- I still think this idea of facing the mafia is not a good idea - comments the wizard, as he walks with the rest of the group that is crossing a road to go to a city.

"Don't be soft," Courtney said, "better to face the mafia than just plain kobolds."

Kodolds are small humanoid beings with dragon characteristics. They are not powerful beings to face alone, as the creatures become mortal when they attack in groups.

- Kodolds are distant cousins of dragons and accumulate a lot of wealth. We have a ranger and you as a rogue, I think we could easily succeed.

- But why should we start with something small when we can go to big things? The mafia is a very rich group of thieves. Destroying a headquarters would guarantee a lot of wealth for people.

- Still taking more unnecessary risks.

"I understand your concern about excessive danger, Mel, but trust our abilities." Lorrah said, adjusting her glasses.

- Even more, no guild is focusing on the mafia. In other words, the mobsters will be off guard," Courtney replies.

- His contacts with underworlds is quite wide.

- The Magna organization was quite powerful.

"I hate having to depend on a criminal to do a good deed." Hilda said.

"Conformist." Henrietta said.

- Hilda. I understand your point of view, but we need to face it as a unique opportunity to do a good deed - said Ash up front - so we can do justice to those who have already suffered with the mafia.

- Did you see, wizard? Only you are standing back - said the rogue.

- If you want to risk it, then who am I to question.

"I just have doubts about your arcane abilities." Henrietta says directly into the wizard's mind "Do you have enough magic?"

"I have a well-stocked spellbook," Mel replies.

" Stuffed spellbook? '' said Hilda - by the way, Mel? What are your skills?

- I'm an enchantment wizard. I specialize in negotiations, diplomacy and even solving confrontations without needing unnecessary struggles. My school prides itself on being a pacifist.

"Or being manipulative tyrants who charm their victims into being slaves." Courtney said.

"Being a pacifist or a tyrant, the students at my school always go to those extremes." Mel said.

- You don't even bother to defend yourself? said Hilda.

"How honest." Lorrah said.

- Since we are going to be a group, it would be better for us to know a little more about each other - says Mel - how did you meet? - Directs the floor to Ash and Hilda.

- My village had a massive attack of orcs - said Hilda - the monastery acted to protect the village and during the defense Ash appeared and helped us.

- I had to act to defend that city.

- Then we became friends and decided to travel with Ash to improve my skills and take the name of the Whites in a glory never seen.

- White? Are you talking about the legendary Black White? asks Lorrah.

- Yes. He's my father. The legendary monk of the four elements.

- They said he was the human monk who came closest to having an equal fight with the Elf King - comments Lorrah.

"What a conformist." Henrietta said.

- What did you say about my father? - Hilda runs in front of the goth getting in front causing the group to stop walking.

"Conformist." this time Henrietta speaks directly into the monk's mind, "Want me to repeat it?"

"I'll make you show respect for my ancestors," Hilda said.

- Calm. Calm down - Ash grabs his friend's shoulders - we're on the same team.

The Goth shrugs indifferently as if she doesn't mind the monk's anger.

"You don't respect anybody, fat bitch," Lorrah said to goth.

Henrietta ignores Lorrah.

- Although you are always fighting, you two always go together - said the wizard.

- We are from the same city, while I was from a farm. She was the daughter of an innkeeper.

"With a redneck face, you're definitely a farmer." Courtney said, which embarrasses Lorrah. Henrietta does not fail to smile discreetly.

- Why don't you say that to my face? - Lorrah approaches with quick and heavy steps, but the wizard puts his staff in the middle.

- Tieflings. Don't worry about them.

- One day I'll pull that bitch's horn.

- I'll be waiting.

Lorrah with quick movements pulls her strange object from her waist and points down the rogue and shoots making Courtney jump back scared. For the group, except the goth, the female warrior uses a strange object, but for an observer of our world can see that it is a pistol.

- Next time it'll be in the middle of the forehead.

Ash stands in the middle of the two.

- Calm down, you two. We are on the same team.

"I'm not worried about that." said the rogue, her voice growing calm.

"I'm impressed by the weapon you used." said the wizard, seeing the pistol in his hand.

- You liked it? It's a weapon that some groups of warriors are assembling. It's called a firearm - Lorrah said excitedly.

- It looks like a portable cannon - said the wizard - as a weapon it seems to be very practical, but it is nothing furtive. Does the shot go far?

- Eighteen meters guarantee.

- This other object seems to go further.

- Are you talking about my musket? It can reach 100 meters, but it needs a lot to carry. The bad thing about firearms is that they can fail, that's why I make up for it with a bow and arrow.

- Very well.

- Why don't we practice a little combat? - Hilda said - that way we become acquainted with the skills of others.

"Interesting," Courtney said with more curiosity to know the group's abilities, especially for possible betrayal.

- I need to warm up a little.

"Whatever." Henrietta said.

"Finally, some action." Lorrah said.

"Okay." Mel said.


On the way, the group managed to find an open field near the road near a farm. Mel is sitting on a tree trunk with a large book with pages formed of fine metal. All annotations are written in acid. The book cover is a hard, gold cover. Lorrah with some bodywork tools is doing some maintenance on her pistol while sitting next to the wizard. Ash and Hilda are stretching, while Courtney is leaning against a tree not far from the others. Henrietta is moving away from the group to go further into the open field as she will be one of the first to fight.

The male part of the group does not fail to notice the sway of the goth's big ass as the wizard pretends to be looking at his spellbook (name of the book of wizards) and Ash lowering his gaze from time to time.

- That goth bitch is already swinging that huge ass again - Lorrah said, putting away her gear and crossing her arms.

"You seem to have a certain admiration for your words." Gibson said.

- Let's say I'm outraged as someone so beautiful prefers to look so funereal.

- What can I say? At least her patron made her save makeup.

Lorrah laughs.

Hilda finishes stretching and goes to goth as a sign that she will be the one to fight the warlock.

- Very well. Do your best." Hilda said confidently.

The goth doesn't say anything, just puts her hand in front of her as if to shake and says:

- Chill Touch.

A ghostly skeletal hand comes out from under the ground to try to hold the monk's heel, who takes a huge leap forward avoiding being grabbed. For a closer look you can see that there were some gusts of wind that formed at the monk's feet that allowed her to pick up momentum and head towards Henrietta. When Hilda was about to land a kick, the goth yells:

- Yog-Sothoth - suddenly a large scythe appears in front of the warlock's hands that she used as a shield from the kick attack.

Hilda takes advantage of the impact to get a backwards momentum and lands a backflip at mid-range.

- What weapon is this? - expresses the monk seeing the exotic weapon of the warlock.

It's not a simple scythe, but it looks like a petrified weapon with several old inscriptions that give it a rustic look. At the same time it looks alive with some moving parts like an eye on the side that looks in all directions.

- Pact of the Blade - said the wizard - is a blessing that the patron bestows on his representatives. In Henrietta's case she has a blessing of a weapon that she can invoke at any time. With the weapon chosen she manipulates the weapon masterfully.

Henrietta doesn't say anything, just steps on Hilda for a right-to-left sidestroke. The monk manages to dodge the blow back even so quickly. She can even feel the air being cut due to the sheer force of the blade, which is sharp.

The warlock manages to deliver a second blow in less than 3 seconds to Hilda's surprise, this time from the top down. The blow could land if it didn't use a monk technique called "Patient Defense", a blow that requires aura to dodge a masterful attack.

"She's better than I expected," Hilda thinks as she recovers from the shock of being nearly hit. I didn't expect an arcane to be so good at close range attacks. She thought she would only use the "Step of the Wind" technique to be able to get close and use melee attacks to win quickly, but the warlock has shown that she is more effective in combat. If it wasn't for the training she had with her father she would surely be frightened by the warlock who is looking like a soul reaper.

The monk takes a deep breath for the next attack, while Henrietta starts to speak:

- Yog-Sothoth. Grant me arms of darkness to bring terror to my opponents. Arms of Hadar - suddenly five black tentacles of energy come out of the goth's back. So much is the lack of emotion and the whole look that it gives her an air of an evil being.

Hilda goes after Henrietta, who already attacks with all her tentacles. Soon the monk shouts:

- Flurry of blows - she manages to kick five times in each tentacle causing it to undo them.

The warlock takes the opportunity to attack again with the scythe, but the monk manages to kick the scythe from top to bottom, digging into the ground, but she is unable to counterattack right away.

"Even for a conformist, you fight well," Henrietta said, vanishing her scythe.

- Thanks. I think," Hilda said, taking a deep breath. Three aura points spent for the fight and she couldn't land an effective hit, she feels she needs more training.

"You did well, Etta." Lorrah said to her friend.

"Whatever." she said, sitting down beside the wizard.

- You're welcome - said the redhead girl sarcastically already going to the field being her turn to battle.

"I'll do my best." Ash said in concentration.

"Good luck, Ash." Hilda said.

- Thanks.

The ranger draws his two swords standing in guard position, while the female warrior takes her glasses and puts them on her face, while holding her bow and then speaks:

- Try to get close if you can - Lorrah already quickly fires an arrow that Ash quickly dodges.

But before thinking about approaching he already sees an arrow in his direction where he uses his two swords as a shield, but the third arrow has already hit his shoulder. The rogue gives a smug smile that Ash has been hit.

"She may look like a hillbilly, but she has pretty sharp skills." thinks the rogue.

Ash sighs at the failure to defend the attack. If it was a mortal combat, it is possible that he would have received a mortal blow. He puts away his swords and takes a deep breath.

"An arrow for every second, it's not easy" thinks the ranger.

- Already gave up? - Asks the red-headed female warrior.

- No, I'm just getting started - Ash takes a cricket leg from his bag and starts talking - Mother Nature, may I have the ability to jump like the crickets. Jump - Ash touches himself and makes him have a light glow that soon dissipates.

Ash starts running towards the warrior who shoots arrows at him, but this time Ash dodges the two arrows with high jumps like an insect. Another volley of arrows and once again Ash dodges by jumping, but doesn't go any farther, he heads towards the trees to get more cover.

- Zephyr Strike - Ash advances towards Lorrah at a high straight speed giving her no time to shoot with a bow and arrow, but she picks up her small sword and defends the oncoming blow.

With another hand, Ash points a knife toward her neck, but the female warrior points the pistol at his head.

"Looks like a draw," Lorrah said.

- Yea.

- Sorry about your shoulder - Lorrah passes a healing potion to Ash who pulls out the arrow and takes the potion, thus healing the wound.

"Looks like it's my turn," Mel said.

- Where's the rogue? - Hilda asks.

- She's hidden. Rogues attack stealthily - said the wizard getting up and going to the center of the field with his staff.

- An arcane trickster and a wizard, who will win? - Ash asks.

"If it's in magic, the wizard, but if it's in who is the one most cunning, the rogue," Hilda said.

"I really don't like direct combat very much," thinks the wizard. "But there are certain times that it's inevitable."

- Eyes of the truth! Allow me to locate the Magma team crest that its members wear on their waists. Locate Object. - using the divination spell Mel quickly turns where the rogue is hiding, which was on top of a tree from which she comes out to attack with a dagger.

- Arcane Shield - the wizard creates a barrier that prevents the knife from hitting him.

Courtney comes out of hiding and quickly approaches the wizard.

- Ice knife - she throws a knife at close range that hits the magician's chest well, making the others surprised by the attack.

- Absorb Elements - said the wizard using a spell that nullifies the ice damage.

Mel can't even physically hit the rogue, because she can move quickly to either approach or away. A particularity for those who are rogues who have this mobility.

- Three spells is not good - said the wizard to himself, after all first-level spells he can only use four in one event. He used one to locate and two defensive.

The rogue throws a dagger, but the wizard this time uses the staff to defend himself. Courtney approaches once more and this time the wizard stares into her eyes. When she found herself, she sat down as if she hadn't done anything.

- But what happened? - Hilda asks, surprised by this reaction.

- Is it a spell that Mel released? - Lorrah said.

- It wasn't - said the wizard approaching the rogue - it's a talent of the Enchantment school. It's called Hypnotic Gaze. I can look at someone and disable them, but I can only use them once a day.

He snaps his fingers and Courtney snaps out of her trance.

"Only a charmer to do this." said the rogue.

- If I had been physically attacked, I could suffer with an Hellish Rebuke, a magic of your kind.

- Too smart for a charlatan wizard.

- I don't know what you're talking about - Eric extends his hand and the rogue takes it.

- Hey Mel - said Ash approaching the wizard - you asked a lot about us, but what is your story? Have you ever had a group?

- I had many groups according to what was requested, but my first group I had was where I had the longest lasting bonds. I'm after an old friend from my first group - said the wizard.

- I hope you succeed - Ash extends his hand to the wizard.

"I hope so too." He shakes the ranger's hand.

TO BE CONTINUED