The party stayed with Pebble and Brooks for another day before leaving Laradyl. Riley took her earnings to a local blacksmith and purchased a set of human-sized arrows along with a quiver. When she put the quiver and bow over her back, DJ told her she looked like a bonafide ranger. That made Riley beam.

Pebble took her to a range in town and taught her proper hunting technique. Riley spent the next few hours firing arrows until her fingers became raw. All the while, Francis stayed with them, sipping tea and reading his new poetry book at a nearby table.

Steve went to the monastery to visit with the local Stewards and offer prayers. DJ stayed at Pebble and Brooks’s apartment to rest. Or at least that’s what he told the others. He sat on the couch with his first magic book spread over his lap. The pages were opened to the section on cantrips.

Learning cantrips came as a recommendation from Friar Steve. “Spells are bites, but cantrips are nibbles!” That’s what he said. And most of them were safe enough to practice indoors. DJ lit a candle a dozen times with Everspark. He also turned a quill into a glowing light with Luminate. Then he broke that quill and repaired it twice with Mend. All the while, his head never hurt.

DJ did want to see Laradyl as a tourist, so he caught up with Francis and Riley after the archery range. They visited the shops along Laradyl’s main concourse and DJ nearly bought a toy that made bubbles when you flicked it just right. Riley had her eye on a ranger cloak but couldn’t afford it after her arrows. Francis followed along and watched them like an amused older brother.

That evening, Pebble and Brooks served everyone their last Laradyl supper before bed. They all stayed up late into the night, laughing and swapping stories, then went to sleep with full bellies. The next morning, the adventurers gave their reluctant goodbyes. They got affectionate hugs from Pebble and Brooks before they left the city.

DJ found the Lyleth Forest to be even brighter and livelier than the Aeldar Forest. Hickory and aspen trees sprouted everywhere. Elk and foxes were common. Riley stalked a jackrabbit for a brief time and managed to skewer it with an arrow. She burst with excitement and Francis had to calm her down before he taught her how to skin and dress it. Steve made a stew from the rabbit meat, some carrots, potatoes, and spices he bought in the city. Riley turned the rabbit pelt into a shoulder wrap for her quiver.

A few days later, a deer crossed the road and Riley lined up a shot, but the game bounded away before the arrow could fly. The party was just as eager to see Riley get her first big game kill, so they followed her into the forest. But hours passed, and the deer disappeared. Riley was visibly disappointed, but she did, however, bag another jackrabbit as a consolation prize.

Their traversal led them to a clearing with a glistening clear pond nearby. It seemed comfortable enough, so they decided to establish camp there for the day. Feeling the grime cling to his body, DJ told everyone he would go wash.

As DJ disrobed and dipped into the water, he was surprised about how warm it was—not like the icy cold streams of the Aeldar Forest. He scrubbed the dirt from his skin and ran fingers through his hair, then remembered a spell he had read in his intermediate spellbook.

Ice Spike. The book told him that he had to have access to water—the ice wouldn’t just materialize in the air, unlike spells that used fire or lightning. Well, there was plenty of water here, and he was all alone to practice.

He dug his feet into the muddy pond floor. The motion was fluid with his arms and torso. He twisted to his left, slid his left hand back through the air, and made a smooth snapping motion with his right hand. “Glaci-talum!”

An ice spike the length of his hand materialized from the water and shot up from the pond’s surface. It crested like a child’s throw and splashed back into the pond, gliding along the surface.

DJ’s head swelled with pain and his eyes watered. He pushed on his temples between his palms. “Ugh… that one’s gonna take some work.”

Snap! A branch broke at the other end of the pond. DJ heard it rustle and crash as it hit the forest floor. He froze and slid deeper into the water. He squinted and looked toward the sound’s source, but the forest replied with stillness. Nothing moved.

DJ blinked. “Don’t love that,” he whispered to himself.

Whoosh! Another sound from up in the trees—leafs shook as if something large bounded from one branch to another.

DJ sunk lower into the water. Even quieter, he said, “Don’t love that either.”

His heart rose into his throat. With methodical slowness, he tiptoed out of the pond. When he reached his clothes, he dried off and dressed as quickly as he could, then he sprinted back to camp.

He arrived to find Francis sharpening his ax by the fire and Riley shooting arrows into a tree stump. They both watched curiously as DJ bounded into camp. DJ hunched over and put his hands on his knees as he panted.

“Your bath looks like it was less than relaxing,” Francis observed.

“Something was in the trees,” DJ said seriously. “I heard a branch fall, then there was a bunch of rustling. We should probably get out of here.”

Riley nocked an arrow and scanned the treetops, but nothing moved. Francis stood with ax his in hand, likewise searching the branches.

DJ looked around. “Where’s Steve?”

“Getting more firewood,” Francis said. “Come to think of it, he should have been back by now. He never takes this long.”

“Should we go look for him?” Riley asked.

Francis nodded. “Given your recent premonition, it’s best that we leave this place. Keep together as we search, though. Weapons out.”

They broke camp with haste, armed themselves, crept through the woods shouting for Steve. They never received an answer. As their boots moved along the soil, their eyes darted along the forest floor, the treetops, and everything in between. But as far as they could tell, they were the only ones making noise.

A loud thump sounded behind him. Riley screamed. Francis roared. DJ tried to flip around and cast a spell, but a black bag was shoved over his head. Expert hands lashed his wrists together while he squirmed and shouted. It was the same with Francis and Riley. DJ felt himself lifted off his feet and carried away.

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It was hard to tell how far he was carried. All the way, the three adventurers protested and threatened. The thought of Francis being subdued and carried unwillingly made DJ shiver with dread. Whoever took them hostage must be strong.

DJ heard what sounded like wooden gates opening. Then there was the gentle plodding of footsteps all around. And he heard the voices of strangers pipe up.

“New brothers and sisters!”

“What a glorious day it is!”

DJ felt himself turned upward and pressed into a chair, his bound wrists still behind him. Someone yanked the black sack off his head and he had to blink against the light. He was still outside—in the middle of a village, oddly enough. It was a conglomerate of modest wooden cabins with a large building at one end. That large building was a tiered wooden structure that had to be a place of worship built by inexperienced hands. A long set of stairs led to its entrance, and above the entrance, painted in crooked letters, it said Temple of Phillip.

To DJ’s right, Francis and Riley got the sacks pulled off their heads. To DJ’s left, he found Steve, along with a stranger he didn’t recognize. It was an elf, with handsome, sharp features, but his face was riddled with confusion and violence. He gave DJ a look, hoping for an explanation, but DJ couldn’t offer one.

“I am reunited with my friends!” Steve yipped. “Goddess be praised!”

In front of them stood a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and bright brown eyes. Her round face and petite frame gave her the appearance of a charming schoolteacher. She, along with dozens of other villagers, wore matching black robes cinched at the waist. On every pair of robes, an insignia was printed on the chest: a steaming bowl of noodles with chopsticks poking out.

And where were all the villagers? Surrounding DJ and his friends. They formed a circle around the woman and her captives—none of the prisoners could leave without breaking through them.

DJ felt all of their eyes on him and he turned pale.

“Welcome, and congratulations!” the kind-looking woman said as she raised her hands. “You are all the newest inductees to the House of Phillip! What a glorious day it is!”

“Glorious indeed!” the whole village echoed and raised their hands.

“What in the Hundred Hells?” Riley muttered as her eyes moved about.

“Yes, this is our village, and you are our newest members!” the woman said. “It’s clear that Phillip has led you here this day! And for that, we have much cause to rejoice! What a glorious day it is!”

“Glorious indeed!” the village echoed again.

“No one was led anywhere!” Francis barked. “We were abducted! This treatment is barbaric! Who is ‘Phillip?’ We demand to speak to him at once!”

The woman gave a knowing laugh and shook her head. “Oh, my large green friend. I am Phillip! They are Phillip! We are all Phillip! Our names from the world have no use here, along with our old possessions, family, and friends! We have separated ourselves from the world to achieve a higher existence, with Phillip as our guiding star. He is us, and we are him. And now, you will join us as our new Phillips! What a glorious day it is!”

“Glorious indeed!”

“This is madness,” the mysterious elf said.

Steve became visibly worried. “But I worship the Goddess Uh! I cannot forsake her!”

The woman put her hands on her knees and spoke like Steve was a child. “Oh, but you must, you strange, ugly man! Here, you will find the truth. Here, you will be taught from the Book of Phillip and help us prepare for the Great Cleansing. This is a great blessing to be here—to accept the truth and usher in a greater world. What a glorious d—”

“Wait, wait, Great Cleansing?” Riley said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The woman’s eyes flashed. “Why, it’s when Phillip will grant us the power to expand his House across the territory! This world is rife with ignorance, and evil, and sin.” Speaking those words actually made her frown. “But here, Phillip has guided us to create a community of love and peace. When the time is right, we shall spread it across the territory! All will join us! And if any oppose us, they will drown in rivers of their own blood. We will be Phillip’s hands in exacting righteous vengeance upon them. It is as the Book of Phillip foretold.”

DJ shivered as he pictured the horror. Steve’s face turned white. The others traded looks of incredulity. The elvish stranger leapt up from his chair, his hands still bound behind him. He glared at the leading Phillip with sharp eyes.

“This is a sick, violent cult!” he shouted. “And I shall have no part in this! Farewell!”

He crouched down and barreled with full speed to the edge of the circle, thinking he could break through the Phillips. But two Phillips grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back in. The elf kicked and squirmed as they dragged him back to his chair.

The lead Phillip shook her head and sighed. “Oh no, this just won’t do. I’m afraid we’ll have to use the No-No Juice. Phillip?”

“Yes, Grand Phillip?”

“Bring the No-No Juice, please.”

As two Phillips restrained the struggling elf, a third Phillip handed a small bottle of blue liquid to the Grand Phillip.

“Thank you, Phillip,” she said.

“You’re most welcome, Grand Phillip!”

Two Phillips tilted the elf’s head back and pried his jaw open with forceful hands. With sad eyes, Grand Phillip unstopped the bottle and carefully poured the liquid down the elf’s throat. The elf coughed and sputtered, trying to resist, but it was no use.

The effect was immediate. The elf screamed with holy agony. His legs tensed and shivered. His gurgling cries rang through the trees as his skin melted off his bones like sludge.

Riley shrieked. Everyone else turned still. The Phillips let go—there was no need to hold on to a melting mess. Smoke wafted off the body and the smell burned everyone’s nose hairs. A puddle of molten flesh formed at the foot of an elvish skeleton, cascading in gross clumps through its clothes and down its chair.

DJ’s throat was too tight to scream—he thought he might pass out. Steve actually did, and a nearby Phillip straightened his unconscious body in his chair.

Grand Phillip sighed. “So sad to be a potential Phillip falter. His heart was impure.” She put on a smile as she addressed DJ and the others. “We Phillips understand that this is a lot to take in. But don’t worry! We have everything you could ever want here! Food, shelter, friendship, pickleball courts… so yes, count yourself blessed as our newest Phillips! And please,” she pointed to the melted elf. “Do not try to escape. What a glorious day it is!”

“Glorious indeed!”

DJ tried to swallow, but he couldn’t stop staring at the goopy mess. There had to be a way out of here, but whatever that was, they would need to be very careful, or their quest for the Amulet would end in gooey failure.