The fields of grass and grain swept by on either side of the road like a green ocean—at least, that’s how Emilia described it. Hump had never been on the ocean so he couldn’t say for sure. It sure as hell sounded more interesting than a wagon ride across gentle hills and unending farmland.

There were wagons ahead and behind, spreading out in a long, very slow line, carrying all the fresh supplies an adventuring expedition would need. It wasn’t Hump’s first time riding in such a convoy, though he’d never been a part of one so strong. Bronze rankers formed the bulk of the force. Ricard had led his expedition deep into Stonebark Forest and these were the reinforcements destined to aid in the final push. Hump had to admit, he was pleased he was just assigned to patrols. His strength was a drop in the pond compared to these seasoned adventurers, which could only mean whatever beasts lurked within the forest were so far beyond him it was best he stayed out of sight.

Prancer and the other horses trailed behind them, Emilia’s beautiful white mare joining them. Wagons were slow, bumpy, and uncomfortable, but at least it meant they could get some practice in while they travelled.

Hump took advantage of the quiet moment to identify Celaine’s new cloak. They’d not told Emilia about his spellbook or the dragon egg yet, and at least for now, Hump had no plans to.

Item Index

Shadowcat Cloak

Artifact | Dark | Bronze

Description

A cloak crafted from the hide of a shadowcat, veiling the wearer in shadows that distort and hide their figure, aiding in stealthy. Resistant to physical attacks.

Origin

Sheercliff City, Adventurers’ Campus, House of Runes

“Well worth the money,” Hump said. “I’m amazed at how available bronze tier enchantments are in Sheercliff.”

“I’m not too surprised,” Dylan said, taking a look. “The city needs fighters. Prices are low to ensure everyone is properly equipped.”

“I think it’s perfect,” Celaine said, wrapping the cloak around her and smiling. “We do not have equipment like this back home.”

“Oh really?” Dylan asked. “What about your bow?”

Celaine ran a hand along the weapon, stroking it gently as she looked at it in her lap. “It was given to my sister by Owalyn when she first became a Dragon Keeper. When Starfall died, she gave the bow to me.”

Dylan’s eyes widened.

“What?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Sorry… I just didn’t realise it was a divine artifact. I’ve never seen one before.”

“You will never see one like it again,” Celaine said. “Owalyn sung it from a branch of the Great Tree. It does not wear, and it’s string never loses its tension.”

“She won’t let me identify it,” Hump said, frowning at her.

“Some things are not meant to be understood by mortals.”

***

“I think it’s time to start talking over our quest,” Marcela said.

There were twenty of them sat around a campfire making small talk—the four adventuring parties assigned to Marcela’s command, Hump included. A bunch of nobles and Chosen, none of them much interested in Hump, not that he was complaining. They’d talked about missing their homes, how strange it was to be away from family, how they were nervous about what was up ahead. All of it nonsense. It had only been a few days and they were already craving plush pillows and fine meals. Hump wondered how they’d take it when food started to run low and their sleep was interrupted by watch shifts.

“We’re fine, Marcela, really,” Corvin said. “We’re protecting a few villages from squirrels and stonepeckers.” He lay back against his saddle pack, hands clasped behind his head. “It’ll be a piece of cake.”

He was the leader of the other academy party, a Chosen Knight of Ordana, sister of Kelisia and the goddess of summer. Even his armour seemed to glimmer, and he talked with a smile that said he had the arrogance to believe all attention was focused on him. Another arrogant noble, and one that had made it clear how little he thought of Hump.

Marcela’s jaw clenched—Corvin had been giving her trouble ever since they had left. He was a year older than her, and firmly against being relegated to her lacky rather than given a command of his own.

“I’ve seen many adventurers die over pieces of cake,” Hump said. “Go into a quest with an attitude like that, and you may find yourself regretting it. The more we can prepare, the better chance we all have of making it through this unharmed. And keeping the villagers alive too.”

Marcela gave him an appreciative smile.

Corvin on the other hand looked at him with a strained grin. “Another pearl of wisdom from the wizard. How did we ever manage without you?”

There were snickers from his party. Despite being a couple of years older than Hump, they were like children. Like Bud was when they first met, in a way. All their knowledge of adventuring from children’s stories and bard tales. Either they’d get lucky enough to have a chance to learn, or they’d die quickly.

“This isn’t a choice, Corvin,” Marcela said. “You’ll either do as I say, or I’ll send you home dishonoured.”

“There’s no harm in going over the plans again,” Kesha said. She was one of his party members.

Corvin sighed, sitting back up. “Very well.”

“Do you really think we might have trouble?” Eve asked.

She was the leader of the party from the Pantheon. A nervous girl that was about Hump’s age, and for once, even shorter than him. She had black hair, and wore dark clothes, a half-skull amulet around her neck marking her as a Chosen of Rathlar. She was an even stranger choice of party leader than him, quiet, anxious, and with less charisma than any Chosen he had met. At the same time, her party seemed to jump to her word, so she must have been doing something right.

“With any luck, no,” Marcela said. “But reports say the villages are struggling now that the expedition has pushed deeper into Stonebark Forest. These people live off the forest. Much of their food is gathered within and their produce relies on things only found inside. Even if the dangers are minimal, I’d like to help them however we can.”

“We’re not there to coddle them,” Corvin said, “we’re there to keep them from being killed by monsters.”

“They are people of Sheercliff,” Marcela said. “They pay taxes, they take up arms in times of crisis, and they deserve whatever help we can give them.”

“Is that so?” Corvin asked. “Last I heard we were adventurers, not charity workers.”

It was difficult to have a productive conversation with Corvin around, but they were able to get through Marcela’s main points in the end. They discussed the various monsters they were likely to encounter once more, in more detail this time. It seemed Marcela had gone around asking the bronze rankers for whatever advice they could offer. Hump had to admit, she was working hard to give them the best chance they could get.

The new information was a little concerning, however. The creatures of Stonebark Forest had adapted to consume the plant life within. That meant they needed claws and teeth with the strength to eat stone. The squirrels Corvin had mentioned had teeth that could crush bones. Not something most travellers had to worry about as they only ate seeds, but the dungeon had corrupted them. It had twisted the largely peaceful creatures of the forest into monsters that could tear apart armour with ease.

“What an arse,” Celaine said after they’d finished.

“He sure is,” Emilia said. “I’ve heard of the Locke family before, and from what I know, they’re quite popular within the city.”

“It’s probably gone to his head,” Hump said. “It’ll be a wake up call once he sees any action though.”

Emilia leant forward. “I am curious though. How did you come to be in charge of the party, Hump? It’s rare to see a practitioner as young as you respected by Chosen. Especially one of your background.”

Hump shrugged. “I guess I drew the short straw.”

Bud snorted. “Hump has more experience doing this than any of us. I don’t know… he’s just got a good head on him.”

Hump stroked his imaginary beard. “I am a very wise wizard after all.”

Celaine groaned, scrunching her nose as she looked at him.

“As you can see, Celaine’s far too moody to be the party leader,” Hump said.

She frowned. “Thanks.”

Emilia laughed.

“Hump’s experience definitely shows,” Dylan said. “He’s joking now, but I was impressed with him on our previous quest chain. He’s adaptable, and he’s good at identifying a priority. At the end of the day, I think the most important quality in a leader is the ability to make a decision and follow it through.”

“I think you’re giving me too much credit,” Hump said, chuckling awkwardly at the praise. “I’ve made a lot of bad decisions.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Emilia said. “My father used to tell me, ‘One’s decision doesn’t have to be perfect, so long as you make it quickly and stick to it. Indecision is the path to defeat.’”

“Exactly!” Dylan said. “Honestly, I’m terrible. When things don’t go to plan, I freeze. I couldn’t do what you do.”

Hump remembered. Back when they’d been at the lighthouse and the shades had appeared over Fishers Lake Town, they’d had to all but force Dylan to go with them instead of seeking instruction from Vivienne. It was good to hear he had the confidence of his party. Good, yet at the same time he couldn’t help but feel anxious. He knew they trusted him, but it hadn’t quite dawned on him before what that trust meant. Not just their jobs or livelihoods; they could die because of him.

Celaine smiled at him. “Don’t look so nervous. We’d still tell you if we thought you were being an idiot. Don’t worry.”

Hump snorted. “Good. I’d hate for that to slip past.”

The two-week journey passed quickly. There were a few squabbles, but it was a relatively uninteresting trip. With bronze rankers around, Hump tried to relax and focus on his training. That meant relearning cantrips he’d long since fallen out of practice with, and lots of egg bonding.

It was clear when they arrived by the changing of the trees. The bark became grey and dry, like the aftermath of a basilisk petrification. He could feel the power of the earth everywhere; a gentle welling of strength, and a timelessness that made the forest feel ancient. There was a rapid thud above, and Hump looked up to where a bird hammered its beak against the stonebark of a tree, chipping at it like a chisel.

Soon, it was time for them to part ways. The main caravan was headed for the dungeon encampment, along with most of the supplies. Only a few had been spared to resupply the villages, and Hump feared it would hardly be enough to last long. They arrived in Newton first, a mass of villagers there to welcome them, all of them bowing and praying at the sight of Chosen, and cheering as Corvin hopped from his wagon, radiating the light of summer.

“Don’t miss me too much,” he told Marcela. “You lot have fun out there.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check in,” Marcela said. “Do not cause any trouble.”

He waved her off. “Look at them. Do you think there’s anything I could do to trouble them.”

He wandered off into the crowd with his party with a broad grin, handing out casual blessings to any that asked.

Marcela sighed. “I have a terrible feeling about this.”

Tailsend was next. A small village at the end of an outcrop of forest, cut off by a rocky outcrop. This was their stop. Marcela hadn’t made it obvious, but Hump got the impression they’d been given the most central village for a reason. They were the most experienced, and this way if a crisis struck, they’d be best positioned to reach the other villages. The party of Chosen would take the final one, Stonepath, while Marcela’s party would move between the three to patrol and reinforce.

As they arrived though, the horses started acting up. As they neared the village, Hump realised why.

A giant creature barred the path ahead of them. It paled in size to a wolf dragon, but not by much. The beast had a scaly hide much like the stonebark trees, with four thick legs, and a short trunk that drooped over its mouth. Four tusks extended from beneath like skewers. Hump drew his staff up defensively, only then realising that villagers stood on either side of it, unafraid of the beast. And atop it, a man sat around its neck, dressed in huntsman’s gear.

He greeted them. “It’s good to meet you all. I’m Harlow. I’ve been doing what I can to keep the village safe, but I’ve got to admit, it’s good to have you here. Things have been tough.”

Hump hardly even heard him. He stared up at the creature with wide eyes.

“Ah, this is Sally,” the man said, slapping her shoulders affectionately. “She’s a stonetusk. Harmless, honestly. Had her ever since she was a babe.”

Hump gulped. She didn’t look harmless.