"Go, get out now," Jax yelled in an unfamiliar voice. "Nicole, he's going to kill me, then you. Run."
Who was Nicole, and why did he sound like this? The scene stretched out before him like a desolate wasteland, stripped of all life.
A monstrous demon loomed ahead, nothing like anything he had ever seen. The earth beneath it quivered under its weight.
"No, James. We must fight together," the woman said.
James? Jax thought. Who was James? What was that thing, and who was that woman?
He woke just before daybreak, a single tear streaming down his face.
"Who is Nicole?" he whispered before rising.
"Come on, Mira. It's morning," Jax said, gently poking her on the nose.
"Five more minutes," she exhaled, rolling onto her side. Her hair was tangled from restless sleep.
Neither of them had slept well. It showed clearly as they packed up camp and set out.
"Hey, Mira. I had the weirdest dream last night," Jax said. "There was this massive creature, far larger than anyone should be able to imagine."
"Sounds like something to fight," Mira chimed in, finally fully awake. "I bet I could kill it."
"No," Jax said quickly. "This was something I don't think even platinum guild teams could handle. The earth shook under its weight. Mountains were destroyed in an instant."
"That sounds incredible," Alexander said from a few steps behind them, his breath heavy with excitement. "Can you explain more?" "What did it look like."
Jax tried to reach for the rest of the details, but they slipped away. His chest tightened as a sense of dread settled in. His pulse flaring.
He glanced back at Alexander with a concerned look. "No, that's all I remember. I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Things are adding up faster than I can count."
"You think the bear and the dungeon encounter are the same?" Mira asked.
"Dungeon encounter? Do tell," Alexander said, book and pen in hand in an instant.
Over the next few hours, the trio worked their way through the forest, taking out small forest fauna and minor monsters along the way. They never broke stride, working together with practiced ease.
"Now this is what I was expecting when I took that quest," Jax said as he used his magic more offensively against the weaker creatures.
"Stone Spike," he called.
A spike of earth formed from the ground below, rising to hover just in front of his hand. He thrust his palm forward, and the spike launched.
"Why didn't you use that on the dive?" Mira asked, genuine confusion on her face. "That spell rocks."
"I can't focus on protecting you while also dealing damage," Jax said. "You never stay still long enough for me to split my attention."
As if to prove his point, he raised a stone shield just in time to block a gray wolf's attack.
"See? Just like that," Jax said. "You only look forward. Somebody has to have your back."
A flutter again. Still faint.
"Next time try it. We'll see how we can work it together with my frost magic," Mira replied, cleaving her sword through another wolf. The last one.
"Man, we have got to be getting close, right?" Mira asked after they had walked another couple of hours. "You said two days. It's day two."
"The village should be coming into view in the next few hours," Alex said. "We'll start seeing more and more flattened road the closer we get."
"I can't wait to eat and sleep in a bed," Jax said. "This job pays enough for us to afford separate rooms for once while we stay overnight."
"You don't want to stay with me," Mira asked quietly. "That's fine. I wouldn't want you peeking at me anyway." She came back louder this time.
"Mira, I swear," Jax said as he covered his face from view. "I just thought you would enjoy a night alone. We've been cooped up the last few weeks. You haven't had much time to yourself."
"What if I don't want time to myself?" Mira asked, a clear look of mischief on her face. "What if a bear comes and gets me in my sleep? Who will protect me?" She giggled, walking ahead of them.
"Sounds like you may want to reconsider," Alex said. "She may sound like she's joking, but I don't think she is," he finished quietly.
That made Jax's heart skip and his pulse race. "Yeah, I don't know. She likes to tease me all the time. I can never truly tell what she's thinking."
Smoke rising was the first sign of the village.
"Shouldn't be much longer," Alex said. "About an hour until we're there. When we get there, I'll head straight to the clinic and meet you two at the guild center after."
"Sounds like a plan. Is there an inn you suggest we stay at?" Jax asked. "We'll only be staying the night, so whatever is cheapest works."
"Well, if you want cheap hospitality, it can only be Alril's place. Her prices are fair and her plates are large. Other than that, if you have shards, you can stay uptown. Don't expect the same hospitality though."
As the crew drew closer, the village came into their sights. Mira decided to run ahead, yelling something about shopping.
"I better catch up to her quickly, or you'll be waiting instead of us," Jax said.
"No problem. It's not a bother. Good luck with your hunt," Alex said as he walked into town in the opposite direction. "The guild hall is at the center of town."
They waved at each other one last time, and Jax headed into the village to search for Mira, the familiar tightening in his chest returning.
"I've got to find some answers," he murmured, rushing toward the shopping district.
"But first, I have to find Mira," he added. "She always runs off without thinking."
And this time, Jax couldn't shake the feeling that finding her might change everything.