“One thousand gold, Ranger!” I tell my companion as we walk down the street. “We could eat for years with that much money.”

* Hrruhhf * He agrees happily

I look at the small dried mushroom in my hand. Desiccated as it is, it's hard to tell exactly what shape it should be when I go looking for more, but the crown of it is rather unique. Black, with small divots filled with a dark smokey blue color. My fingers burn after having held it for so long, so I stuff it into a pocket. She had warned me about handling it too much, and explained that it was very potent. If I felt light headed, any pain when touching it, or burning in my eyes, I shouldn't touch it except to compare it to what I decide to pick.

I suppose I should have just put it in my pocket then, but I can't help to feel like this is the same sort of thing my father must have done at my age, and just seeing it in my hands reminds me of him. He always spoke proudly of how he'd studied under some of the most talented alchemists in the world. There was no where else like Iarba, he'd said, where like minded people got together and put aside differences for the sake of knowledge.

There had been some kind of major discovery shortly before it was destroyed, but I've no idea what it was. That was why the duke had been there. My father said his display of smoke and spark was child's play, really, but the Duke had been awestruck by it, as most were. There was no interest in long explanations of chemical processes, or what they meant... All people wanted to see were fancy tricks.

That always chafed at my father. I can remember long nights where he lamented to my mother that the discovery would change lives. He was so passionate in everything he did.

“Leira!” A booming voice pierces the late morning air.

“Jesson?” I know it's him as soon as I hear him, and as I turn around strong arms wrap around me and lift me into the air.

“Where have you been? I haven't seen you in months! I'd begun to worry.” The concern that spreads across his face is real as he puts me back down.

“Jess, I mean, Sir Atlee, --”

“Oh, quit with that.” He reprimands me and leans down to scratch ranger behind his ears. “Don't go calling me that. It feels wrong. You didn't call me that when we were children, I don't expect it now.”

I blush at his scolding. “Sorry, it's just that you're supposed to be important now, right?” 

“Only important enough to be the Baron's errand boy for the most part, although I did route a den of thieves a few weeks ago.”

“I thought you looked a little more fat than the last time I saw you.” I tease him and poke his sides.

“You're probably right actually.” He sighs, pinching at his stomach. “Too much mead, no doubt.”

“I haven't haven't had mead in a long while.” I laugh, and realize it was a mistake as soon as the words come out of my mouth.

Jesson looks at me, worry plainly written across his face. “How are the rabbits doing?”

“Good, good.” I try to sound cheerful. “They're nice and fat, thanks again for sending them our way. A few more weeks and I'll be able to slaughter most of the bucks. We've got enough food to winter about a dozen of them I think, and then next year we can sell some of the hides and meat. The first batch is going to replace some much needed winter clothing for Wyatt and I though.” It's a lie, the part about having enough food to feed them, but it's harmless enough. I'll have enough food soon, and Jesson has already done so much for us that I can't force myself to ask for his help again.

The smile that beams across his face tells me he doesn't suspect anything about how we might be living. “Great, well if you're not busy we should--”

“SIR ATLEE!” a voice booms loudly from behind a building and a squat man wearing a striped black and blue tunic waddles from around the corner. “This way at once, we're done here.”

“Right away, sir.” He shouts to the man and gives me another quick hug.

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“The Baron?” I ask.

“The Baron.” He groans. “I'll see you again soon I hope.”

He's gone before I have any time to consider when that might be, and I turn once more onto the road. Ranger follows and walks patiently at my side. He's too old to still have the energy to bark at the shadows as we near the woods on the other side of town. Minutes fade into an hour, then two, as I think about my childhood. I don't remember much of Iarba, but it's where my heritage is, although it's in ruins now. Yet I still consider this area my home. I grew up in these woods, with Jesson and his parents acting as my surrogate family.

It's been a number of years since I've been here, but the path doesn't feel any different than it did then. The log over the river is still there, slick with moss, and I'm over it by stepping in the same places as before. I follow the river bank, still lost in thought, until the pitch of the earth increases dramatically, and the river becomes so thin and narrow you would hesitate to call it a river at all.

At this point, I realize, I would normally have turned back to go home. The vegetation becomes thinner and more sparse as I keep walking, more out of breath with each step. I reach a small plateau and pause long enough to catch my breath and take in the scenery.

“It's beautiful.” I tell ranger, shielding my eyes from the afternoon sun. “I've never seen it from up here” I turn in a circle to look around and my breath catches in my throat. A large swathe of the land is burnt black and destroyed. The trees that should be there are missing. Everything is missing. Everywhere to the south is speckled with large black patches. I realize, looking east, that I can actually see the ocean, but just like here there's a large burnt area, only it's still smoking there.

After I've looked at the desolation for a few long minutes I start walking again. East of the river, to a group of caves she said. I'm past the river by at least a mile now, but I haven't seen any caves. I devour the landscape with my eyes and finally see shadows that might be the caves she spoke of. As I walk towards them, I scan the rocks around me and suddenly I see it. Just above me on a large outcropping, a small cluster of tiny black mushrooms with blue spots that seem to be glowing in the sunlight.

I scrabble up the rocks and pull the dried mushroom from my pocket. Alive, it's shaped much different, but there's no doubt this is what I'm looking for. Mendax. I found it! I pluck the mushroom from it's perch and drop it down to where ranger is pacing below me. Now I can see there's more of them, covering the ledge I'm clinging to. In a few minutes I've made a small pile below.I look higher and there seem to be even more of them. I'm going to be rich! I climb to the next group of mushrooms and pick a particularly large specimen and toss it down the escarpment. I reach for the next mushroom, but as I shift my weight the rocks slip out from under me, sending me tumbling down a few feet. I manage to catch hold of another rock and keep myself from falling any farther. Stupid. I'm rushing because I'm excited.

I take a deep breath and look down to ranger, who's barking frantically, having dodged the rocks that almost fell on top of him. “We'll be on our way home soon buddy, just a couple more and you can eat as much as you want for the rest of your life!”

I turn back to my task, reaching for another mushroom, this time much more careful about where I put my weight. Another mushroom, and another, and then a small pebble clatters past my hand, giving me pause. I look up in time to see the cliff face collapsing on top of me, but before I can react a rock slams into my head.

Pain. Pain and blackness, then flashes of white and green light. I can't see. It hurts... a feeling of floating takes over, and I feel like I'm drowning. I can't breathe. I can't...