It was late when they arrived in Wysten.


    Abad couldn''t make out much of the town. From what he could see, it didn''t seem like much. The entire settlement, including its fortifications and defenses, seemed to be built from wooden walls that had been hastily assembled, though the buildings were all stone, indicating that the town pre-dated the fortifications. The streets were little more than mud and clay, and with the heavy rains, there were puddles and mud everywhere, and the few people who were out on the road had mud caked halfway up their legs.


    The party were shown to an inn near the eastern wall by Ulrich. It was a ramshackle place with tiny rooms and cheap table food laid out in the main hall. The inn didn''t have any rooms available, but the innkeeper agreed to let them eat the table food, use the facilities, and sleep in the main hall for a nominal fee. The party was grateful for a roof over their heads, even if the food was basic and the conditions weren''t ideal. The fireplace was warm, and the inn was dry. That was enough.


    However, to Abad''s eternal frustration, there was a single problem. He''d gone in search of a bath, but there was none. Instead, the inn had a single large wooden trough in the basement that was filled with cold, dirty water. There was a fireplace in set into the wall that heated the water, but the wood had long since burned away, meaning the water was likely cold. Dipping a finger into the filthy brown water, his suspicion was confirmed. It was freezing. Worse, from the look of the water, it had clearly been reused many times throughout the day.


    Seeing the disgusting state of the tub, Abad had the urge to burn the establishment to the ground.


    "It''s not the best," Shani said as she entered the small bathroom. A-Nis walked in behind her and shut the door. The sisters began stripping down to their underclothes. Both were filthy. Shani had mud caked up her legs and on her arms and face, and A-Nis, while slightly cleaner, was completely pruned up, and her undergarments were soaked through from driving most of the evening.


    Abad smiled. While the omnipresence of communal bathing hardly inspired modesty in the races of Elysium, nudity to the elves meant little. Elven culture celebrated the natural form, and the women''s obvious comfort with him suggested that they saw him as one of their people. It felt good.


    However, the elven desire for purity and cleanliness was at war with their current situation.


    "At least there''s somewhere to bathe, even if it''s cold," Shani said, but her face screwed up as she looked at the water, and she didn''t move.


    "Yeah, we''ve had worse..." A-Nis replied, equally staying far from the water. "Remember that time in Beldan?"


    "Goddess, we were sick for weeks..." Shani murmured.


    He shook his head. He could do this. They needed to bathe. They couldn''t stay this filthy. He looked at the fireplace. No wood was left to burn to heat the tub. "I could heat the water myself if you two want to bathe first." He saw the hesitation in their eyes.


    "Nope. Not happening." Shani shivered as she pulled back on her clothes. "I''ll stay gross."


    "Yep." A-Nis pulled her soaked clothes back on.


    "How can humans do this?" Abad asked.


    "They''re disgusting. That''s how. Let''s go find the stable. They always keep a bucket and a pump for the horses. It won''t be much, but at least the water is fresh." A-Nis had finished dressing and opened the door.


    "Do you think there''s a bathhouse in town?" Shani asked as they left the room.


    "I hope so." Abad followed. They found the Firtz outside, towels in hand.


    "Ahhh," Firtz sighed. "I can''t wait." He gave them a confused look as he brushed past. "Not sure why you all are waiting, but I''m jumping in!" The door shut behind him, and a moment later, they heard the water splash out of the tub and onto the floor. Soft humming echoed out of the basement.


    "He''s going to die from the plague," Abad said. The women nodded.


    En-In, somehow far more clean than everyone else, nodded as they walked toward the front. Zethari was lying next to the fire. Abad could see she''d fallen asleep. He could never do that. She was far too dirty. Shaking his head, Abad walked up to the innkeeper.


    "Is there a bathhouse nearby?"


    The innkeeper was a tall man, even taller than Abad, with a thick beard and greying hair. "Yeah, five streets over to the north. You can''t miss it." He pointed toward what Abad could only assume was the north.


    "Thank you." He said as he walked out the door, followed by the women.


    They squelched their way up the muddy streets until they found the lotus symbol that hung over the door of the building. The party quickly ducked inside. The same cheap perfumes as in Farnfoss assaulted his nose, but these were somehow even more sickly sweet. An elf walked out of a side room, dark circles decorating the underneath of his eyes.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Bathing for the lot of you?" He asked in a dull voice.


    "Please," Abad said as he pulled out his crystal pouch.


    "It''s three gold per person or eight for the lot of you." The elf held out a pale hand, and Abad handed the gold to the elf, who yawned as the crystals fell into his hand. A moment later, he handed them some towels and simple soaps, and they were shown to the bath. The elf led them into a large, single room, similar to the one in Farnfoss, but this room had no side chambers. A single lotus stone was set into the far wall, steaming water dripping from the orifice.


    The three stripped down, and moments later they were soaking in the warm waters. Abad used a wash cloth to clean his face and neck while the sisters did the same.


    "Gods," Shani breathed out, her face a mask of pure relief. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back, black hair spilling out around the stone behind her. "I needed this. This trip has been a mess."


    He chuckled. "You''re not wrong."


    "I can''t believe how much mud there is in this region." A-Nis scrubbed her arms and feet, and as she did, the water around her turned dark brown. "I''ve never seen so much dirt in my life. Why does anyone even live here?"


    He shook his head. While the endless forests were beautiful, everything seemed dirty. Even Farnfoss, which was opulent compared to Wysten, was a dirt pit. The people there just happened to cover that pit with a few gems and silks.


    After scrubbing away the filth, they all melted into the water and enjoyed the warmth and comfort. Abad felt some of the pain of the day''s travel seeping from his tired muscles as the warm waters soaked into him. The wagon ride had been smoother on the second half of the trip, but it still was taxing. He was glad they were here, and since they''d pushed through, they''d have an extra half-day to rest before heading out to Syrenthal.


    "Hey Abad," A-Nis''s voice echoed off the stone walls.


    "Yes?" His voice echoed back.


    "Where are you from?" She asked. He could feel her blue eyes watching him.


    "Volkash. From a small grove called Eran, but we left when I was young and ended up in a city called Varkenth near the border of Istaera. That was after..." His people discovered he was a monster. He didn''t know how to finish the sentence. He let the words die.


    "Varkenth." She said softly, letting the word roll around her mouth. "I''ve never heard of it."


    "It doesn''t exist anymore." He sighed. "It was destroyed in the Night of Red Flames." He looked at her. "What about you two?"


    A-Nis was scrubbing her arms again with the cheap soap, and somehow more dirt came off. As the question washed over her, she stopped, and a distant look came across her face. "We''re from a grove called Aerenith in Deneir. The grove sits in the center of a lake and is completely self-sustaining. It''s beautiful." She smiled as she spoke. "I haven''t been back in many years, but I''m sure it''s the same as it''s always been."


    "Deneir is beautiful, and Aerenith is equally so," Shani added. "But I don''t like the groves there. They''re all so... insular."


    "Yeah, they are." A-Nis laughed, the sound echoing off the stones. "It''s why I was so excited to leave."


    "Why did you leave?" Abad asked.


    The sisters looked at one another. "A-Nis left first. Decided she''d be an adventurer and went to Saerne. A few years later, I sent a letter to my master in northern Deneir, and he took me on as an apprentice. That was about... ten years ago, right?" She looked at her sister.


    A-Nis shrugged. "Eleven, I think." She dunked her head underwater, and when she popped up, she wiped the water away from her eyes. She blinked a few times. "I''ll be happy to head home next year. In Blossomreach there are festivals. It''s a good time to go home."


    Shani''s smile grew, though it seemed forced. "It is a great time. The city smells like flowers everywhere, and there are dances in the square and plays in the theater. We both decided we''d head home in the spring." The sisters looked at one another again.


    "It would be good, I think," A-Nis said, her words echoing softly off the walls.


    Something passed between them, but it was gone as soon as it came. A moment later, A-Nis'' eyes met his. "You should come. The festivals are limited to our people and generally also limited to citizens only, but my father would vouch for you, and he''s close with the queen. I''m sure we could get you permission to join us."


    He felt hesitant, but something in their words resonated with him. He hadn''t seen an elven festival in centuries. It could be pleasant to experience one again.


    Seeing him consider their words, Shani added, "We''ll be home for a while too, at least until fall. You''d have time to explore and rest. And you''d get to know our people." Her smile faltered a bit. "Your people." She looked down into the water, and the smile slipped from her face.


    "Perhaps," he replied, not sure how else to answer. He was, however, flattered that she saw him as her people. Ever since he''d met her, Shani had been the most willing to extend him the benefit of the doubt. He was grateful for her thoughtfulness. "We have some time before then, but I promise I''ll think on it. Thank you for the invitation."He doubted he would take them up on it, but he appreciated the thought.


    "Will you ever go home, Abad?" Shani asked.


    He thought about his brief visit to the top of Draekenspire. It had been nostalgia-inducing being back in that place. He''d even gotten a glimpse of his dark father''s castle in the distance before Kasimir arrived. "I think I will." He wanted to see it again. The region had never been the most populated, in part due to the Dark One''s presence and in part due to its hostile landscape. However, he wondered if anything more had come of it since his time. "I''d like to see my homeland again. Perhaps Eran is still there as well. Call it morbid fascination or foolishness, but it might be nice to see what became of the land."


    "Little word comes from Volkash, and I''ve never been, but I hear it''s beautiful," A-Nis said.


    "It is. The mountains are tall, and the valleys are deep. The rivers are bright and cold and the snows fall all year." He thought about how the world grew darker as the year went on now. "I''m sure there is more snow now than in my time as well, but that matters little when there are hot springs, especially in the west. When I introduced Selene to the springs of Volkash, she said they were a greater pleasure than any she''d ever experienced."


    "Selene?" Shani asked.


    "An old ally." He realized that word didn''t encompass how he''d felt about her. "A friend, and sometimes a lover. Often a rival. She was the first ally I''d gained besides my teacher and my familiar." He tried to retain an air of lightness, but he knew he wasn''t succeeding. "We grew close of the years we spent together. She''s gone now, but I remember her fondly."


    "I see... Well, your home sounds lovely. Perhaps, after we go to Aerenith, we can travel to Volkash. I''m sure even Firtz and Kjormur would be moved based on your description."


    "Perhaps." He smiled and drifted back into his thoughts.


    Their conversation faded after that. A short while later, they were finished. Each of them pulled fresh clothes out of their packs, dressed, and made their way back to the inn, careful to not soil their clean bodies and fresh clothes as they made their way back to their temporary home.