Anne led Feng Ye to a lounge on the second level.
Feng Ye had met Anne's party before. It was under a stressful and wary circumstance, however, so Feng Ye didn't catch any of their names with the exception of Anne. He recalled that there were originally seven adventurers who were surrounded by bandits. There were originally two tanks, three warriors, a cleric, and Anne, the mage. They broke free of the encirclement but at the cost of one of the warrior's lives.
Later, one of the tanks succumbed to poison while he defended the camp during a night ambush.
In total, this meant that there were only five members of Anne's party remaining. One tank, two warriors, one cleric, and Anne. Brutally, two members passed away during that incident.
At that time, Feng Ye also recalled meeting Lucas, a suspected Otherworlder mage, who seemed to have movements as though he had a virtual screen.
During most of the journey, Feng Ye didn't exchange many words with Anne's party due to the tense situation and level of distrust. Instead, everyone looked over their backs and kept each other in check.
Anne and Feng Ye arrived at the doorway of the lounge where her party was waiting. It would be an interesting reunion. This time under different circumstances.
Anne pushed the door open without knocking.
Inside, the lounge was very comfy. It had several sofas and couches. A few coffee tables were spread out throughout the room with sofa chairs surrounding each.
At one of the tables, Feng Ye recognized four familiar faces. He didn't know their names, but it was the tank, the cleric, and the two warriors. The tank, cleric, and one of the warriors sat around a coffee table. The other warrior was standing looking out a nearby window.
The cleric's long ears twitched as she heard the door opening. The rest of the party also glanced at the door being opened.
They all gazed at Anne and Feng Ye who just stepped in.
The tank was sitting at the coffee table with the cleric and one of the warriors stood up first and walked towards them. He was broad-shouldered and had short black hair. His facial expression was a huge contrast from when Feng Ye first met him. His tired expression was now filled with renewed vigor and energy.
He waved. "Took you long enough." Then, he glanced over at Feng Ye who was beside Anne.
"Had a few small delays," Anne replied with a smirk. "You all know how it is."
She gave the tank a quick bump. "Good to see you well rested now Garen."
Feng Ye glanced at each of the party members. They were all freshened up and well rested now. Their previous tattered equipment and clothes from their fierce encounter with the bandits are now repaired and mended. Some of the armor and equipment even shone under the light as though freshly polished.
Anne walked towards the coffee table. She motioned for Feng Ye to step forward.
"You all remember this guy right? He's Ye Feng, he'll be joining us here as one of us."
The tank, Garen, who previously gave Anne a fistbump nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Hard to forget especially during such an incident."
The cleric who was sitting down at the coffee table offered a polite incline of her head. With a gentle voice, she greeted him. "It's good to see you again Ye Feng. I'm Fay."
Feng Ye glanced at the cleric. She had noticeable long ears. She was definitely one of the elf race. She had pale green eyes and wore a purple cloak. Her eyes had a subtle spark to them when Feng Ye locked his gaze with her briefly.
The seated warrior nearby also greeted him. He had a scar running down the side of his neck. Feng Ye recalled that it was a fresh one that appeared as a result of the clash with bandits. His equipment was noticeably polished. Some of his armor was definitely new as it was damaged beyond repair during their earlier encounter.
He grunted. "Wasn't sure if we would see you again back at Redwood Town. You disappeared quickly. Good to see you again regardless. You can call me Leo."
The last warrior, the one standing at the window, finally turned and spoke. He had dark brown hair and blue colored eyes. He was pretty tall and seemed to have a thoughtful expression on his face.
"So you're joining us now? Temporary or permanent? My name is Remus by the way."
"Temporarily for now," Anne answered before Feng Ye could speak. "We are seeing how things go first. But one thing's for sure - he's strong and we need that strength more than ever. Especially here… the capital's a mess."
Garen walked over to the coffee table and pulled over two empty seats. "We are short of hands anyway. You also fought beside us, so even so, you earned as pot at the table. Even if it's just for a little while."
The rest of Anne's party nodded in agreement. That bandit incident was a terrible outcome. They had lost too many members. Starting from seven, their party was reduced to five. They had lost a tank and a warrior. Now, they were a bit short-handed and lacked the manpower to do what they would like.
Feng Ye took the seat. He nodded lightly. "Nice to meet you."
Anne didn't sit down on the chair that Garen had pulled over to her. Instead, she stepped in front of the coffee table and clapped her hands once.
"Alright, now that introductions are over. Got a few announcements. Ye Feng over here is our newest party member. You've all seen him move and seen him fight. He'll be a great asset."
The rest of the party chuckled quietly. There was less tension and more ease this time around. Confidence and trust were built from sharing hardships and experiencing life and death. It had softened old suspicions. Of course, the party members being well rested and relaxed played a huge role in contrast to when they were exhausted and constantly alert for enemies.
Fay picked up a nearby cup of tea and took a sip. She set it down and then asked Anne softly. "Are we heading into more danger soon?"
Anne's smile faded slightly. "Yes, it's a little bit more than I expected. The capital is boiling with numerous undercurrents. It seems to be a little tense from what I heard. We may have to get involved soon."
As if on cue, a knock resounded at the door. Anne rolled her eyes. "Perhaps, this is where we more details."