(Dyn)

  Eight hours ter…

  Dyn woke to a dull ache in his arm, Meekan’s slumbering form making it numb. She slept soundly on top of it, her hand csped around his. She’d pulled up a chair beside him and dozed off fag him. With her brown fox eyes closed and her fluffy ears tucked ly against her head, she almost looked human. Her hair, oyled for st night’s dinner, now hung loose in messy strands.

  Someone had adjusted his chair while he slept, leaving him in a semi-reed position. Curious if there was any sting physical damage but not wanting to wake Meekan, he kept his arm still. Instead, he flexed his toes cautiously. A wave of relief washed over him as sensation spread through his stiff muscles. His ankles cracked softly as he rolled them, testing his mobility. ‘That’s a good sign,’ he thought.

  All three had fallen asleep with the infirmary lights still on. Dyn y ba his reing chair, Meekan curled beside him, while Nathan sat slumped in a nearby seat, arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

  Another ache pulsed through Dyn’s gut, a lingering reminder of the previous night’s ordeal. He prodded his belly, meeting a soft resistahat sent small ripples of disfort through him. Aside from some lingering tenderness, everything seemed in order.

  “You’re awake,” Meekan said, still perched on his arm, her fox eyes blinking up at him.

  “I’m awake.” Dyn forced himself to break eye tact, a hint of warmth stirring in his chest. It was way too early to get lost in those brown eyes.

  Meeka go of his hand to sit up straight, stretg her arms high above her head. A loud yawn, followed by cute squeaks, apahe arg of her back as she roused herself awake.

  Nathan stirred awake. “How are you feeling?” He rolled his stiff neck; a side effect from using his own shoulder as a pillow. Dyn noticed his eyes were blue again—a wele ge to seeing his other, darker colors.

  “Surprisingly, I feel fine. Just a little tender inside.” Dy poking at his stomach.

  “Are you hungry?” Meekan asked, her ears twitg upright.

  “Pretty sure I’m starving for real this time.” Right on cue, his stomach let out a loud gurgle.

  Meekan padded over to the ter, returning with a square object ed in kraft paper. “Charles left you something to eat,” she said, handing it over.

  Dyn pihe bridge of his nose and hung his head. “Are there any other options?”

  “No,” Nathan and Meekan said in unison.

  Dyn rolled his eyes, halfway to a pout, before his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl. With a heavy sigh, he took the ed loaf from Meekan. He couldn’t fault Charles for the gesture—he was lucky to have anything to eat at all—but that didn’t make it any easier to choke down the fk.

  Dyn tore off a small piece of the bluish-gray fk, grimag as he bit down. The texture was rough, like stale cardboard, and the salty tang g to his tongue, making him shudder. Unfortunately, it was the only food they knew was safe for him to eat.

  He forced down another bite, shivering as the taste lingered. “So… at what rank do I get to survive oing glyphs or whatever?”

  Nathan furrowed his brow, etched across his face. “Dyn, you ’t even digest normal food.” He pihe bridge of his h a sigh. “I ’t believe I even have to say this, but please don’t go around swallowing expensive magical items.” His voice firmed. “It’s wasteful—and, more importantly, a choking hazard.”

  Meekan pressed her hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle a ugh.

  Nathan crossed his arms, giving her a pointed look. “Dyn almost died because he tried to eat food his body couldn’t process.”

  “I know, I know.” Meekan chuckled, trying to trol herself. “I’m just picturing him running around, shoving gems and glyphs into his mouth while you chase after him.”

  “That’s not funny,” Nathan said, fighting a smile.

  “Wait—” Dyn swallowed hard. “Are you saying I have to keep eating?” He forced down another bite of fk, grimag. “Forever?”

  “Yes.” Nathan nodded, chug. “That’s how eating works.” He broke into ughter at the sheer absurdity of the versation.

  “But…” Dyn stared down at the fk, then looked up, tilting his head. “Why are you ughing?” Meekan and Nathan were in hysterics, tears streaming down their cheeks from untrolble ughter.

  Dyn’s belly vulsed as the chuckles snuck up on him. “Why am I ughing?” He struggled to hold it back, failing miserably.

  He’d almost died, barely surviving a catastrophic death loop that might’ve burhrough his remainis—whatever that meant. And now? He was eating the saddest sandwich, talking about stuffing magic objects into his mouth, and questioning if he’d ever be able to stop eating. Perspective was funny like that.

  Dyhe fk aside—eating and ughing didn’t mix. Meekan poi him, a snort esg before she could stop it. Her eyes went wide with embarrassment as she cpped a hand over her mouth, still giggling untrolbly. Doubled over, Nathan stomped his foot, wheeziween chortles.

  “Do it!” Meekan howled, clutg her sides as ughter overtook her.

  Le’pard, looking fresh aed in a set of clothes, strolled into the doorway. He g the three ughing loons and arched a brow. “What’s so funny?”

  All three turo look at him, then immediately dissolved inthter, too breathless to expin even if they wao.

  Le’pard already khe answer—he’d been there. A slow grin spread across his face as he watched them make fools of themselves, and before long, the chuckles caught up with him too.

  When the ughter finally subsided, Le’pard grinned. “I’m gd you’re feelier. Just wao che on you.”

  “Thanks,” Dyn said, managing a small smile.

  Le’pard gave Nathan a nod before heading down the hall toward the dining room, still chug to himself.

  With half of his uen fk lying in his p, Dyn thought of his friend. “Where’s Charles?”

  Nathan wiped the st traces of ughter from his eye. “He said something about getting arrested.”

  “Arrested?” Dyn shot upright. “What do you mean? How? When?” He jumped to his feet, fk at the ready.

  Meekaed a hand on Dyn’s arm, gently steadying him. “We don’t know what happened.”

  “Do we know where he is now?” Dyn tore off a sizeable k of fk, chewing it with grim determination.

  Nathan stood and began gathering the empty vials scattered around the room. “He said to meet him at the stabury once you were feelier.”

  “He’s in jail?” Dyn turo Meekan, eyes wide. “We’ve got to get there before something bad happens.”

  The vials ked softly as Nathan packed them into a bag. “Charles should be fine—”

  Dyn shook his head. “It’s not him I’m worried about. He’s like John Wily with magic.” The thought of an angry, forced-out-of-retirement Charles made him shudder.

  “I’m fine now. Let’s get to the stabury—or station, or whatever it’s called.” He shoved the st of the fk into his mouth, ign the horrid taste.

  Nathan tossed a crumpled cloth into a undry bin. “First, you’ve got to ge your shirt.”

  Dyn gnced down at the crusty stains and grimaced. “Ugh… gross.”

  “Yes,” Nathan sighed. “And I wish you’d let me get you some new pants.” He eyed Dyn’s stained, bloodied mess of pants.

  “Yeah…” Meekan gave his pants a quid wrinkled her hey’re really starting to smell.”

  Dyn hung his head, eyes shut, as the blow nded. ‘Great—now I’m officially old and stinky,’ he thought. With a heavy sigh, he stepped into the hallway and froze, gng left, then right, unsure which way to go.

  “You’re lost, aren’t you?” Meekan said with a knowing smirk.

  Dy gng bad forth. “Yep.” He could only hope the answer hit him before he became the old, stinky, helpless guy.

  “I’ve got him,” Nathan said, straightening the seat. “He’s my responsibility.”

  She reached up and gave Nathan a quick hug. “Right, but he’s my friend, too.” Theepped over to Dyn, and he realized they were the same height—if you didn’t t her ears.

  She ed him in a tight hug, leaning in to whisper, “Everything will get better, I promise.” Then she pulled aing her nose. “Maybe sider a shower…” Her apologetic smile softehe jab. “I’m sure Charles would appreciate it.”

  Dyn hung his head, defeated. Yep. Stinky. Again.

  “Mind ing up while we—?”

  Meekan shooed them off with a pyful flick of her hand. “Go on. I’ve got this. Even Ru won’t knoere here.”

  Nathahem back to the dorms along a different route. Outside, the sun was warm and rising—it was still m. They arrived without i.

  Dyn opted for a quick shower—no way was he letting the pretty fox-woman call him stinky a third time. To his relief, the showers were just like the ones oh, plete with bars of soap, which he used on both his hair and body.

  His refle in the mirror caught him off guard—a lightly bearded Dyn stared back. Shaving, unlike exerg, was one of the few habits he still kept. But it had been nearly a week since his st shave. After cheg both profiles, he decided the beard was growing on him, and he’d keep it.

  On their way to the Dartmouth stabury, Dyn noticed that most people walked to get around, reserving mounts and vehicles—magiundane—for hauling. It took them nearly an hour to reach their destinatiht o City Hall.

  After a stretch of quiet, Dyn turo Nathan. “The League of Adventurers runs the hospital, right?”

  Nathan gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

  “Do they hahe police, too?”

  “No,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “The League handles municipal services—medical, fire, rescue, and issuing League cards. But they stay out of making or enf local ws.”

  They turned down areet lined with imposing buildings, like the League of Adventurers’ Hall. “So, your cops are just unpowered locals?”

  “Mundane,” Nathan corrected. “That’s what we call normal people without magic abilities.”

  “Okay, but what happens if someone like Charles breaks the w?”

  “If the locals need help, they issue a request through the tract System. Charles turned himself in before they had to issue one for him.”

  “Will that… help him?”

  “Usually, the courts let the League haheir own.”

  “But Charles isn’t a lised adventurer anymore—he’s retired. So… what happens to him now?”

  “I don’t know.”

  They climbed the steps into the Dartmouth stabury. They weren’t allowing Charles any visitors, but the judge had postponed his hearing until Nathan had arrived.

  An attendant escorted Dyn and Nathan to their seats in the courtroom, which reminded Dyn of his time on jury duty. Polished wood furniture gleamed under soft lighting, filling the air with the st of aged wood and polish. Wood railings and paneling lihe walls, while plush carpeting dampened echoes and white marble adorhe ceiling.

  The biggest differeween Mother ons ah courtrooms was the judge’s bench. Here, it sat level with them instead of looming overhead.

  The attendaurned a mier with ara chair, pg it beside Dyn’s. Shortly after, Charles arrived, fnked by two uniformed drai. They guided him to his seat and took their pearby in the gallery.

  Dyn noticed Charles wasn’t wearing handcuffs—or any other restraints, for that matter.

  The rugged elf leaned over and said, “Gd to see you’re still alive.”

  The entrance opened, and a petite gered the room. Her shoulder-length, wavy silver hair was flipped to one side. She wore a bold ensemble in pink, bck, and purple—straight trousers, a tucked-in low-cut shirt, a buttoned vest, and a sharp, pelled jacket. The vibrant colors drew as much attention as her fident stride.

  ‘Annome?’ Dyn wondered.