The heavy doors of the guild creaked open, letting in a rush of cold morning air. The world outside was still cloaked in blue-grey half-light, the first hints of dawn barely brushing the rooftops of Ashenfall. The streets were quiet save for the distant call of a rooster and the low murmur of adventurers gathering in the courtyard.

  The several pack beasts stood tethered near the fountain, their breath misting in the chill air. Saddlebags bulged with supplies, bundles of rope, canvas, and food rations, while a few of the younger adventurers hurried about, tightening straps and checking harnesses. The two dwarves from earlier were already at work, securing their carpentry tools to a thin cart stacked high with timber.

  Ronald and Rochelle moved among the groups, offering short words of encouragement and final checks. Caistina stood near the steps, her cloak drawn tightly against the cold, watching the gathering with quiet focus. The faint glow of mana shimmered between her fingers as she whispered an incantation under her breath, testing her reserves for the road ahead.

  Josh and Brett joined their party near one of the beasts, where Bheldur and Perberos were helping a stablehand load crates of arrows and spare weaponry.

  “Morning,” Josh greeted, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Or whatever time it is.”

  Bheldur grunted. “Morning enough for me. Got everything packed?”

  Brett nodded, adjusting the strap of his satchel. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Though I’d rather be heading to breakfast than a goblin nest.”

  Perberos smirked faintly. “If we’re lucky, we’ll earn enough for the next few months breakfasts.”

  Across the courtyard, the guards checked their weapons, short swords gleaming, shields freshly painted with Ashenfall’s crest. The tension was palpable, but it wasn’t fear that filled the air, it was resolve. Everyone knew what was at stake.

  Ronald’s voice rose above the murmur. “Final checks! We’ll move out in ten minutes. Anyone who isn’t ready by then stays behind.”

  The sound of buckles tightening and armour clinking followed his words. Someone led the beasts forward, hooves clopping on the cobblestones. The faint light of dawn began to spill across the rooftops now, painting the stone streets with streaks of gold.

  Josh took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs. He glanced at Brett, who was adjusting his potions pouch, and at the others, Bheldur was messing with one of his axes, Perberos securing his bow.

  “This is it,” Josh said quietly. “Feels different, doesn’t it? Not just another job.”

  Brett gave a small nod. “A bit more real. Guess this is what we signed up for.”

  “Let’s just make sure we all come back,” Josh replied.

  Ronald mounted the lead cart, turning to face the gathered crowd. “All right, listen up! We head east, follow the road until it splits at the old ridge. From there, we’ll move through the treeline and take the forest path Perberos mapped out. Stay in formation, watch your footing, and make sure to keep other safe. See any goblins, call out. Once we reach the cave, we clear out what's there, build our defences and hold the line. Got it?”

  A chorus of “Aye!” and “Yes, sir!” echoed back.

  “Then let’s move.”

  The column began to roll out, each party walking in their groups, established groups carrying on old conversations, newer parties getting to know each other. Between each group, carts creaking behind them and beasts pulled at their tethers. As Ashenfall slowly faded behind them, torches and lanterns bobbed like fireflies in the dim light of dawn, leading the way toward the dark line of forest waiting on the horizon. Josh’s step faltered as he realised that most of these parties were less than a week old, and had very little fighting experience… his own group included in that.

  The raid group had set out just as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, bathing the road in a pale, amber glow. The morning air was crisp, filled with the soft clatter of armour, the low murmur of conversation, and the rhythmic thud of boots and hooves on the packed earth.

  The adventurers fell into formation, Ronald and Caistina leading at the front, followed by a mix of guards and the lower-level parties. Josh’s group took position near the centre of the column, their familiar faces surrounded by a handful of the trainees they’d started their journey with back in Ashenfall.

  Brett glanced over the line, counting heads. “Looks like we’re missing a couple.”

  Perberos, walking with his bow slung across his back, gave a small nod. “Noe Farrowrage and Strandor Staggust. Heard they handed in their guild cards yesterday evening.”

  Bheldur grunted, his expression unreadable. “Cowards.”

  Josh smirked faintly. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Noe always did have that look about him, all talk until there’s a real fight. Probably decided adventure life wasn’t for him once he saw what goblins actually looked like. Daddy’s money couldn’t protect him from them”

  Carcan chuckled softly. “I heard he was crying when he turned in his card. Whilst Strandor looked like he couldn’t get out of the hall fast enough.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Josh shook his head. “Let them run. The last thing we need out here is someone screaming for help every five seconds.”

  Brett smiled at that, though there was no real humour in it. “Still, it’s a bit grim, isn’t it? Leaving like that. I wonder how many more will do the same once they realise how real this is.”

  Josh adjusted the strap of his shield and glanced ahead at the line of adventurers. “Then they shouldn’t have signed up in the first place. This world doesn’t hand out second chances to anyone who hides from danger. We’re better off without them anyway.” Josh spat on the ground, his disgust with the cowards getting him worked up. The venom in his voice cut off the conversation.

  The words lingered for a while, swallowed by the rhythmic sound of the march. The road ahead wound gently eastward, trees rising tall and dense on either side, the air thickening with the scent of pine and damp earth. Somewhere far ahead, the forest that hid the dungeon waited, silent for now, but pulsing faintly with the dark mana they’d all felt the day before.

  —

  The morning dragged on, the group following the winding road through stretches of thinning woodland and open fields. The beasts of burden plodded along under their loads, carrying timber, tools, and bundles of supplies. Conversation ebbed and flowed among the adventurers, small talk, nervous laughter, the odd joke that helped distract from what they were marching toward.

  Josh fell into step beside Bheldur, glancing at the packhorse one of the guild hands led up ahead. Among the bundles strapped to its side, he noticed a few sacks stained with something dark. “Hey, Bhel,” he said after a moment. “Something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

  The dwarf raised an eyebrow. “Aye?”

  “When we turn in those goblin ears at the guild… why does the guild even buy them? It’s not like anyone’s making necklaces out of them.”

  Bheldur gave a short laugh. “Not that I’ve seen, no. It’s a bounty system. Always has been. The town and the crown both pay out from merchant taxes, keeps the roads clear, pays the adventurers, and means folk like us do the dirty work instead of guards having to chase the pests themselves.”

  Carcan, walking just ahead, half-turned to add, “The ears are proof of kill. You’d be surprised how many idiots try to claim bounties on goblins that never existed.”

  Josh frowned. “So it’s just… pest control?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Perberos said from the other side of the road. “The guild keeps a record of how many come in each month, how many nests are cleared, how bad the infestations get from year to year. When the numbers spike, it usually means a dungeon’s nearby and when the numbers get really high, it indicates one’s on the verge of breaking… like this one”

  Brett looked thoughtful. “So the ears help track that?”

  Perberos nodded. “Exactly. Patterns, ratios, mana flow, all of it helps the guild predict where trouble’s brewing.”

  Josh tilted his head. “Right, but… someone’s using them for something right? You always see alchemists asking for monster parts on the quest board, right? What could they possibly want with goblin ears?”

  Bheldur’s grin widened. “Best not to ask.”

  Carcan chuckled softly. “He’s right. Alchemists are strange folk. Some grind them down for powders or tinctures, some claim the cartilage holds traces of corrupted mana. Others…” She hesitated, exchanging a glance with her brother. “Well, there are darker uses too. Some things are better left in the hands of those who know what they’re doing.”

  Josh grimaced. “Remind me never to drink any potion that smells like goblin.”

  Brett laughed, the tension breaking for a moment. “You probably already have mate.”

  Even Bheldur chuckled at that, and for a brief while, the road felt lighter again. The sun had climbed higher now, burning away the mist that had clung to the fields, and though they were marching toward danger, the warmth on their backs carried a small comfort, the kind that made the world beyond Ashenfall feel just a little more alive.

  Josh carried on asking what other beast parts can be used for and the dwarf chuckled and began explaining. Brett slowed his pace to walk alongside Caistina. The elf carried herself with the same calm focus she always did, her long braid tucked neatly under her cloak, her magical satchel under her shoulder.

  “Caistina,” he began, lowering his voice, “do you know any wide-area spells? Something that could hit a group instead of just one target? My firebolt’s fine for single targets, but goblins come in swarms, and we’re finding area damage to be our biggest weakness as a party. You saw how we struggled with the wasps.”

  She gave him a sidelong glance, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement. “Ambitious, aren’t you? You’ve barely started on the path to master your current spells and you want more?”

  Brett grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, but it’s worth learning, right? I just want to understand how it works. Plus it will help keep my party safer, especially with what is about to come.”

  Caistina sighed, though her tone softened. “Very well. I can’t teach you to cast it yet, but I can show you the form.” She reached into her satchel and withdrew a thin roll of parchment bound with twine. When she unrolled it, faint blue runes shimmered across the surface, lines of ancient script that pulsed with quiet rhythm.

  Brett leaned closer, his breath catching as the symbols flared faintly. The air around the scroll tingled, the scent of ozone sharp in his nose. As his eyes followed the runes, something inside him responded, a spark racing down his spine.

  His Sage skill burst into life, the familiar sensation of knowledge flooding his mind like cool water. Shapes and sigils unfolded before his inner sight, circles of power, arcs of energy, and in the centre of it all, the vivid image of a great firebolt exploding outward like a blooming star. His lips parted in quiet awe.

  Caistina watched him carefully. “You feel it, don’t you?”

  He nodded slowly. “It’s… like I can see how it works. The flow, the release, everything. I just can’t quite grasp how to control it yet.”

  “That’s because you’re trying to understand with your eyes,” she said, gently rolling the scroll back up. “Magic like this isn’t meant to be read. You feel it. Let your mana find the pattern, not your mind.”

  Brett exhaled, his heart still racing. “Right. I’ll try.”

  “Not now,” she said with a faint smile. “Preferably not when surrounded by trees and dry grass.”

  He laughed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fair point.”

  As they walked, Brett stole a glance toward Josh up ahead, still talking with Bheldur about bounty systems and goblin ears. Between the two conversations, the practical and the mystical, the march began to feel less like a slog and more like a lesson, every step sharpening who they were becoming.

  Nodding to himself, he jumped onto the back of one of the few carts, finding himself a tight seat, before closing his eyes and feeding his mana into the scroll.

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