Kaden Birch was never one to say no to [Taming] a Beast or [Binding] a Demon, and as the sun rose over the Western Waste, he was hard at work on doing both. Technically, he was hard at work doing one so he could then do the other, and even more technically, he was fulfilling a Quest in order to get something he could trade for another Quest. Life had been easier before level twenty five.

The Mercari Faction, who believed that those with money should have the power, were becoming mildly annoyed at the number of caravans that had gone missing on the edge of the desert. Also, people had died, but mostly it was the cargo which drew their attention.

He stood at the edge of a canyon. The caravan route wound along the river down below, safe from the dust storms that swept in off the Waste, and let them water their mules as the caravans made it down river to the port city of Abali.

*What’s the odds something in the river evolved to attack on land?* The message came from Sara Scylla, Party Leader, close friend, and host to a Cosmic Horror that would one day end the universe. She’d used the [Thought Speech] training scroll Kaden bought by massacring gnomes and found herself far more skilled due to years of practice. Everyone else was practicing.

*It’s what I’d bet on,* Kaden said

*The river is strictly off limits. The Merchant’s Guild was very clear, going near the river is choosing to die.* That was Evelyn Black, [Transfusionist] and healer for the Party. She had the same level of empathy as the cactus dotting the waste. Kaden wasn’t sure who had the better bedside manner.

“It does not matter what is said.” Ashi Rahm, [PolyMage], stood just beside Kaden. As a PolyMage, she could use any form of Mana instead of needing to stick to a single college of spells. Ashi adjusted the woven wraps that kept her from absorbing too much Mana. Without the Dungeon Core embedded in her abdomen, she would become overloaded and lose control. She’d grown her dark brown hair past her shoulder blades, and given up the head wrap that she usually wore. “It takes only one mistake. One Mule grabbed by a [River Serpentor], and the entire group dragged under.”

“One mistake would doom one caravan. There’s been seven lost. Not every one, but every third.” Kaden moved ahead, making sure to keep the caravan in sight.

*Should we have been with the caravan?* Sara asked.

Kaden didn’t have a reason he could explain, but from the very start, he’d gotten nearly ill at the thought of joining the caravan. One thing he’d learned from the [Rangers] was to trust his instincts. *We’re not joining the caravan. Please. We can see from here just fine.*

*If even Kaden Birch thinks it’s a bad idea, I say we wait,* Eve sent.

Kaden checked on the beasts safely stored in his soul. Vip. Cheerful, fast, the small silver grey dog was great for improving mood but not necessarily who you’d want against a mutated river beast. Trinity, the three-headed mutant hydra, he was keeping in reserve because once he unleashed her into a battle, calling her back would be near impossible. Rocky, the Rock gobbler, actually loved the desert. He’d never seen the war beast so delighted to sleep in an actual desert under an actual burning sun while actual sand scoured his hide.

On top of that, Kaden had borrowed skills from several [Beasts] by taming them. It wouldn’t last, but for now he had [Glide], [Eagle Eyes], and his favorite, [Wrath of the Furnace] from a [Drake] that had broken its obedience binding but was willing to be [Tamed] repeatedly. “You see that?”

Something had happened with the caravan, but Kaden couldn’t say what. “Something changed.”

*[Gaze of the Ancients] is telling me there’s some kind of illusion.* Eve sent.

Kaden didn’t wait, leaping off the cliff as he activated [Glide]. It held him aloft as he drifted lower and lower, but seventy feet up, he turned toward a wall and caught the face of the rock. *Don’t come. Something’s happening.*

Beneath him, the river rippled, the waters rose, and a fog enveloped the lead horses of the caravan. Screams and shouts rose up, but Kaden refused to jump in without knowing what he was up against. Seven caravans, no survivors meant he needed to be smart.

The fog swept back. The caravan was gone.

Kaden used [Glide] to plummet downward and land on the river trail. The wall of spikey crystals that separated the trail from the river lay broken in four places, and among the torn up earth, distinctive clawed prints stood out.

“Gods damn it all!” Sara shouted as she emerged from a Portal with Ashi beside her. “Also, not all of us can steal skills from [Beasts]. Next time, some help getting down would be appreciated.”

Eve followed Ashi, looking side to side. “No illusion anymore.”

“What kind of Beast?” Sara asked, staying back from the edge. “I’ll notify the Guild.”

Kaden looked at the tracks, lost in thought. “I’ll be right back.”

Without thinking, he opened a short-range Portal back to the cliff. It only really worked when he just did it. Then he leaped off again, gliding slowly down as though he had fourteen foot wings, like the [Dawn Shrike] he’d borrowed the skill from.

From this high up, without the panic, Kaden studied the scene, circling over and over until he finally turned it off and dropped the last fifty feet to the ground. He spoke loudly. “Nothing here. Must have be an evolved [Serpentor]. Look at the crystal wall. It broke through there and dragged the mules into the water, taking the caravan with it.”

As if summoned, a trio of [River Serpentors] raised their heads from the water. Each looked like a dragon with liquid skin. Even wth their heads out of the water, water continued to course over their head and cascade down their back.

These three declined to cross the bank, gouge their sensitive bellies on the crystals and not get even a single mule.

*Why are you shouting?* Sara asked.

*We need to get out of here, now.* Kaden sent to them all as he opened another portal. “Let’s go back to the guild. I don’t think we can do anything about these damned Serpentors.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Ashi opened a Portal to the cliffs. A much better, more stable version of his. “Let us leave. It is a long walk back.”

Kaden waited until the others stepped through, then followed. *If that didn’t work, we’re in trouble.*

*Why*? Eve sent back. There was no doubt in her voice, only calm curiosity.

Only when he’d put several miles between them and the point of the ambush did Kaden speak. “The tracks don’t lead back. And the caravan mules are lashed in a train, but there are two breaks in the wall. If a [River Serpentor] grabbed the lead mule, it would have crushed the wall all the way back.”

Ashi’s eyes widened. “Another illusion?”

“We’re tier two. If there’s a level fifty illusionist, who knows if Eve’s skill would identify them? The illusion was meant to look like a [River Serpentor] attack, but those three weren’t wounded and they were starving. They would have fought over the mules. And the merchants.” Kaden kept looking behind them. “I think it’s meant to look like an attack, but in reality, send a level seventy five party here and they’ll find some other illusion. Maybe a cavern, maybe a whole damned city.”

Sara didn’t answer, but the green pseudopods that emerged from her shoulder blades began to whip around—then went still without warning. “I think it’s unlikely and I’m not risking my reputation as a Party Leader on an unfounded report.”

*Ashi, can you reach the FarPortal slab?* Sara didn’t try to hide her concern.

*No. When I can, I will.* Ashi began to jog in the general direction of the FarPortal, in the dense greenery that covered this side of the divide.

Kaden kept Eve and Sara in front of him, Eve because she would die in a blitz attack and Sara because if she was in front of him, all he had to worry about was behind.

And he was worried. [Master of The House] was meant to keep Kaden safe in his Holding, but it was always working at some level, in this case, overtime. His breath turned cold as Kaden made another attempt. *We’ve definitely got someone following us. Stealth Aura can’t activate.*

*Eve, stay close. Watch for Ashi’s portal.* Sara drew a pop-waddler plant from Inventory and dropped it. Her [Gardening] was high enough now that the creatures would sit patiently until triggered.

Kaden repeated her action with a [Death Frog] as he passed through heavy brush. The inanimate creature would wait for a victim and explode in a cloud of death mana.

*POP*

[Stealth Aura] activated, wrapping Kaden in [Stealth] as their pursuer’s attention dropped, but damnit, Eve was a step too far ahead.

“That’s far enough.” A man’s voice carried through the jungle. “Good game, you almost convinced me, but I’m not going to risk the Guild sending someone else.”

Kaden kept himself wrapped in [Stealth Aura] and held still.

It was a [Rogue], a tall, strong man who could have looked Kaden in the eye.

[Erris Karn - Rogue]

Erris Karn considers himself above all a business man. His business might be stealing from your business, but it’s just business. Sometimes, business gets cutthroat, and when that happens, he’s the one to cut throats. Probably your throats. Don’t take it personally, it’s just business.

Level: 51

HP:???

Mana:???

That was less than ideal. Even worse, Sara and Eve had actually stopped, despite the fact that if someone said “Stop!” it was generally not a good idea.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Erris said. “You make this easy. I’ll shovel you in a Corpse Inventory. In a few centuries, I’ll probably drop it at a temple. Probably. You make it hard, I’ll still kill you and then throw your corpse to a [Serpentor.]”

Sara took two more steps.

“Where’s your other one? Bird Man?” Erris looked around. “Oh, fiddlesticks and fudge droppings. He had some kind of [Stealth]. Did he run off?”

“Kaden wouldn’t do that,” Eve said. “I would. It would only be sensible, to run and keep running. Regardless of what you had planned, you can bet James Dervish is going to drop on this place the moment he knows. And Sara’s mother is a Centurion as well.”

Erris held completely quiet. “I’ve put a lot of work into this. I’m not going to have it ruined just because someone took their Quest a bit too seriously. You two, line up for a corpse cube. You’re some kind of noble, you’re the daughter of a Centurion, I can ransom your corpses in a century and life goes on. For you.”

Kaden wasn’t going to let that happen. He held perfectly still as Erris whistled his way forward, taking out a twisted dagger. *You two should be running.*

*Can’t. He’s got some kind of charm,* Sara sent back. *It’s called [Honeyed Words], and it’s not strong but I can’t quite break it. It’s focus based.*

There were bad ideas, worse ideas, and Kaden’s ideas, but he wasn’t about to let Sara and Eve get corpsed. *Get Ready*

Kaden re-thought everything. [Backslash] versus a fifty one would barely harm him, but there was another option. He waited until Erris was three steps past. And activated [Mana Drain]. Experience from draining a Demon Lord told Kaden it wouldn’t be a simply siphon, but he focused on the feeling and pulled. It was like pulling a man’s intestine out through a gash. Getting that first bit was all battle but once it started it was hard to stop.

Even better? [Mana Drain] was excruciating.

Erris swung his dagger overhand in a blind attack on an enemy that had to be right behind him. Except that Kaden wasn’t.

The moment Erris stumbled, Sara and Eve took off running, sprinting through the jungle in the direction Ashi had gone. And there was one way to make sure they weren’t caught. “Hi. My name’s Kaden Birch. That was me draining your mana.”

In retrospect, Kaden should have been further away.

Then again, he’d never seen just how fast a [Rogue] could move. One moment, Erris was fifteen feet away. The next, he was slamming his dagger into Kaden’s chest.

Resilient Constitution has blocked 2,184 points of damage from [Mortal Strike].

Your health is critically low.

You require healing.

Kaden wasn’t in any position to fight back, as the impact had sent him flying through the brush. He pulled a Healing potion from Inventory and drank it down, then activated [Stealth Aura.]

“Where are you, you rascal?” Erris called as he stalked through the jungle.

Kaden knew better than to answer. His skin itched and he couldn’t help the desire to answer, but thanks to the Sisters of Shadow attempting to manipulate him, Kaden had fairly decent [Resist Mental Attacks]. The problem was, he didn’t want Erris to go looking for Sara and Eve, and he didn’t want Erris to find him.

As Kaden’s health ticked slowly up, he formulated a plan.

Unfortunately, a plan that wasn’t really any better.

Ashi had taught him a spell. A non-combat spell that didnt do any damage. What it did was cause an illusion of a frog. Maybe other creatures, too, but the only one Kaden could consistently produce was a frog.

He triggered the spell, and it formed a flashing red frog in the branches right above him, and then hopped through the jungle toward the spot where he’d last seen Erris. Then slowly hopped back towards Kaden, turning to look back.

“Ah. A lure.” Erris’s voice came from a few feet away. “You want me to go that way, little flashing frog who couldn’t possibly be a distraction? What do you think, I’m level five?”

But he didn’t move away, and Kaden’s mana was steadily dropping from [Stealth Aura]. Sooner or later, the aura would drop. His range with [Mind Speech] was abysmal, but Sara, through her years of practice working events for James Dervish, could pick up almost all of them. *I’m out of mana. I’ll be near where the caravan disappeared.*

He opened a Portal and leaped through, snapping it shut just as brush crackled and Erris came rocketing through the jungle. From the cliff where he emerged, Kaden immediately leaped off, triggering glide, lower and lower down into the canyon. But unlike what everyone would expect, Kaden aimed for the far wall, the sheer rock.

Beneath him, the surface boiled as the river rushed.

But it wasn’t just water, or rocks.

As Kaden clung to the wall, a Beast head emerged from the water, rising higher and higher. A Serpentor wasn’t just a creature of water, without it, they began to die immediately. That said, the magic gush of water that began at their nose and swept back over the body kept this one perfectly healthy as it turned one eye and then the other to look at him.

And then it struck.