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"Explain to me how this happened again?" said Crius.

"It's like I said," replied Seldlon. He pointed a shaking hand towards the nearby table; the arm that wasn't heavily splinted and wrapped in bandages. "That piece of shit rope crapped out on me."

Crius walked over to the table and examined a coil of rope sitting there. It was badly worn and frayed in several places, and one end look like a solid tug would be enough to snap it.

"How long have you had this?" he asked. "This rope is beat to hell."

"A week!"

Crius' eyes widened in surprise. "You put this much wear on a rope of climbing in a week!?"

"No! I'd only used it twice!" snapped Seldlon, reflexively trying to sit up then groaning in pain, leaning back against his pillows. "I was scouting ahead for a convoy of merchants, and when I told the rope to tie off so I could take my position in the trees, the damn thing went limp and I dropped right out of the tree. Hit damn near every branch on the way down, too."

"I can tell," said Crius, looking the cat over.

He'd seen plenty of injuries in his day, but the feline was pretty beat up. His left arm was broken in three places, along with his right leg and several ribs. He'd also taken a nasty hit to the head that he'd been lucky hadn't been more severe than it was. Luckily the merchants hadn't been far from the city and had managed to get him stable enough to deliver to a healer. But even with magic it was going to take a while for him to be back in fighting shape, and the ranger needed to work if he wanted to make any gold.

"I thought cats always land on their feet," said Crius, trying to lighten the mood.

Seldlon didn't seem to appreciate it.

"Would you mind passing me my dagger?"

"Uh, why?"

Seldlon answered in a sweet voice. "Because I want to see if you lizardmen can really regrow your tails."

"I'm just surprised you weren't more beat up," said Crius. "You're lucky a fall like that didn't kill you."

"You don't know the half of it," said Seldlon. "He reached over to his bedside table and picked up a silver ringer laying there, passing it to Crius. "I bought this feather fall ring the same day I bought the rope."

"And you were wearing it when the rope gave out?"

"...Obviously," hissed Seldlon. "Why would I buy it and not wear it?"

"Just making sure," said Crius. "If you hadn't used it yet that day you should have been fine. Or at least, not so fucked up."

"I only used the ring three times since I bought it. Once the day of to test it out, once after a little accent in the market, and then again when the rope gave out."

Crius shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. Magic items are built to last. There's no way it should have given out this quickly. Where did you get this?"

"From Penni Road," groaned Seldlon, shifting in his bed to try and get more comfortable. "For what I paid for it, I was sure it would be the best. I mean, it's a shop run by nobles, they only use the best, right?"

"You would certainly think so," said Crius, doing his best to keep his feelings to himself.

He knew exactly which shop Seldlon was talking about, and who owned it. They'd been competing with the lizardman's own shop since Penni Road opened, and had been trying to siphon off customers from day one. Crius hadn't had much opportunity to examine the other shop's work, but even he could tell these weren't what one would expect, especially an adventurer that needed reliable, quality gear. Something about this didn't feel right.

"Do I even want to ask how much you paid for this?" said Crius. He winced when he heard the cat's answer.

"Seventy gold for the rope, and eighty for the ring."

Crius's jaw dropped. "You spent one hundred and fifty gold on magic items that only worked a handful of times!?"

Seldlon covered his face with his free arm, and Crius wanted to kick himself. The other man was already humiliated enough, and his piling on wasn't going to help.

"I should have known better. What am I going to do, Crius? I can't work until my injuries are healed, and the doctors and healers are going to bleed my purse dry before they're done."

Crius had known Seldlon a while now, and it pained him to see the proud adventurer reduced to this state by some greedy noble's shitty craftsmanship.

"I tell you what, how about we make a deal?" said Crius.

Seldlon peeked at him from behind his arm. "What kind of deal?"

"I'll take these back with me," said Crius, gesturing at the rope and the ring, "and send you proper replacements. I'll make them myself, with my personal guarantee. And I'll send our healer by to speed up your recovery."

Seldlon gulped. "And how much is all this going to cost me?"

"In gold? Not a single coin," said Crius. "You just spread the word about who looked out for you, and what shop provided the real quality merchandise."

"Crius! That's too much, I can't accept-"

"I'm doing this whether you accept or not," said Crius. "I'd appreciate the word of mouth, but I'm giving you the right gear and some visits with our healer either way. We beastfolk have to look out for each other. Besides, can't have my favorite ranger getting tossed out on the street.

"Crius... thank you. Thank you so much..."

Seldlon looked like he was about to cry, and Crius took that as his cue to leave. Getting to his feet, he tucked the rope and ring into his bag and slung it over one shoulder, the strap hanging across his chest.

"Happy to help." Crius smiled. "Besides, Kilian would skin me for a new pair of shoes if he found out I left another cat high and dry when he needed us." He turned to Seldlon's nurse, a young dog from one of the local temples that had come to oversee his care. "If there is anything he needs, please let us know. You kind find me or my companions at Stellio Fabrica and Draco Balneum over on Merchant Lane. Do you know it?"

The dog nodded. "I do, sir," she said. "I will contact you if there is anything the temple can't provide."

Crius looked back at Seldlon. "Rest up and heal. You can worry about what comes after once you're back on your feet."

Seldlon smiled and gave a weak wave to the lizardman before sinking back into his bed, and Crius stepped outside, closing the door to the small home behind him.

The late afternoon sun felt good on his dark blue scales as he walked through the streets of Avalon City. Even against the lighter blue of his chest, the vibrant clan tattoos were easily visible, a brilliant sky blue that decorated his face, chest, legs, and tail. Avalon City was well-known as a melting pot with a wide variety of species and cultures within its walls, but even so Crius drew looks as he strolled through the streets. Like many beastfolk he wasn't terribly concerned with modesty, but his time in the city had taught him that in public it was better to be safe than sorry. He wore simple pants that reached his knees under a loincloth traditional to his people, and a simple vest. A bag of holding was slung across his chest. Much easier to carry supplies with him that way. It also was great advertising for his shop, considering Crius had crafted it himself.

Seldlon's home wasn't terribly far from the shop, but Crius decided to go the long way and enjoy a walk along the large canal that ran down this side of the city. With wharfs at either end, it was an ideal place for shops, and made moving goods in and out much easier than they might otherwise have been. At the moment though, Crius was focusing less on the bustle of the city around him, and more on what he'd learned from the cat. Sure, he still returned the friendly greetings of those that recognized him, particularly one fishmonger where he was a frequent customer. But those reactions were almost automatic. He was far more concerned with Seldlon's situation.

It was bad enough that the cat had been injured. He was a good man and a good customer; Crius didn't like seeing him in that state. But Seldlon would heal. What was really pissing him off was the shoddy workmanship that had gone into those magic items. Even at a glance, Crius could tell they were barely worth the materials they were made of. The lizardman had been at this long enough to know quality goods when he saw them, and those sure as shit weren't it. He'd be sure to take a closer look when he was back at the shop, but he doubted they'd been deliberately sabotaged. Much more likely that whoever made them was doing something beyond their abilities.

He had to keep himself from growling as he thought about it. He would never, ever sell such low quality wares. A craftsman's entire reputation rested on how he did business and the quality of his goods. If either of those were proven to be lacking, you were done. Hell, he could even overlook that Penni Road had grossly overcharged Seldlon for his purchase. But for fuck sake, if you were going to charge that much for something, at least make sure it actually fucking worked.

The crowds began to get thicker as Crius approached Merchant Lane. Though the nobles would likely argue otherwise, Merchant Lane was the real heart of Avalon CIty. Goods from all over the world could be found there, with prizes catering to those of every income, from the destitute to the outrageously wealthy. Ever bustling with customers at all hours of the day and night, Merchant Lane never truly closed. The shops were all decorated in every color a person could imagine, banners fluttering in the wind and shopkeepers hawking their wares. At the end of the street nearest the canal, stood a large cluster of buildings on a much larger plot of land than one would expect to find in this part of the city. It had taken a lot of work to get it the way they'd wanted, but Crius and his friends had finally made a home for themselves here, and they took pride in it.

The pair of shops he and his friends ran took place of pride right on the street. On the end of Merchant Lane closest to the canal stood a large building painted a deep royal purple. The building's banner featured a dragon's head surrounded by artistically designed wisps of steam and the words Draco Balneum - the Dragon's Bath. The bathhouse also served as a popular respite for the residents of the city. It offered numerous baths, some even with medicinal properties, along with other services, such as food and drink, massages, and even pleasurable company to keep the visitors entertained and relaxed in all the right ways. Most of the time it was a fairly standard bathhouse, but at night or on certain days you could expect a much livelier atmosphere... especially since no one under legal age would be allowed in. The bookings during those hours and events never failed to have the place bursting at the seams.

To the left of the bathhouse stood Crius's main shop, painted a gorgeous blue. A sign of gorgeously crafted silver hung from the building, declaring it to be Stellio Fabrica. The shop was the heart and soul of their operation. Between Crius and his friends, they had specialists in damn near any kind of crafting you cared to mention. Crius himself was well-known for his leatherwork and magic items. Sure, he wasn't all that good with combat gear, but when it came to utility magic items he was at the top of his field, if he did say so himself. Normally at this time of day it would have been normal to hear banging and clanging from the forge, but the team blacksmith was out of the city at the moment, so Crius was greeted only by the chatter of customers today without the clang of a hammer on steel.

As soon as he walked into the shop, a voice called out.

"Welcome back, daddy!"

Crius grunted as a purple blur hit him in the stomach, small arms squeezing his midsection in a tight hug.

"Filia, take it easy!" Crius laughed. "I wasn't gone that long."

"But I always miss you when you're away."

The twelve-year-old lizard girl finally let go of her father, hurrying back over to the counter she'd be manning. The purple-scaled lizard had the same markings as her dad though unlike Crius who was all various shades of blue, but thanks to her mother she'd been born with purple coloring and ruby-red eyes. She wore similar pants to his, though rather than a vest she wore a long flowing shirt that some human girls could probably have used as a dress. She hopped back up onto the stool behind the counter, happily chatting with customers. The girl might still have a long way to go in her training as a craftsman, but she was damn good with the customers, and Crius swelled with pride watching his little girl work.

At the moment, there were only two other workers in the shop, and they were both busy dealing with customers as Crius set his bag down beside Filia. The catman was Kilian, an expert in all things fashion who was busy doing a final fitting on a set of clothes for some rich debutante from the Palisades, the richest area in town. Nobody on this side of the canal wore dresses that looked like that. Kyoji was helping a man that Crius assumed was the girl's father, presenting him with some of the kitsune's finely crafted jewelry to accompany the new gown. The fox had an eye for the fine details. Hardly surprising, considering he himself was royalty. Not that it was something he really talked about. Kyoji had never cared for all that pomp and circumstance, and was more than happy with his life here; a fact he was vocal about often. That just left Filia, who had been helping some of the Midtown locals with their daily shopping while a few more wandered around looking at goods. The woman had brought her kids with her today; her husband must have still been down at the wharf.

That was one of the things they all enjoyed about this location. They got plenty of traffic from adventurers and travelers, but they also got to know the locals, who quickly became familiar faces in the shop after a visit or two. That's what happens when you have quality goods and service with a smile. It also helps that they made a point not to rip off their customers. Something that Penni Road clearly needed to learn.

It was just as the two men were finishing their business that a shadow fell across the doorway and a group of people strolled in. Two of the dogs Crius recognized immediately, and the lizardman groaned inwardly, wishing anyone, absolutely anyone else had just strolled into his shop.

"Still in business I see," said the chocolate lab in a dress that could probably have paid the rent of a small house in Midtown for a few months. "I suppose miracles really do happen."

Beside her, a younger chocolate lab stood in traveling clothes, a sword strapped to her hip.

"You said it, sister. I mean, what adventurer in their right mind would buy gear from this worthless little hovel?"

"Just the ones that want to keep breathing," said Crius.

The elder sister turned her eyes towards him, glaring down her muzzle at the lizardman. An impressive trick, considering she was a head shorter than him.

The Paerindon sisters. A perpetual pain in Crius' tail. The sisters belonged to one of the many noble families of Avalon City, though theirs was not a popular one by any stretch. Not very prosperous either, come to think of it. Years back, their father and eldest brother had betrayed the king during an attempted rebellion, and when it failed the family had been stripped of nearly all their wealth and lands. Of all the rebelling families, they had been the only ones that had managed to hang on to what little they still had, having been reduced to little more than titled shopkeepers. And their father and brother reduce to bloodied heads on pikes.

The failed revolt had done a real number on what remained of their family. Their mother had been totally broken by the loss of her husband and heir. Their remaining brother had retreated into an endless haze of drugs to cloud his senses and dull his misery, leaving the sisters to pick up the pieces. Despite being only nineteen, Beth had opened Penni Road, trying to use the shop to begin rebuilding the family fortune, while her younger sister Sheareida was heading out into the world as an adventurer, hoping to do some grand deed to recover the reputation they'd lost.

Despite their circumstances, the pair were as stuck-up as ever, and thoroughly unpleasant to have to deal with.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't try to play dumb with me, Beth." Crius was happy to see her eye twitch. "I just got back from visiting one of your customers. Your crap gear failed mid-mission. He's lucky to be alive!"

"Don't be absurd!" snapped Beth. "We offer only the best merchandise from top-quality craftsmen. My family wouldn't sell anything less."

"Top quality, huh?" said Crius. "Tell me, what top quality feather fall ring costs eighty gold and burns out after two uses?" He pulled the rope he'd taken from Seldlon out of his bag. "And this rope is a joke. My daughter could have done a better job than this, and she's not even old enough to join a guild yet."

Behind him, Crius could hear the customers whispering to each other. Eighty gold for a ring like that was extravagant, and they all knew it. Clearly Beth noticed it too, because a dark look crossed her face.

"What exactly are you saying?" she hissed.

"I'm saying that giving customers goods that get them killed is bad for business." He gestured at the rope again. "I'm not sure which is worse - that whoever made this thought it was acceptable, that you paid them for it, or that you actually sold it to someone that needed it to work."

With an angry huff, Beth snapped her fingers, and it was at this point that the five men standing around her stepped forward. They were all canines, which didn't surprise Crius in the slightest. Their family always did have a reputation for preferring their own species over any others, no matter the circumstances. The men were obviously hired muscle. They consisted of a pitbull, a rottweiler, a doberman with a notch in his left ear, a bulldog with the beginnings of a musclegut, and a german shepherd with several scars criss crossing his face.

"This place is a hovel," sneered Beth. "And I will not be spoken to by some lowly merchant who doesn't know his place. Gentlemen, show this rabble what we think of them."

The dogs moved into the shop, and started throwing merchandise onto the floor, breaking what they could and upending what they couldn't. Filia did a good job of getting the customers out of the way, but that also meant she wasn't at the counter to stop the german shepherd from picking up the clay jar sitting there and smashing it on the floor, sending coins flying.

Crius heard the girl gasp when the jar broke, and he felt his blood start to boil. His daughter had made that jar with her own hands as a surprise, and grateful customers had begun leaving her tips as a treat. It took all Crius' self-control not to tackle the dog to the ground and beat him with his bare hands, but starting a brawl wasn't going to make things better. Instead, he and Filia, got the other customers out of the side door by the forge, before the three men stepped forward to face the dogs.

Kyoji shook his head. "No wonder your family was brought so low, if this is how the daughters of House Paerindon behave."

"Nobody asked you, foreigner," growled the doberman.

The fox was dressed as he often was, in comfortable clothes that allowed him to move easily, along with a haori decorated with patterns of snow and ice like his homeland. He also looked supremely unconcerned as the dog got in his face.

"You don't want this fight, little man," growled the dog.

"If he doesn't, I would be more than happy to teach you disrespectful gentlemen some manners," said Kilian in his calm, rich voice.

The black cat stepped forward, dressed to the nines in a flowing coat, his wrist resting on the hilt of one of the rapiers hanging by his side. The swashbuckler never liked to be without his weapons. The dogs didn't seem to be armed, barring the odd dagger or two between them, and it was clear from the way he stood that Kilian knew exactly how to use those swords. He also had that look of absolute confidence that only cat's seemed to be able to pull off so well, gazing at the angry dog like he was little more than an interesting novelty in a shop window.

It was at that moment that a door at the back of the shop opened, and another man walked in. Dressed in loose pants and a vest that did nothing to hide his powerful build, the draft horse was easily the biggest guy in the room. He had his usual calm expression as he brushed the black and white mane out of his eyes, his golden coat only further highlighting his muscles as he moved.

"There a problem in here?" asked Patrick, before taking a look around. He took in the mess the dogs had made of the shop, but his expression didn't really change until he spotted the broken pottery on the floor. The remains of the jar he'd helped Filia make on his pottery wheel. He turned to look at the young lizard girl. "What happened to your pot, sweetheart?"

Filia pointed at the german shepherd. "He came in here and broke it."

"Oh did he now?"

Patrick drew himself up to his full and impressive height, snorting angrily and marching over to the dog, his hooves clomping ominously on the floor. To his credit, the german shepherd didn't back down, but he couldn't stop his tail from trying to tuck between his legs when the stallion stood over him. The dog opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it was was reduced to a yelp when the horse grabbed him by the neck and lifted him clear off the floor, looking the dog dead in the eye as the scarred male started to panic, his feet kicking in the air.

"I think it's time for you to go."

Patrick took three steps forward, the Paerindon sisters parting around him as he opened the door with his free hand and threw the dog out of the shop, sending him tumbling across the street and into the nearest tree with a heavy crunch. Turning back to the other dogs, Patrick gestured at the open door.

"Anyone else need help finding their way out?"

Beth looked ready to throw herself at the stallion.

"You would dare to threaten one of noble blood such as I!?"

"No," said the horse simply. "When I threaten someone, they know it. I am giving you a choice - walk out of our shop, or be thrown out. Make your choice."

The sisters looked like they wanted to stay, but a glance outside where the german shepherd was still trying to stagger to his feet, and the glares of the other men in the shop made them see sense.

"You degenerates don't belong here," she snapped. "Mark my words, this is not over."

Beth stormed out, her sister and their would-be enforcers following close behind.

"No, Beth," hissed Crius to himself as he moved forward, closing the door and locking the shop up for the day. "No it is not."

Patrick knelt down, gathering the broken remains of Filia's jar while the girl gathered up the coins.

"Don't you worry, sweetheart. We can make another one," said Patrick. "You can practice using the wheel some more."

"Thanks," said Filia. "It'll be fun to spend some time together. You're always so much fun!"

Patrick almost blushed at the girl's kind words, returning her offered hug and standing as Crius stalked by, heading towards the back of the shop. From the way his tail was lashing, it was clear the lizard was very, very angry.

"Crius?" said Kyoji. "Where are you going?"

Crius opened a door at the back of the shop, stopping just long enough to glance back over his shoulder, a menacing glint in the reptile's eye.

"I'm going down to see Baal," he hissed. He looked to Kilian. "When are Connor and the others due back?"

"If everything went to plan, they should be back the day after tomorrow," said the cat. "Why?"

"Because we have plans to make. And once everyone is back, we're going to teach that bitch a lesson she will never forget."

*************

South of Avalon City, deep amidst the trees of Channelwood, a lone wagon moved down the road, the horses hooves kicking up clumps of dirt as they moved along. Hidden among the trees, eyes peered out at the wagon and its lone occupant. The sandy-furred rabbit seemed totally unaware of the people watching him, his ears up and his body looking relaxed. And even if his sensitive ears did hear something, the rustling of leaves was hardly unusual in a forest.

The bandits began to move in, checking to make sure there weren't going to be any last minute arrivals on the road to interrupt what they had planned. They'd been following the rabbit since he left the elven city in the heart of the wood, a chest likely loaded with riches stored in back. They couldn't see it through the wagon's cover, but the bandit leader trusted the word of his scout, which meant they were looking at a generous payday when this was over.

Signaling his crew with a whistle like a bird's song, the bandits leapt from their hiding spots, blocking the road to prevent the rabbit's escape. The tan-furred bunny pulled his horse two a stop, standing up to look at them.

"I don't want any trouble," said the rabbit. "Please, just let me pass."

"Oh, you can pass alright," said the bandit leader, a woodelf with a spellbook slung at his side, and his scimitar resting across one shoulder. "Just as soon as you pay the toll."

"What toll? This road doesn't have a toll."

"It does if we say it does little man," growled a brown bear, the woman's enormous form easily dwarfing the rabbit and everyone else around her. A greataxe was planted on the ground next to her, her large hand resting on the pommel. "You wouldn't want this to get ugly, would you?"

"I just want to leave the forest in peace," replied the rabbit, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

"And you can," said a young raccoon holding a pair of daggers. "Just as soon as you hand over all your valuables."

"I don't think so," said the rabbit. "I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."

"And I'm afraid we aren't asking."

The rabbit glanced up, where a birdman was hovering in the air above him. The ruby-throated hummingbird's wings were a blur, the small avian leveling a short sword at the rabbit.

"Let's just kill him and take it."

A centaur stood at the edge of the treeline, her bow leveled at the rabbit. She glanced at her boss. "Want me to put him down?"

The rabbit seemed oddly calm.

"Better men than you have tried. I don't die easily."

The hummingbird's wings buzzed angrily. "Big talk for a guy who's all alone."

In the same calm, steady voice, the rabbit replied, "When did I say I was alone?"

Quick as a flash, the rabbit flicked his wrist and slung his arm down. With a bang that made his horse stomp and whiny, a smokebomb exploded, covering the rabbit and most of the wagon. The centaur loosed her arrow, but it wizzed right through the smoke, striking a tree on the far side of the road. Without warning, a flurry of shuriken came streaking out of the smoke, heading for the bandits. The attack was fast enough and unexpected enough that they didn't have time to avoid them, but the rabbit's words seemed to be all bluster; not a single shuriken delivered more than a scratch to any of the bandits, even if he did manage to hit all of them. Still, the little fucker was going to pay for that.

The hummingbird swooped down, using the movement of his wings to blow away the smoke. But when he did, the rabbit was gone!

"Where did that little fucker go!?" yelled the bird.

"Who can say? Soma's sneaky like that."

The bandit's spun around, and three men were standing in the road. They had no idea where the trio had come from, but clearly they were prepared for the bandit's arrival.

"You turned our ambush into a trap," said the leader.

"Very astute," said the wolfen. "So, how do you want to do this?"

The leader of the bandits gave the men an appraising look, sizing up the newcomers carefully.

If he had to guess, he would say the wolf was most likely a monk. He wore no armor, unless you counted the bracers around his forearms. The pelt lined sash hanging around his belt fluttered in the wind, and he had a look of confidence on his face. Some kind of bag was strapped to the back of his belt, and a pair of whips hung at his sides.

To the grey wolf's left stood a dragon, the man's powerfully built body covered in lustrous red scales. He wore a loose vest and simple pants, tattered and torn off at the knees. A bastard sword was slung over his back, the pommel resting over his right shoulder. Though to look at him, given his draconic nature, he got the sinking feeling that the scaly fucker could do much more than swing a sword.

On the wolf's other side was the biggest bear the elf had ever seen; even bigger than Croia, and the bear was no little cub. His fur was white as fresh snow, and a sharp contrast from the black, scale-like armor that covered his massive chest and body. He had plates down his legs and armored bracers, but that wasn't the biggest problem. What really made the bear even more intimidating than he already was was the absolutely massive greatsword he was wielding. There was not a doubt in His mind what would happen if any of his men took even a glancing blow from that monster.

"You are Kainan, right?" asked the wolf. "Or do we have the wrong group of bandits causing a stink in Channelwood?"

"I'm Kainan alright," said the bandit leader. "But look around. There's twelve of us, and three of you-"

"Four," corrected the wolf, grinning. "You forgot Soma."

Kainan scoffed. "Fine. Four of you and twelve of us. Do you actually think you can win this fight?"

Connor glanced at the assembled bandits and smiled.

"I'm feeling pretty good about it."

In an instant, Connor disappeared from view, only to reappear directly in front of Ivan, sending the bandit's wolfen fighter flying through the air with a powerful kick. That attack was the bell to start the match, and the bandits sprang into action.

"Kill the monk!" roared Kainan. "Croia, Tarron, Amara, Nick; deal with that bear."

"Leave the dragon to us," said Ilyana, the blonde woodelf stepping forward, along with Malon and Marcelo, the bird still fluttering in the air.

"You sure you want to have a go at me, honey?" asked Rowan.

"Arrogant lizard," the elf-girl sneered. She thrust out her hand. "Electric Arc!"

Electricity leapt from the girl's hand, but Rowan barely had to move to avoid it. Turning to one side, he let the magic soar by him and strike a tree, leaving the trunk badly burned.

"Somebody needs to work on her aim," said Rowan.

"Ray of Frost!"

Ilyana attacked again, but Rowan was ready for her

"Produce Flame!"

Rowan threw a ball of flames that hit the witch's spell, canceling each other out.

"Entangle!"

Roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around Rowan to hold him in place.

Ilyana smirked. "Got you."

Rowan took a deep breath, and let loose a roar of fire, burning the roots and tearing free of them.

"It's gonna take more than that to stop me."

"Then how about we give it a try!"

Malon dashed forward, rapier drawn and at the ready. The actaeon buck was fast, but nowhere near as quick as Marcelo. The hummingbird was little more than a blur as he came at Rowan, blades glinting in the light. Rowan didn't have time to draw his sword, swinging his arms down as the stag struck with his rapier, the blade glancing off the dragon's thick scales. Malon wasn't able to get out of the way as Rowan lashed out with his tail, catching him square in the chest and sending him stumbling.

"Invisibility!"

Ilyana cried out her spell, and Marcelo vanished from sight. The elf girl laughed.

"We've got you now. You won't be able to stop what you can't see coming."

"You think so?" said Rowan. "Wall of Fire!"

A thick wall of flames blaze into life behind Rowan, threatening the sear the branches hanging over the road. A pained cry rang out, and something came streaking through the flames, crashing to the forest floor. Marcelo reappeared, the hummingbird's feathers badly scorched from the flames, his small body curled up in obvious pain.

"Heal!"

A young robed stallion stood over the bird, holding his hand over his comrade, using his magic to treat his injuries.

"So he's your healer, huh?" said Rowan. "Well we can't have that."

The dragon rushed at the horse, but Ilyana was ready for it.

"Repelling Pulse!"

Rowan was knocked back, sent tumbling through the air until he spread his wings wide, righting himself and turning towards the witch.

"I think that's enough from you." He thrust out a hand. "Magic Missile!"

A bolt of force shot from Rowan's hand, but he wasn't aiming for Ilyana. At least, not directly. Instead, his missile struck the poppet hanging by her side, sending the wood doll sailing into the air. Rowan shot forward, drawing his sword and slashing the doll in half. A pulse of magic surged through the air when the girl's familiar was destroyed.

"Casaros! Get Marcelo back in the air, now!"

The elf was a lot less cocky now that she was cut off from her magic. But when she turned to look at the stallion, he was swaying on his feet, leaning heavily against his staff.

"Cas! What the hell... is wrong with you..."

Ilyana looked down at her hand, her vision starting to blur.

"I was wondering how much longer it would take," said Rowan, sheathing his sword.

Fionn looked down at his opponents, a deep chuckle rocking his form.

"Who wants to get this started?"

In reply, Croia roared and charged forward, raising her axe and bringing it down to cleave off the larger bear's head. The brown bear wasn't prepared for the agility of the polar bear as Fionn ducked below her strike, tackling her to the ground. She rolled along with the blow and managed to shake him off, scrambling to grab her axe and get back on her feet.

"Obscuring Mist!"

The male woodelf swung his staff, and as he did Fionn and his enemies were shrouded in a fog. Fionn didn't even try to leave the fog, standing still, his ears alert.

"Nice try, little man." Fionn spun around, driving his fist right into the stomach of the raccoon that had come diving down from above, trying to use his daggers to stab the bear around his armor. "You've got to work on your stealth."

Nick went flying, collapsing to the ground as the air was forced from his lungs, the raccoon, barely able to move. The rogue just wasn't armored to take a hit like that. Fionn charged forward, bursting through the mist right beside Tarron, bringing his fist down towards the druid.

"Rebounding Barrier!"

Fionn had to give the elf credit; he knew he wasn't going to be able to stand up to a hit from the bear, but he did what he could to lessen the blow. Most of the force of his punch rebounded up Fionn's arm, making it ache, but the druid wasn't able to stop his attack completely. At least it kept Fionn from tearing the young man's head off, but he was down for the count.

"You fucker!" screeched Amara. "I'll make you pay for that! Nobody hurts my brother!"

Amara gave a whistle, and from the underbrush sprung an enormous direwolf, the angry black beast charging at Fionn with fangs flashing.

"Gouging Claw!"

The girl came running at him from the other side, her magic shifting her arm into a beastly claw. But even the speed of the animal druid and her direwolf weren't enough to overcome Fionn. He grabbed Amara's arm and spun around, using the girl's body to bat away the direwolf, sending both crashing into the bushes. Croia was back on her feet and charged him again, so Fionn finally drew his sword. The two massive weapons clashed, and as they were locked together, Fionn couldn't resist giving the female bear an appraising look as she strained to hold him back.

"You certainly are a feisty one, aren't you?" said Fionn. "I could have a lot of fun with you."

"In your dreams, fucker," growled Croia. "No man has ever bested me."

"Sounds to me like you just haven't met a real man yet then."

Fionnsurged forward, pushing the bear off balance and driving the hilt of his sword into her stomach, bringing her down. From behind him, Amara took the whip from her side and tried to strike at Fionn, hitting him in the back of the head. But the strike didn't even manage to draw blood; all it did was make the bear chuckle, turning around to face the terrified she-elf. Her direwolf ran forward, but Fionn was ready. Taking hold of his sword, he brought it down on the direwolf's head, cleaving the beast in half with one blow. Amara could barely move, shaking as the bear advanced on her.

May was firing arrow after arrow at the wolf, but the man was so agile she couldn't land a single shot.

"Get up, Ivan!" she said. "You've got to slow him down."

"I don't think your friend is going to be much help," said Connor. "That ki strike I hit him with might have been a bit much."

"Bastard," snarled Kainan. "Gravitational Pull!"

Connor was pulled off his feet, flying threw the air towards the bandit leader. Kainan drew his scimitar, and as he did, flames erupted along the length of the blade.

"So you really are a magus," said Connor. "Now here's my little trick."

As he soared towards Kainan, Connor didn't try to fight the spell. Instead, he tucked into a spin, fire streaming around him before he thrusted both legs out in a kick, sending a blast of flames at the elf. The bandit managed to duck out of the way, but his spell had been wasted on the failed attack. Not wasting a moment, Connor's hand plunged into the bag on his belt and pulled out a bola, spinning it quickly and sending it flying at the elf, you only barely avoided getting restrained.

"This bastard's an elements monk!" exclaimed Kainan. "Blair! Support spells, now!" When the bard didn't answer, the elf turned to look at him. "What the fuck are you-!?"

Blair wasn't in any position to help anyone. The bard had been the true target of Connor's bola, and the cardinal was on the ground, arms and wings tied tight. Even if he had wanted to cast a spell, the large warg standing over him with his jaws around the bird's neck was one hell of a deterrent.

"Sorry, but your bard is a little busy with Zero right now," said Connor. "But I'll be happy to play with you."

Kainan snarled in rage. "We'll see how cocky you are against my magic." The elf tried to cast a spell, but nothing happened.

"What!? But, how!?"

"Going to be kind of hard for a magus to use magic without his spellbook."

Kainan turned around, and there was Soma, sitting atop the wagon, the elf's spellbook tucked under one arm.

"When did you... How did you...!?"

Soma tilted his head. "What kind of ninja would I be if I couldn't steal from an idiot like you?"

"I don't need my magic to deal with you!" cried Kainan, raising his sword and charging at the wolf.

"Bad idea buddy." Connor raised his hand. "Electric arc."

Electricity shot from Connor's fingers, crashing into the elf and sending him to his knees, smoke and sparks flying off of him as he took the full force of the spell. TO his credit, Kainan did manage to stagger to his feet. Unfortunately for him, and for the centaur taking aim at Connor, that was the point their vision went blurry, and the started to stumble.

"By the way, if it makes you feel any better, this fight was over before it started," said Connor. "Soma's shuriken were coated in lethargy poison. You lost the moment you got scratched."

"Damn... you..."

Kainan collapsed to the forest floor, along with the centaur archer. As the poison took effect on the bard, Zero released him, coming over to stand next to Connor, receiving a loving scratch behind the ears.

"Thanks buddy," said Connor. The wolf looked around the road at the prone bodies of the bandits. "That went better than I expected."

Fionn laughed. "Did you really think we were going to have trouble with guys like these?"

"No way," said Connor. "I was way more worried someone would start a fire we'd have to explain back in the city."

"I don't know about the rest of you," said Soma, "but I'd like to get this contract over with so we can head home. I don't like being away from Kyoji for this long."

"Don't like being away from his dick this long you mean," chuckled Rowan, throwing two of the bandits over his shoulders and walking over to the wagon, pulling the covering off to reveal a sturdy metal cage, easily large enough to fit the bandits inside.

"Easy for you to say," replied Soma, helping to lift the unconscious cardinal into the wagon. He nodded his head towards Connor. "You've got your guy with you. I haven't seen my fox in days."

"Don't worry, Soma," said Connor. "We'll be back in Avalon City before the week is out. Then you can Kyoji can fuck to your hearts content."

"If you need it that bad, I'm always up for some fun," said Fionn, groping himself playfully.

Soma rolled his eyes. "Sorry big boy, but this cottontail is not for you."

"Shame," said Fionn wistfully. "That's a damn fine ass."

Soma smirked. "Fuck yeah it is."

Closing and locking the cage - getting the centaur in had been tricky - Connor climbed up onto the wagon beside Soma, the bear, dragon, and warg taking up positions around the wagon as they turned around to head to the main settlement in Channelwood.

"Let's just collect our bounty and head home," said Connor, snapping the reins to get the horses moving, the wagon slowly rolling through the shade of the trees. "I want to hear what everyone's been up to while we've been away."