1

Anna knelt before Levka. Her face was not burned, but her lifeless brown eyes stared off into the sky. Her face was frozen in a bewildering look. The magic battle had been shocking. Anna had never seen anything like it before. Levka using everything she had, but it was not enough. She felt ashamed, she should have been fast to act with her bow. It was distraction that made the difference and she had hesitated, not knowing what to do. She cursed her own lack of experience and understanding. Once the beast was brought to one knee, it left him open to attack. Elwin and Selby did not hesitate.

Anna had tears rimming her eyes. She could not believe what she was looking at. In her mind she kept screaming “No!” repeatedly. Levka was alive just a short while a go. Anna saw her, even talked to her. The scene was so surreal, like it was happening to someone else not her. She noticed a small wand and picked it up. The wood it was made from was roasted, not burned exactly just cooked beyond recognition. Whatever power it had or however that was supposed to work Anna did not know, but it seemed just as lifeless as Levka was now. Anna let the grief over come her. Her head ached and she forgot all about the battle or the fact that they could be in danger even in that moment.

“Rith we can’t leave her like this!” She bellowed threw her tears. “I’m not leaving her side. Stay with me, please.”

Rith came over to her and he put his arms around her and held her close. “What can we do now?” He asked, but Anna had no answer for him. Death was nothing new to them. They had seen enough death already in their own families. This somehow felt much worse. This was something that might had been prevented if they had been better prepared or more experienced.

Anna felt like they were all responsible somehow. Their actions lead to this result. If only they had paid more attention to the rumours, if only Selby had not been so eager to dismiss the use of magic, if they had been better prepared this would not have happened. Even Levka herself was skeptical about the use of magic. It was her own folly that they had witnessed.

2

Elwin did not know what Selby had in mind exactly. Was he just going to run blind into a horde of goblins and only the Gods know what else was in there! Elwin just shook his head and followed. Selby would need someone behind him watch his back and he and Emerson would do just fine.

But by the time Elwin had gotten around to the entrance of the cave Selby was already deep inside, alone. Suddenly they heard a blood cuddling scream coming form inside the cave. Elwin and Emerson both looked at each other alarmed. It did not sound like Selby, in fact it did not even sound human at all. More goblins? He wondered.

Elwin rushed to the cave entrance. It was dark, but the cave was large enough for a man to walk without crouching. There were alcoves dug out of the walls with torches in them that lit the way. The cave was not natural, it had been carved out and along time ago at that. At the end of the tunnel Elwin could see light flickering. He had to stop. Emerson nearly bumped into him. Several goblin bodies littered the tunnel floor. Elwin had to step over them to get into the large inner cavern.

Elwin was shocked by what he saw. Selby was grappling with another somewhat smaller female ogre who still towered over him. Selby’s sword was buried right to the hilt impaling the creature right threw the stomach. She let out another eerie scream. The flickering of the large fire in the center of the room cast hideous shadows across the carved walls of the cavern. The ogre flailed and screeched again in agony. Selby’s hand grasped its throat. He had a murderous look on his face when he turned to stare straight at Elwin.

“Don’t just stand there!” Selby barked like a man possessed. His eyes blazed with bloodlust. “Run the children through!”

“What?” Elwin said disorientated. His eyes were still adjusting to the bright light of the fire. He looked around and saw two young ogres no bigger that goblins. They looked to be a few years old at least. They cowered together against the far wall opposite the fire. They were dressed in loin clothes and clutched wooden toys in their hands.

“What are you two waiting for!” Selby shouted at him again.

“They’re children, Selby!” Elwin yelled. He looked at Emerson. Emerson looked confused as if part of him wanted to kill them, but the other half did not. He hesitated, torn between the two sides.

Selby struggled hard. Ogres were tough, even the females. They wrestled against the wall until the ogre lost balance. They crushed a table spilling herbs and root vegetables everywhere. Selby got the upper hand. He drew a hidden dagger from his leather boots and went for the heart.

Suddenly Elwin felt someone rush past him. It was Tram. He saw the children. Sword in hand he ran them both threw with a quick stab. Tiny screams cut deep in Elwin’s head and heart. He knew he would never forget the sound as long as he lived. Mercifully, they were silenced quickly.

Elwin just stood there shaking his head trying to make it all go away. What kind of surreal nightmare was this! He thought. If only he could just wake up and none of it had happened. Was Levka actually dead? Did he just see two ogre children killed before his eyes? With the screams still ringing in his ears and the smell of burnt flesh still lingering in his nostrils, he knew that this was the real world. This was no dream, no ethereal other dimension. He wished to the Gods it was.

Selby was finished. Blood spurted everywhere. The female ogre lay motionless. Selby’s clothing was covered in blood. He had wild animal-like eyes that shone in the firelight. He panted out of breath and energy.

“An ogre is an ogre,” he said to Elwin after he had calmed down. “I don’t see any difference between a child and an adult. They all must die.”

Tram nodded readily in agreement. He wiped the blood from his blade with a rag.

Elwin still looked disturbed. Emerson just looked at him and shrugged going along with Selby. Eventually Elwin nodded to him.

“That was an ogre that killed Levka and a sorcerer at that. I’ve never seen anything it,” Selby continued. “Do you think that monster cared about the family whose house he torched? Women and children were killed in that fire. You heard the mayor. You spoke to the witnesses the same as I did.”

“Ogres are mean viscous creatures,” Tram added. He rarely talked, but he spoke up in Selby’s defence. “These children would’ve grown up to be just like him. Ogres need to be wiped out, it better for the empire.”

Elwin just nodded to them. He did not know what to think and he did not say anything. Deep down it just felt barbaric to kill defenceless children of any race.

“For what it worth,” Emerson said after a few moments of silence. “I agree with them. It was the right thing to do. We’re adventurers now Elwin, this was our initiation. If you want to keep going like this, you need to get a tougher skin.”

“And Anna and Rith?” Elwin questioned. He could get tough, that was not a problem. He was already getting tougher by the day. The kobolds taught him not to rush headlong after an enemy. This battle taught him that they needed better planning or more of them could be killed.

“I think it better not to tell them,” Emerson said. “If we can all agree to it?”

Everyone nodded.

“Now let’s go give our friend a proper farewell,” Selby said. They left the cave.

3

Elwin approached Anna and Rith first. Anna jumped up and hugged Elwin tightly. She had stopped crying, using the corner of her cloak to wipe her face dry.

“Was there any trouble?” She asked anxiously.

“No, just a few goblins, nothing else. The rest have all fled I’d wager,” Elwin said to her. She did not sense his deception. “We’re going to need a funeral pyre. Can you and Rith help us gather the wood?”

Emerson walked over to the body of the ogre. With a small knife, he cut the gold ring from the nose. It was big and heavy, maybe worth as much as ten gold.

The six of them spent the next hour gathering all the firewood they could find in the area until they had enough to build a decent funeral pyre. They work silently, there thought were with Levka. The irony was not lost on Elwin. Burning her body to send her soul up to join the Gods, when it was fire that killed her in the first place. Life had a way of being ironic, rubbing you face in it at every opportunity.

Anna wrapped the body tightly in her best cloak. She dug through Levka things to find it. It was a beautiful pale blue velvet cloak. Anna marvelled at the quality She would love to have something like this, but it would never fit her. Levka had incredible taste in fashion despite being limited to only what she could carry.

The sister moons were high overhead glowing down upon them when the pyre was finally lit. No one would sleep easy that night. They would all have nightmares and fitful sleeps.

Elwin checked his pocket watch and saw that it was well after midnight by the time the fire died down and Levka was nothing more than ashes. They returned to the inn where they were staying for the night. They all lay down to rest, but no one slept that night.

4

The next day they took the mayor out to the spot to prove that the goblin problem was solved. The mayor emerged from the cave that morning ashen. All he said was “My! You adventurers are good to your word!” He never spoke the rest of the time. He just shook his head shamefully or nodded grimly as they showed him body after body of goblins and ogres.

The only loot that the adventurers were able to find was a small box of jewels that had been left in the cave. None of the other weapons or equipment that belonged to the goblins or ogres was of any worth. Most were primitive, damaged or rusting.

The mayor had just paid them the reward when Elwin asked Selby and Tram what they were going to do now that Levka was dead. What were they going to do next?

“I don’t know yet,” Sleby said. “Two people don’t make an adventuring group.”

But Tram spoke up. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this anyway.”

“Well, we are continuing our trek to Verant City. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t come with us,” Elwin spoke for his group. He looked around and everyone seemed to agree.

“Alright,” Tram said. “I’m willing to go as far as the city, but only because someone need to tell Levka’s family what happened to her.”

Selby winced at that last statement. He had a sinking feeling that it was almost over for Tram. He did not have the heart to continue. He might be better off as a soldier.

Tram spoke again. “After last night I was very lucky. When that ogre threw me, I landed on a bunch of juniper bushes. I could have been killed instead of scratched and bruised. I don’t want to adventure any more. Without Levka, it just won’t be the same. I will go as far as the city, but I have family in Devonport. I think I might return home after this. Settle down start a family, make wine.”

“I guess I can understand that,” Selby said. “But what am I going to do without you? We’ve travelled together for years now.”

“What are you kidding me?” Tram smiled and looked around taking in the whole group. “I think you have a pretty good party right here. Look at how we worked together. Yeah, I get it. It didn’t turn out how we had planned, but we did work together quite well. Nobody here is a child anymore.”

Elwin knew that Tram was right. There was a certain innocents or naivety that had been lost in the aftermath of the battle. He was also right about this being a solid force if they could add Selby’s experience to the group they already had. “Would you like to join us?” Elwin asked him.

Selby looked uncertain. “I don’t know yet. Seriously this is all happening so fast, I’m just… not sure, yet.”

“Well, we’re heading to Verant City in the morning,” Elwin stated. “If you want, you can accompany us that far at least. Tram already agreed.”

Selby mulled over the offer before eventually relented. “Alright,” He nodded. “I’ll come with you as far as Verant City. But beyond that, I don’t know yet, understand?”

“Fair enough,” Elwin replied. He really hoped that Selby would decide to join them. His experience was unbelievably valuable to the party. When he looked to everyone else, he could tell they were thinking the same thing. In fact, it would have been great to add Selby and Tram, but Tram was already sure that adventuring was not how he was going to spend the rest of his time.

5

The next day, they packed up all the gear they had onto the back of the pony. This included Levka’s things which Tram would take to her family. The pony stamped restlessly ready to go after being idle for the last two days. The little treasure they found was divided up, as was the gold. It was agreed that anything that they could not divide equally would be spent on food and drinks for the group at the next inn.

Elwin and Selby had taken the lead in the group. They looked over the map trying to find the best way to the Verant River Road. It was a road that ran the length of the river from the coast all the way to the city and would be well maintained as well as being quite busy.

“Looks like this main road here heading east should take us to Golden Meadows. It’s a fortified city at the crossroads and will link us up with the main road heading north,” Selby said.

“Isn’t Golden Meadows where the final siege took place?” Elwin questioned. They had been hearing some of the news that had being trickling into the less populated regions. All accounts were that the siege was hard and the city was not in good shape.

“Yes,” Selby replied. “I don’t know what to expect exactly when we get there, but it could be a rough place. I don’t know. The talk I heard was that an entire outer wall was collapsed. I’ve never seen a cannon fired before, but I’ve seen the damage it can do.”

“We are hearing a lot, but how much is true? Did they really take an entire stone wall down?” Emerson added.

Selby shrugged. “The only way to know for sure, is to go there. We could find a road around it if you really want to avoid it.”

“I’d rather stay in an inn if we can,” Anna added her opinion to the conversation.

“Agreed,” Rith confirmed his stance.

“Alright then,” Elwin said. “I think we can all agree that we will take our chances in Golden Meadows.”

The group of six adventurers headed east towards Golden Meadows and the Verant River Road which would take them north into Verant City itself. The glorious center of the Verant Empire. They were going to be a long time on the road, but to see the centre of the empire would be well worth the trouble. At the very least there would be some tourist sites to see as well as a great and diverse mix of people to talk to and learn from. Elwin was sure they would find someone who could translate his treasure map.