A gloam sunk upon the world as the evening sun was sent to slumber beyond the world’s edge. Mists clung to loamy hills and drifted atop murky waters, concealing the restless ghosts within that roamed in search of the living. Glowing wills-o’-the-wisps danced across the white-shroud canvas like haunting lantern-lures.

Mournful wails of undeath echoed across the mire but were lost in the cacophony of chaotic goblin beats and awful songs.

Redcaps come!

To have some fun!

Beneath the great green grin!

We make a din!

Demons run and demons flee!

But cannot escape from we!

Bite and chew and chew and bite!

For none can escape goblin might!

Wait your turn for the fire cooks!

We’ve stoked it up with all your books!

Break the bones and drink the blood!

For all else tastes of mud!

To have some fun!

Redcaps come!

Autumn clamped her icy hands around her ears and groaned quietly; this was the tenth time she’d heard the same song. She was half tempted to attack the fort now just to shut them up.

Around her huddled the rest of the party for warmth. Hidden as they were, they couldn’t risk firelight or its smoke alerting the goblins and thus had struck a cold camp. Cold meat and dried mushrooms served them fine despite their grumbling. At the very least, Autumn’s cleaning spell, Dirt Dismay, made sure they weren’t wet anymore. Now they were just cold.

“Are they saying anything interesting?” Nethlia asked.

The berserker had one muscular arm draped around Autumn as the witch stole her body’s heat. On her other side, she was likewise being robbed by an Inferni pirate. Nethlia had made the foolish mistake of offering to share her blankets to shield from the night's chill; a siren song luring in even the more recluse members of the party.

Autumn shook her head. “No, they’re just poorly singing terrible songs over and over.”

As if to prove her point, the goblins started up another terrible and out of key rendition of “Stab em’ with the pointy end.” How such murderous creatures learnt to rhythm, Autumn didn’t want to know. It must be hell on the bards even if they can’t understand the words.

Autumn groaned as she tried to bury the noise beneath dense berserker muscles. A dark flush crested the ruby-red skin on Nethlia cheeks.

“Here. Some of this might help.” Liddie leant over Nethlia’s rock-hard stomach, pressing herself flat as she passed her flask of mosswine over to Autumn. Behind her, a cheeky tail waved in a disgruntled Nevla’s face.

The drink still tasted like sugar-coated moss and regret as it burned its way down Autumn’s throat.

“Gah. How do you drink this stuff?”

Liddie shrugged. “Practice mostly. I used to drink this stuff by the barrel when I was on the brine. You get used to it fast, and it helps get rid of the taste of fried lice and maggoty rations. Brrr.”

Autumn’s face greened, and her stomach churned as her mind imagined it without her consent. Any attempt to focus on something else only brought up memories of other equally disgusting things.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Do it in the swamp; the smell around here is already bad enough.”

“Umm, as amusing as this conversation is, could you get off me now?” Nethlia asked.

The berserker’s hand hovered uncertainty over the lithe pirate laying across her stomach, not quite sure of where to touch. Nethlia received a smirk from Liddie, causing Autumn to burn with jealousy; although she was startled when it became unclear of whom she was jealous. When had that happened? She wondered.

Liddie slinked off of Nethlia’s stomach to nestle back between her and Nelva. The chevalier rolled her eyes at the pirate’s antics. A comfortable silence descended on the group laying on bedrolls underneath another makeshift tent. However, it didn’t last long.

“Soooo, what’s everyone gonna buy first when we get back?” Liddie asked.

Autumn glanced over Nethlia’s body at the pirate. “Um, isn’t it a bad idea to discuss money we don’t have yet? It’s like a jinx or something.”

“Please. Talking about money we don’t have is practically the Guild’s second favorite pastime, right behind Adventurer’s Gambit. Nobody’s got a pack, right?” Liddie looked around the group. “No? Damn. Personally, I’m going to do a tour of every tavern and brothel in the city twice.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Nethlia chuckled. “You really should buy some better gear, some magic rings or something. We all should.”

“Pshh, with this payday I’ll have enough for that and as many whores to slake whatever thirst I got,” Liddie proudly declared, much to the amusement or exasperation of the others.

Nelva glared as she slapped at the pirate’s questing tail. “Really, is that all you think about? Personally, I’m going shopping. I need some new clothes after this mire; it’s ruined this set.”

Autumn perked up at the idea. “Me too! I’ve not gotten around Duskfields much. P-perhaps we could check some places out? I’ve only been to Catherine’s Clothing Collections. Have you been there?”

“Oh? I’ve not heard of that place, it sounds…quaint. Mayhaps I’ll check it out when we get back, with you, that is.”

“Blarg, all this flirting is making me sick. What about you Edwyn? Don’t tell me you’re making plans for a date, too?”

Liddie faked being sick as she mocked the pair. She turned a blind eye and deaf ear to Nelva’s glare and Autumn’s splutter of denial, although a sharp pinch to the side courtesy of Nelva, made her squeak.

Edwyn ignored the byplay as they gruffly spoke. “Nay, I’m headin 'aff tae the Mage’s Quarter whan I get back tae see whit runes they have, if any.”

Autumn turned her attention away from the play-fighting that broke out between the party’s rouge and defender. Heading over to the Mage’s Quarter sounded like a good idea. She had not been yet as she’d neither had the funds nor the confidence to roam magic’s stomping ground. Now, with a few spells under her proverbial belt, she felt ready to explore that corner of this world.

Nethlia grunted. “Everyone should save some money to buy magic items to boost your abilities. There’s an auction house in the Noble’s District we could attend or just pop over to the Merchant’s Guild to see what they have.”

“Surely there’s something more frivolous you’d like to buy, Captain?” Nelva asked as she pushed Liddie off of herself.

Nethlia blushed as she scratched her cheek. “Well, I would like to get a good hour-long massage, the deep tissue kind. All this rough-riding has put a few new kinks in my back.”

Autumn nodded in appreciation. If there was ever somebody who could extract a person’s soul with their hands, it was the House of Bloom’s masseuse, Nalaia. Her body still remembered those firm hands and warm oils and longed for another session.

Shaking off the thoughts, Autumn turned her attention to her other side, where a flame-haired girl lay.

“What about you, Pyre? You’ve been awfully quiet.” Autumn asked.

Startled, the alchemist squeaked. “Me?!”

While she’d recovered from her bog-drenching thanks to Autumn’s spell, she still looked rather bedraggled; her flaming hair danced sullenly atop her head.

“Yeah, you got any big plans for your payday?”

Pyre hummed. “W-well, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I was thinking about renting out an alchemy workshop for myself. Don’t get me wrong, my dad’s one is fine, but I’m sick of him looking over my shoulder, you know? I just…want a place to myself.”

“That’s not embarrassing at all!” Liddie reassured the girl. “Maybe I’ll do something similar and save up for a new pirate ship.”

“Should you be telling us you intend to re-engage in piracy?” Nelva deadpanned. “I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to raid other nations if we’re not at war. You weren’t planning on pirating empire ships, were you?”

Liddie just waved her off. “Blah blah blah. Can’t hear you!”

The dismissal, of course, sent the pair quietly bickering and fighting again.

In the lull in the conversation, Nethlia whispered to Autumn.

“What about you? Anything special besides new clothes?”

Autumn chewed her lip in thought; under her sleeve, she stroked the old wand. Withdrawing it from its sheath, she held it up into the dim moonlight. Crooked and bent, the wand of iron-like wood looked the part of an elder witch of whom it was ‘gifted’.

It didn’t fit Autumn.

While it worked well enough for her needs, it possessed a history incongruent with Autumn’s path. It wasn’t like the wand was living per se; it was just…old and carved with channels used to emotions estranged from Autumn’s own. Every spell she cast felt she was trying to push against a path that was leading elsewhere.

“I suppose I’d like to make my own wand or have it made. I have no idea how much that’d cost.”

“Sounds like an adventure.”

Autumn laughed quietly. “I suppose it might. Maybe I’ll need to collect all the materials myself or something? Go on a couple dozen fetch quests?”

Another comfortable quiet settled over the party, the kind of silence that only broke out around people you were comfortable with and were comfortable with you. It was…nice.

The night crept past slowly, but Autumn found no rest; nerves kept her tossing and turning and judging by the similar sounds coming from the others, they were in the same boat.

Anxiety was just another type of fear, right? Autumn certainly thought so.

Closing her eyes, Autumn focused on the churning that kept her awake; a ball of twisting anxiety over the battle in the morn resting in her gut. With a flicker of will and magic, she pulled it free. Opening her eyes, she saw a skittering black spider sitting on her palm. Hastily, as if avoiding her attention, it climbed up her arm and shuddering face to nestled beneath her hat.

Autumn relaxed in the warm embrace of her friends. Autumn realized they might want to get rid of the turmoil in their stomach as well. She could also use the bolster to supply of emotional magic-fuel, not that she needed much; her hat was near bursting.

“Hey guys?” Autumn whispered. “If you want, I can take away your anxiety for now, just so that we can get some sleep. Don’t worry about the cost; I’ll bill you later.” Autumn joked.

Still awake, the others looked over at Autumn. Interest and trust battled with caution as they considered the offer. However, it only took a short internal deliberation before they nodded to her in accord.

Autumn stretched her hand out before her, gesturing for the others to do the same. One by one, they layered their hands atop one another and Autumn focused. A well of anxiety stretched out from her senses. She could see the dots of nervousness and trepidation of the other adventurer parties and even that of the guards milling further back. Trying to pull on it all was too much, too far, and too soon.

There were a thousand different excuses to explain her inadequacy, so she simply focused on what she could do.

Pulling the anxiety from their cores, it crawled out of their skin like a thousand baby spiders. Shudders of revulsion rocked through the party, Autumn included, as the spiders skittered down their arms and up Autumn’s. She resisted the urge to flinch or gag as they crept across her face to disappear under her hat. As the last of them vanished, she lowered her sweat-laced hand, the others quickly following.

Liddie fell back on her bedroll with a thud, breaking the awkward silence. “Yelp, thanks for that, I guess. At least I know what my new nightmares are going to be.” She shuddered.

“Sorry.” Autumn apologized.

Who would’ve thought trying to remove fear would just give them an alternative source? Well, at the very least, they weren’t fretting over the battle tomorrow.

Exhausted, Autumn lay back on her bedroll and tried to drift into the sweet embrace of slumber.

Redcaps come!

To have some fun!

“Urg. Someone just kill me already.”