The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 14 - Newcomers

After a few barbs were thrown between Yelsa and Fran, Rep decided to simply ignore them and continue the conversation between Gorb and Zalan.

"What were you doing in Pludon?" Rep asked Gorb. "That is many weeks' journey."

"Yelsa is in search of an Elemental. We heard rumors of an Air Elemental living at the top of the mountain. The rumors were true, but..." Gorb shrugged his shoulders. Rep nodded, understanding the implication.

"But what?" Zalan asked.

"She failed the challenge!" Fran teased, pointing a finger.

"I paid you to assist me in getting the power! You left me on my own. If anything, it is the two of you that failed the challenge!" Yelsa protested.

"We have been over this," Gorb sighed.

"No! Just because the two of you agree does not mean that these two men would agree! You were unreasonable!" Yelsa looked between Fran and Gorb with distaste, then turned her attention to Rep and Zalan to explain. "I paid them to help me gain an Elemental Power, but upon reaching the Elemental, they stepped back and left me to fend for myself!"

"Which is how it must be!" Fran cut in.

"You do not know that! I paid for a service that you refused to provide!" Yelsa snapped.

"We did not agree to assist you in gaining the power, only in finding the Elemental," Fran said confidently.

"You certainly made that up only after the Elemental appeared!" Yelsa said.

Zalan stared in confusion, not really following who was in the right, but having a question nonetheless.

"Can't she just... try the challenge again? Did yours have a time limit?" Zalan asked.

"Elementals do not give time limits," Gorb answered confidently.

"Well..." Zalan began before Fran jumped in.

"When an Elemental's challenge is issued, you may only attempt it once. Only once. When you choose to attempt it is up to you, as Elementals always grant challenges that do not expire," she said.

"But I..." Zalan tried again, but Fran cut him off.

"But if you fail the challenge, then the Elemental does not grant you their power under any circumstances. You were deemed unworthy of the power and must find another Elemental to woo by completing its challenge," Fran concluded.

Yelsa was frowning, her eyes fixed away from the people in the conversation in annoyance.

"You seem to have a lot of questions about Elementals for someone who just gained the power of one," Fran pointed out.

"Rep didn't tell me. Failing their challenge didn't come up in any of the books I read about them, either. I just assumed," Zalan said.

"He can read?" Gorb looked at Rep.

"Fastest reader I have ever seen!" Rep nodded. "He read three books in a single sitting!"

The four looked at Zalan, clearly amazed at the feat. His eyebrows furled, not having considered his reading speed to be even above-average before. He felt warm under their attention and quickly tried to move on.

"Should we be heading back to Oriton?" Zalan asked Rep.

"Can you stand?" Rep asked.

Zalan looked down at himself and shook his head to his own chagrin.

"Then we will camp here tonight," Rep answered.

"We will join you," Gorb said, already moving to unload supplies from his pack.