The three party members weighed theiri options carefully. Xeveon then spoke up, “I vote we go seek the Druids of Oakenhiem. I’ve heard many stories of the warden of the wilds knowing secrets that no other history recorder could dream to pen. Surely they could assist us.”

Theric nodded his head in agreement and then looked towards Aeslin.

“I think it is worth checking out,” she said. “But first might we find a general shop that sells camping gear. I’ve learned from my experience in Phelom, that it has a habit of raining.”

Xaveon checked his coin purse. He counted his twenty-seven silver. “I think we would be able to manage a tent and some flint. Come, let us go.”

The rain still pounded upon Stormcrest as the three walked out of the Dirty Goat. Theric threw up his parka hood and looked around the sizable fishing town. Scion rested on his shoulder and covered its head with one of its tiny wings.

Aeslin pulled aside a villager trudging through the thick mud, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Yeah whaddya want, elf?” spat the villager, in no mood to stay out in the rain any longer.

“Forgive me, sir, but do you know which way to go to a general store?” asked Aeslin.

“There is a bazaar in the center of town. Traders that come into the port go there to sell any wares that they might have.” he laughed. “But you’d be hard pressed to find them stil set up in this weather.”

“We’ll take our chances,” said Theric. The rain poured harder, so Theric needed to speak up to be heard.

The bazaar in the town square did seem sparse when the three arrived. Each trader sold their own niche products and the three listened to their cries.

Umbrellas! Get your umbrellas! Naonis, please don’t stop raining. I need to sell these damn things!

Ducks! No rainstorm is complete without a duck! They quack, they waddle, they fit in your pack! No pet is like a duck!

Get you mud pies, here! Hand crafted and fresh. Can’t eat it, but it sure makes you dirty!

Theric shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll find a tent he-”

“Look, a tent vendor!” Aeslin pointed to a small stall nestled between the mud merchant and the duck merchant.

The stall stood as a wooden stand, a large rug was splayed over the top, sheltering the merchant from the heavy rains. He looked slyly at Aeslin and smiled, “You wish for a tent? I have one.”

“Just one?” asked Xaveon as he approached closer.

“Yes, but a fine one, made of the finest material that you could want for a tent!”

“Well, that sounds good enough for me, how much?” asked Aeslin as she reached for her coin purse.

“Would you like it with or without holes?” the vendor patted down on the folded tent on top of the counter.

“With?” a puzzled Theric asked.

“With! A fine choice, my good sir! Is there a better way to look at the stars than to have a tent with holes?” the merchant sounded convincing enough. “That will be twelve silver!”

Aeslin handed over twelve silver. “My surname is Starkeeper, this will be perfect!”

Xaveon swiped away the money. “Do you have a tent without holes?”

Aeslin’s ears drooped.

“Yes, but it will cost you double…”

Xaven pulled out a handful of silver and handed the merchant twenty-four of it. “Come, come, we’ve wasted enough time!” He strapped the tent to his rucksack. “We don’t want to be on the roads when Phelom grows dark.”

***

The three adventurers trekked to the northeast, following a dirty path that winded into the Oakenhiem forest. Aeslin gathered herbs when they passed by lush fields, and Trek used his time to feed Scion a large piece of deer jerky. Xaveon took point, keeping his sharpened vampiric senses ready for any trouble.

Aeslin scraped a mound of moss off a nearby tree with her knife before turning to her companions. “So we should learn an important thing or two from each other.”

“What would you like to know?” asked Theric

“I am classed as a Silver Mage. I can channel any spells I know through my sword, as well as I can fight on the front lines if I so wish to.” She hefted her sword off her back and rested it on her shoulder. “What of you two?”

Xaveon smirked and clapped his hands before widening them, forging a sword of pink arcanic magic. He then vanished into the shadows before reappearing behind a startled Aeslin. “I am a Spell Shroud. An assassin trained in the art of the arcane. I have many mysterious abilities that would come in handy in a fight!”

“Noted.” Aeslin huffed as she gathered her composure from the scare. “What of you dragon boy?”

Theric plucked a leaf from an overhanging tree branch and whispered an incantation. With that, a flash of frost enveloped and froze the leaf.

Aeslin nodded. “A Blue Mage, proficient in frost and water magic. It is good to have an mage wit-”

“No, not quite,” corrected Theric. He placed a hand of his whelpling familiar and it transformed into a glowing blue blade in his hand. He swung it back and forth, with each swing it sounded like a roar of the dragons he grew up revering. “I am a Guardian of the Frost. Trained in the ways of ice magic and combat with a Dragon Edge.”

“Hm..” Aeslin rubbed her chin.

“What, not good enough for a Blade Channeler?” scoffed Theric.

“No, it’s not that…”

Xaveon looked at the two of them, dismissing his magic sword. “We have no healing,” he finally said.

“Or a protector to taunt our enemies away from us,” stated Aeslin.

“Well.” Theric spotted the druid grove coming into sight. “We’ll need to mow down our enemies faster than they can kill us.” He shrugged.

“I suppose that is our only option,” said Aeslin.

***

Xaveon entered the grove first, sticking close to the ground with a spell dagger in his hand. He scouted the grove, finding no one in the vancity, save for a young wood elf sitting between the roots of a large tree. Flanked by either side of her were two sleeping, black-coated foxes. She looked up to where Xaveon crouched.

“Who’s there?” asked the elf. She quickly stood, alerting her foxes, and brandished a quarterstaff.

Theric and Aeslin slowly walked out of the shadows. Showing they were unarmed.

“We mean no harm,” said Theric, “We seek the Druids of Oakenhiem.”

The elven girl wiped away tears that stained her face. “They’re gone,” she sniffled.

“Gone?” asked Theric, “When will they return?”

The elf’s hands shivered as she started to cry once more. She plopped down next to the tree and her foxes brushed against her. “T-they have been gone for days. I-I am all that is left,” she explained.

Xaveon moved from his hiding spot, dismissing his dagger. “Who are you, what happened to them?”

“I am Alandra,” she said, introducing herself, “My people went to investigate the sighting of nagas in our spirit cave to the far north. However, they did not return. I suspect they are either captured or dead.”

“Where is your arch druid? Did he go with them?” asked Aeslin. She knelt down to Alandra’s eye level and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.

Alandra looked up. “Yes, my arch druid, Loredyn, went with them.”

“If we were to help find them, would you be able to lead us to the cave?” asked Xaveon.

Alandra pointed to a circle of trees. Each tree shimmered with a hue of teal and purple. “The wyrd circle may take us to the spirit cave and back, but only a druid may activate them.”

Aeslin studied the trees. “And you are a druid, yes?”

Alandra frowned. “I am only an apprentice. I have been taught to use the trees, but I am too young and inexperienced to help you in the cave.”

Theric, Xaveon, and Aeslin nodded to each other.

“If we find the druids and save them, could they help us in our quest? We seek info about Phelom; information that may not be found in books.” asked Xaveon.

“Yes, we would be in your debt and I will help as well.” She walked over to the center of the grove and kissed a tall standing rose. The flower wilted two rose petals. One white, the other black.” She presented each in a separate hand. “You may only choose one.”

“Flower petals?” snorted Xaveon.

Aeslin took a closer look. She found small glowing veins pulsing faintly within the petals’ flesh.

“These are magical?”

Alexandra smiled. “They will grant one of you a power, but, again, I can only part with one.”

“Which powers can they grant?” asked Aeslin, “Now I'm more curious than before.”

Alexandra raised her right hand, which had the white petal. “This will grant you healing magic. Not anything great or powerful, but enough to stave off death.” She lifted her left hand. “This one can grant the ability to transform you into a bear. It will give you health and armor as such and allow you to taunt creatures into attacking you.”

“Hm, those are indeed helpful. We could use the bear spell as a way to protect us,” said Xaveon.

“Or the healing magic could keep us alive,” finished Aeslin, “Which to choose?”

Will the party take the Tanking spell or the Healing spell? Use the poll for your vote below!