Izick navigated the misty woods with careful steps, avoiding the many sharp rocks and holes scattered below him. His Scout gear gave him a familiar feeling, but the Honor Rod strapped to his back reminded him that his life was anything but normal at the moment.

  Dyeing the warding cloth black made his "staff" stand out less, but there wasn't a good explanation for the clunky object on his back. He pushed forward through the mist, following the scent of burning firewood despite the lack of visibility.

  Izick stepped out of the mist and found around thirty people wearing brown leather Scout uniforms, sitting around a large fire. Hobbs waved him down.

  “I’m glad you could find us. I was starting to think that the mist would be a problem for you.”

  "I'm just annoyed. Not a big deal though."

  Hobbs noticed the wrapped-up staff on Izick’s back but didn't speak about it. He pointed to Izick with his hand.

  “This is Izick, a skilled scout who will be joining us.”

  Izick nodded to the group of Scouts who largely ignored him or offered a quick greeting. He took a seat on a rotting log away from everyone else as he silently observed the group of Scouts.

  A single Scout broke away from the group and walked over to Izick. He sat down on the rock near Izick.

  "Sorry, we're a cold bunch, it seems."

  "Oh, that doesn't bother me at all. It's common practice to be suspicious of other Scouts. You have to watch your back at all times in this profession."

  "Wow, you sound like a veteran. I think we're about the same age–no, I think I'm a little older than you, right? Everyone used to look down on me because of my age when I first got here, but I feel like that won't be the case for you. There's a different aura about you. I'm Kern, a Ward specialist and Scout employed by Hossa," the Scout said, reaching his hand out to Izick.

  Izick shook the young Scout's hand. Kern noticed the staff on Izick's back.

  "Is that a Mage staff? Are you a Combat Scout? We have a few of those on our team, but they're on the other side of the Alps looking for–"

  "Kern, why don't you stop bothering the newcomer? He probably doesn't care about such uninteresting topics when we're preparing ourselves for an important mission," Hobbs said, interrupting Kern.

  "My bad, I do talk a little bit too much sometimes," Kern said, scratching the back of his head. Hobbs shook his head in disappointment.

  "Loose lips could mean death for a Scout."

  Izick kept a neutral expression as he processed the info Kern revealed a few moments ago. There was another Scout team elsewhere, but Hobbs didn't want him to know this.

  "He's not bothering me. It's actually a bit refreshing to talk to a Scout in the same age bracket."

  and looking at the Honor Rod on Izick's back.

  “In that case, I was out of line. Although I am also interested in your unusual staff. You told me that you're training to become a Mage, but I fear that staff of yours will get in the way with your current duties as a Scout."

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “My staff won't be a hindrance to you or the team. My teacher told me that I need this staff with me at all times if I want a future.”

  “Well, I don’t meddle with a Scout's choice of gear as long as it doesn’t risk exposing us. Izick, I went over our objectives with the other team members earlier. We must leave before nightfall, since moving through the Alps at night is too dangerous. There's more to this process, but here's the gist of our mission.”

  ***

  The Scouts soon mobilized after nightfall and started the expedition to the small elven town of Damaran using the map and instructions given to Hobbs by the elf Hiddel.

  They found themselves at the bottom of one of many high cliffs in the Misty Alps.

  Izick tested the rough rock above his head before grabbing onto it and pulling himself up. He took note of the Scouts below him and those climbing above him.

  At least the Scouts here could freeclimb at an acceptable level, since he was worried that he had to make a pulley to pull everyone up one by one, which would take forever.

  Kern above him slipped as a loose rock supporting his foot broke off and began to fall towards Izick and the Scouts below.

  “W-watch out!” Kern said as he helplessly watched the falling rock pick up velocity as it fell toward Izick.

  Izick gripped a sturdy rock with one hand and then reached into a pouch on his side to pull out a white Rocker trap cube. He tossed the Rocker cube up at the rock as the space around the shaking white cube warped like disturbed water.

  The cube repelled the incoming rock like two opposing magnets, pushing the deadly rock away from Izick and the other Scouts below.

  Izick caught his Rocker cube, then placed it back into his pouch as it fell back into his hand, and a thud sounded out when the rock hit the stony ground below.

  Izick looked up to Kern and tapped the top of his head before making a downward pushing motion to signal for him to slow down. He quickly nodded in understanding as the other Scouts near Izick gave a nod of thanks to him.

  They reached the top of the cliff and found a thick forest ahead of them. Hobbs looked at the map as the Scouts began to attach moss, plants, and shrubbery to their Scout uniforms to better blend with the environment of the forest they were getting ready to enter.

  Hobbs motioned with his hand to enter the forest. They took off on a brisk but low jog through the thickening forest in front of them. Izick found himself near the front of the group of Scouts, which was beside Hobbs.

  Izick heard something snap ahead of the group, causing him to raise his fist to signal everyone to stop. Hobbs recognized Izick’s intentions and repeated the signal, bringing the group to a stop.

  Hobbs scanned the area for what caused the stoppage, but Izick pulled out a spyglass and peered ahead to the right.

  Three ogres knelt down to the ground with their noses pointed down. Their light-green skin melded with the shrubbery of the forest, but their long black hair and shiny, knife-like tusks helped Izick notice them.

  They were using their heightened sense of smell to sniff out the location of the many different scents that suddenly entered the forest. Each Scout hid their scent and presence as best as they could using the plants and moss in the forest, but these ogres were onto them anyway.

  Izick swiftly placed a hand on his nose and then tapped the side of his head with his index finger. Hobbs nodded to Izick with understanding: Nosepack, Pinrocker. Hobbs repeated the signals, which the Scouts behind him also repeated, in order to pass this message back.

  A Pinrocker and a small black sack with a metal cap were passed up to Izick, who quickly screwed the black sack onto the back of the Pinrocker before swinging the Pinrocker onto his shoulder. He pulled the weapon back and then hurled it into the space to the left of the ogres ahead.

  The Pinrocker struck a tree and exploded into countless metal shards with a metallic bang. The ogres growled before taking off towards the sound and the strong scent released from the black sack after the Pinrocker’s explosion.

  Izick pushed his hand to the left and took off running. The Scouts quickly followed behind as the ogres went the other direction, chasing enemies that didn’t exist.

  The Scouts continued at a brisk pace through the forest as the outline of Damaran's stone buildings came into view in the distance.