Chapter 51: Rainy Days

A month had passed since Sarah stepped through the doorway. Somewhere along the way, the warm afternoons had disappeared along with her fear of the outside.

The mornings had become colder, the nights longer, and the rain had settled into a nearly permanent rhythm against the windows.

"I’m soooo bored," Katrina complained. "It’s been raining for weeks. We’ve lounged like it’s our jobs."

"Do we technically have jobs? Like, I know we’re guild members now, but..." I asked, gesturing with my hands. "Maybe we should do something about that?"

Damara did not even look up from the book she was reading. "We are registered. But if we do not complete a commission by the end of the month, the guild master will suspend our tags for inactivity."

"Wait, really?" I asked, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

I tapped the screen to wake it up. The Celestial Market app sat in its usual spot, but right next to it, a brand-new icon pulsed with a faint gold border.

[ System Update: Local Guild Network Synchronized. ]

"Uh, guys?" I muttered, tapping the new icon.

A holographic list of bounties projected straight up from the glass screen, painting the dim living room in a soft blue light.

Katrina’s ears twitched. She rolled right off the couch, landing perfectly on her feet before leaning over my shoulder to stare at the floating text. Sarah shifted from where she was curled up in the armchair, planting her bare feet on the floor and leaning forward to get a better look at the projection.

"Looks like we don’t even have to walk in the rain to find work," I said, swiping past a few low-level gathering quests. "The guild board just downloaded itself. Let’s see... ’Sewer Slime Clearing,’ absolutely not. ’Escort the Merchant,’ too boring."

I stopped scrolling and grinned. "Here we go. High payout, and it gets us out of the house."

Tapping the holographic text pulled up the details for a bounty near the top of the list.

Katrina immediately pointed at a different one floating near the center. "Wait, what about that one? Clearing out a flooded cavern network on the edge of town. Lots of moving around. I really feel like I need to hit something. Hard!"

"I agree," Damara said, leaning forward to read the payout. "The reward is substantial, and it requires a strong tactical approach. It is perfect for us to work on our teamwork."

Sarah grinned, her green eyes lighting up as she looked at Katrina. "This will be my first real quest. I’m so excited."

"Hold on, you three want to take a dungeon dive by yourselves?" My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"We can handle it, Sam," Katrina teased, crossing her arms. "We don’t need you to hold our hands for every single fight."

Before any real argument could start, Elise walked into the living room holding a mug of tea. She looked incredibly different than she had a month ago.

Her posture was straight, and the color had fully returned to her cheeks. She stopped next to the couch and looked at the glowing blue list.

"I... think I want to go out too," Elise said quietly. "It’s time to get used to being outside without hiding behind all of you," she added, gesturing to the group.

Glancing between the cavern quest and Elise made the decision easy. Taking her into a flooded, monster-infested cave for her first day back outside was entirely off the table.

Scrolling past the combat bounties revealed the local errand tier at the very bottom of the list.

"Okay, the girls can take the cavern." A quick tap on a small green icon secured the alternative job. "We are going to take this one. The local clinic is backed up with winter sicknesses and needs an extra healer to help process ingredients and sort their stock."

Meeting Elise’s gaze, the pitch was simple. "It is indoors, the pay is decent, and there is zero chance of getting stabbed. How does that sound?"

Elise smiled, taking a sip of her tea. "That sounds perfect."

The girls didn’t waste any time. Katrina practically sprinted upstairs to grab her weapon, dragging Damara and Sarah behind her. Within ten minutes, they had their rain gear equipped and were out the front door, leaving the house completely quiet again.

I turned to Elise. "Ready to brave the weather?"

She gave a firm nod and set her empty mug on the coffee table.

Grabbing our heavy coats from the rack, we stepped out into the cold autumn downpour. The walk to the center of the village was a muddy, wet trek. We kept our heads down against the wind until the large wooden building of the local clinic came into view, marked by a faded green cross painted over the double doors.

Pushing the heavy doors open, the sharp scent of medicinal herbs and rubbing alcohol immediately replaced the smell of rain. The waiting room was packed tight with coughing villagers, and a single, exhausted-looking nurse was rushing between cots.

An older woman with graying hair and a heavy leather apron stepped out from a back hallway, wiping her hands on a towel. She looked us up and down before tossing the towel onto a front counter.

"You the guild help?" she asked, her voice raspy.

"We are," I answered, shaking the water from my coat.

"Good. I don’t need you out here. I need you in the apothecary room. Follow me."

We followed her into a cramped back room smelling strongly of peppermint and damp earth. A massive wooden crate sat in the center of a long table, filled to the brim with pale, glowing roots.

"Winter-Brier," the woman explained, pointing at the crate. "It is the only thing that breaks the chest congestion half the village has right now. But it is a nightmare to process. The moment you crack the root, it releases a numbing toxin. If you breathe it in, your lungs freeze."

Elise stepped closer to the table, her eyes scanning the glowing pile. "How do we safely prepare it?"

"It takes two people," the woman said. "One to physically crush the roots in the iron mortar, and a healer to constantly filter the air around the bowl. The healer has to strip the toxin from the paste as it forms. It requires perfect timing. Can you two handle that?"

I looked at Elise. She gave a firm nod.

"We can do it," I said.

The woman handed me a heavy iron pestle and left us to it. I rolled up my sleeves, grabbed the first glowing root, and placed it into the large mortar bowl.

Elise stepped in close, pressing her shoulder against mine. She held both of her hands over the bowl. A faint turquoise light washed over the dark iron.

"Ready," she whispered.

I brought the pestle down hard. A sharp crack echoed in the small room, followed immediately by a hiss of pale vapor. Elise’s magic flared, catching the vapor and dissolving it instantly before it could rise toward our faces.

"Perfect," I muttered, grinding the root down into a fine paste.

We fell into a steady rhthhm. I grabbed, struck, and ground the tough roots, while Elise maintained a flawless net of healing magic.

The pile was massive, guaranteeing we would be stuck in this cramped room for hours. But as we worked shoulder-to-shoulder, completely in sync, neither of us complained.

For the first time in a month, Elise looked completely at peace, the sight filled me with joy and excitement.