Chrysalis

Enid sighed as she stretched out her aching spine. She'd been on her feet for almost two days and she just wasn't as young as she used to be. If this catastrophe had occurred twenty years ago, she'd have been in much better shape for one, and Derrion would have still been with her.

Her heart panged as she thought of her departed husband. The memory of him still ached and she tried to avoid thinking of him too often. You could only prick your finger on a thorn so many times before you learn to stop poking.

She'd thought that with the disaster that had befallen her nation, and the hectic days that had followed, she wouldn't think of him much as she'd be occupied. And she had been occupied, to an absurd degree. Enid wasn't certain that even at the height of her trading enterprise that she'd ever worked this much. Despite the lack of rest, the endless list of problems that people insisted on dropping on her table, she found herself thinking of Derrion more and more.

He would have been the perfect person to lead these people.

His slow, warm smile, his quiet strength and the short cut hair that he never bothered to take of that hung in his eyes. Even as he aged he'd never lost his affable nature, able to talk to the powerful and the poor in exactly the same way with nobody taking offense.

A legend with the sword, able to unlock a rare class after years of training and delving, he'd achieved a level of skill that Liria had perhaps not seen since its founding. In this situation, his strength, his confidence and his compassion would have seen these people through, Enid had no doubt about that.

But they didn't have Derrion Ruther, the legendary sword demon, they had Enid Ruther, the merchant, and she was doing the best she could.

Straightening up, Enid spotted a figure in dark leathers at the end of the street and quickly called out.

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"Morrelia! Are you back!"

In answer to her call a hand was raised and soon the too serious face of the mercenary came into view.

are you holding up?" Morrelia greeted the older

her face. Old she may be but she hated when the younger folk treated

she snapped, then sighed. "Sorry Morrelia,

grunted and leaned against the wall next to

am then, I'm absolutely exhausted. I swear you're

Maybe what they say is true and people get wiser as they get older. In that case I'd be the wisest person about

Morrelia chuckled.

straightened up, "if we had any time. Have you seen Beyn?

just got back!" Enid protested, "aren't you the one

was one person pushing themselves harder than Enid was, it was Morrelia. Whilst Enid had been working non-stop, all she had to do was organise people, make decisions and calm tensions. The young mercenary had been fighting with the risk of death hanging over her

look on Enid's face

all that. The monsters are low level and to be honest, these villagers are

village

She sighed.

go and find Beyn, I

across. The smiths were still working hard, pounding the metal that had been dug up by

Enid had suspected he would be. He'd recently asked Enid and other senior members to allocate a parcel of

had in her mind was, what exactly he was planning

she knew the answer but she hadn't felt brave

as the next group to head to the Dungeon. They each had their heads bowed

his kind. Selflessness, cooperation and unrelenting, unwavering