Their group continued walking through the woods, monitoring the massive lake. They went mostly unbothered, with only a few large birds swooping down on them occasionally. But with Two Gun’s newly enhanced reflexes, he managed to wound or scare them off before they became too much of a bother. Kaleb was even getting a little bored just walking through the forest and, from the looks on Claire's and Jar-lock’s faces, the others were feeling the same.

Not for the first time since they entered the forest, Kaleb thought he heard the clanging of weapon-on-weapon combat. He and the others had heard it several times before and assumed it was Silas’ and Julius’ teams fighting somewhere in the woods. Jar-lock had floated the idea of going to help, but Claire had argued that they were fighting to give them time to get the Driadarin. After a brief vote, they had continued on. But now, the sound was a lot closer than it had been.

“That’s close by,” Jar-lock stated, echoing Kaleb’s thoughts.

Claire sighed loudly. “Should we go look?”

One of Two Gun’s eyebrows climbed up as he gave his wife a bemused expression. “I thought we were supposed to be going for the goal here?”

“Well, I’m bored!” Claire said, throwing her hands up. “We’ve been traipsing through this forest for hours!”

“It’s been forty minutes.” Kaleb said, suppressing a chuckle.

“Whatever! I need to punch something!” Claire said, pointing a finger at Kaleb’s reptilian snout.

Kaleb put both his hands up in a placating gesture and looked at his other companions. “I don’t disagree. Maybe we should give it a look.”

Two Gun and Jar-lock grinned but nodded as they all started jogging toward the noise. The various grunts and clanging of weapons grew louder as they rushed forward. Luckily, it seemed the noise was coming from ahead of them and slightly toward the lake. Kaleb grimaced as they got to the tree line near the bank of the lake.

“What madman would fight anywhere near the lake with that tentacle monster-thing?”

Jar-lock pointed along the bank. Ahead of them, several people were fighting on a pier jutting out into the lake.

“I’m guessing those people.”

“They appear to be burning the boats!” Claire shouted as she sped forward.

Kaleb and the others followed their friend as a bright orange fire blazed over one of the small rowboats tied to the dock. The fighting was still raging on the small dock, and Kaleb thought he could see someone trying to set the other boats on fire.

“It looks like Julius’ group is setting the boats on fire.” Two Gun said as he took a running pot shot at an enemy hunter. But his shot slammed into the guy’s shoulder armor, creating a large scorch mark.

“And Silas’ group is trying to defend them.” Jar-lock said as lobbed what appeared to be an ice grenade toward Julius lackeys.

The grenade went off and ice encapsulated the legs of two hunters. Which was unfortunate for the hunters, as Claire had just made it to the pier. She planted a running haymaker into one a hunter’s stomach so hard his legs broke free of the ice and he went flying into the lake. She squared off against another one as their group slowed and began rapidly firing.

“Grab us a boat, Hun.” Two Gun shouted as Kaleb started firing his Cybar.

It didn’t look like Silas’ hunters needed too much help. But with Jar-lock, Kaleb, and Two Gun offering long range support, they made quick work of the remaining hunters. Claire was assaulted a few times as she tried to move a boat away from the scrum of hunters. But the large green alien would simply backhand the offender and keep moving. Kaleb saw more than one hunter dissipate into a motes lights after she hit them.

Pretty soon the pier was empty save for Silas’ plate-mail clad hunters, Claire, and a few remaining motes of light from the emergency badge teleport. Kaleb and the others made it to the pier and cautiously waved at the remaining hunters. One hunter removed his helmet, revealing an alien Kaleb wasn’t familiar with. This one had segmented insectoid eyes.

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The hunter raised his hand in greeting. “Hail, Initiates. We have defended this pier from the machinations of our former brethren.”

Kaleb was brought up short by the alien’s eyes, but his well-honed manners kicked in. “Uhh, yeah. Thanks. Are you guys taking the other boat?”

The insectoid man grinned as he looked at his fellow hunters. “Ha! Nay, Initiate. We have long passed our trials. We are merely here to make sure Julius’ rogues do not impede your progress.”

“Well, that’s helpful.” Two Gun said as he moved to help his wife with the rowboat.

“And risky.” Jar-lock added. “You guys are just wasting those life-saving badges on us? Not to mention upsetting Julius. Doesn’t he sell you those things?”

The insectoid man’s human lips compressed into a tight line. “No. Julius has never graced us with his badges and I am not at liberty to discuss where we acquire such items.”

Kaleb could see that Jar-lock wanted to ask more questions, but the hunter waved them toward the boat.

“Please board your vessel and continue on your quest. We shall defend this location until we can be assured that the last of Julius’ brood has been dealt with.”

Kaleb grabbed his friend’s shoulder and lead him toward the rowboat as he said. “Sure thing, you lot take care. We'll go get this magical fruit and become real hunters. Y’all have fun now.”

“That was a good time to get some information.” Jar-lock said was the both got into the rowboat.

Kaleb threw his arms out as he tried to balance himself. “Not the time, dude. Better to just get our magical thing and get out of these woods.”

Claire grabbed Kaleb’s lab coat and jerked him down into a seat next to Two Gun. Kaleb grunted a thanks as she agreed with him.

“He’s not wrong. Plus, how would you knowing where they got their little badges be helpful?” She picked up the boat’s paddles and pushed off the pier.

Jar-lock took a seat at the front of the boat as they drifted toward the island in the middle of the lake. “I don’t know. It’s interesting though, and I was just wondering. Also, you never know what could open some quest lines or work for us down the road.”

Kaleb turned and gave his large friend an incredulous look. “We are already working out of a defunct airstrip that needs work, with weapons that need upgrading, against magical creatures which randomly attack our district. And you want more?!”

Two Gun chuckled as Claire started rowing them across the lake toward their destination. “Let us not forget the demonic gang, which also takes up residence in our new home area.”

Jar-lock threw his hands up. “Fine. We have enough to keep us busy for a while. I’m still not curtailing my natural curiosity.”

“Curiosity is good, dear.” Claire said. “But let’s deal with the devils we know first.”

Jar-lock agreed and Kaleb sat in silence as the others discussed the other forces arrayed against them in their new home. Kaleb looked out across the clear blue lake and wondered where the tentacle monster was at the current moment. He was waiting for some scripted event to occur where they would have to fight off the tentacle as they made their way across the lake. But with the advent of Advanced Game AIs, such scripted events were no longer the norm.

He could see that the others were also a little jittery. Although with Two Gun that could’ve been his mutation. But they all seemed on edge, waiting for an attack. Jar-lock was going over what he and Abby had been investigating about the Demons while he scanned the lake. Two Gun was fidgeting and listening as Claire rowed them ever closer to the island. Kaleb was only half listening as he kept his pistol at the ready.

As they drew closer and closer to their goal, the island and the large tree at its center got bigger and bigger. The massive tree threw everything around it into shadow as its large branches and leaves spread over the small island and lake. Darkness crept over their small rowboat as they got closer. Kaleb was sure their lake monster friend was about to make a surprise visit. The others seemed to agree as they all grew deathly quiet and waited for the inevitable.

Their boat glided up onto the small island and, one by one, they carefully got out and watched the lake. The water seemed eerily still as Kaleb cast an eye over it. Jar-lock wrung his hands out, as if he had been preparing a spell that he didn’t get to cast. Two Gun wiped his brow with his hat before he chuckled loudly.

“Hehe. Well, that wasn’t so bad. Who says games have become predictable?”

Claire sucked in a harsh breath through her teeth as she swatted at her husband. “Oh hush. Why did you say that? That’s just asking for it.”

Two Gun waved his wife off dismissively as Jar-lock and Kaleb agreed.

“Yeah dude, that’s a big ole death flag.” Jar-lock said, grinning.

“Yeah. That means that whatever shows up to kill us will go for you first.” Kaleb piled on.

“Oh, that’s all just bull…” Two Gun started to say, before a loud roar echoed from the center of the island.

Kaleb and the others laughed as the old cowboy swore.

“Sonofabitch! Now that’s just not fair!”

Claire wrapped an arm around Two Gun. “Oh, don’t worry, love. I’ll help you deal with the consequences of your death flag.”

Kaleb and Jar-lock continued to laugh as the roar sounded across the island again. Kaleb felt oddly good about facing whatever the creature was. The forest, in general, hadn’t been that difficult to traverse. Thanks, in no small part, to Silas’ hunters clearing the way for them. But now, there was an obvious threat ahead which he felt they were more than ready to deal with.