A Trial of a Trade
by Kwahevoda

Our ominous beginning should have been all the warning I required. Alas, I am too stubborn to notice the signs, even when the Dungeon Master slaps me across the face with them. In one of my rare moments of kindness, I invited my sweet and clever comrade Cadence on a trade run to help her with achieving the ever popular rank of (HERO). Feeling ambitious, it was agreed to journey from Elwyn to Trellor, despite the turmoil that might lie in wait for us.

Just as we purchased our freights for the trip and took the first step, we were whisked away into Fire Demon Hell and cast into a vicious battle against five chortling mobs that were plotting our doom. With our luck, it was a fresh Hell, filled to the brink of mortar-and-brimstone-loving devils. I should have taken this omen and had us quit right at that moment.

To lure us into a false sense of security, we had clear skies and sunny dispositions for a good third of the scenic trails through Medievia. As we neared the rampaged village of New Ashton, we noticed a smattering of unfriendly trees gathered near the road. A fellow trader was attempting to do his part to better the world by hacking through the woods that blocked the path toward our destination. Wanting to lend a hand without taxing too much of our energy, Cadence encourage me to have us plunge wholeheartedly into helping defeat the last two or three trees, freeing the Ghost Riders trapped within the dark realms. Having the higher quantity of players in a form, the Riders were promptly snitched from the original Medievian who had done most of the work! Whistling merrily and tossing not-so-witty jokes to pass the time, we took one step further toward our goal of Trellor, right onto a newly formed spiders' den.

The queen was feeling frisky and multiplied quicker than jackrabbits in mating season that have been given ovulation medications. The baby spiders continued to amass just above the lair, a force to be reckoned with as they were growing exponentially! Able to finally plant a shield room, Cadence and I ventured deeper underground to confront the queen who was blocking our goal. Clinging to her, I carefully make sure to clear every room in case we needed to flee and re-group. Changing to gear that bequeathed the most mana, I charged up my malediction. Quickly running into the room with the queen and engulfing her with the blackness, I knocked her down a peg or two as more of her children filed in for her defense. Blinded, overpowered, and with nowhere to run, Cadence and I forfeited our lives to the bloody queen, watching as another trader walked in to his defeat.

Re-gathering ourselves at an altar, the Dungeon Master took some mercy on us and the spiders were defeated, while another mass of Haunted Trees loomed ahead, and pigs trailed behind. Terate was kind enough to take on the forest by himself, vanquishing our enemies and clearing the path for us once again.

As we journied forth once more, we found ourselves confronted with, not one, but two packs of rogue Centaur Bandits! Cadence fell prey to their mercy while trying valiantly to keep me alive, and was seen to be convulsing along the road while I took it upon myself to avenge her by mass-slaughtering the wily bandits. During this interlude, a group of piglets took it upon themselves to wander in and pick fights with the centaurs, helping to distract them long enough for me to conquer them. Having the better opportunity to run away and shield myself away from them, I was able to elude the both clutches long enough to defeat most of them and resurrect my fallen friend.

Thankfully, Terate was running along the same route we were, and was armed with the Ghost Riders he had acquired. The rest of our journey between New Ashton and Trellor was surprisingly pleasant; with only a minimum devalue from one of the freights. A small price to pay when not forced to face the wolf packs he had to.