The violent shaking in the treetops grew closer, as if a tide of monsters were running through the forest, and soon we heard branches snapping and the rustle of leaves.

  Knut hurriedly fastened the last straps of his armor and picked up his Thornwall shield—just as I finished securing my gauntlets.

  "Ready!" Knut said, positioning himself at the front of our group.

  The first Treeshaker landed on top of the last tree, grabbing on with its arms and all four legs, letting out a deafening roar. Thick spittle flew from its fanged mouth.

  The monster was easily seven feet tall at the shoulders, with a body resembling a six limbed gorilla. Its two arms ended in large fists that made Knut’s own look like those of a dainty lady. A shiny substance coated its hide, which was likely what we were here for.

  It leapt from the tree and Knut roared a challenge, charging to meet it.

  I followed, smiling to myself. The big guy was truly in his element.

  Knut dropped just before they clashed, sliding low and angling his shield, creating a small ramp. The Treeshaker, unable to stop, hit the angled shield and tumbled over Knut, its four legs flailing as the northerner pushed up, sending it stumbling even further. Its balance was completely disrupted as I came within striking distance. I smashed Roq into the side of its face as it fell to the ground, knocking it sideways. Before it could untangle its weirdly numbered limbs, I lunged after it and waited for it to turn its ugly head, then struck again, killing it.

  "It tastes of sap and rage! Delicious! Give me more!"

  Two more Treeshakers burst from the trees, spreading out as if wanting to bypass Knut and me to get at the girls.

  A Fireball roared out to strike one in the chest. The hit was more dramatic than expected as the monster's slick hide ignited like pitch, with the flames engulfing it in seconds. It didn’t die right away, but damn did it burn like a giant bonfire.

  “Fireworks! Yippee! Explosions! We need explosions!”

  I glanced back, but Nabeeh had beaten me to it as she reached for Eryn and cast Empower Fire.

  Eryn’s nocked arrow lit up, and she loosed it at the other approaching Treeshaker. The arrow struck the monster in the chest, and flames spread so quickly that it was engulfed in seconds.

  More monsters flowed from the forest, and Knut stepped to meet the foremost. I stepped back and away from him to intercept the ones off to the side. This time, instead of slamming into his shield, the monster spread its arms wide, attempting to grapple him. It got a chest full of Thornwall spikes as Knut twisted like a wrestler, sending it stumbling to the ground where he bashed its head in with his mace.

  Before he could turn, four more were upon us.

  Only one went for me.

  I activated Smash and dodged to the side, too fast for it to catch me, and hit its shoulder. Roq glowed golden just before meeting the monster’s hide and utterly disintegrating it. The monster spun around and fell to the ground.

  Knut wasn't as fortunate. Two Treeshakers tackled him simultaneously, driving him to the ground under their combined weight. The fourth monster squared off against me, growling and pacing around while flexing its arms.

  Shield up, I swung, trying to draw it in, but it simply dodged, seeming content to keep me occupied and separated from Knut.

  “Intelligence?”

  Several more came from the forest, their attention seemingly focused on Eryn and Nabeeh. My worries were luckily unfounded as Eryn kept loosing her fire-empowered arrows, aiming center mass to make sure she didn’t miss. Every time an arrow hit, the shakers went down fast.

  Out of the corner of my eye I spotted one monster being cooked from below as a Fire Trap triggered and it just stood there, getting cooked in place.

  I let out a roar of my own, if nothing but to distract the creature, and attacked. If it wouldn’t engage, I’d push through to Knut. The monster lunged, its four legs propelling it forwards and I barely got my shield angled right in time to block the blow. The force sent me stumbling, and taking advantage of my momentary imbalance, the monster reached for me.

  “Armor Break.”

  Roq glowed red and I swung him about on the creature's extended arm, snapping it like a twig. It hung limp at an odd angle. The Treeshaker howled as I recovered first, charging back in and slamming Roq into its head. It caved in sickeningly.

  “Eryn!”

  I spun to see a Treeshaker, still on fire, charging directly at her and mere seconds from impact. I slammed Roq into the ground, activating Forge Anchor. Steelhusk bindings wrapped around the monster's legs just steps from Eryn, and broke its stride, sending it to the ground.

  Nabeeh screamed something in her native language and brought her staff down on the fallen monster's neck with surprising strength. The blow didn’t hurt it, not really, but it bought Eryn enough time to loose an arrow through its skull point blank.

  I smiled at how well the girls worked together, and finally made my way over to Knut, who was still pinned beneath two Treeshakers. Their massive fists were pounding down on his shield and armor as he desperately tried to get a good hit in with his mace.

  With both abilities on cooldown, I stopped right next to the closest shaker, pulled my hammer back, and brought it down on the back of its neck. It crumpled to the side and lay still. The second monster turned to face me, giving Knut an opening. He slammed its side, forcing the creature to get off him. I used that second and hit its chest. It almost broke, and with a second swing, I caught its face. Laughter erupted from Knut as he lay on the ground, still on his back and his shield scuffed and covered in blood. None of it was his from what I could see. “Much fun! Again! Round two!" he laughed excitedly, sitting up and removing his helmet to examine his armor. “Titanplate strong! And monsters hate shield—keep hitting, hurt themselves! Like baby and rock! Thanks, Pa! Beer on me next time!”

  I stared at him, incredulous.

  "You're insane," I said, shaking my head. "You were nearly beaten to death."

  Knut's grin only widened as he got to his feet, seemingly energized rather than exhausted by the near-death experience.

  “Death? Not even close! Best fight since troll!"

  “Yeah, well, at least one of us had fun. I don’t quite enjoy watching murder gorillas stomping down on my friends.”

  “Brighten, little brother. Strong am I. No worry.”

  We regrouped with the girls, Nabeeh lowering herself to the ground, crossing her legs, and closing her eyes. Her breathing slowed deliberately as she focused inward.

  "Trying to regenerate mana faster," she explained without opening her eyes. "Meditation helps calm the body, and that speeds mana recovery."

  "Any gems in these beasts?"

  "The largest one, over there. The one with three charred arrows in it.”

  “Let’s get these stored in case more come,” I said.

  “What happens with fire in my spatial storage?” I asked Roq as I swiped in a still burning carcass.

  “Let me have a look.”

  I swiped Roq in and out.

  “It’s just laying there. The flames are extinguished, though. If only you could have swiped the smithy in and out of your storage, we wouldn’t have given Benedict such a chance to be snooty.”

  I snorted at that and then coughed to mask the snort. Imagine storing entire buildings into storages. Wouldn’t that be fun?

  “True, but then we might not have brought him to the Twisted Titan run and gotten to fill his storage with loot and take his share of the Titanfang!”

  “That was enjoyable I must admit. Like, very much so. The look on his face? Almost priceless!”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Eryn hugged me from the side, and I leaned in to kiss her as we finished storing the last carcasses.

  "Thank you," she said quietly. "For saving my life back there."

  "Of course. Think I’d let a monkey hit my girl and ruin her face?”

  She punched my shoulder and we both chuckled at the playful jab.

  "Yeah, it would be such a tragedy. Maybe you’d have to search for a new one, huh?”

  I winked at her and kissed her forehead.

  “Never.”

  “Good, but that damned shaker…I was about to dodge, but..." She glanced at where Roq’s skill had stopped the monster in its tracks. "They were fast. I'm not sure I would have made it. Four legs sure are a lot faster than just two, huh?"

  I squeezed her hand.

  "That's why we work as a team, love. Can’t promise I’ll always be there when you need me, as that would be a lie, but I will try. Nothing can touch my little girl."

  She gently reached down and patted Roq’s head and whispered, “Thank you, too, Roq. I’ll make you some honeyed milk when we get home.”

  “Tell her she is welcome, but that if she touches me without consent again, I will activate my self defence mechanisms and make her regret--wait, what did she just say? Okay, sure, she can touch me however much she wants.”

  “Sure she can, and noyou won’t. Ever hurt her or I’ll store you away for good.”

  “No. I won’t ever hurt her. Deal.”

  “He says you are welcome.” Knut was pacing restlessly, thumping his fist against his plate mail repeatedly, the metallic rhythm echoing across the mesa top. His eyes were filled with an almost feverish energy as he scanned the treeline.

  "You all right?" I said.

  Knut grinned.

  "Wish for new sword. Too long since such fight." He flexed his hands, his gloves stained with monster blood and the resin coating their hides. “Too many years, always been rock. Others fight around. Almost forget joy of carnage."

  I raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you've forgotten anything, Knut."

  "He's right, though,” Roq said. "There is nothing quite like the thrill of battle, the spray of blood, and the crunch of bones! It's what we're made for!"

  I didn't relay Roq's enthusiastic agreement, mindful of Nabeeh's presence.

  Before I could respond further, a violent rustling came from the treeline.

  "More," Knut said with anticipation. “Good. Fight to death!” He hefted his shield and spun his mace through the air, letting the handle smack into his palm.

  I once again placed myself behind and to his left, ready to intercept and kill whatever came at us.

  * * *

  I swiped the latest Treeshaker carcass into my spatial storage tiredly. The third wave of monsters had been as fierce as the first two, and while we’d won, I knew we’d only come through it without serious injury due to Nabeeh’s fire buff and Eryn setting the majority of the monsters alight as they rushed out of the forest. She’d focused just on hitting them instead of trying to do outright damage.Nabeeh sat on the ground again, her legs crossed, trembling as she attempted to meditate. She’d taken a mind gem to help with the tiredness, but it didn’t help with her mana loss. She was fully depleted after the lengthy fight. Beside her, Eryn sat on her haunches, staring at the forest. She’d taken a mind gem after the second attack and was mostly fresh.

  "That's enough," I said. "We have more than enough for the quest, and if they keep coming, they’ll eventually succeed in hurting us one way or another. Let’s head back."

  “Agree,” Knut said. “Enough even for Pa.”

  “How do we get down?”

  Knut's grin flashed through his beard. "Getting down easy. But not splatting on rocks? Challenge.”

  Both women groaned at his gallows humor.

  "Seriously, Knut," I pressed, glancing at our exhausted companions. "We need to move."

  Nodding, Knut's expression turned businesslike. He pulled the coiled rope from his storage and began fashioning a series of knots.

  "I anchor at top. You three rappel. Ledge halfway. I climb down."

  As Knut prepared for our descent, I walked over and swiped out several Treeshaker carcasses, watching them tumble down, smashing against the rocks. There should be enough left at the bottom to swipe them back in, and we needed space for our gear.

  I threw one last look at the forest. Was that movement among the trees, or just the wind? I couldn't be sure, but I had no desire to find out. One thing that did make me wonder, though, is what it was like. The forest. Where did the shakers live? What was their habitat like? But that was something for another day.

  It took us a while to climb down, but once we reached the bottom of the mesa, I raised my arms to catch Eryn as she made the final drop to the ground. She landed in my embrace, and we held each other for a moment longer than necessary. I could already imagine Roq’s discomfort at the ‘smoochiness’.

  "That," she whispered in my ear, "Is the last time I want to go climbing with a northerner. The man has no concept of fear."

  I laughed softly, hugging her close.

  "I wish we’d been climbing the scaffolding of the keep right now instead. Then we'd be close to home, could go for a beer and a meal at the Timberline, and walk back home to sleep under the same roof."

  A thud and a groan broke our moment as Nabeeh tumbled the last few feet, landing unceremoniously on her ass, then fell over and lay spread-eagled, mouth opening and closing like a fish as she struggled to regain her breath.

  “You alright?” Eryn asked, stepping toward her.

  Nabeeh winced, but gave a thumbs up, eyes watering.

  Knut landed beside her, having leapt off the last ten feet or so, somehow absorbing the drop with ease. He grinned, thumping his chest with a meaty fist.

  "Good exercise!" he declared, seemingly invigorated rather than exhausted. “Hungry. Could eat Treeshaker.”

  I looked up at the setting sun, calculating our options. "Do we want to spend the night Riftside or walk through the evening and into the night?"

  Knut shrugged his massive shoulders.

  “Either fine."

  "Remember the swamp," I reminded him.

  His face twisted in disgust.

  “Both horrible. Mud in dark or sleep with monsters."

  "I'd prefer to walk through the night," Nabeeh said, finally regaining her breath. "I can make torches with my magic."

  Eryn looked at me, a small smile playing on her lips.

  "I wouldn't mind spending the night. Not here on the grasslands, anyway."

  I looked down at where I’d placed Roq.

  "How well do you see in the dark?"

  "I do not care about light," he replied. "I see near perfectly regardless of conditions. Those are the benefits of being a superior being."

  “Think you can handle a solo mission?”

  “I can handle anything! But, what exactly do you mean?”

  “Think you can stand watch, keep us safe, and warn if any monsters want to eat us?”“Of course. It is but a simple task for a being like me.”

  With Roq's assurance, I made my decision.

  "We'll stay the night."

  * * *

  The fire crackled softly in our small shelter. We’d found a crevice in the mesa's side, far away from the pile of carcasses we didn’t have space for, to conceal our light from prying eyes. Eryn leaned against my shoulder, our fingers intertwined as we gazed at the flames and occasionally up at the stars visible through the narrow opening above.

  Knut's thunderous snoring provided a constant backdrop, drowning out even the night sounds of the grasslands. Nabeeh slept nearby, her face peaceful at rest.

  Roq sat at the entrance to our shelter, perched regally on his satin pillow, which itself rested on Knut's folded shirt to keep it clean. He was taking his self-appointed sentry duty with tremendous seriousness.

  "No enemies within sensing range," he reported dutifully. "Though I remain vigilant for that giant monster the drunk adventurer mentioned. Imagine the glory of defeating such a beast! I will not fall asleep and will pray all night it finds us."

  I’d told Nabeeh my hammer would help ward us from danger and she’d seemed to accept it without doubt, just muttering something about foreigners and their strange beliefs.

  “Good job,” I whispered, and exchanged an amused glance with Eryn. She knew to whom I was talking.

  After a while, Eryn grew tired and fell asleep in my lap as I held her.

  I watched the flames dance for a while longer, and a strange sense of peace settled over me. Would this be what it felt like when we won? When we were no longer simply surviving in an endless war against the monsters. To head Riftside, not to battle, but to enjoy. Build a life.

  To my surprise, staring into the flames, I realized I genuinely believed victory was possible. I didn't know how, but the certainty was there, warm and solid in my chest.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask but…I don’t even want to know,” Roq said just as I was about to doze off.

  “Ask what?

  “Where are you level-wise? I…bah! I need to know! Tell me how much experience have you stolen from me today!”

  I sighed at his attempt to make me feel guilty or whatever he was up to, and checked. It took me a second, but I activated my sigil.

  LEVEL: 10 (8/11)

  “Umm, are you sure you want to know?” I asked. “Maybe you just want to keep watch.”

  He remained silent for a while, and I could mentally feel him turning around to face me.

  “Speak.”

  “I’m at 8 out of 11.”

  He let out a half-assed scream that lasted way too long and just sounded ridiculous.

  “Leech! See? That’s what I get for being nice!”

  I closed my eyes and leaned against the stone wall behind me.

  “Good night, Roq. And thank you for all your hard work.”

  “Don’t you dare sleep! We have things to discuss!”

  * * *

  The night passed without any interruptions—no Treeshakers descending from the mesa, no Screamers disturbing our rest, and no horrors emerging from the darkness. As morning light filtered into our improvised shelter, Roq voiced his disappointment.

  "That was thoroughly boring," he said. "Not a single thing to kill all night. And that big monster the drunk talked about? I couldn’t even feel him! At all!"

  “Shall I store you next time?” I asked, stretching the stiffness from my limbs.

  "Well, when you put it that way," he amended quickly, "There was a certain beauty to the landscape, the sunrise, and the whispers of the wind. The stars were quite magnificent, too. I wonder what we could forge if we could get our hands on one.”

  “Something cool, I guess. The light of a dying star. Hmm, I like the sound of that. Maybe I could rename you? Light of a dying star. Or LOADS for short.”

  “LOADS? No way, but umm…just imagine…the power of a dying star. In your hands. Hmm, speaking of dying, maybe we could upgrade me to do some frost damage. Slowing our enemies down would be useful, too.”

  “Yeah. But we might as well wish for a piece of the sun and make you deal fire damage.”

  We began our journey home, hiking through the woodland, and navigating the swamp without any sneaky snake encounters, crossing forest terrain, then traversing the burned grove. By midday, we reached Sentinel Station without encountering a single monster—a rare blessing that even Roq eventually stopped grumbling about.

  After heading through the Rift and as we approached the Adventurers Guild, Knut turned to me. “Deliver quest yourself? Need wash. First self, then armor, then self again."

  Nabeeh looked surprised.

  "You're quite particular about cleanliness."

  Knut drew himself up proudly.

  "Of course! Northerners bathe often. Why all women love us!"

  I chuckled.

  "It's fine. I have enough Treeshaker carcasses to fulfill the quest. Why don’t you all go home and I’ll see you there later?”

  Eryn nodded, clearly eager to take her own bath. It would be a cat fight to see who got the bath first, as we only had one…

  We parted with a quick kiss, and I watched them walk away, feeling fortunate to be back alive and well.

  As I turned toward the guild entrance, a familiar voice called my name. I looked over to see Edwin standing by the first wall, beckoning from a stairwell. He waved once before disappearing up the steps.

  “About bloody time.”