Tessa turned her staff around in her hands, quietly happy about how she finally had it back. Though she wondered how Torgrak changed it. Perhaps it would help relieve the toll that came with channeling the light, or maybe it amplified her powers and strengthened them. Her mind began wandering what what potentials her staff might hold now.

“Oi! Vee lass! Get off cloud nine, vill ya?”

Tessa snapped out of it.

“A-ah! Yes! What were we doing again?”

Torgrak let out an annoyed sigh and walked over to her with a couple of vials in his hand. They all had a vibrant red color to them, but looked a little off. Moving to the left side of her waist, Torgrak adjusted part of Tessa’s armor to reveal some leather slots designed for the vials and popped them in.

“What are those for?”

“Zhey’re healin’ potions. Use zhem vhen ya need zhem.”

Torgrak then tossed a couple Hei’s way before equipping himself with some. Next, he gave everyone a bottle filled with an orange liquid that fizzed and hissed. Immediately, Hei popped the cork off it and downed it all at once. Torgrak did the same. Following what her mentors did, Tessa drank hers and noticed it tasted very sweet and fruity but burned going down. She half-wanted another one. A small burp came up, followed by a burst of warmth flowing through her body that quickly faded away.

“What was that, Torgrak? Tasted better than I expected.”

“Fire resistance potion. It’ll help mitigate zhese cultists’ main source of damage.”

Hei chuckled, “Just don’t ask for a second one. One potion is good, a second will have you spiting up fire, literally.”

Turning back to the window, Hei kept watch while Torgrak made his final preparations. Putting the rest of his things away and quickly.

“Looks like we’ve been found out.”

Torgrak inspected his rifle one more time.

“Got a count on zhem?”

Hei chuckled, “A lot.”

Breaking his rifle open and loading a round, Torgrak was locked and loaded. Tessa wondered what kind of weapon Torgrak wielded exactly, but the sound made her apprehensive. Her wound had mostly healed, but she felt a kind of phantom pain. It burned for a moment, but quickly faded. Shaking her head, Tessa believed it to just her nerves kicking in before things got hairy.

An eerie silence fell upon the room as Hei watched and Torgrak loaded slots on his belt with bullet after bullet. Tessa felt the atmosphere quickly becoming tense, the sound of her breaths becoming the loudest noise in her mind.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the room’s door. Tessa nearly jumped out of her own skin as everyone’s eyes turned to stare at the door. Then came the welcoming voice of the innkeeper.

“My apologies, if I’m disturbing you at all. Just wanted to offer some food in case you missed dinner.”

No one moved, and the innkeeper wondered if anyone was present.

“H-hello? Anyone there?”

Hei nodded to Torgrak, and the dwarf silently answered the door. Torgrak didn’t share any pleasantries and took the food in. It was a pot of stew and three plates. They could hear the innkeeper returning to the lower floors and Torgrak set the stew on the ground.

The smell of the stew filled the room. It was intoxicatingly pleasant, and Tessa reached for a plate. Her stomach rumbling from how she hadn’t eaten since yesterday. Immediately, Torgrak stopped her. He said nothing and took out a piece of the same fruit from yesterday. Tessa was disappointed, but had a feeling Torgrak did it for a reason. Quickly eating the fruit as she watched. Her making embarrassing noises the entire time the stew was in the room.

Dipping a finger in and tasting the stew, Torgrak tasted it.

Hei asked, “Poisoned?”

Torgrak spat out what he’d just put in his mouth.

“Aye.”

Torgrak put a plate on top of the pot to keep the smell from tempting Tessa further.

“Any updates on vhat’s going on outside?”

“Well, it could just be me, but I think the giant orbs of flame being summed on the roof next door might be a good indicator.”

Torgrak kicked the nearest bed over, creating some makeshift cover, and pulled Tessa behind it.

“Hit zha deck!”

All at once, multiple fireballs smashed into the room. Demolishing and scorching the floor Hei, Tessa, and Torgrak were on. Burning much of the wood and cloth away. And while the bed served as cover for a moment, it was now naught but ash. Torgrak and Tessa popped up from behind the burned bed, looking around as the cult surrounded them on all sides. Hei, however, had protected himself with his shield. His armor appeared a little burnt now, but

Hei laughed, “Well! I must say they know how to start a party!”

Torgrak took a deep breath in, enjoying the burnt smell as he raised his rifle.

“Some of da best hosts ve’ve ever had! Even know how ta remind me of home.”