The rest of the escort — and the many gnoll fights it entailed — got each of us to level eight. Delrik pointed ahead and jumped for joy when we reached another clearing similar to where the gnoll camp had been. “My home is just beyond that bridge.”

It wasn’t a bridge we’d have to cross, but rather one we’d have to pass beneath. Our path descended into a gradual valley. The bridge connected both sides. It was the only structure I’d seen in Dark Talon built with stone.

A massive portion stood on both sides of the ravine. They looked like watchtowers, equipped with little slots to shoot arrows from. The bridge had a slight arc to it and was crafted entirely of stone, odd for the raventaur. Once we got closer, I spotted opened wooden doors at the base of both structures. “This doesn’t look good.” We’d been ambushed too many times in the last couple of days. I had no choice but to be suspicious.

“This was the prison where we kept the gnolls before the dark lady came,” Delrik said. “These two structures are connected by an underground tunnel as well as the bridge above. It kept our foes at bay for years, and now…” His voice trailed off, and he sniffled. “We’ve got to cross under that bridge to get to Rootroost. I can only hope Mongrim is far away from here.”

“This Mongrim character is likely a boss,” Max said. “We’d best keep vigilant.”

Our group descended toward the pass beneath the bridge. “Have you fought any bosses before?” I asked.

“Only High-Lord Mallar in the cultist tower,” Max said.

“Us too,” Hendrix said. “You guys have any trouble with him?”

“No. He was quite easy to overcome.”

Hendrix and I exchanged an embarrassed look. Mallar had been anything but easy to overcome for us. If it hadn’t been for Ucntcme, we’d have easily had our first true death. My gut turned sour as I remembered something. We had to be careful as Hendrix had already had a true death before meeting me. Only nine left. I didn’t know much, but I would’ve bet that the ten true deaths accumulated quickly and snuck up on you faster than you’d expect.

“Did you guys do it alone?” Hendrix asked.

Max chuckled, and Nikk croaked. “Of course not,” the elf said. “We went in with a full party. Our styles may give us the appearance of being rash and uncalculating, but I assure you the opposite is true.”

“We went in al—”

Hendrix cut me off with a raised hand. I silenced. I supposed the bard was right. There was no need to reveal how foolish we’d been in the past. So far, I’d impressed the elf with my strategy at the gnoll camp. He didn’t have to know about past blunders.

Our hands never strayed far from our weapons as we moved beneath the bridge. Max’s eyes darted here and there, while Nikk’s glistened from a fresh run of his tongue. Scallion sniffed around with his ears pinned against his green head, and Buttons froze every few steps to gaze toward the structure on the left with a stiff neck.

“Be on your guard,” Max spoke in a low voice.

“Already there,” Hendrix said.

My heart jolted. While we’d been easing our way through the passage, inspecting the flanking structures, the raventaur child had continued onward at his brisk pace. He was many yards ahead, alone and vulnerable, exposed in the open valley.

Nikk croaked and darted towards Delrik just as a horn blew from both sides of the valley. Distant barking sounded in the distance from every direction. It approached quickly. They came into view just as Nikk carried the raventaur child back to the group. Scallion nuzzled Nikk when he returned as if to say he’d been worried sick.

“There are only three of us and four directions full of them,” Max said in a grave, deep voice.

“Four,” I corrected him.

“He means three of us who can fight,” Hendrix said.

Max nodded. “Our best bet would be to each handle a direction. I can take south, Nikk East, Billington West, and we can send the pets to the North.” He looked to Hendrix. “The bard can stay in the center with the child. Keep our buffs up and carry him away if any gnoll breaks past us.”

We all grunted in agreement with the elf’s plan and broke off to our designated directions. I was at a disadvantage. There wasn’t much in the environment to help me this time. I’d have to face a pack of gnolls on my own with nothing but my beads and my wrench. Hendrix assured me that new skills were coming soon, but that didn’t help my current situation. I took a deep breath and surveyed the charging pack. Hendrix’s song began.

About twenty gnolls. They were smaller than the ones we’d been facing in the woods but were just as ferocious. Instead of clubs, some had daggers, and others had multiple spiked rings on their fingers. I glanced around. Each group of gnolls was nearly identical in size and weaponry. The pets had already reached theirs and were in the process of tearing a few gnolls apart.

A bowstring plucked somewhere behind me, a yelp answered quickly ahead of me. Nikk shouted a gurgled battle-cry. I charged without a plan. The only thing I could do was try to avoid their strikes and try to land my own—basic stuff. I would’ve liked to have something nearby to interact with, but there was just me, the gnolls, and the grass at our feet.

I collided with the first gnoll and braced myself for being swarmed, but the rest of the gnolls ran past me like I wasn’t even there. They aimed for the raventaur. A few of them turned and attacked me. I had to focus on them and hope Hendrix could handle the situation.

I swung my wrench wildly, not aiming for anything specific other than gnoll fur. I knocked the first one on the head for twenty-two damage. I parried a dagger thrust but took a spiked fist below my ribs. I turned and smashed my wrench into the gnoll’s face, then felt a dagger pierce my thigh. I barked in pain and threw my beads at the gnoll’s feet. It fell to the ground, and I capitalized on its vulnerable position by smashing its face in with a mighty blow.

I chased the pack that had passed me. Nikk and Max had managed to keep every one of their gnolls at bay. Even the pets hadn’t let any pass. I felt horrible for Hendrix, who stood beside Delrik. Both were equally helpless in close combat.

I put my head down and sprinted toward the middle. Gnoll yelps caught my attention. The two closest gnolls to Hendrix fought one another. They stuck each other with their daggers, and one ripped at the other’s neck with jagged teeth. I slowed for a moment in confusion but soon regained my speed.

A flurry of wrench blows eliminated the three nearest to me. I pushed past a few others who still didn’t seem at all interested in what I was doing. The gnoll who’d killed its packmate turned its attention on the raventaur child. Hendrix played a different song, and another nearby gnoll attacked that one. I grinned. Hendrix wasn’t completely helpless in battle, after all. I focused on the gnolls around us. Most were level five. A few were level six. Hendrix’s charm worked on any enemy three levels lower than the bard who was level eight.

Max returned to the middle and helped me take out the rest of my gnolls. Nikk joined in soon after, and then came the pets. I caved in the final gnoll’s chest, and we caught our breath. Max had a wounded arm. Nikk leaked bright yellow blood from a gash on his shoulder, and even the pets had a few patches of fur matted with red.

“Those were Mongrim’s men alright,” Delrik said. “He ruled the prison. I’m sure he still does. I wouldn’t be surprised if even though the Dark Lady freed all the gnolls, Mongrim still rules from inside. It’s something that creep would do.”

“Eat to replenish your wounds, men,” Max said, out of breath. “I’ve a feeling that wasn’t the extent of the danger we’ll face in this crossing.”

We did. Our wounds closed, and we wiped off the blood. Scallion and Buttons licked each other clean, then Scallion pranced off in search of something else to kill, never too far from his toadkin master.

“That was insane,” Hendrix said. “How is someone supposed to solo this?”

“There is another line of questing for the lone adventurer,” Max said. “A generous adventurer who’d commissioned my architectural services let us know ahead of leaving for Dark Talon that such was the case. We’d decided to chance it as a duo, but I am glad to have found the two of you.”

“Back at you,” Hendrix said.

I nodded and looked Delrik up and down and was relieved to find him untouched—not even a rustled feather. I was about to ask him what we should do next, but another horn sounded.

Nikk moistened his eyes, got into his tilted crouched position, and croaked. Scallion trotted to his side at the command and stood firm, awaiting another. Max whistled, and Buttons did the same as her canine companion.

Hendrix plucked at his lute and looked around, anxious about whatever enemy was coming next. I flexed my still-tired fingers and drew my wrench. I needed a new weapon. Nikk’s spear and Max’s bow both seemed so official and respectable. The blacksmith Mister Hamm hadn’t forged my blunt wrench with gnoll battles in mind.

Scallion barked and shifted his body to the northern structure of the bridge. Buttons’ eyes locked onto the opposing structure. Pets seemed to have more uses than merely dealing damage. They could sense a threat ahead of their masters