They nodded at each other as they sat at their gaming table, the timelines frozen before them. They placed their tokens on the selected play. Then time began.

The dragonborn smiled to himself, his voice bare above a whisper as his finger began to twirl in the air. A greenish bubble formed, the outer edge a slow swirl as the center grew still. With a chuckle he flicked the bubble with his finger and sent it straight at the half-orc.

The half-orc saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, and woefully turned to take the full impact of it in that eye. He screamed as his hand clawed at his face. He thought he could hear the quiet hiss as the acid began to eat at his flesh. He fell back against the wall. His body turned this way and that, as if to somehow move away from the pain. Then a fist shot out and knock him unconscious.

“And this was your subtle idea for how to get past the guard?” The dwarf shifted his axe as he stepped forward to look at the still body.

“Subtle? No, not exactly. But effective? Yes.” The dragonborn pulled his cloak back around himself.

“And what if he had dodged out of the way? Called for help?”

“If no one had prepared an attack by that time, then I do not know why I bother. And if they said, swore even, they could do to distract the others, keep them from hearing any cry. I see no one racing toward us.”

“Fine. Just grab the body and hide it somewhere. Sooner this mess is done with, the better.”

“I win.”

“I can use my eyes, thank you. And it is just the first. We have many to go.”

“True. But beginnings, you know.”

“Yes, I do.”