The following early morning after a quick rest they head to the east.

  It isn't long before they come across a bunch of tents and cages in the middle of the forest. And to their surprise there's a child in one of the cages.

  The tents are closed.

  Help me! Help! The child shouts from its cage.

  One of the tents opens and a saurian man steps out, he's at least 2 lengths tall wielding double short swords.

  None of your business! Get out of here travelers! He shouts at them.

  Unjust acts are most certainly our business, Hiero replies. And he takes a battle stance.

  Several saurians rush out of their tents at the group.

  Achran shoots a smoke bomb to disorient them.

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  Amaru rushes for the cage and wedges his spear between the door. Then he kicks his spear and breaks the door open.

  Hiero flies forward and thrusts his spear through the leather armour of the saurian leader and smacks him backward.

  Let's get out of here! Achran yells. I can disorient them!

  He shoots another smoke bomb at the group and they rush away.

  Is your name Russom by any chance? Amaru asks the child.

  The child is sobbing and says yes.

  Your family was greatly worried about you, you shouldn't run off like that.

  What happened?

  I tried to go on a quest but the monster was too difficult to defeat, and it took my sword. So I tried to head back, unarmed, but got caught by a group of saurians. They wanted me for ransom so I told them I was from a noble family. But they didn't believe me.

  Well, it's all over now, but you shouldn't do anything like this again.

  They head back to Yecester. At the adventurers guild they hand in the quests and give their newly obtained sword to Russom, who promises now to go on any more solo adventurers.

  Then they reunite him with his parents, who are overjoyed to see him.

  We were so worried Russom! We were afraid the worst would've happened. Don't ever do this again to us! His mother cries out.

  See Achran, sometimes good endings do happen, Hiero says to him as they split the reward money.