“Grizzly Bear, apologize right now,” Clarissa said as Hraktar began to growl. It wasn’t just Nick and Alejandra that understood the implications.

“I doubt the orc would understand such a gesture of civility,” Grizzizzik said.

Hraktar took a threatening step forward. “I am not an orc.”

“I know we’re all scared right now,” Milo said, placing a hand on Hraktar’s shoulder. “Grizzizzik is talking in fear. We’re all scared in a new land, but we can’t let that fear overcome us. We’ve got to work together to get home.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to get answers, but this barbaric orc is getting in my way,” Grizzizzik said.

Time slowed down, and Alejandra winced. “No, Hraktar. Don’t.” It didn’t matter. The choice was already made. She didn’t have an option of weapons, because Hraktar had already decided for her by choosing his fist. Alejandra sighed as she grabbed the four-sided dice and rolled. It landed on a three. She winced again as she looked up, seeing Grizzizzik’s current seven hit points.

Time resumed, and Hraktar shattered Grizzizzik’s cheek with his fist. The rogue landed on the ground, and Hraktar pinned him there, his fist covering the entirety of Grizzizzik’s head. There was no doubt Hraktar could crush it if he wanted to. Nick gave a worried look in Alejandra’s direction, who gave a defeated shrug.

“Hraktar! Stop!” Milo shouted as Grizzizzik’s seven hit points dropped to four.

“You’re going to kill him!” Clarissa said.

“I am not an orc!” Hraktar shouted. “I will never be like those barbarians!”

“Hraktar, please don’t,” Alejandra said.

Grizzizzik managed a chuckle, even while he was grappled. “You could have fooled me.” His voice was husky.

“Grizzizzik, if you want to live, shut up!” Milo shouted.

Alejandra grabbed her hair, feeling helpless. They needed Ezekiel. With his calm demeanor and the way insults just rolled off him. The way he could talk these two down. Without Ezekiel here, these two were going to kill each other faster than any monster.

Time slowed down, and a d20 was floating in midair for her.

Make a wisdom saving throw at a disadvantage.

She glanced around, confused, until her eyes fell on Evelyn, who looked like she was focused on a character sheet. Clarissa was probably trying to do something magical against Hraktar, and Alejandra only hoped that she could roll low enough for it to work.

Hraktar was at a disadvantage. Alejandra didn’t understand why, but it meant it would take the lowest of the two dice rolls, which is what everyone needed right now.

She rolled the first time, and it landed on a twelve. She wasn’t sure what was considered a pass, but there was a chance with a number like that. Alejandra tried again. “Come on, low number.”

The die landed on a one. Alejandra wasn’t sure what that would do, but feeling slightly relieved at getting the lowest number.

Time resumed. Clarissa walked forward, moving her hands in a circular motion as she chanted. Hraktar went limp. Grizzizzik gasped as he scrambled out of the fighter’s limp hands.

“Whatever you do, don’t smack him, or I’m not saving your ass next time,” Clarissa muttered.

Grizzizzik was panting as Clarissa kept the movement. Hraktar went completely limp, his eyelids fluttering. Evelyn gave Alejandra an apologetic look, and Alejandra tried to portray she was fine with this. Because she was. Those two were getting out of control.

Milo and Nick grabbed Grizzizzik, backing him away from Hraktar and Clarissa as she moved forward toward the fighter.

“Stand up, Hraktar,” the druid said, her voice multiplied by bright voices. Hraktar did so with no argument. “You will fight no one in this group for one hour. And you won’t, as long as you don’t get hurt by one of us in return.” Clarissa gave Grizzizzik a pointed stare. The rogue folded his arms, glaring back.

“I understand,” Hraktar said, his mind muddled.

The druid dropped her hand, and a bright pink glow entered Hraktar’s pupils. Alejandra took a hold of Hraktar and dragged him even further from Grizzizzik.

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“We need to get back,” Tyler said. “This… is a lot. We just need some time to adjust to this whole thing.” Tyler saw the blood running down Grizzizzik’s face. Those four hit points certainly showed themselves on his haggard body.

Milo made a small step backwards. “Let’s all contemplate our life or death situation right here some more while I poke around the carcass for a bit.”

Grizzizzik wiped the blood from his forehead. “I’m with the mana fusor.” The two of them walked over to the giant scorpion, talking about who had a claim on what pieces. Milo already pulled out some of his beakers.

Alejandra reached inside her pocket and pulled out her phone as Derek, Tyler, and Nick talked more with Tyler. Hraktar stood there in a trance, doing nothing. She scrolled through her contacts before hitting Rafael’s name. She couldn’t text him, because she didn’t want her question to go unanswered all day. In a strange way, she needed to know that he was as unavailable as he made himself seem.

The phone rang. It kept ringing. Alejandra’s eyes filled with tears the longer it went on. The voicemail came, prompting her to leave a message. She said nothing for a few seconds before hanging up. Her arm dropped in defeat.

Someone approached her, and she turned to see Evelyn. “Was that Rafael?”

“Yeah,” Alejandra said. “Well, more like I tried to call him, but he didn’t answer.”

Evelyn glanced at the three boys, then back at her. “I’m… sorry.”

Alejandra shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

Evelyn folded her arms, glancing at the pink around Hraktar’s pupils. “Charm person shouldn’t be too harmful. He’ll snap out of it soon.”

“Thank you. I… didn’t know how to stop him.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Evelyn said, rubbing her shoulder. “Everything that happened it’s…” she let out a sigh. “It’s a lot.”

Alejandra sniffed, brushing tears away. When her parents divorced, it was only supposed to be her father that stayed away from them. She didn’t miss Jack one bit. She missed her brother immensely.

***

Nick kept his fingers tightly over the steering wheel. Grizzizzik’s sheet kept popping into his view. He had enough experience points to hit level two now, but Nick was worried about talking to him. Ever since Tyler mentioned the possibility of finding Akshi, Grizzizzik had turned moody. Moody enough to anger a half-orc. Nick kept glancing at him through the rearview mirror. Clarissa kept an eye on him too as they traveled home.

There was an unsettling feeling on the way home in Derek’s minivan that was compounded when they all went their separate ways. Clarissa, who never enjoyed that she had to share a living space with Grizzizzik, looked more uncomfortable about it now. And she showed it by keeping her gaze sharp and making sure Grizzizzik understood she was not to be messed with. Evelyn was unnaturally quiet. Usually, she was quiet on her phone, scrolling through social media and giving the occasional chuckle. But this time, she hadn’t even pulled out her phone. She sat with her leg crossed, her arms folded, staring out the window. Nick was trying not to glare, but the bombshell that they had their own sort of quests they needed to do was stressing him out. He somehow had to control his revenge crazed character from disappearing into the night to go after his father.

“Hey, Nick?” Evelyn asked.

“Yeah?” Nick asked. She glanced at him, which is when Nick realized how much he was strangling the steering wheel. Nick eased his grip over the steering wheel as they pulled into their familiar street. “Yeah?” Nick tried again, attempting to sound like he hadn’t been glaring the entire time.

Evelyn still stared. He noticed out of the side of his vision that her mouth was trying to move. “There’s… there’s just this…” Evelyn trailed off, glancing at Clarissa and Grizzizzik in the back.

“Is something wrong, Evie?” Nick asked.

Evelyn resumed her gaze out the window. “How difficult will it be to get Rafael back into playing CCNC?”

Nick let out a scoff. “Nearly impossible. That son of a bitch won’t change his ways any time soon. Too arrogant.”

Evelyn was playing with her hands as she kept looking out the window. “Yeah. Probably.”

Nick turned on the blinker before easing into another street. “We’ll figure out another way. It’ll be alright.”

She tore her gaze from the window to look at him again. “Will we? It’s not just Rafael. We’re talking about Ezekiel. Our characters desperately need him.”

Nick had no answer to that. And he was acutely aware that Clarissa was listening, too. The druid who everyone suspected had deep feelings for the cleric. Nick pulled into the driveway, giving his forehead a rub. “Let’s just take this a day at a time.”

Evelyn nodded before slipping out of the car. Clarissa followed.

“You’ve leveled up,” Nick said as Grizzizzik unbuckled himself. “You gain a skill. There’s only one, so you get little choice. At level two, you can use a bonus action to disengage, dash, and hide, which is nice. You’re… getting better at fighting.” Grizzizzik stared at Nick, waiting patiently for him to finish. He understood the rogue’s moodiness, but it still annoyed him. “We’ve clearly started off on the wrong foot. I know you don’t trust me, but we’ve got to work together on this to get everyone home safe.”

“Oh really? You think you understand how suffocating it feels to have all your decisions in life made by a kid?” Grizzizzik asked.

“Well… sorta. Except my dad makes all my decisions,” Nick said.

“But you can leave. You’re counting down the months until you’re free. I’ll never be free. You’re always going to be there, making my choices,” Grizzizzik said.

“I don’t make your choices. I just… know you well enough that I can guess what you’ll do,” Nick said.

The rogue gave him a look, and Nick could already tell that his character wanted to become so unpredictable that Nick could no longer guess what he was going to do. Which was more than just dangerous. Nick felt his fingertips turn icy. Grizzizzik seemed to understand that Nick understood this, which was a bit of a headache.

Grizzizzik shook his head and got out of the car. Nick sighed, turning the car off before following him inside.

“All that’s left to do is roll for more hit points. That’ll be nice to not be stuck at ten,” Nick said.

Grizzizzik did little more than grunt before he moved through the house to the backyard. Nick sighed, sitting at the table and rolled the d8. Six. Plus two for his constitution modifier. Nick watched as the ten on top of Grizzizzik’s head melted away to become an eighteen. It should have made him feel good, but he was still painfully aware of how small of a number that was. Especially with the news they heard today.