The common room of the partially damaged inn was filled with the weak light of morning, filtering through patched-up windows.
The sounds of hammering and voices trying to organize the rebuilding effort drifted in from outside.
A few survivors sat hunched over rough tables, eating meager rations in silence, the shock still heavy in the air.
Ryder came down the creaking stairs, moving stiffly, every muscle protesting yesterday's ordeal.
The Innkeeper, a sturdy woman with tired eyes, spotted him instantly. Relief washed over her face, mixed with awe.
"Ah, the Hero of the town!" she exclaimed, bustling over. "Please, sit, sit! You must be exhausted. Let me get you something warm."
She quickly brought a bowl of meat stew with some freshly baked bread, placing them on the table in front of him.
"We wouldn't be here without you. Truly. I'm Elara, by the way."
Ryder eased himself onto the bench, the simple act sending aches through his body.
"Thank you, Elara. And please, just Ryder is fine."
He accepted the warmth welcome and glanced around the quiet room.
"How's that scout kid? Rigg? Is he alright?"
"Young Rigg?" Elara nodded, her expression softening. "Shaken badly, but alive, thanks to you bringing him out. Doctor Elms patched him up best she could."
Ryder nodded, a knot of tension easing in his chest. Good.
He focused on the stew, attacking it with a hunger that surprised even himself.
Just as he was scraping the last of it clean with the bread, a Crowpoint Defense guard, who had been waiting quietly near the door, approached him.
"Ryder, sir," the guard said, keeping a respectful distance. "Glad to see you up. Captain Hessa asks if you would meet her at the command post when you're ready."
Ryder pushed himself stiffly to his feet.
"Alright. Lead the way."
The guard nodded. "This way, sir."
Ryder gave Elara another nod of thanks and followed the guard out of the inn's entrance, stepping into the ruined town square.
Outside, the square looked stark under the higher sun.
The rebuilding efforts were underway. Clearing rubble, patching walls, but the scale of the destruction was overwhelming.
As they walked, a flicker of light appeared near Ryder's shoulder, coalescing into a tiny cowgirl sitting on his shoulder.
"Headin' to the command post?" Betsy asked cheerfully. "Hope she's got some good rewards lined up, and maybe some intel besides."
The guard glanced back, startled by the voice, but quickly looked forward again.
Ryder suppressed a wry smile and followed the guard towards the building Hessa was using as a command post.
The command post was set up inside what might have once been the town hall, though one wall was partially collapsed.
Rough wooden tables held maps marked with charcoal, scattered reports, and meager supplies.
Hessa stood hunched over one map, looking tired but resolute. Rigg was beside her, pointing to sketches on a piece of parchment, drawings Ryder recognized instantly as depicting the corrupted tunnels and the strange symbols they'd encountered.
The guard announced Ryder's arrival, then stepped back as Ryder entered.
Hessa looked up, than turned back to Rigg, "Thank you, Rigg, this is invaluable work. Go get some rest. You've earned it."
Rigg nodded, gave Ryder a respectful glance, and shuffled out, looking exhausted but relieved to be dismissed.
Hessa watched him go for a moment, then turned her full attention to Ryder, gesturing towards a rickety stool.
"Ryder. Thank you for coming."
Ryder took the offered seat. Hessa leaned against the table, crossing her arms.
"Rigg's debrief... confirms the extraordinary nature of events underground. Things that contradicted to what we know about fractures completely." Her gaze was direct.
"Your abilities, Ryder, and your Anchor's…" she paused, her eyes flicking towards Betsy's holographic form for a split second, "frankly, they exceed known parameters. Given the unusual circumstances and your effectiveness, I ran a check against the Kingdom's Anchor Bearer registry."
She picked up a piece of parchment that looked official, despite the rough setting, and placed it on the table.
"Which leads to a complication. There's no Kingdom record of an Anchor Bearer named Ryder Vance."
Ryder met her gaze, feeling a familiar discomfort.
He wasn't good at deception, but the truth... the truth was impossible.
"I... honestly, Captain, I don't know how to explain my situation. It's... very complicated."
"Now hold on, Captain," Betsy piped up, sounding slightly defensive. "Give the fella a minute. It ain't exactly standard procedure, findin' yourself bonded to... well, me."
Hessa's eyes flicked briefly towards the hologram again, her expression unreadable this time, observing Ryder's genuine lack of a rehearsed story, discomfort clear on his face.
She seemed to weigh her options, then made her choice.
"Understood." She tapped the parchment decisively. "We'll establish a working identity for now. Ryder Vance. A Crowpoint resident who recently came accross an natrual Anchor and formed an bond under duress during the attack."
She pushed the document across the table. "This should suffice for initial reports."
She lowered her voice slightly, her eyes briefly touching the spot where the hologram had been before it winked out.
"A word of advice, Ryder. Most people in the Kingdom aren't aware that Anchors can be sentient like yours. And among the few circles where it is known, particularly higher up."
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even more.
"It carries a certain stigma. It breeds suspicion, fear, and unwanted attention. It would be wise to be very discreet about her full capabilities when dealing with people. I've already impressed upon the people who saw, or heard her that loose talk won't be tolerated."
"Discreet. Understood." Ryder nodded slowly, understanding the implied warning. Keep it simple. Don't advertise the talking truck.
"Well, shucks," Betsy tipping her cowgirl hat. "Guess I gotta keep my headlights dimmed 'round strangers."
The tiny cowgirl gave a mock salute and winked out of existence.
'Doesn't mean I gotta like it though', her voice echoed in Ryder's mind.
Hessa straightened up, her tone becoming more official. "One more thing. Given your situation and capabilities, I highly recommend you register with the Hunter's Guild."
Ryder looked up, interested. "The Hunter's Guild?"
"They're the Kingdom's primary force against Primordial threats," Hessa explained. "They provide resources, training, access to specialized workshops for Anchor maintenance. And substantial rewards for neutralizing threats. A necessity, especially with incidents like this apparently increasing lately. They have an operating guild hall in Oakhaven City."
Ryder processed this. Resources, training, maintenance... it sounded potentially useful, maybe even necessary given his circumstances. But it raised a question. "If they handle these threats... why weren't they here? Why was Crowpoint facing this alone?"
Hessa sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Crowpoint is remote. This Primordial, whatever it truly was, masked its energy signature somehow, bypassing sensors until it triggered the fracture – something that shouldn't happen this close to a settlement. It's highly unusual and deeply concerning. By the time the Guild could have been alerted and mobilized, it would have been too late. We are still investigating why this happened."
She gestured towards a map unrolled on the table. It showed the region, with Crowpoint marked near the western edge and a larger settlement labeled 'Oakhaven City' several days' travel to the east.
A silent conversation passed between Ryder and Betsy in his mind.
'Guild registration... sounds like a good idea, maybe,' Ryder thought. 'Workshops, resources. And getting answers.'
'And maybe find out if they pay well for squishin' monsters,' Betsy added.
Ryder made up his mind. It was the only real lead he had. He looked at Hessa. "Oakhaven, then. Heading there to check out this Guild seems like the logical next step."
Hessa nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. It's five days east by conventional travel." She looked up. "Will you require transport?"
"We're set for transport, Captain," Ryder confirmed.
Hessa then grabbed a small, somewhat heavy pouch and a sealed envelope.
"This is a reward for your actions in neutralizing the Primordial threat. It's what Crowpoint can offer. And this letter," she indicated the envelope, "details your actions here and what you stopped. I've... adjusted some specifics to align with your established identity, for discretion's sake. Present it to the Oakhaven Guild Master. It should expedite matters for your registration."
Ryder accepted the pouch and the envelope, the rough parchment of the map feeling heavy in his hands along with the unexpected weight of the coin.
"It makes sense." Ryder repeated, testing the name. "Thank you, Captain."
He stood up.
"I'll need a couple of days to prepare before departure. Need to... figure some things out."
Hessa nodded. "Take the time you need. Crowpoint owes you that and more."
Ryder gave her a nod of farewell and exited the command post, stepping back out into the sunlit ruin of the square.
He walked slowly back towards the inn, the documents clutched in his hand.
'Guild... Oakhaven...' he thought, the names echoing in his mind. 'A direction, at least.'
'Yep,' Betsy's voice replied mentally. 'Gives us somethin' to aim for. But first things first, Suger.'
'Yeah?'
'Back to the inn. It's quieter there. High time we checked out that System upgrade you earned back in the tunnels. See what new toys we unlocked.'
A faint smile touched Ryder's lips despite the exhaustion weighing him down. 'Good call.'
He reached the inn and headed back towards his room, the weight of the future pressing down almost as heavily as the ache in his muscles.