Morning sunlight streamed through the window of Kael's room at the Sleeping Drake, pulling him from sleep with gentle insistence. He went through his morning routine—washing, dressing in his adventuring clothes, checking his gear—before heading downstairs with Vera, Ember, and Fulminus trailing behind him.
The common room was moderately busy with early risers breaking their fast before heading out on various pursuits. Merra greeted him with her usual efficiency, and soon Elara had brought out a hearty breakfast—eggs, sausage, fresh bread, and some kind of fruit jam that gleamed invitingly.
While Kael ate, his mythbeasts received their portions of raw meat. Vera ate with her typical dignified efficiency, Fulminus tore into his portion with fierce appetite, and Ember nibbled delicately despite not strictly needing physical sustenance.
As he finished his meal, a thought occurred to Kael. They were heading out on a quest that involved poison and confined spaces—two factors that could easily lead to complications. Lyssa had mentioned gathering supplies, but having extra provisions just in case something went wrong seemed prudent.
"I need to make a quick stop before meeting Lyssa," Kael said to his companions. "Let's grab some extra supplies—preserved food that'll last, just as a safety measure."
He paid for his breakfast and left the Sleeping Drake, making his way through the morning streets to a general goods shop he'd noticed during his time in Thornhaven. The proprietor—a cheerful older woman with an impressive collection of mythbeast-themed jewelry—helped him select dried meats, hardtack, dried fruits, and some kind of preserved vegetable that she swore would last for weeks without spoiling.
The supplies cost him five basilisks, a reasonable investment for peace of mind. Kael packed them carefully into his bag and set off toward the western gate, checking the sun's position to ensure he wasn't running late.
The western gate came into view, and Kael immediately spotted Granite's massive crystalline form. The gentle giant was hitched to a rudimentary carriage—nothing fancy, just a basic wooden platform with wheels and a simple cloth roof stretched over a wooden frame to provide some shade and weather protection. It was functional rather than comfortable, but it would serve their purposes perfectly.
Lyssa stood beside Granite, checking the carriage's securing straps and the supplies loaded in the back. She looked up as Kael approached, offering a small smile.
"Morning," Kael called out, reaching up to pat Granite's massive shoulder. The crystal ox rumbled a greeting, his gentle eyes regarding Kael with patient calm. "How did the supply gathering go?"
"Went well," Lyssa replied, gesturing to the carefully packed provisions in the carriage. "We've got enough food and water to last five days comfortably, even if we encounter delays or complications. Plus basic medical supplies, rope, camping gear, and three antidote potions in case the poison gets through our defenses."
"That's excellent forward thinking," Kael said, genuinely impressed. Five days' worth of supplies for a half-day journey demonstrated the kind of preparedness that kept people alive in this world.
"It's only natural," Lyssa said with a slight shrug. "Anything might go wrong on a quest. The weather could turn, we might get lost, the mythbeast could be harder to deal with than expected, and bandits could attack again. Being prepared for complications is just common sense."
"Well, your common sense is going to keep us safe," Kael said. "I picked up some extra preserved foods too, just in case. Can never have too many backups."
They loaded Kael's additional supplies into the carriage, then climbed aboard. The seating arrangement worked itself out naturally—Lyssa took the driver's position at the front, maintaining the reins even though Granite barely needed direction. Kael settled into the covered area behind her, where he could keep an eye on their surroundings while having some protection from the sun.
Vera claimed a spot in the carriage where she could watch behind them, her violet eyes alert for any threats following. Fulminus took to the roof of the carriage, perching on the wooden frame with his sharp gaze fixed on the distant horizon. And Ember, true to her nature, refused to be confined—she flew in wide circles around the carriage, sometimes darting ahead to scout, other times falling back to check their rear.
Through their bonds, Kael maintained awareness of all three companions. It was becoming second nature now, this constant low-level connection that let him know where they were and what they were feeling without conscious effort.
Granite began pulling the carriage, his massive strength making the load seem trivial. The ride was smooth despite the basic construction—Granite's steady gait minimized jolts and bumps, and the well-maintained road provided considerable help.
"Granite," Kael called out, loud enough for the crystal ox to hear. "I've been thinking—would you be interested in training? Getting stronger to protect yourself and Lyssa when you need to?"
The response came through Lyssa, who shared a bond with her companion. "He says yes. As quickly as possible. He's been thinking about it since watching Vera and the others train."
"I can help with that," Kael said. "I'm good at designing training programs." He carefully didn't mention his system-provided ability to see optimal growth paths—that was a secret that needed keeping. "For a mythbeast with your build and abilities, Granite, the best approach would be progressive resistance training. Find the maximum weight that you can carry while struggling, then gradually increase it day by day. Build your strength systematically."
Through Lyssa's translation, Granite expressed enthusiasm for the idea. Kael made a mental note to check the system's recommendations for Granite later, when they had privacy. A crystal-type ox with defensive capabilities and immense strength had enormous potential if trained correctly.
The first half of their journey was remarkably uneventful. The road followed the western forest's tree line as advertised, providing easy navigation and pleasant scenery. They passed a few other travelers—a merchant with a small cart, a pair of tamers heading toward Thornhaven with their mythbeasts, a farmer bringing produce to market.
Around midday, Lyssa called for a break. They pulled the carriage off the road into a small clearing, and everyone dismounted to stretch their legs and eat lunch. Kael distributed food from their supplies—dried meat, bread, cheese, and water from their skins.
What was supposed to be a thirty-minute lunch break extended to a full hour when Kael's mythbeasts decided this was the perfect time for their daily training. Vera began her psychic exercises, lifting progressively heavier objects. Ember practiced her flame compression, creating and condensing fireballs with increasing precision. And Fulminus performed his flight burst drills, electricity crackling across his feathers as he pushed his speed higher and higher.
Kael would have joined them normally, but with Lyssa and Granite present, he couldn't risk revealing his own abilities. Instead, he used the time to work with Granite on understanding proper training methodology.
"Your current maximum," Kael explained to the massive ox, "is probably somewhere around eight thousand pounds based on the loads I've seen you pull. That's your baseline—weight you can drag without really struggling. Your training weight needs to be higher, pushing you to your limits. Maybe ten thousand pounds to start, working your way up from there."
Granite rumbled his understanding, and through Lyssa's bond, she felt the ox's determination to begin proper strength training as soon as they returned to Thornhaven.
After the extended break, they resumed their journey. The afternoon sun was warm but not oppressive under the carriage's cloth roof, and the steady rhythm of travel was almost meditative.
They'd been on the road for about an hour into the second half of their journey when it happened.
A screech split the air—majestic, powerful, reverberating across the landscape with a force that made Kael's bones vibrate. It came from all directions at once, impossible to pinpoint, carrying an otherworldly quality that raised every hair on his body.
"There!" Lyssa shouted, pointing toward the sky in the far distance.
Kael followed her gesture and spotted it—a tiny red shadow against the blue sky, so far away it was barely visible. Even from this impossible distance, the mythbeast radiated power like heat from a forge. Its form was indistinct, just a crimson blur moving with speed that defied comprehension, but the sheer presence of it was undeniable.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. One moment there, the next simply... gone. Faster than Kael's eyes could track.
"What was that?" Kael breathed, his heart still racing from the encounter. Even seeing it from miles away had been overwhelming.
"I have no idea," Lyssa said, her voice carrying a mix of awe and fear. "But whatever it was... It's powerful. More powerful than anything I've ever encountered. I'd guess it would take a Rank 15 tamer from the guild to even attempt bonding with something like that. Maybe higher."
"Rank 15?" Kael asked. The highest rank he'd heard mentioned before was around Rank 10.
"The highest I've personally seen was Rank 12," Lyssa said. "A tamer who came through Thornhaven about a year ago, absolute legend in their field. But even they wouldn't stand a chance against what we just saw."
Kael processed this information, filing it away. There were mythbeasts out there that defied imagination, creatures so powerful they made even legendary tamers seem ordinary by comparison. It was humbling and exciting in equal measure.
"Eventually," Kael said quietly, "we'll get there too. We'll reach those ranks and become that strong. Maybe even surpass what we just saw."
Through his bonds, he felt his mythbeasts' responses. Vera's calm confidence, Ember's enthusiastic agreement, Fulminus's fierce determination. They believed in him, in their collective potential.
"I hope you're right," Lyssa said, her eyes still scanning the sky where the red shadow had disappeared. "Because the world needs tamers who can stand up to creatures like that if they ever become threats."
They continued traveling, the mysterious mythbeast's appearance adding a sense of perspective to their quest. They were hunting a poison-type in a village cellar, but out there were beings that could probably destroy entire cities without breaking a sweat.
The sun was setting by the time they reached their destination—a small village that barely qualified for the name. Maybe two dozen buildings clustered together, surrounded by fields and pastures. Simple, rural, the kind of place where everyone knew everyone, and strangers were notable events.
Kael and Lyssa made their way to the largest building, which bore signs of being some kind of community center or meeting hall. Inside, they found the village head—a portly man in his fifties with a florid face and agitated manner.
"You're from the guild?" he demanded before they'd even introduced themselves. "About time! That creature has been terrorizing us for over a week!"
"We're here about the poison-type mythbeast in the cellar," Kael confirmed. "Can you give us details about the situation?"
The village head's face reddened further. "Details? That evil thing appeared from nowhere, invaded old Gerrick's house, and settled into his cellar! It's been poisoning our water supply, making people sick, probably plotting who knows what other mischief! You need to slay it immediately!"
Something about his vehemence struck Kael as odd. The man seemed more angry than frightened, more offended than concerned for safety.
"Slay it?" Kael asked carefully. "The quest posting mentioned elimination, but that usually means removal, not necessarily killing. If we can capture it or convince it to leave peacefully—"
"No!" the village head interrupted. "It must be slain! Evil creatures like that don't deserve mercy or second chances! Kill it and bring me proof, or the quest isn't complete!"
Kael and Lyssa exchanged glances. Both were skeptical of the village head's characterization, but arguing seemed pointless. They'd assess the situation themselves.
"Can you take us to the house?" Lyssa asked.
The village head agreed, though he made it clear he wouldn't get anywhere near the actual building. He led them through the village to a modest home at the edge of the settlement—nothing special, just a simple wooden structure with a thatched roof.
"There," the village head said, pointing from a safe distance of at least fifty feet. "The cellar entrance is around back. Good luck, and make sure you kill it!" He scurried away before they could respond.
Kael studied the house, extending his psychic senses cautiously. He could feel something in the cellar—a presence, alive but not hostile. Afraid, if anything.
"I have a good feeling about this," Kael said, turning to Lyssa. "Let me go in alone first."
"Absolutely not," Lyssa said immediately. "We don't know what's down there or how dangerous it is."
"I'll be careful," Kael assured her. "But something feels off about this whole situation. The village head's attitude, the way he insisted on killing rather than just removing the creature. I want to approach this gently, see if I can communicate before we assume violence is necessary."
Lyssa studied his face, clearly torn between concern and recognition that he wasn't being reckless—he was being thoughtful, strategic.
"Thirty minutes," she finally said. "You go in, you assess the situation, but if you're not back out in thirty minutes, I'm coming in with everyone. Non-negotiable."
"Fair enough," Kael agreed. "Thank you for trusting me."
He approached the house carefully, Vera padding silently beside him. The others—Lyssa, Granite, Ember, and Fulminus—maintained their positions outside, ready to intervene if needed.
The cellar entrance was exactly where the village head had indicated—a slanted wooden door at the back of the house, half-buried in the ground. Kael opened it carefully, revealing stone steps leading down into darkness.
"Hello?" he called out gently, his voice carrying into the depths. "Is someone down here? I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."
Silence answered him, but not empty silence—the silence of someone holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen.
Kael descended the steps slowly, each footfall deliberate and non-threatening. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering from above, he began to make out the cellar's interior. Storage shelves, a few barrels, typical cellar supplies.
And in the far corner, a shape that didn't belong.
At first, Kael thought it was actually a mushroom—about three feet tall, with a cap-like top and a stalk-like body. But as he got closer, he realized it was a mythbeast shaped like a mushroom, with pale cream-colored flesh and darker spots across its cap. A faint miasma surrounded it, a purple-tinged haze that was probably the source of the poison concerns.
The mushroom-shaped creature was pressed as far into the corner as it could get, and even from a distance, Kael could sense its fear.
"I'm friendly," Kael said softly, staying near the middle of the room. "I'm not going to hurt you. Can you understand me?"
The mushroom-creature made a soft chattering sound—not quite language, but not just animal noises either. Something in between.
"I'd like to talk to you," Kael continued. "Would it be okay if I brought one of my companions down? She can help translate, making communication easier."
The mushroom-shaped body trembled, then seemed to nod—a clear yes.
Kael called up the stairs. "Vera? Can you come down? Slowly and calmly."
Vera descended with careful grace, her crystalline patterns providing gentle violet light that illuminated the cellar better than the dim sunlight from above. She positioned herself beside Kael and extended her psychic senses toward the mushroom mythbeast.
Through their bond, Kael felt Vera make contact—not invasive, just a gentle touch that allowed for basic communication of concepts and emotions if not exact words.
"What's your name?" Kael asked. "Why are you here?"
Through Vera's translation, images and feelings came back. No name. Born from a garbage pile near the village. Showed self to humans. They threw things. Rocks. Sticks. Screaming. Ran. Found this house. Hid in the furthest corner. Stayed hidden. Scared. So scared.
Kael felt his heart clench. This wasn't an evil creature terrorizing a village. This was a newborn mythbeast, probably less than two weeks old, who'd been attacked and driven into hiding by humans who were disgusted by its appearance.
"How long have you been down here?" Kael asked gently.
Seven days. Maybe eight. Hard to count. Humans scared of cellar. Won't come down. Safe here. But lonely. And hungry.
The poison miasma wasn't an attack—it was passive, probably a defense mechanism the mushroom couldn't fully control yet. And the water supply contamination was likely accidental, a side effect of the creature's presence rather than deliberate malice.
Kael made his decision immediately. "Would you like to come with us? My friend and I are heading to a much bigger city. There are lots of people there, and they wouldn't treat you the way this village did. If anyone tried to hurt you, I'd protect you. Would you like that?"
The mushroom-creature's response was immediate and overwhelming—hope, desperate hope mixed with disbelief. Really? You'd take me? Let me come with you?
"Really," Kael confirmed. "You deserve better than hiding in a cellar, being afraid. Come on, let's get you out of here."
The mushroom-creature moved forward slowly, its stalk-like body shuffling across the floor. Up close, Kael could see it had small, dark eyes hidden under its cap, and tiny appendages that might develop into arms eventually.
They emerged from the cellar together, and Kael immediately saw everyone's reactions. Ember flew over curiously, chiming a friendly greeting. Fulminus watched with sharp-eyed attention but no hostility. Granite rumbled a gentle welcome.
Lyssa's expression was complicated—surprise, understanding, and a touch of sadness. "Let me guess," she said. "The 'evil monster' is actually just a scared kid who got attacked by villagers."
"Essentially, yes," Kael confirmed. He quickly explained what Vera had translated—the garbage pile birth, the rocks and screaming, the week of terrified hiding.
"So the village head wants us to kill a frightened child for the crime of being born ugly," Lyssa said, her voice hard. "How very heroic of him."
"We're not completing this quest the way he wants," Kael said firmly. "We're taking our new friend here and getting out of this village."
"Agreed," Lyssa said. "Let's set up camp somewhere away from here. No point staying near people who'd do this to a helpless creature."
They found a spot about a mile from the village, far enough to be away from the judgmental eyes but close enough to the road to resume their journey easily in the morning. The area was open grassland with a clear view in all directions—safe, defensible, and comfortable enough for a night's camp.
Ember had already made friends with the mushroom mythbeast, flying circles around it and performing aerial displays that made the creature's cap wiggle with what might have been laughter. It was the mushroom's first real friend, and through the bonds, Kael could feel both creatures' happiness at the connection.
Before settling in for the night, Kael returned to the village to inform the head that the quest was complete. As expected, the conversation went poorly.
"You didn't slay it?" the village head sputtered, his face turning an alarming shade of red. "The quest specifically said elimination! That means death!"
"The quest said elimination," Kael corrected calmly. "The mythbeast has been eliminated from your cellar and will never return to this village. Quest complete."
"That's not—you can't just—the guild will hear about this!" the village head blustered.
"I'm sure they will," Kael said. "And I'll be happy to explain to them exactly what happened. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than argue with someone who wanted me to murder a child."
He walked away, leaving the village head sputtering behind him. Ember had stayed with Lyssa and the others, so Kael easily found his way back to their camp through their bond.
"How'd it go?" Lyssa asked, though her expression suggested she already knew.
"About as expected," Kael said. "He's furious we didn't kill it, claims the quest isn't complete. We probably won't get paid for this one when we return to the guild."
"No worries," Lyssa said firmly. "What we're doing is way more important than some payment anyway. We're saving a life and giving this little one a chance at a real future. That's worth more than any amount of basilisks."
"Agreed," Kael said, feeling warmth spread through his chest at her words. They were on the same page and shared the same values. That mattered more than gold.
They set up their sleeping arrangements. The night sky was clear and beautiful, with no chance of rain, so they simply lay out sleeping bags in the open air rather than bothering with tents. The stars stretched overhead in a brilliant display that Kael had never seen on Earth—brighter, more numerous, completely untainted by light pollution.
Lyssa settled down near Granite, the massive crystal ox providing both protection and a windbreak. Kael laid his sleeping bag near Vera, with Fulminus perched on a nearby rock. Ember had claimed a spot right next to the mushroom mythbeast, who seemed overwhelmed by the kindness being shown.
As Kael drifted toward sleep, one thought kept circulating through his mind: How would the guild resolve this issue? Would they side with the village head's interpretation of "elimination" or accept that removing the mythbeast from the village counted as quest completion?
Tomorrow they'd find out.
But tonight, under the stars with his companions around him and a rescued mythbeast safe from harm, Kael felt at peace.
They'd done the right thing.
Whatever consequences came from that choice, they'd face them together.