<div>


    Abad woke to the light of dawn creeping through the curtains of their small room. The sky outside was still the dark blue-grey of early morning, but a hint of orange marked the beginning of a new day. He felt the heat of Keila''s body against his and listened to her soft breaths. Her arm was draped across him, and her head rested on his chest. He held her close, breathing in her scent, then kissed her forehead.


    He committed the moment to memory.


    He felt her move. "Not yet," she murmured.


    He kissed her forehead again and watched as her blue eyes slowly fluttered open. With a soft smile on her lips, she reached up and rubbed his cheek before placing a small kiss on his lips. He tried to speak, but she covered his mouth with her hand.


    "Just a few more minutes." She rolled over and scooted her back toward him.


    He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Okay."


    They lay like that a while longer, but as the morning light grew brighter, he felt her yawn. With a groan, she sat up, and the blanket fell away, revealing the curves of her back. He committed that to memory as well. She stood up and looked over her.


    "Like what you see?"


    "Very much so."


    She smirked at him and twirled, then began to dress herself. He groaned and joined her. She eyed him as he put his pants on, and a moment later his boots were on his feet and his shirt was over his shoulders. When they were dressed, he went to cast his [Mask of Many Faces], but she guessed what he was thinking and stopped him.


    "You shouldn''t hide so much of yourself."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Your natural hair looks good. I like the black. When you travel, go as yourself. At least as much as you can."


    He considered her words before adopting his usual form. "I will."


    They left their little sanctuary and walked down the stairs to the dining hall. The stairway smelled wonderful, like bread and sugar, and when they exited the narrow staircase, Abad could see that a large breakfast had already been prepared. The smells drew him toward a nearby table, where he discovered an array of foods and treats laid out on a table for two.


    "I told Braghda we''d be hungry when we woke up. She said she''d make us something special." She smiled at him and beckoned him toward the table. A tall carafe filled with dwarven kafen and a smaller ceramic pitcher of some sort of juice was set on the table, and two empty plates waited for the hungry lovers. Keila quickly piled a plate with sausage links and flakey sweet rolls while Abad filled her cup with kafen and buttered some toast. He wasn''t often that hungry due to his nature, but this morning he was famished.


    Keila took a bite of her roll and savored its flavor. He poured a glass of kafen and took a sip. The brown liquid was bitter and slightly spicy and warmed his stomach as it flowed through him.


    "So, I suppose you''re planning on leaving right away, eh?"


    "Yes, after I meet with Faye."


    "Then I''ll accompany you," Keila declared. "She and I have a dozen tasks to complete today, so I might as well get started early." She yawned, then downed an entire sweet roll.


    "Aren''t you tired?"


    "A little," she admitted with a mischievous smile, "but it was worth it."


    It had been.


    They dug into the breakfasts, savoring the flavors, and before long, they finished, thanked the dwarven cook, and left the inn, but not before Keila grabbed a large glass of kafen to go. A short while later, they were climbing the manor''s stairs. At the top, he saw Faye, head in hands, half asleep at the little desk she''d set up in the former treasure room. On second glance, Abad realized she wasn''t half-asleep. She was just asleep.


    "She does this sometimes," Keila explained with a grin on her face. "Works too hard and collapses on her scrolls or in her papers." She walked up to the Hero and placed her hands on the sleeping woman''s shoulders. Faye jerked upright, eyes blinking rapidly in surprise. A large puddle of drool was left on the desk.


    "Huh, wuh..." Her words were confused, and her face was etched with sleep lines and covered in ink. "I was awake. I was just resting my eyes." She took her sleeve and wiped her face. Unfortunately for her, doing so smeared black ink all over her cheeks.


    "Here," Keila handed Faye the drink she''d taken from the Green Lady. "You look like you need this more than me."


    Faye smelled the brown liquid, groaned, and drank the entire cup in one go. When she finished, she shuddered. "I hate this stuff. It''s like bad coffee from Earth, but twice as bitter. But damn if it doesn''t get you going." She handed the glass back to Keila. "Thanks. I was up all night going over all these agreements." The woman''s eyes cleared as she spoke to the blonde. After a few moments, she looked awake. Only then did her eyes focus on Abad, as though noticing him for the first time. "Morning Abad.. When''d you get here?" she asked.


    "Just now." He paused before adding. "Nice ink. Looks good on you."


    Faye absent-mindedly brushed at it, causing it to streak even more. Seeing the black on her fingers, she shrugged. "Wouldn''t be the first time." She smiled. "You''ll be off soon?"


    "Yeah."


    "Well, I have something from an admirer of yours." She opened the desk drawer and pulled out a book. "That mage over at the guild seems totally smitten with you, or at least with some of your past magical exploits. She gushed about some spell you made for at least fifteen minutes yesterday." She walked back toward him. "She showed up yesterday with this book and told me to tell you that this will be a great place to start again." Faye handed him the book. Opening it, he saw magical inscriptions on the pages within. Ta-Li had written him a new spellbook. He hadn''t realized he''d such an impact on the girl and felt grateful she''d learned some history. He''d have to thank her one day.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "There''s also this." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a small leather bag and tossed it at him. "It''s an advance payment." He caught it. Looking inside, he saw that it was another bag of crystals. "That''s the first half of your payment for the job you''ll be taking. I got you a job going north toward Evron with a merchant caravan. It''ll be leaving the eastern gate in a few hours. You''ll be a guard, and you''ll get paid the second half when you reach some town called Syrenthal."


    He hadn''t expected to take a job so soon. "So no vacation?" He asked wryly.


    "No rest for the wicked, friend." She shook her head. "Stuff came up, and I need you to check it out." She walked up to him. "I need you to go to the reach out between Evron and Nolei. There''s word of attacks in the region, and several villages have been destroyed, at least according to reports. I need you to figure out what''s happening out there. The guild says trolls have been on the loose, which I know you''re aware of, but the stories I''ve heard don''t match up with troll attacks. There are bodies left behind," she scowled as she spoke. "Some people are saying monsters killed the villagers, others are claiming brigands, and still others are saying it''s some dark spirit or the undead." She placed a finger on her ink-covered chin. "I need you to learn exactly what happened there, and whatever it is, I need you to stop it." She patted his chest. "A big strong warlock like you shouldn''t have any problem with that, right?"


    He nodded. "I''ll work it out."


    As he agreed to the job, his scroll unfurled.


    <hr><hr>


    <ul>


    <li>[Echoes of the Empty] (Quest, Shared)


    <ul>


    <li>Objective: Investigate the mysterious disappearances of villages in the Reach between Evron and Nolei. Discover the truth behind the attacks, confront the force responsible, and decide the fate of the region.


    <ul>


    <li>Trace the Shadows: Speak to survivors and investigate abandoned villages to uncover the source of the attacks. Seek out clues to track the attackers’ movements and intentions.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <hr><hr>


    As he read the final words of the quest''s objective, he frowned. He didn''t like how the Goddess''s system worded the task. He didn''t have time to dwell on it, however.


    He heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Zethari enter the room. The wolf girl''s yellow eyes met his, and she nodded.


    "Nightstalker."


    "Zethari."


    "Are we ready to go?" The wolven woman asked.


    "Almost." He turned back to Faye. "Anything else?"


    "Oh!" She walked back to her desk, reached into another drawer, and pulled out a leatherbound booklet. "These are your traveling papers. You''ll need to get them stamped each time you stop at a town or city, at least when you''re not traveling with a caravan. My seal''s in there, so no one should give you much trouble. Just don''t lose that, or you''ll be screwed." She handed them over, and he tucked the small book safely away in his pack. "Also, I''ve been looking through the records here since I talked to Zethari. I found a record of a Rennar in Bolton''s files. He definitely was sold to someone in Evron. You''ll be hitting two birds with one stone by taking this job."


    He felt Zethari shuffle next to him. "Thanks, Faye." He bowed to her, but a moment later, she walked up and wrapped her arms around him. He tensed up, not knowing how to handle the gesture. Slowly, he untensed and simply accepted it, then hugged her back.


    "Be safe out there, old friend." She whispered. She released him and stepped back. "May the Goddess guide your path."


    "And yours."


    He turned to Keila, whose eyes had softened.


    "Don''t go getting yourself hurt or dead," she said as he walked up to her. She stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "And think about me here and there, alright?" She leaned close and whispered in his ear. "Because I''ll sure think of you." As she pulled away, her gaze hardened. "Now get out of here. No lingering goodbyes." She pushed him toward Zethari. The wolven woman turned on her heel, and they walked away, down the stairs, and toward the eastern gate.


    But before he left the manor, he changed his [Mask of Many Faces]. Instead of his mother''s blonde, he changed his hair to black to honor of Keila''s suggestion, and to honor himself.


    ***


    They arrived at the gate a half-hour later, weaved through the wagons entering the town, and found a dozen covered wagons arranged in a long caravan stretching down the eastern road. A large crowd of people was finishing their preparations for the journey, and standing at the rear of the caravan was a familiar group of people.


    Firtz and Kjormur were talking to a man in fine clothes, and the girls were throwing some gear into the rear wagon. A-Nis looked up, smiled, and waved. He smiled and waved back as they grew near.


    "Are you taking this job too?" He called out as he got closer.


    Shani and A-Nis walked up to him and Zethari. "Yeah, we got the job through the guild. Are you coming too?"


    "We are indeed."


    "Oh, good. Honestly, I didn''t know what we''d do if we ran into large troupe of trolls again. I''m happy to have your firepower."


    En-In jumped out of the wagon and walked up. "We''re glad to have you both along. This will be much safer with a powerful caster and a fey''ra like her." The man nodded toward Zethari. "I saw what she could do in the manor, and woo boy, I''m happy she''s here."


    "I am here to protect Abad-Shai, not you, mutt."


    En-In smiled at the jab. "Of course, but I''m sure if something dangerous came along, you''d be kind enough to offer protection to the rest of us."


    "Do not expect it. I will perform our duties to the letter, and you are not part of those duties. Your deaths are not my concern."


    He chuckled and leaned on a wagon wheel. "She always like that?" he asked Abad.


    Abad let the question drop.


    Just then, man''s voice called out. "Come on you bastards! It''s time to get moving!" A tall, slender man yelled from the front wagon. The large crowd of people began finding their wagons, and Abad approached the man Firtz and Kjormur had been talking to.


    "You Ka-Zadin?" The man asked Abad. Faye had been kind enough to give him a new cover.


    "I am."


    "Excellent. Faye highly recommended you. Welcome aboard. We''ve provided you a wagon with the other group we hired. That will be adequate, I assume?" The man looked at him expectantly.


    "That would be perfectly fine. Thank you."


    The man gestured at Zethari. "You can keep that one muzzled, correct?" Abad could feel her hackles rising through their bond.


    "I''m not a dog, ape," Zethari growled.


    Abad held up his hand. "You''ll be pleased with our performance. I can guarantee it." Abad could see the woman''s tail twitch, and her long fingers were clenched into tight fists.


    The man eyed the fey''ra warily before pointing to the rear carriage. "We''re about to head out. Make yourselves comfortable. The journey is long. It''s five days to Wysten, and there are reports of both brigands and trolls on the way. Rest up."


    "Thank you." He grabbed Zethari''s arm and led her to the wagon. The others had already climbed in. They followed suit. As he climbed in, he saw that A-Nis and Shani were up front, the reins in the elder sister''s hands. Firtz was sitting on a crate, Kjormur had a hat over his face, and En-In was tuning a lute.


    Zethari sat as far back in the wagon as she could and turned to face the rear. Her expression was dark. Abad could see she was seething.


    "Hey," he whispered as he sat next to her. "I understand how you feel, but let it wash off of you. Don''t take it to heart."


    The wolven woman glowered at him. "I understand these te''ra are cruel and stupid, but why should I tolerate it?"


    "Because this is the best chance we have right now to go north with relative ease, and we have to head that way to find Rennar anyway, right? Let''s not make more trouble for ourselves."


    Her ears twitched, and a soft growl rolled off her lips. She snorted. "If you wish it, I will endure this, but not for them. For you and for my mate only."


    "It won''t be forever. Let''s just play nice until we get paid and find our own way. Okay?"


    "If that is your command." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against a crate. "But I will not fawn. No amount of commands can make me forget my pride."


    "No one''s asking you to bow to them. This is a job, nothing more."


    Her tail batted the bench. "They deserve nothing less than a sharp knife across their throats. Then the forest could claim them."


    "That may be, but it won''t be our knife. Is that clear?"


    Her eyes remained closed, but her chin dipped once in answer.