Peter entered the room with another tray of rum bottles. He was shocked by the scene that had unfolded in his absence.

Hans Lichter, the steward of Licht, was suspended in the air. Drake Ace, the hero he looked up to, was strangling him by the neck with one arm. The old wriggled and struggled in vain as the hulk’s grip tightened.

“Sir! Sir! What are you doing to the Mayor?”

Drake shot a murderous look at Peter.

“You! You brought us here, kid! I will kill you next after I am done with this old man!!”

Peter put away the rum tray and collapsed on his knees. He folded his hands and wailed. “Please let him explain, sir! It’s not what you think! If you are not satisfied with what he has to say, you can kill us both! Please, I beg you!”

Eve walked up to Drake and put a hand on his back. His grip softened, and he threw Hans back on the chair.

The old man retched and coughed fitfully, asking for water. Peter rushed to him and helped him recover.

The Ace walked back to his chair and picked up a rum bottle. “You have five minutes.” Eve’s touch had worked magic on him. He listened to nobody else when he went into a murderous frenzy.

Noah had been raring to rush and help the Mayor. However, he was grateful that Peter and Eve had interfered. It was not wise to go against the Ace at the critical juncture when everybody was on edge. Things could escalate in moments. They had more important matters to be worried about.

“Coff! Coff! Ahem!” Hans began. “Adventurers, you are justified in your anger. It is not at all surprising that you want to kill me. But I request you to hear me out kindly.”

After Drake waved a dismissive hand at them, the party sat back in their chairs.

“Gandr-gators,” the Mayor said, enunciating the word with emphasis. “The species is not originally from the outlands. A millennium ago, before the city-states were established, Licht swarmed with these creatures. The shore sands were both their breeding and nesting grounds. They would breed and lay their eggs in winter and leave. During spring, they would return in large numbers to hatch the eggs. The fledgling gators eventually would swim into the waters.” Hans took a bite of meat and chugged it down with a glass of wine.

“Lake Loch was not a lake back then. It was connected to the ocean. Our ancestors arrived here back then, intending to build a new civilization. They massacred thousands of gators on finding the place swarming with these scary-looking creatures. The rest were chased off.”

“If gandr-gators are such a powerful species, how did your ancestors defeat and chase them off?” Omar asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Nadja agreed. “God Formula had not been invented back then.”

Hans’ eyes filled with emotion as he uttered, ”They had Fragarach.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Piper whistled. “Fragarach. One of the trueforge swords. Like the others of its kind, the sword’s origins are unknown. The weapon ignores any and all defenses. Whether it is a physical shell or a magical protection, Fragarach will simply slice through you as if you were butter.”

“You know your mythology,” Hans said, draining his glass.

“Where is it now? You could use the mythical sword to drive away the gators.”

“It’s lost. Our ancestral hero fought a God-class monster in the lake during the war. While he defeated the creature, he lost his life and the sword. Even if the word were with us, Providence would take it away from us.”

Eve leaned against the table and asked, “If they were truly gone, why are they back now?”

“The God-class monster my ancestor fought is back. Bringing back its toxic brood.”

“Which monster are you talking about here?”

Hans’ eyes were misty with dread. “Jormungandr.”

“Pff,” Piper spat out his drink. “Jormungandr is from the fables. It’s not real!”

“It’s out there, in the nadir of the bottomless lake. Waiting. I can feel it.”

“Okay, old man!” Drake thundered, getting to his feet. “Your five minutes are up!”

“Please, adventurer!” Hans pleaded. “You saw nobody on the streets while riding here because-”

“-Because there is no one left,” Rin said. She was a perceptive mage who could perceive life and living objects. Everybody else looked at her and back at Hans.

The old man nodded. “It’s true. Most of our citizens have been eaten by gandr-gators. Only a few hundred remain. But they live underground after sunset. I plead with you to help us. It’s the prophecy coming true.”

“What prophecy?” Piper posed.

“It is said, when the last of his children are gathered, Jormungandr will rise out of the sea and wipe out life.”

There was silence for a minute.

“What do they look like?” Skylar asked.

“We encountered them in the outlands during Beta Phase of Trinity,” Drake replied. His voice was softer, and he did not sound as powerful as usual. “They are shaped like alligators. But they can walk upright with two feet. A fully grown gandr-gator weighs over a thousand pounds.”

“They are fast enough to dodge sword attacks,” Eve picked up. “Their gator hide is so thick that neither magic nor any blade can pierce it.”

“So, basically, they are invincible?” Omar posed. “How did you guys defeat them?”

“We ran,” Eve replied. “You see gandr-gators, then you run. Or you become their meal.”

Noah and Piper exchanged glances. “Did your warriors appraise the monsters? Which level are they?” Noah asked.

“Level 35,” Peter muttered.

“Oh, we are so fucked!” Piper was still reeling from the information.

Drake stood up and drained his bottle of rum. He burped loudly and walked to the fireplace. “My team will help you.”

“Oh, thank you!” Even the Mayor got down to his knees.

“I have a condition.”

“Anything!”

“You will help me find Fragarach in the lake.”

Hans’ eyes moistened, and tears rolled down to his robe. “You have my word. My ancestral treasure is yours if you rescue us.”

The Fellowship team threw nervous looks at each other. Noah and Piper whispered between themselves. Alice and Skylar went to the Ace’s side and held onto his shoulders.

“Krrrrrrrllllllllllllllll.”

A shrill, gravelly chorus reverberated from very far off. It sounded like a beastly war cry. To the team's younger members, it sounded like an ensemble of hungry growls. Regardless, it was an eerie cacophony.

Hans climbed to his feet in terror. “They are here!”