Peace Corp mage POV

“These new rations are absolute shit,” Vel said, sitting down on the log next to me. The fire pit we were sitting around illuminated his face, exposing the scar that went along his right cheek.

“Ha, you aren’t wrong there,” I said. “These meats are too damn salty.”

“So, what’d the captain say we’re going to do here?”

“Well, y’know how we were supposed to kill some bandits? Turns out they were killed already.”

“Really?”

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“Yep. And get this, the captain thinks it's a rogue coven. He says that it's possible we would be facing other mages.”

Vel looked around nervously into the evening gloom. “How the hell are we supposed to deal with a rogue coven?”

I yawned before answering, “That’s not our primary mission here. We’re just here to support the soldiers and scouts if they find anything.”

Vel groaned in annoyance. “I could’ve been on my way to Ocaephis by now. Why did I have to be the one stuck here?”

“Shut up. That's what happens when you piss off the captain. Now stay here and watch the fire while I take a leak.”

I wandered off towards the latrines after talking to Vel. Considering we had only been here for about half a day and we hadn’t properly set up torches and lighting, the area was pretty dark. Luckily, I was a mage. Using the Law of Fire, I made a small flame in the palm of my hand to help me see where I was going. Suddenly, I heard a set of heavy footsteps behind me. I thought nothing of it. After all, I wasn’t the only one who could hear nature’s call. Out of the blue, I felt something hit me on the side of my head. I fell, smacking my head on the ground. The last thing I saw was a strange silhouette at the edge of my vision, before everything went black.