South of the woodland area sat a city encompassed by a stone wall. Three entrances shuttled people between the wilderness and civilization. At a glance it would appear there was a constant stream of people entering the city. The lines to enter consistently dwarfed those to leave. Such a fact could be attributed to the longer process in entering a protected city like this one. Leaving was easy, entering took work.

Trodding down a central avenue of this spanning metropolis were two men. They didn’t share a lot in common. On one side, a ebony black stallion underneath a suited man with hair combed over. Opposite him, almost to mock his majestic image, a mule of a horse, mottled brown and tan unkempt fur. And don’t even get me started on the horse below the man.

Jokes aside, the two were spectacularly unmatching, yet the chatted together happily under the morning cloud-cover.

The topics were mundane and usual for men of their respective calibers.

The muscled leather wearing man spoke about the opening of new dungeons, or a monster outbreak in a distant capital. The suited man talked about the economic possibilities revolving around said scenarios. Neither understood half of what the other was saying but the messages always got across.

Like this the two arrived at the guard station at the western side of the city. This gate got the least attention. Yet at the same time it was a fairly strange trail.

The western gate road quickly curves north and then east, going completely behind the city and toward an entirely different country. It also cuts into one of the most dangerous lands within Aelwick.

Luckily the path was well maintained so travel could be completely quickly through the forest.

The two guards at the gate nod to the two men as they walk towards the gate. Without hesitation the men open a path.

"Have a good trip Your… Ugck" A man attempts to wish the two well but his partner knocks him in the stomach with an elbow.

"Want to get us in trouble?" He chastises in a loud whisper.

The first guard’s eyes widen and he remains silent.

The body guard and nobleman glance at the two but don’t slow their pace. Only once outside the city does the body guard glance at his partner with a scowl.

"Oh calm down Grant." The nobleman says with a chuckle. "He meant no harm. And the area was pretty clear."

Grant snorts but doesn’t respond. He had never agreed with the cloak and dagger part of these trips. Nonetheless he did his job without fault.

Silently, apart from the noise of hooves on stone, they continued along the curving path. The moment the path entered the north forest it grew eerily quieter. The dark too had swept in. The path was shadowed and foggy but still the two continued.

Countless legends were told about these woods. ‘It hides the largest tribe of goblins.’ ‘Wolves scour the dirt while man-eating primates hunt the treetops.’ ‘Trolls and orcs live under the bridges.’

Even a strong adventurer would be nervous entering duo. None of those facts deterred the two though. Their mission was more important than a little risk of death.

Their mission could change the world. Simultaneously it was why they must hide their actions. Their mission could set the world into turmoil if not hidden.

"Shall we pick up the pace?" Grant asked glancing at his employer.

"Indeed." The man replies kicking the horse and whitening his knuckles on the reins.

Their pace increased and they began tearing across the path. Only to quickly run into an obstacle.

Before them filling the path were two massive outstretched wings. If only a moment earlier the horses may have torn through the path but the fifteen foot stretching wings forced the horses to rear up.

Standing well over a foot taller than a man was a vulture. Its wings were rough and multicolored, its blood-red face struck fear into the horses.

The vulture noticed the two as well. Suddenly its meal of rotting rabbit creature felt disgusting compared to this new treat. It didn’t hesitate and thrust its beak towards the nearer horse.

Grant too didn’t hesitate. He leapt from his horse and drew a blade in an arc.

The wing of the vulture shielded its body at the final moment but a large cut still bled.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Grant’s horse wasn’t so lucky though, a beak struck firmly in its carotid artery. Its final moments were spent thinking of the majestic stallion beside it. A weak whinny told the stallion to run.

Grant yelled likewise as he swung the blade a second and third time.

The vulture understood the blades movements and dodged carefully. Unfortunately Grants blade was unlike anything the vulture had seen before. A single missed dodge caught the vulture in a pinch. The blade pierced its chest and quickly withdrew, cleanly slicing into the vultures throat.

A spray of blood bathed Grant and his fallen companion. He glanced at the horse and patted its lifeless body with a hint of sadness.

"It’s over." Grant announces towards the direction the stallion had taken the man. The sound of hoof steps grow closer and the employer sends a glance at the man’s horse.

"Well this adds a difficulty." The man again chuckles.

"You still intend to go?"

"Of course. I had promised to come once a month had a not?" The man replies as if obvious.

"Should we not at least retrieve a new horse?"

"Ah I suppose we could." The man says pondering the thought. "Hey… do you smell…"

The well dressed man sets his nose into the air probing it carefully.

Grant glances at him in confusion before sniffing himself. Then as if a lightning bolt hit him he too smelled the scent.

It was a warm and meaty smell, its felt almost greasy on the nostrils. Each breath of it was more enticing than the last.

"What in the world?" Grant asks sniffing twice and glancing at his employer.

"I have no clue."

"Perhaps a plant that uses a smell to lure prey? Or Goblins cook… no that’d be impossible. No way it would smell that good." Grant reasons almost speaking to himself in a mumble.

"Shall we investigate?" The man still on horseback asks with a raised eyebrow.

Hesitantly Grant agrees, he had little choice. The smell had already made them both hungry, and no way was he going to prepare anything near as good smelling as that.

The two followed the scent carefully down the path.

They walked quietly for near a half hour until the smell reached its peak. It was coming from off the trail, they had expected to find a camp beside the road perhaps, but never had they expected the smell to come from so deep inside the forest.

Again hesitant, they both stepped off the path and began following the game trails deeper into the dense jungle.

Ferns and flowering plants crunched under their feet as they walked. Grant was more careful, but the employers clumsy footwork made all his care useless.

What they saw at the end of the smell trail amazed them.

"House…?" The employer asks utterly shocked by the discovery.

"Where in the world did this come from? Who would…" Grant begins to ask before noticing a sound from within, and a white billowing smoke coming from atop.

"Amazing." The employer laughs shaking his head.

Grant begins to ask what the man was talking about until he too noticed the fallen tree a few paces from the home.

"Ever-wood Tree?!?" Grant sputters nearly biting his tongue. "It’s cut down but… How?"

The two awestruck people didn’t notice the silently opening door before them. The man in the house glanced between the two in half shock.

"Oh! Guests?"

Grant, noticing the presence quickly whipped out his blade. The man had successfully snuck up on him, it was a huge ordeal mentally. But the man at a second glance looked to be no threat.

"Put it away Grant." The employer warns sending him a stern glance. "Indeed we are guests."

"Ah, I’ve never had (Human) guests." Fortunately he didn’t say the parenthesized section.

"I should imagine not." The employer laughs. "Ah forgive my manners. My name is Philip. This man here is Grant."

"Nice to meet you both." The man says with a nod.

"My lieg… Urk" Grant received an elbow to the gut. "Ph… Philip, are you positive about this?"

"I am." Philip says with a nod. "Now, if I may be so intrusive, a particular smell is being emitted by your cabin here in the forest."

"Ah, the smoker? Are you guys hungry?" The man asks with a growing smile.

"You wouldn’t mind?" Philip asks with a grin of his own.

"No, no. By all means. Hold on, I’ll prepare some stuff real quick."

With that the man in the forest ran back into his home to collect his cooking tools and a proper slab of meat.

Grant and Philip exchange a glance. "Your highness, I know its improper to say but I think this is a mistake. There is no telling this man’s origins. For all we know he could…"

"Poison my food? Think about it, how lucky would he need to be if he were a spy? If this were some elaborate plan to poison me I could only applaud the mastermind. To even have a vulture as collaborator! Unheard of." Philip begins to laugh to himself before patting Grant on the back heavily. "I believe it is fine Grant. I understand your concern though. You take your job seriously. I respect that."

"Is it really wise to spend time here though? The faster we can get the Wolfbourne the better is that not true?"

"Ah yes, although a day won’t be any harm."

"A day? Sir are you saying…?"

"Indeed, I think we should setup camp here."

"But Sir…"

"Think about it. Aren’t you curious about this person? Someone who can live calmly in the North Forest?"

"I…"

Before Grant can finish the man returns from his cabin with a handful of handmade tools. He carefully sets them beside the fire-pit and begins blowing on the leftover coals.

In moments several chunks of meat is searing atop a thin stone. Its sprinkled with coarse red flakes and the smell it emits is even more enticing than the earlier one.

Both visitors sat in shock. Neither had smelled anything like it before. But what was more shocking was the mithril blade he used to carve at the meat.

They both came to an agreement instantly, that this man is not normal.