Rowan’s stomach grumbled. He looked at Kaidu. “Got any more of that mushroom?”

Kaidu pressed his lips together. He reached into his pocket and drew out a nearly-empty plastic bag of beef jerky and mushroom. Reluctantly, he handed over a piece of both. “I suppose you helped.”

“I suppose I did,” Rowan replied.

He sat down on the edge of the plains and ate the mushroom and jerky together. Beside him, Kaidu sat cross-legged and took one bite of each, interchanging. In the distance, lightning raged, blowing the long grasses.

“We still need food,” Rowan pointed out.

“Gather us some nuts and berries,” Kaidu commanded.

Rowan cut a look from the corner of his eyes. Not so gung-ho about raiding the combat classes now, huh?

Speaking of which, though... He sighed. “I still don’t have boots.”

“Mmm,” Kaidu agreed.

Silence. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Is it just me, or is that storm growing closer?” Rowan asked.

“It’s getting closer,” Kaidu confirmed.

Rowan opened the System. A small green dot hurried at them, blinking across the field of green. “Jude’s almost here. Think we’ll be able to scoot out from under the storm before the boss arrives?”

Kaidu squinted up at the dark clouds. He shrugged. “Probably.”

Stuffing the last of the food in his mouth, Rowan stood and brushed off his ass. “Let’s get ready to run as soon as he gets here.”

Kaidu grunted and stood. He stretched his legs out and stretched tall.

Wind rushed at them. The tall grasses bent, swaying like the ocean. Kaidu’s hair and jacket snapped out behind him, caught in the rush.

Rowan shoved his bangs out of his eyes and frowned at the storm. Across the plains from them, a small blue dot appeared, sprinting through the long grass, barely ahead of the clouds.

Behind him, a giant yellow form lunged out of the clouds. A sharp, long spine thrust downward at Jude. He threw himself into a somersalt and barely dodged as the spine slammed into the ground. Struggling, the thing began to free itself, and then the storm swallowed it up again.

“Uh… what was that?” Rowan asked.

Kaidu flicked his hands, drawing out his scissors. “Bad news.”

“No kidding! Should we run? I think we should run,” Rowan said, backing away. That’s the boss, right? That’s got to be the boss. No way we can beat it.

“Guys! Guys, it’s me! Help!” Jude shouted, waving.

Right, Jude’s there. We can’t run. He reached into his pocket. Time to light the firecracker.

Halfway there, he froze. He looked at Kaidu, who met his eye and shook his head. Rowan let go. No. I don’t want to rely on Terry, of all people. We can do this. We will.

He reached over his shoulder and drew his rake. “Let’s die together, then.”

Kaidu snorted haughtily. “We won’t die.”

Overhead, clouds eclipsed the sky. Lightning struck, chased by rumbling thunder. Winds swept around them, whooshing and whirling. The grass lashed at their legs and debris flew through the air. Jude rushed onward, arms and legs pumping. Blood splotched over his white pants and blue jacket. He threw a potion over himself and sped faster, surging toward them. “Help!”

Rowan adjusted his stance and hefted the rake, pointing the tines at Jude.

Out of the swirling shadows burst a slender, bright yellow body, striped with black. Translucent wings blurred over the creature’s shoulders, buzzing furiously. Six long limbs trailed in the sky. A vicious stinger curled from its bulbous rear, and a flat, emotionless black-and-yellow face stared them down.

The buzzing grew louder. Another burst out of the clouds, then another. Each stood tall enough to tower over Rowan or Kaidu, and loomed over Jude.

“Yellowjackets,” Rowan snarled.

“Where’s that pesticide of yours?” Kaidu asked.

“I still don’t have it!”

The yellowjackets caught sight of the pair of them and swooped, wings whirling. Rowan took a breath, and then they were in it.

He swung at a bulbous body. The yellowjacket darted back, wary. Rowan stepped forward, striking high. With a buzz, the yellowjacket slid past his blow and stabbed at his heart. Rowan let the pole of the rake slide through his hand and twisted, just in time to knock the stinger aside. It scraped over his chest, dragging a trail of blood through his shirt.

Poisoned. Effect dissipates in 0:45.

“Watch out! Their stingers are poisoned!” Rowan shouted. Burning pain trailed across his chest a second later, delayed from the strike. The yellowjacket swung again, and he jumped back, dodging it. He swung the rake as hard as he could. The weight of the head dragged at his hands, delaying the blow. Darting in again,the yellowjacket thrust its stinger. Moments before the stinger met his flesh, his rake’s tines bit into the yellowjacket’s body. Greenish-yellow ichor spilled out. The yellowjacket yanked itself away, startled by pain, and inadvertently drew the hole in its body wider open.

It screeched and retreated, vanishing into the cloud. Rowan grinned and started to pump his fist, only for a flash of yellow to bolt toward him. He ducked, narrowly dodging a yellowjacket’s stinger, and staggered back.

Jude caught him. “Wow! I can’t believe you hit that wasp.”

“Are you okay?” Rowan asked, trying to pull out of Jude’s grip. Across the field, Kaidu fought a pair of yellowjackets, furiously whirling as he parried their stingers.

Jude tightened his hands. A smile crawled over his face. “I’m fine.”

Rowan pulled against Jude. A yellowjacket whirred toward them, stinger outstretched.

“Jude! Let me go!” Rowan thrashed, panicked. Jude held strong, not budging. Dammit, he’s too strong! So much for ‘barely a combat class,’ you Medic!

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

Rowan stared at Jude over his shoulder. “You…”

Jude’s eyes crinkled. His smile remained in place, stiff and unnatural. “You shouldn’t have tried to cheat the System.”

He shoved Rowan forward. With a horrible tearing sound, the stinger pierced through Rowan.