They began by speaking on Bregidian politics. It was quite riveting after Ivy understood the concept of mental sparring. Very similar to traditional sparring, the only difference is in one you’re being trained for the most grueling, dangerous sport imaginable. The other, you may be stabbed . They clashed like mad, same as before. But more often than not, the anger and emotion simmered steadily into a stew thoughtful conversation.

They began to teach instead of bicker. Ivy learned Yesenia was most proficient in the magic of Graviturgy. Then Ivy learned what graviturgy was. Then what gravity was. Yesenia learned very much about the inner workings of the Bregidian aristocracy. Who’s related to who, who’s secretly related to who, who really wants to be related to who. Around day three Yesenia felt that they could reliably spot a marital scandal just off how someone poured a glass of wine. As well, both learned in tandem that traveling in Breged really sucks.

In just the four days and nights they had traveled they had been, in order. Nearly robbed six more times. Thrice by more teens with crossbows, twice by bands of goblins, and once by a goose who spoke in rhyme. They had been woken nearly every hour of the second night by a massive owl. Not by its noise mind you, thing was church mouse quiet. The mice screams weren’t so. And finally on their last day of traveling, the trio had been nearly crushed in a rockslide. Fortunately, Lily could sense the tremors before they made their impact, and Yesenia is light enough to be easily hoisted into a saddle at a moment’s notice. Only trouble was now the mountain pass they came through was entirely blocked off, but I’m sure that won’t matter in the long run. Wink.

After days of seeing no sign of civilization Ivy finally spotted small buildings in the distance, along with the tell-tale signs of cultivated land. Just to the trio’s side was rows upon rows of perfectly tended and expertly bred apple trees. Nestled square in the middle of the orchard was a wide and surprisingly ornate manor house.

Ivy pointed at the manor giddily, elbowing Yesenia, who was now seated behind Ivy in the saddle. “That’s my cousins house.”

Yesenia looked over, away from the tome they were studying. “ I thought you’d never been here before.”

“I never have, but it looks almost identical to Humble manor. Only smaller.” Ivy chuckled. “They’re the Zolts, the ones I told you about.”

Yesenia nodded. “The shitty ones?”

“Exactly. Father told me they’ve always tried to mimic the Humbles. Only thing is they’re atrocious at it.” Ivy smirked mockingly at the manor. “I mean really, who prefers cider over wine. It’s like they’re asking to be ridiculed.”

The wizard returned to pondering the book. “Ciders all-“

A heart stopping screech cut through the quiet air like a jagged blade. Ivy’s head whipped around in the direction of the noise. It was coming from a patch of forest on the other side of the Zolts orchard. Ivy strained her eyes to see what could be making such a horrendous noise. She did clock a patch of trees rocking back and forth unnaturally. She began to assume it may just be an injured beast in the forest.

Until she heard the distinct sound of a man screaming in agony.

Ivys legs tightened firmly around her mount, which caused the horse to obediently rocket into action. Charging like a locomotive, Lily ran down a column of apple trees. Yesenia’s book flew from their hands. They made an attempt to reach for their book but stopped to avoid of joining it, clutching tightly to Ivy’s torso. Ahead of them, Ivy and Lily could see movement. A very large creature jumping and bucking at an invisible threat. Each thundering hoof beat brought them closer to the beast.

Time stood almost entirely still as Ivy witnessed the dark mass spread wings twice as wide as Lily was long. Ivy yanked hard on her reins seeing the beast charge towards Lily with near equal speed to the horse. Lily tried to obey but once the pain train starts rolling it’s very difficult to stop. The creature broke the tree line in its charge and Ivy could at last make out some features. Its wide wings looked like that of an eagle, its mighty thundering legs were of a lion, but its head appeared to be nothing but a jet-black ball far too large for its body.

Suddenly the thing took flight, razor claws missing Lilys snout by only a couple inches. Ivy and Yesenia looked up in awe and horror respectively, seeing the things underbelly pass over them. Ivy could now see the black mass was not its head. This was an ordinary, albeit rather large, griffin with its eagle head tucked down to its chest being pinned down by an interloper. That interloper was a gigantic knight in shimmering ebony armor. The man had to be as tall as Bellona at least, maybe taller. His armor shown and sparkled in the sun as he pulled an arm back and with a fist oddly devoid of weaponry, he punched the griffin in the side of its head.

Time flashed back into motion, the griffin and knight flew towards the other side of the orchard. Ivy wheeled her great mount around, causing Yesenia to tilt, almost falling out of the saddle. Then once again, the three thundered on apple strewn ground in hot pursuit of the brave knight and his foe. Ivy retrieved her halberd, grinning as she held it to her side. She bore it like a lance, spear tip pointed out and axe blade to the ground.

Ivy shouted back at Yesenia. “Hold on tight! I fear it’s about to get a might unstable!”

Yesenia clung to Ivy’s waist, unaccustomed to the titanic movements of the large horse. “You’re the only thing that’s unstable!”

Ivy laughed at Yesenia’s response while she watched in glee as the black knight brought both his fists down on the top of the griffin’s head. This sent the mighty animal plummeting to the ground, unfortunately for the knight, his weight made him the first to connect with the hard soil.

Ivy saw the man writhe in pain, though she heard no shout. The creature loomed above the man shaking off the daze caused by armored hands. The beast raised a lion paw and screeched in hate, ready to gut the man armor and all. The claw never made purchase.

Ivy plunged her spear tip into the beast’s chest as Lily slammed her muscled chest into the side of the griffin throwing it off the man. From the knight’s perspective it was almost like a painting. Hero astride a mighty steed charging a ferocious beast. He’d never seen a painting where such a scrawny little thing was holding onto the hero for dear life though. To be honest, he hadn’t seen many paintings.

Lily trampled over the griffin with many cracks, squishes and caws coming from the feline avian monster. It still had fight in it, however. Slowly rising to its feet, it stared Lily and Ivy down with an apex predators’ pride behind its slitted eyes. Ivy swung her halberd around laughing as she stared into the beast’s eyes mimicking its moxie.

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“Come on then birdie! We want a little fun too!” Ivy roared at the creature as it began to stalk like a wolf to the side of them. Lily followed suit keeping slow pace with the beast while watching the griffins every muscle twitch.

“Not all of us want fun!” Yesenia shouted, waving their arms at the griffin

The griffin clicked its beak a few times watching the horse circling with it. Then the beast flashed its wings to their full width, letting out a horrid mix of roar and screech. So loud and piercing it almost initiated Lilys instincts to panic, but she stood strong.

The beast suddenly fell silent. Then suddenly fell.

Ivy looked at it with shock and confusion. Until she saw the feathered end of an arrow stuck into the wound Ivy had inflicted on her would be adversary. Ivy followed the path the arrow must have taken, and it led her to a figure standing just on the edge where orchard met forest. Where the beast had originally emerged from.

The figure limped forward into the light. Ivy could see a bearded, disheveled man holding a long and thick war bow in one hand. Blood trickled onto the wood of the bow from a gash in the man’s bicep. Ivy quickly dismounted, leaving Yesenia alone on a horse that made them look like a doll, and ran to the man.

Once Ivy closed the distance she shouted. “Sir! Are you alright!?”

The man shook his head. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” He accepted her help anyways, putting an arm over her shoulders to assist in his limping.

Ivy now got a better look at this archer. He must be former military, possibly a ranger. It’s the only way to explain his shot. And while injured at that. The man’s arms were covered in tattoos. Localized to his forearms mostly but images and patterns clearly lead down his back and chest, hidden by his blood and sweat soaked shirt. Ivy was rather sad to see a nice tattoo of a doggie was cut in half by the slash in his arm.

“Is the kid okay?” The archer said looking forward.

Ivy followed his gaze, seeing Yesenia hang off the side of Lily nearly two feet from their feet touching the ground. “The knight? Oh yes I’d say he’s alright. Simply had the wind knocked out of him. He is certainly better than that griffin, you’re quite good with that bow sir.”

“It’s Marco. And boys not a knight. He’s an idiot.”

They both made their way over to the knight. Who was lying collapsed on the ground, arms spread wide. Marco looked down upon him and delivered a well-placed kick to the knight’s side plating.

“You alive big guy.” Marco said.

Ivy saw the helm of the man bob up and down in compliance.

“Good.” Marco looked at Ivy. “You got any cloth? Hate to rip this shirt. Last one I got aint too tore up.”

“Oh! Of course!” Ivy sat Marco down on the ground and rushed over to Lily and Yesenia, who was still dangling off one side of the saddle.

Ivy rummaged through her packs for any of her medicinal supplies she had packed. She giggled in glee at the thought of the armored man. Maybe these two men were heroes like her or at least could be molded like Yesenia. She could have a real band of merry heroes starting here. Ivy found her spool of gauze and threw the wizard over her shoulder while she was there. Yesenia made only a few mumbles in protest.

Ivy turned seeing the two men talking. Well, seeing Marco talk to the knight. Nothing of the helmet’s movements hinted at speech. And what an odd helm now that she was looking at it. Very slender at the mouth but carried a large curved horn pointed skyward, starting just from above the eyes. Speaking of eyes, how did the man see. The helm had no visor, just two pin prick holes. Holes she just saw blink.

“-ould’ve gotten it alone. Just didn’t expect the thing to take a nosedive. Lucky we had help this time!” This voice came from inside of the riders head. Like it was her own thought, only in the voice of a young man.

The knight, in question at the moment, gestured an arm at her. To which she looked around confused, not only at the gesture but trying to find the source of the voice.

“Does she not talk?” The voice said as the odd man turned to Marco.

Marco held his hand out for the gauze and let out an exasperated sigh. “Heracles every second you confuse her is a second I have less blood. Quit talking.”

The not knight threw his arms up and relented. “Fine fine whatever you say.” Came the inner voice.

Ivy stared at the creature with wide eyes as she first, placed Yesenia on their feet, then side scuttled over to Marco handing over the gauze. The whole while not taking her eyes off the large ebony thing.

As Marco bandaged himself Ivy let her eyes take in the truth of Heracles. She now saw there were no gaps in his armor, just overlapping plates sliding organically over each other. What Ivy believed was simple ridging in the armor’s midsection, was a softly twitching set of small, almost vestigial arms pressed to his chest. His true arms were enormous, and clearly powerful with how he had aimed to deal with the griffin. And his face. Ivy now saw the black pin pricks were his eyes, and lower down a set of interlocking mandibles. Mandibles that began to jitter back and forth forming an odd vibrating hiss.

“Marco if I can’t talk she can’t stare at me.” The voice was growing frustrated.

Ivy looked at Heracles in his small eyes. “Is… is that you? In my head?”

He slouched. “This again- Marco I’ve had to explain it to everyone in town. I swear to he who roars I won’t again.”

Ivy looked puzzled. “He who-“

Marco looked up at Ivy. “He doesn’t make much sense, don’t try. Heracles can’t talk with his mouth, so he talks in your head.”

“In my.. how? How do you do that?” Ivy asked.

“I dunno.” Heracles said.

“You don’t know? How can you not know, it’s your voice.”

“I don’t know, I just do it. When I want people to hear me, they just hear me.”

Marco stood and spoke. “Most folks guess its magic.”

“It isn’t.” Yesenia cut in from behind Heracles. The insect man’s bulk hid them entirely even sitting down. “It’s similar but its psionics. Most of the people of the desert have the innate talent of psychics.”

Ivy looked astonished. “Desert people?”

Yesenia nodded knocking on Heracles’ bowling ball like shoulder. “This Heracles clearly is one of them. Though you’re quite a bit bigger than the textbooks say.”

Heracles looked down at his body. “Big bigger or fat bigger?”

Marco took Heracles’ hand and helped him stand up; the insect now towered over all in presence. “So you actually weren’t lying about the desert stuff?”

“No!” The voice in everyone’s head sounded hurt. “Why would I lie about that ...?”

“Well, I’ll be bitten, learn something new every day.” Marco said.

Ivy reached a shaky hand forward and touched Heracles’ arm. “You’re… truly one of the people of the desert. From beyond the Wyrm Wall?”

The massive insects face looked down at the horned woman. “We don’t really call ourselves that but yeah. Is that alright?”

“The very same people of the desert who poured over our armies and defeated nearly half the warriors of Breged and Emond Valor fifty years ago.” Ivy asked.

“Ah. Yeah, sounds not alright.”

“No it’s amazing!” Ivy exploded causing Heracles to jump a bit. “Well, not for our armies but still! You’re incredible! I’ve read so many stories about your people’s battle with the paladins and the wizards. Is it true your people ride on fog? Can you really not be killed or has one just never died? Is every desert person naked?”

Heracles thought for a moment. “Uh… three no’s and not everyone.”

“Nevertheless! You have to tell me everything you know!” Ivy looked up at the insect grinning happily.

“I’ll uh…” Heracles scratched the back of his head. “Tell you what I can I guess?”

“Excellent! Tell me on the way we must make it to a Martha Herbata as soon as can be!” Ivy raced to her steed and bounded onto her with a single leap. A leap accompanied by a few seconds of awkward wiggling into the saddle.

Heracles followed. “I don’t know a Martha, but I know Memaw Herbata.”

“Even better! A wise sage to help on our journey into infamy!” Ivy rode alongside her new beetle friend towards the small village just in the distance.

Yesenia and Marco watched as their two idiots made their way off alone.

“You think she knows what infamy means?” Marco said

“No. No I don’t.” Yesenia replied.

Marco stuck out his hand to the wizard. “Marco.”

Yesenia shook it. “Yesenia.”

“What’s your deal?”

“I’m a wizard.”

Marco raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yeah, why.” Yesenia pulled their hand back.

“Nothing just… didn’t think ya’d come right out and say it. Mosted peopled call the law on you?”

“You don’t seem like most people.”

“Really? Read my thoughts, did ya?”

“No. I saw your gang tattoos.” Yesenia walked passed the man. “I doubt most of these people know what any of them mean though right? So, keep quiet and I will too.”

Marco gritted his teeth, then softened into a chuckle. “Fine. Just don’t go raising the dead or immolating any towns folk.”

“I only immolate geese.” Yesenia said hiking their robes.

Marco watched as Yesenia glided down into the orchard. They retrieved their lost book, wiping off some dirt from the cover. Yesenia then looked around studying the trees, squinting their icy eyes at the big arboreous things. Marco furrowed his brow seeing Yesenia begin to knock on the bark of one tree. Nod. Then begin knocking on the bark of another. All while they were watching the leaves and branches with the intensity of a basilisk.

“You alright?” Marco asked from the roadside.

“These trees are odd.”

“You know about trees?”

“Only what I’ve read.”

“Checks out.” Marco continued to watch Heracles and Ivy as they walked.

Yesenia couldn’t understand it, If the Zolts were truly as shitty as Ivy had made them out to be how could they grow such immaculate trees. Yesenia’s suspicions seemed quelled once she saw, very clearly, a rotten apple hanging from an irregular branch just a few trees deep in a row. They must just be on edge because of the griffin. Yesenia climbed the small incline back to the road and rejoined Marco.

“Find anything?” He asked

“No.” They answered.

“Alright.”

And with that the two went off to rejoin with their two buffoons. The trio of heroes had now swelled to a staggering quintet. That spelled doom for all the wicked and vile beasts in the surrounding area. Especially the one now slowly pulling the rotten apple back up into its canopy.