Orcs...

You peer into the darkness and see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at you, "Amber, is that you?"

Several more pairs approach next to the first and you rise from your seat, sword in hand but not drawn. The eyes owners step into the light and you are confronted by three barrel-chested greenish-grey men. Their faces looked like some unholy fusion of a mutt, a boar, and a human. You recall hearing legends from the barracks of orcs being the result of uncontrolled interbreeding between animal folk. You doubted it but seeing them in person made it understandable why people would think that.

"Just you, crusader?" The first orc asks in a voice of wet gravel. You frown, not taking your hand off your sword, "For the moment." No sense in revealing Amber's presence. She did her best work when hidden. Provided she was here at all and not still exploring the ruins. The orcs made a barking noise you figured was laughter and stepped forward, hefting ragged but vicious weapons, "We'll keep ya company then."

You raise the hand not on your weapon, "As a knight in training for the Order of the Iron Shield, I am compelled to inform you I mean you no harm unless you mean harm on others." The orcs stop dead and give you an incredulous look. You smirk, drawing your weapon, "Just gotta say it. Part of the routine."

You don't give them any chance to charge you, leaping forward to give your weapon maximum momentum. One orc manages to jump back but the other two get tangled with each other and your weapon cleaves fully through one fat orc and embeds in the gut of the next. Just because it worked as a bludgeoning weapon, didn't mean it wasn't sharp. The first orc gurgles and collapses in a pile of gore as you spin and yank your weapon from the second, taking his head off with the next rotation. You catch the strong scent of distilled spirits rising from the mess at your feet. That would explain why that had been so easy, usually orcs were a bit tougher than this bunch.

The third orc stumbles over the bridge, terrified. Or at least, that's where the bridge looked like it was. He instead ran headfirst into the stone wall that was actually there, the scenery shifting in a blur of foxfire as the glamour broke. Amber stepped out from behind a tree, fluffy tail swishing playfully back and forth behind her, "Not bad Jay, I thought I'd have to save you there." You roll your eyes, wiping down your sword before the blood rusted the edge, "Now you show up, your food's gotten cold."

"Feel better now that you've 'vanquished' some evil?"

"Not really, now we'll have to find another place to camp." You hastily grab the pack before it gets soaked in the spreading pool of blood. Bisecting an enemy was really impressive but not worth the mess if you had to deal with it. Fortunately, you don't. In a forest like this one there was bound to be some carrion eater passing through in the next few hours, which was all the more reason to move on.

Grabbing a log from the fire as a torch you motion to Amber, "Let's head down the path a ways, we can set up over there and check the area in the morning for more orcs."

"Waaay ahead of you Jay, these idiots weren't alone." You turn to find the fox leaning casually against the ruined bridge, pointing over into the darkness.

You scoff, "Well we're not going in there at night! I don't have night vision Amber, orcs do!" She frowns and her cheery facade falters. Sighing, she folds her arms, "Look, I was in there earlier. There's a troll and about 15 orcs." You gawk, heart skipping a few beats as you adjust to this new information, "A troll?! I'm sure as hell not fighting a troll in the dark!" You pause for a moment, thinking, "And I guess it sure as hell isn't going to fight me in the light. Regardless, how is it a good idea to go in there now? I'll get eaten and best case scenario you will too."

Her ears and tail droop, "The troll... it's got a kitsune in there with it. I don't think she's been in there for long, we have to get her out before..." Oh. That changed things.

You sigh, rubbing your brow. Then you brighten, "Wait... so you're telling me there's a damsel in distress?" She smiles, relieved, her answer accompanied by a giggle, "Yes."

"And a monster to be vanquished?"

"Yup."

"So... by all technical definitions, this is...?"

You pause, waiting for her to finish for you... "A quest."

"A QUEST!"