"The cliffs are crawling with more than chimeras," Morwen said with a tinge of anger.

Andy hadn't yet seen her this irate. When Verin mentioned going to 'the cliffs,' wherever that was, Morwen had instantly shot up in her seat, suddenly on edge.

"Are you frightened of the mission?" Verin asked, taking a slow bite of meat from his skewer.

"It's not that I'm frightened," Morwen said. "But as a fighter, I'm trained only to take risks that promise a sufficient reward. But the cliffs are treacherous, even for experienced fighters, and chimeras, well… a live one hasn't been seen in centuries. If I'm comparing the risk to the reward, this job looks unattractive."

Verin held a steady, emotionless face.

"I'm not getting through to you, am I?" Morwen asked.

"What are the cliffs?" Andy asked. "Why are they so dangerous?"

"Short answer," Verin said, "is sirens."

"Verin's referring to the ocean cliffs of Siren's Bay, about two days' journey from here," said Morwen. "It is a hotspot for the island's sirens. Horrible, ugly creatures with a deadly penchant for paralysis."

"And crawfish," said Verin.

"Ah yes, how could I forget those?" said Morwen. "Giant arachnids with venomous barbed tails. They also have paralyzing abilities."

"Are they hard to fight?" Andy asked.

"Well, yes. The sirens are indeed hard to fight," said Morwen. "First, you need to have something over your ears so you can't hear their calls. If they scream and you hear it, you're as good as toast. It'll stiffen your whole body into an immobile board, and then… well… they'll devour you alive. At least that's what I'm told."

"So gloomy," Verin said. "I've been to the cliffs every year for the past half-decade and I haven't seen one. Not a single one."

"That's quite lucky," said Morwen. "I wouldn't push your luck further."

"Well, how does an extra, I don't know, 500 gold per person sound? As a tip, you might say," said Verin.

"We haven't even talked about the specifics of crawfish," said Morwen. "They're hard-shelled exoskeletons are practically impenetrable, and they'll drag you back to their caves and —"

"That's enough, Morwen," said Verin. "What's got you so uptight? Rough travels?"

"That's an understatement," Arlene said.

Morwen exhaled loudly, looking over toward Arlene.

There was a long pause.

"We ran across a green dragon, and… I nearly died," said Morwen. She gestured toward the scarring that remained on her neck.

"Oh," said Verin, noticing something for the first time that had been visible all along. "Oh dear, well that must've been awful. I'm glad you all survived… how did you kill — you know what, never mind. I'm sure you want to unwind instead of reliving it."

"We barely got away thanks to these two," Morwen said, gesturing toward Andy and Arlene. "And this one saved my life," she said, putting her hand on Kermit's shoulder.

Kermit beamed with pride.

"Well, I think you've proven yourselves more than capable of escorting a noble to his hunting site," he said. "Sure, it's a bit more dangerous than your average spot, but I will make it worth your while."

Andy paused, observing Morwen. She was thinking deeply, her brow furrowed.

Then Morwen looked toward Andy, as if to ask him to weigh in.

Andy was surprised, actually. Up until now, he had just been following Morwen's lead. But now, she was seeking his input.

"What can I get for 500 gold?" Andy asked, testing how hard he could shove.

Verin leaned back, not smiling. His eyes moved up and down, sizing Andy up as his mouth contracted into a thin line in intense contemplation.

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"It's worth an older horse," said Verin. "Maybe a stable, too, if you're in the country."

Andy leaned back, mirroring Verin's body language. "I don't want to be in the country," he said. "I want to be in the city. How much would it cost for a young, healthy horse and a stable in the city?"

Verin chuckled. "Come now," he said. "Be reasonable, the cost of living in the city is incredibly high, at least if you want any decent standard of life. You'd be looking at, I don't know, 1500 gold for a pony and a stable."

Andy didn't think he had hit his limit yet. "I don't want a pony," he said. "I want a horse."

Morwen suddenly burst into laughter, slapping her knee. "The boy negotiates," she said uproariously. "He really negotiates!"

"Indeed," said Verin.

"Well, if it really is so dangerous," said Andy, "I don't want to risk my life and the lives of my friends if success won't significantly improve things for us. We work with the nobles, so we need to be in the city."

Andy knew he was overplaying his hand now. He didn't have any long term agreement with the nobility, but he assumed that he could bluff.

"And," Andy continued, "I need a horse, a steed that will extend the speed with which we can travel. You should know it is a reasonable ask."

"It is understandable," said Verin. His brow furrowed. "But you have to take into account, a steed is a fairly rare possession outside of noble circles. Even most fighters rent them out for their journeys when necessary."

Morwen nodded. "When we can afford them."

"So a steed really is a luxury," Verin said.

"Is it so bad to want a luxurious reward for a dangerous mission?" Andy asked.

Verin was silent.

"He makes a good point," Morwen said. "I am inclined to agree with his reasoning."

"Fine!" Verin said, irritated and exasperated. He let out a long sigh. "Here's my final offer: accompany me to the cliffs for a week, and I'll see to it that you are given personal steeds and a stable in Cresthaven. And despite my noble status, I don’t have limitless pockets or lines of credit, so that’s my final offer."

Andy nodded. He looked behind him at Kermit, who was nodding and smiling. Sven gave a thumbs up. Arlene and Morwen were in agreement as well.

"We accept," said Andy.

"Thank you," Verin said with an eye roll.

"I do have one question, though," Andy said.

"Oh, god, what is it," Verin said.

"Why do you want to kill a chimera so bad?"

Verin relaxed his posture. "Thank goodness you're done bargaining," he said, letting out a sigh. Then a smile came over his face. "You could say it is a childhood dream to hunt the chimera."

"Yeah?" Andy asked.

"Yes," said Verin. His countenance suddenly changed, becoming lighter and younger, more playful. He stood up, his chair pushing out behind him. Verin made a gesture like he was holding a sword, fencing with an invisible opponent beside him.

Kermit cackled with delight at the man's silly behavior.

Verin heard the laughter and escalated, swinging more wildly.

"The rare and ferocious chimera!" Verin exclaimed. "Rarest of the beasts of Cresthaven, and most deadly!"

Verin made a motion as if he were stabbing into the heart of a beast.

"But still, it has been my dream since childhood to become a Knight of the Order of the Chimera. The order hasn't had any new knights in over a hundred years. They're that difficult to slay!"

"Well … can you?" Andy asked.

"Can I what?" Verin said, dropping his act and resting his hands on his hips.

"Can you slay it if you find it?"

Verin began laughing. Andy couldn't discern whether it was a nervous chuckle or if he was sincerely tickled at Andy's question.

"Of course I can slay it," Verin said. "With all the technological advancements from the enchanter's guild, I have weapons at my disposal that no one could dream of even ten years ago!"

"Oh interesting," said Arlene. "Like what?"

"Oh, you'll see," said Verin. "You'll see indeed. I have a whole cart of supplies that will aid in the beast's capture. And finally, I will prove my dominance over all of Cresthaven's deadly beasts, and I will be knighted into the glory of the Order of the Chimera!"

***

Dinner continued for a while until Verin finally showed everyone to their rooms for the evening. Andy took a loft in a higher level of the treehouse complex, right between Arlene and Kermit's rooms.

The building's various swinging bridges, staircases, and platforms connected several different buildings without clear rhyme or reason. But for all its disorienting whimsy, the hunting lodge was clearly created by craftsmen who cared about beauty, luxury, and comfort.

Andy's room was simple: a small but comfortable bed with an ornate quilt and about four-too-many pillows, along with a wash basin and a chest of drawers. Andy changed out of his heavy gear and locked it in the chest of drawers, leaning his greatsword against the wall. He slipped into more comfortable, plain clothes: a simple tunic and loose pants. As he laid on the lush bed, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Andy said.

It was Morwen. She opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"I just wanted you to know… you remember when I said this mission would be easy?"

"Yes," Andy said. "But it seems like things have changed, huh?"

"Yes," said Morwen. "Yes they have."