Finally, they’d come upon a landscape fit for a monster. Rock formations were all around, and an oasis of water in the middle of a desert. By the water a large hulking mass drank sat, drinking from it. Akahsha saw the owlbear in its place, and for a moment felt terrified.

“We’ll come at it from all sides. This is a terribly quick creature,” Stenson drew his sword. “One in which we can only defeat if we stick to our tactics.” He looked at Akahsha. “No running, boy. Anymore screw ups and you’re out.”

The rest drew their weapons, and Akahsha nodded in silence. They were sent to their positions, and waited. Ordna held a trap spell in her midst and waited to send it out. Quinta sat atop some rocks behind the bumblelion. She waited with an eldritch blast in her palm. Akahsha held his sword at his side, and waited to see Stenson’s charge.

Then from behind some rocks Stenson leapt, screaming with all of his might. The bumblelion was taken off guard, but only for a moment. It stayed its ground, and Stenson came at it with his blade raised. When it got in its range, the bumblelion swatted at the old man with its right paw. The old man was lifted from the ground and skipped like a rock across the oasis pond. He splashed around in the center of the water.

Akahsha jumped into action, leaping from the rock. He didn’t scream, but charged. The beast didn’t hear him, but when it felt a stabbing pain in its tail, it turned its whole body around. Ordna released the spell to place the trap behind the foul monster, and Quinta released her blast at it. It was sent reeling back into it, and was grappled onto by hand-shaped bits of the earth. It shouted in retaliation. Akahsha swiped at it again and cut it. He could see the terror in its eyes. It was just as afraid of them as they were of it. He understood the nature of it all, and it no longer bothered him. It is just trying to survive, but they couldn’t allow that. It’s only fair, he thought.

Stenson swam back to the shore and pushed himself to his feet, then charged the beast again. This time, he was successful. He drove his sword through the beast’s chest, and it cried out in pain.

“Nearly there!” Stenson shouted. “Keep at it!”

Ordna summoned vines with thorns from the sand, and they struck at the bumblelion. Its blood coated the sand around it, and shook free from its hold. It charged Akahsha, who fumbled his feet in the sandy environment. Quinta thought quick and blasted the thing in its face, causing it to stop its movement.

Akahsha looked at Quinta and nodded in gratitude, then rose his sword in the air. The bumblelion opened its eyes and struck the hunter with its claws, sending him flying back and landing in the sand. His shirt was torn open, and he could see his skin was slashed with two claw marks.

Stenson called aloud, and the beast turned its back to Akahsha.

“Come at me,” Stenson growled. “COME AT ME!”

The beast charged at the old man, who spun his body and in a flurry of slashes cut down the beast. His first slash was through its nose, his second was the neck, his third was its chest, and his fourth and final slash, it was through its abdomen. The creature lurched forward and howled with ferocity, and then in a last breath, cried out pathetically. It fell to the ground, and ceased moving.

Three months had passed, and the group had made fine gold for the time being. They spent some of their time travelling to Forkwind to claim their reward. They were paid handsomely, and were able to stay in the nearby inn. Stenson trained Akahsha well with his sword, allowing him to build up some more strength.

“It will take you years to master the sword,” Stenson said with admiration on his face. “But you’ve improved from the beginning of your career. It’s strange to say you’ve been with the party for a while now.”

“I’m definitely learning a great deal from the lot of you, but I have to say, it’s been too long since we’ve had a decent job.” Akahsha said, fixing the bandana wrapped around his head.

“You can find great pride in the bakery,” Stenson laughed. He had a job with the foresters, cutting down trees, and replanting them.

“I do what I can. I just think Ordna is tired of the city, and Quinta is fed up with the tavern work. She isn’t fit to be a barmaid.” Akahsha admitted.

“She’s good to look at, and she can carry her weight,” Stenson had a serious look. “That’s all that matters. As for Ordna, she can not mind it or leave. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“It should matter to you,” Akahsha said, standing up, still clutching his sword.

“I’d watch what I say, boy.” Stenson stood, also holding his blade. “You’ve still got a lot to learn, and you don’t want me to teach you that lesson already, right here. Right now.”

Akahsha approached Stenson, thinking that over the past three months, they’d taken enough of his verbal abuse. This was going to be his time to stand up for his fellow party members. Just because Stenson was strong, wise, and intelligent didn’t mean they had to take all of his hate. Akahsha rose his sword to strike, but Stenson blocked it and disarmed the novice. He kicked his leg out from behind him, and while on his back, Stenson pointed the blade at Akahsha’s throat.

“The next time you come at me with such ill intent,” Stenson glared with cold eyes. “I will definitely kill you.” He placed his sword back in its hilt and walked off. Akahsha picked himself up off of the ground, and picked up his own sword. It was his father’s, but was he doing it justice? Would his father be able to look at his son’s progress and sat that he was doing well enough? Akahsha was not certain, but he knew that he could only continue going forward. Another brush with death would not dissuade the boy, who would soon become a man. His birthday was in a month.

Upon the eve of his birthday, Quinta and Ordna had made him a surprise. He was blindfolded and dressed in new clothes that Quinta made for him. A red and purple shirt made from wool. The man had taken to enjoy these colors since his first sight of them.

“Take off the blindfold,” Quinta instructed.

So he did. A cake sat in front of him, colored in both brown and white.

“What is it?” Akahsha asked.

“It’s a cake, you’re meant to eat it with a fork.” Ordna said.

“It’s sweet, so enjoy it.” Quinta added.

Akahsha took a bite of the cake, and his mouth swirled with flavor. He’d only had a treat like this, and it was a sweet roll many years ago. Wanda had made it and sent it with Winona. Seven nine year old Akahsha and Winona sat underneath a tree watching the sunset while eating the sweet rolls together.

“Are you crying?” Quinta asked.

Akahsha felt the tears streaming down his face, and he kept eating the cake. He was so grateful for such wonderful squadmates. They had gotten him something that frankly, he never thought he would have had. It made him want to be home, but he knew the reality of it all. Nevertheless, he savored the flavor. When he was done, he took a deep breath and sniffled some of the tears away, and the snot no doubt in his nostrils.

Ordna handed him a napkin and he blew his nose.

Quinta patted him on the back and cut another slice. “Would you like seconds?” She asked.

Akahsha nodded.

Two months later, Stenson announced he had found a job. The money they’d been making on the side merely covered their food and stay, but their real spending money had already seen its days. From new equipment purchases to booze for more-than-one, it was time to get back to the grind.

This time they were tasked with travelling to the east, to a place south of Darmonia’s Peak. Some giants had been spotted among the hills, and the listing said it needed them dealt with. The party gathered their cold clothing, and the road was long, supposedly. They figured they could make it within a week, and if the job wasn’t too difficult, they could be home by Hokalshde.

Quinta and Akahsha stood next to each other for most of the travel, and Ordna spoke with Stenson. The party wasn’t split by any means, but the conversations had gotten especially nasty between the group’s men. Stenson’s constant abusive nature of the group had gotten onto Akahsha’s last nerves. The men hadn’t had a proper interaction since their fight a couple of months before.

“You could say hello,” Quinta smiled.

“You wanna watch me get pumbled, don’t you?” Akahsha said with a jest.

“Maybe.” She nudged him with her elbow. She wore her fur coat and held her hair in a tight ponytail held high. “I just feel like the group’s going to fall apart if you and Stenson go at it again.”

“I’m not the only one who thinks Stenson isn’t kind to us anymore. Ordna is fed up with him.”

“Doesn’t look like it,” Quinta said.

“You’re fed up with him,” Akahsha added.

“I’m fed up with everybody though. I’m not so sure I count.”

Akahsha audibly scoffed, and Quinta looked into the woods. The dark woods were ominous from afar, as their leaves were so frivolous that hardly any light got through. These were some fierce woods around them, with no visible signs of the Feywilds in sight.. Where was this strange place?

In his mind, he could see the same woods, but with no leaves. There wasn’t any light shining through them, either. The scene was dark, as if a midnight light shone through thick cloud and vapor. Sickening concocted creatures reminiscent to beings found in the material world reside beside each tree trunk. Their eyes pierce the darkness with a bright yellow tint, and their laughter is heard echoed through the woods.

He snapped back to keep following the party, but his stomach felt as if it had turned over. He looked around him and only felt the eerie presence of the woods. The sky above was still light, but the hairs on his neck stood awaiting any kind of attack. It never came.

They walked on for a few more hours before settling down for camp. Stenson had prepared some meat that he picked up that same morning at the market. The group sat in silence as they ate their food.

The next day they walked to a land of many rolling hills. The sun was sat at its midday peak, and the group were in a staggered formation. The Old Man led the way in the front of them, and his face was covered in a grim look. He stopped his movement, and thus the others did, too. The members looked around themselves, and they knew they were not alone.

Grass crunched around them, but too far over the hills for them to see. The Old Man pulled out a horn from his bag, and he inspected it for a moment. He turned back to look at his comrades and whispered, “Be ready.”

He blew the horn, and a cacophonous blare came from it. The noise echoed through the rolling hills, and then the stench of death arrived. Over the hills came stomping vibrations. Three hulking masses stood, towering over the group. Their faces were very human, albeit their skin tone was a clay color.

“Stenson,” Quinta said in a harsh whisper. “What do we do?”

“I-” Stenson was at a loss for words, and it was too late. The giants started their descent, making massive strides. Quinta was the closest to one of the giants, and she stood frozen. She’d never seen anything so massive..

“Quinta!” Akahsha shouted, and pushed her out of the way. She landed on the ground, and she was able to look up at her savior he got punted away by the giant’s foot.

Akahsha was sent into the air, but all he could hear was the rushing of wind. He could see the scene beneath him get farther, as he started falling back down towards the earth. He landed on the decline of a hill, and rolled down the whole way. He had enough momentum that he skipped when he reached the flat land and rolled halfway up another hili, before losing all momentum and sliding back down to the flat of the land. He couldn’t breathe, but he figured he was dead, anyways. Nothing would move, and his sight was going. He was surrounded in darkness, and fell unconscious.

In his dream, he was lying down, looking up through the Feywild’s trees. The sky whirled a deep red, and the trees were soothing yellows. His head was elevated, and a woman leaned over him. His head was in her lap, and she looked familiar to him. ‘

“Mother?” Akahsha tried to speak, but was shushed.

“Please,” the woman said, her face familiar, but still shrouded in shadows. “Try not to move, this won’t hurt a bit.”

“Am I dead?” He asked, keeping entirely still.

“No,” The woman said. “But it knows you’re here.”

Akahsha opened his eyes, and was looking up at a dark sky. Two figures loomed over him. It was Stenson and Quinta, and their faces didn’t look anything but grim.

“Where’s Ordna?” He asked, but their faces held that answer.