Finn wasn’t entirely sure why, but he felt as though he could barely contain his excitement for returning to Delta. It had been months since the trio had first ventured to the bustling city, and the passage of time had served to guild Finn’s remembrance of the towering belfries, the throngs of people, and the vibrancy of this cosmopolitan center. On top of that, there was something intangibly special about Delta for Finn—perhaps this was where his relationship with Daphne and Araxis was galvanized once and for all. Regardless of the reason, Finn was beaming as the domes of the temples hove into view on the horizon. Walking through the streets however, on their way to find lodging for the night, Finn couldn’t help but feel that the city was somehow smaller than he remembered.
After a night’s rest, the trio set out for the map shop they had found so long ago, in search of fresh leads for their quest. Within moments; however, progress was halted by a series of commotions and setbacks that forced Finn to question much of his world view, and particularly his opinion of Delta. In fact, by the time Finn and his friends reached the map shop, Finn was seething with anger and he barely noticed that the map shop was shuttered and inaccessible. He vaguely recalled a note on the door stating “Norman would be proud…”, and he ambled listlessly behind Daphne and Araxis as they worked their way back to the Guildhalls in search of the dwarf, Reagnus. There too, the trio were met with a dead end, and it was decided that the best course of action might be to visit Norman’s Village in a box once more.
While Finn looked forward to seeing Ivy again, what he really wanted was to be out of Delta, even if Norman’s box was still there. Unfortunately, not even Ivy could raise Finn’s dejected mood and he found himself blindly hacking and slashing at what appeared to innocent mechanical clocks. Blinded by rage, it wasn’t until Finn and his friends were surrounded by shattered gears and cracked sprockets that Finn noticed they had destroyed all of the mechanical sentinels. Their violence was rewarded with an amulet that Finn thought Daphne might like. Ironically, the amulet which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse for Daphne, as it seemed to make her stronger, and sick at the same time—how apropos Finn thought, an item that seemed to be fair, but on closer inspection turns out to be foul.
Feeling that they had unfinished business in Norman’s Village, the trio decided to make one more stop before leaving, and they worked their way back to The Beginning. It was here that they came face to face with an Umber Hulk—a creature the likes of which they had never faced before (at least not that they could remember). At first, Finn fed his rage and stood, toe to toe with the beast, smiting it with fire and thunder. But as the battle continued, Finn’s rage was replaced by another emotion. Behind him, Daphne peppered the creature with crossbow bolts, and beside him Araxis whipped it with all the elements of the Earth. It was then that Finn realized he wasn’t fighting Darkness, he was protecting the Light, and his rage gave way to a sense of peace and serenity as he fought to shield his friends from harm.
It was Daphne who dealt the final blow to the creature. In doing so, Norman’s Village rewarded them, once more, with information that might help Finn complete his quest. Once again, Finn was filled with an inexplicable sense of excitement. He had witnessed Darkness in the world, and now understood the Light all the more. With a reminder of all the clues the trio had uncovered through all of their adventures, Finn was sure they were one step closer to finding The Watch, and snuffing out Darkness once and for all. Finn couldn’t wait to get back to Delta, and he looked forward to what lay beyond.
