I let out a brief, although eminently masculine yelp before I overcame my panic. Whirling around, I raised my spear, preparing to face some deadly guardian who would claim my meddling life. Instead, a stout four and a half foot tall man placatingly raised his hands. “Woah, there! Now, I’m assuming you’re a new recruit and don’t know how things …

Note by Clayton: Rhodovus got jealous that I was only writing about myself, so he stuck in a bit about himself… with rune magic. The thing somehow imprints itself every time I tear it out, so I gave up after the tenth try… Damn elves. Damn magic, or well, paper magic at least. Fwoosh! Rhodovus collapsed from exhaustion. He’d burnt …

Giggling at my growling stomach, Bobette explained, “Well, it’s typical that we offer new travelers some delicacy from their old world. Helps them calm down. So, do you know how to make any dishes? Extra points if I’ve never seen it before!”  Thinking a bit, I hesitated. What was something easy to make that she would probably have never eaten …

Ignoring the curses, Bob pointed toward a table near the back where a woman was calmly reading a book. While the room was dim, she seemed to be reading perfectly fine, turning a page every couple dozen seconds. She glanced up when we sat down, revealing that she had a nearly perfectly symmetrical face. I did a double-take since she …

Rhodovus pushed his way through the camp as he headed to where the captains waited. The tension in the staging area was palpable. Every veteran here knew what awaited them in the Dungeon’s maw, and every new recruit was picking up on it. The mage suppressed a chuckle. These humans were going to get themselves killed. Served them right. Popping …

The orc paused with his sword still held in the air, turning toward the doorway where I stood. The pub fell silent, and I felt thirty pairs of eyes land on me. None of which were human. Then, the moment of awkward confusion passed, and the orc who had sat on the bar stool rose, rushing over. On his feet, …

I woke up to find what must have been a foot-wide hand shaking me. The air smelled a bit musty, but it wasn’t really unpleasant. It reminded me a bit of the upstairs attic actually. I forced my eyes open and nearly entered cardiac arrest. This was no attic. A green, almost classically orc-ish face popped into my swimming vision. …

Rhodovus groaned, rolling up to find one of Lidia’s priests leaning over him. Based on the green sash adorning the woman’s robes, she was of the fourth rank, making her the leader of the gaggle of clerics sent along with this mission. She whispered above him, “So bless this man, Goddess Lidia of Healing.” With his acute perception, Rhodovus sensed …

Despite approaching his forty-third birthday, the towering structure before him instilled an innocent awe in Rhodovus. A rush of pride made his heartbeat quicken: this ancient Academy was the last remnants of his ancestor’s, the Avish Empire’s, might. Here, he would decipher the secrets of rune magic and embark on his destiny as a great mage! Breaking out of his reverie, Rhodovus bowed …

The sergeant hesitated before leaving the tent, glancing back as if to check whether Rhodovus would follow—or determine whether he maintained a safe distance from Rhodovus. Rhodovus bowed toward the astounded group present. “I’m sorry, but the exploration of magic calls. I shall return as soon as we finish our matters.” The rune mages nodded and politely smiled, figuring it …