Off to the tower

The fighter decided it probably was time to set off for the tower before any of his new comrades got bored. He had a feeling that Glennon had already snatched a purse or two since he allowed him into the group.

So the following day, the group set off toward the tower. Glennon had seen it in passing and only far away. He explained that it was located deep in the woods and tucked away surrounded by high hills. Nonetheless, Janno felt that he needed to do something to get things going.

The first day's journey was uneventful. Kassi and Glennon led while Dalia the druid and Janno followed in the rear. Janno found the older woman a well-thought and gentle person. He wondered how she could fare in combat, but Dalia assured him that she had been in the situation before. The fighter couldn't help but notice how youthful Dalia face was. Only her whitish-gray hair gave any hint of a more advanced age.

In the evening, they settled down to camp. Janno found himself in the company of Kassi the ranger while standing guard while Glennon went about lying traps surrounding the site and Dalia began cooking dinner. Like his other new companions, Kassi was friendly and always seemed to have a bright expression to her face. She was only beginning her adventuring days, but had trained extensively with all sorts of bow. Janno had to avert his eyes sometimes when talking, given Kassi's smooth blond hair and girlish face.

They broke camp the next day. Glennon had estimated that by the end of the second day, they would come upon the woods. It would take a good portion of a third day to scale the tall hills unless a passage through them was found.

Once they reached the first hill, Kassi's sharp eyes soon discovered a cave at the bottom through some trees. It was nearing nightfall and Janno figured, if nothing else, the cave would serve as a good camp site.

"Kassi, go and check out the cave and make sure it is uninhabited," the fighter said, giving a crisp command.

The blond ranger quickly moved forward to scout ahead with Glennon following closely behind. However, they only got a short distance ahead when a loud grunt could be heard coming from the cave.

Then, emerging from the mouth of the cave was a burly, 9-foot tall creature carrying a large club. Even though it had a slight stoop and a wild, barbarian look, Janno's blood ran cold as he instantly recognized it.

An ogre.