Luckily, after that incident, their time in the city had been rather calm. A few days later of resting and buying supplies they had gone back to check on their armour to find it complete. A hauberk, a shirt, two pairs of chausses and two coifs. Combined with the purchase of some gambesons and quilted equivalents it made two full sets of armour, if lacking the helmets.

But it was enough, and nobody was going to wait any longer. Nor wanted to ask Ercole for the money required. Though Hreysti did manage to get a new set of clothes to replace his brown rags.

But the threat of the guards still loomed over them, with the stairway up to the top of the arena conspicuously blocked by armed men. Dyo guessed they must have been “lucky” to leave no witnesses…

So, with that, they continued on their way, not wanting to stay a moment longer. A day’s worth of travel away from their original destination. Not much, but still a pain with food, camping supplies, arms and armour.

All of that managed to slow them enough so that the sun was setting as they entered the outskirts of the forest.

There it was eerily quiet. No villages or hamlets in sight, no fields, just wilderness and the little dirt trail. A trail that they were plodding along with seemingly no idea of where it was going.

Dyo cleared his throat, “Ercole?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know how far out the Custyr patrol? I don’t think we should be, you know, camping where they do, and it seems like people avoid this place like the plague.”

“No clue and it should be perfectly fine! The birds are still singing, the bees are around, and it’s nature all around here!”

Shani side-eyed Ercole, “And vultures eat in battles, what is your point?”

“Well. You do have a point… But we should rest soon so we can put up a watch if we need to.”

“Fine, but you go first.”

“Fine. Now, I think that little area on this knoll will work for a camp, ey?”

----------------------------------------

The fire glowed softly in the deep black night, the quiet crackling and smell of cooking strew filling the camp. The chirping of cicadas only helping to increase the serenity of the moment.

But as everyone chatted with each other, Dyo couldn’t shrug off some odd feeling he felt. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but he felt it in his body as a slight fuzziness in his horns.

Something he felt was coming from just a few yards away. He knew it was coming from there and an intrusive thought entered his mind.

He got up, grabbing his sword as he started to walk, saying nothing.

He didn’t really hear anything from the camp as he focused on his surroundings.

The bugs, the plants, the sleeping birds and snakes… All as he wandered further away from the camp and deeper into the forest.

As he crested a small ridge line, he saw it. A little stone cottage surrounded by some vegetable patches. Just a quiet little hideaway inside of a magic forest. Not at all a setup in a folk tale that would end in terror and a life lesson to children.

He swallowed. It could end terribly. It did seem odd that a mysterious feeling had lured him here. It was stupid to walk in.

But he did it.

He strode straight up to the door and knocked twice.

The door slowly creaked open, to reveal-

A short, old, white-haired woman clothed in a plain dress looking Dyo up and down.

“I don’t know why that young madman has sent one of his sons to talk to me, but I hope it isn’t to get me to move.”

“Sorry- “young madman”?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Yes, your father, Calsyniacus. If he is your father? Come on now lad, stop slacking your jaw like that!”

“I- I don’t get how you managed to guess that by just looking at me!”

“Magic lad, magic. Ah-! And I suppose that’s your companions running over the hill over there. My! One of them looks out of breath!”

Ercole, Hreysti and Shani charged straight towards Dyo. Though Agrippa was a little further behind. All of them had weapons drawn, only to slow down. Seeing what they thought might have been some magic seductress was just a-

“Ah, you didn’t expect to meet a little old lady then? Were you expecting your friend to be such an idiot that they ran into some Custyr cooking pot? My, my lad, you need to get better friends!”

Hreysti growled, only to be cut off by Ercole.

“To be fair, it seems like you can channel so some form of fowl play was possible.”

“Oh, you can tell? Ah! Yes, you’re a fellow disciple! Twisted mauldr wood and gem rings, my! You certainly do have good taste in devices, if a little apathetic to the church’s policies… Though there seems to be something interesting about your aur-”

“Thank you, but I don’t think flattery will distract me from the still unanswered question.”

“And that is?”

“How did you lure my friend here?”

“Lur- Oh!” A sudden flash of realisation passed over her wrinkled face, “My Congremagia must have provoked his sensitive senses! I’m so sorry about that, I can turn it off for you and you can come inside if you like. I promise the only combat abilities I have are my voice and magic lamp lighting. Come!”

Dyo shrugged, “I guess she doesn’t seem that bad.”

“And she lured you here!” Hreysti snapped back.

“Accidentality.”

“I’m keeping my axe with me.”

“That’s perfectly fine!” the woman called.

Hreysti groaned before eventually going inside with the rest.

The inside of the cottage was- Odd.

On one side it had all the normal things, a hearth, a bed, a dining table, storage chests and a little larder.

But on the other hand, the place was filled with various devices made of wood, brass and crystal. Twisting rings of wood around clear balls, delicate metal wires strung across ornate boards and many other odd sights.

Agrippa was completely awe-struck but also- Shaking?

“I hope you’re happy with some honey cake as an apology-“

“Y-you’re a witch!” Agrippa stammered.

The woman stopped what she was doing as she froze completely. Her and Ercole’s heads turning to Agrippa almost in unity.

“What did you call me?” The woman asked very slowly.

“A-A witch?”

The old woman’s eyes flared, “I am not a witch! I am a wizard! Your friend over there seemingly knows that, and it is an absolute disgrace that he has not educated you properly and left you as an imbecile! Do you see these devices!?”

“I-I- Do-“

“They. Are. Arcane. Instruments. Not an alchemy set! H-Here is my gods damned ring! Do you see it!? It’s like your friend’s! An imbued bronze implanted with channelling gems! Witches do not use these! They may make most of them, but they do, not, use, them! Do you know what that all tells you!?”

“That you’re a w-wizard?”

“YES! I did not go through two esteemed—well one—school to be called some poppy smoking, carving obsessed, country bumkin witch!”

Ercole’s eyes narrowed, “You could have been more polite with that description.”

“Poli- Ah… You’re one of those clever ones that manage to be both?”

“Yes.”

She huffed, “I guess I shouldn’t have been quite as coarse, but my point still stands!”

Dyo however still focused on one thing.

“Why did you correct yourself with the number of schools? Is it something to do with-“

“I am so glad you ask while I’m in this mood!”

“Oh dear lord…” Ercole muttered.

“The first school I went to was a dedicated magic school in the Isles. It was right in the north in the region of Dunogion inside of an old fort turned university. It looked wonderful! Then I met the headmistress… Oh, she was a spiteful, arrogant, little shit! She said it was “improper” for women to be wizards and that they should all be witches for gods knows what reason!”

She spat into the hearth.

“And that was only one of many things she did. Disrespecting the witches’ coven in their education, using fae as indentured servants to “enrich” them, multiple safety violations, and having an insane vendetta against several of the students! I did not shed a single tear when that place burned down, and I don’t care if she survived or not. The only good thing that came out of my time there was the day I got my invitation to a far better school miles away. Speaking of… Young man, where did you get your education?”

“The University of Pandaros.”

“Ah, one of the long-standing universities, you really are one of the sickeningly clever ones…”

The old wizard tutted, slowly poodling towards their shelf and its stack of flat cakes.

But one question remained unanswered to Dyo.

“Why do you live here then? Is it connected to Athervi’s herb?”

She stopped, “And what gives you that idea?”

“The magical equipment all around here, the experiment that you were running that I picked up, your specialisation as a wizard… It connects.”

A small smile crept across her face, “Good to see you have your head screwed on right. I’m guessing all of you then are interested in it as well?”

“We’ve heard it can gift you with the knowledge of all languages and we’re going to be travelling a lot.”

“A wise desire for it. Luckily for you, it does exist and there are multiple examples of its unique species in this forest. Not so luckily for you, they’re dastardly hard to find.”

“How so?”

“They shapeshift to what is the most unassuming-looking plant of the era. It isn’t perfect but it means that you all need some keen eyes to spot it…”

“And you know this because you have found it?”

“Oh,” She laughed, “not in many, many years. My bones are far too old to go out sneaking past magical guards. But yes, I did find it once.”

“Do you, well, know what it looks like then?”

“Unfortunately for you, young demigod, I don’t. My drawing of it has grown fuzzy over the years from what I can only assume to be its magic. Now, I think that your camp has been left unattended for too long, while I have held you up with my stories. So, do any of you still want some honey cakes?”