Mike stood looking into the flames, lost in thought. The smell of his stew pulled him back to reality. He pulled the stew from its hook on the hearth and brought it to the counter to fill some bowls for him and his friends.
When he got into the room, Chad was sitting up, his back against the wall. Drake was doing the same on his own bed.
"I'm surprised your two aren't already asleep," Mike stated. He handed each of his friends a bowl and spoon before sitting down himself.
"We must be doing something wrong. My gut says that this quest shouldn't be like this. You said it was an ascension quest. I think the quest is for all three of us, not just you. We have been working together, getting stronger, but we're still having trouble. You two almost died."
