What are you doing here?

The hour was still not up. He settled back down again and explored his surroundings with his eyes instead. Opposite the village he could see a wooden barn. Not far from the building Kit spied the cows that had been making noise.

Black and white glossy coats glittered under the sun. The animals were plump and healthy. Kit felt the itchy feeling to move once again making his legs jittery. Kit started to thump his feet on the ground to relive his restless legs.

Movement caught his eye under the arch as he stamped his feet. A figure started to materialise under the arch. Kit jumped to his feet, elation filled him at the thought of his friend being able to travel back to Spartan Fire with him. He couldn't wait to ask Mars how the monster run went!

Kit rushed over so he could give his friend a welcome hug. The closer he got the more confused he became. The figure was similar height to Mars, but the build was wrong. This person was not as wide as Mars, the shoulders were slimmer and the hair not the right length. Silver hair and an elegant figure emerged in front of Kit.

"Peaches?"

"Kit?"

"You're a player!"

"You're a player!"

Kit started to laugh at their parroting behaviour. He wanted to call out jinx, he managed to hold back at the last second. A huge grin spread across Peaches face. "I really thought you were a NPC, this is fantastic! I finally have someone I can play with in game." Peaches eyes squinted into crescent moons.

Kit mirrored Peaches happiness. "I'm also glad to find another player, Mars will be stoked as well."

A look of shock passed over Peaches. "Mars is a player as well? Is Twix also a player?"

Kit shook his head. "No Twix is an NPC, Mars is a player like us though, it really is hard to tell a NPC from a human. I just treat everyone the same in game whether they are human or an AI." Peaches nodded in agreement.

The happiness that had emerged at the sight of Peaches soon fizzled. With Peaches standing in front of him did that mean the monster run had failed? He tilted his head until he could see behind the silver haired man. Would Mars appear next?

Kit felt a tightening in his chest, the unknown outcome caused him to start to panic. "Peaches what happened? Is everyone ok?"

At Kit's words Peaches eyes lashes dipped over his eyes. An ominous aura settled over the elegant man. "There was quite a few deaths, Kit. I'm not sure how long you have been waiting here, when I died there was over twenty dead."

Pain gipped his chest like a vice squeezing. "Do you know who they were?" Kit couldn't hold in his words. If it was a friend who had died, Kit didn't think he could forgive himself for causing their end.

He knew it was selfish to only worry about his close people. But the others were unknown faces to him. He wouldn't take their deaths hard like one of his companions.

Kits eyes sought out the answer from Peaches, to his relief Peaches didn't avoid his probing gaze. "Mars was with me when I died, he is a complete battle maniac, so I don't think he will respawn with us. Grandpa and Twix are ranged fighters, so they were still alive when I left."

Relief flooded him after hearing this. He held his breath as he waited for more news of his friends. "The others I don't know about, sorry Kit. It was madness at the end there. A mutated trampling thickhead turned up after the main herd descended. We were lucky to survive, we only made it due to an explosion alerting us to the oncoming danger."

A huge grin broke over Kit's face. Blowing himself up had been worth it at least. "Peaches do you think the monster run will be successful?"

A small smile graced Peaches mouth. "Yes, now that the mutated monster is dead, there was only mopping up left. I guess you could call the monster run a big success."

Kit warred with himself after hearing this news. He was ecstatic that it was triumphant but also disappointed at the number of deaths. He didn't know what he should feel right now. Kit felt a pat on his shoulder.

"Kit it is ok to be happy. We had a victory today. The people who were involved all knew the risk and still came. Not one person was forced against their will to participate. Death is inevitable in this kind of situation."

Kit was thankful for Peaches words. It didn't change his mood but it helped him to sit with the unease without panicking. Kit sighed, what would the atmosphere in the village be when they returned? Would people hate him for proposing the monster run?

An involuntary shiver crept down his spine. He didn't think he could take being hated by the Spartan Fire folk. Kit's urgency to return went up in smoke. Maybe he should prolong returning? This would at least let people's heated feelings simmer down first. He had some things to complete out of the village anyway. This might be a good time finish some of those tasks and get his mood adjusted before he returned.

He once again thought about his friends. Most of his employees and Snowball were up on the hill and should all be safe still. Snickers had the man mountain Leonard to protect her, plus her summoned beasts, so they would be fine. Peaches had told him that Mars, Twix and Grandpa were okay, so all his important people ought to be alive.

Kit made up his mind, if there was a culinary guild close by then he would visit it first before he returned. That way he wouldn't waste time going backwards and forwards when there was one near right now. He wondered if Peaches would come with him or want to return.

He tentatively glanced at the young man then opened his mouth. "Peaches are you in a rush to return?"

"No, I can get the rewards for the monster run at any time at the town hall. Do you need to do something first before you go back?" Peaches inquired.

"Well, I thought I might raise my tier in cooking, if I can, before heading back. Do you want to come with me?" Kit sucked in his lip anxiously waiting to hear Peaches answer. He hoped his friend would come he didn't want to be left alone in his thoughts right now.

"Sure, shall we head into the village then to see if there is a guild inside?" Kit nodded his head and a smile finally settled back on his face. He decided to leave all his concerns for when he returned to Spartan Fire.

"Peaches do you mind if we visit the farm over there first. I want to enquire about some milk." With his mind settled on a course of action Kit felt he could become excited about the prospect of getting his hands on some milk!

As Kit lifted his foot to leave, he remembered that he hadn't checked if the timer had run out on the monster run. He quickly looked at the clock and to his relief if was at 00.00. No one else should respawn now so it was safe to leave.

Peaches was already heading in the direction of the barn when Kit returned his gaze back to the present. He quickly jogged to catch up. They soon arrived at the back of the barn to hear voices inside.

"I don't care if you run off for most of the year, but you know how important today is for the farm. Is it too much to ask for you to do one days work each year? I don't ask much from you Lindor, just this." An audible sigh could be heard leaving the speakers mouth.

"Dad I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be late. I'll quickly run in to town and see if there is anyone else available to help out for the day. Then I'll be right back to help." A youthful voice replied.

"Lindor, do you think I have not tried to get help already. I have been asking around for the past month. Just leave it and come with me. The others are waiting." Kit rounded the corner of the barn as the man stopped talking.

"Hello sorry to disturb you. Do you need some help?" Kit decided to volunteer his and Peaches manpower. If he wanted some milk, he needed to brush up his favourability first!

"Kit? What are you doing here?" Kit turned to the young man who spoke his name. The youth looked vaguely familiar to him. He racked his brain trying to remember where he had seen him before.

"Ahh right we only met once you probably don't remember me. I'm Lindor, my friends and I go and gather ingredients for your restaurant." The youth's vibrant smile almost blinded Kit.

A scene of talking to a group of friendly youths at the Spartan Fire quest board flashed in Kit's mind. Now he remembered where he had seen Lindor before. Kit smiled at the young man. "I remember now, you were with your friends in Spartan Fire. Thanks for collecting the ingredients for me, it is a big help."

Lindor looked like he was going to bounce of his feet with the praise from him. Kit lifted his hand to rub his nose to hide a chuckle at the young man's actions.

"Can you really help us out today, Kit? You're not too busy, we don't want to disturb you." Lindor looked like a puppy trying to please his master. Kit had to pinch his leg not to laugh outright at him.

"It's fine Lindor, Peaches and I are free. When we are done helping, can I talk to your dad about obtaining some milk?" Kit turned his gaze to the older man standing in the barn.

"If you help us out today then you can take as much as you want from the tank over there." The older man pointed to a large stele cylinder. "I'm Pete by the way, I take it you already know my son Lindor." Kit nodded and smiled brightly, he didn't care what they would be helping with today as long as he got some milk!

"My good man Pete, what will we be helping you to achieve today?" Peaches inquired.

Pete scratched his head and gave an apologetic smile. "Ahh that, well we need to be getting rid of some rodents. Thankfully the little buggers only come once a year. But if we don't get rid of them, they will eat all the twinkle nestle, then there will be no Kokka milk for the rest of the year."

No milk! Kit couldn't have that! He would scurry under pile of manure if he had to get rid of the rodents. He had just found someone who could give him a consistent supply of the white liquid. He wasn't going to let this opportunity go!

"Lead the way, Pete!" Kit clenched his fist and straitened his back. Right now, he was still brimming with luck, it would be the best time to help. Too bad he couldn't offer any pie to Pete and Lindor. Then he remembered that he could at least give them some lucky sticky candy apples. Kit took out bundles of ten each for the farmers.

"Kit you don't have to give us these. You are the one helping us, we should be giving you things." Lindor tried to shove the candy apples back in Kit's hand.

Kit waved him off. "I have plenty of these sitting in my bag. Just take them it should make things a little easier today at least. By the way how do we get rid of the rodents?"

A shovel materialised in Pete's hand. Kit blinked at the rusty tool, did they have to dig the rodents out of the ground? "All they need is a light tap on the head with one of these and BAM, dead rodent." Pete handed the shovel to Kit, then retrieved one more for Peaches.

Ding!

[CAL]

Quest accepted.

Farmer Pete's rodent problem, common.

Help farmer Pete get rid of the pests before they can destroy his crop of twinkle nestle.

Acquired: shovel.

Peaches locked eyes with Kit and a grin surfaced on the silver haired man's face. Kit could tell he was amused by the quest. Kit had a feeling this quest was going to be like the game whack a mole.