“Do you think they’ll survive this?” Whispered Zora to Greg, they were watching The Vultures leave the borders of Eefran under the doubtful eyes of its citizens, while the children cheered and sang behind them. A week has passed upon the agreement Nolgrek made with the Vultures in order to persuade Dihya to join them in their battle against the usurpers of their continent.

“They’re dead meat.” Answered Greg. “They might be strong, but so were we.” He added.

“I think they might.” Said Torovik, blinking as usual. “The bald wizard carries an incredible amount of Jadu.”

“You’re crazy.” Greg dismissed the commander’s remark. When the gates closed behind the vultures, the spectators and well-wishers left each to their business.

“I can see it!” Argued Torovik. The Jadu he referred to, was believed by the dwarves to be the essence of power in all beings, lent to them by the allfather Brymhel, which wasn’t entirely false. And whether Torovik could actually see it or not, it was never proven.

When the gates closed, the vultures walked behind a guide named Chagga. The dwarf walked silently, turning from time to time to see if the vultures followed behind. He was very nervous. The day was young and dark still, and it was cold and misty.

“How long will it take us to reach Iredale?” Asked him Trixter, to which the dwarf answered with two fingers.

Trixter walked next to Qaarl, Bambra and Sharaf, followed by Tolk, Ophior and Miyabe. Close behind them walked the rest of the Vultures, all chatting or simply walking silently.

“Two days? That’s too fucking much.” Complained Tolk. “Can’t you take us all there Trix?”

“I will have to know where it is first thickhead.” Trixter commented. “And if we believe what Nolgrek said, the path to it was long hidden after the failed mutiny.”

“Well how does ‘two-inches’ here know the way, if it’s hidden?” He asked teasingly. The guide didn’t say anything about the insult and kept on walking.

“Shut up will you? You’re a pain in the ass.” Asserted Ophior, who was tired of her comrade’s insolence.

“What ass? You’re flatter than a flag.” He chuckled but soon regretted it.

“I will suck the life out of you, you boorish buffoon” Ophior quickly pulled a stone out and raised it towards Tolk’s face. The wizard, thunderstruck, did not blink. Green smoke sprouted out of the stone and got into his ears, his eyes rolled backwards, he fell on his back and started to choke.

“Stop it Ophior!” Yelled at her Bambra, and although unsatisfied she immediately listened. The rest of the Vultures laughed.

“One of these days, your jokes will cost you your life Tolk.” Told him Miyabe who was trying to help him stand up.

“That’s the whole fucking point.” Replied Tolk, struggling to breathe again.

The company walked for a while until the first light of the day shone upon the fortified mountain they left behind. The fog began to disperse slightly in the valley, but thickened in front of them, where the sunlight didn’t reach. Behind the hills stretching in front of them, they were able to see the colossal forest of Alesvag, proud and undisturbed.

“That forest must be enormous to be seen from afar.” Said Sharaf.

“And it is. Alesvag is as old as the first giants and dwarves. Very old it is.” Stated Qaarl while rolling his ‘r’. “In our books, we are told that Brymhel planted it for his first children, so they can grow in peace and away from the outer world. Even Vorog the Colossus, the tallest of the first giants wasn’t half the size of smallest tree in Alesvag. It is a monument worth visiting once in your lifetime, sadly everyone fears it now.”

“Why is that?” Asked him Trixter.

“Tales of evil spirits haunting it.” Replied Qaarl.

“Interesting.” Said Sharaf nodding his head.

“Silhouettes in the fog and tired travellers is all it is” Assumed Qaarl who didn’t believe the tales of his kin.

“It is not.” Opposed their guide in a firm but wounded voice. “In Alesvag there are things unknown that haunt and hunt. I seen ‘em with me own eyes I did. Unhappy with us they are and we mustn’t wake ‘em up.”

“What the fuck is that accent? Keep using signs champ, you sound better.” Commented Tolk but Miyabe nudged him with a raised eyebrow.

“If you’re not comfortable walking through the forest we just walk around it.” Recommended Trixter ignoring his friend’s rude observation.

“No good. The only road to Iredale is across Alesvag.” He shook his head and continued walking, mumbling to himself.

“He doesn’t seem to be very ecstatic about this.” Whispered Trixter to Qaarl.

“Excuse me sir, does anyone else know the road to Iredale -well, besides you of course- who are willing to escort us? Excuse my bluntness, but your conduct isn’t what I might call invigorating and it is affecting my company’s jolly spirits.” Asked him Sharaf. Trixter and Qaarl looked at each other in embarrassment.

“Sharaf shut the fuck up, every time you speak a poet dies because he runs out of words.” Yelled at him Tolk, and to that even Ophior laughed.

“I alone know the forest well enough to not get lost. I go there ever’day to look for me son. He lost… I lost him in there.” Chagga proclaimed and everyone fell silent.

“We’re sorry about that.” Apologised Trixter.

“Yeah... well no matter what ye do, don’t lose me track once there... the road to Iredale isn’t safe, it will take us near the crypts” He shivered.

“What crypts?” Asked him Trixter, following the guide behind in steady and determined steps.

“The crypts of our forbearers. The first dwarves and giants lie there, along with some kings who chose to be buried there. It used to be a religious site once upon a time, old ruins now. I have never seen them, almost no one goes there as far as I know.” Qaarl explained.

“The dead should be left undisturbed. The dead shouldn’t wake.” Murmured Chagga to himself.

“Do you go there Chagga?” Asked him Bambra.

“Once, by mistake never willingly. I never wanted to go back there, now I’ll have to take you to it.” His voice was shaking in fear.

“The dead shouldn’t scare you.” Trixter tried to reassure him.

“It’s not the dead that frighten him so much.” Said Bambra. “Something else is there… what could possibly scare a dwarf this much…” He added.

“Foul things happen in Alesvag but if we’re lucky we will reach the crypts by day and not see what I saw.” Chagga simply said, trying to pull himself together. “We’ll reach it by night. We camp at the gate of Alesvag to rest for the journey.”

The Vultures rove the land with Chagga at their lead, up and down they went, crossing streams and rocky paths. The sun disappeared from time to time behind clear clouds, allowing the company to hide from its heat. They stopped once for their lunch and to rest. They mostly walked in silence, most of them admired the wildlife they came across and the scenery surrounding them. The sun began to fall, when they reached the plains where Alesvag rose. The forest grew bigger the closer they got to it, yet nothing prepared them to how immense it actually was. The trees were the tallest they have ever seen; their leaves were big enough to cover Tolk from head to toe.

“What in Marmagul’s cursed waters is this forest?” Tolk was surprised and he didn’t hesitate to share his mind as usual. “My dick just shrank.”

“Don’t blame the forest.” Ophior commented.

There was no moon that night, the Vultures lit a fire and settled in front of the arched gate of the forest, which too was gigantic. It was made of entwined vines.

“I never felt this small in my entire life.” Said Nanala. She was a tall and a strong woman, blessed with a flawless burnished olive skin that almost reflected the firelight. Her hair was dark black, long and curly. She wore a leathery belt skirt and a matching leathery corset. Her arms and neck were covered in aesthetic and symmetrical scars.

“This forest doesn’t feel very odd. Aside from the unnatural size of trees, it’s still a forest... I guess.” Said Mikkel.

While everyone busied themselves with chores or meaningless conversations, Chagga walked back and forth unable to rest.

“Someone make him stop before I break his unnecessarily short legs…” Threatened Tolk while following the dwarves tense steps.

“You’re unnecessarily rude.” Commented Zohra. “He lost a child in this maze. Have some consideration.”

“It’s how it is, we all lose something one day or the other. He should move on. Well, he should stop moving now but move on.” He chuckled.

“You’re truly a heartless bastard you know that!” Yelled Ophior at him.

“Ouch! You just broke what remained of it.” He replied sarcastically, but his smirk soon faded. He stood up and Ophior stepped back in caution. His face changed and it worried her a bit. Tolk has always been a joker and scarcely taken seriously when he talks, but one thing none doubted is how strong he was. He was of great built and even without his magic, Tolk managed many times to beat his opponents with brut force. Although he didn’t fight back earlier when Ophior attacked him, he solely didn’t for she was dear to him, like every other Vulture. They were his only family.

Tolk walked past Ophior with a bitter look, and towards Chagga, holding his mug in his hand.

“Where is he going? What is he going to do?” Ophior asked Trixter. She was worried Tolk might hurt the dwarf.

“Don’t worry. Let him be, he won’t hurt him.” Trixter smiled but seemed sad. “He is right, we all lose something one day. We all did in this crew. Chagga should move on, he is clinging to hopeless threads that won’t lead him nowhere.”

Ophior saw Tolk hand the dwarf the mug, smiling warmly and grabbing Chagga by the shoulders.

“He is so dense.” She mumbled with a relieved smile.

“He might be rude and blunt but he knows what loss is, and he has his own way to deal with it.” Said Trixer. The burning wood cracked and hissed while they enjoyed the drinks served by Cànan.

“Boss, tell you the truth if you ask me. I’m not very thrilled about this quest.” Complained Cànan when he refilled Trixter's mug.

“Why is that?” Asked him Trixter.

“How can we negotiate with a dwarf queen who can’t even trust her own kin, let alone a bunch of labelled mixed pirates? It sounds ridiculous.” Explained Cànan sitting down on Trixter’s left.

“He has a point.” Agreed Iguig. “He does.” Added his twin brother Agadir. The two looked nothing alike physically but spoke one mind.

“My friends, we sound ridiculous. Nothing we do sounds reasonable! Our own existence is farcical!” Trixter shook his head laughing. “Cànan, you were once a smuggler and a thief. You abandoned that to become a priest and now you’re a sailor. Who in their right mind would believe that? Sharaf was a king’s personal guard once, he was sentenced to death for smiling at the king’s own joke and you think negotiating with a scared queen is crazy?” Trixter argued.

“He has a point.” Repeated Iguig. “He does.” Agadir once again agreed with his brother.

“The only thing that’s bothering me is this forest.” Confessed Trixter. “If Bambra sensed something odd in Chagga's fear, we must be careful.”

“What could it be?” Asked Ophior, sipping carefully her liquor.

“If the tales are true about the origin of these woods -which I assume they are-" Said Bambra, looking at the trees. “The allfather referred to is surely none but Mahavhar. This is the last of his creations.” He added.

“Alesvag must be filled with Jadu and it’s not a good thing.” Said Borstig the smith dwarf.

“Yes. It is more likely and no good news indeed.” Agreed Bambra. “I will have to meditate later.” He told Trixter.

“Agreed. We will need a hint of what might be awaiting us at least.” Said Trixter, and everyone fell silent.

Tolk was still talking to Chagga, who seemed to have calmed down. They joined the camping ring when Yufitran and Tudert announced dinner.

They all ate to their hearts' content and savoured a moment of peace. The tiresome ones fell asleep first, leaving their companions to their chatting and their lookouts.

Bambra was isolated beyond the gate of the forest and Trixter was the only one watching him from afar, making sure nothing happens to him while he is doing his job. The summoner held an instrument similar to Massin’s, only bigger and the skin on it was decorated with black paint.

Bambra's voice was also deep but rusty and it sent shivers through all who hearkened.

“I will never get use to this.” Whispered Trixter to himself.

“Neither will I.” Said Tolk who creeped up behind him.

“Heavens be damned Tolk!” Snapped Trixter, startled by his friend’s unexpected statement.

“You’re not the only sneaky bastard in this crew.” Tolk chuckled.

“What did you tell the dwarf. He looks less frightened.” Trixter turned around to check on Chagga.

“I simply told him the truth.” Said Tolk, eyeing Bambra's magic.

“And what might that be?” Asked him Trixter.

“That he fears nothing with us around.” Tolk smiled.

“You shouldn’t have sell illusions my friend.” Corrected him Trixter. “We thread with danger all the time.”

“Yet here we are.” Tolk declared proudly.

Trixter reflected for a moment and smiled at his friend. “I hope you’re not wrong.” He finally said.

Bambra let a sudden pained scream and collapsed. The two wizards rushed towards him in distress.

“OPHIOR!” Screamed Tolk.

The witch was getting ready to sleep when Tolk's cry caught her. She tripped trying to stand up but stood up swiftly and ran to her friends to the gate.

Bambra was shaking aggressively and his eyes rolled inside his head. The Summoner’s teeth clenched and foam came out of his mouth.

“What happened?!” She asked.

“He just screamed and fell on his back! He was singing!” Replied Trixter, he was holding Bambra's head to prevent him from hurting it in his stroke.

Ophior grabbed her stone and put it on the collapsed wizard's chest and chanted her spell. Blue light sprouted from it and went through Bambra’s facial orifices.

“Come back to us! Come on!” Screamed Tolk while holding Bambra’s hand.

“His soul is not responding!” Ophior declared frightfully.

“DO BETTER THEN!” Ordered her Trixter in a scary tone.

“If I apply more his hearts might explode!” She protested.

“They won’t! Just do it for fuck's sake!” Yelled Trixter.

Ophior did as Trixter bid her, more light shone from the stone and the witch's hands and nose bled. And when she started to weaken, Bambra’s stroke started to calm dow.

“He is coming back...” Stuttered Ophior in pain.

And as sudden as he screamed, Bambra stilled and opened his mouth, unconscious and hardly breathing.

“Heal him now!” Trixter once again ordered the witch.

She was exhausted but couldn’t refuse, her friend's life was at stake. Ophior pulled another stone and put her remaining strength into healing her injured friend. The stone shone of white, and the light covered his entire body. Ophior chanted repeatedly another spell and only stopped when Bambra’s opened his eyes.

Tolk and Trixter sighed and fell back in relief.

“Fucking hell!” Tolk shouted.

Trixter quickly helped Bambra sit down, to make sure his friend was doing fine.

“I’m alright...” Bambra whimpered in bafflement.

“Good. Tolk carry him out please.” Trixter kicked Tolk's foot. He then went to see Ophior. “I’m sorry Ophior.” He said, kneeling in front of her. When he saw her bleeding nose and hands, he clicked his tongue in guilt. He grabbed a tissue from his pocket and wiped her nose.

“It’s fine...” She said.

“You’re pale. You should go get some rest.” He advised her.

When the witch tried to stand up, her legs failed her and she didn’t fight it. Trixter then grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, and grabbed her leg to carry her. “You did a great job.” He confessed. “You’re truly the best.” He kissed her forehead.