The dense trees lined the dirt road as they continued on their quest. They could hear water flowing up ahead, alerting them that there wasn't much farther they needed to go. They needed to reach the water source they were heading toward. There, they would find the bridge.

They walked in silence, heading toward their destination. After a while, the trees opened up into a small clearing. In front of them, the river rushed roaring as it flowed through the riverbed. An old stone and log bridge stood before them, but something about it felt wrong.

Drake was the first one to step toward the river's edge. He looked down into the dark water and watched it rush by. The water twisted and twirled as it flowed down the river. There was one point in his fifteen years when the twisting water had nearly pulled him down.

He knew that under the surface, there were whirlpools that sucked things down deeper into the water. During the time he nearly drowned, one of his friends wasn't so lucky. In grade school, one of his friends had met their end in an underwater whirlpool. It had sucked him down, and the young boy drowned.

Drake scanned the water, looking for a clue. He looked back at the bridge. It felt wrong, making him nervous to cross it. What he needed was in the center of the bridge, underneath it. The water was flowing rapidly, making it too dangerous to go into the water.

He looked back at the bridge. A shadow passed under it as he watched. It made him tense up. "It's getting late; do you want to stay here before we try to cross the bridge to get to the pendant?" Drake asked. "It's getting too dark to see. The water is too rapid. I don't want to fall in and get sucked under."

The sky was already darkening. It would be completely dark in less than an hour. Drake could see stars twinkling in the sky.

"Yeah, let's make camp, get some food, rest, and we can finish this in the morning," Mike agreed.

Chad only nodded. His face was pale as he looked at the rushing water. He hated water. The sight of it was putting him on the verge of a panic attack. Instinctively, he stepped back.

Drake quickly pulled out their cabin so they could set it up. He placed it in the clearing beside the road. Chad was the first to enter, eager to get away from the sight of the rushing water. Cold sweat ran down his face as he tried to maintain his composure.

Mike followed behind as Renn and Ruby transformed into their smaller forms so they could enter; their beast forms were far too large to fit through the door. "I'll make us something to eat," Mike offered, then headed to the small kitchen to prepare a meal, while Chad went to light the fireplace.

Drake didn't enter the cabin; he stayed at the river's edge, staring at the bridge and the dark area underneath it. With his glowing green eyes, he peered into the darkness. Something moved. Backing away, he turned and rushed into the cabin.

Chad was still trying to light the wood in the fireplace using a long match. Drake stepped forward and shot a mini fireball into the neatly stacked wood, igniting it instantly.

"Are you okay?" Drake asked his friend. His face was still pale. Cold sweat glistened on his brow. It was clear Chad was still fighting his fear of the water that was only a few feet away from the cabin.

Chad nodded, but didn't respond to Drake.

Mike watched from the kitchen. He had also noticed Chad was having difficulty, but didn't want to say anything to him. Mike was afraid that Chad would feel like a burden. He wasn't. It was a fear stemming from nearly drowning when he was little. Since then, large amounts of water at a time terrified him.

Chad stared at the fire as it flickered. The pot of stew was heating while Mike stirred. A kettle boiled, bringing the aroma of coffee. Once it was done, Drake pulled the kettle and poured his friend a cup.

Drake held out the cup to Chad. "Have coffee. You look like you need it. I hate water too. I understand what you're going through."

Chad took the cup from Drake's hand and nodded. "Thanks."

As they waited for the stew to finish, Drake pulled out the 'storage' books. He noticed he had twice as many as he had before. It appeared he had also gotten his grandfather's books. When he pulled them out, he studied the covers. Inside were multiple pages filled with gold, silver, gemstones, and other items. One of them had a page with a strange golden egg.

Carefully, he pulled it out. "System, analyze and explain this egg," he told the system.

{Golden Troll Egg}

{Golden Troll Egg: stolen from the river troll. Return the Golden Troll Egg to its owner for a reward.}

Drake's gaze went toward the river. He was inside and didn't actually see it, but he wondered if the movement under the bridge was the troll who owned the Golden Troll Egg. He would find out in the morning.

He carefully replaced the egg, marking the page with the ribbon. Each of the 'storage' books had three ribbons to save a page for quick access. He placed one ribbon on the eggs' page so he could find it quickly when they inspected the bridge in the morning. If the movement under the bridge was the troll, he wanted to return the egg, not only because of the quest but also because it belonged to the troll. It was only right to give it back.

Just as he replaced the books in his cuff, Mike handed him a bowl of stew.

"Thanks," Drake said, then smiled at his friend. "Tomorrow, we finish the quest and get back to Draco Town. Check your supplies. I received my grandfather's belongings. Check to see if you got yours as well. I didn't get his staff. I think the staff is the power core of the Dimension Master Power. When I met the dimension, the staff vanished the same way the beasts do. That's how I regained my power."

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