“Nightmare?” Kilek asked. Shaynen looked at him, sitting by the fire.

  “Yeah,” Shaynen said. He relaxed slightly and walked to the side of the fire and sat down. Shaynen stared hard in the fiery coals.

  “Do you wanna talk about it?” Kilek asked. Shaynen looked at him and sighed.

  “I don’t know. I’ve had nightmares all my life. Talking about them never helped me.” Shaynen said. “I just keep seeing this place filled with stars. An old city. And so many stars.”

  “Stars…” Kilek said slowly. “I’ve heard superstitions of a place like that. A place between the material plane and sleep.”

  “Yeah?” Shaynen asked,

  “A place you reach through dreams.” Kilek chuckled. “Perhaps it is there you dream of.”

  “Does it have a name?” Shaynen asked.

  “The Astral Plane.” Kilek said, tossing another log onto the fire. “Who’s to say if it is real or not? Strange and impossible things are happening every day, why not a place of dreams in a sea of stars?”

  “Yeah, why not.” Shaynen said, distractedly. Watching the bark of the log pop and crackle in the fire.

  “Well, the day’ll be starting soon enough. Suppose we should start breakfast.” Kilek said. “Care to help me move the cauldron?”

  “Sure, I can do that.” Shaynen said and stood up. He took up the cauldron and placed it onto the fire for it to warm up. “What are we throwing in?”

  “We’ll start by getting some water in there to get what’s already in there bubbling and starting a nice broth to work with.” Kilek said, “Can you get some water from the river nearby?”

  “Consider it done,” Shaynen said, happy to have a job to preoccupy his mind. He took an empty waterskin and headed off into the forest to get some water. The sun was starting to rise and some light bled through the canopy and into the trees. But even then the forest was dark. Low light didn’t bother Shaynen but the darkness in the trees and roots seemed wrong to him. He felt on edge, feeling like the shadows were moving. Shaynen came to the river’s edge and knelt to fill the waterskin. He hesitated, looking up and down the river. He couldn’t pinpoint why, but something felt wrong. There was nothing unusual up or downriver. Nothing.

  Shaynen felt every nerve stand up on end. He stood without filling the waterskin. Quickly returning to the camp. Kilek was building the fire when Shaynen returned.

  “Perfect timing, the cauldron’s ready for the water.” Kilek said.

  “Uh, the river wasn’t good.” Shaynen said. “Something upstream…” Kilek nodded slowly.

  “That’s unfortunate, but it’s the way it is.” Kilek said, “I guess we’ll be roasting breakfast.”

  “I have some water,” Mayhem said, still in bed. “Use it.” Shaynen shrugged but went to Mayhem’s pack and grabbed the waterskin from it. He poured it into the cauldron and it began sizzling then bubbling.

  “I’m starving.” Mayhem mumbled, still not moving in her bed. Thunder sat up, her tail whipping around. She got up and packed up her things.

  “I have some leftover herbs and roots from last night.” She said once her packing was finished.

  “Throw them in,” Kilek said.

  “You have to throw them in at the right time,” She said as she came to the cauldron. Sniffing the smoke and looking through her bag. Shaynen took a seat and waited, thinking on the dream he’d had. What images hadn’t yet faded. Though the harder he focused on it, the farther away it got. One by one, the party woke up and soon breakfast was ready and Shaynen was still no closer to an answer.

  “You hungry?” Jiit asked, handing a bowl of stew to him.

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  “Always,” He said. Shoveling the food into his mouth before even fully taking the bowl.

  “Woah, slow down. You’ll lose a finger.” Jiit said, quickly retracting his hand to avoid getting bit.

  “There’s more than enough for seconds,” Kilek said looking into the cauldron to make sure.

  “What? Did that temple never feed you?” Mayhem asked, she started to laugh but didn’t. “Actually, that was a supposed to be a joke but you do look like you were never fed right.”

  “What’dyou mean?” Shaynen asked. Then gulping down the rest of the stew.

  “You’re all bone.” Mayhem said, walking over to sit next to him and poked him on his shoulder.

  “He’s just a kid, most teenagers are skin and bones.” Kilek said.

  “I am not a kid.” Shaynen said. “What am I doing so wrong here?”

  “Nothing, you’re a normal healthy what? Fifteen? Sixteen?” Kilek asked.

  “Eighteen.” Shaynen said. The party looked at him for a long pause.

  “Are you sure?” Thunder asked. “You are a bit… small.”

  “Small? I’m taller than anybody in my class!” Shaynen scoffed.

  “Here, stand up.” Mayhem said, and she stood up. Shaynen did as well and Mayhem put her hand on her head and then paralleled it over his, where there was a bit of distance between it.

  “You should be as tall if not taller than me,” Mayhem said. “I’m about six foot even and in my twenties. Unless one of your parents were gnomes, you should be at least six feet tall.”

  “Says who?” Shaynen crossed his arms.

  “Says most medical averages.” Kilek added. “I was the team medic, and the elves I’ve seen are all taller and thicker than you. Even the scrawny ones.” Shaynen sighed and sat down.

  “Okay, I’m small. But I’m not a child and I resent being treated like it.” He said.

  “Fair enough. We didn’t know.” Thunder said. “Now we do and we’ll be more aware in the future.”

  “Yeah,” Shaynen said.

  “Hey, if you’re done eating. Why don’t you start breaking down camp?” Kilek asked. “Beds and the fire pit need to be properly buried and all that.”

  “I can help,” Mayhem said. She took her bowl and Shaynen’s.

  “I don’t need help!” Shaynen jumped back to his feet,

  “Then you better hurry!” Mayhem said, rushing to wash the dishes. Shaynen ran to pack up the camp. Mayhem quick to give him competition.

  “Those two are going to be the worst of enemies or the best of friends.” Jiit said. “And honestly? I can’t tell which it’s gonna be.”

  “Depends on where this quest we’re on takes us.” Kilek said. “As most things in life, I suppose.”

  “We better hurry before our things get rearranged by their competitive spirits.” Thunder said.

  Breakfast was hastily finished and the camp equally packed. Then their journey toward the city continued. Their morning passed uneventfully with idle chatter, when the sun was high overhead the party paused for a short rest and a midday meal.

  “Do you smell that?” Thunder said suddenly, wrinkling her nose. The party paused and looked around, trying to catch a hint of what Thunder had smelled.

  “Yeah, faint but vile.” Jiit said.

  “I don’t smell anything,” Shaynen said.

  “Our noses are more sensitive than most, we might just be too far away for us all to smell it.” Jiit said. “We should investigate.”

  “What about lunch?” Mayhem asked, holding up the wrapped ration pack.

  “I can’t eat. Not with that stench.” Thunder said. Shaking her head and pulling a scarf out of her pack. She wrapped it around her neck, covering up her muzzle.

  “It’s getting stronger.” Jiit said. Shaking his head and coughing dryly.

  “I’m starting to smell it as well.” Kilek said, “let’s go check it out and we can eat, if we want, on the way.”

  “Ugh,” Mayhem sighed, rolling her eyes. “Fine.” Thunder and Jiit led the way forward. It wasn’t long before a truly vile stench was perceived by everyone in the party. A mix of rotting flesh and hot tar with perhaps an undertone of outhouse to round it out. Shaynen removed his white cloth to use over his nose and mouth. Mayhem pulled up her shirt. Kilek plugged his nose with wax. Only Jiit seemed unaffected. They soon came across the source of the stench. A tree with black ooze creeping up it, soaking in at the roots.

  “Should have known. Thuk-Chisudo. Named for the village it was made known in.” Kilek said. “It won’t be long before the whole place is covered in it.”

  “Gross, though you have to wonder what causes it.” Mayhem said, stepping closer to inspect. The ooze shifted. Shaynen lunged forward and yanked Mayhem back as a black tendril shot out at her. It missed Mayhem by seconds. The tendril sucking back into the ooze slowly.

  “Thanks,” Mayhem said, stunned.

  “Yeah.” Shaynen said, equally stunned.

  “It moves fast,” Jiit observed. “As soon as Mayhem was in range.”

  “If we know what’s good for us, we should move fast too.” Thunder said. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Can we wash it away or something?” Mayhem asked.

  “Not without some kind of shaman or spiritual connection.” Kilek said. “I think Thunder’s got the right idea. We better move.” The party hastily traced their way back to the road.