Lyra was very surprised by Ren's question. "Glimmerwasps? Are you crazy, Ren? They are very dangerous. They travel in big swarms. It is a suicide mission."
"Exactly!" Ren said. "High risk, high reward. Their stingers are valuable. And," he tapped his new sword, "if their stingers are that sharp, imagine how sharp they can make my sword."
"That's not how it works!" Lyra said. "You can't just add a stinger to a sword!"
Oh, but I can, Ren thought. He looked at Lyra with a serious face. "Lyra, trust me. You saw what I did to the goblins. We can do this."
Lyra did not want to go. It was a very bad idea. But she remembered how he had saved her. She saw the confidence in his eyes. A small, adventurous part of her wanted to believe him.
"Fine," she sighed. "We will go. But if it is too dangerous, we leave. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" Ren said with a big smile.
They first went to a shop to buy potions. Lyra used her own money to buy healing potions and anti-venom potions. They would need them if a wasp stung them.
They left the city and walked east. The happy, green woods started to change. The ground became wet and muddy. The trees were twisted and covered in green moss. A thick, white mist was everywhere. The air smelled like wet dirt and dead things.
"Welcome to the Sunken Fen," Lyra said. Her voice was nervous. "Be careful where you step."
Ren was not scared. He was excited. He poked strange plants with a stick and made jokes about the bad smell.
After walking for an hour, they found a sign. A big tree had deep cuts in its side. "Glimmerwasp marks," Lyra whispered. "They sharpen their stingers on trees. They are close."
They moved more quietly now. The air was full of a buzzing sound. Soon, they heard one sound that was louder and sharper than the others.
Ren stopped. He pointed through the mist. In a small, open area, they saw it.
A lone Glimmerwasp.
It was as big as a large dog. Its body was covered in a hard, shiny shell. Its wings moved so fast you could barely see them. But the most scary part was its stinger. It was very long and sharp, and a yellow poison dripped from its tip.
As they watched, the Glimmerwasp attacked a big beetle. Its stinger went through the beetle's hard shell with a loud crunch.
Then, the Glimmerwasp turned. Its big, strange eyes saw them.
The buzzing sound became a loud, angry shriek. It lifted off the ground and hovered for a second.
Then, it shot towards them like a living arrow.