Chapter 3


Silver Glass

Many hours after sunset I reach the borders of the forest. Riding in the light of moon and stars is one thing, riding under the dark roof of the forest is another. I'll have to be careful, at night the forest troll leaves it's nest and hunts for human flesh. I decide to press on with all my senses sharp, because I know I'll reach the wemix village in little time.

Only here and there, a tiny ray of moonlight pierces the thick leaved ceiling. The forest is less chilly then the open desert yet this environment would make you shiver more. In a steady trot I follow the road leading deeper in the forest.
Without giving a command my horse halts, turn his ears for and back, scanning the area carefully. He takes a step back and anxiously he starts pounding the ground with one hoof.

"Easy, what is it boy?"
He takes a few more steps back and rears up, both his legs stamping air. Then several red dots appear around me—like eyes in pairs—glowing and coming closer. My horse neighs and stamps the ground harder, trying to intimidate whatever is closing us in. A solid black shape flashes through the nearest shaft of moonlight. Fear grasps at me like two hands around my throat. I spur my horse forward and in a big leap he starts galloping. With heavy and deep panting breath he runs through the obscure woods. His extensive leaps are no match for the lurking creatures. A pair of red glowing eyes appear close to the road, vanish again, to appear once more right in our path in the middle of the road. Neighing, my horse halts brusque and starts rearing at the creature.

Only one this time, I might be able to take him out. As long as his friends don't show up all of a sudden.
I draw one sword from it's sheath and hold it ready to strike. With this, the two ruby eyes are gone, vanished, disappeared. I look around to see if they hadn't appeared somewhere else again, but not a trace of the ruby eyes were to be seen. I feel my heart pound hard and fast while a cool breeze blows through the forest. A barely audible sound of running water in the far distance catches my attention.

The river, I'm closer to the wemix village then I thought.
With my heels I tap the flanks of my horse, commanding him to move forward fast, I'm not staying here a minute longer.

I reach the old monastery ruins which are now shaded in blue moonlight. Besides the large tree overgrowing the left side of the ruins there aren't any other trees that drop their shadow on it. The wrecked cart is still laying where it was when we set out a week ago. I halt and descend from my horse. Guiding by the reins I lead him off the road, out of sight. After I give him a gentle pat on his neck I turn myself around and head for the staircase leading to the underground village. The wemix guard greets me,

"Welcome back stranger. What brings you to our village?"

"I'm here to speak your priestess again."

"Proceed, you know the way," the one guard—who stands closest to the staircase—says to me and offers me entrance.

"Thank you. Say, could you keep an eye on my horse upstairs? I would not like to have that one stolen too."

"I don't know, but, I think I could," with his catlike features he smiles graciously at me. I bow at him, make my way underneath the arc of the entrance and set foot into the village. The path leads me to the residence of the Priestess Alruaa.

I stop at her door—which I've never ever seen closed—and carefully enter her house. The woven strands of pearls hanging in the doorway give away my entering.

"Welcome child, I knew you were coming." She looks up from her scrolls and smiles. Once again she has astonished me. She gestures to the pillows at the other side of the table.

"Please, take a seat," she says and grabs for a silver glass teapot standing on the right of the table. "Would you care for some tea?"
I place my self on her colourful pillows and gladly accept her offer with a nod.

"So, what is the matter? You look troubled," she begins while filling a silver glass cup in front of me. I shrug and sigh, lift the cup and carefully put it against my lips to take a little sip. The hot tea has the sweet aroma of peaches. The priestess looks at me with compassionate eyes.

"I don't know," I answer after a long silence. "It's… it's like sometimes I feel—" I stop and sigh.

"Your eyes tell me enough," she rearranges herself on her pillow. "These are hard times for everybody. Most go about their own business, doing their own thing. You shouldn't take people's reactions too personal. Little do they know about you."

"But, I wish they could see what I can do."

"My child, the ones who do are the ones who needs to see it. You should not be too bothered by those who only see what you can not do."
If only I could do more…

Inviting, Alruaa extends her cat like hand, "Come here, give me your hand."
I slowly lay my hand in hers.

"Some people find it by themselves, for others it is to be taught, and then there are the few that have always known it." She says while holding my hand. "Do you know what I'm talking about, my child?"
I look confused by the riddle, trying to figure it out.

"Just like my hand, it's waiting for you to reach out for it. It's what you can do that is waiting for you."

"How can I do what I can do?" I ask the Priestess.

"Well, that is up to you, my dear."

"Can you teach me?"

"Do you have faith in your goddess?" she fills my cup again with tea.

"Yes, but what—"

"Do you speak to her?"
I'm not sure what to answer the priestess. I know I'm not the type that constantly talks to her goddess. Mostly because it's just a monologue. I sip again from my tea, even if it's just to stale some time.

"So, do you?"

"Sometimes," I try to answer her with honesty.

"Perhaps you should ask her the same question you asked me."
I nod in understanding.

"Now, let us both get some sleep, it has been a long day for me," and Alruaa gets up from her pillows. "You could sleep here if you like." She picks up a blanket and lays it next to me. "We will talk about it further in the morning."

"Thank you."

"It is my pleasure, dear." She smiles and leaves the room with no sound but the soft rustling of her cloths.

Talk to my goddess.

Ask her to teach me.

Teach me what?

What I can.

How can I ask her to teach me what I don't know?

What can I?

My goddess Mielikki, if only I could tell.

Help me find someone who understands me.

It's the second day and I'm awakening again in the same light condition as before. it's quite disorienting, hard to guess how long you have slept. I wonder how the wemix manage to keep track of time living in an underground village. I get up, fold Alruaa's blanket and put it aside. The table holds the silver glass teapot and a silver glass cup. The teapot is filled with steaming tea and the silver plate—next to it—holds some slices of honey bread. I have a quick breakfast and go check outside, where everybody is about their daily stuff.

"Good morning child." Alruaa says and walks toward me.

"Good morning." I greet her back.

"I hope you had a good rest."

"Yes I did, thank you."

"Very well," Alruaa pauses and I look at her with surprise for the sudden hesitation and the pondering look on her face.

"Have you considered the suggestion I made yet?"
I'm not sure if she means her suggestion to ask my goddess to teach me.

"Do you mean talk to my goddess?" I glance from the corners of my eyes to see if anyone would be overhearing our conversation. Not that I feel embarrassed, only I strongly feel that's something personal, personal between me and the priestess. She nods to my question.

"Well I… I tried," I continue. "But I felt it was hard to ask for anything. I mean, I didn't know what to ask." I sigh and stare at the sandy floor.

"Well dear," she chuckles and grabs my arm, "there is something you need to see." By my arm she escorts me to the staircase leading back up—to the ruins. I can't help but notice that even on these ochre sandy stones she isn't making any sound, even a whisper would sound louder next to her steps. The soft morning sunrays fill our faces when we reach the surface. One of the guards stands on the watch and keeps an eye on my horse which has noticed me coming up from the stairs. With an elegant hustle it comes to me. Alruaa hands me over some hay and pushes my hands forward clearly wanting me to offer it to him. My horse comes, stands still and kneels in front of me. I can't believe what I'm seeing and I look full of surprise to the Priestess.

"Go on! What are you waiting for?" She gives me a soft push in the back. I walk towards my horse and place myself in the saddle. Grasping his manes firmly I try to stay in saddle while he gets up. I'm still somewhat confused by it.

"You still have to name him, you know," the priestess reminds me. I think for a moment, searching for something elegant but strong, something loyal yet mysterious.

"Nightwish," I whisper and he pivots his ears to the back as if hearing my whisper.

"Now go! And don not forget, talk to your goddess," the priestess says. "She can grant more then you already know."

I nod in understanding.

"Thanks," I say as final word and at full speed I ride away, with Cimbar as destination.


The Gathering of Clouds

Once arrived at Cimbar I make my way to the Queens palace. I leave Nightwish at the outer yard within the palace walls and head for the stairs leading to the throne room. The two guards—each wielding a long spear and dressed in a royal armour—grant me entrance as soon as I'm near the huge doors.
The queen looks up, sitting on her throne accompanied by her councillors. Though I notice this time that Asfer is not standing at her side, instead there is a tall half-elf. He looks proud and confident, pale of skin and light of hair. He's holding a weird shaped staff which has a few small ruby's incorporated in the headpiece. His cloths are all similar to each other in colour and fabric, a light lavender with violet and purple designs on it.

"So you've come at last. Your friends were clueless on your whereabouts." The Queens addresses me.

"My apologies, I had business to attend to." I reply and bow my head slightly, but all Melisanda returns is her best poker face.

"I've left your reward with one of your friends. I take four gems and a hundred platinum pieces should cover any expense you'd have encountered?"

"Thank you," I direct myself again to the Queen, "there is a small request I'd like to make."
In contrast with her earlier poker face, she looks at me with surprise and gestures me to speak.

"If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to keep the horse." I feel my cheeks run red for not knowing whether my request would be appropriate or not. "He's been a trustworthy ally to me."

"Consider your request granted," she says. "Anything else?"

"No, that will be all."

She gestures me out and removes her attention from me. As for me, I'll go look for the others.

"Avast, me hearty!" a voice shouts while I'm strapping some equipment on my horse. I turn around and find Alonso approaching from the outer yard's entrance.

"Ye had us worried, lass!"

"Alonso, it's good to see you!" I laugh. "And I'm deeply sorry if I had you all worried."

"Aye, sorry ye'll be after I'm done with ye!" he says and draws his rapier, pointing it at me. But shortly after he burst in laughter, sheaths his rapier and welcomes me with open arms.

"Let's go, the rest is at the Prancing Okapi," he says. "oh right and this is yours." He tosses me a small bag, which holds four gems and a bunch of platinum pieces.

"A hundred platinum pieces," he says whispering looking around him through the corners of his eyes, "and four gems each worth about a thousand gold pieces. Ye'd be wanting to keep a close eye on those."

"Thanks! I'll go do some shopping now." And I return him a wink as secretly as his. Alonso laughs out loud. I wonder—no I hesitate—to give him hug but I decide to do so.

"Easy lass! No wrinkling the vest."
I let go and laugh for his ever concern for his appearance. Never have I seen a pirate so fashion-conscious.

"Then I'll see you all at the inn," I say and with my horse on the reins I leave the palace's outer yard.

After the few hours looking for the right shop and the right stuff I return to the inn "The Prancing Okapi". The noise from inside the building already invites me in before I even open the door. Once I'm inside I find Pippa and Alonso—both are standing at the bar, discussing something—as well as Yaeri and Wägtell—who are sitting at a table near the corner.

"Neely!" comes the voice of Pippa and she runs towards me, "you're back!"

"Hey Pippa!" I respond, also full of delight in seeing the ever-dynamic gnome again.

"Don't you ever leave us like that again!" she stamps a foot down angry while putting her two clenched fists at her side.

"Excuse me, my lady. It won't happen again." And I smile broadly while making an exaggerated low bow.

"Good, that's more like it," she giggles. "Say, do you have a new outfit? You look a bit different."

"I have, do you like it?" I turn around and show my new leather armour—decorated with some small gems around the chest—from all sides.

"Aye, fancy looking I'd say," Alonso—who had been watching from the bar—comes to stand next to Pippa.

"Oh, this reminds me…" I tell him and grab for my stuff I placed at the floor. Next to my bag lies another studded armour which I had kept for Alonso, it's the one from our trip to Airspur.

"Here, I've saved this one for you, I hope it fits you." And I hand over the leathers to Alonso.

"Ah, many thanks me hearty!" Alonso gratefully accepts the gift and gives it a close eye inspection.

"So..." Pippa taps her foot, "I think it's now about time you tell us where you've been hanging?"
Damn, I better spit something out now. I think.

"Well I… I had promised the wemix priestess a report on the events."

"I didn't know she asked that? Besides that couldn't have taken you two days right?"
No fooling Pippa, I realise.

"She… also taught me a trick."

"A trick! Now that's interesting! Please, show us." Pippa starts to wiggle on her legs out of excitement.
Now I've done it. She wants to see a trick.

"I can… make plants move with my thoughts!"
They all watch me in disbelieve, clearly not taking my bluff. All but Pippa, she is watching me with intensive and anticipating eyes. It's the first time I notice how pink her irises are.

"There," I point to a plant—the only plant—in the room. A poor excuse for a plant though, small and withered in a stone pot placed at the window. Pippa gazes at the motionless plant. The others decide to watch too, just to assure their right in not believing me justified. But against everyone's expectation the plant suddenly moves. The plant's upper body wriggles and closes on it's self like a fist clenching for something.
There is a moment of silence amongst the five of us, not even I could believe my own eyes.

"That's a neat trick!" Pippa jumps up and breaks the silence, "I'm curious what else can you do?"
That moment the barkeeper sounds his little bell.

"Hey folks! Dinner's ready!" he yells.

"I should go make my order," I say and haste myself to the bar but by the time I arrive the big barkeeper is gone again to his kitchen—probably getting the dishes. Meanwhile I look back at the weird withered plant at the window.
That couldn't have been me, that's just a fluke, I think.

"That's a Swamp Mouth," the big barkeeper says from behind me.

"Excuse me?"

"The plant, it's a Swamp Mouth. It catches flies with it's mouth to slowly digest them, once inside. A remarkable plant and very exotic."

"Oh I see!"

"So, what will it be for you, missy?"

"A salad with some fresh vegetables will do fine."

It's the next day at breakfast that a man escorted by two guards enters the inn. All three formally dressed in the military code of Cimbar and in the old imperial style. The man himself wears a fancy full plated armour with a richly decorated helm carried underneath his left arm. He's a bit taller then the average man in this region and his skin is a bit less tanned.

"Captain Alexander," the man introduces himself. "We have met before."
We look up from our plates—I with surprise for I haven't met him before but the others seem to know him—wondering what errand brings one of Cimbar's captains to us.

"I carry a message from the Queen," he says when he got all of our attention. "First of all I'm happy to announce the Queen was pleased with the completion of your previous assignment, and therefore she will offer the lot of you another job. Second, as you know of the death of our former Mayor Philo, his temporary successor shall give you a full briefing at the city hall. This be the end of the message."
The man tucks his parchment away.

"Until we meet again," he says and turns his heels to leave the building. His two guards follow him closely.

"That sounded more like a statement then a request," I say the moment the three are gone.

"Aye, but as long it pays well I'm up for it," Alonso replies with a broad smile.

"Then we're on adventure again!" Pippa cheers.

"I wouldn't be cheering to soon Pippa," I respond to the gnome's impatient behaviour, "we don't know what this job is yet."

"Well then lets go find out!" she says with a firm grin and brings her empty breakfast plate to the bar. She thanks the bartender for the delicious food and then puts on her backpack.

The five of us enter the city hall with it's creaking doors. The same giant chandelier is still hanging there threatening as well as the same four pillars and the banners on the wall. Only the desk at the back of the hall is different, and not only the desk also the employee behind it. There is a woman with dark pinned up hair sitting behind it, she must be in her late thirties. She watches us when we walk closer.

"Good day, you must be the company that has been summoned by the Queen?"

"We are, with no doubt," Alonso takes a step forward, and in a single gracious gesture he takes his tricorn in his right hand and bows before the woman.

"Very well," she says, "the Mayors office is to your right."
We walk towards the door to the right with the guard next to it when Pippa whispers to us.

"Pssht guys, I need to tell you something."
We look at her and I wonder what news she's going to tell us.

"You should know, this guy is a freak, I mean, really twisted in the head."

"What do you mean?" Alonso asks.

"The man has a giant bat hanging at his ceiling and—"
That moment the door opens and a man—carrying a large and heavy bag over his shoulder—walks out heading for the exit in a straight line

"Well you're next," the guards says, "if you would leave any arms at the table here nearby I'd gladly take good care of them."
As we been told we lay down our weapons at the guard's table and enter the mayors office. In contrast with former mayor Philo's office, this one is chill and cold. No decoration at all, even the glass showcase has been removed. A giant man stands at the window staring outside, clad in beast hides and furs with long dark raven black hair. Above him, from the ceiling, hangs a giant bat. I study the creature's features and I am startled all of a sudden by the most unexpected. The giant bat opens its dark eyelids and reveals two pitch black eyes. Scared by the hollowness I avert my gaze immediately.

"You never said it was alive!" I whisper to Pippa after poking her hard.

"Greetings." The giant man in his hides turns around from the window. "My name is Nicos Avaris."
Though the man turned to show his face his eyes are not visible. A white sash is covering the region of his eyes, with both ends running to the back of his head to be tied firmly.

"Please, have a seat," says the man while there clearly are no chairs or what so ever in the room.

"The Queen has put her trust in you and your skill, therefore she has instructed me to explain you your next assignment."
The man pauses and starts to pace up and down.

"Inevitably there are rumours amongst the people, some are true others are not. What I will tell you must stay between these four walls. War is coming, and Cimbar's enemies are growing while our list of allies is getting shorter. Even the recent incident with Orriseid has done serious damage to the secret alliance between Cimbar and Airspur. All this together with our growing shortage of weaponry is like the gathering of towering clouds at the horizon."
He halts a moment as to concentrate on his thoughts.

"This alliance between Cimbar and Airspur must be restored, together with a new order for weapons. The Queen wants you for the job. She has given me two things which I was assigned to give."
From his pockets he takes a paper and a glass orb.

"A form stating the details of the weapon order, and a sphere to contact the Queen if you should have need for any guidance with any complications you might encounter."
He extends his hands offering both items to me.

"Good," he says when I relieved him of them. Again he starts to ponder about something.

"Is Asfer coming with us again?" Pippa asks the man.

"No, we haven't seen her yet, but we expect you won't have much trouble anyway." He pauses once more, waiting if any more questions would follow. "This concludes what I had to say. Good luck to you all."


Fragile Alliance

Airspur has been fortified to the last brick, so to speak. The city walls are manned by bowmen and the large gate has been shut. Little traces remain of Cimbar's forces. The encampment before the gate has been removed to a point where only some rubbish and such mark something stood there. From above the gate one of the half-orc guards commands us to halt.

"What business!" he shouts from atop—according to Wägtell who translated the orcish words.

"Me good sir!" Alonso says with the best of his manners, "we've come to speak your ruler King Khrulis."

"Who are you to speak to our king!"

"We are sent by Queen Melisanda with a message."

The one half-orc yells something orcish to someone behind the walls at lower level. The gate rumbles and the left half opens—just enough for man and horse to pass through—itself on a slow pace.

"Smooth so far," Alonso smiles.
We walk through the space between the two halves of the gate, to be immediately received by a dozen guards, all of half-orc breed and dressed in Airspur's military code—which I recognised from our visit a few days ago.

"We shall escort you to the palace!" one of the half-orcs says. These half-orcs always seem to have a temper on.
In a file with six well armed guards at each side we march to the Kings palace.

Once we reach the throne room it shows King Khrulis has a most distasteful, disgusting and nauseating sense for decoration. The hall is filled with red, first the red carpet running from the entrance to his throne, red banners on the wall displaying a variety of symbols and icons. His windows are filled with red coloured glass that stains the room in a red hue. But most horrifying of all are the spiked corpses, put to display like a war trophy. Though I wonder what prevents the air of being fouled with the smell of rotting carcasses. I quickly remind myself I don't want to know and want to get going again as soon as possible. As we walk forth to King Khrulis' throne I notice a familiar face. One of the half-orcs is the one we encountered on our first visit, more specific the one who was so eagerly on telling to get them some potions in return for some information. Anyway, that doesn't matter now, we should get straight to business so we can leave fast.

"So…" Khrulis rumbles, "… Melisanda has sent more of her spies."
He laughs and looks at his spiked war trophies.

"Melisanda has sent us with a plead for the existing peace and alliance between the two cities." I decide to take this conversation for a change.

"Peace!" his powerful voice rumbles through the hall almost infuriated, "she talks peace while she wields a sword and shield against me!"

"She is aware of that, yet the one responsible for the assault did not act on Cimbar's behalf. As we speak he is being put to trial for his betrayal."

"You amuse me, elf-woman!"

"Also she'd like to renew the weapon supply order."

"And how would we do that?" he laughs mockingly, "our forges are nothing more than rubble now! Even we have to buy our weapons now!" he slams his giants fist at the armrest of his throne. "I've had enough of this!"

"Please, be so kind and tell us where to find weapons."

"Hmmm," he grumbles, "find Astilith far south of here in the mountain range. He sells weapons in great stock numbers. Once you reach the river, follow it upstream."

"Thank you." I give him a slight bow, "I hope Cimbar may count on you as an ally when tides of war batter against her."

"We shall see," Khrulis grumbles and laughs once more.
We turn around to leave the throne room.

"Elf-woman," he shouts, "tell your Queen that for every spy she has in Airspur I have two in Cimbar."
I halt and turn to face Khrulis once again.

"I'm sure she knows that." I reply him, to which Khrulis grins and says, "And does your Queen knows that Lutcheq is the only city who is not having any troubles?"

"Melisanda is aware of many things. I'm sure she knows that too."
Together with the rest I leave the throne room and we set course to Astilith in the far south mountain range.

As we ride south, through the dull desert of Chessenta with the mountain range visual to the west as our guide, not a life form is to be spotted but the occasional bird high in the blue sky. It's when the sun is touching the mountain peaks, ready to sink behind them with it's orange flames, that we find a cartwheel together with more splintered wood, what must have been the rest of the cart. There are a large amount of tracks around the splintered wood, all humanoid, and a bunch of them lead away from the rubble.

"I'm going to follow those tracks and see where they lead to," I tell the rest, "you should set up camp, this wood could be used to get a fire started."

"Hey!" Pippa protests. "Don't wander off alone, that's dangerous! I'm coming with you!"

"Alright… alright, I know I can't stop you anyway."

"Good!"

"But stay close to me, ok?"
The tracks lead away a great distance, until they end near a small rock formation. Before the rocks stands a chest, a sturdy chest with metal work on it.

"Oh! A treasure chest!" Pippa cheers delightedly.

"Wait Pippa, don't you see those corpses?"
Pippa nods.

"I wonder what killed these people."

"Well what ever it is it's not here, so lets open it!"

"No wait!" I grab her by the arm, "I once heard a story about a creature who likes to take shape of a treasure chest to lure careless treasure hunters, and when they are close enough and ready to open the chest they transform back to their real shape and slay their victims merciless."
Pippa raises an eyebrow and takes a step closer to the chest.

"No Pippa, we should just leave it here."

"Leave the treasure? Na-ah." Pippa pulls her arm free and places both hands on the chest. She lifts the top and swings it back. I notice how I hold my breath and have my hand ready on my sword. Nothing happens.

"Hey Neely, this is something for you, there's a blue bow with some arrows in it."

"I can't carry anymore stuff, so just leave it there."

"What? Then I'll carry it, too good to leave it here."
I shrug and Pippa tucks away the bow and the arrows in her Handy Haversack—that's what I heard her call it, it's much like my quiver I bought in Cimbar with the Queens reward. Items like those have a larger interior dimension than the exterior dimension. I don't know how they do it but I try not to ask too many questions about the powers of magic.

"Lets go back to the rest." I suggest to Pippa.

We find Wägtell and Yaeri already knocked out in their bedrolls and Alonso keeping guard.

"So lassies, did ye find anything?"

"We sure did!" Pippa answers the merry pirate with a smile. With her backpack on the ground she takes out the blue bow and the arrows—which were more like pointy gnarled branches then streamlined arrows.

"Funny looking arrows ye got there lass," Alonso laughs with the crude projectiles.

"They could be magical," I ponder out loud.

"Well lets find out." Pippa arranges the bow and arrows tidy in front of her. With a giggle she wriggles her fingers and extends her hands, hovering them above the items. Besides concentration and a magic word that's all it takes for Pippa to see if something has a magical aura or not.

"Hmm, interesting…" Pippa says almost on a humming way, "… those arrows are…"

"Yes?"

"…totally rubbish." She giggles and opens her eyes again, "the blue bow on the other hand is magical."
She hands over both the bow and the arrows. I shove the blue bow in the extra bow dimension of my quiver.

"Well I won't be needing those…" I say and throw the arrows in the bonfire.

"Neely?" Pippa stares at me, "what did you just do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You threw the magical arrows in the fire!"

"What? You said the bow was magical?"

"Did I? Oh my…"

"You got to be kidding me!"

"I am!" Pippa bursts out laughing and rolls over the sand.

"Ooh… when I get my hands on you, you pesky…" I try to grapple her, "you'll wish you'd locked yourself in a closet!"

The screaming of Pippa startles us all out of our sleep.

"Hey ho lass, what's the matter?" Alonso tries to calm a clearly shocked Pippa.

"I had another dream," she says staring at us one by one.

"You mean like you had before?" I ask.
She nods and says, "and much worse this time."

"I saw a swamp," she begins her story, "a swamp with some weird creatures, much like hyenas walking up straight, at wooden barracks. Immediately after, I saw Orriseid and his men charging that place. They ran into the barrack at the centre, the largest one, through that hall to the room at the end. There was a man standing there, though I couldn't see his face because he was standing with his back to me. But then he turns around…"
Pippa's sudden silence sends shivers up my spine.

"…all lit up in fire and filled my view. The next thing I woke up screaming."
We all gaze at Pippa, the sound of wind rasping the sand and the dying bonfire is all that fills this moment. A tear of overwhelming emotion escapes from Pippa's eye and runs down her cheek to her chin, ready for a free fall to the sand where it shall be formed to a gritty pearl.

"I'm sorry to have woken you," she says sincere and crawls back in her sleeping bag.

"It's okay," I say and give her a hug.

The next day we reach the river running from the mountains through the forest we entered a half hour ago. This forest is less dense then the one near Cimbar—the one where the wemix are. High tree tops filter the rays of the midday sun filling the forest with a tranquil ambient.

"I heard a shriek!" tells Wägtell and halts his horse.

"Help me!" a woman's voice calls, or wait, it's a man's voice. We look up and see a slender young man standing behind of the nearest bush. Only his naked torso and face are visible to us.

"They ran off with my clothes…" he says, "… and my bird."
Although this must be really embarrassing for the young man I still find it almost uncontrollable to laugh.

"Aye mate, seems they really got ye."

"Oh it was terrible! Three of them, and all at once!"
The young man comes from behind his bush, fortunately less naked then he appeared to be, in underwear.

"Please, kind man," he walks towards Alonso and blushes, "would you want to go find my clothes… and my bird?"
He almost throws himself against Alonso mounted on his donkey.

"Eh, keep your distance, lad." Alonso tries to shake him off.

"Sure we'd like to help," I reply, "won't we, Alonso? Where did 'they' go?"

"I could show you, but could I have a ride with you?" He looks at Alonso, "I don't think I can walk this dirty ground anymore."

"I don't think so," Alonso says to the young man, "you can ride with Neely."

"Eh, Alonso, I already have Pippa as second rider."
Alonso turns his head to Wägtell who occupies all the space on his horse with gear and his own weight. Then he turns to look at Yaeri mounted on hir riding dog, also clearly not able to carry another rider.

"Okay okay," Alonso sighs, "but keep your hands off me, ye… ye."
Clumsy, the young man climbs behind Alonso on the donkey.

"Oh what a great coat you have, sir!" he says to our slightly irritated pirate. Alonso mutters.
Following the directions of the young man, we set off.

He leads us to a cave opening of which a display is planted in front the entrance, next to a giant ogre with a massive club.

"Does anyone know what it says?" I ask when I see the funny looking symbols which are painted with black paint in a crude handwriting together with a crude drawn smiling face.

"Beware Of WasLief!" Pippa translates the sign,
"It's goblin." She explains to us what language it is.

"That's where they went into!" the young man points to the cave, "all three of them."

"Those bandits live in a cave guarded by an giant ogre?" Alonso stares at the caves opening.

"No," the young men replies, "no men! They are like hairy scary doggy monsters!"

"They are what?" Alonso says shocked.

"You know, big and ugly and they look like giant dogs, or perhaps bears, walking on their back legs."
After I dismount I take Pippa from my saddle and put her on the solid ground.

"I better stay with the horses," the young man scratches his head.

"Good idea," Alonso replies him after he got off his donkey and straightened his coat.
The five of us carefully walk to the giant ogre.

"Hi there," Pippa greets him, "how's the weather up there?"
But the giant ogre doesn't seem to respond.

"Hello!" she shouts waving her arm.
This time the ogre did hear her and looks at her.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"WasLief," he pounds his chest, "guards cave!"

"Oh I see, and what's in the cave?"

"Masters" he says, "Masters take care of WasLief!"

"Who are masters?" Pippa speaks slow and tries to use the same simple language to the not so bright looking ogre.

"Masters small! Small like you!"

"Can we talk to masters?"

"Hmmm," the ogre hums and thinks hard. "Difficult! WasLief must guard cave."

"Why do master want you to guard the cave?"

"Hmmm," it takes WasLief an even longer time now to think, "Difficult!" he says at last, "Masters kind! Masters give WasLief water and food."

"Oh but we have this," Pippa takes a loaf of bread from her backpack and her water skin.

"WasLief not hungry, WasLief wants water."

"Here, you take it" and Pippa offers her waterskin.
WasLief looks with great suspicion to the waterskin and says,

"No water! Water blue!"
Blue water? I think and come up with a plan.

"Is this the blue water?" I take one healing potion—which has a light blue hue—from my bag.

"Blue water!" he smiles with amazement.

"It's yours if you let us in."

"Too small! WasLief really thirsty! But WasLief must guard cave." He grabs his club more firmly than before and stands straight like a worthy guard.

We all ponder the situation, when Pippa makes a suggestion.

"Yaeri, do you feel like becoming invisible?" she says with a broad grin on her face.

"Sure," Yaeri shrugs and Pippa touches the halfling with the tip of her finger. In an eye blink Yaeri vanished from sight and with a puzzled look WasLief gazes around himself not believing his own eyes. After a minute or so there's a light spark further on in the dark cave, a turbulent and dancing glow—such that is cast by fire—now slowly moves deeper in the cave to later on turn behind a corner and to leave the space behind WasLief in darkness.

Alonso yawns, it's been a while since Yaeri went into the cave and WasLief is not the type that knows how to entertain his guests.

"I should go check it out too," I say when getting bored of the waiting. By this Pippa stretches her arm and touches me with her finger. I had never experienced the effect of invisibility before. I feel the same, besides the excitement, and at first sight you'd think the spell didn't work. Even when I raise my hand in front of me I can still see it, as so the things I'm wearing. But it's only when you look at the others and see their reaction when they try to picture your location—but actually only stare through you—that's when you realise you really vanished from their sight.

I walk past a-once-more-flabbergasted WasLief and explore the deep darkness of the cave. With carefully chosen steps I follow the curving wall. I count two cave rooms branching left from the tunnel I'm walking through. The first one stinks unimaginable—a horse stable would be a joy compared to this—while in the second one—containing three flat haystacks which most likely are being used as beds—I found Yaeri. He must have heard me, because as soon as I take a peek in that room the turbulent glow that is emitted from his invisible torch is put out and all goes dark. I decide not to bother him in the room and to check out the rest of the cave. For what is the rest of the cave, it's a mere turn to the right and the tunnel emerging in a large room illuminated by torchlight. Also this room is as crude as the others, furniture is improvised with tree-stumps and bit of hay is scattered across the ground. Three shapes stand—with their back turned to me—near a table, they are much like the description of the young man: hairy dog or bear like creatures, but these don't fit the image I held in my head. Moving closer and to the other side of the room gives me a better point for description. While I imagined them more animal like, they are in fact quite humanoid. But beauty was not given to them at birth, their ugly hairy face with big goblin ears and the black doglike nose could make them an excellent cast for a bogeyman.

If somehow I could lure them away then I could take a look at the chest standing at the backend of the room, I think.

A silly idea comes to my mind. Silly, but it might prove to be effective. Tiptoe-ed I walk to the other table-end and with the flat of my hands I start drumming it hard. The rumbling sounds frighten the creatures, full of fear they start to look around them and grab for their spiked clubs. The biggest of them—the chief I'd say—snarls something to his comrades and the two others leave the room.

Hmm, there is still the large one, I ponder.

But then he releases a horrible scream, a scream filled with pain. Behind him stands Yaeri, holding a blood coated short sword firm and up high. The big creature turns around and lifts his spiked club ready to land it on Yaeri's little halfling head.

I hesitate not, and fire a well aimed arrow in the back of the creature. With a loud thud he falls dead on the floor.

"Yaeri, check the chest," I suggest and Yaeri runs to the chest. From the wooden chest s'he draws some clothes, boots and a birdcage holding a grass green bird.

"We should get going now," I tell hir.
The one bowl with fire—illuminating the room—dies out that moment.

"Neely," Yaeri squeaks scared, "I can't see!"

"Don't worry, take my hand, I'll guide you out,"

"No, I can't do it!" Yaeri jams in freight.

"I'll carry you then, jump on my back. Please, we got to go!" I urge hir.
The instant s'he is on my back I start making for the exit. We don't get too far, only a few feet from me I spot the two others running towards me with held up club. Yaeri gasps in fear and jumps of my back when a spiked club shredded the air besides me. While grabbing my swords I dodge the blow of the second one. With much anger and rage they swing at me again and again until one of them hits me and smack me to the floor. Both weapons are knocked out of my hands. Then, a red glow emerges from behind the two and three projectiles hit the first of the hairy creatures and with a shriek he falls over. The other looks startled at his dead friend while a second red glow emerges from far in the cave tunnel and again three red glowing projectiles make their way to the second creature. He tumbles back to the side wall of the tunnel.

"Pippa one, Bugbears zero!" the black silhouette sheers when it comes walking closer.

"This is the second time you saved my life, little one." I laugh with relief and get back on my feet. Pippa grins and walks to the—what she called bugbear—lying against the wall breathing heavily.

"So what did you call these? Bugbears?" I ask her.

"Yes, bugbears. A large type of goblin, with little manners."
She kicks away the spiked club of the badly injured bugbear and bends over him.

"That's not a nice thing to do, stealing clothes and birds." She says to the bugbear in the goblin tongue. "Consider yourself lucky you didn't share the same fate as your friend."
The bugbear looks at Pippa with frightened eyes.

"Now be a good boy from now on! And I don't want to have you stealing again. Oh and what's that blue water WasLief talks about?"

"The river, we let him drink from the river" he sobs.
I look around for Yaeri and find hir huddled away with hir back flat against the wall. I take him with the arm and make him hop on my back again.

"What's wrong with Yaeri?" Pippa asks.

"Nothing…" I answer. "Halflings can't see in the dark nor in badly lit places, that's all."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Pippa frowns her lips.
We head for the exit. WasLief stands gazing at us when we walk past him and into the open air again

"Masters?" he asks with great confusion.

"No, masters are gone now, WasLief." Pippa shouts to the confused dumb ogre.

"Gone?" he says anxiously, "WasLief needs masters for water!" He looks around not knowing what to do now.

"I'll give you blue water," Pippa says to which the anxious ogre looks up with pleasant surprise. "Come, lets go to blue water." She extends her hand like he would be a small child needing a hold. With his giant hand grasping Pippa's complete arm he runs to the river with giant leaps. Being much shorter on legs she hangs by WasLief's giant clutch and swings back and forth.

"Water!" he shouts, drops Pippa to the ground and plunges his face into the fresh water. With loud slurping he drinks from the cool water. Pippa stands up rubbing her bruised buttocks.

"New master kind!" WasLief says lifting his head from the water.

"No, you're free now, WasLief," Pippa replies.

"Free?" WasLief scratches his head.

"Yes, you can do what you want."

"WasLief wants to serve masters."

"We have to go, WasLief."
WasLief looks disappointed when hearing those words. Pippa walks back to the rest of us and I help her on my horse.

"Goodbye WasLief, take care," she says.

It's by the end of the day when we reach Astilith's mining post. Hewn in the mountain face, the mining post stands within sight. Two wooden buildings are constructed against the rocky wall, both having guards stationed at it. Between those wooden buildings there is a gate like a mouth of a giant built in black stone. In the arc of the gate there are several runes carved in the surface, runes which are glowing fierce with a red light.
A guard orders us to halt.

"We've come to make a weapon order," I say to the guard. He nods and bids us to follow him inside the mountain.
We pass the rune gate and enter a room with wooden shores and wooden doors held in their wooden frames. The guard orders us to hand over all our weapons before we could enter.

"It's standard procedure," he explains and opens the door for us. We walk in and three men are standing there, two of them are bend over the table discussing some matter while the third one—one that is full covered in plating, not even his face or the slightest spot of skin is showing—just stands there. One of the two is dressed in a robe while the other wears a studded leather, they look up as we enter.

"What brings you here?" the man in studded leather asks looking at us with tired eyes, while the robed man takes a few steps back to the side of the sober looking room.

"We've come to order a weapon supply," I explain.

"You're not the first who has come to us. Though I'm afraid we'll have to send you away empty handed too."
I draw a long sigh.

"Too?" Pippa interrupts.

"Yes, emissaries of Soorenar, also they seem to suffer from weapon shortage."

"Now that's interesting," Pippa tabs her lips with her index finger.

"Pardon me, but we've travelled all the way from Cimbar," I say, "dispatched with the orders of Melisanda herself, to Airspur but Khrulis sent us on his turn to you. We will not return empty handed, at least tell us where we can get weapons."

"You see, the thing is we're suffering from vermin in our mines, we've been unable to mine ore for weeks now, and thus not been able to forge any weapons."
The vermin sounds all too familiar.

"What vermin do you speak of," I ask thinking about the story the others told me the night Mayor Philo died. The story of rust monsters in Cimbar's weapon deposits.

"Spiders, in all sizes," he answers. "We've already sent some mercenaries to clean it out but a few days later they were back. All of us are clueless on what the source is of this infestation."

"If we manage to get rid of the spiders and of the source, would you be willing to make us a weapon deal?"

"That sounds like a fair deal to me," he smiles.

"Then please tell us where we can find the mines and we'll be on our way next thing in the morning. If you don't mind, we'd like to spend the night in your hospitality?"

"Certainly, but I fear we have only poor accommodations to offer."

"And that's all we need," I say and bow my head slightly as thank.

"If you'd like to escort our guests to the barracks," he says to man at the door.


The Webbing

Following the path Astilith had described to us—back downhill with the river at our side—we come to a wooden bridge after a long ride. Crossing it would take us on the path to the mines.

"Shouldn't we first check underneath the bridge in case another troll should be hiding out?" Pippa asks.

"I don't think a troll would fit underneath this bridge," I say looking down from my horse to the space underneath the bridge which could only hold a crouched human, not a big troll. "Come on, lets cross the bridge."
A female dwarf comes towards us from behind a tree on our right. We hold our horses and stand still on the bridge.

"Hello there," I greet the dwarf without getting any response. Then I notice a second figure is sneaking through the bush on our left. While watching the human coming from his cover I see the dwarf draw an axe—which could be described as an axe with a blade on the front and a long spear point at the back—from her back. Taking her steps closer she holds her axe firm. Now the human draws his sword.

Ambush! I think, but too late. The axe hits Nightwish in the chest, he rears up and I quickly grab for the reins and his manes. But poor Pippa is caught unprepared and is tossed back to meet the floor with a hard landing.

If only Nightwish would knock that stupid dwarf down! I hope his instincts tells him to do that. But he panics instead and tries to move backwards, only to bump into a mounted Wägtell who stands right behind me. Pippa tries her best not to be trampled and rolls aside to seek shelter from the many crushing hooves. Going back may not be the answer, then forward it is. I draw my sword and give the knee command. Passing the dwarf, she swings again at the legs of Nightwish, and even as I tried to fend off the blow she strikes him a second time at the right shoulder muscle. She grins with resolution in bringing me and my mount down. I ride further down the road, dismount fast and patting the flank of Nightwish I order him to seek safe shelter amongst trees and bushes. While the dwarf female comes walking towards me I see Alonso fighting off the sneaky human.

"You shall regret this!" I shout at the dwarf who stands two heads shorter than me and fend of her initial blow with the sword I held while I grab my second one. Swinging both sides of her devastating axe—first the blade then stabbing with the spear—she forces me back step by step, slash by slash. All my attacks against her heavy plating proves to be futile, I can't seem to penetrate it. This deadly dance is going to end bad for me, I'm sure I'll run out of strength faster than this tank-dwarf who's intended on crushing me with great force.

"Alonso! Help me!" I yell in despair, but our pirate friend is still in his own struggle with the human not heeding my call. Then a cutting blow hits my arm and I let out a shriek of pain. Blood runs down my arm down to my hand, and from hand to my fingers. But the dwarf will not have pleasure in seeing me bleed much longer for Wägtell—twice the size of the dwarf—comes running to my aid. Not letting her a chance to see what's going to hit her Wägtell simply raises his hammer high above her head and lands it with tremendous power on the steel skullcap. Believe me if I say the dwarves head—which already seems to stand shorter and small out of proportion by the broad pouldrons—literally is driven down her breastplate for several inches with the sound of snapping bones. From her nose and eyes starts to gush blood; she simply falls over like a steel statue brought out of balance. Without a second of delay I rush to Nightwish and find him lying down by some bushes, his snow white chest is covered with his blood. I gasp and heartbroken I sprint towards him. As I kneel down before him I see he's still alive, but it's the first time I see the fear in his eyes. Even a proud and stalwart animal like him seems to fear death like any other.

"Don't die on me!" I sob and with shaky hands I shuffle through my bag in search of a healing potion. My hand bumps into that one large healing potion I took from the half-orcs in Airspur. As fast as I can I uncork the vial and pour the light blue liquid in the mouth of Nightwish doing my best not to spill a single drop.

"Here, drink this," I say hoping he'll understand I'm trying to make him better.
Secondly I take the magical med kit I brought from Cimbar's medical tent at Airspur—the tent from which we were free to take whatever we needed. I take the jar of healing salve and apply some on the wounds to make them heal even faster.

"There you go," I pat his neck with comfort, "you'll feel better in a few minutes."
Looking back to the others I find Alonso going through the bags and pockets of both the dead human and dwarf, taking whatever coins or valuable objects they were carrying. Nightwish lifts his head and pushes himself up with his front legs followed by his back legs stretching out to full stand. His wounds have healed rapidly and only vague marks are visible now. With his nose he bumps my arm and reminds me of my own wound, but it's hardly as bad as his were, just a cut in the flesh. I gently climb on top of him.

"You should see this," Yaeri tells us all waving a dirt and blood stained sheet of paper.

"What is it?" Pippa asks.

"Let me quote," Yaeri says, "I—bloodstain—have hired you for a—mudspot—job, the list hereby given is the group that needs to be taken—minor blooddrop—off." Yaeri clears his throat and starts to quote the list of descriptions, "A grim looking male human with weird iron mask, a giant half-orc approximately six feet five, a female elven ranger, a sly halfling, a pirate, a small blond gnome, and a half-orc with bluish skin."

"Oh my," Pippa gasps.

"Well shiver me timbers!" Alonso says cleaning his swords before sheathing them again.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were more bounty hunters out to kill us. We better start to take care of our steps now." I say.
The others climb on their horse, donkey or doggie, and Pippa is lifted onto my horse by Wägtell. We ride out again leaving the two dead bounty hunters behind us.

We've come to the mines at last, it took longer then expected, even after the long ride to the bridge it still was a respectable distance till we reached these mines. The sun is standing high in the mid afternoon.

"Ho!" I command Nightwish to halt and I descend from the saddle. I walk a few feet forward and bend over to the ground.

"There are tracks here," I inform the others on my findings.

"Well it is a mine, people mine here." Wägtell says.

"Yes but these tracks are fresh, most lead into the mine but this set leads away from it to the forest over there." I point to the different forms of tracks and to the forest. "I suggest we follow the tracks leading into the forest first, I got a good feeling we'll find things that will explain much of these situations."
I take Nightwish by the reins and slowly walk forward keeping close eyes on the tracks while the others tag along.

The tracks follow a path through the forest close to the river we've been following all day, and eventually lead us to a wooden encampment. Great webs are hanging over different corners of the wooden walls and even greater clusters are woven tightly around huts and small houses. The most remarkable feature is the gigantic cocoon-like construct around the top of the tallest building. Like a giant beehive it stares down at you from it's great height.

"This is a goblin camp," Pippa says with surprise, "or what is left of it."
I notice now the slightly smaller scale of things, the walls are a bit lower then they should be when made by human craft, as are the two abandoned guard towers.

"What ever's in here killed the goblins and made themselves quite at home."
Wägtell takes his hammer from his belt and walks carefully on, passed the two empty guard towers, into the encampment. The rest follow closely and ready arms as well. The river runs right through the encampment splicing it in two halves, though it has narrowed down a lot to merely a stream of grey murky water. At the centre is a crude little wooden bridge connecting the two parts.

"Ew, this place gives me the creeps," Pippa squeaks, looking around anxiously to the webs hanging everywhere.

"I agree Pippa, I'm not so fond myself of eight legged freaks." I come to walk a bit closer to her.

"Where to start?" Alonso ponders aloud. "Perhaps with the large beehive thing?"

"If you ask me, we should do it last," I reply, "why not start with the one closest to us?" I point to a hut covered with thick webs.

"I'll go check the other side," says Wägtell and marches towards the little bridge.

"Wait, I'll come with you," Pippa yells and pulls Yaeri's arm to come with her too.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" I question the splitting but none seem to have heard me. Alonso walks to the entrance of the hut while I keep a sharp eye on the beehive, I got a bad feeling about it. Something tells me that one hole in that cocoon wasn't made for nothing.

"Eh, I can't see a bloody thing inside," Alonso shouts from inside the hut. I walk towards the opening and peer inside after Alonso walks back.

"I'd better go look for a torch or something," he says.
Hmm, the walls seems alive, I think when seeing slight movement everywhere.
Eek, those walls aren't alive, it's full of bugs! I run outside again when seeing that the walls are covered with thousands of giants beetles. Shaking the freight of me I decide to join the others at the other side. From the distance I'm standing, I can tell by Alonso's gestures he's asking Yaeri if he has something to make fire with. To his request Yaeri pulls some items from his backpack and hands them over. Alonso now search around him, starts walking around looking behind dust and rock.

"I'm going to look inside that building if there is a torch or something," I can hear Alonso say when I come closer to the others, and he walks inside the only building that seems clean and untouched by any webs.

"Did you find anything?" Pippa asks me.

"No, that hut is filled with giant beetles." I shiver thinking about the nasty bugs.

"I wonder what's in there," Pippa points to yet another hut, this one was half surrounded with the same cocoon-like stuff that the beehive is made off.

"Probably more bugs," I answer not too eager to check it out. Wägtell is surveying the surroundings and—while he's at it—seeing if he could find anything.

Then comes a shout from Alonso, "Guys!" By the sound of his voice he seems to be in trouble. We rush inside the building he went to search for a torch, we run through the first small chamber to the open door leading to a second room. There stands Alonso with both scimitar and rapier in his hands. A spiders corpse lies in front of him. The sound of incantation draws my attention to a dark robed figure, white thin hair is hanging from his scalp and his eyes were completely drenched in blood. Two spiders now appear in front of Alonso, with a mighty swing he plants his swords in the bodies of both spiders. His scimitar is driven in the right one, his rapier in the left spider. Black blood flows from their fat bodies over the floor around Alonso's black boots.

"Ha, ye'll have to do better than that." He says mocking the dark robed summoner when the rest of us run to different positions in the room. The spider summoner grins, focuses and mutters some words.

"He's the one from Cimbar!" Pippa yells shocked. "He's spider guy who killed the Mayor!"
Four cocoons then spout from the floor out of nothing, they burst open and more spiders come crawling out. The four spiders block the way to the summoner, three of them turn themselves toward Alonso and the fourth comes crawling to me. Like a whirlwind of blades Alonso hacks through the spiders as if they were of mere butter. Gore flows from their fat hairy bodies to which the summoner looks at Alonso with great irritation.

"It won't end here!" he says between the gnarling of his teeth. He turns and jumps through the window opening behind him. Alonso quickly puts on pursuit. A jab through the head finishes off the spider before me and with much grace I jump through another window opening—the one closest to me. The moment I land I see the mage nearing the little bridge and Alonso making an attempt to throw a javelin at him—which unfortunately only hits dirt. I too put on pursuit of the mage and whilst running I grab my bow and one of the special arrows I brought from Airspur.
I'll need at least a hand full of luck to pull off this shot, I think when trying to aim at the fleeing mage. I fire and the arrow slightly corrects it course and strikes the mage firmly in his back. He staggers forward and drops in the stream. I come to stand next to Alonso and both of us stare and try to find the summoner in the murky water which is rushing past us.

"There!" Alonso yells, and stabs a javelin in the water towards a dark spot. He pulls his javelin back out.

"Ah rats!" He curses, "I seem to have poked his bloody cloak," and shakes the piece of cloth from his javelin. But just when I'm about to turn around I see the mage climbing out of the water, further down the stream.

"He's over there!" I point to redirect Alonso's attention. Laughing madly the spider summoner stands up, and start muttering another spell. A faint tremble surges underneath our feet, followed by another shortly after and a bit harder. The waves of tremor come harder and harder each time one passes, like a giant creature coming closer step by step. The mage is still muttering words while suddenly the beating stops, in that moment of pause a shape flies through the sky and lands on the exact position of the mage.

"WasLief!" Pippa—who has come outside too—shouts from behind me.

"Masters!" WasLief yells and steps away from the crushed mage. "WasLief thirsty!"
We all run to our big dumb ogre friend, and inspect the crushed mage.

"He be dead alright," Alonso says when I bother to check for a heartbeat. A lot of joints look out of place, I doubt he'd go anywhere if he'd still be alive.

"WasLief wants water," our ogre friend takes a few steps to the stream, plunges his head in and drinks deep of the murky water. Though his greediness leaves him coughing. Pounding his fist on his chest as if suffocating, he keeps coughing and coughing.

"We should do something, Neely!" Pippa panics at the sight of the poor dumb ogre meeting his end on murky water. One last cough and then a shiny object flew out of his mouth onto the ground.

"Well it seemed our mate swallowed a fine looking tiara," Alonso picks up the tiara and holds it high in the light of the afternoon sun. "I'm sure this be worth a lot of money."

"WasLief could you lift me a moment so I can look inside those guard towers?"

"What are you hoping to find there, Pippa?" I question her.

"Don't know," she shrugs, "but can't harm to take a peek, now can it?"
WasLief lifts Pippa and walks her to one of the guard towers.

I turn myself back to the corpse of the mage, I cut his robe open in the hope to find any signs or something of any fraction he might belong to.

At this moment, any clue would be welcome, it all doesn't make sense. The mage in wemix village, this… arachnemancer—who appeared on the scenery twice—and then Orriseid. They all had only one thing in common: the blood stained eyes.

A shriek from Pippa's high girlie gnome voice startles me from my pondering.

"Spiders everywhere!" she yells from near the hut—which is half wrapped in webs and cocoon substance—she wanted to go into earlier when we arrived.
We all come to aid. Pippa stands watching WasLief in panic, countless spiders of all sizes start to crawl up him. Waving his big clumsy arms he smashes spiders, and squashes those who fell on the floor with his big feet. But there are too many, all biting the big ogre.

"Too many! Too difficult!" he shouts and moans in despair.
His big ogre's body is starting to look all red and swollen by the spiders bites. He begins to falter as his strength weakens. Just as the rest arrives, the big mass tumbles backwards, smacking to the ground creating a shockwave that shakes our legs and even knocks Yaeri from hir feet. With my sword I start to swing at the spiders who triumphantly sit on the body of WasLief. Alonso—who had improvised a torch—chases them away back in their lair and throws it in side. The glow of fire emits from the lair together with the stench of roasting tissue.

"This is all my fault…" Pippa sobs near the slain WasLief; I checked his condition but WasLief was no more.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I try to comfort her.

"Why can't I just contain my damn curiosity?" she almost screams out in sorrow. "I should just lock myself in a closet…"

"What's done is done," I lay my hand on the gnomes back, "we are in his debt and let us not forget that, nor him."
Pippa looks at me with eyes full of tears.

"We should get going," Alonso says, "the fire starts to spread rapidly."
And spreading rapidly it is, the clusters of webbing are passing on fire like oil does. I pat Pippa on the back and urge her to move on. We all halt when we reach the little bridge and with silence we look back to see how the flames leap towards the spot WasLief is lying. And eventually how our dumb but noble ogre friend is consumed by it. Only the sound of the fire and the wind is what fills this moment of last salute.


Into Darkness

It is at high noon of the next day that we arrive at Astilith's outpost. We decided to clear the mines later, and bring the corpse of the arachnemancer to Astilith now that it's still 'fresh'. Perhaps their wizard could learn more about all this. As soon as we brought out report we take the afternoon off and turn in early. All but two.

"Do you sometimes think about the future?"

"Aye, that happens from time to time," Alonso replies to my question.

"I mean about us."

"Us?"

"Yes, the group, what would happen with us after all this?"
Alonso scratches his head. We both lay flat on our back staring at the ceiling of this room. The others are vast asleep, or so we think, once in a while a chuckle could be heard from either Pippa or Yaeri.

"I don't know what you mean, lass."

"Well…" I pause. "…You always wanted to buy a ship right?"

"Aye, you got that right."

"You see… perhaps we could… I mean, you could…"
I sigh.

"Com'on" Alonso pokes me, "speak up lass."

"I was thinking perhaps you could take me along on your ship?"

There is some rustling from Alonso's side but besides that an uncomfortable silence lingers.

"I'm not sure if that's such a great idea, sorry lass." Alonso speaks at last.

I draw another long sigh and try to reposition myself, hoping I could tuck away the uncomfortable or perhaps even embarrassing feeling.

"Really, I'm deeply sorry lass, It's just…"

"Nah, it's okay. I understand."

"…who knows what the sea will wash ashore. For all I know, once this job is over we all go our own way."

"If you say so."

"Hey… sorry if I hurt you, okay?"

"It's okay… I've always been okay."
The night seems extremely cold today, and these chill featureless walls don't exactly help either. I sigh once more before dosing off.

I wake early with the first rays of light. The rest is still asleep, "eight hours" they say humans need of rest, but my fellows here seem to make a contest of sleeping the longest. And most of the time the little Yaeri is champion, followed by Pippa as second. Those sleepyheads would snore half a day if you'd let them.
Anyway, I think I'll go spend my lonely morning with Nightwish. It doesn't surprise me to find him quite awake as well, as a matter of fact I can't recall catching him ever asleep. Much like a great leader he wakes over all of us. I spend the morning feeding the animals—it would be cruel to just feed my horse while the other poor animals have to content themselves with watching.

After a sober breakfast we set out to clear the mines as we promised Astilith. Again we follow the river downstream for a long time. I'm taking the lead at the front, Pippa is riding with me again. But then the most unexpected mind-blowing thing happens. Right in our sight Alonso vanished into thin air.

"Ha-ha-" Pippa vocalises a laugh with sarcasm—she had been grumpy for all morning now, something about Yaeri and Wägtell taking a ring from her.

"That's not funny Alonso." She says, but no response comes. Flabbergasted we halt and dismount, walk over to his donkey. Wägtell waves his hand above the saddle.

"He isn't invisible," he concludes.

"Alonso!" Pippa shouts, "come here right now so I can kick your sorry butt!"
Again no response. Pippa's anger starts to change in worry.

"Do you think something really happened to him."

"I don't know, there is not a single track." I say, "I was hoping he was only joking."

"We got to go search for him," Pippa looked even more troubled now.

"I've already looked for any trace that could tell us where he went to, and I have no idea. It just seems like he disappeared into…"

"Into?"

"…into nothing."

"Lets search the surroundings," Pippa suggested, and so we start. Shouting his name we looked at every tree, behind every bush, underneath every stone, but no Alonso.
After a long search we return to the mounts.

"I don't understand," Pippa sobs, "where did he go?"

"Lets hope he'll get back as fast as he vanished." I try to comfort Pippa though I know better.
Wägtell and Yaeri both climb on their mounts.

"Wait! We're not going to leave yet?" Pippa shouts unsettled.

"We've given it our best shot," Wägtell replies.

"No wait," Pippa shouts and a sparkle springs from her eyes. She extends her hands and recites some words I've heard her speak before in the past. With closed eyes she concentrates and extends her hands. A moment later she lowers her arms and opens her eyes again with disappointment.

"I guess there is nothing we can do," she shakes her head.

"Let us just pray we'll see him again soon." I say.

"I think I'll ride Alonso's donkey now," Pippa walks sadly to the donkey, "we can't just leave him here."
I help her climb on the donkey and I match the stirrups to her size. Once we're all set we move on further, lingering here is of not much use.

We pass the bridge where we previously encountered the bounty hunters and not so much further all of us clearly hear a howl filled with pain.

"What was that?" Pippa asks.

"It sounded like a wolf," I tell. "We should check it out." We turn left from the road and with care we go through the bushes. An open spot lies behind the dense bushes and at the centre of the open spot lies a wolf—though bigger than any wolf I've ever seen—who's being harassed by a mob of goblins. Three of them lie dead with open throats while the others are poking the poor animal to death with sharpened sticks.

"qualme lle, saurarea!" I yell and shoot one of them through the heart. His little goblin fellows jump up from hearing their kin's cry. They start to flee in all directions. Pippa slings a bullet to the one fleeing nearest to her, though even with a direct hit he could get away with his life. I manage to kill a second one but after that, all disappear between the tick bushes surrounding the open place. I jump off my horse and run to the wounded wolf. But this one isn't an ordinary wolf, when I'm wanting to tend his wounds they are already healing with tremendous speed. It reminds me of that troll we had encountered some time ago, though I had no memory about other creatures with such regeneration capacities. Now the wolf's body starts to grow and deform—or better would be transform—because it seems to change it shape to a humanoid form, a humanoid female form to be precise. Instead of a wounded wolf there now lies a young woman. However transformation only appears to have taken place on half her body. While she has taken on the human form her feet remained paws and small features of her wolf form still mark her face. Even several spots of her skin are left covered with fur.

"Are you okay?" I ask, still hunched down. All of us can't help but stare at the feral looking woman. She jumps up and gives a lick on my cheek.

"Just a thanks would do as well," I laugh and dry the saliva of my cheek with the back of my hand. "But I guess you can't speak, can you?"
She shakes her head and stares at the others.

"It's okay, they are with me."
I walk to my horse and ready myself to leave. The half-wolf woman comes standing next to me.

"I'm not sure you can keep up with us. Besides, we got some business to take care of."
But even when we set off the half-wolf woman insists on following us. As soon as we make haste she changes into her full wolf form and travels at great speed, effortlessly matching ours.

We arrive again at the mines and park our horses off the road. The entrance is supported with wooden beams and run on to the inside.

"I don't like going underground," Pippa says with a faltering voice when she sees the darkness beyond the entrance. "And certainly not when I know there's going to be bugs."

"Just stick with me," I say, inviting her again to join me at my side.
We walk into the mine, past the braced entrance, and come into a room. There is a door on either side and the mine shaft going deeper at the end of this small room. The half-wolf woman sniffles the floor and walks around.

"I think I should make some light," Yaeri speaks uncomfortable with the dim light hanging in the room.

"I need no light," Wägtell shrugs and steps to the door at our left, without any precaution he opens it and stares inside.

"Eh, some small bugs here," he steps backwards from the door opening and grabs for his hammer. Then the half-wolf woman pounces on the spiders and places her sharp fangs in the juicy bodies of the creeping vermin. Black goo is dripping from her teeth as she tears them apart. With much disgust Wägtell stares at the feral behaviour of our companion.

"That room is empty now," Wägtell speaks after peering inside again.

"Could you check the other room too?" Pippa asks.

"Sure." Wägtell walks to the door at the other side.

"Just some tools and stuff here, and dust," he says after taking a good look inside.
Meanwhile Yaeri walks further on in the tunnel as first with a burning torch. S'he is brave for hir statue, or at least from time to time. Out of the darkness a big spider comes crawling towards hir. Waving the torch and pointing hir short sword Yaeri holds the creep at distance. I notice the spider tries to take a bite from our halfling friend; an arrow would do her good. The spider is brought down easily and Yaeri is safe and sound.

"Hey," I grab Yaeri's attention, "you shouldn't be wandering off alone."

"I know, I was thinking to do a bit of scouting ahead. Besides, there are some amongst us that like to poke around in every room they encounter."

"Hehe," I laugh, "but I would hate to see you dead again."
As soon as the others have come to stand with us Yaeri walks on deeper into the tunnel. We follow closely.

"The tunnel splits here," Yaeri says waving hir torch to both directions.

"Lets go left," Wägtell say.

"Okay, I'll stay here and guard the right tunnel, so nothing can sneak up on you." Yaeri volunteers.
The tunnel leads deeper until the light of Yaeri's torch is no longer visible.

"Wait," Pippa says, "I'm going to put on a candle I've been carrying ever since."
She opens her backpack and draws a candle from it in an eye blink. With some flint and steel she lights it. The very soft candle light reveals only a small area around us, but enough to move on without bumping against anything.

"I see a crude stairway in the distance," Wägtell informs us some time later.

"Oh no, we're going even deeper, now." Pippa shivers.
Minding our steps we carefully descend the stairs leading to another splitting of the tunnel.

"Who are we now going to leave behind while the others pick a way?" Pippa asks.

"I think we should just split two and two," I suggest. "Pippa and I shall take the left. Wägtell, you go with our friend here to the right."

Wägtell nods and Pippa and I set off to explore the left tunnel. Step by step we go forwards, Pippa with her candle and I with my bow. Just after we lost count of our steps I hear the soft noise of crawling and shuffling.

"I think we should go back," Pippa had clearly heard it too.

"Good idea." And both of us back track our steps to the point where we split with Wägtell.
But they have no more luck than us, we find them retreating from some giant beetles who're slowly crawling their way to the two.

"We got some bugs here," Wägtell tells us and smashes one with his hammer. Our feral friend is also chewing heartily on the beetles exoskeleton. The beetles look dark and deep purple, two radiant antennae are placed at their head which are softly illuminating the tunnel walls with a green-yellow hue.

"There was something at our end too," explains Pippa, "that's why we headed back."
Space is getting very tight and the last thing you'd want is a swing from Wägtells hammer, so I consider keeping my eyes on our tunnel just in case something followed us.

"We should set up at the stairs!" Pippa yells trying to bring some order in the chaos.

"No, I can handle it," Wägtell smashes his third beetle. But more keep crawling from around a dark corner, with their glowing antennae marching to us.

"All of you should really go back up the stairs!" Pippa insists, "let me cast a swarm, that will hold them back."

"A what?" I shout from over my shoulder.

"Well it says something about summoning a swarm on this scroll here," and Pippa waves some sheet of paper with odd figures drawn on it.

"A swarm of what?"

"I don't know…"

"Eh…" I say and tap Wägtells shoulder to move back and up the stairs. Wägtell sighs, kicks a beetle and slowly moves back together with the wolf woman.

"Now…" Pippa says and raises the scroll. With the scroll in her left hand and her candle in her right, she speaks the magical words. The scroll is suddenly torn apart and the many shreds fly forward as if caught by gust of wind. Then the shreds start to transform and grow and take shape of bats. The swarm of bats hurls itself at one of the giant beetles and violently tears it apart.

"Go attack the others too, you stupid bats!" Pippa yells angrily, "that one is dead already!" Only a heap of minced meat remained when all the bats fly of into the darkness of the tunnel and leaving Pippa standing at front row with the rest of the beetles.

"No, don't fly away!" she shouts. "That's the lousiest scroll ever!"

"Enough wasting time," Wägtell jumps in front of her and starts smashing beetles once more till all of them lay dead.

"Hey," Pippa says with surprise, "lets use those glowing antennae for light." She takes her sickle and cuts of a pair of one of the dead beetles.

"Look I'm a beetle," she laughs after putting those glowing feelers between her circlet. Suddenly I felt a shiver going through me and then Pippa's candle—which now stood on the floor—died out with another gust of wind. All that was remaining of light were the many antennae of the beetles at the floor. We stare in wonder and hold our breath. Pippa screams and falls back, a giant white spider stands next to her. With her dark legs she comes to hang over Pippa. Wägtell swings his hammer at the monstrosity but as soon as his hammer would impact she vanishes in thin air. I haunch next to Pippa and notice she has a nasty bite at her arm.

"Let me take care of that," I say while checking the wound. I take some of the healing salve and rub some of it on her arm. The half-wolf woman growls and charges down the tunnel Pippa and I invested for short. I get up again and draw my two swords. With loud pounding heart we gaze down the tunnel.
That would be the last thing I'd do, I think questioning the action of our feral friend. The spider popped up again next to Wägtell and misplaces her fangs in his metal armour.

"What in hell's name is that?" Wägtells curses after the eight feet long monster blinked out of existence again.

"I have no idea, but keep yourself ready," I say.
The giant white spider materialised once more but this time none of us was caught off guard. It was Wägtell who had the opportunity, with a powerful blow he bashes her back. She shifts out of sight again.

"None sneaks up to Wägtell!" he grins and flexes a muscle. But there the horror shows up again, she tries her luck with me now, to no avail. My swords ran through her hide and with a screech she shifts away to appear once again a few feet from Pippa. This time she didn't catch her by surprise, she sent the spider a full salvo of magic missiles.

"Hah!" Pippa mocks the spider, "don't take me for a fool, missy!"

"I wonder how long she will keep trying," I say and as if she heard me she shows up. Wägtell leaps forward and crushes her body between his hammer and the floor, a mighty blow she does not survive. Dark red blood runs out of her white corpse, her purple eyes turn deep black and hollow. Some last spasms in her legs end her existence forever.

"Ew, what a creep," Pippa tries to shake the thoughts off her.

"Yeah, I hope there aren't any more of those." I say

"More?" Pippa stares in deep thought and gasps, "Yaeri!"
She runs up the stairs, her glowing antennae illuminating a few steps in front of her.

"Wait Pippa," I yell and run after her. She does not stop and keeps running through the dark tunnel. She reaches Yaeri.

"Thank god, you're okay," she sighs relieved and out of breath. Yaeri looks up in surprise when seeing Pippa running towards hir.

"Of course I am," s'he says and smiles, "not a single thing to be found here."

"Well you should know," she starts the tale of the big white spider who phased in and out of existence.

"Pippa, lets go, we don't have time for the whole story, we should get back to the others."

"Well okay," and Pippa turns around.

"Hey Pippa," Yaeri calls after her, "could you bring me a set of those? They look handy." He winks and points to Pippa's glowing feelers.

"And they are pretty too," she smiles back at hir.

After we got together with Wägtell and the half-wolf woman we continue down the tunnels of the mine. Besides two more spiders and a lair of white spider eggs—which Wägtell tramples—these parts of the mine are empty.

"We're done here," Wägtell says, "lets go check the other parts now.

"Let me gather some more of these first," and Pippa cuts off all the glowing feelers of the dead beetles.

"You want some Wägtell?" she asks.

"No," he replies short and walks on.

"What about you?" she offers me a pair too.

"Ah, why not," I reply and accept the pairs of antennas.

"You could braid them in your hair!" Pippa jumps up and claps her hands excited by her own idea.

"Hold on…" I chuckle.
A minute later I have a pair of antennas braided in my hair, both hanging at a side.

"What do you think?"

"Very pretty," Pippa laughs.

"And very practical," I smile, "now I can keep both hands free at all time."
Pippa cheers. "Let me put the rest in my backpack."

There is still the tunnel Pippa and I started to investigate—and from which we turned back. The tunnel doesn't lead much further than the point we had gotten to, there is only a turn to the right and just after that a dead end. Though there is something noteworthy lying on the floor there. A yellow stone, translucent like ember, shaped in an irregular form, from which some spots are shiny while others are dull.

"Oh!" Pippa shouts in surprise noticing the stone, "just like the one we got from the mayors office!"

"Mayors office?" I ask Pippa straight forward.

"Euh…" she hesitates, "…there was one in his closet just like this one, but not so raw."
I do remember the stone in the glass showcase, and I also remember that same closet being empty when we revisited it after his death. The fact she said 'got' makes me somewhat suspicious about it.

"We should go back to Yaeri," she adds quickly, "yes, lets not linger here longer than needed."
This has been the second time Pippa's behaviour had been out of the ordinary, the quick changing of subject and the nervous acting, much like when I asked her about what was going on when she stood before the Queen. Something tells me this gnome shares the same obsession for shiny stones as dwarves do and I'll better keep an eye on her hands.

Yaeri is still at the same spot s'he had been guarding all the time now.

"Hey!" Pippa greets hir, "I got those glowers for you. How many do you want?"

"You can give me all of them," s'he puts on a broad smile.

"All?"
Yaeri nods. "I'll stick them up from my backpack."

"Okay…" Pippa says and takes the bunch of antennas from her backpack.

"Thanks," s'he smiles again and s'he carefully places them between every strap and opening of hir backpack. In a while s'he has become a walking light source with over a dozen of glowing feelers sticking out in all directions.

"We still got to check this right tunnel," Wägtell says right after he rolls his eyes, not feeling much for this whole glowing antenna hype. Together with the half-wolf woman he walks into the last tunnel we haven't explored yet.
To our great surprise—and relieve—that last tunnel isn't also much more than just a small dig site. Some shovels and picks lie on the floor between thick clusters of web, and of which one of the picks had some runes carved in it. Though none of showed any particular interest in it.

"The mines are clear," I say, "perhaps we should head back to Astilith."

"No, I want to investigate this mine more closely, we might have skipped something," Wägtell says and removes a key from his pocket. Questioning we look at him and his key.

"Where did you get that from?" Pippa shouts.

"I found it. And I'm going to search the lock that fits this key." With those words Wägtell walks off deeper into the mine again.

"Be my guest," I tell him, "I'm going to wait outside."
Pippa and Yaeri follow me as I leave the mine. The half-wolf woman stares confused at Wägtell and then decides to go outside too.

Boredom strikes as time passes and we all wait for Wägtell to return. Yaeri sits against the rocky surface of the mountain face while Pippa does her absolute best in making a conversation with hir. I walk to Nightwish.

"Hey boy," I pat him on the neck, "you must be quite bored as well."
He looks at me with his dark eyes and lowers his head.

"Yeah, I guessed so."
With my fingers I comb his manes.

"What would I be without you?"
He rubs his head to my upper leg.

"Hey, take it easy," I chuckle, "you almost knocked me over."

Nightwish then starts to paw his front legs into the dirt.

"Lets play a little game, shall we? It's very simple, I'll whistle and than you come to me."
I walk away a few yards and whistle once, whistle twice but Nightwish keeps staring at me, clearly not getting the picture.

"What are you doing?" Pippa asks.

"I thought I'd teach him a little something."

"Oh nice! Is it working?"

"Not really, I'm not sure how to do it."
Wägtell comes back out of the mine entrance.

"Nothing…" he shakes his head still holding that key.

"Oh well," Pippa walks to him and smiles, "probably a lost key to nothing."

"Lets go back to Astilith," I say and walk to Nightwish.

"I could use a bath," Pippa sighs.

"I doubt they have something like that," I laugh.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, have you smelled those men? Not quite my taste."
I look around and see all of them mounted and ready to leave. Even the half-wolf woman—still in her full wolf form—is standing by on her four paws.
We set off on the road back to Astilith.

The sun casts her rays low underneath the leafy roof of the forest when we reach the outpost. Though somehow this evening feels a lot warmer than all the other evenings. There is no chill breath of night blowing away the last warmth. This evening is different.

One of the guards leaves—as usual—his post and raises his hand. We halt and dismount. Then the horses get uneasy as the half-wolf woman starts to growl at the nearing guard. Before any of us could say anything she charges him, showing bare teeth she runs like a rabies possessed animal.

"No!" I shout, "don't attack him!"
The guard draws his sword while three of the other guards come running to his aid.

I grab my bow and run forward into close range of the half-wolf woman.

"Don't make me shoot you," I yell but she doesn't heed my words. I fire a warning shot into the ground near her paws.

"Kill them!" the guards shout.

"Wait!" Pippa comes running in, "it's all a misunderstanding!"
With a loud roar Wägtell runs to the guards, "we will not be killed! Not by you!"

"Wägtell stop!" I command, "One more step and I will shoot you where you stand!"

"You would not dare!" his loud voice sounds like thunder.

"Then try me!"
Meanwhile the guards are fending off the half-wolf woman.

"Meskar cha tesh demar!" Pippa yells on top of her lunges. One of the four guards now drops on the floor in a deep sleep

"By Garl!" Pippa yells shocked, "I meant the wolf, not the guard!"
Two mages come running out of the rune carved entrance. I raise my bow and aim my arrow to the head of Wägtell.

"You leave me no choice Wägtell, you're endangering our assignment!"
Wägtells turns and with tremendous power he smashes his hammer to the ground.

"Fine!" he roars.
The mages cast several spells and the half-wolf woman drops to the ground. With raised swords the guards surround us.

"You better have a good explanation for this," one of them says. Pippa drops to her knees and hides her face in her hands.