Ralph: "I really didn't want to go on a three-day excursion to escort a merchant."

  Ralph is in the back of the merchant's carriage with Jade and the merchant sitting up front.

  Ralph: "Are we there yet? I don't even think there are any criminals in this area."

  Jade looks back inside the carriage: "Ralph, for the love of the gods, pay attention behind us. We should be reaching the city any time soon."

  Ralph: "I heard that a few hours ago. Ah... it's been a couple weeks since we killed that goblin and Linda told the guild about us. Why would she do that? Now all the jobs we get are escorts from one city to the other. I can't find any-"

  Thunk-!

  An arrow pierces the wooden floor just between Ralph's legs.

  Ralph snatched the hammer off the floor. "Jade—we've got company."

  Jade: "Same as before. I protect the carriage and give you support."

  Ralph: "Yes, Ma'am..." He jumps down from the carriage.

  The path behind them is just a clearing in the forest road, no bandit in sight.

  Ralph: "Guys, I really want to go back to my bed, and truth be told I don't want to hurt you. So leave the bushes and go away. There isn't anything worth it here—just food he's transporting."

  Two bandits, badly equipped with daggers, walk out of the bushes.

  Bandit 1: "Are you stupid? He's a merchant—he needs to have money!"

  Bandit 2: "Yeah, and even if he doesn't, we're taking the food. Can sell that for a good paycheck around here. Just walk away, wannabe merc."

  Ralph's grip tightens and the hammer grows a light purple. "I don't wanna hurt you, but you leave me no choice. A step closer and I will break one of your legs."

  The bandits tighten their grip, their breathing hastened by the glowing eyes.

  Bandit 1 whispering to 2: "Just distract him. The archer will get the shot, then it's just a woman and an old guy. Hehe-"

  Bandit 2 sprinted toward Ralph, dagger aimed at his chest. Ralph swung the hammer from the ground, sending the dagger out of the bandit's reach.

  Ralph: "You can't win. Please don't make me actually break your leg..."

  Swish-!

  An arrow stops mid-air, purple light crackling around it. Ralph slowly reaches up and breaks it.

  Bandit 2: "What!? How?!" He falls back onto the dirt road.

  Ralph looks back at the cart—Jade no longer at her position. He crouches down to eye level with the bandit. "Hey, you give up, right? You don't want to fight."

  Bandit 2, more shocked than scared: "Sure... I give up." He raises his hands.

  Bandit 1 runs toward Ralph while he's distracted, but before getting any closer, Ralph swings—barely missing bandit 2—and makes the hammer's head hit directly on bandit 1's knee, making it collapse to the ground.

  Bandit 1: "AHH-! My leg!" He grasps at his knee.

  Ralph: "You had to make me do it. Now you're not gonna fight, right?" He looks at bandit 2, still on the ground, now afraid for his life.

  Bandit 2 shakes his head.

  Ralph: "So you're gonna get your two friends and drag them to the main city. And if I see you trying to steal again-" He pokes his chest. "-I'm going to end you." He smiles.

  Ralph: "Jade, bring that guy here. You've had him for a while now."

  Out of the bushes walks Jade with another tied-up bandit, throwing him next to the guy with a broken knee.

  Jade: "Why do you want to let them go like that?" while sheathing her dagger.

  Ralph: "Why kill them? That's all. They know nothing, have done nothing, only attempted—and a bad one at that. They won't do it again, right?"

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  Bandit 2 nods his head as fast as possible.

  Ralph: "Then take them both and leave before she kills you."

  Bandit 2 and the archer carry the broken guy as they walk away down the trail.

  Ralph: "I think I'm going to be sick..." He puts his hand on his head.

  Jade: "You haven't gotten used to it, have you?"

  Ralph: "At least I don't get knocked out. But I can barely use it three times per fight, and holding it makes my head feel like it's going to explode."

  Jade taps his back. "Okay, big boy, go sit in the carriage. We're getting to the village soon."

  Ralph lies down on the back of the carriage, and as it starts off again, the slow pace and sound of the forest make him calm down. His headache eases as he drifts into sleep.

  Jade: "I didn't get the archer because I wanted to see how he holds up outside of training too. But I wasn't expecting him to actually catch it—maybe dodge, but not that..."

  Jade: "Hey... wake up. Job's done. We're here."

  Opening his eyes for a second, he sees his old house, his old life, but is quickly brought back to reality.

  Ralph: "Ah... it's just you..."

  Jade: "How else would it be?"

  Jade: "Come on, get off the wagon. Merchant needs to unpack."

  Ralph: "How much was the escort again?" He rubs his eyes.

  Jade: "Not much. Five gold now, five after we bring him back."

  Ralph: "And that's for what, the usual two-three days?"

  Jade: "Two weeks."

  Ralph: "..."

  Jade: "..."

  Ralph: "For ten gold?" His eyes widen.

  Jade: "And free food and housing!"

  Ralph: "Okay, I might not be the best at deals, but ten gold is lowballing us for sure."

  Jade: "Don't worry. We're here for other motives, remember?" She pulls a letter out of her pocket. "This right here has a clue about your family and your mother."

  Ralph: "Sure, give me that..." He snatches the letter and reads its contents: "Dear Jade, I have been notified you are back in town and that Liora's kid is with you. Please come to our old hideout. Signed - The Scarred Ones."

  Ralph: "Is Mom's name Liora? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

  Jade: "You didn't know her name? Didn't Edwin tell you at least that?"

  Ralph shakes his head.

  Jade: "Uhm... But now you know it." She taps him on the back.

  Ralph: "Where are you going?"

  Jade: "I'm going to meet up with someone. Go walk around the village. You're so grown up now—haha!"

  As Jade walks down an old mountain road, Ralph is left to himself.

  Ralph: "Uh, what now? I haven't been alone since we ran away."

  Merchant: "Hey, son, come here." He calls him behind the wagon.

  Ralph: "Yes, sir? Do you need help? Our job is escorting you—not helping. That will be extra."

  Merchant: "You might want to leave the Crowswell crest behind, my boy. People are going to start realizing who you are."

  Ralph: "It's just a pin." He squeezes the insignia on his chest. "One day people won't be afraid of it anymore."

  Merchant: "This was for your own safety, boy, but okay... I know who you are and what you've done. I'm from back home too. You're lucky he can't get a bounty on your head for no reason."

  Ralph reluctantly takes the crest off his chest, storing it in his pocket. As he walks through the village, he sees people living their day-to-day—hagglers haggling, cooks cooking. Nothing reminds him of home.

  Ralph: "Looking back now, things were different. But I like it now." He stumbles upon an open tavern and goes in—this one quite more refined, nothing like the city.

  Ralph looks around the board when something catches his eye: "Maybe some other missions... Retrieve black shards from ruins outside village. Three skulls. 50 gold + keep what you find."

  Ralph: "Okay, this sounds nice." He rips it off the board.

  Bartender: "That's taken, kid." He wipes a glass.

  Ralph: "Really? I thought I could strike it big with this."

  Bartender: "I mean, the mercenary that went to that ruin near the creek didn't come back. Has been... what, three days now? He had some strange insignia on his chest—spoke different too."

  Ralph: "Something like this?" He pulls out the Crowswell insignia.

  Bartender: "Hell no! Put that thing away! It was like an animal munching down on something. They're out-of-continent mercs—Black something... don't remember."

  Bar-goer: "Black Fang." Burps.

  Bartender: "Yes... yes, Black Fang. That's it."

  Ralph: "Doesn't give me much, but thanks. It's near the creek, right?"

  Bartender: "Near the waterfall. You'll know it—that place gives me the chills." He shivers a bit.

  Ralph: "Thanks." Ralph puts five silver down on the table. "Get that guy another beer." Ralph leaves the tavern.

  Bartender: "What is a Crowswell noble doing here?"

  Outside, while walking toward the ruins, Ralph spots an old man trying to put the wheel back in his cart.

  Ralph: "Need a hand, sir?" He crouches next to him.

  Old man: "Yes, young one, yes. If you can, could you put my wheel back in the cart?"

  Ralph: "Yes, no problem." He beats the wheel with a rock so it goes in all the way.

  Ralph: "Done. You have a good day now."

  Old man: "Ohoho—you remind me of my grandchildren. Hope they're doing well."

  After a couple minutes of navigating near the flowing creek, the entrance to the ruins was waiting.

  Ralph: "Okay, just 50 gold. Just 50 gold..." He lightly releases energy to brighten the hammer and light the way ahead. The smell of old rot and faint iron fills the room—was this ruins or a mine?

  Walking into the ruins, a blood trail leads the way at a three-way point.

  Ralph: "Maybe the merc is hurt? But what if he's not? Screw it, it's worth the risk." He eventually finds him lying down next to the wall, an arrow through his eye.

  Ralph: "Oh no... poor guy. He struggled—that arrow didn't even kill him right away. Was this trapped or something?" The man's hand, still gripped shut, starts to shine. Ralph slowly opens it—a letter and black shiny shards.

  As Ralph reaches down for it and runs his hand through the shards, they shine a faint black light, and the ground starts to rumble.

  Ralph: "Shit, earthquake? Now?" Ralph stores them in his pocket. "Sorry, can't bring you out." He looks at the body. "May you rest in peace." As he runs closer to the exit, he feels a presence—something warm, familiar. He looks back at the collapsing stone and leaves.

  Ralph: "What the hell was that? Well, at least I got my 50 gold. And this... what is written here?" Ralph uncrumples the letter just to crumple it again. He slowly makes his way back to their housing for the time being and awaits Jade's return.

  A few hours go by. Day turns to night.

  Jade: "Ralph, are you here? I'm home..." Ralph sits at the table, waiting for her, with the letter on the table.

  Ralph: "Sit and read this." He points at the chair.

  Jade: "What's going on? I leave you alone for a day, and you go psycho." Jade sits down and starts to read the letter, written in dried blood:

  "Master Edwin, Seal of Sylvoria is ready to open. Use the stones. They aren't here yet. Tell my wife I love her—" As Jade puts the letter down, Ralph puts the black shards on the table.

  Jade: "Ralph, do you have any idea what that is and what it means?"

  Ralph: "Must be important if Father wants it."

  Jade: "Well, Edwin wants something worse than just pain and suffering. He's playing with forces I hope he doesn't understand." She grabs the shards and puts them in her bag.

  Ralph: "What do they mean? What did the ruins mean? What history did they keep?" He folds the note.

  Jade interlaces her fingers and leans forward. "It's more of a 'they' than a 'what'..."