Amy soon guided them to the spot she had described.

“This is it,” she said.

“It looks like every other part of the forest we’ve just seen,” Simon said.

“This is the place. The traps are well hidden, so be very careful.”

"I'm pretty quick. Maybe I should go first," Cruella said, taking a few huge strides ahead of the rest of the group.

"Wait!" Amy called, but it was too late.

Eli could only watch as Cruella's foot struck against something hidden in the underbrush. A low clicking was all the warning they got. A huge explosion rocked the forest. It was powerful enough to fell the two nearest trees and burn the surrounding bushes.

Everyone else was thrown back by the blast. Cruella, though, reacted quickly. As the explosion went off, she became a streak of red-tinted lightning, using her movement skill to escape the blast.

“Okay,” Cruella said, catching her breath. “Maybe that wasn’t the best idea.”

“You think?” Samantha groaned, struggling to get back on her feet.

“At least now we know we’re in the right place,” Eli said. “Also... I'm stuck in a trap.”

He brushed grass and twigs aside to reveal a plate similar to the one Amy had gotten stuck in when they arrived in Aryxia.

“Everyone stand back!” Eli warned.

“Is it the same type?” Amy asked.

“I think so,” Eli replied. Since it was only his foot caught, he was able to stand back up. He waited for everyone to move back, then raised his staff, aiming to slam it down on the plate to break it.

“Wait!” Amy shouted. “Do you remember what happened last time?”

“I’ve got Aegis now,” Eli assured her. “I’ll be fine.” But after a moment’s thought, he put his staff into his inventory and pulled out a less valuable one he wouldn’t mind damaging.

He looked at the others, his gaze lingering on Samantha. “If this doesn’t work, make sure to heal me.”

With a nod from Samantha, Eli brought the staff down hard on the plate, shattering it. Flames engulfed him, but his Aegis absorbed the brunt of the blast. A blue flash at the end, however, swept the Aegis away, removing the shield rather than overpowering it. The flames were gone, and he wasn't hurt, but almost half his mana vanished in an instant.

“What was that?” Simon asked.

“The blue flash,” Amy said. “That didn’t happen last time.”

“No, it didn’t,” Eli agreed. “It stripped my Aegis and a lot of mana. Whoever set this trap has improved it since the first one back in that clearing.”

They all looked out into the forest. Simon was the first to speak, “So, what now?”

Eli cast Aegis of the Dying Light, then stepped up in front of everyone. “I should go first. I have the highest level and the most protection. You all should follow single file behind me.”

The owl on Amy’s shoulder flapped its wings and let out a short screech. Amy nodded. “I agree, Leila. That is a stupid idea."

“You got a better one?” Eli challenged, glaring at the owl.

“No,” Amy admitted, “but we’d better hurry.”

“All right, then,” Eli said. “Follow my exact path, but keep a little space between each of you and me, okay?”

They all nodded.

“Great,” Eli said. “Let’s go find Sasha.”

With nothing in front of him and his friends behind him, Eli suddenly found it hard to take another step. His mana had already regenerated thanks to his Meditation skill, but he hadn’t liked the effect of that last trap, stripping his defenses so easily. At least his aura hadn’t deactivated. That was a good sign.

Quickly, Eli opened his Character Sheet and added his available attribute points to Constitution, gratified to see his health increase quite a bit more than when he added points before picking the Commander class. With items adding +20%, he ended up at a whopping 3397 health after adding the ten points to the Constitution stat. Eli also added the 2 levels he’d gained in the Temple of Rizari to his Commander class, reaching Priest (35) / Commander (3). Though he didn’t have time to review the talent list, he added a skill point to activate a second aura.

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Aura of Victory: Aura increases the Strength, Dexterity, and physical damage of all those within its reach.

Finally, his Aura Master talent would become useful, allowing him to use two auras at the same time.

“What’s the hold-up?” Cruella called from the back of the group.

“Sorry,” Eli said. “Just added another aura.”

“I should be up front,” Cruella grumbled.

Eli ignored her and pressed forward, stepping carefully into what turned out to be a literal minefield of traps. He called them out as he spotted them, veering slightly to either side of the narrow path he was on.

Then Eli got down on one knee beside a trap directly in front of him. He dug his hands into the spongy soil, managing to get his fingers beneath the plate. When he touched it from below, it did not trigger. With a bit of hesitation, Eli decided to put the trap into his inventory. To his surprise, it worked. Once inside his inventory, he could inspect it.

Concealed Trap of Paralysis.

It was the same type he had stepped on earlier.

Eli: We should probably stay as quiet as possible from here on out. Solomon and his cronies might be listening. Also, turns out you can store traps in your inventory if you don’t trigger them.

Simon: What’s the point of taking them into your inventory?

Amy: I agree with Simon. But let's just hurry up.

Eli: You never know what might be useful later.

He got back on his feet and moved forward. They spotted a few traps off to the sides, but nothing in their direct path. At first, this made Eli suspicious, but soon he found himself relaxing. Maybe they were through the worst of it. It was only later that he realized the trapper had probably planned this to lull them into a false sense of security.

The forest spread out around them, and Eli saw nothing in any direction but trees, bushes, patches of grass, and small clearings. Signs of life were rare, save for the occasional squirrel, forest bird, or, in the distance, a stag. Seeing the majestic animal made his attention drift from the path ahead of him.

Then he heard a distinct click as his boot stepped right on top of a hidden plate.

“Crap,” Eli muttered as an orange light swirled around his foot. A bright mote circled his leg, winding faster and faster up his body until he was fully enveloped.

“Get off it!” Amy shouted, but Eli couldn’t move. He was as immobilized as if caught in a paralysis trap, and the world around him blurred.

“What the hell is going on?” Eli whispered, feeling strangely calm. His health didn’t decrease, nor did his mana. His Aegis didn’t register it as an attack. But everything around him grew opaque, fading until it disappeared entirely.

An orange flash filled his vision, and then Eli found himself standing in a small village.

“Whoa!” Eli gasped, looking around. The ground was muddy, and the houses were rough log structures with thatched roofs. They were all one-story buildings, and clusters of humans of all ages were gathered nearby. They wore what looked like uncolored wool shirts and brown cloth pants, both speckled with mud. Fear filled their eyes as they stared at him, huddling together.

Eli waved awkwardly, then opened his party screen, only to find that everyone else was gone. Ravenous Barbarians were down to only himself. With a rush of relief, he found the list of available places when he cast Warp. That spell meant he wasn't lost.

As he looked around the village and focused, a whole lot of health bars popped up. None were at full health, and many were below the half-way point. Some people were clearly sick or injured. He couldn’t leave them like that. Taking a deep breath, he quickly healed everyone nearby. Eyes widened in surprise, some filling with tears as confusion washed over the crowd.

He cast Sigil of Light and set it in the village’s center. “I have to go!” he shouted. “Bring your injured into that light. It will heal them!”

With that, he activated the Warp spell, selecting the entrance of the Temple of Rizari. It was the closest spot available. Just as he warped away, he realized he hadn’t marked the village as a warp point. Swearing under his breath, he accepted that he might never be able to return. Those villagers would have been an invaluable source of information.

The outside of the Temple of Rizari was empty. It wasn't a surprise, really, given how late it was getting. It would soon be fully dark. Most people wanted to be back in the office building by then, Eli figured.

The rest of his party reappeared in his party screen.

Eli: I'm back. What happened?

Amy: That's what we were wondering. You just disappeared and dropped out of the party.

Eli: I was teleported away to a village somewhere, but I was able to warp back. I'm outside the Temple of Rizari now.

He opened the map for the first time in a while and saw the path they'd taken to Amy's hut in the forest and then to the field of traps. He realized he could take a more direct route back, but it was still quite far away.

Eli: Are you guys okay? It'll take me a little while to get back... well, quite a while, if I'm being honest.

Amy: I've sent someone to come get you. Just hang on.

Simon: We’re fine. Haven’t moved at all since you left.

Samantha: What happens if someone else in the group steps on one of those traps? We won’t all be able to warp back like you, Eli.

Cruella: The solution is simple. Just don’t step on one of those traps.

Eli: I’ll go first again. Next time, I’ll mark our location at regular intervals, so I don’t have to go all the way back to the Temple of Rizari if something happens.

Amy: Do you think this is what happened to Sasha? Is this why she’s gone from the party screen?

Eli: I think so. Yes, probably. We’ll have to ask Solomon when we find him. If she was teleported away, at least she’s likely safe.

Cruella: Unless she was teleported into that volcano.

Simon: That was unnecessarily cruel, Cruella.

Samantha: Did you grow into this because of your name, or did your parents sense the sort of person you'd become?

Cruella: A little bit of both, I’d say.

Sounds drifted through the forest. Wood snapping, leaves rustling. Eli cast Light in the Dark, creating an orb of light that hovered in the direction of the sounds. He tensed, thinking he was about to be attacked. When a massive moose crashed through the foliage, Eli let out a panicked shriek, then quickly realized this was who Amy had sent. The moose towered over him with an expression of utter disinterest.

Eli: You mean for me to... ride your moose?

Amy: It’ll get you here much faster than walking. Just hold on to his neck and put something between you and Bill’s back, or you’ll be in quite a lot of pain by the time you get back here.

Swallowing hard, Eli reached up, realizing he could barely touch the moose’s back, let alone climb onto it. There was no way he’d be able to get up without help, and he imagined that a kick from the moose’s huge hooves would shatter him.

"Uh... could you maybe... get down for me?" he asked, his voice small, feeling dwarfed in the presence of this enormous animal.