With most of their energy gone after their ascent, Paek and Mentor were already languidly falling towards the horizon as Lem and Nosal jovially walked back towards the food-laden Gazebo. As they rounded the side of the house, the pair were greeted by the sight of the missing boys sitting hunched over the table.

“Oh hey there pups where the Realms have you been!” Lem shouted out in greeting as he approached. But upon seeing the two flinch and shy away from his call, his paternal suspicions kicked in as he got closer.

“What have you two boys been up to, ehh Dornmit?” he asked as he circled round the boys who sat facing away from him.

“Whoaaaa! What in the unholy Realms happened here?” he rumbled out in surprise as he saw their badly bruised and sheepish faces.

“Nothing much mister Brown, we got in a little fight tis all,” weakly mumbled Dornmit in excuse as he busied himself with fiddling his thumbs under the table. The older Capyban inspected the assortment of bruises that coated the battered Orc boy and the welter on his son’s face, as he clicked his tongue dismissively at their stupidity in having partaken in such a stupid and dangerous endeavor.

Nosal on the other hand suspected that some foul play was afoot, but just as the boy was about to make a claim against the Orc boy in protest, he clamped his mouth shut instead. For he had received a unmistakable sign of three quick blinks from his own brother’s horribly swollen and watering eye. Keep mum and play along? Ok brother but you owe me an answer and a favor now, the little boy thought as he nodded smugly back at his comically-looking brother with his one puffed-up eye.

“You call getting beaten up by a Gurada a little fight? What the realms Dornmit, from my boys I would expect this kinda stupidity, but from you too?” rumbled Lem in disappointment as he got fed up of waiting for a confession that never came.

“Sorry mister Brown, it won’t happen again,” whispered the chastised Dornmit in reply.

“Sorry father,” apologized Kano as he chorused his friend.

Outwardly Lem tried to put on a stern and fatherly face as he chastised them, but Lem actually found the bruise on his son’s stupid face to be hilarious.

“Yer damn right it won’t, now whys the fire not burning away with some food on it yet?” the Older Capyban asked jokingly to fill the air and move on, for the boys were probably as sorry as they looked.

“We’ve been waiting for you father,” Kano replied lamely as he rubbed some dried fruits between his thumb and forefinger.

“We’ll I’m here now pup, what’re you waiting for? Kano go get the fire going! I can’t bear to look at ayour ugly shiner!” Lem shouted in jest at his son and startling the boy. Lem quickly broke into laughter along with Nosal, and eliciting a small chuckle from Dornmit as Kano got up and turned round towards the fire pit in a huff.

“Damn Dornmit you look pretty roughed up there,” spoke Lem as he began chewing away at some dried fruits.

“It was quite the crazy fight indeed mister Brown,” was all the Dornmit spoke in reply as he recalled the earlier defeat he had by the Chitpulka.

Seeing that he wasn’t getting anywhere, Lem decided to change the topic of conversation instead as a pregnant and awkward silence ensued.

“So err, how’s it going in the Guard son?” he asked.

“Oh funny you should ask! I’ve recently unlocked double block mister!” Dornmit replied animatedly as he rounded back on Lem.

“Really now? That’s quite the great skill to have! I’ve always wished I’d unlocked it back in my older days,” Lem replied happily as he briefly reminisced his own adventure filled days as a Journey Guard.

“Well it’s all thanks to Master Gazzelle’s vigorous training that I was able to unlock it at bronze,” Dornmit reasoned whilst barely able to conceal the pride in his voice.

“Oh I see, so the old cat is still making you boys run round doing laps ehhh? So what’s it like?” Lem asked as the battered Orc boy beamed happily.

“Forty stam, and each level negates a little more physical damage mister Brown,” Dornmit happily listed, glad he had another Guard class holder to share his new amazing skill with.

Lem whistled appreciatively at the boy’s great luck to have unlocked such a rare skill, but he quickly was reminded by his own situation closer to hand. With a quick glance down towards Nosal, he asked Dornmit, “so have you heard my little Nosal has already classed?”

“Oh yeah mister Brown, Kano told me all about it after the fir-FIERCE! fierce fight we had, *haha*…. he’s a monster healer who can also talk with them, no? I’ve never ever heard of something like that before,” replied the Orc nervously as he nearly stabbed himself in the foot in regards to fighting. But Lem paid the bumbling boy no mind, for he was more concerned about what he knew of Nosal.

“Oh aye he’s classed as a healer all right,” Lem mumbled quietly with his musk of fear. He was debating whether to tell the Orcish boy the truth here and now, but he decided it was best to just discuss it later when his parents were present. If they haven’t told him yet then it can wait, he reasoned.

“You shoulda seen me talking to Da’Nittan when she got her pie, she sounded soooo happy,” chimed in Nosal as he wriggled his tiny shoulders with a musk of joy. The boy had been waiting patiently to join into the conversation but seeing no opportunity, he decided to butt in himself.

“WHAT! Why didn’t you waiiit!” Kano whined piteously from the firepit as he stoked the tiny embers he had birthed using a tinderbox.

“Well I couldn’t find you, with you pups off doing something silly as per usual,” countered a smiling Lem as he nudged Nosal with his elbow and indicated towards the vegetables using his chin. The small Capyban creased his eyebrows in confusion before understanding the request. He grabbed the huge platter of vegetables before rounding the long wooden table and towards his brother.

“Well you should’ve just waited,” Kano whined once more with his musk of sadness.

Nosal snorted in reply as he approached with his load before saying, “It wasn’t all that great, father and Da’Nittan just used me to talk about making money off dead beasts for spiced meats, it was the worst!”

“What?” chorused both Kano and Dornmit in confusion as they looked at the tiny boy who settled the platter of vegetables beside the fire. All the while, Lem had broken off into a roaring fit of laughter at having been reminded of his fun exchange earlier with the Homarian Shellwurm.

“So where’s the other pies?” Kano asked his brother who was crouched beside him as they both stared into the mesmerizing flames, as they danced about on the logs and twigs.

“Pffft I totally forgot it after father and Da’Nittan used me like that,” complained Nosal with a frown. Behind them, Lem had overheard their conversation as his own laughter had died down and shouted, “they why don’t you go get it now you weee moaning pup?”

“Eurggh!” shouted the boy as he stormed off towards the house, to another round of laughter from the other three in schadenfreude.

“WHATSH ALL CHIISHH LAUGHFING GOIN ON HERESHH?” shouted a booming voice from the road before the owner appeared around the bush.

The large and muscular Lok-Tars had arrived in plain brown clothing whilst carrying a large wooden box. Accompanying him was a Orcish woman whom had a huge sack over her shoulder. The lime-green woman contrasted heavily to Lok-tar’s dark grey, and whilst he was all bulging muscles, she was more toned and wiry like a feline predator that was ready to pounce at a moments notice.

Lok-Tars shouted “AYYYYYYYEEE!” in greeting as he lifted his box laden with juice and alcohol above his head before setting it down on the end of the table as Kano rushed him for a hug. His wife Sarking-Tars on the other hand was more sedated as she greeted Lem with a slight nod of her handsome face before accepted a hug of her own from the enthusiastic Kano.

“Hello mister Tars! Hello miss Tars! I havn’t seen you in AGES!” shouted the boy happily as he hugged them both and receiving smiles before frowns creased the Tar’s faces at the sight of his ugly shiner.

“What in the Realms happensed to you Kano?” asked Sarking-Tars with small smirk at the corner of her wickedly pointed tusked mouth, as her husband stood beside her with an overly bemused expression.

“That’s what I asked them too, you should see the bruises on your boy over here,” commented Lem as he nodded towards Dornmit before getting up to inspect the drink selection.

“Whatesh thish?” Lok-Tars asked as he clasped hands with Lem.

“Nothing dad, we got into a fight with a beast,” mumbled Dornmit in reply as Kano nervously shuffled back to his seat.

“Nothing you say? These idiots got into a fight with a Lesser-Garuda,” stated Lem accusingly as he began browsing through the drinks.

“A Garuda?! Did you manegedsh to get any of the feathers?” asked Sarking-Tars greedily and surprise as she set down her sack full of meats on the table, before sitting down and snaking her arm around her son’s shoulder.

“No mother, it exploded,” the boy answered sheepishly and causing his mom to be even more amazed.

“Waiteesh a momenst here! Thatsh an awfullysh dangeroush monstersh! Whatsh in the Realmsht were yoush boys doing fighting sucsh a thingsh?” asked Lok-Tars through his huge tusks with concern as he sat down in Nosal’s previous seat.

“That’s what I said!” quipped Lem as he sat down beside his friend with two dark brown bottles of grog in one hand.

“We didn’t mean to,” Kano added weakly over his shoulder as he escaped back to the fire to added the Buttercorn on to the grill.

“Whatsh the Realmsh do yoush meansh you didn’t meansh to?” Lok-Tars asked his son angrily, seeing as Kano was too far away to properly interrogate.

“Nevermind it Lok, they were helping the Owlmites and its done and dusted now,” interjected Lem with a pat of his friend’s shoulder as he sought to calm him down.

“How canst yoush be so calm? Lookst atsh my boyst! He’isht looking worsht then whenst he’isht beashten up from he’sht training!” Lok-Tars pointed out with his anger not subsiding in the slightest.

“Look, I admit it could’ve been pretty dangerous, but the boys are fine and I’m sure they levelled from this stupid endeavour. I’ve already given them a fine talking to for doing such a divine-kissed stupid thing, so let’s just forget it ehh?” Lem reasoned as he continued to try and put the matter behind them. Lok-Tars grunted, still annoyed but choose settle the matter as he accepted an offered bottle from Lem. At least until they got home.

“How many levelsh?” Sarking asked her son in tiny whisper as the men began helping themselves to the potent drink.

“A lot,” replied Dornmit quietly with a sly grin. A small smile twitched behind his mother’s sharpened tusks at the answer but it was but a tiny flash.

“Mister Tars! Misses Tars!” shouted Nosal excitedly from the house with the Farmpie in his hand as the boy began running towards the gazebo. He set the pie down before hugging Sarking-Tars and making the Orc woman smile before he rushed round to hug Lok-Tars in turn.

“Alrightsh there little Noshtsalsht! Howsht yousht doingsht my specailsht littlesht guy!” rumbled the huge Orc as he settled the little boy onto his lap.

“Great mister Tars! I’ve got an amazing class now!” spoke the boy excitedly as he released his musk of joy. At those words, the adults shared a worried look between them.

Lem coughed into his hand before asking his son, “Hey pup where’s the plates and cups for Sarking and everyone else?”

“Aww father, why can’t Kano go grab the plates?” whined the boy as Lok-Tars bounced him on his knee.

“Because Kano is going to start cooking the meats, isn’t he?” commanded Lem and receiving a nod from his eldest before he shuffled over to the sack. As he opened it, the boy whistled as he pulled out endless packets upon packets of neatly wrapped and tied prime cuts of meat.

“Whoa there Sarking, that’s quite the haul there,” commented Lem with his musk of joy as his mouth began to water whilst Nosal angrily stomped back towards the house.

“Of coursesh Lem and it’s only the best pieces inside my sack of holdingsht today! There’s Lopers, Rivet Boarsh and even a whole Granite-Boa in there thanks to my apprentice,” listed off the woman in reply as she smiled proudly. Meanwhile Kano was staring in awe at the packages as he carried a few of them to the grill to begin cooking them.

“I… I have to thank you again today,” spoke Lem after he took a sip of the grog.

“It’s no mattersh Lem, I couldn’t have missed todaysh with how important it is,” reasoned Sarking-Tars as her husband agreed with a nod as he too, sipped his drink.

“What’s important?” asked Dornmit as he stopped running his tongue over his immature tusks.

“Whatsh? Yoush havn’sht told him you hairysh oaf?” Lok-Tars asked Lem and receiving a sigh in reply.

“Look here son…. You’re mum and father are here today, because we have something very important to talk about,” Lem begun to explain to the Orc boy as his parents silently watched on seriously.

“Hmmm?” questioned the battered boy as he looked between his parents.

“We are here to discuss my son Nosal,” deliberated Lem as Kano walked over from the fire to stand behind his friend.

“He’s come upon a Unsung class,” Lem concluded with worry lining his face and his musk of fear.

The Orc boy only looked at him in confusion, before wonder and surprise over took the boy. “HOLY REALMS! That’s amazing!” he shouted excited before cocking an eyebrow and rounding on his friend behind him. “Wait why didn’t you tell me?” he asked accusingly and slightly hurt.

“I, I wanted to..” Kano excused weakly as his bruised eye began to water once more.

“I told him not to tell you Dornmit, because we need to talk about this properly,” Lem added in defense of his son. The confused Orcish boy turned round to find his own father and mother looking on pointedly at him.

“Wait.. you all already knew?” he asked with his mouth slightly agape and receiving nods in reply from his parents.

Feeling slightly awkward, Lok-Tars and Lem both took sips of their grog before the Capyban cleared his throat.

“Boysh this isht pretty seriousht and wesh can’tsht have youshd talkingsht about itsht to anyonesht, yousht hear me?” Lok-Tars interjected sternly at his son before Lem was able to explain.

“Look son, Nosal’s getting two points in every stat per level, excluding luck, and a free stat point,” Lem announced after letting out a sigh. This caused Lok-Tars and his son’s eyes to nearly bulge out of their sockets in shock whilst Sarking-Tars only shook her head and snorted in awe.

“That’s…that’s fucking insane mister Brown!” shouted Dornmit in surprise and making his mother frown at his use of such language.

“It’s fucking insane all right boy and he’s still got one skill we haven’t worked out,” replied the Capyban man as he took another sip of his grog.

“So whatsh this going to meansht?” asked Lok-Tars after closing his mouth as his son’s mouth continued to hang open.

“Honestly.. I don’t know,” earnestly rumbled Lem in reply. His worried gaze was upon Nosal, whom could be seen returning back from the house. The whole gazebo turned as one to look on with wonder at the small Capyban and caused Nosal to flinch back in surprise and nearly dropping his wooden plates.

“What?” shouted the boy back nervously, slowing down in his approach.

“Just those statsh alone would warrant unwanteshd attention Dornmit,” Sarking-Tars told her son with a sad expression. Upon hearing those words, Nosal deflated as he understood that they have begun to talk about his special class as he sat down the plates and cups before sitting beside Dornmit.

“So whost elshe knowsh?” asked Lok-Tars with a tiny nod of his chin directed at his friend beside him.

Lem considered his answer for a few moments, sighed and then finished his drink. “Xerneg and Dalm are the only two I’ve told so far,” he answered after having quaffed his drink.

Sarking-Tars who sat across from him, blinked with disbelief before exclaiming, “What the fuck Lem?”

“It couldn’t be helped,” countered the Capyban weakly, as even he knew how foolish he sounded.

“What couldnsht be helped Lem? How can you be so foorish?” the Orc woman shot back with anger. The normally composed woman did so with a fist banging on the table.

Seeing his wife’s temper starting to flare at his idiotic friend, her husband stepped mediate and calm her down, “Alrightsht, alrighsht calm down dear! Whasht done is done.”

The mighty huntress did back down, but not before shooting Lem a venomous glace before looking off into the Kaholin fields. They all knew the danger this could pose to Nosal, and yet Lem was already slipping.

“So howst aboutst wesh usesht the Saca and have a look atsht what wesht got heresht?” asked the big Orcish man nervously as he attempted to steer the conversation into calmer waters.

Lem sighed once more as he got up to grab himself another drink before answering, “Can’t, Xerneg took him on as an apprentice now.”

This was met with nods of approval before a short silence returned as Lem to his seat with his new drink in hand.

What? What’s a master got to do with Sacamin? Wondered Nosal before voicing his question.

“Well Nosal, because Xerneg is your mastersht now, just like I am to young Hedwigcan, it meansht that you shouldn’t usesht Saca unless your master expressesht so,” answered Sarking-Tars in a gentle tone as she turned back round to address the boy.

“What why?” questioned the boy once more after a short moment of consideration and finding no reasonable logic.

“Looksht heresht, for examplesht if my boysht Dornmit here, isht a apprentisht blacksmitsht to me by subclassing,” explained Lok-Tars as he came to his wife’s aid. The Orc continued even has he got up to grab himself another drink, “then I wouldsht have to pour insht a lot of my time, to share mysht wisdoms and trainsht himsht to become a blacksmith of my level…. So say, whatsht would Isht think, if he didsht saca to show off to Kano, and comesht back to work the nextsht day, all tired and not ablesht to dosht anything?”

Nosal who had been listening to his explanation, shrugged his tiny shoulders as the Orc gave a pause for him to answer his question as he sat back down.

“Or what if hesht puts pointssht in the wrong statsht, when I have him plannedsht to putsht pointsht in strength, so we can move onsht to forging stronger metals?..... Do you see wheresht I’m going with dis little Noshtsalsht?” Lok-Tars asked as he flicked off the metal cap of his bottle using only his enormous thumb.

“I guess so,” answered Nosal as he cupped the small goblet of fruit juice offered to him by Sarking-Tars. “So now you should only use saca if Xerneg allows it,” she added as the boy sipped on his drink.

“Speaking of whichsht, why did yousht tell the headman?” she turned to ask Lem.

Lem who in the middle of a large sip of his drink, was caught off guard by the question and splurted some of the fiery liquid out of his snout with his musk of fear. “*cough* He kind of wrangled it out of me *cough* but it’s ok cause he used a soul contract,” he spluttered through watery eyes as the children giggled away at his mishap.

“Issht that even legal?” Lok-Tars asked his friend with a cocked brow, even as a bemused smile plastered his face whilst he slapped away at the back of his choking friend with a meaty hand.

“I don’t think so, but at least it will keep me safe…. and in regards to Xerneg, he’s too rich to even care. Now that’s enough of that,” spoke Lem as he elbowed his overly-helpful friend. Sarking-Tars murmured in agreement even as she returned to the table, having walked over to give Kano his own cup of juice.

“So what are wesht going to do, other than just keep quiet and tell everyone he’ssht a healer?” asked the woman with an open hand gesturing between Lem and Nosal with the elbow sat on the table-top.

“I’ve sent word to father, he should reply within the next week… and he will be in a better position to deal with it,” Lem reasoned as he sat his drink down to avoid any future accidents.

“Hmmm thatsht a great idea, assh a high leveledsht merchant your father should be in a better position to acquire an artifact of confiscution,” spoke Sarking-Tars as she grabbed herself handful of dried fruits.

Her husband and Lem both became wide-eyed at the idea, before Lok-Tars snapped his fingers as Lem shouted, “That’s a great idea! Realms why didn’t I think of that!”

“Whats a artifact of con..con..confution?” Nosal asked excitedly as he attempted to jump into the conversation.

“It’s a artifact that cansht hide or conceal your class little Nosal, but they are very expensive due to only being usshable if bindedsht with the owner. Last time I saw one….” Sarking-Tars began to explain before she was lost in thought. “Washt a long time ago, in an auction down Paulflintsht. Realmsht it was only a necklace at steel ranked, but it still went for over a hundred gold coins.”

Hearing the unbelievable price, the whole party feel silent except for the whooshing of the lazy wind and the crackling of the fire.

“I can’t afford that…. I only have fifteen-odd gold saved,” spoke a pale faced Lem after a moment.

“It’s okaysht you poorsht sap, we alsow have twentysht gold coins tuckshted away for a rainy daysht, wesht would be happy to chip inst, ishn’t that right dear?” Lok-Tars asked his wife, even as he wrapped a grey arm round Lem’s shoulder to console his downcast Capyban friend.

“Yesh we would happily help in any way Lem, plusht I’m sure your father wouldsht be able to foot the resht easily,” agreed Sarking-Tars before sipping her own juice.

The worried Capyban looked up at his friends with a small twinkle in his eye and a smile, before slumping down again. “That’s not the only issue here, the census is next spring and if Nosal doesn’t register his class, then we might also be talking jail for me on top of worrying about the pup,” he explained to the Orc couple as the children fiddled about listlessly with sad frowns.

“Damn,” was all that look Lok-Tars spoke as he an his wife also deflated at the new revelation.

But his wife quickly perked up before raising her cup towards Lem. “Look, at leastsht we have nearly year to try find the confiscution artefact. PLUS they aren’t so readily available anyways, SO.. we will to wait until your father getsht here,” she reasoned with a small smile. Lem who was looking dejected a moment before, quickly perked up before clinking his bottle along with Lok-Tar’s own proffered one. For there was no reason to worry about things that were out of your control.

“Some of the meat’s ready guys,” Kano noted from the firepit. He quickly piled the slightly charred and glistening with succulent fat juicy meats onto a plate before serving it onto the table. The heavy mood quickly lifted as the party dug into the flavoursome cuts even as Kano ferried over some steaming cobs of Buttercorn.

“Speaking of which, Nosal here will be getting plenty of cooking experience where he’s going,” joked Lem between mouthfuls of barbecued Loper breast. The table easily broke out into laughter for Xerneg’s insatiable appetite was well known in Pancreedy. That was with Nosal as an exception, for the little boy did not enjoying being the butt of the joke.

“Say… How does Xerneg just spend and spend?” an amused Dornmit asked his mother after his laughter died down.

“Well beingsht a healer isht a very high paid job son, so maybe in the future.. Nosal here mightsht become some rich old man, just like Xerneg,” his mother replied with a smile as she nodded at the grumpy little Nosal.

Hearing that, the boy’s spirits lifted at the idea of becoming rich one day, but old.. not so much.

“Say Nosal, would you mind giving me some money in the future?” asked Dornmit jokingly with a mouthful of food.

“Sure!” Nosal answered him back in gusto and his musk of joy.

“How bout me?” asked his brother as he carried a plate full of meats to cook on the grill.

“Pffft! Never!” shouted Nosal to another round of laughter as party continued on late into the evening. The two families joked and caught up as the food kept on coming out from Sarking-Tar’s minor sack of holding.

“So where’sht that little Dittat? I havn’t seen him for ages,” Sarking-Tars asked Kano as the Voidlflies started flying around with their black flashes of Mana-void.

“Oh he’s asleep in the living room, he had too much pie,” Nosal butted in to answer before his brother was able to reply.

“Ahh I see, and Da’Nittan?” Sarking-Tars asked the boy.

“Well she should be here any moment,” he answered with a smile and sure enough, a large armoured carapace came into view as the Homorian Shellwurm stealthily clacked along the side of the house. Along the way, she accepted a large piece of cooked meat from Kano by the firepit , with the firelight reflecting off her shining, obsidian as the party greeted her enthusiastically.

“I didn’t even hear you coming there, you must be pretty hight levelled in stealth” commented the Huntress as the large Monster walked up to Nosal.

Da’Nittan clacked away her free pincer in reply as the party watched on, the men doing so whilst heavily drunk and slightly confused. The huge monster then clacked her free mouth-pincer ina urgent matter at the tiny boy, before pinching him on the shoulder lightly.

“OWWW!” he shouted before realising she needed him to talk.

“She says maybe it’s just because you’re getting old and your ears don’t work so well,” he relayed to Sarking-Tars as the Shellwurm clacked away happily with her free pincer.

“Oh is that so? You talk big for someone who can’t even handle her drink if I remember correctly?” taunted the slightly tipsy huntress as she mysteriously produced a large red bottle from somewhere upon her.

“ I knewsht she washt hidingsht thatsht Swampfire-whiskey *hich* somewhere! It was the pocketsht *hic* pouchsht of Holding!” her husband complained from across the table.

“She says you’re on,” relayed the boy nervously as Da’Nittan’s four eyes glinted evilly in the firelight.