With the platform well behind them, the group started making their way through the crowd. Most people were gathered around one tent or another, no doubt trying their luck with joining a faction, which made the group’s walk more manageable, as they didn’t have to shove and push others aside. The previously alien speech Alex heard on arrival was no longer so foreign. Now he could discern what the shouting voices were saying with ease, all thanks to the smooth black ring resting on his left index finger.

“Join the Five Mountains Sect and unlock the mysteries of the universe!” screamed someone from the side.

“Embark on the path of the Tyrant Saber by joining our clan and cleave all that stands in your path!” screamed another.

The way the different voices were promoting their faction was so outlandish it bordered on ridiculous. It reminded Alex of the one time his mother took him to a carnival fair. The way these people were advertising was exactly like how the carnival workers would try to lure customers to the various freak shows and medium booths.

“Something tells me their claims don’t correspond with reality in the same manner,” thought Alex to himself.

After walking around for a while longer, Alex noticed another thing. The tents that gathered the biggest crowds didn’t advertise. He found this peculiar enough to share with the rest of the group.

“Yeah, I noticed too,” said Harry.

“I think these are the more influential ones” added Michelle. “They don’t need to advertise; their reputation speaks for itself.”

Taking another look around, Alex could clearly see the tents with the greatest amount of people gathered around. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke again.

“I say we try for one of those. The situation is fucked up as is already, and I wouldn’t want to get saddled with a dud faction. I didn’t mention it before, but the induction officer, Pahan, told me something at the end there.” said Alex.

“What did he say?” quietly asked Claire.

“He told me ‘Choose which faction you enter carefully. It will shape your future for years to come.’ word for word.” relayed Alex.

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” added Sarah with dripping sarcasm.

“Yeah, which is why I suggest we try that one over there first, it’s got a smaller crowd, but no clown trying to attract attention, which seems like a good start to me,” said Alex while pointing at a tent seemingly made entirely of giant peacock feathers. It was the same tent which caught his attention the moment he arrived inside the outpost.

“About that,” nervously said Harry while glancing sideways at Michelle. “We thought about it, and we decided we would like to try for the Healer’s Guild.”

A nervous silence took over the group while everyone was digesting Harry’s words.

“I understand that it feels like we’re abandoning you all,” interjected Michelle “but, Harry and I are not prepared for all this.”

“Yeah, we’re not really fighters, you know,” nervously added Harry “we’re doctors, healers, that’s all we’ve ever known. I know for a fact I’m never going to be able to do what Jake and Amber did outside to those monsters. And Pahan said that is only the beginning, later down the line we might have to fight those invaders too.”

“I understand,” quietly replied Alex.

“What the hell do you understand!?” shouted Sarah in Alex’s direction and immediately turning to Harry and Michelle saying.

“We’ve been through so much; you can’t just leave like this, we have to stick together. Who knows what’s going to happen from now on.” pleaded Sarah.

Sarah’s tirade only served to make Harry and Michelle more uncomfortable than before. Alex even noticed something like shame crossing Harry’s face. Taking that as his cue, he addressed Sarah this time.

“Stop it, Sarah. We’ve indeed been through some stuff, but you can’t expect someone to pander to what you want just because of that. Harry and Michelle decided that is the best course of action for their family, and it’s not your place to judge that. They don’t owe you, and if anything, we owe them. I owe them for getting me out of that rubble, which would otherwise have been impossible without their truck, and we owe them for taking us with them. Think about it for a minute. What do you think would have happened to us if they’d left us near the apartment complex, so far from the obelisk?”

Having said what was on his mind, he turned his attention to the married couple.

“Seeing as this is where we part ways, I’d just like to thank you once again, honestly. Without you, I would be dead right now. Besides, it’s not like it’s the end of the world. We’ll still see each other around the outpost.” added Alex with an impish smile on his face.

“Actually, it kind of is the end of the world,” added Harry, a small smile blossoming on his face as he spoke.

A moment later, the whole group burst into laughter, long overdue laughter, and the previous sombre atmosphere was dispelled. After taking another moment to compose themselves, Harry and Michelle addressed the group telling them where the Healer’s Guild’s tent was, in case they’d like to visit, and with that, took their leave.

After parting ways, the trio went about their initial course of action; reach the giant peacock tent, hopefully, get recruited, and maybe, afterwards, get a good night’s rest. Alas, that was not meant to be.

“What do you mean, ‘We’re not up to standards’!? You just took a look at us, and told us to scram.” screamed Sarah at the individual before her.

The androgynous man standing before the group was a good head taller than any of them. His skin, if he had any at all, was covered in intricate small scales the colour of verdant green and azure blue. His face was the same shape as a human’s, but with slightly larger eyes that shone with an unnatural glint.

“Yes, I just took a look at you, and I can say you’re not up to the standards of the Heavenly Allure Sect.” tiredly said the man.

“And what, pray tell, are those standards?” stubbornly asked Sarah.

“Beauty. Charm, elegance, grace, glamour, fairness. In a nutshell, good looks, which you lot clearly lack. Though, I could maybe take you in as a personal servant.” arrogantly said the man looking at Claire.

Seeing the shocked look on Claire’s face at that remark, Sarah fired up even more.

“Yeah, right, dream on, freak!” shouted Sarah at the man yet again.

“Then scram off, and don’t waste any more of my time. Go try your luck with one of the lesser factions, maybe they’ll take pity on you.” and with the wave of a clawed hand the man shooed the trio off.

Following the previous interaction, the group walked away with a slightly downcast face. Looking back to the tent, they could see the next unfortunate fellow being subjected to the scaled man’s derision. With a small shake of the head, the trio continued to retreat from the Heavenly Allure Sect, already surveying what faction should they apply to next.

After experiencing the same thing twice more, discouraged, the group found a quiet place to rest before continuing. First, they were rejected at a place called the Verdant Abode, where the representative politely declined their petition to join immediately followed by a suggestion to rest at the Abode’s Gardens, for a small sum of contribution points of course. Then rejection reared its ugly head at the Steel Fist Order where a stern-looking man simply said ‘No.’ and continued to glare at the trio until they left by themselves.

“I thought we were in demand,” said Claire meekly.

“Same. Pahan talked as if we were a valuable commodity to these factions,” added Alex.

“So why the fuck did they reject us!?” fumed Sarah with visible anger.

As soon as the words left her mouth, a couple of heads turned in the trio’s direction but quickly went about their business, no doubt to try their luck at getting recruited. Following Sarah’s outburst, the trio was content to rest in silence. After another fifteen minutes, just as the group was ready to try their luck with the next faction, something unexpected happened.

As they were about to move from their current spot, a wave of heat washed over them. The heat was reminiscent of a midsummer evening, pleasant and inviting. The arrival of two new individuals accompanied the oncoming heat.

Alex, Claire, and Sarah immediately recognized Neyesme, still in her crimson robe embroidered with white, moving flame patterns. Interestingly enough, this time, the look on Neyesme’s face looked anything but annoyed or irritated. On the contrary, to Alex’s eyes, she looked humbled. Walking in front of Neyesme was another woman, this one more mature, with the wisdom of age behind her eyes. She wore the same manner of robe as Neyesme, except hers was pure white, with bright crimson-red patterned flames adorning the surface of the robe. The two of them were walking towards the trio.

As soon as the two approached the trio, the older woman spoke.

“Are these the new arrivals I was told about?” asked the woman while sternly looking at Neyesme.

“Yes, Elder Eastfire,” replied Neyesme while looking at the ground beneath her feet.

Switching her gaze from Neyesme to the three people in front of her, she spoke again, this time, with a much gentler voice.

“Greetings, Neophytes,” intoned Elder Eastfire “I am Elder Eastfire of the Crimson Blaze Sisterhood. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Seeing confusion take over the faces of the three individuals before her, Elder Eastfire decided to continue talking.

“May I have the pleasure of hearing your names?” added the Elder.

“Uhh, my name is Alex, and the two behind me are Sarah and Claire, respectively,” said Alex while pointing at both his companions.

“Excuse my discourtesy, but I was led to believe there were five of you?” asked Elder Eastfire.

“Harry and Michelle, they decided to leave and try their luck with joining the Healer’s Guild,” replied Alex with a neutral face.

“Ah, aiding the sick and ill, a most noble choice of them,” spoke the woman.

“Well, given that was their occupation before all this happened,” said Alex while pointing around with his hand. “It only makes sense.”

“Indeed it does, but that’s not why I’m here,” said Elder Eastfire with a severe face.

“It has come to my attention that one of our disciples showed gross misconduct while on duty, thus tarnishing the good name of the Sisterhood. In front of both that healer boy and you no less. Isn’t that right, Neyesme?” sternly added the Elder.

As soon as the words were spoken, all colour left Neyesme’s face, and she looked as if she’d rather be anywhere but here in this moment.

“Yes, Elder Eastfire,” replied Neyesme.

“And don’t you think you owe them something, Neyesme?” added the Elder in the same stern manner.

“Yes, Elder Eastfire” replied Neyesme once again, this time lifting her head from the ground to meet the trio’s eyes.

“I sincerely apologize for my previous misconduct, and I would appreciate it if you found it in yourselves to forgive me,” said Neyesme, as if she had the line rehearsed.

Not letting a moment pass, the Elder spoke immediately.

“As it stands, I also owe you an apology for not properly disciplining my disciple. Part of the responsibility falls on my shoulders as her master,” added Elder Eastfire.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to do this,” said Alex while looking at his companions. “Isn’t that right?” he asked.

“Yeah, it all worked out in the end. You even had your shoulder fixed, so I’d call it even,” added Claire with a little cheer to her voice.

“Am I the only one still pissed about that shit-show earlier?” asked Sarah. “She even threatened to boil Harry’s tongue in his mouth!”

“Forgiving or not, I think that’s something for Harry to decide, and not you,” replied Alex.

“What an insightful young man, that is indeed the reason I inquired about your other two companions. We’ll have to take another trip to the Healer’s Guild in that case, as well. How fortunate for you, Neyesme, you’ll have the chance to apologize to that Alaric boy as well.” said Elder Eastfire with baleful glee.

“Now, the matter of your recompensation,” added the Elder turning to the trio. “How many contribution points would sate your thirst for justice?” asked the Elder looking specifically at Sarah.

While Sarah was ruminating on the question, Alex saw an opportunity that wouldn’t otherwise show itself again and decided to take it.

“If I may, Elder Eastfire,” said Alex with a sense of uncertainty.

“Go ahead. Speak your mind, young man,” replied Elder Eastfire.

“We seem to have encountered a streak of bad luck with the issue of recruitment. Perhaps instead of contribution points, you could point us to a faction that won’t turn us away, or perhaps put in a good word for us." Alex said expectantly.

“Yeah, that would be very helpful,” Claire chimed in, along with Sarah nodding furiously.

As soon as Elder Eastfire heard the trio’s reply, a complicated look covered her face. After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she once again addressed the group.

“I’m afraid that is not going to be as simple as you make it out to be,” replied Elder Eastfire.

“You mean you can’t even point us in the right direction!?” barked Sarah with an incredulous look on her face.

“Yeah, there shouldn’t be a problem with that Elder Eastfire, you could simply push some of the lesser factions around and make them accept them,” Neyesme added hopefully, clearly unwilling to part with her contribution points.

“Let’s just say that I can’t point you in the right direction because there is no direction to point you to.” mysteriously spoke the Elder.

While the rest of the group along with Neyesme were pondering what exactly Elder Eastfire meant, Alex was starting to piece the puzzle pieces together.

“So what you mean is, no faction in this outpost will accept us?” asked Alex ardently hoping he was wrong.

A small nod from Elder Eastfire was all it took to crash the trio’s spirits once again.

“But why? We’ve been at this outpost for no longer than a couple of hours! How did we offend all the factions so much they won’t even take a second look at us?” fumed Sarah.

“You know something, don’t you?” silently uttered Alex.

“Insightful of you. Indeed, I know. But I can’t tell you much.” replied the Elder.

“What can you tell us then?” asked Sarah with fervour.

“I can’t tell you everything, but there has been a directive from the outpost administration to deny all application requests from this young man right here for a while,” replied Elder Eastfire.

“Me? Why me? What did I do?” asked Alex, full of confusion.

“It’s not you, it’s something else, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s not my place to tell you.” replied the Elder with something akin to pity on her face.

“What about us, then?” asked Sarah.

“Collateral damage. The directive only concerned young Alex here, but the other factions don’t want to take chances, so they all decided to avoid anything regarding this matter, which means denying you two as well.” replied the Elder.

After the Elder’s explanation, Alex felt guilty for dragging Claire and Sarah into whatever this mess was. Contemplating on what to do next, he made up his mind as he turned to address the Elder.

“Since you know the directive does not concern them, and you don’t seem to hold the same apprehension about this issue, would it be possible for us to join your faction?” Alex asked with a drop of hope mixed in his voice.

“I’m afraid even I cannot go against such directives without harsh consequences. That is not even mentioning the fact that we’re part of the Crimson Blaze Sisterhood. So, to answer your question, no. Unfortunately, I cannot help you.” replied the Elder.

Hearing the Elder’s reply, Alex felt disappointment wash over him in a torrent. Seeing the despairing young man before her, the Elder thought something over and added.

“Considering how recent events played out, I feel it might be the will of the Great Starry Sky that brought us together today. While there is nothing I can do for you, what I can do though, is extend the Sisterhood’s invitation to these two young ladies beside you. I believe you might make worthy new additions to the Sisterhood. What do you think about it?” Elder Eastfire addressed Sarah and Claire.

“What!? You can’t!” hissed Neyesme.

“You presume to tell me what I can and can’t do?” Elder Eastfire asked while narrowing her eyes while looking at Neyesme. “It seems the issue of your conduct was far worse than I believed,” added the Elder.

A few silent moments later, it was Alex that broke the spell of silence as he addressed both Sarah and Claire.

“You should take their offer. As it stands, you won’t get far if you stick with me.” Alex said in a guilty tone.

“Alex, we can’t do that to you-“ Claire was about to say when Alex interrupted her.

“Yes, you can, and you will! I will never be a burden for anyone ever again!” furiously replied Alex.

“Besides, you heard the Elder. The order was to deny all applications temporarily, not permanently. Which means sooner or later, some of them are bound to accept my request.” added Alex with a fake smile and confidence in his voice.

“Sarah, say something, we can’t do this,” said Claire.

“No, Claire. He’s right. Whatever happened, it is his fault, whether directly or otherwise. We have to think about ourselves as well,” Sarah said solemnly, all previous fire gone from her speech.

Seeing the impasse the trio has reached, Elder Eastfire decided to give the final nudge to the group.

“I would like you to make up your mind faster, as I have some pressing matters to attend to. And if you’ll allow me to toot my own horn, I’d like to say that many a young lady would kill for the opportunity to join the Sisterhood. You can ask Neyesme about it later if you’d like.” candidly said the Elder.

“We agree,” immediately replied Sarah.

“Great, now then, as I mentioned – pressing matters, so we have to depart now.” added the Elder.

Claire took one last look at Alex before asking “We’ll see each other around, won’t we?”

“Of course we will. Just promise me to take care of yourself,” replied Alex with the same fake smile on his face.

A sad smile covered Claire’s face, and a small tear rolled down her cheek. Immediately after that, Elder Eastfire took both Sarah and Claire along with her and Neyesme to their base. While leaving, Sarah turned around and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to Alex for helping convince Claire. He knew that if he didn’t do that, Claire would have declined the Elder’s offer, opting to stay with himself. And with Claire staying, Sarah would do the same, never straying far from her baby cousin. But he couldn’t do that to them, or himself. He swore never to become a burden for someone else, and he wasn’t about to start doing so now. After another moment, he finally lost sight of the group, which blended into the far-off crowd, entirely disappearing. Silence settled around Alex again, this time, with an air of finality.

“Alone again, huh? Well, not like it’s the first time. You’ll manage.” Alex thought to himself.