> Task: Monster Hunting
> Requester: Oldspice Village
> Quest Rank: C
> Rewards: 60 Large Copper Coins
> Description: After issuing a request for help in rescuing some stolen horses, we received a very troubling report over how a monster den somehow set up right next to our village. Many centipede-like creatures seem to inhabit it, as well as some strange and corrupted elves... We're in desperate need of help, so please clean the monster den!
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Nero's POV
It was really early in the morning, the sun was yet to rise. An open-top wagon stood outside the Guild, a couple of horses tied to its front. Nero was the first one from his party to arrive. He placed his shield, spears and bag on the wagon floor and climbed in.
The noise woke the wagon driver up from his slumber. He turned around and saw Nero making himself comfortable on the wooden seats. "Morning, adventurer! Where to?"
"The Oldspice village. My companions should be arriving soon."
"Yeah, I was told to take you there. You know what, I'll just lie down for a bit. Wake me up when you are ready to travel."
Lethe's POV
Seeing the wagon outside of the guild, Lethe was quite pleased: no walking required to reach their destination and ample space for napping. It was practically a dream come true.
Upon reaching the back of the wagon, she tossed in a bag twice the size of her body containing who knows what and clambered in after it. With a quick greeting to Nero, Lethe found herself a nice corner and laid out her sleeping bag. After making sure the sleeping bag was optimally positioned and her pillow was properly situated, Lethe wormed her way into the bag, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Zinc's POV
As soon as Zinc reached the wagon, the young doctor slowed his pace while he double-checked his bag to see if he had packed everything. He held his hand to his weapons and tightly secured them before arriving before the wagon. When he realized that he was the last to arrive, he scratched his beard embarrassingly. With an apologetic nod, he climbed onto the wagon and found a corner to meditate.
Seeing Zinc show up, Nero shook the driver awake and notified him that everyone had arrived. The driver woke with a start and quickly re-positioned himself. Glancing back, he remarked.
"All set? Good, let's go. Haaa!"
The driver grabbed a hold of the reins and with a flick of his hands, urged the horses into action. While the adventurers made their way to the village, Zinc decided to break the silence with a simple introduction causing Nero to look up and Lethe to stir from her sleep.
"Hello friends, it's about time I properly introduced myself. My name is Zinc. I'm a dwelf...an half mountain dwarf and half drow elf. I studied eastern medicine since young and I have some skills with the blade. What about you?" Zinc replied as he glanced over at his fellow party members.
Nero's POV
"I'm Nero. They say that my race are descendants of the dragons. But nobody knows for sure. I am quite handy in a fight.", Nero replied, "And this is Lethe, a summoner."
Lethe's POV
Feeling that Nero's response was adequate she was about to go back to sleep when Lethe noticed that Zinc seemed to smell slightly of herbs and chefy-ness. This reminded her of the fact that she had only eaten an entire loaf of bread and a generous helping of steamed veggies that morning, which was certainly not enough to sustain a young(?), growing(?) rabbitkin such as herself. Deciding that a proper investigation was necessary, Lethe squirmed her way over to Zinc to confirm her suspicions. Finding that, that had done nothing to help confirm anything, she decided just to ask.
"Chef?" she questioned him, her eyes hiding a hint of expectation and possible excitement behind the sleepiness that perpetually seemed to plague them.
Just thinking about food had made Lethe hungry and her stomach gave a rather terrifying yet quiet roar.
Zinc's POV
"No, not exactly. My cooking can be considered rudimentary. Of course, it's not the taste that I focus on but more on the medicinal effects." Zinc shook his head as he explained what the differences between regular cooking and medicinal cooking are.
"Oh." Lethe murmured dejectedly as she went back to sleep.
With the conversation ended just like that, Zinc awkwardly went back to meditation.
Nero's POV
The wagon reached the Oldspice village at noon. The first thing to be noticed was a crowd had gathered at the grounds. People were seen rushing from one place to another.
The adventurers got off the wagon when it reached the crowd. Nero paid the driver his dues and the team collected their stuff. While they were disembarking, the village had turned silent. All eyes were drawn towards the newcomers and some excited whispers started originating from them.
Nero stepped towards the villagers and brandished his guild card in a dramatic fashion. "We are from the Adventurers Guild. Is the village chief present here?"
"Adventurers! We were wondering if anyone would even turn up.", an old man had stepped forward. "We were attacked last night. Two of our farmers have died!"
Lethe's POV
Lethe had still been recovering from the blow that Zinc wasn’t actually as chefy as she had first believed, and now she was struck again when she saw the villagers and heard their situation. Feeling that now was the time, she grabbed her enormous bag and pulled out an inordinate amount of orange carrot cookies that she proceeded to hand out to the villagers. Though the cookies were a bit on the small side, the villagers seemed rather touched.
Making it back to the Village Chief, Lethe approached him and gave him a solemn *pat pat* saying, "We here. It gon' be 'kay."
Hearing that, the Chief felt immensely relieved and struggled to hold back his tears. Though somewhere in the back of his mind he was wondering how the heck this tiny rabbitkin was supposed to do anything against such a fearsome enemy.
Following that moment the Village Chief, who introduced himself as Chief Wedgemore, brought them into his home and gave them a more in-depth rundown of the situation.
Zinc's POV
"It was terrible. Larry and Joe were killed in such a brutal way. There were two distinctive piercings on each body and greenish fluid flowing out of it." Chief Wedgemore described with frantic gestures.
"Poisoned." Zinc remarked as he had some experience with centipedes in the past.
"Yeah, I believe so too." The old man nodded in agreement. "But the sizes and shapes of the wounds are huge. It reminds me of a childhood story I used to hear from my grandfather. He described of a monstrosity living in the forests and caves nearby who went by the name of Latreille - the Hundred-Foot Dragoness. Legends foretold of Latreille as an insect-like subspecies of dragon with poisonous fangs, long curvy body, and armored scales that can block even mythril. I thought it was just a fairy tale meant to deter children from playing in the woods at night...but to think.... Do you think whoever killed the two farmers last night were descendants of Latreille?"
"Possibly. But no worries, we'll find a way to handle it. For now, show me where the wounded are. I'm a doctor, perhaps I'll be of assistance." Zinc replied as he efficiently changed the subject.
"Ah yes, right over there. That's where our village doctor - Kaleb - is attending the wounded. Just tell him I sent you." Chief Wedgemore replied as he pointed towards a roughly built tent.
Zinc thanked the old man before headed towards the tent.
"Is anyone there?" Zinc asked as he lifted up the covers and entered the tent. He was met with the smell of blood and the stench of medicine. Looking around, he saw a middle-aged man with brown hair and ragged beard standing up to his declaration.
"I'm Kaleb. How may I help you?" The man wiped his hands and stared at Zinc suspiciously.
"Chief Wedgemore sent me. Do you need any help?"
"You? Do you understand medicine?"
"Absolutely. I'm a practitioner of eastern medicine."
"Eastern medicine eh? Can you bandage?"
"Yes."
"Great, come over and help me wrap this man up." Kaleb smiled as he motioned the dwelf towards a young woman with a gash across her arm.
Zinc sat down beside Kaleb and began wrapping some clean bandages around the wound as the village doctor held up the arm in position.
Meanwhile....
Nero's POV
"So, how many of these insects exist?", Nero asked, "And where are they coming from?"
"We had one insect attack us last night. It had scampered off as soon it attacked. Our hunters have been seeing their tracks for a few days now, but they have never come near the village before. Another adventurer had said that she had seen four large ones inside their cave.", Chief Wedgemore replied, "Do you think they will come back?"
"I can't say for sure, but I think they will. We should make the village more secure by then.", Nero answered. He stood up to go and scout the village and its neighboring terrain.
Lethe's POV
Lethe had wandered off at some point while the Chief was talking to investigate the damage in the surrounding area and maybe set up some traps to ward off any future attacks. While out and about she ran into Bob, one of the other farmers. He stood looking out over his broken corral, utterly miffed.
“Took’em, dey took’em ‘gain. Can’t dey just leave duh horses lone?”
“Mayb’ they find ‘em tasty?” commented Lethe.
Bob just stared at here like she was crazy. “Ain’t nobody like eatin’ horse meat. It’s duh last resort of any meat source, Dey have t’much muscle.”
Nodding to express her understanding Lethe then bid Bob adieu and headed out to set up some tripwires to form an alarm system around the village’s perimeter. And a few other fun surprises and traps for good measure.
Nero's POV
Nero returned from his uneventful scouting trip and met up with the others at the chief's house.
They had decided their strategy to combat these foes. The villagers had been told to gather their horses at the edge of the village. Traps had been set and the adventurers and the hunters lay in wait for the creatures to make their appearance.
Lethe's POV
As night approached with still no enemy movement everyone became rather restless. Deciding that just waiting around was boring, Lethe summoned Martin instructing him to use his Detect Presence skill and let her know if/when their foes appeared. She then proceeded to scramble up a nearby tree so she would be able to literally get a jump on them upon their arrival.
Not long after Lethe had settled into position, Martin sent her a signal to let her know that there was a party of 4 enemies fast approaching. By some bizarre stroke of luck (Lethe chose to avoid the possibility that it was skill) they had managed to avoid all of the tripwires. Realizing that the others had no idea of what was soon to come, she quickly signaled them to let them know of the incoming enemy.
Zinc's POV
After Lethe signaled them that the enemy was coming and that there were four enemies, Zinc motioned for the guards and hunters to get into place while he deftly scrambled forward a few meters and up a tree. The dwelf reached behind him and pulled out his Amputation Knife. He left his Horse-Slaying Blade in the Village Chief's house since that weapon was mostly used to cleave flesh and crack bone. The Amputation Knife, however, was a single-handed weapon used to attack the joints...perfect for dealing with the centipede-like monsters.
Zinc waited, and after a few minutes, he caught sight of the enemies. There was one Falmer, one large Chaurus, and two small Chaurus. The large Chaurus acted as the vanguard while flanked by the two small Chaurus. The three Chaurus protected the Falmer behind them. Zinc waited for the four enemies to walk past him before he leaped from his hiding place and swung his blade at the Falmer.
As he fell, he cried out. "Attack!"
Nero's POV
Nero rose from the trench that he was lying in, spears equipped. The first thing he noticed was Zinc dropping down towards the Falmer. Deciding to focus on the others, he aimed his spear at the small Chaurus who stood between him and the large insect. The spear flew out of his hand and pierced right through the body of his target. It writhed around in pain for a few seconds before falling down.
Hearing its smaller comrade's screams, the large Chaurus shifted its attention from Zinc to Nero and started hissing angrily. Nero, not the one to waste an opportunity, threw his second spear right at its body. Unfortunately, the fully grown Chaurus had a really thick exoskeleton. The spear was only able to leave a scratch on the Chaurus before it lost its momentum and fell down.
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Nero grabbed his shield and his final spear and charged at his enemy.
Lethe's POV
As soon as the other smaller Chaurus reached Lethe's position, Martin quickly used "Stuck on You" to hold it in place for a split second. This was just enough for Lethe as she dropped from the tree above. By aiming at the chinks in the Chaurus' exoskeleton and using the extra force generated by gravity Lethe was able to quickly put an end to its sorry life.
While the larger Chaurus was distracted by Nero, Lethe took the opportunity to dash in and out aiming quick attacks at the joints that connected its legs to its body. After a few rounds, she severed one of its legs.
Zinc's POV
Meanwhile, Zinc managed to land a solid blow on the Falmer, cutting off one of his hands. The hunters and village guards rushed out with bows and spears and aimed at the Falmer. While they overwhelmed the poor creature, Zinc rushed to the aid of his fellow party members. The dwelf arrived behind the large Chaurus and stabbed down. The Amputation Knife pierced through between two scales, pinning the large Chaurus into the ground. As the large Chaurus writhed in pain and tried to free itself, Lethe and Nero moved in for another attack.
Nero's POV
With Zinc and Lethe joining in to fight the Chaurus, Nero felt the tide of the fight change in his favor. He grabbed the head of the distracted creature with his two free hands so that it wouldn't be able to bite anyone. Now with a bit more breathing room, he calmly found the joints using the tip of his spear and started stabbing at it.
With the Chaurus being unable to move and attack, Lethe and Nero were able to stab and hack it to death in the space of a few minutes.
Lethe's POV
After defeating the scouting party, Zinc, Nero, and Lethe made the decision to rest for the remainder of the night and head for the cave at first light in attempts to catch the remainder of the creatures in the cave unawares. Chief Wedgemore graciously offered his home as accommodations for the weary adventurers, who gladly accepted.
Zinc's POV
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While the villagers and the other adventurers rest for the night, Zinc asked the Village Chief for a few bundles of rope and a knapsack. He grabbed the two smaller Chaurus and beheaded both of them. Then, he tied them by their tails and slung them over a tree branch in order to bleed them out. While that was going on, Zinc grabbed his Amputation Knife and stabbed into the joint between the head and the first scale. With a couple of wrenches, he ripped the head clean off.
Then, he proceeded to slice of the tail and cut the rest into cross-sectional pieces. Poking through the flesh with the handle of his knife, Zinc de-fleshed the large Chaurus. After roughly cleaning the flesh from the blood and the guts, Zinc stuffed the flesh into the knapsack and dragged it over to the village. At the village, he started a fire and brought over a few wooden poles. Skewering the Chaurus flesh, Zinc placed the skewer on top of the large fire pit.
Once the cooking was done, Zinc distributed the meat to his party as well as to the other villagers. At first, they looked at Zinc as if he was crazy. Though the meat smells good, why would they eat meat from a poisonous creature? Zinc, as if knowing what was going through their minds, calmly assured them that the Chaurus meat was free from poison and definitely edible. He was sure of it...90% sure of it...80% sure of it...nevertheless, to prove to the others, Zinc took the first bite. Seeing Zinc chow down on the meat, the others joined in soon after. Once the meal was finished, Lethe set down a few more tripwire traps before everyone went to sleep.
When morning came, Zinc woke up the earliest and walked towards the tree where the two small Chaurus hang. Zinc checked the two bodies and nodded that they were sufficiently drained of their bodily fluids. Zinc released the two corpses and dragged them over into the village. After discussing with the Village Chief about what he intended for the bodies, the chief nodded in agreement. Zinc hung the two bodies up where the sun shone the brightest. He had intended to dry the bodies before crushing them into powder and stored for later use.
While he waited for the bodies to dry, the rest of the party woke up.
Nero's POV
Nero woke up after a good night's rest, feeling sharp and energetic. They would raid the cave in a few hours. Last night's battle hadn't done his spears any favors. One of the spear heads had cracked upon contact with the Chaurus. He would have to replace it soon.
Not feeling as energetic as before, he lumbered out of his room to go and meet his teammates and have their breakfast.
Lethe's POV
After what Lethe considered a rather disappointing breakfast of cream of wheat and dried meats, she, Nero and, Zinc gathered their supplies and headed out. Sebastian, the brave young lad who had been one of the first to witness the creatures, served as their guide. Along their careful trek towards the cave, they noticed obvious signs of recent activity. There was increasingly damaged underbrush as they approached closer; the Falmers and their little pets were definitely up to something.
Approximately a mile from the cave's entrance, Sebastian stopped, gesturing towards the direction of the cave. He had no plans nor desires to go any closer. Lethe figured that was probably for the best. The most likely thing the boy would end up being if he tagged along was bug chow, and Lethe was certain his parents would not approve.
The adventures, however, had no choice in the matter really and continued their journey forwards. As they traversed that last mile, they readied themselves mentally and physically for the tricky battle to come. Lethe, Nero, and Zinc stopped just short of the cave entrance where they saw two larger and one smaller Chaurus on guard.
Zinc's POV
Once the party woke up and had a light breakfast, they ventured towards the cave under the guidance of the young boy - Sebastian. Near the entrance of the cave, Zinc handed his Horse-Slaying Blade for Nero to use. The Horse-Slaying Blade was a large blade at 7 feet in length with 2 feet of handle and 5 feet of blade. Although it will not be able to cleave through a large Chaurus's scales, it can at least provide enough force to knock them away without breaking. Zinc, on the other hand, took out his Amputation Knife and steadied himself for the upcoming raid.
By the entrance, the party spotted two large Chaurus and one small Chaurus patrolling about. After some discussion on how to proceed, Zinc decided to first lure one or two out and ambush them in the forest. While Sebastian was sent back and the other two hid behind a couple of trees, Zinc rushed towards the edge of the forest and threw a rock towards the cave.
PIAK!
The rock smashed into the cave, causing a startling disturbance. The three Chaurus glanced at each other as if communicating on what to do before two of them - the small one and a large one - ventured into the forest to investigate. As they went deeper into the forest, Zinc circled around back to the party and discussed the plan. He and Nero will handle the large one while Lethe handles the small one.
With that said, the plan was put into motion. As soon as the two Chaurus moved into range, Zinc leaped from the tree he was positioned in and landed on the back of the large Chaurus. As the large Chaurus squirmed to throw off the attacker on its back, Zinc deftly swiped his knife and severed a leg from the joints. Meanwhile, both Nero and Lethe sprang into action.
Nero's POV
Nero had learnt a lot from his fight last night. He had to attack the gaps between the Chaurus scales to actually inflict damage. Zinc's Horse-Slaying Blade was a much better weapon against these particular enemies, as he would be able to deal much greater damage from a closer range, when compared to his spears. To add to that, with Zinc having achieved a great amount of success in catching the creature off guard, it would be a much easier fight this time around.
Nero rushed at the distracted Chaurus and grabbed at its head with his top arms. With the opponents main weapon neutralized, he began to slice at its weak spots. He was able to get through the armor in his first try and dealt a vital strike immediately. The Chaurus lost its strength really quickly and went limp with a few more strikes.
After confirming that the Chaurus had perished, Nero decided to check out how Lethe was faring against her opponent.
Lethe's POV
Following the same pattern as last night, Lethe had positioned herself in a tree and coordinated with Martin to quickly take down the smaller Chaurus.
Hearing the commotion, the remaining larger Chaurus rushed over to help its companions; but it was already too late, the others were dead. Enraged, the Chuarus went straight for Martin, the closest enemy. Startled but not panicked Martin was able to evade the Chaurus' blow. Taking advantage of its focus on Martin, Lethe and Zinc swiftly attacked its joints to impede its maneuverability. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the damage it had received and his astonishing might, Nero was once again able to halt the Chaurus in its tracks and strike a fatal blow with Zinc's Horse-Slaying Blade.
After a quick break to catch their breath, the party forged ahead into the cave. They had traveled what seemed like half a mile when Lethe motioned for the others to stop as Martin had sensed an enemy up ahead.
Zinc's POV
Zinc walked up a peered towards the distance. With the dim light from the surrounding flora coupled with his innate dark vision, Zinc could make out a small Chaurus patrolling up ahead. Zinc held his hand up and motioned for the others to stay put while he dealt with the enemy. As soon as the small Chaurus turned its back, Zinc rushed forward and threw out his knife. Last night, after dismantling the large Chaurus, he had a pretty good idea of the physiology of the monster. Immediately, he could ascertain the main nerves of the Chaurus as well as the location of its hindbrain.
The Amputation Knife flew into the unsuspecting small Chaurus, piercing its hindbrain, and causing immediate brain death. This was a technique that combined acupuncture and cooking called "knocking". The small Chaurus didn't even let out a squeak as it collapsed onto the ground. Zinc walked up to the monster and pulled out his knife...not a single drop of blood flowed out from the piercing wound. Zinc glanced back after confirming his kill and motioned for the others to follow. Soon, they arrived at what seemed to be a large cavern. In it were numerous Chaurus eggs. Beside the eggs, there were two Falmer and one large Chaurus tending to them.
Zinc looked back and mouthed. "What should we do now?"
Nero's POV
"Attack!", mouthed Nero in reply, and drew out two of his spears. But when he stretched his arms to throw them, the Falmers seemed to notice his presence and moved to confront him. The Falmer who was nearest had reacted a little too late. As he turned to face Nero, he found a spear had been embedded into his chest, and promptly breathed his last.
The second Falmer managed to duck the spear throw in the nick of time and had smartly decided to close down the attacker. Unfortunately for Nero, this Falmer wasn't the only creature that was moving towards him. The large Chaurus had rushed to Nero as soon as the spears had been launched. It barged straight into his body with its entire weight and momentum behind it and managed to knock the adventurer to the ground.
The Horse -Slaying Blade had been drawn in the nick of time as Nero used it to keep the fangs of the Chaurus from biting at his face. The two of them were now involved in a wrestling match on the ground, trying to overpower each other.
Lethe's POV
Noticing the other Falmer drawing its bow, Lethe and Martin worked in tandem to interrupt its attack. While Martin drew its attention Lethe flanked the Falmer and was able to deal it a decent blow. Now attempting to go after Lethe, the Falmer drew its sword and began to approach only to be briefly stuck in place by Martin's skill. This caught the Falmer unaware and allowed Lethe to make another strike. Unfortunately, however, the Falmer was quick enough to counter strike and lightly injured Lethe's right arm. Thankfully, she was left-handed thus able to continue on with the battle. Lethe and Martin went quite a few more rounds with the Falmer before taking it down for good. During the battle, Lethe received a few more superficial wounds but, really, nothing to write home about.
While Lethe and Martin had gone for the Falmer Archer, Zinc had gone to aid Nero in taking down the Chaurus.
Zinc's POV
Zinc rushed in and amputated one of the Chaurus's hind legs. Without the support of one of its legs, the large Chaurus stumbled and could not resist Nero as the giant pushed it back. With a powerful force, Nero knocked the large Chaurus onto its back. As it tried to stabilize itself and flip itself over, Zinc moved in and severed the rest of its legs with three quick strokes. Without its legs, the large Chaurus could do nothing except writhe about. Zinc flipped his Amputation Knife and, with both hands, stabbed the knife down and pinned the limbless monster to the ground.
Then, Nero moved in and, after a few swipes of the Horse-Slaying Blade, cleaved the large Chaurus in half. Once the monster had died, Zinc pulled out his knife and wiped his knife. He walked up to the mouth of the cavern to check if any more enemies are hiding behind the stalagmites. Seeing none, Zinc rushed over and started grabbing a few of the eggs.
Nero's POV
After confirming that the cave contained no more creatures, Nero decided to gather all the Chaurus corpses at the mouth of the cave. The three large Chaurus exoskeletons were the toughest things he had ever seen. Thinking of the armor that could be made from them, he began the process of dismantling the scales. He had grown fond of the Horse-Slaying Blade over the course of this adventure and as he continued with the monotonous task, he began to entertain thoughts of replacing his chipped spear with a similar blade.
Lethe's POV
After Zinc had gathered sufficient eggs, Lethe and Martin set about destroying the rest. They separated to search out and crush them to ensure that the Chaurus would not reemerge and once again threaten Old Spice Village. While searching through one of the structures the Falmer had constructed, Lethe found a chest containing three bottles of weak poison, a copper dagger, and 6 Large Coppers. Pocketing them to share with her party members, she continued her mission to seek and destroy until she was certain there wasn't a single egg left.
Zinc's POV
Zinc quickly stuffed more than fifty fist-sized Chaurus eggs into his large backpack. Having stuffed his backpack to the brim, Zinc began helping Lethe destroy the other eggs. While he walked about and smashed a couple of eggs, he noticed that there was another room hidden behind a row of stalagmites. With a curious mind, he squeezed through the stalagmites and entered the room. There, he discovered something amazing. There was a wide pond of greenish liquid with heavy green fog floating above it. Partially-submerged in the center of the pond was a large skeleton of what looked to be a dragon.
When Zinc tried to approach the pond, his brain immediately began flashing warning signs. Poison!! Zinc quickly covered his nose and retreated a couple of steps. The green pond was a pond of poisonous acid and the green fog was poisonous gas! It's amazing how powerful the dragon must have been for its bones to stay so intact even after being submerged in the green fluids for so long. It was even more amazing imagining the creature that killed such a powerful beast. It was then, that Zinc recalled the tale from Chief Wedgemore...the tale of the Hundred-Foot Dragoness - Latreille. Could this dragon skeleton belong to Latreille? No, that can't be. The skeleton had the structure of a typical winged dragon, but from what he had heard from the Village Chief, Latreille had no wings and was more like a gigantic centipede.
Zinc could confirm that the greenish pond was most likely from Latreille...then where was she? And who was the skeleton that laid before him? As Zinc observed the skeleton once more, he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a piece of fabric within the teeth of the monstrosity. The fabric looked like a piece of a map. Having no means of getting it, Zinc could only go back. Once he exited the room, he saw that Lethe and Nero were finished with their work. As Nero handed the Horse-Slaying Blade back to Zinc, the dwelf told them what he had saw and the trio decided to talk to one of the guild staff about it. Maybe it will be continued as another quest. Or maybe the staff will deem it unnecessary to venture any further. Nevertheless, the trio packed up and headed out of the cave.
Nero's POV
It was evening by the time the adventurers returned to the village. The villagers started celebrating once they learned that the threat had been eliminated. Chief Wedgemore decided to hold a feast for them at his house as well as arrange transportation back to the city the following morning.
Lethe's POV
After enjoying the sumptuous meal, the adventures retired for the evening and enjoyed a good night’s rest. This time after waking, to Lethe's delight, there was a more luxurious breakfast of sausage, flapjacks, and even fresh fruit! Upon finishing their breakfast Lethe, Zinc, and Nero secured their belongings and bid farewell to the villagers before boarding a wagon to return to headquarters.