Tobifa returned. His flippant smile and boisterous voice providing evidence that he wasn't even remotely aware of his recent possession.

"Arktus, my dear warriors, is a nasty nasty man" said the village Chief,

"If we can even call him a man. Some say he was a warrior who died in battle and was brought back to life by a demon. Others say that his father was the devil and his mother was raped by the prince of lies. I say, no matter where he came from, he eats his other people and that just makes him downright evil"

He walked over to the arche shaped concrete rise that held a bucket with overturned cups on its lid. He reached for the large pot placed next to the bucket, carefully removed the lip and dunked the former into it.

"And to make matters worse," he continued,

"He has disciples that help him in his hellish escapades"

Tobifa approached the fire place and placed the pot on the soot-stained grill. He reached into his suspender pocket and brought out a box of matches. With, came a half full sack of something I identified immediately, even in the dim light.

"Oh sorry," he said as he picked up the plastic of tobacco,

"Very nasty habit, but I'll definitely quit it before I die"

I heard myself speak before I thought about the appropriacy of saying what I said in front of Kap.

"Can I have some?"

Kaprice looked at me askance. Her expression became even more distasteful as Tobifa rolled me a cigarette in partially transparent paper produced from his other pocket.

He lit a match, lit the cigarette and then the tinder in the fire place that exploded into a lively fire. As I puffed on the smooth tobacco, I felt like I hadn't felt a nicotine buzz in centuries and I loved it. It wrapped around my brain and made me stretch my legs out.

"Since when did you start smoking"

I thought about saying 'Just now' and changing the subject. But no normal person would believe that so instead I said:

"I don't remember"

"Oh don't worry my fair maiden," said Tobifa as he stood up from his seat,

"He has a lot of time to quit and recover"

The light and airy sound of simmering water began to fill the room by the second. Tobifa put what I assumed was either tea or coffee and three lumps each of sugar in seven cups. He returned to his seat and lined the cups down before him. He rolled himself a cigarette as he continued,

"Those three you saved us from" he said, "They used to be members of this village"

"You don't mean those savages, do you?" said Tammy,

"Those same one's dear warrior. Disciples raid villages around the mountain every full moon. Those boys' parents and sisters were raped and taken back to Arktus's lair. They decided to do what many a man have foolishly attempted and gone to try and kill the Cannibal King with their own hands. But as you witnessed, as I have witnessed all these years, they returned as his disciples"

When the simmering had turned into a full-blown boil, Tobifa reached for a worn rag next to the foot of his seat and used to remove the pot from the fire.

He poured water in each cap, holding his head back so that the steam would not scald his face. He handed each of us a cup.

"Arktus however doesn't come down anymore" he continued,

"He sends down his disciples to hunt for him and bring him back innocent people to devour"

I sipped the hot liquid. It had the thickness of milky tea but tasted nothing like it. It tasted like a hot minty flavored water. My panel shot open.

POWER TEA

LIFE INCREASED

FIVE HEARTS HERE

HP +150

The fact that I was on my way to being a cat with four more lives added to my existence would've been awesome if I was back in the real world.

But I just took it as confirmation that Metaldo was cooking up some death for us on the coming floors.

"Can you tell us how to get to Arktus' lair?" said Jordan.

Tobifa paused mid-sip. He placed his power tea on the ground and looked at each of us in turn like a strict parent.

"Surely you're a valiant warrior, that I do not doubt" he said,

"But I can not in all good conscience tell you how to navigate your way to your deaths"

"We saved you," persisted Jordan,

"You owe us. I want our payment to be the location of the Cannibal kings lair"

Tobifa shook his head,

"I'm sorry dear warrior," he said as he reached for his tea,

"But I will not do that"

Jordan clearly didn't like being told no. I wondered how he had convinced someone as sweet and soft as Tammy that he would make a good mate.

Probably by threatening to beat the living day lights out of her if she didn't say yes. But he was onto something regardless.

The mountain looked massive, and we would find the lair after a while, but it was a competition. Time was a big priority here. We hadn't split into groups yet, but obviously Kap and I would be in the same group. And as cutthroat as the thought is, as long as we made it home that's all that mattered.

"Can I have another smoke?"

Tobifa's Santa Claus demeanor returned in an instant,

"Why certainly!"

I flicked the stub of the first one into the fire and received another.

"My fellow...comrade here left out a crucial detail about who we really are"

Everyone perked up, especially Tobifa.

"Oh really?"

"Yes"

I dragged on the cigarette,

"We are skilled warriors that's true," I blew out a cloud that Kap exaggeratingly waved away,

"But we are also map makers"

"We are?"

I glanced daggers at Tyler,

"Yes, we are"

Victoria pinched his thigh.

"Hmmm" murmured Tobifa,

He threw back the remaining contents of his cup into his mouth and stood up.

"Why didn't you say so! You don't have to risk your lives for that. Wait here one moment"

Tobifa exited the hut in a hurry,

"Well played West" spat Jordan

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't really sound genuine"

Tobifa returned with a roll of paper tied by a red ribbon.

"Surely this will be of use to you dear map making warrior"

I received the parchment and unrolled it. It was a map of...Arktus' dish.

Really Metaldo?

The mountain was labelled Arktus' mountain in red. Circling the mountain was a ring of hamlets, about six in total.

A jagged and snaking path led from the foot of the mountain, from a tree called the hanging Bakabak.

Following that, one would eventually come to the river of blood, and across it is where we would find Arktus and his disciples.

"Which hamlet is yours Tobifa?"

He pointed to the one that lay south west of the mountain.

"Can I borrow this, I'm sure I'll be done with it by tomorrow night"

"Take it!" said Tobifa, "Take that as a token of my appreciation"

I folded the map and tucked it into my pocket.

"Thanks"

"You must be tired now," said Tobifa,

"Please, let me show to the guest house"

NOTE FROM AUTHOR:
THANK YOU SO MUCH DEAR READER FOR STICKING AROUND. PLEASE VOTE AND LEAVE ANY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IF POSSIBLE.

-EMOLYON