A Wolf Among Gods (D&D / Danmachi)

[Stimpak Medic]

Prologue: A Whole New World

My name is Wulfgar, Son of Beornegar. I have lived the lives of two men and have died twice before. If I could do it all over again, I would change nothing. Nothing at all.

I have felt the soft flesh of beautiful women beneath me, fought dragons, sired four children, and tasted the utter hopeless despair of brutal torture in the Abyss. The flesh has been stripped off my body, and blades have torn through my skin. My hammer strikes have shaken the lands with their resonating cracks and thunder, and I have called out to the Heavens as I struck down my enemies in the name of Tempus, and later Mielikki.

I have lost friends, comrades in arms, and gained new ones. I have tasted the emptiness of despair, lost in a Godless, hopeless, pitiful sorrow.

And now, in my final moments before I truly die and pass on to the afterlife forever, I can't help but feel a cold sharpness in my chest, like a dagger twisting slowly, digging ever deeper.

Every breath I take is a stinging, burning agony.

I must be honest with myself. I don't want to go. I want to live.

"I want to live!" My old dusty croaking voice barely comes out as an ancient growl as I lie on the wolf and bear pelt bed in the Chieftain's quarters of the Tribe of the Elk's long hall.

There is no fight for me to die in. No war to be fought.

I have united the tribes under my name. I have united all of Icewind Dale.

It is nighttime, but I doubt my life will linger till the morn.

"Chieftan!" The cries of my warriors, advisers, and tribesmen can be heard, and I see faint colors. They flicker blurrily, like a torch in a gust. I see my proud, strong son's face, and I smile, knowing that he will do well in his life.

The sounds fade as the light dims.

In my last moments, I can only think of one thing: a giant city with a tower that reaches the sky dead in the center. However, my last look must have been one of confusion. The confusion of not the halls of Tempus greeting me, but the feeling of stone on my back, and pelts on my body.

Aegis fang rests on the deerskin belt at my waist, hanging ready for conflict.

The ever-present frailty and ache of my bones is gone, and my heart beats with robust intensity. My corded, nay, bulging muscles on my arms immediately tell me all that I need to know.

I have regained my youth.

I am not dead. Nay, death has a certain dulled feel to it, and the afterlife is surely not what appears before me. The halls of Tempus have no tower that reaches the sky, and the forests of Mielikki hold no love for vast industrial cities.

The sights and sounds fill my eyes, searing into my mind, and washing into my ears, akin to a powerful wave washing over a helpless shore.

"This is no illusion," I speak, looking around myself. I was intimately familiar with cruel, twisted illusions, being tortured by that Succubus and her hellish minions for all those years in the depths of the Abyss.

No, this was all quite real.

I stand at six foot eight, the full height of my youth, and with the vigor of it as well. However, in my chilled age, I feel none of the fury, nor the excitement I would have in my first thirty years of life. Instead, all I feel is nagging confusion.

If this were a mission from my Gods, surely there would be some sign. Some message in the stars, the sky, the earth. Yet there is none, no matter how patiently I wait.

I stay the way I am, arms crossed and leaning against the wall of the building behind me.

There is a crowd of people, all coming and going, and never truly diminishing. They all seem to be combatants of their own sort. Adventurers in service of a greater purpose. Perhaps this building I lean against is the Guild that they belong to.

It is of no surprise that such a large city would hold many guilds. Not even Luskan or Waterdeep held this many men and women in it. Nay, not even Neverwinter, the Jewel of the East, could boast such a size.

Just where had I been deposited, and for what purpose?

I look around me, and I see many Humans, occasionally an Elf, perhaps a Wood Elf or a Sun Elf, but their passing is rare. Then, marching by in their own short stature were five dwarves, dressed in thick coats and cloths, with fine golden jewelry on their hands and around their necks.

There are some that confuse me, being perhaps Halflings, but they have features of animals on them. Pointed furry ears and bushy tails of various forest animals.

I must admit that I have never heard of, nor seen, such a race of beings as peculiar as these before.

I must be quite far from my home to see such odd beings. Yet there they are nonetheless.

Rising to my full height, I turn away from the street and walk to the open doors of what I assume is the Guild of some sort. Perhaps I will get the information that I seek here?

I enter the building, and some heads turn, seeing my stature and size, eyeing the weapon at my belt. When my gaze falls upon them, they turn their heads away, as they should.

I see, further towards the end of the large open room, a long desk with several people behind it, talking to adventurers.

One space in it is free, and behind it, face down on a pile of papers, sits a pink-haired young woman, likely half the age of my oldest child. I walk over to the wooden counter and rap on it with my large fist.

"Little miss, are you alive?" I ask, my voice reverberating through the hall, despite my not being loud.

The young lady groans, likely waking up from a deep, restful sleep. A line of drool can be seen linking her tiny mouth to some now-wet papers where her face was just resting upon.

"I'm alive," She groans, opening her eyes and looking straight at my abdomen, blinking twice at the muscular flesh in front of her.

Thank Tempus that we can communicate. It would be dire straits if we couldn't.

"Huh?" She asks, brushing her pink hair out of her face and looking up. Then further up past my wolfskin shirt, and up to my chisled jaw and piercing blue eyes.

"Whoa, just my type," She mumbles, a slight blush on her face, but I do not reciprocate the feeling. She looks young enough to be my middle daughter, and she has none of the fire in her eyes, nor the discipline I look for in a woman.

"Focus," I reply, and she shakes her head to snap out of her stupor.

"Sorry, mister. I'm Misha Flott, Adventurer's Guild receptionist and advisor to adventurers. What can I do for you?" She asks, her pink eyes settling down as she catches her breath and rationality.

"I've only arrived in this city this morning, and I seek to settle here for some time. Perhaps you can point me in the right direction for work and lodging?" I ask, not really expecting much from this airheaded young lady.

She seems to look me over again and nods in satisfaction.

"You look like you'd make a good adventurer, and that hammer at your waist looks very well crafted. Were you a mercenary before you came to Orario?" She asks, her soft, calming voice makes it to my ears, and I shake my head.

Orario? It seems to be the name of the city that I have found myself washed up upon.

"I was a Chieftan for my tribe in the far north, but I have taken many jobs since. I suppose an Adventurer is the best title for me now?" I finish with a question, asking myself just as much as her.

"Whoa. A chieftain from the far north? That sounds so cool!" She finishes excitedly, wiping the drool from her face with the back of her hand and looking up attentively.

"So, Miste-Uhh, Chieftan, what's your name?" She asks, her blush deepening.

I feel almost dirty, having a young girl blush at an old man like myself, over eight times her age or so, but I remember that my youth had been returned to me, so to her, I likely look no more than four to six years older than her. For a young lady like her, likely in her late teens to perhaps very early twenties, I swallow my disgust and continue talking.

"I am Wulfgar. Now, can you tell me about work and lodging?" I steer the conversation back to the important things.

"Right, Wulfgar. You said you were an Adventurer? What Familia are you from, if any?" She asks, cocking her head curiously.

"Familia? What is that?" I ask, curious as to this new term.

"Oh wow, you really are from far away. I guess whatever context you used adventurer in isn't the same as in this city. I guess I'll have to do you a favor and tell you how things work here." She said, puffing out her chest a little to look somewhat more important.

It was cute in a small sort of way, but Wulfgar had little interest in cute things.

"If you must," I say, and the young lady walks out from behind the desk and through a small gate nearby.

"Come, let's go to a booth. This may take a while." She waves, and standing next to me, she could almost be confused for a Halfling.

 

[Stimpak Medic]

Chapter One: The Adventurer and The Bloody Boy

The booths of the Adventurer's Guild were spacious and had soft, cushioned seats. Even Wulfgar, with his large legs, could sit comfortably on one.

Misha had taken a seat across from him and had to still look up at him, mostly due to the admixture of her short stature and his tall build. She began talking with him about the city of Orario, and he learned quite a few things in the exchange.

What had really shocked him was her claim that Gods walked among them, simply and casually. Such a thing was absolutely insane to him. Given the harsh conflicts between the forces of the many Gods where he was from, surely this would invoke mass casualties, any time there was a disagreement. Yet, this didn't seem the case.

The conversation continued, and Misha explained the Familia system and the Falna, and yet again, Wulfgar was dumbstruck.

To think that a God would simply give even a small amount of blood to any mortal that walked in off the street was so shocking that he needed to compose himself. Did the Gods here value the people here so much, or did the Humans not know the value of a deity's blood? Surely, some time in the past, there would be men and women who had attempted to extract some of said blood from themselves or other adventurers that they killed to use it as an alchemical reagent, whether in secret or not.

He just didn't have enough information. Whatever he thought upon waking up in this city, it was not this. Such odd rituals could give him little time to understand. However, he was not unfamiliar with bizarre rituals and strange customs, so the shock was softened a bit.

"Well, enough about that. I want to hear about you, Wulfgar. How is it in the far north? What is it like being the chieftain of a Tribe?" Misha asked, resting her hands on her cheeks and looking sparkly-eyed up at him.

"You have given me valuable information, little lady; in return, I will share the stories of my past," Wulfgar said, clasping his hands that rested atop the table, and taking a deep breath.

"Little la-" Misha pouted, but was cut off before she could protest.

"When I was but a young boy, raising your status in the Tribe of the Elk was a hard thing to do. You must go out and perform honorable deeds for the tribe. Be it defeating warriors from another tribe, slaying a mighty beast, or siring many children, you had options," He said, taking another breath as his blue eyes lit up with reminiscence.

"My first kill was that of a Dire Bear, a giant beast ten times the size of any man that had killed a dozen of our tribesmen. I set out one morning with nothing but the clothes on my back, my axe, and spear, and for six days and nights I hunted the best, before on the Seventh day I fought the monster. It's giant claws gouged my chest, and its vicious fangs sank into my right arm," Wulfgar continued, raising his right arm a bit, revealing large scars of where a huge row of teeth had dug into his flesh.

But I had managed to wrestle it to the ground, where I hacked into it with my axe and brought my spear to its eyes. Eventually, the beast died with me on that icy plain, where its hot blood washed over my skin.

When I woke up the next day, I took the beast's head as a trophy and brought it back to my tribe, granting me the title of Warrior.

After many more hunts, I gained the opportunity to challenge our Chieftain for the spot of Chieftain, and in such, I must slay a Dragon to have the right to challenge him.

"A dragon?" Misha asked, her eyes wide and excited at the tale.

"Aye, a dragon. The White Dragon, Icingdeath. With the help of my comrades, we charged the dragon's lair and slew the foul beast. I dealt the final blow, sending a spire of Ice through the dragon's heart, after which we brought the proof of battle back to the tribe, and I fought the chieftain in a battle that changed the fate of the entire Dale." He continued, stopping and taking a deep breath, as memories would not stop flashing across his mind.

"And then?" Misha asked, looking for the conclusion to what happened.

"Ha...And then I won. I defeated the Chieftan before me, saving the tribe from certain doom in the wars across the icy tundras." He finished, letting out a sigh with some sorrow.

"That's all for now. Perhaps if we meet eachother once more, we can continue this conversation another time. However, I am looking to find work and lodging, as I have said earlier."

Wulfgar felt that he had gotten sidetracked, even if there was some good information shared.

"Ugh...Fine. I was going to recommend it to you earlier, but perhaps, just maybe, you could become an adventurer and work with the Adventurer's Guild? Outside of specialized jobs in big familias, adventurers make the most Valis, and have support from the Adventurer's Guild, and I'm not bragging, but I'm very good at my job... So...Work with me?" Misha finished, extending her small hand and arm across the table to him.

"There are some drool-covered papers at the desk that would disagree with your claim of being good at your job, but I suppose becoming an Adventurer wouldn't be so bad. How much is the fee for joining the Guild?" Wulfgar answered, reaching one of his large hands out and taking her tiny hand in his in a firm handshake, to which Misha shamelessly brightened up while completely ignoring the comment about her drool-covered papers.

"Great! Don't tell anyone, but for you, I'll delay your initiation fees until you start your work with the guild as an adventurer. Take your time with joining a familia, and from what you tell me, and how you look." She said, giving him a one over before continuing.

"You don't need to worry about getting turned down from one. Just be careful with whom you join hands. Not every God or Goddess has your best intentions in mind." She said, vigorously shaking his hand.

"Yes, there are plenty of dark gods out there..." Wulfgar agreed, remembering the battles with the creatures of Lolth, the denizens of the Abyss, and the various run-ins he had with cultists.

"Well, let's get your paperwork set up, and then you can start doing everything you need to. Wait here for a moment." She finished, removing her hand from within his, standing up, and giving no time for any change of heart.

She quickly scurried off with the speed of a small mouse and vanished behind a door further into the building.

Wulfgar let out a long breath. He wasn't sure if becoming an adventurer was his best choice, but for him, who was neither a professor nor a writer, he was drawn to adventuring.

He could become a menial laborer or perhaps a bouncer again, but that was simply not his path. He was much more suited to swinging Aegis-fang and fighting monsters than lifting bricks and stopping drunkards from fighting and harassing each other.

He brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes as he rested his face against his palms.

He would admit that he was still confused. He understood the basics of this world, and somewhat this city, but he did feel something strange that he was just now picking up on. It was as if the reality he woke up in was made from a different fabric. It was very faint and wholly spiritual, but his very existence felt like it was being slightly rejected by the world, as if he simply didn't belong. It didn't translate to pain or suffering, just simply felt like an itch that came and went that couldn't be scratched, no matter what he tried.

Removing his hands from his face, Wulfgar got up from his seat and looked around. The hall was large and brightly lit, with adventurers lining up in front of booths and windows where they were selling and buying things. He walked over to the door, and outside in the front of the guild, the soft summer breeze washed over his face.

He looked up at the sky, offering a small prayer to Mielikki for the peace he wished to find, and for answers. And for a moment, just one moment, everything went calm and silent, as if everything were simply flash frozen.

He looked around him, and advancing down the street, he could just make out a small boy running through the street, covered in what he assumed was monster blood, screaming like a madman as he lurched and stumbled forward.

Then, everything unfroze, and the boy, barely able to control his speed, barreled headfirst into the wall of a man who was Wulfgar. It was as if he had found the perfect geodesic path to run directly right into him.

The boy, with all his speed, still could not stop his collision, splotching parts of Wulfgar's wolf pelt clothing with blood.

With his reckless rush stopped, the young boy only stopped screaming when he realized that he was no longer moving and looked up at the man whom he had run into.

The boy gulped and stepped back, offering a sincere apology, bowing quickly and repeatedly.

Wulfgar, irritated, but used to such antics with his children that he had raised, waved the boy's apologies off.

"It's fine, young lad. Just look where you're running next time." Wulfgar responded, looking the boy over. This was the boy that Mielikki had deemed important, so he must have some value to him, or be part of his future in some way.

"Thank you, Sir." The boy said, about to turn away, when Wulfgar put a large hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Tell me, young Lad, what is your name?" He asked, turning the boy back to him.

"Oh, uhh. Bell. Bell Cranel." The boy answered, and even with the blood coating his body, Wulfgar could see the innocence and kindness on his face.

"Well, Bell, I'm Wulfgar. It's good to meet you, and make sure to remember my name. We'll likely be crossing paths more than once in the future." He said, reaching out his free hand for Bell to shake it, and with an awkward pause, Bell did.

"Well then. Good luck, young adventurer." Wulfgar finished, seeing Misha walking out from the door in the back of the hall. Then he walked away, not waiting for Bell's reply, leaving the bloody young boy with a confused smile on his face.

 

[Stimpak Medic]

Chapter Two: Not From Around Here

Misha makes it to the booth before I do. She must be quite excited at the prospect of working with a strong adventurer, or moreso working with me. Perhaps both? Either way, if she isn't too troublesome, I don't mind working with her to get a lay of the land.

I see her looking around with confusion, until she sees me approaching her through the hall.

"I'm over here."

"I said to..Know what, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I managed to get your paperwork ready. You just need to sign a few things, and you'll be an official member of the adventurer's guild. It might take a few days for your information to be shared with the other branches of the guild, but it shouldn't be a problem if you just come here and ask for yours truly." She says, when I get nearer, giving me a self-important grin.

For someone so easygoing, she sure has a self-centered side. Not that I particularly mind it. It's not like she's getting in my way or anything.

"Very well, I'll sign them," I reply, and we sit back down at the table booth.

She hands me some papers, a small inkwell, and a feather pen. I look over the papers, and at first, they are written in some strange language; mere moments later, the lettering shifts on the page to the common language that I know.

I blink in surprise. What is this? Something I'll have to look into later for sure.

However, I shake it off and sign my name after reading the papers. They have an agreement that says you will not steal from the guild, kill fellow adventurers outside of self-defence, and other such illegalities. Nothing in the agreement restricts my movement in and out of the city, so it is fine to sign it. The only thing I'm slightly confused by is the clause not to sell monster parts anywhere other than the guild or its affiliates.

I hand the papers and inkwell back to Misha, and she reads over them for a moment before nodding and speaking again.

"Wonderful! It looks like everything is all set. Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, adventurer." She stands next to the table, giving a flourish with her hands when saying so.

I assume you'll want to look at work now, right?" She asks, and I nod.

"Finally, on to the good stuff." I laugh, standing up and following her back to the desk. She doesn't go behind the desk; instead, she goes over to a long set of boards on the far wall, where sheets of paper are tacked up.

"These here are the requests from Familias and other businesses that have come to our hands one way or another. Sometimes, they have really good conditions and payment for items that the guild might usually buy for less. Of course, we are paid by these businesses as well, so if you're looking for different work than the dungeon in the middle of the city, here's a good place to go." She finished, taking a deep breath afterwards.

"I see," I reply, thinking about these jobs. Having connections with people throughout the city was very important for an adventurer, regardless of rank, so I would be looking at this board often. Of that I was sure.

Then, the little lady walked with me over to the booths where adventurers were selling their materials, and Misha explained how that worked before walking back behind the long desks. There was another young lady next to her, who looked a little older, and had medium-length brown hair, thin glasses, and a suit and tie just like Misha did.

"Wulfgar, this is Eina. She has the same job as me. If I'm ever not here, you can speak with her." Misha said, placing her work onto her colleague, who muttered in dismay before looking up at me.

"Nice to meet you," she said, and her eyes widened for half a moment at my striking figure, before she looked back to her desk and went back to work.

It was at this moment that the once bloody boy came out of a room in the back of the guild, now rid of the monster blood. It seemed that the guild had a washroom or some sort of cleaning room.

Once more, my mind wandered to Misha saying that she was good at her job, only to be reminded that this was not entirely true. It seemed she forgot to mention this room to me.

The boy was of average height for his age, but almost entirely unremarkable other than his white hair and red eyes.

He stopped in front of the desk and thanked Eina for letting him use the washroom. Eina, who seemed to be his advisor, looked at him with a warm smile and accepted his thanks before scolding him gently.

I picked up on her attraction to the boy almost instantly. It seemed she valued the boy and cared for him greatly, even to an extent she likely wasn't cognizant of herself.

Then, the boy, who was no longer covered in blood but still had blood on his clothing, turned to me.

"Oh, Wulfgar, this is my advisor, Eina," Bell said, introducing Eina again, and I nodded to her once more.

"Yes, I just met her right before you came out," I say.

"Oh, well...Uhhh." Bell gets tripped up, unsure of how to proceed.

I decide to go easy on the boy and speak up.

"I've not gone into the dungeon yet since I've just come to this city and need a guide. What do you think, Bell? Mind showing me around the dungeon?" I ask, giving the boy a smile.

"I'd love to! But I'm not exactly super strong." He finishes, his shoulders slumping as he looks down.

"That's fine by me," I reply, and Eina seems to agree with me.

"Look at that, you've got yourself a party for the day, Bell." She says, looking at Bell before turning to me.

"Take good care of him, please." She looks up to me, and I nod.

"You can count on me." I laugh, turning to Bell and speaking.

"Well, it looks like our paths crossed a lot sooner than I thought." I finish, and Bell nods back enthusiastically.

"I'll be in your care." He says, bowing slightly to me.

Then I turn to Misha and ask, "Do you have bags that I can use to collect monster parts?"

She nods quickly and replies hastily.

"Of course, and the first one is free, but you'll have to pay for a new one if you lose it." She says, turning away and going into the back of the guild.

"Sorry, she's a little air-headed and forgets things sometimes... A lot actually." Eina apologizes to me, and I start to question if working with this Misha lady was really the best idea.

When Misha returns, she has a leather satchel that could fit quite a lot in it, and it has a strap that goes across your shoulder and chest to wear it.

She hands it to me, and I nod.

"Alright, Bell, are you ready to go?" I ask, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go." He says, and turns out to the door with me at his side.

We make our way through the crowded streets, and I see we're getting closer and closer to the tower. I take in the smells and sounds of the city, and look at all the people going here and there. It's surprisingly normal for the most part.

Bell, who has been somewhat quietly awkward, speaks up and asks me a question.

"So, Mister Wulfgar, where are you from?"

"Icewind Dale. It's far away from here." I respond, and Bell looks back at me.

"Yeah, I've never heard of that. What's it like there?" He asks, curiosity in his voice.

"Cold, frozen, windy, and very bloody. But it's Home." I reply, thinking back to my past two lives.

"Wow, that's kind of scary," Bell responds, and I just chuckle.

"I doubt it's much different than this dungeon we're going to. I hear there are a lot of strong monsters deeper down. I'm pretty excited." I say, holding my hammer, and tapping my palm with it.

"Yeah, they're really strong," Bell said, and took a deep breath.

"You know, you're not as scary as I thought you'd be," Bell says, and I laugh before replying.

"You'll change your tune very fast if you ever cross me." I chuckle, and he flinches slightly.

"What, did you expect me to eat you or something?" I continue in jest, and Bell shakes his head in reply.

"No, but...You're a big, strong Adventurer, and I'm just a Level One." He says dejectedly, and I can't help but feel a bit of disgust at his self-critique.

"Then get stronger. You won't grow by just feeling bad for yourself." I respond, a bit of disgust in my voice.

"You're right. Sorry." He apologizes, and I resist the urge to shake him.

"Don't apologize. Get stronger. Get so strong that you can tear the throats out of anyone who looks down on you with your bare hands." I respond, and that seems to get my point across as Bell nods and puffs out his chest a little.

"I will!" He says loudly, and I can't help but smile. The boy is too nice for his own good. However, that in itself is no good. He is prime fodder to be taken advantage of by slimy men and women, and cutthroats in the dark. It's a shame. If only Good truly won every time.

"That's the spirit," I say, and we approach the base of the huge tower, where Bell takes me over to an underground entrance, staffed by quite a few guards, and we enter down a wooden elevator surrounded by many other adventurers.

The instant we step off the elevator, I am hit with a rush of evil energy. I can feel it permeate my body, and it gives me the chills. This place is cursed beyond belief.

"Do you get used to this vile energy?" I ask, and Bell looks at me strangely.

"What energy?" He asks, and I myself am taken aback.

"You don't feel it? This blood-curdling, spine-tingling evil?" I ask, and Bell's face drops to a nervous frown.

"What do you mean?" he asks, a quiver in his voice. I can see sweat begin to form on his forehead.

"This place is cursed, and horribly so. It is undoubtedly the product of some great evil."

"Are you sure about that?" He asks, beginning to look side to side, as if some great monster will jump out and eat him there on the spot.

"As sure as I'll ever be. This place is one of death. Keep your wits about you, boy." I reply, gripping my hammer tighter, and walking forward.

"You're scaring me." He says, walking close to me, eyeing every corner and path with new eyes.

We make it through several tunnels before the sounds of other adventurers fade away, and we are left exploring the rocky, dirty first floor. Glowing moss and rocks give light in the dark where the torches are no longer placed.

We hear the sounds of wolves or large dogs howling in the distance, and the running of armored boots. They are getting closer, and we can now hear the fearful shouts of a young woman and a young man.

"Get ready, young man," I say, running forward to engage the monsters, and a young lady, barely fourteen years of age with long brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a long blue robe and holding a wooden staff that has been cracked and had its orb shattered, runs just in front of a young man in medium plated armor and a half face helm, who holds a mace and a small wooden buckler who is protecting her while another young man is slung across his shoulders.

I let out a roar, and as the young folks run by, I swing Aegis-fang, the shock of the blow ringing out like roaring thunder, and the large two wolves I strike explode into black smoke, not even having time to be sent ragdolling. Two purple gems are sent careening down the hallway towards a dozen or more of the wolves that were chasing the fleeing adventurers.

Two of them bark loudly and shoot towards me, but I see that their eyes are on the adventurer next to me, Bell. Bell holds his daggers in his hands sloppily and looks spooked, be it from the earlier talk or from seeing the fleeing adventurers; it's clear that he is shaken up.

"Get ready." I let them jump towards him, and he slashes with one, marring the wolf's face, but the other one slips by him and tries to claw him from behind. He dodges out of the way and swings the daggers in an arc, slashing both the wolves, but they aren't out for the count, as the one in front falls to the ground with a whimper.

"My turn," I say, and throw Aegis-fang towards the small pack.

Crack! Boom! Crack!

Aegis-fang blows straight through four wolves before I hold my arm out and shout, "Return."

Then, the hammer arcs around and blows through the remaining ones as it flies back into my hand, leaving a shower of purple stones in their place.

I turn and look back to Bell, who has dispatched of one of the wolves, but the other one is latched to his shoulder, with its jaws stuck in his leather shoulderpads.

He is struggling to pull it off, and I decide to make it easier for him.

I grab its snout with my hand and tear the top part of its jaw off, and it falls to the ground with a loud yelp.

"Be careful," I say, and Bell nods, still shaken up.

Bell quickly takes in the situation and stabs the wolf three more times, and it then blows up into smoke.

I pick up one of the purple stones and look it over. It glows with a faint purple energy, like an amethyst.

"So these are the stones the Guild buys? " I look at the tiny stone that I hold between my thumb and pointer finger.

"Yeah, they buy them for a good price," Bell replies, having regained his fortitude.

"Then you can have these," I say, handing the two stones I had picked up, and pointing to the small pile down the hall, I say, "And those too."

"Thanks," Bell replies, running down the hall to collect his stones. It seemed that he really needed them. The life of a poor adventurer really was harsh.