"Do you know what dis is?" Mu'tonrae said, holding out the sword Roden found amongst Shu'zet's horde.

"I assumed it was a cool sword." Roden said sheepishly.

Mu'tonrae sucked his teeth. "Dis not just a cool sword boi." Mu'tonrae drew the blade a few inches from its scabbard.

As the older Elf drew the blade Roden noticed the color was off. Instead of silver the blade was a deep tan color with streaks of dark brown rippling across it. Along the back edge of the blade looked to be a groove, but too much was still hidden by the scabbard for Roden to make out. Mu'tonrae's usual stoic expression was overtaken by a look of reverence and awe.

"Looks like one fancy training sword." Riakon said as he passed the joint to Errrkkkk.

Mu'tonrae's eyes flashed with disapproval toward the Dragonkin. The look alone was enough to bring him to heel under what was clearly a profound moment for the village patriarch.

Roden hazard a guess at the reasoning, "I take it the blade is significant?"

Mu'tonrae took a deep breath and let it out. He settled the weapon across his knees as he spoke.

"Dis sword is one of di gifts from di old grove dryad. Dis a sword for a Grove Guardian."

Roden's heart leapt at the mention of the Grove Guardians. As far as he knew from his visions, he was a descendant or somehow connected by blood to the Grove Guardians from ancient times. His Elven magic was evidence of that.

"Sounds like Roden is getting a new sword, cacaw." Errrkkkk said, passing the joint back to Riakon.

Mu'tonrae scoffed. "Roden is di only one here who could be worthy to carry dis blade."

Roden couldn't hold back any longer, the suspense was killing him. "Mu'tonrae what does it do? Is it just a sentimental sword?"

"Dis sword has been missing for hundreds of years, ever since di dragon moved in di Wilds. Dis blade is a named one."

"What's its name?" Roden asked, his anticipation bubbling over.

"Dis is Hyade."

"Hyade." Roden said testing the name.

"Oh shit brother it has a name name." Riakon said.

Errrkkkk looked at Riakon confused.

"I mean like a personal name. Not just a descriptive one."

Hmmm Roden hadn't considered the distinction, but looking at the weapon sitting across Mu'tonrae's lap he knew it deserved a name. The handle was beautifully crafted out of a heavily polished dark wood. Before Mu'tonrae had drawn the sword the guard was a simple oval of dark wood matching the rest of the hilt. However once drawn the guard opened like a flower in bloom revealing green leaf-like quillons.

"Mu'tonrae." Roden said, looking longingly at the sword.

"Yes my boi?"

"Can I have my sword back?"

"No."

Roden wasn't completely shocked given the amount of reverence he'd shown to that point.

"Will you tell me why not?"

"Bicos you must speak wit di ancestors. Swords like dis are earned, not passed down."

"You really want me to call a gathering?"

"Yes."

"That didn't go so well the last time."

"Dis is different you go be di one who calls them. Not Riakon."

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"I gotta be honest Mu'tonrae, I don't like it." his response and trepidation born of his semi-divine birth.

"I will hold onto Hyade for now. Go on, you boys tell me about di dragon."

Roden grumbled to himself while Riakon took over.

"Not much to say. We fought, she lost."

"Yeah, she was tough, but no match for the Sons of Era-rchy, cacaw."

Mu'tonrae's frown deepened, "Dat is impressive, even di grove guardians couldn't drive Shu'zet away. back when she first came."

"I take it your village lost some people to ol'Shu?"

Mu'tonrae nodded, "We lose many guardians to di dragon."

"Hmmmm, including the last holder of that sword, cacaw?" Errk said, tapping his chin.

"Of course they did, brother. Roden had to retrieve it from Shu's acid-filled lair."

Errk made a show of exaggerated revelation, "That's right! He had to swim through…How deep was that pool, Roden, cacaw?"

"It was probably fifty feet deep, I'm not sure."

"Yes that is right and didn't you get severely burned on the trip to retrieve that sword, cacaw?"

Roden rolled his eyes, despite his gratitude for what they were doing, "Yeah, I did. Might have lost some appendages if my ability hadn't kicked in."

Errk passed the joint to Mu'tonrae and spoke conspiratorially, "You should have seen him. It was absolutely disgusting, cacaw."

The old elf eyed them suspiciously, as he took a long drag off the joint. He let out a long sigh, blanketing the floor of his home in a cloud.

"I will tink on ya words, but it is tradition to speak wit di ancestors."

"I'd love to see his mom's side of the family." Riakon said in a whisper to Errk, drawing an instinctive glare from Roden.

"In di meantime, we get to discuss ya journey to di Shade. You must bring Marsh, he is di only one who can guide you across di boundary. He is our Spirit Shepherd.

Riakon's brow furrowed, "Spirit Shepherd?"

Mu'tonrae nodded, "He is di first of his kind. A chosen of di Lady of Death to guide dos into di Tranquil Valley."

Riakon looked to Roden, "Lady of Death?"

Roden's face twisted, "Are you talking about Zamira?"

"Yes, she is one of our prime deities for worship."

"Ha! Well look at that Roden you will have someone who can teach you to be a better Cleric!"

Errk shot Riakon a glance, "You're one to talk, Mr. No Magic, cacaw."

"Some magic, I have some magic."

Errk and Roden both rolled their eyes.

"So where is this Marsh fellow?" Riakon said desperate to change the subject.

"He is out dere, I will send him a message to join us." Mu'tonrae lit one of his pre-rolled joints and sent out a series of smoke rings directly above the small fire. He then swirled his hand and raised it palm up as if he were lifting the rings higher. Moments after the rings escaped the vent in the roof the flap of Mu'tonrae's tent opened revealing a new figure.

The man who walked in was of middling height and an outrageously stocky build. Images of Little Hercules and Olympic gymnasts zipped through Roden's mind as the man he recognized as Marsh joined their circle next to Mu'tonrae. Roden found looking at Marsh mildly uncomfortable. He bore an uncanny resemblance to the character he and his friend Lee had imagined all those years ago. Marsh was another one of Lee's characters who they had created for a separate campaign in Roden's world of Mir. Lee had wanted to play a Lykinder, a race of Mirians who were descended from lycanthropes, but did not receive the curse of their parents.

Marsh was the gold standard Lykinder. He had long shaggy brown hair that reached his shoulders. The entire bottom half of his face beneath his nose was covered in a tight bramble of facial hair that reached the center of his pecks. His face reminded Roden of a museum Neanderthal with a slightly less pronounced forehead. The animal furs that covered his body added to his Paleolithic aesthetic, which was completed when instead of sitting in their circle he crouched with his forearms resting on his knees.

"You called for me?"

"I did mai boi. I want you to meet di men you will be guiding through di boundary to di Shade."

Marsh grunted, "So they are the ones who broke the skull."

"Actually that was just Riakon, cacaw."

"I mean if we are placing blame I would say it was Seven's fault."

Marsh ignored the men, "When are we leaving?"

"We preform di ritual under di new moon."

Marsh nodded, "I will be ready. Do you need anything else of me?"

Mu'tonrae face flashed with irritation, "Boi you betta introduce yourself to dees men or I go box ya ears."

Marsh sucked his teeth, "Call me Marsh."

"Good day Marsh, I am Riakon, this is my brother Errk, and our friend Roden. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Marsh looked to Mu'tonrae who motioned for him to continue.

"I'll guide you through the boundary. Follow my lead and you will get through."

"Have you ever lost somebody, cacaw."

"No."

"Mu'tonrae here said you are a follower of Zamira. Roden is also a follower."

Marsh's eyes flicked to Roden, "Good for you."

Roden shrugged, "Didn't have much choice."

Marsh's stoic demeanor dimmed ever so slightly, "You too huh?"

"It's a long story."

"Always is with the gods."

"What do you mean? You didn't choose to follow Zamira, cacaw?"

"No."

Mu'tonrae lazily batted Marsh on the side of his head. The motion was slow, easily slow enough for Marsh to avoid, but he remained still.

Marsh took a deep breath, "I was a gravedigger. I would put our dead to rest among the forest. She came to me one night while I was checking on some fresh graves. She thanked me for my commitment to the dead and their spirits. She asked me if I would guide them to the afterlife if I could. I said yes. She made me a Cleric of her order."

"Sounds kind of pushy, cacaw."

"She is."

"What does it mean to guide them to the afterlife?"

"When I bury our people, I perform a ritual that allows me to shepherd them into the Collective."

"So you've been there, cacaw?"

"No."

"I don't get it, cacaw."

"He means, the spirits appear to him and he walks with them until their energy joins with the Magisphere." Roden added.

"I thought they go to the sky, cacaw?"

Roden considered for a moment, "It depends on your beliefs, but at the end of the day everyone's Spark energy goes into the Magisphere."

"The Collective energy."

"Yeah, but where are you guiding them then, cacaw."

Marsh sighed in frustration, "When a spirit goes into the Collective their imprint goes wherever they believe they belong. I am just the shepherd that walks with them until they are ready."

Riakon stifled a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing." Riakon said abashed.

Roden put his face in his palm as his mind caught up with Riakon.

"You find death funny?"

"Oh no no, I just…uuuhhhh…"

Roden shook his head, "C'mon Riakon you made your bed, now you gotta lie in it… And before you even try it, you know damn well I'm not talking about a bed."

"I just…The way you describe your job sounds more like a dog walker than a shepherd."

Errk cuffed Riakon in a move mirroring Mu'tonrae's albeit with a bit more speed.

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