BEST SERVED COLD

©2022 A.J. Nadir

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CONTENTS

ALSO IN SERIES

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

From the author

Thank you for reading Best Served Cold

Groups

LitRPG

ALSO IN SERIES

Cleaver’s Edge

Into the Fire

Best Served Cold

CHAPTER ONE

Arek sat before a campfire along with the rest of the Happy Sunflowers, warming his hands as the chill of winter started to set in. Gentle snow drifted down from the cloudy sky and blanketed the ground around them.

“Is it ready yet?” Ming asked, popping out from a snowdrift. “I’m hungry and you’ve been cooking since yesterday. Food should be done faster than that.”

“I put the beans in water to soak yesterday,” Arek corrected. “They haven’t been cooking. They’ve been softening.”

He’d bought the aforementioned beans in the markets of the Floating Cities several days ago, the day the party had left. After a stressful few weeks and a fateful cook-off, they’d finally had a chance to relax. The four had made the best of it.

When they finally ran out of time on the islands, Arek had made sure to stock up on as many ingredients as possible. The others, too, had bought a few things from the various merchants around the city.

Malissa had purchased some cooking utensils, Belmont had gotten his hands on a new magic book to study, and Ming had spent all of her allowance on food.

“I’ll eat them hard. Chewing is for cowards.” Ming threw a snowball at him.

Belmont whistled, and a translucent pink shield plate formed between Arek and the projectile, blocking it before it could strike the orc.

“If you bother Arek, he’ll only work slower,” Belmont reprimanded. “Just settle down for—”

A snowball caught him on the back of the head, cutting him off midsentence. Belmont spun to glare at Malissa, who crossed her arms behind her back and stared off into the distance, pretending to whistle.

“This isn’t even dinner,” Arek reminded them. “Malissa is going to be doing that. She’s been practicing something every day since we left the Floating Islands, you know.”

Another snowball sailed through the air, and their campsite quickly dissolved into a warzone. Arek chuckled and unhooked a large clay jug from the side of his bag. He undid the rope at the top, taking off the cover to reveal tanned, circular beans floating in water.

He poured the water out into the snow, keeping the beans from falling out with his hand. Once it was mostly empty, Arek tossed the little tan spheres into his wok. They didn’t look particularly appetizing, but the merchant had assured him that the recipe tasted delicious.

Arek drew several vials of spices from his bandolier—many of them new—and shook them into a bowl. He mixed it with his finger and took a whiff, then quickly regretted it when the hot powder assaulted his sensitive nose.

He sneezed, rubbing his nose off on the back of a sleeve and adding some garlic powder to the mix. Arek poured some oil into the wok and set it over the fire. A snowball sailed over his shoulder, narrowly missing him.

Ming and Malissa were locked in a dangerous dance of snow. They gave no regard for their surroundings as the projectiles flew around the campsite. Belmont had resorted to magic, blocking himself in with his bubble shield to avoid getting pelted.

It didn’t take long for the beans to start crackling as the heat fried them. Ming’s nose twitched and she paused mid-throw, catching a snowball to the face as a reward.

“Wait!” Ming yelled, diving to dodge Malissa’s next throw. “Truce. I smell food.”

“It’s not done yet,” Arek said. “You can continue trying to turn each other into snowmen.”

“Please don’t,” Belmont grumbled, allowing his shield to fade as he made his way back up to the campfire. “Although I suppose it’s good to get it out of our system soon. We’ll be in monster territory starting tomorrow.”

“How far is the city again?” Ming asked. “Camping is fun, but beds are nicer.”

“Betsy put us a week away from Brineview,” Malissa said. “We’ve been travelling for four days now, so there should just be three left. There’s a C-rank dungeon right between us and the city, though. Given what’s been happening with the other dungeons, we’ll have to be careful when we pass it.”

“The Howlers have to put that little green orb of theirs in the dungeon for it to create a monster horde,” Belmont said. “It’s unlikely that they’ve got enough presence to arrange that this far north. They’ve still got to establish themselves in Riverfall, and I’m sure the Starpiercers have been causing them trouble after they lost the cook-off to stay in the Floating Cities. Still, caution would be wise.”

The beans crackled in the wok. He kept them moving constantly to ensure an even coating. Ming inched closer to the fire.

“Forget the Howlers,” Ming said, a subtle note of bitterness in her voice. “At least for a little. They aren’t here. As long as we aren’t at the city, I can still pretend like we’re on vacation.”

“Understandable,” Malissa said, brushing some snow from her shoulders and sitting down beside them. “What are these things anyways, Arek?”

“They’re called baby bird peas,” Arek replied. “They’re dried to transport them, so you have to soak them in water for a long time before they’re eaten. I’ve just coated them in some hot spices and garlic powder. They can be baked, but since I don’t have an oven, we’re frying them.”

Arek upended the bowl over the wok, pouring the spices in. He tossed it, getting an even coating as the beans started to dry and turn a golden brown. Warm, comforting scents rose up from the campfire.

“Well, they smell good,” Malissa said.

“They should be just about done,” Arek said, picking one up and popping it into his mouth. The spices flooded across his tastebuds, a mixture of smokey and spicy with just a dash of pungent kick from the garlic. It was light and airy, with just enough crunch to be satisfying. “Yep. They’re good.”

Arek pulled the wok off the heat and distributed the snack amongst the party. Once they’d all gotten some, he raised his waterskin in a toast. “To our continued success.”

“And to nice and boring travels,” Belmont added as everyone raised their own waterskins.

They huddled closer to the fire, munching on the snack as the snow fell around them and the wood crackled merrily.

Once the food was all gone, Arek rose and stretched his arms out with a groan. “Do you need any help to prepare dinner, Malissa?”

“I should be good,” Malissa replied. “I might need to borrow your wok, though. And some spices.”

“You’re welcome to use them as you will,” Arek said, picking the wok up and cleaning it out with some snow. “How long do you need to make it?”

“Probably about an hour, just to account for any mistakes,” Malissa said.

“Don’t worry about mistakes. Focusing on the ways you can make a mistake will only hold you back. Focus on doing it correctly instead.”

“Isn’t avoiding mistakes the same thing as doing it right?”

“It’s a difference in attitude,” Arek said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m going to go get some exercise in. We slacked off in the Floating Cities, so there’s a lot of work to make up.”

“I’ll join you,” Belmont said, rising to his feet. “Keep an eye out, everyone. Who knows what sort of monsters could be lurking around us. I can’t set up adequate defenses for a campsite, so we have to be more careful than normal.”

“I don’t know if it’s possible to get more careful than normal for you,” Ming said. “I don’t want to run, though, so I’ll sit here and keep an eye on any evil thingies that try to kill us.”

Belmont gave an approving nod and followed Arek as the orc broke into a light jog.

“Do you think Brineview will really be free of the Howlers?” Belmont asked, keeping pace with Arek.

“That’s a dangerous question,” Arek replied. “If I say yes, then you know Brineview will be filled to the brim with ‘em. If I say no, then we have to worry about dealing with them.”

“A dilemma,” Belmont agreed. “And one that doesn’t answer the question.”

“I think we’ll deal with what comes when it comes. And we’ll do it on our terms this time.”

“What’s the difference? We’re fighting them either way, aren’t we?”

“It’s the attitude,” Arek replied with a chuckle. He increased his pace, forcing Belmont to break into a sprint to keep up.

They ran for nearly an hour, occasionally slowing down to catch their breath. Once they’d made a large loop around the camp, they headed back toward it covered in sweat and exhausted. The snow had made the exercise significantly more difficult. Belmont scooped some snow from the ground and threw it into his face to cool off.

“You probably wouldn’t sweat as much if you took your armor off,” Arek pointed out.

“Not all of us can magically summon our armor in a second,” Belmont replied. “I need to be ready to fight at all times.”

“Your magic could easily lend itself to making armor. It doesn’t even seem like it would be that different from what you can already do.”

“Then I wouldn’t be able to use it on someone else. Besides, my armor looks good.”

“Fair enough,” Arek said with a laugh.

Belmont grabbed some more snow and threw it over himself. They reached the camp, their jog slowing to a walk.

“Did you lose a fight with a snowman?” Ming asked.

“You know, I could use my bubble to encase you in a ball of snow,” Belmont said. “I’d never use magic for something so frivolous, but I shall point it out nonetheless.”

“That’s no fair,” Ming complained. “All I can do is blow stuff up. Magus won’t teach me anything fun.”

“We’ll try to contact him once we get to Brineview,” Malissa said, standing beside the crackling campfire and pouring a stream of oil into Arek’s wok. “I’m sure he’ll be able to get you some more tutelage then.”

“He gave you a book, didn’t he?” Arek asked.

“Yeah, but reading is really boring,” Ming muttered. “And most of the spells in it also involve exploding things one way or another.”

“Just don’t blow us up on accident,” Belmont said, flopping down in the snow.

Arek approached Malissa and peered into the wok. An inch of oil bubbled at the bottom.

“How are your dinner preparations going?” Arek asked.

“I’m not sure,” Malissa admitted. “I’ve never made anything like this. It’s not really anything that fancy. I bought some of the tortillas that Uri used from the Floating Cities and filled them with chicken that I’ve been marinating in my Bag of Colding. Then I added in a bit of cheese and folded them up.”

She stepped to the side, revealing a blanket on the snow with a dozen stuffed triangles. A bit of the stuffing poked out of a few holes, but they looked good for the most part.

“How did you get them to stick together?” Arek asked, impressed. “The tortillas don’t look precooked.”

“Oh, a merchant taught me a trick,” Malissa said. “You can mix water and flour together to make a paste. It will apparently hold them together while they cook.”

“Fascinating. I’m excited to try them, Malissa.”

Arek’s Fried Chickpeas

Ingredients:

2-3 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 pinch of salt

1 cup of dry chickpeas (or 1 15 oz can of the presoaked ones)

5-6 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of lime zest (optional)

Instructions:

1. If you are working with dry chickpeas, fill a pot about ¾ of the way with water and put chickpeas in. Cover and let soak overnight. Skip to Step 2 if you are working with presoaked peas.

2. The following morning, drain and dry the peas as much as possible.

3. Combine all spices in a bowl and set it aside.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil.

5. Put chickpeas into the pan in small batches, frying and moving them around frequently until they are golden brown and crispy. This will take about 20 minutes.

6. Remove peas from the pan

7. Add spices to hot chickpeas and toss to coat thoroughly, adding more spice if needed. Garnish with lime zest and enjoy warm.

CHAPTER TWO

Malissa distributed the food amongst the party and watched them expectantly. Arek raised one of the triangles to his mouth and ate half of it. The chicken had a warm kick of spice and a hint of smoke that meshed very well with the crunchy dough and cheese.

“This is very good,” Arek said, giving Malissa an appreciative nod. “Did you come up with this on your own?”

“Not really,” Malissa admitted. “I saw a street vendor doing something similar and basically just ripped her off. I didn’t get an ingredient list, though. I made that myself. Do you think that the balance of spices is okay in the chicken? That’s what I’m most worried about.”

“It’s perfect. You can always change things in the future, but this is a brilliant first attempt. I’d gladly serve these at my restaurant, and I’d love to learn the recipe whenever you get a chance to share it.”

Malissa flushed. “That’s high praise, Arek. Thank you.”

“They really are quite fantastic,” Belmont said with an approving nod. “I’m no food connoisseur, but I enjoy these a lot.”

Ming didn’t say anything. She’d stuffed three of the little triangles into her mouth at once, and her cheeks were bulging out like those of a chipmunk. The small mage realized everyone was staring at her and gave them a thumbs-up.

“Don’t speak,” Belmont said, stopping Ming before she could spray food everywhere across the camp. “I’d normally say not to fill your mouth with food, but since you’ve already failed at that, just try not to choke on it.”

Ming scrunched her nose and made a face. She eyed the remaining sandwiches, but the other members of the party all grabbed some for themselves before Ming could eat everything left.

They finished eating a few minutes later. Ming sent a despondent glance at the remains of Malissa’s meal before they all set up for the night, taking cover from the snow in their tents.

When the next morning dawned, the group packed their belongings up and snuffed out the smoldering embers that remained from the fire. It was still snowing, but it had let up since yesterday.

After a quick breakfast of jerky, they set back off along the road.

“If you’re starting to cook for the party, Ming might have to split her fees between us,” Arek said, a grin tugging at his lips. “It looks like you’re out for my job.”

“Oh, please,” Malissa said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll be replacing you any time soon. There’s no way to beat experience.”

“Sure there is,” Arek said. “It’s called training.”

“Training is good,” Ming said with a sage nod. “You should do a lot of it. Maybe have some competitions with Arek. I’ll be the judge.”

“I could be one as well.” Belmont grinned.

“You can’t be the judge,” Ming said. “We need an announcer. You could be like Betsy. We could get you a dress and everything.”

“You’re just trying to hog the food for yourself,” Belmont accused.

Ming didn’t even try to deny it. She just shrugged and stuck her tongue out at Belmont. He shook his head in mock annoyance, but Arek could tell that the man was secretly amused.

The rest of the day passed with little excitement. Malissa caught several rabbits, and Arek turned them to jerky similar to the one he’d made back in Red Mount. He considered cooking something more, but he didn’t want to use up too many ingredients before they got to town.

Snow fell in gentle sheets around them that night. Arek marveled at it from within the relative warmth of his own tent. It had been years since he’d seen so much snow. He was tempted to dive into it, but the powerful chill it promised was enough to keep him firmly planted in his sleeping quarters.

It didn’t let up all night, and their tents were half-buried when he got up the following morning. It took nearly an hour to dig everything out. Belmont was the only one who didn’t get snowed in, and that was only because the man had added heating runes to the base of his tent.

They continued onward, but their progress was significantly slowed. Initially, Arek couldn’t complain. The plains were like something out of a painting. Trees devoid of leaves bore icicles that twinkled in the sunlight.

Snow, unblemished by anything other than the trail of the Happy Sunflowers’ footsteps, stretched on as far as Arek could see. It was completely and utterly pristine. And cold. The more they trudged, the more the orc realized that snow was wet.

His pants and boots quickly grew soaked. He had to use his acceleration magic every half an hour just to keep the party from freezing their lower halves off, and his magical reserves weren’t meant for that amount of usage with any magic that wasn’t for combat.

Despite the temperature, Arek’s forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat by midday.

“Are you okay?” Malissa asked. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Arek said with a grimace. “Only a day or two left until we make it to Brineview. I’ll make it, but I wouldn’t count on having dry pants for much longer.”

“I could get rid of the snow,” Ming offered.

“Would that involve blowing everything in our path up?” Belmont asked.

“Probably.”

“Let’s hold off on that,” Malissa suggested. A snowflake fell on her nose, and she scrunched it. “For now, at least. If any more snow falls, I might lose my patience.”

Luckily for all of them, the weather didn’t grow any worse. The next two days of travel, while far from comfortable, were passable. Arek saved his magic, only casting it once every hour or two and before they went to bed.

By midday of the second day, a massive sheet of ice came into view. Before it was a massive city made of white stone, its spires rising high into the sky and disappearing behind the clouds.

“Wow,” Malissa breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

“I wonder what kind of food they have,” Arek said. “Hopefully something warm and spicy. I could use some heat.”

“Only one way to find out,” Ming said, picking up the pace. “Let’s go. New recipes await!”

They reached Brineview a few hours later. The massive gate leading into the city was flanked by nearly a dozen guards. Each carried a jagged halberd made of white metal and stood at attention along a drawbridge wide enough for an army to all cross at once.

A small booth sat in front of the drawbridge, several guards sitting within. One of them stepped out and approached the party when they grew close enough.

“Welcome to Brineview,” the man said, his voice slightly muffled by the helm covering his face. Arek felt the man’s gaze pause on him. The orc gave his most charming grin, but something told him that it hadn’t been particularly effective. “Are you an adventuring party?”

“Yup,” Ming said happily. “And please stop glaring at our chef.”

“The monster is your chef?”

“The best one you’ll ever see,” Ming said. “And you’re still glaring.”

The man’s visor still blocked his face, so how Ming could tell that for sure was a mystery. After glancing back at the other guards, the man shrugged. “There aren’t any rules against entry, but make sure it doesn’t damage anything. If it does, you’ll be on the line for repairs.”

“I swear this has happened before,” Malissa muttered. “What is it with people thinking you’re going to go around smashing everything in sight? If a monster can stand this calmly next to a party, they can clearly control themselves.”

“Well, it’s possible that something could scare them,” Belmont mused. “A large crowd or sudden noise might make someone act irrationally, no matter how well behaved they normally are.”

“Belmont!” Malissa snapped. “Whose side are you on?”

“Right, sorry,” Belmont said. “Arek would never attack someone without reason.”

“Right,” the guard said, drawing the word out. “Good to know. Do you plan to stay in Brineview long?”

“No clue,” Malissa replied. “We’re mostly just trying to get some rest, so maybe.”

“And try good food!” Ming added. “Mostly so Arek can steal all of your recipes.”

“I do not steal,” Arek said, affronted. “I exchange.”

The guard’s grip on his halberd slipped, and he nearly dropped it. He took a step back, his eyes going wide through the cracks in the visor.

“It can talk?” Arek asked dryly, predicting the guard’s words.

“It can talk?” the guard mimicked, then clapped a hand over his mouth with a clang. “It’s psychic?”

“Yes to all of the above,” Arek said.

The guard stared at them in awe. “Wait a minute. I’ve heard of you. You’re the Happy Sunflowers, aren’t you? The group that participated in the fight against the monster horde on Red Mount?”

“Why do you ask?” Belmont asked, casually adjusting his stance so his hand was closer to the bright pink staff at his side.

“I don’t know how I didn’t place it,” the guard said. He pulled his visor back and strode up to Ming with admiration in his eyes. “You must be Miss Ming, then, right? My brother, Hugh, sent a letter back about you.”

“I don’t think I know a Hugh,” Ming said, rubbing her chin. “Sorry.”

“You beat him in an eating competition on the Floating Cities, and he looked your adventuring group up afterward. It’s hard to miss him; he’s massive.”

“Oh!” Ming exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “He ate a lot.”

“That’s him,” the guard said with a chuckle. “What a small world. I’m very sorry about making assumptions, Mister Arek. I didn’t realize you were psychic as well, though. Hugh didn’t even mention it!”

“Uh, it’s fine,” Arek said, rubbing the back of his head. “Most orcs would probably rip you apart on sight, so I can’t exactly blame you.”

“Hold on,” the guard said, patting his pockets and letting out a quiet curse. He jogged back over to the guard house and reemerged a minute later with a piece of paper and a quill dipped in ink. “Could you sign this for my brother?”

“Sure,” Ming replied, taking the quill and signing the paper in his hands. She drew a little flower next to her name before handing it back.

“Thank you!” the guard said. “You’re welcome to head into the city. Please enjoy your stay.”

He ambled back to the guard house, whistling cheerfully. The Happy Sunflowers exchanged a glance, then headed toward the city. None of the guards on the drawbridge bothered them, and they took their first steps into Brineview.

The inside of the city was made from the same beautiful material as the walls, but with more flair. Houses of white stone and beautiful blue trimming lined the streets in orderly rows.

A gentle slope in the city made it so that Arek could see all the way down to the ocean at the other end. It stretched on as far as he could see, twinkling like a massive blue gem.

“Wow,” Malissa breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

Arek couldn’t agree more. The four of them stood near the entrance for several minutes, just absorbing the view. Belmont finally pulled them out of the way when passersby started staring at them.

“Come on,” Belmont said. “We can admire the view later. We should settle in somewhere and then try to see if we can get in contact with Magus.”

“When we settle in, we should figure out what food this place has,” Ming suggested. “So Arek can exchange for it.”

“I am quite eager to see what cuisine they have here,” Arek admitted. “That plan sounds good to me.”

“To an inn, then,” Malissa said, starting down Brineview’s main street. The Happy Sunflowers followed behind her, drinking in all the city’s sights as they headed deeper into it.

They wandered down the streets until they reached a tall, four-story building. Brilliant white marble columns and a granite nameplate identified it as the local adventurer’s guild branch.

The group stepped through the huge doors, which towered over even Arek, and made their way toward the receptionists at a desk at the back of the room.

A bespectacled man working the desk glanced up in their direction as they approached. His gaze lingered on Arek, but he didn’t so much as miss a beat.

“Hello,” Ming said cheerfully. Her head didn’t quite reach the top of the counter, so she pulled herself up to poke her nose over it. “I’m trying to find my teacher.”

“The school is at the east of Brineview,” the man said, his quill scratching across the paper.

“I’m a full-fledged mage!” Ming protested. “My teacher is Magus. We can reach him from here, right?”

The receptionist finally put his quill down. He pulled the glasses down to squint at them. “Magus? The B-rank mage?”

“That’s correct,” Malissa said. “We don’t want to take too much of your time up, so we’ll be out of your hair as soon as we can speak with him. You can request that he teleport over or something, right?”

“You think we ask B-rank mages to teleport around whenever any random group comes looking for them?” the receptionist asked with a snort. “What are you, the circus?”

Ming hopped back down and grabbed the bundle of staves from her bag, rooting around it for a few minutes before pulling out a plain wooden one that looked strikingly familiar to Arek.

“Wait, isn’t that…” Belmont started.

A faint blue glow lit up at the end of the staff. Ming poked it over the desk in the direction of the receptionist.

“This is pure magic,” she said. “And I’m not very good at controlling it yet. That means this might go boom. If you know anything about Magus, you would know that he’s a pure magic user, so his apprentice would be too. Right?”

The receptionist narrowed his eyes. “That could just be a light. You can’t prove—”

Ming flicked the staff down, tapping the paper he was working on. It vaporized with a puff, turning into a few trails of cyan smoke that curled into the air around them.

The receptionist leapt to his feet. “I’m under attack! Help! Someone help!”

The door behind the counter swung open, and a man that looked identical strode out, annoyance creasing his features. He snapped his fingers, and the receptionist folded in on himself like a piece of origami, vanishing within moments.

“I’m sorry about that,” the man said. “My name is Valen, and I’m the leader of the adventurer’s guild in Brineview.”

“Did you just kill yourself?” Belmont asked, eyeing him warily.

“No,” Valen said with a bassy laugh. “That was a simulacrum. I’ve been trying my hand at adding a few more to my employees, but I’ve been struggling with keeping their personalities straightened out. The more you’ve got at once, the harder it is to keep them from losing it a bit. I really am sorry.”

“No harm done,” Malissa said. “We were just hoping to speak with one of our party’s mentors.”

“Yes, I heard,” Valen said. “Magus, yes? I can send a request and see if he’s available. Magus has been very busy as of late. He’s gotten caught up in some serious business.”

“Like what?” Arek asked.

Valen’s eyebrows crept up, but he didn’t address Arek’s abnormalities. “It looks like there may be a pretty large guild war brewing. A fair number of guilds have been getting drawn into conflict as of late, but I’m not at liberty to say any more. With all due respect, I do not believe any of you are B-rank mages, and this information is confidential.”

He gestured for them to follow and headed back through the door that he’d come through. They followed Valen through the adventurer’s guild’s pristine halls, turning down several doors and catching glimpses of other people—all of whom looked identical to Valen—until they reached a small bronze door.

Valen pushed it open and led them into a circular room with a large, rune-covered platform in the center. It was made of tarnished bronze and had a large fence running around it. The only other thing in the room was a small pedestal with several buttons on top.

“Can’t you just mentally contact him or something?” Malissa asked.

“Of course not,” Valen replied, offering no further explanation. His fingers danced across the pedestal, and a low hum ran through the room.

The runes on the platform started to light with faint white energy. Valen pressed several more buttons in rapid succession. The humming grew louder with every passing second, and the light increased in intensity until the Happy Sunflowers had to cover their eyes.

Then, with a brilliant flash and a pop, it was over. The hum cut and the light returned to normal. A string of curses filled the room. Arek moved his hand away from his eyes just in time to see Magus, clad in a fluffy pink bathrobe and matching pointy hat, storm down from the platform.

“Blasted simulacrums,” Magus snarled, flicking Valen in the head as he passed.

Valen folded in on himself, cackling until he was gone.

“He was a simulacrum too?” Malissa asked, thoroughly baffled.

“This is the Brineview adventurer’s guild,” Magus said. “Everyone is. No matter—I had been meaning to speak with you all as soon as you had gotten somewhere safe. This might not be the ideal timing, but I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

“Likewise,” Belmont said. “We’ve got a lot of information to share, and a lot of it is worrisome.”

“As do I,” Magus admitted, adjusting his pointy hat. “But I think that would best be done over a meal. It’s been some time since I’ve last eaten, and Brineview has no shortage of passable diners that will suit our needs.”

He swept out of the room and the Happy Sunflowers followed, the confusion only growing on their faces.

“Am I having a fever dream?” Arek wondered. “I have no idea what’s going on. Since the moment we saw this place, everything has been weird.”

“Maybe Magus will explain,” Malissa said, but as they both watched his fuzzy pink hat bob up and down with every step, Arek was pretty sure none of them believed that for a second.

CHAPTER THREE

Magus swept down the streets of Brineview, his pink robes fluttering majestically behind him despite a stark lack of wind. People took one glance at him and quickly made way for the party.

They headed toward the seafront, turning down a busy street lined with dozens of shops. Magus led them up to a multistory building with a large crowd at its front. Tendrils of magic curled off his body, gently pushing anyone in his way to the side.

Annoyed murmurs rose up from the crowd, but they silenced as soon as people realized who the magic belonged to. The Happy Sunflowers scrambled to keep up with Magus before the crowd sealed back up.

A slightly rotund man in a sleek suit stood at the front of the building, behind a wooden pillar with a thick book perched atop it. Behind him were dozens of tables full of dining patrons. He pushed a pair of round spectacles back on his nose as Magus approached.

“Do you have a reservation?”

Magus put a stack of gold on the counter. The portly man blinked and cleared his throat, snapping the book shut with a nod.

“Ah, yes. I recognize you. Put the reservation in three weeks ago, I think. Follow me.”

He took them past the tables and up a flight of stairs to the second floor, where there were considerably fewer people. They stopped before a table overlooking the ocean below them.

“One of the finest views in the Brineview. A waiter will be along shortly to get your order.”

He disappeared back down the stairwell before any of them could respond. There weren’t quite enough chairs for everyone, so Arek grabbed one from a nearby table and pulled it over to sit down.

“You’ve been very busy,” Magus said, sitting down with his back facing the water. “I was not expecting to hear rumors about you aiding in stopping a monster horde in Red Mount. The ones about an orc chef squaring off against the Howler guild in the Floating Islands felt a bit more appropriate, but still somehow ended up being equally surprising.”

“It wasn’t me,” Arek corrected. “It was Malissa. I kind of just stood there.”

“Maybe start from the beginning,” Magus suggested. “I’d like to have an understanding of what has happened these past few weeks.”

They obliged him. Belmont went through a detailed recounting of exactly what had happened. At first, Arek was slightly surprised at the intricacy with which Belmont recalled everything. The man had memorized practically every single detail and miniscule interaction that he’d been present for.

Everything made a lot more sense when, a few minutes later, Belmont pulled a large book out of his extradimensional bag and started reading it out loud. Ming occasionally chimed in with her own additions to his retelling, but the rest of them stayed silent.

“What a story,” Magus said, rubbing his chin and shaking his head in a mixture of bewilderment and awe. “But, before I even think about any of that… Belmont, did you have the first portion of your diary memorized?”

“Of course. I just haven’t had a chance to get to the rest of it yet,” Belmont replied. “I wouldn’t want the information to be lost if the book were somehow damaged.”

“Do you memorize all of your diaries?” Arek asked.

“… Yes?” Belmont replied, saying it as if the orc had grown deluded. “Why wouldn’t I? Any diary could hypothetically be destroyed or lost.”

“We should probably just move on,” Malissa suggested. “Magus, do you know anything more about the Howler guild?”

Magus raised a finger, then nodded at the staircase. They turned as a well-dressed waiter approached their table bearing five menus. He placed them on the table before everyone.

“Would you like any refreshments?” the waiter asked.

“Water for all of us, please,” Malissa said.

“Of course. I’ll return shortly.”

“Actually, give us about ten minutes,” Magus said. “We have things to discuss in private.”

“Of course, sir,” the waiter said, inclining his head and heading back down the stairs.

Magus flicked his fingers, summoning a shimmering blue dome around their table. “Much of your story confirms the information I discovered,” he said, crossing his hands atop the table. “Their influence was significantly more extensive than I predicted. They’ve got enough influence in the adventurer’s guild to almost completely lock me out of my investigation, so I had to turn to some of my more unsavory contacts.”

“And?” Belmont pressed.

“The Howlers are indeed related to the monster hordes,” Magus said. “At least, all the information strongly points toward that. They’re trying to demolish or terrify any areas that they can’t get a foothold in. The ones that survive are in need of protection, and the adventurer’s guild looks incompetent, so the Howlers can move in. They’ve done it to several cities already, although you and the other groups at Red Mount thwarted one of their attempts.”

“And the adventurer’s guild is so corrupt that they aren’t doing anything about it?” Malissa asked.

“It’s more like the good ones are so caught up in doing things properly that they won’t move until it’s too late,” Magus replied irritably. “They want to move through the courts, but with the Howlers’ people slowing everything down, we’ll be too late to make any significant difference.”

“So can’t you just gather the other high-ranking mages that would stand against them and make a move?” Arek asked.

“I’ve been working on that,” Magus replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out a handkerchief that had been squished up into a bundle. He unfurled it just enough to reveal a cracked green orb. “We’ve been scouring dungeons in populated areas, and we’ve already found three of these devices.”

“Bastards,” Belmont snarled. “And I bet there’s no evidence to link them to the Howlers.”

“None,” Magus admitted. “None beyond your anecdote from Red Mount, which is incredibly important—if we can actually get things to court. The Ox and his team have been strikingly unhelpful.”

Ming pressed her lips together.

“So, what do we do?” Arek asked.

“About the Howlers? Nothing,” Magus replied. “You’ve done your part. You can’t square up against their highest-ranking mages; they’ve got multiple A ranks in their guild. If anything, you might be called on for a court case once this is all over. However, there is something significantly more important for all of you that I’ve discovered.”

“Are you going to tell us or just keep us hanging over the fire?” Arek asked, curling his lip up in a grin.

“Knowing how to dramatize a statement is an important talent,” Magus grumbled. “I’ve discovered what I believe to be the source of the Blessed One curse.”

They all stiffened in their chairs.

“What is it?” Belmont asked. “Where is it?”

“I followed all the records I could find of green pillars of light and mages growing inexplicably stronger,” Magus said, disregarding their questions. “And I discovered the reason why there’s so little information about this curse. The mages afflicted with it tend to disappear after a few months, but never violently. They just… head off on a mission and don’t come back. So, of course, I looked into those missions. They all led the mages to a city called Dortusk, which is near the center of the kingdom.”

They stared at him expectantly.

“I went there, of course,” Magus continued. “And imagine my surprise when I found that the Howler guild had a very large presence in the area. It made investigating somewhat difficult, so I had to leave. Still, I think I know the purpose of the curse now.”

“The Howler guild is trying to make soldiers,” Arek said before Magus could finish.

“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” Magus said with a nod. “It would make a lot of sense. They’re large, but not big enough to take on the adventurer’s guild on their own. However, if they had a huge group of super-powered mages that either owed them loyalty or were otherwise forced to fight for them, they’d have a decent chance.”

“They must have been setting this up for a ridiculously long time,” Malissa said, her eyes wide.

“On the contrary,” Magus said. “I don’t think they set this up at all. There are records of this curse from a long time before the Howlers rose to prominence. Of course, there’s a chance that they’re part of an even older organization, but I find it more likely that the Howlers discovered this curse and are trying to bend it to their own benefits.”

“And it somehow draws people to Dortusk, which means it’ll likely happen to us as well,” Arek said. “Or, rather, it’ll happen to me. Ming seems to be unaffected by the curse for some reason.”

“Yes, that’s quite the quandary,” Magus admitted. “I’m still unsure as to why you and Ming were the only ones that got the curse, and why she doesn’t seem to be affected by it. There’s a chance it needs the user to kill someone to fully activate, but the runes in her eyes suggest something else is afoot.”

“So, should we try to do something before Arek and Ming get drawn to Dortusk?” Malissa asked.

“Absolutely,” Magus said, “but not yet. Dortusk is not safe right now, but as I put more pressure on the Howlers, it’ll be easier to catch them off guard. You should still have at least a month or two before any sort of call begins. For the next three weeks or so, stay far away from the Howlers or anyone else with the Blessed One curse. Brineview is a decent place to kill some time, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay here. There are no portal blocks in Dortusk, so I can teleport everyone there when the time comes.”

“That’s it?” Ming asked. “That seems so boring.”

“You’ve got more than enough magic to learn,” Magus replied, crossing his arms. “How much did you study from the book I gave you?”

Ming clutched her heart and doubled over the table with a groan. “Oh, no. The world is going gray. I think I might pass out.”

They all stared at her. She shifted slightly to peek up at them through a squinted eye, then squeezed it shut when she realized they were watching her.

“She didn’t get too much,” Belmont said. “Nor did I, unfortunately. It’s been hard to find enough time to do it, and practicing in the Floating Cities just didn’t feel right.”

“Even adventurers must occasionally rest,” Magus said. “And you’ve got more than enough time to learn now. Stay in the surrounding area. There are two dungeons in the area that are both at high C rank, you should be more than capable of dealing with them. Do those if you get bored.”

“We can do that,” Arek said. “But how do you know the Howlers won’t chase us here?”

“I don’t,” Magus admitted, “but I plan to keep them busy enough that they can’t afford to bother hunting after minor thorns in their side. They’re also caught up in quite the conflict with the remains of the Starpiercer guild, so their attention is split.”

“That sounds good to us,” Malissa said.

“Good,” Magus replied, flipping his menu open and scanning through it. He flicked his hand, sending a wisp of blue energy darting down the stairs. “Then let’s eat.”

Ming sprang upright. “I saw god, and he sent me back to eat.”

“I’m sure he did,” Magus said, trying and failing to keep his lip from quirking slightly upward.

The waiter climbed up the stairs a few seconds later to take their orders. Shortly after ordering, the food arrived and they all dug in. Little was said throughout the meal. The beautiful view of the ocean far beneath them, paired with the gentle rays of the sun coming down through the large opening overlooking the water, set a perfect ambiance.

“I’ve got much to do, so I’ll be off,” Magus said once he finished the large fish he’d ordered. “I expect to see progress on your magic when we next meet, Ming. You too, Belmont.”

He dropped several gold coins on the table and snapped his fingers. The blue veins running through his skin flared and he vanished in a puff of smoke, spiraling out over the ocean and into the sky.

“That wasn’t dramatic at all,” Arek said, still nursing the large red bowl of soup in front of him. “I wonder if he remembers that he’s still wearing that fuzzy pink bathrobe.”

“I pity anyone foolish enough to remind him,” Malissa replied, glancing at the coins Magus had left and then adding a few of her own. “But it’s good to know that we don’t actually have to do anything for a bit. It’s like an extension to our vacation!”

“We mustn’t let our guard down,” Belmont said. His face softened an inch. “But it would be nice to take a look around town and figure out a place to stay for a few weeks. Maybe there will be some interesting things happening.”

“We’ve still got some money,” Malissa said as they headed out of the restaurant and wandered down the street, taking in the views. “But not enough to go on a shopping spree. We should probably start looking into making coin if we plan to stay here long.”

“I’m not so sure I feel like doing a dungeon right now,” Belmont said with a frown. “Even if Magus has had people check the surrounding area, I think I’ve gotten a bit used to not fighting. My skills are rusty.”

“It’s been like a week since Red Mount,” Ming pointed out. “How much could you have lost?”

“We both have a lot of magic to learn,” Belmont said, crossing his arms. “No going into dungeons until you learn at least one new spell that isn’t just blowing something up even harder.”

Ming stuck her tongue out at him. “What are we going to do for money, then? We’ll starve to death!”

“You’ve probably got enough food in your bag to last us a month,” Malissa said, stopping before a large inn and glancing at a sign in the window. She shuddered and shook her head. “Not here. We aren’t paying ten gold a night.”

“Those are my emergency snackies,” Ming said, baring her teeth like a cornered dog. “Keep your peepers off them.”

“We could always check if the town has some jobs we could do,” Arek offered. “Maybe a restaurant would be willing to hire me and Malissa. I’ve always wanted to work at a restaurant.”

“I thought you wanted to start your own?” Malissa asked.

“Well, I do. But I’m nowhere near affording that. Working at one wouldn’t be a bad choice. As long as I get to make food for people, I’m happy.”

They paused at the edge of the street to let a wagon rumble past them, then crossed over to the other side. After passing two more inns that Malissa deemed overly expensive, they arrived at a smaller, two-story building. It had the beautiful blue-and-white theme shared by the rest of the city, but seemed a little older than the other places they’d seen.

Malissa pushed the door open, and they followed her inside. A portly old man with a white moustache and a can glanced up at them from behind one of five tables scattered throughout the room.

He pushed himself to his feet with a grunt and gave them a weary smile. “Oh, welcome! I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting any customers right now. It’s been a bit of a slow week.”

The man’s cane punctuated his steps as he walked over to stand before them. “I’m Randy. What can I help you with?”

“We’re looking for a room for the next few weeks,” Malissa replied. “But I didn’t see a sign in the window with your prices.”

“Oh, yes, I keep forgetting to put that up. Five silver a night, but I could give you a discount if you’re staying for a long period of time. Say… ninety silver for three weeks?”

“That’s much more reasonable than the other places we’ve seen,” Malissa said, paying the man with gold. “You can keep the change.”

“How kind of you,” Randy said with a smile. He slowly made his way over to the bar and stepped behind it, ruffling around within the cabinets before pulling out a large key and handing it to Malissa. “That’s for my largest room. It’s got four beds—is that enough?”

“That works for us,” Arek said. “We do have another question, if you don’t mind us troubling you. We’re looking for some work for the duration of our stay in the city. All of us are C-rank adventurers, but we’d prefer to do something a little more relaxed. Do you know if anyone is hiring temporary workers?”

“Oh, Brineview is always looking for labor,” Randy laughed. “You can wander around the town square and find a dozen stores looking for all sorts of people. We have quite a few tourists passing through, so temp jobs aren’t hard to find at all.”

“That’s good to hear,” Belmont said. “Thanks for your time. We’ll return later tonight to move into our room.”

“Of course,” Randy replied, waving as they filed back out of the store.

CHAPTER FOUR

“He seemed nice,” Malissa said.

“And better yet, he didn’t seem very strong,” Belmont said. “He won’t try to rob us. Unless he’s got an accomplice or is a powerful mage that has somehow hidden his strength.”

“Belmont,” Malissa said, sending a flat glare at him.

“Ah. Right. I’m sure he isn’t secretly the ringleader of an underground thief ring or a black market. He’s just a nice old guy with good prices.”

“You probably aren’t getting much better than that,” Arek said with a chuckle. “Just don’t go crazy with your traps, Belmont. We don’t want to get kicked out.”

“Don’t worry,” Belmont replied. “I’ve been thinking about my defenses ever since I realized how predictable I was.”

“I don’t think you got the message I was getting at,” Arek said with a sigh. “Whatever. I’m very curious to see what kind of jobs we can find. We need to figure out what sort of cuisine Brineview specializes in.”

“Seafood, if I had to guess,” Malissa said, sending an amused glance at the sea.

“We can only hope. I haven’t cooked with much fish before.” Arek rubbed his hands together. “Does anyone see any hiring signs in the restaurants?”

They didn’t, aside from one in a shop whose sign proclaimed that it sold “pickled sausages”… whatever those were. None of them, even Arek, were particularly eager to find out. The group headed deeper into the city, following sparse signs toward the town square.

The signs turned out to be completely useless. After walking in a circle at least three times, Arek was starting to get slightly annoyed. Luckily, Ming got fed up faster than he did. She darted off down a side street, forcing the rest of them to run after her.

As it turned out, they should have done that from the start. Ming located the town square no more than a minute later. They finally caught up to the small mage, but not before she managed to buy a chocolate-covered banana on a stick from a cart vendor.

“You should have let me lead,” Ming said, her voice muffled as she stuffed the entire thing into her mouth. “I found it fast.”

Belmont pulled her mouth open and extracted the wooden stick before Ming could swallow it. He smacked her on the head with it.

“Don’t eat the stick!”

“It has flavor!” Ming mumbled. “My stomach can digest it anyways. I draw all the energy out of everything I eat to fuel my magic.”

“We’re not getting into this right now,” Malissa said with a sigh. “You’re right about one thing, though. Those signs were horrible. I’ve never seen such poor directions in my life.”

“Hey, at least we made it now,” Arek said, scanning the shopfronts for any “help wanted” signs. A few that appeared to belong to restaurants caught his eye. “Shall we split up and see what kind of jobs we might be able to get?”

They all turned to look at Ming.

“What?”

“You’re coming with me,” Malissa decided. “Belmont, please don’t stab anyone.”

“I won’t,” Belmont promised. Then, under his breath, he added, “Nobody that doesn’t deserve it, at least.”

Malissa grunted. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Wait, you heard me?” Belmont asked. Malissa smirked and waved her hand, taking Ming by the shoulder and leading her toward the far end of the square. Belmont pursed his lips, then glanced around. “Maybe I can find a smith.”

“Or an enchanter,” Arek suggested. “Moonrune products are very lucrative, not to mention that enchantments can be pretty powerful. Maybe you could pick up a thing or two.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Belmont mused. He rubbed his chin, then started into the crowd while scanning the shops.

Arek wandered off in the direction of the restaurants he’d spotted earlier. He kept as far away from the crowd as possible to avoid drawing any ire, but to his surprise, not many people paid him much attention.

The most he got were a few surprised glances from passersby. Not about to question his good luck, Arek reached a restaurant named Dinky’s Dive and stepped inside. A tiny bell rang, announcing his arrival.

“Looking for a meal?” a short bartender asked, brushing long, golden hair out of his face. “Wait, do you speak common?”

“I do,” Arek replied. He poked the chef’s hat perched atop his head. “And I’m looking for a job, not a meal.”

The bartender cocked an eyebrow and grabbed a mug from a shelf behind him, filling it with a dark liquor and sliding it down the bar to a dwarf who hadn’t even finished raising his hand. The dwarf grabbed the mug, raising it in appreciation, then slammed the whole thing in one go.

“Fancy yourself a cook?” the bartender asked.

“I am a cook,” Arek corrected. “I’m curious to know what a job at this location would entail.”

“Are you a tourist or here to stay?”

“I’ll be here for around three weeks.”

“Then, in that case, all I need is a dishwasher. Interested? It pays five bronze a day.”

Arek grimaced. “I’m afraid I’d prefer to cook. Do you happen to know if any location is seeking a chef?”

“Most restaurants in this area have their own secret recipes. I doubt you’re going to find any short-term work as a chef.” The bartender shrugged. “And that includes my restaurant. It just ain’t worth the effort of possibly losing a recipe to some upstart thief.”

Arek snorted. “Secret recipes. Food is meant to be shared.”

The bartender narrowed his eyes. “Tell that to my competitors. I’ve got a living to make.”

“Then cook better than they do,” Arek said. He shook his head, then turned around and walked out the door. He strode over to a restaurant beside Dinky’s Dive, but was given almost the exact same response.

Arek tried his luck with half a dozen other shops, ranging from bakeries to diners. Every single one refused to offer him a cooking job so long as he wasn’t planning to stay in the area for more than a few weeks.

He trudged back to where they’d entered the square several hours later and sat down on a bench, dejected but not defeated. Ming was the first to rejoin him. She carried two soft, cheese-filled pastries in her hands.

Hopping onto the bench beside him, Ming offered Arek one of her prizes. “No luck?”

“Not much,” Arek admitted, taking it from her with a smile. He ate the entire thing in one bite, enjoying the salty flavor of the cheese as it mingled with the rich, sweet pastry. It had been masterfully made—and the texture was incredible. He’d never had dough quite as fluffy or buttery before. “But this is delicious.”

“A nice old guy gave them to me,” Ming replied happily. “He was selling them out of a wooden cart.”

Arek grunted. “Not much need for aid if he’s working out of a one-person cart, I suppose. Were you able to find a job?”

“No. Everyone thought I was a child.”

“Unfortunate,” Arek drawled. “I can’t see how that would have happened.”

“Me neither,” Ming said, completely straight-faced. She finished off her pastry and licked her fingers. They sat in silence for a few moments. Then Ming poked Arek in the chest. “What if we did that too?”

“Did what?”

Ming nodded in the direction of the cart from which she’d gotten her pastries. “Well, he’s just selling food from the street. We can’t afford a store, but maybe we could get a cart like that. Your food would sell more than enough to make money.”

Arek blinked. Somehow, selling his food on the street had yet to occur to him—perhaps because he still half-expected to get chased out of the city by an angry mob. “That’s… actually quite a good idea. I’d be a little constrained by the cart’s size, but it would be an interesting challenge.”

“I’m full of good ideas,” Ming said. “And food.”

“That you are,” Arek said slowly, his gaze latched on the wooden cart. “That you are.”

Malissa and Belmont found them a few minutes later, their expressions downcast. The two sat down at Arek’s side.

“You look pleased,” the orc observed. “What happened?”

“I hate every single job here,” Malissa said. “Nobody wanted to teach me any recipes or even let me cook in their kitchens. The only people hiring were the whorehouses, who apparently also guard their recipes. And—get this—even they wouldn’t hire me!”

“They offered the role to me instead,” Belmont said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “But for that pay, I would never even consider it.”

“So none of us had much luck,” Arek finished. “I found much of what Malissa did, although I admit that I didn’t try my hand at any… nightlife. I’d imagine there’s a market, but I’m not too interested in partaking.”

“So we’re getting the cart, then?” Malissa asked.

“Cart?” Belmont cocked an eyebrow.

Arek nodded in the vendor’s direction. “Ming had an idea. We don’t necessarily need to work for someone else. If nobody is willing to give us a job, we’ll make our own. My cooking is more than good enough to compete with the competition, and maybe once we make a mark, people will be a little more interested in trading with us.”

“That covers you and Malissa,” Belmont said, tapping a finger on his armored hip with a clink. “What about me and Ming? If you let Ming into the kitchen, she’ll eat everything before you can serve it to someone.”

“This is true,” Ming said cheerfully. “Which is why it would be a fantastic idea.”

“Not if we’re trying to make money.”

“I’ll leave a little.”

“No, you won’t.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Belmont, please,” Arek said, chuckling and raising a hand. “We’ll need to get our hands on ingredients. We also need advertising, or nobody is going to check us out. And, on top of that, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these people tried to start some trouble with us once we set up shop. I won’t be able to take any direct action against them because I’m an orc. If I so much as defend myself, I’ll likely get chased out of town.”

“I could be a guard,” Belmont said, blinking. “But… that leaves Ming to get ingredients and advertise.”

All of them turned to her.

“What?” Ming asked.

“Are you capable of getting ingredients without eating all of them?” Malissa asked.

Ming frowned and rubbed her chin. “Can I eat a little?”

“No,” Arek and Malissa chorused.

“That is pretty hard,” Ming said. “I suppose I can do my best.”

“What about advertising?” Malissa asked.

“I think Ming should be able to do that without much work at all,” Arek said, a grin tugging at his lips. “All we’ll have to do is give her some food and set her loose on the city. As long as she doesn’t eat it all at once, people will notice and follow her back if the food is good enough.”

“Bold of you to assume she won’t eat it all at once,” Belmont said.

Ming nodded empathetically.

“I’m sure she’ll be able to handle it,” Arek said, pushing himself back to his feet and brushing his backside off. He shifted his large bag with a grunt and nodded. “Let’s get to it. I’ve always wanted to start a restaurant.”

“This isn’t exactly a full restaurant,” Malissa said as they joined him.

“Have to start somewhere,” Belmont said with a shrug. “And it’s safe. Nice and open, so nobody can easily sneak up on us. I won’t even have to trap it too much.”

“Quick question,” Ming said, jogging to keep up with them. “Where are we supposed to find a cart? We aren’t stealing the old dude’s one, are we?”

“It would be cheaper,” Belmont mused.

“Also illegal. Not doing that,” Arek said. “But there has to be somewhere that’s got a cart for sale. This is a huge city. Just look for a woodworking shop or something. Maybe a travelling farmhand?”

And that was what they did—for the next three hours. The group roamed up and down Brineview’s streets, scouring them for any sight of wooden carts that could be converted to their purposes.

It wasn’t that there were none. On the contrary, the city was full of them. Unfortunately, the majority of them were also actively being used, and their owners were not particularly interested in parting with them.

The carts that were both available and in one piece didn’t instill Arek with much confidence. Many were discarded, missing wheels or covered with mold and rot. Just when he was starting to wonder if there was even a single passable cart that wasn’t already spoken for in the entire city, something caught his eye.

An old man was closing up his storefront. The building was two stories high and flanked by two large alleys that twisted deeper into the city’s center. Parked at the edge of the store was a wooden cart, aged and tanned from the sun.

Its wheels were slightly sunken into a small patch of mud, and judging by the grass growing around it, the cart didn’t look like it had been used in quite some time. Arek brought the others’ attention to it, and the Happy Sunflowers jogged over to the man.

“Excuse me,” Malissa said, clearing her throat as they grew close.

The man spun, raising his fists defensively and staring at them from beneath two bushy eyebrows. “Whadda ya want?”

“Are you using that cart?” Ming asked, blinking her wide eyes at him. “We’d really, really like to eat it.”

“Buy it,” Malissa corrected. “We’d like to buy it. If you aren’t using it, of course.”

“That old thing?” the man asked, frowning. “Why?”

“Does it matter?” Belmont said. “Our money is good.”

“Be polite,” Malissa scolded. Belmont turned his nose up, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

“Please?” Ming pleaded. “I’m hungry.”

“It’s wood. You can’t eat it,” the man said, crossing his arms. “Is this a joke? It’s not funny.”

“We don’t want to eat it,” Malissa said, grabbing Ming by the arm and pulling the smaller woman behind her. “Don’t worry about our friend. She’s a little delirious. We need the cart to start up a food stall.”

The man harrumphed. “Well, if that’s the case, the thing isn’t doing me much use. My son used to haul lumber for our fireplace in it, but it’s been years since he moved out, and the cart has just been sitting there. I’ll give it to you for ten gold.”

“Done,” Malissa said, grabbing the requested coin and dropping it in the man’s palm. She winked at the others, then walked over to the cart and tugged on it. It was lodged in the mud.

“Deal didn’t include me helping you move it, mind you,” the old man said. “Maybe you should ask your larger friend to—”

With a heave, Malissa lifted the entire thing over her head. Mud and grass rained down around her as her muscles flexed and she let out a grunt. “Right. Got it. The wheels are screwed, but I think we can fix them.”

The man’s mouth dropped open, and Arek chuckled.

“We’ll deal with that later. Good job, Malissa.”

“Thanks,” she said, adjusting her grip on it with a grimace. “So, where to?”

CHAPTER FIVE

“How about the town square?” Ming suggested. “There were more than a few spots where we could probably set up.”

“Would the authorities be okay with that?” Belmont asked with a frown. “There are likely rules keeping people from just setting up shop wherever they want to. I’d rather not have to run out of this town as well.”

“I doubt it’ll be anything too strictly enforced,” Malissa said, “but you’ve got a point. Then again, it’s a wagon. We can always leave or move if we need to.”

“More importantly, we don’t have enough to really do anything with it yet,” Arek pointed out. “We have a cart. That’s it. No kitchen.”

“If we get our cart confiscated for illegally setting up shop, it won’t matter what it’s got,” Belmont said.

“Let’s just assume that isn’t going to be a problem,” Malissa said. “I saw some other carts along the street corners, and none of them looked all that fancy. I doubt anyone will care.”

Belmont grunted. “Perhaps. In that case, I will procure supplies.”

“I’ll help!” Ming said happily.

“Only as long as you don’t eat everything we buy before we get back to the cart,” Belmont grumbled. “I know that’s the only reason you’re volunteering. You’ve probably got enough food in your Bag of Colding for us to run this cart for a week.”

“Those are emergency supplies!” Ming snapped. “That can’t be wasted on situations like this.”

“Slow down,” Arek said, chuckling. “We haven’t even figured out what we’ll be making quite yet. There’s no point buying a bunch of ingredients when we’ll have such a limited kitchen. Best-case scenario, we get a pan. I don’t think we’ve got the time or care to modify this cart any further than that. So, whatever recipe we cook has to be something doable with that.”

“Do you have something in mind yet?” Malissa asked.

“Well, the town has a lot of seafood,” Arek mused. “There’s probably a lot of fresh catch in the area since we’re next to the sea. I haven’t cooked much with seafood, but I’ve got a basic idea of what it should probably be paired with. It could be fun to start from there and see what we can do.”

“So we should go buy a lot of fresh stuff?” Ming asked.

“Let’s start with one type of meat, some pasta, garlic, butter, some peppers, and maybe any other veggies you find that look good. Use some restraint, please,” Arek added dryly. “Oh, get some lemons as well. Citrus goes good with seafood.”

Ming nodded intently. “Lots of snacks. I’ll find them.”

She darted off, slipping under Belmont’s arms before he could stop her. The warrior groaned and ran off after her, his armor clanking as she quickly expanded the distance between them.

Malissa watched them vanish into an alley with a small smile. “It’s nice to finally get a chance to relax. We all needed it.”

“Agreed,” Arek said, his face wrinkled slightly in worry, “but I don’t think we’re going to be able to stay here long. Those monster hordes… If the Howlers are trying to do something, then they’re going to make their move sooner rather than later, especially with Magus pushing on them. Not to mention that we don’t really know how long it will be until the Blessed One curse pulls me and Ming to Dortusk. We don’t know how long it takes for the spell to fully activate.”

“Yeah, but what can we even do about that?”

Arek shrugged and grabbed one of the cart’s handles. He nodded to Malissa, who took the other, and the two of them started dragging it toward the town square.

“Right now? Prepare,” Arek finally said. “Relaxing is good, but we should plan as well. Time is not on our side.”

“That’s reassuring,” Malissa muttered. They drew several curious glances as they passed through the streets, but the two ignored them.

Before long, they’d arrived at a corner of the market that was largely unpopulated. A posh woman wearing a fur coat stood up from where she sat on a bench and hurriedly crossed to the other side of the square as Arek released the cart with a grunt.

“We’ll have to get some surfaces to cook on as well,” Arek said. “I’ve got the utensils to cook, but if we’re actually going to serve somebody, we can’t just be working on old, rotted wood. A cutting board is an absolute minimum—as well as something for people to eat out of.”

“If we’re giving out bowls and plan to serve any significant amount of customers, that’s a lot of bowls,” Malissa said. “What will we do with them after we close up shop? It’d be a bit of a waste of money, and I doubt we want to drag them around with us.”

“What about Belmont’s magic?” Arek suggested, grinning. “They’d only have to last long enough for a portion of street food, which probably wouldn’t take too long to eat. They could use chopsticks as utensils. Those are cheap and wooden, so it won’t cost much for us to get some.”

“Do people here know how use those?” Malissa asked.

“They’ll learn, or they’ll eat with their hands. The food will be worth it.”

“That’s one way to look at things,” Malissa said, laughing. “I suppose I’ll go try to find a cutting board and some chopsticks, then. What about you?”

“The wagon,” Arek said. “It needs a fair bit of polishing up if we want anyone to even check us out. I’ll get a sign or something and try to clean some of the mold and stains off the walls so we can at least look slightly presentable.”

Everyone broke away to do their respective tasks. Luckily, the crawl through the city took Arek considerably less time than he expected. He was able to find some polishing supplies at a general store, and got a very rough wooden sign commissioned from a carpenter’s apprentice for just a few coins.

A little over an hour or two later, everyone had regrouped at the wagon. Luckily, nobody had bothered their run-down cart in its spot. That might have been because it was so shoddy that they figured it was probably more work than it was worth to drag away, but Arek took what he could get.

He set about hanging the sign at the top of the wagon while Malissa took the polishing supplies and got to work trying to make the wagon actually look presentable. Belmont aided her, meticulously getting rid of any smudge of dirt or rot that he set his eyes on.

Ming busied herself organizing the food in a small icebox that she and Belmont had bought. Arek pretended not to notice when she snuck a few snacks out of their supplies and into her own bag. There was only so much food Ming could look at without eating, after all.

The city didn’t seem to care one way or another about their work. Beyond a vaguely curious glance or two, nobody even got close to them. Arek was perfectly happy with that, and as night started to fall, the Happy Sunflowers took a few steps back and examined their work.

It would be a lie to say that the cart had suddenly transformed into a beautiful storefront. The wheels were still broken and the wood was still old. However, it was a far cry from what it had once been.

Polish had been applied to every open piece of wood, giving it a faint sheen. It was pitted from where the rotted parts had been removed, and several large cracks ran throughout the wagon. A homely wooden sign hung at the front, granting it the name “Ming’s Snackporium.”

“I love it!” Ming exclaimed. “But why did you name it after me? Not that I’m complaining. I would have done the same thing, but I wasn’t there to choose the name this time.”

“Because you’re going to be our mascot,” Arek said with a wide grin. “It’s a hard sell to get people to eat food made by an orc that nobody knows. But a happy little girl with incredible magic and an affinity for food? That will work much better.”

Ming’s eyes narrowed. “So it’s only got my name so you can make me run around and convince people to come here?”

“Yep.”

“Awesome!”

“It’s quite devious,” Belmont agreed, wiping some of the sweat from his brow. “But what am I supposed to do? There won’t be much more renovation done to this cart, and even if there was, I’m no carpenter. Considering my lack of cooking skills, I doubt I can help much there either.”

Arek rubbed his chin. “Do you want to work with the rest of us somehow? If not, you might still be able to find a job elsewhere tomorrow.”

“If it’s possible, I would like to remain here,” Belmont said. “But I will not hold the group back either. I’ll spend some more time looking for jobs tomorrow like you suggest, then see what happens after.”

“Seems like a good idea,” Malissa said. “So we’ll be going into business tomorrow?”

“Might as well,” Arek said. “We’ll get up early to try to beat some of the other shops with getting open and competing for customers. Hopefully, word of mouth will do the rest.”

The others nodded. They took one final look at their hard work, then retired to an inn for the night. Not a single one of them slept well. The excitement and worry of the events the following day held for them kept everyone awake.

When Arek got up the next morning and headed into the hall, Malissa and Ming were already waiting for him.

“You beat me up. Well done,” Arek said. “Where’s Belmont?”

“He went off to hunt for jobs again,” Malissa said as the three headed out of the inn and made for their wagon. “He’ll find us later today.”

“Sounds good,” Arek said.

They reached the wagon a few minutes later and Ming pulled the icebox out of her Bag of Colding, thumping it onto one of the wagon’s counters.

“Isn’t that a bit redundant?” Malissa asked. “An icebox in a Bag of Colding.”

Ming shrugged. “It’s cold. Where else would I put it?”

“Fair enough.”

Arek popped the box open and scanned through the ingredients. There was garlic, a fair amount of pasta, shrimp, lemons, a bottle of clear liquid, and butter. She’d managed to get everything he’d asked for. Everything had been sorted and ordered into piles.

“This should be perfect for the first day,” Arek said. “Good job, Ming. Any reason why you chose shrimp?”

“The guy selling seafood said that it was pretty popular right now, and he’d already done some preparation stuff on it. Since you don’t have a lot of room to work with, I thought less work would be better. I’ve got more of it, too. That was just all that fit in the icebox.”

“Great thoughts,” Arek said. “I believe shrimp cooks quite quickly as well, so this should work even better than fish for a street-food style of cooking.”

“So, how do we start?” Malissa asked. “Or is it still too early?”

Arek glanced up at the sky. The sun had still not climbed over the horizon, and the world was cast in faint hues of purple and gray. A few people were already out and about in the square, but most of them looked very preoccupied with their own work or setting up stalls.

“There’s some movement, but I think we’re mostly looking at other merchants and people working for large households,” Arek said, rubbing his chin. “Most of these people probably don’t want to buy food from us, but it shouldn’t be long until some people do. That said, the recipe I’ve got in mind isn’t very good once it’s cold. It has to be made to order, and there isn’t much prep time. Let’s wait about half an hour before we start.”

“Maybe we could go over the recipe so I can help more?” Malissa suggested.

“That is exactly what I was thinking.” Arek grinned. “I don’t really have a name for this, but I know that seafood pairs very well with garlic, butter, and citrus. So that’s exactly what we’ll be doing.”

“Cook the shrimp in butter and garlic, then mix in the pasta?” Malissa guessed. She held up a finger before Arek could respond. “Wait, you’re supposed to cook the garlic first, then add the shrimp, right?”

“Correct,” Arek said. “Just for half a minute or so, to bring the flavor of the garlic out.”

He shuffled through the ingredients Ming had bought and held up the bottle of clear liquid. “What’s this?”

“White wine,” Ming replied. “The guy selling the shrimp said it went good with it.”

Arek squinted at the bottle. He pushed a claw into the cork and popped it out, then took a slight sniff, wrinkling his nose. “It’s strong.”

Malissa sniffed it as well and shrugged. “Smells about normal to me, but it’s been a while since I had any wine. We can’t exactly just serve wine with the meal, though. Street food is supposed to be fast and informal—not to mention our lack of cups.”

“Wine is acidic,” Arek said. “I think it might work the same way the lemon juice would for tenderizing the meat. I’ve heard of people using wine in a sauce and then cooking the alcohol out. Maybe we could try for something similar.”

“Works for me,” Malissa said with a shrug. “So, oil and garlic, then shrimp, then pasta?”

“Pretty much. How many burners did you manage to buy?”

“I got this thing,” Malissa said, tapping a clunky contraption she’d set up inside the wagon. “It’s not really efficient and runs off magical energy rather than its own power source, but there are two burners on it. It was pretty cheap since it was so large and unwieldy.”

“Two should work perfectly, and Ming has magical power to spare. She can fill it up whenever it starts running low. Why don’t we go ahead and try the recipe out with one batch, just to get a feel for it?”

Malissa nodded. She pulled a small bag out and tipped it over her hand, producing a cascade of water. She used it to wash her hands, then offered it to Arek.

The orc did the same before returning it to her. “Convenient.”

“Quite,” Malissa agreed. “It’s got about a barrel of water in there. You should get some for your garden.”

“I might do just that. It’s been a while since I refilled the reserve. My plants are probably starting to run a little low on water. Speaking of which…”

He dug around for his medallion and tapped the button in its center. The orc vanished, reappearing a minute later with a bundle of fresh herbs in his hands. “Parsley. It’ll go well with the sauce.”

“I’ll chop up a little,” Malissa said, taking the bundle from him. Arek nodded and took his wok out, setting it on the burner.

“Could you get this thing started?” Arek asked Ming.

The short mage nodded and knelt, pulling open a latch at the machine’s front. Blue magic sparked from her fingers and zipped into the box, forming into a spinning sphere.

She poured energy into it for thirty seconds, then closed the latch and stood back up. “There. Nice and full. Unlike me. I call dibs on your test meal.”

“A fair price,” Arek said with a chuckle, turning one of the burners on. He took one of his bottles of olive oil out and poured several glugs into the wok once it was hot. “Malissa, could you get a few cloves of garlic cut up?”

“Already on it,” Malissa replied as her knife beat rapidly against the wooden cutting board. She scraped the parsley to the side and cracked three garlic cloves, dicing them and pushing the pile over to Arek.

The orc added a chunk of butter to the wok, mixing it until it was melted. He then scooped the garlic into the hot oil, Malissa watching over his shoulder as it crackled and popped. The rich aroma of garlic quickly rose from the pan, filling the small wagon. Arek didn’t wait long before grabbing a small handful of shrimp and tossing it in.

Oil hissed and popped as the shrimps quickly started to cook, losing their transparent gray color and turning a faint white. After only about a minute, Arek shook some salt and pepper onto the meat, then flipped each shrimp one by one.

“They cook a lot faster than I thought they would,” Malissa said, raising her eyebrows. “Why can’t all meat cook this quickly?”

“It’s honestly more of a pain, in my opinion,” Arek said. “If they cook this fast, there isn’t much room for error. It’s great for street food, though. Can you pass me the wine?”

Malissa handed him the bottle, and Arek poured several glugs into the wok. The bubbling sauce hissed and stilled as the wine took a lot of the heat from it.

Arek stirred everything, then nodded. “Start on the noodles. They look fresh, so just thirty seconds in boiling water should take care of them.”

Malissa nodded and set one of Arek’s pots on the second burner. She turned the heat to max and used the tiny bag of water to fill it while the orc kept watch over the rest of the meal.

The sauce in the wok didn’t take long to start reducing. Once it was almost half-gone, Arek turned the heat off and took his wok off the flame, adding in the parsley and another chunk of butter.

With a flash of his cleaver, Arek cut a lemon and squeezed its contents into the wok. He mixed everything together, finishing just as Malissa removed the pasta from her boiling water. She put it into a small bowl that she’d purchased the night before, and Arek spooned the shrimp and sauce in over it.

The smell of garlic and butter hung heavy in the air.

Ming licked her lips eagerly. “Mine?”

Malissa pulled out some of the chopsticks and speared two of the shrimps before Ming could grab the bowl. She gave one to Arek, who nodded his appreciation and popped the morsel into his mouth.

He let out a pleased sigh. The garlic and butter had infused the shrimp thoroughly, giving it a simple but very enjoyable flavor profile reminiscent of the chicken he’d made whilst in his cook-off against Gernon.

The meal was far from high-class dining, but it was simple and hearty. Malissa voiced her approval as well, which proved too much for Ming. She grabbed the bowl and tipped the entire thing into her mouth, slurping the last few strands of pasta up seconds later.

Ming licked her lips and set the bowl back down on the table gingerly. “Delicious. I want more.”

“No. You’ll run us out of business,” Malissa said. “Arek, what do you think? Anything we need to change?”

“You answer that question first,” the orc replied.

Malissa pursed her lips and considered the empty wok for a few seconds. “I think it’s good, honestly. It could have a little… more, maybe? But I feel like that would add complication we don’t really need to deal with.”

“I agree,” Arek said. “For our purposes, simple is better. This recipe will do for today. Tomorrow, we’ll try something new. Maybe we’ll offer this dish then as well, but it’s good to have some variety.”

“So should I go find people to eat?” Ming asked.

“Find people that want to eat our food,” Malissa said. “Just clarifying that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat someone, but I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“Do you think people would taste good?”

“We are not going there,” Malissa said, glaring at Ming.

The short mage harrumphed and gave Malissa a temperamental shrug. “Fine. I’ll go bring people over.”

She adjusted the bundle of staves on her back and headed out into the still city, hunting for potential targets. Arek and Malissa watched her leave the square, then exchanged a glance.

“What are the chances she actually brings anyone back, I wonder?” Malissa asked.

“Fifty-fifty she either finds nobody or brings back a horde,” Arek said, rubbing his forehead and chuckling. “Even if she doesn’t have much luck, once the other food wagons get longer lines, it’s inevitable that one or two people will come to us. That’s all we need to get the ball rolling.”

And so they waited. The sun slowly rose overhead, and people started to gather in the square. Lines started to form at the other food wagons, and while a few people glanced curiously in their direction, nobody came to the wagon.

“Well, this kind of sucks,” Malissa muttered. “We don’t have anyone coming over.”

“Patience,” Arek replied, although he couldn’t help but feel the same way. “I’m sure Ming will manage to get some customers soon.”

Arek’s Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

1-2 lemons

Red pepper flakes to taste

¼ cup of seafood broth

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of butter

5 cloves of minced garlic

1 - 1.5 pounds of large, shelled prawns with no tails

A pinch of salt and pepper

A pinch of cayenne pepper if desired

¼ cup of finely chopped Italian parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in your pan. Once it is hot, sauté the garlic until it just starts to brown, around 30 seconds.

2. Add the shrimp into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for around 1 minute, then flip and repeat. Make sure it turns pink, but don’t cook completely through.

3. Pour broth into the pan and add red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper if desired. Simmer for 2 minutes until the shrimp is cooked and the broth is reduced by about half.

4. Stir in the last tablespoon of butter and add lemon juice. Take off the heat and stir everything together. Top with parsley.

5. Serve over rice or pasta.

CHAPTER SIX

“You’re assuming she hasn’t gotten distracted by someone else’s food,” Malissa said.

Arek cleared his throat. “Ah. That’s a good point. I’m sure she won’t get delayed for too long, then.”

Time continued to tick. The other food carts were clearly experienced. Even thought they were building lines, nobody had to wait long for their food. People were served and sent off rapid-fire, so there was little reason to check out Arek’s cart.

Out of the corner of his eye, Arek spotted Belmont trudging through the crowd, a despondent look on his face.

“No luck?” Arek guessed.

“None. I can’t get a blasted job here,” Belmont said with a sigh. “What about you? The same?”

“We seem to be having difficulty acquiring customers. Ming is supposed to be out luring people over, but we fear she might have gotten a tad distracted.”

Belmont sighed. “I’ll go find her. At least I’ll be of a little use.”

He set off into the crowd in search of Ming. Arek and Malissa exchanged a glance.

“Now what?” Malissa asked. “We’ve got a lot of food. Should we just start cooking it, maybe? That could lure some people over.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Arek said. “Not too much, though. That’ll end up wasting it. We’ll just make a few portions and feed them to Ming if we have to.”

The two of them set about preparing a few meals’ worth of shrimp and pasta. Overhead, the sun continued to rise until warm orange light was poking through the buildings and illuminating the square.

More and more people arrived in the crowd, and the larger shops quickly started to grow packed as everyone ran to and fro, trying to finish whatever they were doing in time.

A loud yell echoed from the far end of the market. Arek, who had just finished plating a bowl of shrimp, glanced up. “That didn’t sound good.”

“It kind of sounded like Belmont,” Malissa muttered. “I hope they didn’t get into any trouble.”

The crowd split, shoved aside by a gentle wall of force, and Ming burst free from them, cackling as she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. Belmont was hot on her heels, his face red.

“Get back over here and do your job!” Belmont yelled.

“No! I’m going to eat pasta!”

Belmont grabbed at Ming, who dove forward, slipped out of his arms, and popped to her feet in a perfectly executed roll. She skidded to a stop in front of Arek’s cart, her nose twitching.

“I smell shrimp.”

“Did you get even a single customer?” Malissa asked, rubbing her forehead with a sigh.

Ming cleared her throat. “I’m working on it. Food?”

Arek rolled his eyes and slid the bowl over to Ming, who devoured it in seconds and gave him a huge grin. “Thanks! I’ll get customers for sure this time.”

She slipped back off just as Belmont jogged up to the wagon, panting. He groaned as she vanished into the crowd. Many of the people were now staring at them in befuddlement.

“She was sampling all the other food trucks to ‘scope out the competition.’ I caught her buying her fifth bean bun in a row,” Belmont grumbled. “I better go catch her again before she slacks off. Good luck. I’m sure we’ll find some customers eventually.”

He turned and headed back into the crowd, completely oblivious of all the eyes now staring at Arek and Malissa.

“Oh, boy,” Arek muttered.

About half a dozen people wandered toward their wagon, eyeing it warily. Malissa, who had just finished putting together her own bowl of the shrimp, set it on the counter and made eye contact with the closest man.

“Hungry?” she asked.

“I, uh, kind of just wanted to see what the commotion was about,” he hedged, but his eyes were focused on the bowl now that it was in view. “How much, though? It does look okay.”

“A silver?” Malissa offered, glancing at Arek. The orc just shrugged.

“About right. Sure,” the man said, putting the requested coin down.

Malissa handed him a pair of chopsticks with the bowl. The man thanked her and popped one of the shrimps into his mouth as he started to head back into the crowd.

He paused, and the eyes of several people flicked back to the cart as the man quickly shoveled through the rest of the food, finishing it off rapidly.

“I think that might have been what we needed,” Arek said out of the corner of his mouth. “Start making more. We’re about to have a line.”

No sooner had he spoken than a dozen people approached the cart.

“Your food will be out shortly,” Arek said, giving them a close-lipped grin and starting the fire up once more. Excitement built in his stomach as he got back to work, cooking as quickly as he could without sacrificing quality.

This was what he’d been wanting to do for years. It wasn’t a full restaurant, but it was the closest he’d ever gotten, and it felt fantastic.

A laugh slipped out from Arek’s lips as he plated the food. Malissa glanced at him, a wide grin on her own face. If their strange behavior bothered anyone in line, they didn’t show it. More and more people started to line up as the two chefs worked.

The sun traced through the sky and the day dragged on. There was little time for rests or breaks. Even after the initial rush of people looking for breakfast faded, there was still a considerable amount of people passing through the square looking for food.

Now that the ball had started rolling, Arek and Malissa found more and more customers coming by to visit. Several people even returned to eat their food again for lunch.

The rest of the day was little more than a blur. After lunch, Malissa ran off to buy more ingredients before they ran out. Even still, they barely made it through the dinner crowd before they had to shut down. Everything they’d purchased the previous day had been used up.

Arek and Malissa flopped to the ground at the side of the wagon, exhausted and practically glowing with happiness.

“That was intense,” Malissa said, rubbing the sweat from her forehead.

“It was marvelous. I wish I could do that every day.”

“I mean, you could.”

“Not yet,” Arek said, shaking his head. “Not until the Blessed One curse is dealt with. I don’t know if I’ll lose control of myself. But, for now, I am content. We will deal with that later.”

Malissa nodded, staring up into the darkening sky. “I think I could see myself doing this full time. I wonder what it would be like to work in a full restaurant rather than a cart. One with a bunch of fancy recipes rather than just a single simple one.”

“Maybe we’ll have a chance to find out someday,” Arek said.

Belmont and Ming wandered over, flopping down beside them. The two both looked exhausted.

“How’d you like that?” Ming asked with a smug grin. “I did my job, right?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Arek said with a wry grin.

“You can’t expect them to know without saying more, Ming,” Belmont said, shaking his head. “You just acted normal. Nobody that knows you at all would suspect anything.”

Ming harrumphed and crossed her arms.

“Suspect what?” Malissa asked.

“When I went to find Ming, she was trying to convince people to eat food at our cart,” Belmont said. “Nobody was really listening. They were all busy or already standing in a different line. So she had the idea to cause a giant scene and run here to drag people’s attention over.”

Arek’s eyebrows rose. “That’s… devious.”

“I am very smart. Tell me I’m smart.”

“What are you, five?” Belmont asked, flicking her in the shoulder. “But it was a clever plan. Well done.”

Ming beamed at them. “And it worked!”

“That it did,” Arek said, shaking his head in awe. “Well done, Ming. It certainly worked very well. I was worried about getting enough customers to sell what we’d bought, and now we need to make sure we don’t accidentally get too popular and run out of food.”

“What are you going to make tomorrow?” Ming asked eagerly. “More shrimp?”

“I think it might be fun to swing by the market and see what they have,” Arek said, rubbing his chin. “Maybe something will inspire me and Malissa.”

“Sure. What’s for dinner, then?”

“We ate less than an hour ago,” Malissa said.

“And?”

“Nobody else can eat as much as you,” Belmont grumbled. “Buy something at the tavern if you really want to. I don’t think Arek and Malissa are going to be making anything else today.”

“Damn right,” Malissa said, hiding a yawn. “I need to sleep before I collapse. That was exhausting.”

The Happy Sunflowers slowly rose to their feet and, with a final check of their cart to make sure everything was put away, headed over to a nearby tavern to stay the night.

Arek awoke early the next morning, refreshed and excited. He slipped out of the bed—which was a fair bit too small for him—and headed into the hall, where the others were already waiting for him.

“Seriously?” Arek said, shaking his head with a grin. “You beat me to getting up again? Did you even sleep?”

“Ming woke us up,” Malissa said, glaring at the mage. “She was too excited for breakfast.”

“It’s basically still dinner at this point,” Belmont said, yawning. “Whatever. We’re going to the market, right?”

“Yeah,” Arek said. “Ming, you want to lead us? I’d love to see what other kinds of fresh meat they’ve got.”

Ming gave him a thumbs-up and skipped down the stairs. The rest of the Happy Sunflowers followed after her with considerably less energy. There was a difference between being awake and being Ming-awake, after all.

The sun had still yet to rise in the sky when they got out of the tavern, and the city was cloaked in shadows. Faint traces of blue early-morning light were starting to peek out over the buildings, but it was still hours from sunrise.

Ming led the group through the city and toward the docks. Most of the city was still asleep, and almost nobody else was on the roads with them. As they grew closer to the ocean, the temperature dropped slightly.

Unlike the rest of the city, the docks were in full motion. Sailors stood on ship decks, shouting out to each other and carrying crates down. Several large tents had been raised at the far end, and dozens of people milled about under them, selling and buying wares.

“That’s where I got the shrimp,” Ming said, pointing at the tents.

“Fantastic,” Arek said, setting off toward them. He got no shortage of suspicious glances from the vendors as he approached, and a few people pulled their wares closer to themselves.

Arek ignored them and approached a large vendor that had a huge bed of ice on his table. The ice was covered with all sorts of fish.

“No eating,” the vendor said, talking slowly and studying Arek warily.

“What else are fish good for?” Arek asked with an amused grin.

The vendor’s eyes widened. “My apologies. I didn’t expect an orc to speak common.”

“Most don’t, but I haven’t been getting that reaction as much as I used to,” Arek replied. “I suppose I got used to people ignoring it.”

The vendor pursed his lips. “We’re at sea most of the time, so we don’t get as used to the folk that wander through towns as adventurers or the people that stay here full time. If you come around enough times, I’m sure you’ll be fine. What can I help you with?”

“I’m looking for some fish. Surprise.”

“I might have gathered,” the merchant said, his lips twitching in a grin. “What kind of fish?”

“I’ll admit that I really don’t know a lot about fish. We’ve started up a small food wagon in the center square, and we want some ingredients to keep our offerings fresh every day. I know the basics of working with fish, but I wouldn’t know which one would be best.”

“That obviously depends on what you’re using them for. What dish are you thinking to make?”

“Hmm. Malissa, do we have anything left from our ingredients? If we’ve got something left over that’s still workable, we should try to use it.”

“Butter and lemons,” Malissa replied. “We got a lot of those. A fair amount of spices and the like as well, but we probably aren’t going to finish any of that up too soon.”

Arek nodded thoughtfully. “Then, perhaps something pretty simple for the fish? I’d like to pan fry it with a lemon-butter sauce. It wouldn’t be all that different in preparation from the shrimp yesterday, but at least we’ll have a theme.”

“Then you’ll probably be wanting a white fish,” the merchant said, indicating several large specimens on the side of his ice bed. “They’re the best for pan frying, in my opinion. Nice and flaky, so they come apart as soon as you touch them with a fork. They also have a mild flavor themselves, so they really just take in the essence of whatever you cook them in and magnify it.”

Arek’s eyebrows rose. “You really like white fish. Are you also a chef?”

“I dabble, I suppose. I love fish. It’s why I’m a fisherman. But I’m nothing compared to a lot of the chefs hanging around in the city. Some of them are just on another level.”

“Well, we’ll do our best to do your fish proud,” Arek said with a chuckle. “Let’s get some of the white fish. Is there a particular one you recommend?”

“Can’t go wrong with a good halibut,” the man replied. “If you’re taking my recommendation, that’s what I’d suggest. Do you know how to prepare the fish so it can be cooked?”

“You mean seasoning?”

“No. Descaling and removing the bones.”

Arek blinked. He looked down at the fish again, registering for the first time that they weren’t just slabs of meat to begin working with. “Ah, no. I’ve only ever worked with preprepared fish, now that I think about it. I was just going to pull the scales off.”

“Oh, no, we can’t have that.” The merchant glanced up at the slowly brightening sky. “You’ll be cooking shortly, right?”

Arek nodded.

“Then I’ll show you how to properly descale a fish now. It’ll still be fresh when you start working with it, so the meat won’t be wasted. How many do you want? It’s half a silver for a fish.”

Malissa stepped forward and cleared her throat. “I’ll take over here, Arek.”

She and the merchant launched into a heated bartering session while the others watched on in awe.

“I would have given up if he let me taste the fish,” Ming whispered reverently. “Malissa is so good!”

“To be fair, I think anyone would be good compared to you when bribes are in the picture,” Belmont grumbled. “But she’s certainly quite impressive.”

A few minutes later, Malissa had secured enough fish to last through the day. Both she and the merchant looked pretty pleased with the price they’d settled on, which was more than enough for Arek. He wasn’t particularly concerned with profits anyway—as long as they were making enough to keep the group happy and avoid running out of coin, he was satisfied.

The merchant took out a long, thin knife. It was straight up until the tip, which curved up slightly. He took one of the fishes that Malissa had bought and pressed the blade to it, removing the scales in smooth, confident strokes and pausing between each one so that they could watch what he did.

“What about the head?” Malissa asked.

“You plan to use it to? Some chefs do.”

“I think we’ll pass on that,” Malissa said, shuddering. “I don’t want to eat eyeballs right now.”

Arek frowned. “They do look kind of tasty.”

“Nobody will buy that.”

“Fine, fine,” Arek said with a grin. “No heads for now. Another time.”

The merchant nodded, chopping it off. He went through the fish, removing the rest of the scales and then cutting the flesh away from its skeleton in a single, smooth stroke. He flipped it over, then did the same to the other side.

“And that’s all.” The merchant ran a thumb across the flesh, then nodded and gave them a grin. “Just got to make sure none of the bones accidentally got left behind. That would be bad. But making a fillet is quite simple. Did you catch everything?”

“I think so,” Arek said. “Do we have to use a knife similar to the one you have? It looks incredibly maneuverable compared to my cleaver.”

“Ah, this is a fillet knife,” the merchant said. “It’s very useful for this purpose. You could probably get away without using one, but it certainly makes things easier.”

“Do you have one for sale?” Malissa asked.

“Eh, I’ve got an old one. I wasn’t planning on selling it, but you seem like decent enough folk, and it’s still perfectly functional. I just got a new knife, so I’ll sell it to you for a silver?”

“Works for us,” Arek said, handing the man a coin before Malissa could try to bargain it down. At this point, he just wanted to get to cooking.

The merchant grinned and handed him the blade. “I’ll have to swing by and check out what you’ve made at the cart a little later in the day. I hope your sales go well!”

“You too,” Malissa said.

Arek waved farewell as the Happy Sunflowers made their way back over to the cart.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Don’t we need other ingredients?” Ming asked, eyeing a sweets store that had yet to open its doors for the day.

“We’ve got enough,” Arek replied. “We’ll be going really simple today. I haven’t worked with fish like this before, so the less work we give ourselves, the better it is. This will just be fish with lemon butter and spices. Simple, but hopefully good.”

“Everything you make is good,” Ming said. “I like food.”

“We know,” everyone else chorused.

“That does make your praise considerably cheaper,” Belmont pointed out. “I’ve seen you eat dirt and enjoy it.”

“It was good dirt. Flavored well.”

“I refuse to continue this conversation.”

“Probably a good idea.” Arek laughed, but a thought gave him pause. “Actually, I’ll meet the three of you at the wagon shortly. I’m going to try to find somewhere that sells water barrels so I can fill my garden’s supply up. I’ll get one of those convenient little bags Malissa had, if I can find one.”

“Sounds good,” Malissa said. “We’ve probably got a fair bit of time before we can start cooking. Shopping went a lot faster than I thought it would.”

Arek broke away and set off, hunting for any stores that had opened early. He wandered through the streets for nearly half an hour, checking storefronts and wagons. There were a fair number of them getting ready for the day, and even a few that were already open, but it took the orc nearly an hour to find a place that was selling enough water for his purposes.

Unfortunately, they only had water barrels and no magical items, but he was fine with that. The sale went quickly when they realized he was trying to buy the barrel rather than steal it, and Arek returned to the wagon with his garden resupplied and a grin on his face.

“Looks like you got what you were looking for, huh?” Malissa guessed.

“It was harder than I thought it would be,” Arek admitted. “But yes, I did. Lots of places were closed, and the merchant I ended up buying the water from nearly attacked me. I think the chef hat gave him pause, though.”

“Is that why you always wear it?” Belmont asked, cocking his head to the side. “To show people you’re more than just an orc?”

“I am just an orc—but the hat does give them pause, yes. Things that look completely bizarre usually catch attention enough to delay most people’s reactions. Honestly, the cities we’ve been in recently have been quite good. I’m much more used to getting chased away or warned off. That was before I joined you all, though.”

“Perhaps it was because you were often at cities without as many adventurers?” Belmont wondered. “Either that, or you found a bunch of assholes.”

“If I recall correctly, you were one of the people that didn’t want to meet him because he was an orc,” Malissa pointed out.

“I was mistaken,” Belmont said, “and perhaps a little too paranoid. Arek was one of the greatest things to ever happen to our party.”

They all stared at him in shock.

“What?”

“You just admitted you were paranoid,” Ming said. “The first step to recovery is acceptance.”

“Oh, get off it,” Belmont said, rolling his eyes. Malissa laughed, and Arek joined in.

“Thank you, Belmont,” Arek said once he’d stopped. “And likewise, meeting you all was one of the best things that happened to me.”

Faint golden light poked into the square as the sun peeked above the rooftops, sending glimmering rays in to illuminate the city. The Happy Sunflowers glanced at each other, then nodded as one.

“It’s time,” Malissa said.

“Ming and I will go make sure we keep a steady flow of customers coming,” Belmont said. “I’ve got some ideas myself this time.”

He and Ming darted off, a spring in their steps.

“We should get to it as well,” Arek said. “It won’t be long now, and I feel like cutting the fish might take some time since we only have one knife.”

“I can do it,” Malissa offered. “When it comes to cutting things with thin knives, I think I might actually have more experience than you do.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Arek said with a chuckle. He handed her the thin knife and she took out one of the fish, removing the head and following the merchant’s instructions to descale it.

While she prepared the fish, Arek took one of his large bowls from its spot on a shelf. He grabbed a lemon and carefully shaved its skin off with his cleaver before finely mincing it into a zest. Once it was little more than fine powder, Arek scraped it into his bowl. He squeezed the rest of the lemon into the bowl and set his wok over the flame, tossing a chunk of butter into it.

Arek sprinkled some salt into the bowl and, once the butter had melted, tossed that in as well. He mixed everything up, then quickly tasted it with the back of a spoon. The orc added a little more salt, then set it aside.

He grabbed some garlic, finely mincing it before mixing it together with salt, paprika, pepper, and some red pepper flakes.

“Done,” Malissa said, handing Arek two fillets.

“We dry them a little first,” Arek said, waving a claw over the fish. Faint yellow magic glowed as the moisture left the outside of the fish. He didn’t leave it completely dry, but took enough of the liquid away so that it would brown in the pan.

He dipped the fish into the spice mixture, then added oil to his wok and set it over the heat. Once the oil was hot, Arek carefully laid the coated fillets onto the metal. As it cooked, Arek drizzled a little bit of the sauce over the top. He flipped the fish once it had turned opaque, revealing a perfectly crusted, brown underbelly.

“That looks really good,” Malissa said, eyeing the fish. “Why don’t you use all the sauce now?”

“We’d lose a lot of the flavor,” Arek replied. “This sauce doesn’t need to be cooked, and the fish isn’t going to absorb much more than what I’ve already put onto it. Serving it fresh will let it keep a lot more of the taste.”

Malissa nodded her understanding while she took the basil Arek had set out earlier, cutting it up absentmindedly.

Arek removed the fillets from the heat a few moments later, laying the two down in their own bowls. He drizzled a little of the sauce over the top, and Malissa garnished it with a sprinkle of basil.

The two of them looked down upon their dishes.

“Seems solid,” Malissa said. “Nice and simple, just like last time.”

“Can’t go wrong with simple. Usually.”

Arek slid one of the bowls over to Malissa before picking the fish up between two of his claws. After glancing around to make sure not too many people were watching, Arek leaned his head back and dropped the entire fish into his mouth.

It wasn’t an explosion of flavor; it was subtle. Like a river washing through his mouth, the soft, flaky fish melted almost instantly. The spiced crust gave just enough texture and flavor to mesh perfectly with the slightly tart but rich sauce. However, it was a touch more firm and dry than he would have liked.

Arek wouldn’t go nearly as far as to say that it was the best fish dish he’d ever had, but since he almost never ate fish, he was pretty satisfied with it. If he’d reduced the cook time slightly, he was pretty sure it would have been even better. A more expensive cut of fish might have added more flavor to the meal, but it was more than good enough for his purposes.

“I think we might have overcooked it a tad,” Malissa said, taking a much more reasonably sized bite of her own meal. “I’ve had fish before in a fancy restaurant, and it was a little softer and flakier than this.”

“I agree,” Arek said. “I was going by color, but I think I waited a bit too long. Or the wok was too hot. Either way, I think a few seconds less on each side would make this perfect.”

He started preparing the cart for the next batch of food. Malissa took another fish and started to cut it up. While they worked, the sun continued its trek in the sky, and the courtyard started to grow more populated.

This time, a few people meandered over to Arek and Malissa in short order. Arek’s memory wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty sure he saw several repeat customers from the previous day. There was some disappointment when people realized that the meal had been changed, but it was quickly dismissed once the two of them started serving the food.

Arek and Malissa only accelerated as they worked, occasionally swapping roles so that Malissa could get experience in all parts of the kitchen. The day wound on, their crowd steadily growing to match and even exceed some of the other carts.

Ming and Belmont swung by for lunch on two separate occasions, snagging bowls for themselves and disappearing back into the crowd. Whatever marketing they were doing was clearly working, so neither Arek nor Malissa was about to complain. On their second visit, the two brought a resupply of all the ingredients the cart was using—and just in time. They had been about to run out.

The day passed quickly, and by the end of it, they were well and truly out of everything. Arek and Malissa exchanged satisfied grins as they sold their last portion and slumped against the cart, spent. Adventuring was one thing, but cooking for the entire day was a completely different beast.

Over the course of the next week, they continued the same pattern. It was, in retrospect, one of the greatest weeks of Arek’s life. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. They recycled recipes a few times, but usually tried to have something new every day. It was a mixture of challenging themselves and making sure their customers didn’t get bored.

But, like all good things, the week came to an end. However, the end did not come in the form of a day, but a man. A rather portly man, who looked like he could roll considerably faster than he could run.

“I simply cannot allow it,” the man said, crossing his arms. “Your cart is operating without a permit. An orc chef—preposterous. Who knows what he could be putting in the food? This is simply unsafe for the people of Brineview.”

“I could put you in it,” Arek offered. “I haven’t tried human before, but I’d imagine you wouldn’t taste much different than a pig.”

The man’s eyes widened, and his jowls quivered in rage. “What did you say?”

“Arek!” Malissa exclaimed. “Don’t be rude.”

“Yes, keep a leash on—”

“Pigs wouldn’t have that much fat on them,” Malissa continued. “It would probably ruin the flavor. There’s such a thing as overkill, you know.”

“Quite true,” Arek mused. “So, which opposing wagon do you think this pompous fool came from? He clearly isn’t with the city.”

“What? That’s blatant lies. I work for the Council of Brineview,” the man said, glaring.

“I don’t doubt that,” Belmont said, adjusting his armor with a clank. “But do you actually do anything with food? Or are you simply a friend of someone running one of these other carts?”

The man’s eye twitched, giving the truth away instantly. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied with a growl. “I have the authority to enforce the law, and you are in breach of it. Acquire a certificate of sales to prove that your food is safe to consume, or take your cart elsewhere. We will not risk the lives of the people in this city.”

“You haven’t even told us your name,” Arek drawled. “How are we to know that you aren’t just some random competitor spouting nonsense? You’ve come after the sun set. Little good business happens after night.”

“My name is Joven,” the man spat, adjusting his ill-fitting suit and standing straighter, as if that would convince them of his importance. “And the next time you open this cart, you had best have that certification. If you don’t, I can promise you that the guard will be waiting to confiscate all of your supplies and remove you from the city for endangering its citizens.”

“The only danger the city will be in is if it comes under siege while you’re in it and near the food supplies,” Arek grumbled, suppressing the rising anger in his chest.

It would be so easy to reach out and separate the man’s head from his body with a single flick of his claws. Arek strangled the thought, refusing to let the rage win. He couldn’t even tell if it was the Blessed One curse or his own battle rage anymore.

“I’m sorry?”

“Get lost,” Belmont said. “We heard your message, but you’re ruining my view. Don’t you have somewhere important to be?”

Failing completely at putting on a haughty air, Joven turned his nose up and departed, beating a hasty retreat.

Arek sighed and shook his head. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“We could just ignore him,” Ming said, swinging down from her seat at the top of the cart. “I refrained from blowing him up. You’re welcome.”

“That’s for the best,” Belmont said. “We certainly would have gotten arrested if you did anything like that.”

“Good. Keep praising me.”

“It can’t be that hard to get a certificate thing, can it?” Malissa asked with a frown, ignoring Ming. “Let’s just get one of those.”

“We don’t know how long we have until we need to go deal with the curse,” Arek said. “Any day now, Magus might find more information about the Howlers. Belmont, this seems like something you might know about. How long would it take to get some sort of bureaucratic approval for us to keep cooking?”

Belmont rubbed his chin, then winced as his gauntlet caught some stray hair on his chin. He yanked his hand back with a curse, then cleared his throat. “It depends on the city. I haven’t looked into anything related to cooking like this before, but almost nothing that has to go through the city is going to be fast unless it’s got something to do with monsters.”

“Why don’t we ask one of the other cart owners?” Ming asked. “If this thingy is real, then they’ve got one.”

“Good idea,” Arek said. “Maybe we should ask a few, because there’s a good chance that one of them reported us to try and get rid of new competition.”

“They should just get better at cooking,” Ming said with a frown. “Then again, I did spread rumors that the cart on the other side of the courtyard gave me violent diarrhea for a week. Do you think that was too much?”

Arek rubbed his forehead. “Maybe don’t admit to that again.”

“Yeah, it was too much,” Ming decided. “I should have just said a day.”

“If you’re talking to anyone, I should go with you,” Malissa said. “We don’t need to give some idiot the wrong idea and end up having you have to fight.”

“Good idea,” Arek said. “Belmont, care to go check with another wagon?”

Belmont nodded and headed to their left while Arek and Malissa made for the nearest cart to their right. It was run by a plump man somewhere in his thirties. He had thinning black hair and a pair of spectacles that were far too small for his face.

The man’s rosy cheeks paled as the two approached him. He retreated several steps until his back hit the wall of his cart. “Ah… can I help you?”

“We were just wondering if you happen to know anything about a certificate of approval for running a cart in the courtyard?” Malissa asked.

The man glanced at Arek nervously. The orc flicked his chef hat and winked.

“I—uh, I do. I’ve got one. Why? Do you work for the city as well as run a cart?”

“Does our cart really look like it has much funding?” Arek asked. They all turned to look at the run-down little box. The wheels were still unfixed, and while it had been polished to the best of their abilities, it still looked like it had gone out of business a year ago.

“No,” the man admitted. “Why do you ask?”

“Someone just came by and told us that we needed to have a certificate if we wanted to continue selling inside the city,” Malissa said.

The vendor frowned. Now that it was apparent they weren’t going to attack him, his shoulders loosened, and he let out his pent-up breath. “Really? That’s quite strange. I got the certificate mostly on a formality. I’ve never heard of the city enforcing the regulations.”

“Are there other food carts without them, then?” Arek asked.

“Several. Nobody has ever had issue with it before.” The man rubbed the back of his head. “Uh… you’re sure it was an official that complained?”

“No idea. We’re trying to figure that out now. It was some guy called Joven. Ring any bells?”

“Hm. I might have heard the name, but it isn’t resounding with anything in particular. I really don’t know. I suppose you could try to put in a request for a certificate, but they can take quite some time. I was out here selling food for nearly six months before mine was approved.”

“That’s what I was worried about.” Arek rubbed his chin and let out a sigh. “But if this is true… how many other carts don’t have a license?”

“I’m not sure, but at least half.” The man’s eyes widened. “Oh, bother. If they start enforcing that law, then all of them are going to be in trouble.”

Arek’s Lemon Butter Fish

Ingredients:

4 white fish fillets (Arek recommends cod, but other white fish also works)

4 tablespoons of melted butter

1 lemon

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 pinch of black pepper

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly dry the fillets with paper towels. Make sure there is no excess moisture left in the fish.

2. Juice and zest the lemon. Mix the juice and zest in a bowl with half the salt and all the butter.

3. Combine the remaining salt with paprika, garlic, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix and pat onto fish, coating as much of it as possible.

4. Turn heat to medium and warm the olive oil in the pan until sizzling. Put spiced fish into the pan, making sure it doesn’t touch the other fish (or it will steam instead of fry). Cook for around 2.5 minutes per side; check to make sure proper temperature has been reached before eating over rice, pasta, or on its own. If serving with pasta, make extra sauce by repeating Step 2. Serve and eat immediately.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Indeed,” Arek said. “Well, thanks for your help.”

He and Malissa bid the vendor farewell and returned to their cart. Arek sat down and drummed his fingers on the ground. “This is excessive. Why would someone want to get rid of us so badly? It wasn’t like the other food trucks were losing all their customers, and this is going to hurt more carts than it’ll help. I’d imagine it would piss quite a few people off.”

“Joven came straight to us, though. Nobody else,” Malissa pointed out. “That doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”

“It doesn’t. We’re being targeted, and whoever is doing it is more than willing to take out the other food carts with us. That feels more like a vendetta than someone just enforcing the laws.”

“It could be one of the carts that does have a license just trying to get rid of a lot of competition at once.”

“It could be,” Arek agreed, “but I feel like that would get a lot of people angry at them for no reason. This feels more targeted.”

Belmont and Ming walked over to join them, having finished their own conversation with another food vendor.

“Any luck?” Malissa asked.

“Not many people have the certificate things,” Belmont said. “We’re either starting something or getting caught in the crossfire of something that was already planned.”

“We came to just about the same conclusion,” Arek said. “And now we’re going to need to figure out what to do about it.”

“What do you mean?” Ming asked. “We could just, you know, keep doing what we’re doing. I can blast anyone that tries to take our stuff.”

“Probably not the best strategy for remaining in the town,” Belmont drawled. “I think it would be wise to determine just how hard we’re willing to fight this.”

“You mean we should just give up?” Malissa asked with a frown.

“No. I mean we should figure out if we’re willing to spend the effort to try and either stop them from enforcing the law or get ourselves a certificate. There are other places we could go. It’s not like you and Arek can’t cook anywhere, and we’ve already made a pretty fair amount of coin. I don’t think we’ll be in the negative if we cut our losses.”

“It’s frustrating, but I see what Belmont is getting at,” Arek said. “We really don’t know how much time we have until we need to make a move on the Howlers. Getting into a giant fight over the right to continue working here, then it becoming a moot point in a week, would be quite the waste of time.”

“So we just give up?” Ming asked. “That’s lame.”

“I didn’t say that.” Arek paused for a few moments, then a tiny grin tugged at his lips. “Let’s see. The certificate is for cooking inside city walls, right?”

“Yeah,” Ming said.

“What about outside it?”

“It would be pretty ludicrous to try to control what people could do outside,” Belmont said, his eyes lighting up as he figured out what Arek was suggesting. “We could just set the cart up right outside the main gate. We’d still get a lot of travelers, and it isn’t even that far to walk for anyone inside the city proper.”

“If someone really is trying to get rid of us, I doubt that’ll stop them,” Malissa said. “But I’m in agreement. This will buy us a little more time, at least. We’ll also know if we’re being targeted, or if this just happened to be something we were unfortunate enough to get caught up in.”

“Then it’s decided,” Arek said. “We’ll move the cart right outside the city walls tomorrow. Maybe that’ll be the end of things. If it isn’t, we’ll be ready.”

* * *

It didn’t take long to move the cart. With the four of them, it was a simple matter to lift the wooden structure and carefully carry it outside the city in the early morning hours. Arek held the back, while Malissa and Belmont each grabbed one of the front corners.

Ming directed the whole thing, and graciously stopped them from running into the walls too many times. Once they were all moved out, Arek and Malissa went to get ingredients while Ming patrolled the town square to direct any customers toward them.

The sun rose. Arek and Malissa made shrimp pasta again, deciding to stick to something simple, and the day passed quickly. They didn’t get quite as many customers as they had before, but the flow of merchants and travelers entering the city proved to be more than enough.

They were out of food by sundown. No officials came to bother them, so they continued their pattern for the next week without trouble. But, as with all things, it didn’t take too long for a problem to arise.

“Half the food wagons are gone,” Ming reported, crossing her arms. “Including one that sold meat pies. I liked those meat pies.”

“Were you eating other wagons’ food while on the job?” Belmont asked.

Ming harrumphed. “You can’t expect me to work without food, and you’re all the way out here. I had to get snacks.”

“Let’s focus on the slightly more important matter,” Malissa suggested, pausing her duty of chopping vegetables. “When you say the wagons are gone… Were they kicked off because of their lack of certificate?”

“Dunno,” Ming replied. “They just weren’t there this morning. I know they’ve heard about us moving here, so if that’s the reason, we might see some company.”

And so they did. Over the course of an hour, two more wagons rolled out from the city gates and set up beside them. Arek raised a hand in greeting to one of the vendors, a tall woman in a stout chef’s hat. She returned the greeting with a nod.

“What happened?” Arek called.

“Same thing that happened to you, I think,” the woman said, setting the cart down with a grunt. Her helpers started prepping for the day while she walked over to speak with the Happy Sunflowers. “We got kicked out of the city for not having a certificate of authenticity. I’ve been selling here for two years, and nobody ever asked for something like that. We haven’t had any complaints either. It’s ridiculous. What do you go by? I’ve seen your cart around, but never got a chance to chat.”

“He’s Arek. I’m Malissa. The armored guy is Belmont, and the short one—”

“Ming,” the woman finished, a small grin tugging at her mouth. “I’m Helga. And most of us already know Ming, considering she goes around buying food from every single cart for most of the day.”

Ming cleared her throat as the other three Happy Sunflowers turned to stare at her. “I advertise too.”

“She does that as well,” Helga admitted. “To more effect than I expected, to be honest. It’s just kind of hard to say no to her when she starts getting pouty. It’s quite unfair.”

“So we’ve found,” Malissa said with a wry grin. “Do you know why they’re suddenly enforcing this rule? We’ve only been here for a week or two, so the politics of Brineview are still beyond us.”

“No bloody idea,” Helga replied with an irritated sigh. “It’s the first most of us have seen it used as well. I applied for the certificate, but I’ve got no idea how long it will take for it to be approved. I hope you don’t mind us infringing on your zone out here.”

“If anything, it’ll help bring more customers here,” Malissa said. “The more carts there are outside the city, the more likely people will come out here to check them out. But… if someone’s playing cheap, it won’t be long before we get kicked out of here as well.”

Helga pressed her lips together and nodded. “I agree, but unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do about the situation. We don’t exactly have the pull to demand an audience with the city council, and it’ll take months for something like that to happen normally. We might get the certificate before the audience.”

“Then all we can do is keep going as we are and prepare to react if our good friend Joven continues to try and push us out,” Arek said.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t. Good luck today,” Helga said, waving as she headed back to her cart.

Arek and Malissa got back to doing their own prep work.

“Do you think we’ll have trouble again?” Malissa asked.

“It’s likely,” Arek admitted. “Joven came after us specifically. It took a week for him to go after the other food carts, but we were only given a day to react. I assume this just means whoever Joven is working for is expanding their target to catch us in it later.”

“So what should we do?” Belmont asked, speaking up for the first time that morning. “Like you said, we won’t be in Brineview for much longer. Do we really want to get in conflict with yet another government? Chances are, this is somehow guild-motivated.”

“Makes me wonder which guild,” Arek muttered. “Belmont, instead of looking for customers today, can you try to research what guilds are in the area? Look for the Howlers, the Starpiercers, or any guild somehow related to the two. Also—what was Null’s guild called, Ming?”

“Avenguard,” Ming replied, her face darkening. “You think he’s got something to do with this?”

“Check for them as well,” Arek said. “Just to be safe. Don’t forget they had one of those green orbs that caused the monster horde. That means they might be connected to the Howlers, and Null has a personal grudge against us.”

“Is it that bad?” Ming asked, none of the usual cheer in her voice. “I know he was angry, but do you really think he’d go after us for no reason other than making your lives miserable?”

“I don’t know, Ming. I wasn’t a good person before, and I used to hold grudges like a lifeline. If Null is in the same spot that I was, he could. There’s no reason to make assumptions right now, though.”

“I’ll check the library and talk to some people,” Belmont said. “See what I can find. It shouldn’t take too long, especially if they’re making moves in the local government. I should have something useful by the end of the day.”

“Just be careful,” Malissa said. “If this does have something to do with the Howlers, we might have a bigger problem on our hands.”

“I’m always careful,” Belmont replied. He bid them farewell and headed into the city. Ming followed shortly afterward to rouse up some more customers for the food cart. Arek and Malissa returned their full attention to preparing for the day.

The crowd around the outside of the city was bigger than it had been on previous days, likely due to the migration of the other food carts. Arek wasn’t about to complain. He and Malissa cooked throughout the rest of the day, selling out in the early evening after a supply run to restock on their ingredients.

Ming came back as the sun started to set, claiming the bowl they’d set aside for her. She had two more plates from other food carts balanced in her hands, but neither Arek nor Malissa pointed it out.

Belmont came back an hour after sunset, a troubled expression on his face. Arek set the bowl he was washing aside as Belmont approached.

“Find anything?” the orc asked.

“Unfortunately,” Belmont said, pressing his lips together, “It was a little harder than I thought. There weren’t any official records, and this city is supposed to be another guild-free location, similar to Red Mount. However, after talking with some people in the town hall, it seems that Ox has been spotted in the town several times over the past months.”

“Ox was the leader of Avenguard, wasn’t he?” Arek asked.

Belmont nodded. “And some of his other team members were spotted as well. Nobody recalled Null, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t here or didn’t have some sort of involvement in this.”

Ming’s face fell. “I can’t believe it. I knew he wasn’t really a good person, but why would he do this? It’s so… mean. For no reason!”

“It’s always possible it was a coincidence,” Malissa hedged, but it was clear she was saying it more for Ming’s benefit than any other reason.

“More importantly, it means we shouldn’t be sitting around, waiting for them to make a move,” Belmont said. “He who acts first gains the advantage. If we let them set up a trap for us, we’ll fall right into it.”

“As much as I hate to agree, I think you’re right,” Arek said. He fiddled with one of his fangs and sighed. “I think we should move.”

“What?” Ming’s face fell. “But… you’re having so much fun. I’m having fun!”

“You usually have fun,” Malissa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “But we can’t deal with the Howlers right now. Not until Magus gets more information on them.”

“I’m sorry,” Ming said. “This is my fault. If I wasn’t part of the team, Null wouldn’t be bothering you.”

“None of that,” Belmont said. He crossed his arms and set his stance, his eyes narrow. “No blaming yourself, Ming. We’ve all brought our fair share of trouble to the group. None of it was our fault.”

“Well, that isn’t entirely true,” Arek rumbled. “Everything I brought was pretty much my fault.”

“You were a different person then. It doesn’t count.”

Arek tipped his head in acknowledgement. He didn’t fully agree with Belmont, but this wasn’t the time to bring it up.

“Belmont is right, Ming,” Malissa said. “Don’t shoulder responsibility for the crimes that other people do. Just because Null is your brother doesn’t mean you’re responsible for him. It’s not like Brineview is the only place we can cook and have fun. We’ll just go elsewhere.”

“We just need to let Magus know first,” Arek said. “This was inevitable anyway. Magus told us to spend three weeks here, and we’ve gotten rid of around two of them. That’s just one week that we lost, which isn’t the worst at all. We can just change the pace up a little for the last one.”

Ming nodded, her face lightening up—but not completely. “Okay. What are we going to do, then?”

“First, we let people know where we’ve gone,” Arek said with a slow smile. “And perhaps we can frame it a little different. If people want to cause us trouble, the least we can do is try to make the road a little rocky for them on the way out. Then we go out to the countryside and kill a week. We haven’t done a dungeon recently, and all of our training has fallen a bit out of practice.”

“There should be an E-rank dungeon nearby,” Belmont said. “But you said it yourself—we haven’t been in practice. Are we really prepared for a dungeon? All we’ve done for the last two weeks is relax and cook.”

“We’ll spar some to make sure we’re ready,” Arek promised, starting to put some of the bowls away in his pack. “But frankly, it’s safer than sitting out here if the Howlers really are after us again.”

Belmont tsked. “Damn. You’re likely right, and I’m loath to just spend the week doing nothing. Let’s do what you’re suggesting, then. If it feels like we’re really too rusty, then we’ll just camp out for a while. That’s far from the worst-case scenario anyway.”

Arek and Malissa finished the last of their cleaning duties. The moon was rising in the sky, and most of the other food carts were long gone. After one last sweep to make sure everything was properly put away, the Happy Sunflowers retired to bed in their inn.

The following morning, they woke early. They set out to the market, but not for the same supplies they’d been getting for the last few days.

“Travel rations?” the fish merchant asked, blinking in surprise. “Are you going somewhere? I was under the impression your cart was doing quite well! I visited it myself a little over a week ago, you know. I don’t think you recognized me because of the evening hustle, but I don’t fault you for that. Either way, you’re doing great business!”

“We were,” Arek agreed, “but someone’s trying to get us kicked out of the city. They came around demanding that we get some certificate, but everyone’s in agreement that the certificate takes months to acquire.”

“Seriously? They’ve never enforced that rule before.”

“That’s what we heard as well,” Belmont said, his armor clanking as he crossed his arms. “But there’s nothing to do about it now. We can’t afford to play games with the local government. If they want us gone, we’ll ply our trade elsewhere.”

“How troubling,” the merchant murmured. “That isn’t a good sign at all. I had some friends that ran carts, and they didn’t have certificates either. Whyever would someone want to get rid of the carts? They drive so much trade!”

“It’s beyond us,” Malissa said, studying a strip of dried fish jerky. “But, for now, we’re playing it safe. We can’t afford to have all our belongings confiscated or whatever it is that the council will do to us. How much for enough jerky to last three people a week?”

“For you? Five silver,” the merchant said, shaking his head in disappointment. “I was looking forward to going back to your cart. You mark my words—this isn’t the will of the people.”

“Well, if you could help tell some others the reason we left, we’d appreciate it,” Arek said, rubbing the back of his head and adjusting his chef’s hat. “I hate to just disappear, but we don’t want to get on the bad side of whoever’s in power.”

“Oh, you trust me, I will.” The merchant glowered, pausing to smile at Malissa as she handed him the silver. He packed their jerky into a bag and handed it to her. “Are you really going to live off jerky for a week?”

“Oh, we’ve got some other supplies too,” Arek said. “This is just emergency rations. Your fish was great, so we wanted to show you some extra support before we left. Our little business wouldn’t have been a thing without you. A lot of our supplies came from your shop, after all.”

“Then I wish you all the best. I hope you come by Brineview again in the future.”

“We hope so too,” Arek said.

They all bid him farewell and set off, stopping at the cart outside the city gates to strip it of everything they could. A few people were already milling about the food carts around them, but it was still early morning and the crowd was thin.

“I don’t think there’s any way we can take this with us,” Arek said with a frown.

“We stripped it of everything valuable, but it does feel a bit sad,” Malissa agreed. “It was only ours for a little while, though. We’ll get another one whenever we settle down next.”

“Well said. Belmont, lead the way? I assume you know where the dungeon is.”

“Of course I do,” Belmont grumbled. “It would be dangerous to not know the location of the nearest dungeon. Monster hordes can pop up any day, you know. But shouldn’t we let Magus know we’re going?”

“Ming can get his attention in a week,” Arek replied. “It isn’t wise for us to remain in the city longer if the Howlers have any presence there.”

Belmont nodded. They departed, leaving Brineview and their food cart business behind. Arek’s lips pressed together, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of anger or disappointment. The Blessed One curse mixed with his battle rage, just begging to be released. He pushed it down. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

One day, he’d have a restaurant once more – and nobody would be able to make him leave it.

CHAPTER NINE

They left the city of Brineview behind them and, with Belmont at the lead, set off into the wilderness. Following the coast, the Happy Sunflowers made good time as they headed for the dungeon.

The beautiful beach to their side, and the cool ocean breeze washing over them, made the trip far more enjoyable than it normally would have been. On the first night, after they set up camp, Belmont stood on his tiptoes to reach up and tap Arek on the shoulder.

“We should do that sparring,” Belmont suggested. “We’ll reach the dungeon tomorrow morning if we continue in this direction, and I don’t want us to find ourselves unprepared for it when we get there. It’s better to find things out right now.”

“Agreed,” Arek rumbled, carefully taking his chef’s hat off and setting it down upon his bag.

He cracked his neck and stretched his arms, walking out a few steps from the camp. The sun hung low over the sea, partially hidden behind a bed of clouds, but there was still some burnt orange light slipping out.

The runes along his claws lit up with green energy. He extended a hand, his guandao forming within it as glowing armor covered his body. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Belmont tossed his sword to the side and took the pink staff from his back. He lowered into a fighting stance, raising the staff before him and setting his jaw in concentration. “Right. Let’s do this.”

Arek shot forward, driving a fist toward Belmont’s stomach. He only used around half of the speed he actually could have, but Belmont was more than ready for it. A shimmering plate formed in front of Arek’s palm, slamming his strike to a halt.

Belmont flicked his staff, batting Arek’s hand to the side. It lit up, and a bubble shot from its tip. Arek spun out of the way and swung the flat side of his weapon at Belmont’s side. Another plate snapped into being, blocking the polearm and shattering on contact.

Belmont hopped back and pointed his staff at Arek. A thin plate formed under one of his feet and shot forward, taking Arek’s foot with it. He slid forward and was forced to jump in an attempt to get his balance back under him.

Bubbles burst from Belmont’s staff, shooting at Arek like a barrage of considerably less intimidating arrows. The orc’s armor flared, growing to cover his body as the bubbles struck him.

The impact of the spells sent him skidding back across the ground, but didn’t break his armor. Arek grinned. “Well done, Belmont.”

“We aren’t done,” Belmont replied, twirling his staff.

Arek’s legs shimmered as runes lit up along his body. He blurred forward, planning to bring the flat end of the blade against Belmont’s neck to claim the win. The blade clanged as it struck something invisible near Belmont’s shoulder.

Belmont lunged forward, a shimmering ball of energy forming in his left palm. Surprise flickered across Arek’s face, but he’d been in too many fights to be caught completely off guard. Battle rage surged at the back of his mind, trying to take over, but Arek pushed it down.

He brought his forearm down in a sharp motion and swept his leg forward, knocking Belmont off balance. The pink orb flickered and popped out as Belmont’s back hit the ground. Arek swung his guandao down, resting it against the nape of the man’s neck.

“Damn it,” Belmont cursed. “I thought I might have had you.”

“Out of practice, huh?” Arek asked with a grunt, crushing the last remnants of his battle rage. He dismissed the guandao and reached down, grabbing Belmont’s arm and pulling him up to his feet.

“I kept up a degree of practice,” Belmont muttered. “Magus gave me some new spells to learn, so I would have been remiss to not pursue them. Evidently, I wasn’t surprising enough. I should have had the advantage.”

“I have years of experience over you,” Arek chuckled. “But you did catch me off guard. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Well done. That was a brilliant showing.”

“It didn’t work,” Belmont said, but he permitted himself a slight grin. “I’ll need to practice more. I’ve been thinking of some traps that I might be able to use in fights. Imagine that. Portable traps.”

Arek shuddered. “Let’s make sure those traps aren’t quite as volatile as some of the other ones you’ve done. I’d rather not get domed by a butter knife in the middle of a fight.”

“Butter knife launcher,” Belmont muttered to himself, nodding.

“No. Do not make a butter knife launcher. But, more importantly, what blocked my strike at your head?”

“Invisible bubble. I’ve been working on it for a while. It was a lot harder than I expected. I had to adapt it from the spells Magus gave me. For whatever reason, non-bubble-based spells don’t work very well for me. I’m not quite sure why, but aside from my healing, everything else is like a brick wall. Unless it’s a bubble. Then it’s a bubble. You get the idea.”

“Strange,” Arek said, rubbing his chin. “I wish I could help more, but I really don’t know too much about magic. Ming, do you have any thoughts?”

“I mostly just blow things up.” Ming thumbed her nose. “That’s a lot more fun than other stuff anyway. But that was pretty cool, Belmont. Even for you.”

Belmont grunted. “I’m always cool.”

“Okay, my turn,” Malissa said, rubbing her hands together and stalking up. Two daggers sprang into her hands. “Who wants to go?”

“Oooh, me!” Ming exclaimed, hopping up from where she’d sat down and running over. “You always spar Arek. Let me have a go.”

“Is that even safe?” Belmont asked. “Ming, your magic tends to just blow things up. You literally just reminded us of that. I can heal, but if you blow Malissa’s entire arm off, that might be a bit much. We really don’t want serious injuries.”

“I’ve got new stuff now,” Ming replied, crossing her arms. “Magus gave me new spells too, you know.”

“I’m sure Ming can control herself enough. She wouldn’t risk sparring if she couldn’t,” Malissa said, spinning a dagger to hold it with the blunt end facing out. “I’ll use the safe side of my daggers, so neither of us should get hurt too badly.”

“If you’re sure… I’ll be watching to make a shield in case you need one,” Belmont said. He and Arek backed up several spaces, giving the girls space to fight.

“Ready?” Malissa asked.

Ming nodded. “I’m going to take all your snacks.”

Malissa dashed for Ming, who hummed to herself and let out a small cry. Two thin snakes of pure magic erupted from the ground in front of her feet. They whipped out for Malissa, forcing her to spin to the side.

Ming let out a sharp whistle, and the ropey magic followed after her. Malissa slashed at one of them, but her blade passed right through the magic.

“What is this?” Malissa yelled, dancing back to keep space from Ming’s magic as it trailed after her. It jerked taut and slithered back to Ming when Malissa got near the edge of the campsite.

“I’m molding the pure magic,” Ming replied, as if she were reciting something she’d read before. “It’s how I’m supposed to train for more advanced spells. They’re great for lifting snacks out of people’s pockets, though.”

One of the ropes collapsed into blue particles. The other sprouted like a tree, thin branches of pure magic reaching out as it shot for Malissa again. With a curse, the rogue threw herself to the side.

Tiny tendrils reached for her as she sprinted to the side. Malissa ducked and weaved, keeping ahead of the magic to close the distance between herself and Ming. Her cloak twirled around her, daggers shimmering at the ends of it as the many ribbons and tassels covering her whirled in a metal tornado. She vaulted over a branch of pure magic that sprang to get in her way.

“Belmont, we’re going to need those shields,” Malissa yelled. “I can’t fight Ming holding back.”

“Already watching,” Belmont called back, his eyes narrow with concentration and his knuckles white around the shaft of his staff.

Malissa leapt at Ming and launched several daggers at her. Belmont raised the staff, but Ming was faster. A blue ribbon spiraled around the short mage, flaring before detonating with a series of small, precise explosions that knocked the daggers flying at her from their paths.

They tumbled to the ground harmlessly, and Ming grinned. She whistled a shrill note that caused the pure magic rope to split apart, expanding and reaching at Malissa like the maw of a hungry beast.

Malissa leaned forward, exploding into motion an instant before the magic could touch her. She vaulted through the air and whipped a ribboned dagger at Ming. The blade sailed through the air, but she yanked it back with the ribbon an instant before Ming’s pure magic could knock it askew.

As it came back, she spun the blade in a lazy circle at her side, adding another one into the dance with her left hand. She threw them both at Ming in opposing directions, letting the ribbon flow from her hands to extend the range of the weapons.

Again, before they could hit, Malissa pulled them back. She slipped into a silken dance, the extended range of her ribboned daggers forcing Ming to focus on defense instead of attack. The two were only locked in the state for a few seconds, but it felt like minutes to Arek.

Belmont was so concentrated on the fight that it looked like the man was one small push from passing out, and Arek didn’t dare distract any of them. As the two women fought, Malissa’s foot hit a slightly loose rock.

It slipped out from under her, and she stumbled. Ming’s pure magic pounced, driving itself into her stomach. Malissa doubled over, but one of her ribbons wrapped around Ming’s arm, the dagger at its end turning it into a makeshift bola.

Malissa yanked the ribbon and picked Ming off her feet, sending the small mage flying at her. Ming let out a squeal of delight, an orb of pure magic gathering in her hands as she flew. The two lunged at each other—and both bumped into the shimmering pink orbs that Belmont erected around them.

“Oh, come on!” Ming exclaimed as she bounced to the ground. “It was fun!”

“Too much risk for getting hurt,” Belmont said. “Just call it a draw. That was a good fight.”

“So it was,” Arek agreed. “I genuinely don’t know who would have won. Ming was obviously held back by not being able to use her explosions at their full force.”

“Yeah, Ming would have won if it was an all-out fight,” Malissa said, lowering her hands and unwrapping her ribbon from Ming’s arm. “With mages as destructive as she is, the trick to winning is taking them out before they can start fighting.”

“That’s no fun,” Ming said, scrunching her nose. “But you were spinning a lot. That looked fun.”

“You’re not allowed to spin around while fighting,” Belmont said immediately. “You’ll end up blowing one of us up by accident.”

Ming pouted. “I would not.”

Belmont just cocked an eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe I would,” Ming admitted. “But it would be cool.”

Arek shook his head and laughed. “Well, I think we’ve gotten a good start, but we’re nowhere through training yet. Frankly, I’m starting to think everyone but me was training.”

They all cleared their throats and glanced away.

“Okay, not think—you were,” Arek grumbled. “I just got so caught up with cooking that I forgot to do the other stuff.”

“You still won your fight,” Belmont pointed out.

“I’ve also got years of experience over you, not to mention magic that isn’t even my own and the aid of the blessed One curse. I should be stronger than you right now. If I’m not, it means I’m seriously slacking. You nearly got me, Belmont. I’m not practicing as much as I should be.”

“It’s not like you were going all out,” Malissa said. “You didn’t use your battle rage.”

“If I rely on that, I’ll be a terrible teammate,” Arek said, shaking his head. “Battle rage is dangerous to all of you. It’s very hard to differentiate between enemy and ally when I’m truly lost within it, and the Blessed One curse is affecting that too. I can’t afford to take that risk when fighting with you all. Thus… more training. Any volunteers?”

Malissa flipped daggers into her hands and grinned at him. “If that’s the case, I can take you up on that. Let’s see how out of practice you are, old man.”

“Old?” Arek exclaimed, his guandao reforming in his hands. “I’ll have you know I’m still in the prime of life. You aren’t that much younger than me, anyway.”

Malissa smirked. Then she attacked.

The next few hours were a blur of fighting. The Happy Sunflowers threw everything they had into forging each other into better adventurers, trying every trick they could while making sure they didn’t seriously injure each other.

Belmont tapped out of the fights early to conserve his magic so he could step in for the others and protect them from mistaken attacks, claiming that defending them was more than enough training for him. By the end of it, Arek had fought both Malissa and Ming half a dozen times each. He didn’t lose any of the fights, but the girls were closing in on him fast.

When they all collapsed to the pummeled ground, exhausted and panting for air, a grin stretched across Arek’s face. It wasn’t quite as fun as cooking, but spending time with friends was a close second—even if that time was spent trying to kill each other.

“Well,” Arek drawled as he caught his breath, “I think we’re still in pretty good shape.”

“The dungeon should be doable,” Belmont allowed reluctantly. “I think we’re significantly stronger than the average F-ranked team. Considering we’re actually holding our own against Arek, we should be high E or low D at the minimum.”

“Don’t forget I lost much of my strength,” Arek said. “I’m not a C-ranked adventurer anymore—though I don’t fully know what the Blessed One curse has done to me. Perhaps I would be if I was in my battle rage.”

“Perhaps,” Belmont said, helping them all to their feet. He paused to flick some grass from Ming’s shoulder. “But we should be strong enough to handle an E-rank dungeon without any hiccups.”

“So long as the Howlers haven’t messed with it,” Malissa growled.

“We should probably tell Magus what’s going on before we go in,” Ming said reluctantly.

They all turned to stare at her.

“What?”

“You’re being responsible,” Malissa said, a note of wonder in her voice.

“I’m always responsible!”

Three sets of eyebrows rose as one.

Ming harrumphed and crossed her arms, turning her nose up. “You all suck.”

Arek shook his head and chuckled. “Really? I was just about to start making dinner.”

Ming’s eyes shot open, and she leapt to her feet. “Really? Yes! I want to eat! What is it?”

“Jerky,” Arek replied.

They all burst into laughter as Ming crossed her arms and pouted. The Happy Sunflowers sat down around their camp and ate their dinner before heading off to bed.

Arek rose early the following morning to get back into his routine. He jogged in wide rings around the camp, getting himself warmed up. Malissa joined in on his second loop, and the two ran wordlessly for several minutes.

Belmont and Ming both woke as well, but they buried themselves in the books Magus had given them instead of physical activity. Arek and Malissa finished their run and stretched for a few minutes.

“Should we go to the dungeon today?” Malissa asked as they walked back to sit down next to the faintly smoldering remains of last night’s campfire.

“Might as well,” Arek replied. “Ming, can you contact Magus and let him know what’s going on? You said you had a way to do that.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ming said, standing up and brushing the dirt off her clothes. She dug around in her bundle of staves and pulled out a wooden rod.

“You’ve got another one of those artifacts?” Malissa asked, her eyes widening.

“Nah, it’s just a stick,” Ming said. “But it helps me focus on my Magus-calling spell.”

“He gave you a spell that specifically called him?” Belmont asked suspiciously. “I thought you could only use pure magic. Is there a communication spell that works like that?”

“Yep,” Ming said. She let out a low hum, and blue light started to gather around the wooden staff, coursing out from her hands and spiraling around it. “But I don’t know it. This is a custom spell.”

She thrust the staff into the sky, and it shattered with a loud crack. A tiny bolt of blue light launched into the air and vanished.

“Well, at least it wasn’t a pillar of light this time,” Arek said with a sigh. “Will he really notice that?”

The air crackled, and a blue portal snapped open. Magus strode out, a gnarled staff in his hands. Magic pulsed through his veins as he scanned the area, letting out a cough when the portal snapped shut behind him.

“I knew it. Why is it that every time I feel a pure magic pulse, it’s you?” Magus grabbed Ming by the ear. “Stop that! Learn a normal communication spell! I know I gave you one in the book!”

“It’s boring!” Ming whined. “Why would I learn that?”

“So you don’t make me think there’s a blasted artifact leaking out pure magic every single time you need my help,” Magus snarled before doubling over in a coughing fit. He sighed and wiped his mouth, shaking his head. “What do you need? Why aren’t you in Brineview? Don’t tell me you killed someone.”

“We didn’t kill anyone,” Ming said.

Magus stared at her. “That was incredibly unconvincing.”

“We didn’t,” Arek said. “But we did run into a little trouble.”

“Of course you did,” Magus said, rubbing his forehead. “Why wouldn’t you? Anyone else would enjoy the vacation and stay under the radar for a month without any trouble. But no. You manage to find trouble in a city in the middle of nowhere. What did you do? Get into a fight with Valen?”

“The guy running the adventurer’s guild?” Malissa asked. “No, not him. Well, probably not. Is he on the council?”

“Of course he is. The guild has members on any city council where they have a presence. Don’t tell me you’ve managed to start a fight with the council of Brineview.”

“We didn’t do that either,” Arek said. “We didn’t do anything this time, actually. We left because we suspected that the Howlers might have been trying to make moves against us.”

“What? The Howlers were in Brineview?”

“Not exactly,” Belmont said. “We opened up a food cart to pass the time. It was going well enough to start, but someone showed up and told us that we weren’t allowed to run it without a certificate, which takes months to get. Apparently, that rule had never been enforced before, so we started looking deeper into it and found out that Null, a member of Ox’s team, was in the city recently.”

“And there’s a good chance Null is related to the Howlers,” Magus concluded. “But why would they bother doing something in such a roundabout manner? That’s… incredibly stupid.”

“He’s kind of petty,” Ming said, crossing her arms. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he did it just to piss me off because I didn’t join up with him.”

“That’s bothersome,” Magus said. “I could probably have gotten you some sort of pass, but if the Howlers really did have a presence in Brineview, it isn’t a good idea for you to be near them. I’ve still yet to find any more information about Dortusk or the Blessed One curse, and the guild war brewing on the horizon is getting closer. You lot are my best lead on the curse, since all the other cursed people are either hiding or already in Dortusk. The Howler guild isn’t going to want any proof of what they’re doing to be just walking around.”

“We gathered,” Belmont said. “That’s why we were thinking about doing this dungeon instead.”

“Not a bad idea,” Magus allowed. “It’s, what, E rank? That should be more than easy enough for you to handle now.”

“That’s what we were thinking as well,” Arek said. “But I think the bigger question is what we should do once we finish. It probably won’t take us more than a few days.”

CHAPTER TEN

Magus coughed, then rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “My information sources are getting cut off, and if things really break out, I won’t be able to come help you. I’ll be too busy fighting. Ideally, you should hide. But I don’t know if you’ll be able to. Just… stay away from Dortusk for as long as possible. The Howlers have the city reinforced and protected to the point where even an A-rank mage wouldn’t be able to break in easily.”

“And what about when the Curse forces me there?” Arek asked. “And Ming as well, possibly. She hasn’t shown signs of being affected by the curse, but it’s possible that she’ll still be pulled in by it, isn’t it?”

“It is. If that comes, you likely won’t have a choice. I will endeavor to find a way to put the Howlers down before your curse activates. We don’t know exactly how long it will be, after all. A lot can happen in a month.”

“We’ll do our best to stay out of trouble until then, I guess,” Malissa said. “But I’m going to be honest with you…”

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Magus said wearily. “You’ll probably end up in the middle of the Howler guild by the time the week is up. Your incredible incompetence somehow wraps all the way back around. I’m somewhat certain there’s some genuine magical theory that proves this, and it’s one I’d love to study once this debacle is done.”

“So… no blowing up the Howlers?” Ming asked.

“Not unless they seek you out first,” Magus said. “Really, the less you see of them, the better. And, whatever you do, do not interact with Ox’s team. They aren’t on our side.”

He glanced around, then snatched a piece of jerky from Arek, who was holding it out. Magus gave Arek an appreciative nod and finished chewing before he spoke again.

“Good jerky. Hard to get this stuff in places other than Brineview. Is there anything else you four need? Keep in mind that I may not be able to get in contact with you again until this entire situation is dealt with.”

“I can’t think of anything,” Arek said, but then he paused. “Ah, actually, there’s one thing. You recall what happened some time ago, back when the Starpiercers were disbanded in court, right?”

Magus cocked an eyebrow. “That’s a broad statement, but I believe I know what you are referring to. What about it?”

“Is everything going well there?” Arek asked. “I’d rather not find out that I’ve breached some law or the like on accident.”

“As well as it could be. The courts have much bigger problems than you right now. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. The Blessed One curse you and Ming have might prove instrumental to bringing the Howlers down if we can link them to it, which would help a lot of people and do much in your favor. Just make sure they don’t bring you down with them.”

Arek nodded. “Thanks, Magus. We appreciate your help as always.”

“And we’re sorry for contacting you with these methods,” Belmont added, rubbing the back of his head.

Magus coughed and rolled his eyes. “I’m sure. You know, there was a contact spell in the book I gave you as well. I can understand Ming’s incompetence, since she refuses to learn anything that doesn’t look fancy, but I expected more from you.”

Belmont cleared his throat and looked away. “I might have been more focused on learning spells that provided defensive capabilities. Or ones that looked cool.”

Magus sighed, but Arek spotted the flicker of a grin that crossed the mage’s face before he stamped it out. “Learn the spell. It’ll do us much use, especially once I’m caught up in this fight and unable to visit you directly.”

He snapped his fingers, and a crackling portal yawned open behind him. Magus stepped through the disc, waving a hand in farewell before it sealed around him with a pop, leaving them alone on the beachside once more.

“That went pretty well,” Malissa said. “Maybe the first time Magus didn’t leave pissed off at something we did. Good job, guys.”

“If that’s an attempt to make me learn the stupid communication spell, it isn’t working,” Ming said, crossing her arms.

“I—oh, never mind,” Malissa said with a laugh. “Belmont, do you think you could figure it out?”

“It shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Belmont replied. “I’m unsure if I’ll have enough magic to actually cast it at long distances, but I can take a look at it now that I’ve figured the more important stuff out.”

“Perhaps after we deal with this dungeon?” Arek suggested, rolling his shoulders and yawning. “I’ll admit that I’d like to get the blood pumping a bit. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good fight—our training notwithstanding. It’s just not the same, you know?”

“I thought you weren’t bloodthirsty anymore,” Ming said. “Is the Blessed One curse making you want to fight more?”

“Hm. I don’t think so. Not yet, at least,” Arek said after thinking for a moment. “But, as much as I love cooking, I’m still an orc. We were born for battle. It’s been several weeks since I really got my hands dirty, and I’m getting a bit antsy. The Blessed One business isn’t helping either.”

“It won’t affect your decision-making in the dungeon, will it?” Belmont asked. “That would be dangerous.”

“I haven’t completely lost it,” Arek said with a laugh. “I promise I can still control myself. I’m not going to lose it if we can’t fight; I’d just like to do something now that my opportunity to run a restaurant has been taken by the Howlers.”

“I can understand that,” Malissa said, her eyes darkening. She ran a finger along the dull edge of a dagger. “Frankly, I feel a bit of that myself. I want to stick something, and I don’t see any Howlers in the area offering themselves up.”

“Let’s not tempt fate,” Arek said, heading over to his tent and starting to pack it up. He stuffed everything into his bag, not bothering to fold it properly. “There’s a dungeon waiting for us. Shall we?”

The others put their belongings back in considerably better fashion, and it took them a few more minutes than Arek to wrap up.

“I still don’t understand how you get things to fit in your bag,” Ming complained, prodding at Arek’s bulging travel bag. “It isn’t fair. If I did that, everything would break or fall out.”

“You have an extradimensional bag,” Arek said, crossing his arms. “And you’re impressed by my stuffing of a tent into a normal one?”

“Yes.”

“Well, can’t fault you there. It does take a certain degree of skill and talent to pack things like I do. Perhaps you could learn in sufficient time.”

“Please don’t,” Belmont grumbled. “Ming will end up crushing all her food in with her bedding and come crying to us to clean it.”

“I would not!” Ming exclaimed. Then she frowned and tapped her chin. “Okay, I probably would. But this is slander.”

“Not slander if it’s true,” Malissa said, snorting. “Now stop complaining. I want to get this dungeon started. Belmont, lead the way?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Belmont shook his head as they set off along the beach in search of the dungeon.

Arek was thankful for the man’s guidance. As far as he could tell, everything looked just about the same. To their right was sand and water, and to their left was grassland. The water was beautiful, of course, but with the prospective dungeon waiting for them, Arek found it difficult to focus on much else.

The gate rose in the distance not too long later. Black marble poked up from a small village that had been erected around it, situated just a short way from the beach. Sunlight glittered off the dungeon gate like the ocean waves across from it.

The Happy Sunflowers approached the town cautiously. There was no wall around it, nor were there guards. Houses just cropped up in a small circle around the dungeon. Their stone walls were eroded from years of being near the sea, and it was mostly silent.

A few people milled about the town, sending cursory glances in their direction as they walked in. An old woman did a double take at Arek, but when she realized that they weren’t paying her any attention, she set off without much of a bother.

“Calm place,” Arek observed as they walked past the houses and a tiny general store to stand before the entrance of the dungeon. “I like it.”

“Don’t get too attached,” Belmont said. “We won’t be here long. It’s close to Brineview, and we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves next to the Howlers.”

“I like how you’re assuming we’re going to end up drawing attention,” Malissa said with a laugh. “You’re probably not wrong, but still.”

“It’s hard not to.” Belmont poked Arek in the chest with a gauntleted hand. “We’ve got the world’s only orc chef strolling around with us. At this point, the Howlers could probably find us just by listening to the most common rumors floating around areas we’ve passed through.”

“Hm. That might prove to be a problem, actually,” Arek mused. The four of them drew up to the base of the dungeon, where a black portal glimmered as if it were awaiting their arrival. “Maybe I should look into getting some form of disguise.”

“You aren’t using that red badge again,” Malissa said. “That isn’t you.”

“I had no plans to,” Arek replied. “But it would probably have to be an illusion, wouldn’t it? Anything less would be kind of obvious.”

“We can look into buying something in the next large town we pass through,” Belmont said. “We’ve got some money to work with. Just… no auction houses.”

“Agreed,” the others all said, shuddering.

Malissa looked up at the yawning portal above them. She drew a slow breath and let it out. “It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these. Have we managed to do a single dungeon without something going wrong?”

“Not since Arek joined,” Ming chimed in.

“Don’t curse us,” Belmont said. “This is going to be a perfectly normal dungeon experience.”

It sounded more like he was trying to convince the rest of them.

“Well, no point standing around out here,” Arek said. They were starting to draw some glances from the townsfolk. “Let’s go kick some monsters in the ass.”

They linked hands and held their breath before stepping forward as one, entering the dungeon. Arek’s skin prickled as ice raced along it. Shivers ran down his back and the world swam around him, twisting and reforming.

Then he was somewhere else. Wet sand squished beneath Arek’s feet as an island formed around him. Tall palm trees swayed overhead, and the sun bore down on him from a cloudless sky. The rest of the Happy Sunflowers appeared around him.

“Well, this is new,” Belmont said. “It’s the most open dungeon I’ve ever seen.”

“Does anyone see the enemies?” Ming asked, turning in a slow circle.

Arek did the same. The island rose up behind them like a small mountain. It was covered in a dense, lush jungle that started just a few feet behind the beach and the tall trees around them. The ocean stretched out in every other direction. There was no sign of anything else on the island from where they stood.

“Maybe in the water,” Belmont said, eyeing the gentle ocean suspiciously. “They could also be hiding in the foliage. Don’t let your guard down. This is the highest-rank dungeon we’ve ever been in. Danger is everywhere.”

“Even behind you?” Ming asked.

Belmont spun, drawing his sword from its sheath and bringing it to bear before him. There was nothing there. He turned his gaze toward Ming.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Ming said. “Don’t worry, Belmont. We can do this, no problem. And look at all the trees! There has to be a bunch of tasty fruit waiting for us to find it. There are just some weak monsters in the way first.”

Belmont ground his teeth together and sighed, shaking his head. He put the sword away and drew his staff, speaking in the weary tone that only a father or exhausted older brother could muster. “You’re going to give me a heart attack before I turn thirty, Ming.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s a good thing you’ve got healing magic.” Ming pulled a staff out of the bundle on her back and pointed it at the jungle before them. “Onward!”

Arek extended his hand, green magic lighting around his clothes as the runes on his claws flared. His guandao formed in his palms and armor shimmered over him. The orc spun the weapon and sliced some of the vines in front of them out of the way.

“Trees aren’t magically reinforced,” he said. “I can cut through this without a problem. I’ll take the lead.”

“I’ll be behind you,” Malissa said, her daggers at the ready. “I don’t really want to be taking too many fights in dense foliage, though. Spinning daggers around isn’t really conducive to tight quarters.”

“Neither are explosions,” Ming said as the Happy Sunflowers started into the jungle, their eyes sweeping for any sign of enemies. “But I’ve got some new stuff now, so I won’t be completely bad if it’s a close fight.”

Arek swept his guandao in broad slashes, carving the dense leaves and vines apart with ease. The jungle seemed to part before them as they burrowed into it. The occasional squawk of a bird or the chirps of bugs were the only things that joined the sounds of him hacking the leaves apart.

“I don’t understand what the bugs and birds are here for,” Ming whispered. “I mean, everything in the dungeon is fed by magical energy. That means only monsters should be here. So why are there normal things?”

Malissa flinched as Arek pushed a branch away and it snapped back, nearly smacking her in the face.

“Sorry,” Arek rumbled. “It didn’t snap.”

“It’s fine,” Malissa replied, shooting the stick an annoyed glare. “And maybe the bugs and birds are actually monsters? Or, at the least, maybe they can use magical energy to sustain themselves?”

“They can,” Belmont said. “Just like the plants here. Everything in a dungeon thrives off magical energy, although not everything needs it. Many of what we would consider normal lifeforms here are actually commonly used in potions for their magical properties.”

“Does that mean they’re worth a lot of money?” Ming asked, eyeing a large caterpillar on a leaf. She inched toward it, but Belmont smacked her hand away and shot her a warning glare.

“And also potentially dangerous. Most creatures we run into aren’t going to be worth much anyway, and none of us know enough about them to tell if we’ve got something worth getting. Transporting it just isn’t worth the trouble. And don’t eat the caterpillar.”

Ming threw her hands up and crossed them in front of her chest, pouting. “Damn. But it’s so colorful!”

“Probably means it’s dangerous,” Arek said with a chuckle, cutting away a veritable wall of vines and nearly stepping into a clearing that stretched open before him. He froze, holding a hand up, and the others all snapped their mouths shut behind him.

The clearing was wide enough for a small crowd and roughly circular. Four large, yellow flowers the size of a human man grew at the back of it, thorny branches wrapping around their bases and stretching out like limbs. They swayed faintly in what little breeze made it through the jungle.

“What are the chances those things come alive and try to kill us?” Arek whispered.

Belmont poked his head out next to the orc’s shoulder. “One hundred percent. Anyone have fire?”

“I can make them explode,” Ming said in a hushed tone, barely able to contain her excitement. “That’s basically fire.”

“Might as well,” Arek muttered. “They’re giving us the first move, after all. It would be rude not to take them up on it.”

Belmont nodded, his knuckles white around the hilt of his pink staff. “Let’s do it. Make sure to get inside the arena as soon as Ming attacks, though. We don’t want to somehow get separated.”

They all nodded. Ming drew a slow breath and aimed her staff. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and she let it out in a shrill whistle. Blue energy erupted from her staff, leaping across the clearing, passing through the first flower, and jumping to the second before a string of loud explosions traced its path.

Pure magic tore through the air, ripping the first plant to pieces. The spiked vines around the second one twitched, managing to form a rough cocoon before Ming’s magic struck it, tearing much of the foliage apart.

The Happy Sunflowers charged into the clearing. Arek made a beeline for one of the uninjured plants as it ripped itself free of the ground, vines twisting around it. One lashed out at him. With a grunt, he vaulted over it and brought his guandao down on a second one, splitting the green tendril in two.

A dagger sailed over his shoulder, burying itself in the center of the flower. A hissing screech escaped the creature, and it flailed viny appendages all around itself, trying to keep Arek back.

The orc ignored it, lowering his grip on the guandao and thrusting it like a spear. Sharp spikes scraped along his energy armor, but they couldn’t pierce it. When his weapon punched home into the center of the plant, he twisted it, trying to do as much damage as possible.

To his side, another series of explosions rang out. Plant matter splattered across the ground and petals flew through the air in a beautiful dance. Malissa charged another plant, vaulting past its attempts to stop her in a blur of silk and steel.

Arek’s opponent twitched, taking advantage of his distraction to send a thorny vine whipping for his throat. He caught the attack with his free hand, barely looking back at the flower.

Malissa’s fight with her flower was mesmerizing. Tendrils whipped past her, but nothing could get close enough to touch the spinning woman. Every time a vine managed to get past her acrobatics, Belmont’s reactionary shields blocked the attack before it could strike home.

Arek’s pinned monster screeched and smacked him in the head with a vine. He snarled, battle rage flaring as he surged forward, ignoring the beating appendages to drive the guandao further into the flower’s body.

His armor flickered from the constant beating, but he managed to get his other fist far enough into the mass to shove it into the center of the flower. He grabbed as much of the soft matter as he could and pulled.

The flower screeched again, then fell silent as the vines collapsed around him. Arek shuddered from the pleasure of victory washing over him. He gathered himself and stood upright. Malissa had finished off her opponent, and Ming had destroyed the other two flowers beyond recognition.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“You okay, Arek?” Belmont asked with a frown. “You look distracted.”

“Apologies.” Arek dismissed his guandao and shook the plant guts off his glowing hands. “The battle rage nearly got me. It really is closer to the surface than it has been for a long time.”

“Are you going to be fine doing this dungeon?”

“I should be,” Arek said, pushing confidence into his tone. “I’ve dealt with it when it was far worse than this. It will be good training for my self-control, and I’ll be sure to let you know if I feel like I am about to lose myself. I should be able to extract myself from the fight before that happens, though.”

“What if it happens in an important fight?” Belmont asked. “We need your abilities.”

Arek sent a pointed glance at the mushed remains of Ming’s flowers. They were scattered all over her side of the clearing. “I think you’ll all be fine, even if I have to stop fighting for a little. You’re a lot stronger than you realize.”

Ming plucked a petal from the pulped corpse of one of the flowers and inspected it quizzically. “You think this is edible?”

“Anything is edible once,” Malissa said with a smirk. Her eyes went wide, and she snatched it out of Ming’s hands. “That was not an invitation to eat the flower. It was a joke.”

“I know. I’m not an idiot.” Ming rolled her eyes. “And I’m pretty sure that, even if they were poisonous, I could eat at least two of the flowers before they got me. Maybe even three.”

“Maybe you should have loftier goals than that,” Arek suggested. “I don’t think you want to be known for taking out three flowers by eating them before you died of poisoning.”

“Maybe if I could get all four. That would be pretty impressive.”

They all laughed. Arek nudged what was left of his flower and glanced around the clearing. “Jokes aside, that really wasn’t too hard at all. This dungeon was E-ranked, wasn’t it?”

“You’re a former C rank,” Belmont said. “Of course it was easy—but I see what you’re saying. Even the fishman dungeon was harder than this. Perhaps a lot of the danger is further on. We can’t let our guards down.”

“Agreed.” Arek summoned his guandao once more and stepped past the plants. “Shall we continue?”

Everyone fell in behind Arek as he cut through the vines at the other side of the clearing, pushing forward once more.

They traveled for several minutes, cutting through the jungle and making their way toward the center of the island. It quickly turned to an uphill trek that slowed their progress considerably.

The air was hot and moist, and it didn’t take long before all of the Happy Sunflowers were completely soaked in sweat. Buzzing insects flew by them and perched on leaves, watching them pass.

Ming squashed a few of them, but that didn’t seem to do much to dissuade the others. Arek’s eye twitched as a mosquito landed on his armor. When it tried to poke its nose through the cracks, he smacked it, squishing the bug.

“I take it back,” he grunted. “This dungeon is awful. It’s the worst one we’ve ever gone through.”

Belmont swatted a bug on his arm and growled in agreement. “I hate this place.”

“You’re one to complain,” Malissa grumbled, waving some of the buzzing bastards away. “You’ve got a magic bubble spell. Just use it.”

“No. That would be a waste of magic. What if we need it later?”

“If you just eat a bunch of food, you’ll have more magic,” Ming said. “Say…”

“Don’t eat the bugs.”

“Never mind.”

Ming dug through her bag and pulled out some jerky, munching on it as they walked. Arek tried to keep himself alert, but the constant droning of the insects surrounding them was starting to get on his nerves.

It was difficult to remain focused when there were bugs trying to crawl into places that no bug should have ever been allowed entrance to. He growled, pouring a little extra energy into his armor. That only seemed to attract more of the annoying creatures to him.

“Bugs like light,” Malissa said helpfully. “You might want to turn the glow off.”

“It does not turn off. It’s magic,” Arek grumbled. “Unlike Belmont, I do not have any invisible powers. Just glowing green energy. And punches. Those work too.”

“Are punches really magic?” Ming asked. “I don’t think those count.”

“We can ask someone I’ve punched and see what they say,” Arek suggested. He smushed a group of the flying annoyances with a single blow and shook them off his gauntlet with a grimace.

Malissa went to respond, but Arek didn’t get a chance to hear what she said. Something slammed into the orc, throwing him to the ground as his armor flared in protest. He hit it hard, his head ringing and spinning for an instant.

A blast of magic sailed over his head, and there was a crash amongst the trees before them. Arek staggered to his feet with a roar, red and green hues creeping over his vison. He pushed them back, refusing to let the battle rage take over.

Tendrils of pure magic stretched past him, pinning a huge jaguar to the trees ahead. Malissa dashed past him as the cat hissed and struggled against its bindings, trying to break free.

She vaulted over the creature, streamers of daggers whipping around her. One of them struck a tree and drilled into it, throwing the rest of the flying steel off and turning what would have been a deadly spin into a series of disappointing clinks as her weapons struck each other.

Belmont erected a shield around Malissa instants before the jaguar lunged at her. Its teeth scraped across the pink disc with a screech. Belmont snarled, shrinking the shield and forcing it into the cat’s mouth.

“I can’t let the tendrils drop to cast another spell!” Ming warned. “It’s too fast.”

Arek shook his head, trying to get the world to stop spinning in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and reared back, launching the guandao at the cat. The large weapon sailed through the air and struck the monster in the side, punching clean into it.

Malissa launched herself at the cat while it was distracted. She swung herself onto its back and drove blades into both of its ears. It yowled in pain as Arek bounded up to it, grabbing the guandao and ripping it free.

The cat whipped its body, and Ming’s restraints shattered. It lunged for Malissa, but Arek’s fist caught it in the face on the way. He felt bone shatter under the force of the blow, and the jaguar’s head slammed into the tree.

He didn’t let up, unleashing several more strikes on the monster’s head. His armor flared with each blow, and the wood behind the cat cracked and splintered from the force of the strikes.

“It’s dead, Arek,” Ming said.

Arek paused. Blood was dripping from his gauntlets. The jaguar was still and unmoving, its head pulverized. He shoved himself to his feet with disgust.

“Is everyone okay?”

“You’re the only one that got hit,” Malissa said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It looked like you fell pretty hard. Are you okay?”

“Should be. Belmont, want to give me a dose of healing just in case? The world is spinning a little.”

Belmont nodded, walking up and placing his staff on Arek’s chest. Warmth rushed into the orc, and he let out a relieved sigh, shaking his head.

“That hurt considerably more than I thought it did. That thing came out of nowhere.”

“Was that battle rage?” Belmont asked. “You were wailing on it for quite a while there.”

“No,” Arek replied, but it took him a moment to answer. “At least, I don’t think it was. I didn’t feel like I was lost in the rage. I was just a little disoriented and angry. Battle rage feels different.”

“Even with the modification from the Blessed One curse?”

“I… I’m not sure. It’s been strange recently, but I don’t think I lost control of my actions there. We should definitely keep an eye on it for now, though. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I will,” Belmont promised. “And Ming, speaking of the curse, have you felt anything at all? You’re affected, but you still haven’t shown any signs of the symptoms.”

“Nope. Nothing is different,” Ming replied with a shrug. “That feels like it should be relevant, but I don’t know why it’s like this. Do you think it’s got something to do with the amount of magic I’ve got?”

“It’s possible,” Belmont mused. “But if that were the case, why wouldn’t Malissa have been affected? If anything, it looks like the curse targeted people with stronger magic. You and Arek both got it, but yours is… different, somehow.”

“What if it did?” Arek rubbed his chin but didn’t stop scanning the area for more predators. If there was one jaguar, there could be another. “If it went for the strongest magic, my runes are fairly strong, and Ming’s magic is the strongest here. But maybe Ming’s magic was so strong that the curse couldn’t overwhelm it, so it’s just latent?”

“That could be a possibility,” Belmont said. “No real way to confirm it, though. And that also means that, if there’s some way to strengthen the Blessed One curse, Ming could fall under it as well. That would be very bad.”

“Very bad would be an understatement.” Malissa shuddered. A bug whizzed past her face and she clapped, squashing it. “Let’s focus on dealing with the dungeon for now. We can’t afford any more distractions.”

“Agreed,” Belmont said. “Arek, are you still able to lead?”

“I am. I’ve got most of my energy and I still feel in control of myself.” He adjusted his grip on the guandao and set off once more.

The bugs continued to plague them, but the group kept their awareness higher this time around. None of them were eager to get surprised by another monster jumping out of the dense trees surrounding them.

They only walked for a few more minutes, but it felt like hours in the sweltering heat. When Arek’s guandao swept through air instead of plant matter and they stumbled into a clearing, the orc nearly cried in relief.

Crisp, running water flowed down a large creek in the center of the clearing, disappearing off into the jungle. It sparkled like gemstones, but was so clear that Arek could easily see the smooth stones at the bottom of the riverbed.

“Oh, wow,” Ming said. “It’s beautiful.”

“The bugs aren’t entering the area either,” Belmont observed, stepping into the clearing and looking around. It was completely empty aside from the river. Even the trees stayed outside of it, forming a leafy wall.

Arek breathed a sigh of relief. “Perhaps it’s a rest area. Gods knew we needed one. I think I’ll be happy if I never see another bug in my life.”

“We’re going to run into them as soon as we leave this area,” Belmont replied, still looking around cautiously. “But this makes me wonder why the bugs aren’t here. Could it be they’re scared of something?”

“It could be the area of some stronger monster that left,” Malissa said. “Perhaps that big cat we killed?”

“That could be it,” Belmont said, allowing his back to lose some of its stiffness. He approached the river and squinted at it. “Doesn’t look deep. Nowhere for monsters to hide.”

“Probably a good place to rest, then,” Arek said, allowing his armor to fade away. “I was starting to get a little tired, so this is for the best. We can keep some watches to make sure we don’t get jumped by something angry.”

“Do you think the water is safe to drink?” Malissa asked.

Belmont pursed his lips. “Hard to say. It’s flowing and looks very clean, so in nature I would typically say yes, but we’re in a dungeon. I honestly don’t know. Let’s stick to our supplies for now. Water can carry more things than food can. We could always boil some if we need to, but that doesn’t make it completely safe.”

“Food,” Ming said, latching onto only a single word out of everything the warrior had said. “I’m hungry. Arek, when are you making dinner?”

Arek looked up at the sun, which was still high in the sky above them. They hadn’t spent more than a few hours in the dungeon at most, though it was a little difficult to tell exactly how much time had passed. Still, it wasn’t even slightly close to dinner.

“It’s the middle of the day,” Belmont said, kneeling beside the water and cautiously poking it with his sword. “Dinner happens at night.”

“What if the sun doesn’t move here? It could always be day.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it moving, even though that probably isn’t actually the sun,” Malissa said. “It’ll turn to night eventually, or the sun will reset. We only ate a little while ago.”

“Well, I’m hungry,” Ming said. “I cast magic. That means I need to eat.”

“We’ve got rations,” Belmont said, setting his sword aside and poking the water with a strip of jerky. He pulled it out and nodded, touching it to the back of his hand. When nothing happened, he tossed the jerky into the river and washed his hands in the water.

“What are you doing?” Malissa asked.

“Checking to make sure the water was safe. I had to make sure it wouldn’t dissolve flesh before touching it.”

“How many times have you run into rivers of water that dissolve flesh?”

“None, but imagine if this was the first?” Belmont raised an eyebrow. “Then I’d be very glad I tested it.”

Arek sat down beside Belmont and scooped some of the water from the river, splashing his face. It was cool and crisp, a stark and welcome contrast to the oppressive heat of the jungle.

“It feels fantastic. If it melts my face later, I suppose I’ll just have to deal with it.” Arek lay back on the ground and covered his eyes with his chef’s hat. “The sun makes me feel like a cat.”

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Belmont promised. “How long do we want to stay here?”

“Not too long,” Arek said, stretching his arms out behind him. “Not a good idea to just sit around for too long since we don’t need to tuck in for the night yet. How about an hour or two?”

“That should be fine,” Malissa said. Arek heard water splash, then her groan of relief. “Oh, this feels great. If there was such a thing as premium water, this would be it.”

“Don’t give the dungeons any ideas,” Ming said. “They’ll find a way to somehow make us pay for drinking it.”

Arek relaxed as the Happy Sunflowers chattered around him, drifting off into much needed sleep with a contented smile on his face.

Someone prodded Arek in the side. The orc licked his lips and flicked the hat off his head to see Belmont peering down at him. He didn’t look particularly concerned, so Arek relaxed.

“Is the time up already?”

“It’s been two hours,” Belmont said, “and the sun actually is moving. It’s starting to get a little cooler, so we were hoping that it’ll be easier to travel through the jungle. We want to get moving before it’s too late, though. We don’t want to get stuck in a fight during the night.”

“Wise call,” Arek said, pushing himself upright. He brushed himself off as he rose to his feet, cracking his neck and yawning. Ming and Malissa were standing at the edge of the clearing and peering into the trees.

“Ready?” Belmont asked.

“As much as I always am.” The runes on Arek’s claws shimmered, and armor formed around him. He gripped the shaft of his guandao and strode up to join Ming and Malissa at the treeline. “Find something?”

“Caterpillar,” Ming replied, staring at an orange, fuzzy little insect. It reared up, wiggling two tiny legs at her. It had small hairs all over its body that stuck up like a porcupine’s quills.

“Don’t,” Belmont said softly.

“I know, I know. It just looks cute!”

“It’s also probably poisonous,” Arek said. “Colorful things bad.”

“Colorful things bad,” Ming repeated with a sigh. “Right, I’m satisfied. Let’s go kill some shit.”

Arek’s weapon flashed, and leaves fell away. Then they were off once more, pressing into the jungle. Belmont had been correct—with the sun considerably lower in the sky, it was much less frustrating to travel.

There were still far too many bugs, but their number had decreased and the heat was far more manageable. It wasn’t quite an enjoyable hike, but it was on its way to getting there. The Happy Sunflowers remained on guard despite the relatively improved conditions.

As the sun continued to lower toward the edge of the horizon, the buzz of the jungle started to die down. Then, without fanfare, it vanished. All the bugs that had been surrounding the group flittered away, giving them blissful peace.

“That seems convenient,” Malissa whispered. “What are the chances we’re about to get attacked?”

“Very high,” Belmont whispered back, squinting through a dense bush with large leaves. “I’m tempted to head back and see if the bugs return, but that might not be a good idea. I’d rather face whatever this is somewhere where we’ve got room to maneuver, and bosses usually have a dedicated room.”

“There’s no guarantee it actually has a room,” Arek said, pushing a low-hanging limb out of the way to avoid having to cut the entire thing down. “This dungeon seems pretty organic to me. Not as constrained as the other ones we’ve been in.”

“Probably because it’s higher rank,” Ming said. She held a staff in each hand, as if they would double her magical output.

Arek wasn’t sure if that wasn’t the case, actually. Maybe that was how it worked.

The leaves before him parted before his guandao could cut through them, leading into a clearing. Arek didn’t need to look back at Belmont to know the warrior had a smug grin on his face.

It was the largest one they’d seen yet. Thick-trunked trees made a huge circle around a massive redwood in the center of the clearing. Large portions of the tree’s roots stuck out of the ground all over the clearing, many of them ending in jagged points.

“Chances that thing comes alive the moment we walk in?” Malissa asked.

“One hundred percent,” Belmont and Arek replied.

Everyone glanced at Ming.

“Doesn’t look like this dungeon is much for learning,” Belmont said. “Care to give it a teaching moment?”

“Oh, I love teaching moments,” Ming said, stepping forward and aiming both staves at the large tree. “As long as they aren’t directed at me. This one isn’t, right?”

“Not this time. Not yet, at least. Don’t turn it into one.”

Ming grinned. She drew in a deep breath, gathering the magic in her body. The staff in her right hand shimmered and motes of pure magic poured off it, illuminating her in the fading daylight.

Energy arced off her staff and slammed into the tree, twisting up the thick trunk before a series of explosions followed after it, tearing large swathes through the wood. The Happy Sunflowers charged into the clearing, bringing their weapons to bear.

Jagged roots twitched and groaned, ripping themselves free of the soil as the tree raised itself into the air. The front of it split, forming into what appeared to be a roughly carved face. Two hollow eyes and a gaping maw with jagged wood spines for teeth formed in the bark.

Its roar split the clearing and sent two thick, pointed roots whipping at the Happy Sunflowers with terrifying speed. Arek rushed forward, slamming the closest root to the side and knocking it off its course. The other shot for Malissa, and Belmont’s shield flashed to life around her.

Malissa leapt into the air, causing the root to scrape along the bottom of the pink magic with a grating screech. Ming fired blasts of pure magic into the tree as roots rose up all over the clearing.

“Focus on keeping yourself and Ming safe!” Malissa yelled, darting along one of the roots toward the tree. She leapt over a spike of wood that shot out from it at her and used another root to launch herself into the air like a trapeze artist.

Arek took the more direct approach. He charged the tree, slamming roots aside as they jabbed and lashed out at him. His armor shuddered with every strike that got past his guandao, but he pressed onward.

Battle rage tugged at the back of his mind, urging him to give in. He didn’t give it any headway. A heavy log slammed into his side, sending cracks spiderwebbing through his armor and knocking him to the ground.

Arek rolled and launched back up to his feet just a few paces away from the tree. It creaked, swinging a huge branch at him. The orc rolled to the side, but the ends of the branch still scraped along his armor.

Malissa reached the monster’s trunk and let out a battle cry, unleashing a flurry of strikes with her daggers. They bit into the wood, carving strips of bark away and digging through the tree, but Arek couldn’t tell how effective the attacks really were.

A root slammed into his side, staggering him. He snarled, hunched his shoulders, and charged forward. Branches shifted around him, trying to block his path, and Arek’s guandao sang.

The sharp blade carved through wood and leaf, tearing everything in front of him apart. He was vaguely aware of explosions ringing out around him, but his focus was fully on the fight, and everything else soon faded away.

His body moved to an invisible tune, dipping and dodging around the roots as he drew up to the trunk of the tree. Jagged wooden limbs whipped through the air, but Arek’s guandao was a blur of glowing energy and destruction.

Lunging forward, he thrust it into the center of the tree and ripped it out. Large pits were missing from the wood in various patterns, but those barely registered. He just reared back and thrust his blade into the tree again. And again.

It desperately tried to force him back, but Arek refused to give even an inch. He grabbed a branch as it swung at him, using it to pull himself off the ground and jump onto the monster’s trunk. It creaked in protest, and Arek brought the guandao with all the force he could muster, chopping clean through a branch as thick as his thigh.

The branch crashed to the ground. He thrust his weapon into the tree’s trunk as he fell, carving a long furrow through its side all the way down. Blue flashes lit the dimming sky, and a series of loud cracks rang out.

Fragments of wood rained around Arek as the tree lurched back in pain. A blur of silk and steel flew around it, repeatedly striking the already-growing wounds. Arek shifted his stance and charged the tree one last time.

He slammed the guandao into the center of its trunk with a roar. It pierced through the bark and hit something solid, stopping for an instant. Arek dug his feet into the ground and shoved. Whatever was stopping his strike gave way, and the blade punched deeper.

With one final creak, the tree tipped back and crashed to the ground. All around the clearing, the roots withered and collapsed. Arek’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as he scanned the surroundings, checking for any sight of continued combat.

Nothing arose. Slowly, he lowered the guandao, allowing it to flicker and disappear. Once his armor had also faded, he leaned against the fallen trunk of the monster to catch his breath.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Arek?” Belmont called. “How’s the battle rage?”

“Fine,” Arek called back. “It didn’t pose too much trouble this time. I did feel oddly focused, though. Nothing to worry about right now. Is everyone all right?”

“Doing fine,” Malissa said, hopping down from the tree and landing beside Arek. She had a few small scrapes on her arms, but no serious injuries. “Belmont’s shields did their job as good as ever.”

“I’m okay too,” Ming added through a mouthful of jerky. “Not my favorite fight. It didn’t blow up as nicely as the flowers did, but I guess we can’t get everything we want. Did it have anything useful?”

“Wood,” Arek replied, examining the tree. “Lots of it.”

“Boring,” Ming said. “Why couldn’t it have an axe or something?”

“Does it look like it’s got an axe on it? I think it would have been using it if it did,” Belmont drawled. “Does anyone see any other monsters in the area? Could this be a multi-stage fight?”

Arek sniffed the air and cocked his head to the side, straining to listen. Aside from the distant chirps of birds and crickets, there was nothing.

“Don’t hear anything.” Arek made his way out of the rubble of the tree monster, careful to avoid spearing himself on one of the many sharp roots poking out all around the clearing. “That was quite the fight.”

“It was pretty fun,” Ming said, swallowing before giving him a thumbs-up. “We killed it good. I have to say, though, that I prefer fights where we actually get something.”

“There’s always a chance there’s loot buried somewhere around here underneath all the wood,” Malissa said. She chewed her lower lip and grimaced. There was a lot of wood scattered about. “I’m not sure if we’re going to find it anytime soon, though.”

“Again, if it had something worthwhile, it would have used it,” Belmont said. “None of the other monsters we’ve seen so far have dropped anything either. This dungeon looks like it’s mostly beasts, which means the loot is going to be the materials in the opponents themselves and the other things around us.”

“So bugs and shit,” Ming said with a heavy sigh. “Bo-ring. I’m not even going to ask if a tree is edible.”

“Actually, some are,” Arek mused. “I’ve heard of people eating the bark of certain trees.”

Belmont put a hand on Ming’s shoulder, putting just enough pressure to make sure she couldn’t dart away too quickly. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Bah. I don’t want to eat bark,” Ming said, crossing her arms. Her eyes flicked to the tree. “But, hypothetically, do you think this tree was one of those edible ones?”

Arek knelt by the tree and snapped off a piece of the bark. He sniffed at it. It smelled like wood. He wasn’t particularly sure what he had been expecting, but his cheeks colored slightly at Belmont’s raised eyebrow.

“It’s wood.”

“Astute.”

Arek poked it with his tongue. The wood was rough to the touch and tasted like, well, wood. He grimaced and tossed it aside. “Tastes like it too.”

“Damn,” Ming said, scrunching her nose in annoyance. “Letdown. Do you think the real boss will have an actual reward? This dungeon is awful.”

“It’ll probably fall along the pattern of everything else we’ve seen so far,” Arek replied with a sigh. “But it might be edible. Maybe I can make something tasty with it.”

Belmont looked up at the sky. “We’ve still got a little time before it’s dark. Should we camp out here? Or do we want to try to push through the rest of the dungeon today?”

“I vote for camping,” Malissa said. “There’s a lot of cover in the clearing now that we’ve killed the tree, and I doubt any big predators would be trying to compete with it for space. I’m also a little tired, so some rest wouldn’t go astray.”

“Camp it is.” Arek sat down on a nearby trunk and shuffled through his bag, reviewing what ingredients he had. “Ming, what do you have on you? I feel like we deserve a real meal today.”

Ming narrowed her eyes. “You want my snacks?”

“Do you want snacks or a full meal? We both know one of them is going to taste better than the other.”

“Take Malissa’s snacks instead.”

It was Malissa’s turn to narrow her eyes. “We all know you’ve got enough food in your bag to feed a small army, Ming. Cough up.”

“Just because I’ve got more shouldn’t mean I have to be the one to share it! You could have just as many snacks in your bag if you didn’t fill it with stupid, pointless stuff like daggers and toilet paper.”

“I—wait.” Malissa squinted at Ming. “Do you not carry toilet paper with you? Is that why mine keeps running out so quickly? You little rat.”

“Oh, look at this,” Ming said, pulling a huge pile of food out of her bag. “Food! Food by the dozen, appearing from nowhere, all for Arek to cook with. What a surprise. Truly, Ming is a generous patron.”

She darted to the side as Malissa lunged for her, then dove behind Belmont. Malissa took off after the smaller woman, and Arek shook his head with a wry grin as he approached the pile Ming had procured to see what he had to work with.

He knew that Ming carried a ridiculous amount of food with her, but she’d clearly stocked up at some point while they were in Brineview. There were meat pies, pastries of all sorts, several bunches of grapes, a giant tarp bag of corn chips, yogurt—from Malissa’s bag, if Arek’s memory served him right—several jars of pickles, a huge bag of flour, tomatoes, cheese, and half a dozen assorted fruits.

Arek let out a slow whistle. “Malissa wasn’t joking. Ming, how much room does your bag have?”

Malissa, who was currently shaking Ming upside down, paused to let the mage reply.

“As much as I could stuff into my Bag of Colding,” Ming replied, her voice nasally. “I once tried putting a second Bag of Colding inside it, but that didn’t fit.”

Belmont’s eye twitched. “You did what? Do you even realize what happens if you put two extradimensional spaces inside each other?”

“You get twice the storage.”

“No!” Belmont grabbed Ming out of Malissa’s hands and paced over to a log. He plopped her down on it and started educating her on the dangers of messing with magic she didn’t understand.

“Well, that’s going to annoy her more than anything I could possibly do,” Malissa said, walking over to join Arek. “What are you thinking?”

“Well, unless we just want to steal her meat pies, what about something fun? Chips go good with cheese.”

“That just sounds like rations with extra steps.”

“Only if you eat them cold,” Arek replied with a laugh. “Luckily, we’ve got a lot of wood to work with. Ming has such an assortment of ingredients that I think we’ve got a lot we can play around with here. I’ve got some spices in my garden to liven everything up too.”

“Oh, like one of the food carts back at Brineview?” Malissa asked. “They were selling bowls of chips covered in melted cheese.”

“Yeah, I saw Ming eating one at one point.” Arek took the wheel of cheese and the bag of chips from the pile, setting them aside. “But we could probably go a step further too. It’s fun to experiment.”

“Grapes?” Malissa wondered. “They’re soft and chips are hard. Contrast.” She considered her own words for a moment, then curled her lip in distaste. “Never mind. That sounds disgusting.”

Arek, who had been about to grab the grapes, cleared his throat and nodded in agreement. It was hard to remind himself that humans didn’t quite have the same tastes he did. Sweet and salty sounded pretty tasty, but the look on Malissa’s face made him suspect it might not have gone over as well as he hoped.

“What about the avocado?” Malissa asked. “It’s mushy, which is still a contrast to the crunchy chips, but it doesn’t seem like it would be disgusting when mixed with cheese.”

“Those are fairly creamy,” Arek said, taking the only two avocados from Ming’s pile and setting them aside. “If we use them, we could probably spice the dish up a little more since they’ll offset it. I’ve got some dried pepper, but we could add in fresh heat if Ming happens to have anything.”

They shuffled through the pile, but it was devoid of any peppers or other spicy foods.

“Ming might have something in her bag,” Malissa said. “I doubt she actually emptied everything.”

“She’ll probably declare mutiny if we try to get anything else out of her,” Arek said with a laugh. “Never mind, I should be able to bridge the gap with what I’ve got. Instead of spice, why don’t we just add tomatoes instead? It’ll be on the milder side, but I’m sure it’ll still taste good.”

Malissa grabbed two large tomatoes and added them to their growing pile.

“We’re done raiding your supplies,” Arek called to Ming, standing up with a grunt.

The mage darted away from Belmont and started stuffing all her supplies back into her bag, glaring at all of them the entire time. “Were you pleased with the results of your robbery?”

“Thrilled. And I’m sure you will be too, once we make dinner.”

“Oh, right!” Ming exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “When’s food?”

Arek rolled his eyes. He pressed the center of his medallion and vanished. Several minutes passed before he popped back into existence, several small bunches of spices clutched in his hands.

While he’d been gone, Malissa had created a small workstation near the center of the clearing. She’d gathered some smaller pieces of wood and formed them into a campfire she now knelt beside, trying to light it by scraping a piece of flint against her dagger.

“The damn wood isn’t catching very well,” Malissa said with a sigh, cupping the sparks in an attempt to protect them from the wind. “This might be the least flammable tree I’ve ever seen.”

“It was a monster,” Belmont said, joining her by the pile and squatting. “Not to worry. I carry emergency firestarter supplies around, and I’m sure the wood will catch once it gets enough flame beneath it.”

He pulled a tiny bundle of dry grass from his bag and put it under the fire. Malissa struck the flint with her dagger once more, and sparks rained down onto Belmont’s firestarter. It took with a catch, going up in flames within seconds.

They blocked it from the wind as best they could. A minute later, a tiny trail of smoke rose from the campfire as the bigger pieces of wood started to catch.

“Hm. The smoke might prove to be a problem,” Belmont said, watching it trail into the sky. “We’re giving our position away.”

“I am not eating rations,” Ming said, crossing her arms. “I’ll just kill anything that shows up.”

Belmont pursed his lips. He raised his wand, pointing it above the campfire. A sharp breath escaped his mouth and the trail of smoke started to curl over, pooling along the top of an invisible sphere.

“I made a spherical shield above it,” Belmont said. “That should catch the smoke for a few minutes. Enough to let you finish cooking, I hope.”

“Should be perfect,” Arek said. “I don’t think this will take us much time at all. Malissa, can you start chopping all the fruit up? I’m going to mix the seasonings.”

“On it,” Malissa said, gathering the tomatoes and avocadoes and bringing them over to a flat piece of wood. She scraped the bark off the top with a clean dagger strike, then moved on to peeling them.

Meanwhile, Arek took a bowl from his bag and set it out on the ground. He shook a healthy amount of garlic powder and paprika into it, then added a dash of salt and black pepper. Several other spices followed before Arek mixed everything up, pausing to take a quick taste.

The seasoning was vibrant and tangy, though not quite as much as it would have been had he had more fresh ingredients to work with. Arek shrugged to himself. Cooking was about doing the best you could with the ingredients you had. A lack of fresh garlic and peppers wasn’t going to be the end of the world.

He set the seasonings aside and chopped the fresh spices he had managed to find in his garden up on a nearby log, then set them aside in another bowl. He took his wok out and dumped the bag of chips into it, much to Ming’s dismay.

“You’re using all of them? I haven’t even gotten a chance to eat one normally yet!”

Arek grabbed a chip from the wok and threw it to her. Ming jumped, biting it out of the air. She spun and gave him a victorious grin that quickly morphed to disappointment. “Oh. It tastes plain.”

“What did you expect?” Belmont asked. “It’s a plain chip, you little goblin. If you just waited until they finished cooking, it wouldn’t be plain.”

Ming turned her nose up and sat down, crossing her arms. “But that involves waiting. I do not like waiting. I do like waiting more than plain chips, though, so I suppose I’ll just have to sit here.”

Arek chuckled, drawing his cleaver and cleaning it off before he set about chopping the cheese into tiny pieces. He didn’t dare shred it too thin, given the conditions of where they were cooking.

Once the cheese had been mostly shredded, he poured it in over the chips. He paused, considering whether he should find some meat to add to the dish, but decided against it. They were stopping for the day to avoid more trouble. Skipping meat for one meal wouldn’t kill them.

He added the seasonings into the wok and tossed everything together, trying to get it as evenly distributed as possible. Then he set the wok deep in the center of the flaming campfire, molding the hot wood around it to bury the wok without dropping ash in on top of it.

“Are we putting the rest of the stuff in after it’s done cooking?” Malissa asked. “I finished cutting the veggies up.”

“Yeah,” Arek said. “They’ll just turn to mush otherwise. You also lose a lot of flavor when cooking most vegetables—unless it’s for a soup or a stew, but that’s a different topic. We’re better off putting the fresh things in at the end.”

Malissa nodded, and the Happy Sunflowers gathered around the campfire, watching their easy meal cook with rapt attention. Smoke gathered in the large bubble shield Belmont had formed above the fire, twisting and swaying gently like an upside-down sea.

The cheese started to melt, mixing with the chips and spices. Arek continued to mix everything around with the end of his cleaver, making sure to avoid letting the wooden handle touch the flame.

As the dish came together, Arek kept a close eye on the chips. They’d already been cooked, and it would have been unfortunate if they started to burn before the meal was done. He wasn’t too concerned, though. Cheese melted a lot faster than most things burned.

A few minutes later, the chips were practically swimming in a shallow sea of flavored cheese. Arek pulled the wok out of the campfire and nodded to Malissa, who dumped in the diced tomatoes and avocados. Arek mixed everything together once more, then sprinkled in his chopped fresh spices.

“Done,” he proclaimed, setting the wok down beside the flame so everyone could get a good look. The molten orange cheese glimmered in the light of the flame, decorated with spiced specks, avocado, and tomato.

Arek still wished it had some meat in it, but fish almost certainly wouldn’t have gone over well with the other ingredients, and he wasn’t too eager to add jerky into an otherwise fresh dish.

“How long until I can eat that without burning the inside of my mouth alive?” Ming asked, watching the wok hungrily.

“For you to ask that means you’ve already tried to do it,” Belmont said. “And probably more than once.”

“I might have,” Ming replied, not taking her eyes off their meal. “A few dozen times. But I remembered this time, right?”

“Just give it a minute or two,” Arek said with a chuckle. He wasn’t concerned with heat himself, so he plucked a cheese-laden chip from the edge of the bowl and popped it into his mouth.

Despite what Ming had said, the chip was far from plain. Whoever had made it had done a good job of bringing out the flavor in its few ingredients. The faint, smoky flavor of the campfire mixed with the rich, slightly salty cheese. The avocados weren’t the ripest, so while their flavor wasn’t anything to write home about, the texture went perfectly with the rest of the meal.

On top of it all, the fresh slice of tomato cut through the rest of the flavors, giving it a sharp tang and helping to offset the heavier cheese.

“Oh, that’s pretty good,” Arek said with a satisfied grin. “Still wish we had meat or some replacement for it, but it’s good.”

“I can’t wait any longer—it’s too much,” Ming proclaimed. She snagged a chip and threw it into her mouth. She immediately opened her mouth and blew out a tiny puff of steam, breathing heavily to try and cool the hot food off.

After a moment, she closed her mouth and chewed, swallowing with a grimace. “I burned my tongue.”

“You deserved it,” Belmont said, rolling his eyes.

The rest of them waited the rest of the minute before claiming some food for themselves. Everyone’s eyes lit up, and the rest of the meal didn’t last more than a few minutes. If anything, Ming’s eagerness had actually bought the rest of the team time to eat their share before Ming recovered and polished off the rest of it.

“That was so much better than plain chips,” Ming said with a lazy grin, leaning against a log and patting her stomach. “Okay, I’m good to go kill more things.”

“Maybe we get some sleep first,” Malissa suggested.

Arek flicked his hands over the campfire, drawing on his runes to create the small amount of water that he could gather. It splashed over the flame, smothering it.

Belmont lifted the bubble of smoke and moved it to the side over some trees before releasing it, allowing the dark gas to curl into the air away from their camp.

Arek yawned, rubbing his eyes. He took a few minutes to wash all his gear, despite the day starting to catch up with him. Tired as he was, he was not about to let any of his cooking supplies sit around dirty. They deserved better than that.

Malissa helped him while the others set their tents up. Belmont took first watch and the rest of them retired to bed. Arek was asleep as soon as his head hit the ground.

Ming woke him up some time later for the last watch of the night. As soon as he was awake, she darted off to return to her bedroll. Arek rolled out of his tent, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

He scanned their surroundings, then set off in a slow pace around the clearing. If he was going to be awake, he might as well get some movement into his stiff muscles.

The rest of the night passed without issue, and the fake sun rose over the treetops. Arek paused his trek to watch the horizon glimmer. Beautiful hues of orange and pink danced across the early morning clouds.

Arek’s Simple Chips ‘n Cheese – The Ideal Version

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce bag of tortilla chips (or however many you can fit into a 9x13” pan)

1 pound of ground beef

4 cups of shredded muenster cheese (Cheddar will also work, as will a blend mix)

½ cup of sour cream

½ cup of guacamole

½ cup of fresh salsa

¼ cup of sliced red and green onions

1 pinch of cilantro to taste

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of onion powder

2 teaspoons of paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large skillet, break apart and cook ground beef for 8-10 minutes until fully cooked through. Drain the excess grease and season with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together over low heat for 60 seconds to evenly coat.

3. Spread chips out in a 9x13” oven-safe pan and distribute half of the cheese over the top. Layer the meat mixture over the top. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, around 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, add the remaining cheese, and let it melt. Top with sour cream, guac, salsa, onions, and cilantro.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Malissa asked, walking to stand beside him. “Do you ever wonder why dungeons do all this?”

“I didn’t used to, but I have in recent years,” Arek said. “It does seem a little pointless from their perspective, doesn’t it? Mana naturally escaping the earth and gathering in dungeons to attract monsters seems like it would be much more… random, I guess. Makes you wonder if there’s some sort of intelligence guiding it.”

“You think there is?”

“What, like gods?” Arek shrugged. “No clue. I don’t even know what a god really is, to be honest. At some point, if you’re strong enough, wouldn’t you become a god? I don’t know. But I do find it hard to believe the dungeons just… happen.”

“Likewise. But I do know one thing—this is how they should be. Not what the Howlers are doing to them.”

Arek furrowed his brow and nodded, turning away from the sunrise. “You’re right about that. They need to be stopped. Anything that causes so much suffering has to be.”

“Do you really think we can do anything about it? I mean, we’re just an E-rank group. I know we’re probably stronger than that, so even if we round up to D rank… how can we take out a guild?”

“We’re hardly doing it alone,” Arek said. “Magus is working on it.”

Malissa snorted. “Sure. I know that, but the adventurer’s guild isn’t helping. They’re trying to play things by the book, and the Howlers are going to keep them caught up until it’s too late for us. Sure, they might save people later, but what about now?”

Arek sat down on a log, and Malissa joined him.

“I don’t have a good answer for you,” Arek said, letting out a heavy sigh. “Right now, the Blessed One curse doesn’t feel very strong. It almost makes me think I could beat it—but I know that’s temporary. As soon as I see someone else affected, I’ll lose control. And, if Magus is right, I’m going to end up getting dragged to Dortusk. Ming, too, if she’s not able to completely suppress it.”

“I know.” Malissa clenched her hands and looked at the ground. “I can’t just accept that, though. No matter what Magus said, if we enter that city without at least some sort of plan, we’re doomed.”

“Well, you and Belmont—”

“Don’t,” Malissa said, looking back up at him with flaming eyes. “Don’t even suggest that. We’re a group, Arek. We aren’t going to abandon you or Ming, even if we have to walk into Dortusk together.”

“No point dying pointlessly. If there’s truly no chance and Magus hasn’t found anything by then, you shouldn’t march yourselves to death. Belmont would agree with me.”

“Don’t put words in his mouth,” Malissa said, crossing her arms. “But you’re right about one thing: we can’t go to Dortusk without a plan. We need to figure out the Blessed One curse and assume that Magus isn’t going to be helpful.”

“How are we going to do that? None of us know how to research magic.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Malissa replied, setting her jaw. “We’ve still got a few weeks until the curse is supposed to activate. Something will change. I know it.”

Belmont stepped out of his tent and rubbed his eyes. Malissa stood up and walked away, leaving Arek alone with his thoughts. One of them stuck in the back of his brain. He went to brush it away, then paused.

He’d told Malissa that none of them knew how to research magic. That was true. None of them knew how to research magic. But he knew someone that did. Vell.

“You doing okay there?” Belmont asked, walking over to join Arek.

“Just thinking,” Arek replied, pushing himself off the log with a yawn. “Right. Let’s finish this dungeon off, shall we? I’m feeling a bit antsy.”

Belmont grunted. “So eager to get back into the bugs, huh? I was getting used to not dealing with them for a little while. Not looking forward to going back. I need to invest in some form of anti-bug defense in the future. One that doesn’t use mana.”

“Bleh. Forgot about the bugs,” Arek said, gagging. “Whatever. The faster we finish this dungeon, the less I’ll have to see of the damn things. Is everyone ready?”

“Ming will be soon. She didn’t want to get up, but I reminded her that breakfast was a thing and that got her moving.”

“Are we stopping to make a real breakfast?”

“Better to just keep moving. But she’s got enough food stuffed into her bag that she can easily get away with a real meal instead of rations like the rest of us. She’s got no room to complain.”

“Fair enough,” Arek said with a snort. “Let’s get moving, then.”

He took his tent apart with some help from Malissa while Ming overlooked all of them, having already stowed her own lodgings away. She polished off several frozen meat pies in the time it took them to get everything put away.

“Did you even reheat those?” Arek asked as they set back off into the jungle.

“Nah. I like the crunch sometimes.”

Arek blinked. Every time he started to think he understood Ming completely and there wasn’t anything else she could do to confuse him, he was proved wrong.

“I see. Just how frozen are they?”

Ming took a meat pie out of her Bag of Colding, removing it from the smaller bag full of ice around it. She rapped it with a knuckle, producing a deep thunk.

“Ah. Frozen solid.”

“Like a popsicle. Meat-flavored.”

“No,” Belmont said flatly. “No, it is not.”

Ming harrumphed and put her pie away. She swatted at a bug that was getting a little too close, then narrowed her eyes. “They’re coming back.”

“Not surprising,” Belmont said. “We’ve left the safety of the tree’s grove. I’d imagine we’ll be beset again in an hour at most.”

“Lovely.” Malissa started walking a little faster, and the rest of them accelerated as well. “Let’s just blow through the rest of this dungeon, then, shall we?”

The others nodded in agreement. They all redoubled their focus and kept their senses open for any signs of enemies as they pressed deeper through the strange dungeon jungle. Over the next few hours, several other monsters attacked them.

A panther leapt from the trees—straight into a shield that Belmont erected. It only had a moment to whimper in pain before Arek’s guandao crashed down on its neck, silencing the beast forever.

They were beset upon by a flock of particularly aggressive crows a little less than an hour later. That fight was even shorter than the first due to Ming frying the entire murder with a single spell.

Belmont’s prediction did unfortunately prove to be accurate. The swarm of bugs returned just as strong as it had been the previous day, plaguing the entire group for the rest of their trip. If anything, that only served to motivate the Happy Sunflowers even further.

They didn’t dare start acting recklessly, but as they grew more used to the environment of the jungle, the speed at which they progressed through it accelerated as well. By midday, they had nearly doubled their pace.

Finally, as the sun began its descent through the sky, Arek heard the sound of crashing water. They’d been walking uphill for several hours now, and he suspected they were either at the top of the island or near a cliff.

The Happy Sunflowers all slowed down and crept forward, peering through the trees for the source of the noise.

Arek pushed a bundle of vines out of the way, revealing a slope leading down to a large clearing below them. His eyes widened. A massive waterfall flowed on the other side of the clearing, starting far above them and ending just below the clearing, forming a pool around it.

A huge, red-maned cat prowled the clearing. It was a little difficult to tell from above, but the monster looked easily twice Arek’s size. The claws on its paws dug through the soil and dirt, carving it apart like wet sand as it paced.

“That’s gotta be the boss,” Ming whispered. “Should I blast it from here?”

“What if it can climb?” Belmont replied in the same low tone. “It could charge us, and we might end up having to fight the thing in the jungle. That would be bad. Open space is much better against an opponent like that. We want to be able to surround it.”

“Not to mention we might get attacked by other things if we fight in the jungle,” Arek added. His hands tightened around the hilt of his guandao. “That’s a big cat, though. Sure looks like a boss. Everyone ready?”

Malissa’s daggers flipped to her hands, and she grinned. “Let’s see what it tastes like.”

“Damn right,” Ming said, baring her teeth in what she probably hoped would be a savage grin. “Let’s get it!”

“Follow after me, then,” Arek said. “I’ll keep it distracted.”

His heart started to beat faster. The thumping in his chest was like the rhythmic thunder of a battle drum. Arek’s eyes narrowed, and he bared his teeth as the thrill of combat started to course through him.

He took a step back. Then he jumped. His armor flashed in the bright sun reflecting off the water as he plummeted through the air. He spun his guandao, bracing it against his body as he shot down toward the massive lion.

The monster snapped its head up and leapt to the side, avoiding Arek as he crashed into the ground and sent a wave of dust up around him. His armor flashed, absorbing the strike, and he rose to his feet, spinning the weapon and lowering to a fighting stance.

For an instant, the great beast’s eyes locked with Arek’s. They were large and dark, full of malice and hunger. It opened its mouth and roared, spraying Arek with spittle and making his ears ring.

Battle rage surged, and Arek let just a little slip out. Instead of lashing out, he took a step forward and roared himself, matching the monster. Then, respect given, he charged. He twisted out of the way of a deadly paw and slashed the lion’s shoulder with his guandao, drawing a thin line of blood.

He spun back, adjusting his stance and grinning at the blood on the hilt of his blade. “First blood goes to me.”

The lion roared. Malissa slammed to the ground beside Arek, Belmont’s shield shattering as it absorbed the blow. Ming and Belmont thudded down beside her, each encased in a shield. Arek’s grin split even wider. This was what he lived for.

He charged the beast, the thoughts clearing from his head as they entered the dance of life. Energy rang against claws. Blood spattered the ground. Steel and magic flashed around him, but Arek was aware of none of it.

The world fell away. Everything other than the lion faded into black. Black, and the rhythmic thud of his heart.

Thud.

A claw scraped against his claw. Arek ignored it, driving his fist into the beast’s nose. It flinched back with a yowl.

Thud.

His weapon scored the foe’s eye, blinding it. The lion roared and swatted at him with a paw. Arek braced himself, taking the blow with one arm. His armor flared, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t move.

Teeth bared. The lion’s eyes flickered with some emotion—Arek didn’t care which. He was too busy fighting. He swung his guandao, thrusting it down into the monster’s left paw and pinning it to the ground.

Thud.

Explosions raced past Arek’s head, ripping into the dense fur of the lion and making it writhe in pain. Arek leapt at the advantage, leaving his guandao embedded in the ground and grabbing onto the monster’s mane.

Thud.

The lion shook its head desperately, trying to dislodge him. Arek’s vise-like grip didn’t budge. His claws dug into the creature as he swung himself onto its back. It reared up, bleeding from dozens of wounds but its pride intact—for now.

Thud.

Arek’s claws slashed across the monster’s face. Blood sprayed.

Thud.

He tore more, ripping into the lion like a starved man.

Thud.

The lion crashed to the ground.

Thud.

He tore.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Arek!”

Thud.

Arek paused, his chest rising and falling in heaves. He was so hungry. The battle was over already. How could it be over? His opponent was pathetic. He wanted more. Needed more.

“Arek, snap out of it!”

He blinked. There were others. More targets? No. Family—pack. Not to be killed.

Thud.

“Arek, snap out of it!”

He blinked. It smelled like copper. Why was that?

Thud.

His claws were covered with blood. He couldn’t even see the runes under it. He blinked again.

“Arek, are you still with us?”

That was Belmont. Arek lowered his hands, shaking his head. The fog edged back slightly.

His friends were staring at him, worry in their eyes. Below him, the lion was lifeless. He’d torn its face to shreds. Had he kept going after it had died? Arek’s face twisted in disgust. He tried to wipe the blood off his claws, but it felt like it was ingrained. It did nothing but spread it around.

“Arek?” Ming asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious.

“I—I’m fine,” Arek said. “I lost myself. I didn’t even realize.”

“You seem to be fully back,” Belmont said carefully. “Are you?”

Arek stared down at his bloody hands. “I don’t know. I didn’t even realize I was in the battle rage. There was no warning. There’s always a warning, but it just… happened.”

“Here, get off the monster,” Belmont said slowly. “You might be hurt.”

Arek shook his head. He carefully slid down the dead monster’s back. “I’m not. I would have felt it. It hit me, but… it just didn’t do much.”

“The Blessed One curse makes you stronger,” Malissa said. “It has to be mixing with your battle rage and coming out when it normally shouldn’t be.”

Arek clenched his hands. The blood squished against them, and the tips of his claws dug into his palms. “I am becoming a monster.”

“No, you aren’t.” Malissa rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a flask of water. “The Howlers are trying to turn you into one. We won’t let them.”

Arek couldn’t take his eyes off his bloodied claws as she poured water over them, washing the gore and grime away.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “This is serious cause for concern. I could control my battle rage, but not this. It comes on without warning, and I didn’t know I was in it until it was too late.”

“Well, what brought you out of it?” Belmont asked.

“Your calls,” Arek said. “But it still took me time to recognize them.”

Belmont crossed his arms and drummed his fingers on his side in thought. “Well, the important thing is that you could recognize us. And it seems to be spurred by situations when you’d normally enter battle rage, right?”

Arek nodded. He glanced at the monster’s corpse and turned away, trying to wipe it from his mind. “I can’t tell if it’s the battle rage or the heightened emotion that causes the curse to activate, though. Perhaps it’s a mix of the two. It isn’t supposed to work on anything other than people that have also been cursed, after all.”

“It’s okay, Arek,” Malissa said, stepping forward and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. Perhaps we can find someone that knows more about how curses work. With Ming as a control group, maybe they can determine what makes this thing run.”

Arek’s ears twitched. “Yeah. I think I might actually have a contact that could help there.”

“Really?” Malissa asked, her eyebrows rising. “Why didn’t we go straight to them?”

“They’re pretty busy,” Arek replied noncommittally. “And they aren’t easy to get a hold of. Still, I’ll give it a shot. We can do it after getting out of the dungeon.”

“That won’t be too hard,” Belmont said with a nod over Arek’s shoulder.

The orc turned, looking over the body of the monster to realize a pitch-black portal had formed in the air behind it.

“Ah. Didn’t even notice,” Arek said, rubbing the back of his head. He adjusted his hat and sighed. “Right, then. I’m not quite feeling up to skinning this thing. Unless someone else wants to…?”

“I think we’ll pass this time,” Malissa said. “Let’s go.”

The Happy Sunflowers linked hands and held their breath before stepping into the portal and vanishing from the dungeon with a pop.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As quickly as the world had vanished, it rebuilt itself around them.

Buildings replaced the lush jungle, and their feet hit cobbled stone as they reappeared in the small town surrounding the dungeon. Arek let his breath out with a huff, causing a plump woman that had been watching their arrival to scramble for cover.

“Whoops,” Arek said.

“Don’t worry about them,” Belmont said. “Other people’s opinions aren’t worth your time. They don’t know you.”

“If I recall correctly, you were worse than the woman was,” Ming said, tugging on Belmont’s chainmail with a smirk.

Belmont harrumphed. “People change, Ming. I was in the wrong, and I’ve admitted that already. There is nothing to be ashamed of for making a mistake as long as you rectify it.”

Arek laughed as the four of them left the portal and made for a bench along the small town square. “I don’t know if I’ll ever understand how you have so much confidence and paranoia at the same time, Belmont. It feels like those two things shouldn’t mesh as well as they do in you.”

“I am confident in myself so long as the situation is within my abilities and I have prepared for what might come,” Belmont replied with a shrug. “That’s why I’m paranoid, as you put it. If everything is as it should be, I have nothing to fear.”

“Interesting way to see things,” Arek mused. He stopped, glancing around at the rooftops.

It took him a few moments, but he managed to spot the telltale marble of an adventurer’s guild post. It was considerably smaller than the ones in the other towns they passed through and only a single floor, but it was an outpost all the same. He set off toward it.

“Is this a good idea?” Belmont said in a hushed whisper, glancing around to see if anyone was paying much attention to them. “I’m not sure talking with the guild is in our best interests right now.”

“It’s the only lead I can think of.” Arek gave Belmont a one-shouldered shrug and adjusted his hat as they drew up to the front of the small outpost. The marble was stained and covered with at least several months’ worth of grime and dirt.

“Nice place,” Ming observed.

Arek just walked inside, ducking slightly to fit through the doorway. A tweedy man with thin, burgundy hair glanced up at the Happy Sunflowers from his chair behind a dust-covered counter. His eyes widened and he licked his lips, straightening his back and pushing the wide-rimmed glasses higher on his face.

“Hello,” Arek said, raising a hand in greeting. “I’m a registered adventurer. You’re not about to get attacked.”

The man seemed to deflate. “Ah, thank the gods. I mean, you were wearing a chef hat, but you never know what fashions monsters have taken to these days. How can I help you? I’m afraid this is only a small outpost, so we don’t have many of the amenities that a full one would.”

“I need to contact someone in the guild. Do you have some way to do that?”

“Ah, we do,” the clerk said with a relieved sigh. “That’s one of the few services we do offer, actually. Second door on your right. We don’t have any fancy administrators, though, so you’ll need to know the name of the person you’re trying to contact.”

“That’s no problem,” Arek said. He turned to the rest of his group. “Could you wait here for a few moments? I’ll be back soon.”

They nodded, and he followed the clerk’s directions down a thin hall and through an old wooden door. Behind it was a small room with a rune-covered tube in the center of it. A large, dirty crystal orb poked out of its center.

It had been years since Arek had last used a device like this to communicate. He’d still been in Vell’s group when he had—which felt ironically appropriate, given who he was trying to contact.

The orc put his clawed hands on the orb and let out a slow breath, visualizing Vell’s face and whispering the man’s full name under his breath. The orb warmed beneath his hands, and the machine let out a low humming noise as light started to emit from it.

It grew louder. A foreign presence passed over Arek’s mind, its emotions a mixture of curiosity and anger. They faded as quickly as they’d arrived. Then a low chuckle rang out in Arek’s head, and the presence vanished.

The orb beneath his palms turned red, indicating the call had been canceled. A moment later, a dull hum filled the room as a blue portal yawned open in front of Arek. The orc pursed his lips. He would have preferred to talk without meeting Vell in person. He certainly wasn’t about to—

Before he could react, the portal shot forward, swallowing him whole.

Dull torchlight greeted Arek as he staggered into a large, stone room. Machinery littered the ground and runes had been scribbled in chalk on every single surface. Sitting across from him, surrounded by a large pile of books, was Vell.

His beard had grown and turned even whiter, but his one blue eye burned as bright as ever.

“Arek. What a surprise,” Vell said, splaying his hands out. He snapped his fingers, causing a chair to assemble itself from the garbage covering the room, walk over, and push itself into the orc’s legs.

Arek reluctantly sat down. “Vell.”

“You wouldn’t come here unless you were really desperate,” Vell said. “I presume you want something from me?”

“That was direct,” Arek said with a snort. “You’re correct.”

“I’ve always been direct. Words are such a pointless waste of time.” Vell took a book from the pile and flipped through it for a moment, then threw it over his shoulder with a sigh. “I’ve been working on a little problem for some time anyway. You’ve always been a refreshing presence. Perhaps we can help each other. What do you need?”

“You’re invested in keeping the kingdom safe, right?”

“I’m part of the adventurer’s guild.”

“You and I both know that means less with every passing day,” Arek said. “They haven’t done much as of late, have they?”

Vell’s brow creased in amusement. “Ah. I heard some business about how you got caught up in Red Mount with the Howler guild.”

“You know about them?” Arek nearly jumped out of his chair. He slammed his hands into the table. “You know they were involved?”

“Of course I do,” Vell laughed. “They hardly did a perfect job covering their tracks, but they did one good enough to keep the courts locked up for a few more months. Probably more than enough time for them to get what they want.”

“And you aren’t going to do anything about it?”

“I am doing something about it,” Vell replied, spreading his arms. “Look around you, Arek.”

“I see a lot of garbage.”

“You see the beginnings of an army, Arek. I have four hundred golems in my compound, all with the strength of a C-rank adventurer and some with more. The Howler guild thinks they can defend themselves with the curse they stole, but their end is already carved in stone. They will die. Is that really why you’ve come? Just sit aside. You aren’t Warchief anymore. Let the big boys play.”

Arek slumped back into his chair. “That isn’t good enough. A few months is too late.”

“Too late?” Vell’s eyes narrowed. “What, have you grown so soft that you’re bothered over the few people that will suffer during that time? People die, Arek. Many at your own hands. A few more deaths won’t bother anyone. There are unlikely to be more monster hordes; the guild is fully mobilized and preventing them now that we know someone has been causing them, even if we can’t fully link it to the Howlers.”

“I’m not here because I’m worried about others,” Arek growled. “Well, I am. But that’s not the only reason. In a few months, I’ll probably be dead.”

Vell blinked. “Oh? How so?”

“You know about the Blessed One curse?”

“A mage has been going around the guild researching it, so I’ve looked into it a little,” Vell replied, scratching his chin. “It was an interesting topic, but I can’t get my hands on anyone with the curse, and I can’t seem to find where it comes from.”

“Ah, that would be Magus.” Arek’s lips split into a cold grin. “And maybe we can help each other after all. I’ve been cursed.”

Vell froze. “What?”

“Not sure how else to put it. I’ve been afflicted with the Blessed One curse,” Arek said, tapping his chest. “And, according to Magus, that means I’ll be compelled to go to Dortusk in less than a month. When I get there, the Howlers will probably kill me for all the trouble my group has caused them.”

Vell didn’t budge for several seconds. His knuckles trembled slightly, and his lips pulled back in the beginnings of a feral snarl. “They meddled with you? With my work?”

“That’s one way to put it. I want to know if anything can be done. I don’t expect you to be able to get rid of the curse, but maybe you could at least tell us how it functions?”

Vell’s eyes twitched. Arek wasn’t sure if the man had heard a single word he’d said. Vell ground his teeth and slowly rose to his feet. “How dare they touch what is mine? Your runes are mine, Arek. My artwork. My creation. They are not to be… disgraced by some bumbling fools.”

He spat on the ground, his face red and trembling. Arek rose, taking a step back. He’d never seen Vell this unhinged—not in this way, at least.

“Sit down,” Vell ground out. He spun, grabbing a metal rod from the ground and breaking it over his knee. He threw the pieces down and stalked over to Arek. “I will inspect what damage they have done to my art.”

“Is this going to take long?” Arek asked, not letting his voice change even slightly. Showing someone like Vell weakness was the worst thing he could do in the situation. “My team doesn’t know I’m here, and they might have useful information for this.”

“How so?” Vell asked, cocking his head to the side. “Are they cursed as well?”

“One of them is, but it doesn’t look like the curse took hold on her properly,” Arek said. “For that matter, I don’t think it took hold on me correctly either, but it’s done more to me than hers has done to her.”

“I see.” Vell clenched and flexed his hands several times, then nodded. “Only one?”

“Just the one.”

“I will get them.”

“Wait,” Arek said. “I want your word that they’ll be safe. I’m not bringing anyone here to get killed by you. The girl that is cursed is Magus’ student. I know you’re strong, but even you can’t start a direct conflict with him.”

Vell smirked. “That explains the man’s insistence on figuring out what the Blessed One curse did. I just ignored him when he asked for my help, but perhaps I should have paid more attention. Very well, Arek. I will not hurt her. I’m not a monster, after all. You are. But you’re my monster. Nobody is allowed to damage that.”

He shuddered, drawing a slow breath and steadying his features before snapping his fingers. A blue portal burst open and he strode through it, leaving Arek in silence.

“Shit, he’s completely lost it,” Arek muttered under his breath. “I think this might have been a mistake.”

He glanced around, half-wondering if the walls were watching him. Knowing Vell, they probably were. A few minutes passed in silence. Arek was just about to follow the mage through the portal when he strode back in holding Ming’s hand.

“Arek!” Ming exclaimed. “This old asshole said you were here, but I didn’t believe him. Are you okay?”

“I am,” Arek said. “I’m sorry, I should have warned you. I was only planning to talk to Vell, but he went and kidnapped me.”

“Bah. Talking in person is so much easier,” Vell said, flicking his hand and dismissing the portal. “Wait, did this little runt just call me an asshole?” He leaned down, glaring at Ming.

She cocked an eyebrow. “What? Try something and I’ll kick your balls up into your throat. I won’t even need magic.”

Arek choked and Vell burst into laughter.

“What a temper. Sit down, girl.”

A chair popped out of the scraps and shot into Ming, sweeping her off her feet and setting her down beside Arek.

Ming leaned over to him conspiratorially. “Malissa said to be assertive so he wouldn’t underestimate me.”

“That’s… one way to do it, I suppose,” Arek muttered. He shook his head and straightened back up. “Okay, Vell. Keep this quick, please. We have a lot to do.”

Vell grunted. “And I don’t? I’m doing you a favor. First, let me look at your runes. I need to make sure they haven’t been damaged.”

He stormed over to the orc and grabbed his hands, studying the carvings closely. He spent several minutes on each claw, muttering under his breath the entire time. Ming fidgeted in her seat all the while, which clearly didn’t help the older mage’s mood.

“They’re fine,” Vell said, straightening. “Good. That’s very good.”

“You mean they’re somehow protecting Arek from the curse?” Ming asked.

“What? I have no idea about that. I just don’t want my work damaged,” Vell said dismissively. “Although, that’s not all of what I did. Some of my work is not so easily seen. Tell me more about the effects of this curse. I need to know what I’m working with.”

Arek shrugged. He went back over everything he could recall about the Blessed One curse, including how it didn’t seem to affect Ming and the strange runes that floated around in her eyes.

Vell listened with rapt attention, jotting down notes every so often. He made Arek repeat several parts, then quizzed Ming. When he was done, he sat back and rubbed his chin.

“What a marvelous curse. I’d kill to see how they’ve taken over it,” Vell mused. “It’s possible Arek’s battle rage is interfering with its proper function, but I never expected you to be the real prize here, girl.”

“Vell,” Arek warned, a growl building in his throat, “you aren’t touching her.”

“Look at me weird and I’ll turn your head to soup,” Ming said, pointing a staff at him.

Vell rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. I’m terrified of what the little girl and her stick can do. You’re aware that I’m a B-rank mage that’s nearly at A rank, yes? I could level the entire room you’re sitting in with a thought.”

Ming pointed her staff at the wall. A bolt of pure magic shot out of it, burning a hole clean through the stone. She turned, giving a very pointed look to the front of Vell’s pants. “Before or after I make sure you speak two tones higher the rest of your life?”

Arek tensed, preparing to dive at Vell. Curse be damned—if the crazed man tried to touch Ming, he’d kill him or die trying.

Instead, Vell broke into laughter. Arek failed to contain his surprise, which only made Vell laugh harder.

“Ah, that’s rich. When was the last time I was threatened?” Vell wondered aloud. “Was it you, Arek? I believe it was. How quaint. Get that pathetic look off your face, orc. I’m not going to hurt your aggressive little friend. I hold to the promises I make. Unlike you.”

Arek gritted his teeth. “Don’t get started on me. Just do what we agreed on.”

Vell flicked his fingerers. Metal clattered above them as an avalanche of parts crashed through a stairwell in the back of the room and washed over to them like a sea of steel. It rose up, forming into a long table.

“Lie down,” Vell said, nodding to Arek. “This will be easier if you are prone.”

Arek stood and walked over to the table. He sat down, swinging his legs over it, and lay back on it. The metal was cold and uncomfortable, but he hardly expected any better from Vell.

“Good,” Vell said. “Don’t move. I can’t put you to sleep for this. I need to see your psyche while you’re awake.”

He pressed a hand into Arek’s head, wrapping his fingers around the top of the orc’s skull. Arek tensed, preparing for a rush of pain, but nothing came. The two of them remained there for several minutes. Then, to Arek’s surprise, Vell lifted his hand.

The mage pressed his lips together, his face troubled. He paced back to his desk, sitting down and jotting several things down on the papers.

“What did you find?” Arek asked, sitting up.

“Nothing definitive. Move. I need to examine the girl.”

Arek stepped out of the way and gave Ming a worried glance, but she just shrugged and grinned as she hopped onto the table and lay down. “Do you have a pillow?”

“No.”

Vell grabbed his notes and strode over to Ming, placing his hand against her head and closing his eyes. Arek repressed the desire to pace around the room and risk distracting Vell. Instead, he sat back down on his chair and watched the mages, ready to jump into action at the slightest sign of trouble.

Nearly half an hour passed before Vell finally pulled his hand away. If anything, he looked even more agitated. His quill scribbled across the paper and he shook his head, muttering to himself.

“What is it?” Ming asked, starting to sit up.

“I’m not done,” Vell said. “Down.”

He pushed her back onto the table and put his hand on her head. Ming licked his palm and he cursed, yanking his hand back. She blinked innocently.

“No. Bad,” Vell said sternly. “Don’t do that.”

Arek’s eye twitched. Was he talking to a dog?

Ming winked at Arek, then lay back down. Vell resumed his work, leaving Arek sitting baffled in his chair. Evidently, each of the mages was pretty confident they were the one in control. Arek was starting to think everyone in the room was just insane.

Almost ten minutes later, Vell raised his hand and snatched his notes, sitting back down at his spot behind the table. He shoved the piles of books over the edge to make more room and started to write.

Ming and Arek watched him work for a while. Then Ming hopped down from the table and peered over his shoulder.

“You suck at writing.”

“They are runes,” Vell said. “Not common.”

“Oh. If they’re not common, are they rare? Do you collect rare runes?”

“No, I meant I’m not writing in the common language, not that the runes—never mind,” Vell said, letting out a sigh. He studied his work for a moment, then leaned back.

“Well?” Ming said. “Am I awesome?”

“Yes,” Vell said, nearly making Arek choke on his own saliva, “you are. What in the world is that magical energy you’ve got? That shouldn’t be possible. You’ve got more than any mage your age has any right to have.”

“I eat lots.”

“That is not an explanation.”

Ming shrugged. “You got any food here?”

“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t let her anywhere near your food,” Arek warned. “She won’t leave anything behind.”

“I—just sit down,” Vell said, rubbing his forehead. “Is this all just a joke to you?”

“I’m always serious about food,” Ming said, crossing her arms.

“As am I,” Arek said. “But, just for the sake of the matter at hand, can you share what you learned?”

Vell gathered his papers and tapped them as if Arek and Ming were supposed to be able to understand what he’d written on them. “I have deduced some information on the nature of the curse. It wasn’t hard to find at all, but I believe it was warped in both of you. Unique circumstances made the curse fail to properly take hold in your bodies.”

“So we broke it?” Ming asked.

“It was never meant for an orc, so it just didn’t work properly on Arek,” Vell said, pointing at Arek with his quill. “Your battle rage meshed with it, growing stronger and strengthening you in the process.”

He moved his hand to point at Ming.

“But you broke it. Your body consumes energy at an astounding rate. You’re like a black hole. If you didn’t have such an obscenely large pool of magic, you would never have been born. Even still, over eighty percent of your magic is being drained away just to support you.”

Ming’s eyes widened. “Wait, you mean I have even more magic than I thought?”

“You might as well pretend it doesn’t exist,” Vell said, waving his hand. “Did you not hear anything I just said? Your body is consuming it. Be happy with the amount you already have, and let the rest of the world be thankful you didn’t actually gain access to all of it.”

“As interesting as this is, what does it have to do with the Blessed One curse?” Arek asked. He rose, unable to control himself any further, and started to pace back and forth.

“The girl’s body consumed a huge portion of the curse before it could take hold,” Vell said, shaking his head. Arek nearly tripped as he realized that there was admiration in Vell’s tone. “You destroyed the curse as it tried to take hold in you. That’s why there are runes floating around; they aren’t just in your eyes. They’re all over the inside of your body. The curse broke, and they essentially spilled out.”

Ming rubbed her chin. “So curses are kind of like bean bags?”

“No, but that was the best explanation I could think of for someone as simple as you,” Vell replied. “Would you prefer an explanation at my level?”

“No, that sounds stuffy. Continue, old dude. I ate the curse. What’s that mean?”

“It means,” Vell said, drawing a slow breath to keep himself under control, “you’re not cursed at all, aside from some cosmetic changes. Even as we talk, your body is slowly consuming the curse. In a few months, it’ll be gone entirely.”

“That’s good,” Arek said with a sigh of relief.

“More than good,” Vell corrected. “You see, curses are generally wrapped in a way so that someone peering in would be unable to determine how they function. If you know how something works, you can break it.”

Arek’s eyes widened as he realized what Vell was getting at, and he stopped pacing. “But because Ming’s got runes spilled everywhere, you can decode the curse?”

“To a degree,” Vell said, nodding. “There’s a slight problem, in that her runes are all out of order. They’ve just been floating around, after all. Still, there’s enough information here for me to start getting deeper into how this works. If the two of you sit silent for an hour, I should be able to have more information shortly.”

Arek glanced at Ming. They both nodded, and Arek made his way back over to a chair and sat down. He drummed his fingers on his knees, staring up at the ceiling while Vell worked. It felt like the old mage was taking forever, but it was truly only a little more than half an hour when he finally glanced up again, a pensive look on his face.

Vell strode over to Arek and put a hand on his head, not even directing him to a table. The orc froze, not daring to budge until Vell lifted his hand and nodded to himself. He walked back to his side of the desk and jotted several more things down.

“Okay,” Vell said. “What a brilliant curse. The makers were truly talented.”

“You decoded it?” Arek asked.

“I did. I knew your battle rage warped the curse, but I was unsure of its exact purpose. Now, even though you’ve done some damage to it, I believe I’ve got an understanding. Like you said, the curse will draw you to Dortusk in a few weeks. It also draws you to fight other Blessed people, and the curse will steal power from the loser and give it to the winner.”

“Why?” Arek asked. “And why force us to Dortusk?”

“Seriously? It’s so obvious,” Vell said, shaking his head in disappointment. “To create the most powerful mage, of course. Think about it—all the powers of hundreds of cursed people, all put into one man after being drawn together. They would be unstoppable. Likely stronger than most A-rank mages.”

Arek cursed. “Well, did you find anything else out? A way to break the curse?”

Vell set his quill down and leaned back. “Of course I found more. Who do you think I am? The curse is incredibly clever, like I mentioned. It’s tied itself to your soul. It cannot be broken. It will just have to wear off naturally.”

“It wears off?”

“All curses wear off,” Vell replied with a snort. “Unfortunately, this one will not give for at least a few months. You don’t have that long.”

“I see,” Arek said, clenching his hands.

“I’m not done. While I cannot break the curse, I can modify it. You see, it seems to function off of emotion. That’s why your battle rage got caught up in it. When you see someone else that is cursed, it artificially heightens your subconscious emotions to make you hate them until your body physically cannot avoid trying to kill them. Even if you logically know you don’t want to fight, it just won’t matter.”

Ming picked her nose. She raised an eyebrow at Vell, and the older mage sighed.

“You are the worst crowd I’ve ever revealed something to. I hate both of you. My work is wasted on your dull, stupid minds. While I can’t change the curse completely, I can reduce how strongly it affects you, Arek. By modifying which emotions it targets and trying to decrease the strength that it raises them to, it should become manageable.”

“That would be brilliant,” Arek said. “But… what can we do about the other Blessed people? You can’t fix them all, can you? They’re in Dortusk. And, if nobody stops them, the Howlers will probably line things up so that their own mage ends up with all that power.”

“That would indeed be problematic,” Vell agreed, “which is why I will introduce a spreading vector to your curse. If you can get your blood on another cursed person, it will infect them and modify their curse to be like yours. They won’t be forced to fight.”

“That’s incredible!” Ming exclaimed. “Could you just make them really hungry? Nobody wants to fight when they’re hungry.”

“I think that’s just you,” Vell said wearily. “But hunger and anger do share similar components. When you’re hungry, anger is closer to the surface. That might not be a bad path to use, actually.”

“I know. I’m a genius.”

“There are a lot of words for you… that is not one of them. Now shut up. Arek, get on the table. If the little creature talks while I’m working and I turn your mind into mush, it’ll be her fault.”

Ming swallowed and pressed her lips together while Arek walked back over to the table and lay down. Vell put both of his hands on the orc’s head and grinned down at him.

“This might hurt a little.”

It did.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When Arek awoke, his head was ringing. He scrunched his eyes together, groaning. It felt like someone had spent an hour smacking his skull with a metal spoon.

“Are you okay?”

That was Ming. At least, Arek was pretty sure it was Ming. Her voice sounded a little distant and off pitch.

“Give him a little more,” Vell said. “Meddling with the mind is never a simple procedure. If any other had done it, it is unlikely that he would even be awake right now. He’d probably be asleep for the next week.”

“Wow, you must have a lot of practice,” Ming said.

“Thousands of hours—and people. Animals too,” Vell replied proudly. “I have honed my craft to perfection.”

“Sounds boring. I’d rather just eat.”

Arek chuckled, allowing his eyes to open as the pain pulled away even further. His head still felt awful, but it didn’t hurt to think. He slowly sat up, looking around the room. He had no way to tell how much time had passed since Vell had started working on him, but it felt like it had been hours.

“Did it work?”

“Of course it did,” Vell said dryly. “I do not fail, and you are a familiar canvas. The curse is modified and prepared to spread.”

“Thank you, Vell,” Arek said, carefully climbing off the table. He grabbed it as the world spun, holding on until he was steady once more. “If you just kept putting your talents to use for things like this, you could genuinely do a lot of good for the world.”

Vell narrowed his eyes. “What a waste that would be. I do not care for the world, Arek. I care for my projects. People are replaceable, but my art is not. I do, however, have issue with the Howlers attempting to threaten me. Now, I believe our bargain is finished. You will deliver this curse, so that I may watch them fall for wasting my time.”

He snapped his fingers, summoning a blue portal at the end of the room.

“Thanks, old guy,” Ming said. She stuck a hand into her Bag of Colding and pulled out a frozen meat pie, tossing it onto the table in front of Vell. “That’s my thank you. Don’t eat it too fast—you’ll hurt your teeth.”

Arek moved to join Ming, who strode through the portal and vanished. Before Arek could follow her, Vell put a hand on his shoulder.

“What is it?” Arek asked suspiciously. He wasn’t too far from the portal, and he was pretty sure he could dive through it before Vell could stop him.

“What, can’t old friends exchange gifts?” Vell asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black badge. “I got this while you were asleep.”

The orc’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

“Power. You are weak now, and I would hate to see all my work wasted early.”

“I know what happened the last time I took your power, Vell. I don’t want it.”

Vell laughed, shaking his head. “That was you, Arek. I simply gave you a means to use it. Is a sword evil?”

“We both know that isn’t the case,” Arek growled. “You made me into that monster.”

“You’re heading into the territory of a guild with C and B-rank mages. Do you really think you can fight them on your own? You talk big now, but you’ll become a monster again to protect your friends. Or am I wrong?”

Arek stared at the black badge in Vell’s hand, his hands clenched.

“It’s up to you, Arek. Just remember the consequences of refusal in a month, when you’re looking into the dead eyes of that girl, knowing that you could have had the strength to protect her, but you refused it out of a sense of pathetic honor.”

The orc locked eyes with the man.

“So, tell me,” Vell said, his grin widening, “what kind of monster are you? I’ve seen you abandon one group already. Will you do it again?”

Arek grabbed the badge and shoved it into a pocket. Then he spun, striding through the portal and vanishing into the blue light. As it swallowed him, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d just made a huge mistake.

“Arek!” Malissa exclaimed as soon as he stepped back into the room. Her daggers were in her hands and Belmont stood beside her, his staff raised defensively.

The portal snapped shut behind the orc.

“I’m sorry,” Arek said, rubbing his forehead. “I didn’t expect him to literally kidnap me. We were only supposed to talk. That could have gone incredibly poorly.”

“It’s fine,” Ming said, giving the other members of the Happy Sunflowers a thumbs-up. “He was too scared of me to try anything.”

Belmont pressed his lips together. “I’m not going to address how dangerous that was. Who were you talking with, Arek?”

“Vell,” Arek replied. “He’s a master of runes and enchanting, so I thought he might know something about the curse.”

“And you ignored the fact that he was a psychopath that did terrible things to you for years?”

“Belmont,” Malissa said, the daggers vanishing as she put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head, “don’t. Arek had no way to know Vell would abduct him and Ming. Honestly, it does sound like Vell would probably know what he was doing in this particular situation.”

Belmont heaved a sigh. “You don’t have to do all this yourself, Arek. We’re here for you. You could have at least told us.”

“I know,” Arek said. “I’m sorry. I truly didn’t think he’d do anything more than talk, although I suppose that was just naïve of me.”

“Leave being naïve to me,” Ming said, patting her chest. “I’m very good at it. That’s what Belmont says, at least.”

“And I’m right,” Belmont said irritably. “Did you at least learn anything useful, Arek?”

“More than learn.” A flicker of a grin passed over Arek’s face. “Let’s get out of here. Then we’ll talk—but I’ve got something we can finally use against the Howlers.”

The Happy Sunflowers left the small adventurer’s guild outpost and made their way over to the edge of town. They sat down in the grass, far enough away that they wouldn’t get any accidental eavesdroppers.

“Vell figured out the curse,” Arek said. “It magnifies subconscious emotions or something like that. I didn’t entirely understand exactly how it functions, but the main purpose is to fill you with so much anger at your opponent that your body has no choice but to fight.”

“So we weren’t too far off,” Belmont said, rubbing his chin. “You look pleased, though. Did he find a way to cure it?”

“Essentially. First, Ming is apparently completely safe. She literally ate the curse.”

“That does fit, doesn’t it?” Belmont burst into uncharacteristic laughter. He shook his head, his features growing serious once more. “But what about you?”

“He couldn’t completely remove the curse. It’s too integrated into me—but it’ll wear off in a few months.”

“Too late,” Belmont growled. “We’ve got weeks before you’re dragged to Dortusk.”

“Right,” Arek said with a nod, “which is why he modified it instead. Instead of making me try to kill other Blessed people, I’ll instead just get hungry. And he made one more change—if I can get my blood on someone that’s cursed, I’ll change their curse to work like mine.”

“So you can effectively nullify the curse?” Malissa asked, her eyes lighting up. “That’s brilliant! We could completely destroy the Howlers’ control over all the Blessed Ones.”

“Hold on.” Belmont shook his head. “It’s not that simple. It’s great that we’ve neutered Arek’s curse, but getting his blood on other cursed people isn’t some simple task. Some of the adventurers that are infected are sure to be powerful.”

“More than just powerful, if they’ve killed other Blessed people,” Ming piped up. “Arek’s ugly friend said they could get even stronger than B-rank mages if nobody stops the Howlers.”

“We don’t stand a chance against someone as powerful as that,” Belmont said, pounding a hand into the grass. “Even if we’re fighting together versus a group of battle-crazed idiots, someone at B rank will wipe the floor with us.”

“We took Magus on pretty well that one time,” Ming said, scratching her chin. “He’s B rank.”

“He wasn’t being serious.” Belmont shook his head. “And, on top of that, we lost pretty hard. If he’d gone all out, we would have all been dead.”

“What about cooking?” Malissa asked, suppressing a grimace. “We could put his blood into food and try to serve it.”

Arek shuddered. “I… really hate that idea. Sorry, Malissa. Contaminating food is a cardinal sin to me. It’s just wrong, especially with my own blood. Almost any other alternative would be better.”

“Yeah,” Malissa muttered. “It’s pretty disgusting to me too. Forget about it. Any other thoughts?”

“Is it really that much worse than stabbing them?” Ming asked, drawing an idle circle in the grass with a finger and frowning. “But we’re acting as if we’re alone. Why don’t we just get some help?”

“From whom?” Arek said. “It won’t be long until I have to go to Dortusk. We don’t know anybody there, and everyone else has their own things they need to do.”

“Well, most of the other Blessed people aren’t going to want to be in Dortusk either,” Ming said, crossing her arms. “Let’s just save someone strong and have them help us.”

Belmont cocked his head to the side. “That would work if they’ve actually got any interest in aiding anybody, but relying on someone else’s kindness is a very risky plan. Also… don’t forget that they’ll still attack Arek on sight.”

“Oh,” Ming said, her face falling. “I forgot about that. I thought they wouldn’t have to because his curse got changed.”

“Dangerous thing to bet on,” Belmont said. “No, we should assume Arek’s curse is entirely unchanged until we have undeniable proof that something about it functions differently.”

“Perhaps we should test exactly how much of the curse has been reduced,” Arek said. “I don’t know if my battle rage is back to normal or what else might have changed after Vell’s work.”

Malissa nodded. “Maybe we should try to find some monsters to fight on the way over to Dortusk.”

“You want to go there early?” Arek asked. “Isn’t that exactly what Magus told us not to do?”

“Well, we’ll let him know what we’re doing first,” Malissa said defensively, raising her hands. “But I think it’s a good idea. If we arrive on our own terms, we’ll have a lot more room to maneuver and try to find a way into the city. Getting forced to walk there by the curse might take us along a path that’s more obvious.”

“That’s a good thought,” Belmont said with a slow nod. “I back it up. We should scout the area out at the very least. And testing your battle rage would also be a wise move. What do you think, Arek?”

The orc considered their words for a few moments. Despite being the only one of them that actually needed to go to Dortusk, the rest of the Happy Sunflowers were all dead set on following him in.

He didn’t even consider asking them to let him go alone again. None of them would take him up, and it would only serve to offend his friends. A tiny grin flickered across Arek’s face. He never could have imagined that Warchief would have friends like this.

“There’s one more thing,” Arek said, pulling the black badge out of his pocket.

Belmont’s eyes narrowed. “Vell’s work?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to worry all of you, but he gave me this and said it’ll give me a boost of power if I need it. I felt like I should share with you in case we happen to need it. I don’t want to keep secrets anymore. I’ll use this if we need it, but I don’t know what it’ll do to me.”

“Are you sure it’s wise?” Belmont asked. “Vell is unhinged.”

“If we don’t have a choice, it doesn’t matter. And he’s obsessed with protecting all the work he put into me. I doubt he’d intentionally kill me or anything.”

Belmont pursed his lips and, after a few moments, nodded. “I suppose. Be very careful, Arek. We don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for us any more than you want us to do it for you.”

“I won’t use it unless I absolutely need to,” Arek promised. He cleared his throat. “And I do still have one more secret, but I’d rather not address it right now. Sorry.”

“That’s fine,” Malissa said, smiling at him. “You already told us enough. You don’t need to share everything until you’re comfortable.”

“That’s everything, then,” Arek said. “Let’s take out the Howlers.”

“Great!” Ming exclaimed. “I’ll get Magus.”

“Wait,” Belmont snapped, grabbing Ming’s hand before she could pull a staff out of her bundle. “Just let me do it.”

Ming blinked. “What? You can’t. You don’t have a magic Magus-summoning stick like I do.”

“Pouring so much pure magic into the environment that he nearly has a heart attack is not a good way to call your teacher,” Belmont said flatly. He sighed and shook his head. “Let’s put a little distance between ourselves and the city. Then I’ll contact him. I’ve spent the last few days practicing that ranged communication spell, and I think I should be able to get it to work.”

“What?” Ming exclaimed. “When? We were in a dungeon!”

“During my watch and whenever nothing important was happening,” Belmont replied, rolling his eyes. “Not all of us waste every waking moment eating, Ming.”

Ming turned her nose up and crossed her hands. Belmont clambered to his feet and grabbed her from either side, lifting the mage and plopping her down on her feet. Arek chuckled as he and Malissa stood as well.

The group set off in a random direction, walking until the town was several hills away from them and they were nowhere near the main road.

“Okay,” Belmont said, coming to a stop and nodding, “this will work. Give me a moment. I’m still a bit iffy on this spell.”

“Don’t you need two people to practice communicating?” Ming asked, glaring crossly at Belmont. “What did you do, talk to yourself? That’s just called thinking.”

“No comment,” Belmont said, screwing his eyes shut and pursing his lips in concentration. Ming scrunched her nose up.

A few minutes passed.

“Did it work?” Malissa whispered to Ming.

“How would I know? I didn’t learn the spell yet…”

The air before Belmont shimmered. They all took a step back as a blue portal traced itself through the air and Magus stepped out, motes of pure magic trailing off his body. His robes were dirty and his veins looked even more blue than normal.

Magus coughed into his fist and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You lot again. At least you figured out how to use the communication spell. Good job, Ming.”

Ming cleared her throat. “Uh… it wasn’t me.”

Magus turned to Belmont and cocked an eyebrow.

Belmont reddened and gave the older man a shrug. “Sorry. I’m still struggling with it a bit.”

“I’m sure,” Magus muttered. “So, what has changed this time? I’ve got some new information on my end, but every single time you call me, you’ve usually figured out some groundbreaking new development, so I suspect it would be best if you go first. Did you discover how to defeat the curse after a few days of work?”

“Yep!” Ming exclaimed. “How’d you know?”

“I was just jok—” Magus’ eye twitched. “What?”

“Oh. I thought you figured it out already,” Ming said, crestfallen. “Arek and I just asked his ugly old friend and he figured it out in like an hour.”

Magus flexed his hands. “Ugly… old friend? Arek? Please provide some clarification to this. Is this Ming’s idea of a joke?”

“No, she’s being truthful,” Arek replied, trying his hardest not to laugh at Magus’ expression. The mage looked like he’d sat on an anthill. “I spoke with Vell.”

“Vell? I went to him already! He said he wouldn’t help.” Magus threw his hands up in the air. “You’re telling me that arrogant bastard figured everything out already?”

“Well, not everything,” Arek said. He filled Magus in on everything that they’d learned from Vell, only omitting the black badge that his former companion had given him.

Magus waited until Arek was done before letting out a weary sigh. “I see. Well, that takes much of the wind from my sails. I was fairly pleased with discovering the purpose of the Blessed One curse, but it seems you’ve beaten me to that, and then some.”

“Didn’t we kind of already know the general purpose?” Malissa asked.

“Ah, but I found the exact purpose,” Magus said, holding a finger up. He doubled over in a coughing fit, then sighed and straightened back up. “They’re trying to take out the adventurer’s guild itself. They know we’ve got too many high-ranking mages, so the Howlers have commandeered this curse to try and make someone strong enough to take us on directly. If they manage to merge the powers of enough B- and C-rank mages…”

Magus shuddered, and the others did too.

“It’s a bit of a reach, don’t you think?” Malissa asked. “I mean, they’re pinning all their hopes on a single person, aren’t they?”

“It’s probably someone very high up in the guild,” Magus said. “And one person is much easier to maneuver than an army of people that hate you. The Howlers know they don’t have much time until the court comes down on them, so they have to do things like this if they even want a chance at victory.”

“How’d you find out, then?” Belmont asked. “If you know this, shouldn’t you be reporting it and getting them taken out before they can act?”

Magus pressed his lips together. “My source of information is entirely visual, and there are treaties that prevent the adventurer’s guild from just storming individual guild cities. No organization is free of corruption, and we both know the guild would abuse such power if they had it.”

“So the courts are useless,” Malissa said flatly.

Magus sighed. “Yes. Essentially. They’ll make a move if there’s literally any concrete evidence, but unless we can get something like that, they’ll have to do things the normal way, and that means slowly. Of course, as soon as something clearly starts happening, they’ll act. It just might be too late.”

“Some system you got there,” Arek said dryly. “What idiot designed that?”

“Not me,” Magus replied. “It’s abysmal, but all the layers of bureaucracy are there because people tried to take advantage of it before.”

“Isn’t that exactly what they’re doing now, though?” Ming asked.

“No comment.” Magus coughed. “It’s beyond my control. But helping the four of you isn’t.”

“You’re going to come with us into Dortusk?” Ming asked, her eyes going wide.

“What? Absolutely not.” Magus narrowed his eyes. “You were planning to enter Dortusk? Are you all stupid?”

“Do you have a better plan?” Belmont asked. “Arek is going to get forced to go there soon! We won’t abandon our friend.”

“Yeah, idiot,” Magus said. “Tie him up. There are bindings strong enough to contain even the strongest mages. They aren’t cheap, but I can get some. You told me the curse will wear off in a few months, so just do that.”

They all blinked.

“Oh,” Ming said. “Oops. Didn’t think of that.”

“And what about everyone else?” Arek asked, shaking his head. “We have no clue how many other adventurers are affected by this. Are they just to die on their own? I’ve got a way to try and stop the Howlers from killing people.”

“At the cost of your own life, most likely,” Magus said, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a fascinating person, Arek. Your life—and those of your companions—should not be wasted so easily.”

“Everyone’s life is valuable,” Arek replied. “And I will not hide when I can help people. Besides… I can’t afford to waste a few months.”

Magus frowned. “What do you—oh.”

Arek nodded, ignoring the confused glances the rest of the Happy Sunflowers sent them.

“The other thing you didn’t want to talk about, Arek?” Belmont asked.

Arek nodded.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?”

Arek chuckled and shook his head. “No more than I should be. I’ll be fine, Belmont. This is something I have to face, or I’ll never be able to live with myself. Don’t worry, though. I’m confident it will end well.”

Belmont pressed his lips together, then let out a sigh and nodded. “If you’re sure, then we’ll respect your wishes. Just remember that we’re here to back you up if you need it, Arek. You aren’t alone anymore.”

Malissa and Ming nodded.

“As nice as that is,” Magus said, interrupting them with a cough, “Arek raised a good point. He really doesn’t have a few months to waste, and that means the rest of you don’t either.”

Ming threw her hands up in the air. “We’re just going in circles now. Let’s skip to the part where I blow something up, okay?”

Magus let out a garbled cough that might have been misconstrued as a laugh—but nobody in their right mind would ever dare point that out to him. “You are possibly the worst apprentice I have ever had, Ming.”

“Hey, I’m learning the spells! And I’m great at using pure magic.”

“You’re also insane.” Magus grimaced as blue light pulsed through his veins. “Right. As much as I hate to say it, if you’re dead set on fighting the Howlers, you’re going to need to beat the curse to Dortusk.”

“Like I said,” Ming said, drawing a circle in the air with her finger and cocking an eyebrow, “we’re repeating ourselves. It’s fun time.”

“I’ll help you get to Dortusk,” Magus continued, ignoring his apprentice, “but I won’t put you too close. You’ll need to scout the area out. Not even I can get too close to the city. You’ve got a better chance than me, to be honest. I’m very recognizable, and I’ve got too much magical power to hide. Just… disguise Arek, and you might have a chance.”

“We’ll be careful,” Belmont promised, putting a hand over his chest. “I always am.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about.” Magus’ eyes went to Ming, and he shook his head. “The guild will have my head if my apprentice blows herself up before a year has passed.”

Ming stuck her tongue out.

Magus tilted his head to the side, then pursed his lips. “Right. We’re out of time. I’ve got to get back to my duties. You’ve got some time before the curse fully activates, so make sure you don’t rush anything. This isn’t a game. Do you understand?”

“We aren’t children, Magus,” Malissa said. She glanced at Ming and cleared her throat. “Well, most of us aren’t. Don’t worry. We’ll do what’s needed to survive.”

Magus looked like he wanted to say something, but he just let out a hacking cough and settled for a nod. “Gather up. I’m going to teleport you. Keep in mind that I won’t be able to find you in Dortusk. Once you near the city, you’re on your own. It doesn’t matter what you do. I cannot come. Do you understand? The only way I can approach Dortusk is with the entire army of the guild at my back, and that won’t happen until it’s too late.”

“We understand,” Arek said as the Happy Sunflowers stood up, brushing the grass from their clothes and linking hands. “Send us. We’ll put a stop to the Howlers.”

“Good luck,” Magus said. Sparks of pure magic leapt between his hands, arcing like lightning. He stretched his palms apart, and the spell grew in strength. “And hold your breath.”

Arek barely had an instant to suck in a modicum of air before the lightning exploded from Magus’ hands, swallowing them whole. When it faded, no trace of the Happy Sunflowers remained.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Leagues away, there was a faint pop. At the edge of a cornfield that was a few weeks past wilting and looked like it hadn’t been watered in days, the Happy Sunflowers appeared. There was no flash of light or other ways to mark their arrival; they simply came into being.

Arek shuddered, wiping an invisible speck of dirt off his arm. “That felt… uncomfortable.”

“Like I was eating spiders,” Ming said, nodding.

“It had way more power than the other teleportation spells he’s used on us,” Belmont said. “He must have been trying to cloak our arrival. Dortusk’s defenses must be seriously impressive.”

The field stretched as far as Arek could see, climbing over a hill in the distance. In the other direction, in the shadow of a massive, jagged mountain, was a huge city. Snow covered the mountain and its surroundings, and he could just barely make out the top of an enormous, circular building that towered over the rest of the city.

Light bore down on them from the lazy sun above, made worse by the complete lack of wind.

“I think I found Dortusk,” Arek muttered, raising a hand to block the light out and squint at the city. “That’s got to be at least a week of travel.”

“More like five days,” Belmont said, scratching his chin. “The city is closer than it looks, I think. But to put us this far out… Magus is really worried about how strong they are.”

“Puts things into perspective, huh?” Malissa said, studying one of the cornstalks.

Ming poked her head under the other woman’s arm and yanked a shriveled piece of corn off the stalk. She sniffed it, then stuffed it into her bag. “Snack.”

“These look a little dehydrated,” Arek said, turning back to the cornfield. “I’m not sure I’d want to eat it. For that matter, who leaves a cornfield this big completely abandoned? There’s so much food being wasted!”

“Perhaps we should find out,” Belmont said, nodding to their left.

Arek squinted in the direction, realizing he’d somehow missed the top of a small house nestled within the field.

The Happy Sunflowers pushed through the cornfield and walked up to the small house. In truth, it was little more than a shack. A damaged, ramshackle roof barely managed to support itself over the bowed walls.

The door hung askew, revealing a dust-covered room. Arek peered inside, a frown on his face. A single bed was wedged against the wall, across from a small dining table and a single chair.

Arek swiped a finger across the table, picking up a heavy layer of dust. “Nobody’s been here for a long time.”

“The cornfield didn’t look that abandoned.” Malissa pursed her lips and squatted, peering under the bed. “Maybe it’s just an old house?”

“Why leave it up?” Belmont asked. “It’s just… in the middle of the field. Any rational farmer would just get rid of the thing.”

“Don’t ask us,” Ming said with a shrug. “We popped up at the same time as you, Belmont. Shouldn’t we go hide somewhere to make sure someone didn’t spot us showing up?”

“I think we’re kind of already doing that,” Malissa muttered. “I mean, look at this place.”

The cornfield rustled. Arek turned, his eyes narrowing as the back of his neck prickled. He looked around, but there was nothing. The field only stretched a few dozen feet in front of them anyway—most of it was in the other direction.

“Did you see something?” Belmont asked, following Arek’s gaze.

“I thought I did, but there’s nothing there. There are only a few feet of corn between us and the edge of the field.” Arek shook his head. “We should follow your typical advice, though.”

“Keep on our guards?” Ming asked in a wooden tone, mimicking Belmont poorly. She rubbed her nose. “I’m always on my guard. And this house is lame. Let’s just get moving.”

The others nodded. They walked back out of the house and pushed through the corn, walking back to the open grassland. Arek glanced over his shoulder as they put some distance between themselves and the field. The corn rustled again, and his eyes narrowed.

“There’s definitely something in that field.”

“Yeah, I saw that too,” Belmont said, tightening his grip around his staff. “We’re outside of it now, though.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t hostile?” Malissa suggested. She didn’t sound too confident in her words, and Arek wasn’t either.

“There’s no way anything that sits around in an abandoned cornfield like that for fun is going to be even slightly friendly,” Ming said, drawing a staff from her bundle. “And we needed a monster, didn’t we?”

Arek’s armor shimmered into place around him. He then extended a hand, feeling the cold steel of his guandao form within it. “Just make sure this thing is actually a monster. I don’t want to blow up some poor old farmer that got spooked off by us showing up.”

They stood in silence for several seconds. The corn rustled again, this time closer to the entrance of the house. Arek’s eyes narrowed. The cornfield was dense, but it was dry enough that he was fairly certain he should have been able to see if something large was shuffling around through it.

“I think we’re all waiting for the other party to do something,” Malissa said under her breath. She raised a hand and took a step forward. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

The corn rustled. It was doing a little too much of that for Arek’s liking. Despite the sun beating down on him, a chill ran down his spine. Food wasn’t meant to be scary.

“Don’t worry. I got this,” Ming said, putting a hand on Malissa’s shoulder. Before any of them could react, Ming skipped forward into the corn, whistling.

Belmont cursed and started after her, but he didn’t get to move far. As soon as Ming had stepped past the first row of the tall plants, a dark blur shot at her. Belmont thrust a hand forward, and a pink shield enveloped Ming.

At the same time, she thrust her staff into the ground. Motes of blue light flared around her. Dozens of thuds shook the field as the ground around her was ripped apart, throwing plants and dirt everywhere in an explosion of pure magic.

A loud screech joined the chaos. Dripping with blue ichor, an enormous centipede reared back. It stood easily three times Ming’s height, and the armor covering it looked as sturdy as metal. Snarling, it dove at her.

Ming yelped and threw herself out of the way as the centipede embedded its head in the ground. It ripped itself free with a hiss and turned, its beady eyes locked on the small mage.

Arek snarled and charged at the oversized bug, letting out a roar of challenge. Its antennae flicked toward him as it changed targets, scuttling to meet him.

Malissa started forward, but Belmont put a hand in front of her. “No. Arek needs to test if the curse has been successfully modified. I’ll keep Ming safe.”

Battle rage flared in the back of Arek’s mind. He was surprised to find that he was almost relieved. As much as he disliked it, the rage was still a part of him. He twisted out of the way of a vicious bite and brought his blade down on the monster’s carapace.

It bounced off with a loud clang, and Arek spun to avoid another lunge. He bared his teeth and snarled, diving at the creature with renewed vigor. The battle rage continued to thump in the background, trying to goad him into giving in, but Arek gave it no ground.

There was no sign of the Blessed One curse encroaching on him yet, either. He was fairly certain he was still in control of himself. When the centipede snapped at him, he grabbed it by the face and slammed it into the ground.

Writhing in fury, the creature lashed and twisted its considerable body, trying to throw Arek off. His muscles bunched as he kept its head down and readied his guandao, bringing it down at a joint in the armor with all the strength he could muster.

Chitin cracked and gave way under the glowing blade, and it pierced through meat. The centipede screeched, but Arek drove the blade even deeper, twisting it to widen the wound. It thrashed once more, then collapsed to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Arek rose to his feet and ripped the guandao out of his prey. He flicked the blood from it and turned to the rest of his party, letting the snarl fade from his face and giving them a curt nod.

“I’m fully in control.”

“Great!” Malissa said, giving him a relieved smile. “It felt pretty bad to just watch from the sidelines, but I’m glad you’ve confirmed it.”

“It is good,” Belmont agreed, though he looked considerably less pleased. “But I don’t think we can call this a completely conclusive test, Malissa. Arek wasn’t in any real danger from that bug. He barely broke a sweat killing it. The dungeon boss we fought was far stronger, and that seems to be what brought out his rage.”

“Oh, shoot,” Malissa said, her face falling. “You’re right. Did it at least feel a little different, Arek?”

“It did.” Arek glanced down at the corpse of the centipede, then nudged it with his foot. “But Belmont is still right. This is reassuring, but we need more. We’ve still got some time, though. Perhaps we can find something stronger to test our theory against?”

“What, in the cornfield?” Ming asked, narrowing her eyes at the now still stalks. “I feel like we’ll get jumped by a bunch of bugs if we go back in there.”

“Maybe somewhere else,” Arek said. “I’m not a fan of getting attacked out of nowhere either.”

“It does give us cover from prying eyes, though,” Belmont mused. He caught the glances that the rest of the Happy Sunflowers sent him and cleared his throat. “Of course, there’s no need for that when we’re this far out.”

“We can start making our way toward Dortusk in a roundabout fashion,” Malissa suggested, nodding in the direction of the snowy mountain. “We’ve got quite the distance to cover, and I don’t doubt we’ll run into a town at some point. We could do the dungeon there as long as it isn’t too strong.”

“Is that a wise idea?” Arek asked, a frown crossing his face as they put some distance between themselves and the cornfield. No matter what they did, they were all pretty eager to avoid getting attacked by another bug. “I mean, what if the Howlers put the Monster Horde orbs in them?”

“I don’t want to say it’s safe,” Belmont said, rubbing his chin pensively, “but it feels unlikely that they’d sabotage dungeons next to their main city. Honestly, they’re probably the safest ones aside from dungeons the adventurer’s guild has already cleared out.”

“That’s a good point,” Arek said, nodding. “Okay, we can look for a local dungeon. I don’t suppose you know much about the area?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Belmont said. “We’ll get a map in a town on the way. There’s sure to be at least one. We probably just missed it because of how hilly the area was.”

The Happy Sunflowers increased their pace and continued to send glances back at the unsettling cornfield until, several hours later, it was just a yellow blob in the distance.

A strong chill set in as the night encroached and the sun dipped behind a bed of heavy, gray clouds. Arek didn’t notice it at first, but Ming and Malissa quickly started to shiver.

“I miss my normal magic sometimes,” Ming muttered, sticking her hands into her armpits. “I could have just made some fire.”

“You could heat yourself with pure magic, too, if you just learned the spell for it,” Belmont muttered. He didn’t look too much better than the others, but the extra effort he was exerting to walk with his armor probably kept his body a little warmer.

“It’s no fair. Why can’t we all be like Arek?” Ming complained. “He basically doesn’t feel temperature.”

“I do,” Arek said. “It’s just… muted. And I’d love to have real magic, you know. I could do so many more things in cooking than what I’ve got right now.”

“Same,” Malissa added. “But it’s really starting to get quite chilly. Should we stop for the night?”

The others nodded, and they slowed down. There was no beaten path or other signs of civilization in the immediate area, so they just started setting their tents up at the bottom of the small valley they were currently in.

Considering they were in the middle of grassland, there were no trees to be found. Luckily, there were a few dense bushes sparsely scattered throughout the valley. Ming and Malissa collected them, then used a bundle of dried grass from Belmont’s bag to help get the campfire lit.

Once camp was set up, they all gathered around the flame. The smoke gathered in the invisible bubble that Belmont formed above it once more, making sure they didn’t give their location away too easily.

“What’s for dinner?” Ming asked, leaning in so close to the flame that a sudden change of wind probably would have burned her.

Belmont grabbed the mage by the shoulder and pulled her back to a safe distance without a word.

“Hm. Something warm, I think,” Arek said with a smirk.

“Please,” Malissa chattered. “Sometimes, I really hate my choice of clothing. It’s great for dancing around with daggers, but I’ve never been somewhere this blasted cold. I’m going to have to swap something up.”

“Some sort of soup, perhaps?” Arek wondered aloud. “I don’t have much in the term of stock, though. Ming, I don’t suppose you’ve got any soup-related snacks?”

“Depends. What goes in soup, and what about pastries?”

“No pastries. I mean like vegetables or raw meat. Most of my ingredients are dry.”

“I have water.”

Arek sighed. “I don’t suppose chicken stock or beef stock looked like a tasty snack to you?”

“Nope.”

“I guess that was probably too much to ask for,” Arek said with a laugh. “Right, forget the soup. We’ve got some fish in your Bags of Colding. I’ve got a little bit of an idea, although I’ve never done something like it before. Malissa, let’s hash some things out and try it together. Some movement will help keep you warm anyway.”

“Okay,” Malissa said, scooting closer to him. “With fish?”

“Yeah. We’ve already done a few dishes with the whole fish, but I’ve heard of some people mashing it up and coating it. That would let us pack it with a lot more flavor from spices, although it might mess the natural taste of the fish up a little bit too.”

“That sounds fun,” Malissa said, her nod a little stiff from the cold. “Let’s make it spicy. I want some heat.”

“We can do that.” Arek set his pack down next to the fire and opened it up. “Right, let’s see. We need to hold everything together, so that means starch and eggs. Ming, do you still happen to have any eggs hidden in your supplies?”

“No. I can’t snack on raw eggs.”

“I’m surprised to hear that from you, of all people,” Malissa said with a snort. “I’ve got some. In case I need to make breakfast.”

“Fantastic,” Arek said. “I’ve got potatoes. That’ll work as starch. I saw flour in Ming’s bag, and I’ve got spices in mine. We just have to hold everything together, then.”

“Water?” Malissa suggested.

“We could, but milk might go better in smoothing it out. A mixture of milk and water might be best. Do you happen to have any?”

“I do,” Ming and Malissa chorused at the same time.

“It’s supposed to make me grow taller,” Ming added. “Hasn’t worked, though.”

“Or maybe you were going to be even shorter,” Belmont said with a slight grin. “The milk could have made you grow a whole extra foot, you know.”

Ming’s eyes widened. “Maybe I need the rest of my milk.”

“That’s fine. I’ve got enough,” Malissa said. “So long as you aren’t also using my yogurt. I don’t carry as many snacks as Ming does, and I’m not about to give that up too.”

“That’s fine; we won’t need it for this,” Arek said, waving his hand. “I’m going to go grab some spices. I’ll be right back.”

He pressed his medallion and vanished. A few minutes later, the orc returned with a bundle of greens in his hand. He removed his wok, then perched the spices on the top of his bag.

“What do you think we start with?” Arek asked.

Malissa rubbed her chin, looking between the food they had. “Wait—if we’re going to make something all mashed up, won’t the consistency be kind of similar?”

Arek blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. You thinking about adding something in to change things up?”

“What if we breaded it?” Malissa asked. “That would help.”

“Good idea,” Arek said with a wide grin. “Does anyone have some bread we could tear up and use as breading?”

“I’ve been carrying around an emergency loaf,” Belmont offered reluctantly. “It’s a little stale, though. I haven’t been keeping it in my Bag of Colding.”

“That’s perfect,” Arek said, accepting the dry loaf from the warrior. He set it down next to their other supplies. “Stale is better for breading anyway. I would have had to use magic to age it otherwise.”

Arek set his wok on the flame, allowing it to warm while Malissa continued to consider their ingredients.

“Probably the meat, right?” she finally guessed.

“Why?”

“Well, it has to be cooked to be safe. Everything else is technically okay raw.”

“Good,” Arek said with a nod. “I’m not too concerned with raw food myself, but it’s important for humans. I found that bit out the hard way. The fish will fall apart once it’s cooked, so let’s simmer it in the milk and water. That’ll make it creamier and should bring out some more flavor.”

Malissa nodded and laid the pre-cut fish fillet into the wok, pouring in equal glugs of milk and water. Arek held it over the flame, keeping his hand as steady as possible. “We don’t want to let it get too cooked, or it might get dry.”

He didn’t let it cook for long, taking it off the flame after just a few minutes and setting the fish to the side.

“You’re just letting it kind of soak now?” Malissa guessed.

Arek nodded. “And finish cooking a little more. There’s enough heat in the pan to cook it for a bit longer.”

After waiting for a few more minutes, Arek nodded. He poured the liquid out of the pan and carefully lifted the fish out, setting it on top of a clean rock. Then he filled the pan with water. Without needing to be told, Malissa grabbed the potatoes and started to peel and chop them.

“Nice,” Arek said approvingly.

“It was a pretty easy guess. There aren’t many other large ingredients,” Malissa said with a laugh. Her voice trembled a little less than it had a few minutes ago, warmed by the campfire and concentration on the task.

Arek helped her cut the potatoes while the water started to boil in his wok. Once they’d finished, Arek pushed the chunks into the pot and added a dash of salt, stirring everything with his claws.

“How long for those?” Malissa asked. “About as long as the fish?”

“A little longer,” Arek replied. “Nobody wants stiff potatoes. They’re disgusting.”

“Really?” Ming said. “I kind of figured they’d taste a bit like a sad apple. They look like them once they’re peeled.”

“They do not,” Arek said flatly. “Even to my tastes, it’s incredible how much potatoes change. Raw ones are about the most disappointing thing I’ve put into my mouth, but they’ve got so many fantastic uses when cooked.”

Ming licked her lips, her eyes flicking down to the boiling water. “Are you gonna make more potato things?”

“This is using up most of my potatoes. I can’t carry that many ingredients around, you know. They’re fairly common, so I’ll restock in the next town we swing by.”

“I’ll buy a bunch next time,” Ming promised.

“Belmont, while we get the potatoes ready, could you prepare the breadcrumbs?” Arek asked.

Belmont blinked. “Me?”

“I don’t see any other Belmonts. Just tear the bread up into really tiny chunks and put it in here,” Arek said, handing him a large wooden bowl. Belmont took it, then nodded and started to pick his stale loaf apart.

Arek and Malissa waited for a few more minutes before removing the boiling water from the fire. They poured the water out on the grass, then set the wok down to cool a little.

“What now?” Malissa asked, glancing around at what they had left. “I guess we mash the potatoes up?”

“Yup,” Arek said, shaking the last of the water from the pan before putting it back on the flame. “I’ll do this part so you don’t burn yourself. Can you prepare a seasoning mix? Just tear up the parsley and chives I’ve got lying there, then take one of Ming’s lemons and add some zest to the mix.”

“Sure.” Malissa grabbed the greens from the top of Arek’s bag and got to work.

Meanwhile, the orc crushed the potatoes while flames licked up the walls of the wok, keeping everything dry. Arek worked the potatoes until they were turning light and fluffy, but before the moisture had completely left them.

Nodding to himself, he took the wok off the fire and set it aside. “Right. Let’s get the seasonings in.”

“Just finished.” Malissa shook her mixture out of the bowl and into the potatoes, which Arek quickly folded together to incorporate everything, adding in some cayenne pepper and paprika. He added a fair amount of salt and pepper from the vials on his bandolier, then tasted a tiny amount of the mixture. He added in a little more salt, then mixed everything again.

“Always taste your creations when they’re cooked,” he advised Malissa. “Makes sure we don’t have to season everything at the end and risk messing it up.”

Arek took the fish off the stone and gently pulled it apart, tearing it into chunks and laying it over the potato. He didn’t make them too thin, but he didn’t make them too large either. The purpose was to integrate the two bowls, not blend them.

After the ingredients had formed a multicolored but still slightly heterogenous mixture, he stopped and set it to the side.

Belmont, noticing him finish, held out his bowl. It was full of small breadcrumbs. Arek took it from the other man with an appreciative nod.

“Thank you,” he said, setting it down beside himself. “There’s one more thing we need to do.”

“Something to dip the potato-fish thing into before putting it in the breadcrumbs so they stick?” Malissa guessed.

“Nice! You’ve been reading up, haven’t you?” Arek asked, grinning.

Malissa’s eyes flicked to the side as her cheeks reddened slightly. “I might have visited the library and looked through some cooking books, but most of what I’ve learned has just been through watching you or other chefs we’ve met.”

“Nothing to be ashamed about there,” Arek said, handing Malissa a bowl. She took it and cracked an egg into it, mixing it together with the tip of a knife.

Once she’d finished, Arek arranged the three bowls in order, putting Ming’s bag of flour beside them as well. He then set his wok back over the fire and poured a healthy glug of oil into it.

“You want to do the honors of starting?” Arek asked.

Malissa nodded. She stuck her hands into the flour, coating them lightly before working a small chunk of the potato-fish mixture out and shaping it into a circle. She dipped it into the egg, flipping to ensure it was coated, then dipped it into the breadcrumbs. After pushing a few extra crumbs into stray spots that somehow hadn’t gotten anything stuck to them, she handed it to Arek, who set it in the wok. Oil popped and crackled, splattering over his hand, but he barely even noticed.

“Well done.” Arek put some flour on his own hands and made his own disc. He dipped it into the egg with his left hand, taking care to make sure his right never touched the mixture. Once he’d transferred the puck to the crumb bowl, Arek swapped hands and then used his right to deliver the package to the wok.

“Oh, right,” Malissa said, clicking her tongue. “You use different hands so you don’t mix the wets with the dry.”

“Makes things a bit less messy,” Arek said. He glanced over at Belmont and Ming, who were watching eagerly. “You guys want to try as well?”

Ming’s eyes lit up as she nodded and darted over to stand beside Malissa. The taller woman guided Ming through shaping her disc—which ended up looking more like a lopsided square—and getting it coated.

Arek took over to deliver it into the pan, and they all turned to Belmont.

He sighed. “Are you sure about this? I mean, think about my cooking…”

“I don’t think you could possibly mess anything up at this point,” Arek said with a chuckle. “It’s all done. You might as well have some fun participating.”

Belmont considered him for a moment, then nodded. He shifted over, repeating their motions with surprising accuracy and placing the shaped disc into the wok on his own. They all stared at him.

“What?”

“You did that as if you’ve been cooking for a while,” Malissa said. “There was no hesitation or anything.”

“It’s not that different from setting up traps.”

“I don’t think it could possibly be more different,” Arek said dryly. “But good job, Belmont.”

“If you could always do that, why didn’t you?” Ming asked, squinting at Belmont.

“Arek said it himself. There wasn’t really anything to mess up. I didn’t have to think.” Belmont shrugged. “It’s harder when you’re just throwing things together and have actual ingredients.”

“Wait, you didn’t have a recipe or something to follow?” Malissa asked, aghast. “You were always so confident! I thought we just didn’t like your cooking because the recipes weren’t great.”

“I never spent money on spices because I thought they were too expensive,” Belmont muttered, glancing away and lowering his voice. “And I thought eating tough food would make us tougher.”

“You are a menace to society,” Ming declared.

“I’m not going to take that from you,” Belmont said, flicking Ming in the forehead. She yelped, then bared her teeth in a growl and leapt at the man.

“Not near the food!” Malissa and Arek snapped.

Belmont and Ming continued their brawl while shifting a little bit away from the campfire, not stopping for even a second in the process.

“That’s an impressive level of synchronization,” Arek said as he formed another disc and put it through the breading process.

“It really is,” Malissa agreed, doing the same. “They’re quite the sight to behold sometimes. You’d think they were related, honestly.”

“All of you seem like it at times,” Arek said before adding their discs to the fire.

They made the rest of the little cakes, and Arek started to flip them over as the oil browned them. He left them in the oil for a few minutes on each side before removing them and setting them aside on a rock.

It didn’t take long before they’d used the last of the ingredients, leaving a small pile of food sitting on the rock. Arek and Malissa spent a short while cleaning up and putting everything away.

As if by magic, Ming leapt away from Belmont as soon as the last cake was set down. She jogged back to the camp, plopping down across from the pile and staring at it like a long-lost love.

“I wish we had some sort of sauce with this.” Arek rubbed his chin and glanced at Malissa, who narrowed her eyes.

“My yogurt. No touching. Get your own.”

Arek snorted. “Fine, fine. We’ll make do with this. Dig in!”

Ming didn’t need to be told twice. She sprang like a coiled snake to grab one of the cakes. She took a huge bite out of it and closed her eyes in satisfaction. Everyone else grabbed one for themselves.

Arek wanted to stuff it into his mouth, but he took a moment to examine it instead. The breadcrumbs had turned a beautiful golden brown on either side of the cake, while the ones along the side were a shade lighter.

It practically radiated warmth, and the tiny flecks of spice and fish he could make out within looked like a rainbow of flavor. He took a bite out of it, and the fish cake crunched under his teeth, giving way to a soft, fluffy inside.

The warmth of the spices melded with the delicate, flavorful fish perfectly, and he was pretty sure that the chilly weather made it even better. A grin crept across Arek’s face as he chewed, savoring the food.

He’d been slightly worried that the fish’s flavor would be too strong with only the potato to offset it, but it was perfect. Arek sighed, then stuffed the rest of the cake into his mouth and reached for another.

The Happy Sunflowers mowed through the remaining food within minutes, polishing off every last crumb and laying down around the campfire with satisfied grins on their faces. Well, all but Belmont, who maintained a careful watch around the camp despite his good mood.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Those were great,” Ming said, patting her stomach.

“You say everything we make is great,” Malissa said with a laugh.

“That’s because it is. I want more.”

“Then bring more ingredients. I want more too.”

“Next time we stop anywhere near a town, I’m buying all the potatoes they’ve got,” Ming said, hugging her bundle of staves closer to her chest and yawning. “Okay, if we don’t have any more food, I’m going to bed.”

She rolled to her feet and waddled over to her tent, slipping inside. Arek yawned, feeling the tolls of the day start to creep in on him as well. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared up at the smoke gathering in the bubble above the campfire.

“I’ll call it there as well,” Arek said. “I can take first watch if we want, though.”

“I’ve got it,” Belmont said, shaking his head. “You’ve done a lot today anyway, meeting Vell and all. You should just rest. Ming too, really. Malissa and I can take watches today.”

“Are you sure?” Arek asked with a frown. “I don’t want you exhausted tomorrow.”

“It’s quite all right.” Belmont raised a hand to stop Arek’s protests. “Seriously. You were worked on. You need to rest. Who knows how much energy that took out of you, even if you don’t feel like it. Just rest. If we really need it, we’ll get you.”

“Yeah.” Malissa gave Arek a thumbs-up. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.”

“Alright,” Arek said, rising to his feet. “Thank you both. I’ll take you up on that, then.”

He pulled his tent out of his bag and unpacked it, setting it up and brushing the wrinkles out of the cloth before climbing inside and lying down. As soon as the orc’s eyes closed and his head hit the ground, he was fast asleep.

Arek awoke early the next morning, before the sun had risen. He slipped out of his tent, squinting up at the sky. Fat, gray clouds hung low in the air, casting a heavy shadow over much of the landscape around them.

“Not the best view, is it?” Belmont asked, rising from his spot near the ashes of the campfire and snapping the book in his hands shut. “Makes me kind of depressed, to be honest.”

“I’ve never been a fan of overcast weather,” Arek agreed. “Why are you awake? Shouldn’t it be Malissa’s watch?”

“It is,” Belmont replied. “She got restless and went to train. I was already awake reading, so we’re splitting it. I’ve only been awake for a little while.”

“I see,” Arek said. “I’m going to join her, then. Don’t want to get out of practice.”

Belmont nodded, returning to his book while Arek set off to warm up. After some stretches, he fell into a jog around the camp that eventually built into a run. He then went through several forms with his guandao.

Malissa returned while he was finishing them up, and they had several sparring matches, taking care to avoid getting too serious, as Belmont wasn’t present to supervise. They returned to the camp as the sun rose over it.

Ming had woken up, and all of their tents had been packed away. She waved at Arek and Malissa as they approached, a slice of pie in her other hand.

“Where’s Belmont?” Malissa asked, glancing around the camp.

“He went to the bathroom right after I got my pie hat,” Ming replied, wiping some cherry glaze off her cheek. “I don’t think he likes it very much.”

“No,” Arek said wryly, “I don’t think he does. No trouble while we were gone?”

“Nothing. Is it time to go find something big to punch again?”

“Looks like it. I just hope there’s some sort of town in the area. The weather really makes me feel like I’m wandering the plains again—nothing but the lone monster or occasional traveler for leagues in every direction.”

“We’ll deal with that if we get to it,” Malissa said. “No point indulging thoughts like those; they only make things worse. And look, there’s Belmont.”

The armored man stepped over a low hill, coming into view, and walked down to join them. Ming stuffed the rest of the pie into her mouth before he could get there.

“Everyone ready?” Belmont asked. “I’m eager to get out of here.”

“I think we all are,” Arek said. “Thanks for packing my tent.”

“No problem,” Ming said. She paused. “There was no food in it.”

Arek’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure there wasn’t.”

Malissa laughed and they all gathered their bags, setting off in the direction of Dortusk once more.

Several days of travel passed with neither trouble nor sighting of any other signs of civilization. Aside from the snowy mountains that grew closer with every day, there were just sloping fields, grass, and stone.

The closer they got to Dortusk, the more their surroundings seemed to lose color. The grassy fields had given way to more and more farmland, even though there was nothing indicating anyone was actually taking care of it.

Much of it was dead or well on its way to it, and there were no buildings to be seen. The temperature dropped as well, and tiny flecks of snow started to fall on them during the nights, although all of it evaporated by the time the sun rose again.

On the third day of travel, when the sun had already reached its peak and was well on its way back toward the horizon, Belmont frowned. He squinted down the hill, then raised his hand and pointed.

“Does anyone else see that?”

“Dead grass?” Arek asked, following the man’s finger but finding nothing.

“I can’t see anything,” Ming said.

The fields around them managed to reach up to Arek’s chest, which meant Ming was almost completely buried in it.

“No, at the end of the field,” Belmont replied, raising his hand to block the light from his eyes. “I think someone’s there.”

“I see it too,” Malissa said. “The little black lump?”

“I think it’s just the lighting and that we’re above whoever that is on the hill,” Belmont said, drawing his staff. “They don’t look like they’re moving much, though.”

Arek squinted even harder, but he couldn’t see any trace of whoever Belmont and Malissa were talking about. There was just dying, yellow grass as far as he could see.

“I really can’t find them,” Arek grumbled. “Am I losing it?”

“They’re right there,” Belmont said, pointing again.

Arek shook his head. “Nothing. I swear.”

“Some sort of monster-cloaking spell, maybe?” Malissa guessed. “Wait, I didn’t mean—”

“I know,” Arek said with a chuckle. “And it’s not wrong. That would make sense. Let’s go investigate, I suppose. It’s better than leaving someone at our back if they’ve got some sort of magic.”

“Keep your guards up,” Belmont warned. He grabbed Ming, pulling her out of the grass and setting her on his shoulders like a child. She looked around, then frowned.

“Huh. He does look kinda weird,” Ming said. “A bit blurry.”

“No blur,” Belmont said, glancing at Malissa. She shook her head as well.

“Only thing to do is check.” Malissa drew her daggers but kept them at her sides as the Happy Sunflowers carefully made their way down the field and toward what Arek was fairly certain was just a small patch of short grass.

“Hello,” Belmont said, raising a hand and staring at nothing. “We mean you no harm. Just passing though. Are you okay?”

A shimmer rippled across the ground where Belmont was looking, and a man melted into being. His graying beard hung low on his chest, and two thick, bushy eyebrows were perched on his forehead.

His skin was tanned from years of work under the sun, but the sword at his back and the rune-adorned pack at his side marked him as an adventurer. A bandage was wrapped around the man’s head, blocking his eyes. A pang shot through Arek’s stomach, and he frowned.

“Ah, I didn’t expect to see much of anyone here,” the man said, stretching his arms out behind his head and smacking his lips loudly. “Terrible place to be walking around, you know.”

“We didn’t find ourselves with much choice,” Malissa said. “But why are you here? It’s not safe. Are you an adventurer?”

“I was,” the man replied with a dry laugh. “Not anymore. Not for the last few weeks, at least. I’m just sitting out here until the end.”

“The end?” Arek asked, a sneaking suspicion starting to crawl up on him.

“Aye. I’m cursed,” the man said, tapping his eyes. “You saw through my cloak, so none of you are unlucky enough to share the same fate. This area is dangerous. You should leave before you end up joining me.”

“You’re a Blessed One?” Ming asked.

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Two—”

Belmont clapped a hand over Ming’s mouth, cutting her off.

“We have,” Belmont said. “You know the source?”

“No damn clue,” the man replied. “But I got cursed in this area, and I’ve killed more men than I ever would have cared to, including several that were real close to me. It’s a horrible thing. If you know about the curse, why would you dare come to the area?”

Arek exchanged a glance with Belmont. He didn’t consider himself the most suspicious person, but he wasn’t sure if announcing their plans was the best move they could make.

“Just taking care of some business,” Belmont said. “Please don’t take your mask off, though. One of our own number is cursed as well.”

The man’s forehead wrinkled as he turned toward the sound of their voices, cocking his head to the side. “Truly? Ah. They’re blindfolded, then.”

“Nope,” Arek said.

“Impossible. You would have killed me as soon as I dropped my cloak,” the man said, confusion tinging his voice. “Are you playing a joke on me?”

“That would be needlessly cruel,” Arek said, but he still kept a little distance between himself and the man. His stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots, but the Blessed One curse wasn’t activating properly—Vell’s modification had worked. He was just hungry.

Arek pulled a strip of jerky out of his pack and ate the entire thing in one bite, chewing slowly to try and make it last longer.

“How can you look at me, then?” the man asked. “Are you with the Howlers and have some sort of cure?”

The man’s hand twitched, and a flicker of anger crossed his features before he got control of them once more.

“We are not,” Malissa said. Belmont sent her a sharp glance, but she just shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious, Belmont. The moment anyone from the Howlers sees us, they’re going to know who we are. We aren’t exactly the most inconspicuous group.”

“How do you have a cure, then? Are you powerful mages with the adventurer’s guild?”

“Not exactly,” Arek said. “But I believe we can cure you, if you’re willing. If you’ve been out here a few weeks, you probably don’t have much time left until you get pulled into Dortusk.”

“Is that what happens to people who get cursed?” the man asked, cocking his head to the side. “Normally, I’d refuse. I don’t fancy people fiddling around in my head. I’ve already seen several people about trying to get the curse lifted to absolutely no success, though. Can you actually do something?”

“Yes,” Arek replied, offering no further explanation. “Up to you.”

“Do it.”

Malissa handed a dagger to Arek, who pulled it across his forearm, drawing a thin trail of blood. He approached the man carefully, watching his hands to ensure he didn’t make any sudden moves, and knelt.

“Don’t move. I’m going to make a small cut in your arm.”

After the man grunted his assent, Arek made a quick incision, causing his blood to mingle with the old man’s. He stepped back, and they all watched the wound for several seconds.

“Well?” Ming said. “Nothing is happening.”

“Nothing happened when Vell messed with me either,” Arek pointed out. “I don’t think it’s very obvious when it changes. It just… does.”

“I don’t feel any different,” the man said. “Are you sure it worked?”

“Only one way to tell,” Malissa said. “Take your mask off and look at us. Just be ready to pull it back on before the curse takes over if you feel like you’re losing yourself to it.”

“You’re certain?” the man asked cautiously. “I’m fairly fast, but if the curse grabs me hard, I might injure one of you before I can stop myself.”

“Do it,” Arek said, gesturing for the other members of his group to back up several paces. Belmont summoned a bubble around Arek, not taking any chances with his reaction timing. “I’ll be protected, so it should be fine.”

The man swallowed. He raised his hands to the bandana and carefully hooked one finger under it, lifting it off one eye for just an instant. He stared up at Arek, then yanked it back down. A heartbeat passed. Then he lifted it again.

Slowly, as if a sudden motion would bring the curse crashing back down on him, he raised the bandana from his head and let it drop from his fingers.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, blinking furiously as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. “You actually did it. Oh, and you’re an orc. How fascinating. I’m also finding myself quite famished all of a sudden. Do you happen to have any food on you?”

“That might be the most lackluster reaction I’ve ever gotten,” Arek said, his lips splitting in a grin. “And you’re hungry because of the curse. It’s been modified, presumably until it wears off in a few months.”

The man ran his hands over his face, then laughed. “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Ah—it’s occurred to me that I’ve been rather rude. Apologies, I’ve been away from society for some time now. I wasn’t particularly active in it before I got cursed. My name is Timberly.”

“Nice to meet you!” Ming chimed, waving to him from Belmont’s shoulders.

Timberly’s gaze washed over the Happy Sunflowers, not pausing on any of them for more than a moment. A small grin flickered across his face. “The pleasure is all mine. What an interesting group you are. What guild are you with?”

“We’re independent,” Belmont said, crossing his arms. “What about you?”

“Likewise,” Timberly said with a lazy laugh. He licked his lips, then rooted around in his pockets and came up empty. Arek pulled a strip of jerky from his bag and handed it to the man, who took it with a sheepish smile.

“Tell me, how did a group like yours come to be wandering around the Howlers’ territory?” Timberly asked.

“We’d rather not share too much of our plan,” Belmont said bluntly. “I don’t know what sort of magic the Howlers have, and we’re going to be forced to enter the city shortly. They might have some sort of mind mages that could get past your mental defenses.”

Timberly cocked an eyebrow. He extended a hand, reaching out into empty air. It vanished, coming back with a violin clutched in it. He procured the bow in a similar manner, then fiddled with the tuning. “That’s understandable. I guess the curse isn’t completely nullified, then. You’re certain we’ll be drawn to the city?”

“Quite,” Arek said. “You’re welcome to take your chances, of course. We aren’t going to hold you in any debt.”

Timberly drew the bow across his violin, eliciting a slightly discordant note. His lips turned down, and he changed the tuning again. “If everyone were like you four, perhaps I would have stuck around a little longer.”

Arek’s Fish Cakes – The Ideal Version

Ingredients:

Roughly 5 cod fillets (450g total)

½ cup of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of horseradish

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 shallot, minced

½ cup of milk

½ cup of water

350g of russet potatoes (Around 3-4 potatoes)

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pinch of paprika

1 egg

1 pinch of flour

Panko breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 pinch of lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Mix together mayonnaise, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and the shallot. Alternatively, skip this step and use tartar sauce.

2. Put cod in a frying pan. Add water and milk, then cover and simmer for 4 minutes.

3. Take the pan off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

4. While the fish stands, peel and chop the potatoes into even chunks around .5-1 inches thick. Put into another saucepan and pour boiling water over the top until they are just barely covered. Add in salt and put on heat until it boils, about 10 minutes. Potatoes should be tender.

5. Carefully remove the cod from its pan and let cool. Remove the potatoes from the water and pour the water out. Return pan to stove on the lowest heat, then add in potatoes and mash. Make sure they don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

6. Remove the pan from the heat and put in a heaping tablespoon of the sauce or tartar sauce. Add the lemon zest and a large pinch of parsley. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

7. Pull fish apart into large chunks and put in the pan. Then carefully mash everything together so it is just barely mixed.

8. Set up a breading station. In one bowl, crack and beat an egg. In another, pour panko breadcrumbs. Finally, get a board and spread flour on it.

9. Flour hands. Shape pucks from the potato-fish mixture that are about half an inch thick. Dip the cake into egg, using a spoon or brush to make sure the top is covered too. Flipping is also possible, but likely to break the cake.

10. Use the “wet” hand to carefully drop the cake into the panko-bowl—try to avoid touching the crumbs. Then use your “dry” hand to ensure the cake is covered with panko on both sides. Repeat for all cakes, set aside to cool for 30 minutes if you have the patience.

11. Add olive oil to wok, turning heat to high. Add cakes into sizzling oil and fry until each side is golden brown, about 5 minutes a side. They are already cooked, so be careful not to overdo it.

12. Serve with either sauce or a drizzle of lemon juice. Eat hot.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Stuck around?” Ming asked. “Where?”

“The city where I used to ply my trade,” Timberly replied, waving the bow dismissively. “I thank you all for freeing me of the curse—or part of it, at least. At least this way, I will die on my own terms.”

“Or when another Blessed One sees you,” Ming said cheerfully. “They’ll still attack you, even if you don’t need to attack them.”

“You’ve forgotten about my cloak already?” Timberly asked with a wry grin.

Belmont blinked, and he slapped himself in the forehead. “Wait, I did! How did you completely conceal yourself from Arek and Ming?”

“The orc and the small mage on your shoulders?” Timberly guessed. “Illusion magic. It’s a fairly simple piece of work, but you need experience in the field to work it. It’s like a normal invisibility spell, but I keyed it to interact with the curse.”

“That doesn’t sound simple,” Malissa muttered. Judging from the expressions on Belmont and Ming’s faces, both of them agreed with her.

“Could you cast it on more people?” Arek asked. “It could be incredibly useful in sneaking into Dortusk.”

Timberly rubbed his chin. “It wouldn’t be easy, and the spell works best when you aren’t moving. The more you move and the more people I try to cover with it, the worse the effect will be.”

“Hold on,” Belmont said, raising a hand. “I don’t mean to be rude, Timberly, but we know nothing about you. It might not be wise to assume that we’re going to continue traveling together to get to Dortusk.”

“That’s a fair assessment,” Timberly said, “although we’re likely to meet there whether we like it or not. I personally think it would be wise to travel together, especially since you have a way to nullify the curse. If we could cure everyone we run into, we might be able to turn them against the Howlers from within.”

Belmont studied Timberly for a minute, trying to stare through the man’s soul. Timberly matched it with an easy smile, not an ounce of concern in his stance.

“Would you consent to letting me use a Truesight artifact on you?” Arek asked. “That would help assuage all of our concerns.”

Timberly pursed his lips. “You’re carrying one of those around on you? Very well. That’s a reasonable request. Feel free, Arek.”

Arek dug the glass piece out of his bag and held it up to his face, peering through it at Timberly.

Timberly Truesong

Human Male, Age 52

Magical affinity: Illusion Magic

Magical power: 92nd Percentile

Magical energy: 59th Percentile

Physical power: 21st Percentile

Karma: -130

C-Rank Adventurer

Guild: None

Arek lowered the artifact. Timberly was watching him with a careful eye.

“Well?” Belmont asked.

“I’d like to ask why your karma is negative,” Arek said.

Belmont and Malissa both tensed.

“Ah,” Timberly said with a grin. “There are many ways to lower your karma, and unfortunately, us swift-fingered folk tend to run awry of it. I’m not the greatest person to live, I’ll admit, but I’m not evil. I pose no threat to you and your party.”

“So you’re a thief?” Ming asked.

“That’s a harsh way of putting it.”

“Can you steal food?”

“Ming, you are not recruiting another member to the group under less-than-dubious circumstances,” Belmont said flatly. “But I don’t think a thief is the worst of our troubles. Arek, how low was his karma?”

“Negative one hundred or so,” Arek replied. “Not so low that his story is unbelievable.”

Belmont nodded, mulling over everything for nearly a minute.

“Could you at least tell us why you were here?” Belmont asked with a weary sigh. “It’s somewhat strange to just stumble across someone sitting in the middle of an abandoned farm field.”

“I could,” Timberly allowed, rubbing his stomach. “Perhaps over a meal, should you have any food to share? I haven’t eaten anything proper in weeks.”

“Arek’s a chef!” Ming exclaimed. Then her eyes narrowed. “Wait. You’re gonna eat my snacks.”

“I gathered by the hat,” Timberly said. “And I can pay, if needed. Coin is not one of my concerns.”

He reached into a pocket and produced a handful of gold, then held it out.

Arek waved it away. “No need. We aren’t in a city right now, and gold isn’t going to do any of us any good. Besides, I’d prefer to accept payment that I know you own. With all due respect…”

Timberly smirked. “Oh, you don’t want my gold, then. Although, depending on your definition of ownership, everything I’ve got is mine.”

Arek shook his head. He glanced at the others, who all gave him nods. “You might as well join us for the time being, then. The more people we have to try and fight back against the Howlers, the better our chances will be. Welcome to the Happy Sunflowers, Timberly. For now, at least.”

“Happy Sunflowers?” Timberly started to laugh, but stopped when he realized Arek was serious. That only made him laugh even harder. “Ah, lovely. I’m honored to join you. What supplies might dinner be made of?”

“Depends,” Arek said. “We were actually in search of a monster. Something fairly strong. I need to fight it.”

Timberly knit his brows. “Ah. The orc wants to fight?”

“Something like that,” Arek said before one of his friends could defend him. Timberly was with them for the time being, but Arek didn’t see a reason to tell the man his entire life story. Not until he could be proven to be trustworthy. “Do you know anything about our surroundings and what’s going on?”

“A fair bit,” Timberly said. “I believe I promised your warrior friend that I would tell you what I was doing here over dinner. Do you need to find the monster before then?”

“It’s probably fine to push that back a little,” Arek allowed. “But I was planning to get ingredients from whatever we killed. If I can’t, I’ll be working with a lot worse ingredients.”

“Trust me, it can’t be worse than what I’ve been eating as of late,” Timberly said with a shudder. “But please, don’t inconvenience your group too much for me. I’ll do my best to fit in with the lot of you and stick to your schedule.”

“Food! Now!” Ming proclaimed. “In honor of our new member.”

“He’s not a member,” Belmont said wearily. “But I want to know what’s going on before we do much more. Arek, would you mind throwing something together?”

“I never mind cooking,” Arek replied. “Start talking, Timberly. Malissa and I will make dinner.”

“Deal,” the old man said, rubbing his hands together.

Arek glanced at Ming, who dug ingredients out of her bags and started piling them up for him and Malissa to inspect. He paused, taking a second glance at the ingredients.

“Ming, didn’t we use up all the tomatoes when I made the chips?”

“I didn’t take them all out,” Ming said sheepishly. “I was saving a few to throw at people.”

“You? Throw food?” Belmont asked, his eyebrows shooting up. “I’ve never seen you waste food.”

“It’s not important,” Ming said, glancing to the side, the usual cheer in her voice gone. “Just use them if you need them.”

“I certainly can,” Arek said, taking several. “Malissa, how many eggs do you have left?”

“A fair few. What kind of dish has both tomato and egg in it, though? That sounds like a weird combination.”

“I thought the same when I first heard about it,” Arek said, “but the man that trained me showed me a fairly simple dish that just used spices, tomato, and eggs. It’s normally a breakfast meal, but I think we could all use something warm right now.”

“Please,” Timberly said, watching them eagerly.

Arek picked some green peppers out of Ming’s pile and set them aside, along with an onion—was she really going to eat that raw?—and a jar of chunky cheese.

“Perhaps you should start talking,” Belmont suggested. “I can’t imagine it’s a short story.”

“Ah, it isn’t,” Timberly said with a nod. “And very well. I hail from Grimsvale. Funny little rhyme, no? Alas, that’s genuinely the name of the town where I’m from. I was a bard there for years.”

Malissa pulled some of the dried grass up, arranging it in a pile and starting a fire while Arek continued to gather the rest of his ingredients. He blinked out for a few minutes to gather fresh herbs, then reappeared and added them to the pile.

Timberly didn’t even blink.

“After years of working as a bard, I started getting involved with some adventurers. Got into the business. I found that it really wasn’t for me, though.” As Timberly spoke, he plucked the strings of his violin forlornly. “I like happy stories. The types where everyone wins in the end, you know?”

“And you didn’t find that while adventuring?” Belmont guessed.

“No. I didn’t. Too much bloodshed. Too many people died.” Timberly let out a weary sigh and sat down, laying his violin across his lap. “And frankly, I’m not one for combat. Not even my magic is that great at it. I’m more of a storyteller, you see.”

“And a thief,” Ming added.

“And that.” Timberly laughed. “I quit adventuring and amused myself by lifting what I needed from other adventurers while I sang for them in taverns. It was quite fun, I have to say.”

Malissa started the fire and Arek set his wok in it. He took his wooden bowl out, pouring a healthy shake of paprika and cumin into it. He added some garlic powder, then mixed it together with a claw.

With his other hand, he poured some oil into his wok, swirling it around to coat the bottom.

“Want me to chop the veggies?” Malissa asked.

Arek nodded, and she gathered them up and got to work.

“So how did you end up here?” Belmont asked.

“Bad luck, mostly,” Timberly said. “You see, it doesn’t take too long for people to figure out I’ve got sticky fingers, so I roamed around between towns to avoid getting caught too quickly. I also occasionally go into dungeons when it's needed, and I heard rumors of a monster horde in a F-ranked dungeon near me.”

“You went in on your own?”

“I did. It was several ranks below me, after all. I am—was—a C-rank adventurer,” Timberly said with a shrug. “And I actually cleared it out without too much trouble. Killed a whole bunch of goblins. I thought I’d done everything well, but I got hit by some damn green light while I was trying to leave.”

“That’s what happened to me as well,” Arek said, glancing away from the wok. “Did you see what did it?”

“Unfortunately, no. One minute I was leaving the dungeon, and the next I was cursed. It took a while to find out exactly what it did, though.” His face darkened, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his hands. “That’s why I’d like to do what I can to stop the source of this curse. I’m no adventurer anymore, but I’ve still got a few tricks left.”

Malissa pushed the cut vegetables into a bowl and handed it to Arek. He took the onions and peppers out and tossed them into the wok.

“Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how that led to me sitting in the middle of a field,” Timberly continued. “I’ve been hunting a monster.”

“Here?” Belmont asked, looking around. “And that’s the strangest method I’ve ever seen someone use to hunt something.”

“Well, it’s not like hunting a normal monster,” Timberly said with a chuckle. “Frankly, I’m not convinced it is a monster. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve seen what it did. Watched an entire adventuring team get ripped to shreds a few days ago as they passed by a cornfield… leaving only one person alive. I ran to help them, but…”

“They were cursed, weren’t they?” Malissa asked.

The fire crackled as Arek stirred the vegetables around in the oil, a grim expression on his face.

Timberly nodded. “Yes. I was forced to kill him in self-defense. He was too strong for me to subdue and blind. The monster spared me too—it must be working for the Howlers, somehow, only attacking people that aren’t Blessed.”

He spat the last word like a curse, anger flashing across his wrinkled features.

“So you were trying to pretend to not be Blessed?” Ming asked.

“I hoped the cloak would make the thing see me as a normal person rather than a Blessed One. Had it been a stupid monster, it might have worked. Alas, I fear that isn’t the case. It never tried to attack me.”

“You mentioned a cornfield,” Belmont said. “How did they die?”

“Some sort of black magic,” Timberly said, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t see anything too close. I barely even saw the fight. There were just blasts of purple and black light… then people were falling apart. It was awful.”

The Happy Sunflowers exchanged grim glances.

“What?” Timberly said. “I’m missing something.”

“When we arrived, we were near a cornfield,” Belmont said. “There was some rustling, but we got attacked by a centipede monster. It wasn’t too strong, and Arek killed it without much difficulty. I’m wondering if that just happened to be another monster in the area, and we were getting scouted out by the thing you were hunting.”

“Why would it have left you alone? No offense to any of you, but you can’t be stronger than C rank.”

“That’s a relatively accurate guess,” Malissa said. “Arek, what should I do with the eggs?”

“Nothing for now,” Arek replied. “We’ll crack them in at the end.”

He poured the tomatoes into the dish, then followed them with the spices. Arek mixed everything together, stirring at a constant rate to make sure everything was evenly distributed. The acidic, slightly sweet smell of cooking tomato rose from the fire, filling his nostrils.

“Maybe the monster was hunting someone specific?” Ming asked. “Or maybe something about us scared it off.”

“Perhaps,” Timberly said, but he didn’t look particularly convinced. “Either way, you know what I was doing now.”

Belmont rested his chin on his palm and drummed his fingers on his jawline. “If you saw the monster a few days ago, I don’t think it would line up with being the same one we saw—unless the monster had some way to travel very quickly.”

“We don’t know its abilities,” Malissa pointed out. “That can’t be entirely out of the question.” She paused. “Well, we can try to join you in your hunt tomorrow.” Malissa then looked up at the darkening sky. “It’s getting too late today. Do you have a tent or lodging?”

“I do,” Timberly replied, but his eyes were transfixed on Arek’s wok as the sauce started to simmer within it.

“Eggs time,” Arek said. “Just crack them in.”

Malissa nodded, cracking half a dozen eggs into the wok. She and Arek sat back, watching their meal sizzle and bubble over the campfire.

“It strikes me that we’ve got quite the contrast going on here,” Timberly said with a sarcastic laugh. “Cooking a homely meal while talking about the gruesome slaughter of several people.”

“Life has to go on,” Arek said, tasting the sauce off his claw and adding a little more seasoning into the mix. “Us eating poorly will not improve the situations of those who have passed on. The best thing we can do is eat well, be strong, and avenge them.”

“Well spoken,” Timberly said, something passing behind his eyes. “But, now that you’ve gotten my story, will you share yours? I’d love to know how an orc came to be an adventurer. I’ve never heard of such a thing before.”

“I can do this one!” Ming said cheerfully.

Belmont shot her a warning glance, and she gave him a slight nod in response, but didn’t stop talking for a second. Ming launched into a very truncated summary of everything they’d done ever since Arek had joined the crew, removing the names and other pieces of important information and spending a disproportionate amount of time on the food she’d had, ranging from what Arek had cooked to what snacks she’d packed in her bag.

By the time she was done, Arek had already taken the wok off the fire. He didn’t have nearly enough bowls for all of them, so he just distributed spoons from Malissa and Belmont’s bags while Ming talked. It was probably for the best to start eating before she could get to the food anyway.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Timberly accepted a spoon with a silent nod, completely enraptured by Ming’s story. Arek used his own oversized spoon to claim a portion of the food for himself. The meal was simple, but it was far from plain.

Even with the few spices and ingredients, it was a refreshing mixture of spicy tomato and creamy egg. The yolk, not completely cooked through, mixed with the myriad of flavors for a refreshing combination.

It did well to fight off the encroaching cold, judging by the expressions of the others as they ate. Arek didn’t consider it his finest work, and he would have loved to give it another try in a real kitchen rather than a campfire, but he was still relatively pleased with the results.

Ming noticed that they were eating and immediately dropped her story, diving for a utensil and shoveling what was left of the meal into her mouth. Arek couldn’t help but notice that she somehow hadn’t caught on until everyone else was just about done, and most of what was left was just what would have been her portion. A small grin flicked across his face, but he suppressed it before Ming could see.

“That was quite the meal,” Timberly said, rubbing his stomach and leaning back, then letting out a satisfied sigh. “I have to say, for something that you just put together with stray ingredients, you did very well. I would have been satisfied with that as a paid meal at an inn.”

“Thank you,” Arek said.

Timberly picked his violin back up and stared at it.

“Are you going to play something?” Ming asked.

“No,” Timberly replied, dropping the instrument. It vanished before it hit the ground. “Just brings back memories. I don’t play much anymore. You just like to reminisce as you get older, you know?”

“No. I’m not old.”

Timberly let out a curt bark of laughter. “Fair enough. I think I’ll settle in for bed, then. Would you like me to take first watch?”

“I’ve got it,” Malissa said, waving the offer away. “You look like you need the sleep more than us anyway.”

The old bard snorted and inclined his head. “Much obliged, then.”

He reached out, plucking a bedroll from midair. Arek wasn’t sure what sort of magic the man was using. It didn’t even look like he was casting anything. Timberly was just pulling items out of thin air.

The bard didn’t look particularly eager to share more information about his magic, so Arek didn’t bother pressing. He and Malissa just washed the dishes they’d used and set about preparing their camp.

After everything was prepared, Arek shuffled into his tent and lay down. Their surroundings still put him on edge, and while the night passed without incident, his sleep was restless and poor.

When Belmont woke Arek for his watch, the orc was almost thankful. He nodded to the healer, who returned it before slipping into his own tent, and then made his way over to the embers of the campfire to sit down.

The ever-present gray clouds still hung in the air above them. Faint specks of snow drifted down, evaporating as soon as they got close to the ground. By the faint hues in the sky, Arek could tell he’d gotten the last watch.

Wind whistled through their camp, nipping at his skin. It wasn’t nearly enough to make him cold, but he suspected it would have been uncomfortable for the rest of the group.

Timberly rolled over, muttering something in his sleep. He’d only brought some sort of sleeping bag rather than an entire tent. The bard’s eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright, breathing heavily. He locked eyes with Arek and let out a breath, shaking his head.

“Ah. Nightmares,” Timberly explained. “None of you woke me for a watch. Isn’t it almost morning already?”

“Few hours left,” Arek replied in a low voice, not wanting to mistakenly wake anyone else in the camp.

“I see. I suppose it makes sense. I wouldn’t trust a random person to take watch either.” Timberly clambered out of his sleeping bag and tapped it, causing it to vanish. The bard glanced at Arek, grinning at the expression on the orc’s face. “Curious about my magic, eh?”

“Mildly.”

Timberly walked over and sat down across from Arek, resting his chin in his palms. “It’s not actually my magic. It’s an item, akin to the one that you’ve got.”

“My garden?” Arek asked, pulling the medallion out.

“That’s what that is? I assumed it was a storage. I suppose they serve a similar function, though. I travel a lot, so getting an improved extradimensional space was a must for me. Being able to take things in and out at will is very useful in my line of work.”

“Thievery?”

Timberly grinned. “Forcible reallocation of goods. Don’t worry—I won’t bother your group. Especially not after that dinner you treated me to yesterday. It’s been a while since I’ve had anything home-cooked.”

“Everyone should have some home-cooked food every once in a while,” Arek said.

“There’s a lot of passion in that,” Timberly observed. “That your dream?”

“It is. When this is all over, I’ll be starting a restaurant. I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, but circumstances have always gotten in the way. Once this Howler business is finally dealt with, I think I’ll be able to get around to it.”

“That’s a noble goal. I didn’t have many plans before I got cursed. Now that I have been, I just wish that I did. Even if we make it through this, I have no idea where to go. What a curious situation.”

“Only way to find out is to make it there,” Arek said with a shrug. “But you don’t have to push yourself too hard. I don’t know you, but I’m sure you’ll get where you’re going eventually. Just… maybe avoid the thievery. Getting a lot of bad karma isn’t a good idea.”

“Spoken like someone who has experience.”

“Perhaps,” Arek said. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You aren’t the only one that made poor decisions.”

With the conversation petering out, the two looked off at Dortusk, looming over them in the distance within the snowy mountains. An hour passed in silence.

“You think anyone will live through this?” Timberly asked. “My days as an adventurer showed me a lot about the guilds, and the Howlers are among the stronger ones. We’re in over our heads.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Arek said. “We have to. Too many people are depending on us to succeed, and now you’ve got the temporary to the cure to the curse as well. If you can get your blood on other cursed people, you can save them.”

“So our chances of success go up exponentially with everyone we essentially counter-infect,” Timberly mused. “Fascinating. That’s a powerful piece of magic. Did you do it yourself?”

“No. An old… friend, I suppose.”

Malissa’s tent rustled as she stepped out of it, raising a hand in greeting and walking over to join Arek and Timberly.

“Nothing happened during your watch?” Malissa asked.

“Nothing,” Arek confirmed.

“Good. I can take over your watch for a little if you want to take a run.”

Arek nodded and rose to his feet. “I’ll take you up on that.”

He stretched for a few minutes to warm up before heading off and going through his normal routine. Once he’d finished, Arek returned to the camp and swapped spots with Malissa, who did the same.

By the time Malissa’s workout was done, Belmont and Ming had both emerged from their own tents. Everyone packed their belongings up and, after a light breakfast of jerky, headed off.

“You have to wonder what that monster of yours is doing,” Arek mused as they passed by another dying field. “If it wanted to attack, striking in the cover of night while only one person on watch feels like it would have been the best way to go about things.”

“I would have thought the same,” Timberly said, sticking his hands in his pockets to try and protect them from the growing chill. “I truly don’t understand what’s going on. This just doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well, we can’t waste too much time hunting for it,” Belmont said. He nodded at the mountains, which were now only a day or two away if they traveled at a hard pace. “We need to breach Dortusk. This might have to lay at rest for now. Do you know of any other monsters in the area? What about a dungeon?”

Timberly shook his head. “There are dungeons, but the Howlers control all of them. I don’t think it would be wise to try to enter one, especially in our current state. And as for monsters roaming around, I haven’t seen many of any worth. Some weaker ones, of course, but aside from the creature I was trying to track when I met you, nothing.”

“We might have to give up on it and just enter Dortusk,” Malissa said, pursing her lips. “Unless we want to spend a lot of time hunting for this thing.”

The wind started to pick up and shadows passed over the party as the bank of clouds moved in front of the sun, blocking out the already-dim light.

Arek sighed. “I hate this place. Who would ever want to live in such a miserable environment?”

“Well, I’m sure the taxes are low,” Timberly said with a half-hearted laugh.

“Wouldn’t you know? You live here,” Ming said. “Or at least close, right?”

Timberly cleared his throat. “Yeah. But that doesn’t mean I paid my taxes. Come on. If I’m going to steal from people, then I’m certainly going to steal from anyone else. Particularly guilds. They’ve got more than enough money.”

Belmont just shook his head. “You’re lucky the adventurer’s guild had better things to worry about. They’re dangerous if you get caught up on their wrong side.”

Timberly shrugged in response. “Everyone is. I’ll pick my fights.”

They fell silent, continuing their trek toward the city looming in the mountains. As the Happy Sunflowers grew closer to the base of the snowy peaks, the temperature dropped even more sharply. Malissa pulled on an extra layer of clothes and Ming swapped from Belmont’s shoulders to hers, wrapping herself around the taller woman’s back like a monkey.

Timberly procured a heavy winter coat, bundling himself up within it. Even Arek started to feel the nip of the cold, although it was still far from enough to cause him serious trouble. The winds at the base of the mountain temporarily let up in intensity, but quickly started to pick up once more when they began climbing.

“Do we have any plan once we actually get to the city?” Malissa asked, holding a hand in front of her face to try to keep the snow and wind out of her eyes. Her teeth chattered as she spoke. “Maybe Timberly could ferry us in, one at a time?”

“That’s a possibility,” Timberly said from within the confines of his heavy hood. “It’s certainly a lot more likely than me cloaking everyone at once. That just wouldn’t happen.”

“Well, whatever we do, we’ve still got at least a day before we get to the city,” Belmont said. “That does mean we’re getting close enough to be spotted, though. I’m hoping that all the snow around us helps conceal our approach, but if the winds let up, we’ll be sitting ducks.”

“They’re expecting people to be coming because of the curse,” Malissa said. “That should help cover for us if we have no choice. Let’s just try to sneak up, though. That’s probably the safest.”

Unbidden, the Happy Sunflowers all looked at Ming.

“What?”

“Don’t blow anything up,” Arek said. “And keep a low profile. No running around tasting food.”

“I know, I know,” Ming grumbled. “That’s why I brought all those emergency snacks. It’s not my fault you’ve eaten half of them, but it’s okay. I have emergency-ier snacks, just in case you hungry mongrels eat all my normal ones.”

“Of course you do,” Belmont said, laughing. It faded, and his face grew serious once more. “We should start acting as if we’re in their territory, though. No more fires. Keep talking to a minimum. You know the works.”

“Agreed,” Arek said. “We need to get serious.”

“I’ll follow your leads,” Timberly said. “And I think I should let you know that something feels… off. I think my curse is starting to activate and pull me toward Dortusk. I have a growing urge to run toward the city.”

“How strong is it?” Belmont asked, stopping to look back at the older man.

“Not too bad. But if it keeps getting stronger, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to resist it. Maybe a few more days?”

“That should be enough,” Malissa said. “Let’s go.”

And so they did. The Happy Sunflowers hunkered down and pressed onward through the snow, making their way up the mountain toward Dortusk.

The winds howled around them, and snow came down in sheets. It rose up to their hips in white, powdery mounds, slowing their movement considerably. Malissa stumbled and Arek caught her, taking Ming off her back and putting the mage on his.

“Thanks,” Malissa said, barely audible over the screaming wind in Arek’s ears.

“No problem.”

“Sorry,” Ming said in Arek’s ear. “I think I’d get buried if I walked on my own.”

“It’s fine,” Arek replied. “You can’t do anything about it, and a little extra weight isn’t going to pose much of a problem for me.”

Out of all of them, Timberly seemed to be having the most trouble. Belmont moved to walk directly in front of the older man, carving a path to make the way easier for him. He didn’t say anything, and Arek didn’t address it. Belmont wouldn’t have wanted him to.

The sun set and the night rose to meet them. Faint lights along the edges of Dortusk’s walls acted like stars, guiding the group as they marched. It didn’t ever get completely dark, but rather settled in an odd mix of twilight and evening.

“Should we settle in for the night?” Malissa asked over the wind.

“There’s still some light. We should keep going and try to get there in the night,” Belmont said. “It’s too dangerous out here. We could get buried. Or there could be an avalanche. Or… ah, I could go on. Let’s just be quiet.”

They all nodded and returned to focusing on their march. Several hours later, well into the night, the walls of Dortusk rose above them. The group stopped behind a large snowbank and squinted up at the city.

Arek’s Shakshuka

Ingredients:

1 diced onion

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 diced red bell pepper

6 cloves of diced garlic

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon of cumin

Pinch of chili powder

1 28-ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes

6 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped and stemmed

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sautee garlic and onion for around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and other spices in, stirring and cooking until fragrant.

2. Pour tomatoes into the pan and continue mixing everything together, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns. Season with salt and pepper to taste and make sure the flavoring is proper. (You can taste this safely; everything is cooked.)

3. Make 6 small dimples in the sauce once it starts to thicken. Crack eggs into the dimples and cover the pan, cooking until eggs are done. (This varies depending on your preference for over-easy or over-medium eggs, averaging around 6 minutes.)

4. Garnish with chopped greens. Enjoy hot.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The wind was much better here, as the walls of Dortusk blocked out a lot of it. Faint, yellow lanterns hung from the walls, but Arek didn’t see any soldiers manning them. The front gate of the city was open, the small bridge leading up to it covered in snow.

“That’s bold of them,” Ming whispered. “No guards at all? That seems like a pretty risky move to make.”

“They must be really confident that nobody would try to attack them,” Arek muttered. “I guess it makes sense. They’ve got a teleportation block up and the guild isn’t making any moves against them yet.”

“Even so, that’s quite some confidence,” Timberly said. “I still don’t think we should just waltz through the front gate, though.”

“Agreed,” Belmont said, studying the city for a few more seconds before ducking back behind the snowbank. “Timberly, how many people can you safely stealth at once? You could remove the curse part of your spell and just completely make us invisible, right?”

“Two,” Timberly said, “including myself. And not for long.”

“Okay. Can you do two batches, then? Take Malissa and Arek first, then come back and collect me and Ming. There should be a place to hide once you’re in the city.”

Timberly nodded. “Those were my thoughts as well. I’ll only have about a minute with each spell, considering the increased complexity, but it’s doable. Just remember I’m not muting the noise you make, so you’ll have to worry about being silent on your own.”

“We can do that,” Belmont said with a nod. “Let’s move. I don’t want to wait around and find out that the guards are on some sort of rotation that catches us with our pants down.”

Timberly pulled his hood back and rubbed his hands together, trying to bring some warmth back into them. He looked to Arek and Malissa. “Are you ready?”

“This feels a little too easy,” Malissa whispered. “Are we sure this is the best way to do this?”

“It’s easy because they’re overconfident,” Timberly said. “They probably expect us to waltz straight into the front gate because of the curse. That’s what I’m drawn to doing, anyway.”

“You think we should try to scale the wall instead?” Arek mused, poking his head over the snowbank to look at Dortusk again. He ducked back down, thankful for his white chef’s hat that acted as makeshift camouflage in the snow. “There are pretty big gaps in the stones. I could probably do it.”

“That’s a good idea,” Belmont said. “There could be other forms of detection on the front gate. Can you carry Timberly and Malissa with you?”

“I can,” Arek confirmed. “But what about you and Ming?”

“I can climb the wall with Ming,” Belmont said. “Can you get up the wall on your own, Timberly?”

The old mage nodded. “If it’s just me, it’s no problem.”

“Then we’ll do that.” Arek flexed his fingers, getting the blood flowing, then rolled his shoulders and nodded to Timberly and Malissa. “Whenever you’re both ready.”

Ming slipped off Arek’s back and promptly vanished into the snow. Belmont reached down and pulled her out by the back of her shirt.

“I’m prepared,” Malissa said, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Then we go,” Timberly said, setting his brow and raising his hands like a maestro. He flicked his fingers and hummed a low note. Magic trickled across Arek’s skin, stinging faintly. Timberly and Malissa both faded and disappeared from view.

Arek looked down at himself, but nothing was there. He touched his stomach, relieved to feel flesh beneath his claws. Being completely invisible was disorienting. It was strange, knowing where his feet were yet not being able to see them when he looked straight down.

“Don’t spend too much time gawking,” Timberly whispered. “We need to move fast. I can’t hold this that long.”

Arek extended a hand, feeling around until he found Timberly. He pulled the man closer, then knelt slightly. “Get on my back. You, too, Malissa.”

A hand touched Arek’s head.

“Oops. Didn’t realize you were squatting,” Malissa said, shuffling around him. She bumped into his back, then into Timberly. The two muttered apologies, then eventually managed to find Arek’s back and wrap their hands around his neck.

Arek rose, and they clung to him. The extra weight wasn’t nearly as much of an annoyance as the unwieldiness of carrying two people, but Arek pressed on. His footsteps left imprints in the snow that he hoped wouldn’t give them away. The snowfall was enough to cover them eventually, but it would probably be a few minutes before they were completely gone.

He strode toward the city walls, wary for any signs of trouble. There were none. The gray stone stood still and lifeless. Arek reached the base of the wall and touched the wall with a claw. Still, there was nothing.

Arek nearly shrugged to himself and tossed his passengers off by accident. He then raised his arms, dug his claws into the wall, and started to climb. By targeting the gaps between the stones, he was easily able to find purchase.

Every movement made his passengers tense, and the fear of accidentally losing one of them made Arek climb slower than he felt he could have. Still, it didn’t take him long to scale the stones. He pulled himself up, glancing to check for any sign of guards before swinging all of them atop the wall.

The wall was wide enough for two people to walk side by side around it. Ladders along the inner part led down into the city, which looked surprisingly normal. Houses dotted the streets, most of them a single story with brick walls. There were even several larger buildings that looked like inns or stores.

If it wasn’t for the enormous colosseum rising over the back of the city, Arek would have assumed Dortusk was just a normal city.

“You need to keep moving,” Timberly hissed. “This isn’t going to last much longer.”

“Go down the ladder to our right and meet in the closest alleyway behind that house with the red roof,” Malissa said as quietly as she could. “Timberly, can you get back down to the others before your spell runs out?”

“I’ll be fine,” the old bard whispered. “Just go!”

Arek scanned the rooftops and spotted the one Malissa had indicated. Its shingles were worn and more brown than red, and the alley behind it was cast in shadows. He heard the patter of Malissa’s steps fade, waiting a few moments to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally bump into her before setting off.

He slid down the ladder, not daring to risk the wooden rungs with his weight. It dropped him off at a lower level of the wall, where several barrels full of arrows and supplies sat amongst some chairs and discarded weapons.

There were still no guards to be seen, but Arek did spot several people patrolling the city streets. His face creased in confusion. Dortusk had guards, but only bothered protecting areas inside the city rather than potential threats?

He didn’t let himself ponder too long; instead, he scurried down another ladder, reaching the ground and striding for the alley while trying to mute his footfalls as much as possible.

Arek stepped into the alleyway and let out the pent-up breath he’d been holding. Only a few seconds later, the air in front of him rippled and Malissa took shape. Arek gave her a tight grin. She returned it, holding a finger to her lips and gesturing for them to move deeper into the alley.

It came to a dead end only a few feet later. Aside from a backdoor to one of the buildings and a broken barrel lying on the ground, it was empty. Arek leaned against the wall and wiped his forehead.

“You think the others will be safe?” Malissa whispered.

“Just trust in them. I’m sure they’ll be fine. We’re going to need to find a place to spend the night, though. You think all of these buildings are occupied?”

Malissa knelt, squinting through the door’s keyhole and shifting around to try and get a better angle. She leaned back and shrugged. “It’s too dark. I can’t see anything in there.”

“We’ll wait until the others get here, then. Don’t want to get into trouble and have to relocate before they arrive.”

Malissa nodded. The two hunched down, trying to make themselves as small as possible as the seconds ticked by. The faint sounds of city life and the metallic tap of the guards’ shoes on the streets as they occasionally passed were their only company.

Several minutes elapsed. Arek and Malissa fidgeted, but neither dared make any noise. The guards didn’t appear to have any real pattern and were just wandering around the streets, not pausing anywhere for long.

Arek’s ears twitched as he picked up several extra footfalls from somewhere outside the alley. He nudged Malissa, nodding toward the exit. A few seconds later, Timberly faded into view alongside Belmont and Ming.

Belmont’s hand was clasped firmly over Ming’s mouth, and judging by the expression on her face, it was probably justified. His eyes were grim as they all regrouped.

“Something happened,” Arek whispered. His words weren’t a question.

Belmont nodded. “Ming saw Null.”

“What?” Arek asked, his eyes widening. He nearly forgot to keep his voice down. “Did he see you?”

“No,” Belmont replied, shaking his head. “And I didn’t see him myself. Ming said she saw him standing on the wall of the city for a moment before he shot off, heading away from the mountain toward the fields below. I believe her, though.”

“Who is Null?” Timberly asked. “And perhaps we should have this discussion elsewhere.”

“You’re right,” Arek said, glancing out the alley. “We need to find somewhere to hunker down for the night.”

“Door,” Ming said, pointing at the wooden door in the side of the alley.

“Someone might be in there,” Arek muttered. “Timberly, I don’t suppose…”

A smile danced across the old man’s face, made ominous by the moonlight shining down on them from above. He plucked a tiny black tool from the air, approached the door, and slid it into the keyhole.

The rest of them barely had time to step back before there was a soft click and the door swung open. Timberly held a finger to his lips and vanished, turning invisible. The door shut itself, and the alleyway plunged into silence once again.

Several minutes passed. Eventually, the door creaked open and Timberly reappeared, waving for them to enter. Arek had to duck to fit through the doorway as he and the others slipped in. Belmont closed the door behind them and locked it.

The room was full of old crates and barrels. Arek ran a finger along one of them, and it came away covered in dust. He couldn’t see much of the walls, but the smell of mildew hung heavy in the air, so he suspected much of it was moldy.

“What did you find?” Belmont whispered.

Ming summoned a tiny orb of magic to her fingers, lighting the room faintly.

“One-story house, looks abandoned,” Timberly said. “No items of value, and three main rooms. It was probably a shop at some point, and we’re currently in what was once the storage room. We shouldn’t go to the front; it’s got windows out into the street.”

Belmont paced around the room, inspecting everything closely. He stuffed a tiny bundle of cloth into the keyhole of the door leading to the rest of the shop, then did the same to the one that led into the alleyway.

“This is probably as safe as we can get for tonight,” Belmont said, kneeling by the bottom of the inner door and lining it with a shirt. “Timberly, is the curse still getting any stronger? We’re in the city now, after all.”

“It’s still there,” Timberly confirmed. “It’s abated a little, but I’m still being drawn in that direction.”

He pointed at one of the walls.

“We’ll try to figure out what’s going on there tomorrow,” Arek said. “Will you be able to sleep safely?”

“I should be,” Timberly said, but Belmont was already pulling some rope out of his pack.

The bard glanced at it, then back at Belmont. “I’m not into that.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Belmont said. “We’re in the city now. We shouldn’t take risks if you’re already feeling the pull. What if you wander off and get caught, revealing the rest of us in the process?”

Timberly sighed, then lowered his hands to his sides. “I’m not sure how rope is going to hold me for long, but I suppose.”

“It doesn’t have to last long,” Belmont said, tying it around Timberly and making a complicated knot in the back. “Just long enough for us to properly restrain you.”

He finished his work and stepped back, nodding. “Okay. I’ll trap the doors and then take first watch. Everyone else should get some rest. Tomorrow, we investigate the city.”

Arek didn’t see any fault with that plan. He lay down, leaning his head against a bag of old rice, and shifted to try and find a comfortable position. It was almost impossible. He closed his eyes, listening to the others’ attempts to make themselves comfortable.

His nerves were at their limit, and he desperately wanted to charge out into the city, challenging everyone until he could be done with the curse. He suppressed the desire. Being reckless would only get all of them killed. Eventually, sleep took him, but Arek didn’t go without a fight.

The night’s rest was poor. The bag of rice was far from comfortable, but Arek couldn’t be bothered to actually take the rest of his sleeping supplies out of his bag. He awoke several times, constantly wondering if the guards were at the door.

Nobody ever was. When it came time for his watch, he was already awake. Ming stole his bag of rice, curling up against it while Arek sat down in the center of the room, his chin in his palms.

The hours passed with agonizing slowness, but he eventually became fairly certain it was getting closer to morning. He pulled a little bit of Belmont’s shirt back from the bottom of the door, then pressed his cheek to the ground to peek outside.

A tiny amount of sunlight greeted his efforts. It was so faint that he would have assumed it was a lantern, had he not known that the alley had no artificial light in it.

Arek moved around the Happy Sunflowers and Timberly, waking all of them as quietly as he could. It wasn’t a difficult task. Every single one of them woke almost instantly, and the orc suspected he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t slept well.

“Can you take these ropes off me now?” Timberly asked, wiggling his arms. “I’m more stiff than you could ever imagine.”

Belmont plucked the knot on Timberly’s back, and the ropes fell off him instantly.

The bard blinked, raising his arms and flexing his fingers. “That was fast.”

“I used a knot that could be untied easily,” Belmont said. “What if we got attacked? You’d need to be freed quickly.”

“But I could have broken it just as fast as you.”

“Only if you pulled the right part,” Belmont replied. “If you didn’t, it would have tightened around you and been very difficult to remove.”

“Impressive,” Timberly said. “I need to learn that one. The ladies would love it.”

Belmont sighed. “There are much better uses for—oh, never mind. We need to figure out how we’re going to go about doing this.”

“I can scout,” Timberly volunteered.

“That might not be safe. Think about it. What if the curse is waiting for you to get closer to something to fully activate? You might leave and never come back.”

Timberly paled. “Shit. Didn’t think about that. What if I take someone with me, then?”

“I can go,” Arek said. “So long as you can turn me invisible like yesterday.”

“No problem. Well, as long as you can be stealthy. I don’t think there are many people in this city, but you’re rather large, you know.”

“I can be sneaky when I need to,” Arek said dryly. “But, before that… Ming, you saw Null, right?”

Ming nodded, her hands clenched. “He’s here. Somewhere.”

“We knew it was a possibility,” Malissa said, shaking her head. “I just didn’t think we’d run into him so soon.”

“Well, he just left the city,” Ming said. “Unless he came back already. He’s probably out somewhere in the surrounding area.”

“Is this Null character a problem?” Timberly asked. “You still haven’t told me who he is.”

“He’s a problem,” Arek confirmed. “Null is a powerful mage working with the Howlers. He’s got some personal connection to our party, and it isn’t a good one. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Fair enough,” Timberly said, shrugging. “Frankly, we should expect to run into a fair number of fairly powerful enemies here. One more won’t make a difference. If we get caught by any of them, we’re basically dead.”

“That’s true,” Belmont agreed. “Make sure you aren’t spotted when you’re wandering around town. Arek is very recognizable if that cloaking spell of yours goes down. Now that I think about it, it might actually be for the best if someone else goes with you. Arek might be the strongest fighter, but you don’t want to get into a fight in the first place.”

“We’re all pretty recognizable to the Howlers,” Ming pointed out. “But Arek is probably the easiest to spot.”

“I can hold the cloak for a few minutes,” Timberly said. “I was thinking we could hop between alleyways, hiding in them when I need to regenerate some energy.”

“That should work,” Arek said, taking his hat off and setting it down beside his bag. He slipped his bandolier off as well. “And, I do have one way to disguise myself more than anyone else in this group.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out a red badge. Just holding it filled Arek with disgust, but if he could use it for good rather than evil, it would be worth it.

“What’s that?” Timberly asked.

“A disguise,” Arek replied, his hand tightening around the badge. “I can make myself take the appearance of a fairly feared adventurer. It’s been a while since he was active, so people probably won’t recognize him.”

“Are you sure about this, Arek?” Belmont asked.

“It’s fine. It’s in the past,” Arek said with a nod. He paused, kneeling and grabbing the black badge from his bag. He palmed it and stood, sliding it into a pocket without letting anyone see it. He didn’t want to cause any of the Happy Sunflowers to worry needlessly. “This is the best use for it.”

Arek activated the red badge. His skin rippled and his body changed, gray skin rising to cover green. Fangs shrank and black tattoos scrawled across Arek’s skin, forming into looping, tribal patterns.

He looked down at his hands. For an instant, Arek could see blood soaking them, dripping from his fingertips and coating every crack and crevice. Then he blinked, and it was gone.

“That’s quite the transformation,” Timberly said, crossing his arms. “It looks real.”

“For all intents and purposes, is it,” Arek replied, shaking his head to get himself back in the game. This wasn’t any time to get distracted. Warchief had once spilled blood for his own gains. Now, he would spill his own blood for others. “Let’s go. I’m ready. Please watch over my supplies, guys.”

“We’ll make sure everything is safe.” Belmont gave Arek a sharp nod.

There wasn’t an ounce of concern in his eyes, but Arek knew the man was just putting a face on for his sake. Belmont was always worried about something.

“Let’s go,” Arek said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Timberly put a hand on Arek’s shoulder and hummed. The two of them faded away and vanished, and the old bard kept his hand on Arek’s shoulder.

“We need to hold hands so we don’t lose each other,” Timberly said. “Otherwise, the spell could wear off, and I might not be close enough to recast it in time.”

“No problem. I’ll just carry you on my back,” Arek said, kneeling and moving the other man’s hand so he could climb on. “You barely weigh anything, so this will just speed things up.”

“Lovely. I’ve always dreamed of being carried around by a big, hulking monster twice my size,” Timberly said with a sigh. “I was just hoping it would be a woman.”

“My apologies,” Arek said dryly. “I’m certain you’ll find what you’re looking for one day.”

Timberly cackled. Arek turned, ducking down to make sure he didn’t bump the bard’s head against the doorframe as he cracked the door into the alley open and slipped outside, shutting it behind him.

Arek strode out of the alley and into the city, taking it in during the day for the first time. Faint mounds of snow had built up on the rooftops and parts of the street, but much of it had melted away, so he wasn’t at much risk of giving himself away with his footsteps.

The streets were almost completely empty as Arek strode down, peering at empty shopfronts and shuttered houses. The only people Arek did see were guards. All of them wore matching silver armor and carried basic weapons. None looked particularly powerful or even concerned with their environment.

Several times, Arek watched them stop and exchange a few words with each other. They weren’t particularly loud, though, and he didn’t dare try to get close enough to eavesdrop. Whenever a guard made their way toward Arek, he moved to stand on the other side of the street.

“Almost up,” Timberly whispered as Arek made his way toward the center of town. “Get to an alley.”

Arek nodded and slipped into a thin nook behind a two-story building. He ducked down as he and Timberly came back into view.

“How long until you can recast it?”

“Just give me a minute,” Timberly said. “This place is a ghost town.”

“Tell me about it.” Arek shifted around, trying to get comfortable. The alley was far too small for someone of his size. “There are guards, though. That implies there’s something to guard.”

“I’m more curious to know where all the people are,” Timberly said. “This was a city at one point. Judging by how the farmland and surrounding area looks, things have been going downhill for a few months. Do you think something happened to the citizens?”

“I seriously hope not,” Arek said grimly. “The Howlers haven’t shown themselves to be particularly considerate of people’s lives, though.”

Timberly gritted his teeth. He patted Arek’s shoulder, and the two of them went invisible once more.

Arek rose and slipped back out of the alley. They reached the town square after a few more stops. A fountain sat in the middle, the water pouring out of it frozen mid-stream. More shops made up the walls of the square, but not a single one of them looked open.

Loud, heavy footfalls echoed through the square. Arek turned as a tall man strode into the square, bedecked in a heavy suit of shimmering armor. A massive battleaxe hung from his back, and bands of green light encircled his throat like a collar.

Arek’s stomach flipflopped, and he started to salivate. He grimaced, forcing himself to focus. Neither he nor Timberly spoke, but he felt the man on his back tense. The armored person was cursed.

Unaware of their presence, the armored man strode off toward the back of the city, where the colosseum blocked out the horizon. After a moment, Arek followed after him. He trailed the man until Timberly tapped his shoulder, forcing him to slip into an alley. As soon as they entered, the invisibility dropped and the bard slid from his shoulders, breathing heavily.

“Are you okay?” Arek asked in a low voice.

“Fine. I’m fine,” Timberly replied, waving the question away and swiping sweat from his brow. “I’m not used to holding a spell that long. What do you think the chances are that our Blessed friend was heading for the colosseum?

“It’s almost certain. That must be where they’re drawing all the cursed people.” Arek pressed his lips together. “I suppose it makes sense. Where better to have a bloodbath than a colosseum?”

“Should we head back, then? We know where they are.”

“Not yet. Unless you need to. Really, we haven’t learned much. I want to find out what’s going on here, and that means talking to someone who’s in the colosseum. We’re invisible, so it shouldn’t be too hard for me to cut someone and get my blood on them before they notice.”

Timberly swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. What if it’s magically trapped?”

“If we hurry, we might be able to watch how people enter it. I doubt they’d trap it when they’re trying to collect everyone in one spot.”

“Only one way to find out, eh?” Timberly asked, climbing back onto Arek’s back. He tapped the orc on the shoulder, and they vanished.

Arek set back off, increasing his pace since there weren’t any guards in the area.

It took them one more stop in the alleys before they reached the front of the colosseum. Now that Arek stood directly before it, he had to take a moment to stare up in awe. The building was enormous. It rose far above the city, dwarfed only by the towering mountains surrounding them.

A large bridge sloped up from the city, leading to the entrance of the circular building. A large iron gate hung above it, raised but far from welcoming. Arek’s skin prickled as they approached it. The building felt… off.

“This colosseum is messing with my curse,” Timberly whispered. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave if I go in there.”

Arek spun on his heel, retreating to an alley so he could put Timberly down. Once they were properly concealed, the bard let the spell drop.

“Are you okay?” Arek asked.

Timberly nodded, but the man looked pale. “The urge to go into the colosseum got a lot stronger as soon as we got close. It’s been growing normally anyway—I don’t think I’ll be able to resist entering for much longer.”

“Can you get back to the rest of the group?”

“I should be able to, but I doubt I’ll last more than another day,” Timberly replied, looking up at the sky and slowing his breathing in an attempt to forcibly maintain control of his body. “Shit. This isn’t good.”

“I’ve got an idea.” Arek rubbed his chin. “It’s not particularly smart, but I’m done sitting around and waiting for things to happen. My curse didn’t seem like it was strong enough to keep me in there, so I’m still going in.”

“What? How will you get out?”

“I’ll be fast. Your cloak will last longer if it’s just on one person, right?”

“Well, yes. But not that much longer. It might go for ten minutes at the most. You’re still moving around, so it’s harder to keep you hidden. Are you sure about this?”

“I am,” Arek said. “We need information, and you’re out of time. It won’t be long for me either. Disguise me and then hide here until I get back. If I’m not back in ten minutes, go back to the others and tell them what happened.”

Timberly bit his lower lip and lowered his brow. “They’re not going to be happy about this.”

“I wouldn’t be either,” Arek said, clenching his fists. “But I need to do this. They might have forgiven me, but my past sins weren’t against them. This is a way I can really right my previous mistakes.”

“Sounds like a story in there.”

“Maybe one I’ll tell you if we survive all of this,” Arek said, baring his teeth in a grin. “Turn me invisible.”

Timberly cast the spell on Arek, and he faded away. “Good luck, Arek.”

“Stay here. Don’t get spotted.” Arek turned and slipped out of the alley, moving at a steady pace as he made his way up the bridge.

His stomach flopped and turned when he stepped under the portcullis, but his mind didn’t feel like it was being influenced.

Arek nodded to himself, then continued into the colosseum. Thousands of seats encircled a huge, stone arena at the bottom. A large stairwell descended deeper into the building, presumably leading toward the fighters’ quarters. Faint yells and shouts echoed out of it.

Arek started down it, taking extra care to remain quiet. He was thankful that the stairwell was rather wide. Even if someone tried to pass him, he’d have room to slide up to the side and let them pass.

His nose twitched as he got deeper. The scent of blood was heavy in the air. People had died here. A lot of them.

Arek’s claws bit into his palms as he continued down the stairs and the shouts grew louder. He reached the bottom, where a pair of double doors led into an enormous hallway. Dozens of cells lined the walls, stretching on for blocks before taking a turn. Blood stained the floors around them, and several bodies lay on the ground. Some of them were fresh.

What must have been hundreds of people sat within the cells. Most had some form of cloth or bandage over their faces, covering their eyes. The yells seemed to be coming from deeper inside the prison.

Arek approached the nearest cage, where a large man sat, his back to him. To Arek’s surprise, he realized the door wasn’t even locked. He glanced around. Most of the people were doing their best to ignore each other.

Indecision warred in Arek’s stomach. There were so many things that could go wrong, but he couldn’t think of a better idea. He needed information.

Carefully, Arek tried to shift the barred door open a crack. When it squeaked slightly, he froze, checking to see if anyone had noticed. Nobody seemed particularly bothered. Breath caught in his chest, Arek worked the gate open a little more, then squeezed himself through it and closed the gap behind him.

Arek deactivated the red badge, returning to his true form. He pressed a claw to his inner forearm, breaking the skin and drawing blood. Arek approached the man as quietly as he could. For a moment, he considered just stabbing the man to change his curse, but if he was strong, there was a chance it would start a fight.

Instead, Arek cleared his throat and leaned forward, talking in a hoarse whisper. “I’m here to help. Don’t move.”

The man stiffened. “Get out of my cell. I’ve already killed a man that I didn’t need to.”

“Be quieter,” Arek hissed, glancing over his shoulder. A woman in the cell across from them had turned toward them, but her eyes were covered, so he couldn’t tell if she had actually noticed anything. “I’ve got a way to weaken the curse, and I need information.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because you don’t have a damn choice. Now stay still, unless you want to die here.”

The man’s shoulders tensed. Then he grunted and shrugged. Arek reached out, digging his bloodied, invisible claw into the man’s arm before reactivating his badge. It was a little disorienting to change shape without being able to see it, but he didn’t have a better option.

“What did you do?” the man asked, adopting Arek’s low whisper.

“You won’t be forced to attack cursed people now,” Arek said. “I don’t have time to tell you more. Try to get your blood on others. It’ll do the same for them. Now, it’s your turn to help me. What can you tell me about the Howlers and this city?”

“Are you sure it worked?”

“Yes. Now answer the question. I have very limited time. Lives depend on this information.”

“Hm. The curse brought me—and everyone else here—to this colosseum. Most of us had the presence of mind to blindfold ourselves so we wouldn’t be able to see anything and kill someone by mistake. From what I can hear, the Howlers pick someone out every few hours to kill. A man I spoke with told me that you can only absorb powers from a few people every day, which is why the rest of us are still alive.”

“Hey, you talkin’ to someone, Benson?” the woman in the other cell called.

“No,” Benson replied. “Just sitting here, woman. Same as always. Let me mutter to myself in peace, or I’ll tell the Howlers to take you next and hope they listen.”

Several of the adventurers in the other cells laughed.

“I assume the curse keeps you from leaving here?” Arek whispered.

“It does. We can wander around the bottom floor of the colosseum, but that’s it,” Benson said. “We’re also being pulled deeper. The feeling gets stronger with every passing day. Eventually, people get overwhelmed and lose their minds. You can hear them yelling all day and night. It’s awful.”

“I see. Do you know what happened to all the people in the town? The entire area is abandoned.”

“I heard they were some of the first to get cursed. I can’t say if it’s true, but I heard the Howlers forced them to enter a low-level dungeon to infect them with the Blessed One curse.”

“That’s despicable. They weren’t even adventurers,” Arek growled.

“What guild are you with? Do you have a way to defeat the Howlers?”

“Do you know who the Howlers are feeding kills into?” Arek asked, ignoring the man’s questions. From his estimation, he only had a few minutes left in his invisibility.

“Haven’t seen him for obvious reasons, but his name is short,” Benson said. “Newl or something. I heard him kill someone the other day; it only took an instant. He’s strong.”

“Null?” Arek asked, a pit forming in his stomach.

“Yeah, that was it. You know a lot about the Howlers,” Benson said suspiciously. He glanced over his shoulder. It was a somewhat pointless act, as he still had his blindfold on. “You sure I can look at the others safely?”

“Yes,” Arek said flatly. “I don’t have any time left. Try to spread this to the others, but don’t let the Howlers know what’s going on. We’ll be back, and we’re going to need help if we want to stop them.”

Benson poked a finger under his blindfold. Moving with the speed of a striking snake, he raised and lowered the bandage. The large man paused, then slowly lifted it again.

“Shit. It worked. I half-thought you were lying to me. Where are you?”

“Just do what I said,” Arek said. “Be careful. I don’t know how much of the curse is still active. Everyone is going to have to work together if we’re going to survive this.”

“Together? You’re cursed as well?”

Arek didn’t reply. He pushed the cell door open and darted up the stairs, moving as quickly as he dared. There didn’t seem to be any guards in the colosseum itself, so he was able to rush back up the stairs and out the main entrance in record time.

He practically jogged down the bridge back into the city, slowing as he passed several guards. Arek felt a tingle run across his skin, and a flicker of gray swam to life. He darted into an alley as his invisibility vanished. Arek froze, his heart thundering as he waited to hear if anyone had spotted him.

Footfalls started toward the mouth of the alley. Arek gritted his teeth and leapt, grabbing the edge of a rooftop and swinging himself onto it. He pressed himself flat and froze as he heard guards walk into the alley behind him.

“Nothing,” a man said with a chuckle. “You’ve been seeing ghosts ever since you ran into those upper-level members.”

“I swear I saw something,” another guard muttered. “It was a big gray dude. How did you miss it?”

“We haven’t seen shit ever since we got stationed here,” the first guard said, sighing. “It’s a boring post, but it’ll be worth it soon enough. Better here than elsewhere.”

“True enough,” the second man said. “Guess I should take a break or something. I did only see it for an instant. Maybe it was one of those poor cursed saps trying to resist. If it was, they won’t be wandering around much longer. They’re already here, after all.”

The guards chuckled as they walked back out of the alley. Arek relaxed, waiting a few more moments before crawling across the roof and dropping into the next alley over. He poked his head out, checking to make sure the way was clear before darting over to the next one.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

It took him a while to work his way back over to the alley that he’d left Timberly in, as he had to take a much more roundabout path to reach it without being spotted. Arek finally found his way into it.

Timberly was sitting against the wall, chewing on his nails nervously. When he spotted Arek, he let out an explosive sigh. “Gods. I thought I’d killed you. I’m sorry; I just couldn’t hold—”

“It’s fine,” Arek said, shaking his head. “I got out, although it was close. We need to get back to the others and plan our next move.”

“What did you find?” Timberly asked as Arek knelt and allowed him onto his back.

“They’re keeping everyone below the colosseum. The people that lived here are likely either dead or cursed. I’ll explain the rest when we get back. No time to waste.”

Timberly nodded, and the two of them turned invisible. Arek darted out of the alley and made for their hideout. The way back was considerably faster than the way over. Now that Arek had a better understanding of the city, he was able to get them back to their home alley with only a few stops for Timberly to recharge.

Arek reached the door and set his passenger down, holding a hand out to keep him from going for the handle. The orc rapped the door several times in the pattern that Belmont had taught him.

A moment later, the door swung open. Belmont stepped back, giving Arek and Timberly room to enter. They both faded into view as Timberly released the spell, and Belmont closed the door behind him.

Relief shone on all three of the Happy Sunflowers’ faces.

“That was awful,” Malissa said. “I was worried you had both gotten caught. Sitting around doing nothing is terrible.”

“No more,” Ming added with a firm nod. “We’re helping next time.”

“Agreed,” Belmont said, crossing his arms. “We’re in this together. Now, what did you find?”

Arek repeated everything that Benson had told him. He paused for a moment before revealing Null’s role in the Howlers’ plans. Ming’s face crumpled, and she stared at the ground upon hearing the news.

“Why would he do something like that? I don’t understand,” Ming said, clenching her fists so hard that they shook. “He wasn’t a bad person.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Belmont said, putting a hand on Ming’s shoulder. “And he isn’t your family. We are. You aren’t responsible for his actions.”

Ming sniffled and threw her hands around Belmont’s waist in a hug, banging her head against his armor in the process. Malissa put a hand on Ming’s back, and Arek did the same as anger built in his stomach.

How many people had lost their brothers and sisters to the Howlers—or to him?

“I’m sorry,” Timberly said. “It sounds like you know this person. It’s… painful when someone you love stands on the other side of a fight. Just… take an old man’s word for this. You’ve made your decisions, and he’s made his. Don’t sacrifice yourself to try and save him. It doesn’t work.”

Ming pulled back, wiping her eyes and looking up at Timberly. She sniffled again, then nodded. “I know. I won’t. We need to save people. I won’t let him hurt anyone else.”

“And to do that, we need at least a semblance of a plan,” Belmont said, tapping his foot on the ground. “Arek, did you see any actual Howler members aside from the guards?”

“No. They must have either been elsewhere or deeper in the colosseum,” Arek said.

“It’s also possible they’re out fighting the guilds,” Malissa said. “I’m sure a lot of them are, at least. Even if the adventurer’s guild won’t act against them directly, others won’t be so kind. There are bound to be some conflicts going on.”

“We can’t bet on that, though,” Belmont said. He started to pace around the room. “We can’t assume the person Arek gave the cure to is going to actually do anything either. The only people we can rely on are ourselves.”

“I don’t know if we can go around and cure literally everyone,” Timberly said. “Arek and Ming are just two people. Didn’t you say there were hundreds of people cursed?”

“What if we start a riot?” Malissa asked. “If we can get down there and cure a few people, then have them cure others as well, we could be like a wave. Most people aren’t going to object to a chance at being saved, so we might be able to build quite the fighting force that can help us spread the cure around.”

“That’s what came to my mind as well,” Belmont said, coming to a stop and crossing his arms. “But I don’t think it’s a very good plan. We’d be in the middle of the fight, and a lot of those people are going to be very powerful. Some have absorbed other Blessed Ones’ powers. They could be A rank or even stronger. That kind of fight might end up killing us indirectly.”

“The longer we wait, the stronger Null gets,” Arek said. “I don’t think we can do this without any risk.”

“I know,” Belmont said, sighing, “and I hate that.”

“If we do things this way, we should also expect the Howlers to show up as soon as things start going down,” Arek said. “We might end up fighting against the people that have lost their minds from the curse as well as them.”

“There’s another thing we should take note of,” Timberly said through a grimace. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Your change to the curse makes it so that we get hungry instead of try to kill other cursed people, right?”

“Correct,” Arek said.

“Well, I think it still scales with the curse. Whenever I look at you, I feel like I’m starving. If we cure the people that are farther along than I, they might still be completely unreliable.”

“And those will be the strongest ones as well,” Malissa said grimly. “They’ve killed people, so each one likely has the powers of multiple mages.”

“We still have to try,” Ming said, copying Belmont’s stance and crossing her own arms. “Even if it’s dangerous, we have to try.”

“We will,” Arek said. “If we can convert enough of the newer people, they should be able to help us restrain the others. We can win through numbers and by hitting the Howlers fast, before they can properly respond.”

They fell silent for a few moments, each trying to think of anything else they could to do improve their chances.

“I don’t like this,” Belmont said, gritting his teeth. “It doesn’t feel right. I think we’re missing something. I don’t see why the Howlers would leave this place so undefended. It’s their home base. There’s only so far that hubris should go. This is pure stupidity.”

“I’m not disagreeing,” Arek said, “but I don’t know what else to do. Every minute we waste, people are dying.”

“I know,” Belmont growled. “Shit. Timberly, do you have any thoughts? You’ve been in this area for longer than us.”

Timberly shook his head helplessly. “I’m sorry. Yesterday was the first time I’ve been in Dortusk in years. I don’t even know much about the Howlers.”

“If we can pull this off, all the people we save will be able to testify against the Howlers,” Malissa said. “We’ve got proof that the Howlers are behind things now. The guild will act.”

“Useless bastards,” Belmont muttered. “Only coming in when everything is well and done, and it’s too late for half the people.”

“Nothing we can do about them now,” Arek said. “We need to focus on ourselves. Can anyone think of a better way to go about this?”

Nobody said anything. Tension hung heavy in the room as they all stared at each other.

“Then I think it’s settled,” Arek said. “Let’s take care of this.”

“Yeah!” Ming exclaimed, her eyes lighting with determination. “I’m going to beat the sense back into Null. We’ll save everybody and get free food for life!”

Her words sounded a little forced, but Arek just nodded and grinned, matching her energy as best he could. Ming was trying her best to stay optimistic for all of them. He would do the same.

“When do we strike?” Timberly asked. “We won’t be able to rely much on my stealth. There are too many of us, and this will be too chaotic.”

“Try to get us as close as possible with your magic,” Arek said. “We’ll rely on speed once we’re in the colosseum. When we’re there, maybe you could make Ming invisible so she can run around and cure as many people as possible without them noticing. I’ll take care of the more… violent ones.”

“That works,” Timberly said. He flexed his fingers, gathering his confidence, and nodded. “Right. Okay. One last mission. We can do this. We have to do this.”

It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than the others. The old bard drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking his head before nodding again and giving them a tight grin.

The Happy Sunflowers wasted no more time. They left their temporary safe house and headed into the city, beginning the slow and tedious process of hopping from one alley to the next in small groups that Timberly could conceal.

They had several close run-ins with patrolling guards, but managed to avoid detection as far as they were aware. After over an hour, they were all huddled in the closest alley to the bridge that led up to the colosseum.

Timberly took a few minutes to gather himself. His face looked pale, and his hands were clammy with cold sweat.

“Are you okay?” Belmont whispered. “You’ve been using a lot of magic.”

“I’m fine,” Timberly replied with a curt nod. “I need to be. It’s just getting very difficult to resist the pull of the curse. If you lot don’t stop the Howlers here, I’m dead. You’re the best chance I—and everyone else in that colosseum—have.”

He looked down at his trembling hands, then gritted his teeth and reached out, plucking his violin and bow from the air. As soon as his hands were wrapped around the wooden instrument, the shaking stopped.

“I’m recovered. Remember, the invisibility is just on me and Ming this time. Speed is of the essence now. We’ll go deep and try to save some of the stronger victims. You guys take care of the ones on the way.”

“We know,” Belmont said with a nod. “On your mark, Timberly.”

The old bard plastered a confident grin across his face and nodded. “Let’s begin the final act, then.”

He exhaled and magic washed out, turning him and Ming invisible. Arek and the remaining visible Happy Sunflowers charged out of the alley, sprinting as fast as they could toward the gate.

Malissa was the fastest, but Arek was right on her heels. His powerful legs pumped, and glowing armor formed around him mid-step. Just because there hadn’t been much in the way of defenses the last time he’d been there didn’t mean something had changed.

When the three of them burst through the gate, Arek took the lead, directing them down the stairs and taking them three at a time. He couldn’t even hear Malissa’s footfalls behind him, but the clank of metal on stone announced Belmont’s presence. Presumably, Ming and Timberly were fairly close behind as well.

Shouts and the sounds of distant combat grew louder as they got deeper. Arek deactivated his patch, returning to his orcish form as he skidded out into the prison hall. He pulled his claws across his forearm as soon as they were formed, coating them with blood.

Arek checked the closest cell, where Benson still sat, his back facing the hall.

“It’s time,” Arek said firmly, pulling the door open with a bang. “How many did you get?”

Benson leapt to his feet, ripping the bandage off his head and raising his arms defensively when he saw Arek.

“Shit, you’re an orc? I recognize your voice,” Benson said. “I’ve got about half a dozen. You didn’t give me much time. I was trying to be discreet.”

“No time,” Arek replied. “Go all out now. Cure everyone we can and move deeper.”

“Right,” Benson said with a curt nod, dashing out of his cell. “Move it, lads! It’s time to fight back!”

Several cells slammed open as people darted out, discarding their facial wrappings. Arek charged into one of the cells that hadn’t opened, cutting a blindfolded man while he was still glancing around in confusion.

“Don’t move!” Arek yelled. “You’ll be cured when you feel a cut. The cure is spread through blood, so attempt to get your blood on anyone else who is still cursed.”

Confused yells rose all around them as the makeshift rebellion spread through the cells. The clash of metal and magic rose as some tried to fight back, but they weren’t encountering significant interference.

Arek lost count of the number of people he cured as he ran from cell to cell. His heart hammered in his chest as the chaos grew with every passing second. Before long, they pushed deeper into the prison, toward the sounds of the fighting.

He ran ahead of the others, trusting them to get the people he missed as he went to try and cure some of the stronger combatants that were deeper within the prison. Some of the cells he passed were already open, their occupants missing.

That meant that either Ming and Timberly had already passed through the area, or they’d headed deeper into the prison because of the Blessed One curse. Arek gritted his teeth and ran faster.

He turned a corner, stopping in a cell to cure a man and darting off after yelling the same instructions he’d said a dozen times already. There was not time to wait to see if the adventurer had even heard him.

Arek’s ears twitched, and he skidded to a stop. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He glanced around at the nearby cells. They were all empty. Barred doors hung askew, and the only sounds that reached his ears were the distant yells behind him.

“Shit,” Arek cursed as he realized what was missing. “What happened to the fighting ahead?”

Ming and Timberly were somewhere up there. Arek took off at a run. Blood pounded in his ears as he pushed his body as hard as he could. The prison seemed to have no end, the corridor constantly stretching and twisting like a maze with only a single path.

Finally, Arek spotted a pair of closed double doors at the far end of the hall. His brain dimly registered people talking behind them, but his adrenaline was pounding too heavy to let him stop and listen. If Ming and Timberly were up ahead, they might have run into one of the stronger Blessed Ones or the Howlers’ mages.

He braced his shoulder and barreled into the door, slamming through it with a loud crash. Wooden splinters rained around him as he staggered inside the room, his guandao forming in his hands.

The scent of blood slammed into him like a dragon. It overpowered every other sense, temporarily blinding him. Arek’s battle rage surged, but he forced it down and narrowed his eyes, bringing the room back into focus.

It was fairly spacious, with a tall, arching ceiling. Bodies were strewn across the room and tossed into the corners like discarded scraps of food. Ming stood in the center, her bundle of staves scattered across the ground behind her and one clutched in her hands.

Floating in the air above them was Null. Dark wisps of energy danced around his body, rising up into him from the corpses. Flickers of green magic arced and popped off his body before sinking back into his skin. Null turned, looking down at Arek with malice in his gaze.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“You,” Arek growled.

“You are interfering, orc,” Null snarled. He snapped his fingers.

Arek blinked. The world spun around him, flashes of light and color pulsing in and out as darkness encroached on the edges of his vision. He groaned as battle rage flared for some reason. Dust floated down around him, and something sharp poked into his back.

Null had thrown him into a wall. The battle rage slipped forward again, giving his addled mind clarity for another instant. He pushed it back, shaking his head to try and get rid of the dizziness threatening to swallow him.

“No more, Null!” Ming yelled. “This is enough. What happened to you?”

“This is all for us,” Null hissed, his voice bordering on hysterical. He raised a trembling hand and gestured to the room. “Don’t you see, Ming? We’re family. We were born powerful. You had the energy and I had the control. Now, we’re together once more. The adventurer’s guild didn’t recognize our strength, but that doesn’t matter. We made it, didn’t we? We’re together again, and we can take our rightful places together with the Howlers. I’m sorry for the method I had to use to get you here, but it’s all for the right cause.”

“Sorry? Look at all the people you killed!”

“They were in our way, Ming!” Null roared. “Every single one of them. They didn’t understand. And when we spoke in Red Mount, you reminded me. I’d replaced my family with a fraud. A fake. I was so determined to prove myself worthy of you that I abandoned you in the process, and Avenguard encouraged that. They said to cut my ties, but they’ll never trick me again, no. Never again.”

“Avenguard? Weren’t they working with the Howlers?” Ming asked, pointing her staff at Null and gathering magic at its tip.

“They were fools. They tried to back out when they realized the scale of what we were working on. I took care of them, Ming. They tried to get between us. It was what they deserved. Don’t you see?”

“You’re insane,” Ming said, taking a step back. “What happened to you?”

“Insane? I am your brother!” Null snapped his fingers, and the staff in Ming’s hands shattered, torn apart by swirling purple energy. “I’ve been watching over you all this time, Ming! I had to make sure nobody would interfere. I arranged so much, and the Howlers have already agreed to everything. It was the least they could do, after their mistake.”

“Mistake?” Ming asked, stepping backward to get closer to one of the other staves on the ground.

Arek groaned, trying to force his battered body to rise. Not even looking in his direction, Null pointed a finger down. Energy slammed into Arek’s body, cracking the ground beneath him and slamming him prone.

“You were never meant to become cursed,” Null continued, “but you’re incredible! You beat the curse, Ming, before it could even take hold. The Howlers wanted your group removed, you know. I stopped them. You were having fun, after all. They wanted that healer’s magic—I found a solution. They wanted to send assassins for the orc—again, I stopped them. I knew you’d come here, to me, after all. I killed the monsters that the Howlers scattered throughout the area to ward off the guild members so that you would arrive safely. I watched your every step as you made your way to Dortusk and took care of anyone that might have stood in your way.”

“You?” Ming asked, her eyes wide. “You’re the monster that Timberly saw?”

“Adventurers that would have stood between us,” Null said dismissively. “The old man was unimportant. I knew his talents might aid you in arriving here, so I spared him. And look, I was right!”

“I don’t understand,” Ming said, her voice broken. “Why are you doing all of this? This isn’t the Null I knew.”

“For us!” Null screamed. “I’m doing this so we can take revenge on that goddamn guild that left us hungry. They left us to die, Ming. How many other children just like us weren’t spared? They need to go, but we need power. The Howlers are giving me that. And, with them, we can make sure the guild never rises again.”

“At the cost of how many lives?” Ming asked, kicking a staff into the air and grabbing it. “How is that a fair trade? You could have used your power to help people.”

“I have,” Null said, his voice trembling. “Look around you, Ming. That orc lives because of my generosity. Even now, I could crush him like a bug, but I do not. Because you care about his life. I sent the Howler guild away from this place so that we could meet and ascend together. I spared the lives of the ones you cared about. Isn’t that what matters?”

“Not all of them,” Ming spat. “You killed my brother.”

She thrust her staff toward Null. Pure magic screamed out of it in a thick beam. Null raised his hand, and a black shield formed before him. Ming’s magic slammed into it with a brilliant crash, shattering it.

Null dove to the side, righting himself as the spell tore past him harmlessly and burned a hole through the ceiling, letting daylight flood the room and sending sand cascading down. Dimly, Arek realized they must have been directly below the arena.

“You’re confused,” Null said, shaking his head. “It’s okay, Ming. I’m an understanding man. I’ll just take care of this last thing, and then we can really talk everything out. It will be okay. We’ll be together. There are just some insects I have to crush first.”

Null raised a hand into the air. Arek’s stomach churned as energy screamed around them. It was more magic than he’d ever felt in one spot. A pulse of purple energy erupted from Null’s body, stretching out and passing through the stone as it hit. In the air above them, Arek was vaguely able to make out a dark dome.

“What did you do?” Ming asked, her knuckles white around her staff.

“What your friend’s spell was meant to,” Null replied. “Nobody can leave this city. Nobody can enter it. A perfect shield spell. We would have liked to use his, but I developed an alternative so you could enjoy your time with him. This will make sure the guild doesn’t interfere with our work. Do you see what I have done for you?”

Ming fired another blast of pure magic at Null. He batted it away, but a second bolt from Ming’s staff caught him in the leg and burned through his pants, searing his leg. He snarled, forming a bubble of dark energy around himself.

“Enough, Ming. We will discuss this later. Just sit and watch!”

“I will not!” Ming screamed. “I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else!”

The air around her crackled. Ming reached into her bag and stuffed a handful of food into her mouth as tears streamed down her face. More and more magic gathered around her, arcing and hissing like a miniature storm of lightning.

She discarded her staff, thrusting both of her hands toward Null. A wave of magic crashed through the room, slamming into Null and throwing him into the wall. He raised a dark shield, his eyes going wide as he poured his own energy into it.

Ming paced toward him, the intensity of her magic only growing brighter. She shoveled food into her mouth with one hand while keeping the other pointed at Null.

“Ming!” Null screamed. “Stop!”

His hold over Arek vanished. The orc shoved himself off the floor and staggered to his feet, raising a hand to block his eyes. The magic pouring out of Ming’s hands was so potent that he could feel it curling across his skin and tingling against his runes.

Null’s shield started to crack. He roared, pushing back and reinforcing it, but Ming’s magic was slowly starting to overwhelm him. Instinctively, Arek knew that the moment Ming’s spell touched anything, it would be evaporated. Nothing would survive getting hit by a spell of that magnitude.

The tears streaming down Ming’s face told Arek that she knew it too. Null’s shield cracked again. He cried out, and more magic poured into him from their surroundings—but it wasn’t enough, and they all knew it.

“I’m your brother, Ming! I did this for us! Stop! You’re going to kill me!”

Ming sobbed, sinking to her knees. She didn’t let the spell waver. Arek’s heart clenched. His body moved and he arrived beside Ming, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Ming. Stop.”

“What?” Ming asked through her tears. “I can’t! He’ll kill everyone! I need to do this.”

“You can’t,” Arek growled. “You aren’t going to be able to live with yourself if you kill your brother, no matter what he’s done.”

“I need to,” Ming whispered, the roar of the magic around them nearly drowning out her words. “I don’t have a choice, Arek. He’s gone. That isn’t my brother.”

Another crack rang out through the room, and Null’s shield started to bend inward.

“Ming,” Arek said, his grip tightening on her shoulder, “you aren’t a killer. Monsters are one thing, but family is another. Don’t put this on your conscience. I don’t want to lose the happy, carefree Ming that I know.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Ming begged. “He won’t see reason, Arek! There’s no containing him.”

“I know,” Arek growled. “Turn around and leave, Ming. I’ll handle this myself.”

“What? But—”

“Trust me,” Arek said, clenching his fists. If Ming really did finish Null off, he knew in his heart that she’d never forgive herself for it. Arek still saw the faces of the innocents whose lives he’d taken in his dreams; he didn’t even want to imagine what it would be like for a family member, even if they’d lost their mind.

The air around them shimmered as Timberly appeared, his face red with exertion. “Hurry, Arek. The curse is strong. I’ll take her.”

He grabbed Ming, and the magic flowing from her hands sputtered and vanished. Null dropped to the floor. Sobs racked Ming’s body as Timberly grabbed the small mage and sprinted out of the room.

Null snarled and rose to his feet, smoke rising from his body.

“You’ve turned my sister against me, orc. On top of that, you’re a fool. You don’t stand a chance against me. You—and the rest of your group—I’ll make sure you can’t stand between us anymore. Just like Avenguard.”

Arek reached into his pocket and pulled out the black badge. His hand tightened around it. “I’m sorry. Just one more time.”

“I’ll pass your apology to my sister,” Null said. He thrust his hands forward, sending a wave of black, twisting energy coursing toward the orc.

Arek activated the badge. Ice flooded through his veins as magic poured into his body and the runes along his claws flared. His armor flickered, the green energy vanishing as obsidian slate took its place, growing out of his skin like scales.

The guandao vanished and his claws lengthened, growing sharper and more jagged. Arek raised his hands as Null’s spell struck his body and sent him skidding across the ground. He blinked, looking at his arms. It hadn’t damaged him.

“What? What is that?” Null asked. “How are you resistant to my magic?”

Arek flexed his claws. Then he looked up at Null, battle rage pounding stronger than ever in his head. Every ounce of his body longed to fight, and he hated it. He was like an addict, and blood was the drug.

Gathering all the regret and anger, Arek balled it up and tossed it away. He couldn’t afford a moment of hesitation or indecision against an opponent like this. The battle rage roared, and Arek gave himself to it.

He blurred across the ground and threw himself at Null. The mage’s eyes widened as he dove out of the way, striking Arek with a blast of purple magic. It threw him into the wall and sent bricks raining down, but it barely slowed him down.

Arek rolled to his feet and dashed at Null again. He roared, dodging a spell and diving at Null, forcing him to retreat. When Null flew higher into the air, Arek grabbed a brick from the ground and lobbed it at him as hard as he could.

Null deflected it with his shield. The projectile shot through the air and shattered against the ceiling with a crash. The muscles in Arek’s legs bunched as he squatted and then launched himself upward like the world’s largest, ugliest frog.

A scream slipped out of Null’s mouth, and he solidified the shield around him an instant before Arek slammed into it. The orc wrapped his arms around the spell and started to squeeze.

Magic cracked and groaned as the runes on his claws flared. Arek roared again, tightening his grip. Null’s eyes shone with panic as he flew around the room, spinning and twisting to try and dislodge Arek.

The orc didn’t give an inch of ground. His claws dug through the magic, peeling it away like the skin of an onion. Rage pounded like a war drum in his mind, and he danced to its beat.

“Stop!” Null screamed, slamming a magically reinforced fist into Arek’s plated face. The orc’s head snapped back, but he didn’t let go. The rage just grew stronger.

Purple bullets of energy peppered Arek’s stomach, shattering against the armor covering his body. Null slammed him with spell after spell, but every passing one seemed to do even less than the previous.

They both dropped from the sky and slammed into the ground with a crash. Arek reared back and pounded his hands against the shield, sending cracks through it with every strike.

“You can’t beat me!” Null screamed. “I have the power of five B-rank mages!”

“You wasted most of it fighting Ming,” Arek growled, saliva and blood dripping from his jaws and falling against the weakening shield between them. “You said it yourself. Ming has all the energy.”

He reared back and punched the shield again. It shattered under the force of his blow. Arek staggered as black energy gathered around him, making his body feel a dozen times heavier.

Growling, he thrust his hand forward and grabbed Null by the throat. A spike pierced his stomach, penetrating a few inches before his plating stopped it, but he didn’t even notice. Null’s feet kicked as Arek lifted him into the air, his grip tightening.

In the tiny part of Arek’s brain that was still properly functioning without the battle rage, he recognized the magic leaving Null’s body. For an instant, he just looked like a normal kid. The resemblance to Ming was strong and, for a few precious moments, Arek wondered what might have been.

But what might have been was not what had been. Fear and terror mixed with spite and hatred in Null’s eyes, and the only thought left in Arek’s mind was that he was glad Ming wasn’t the one that had to see it.

His hand tightened. Null thrashed once more. Then he stopped.

Arek dropped to his knees, letting Null’s body crumple before him. The battle rage still pounded in his mind, driving him to seek out a stronger opponent. He groaned, pressing it back. The plates covering his body ached and burned like a brand.

Exhaustion washed over him as the rage finally faded away. Arek fell forward, crashing to the ground beside Null. The last thing he saw before his consciousness left him was Null’s glassy gaze, staring up into an uncaring sky.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Something pressed into Arek’s side. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

“Arek!”

He tried to speak, but the words came out of his lips in a tumbled mess.

“Arek, are you okay?”

It vaguely sounded like Belmont, but it was as if the man’s words were travelling through water. Arek worked his lips, trying to open his eyes. Every part of his body felt like it was on fire.

“Fine,” Arek forced out, his consciousness slowly returning to him. A soothing warmth battled with the burning pain, and he managed to force his eyes open so he could look up at the ceiling. Belmont knelt beside him, pouring pink energy into his body.

“What happened to not sacrificing yourself?” Belmont asked angrily.

“Couldn’t let Ming do it,” Arek said, slurring the words. His lips were stiff and unresponsive, but the pain was slowly ebbing away as Belmont’s magic worked through him. He tried to turn his head to look to the side, but it was too stiff to move. “Is Null…”

Belmont’s eyes softened, but his knuckles were still white around his staff. “He’s dead, Arek. And you damn near were as well. I can’t tell what did more damage to you—Null or Vell’s little gift.”

“What do you mean?” Arek asked, finally getting some of the feeling in his face back and immediately regretting it as it, too, started to throb. “It just gave me armor and made me harder to hit.”

“It drew every last drop of magic out of your body, and you don’t have much to give.” Belmont’s eyebrows knit in concentration. “And it didn’t stop there. You looked nearly dead when we got here. I think it was drawing on your life energy as well.”

“Trust Vell to give me something like that,” Arek said with a pained chuckle that made his body clench up.

“Stop moving,” Belmont said, pushing him back down. “I don’t know how you were fighting in this state.”

“I had no idea it was this bad. I couldn’t feel it.”

“He must have suppressed the pain,” Belmont said, shaking his head in disgust. “What a horrible weapon. Anyone who used this would fight to the death and not even realize it until they were already gone.”

“How bad is the damage?” Arek asked, forcing his hands to unclench. “You’ve been healing me for a while.”

“I’ll be able to heal the physical injuries, but when I said every last drop, I meant it. You drained your runes completely.”

“What?” Arek asked, forcing himself to raise a hand so he could look at it. The lines covering his claws were dimmer than they’d ever been. He flexed his fingers. They looked inert. “Will they recover?”

“Probably not. Runes aren’t permanent, from what I know. They have to replenish themselves from a source, and if they go for long enough without anything to draw from after being drained dry, they’re gone. Vell could redraw them, I suppose.”

Arek let his hand fall back to the ground and chuckled. “Redraw them? Why? I’m finally free of the damned things.” A smile slipped across his face as he stared up through the hole in the ceiling. The clouds that had hung in the air were gone, revealing a clear blue sky. “What happened to the others?”

“Timberly and Ming regrouped with us while we were just about done freeing the other cursed folks,” Belmont said. “We had some trouble with some people that had gotten too lost in the curse or actually liked it, but we had enough on our side that we mowed through most of the opposition. None of our group was seriously injured, other than you.”

“Ah, good,” Arek said with a relieved sigh. The stone felt cold and uncomfortable beneath his head, which he supposed was a good thing. It was better to be uncomfortable than to feel nothing at all. “And the Howlers?”

“No clue. Once everyone was freed, we stormed the colosseum and then the city. The guards barely put up a fight when they realized they were up against hundreds of C and higher-rank adventurers. There were almost no actual Howler members here.”

“Null said he sent them away. When he found out we were coming, he turned the entire city into a trap to get Ming. The Howlers probably regret choosing him as their lynchpin, considering how unhinged he was.”

“Good,” Belmont growled. “Ruthless bastards. They deserve what’s coming to them. With all the people here to testify, the adventurer’s guild will collapse on them, and their guild will be wiped away. I don’t think there’s going to be any light sentencing for this.”

“Assuming they ever get around to doing it,” Arek said with a snort. “Maybe we’ll have to do that job for them as well.”

He pushed himself upright. Belmont helped him up, watching the orc closely.

“Thanks, Belmont,” Arek said, rolling his shoulders. “I’m mostly good again. You do good work.”

Belmont just grunted. “Good. We’re going to need your help again.”

“What? Is something wrong?” Arek asked, staggering to his feet.

“I suppose you could say that,” Belmont said, but the lack of urgency in his voice gave Arek pause. Belmont wasn’t one to calmly sit around if there was any serious danger to any of them. “We have a bit of a problem with the curse.”

“A problem? What now?”

“Well, we’ve got hundreds of adventurers that get hungrier whenever they see each other,” Belmont drawled. “And none of them can cleave the colosseum because of the curse. Luckily the place is pretty big, so we aren’t cramped, but until someone figures out what the source of the curse is and destroys it, they’re stuck here and getting hungrier by the minute.”

Belmont stepped to the side, revealing Arek’s pack leaning against the wall behind him. He picked the chef’s hat off it and handed it to the orc. “Malissa and Ming are already doing their best to make enough for everyone, but they’re basically drowning in the crowd.”

Arek took the hat and set it on his head. He slung his pack over his shoulder and nodded to Belmont, feeling a grin inch across his face. “Then I guess we have no time to waste. Lead the way. I’ve got some customers to please.”

Belmont led Arek out of the room, moving a little slower than normal so the orc could keep up with him. Arek’s body was mostly recovered, but he still felt sluggish and more unwieldy than normal as they walked through the halls and ascended the stairs.

Loud conversation greeted the two as they emerged out onto the stands. Arek’s stomach twisted as hunger gripped him almost instantly. Hundreds of adventurers sat around the colosseum. Several of them were bandaged or lying down and getting healing from others, but the majority were gathered in the arena below, where dozens of campfires had been built.

Adventurers surrounded the fires, cooking. Food had been stacked in large piles behind them, and just about all of it was getting tossed into the mix. Arek spotted Malissa at one of them, her eyes narrow in concentration and her apron around her neck.

“I’ll be up here, helping heal the injured people,” Belmont said from behind him. “I think I know where you’ll be.”

Arek nodded, accelerating as much as his recovering body would let him. He made his way over to the arena and hopped the railing, landing on the sand with a grunt. Straightening, he strode up to Malissa’s campfire.

“Arek!” Malissa exclaimed, glancing up from the pan in her hands and nearly dropping it. Arek’s hand shot out, and he grabbed it before the food could pitch into the flames. “You’re okay?”

“I am,” Arek said, handing the pan back to her. “Belmont took care of me. How’s Ming doing?”

“She could be better,” Malissa admitted, “but I think she’s busied herself helping out with the cooking. Or rather, gathering. There aren’t that many people here that aren’t cursed, so we need people that can raid the city for supplies.”

“That’s good,” Arek said, taking his wok out of his bag and brushing it off. “I’ll pitch in as well, then.”

He went to study the pile of food, and Malissa followed him over. They stood in silence for a few moments, just staring.

“It’s over, then,” Malissa said. “The Howlers can’t attack Dortusk. We’ve got too many powerful people here, and their trump card is dead. We don’t have to run anymore.”

“It’s over,” Arek agreed, his eyes alighting on several oranges. He picked them up, smiling faintly to himself. “Everything started with oranges, you know. The first meal I made Ming was beef with orange sauce. That’s what brought her over to my campfire.”

“There’s some meat in my Bag of Colding. We’ve distributed it so it didn’t spoil.” Malissa pulled out a cloth bundle and offered it to Arek. “It looks like you’re feeling nostalgic.”

“I am,” Arek replied, taking it from her. He adjusted his hat, then turned and walked back to the fire to set his wok down and get to work. Hundreds of hungry people were waiting on him, and Arek wasn’t going to delay any longer.

The following days were a blur. If Arek and Malissa thought their work on the food cart was intense, it was nothing compared to what they did in that sandy arena. Arek lost count of the amount of meals he cooked, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Every night when he lay down to sleep, his hands and back ached, but his heart felt fuller than it ever had. Slowly, the mood of the adventurers improved as well. There were some minor conflicts that arose from everyone being cooped up in the colosseum for days on end, but nothing truly serious.

Many of the other cooks rotated, but Arek and his group remained at their fire, only stopping to sleep. Belmont and Ming occasionally joined in to help, but most of their time was spent gathering more ingredients from the abandoned town.

Through the scattered pieces of conversation that Arek picked up, he learned that a fair number of the townsfolk of Dortusk had managed to survive the curse. They’d been mostly in the deepest parts of the prison, but Null hadn’t killed many of them because of the low amount of energy he earned from defeating civilians.

Despite the improved mood, a somber air hung in the crowd. Everyone in it had lost someone they’d known. But that very loss was also what helped unify them, even with the differences that the adventurers had. Men and women from rival guilds sat together eating dinner and discussing their plans after the curse wore off.

And then, after nearly a week, the adventurer’s guild arrived. Vell’s army of mechanical golems led the march as a horde of high-ranked adventurers collapsed on Dortusk, sweeping through the city with practiced efficiency.

There were more than a few tearful reunions as lost adventurers met back up with their teams and spouses. There were others that were considerably sadder. At some point, through the churning crowds, Arek locked eyes with Vell.

It should have been impossible to tell from the distance they were at, but Arek could have sworn that Vell’s eyes dropped to his claws before rising back up to meet his, a faint grin flickering across the man’s face before he turned and left.

Several guild members went around, talking to the cursed adventures to gather information. Arek paid little attention to it. He was just focused on making as much food as possible to feed all the hungry people he could.

The guild departed some time later. Arek didn’t even notice until he overheard some of the people in line for his cooking mention it. He’d long since lost count of the days they’d been there, but he was fairly certain it had almost been two weeks.

That night, after Arek had finished cleaning his supplies and was preparing for bed, cheers rose up through the camp.

“It’s broken!” a man yelled as he sprinted past Arek. “The curse is broken!”

The colosseum, which had been well on its way to preparing for sleep, erupted with noise and motion. People ran across the bridge, their relieved cries echoing through the large building as they were finally able to step outside it for the first time in weeks.

A man strode up to Arek and shook his hand. “Thanks for everything—and the food. The guild told us about your group’s role in this, even if you haven’t been talking about it yourself. We all owe you a lot.”

Arek blinked. He didn’t recognize the man, but he suspected it was probably one of the people he’d fed in the previous days. “It was my pleasure.”

Dozens of other adventures swung by the arena, thanking the various chefs that had been working over the past few weeks, then dispersed, finally able to head home once more. As the crowd started to shrink, Arek spotted the rest of the Happy Sunflowers walking toward him.

“Took them long enough,” Belmont said. “How are you doing, Arek? We haven’t had a chance to talk much at all this week.”

“We’ve all been busy,” Arek replied. “I’m just glad this is over. It’s over, right?”

“It’s over.”

Arek turned as Magus walked out of the darkness. He had a new scar across his forehead, but it only added to his intimidating presence.

“Magus!” Arek exclaimed.

“I’m sorry for not dropping by earlier,” Magus said, putting a hand on Ming’s shoulder. “I’ve been with my apprentice. She’s fallen very far behind in her studies, so I had to do some review with her.”

“He means that he teleported her away from Dortusk a week ago and was taking her to restaurants around the continent,” Belmont said.

“Not just restaurants,” Ming said, crossing her arms. “I got supplies too.”

Malissa laughed. “She bought several months’ worth of toilet paper for me. I had no idea what to do with that much, so I ended up giving most of it out to the adventurers stuck here.”

“Relaxation is a form of training,” Magus said through a soft cough. “And it was an urgent matter, especially once I found out about the core of the Howlers’ strategy.”

“I think that was for the best,” Arek said. Ming looked more relaxed than she had in weeks, so something Magus had done must have worked. “The Howlers are gone, then?”

Magus nodded. “The guild has been hunting every last member that was responsible for this travesty. We’ve tried to make sure to avoid hurting innocents or those unaware of their real plot, which made things take a little longer, but enough innocent people have died these last few weeks. We found the source of the curse with their guild leader and broke it—along with him.”

“Good,” Arek said, taking his hat off and rubbing his forehead. “Then it really is done. The adventurer’s guild sure took their time, though.”

“Almost done,” Magus corrected. “There are a few more things to be taken care of. And don’t you worry—I won’t be sitting quiet about this, and others won’t either. The guild has been too passive. We need to find a way to make sure something like this never happens again.”

“Good luck with that,” Arek said with a dry laugh. “I don’t see them changing much any time soon.”

“You’d be surprised. But first, I need to reintroduce you to one of my contacts.”

The air beside Magus rippled and Timberly appeared, his violin in his hands. A small smile slipped across the bard’s face, and he gave them a polite bow.

“You know Timberly?” Arek asked.

“He’s an old friend from the adventurer’s guild,” Magus replied.

“I’m sorry for the deception,” Timberly said. “I was investigating the Howlers when I got cursed. We needed proof against them to make sure they couldn’t try to squirm their way out of anything, so I went undercover. Getting cursed was the perfect excuse to breach their defenses. Of course, I didn’t expect it to be as easy as it was, but I suppose I have you lot to thank for that.”

“In a very roundabout way, maybe,” Belmont said with a snort. “So how much of you was real, and how much was an act?”

“Oh, I was almost entirely honest with you aside from my background,” Timberly said. He brought his bow across the violin, making a horrible screen. Grimacing, he tossed the instrument to the side, where it vanished. “I was terrified. I haven’t done any real work in years, but when an old friend calls in a favor, I pay up.”

“You owed Magus a favor?” Arek asked.

“I might have tried to steal something from him a few years back.”

“It sparked an unlikely… business relation,” Magus said reluctantly. “We’ve worked together a few times throughout the years, and he just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. I couldn’t get here myself, so I had to rely on him instead.”

“Well, either way, I was able to confirm the Howlers were attempting a violent rebellion and remotely inform Magus, who was able to push the guild into motion,” Timberly said. “It was instrumental that they not know of our movements, or they might have had a chance to prepare. Instead, they’ve been wiped away with almost no serious resistance.”

“I can’t say I appreciate the deception, but I understand it,” Arek said. “Thank you for your help. It would have been considerably harder to get into Dortusk without you.”

“You were all instrumental in stopping the Howlers. Without you, I don’t know how many more people would have died. Null might have been able to gather the power he needed in a few more days, and the Howlers would have been an incredibly dangerous fighting force. We’ll have a formal announcement of this later, but I wanted to let you know in person first. You will all be honored for your work.”

“Like knights?” Malissa asked through a snicker. “Who’s ever heard of a D-rank adventurer getting recognized?”

“Nobody,” Magus replied, “because none of you are D-rank adventurers anymore. You’ve all been promoted to B rank for your actions in stopping the Howlers.”

“What?” Belmont asked, his eyes going wide.

“Magus!” Timberly snapped. “We weren’t supposed to tell them that yet. It was meant to be a surprise during the announcement, you ornery old man.”

“Who are you calling ornery?” Magus coughed and shook his head. “No matter. We’ll have time to discuss later. You’ve all been through a lot. I’ll take us all back to Ringden shortly.”

“Shortly?” Malissa asked. “Are we waiting for something?”

“One last person that needs to meet Arek,” Magus said.

A hard-faced man stepped out from the stands. He had a well-trimmed, graying beard and robes that billowed around him as he walked up to stand before Arek. The two stared at each other for several seconds.

“I did not think I’d be meeting with you again so soon,” the man said, his sharp eyes passing over Arek, “and certainly not in circumstances like this.”

“Who is this?” Ming asked.

“Nobody important,” the man replied, his lips twitching in a faint grin. “Just someone who has some old, unfinished business with Arek.”

“If you’ve got business with Arek, you’ve got business with all of us,” Malissa said, crossing her arms.

Belmont and Ming both stepped forward as well. The man’s eyebrows rose, and he chuckled. “Quite the friends you’ve made, Arek.”

“Arek, who is this?” Belmont asked. “Does it have to do with the thing you mentioned you still had to deal with some time ago?”

“This is the judge that oversaw my trial,” Arek replied. “Please don’t get into a fight with him. If he didn’t grant me a stay of execution, I might have been killed back when the Starpiercers fell.”

Belmont grunted, not backing off in the slightest. The other Happy Sunflowers mirrored his motions.

“You’ve done quite a bit since we last met,” the judge said, unbothered by the animosity directed at him by Arek’s friends. “When I told you to make up for your past actions, I didn’t think you’d get wrapped up in the biggest travesty the adventurer’s guild has seen in years.”

“I didn’t try to, if it helps,” Arek said with a shrug. “We were just trying to live. We just kind of kept running into them.”

“Yes, Magus has informed me of the situation,” the judge said, glancing at the B-ranked adventurer. “Incredibly unfortunate, indeed. I’m sorry for all of what you had to go through because of the inaction of the guild.”

“But that isn’t why you’re here, is it?” Belmont asked.

“No, it is not. Arek, do you consent to allowing me to use a Truesight Artifact on you?”

“I do.”

The judge raised a glass eyepiece to his eye and studied the orc for a few moments. Then a smile creased his face. He lowered the artifact and put it back into a pocket. “How apt.”

“What?” Ming said, narrowing her eyes. “We aren’t going to let you take Arek anywhere.”

“I have no plans to, young mage,” the judge said. “Arek, I hereby judge that you have fulfilled your duty to atone for your past sins. Your actions over this past year have shown that you are no longer the man you once were, and the character of those you surround yourself with vouches for this further.”

Arek’s breath caught in his chest. “What?”

“I hope this will be the last time we meet, Arek,” the judge said, inclining his head. “It is clear to me that you’ve come far from who you once were—and to be honest, I saw that when you testified against the Starpiercers. Don’t let the guilt of your past burden you forever. Just endeavor to make the lives of the people you meet in the future better.”

The judge raised a hand in farewell.

“Wait!” Arek called. The judge glanced back at him. “What was my karma at? It was in the negative thousands the last time I checked.”

The judge grinned. “Zero, Arek. And, over the next few days, I suspect it shall rise further as the full extent of your party’s actions spread through the kingdom and more people are affected.”

Then he turned and left the arena.

“Now it really is done,” Belmont said with a smile. “You’re completely free, Arek.”

“All of us are,” Ming said.

“Now we’re really done here.” Magus coughed into his fist. “All the remaining adventures and townsfolk will be evacuated from Dortusk while the guild combs through it, but you lot have an appointment in Ringden tomorrow morning. For now, I think you’d all enjoy a good night’s sleep in an inn.”

After exchanging a glance, the group all linked hands and Magus put his hands on Ming’s shoulders.

“Are you all ready?” Magus asked.

They nodded. Energy crackled around them, swallowing the group whole and lighting the colosseum for an instant.

Then they were gone.

EPILOGUE

James marveled at the beautiful carvings etched into the large wooden doors before him. His stomach rumbled and he straightened up, trying to pretend like the noise hadn’t come from him. It had been weeks since he’d placed a reservation, and he’d skipped breakfast to make sure he enjoyed every second of the experience.

He’d even arrived nearly two hours before opening time, just to make sure he got there first. One could never be too careful, after all. Judging by the growing line behind him, he hadn’t been the only one with that thought.

The Happy Sunflower took walk-ins as well as reservations, but the restaurant was so popular that it was practically a miracle to actually manage to secure one of the walk-in spots. The doors creaked, and James jumped as he came face to face with a well-built, blond man with a stern expression.

He wore a tailored suit and walked with the grace of a warrior. Beneath the suit, James was pretty sure he could see the thin plates of hidden armor.

“You’re all early,” the man said. “You could have caused a stampede if something went wrong. What were you thinking?”

James cleared his throat, brushing his hair back. “Ah, I’m here for my reservation. James Willow.”

The man glanced over James’ shoulder at the giant line, then sighed. “Right. In we go, then. As for the rest of you, please form an orderly line. I will not hesitate to throw out anyone who causes trouble.”

“Stop being a hardass, Belmont,” a short woman said, smiling at James as he walked into the restaurant. James wasn’t particularly bothered—he was too busy ogling at the beautiful building. “I’m Ming. I’ll be your waitress today, unless I accidentally eat your food. Then someone else will take over.”

James chuckled politely, but he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, trying to tell if she was joking. She was completely straight-faced. He cleared his throat and glanced around the building.

Murals covered the walls, depicting all sorts of cuisine from all over the continent. They almost seemed alive, twisting and changing every time James looked away. The building itself had three floors, but he’d only been able to snag the lowest one.

Any of the higher floors couldn’t even be booked with a miracle. They were impossible. James shook his head. It didn’t matter what floor he was on. The food was all the same, and that was all that mattered.

Ever since the Happy Sunflower had opened following the fall of the Howler guild, he’d heard rumors going around about it. The adventurer’s guild had constructed the entire building out of their own pockets as a reward for the party running it. There were claims that the adventurers running the kitchen had been present at Red Mount, instrumental in fighting off the monster horde.

Those weren’t even half of the rumors, but James wasn’t quite sure he was ready to believe that the head chef was a renowned murderer, or that the entire building was rigged with more traps than a castle and was built to withstand a siege.

“Please follow me,” the short woman said, flicking her fingers. A plate and napkin-wrapped utensils floated into her hands, and then she strode over to a small, beautifully carved wooden table near the kitchen.

James sat down on the cushioned chair and his cutlery floated over, setting itself down on the table in front of him.

“Welcome to the Happy Sunflower,” the woman said, giving him an award-winning grin.

James swallowed, trying to look as cool as he could. “Thank you. I’ve been looking forward to this. What’s on the menu today?”

“Whatever you’d like. The chefs like to be challenged, if you’ve got something in particular that you’ve been wanting. Although they’d also be more than happy to surprise you.”

James swallowed. That was new. What sort of restaurant let their customers just… choose what they wanted? He wasn’t ready for that sort of commitment. No matter—he’d practiced what to say several times. All he had to do was order the chef’s special and then thank his waitress. That was it.

“Ah, the surprise, please.”

“Understood,” she said. “I’m sure we won’t regret it.”

“I—yeah. Wait, we?”

Ming winked at him. “I hope you enjoy your meal, sir.”

“Thanks. You too.”

James cursed internally as soon as the words left his mouth. He’d screwed it up. The waitress just giggled and winked at him before walking over to the far wall, where an open window let him see into the kitchen.

Ming rapped on it. “Hey, it’s time! First order for today.”

An orc stepped into view. A tall, clean hat was perched on his head, and he held a large cleaver in his hand. A moment later, a tall woman joined him. She wore the same hat and spun a knife on her fingertip.

“What is it?” the woman asked.

“Chef’s special,” Ming replied. “Make it extra-large. I haven’t eaten today.”

Both chefs laughed and looked over at James. He straightened his back and gave them a thumbs-up.

“We’ll split it into two plates so you don’t actually eat our customer’s food,” the orc said with a grin.

“One Arek special, coming right up,” the other chef said.

“That is not the name of the dish.”

Both of them laughed. It was a relaxing sound, and the tension in James’ back reduced. He’d been expecting a very uptight environment, but this was nothing like that. It almost felt like he was at home.

A smile crossed his face as he settled into his chair, content to enjoy the scenery and wait for his food. Something told him it was going to be fantastic.

FROM THE AUTHOR

I want to thank you all for reading Morcster Chef. This was the first webserial I ever really set about writing, so ending it gives me a mixture of sadness and elation. Even though I feel like the main story of the Happy Sunflowers has been told, that doesn’t mean I’m completely done with them.

There are still a few side stories and one-offs that I think would be fun to get into at some point in the future. But, for now, I think I’ve brought everything to what I hope to be a satisfying conclusion. Thanks for sticking it out with me, and I hope you enjoyed.

If you liked Morcster Chef, please consider checking out some of my other novels like My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror, Steamforged Sorcery, or Shattered System!

Until we meet again,

Actus

THANK YOU FOR READING BEST SERVED COLD

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