Hepp rolled over to where Zig was cooking everyone breakfast. He couldn't move his arms, only roll around on the ground. He rolled up to Zig and whimpered.

  "Almost ready, Hepp, give me another hundred pushups and I'll feed you."

  It felt cruel, and Zig was remembering his own pain as he watched his teammates lying facedown in the dirt. But he knew it could really help them. This might make the difference between life and death some day.

  It had been two days of grueling exercise. Zig took care of the team while they suffered through it. Nobody had gained a skill so far, but everybody persevered. Zig walked over to Lady Jane.

  "Lady Jane, I will give you some food if you can give me ten more pushups. Just ten."

  Zig crouched down to stare her in the eye.

  "I double-dare you."

  Lady Jane screamed in fury and did one pushup, then two, then collapsed as she tried a third. Her hands were shaking, but she got back into position, strained...

  And suddenly did the remaining seven pushups, and sat up, wiping her forehead.

  "Well, I must say that was most unpleasant. Thank you, Zig, it seems I owe you yet again."

  To the utter surprise of the other people lying on the ground, Jane stood up, brushed herself down and walked over to the cooking fire, helping herself to the bacon and eggs that were frying in the pan.

  Jints was next. One moment he was pale in the face, struggling, half crying and half sweating. Then he was reaching for a handkerchief and cleaning himself up, breathing deeply and recomposing himself. He set about organizing the camp and doing a lot better job with the cooking than Zig was.

  Hepp and Gretta were still lying on the ground.

  "How... how," Hepp groaned.

  "We are not so highly leveled as you," Jints replied, "nor are we warriors by trade. This challenge was much more difficult for us than for you."

  Hepp whimpered. He and Gretta kept doing pushups.

  They had traveled just a little bit more the following day, taking lots of stops so that Hepp and Gretta could continue doing pushups. Lady Jane had gone back to reading, and was teaching Zig to do the same. It was slow going. Each character was its own word, rather than spelling with letters as Zig was accustomed to. He was determined, though. He wanted to read. Not least because of spell scrolls.

  "So you can just instantly learn a spell? Just reading a scroll?"

  "Yes Zig, another way us nobles lord it over the common man," Lady Jane replied. "Just a bit of money and knowing how to read, and you can learn a plethora of spells."

  Jints laughed a bit at that.

  "More than a bit of money, Lady Jane, but I do see your point."

  "And you can learn any spell? That seems crazy."

  "Well, Zig, not any spell. Firstly you need to get your hands on a scroll, they are not so common. Then you need certain skills to learn more powerful spells. There is also the matter of a person's own spell power."

  "What does that mean?"

  "Ah, like, like a punch I suppose. All human beings can throw a punch, but some can do so with considerable more power. The same with a spell. One man's magic bolt might be similar to firing an arrow from a bow. Another man might rain death and destruction with the same spell. In the greater cities, every noble will know the spells their local mage guild offers, but few will use them with any strength."

  "There is also the matter of mana, Lady Jane," Jints added, "it is easy to obtain a spell, but many a nobleman can only cast it once a day, if even that."

  "Precisely, mister Jints, so that's why I'm going to the academy. I have Water Affinity as a skill but I barely understand what it does. I need to learn spells for it to do anything, I think. I also want to, well, do what our two heroes are doing right now..."

  Lady Jane gestured to Hepp, who was crying, and Gretta, who was silent but grim-faced as she pushed herself up.

  "I want to unlock skills that will help me to use magic."

  "That sounds like a fine idea, Lady Jane. I come from a place with no magic at all. It's... so freaking cool. Could I learn to throw fireballs? Can I fly? Please tell me I can fly."

  "You surely could, mister Zig, just don't forget to—"

  The conversation died as three trolls walked out of the nearby trees, each holding a large wooden club. Zig's heart sank like a stone. They looked just like the one he'd met at the start of everything. The one that could kill three soldiers in a heartbeat. Zig didn't say a word, he just sprinted toward the front of the wagon. He jumped, and slammed on the stick that released Teeth from the harness. She shot forward and immediately tackled one of the trolls. Zig turned to see another troll walking toward Lady Jane and Jints, hefting a large club in its hand.

  "No!"

  Zig reached for rocks on the ground, and started hurling them at the troll. He was trying to see past the tears in his eyes, already fearing the worst. To his surprise and relief, the rocks were effective. They punched into the troll and ripped chunks out of its body. The troll stumbled back and roared. Zig threw another rock and it struck the troll in the head. It paused, bracing itself, but the rocks did too much damage. Zig was racing around, trying to find rocks and keep up a steady stream. Eventually the troll went down. Zig turned to see the third and final troll had already reached Hepp and Gretta. Hepp was lying still on the ground, and Gretta had risen to a crouch, raising her shield protectively over Hepp. The troll lifted its club and brought it down. Gretta screamed as she braced for impact behind her shield. There was a deep thud and crushing sound as club met shield. The troll lifted the stump of his club. It had been smashed to pieces. The monster stared at it until a rock sailed through the air and hit him in the head. He stumbled and roared, but after a few more rocks landed, fell over and died.

  Gretta's arm was broken. Her shield was in pieces on the ground. Zig looked down at Hepp, who still wasn't moving.

  "He got hit." Gretta hissed through clenched teeth.

  Zig bent down and checked Hepp for a pulse. It was there. Zig wanted to throw up.

  "We need to get him to a healer. You too, Gretta. Everybody, back to the wagon."

  They scrambled for the wagon, and set off. Teeth felt the urgency of the situation, and put her head down. She raced forward and the Nest swayed as they sped down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.

  Gretta was holding Hepp with her good arm, while Jints wrapped the other in a sling. There was the slightest groans coming from Hepp. He'd been crushed by the club. Zig hated this. He didn't want his friends to die. Not after all they'd been through. Back when he marched with the army, death was a common, expected thing. Every conflict saw some people gone. The Red Daggers will be different, Zig swore to himself.

  "We're going to make it, Hepp, just hold on. Hold on."

  Over the next hour, they had spotted two small villages, but each time Jints shook his head when Zig looked at him questioningly.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "We need a bigger town for a healer. Especially for greater wounds."

  Hepp wasn't doing well. He was still breathing, and his heart was still beating, but he was falling in and out of consciousness.

  They approached a bigger village, but it wasn't quite a town the size of Lancre. Zig couldn't bear waiting any longer for a better opportunity. The wagon train hurtled right up to the gates, and Zig jumped out, shouting to the guards.

  "Healer! Do you have a healer in this town?"

  "Well, yes, we have old man Fett, but he's not—"

  "Where?"

  "Down the lane there, there's a sign on the door, but he's—"

  Zig had already left him behind, sprinting down the lane. He found a sign, but couldn't read what it said. It was the only sign Zig could see, though, so he hammered on the door.

  "Healer? Healer? There's an emergency!"

  An old man opened the door slowly, and Zig said a quick "sorry" as he took one look at the man, then scooped him up and carried him at a run. The old man jostled in his arms but seemed to take it in stride.

  "This is not the first time, you know?" He said kindly, as he bounced in the arms of a stranger. "My name is Fett. Good afternoon to you, young sir. I must say I admire your endurance."

  Zig had been sprinting at top speed holding the grown man in his arms.

  "Thanks, it's a skill. I'm Zig, nice to meet you. It's my friend, Hepp. He got hit by a troll. He's breathing but barely."

  Zig passed the gates and brought Fett out to Hepp, who was still lying in the nest. Fett approached the unconscious man with a sigh.

  "I'm just a basic healer, I'm afraid, this is far beyond me."

  "There's nothing you can do?"

  "I didn't say nothing."

  Fett leaned over Hepp and placed a hand over his ribcage. There was a white glow, but it wasn't as bright as the healer in Lancre could make it. Fett put a hand over Hepp's head and another glow shone there. Hepp seemed to relax a bit.

  "He'll last a day or two like this," Fett said, "but you need to get to Liston. The mages there will be able to heal him properly." The man nodded toward Gretta, still cradling her broken arm. "That arm, I can take care of." He walked over and white light flew from his hands to Gretta's arm. She relaxed, color returning to her face.

  Zig thanked him, put some coins in the old man's hands, and jumped back on the wagon with the others. Before they left, he called out.

  "How far to Liston?"

  "Two more days, but that horse looks strong enough to get there sooner. Ride well!"

  They rode fast. The Nest bounced and swayed as the terrain got rougher and the track got rockier. At least there was more ammunition on the ground, Zig thought. Where did the trolls come from?

  "Ha."

  Zig's head whipped around. Who said that? It almost sounded like—

  "Haaaa. Ha."

  "Hepp! How are you doing?"

  Zig raced over to see his friend. Hepp's chest still had some bumps and dips that did not belong to a normal ribcage. His breathing was ragged. But he was smiling.

  "I got it." Hepp said softly.

  "Got what, Hepp?"

  "Endurance. Ha."

  Hepp's condition improved as Extreme Endurance kicked in. He still needed a healer, desperately, but it no longer looked like he was on death's door.

  The journey took six hours from Fett's town to Liston. Grand buildings rose up in the distance, getting clearer and clearer as they drew closer.

  "Teeth, you've been a true hero today," Zig said to his horse. "You are the goodest girl."

  Teeth neighed her agreement and kept sprinting down the road. The road had widened and was now paved instead of dirt. Plenty of other travelers were seen now, though all of them hastily drew to the side of the road at the sight of Teeth bearing down on them.

  They drew up to the gates, but had to slow down and stop as they saw eight guards armed with steel-tipped spears guarding the entrance to Liston.

  "Halt! You there, come down."

  Zig jumped down and ran to see the guard in charge. He had a scar on his cheek that matched the scowl on his expression.

  "My danger sense is exploding with you lot. Is that horse going to cause trouble?"

  Teeth tried to hide her fangs and look as innocent as she could. It didn't work.

  "Look, we're not here to cause trouble," Zig said, "we're looking for a healer for my friend up there."

  Zig gestured to Hepp, who weakly gave a thumbs up from his bed in the Nest. The guard looked at him briefly, then over to another guard who was watching the whole conversation. The second guard nodded.

  "Hmph. Seems like you're honest, at least. Don't cause trouble in my city. There's healers in the water district. That way. Also, there's no way you're getting that thing through the streets. There's warehouses over there you can store it, for a fee."

  The guard gestured at the goblin-crafted Nest dismissively, then a wide side street just inside the gates that led to stables and large warehouse builds.

  He left to confront the next travelers reaching the guards, and the Red Daggers entered Liston.

  Teeth walked her way through the city. She wasn't accustomed to cities, but she felt confident there was nothing here that would be a threat to her. The problem, she thought, was that you eat one little horse and everyone starts panicking. What else is there to eat in this place? People? There'd be even more panic. Teeth just didn't get it. She did feel her owner's urgency to be here, though. It was related to Hepp. Teeth liked Hepp. He would shoot down birds for her to eat. Teeth would stay in the city if it helped Hepp. She'd even refrain from eating too many people.

  They had rented a spot to put the Nest for a week, and loaded Teeth up with all the bags. Zig asked for directions as people stopped to gawk at the strangest horse they'd ever seen. Zig had always assumed that the first few horses he'd seen represented all horses in this world. He was wrong. There was a certain breed of fanged horses in the woods surrounding Lancre. Zig saw plenty of horses here, along with donkeys. None of them had sharp teeth nor murderous stares. Just regular horses.

  They eventually found a large open square with a big water fountain in the middle. Above the entrance to the square was a banner that Lady Jane assured Zig said "Water District". Along the edge of the town square were shops of various kinds, and Zig was directed to one of them. Jints led Teeth off to the fountain to get a drink, and the others all helped to carry Hepp inside.

  "Never been to Liston before. Lovely ceilings." Hepp said with a faint grin.

  They met a healer, who looked at Hepp, shook her head, and took them down the hall to meet another healer. An old lady cut Hepp's shirt off him and took a look at the damage.

  "What, a building fall on you?"

  "A troll, miss...?"

  "Miss none-of-your-business."

  The old lady spoke with a sharp voice, not a hint of the kindness that old man Fett had. She looked at the deformed ribcage, and noted Hepp's steady breathing.

  "Endurance, then? I'll bet this gave it to ya."

  She tapped Hepp on the ribs, and watched him flinch, and then whimper at the damage his flinching caused.

  "I can fix you up. Don't you worry. 17 gold."

  She turned to Zig and held out her hand.

  "What? We don't have 17 gold!"

  "Then you don't have a healed friend! Cheap bastards. Seven gold. Final offer."

  They all looked at each other. Lady Jane touched her thumbs together.

  "We'll pay seven gold. But only when you heal him."

  "I've heard that one before. Show me you have the gold, at least. Put it on that table, and I'll take it when he's cured."

  The old lady jerked her head at a nearby table, and the adventurers all pulled out everything they had in their pockets. It came to six gold and five silver.

  "Please," Lady Jane said quietly, "is there any way you can take this much? Or are there services we can perform to make up the difference? We are an adventuring team."

  "Adventurers, eh? Repeat customers at least. How about this. I'll take your money, and you'll do one thing for me. There's a lad named Beefcake Jones. He owes me money. Don't you dare tell him I sent you. Take his money pouch and bring it to me. That'll square the debt."

  "That... doesn't sound like adventuring," Lady Jane began.

  "You want your friend healed or not? I can name six other healers in this town that don't have the skill."

  "We'll do it," Zig said. He wasn't a bad person. Well, he hoped that deep down, past all the recent killing and fighting, that he was a good person. But this world was a struggle for survival. And not to judge a man by his name, but "Beefcake Jones" definitely sounded like some gangster thug who probably needed to lose a coin or two.

  "Well then," the old lady said with a smile, "it sounds like we have a deal."

  She turned and scribbled down something on a piece of paper. She then grabbed a needle, pricked her thumb, and pushed it against the paper, leaving a bloody thumbprint. She passed the paper over to Zig, who gulped.

  "You can't just... take our word for it?"

  The lady laughed.

  "Your blood or your friend's life. Choose boy."

  Zig pricked his thumb and jabbed it at the paper.

  "Stupid language I can't read." He muttered under his breath. He wasn't one to read terms and conditions, but this was one case where he would, if he could. The paper flashed purple and red, because of course it did. Zig felt the lady's request settle into his heart. A tiny worming thought of "I need to go rob a man called Beefcake Jones" rose up in him. It was a feeling that wouldn't go away, an itch that would keep growing until Zig carried out the task. He started to panic a little. What if they never found him? This wasn't a pleasant feeling at all.

  The lady neither noticed nor cared about Zig's distress. She turned to Hepp, laid a hand on his chest, and a strong white light lit up the room. There was an audible crunching sound as ribs popped back into place and joined to each other. The whole process took a few seconds, and Hepp sat up in delight. He took a deep breath and his chest inflated.

  "Woohoo!" Hepp shouted.

  "Shut up," the lady retorted. "There's other people in the building, you know? Now get out of here. You know what to do."

  She made shooing motions, and they all left the building to meet up with Jints and Teeth outside. Jints smiled to see Hepp up and walking about, and even Teeth perked up and looked happy.

  "All is well then?" Jints asked.

  "Ahh sort of?" Zig replied. "We're completely broke, and there's something we need to do, to finish off the payment."