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(suspenseful music) The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 96:

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Down the Path.

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Maylor gave Dala a huge hug, and the two danced
around after

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Dala explained the plan. They went outside to test
it.

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Maylor held up her bare arm.

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So if we pretend this is invisible, what happens
if you throw flour at it?

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Dala did so, and the thin film of white on
Maylor's arm was a

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convincing demonstration.

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See? If your arm was invisible and all we could
see was the flour, it would outline your

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arm, showing its shape.

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Maylor nodded while she slapped her arm, removing
the powder.

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But what if everything that touches the guardian
becomes invisible?

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It is a risk, but think of the blood on your
knife.

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That was inside the guardian, and yet it was
visible.

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I'm guessing that there is some kind of spell or
element to this thing that makes it invisible, and
things

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that aren't it, visible.

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So,

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the flour will work.

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That would explain why it didn't have a weapon,
only its fists, mighty as they

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were. Anyway, we don't have any other option.

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"That's not true. We could stay,"

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Dala replied, which elicited a glare from Maylor.

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Flashing a smile in return, Dala added. "You know
I'm kidding.

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I love it here with you, but we are warriors and
thieves.

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We have responsibilities, and there is so much of
your world that I want to see."

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Dala's sincere enthusiasm was infectious, and the

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two of them went on a tangential discussion of
their favorite parts of Ness

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that they missed the most. As night fell, Dala
blurted out...

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"We should try to escape tomorrow."

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It wasn't that Maylor wasn't prepared or didn't
want to try, but the

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suddenness of Dala's pronouncement threw her
off-balance.

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"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Maylor replied.

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But her words came out awkward, and she felt like
she wasn't showing enough excitement.

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Reaching over, she took Dala's hands in hers.

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"Not try to escape, escape."

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The next morning, they prepared for the difficult
combination of being

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encumbered for a long journey and nimble for a
sudden fight.

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They also had to prepare to launch a large amount
of flour at an opponent

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that they couldn't see and may come upon them at
any moment.

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As they started along the lane, Maylor noted...

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"You know we are going to get attacked before we
have a chance of tossing the flour."

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Dala shook her head.

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"No. When we get close to where you feel the
guardian is, we'll go step by step.

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Didn't you say that you could see the depression
of its steps?"

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"Yes. But that was when I had already been struck,
and it was attacking me."

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"This is a new sensation," Dala replied after a

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short silence.

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"What do you mean?"

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"I'm the one pushing us forward with a vision of
success, and you're the one

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questioning whether we have a chance."

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The comment was sharp, and perhaps a little
hurtful, but Maylor

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realized it was accurate. She stopped, and Dala
turned to look at her.

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"You're right. I guess I'm still a little nervous
about it.

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I'm very used to managing all the various things
that could go wrong.

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That's my specialty, knowing all the possibilities
and assessing a solution.

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But an invisible guardian?

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How can I assess that? I don't even know what it
looks like."

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Dala touched Maylor's arm. "Well, you're thinking
of one big possibility.

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What about the details? You escaped the guardian.
How did you do that?

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What did you see? What did you feel or smell?

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There has to be something."

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Maylor took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

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"You're right. I haven't thought of the pieces."

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After a long moment of silence, Maylor opened her
eyes.

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"Have something?"

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Nodding, Maylor began.

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"It is large and heavy. I could tell when it
struck me.

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Now, look at the path."

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They both looked down.

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"This hasn't been traveled since we were dropped
off.

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The grass looks like it doesn't grow high, which
makes it look well-manicured, but look there and
there."

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Maylor pointed at strips of dirt and a small bush
that was growing at the edge of

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the lane, but amongst the grass.

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"This is not a maintained lane. It is a wild path
that was

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created with grass that makes it remain clear and
even."

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"Yes, I can see that."

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"So, the guardian is large and heavy, and is
patrolling a lane of wild grass.

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That is the key. If we keep an eye out for grass
that is depressed, or a line of worn grass where

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someone or something may have walked in a regular
pattern, it will indicate the presence of the
guardian."

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"Of course. We should be able to identify a change
in the

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nature of the path when we reach the guardian."

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"When I first escaped the guardian, what saved me
was seeing the grass

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depressed without anything stepping upon it.

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If we look for something like that as we approach,
we should be able to prepare for the guardian
before it

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attacks us."

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Dala turned back up the lane. "So sharp
observation is critical."

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Maylor nodded, and the two of them moved forward
slowly, examining the

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path in the distance with each step. Maylor
noticed it first.

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Grabbing Dala's arm, she stopped her and
whispered.

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"There."

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She pointed down the lane to the edge of the path.

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"I don't see anything different about the path."

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"It's not the path. Look at the brush on the side
of the path."

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Maylor saw it clearly, a gap in the brush that
wasn't at all natural.

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It was bent over and crushed in a spot a few feet
wide.

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Daala was squinting, but then her eyes went wide.

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"I see it."

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Maylor pulled out her ax while Daala didn't need
to be asked, and pulled out a

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large, thin sack, which was bulging at weakly sewn
seams,

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leaking a white powder. With her good eye for
hurling knives, the thought was

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that she would be the better choice at hurling the
flour.

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"Keep an eye on the grass. I'll shout if I see
anything, and you do the same.

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The moment you have an idea of its location, throw
the flour at it."

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Daala nodded.

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They crept forward, staring at the grass.

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The good news was that the grass was high and not
beaten down at all.

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If the guardian approached, they would have some
warning.

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Maylor glanced at the gap in the brush, as it
continued to make her nervous,

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when Daala's bag of flour flew through the air
while Daala yelled out...

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"There it is."

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Maylor crouched and followed Daala's pointed
finger.

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Rushing toward them was something flattening grass
as it approached.

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To Maylor's horror, Daala's bag of flour landed on
the ground,

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exploding into a puff of white smoke.

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A moment later, Daala was tossed clear across the
path to Maylor's right,

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as if a giant had simply pushed her aside. She
crumpled to the ground.

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Maylor wasted little time. She could see where the
guardian was by the depression

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on the grass. Spinning and approaching low, she
swung her ax.

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It hit home in an arcing gash, which resulted in a
piercing howl

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and an invisible blow, knocking Maylor back a few
feet, staggering

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her to her knees.

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Looking at the ground, she noticed two things:

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the footsteps of the guardian approaching slowly
but inexorably, and the red

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drops of blood that fell next to the depressions
in the grass.

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Using surprise as her weapon, Maylor leapt
forward, swinging her ax again.

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It was for naught, as she couldn't see her
opponent, who must have easily

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twisted out of the way.

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Maylor's ax swung through air, leaving her
slightly off-balance.

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Another mighty blow knocked Maylor to the left
side of the path.

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Her off-balance momentum had saved her, however,
for her body was already moving in

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the direction of the blow. And while it was
powerful, her body absorbed it

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by simply flinging her further.

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Maylor had been thrown so far that she had time to
stand, and as she

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did, she once again focused on the grass.

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She saw a footstep and swung the ax with all her
force.

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It missed the guardian completely and knocked her
off-balance

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again.

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A glancing blow knocked her to the ground.

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Spinning to her feet, Maylor tried to desperately
figure out how she could battle an

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invisible opponent. Once again it approached with
the slow certainty of

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death.

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Looking for the next footstep, her vision was
suddenly filled with an

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explosion of white.

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Not five feet in front of her, surrounded by a
spreading corona of white

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powder, was a giant being, its torso defined by a

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white outline. Without any hesitation, Maylor
stepped forward and swung

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with all her might, right at the center of the
thing's chest.

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With a soft thunk, her ax hit home, embedding
itself in the creature's

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torso. Another, smaller explosion of white spread
from behind the

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guardian, and Maylor could see it clearly.

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As she attempted to wrench the ax free, she heard
a thunk, thunk, thunk,

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one after another. She knew that sound.

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Maylor retreated, not knowing what would happen.

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Was the creature magical and able to shrug off
such a deadly attack?

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Would it launch a desperate, dying counterattack?

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Crouching in preparation for the worst, Maylor
watched as the powdery

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white guardian stumbled a bit to the left, then to
the right,

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and then fell to its knees, and then face down
into the path.

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Behind it was Daala, her face and chest bloody and
her

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hands and body covered in flour. Maylor ran to
her.

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"Are you okay? Are you injured?" "I think my nose
is broken,"

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Daala replied, covering it with her hand.

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"Let me see,"

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Maylor replied, taking Daala's hand and kissing it
as she moved it aside.

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"If it's broken, it isn't bad. You should be okay.

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Are you bleeding into your throat?"

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"No, just what you see."

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Daala looked behind Maylor.

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"You killed it."

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She squeezed Maylor's hand, as Maylor had not let
go. "I wounded it.

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You killed it."

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"Well, we killed it, and it wouldn't have been so
difficult if I hadn't missed.

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The good thing is that it ignored me after it
knocked me to the ground and broke my nose.

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So while you were fighting it, I gathered up the
flour in the ripped bag and was able to carry
enough to make a

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difference, I guess."

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"You made all the difference."

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Daala looked at Maylor. "Are you okay?"

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"A little bruised, but nothing bad."

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Turning around, Maylor looked at the outline on
the ground.

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"What do you think it is?"

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"A giant, a large man, a forest creature?

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I don't know."

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Nodding, Maylor said... "It wasn't a giant or
human. Look at its hands.

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Those are huge and seem like clubs more than
hands.

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Maybe it is a being created by the wizards."

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Daala shrugged.

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"We can ask Travil."

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"He'll be so surprised to see us, he just might
answer.

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So what next?"

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"We need to get back to the tunnel, but we'll need
to find it, get supplies, and do it all in

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secrecy."

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Daala started slapping her clothes, billowing out
flour.

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Maylor took a step back.

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"I don't want to travel through that tunnel
without food, water, and a cart full of torches."

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"Well, now that we know a cart is a workable
solution, that will make things

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easier. So, we'll need supplies, but I also think
we should see whatever we can find

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out.

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I have a feeling that the wizards weren't telling
us everything."

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Me too.

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So let's continue down the path, make up a story
of being lost and attacked by brigands or
something,

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and then see if we can pick up information about
this city while we gather supplies."

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"You make it sound easy."

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Daala shrugged. "Won't they treat us like escaped
prisoners?"

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"Sure, but can dealing with that be much harder
than defeating an invisible giant

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guardian?"

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Maylor laughed, and the two started walking down
the path that led home.

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But how long that journey would take, neither of
them knew.

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(dramatic music)