A lance of ice flashed into the woods, striking the base of a tree with bone shattering force. It was just off target. The blade of a halberd cleaved through the air lodging itself firmly in the cold soil. It missed its target. A flurry of arrows fired from an untrained boney hand turned several trees and bushes into faux porcupines. Off target. Hammering fists and trampling hooves. Off target. Mystical whirlwinds of ice and devastating blows fueled by rage and frustration. Missed.

  Our six heroes were now back-to-back, dead center inside a natural clearing surrounded by oppressively tall trees. Well, that seems fine just trees. Ah sorry, says here also surrounded by around seventy-five scuttering hissing insectoid horrors. Lovely. These creatures are known in laymen terms as Roach Hounds. Each one looking like your average cockroach, only the size of a medium dog. Ergo the name. These roach hounds were inhumanly fast and quick to react. Leaping from side to side avoiding anything thrown or swung at them.

  These heroes had, whatever comfort it was, completed their task. In Ivys arms atop her proud bellowing steed, Sparky the cat. Orange as they come and struggling to get free. Not for fear of Ivy but fear of going down with her. Now they only had to get this cat back to Marcy. Without all of them becoming roach food.

  Yesenia let another blast of chilled air peel out at the encroaching horde. This launched the hounds back but did little in keeping them down. “Well this is just perfect! Fate led me to die by bugs!”

  Marco roared as he slammed his shabby woodcutter axe into the ground. The roach hound he missed hissed at him venomously. “We aren’t going to die! We will think of something!” He grunted as he ripped the axe free of the soil.

  Capreva volleyed arrow after arrow from their perch on Heracles’ bulky shoulder. “They seem very mad!”

  Heracles punched and kicked at the leaping insects fruitlessly. “Oh wow! Give us more divine wisdom angel of the hunt!” Deep in Heracles’ primeval psyche he now understood the plight of powerful beetles and wasps taken down by colonies of murderous ants.

  “No like, mad mad!” Capreva shot and sunk an arrow into a hound coming to nip at Heracles’ heels. “These guys usually are nice outside their holes!”

  Ivy shouted over the din of hisses and chitters. “You’ve interacted with these things before?!”

  “Well… a little? They think I’m a bush.”

  Lily stamped at the little beasts as Ivy called. “Do you know anything about them! Weaknesses perhaps?! Likes, dislikes?!”

  “We need to kill them not court them!” Marco shouted.

  As he did, a roach hound leaped passed his defenses and sunk its jaws deep into the flesh of his thigh. He roared in pain while his blood stained the grass along with the creatures’ face. Yesenia fired a dagger of chilled water vapor into the roach’s body causing it to fall limp. Marco let out a grunt of pain as he wrapped his hands around its body and forcefully ripped it off his leg. The creature taking a small chunk of his meat with it.

  Capreva watched in horror. They held their bow tight to themselves like a precious idol. “Um… uh… the.. lights! The lights, make the lights!!” Capreva cried out in realization.

  “The lights?” Ivy asked then was struck with the meaning. “Yesenia! They’re saying use fire!”

  Yesenia blasted chilling air at a group of roaches as they helped Marco deeper into the circle. “Oh really? Should I Marco? Or are you still scared I’ll start a wild fire?”

  Marco groaned both with pain and annoyance. “Just do it…”

  Yesenia grinned. A glowing sigil formed in the air and from it launched an ember of flame. The roach hound it targeted made no attempt to leap away. Its round vacant orbs were glued to the ball of flaming death headed for it, as were many others. The fire bolt lodged itself in the slack jawed mouth of the insect.

  The air grew still. Nothing appeared to happen to the hound. Yesenia was seconds from scolding the little deer prophet for their invalid information when the hound’s chest began to bulge. There was a light glowing from the cracks in its hard shell. A bright orange light that now began pouring from the thing’s mouth. And with as much fanfare as a royal coronation, the roach hound violently detonated. Bathing the surrounding area in light and smoldering bloody chunks.

  Some of said smoldering chunks landed right in front of the chunk’s former comrades. The hounds not knowing food from certain death, consumed the flaming bits. Heracles witnessed the violent reaction beginning in many of the roaches around him. He franticly began kicking and throwing the suicidal creatures away. Yesenia did the same blasting swaths of them with icy winds.

  Ivy held tight to sparky, who now even more franticly tried to pull free. Yowling as loud as his little lungs could allow. All around the hounds went up in flames, scattering shards of shell and molten meaty bits. Ivy reached down and took hold of her halberd. She looped the hook around Heracles’ horn and yanked him into closer rank with Lily.

  She looked to Yesenia. “Can you make us some cover!”

  Yesenia nodded curtly and planted their feet. A frigid cold fell over the party. Wisps of invisible water in the air began to make themselves known, pooling into droplets then flattening into sheets. In seconds the party was surrounded by a dome of water, parts of roach hounds were flung inside by explosions, thankfully doused upon entry.

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  A still intact roach pushed through the dome, gnashing hungrily at Yesenias feet. Yesenia grinned with malice seeing the creature only halfway inside. Starting from the crown of the dome, it solidified. Like a soap bubble freezing in winter, the frost crept down every side. The hound squealed in icy hot pain feeling the frost on its mid-section. Yesenia brought a hand down in the motion of a guillotine. The squealing stopped, as the now bisected hound lay limp and lifeless.

  The group huddled together as all around the sounds of explosions and lights of flame turned quiet dusk to a warzone. They just kept eating the flaming remains of their fallen. Ivy mused on why the gods would create such ravenous beasts.

  After full minutes of backyard barbeque level fireworks, the sounds began to dwindle. The hounds intelligent enough to not fall prey to the dazzling display fled into the wilderness. Heracles helped Marco uncap and drink a jar of tea for his leg. Only a dull throbbing remained of what was once a debilitating injury. Marco thanked his friend and stood.

  “Welp. We got the cat.” Marco said reaching up trying to sooth the scared feline.

  “Right we did! I’ll chalk this up as another valiant success for us!” Ivy cheered happily.

  Yesenia heated the air inside of the ice barrier, slowly it began to melt away. They remained quiet as they did.

  “Couldn’t have made that bubble any faster Yesenia?” Heracles said as he picked shell shards out from his own shell.

  “You’re all lucky I made it at all.” Yesenia said coldly.

  Heracles bristled. “I was just joking. You don’t have to get so snappy.”

  “I’m not “snappy”. I’m the only reason we’re alive.” The melting quickened. “Not that that matters to some people.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Marco retorted as trickles of water from the dome fell like gentle rain.

  “Nothing. Just… nothing. Stop talking about it.” Yesenia continued their heating.

  Ivy chimed in. “My friend, if something is troubling you, you’re free to speak your mind.”

  “I said its nothing, its nothing.” Yesenia walked through the first opening large enough in the ice and left for town.

  The others followed, after a moment of standing in confusion. Heracles had to break off a few pieces of ice to fit through, Lily and Ivy had to break off even more. They trudged through insectoid viscera and stepped over small craters in the grass, all to get a tiny, spooked cat back to its owner.

  Yesenia entered the Bull’s Horn long before any others. They ignored the Herbata family. Patty and Marcy shot to awareness at Yesenias entry then slumped back down as the wizard went off to bed. Their hopes were not dashed for long as the entirety of the party, sans horse, entered the tavern.

  Marcy leaped out of her stool and ran to Ivy. “Sparky! Is he okay?!”

  “Just a little battle weary, but no worse for wear.” Ivy said as she gently relinquished the cat to its best friend.

  Marcy squeezed the orange fur ball. Relieved laughter followed along with a few tears rolling down her ruddy grey cheeks. Sparky responded in kind with purrs like a lawnmower and nuzzles firm enough to wipe away even a river of tears. Ivy couldn’t help herself, seeing such a loving reunion. The heiress leaned down and pulled cat and girl alike into a tight hug. Marcys smile beamed and sparky attempted to run.

  Patty’s face was all tusk and smile as he beaconed everyone to come to the bar and sit. Most obliged, all beside Heracles. He made his way upstairs grumbling about shell bits all up in his shell bits and needing a dry bath, whatever that means. Marcy was led to her room as well by her Memaw. Never once did the girl let her cat go. Squeezing him and promising to never let him get lost again all the way to her bedroom. Sparky objected of course, but in a language none present spoke.

  Patty pulled a chair up behind the bar and sat. “So, where did the little escape artist end up getting to.”

  “Not far at all sir. He found himself in a bit of a run in near a cottage on the outskirts of the town.” Ivy said.

  Marco chimed in. “Ole Miss Naros place.”

  Patty raised his brows. “Ole Naro? What was he doing out there?”

  Marco shrugged. “Not a bitten clue. But when we found him some roach hounds were trying to run off with him.”

  Ivy scoffed. “Dastardly little beasts.”

  “They were mad…” Capreva said almost to quietly for everyone to hear.

  “Is that so?” Patty said causing Capreva to jump, not knowing anyone had heard them. “Whole rat bitten forest has gone mad.”

  “It has gotten bad hasn’t it, Pat?” Marco asked rhetorically.

  Patty reached behind the bar and produced a packet of papers, laying them out before Ivy and Marco. “We got four more requests for yall just today, That’s twelve this week..”

  Ivy read over a few of the request papers. “Kelpies spotted in the lakes… something smashing trees in the woods… cockatrice nest on the far docks… Polvik disturbances?! How does a Polvik disturb anyone?”

  Patty skimmed over that paper. “Oh. That ones from Petunia, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “What do you thinks riling up the whole forest?” Marco asked skimming papers as well.

  Patty retrieved the papers from the monster hunters and sighed. “Couldn’t really tell ya... But! Not for discussion tonight. Tonight, is about thankfulness and due rewards.”

  The barrel-chested man put the papers away and produced a jingling palm sized sack. The sack was dropped into Marcos hand just as Memaw was shakily getting down the stairs. Marco felt the weight of the bag and looked at Patty concerned.

  “How much is this?”

  “Fifty!” Memaw moved behind the bar, standing next to her sitting son. Even sitting she only came to her boy’s neck. “Counted out soon as we closed.”

  Marco laughed mirthlessly, handing the pouch to Ivy. “Had to pick a sour number to split…”

  “Sour?” Patty asked feigning ignorance. “Ten each is bout as sour as suger Marco.”

  “Ten…” Marco realized and shook his head. “No but… What about our deal?”

  Memaw raised a warding hand. “Deals fine son, quit your yowling.”

  Ivy scrunched her nose. “What deal?”

  Capreva chimed in cheerily. “I heard the bugma… Heracles! I heard Heracles and the Yesenia talking about a deal yesterday… What’s a deal?”

  Marco groaned over stimulated. “Its noth-“

  Patty chuckled full bellied. “He didn’t tell you himself?”

  Ivy and Capreva shook their heads as Marco placed his into his hands.

  Memaw smiled smugly and rustled Marcos coarse hair. “You big sugar lump.” She addressed Ivy and Capreva. “Little Marco here made a deal with me that he wouldn’t take pay for hunting so long as his “crew” ate for free. You did say crew back then didn’t you son?”

  Marco grumbled through his finger and slowly slid them down his face. “Yeah… I said crew.”

  “Crew. A little piratey… and a bit criminal sounding.” Ivy said. “Is there any way we could change the wordage to band? Or even cohort?”

  Patty smiled and nodded. “Absolutely. Just as long as you make sure Mr. sour takes his share just this time.”

  Memaw nodded. “And don’t you worry bout us. Selling that teas gonna be helping oodles. And I doubt none of these newbies eat half as much as my baby bug.”

  “Speakin of food!” Patty pat Capreva firmly on their back. “What do you eat Capreva. Do ya eat?”

  Caprevas whole body scrunched down at the force of the hand. “Uh… I don’t think so. When I’m feeling tired I just lay in a sunbeam.”

  Patty nodded. “We’ll open a window for ya then.”

  Memaw began to make her march to the stairs again. “Make more friends like Capreva, Marco. I swear if I knew you’d bring in a boy the size of a cliff face…”

  Patty followed his mother, chuckling at her remark, and helped her back up the stairs. Even at her protest. Ivy returned the pouch of gold to Marco with a smirk while rising from her seat. Marco grumbled some more, heading to bed with the rest. Capreva was close on Marcos heels up until just before climbing the first step. They scampered off at incredible speed causing Marco to turn in alarm.

  Marco saw Capreva bolting for the door and his skin ran white. “Where’re you-“

  Capreva reached up like a stretching cat, firmly checking the door. They tugged on the knob with all the force they could muster. Satisfied with the closed nature of the door Capreva bounded back just as fast as they had gone away.

  They looked up at Marco with all the pride a goat skull could express. “It’s shut! I checked!”

  Marcos smile split his hardened face. “I’m… glad you checked. Very thoughtful little friend.”

  Caprevas tail wagged like a whip, the tip causing minute scrapes in the walls of the stairwell. “I know.” Then they trotted upstairs like a show pony.

  Marco followed behind. Walking up to where his friends were. Where his crew was. He realized he may get used to smiling more often.

  Who is your favorite character so far!