As we finished the meal, and started to pick small parts of spider chitin out of our teeth, I turned to Soriya.

“So, what are we thinking.” I asked bluntly. “Cultist?”

Soriya wavered her hand uncertainly. “I don’t know. I think so, yes, but I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

“Then allow me to clarify.” Daniyel spoke up, unexpectedly. “He is definitely up to something. His stance, the way he held himself, the set of his eyes. He could not be shiftier if he tried. If he is, as you say, a cultist, are you sure that he is a cultist of this jungle Arcanum?”

Soriya and I nodded firmly in unison. “Yes.” We said.

We shared a laugh, and then I explained my comment. “If he’s a cultist, then there’s only one thing that he can be a cultist of. The jungle cult that worships the Arcanum.”

“You’re really that sure about this?” Lakshmi asked pensively, then shook her head, and thwapped her forehead with a palm. “Wait, no, what am I saying. Of course you’re sure.”

“So… what are we going to do about it?” asked Eshaan curiously.

“I say we confront him directly!” Lakshmi said, thrusting her fist in the air. “We’ll punch him good, we’ll stop any trouble he’s planning cold!”

“If we punch him, we loose our only lead.” Camaxtli said. “And our directions are considerably sketchy to begin with. I do not think the harbor master was being sarcastic when he indicated how dangerous the jungle is.”

“I don’t think we should do anything about it. His goals and ours align perfectly, at least for now.” Soriya said. “He’ll want to take us to the temple, we want to go to the temple. The fact that once we’re at the temple he’ll try to sacrifice us to the Arcanum is where our paths diverge. Maybe the cult will attempt to sacrifice us by sending us into the temple, in which case there’s no place where our goals diverge!”

“Well, he might ask us to leave our gear outside, that’s no good.” I said. “Speaking of which, Soriya, do you think you can make some of those ice crystals for us? I didn’t see any for sale.”

The others perked up considerably at the mention of ice crystals, as Soriya stroked her chin thoughtfully.

“I suppose so…” She said thoughtfully. “But it’s just a single crystal. No air flow or anything…”

“We’ll just strap it to our water bottles!” Eshaan said. “Cool water will go a long way to making this easier!”

“Oh yes, definitely.” Lakshmi nodded fervently, while Daniyel agreed in a more reserved fashion.

“Indeed. Having an elemental witch on your side is useful in many instances.” He said, and gave Soriya a fond smile.

“So we’re agreed then?” Eshaan said. “We’ll just… let him lead us to the temple, and deal with the maybe ambush there?”

“Well if he wants us to get to the temple, he is the most likely guide. There are bound to be dangers in the jungle, and the sooner we can get to the temple, the sooner we can leave.” Lakshmi said. “It is downright unfair that my captain’s coat is too hot!” She added grumpily.

“I would suggest that rather than removing it, we work on a way to incorporate an ice crystal into its construction.” Camaxtli said. “The enveloping nature of the coat would thus become a benefit instead of a hindrance.”

Lakshmi’s eyes lit up. “Oooh… what a fantastic idea! Yes!” Her eyes grew distant, and she held out her hand absently. Rather than Daniyel, it was Camaxtli who handed her a sheaf of paper.

I caught his eyes as he did so, and he shared a quiet smile with me.

Lakshmi had pulled out her magical stylus and started to scrawl techno-magical diagrams already, with Camaxtli and Eshaan already hovering near her shoulder, making quiet comments about design choices.

Soriya conjured up several more ice crystals for each of us of much more modest size, only about seven centimeters around. With those placed near my head, the heat was tolerable enough that I found getting to sleep quite easy, despite the exotic sounds of the city outside and jungle beyond it.

The next morning, Anyim was waiting for us in the common room of the inn, with a wide smile on his face.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Good morning, my clients, good morning! I see you are doing well! Shall we proceed with the shopping for your expedition?!” he asked excitedly.

“Do you have recommendations for us?” Lakshmi said curiously.

“But of course, my customers! Anyim is a full service guide! From travel preparations to accommodations in the city to the safest route to traverse the deep jungle, Anyim offers you the best!”

Lakshmi raised an eyebrow. “So, you know we’re seeking out an ancient temple in the deep jungle.”

Anyim nodded agreeably. “I do, I do! Anyim makes it his policy to know what his flock needs!”

Lakshmi gave us a look. Daniyel gave a barely perceptible shrug, and Soriya and I nodded. Lakshmi turned back to Anyim, a smile on her face. “Then, if you know what we need, let’s not tarry.”

We headed back into the market, through some of the darker ally ways. Eshaan said “We’ve heard rumors that the jungle is dangerous. That no explorers have returned.”

Anyim laughed. “Yes, the jungle is extremely dangerous for those who do not take care within its depths! Giant spiders, centipedes that compete with them for prey, venomous snakes the size of a skiff, crocodiles that eat those snakes, it is a very dangerous world! But much beauty to be found there as well, much beauty.” His eyes grew distant, and he seemed to see something far away for a moment.

“The enormous butterflies that soar overhead, the flowers that they feed on, as wide as my arms outstretched! Trees that have lived since the Goddess walked the earth, and some villages that never see the ground at all. But fear not, as I said, Anyim shall guide you safely.”

“So… you know of this temple?” Lakshmi said.

Anyim’s eyes flickered from side to side for a moment, but his smooth patter remained uninterrupted.

“I do, or think I do. If I take you to the place, and it is not the temple you seek, Anyim shall eat a centipede egg!”

“Is that a common thing to say?” Camaxtli asked curiously.

“Actually, can you eat centipede eggs?” I asked, suddenly even more curious.

Anyim looked at me in surprise and then laughed. For a brief flicker of a moment, I was hit with the memory of “proctor” Khine and his interest in me, his forced joviality.

“Oh assuredly, but it would be most unwise! They are highly poisonous, and even if you should survive the poison, they can hatch within your stomach!”

Right. Mental note, stock up on anti-toxin meals. I thought. More spider hotpots.

“And what about the giant spiders? Will we be able to hunt them in the jungle?” I asked.

“Well of course, they make their home there, but why?” Anyim seemed genuinely confused.

“Uh. Food?” I asked, equally confused.

“You… you have tried spider?” Anyim seemed shocked, his smooth patter momentarily gone.

“Yes?” I looked around at the group then back at Anyim. “Why is this surprising?”

“Well… for a native, it’s not that unusual, of course, but giant spider requires a great deal of preparation and skill to do so. It’s also quite an… acquired taste. If the poison glands are not properly removed, then the dish would be quite lethal!”

I blinked and then giggled. Oh? Is that so? I suppose no one has ever told him that the only difference between poison and medicine is the dosage.

“Well. My companions and I thought it was quite good, and I didn’t have any great difficulty with the preparation. Perhaps we simply purchased from a good vendor.” I said with a smile.

“Ah. Well. Yes. I suppose that must be the case.” Anyim was silent for a long moment, clearly lost in thought, before he picked up his patter once more, guiding us through and around the market stalls and the back corners of the city. He definitely knew this city, that was sure. The deals he was able to acquire… it seemed clear that he had some levels in {Merchant}, and a few levels of {Persuade} to go with it. Half a day later, and we were fully kitted out in the best explorer fashion. There was even a pith helmet and jungle gear, as well as the normal Magic Tent and cooking supplies. Anyim seemed adamant that I not purchase any of the giant spider meat for sale, or centipede parts either, though I looked at both with extreme curiosity.

“If we encounter these on our journey, I’ll be cooking them.” I said authoritatively. Anyim’s face was a mixture of frustration and annoyance. I was entirely unsure if this was because we were killing ourselves ahead of schedule, or if he simply couldn’t conceive of a useless adventurer knowing how to cook the local cuisine.

But the best part of the shopping trip was when I scored spices that Daniyel recognized. The way his eyes lit up, I knew I’d be making him curry tonight. Apparnetly the spices for Salazar curry did come from the Nanwe jungle, along with some extremely hot peppers.

I stared at them, laying in the market basket. They actually glowed. I sniffed at one curiously, and almost felt my nose ignite. I smiled happily, and purchased a bundle. The look on Anyim’s face was wonderful.

“Esteemed adventurer, those are reaper peppers! They are… not a normal ingredient! Some sell them for the purpose of poisoning local pests!”

I nodded agreeably. “I think they can be useful in certain dishes.” I said. Specifically, antidotes, as well as some entertaining cold resistance potions. I thought privately.

Anyim shook his head in complete bafflement, clearly unsure how to handle this group of adventurers who seemed likely to kill themselves in the town before he could even get them into the jungle.

The rest of the shopping was completed quickly. Whatever Anyim’s motives were, he was a useful and capable guide, and we picked up several bargains as well restoring our supplies. Lakshmi ordered most of the stocks to be sent to the Sparrowhawk, and I looked forward to the look on the port master’s face when we returned well before his imposed time limit.

The next day, we set off into the jungle. The trek was unpleasant, but with the improvised ice crystal air conditioners and a group of excited experimenters, the trip was a good deal less difficult than it might be. The giant spiders, snakes, crocodiles, and butterflies that misted poison from their wings were exactly as described, and three times more frustrating than I had imagined. My {Cleanse} skill got a workout, and I got a lot of practice in getting the chant right.

The antidote meals came in extremely handy, and I could see that Anyim was surprised and a little bit appalled at just how prepared we were for the trek. I expected things would be difficult in the extreme when we got to the temple. I had no idea just how right I was.