“The situation is complicated,” Kathi said.

Maxwell continued to chew; Fairuz continued to glare.

“How complicated?” Vance asked.

“Very,” Kathi smiled wryly. Then she continued, as if pursuing another train of thought, “You didn’t ask that many questions when you got the coordinates for the meeting spot. Are you familiar with Earthgate Forest?”

“No, I’ve never been to this area before.” Vance laughed a little and scratched his chin as if with embarrassment. “I know we’re on the trade route between Cromsville and Beaucourt, but other than that my mind’s a total blank.”

“Well, then let me give you some background,” Kathi said. She pointed with her thumb at the Noble Giantuas in the distance and began, “Earthgate Forest is one of those places that have been around since forever, but the Federal Guild never bothered to explore it. Do you know why? It’s because there are too many risks and very few returns. The tree roots extend too deep underground, and there’s no real proof of any valuable minerals or resources hidden among them. There are only monsters and fiends … Death awaits anyone who wanders into the darkness. And yet, just as you said, this forest is also an important part of the trade route between Cromsville and Beaucourt.”

“How’s that possible?” Vance asked—feigning ignorance.

“The Saturn Tunnel,” Kathi said. “Five years ago, Count Monet of Beaucourt hired High Priestess Amberlynn Saturn to create the Saturn Tunnel—a barrier that runs through the forest and makes traffic possible. Thanks to this tunnel, there’s nothing to fear. The gold wagons and traders can carry their cargo back and forth in five days instead of fifteen. It’s a pretty efficient use of light magic, don’t you think?”

“It sounds genius,” Vance smiled. “Are we here because of this tunnel?”

“Yeah.” Kathi looked at Maxwell, who nodded as if to give her permission. After this nod, she continued, “Last week, the Saturn Tunnel was attacked by an unknown aggressor, and the barrier was brought down for three hours. Now you might think that’s not much, but when we’re talking about a stable barrier, three hours is like an eternity. During the downtime, 37 lives and 500 kilograms of gold were lost, not to mention that the tunnel space itself was contaminated with hundreds of vile monsters. The Light Mages at the maintenance stations eventually restored the tunnel to normal operation, but the aggressor is still on the loose. And they need to be brought to justice before they carry out a second attack … or attempt something worse …”

Silence fell over the campfire.

The Saturn Tunnel was attacked … This is news to me. Vance began to consider the situation in light of this strange development. If the book I read at the library was right, this barrier was designed to withstand anything the forest could throw at it. It’s well-maintained, because the nobles don’t want to lose any gold, and it’s never stopped operating in the past five years. What in the world could’ve brought it down for three hours? There was no answer. Kathi mentioned an “aggressor.” Does this mean that it was an act of sabotage? After a few moments of careful thought, Vance decided not to jump to conclusions. He chose to play dumb and asked the simplest question he could conjure up: “Did a monster attack the tunnel? I bet a new boss spawned in the area or something.”

“The people at the guild thought so at first,” Kathi said, exchanging furtive looks with Maxwell. “They said it might be an undocumented creature … But we have good reason to believe otherwise.”

“Well, if it wasn’t a monster, then who attacked the barrier? And why?”

Kathi remained silent.

“Was it—”

“It was the half-humans,” Maxwell suddenly said.

“The dwarves?” Vance was genuinely shocked. It can’t be true … The Kunzites?

“The evidence points to them. There are witnesses, too.”

“But why would the dwarves attack the barrier?”

“Friend, I’m not sure if you’ve heard the rumors.” Maxwell knitted his brows and lowered his gaze as if with pity or shame. “There’s been a dwarven rebellion in Beaucourt. And I think it’s spilling over into the surrounding areas. Soon the papers won’t stop babbling about the unrest.”

“A rebellion?” Vance was even more shocked. That’s impossible.

“Why are you surprised?” Fairuz said, with a rude scoff. “Those half-humans are just showing their true colors. ‘Once a savage, always a savage,’ as Grandpa used to say. May Amirani rid us of them all! And the ifrits too!”

“Could you tell me more about this rebellion?” Vance asked.

“It’s a yucky mess,” Kathi said, picking up from where Maxwell had left off. “Two weeks ago, one of those evil pigs broke into a miner’s house … murdered the wife and kidnapped the eighteen-year-old daughter. The townspeople rose up and demanded justice. Things escalated. And now the dwarves have taken over the gold mines. They’re holed up in there, refusing to answer to the law or hand over their hostage. And neither the Count of Beaucourt nor the Prince of Cromsville seem to be handling the situation right. They haven’t even managed to restore public order … That’s what you get for letting too many half-humans into your town like that. It’s an infestation.”

“Dwarves are no different from goblins,” Vance said.

“Exactly!” Maxwell laughed. “Thinking goblins! That’s what I always say!”

“But I still can’t see where the Saturn Tunnel fits in this whole mess,” Vance said, with even more incredulity. “The dwarves seem to be in a tight situation. They’re outnumbered and surrounded, so why are they going out of their way to target the tunnel? What are they trying to achieve?”

“Oh, trust me, they have a plan—those greedy pigs,” Kathi said, making the money gesture with her hand. “You see, Count Monet of Beaucourt has some gold stashed away, and he’s still using the Saturn Tunnel to keep it flowing. He’s sending it to Cromsville to honor the contract with the Prince.”

“So they’re after the gold …” Vance finally put it all together.

“Yeah,” Kathi nodded. “The dwarves are raiding the tunnel to delay the gold supplies and put more pressure on the authorities. Their final goal is probably to negotiate a safe exit out of Beaucourt. And I’m sure they’re planning to keep the looted gold for themselves. Just like marauders. But we won’t let them get what they want. We’ll teach them not to mess with us humans.”

“And there you have it.” Maxwell stood up as soon as Kathi finished speaking. “The situation is complicated, but our mission is simple.” He swallowed the last piece of boar meat and then wiped his greasy hands. “We gotta make the world a cleaner place.” He smiled at Vance. “So what do you say, friend? Are you ready to hunt some dwarves, ready to rinse their sins with their blood?”

***

A skeletonized boar and a pile of ash were all that remained at the campsite after the feast. Vance and the Cromish Dawn jumped onto their two wagons, and thus began the perilous journey through Earthgate Forest. As the wooden wheels crossed the boundary between the plains and trees, Vance felt as if the sun had been setting behind him. The forest canopy was like a dark midnight sky, and the glowing insects, sprinkled and scattered high above, were like stars traveling the cosmos. There was absolute silence. The path was a giant root, and the air was saturated with a pervasive scent redolent of frankincense. Rather than soothe Vance, however, this powerful smell made it difficult for him to breathe. He felt as if he couldn’t trust the air that entered his lungs, and he despised this unnerving sensation.

On the other hand, the Cromish Dawn seemed far less troubled than he was. They coughed and sneezed, but they hardly winced. Their main concern for the nonce seemed to be not the air quality but the darkness. Visibility was only one or two meters ahead, and lighting the path with anything but minimal magic was out of the question, since it would attract the creatures of the forest. As luck would have it, the Saturn Tunnel was still playing its role as an invisible protector and intangible ally. It was operating at full strength, and Kathi had confirmed this fact before departure. But the looming threat of sabotage meant that its protection was conditional. At any second, it might break, collapse, and so it was imperative to remain on high alert.

In the first wagon, which comprised a humble vanguard, Maxwell sat and watched the road ahead, while Fairuz stood next to him and surveyed the other directions with her monstroscope. The readings on the small Ezran gadget were mostly corrupted by strong interference from the Saturn Tunnel, but even this corrupted data served as a confirmation that the barrier was working, and so it was useful. When she wasn’t holding up the monstroscope, Fairuz spent most of her time arguing or complaining. She didn’t like that Maxwell had secretly quaffed a drink before the journey or that he had openly stuffed himself, and unlike Kathi, she cared enough to speak her mind without reserve. Because of her constant complaints, Maxwell couldn’t blink—neither when he felt tipsy nor when he felt drowsy.

Trailing behind this more or less vigilant pair, Vance and Kathi occupied the second wagon and fulfilled their own reconnaissance duties. The Light Mage surveyed the rear for any monsters or dwarves, and simultaneously, with the gift of multitasking, operated an Ezran gadget called a sporometer. This meter measured the amount of fungal spores in the air and gave a warning whenever the levels were high enough to cause paralysis. It was an indispensable device serving an all-important purpose. Meanwhile, Vance was handed a map and a comparatively trivial task: he had to tick milestones and announce the current location. A high hoot and mute boot band en route atop a root. By the fourth tick, he had gotten bored enough to invent a tongue twister, and after he overcame his breathing problems, he also found the time to scribble on the map—mostly drawing the tree leaves he saw.

“How far are we supposed to go today?” he asked, after the fifth tick.

“We need to make it to the first maintenance station,” Kathi said, too busy to look at him as she spoke. “If the dwarven saboteurs don’t make a move, we’ll spend the night there. Then we’ll set out again at dawn.”

“Do we have to wait for the dwarves to initiate a fight?”

“Yeah,” she said, examining the sporometer. The box-like device fit on top of her palm and emitted a faint green light, which indicated that the air was safe. After she saw this reassuring light, Kathi spared a few moments for Vance and said, “As long as the tunnel is working, we’re winning. We don’t need to go out of our way to hunt the dwarves, especially in a dangerous environment like this one. We just need to be patient and to react right when they attack.” Here she paused for a second before she smiled—the same idiotic smile of hers, which was little more than a bend of the lips and a raise of the brows. “What? Did you have any other strategies to share? If you’ve got any good ideas, we can stop and talk with Maxwell about them.”

“No, no, I think your strategy works best!”

It’s better if they don’t initiate any fights. Vance whipped the reins so that the wagon’s horse wouldn’t slack. It will give me more time to coordinate an ambush with Timathor. He looked at the map and traced the route to the first barrier maintenance station. Fort Hamadryad. He read its name before he realized that it wasn’t far away. Maybe an hour or two from here … I should meet with Timathor somewhere near it and give him new orders. As he circled the station with his finger, he wondered whether the little goblin was doing well alone in this darkness. For a few silent moments, he felt overcome with worry, but then he reasoned his way out of this negativity. I should trust Timathor … The Saturn Tunnel will protect him, and he has already trained a lot with the Royal Moths, so he knows how to evade danger. He will make it to the station as long as we do.

“How are you feeling by the way?” Kathi suddenly said.

“I’m managing somehow.” Vance looked down.

“You seemed lost in thought.”

“You noticed?” He looked away. “I was actually thinking about you.”

“Me?” Kathi raised an eyebrow.

“I was wondering why you hated the dwarves so much,” he said, leading the conversation astray. “You had this look on your face when you talked about the rebellion in Beaucourt,” he continued, choosing his words with care. “It took me by surprise. I mean, you always have this bright smile on your face.” He slowed down the wagon a little until Maxwell and Fairuz slipped out of earshot. “One second you were just smiling; the next you were … I don’t know how to describe it. I don’t even know if I’m making sense, but I felt like there was so much behind that one look of yours. So much anger …”

“Why I hate the half-humans, huh?” Kathi continued to scan the rear of the advancing wagon, but she seemed a bit more distracted than before. She took a moment to think, as if she had never considered the question. Then she looked at the sporometer and said, “I don’t think I need a reason to hate them. Do you need a reason to hate Lazkir or Zodkir or any of the other demons? Do you need a reason to feel indignant when the Agents of Chaos succeed?”

“I guess not.” Vance scurried past the strange logic. “I was just wondering if you had any personal reason to hate them. That’s all.”

“I’ve never dealt personally with dwarves. You don’t deal with demons.”

“True … It’d be already too late if you dealt with them.”

“And what about you?” Kathi said, still staring at the meter. “There are lots of dwarves in Engelsburg, more than anywhere else. You must’ve come across a few at a local tavern or a blacksmith’s.”

“Well … Whenever that happened, I just kept my distance.”

“Good for you.” Kathi continued to stare at the meter. “You saved yourself a lot of trouble. I wish the rest of Engelsburg had half your brains.”

“If a dwarf appears right now, will you be able to protect us?”

“Are you worried?” Kathi finally looked up.

“A little.” Vance scratched his head. “If they can smash the Saturn Tunnel, can’t they just break your shields too? I don’t even wanna think about it right now, but … Amirani forbid … if it happens …”

“Don’t worry.” Kathi held his shaking hand firmly. “Let them take their best shot at my shields. Their attacks will just spell their doom. I can guarantee it.”

“I don’t know, Kathi.” Vance slowed down the wagon even more, as if he could no longer drive it. “Are … Are your shields really stronger than the Saturn Tunnel? Can they break enemy weapons or hurl spells back at their casters?” He pushed her hand away and held his head as if he were angry at himself. “Sorry … Forget I said any of that. I’m ready for this job, for the forest and everything. I’m not scared, just a bit worried. I’ll take a deep breath and calm down … By Amirani, the air here is suffocating.” He broke out into a fake fit of coughing. “I gotta man up … gotta get my shit together on my own …”

“Yeah. Don’t get cold feet.” Kathi put her warm hand on his shoulder. “You convinced Maxwell to let you into the party, and that’s a real accomplishment.”

“He let me in for the money.”

“No, Vance, he likes you, likes your spirit,” Kathi smiled. “It’s normal to be scared at the start. We all talk the talk and then have doubts after it. But I think you’re being a tad too dramatic.” She spoke without filters—her attention still divided between the forest and Vance. “For starters, it’s wrong to compare shields to barriers. They have different designs and purposes. And not to brag or anything, my light shields are special. They work like a charm when we fight together as one team. Trust me, we have great party chemistry. If any dwarf or monster attacks, my shields will just …”

She suddenly fell silent. Vance waited for the continuation—he twisted the reins in his hands and drooled for information—but the next word never came. The sporometer turned red, and Kathi jumped off the wagon quickly.

“Fairuz!” she shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Vance stopped the horse and jumped after Kathi.

“Fairuz!” she repeated, ignoring him.

The other wagon stopped. Maxwell and Fairuz jumped down.

Is it happening already? Vance felt a rush of excitement.

At that moment, the Pyromancer and the Light Mage shouted to one another, with one voice, an echo in the silence, “The tunnel is down!”

***

When did it happen? Did the dwarves attack Fort Hamadryad, or did they find a way to disable the barrier from a point along the route? How did they strike so fast? Why did the barrier collapse without a warning light or sound? These countless questions seemed to float in a thick miasma of confusion and uncertainty. The answers could have informed the next decision, but there was no time to seek them. As soon as the invisible barrier collapsed, Vance and the Cromish Dawn found themselves exposed to Earthgate Forest. They could hear sounds among the trees and sense movements in the darkness. But nothing was more ominous than the signal that the sporometer emitted.

“Gather behind me!” Fairuz shouted.

Maxwell hurried into position; Kathi and Vance followed suit.

“Light up the darkness!” Fairuz shouted again.

Kathi formed an orb of light in her hands and launched it into the air.

“It’s a Paralysis Cloud! Hold your breath!”

Vance looked up. In the brilliant shine of the orb, he could see a green-brown cloud approaching. It swayed among the giant trees like a phantom or a wraith. From afar, it looked like one large consistent mass, but it was in fact composed of millions of fungal spores. They were suspended in the air, with smoke-like threads extending out of their area of highest concentration. Such spore clouds were known to form in Earthgate Forest. They developed in unseen locations deep underground, floated until they reached the canopy, and then wandered with the gentle breezes and whimsical blows, bringing temporary paralysis to their victims before dispersing and sinking back to the hidden depths.

Vance was powerless against such a phenomenon. In normal circumstances, he would have chosen to retreat, but there was no need when he was together with the Cromish Dawn. It’s time to see how good a Pyromancer they have on their side. He stood and watched as Fairuz revealed her powers for the first time. She raised her hands high, and from her open palms, an inferno erupted. It was her most basic Skill, Pyro-manipulation, but it had been honed and developed by industrious study and steadfast practice. The fierce fire that erupted didn’t burn chaotically or haphazardly. Instead, Fairuz waved her hands and transformed it into a cast of fiery hawks—imitation predators of the southern deserts.

As the ominous green-brown approached, Fairuz waved her hands again and sent her fiery hawks flying toward it. They flapped their wings and dove into the spores. Vance watched in amazement as they fluttered and danced through the Paralysis Cloud. What is this control? They avoided the network of branches and passed among the dangling white leaves. With uncanny precision, they burned the fungal spores and left the rest of the forest untouched. She’s clearing the spore cloud without destroying the trade route or putting her party in extra danger. The flammable setting made the feat all the more impressive, and Vance began to wonder whether it was really Kathi whom he should be worried about.

“I think I burned all of it!” Fairuz finally said. “What does the meter say?”

Everyone turned to look at the Ezran gadget. For the longest time, it had been emitting a warning signal, but now its red light had already turned into a pale yellow. It was even on its way toward the reassuring green.

“The air is safe,” Kathi announced. “We’re all good.”

Hearing these words, Fairuz lowered her arms, and the countless fiery hawks dissolved in midair. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“By Amirani …” Kathi put her hand on her chest as if to feel her heartbeats. Then she smiled and continued, “That was intense.”

Her shields don’t offer protection against paralysis. Vance noted.

A moment passed as the adventurers regained their composure. The calm seemed to be returning after these stressful moments, but then Fairuz decided to disturb the peace. She turned toward Kathi and asked with acrimony, “Why did you wait till the meter turned red?”

“I …” Kathi was taken aback. “Look … I …”

“You were slacking!” Fairuz said.

“I was just a bit distracted. I—”

“That’s no excuse! You insisted on keeping the meter! It was your job to warn us before it turned red!”

“Now, now, let’s not do this!” Maxwell intervened quickly. He separated the two before the argument could heat up, and with an almost saintly tone, he continued, “Kathi should’ve warned us earlier about the cloud, but we all make mistakes and learn from them. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. We could’ve ended up paralyzed.”

“That’s enough, Fairuz,” Maxwell rejoined. “Everything worked out in the end. We’re all safe, thanks to you, and that’s what matters the most.”

“Why do you always side with her? I don’t—”

The light orb, which Kathi had fired earlier, suddenly disappeared from the air above, forcing Fairuz to stop mid-sentence. Earthgate Forest returned to pitch-darkness, and silence ensued—a disturbing silence.

“What are we going to do now?” Vance said.

“Good question.” Maxwell looked around him. “We should be safe from the spores, but the fire and light must’ve attracted some monsters. We shouldn’t let ourselves be bogged down in useless fights. Hurry back to your wagons, and let’s keep a good pace. We need to make it to Fort Hamadryad within an hour. Once we get there, we’ll know what happened to the barrier.”

Fairuz sighed loud and headed toward her wagon with angry steps. Maxwell lingered for a few more seconds, as if he had something else to say, but then he followed her without adding a word. In the end, it was only Kathi and Vance who were left—standing side by side on the giant root that formed the path.

“That was a scare,” Vance said.

“You mean the spores or Fairuz?” Kathi laughed.

“Both.” Vance joined in the laughter. “Listen … I’m sorry if I—”

“Shh. You don’t need to apologize.” Kathi gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You handled the situation well. You didn’t panic. You did as you’re told. Now I’m starting to believe that you were really an adventurer before. Good job.”

“Thanks.” Vance pretended to wipe his sweat.

“Now we should head back to our wagon as well, or they’ll leave without—”

A scream pierced through the forest’s silence. It was loud, shrill, distressed. Vance and Kathi turned around and saw Maxwell’s wagon on fire. It was a shock unlike any other. Kathi lost her smile and hurried toward the burning vehicle, while Vance trailed behind her—pretending to be hindered by his foot injury. By the time he was standing next to her again, half of the wagon had already been reduced to cinders, and Maxwell was on his knees on the wooden ground. His armor was sooted at parts and charred at others. He was coughing because of the smoke he inhaled, and hurting because of the burns he sustained.

“What happened?” Kathi said.

“A monster …” Maxwell said between coughs. “It was hiding in the back with the supplies.” He pointed at the burning wagon and coughed even more. “Bit Fairuz and dragged her inside. It happened so fast … I went in after them … Wanted to save her … But then the whole wagon erupted in fire … Is she dead? Did she take the monster down with her?” He coughed. “Why are you standing there? Do something! Pull her out of the fire, or try to put it out or something!”

Kathi didn’t know what to say. And before she could figure out whether she should attempt a late rescue or offer early consolations, there came a second scream. This time it was not Fairuz: it was in fact Vance. He fell on the ground and started to back away, and as he crawled, he pointed at the shiny eyes that were appearing in the dark. They’re in for a hard fight. There were at least ten monsters in the area. The party was suddenly and fully surrounded—cut off from the only remaining wagon and bereaved by the apparent loss of a valuable member. What’s your next move, Cromish Dawn? Vance stopped crawling and sat down to watch the show from the premium seat.