Chapter 4: Preparing For The Labyrinth

It was a new day, birds chirping and flying while the sun shone bright from the big blue morning sky, with clouds that stretched on forever. The cabin on the outskirts of the city, home to the four adventurers, was bathed in the morning light. Alex woke up cheerful as ever, declaring, "Time to get this day started!" He ran to the lounge, ready to get some coffee, but then he got a sad expression when he realized that in this world, there was no coffee or caffeine.

He sometimes wished he had a phone. He would wake up, wondering where his phone was, only to remember that in this world, he didn't have one. Yet, as he sat down on the couch and put his feet up, he realized that he would trade phones and caffeine any day for the world he was in. "Shit, there's no TV," he muttered, feeling a pang of longing for his old world's comforts.

Lyra walked in, rubbing her eyes and looking exhausted. "Alex, what are you doing up this early, and what's a TV?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

Alex smiled at her. "Oh, it's just something from my old world that I miss."

Lyra awoke quickly and jumped next to him, bugging him non-stop. "What is a TV? What does it do?"

"It's just a screen that shows stuff recorded," Alex explained.

Lyra tilted her head. "What's a recording?"

Alex had a weird expression. "We'll talk about that another time."

Elandor walked into the room, stretching his arms. "Morning, everyone. I'm going to get ready and prepare for the mission. Can someone wake up that grumpy old fool?"

Alex laughed. "I guess I will then." He walked up to Thrain's room, knocking on the door. "Thrain, wake up. Hello?" The old man was sprawled all over his bed, snoring up a storm. Alex's patience wore thin, and he screamed, "Old man, wake up!"

Thrain jolted awake, mumbling, "Who is there? I know 500 different spells, you bottom feeders."

Alex chuckled. "Get up, Thrain. We need to prepare for the mission and work out so that we are ready for the labyrinth today."

Thrain groaned but relented. "Well, alright. I'm getting up."

Alex went back downstairs as the group started preparing. Lyra, still a bit sleepy, asked Alex, "Can you head to town? We forgot some food and camping equipment for the travel."

Alex sighed, "Alright, but we better have a carriage because this is you guys making me walk even longer."

He headed to the city market, marveling at the beautiful places and the rich culture all around him. Dwarves were selling various items, their booths filled with exotic goods and crafts. Alex made it to the shop and asked, "How much for all of this?"

The seller replied, "It is 400 coin."

"What?" Alex exclaimed, his voice rising. "How is it that much?"

The seller shrugged. "It's the inflation. Don't talk to me, talk to the king."

A strange woman with short golden hair, who looked like a thief, approached Alex. "If you need extra coin, I got you," she said, her beauty stunning him.

"Oh, thanks. Me and my party need this to go to a labyrinth," Alex replied.

"A labyrinth? You and your party must be pretty strong if you're going to a labyrinth," the girl remarked.

"Yeah," Alex said, handing over the coins.

The seller smirked. "Are you buying or not?"

"Yeah, she is," Alex replied, grabbing the stuff. "Ah, this is heavy."

The girl smiled. "Well, I'll be seeing you around then."

"Yeah, see you," Alex said, watching her walk away.

He carried the heavy load back to the house, where he was greeted by his friends. "Guys, I'm back and got the equipment."

"Well, alright. Let's get on the road then," Lyra said, her spirits lifted.

As they started moving, Alex looked back at the cabin and said, "Well, here we go onto another adventure."