He headed south to a wooded shelf of the cliffs he had seen a path to when entering. As he walked down the streets he noticed the unique electrical lights of the city come on all at once. The sun had completely dipped over the top of the canyon’s ridge, and the cities lights had come on to repel the darkness.

it had been a wonder even to his light-sensitive dark elf eyes. He couldn’t help but gaze at one of the many wonders that made the city famous and unlike others.

Suddenly all the lights started to burn bright, and brighter, and brighter until they started to burn not just Navien’s eyes but even the people in their houses.

People yelled as the lights grew brighter, Navien covered his eyes. He heard some of the bulbs shatter as they couldn’t handle the power coursing through them. Eventually, the brightness died down along with some of the screams of terror.

Looking up Navien blinked through his scorched eyes. His clothes had gotten slightly scorched too, which was probably not a good sign. Of the lightbulbs, half of the ones in sight had shattered.

Other than that, everything was normal, except for the yelling of people.

“5th burnout this month! Should we even bother buying more bulbs?!” one voice yelled. “This city is at its end I tell you!” another shouted.

Navien sighed, in the two weeks he’d been there he’d experienced this twice, and it

seemed to be getting worse, and he knew who was causing it.

As he reached the shelf and the houses lessened into woods. He walked among the trees and peered at the wide river below and listened to the rumbling of the wheel turning behind him, and the clanging of blades up ahead.

His eyes opened as he realized a battle was happening ahead. Throwing down his sacks he rushed to the fight.

Three lumberjacks were being marauded by seven goblins. Two were hacking away at the goblins, felling a few but still being overwhelmed by them. The other lumberjack was hiding off field, a bit hesitant to join the fight, something holding her back, It was Lilika.

Not hesitating and used to monster attacks such as this on the road; Navien rushed forward and scrounged up what little magic he had. He sent three small shadowy clouded knives flying and slamming into 3 goblins. two fell but one shrugged the pain off.

One of the Lumberjacks slashed down on the shoulder of another goblin killing it but then was forced to block the sword of another. One goblin saw Navien and charged with two scimitars swinging as Navien dodged his attack.

Two tried to flank the first lumberjack as another off to the side fired an arrow hitting the other in the back. As he screamed and fell Lilika yelled out,

“Dad!”

“Well Fight! Kill them! Do something useful!” Navien yelled, he had no spells left and was dodging slashes from the goblin on him as he unsheathed his dagger, one lumberjack was down and the other swarmed by goblins.

He couldn’t do this on his own, he couldn’t even save his master Alkameeth, he was incompetent.

 Lilika suddenly yelled, she lifted her ax and dashed after the goblin that had shot her father down.

Reaching him she cut straight through his torso and then hustled back to where the other lumberjack had managed to kill another goblin.

This time she managed to swing so hard she cut the goblin head clean off and it sailed some yards before landing in a small divot in the ground.

As Navien managed to dodge behind his opponent and cut down from behind he turned back to see Lilika panting hard and staring at her ax, her tunic was spattered with blood.

Navien walked over and patted her shoulder.

“Come on, let's go get you guys cleaned up,” he said simply.