The two miners have been traveling down the road for a little over a day, not stopping for sleep, as neither of them needs it.

“Where are we even going?” Leaf finally asks

"City, up ahead.” Canary chirps

“How far is ‘ahead’?” Leaf asks again

“Almost there.” Canary coughs out

“Is it the city the rest of the miners came from?” Leaf interrogates

“Yes, Gelerra.” Canary nods, now pointing off into the distance.

Leaf follows the man’s gaze and sees the lights: Beautiful, Warm, and Vibrant. They are unlike anything he’s ever seen.

“Bigger than before,” Canary adds, walking up to the city's gates.

“Why did you guys even leave!?” Leaf asks, running past Canary, beating him to the gates. “This city is massive!”

“Poor working conditions,” Canary says, putting his hand on Leaf’s shoulder. “The King didn’t care.”

“Oh, and you guys left to protest, I’m guessing?” Leaf says, part question, part statement

Canary nods, before adding: “King’s dead now, died soon after.”

Leaf turns to look at Canary, caught in an internal debate about whether to ask. “How… How do you know?”

“I visited often, selling resources,” Canary responds, removing his hand from Leaf’s shoulder. “And, Son told me.”

Leaf now fully spins around, his head rotating before his body does. Leaf then shouts, not caring who hears. “YOU HAVE A SON!?”

Canary nods, “I send money every payday.” He looks down at himself, looking at his hands, as if this is the first time he’s realized how he looks. “Used to visit, stopped when…”

“Does he still live here?” Leaf asks, this time putting his hand on Canary’s shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Canary says, still looking down.

“Well,” Leaf says quietly, “Let’s find out, Harry.”

The two walk through the city gate and are greeted by the guards on the other side. After a brief back-and-forth, they are free to enter the city proper. Passing through the city center, they hear someone barking.

“Cheap gems, get your cheap gems! Need gems for spellcasting? I’m your man!” A wiry elf barks into the open air, prooting his wares.

The two walk up, and the elf instantly looks nervous.

“Hey, Fellas, looking for some gems for cheap?” The elf asks

“Fake,” Canary says, picking up one of the gems.

“H-Hey now, don’t touch the merchandise! And they aren’t fake, they are pristine quality!” The elf doubles down, absolutely failing his deception.

That’s just…” Leaf starts

“Colored glass,” Canary finishes, crushing the ‘gem’ in his hand, letting the dust pour from his palm.

“Uh…” The elf grabs the curtain and quickly closes his stand. Rustling is heard inside.

Leaf shrugs, “Why make and sell fake gems? He clearly has a talent, and he wastes it lying to people.”

“Ignorance,” Canary answers, “Glass work pays more.”

“Right? He could make way more just making glassware, and this way someone could die.” Leaf exclaims, fighting the urge to lunge through the opening of the wooden stand.

Just as the pair begins to walk away from the stand, the elf is approaching with the town guard, hollering and pointing.

“Good afternoon, Gentlemen! Good to see you’re arresting this man for scamming people!” Leaf chimes, waving at the guards.

The guards look at each other, then at the miners.

“You two are under arrest for causing a disturbance and destroying this elf’s goods.” One guard says, a tall, muscular hobgoblin. His hair is tied into a topknot.

“Several people have confirmed his story, that you guys came over and attacked him, unprovoked.” The other guard chimes in, a tall, lanky, but firm-looking tiefling.

“What are you guys talking about? He called us over and his ‘gems’ are just colored glass!?” Leaf exclaims, “If anyone should be arrested it’s this scammer!”

The elf sticks his tongue out at the duo from behind the guards, taunting, instigating.

“Not real Elf,” Canary chimes in, leaning over to Leaf. “Elves are humble, changlings are not.”

Leaf looks over at Canary, then back to the ‘elf.’ Leaf cannot tell any difference, but he knows to trust Canary’s judgement.

The tiefling clears his throat, “We’re still here, we can either have you follow us, or we can detain you.”

The duo looks at each other, then back at the guards, and decides to comply; they could definitely take these two, but fighting wasn’t worth it. After walking for some time, the guards lead the two into a large building, confiscating their belongings.

The guards have to pry the pickaxe out of Canary’s hands; he willingly gives up everything else.

Now, here the two are, underground, in a stony cell.