Roads that twist and turn,

Danger around the bends,

Maps useless when fog rolls inwards,

Shelters in caves one finds.

We begun to set for Millween, Julius and the Earl followed behind me. I knew this area quite well, many a time I traveled between the diverging roads to find samples for my research. However, I wish I had not lost those arms, now I have to repay Julius. For now, I shall give the Earl a dagger to protect himself. “Here Earl Samual, a dagger to betwixt thy foes. Though I shan’t believe that you would be needing it along this road, for the vermin of this mountain range rarely seek people. Nevertheless, it is a welcoming idea to having a blade just in case.”

“Why thanks be to you,” the Earl said with a smile, “I will treat this gift most well Methodius. But I say, what will you use?”

“I shall use this,” I said revealing a worn cattle whip. “My forefather gave me this when I went off to the academy. He told me that rocks and twigs will only make a beast angry, best use a whip to have an arms reach away from fangs and claws.”

“I see, I see. But what of that there on the tips,” he said pointing at my whips counterweights. “It must a tad bit more difficult to use, or do I gander the wrong impression?”

“Ah, you sire have a keen eye, these metal pyramids on the end are counterweights,” I said. “It was master Julius’ suggestion, isn’t that right Julius?”

“It be I did, though I never thought you would do such a garish addition to such a balance weapon,” Julius said with a peal of joyous laughter. “For I said that with a drink in my hand and a pipe from Zarensies, ah, those were happier times.”

“Indeed, that they were,” I said with a sigh in my voice. “I too long for those times again, just when we drank pale ale from liters. Those be some precious moments. But other matters we attend to, for the Druids shall not be any closer by reminiscing on our past lives.”

“Say by chance are you a half-elf Methodius?” The Earl said with boyish curiosity, as he studied my clothes and face. “You would be right, though when we arrive at Millween, do not say anything. The world works different,” I said with a pious look. “Half-elves are regarded as bastardized men, and are not look gracious upon.”

“I recall in my time, Methodius, things were not much better. Though in my grandfathers’ court he kept a few half-elves, as translators or medicine givers. Most were left to hung by a crossroad, though my town Silesist, was where some sought refuge from bitter people. How are the elves, do pray tell, have they gone extinct?”

“I am afraid that I know very little about them,” I said to the Earl. “For my father, an elf, still breves and the letters I receive from him say no mention as to his brethren. What say you Julius, does thou know of the elves?”

“Rumors say that most left this place after casters were turned to stone. Others have put it rather strangely,” Julius said with a thought in his eyes. “Some say that there are little few left in the world, and those that survived are from different tribes.”

“We turn right here,” I said aloud, “ you may continue Julius.”

“As I was saying, the Wooden, the Dark, the High, and Sun elves. My assumption is if the surviving elves formed a banner, then most likely they are very secluded off from the rest of us. No map or journal I have come across mentions their whereabouts,” Julius said.

“And what of you Julius, how are you able to live as long as Methodius? He is a half-elf, and most casters use magic to live a similar life span,” the Earl said asking Julius.

“He still has access to resonance,” I said abruptly, “though he holds onto a very small amount. The age of magic might be dead, but a caster like Julius made a choice and chose to have a longer life span.”

“Well, that makes some sense, seeing as Julius needed an item of enchantment to release me. But what is exactly resonance, Julius? Is that the magic that casters use?” The Earl asked with an intensive look.

“It seems that someone has not paid attention to the tutoring of the house. How to put it in words,” Julius said pondering in thought, “resonance is waveforms, it is something that the gods gave the world. And by extension, the world ripples off onto us, as a caster we tap into those waves and create magic. Be it spoken spells, rituals of sacrifice, transmutation, and so on. The legend goes that the gods first created the earth and sought to bring life so each god and goddess brought an item to the world anvil. Then after being hammered away, all the items were gone and in its place rang out resonance.”

“Ooo, how mysterious,” the Earl said with enjoyment, “stories like these always brighten the mood.”

“Let us stop here,” I said looking at a tree stump, “let us break for lunch. Afterward only be five or so hours till we reach the cavern.”

“Right, let me gander here,” Julius said rummaging through his satchel. “I have some pickled yams, dried berries, and sliced bread.”

“No meat there in your bag?” Asked the Earl with curiosity.

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“Afraid not, I have some smoked chicken for later in the evening,” Julius said patting the Earl over his shoulder.

“I’ll take the yams first,” I said holding out a small two-pronged fork. As we began eating I said to Julius, “what great yams,” I exclaimed. “Pickled in sea salt, peppercorns, brown sugar, and garlic. Uh, simply great especially with the bread.”

Time passed by we traded stories, laughter, ideas, and dreams with one another. Then I looked at my watch and said to pack up. Back on the road, we navigate the paths of the mountain trails, passing burnt-out houses, old quarries forgotten, and other such lost locations. Until I came across an unsettling sight, droppings of a beast.

“Julius, come hither, quickly!” I called out.

“What be the obstacle for us?” Julius asked, with concern in his voice. “Is there a beast about?”

“I found tracks and droppings on our path. It would seem to belong to a canid specimen, a mountain wolf most likely,” I said with some confidence.

“Then what be the problem,” Julius said, “Earl Samual, you faced wolves in your travels?”

“Yes, that I have,” the Earl said with a nod. “I would be taken on hunting parties, using but a bow, I remember when my younger brother shot one at age of thirteen. It was a great gift to my mother, the fabric makers made quite a fine fur coat out of the animals’ hide.”

“Hah, and you say I be a worried sod,” Julius said laughing at me. “We have no concern to ponder on, if it is a pack of wolves, well some candle weed shall do the trick.”

“I am not so sure, here take the map,” I said handing over the old parchment to Julius. “I just want to consult my bestiary, the cavern should not be much longer eastward.”

“Well, then, by all means, study what you must Methodius. We shall be ahead of little ways, so don’t study too long now. Come, Earl Samual,” Julius said departing from me and the tracks.

“Oh I shan’t belong,” I said looking at my bestiary. I took out one of my rolled measurement sticks, and after cross-examination of similar paw patterns, it was indeed that of a canid species. Though the front paw prints were smaller than that of a wolf, and the rears were wider too. I recall a man who but a few weeks ago, said he saw prints similar being found close near Millween. Right before I ascended the Hazel Well Mountains, talk around Millween that a grey wild dog with a large rear end, a fox-like face, and upper canines that stretched out over the lips.

It said that it attacked a shepherd and wounded a farmhand, what was more perplexing was about a thick fog that rolled before the attack. The farmhand later spoke to the local paper, that he saw his dead mother calling out to him and asking him to join her by stepping further into the fog. That farm hand later die of either grief or killed himself out of insanity, though I can not recall with which it was. Now thinking hard on it, the description sounds to be that of a Grey Howler.

I quickly went thru my texts, and indeed it was. It is a simple creature, but a predator that when desperate enough will hunger for human flesh. Its diet consists mainly of elk and deer, but since the calamity, most wildlife has become rather endangered. It would not be hard to see that a pack such as this, we are out for us. The texts say that the fog rolls in as to disorient its target, then if accounts are to be believed, show them their greats fear or desire.

I must warn the Earl and Julius, for they are primarily a nocturnal beast. I quickly ran on the trail, bobbing and weaving out of road debris and low slung tree branches. All in hopes of catching up to my companions, just to warn them of a possible attack from Grey Howlers. I pray that nothing has happened to either one of them,

Then suddenly, I see them and called out to them, “wait, I said wait.” But I was too late, the fog began to seep around them. The Nine could only know what has happened in my absence. I pushed forward, closer to that thick, sickly grey fog. Once again I called out, “use candle weed to get rid of them. Whatever you do Earl Samual, do not look upon those illusions, they hide monsters.”

Again, no response from either of them, I inched closed to the fogs fold. Again I called out to them, “Samual, Julius,” but no response. I had an uneasiness about what was going on, with no reply from them it had turned into a fright. So as I stand on the precipice of that awful fog, I decided to jump into the path of the monster. With whip in one hand and my knife in the other, I ran towards the center. The fog was as dense as if a storm cloud was on top of me, but it did little to dismay me.

I started shouting out their names at random, waiting for a reply to my question. Are you there? I kept wandering around, I thought to myself, even if I had that damn map it still would be no use. I can only imagine how the Earl and Julius fair, for I still could rely on rocks and trees with carvings of ‘MW’. A travelers sign denoting the path to Millween, but I too am having to feel around for it.

After some time passed, and continuing to call out for them, I heard it. A heckling low growl followed by a high-pitched howl, I must be getting closer to the center. My bestiary wrote that the pack will call out to each member, that way they can signal to begin the attack.

Hastily I ran closer to the sounds of howling, I let loose my whip from its curled upstate. Like the cracks of lighting, my whip made and the rush overwhelmed me with bravery. I saw my company, Earl Samual and Julius, back to back trying to hold themselves off from the hungry beasts. Just then, I saw one ready to pounce, with a whip I swung at it. The counterweights flung it to the Howlers eyes, I blinded one side of the creature, and it tried to run away.

Its neck became quickly surrounded by the thong of my whip. I planted my feet deep into the dirt, and as the creature tried to run, a crack ran out. Not from my whip, but the beast’s neck snapped, killing it and falling shortly after. I looked over and saw Julius lighting them ablaze, “keep it up, they will soon run away if the pack grows too small,” I cried out.

One by one, they fell, and quietly the stragglers left to hunt another day, and the fog rolled away from us. I then saw the Earl, smitten in blood by the two that lay at his feet, and helped him up onto his feet. “Are you hurt Earl Samual? Please tell me if you find yourself in pain,” I asked with tiredness in my voice.

“I do not have any deep bites placed on my skin, but some bandages would be helpful here across my shoulder blade,” the Earl said pointing out the bits bleeding from his clothes. “Just hold on a little longer, the cavern is right around that mound, there I can treat that wound,” I said gesturing to the path up ahead.

When we finally arrived it had turned to the twilight hours, Julius quickly lit a flame on some twigs and I laid out a bedroll for the Earl to lie down on. I began by removing the Earl’s shirt and applying whisky to the wound. Though it be large, it was not enough to tear any muscle tissue out of him, but it looks like Millween will have to wait. For now, we must recover, more importantly, Earl Samual will be needing iron to recover from the wound. After the bandages were wrapped on him, Julius took our canteens to a nearby stream to collect water. I then took out dandelion roots, vinegar, and thyme; shaking them up I made a health tonic for the Earl to drink when he woke, I left instructions on the flask, in case he woke before either Julius or me.

When Julius arrived back, we broke the tension with some supper. I eased Julius by saying, “we won’t be in town till the next night, so let him rest.” As the night wore on, we each went to bed, and I drifted back to sleep. Slowly but enough time passed, and I fell deep into a murky sleep.