Nobby wasn’t sure if he trusted Adam yet, though he hadn’t seen the man’s ears yet. Still, his uncles told him that he would be able to earn a lot of money working for the half elf, and so he needed to trust in his uncle’s words.

He bit into the lemon tart, tasting the sourness, before it was cut by the sweetness. He chews it slowly, letting the pastry crumble in his mouth.

Adam glanced back at Nobby now and again, biting into his own bread. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to bring Nobby along, but since the boy needed work and they were going to be paying him roughly double what others would, it was probably best for the youngster to follow the adventurers.

“Don’t be shy eating the bread, Nobby,” Adam said. “All of it should be eaten before we get to the forest.”

They approached the gates where Marie and Mary were on duty. As the group stepped forward, passing the guards, they glanced at Adam and Jurot.

“Working?”

“Again?”

Adam chuckled at them. “We’re still young men, we should be working this hard.”

“I’m not sure I’ve met any adventurer as queer as you two,” Mary said. “No offence.” Her eyes fell to Jurot.

Jurot nodded.

“Isn’t it great?” Adam asked. “We get to eat delicious bread and then see our most beautiful Marie and Mary every morning. Isn’t it the best kind of life?” Adam chuckled.

“You still haven’t learn from your cheekiness have you?”

“Hehe.”

“We should drag you into a cell for obstructing our duties.”

“You don’t have to drag me at all,” Adam said, giving them a thumbs up. “I’m very willing to be taken away by you two.”

Marie and Mary turned as red as their hair through their helmet. Marie threw a light punch towards Adam, who ducked under it.

“We should get to adventuring!” Adam stepped back, waving at them. “Ah, wait.” He held out the basket to them. “Would you like any before we go?”

“Buttering us up with bread?”

“No, no. I’m buttering you up with my sweet words, and I’m thanking you with the bread.”

“Hmph. Seriously, kids these days.” Marie took a jam bun. “Since you’re offering.”

Mary also took a jam bun. “Are you single?”

“Mary!”

“What? He’s a good kid.”

“Maybe he’s ugly under the helmet.”

“Are you?” Mary asked, raising her brow as he bit into her jam bun.

“Oh dear, it seems I was caught. That’s right, I’m very ugly behind the helmet. That’s why my words are so sweet and I’m trying to seduce you through pastries.” Adam laughed.

Mary blinked at Adam. The logic was completely sound. “Is that so? Well if you’re too ugly, I might have to decline.”

“Ah! My heart.” Adam clutched at his chest before chuckling again. “Unfortunately for me, I’m not single.”

“Oh? Who are you married to?”

“Or is there someone you’re courting?”

Marie looked at the bread. “A baker perhaps?”

Adam could feel a glance from Jurot. “No, no.” He looked to Jurot. “I definitely am not trying to court the baker. Definitely not.”

“That’s right!” Remy said quickly.

“He’s not!” Jeremy added.

Marie and Mary looked to Jurot, who glanced aside. He had crossed his arms when they had mentioned the baker.

“Oh.”

“I see.”

Adam chuckled. “No, no.” He turned, his cloak flapping behind him. He looked over his shoulder. “I’m married to my job.” He marched away from them.

Persuasion Check

D20 + 4 = 22 (18)

Adam almost coughed up blood at how cringe that was, but the others stared at him as he walked towards the forest, a basket hung over his elbow.

‘Cool,’ Nobby thought. The young man followed after Adam.

Jurot thought about what Adam did, the way he looked over his shoulder and spoke with such drama. ‘Married. To my job. Married. To my job.’

Marie and Mary exchanged a glance.

“Even if he’s a little ugly, he’s a sweet kid.”

“Maybe he isn’t ugly? Maybe he’s too beautiful? Think about all the looks you get.”

“You’re right. Sometimes my beauty is a curse.” Marie sighed.

Mary kicked her sister.

Adam’s entourage eventually caught up, with Jurot taking the lead quickly. As they approached the forest, they finished up the last part of the bread. They scrunched up the parchment and Adam buried it, hoping that it wouldn’t be considered to be littering. He tied the basket under his backpack, which fit nicely into it.

“Do you want the basket?” Adam asked Jurot.

“No.”

“What about you guys? I’m sure a basket would be useful.”

“Nobby, do you want the basket?”

“Okay,” Nobby said.

“It’s not okay, it’s yes.” Remy pat the large boy’s arm gently.

“Yes,” Nobby said.

“I’ll hand it over once we’re back, alright?”

“Okay, yes.”

Jurot took the lead once again, walking through the forest. He followed the tracks he had been following the past few days, before veering off slightly. He dropped down and fingered the dirt.

“What is it?”

“Deep tracks,” Jurot said, pointing to the hoof prints on the dirt. They were so deep even Adam could see them.

“Those are some tracks,” Adam said, squatting down beside him.

“Probably a Great Boar,” Jurot said.

“What the hell is that?”

“A big boar. Do you remember the first boar we faced?”

“I do,” Adam said, nodding his head. “It was tougher than the last two boars we faced.”

“A Great Boar is the leader of the group.”

“The leader? So we faced one of its minions.” Adam recalled at how it had done some damage to Jurot even though he had been raging. “What do you think? Can we take it on?”

Jurot turned to look at Nobby. “With Nobby, yes.”

Adam turned to face Nobby. “What do you think? Can you toss those javelins at a Great Boar?”

“Okay, yes,” he said.

Adam turned to the cousins. “What say you?”

“We will do our best.”

“If you’re confident, we’re confident.”

“We can always run away if the going gets tough.”

“Nobby, you hear that?” Adam said. “If it’s too dangerous, make sure you follow your uncles out, alright?”

“Okay, yes.”

“Can we carry it back?” Adam asked.

“It’ll be a tight fit,” Remy said, looking at his palanquin.

“Maybe if we skin it?” Jeremy said.

“I can skin it.” Jurot nodded his head.

“Alright. Good luck, everyone. If it turns out to be difficult, Jurot and I will hold it off for a bit, then we’ll run too.” Adam looked to Jurot. “It would be a dishonour to let our porters die when we’re the strong ones.”

Jurot nodded his head. “I won’t run.”

“No, no. We will run, but after.”

“…”

“Jurot.”

“I understand. We will run, after.”

Adam sighed in relief. “Good.”

‘Does he want to spread the word that I ran from a fight?’ Jurot narrowed his eyes. ‘Suspicious!’

Jurot returned to his duty of tracking, leading the group ever onward. He would stop every so often, checking the bushes and the ground, before finally raising his hand.

“It is ahead,” he said, motioning with a finger.

Adam turned back to the others. “Look alive, lads,” he said, donning his shield.

Remy and Jeremy dropped their palanquin as Nobby started to remove his backpack.

“No,” Jurot said, shaking his head. “Follow me.” He led Adam and the porters around the Great Boar before nodding his head.

Adam raised his brow.

“Downwind,” Jurot whispered.

Adam nodded. ‘Oh, right.’

Remy and Jeremy dropped their palanquin once again, as silently as they could. Nobby removed his backpack, placing it on the floor. They grabbed their javelins, and Jurot did the same.

The group each readied themselves, slowly approaching. Adam remained behind them, clutching his die. He didn’t want to approach in case his armour gave him away.

Jurot had both javelins in hand, and the porters followed suit. Adam, on the other hand, remained behind with a Flame Bolt about to leave his lips.

Jurot gave the signal by winding his arm back and tossing a javelin. Other javelins followed, with Adam ready to blast a Flame Bolt forward.

Spell

Flame Bolt

D20 + 4 = 9 (5)

D20 + 4 = 8 (4)

Miss!

Jurot’s first javelin missed, followed by another which struck a tree off to one side. However, six javelins found their mark, striking the Great Boar in the side. It screeched in deep pain.

“Fire Fist,” Adam called out, feeling the magic run through his veins. It was only when he saw the size of the creature properly that he understood the gravity of the situation. He gasped, swinging slightly too wide as his Flame Bolt went wide, splashing against a tree trunk harmlessly. ‘Sheesh, you’re one hell of a big boy.’

[Nice shot.]

‘Shut up.’

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 2 (1)

The five javelins were stuck in the Great Boar’s side, one of them even pushing through to the other side. It was already shaking, on its last legs. It stepped towards Jurot, about to gore him, but another javelin whistled through the air, a tone of death as it pierced through the Great Boar’s head.

The Great Boar twitched, dropping down in front of Jurot, whose axe was raised in hand.

Victory!

Great Boar

+80XP

XP

300 -> 380

“…”

“…”

“…”

Everyone turned around to look at Nobby, who squinted at the boar. “Is it dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” Adam said. “It is.”

Jurot returned his gaze back to the Great Boar. He looked at each of the javelins, noticing which javelin had pierced through deepest. His heart had pounded wildly, the adrenaline running through him, but before he could rage, the Great Boar had fallen between his feet. He sheathed his axe and went to pick up his javelins.

The porters followed Jurot, picking up their javelins too.

“Good job, Nobby,” Remy said.

“Well done, lad,” Jeremy said, patting Nobby’s back.

“You really are strong,” Adam said, smiling at Nobby. “I didn’t expect you to be so good at throwing javelins either.”

“Thank you,” Nobby said, feeling a warmth rush to his cheeks.

Adam sighed. “I was useless,” he said, rubbing his forehead.

“Sometimes it is that way,” Jurot said, feeling the same uselessness as Adam. He had struck the beast once, from stealth, and it had died too quick for a true battle.

“How much do you think we’ll get for it?” Adam asked.

“The Great Boar has a bounty of twenty gold, a sell price of forty for its meat and tusks.” Jurot looked down at it. So we split it in half, take away the tax, that’s twenty seven gold a piece.” Adam turned to the porters. “Though I think we should give out some bonuses since we barely did anything.”

“It’s alright,” Remy said. “We did so well because the Iyrman kept it at bay.”

“And our backs were protected by you,” Jeremy added. He understood what his cousin was doing. They needed to remain in the pair’s good books so they could continue working for them.

“Even so,” Adam said. “You should accept the tip.”

“Okay, yes,” Nobby said.

The cousins looked at their nephew and then laughed. “Right.”

“Come, Nobby. Let’s get our stuff.” Remy pat the boy’s back.

“Even though the Great Boar is dead, we need to stay alert.” Jeremy led him back, keeping an eye around the forest.

Jurot began to butcher the Great Boar to make it easier for them to carry it back. Adam left him to it, keeping an eye out for him and the porters, glancing from side to side, massaging the side of his neck awkwardly.

Spell

Guidance

1D3 = 3 (3)

Perception Check

1D20 + 2 + 3 = 15 (10)

“I’ve heard lots of nasty business about elves,” Remy said when he brought the palanquin with his cousin. “I don’t think you’re half bad, mister.”

“More than half good,” Jeremy added. “Never heard of adventurers buying their porters tarts or jam buns, ‘specially not before the job.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Adam said, chuckling.

The porters found a tree to relax against, keeping an eye around for any danger with Adam. Nobby tried to look around too, though quickly grew bored. His eyes followed an imaginary line of wind, going from branch to branch between trees.

As time passed, Adam yawned, stretching. He started to walk around the camp, his armour jangling slightly, which caused him to stop when he caught the noise, before continuing again. He needed to stretch his legs, otherwise they’d fall asleep.

As he reached down to grab his knees, stretching out his back and legs, he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. A giant black mass of fur, rushing towards him.

It was large, and far more nimble than he had expected. As the blackness approached, threatening to tackle Adam, it roared a bellowing roar, revealing its toothy maw.

‘Oh, shi-‘