Alright, we've dusted off the old plot ideas, rehashed some of them, we're ready to roll now.

Also I got sick for a week.

And for another week.

And got my braces off.

And finished high school.

My comeback may have been poorly timed.

Nonetheless, ONWARD!

Summons

"Forest! Good to see you." Trouble gave the man a big bear hug, which was happily returned. "How ya been?"

"Guud." Forest looked over Trouble's shoulder, and saw Brown and Jonathan. "Vlligaries?" Everyone looked at Slime, who shrugged, and then looked at the two villagers. Brown raised his hands in surrender, and Forest shrugged and moved on.

"I dnot konw yu." He said, gesturing to Slime. Slime got to his feet and offered a hand. "No, but I've heard of you. My name is Slime."

They shook, and Forest said "comm," leaving through the door.

As the others filed out Jonathan jumped up and offered his hand to Brown. As Brown stood up he pulled Jonathan close and whispered, "It's probably best if we turn back now. We're not cut out for this."

"This is the chance of a lifetime though!" Jonathan urged him. Studying the reclusive spawn had always been a passion of his, but studying in the field was a dream he'd never gotten to do. He could feel the answers to long mysterious questions hovering right outside the door. "We'll be alright, if it gets dangerous we'll turn back."

Brown looked uncertain, but he sighed and said, "Well, I don't want to walk home alone." He and Jonathan departed the little shack to follow the others.

Forest led them into a narrow single-file tunnel that, Jonathan noticed, let toward the walls of the city.

The passage was narrow, and they walked single-file past torches that stuck out of the wall and singed their ears. The tunnel ducked and weaved and twisted until Jonathan knew for sure if they dug up he'd have no idea where they came from. Brown looked ready to jump out of his skin, and nearly did so when they passed a wall where flowing water could be heard.

Finally, when Jonathan was sure Brown was about to pass out from the stuffy tunnel, they reached a door that Forest kicked open to let the group through. They all filed into a small underground room. The walls, floor and ceiling were made of stone, tucked in a corner were three beds, a table against one wall and several chests haphazardly thrown together on another. Flames licked the outer edges of the mouth of a furnace, and the whole room smelled of cooked fish.

"Mkae ylesvoures camoftroleb." Forest said, pulling out a few chairs from under the table. Brown tugged on Slime's shirt and whispered something in his ear. Slime shook his head. "I don't know what he said."

"Make yourselves comfortable." Trouble translated, feeling his way around. Chase grabbed his hand and rested it on a chair; Trouble patted his arm gratefully.

"So you can understand him?" Brown asked. "How?"

"Like I said, Chase and I were his apprentices at one point. Don't ask any more questions." Forest was looking mildly offended, his eyes flitting back and forth in the conversation.

"Where is Hawk?" Slime asked, sensing the tension. Forest shrugged and pointed upward. Nobody bothered to ask for further explanation, though Trouble seemed confused by the silence.

"So why did you bring us here, Forest?" Slime asked, hands in his pockets. "It had better be a good." This must have jogged the man's memory, because his eyes lit up and he let out a little "ah!" sound. "Un moemnt." He said, and he hit a bare patch of stone. There must have been a button there, as the wall opened up to reveal a ladder that he quickly leaped onto and climbed away.

Forest returned a few minutes later, seemingly empty-handed. This was proved false when he summoned the power of the spawn's inventory and threw what seemed like three dozen books onto the table.

Jonathan had a very bad feeling. Forest began to rifle through them, but Chase pushed Trouble in Forest's direction. Trouble put a hand on the spawn's shoulder.

"Forest, the concise version, please."

"Agh, fiiiine." Forest growled, and Slime, Brown and Jonathan all started, exchanging glances. That was the first phrase they had understood.

Trouble translated for the group as Forest explained the summons. In short, it amounted to: "The End Portal has been activated, and he thinks Shadow is back."

Of course, almost half the people in the room had no idea what that meant.