My mouth is dry and my mind slightly groggy as the dawn rays shine upon me. I turn over and find myself lying next to Floofy beneath the stone bridge. Fragmented segments of last night piece themselves together before breaking apart in a constant cyclone of activity. My mind muddles its way through the information desperate to create a coherent version of how I arrived here. Unfortunately, without much success.

“Whatever, what’s important is I found my way back here safely, right Floofy?” Hearing myself is strange, my voice far raspier than I am used to. I need some water. Luckily, this bridge was built for a reason.

I stand and stretch my sore muscles. The pain felt throughout my body easily distinguishable as the result of yesterday’s overexertion. Yet weirdly I feel absolutely nothing from all the cuts and bruises I’ve experienced. Residual pain makes no sense in this world.

Which reminds me. ‘Berserk.’

Berserk activated: 60 seconds remaining.

Immediately, my skin lightens and my muscle pain dissipates. Much better. I lower myself down towards the streams edge and cupping some water drink my fill. The stream has risen since I last saw it yesterday morning. Must have rained overnight. Thankfully, the city guard was right, the bridge kept me dry.

There is a lazy yawn behind me. I turn to Floofy’s panting face.

“Morning Floofy. You look well.” I walk back over and scratch his head.

With a cheery wide grin Floofy lowers himself until his head rests on his paws. His eyes follow me lazily.

“Yes, I did have a good sleep, thank you for asking. My plans? Well, I’ve got to meet my companions for another trip to the dungeon today, but I’ll see you again tonight when I come back.”

I turn around to go collect my drying goblin ears. Except, where are they? I could have sworn I left them laying on that rock. Could the rain have pushed them down? No, the rain didn’t reach. The wind then? I scan the area below the rock. There is nothing.

“Don’t tell me they fell in the river.”

I rush down the rocks to the shore, but before I make it all the way to the bottom of the bridge I am struck by a thought.

“Floofy.” I mutter in a deep low voice, “You haven’t seen my goblin ears, have you?”

Floofy turn’s his head aside slowly. No not just slowly, guiltily.

“Floofy! You scoundrel! I needed them to make money. Where are they Floofy!?”

Floofy whines and limps backwards a few steps. The shredded remains of what were once my goblin ears lay plainly in his vacated position.

I take a deep breath, and swallow my anger down with it. “You took them because you were hungry too huh? Well, then I guess it’s only fair that you got a share in some of the feast we had last night too. Next time I’ll remember to bring you something. I mean, if I’m sober enough to remember.”

Floofy yawns and apparently ambivalent to my previous emotional state struts over seeking more pets.

“Really, Floofy? I get where you were coming from when you ate my hard-earned goblin ears, but do you really think you deserve pets right now?”

Floofy sits before me, then he looks up with his stupid, loveable, droopy face and starts panting.

Sighing, I crouch down and give him another head scratch. “Yeah okay, what are a couple of goblin ears between friends anyway.”

“The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the winds are blowing, and my head is killing me,” Graem complains for the hundredth time this morning.

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have drunk so much,” Laela retorts.

“You wanted to have a party. I obliged.”

“Yeah, a party where everyone knows their limits.”

“Know my limits?” Graem rolls his eyes. “Jaed, you drunk half the tavern’s stock, how do you feel?”

“Fine,” Jaed softly replies.

“See, limits are rubbish. I’m just cursed to suffer.”

Gorm’s deep sing song voice cuts in. “Pain is good. Tempers the soul.”

“Tempers the soul. Bah!” Graem groans. “What about you Reed, how’s your head?”

“Err, no pain. I guess I have a bit of muscle soreness if that makes you feel better?”

“It doesn’t. None of you understand my pain.” Graem sulks.

“You know what might fix you up? Some system talk! Weren’t you saving it for today?” Laela teases.

“No! No system talk. No thinking. For the next.” Graem massages his forehead. “Four to eight hours.”

“Aww come on, Reed needs to pick a class. Don’t you want to help?”

“No.”

“He needs help!”

“Err. Actually guys, I already picked.”

“Huh?” Everyone turns to me.

“Well spit it out then.” Laela waves her hands frantically.

“Or don’t, silence is fine too,” Graem grumbles.

“I picked Dungeoneer. What Graem said about bonus experience helping with ability leveling seemed too useful to pass up.” Not to mention, what am I supposed to say if Fraeya asks me my class and I have to tell her I’m a Vagrant? My skin itches just thinking about it.

There is silence as each of my companions appears to wait for another to speak up.

“A good choice,” Graem asserts, finally breaking the silence.

“Aww see, that’s the system obsessed Graem we know and love.” Laela laughs.

“Jaed, are you sure you can’t help with this headache?”

Jaed shakes her head gloomily.

“Lesser healing doesn’t help with poisons or fatigue Graem, you know that, you were the one who told us remember?” Laela replies.

Graem just groans. I step to the side leaving Graem to his melancholy and motion Laela over.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I whisper. If at all possible, I’d rather not aggravate Graem’s hangover.

“Sure. Before that though, since we’re nearly at the pet store I’ve been meaning to ask, where exactly have you been hiding the ears?” Laela thankfully whispers back.

There it is the dreaded question. “I ended up feeding them to my rescue pup.”

“Really? After all the fuss you made about being poor? You’re either too irresponsible or too soft Reed.”

I wince. “When I say I fed them, what I mean is my dog ate them while I was sleeping.”

“Ahh.” She smiles warmly. “So irresponsible then.”

I snort. “It’s okay, only lost a couple coppers, and Floofy was hungry.”

Laela raises her eyebrows. “Floofy?”

“Yeah, Floofy.”

Laela leans in a bit further and raises her eyebrows even higher.

“What, you don’t like the name?”

“No, it’s a good name.” Laela grins mischievously. “So, why did you motion me over?”

“I just wanted to know whether we’ll still be continuing with the goblin lasso strategy from last time?”

“If you are worried about the damage the lasso took, Gorm removed the shredded edges of the rope and fixed the knot. The total length is a bit shorter, but it’s fine. Won’t change anything.”

“No, the rope wasn’t on my mind. I’m worried about what we do if another hobgoblin attacks.”

“Running into a hobgoblin on the first floor is a rare occurrence, Reed. Generally, any monster stronger than a goblin stays deep in the dungeon so long as they feel they have enough space. Considering the dungeon was just cleared, it was extremely bad luck to run into one on the first floor. There shouldn’t be another attack unless you fancy yourself a bad luck charm.”

I sigh. “You really had to say that bit at the end?”

Laela raises an eyebrow. “Are you a bad luck charm, Reed?”

“Laela, I just want to know what we do if there is another hobgoblin incident?”

Laela’s face relaxes and she gazes at me calmly. “If there is, we’ll follow the same strategy as yesterday. You swap with the runner and lead any stragglers away, the rest of us will kill the hobgoblin or failing that escape. Don’t waste your time worrying about it though, it won’t happen.”

“I certainly hope not. Being runner hurts my feet. Much nicer to be a lazy freeloader getting boosted.”

Laela bursts out laughing.

“Can you two shut up?” Graem barks, still rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry, we can’t. We’re strategizing in case of a hobgoblin emergency. Unfortunately, our genius tactician has a headache.”

“Then strategize quietly,” Graem growls.

“Will do, boss.” Laela salutes before turning back to me and whispering again. “All you need to know Reed is that the goblin lasso strategy, as you called it, is a time-honoured strategy. It’s safe and effective and nearly every starting adventurer group throughout Favel’s history has used it. It’s not just one of Graem’s hare-brained schemes.”

“And hobgoblin attacks really are rare?”

“Extremely. It’s good that you want to be careful, but this isn’t a risk worth worrying about.”

“I wish that gave me more hope, but if the last few days are anything to go by, then I might really be a bad luck charm.”

Laela smiles and pats my shoulder. “Rookie, on the day you joined us you hit level two and gifted us a lone wounded hobgoblin. If you are a bad luck charm, then bring on the bad luck.”