Outside the chief’s tent, the goblin village was already a flurry of activity. The fires had been extinguished, and though scorch marks marred several huts, the goblins wasted no time repairing them. It was clear they had done this before. John observed as they worked, admiring their efficiency despite the night’s chaos.

As he scanned the area, his eyes caught something unusual—a faint glow surrounding one of the goblins. Narrowing his gaze, he focused, and a name tag appeared above her head: *Grevina.* That name sparked something in his memory.

Then it hit him—the strange side quest from earlier.

John strode toward her, his curiosity piqued. The moment she noticed him approaching, her green skin paled, and she looked ready to bolt. He raised his hands, attempting to appear as non-threatening as possible.

“Hey, easy there. I think I have something that belongs to you,” John said, reaching into his pocket.

Grevina’s wide, fearful eyes locked onto his hand as he withdrew the small stone he’d been carrying. It felt warm in his grip, a remnant of whatever magic had tied it to this quest. He extended it toward her.

“A brave warrior was going to bring this to you,” he explained.

The moment she saw the stone, recognition dawned in her expression. Tears welled up in her large, dark eyes as she clutched the rock, whispering a name—one John assumed was the warrior who had promised to return it. Her fingers curled protectively around the stone as she hugged it to her chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Now I know what happened.”

A familiar chime echoed in John’s mind as a notification appeared:

**Quest Complete: Give Shiny Rock to Grevina**

**Reward: Stone Amulet of Protection (+10 Defense)**

He felt the weight of something new in his palm and looked down to see an unassuming amulet, a rough-hewn stone carved into a simple pendant. As soon as he slipped it over his head, a tingling sensation spread across his skin. His body felt… tougher, like invisible armor had wrapped itself around him.

“Man, that’s weird,” he muttered, flexing his fingers as he tested the feeling. He’d barely thought about that rock since picking it up, and yet here it was, netting him a solid reward. He wasn’t about to complain.

Turning away from Grevina, he walked back to where Kaia and Thorin waited near the remains of the watchtower. Both of them eyed him curiously.

“What was that about?” Thorin asked, arms crossed.

“Apparently, I picked up a random quest earlier and just finished it,” John said, tapping the amulet. “Got this for it. Ten extra defense.”

Kaia tilted her head. “That’s… convenient. You really do have a strange gift.”

John smirked. “Yep. And I’m starting to like it.”

Thorin grunted. “So, what’s next?”

John turned his gaze toward the horizon. They had a necromancer to deal with.

***

As the three companions set out on the path toward the old goblin village, the morning sun cast long shadows through the towering trees. The remnants of their night's chaos still clung to John's thoughts, but the goblins had taken it all remarkably well.

"Well, I have to admit, that went better than expected," John said, adjusting the straps on his pack. "They sent us off with supplies, didn’t try to stab us in the back, and they took the whole ‘killing their people and burning down half the village’ thing surprisingly well."

Thorin grunted in amusement. "It’s the way of goblins. They are a warlike people, always fighting for power and status. Clans battle each other constantly to determine who leads. Challenges, skirmishes, betrayals—it’s how their society works. Strength is their currency."

Kaia nodded, stepping carefully over a gnarled tree root. "To them, death isn’t a tragedy. It’s part of life’s cycle. You were stronger, so they accepted it. If they had won, they would have taken what they wanted from us without hesitation."

John exhaled, shaking his head. "Brutal. But efficient, I guess."

A silence settled between them as they walked, the rustling of leaves and distant bird calls filling the space. Eventually, John turned to Kaia. "Hey, I gotta ask. You seemed really fired up about this whole necromancer thing. I mean, we all agree raising the dead is creepy, but you reacted like she personally insulted your goddess or something."

Kaia’s lips pressed into a thin line before she answered. "Because she did. Seraphis, the Lady of Life, abhors undeath. It is the ultimate perversion of her domain. She grants life, vitality, and healing, but necromancers twist that gift into something unnatural. The Church of Seraphis considers wiping out undeath one of its highest callings. It’s not just about fighting monsters; it’s about restoring balance."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

John mulled that over. "Okay, that makes sense. But what about the goddess of death?" He gestured vaguely at the air. "You’d think undeath would be under her jurisdiction. Like, doesn’t that count as a death-adjacent thing? They're both spooky."

Kaia nearly tripped. She stared at John, eyes wide with disbelief. "No! Ereshka, the Lady of Death, despises necromancy even more than Seraphis does. The dead should stay dead. Necromancy is an affront to her, an unnatural defilement of the final rest she grants. Life and death aren’t enemies, John. They complement each other. One gives meaning to the other."

John considered that, rubbing his chin. "Huh. So, life and death are like two sides of the same coin? You need one to make sense of the other?"

Kaia smiled slightly, pleased by his understanding. "Exactly. Death isn’t something to be feared; it’s part of the cycle. Life springs from death, and death makes life precious. Necromancers break that cycle. They cheat death."

John snapped his fingers. "Oh, I get it. Like in The Lion King—the circle of life!"

Kaia and Thorin exchanged blank looks. John sighed. "Right. No pop culture references. One day, you guys are gonna sit through some movie night classics."

Thorin chuckled. "As long as ale is involved, I’ll endure whatever nonsense you wish to share."

John grinned. "Deal. Now let’s go find ourselves a necromancer."

The goblin village faded into the distance as John, Kaia, and Thorin trudged deeper into the forest. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows between the towering pines. The dirt path beneath their boots was uneven, twisted with roots that seemed determined to trip them.

“This is normally the time you'd be saying this is a terrible idea John" Thorin said teasingly.

John adjusted the straps of his pack, rolling his eyes. “It’s a terrible idea? C’mon, I’d rank this somewhere around ‘mildly reckless’ at worst.”

Kaia shot him a questioning look. “We’re walking straight into a necromancer’s domain.”

“Yeah, but she’s named Tiffany,” John countered. “That knocks her intimidation factor down at least seventy percent.”

Thorin chuckled, shifting his massive axe to his other shoulder. “You do have a strange way of looking at things, John.”

The air grew colder as they pressed forward, and the normal sounds of the forest—chirping birds, rustling leaves—slowly faded. The absence of noise was unsettling. Even the wind seemed hesitant to disturb this place.

By nightfall, they found a small clearing off the path, encircled by gnarled trees. Thorin set to gather firewood while Kaia muttered a quiet prayer and drew a small ward in the dirt around their camp.

John plopped down onto a log, stretching his legs. “Alright, so let’s talk strategy. How do we deal with Tiffany?”

Kaia scoffed. “Ideally, we don’t. We figure out how to stop her without stepping foot in whatever cursed ruin she’s holed up in.”

John grinned. “Oh, come on. You don’t want to at least see if she’s wearing a bubblegum-pink cloak?”

Thorin shook his head as he struck flint against steel, sparking the campfire to life. “Laugh all you want. Something’s wrong with this land.”

As if to emphasize his words, a distant howl echoed through the trees. It wasn’t a normal wolf’s call—it was deeper, guttural, something that rattled in the chest. The three of them instinctively reached for their weapons.

John exhaled slowly. “That, uh… that didn’t sound healthy.”

Kaia tightened her grip on her staff. “No, it didn’t.”

Silence stretched between them as the fire crackled. Whatever was out there, it wasn’t alone. More howls joined the first, distant but drawing closer.

John glanced at his companions. “Well. Looks like this wont be a peaceful stroll in the woods.”

Thorin grunted. “Then we’d better eat while we can.”

He pulled out a small iron pot and set it over the fire, filling it with water from his flask. Kaia rummaged through her pack, producing dried jerky, some root vegetables, and a small pouch of herbs. She sliced the jerky into strips, dropping them into the simmering water.

“This won't be as good as fresh meat but it will fill our bellies” she said, stirring.

John sniffed the pot as Kaia added the herbs. “Smells like… vaguely edible.”

Kaia rolled her eyes. “It’ll keep you alive.”

As the stew thickened, they passed around wooden bowls, each scooping a portion. John blew on his spoonful before taking a bite, grimacing. “Okay, not bad. Bit gamey.”

Thorin shrugged. “Better than hardtack.”

John leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. “You know, back in my world, when people go camping, they tell ghost stories around the fire.”

Kaia raised an eyebrow. “You mean like… to scare each other on purpose?”

“Exactly,” John said with a grin. “It’s part of the fun.”

Thorin huffed. “What’s the point of frightening yourselves when there’s already enough real danger lurking?”

John smirked. “Because it helps you face fear in a safe setting. Besides, you two have fought actual undead before, so I doubt anything I say will scare you.”

Kaia tilted her head. “I don’t know. Try me.”

John cleared his throat, lowering his voice for dramatic effect. “Alright. This one’s a classic. There was once a man who took a shortcut home through the woods. As he walked, he felt something following him—soft footsteps, just behind his own. Every time he stopped, the sound stopped too. When he ran, the footsteps ran faster. Finally, he reached his door, slammed it shut, and turned to look through the window… and there, pressed against the glass, was a shadowy figure, grinning at him with empty eyes.”

Kaia shuddered, but Thorin only chuckled. “That’s child’s play compared to what we’ve seen.”

Kaia nodded. “Back when I was still with the church, I was sent on a mission to deal with an outbreak of undeath. A graveyard outside a small town had been disturbed—bodies were rising at night, attacking livestock and travelers. The town’s priests couldn’t contain it, so they sent for aid.”

Thorin prodded the fire, his face grim. “Kaia led a team of white mages and clerics, and I was among the fighters protecting them. We thought we’d be dealing with a handful of shambling corpses. Instead, we walked into a nightmare. There were dozens, crawling out of the earth like worms.”

Kaia nodded. “We had to burn the entire graveyard. The worst part? Some of them still remembered their old lives. They called out to loved ones, begged for help as the fire consumed them.”

John swallowed. “That’s… a lot worse than my story.”

Kaia exhaled slowly. “Undeath isn’t just about reanimating corpses. It perverts the natural order. That’s why I left the church. They were too reactive, always waiting until things were out of control instead of stopping them at the source.”

Thorin clapped her on the shoulder. “And now we’re taking the fight straight to the source.”

John stared into the fire. “Well… I hope Tiffany doesn’t have a whole army of those waiting for us.”

Kaia gave him a pointed look. “If she does at least then we know what we’re dealing with.”

Silence settled over the camp as they finished their meal, the fire flickering against the dark trees. The howls had stopped—but now, the quiet felt even heavier.

They ate in relative silence, the warmth of the fire fighting off the creeping chill of the night.

"We need to set up a watch for tonight. I'll take the first one, then you John and finally Kaia" Thorin said

"Sounds good to me I hate staying up later and would prefer middle or last to be honest" John said

John wrapped himself in his forest green wool blanket and dozed off, only to be shaken awake by Thorin a few hours later. “Your turn.”

Sighing, John stretched and moved to sit by the fire, rubbing sleep from his eyes. By the fire was a pot of wakeroot and John immediately went for it. As he drank it the familiar sense of being content washing over him.

The forest was eerily still. He poked at the embers, watching the flames dance—until a low growl made him freeze.

A pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness. A massive wolf padded into the firelight, its fur thick and matted, bristling with the menace of a predator that knew no fear. Its breath came in slow, heavy puffs, misting in the cool night air.

John barely had time to grab his knife before the beast lunged.

He rolled to the side, dirt spraying as its claws tore into the spot where he’d just been. The sheer size of the thing was staggering—easily twice as large as any wolf he’d ever seen. It moved with deadly grace, muscles rippling beneath its dark fur.

John slashed at its flank, but the blade barely cut through its thick hide. The wolf snarled, eyes flashing like embers in the night. It snapped its massive jaws, nearly catching his arm, forcing him to scramble backward.

Then it lunged again.

John ducked under the beast’s swipe, feeling the rush of air as a clawed paw passed inches from his head. He had to end this fast. As the wolf twisted, preparing for another attack, he surged forward, driving his dagger into its throat and twisting hard. The dire wolf let out a choked snarl, stumbling back.

With a final, shuddering breath, it collapsed. Silence fell over the clearing, save for John's own ragged breathing.

John sat back, panting. “Well… that sucked.”

Kaia and Thorin stirred, weapons in hand. “What happened?” Kaia demanded.

John gestured to the remains that had started to smolder and burn up leaving behind only charred bones. “I made a new friend. He was a bit too hot to handle.”

Thorin groaned. “You and your damn jokes.”

Kaia shook her head, kneeling to inspect the bones. “This wasn’t natural. Something’s corrupting the creatures here. A Dire wolf follows evil where it goes"

John exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Great. Just what we needed. dire wolves. Next thing you know we'll be fighting white walkers in the dark in clearly the worst-written season of a show in history”

Kaia shot John a glare.

Thorin glanced at the trees. “We probably won't be getting any more sleep this night.”

The forest was watching. And it wasn’t done with them yet.