Orgadesh and Grimden came by the cabin in the morning. They stood outside with their fur clothes on, both heads bowed deep. Salahkah, Gelmana, and Akahsha all stood outside in front of them, also wearing their warm clothing.

“I’m sorry for all that I’ve done,” Grimden said in a somber manner. “I didn’t know I caused so much distress.”

“I’m sorry, too. I hope you know that I hold nothing against you, Grimden.” Akahsha said. “Let’s just try to keep it more civil from now on.”

The two boys shook hands firmly. Salahkah stood with his arms folded and a smile of respect on his face. Gelmana had her hands resting on Salahkah’s shoulder and hip. They said goodbye, and the father and son went back to town.

Akahsha and his family spent the day touting through the woods searching for plants of medicinal nature. Salahkah stopped by the animals and spoke to them about predators nearby. Gelmana climbed a tree with thick branches, and she found a nice apple that she plucked from it. Akahsha practiced with his dagger on a tree, slashing and jabbing at it quickly. Salahkah approached him from behind, and knelt down.

“Son,” Salahkah said with a clear and assertive voice. “Allow me to teach you something.” Akahsha stopped practicing and turned his attention to his father, who showed him a cleaner, more effective way of handling his blade. After learning, he attempted to use his new way of fighting. Salahkah stood back and folded his arms. Akahsha was unsuccessful, fumbling with the blade in his hands, dropping it between his feet.

Salahkah shook his head and laughed. “Keep at it over the next while until you get it right. It may save your life one day.”

“Sorry father,” Akahsha said, retrieving his blade.

“Do not be sorry, Akahsha. Improve. That is worthy enough.” Salahkah ruffled his son’s hair. Gelmana dropped from the tree and landed on her feet, crouching down to break her fall.

The family walked around the forest, inspecting various things. After they finished, they walked back to their cabin. They all stood outside, looking at it, and they all looked at each other. It was cold outside, but they felt warm, as they were a family together. Nothing could ever take this pleasant feeling away. Or so they thought.

When Akahsha turned twelve, the village was finally starting to accept the Shariz family. Ronaldo had written a formal apology from Salahkah, and Salahkah gathered the townsfolk in the square one day. Gelmana and Salahkah both asked for forgiveness, and the townsfolk forgave them. A great feast was held for the whole week, and the crops were plundered. All was well, and Akahsha and Winona were able to hang out with Oscar and Grimden and the others, without there being any issues. Akahsha and Salahkah helped the farmers in the fields, especially Orgadesh, who felt more at ease with Salahkah helping.

Something began to change, however. Some crops were starting to turn up rotten, as if the fields were completely devoid of life. The townsfolk called a committee together, and the Elders were just as confused as they were. The Shariz family spoke of it in their home, figuring out what could be the matter. No major changes were made to the land, at least not by them.

Gelmana arose one morning, before Salahkah and Akahsha had and went into the forests. She was certain that she could find the source of the plague. She traveled down a path she hadn’t noticed before, and came to a cave mouth. She cast a light spell on a rock, and used it to shine her way. As she entered the cave, she could immediately smell a macabre scent that resonated from its bowels. She stopped before going any further, wondering if she’d made a mistake in coming alone. She turned around, going back towards the opening. She heard a noise, and she turned back. Something rushed towards her, and then another something. She didn’t have enough time to react.

Hours later, Salahkah awoke to find his wife missing from the bed. He put on his travelling clothes and went to investigate the nearby area. He tracked her down to a path that he hadn’t quite noticed before, and as he got further along, he could smell an unpleasant scent. Salahkah walked up to the cave mouth, not noticing anything at first, but when his eyes adjusted, he could see the body of his wife. No head was found, just blood trailing back down to the cave. He fell to his knees.

Salahkah’s body went cold, his eyes teared up. He started to shake. His hands quivered and he grabbed the medical bag from over her shoulders. He cried for a good minute before he put the bag over his shoulder. He grabbed a cloth from the bag and used it to cover up the top half of his wife, and he picked her up. He ridded himself of emotion and walked the lonesome trail back to the town. Everything that he’d ever known had changed in the moment, and he lost himself. The only weight he felt was the sword on his back. To him the body felt weightless.

He walked into town, and the townsfolk stopped what they were doing an watched as he walked by. He eventually made it to the center of town and set her down next to where town meetings were called.

Ronaldo was writing by the fountain at this time, and looked up. He saw Salahkah carry himself in a depressed demeanor, and place the body of someone down. He walked up to Salahkah and was about to speak.

“Ronaldo. Call everyone to here right now.” Salahkah didn’t shift his eyes, he just stared straight ahead. He was sitting on his butt, with his palms resting down on his knees.

Ronaldo noticed the bear claw necklace that Salahkah had given Gelmana a few years before on the body of the person he laid down. He ran around town, calling everyone to the town center. After a half-an-hour, the whole townsfolk gathered.

Akahsha awoke to an empty home. Not too unnatural of a sight for this family of few, but he expected to at least find a note. He got dressed for the day and decided he’d go into town. The trail was cooler for some strange reason, and some knot tied itself in his stomach. He couldn’t tell if it was intuition or hunger, but it didn’t feel good. He pushed further on, still. At some point, he found blood marking the trail, and it led back to the town.

The fields were empty as he approached Holstenkaft, and he could see a crowd gathered at the town square. He picked up his pace when he recognized the man at the head of the crowd, standing over and shouting to the people below.

“There is a menace underneath our feet,” Salahkah said. “It has destroyed our crops, polluted our ground, and even.. Killed my wife.”

Akahsha’s mouth went agape, and the crowd burst into a controversial line. Akahsha slowly walked through the crowd; their voices were distant to him, and all he could see was the headless corpse at the feet of the stairs to the town. Salahkah saw his son approach, and all words were gone. He couldn’t say anything to heal the wound of his heart, let alone his son’s. He stepped down off of the stage towards Akahsha. Akahsha looked up at his father with eyes full of tears. They embraced, and they both wept.

Salahkah whispered to his son, “We’re gonna kill every last one of them,” he choked. “I swear on my life.”

The villager-men took their weapons from their homes, and the women hushed their children as most wished their father’s good luck. Akahsha had his short sword, and Salahkah had his longsword. They didn’t speak to each other, but they stood in close proximity. Akahsha’s mind raced. This must be a dream. He couldn’t stop thinking about how yesterday he saw his mother, and today, he only saw her headless corpse. Salahkah had the necklace he had given her now wrapped around his own neck. Salahkah looked forward, and felt the warmth of his son beside him.

They walked in a melancholic line, the Shariz boys and the men from the village. Winona’s father, Ronaldo even walked with them, clutching a sword that his father had given him when he moved out to Holstenkaft. Ronaldo kissed his daughter on the head, and his wife on the lips. He could only feel fear, as this wasn’t his chosen profession. He wasn’t one to run head first into danger. Orgadesh and Grimden also were with them, each holding a club of some sort. Orgadesh’s one arm was stronger than it had been to make up for the years without his other one. The father and son now had much more trust in each other and respect that went beyond their bond.

The other men were various trades from the village, from the farmers who saw the raw power of Salahkah many years ago, to the masons, blacksmith, and tanners of the village. These men weren’t trained with swords, but they were strong, and had the grit to defend their home land. They trusted Salahkah now, who they very well did not many years ago. If it weren’t for Orgadesh, no one would have batted an eye at the situation.

They approached the cave mouth, where dried blood lay at its entrance. Salahkah knelt by the blood and closed his eyes. He could see his wife's face. She was so beautiful throughout her life, from the first time he’d seen her, to the last time. Her sharp temper excited him, and her sweet smile made him feel weak. He shed a few tears and stood.

“Inside is where we will find our folly,” Salahkah said. “Be on your toes.”

Akahsha looked around the cave walls and never noticed that this had been here, and how he was glad he’d never found it until now. He could only think of his mother’s last moments in this dark place. It only grew darker as they went further in. There were a dozen and five men. They were in a straight line, with a slight stagger in formation. Salahkah took lead, and looked around. He could see in the dark, but didn’t make the others aware of it. He couldn’t see any eyes, nor any figures, but still moved on. Orgadesh could also see in the dark, and he announced to the group in a hushed tone that there was a turn up ahead.

Indistinct whispers entered Akahsha’s ears, and he was confused, as it didn’t sound like the common, or even the Sylvan he was used to hearing. He pulled on his father’s coat, and spoke to him.

“Father, I hear something.” Akahsha said, looking around.

“I hear nothing. What is it?” Salahkah stopped in his tracks, as the others behind them also stopped.

“It sounds like.. Whispering, but in a different language.” Akahsha tried to put the words together, but the whispering only grew louder to him. “It’s getting closer, is what it sounds like.”

Salahkah thought for a moment and his eyes grew wide as he looked forward again to see several large figures with tentacles for mouths; green slimy skin underneath black robes; these figures came from all sides.

“Men! Illithids!” Salahkah shouted and charged forth with his longsword. He cut one down, and the other men began their assaults. At first, some of the men landed some successful blows on their targets, but then the tide turned.

Ronaldo raised his sword and was about to swing it at a mind flayer when he could feel it enter his mind. A farmer pierced through the body of the mind flayer, and the psychological effect was lessened.

Salahkah was focused cutting down what was in front of him, and an illithid came from his right, about to attack. Orgadesh slammed his club over the back of the mind flayer’s head, and Salahkah looked back and they gave each other a nod of respect.

Akahsha was breathing heavily, terrified of what horrors were going on around him. Some of the men were being torn apart by the monsters. A mind flayer approached him with glowing eyes, and then Grimden came in front of him and clobbered the mind flayer over the face.

“Don’t just stand there, Fairy-boy. Do something!” Grimden continued clobbering the mind flayer with all of his might. Another approached from his side, but Akahsha ran up to it and cut across its chest. It squealed out in a way that Akahsha almost understood it in a connotative way. Akahsha was confused as to why he could understand the creature he’d never seen before, even just barely.

Orgadesh and Salahkah were next to each other, and then more illithids took the place of the fallen ones. Orgadesh charged and was hit with a mental attack. It rendered him useless, then he dropped his club, and fell to his knees. Several of the monsters surrounded him and ripped his only arm off, and then his head. His corpse fell to the ground.

Grimden saw this and let out a pained cry, as he charged the beasts, too. Salahkah extended his arms out and called for him to stop, but it was far too late. The beasts anticipated his arrival, and did the same, ripping off both of his arms, and taking his head for their own.

As more and more illithids entered the cave, Salahkah could see that they were becoming overrun. He turned to his son, who had begun to stab a corpse of an illithid that had fallen onto the ground. Ronaldo ran up to Akahsha and jumped in front of an illithid’s sickeningly designed weapon. It pierced through his chest, and he coughed up blood. Akahsha was looking at him in the dim light of the cave.

Many of the other men perished just as quickly, and it was just down to Akahsha and Salahkah. Salahkah stood in front of a few mind flayers and shouted to his son.

“Flee, Akahsha! I will hold them off.”

Akahsha shook his head. “I can’t leave you!”

“Please!” Salahkah narrowly dodged an attack by one of the mind flayers. He couldn’t hold out for much longer, but he screamed aloud and was charged with the last of his energy. He lit up in a blue and orange light. The aura floated off of him, and the few in front of him were cut down with his swift motions. There remained one in front of him, and he went to drive the sword through its chest. As he grew nearer, an odd feeling overtook him. He stepped, and could feel his legs be wrapped in the tentacles of the dying mind flayers below him. The one that remained leaned in, and drove its tentacles in the skull of Salahkah.

Akahsha watched in a horrified expression, as his father’s head was impaled with tentacles and then ripped from his neck. His father’s sword dropped to the floor, and his body followed suit. More illithids took the position of the others, and Akahsha ran away.