The Southern Region

Calum stood at the head of the party, in front of the entrance to a swamp. “Here it is. This swamp marks the beginning of the southern region. Once we enter, there’s no turning back.”

Erik stepped forward. “Why do you make it sound like we’re walking to our deaths?”

“We might be.” Kia stood next to Calum. “However, that doesn’t change the fact that we will continue to stand by your side and fight with you.”

“The world is counting on us to defeat the Demon Lord. Let’s not get cold feet.” Tilaya joined the rest of the party.

Calum glanced at each member of his party. “We need to have a plan before we go in. There are a lot of monsters in the southern region. We’ll have to be stealthy.”

Kia nodded. “And our eyes and ears must be alert at all times. We must always have our guard up if we want to make it to the castle.”

“If we are discovered, we have to kill the monster quickly and quietly.” Tilaya scanned the swamp for any nearby enemies. Fortunately, she couldn’t find anything.

Erik put his arm to his chest. “And if we get swarmed, we must protect Tilaya until she can cast a powerful spell.”

“Is everyone ready?” Calum looked to his companions. All of them showed that they were ready. “Then let’s go.” He turned and marched into the swamp.

Inside, he crouched low and treaded cautiously, careful not to make any noise. His friends followed suit, silently moving through the swamp.

Luckily, the mud was only a couple inches deep. As they moved forward, Calum watched for any sudden movements on all sides of him.

The flutter of a crow’s wings startled him. He stopped and held his breath, signaling for his companions to do the same. Once he saw the crow fly away, he breathed out and continued forward.

Deeper into the swamp, the mud gave way to water that rose to Calum’s knees. He sloshed through the water, silently wishing they could have avoided going through it.

A grumble sounded a way off, and Calum froze. Glancing where the sound came from, he saw a sleeping ogre leaning against a tree. He looked over his shoulder at the people behind him and put a finger to his mouth.

They slowed down to move quieter through the water, hoping they wouldn’t disturb the sleeping giant. Calum was grateful when the ground sloped out of the water. The ogre was still sound asleep across the water.

He waited for everyone to escape the water before journeying onward. Keeping his eyes peeled, he led the others through the swamp. Mud clung to his boots, but that didn’t matter to Calum.

Eventually, the party made it out of the swamp and into a regular forest. Calum relaxed slightly, happy to be out of the muddy swamp and back in an environment that he could move around in easier.

Farther into the forest was a pair of patrolling minotaurs. Calum pointed them out to his friends. The party altered their course to avoid the monsters.

While still keeping an eye out for monsters in the area, Calum watched the ground to ensure he didn’t step on anything that would make any loud noises.

A crack behind him made him turn. A broken stick lay underneath Erik’s foot. He whispered a quick apology.

The mighty roar of a minotaur sounded in the distance, snapping Calum’s attention to the two minotaurs he had seen earlier. They were both running toward the party with axes in hand.

Calum unsheathed his sword. “Prepare for combat. Remember, we have to clean this up quickly and quietly.” He waited in anticipation for the minotaurs to get closer. Next to him, his friends stood ready to fight.