The journey to Rockfall went much the same as Ithan’s first trip to the abandoned town. The group walked mostly in silence as Dhurik collected large sticks from the ground. As they began to hike up into the mountains, Taer’inar sent his owl ahead to scope out the area. He placed a hand on Unit 17’s shoulder as the group continued to walk.

“I don’t see any more kobolds,” Taer’inar said. “Ugh… and the heads are still there. I’m glad Fenvyre did not come with us.” Ithan had not said his farewells to Fenvyre or Sonys; he hoped that they would not be too angry with him. Then again, they had been acting strangely before he left, so perhaps this was for the best.

“Thank you for scouting the area,” Unit 17 said as Taer’inar let go of his shoulder.

“There might be a path a bit further north,” Taer’inar continued, “but it seemed unstable. We’ll need to approach with caution.” By the time the group made their way into Rockfall, Taer’inar’s owl had already made her way back to his shoulder. He caressed her gently as he observed the decaying remains of the kobolds left there from the last excursion.

“What a grisly sight!” Bimpnottin proclaimed. “It reminds me of the time I had to battle my way through a horde of gnolls! There I was, in the middle of their fortress, when…” Ithan tuned out the gnome’s monologue and looked around at the kobolds’ camp. With no one to maintain them, the tents had been blown down by the wind flowing through the mountains. The bodies of the kobolds and the griffon were beginning to decay, but the cold mountain air made it a slow process. Past the camp, the entrance to the mine was still open. A shiver ran up Ithan’s spine. He still wanted to know what was beyond that door, but not any time soon.

“Where did you say this path was, Taer’inar?” Storm asked, snapping Ithan’s attention back to the group.

“Follow me,” Taer’inar replied. He stepped ahead of the group and proceeded through the camp toward the mine. He led the group past the cave where they had found Unit 17 and further up the mountain. The path they walked now was not so much a path as it was just a slightly less difficult area to hike through. The terrain made traveling slow, but by noon the group had still made it a fair distance through the mountains. Taer’inar stopped suddenly as the group reached the top of a hill.

“What gives, Birdbrain?” Dhurik asked. “Why’re we stopping?”

“Look in front of you,” Taer’inar replied. Ahead of them was a field of small loose stones along the slope of the mountain. The group would need to traverse the scree in order to move forward or go back and find another way through the mountain. “I can try to find another way, but it may take a few more hours to travel,” Taer’inar said as he turned to his companions. “If we go slowly, we should be able to navigate this just fine.”

“Proceed with caution,” Unit 17 added. He pulled out a coil of rope from one of his compartments. “We can use this to assist in our travel.”

“Good thinking,” Storm said. “If one of us can get to the other side, you and that person can hold the rope from each end.”

“I’ll go,” Dhurik said. He snatched one end of the rope and began making his way across. The minotaur must have become agitated with the slow-going of the group. He did move slowly over the rocks, feeling his way across the scree so as to not cause a rockslide, but he mumbled to himself along the way. When he managed to make it to the other side, he pulled the rope taut and motioned for others to follow. Bimpnottin and Ian went next, their small bodies easily making it across the field. Storm also made it across rather easily. Taer’inar went ahead of Ithan, stepping effortlessly over the rocks, as if they were solid ground. It was difficult for Ithan to maintain his own footing, even with the assistance of the rope that Dhurik and Unit 17 held. Marveling at Taer’inar’s fluid motions as he crossed the scree, Ithan suddenly slipped and began sliding down the field.

“Mor’lavan!” Taer’inar shouted as Ithan frantically tried to stop his descent. Then, from nowhere, a net of webbing appeared beneath him, stopping his fall.

“Saved your life!” Ian shouted from above as he grinned at Ithan.

“Enemies incoming,” Unit 17 said abruptly. Ithan looked above him to see a flock of scaled bird-like creatures descending from the sky toward the group. They looked hungry, but Ithan did not plan to become their meal. He shot a blast of energy at one of the creatures’ wings, but it did not seem to be effective. That creature flew toward Ithan as the rest descended upon the group above. Taer’inar ducked past one of them and slashed at it from behind.

“I’m coming down, Mor’lavan!” Taer’inar called. Ithan continued to fire magic at the creature approaching him, and as the creature landed between him and Taer’inar, he summoned his glaive and slashed at it. As the two fought the creature, a thunderous sound rang out on the mountainside, followed by pained screeching from the other creatures above Ithan and Taer’inar.

“Look out below!” Ian shouted.

“What‍—” Ithan started before a large pile of rocks fell upon him and Taer’inar, sending them and the creature back into the webs. Ithan shoved the creature off of him and prepared to slash at it again, but it was dead‍—the impact of the rocks had killed it, and it would have killed them as well had the creature not been in the way. Unit 17 came down with the rope to pull Ithan and Taer’inar out of the webs, leaving the dead creature behind. After he landed on stable ground, Ithan turned to glare at the slain creatures.

“Did you make those webs? How?” Taer’inar asked Ian. The halfling nodded and his smile widened. Ian pulled a wand out of his pocket and waved it around.

“I’ve got this doohickey here. Pretty handy, right?” the halfling replied. He put the wand away and held out his hand. “Now, that’ll be twenty gold for saving your life!”

“I don’t think so,” Ithan laughed. “You didn’t stop the rocks from falling on us. That’s at least forty gold in damages, but I’ll just say we’re even.”

“No way you’re worth forty gold,” Ian argued. “I could buy a mutt like you for five, max!”

“Enough,” Taer’inar interrupted, glaring at Ithan like an angry parent. “I thought we settled this back in town.”

“We were just having some fun,” Ithan replied, returning Taer’inar’s gaze. “Don’t get so mad about it.”

“I’m not mad, just disappointed,” Taer’inar muttered. “If you’re going to keep fighting, we’re going to leave you behind. I’m not going to let your squabbling endanger the rest of us.”

“All right, all right,” Ian said. “I’m sorry I have such a misbehaved mutt‍—ow!” he cried as Ithan kicked a pebble from the ground at his head.

“You deserved that one,” Storm commented. He turned his attention to Taer’inar. “Are we sure this is the best path? How are we going to get back?”

“Perhaps we’ll find another path on our way back,” Taer’inar replied. “Shall we continue for now?” The group proceeded along the mountainside, stopping every so often to rest. Soon trees began to adorn the path, and after another hour the group came to a cliffside overlooking a sparse forest in a valley between the mountains. The group made its way down the mountain and into the forest, where Taer’inar sent Nyctea off again to scout.

“When am I going to get to smash things?” Dhurik asked impatiently. He swung his axe around as he waited for Taer’inar to finish his work. He apparently had not gotten to partake in the killing of the flying creatures earlier.

“Possibly quite soon,” Taer’inar replied without looking at the minotaur. “There are some creatures to the west of the forest. They appear to be lizardfolk. Let’s stay in the forest for now to watch them.” He led the group toward the western edge of the forest, where they were able to observe the creatures that Taer’inar mentioned. The slender creatures were a brilliant orange in color, and they stood roughly as tall as average dragonkin. But they looked much more like salamanders with their large eyes, slim tails and webbed appendages. They wielded weapons of all varieties‍—longswords, scimitars and spears, among others. Every so often, some of the creatures would retreat into a cave in the mountainside, only for more to appear.

“Why, those are firenewts!” Bimpnottin announced quietly. “But what are they doing over here?”

“What do you mean?” Ithan asked as one of the creatures sharpened its sword. He was fascinated by them‍—how different they were from the dragonkin despite their shared traits.

“Firenewts are native to more volcanic regions,” Bimpnottin answered. “Even in the summer, I can’t imagine this place getting warm enough for them to enjoy it.”

“There seem to be some hot springs there,” Taer’inar said, pointing toward the southern part of the firenewts’ settlement. Indeed, there were a few spots through the trees where steam rose from the ground. “Could that be enough for them?”

“It would appear so,” Bimpnottin replied. “In any case, they’re quite aggressive, so we should tread carefully.”

“Let’s leave them be, then,” Ithan said. “They don’t seem to be bothering anyone. Let’s see if there’s anything up ahead.” He turned away and began walking northward. The rest of the group followed quietly behind, making sure not to cause a disturbance for the firenewts to investigate.

“You’re no fun, Dogboy,” Dhurik muttered as they walked. Ithan ignored the minotaur, focusing his attention on the clearing ahead of them‍—there was a strange circle of glowing mushrooms there. They glowed all kinds of brilliant colors, and around the outside of the circle, he could make out some writing on the ground.

“What a find!” Taer’inar exclaimed. “It’s a faerie ring!” He ran up to the circle and began examining the writing while the others approached. “It says, ‘Fortune Favors the Bold.’” Without a word, Ian leapt past Taer’inar into the circle and held his arms out wide, his face beaming. The glowing intensified for just a moment as Taer’inar yelled at Ian to get out of the circle, and then the mushrooms stopped glowing altogether. “Are you an idiot?! It could have set you on fire for all we know!”

“But it didn’t,” Ian replied shamelessly. He looked himself over and frowned. “I don’t feel any different. Stupid useless magic circle.”

“What did you expect?” Ithan asked. “Did you think you’d grow taller or something?” He laughed as Ian’s face reddened. After ensuring that the circle had not caused any harm to the halfling, the group left the faerie ring behind and marched northward, back into the forest.

“So did that faerie ring really do nothing?” Storm asked as the group walked.

“The magic in that circle almost certainly did something,” Taer’inar replied, “but perhaps it was not potent enough to have an immediate effect.”

“Not fair,” Ian muttered. “I was bold, so why didn’t I get anything for it?”

“I don’t know,” Taer’inar said. “Why don’t you ask Apostalite when we get back? I’m sure they can tell you all about fortune’s fickle nature.”

“Who goes there?” a voice called from the trees. The source revealed itself rather quickly‍—a dwarf stepped out from behind one of the taller trees and blocked the group’s path.

“Who might you be?” Taer’inar asked as the dwarf approached the group. He stood a bit over a foot taller than Ian and Bimpnottin, and his light brown skin was nearly the color of the earth that covered the lower mountains. His long black beard was carefully groomed, much like Bimpnottin’s.

“The name’s Balkam,” the dwarf replied. “Y’all are a strange bunch of critters, ain’t ‘cha?”

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“We get that a lot,” Storm said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Balkam,” Taer’inar continued. “My name is Taer’inar Volarei, and these are my companions. We’ve come from Greenreach in search of a path through the mountains.”

“Where’s this ‘Greenreach’ place yer talkin’ about?” Balkam questioned. He eyed Ithan cautiously. “And what in blazes are you supposed to be?”

“A very hungry dog,” Ithan snarled.

“Anyway,” Taer’inar said, placing a hand on Ithan’s shoulder, “Greenreach is to the southeast, past the mountains.”

“Ah, that Greenreach!” Balkam exclaimed. “Tell me, have ya seen a woman with a giant hammer?”

“Is that Brollynn…?” Taer’inar asked Ithan.

“Aye!” Balkam smiled. “How’s the lass doin’ these days?”

“She’s taken up fighting in the city’s arena,” Ithan said. He clutched his stomach where Brollynn’s hammer had connected; the aches were still there. “She’s pretty tough.”

“That’s ma cousin for ya,” Balkam said, his chest swelling with pride. “Sense of adventure, that one has. Good to hear she’s doin’ well.”

“We would be happy to say hello for you if you could show us a safe way back,” Taer’inar bargained. “There’s a nasty scree field on the path we used to get here.”

“Hm,” Balkam grunted. “I’ll make ya a deal, elf. If y’all help us, we’ll help you.”

“Go on,” Taer’inar said.

“Did ya see the nest of orange lizards back that way?” Balkam asked, pointing southward. “Those bastards invaded our land while we were away. So, me and a couple of my buddies were scoping out the area so we can kick ‘em out, ya know? But the big salamander in the cave is too strong and he’ll probably toast us if we go by ourselves.” He folded his arms over his chest. “If ya help us take care of ‘em, we’ll let you use our tunnels.”

“Have you tried communicating with them?” Ithan asked.

“Are ya nuts? They’re firenewts!” Balkam shouted. “They ain’t much for talkin’.”

“So that’s a no,” Ithan said.

“How long have you been underground?” Bimpnottin asked.

“‘Bout a hundred years or so,” Balkam replied. “Etris terrorized our people throughout the mountains, so we all went underground. Now that the dragon’s settled further north, we’re rarin’ to reclaim our land.”

“It’s not your land anymore,” Ithan argued. Balkam’s eyes went wide with fury.

“Could you excuse us for a moment?” Taer’inar interrupted, pulling Ithan away from the group. When the two were well away from the rest of the group, Taer’inar stopped and turned to Ithan. “What is your problem? We’re being offered a safe way to get through the mountains in exchange for eliminating a few pests.”

“‘Pests?!’” Ithan cried. “You don’t even know them!”

“Fine, perhaps I worded that wrong. The point is, these firenewts are not willing to move off of the land that the dwarves once inhabited, so they need to be removed.”

“Says who? The dwarves?” Ithan looked back at Balkam. “He said they didn’t even try to communicate with the firenewts.”

“Bimpnottin said they’re incredibly aggressive, so I don’t blame them. Sometimes the only way to communicate is through force.”

“I won’t do it,” Ithan growled. “They’re just trying to live their lives. Who are we to take that from them?” Taer’inar sighed and placed his hand on Ithan’s shoulder once more.

“How about we put it to a vote?” Taer’inar said. “We can see if the guild wants to try for a more peaceful solution first. Is that fair?”

“I guess,” Ithan mumbled. He walked back to the group with Taer’inar and glared at the dwarf.

“I would like to help if we can,” Taer’inar said to Balkam, “but perhaps we can find a less… violent solution. Maybe these firenewts can be reasoned with, with the right liaison.”

“Impossible!” Balkam proclaimed. “We’ve gotta drive ‘em out of our land or they’ll just keep pesterin’ us!”

“It’s not‍—” Ithan started.

“I agree,” Bimpnottin interrupted. “Regardless of their reasons for being here, they are dangerous creatures.”

“If it means I get to fight things, I’m in,” Dhurik added. Storm and Ian did not comment, but both nodded to Dhurik’s remark. Ithan looked around at his companions in anger and disbelief. How could they decide so easily?

“I suppose it is decided, then,” Taer’inar said.

“Good!” Balkam shouted. “Let’s go tell my buddies.” He walked northward, and the group followed. As they neared the edge of the forest, they came across two more dwarves. “This is Bromdrus and Bankuhm,” he said, gesturing at each dwarf as he introduced them. The two were remarkably similar to Balkam, though each had styled their beards differently and wore different armor.

“What’s all this, then?” Bromdrus asked.

“These guys are gonna help us take care o’ them firenewts,” Balkam replied. “We’ll talk strategy while I’m walking ‘em through the Rockfall tunnel.”

“Is that the tunnel Brollynn traveled through?” Taer’inar asked. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Aye, but, if Brollynn made it through, you lot’ll do just fine,” Bankuhm replied.

“It’s the kobolds in Rockfall proper ya gotta look out for,” Bromdrus added.

“The kobolds have been eliminated,” Unit 17 said.

“Have they, now?” Balkam asked in surprise. “That’s good to hear. Maybe we’ll start movin’ back in there, as well.” He nodded to the other dwarves. “Keep outta sight ‘til I get back,” he said.

“Aye,” Bromdrus and Bankhum said at once. Balkam led the group out of the forest and back up the mountain a bit, then stopped in front of a large stone on the mountainside.

“Now listen up,” he said. “Most of us haven’t walked this tunnel since before we all went underground, so there might be some landsharks in there.”

“‘Landsharks?’” Taer’inar asked.

“Aye. Nasty things. Big mouths, sharp claws, burrow through rock like it’s nothin’.” He eyed Ian. “They’ve got a particular liking for halflings.” Ian’s face went white. Balkam chuckled, stepped forward, and walked through the stone, much to Ithan’s surprise. A moment later, his face appeared in the stone. “Well come on, then!” he shouted before disappearing again. Cautiously, Ithan stepped forward and reached out to the stone, but his hand passed through it like air. An illusion. He stepped through the ethereal stone, and now he was in a dark tunnel, with Balkam holding a torch just ahead of him.

“That’s some quality magic there,” Taer’inar commented as he stepped through the illusion. “I should very much like to know how to replicate this.”

“Ancient dwarven secret,” Balkam said. “It’s so well-kept that none of us know how it works.” Taer’inar groaned in frustration. “Now be on yer guard. We’re gonna be in here a while, and them landsharks could be anywhere.” The group traveled slowly, listening for movement in the ground and walls. After a couple of hours, they decided to rest in the tunnel.

“How much further is our destination?” Unit 17 queried.

“At the rate we’re going, maybe another couple of hours,” Balkam replied. “Now, let’s talk about what we’re gonna do with the firenewts.” Ithan shook his head and leaned against one of the walls of the tunnel. “Let’s say we meet back in the forest in a week’s time.”

“That sounds fine,” Taer’inar said. “What is our plan of attack?”

“The source of their power comes from the salamander,” Balkam explained. “Get rid of the biggun’ and the rest will follow. But they keep it well-guarded.”

“What if we caused a commotion outside?” Taer’inar asked. “If they have to send more firenewts out of the cave, some of us can sneak in and kill the salamander.”

“But who will be the bait?” Storm asked.

“I am not stealthy,” Unit 17 added.

“I think we should send Dhurik and Unit 17 in with you and the other scouts, Balkam,” Taer’inar said. “While you all are fighting the firenewts outside, Bimpnottin, Storm and I can take care of the salamander.”

“I like this plan,” Dhurik chuckled.

The wall behind Ithan began to shudder.

“Something’s coming,” he muttered.

“It’s settled, then,” Balkam said. “I’ll let our forces know tonight. Expect three or four more to aid in the battle.” The tremors grew stronger, and Ithan put his hand against the wall. Something was moving through the wall toward them‍—specifically, toward Balkam. As the group talked, the rumbling very rapidly grew to the point where Ithan thought the wall would collapse. He leapt at Balkam and pushed him aside, just before the wall behind the dwarf crumbled and a large creature forced its way through the tunnel.

“Enemy approaching,” Unit 17 said. He pulled out a mace and began attacking the creature. It roared and tunneled through the other side of the wall, leaving a pile of dirt and rock in its wake.

“Watch yerselves,” Balkam warned. “It can come at us from anywhere.” The group spread out in the tunnel and readied themselves for another attack. Ithan summoned his glaive and held it in front of him. The tremors shifted to the ground beneath him and he braced himself for the landshark to surface. The creature burst forth, and he jumped away from it while slashing at it. Its body was incredibly tough; Ithan could hardly scratch its skin.

“Get away!” Ian cried as the beast lumbered toward him. Taer’inar and Dhurik joined Ithan in attacking the creature while Ian ran away from it. Bimpnottin and Storm attacked it from a distance, Bimpnottin with his magic and Storm with his bow. The creature burrowed once more and very quickly crashed through another portion of the wall, this time catching Ithan and Taer’inar underneath it. Its weight nearly crushed the two, and Ithan could not retaliate as it opened its maw and tilted its head forward toward them. At the last moment, the creature suddenly lurched backward and roared, allowing the pair to escape from underneath it. Ithan stabbed its underbelly, and with one final roar, the creature crashed to the ground dead. Ian stood triumphantly on the landshark’s back; he had somehow gotten up there and had been stabbing it from behind.

“Thanks,” Taer’inar coughed. “For a moment I was sure we were dead.”

“That’s what it gets for trying to eat me!” Ian shouted as he jumped off the landshark. “Now I’m pretty sure that warrants some gold. I’m going to say fifty each.” He held out his hand expectantly.

“I’ll pay you when we get home,” Taer’inar said. “Let’s just get out of here, please.”

“Aye, let’s keep goin’,” Balkam said. “We shouldn’t have any trouble with more landsharks. They’re very territorial. But it’s best to keep movin’ along.” The party rested near the corpse for a short while to catch their breath, then Balkam led them further along the tunnel. As Balkam had mentioned, it only took another couple of hours for the group to find themselves near the mouth of the cave where they had found Unit 17.

“I didn’t even realize there was more to this cave,” Taer’inar mused. “Very impressive.”

“Now y’all remember, we meet back in the forest in one week,” Balkam said. He glanced at Ithan. “Except you, I guess. But maybe it’s better that way. I don’t know if I trust you.” Ithan bared his teeth at the dwarf. “Well, so long.” He disappeared behind the stone wall, and the group proceeded out of the cave into Rockfall, weary from the day’s travels.

❧

“You gonna eat that?” Dhurik asked Ithan as they sat at their usual table in the tavern. Ithan had hardly touched his meal, opting instead to gaze off at nothing while he listened to the shouts of the dragonkin there. He glanced down at his food, then pushed his plate over to Dhurik. “Nice,” the minotaur said as he began devouring Ithan’s food.

“Hey, there you guys are!” Brollyn called from behind Ithan. A hard clap on his back sent him reeling in pain. “Whoops! Sorry, Mor’lavan. Didn’t think you’d still be sore. So, what’s everyone been up to?”

“We traveled up the mountains a bit,” Taer’inar replied. “Balkam says hello, by the way.”

“Oh? I didn’t think he’d be above ground. What’s he up to?”

“Apparently they’re wanting to reclaim some territory from a firenewt settlement,” Taer’inar continued. “You didn’t know anything about that?”

“No, I don’t talk to Balkam that much,” Brollynn said. “He and I have… different opinions about the world.”

“He also showed us the tunnel you used to get here,” Taer’inar said. “Though we had to agree to help him first.”

“That sounds like Balkam, all right,” Brollynn laughed. “I would’ve shown you the way free of charge. Well, with Dhurik and Mor’lavan here, I’m sure you’ll make quick work of those firenewts.”

“I’m not helping them,” Ithan grumbled.

“Hm? Why not?” Brollynn asked.

“Because I don’t think it’s right,” Ithan replied.

“They invaded my people’s land,” Brollynn said. “What’s right about that?”

“Your people abandoned that land,” Ithan snarled. “It’s been abandoned for a hundred years, and you all think it’s fine to just get rid of whoever happens to be living there now?” He shook as he spoke, trying hard not to cause a scene in the tavern. “They just want to live their lives,” he muttered. “Who are we to take that from them?” He stood up and walked away from the table and up the stairs. As he approached his room, Fenvyre appeared from her room and wrapped their arms around him.

“Hi Lava!” she exclaimed, squeezing Ithan with less force than usual. She was beginning to figure out what the proper amount of pressure was for hugs. “How was your trip?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ithan said. “Aren’t you mad that we left without saying goodbye?”

“Well, I was,” Fenvyre replied, “but I knew you didn’t do it on purpose. You’re too kind for that.”

“‘Too kind,’ huh?” He broke free of Fenvyre’s grasp and opened his door. “I’m going to go to bed. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay, then. Good night!” Ithan closed the door behind him and began removing his armor. He still struggled with getting his chestpiece over his head, with his antlers catching on the leather. He growled, twisting the armor until it finally came loose, and then he threw it at the ground. He was not as kind as Fenvyre and Sonys believed. He was planning the murder of a king, after all. But those firenewts had done nothing wrong; they deserved to live their lives. Just like I deserve to live mine.