“There's a pretty penny waiting for you,” I remarked, watching as Gloria hoisted up the food crate.

She paused, not bothering to meet my gaze. “What do you mean?”

“A cool hundred Peng bounty on that goblin you just annihilated.”

She shrugged, unfazed. “Not interested. It's yours.” Without another word, she began heading toward the charred forest.

I hurried after her. “Are you sure? We can split it, 50/50?”

She stopped, shooting me a puzzled look. “Why are you following me?”

“I'm... well, I...” For the first time since landing in Purgatory, I was at a loss for words.

“Well, stop it!” Gloria snapped.

Even though she was covered in goblin goo, she was just as pretty as I remembered from the inn. Maybe even prettier.

“Can I see where you live?” I said, realizing too late that it came out as a lame pick-up line ranked up there with classics like, 'Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?'

“No! Now go!”

“Why did Imran send me here?” I asked and held up the map he had drawn.

She gave me a long, searching look before swiftly snatching the map from my grip.

“Hey, I need that to find my way back!” I protested, reaching out. But in a blur of motion, a sharp jab to my solar plexus had me crumpled to the ground, my vision tinged with a dangerous red.

“Rest,” I said with the little air I still had in my lunges, and the vision got pink. I was still on my knees, coughing blood. I grabbed one of the satchels and drank it. Yellow.

“Why did you do that? And… How did you do that? You almost killed me with one punch, in the stomach!” What level was she?

She looked back, a hint of regret in her eyes. “I thought you'd handle it better,” she replied nonchalantly, resuming her stride.

I stood for a while before deciding to follow her from a safe distance. This time she didn’t tell me to stay away, and I knew she knew I was there because I was making as much noise as a Dwarf walking in a forest that just got punched in the solar plexus.

The scent of charred wood grew more potent as we approached the charred forest's edge. Just as the stench threatened to overpower me, we arrived at her dwelling. To my surprise, it wasn’t some makeshift shack but a charming cabin, albeit with a scorched rear side. It stood defiantly at the boundary of the dark, foreboding forest.

“This path leads straight to the village. It’s a short four-hour walk. Goodbye!” Gloria said and pointed at a path veering in a completely different direction. She then turned towards her cabin and swung open the door. Instantaneously, a massive, furry creature bolted out, barreling straight for me with a fearsome howl. Reflexively, I raised my ward and unsheathed my rapier, preparing to fend against the oversized grey wolf.

“Draw a blade on my turf, and you'd better be ready to use it!” Gloria warned, her tone icy. With a smooth stride, she approached the wolf, soothing it with a pat. In her other hand, a gleaming dagger had materialized from nowhere. My rapier quickly found its sheath as my hands shot up in surrender.

“Sorry! I got spooked by the wolf, and thought it was here to attack us.”

Gloria flicked her wrist and the knife disappeared as if it had vanished in thin air. She looked at me for a while before she shook her head and went inside, leaving the door open.

Even though I had been a confident salesman in my real life, there was something about women that left me stumbling over my words, feeling as awkward as a pimpled 14-year-old. And even though Gloria was a dwarf, that didn't make her any less intimidating. I hesitated outside her cabin, looking at the open door for a long time before I dared to walk inside.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Sit down!” she commanded as soon as I entered. The cabin was strangely cozy, despite the evident burn damage. Half the room showed signs of the fire; the charred timbers starkly contrasted the intact side, which remained curiously untouched, its homely decorations and personal touches evoking a sense of familiarity.

Gloria approached with a steaming mug of... something. The drink straddled the line between coffee and tea, a strange brew that was unpleasant to taste but comforting in warmth. As its heat spread within me, the visual tinge of yellow softened, transitioning to a gentle green before vanishing entirely. Gloria sat silently across from me, her gaze fixed intently on mine over the swirling steam of her cup of….cofte?

“Is this yours?” I asked. At least it was somewhat of a cognitively usable question.

She nodded.

I turned in my chair and looked at the burned wall behind me. It puzzled me that she hadn’t tried to fix it. The wall was completely charred, and the floor was scorched halfway into the cabin.

“What happened here?” I asked.

“It burned,” Gloria said.

So, not the chatty type.

“OK,” I said and stood up. Gloria immediately mirrored my movement, and the wolf, resting on a bed labeled "Fido" with a finely embroidered nameplate, was staring at me with an intent gaze. I walked towards the charred part of the cabin when I heard Gloria scream behind me. “NO!!!”

I spun around, my heart racing. Gloria's expression was one of sheer panic. I backpedaled, distancing myself from the scorched area.

"I'm sorry," I stammered, taken aback by her reaction. Despite my internal warning bells telling me to give her space, I felt compelled to console her. I made my way over and tentatively rested my hand on her shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, the room shifted and I was staring into the faces of Gloria and the wolf, Fido. A dark, crimson hue clouded my vision. Desperately, I tried to invoke the rest spell, but my consciousness faded to black.

I woke to an odd sensation on my face—wet yet dry. It took me a couple of seconds of freezing panic to recognize that the big grey wolf that was licking my face was Fido. I then remembered everything going black, but my vision was unhued.

“You really ought to ask permission before getting touchy-feely,” a voice teased. It was Gloria, the edges of her lips upturned in what might qualify as a smile.

“Happened...?” I managed to utter, sitting up and realizing I was on a bed. A surprisingly soft one at that. Could it be Gloria's? Manifestations come in many different shapes.

“You got handsy, I retaliated, and then you introduced your head to my table. Which, by the way, you owe me a replacement for,” she replied, setting a tray of fruits and a cup of coftea by the bed.

“Sorry?” I said and started eating. It didn’t taste horrible, and I was famished.

“Why are you here?” Gloria said as she grabbed a stool and sat down beside the bed. It seemed like her guard finally had been lowered. Even the wolf had strayed from her side and snored happily in his bed.

“To see you,” I said. If I couldn’t be honest in Purgatory, then it was no hope.

“Why?”

“I saw you at the Inn, and…I don’t know, but I just knew that I had to see you again. I..I can’t explain it better.” I said and sat up against the wall. Then I remembered Merchant Imrin and the map.

“Why did the Merchant send me straight into a goblin ambush?”

“I don’t know. But you were lucky I was close by, you fight like a one-armed ape,” she said and smiled again. She had humor, which was good. Even though it was on my behalf. I recorded it for a future Vicious Mockery.

“Once I’m back in the village, he and I will have some words,” I said, sitting up straighter.

“Why are you here?” she asked again.

I looked at her to see if she was joking, but she was dead serious.

“I told you. To see you.”

“No. What brought you here?” she emphasized, sweeping her arms wide.

“I... died and somehow woke up here,” I began. “A wizard named Merlin told me I'm in a realm caught between life and death. This... Purgatory. To leave it, I'm tasked with defeating the Harbinger of Eternal Doom.” At the mention of the name, she abruptly stood.

“You've heard of HIM?” Her eyes widened.

“Like I said, Merlin, the wizard, filled me in.”

She started to pace back and forth in the bedroom, whispering something to herself that I didn’t catch. I sat there, looking at her walking like Scrooge McDuck for a while before she stopped, turned towards me, and nodded.

“Alright. You seem sincere. What do they call you?”

“Tim.”

“Alright, Tim. Your path to HIM lies through the realm portal, located at the heart of the charred forest. It's closely guarded by Volcanic."

The venom in her voice when she said 'Volcanic' was palpable.

"If it's your fate to confront HIM, then confronting Volcanic is inevitable. I'm with you on this. However, as you stand now, he'll crush you. You need to grow stronger, much stronger. Lupin's guidance is invaluable. Listen to him; he'll teach you to harness the full potential of your class. If you want rapid progress, though, you'll have to rely on me." She paused, evaluating my reaction.

I nodded in response, "I trust you."

She took a deep breath, "That's good to hear. Volcanic isn’t working alone; he has a myriad of minions complicating things for the Highlanders. I've long suspected there's a traitor within the city, aiding him. Today, I confirmed my suspicion."

"Imrin?" I asked

“Yes. It is the only logical explanation for him sending you willingly to the goblin camp.” Gloria sat down on the stool again.

“What should we do about it?”

“We should use it to get to Volcanic…” Gloria looked out into the room, thinking, before she turned back to me. “OK. This is what we’ll do…”