Everyone in the room was seated in an armchair, looking at Praeven.

The Halfling was at least the half the height of Akvahl. He had long white hair that betrayed his age and a little beard in the same colour of his hair.

"You want us to retrieve another artefact? This case is full of it, and I think these aren't the only ones you have." Akvahl complained, looking up from the case he was admiring.

"Indeed, my dear Dragonborn, these are only a shard of my collection." Praeven answered.

"Then I don't see the reason to have yet another artefact in your collection." Akvahl continued.

"Oh shut up, lizardman. He promised us big money to retrieve that thing, so stop complaining." the rogue Drow fell in.

"Thank you, Arzen." Praeven said.

"This isn't just an artefact." Praeven started. "This is the last artefact in the surroundings. If I have that one, then my collection is finally complete. That's why I've searched for you guys." he finished.

"I see." Taman said.

"Make sense." Akvahl fell in.

"Sounds rather logical." Arzen said.

Aelor remained silent. He knew Praeven for a long time, and his obsession for artefacts.

"So, where can we find this artefact?" Taman asked.

"There is a cave in the northern part of the forest surrounding this town. It's called Pinewood Cave. I asked Aelor to guide you through the forest." Praeven said.

Aelor nodded, but this was the first time he heard of his assignment.

"So we just have to find that cave and retrieve that thing?" Taman asked.

"Indeed, but it isn't as easy as it sounds." Praeven answered. "First of all, it takes a day at least to arrive at the cave, and it is probably filled with bandits or other enemies."

"And that's why you don't want to send villagers to that cave?" Taman asked again.

"The only people in this village that knows how to fight are the guards, and I don't want to sent them. There aren't enough guards already." Praeven continued.

"I hope that at least our guide knows how to fight, I don't want to protect him too." Taman complained.

"What do you want to say with that?!" Akvahl raised his voice while getting up from his armchair.

"I am a Paladin serving in the name of Bahamuth. My duty is to protect other people. But is more difficult to protect someone who can't even fight!" Taman also got up from his armchair, next to the one of the Dragonborn.

Taman and Akvahl looked each other right in the eyes. Akvahl growled in anger while Taman rested his right hand on his sword.

"The reason that you serve Bahamuth is reason enough to kill you right now." Akvahl threatened, channelling magic in his hands.

"I never turn my back to a fight. Bring it, Dragonborn." Taman answered, readying his longsword.

Praeven fell in. "Please, don't fight here." But neither of the two could hear him.

Suddenly, an arrow flew right between Akvahl and Taman, stopping each other in their tracks. The arrow flew through the window behind Akvahl and Taman right in the bark of an oak in Praeven's garden.

The two fighters turned their heads and saw Aelor, readying yet another arrow on his bow.

"I can fight too, don't worry." Aelor said, still pointing an arrow at the two.

Arzen looked at what was happening, ready to go in the offensive too.

"Friends, there is no reason to get in a fight here." Praeven stammered, scared of the Dragonborn and the paladin.

"SHUT UP, YOU MIDGED!" Akvahl and Taman ordered simultaneously.

Praeven sighed. "Fine, you asked for this."

The Halfling started muttering some incomprehensible words. Short after, a golden aura appeared around him.

Arzen and Aelor looked at the Halfling, starting to get worried, but the two others didn't saw what was happening to Praeven.

"Be calm, you maggots!" Praeven commanded after a short time. His voice sounded different then before the little 'miscommunication'.

Everyone went silent. Taman and Akvahl glared at the Halfling with a confused face. Arzen was quite curious about what just happened and Aelor took the arrow off his bow and hung his bow behind his back, acting like nothing happened.

"Finally, now that I have your attention, I want to tell you one more thing. The artefact may be guarded by something. I don't know what it would be, I don't even know if it is human." Praeven said, back in his normal voice.

"What did you just do?" Akvahl stammered with a confused voice.

"I used a spell to silence all of you, nothing special." Praeven answered with a grin on his face.

"I see." Akvahl answered while turning his face off.

"Well, I've told you anything you needed to know. Now, get out and get me that artefact." Praeven ordered after a little moment of time.


A moment later, the now companions were on their way to the cave. It was early afternoon, so they should arrive the next day at noon, including some breaks.

They finally left the town behind them and entered the huge forest surrounding the village.

"Watch out, there is a possibility that there are still some old active traps around here." Aelor warned the rest. He heard about Taman walking into a trap, and he didn't want it to happen again.

The rest nodded. There was long moment of silence. Taman and Akvahl were glaring at each other while Arzen was keeping an eye on the two.

"By the way, who was that Praeven?" Arzen asked after a long time.

"He was once a bard, and a good one too." Aelor answered.

"So that's why he could use such a high-level spell?" Taman asked after he stopped glaring at Akvahl.

"It wasn't even such a high-level spell. It was a only basic spell, but he is capable to overcharge it." Aelor replied.

"If it was an basic spell, then it was probably 'calm emotions'." Akvahl said.

"And what would you know about it?" Taman asked sceptical.

"I read once about that spell in a book. You are lucky that he used it, or I had turned you a pile of sizzling ash back then." Akvahl replied annoyed.

The two started glaring at each other once again, in annoyance of Arzen.

"Seriously, what is the problem of you guys?" Arzen asked.

"He is a follower of Bahamuth, I hate that 'thing'." Akvahl replied, provoking a growl of Taman.

"He isn't a thing, He is a god." Taman growled.

"Just don't go killing each other, I don't want to clean up the mess." Arzen answered.

This warning started yet another long time of silence.

A few hours passed, and the journey was interrupted when Taman saw some guys standing in the middle of the road, 200 meters further on.

"Are those guys bandits?" Akvahl asked.

"I think so." Arzen answered.

"They haven't seen us yet, I think" Taman said.

"That makes it easier to kill them silently." Arzen grinned.

The rogue looked at Aelor and Akvahl, who nodded in understanding.

"What are you guys doing?" Taman asked.

"Wait and see. Aelor, Akvahl, wait for my sign." Arzen answered while disappearing into the woods at the left side of the road.

Aelor took his bow and readied and arrow. Akvahl closed his eyes and started channelling magic in his hands. That was the point where Taman realised what they were planning. He was a fighter, so he never thought about getting stealthy and taking out the enemy from a distance.

"I take the big one to the right" the Dragonborn said before he started walking towards the bandits to shorten the distance between them. Aelor nodded, pointing his arrow to the much smaller bandit in the middle.

While the two were aiming their attacks, Arzen was sneaking towards the bandits when he heard the three talking.

"You are sure that he failed the assassination?" one of the bandits asked. He was fairly tall and was wielding a mace. His face was full of scars, probably due to the many fights he participated in.

"Yes, we found his body under a pile of limber wood. And his hands and head were cut off." another bandit replied, looking up to his companion. He was a small guy and was scared of the big one. He had a short sword hanging on his left hip.

"And why do you think that he failed the assassination?" the big bandit asked again.

"He was dead, and Arzen is the only one capable to do that." the small one replied again.

"You are a complete idiot, brat, everyone can kill someone." the one closest to Arzen replied. He was a Drow like Arzen, but he wasn't wielding a weapon or something, so Arzen could only assume he used magic. Luckily, he was turned with his back to Arzen and couldn't sense the rogue Drow approaching him.

Akvahl and Aelor saw Arzen coming out the forest, his daggers drawn to assassinate the one with his back to the forest. "I think that is the sign. ready to fire, mister guide?" Akvahl asked. "I'm ready." Aelor replied coldly.

Akvahl brought his hands together and forward. "Magic Missile!" Akvahl brought out while realising his channelled magic, sending 3 spear-like bolds of lights to the big bandit. Aelor released his arrow, which flew towards the small one in the middle. At that time, Arzen jumped towards the Drow, stabbing him in the neck a few times to make sure he was really dead. When Arzen looked up, he saw the two other bandits falling down.

Arzen putted away his daggers, waiting for his companions to rejoin him. He looked at the two others. The small one had an arrow sticking right into his neck. The other one had three holes in his body with burn marks around it. One in his side, one in his hip and one were his heart was supposed to be. Arzen looked with amazement at the two bodies. He never knew that those two could kill them in one attack.

Arzen was dragging the body of the Drow into the forest to hide it, when the others arrived. Taman looked at the bodies of those who were killed by Akvahl and Aelor. "You two really are strong. Sorry for disbelieving you." Taman said.

Aelor nodded, looking at the bodies of the defeated bandits.

"Of course we are, what did you think?" Akvahl asked.

Taman smiled, gaining appreciation for his companions.

"Stop giving compliments and help me to get rid of these bodies, will you?" Arzen said.

"You're right, we are wasting our time here." Akvahl answered with a smile on his face.

"Let's get rid of those bodies and move on." Taman fell in.

"Indeed." Aelor said, pulling out the arrow out of the neck of the small man and putting it back in his quiver.

After a few moments, the bodies were hidden in the forest. The four were resting a bit until Aelor stood up. "Let's move on, we still have quite a way to walk."


A/N

And that was the second chapter. Hope you liked it xD.

By the way, if one of you have something you want to tell me, like how to improve my writing, I'm open to suggestions :D

Well, that being said

MistaaMustache, Over and out.