Quests Episode Five: Serpina

Read the series prologue here.

Read episode 4 here.

Episode Five: Serpina

“Hurry up you stupid troll!” Fedrick growled as he and Felnar made their way down the tunnel where the humaviper was last seen.

This part of the city was damp. Mold covered the walls in places, filling their lungs with its thick musty fumes. The sound of dripping came from all sides. Every now and then a stray drop landed on their heads sending shivers down their backs. Felnar slunk along as slowly as she could, jumping at every sound, hiding at the sight of shadows.

“We shouldn’t have agreed to do this,” she whined.

“We didn’t agree to anything,” Fedrick replied. “The other goblins practically shoved us down this tunnel.”

“The humaviper will eat us for sure!”

“Let’s just hope we finish our job before she gets hungry.”

“I’m going back!” Felnar gasped, and she would have done just that if Fedrick hadn’t grabbed her arm.

“Don’t even think about it!” he cried. “I’m going to need your help. Besides, if you go back now you’ll be attacked by a mob of angry goblins. Is that what you want?”

Felnar sobbed, “Fedrick, please don’t make me go. I don’t want to see the humaviper. She wants to eat me, I just know it!”

“Stop blubbering, you coward!” said the uncompassionate goblin. “You give trolls a bad name.”

“I don’t care!”

“Well if anything will alert the humaviper to our presence it will be your whining!”

Felnar stifled her sobs until they were no more than a whimper.

“Now listen,” Fedrick continued. “The humaviper has never been out to get you, that’s your imagination. What’s more I’m not going to let her kill us. If things go wrong we’ll get an army of goblins and trolls to kill her.”

“You promise?” asked Felnar.

“I promise. Now try to be brave.”

As they continued, Felnar still moved slowly, but was much quieter. The tunnel sloped downward in many twists and turns and was cloaked in even deeper shadows than the rest of the city. Fedrick couldn’t help slowing to check the passage ahead as he and Felnar came to each new turn. Despite the courageous act he put on for his friend, every time Fedrick thought about seeing the humaviper in person his stomach felt like it was full of tiny bats flapping around without finding an exit. He had no idea what he would really do if the monster attacked them. Thankfully, Felnar wasn’t quite smart enough to call his bluff.

Watching for movement around a bend, Fedrick and Felnar turned a corner into another damp, musty tunnel. The air was filled with the smell of rotting meat and another sickly stench they couldn’t identify and didn’t want to. They continued until they came to a place where the tunnel widened into a small cavern where two lights shown in the gloom. As Fedrick stepped forward, something rustled beneath his feet. He jumped back then glanced down to see an empty snake skin which was several times longer than his body. Felnar whimpered and Fedrick saw that she was pointing at a pile of bones, gleaming in the darkness.

Fedrick swallowed then masked his fear by grunting, “Let’s keep moving.”

Skirting the bones and snake skin, they attempted to cross to another tunnel across from where they stood, when a soft voice hissed, “Take one more ssstep and you’ll be my next meal.”

They froze. Felnar huddled in a corner and refused to move. Fedrick stared at the lights shining before him, suddenly realizing that they were the humaviper’s glowing eyes.

“We’ve come to make a bargain with you, humaviper,” he said trying not to sound afraid. There were a series of short hisses which Fedrick guessed was a laugh.

“Bargain with me!” the humaviper hissed. “That’sss one I haven’t heard. Tell me, what bargain would you make with Serpina?”

Fedrick was flustered by the tone in her voice. She seemed to think this was some sort of game. He answered as calmly as possible, “The dwarves are building a new mine near one of the goblin cities. The goblins of that city have asked us to help them fight the dwarves. We thought you could help us. The more help we have the better off we’ll be.”

“If I agreed, what would you pay me for my ssservicesss?” asked Serpina, still playful.

“You must want something,” Fedrick replied. “You have only to name it.”

“You must name a price.”

“Food!” Felnar piped up in a voice which was higher pitched than usual. “If you help us we’ll give you all the food you want so you won’t have to eat us anymore.”

Serpina made her hissing laugh again. “You creaturesss are pathetic. You all make excusesss and buy time in hopesss that I won’t eat you. Well it never worksss! I have yet to catch a life threatening disease sssome trollsss sssaid they had.”

“We’re not making excuses,” Fedrick protested. “We really do need your help!”

“Enough!” shouted the humaviper. “I Let you ssspeak, you should be grateful for that. Now the time for talk is over!”

She let down her retractable fangs which gleamed slightly. Felnar screamed, Fedrick took a step backwards. Both felt that this was the time to run. Before they could start for the tunnel, however, Serpina wrapped a thick coil around Felnar’s legs and grabbed Fedrick with the end of her long tail, which she could use like a third arm.

In an attempt to buy some time Fedrick asked, “Why did you come to our city? Is it because it’s a good hunting ground?”

Serpina, who had never liked the city in the least, couldn’t help answering, “Your city is the worst hunting ground I’ve found yet! Goblinsss are ssso ssslimy they are my last choice of food. I only eat them to ssstay alive.”

“Why are you here then?”

“I came here by accident. I ssslithered into the mountain and couldn’t find my way back out because all your passagesss look the sssame.”

“I could help you get out.”

She smirked. “Of courssse you could, only you won’t. The moment I loosssen my hold you’ll run away.”

“No, I won’t!” Fedrick cried. “Listen, I’ll make you a deal. If you’ll let me go and promise to help my people fight the dwarves I’ll make sure you get outside where you can find a better hunting ground.”

“We’re back to the dwarvesss again,” said Serpina. “Have goblinsss become ssso pathetic that they can no longer fight their own enemiesss?”

“We could finish them off quicker if we had a humaviper to help us. No goblin can match your skills.”

“Ssso they sssent you to ask for my help, did they?”

“Yes.”

She stared at him for a minute, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Finally she asked, “Isss the troll a friend of yoursss?”

“Well, um, yeah,” replied the confused goblin.

“Perfect,” she hissed. Keeping her hold on Fedrick, she turned and grabbed Felnar with one of her human-like hands meanwhile unwinding the coil imprisoning the troll. Felnar screamed again and tried to pull away. Serpina was stronger, however, and soon had the troll in her firm grip, facing Fedrick.

“Now listen carefully, goblin,” said Serpina. “You are going to take me to whomever sssent you. If you try to run, or if I find that you were lying, I will kill your troll friend, and then you. You cannot escape me. Even if you were to get away for a time I would ssstill track you and kill you. Ssso, lead me to the onesss who sssent you.”

Felnar gulped, “I told you she was after us!”

Fedrick led the way to the central chamber with Serpina pushing him along. The humaviper propelled herself with her tail. Her upper body was lifted off the floor so that she could pull Felnar with one hand and push Fedrick with the other. Wide eyed goblins and trolls ran from them as they approached. Word soon reached the goblin council that the humaviper was coming to meet them. By the time Serpina and her hostages reached the chamber a crowd had gathered. Everyone parted to let the trio pass.

Serpina stopped before the council members and said, “The little one sssaysss you want to hire me to help you with sssome troublesome dwarves, isss thisss true?”

“Yes. Of course it’s true,” the council stammered to assured her.

“Then these are the termsss I will require in exchange,” she continued. “First, you will give me a place to live outside your city, I will choose where. Sssecond, your people must not disturb my new home. Third you must not ever ask me to return to your horrible city. And fourth, you must not even think of double-crossing me. Do you agree to my termsss?”

The council knew better than to deny the humaviper anything. Besides, the terms she had asked for were easy to meet. They replied immediately, “We agree.”

Serpina turned to Fedrick and whispered, “Sssince I sssee now that you weren’t lying you and your friend may go. Yet perhapsss we may meet again sssomeday.”

She grinned. Fedrick was relieved to see that she had pulled in her fangs. Still, he wasn’t sure he would want to meet Serpina again in the future. Felnar dashed off in the direction of her cave as soon as Serpina let go of her. Fedrick, however, mingled with the rest of the crowd for a while, listening to the council ordering preparations for the journey to the dwarf mine.

****

The dwarves had only recently begun work on the new mine. All the miners were still living in tents littering the mountainside around the shafts because no permanent homes had been built yet. In one of the shafts a group of dwarves piled up their tools and pulled out lunch pails.

“Nothing makes you as hungry as hammering rocks all day,” said one fat dwarf slapping his belly and pulling out his roast beef sandwich. “I don’t think I’d care if someone gave me a bucket of grease for lunch. I’m hungry enough I’d eat it!”

The others grunted their agreement as they fished out their own sandwiches and bit into them. Meal times always seemed a little too quiet after the constant noise of hammers and chisels. In the quiet, one of the younger dwarves heard a faint rustling noise as though something was sliding over the stones.

“What’s that?” he asked nervously.

“What’s what?” snapped an older dwarf.

“I thought I heard something moving in the tunnel.”

The other dwarf shrugged. “Perhaps you did. We’re not the only group down here, don’t be so jumpy!”

They went back to eating for a few minutes until the younger dwarf said, “Look, I think I can see two lights in the distance.”

“I see them,” said the older dwarf, “I’ll go see what they want.”

He got up and walked a short way down the tunnel, only to stop abruptly. As the old dwarf crumpled and fell, the others noticed the gleaming fangs of the humaviper. Serpina moved into the light of their lanterns before the other dwarves had recovered from their shock. She lunged, biting those nearest her. The others tried to run, but she whipped her tail around, tripping them. She wove between them biting dwarf after dwarf. They fell dead around her as the poison set in. Finally there were only two dwarves left. These fought Serpina in a state of panic and desperation. She grabbed at them; they pulled away, jumped her tail, and ran down the tunnel as fast as they could.

“Good work,” said one of the goblins stepping out of the shadows behind her.

“They were easssy prey,” Serpina replied.

“Why don’t you go after the last two?” asked the goblin.

She turned her glowing eyes to focus on him. “Are you truly sssuch a fool?” she hissed. “What those two will ssspread will make our job here easier.”

“What will they spread?”

“Fear,” she replied and the word seemed to echo off the rocks around them. “Besidesss,” she added. “I ssscratched them, they will die in a few hoursss.”

“With you around these dwarves don’t stand a chance!” the goblin laughed.

****

A few weeks later Fedrick found himself at the gaping entrance of the underground city with a crowd of goblins and trolls. Stars and a slice of moon shone on the mountain, their pale light mixing with the shades of night. A cheer rang out as Serpina appeared accompanied by several goblin warriors. The goblin council rushed ahead of the crowd to be sure they were the first to reach Serpina.

“I’d like to congratulate you, humaviper,” a councilor announced in a voice loud enough for all to hear. “There are few who could create such panic or cause the dwarves to close a mine so fast, but you’ve done it!”

The crowd clapped and cheered until the councilor waved for silence.

“You can ssshow me your appreciation by finding me the finest home in the mountains,” said Serpina.

“You will have it and more,” replied the councilor. “We would also like to offer you three chests of treasure.”

He snapped his fingers and the chests were brought forward and opened so that Serpina could see the sparkling contents. A greedy look entered Serpina’s eyes and she flicked out her long forked tongue before answering.

“Very well, I accept.”

“We were also hoping you would consider working for us as an assassin.”

“Perhapss, if the price is right,” Serpina answered, flicking a speck of dust off her scales. “But once I move into my new home I don’t want goblinss and trollss bothering me all the time. You must only send your people to me with instructions on who I am to kill, understood?”

“Of course,” said the councilor. “You have a deal.”

The council assigned several goblins to accompany Serpina and carry her treasure for her while she went house hunting. While the crowd was distracted with Serpina, Fedrick slipped back inside the city and down a short tunnel to the left of the gate passing troll caves until he reached the one he wanted. He rapped the stone doorway with a claw.

“Go away!” called Felnar’s voice. “I have a terrible cold. You wouldn’t want to catch it.” She faked a sneeze.

“You’ve been saying you had a cold ever since we met the humaviper,” Fedrick called back. “Maybe you’ll get better now that she’s moving out of the city.”

“I doubt it,” said Felnar. “This is probably the worst cold a troll’s ever had!”

“She won’t come back to get you.”

Felnar’s only response was to blow her nose very loudly.

With Felnar continuing to remain in her cave, Fedrick turned to other goblins for companionship. Many goblins snuck out on the mountains to harass the dwarves who had survived Serpina’s attacks and were moving to work in other mines. They told exciting stories about these expeditions, laughing over the fear and confusion of the dwarves. Then one night their mood changed. Several goblins stormed into the city with anger sketched on every line of their faces.

Fedrick and a few others crowded around them and asked, “What happened?”

“The dwarves have been given protection by a group of meddling fairies!” was the reply. “It’s no use attacking dwarves now. The fairies have revived an ancient legend. Their mine is now guarded by a monster almost as bad as Serpina.”

“How dare the fairies get involved!” growled Fedrick. “We should make them sorry they ever left their forest!”

“Yeah!” agreed the other goblins. “How can we do it?”

“Maybe Serpina will help us. I have some experience with her. I’ll go to her new home and ask her about it.”

Continue to episode six.

Quests Episode Four: Foolish Pranks

Well, after a few delays here, at last, is episode 4.

To read the series prologue click here.

To read episode 3 click here.

Episode Four: Foolish Pranks

“What a disappointment!” Beritta exclaimed in disgust. “To think we were so excited about going on our first quest, and then it ended up being only herb gathering!”

“But they are rare herbs that the healers couldn’t possibly get for themselves,” said Faralasa sarcastically.

They laughed.

“Now all they have us doing is greeting ambassadors,” added Beritta. “Can you believe this after all that training and the elders’ talk of our amazing abilities? I was so excited when they told me I had been chosen for the quests. They made it seem like they were choosing us for our strength and courage. Anyone can run errands.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” agreed Lasa, “especially since so many good elves weren’t chosen. Did you know that Oakley is working as an animal tender?”

“Yeah, I heard. It makes sense though. Even he admitted he’s good with animals.”

“I still expected him to be chosen. He has amazing abilities for a Wood Elf.”

“Hmm…” muttered Beritta through pinched lips.

They fell silent as they turned a gentle corner in the path and the southern lake came into view. The trees around the Sapphire Lake did not come as close to the water as those of the northern one. Instead, this lake was surrounded by a wide meadow. A herd of deer grazed on the lush grass. Oakley stood in their midst.

“Hi Oakley!” Lasa hailed him as they turned off the path and onto the soft turf. “Is this part of your new job?”

“This pretty much is my new job,” Oakley replied. “I only took it because I want to work as an animal trainer someday. This is good practice.”

“Well I hope that works out for you,” said Lasa.

Beritta stood behind her friend in silence. She and Oakley were still a little awkward around each other and both were glad Lasa was there to make conversation.

“The elders told me to bring the herd down here,” said Oakley indicating the deer. “They thought you could use a couple on your quest.”

“That would be great,” said Lasa.

“We really should get going,” said Beritta.

“You’re right,” Faralasa agreed. “See you later Oakley!”

“I’ll see you,” Oakley replied. “May Light guide you.”

Each girl chose a deer and mounted. The deer bounded uphill, following a path which wound its way among aspens and evergreens. The spicy-sweet scent of pines filled their noses. They slowed a bit when they came to the gap in the southern rock wall; looking anxiously up at the guards, who nodded and watched them pass with mild interest.

Outside the protective hills of the capital, the path sloped down to the rolling plains, where it vanished in tall grass. Wildflowers colored the fields in places, accenting the wide green background like strokes of an artist’s brush. There were only a few trees to cast shade, and without their protection the heat of the sun sank into Beritta and Faralasa’s skin, leaving drops of perspiration in its wake. Small clouds of dust swirled around the hooves of the deer as they leapt off the path and onto the open plains.

Another small cloud of dust was visible in the distance. As it came closer the girls made out a small traveling party of elves. In the center of the group was a stocky white haired woman in a sky blue robe with the silver trim which marked her as an elder. She was an ambassador from a village at the southern end of Wilderah come to join the ranks of representatives from every elvin settlement on Irowasa. These ambassadors gathered in the lake capital once each year so that the elders could inform the elf king of happenings in their parts of the world.

Once the elder and her attendants were in earshot Beritta hailed her.

“Welcome Madame! I am Princess Beritta and my companion is the Lady Faralasa. We have been sent by the elders of the lake country to escort you into the city.”

The elder gave a regal nod and said, “Thank you. Lead the way.”

Beritta and Faralasa turned their mounts and led the group toward the southern gap. As they returned to the path the girls overheard one of the elder’s guards mutter, “I remember when they used to send warriors in full armor to escort ambassadors to the city. Now all they can spare is a couple girls? It is disgraceful!”

“Hold your tongue!” snapped the elder. “The princess herself came to meet me and for that I am honored.”

“Well, she still might have done it with a bit more pomp,” said the guard.

Beritta scowled. Faralasa shot her a warning glance and she attempted to hide her anger.

“Keep quiet and do not insult our hosts again!” the elder commanded.

“Yes, m’lady.” replied the guard.

Several hours later, after the ambassador’s party had been shown to their quarters, Beritta said to Faralasa, “Let’s do something fun and a little dangerous. It will make up for the lack of danger in our recent quests.”

“Okay,” said Lasa. “What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s climb that tree,” said Beritta, pointing. “We’ll walk out as far on one of the branches as we can. Then we’ll jump to a branch on the next tree, and so on. Let’s see if we can get across the entire city on tree branches.”

“That sounds fun!” Lasa agreed. “Let’s go!”

They ran to the tree and scrambled up it. Beritta bounced on a long branch then jumped, falling to the branch of the next tree. She gasped as she sailed past the branch, but had enough sense to grab it at the last minute, stopping her fall. With an effort she swung herself into the tree and put a hand against the trunk. As she stood like this, Beritta noticed that Faralasa was already several trees ahead of her. She ran along another branch to continue the game. The second jump slammed Beritta into the center of a pine. She slid down it a few feet, scratching her arms and getting bits of bark caught under her nails, before a prickly shoot stopped her. Her game was harder than she expected! She was grateful for the challenge, though. Then she noticed how easy Faralasa made it look. Lasa walked further out on the limbs than Beritta could. Also no matter how small her jump was, Lasa always made it to the next branch.

Near the northern end of the city Beritta happened to glance down and notice someone passing below her.

“Lasa!” she hissed. When her friend turned she pointed and continued, “It’s that ambassador’s guard. The rude one.”

“You mean the one who thinks we were not a proper escort?” said Lasa rolling her eyes.

“That’s the one. I’m going to teach him a lesson!”

Beritta moved to a nearby tree which was closer to were the guard was now standing. Bending, she grasped a couple branches and shook them, showering the man with pine cones. He yelled and covered his head with his hands. Stifling giggles the girls bounded into the branches of a tree a safe distance from the angry guard before climbing back to earth. They laughed and went to wash.

“Today’s ambassador was the last representative to arrive in the city, wasn’t she?” asked Faralasa.

“Yes, but don’t remind me,” groaned Beritta. “Starting tomorrow my father is going to make me sit through all the boring meetings while stuffy ambassadors update him on the state of Wilderlah.”

“I don’t envy you,” Lasa repied. “Come find me once the meetings are over for the day. I’ll see if I can cheer you up.”

“You bet!”



The following morning found Princess Beritta seated at a long table comprised of a series of stumps which had mysteriously melded together. A canopy of short leafy trees shading this area swayed in a cool breeze off the lakes. The shadows cast a pattern of polka-dots over a group of elders and ambassadors seated on chairs of exposed twisting roots. At the head of the table, to Beritta’s right, sat the elf king himself. He was a tall regal man dressed in robes of spring green trimmed in gold. A circlet of silver vines held back his short strawberry blond hair. The king gestured at a female elder to his right. She stood and spoke.

Beritta lifted her hand to cover another yawn and slouched in her seat as the woman droned on about problems termites were causing in her forest. Her father glared at her with bright blue eyes very much like her own. Beritta sat straighter and tried to fake interest. Most of the issues seemed very dull. She found her mind wandering so often that half the time she lost track of what was being discussed.

After a few more hours of boredom, the king said, “Let’s take a break so we can come back to these issues with fresh minds.”

Beritta tried not to dash from the table in relief. She found Faralasa and proposed an idea on how they could entertain themselves.

“Remember that trick the elders taught us, the one that makes flame hover above the ground without burning it?”

“Yeah,” replied Lasa. “What about it?”

“Well,” said Beritta, “I was thinking we could use it for a practical joke.”

A few minutes later a fire sprang up between two huts. Elves cried out in alarm and ran to put it out. As soon as they came near, however, it went out on its own. While they were still staring in confusion at the place where the fire had been, a new fire sprang up in a different area. This fire also went out as soon as someone came near it. This happened a third time making the elves more irritated than afraid. Beritta and Faralasa, who were hidden in the cover of the nearby trees, found they could contain their laughter no longer. They put out the last of the hovering fires and ran up the hillside, giggling. Glancing over her shoulder as she ran, Beritta noticed Oakley near the location of her last illusionary fire. Their eyes locked for a split second. Then Beritta turned and increased her speed to catch up with Faralasa.

After a good long laugh they made their way back into the heart of the city only to be met by a couple guards who announced, “The elders wish to speak with the two of you.”

The girls exchanged a look but followed the guards to a low stone hut where a few city elders had gathered.

“What is the meaning of this?” the elders demanded at the sight of them.

“The meaning of what?” asked Beritta more to confirm the reason for the summons than out of true confusion.

“The fires were quite a clever illusion,” said one of the elders. “We know that you made them. You were seen running up the hill laughing after the fires went out. In addition an ambassador’s guard had pine cones dropped on his head yesterday evening. You were seen near the location of that incident as well.”

“Who told you these things?” asked Beritta, suspicions rising in her mind.

“It makes no difference,” the elder replied. “Can you deny it?”

The girls fell silent.

“Is there a reason you play pranks?”

Before Beritta could say anything Lasa jumped in, “We only play pranks because we’re bored. If you sent us on more important quests we wouldn’t play them anymore.”

“We must see that you’re responsible enough to handle important quests,” said the elder. “You don’t show responsibility by playing pranks. Once we’re sure we can trust you we will assign you harder missions. Now I don’t want to hear about you playing anymore pranks. If I do I shall be forced to tell your father, Beritta, and he will not be pleased. I would rather not have to do that. As ruler of Wilderlah he has enough other problems to deal with. Now, go home and do not disturb the other elves with your pranks anymore.”

Once they were out of the elders’ ear shot Beritta burst out, “It was Oakley!”

“What?” asked Lasa.

“Oakley saw us laughing and told the elders,” Beritta explained.

“You don’t know that!” Lasa argued. “The elders wouldn’t say who it was.”

“It was him all the same.”

“What difference does it make? We should listen to the elders and just go home. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she added starting in the direction of her house.

“See you,” said Beritta, but she didn’t return home.

****

Oakley was walking home after nightfall, weary from a long day tending animals, when he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned to see who it was, a vine shot out of the darkness. It wrapped itself around his legs, tripping him. He tried desperately to remember how to stop it as more vines wrapped around the rest of his body. It was not until they had pinned his limbs in place that he heard his captor’s voice.

“Why did you tell them?”

“Princess Beritta?!” he cried in amazement.

“Of course it is!” she snapped. “Why did you tell them?”

“Tell who what?” asked Oakley, too distracted by the fact that she had nearly mummified him in vines to think clearly.

“The elders,” said Beritta, sounding irritated. “Why did you tell the elders about our pranks?”

“I was worried about you,” Oakley confessed. “You are wasting your talents on pranks rather than putting them to good use.”

Beritta glared at him, and caused the vines around him to tighten a little.

“Ouch, take it easy!” Oakley yelped.

“How did you think telling the elders would help?” asked Beritta.

“I doubted I would have any success talking to you myself. I thought maybe you’d listen to the elders.”

“Thank you, genius, now the elders will watch my every move in case I slip up again!” Beritta shouted and the vines tightened even more.

“Beritta stop!” Oakley gasped. Then he had an idea. “Forget about the pranks for a minute,” he cried. “I’ve got something else to tell you.”

“Go ahead,” she replied without loosening his bonds, “I’m listening.”

“We need more winged horses for the city,” Oakley began. “There aren’t enough here to transport all the elves.”

“So?” snapped Beritta.

“So the elders will be sending some elves into the mountains for a round-up.”

“How fortunate for you,” she commented sarcastically.

“Not just for me,” Oakley protested. “The elders will probably send you and Lasa as questers so long as they’re not still angry with you.”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll let you go,” said Beritta, but Oakley felt the vines loosen and realized that she was considering what he had said.

“Well, you are one of the strongest elves in the city. It would only make sense that they would send you.”

Now the vines were definitely loosening.

“You had better be right, Oakley,” said Beritta, “or I’ll make you regret you said anything about the round-up!”

The vines around Oakley unwound themselves and slithered away like snakes. He sat up, rubbing his arms.

“Ouch, you could have killed me with those things!”

“I wouldn’t kill you!” said Beritta, helping him to his feet. “Hey, Oakley,” she added, “can we keep what just happened between ourselves?”

He gave her a half smile. “I promise I won’t tell anyone,” he said.

Continue to episode 5.

Quests status update

Sorry for the delay between posts. I got busy around the 4th of July and episode 4 of Quests took me longer to edit than I was hoping. I'm going to spend one more week making last minute edits to episode 4 and will post it next Wednesday. The series will continue as planned after that and I will be sure to alert you if I run into any more delays. Thank you for your patience and please check back next week to read more of the Quests series.

-Rebekah