MEANWHILE

“The Cursed One is close,” said Vidari. She knelt by the remains of a dead spider. “It’s been crushed, but I recognise the scent. Melancholia Spider, a rarity in these parts. There must be a nest in the forest. We should report this threat to The Frontier. They will clear them out before it becomes a problem. Still, bad news for us. Your beast has feasted.”

“I assure you this beast is not our problem alone. If the All Mother has taken notice, then it bears a threat to all kind,” said the elderly cleric in the white robe. “Katri, is this the site?”

A smaller cleric stepped out from behind the older woman. She pulled down her hood, revealing a long golden braid, and the frightened, freckled face of a young teenager woman. “This is it, Sister. This is the place the All Mother showed me in my dreams.”

A large brute of a man, clad in a patchy set of scuffed leather armour threw back his head and laughed. “We should have followed my dreams instead. We’d be resting at the bath house in Pentamorel City with a wench on either side and enough drink—”

A glowing red stone bounced off his head and he fell silent.

Vidari glared at him, her eyes shone with the same red glow and she juggled three more stones in one hand, each the size of a small fist.

It was the old cleric who broke the silence. “Katri’s dreams are no laughing matter. Neither is our service to the All Mother.”

“Imber, why don’t you go stand guard while the three of us consider the best course of action?” said Vidari.

The big man lowered his head, grumbling as he walked away. After a few steps, he bent down and lifted something from the ground. “What’s this? Some kind of shorts.”

Vidari’s eyes flashed and she read aloud the words, “School shorts. This embarrassing pair of shorts provides no effect. Another victim, perhaps?”

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“Perhaps,” said the old cleric Sister Hest. “We should set up camp. If we are to track the beast further, let it be in the daylight.”

The girl, Katri glanced nervously around at the darkening line of trees. A chill wind pulled at the hem of her robe and she shivered before pulling her hood back up over her head.

“It will be alright, girl,” said Sister Hest. “Try get some rest. You are doing the All Mother’s work, there is nothing to fear.”

Wordlessly, they began setting their packs down and preparing the campfire.

Once a fire was lit and the two clerics had bedded down for the night, Vidari and Imber stood guard. They huddled together with their backs to the fire to preserve their vision and spoke in hushed voices.

“What do you think?” Imber asked.

“The old one is definitely hiding something. I’m not falling for her pious act,” said Vidari.

“They’re both low level. I wonder how they can even afford to hire us,” said Imber.

“Who cares?,” Vidari continued. “We’ll kill their beast, whatever it is, and then part ways. This Paladin act is driving me mad.”

“But you’re so good at it.” Imber chuckled, then pitched his voice in a mimicry of Vidari. “We should report this threat to the Frontier.”

Vidari punched him on the arm. “Quit playing. You could try acting a little more civilised yourself.”

“What’s the point?” Imber asked “We’re far enough away from the village now. No one is following us. We could just knock these two unconscious and take their extra XP as our reward.”

“I thought about it,” Vidari muttered. “But they’re so low level, it wouldn’t be worth it. If this beast is as rare as the old one thinks, we can split the XP after we kill it.”

“I wanna reach Level 6,” Imber grumbled. “It’s been years.”

“Just keep doing what I tell you and we’ll get there,” Vidari whispered. She clapped him on the back as she marched off to check the perimeter.

On the other side of the fire, Sister Hest smiled beneath her hood.

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