“Look out,” Jabari called to the new guys again.

“Ooh! That was close,” Jabari said and winced as he watched the new guy backpedal away from the imp with all the grace of a newborn bumblepup.

Although he had to admit that the new guy, was helping even if he was whacking them with a Tree Branch like his life depended on it. Somehow, despite his obvious lack of training, he was holding his own. Well, mostly.

As Jabari watched another of the imps fired up, making small flames coming out of its long little fingers, and new guy backed up a few feet.

Jabari called out encouragingly, "It's just a little fire, buddy, you got this!"

New guy looked over at him but didn’t seem reassured. When the imp lunged at him, his retreat turned into a comedic sidestep that had Jabari chuckling despite the danger.

Jabari wanted to keep watching, but he had his hands full, both literally and figuratively. He was still holding onto that crown, which made fighting more difficult.

With a hard kick, he hit the middle of one imp sending it stumbling backwards, and then quickly kicked another knocking it to the ground. For a moment Jabari smiled proud of his quick thinking, but then one of the menacing creatures got up and somehow pulled the attention of two more.

Sighing deeply, Jabari realized he now had more than four imps to fight. “I am so tired of imps!” he said to know one in particular.

“But look how good you are getting at this,” Morgan shouted over at him.

Jabari glanced up in time to see Morgan smiling at him as her hammer struck another of the creatures and it melted it into a small puddle.

“It's so tedious," Elara added, even as she struck another. “It takes so long to finish one imp.”

“It takes longer when someone is just kicking them,” Morgan said, “Seriously, Jabari, we have got to get rid of these things and get to the runeportal, stop messing around!”

“I’m doing my best,” Jabari said.

“Are you really?" Morgan asked, "Put that crown away and you'll do better.”

Unfortunately, Jabari realized she was right. If they had more time, kicking the imps and damaging them slowly would finish them off eventually, but it wouldn’t be fast. He needed his hands free to swing a weapon or cast some of his better spells which meant stashing the crown so that he could fight. The problem was that he was out of bag space.

Jabari sighed as he thought of what he already had in his overstuffed pockets. Each item had its purpose, each its own charm, but now he faced a dilemma; he needed an open spot among his treasures.

“Looks like it’s time to play favorites,” he muttered to himself as he kicked another imp with frustration.

Knocking the nearest away from him, he opened his vest, revealing the many different pockets that were hidden inside. His hand quickly passed over the Sticky Honey Marbles, the Mimic Mints and the Bouncy Putty and then hovered for a moment over the Fake Bug Bombs. He wouldn’t mind seeing what those did, but then he looked at the imps gathering themselves and preparing for another charge and realized he needed something better. Forest creatures probably wouldn’t be bothered by the Fake Bug Bombs, so no point using that one.

Instead, he pulled out a small vial of bright red power, with a label that boldly proclaimed, “Whiff Wham.”

“Sorry, old friend, duty calls,” he said to the vial.

Carefully, he stuffed the crown into the newly freed space then then securing the vest closed with a decisive click.

Sighing dramatically, he held up the vial for a brief moment. “I had grander plans for you at the Academy,” he said to the vial wistfully, a touch of genuine regret in his voice.

With a resigned shrug, he popped open the container and looked around. He carefully threw the container where it would be felt by his imps as well as the ones the new guys was working on.

The powder turned into a red mist that hung in the air briefly before it disappeared entirely. The four closest imps were confused and stood still as they sniffed at the wind.

A few seconds ticked by and Jabari watched, a small knowing smile on his face —until the first loud sneeze shattered the calm. It was explosive, comical coming from an imp, and followed rapidly by another and another. Soon, a chorus of sneezes and sniffles filled the air, as the imps clutching at their noses, and their eyes flamed. Their expressions twisted in confusion and irritation as they tried and failed to swat away the smell.

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“Time to take care of this mess!” he declared, charging forward. He swung his arms, connecting with the nearest imp with a solid thump, sending it reeling backward. Another quick strike, and the second imp joined its companion on the ground, a few solid thumps later and the attackers were incapacitated in front of him, their bodies emptying and flattening into nothingness.

“What was that smell?” the new guy said, his nose crinkled just a bit.

"Whiff Wham for the win," Jabari quipped, dusting off his hands with a satisfied nod.

"Well, thanks for that. It seemed to work pretty well!" Aiden smiled, as the last of the imps flattened and melted away.

"Not bad," Jabari quipped, offering Aiden a grin.

Just then, another imp raced toward them, and Aiden pulled his Tree Branch back ready then swatted it hard. The angry fay was knocked back a few feet, the flames on its hands spluttering like embers in the wind, but it was undeterred. It narrowed its eyes and let out a screeching howl before it ran toward them again. Swinging the baton like a makeshift bat, he connected firmly with the creature’s midsection.

He handled the imp pretty well but his style—well, it was something that Jabari might generously call 'unorthodox.' And his weapon of choice wasn’t doing him any favors.

“Well, nice work!” Jabari answered with a smile as he clapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. "I'm Jabari, by the way. And over there are Morgan and Elara,” and motioned to each of them. “And you are?"

"Aiden," he replied, his voice steadier now, a tentative smile forming as he seemed to relax a bit.

“Well, Aiden, you really hit that thing hard, with that...” Jabari hesitated “uh… Tree Branch?”

“Yeah,” he answered, heaving the thing up, “That’s what it says anyway.”

“And it’s a weapon?” Jabari asked carefuly, trying to be polite, Aiden seemed too young to have been weapon trained, but he didn’t want to be insulting either.

“Well, yeah,” Aiden replied hefting the branch, “It seems to be.”

Hesitating, Jabari tried to figure out a way to ask his next question, “You don’t look old enough to have graduated from the Academy?”

“The Academy?” Aiden answered, “No, I haven’t graduated from the Academy.”

Jabari smiled; new guy seemed to be about his age so that at least made sense. “But you can use that weapon?”

“Well yeah?” Aiden answered but his voice lacked confidence.

Jabari smiled. This may be his lucky day. “Did you get any experience from it?” he asked.

“Well yeah, a bit,” Aiden answered, then paused for a second, “It says I’m now at Level 2 and starting into Level 3.”

Jabari didn't hide the surprise he felt, “What’s the skill?” he asked.

Aiden frowned, “I think it’s called ‘Club Attack’.”

“So, when you killed that last imp, did you still see the puddle it turned into?” Jabari pointed at the little round flat mess that the imp had become.

“Yeah?” Aiden answered and shrugged.

“Was it sparkling?” Jabari asked hopefully. He hadn’t seen Aiden loot anything, but it was Aiden’s hit, so if Aiden really had that skill unlocked, he would be able to pick up whatever that imp had stolen. There was a chance, however, slim that maybe he just hadn’t noticed it.

Aiden looked over at the heap, and cocked his head a bit as he considered the mound, “Yeah, I guess you could say it is sparkling.”

“It’s still sparkling?” Jabari asked excitedly, “That means you didn’t loot it yet?”

“Um, no,” Aiden answered a bit unsure, “I didn’t know I could.”

Jabari frowned at the answer, but decided to just go with it, “Well, you can,” he said, “Check it out.”

Aiden turned his attention to the small puddle of was-imp, and Jabari waited. A moment later, a small wooden club appeared on top of the muck.

Aiden smiled proudly and put the Tree Branch down on the ground and headed over to the new item. With a smile he picked up the Burnished Baton and hefted it in his hands.

“This thing is amazing,” he said as he held it.

“It is,” Jabari agree and meant it. He hadn't expected much when Aiden said he could loot, but a weapon was certainly lucky. “I don’t suppose you’re on your way to the runeportal are you?” he asked.

“Actually, I just came from there. I think there was a problem with it? I and not supposed to be here.”

“None of us really are," Jabari answered, "Were you headed to the Academy?”

“Yeah, I think that’s where I was supposed to be,” he answered.

“Well, good news! That’s where Morgan, Elara and I are also headed! Well, then you can come back to town with us and we’re heading to the Academy after that,” he said.

“Thanks for the invitation, but…”

Morgan’s shout interrupted Aiden’s answer. “Jabari, stop chatting and help us clear these imps!”

Aiden’s looked over concerned as Morgan fended off two of the creatures alone, but Jabari wasn’t impressed.

“She’s fine,” Jabari explained to Aiden, “She’s resourceful even with just her family skills and spells. She can wield that Tack Hammer almost like it really is a weapon.”

“It’s not?” Aiden asked.

“No, her family trade is tailoring, so it’s one of the tools of her trade. She told me a million times why it’s some sort of special sewing hammer and not a weapon, but it seems like a regular old hammer to me. Same thing with Elara’s Ring Mandral.”

“What’s a Ring Mandral?” Aiden asked.

“It’s that thing in her hand that looks like someone weaponized an ice pick. Would you believe that this is actually used to size rings?”

Aiden looked surprised and Jabari just shrugged.

"So," Jabari continued his explanation, “Her family are silversmiths.”

“Jabari we need your help!” Morgan shouted, interrupting again.

Smiling with saccharine sweetness he called out to her, “Just one more minute, Morgan.”

“Now, Jabari!” Morgan shouted back.

"Well, Aiden, doesn’t look like we have time to chat,” he said as he gestured toward the street crowded with imps. “I’ll never let her hear me say it, but Morgan’s right, we have quite a bit to do.”

“What?” Aiden asked as he turned and looked at the large group of angry creatures. “We?” he emphasized the word. “Why would we go that way? Why not go the other way without any imps?”

“Because down that road is the only runeportal anywhere nearby which makes that road the only way out of here,” Jabari answered.

“But…” Aiden began.

“It’s amazing luck really.” Jabari said, before Aiden could say anything else, “With your new skill and my help, you can get maybe three levels on just this road alone! It’ll be great!” he said clapping him on the back and smiling.

Aiden still looked worried.

With an arm flourish that seemed to take in the entire street battle, Jabari added, “Welcome, Aiden, to the Quest: The Charge for the Runeportal!"