After eating the rabbit stew that Giulia prepared, we settled down for the night.

Bowen climbed up a nearby oak tree and sat on a branch keeping watch. Inside the tent, I tried chatting with Giulia but she was sound asleep within five minutes of her head hitting the pillow.

“Giulia, are you awake?”

“Mhmph? (Snore....).”

I sighed. I needed to talk to somebody, but it was clear that she would not be providing any scintillating conversation tonight. Hopefully Bowen would provide better company.

Walking out of the tent, I headed towards the oak tree. I peered up into its topmost branches but didn’t see him there.

“Oi, Bowen, you up there?”

The only reply I got was the hoot of a nearby owl.

“That’s strange,” I muttered aloud and looked around. There was no trace of Bowen. He was probably out on a nature call, I reasoned.

Just as I was walking back to our tent, I felt a sudden hot breath on my neck.

“Where you going, little human?”

I slowly turned around and found myself face to face with an ogre.