A few days passed, during which our adventurers worked together and learned to know eachother better. Goliath and Aspen gradually began to feel at home at the guild and in the town. Finally, an afternoon, Wardwig and his party came back from their mission. The evening, when all members had finished their work, everyone reunited in the common room to learn what discoveries they made.

"Seems that Tenetha was right," the Sawsbuck said, putting some notes on the table. "We have all reasons to believe that there's an issue with the Boreal Forest's Artifact"

"But..." the frowning Unown added, "Even if we approximately know where it is, it's burried underground. We don't know how to locate nor reach it. Neither do we know how to repair it, if it's even possible."

"Granted. But numerous people agree on something : there's someone behind this. Otherwise, why would it happen ? This person surely has learned the location in some way !" Dreim, the Perrserker replied.

"W-what ? But why would someone do this ?" Goliath added.

"They probaly asked the right people about it !" Aspen said, eager to find an explaination.

"Or they found a text that gives info about it ?" a Swellow named Dwyram replied "Some old legends, or maybe a list of them ?"

"Why not..." Orahcia considered "Maybe in a library ? Lycir's one ?"

The Sawsbuck admitted that they would have nothing to lose with checking in said library, given how big it was.

"But, if such a book exists," he said, "I highly doubt this is the kind of information they would make available for anyone to read..."

"Just leave it to me !" Aspen exclaimed with a wide arm gesture. "I'm a good negotiator," he proudly announced.

"That's true," Goliath confirmed with a smile.

The guildmaster looked down for a while, thinking. Finally, he suggested that the newly-founded team went looking for clues at Lycir's Library. Each one of the four adventurers accepted. Being all beginners, it would be an educative and interesting mission for them.

"Excellent ! The Runerigus rejoiced. "You will head to Lycir tomorrow. We're counting on you !"

"Good luck !" Claymore added.

After that, everyone went eating. The adventurers all enjoyed the meal, made of bread baked by the guildmaster himself, cheese, grilled berries, potatoes and various vegetables, and oatmeal biscuits. Then, they went back to their cabins. Goliath and Aspen each went on their respective side of their own, which was divided into two smaller rooms. The Gigalith arranged a few supplies in his bag for the next day.

"So, everything is ready..." he tought. "Don't want to forget anything. It's our first mission of this importance... Tomorrow is going to be be good."

Then, he lied down on his mat and immediately began snoring quietly.

Next day arrived, and the party left the guild to go towards Lycir. Its huge library was one of the symbols of the city, and they were really hoping to find some information about the Artifact there.

"Big cities... Never visited one. How are they ?" Goliath asked with his deep voice, as they were walking on the road on this beautiful day. As he grew up in a small mountain village he barely left, Lycir would be something new to him.

"Well," Amaria explained, "Imagine all the different people you can, from all cultures and backgrounds. Add all the shops and activities you want. It's all of this reunited in the same place . You really have all sorts of things here, but you can get lost easily of you're not careful. Like in the small streets of Sarathom, but way bigger, see ? I will guide you, I know the town for having grown up there."

"I've studied in this town for about a year !" Orahcia added. "Lycir is a beautiful place. The library is something to be seen ! I'm sure you will love it."

"OH ! Look !" Aspen almost yelled, making the Escavalier jump.

He pointed at the remains of a camp, hidden behind the pines, next a fallen tree trunk. There could see an extinguished campfire, a half-ripped old banner and several crates. It was the latter that drew the Shiftry's attention.

"What marvellous treasures are these crates hiding ? Let's see !"

He went towards them, followed by the Sirfetch'd. Goliath stayed still, frowning.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Aspen reassured, seeing his friend's expression. "Don't you see how old these crates look ? I wouldn't do this if they were a chance someone still lived there, you know it."

The big Gigalith didn't protest, but he had promised himself he wouldn't loot anywhere outside obvious dungeons. This place didn't qualify according to his rules. As Aspen was talking, Amaria had already begun to rummage through a crate. The Shiftry came towards her and nearly dove into the container.

"Oh... Interesting." Amaria said with a grin, getting a large white ear of a edible plant out of the crate. "Aspen, I think you're starting to lose your fur. That's a shame, really..."

"Excuse me ?" Aspen immediately retorted, outraged, as the Sirfetch'd sneered. You didn't mess up with the Shiftry's precious mane.

"Really ? That's all you have to say ? I'm disappointed... But I guess it's wrong to attack someone who can't defend themselves."

Smoke could have been getting out the Grass type's ears.

"Do you want me to cook the leek you're calling a sword with it, you eye-offending, smelly fungus ? It would lift it pretty well."

Amaria froze for a second.

"Hmmm... Well, no. Sorry about that. You're right..." she admitted while Aspen smirked victoriously. "... Too many junk of unknown origin must have got buried in that fluffy mess of a fur for it to be edible !"

They kept arguing for a while before Orahcia managed to stop them. Finally, as the crates only contained hardly perishable foodstuffs, they decided not to take anything.

"Let's leave all of this here for people who may need food more than us," the Shiftry said.

They walked back on the path and spent their day walking, stopping a few times to rest or eat. At the end of the day, as night was beginning to fall, it was time to find somewhere to camp.

"So," Aspen said, "shouldn't we establish our camp now ? I'm starving !"

"Hmm... I think this place's a little too... Oh !" Orahcia suddenly exclaimed in the middle of her answer.

The three others turned their heads too see what the Escavalier was pointing at. It was a pretty large flower with long, numerous, bright orange petals and a twisted stem.

"It's a traveller blossom !" she exclaimed while waving her spears.

Traveler blossoms were very lightweight flowers which could easily become airborne when the wind was blowing. It carried them from place to place, hence their name. Orahcia bounced towards the flower, went through her bag and got a mossy, wooden staff out. Its end was curved and decorated with honey-coloured small crystals. Focusing herself, she brandished the staff in the flower's direction. Goliath and Aspen, who never saw the bug use her item, watched with widened eyes as a light warped the plant which uprooted itself, shrunk to the size of a nut and fell onto the ground. Orahcia then took a small jar out of her bag and stored her new find in it.

"One more flower !" she rejoiced. "I'm getting closer to my dream of a big garden..."

"Your staff can do THAT ?" the Shiftry bellowed.

"We live in a world where magic can duplicate things or make bags hold far more than they should be able to." Amaria said, not bringing up the fact that she was herself quite impressed the first time she saw the item in action.

"This is a nice dream. I hope you succeed." The Gigalith told Orahcia, smiling.

"So, Orahcia ?" Amaria asked. "What where you saying before finding this flower ?"

"What I was saying ? Oh ! Yes. I think this place it a little too stony. Let's find another one."

The rest agreed while Aspen's stomach protested in a growl. They continued their walk.

"Hmm... Maybe here ?" the Gigalith suggested as they reached a small clearing.

"Don't you see that it's muddy ?" Amaria answered.

After passing by a thorny spot and a sloping one, they ended up finding a nice place and layed their stuff down in the grass. The terrain was less rocky and a few trees with a golden foliage could be found, indicating that they were getting closer to the Boreal Forest.

"FINALLY !" Aspen yelled triumphantly, getting all his food out of the bag.

Orahcia sighed in relief and layed on the ground, yawning.

What's up in the Gigalith's head :

"So we found a place after walking all day. It's nice. There is a small river nearby and a few berry bushes. We picked up some wood to make a campfire. And started to eat around it. But Aspen smelled a cooking odor and Amaria went to see what it was. Group of bandits not far, apparently. Amaria said we had to move somewhere else. Otherwise we could be in hot water if they found us. I was confused, so I asked her if the bandits were Water types. But she just rolled her eyes with a sigh. I didn't really understand what was going on... But we eventually reached a safer place."

"So ! Can we finally eat in peace ?" Aspen asked as they layed their belongings down on the new place's ground.

"I hope so," Orahcia answered.

While chewing on their food, the group started to talk about something essential for camping travelers : night watch.

"Eeeeh... Hmm. Yes. It's sure a good idea." the Shiftry said as Orahcia asked how they were going to proceed.

"Are you telling me you didn't think about this ?" Amaria sighed.

Goliath thought back about their days on the road towards the guild, when they indeed went through a few nights without setting any watch turn. Luckily, nothing happened to them.

After agreeing on an order, they stayed around the campfire for a while, talking about the mission that was waiting for them the next day. Then Aspen, Amaria and Orahcia rolled their travel mats out and went to sleep. The Gigalith stayed near the fire,watching out for the slightest warning sign.