It was a cool night in the village of Cardawen.  There were several lights still on around the village, but most of the inhabitants had settled in for the night.  Yavish herself stood at the entrance to the village watching for trouble.  She was grateful to Dala for giving her a place to stay after she helped her retrieve a missing sheep and fight off wolves that would have no doubt devoured it.  She was able to purchase some furniture for herself at her temporary home, namely a bed, a table, and a chair, and while it was not the most appealing, it was adequate for the time being.

Yavish herself could have turned in for the night as well, but she decided to stand guard this time.  Knowing the history of some of the inhabitants, some unsavory individuals or groups could happen upon this village at any time, and she had no intentions of letting any rabble rousers harass the villagers.  Speaking of individuals, she caught sight of a glowing orange speck in the distance.  Yavish observed the speck as it came closer, and she picked up the sound of hooves that made her realize that a horse was coming to the village. She could make out that the horse was white and that the source of the orange glow was an oil lantern.

There were two people on the horse.  The one up front was an elderly woman in a brown cloak and at the rear was a young man in a white shirt and brown pants with brown boots and blonde hair.  When they came to the gate, the woman called out, "Hold, hold!"

The horse came to a stop and the woman wore a wide-eyed face of terror when she saw Yavish looking at her.  Her partner had a look of surprise upon seeing her and said, "Oh, hello there."

"Hello," Yavish replied, and the woman clutched her chest taking several deep breaths and said, "Oh by the gods, you scared me!"

"Apologies, I suppose minotaurs aren't a common sight where you're from?" asked Yavish.

"No ma'am, not in our town," said the man.

Yavish folded her arms and asked the travelers, "So am I correct to assume that you're not here to cause trouble?"

The woman shook her head as she climbed off of her horse and said, "Oh goodness no.  In fact, we came here seeking help WITH trouble."

"What trouble?" Yavish asked, the justice part of her personality coming onto display.

"We've had children going missing, not just in our town, but other towns over," the woman explained.

"Did you talk to the town guard about it?" asked Yavish.

"We did, but they made little to no progress," the man answered.

"Doesn't help that they answer to the noble houses that control them," said the woman.

"Is that why you rode all the way out here?" Yavish inquired.

"That's part of it.  The other part is that I feel that some or at least one of the noble houses might have some involvement in it.  See, as I was finishing up in the stables, I noticed a carriage taking off at a high rate of speed.  It seemed unusual, so I followed it, and it took me out of town and to an abandoned city where there were these nagas and arachnes strolling about.  I know it's a hunch, but I have a good feeling that's where they're taking the children," the man explained.

Yavish thought it over.  The story of these two seemed believable, and children in danger had a way of sending her desire to rescue them into overdrive.  She knew that she could not just storm into the city alone though, so she nodded toward the village and said, "Follow me.  I know someone who I think can also help with this issue, plus if you're concerned about the noble houses following you, then it might be a good idea to discuss such a delicate matter somewhere more private."

The two nodded and the woman led the horse along as Yavish guided them through the town and to Dala's office.  The woman tied the horse to a nearby pole and rejoined Yavish right before the minotaur knocked on the door and called, "Dala, it's me Yavish!  There's some folks out here from out of the village who need to talk to you!"

Dala was busily working by candlelight in her office. Though the day was full of playfully teasing her villagers or helping them get their work done through careful guidance, the night was chock-full of paperwork. Most of it was reviewing the village's taxes and finances, ensuring they would have enough money for emergencies and supplies. Though she had training in such work and knew more than enough to get it done efficiently, she still dreaded it. The small confines of the office that was really just an old barn redesigned as her workspace didn't help with her lacking motivation. She silently wondered if she would be doomed to this eternal torment of paperwork by the third hour of non-stop writing when suddenly she heard a knock at the door and Yavish's voice. Dala dropped the quill and opened the door, letting the group of people into her humble office.

"Yavish! It's good to see you again." Dala greets her in a friendly manner and then looks over at the two strangers, "And you've brought friends. Please, come in."

Dala quickly pulled over a couple of small wooden chairs for the guests to sit on. But when she noticed the expressions on their faces, she quickly realized they were not here for a nice chat. The young village leader leaned against her desk, crossing her arms and looking at them with a calm expression, though there was a hint of worry in her eyes. 
“What happened?” Dala asked.
She knew that if something had happened to her villagers, she would have been notified about it immediately. Listening silently as the strangers explained their situation, she only stopped to ask a few questions once in a while for minor clarifications. By the end of the story, Dala had already made up her mind. 

"Cardawen can't really afford just sending out our guards for this." *I say.* "Outright sending official guards to someone else's territory is asking for trouble. But, if Yavish and I were to go instead, then there shouldn't be a problem. What do you think Yavish?" 

Dala looked to Yavish, expecting to hear her thoughts about the suggestion.

"Same to you," Yavish replied to Dala as the three made entry into the office.  Both outsiders accepted the offered seats and explained the situation of the disappearing children and the guard presence at the decrepit city they had been taken to.  Yavish was more than ready to help rescue the children from their kidnappers with Dala's help, and she listened to why Cardawen's guards could not deployed for the operation.  It was understandable, since the town guard was more of a militia than anything.  As much as Yavish would have liked the extra numbers, they were better served guarding their hometown.

Then Dala asked Yavish for her input and she replied, "I'm willing to head out with you on this mission even if it's just the two of us.  As he mentioned, there are nagas and arachnes on patrol, so there's a good chance they'll have poisoned weapons like their venom.  I doubt we'd want to raise an alarm, so…and I know this is going to sound silly coming from me, stealth is our best option."

She then scratched her chin and muttered, "Hold on a tick."

Yavish turned to the man and asked, "You said you followed the carriage to the city.  How were you able to do that without being spotted, especially on horseback?"

The man responded, "I didn't use a horse umm…Yavish.  I'm a shapeshifter."

There was a whooshing sound as the man appeared to distort into himself and transform into a small brown sparrow that sat on Dala's desk.  Yavish stared at the spectacle in confusion as the man returned to his regular form and said, "I'll lead the two of you there."

Yavish folded her arms and looked at everyone stating, "If anyone has anything to add, speak up.  Otherwise, let's gear up and head out."

Before she took up a guard post, Yavish bought herself a set of leather armor and a battle axe and was looking forward to trying them out.  When all of the preparations were made, the shapeshifter took on his sparrow form and lead the way down the dirt road along vast fields.  Along the way, the grass was becoming increasingly overgrown, and ahead the group would see why.  Ahead was the aforementioned abandoned city, with structures deteriorating and flora growing all over them.  Their guide led them behind a shack that had vines enveloping it like a disease and returned to his human form whispering, "This is the place."

Yavish peeked out from behind the shack and could see that three green nagas in light armor were standing guard in the street and spotted a white-haired arachne with violet skin on one of the rotting buildings with a crossbow in his hands.  Two of the nagas wielded glaives while the third carried a crossbow.  The man pointed to the guards and muttered, "There's more of them further in, but I couldn't get in far enough to see where the children were being taken."

"Hey, what's your name?" Yavish asked in a low voice.

"Kazi," the man answered.

Yavish turned to Dala and whispered, "How do you want to do this?"

"If there's going to be venom then I'll bring some anti-venom antidotes." Dala said. 

Walking over to a nearby drunk, she starts rummaging through its contents. There were specialized books, crystal chalices, potions, unique daggers, and a plethora of other items that screamed its abnormality upon sight. Only a few items were selected in the end. Two bottles of venom antidotes, two health potions, and a little key in the shape of a skeleton. After locking up the chest, Dala grabbed two daggers and a bow with strange purple arrows. She put on the bow and quiver of arrows, sheathing the daggers in her belt. Then Yavish pointed out something very important. The man then revealed himself to be a shapeshifter which made Dala's eyes widen with surprise and delight.

"That is AWESOME!" Dala exclaims after he shifts into a bird. 

There was genuine glee in her eyes despite the fact she had seen shape shifters before. It wasn't truly new to her but to see it up close and when she wasn't being attacked by the shapeshifter was a gift. After they were all ready, Dala quickly informed one of the elders that she would be gone for a bit, leaving a trusted elder in charge while she was gone. Dala quickly handed Yavish one of the antidotes and health potions just in case something happened along the way. Luckily, their journey to the abandoned city was overall uneventful. But Dala couldn't help but get caught up in the beautiful old structures with their plants and vines, like an old secret waiting to be discovered. The guide helpfully informed them that this was the place. 

Dala peaked out from their hiding place and looked over the three green nagas in armor. There was also a white-haired arachne on one of the rotting buildings. Four in total. Four to outnumber them. The shapeshifter, who's name was apparently Kazi, explained that he couldn't get in any further. Dala quietly thought about how they'd want to go about doing this. 

"Kazi, are you just here to guide us or are you willing to go in with us?" Dala asked carefully. 

She wouldn't judge him if he decided to stay out of the mission beyond just guiding them, however she needed to know what they truly had on their side. Despite her earlier energy, Dala was paying serious attention to their strengths and their weaknesses. Knowing if he would be helping them directly would be essential. 

Kazi pointed toward the sky and replied, "I can head in with you and as a lookout to spot any extra guards up ahead."

"What did you mean by you couldn't get further in?  You're a shapeshifter, surely a bird flitting about wouldn't raise suspicion?" Yavish inquired.

Kazi hugged his right arm out of embarrassment and replied, "As I followed the carriage, I saw plenty of arachnes on the rooftops and got scared that they might see me, so I backed out."

"Did you at least see where the carriage was going?" asked Yavish.

Kazi nodded and replied, "The last I saw of it was it passing an old fountain in the square."

Yavish looked to both Dala and Kazi.  Having a shapeshifter as a scout would definitely be a useful asset.  She looked at the guards and saw that they had not moved from their position.  The eyes of the nagas were fierce and vigilant, unmoving to the point that it was almost unnerving for her.  She was thankful for the antidote that Dala had given her, but it would not mean much if she kept getting poisoned.

Kazi adjusted his arm sleeve as he watched Dala, waiting for a plan to form.  Yavish repeated her question to Dala, "So, fight or sneak?"

A minotaur's great strength could take down many foes, but lethal poison and venom were just as efficient at bringing the burly bovines down.  As humorous as it was for her, Yavish hoped that Dala would choose the stealthy option.  She knew that her size and hooves would make traversing the ruined city undetected rather difficult, but that was something she was going to have to make do with.  They needed to get the kids to safety, and it would not be easy with a large band of snakes and spiders on their backs.

Dala listened to Kazi intently, relieved that he's on board with assisting us. After hearing out his abilities, she looked back over to the guards and saw they hadn't moved. The young woman's mind came up with a few possible ways to get in without being spotted, but Kazi would have to do heavy lifting in order to make it possible. She continued pondering the dilemma when Yavish asked her question again.

"Sneak." Dala said. "It would be impossible for us to fight through that safely. The problem I was trying to figure out was how. Kazi, can you shift into a bird and fly around? Find us the best entrance with the least amount of guards." 

The young woman looked over to Yavish, ready to inform her of the plan.

"We could make a distraction if we need to but it'd be easier to sneak in quietly." Dala says then sighs. "If it wasn't for the fact they had hostages we could have just found a way to blow it all up." 

Despite all her years in strategic training, she had always favored blowing shit up. It was effective, fun, and made a great light show. The young woman wondered why these kids had to be dumb enough to get kidnapped, completely forgetting all the times she'd been in trouble as a child. She waits patiently for Kazi to get back with the scout report and kept an eye on the guards.

Kazi trembled and took a deep breath at Dala's request.  It was clear that he was not comfortable with exploring the city alone.  Yavish attempted to steel him up by saying, "Like I said, I doubt a bird flying around will be suspicious.  I mean, we've seen birds fly all the time haven't we?"

The shapeshifter nodded and locked his hands together muttering, "Yeah…I suppose you're right."

He took another deep breath and informed the two, "I'll scout the city and see what I can find."

With that, he shifted into his sparrow form and took off into the night sky toward the city.  As Yavish watched him go, she was glad that Dala chose to sneak in rather than fight.  However, she was confused when her partner suggested a more explosive option had the children not been involved.  She tilted her head at Dala and asked, "What do you mean by blow it all up?"

Around five minutes passed when Kazi came back behind the shack and reverted to his human form.  His expression and stature contained more confidence than before and he explained, "Alright, found two other ways in that could be easier.  Go around left and there's another road going into the city that has two nagas guarding it and there was a small group in a nearby building playing cards.  Also spotted an arachne on one of the rooftops that had a wand.  Go right, and you'll find an apartment building with the back portion collapsed which will allow for easy access, but I saw a large rat crawl into a hole somewhere, so I'm guessing there's a nest around there that you'll have to be careful not to disturb plus the building's got stuff that'll make a lot of noise if you knock it over, so be careful moving through."

"Anything else?" asked Yavish.

"Yeah, both ways lead to the old fountain though the left is faster.  The patrols throughout the city were pretty sparse, though the rooftops have quite a few spiders.  At the old fountain though I found another road going through a vineyard, so I followed it and found a pretty rundown manor as well as the carriage from earlier.  I've got a good feeling that that's where the kids are being held," Kazi answered.

"Very good, what's the guard presence at the manor like?" Yavish inquired.

"I counted four nagas out front, and two arachnes on the roof," said Kazi.

With the new information, Yavish folded her arms and asked Dala, "So, which way in?"

The left side would indeed have a road leading into the city with two nagas guarding it, and while both had glaives, one of the glaives had a green shimmer to it, indicating that it was enchanted with poison.  In a small dilapidated tavern to the right was two nagas and an arachne seated around a table playing a card game.  As Kazi also pointed out, there was an arachne on one of the neighboring rooftops that was equipped with a silver, metallic wand.  The right side would have the apartment building with its entire back portion collapsed and there was a sizable hole at the end of the right corridor where the giant rat had likely gone.  There were also a mix of glass and porcelain vases both on the floor and on podiums that survived the cave-in and would make a racket if they were either crushed or knocked over.

As they waited for Kazi to return, Yavish asked about Dala what she meant by blowing it all up. 

"You know, like find a faulty spell or some magic stuff and cause a magical explosion?" Dala explains. "Besides…explosions are fun… But we won't do it this time cause hostages…." Darn kids. 

Eventually the little bird returned and Dala noticed the visible confidence he held. He had found two routes that could be easier, either the wayward road or the rooftops. The young woman thought for a moment, pondering their options as she listened to further details. There wasn't any easy choices but after listening, she realized that there was only one option she felt would really work. 

"Left. I know it has the nagas guarding it and less options as the right, but I'm weary of going out on the roofs at this time of day." Dala explains, "Plus, I believe that arachnes and spiders have signals they can send to each other in danger. I got caught by a small spider once that sent out signals to nearby spiders….almost got swarmed. If we want to keep our presence a secret as long as possible, it may be best to go left." 

Dala was careful to explain her reasoning to the others and listen to what they had to say about the situation. Although she was reckless in many situations, she was aware she kind of sucked at stealth so she was trying to take extra steps to do it right. Listening to what Yavish and Kazi would think on this plan was essential to figure out if there was anything that had slipped her mind. 

When Dala explained her proclivity toward explosions, it left Yavish puzzled as she had never taken the lady for someone who preferred to battle by blasting everything to bits.  She would not be against Dala causing destruction however.  As long as the children were out of the way, then her friend could drop explosive justice at her leisure.  Both Kazi and Yavish listened to her reasoning for picking the road, and while the minotaur would have preferred going through the collapsed apartment, she recognized that her hooves would make quite a racket as well as any valuables she accidentally smashed with poor footwork.

At the mention of the time of day, both Yavish and Kazi stared up at the night sky in sync.

Spiders communicating with each other via signals was a new thing to Yavish, and she groaned internally at something else to watch out for.  Every minute that passed was a minute that those children were in danger, and the bovine knew that they could not waste any more time idling about.  Kazi nodded at Dala and said, "Let's go left then.  I'll keep watch for any patrols."

"We'll need to get to the fountain, then take that vineyard road to the manor," Yavish said to Dala as Kazi transformed into his sparrow form and took off toward the road.

The trip there was a relatively short one.  The cobblestone road that lead into the city was cracked with weeds seeping through.  Guarding the road were two nagas with glaives, though one of the glaives was enchanted with poison, judging from the green shimmer on the blade.  The aforementioned arachne stood guard on top of the building next to the nagas.  It had a scimitar in its scabbard, but it also had a silver wand with a red gem at the top with a half-ring going around it.  There was a patch of overgrown bushes that could conceal the team from the guards and both Yavish and Kazi, back in his human form hid behind it, though the former had to crouch to hide her full profile.

Kazi pointed to a rundown building close to where the nagas were posted and whispered, "You see that building over there?  I counted two nagas and an arachne inside playing cards."