Alejandra put Rafael’s burrito in the fridge, since she offered the rest of hers to Hraktar as they drove to Derek’s house. Hraktar happily complied, complimenting the food he’d eaten so far.

Derek then pulled out the older minivan, and they all piled in. It was a tight fit. Tyler and Derek were in the front. Alejandra, Evelyn, and Nick sat in the next row, and they tried to stuff all the other characters in the back. Grizzizzik ended up behind the seats without a seatbelt. Hraktar looked the most uncomfortable, squeezed into such a tiny seat with his legs touching his chin.

“There’s got to be something I can make you, my friend,” Milo said. He was sitting in the middle between Hraktar and Clarissa.

“To do what, exactly?” Hraktar asked.

“Make it more comfortable in these horseless contraptions,” Milo said.

Hraktar looked concerned as he tried to look at the mana fusor. “Well, um… that’s kind of you but…”

“But Hraktar would rather strap himself to the outside of this contraption as it’s plummeting down a cliff before he drinks anything you give him to make him ‘comfortable’,” Grizzizzik said from the back.

Milo rolled his eyes. “My inventions are perfectly safe.”

“No, they’re not,” everyone else said.

“Let’s go on this hike. It goes through some tall rocks, so it’ll be shady enough,” Tyler said.

They pulled into the dirt parking lot of the nature hike. Alejandra had her water bottle, but she was still nervous.

Tyler was helping everyone get out of the car. “I am both elated and terrified that this is my life right now.”

“Join the club,” Alejandra said.

“I mean, this is insane, right? How are we ever going to get them back home?” Tyler asked.

“What’s that thing you always tell us? There’s the overarching puzzle, then there are the pieces. We need to focus on putting a few pieces together at a time,” Derek said.

“Yeah, well, that was when I understood what the entire picture would eventually be,” Tyler said. “I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen.”

“The forever GM finally becoming a player,” Derek said.

Tyler gave a pained smile before holding his hand out for Clarissa, giving a bow. “Princess.”

Clarissa placed her hand in his as she got down, giving Tyler another look. “I like you.”

Tyler smiled at that. Derek went around to open the back of the minivan. Grizzizzik grumbled as he got out of the back. Hraktar was already there, watching him. Grizzizzik gave him a dry look. “I’m not going to run off, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Hraktar shrugged. “I didn’t say anything. Besides, there’s only so far you can go before your helper feels a pull to where you are.”

“Is that seriously what you’re calling them?” Grizzizzik asked, motioning toward Alejandra and the others.

“Can you think of any other way to describe them?” Hraktar asked.

Grizzizzik’s voice dropped, and Alejandra pretended not to listen. “It doesn’t disturb you that they created us when they were children?”

Hraktar shrugged. “I don’t think they created us.”

Grizzizzik turned his slit eyes toward Nick, who was talking to Derek and Tyler as they were getting ready. “They know everything about us, Hraktar.” Grizzizzik’s gaze fell on Alejandra. “Ask her. I bet she knows everything about what you were asked to do during your time with the orcs.”

Hraktar winced, then turned enough to see Alejandra standing there. She was quiet, not sure what to say. Hraktar turned his focus back toward Grizzizzik. “It doesn’t matter. We have a world to save.”

The rogue rolled his eyes in such a way that it reminded her of Nick.

They began their journey. It naturally fell where Hraktar was in front of Alejandra. Nick was next to her, and Grizzizzik was a few paces to the side. Evelyn was up with Tyler and Derek, as Clarissa and Milo were talking about their plans of how to mine as much gold mana as possible.

“It’s a good thing we landed in a desert,” Clarissa said, looking around. “Gold mana is the most helpful in healing spells.”

“Spoken like a healer,” Milo said, already scooping up dirt to analyze it. He pulled out his magnifying glasses to give it a good look. “I’m partial to the red mana myself. Nothing like burning your enemy to a crisp.”

Clarissa sighed, the slightest annoyance in her voice. “I hope Ezekiel will be here soon, but if not, we’re going to need all the help we can get with my healing.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Princess Clarissa,” Evelyn said. “You saved Milo before, after all.”

“I can totally step up if I need to,” Clarissa said with the slightest flip of her hair. “But Ezekiel is the better healer. I miss him.”

“Yeah. I miss him too,” Milo said.

Hraktar said nothing, keeping his eyes on the horizon as though he sensed a threat. Grizzizzik gave Nick a look. “What was that about with that other kid? Why was he trying to give you Ezekiel’s dice?”

Nick hesitated. “Well… because I was in charge of Ezekiel while Rafael was gone.”

Grizzizzik seemed to take this in before looking toward the horizon where Hraktar was looking. “Does everyone else see that?”

“What?” Alejandra said.

“Is it spiders?” Nick asked.

Evelyn gasped, her steps stumbling as she backed away. “Oh my god, Nick. Don’t even joke about it. I’ve read the monster list. I know what’s on there.”

Nick gave his sister a look. “Just trying to narrow it down?”

Evelyn whimpered, stumbling back so far that Tyler reached out to grab her to keep her in place.

“Not spiders. It’s…” Grizzizzik paused, narrowing his eyes before a little scorpion burst out of the bushes. Grizzizzik snatched it out of the air, slamming it on the ground and smashing it with his foot. Alejandra gasped, backing away.

Grizzizzik made an exaggerated motion of sliding his hand down his clothes, looking annoyed. “Not much of a battle.”

Clarissa gave him a look. “Why would you tempt fate like that?”

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As soon as Clarissa finished speaking, there was a deep rumble in the ground. Grizzizzik’s face went blank as Clarissa gave him a dark look.

“That wasn’t my fault,” he said.

Clarissa placed her hands on her hips. “I’ll give it to you, because you need to grow your list of things that aren’t your fault.”

Despite the situation, Alejandra chuckled. She stopped short when a huge scorpion lifted out of the sand.

“Not a spider. Not a spider. Not a spider,” Evelyn said to herself.

Nick backed up enough to glance at Alejandra. “You’re not afraid of scorpions, are you?”

Alejandra shook her head. “I mean, I’ve never seen one this big before, but… but…”

There was a good chance she would form a new fear of scorpions. The creature was eight feet long, its pincers slashing already against the air.

“Oh shit,” Tyler mumbled while Evelyn kept up her own chant of it not being a spider. Alejandra had a moment of disorientation that she and her friends had somehow shrunk in size.

“It can’t hurt us,” Derek said, his voice steady. “Remember, everyone. It cannot hurt us.”

But they could hurt Hraktar. And Hraktar’s friends. Alejandra glanced over to see her fighter already unsheathing his great sword.

“Are scorpions a relative to snakes?” Hraktar asked Grizzizzik. “I’d hate to ask you to kill a relative of yours.”

“Ha ha,” Grizzizzik said with noticeably absent mirth as he pulled out his rapier. Clarissa already had her bow out, and Milo kept a steady eye on the monster, magically loading his crossbow.

“Not a spider, not a spider, not a spider.” Evelyn’s eyes were closed as she gripped Derek and Tyler’s shoulders. Derek started wincing, and Tyler grabbed her hand to release her fingers.

The scorpion turned toward them, arching its tail as poison dripped off it. The world slowed down enough for the message to come to Alejandra’s mind.

Roll for initiative.

She let out an unsteady breath before grabbing the twenty-sided dice hanging in mid-air. As the dice rolled, she felt a knot of nerves. She didn’t know how powerful this creature was, but the decision was made.

Seventeen plus two, nineteen. She would be one of the first to go, which made sense. Hraktar was ready to go.

Time stayed frozen and the d20 hung in front of her. She grabbed it, glancing around. All the other characters still only had ten or eleven hit points. Hraktar was the only one with twenty-four, which meant he was also the only one who leveled up. He would always have that physically stronger edge, but Alejandra felt a sense of obligation to protect her friends’ characters.

Which is when she rolled a six. When no six-sided dice showed up, the anxiety knots tugged even stronger.

“Not good,” Alejandra said, as time righted itself.

Hraktar went in with a strike, and the scorpion dodged it easily. Alejandra felt herself gripping the side of her face. The scorpion went in with a fast strike, which her fighter thankfully dodged. However, Alejandra did not expect the second strike. Hraktar got hit square in the chest, his hit points dropping to sixteen as the second pincer grabbed him around the throat, holding him tight. On top of that, the poison spike went for a strike, but barely missed. It was close. Way too close.

Nick’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit, it’s got a triple strike.”

“He’s grappling our fighter. Shit just got real,” Derek said.

Grizzizzik moved into action. He pulled out his rapier and made a dangerous swipe at the giant scorpion. It pierced through the armor with blood dripping from the cut, but it simply turned its attention to Grizzizzik and hissed.

“Nobody get hit by that stinger. Do you hear me? No one! You’re not strong enough to survive even half its damage, except maybe Hraktar,” Tyler shouted.

“Quite the tall order, Tyler,” Derek shouted back.

“Just stay back. Especially you squishy types,” Tyler said.

With the fluidity of an elf, Clarissa pulled an arrow back into the bow and released, hitting the scorpion. It pierced the armor, but the thing ignored the arrow. Hraktar struggled with the claw squeezing his neck, and Alejandra forgot how to breathe.

Milo already had his crossbow, and he gave it a good whack with a wrench. The crossbow glowed with a mythical blue energy as Milo raised it, aimed, and fired. The bolt streaked across the desert, ice trailing off it as it smacked against the scorpion’s face. Chittering filled the air, and the scorpion tightened its hold against Hraktar.

“Nice job,” Evelyn said.

“Thanks,” Derek said as Milo took a large step back.

Time slowed down, and the dice was again in front of Alejandra. She had to break out of the grapple. She wanted this to work so badly, but she also knew it was up to chance. It’s what made her so nervous.

She rolled and exhaled when she saw the eighteen. With the added two from her dexterity, she ordered Hraktar to back away from that deadly tail. And unfortunately, it was the only thing she could do.

Time resumed, and Hraktar grabbed the pincer, giving it a jerk. The scorpion lost its grip and Hraktar stumbled away, coughing and hacking. He rubbed his neck as he continued to stumble. Angered, the scorpion turned on Grizzizzik.

“Oh shit,” Grizzizzik mumbled.

The scorpion punched with his injured pincer, but Grizzizzik dodged it. The spiked tail came at him, and the rogue leapt out of the way. Next to her, Nick let out a withered breath of relief. But getting far too cocky, Grizzizzik stumbled right into the second pincer, and ended up in the exact situation that Hraktar was in.

“Oh shit indeed,” Nick mumbled.

The rogue struggled briefly before breaking out of the grapple, backing away next to Hraktar. The scorpion righted itself, chittering at the group.

Evelyn grabbed her water bottle and opened the lid, squeezing it in Clarissa’s direction. Clarissa’s hands glowed blue as she made a motion with her hand, turning the water into ice before shooting it toward the scorpion.

The shard of ice buried into the scorpion. It gave a guttural growl as it broke off. It did little more than flinch.

“Shoot. I was hoping it would fail the save. That didn’t hit him hard,” Evelyn said.

“But it hit, and Clarissa won’t get hit by the tail. I consider that a win,” Tyler said.

Milo already had another bolt in his crossbow that was still glowing a blue color.

“Boom! Seventeen damage points! I feel like Hraktar right now!” Derek said.

“Good. We need a heavy hitter right now,” Alejandra said.

Once again, the bolt shot off, streaking ice and smacking into the scorpion in the face. It let out a shriek as ice trailed from the bolt and into its eyes. It stomped around as it tried to get the bolt out of its face, barely succeeding.

The thing was looking bad, which was heartening. It looking angry was less so.

Time slowed down, and Alejandra felt the nerves come back. “Come on, chance. Please.” The dice rolled, landing on a three. Alejandra gasped in dismay as no extra dice showed up. “No! Bonus action! I’ll do my bonus action.”

The only one she had was second wind, which would let her roll dice to give her fighter some hit points back. Considering he was running into the battle, Hraktar needed all the boost he could get.

A ten-sided die appeared in front of her, and she grabbed it, refusing to give herself a pep talk. She’d been rolling horribly in this fight, and she didn’t want to curse it.

Two. Of all the rolls, there was only one that was worse than that. Her heart sank. A +2 was added to it for his level as Hraktar’s hit points moved up to twenty. She didn’t feel good. Hraktar was supposed to be their tank, and she felt responsible for the rolls. “It’s all up to chance. That’s all. It’s up to chance.”

Time resumed, and she watched as Hraktar gave a tiny shake of his head in acknowledgement of the four added hit points before he ran right into danger to protect his friends.

“Hraktar! This better work!” Grizzizzik called out.

Alejandra gripped the side of her face again, tears in her eyes. “It’s won’t,” she whispered.

The scorpion noticed Hraktar, and using its pincers, grabbed him right out of the air and slammed him into the ground. Air shot out of Hraktar’s body as his great sword fell out of his hands. The scorpion tried again with the other pincer and the tail, but through chance alone, missed. Alejandra watched as Hraktar’s hit points drained to fourteen and he was once again grappled.

Grizzizzik pulled out his short bow, staying a suitable distance from the scorpion. Nick muttered a curse. Grizzizzik completely missed the scorpion and muttered the same curse under his breath.

Clarissa held out an empty palm, and with her other hand, she began moving it around the space of her palm. A noxious green cloud appeared as she spoke an ancient incantation before she shot the cloud forward. It smacked against the scorpion, who was more focused on crushing Hraktar. The scorpion shook as the poison hit his face. It staggered, but still kept a grip on the fighter.

While everyone else was fighting, Milo loaded his crossbow with another shot. He aimed and fired, the blue ice bolt smacking into the scorpion.

“I have never been this lucky in my life! These dice are excellent!” Derek said.

The ice bolt smacked against the scorpion. It didn’t even give a cry. The bolt broke into the skull, caving it in, the creature finally dead. It fell forward, landing on top of Hraktar. Alejandra rushed forward, terrified.

The character information disappeared from her vision, causing her to panic. “Hraktar?” she called.

“Ow,” her fighter said with a muffled voice. The experience bar filled up a bit more.

700/900 XP

She reached out, touching the scorpion’s large body. She tried not to think of it as an enormous insect as she attempted to push it away. The CCNC characters joined, shoving it to one side as Hraktar freed himself.

“Are you okay?” Nerves strangled Alejandra’s voice.

“Fine. I’m fine,” he said.

“I’m so sorry.” Tears blurred her vision.

Hraktar looked surprised. “For what?”

“The rolls were so bad. I’m sorry,” she said.

Hraktar brushed some blood from a nasty cut over his forehead. “We’re alive, Alejandra. And the creature is dead. That’s all that matters.” Hraktar glanced over, his face dropping. “Oh, no.”

Alejandra turned to see Grizzizzik heading straight for Tyler, his rapier still out and his glare just as deadly.