The thieves know their way around the forest. The Wanderer watches them from below, crouched and hidden among the bushes as he considers the structures in the trees. There seems to be an extensive and well-lit system of wooden bridges and tree-houses, and it is into one of those buildings that those thieves have disappeared. From the Ilden Road, this place – this society – cannot be seen, so deep is it in the Sheffar Forest.

It isn’t long before he can hear Lahab and Shoja catching up – he left them behind as he chased the culprits – and he scrambles to meet them as quickly and silently as he can, urging Shoja to put out the torch. Then, they sneak slowly back to the town in the trees, a quiet procession.

“So much for friend or foe,” Shoja mutters to Lahab as he takes in the wooden structures above. Music spills out from one of the tree-cabins, and every now and then they hear laughter, or loud cries, or the general rumble of discussion. There is life here – more than that, an entire community. “It seems quite clear to me which they are.”

“They haven’t caused us any harm,” Lahab says calmly, eyes lit ablaze by the glowing lights of the tree-town. “They could have attacked us as we slept. Evidently, they only wanted whatever riches we carried.”

“Yes, well, those riches are the difference between doom and – and – and whatever good that egg’s supposed to work on this world,” Shoja replies. “Everyone says the Sheffar Forest is dangerous to travel. I didn’t expect that there would be people living here.”

“Muna will seem like nothing more than a big rock to them,” Lahab explains patiently. “They won’t know what to do with it, regardless. Nobody by a Guardian could possibly know if its power.”

“Perhaps we can ask them to return your sack,” the Wanderer suggests. “If it seems useless to them, they may not have any trouble returning it to you.”

“I said Muna might not be of interest to them,” Lahab says, “but there is much more in that sack that is of great value. Some of it is worth a large fortune, some of it is irreplaceable, and almost all of it holds great sentimental value to me.”

“I don’t expect they’ll want to give it back to you, then,” Shoja says dryly. “So, what exactly is the plan?”

“Simple,” Lahab says, and the Wanderer feels a dangerous lilt to her voice. “We will walk in there and ask them to return it.”

“You’ve just said--”

“Yes, but I am only asking out of courtesy,” Lahab replies, interrupting the prince. “Come, let us go.”

She stands, stepping out of the bushes, and begins making for the town. “Wait!” the Wanderer whisper-calls after her. “There are too many – you can’t burn down the entire place!”

Lahab pauses, glances back, and her face, shadowed against the brighter lights of the tree-town beyond, is hardened with resolve. “I will do whatever it takes,” she tells them. “If they are beyond reason, and beyond compromise – if negotiations fail – then I do not plan to be polite. They will not stand in the way of my mission. This is bigger than some bandits in the night.”

She turns and resumes her approach towards the tree-town, and for a moment the Wanderer considers waiting, hiding in the bushes, and seeing what happens, so that he might help her from outside should she need it. But he cannot leave her to go in there alone. He has seen many incredible things since he has awakened in her forest, and there is no knowing what they will find within the town.

Lahab may be confident now, but who knows what lies in store for her atop those trees? And, if the worst comes to pass, she might just destroy them all. These thieves, too, have no idea what lies in store for them.

With a resigned groan, the Wanderer steps out from behind the bush, following her, almost at the same time that Prince Shoja does.

* * *

“You bring me an old, patched-up cloth sack,” he says, his voice laced with dissatisfaction. “Truly, you should not have, Gunya,” he adds with sarcasm.

The hooded woman before him crosses her arms, rolling her eyes ever so slightly. “My King, that is no mere cloth sack,” she tells him patiently, and gestures towards it with a gloved hand. “Why not open it and see for yourself?”

Curious, the Bandit King picks up the cloth sack from where it has been laid down before him and opens it, taking a look within. Inside, he sees…

That can’t be right, he thinks. So deep, and wide, but the sack itself is so small?

He reaches in, and cannot reach the pile of items within the sack. The sack itself, as unattractive to the eye as it may be, is of great value. His mind whirs with ideas of what might be hidden within, and he calls for its inventory.

Item Inventory: Sack

Skill malfunction.

Inventory cannot be scanned.

How strange, he notes, but he has no more time to think about it. Two men burst into the throne room, approaching his throne in haste, weapons already drawn in their hands.

“My King!” one of them calls hastily, and it is clear that he has been running. “My King, we’ve found – there are people – they say they’ve come to retrieve something of theirs,” he says, evidently struggling through gasps of breath. “They are being escorted here now.”

“Oh?” the Bandit King asks, mildly surprised. He sets the sack down on his lap and leans against one of the arms of his throne. “How curious. It has been a while since we’ve had guests...”

He trails off, and the through the doors another two of his men enter, behind them three foreigners, and three more men, their crossbows aimed steadily at the newcomers’ backs. Upon seeing them, Gunya sucks in a deep breath and pulls out her dagger, taking a step back.

“You!” she hisses.

“You know these people, Gunya?” he asks her, watching them approach until they stand some reasonable distance before him. They study her without recognition.

“They’re the ones I found tonight,” Gunya replies. “The ones we took the sack from.”

“And you led them back here,” he says, resting his head on his palm as he settles his gaze upon one of his most gifted thieves.

“No!” she protests, shaking her head. “We lost them – they couldn’t have possibly caught up with us. It was dark, and they were taken by surprise. They’re outsiders. It’s not possible.”

“Evidently, it is,” the Bandit King replies, somewhat amused. Well, at the very least, here was something entertaining to spend some time on. He nods at the three guests. “You, there. Are you the owners of this sack?” he asks, lifting the cloth sack up for them to see.

“I am,” says the young woman standing in the middle. She seems very confident for one so young, and this amuses the King even more. “That sack belongs to me.”

“How interesting,” he says, “because, you see, it was just given to me. A gift, you may say.”

“I do not intend to debate the ill-mannered reasoning one may have for presenting a stolen gift,” she replies evenly, glancing for but a second at Gunya, who bristles at the implication, “but the fact remains that that sack is mine, and it is quite important to me, so if you wouldn’t mind, I would like it back now.” She seems completely unperturbed by the situation at hand, unconcerned that she stands in the midst of a room where she and her friends are outnumbered four to one.

He calls upon her Guide, his curiosity piqued. She has a powerful Book Protection skill, but he, being the Bandit King, has powerful intrusion skills, and manages to learn the pertinent information:

Lahab

Noble Guardian of Ildenwood Forest

Unique Attribute: Flaming Lungs

This Guide’s information is protected. You cannot view more information.

So, the woman is a Noble Guardian. But the Ildenwood Forest is far away, and the Ildenwood Guardian is not known to venture outside their forest. Alas, last time he met a Guardian of Ildenwood, he was much older, and most definitely a man.

“What does it contain that is so important?” he asks, intrigued.

“Items of sentimental value, left to me by my father before he passed,” the young woman replies, her dark eyes locked steadily on his. “They are all I have in the world, and I do not mean to part with any of it.”

“And if I were to say that I do not mean to part with it, either?”

One of the men beside her steps forward. “She is the rightful owner. Return the sack to her, while we are being kind enough to ask. Trust me, you will not like what happens if you refuse her.”

The Bandit King eyes this one with mild interest. His eyes are an odd shade of yellow, and there is something strangely foreign about him. Then again, everyone that comes by here looks foreign to him, for the Bandit King has not left the Sheffar Forest more than a few times in the past thirty years. But he is foreign in another, more distinct way.

???

Wanderer of Realms

Age

???

Life Force

???

Echelon

???

Energy

53

Strength

259

Defense

???

Dexterity

61

Instinct

77

Speed

???

Intelligence

43

Status: Cursed

Well, well. More surprises. Tonight is a night of great intrigue, it seems, the Bandit King thinks to himself with rising excitement. A cursed mystery walks into my little kingdom. And such strength...

As for the other man – the one that stands straight and tall, and whose clothes are finely tailored, and whose hand rests on the bejeweled hilt of a sword that has been sheathed – that one seems familiar, somehow. Something about the set of the jaw, or the shape of the nose.

Shoja

Prince of the Kingdom of Samat

Age

20

Energy

73

Strength

71

Defense

37

Dexterity

49

Instinct

31

Speed

55

Intelligence

45

This one is a relatively open book, though it seems that here, too, is a guest of great interest. The son of the King of Samat himself! No wonder the boy looks so familiar. If only he’d known he would be receiving such fascinating guests tonight, he might have prepared a little feast. As it is, they have intruded upon his kingdom, made demands of him, and threatened him.

“It seems we are all underestimating one another,” he says, shifting in his throne. “You see, Guardian, you are in my domain, and though your Flaming Lungs may destroy this entire forest, I assure you, it will have no effect on me.” He does not need to tell them why that is – some secrets are better kept secrets – but he is thankful for the enchanted cloak and its protection. “Nor am I afraid of your freakishly strong bodyguard there,” he adds, nodding towards the mysterious Wanderer of Realms. “As for you,” he says, turning his gaze upon Shoja. “You are a ways from home, little prince. You may want to tread carefully. Your father would not be happy if anything happened to you.”

“As one Guardian to another, I apologize if you have felt threatened by my companions and myself,” Lahab says, her direct gaze unflinching. “We sought only safe passage through the forest. I did not think it was protected by a Noble Guardian. The rumours are quite unfavourable.”

The Bandit King’s lips twitch with amusement. So, she’s found him out so soon, has she? “Little Guardian,” he says, the grin breaking out despite his best efforts. “You remind me of another Guardian of Ildenwood. He was the only person who could break through my Book Protection – up until now.”

Lahab does not reply, though there is finally a twinge of emotion in her eyes – something that passes quickly, and disappears. “Please, return my belongings to me.”

“I quite like this gift,” he says with a sigh. “I’ll tell you what – let’s make a deal, shall we? The way I see it, this sack and its contents are mine, for they were gifted me, regardless of the method through which the giver procured them. But, I am willing to compromise.” He slides a finger across his lips, considering his offer. “Yes – I think I have just the thing for you,” he says. “If you bring it to me, I will return your sack with all of its contents.”

“And if I do not wish to make a trade?” Lahab demands.

“Then negotiations are off, and I imagine our little scuffle will quite probably result in the complete and utter destruction of your precious items.” He chuckles, crossing his legs. “Come, Guardian! Let us settle things peaceably. There is something in my forest that I want dearly, and nobody capable enough to bring it to me. Someone with your skills – and those of your friends – might be able to finally obtain this valuable item for me.”

There is a hesitation while the Guardian of Ildenwood considers this. It seems that her two companions look to her as their leader, and once again the Bandit King wonders how these three came to be traveling together through the Sheffar Forest.

“What is it that you want?” Lahab finally asks.

The Bandit King leans forward, a challenging smile playing on his lips, and sends the quest to the three guests standing before him.

Quest: A Peaceful Resolution

Goal

Retrieve 3 Glowing Cragenbacks from the Starlight Cavern in Sheffar Forest.

Reward

The return of the enchanted sack and all of its belongings to Lahab, Noble Guardian of Ildenwood Forest.

Quest Owner

The Bandit King and Noble Guardian of Sheffar Forest

“Well?” he asks, studying their faces with growing excitement. “Will you accept?”