"Wait, didn't we have some actually important matter to attend to?" 'Ticu said.

"I doubt so," told the recently rejoined log.

"No, she's right for once," quibbed her brother. "Aren't we supposed to be saving the world or something?"

"That's what you guys are doing?" exclaimed the goblin after taking a swallow of the brew he was careful not to waste. "Aw man, that thing is so screwed."

"You mean the world?"

"Precisely."

"Are you visions getting any clearer yet, sis?" the swordsman asked, dismissing the non-sensical inhuman.

"No... not yet. Squiggly is as clear as it is going to get," she despaired. "Maybe we should aks the locals for help!" Before she could be told not to bother anyone, she was already tugging on someone's... fur?

"'Scuse me, mista," she began in a sing-song way, only to be returned with a monstrous grunt.

"Holy-snap!" the Rook shouted. "This isn't a human village at all!" Suddenly, all of the monstrous patrons had their eyes (or an individual's one eye) turned to the out-of-place party. "How do you suppose we missed that?"

"Speak for yourself, pinky," sneered the Ghobling. "I mean, booo! Humans! Kill and burn them! How dare humans steal our jobs and misshapen but attractive women!"

"SHUT UP!!" roared Rook, clubbing the goblin in the head with the hilt of his blade, leaving him massaging his skull. He then took Gungnir from Ticu and charged in with Koumori, twirling it about. After a few moments, he shouted "Run! Before they wake! Grab George!"

"Why you...!" growled 'Snaff once they were at a safe distance. "You attacked me!!!"

"Do not cross me. We are a team now, I suppose. We have to watch each other's backs no matter what. If all you can think about is your personal needs, then you should leave," warned Rook, "Start being useful."

The Ghobling was about to angrily retort to Rook’s warning when he thought better of it and decided to take a snap at him later. Meanwhile, Articuno was pondering.

“What should we do now?” she asked. “We still need supplies, but…I don’t think we can just walk into that village again and ask for some.”

“Especially after that pre-emptive attack,” George added, “the residents will probably be none too happy about it.”

“What do you mean, pre-emptive?” Rook demanded.

“You attacked,” the log replied, “without even knowing if they had hostile intentions or not.”

“What should I have done, waited for them to attack us first?!” Rook retorted.

“…Never mind.” George replied, seeing that arguing wouldn’t be the best decision at the time.

The group thought for a while, and after 15 minutes Rook announced, “OK, I’ve got a plan! We’ll wait for nightfall, sneak back in and ‘buy’ what we need, and then get out of here.”

“And you know the inhabitants aren’t nocturnal?” Bimblesnaff asked.

Rook glared at Bimblesnaff, and then suddenly a crafty smile came on to his face.

“Of course, we could always use your Kamaitachi—“

“Hey, waitaminute!” the Ghobling reacted. “I’m not letting you use my familiar for your own good!”

“It’s for OUR good,” Rook corrected, “and if you’re so worried then how about you come along with the rest of us and stop being a hindrance?”

“You want me to go with you on such a dangerous trip?” the Ghobling asked. “No—“

“I wonder if the village also has any good liquor.” Rook mused.

That caught Bimblesnaff’s attention, just like he wanted. “Ooooo! Count me in!” he declared, licking his lips.

So the group agreed upon Rook’s simple plan, and waited. Night soon came, and the group made their way back into the village without being noticed. They searched around, and eventually found a shop of some sort. Strangely, it was unlocked but nobody was inside.

“Let’s see,” Rook said, “at least it seems like these ‘residents’ eat the same food as we do.”

“So, are we just going to take what we need and leave money on the table?” Articuno asked, pointing to a nearby table.

“…Do they even use money here?” Rook wondered, as he was not very keen on giving up money to non-humans. “Maybe—“

“Uh-oh! Trouble’s coming!” Koumori, who was keeping watch outside, announced to the group.

"Now there's something," Bimblesnaff spat out.

"What is?" queried a curious Rook, ignoring the pleas of his familiar.

"Well, it seems like we were just in this situation not some time ago," the Ghobling continued, "where 'Ticu said, 'Trouble!' an' a series o' events followed leading up to now."

"It's really important," the Tatzelwurm tried to warn without success, "and really big."

"Really?" Rook questioned. "I don't recall."

"Oh, quite yes," confirmed the greenskin. "'Twas just a while back. You remember that one post?"

"I know! What is with those!"

"Guys, seriously," interrupted the bestial serpent. "If it was just a mob of a hundred monsters, we'd be better off, sadly."

"Hey, now, hush," ordered the lunatic. "We grown ups art tryin' to talk 'ere. ... do ya hear heavy thuddin', like a giant monstrosity approaching us?"

"They really are dumb, aren't they?" 'Ticu rhetorically asked her Dew Drop.

"I see absolutely no way that they are gonna be getting out of this," Kaze Musha squeaked, peaking around the corner at the doom that came their way.

"Dibs on their livers," Schrecken claimed, licking his lips.

"Oh, seriously, now," Bogg dismissed. "Ya well know that mine vanished years ago." The pounding had reached its peak. From out the door of the raided building, they saw a shadowy mass. They tried to discern what the figure's identity was until they realized that it was only part of an entity, a very small part...

"I still can't believe we got out of that," boasted Rook, gleefully filling himself with foodstuff as he paced onwards.

"Please, that was five days ago," George the enchanted log reminded him. "Put it behind you already."

"But it was just so wow!" he exclaimed. "Who would have thought the mayor of the monster village would have come to offer his apologies for his citizens behavior when we were the jerks... with food!"

"We?" questioned the goblin. "I dun ever remember bein' a jerk ever in m' life." This statement came as he punted a nearby baby. "Damn Romans! Can't they find wolves anymore?"

"And what's more amazing is that the big guy was able to recognize that squiggle-line," Rook continued to rant on. "I mean, what were the odds, serious?"

"Well, it did come from his civilization," 'Ticu blatantly pointed out. "It would be like you identify the word 'dog' on a piece of paper."

"Silly girl," her brother said, patting her on the head, "dogs can't be on paper." As they marched onward more in a bit of silence, Rook decided to speak up once more. "So... where are we heading again? ... Geez, guys, did you all trip over rocks at the same time? There's another unbelievable event! Wow! What a whimsical journey this has been." Staring down to his arm, he saw a Wizard Shackle stuck to it. "Are you still there?"

"Yep."