Ren sat upon a weathered rock, his cloak blowing in the breeze. His hood was up, casting a shadow over his face. Leaning forward, his elbows rested on his knees, and his chin was cradled in his hands as he stared into the depths of the woods about half a mile away. His thoughts lingered on Elix and whether the boy would emerge. Ren was savoring the anticipation, the excitement of not knowing. His eyes were focused, piercing the forest in a way that made it seem as though he was looking right through it.

  “What are you waiting for, Ren?” came a voice that broke his gaze. Elisa, an Elf with pure white hair, stepped up beside him, her brow furrowed in impatience. “We’ve been sitting here for far too long.” She wore brown leather armor, a cloak similar to Ren’s, and a small gray leather pouch on her belt. She was stereotypically attractive, as Elves often were, but her aura was cold and unapproachable by default.

  Ren turned slightly to face her, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’m waiting for our new squire,” he replied, fully aware that the news of their delay being due to a squire would not go over well with his party members.

  Elisa crossed her arms, her expression a mix of skepticism and annoyance. “You really think a new squire will be any different from the last useless one? He barely lasted a week.” She stamped her foot hard against the ground, reminiscent of a child in a tantrum. Ren didn’t react; he had predicted this response. Elisa despised delays or anything that hindered her progress.

  Nearby, Dorgo, a stout Druen with a beard that brushed his chest, groaned in annoyance. Druen were mountain-dwelling folk from the northern regions, known for their hardy nature, wide frames, and insatiable appetites.

  “Aye, last I checked, our last squire met his end at the hands of a Selvinger bird after we sent him to gather some eggs for breakfast. Devastating, that was. Do you know how much I was looking forward to those eggs? They’re said to be delicious, y’know. I still haven’t gotten over that, Ren.” He bowed his head in exaggerated mourning, his voice thick with sorrow. “What makes you think this one won’t end up ruining breakfast…..or worse, dinner?”

  Latrus, a towering Beastman with brown fur and piercing yellow eyes, leaned against a tree. His sharp gaze was fixed on the forest.

  “Or worse, he could have a really annoying face,” Latrus added, his voice low and gravelly. “We don’t need another liability slowing us down, Ren. We’ve got enough to deal with without babysitting some low-level kid from an impoverished family. You’re the leader of this guild party, but c’mon, man, stop goofing around.” moaned Latrus.

  Ren laughed a chilling laugh that seemed to indicate that he would ignore everything they’d just said. “You all worry too much. This time will be different. Let me handle the decision making, when have I ever let you down?” He grinned confidently. “He’ll be interesting. Leave me to my experiments, and you all focus on the quest.”

  Dorgo raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on his face. “What experiment? Secrets! It’s always a bloody secret with you, Ren. I don’t understand what you’re up to, but honestly, I don’t care much either.”

  Elisa sighed in exasperation. “As long as he doesn’t slow us down or start asking endless questions, I suppose we can tolerate him for a while. But if he whines or gets in my way...” She trailed off, muttering something about killing and death.

  Ren nodded, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I get it, I get it. No babysitting. If he’s a nuisance, you can send him packing. But give me some time to observe him, you know how I like my projects.”

  Latrus snorted, crossing his massive arms. “Fine. But he’d better hold his own and not expect us to bail him out of every situation.”

  Ren chuckled again, his laugh brightening their spirits this time, if only slightly. “Trust me, my friends. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. He’s coming, so let’s not hear any more about it.”

  Ren led his party beneath the branches of a large bush with a hollowed clearing inside. Its dome-like foliage concealed them from view, the air was thick with the evergreen scent of the leaves arching overhead. The soft rustling of branches swaying in the breeze sounded like the distant lapping of waves on a shore.

  “Alright,” said Ren, his voice tinged with excitement. He pulled out a card from his inventory with the image of a wooden table on its surface. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the card into the clearing. The card glowed brightly, and a sturdy table materialized, a piece of old wood rich in shades of brown, with an almost regal appearance. If someone were to poke their head into the bush, they would be taken aback by the out-of-place table and cushioned wooden chairs, which seemed more suited to the meeting room of an inn.

  The party took their seats. As the next stage of the journey had not yet been planned, Ren thought it was a good time to regroup.

  Elisa, the Elven healer, brushed her long white hair behind her pointed ears and leaned forward. Her emerald eyes glinted. “What’s the plan, Ren?” she asked impatiently.

  Ren unfolded a detailed map and placed it in the center of the table. The map’s brown hue and frayed edges showed its age. Ren pointed to a range of mountains in the north.

  “Our mission from the guild is to hunt down an evil Cardmancer known as Zeveil. He’s been using his card magic to turn creatures into mindless zombie monsters, wreaking havoc across the region.” frowned Ren.

  Dorgo stared at the map, furrowing his brow. “A Cardmancer! Another one who can’t resist the temptation of evil. It’s such a bother when rogues cause trouble, but I suppose the loot’s usually good and the payment for these quests is always higher when magic’s involved.” He cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck. Dorgo glanced suspiciously at Latrus. “You, still good with equal splits, Beastman? Last time I joined a guild party, the Beastman turned on us, trying to take everything for himself.” Dorgos eyes narrowed as he looked at Latrus.

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  Latrus shot him a sharp sideways glance. “Not everyone of a certain race is the same, so quit acting like a blockhead and show some respect. There may come a time when you need my help and if you keep this up, you might not get it.”

  “Don’t get your fur in a twist. I was just joking. I know your reputation,” Dorgo replied.

  “Now, boys, let’s not cause further delays with stupidity,” Elisa interjected. “I want to hear what Ren has planned for the next leg of the journey. I’ll only suffer from your laid-back attitudes for so long.”

  Ren smirked. “Yes, right you are, Elisa. So, where was I? Oh, right, Zeveil. He used to be in a legacy guild but turned to dark card magic for reasons unknown. He’s been causing trouble in villages around the area. I don’t know his level or the full extent of his magic, but I do know he can corrupt creatures into mindless monsters’. Explained Ren.

  “I’ve received intel that he’s shut himself up in an abandoned dungeon from the second age.” Ren reached into his pocket, producing a small dome shaped glass object, about the size of a large coin. He placed it on the map, flat side down, and held up a card, showing it to the party.

  They all used Unveil, and an M.i box appeared:

  Card Name: Zombie Cow Tongue Card Info: This meat is particularly nasty and rotten. It is not advised to use this in any recipe. Rarity: Uncommon

  “This, my friends, is how we find Zeveil’s exact location. While investigating a nearby village, I found monsters sent by Zeveil. A stroke of fortune, card magic retains traces of a Cardmancer’s mana, even in looted items. I easily dealt with the monsters and picked up this card. It still holds faint traces of his mana signature. I have a skill that will guide this glass counter to the mana’s origin.”

  Ren placed the card flat on the map’s center, setting the glass counter on top of it. Closing his eyes, the card dissolved into thin wisps of smoke, which were absorbed into the dome of glass.The party watched as the dome began shifting across the map, stopping at a marked location.

  “There,” Ren said calmly. “That’s where Zeveil is hiding. Our path is clear.”

  Dorgo slammed his fist on the table. “Then what are we waiting for? If we hurry, we can be the first guild to reach the dungeon. News like this spreads fast, we can’t risk another party beating us to the punch.”

  Latrus nodded. “The sooner we move, the better. I don’t want to deal with competing guilds reaching the dungeon while we are hiding out in a bush.”

  Elisa eyed Ren suspiciously. “We’ve been waiting for hours. Stop stalling. We don’t need a new squire. Let’s face it he’s probably dead already”.

  “Maybe you’re right. You know what….why don’t you go find out? Thanks for volunteering,” Ren replied.

  Dorgo and Latrus burst out laughing in sync.

  “I’m not doing it,” Elisa snapped, her voice raised in annoyance. “He’s probably already dead. It wouldn’t be hard for something in the forest to pick him off. It’s a waste of my time—no, no, no, not going.”

  Ren’s usual calm shifted to slight irritation. “And standing here arguing about it isn’t a waste of time? Elisa, the more you complain, the longer this is going to take. Just go, fetch him, and we can set off again. We’ve been delayed enough as it is.”

  Elisa rolled her eyes, her frustration bubbling over. “Oh, so it’s my responsibility now? You were the one who wanted a stupid new squire. If he can’t even make it out of the forest on his own, how is he supposed to survive with us? Or are we just taking anyone into our party these days?” Her arms were folded and her brow was furrowed in anger.

  Dorgo’s laughter interrupted them. “Aye, Elisa’s got a point, Ren. Maybe the lad’s already been eaten. monsters do love a good novice meal, squires make for a tender snack, I hear.” He clutched his chest dramatically, wiping away an imaginary tear of sorrow.

  Latrus, leaning lazily against the trunk of a nearby tree, added in his gravelly tone, “If he’s still alive, maybe he’s negotiating with a squirrel for directions.”

  Ren shot them both a warning glance. “You two aren’t helping.”

  “Didn’t realize we were supposed to,” Latrus muttered with a smirk.

  Elisa huffed, her hands moving to her hips as she stepped closer to Ren. “Why don’t you go fetch him yourself if you’re so concerned about him? Oh, wait, I know why, because you’d rather dump it on me while you sit here playing with your map!”

  Ren exhaled, putting his hand over his eyes in exasperation. “Elisa, I’m the leader of this party for a reason. My job is to make sure we’re ready for what’s ahead, not to chase after every minor inconvenience. Your job is to trust my decisions and do your part to keep us moving. Right now, that means finding the squire.”

  “And if he’s dead?” Elisa shot back. “What then? Should I carry his bones back to you for inspection?”

  Dorgo snorted, slapping the table with a meaty hand. “Wouldn’t that be a sight! Elisa, the bone collector, could be your next title, eh?”

  Ren ignored him, stepping closer to Elisa, his tone firm but calm. “If he’s dead, then we’ll know, won’t we? But standing here debating it is wasting more time than it would take you to go and find out. You’re the fastest of us. You could be back before I’ve even finished planning our next move.”

  Elisa glared at him, her beautiful face twisted in annoyance. “Fine,” she groaned, her voice full of angst. “But if I find nothing but a corpse, don’t expect me to bring it back.”

  Ren smiled at his small victory. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Elisa turned on her heels, her cloak swirling dramatically as she stomped toward the forest. “I swear, if he’s sitting under a tree picking flowers, I’ll…..” Her muttering and cursing faded as she disappeared into the dense, shadowy expanse of the Gray Forest.

  Dorgo chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that went about as well as expected. Poor kid, if I were him, I’d choose to face a monster over meeting her in that mood.”

  Latrus smirked, shaking his head. “She’s going to scare the poor kid to death before anything else in that forest does.”

  Ren sighed, running a hand through his hair as he returned to the table. “Let her grumble. At least now we’re making progress. Once they return, we can get moving.”

  The three exchanged knowing looks, each thinking the same thought: mercy for any being that crossed Elisa’s path. Each of them had firsthand experience with the consequences of provoking her.