Following Myra, we enter the Skar mountain ridge. We spend the first day of our journey getting into the mountains, slowly gaining elevation. Shortly after nightfall, we reach our first camping spot. It has a beautiful view of the snow covered gray mountains ahead of us. Myra’s three workers then cook meals for us and when they’re done, we sit down at the campfire enjoying the food together while Sally happily warms up inside the fire.

  A bit cautiously, Myra asks, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to but if you’d like to share, I’d be interested in what brings you through here knowing how dangerous it is?”

  I answer, “We’re trying to get to the south and hopefully get really strong on the way there!”

  “Oh? I’m assuming you three are trying to go home then?” she then looks at Rayla, “And I’m guessing you’re in it for the adventuring spirit?”

  Sher Aka laughs and answers, “Close but not quite correct. Please excuse us though, as long as this Rayden is still around, I’d rather not get into more detailed travel plans.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s totally fair. May I ask about some of your past adventures then? I’m always interested in hearing about these sorts of things.”

  “Sure, I believe that should be fine.”

  We talk a bit about the things we have done so far, leaving out some negative things like the fact that we’re on a hitlist and after a bit of storytelling go to bed.

  The third day begins with a nice breakfast. Myra also warns us that from today on we’ll reach the top altitude in a relatively short time so we can expect some dizziness, tiredness and difficulty breathing until we get accustomed to it. And just as she said, as we travel further up the mountains, we all suffer from some if not all of the problems she described. It takes us two days till we get fully accustomed to it.

  On the beginning of the fourth day, Myra tells us, “We’ve passed the first difficult step of our trip. From now on, it will hopefully be a boring journey for a while. But don’t be too relaxed, we’re essentially entering the wilderness now, so be wary of our horn sound. The faster you react the more likely we are to pass them without taking damage. Also, I recommend getting your firewood ready, it looks like we’re going to travel through a blizzard soon.”

  After eating breakfast, we continue and throughout the day it starts to snow. The howling wind picks up as we’re forced to use our travel furnace to protect us from the cold.

  As I look around from the coach seat I let out a sigh, “Sometimes it’s a little sad you guys can’t see spirits.”

  Rayla asks, “Why? Is there a party going or something?”

  “Actually yes. How did you know, ane?”

  “I didn't, it was meant to be a joke. But if there is a party going on I’d like to know, can you describe it to us?”

  “Yeah! Essentially the water and air spirits are all gathering and dancing together as they fly through the valley. Their singing is also quite beautiful…It sounds like they’re having a lot of fun.”

  John nags, “Can you tell them to party elsewhere? I’m fucking freezing over here.”

  “Pfft, I can try but I’m sure it won’t work.”

  “Just tell them there was a noise complaint or something. Or even better, tell them there is free booze at a different mountain range, maybe that helps.”

  “Haha. Come on, now you’re just being silly John.”

  “I’m not silly, I’m cold!”

  Sher Aka cuddles up to him and lets out a chuckle, “Hi Cold, I’m Sher Aka.”

  John groans as he rolls his eyes and cuddles up next to her while Rayla and I let out a giggle.

  Near nightfall, we arrive at a hut with a small stable where we make camp. The next day, when we wake up, the blizzard is still raging as the spirits sing their happy tunes. Due to the weather, we decide to stay here for the day and wait out the blizzard. Despite it being a bit drafty, I choose to stay near the door for most of the day, happily listening to the spirit concert going on outside, humming along together with Sally who is sitting inside the fireplace.

  On the sixth day, the blizzard is over and a thick layer of snow remains on the rickety mountain roads. It seems like the water spirits use it like a nice bed to sleep off the excitement of the last two days while the wind spirits seem like they are long gone, having left for more new and exciting places.

  It takes us a bit longer to traverse the snowy roads than before but despite the difficulties, we still make some good progress over the next four days. Our only problems are the occasional monster or animal encounter which we thankfully always avoid without taking any damage to the wagon.

  On the morning of the tenth day, during breakfast, Myra tells us, “It looks like we’re about to have another blizzard today. Because of that and because we’re about to reach the end of the mountain ridge where we won’t have any shelter opportunities, I recommended that when we get to the next hut, we stay there until the blizzard is over before advancing through the homestretch.”

  Ralya answers, “Alright, sounds good. I trust your judgment,” which causes Myra to blush a little.

  After breakfast, we carry on our journey through the snow. It is around noon we hear the horn, signaling another monster attack, so we speed up our wagon. Looking outside, I don’t see any monsters though. But I do see weird shadows on the ground moving toward us and when I look up... I SEE A VOLLEY OF ARROWS FLYING TOWARDS US!!!

  I scream, “Sher Aka! Quick all under her shield!” and we barely manage to get under, as arrows pierce through the wagon tarp and land all around us, killing our mountain goats almost instantly and causing our wagon to roll over their corpses and tip over to the side.

  In all the confusion, Rayla shouts, “Get combat ready and gather the valuables! We might be able to negotiate.”

  We gather the valuables in one place and leave the wagon, only to watch what looks like the warriors of hell itself run down a ravine towards us. There are at least fifty people, all of them wearing the skins of people as clothing over their armor. They’re laughing and hollering maniacally as they approach, instantly making us drop our weapons and surrender at the sheer discrepancy of power. Then, almost as if she had a sudden revelation, Rayla runs back into the wagon right as the bandits appear and tackle us to the ground. They drag Rayla out of the wagon while she is kicking and screaming. It seems like she is hiding something under her jacket.

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

  A well trained looking Wolf-Beastkin wearing the skin of a dead Elf, approaches while we are fully restrained on the ground, “Oh looky here…The food has arrived. Zahahaha. Now let’s see, an Elf, a Half-Elf, a fox and a mystery present! How delightful! Let’s see…How about we start with the party leader, Rayla right? What are you hiding there little cub?”

  He walks towards Rayla and I scream, “Don’t touch my sister!”

  He gives me a smile, “Daaaw…Familial bonds…How cute.”

  Next, he squats down next to Rayla, who reveals what she had been hiding, trying to gulp down what looks like one of the potions that stop magic seeds from growing. This causes the wolf beastkin to shake his head in disappointment.

  “Tsk tsk tsk. How rude! There was no need for that. We might be cannibals but we aren’t monsters. First of all, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Rayden, I’ll make sure to take good care of you!”

  Rayla yells, “What do you want!? Money? Food? You can have everything just let us go!”

  “Hmm…What do I want? What a surprisingly deep question! Deep, deep, just like the abyss, Zahahaha. I guess the only answer I can give you is that I’m just doing this for a laugh. So how about this, if you can give me something that will brighten my day more than skinning you alive and eating your flesh I’ll let you go. I’m a man of my word, so you don’t have to worry about me not following through.”

  “Then how about our stuff, you can have everything! We even have a magical letter box!”

  “Hmm that does sound interesting but it doesn’t really brighten my day…It sounds more like something that will use up space.”

  Sher Aka takes a deep breath and answers, “How about you have your way with us? I’m sure I have enough skills in bed to brighten your day and if you prefer men, then my little brother knows a lot as well.”

  John, with a shocked expression yells, “What the hell are you doing Sherry!?”

  Giving John a serious look, she answers, “It’s better to live with a scar on your soul than to die like this, John.”

  “But…Even so…”

  “So how about it, Rayden? Will that brighten your day~?”

  Rayden pushes one of his men to the ground, using him like a chair as he sits down and sighs loudly, “Just what is it with you broads…Every time I capture one of you it’s always the same. ‘Ooooh have your way with me, I’m super pretty’ blah blah blah. It’s like you have only one thing in your mind. You’re not that desirable and even if you were, I could just do it after I kill you…Well? Do you have anything better? Otherwise I’ll start with your little leader.”

  He then puts his knife to Rayla’s face while she closes her eyes and lets out a tear. I feel my life passing by my eyes as I try to figure out something, anything that could stop him.

  “Wait!”

  “Oh? Do you have something that will brighten my day?”

  “I might! How about a joke, will that work?”

  Scratching his chin with his knife, leaving bleeding scratch marks in the process, he answers, “A joke, huh…I like the idea of that, no one ever told me a joke before. I’m intrigued, carry on.”

  “It’s an inside joke for Beastkin, Rayla knows it, she can tell you!”

  “Oh? A joke only Beastkin will understand, huh? I’m even more intrigued now!” Interested, he pushes Rayla to the ground and puts his foot on her cheek, “Go on, tell the joke.”

  “Uhm…Oki? What joke are you talking about?”

  “Remember back when you just went through your growing phase? When I told Nekara that we were sleeping with each other? You laughed super long and hard and said it was an inside joke for Beastkin.

  “Oh…You mean that…It wasn’t really a joke oki.”

  Rayden gets impatient, “Well? Tell me! I want to hear it.”

  Rayla sighs and answers, “Alright but it will only work if I whisper it to you. Also it will probably be funnier if Thoma isn’t wearing his mask.”

  “Is that so? Take his mask off then!”

  The henchmen pinning me down take my mask off and pull me by the hair, making me stare at Rayden who bends over to listen to Rayla’s joke.

  He smiles at me as he listens to her and loudly says, “Noo…Come on, really? That would indeed be funny... if it wasn’t obviously a lie!”

  He gets an angry expression and puts his knife at Rayla’s throat, “I hate liars, you know.”

  “It’s true! Ask him.”

  “Fine.” He looks at me and growls, “You there. I'll give you one chance to save her. I’ll ask you a question and if you don't answer correctly I'll kill her. If you give me the real answer I’ll let her go.”

  “Alright. What’s the question?”

  “Where do babies come from?”

  “I only know how it works for humans, I’m not sure if there are differences between races will that be okay?”

  “That’s fine, answer.”

  “A baby is made when the man saves up and buys a magic seed for the woman. The woman then eats the seed and the baby grows inside her belly. Then, when it’s time, a plant grows out of the belly button and the baby will be in the blooming flower.”

  He seems to get an excited expression on his face, “No way! You’re shitting me aren’t you? You know if you tell me the real answer I’ll let her go right?”

  I answer firmly, “That is my real answer.”

  “Pfft…Wait a second, okay okay. What does sleeping with someone mean?”

  “Obviously it means that you go to sleep while sharing a bed with someone else.”

  He then puts his arm around Rayla like she’s an old friend and starts to laugh, “No fucking way, Zahahaha! You were right Rayla, it is funnier with the mask off! Should I tell him?”

  Biting her cheek in suppressed anger, ane answers, “I’d rather you not.”

  “Right, right it’s funnier when he doesn’t know. Zahahahaha. Tell you what, you actually fucking did it. You brightened my day you sly fucker. You might have even brightened my week, Zahahaha. Fine, take your shit, you can go.”

  “Really?”

  He shrugs, “Yeah, I’m a man of my word after all. But unless you have another good one like that I’ll kill you lot if I see you again.”

  One of the henchmen on my back seems quite confused as he asks, “Are we really letting them go boss?”

  “Course we are, are you deaf or something?”

  “N-no of course not, Sir. But…What about the food?”

  “Hmm I guess we should have at least one, huh…”

  Using his claws, Rayden slices the throat of his henchmen open right in front of us.

  “There we go! Now we have some food for everyone! Now let them go.”

  Scared and a bit confused, the bandits stop pinning us to the ground.

  Rayden picks up the corpse, takes a bite out of it and giddily yells, “Let’s go boys! Good luck surviving the blizzard. See ya!”

  He howls at the bandits and they all howl with him before returning to the hideout he came from. Leaving us in the snow completely confused, as the wind picks up once more and the snow gets thicker.

  Rayla is the first to break out of the confusion, runs towards me and hugs me while crying, “You did it Thoma! You saved our lives!”

  “I did?”

  John starts to loudly scream, cry and sob, causing Sher Aka to hug him while holding back tears herself, “Shh…It’s going to be okay. We did it, we survived. I’m here for you, it’s okay…”

  Things are like a blur as I stand up and together with Rayla pick up our things from the wagon while John is still crying and screaming like a banshee. We then finish packing our bags with our valuables and enough food, water and fire wood to hopefully get us through this as John’s screams fall silent.

  Neither Sher Aka nor John can help us carry the supplies because John passed out and Sher Aka has to carry him now, so Rayla and I have to carry the load for all of us.

  I think both Rayla and Sher Aka are talking as we trudge through the snow storm but I can’t hear a thing. I can’t feel anything either. I just walk straight. Follow the path. Just walk…I then walk until I can’t anymore, falling over in the snow. I feel cold as I pass out.