The tavern was unusually lively, with the scent of roasted meat and ale filling the air as patrons shared stories and laughter. But in a far corner, Lyra, Jhaeros, and Nara huddled together, their expressions somber and tense. Their drinks sat untouched, the weight of their earlier discovery pressing heavily on their minds.
Lyra broke the silence first, her voice a low hiss. "I can't believe Kalem's doing this. Selling enchanted weapons and armor to people like them? What's he thinking?"
Nara leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "You've seen where he lives, haven't you? In the stable with his bull. The academy doesn't exactly roll out the red carpet for first-years. He's probably doing what he has to do to survive."
Jhaeros, who had been silent, finally spoke, his tone calm but serious. "Surviving is one thing, but those men weren't ordinary buyers. The enchantments on the gear Kalem's selling… they're advanced. Too advanced for casual use. This isn't just about making ends meet. He's supplying weapons for something bigger."
Lyra frowned, her fingers tapping anxiously on the table. "And what if the academy finds out? He's breaking about a dozen rules. He could be expelled, or worse."
"Worse?" Nara raised an eyebrow.
Lyra leaned forward, lowering her voice even further. "The academy doesn't just expel students who break the rules on this scale. They investigate—hard. If they think he's a threat, he might not even get the chance to walk out of here."
Jhaeros nodded solemnly. "And that's not even accounting for the people he's dealing with. These kinds of buyers aren't exactly trustworthy. If something goes wrong, Kalem could end up being the one they target."
"Or worse," Nara added with a smirk. "They could drag us into it. And I'm not exactly in the mood to get banned from this place because of him."
Lyra groaned, burying her face in her hands. "What are we supposed to do, then? We can't just sit here and let him keep risking everything."
"Why not?" Nara countered, shrugging. "He's a big boy. If he wants to play with fire, let him get burned."
"That's heartless," Lyra snapped, glaring at her. "Kalem's our friend."
"Is he?" Nara challenged, leaning forward. "How much do we actually know about him? He barely talks about himself. Half the time, he's cooped up in his forge or scribbling those ruin things in class. For all we know, this could've been his plan all along."
Jhaeros cut in before Lyra could retort, his calm voice a steadying force. "Arguing won't solve anything. We need to understand why he's doing this before we decide what to do."
Lyra sighed. "Fine. But if he gets himself in trouble, I'm not letting him drag us down with him."
The conversation stalled as a stablehand passed by their table, carrying a bucket of water toward the back of the tavern. Outside, the faint sounds of Onyx snorting carried through the open window. Lyra's gaze drifted toward the stable where Kalem lived, the light of his lantern barely visible through the cracks in the wooden walls.
Inside the stable, Kalem was hunched over his workbench, his quill scratching against a sheet of parchment as he sketched intricate runes onto a blueprint. The small, dimly lit space was cluttered with tools, half-finished projects, and crates of materials. Onyx lay beside him, lazily chewing on a bundle of hay.
Kalem leaned back, inspecting his work with a critical eye. "Alright, Onyx, this should work," he muttered, setting the quill down and stretching his arms. He glanced at the small pouch of coins sitting on the table next to the blueprint, its weight a constant reminder of his precarious situation.
"This temporary business isn't ideal," he admitted, more to himself than to Onyx. "But it's enough to get by for now. If I don't scrape together enough before the first-year exams, I won't make it into the dorms."
Onyx snorted, his large, dark eyes watching Kalem with what almost seemed like disapproval. Kalem chuckled, reaching over to pat the bull's head. "Don't give me that look. I'll make it work. I always do."
He stood, moving to a crate in the corner of the stable and prying it open. Inside were neatly arranged pieces of enchanted armor and weapons, their surfaces glinting faintly with magical energy. Kalem ran a hand over one of the gauntlets, his expression thoughtful.
"This isn't just for me, you know," he said quietly, as though defending himself to Onyx. "These enchantments could make a real difference to someone. And it's not like the academy is giving me any help."
Onyx let out a low grunt, and Kalem sighed. "Yeah, I know. But it's just until I can get back on my feet."
Back in the tavern, Lyra was pacing beside the table, her anxiety mounting with each step. "We need to talk to him," she said suddenly, her voice firm. "We can't just sit here and let this go."
"And say what?" Nara asked, her tone skeptical. "'Hey, Kalem, stop doing the one thing that's keeping you afloat because we don't like your clients'? That's not going to work."
"She's right," Jhaeros agreed. "Confronting him without understanding his reasons will only push him further away. We need to approach this carefully."
Lyra hesitated, her frustration evident. "Fine. But if this blows up in his face, we're stepping in."
"Deal," Nara said, raising her mug in mock agreement.
Jhaeros nodded, though his expression remained serious. "For now, we keep an eye on him. If those buyers come back or if anything seems off, we'll act."
Later that night, Kalem placed the pouch of coins into a small lockbox beneath his workbench, ensuring it was secure before sliding it back into its hiding spot. His gaze lingered on the crates of materials stacked nearby, the weight of his decisions pressing heavily on his shoulders.
"This business won't last forever," he murmured to himself. "But it'll have to do for now."
Onyx let out another grunt, and Kalem smiled faintly, giving the bull a reassuring pat. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll get through this. One step at a time."
Outside, hidden in the shadows of the tavern yard, Lyra, Jhaeros, and Nara watched as the light in the stable flickered out. They exchanged a glance, unspoken agreement passing between them.
They didn't fully understand Kalem's choices, but one thing was clear: they weren't about to let him face the consequences alone.