Additional Burden

Quinn and Cian were learning quickly that Desmond was a wild animal when it came to his wife. Instincts prevailed over logical thought. His tenacity to keep going forward even when he shouldn't seemed inhuman. 

They were only afforded a moment of pause and preparation before the man took off, not caring if the others joined or not. However, to everyone's surprise, not only did Cian and Quinn ready themselves for an arduous journey ahead, but the mages who were underground with the mana stone readied themselves as well. Three stayed behind, one of them being the woman who had helped them on the surface. The other two were simply too old to travel and were fine with spending their time protecting the mana stone as they had been for years. While the tent encampment seemed impermanent, it was their home for a long time. Even with weak magic, shields against weather were enough as long as they had food and ways to get clothing.