"What do you mean you don`t know how he died?" asked the lead Zealot mage. He huffed and puffed in a panic.

　　Melly could tell he was the leader. He the air of authority and was wearing a fancier black robe with a full hood, whereas the others were all dressed in brown. The boys had followed behind Melly who`d ducked behind a smoking shrub. Ahead of them were the three remaining Zealots.

　　Three versus three. She thought. Where`s the fire?

　　The billowing smoke made it hard to see the buildings, yet she knew exactly where she was. This was her street. A series of movements made her flinch. Through the haze of smoke, dozens of figures ambled into view. It was the villagers. They moved at a snail`s pace in silence with blank looks on their faces while bound by iron collars.

　　"It must be the work of the wands of subjugation," whispered Clemiticus.

　　One of the brown-robed mages shook his arms violently towards his fallen companion. "Something came right out of nowhere, headed straight for him and killed him!"

　　"What was it?" asked the lead Zealot.

　　"I couldn`t see what it was, maybe a rock or something?"

　　"Blast it."

　　Melly looked down at her hand and at the innocent-looking potato. It sat there dull and unmoving. "What the hell is this thing?" she whispered.

　　She had continued in vain to lose it on the way here, but the thing kept following her like it was possessed. After several failed attempts to discard it, Melly gave up and was forced to hold on to the vegetable weapon.

　　The Zealot leader surveyed the area around the corpse of their companion and swore. "I can`t see anything through this damn smoke!" he shouted. With a well-practised flick of his two-foot wand, he sent a surge of wind through the air to clear the scene.

　　Finally, Melly saw the surrounding buildings.

　　She clenched her fists and jaw. Where once her home had been, there was now a gigantic smoking crater. There was never a fire. Only an explosion that levelled her childhood home.

　　"What the fuck did you do to my house?" Melly shouted, forgetting she was supposed to be hiding. She ran forwards in a blind rage.

　　The three Zealots flinched at the unexpected intruder then proceeding to point their wands at her. Melly the Furious glared at her foes armed only with a Potato. With all her might, she flexed her arm and hurled the spud.

　　The potato never left her hand.

　　The three zealots looked at each other in confusion and then snickered.

　　Melly looked down at the spud and screamed. It was futile. The Potato was stuck to her skin. She tried to throw it again and again but with no luck.

　　"What the hell is going on?" she asked as she furiously danced around in circles, desperately trying to throw the magnetic potato at the Zealots. "Why is this happening now?"

　　"Oh, Damn," Clemiticus said. He had somehow appeared beside her with Derrick closely behind. "It looks like your potato has a cool down on attacks."

　　"Cool down?" she asked, completely ignoring the now confused and enraged expressions on the faces of the three Zealot mages.

　　Clemiticus ignored the threat and stood in front of Melly to examine the spud closer, which only infuriated the Zealots even more. The incensed mages looked at one another and simultaneously sent a bolt of magic to blast the interrupting simpleton. The magic tore through the air, lighting the surroundings in three distinct tones of yellow, red and blue.

　　The magic surged right for Clemiticus in a deadly arc only to hit a turbulent gust of wind, causing the magic to sail harmlessly overhead, and into the trunk of a nearby tree.

　　Boom! The tree exploded in a shower of splinters.

　　"What on Fanswald?" muttered one of the robed figures.

　　Clemiticus ignored the deadly light show and said, "well, you see a cool down is a cooling-off period where you have to wait before you can use the item again. Yeah, just wait for a bit, and you`ll be able to use it again."

　　The Lead Zealot swore and strode towards them. He grabbed Clemiticus by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around and face him. He eyed Clemiticus with disgust.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

　　Melly thought the man looked strikingly similar to the first man they had found near the strange idol. Old, balding and with sunken eyes. It was almost as if the man was a carbon copy of the other.

　　"Dude, do you mind? We are having a conversation," said Clemiticus. "Some people are so rude."

　　Clemiticus shoved the Zealot`s arm away and turned back again to Melly. "Try looking at the item`s info. See if there`s a clock or cool down tracker."

　　"Argh!!" The Lead zealot screamed. He lunged forward with his wand, forgetting it was used for magic and clobbered Clemiticus over the head.

　　"Ow Fuck! That hurts, man!" Clemiticus fell, clutching his head. "What`s that for?"

　　The enraged mage turned his focus on Melly and looked at her face closely for the first time. Suddenly, his anger evaporated.

　　"W, what are you doing here?" he stammered. His two companions moved to his side, and they too got a closer look at Melly.

　　"Is that her?" murmured one.

　　"What`s she doing here?" asked the other. They looked into the sky as if the clouds would pounce on them.

　　"What`re you on about?" Melly asked totally confused.

　　The Lead Zealot collected himself. "No, not her. She`s much too young. Although there were rumours, she had a daughter. I guess they`re true."

　　"What do you know of my mother?"

　　A nasty smile spread across his face. "I wonder what it would be like to have this one as a slave? I wonder if it would force her mother to do anything I say?" he said with eyes flashing with greed. He then raised his wand to prepare for a spell.

　　"Can I use my potato yet?" Melly asked. The Zealot`s expression unnerved her.

　　Clemiticus took a moment from his self-pitying to look up at the Potato`s information and said, "five seconds left."

　　"Great!" she gave the zealots a gentle smile. "I don`t know where my mother is. However, I know that you three bastards have cost me my damn house."

　　She flipped her potato. It was ready.

　　The lead zealot returned a patronising smirk.

　　"I wonder what you would look like with a collar on," he said, leering.

　　His cronies gave appreciative nods.

　　"Weirdos," Clemiticus commented.

　　"Shouldn`t have said that," muttered Derrick, as he gave the Zealots a rueful grin then moved back a step.

　　The lead zealot scoffed.

　　"What can this little girl do? I am all-powerful. I have mastered death. I will be your undoing!"

　　"See, I told you," Clemiticus said. "Lazy writing for these bad guys."

　　Melly tensed her fingers around the potato. "Shut up!" She threw it as hard as she could.

　　The potato flew through the air, striking the Lead Zealot square in the face. It rebounded to the man on his right then continued to strike the third. Then the spud snapped back into Melly`s hand with an audible slap.

　　The lips of the lead zealot trembled. "What?"

　　All three of the Zealots stood motionless for the briefest of moments before the light in their eyes vanished and all three collapsed to the ground, dead. As the leader dropped to the ground, a large stone fell from his pocket.

　　"Well, that was easy," said Clemiticus. "I told you they say stupid stuff."

　　Melly gave him a defeated nod. She couldn`t argue with him.

　　The adventurer then scrambled to the ground and motioned to pick up the fallen stone.

　　Melly looked up as the sounds of iron collars falling to the ground all around them. The villagers were free.

　　Bing!

　　A blue flash of light flickered above, and a singsong voice rang out.

　　"Quest complete!"

　　"The party has received an enormous amount of experience points."

　　"Clemiticus has reached level eight."

　　"Melly has reached level five."

　　"Derrick has reached level four."

　　"Congrats, guys!" Clemiticus managed an odd smile of triumph as he hauled himself upright. He dragged a jumble of mud out of his pocket and began eating another one of his special healing delicacies. No doubt trying to replenish his health points from the cranial blow he had just received.

　　"Look here!" Clemiticus waved the stone at them, still chewing his `food`. "Remember this? It`s that ogre`s kidney stone. How on earth did this guy get this?"

　　Melly rolled her eyes and shivered with disgust.

　　"What? Do you want it? It may be valuable." Clemiticus misinterpreted Melly`s expression. "Here, take it," he offered it to her.

　　The putrid smell of the object wafted too close to her nostrils. "Ew! No!" she said as she slapped the Kidney stone out of his hand.

　　It fell between them and bounced on the floor. The shell cracked open, and a yellow gas poured out and shot upwards and enveloped the trio.

　　"Ah!" Melly screamed. The putrid smell overwhelmed her.

　　"This ain`t good, mate!"

　　"Wow! It`s so yellow," Clemiticus said. "Smells rank."

　　The gas rippled like a wave and flew up and surged into their nostrils. The three coughed and gagged.

　　Bing!

　　"Clemiticus has been infected with the Doom curse."

　　"Derrick has been infected with the Doom curse."

　　"Melly has been infected with the Doom curse."

　　Melly threw up her arms. "Oh, great! What now?"

　　"This ain`t good!" repeated Derrick.

　　"You think dad?"

　　"Calm down a sec you two!" Clemiticus said and turned to his always cheerful cobalt companion. "Identify de-buff."

　　The blue fairy beamed.

　　"Master! I cannot identify!"

　　"Oh, and that`s great!" Melly said, looking down to find an odd shape among the shrapnel of the now broken rock. Scrunched up and faded and covered with mould was a letter.

　　"Clemiticus there!" she pointed at it, not wanting to touch it.

　　He scooped it up and read:

　　Greetings and congratulations! If you are reading this, I regret to inform you that you are going to die. Within one week, you will feel the effects of the Doom curse. On the fourteenth day, you will die. And yes, it will be painful. Very painful. Your eyes will pop, your hair will fall out, your bones will splinter. You will be covered in boils. Heck, your boils will be covered in boils. If you wish not this fate, come to me and I will gladly remove the curse. For a price, of course. Hope to hear from you soon. Hope you are feeling well.

　　Yours sincerely, Fredreek Von Lousy of Bluehill town.

　　As if in response, the all too familiar blue light flickered once more, and Fairy then sang. "Your party has been granted the quest, `Do not die`. To complete this quest, travel to Bluehill town and meet with Fredreek Von Lousy and pay his price."

　　"We accept the quest," Melly said quickly.

　　Bing!