“No,” Lucas said sternly, stepping between Jason and Bonnie. “Just wait. I have a few more questions before we take care of Kegan.”

“Kegan? I want to—”

“Trust me,” Lucas said. He wanted to assure Bonnie, but he couldn’t. Not yet.

“Oh, don’t get so angry, woman. Those nobles have done far worse to us. We just gave back what we got,” Jason said with a smirk. “Just like we’re about to do to Kegan.”

“Were you there?” Lucas asked, looking back at Gunter.

“No, that coward didn’t come. Said it’d do no good,” Jason interjected, glaring at Gunter.

But you knew about it. You knew what they had done, and you let it slide. You welcomed him back with open arms . . . He never raised the staff, but he began channeling a Firebolt just the same.

“And it didn’t do any good,” Gunter continued.

Lucas shrugged his backpack onto a single shoulder, letting it slide down to his hip. Once there, he reached inside and retrieved a bottle of booze that he had been holding onto. Lucas finished his spell as Gunter finished his sentence. He tossed the cocktail up into the air in front of the group and released the Firebolt at the same time. The two collided, and the resulting burst showered the ground with flames, which began spreading out in all directions as the alcohol ran everywhere.

“What in the heck?!” Jason snapped, jumping back toward Lucas and the rest of the group. “That could have burnt me!”

“Oh!” Gunter and Jason both exclaimed in unison as the EXP messages began appearing. The small spiders lurking in the shadows had been caught in the blaze along with all the little ones that had been silently approaching.

Lucas expected Bonnie to grumble about what he had just done, but she didn’t voice a single complaint.

“Ha!” Gunter guffawed, beginning to relax. “I was worried for a minute. Didn’t realize you were just taking out little guys.”

“It’s exactly what I’m doing.” Lucas focused all of his strength into his legs as he rushed forward and slammed into Jason. The Dwarf stumbled backward several paces into the flames before finally losing his balance and falling over in the middle of the burning pool.

“Owe! Owe! What the heck was tha—” Jason cried out as the floor giving way beneath him.

Gunter tried to reach out and save his friend, but Lucas struck out with his boot, kicking him in the side and away from the hole.

“Why?” Gunter asked desperately, glaring up at Lucas with betrayal in his eyes. “What did I do?”

“Nothing,” Lucas responded. “That’s the problem. You did nothing, even knowing your friend was a monster.” Lucas then took his magic staff and used it like a baseball bat. He swung hard at the Dwarf’s face and was rewarded by the sound of bone crunching underneath his blow.

“But he was my friend,” Gunter offered as an excuse.