Ricki watched the world speed around him.

It felt strange because he didn’t feel like he was moving — like he and Shelby were staying still and the earth was moving beneath them. Then again, there was the wind on his face.

The two of them were headed to two nearby outposts. Shelby managed to convince her master to allow them to procure the necessary documents for his visit to the city — and he tagged along to play interpreter.

Sebas was a bit hesitant, but his offer to play go-between managed to somewhat convince the shopkeeper.

He would interact with the guards, while Shelby maintained her distance to the outpost.

Ricki was a bit confused on why people found Shelby scary, having forgotten his first reaction to the massive snail. He believed Shelby was kind and gentle — though she could be impatient at times.

He couldn’t deny that she was imposing. There were a few screams from travelers they passed on the road — surprisingly, most of them from men. Women were either too shocked to even scream or they might have perceived Shelby’s gentle nature.

Ricki shook his head — it was probably shock. The sight of a giant snail speeding faster than a galloping horse would certainly be disconcerting.

Shelby said she could go faster if it wasn’t for the air.

The massive snail’s speed astounded him. He tried replicating how Shelby moved many times. He managed to call to the earth and make it slide beneath his feet — but the snail’s movement seemed different from his own.

Shelby said he was just moving the earth — and he could swear there was some sort of snail scoff in her words. She told him to harness the forces of the earth — the ones that pulled, pushed, and kept things in place or moving.

Her words went over his head — didn’t the earth already push him when it slid beneath his feet?

He wanted to ask Shelby so many questions — but the snail suggested he talk to Sebas after one such session.

What would he even know about the earth? He knew the shopkeeper was some kind of mage — but definitely not an earth mage.

Shelby chimed out a series of clicks and whistles — they were nearing the outpost.

Ricki waited for the snail to come to a full stop before jumping down from her shell. Shelby seemed to prod him to go forward with one of her flails — probably thinking he would be scared to meet with armed men.

Before he left, Shelby gave him the message from his master and her own message to the sentries.

Ricki approached the small outpost with a bit of trepidation. Not because of the guards, but due to the weight of his task. Sure, it wasn’t vital or supremely important — but failing to get the necessary documents would delay Sebas and the Scourge’s trip to the city.

He stifled a laugh. He knew it wasn’t proper to call Wizard Jeremy by his moniker — but it fits. Together the three residents of the Corner Shop™ were Sebas, Shelby, and the Scourge.

“Why are you smirking, you little twerp?”

The voice of a sentry shook Ricki from his thoughts of alliteration and patterns. He didn’t realize he was nearing the gates of the outpost.

“Nothing. Sorry.” He apologized to the man standing at the guard tower.

The guard seemed anxious. Ricki noticed he was gripping a bow with an arrow ready in his other hand.

“That’s just Shelby,” he explained. “She won’t harm anyone.”

The gate opened to reveal an older sentry. “And who would you be?”

“Greetings, Captain Jukka,” Ricki started. “I’m here for a testament regarding the Wizard Jeremy.”

“An errand boy? And he didn’t even get your name right, Captain,” mocked the bowman on the watchtower.

“Jukka is stationed in another outpost,” the captain corrected. He gestures to the back of Ricki “Is that the Scourge’s demon snail?”

“She’s Shelby,” Ricki answered. “She’s just a big smart snail — she’s no demon.”

“Send him away Captain,” the bowman heckled. “Let the damned Scourge come himself. We don’t deal with his minions.”

His words made Ricki hesitate — but he steeled himself soon enough.

“Wizard Jeremy asks for a written statement that you have not linked him to any disappearances or crimes since his last visit — oh, and Shelby also has a message.”

“Oh, hear that, Captain — even the snail has a message,” the bowman laughed. “Pray tell, what is the snail’s message?

The ground started shaking — hard enough to knock the sentries off their feet and send the bowman tumbling down from the watchtower. Sounds of pottery shattering, horses braying, and groans of surprise and pain filled the small outpost — if only for a short moment. Surprisingly, the boy didn’t seem to be affected by the earthquake.

The downed guard captain stared at the still-standing boy. The City Lord himself told them the Scourge was not to be trifled or messed with — why did Renner have to run his mouth?

Ricki smiled as his gaze locked with the rattled Captain’s.

“Shelby wants to know if she needs to send a clearer message.”

***

Dallarath cursed the fates for his folly. What started as an attempt to do a simple good deed, turned into a debacle that almost cost him his life.

He entered Bountiful haggard, tired, bruised, and bleeding. His clothes were torn in a few places, and he was walking with only one shoe.

“Tough job?”

He didn’t even bother to answer.

It started simple, with the tanner’s boy approaching him yesterday with a favor. The boy seemed quite forlorn. He said something about bullies preventing him from visiting his friend. He even offered him a pouch that held nearly a silver in coins.

While Dallarath considered childish arguments and fights beyond him — especially when they involved actual children — he did owe Tanner Yusep a favor for taking good care of his party’s armors.

He asked the boy, Dimic, about the bullies — if they ever threatened him or said hurtful things to him. The boy just shrugged, saying he was too scared to even talk to the bullies and he just fled when they approached him.

Dallarath shook his head. If he only knew.

The day started well enough. He went to the tanner’s to pick up Dimic, telling Yusep he would escort his kid to meet his friend. He remembered the strange look on the tanner’s face — another warning sign that he missed.

During their long walk to one of the farther farms, he kept telling the boy to face his fears and just talk to the bullies. He thought the boy was just being paranoid, and the so-called bullies were just eager kids who wanted a new friend.

He was wrong.

The lack of proper fields should have warned him of what to expect. They were walking in a sea of grass, and Dimic was becoming a bit anxious.

The child asked why he didn’t bring his weapons, and he said he didn’t need them to deal with bullies. He had a hidden dagger by his side for emergencies, but he didn’t think to tell the child — or anyone, for that matter.

He pondered about the strange sightings of a dragon-like creature in the Great Forest of Dun. It sounded like a smaller version of the hydra that Aven’R told them about. Did it leave tho marsh to go to the forest, or was it —

No. It couldn’t be.

He remembered the serpent-like creature that attacked their party when they were escorting the Scourge to the marsh. He heard about hydras growing back their heads — but could a severed head grow into a hydra?

“Uhm, Mister Adventurer — the bullies are here.”

The child’s voice snapped Dallarath out of his reverie. He put on his biggest smile to look non-threatening and turned to where the child pointed.

They were not the bullies he was expecting.

After seeing what was in front of him, the adventurer finally realized where they were. This was rancher’s land — and the bullies... were actual bulls.

He stopped in place. He couldn’t move — he shouldn’t move.

He and the child faced a herd of cows, with angry bulls at the forefront.

“Okay, mister — you go talk to the bullies.” Dimic turned to leave before turning back and reaching for a small bottle in his pocket. “Fiona told me this would make animals like me more.”

He poked a finger into the bottle and jabbed the frozen Dallarath with his wet finger a few times.

“I’ll be over there,” he pointed.

The kid ran.

The kid ran!

Dallarath wanted to throttle the little bastard. His running aggravated the territorial bulls — and he was right there in between them.

He took a deep breath, readying himself to run if he needed to.

What is that scent? Lavender?

To his horror, he remembered Sebas talking about the Corner Shop’s wares — one of which was a potion that seemed to attract beasts.

Damn that kid.

There was only one thing he could do. He took out his hidden dagger. It wasn’t magical, but it was made rather well. It could undoubtedly pierce through a bull’s tough hide.

He stooped low, placing the dagger on the ground.

“Acceleration.”

Wizard’s Charge * Compound Spell * Transmutation * Evocation * Earth

Effect: Allows the caster to move at an increased pace without putting undue stress on his body. Granted speed is double the caster’s usual speed regardless of the amount of mana used in crafting the spell.

Duration: Relative to the amount of mana used in crafting the spell.

Dallarath ran.

He made sure to run in a different direction to Dimic’s, all the while cursing the kid in his heart.

***

A cheerful Sebas and his master approached one of the more secluded gates of Bountiful. It was a short walk, barely an hour long. He had to admit that Shelby and Ricki did a great job in collecting the statements from the two outposts.

They left the Corner Shop to one of the older boys. Shelby was there so he didn’t think any customers would even attempt to cause problems.

He expected the Lilac house’s invitation — although not this soon. Their healing drops were probably selling well. Now, if he could only get those customers to their shop near the forest.

“Captain Levan.”

“Jeremy.”

It was their usual greetings.

His master would go on to trade subtle barbs at the Captain, and they would eventually get to him handing over the documents and attesting to a truthteller orb that his master didn’t kill, torture, abduct, dominate, or harm anyone.

“That went well,” Jeremy beamed after their rituals to enter the city were finished.

Sebas could see his master was in a good mood. Perhaps, he was also looking forward to their new deals with the merchant house.

“To lady Amaranth’s? he asked.

“Not yet,” Jeremy replied. “I need to visit the City Lord to get my papers renewed.”

Sebas nodded. The City Lord know who his master was. Having the Blackstaff’s son in his city was an honor for the Duke. Too bad his master’s insistence on anonymity allowed one of the larger noble factions to dictate their current circumstance.

To his credit, the Duke maintained their deception. He kept his aide at the minimum, but he insisted on meeting every other month to check on them.

Spies again?

The butler noticed a few lurkers hiding in the crowd. It seemed the City Lord wasn’t the only one intent on checking on them.

It was going to be an interesting day.