Wolverine and Spider-Man RPG Isekai Chapter 4: Existentialism, a Marvel + Dungeons and Dragons Crossover fanfic

WOLVERINE AND SPIDER-MAN RPG ISEKAI EPISODE 4: EXISTENTIALISM

"No!" Spider-man screamed.

Throwing out a web line, he launched himself after the bird. Soaring through the air he caught it around the ankles and clung for life as he and Wyn were flown away from Wolverine and Boksee.

The massive raptor shrieked and flew higher.

They were a dizzying height from the ground. The Ashen woods, like a grey dead scar sped past below them. The air thundered in their ears.

Wyn struggled and fought but she couldn't free her arms from the talon's grasp. Spider-man twisted himself upside down, wrapping his legs around the bird's, freeing his hands. He grabbed at the bird's claws and tried to wrench them open.

No luck. The bird tried to shake him off, flailing and kicking wildly. Wyn was thrown back and forth like a ragdoll. A sharp hit landed and Spider-man was knocked from his hold. Before he fell from the sky, he sent out a web line and it caught. He hung off the bird like a kite tail.

Not knowing what else to do, he threw out webbing at the wings. Suddenly the bird was unable to flap, its feathers glued together, its wings bound to its sides. It thrashed and shrieked but was unable to free itself. Falling from the air, the bird released its prey. Wyn plummeted from the sky.

"WYN!" cried Spider-man.

"SPIDER-MAN!"

He leapt after her.

Wyn shrieked and screamed as she tumbled through the sky. Spider-man was far behind her. He tucked his arms and legs straight to his body, shooting down through the air.

Catch!

Spider-man managed to snag the paladin with a web line and yanked them both together. Clutching her he desperately tried to throw up a parachute but they were already too close to the ground! Spider sense!

They crashed through the first branches of the canopy.

He sent out a web line and managed to catch a tree. One armed, he wrenched them into a swing, barely missing the ground. Suddenly all the momentum they had gained from falling was sent horizontal. They were thrown through the trees. Spider-man tried to dodge but they were going too fast. They hurtled through the thick forest. Needles and twigs and solid wood sliced and gouged them. A branch stabbed Spider-man in his swinging arm. He screamed and let go.

They both careened into the muddy rocky ground.

Spider-man's eyes fluttered open. He hadn't even realized he had been knocked out.

"Wyn!"

She was splayed limply on the ground, her face bloody. She wasn't moving.

Spider-man tried to push himself up.

"Gah!"

He gripped his shoulder and puked from the pain. Vomit filled his mask as he fell face first back into the mud.

He gasped and his head spun but with a strong breath he found his fortitude.

Using only his right arm he was able to push himself up and stumble over to her.

"Wyn! Wyyn," he gagged out.

He ripped off his disgusting mask.

She was flat on her back, unconscious, blood dripping from her hair.

As soon as he reached her he gingerly pushed her onto her side and went for her satchel. It was soaking wet, and not with mud. He opened it to find her assortment of potions shattered.

"Sorry Wyn," he said as he reached into his own pack. He pulled out Logan's health potion.

Sitting back, he gently pulled her over into his lap. He put her head in the crook of his bad arm and popped the cork off with his teeth. Carefully pushing back her listless head, he began pouring the potion between her lips and prayed that she wouldn't just choke. She started swallowing.

"That's it Wyn," he panted.

After every drop of the potion was down her throat Spider-man waited. She snarled, gasped, and cried out. Then she opened her eyes.

"Spider-man?" she groaned.

"Wyn," he gasped relieved. "Are you ok?"

With some struggle and obvious pain, she pushed herself upright.

"Yah. Bad fall," was all she could say. She turned to him. "Thank you."

He was trembling, clutching his wounded arm. His vision was swimming.

"Your shoulder!" cried Wyn noticing the state of him.

"Yah," he agreed. "B-bad fall."

He didn't even want to look at it. He knew it was bad. He could feel hot blood leaking through his fingers.

"Take your…"

"That was mine," he interrupted knowing what she was about to say. "Yours all got smashed."

"I told you," snapped Wyn angrily. "You need to take your potions first."

"Unless it can't be helped. You were h-hurt way worse than me and w-we only had one potion."

Wyn huffed, then remorse spread across her face.

"I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me. Here, let me look at that."

Spider-man turned so his wounded shoulder faced her.

Her face went stone.

"Spider-man," she said.

"Huh?"

"Could you tell me what you see in that tree over there?" she asked pointing to his right.

"Wha? Oh," said Spider-man turning. Um, I don't… AHHHHHH!"

With both hands, she wrenched a branch out of his arm.

"Gahh! AhhH!" he screamed

Spider-man whipped back around to see a bloody branch between her gloved hands. There were slivers of flesh caught on its thorns.

Spider-man felt the world spin.

"Woah, woah. Steady man. No passing out on me," said Wyn holding him upright.

"I was impaled," he said nearly delirious. "Ugh," he snarled as she rolled up his sleeve.

"How's it look?" he asked.

"I've seen worse. Can you move it?"

He rolled it slightly and gasped from the pain. It hurt, badly, but he could still move everything.

Wyn pulled out some bandages and leaned in to begin dressing it.

"Wait."

Awkwardly using his right hand, Spider-man reached into the left side of his belt and pulled out a small flask.

"Pour this on it first."

She opened it and gave it a sniff.

"A drink?" she asked confused.

"It was the highest proof stuff I could find in town. Alcohol is a natural disinfectant. Not ideal, but better than nothing."

She looked at him utterly bewildered.

"It's a custom where I come from to pour booze on wounds. Just humor me will you?"

She still just looked at him.

"Just put some in a bandage and dab it."

She shrugged.

"Alright," she said knowing what was about to happen.

Doing as instructed, the experienced adventurer gingerly pushed a wet bandage to his wound. As soon as the alcohol met his open flesh, he screamed.

"GAHHH!"

"You told me to!" she shouted.

"I know," he grunted bracing through the pain. "Oh man, oh man, oh GOSH! PUT IT ON!"

She shoved it into his arm.

"AHHHHHH!"

Wolverine was left looking up into the empty, overcast sky, still ankle deep in the creek, still at the bottom of the ravine, and still just as flabbergasted at the sudden loss of half his team. Just as it had on and off all day, a light drizzle began to fall. Drops landed and ran down his burley face.

"Fuck! That idiot!" he snapped. "Couldn't he think of anything better than being dragged off along with her?"

For no reason other than blowing off steam, he punted some wooden debris.

It flew across the way and crashed into the hillside behind Boksee.

"Calm down Barbarian," she said putting her bow on her back. "I'm sure he did all he could." She made her way over to him and joined him looking into the sky.

"Do you think Spider-man could have wrangled them free or did the bird have its way with them?" she asked.

"Oh, they lived. That woman is as tough as your jerky, and kid. That kid…well."

Logan just nodded at himself.

"No bird's gonna put those two down."

"Well, that wasn't really what I was asking. What I mean is, how far do you think the bird took them? How long do you think it took them to break free or did it take them all the way back to its nest?"

"Oh," said Wolverine thinking. "Hrm, web head…uhh…seventeen flaps."

"Seventeen flaps?"

"Seventeen flaps."

"What sort of time keeping is that?" she asked incredulous.

"An accurate one. It probably would have taken him seventeen flaps to break 'em free. Big ol' bird like that don't flap too often. Then they fell. Spider-man hopefully kept them from being shish-kabab-ed. So based on my full proof calculations they are…far."

"Far?" asked Boksee raising her eyebrows.

"You gonna just keep repeat'n what I say?" he asked walking past her.

He started sniffing the air.

Boksee was left standing. She stared at Wolverine, then to the sky, then she huffed.

"Look barbarian," she said angrily.

Wolverine turned around surprised.

"If you've forgotten these are my woods," she said stomping up behind him. "It doesn't matter a flying fomoire that I spend less time here than Nehfar, I still know a far cry more than a bloom'n brand new bare bottomed steel like yourself. If we have any chance of finding them it's following my guide, so I'd appreciate it if you spoke to me with a bit more decorum," she said stamping her tiny foot.

Wolverine was wide eyed, then a wicked grin spread across his face.

"You've got a bit of a trigger temper on you don't ya darl'n?"

She just scowled.

He laughed.

"Darl'n, I go to pieces for a little spit of fire. Alright, lead the way," he said throwing a hand.

Boksee's face lit up in shock. Then she laughed awkwardly.

"Right." She said then cleared her throat. "Alright," she repeated with more confidence. "The first thing we need to do is protect ourselves from the flies since we've lost our spider man. Then we can work on finding him and Wyn."

"You gotta plan on how to do that?"

"I do," she said. "But you're not gonna like it sniffer."

Logan cocked a furry eyebrow.

Spider-man awoke.

"What…"

He was laying on his side on the ground.

He looked over his bloody shoulder to see Wyn crouched over him.

"What happ-"

"You passed out."

"H-how long?"

"Only a few minutes."

"Oh."

"Don't sit up."

She had managed to tip him sideways as he fell with his bad arm facing up toward her.

"I'm almost finished dressing it."

He grunted as she continued to wrap bandages around him.

"What did you think was going to happen pouring booze on an open wound?" she scolded.

"I've never done it before. I didn't realize it was gonna hurt that much. There was a foreign object embedded in my arm," he grunted. "It had to be sanitized, otherwise I'd get gangrene."

"I don't know how booze would help you but if you don't want gangrene, you're going to need a health potion as soon as possible, or a trip to the healers."

"Which is cheaper?" he asked. "GAH!"

She had pulled his bandages too tight.

"Sorry," she said in earnest.

"It's ok," he said as she finished. He finally sat up.

Wyn had a hand behind him just to make sure he was steady. After she was satisfied that he was, she reached into her pack and pulled out a broken vial. It still had a small puddle of red liquid inside.

"Here," she said handing it to him. "This one still has a little health potion in it. It's better than nothing."

With a still trembling grasp, Spider-man took it and unquestioningly popped it in his mouth.

The liquid was thick and tasted putrid in a way like nothing he had ever experienced.

"UGH!" he said reviling.

Wyn laughed.

"What is that stuff made out of? It's horrible!" he gagged.

"I'm not an alchemist."

Spider-man clenched his face as a throbbing pain and pressure coursed through his entire body. It focused most intensely on his shoulder, nearly as painful as the alcohol. Then a warm wave washed through him and the pain flowed back away with it. His shoulder ached in dull pain but he could already tell it had jumped days in the healing process.

"Better than nothing," he agreed.

He wove some webbing into a makeshift sling for his arm.

"Still, I don't think we'll be web swinging any time soon."

"It's ok," said Wyn. "I think we should stay put."

"Wha, really?"

"Yes. Both of our trackers are together and we're on our own. I think we should hold up here, dig in our heals, and wait for them to find us. We can continue to find Sigmondus afterwards."

"You would say that Miss Shield Maiden."

"And your objection?"

"We can't just leave them out there! What if those flies come back? I'm the only one that can defend us from those."

"Spider-man, you may be a spider man but have a little faith in our party. Boksee is a wilderness expert. Now that she knows the flies are here, I'm sure she has a way of dealing with them."

"Really?" asked Spider-man surprised. "You feel that way about her?"

"Yes?" said Wyn giving him a look. "And Logan is a raging barbarian with the blood of an ogre and bones of iron. Honestly, we're the ones in trouble. Let's give them the best chance to find us and sit put. We also stand less of a chance of running into anything new if we don't move around."

Spider-man considered her, then he nodded.

"Ok," he said with a slight huff.

Wyn nodded in approval, then a small smile creeped across her face.

"By the way," she said. "At least one of us is in ok shape."

"Huh?"

Wyn held up the blotfather.

"Logan Junior!" exclaimed Spider-man happily taking the worm with his good arm.

Wyn chuckled.

"I thought that might cheer you up."

"Logan Jr. Are you ok?" he asked. "You know I really have kind of grown fond of this hideous thing.

Wyn laughed.

"Well, Aranea, how about getting us up a little shelter. It'd be best to have some web walls up, wouldn't you think?"

"Not an Aranea, but yah, I can still manage that."

After putting Logan Jr. back on his back, Wyn help pull Spider-man to his feet and he started shooting webs between the trees.

"Still, I don't think even Wolverine could survive being a skeleton," he said thinking. "I really hope Boksee has a good trick up her sleeve for those flies."

"No," said Logan.

He stood a few feet back watching on in utter disgust.

"It's not as bad as it looks," said Boksee. She plunged her hand into a fat pile of droppings and started coating her arms.

"Uh uh. Ain't happening. I know I said lead the way, but I didn't know that meant lead'n us into shit."

"Dung is one of the only known things that repels locust flies."

"Flies who don't like shit?"

"Well, they are mutants."

"Still ain't happening."

"It's safe. I promise."

She closed her eyes and held out a hand. A light aura glowed under her palm and she waved it over a pile as if she was reading an unseen inscription.

"Yep, clear of disease," she declared. "It's from a herbivore – a lot less dangerous."

"I'm only gonna say it one more time, ain't cover'n myself in shit. Even I have more dignity than that."

"Fine," said Boksee. Her eyes suddenly went huge. She pointed behind him and shrieked.

Logan whipped around.

"WHAT‽" he snapped throwing out his claws.

Boksee nailed him in the back with a ball of dung.

He slowly turned back around.

"Oh good," she said putting her hands on her hips. "You're already messy. Now you can go ahead and cover yourself."

"Oooh," snarled Logan.

He started toward her.

She held her ground.

He looked her down.

"Darl'n," he snarled. "You're lucky you're adorable."

A few minutes later and they were both wearing a healthy coating of animal droppings. Their arms, chests, and even faces were painted with dark brown smears.

"Well, fantastic. All I smell is shit. How the fuck are we supposed to find those two if I can't smell?"

"We just track them the old fashion way," said Boksee starting to walk.

"You're gonna track a bird?" he asked skeptically. "Last time I checked, fly'n don't leave no tracks."

"We don't need tracks. That bird probably took off with Wyn because Miss Paladin's armor was shiny. Birds collect shiny objects as trophy displays to attract mates, so it was taking her back to its nest. A bird that big is going to need to nest high off the ground if it wants to fly."

"It's in the mountains," said Wolverine.

"Exactly."

Boksee wet her finger in her mouth.

"FUCK! You know where that finger's just been‽" cried Wolverine.

She held it to the air.

"It would have been riding the air current. We just follow the current in the direction of the mountains. That will put us in the bird's flight path."

Logan nodded.

The two started off into the trees.

"And by the way. Can you stop calling me darling?" asked Boksee.

"Not a chance."

The day was dreary and cold, raining on and off again. Cloak pulled tight, fur on edge from the chill, the two made their way following the wind.

They were stopped by a fat patch of thorny bramble.

Without so much as a word, Boksee pulled a short falchion from her side and started hacking away at it.

"Hrm, not bad kid. I like a girl who packs some steel, but let me show you how adamantium does it."

Wolverine stepped forward and traded places with her taking the lead. He ejected his claws and started slicing through the brush like paper.

"Blow me down," muttered Boksee impressed and following behind. With Wolverine shredding the forest, the pair made their way through the bramble at a decent pace.

Boksee watched Wolverine's flourishing blades as he wove them through the underbrush.

"So…" she said breaking the silence. "Your claws are like a part of your body, is that right?"

"That's the sum of it," grunted Logan slicing through a thicker sapling.

"Assassin vine!" she warned.

A mass of vines fell from the trees and attempted to strangle them. Logan sliced it to shreds.

He chuckled and they kept going.

"But they're metal?" continued Boksee.

"Yep."

"How is that possible?"

"Darl'n, where I'm from, some people are just built different."

"People born with metal inside them?"

Logan paused.

"Yah," he said thoughtfully. "Some people."

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No," he said bluntly and perhaps a little surprised. "Just busy cutt'n all this blasted bramble."

Boksee frowned but didn't push it.

With a final slice, Wolverine cleared a path for them and they stepped out into the normal, grey twisted woods once again.

They both went wide eyed.

The forest floor was littered with skeletons.

Deer, and boar, monstrous horned beasts and tiny foxes - no creature seemed big enough or small enough to escape the flies' devouring appetite.

There was a crunch as Wolverine stepped on a tiny rodent skeleton.

"This is wrong," said Boksee stepping out amongst the bones.

"This ain't normal? Ain't these woods evil or someth'n?"

"It may be evil but the land is stable. Big things eat small things. Prey eat the plants and predator eats the prey in the normal rhythm of the world, but this," she said motioning to the skeletons. "This isn't normal. These flies are not supposed to be here. It's thrown off the balance of these woods."

"Well, how'd they even get here?"

"I have no idea. I've never heard of locust flies just appearing somewhere."

"Seems to be a bit of a theme in this place," said Logan crossing his arms.

"What do you… get down!"

Boksee grabbed him and pulled him over a fallen tree.

A black dire wolf ran into the clearing.

It started desperately gnawing at the bones.

"Well, there's a familiar face," whispered Logan.

They watched as it tried its best to crack open a leg bone searching for untapped marrow.

"Hungry," he noted.

"The flies are eating all the prey."

"And everything else. Let's scram before it smells us through all this shit."

"Agreed," said Boksee.

Silently they started backing away.

Wolverine's foot came down on another tiny skeleton, hard. Both adventurers cringed at the very loud pop and crack.

The wolf turned to them. They both saw the moment the wolf's golden eyes locked on them.

"Blow me," muttered Boksee.

"Sorry Fido," snarled Wolverine.

Throwing his arms to the side, he unsheathed his claws. Boksee quickly pulled her bow.

Teeth bared, growling and drooling, the massive horse sized wolf charged at them.

From the side, a bear twice its normal size rampaged into the clearing. Wolverine and Boksee were nearly thrown back in surprise. It thundered through the skeletons and went straight for the wolf. Throwing an enormous claw, it threw the wolf off its feet and pinned it to the ground. It went in for the mauling.

Wolverine and Boksee quickly took the moment to make their escape.

Night was beginning to settle in as the pair continued following the wind, and so was another spout of rain. It poured down on Wolverine and Boksee, the last of the day's light being choked out by the heavy clouds.

"When it rains it pours," said Boksee shrugging.

"Wish it didn't."

"We should probably set up shelter for the night."

Silently, Boksee started cutting up some branches and constructing them into a teepee.

Wolverine glanced around, then started gathering branches to help her.

In not too long, the pair had constructed a rudimentary shelter from wood and leaf litter. It was small and not as dry as it could be, but it was better than nothing.

"Hope you don't mind gett'n cozy," said Logan as they squeezed into their shelter.

"I've had stranger bed fellows. Usually they're furrier."

"That's a first."

"I'll take the first watch darl'n," continued Wolverine.

"You don't have to. I can."

"It's fine. I ain't tired."

"Alright."

Boksee pulled her cloak and laid down behind him. She was nearly spooning his back for warmth.

"I just hope Wyn and Spider-man are alright," she said. "You think they found a place to sleep for the night?"

"Well, knowing Spider-man," said Wolverine. "I got an idea…"

"Are you ok?" asked Spider-man.

"Mmmm… why do you ask?" asked Wyn stiff as a board.

"Because you don't seem like you're ok."

Wyn and Spider-man were laying like a pair of batteries in a single web cocoon. Logan Jr. was nestled between them.

The cocoon was hammocked between a pair of trees a dizzying height above the muddy forest floor.

"I'm ok," she strained out. "We're dry, we're far from the deadly creatures below, we have a natural deterrent, and we're safe from the flies," she listed.

"You say all that, but you don't sound like you mean it."

"It's because this is horrific!" she cried as thunder cracked.

Thunder boomed, the wind roared, and the rain gushed down in sheets of painfully freezing water and spray. The storm that had been teased and tormented all day had finally unleashed itself in full.

In nearly pitch-black darkness, Wolverine was startled awake.

"Logan!"

Wolverine jumped.

"What is it‽"

Boksee grabbed him and blindly pulled him to his feet out of the teepee. In four steps they were both ankle deep in sludgy water.

"Flash flood!" he barked.

Boksee still had a grip on him. She started running them in a direction. Neither of them could see, the moon and stars hidden behind the thick cloud cover.

"We need to head for higher ground!" she shouted.

"Where we going?" he shouted back.

She didn't have an answer.

The fridged water was rising, and fast! It was already to their shins. A strong gush pushed Boksee off her feet. She screamed.

Wolverine grabbed her and tossed her on his back. Another gush and he was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling down the flood.

He couldn't see! The current was violent! The water was filled with heavy and sharp debris. Suddenly he was yanked to a stop. Boksee, her legs gripped around his neck had grabbed onto a branch.

Fighting against the current, Logan blindly traced the it back to the trunk. He stabbed into it with his claws.

"CLIMB!" he shouted as Boksee was already making her way up the tree.

Using his claws like ice picks, he followed after her.

After surmounting a high limb, they both groped in the darkness, feeling each other to make sure the other had made it.

The tree moved and creaked and shifted beneath them in the rising water.

"This thing's gonna go!" shouted Logan over the roar of the rain and flood.

Suddenly the entire hill fell out from beneath them. A landslide of mud gushed down the valley taking every tree along with it.

There's was no exception.

Clinging to their limb, they were toppled and sent tumbling down in the flood of earth. In the crack of lightning, they saw mud and rocks and branches and skeletons all rush by them. Trees snapped and crashed as loud as gunshots. They both screamed as they clung for life to their tree as it careened down the mudslide.

In the darkness they felt themselves jostle and slide to a stop. More mud came down behind them, but they were high enough in the tree that they weren't buried.

Soaking wet and shaking from adrenaline, they clung to the branches both gasping and catching their breaths.

As if responding to the earth releasing its pent-up rage, at long last, the clouds finally parted. A brilliant half-moon was uncovered and lit the world around them in a gentle blue.

Wolverine and Boksee both looked at each other.

They were both absolute wrecks, hair wild, covered in mud and soaked to the bone with chilled water. Still, simply being able to see that was a great comfort.

They let out a laugh, more out of relief than anything.

Boksee looked up into the uncovered starry sky.

"I think the worst of its over," she said.

"Yah."

They sat quietly for a moment, then Logan started sniffing.

"Ugh, what's that…oh no."

"What?" asked Boksee.

A blotfather slid down the tree and landed on his head.

"EWWW!"

Boksee burst out laughing.

He threw it off.

"What's it doi'n up here?"

"Well, they can climb," said Boksee laughing. "Must have been flushed out with all the rain."

Another one crawled up the tree toward Logan's shining claws.

"Covered in mud, soak'n wet, div'n in shit, limp dicks climb'n straight up trees. I hate these woods!" he snapped slapping it away.

Boksee couldn't stop laughing.

Logan gave her a death glare. Then he burst out laughing too. They laughed awkwardly and hysterically for minutes.

After an uncomfortable sleep in an even more ramshackle shelter, the pair stepped out into the wet morning. Both were just happy to have made it through the night.

They were on the edge of the landslide. In the daylight they could see they had previously been camped out on a slight ledge. It was now a muddy loose mound of slid earth and fallen trees.

Logan put his hands to his belt and whistled.

"What a mess. I think the only thing look'n worse is us. Eh?"

Boksee didn't answer. She was looking around concerned.

"Oh no," she said.

"Oh no?"

"The wind's changed…and I've lost my bearings."

"What'cha say'n is we're lost, ain't ya?"

"Well, …. Aye," she agreed. She sighed defeated. "Some guide I turned out to be."

"Ain't a big deal," he said shrugging. He walked a bit and gave the air a long sniff.

"How is this not a big deal? Every moment we're separated Spider-man and paladin could be out there being attacked by blights, or wolves, or mushrooms or who knows! And now I don't even know where they are."

"I don't smell 'em yet," said Logan ignoring her rant. "Should we just keep head'n toward the mountains?"

Boksee considered him, then nodded.

"Well, until we can pick up the trail again or until you can smell them werewolf, that would be my best suggestion. Here, I'll scope the area."

Picking out a particularly bent and twisted half fallen tree, the ranger climbed up through the canopy to get a better look.

She hopped back to the muddy ground with a slap.

"The mountains are this way," she said pointing.

Wolverine nodded.

"Then let's move."

Making their way toward the mountains with no real direction, Logan watched a small fowl forage among the underbrush. It was brown, and reminded him of a rat, but it was a bird. It was the only bird he had seen here, besides the one that took off with Wyn. It was a wonder it hadn't been eaten yet.

"So…" he grumbled trailing behind Boksee. "There ain't no cockatrice in this woods are there?"

"Huh?" asked Boksee like she had been in her own world. "Oh, cockatrice? There shouldn't be. They're usually more to the south. Why?"

"Kid was reading someth'n about 'em but I wasn't pay'n attention. Guess I didn't expect us to get separated like this."

"I may have failed as a guide, but I think I know a bit more about the woods than a steel reading a book. No offense."

"None taken. Also don't be so down on yourself. It happens darl'n," he said casually.

Boksee stopped.

Logan turned to see her almost on the verge of tears.

"Darl'n?"

"It's nothing," she said quickly looking away. "Thank you. It's just, I really wanted to show my worth to the team. I've never been asked to be in a party before."

"Really? Never?"

She shook her head.

"But ain't ya the highest ranked ranger in town?"

"I…"

Logan heard something.

"Sorry darl'n, but do you hear…music?"

Boksee's ears twitched.

"Am I crazy or do you hear a…violin?" asked Logan

"Violin?" she asked concerned. "Out here? Logan don't…" she trailed off. "I…I hear it."

They both stopped to listen as the music seemed to grow louder. It twisted and fluttered through the trees in a haunting, dissonant tune.

"Beautiful," said Logan, a warmth and fog falling over his mind.

"Yah," said Boksee dreamy.

"We gotta find it."

The pair began following the sound.

They were led to a nearby brook.

They spotted a man.

"Kid?" asked Logan, though as the words came out of his mouth he knew they were stupid.

Even though the man looked about the same age as Spider-man, at least from what Logan could tell only seeing his back, he had long mint colored hair that fell down his shoulders. He was also buck naked, sitting on a rock playing a violin.

The absurdity of the situation snapped Logan out of his daze.

"Hey, hey you. What in blue blazes do you think you're do'n?" he barked at the naked guy.

The man stopped playing. He turned to face him. He had an emptiness in his frankly gorgeous eyes, that set Logan's skin crawling.

"Good day," said the man. Then he continued playing.

Wolverine fell back into his stupor. It was the most beautiful music he had ever heard. He could sit there and listen to it for hours and he would have, if he didn't see Boksee heading toward the water.

He grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Darl'n whatcha do'n?"

She didn't say anything. She just tried to fight to be let into the water. Her eyes had gone as vacant as the man's.

Oh, Wolverine understood.

"Hey!" he barked at the man.

The man kept playing.

"You're casting a spell or someth'n on us ain't you?"

At that the man raspberried.

He put down his bow and turned to Wolverine annoyed.

"Well now you've done it."

Boksee gasped. Her eyes regained their focus.

"Logan that's a näcken!" she exclaimed.

The näcken sighed.

"And there goes my dinner." He turned around and slumped his cheek against his hand. "I knew I was being greedy trying to get both of you."

"You're fuck'n right you were," said Logan unsheathing his claws.

The näcken baulked back surprised.

"You have metal inside you man? Disgusting!"

"Yah, that's right. You're fae ain't ya?" snarled Logan. "Well, I happen to know fae can't stand metal."

"Actually, näcken aren't fae," whispered Boksee.

"Huh?"

"Metal doesn't hurt me. You're just disgusting," said the näcken.

"Whatever! I don't care whatcha are bub. These claws will slice you to ribbons."

"Just let us be on our way näcken and you won't get hurt," said Boksee.

"Leave, I'm not stopping you," he replied sourly. "You've already broken out of my spell. Actually…" he said obviously thinking. "Either of you want to learn to play the violin? I can teach you how to play so well the trees dance for you."

"No thanks," grunted Logan.

"Yah, he's just trying to eat us again," said Boksee.

"Oh, come on," said the näcken.

"I say we shishkabob him."

"I'm going," said the näcken standing. "I'll just go hunt those other men."

"Other men? You seen 'em?" asked Logan. "A man and a woman?"

"Sure, hop on my back and I'll take you to them."

The näcken, previously in the form of a man, leapt down from the rock and a white horse landed in front of them. It turned and presented itself to be ridden.

"Don't trust it. Don't even touch it. It'll drag you into the water to drown you," said Boksee.

"I wasn't gonna trust it no ways."

The horse neighed.

It shape shifted back into the shape of a man.

"You two are such a pain."

"Jeeze, put it away fella," said Logan at the näcken's nakedness standing in front of them.

"You female. Don't I enrapture you? Am I not gorgeous?" he said stroking up his naked side.

"You…you're not a very good näcken, are you?" said Boksee.

The näcken deflated.

"You all are the worst prey," he sulked. "Just go away."

"Nuh uh. Not 'til you tell us where the other men are," snapped Wolverine.

"Hold on Logan. I've got an idea."

Boksee rummaged through her satchel until she pulled out a black, taxidermized rabbit's foot. Then she pricked her finger on an arrow.

"One, two, three," she said dabbing her blood on the foot.

She presented it, along with a small pouch of liquid, to the näcken.

"What is that supposed to be?" he asked offended.

"A black animal, three drops of blood and some booze."

"It's supposed to be vodka, and that's just a foot!"

"Look, do you want it or not? It's yours if you just help us find the other men."

"I could just give you a ride."

"I know a scorpion when I see one," grunted Wolverine crossing his arms.

"Fine."

The näcken took the items given to him.

"I saw the other men up river, maybe half a day's walk on the north side. They were farther from the water's edge than you two which is why I decided to lure you instead. Obviously, the wrong choice."

"You better believe it bub," said Wolverine. "And FYI, the others won't get sucked in easy either. They're both thick headed as they get so you might as well not even try."

The näcken just groaned then took his leave.

He awkwardly sulked back into the water and somehow disappeared beneath the surface of the shallow brook.

Wolverine and Boksee just glanced at each other.

Boksee snorted.

"I think we hurt his feelings."

"I still don't even know what that guy was and I know he was a bad one."

They snickered.

Following the brook, they eventually reached the river.

Logan stopped to take it in.

This was the same river he and Spider-man had first woken up in.

"This is a lot bigger than the last time I saw it," he commented.

The previously shallow and wide copper water was now swollen and deep. It was so flooded it had overflowed the banks and had submerged many trees.

He stepped forward and looked down into his own shadow.

"There anything weird about this river?" he asked.

"Besides it running through the Ashen?" asked Boksee. "Not that I know of."

He crouched down and ran his hand through the cold water. Just as before, it was just water, nothing more.

"Any reports or rumors about odd things com'n out of it?"

"No. Why?"

Logan watched his own shadow, a small sense of familiarity egging at the back of his mind.

"Wolvie?"

He looked up back to the trees.

"It's noth'n. We got more important stuff to worry about."

"Right," agreed Boksee nodding.

Logan looked over the water.

"River's up. Currents too strong. Looks like we're not go'n swimm'n."

"No kidding barbarian. You never want to go swimming in a place like Ashen. Come on. I've got another idea."

Using a mixture of a small axe Boksee had and Wolverine's claws, the pair worked on felling a tall pine.

"Timber!" shouted Logan happily as their chopping and slicing finally gave way. Just as they had planned, it fell across the river. It didn't make it the entire way, but it hit some rocks and was lodged.

"Good enough," said Logan.

The pair jumped up onto the tree and started walking across.

"I just hope Spider-man and Wyn are doing ok," said Boksee.

"Kid's probably fine," said Logan. "Tuts, well I feel sorry for tuts."

"Come on paladin," said Spider-man holding out Logan Jr. with his good arm.

After some breakfast consisting of hard biscuits and rain water, the two lost adventurers were sat on a small patch of dry ground surrounded by haphazard walls of webbing.

"Boksee said his slime would help protect us."

"It didn't protect us from the bird!"

"We didn't use his slime. Every bit of protection helps right?

Wyn made a face.

"Here, I'll go first."

Holding the ham sized worm with one hand, Spider-man started rubbing it across himself. The slime was clear but kind of off colored. It was thick and stretchy.

Wyn made a face of absolute repulsion.

Spider-man was making his own face struggling to keep it together.

"See," he strained out. "Not so bad." He gagged a little. "You're turn."

"It smells like skunk and sewage."

"It's supposed to stink. It scares off predators. Just put it on."

"No! No!" she cried as Spider-man tried to force the worm on her.

Logan Jr. grinned.

With a hard push Spider-man slapped the worm to her armored chest.

"NOO!"

Logan felt a chill.

"Yah," he said. "I feel sorry for Tuts."

Following the näcken's directions, the pair made their way up the river on the north side. The ground was swampy and muddy, but the clouds had fully lifted and the day was bright, if not still chilly.

"I don't smell 'em yet? You pick'n up on anything?" he asked.

"Not yet," she answered. Then she stopped. Her ears twitched.

"Darl'n?" he asked.

"Logan!" she cried terror spreading across her face. "The rain! The flood! Our dung!"

"What?" he asked confused.

Then he heard it.

Buzzing.

They were soaked and muddy but the water had all but washed them clean of the droppings. As filthy as they were, they hadn't realized they had left themselves vulnerable.

"What do we do?" he barked.

"Shelter!" she cried. "We need shelter!"

They both desperately looked around.

"There!" shouted Logan.

There was an overhang up the hill from them. Not a full cave but it was the best they could see.

Boksee shrieked as the first fly bit her on the arm.

"Run!" Logan shouted.

As a grey cloud descended on them, the adventurers bolted up the hill.

Boksee slid beneath the overhang and started hacking down nearby saplings and brush.

Wolverine piled in behind her and sliced down swarths of brush with his claws. They started pulling the bramble in front of them forming a makeshift wall.

Flies squirmed their way through the cracks and holes as they quickly constructed their barrier. They bit the adventures and the adventurers slapped at them but they had formed a wall. Flies could still get in.

The buzzing, crawling grey insects poured through gaps in the branches.

"Plug the holes!" shouted Boksee.

Wolverine threw his hand through the mud and slapped it to the bramble, coating the inside of their stick and brush wall like plaster. Boksee followed suit.

More and more mud was added.

Fewer and fewer flies made it through.

Soon they were in the dark. The last of the biting flies were squashed. All that remained was the roar of buzzing muffled beyond their barricade.

It was calm.

The pair sat and panted, catching their breath and waiting for more flies, but none came.

"I think we're safe," said Boksee.

"Looks like it."

"We'll just need to wait for the swarm to pass."

"Right."

They sat in silence for a moment until Logan started smelling the air.

"Uh darl'n," he said turning around.

"Huh?"

"We ain't alone in here."

With the pop of a cork, Boksee held up a small glowing bottle.

She aimed it behind them.

An enormous black furry mass was shoved against the farthest wall of the overhang.

It was the black dire wolf. It was bloody and collapsed, an enormous gouge on its side.

"How'd it get on this side of the river?" asked Wolverine.

"There must be a pass somewhere," said Boksee.

The two, mostly out of curiosity crawled toward it.

The wolf snarled at them and tried to raise itself, but it was unable to stand in the short overhang.

"I can put it down real fast," said Logan. "Do the poor thing a favor."

"No, don't," said Boksee calmly.

She got down low on all fours, her feet and hands to the ground, then started muttering something. Wolverine couldn't quite make it out but it sounded soft and warm. Her hair began wisping around in the way Logan knew meant she was casting a spell. Slowly, cautiously she continued toward it.

The wolf bared its teeth but was no longer growling.

In a few steps she was practically on top of it, still muttering her chant.

The wolf now only watched her.

Her hand met the creature's fur.

It accepted and she gave its massive head a pet. She looked like a tiny child next to the hulking beast.

"That'a boy. Isn't that better?" she cooed softly. She turned to Wolverine. "I've never charmed a dark animal before. The poor dear. He's in a bad state."

"Gotta way with animals don't you darl'n?" said Logan. He dropped down to his hands and feet and came up behind her. The wolf gave him a look but relaxed.

"Looks like you do too barbarian."

"Eh, I've lived with a pack or two," he said way too casually.

He gave it a pet behind the ear.

The two adventurers and the wolf sat in the tiny cave listening to the buzz of the flies.

"Do you think they would have found us by now?" asked Spider-man.

He was sat while Wyn was crouched over him checking up on his shoulder.

"I'm sure they're moving as fast as they can. They have to track us through the Ashen woods after all," she said unwrapping his last bandage.

"And how are they supposed to track us again? We flew."

"I'm sure a ranger has a way. Wolverine could smell us out."

"I don't know if even Wolverine can smell our little ol' scents from that far away. How's it look?"

"Actually, it's looking pretty good. No sign of disease. Maybe your tradition has some validity to it after all."

She rewrapped it in fresh bandages and he put it back in its sling.

"I'd be happy to explain but first I think we need to try to find them."

"No. We need to stay put."

"They should have been here by now!" exclaimed Spider-man exasperated. "What if they're in trouble?"

"Do you have a way to find them?" asked Wyn throwing her hands to her hips. "What direction would we even go? We could move further from them for all we know."

"I'm tired of sitting here and doing nothing!" he shouted leaping to his feet.

"Patience is a virtue!" she shouted back.

There was a crack behind them.

Spider-man felt the tingling, disorienting chill of his spider sense.

They both turned to see the trees shutter before them.

An enormous, tooth filled muzzle emerged from the forest. The rest of the animal followed. Arms longer than a man, mangled shaggy fur, claws the size of cleavers - from between the trees, a bear stepped forward toward them, a bear the size of an elephant!

Spider-man gasped.

Wyn managed to sputter.

"Dire bear."

Boksee was tending to the dire wolf's wounds.

Still sitting in their barricaded over hang, Wolverine spoke up.

"Not to be rude darl'n, but do ya really wanna be wast'n your supplies on a wild animal?"

"I can buy more."

"What if we need 'em for us?"

"Oh," she said pausing. "I guess I didn't think about that."

Already having used the supplies she was going to, Boksee continued her work.

"Sorry, I'm not really used to working with others."

"Right," said Logan. "You were say'n someth'n about that earlier."

She continued bandaging the wolf.

"Not the people type?" he asked.

"I guess. Not that I have anything against them. I like them actually, I think. I just have never really gotten along with people. Like I said, this was the first party I've ever been invited to. I don't even know if Miss Paladin even wants me around after we've finished with this wilderness quest."

Logan grunted.

"You could ask her."

She sighed and continued her work on the wolf.

"There a reason?" asked Wolverine.

"Huh?"

"Is there a reason you're not the people type?"

"Well, I mean. People tend not to care for me. Either I'm something to forget or something to not give the time of day, or I'm something that gives them…repulsion."

"What'a ya mean?"

"I mean I'm not built quite right. I'm not a halfling," she said sadly. "But I'm not a man, either. I'm a giant when I go to the shire and I'm a dwarf in the village. I don't really fit in anywhere."

Logan nodded.

"I get ya kid. It's rough," he agreed.

"You're a lot taller than me."

"Yah, but I know what it's like to not fit in one place. I know what it's like not be'n built quite the same," he said ejecting the claws on one of his hands to give them a look.

Boksee considered him, then nodded.

"You know, my whole family's kind of like that," she continued. She finished tending to the wolf and simply sat beside it. "We don't really fit in. A lot of people think the worst of my mom and dad for getting together, even some people in Boar Bramble. Halflings and men, they both think it's disgusting, given the size difference. Halflings think mom is some sort of loose whore, and men think dad's a pervert."

"Eh, people are full of shit," he replied shrugging.

Boksee laughed.

"Then there's me. The unfortunate result. I guess that's why I felt so much more at home out in the woods," she said feeding the wolf a piece of jerky. "Animals don't think about how you're not quite built right. All they think about is whether you're food, or you want to make them into food."

Logan smiled warmly.

"You're damn right, darl'n. Damn right."

Wyn leapt in front of Spider-man shielding him.

"Wyn!" He shouted getting out from behind her.

The bear was practically rabid, drooling and baring its teeth. It roared and charged at them.

Spider-man and Wyn leapt to either side. The bear quickly turned and made a lunge at Spider-man. He leapt again just barely dodging a massive paw covered in cleaving claws.

"How do you fight a dire bear‽" he cried stumbling backwards, sliding in the mud, but finding his footing.

"Um, um," said Wyn."

"Wyn!"

"I'm not a wilderness expert!" she snapped.

Without thinking she charged forward and slung her mace into the back of the creature's knee. There was a spray of blood and the bear howled.

It whipped around and in one swipe she was thrown to the ground, her heavy armor dented and scraped by the massive claws.

The bear was on top of her, the weight of its arm holding her down, her chest plate the only thing keeping her from being crushed to death. It moved to eat her.

Logan Jr. slapped into the bear's face. It recoiled in disgust. Spider-man had chucked him at the beast. He yanked the worm back with a web pull. Freeing his good arm, he webbed Wyn and pulled her to him.

"Thanks for the save!" she shouted as he yanked her to her feet.

"Do we run or will that make it chase us?" barked Spider-man.

"I'm not sure. I don't think we can outrun it."

The bear recovered, and with a vengeance turned to them.

"I think we have to fight," she said. "We have to convince it we aren't worth the trouble."

"I think that's easier said than done," said Spider-man.

The bear charged.

Wyn charged back.

"Don't just run in!" cried Spider-man.

But she was way ahead of him.

As the bear barreled toward her she dodged to the side slamming her mace into the bear's leg as she went. The bear roared and turned on a heal to try to clobber her again. This time Spider-man webbed a heavy stone, spun, and launched it at the bear's head. With only one arm he was a bit limited with what he could do. Still his rock attack landed. A loud crack sounded as it smashed into the bear's skull. The bear just turned back around to him.

Wyn took the moment of distraction to go in for another hit.

"This is good Spider-man!" she exclaimed dodging back as Spider-man chucked a hunk of log at the bear.

"Let's keep going back and forth!"

"We can't keep this up forever!" he shouted back. "I'm running out of ammo!"

Suddenly the bear ignored Wyn and bolted right toward him.

Spider-man dodged over and over again as the bear rampaged trying to stomp and gnash him.

He landed a punch into its jaw. His hand was cut on the bear's massive teeth.

Wyn was chasing behind trying to land hits, but the bear was a house sized fury of flailing fur.

"Spider-man!" called Wyn.

On pure spider sense, Spider-man threw up his hands to catch something. Wyn's enormous shield landed in his grasp.

Sticking his feet to the ground, bracing himself, Spider-man held the shield aloft. A metal clank sounded as he blocked the bear's jaws as they came down on him. He was able to hold it back. Then throwing his arm, he smashed the shield into the bear's face.

Wyn dashed forward careened her mace directly onto its paw.

The bear roared in rage.

In a powerful side swipe, it caught them off guard. Wyn and Spider-man both went flying and tumbling down a hill.

"I think we're lost," said Logan.

Boksee turned to him.

"The rain's washed away all smell and tracks. I got no idea how we're gonna find those two. Not unless we run into another naked horse boy to ask directions from," he continued.

Boksee chuckled.

"It's called a näcken…and I've been thinking… there might be someone else we can ask directions from."

Logan looked at her.

"Ya' serious?"

She nodded.

"Like I said, I've been working and studying on my divination. There's a spell, I haven't pulled it off successfully yet, but if it works I should be able to speak with our friend here," she said petting the wolf.

"Talk to a wolf? How's that even possible?"

"Well, it's not talking in the way we do, maybe more of deep understanding but as deep as speaking. It's really hard to explain."

"You think it'll help us find them?"

"What other choice do we have? I can try."

Boksee sat on her knees in front of the wolf. She closed her eyes and started muttering a chant. Her hair started to blow. At first the wolf stayed still but as she leaned in it leaned in as well. Eventually, they touched foreheads and Logan watched as the wolf's fur began to blow.

Suddenly it was over.

"Darl'n?"

Boksee opened her eyes. They had changed and were now those of a wolf.

"Darl'n?"

She gasped excited and turned to the wolf. She started huffing and nodding along with it.

"It worked," he exclaimed happily.

Her face was the most enormous smile. Then it faded. She turned to Wolverine.

"No luck," she said. "He says he hasn't seen the men since he was at our camp."

"Figures."

"But he says his pack might have. If we can help him find his way home, then they might be able to help us."

Logan thought.

"Drawing out wolves? Yeah, I might be able to do that," he said unsheathing his claws.

"And, we've got a fresh source of dung," said Boksee shrugging.

Wolverine turned to her in disgust.

The sound of wolves howling sounded far in the distance.

Wyn tumbled down a muddy rocky hillside. Spider-man slid down after her.

He landed on his bad shoulder and gasped in pain.

"Are you ok?" asked Wyn running over to him.

"Fine," he snarled. "You?"

"Better than you."

They were both soaking wet, drenched in freezing mud, clothes torn, and skin bloodied.

Before they had a chance to catch their breath, the bear came chasing after them. It was undeterred and starving.

Spider-man threw web after web across the trees in front of it but the bear tore through it like cobwebs. Taking the moment of distraction, Wyn dashed to the side and threw wads of mud at the animal's head.

"Spider-man! Let's take out its face!"

Taking her advice, he shot bullets of web at its eyes, nose, and mouth.

The monster roared and started clawing at its face.

It charged at him.

Spider-man leapt straight up into a tree.

The bear reared up on its hind legs, towering over him and brought itself smashing down.

The tree snapped and toppled. Spider-man managed to leap onto the bear's back. He webbed around its massive neck and started to pull. He tried to choke it but his bad shoulder was too weak. The bear ran him into a tree tossing him to the ground.

"Spider-man!"

He landed in the mud.

The bear was upon him. It landed a massive clawed hand on his stomach, knocking the breath out of him and holding him down. It moved in for the mauling.

Just as the bear's massive jaws came down, Wyn dashed forward and smashed her mace into the monster's face. Blood exploded into the air as it lodged into its eye.

It flailed backwards roaring and slamming its claws across Wyn causing her to fall into a pile with Spider-man. Huge scratches were carved into her armor.

A drizzle of blood ran down her face.

She and Spider-man both gasped as the bear fell down on them. Its jaws flew open, wider than either of their heads and moved to stuff them in its mouth.

A massive grey wolf leapt from the trees and landed its teeth into the bear's neck. The bear reared up and tried to beat it off. Two more wolves followed, savagely biting into the bear's legs.

Spider-man and Wyn whipped around.

Logan emerged from the woods, standing amongst an entire pack of dire wolves.

"Wolverine‽" blurted Spider-man.

"Miss me bub?" he asked.

A black dire wolf stepped forward. Boksee was riding upon it.

"Boksee!" exclaimed Wyn.

She and Logan both let out a pair of howls.

The entire pack, with the exception of the black wolf Boksee was riding ran at the bear. They leapt over Spider-man and Wyn as they laid into it, growling, and barking, and howling, savagely yanking out fur and flesh.

The bear turned and fled as the pack chased it down.

Boksee and Wolverine approached the rest of the team.

"So, looks like you two owe us one huh?" asked Logan with a grin. He grabbed Spider-man by the hand to pull him to his feet.

"OW! OW! Not that arm!"

"Incredible," said Wyn staggering to her own feet. "I can't believe you two tamed a pack of dire wolves," she said staring back at Boksee's wolf.

"We didn't tame them paladin," said Boksee. "We just asked for their help."

"You're not serious," she said amazed.

"I wouldn't expect an uptight clunker like you to understand," she teased.

"But they're not even normal animals. They're dark creatures, mutants."

They heard a roar and heard and felt a massive shake. They knew the wolves had taken down the bear.

The wolves returned out of the trees. They stood, waiting.

Boksee turned to her wolf, reaching up to put a hand on its neck.

"Go on boy, back home. They're waiting for you." She touched noses with it and her eyes changed back to her normal cinnamon color.

The black wolf howled.

The rest howled back.

"Maybe it just goes to show ya, just 'cause someth'n's a mutant don't mean it's always bad," said Logan as he and Spider-man walked up to join Wyn and Boksee.

He watched with a contented smile as the black wolf re-joined the others as they ran into the woods.

"Maybe it just means they're built different, and just look'n for a pack."

Boksee grinned. Spider-man gave Logan a knowing look. Wyn thought. She closed her eyes and sighed.

The wolves ran into the woods to feast upon the fallen bear.

"Alright then. Come on. Let's finish this quest already," she declared.

Once again, the team followed Boksee's talisman. It was leading them upriver. Wolverine could tell by the way Boksee's ears twitched she was keeping her guard up around the water.

"By the way," said Wolverine as they trekked along the bank. "If anyone hears a violin, plug your ears."

"What?" asked Spider-man.

"So, what happened to your arm?" asked Wolverine blowing past him.

Spider-man looked down at his sling.

"Oh, it got stabbed with a branch when we landed."

"Ouch."

"Yah, it was a bad landing."

Spider-man looked down. He watched as their shadows walked beside them in the muddy water.

"It's the same river" said Logan answering Spider-man's unasked question. "I didn't find anything though. See you still got that wrinkled dick with you."

Logan Jr. was still strapped to Spider-man's back.

"He's a member of the party now," laughed Wyn.

"Ugh," groaned Logan with disgust. "Not you too tuts."

"I think she accepted the worm to the party faster than she accepted me," muttered Boksee under her breath.

Logan just gave her a little pat on the shoulder.

She nodded and let the moment go.

"Weren't it supposed to deter predators or someth'n?" asked Logan back on topic. "Didn't protect you from that bear."

"Actually, he did give us a split second of a pause," she corrected. "It was enough."

Logan snorted.

"Fair enough."

The talisman led them up onto the jagged foothills of the mountains. They scaled fallen boulders in the spraying mist of a thin water fall.

"We're getting really close," said Boksee excitedly. The talisman was glowing and yanking the tassels vigorously.

At last, the adventurers reached the top of the hill. Climbing over the grassy bank, they stopped.

The group looked around stunned.

They were standing on the decaying remains of a town.

Overgrown stone buildings were crumbling around the river. Trees and roots broke through forgotten floors and ceilings. Vines and brush erupted from abandoned windows. The road was all but buried beneath centuries of gathering forest floor.

"They're ruins," said Wyn in disbelief.

"Someone used to live out here?" asked Spider-man.

"Did you know about this?" asked Wyn to Boksee.

"No. Did you?"

"No."

The group moved forward.

Despite the sturdy stone, the small village was barely keeping together. Most of the buildings had been reduced to square rings of foundations. The ones still standing were all but collapsing.

"This place looks like the buildings in Rünton," said Wyn noting the architecture.

"I think it's even older," said Boksee running a hand across a rough stone wall.

"This is incredible. Penny for your thoughts," said Spider-man to Wolverine. He was being oddly quiet.

Logan didn't say anything.

He was looking around. Something was very familiar about this place.

"Logan."

"Huh? Oh. I think…I think I've been here," he said quietly.

"What?" asked Wyn.

"Are you serious?" asked Spider-man.

"Yah. Don't you get a nagg'n feel'n like this is all familiar?"

"Not really," said Spider-man.

"Fuck. I hate never remember'n shit."

"Is this a common occurrence for you?"

"Ya got no idea kid."

The four adventurers began to carefully wander.

"I wonder if this place is some source of ancient magic," said Wyn noticing long rusted and deformed metal working scattered on the ground.

Boksee's started chanting and her hand lit in a familiar aura. She waved it over the area.

"Well, if there was magic here, it's not anymore. This place is dead."

"Did you just use detect magic?" asked Wyn.

"I did," said Boksee.

"Fantastic!" said Wyn pulling out a scroll and scrawling it down.

"I thought you were just recording the boys."

"Well, it's best to keep track of all the party's abilities."

"Does that mean you're planning on keeping me…"

"Guys, look at this," said Spider-man.

The group came over.

There was a building across the river.

It was completely cut in half.

"What do you think happened to that?" asked Boksee.

Logan was staring at it.

Without a word, he sliced down a thin tree. It fell across the river and he walked over. The group looked at each other then followed.

Spider-man and Boksee walked across casually. Wyn swayed and struggled a bit to balance with her heavy armaments but she made it.

The party followed behind Logan as he entered the building. It was a long stone hall, overgrown with plants and trees and absolutely flooded.

Logan stepped into the ankle high water.

"Uh Wolvie?" asked Spider-man.

Logan looked down into his own reflection. The water was brown and full of debris, but his own face looked back at him.

"I think…I think it was here," he said.

"What was?" asked Wyn.

"Are you sure?" asked Spider-man. "Here? Like in this room here?"

"'Course I'm not sure. Just a feel'n."

"What are you talking about?" asked Boksee.

Spider-man was looking around.

"I don't see anything that looks like it would, you know, transport people. Any mojo going on in here?" asked Spider-man to Boksee.

"Oh,"

She lit a hand.

"Nothing."

Wolverine looked around the barren, broken room.

He sighed.

"Well, if it was here, whatever it was, it ain't here now."

"What was here?" asked Wyn becoming annoyed.

"We're not sure," said Spider-man.

"Noth'n tuts. Just an itch me and web head are trying to scratch," said Wolverine coming out of his almost trance like state. "Come on, let's find these bones and be done with it already."

Dowsing the area carefully, Boksee led the group around the ruins. Eventually, she came to a stop.

The tassels of her talisman were pointed straight down but there were no remains insight.

"Welp, looks like its broken," said Wolverine.

"No, we're directly over the bones," replied Boksee. "They're underground."

"Like their buried?" asked Spider-man.

"And here we didn't bring a shovel," said Logan.

"I think what she means is they're in an underground chamber," said Wyn.

"Right," agreed Boksee. "There must be ruins beneath us too."

"Let's look for a way down," said Wyn. "Let's keep together though."

Following her instructions, the group, staying as a group, started scouring the ruins.

"Worp worp,"

The blotfather started wriggling in its sling.

"What's the matter Logan Jr.?" asked Spider-man looking over his shoulder. "See something?"

Actually, he had seen something. Spider-man spotted something shiny sticking out of the mud behind him. The group watched as he made his way over to pick it up.

"What is it?" asked Wolverine.

Spider-man held up a large metal necklace.

"Some sort of amulet I think. Do you think it belong to Sigmondus?"

"Impossible," said Boksee. "Look at it." She took it from his hand. "There's not a hint of weathering. This could have been dropped yesterday."

She gave it back and started looking around the ground.

Logan leaned over and gave it a sniff.

"No scent. Rain must'a washed it away. Metal don't keep smell too good no ways."

Wyn leaned over to get a better look.

There was an arcane engraving in the metal

"Do you recognize the symbol?" asked Spider-man handing it to her.

She took it and looked it over.

"No. I'll research it when we get back into town," she said putting it in her bag.

"Over here!" called Boksee.

The group came to her.

"There!" she said pointing to the ground.

The rest of the group didn't see anything.

"It's faint," she said. "The rain's washed a lot away but there are tracks here, tracks made by boot. Someone was here!"

"How long ago?" asked Wyn.

"Days."

Crawling close to the ground, the ranger began following the path of the tracks. They led to a cellar like staircase leading down into the ground.

"This must be the way down!"

Wyn lit a torch, and the adventurers began to descend.

"Everyone be on your guard," said Wyn as they carefully spelunked down the cave like, decaying old staircase. "We don't know who was here, if their still here or what else from the Ashen could have taken up residence."

The party all agreed.

"Anything on your spider brain web head?" asked Boksee.

"Not too strong. I've got a little buzz. I think it might just be a bad feeling," he replied.

"What about you Wolverine?" asked Wyn.

"I don't smell noth'n," said Logan. "Noth'n unusual for a dark smelly cave that is."

As they continued down, they found a heavy metal door.

Wyn and Boksee both gave it a push and pull. It was locked.

"Alright," said Wyn bringing out her mace.

"Yeah!" cried Wolverine excited.

"Woah girl! Bring the mace down. I've got it," said Spider-man throwing a hand out and walking ahead of her.

Wolverine huffed.

"You're no fun."

Spider-man jogged forward and using his good shoulder, forced the doors open with one strong push. The sound of a breaking metal lock and snapping wood sounded with a loud crack as the doors swung open.

Spider-man stood back to his full height and motioned them in.

"Ladies, gentleman," he said giving a small bow.

"Oh, why thank you young man," said Wyn playing along as the group entered.

"Here, for your troubles," said Boksee. She put a piece of jerky in his hand.

"Oh, you're too generous ma'am," said Spider-man. They laughed.

As Boksee stepped through the door, she stopped laughing.

"What's wrong?" asked Wyn.

"Guys, this place... is occupied. Someone lives here."

"Like lives here, lives here?" asked Spider-man.

"Yah. They weren't seeking shelter. This is someone's home."

"Hrm," grumbled Logan. "You don't think…"

"…that Sigmondus never actually died?" asked Spider-man.

"That's impossible," said Wyn. "Not even the craziest hermit could survive alone out here, especially not an old dwarf who would be ancient at this point."

"Maybe we should'a knocked," said Logan looking back at the door.

"Oops," said Spider-man.

"Too late now," said Boksee.

"Should we, you know, say hello?"

"No, better to keep the element of surprise."

"Yah 'cause break'n down a door and sitt'n around chatt'n about it is real sneaky," muttered Wolverine as they started into the chambers.

Boksee let the talisman lead them.

"Smell anything?" asked Boksee to Logan as he started huffing the air.

"Vanilla," said Logan.

"Vanilla?" asked Spider-man.

"Yep," said Logan. "Smells like vanilla."

"I don't even know what that is," said Boksee.

"Are you sure that thing is working?" asked Spider-man referring to Wolverine's nose.

"Well, it is pretty cold and wet," said Wyn.

"That don't make no difference," said Logan.

"Makes nose difference," said Spider-man.

"I'm stabbing him."

"Ok but before you do that, let's find Sigmondus," said Wyn.

They continued following the talisman through the chambers. It truly was an occupied space. There was furniture, books, dim lamps, and even knickknacks. Eventually they were led to what seemed to be a less used room.

The talisman was almost pulsating.

"This has got to be it," said Boksee.

Pushing open the ancient door, they entered the chamber.

The stench was overwhelming. It seemed to be a garbage room - a dark cavern full of old plant remains, debris, and broken furniture.

She followed her talisman to the other side of the room.

There, almost buried in garbage was a dusty and cobweb ridden, short, broad skeleton.

The talisman erupted into a bright light, then showered sparkles onto the bones as it faded to a burnt color.

"Jack pot," said Logan.

"Told you he couldn't still be alive," said Wyn.

"Have a little respect for the dead people, jeeze," said Spider-man.

After removing the garbage, the team found that the skeleton was in fantastic shape. The bones seemed to be scattered on the floor almost exactly where they had fallen.

"Wonder what happened to him," said Boksee.

"Maybe he tried to hold up here and starved to death," said Wyn.

"Always the optimist," said Spider-man.

"Well, nothing ate him and carried him away," said Boksee.

They looked down at the skeleton. As the torch cast its light across the dingy bones the group could see the top of its skull, or rather its lack of a top of a skull.

"Ouch," said Logan.

The top of the skeleton's head was completely missing, almost like it had been surgically removed.

"Do you think that's how he died?" asked Boksee.

"No way to tell," said Wyn wondering herself.

"Looks like someone sawed the fuck'n thing off," said Logan as they stood around looking at it.

Spider-man dropped to his haunches and gingerly picked up the skull. He started turning it around close to his face.

"What are you doing?" asked Wyn.

"I'm trying to see if he was alive when this happened, aka, this is the perimortem injury, aka aka the thing that killed him."

"How do you tell?" asked Boksee.

"I heard it's kind of like dry wood vs green wood. Post-mortem fractures are more jagged and brittle looking while injuries that happened to living bone are clean."

"Spider-man! That's excellent. Where did you become so learned?" asked Wyn.

"Did you study with an archeologist?" asked Boksee.

"Nah," said Spider-man casually. "I just saw it on the history channel once in a waiting room."

The women both looked confused and Logan looked unimpressed.

"Well Sherlock," he said sarcastically. "Figure it out yet? I'm interested now."

"I think so. It's just a hunch but with how smooth and perfect this is I think it was while he was alive."

Logan put down a hand and Spider-man gave him the skull.

"Wouldn't you think the edge would be more rough, and like maybe even have little cracks or something?"

Logan ran his fingers across the edge of the injury.

"Mm," he agreed. "Yah, Just a hunch, but this don't seem like someone came along afterwards. Ain't a scalping. I'll tell you that much."

"Huh," said Wyn putting her hand to her chin.

"Well however he died, we found the poor old bastard. That's what's important" said Boksee. She took a turn holding the skull, turning it around in her hands.

"Yah. I have no idea. I can't think of why someone would do this if it wasn't a scalping, and I definitely don't know of any animals that feed like this."

Wyn gasped.

"What?" asked Logan.

She looked genuinely terrified.

"I know what this is. We have to get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"I know what creature feeds like this! We have to get out of here! Now! Forget the bo…"

Wyn stopped.

"Wyn?" asked Spider-man.

She was frozen. Her eyes were huge and vacant staring straight forward, her arms and legs were held firmly to her sides.

Spider sense! He looked around to see what was causing the painful tingling at the back of his head. Instead, he saw all three of his teammates were frozen like Wyn, even Wolverine!

"Logan!" Spider-man exclaimed. He grabbed him around his rigid shoulders.

"What's the matter with you‽" he shouted shaking him. Logan had no reaction.

Spider sense!

Spider-man gripped his head as pain ripped through it. It was his spider sense but it was strong and…wrong! It didn't feel like anything that made sense. It was like his brain had a short circuit, just sparking, electric pain.

Clutching his head, he collapsed to a knee.

"Ah! Ahhh!"

"What noisy little creatures," said a strange voice. "My lucky day, it seems, has arrived."

Fighting through the pain, Spider-man forced himself to look up.

He saw it.

Stepping through the chamber door, a monster like none he had ever seen elegantly made its way toward him. It had the shape of a tall, slender man in flowing purple robes but its skin was an iridescent blue and its face…oh gosh its face. Instead of the face of a man it was bald, noseless, and where a mouth should have been instead hung an entire octopus worth of tentacles.

"Strange," it said in a cold voice, a few of its face tentacles wriggling, as it noticed Spider-man twisting in agony. It threw a hand out in front of itself. Spider-man screamed as a new wave of pain ignited across his brain.

"This worm seems to be immune to my telepathic commands."

At this point Spider-man was writhing around in the garbage covered floor.

"Though it does seem to experience a great deal of pain," noted the monster.

"STOP! STOP!" he screamed feeling like his head was about to explode and his ears about to gush blood. The monster ignored him.

Spider-man was helpless but to watch, tears blurring his vision as his party suddenly turned on their heels and, at the monster's command, marched out of sight.

"Regardless, truly this day has brought a bounty unknown to me in centuries. Especially you," said the monster returning its attention to Spider-man. "A brain so resistant to my influence is not one I have yet to encounter nor one I have had the privilege of consuming. It will undoubtedly be…delectable."

Spider-man screamed.

The monster threw its arms open wide, a crystal wand in its hand.

"Summon chains!" it declared.

Bright violet portals tore open around it. Chains exploded out of them and entangled him.

Logan came to.

"Oooh, fuck," he groaned grabbing his head.

Where was he?

"He looked around. He was with Wyn and Boksee…and Logan Jr. They were all starting to get their wits back around them and they were all in a dungeon cell.

"What happened?" asked Boksee.

"Not sure darl'n," said Logan. "Where's Spider-man?"

"There!" said Wyn pointing out of the cell. "And…that."

They saw an imposing figure, dressed in flowing purple robes, blue skinned, with a face covered in twisting tentacles.

"What is that thing?" hissed Boksee.

"A mind flayer," whispered Wyn.

"A what?" asked Logan.

"They're a high level, grotesque race that feeds on the brains of others. They're telepathic and very magically gifted," explained Wyn. "Their weakness is light."

"You think he chowed down on Sigmondus?" ask Logan.

"Yes. They're long lived."

"It's going to eat Spider-man!" exclaimed Boksee.

Spider-man was chained to the wall. He struggled against his binds but these were no ordinary chains. They glowed in a dark aura and were hot to the touch. Despite his great strength and best efforts, he wasn't able to break them, not even with his good arm. His head was still pounding in the aftermath of his telepathic assault.

After rummaging about on its desk in the center of the room, the mind flayer turned its attention to him.

"Now," said the monster approaching. "To feast."

It splayed its tentacles revealing a hideous, circular mouth full of jagged teeth.

Spider-man cried out and futily tried to pull away.

The mind flayer stopped.

"Then again," it mumbled to itself. "As you will be the most delicious, perhaps I should save you for last. After all, I really shouldn't. I just fed a few days ago. I should wait until I am properly hungry again."

Spider-man exhaled.

"But that is such a long time. I have three others. That'll be months. I want to enjoy you now."

It opened its mouth again.

"AHH!"

"But then again… I shouldn't be so hasty."

Exasperated, Spider-man exhaled again.

"I will have to listen to your screaming though," said the mind flayer twisting a finger around a tentacle. "You seem to be a loud one."

"Only because you're setting my brain on fire and trying to eat me!" shouted Spider-man.

The mind flayer looked back surprised.

"Oh yes. I forget you worms are capable of speech," it said.

"You're speaking our language!" he snapped.

"Oh, yes. That is true isn't it? I don't know why I do that these days. An Ilithid should speak in telepathy even to his companions. Why when I am alone do I speak out loud?"

Spider-man made a face.

"Because…you're lonely?" he asked.

"Lonely? Maybe. Yes. My own thoughts become quite mundane. Perhaps the sound of a voice tricks my inferior senses into believing I have companionship."

Spider-man looked awkwardly side to side.

"You know, my delectable worm," it said putting a hand onto Spider-man's head. "I wasn't always…lonely."

Spider-man made a worse face as he felt the monster begin to pet his hair.

"I lived most of my life as a quite ordinary Ilithid," it began to reminisce. "It was many years ago. I was visiting an ancient refuge of multidimensional magic when I encountered a dwarven worm. Of course, I did not hesitate feasting upon it. Little did I know I was then to enjoy the most exquisite brain of my life. Savory, sweet, pungent, exotic. Flavors I fail to describe all danced together across my tongue, though, as delicious as the brain was, I have truly come to regret it. It was then that my troubles began."

"Eating a brain is so delectable because you devour the very essence of the creature. You absorb and digest its emotions, desires, loves, dreams. In some small way they become a part of you but I fear the strength of that brain's desires was too much for me to handle."

"After I fed I started having hideous, confusing thoughts that refused to cease. I started to ask the most nonsensical questions. Why am I here in this world to begin with? Why must I feed on lower life forms if lower life forms are not found on my home world? Why must I live as a collective? Of course, voicing these questions to said collective quickly got me expelled from it. So since then, I've returned and lived here, away from the elder brain. I sit in the dark and ponder questions I have realized I can never truly have the answer to. This week, I am perpetually torn between the opposing thoughts that either nothing in the universe has any purpose whatsoever, or nothing in the universe is without purpose, not even a writhing worm like yourself."

"Oh great," said Spider-man. "I've been captured by an existential octopus," he said flatly.

"I'm not an octopus you orangutang!" it snapped.

"Well, I'm not an orangutang."

"Yes I know. I was insulting you by the same degree that you insulted me."

"Oh, so you admit you're in the same family then?" smirked Spider-man.

"We're going to die," said Boksee as Wyn banged her head against the cell wall.

"Nah, I got faith in him," said Logan.

"What?" both women asked in disbelief.

"Yah, if there's anything that man can do it's talk his way out of the most ridiculous situations. He can talk me down. I think it's an actual fight'n technique or someth'n, like drunken master, except its blathering idiot. He'll distract him but we've gotta bust ourselves outta here."

Wyn quickly looked around the cell.

"It took all our gear," she said assessing the situation.

"I can just claw through these bars," said Logan.

"It'll be too loud. As soon as it notices us it will just mind control us again."

"It threw us in this old dungeon this time," said Boksee. "If we break out, who knows what it'll do with us next time."

Logan nodded.

"How are we going to do this?" asked Wyn.

Logan scanned the room.

He spotted an ancient hunk of intricately formed metal. It was hooked around a clawed hand on the mind flayer's desk.

"What is it?" asked Boksee.

Logan answered.

"The key."

"Well," said the mind flayer. "This has been the longest conversation I've ever had with an inferior life form, and it has convinced me to never do it again. I truly must be 'lonely'. Oh well. I am sure your brain will be delectable regardless. Yes, I've decided. I will eat it now."

It splayed its tentacles opening its hag fish like mouth and leaned in.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" cried Spider-man.

The mind flayer hovered directly above his hair.

"What?" it asked.

"You can't eat my brain!"

"Yes I can."

"No, I mean, you shouldn't eat my brain."

"Why?"

"Because…" said Spider-man struggling for words. "You…you said when you ate that philosopher guy you didn't gain his knowledge, only his questions. You gained his way of thinking but not what he actually knew, right?"

The mind flayer stepped back to face him again.

"That is correct. I applaud you, lower life form, for understanding," it said dryly.

"Well, I know things you don't! If you eat my brain, you'll lose that knowledge forever!"

The mind-flayer practically laughed at him, wriggling, and trilling its face tentacles.

"And what possible information could a blind worm like yourself possess that I, a Ilithid, does not?"

"A lot of things…" said Spider-man thinking on the fly. "…like…the elements!" he declared.

The mind-flayer made it's laugh movement again.

"I am well versed in the properties and uses of the elements."

"Do you know all of them? I do. What's the first element? Element number one?"

"What a ridiculous question," scoffed the mind flayer. "There is no first element. Now, if you are attempting to refer to the supreme element, the element of perfection and the one that does correspond with the first day of the weekly cycle, that would of course be gold."

Spider-man made a buzzer noise.

"Eeh, wrong-o. The first element is hydrogen."

There was a long pause.

Spider-man and the mind flayer just stared at each other.

It took a minute for either of them to say anything.

"What?" asked the mind flayer.

"I ain't no egg head," said Logan to the girls. "Don't got the brains for it, but I learned one thing through all this.

Using Wyn's armor Logan reflected a ray of light. He aimed it at the key.

"Now just stay right there tuts,"

Logan scooped up Logan Jr.

"Alright you wrinkled dick, time to pull your weight."

He shoved the worm through the bars.

"See the shiny."

The worm started squirming over and climbed up on the desk. It suckled at the key pushing it from the clawed hand and into the floor.

They all cringed at the loud noise but the mind flayer didn't notice.

With the light no longer on the key, Logan Jr. lost interest and started worming back to Wyn.

"No, go back for it!" hissed Boksee to Logan Jr.

"No," said Logan. "It's alright. It did what we needed. It got it off the hook. Now we just gotta reel it in."

"And how do we do that?" asked Wyn.

"Sorry tuts. I'm gonna need some of that," said Logan turning to her.

"Huh?"

"Just do it," said Wyn.

"No, get it from the back," said Boksee. "Against her neck. That way she can hide it."

"I'm work'n on it," snarled Logan.

Holding up most of her long lavender hair, Wyn let a healthy amount fall down her back. Logan took it in hand, and using a claw, sliced it off.

"Hydrogen," said Spider-man. "You've heard of it right? It's the element with the fewest protons, one, so it's listed as the first element on the periodic table. You've heard of all that too, right?"

"You…you are simply lying and trying to trick me," said the mind flayer faltering. "Crafty, but you will not succeed."

"I am not. I'll tell you the second element. Helium. It's a noble gas with two protons and an atomic mass of 4.002602."

The mind flayer stared at him.

"How many elements do you know of?" asked Spider-man.

"Twenty-two," said the mind flayer unsure.

"I know a hundred and two."

They stared at each other again.

"I can draw it out for you if you want," said Spider-man.

The mind flayer just stared at him.

"You're going to have to let me down first."

"What is Spider-man talking about?" asked Boksee watching.

"It don't matter right now," said Logan quickly weaving the lavender hair strands into a long, thin rope.

"Well, he got the mind flayer to let him down."

Wyn was also distracted by Spider-man and the mind flayer.

"See," said Spider-man drawing with an ink quill on some parchment. "Sorry, my lines aren't very straight. I usually use a ruler."

The mind flayer was looking over his shoulder intently.

"First, over here are your alkali metals," explained Spider-man pleasantly like he was teaching a class of middle schoolers, "except hydrogen, but we'll get back to that. Then your alkali earth metals, then your transition metals. You might recognize some of these. See here's where gold is, along with silver, platinum, iron, copper. Those are ones you're familiar with right?"

The mind flayer stared down as Spider-man drew out and filled in a periodic table.

"This…" it said in disbelief. "Is…other worldly knowledge. You've unraveled the very threads of existence as if they were merely bricks in a wall."

"I didn't discover it, but yah pretty much, and if you ate my brain you'd lose all of it. You wouldn't know the components of atoms, how compounds are formed, how to balance chemical equations, or …or…how to make…pizza."

Looping the end into a lasso, Logan finished his hair rope.

He tossed it between the bars.

It landed a little short.

He reeled the rope back in and tossed it again.

Miss.

"Almost," whispered Wyn.

"Aim more to the right," said Boksee.

Wolverine tossed it again.

"You have truly proven yourself a valuable source of knowledge," said the mind flayer to Spider-man. "You have won my favor. You will be my prized pet and once I have extracted all your other worldly knowledge, I will give you the ultimate honor."

Spider-man noticed his party trying to hook a key on the floor as the mind flayer monologed.

"Oh yah?" asked Spider-man awkwardly.

"Yes. No doubt a brain filled with such resources is sinfully delectable, but I will make the ultimate sacrifice. Instead of feasting upon you myself I will save you until I lay a clutch of tadpoles. Then I will feed you to the most promising. You will serve as the vessel of my progeny - your brain the nursery of my descendants."

"Um…no thank you," said Spider-man swallowing. "I have a crippling case of Ridley-phobia, aka, the fear of things laying their babies in me," he said raising his hands.

"Splendid. Fear is such a delectable palate to a young Ilithid."

"Uhh…"

Spider-man went wide eyed as the mind flayer leaned it, its tentacles twitching.

"Now… my treasured, tell me… what is pizza?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Spider-man saw Wolverine silently walk up behind the mind flayer. He quickly shifted his gaze. "Uh… sure. But, can I ask you a question first?" he asked the monster apprehensively.

"You may."

He gave him a sniff.

"Why do you smell like vanilla?"

"Because I am healthy," answered the mind flayer matter-of-factly.

Wolverine shoved his claws through him. An explosion of silvery-white blood splattered onto Spider-man.

The mind flayer shrieked.

Wolverine grabbed Spider-man around the wrist and yanked him out of the way.

"Greater heal wounds!" exclaimed the mind flayer.

"Everyone shield your eyes!" shouted Wyn.

She pulled a small sculpture from her bag, a holy symbol, and started chanting.

"I a warrior of the divine beseech requite. Give me flame in this dark and wicked night. Grant me this day my pies right. Bless us now with HOLY LIGHT!"

Her sculpture lit into blinding beams of light.

Spider-man and Wolverine had to close their eyes as the light was blinding. The mind flayer shrieked in pain and withered backwards.

"Everyone run!" shouted Wyn. "This way!"

Spider-man took the lead and grabbed Logan. Using his spider sense, he ran them blindly out of the dungeon.

"No!" screamed the mind flayer.

"Sorry Steve!" called Spider-man as they ran through the chambers and out the heavy metal door. "Don't eat anyone's brains while we're gone!"

The adventurers ran up the stairs and out into the bright daylight.

They didn't stop until they were on the other side of the town.

"You named it Steve?" asked Logan as the group caught their breath.

"It was the first name that came into my head."

"Did you name it after Strange?"

"Oh! That might actually be it. The whole high collared cloak wizard thing."

"Is everyone here?" asked Wyn. She quickly looked around. "Good. Boksee, did you get the bones?"

"Yes I did," said Boksee. She had taken off her cloak and used it as a makeshift bag thrown over her shoulder.

"What?" cried Spider-man excitedly. "You actually got them‽"

"We figured stabb'n the fuck'n thing would give a fast footed ranger enough time," said Wolverine.

"Way to go Boksee!" shouted Spider-man.

"Yes, excellent work ranger," agreed Wyn.

Boksee grinned an enormous smile

Then she froze.

Agonizing pain ripped through Spider-man's head as the party froze in a familiar stance.

"No!" he cried.

The mind flayer, completely shrouded in a heavy cloak staggered up behind him.

"You…" it gasped. "Cannot hope to evade me so easily!"

It set his brain on fire.

Spider-man collapsed to the ground and started screaming.

"Naughty pets must be punished," snarled Steve.

Then they both heard it.

Buzzing.

Out of the bright sunlight, a grey cloud of flies descended on them. Wolverine, Boksee, and Wyn, did nothing as bloody bite marks formed across their bodies.

"No!" screamed Spider-man.

He ran forward trying to fight the flies off his friends while being bit himself.

Steve let out a scream of anger as he slapped away his own flies.

"Pesky insects!"

The mind flayer threw a hand toward them. An invisible shock wave slammed into the adventurers sending the party flying.

They splattered on the ground.

Wolverine groaned grabbing his head.

"Ughhh,"

"Logan!" exclaimed Spider-man running over to him. The telepathic hold the mind flayer had put on them was lifted. They came to and started yelping and shouting in pain, desperately slapping away their flies.

Steve turned away from the adventurers, lowered his stance and spread his arms.

With a flourish of twisting limbs, he pronounced in a booming voice.

"SUMMON PHARAOH'S FOIL!"

A tornado of fire erupted from the sky.

The adventurers screamed. The moisture from the air was sucked dry as intense heat exploded across the land. The tornado spanned from the ground to the clouds in a violent swirl. The sky was a vivid orange. A hot wind whipped around as the air was pulled into the flaming twister. The swarm began to be pulled in with it.

"Run!" shouted Wyn over the thunderous roar of the tornado.

Steve was a silhouette in front of the bright orange flames, his cloak flowing. He whipped toward them.

"Summon chains!" he shouted throwing a hand.

The group managed to dodge the magical binds as they lashed out in all directions. The mind flayer's aim was off, his attention split between the fleeing adventurers and the trillions of swarming flies.

The tornado started distorting and lashing out wildly. Forced to deal with it, Steve whipped back around and refocused his magical energy on it.

The adventurers fled for their lives.

The blazing, dry wind whipped around them toward the tornado. The flies were thick but had given up biting as they forced their way through.

They reached the river.

Trees around them began to catch fire. There was no way to cross.

"We're gonna need to go swimm'n," shouted Logan.

The water was fast and muddy. It fell down the mountain in rapids and water falls.

"If we want to drown!" shouted Wyn.

"Guys! Steve's almost done!" shouted Spider-man. The tornado was fading. The grey cloud of flies was almost extinguished.

"Drown?" thought Logan out loud. He had an idea.

"Oh no," he acted badly and very loudly. "If only we had a horse to escape on."

"Uh…Wolvie?" said Spider-man.

A horse neighed.

The group turned to see a white stallion standing beside the river.

"That's a kelpie!" cried Wyn.

"Actually, he's a näcken," corrected Logan. "And he's gonna give us a ride."

"What‽"

"When I say, we all have to get on his back at the same time."

"It'll drown us!"

"Just trust me. Everyone get on and let me get in the front."

Steve had almost finished off the flies. The odd one still bit them here and there.

"Ok."

They all ran toward the horse and as one, jumped onto its back. It buckled surprised but recovered.

Logan ejected his claws and held them to the horse's neck.

"Now listen you. You're gonna give us a ride out'a here and if I think for a second you're try'n to drown us I'll slice you to ribbons. I can hold my breath for a fuck'n few good minutes. How long can you live without a head?"

"Are you serious‽" shouted the horse annoyed.

The tornado choked out. The last of the flies was extinguished.

Steve looked around feverishly then noticed them.

"NO!" he cried.

"GO näcken!" shouted Wyn.

She kicked it in the sides. The horse leapt into the river and dove beneath the water.

Where the river left Ashen Woods and entered Nehfar Forest, a white horse carrying four adventurers on its back leapt out of the water.

As soon as its hooves hit the bank it started bucking.

"We're going!" shouted Logan as the group jumped off.

The horse kicked the dirt with its back foot. Then, before their eyes, changed shape into that of a naked man.

"You all are seriously the worst prey ever," he scolded. "Just go away. Don't come back."

With that, long mint hair flowing behind him, the näcken sulked once again into the river.

"Um…" said Spider-man turning to Logan.

"What can I say? I'm a people person bub."

"Goodbye, I guess," said Spider-man waving at the water. "Thanks for the ride…uhh…Minty."

"Stop nam'n things."

"Things need names."

"But your names are always stupid."

"Is everyone alright?" asked Wyn.

"Well, I've never teleported via river spirit, but besides that, yah, I'd say I'm bloom'n peachy," said Boksee.

"Hey guys look!" shouted Spider-man. "We're out of the Ashen!"

The group looked around then cheered absolutely ecstatic.

"You've got the bones?" asked Logan.

"Yes!" cried Boksee.

"We did it!" cried Wyn.

Wolverine grabbed Boksee and pulled her completely off the ground as they all shouted in joy.

Wyn grabbed Spider-man, also pulling him off the ground.

They both laughed.

They not only had succeeded their quest, they were out of Ashen.

"I'm never going in the woods again!" cried Spider-man happily.

"Me neither!" shouted Wyn.

"I'll try to avoid it," agreed Logan laughing.

"I don't have a choice!" said Boksee.

The group all laughed.

As they quieted down, Logan gave Boksee a look.

She looked away like she hadn't noticed.

He gave her a little nudge with his shoulder.

"Um, paladin," said Boksee sheepishly. Wyn looked at her already surprised by her demur demeanor. "I never had a chance to ask you. Am I just a member of the party for this mission or am I a permanent member now?"

Wyn looked back at her blankly.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Right," said Boksee resigning herself.

"Why would we not want a ranger in our party? Especially the best one in Boar Bramble."

Boksee's face lit up. She gave Wyn a hug.

Wyn just looked surprised

Spider-man rolled his eyes at Wyn's thick headedness and Logan laughed.

Wyn awkwardly gave Boksee a small hug back then moved onto her next thought.

"So…" she said with a gleam in her eye, coming at Spider-man. You possess other worldly knowledge?"

"Uh oh," said Spider-man. "Uhh…well," he and Logan both shifted guiltily.

"And you do as well don't you Wolvie?" said Boksee.

Logan huffed.

"Looks like the gig is up kid," he said.

"Were we ever really keeping it a secret?"

"Lies through omission, bub."

"You two have pilgrimed to different realms of existence haven't you‽" Wyn exclaimed excitedly.

They looked at each other. Logan shrugged.

"You could say that," said Spider-man.

"Actually, that ain't too far off at all," said Logan.

"Oh, that explains why you're so odd," said Boksee. "Incredible. You'll have to tell us of some of your journeys. Have you been to the ethereal plane? I hear that place is nuts."

"Who cares!" burst Wyn absolutely giddy. "They have other worldly knowledge! The guild master has to award them knowledge proficiency now!"

The unusually cool spring night could do nothing to dampen the mood of the guild hall. Adventurers and villagers had gathered. A few musicians looking for fun and coin had joined together and were playing a merry tune.

"Oh Dad! Dad!" exclaimed Boksee Jr. catching her father in the backroom.

"Huh? What?" He asked finishing the final touches on what he was working on.

"The party and I got you a present."

"Eh?" he asked turning around.

She thrust Logan Jr. into his arm.

"By thunder!"

Boksee Jr. laughed.

"Ah! Be gone with ya' you tiny rapscallion!" shouted her father as Boksee Jr. ran out of the backroom. "I've got half a mind to toss you from the window," he laughed.

Wolverine and Spider-man stood before the guild master in front of the crowded guild hall.

"After greatly improving their scores in the expertise and knowledge exams," proclaimed Boksee Senior. "Becoming what I would even call 'mediocre' and taking into account other knowledge acquired from foreign planes of existence, as one does apparently, I am proud to present the Spider-man and the Wolverine both with sapphire rank adventurer tags."

He placed a pair of freshly made, vivid blue pendants around their heads.

Wyn, Boksee Jr. and the crowd clapped.

The pair both took them happily.

"This one goes so well with my suit" said Spider-man.

"Of course that's what you'd be happy about," said Logan bitterly.

"Congratulations!" boomed Boksee Senior. "Now, no one doubts your combat skills but if you want those emerald ranks you're really going to have to gain some experience, preferably from this plane of existence."

"Emerald huh?" said Spider-man. "I don't know. That's probably going to clash."

Logan groaned.

Boksee Senior laughed.

"Alright men. Now get your sapphire ranked rears down to the pub and drink yourselves stupid to celebrate!"

"Don't gotta tell me twice," said Logan.

The other adventurers cheered.

"Uh, I don't drink," said Spider-man.

"Come on," said Logan, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him along. The pair joined the rest of their party and went to go enjoy the night.

The End