//------------------------------//
// (19) Digressing and Sidequesting 
// Story: Canterlot High's D&D Club 
// by 4428Gamer 
//------------------------------//



3rd Person POV
Griffonbound Vendors





"One. Two. Three."

Glemerr bent her knees first, bringing the crate level with Rava before she then moved with the half-orc to lower it onto the wooden floor herself. It was the last of the three crates and it had glass in there so they were trying to be as careful with it as we could.

"Perfect," Leanne said as she looked between the supplies and the bell Stostine had finished hanging above the door with a Mage Hand. "I gotta say it again, thank you all for this. You have no idea how much I've needed this delivery."

"Think nothin' of it," Rava told her with a low breath. "We were jus' lucky enough ta happen across it whilst we were puttin' our own affairs in order. We're glad ta help!"

"It put us behind schedule," Vareén said in contrast. "You think you'd be willing to help with that?"

Leanne's smile became a smirk. "As I told your friend here, I have something in mind."

"Not friends," Platick muttered.

Leanne was a human girl with light brown hair going just past her shoulders. She had a resting sly grin that framed her face and a splatter of freckles across her cheeks as she somewhere around early twenties like Platick and Stostine.

Garaele peaked into the third box before carefully taking out a lantern. One whole glass pane was smashed in three and the other two panes were badly cracked.

"We tried taking as much care as we could," Stostine explained. "But even then, we could not stop what had already happened. We are sorry for any loss of revenue." She gave a small bow towards Leanne as the others looked conflicted in their own ways.

Except, rather than take the apology, Leanne and Garaele smirked at each other. "Sister Garaele? Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Garaele walked over to the counter and began taking out the broken glass, setting them beside each other. Then she folded her hands over a holy symbol of her own; a coin with a smiling face. "Goddess Tymora," the lady whispered. "In the hopes of bringing opportunity and fortune, I plead. Mend that which has broken."

Garaele fingers began glowing with a divine light and got to work tracing her fingers along where the glass shards fit as well as the cracks along each glass panel. With each movement, the cracks fixed themselves and the lantern was entirely repaired.

"There!" Garaele brought her fingers together to keep the spell active. "Now then, could someone start bringing me any more broken items? And if you have anything broken amongst yourselves, bring that as well."

Ricven let out a low whistle while Rava and Glemerr got to work pulling out more broken lanterns. "Mendin' huh? Didn't expect ta see someone in this town with spells a' their own."

"I do what I can to aid those in need," she told us. "It is why I was instructed to come to Phandalin after all."

"Isn't Tymora the Goddess of luck?" Platick asked. "I've only ever seen her affiliated with most gambling halls."

"The do say 'Fortune favors the bold!'" Garaele giggled. "But followers of Tymora also bless farms and areas producing raw materials. Although with this town so close to the Dwarves of the Drakehead, most residents seem to follow Moradin or Ulaa."

"Ulaa, ya say?" Ravathyra crossed her arms, careful not to hide her own holy symbol. "Is tha' right?"

Garaele smiled politely. "I thought I recognized that symbol!"

"Um, Sister Garaele?" Stostine stepped forward and gestured to her robes. "By any chance, does that spell also work on cloth?"

"Oh my," Garaele quickly stepped forward and began folding the hole in her robe over, carefully tracing a glowing thumb over it before stepping back. Not even a stitch mark. "Literally good as new!"




"If ever there was a spell that I would want in real life," Rarity muttered but not quiet enough to earn a giggle from Fluttershy.




Stostine said her thanks as every other broken item was laid out on the counter space. After taking a quick stock, Garaele cracked her fingers and got to work.

"I love having you as a friend." Leanne sighed happily as she looked picked up a small clipboard with a built in inkwell towards the top. "And you all said that the crossbows were left at the cave, right? I'm gonna have ta have those picked up."

"Dat don't sound too hard." Glemerr shrugged. "Ya ain't goin' by yerself dough, are ya?"

"Not much of a choice." She put her clipboard and quill down on the counter. "I ordered fifteen crossbows. Not cheap. I can't afford that kind of loss. Besides, since the silver deposits are hit or miss, there's a surplus of prospectors wanting weapons." She rested a hand under her chin, rubbing her fingers together.

"How's come?" Vareén rose an eyebrow. Might be some work for later, she thought.

"The typical reasons." Leanne netted her fingers together. "Fear of monsters, rival prospectors, paranoia, bandits, more paranoia. There's been a few interesting sightings going on recently too. But since I only now got my stock back, I couldn't tell you any of the good stuff."

Ricven smirked. "Guess that means we gotta keep our ears on." "Open," Stostine corrected.

"Since when have ya seen a closed ear?"

"Well, there's a few places you could try," Garaele said as she moved to the fourth lantern. "The miners are pretty tight-knit but they've been wanting a ritual on their mines that I can't provide." She shared another smile with Rava. "The townmaster has a few jobs posted as well and the Stonehill Inn has become the new gathering spot for everyone since the Redbrands ruined the Sleeping Giant."

"Redbrands?" Stostine frowned.

"I was wondering how long it'd take for them to come up," Leanne admitted. "Redbrands are our local thugs. They've been bothering a few shops in town for 'protection money,'" She said with air quotes. "And scaring off travelers."

Platick huffed. "Let me guess; protection money only protects shops from them?"

"Nail meet head." Leanne nodded. "When they first showed up a couple months ago, they bought out my supply of, wouldn't you know it, crossbows. The same ones they're waving around now." She glared. "I haven't let them in my shop since."

"If it helps." Stostine came forward and removed the crossbow she armed herself with yesterday and placed it on the counter. "I kept this crossbow for myself but it does not belong to me."

Leanne smirked and took it in her hands. "It just might. In fact, everyone see that door?" She jerked a thumb to her right where a closed door stood. "Go ahead and walk through it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Sister Garaele? Could you watch the front for me?"

Garaele nodded as she finished her magic, setting aside the last lantern. "Sure! I'll be just outside."

Leanne smiled and then turned back to us before nodding to us. They took a moment eying each other before Platick took the lead. Spilling into the second room, each of them stared out at dozens of weapons and supplies lining the walls.

From shortswords to greatswords, axes of varying weights, A plethora of arrows and bolts, multiple methods of bludgeoning tools, daggers galore, shields of differing designs and materials, multiple types of lightweight armor, backpacks, kits, bedrolls, high quality paper and inks, matching salt and pepper shakers, clothes, ropes, empty vials, and then, locked within a case, other vials full of liquid with small labels ranging from 'acid' to 'snake venom' to 'antitoxin.'

There was another counter in this room which went up against the wall the door led through. After an awestruck moment, Leanne walked through a curtained archway that allowed her to pass between rooms with the crossbow in one hand and a bolt twirling in the other.

"So. What're ya buyin'?" She asked with a wink. Then she rolled her eyes with a grin. "Is what I would normally say. However, because of the service you've done for the Griffonbound Vendors, WE have decided to award the seven of you a store credit!"

"Dere's a lot a' stuff in here," Glemerr pointed out.

"Yeah. It's kinda baffling," Stostine agreed, dropping her professional speech for a moment.

"Blame the top brass of Griffonbound for that," Leanne said with a shrug. "The area directly south of Leodaav is barren land. Too dry to grow anything so it's neglected, meaning not well explored. Since Phandalin's one of the southernmost towns, and growing fast enough, Griffonbound thought adventurers would use this place as a base for, well, adventuring."

Then her grin faltered. "That was about four years ago. Since then, I became the new shopkeep and we don't have a supply for all these weapons. For instance?" she lazily pointed at the largest axe in the room. "We only have one greataxe. Any of you take it and we'll just have a greataxe-shaped hole on the wall for the rest of time."

"...Metal," Thorn informed us as she flicked her finger on one of the blades.

"Um. Thank you?" Leanne blinked.

"You said store credit?" Vareén crossed her arms. "How much?"

"Let's chalk it up to a fifty gold for now. Although~ if one of you beloved adventurers," she said with a sweet voice. "Would be so kind as to accompany me back to that cave you found so I can scoop up my junk, then I'd be willing to double it! What do ya say?"

"Deal. I'll go," Platick offered.

"Just you?" Ricven snickered. "My, what a lady's man."

"You're the last person I need saying that," Platick snapped back. "But why not? Cave's cleared out and she can obviously hold her own." As he pointed to Leanne, she was aiming the unloaded crossbow to the side to see if it was balanced before servicing it. "And we're on a time limit, right? Ten days? Well, nine and a half now."

"Are ya sure you should be the one?" Ricven pressed. "Ya seem like the kinda guy that knows where ta look fer the right answers."

"I am," he told us. "We'll deal with that afterwards. First? Let's take Leanne up on her offer." He stepped up to the counter. "We go first thing in the morning, gather what's valuable, then straight back here in exchange for double credit now."

Leanne thought on it for a second, again resting her chin on her hand as she rubbed her fingers together. "Does it have to be morning? This town has early custom— err, risers."

"Yes," he insisted. "But if you'd rather me go alone and keep a finder's fee—" "Deal," she sighed, holding out a hand that Platick shook with a straight face. "Ten o'clock. I can get us something fast if we do."

"Good." Platick looked back to the rest of us. "Everyone? Load up."

The others quickly took his advice and split amongst the room, picking apart everything that they would need for the next handful of days as Leanne bounced between all of them, answering questions and coming up with numbers without having to check the price tags.

In less than twenty minutes, the group was loaded and out the door before mounting up on the cart and heading over to drop off the rest of their supplies for the messily sum of gold they were forced to accept for their work. Not much was said between them and the store owner, Barthen, but he did confirm what Leanne had told them:

The Redbrands were a force of the small town. And they no doubt had a distaste for outsiders.






Platick's POV
Stonehill Inn, Taproom
Sundown





When he learned that Ricven was a musician, Toblen Stonehill, the owner, jumped at the opportunity to put on a show in his inn. So with three barrels and a couple old doors, Toblen had set up a makeshift, T-shaped stage for the gnome to set up on.

There was a sizable group of townsfolk gathered up in the main room exactly like the Tymora priestess had told us. The miners coming home from a long day, housewives looking for a place to gossip, and even a couple of children weaving through the tables all took a moment to pause as Ricven finished tightening the last strings on his violin.

"Thank y'all fer yer patience," he told the crowd. From where I was sitting, I was facing the front door where Glemerr was poking her head in. Vareén gave her a motion to stay where she was. "Before I begin tonight, I'd like ta take a moment ta say that on behalf of my travelin' companions, we are delighted ta see the welcomin' faces a' Phandalin today!"

A chorus of cheers resounded across the room with a few tankards in the air. I could already spot the lightweight drinkers in the room.

"Warms our hearts," Ricven tacked on. "Now, usually I'mma man who likes ta take special attention an' let the ladies of the room enjoy a nice calmin' rhythm." A couple of those lightweights let out a loud whistles while a few men soured for a moment. "But I also know that them mines derives more than sweat from a man's brow. So I thank it's only fair we give the miners a good song ta get stuck in their heads fer tommorah's work. What say Phandalin?!"

Another round of heavy cheers and Ricven had everyone in his pockets.

"Alright! Then let's start this out strong! The lyrics stack on each other so you'll hear how ta sing along. But let's see who can keep up!"

Ricven started moving his fingers across in front of him and the crowd watched as a ghostly lute and a handful of colorful notes formed into reality around him, making the children awestruck as he started laying into his bow.

"Ho, ro, the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley O'~!"

Immediately every Dwarf in the bar erupted in cheers and began to sing along with everyone else either following along or watching Ricven's illusions in wonder as more voices and the sound of a lute played like his own private band.

"I have heard of this," Stostine said thoughtfully. "From what I hear, it is quite popular in Dwarvish culture."

In spite of Stostine's culture lesson, Ravathyra stared into the table with a hard look that told me all I needed to know about her feelings. "Ah hate this song..."

"Doesn't matter if it's good," I told them. "Just that it's distracting." Ricven caught eyes with me and we nodded in tangem before he kicked up the tempo, making the Dwarves shout a string of lines unintelligible words that made all the children start laughing even louder.




No one expected Rarity to come up with a song this bizarre for her 'distraction.' Further still, no one expected Pinkie to have pulled out her phone to start playing the song on max volume. So everyone, aside from Dash who truly hated this song, were dying of laughter.

"Rar-Rarity," Story stopped to get over his giggle fit. "Performance check. Advantage."

With a hand covering her mouth, Rarity scooped up dice and tossed them out before laughing again. "Nineteen and a natural twenty!"

"Of course it is," Rainbow growled as her friends kept laughing.




Vareén signaled Glemerr and the half-orc acted quick. Opening the front doors wide, Glemerr shuffled into the taproom and brought Thorn Wielder in with her. We bought a hooded cloak from Leanne's shop and convinced Thorn Wielder to put it on so that people would have a harder time identifying a Cortássian elf. Too bad the scythe still made her stand out.

So with the crowd distracted, Glemerr shuffled along the back wall with Thorn Wielder's wrist in her hand and the two were quickly up the stairs and into one of the rooms before anyone could find out. All while Ricven started singing a mile a minute with a dozen gruff voices all trying, and failing, to shout along.

"DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ANYMORE?!" Stostine practically screamed at Ravathyra who was now tightly covering her ears.

"NOT USUALLY," Rava shouted back. "THEY JUS' SCREAM SOUNDS THAT'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TILL THE LAST PART! THEN THEY PRETEND THEY KEPT UP AN' GLOAT ABOUT IT!"

"WHY?"

"NO IDEA!"

Finally, after what some of us considered too long, Ricven whipped one last note across his strings and took a bow to a sea of drinking, laughing Dwarf miners all applauding and cheering as loud as the children were.

"Wooooooo!" Ricven cheered. "I think I need to wait until my strings cool off before I start up again! Gimme a minute ta catch mah breath an' we'll be playin' somethin' a little more peaceful ta make everyone feel at home, huh?"

"Well, glad I got to experience that," Stostine said while rubbing her ear. "May I never experience that again."

The applause continued as a barmaid arrived at our table with a platter of tankards, cups, and a jug balanced on one hand. "How about that! I think this is the fastest Toblen's had me offer the talent and his friends a free round! I'm glad for it!"

She paused for a moment to pass a few of the tankards to a neighboring table. "Name yer poison," she told us.

"Strong," Rava told her. "Very. Strong. Please an' thank ya."

"Do you have any tea?" Stostine asked, earning a nod. "Perfect. With honey if you have it."

"Just water," Vareén called. I doubled that.

"Oh, an' can ye bring two pints a' ale an' a water up ta room four?" Rava asked her. "A few of us don't sit well with crowds if ya catch mah meanin'."

She nodded and set out two glasses before pouring out fresh water from the jug. "Ya know, it's been a while since we've gotten some adventurers," she started to gossip. "The only thing we got close ta one ourselves is an old stump in the outskirts."

"Tha' right?" Rava smirked.

"Owns the only orchard out here." She smiled before putting the jug back.




"Now hold on," Applejack cut in as she tried to stay off of her accent for Platick. "When you say orchard."

Story took in a breath and suddenly realized the mistake he created himself as both Applejack and Big Mac stared at him readily. Oh no, here we go.

"I thought you said you weren't a stickler for details," Story said carefully.

"Ah wouldn' call the type a' trees he has a detail. More like a basic," she defended.

"Eeyup."

"..." Story looked between the both of them, deciding his best option. The only winning move is not to play.




"His name's Eglath," the barmaid went on, ignoring Platick entirely. "He's fairly crusty but loves reminiscing about older times. Stopped comin' down since...Uh, sorry. I'll be back with yer drinks soon." She turned and held onto her platter as a few children threatened to knock them over before she started gliding over to the next table.

"Well that was easy," I told the others as they watched her go. "We have a full schedule tomorrow now."

"Full schedule?" Ricven walked up to our table with his hair messy, clothes ruffled, and a half-empty glass in his hand. "What's goin' on?"

"What happened to you?" Stostine frowned.

I gave him a look of disgust. "It hasn't been two minutes since you've been off that stage."

"Hmm? Oh, give it no nevermind. Jus' enjoying' the hospitality," he said before straightening out his shirt. "But, I can squeeze a quick minute 'fore my next song. I'mma have this crowd worshippin' me by the end a' the night!"

"...All the better for us." I left it alone. "You said I knew where to find answers, right? Well I found 'em. Tomorrow we split up the work between each of us."

"So that's why ya jumped at the chance ta make off with that shopkeeper." Ricven chuckled. "Ya simply wanna avoid talkin' with the folk."

"Actually, yeah, that's exactly it." I nodded. "I keep an ear out for information. I don't stick my neck out to get it. That's where all of you come in." I reached into my pocket and drew out a piece of charcoal. With the barmaid busy, no one was around to see me draw on the table.

"There's the three places the Tymora priestess mentioned; mines, townmaster, and this inn. Then, the barmaid mentioned the adventurer. The mines and this place are bound to have rumor mills we can tap. The townmaster and adventurer probably have keener insight too. As does Sildar."

"Sildar has a broken leg," Vareén reminded me. "Plus he and I haven't been here long. He'll probably sit in his room all day."

"He's done this work longer than any of us," I countered. "We just need someone picking his brain. Hell, if he has errands, someone can be his runner. It's something either way."

Everyone looked down at the table. 'Inn,' 'Townmaster,' 'Adventurer,' 'Sildar,' and a crude picture of a mine was drawn out.

"That's five," Rava pointed out. "What's the last one?"

"It should be Sleeping Giant," Stostine brought up. "I believe that's the place both Sister Garaele and now the barmaid eluded to. Obviously these Radbands are—"




"It's Redbrands, sugarcube," Applejack corrected.

Sunset blinked. "What did I say?"

"Radbands," Gilda told her. Then she shrugged. "Sounds cooler though."

"She's righ'," Rainbow suddenly began, a smile coming to her face. "These Rawbrands are a nuisance. We may be able ta help."

Rarity giggled. "Ya gotta point. Though, we ain't seen any a' these Rarebrands yet."

The girls quickly saw the direction this joke was going and, without a word spoken, all unanimously agreed to join in.




"We're not going after the Railbrands," I told them. "We're already doing something else and we have nine days to do it."

"In case ya don' remember." Ravathyra turned to me. "That goblin cave took hardly three hours. Ah think we can pencil in thrashin' some bad eggs."

"The fight took us three hours," I agreed. "But we spent the rest of the day recuperating. Then another few hours packing up. If we take on every problem we find, we won't have time to deal with our own. So instead." I drew a question mark on the table. "The last job's for Thorn Wielder."

"Thorn Wielder?" Stostine frowned. "How is she supposed to get information? We hid her appearance for a reason."

"And we'll still be hiding it." I sat back. "She has magic that turns her into animals, right? If she can be an ox, what else? Horse? Dog? How's about a squirrel? We have her spy on people or watch for goblin patrols. So long as she doesn't get caught or start something, that's a positive."

"Wow, you are good at this," Ricven admitted. "In that case, I suppose I'll keep ta the tavern. Might even start violinin up tips."

"Drumin' up," Rava corrected.

"I don't play drums," Ricven told her. "Too boorish."

"I'll stay with Sildar," Vareén proposed. "Some people recognize me here. They'll let down their guard if I say I'm acting for him."

"Obviously Ah'm goin' ta the mines," Rava told us. "They'll welcome a follower of Ulaa wit' open arms. Ah'll 'ave a grand chat wit' 'em."

"Glemerr will handle the adventurer then," I decided. "Sending someone like Glemerr to talk to the townmaster sounds like a bad idea."

"I suppose that leaves him to me then," Stostine admitted. "Is anyone against me leveraging our services as a bargaining chip?"

"I just said we're not looking for extra work."

"I meant to get him to talk," she informed me. "What if the townmaster is unfriendly? He may not speak unless he finds use in us."

Vareén glanced up. "Barmaid's coming back."

With a word and a twist of her wrist, Stostine used that cleaning spell and had my charcoal cleaned up into nothing. I didn't even need to waste my water washing it out.

"Sorry fer the wait," she told us before handing out the drinks. "Lots of dry throats after all that roarin'. Which, Mr. Lioncatch? Toblen's asking if you're ready fer yer next song there."

"Oop! Got distracted. All on it!" He tossed the rest of his drink down his throat and started to make his way back through the tables to his thrown together table. As he went, he started up his violin again for a more relaxed tone. Then he began to sing just loud enough where only we could hear our conversation.

Ravathyra looked across the table for a moment before quickly scooping up her drink, as well as the tankards and water meant for Glemerr and Thorn. "Ah'll go ahead an' bring these up ta our friends. Think ye fer the service miss..."

"The name's Elsa, dear."

"Elsa, good ta meet ya. Call me Rava," she welcomed. "An' tell Toblen we 'preciate the drinks!"

Elsa gave her a smile and was off again before Ravathyra looked back to the table "Now come along Vareén. We've a long day tomorrah!"

"What?" Vareén stared back at her. "Why would I go upstairs with you? We both have our own rooms. And it's barely past sundown."

Rava gave her a tired look before a overdramatic shrug. "Awrite then. Ah mean, if ya want ta sit in wit' Stostine an' Platick Ah won't stop ya." She started to walk away, leaving Vareén to quickly realize who she was left alone with.

"...Wait," Vareén called back out, taking her glass as she walked after the Dwarf. "You're right. I'm tired."

No, please! I silently begged as the two girls quickly made their way up the stairs. Rooms four through six were upstairs and both of them, plus Glemerr and Thorn, slept their for the night.

By the time they ducked out of sight, I slumped forward and reached for my water while Stostine kept her hands folded in front of her as she watched me. Now I'm stuck with her. Stupid Dwarf...

Even as I took my time sipping my water, Stostine didn't look away. Instead she sat there as if waiting for something. And that expression wasn't going to leave. I tried waiting it out, to make her to say something first. At least then I could counter her. But she wouldn't have that either. She just took a short sip of her tea and kept watching.

Finally, after three minutes of silence between us, Ricven even managed to finish up his song to a much more balanced applause across the room.

"Why thank ya all," he announced. "Now, this next one was one a' the first songs I ever learned, but I only got ta play it right recently. After all, it takes a fairer voice than mine. You'll see what I mean."

Ricven altered around some more of his magic and brought one illusory orb of magic up against his throat and let it stay there as his magic band began the next song. And as the instruments rung to life, Ricven's voice was entirely different thanks to the spell.

The crowd was taken aback at first but as the music kept going, they quickly got used to it and our attention fell back onto one another round of silence that I was finally at my wit's end with.

"What?" I asked sharply, making her sit back. Probably to mock me for losing out.

"I want to know why."

"Why what?" I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you so apprehensive about me?"

"Didn't we already go over this?" I sat back. "It's that way you hold yourself."

"I told you, I am not of high-class," she tried.

"Which just makes it worse," I said. "If you were some sort of noble you would either be showing off or you're that unaware. But you're just acting like a noble. Which tells me you either think too highly of yourself, hate the position you're in now, or some combination."

"Those are my only options?" Stostine deadpanned. "How about, I had a tutor? Or that I grew up around people who talk like this? Or perhaps, I like talking like this. None of those fit in with your idea of what my life is?"

I shrugged. "Any of those may be causes but they would still fit my theory. It helps to know all of that about you though. So thanks for that."

Stostine caught her breath and took a sip of tea to calm down. "Whatever the reason, I do not see why that automatically means you cannot trust me."

"Oh, it's not only that." I folded my arms. "There's plenty of reasons I don't trust you."

"Then tell me," she demanded. "Because the way I see it, we both want to stay until the end of this. How am I supposed to get along with you if I do not know what I am doing wrong?"

"Oh please," I scoffed. "You're not gonna change just to appease one person. And if you did I'd trust you even less."

"Then what do you want?" She sighed. "I am not the only one with secrets. You know that better than most of the others."

"Don't compare me to you," I sneered.

"You do not. Even. Know me," she reiterated. "Do I have to spill my entire life story to make you back off?"

Would that help? She might actually do it but, no. I don't care enough. Not to mention, she'd probably avoid whatever she wanted to keep to herself.

Honestly, it wasn't nobility that made me distrust people. Sure, I don't typically like nobles but I wasn't close-minded. But I hate liars. Especially people that lied about what they were. Like Stostine. And like her.

"I guess I just want an honest answer." I propped my arms on the table and leaned forward. "I won't say I'll trust you after that but, depending on how you answer, I might back off."

She took a moment to consider it; probably trying to figure out what I wanted. But after one more sip of tea Stostine sat up and nodded. "Very well. One question and no matter what it is, I will answer it truthfully. But can I ask a condition?"

Ask doesn't mean get, is what I wanted to say. But because of my own curiosity, I nodded.

"Whatever question you're about to ask me I want to ask in return. Deal?" She held out her hand towards me, her expression cooling off.

"Deal," I said without hesitation as I shook her hand. There were so many ways I could spin my answer that I wasn't intimidated by the thought. And when I sat back, gauging her reaction, she seemed much more satisfied about talking.

"Why are you here?" I asked her, making her brow furrow. "Why'd you leave whatever you were doing? Whether noble or not, you had some other life. But you're not doing that anymore, are you? The others are obvious. Open books, really. Glemerr's trying to prove something, Vareén was already a part of this, Thorn Wielder has nothing to go back to, and I don't think Ravathyra or Ricven would hide it if I tried to ask them.

"But you?" I frowned. "You hid it from day one when we all met. To top it off, you lied too. Said you used to live in the capital. Then you switched it and said your dad was mayor of a plain small town. So the idea of wanting to escape the city life applied to nothing."




Applejack watched Sunset bite her lip. Huh. She forgot about that? She gave Sunset a victorious smirk to which the latter groaned light-heartedly.

This time, Applejack came out on top.




Stostine let her eyes lower themselves at the table before she started to finish off the rest of her tea. She knew I had her. To be fair, I didn't care that she lied about where she was from. Petty lies like that I can excuse. It's the why that made me feel so uneasy about her. Especially when she was the one that suggested we all introduce each other in the first place.

"Technically," she started after setting her glass down. Her tone was gone too. "I did use to live in the capital. Before Father was directed to move. And we moved with him. Even when we knew it wasn't going to work. Not like we had a choice though."

I wanted to press her on that but she didn't give me the chance. "I didn't leave because of my relationship with my father. I left because I wanted to prove that it was worth it. Not to him. Not to myself..." She looked directly at me and glared. "Now do I need to tell you exactly what it is I need to prove? Or can I at least keep that secret?"

I studied her for any sign that it was false but all I saw was sorrow and anger. They were both real and it felt like it was all being focused on making me feel like the scum I already was. It did work to keep me quiet, however, as I shook my head.

"Alright." She folded her arms. "Then in that case, what about you?"

I chuckled pitifully. "Not sure what'd I'd call it. Survival maybe?"

She squinted her eyes. "Maybe?"

"Yeah." I nodded weakly. "Survival never sounded right. Makes it sound like someone's trying to kill me but there's not. I don't think so at least. If anything, people never want to come near me."

Stostine's frown softened. "Because of...the necklace?"

I snorted. "Yeah. The necklace."

"...What were they like?" She asked me. "Your family, I mean?"

"I know what you mean."

I stood up. Not gonna tell you but thanks for the sympathy. "I'm going to bed."

"Wait." She stood up to be at eye level again, catching a few people's attention. "What were you looking for with my answer? Is that all you wanted?"

I closed my eyes halfway. "If you're trying to ask if that was enough for me to get off your back, then sure. About you at least."

"Me?"

"You're hiding something about your magic too," I accused, speaking quietly enough to let the neighboring tables screw off. "But Ricven said there was a reason for that. Still, don't be surprised that I don't trust you."

Despite what I said, Stostine smiled. "A step forward, I suppose."

"Sure."

Without another word, I turned and walked off to my room. Hopefully to fall asleep before Ricven was done with his songs and tried bringing his noise to the room.






3rd Person POV
Game Room






Applejack moved to say something but Sunset cut her off with a shake of her head. She was only doing as Sunset asked her to; to act as much like Platick as she could manage. She hated acting like all the girls were against her but, wherever she could, she tried to figure out some way to make him a team player.

The other girls didn't have nearly as much trouble following along with Sunset's request. For them, it was in their comfort zone. Twilight was probably the only one who was close to having the same problem as Applejack but even then she did that by design with Vareén.

"Now then." Story looked over the girls. "Is there anything you'd like to do before the night's over?" The girls all looked between each other for a few moments before coming up with nothing else.

"In that case." Story settled into his seat. "All of you begin winding down for the night as you relax in a bed for the first time in nearly a week as the feeling of actual mattress gives you a sense of welcome. Not only that but as the night grows too long for most patrons, Ricven's muffled music from the taproom becomes a guide to a good night's sleep.

"As for Ricven himself," Story continued as he turned to Rarity. "Toblen thanks you for the performance and, as promised, lets you and your group have the rooms for free tonight. He does let you know that he might not be able to keep up this exchange every night, but—"

"Think nothin' of it sir," Rarity cut in with Ricven's voice. "If we do plan on restin' our heads again, I think we'd be glad ta pay the fee. Goodnight." Rarity sat back and nodded to Story. "An' I'll climb inta bed myself."

"And with each room having two beds, that passes without issue. So." Story reached towards his bag and pulled out a stack of papers, each with small scenes and grids drawn across them as he set them outside the screen where the girls could see it.

He watched as the girls eyed it, expecting them to be confused about why those maps looked like they did and technically he was right. However, all the girls could see were a stack of paper that each looked like small rectangular voids. Not paper that was black or lacked color, the girls saw empty, paper thin, voids of space all stacked up like organized black holes.

Gilda saw this just as well, and inwardly was freaking out, but had to go the extra mile not to show it. To her and Big Mac, this was something Story did all the time. Now that the small maps were...that, it was unsettling. But what was more concerning to Gilda was that Big Mac didn't seem the least bit shocked about it.

"These are a few small maps I prepared," Story told them without any indication that something was wrong. Something the girls tried to replicate. "I prepared a couple big maps too if you all go somewhere specific but ignore that for now."

"A couple?" Sunset asked.

"Yeah. They're on the vinyl maps." For emphasis, Story held one of the rolled vinyl maps up and, like the paper, it too was a void of space now held in Story's grip.

It wasn't like that before, Sunset realized. But wait. Before, he drew the map in front of...But the goblin caves was predrawn too...Right? Well, it was covered except for what we knew about. These aren't.

"Again, ignore that for now." Story let the map drop out of his hand and onto the floor beside him. Then he paused, as if a stray thought came to him. "Hey Sunset? Can you roll me...2D12?"

"Two twelves?" When Sunset saw him nod she thought about it for a moment. It sounded random but... "A-Alright."

She got hers, and then one from Applejack before rolling them and adding the numbers in her head. "Ten?"

"Cool." Story sat up and casually rolled one himself, his expression shifting into one of surprise for a moment before shaking it off.

"What was that face about?" Pinkie asked him with a chortle.

"Oh, nothing," Story dismissed. Then he clapped his hands together as if nothing happend. "So! I believe you all said you were splitting up to take care of a bunch of jobs at once, right?"

A couple of the girls nodded as all of them grew this uneasy feeling dread from what just happened.

"In that case, I'll go ahead and warn you now; not everyone in town has all the information you're looking for. Some of them are red herrings and most of them probably won't even need one of these," he explained as he patted the void papers. It made some the girls calm down a bit, even if the sight of Story touching black holes confused a few of them. Except for Sunset who never lost her nervousness.

"Because of that, these parts will be shorter. Ask as many questions or make whatever checks you want but sometimes there's just nothing to get from it. Since this is your first game, I'll let you know if you're on the right track or not."

He glanced over towards Fluttershy, making her tense up. "We'll start with Thorn Wielder. Being an elf, and not drinking anything tonight, you're the first to get a full rest. Your trance ends and you begin to open your eyes..."






Thorn Wielder's POV
Stonehill Inn Bedroom






My eyes fluttered open in the darkness. To my left was the entrance leading into this room and to the right was a window that let me look outside into the town and the nature that surrounded it.

This town was a weird place. The town I met the Dwarf we were searching for was four or five times bigger than this one. Their ground and buildings were mostly made of stone as well. This town had buildings mostly made of wood and wide dirt trails between them. It looked more like the Cortássian towns I had watched from a distance.

The whole time here, the humans and Dwarves looked to me with caution while the only elf so far, the one with divine power, greeted me kindly. Back in my forest it was the reverse. Elves had caution while others tried reaching out to me. Even though my forest was in Cortás.

I looked over at Glemerr. She was snoring loudly like every other day I traveled with her. She was also using every inch of the bed as her arms and legs were sprawled in each direction. She let me trance on the bed closer to the window so that I could look out towards the nature outside of this room. She was kind.

I decided to stay in the room for a little while longer, watching idly as I let my vines slither around the bed. Glemerr and the others asked me to help look for more of the infestation or for strange things about the people in the town. What's more, they wanted me to do so as different animals.

I was glad to do it. Before we had attacked those goblins, becoming an animal was something that I could only do within my forest. I wasn't sure what had changed. Saving the wolves and area from the goblins, fighting and killing the goblins, or simply being in a danger, but I had regained my strength. Even if it was a fragment.

After a few more hours, I saw the top of the sun begin to rise from the distance and took my chance. I wrapped my vine back around my arm and then crawled out of the bed towards the window. I undid the tiny metal hook that kept the two sides closed and emptied my lungs of all breath.

As my entire body shrunk, I leapt out the window and felt all my weight vanish before landing on four feline paws. I glanced back up at the window, hearing Glemerr still snoring as if nothing happened, and prided myself for a moment before staring down at my front leg.

Like as a human, my vine was still there. Although it was as thin as a twig and certainly shorter. It was still a healthy green, however as it stood in contrast against my orange fur.

"Huh. Never seen a cat up dis early."

I whipped my head to the side and saw a groggy Dwarf letting out a heavy yawn. He was dressed in clothes more tattered than my own and a rag around his head.

I gave a loud mew! and darted off in the other direction, ducking around a building and straight ahead until I was outside town. With everyone sleeping, I would make better time looking for goblins.






Ravathyra Dagarkin's POV
Outside of Town (Northern Mines)
Sometime Later






A small crowd of about fifteen or so folk had gathered up behind me as I and a few of the lead miners finished spreading out a ring of silvered powder around the entrance. We had to make sure it was set along the ground, walls and even ceiling in order to get the best effect.

"Awrite! That'll do," The mine's director called out to us. He was overseeing our work. "Any more an' it'll ge' uneven!"

I stepped back and dusted off my hands to let any more powdered silver pool on the ground. It was understood that during this process much of the silver would fall to the ground so it was the safest place to let fall.

"Thank ye fer yer aid," I told the others. Three of the miners were Dwarves but the fourth was human; a welcome sight since Ulaa was a Dwarven deity.

They all nodded and went to join the others as I stood alone at the precipice of the mine. Since I didn't bring any vestments with me, I used my armor to represent my following. Might have been for the best though since the people watching me were probably more invested watching an armored warrior than a priestess.

Shame, I thought. Priestess clothes always look nicer. Easier to wear too.

I slowly brought out my hammer and began to turn it in my hands like a baton. They were slow spins thanks to the weight of the weapon but the miners understood it all the same and took a knee.

After I delivered an outspoken prayer, I stopped spinning the hammer as the head faced straight towards the ground and gripped the handle tighter, engulfing it in a brilliant white flame. I smiled at my handiwork. It was the third time I had done it today.

And the third time ever to pull it off, I thought. Before I left Cragen, I wasn't able to do this. What changed, I wondered.

I let the feeling pass and plunged the hammer head into silver powder below me, letting the white flame ignite the silver and travel along the path until the entire entrance was traced in the same flame.

As the miners marveled, I lifted the hammer once more and took a step back, this time swinging in an arc. The hammer slammed into the flames before all at once a shockwave of white fire shot out into the tunnel in every direction. We all watched the light continue until it was out of sight wherein the miners all began to stand back up.

"So that's what an Ulaa priestess does?" A human asked. "Is that, like, some sort of blessing?"

"It's a divine spell called Ceremony," I told him as I began to sheath my hammer. "There's the typical ones, aye, but each god 'as their own as well. Wit' Ulaa's blessin', you'll 'ave better luck spottin' them silver veins fer the next week."

"Which we desperately needed," The director, Lanar Deepstone, assured them. Then he walked up to me and held out his hand. "Thank ye fer the help Dagarkin! You've done me mine a great service."

I shook it with a heavy clap. "Ah should be thankin' you an' them other directors! It was yer powdered silver that empowered this Ceremony."

He nodded and turned to the others and scoffed gleefully. "Well?! Y'all 'eard the missie! One week, don' go spendin' it gawkin' at 'er!"

"Err do," I called out with a laugh. "Appreciated all the same! Good luck on yer findin's!" They all gathered their supplies and headed inwards with a few of them thanking me again as they went. 

Lanar turned to me again. "Are ya sure ya don' want any compensation fer this? Ah know Ah can't be the only one feelin' guilty ta take this kindness unpaid."

"An' ya ain't," I revealed. The last two mine directors wouldn't take no for an answer when they paid me in powdered silver for myself. "Although, like Ah did them, Ah wanted ta ask. Me an' mah friends are lookin' inta a friend of ours. One Gundren Rockseeker."

A look of acknowledgment crossed Lanar's face. "Aye. Ah know him. He left three weeks back ta supply in Dreiweg. His brothers left town a few days afterwards ta check this 'silver hoard' they kept gushin' 'bout. That was more than a tenday though."

"Ten days?" I frowned. "They 'aven't been back since?"

"Don' think so." He shook his head. "They typically rub that secret mine a' theirs in all our faces at the Miner's Exchange. We all 'ear of it." Then he paused. "Come ta think of it, you were the band that brought in Gundren's supplies, righ'? Where is he?"

My frown deepened. "Gone. There was an ambush a' goblins on the way 'ere. We're lookin' fer him."

He threw a curse to the ground, earning a curt stare from me. Sure. Curse the earth I JUST BLESSED! "Sorry! Ah'm real sorry. Ah jus' wish Ah had any idea of how ta help. Ah 'aven't 'eard a' any goblin sightin's. Not any recently at least. Not even the prospectors 'ave laid any eyes on 'em. Just other wild rumors."

I scratched my chin. "Like wha'?"

He watched me for a moment and cringed. "As Ah said, mostly rumors. Though, with yer 'elp, those crazies may try seekin' ya out anyhow. May as well tell ya early." He straightened out. "There's a crumbled watchtower from the war about two days southeast of here. Folk say they see smoke billowin' from within the watchtower like a campfire. But whenever one of 'em try approachin', all they see is some colorful tent an'..." He sighed.

"An' what?" I rolled my eyes. "Ye can't jus' line up a tale like that an' cut me short. Finish it."

"Ah know, Ah know," he relented. "Them eejits claim they see...The dead." He tossed up his hands. "Sounds dumber ev'ry time Ah 'ear it, but they prattle on about seein' shamblin corpses walk outta that tent like a conga line an' stare at whatever man was fool enough ta...Missie?"




Rainbow Dash sat there, grinning ear to ear as Story paused to watch her. "Uh...Rainbow Dash?"

"It's zombies, righ'?!" She asked, nearly bouncing in her seat. "'Ow many are they claimin'?!"

Story eyed her carefully. Then abruptly turned to Gilda. "Right. You told her about the zombies."

"Heck yeah I told her about the zombies!" Gilda admitted gladly. "And it is zombies, right?!"

Story pinched the bridge of his nose. Great, now I gotta bring my A-game when they deal with that.

Story looked back at Dash who's Cheshire grin had yet to falter. "I'll fill in on what they are later, but for time, the director tells you whatever details he remembers from the rumors before excusing himself to get back to his mine. Which leads us to our next contestant..."









Glemerr's POV
Meanwhile






When I woke up, Thorn Wielder was already gone. She did say that elves do that 'trancing' thing but I thought I would have heard her leave. I was a pretty light sleeper!

Regardless, I got myself up, downed a quick mug of water before splashing another one across my face and went out to the morning sun. The others wanted me to find this adventurer guy who lived outside of town but I had no idea which direction to try. That meant I had to ask around.

Everyone in town had different levels of 'Oh cool, an orc!' before they kindly started pointing out directions. In the span of maybe a half hour, I already had eyes on a small orchard overlooking the town from a hill.




"What's growin' on the orchard?" Applejack asked out of interest.

Story shook his head with a smirk. "I'm sorry Applejack, I don't think you're there."

AJ huffed. "Fine. What does Glemerr see growin' in the orchard?"

"No idea," Pinkie cut with a head shake of her own. "Glemerr's never seen an orchard before!"

"Wait, what? What'cha mean she ain't seen an orchard?"

"She's right actually," Story backed her up. "Where Glemerr's from, she'd barely see farms. Aside from fish and meat, a lot of food's imported in."

Applejack blinked a few times. "Oh. Which town is that?"

"Sorry AJ," Pinkie told her with a grin. "Glemerr can't just tell ya! You'd have ta ask Glemerr herself!" The pink haired one's giggling made AJ prop her chin on her hand. She wasn't getting her answer.




I started up the hill and then walked past some rows of really short trees with green fruits that were slowly turning either orange or yellow before coming up on a—




"Okay, so some sorta citrus then."

"AJ," Big Mac warned.

"Sorry, sorry! Ah'll stop talkin'!"




I came up on a small shack in the center of all these rows of small trees. The roof was sunken and the front wall was at an eighty degree angle while the wooden boards had moss and plants growing up from the ground. It looked as though the home was slowly getting swallowed by the ground but it looked peaceful all the same.

I glanced through a small window as I passed. It was angled upward towards me but there was a curtain hanging between it and the room, blocking my view. So instead, I walked up to the door which was also at a slant. It almost looked like a cellar door more than a front door.

I admired the house as I reached forward and knocked on the center of the door. The entire place was probably built by whoever lived there and I was pretty sure they weren't a carpenter. A lot of the board looked uneven and edges of the roof were loose.

If I didn't know better, I'd think my knocking would topple the whole place over, I worried. But after a few more seconds, I heard the creek of floorboards and the heavy footfalls.

"Just a second," a heavy gruff voice shouted out. As I noticed that the door opened outward, I took a few steps back thinking it would come out and hit me. Instead, a small slot I didn't notice opened in the door.

On the other side was a wrinkled face with snow gray skin and cloudy eyes staring up at me. "Who're you?" The voice grumbled.

"Oh hey dere!" I grinned and waved. "Name's Glemerr! Glemerr an' err friends 'eard dere was an old adventurer named Eglath dat lived in town? Glemerr wanted ta talk to ya 'bout monsters!"

"Monsters?" His voice let out a chuckle that was almost a cough. Then he spoke up. "Mam, Ah can assure ya there ain't much monsters ta worry about 'round here. 'Least, not anything excitin'."

"Ah dunno." I shrugged with a grin. "We 'ad a run in with some gobbos de otha day. Dey had dis bugbear leadin' 'em an' apparently there's a whole tribe of 'em! We're tryin' ta hunt 'em down."

"Dat right?" He stepped away from the door slat and looked behind him for a few seconds. "...Tell ya what. Ah got 'bout thirty minutes fer Ah gotta handle some chores. Ya got the time, Ah'll tell ya a story 'bout some real monsters. Maybe put some perspective in ya. What say you?"

"Ah love perspective," I told him nodding along.

"Glad ta hear it! One moment." I watched the door slat shut closed before I heard Eglath shift a few things around, cursing to himself in the process after some metal clattered on the ground.

This was easier than I thought it'd be! I took a second to nod to myself before flinching. Wait, no! Remember why you're here Glemerr. You need to ask Eglath about the gobbos. They had patrols. Maybe Eglath saw them. Whatever you do, remember to ask. Remember to...

The front door was pushed open, revealing a home that was dug partway into the ground making the house bigger than it seemed on the outside. There was a handful of animal pelts and trophies of varying levels of monstrous that were hung up on the walls or sitting in jars that were more eye-catching than the last.

There were a few candles that helped to light up the space but in the center of the room was a large fire pit with a pile of wood ready to light whenever the need arose. But even though we were pushing mid-fall, the weather around this half of Leodaav stayed warm enough to go without a fire in the day.

Once the door was open, Eglath stepped back to let me in and before I got down the steps I was at eye level with him. Eglath was a goliath, standing a whole foot and a half taller than me; taller than Klarg was. Even with a baggy shirt and sagging skin this guy was obviously a fighter in a different life.

He walked over to a set of chairs settled around a small table that rested underneath a heavy axe mounted on the wall. It was pristine and looked as if it gave off a weak glow. Probably from light in the doorway or something.

Wait, focus, I commanded inwardly. You're here about gobbos. Don't get distracted by cool weapons. Here about gobbos. About. Gobbos.

"So ya think that goblins are monsters worth braggin' about, huh?" I glanced back and watched as he took his time lowering himself into a chair. Once he was settled, he reached over to the bookcase built into the wall beside him.

It did have a few books, sure, but most of the shelf space was filled up with more trophies. A large horn that looked jagged at the base, a jar full of leaves looking green and lively, this ornate wand snapped clean in two, and about ten other objects that all probably had stories.

About...gobbos?

"With the right numbers, them goblin hunts are a nice tale, but um..." He eyed them each for a second before carefully pulling out a bundle of curved bones all tied together in twine. Then he shook them like a rattle and chuckled. "Ya ever hear about Bone Nagas?"

"..." The widest look came to my eyes as my head started buzzing in anticipation. About...Nah, forget that!

"Tell me its entire life story!" I pleaded.

He snickered. "Bone Naga," He repeated. "It was an undead."

"Tell me its entire UNlife story!" I fixed, practically slamming myself into the seat across his small table.




"Pinkie," Twilight sighed. "You're looking for answers about goblins."

"But he said Bone Naga," Pinkie told her excitedly.

"Do ya even know what that is?" Applejack asked.

"No idea, but did ya hear how happy Eglath was?! He sounded really happy when Ah wanted ta hear it!" Pinkie asked. "Plus, it's only right! Ah need ta hear at least one story! Start the story, Story!"

"Right away Glemerr!" Story gave a mock salute "You listen intensively as Eglath goes from beginning to end about him and three other adventurers traveling along the west coast of Leodaav in search of ruins."




Time passed as he told me all these exciting things. Combing the forests like treasure hunters, killing the wild beasts that were hunting them, and then how it felt to actually unearth the entrance to these crumbling ruins buried in the ground.

But even then, there were more monsters and then traps that Eglath started telling me about, with him getting more into his story the more he spoke. Until finally, he started talking about this open space in the ruins that looked like some sort of alter.

"And then? There it was," Eglath said, pointing out in a random direction that I pretended to look towards. "Coilin' down a tall stone column were the bones of a snake maybe three times as long as Ah was tall!"

"Dat long?" I blinked. Then I looked at the bones. They were each the size of Ricven's hand. "Dem bones look sorta small dough."

"These are from closer ta the tail," he admitted. "One of their heads were smashed ta pieces an' the other one fetched some good coin. Ah don't keep what's worth more sellin'. Just what helps me think back on them fights."

"Wait, ya said heads? Like, multiple heads?" I gasped. "Did de bone snake 'ave multiple heads?!"

"...Urgh!" He grimaced. "Spoiled it early! No, there were two bone nagas. One from the ceilin', and one comin' up through a hole in the floor," he revealed, making my focus fall back to him. "Veld an' Triston moved forward to take the one on the column while me an' Forella focused on the one to our side. But the last thing we expected was the lightning firin' outta their boney jaws!"

"They shoot lightnin'?!"

"Bolts of it," he told me with a mad grin. "Thought me arms were gonna pop like sausages, hahaha! Forella didn' take kind ta that. She started bringin' down this beam a' moonlight on it while I kept slammin' it back with that beaut up there."

He pointed a thumb up at the axe hanging above our heads and I let myself admire it some more. I wasn't much for weapons myself. They weren't my kind of thing. But I knew enough people back home who always cared for their 'tools' just as much as Eglath did. Even if they weren't anywhere near as nice as his.

"Somethin' Ah didn't expect though," Eglath said. "Even though it was nothin' but bone, it was still poisonous."

"Wait, really?" He nodded. "But. Ah thought snakes had poison sacs on 'em err somethin'."

"They do," he confirmed. "But that's necromancy fer ya. Some undead keep the strength they had in life. I've seen skeletons hoist rocks heavier than them and act as lookouts for their masters. Don't underestimate a pile a' bones."

He rattled the snake vertebrae in his hand a couple more times before setting it back onto the shelf beside him. Then he stood up. "Alright. Ah enjoyed jawin' with ya Glemerr, but." He pulled the curtain back to look out the window. "Sun's in a different spot. Musta been an hour now an' my well's a few steps too far nowadays."

"Let me help!" I stood up the same time he did. "Mah friends are all doin' deir own things today! Ah can help ya wit' yer work!"

He gave me a curious look. "You'd do that?"

"Course Ah'd do dat!" I smiled. "It's da least Ah can do fer de story ya told me! Plus, Ah kinda cut mah mornin' exercises short so dis'll make up fer it!"

He scratched the side of his chin and nodded along. "Ah mean. Ain't gonna say no ta free labor. Okay, come along. While yer tillin' my soil, Ah'll tell ya what Ah know 'bout the goblins yer huntin'."

"Goblins we're..." I slapped my face with a groan. "Glemerr fergot all 'bout dat!"

Eglath chuckled to himself. "Ah know. Be lucky Ah didn't. On we go kid. It's already past noon."






Platick's POV
Back at the Goblin Caves
Past Noon






I threw my hands out in both directions, gripping whatever I found as Leanne rode the wagon over the tenth bump in the ground since we moved off of the main road.

As Leanne promised, we cleared the distance between the town and the ambush sight in less than half the time it took us to walk it with oxen. That was because it was only two of us, a horse, and a small wagon with an empty crate inside. Well, empty aside from me who had no choice but to sit inside it like a child.

"You know," I called out. "When you told me you could find us 'something fast,' I was kinda hoping you meant two of them!"

I heard her laugh. "What gave you that idea?! Besides, you fit perfect! Like a grumpy, little gremlin!"

I regret coming with you.

"What about when we get your crossbows?" I tried leaning against the crate wall. "Are you saying we bury myself in weapons?"

"As hilarious as that sounds," she started, making me almost growl. "I need to pack what we find carefully. No telling what those goblins did. You can ride behind me."

I slumped. Well at least I won't be in a box any... "Wait, behind you?"

"Yyyyeah," she hummed. "What, is that gonna hurt your pride something?"

"Not really," I tried to write off. "It's just. You're marching full speed down the road. I'm kinda worried you'll run that horse to the ground."

"You mean Tucker?" Leanne scoffed. "He's the one setting records. I've had to rein him in five times now!"

I can see why, I thought. Don't worry Tucker, I want away from her too.

"Oh! This it?"

Taking a deep breath, I gripped the sides of the crate and carefully propped myself up on my knees so I could look. Directly ahead of us was the rocky outcropping with a cave entrance and obvious wagon wheel tracks from where we loaded all the supplies.

"Yeah, that's it," I told her as she began slowing the horse down. Although, as we got closer to the entrance, the horse stopped moving to the cave altogether and even tried turning around before Leanne got him to stand in place.

"That's weird," Leanne said out loud. "He doesn't get spooked easily."

Maybe not that weird, I realized. With Tucker at a full stop I had no problem leaping out of the crate and the wagon before landing on the ground. "Leanne, unhitch the wagon."

"What?" She looked down at me. "Why?"




"Applejack, go ahead and make me a perception check," Story told her.

AJ watched him for a second, realizing that he was staying as straight-faced as possible before drawing up her die. "Alright..."

With a clatter she glanced at the magic writing as the die gave out a welcoming flash of light. "Sixteen."

Story nodded. "When you leapt out of the wagon, you hit the ground in a three-point landing with your hand planting against grass. Right away you felt some of the morning dew and possibly the spray of the stream that comes out of the cave as you begin to stand up. But it feels more...viscous than that."

Applejack gave him a slow look. "...What's on mah hand?"

"You glance down at your palm." And as if instructing her, Applejack did exactly that. "Then give a careful look at the grass ahead of you. There's blood."

The girls all stared at Applejack's hand, worried the magic was outdoing itself, but nothing was there. Instead, Applejack started to think.

"Is. Is it fresh?" She asked.

"Investigation check."

"Ah tell Leanne ta back her an' Tucker off," Applejack informed him before rolling again. It wasn't a great roll but it still flashed. "Thirteen?"




I rubbed my fingers together as Leanne finished unhooking the horse and started to move back. The blood was wet but that was because of where I found it. However, following the trail a little away from the stream gave me my answer.

The blood's dark. Old, I discovered. A part of me felt relaxed at that. Whatever was here, it's not anymore. But what was...No.

I flicked my rest and followed the trail. It led up to the stream and walking across it to the other side revealed the same trail leading onwards into the cave.

No!

I reached behind me, ignoring my daggers and newly bought shortsword and going straight for my rapier. I got as far as the sunlight reached and kept my eyes on the rocky floor. The bloodstains went inside with a single handprint smeared along the wall as well.

Light. I threw off my pack and scrambled for a torch. Get a light, get a light now! Every two seconds I glanced up or stopped moving altogether when I thought I heard even the smallest noise.

After a moment, a flash of flames engulfed the top of the torch and I stormed down the tunnel with my rapier ready. I ditched the pack at the entrance.

Please be dead, I hoped. Please be dead, please be dead, please be dead, please be—

I turned the corner into the wolf pin cavern and froze.

The iron chains. The multiple pitons we pinned into the wall. The cloth Glemerr used to bandage his wounds. All of it was tossed around the room in a frenzy. And the one who did it was long gone.

Stamped into the rock floor, as though the pacing of a madman were drawn out for me, was a lake of blood-soaked footprints. Enough blood loss on a regular human would be enough to make someone pass out but obviously the same wasn't said about bugbears.

Most of them were around the area Klarg was restrained to. He must have opened his wound or tore off the bandages at some point because these were definitely from the hole Glemerr put in his foot. I nearly plugged my nose from the amount of copper that invaded my nose.

However, that wasn't the worst of it. I wondered why Klarg's hand was covered in blood on the way in. It's the only reason why he would have stains on the walls. However, as I stared at the back wall of the room, that mystery was solved real quick.

Before Klarg left, he wrote a message on the wall. One that used a dizzying amount of blood that at this point made me wonder if all of this was his or not. But what made it even more unsettling was the five letters he left behind big enough to leave an impression.


WITCH