In the morning, Fritz and Ada departed from Fran's clinic. The soft rays of the cresting sun illuminated the quaint town of Falken. They walked for a minute or two, passing a few people in the early morning. Subtle thumbs up and knowing winks were passed to the two. Ada and Fritz stopped in front of a small cottage, sequestered near the palisade wall.

From the outside, it looked about the size of a closet. Yet, somehow, against all odds once inside, it had all the essentials for a rustic life. An iron stove sat in one corner next to a tiny round table with two simple wobbly wooden chairs. On the opposite end, a small one person bed sat neatly tucked into the wall. Next to her bed, was a large bookshelf replete with different colored books. Assorted hanging kitchenware, herbs, tools, and weapons, adorned the walls. Fritz let his eyes scan the room.

Ada motioned to the empty chair opposite of her. Following Ada's lead, he took a seat at the small dining table. Fritz squeezed into the chair opposite of Ada. Their long legs threatened to bump into one another as they sat in awkward silence.

"Cozy. Very quaint. I didn't take you for a reader." Fritz commented.

"I'm not that stupid. Neva taught me how to read and write." Ada huffed. "This conversation is long overdue." Fritz raised an eyebrow at her, as he leaned back into his chair. "You're not normal, Fritz. That much I am certain. Something is happening with you. I deserve to know what's going on." Ada's large gray eyes fixated on Fritz, as she began to study his face. "Neva wants to meet you today."

"You keep throwing her name around. Who is that?" Fritz asked.

"The mayor. She's the strongest in the village. Her decision is final out here. She's gonna ask you some questions about what you're doing here. If you want my help you need to be honest with me."

"I'm not sure how I ended up in the forest. I woke up in some cemetery. All of the graves were exhumed, the corpses inside the caskets were missing."

"Did you have something to do with the bodies?" Ada asked.

"No. Why would I?" Fritz asked. "I've nothing on me. You've already checked me." A faint hint of color touched her cheeks, mingling with her freckles.

"That was entirely different! My intentions were pure! Besides! You could be working with the undead. Or a very bad graverobber."

"Why would I want to dig up corpses?"

"Power. Money. Magical secrets. Unlife. All of the usual reasons people turn to the kingdom of Gris." Ada said casually.

"Is that what you were doing in the forest? Searching for some signs of zombies?"

"Neva wanted me to scout the northern forest. Some hunters reported strange sightings. I was looking for signs of a rogue necromancer."

"Necromancer?"

"They sometimes show up in remote areas. Neva already knows. We'll just need to send word for help to hunt them down."

He conjured a small piece of bread in his open hand, and began to chew on it.

"I forget you can do that." Ada responded.

"I'm not working with any undead. I'm not interested in any of that. I just want to do some good for others. Make up for my past self." Fritz answered with a frown as he chewed the bland bread.

"We'll come back to why you're here." Ada said with a sigh. "What about your magical powers? No living man should be capable of such magic. How can you explain that?"

Fritz stopped to think. He wondered how much he could reveal. Should he be honest with Ada, and describe the strange dream he had before he awoke? "It's a gift. Everything I make is done via instinct as if the knowledge is stored deep within me. I don't understand everything, but it doesn't seem to matter."

"You've never studied magic?" Ada asked.

"Nope."

"That doesn't help much at all." Ada said dejectedly. "You're being too evasive. I don't think you're lying, but you're not telling me the full truth."

"I'm not sure how much I can reveal." Fritz admitted. "I'm new to this place." Fritz gestured around the room with his half-eaten loaf of bread. "I'm very lost, but I do know my destination."

"Where?"

"Fehrenn, do you have a map? Something I can use?" Fritz asked.

"I do." Ada said simply. She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.

"Can I see it?"

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Nope. Not until you start being more honest with me." A look on Ada's face dared Fritz to challenge her. Leaning forward, Fritz tapped his finger against the table. His mind internally debated on telling her the whole truth. Could he trust any of these half-feral beastkin? Ada did help him, and she might be able to point him towards Fehrenn. Should he tell her about those two figures in his dreams? Would he come off as crazy? Swallowing a chunk of bread, he decided to take a risk.

"Ok. Before I woke up in the cemetery, I was at EvaMaxx's research center." Ada's eyes narrowed in confusion. "It's no surprise, you haven't heard the name before. As to why I woke up in the forest, I've been sent on a quest." Ada uncrossed her arms, she leaned forward in her seat, until her forehead almost touched Fritz's.

"Go on." She whispered.

"I met two figures in a dream. A woman and a strange man. They want me to go to Fehrenn and stop whatever conflict arises there. They gave me this gift." Fritz held up the piece of bread.

"Bread? What? Nevermind, keep going. Are you telling the truth?" Ada asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes. Go to Fehrenn. Stop the war. That's why I'm here. They were both light on the details. I was told I'd have to find out why everything is happening myself." Fritz said.

"If you hadn't conjured bread right in front of my eyes, I would have thought you a liar. Did you recognize the two people in your dream?"

"No. I only got two names." Fritz admitted.

"What were they?"

"Freyes. Lorgen." Fritz said. "Any idea who they are? Powerful wizards? Demons?" Fritz asked. Ada went white as a sheet. Her body became completely still. "Ada, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Fritz, do you know who you just mentioned?"

"No."

"The goddess of life, Freyes. The god of magic, Jorgen. Just who are you?" Fritz frowned.

"A former weapons researcher. I've told you the truth. How can I get to Fehrenn, Ada?"

"Fritz, do you know what this means?" Ada asked.

"Uh, no?"

"You're on a divine quest! It's finally happening!" Ada shouted in excitement. Shooting up from her seat, she hit the table sending it wobbling. Quickly rummaging within her bookshelf she grabbed a rolled up piece of parchment, and slammed it onto the table.

"As promised! You'll need to move over slightly." Ada said, laying the map flat out over the table. Ada's excited voice quickly ran over the local geography.

"We are in the northwest area of the Beastkin Conclave." Ada said. She pointed a long thin finger across the map, towards an unmarked area of the map. "We should be somewhere around here. Fehrenn is far to the southeast, north of the Shar's sea. There's many ways to get there. Most river's lead into the city. That would be the quickest way." Fritz quickly memorized all of the surrounding settlements near Falken. His eyes quickly scanned over all of the connecting rivers taking note of their names and confluences.

"How long is the journey usually?" Fritz asked.

"It can depend. Traveling on foot can take months. It can be quite dangerous too."

"Bandits? Monsters?"

"All of them naturally. But isn't that more exciting?!"

"So, if I want to reach Fehrenn, I'll need to go south." Ada nodded. "Then, I'll need to hitch a ride on one of the major tributaries. Either the White Wolf, or the Hissing Cat, will do." Ada nodded again. Fritz chewed on his piece of bread. With his other hand he checked his supplies. He felt the compass in his left pocket, and the survival knife in his right pocket. With another bite, he finished the piece of bread.

"Fritz. If you're heading to Fehrenn, I'm coming with you. This is the opportunity of a lifetime." Ada said confidently. A grip like iron descended upon his shoulder, as Ada grabbed hold of him.

"You want to come with me?"

"Yes! You're on a quest! A divine quest! Something like this only happens once in a century! I'm coming with you!" Ada said confidently. A wide excited grin filled her. Her grip held firm on his shoulder, as her gray eyes sparkled with excitement and intensity.

"Alright then. But this is not a vacation. I'm on a mission." Fritz said.

"Great!" Ada pumped the air with her fist, releasing her hold of Fritz.

"When can you leave? I've got a lot of ground to cover. The sooner we leave the better." Fritz asked.

"I-er. I have to get permission from Neva first." Ada said guiltily. Her intense expression faded away into embarrassment as she turned away from him.

"You need permission? Aren't you an adult?" Fritz asked.

"Yes...."

"Then, no. You're not coming. Get lost." Fritz said.

"It's Neva! I can't leave without her say-so. She won't let me leave this stupid village!"

"Then why were you in the forest?" Fritz asked.

"Because.... It's my job in the village. I just can't travel without her permission."

"Is she your mother?"

"What? No? I mean she did raise me, but she's not my mom. Look, we're going to meet her. All you need to do is convince her you're not working with the undead, you don't have any magical powers, and that I should escort you to Fehrenn as soon as possible. It'll be easy! Don't tell her anything about your quest. She hates all that talk. Absolutely hates it! Just mention you're weak, and you need someone strong for an escort! Someone who can travel with you! Me! Keep talking about how perfect I am, and don't mention anything about a quest!"

"Ada, I can't."

"Please!" Ada's gray eyes became bigger, as she fluttered her lashes at Fritz.

"I can't waste time trying to convince your mother." Fritz protested.

"She's not my mother! She's just overprotective!" Ada's ears flattened as she nearly pressed her face into Fritz's. Fritz did his best to pull away, as he pushed into the cottage's walls. Ada would not let him retreat.

"I need to leave. I can't waste time pleading with the mayor to bring you along."

"No. We just need to talk with her. She'll understand. No magic talk. No quest talk. She can be somewhat reasonable. You'll see."

"I need to leave today."

"She wanted to meet with you today. It'll be quick. Once that's over, we can resupply and head out!" Ada grinned deviously to herself.

"And if she says 'no'?"

"She's not going to say 'no', I can feel it."

"Fine! Fine! Just back off! I'll try my best, but if it doesn't work out, I need to move on. Without you."

"No!" Ada said. "If you can't convince her, we will try again. If that doesn't work, we get the other villager's to pressure her! If that doesn't work, I'll run for mayor! But everything will be fine! I know it!" Ada's face was nearly pressed against Fritz's cheek. Her

Outside, Fritz could hear a banging at the door. An unfamiliar voice spoke up diverting their attention away.

"Ada? Are you there? Neva wants to talk to you and the hoo-man."

"We'll be right there." Ada said back, as she pulled away. She gave Fritz a winning smile, along with a thumbs up. "It'll be fine! Just do as I told you! Don't worry! You got this!"

"We're coming!" Ada said through the door, as she yanked Fritz to his feet.