Kilek walked up to the desk and leaned on the desk.

  “Hello there, we are here to see-” Kilek started.

  “Do you have an appointment?” The receptionist asked with a heavy and very tired sigh.

  “No, we are-” Kilek tried again but the receptionist wasn’t in the mood.

  “Then you must make an appointment and send it in via mail.” The receptionist said. “Thank you,”

  “Now hang on ma’am.” Kilek said, standing up straight. “Please let me speak.”

  “We are a school and a place of education. The city may be over capacity but we are still trying to operate normally.” The receptionist said curtly.

  “I knew it.” Jiit said, “I knew it was over capacity, this is a fire hazard.”

  “Fire? You remember why we’re here right?” Mayhem asked, pointing at Shaynen.

  “Professor Xuliaga is an old friend of mine.” Kilek said, “we’ve been all around the world together. We found some of the most sacred texts that exist in this library. Oh, the stories I could tell!” Kilek talked and though the receptionist tried not to listen, she was clearly paying some attention.

  “Heck, there was this time we were in the middle of the sea, needing to investigate this wreckage on an outcropping of rocks. Xuliaga and I were there in this tiny little barely sea-worthy vessel. This shipwreck we were looking through was more stick than ship and every blow of the wind had the shipwreck swaying side to side. But we heard there was something on that ship that could change the lives of hundreds so we braved the storm and went in.

  “And what a wild storm it was! Ship swinging, Xuliaga and I holding onto each other for dear life as we slid side to side with the ship!” Kilek shook his head with a reminiscing smile. “And then, the ship slid off the rocks. We were adrift in the seas aboard a sea vessel that was sinking slowly. So slowly we didn't even notice for the first three days!”

  “What happened next?” The receptionist asked. Her cheeks went red as she realized she wasn't supposed to be listening. “Uh, I mean, don't keep your friends in suspense.”

  “Absolutely!” Shaynen agreed, not realizing he took the heat off of the receptionist.

  “It was a hard voyage. Our crew lost track of us, then we were alone. Nothing on the ship was salvageable or sustaining. We fished when we could and made crude fresh water devices. But it was never enough. I may look well fed now but this belly was hard to earn back after those hungry days. But your troubles came to an end when we found land in sight.”

  “Wow,” the receptionist breathed, stars in her eyes. “I had no idea our professor had such a wondrous history.”

  “That's only one of the adventures we went on while we traveled. Though I'm sure that was the one that convinced him to retire.” Kilek chuckled. “Anyways, I suppose I've taken up enough of your time. I was hoping to catch up with my old friend.”

  “Yes, of course!” The receptionist said and took up a bundle of papers. “Looks like his class is just ending in the gardens, I'll have a page show you the way.”

  “Thank you very much, ma’am.” Kilek said. “You are very kind.” a young teen came forward at the receptionist beckon.

  “Follow me, please.” They said and started down a hall. “May I ask a question?”

  “Certainly,” Kilek said.

  “Did you ever recover what you were looking for on the ship?” The page asked hesitantly. Kilek started laughing hard.

  “The funny thing is, we didn't!” Kilek laughed. “We got so concerned with surviving we forgot about it all together!” Kilek's infectious laugh spread and made them all laugh. The page led them outside to a large trellis fence surrounding a garden with a weeping willow of massive size in the center. A half giant in druid robes was showing the proper way to use druidic magic in the herbs. The page ran up and alerted the professor before heading off again.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The professor looked at the party with annoyance until he recognized Kilek. He turned to the class and said something briefly and the class departed.

  “Xuliaga!” Kilek called, arms open. The two embraced warmly with a few loud claps on the back.

  “How are you, you old fiend?” Kilek laughed.

  “Relaxing finally, you sore loser!” Xuliaga laughed right back. “Who’s the new batch of unfortunate souls?” Kilek turned and gestured to the group.

  “This is Thunder, Jiit, Mayhem, and Shaynen!” Kilek said, pointing at each one. “Which actually leads me to why we’re here.”

  “Must be important if you’ve come to me looking for help.” Xuliaga said. “What’s troubling you?”

  “We’ve learned of a cult that could be plotting against the city.” Kilek explained. “Heard any news lately?”

  “I’m afraid I have,” Xuliaga said with a long sigh. He began walking down the path and the party followed after him. “There’s a cult that has been rumored to be slowly spreading from the east. I’ve heard of it making it’s way nearby but I had no idea they’d be bold enough to attack the city.”

  “What do you know of them?” Kilek asked. “Anything could be useful.”

  “Anything? Planning on taking them on are you? I can’t imagine there being much of a reward for the amount of work you’d have to do.” Xuliaga mused. “I can’t remember you being so selfless.”

  “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong.” Kilek said with a wag of his finger. “A cult pays for every local chapter and every problem they cause. You get paid not once, but several.” Xuliaga snorted so hard he choked.

  “That sounds more like the old bastard I knew.” Xuliaga laughed. “As far as your quarry goes, I’m afraid I don’t know much. I know they use antlers as their calling card. I know they spread discord and discontent and a black infecting ooze called the Thuk-Chisudo. Named from the region it was first seen. I’ve heard they were nearby, I’ve heard that they came from over the mountains. But that I do not know for sure.”

  “Do you know a lot about Thuk-Chisudo? Healing it specifically?” Mayhem interrupted. Butting in between the two men.

  “Healing it?” Xuliaga stopped and stepped away from the party, color draining from his face. “You brought it within the walls?!”

  “No!” Kilek said sternly.

  “Kinda?” Mayhem said uncertainly.

  “I got bit.” Shaynen said, showing the wound. “But I really don’t feel any different or strange in any way.” Xuliaga looked at Shaynen hard.

  “And you’re sure it was The Black Antlers and that it was the ooze?” Xuliaga said, approaching Shaynen cautiously.

  “Very, we all saw it with our own eyes.” Jiit said, holding where his crossbow would be. Grabbing for it before realizing it was gone.

  “That’s not good.” Xuliaga said, “Once infected it is sure that the victim will be consumed by it and they will take as many down with them as they can. It’s most often advised to put your victim out of their misery.”

  “Hey!” Shaynen objected.

  “Calm down, son.” Xuliaga said. “You aren’t rabid yet, there may be hope for you yet.”

  “I knew you’d have an idea.” Kilek said. “That’s why we brought him to you.”

  “I make no promises, this is completely unknown territory. No known cures or even any hope for one.” Xuliaga said, “I can’t give you a potion to make it all go away,”

  “But?” Kilek prompted, waving his hand for the professor to continue.

  “But, I have a sneaking suspicion, from some reports and journals that have been passed around. Perhaps, if I send you into a trance, you could, theoretically, find the demon infecting him and, possibly, kill it from the inside out.”

  “Sounds like you have a plan!” Kilek clapped his hands.

  “Danger and probability always did go over your head, didn’t it?” Xuliaga said, looking back to Kilek tiredly.

  “Can’t afford to know the meaning.” Kilek grinned. “So what about this trance?”

  “Follow me.” Xuliaga said, and he led them to the center of the garden and into the privacy of the long hanging vines of the willow tree. “Take your places wherever you wish within the tree. The more of you that go into the trance, the better the chances of your friend surviving.” The party all looked at each other and approached the tree. Thunder jumped up into the tree branches, finding a high branch up near the top of the tree. Mayhem flopped down at the base with Kilek, finding a little nook independent of each other. Jiit hauled himself up onto the lowest branch and Shaynen scaled up the tree until he was nearly half way up.

  “All right, you all close your eyes and let your mind be empty.” Xuliaga shouted up. Together the party closed their eyes and took a deep breath. The air became filled with the sweet smell of blooming spring flowers, gentle notes of pine, and something else altogether alien but it helped them drift off, far down deep into darkness.