The morning sun cast long shadows behind them as they walked the winding road out of the hill village. The path was narrow, cutting between fields of yellowing grain and clusters of swaying wildflowers. A crisp breeze whispered through the hills, brushing their cloaks and tousling their hair.
They all seemed at ease, the festival having left them lighter, even more bonded. But the happiest among them, by far, was Idin. He walked a little faster than the others, with a slight bounce to his steps, practically hugging a stack of neatly folded parchment to his chest. His eyes glowed like a child who'd stolen a secret from the gods.
Bral glanced sideways at him and smirked. "You really missed out on the meteor shower, you know. One in a sixteen-year experience. People traveled from across the region for it."
Idin, completely undeterred, scoffed and held out the papers. "Whatever. Look at this. This is a step-by-step process for crafting their wear. You have no idea how rare something like this is. Their weaving methods, the thread layering—genius."
Bral sighed and muttered, "Yep. Totally healthy priorities…"
The road sloped gently downward, the forest thinning ahead to rolling grassland. They passed a small stream where deer scattered at the sound of footsteps. It was peaceful. Idin pulled his cloak closer and said, "We should be a bit cautious here. We could run into a landwyrm in this region."
Pao looked up from a small map she had been glancing over. "You mean like the one that almost ate us before we reached Llyn?"
Bral rolled his eyes. "We're stronger now. Way stronger. We'd deal with it easily this time."
"Last time we were barely alive," Idin muttered, "I'd rather avoid any conflict, even if we can kill it now."
Not long after, Amukelo's nose twitched. He lifted his head and sniffed the air, frowning. "Wait… I smell blood."
Everyone stopped.
Bral raised a hand cautiously. "Where?"
Amukelo scanned the trees and pointed just off the path. "There. It's eating."
They crept forward until, just beyond a thicket, they saw it—a red landwyrm, almost identical to the one they had faced almost a year ago. Its scales shimmered like metal soaked in blood, and it was hunched over a mangled deer carcass, gnawing noisily. The thing was massive, nearly the size of a wagon, and its muscular tail flicked through the grass as it ate.
Idin blinked and whispered, "Just like the last time…"
"Let's just avoid it," Bao said immediately. "We're not here to hunt dragons."
But before anyone could stop him, Bral smirked, stepped forward, and cast a firebolt at the creature.
The spell struck its side, sending a ripple of red sparks across its hide. The landwyrm lifted its head, now staring straight at them.
Idin threw up his arms. "What the hell are you doing, idiot!?"
Bao rubbed her temples. "You'll be the end of us. Truly."
Bral shrugged and turned around, raising his hands like it was no big deal. "Come on, don't you want to see how far we've come? This is basically a rematch!"
But before he could finish, the beast was already charging, jaws wide and roaring.
"Bral, move!" Amukelo yelled and sprinted in.
The landwyrm lunged straight for Bral, but before it could bite down, Amukelo launched himself forward and delivered a spinning kick to its jaw. The impact cracked like thunder, and the beast's head jerked sideways, snarling in pain.
Pao's staff was already in her hands. "I'll bind it!" she shouted, planting her feet and slamming the base of her staff into the ground. Chains of glowing water erupted around the landwyrm's legs and torso, wrapping it tight.
But the creature opened its mouth, preparing a blast of fire.
"Not this time," Bao muttered, pulling a runed arrow from her quiver. She loosed it before the wyrm could breathe. The arrow sliced into its open mouth and stuck deep in its throat.
The creature reeled, thrashing and snapping its jaws in agony, as if trying to vomit the projectile back up. Its tail lashed out in rage, whipping toward Idin.
"Brace!" Bral shouted and extended his prosthetic arm. A glowing tether of telekinetic energy surged forward, stopping the tail mid-air just before it could crush Idin.
"Nice catch," Idin said breathlessly.
"Damn right it was," Bral grinned.
Amukelo charged. With one clean arc, he swung upward and severed the beast's neck clean through.
The body crashed to the ground, kicking up dirt and grass, twitching once before going limp.
The entire fight hadn't lasted more than twenty seconds.
They all stood still for a moment, panting slightly, watching the body settle.
Then Bral turned to them with a proud smirk. "See? It was nothing. We've grown."
Idin glared at him. "Next time, if you provoke a monster for no reason, you're fighting it alone."
Bao just shook her head and kicked a clump of dirt toward Bral. "You've got a death wish."
Amukelo sheathed his sword and looked at the dead wyrm. "Still... it really is different now. Last time, we nearly died. Now?"
"We just walked through it," Bral said smugly. "You're welcome."
They continued down the road, leaving the corpse behind.
The winding road had led them steadily higher over the last few hours, carving a narrow, worn path into the side of a steep mountain. Rocky cliffs loomed to one side, while on the other, the drop was sheer, offering a distant, breathtaking view of forests and hills far below. The air had grown thinner, cooler, and each breath felt sharp in their chests. A few birds circled lazily overhead.
Amukelo led the way, while Bral and Idin walked side by side, exchanging occasional remarks and complaining about the incline. Bao trailed slightly behind, her gaze scanning the terrain as if half-expecting another monster to burst from the rocks. Pao walked in silence near Amukelo, occasionally brushing her hair back from her face, the wind catching strands and tossing them around like threads of gold.
It was then they heard the voice. "Ah! What will I do!?
Rounding a bend, they saw a man standing beside a large cart with a pair of mules. He looked to be in his late forties, with a thick coat and a wide-brimmed hat to shield his face from the sun. His cart was packed with goods—crates, barrels, and sacks tied down tightly. But the road ahead of him was completely blocked by a mess of rocks and loose earth, clearly the aftermath of a recent landslide.
The man's expression lit up as he waved. "Oh, thank the stars! Adventurers! Please, can you help me? The road's blocked, and I can't pass through. If I have to turn back and go around the range, it'll cost me a week at least—maybe more!"
Bral stepped forward, hands on his hips. "Sounds like you need a bit of muscle."
"I'll pay you for your trouble," the merchant added quickly. "Not much, but I can offer something that may come in handy."
Idin grumbled, stretching his back. "We're not exactly a road-clearing crew, but... yeah, we've helped people with worse. We've got a certain idiot that makes walking through the woods too risky."
He gave Bral a sideways glare.
Bral shrugged innocently. "Never heard of the guy."
They got to work without further discussion. Idin and Amukelo focused on the larger rocks, working together to lift and roll them aside. Their hands became dusty, their sleeves dirt-streaked, but both moved with practiced rhythm. Bao and Pao grabbed some shovels from the merchant's cart and began clearing the smaller rubble and shifting the earth away from the wheels and edges of the path.
Bral stood near the blockage, lifting his prosthetic arm. With a focused frown, he used his telekinesis spell to levitate and guide a few of the more awkward stones away from the center of the pile, moving them with deliberate care.
But partway through, Amukelo glanced toward Pao and noticed her pace had slowed. She wasn't moving the dirt anymore. Her eyes were fixed on nothing in particular, and her expression had turned quiet, almost distant—her brow lightly furrowed, lips pressed into a faint line.
Amukelo moved closer and asked softly, "Hey, Pao. Is everything alright?"
She blinked, startled. "What? Why?" She gave a quick, forced smile. "Everything's fine. Just been thinking about something."
He studied her face for a second, then nodded. "Alright. But if something's bothering you, you can tell me."
She nodded, then glanced toward the pile again. "Can you use a hand?"
"Yeah. Let's move this side next."
Pao picked up her shovel again and returned to work with him. But Amukelo's mind lingered on her expression. It wasn't nothing. He knew her well enough to recognize when she was carrying something inside. But she wasn't ready to share it yet, and he wouldn't push her. Still... he made a quiet promise to himself to keep an eye on her.
After nearly some time of work, they managed to carve out a clean enough path through the debris for the cart to pass. The merchant clapped his hands, beaming.
"You've saved me a massive delay," he said. "I don't know what I would've done without you. As promised, here's a little something for your trouble."
He reached into one of his crates and pulled out a flask with a polished silver cap. "This is a refined healing potion. Better than the common ones. It draws less mana when used, so you won't pass out if you're already low. Keep it. You never know when it might come in handy."
Bral took the potion with a pleased grin. "Now that's a proper reward."
The merchant wiped his brow and glanced at the road. "And if I may add… seems we're heading in the same direction. I can offer you a ride. I've got room in the back of the cart, and it'll be much faster than walking."
Bral looked back at the group. "I'm not saying no to that."
Amukelo nodded. "It'll save us at least a day, probably more."
The others murmured agreement, and soon enough they were hoisting themselves up onto the flat space behind the merchant's seat. They settled in amongst barrels and sacks, finding enough room to stretch their legs.
The mules began to plod forward, the cart creaking as it rolled past the debris. The merchant chatted lightly as they went, grateful for the company. Bral started joking again, Bao occasionally jabbed him with her elbow to keep him in line, and Idin began scribbling in one of his small notebooks.
But Amukelo, though smiling, glanced sideways at Pao. She was sitting quietly beside him, looking off toward the passing cliffs. The wind caught strands of her hair, and there was a quiet stillness about her.