The morning light had a soft, silvery quality to it, as if the world had only just remembered to wake up. Mist clung low to the fields outside Ashenfall, gathering in the dips of the land like pale ribbons that slowly unravelled as the sun crept higher. The air smelled of wet grass, damp wood, and the faint bitterness of last night's hearth smoke drifting from nearby cottages. It was the kind of quiet, gentle dawn that made the world feel safe.

  Which, of course, was precisely why the Adventurer's Guild had a list of quests long enough to disprove that feeling entirely.

  Josh tightened the straps on his shield and shoved his fingers under the leather grip to settle it into place. Across from him, outside the guildhall doors, Brett was locked in battle with his own hair, trying to flatten an entire side that seemed determined to rebel.

  "Bright and early, just like we promised," Brett said, yawning so hard it ended with a squeak. "But I swear, Josh, this morning feels brighter and earlier than it needs to be."

  "It is called consistency," Josh replied. "Or discipline. Or being responsible adults. One of those."

  "None of those words are comforting at this hour."

  Perberos approached with a light step, despite the quiver of arrows at his back and the twin daggers at his belt. His sharp eyes had the alertness of someone who had slept soundly and deliberately, instead of tossing and turning like Brett had.

  "Early mornings separate the eager from the hopeless," the ranger said cheerfully.

  "Then I am absolutely hopeless," Brett replied.

  Bhel gave him a hearty clap on the back that knocked a cough out of him. "Do not worry. You fight well enough. Morning weakness is forgivable."

  Carcan arrived last, carrying a carefully rolled parchment in one hand and an armful of bread in the other. The healer offered the bread around before speaking.

  "Important to eat before trekking into uncertainty," he said. "Even if the uncertainty is relatively mild this time."

  Josh swallowed a mouthful of bread, then nodded toward the parchment. "What does the quest say again? Lost livestock?"

  Carcan unfurled it with a gentle flick. The parchment was still crisp, fresh ink glistening faintly.

  "A farmer from the eastern fields reported several goats missing over the last two nights. His fencing was damaged. The guild suspects a juvenile ogre, but the tracks are unusual. We are to investigate, remove any threat, and report findings."

  "Goat hunt," Brett said. "Perfect. I always dreamed of reaching level fifteen and and chasing mysterious goat thieves." He paused, then grinned. "At least it is not another moss quest. I can’t take anymore water."

  Perberos shuddered theatrically. "If I never smell river moss again, it will still be too soon."

  "The water monsters were good practice," Josh said. "Even if it will take days to dry properly."

  "My boots still squelch when I move," Brett replied.

  With their equipment checked and morale reasonably intact, the party left Ashenfall behind. The sun had now risen fully, its warm glow brushing the tops of the tall grass that lined the dirt road. Birds flitted overhead, darting between hedgerows, trilling their territorial morning announcements.

  Ashenfall's modest wooden homes faded into the distance as farmland stretched out before them. Rolling hills. Neat rows of crops still damp with dew. Stone walls holding the faint warmth of years of sunlight.

  Josh breathed in deeply, feeling the familiar mixture of nerves and excitement that came with every quest. With level their strength had grown quickly, especially compared to his early struggles. His shield felt like a natural extension of his arm now, not an oversized metal plate he was dragging around like a stubborn pet. He looked at its surface, realising that he would likely need to replace it soon with something heavier and tougher.

  Brett walked beside him, occasionally practicing a tiny flame above his fingertip. A habit that had become a comfort. The fire flickered in the breeze.

  Ahead of them, Perberos raised a hand. "We are nearing the farm. Let us be professional." He glanced over his shoulder. "Which means no more complaining about livestock quests."

  "That rule feels targeted," Brett muttered.

  They reached the farmhouse shortly after. It rested alone at the edge of the fields, the roof sagging at one corner where the years had pressed too heavily. A man stepped out from behind the faded wooden fence and beckoned them forward. His clothes were dusty and threadbare, the hems frayed and torn from hard days’ labour. Lines of sleepless nights carved deep around his eyes, but he managed a weak, grateful smile.

  "You must be the adventurers. Thank the stars you came," he said, ushering them toward a broken section of fencing. "Look at this. Something tore right through."

  Josh crouched near the splintered wood. The break spread outward, as if whatever had caused it had pushed from inside the pen.

  Perberos knelt beside him. "Tracks here. Deep. Heavy. But... narrow. Not ogre."

  The ranger brushed dirt aside with skilled fingertips. His brows knit.

  "I think... barghest. Young one, maybe."

  Brett blinked. "A what now?"

  Carcan answered. "A large wolf-like monster. Powerful jaws. Vicious temperament. Dangerous even when young."

  "Wonderful," Brett said. "Just what the morning needed, more wolves."

  "They creep near settlements sometimes," Perberos added. "Looking for easy prey."

  Josh straightened. "We can track it. It should not be far. Young or not, we cannot let it wander near Ashenfall."

  The farmer swallowed hard. "Bring back something as proof if you can. I’d like the goats back if possible, but I doubt that will happen now. I want that thing gone though."

  "We will handle it," Josh said, as the party turned to follow the tracks Perberos had found.

  The woods bordering the farm were cool and shadowed. Sunlight slipped through the canopy in broken slashes, illuminating floating motes of dust and pollen. As they followed the tracks deeper in, the air grew heavier with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves.

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  Perberos led the group. His movements were fluid, almost weightless. Every few steps, he paused to examine the soil, a snapped twig, the disturbed pattern of moss.

  Bhel lagged behind slightly, muttering. "Barghest. Why is it always sharp-toothed creatures? Never anything simple. Like a mildly aggressive chicken, or orcs. I preferred dealing with the orcs."

  "You want a chicken battle?" Brett asked.

  "Not a battle. I want an opponent who understands the futility of resisting my axe."

  Josh chuckled. "Chickens do run away from danger. That might be disappointing for you. Unless we can find a Cockatrice - though I don’t think that is something we’re up to fighting at the moment. "

  "Not if I catch it," Bhel said, sounding far too serious.

  Carcan gave a soft laugh. "Let us keep our focus. The tracks turn here."

  The forest grew quieter. Even the birds seemed to hush.

  Perberos raised a hand.

  The growl that followed was low. Deep. And very close.

  The barghest stepped from behind a dense wall of brambles. Its fur was mottled black and grey, its long snout dripping saliva. It moved with the slow, deliberate confidence of something that saw the world as a buffet of potential meals.

  Its eyes locked on Josh first.

  "That is... not small," Brett whispered.

  Josh set his feet. "Form up."

  The barghest lunged, a blur of bristling fur, jagged teeth, and raw hunger.

  Josh barely got his shield up in time. The impact slammed into him like a runaway cart, rattling straight through his arms and down his spine. His boots tore trenches in the dirt as the beast’s sheer weight drove him backward. Hot, fetid breath spilled over the shield’s rim, and claws screeched across the metal, searching for flesh.

  Bhel bellowed something wordless and furious. He crashed into the flank of the monster with both axes raised. The first blow bit into hide and scraped bone, sending a spray of thick, dark blood across the grass. The second strike missed as the barghest twisted, but it earned the creature’s snarl of pain.

  Perberos didn’t hesitate. An arrow snapped through the air, burying itself deep into the beast’s hind leg. The barghest bucked, enraged, just in time for Perberos’s second shot to slam into its shoulder. The creature staggered but did not slow.

  Brett’s palms flared with sudden, desperate light. Fire condensed into a tight burning sphere before he hurled it with a shout. It smashed into the barghest’s ribs, searing fur black and sending curls of smoke twisting upward.

  The creature whirled toward Brett instantly, jaws peeling back in a wet, rattling snarl. Brett’s eyes widened. "Nope, nope, bad dog! BAD DOG!"

  Josh threw himself sideways, slamming the full edge of his shield into the creature’s jaw. The impact cracked teeth and wrenched its head back around. "Stay behind me!" he roared, calling on his Guardian’s Call. The beasts attention dragging back to Josh - for a heartbeat.

  Then the beast shook it off with a violent snap of its neck, foam flying from its maw.

  Carcan’s voice rose behind them, steady but sharp with urgency as she tracked every heartbeat, every wound. Her staff glowed faintly, ready to pour healing into the first person who faltered, all while one ear stayed tuned for anything else moving in the brush.

  The barghest pivoted, muscles bunching, eyes locking once more on Brett.

  "Why always me!?" Brett yelped, scrambling backward, boots slipping in torn grass.

  It lunged.

  Josh didn’t think. He threw his whole weight forward and tackled the beast mid-air. They collided with a bone-jarring thud and crashed to the ground in a violent tangle. The barghest’s claws raked Josh’s side, shredding leather and drawing hot lines of pain.

  "Why isn’t it listening to my taunt!?" Josh grunted through clenched teeth.

  Bhel didn’t waste the opening. With a roar that shook his chest, he lifted one axe high and brought it down with brutal force. The blade sank deep, nearly to the haft, splitting hide and muscle. The barghest let out a choking, bubbling growl.

  Brett thrust out his hand, flame bursting forth in a desperate streak. It scorched along the creature’s exposed flank, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.

  The barghest jerked violently, thrashing with a last burst of feral will. It rolled onto its side, claws carving trenches in the earth as it fought to rise again. Dark blood pumped from the wounds Bhel hacked into its ribs, pooling beneath its body. Josh forced his shield up once more, bracing for another charge but the creature only managed a half?lunge, dragging itself forward with a rasping growl that gurgled in its ruined throat.

  Bhel surged in before it could gather strength. With a roar, he planted a boot on the beast’s shoulder and ripped his embedded axe free. The barghest screamed, a wet, cracking sound, before Bhel’s second axe came down in a merciless arc, splitting through the thick muscles of its neck. The blow didn’t kill it outright, but it broke something vital. The creature sagged, trembling.

  Perberos fired again, the arrow vanishing into the creature’s eye. The barghest slumped, breath rattling out in a long, defeated exhale., its body twitching once more before falling still.

  Steam rose from the barghest’s torn body, its blood soaking into the earth. For several long moments, nothing moved but the drifting smoke from Brett’s last spell. Their breathing came ragged, sharp, uneven, each of them waiting, tense, to be sure the monster stayed down.

  Josh pushed himself up slowly, bleeding, panting, and staring at the corpse. "I hate these things."

  Bhel grunted, wiping his axe on the grass. "Aye. Maybe we’ll avoid anything to do with wolves for a bit.”

  Silence settled over the clearing, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves.

  Perberos knelt beside the creature, checking for movement before nodding. "It is done,” as golden motes started to appear.

  Bhel wiped his axe clean with a satisfied grunt. "Good fight."

  Brett sank onto a tuft of grass. "My heart is where my lungs should be. And my lungs are probably in my boots."

  Josh gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You did well."

  Carcan bent to examine him for any wounds. "The guild will want proof of the kill. Hopefully it will leave something behind. She then approached Josh, using her magic to heal the wounds he had taken.

  With the grisly but necessary trophy secured, they began their return journey. The forest felt lighter now, the danger removed. Birds resumed their calls. The world seemed to exhale.

  As they walked, Brett cleared his throat. "So. After this, we are practically ready for the dungeon, right?"

  Josh looked ahead toward the sunlight breaking through the trees. "We will manage. We have grown stronger. We fight well together."

  Bhel nodded firmly. "And if the dungeon has anything with sharp teeth, I will handle it."

  Brett groaned but smiled. "Of course you will."

  They reached the farm again by late morning. The farmer stood waiting, wringing his hands anxiously. When he saw the proof of the barghest, relief washed over him.

  "Thank you. Truly. The guild will reward you properly, and my goats can sleep safely tonight."

  Josh accepted the man’s thanks with a respectful nod. "Glad we could help."

  With the task complete, they began the walk back to Ashenfall. The road felt different now. Warmer. Brighter. The kind of path that felt earned rather than simply walked.

  "We should celebrate tonight," Brett said. "No training, no chores and chores disguised as training. A proper celebration."

  "Perhaps," Perberos said, "but not too late. Tomorrow we might head out."

  Brett groaned loudly. "You ruin everything."

  The sun was in the middle of the sky by the time Ashenfall’s familiar rooftops emerged beyond the treeline. A warm, amber glow washed across the wooden houses and slate tiles, and the distant toll of the bell from the central square carried across the breeze. Josh felt an ache behind his ribs that he had not realised he was holding, a gentle uncoiling of tension that only came whenever they finally saw home.

  Brett stretched his arms overhead and groaned dramatically. "I swear these roads get longer every time. I am convinced of it."

  "Or you are just unfit," Bhel replied, though his tone was light. He adjusted his axe across his waist and grinned at him.

  "I cast fire with my mind, not run marathons," Brett said.

  Perberos snorted. "You were not running. You were complaining. There is a difference."

  Carcan gave a tired laugh as he shifted his staff. "You all need rest. A night in a real bed is sounding rather holy right now. We might not have one for a while."

  Brett grinned without shame. A familiar warmth settled between them all, the rare kind of camaraderie that only came after a good day’s work and the shared knowledge that they had survived another adventure together.