair. "Thank you, Mira."

She didn’t answer. She just turned and walked toward one of the side rooms, her tail the last thing Jason saw before the door closed behind her.

Jason stood in the empty common room for a moment, his heart pounding.

He was one step closer.

Now he just had to survive until the crawl.