**Journal Entry: Flynn
Today was the kind of day that makes you question if you’re really ready to call yourself an adventurer. We reached the Friary of St. Amal, carrying Grumbar, hoping against hope that someone could help us. Prior Azim and Sister Leanna examined him, and then Sister Leanna told us about *Cinderroot*. It’s an herb that can bring him back, but of course, it’s not that simple. The only place to find it is in the ruins of Amal’s Rest—a place that already sounds like bad news before you even see it.
That’s where Brindle Lightfoot came in. He’s a halfling too, and I think he’s around my age? Maybe? It’s hard to tell. He carries himself like someone who’s seen things and walked away smiling, though. Brindle overheard our conversation and offered to guide us to the ruins. He said he knew the place, and he sure sounded like he did. I didn’t know if we could trust him, but we didn’t have much of a choice.
The ruins were something else. They were massive, with broken walls and crumbling stone that seemed to loom over us like they had their own weight in the world. The air felt strange, heavy and quiet, like it was holding its breath. Dorian moved ahead like a shadow, while Coine sent his little owl familiar to scout from above. Watching them work made me realize how much I still have to learn. I tried to keep my nerves under control, but Brindle, on the other hand, looked like he belonged there—confident and calm, like he had nothing to fear. I couldn’t tell if it was real or just a good act.
It didn’t take long before we ran into trouble. Hobgoblins were patrolling the ruins, and they spotted us. Coine’s owl had given us enough of a warning to prepare, but the fight was messy. I tried to help, but they were fast and hit harder than I expected. Somehow, we pulled through, but it was clear the ruins weren’t going to let us off easy.
Then came the beetles. A whole swarm of them burst out from the shadows, all legs and clicking mandibles. They were relentless, and even Chunk’s heavy swings couldn’t stop them all. Brindle went down fast, and for a moment, I panicked. The others didn’t, though. They fought like they’d done this a hundred times before, and we managed to take the swarm out. Brindle didn’t get back up, but we stabilized him before things got worse.
And just when I thought we’d seen the worst of it, giant centipedes slithered into the courtyard. They were huge, their bodies writhing and glistening in the dim light. Dakkar, the hobgoblin we’d spared earlier, fought alongside us. I didn’t expect him to, but he threw himself into the fight without hesitation. He went down during the battle, and I thought we’d lost him for good, but we managed to stabilize him too.
When the dust settled, the silence felt almost as heavy as the fights had been. We found some of the Cinderroot we’d come for—enough, I hope—and a few gemstones scattered among the rubble. But it didn’t feel like much of a win. Brindle was still unconscious, Dakkar was barely holding on, and the rest of us were drained.
Now, we’re resting, trying to piece ourselves back together before going deeper into the ruins. I keep thinking about Brindle. He’s confident—maybe too confident—and I can’t help but wonder if he’s faking it. He seems about my age, but who knows? Maybe he’s seen more than I have. Either way, I wish I had that kind of steadiness, real or not.
Grumbar’s counting on us, and I won’t let him down. Even if I feel out of my depth, even if I’m scared, I’m going to see this through. I just hope I’m ready for whatever comes next.
