and moving from one place to another. They were doing fairly well most of the time, the guild

members had split off on individual quests to gather what little coin they could. Leroy was gone, along with about half of the guild. The other half stayed at camp, which had been set up

forest wa

camp, holding a blanket tightly

ced back at the camp behind him, he could see through the opening in one of the tents, Kenneth sleeping, near him t

glance

he longest time at this camp, tr

re returning to them, bringing with them wha

loor beside one of the tents. Shivering, h

und a big job fo

m, sitting on a folded blanket on

hs ago we accompanied Candy C

they remembered the particular mission where they missed out on t

a tavern' Leroy continued, 'when

s that?' Ke

Leroy said, 'a rare creature, one that w

' Kennedy mused, s

silently, he gl

'I'm sure it would be a lot of mone

ollects mythical creatures as trophies. He's got loads, manticors, chimeras, hippogriffs…even a mermaid. I hear she's very b

ou mean' Leroy nodded

is phoenix and sell it to this guy for a butt-ton of money, then live in

t let your imagination run off wi

o catch this thing or else everyone would be doing it, and how do we know t

ed mournfully at this. Leroy waited

ot advertised on a board, but a secret one. I've paid a lot of money for informatio

ooked down at the large bag of c

old them. 'I am the only one willing at th

as if he were in a classroom asking th

afrai

ed, rollin

anything is mad

rs ignor

ction of mountain where great coloss

e catch it?' R

ive. They age, die and catch a flame, being re-born from th

' Waltz spoke up in a dea

x chose that spot to die' Le

pid then' Wal

dangerous?' Rude said to Leroy. 'We

ossed hi

ill take the quest' Ler

You mean no one else is stupid enough to attempt this

they sought. They had no horses as they were expensive, almost all of the time the horse

yon cut into the rock allowed them to delve onwards, and

ush' Kyle noted out lo

s; Leroy just glared at him sile

it?' Tom ask

gazing ahead of him as t

st one way, t

ully from the back of the group. 'You'

ingered for a moment, b

ers fol

tinued to fall silently. It was miserably cold, and many of

t incident. Their path began to rise,

d were not hindered by this at all, several of them instantly used their magic to light the torches they carried, holding th

tinued o

until it began to level out, before sloping ge

e cavern, staring in awe at what was before t

y lit. Before them was the cre

rds the end of its life, scrawny and pale with

at it. One of t

aaww

in the very centre of the cavern. It burs

out, all that was lef

nudging Waltz besid

ncertainly moving

lly for the occasion, and began to sweep the as

d with satisfacti

rumble as the earth

y tense. He turned

was

ch other in alarm, simply waiting fo

silence, and then, the deafeni

the walls turning and rising until

nside a cave at all, but a hollow in the mountain,

as it found its feet, risi

on and panic could not be counted. Several of the guild members had drawn their weapons,

t above turned

long tail and a great beaked head. It was a terrifying beast of massive size, with a body that looked li

that seemed to come from the belly of the very earth itself, the gu

back to attack. It lunged at them, attacking the gu

nd at first it might have seemed that he had been saying a prayer, or reciting a spell

that contr

n't matter now, all that mattered to him was saving his guild, and he knew that this was a th

ad become a blessing, and he was able

m the rest of the world. The guild looked about in wonder, realising they had n

ered, 'where did you lea

the shield, but for all its efforts, it

expression of cocky surety and arrogance, now he wore an e

tant, and in this time, the col

w the spell downwards, using his strength to surround the guild in protective magic, caring only for their safety eve

need of a

not speak to her now as the breath was forced out of him when his chest h

e…' he

o protect the guild the witch replied calmly as th

guild…sa

u. Do you want me to sav

t. 'Kill the colos

your

alarming amount of blood as th

Waltz thought

ou w

y coursing through his body, of t

ouch burned the colossi. He summoned a grappling hook out of the air by magic, the glowing weapon stabbed the colossi aro

pell he knew nothing about, killing not only the colossi below hi

lying beast fell from the

ky above him, suddenl

mself as he fell, hitting the

he knew

hout pause. It has been several hours since the incident, and W

having finally woken. He blinked wearily, gazing

slowly and resting his hands upon the edge as the

turning very gingerly towa

…Le

idely, a genui

lad you'r

nked agai

nd was working very slowly. 'I feel

worse th

ighed d

, he suffered a concussion, and had several broken ribs, a broken collar

e swallowed; his voice

at

him a glass and helping him drink. Leroy brought the glass t

roy moved back, placing t

tilled again

thers? Are the

nt to know and I don't expect you to tell me either. But you saved our lives. If you hadn't done whateve

n't clear if he understood

d our liv

linked

phoen

he moved to reach into it. Inside, he didn't find the

ly, pulling it

th a single little red

in shock. 'I thought for

ing about the room with its large e

wn at it. 'How did it not die i

tiny little b

he said. 'You just

to him, before lying back. His hand fell b

l he woke several hours later. But it

figure. But then she smiled, leani

l?' she asked i

nside his chest, and he knew sudd

sighed. 'So

ay she appeared as a young woman with

egan. 'You've survi

oked dow

smiles wid

said. 'The rest of your guild is alive

at her. He

straight

e so before. They adore you.' She glanced back at him with a

her word, and Waltz was consum