After four days, we finally exited the cave. I honestly thought the other two would die of starvation before we got to the surface, but these little guys pushed through and made it all the way. Sure, we had to fend off a few rock monsters, and deal with way too much vomit, but we made it! We eventually emerged at some mining depot, but had to skedaddle after a bunch of angry miners accused us of "unlawful trespassing" or some bullshit. Once we got out of there, we entered a town called "Badhassa". Funny enough, I vaguely remember this place. I stopped by here a few years ago, but it was way different then. There are so many new buildings here, and a whole lot more humans. It almost seems kind of magical.

"I guess a lot really can happen in three years."

I'm gazing at all of the new things when Freezi steps in front of me, disrupting my view. She just stares at me with this weird look on her face.

"Three? I thought you'd been in the cave since the eternal winter."

"Yeah? That was three years ago."

Freezi starts to look... concerned? Oh no. Oh no no no, I don't like that look, what does that mean?

"Th-That was three years ago, right?"

Chubs joins her, and starts to look at me with eyes full of sorrow.

"Jess... It's been thirteen years since the eternal winter started."

"What!? No way! W-What year is it?!"

I desperately look around for clues, but Chubs ruins all traces of hope by answering me.

"It's 1628."

Freezi turns to Chubs and opens her mouth, but instead of speaking, she narrows her eyes and looks at the ground deep in thought. She shrugs it off and nods her head in agreement. I'm guessing she didn't know either.

"1628?! I was sure I was there for only three years!!"

Chubs fidgets with his fingers for a moment before looking back at me.

"Really? Thirteen years sure is a long time. You're sure it only felt like three?"

Heh, he clearly doesn't know a thing about Yobglins.

"Well, maybe for you two. But for me, it's a rather short timeframe. You see, us Yobglins can live up to a thousand years old, so a mere ten feels like nothing to us."

Before I could finish giving him his lesson on Yobglins, his and Freezi's stomachs growl in unison. How does that even work? I sigh in defeat as they succumb to their hunger.

"Alright, I think after all that walking some food would do us some good."

Almost immediately, they both jump back up and quickly look around at the buildings while chanting.

"Food! Food!"

Pigs.

After wandering a bit we found the tavern I was looking for. It's changed quite a bit since the last time I visited it. A heavy coat of snow covered the red shingled roof, and the blue banners hanging on the fronts of the buildings had faded; worn and frayed with time. When we entered there was a big change in scenery. The number of people in here made up for the near empty streets outside, and the smell of rotting plants and dead fish was replaced with something unfamiliar. But, it's much better than that musty old cave. Eventually, we found an empty table and sat down.

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"Alright, here's the deal."

I turn to Chubs and Freezi and start counting on my fingers.

"Rule one, no questioning my ways, because I'm sure you didn't make a foolproof plan."

Freezi gets ready to protest. Oh boy...

"Nuh uh! My plan is totally foolproof!"

I decided to humor her, scoffing.

"Aright, what is it then?"

Freezi's stare turns cold and blank. Something tells me she wasn't expecting me to actually ask her.

"Uhm... kill the king?"

I sigh disappointedly as I bury half of my face in the palm of my hand. How did I end up with this idiot?

"Exactly. Rule two, don't think for even a second that you're smarter than me."

Apparently that last one didn't sit right with Chubs.

"Wait, who said you get to make all the decisions?"

I turn to Chubs, cutting him off with a booming voice.

"Me. I am three hundred and twenty eight years-old. You two are, what? Ten?"

Freezi chimes in with her finger pointed at the ceiling.

"Fifteen!"

Chubs puts his hands in his pockets as he looks back from her to me.

"Fourteen."

"Good. Rule three, act like it."

Chubs lightly groans, but his personality quickly changes as soon as a waitress approaches our table.

20 minutes after we had ordered, our food finally came around. Freezi got a lamb leg and Chubs wanted tomato soup. It's not a whole lot, but it seemed to satisfy their hunger just fine. I settled for a large basket of bread.

"Alright, you've got your food. Let's go over the plan-"

I quickly scarf down another clump of bread before continuing.

"I know Oddmin better than anyone, so."

"Oh yeah!"

Freezi finishes swallowing her food.

"You said something about that."

Chubs puts his spoon down in his bowl and wipes his mouth with his bare hand like the uncivilized animal that he is.

"Yeah, I think he said something about being friends?"

"Eh, you might be right."

"I am?

The two of them blab on and on, seeming to have forgotten me.

"I can explain if-"

My words are being drowned out by their nonsensical yapping. I tried to speak up again.

"You know I can-"

Once again, they ignore me. It's like I don't even exist! I'm starting to lose my patience here! After another solid minute, I've reached my breaking point. I slam both hands on the table and stand from my seat.

"Do you want to hear the story OR NOT?!?"

The whole tavern goes silent, multiple people turning over their heads to share glances with me. After a few deep breaths, the social anxiety gets to me and I sit back down.

"A-Anyways. I know Oddmin the best, so if anyone knows his weakness, it's me."

Freezi bites another chunk out of the lamb and points at me.

"Hold on. How do you know all tha-"

"If you'd shut up you'd understand!"

I grab a roll and throw it at her. Chubs instinctively grabs it out of the air and sets it next to his bowl. Fatty.

"Alright, let me refresh my memory here. It's been a while..."

I begin to monologue.

"I used to work under the king. Actually, no. I was more than just a servant. We were friends."

Immediately, the color drains from their faces as they stare at me.

"Okay, listen! He used to be a good man. Clearly not anymore, but still."

Just thinking about it starts to bring back memories. Memories I wanted to forget a long, long time ago.

"He was my best friend. Matter of fact, he was my only friend. My tribe had a very highly respected name back in the day, and very good relations with the Oddmin family. But one fateful day, we had taken a journey together, and a dark presence found him. And then it... became him."

I take a deep breath before continuing.

"The man I knew was gone. He became bitter, cold blooded. I can't say what happened, not here, not now. All I can say is that the old Ezekiel Oddmin is dead."

Freezi sets down her lamb leg and giggles to Chubs.

"Great! Our job's done then!"

"No you moron!"

Freezi leans over the table and pokes my forehead, almost like she thinks I'm the stupid one.

"But you just said he's dead, and that's just what we want, isn't it?"

"That's not what I-"

"You're not very smart, are ya?"

Freezi sits back down and returns to her lamb leg.

"But whatever you say-"

She replies with a mouth full of food, and it takes me a second to process what she said. I shake my head and return to my lecture.

"Well that's besides the point. My point is that not even I was able to defeat him. So if you two want my help, we're gonna need a whole lot more people."

Chubs nests his right cheek on his fist and turns to me.

"Like who?"

"Well, we'll need another mage, some proper fighters like a marksman or a swordsman. And we'll definitely need a doctor."

Chubs nods his head as he takes mental notes.

"Got it."

He flashes me a thumbs up to ensure that we're on the same level, and almost immediately goes back to eating his soup. Freezi sparks up a conversation with him, completely disregarding my lecture, but I don't pay them any mind. I slowly start to zone out, but my attention is brought back to the corner of the guild. This place has a bar? Oh what the hell, why not. I turn to Chubs and Freezi and give them a slight nod.

"I'll be gone for a minute. You two can manage on your own, right?"