It was a bright, pleasant m when Li sifted through the quests pinned on the guild board. Her firaced over the board as she sed the various requests, her brows up in tratioually, her eyes nded on a simple quest: delivering goods to aown. At first g seemed mundane, but the idea of traveling beyond their usual bounds piqued her curiosity. She liked the thought of venturing somewhere new, seeing different sights, and taking in fresh experiences. With a small nod to herself, she decided to discuss it with her team.

  Gathering everyo their usual table, she pced the quest sheet in the ter and tapped it with her finger. "So, I was thinking we could take this one," she said, watg their reas. "If you're okay with it, I don't mind," Sera said softly, her voice calm and posed as always. She rarely argued over quests, trusting Li’s judgment. Adrian, always easygoing, shrugged with a casual grin. "I'm fih it too. It'll be good to stretch s a bit." Doran leaned ba his chair, his arms crossed as he smirked. "If everyone's in, then so am I. No pints here." Drakar, unsurprisingly, gave the shortest response. "Let's do it," he said simply, nodding.

  With unanimous agreement, Li grabbed the part and officially accepted the quest. However, before setting off on preparations, she rushed home to inform her father.

  "Aown?" Zora asked, his expression immediately clouding with . He set down on the wooden chair, his hands tightening as he processed her words. "Li, that's dangerous. You don't know what's out there. Let me e with you." Li folded her arms, standing her ground as she looked him in the eye. "Dad, I'm an adventurer now. I won’t be alone; I have my team. You've got to trust me on this." Zora sighed heavily, his protective instincts at war with his daughter's growing independence. He rubbed his forehead, knowing she wouldn’t back down. After a long pause, he finally relehough not without hesitation.

  "Fine," he said at st. "But promise me you’ll be careful. And… I won’t follow you. I promise." Satisfied, Li’s face softened. She stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you, Dad. I’ll be back soon." As Li left to prepare with her team, Zora sat in silence for a moment, his fingers drumming anxiously oable. Though he had promised not to follow, he couldn't help but think of ways to ensure her safety from afar.

  By mid-m, the team had gathered their supplies, food, ons, and all the essentials for travel. The neighb town was about a day and a half away on foot. They set off in high spirits, their boots g against the dirt path as they moved steadily through the forested route. The trees stretched tall around them, their thick branches providing pockets of shade from the midday sun. Birds chirped overhead, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, making the journey feel peaceful.

  As evening approached and the sun dipped lower in the sky, they decided to set up camp for the night. While Adrian, Sera, and Li prepared dinner, Adrian took the lead with practiced fidence. He twirled a kween his fingers before expertly slig through vegetables. "Cooking’s an art," he remarked with a smirk. "And I’ve learned from the best chefs." "Right," Doran yawned, unimpressed. "Just don’t burn anything."

  As they ate, ughter and warmth filled the campsite. The food was simple but hearty, the kind that tasted better after a long day of travel. However, Li’s cheerful mood was soon interrupted when a strange sensation prickled at the back of her mind. She felt something—someog them from nearby. Her instincts tingled, and she turoward the bushes, her eyes narrowing in suspi. "Adrian," she whispered, leaning closer. "Something’s there." Adrian looked up from his food, sing the area zily. He didn't seem particurly ed. "I don’t feel anything," he said with a shrug.

  Still unvinced, Li nudged Drakar, whose senses were always sharp. "Do you se?" Drakar didn’t respond with words. Instead, he stood immediately, grabbing his axe in one swift motion. His expression darkened as he moved with silent precision. Without hesitation, he luoward the bushes, swinging his on with practiced force. The impact sent leaves scattering, but instead of an enemy, something small and glowing darted out, floating into the air. "Stop!" Li shouted, holding out a hand. She had caught a glimpse of it—this wasn’t a threat.

  H before them was a tiny, bubble-like creature. Its silky fur shimmered in pastel hues, shifting colors in respoo its emotions. Its rge, round eyes darted about, filled with curiosity and a hint of nervousness. Li cautiously approached, her voice soft and reassuring. "It’s okay. We won’t hurt you." The creature hesitated but didn’t flee. It hovered uainly before allowing Li to gently scoop it into her hands. Its soft, plush body gave off a faint warmth as it gazed at her, then goward the remaining food.

  Realizing it was hungry, Li smiled and ihe creature to eat with them. It wasted no time, eagerly mung away at the scraps left oes. Adrian chuckled, watg in amusement. "Well, that’s a first. It’s kind of cute." Li tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think we should keep it." Sera's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! It’s adorable!" Adrian nodded in agreement, while Dora out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, but I’m not ing up after it." All eyes turo Drakar, who simply exhaled sharply. "I don’t care. Do what you want."

  With that, Li decred the creature an official member of their team. As they tiheir meal, Sera suddenly perked up. "It needs a name, don’t you think?" Li nodded. "You thought of it first, so you should name her." Blushing slightly, Sera took a moment to think before speaking. "Let’s call her… Fizzle." The tiny creature, still mung on food, paused and looked up. To everyone’s shock, it spoke in a tiny, cheerful voice. "Not bad. I like the name Fizzle. You call me that."

  The eeam froze in disbelief. Li blinked. "Did… did it just talk?" Fizzle floated up slightly, her tone smug. "Of course, I talk. Don’t doubt me." For a long moment, the team simply stared at her in stunned silehen, as the reality of the situation sank in, ughter rippled through the camp. Despite the surprise, it was clear, Fizzle had already made herself a unique addition to the team. And with her around, their journey was sure to bee even more iing.