《The Choice is Not Yours》 Chapter 1: First Choice ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± As I snap out my stupor, I try to think of a witty reply, but the typical answer of mine always amount to nothing. I am currently walking with an acquaintance of mine on campus. She''s a transfer student from China, and she sticks with me only because we share a class. I find the minute walks lackluster from the typical small talk about clubs and our current workload struggles, but I can''t think of much other to say to her. How boring of me. As we arrive near the building where her next lecture is located in, we quickly say our goodbyes, and go about our separate ways. My name is Amber, and I am your typical college student who has lost almost all feelings of happiness in everyday life. Tragic yes, sarcastic no. As I grow older, every day is a reminder that I''m not cut out like everyone else seems to be. God made me smart, but not book smart, which is a shame in this world. If I could be transferred to someplace that accepts the fantasy as reality, I probably won''t ever be bored with that kind of life. But, that kind of thinking is useless because those "what ifs" won''t get me anywhere. I drench myself with heavy steps on the puddles leftover from an earlier rainstorm, as I find myself daydreaming, lost in my thoughts once again. And before I know it, I arrive at a lake, which rests a little way beyond the path on the outskirts of the campus. I must have walked on the dirt road to get here because my shoes are caked with sludge. It makes me groan in pain because I know I will have to wash the shoes I am wearing now, as it is my only pair. I take a moment to glance at the ring of clear water untainted by the opaqueness surrounding it.I am proud to say that the lake is one of the perks of attending my college because overlooking the sparkling water stands tall trees losing their blood red leaves, as they fall gently on top of the water surface and float by the bunches, mimicking the look of lily pads. A soft splash resounds in the distance. There are fishes too; how exciting. Noises foreign to the natural sounds of the lake disturb the air. There, from across of me, is a girl and guy hanging out. I can''t hear exactly what they are talking about, but I can see that she is squatting close to the water; most likely enamored at her reflection, rather than at anything else swimming in the watery depths. She''s still peering into the water, and the guy just pushed her- wait, what? Oh, I can hear her now, in fact, she is extremely loud when she wants to be. His face turns into a drunken red from laughing too hard at the stunt he pulled. ¡°I can¡¯t swim!¡± She is clawing at the edge of the ring, but much to her demise, she cannot gain any solid ground from the muddy slope as she desperately tries to pull herself up and out. He ends his long-winded laughing fit, once he realizes it wasn''t just a prank anymore. He stretches out his hand, but due to the muddy ground, he slips and falls onto her. However, he is able to pull himself out of the water easily. I start to wonder if she''s going to live alongside the aquatic creatures in the lake at this point. She can do that if she''s in a fairy tale. In one of the stories, she''s the mermaid taking care of her seven ugly ducklings. But then a big, bad wolf comes along and eats the ducklings. She falls asleep waiting for a prince charming to come rescue her, but the boy turned out to be a clumsy white rabbit who''s too busy running; almost as if he was late to something. He gets eaten too.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Okay, okay settle down, Amber. Your convoluted mind is going someplace no reader wants to have a glimpse at, and it''s only the first chapter. I shift my attention to the lively girl determined to survive. She''ll be fine, won''t she? . . . . . If she drowned, perhaps this lake will be closed off to the public; all because some angry mom will storm into the College President''s office to complain that water is dangerous. No, Karen, your kid is an idiot for dying like that. I can almost picture the inevitable speeding of my failing sanity if the future decides that I am to not only spend time in court to give my testimony but also having to explain what happened, to the girl''s friends and family for years to come. Hey, if her family invites me to give a speech at her funeral, I might have to end her entire family first. Witnesses to crime scenes have it tough! I¡¯m thinking of useless things again, aren¡¯t I? I scratch my suddenly itchy cheek. "Fuck, this is annoying,¡± I mutter as I jog up to the girl. I take off my belt and wrap it around my wrist. With one hand, I grip the weeds underneath me while lowering my upper body to the lake¡¯s ring. ¡°Here grab it,¡± I say, balancing myself to not fall in as well. She grips my belt, and I pull her up. Continuous short gasps fill the air as she settles on the ground, her body visibly shaking for some reason. The guy says ¡°Thanks,¡± to me but I don¡¯t hear him. She is quite cute now that she has shut up and calmed down. I stare at her, unsure if I need to do anything else now that I forced myself into their business. He opens his mouth again, ¡°Sorry, Emily. I know you like pranks so I thought it would funn-¡± ¡°Fuck off,¡± she finally speaks; her face twists into a menacing growl. ¡°Heh...!¡± I wheeze out. They look at me in mild surprise, buthaving seen that I''ve done nothing else after that, they look back at each other. I take another glance at her. Her unicorn onesie she''s wearing is now completely soaked. It''s almost pitiful of her to be out in this cold weather after taking an unexpected dip. I strip out of my green jacket and toss it at her. I can do without this jacket; it is a small price to pay to leave without having to awkwardly say goodbye to them. Also, I am definitely not sticking around for the eventual bloodbath between the two of them. As I briskly walk away, I am hit with the suspicion that I am being watched. I twist my neck to find the source of this unsettling feeling, but before I do, a traumatizing blue screen of death faces me.
The Gods are amused.
What the fuck?A blue window depicting the words suddenly appears in front of me. I read too many isekai manga to know where this going. Another blue window appears.
Will you receive the power to see the correct path?
Yes No
Gods, huh. They think that they can show something outrageous to someone and expect that person in their right mind to wholeheartedly agree to their whim without questioning their sanity. . . . . . Well, they are fucking right. I press the ¡°Yes¡± button. Chapter 2: Enter the City My eyes are open, yet I can¡¯t see. The stillness of time permeates into my skin, stifling to my very core. I am floating, but my body feels heavy, sort of like I alone am bearing the weight of the heavens. I try to make a single movement, but my effort amounts to nothing. I am at my limit, and I tire to stay awake. I guess all I can do is sleep. But if I sleep, I believe nothing will ever be the same when I wake up again. . . . . . *Bzzzzz* *Bzzzzzzzz* The singing of insects drones on. I reluctantly open my eyes, and the grogginess from a disturbed awakening immediately dissipates, smothered by the soothing feeling of the cool and damp grass underneath me. I sit underneath a towering tree canopy, as I listen to the singing insects and the call of wild animals. In one direction, a faint trickle of flowing water is audible, and my throat tightens because I notice my thirst. I get up and stumble through the forest floor in search of sweet relief. Upon escaping the undergrowth, I am met with an open, sparkling river straight out of a high budget nature documentary. I hardly ever visit the far outdoors, except a few times when I took summer camping trips. But the image in front of me takes the cake. It is so breathtakingly beautiful that I almost forget my thirst. I step closer until I am standing right by the riverbank. The water is clear, but that is not the only thing that catches my attention. Myself. The image reflected depicts a young girl unfamiliar to me. She is cute yet intimidating. Long and silky silver hair frames slightly over light brown eyes. I turn away, unable to take another second to stare into those sharp eyes staring back at me. I glance down at my body, as I raise my hands to make sure it¡¯s still me. Large, fair-skinned hands slightly twitch back. My chest is small; it¡¯s quite easy to tell from my part because I can see my toes just fine by looking down. I am not me? Did I die? My throat becomes tight once more.
Go to the nearest capital.
Right, there''s that to do. Where is the nearest capital? I glance back at the forest whence I came from; the tree shadows seemingly appearing darker. Yeah, I''m not going back there. If I do, then I''ll be the next Gretel without the breadcrumbs. Besides, even if the route to civilization is through a forest, I don''t have any proper supplies for a spontaneous camping trip.Or do I? I am wearing black tactical clothing with numerous filled pockets. I take each item out and lay them on the ground. There are a few coins of undetermined value, a pouch of pumpkin seeds, a badge, rolls of gauze, a sheathed knife, and lastly, a flask, which I assume contains either alcohol or water. I take a sip from the flask.Ugh, gross. It¡¯s coffee milk. I stare at the odd collection of items, some more useful than most of the bunch. I question why pumpkin seeds and coffee milk are included, considering that I have a dislike for the taste of seed and milk. After putting each item back inside their respective pocket, I choose to walk upstream on a slight uphill slope. I walk for an hour or so, hoping that something appears, despite my tireless state. Up ahead, an unnatural formation looks to be around five kilometers away. Tall walls surround a large metropolis glittering with speckled lights, contrasting the late evening sun. On the outskirts of the city walls, people with flashy hair colors are waiting for entry. They stand in multiple lines, every one of them resembling a cut and paste anime protagonist. One particular line is much shorter than the others, so I walk over there to line up. The last person waiting enters the gate just as I arrive. ¡°Authentication, miss,¡± a uniformed man says in a gruff voice. Do I have any?I recall that I have a badge; I don¡¯t know what it represents, but it¡¯s the only thing that is close to what he wants. I pull out the badge and flash it at him. ¡°Go right ahead, miss,¡± he says after inspection. I walk through the gate, passing another uniformed man, though this man is older and looks much more experienced in his line of work as a gatekeeper. He walks to where I was standing at the checkpoint with the first guard. ¡°Newbie, your shift is done! That girl just now, isn¡¯t s-...? Hey, stop dozing off! Just because no one is in line doesn''t mean you can take it easy!¡± the older guard barks. ¡°I swear, if you slack off one more time, you''ll be taking an apprentice role for the Gods know how long,¡± the older guard sighs.Stolen novel; please report. --- --- --- The entryway into the city consists of a large tunnel, so the distance between the gate and the inner city is quite far apart. Perhaps this architecture is designed to give citizens and the ruler more time to escape, should they be invaded. Upon exiting the tunnel, it appears that I am in the marketplace because of the unmistakable scene of bustling people and the hubbub of bartering. I avoid bumping into people as I make my way to check out the stalls. One stall owner is selling an assortment of strange vegetables I have never seen before, while another stall owner is selling dried meats. It¡¯s a typical market that offers all sorts of goods that can be capitalized on. Scents of smoked meats and spices waft the entire street; however, that does nothing to stimulate my appetite. I focus on planning the next steps I should take for the first night. Assuming that the gate will close by nightfall, I need to find a place to sleep later. But first, I need to figure out how the currency works, and what each coin I pocket is worth.
After passing the farthest stall, take a left, two rights, and two lefts. Your destination will be on your right.
So much for my plans. Isilently mumble the directions under my breath to make sure I will not forget. As I exit the main street and enter a side street, the atmosphere drops. Within hearing distance, the lively energy from the main street becomes background noises. I guess this is the quieter part of the city. With the last rays of the setting sun, I hurry over to complete the last few turns. As I make the second-last turn, I stop short once I notice a group of rough-looking men within several feet of the next corner I will have to take. ¡°Hey misses, I think you¡¯re in the wrong part of town. The main street is not here,¡± a lanky fellow speaks up after noticing my presence. The other two in the group stare at me, deciding to let the lanky fellow do the talking. ¡°No, I am here for a reason. I came from the main street,¡± I reply. ¡°Well, you must be mistaken because there are no such shops here that serve pretty ladies like you. Only seedy shops exist here serving less than favorable customers, with even fewer tastes,¡± he chuckles. ¡°Okay, thanks for the information, I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± I dismiss him. ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t we boys help guide you to your destination? We know this place like the back of our hands, and we will be more than happy to help a lost lamb,¡± the lanky man says as he glances at his mates like so. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll figure it out by myself,¡± I say in a mildly annoyed tone. All I need to do is take another left. ¡°Ah, I tried asking nicely. But you need to come with us. We¡¯ll be taking you to a shop that will serve customers a taste of you instead,¡± his lips twist into a sinister smile. That was the cue for the rest of the group to move, as they stalk towards me. I stand up straighter, finally regarding the situation. They move slowly, taking their sweet time to casually blow out their last puff of smoke before carelessly flicking their cigarettes to the side. In this narrow alleyway, I watch them. With my back facing the wall, the only directions I can go from here is forward or to my left. It''s always fascinating to see an animal''s first instinct when it is cornered; in most cases, its first instinct is either flight or fight, but quite a few are something special. Humans too are subject to these situations. In a day-to-day event, some people battle their daily tasks, while others, shut themselves in, and hide from their responsibilities. Their nature is even more clear when they are facing a life or death situation; for instance, such as this moment here and now. My eyes slowly blink at the towering man facing me. The muscled underling bends his head down to give me an intimidating sneer. His thick hand is almost touching my left wrist. Oh, what will they do in a life or death situation? I throw an uppercut directly to his jaw. "MppphhH-?!"His body hangs in midair for several seconds from the force of the blow, and his face explodes like a crushed tomato. Blood spews from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. He crumples in the ground like a puppet who lost its strings. ¡°-You!¡± another underling screams as he rips a knife out of its sheath. He madly swings toward my throat, but he is slow. Too slow. His short arms cannot reach me when I take a single step back. I deliver a chop to his elbow tendon on the arm holding the weapon. *KruccchHh* He screams in pain at the sight of his forearm drop to his side like pudding. The useless limb sways in the nonexistent wind like a greased-up hinge. He falls into a fetal position on the floor from the pain, his legs unable to care about supporting his body anymore. With a shaky hand, he tightly holds onto his broken limb, fearing that it might just pop out of its socket. ¡°She¡¯s a fucking monster!¡± the lanky man from before runs away as he calls out to no one around. I look at the devastation I caused. I did this? A slight twinge of regret itches at my throat. I must have taken a wrong turn and ended up in this situation all by my own doing. Yes. That¡¯s why the blue box couldn''t prepare for this situation, and the blue boxes are never wrong. So, my fault, I guess. ¡°Auggghhhh. . .¡± the not-so-armed attacker groans out in pain. Oh yeah, I just remembered what I need to do. I grip the man''s hair, lifting his head off the ground, my other hand revealing some coins. ¡°What is each coin worth?¡± Chapter 3: Who am I? Night has fallen, and the people who were formerly walking on these streets, are now nowhere to be seen. Instead, they have settled inside the warmly lit shops, which shine like a beacon to those who still remain outside. If the golden lights are not enough to beckon the lonely, wandering souls indoors, it''s the cheers of jovial laughter that will. Bars and pubs are where people can enjoy themselves without any worries about what lies beyond thesafety of the premises because people learn to eat and drink to live and forget. But would they feel safe knowing a murderer is amongst them? Could I upset everyone¡¯s evening with my wicked presence, just so I could have a meal? Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t go inside. After all, I killed a man. Do I deserve to eat like any other human being? The question is not if others can accept me as a murderer; it is if I can accept myself for doing what I needed to do. But, by the looks of my guilty conscious revealing itself in the form of excuses that are starving me both physically and mentally, I cannot answer my question. Nonetheless, I must eat. I enter the nearest eatery and walk to the counter. I hear whispers from all sides growing hush and anxious, but I keep walking. ¡°What¡¯ll be?¡± says a young woman wearing a brown apron. ¡°What food you serve?¡± I ask. She slides a menu toward me. Then, she heeds another customer who sits down also. It¡¯s strange. These writings are not in my native language, yet I can read them. That reminds me, the sign at the front door reads ¡°Silver Lion,¡± but how did I know that vague name corresponds to a place to eat, and not some other type of establishment? Food comes first, so never mind that. I order a meat dish and a water. After a few moments of waiting, I grow bored. I look over to the woman until she makes eye contact with me. ¡°Is there any news from this country?¡± I question. ¡°Are you a traveler? Well, for the news, there are more bad than good. New types of monsters are being sighted all over the kingdom. Those creatures are built stronger and faster than ever before. Travelers should beware of the higher risk, and know that death will likely come to those who leave the city¡¯s walls,¡± she speaks lowly. I say nothing but glance at her to continue. ¡°Many infamous criminals are mobilizing ever since a couple of weeks ago. I don¡¯t know for what reason they¡¯ve returned to perform their heinous deeds after being dormant for so long. But, they seem here to stay, and now they¡¯re stirring up trouble for the newly ordained emperor and empress,¡± she sighs softly. ¡°What kind of criminals are they?¡± I question curiously. ¡°Oh, you know, arsonists, mass murderers, grand theft of the crown, terrorists who want to destroy the world...¡± she trails off. ¡°That last bit cannot be true,¡± I say in disbelief. ¡°Hehe, you got me,¡± she breaks out into a small smile but returns stoic as she continues. ¡°But who knows if that will happen again? After all, the "Last Contender War" ended a mere forty years ago,¡± she murmurs uneasily. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t,¡± I comment, going along with the flow of the conversation. And that was the cue for our brief exchange to end. She heads off to wait on more orders from the other customers. After finishing the meal, I pay the check and leave the pub. I walk around to find a place to stay for the night and soon I spot a sign that reads ¡°Harte Inn.¡± ¡°Welcome to the Harte Inn. Do you wish to rent a room?¡± the man at the desk greets me as I enter. ¡°Yes, how much is a room per night?¡± I ask. ¡°It¡¯s five silvers, breakfast included, which for tomorrow morning is a bowl of stew and a loaf of bread,¡± he answers easily. Wordlessly, I hand him the silver, and he gives me a key.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Since the buildings on this street only reach an upward of two stories, it does not take long to find my room. Upon entering the quarters, my eyes zone onto the bed, and before I know it, I¡¯m already fast asleep with clothes still on, along with the day¡¯s fatigue. --- --- --- Thanks to a dreamless night, I wake up with the rising sun. Surprisingly, I did not get any nightmares. It should be convenient plot-wise that nightmares would be sent my way to spook me. Either that or a message, welcoming me to my new life from whoever put me into this world. But, seeing as nothing happened in my sleep, maybe the unknown being is a benevolent soul who just decided to transfer me, free of charge. However, that reasoning is a bit far-fetched because people never do things without an aim. But then again, if they did want something from me in return for the chore of putting me here in the first place, they would have told me my purpose or main objective was, right from the beginning. Seeing that I''m free to do whatever, I''ll go with the flow of random events. I did just that yesterday, and I even made some progress in settling into this new life thanks to those blue boxes. I take the coins out of my pocket. Last night, the man told me thatten coppers are worth one silver, and a hundred silvers are worth one gold. When I showed him my badge, he begged me to let him go. ¡°I am not wanted by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, so why did they send you?!¡± So, I am an adventurer in this world. How convenient. I have to thank the man for the information he gave me. Well, I let him go, along with his other arm in one piece. --- --- --- I arrive at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. It¡¯s a mid-size two-story building, and compared to the other buildings on this street, the Guild building is a bit larger than the others, but not so much as to make more than a slight difference. I enter and walk up to the teller. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the lady at the desk greets me. ¡°Do you have any jobs available?¡± I ask. ¡°Opening jobs at this guild, or do you mean quests?¡± she inquires quizzically. ¡°Quests,¡± I swiftly correct myself. ¡°Show me your badge,¡± she states a matter of factually. I hand her the badge, and she places it on a magic circle. Immediately, the magic circle glows with a light blue color, and a screen pops up, which it hovers above the badge. ¡°Since you¡¯re a copper rank, the only quest you can accept is "Wolf Extermination" requested by C.J.,¡± her eyes skim over the screen. ¡°The adventurers will slay fifteen wolves at Genry Cave and they must bring back the left paws belonging to the wolves as proof. An additional note left by the issuer of the quest states that whoever takes up this quest can keep the rest of the slain wolves, on top of the 50 silvers reward,¡± she finishes. ¡°How can I move up a rank?¡± I ask, already bored with this tedious task. She looks at me with shock written all over her face. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I say, genuinely concerned about the possibility that I blew my cover and revealed myself as a person who does not belong. ¡°... No, it¡¯s just that according to your records, you have well enough credits to be in steel ranking but you have never upgraded your rank.¡± Weird. Maybe the badge was already equipped with credits by the time I came into this world? --- --- --- I am currently on the main street. Stuffed in my pockets are wrapped up chunks of various dried meats. With food taken care of, the only other thing I need is a bigger weapon. The knife in my pocket is not going to cut it. . . . . . ¡°Get out,¡± a burly man blocking the doorway to a Blacksmith¡¯s shop says. He grabs an axe from the display window and makes a show of power by raising it above his head in a striking position. I say nothing and turn away to find another shop that is hopefully more welcoming. . . . . . Only the word "Leave" resounds in my head as I step outside the second Blacksmith''s shop. So, what the fuck is going on? What I thought was a simple task, appears not so elementary anymore. Maybe the reason I can¡¯t get what I want is due to my incompetence. Or perhaps, it could be someone else''s fault that is preventing me from reaching my goal. Either way, I''m allowed to be frustrated, can''t I?
Question the next shop owner.
That¡¯s right; if I want answers, then all I have to do is ask. I look around for another Blacksmith¡¯s shop. It takes me a while, but eventually, I find one tucked in the back ends of the main street. From the outside, I could see a boy behind the counter. He looks like a pushover; this is perfect. I wait for my breathing to return to normal, and walk through the shop¡¯s door. He notices me quickly, and his demeanor shifts into that of a no-bullshit attitude. ¡°I am not allowed to sell any weapons to you. Please leave,¡± the boy sternly speaks. ¡°Why? Is it because I¡¯m a girl,¡± I say coming to my conclusion. ¡°No, now leave,¡± he says flatly. ¡°I am not leaving until you answer me,¡± my voice rises with noticeable anger in my tone. ¡°Leave. Now,¡± his voice also grows irritated. In a flash, I reach over the counter and grab his apron. I lift him off the ground with one hand, while my other hand closes into a fist, raised and ready to strike. ¡°Talk, or else I''ll beat you black and blue,¡± I seethe, too frustrated at this outcome. He sneers at me, now that he¡¯s hanging at my face level. ¡°I don¡¯t sell to the likes of team killers.¡± Chapter 4: My Biting Hand Ifinally hear the unspoken words no one has dared to speak until now. The boy is staring me down. His life could very well be ended by my hands, yet his eyes continue to defiantly glare at me with unwavering ferocity. Seconds pass uneventfully, and his expression changes to a growing smirk when he realizes that I have yet to do any harm to him. Despite how much I dislike his mocking face, I loosen my grip and let him down. He dusts his apron off without another word. Then, he moves to take his seat at the counter and tinkers with some pieces of scrap. Fuck him. I completed my objective, albeit in the most uncivilized manner. But, truthfully, it was beyond reparable, ever since I walked inside. --- --- --- The city walls grow distant as I walk down on what appears to be a well-maintained path. It''s surprising to see that someone is willing to put money into caring for the infrastructure that extends out to the middle of nowhere. I frown from the lack of stimulus necessary to keep myself distracted from the bubbling consciousness of self-hatred knocking in to say, "Hello." There''s not much to pay attention to besides the rustling from the trees and the skitter of small, harmless animals; noises which I have long since filtered out. What am I doing here? I ... I have to fetch some things for someone. Does that make me a replaceable cog in the wheel? That cannot be true. Besides, a greater being chose me! But for what purpose, I do not know. I amuse myself with delusions of my grand importance to the universe. However, the egoist in me is unable to continue daydreaming when the gentle breeze tickles my fingertips, bringing me back to the desolate dirt path. *Swish* A glint of metal flies past my head. ¡°-Tch,¡± a voice spits out from the trees. A little girl and a man step into the clearing. They are wearing worn-out clothing, but their most interesting feature is that they are somewhat mangled. The girl is wearing an eye patch over what appears to be scorch marks plastered on the side of her face, while the man is missing an arm, with just the stump sticking out. ¡°How did you dodge that arrow?¡± the man grumbles. ¡°Pardon?¡± I say. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don''t know what I''m talking about. I saw you turned your head just as the arrow was released. It was as if you knew it was coming,¡± the man speaks first. ¡°Maybe your aim is bad?¡± I shrug. ¡°The best marksman in the country never misses his mark," he boldly declares and smirks, "since you''ll be dead, let me have a go with your body. It''s the least I can do to help fulfill your purpose as a woman." ¡°I¡¯m a girl too,¡± his partner mutters. ¡°Not with that blasted eye of yours,¡± he snickers. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that the D-¡± *Smack* Her head whips violently to her shoulder. ¡°Shut up, and do your part,¡± he statesbluntly. Upon drawing their swords, they move with practiced steps, keeping their distance from me, but evidently edging closer. I eye the man whose arm waves his sword slightly up and down. I stand on guard, ready for his first strike. Any second now.He teases some more, but I dare not to blink. "Are you going to do som-" I began.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Like a snake leaping up to strike, his blade swipes across my chest, and a light shower of my blood splatter on the ground. I clench my teeth in pain and stumble back to avoid further injury, however, an arrow swishes by and grazes my cheek. Another enemy? I scrutinize the swordsman in confusion. He isn''t the one who shot both arrows? I study his profile for hidden weapons; my eyes eventually returning to the sword in his only hand. He''s a cripple. The man performs the same sword swipe, the edge a centimeter away from my neck this time. I land onto the ground, but before I could get back up, the little girl pounces on me. She¡¯s straddling me. The sun is shadowed by her lithe body, but the gleam of a short blade blinds me. It¡¯s a knife, my knife. Since when did she take that? With small hands, she raises it and drives the knife downwards to my throat. Woah, she¡¯s going for the kill. Before it''s too late, I thrust my hand to grab her wrist. I forcibly push her arm upwards far away from me, while I sit up and lift my torso into an upright position until she¡¯s face-to-face with me. ¡°I think using a sword suits you more,¡± I nod at her. She doesn¡¯t answer. Instead, she uses her other hand to beat against my chest. ¡°Let go...!¡± she angrily gasps out. As she fruitlessly fights against my hold, the man who had paused to let the girl do the work begins to move again once he notices that I am still alive and kicking. "You''re fucking useless. You can''t do a simple task of killing a random girl. Since the beginning, I took care of you when no one else did; until this very day where I now lay in ruin. And it''s all your fault," he recites. He lifts the sword from its resting position as if it weighed no more than a feather.Cold steel shines as it swings towards my neck. His golden eyes glow with electricity, the intent to kill wired into his body. The little girl''s body is the way of the trajectory of the swing, but I doubt her skin and bones can stop the sword from reaching my neck. She and I are going to get severed in half, yet she¡¯s too busy yelling at me to realize that. *Splurt* The metallic tang of blood stinks the air. Red, viscous fluid drips slowly from the sword, and onto the ground. The good news is that the girl is safe. The bad news is that I¡¯m bleeding profusely. I grabbed onto the weapon without thinking, and now my hand hurts! It could have been worse, much worse.Still, this unfamiliar pain destroys the dam in my tear ducts, and yet, I am unable to still the thin edge of a grin. "Is that all?" I chuckle, closing my eyes to prevent the tears from escaping. The weapon shakes and digs deeper into my split palm. Then, a loud thud sounds, and the pressure against my palm vanishes. Is he still here? I open my eyes, letting it all overflow while I search for the menace. He is gone, but what about the archer? The fist pounding against my chest grows weak with each feeble attempt to push me away. I look at the girl who¡¯s curled at my lap in alarm. I forgot she existed for maybe thirty seconds, and she''s reduced to such a pitiable state. ¡°L-L...¡± ¡°...g...,¡± she cries softly. Her wrist and hand are purple. I didn¡¯t realize how tightly I¡¯ve been squeezing her. I let go immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you,¡± I sayhonestly. She says nothing but has this defeated look shadowing her face. Well, now I know how to beat assassins coming after my life into meek, submissive bunnies.I grimaced. That sounds wrong. I peer at her shrunken figure still on my lap. What to do now, Amber? She¡¯s been abandoned, and despite how badly he treated her, at least she had someone taking care of her. My hand reaches out to hold her. She flinches at my touch but does not say anything. Ah, this is my bloodied hand. Her wispy, snow-white locks are dyed in generous droplets of red. She looks good with my color tainted on her body, beautiful even. ¡°Will you come with me?¡± I ask. ¡°Are you saying that you want to be my master?¡± she replies with a blank look on her face. ¡°No,¡± I furrow my brow in displeasure, unable to say anything else following my denial. "Then, you don''t want me," she murmurs, eyes downcast. ¡°I want a partner who will share both my joys and hardships. I do not need slaves,¡± I say slowly. And someone who will not leave me to my thoughts. She shakes her head, but not so much as to escape from my hand, ¡°You just want to use me, that¡¯s why you want me to come with you,¡± she firmly speaks. I sigh exasperatedly. ¡°Is that so? Then, fine, I¡¯ll be your master,¡± I announce. Words won¡¯t be enough to convince her to change her mind. I can¡¯t change the perfect slave. She¡¯s been chained to the shackles inside a cave, only to see shadows of what lies from the outside, and nothing else. That is the life of talentless people. But who knows? Maybe she¡¯ll discover that human relationships aren¡¯t limited to a hierarchy of slave and master. And maybe then, she¡¯ll leave the cave without ever looking back. I push her off my lap and gaze at the direction of where my quest lies. ¡°Let''s exterminate some wolves.¡± Chapter 5: Chop Chop My slave and I arrive at the mouth of the cave. Now that I think about it, she never introduced herself. She wasn¡¯t much for conversation since we met a few miles back, but neither was I. And that is perfectly fine. As I peer into seemingly bottomless depths, the jagged formations of rock leave not much to the imagination of what could await inside. There are wolves in there for sure, but other monsters such as goblins could be lurking in the passages. And those green midgets breed with women, who are all clearly out of the goblin¡¯s league, and the babies still end up looking like green scum. It¡¯s a shame really, what a waste. Life itself is a sadist, and it is even less kind to those who are unprepared for it. Say, if a group of adventurers wished to explore a cave without the basic necessities; they could be slaughtered or raped by goblins, and it would be entirely their fault. Such an occurrence shouldn¡¯t be surprising. However, I won¡¯t meet my bad end here today, after all, I am strong. ...And a hypocrite. I am seconds before entering a big, scary cave and the best I prepared is by bringing along some foodstuff, a child that would probably kill me in my sleep, and the same knickknacks in my pockets that I woke up with. Yet, I can¡¯t bring myself to care about my situation. . . . . . A familiar heaviness envelops me whole. The chillness dances between my knees and tickles my nose as we weave through the stalagmites. It feels like I had stepped into a different dimension again. Caves are wonderful in that sense. Behind me, my slave makes rustling noises from fumbling with her clothing. *Krrssh* Warmth seeps into my skin. I turn around to see her holding a torch up. ¡°Why?¡± I ask. ¡°I thought a light would help you see,¡± she replies flatly. ¡°It¡¯s bright as day in here, what are you saying?¡± I respond quizzically. I shift my eyes around dramatically to emphasize my point. She stands there with a puzzled look gracing her face, the warmth of a torch''s glow nowhere to be seen. I breathe out heavily after realizing my mistake. We are in a place tucked away where the sun''s ray cannot reach, but my perception of reality is not registering with logic. It must be dark because she took out a torch. ¡°Let''s go,¡± I shrug, choosing to not explain something that I cannot explain myself. We continue onward. Swirls of deep rock formations scrap my sides in some of the narrower tunnels. I have yet to see any signs of life; perhaps a bone, damaged tools, or even the remains of an abandoned campsite would give some indication as to who or what might have been here before me. But no, the place looks to be relatively empty of life. *Grrrr* A low growl echoes, followed by the sound of metal scraping rock. My body stills mid-step. I notice them. Their green eyes glow bright, contrasting their coarse, heavy, dull coats. Eerie shadows of their silhouettes dance and cascade in the open cavern walls while they slink restlessly without purpose. What¡¯s strange is that their shadows range from skinny to mammoth, yet all contorted. Their actual bodies are that of large dire wolves. Their fur stands upright, seemingly denser than burnt fudge, and even possibly able to stop, let¡¯s say my knife from reaching into their body.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Fighting these monsters may be difficult, so I hope my slave is up for this. On second thought, will she be able to handle this fight? She was easily taken down as the afterthought of the previous battle. ¡°Run outside now,¡± I whisper to her behind me. The air hangs from her brief hesitation, but she takes a few steps back, and then she breaks out into a run. The wolves jolt alive and they begin to run towards me. Many pairs of glowing green eyes zigzag through the air, mirroring the collective waves of glow sticks in a dark concert hall. *THump, thUMP, tHUmp, thuMp* Heavy feet pound the ground, while I brace myself for the impending flurry of limb-tearing bites. But none stopped to spare me a second glance because they had mutually chosen another target. Her. I sigh just at the time that I icepick grip my knife. I stare at the back of my fleeing slave and make a single backward thrust; the polished blade immediately sinks into the wolf that tried to pass me. It falls unceremoniously on its snout. I pretend that I am in a track race, with all the other runners trying to reach the goal. But I need to be faster. My knife rips into each wolf I pass them, unrelenting while each one of them yips in pain. Eventually, I stop when there is only stale air between the slave and me. I turn around to face the rest of the pack that has yet to catch up. ¡°You will have to get to me first before you can touch what is mine!¡± I give a toothy grin at the monsters. The remaining of the pack shift cautiously on their feet upon seeing their fallen brethren laying in heaps of fur soaking in the pool of their blood. However, that does not stop three wolves from pouncing at me, claws raised. I roll underneath one and raise my knife piercing its neck and letting the wolf¡¯s momentum from jumping forward do the work, dragging the blade down to its tail. I make quick work of the other two in their surprised state. Having eliminated the immediate threats, I raise my head and peer at the pack with an unsympathetic expression. "..." The ground shakes once again when the horde moves as one. Only this time, they have a different prey in mind. --- --- --- The heat of the afternoon sun kisses my skin.It¡¯s too hot.When I open my eyes, I see a single red eye staring at me.¡°What happened?¡± I croak. ¡°I found you sleeping on top of a pile of monster corpses,¡± she speaks. ¡°Is that so?¡± I murmur to myself. She doesn¡¯t reply but continues to stare at me. Does that mean she came back for me after I told her to run away? How stupid of her. What if I was in the middle of being brutally torn apart by the monsters? What would she have done then? I could punish her for not listening to me. I furrow my brows in mild annoyance at her, ready to lecture her. Well, I¡¯m outside now, thanks to her. I suppose she dragged me out during my brief unconscious state. How pathetic of me. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid,¡± I reach up to tuck my hand under her jawline. It¡¯s becoming a strange habit of mine. She doesn¡¯t flinch this time; most likely because my hand is caked with dried blood instead of the uncomfortable wetness of freshly spilled blood. ¡°I have to gather the quest materials,¡± I mention. ¡°I collected their left paws,¡± she says. ¡°...How do you know the quest specifics? I never told you,¡± my brain racks up the few words we exchanged earlier today. ¡°The left paw has medicinal properties. I assumed the quest you mentioned had to deal with that, so I gathered them while you were resting,¡± she answers. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the best,¡± I relax, sinking my head deeper into her thighs. ¡°It is expected for a slave to know her master¡¯s wishes,¡± she speaks monotonically. ¡°Hehe, even so. You¡¯re a good girl,¡± I chuckle. She only continues to stare at me. "..." ¡°Now let¡¯s head back. We¡¯re eating a feast!¡± I grin and stretch out. She follows behind, dragging along an oversaturated bag of freshly chopped paws. Chapter 6: The Unwanted Adventurers I turn in the quest items and receive the 50 silver coins in exchange. The quest only requires 15 wolf paws, and since I have over 40 of them, the clerk offered to buy the remainder in exchange for a sum of four silvers; to which I accepted. Upon exiting the Guild, I am yet again reminded of the elephant in the room; only this elephant had gone mad and ate the ringleader, leaving the audience to stare from their seats, eyes wide open in aghast. I need to get this blood off. The spotlight is blinding. I wander through the streets in search of a place where I can wash up, eventually arriving in front of a bathhouse. I head inside and speak with the clerk. According to him, for the price of two silver coins, they offer a bath and the option for our clothes to be laundered. I place two pieces from my newly acquired silver on the table. He then hands me two keys to lock our things and informs us to leave our clothing in the assigned baskets. Without further instruction, I walk through the nearest open door. It¡¯s a locker room, so I find my numbered locker, and proceed to unload all of my belongings. I strip out of my clothing, expecting to see a bloody mess. I become pleasantly surprised to see that none of the blood seeped through the fabric and onto my skin. The wrapped bandages all over my body are a pristine white. Frankly speaking, why am I covered in gauze? I don¡¯t feel pain anywhere, so these wrappings seem unnecessary; for both the adventure and the bath. Upon taking the gauze off my chest, my breasts spill out. They are small, perhaps even smaller than an A-cup. It¡¯s not a big deal, I was a girl in my previous life after all. I hurry to wash up in the shower room, and then head into the bath area. Dozens of ladies are soaking in the bath; their figures obscured by the rising steam from the water. The women are in their groups, merrily exchanging light laughter, belonging only to the fairest of them all. It makes me believe that I am at the edge of paradise, yet at the same time, unable to join them because I do not belong in their world. I tentatively step into the closest open water. Warm. I sink myself deeper into the bath until my chin rests above the water. It¡¯s too hot. I make my way back into the locker room so I can dry off and reapply the gauze on the same places from a fresh roll. After changing into a white robe lying in a basket, I walk through another door, entering what appears to be a living room. Clothes lay neatly folded on various tables. Ah, that¡¯s mine. I couldn¡¯t have been in the bath for more than a few minutes; it¡¯s almost like magic how quickly my clothes have been washed and dried. As I change out of the robe, I spy my slave in the same room. Her eye patch is gone, and what it was hardly hiding are patches of skinless lumps. The discoloration is spread into her scalp and behind her ears. The marks on her face are ugly. Who am I to pretend to say that they¡¯re not? I remember the time when my mother¡¯s skin was peeling off from a rare disease. Her skin was unbearably itchy to the point where she couldn¡¯t sleep at night. She lost tens of pounds in a matter of weeks. She had to cover up her peeling skin, sweating under summer¡¯s sun, irritating her skin further. Every itch and unconscious scratch served as a constant reminder that she couldn¡¯t live a normal life anymore. She became a broken record by repeatedly telling everyone that she wasn¡¯t contagious; almost as if she was apologizing to everyone that she was sick. I knew those were excuses only meant to keep her from losing her family and friends who possibly feared to catch her case. She was a people person, and she felt that if she lost everyone, she would be nothing. That is the life of talentless people.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The "me" who never says more than a few words has no intention of speaking to my slave directly. She notices my gaze and then shifts her attention to putting on her eye patch and robe. Like a flash, she¡¯s out of my sights. I clench my fists, but they don¡¯t slam anywhere, only tensing safely at my sides. Once again, I can¡¯t do anything. --- --- --- For the long-anticipated meal, we are seated in a nearby pub. As we quietly eat our meal, the boisterous diners drone on with talk and gossip. I make a happy smile while munching on my steak. ¡°... Can you believe how stupid he is?¡± a man laughs. His two mates sitting at his table hoot at his remark. ¡°That¡¯s right! My cousin¡¯s son wants to be an adventurer. He¡¯s eight years old; far too old to be having those fantasies. He needs to get with reality and find an apprenticeship soon, or else every other kid in this city will take all the spots,¡± he slams his drink on the table. ¡°If he does become an adventurer, I bet he¡¯ll be turning to me for money. I, an honest guard to this grand city, working day in and day out to protect the good citizens from monsters. To think that in the future I would be graciously handing out my hard-earned coin to this ragtag adventurer earning just copper coins. Ha! Me related to an adventurer? I¡¯ll beat that boy to turn him straight even if he¡¯s not my kid,¡± he chuckles shamelessly. I finish the last bite of my steak, contemplating if I should order another one. I shake my head. My slave tilts her head in confusion. Alright, I could go for more quests. I need to achieve a higher rank within the Adventurer''s Guild quickly, so more opportunities for exciting fun can happen.I slump in my chair, stomach full and satisfied.I have plenty of silver in hand which could last me for quite a while. And besides, I am already high in the adventurer''s rank without doing anything at all. Perhaps, I can just take it easy for a week. I mentally slap myself in the face. My mindset is all wrong. I will never have enough money. --- --- --- ¡°Slay ten goblins at an underground nest in the Ruins of Yikini. The questers must bring back their hearts. Turner Bloend offers a 35 copper reward upon completion of this quest,¡± she reads. ¡°Why is this reward so little?¡± I question her. ¡°Ma¡¯am. Quest rewards depend on the issuer of the quest. Take it or leave it?¡± she rubs her temples. . . . . . The Sun is still up. I¡¯d say there are maybe a few hours before nightfall. It¡¯s just me and my slave sitting around with nothing to do. ¡°Auurgghh...¡± I groan out. The douchebag from the pub was right; being an adventurer sucks financial-wise. I look over to my companion, ¡°Slave, do you know how to survive the city life?¡± ¡°I can sell my body,¡± she states a matter of factually. A noise of displeasure escapes my throat at those stupid words. ¡°No, you¡¯re mine. I already said so,¡± I reach over to grasp at her bruised wrist. She winces at either the memory or the pain. ¡°No one is allowed to touch you, except for me,¡± I stare into her one good eye. ¡°Remember that now,¡± I say before breaking eye contact. I settle down on the ring of the fountain and lay there silently for a good many minutes. Where are those blue boxes when I need them? ¡°¡­ ¡¯Scuse me, misses. I notice your partner here has a sword. Are you adventurers?¡± a young man approaches. ¡°That I am,¡± I reply. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t a formal quest in the books, but can you help me?¡± he begins. ¡°I¡¯ll listen,¡± I shrug. ¡°My daughter is very sick. And she needs medicine for her sudden illness but, ... the price of medicine is higher than I could ever afford. I need adventurers to find the ingredients for me. I do not have a lot of money, but I beg of you, please help me!¡± he bows his head. I could stay silent as I always do, letting the conversation fade away. But I want to change. For this time and future times, I can do something."I''ll take your quest." ¡°Thank you so much!¡± he lifts his head. ¡°Please come to my house, and I¡¯ll show you what the ingredients look like.¡± I¡¯m not helping because of the logic that adventurers are supposed to be heroic and whatnot. I have nothing to do, after all! He slips into the alleyway, expecting us to follow. My slave gives me a look, but I do not see that as I jump up and chase after him. Chapter 7: Play of the Year We arrive at the slums. Shoddily built huts haphazardly lean against each other as far as the eye can see. Through the twists and turns, the man we met moments ago guides us. We spend a great deal of time ducking and avoiding the pieces of scrap metal that stick out of the huts and jut into the narrow streets. Many pairs of untrusting eyes watch us from their unlit shelters. Some show contempt on their furrowed brows, others have fear written on their darting eyes, and a questionable handful of them expresses uninhibited glee, indicated by the whites above their irises. I am walking in their territory, and even though I do not feel welcomed, I hardly feel like I am in any danger. After all, cowards like these won¡¯t try anything. All they could ever do is watch from the sidelines as they have lived so. The man who is leading us pays no mind to the stares while he swiftly navigates around piles of junk. ¡°You live here?¡± I casually throw out a question. ¡°Yup, sure do. I come from one of the poorest districts in the city,¡± he indifferently responds to my comment, stopping only at the hut that sits in a dead end. He opens the unlocked door and walks inside, bending his head down to pass through the low entrance. ¡°It¡¯s a bit messy, ahhh, I¡¯m so embarrassed,¡± he scratches his ear. The crude pavement continues into the interior of the hut. The hut has a single room, and inside, there is a bed, a small table, and a mini kitchen area in the corner. The only things of luxury are two stuffed animals placed on the little girl¡¯s bed. The room is plain because of the lack of possessions. Where is the mess he was talking about earlier? *Cough* *Cough* *CouGH* In the middle of the room, someone is tucked in a single bed. ¡°P-Pap-a?¡± a weak voice whispers out. ¡°Hey there, princess. How are you feeling? I found some nice people who are going to help us. You will get better soon in no time, baby girl,¡± he smiles sweetly at her from the entranceway. ¡°Y-yay. . reall-y?¡± a little girl of maybe seven years in age struggles to voice out. The father walks over to the table where a single book lays open. ¡°These are the ingredients,¡± he points to three images on the page. ¡°My daughter has the disease known as Yelos Draeinf. It is a terrible illness that befalls on many children her age. It¡¯s not contagious, so you do not have to worry about yourselves,¡± he gives a reassuring smile to us. ¡°I figured that was the case since you seem healthy to me,¡± I point out. ¡°I refuse to be sick ... as stupid as that may sound. I need to provide for my family first and foremost. And a man needs to be in tip-top shape to do so!¡± he grins while he runs a hand through his blonde, scruffy hair. ¡°Those books ... are they also medicine books?¡± my slave asks with pique interest at the stack of books sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. ¡°That¡¯s right. All of these books used to belong to my grandmother. She ran a medicine shop some thirty years ago, but her shop had to be shut down. She passed this year, and she left me her medical books. Gods bless her,¡± he moves his hands in a strange praying pose as he glances up at his patchy roof. The father looks back to the book on the table, ¡°Anyhow, these are the three ingredients you need to find.¡± My slave and I peer into the page. The first image resembles a tulip, but a more wild-looking one. The second is a maple leaf that is skinnier and pointier. And the third is strikingly alike to a ginger root. ¡°These ingredients are common in the nearest forest. It¡¯s a half-day¡¯s travel worth to get there. I would attempt to go find the ingredients myself, but the monsters in that area are especially dangerous. If I die, then my daughter ...¡± he trails off. Choked sobs can be heard from the girl on the bed. ¡°Papa n-o ...! I don¡¯t w-ant you to die, papa. . !¡± her eyes tear up. Her tiny fists visibly tighten and she shakes her head vigorously from side to side. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart, daddy is staying with you forever,¡± he gently reassures her. I take another minute to burn the three images to memory because I cannot trust it for the life of me. After confirming that my slave has also taken a look, I speak to the man waiting patiently, ¡°We¡¯ll take this quest. And don''t worry about the payment for now; we can negotiate later.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he gives a dazzling smile, only to panic after he remembers to bow his head in appreciation.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. --- --- --- I am laying on the fluffy bed in the room we are staying for the night. I turn my head to face the setting sun visible through the only open window. What a day it¡¯s been. I have a party member and I finished my first quest. I¡¯d say it is the most productive I¡¯ve ever been. And tomorrow, I have to complete an unofficial quest. Lots to do. *DUN* *DUN* *DUNN* *DUN* *DUN* *DUN* *DUNN* *DUN* Is there a party going on outside...? I roll over on the bed to see my slave¡¯s reaction, but she is just staring at me. Was she staring at me for the entire time I was daydreaming?I sweatdrop and roll over to face the window again. ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± I say getting out of bed, "I''m not going to be around to protect you, so stay here at the inn, and go to sleep. Don''t leave the room, okay?" --- --- --- The streets are aglow with colorful lanterns emitting soft shades of orange and pink. The atmosphere radiates the same energy and livelihood one can find during the daytime. The vendors that are usually closed at this time, are now open and are selling an assortment of food and drink. Coins flow freely through the people''s hands and so do the alcohol. Hundreds of drunks stumble through the crowds, and children of all sizes are grubbily holding candy and toys. Everyone looks like they¡¯re having a good time, huh. I stand there, taking in the pretty lights and the drumming music. Why am I here? I¡¯m not a party girl. ¡°Lassie, smile more. It¡¯s a celebration. You stick out like a sore thumb,¡± a slim man in a brown feathered cap sits on a barrel. I shrug, ¡°Maybe I would if I knew the reason for celebration.¡± ¡°It has been the talk around the city for weeks, how can you not know?" he raises his arms in disbelief. ¡°Well if you want the scoop, then give me a coin,¡± he chuckles. I give him an unamused face. ¡°Ha-ha, just jesting with ya lassie. I¡¯ll talk, and you¡¯ll give a listen won¡¯t ya,¡± he wiggles his eyebrows playfully. ¡°As you know, big and scarrrrryyyy monsters have been out and about for the past few months. And as the duty of a King goes, your majesty must protect his domain,¡± he taps his chest with his fist. ¡°He¡¯s a newbie King, that one is, doing what he thinks is right. Thus, his highness is sponsoring tonight¡¯s celebration.¡± ¡°And the reason?¡± I sigh. He wags his finger at me, ¡°Now, now, lassie, I¡¯m getting to the good part.¡± He takes a long sip at his drink, making me wait a good minute longer. I roll my eyes at his obvious attempt to make his story more anticipated. ¡°The King and Queen have been planning this event for weeks. It¡¯s going to be a yearly celebration of good food and good drink. All these people you see,¡± he nods toward the citizens, ¡°...are all happy. They are all smiles and laughter. The same smiles they make drinking their nights away at the pubs. Only this time, it¡¯s outside for everyone to see and hear,¡± he pauses at that. ¡°It¡¯s sort of like ¡®Bread and Circuses¡¯ don¡¯t ya think?¡± he stares into his cup. I widen my eyes, ¡°Do you know of Rome?¡± He smiles, ¡°No, what is Rome? It sounds like a marvelous place.¡± I didn¡¯t tell you. ¡°Do enjoy the party, ladies,¡± he tips his feathered hat and walks into the crowd, and disappears from sight. Ladies? I look to my sides, and my slave is standing there eating a hot pastry. ¡°I told you to stay at the inn,¡± I furrow my brow. ¡°A slave needs to guard her master,¡± she bites at her snack. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± I ignore her comment. "I stole it," she says after swallowing. "If you get caught, I''m not saving you," I roll my eyes. She goes quiet, hands apprehensively stirring in front of her thighs. Then, she tilts her head up, her eyes searching my own. The blossoming warmth emanating from the lanterns does nothing to wane whatever emotion is in her gaze. With unprecedented confidence, she utters, "Something tells me you w-" Trumpets thunder nearby, stopping her. ¡°Honorable citizens! It is time for the main event of the evening!¡± a charismatic man announces seemingly from far away. The source of the commotion is in the center of the city square. Where the host stands; hundreds of plain uniformed foot soldiers line up in rows. ¡°Our King, Queen, and Lords are graciously present this evening to give a warm message to all of the good citizens here tonight,¡± the host emphasizes. In the very center of the square stands a man and woman dressed extravagantly with scepters in hand. They both look to be around thirty years in age. A generation of stress from the responsibility as rulers has not settled on their faces yet. Must be the royal pair I heard so much about. A hundred knights in shiny, white armor remain standby, occupying a large chunk of the square. There¡¯s something different about those knights. ¡°Mom, those knights are so cool,¡± a boy excitedly yells out to his mom. ¡°Shush,¡± she taps him in the shoulder. The host''s booming voice echoes out again, ¡°The guest of honor has arrived!¡± A heavy, wrapped box is dragged into the spotlight. One of the knights pulls the embroidered blanket covering the box and reveals a cage. ¡°The cage is open!¡± the host announces the minute details. A burly, tan monster with black and gray tribal stripes covering its face and chest bathes in the harsh yellow light. The monster is wrapped tightly in chains, and colorful seals are planted all over its face and body. At the change of scenery, the monster still doesn''t move, even though it is now the center of attention of thousands of people; it''s almost as if it does not know what is going on. A single knight passes the King a glowing white sword. ¡°May this grand city be protected, now that I am King,¡± he bellows, swinging full force on the monster¡¯s neck. *Thunk* Chapter 8: The Wolf and the Cheshire Sheep The late afternoon sun indiscriminately shines its intense golden rays upon all of the vegetation in the dense forest, creating a hazy and dreamlike world. The humidity licks my skin while I breathe in the damp air, knit with the overwhelming scent of wet grass. The moments when the foliage shades me, are the times I feel a small relief. ¡°We should look for the plants as fast as possible, master,¡± my slave mentions. She looks attentive and ready to start the search. ¡°I agree. I want the little girl to get well soon. Find what you can on the forest floor while I''ll search the trees and tall bushes." The plant species in this world are akin to those on Earth, but I cannot count on that sort of judgment. Some could be poisonous or toxic, so to play it safe, I shouldn¡¯t touch almost anything in this forest. ¡°Yellow, pink, red ...¡± I mumble to myself over and over, as if that would help me find the ingredients more easily. Even after I stared at the images in his book for a concerning amount of time, I still don¡¯t know what I am looking for. ¡°Found one,¡± my slave calls out. She is crouching low, hovering over a tulip-like plant. I approach closer, ¡°Good job. Pull the flower out, roots and all." I mark every couple of trees we pass with my knife so we will not get lost on the way back. This place seems ... familiar. Could this forest be identical to the one I woke up in? I don¡¯t know, but if it is the very same site, then I didn¡¯t think I would be back here again so soon; to the place where it all started. A yellow leaf falls gently in my peripheral vision. ¡°Found the second ingredient,¡± I crane my neck awkwardly, gazing underneath a gigantic tree. Its branches mimic a bending barbell, heavy with glistering leaves. The needles are like feathers, spread out over wing-like branches. However, as many of its leaves grew out to reach the sun, abundant and excessive they became, only to fall back to the earth. The ones loose at my feet are swatched with unique hues of dull brown. They are piled high in a ring around the trunk, but I do not reach for them because they probably won''t be effective or potent enough for the medicine. I grip onto the rough tree bark and climb, anchoring myself just beneath the foliage so I can harvest a single leaf. ¡°Got it,¡± I cheer. As I prepare to descend, I notice I am at the height where jumping down will break the average person''s neck. My eyes wander farther, taking in the bird''s eye view of the picturesque image of the forest floor. It¡¯s so pretty. I want to climb higher. A dark shape mars the scenery similar to a black sheep in a herd of white; only this black sheep is a humanoid creature with a lipless mouth covering three-fourths of its face. It¡¯s skinny and fucking creepy as hell. I¡¯ve never seen such a creature quite like this before, despite all of the manga and games I consumed. To be in the same place with a creature like that. Should I run? It doesn¡¯t appear to be hostile... I mentally berate myself.Fuck obviously, a thing looking like that is not going to act all sunshine and rainbows. It starts to descend headfirst from the tree it¡¯s on, just like how a squirrel would. A normal human being would climb down feet first. Then again, it''s not a human. Well, time to go! Once I safely reach the bottom, I grab my slave¡¯s hand and pull her in the direction whence we came from.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°he-heh-hehh-he-hi-hii!¡± a gurgling, high-pitched cackle squeals out like a dying radio. A whiff of rotting flesh and guts convulses in my lungs. I cough but more of the smell enters my body as I inhale. My eyes catch the space between my slave and me, which threatens to set asunder. My hands can''t be this sweaty. It''s right behind me, isn''t it? I swear to God if it is... I check, and sure enough, it is slinking towards me while jerking its torso. I blink, and it¡¯s not there anymore. I frantically swivel my head to find it. The smell of rotting flesh is more intense now; almost as if I am drowning in a bed of human corpses and can only escape by eating the chewy meat overflowing my mouth. It suddenly appears again, blocking my path. It widens its mouth into a shit-eating grin. If it could speak at this moment, then it would be saying ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± as its freakish arm shoots to my face. *Yank* My vision shift sideways; a blur of trees zooms in my vision. My hand that tried to lead my slave away gets pulled with a surprising burst of strength. Everything spins as I land on my back, letting out a pained "oof." From the forced exhalation, I immediately become light-headed, finally realizing I have been holding my breath since the moment it almost killed me. Where is it now!? My eyes frantically search for the disappearing creature. ¡°Pull yourself together! You can kill the monster!¡± my slave grasps my face and fixates her eyes at mine''s, however, I am looking anywhere else but her. ¡°Hah ... me?¡± my lips smile, but my eyes are weary in the face of the setting sun. ¡°You beat my old master, his teammate, me, and countless wolves without even trying. And now you¡¯re just going to run at the sight of some ugly beast? You are strong,¡± she spells out proudly. Another round of laughter resembling a deranged human speech rings in the forest, caging me. A blue window pops up.
¡°Its weak point is the head. Go for it, or don''t. Up to you. (^w^)¡±
¡°Telling me what to do, all of you,¡± I mutter under my breath. I look past my slave''s form. It¡¯s there, taunting me with its sick laughter and toothy grin. It approaches closer, but not in the same lightning speed as before, giving off the air that it has already won. Fuck you. I pull out my dagger, being conspicuous and in plain view in the eyes of the creature. And yet ... it doesn''t seem to care; continuing its dreadful pace towards me. I squeeze the hand clutching the knife, holding onto the pressure for a split second before naturally relaxing my grip. Videogames are usually programmed to make it obvious of when the boss is letting its guard down, so the player can strike at that very moment. I rise without laying my eyes off the creature, waiting for the window of opportunity to appear. My patience wavers as it inches closer; only seeing an impenetrable stone wall. I smile bitterly. Of course, life isn''t conveniently built like a videogame.But I need to try something now. I can''t be waiting for the right moment every time, just to bring myself to do anything at all. Well, here goes. I leap forward, covering over ten feet of ground, and run my dagger through its head. The force of my weapon pushes it back, as its face holds onto my knife. I drop down, weaponless, yet I hardly feel naked. There is an unfamiliar heat burning in the pit of my stomach for blood, unyielding, and refusing to quietly smolder. That plunge of my knife was the finishing move I couldn''t have done better. ¡°Hahah-ha-ah...!¡± it turns its split face and gives my slave a knowing look. She stares it down with unforgiving eyes. ¡°Kek-kek-ke ...!¡± it manages to voice before its neck buckles and its body slumps without making a noise. That thing was surprisingly easy to kill. I just have to put my fear aside. Okay, for now on, monsters are cute!I take a deep breath, ¡°We still have to find the third ingredient, but it¡¯s going to be dark soon. Let''s head back to the city for now.¡± ¡°Master, the last ingredient is right there,¡± she points to a pink root-like plant on the ground next to the monster¡¯s corpse. ¡°Huh? Was it there all along? That¡¯s perfect. Go grab it,¡± I rub my face in relief, thankful that the encounter with the creature and the pursuit of the quest objects ended on a gratefully, uneventful note. Chapter 9: The Unofficial Quest ¡°Mister, I have the plants you wanted,¡± I knock loudly on the door to the hut belonging to the man responsible for sending us on a quest to fetch the goods he so desperately needs. From inside, loud shuffling noises break the silence, and the door frantically opens, revealing an excited man. ¡°Please come in,¡± he greets us with open arms. We enter the hut; the darkened room lit only with the faintest of candlelight. All is quiet, and his little girl is sleeping softly in her bed. ¡°Would you like to watch me make medicine? It will only take a short while to brew,¡± he starts setting up the table with various tools. ¡°Of course, mister. I¡¯ll let you work your magic,¡± I say, nonchalantly. He does not respond; his face is unreadable by the shadows of the candlelight. Hm? Right, he is busy making the concoction. I brush aside the unexpected silence coming from him. My slave watches the man intently as he grounds up the ingredients and mixes them in various liquids. The color changes wondrously from green to red, then purple, and finally a shimmering orange. ¡°This is it,¡± he holds onto the beaker tightly. He leaves his makeshift worktable and moves to his daughter¡¯s bedside. ¡°Wake up, darling,¡± he softly shakes her shoulder. ¡°¡­. Mmmm¡­ five more minutes, papa,¡± she groans out but opens her eyes. She sits up on the bed and gives a cute yawn. She is handed the beaker, and she drinks it.¡°Bleghh,¡± her face scrunches up at the taste. He tucks her back into bed and faces us. ¡°That should do the trick. My daughter¡¯s life is saved,¡± his face breaks into the happiest smile. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot,¡± he reaches into his trouser pocket to pull out a small worn-out pouch. He extends his hand out to give me the pouch. I shake my head, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We only helped because we wanted to see your daughter get better.¡± ¡°Then, if it isn¡¯t asking too much, would you like to visit my daughter from time to time? You will definitely be able to see her back to good health,¡± his eyes light up hopefully. ¡°Yes, we will,¡± my slave answers. What the¡­? Since when has she started speaking for me? I mean I would have said ¡®yes¡¯ anyway. I dismiss her behavior, ¡°No problem, what time should we come, mister?¡± ¡°In three days! She will be running up and down the walls by then,¡± he nods confidently. ¡°And please, don¡¯t call me ¡®mister.¡¯ My name is Robby Koch, so please call me by that.¡± ¡°Well, expect us soon, Robby,¡± we bid him good night with a wave, and exit the hut. --- --- --- I cannot sleep. The moonlight gently shines on my slave¡¯s sleeping figure. It is yet again another night we are staying at an inn. Another bed, another unfamiliar place. I turn to lay on my back and stare at the ceiling. It''s like the sky because no matter how long I look at it, there is no one I face or answer, except myself. Speaking of myself, what the heck happened today?I am physically strong, yet I made a fool of myself back in the forest. I have to protect this body now that I finally have a chance to succeed in a life worth living. ¡°Are you awake?¡± I speak to the girl lying in bed next to me. ¡°What is it?¡± she responds in an instant.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. So, she wasn¡¯t sleeping. Now, I really have to do this. My breath quickens, and I can feel the unwanted anxiety manifesting in my heart. The squeezing in my chest bothers me. ¡°¡­About earlier¡­ thank you. For being there. If it weren¡¯t for you, I surely would have died,¡± I confess. ¡°It''s my job as a sl-¡± she speaks. ¡°What is your name?¡± I interrupt her. . . . . . I wait, but no answer comes. Did she fall asleep? Ah, fuck why am I being so stupidly emotional? Nights like these- ¡°Grea,¡± she whispers out. She is quiet once again, but I do not face her. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Grea,¡± I whisper back, feeling suddenly tired. --- --- --- We check the guild for any new quests, and upon seeing none, we hang out at the marketplace to explore what the city has to offer. We walk around aimlessly for many hours; mostly window shopping, and eating lots of street food. Grea is eating sweets from a sticky candy vendor. As for me, I am munching on skewers of delicious meats. That is until screams fill the marketplace, and the people around us stop to wonder what is going on. All of a sudden, the dam breaks, and a wave of people come rushing in from one direction; the fear and sweat clearly outlined on their faces. They push past Grea and me to get away from the unknown threat. Moments later, a resounding crash echoes and dust clouds form over our heads. The looming danger above us becomes more anticipated with each toppling building. The shrills of people reach impossibly higher decibels with each stomp of an approaching mass. Then, it appears; a huge cow-like monstrosity towers and tramples over the citizens who are too slow to escape its hooves, which tears bloody holes into the bodies it crushes. And if the citizens were lucky to avoid the hoof imprint of death, they would then have to face the cow¡¯s impressive sized horns, which bulldozes through multiple people at once. Some limp bodies hang on the horns like drying laundry before the cow flings the dead weight aside. Stocky built dogs enter the scene, biting at the ankles belonging to children and the elderly. Upon sinking their teeth into a less-than-complying human, these beasts drag their victims down to the ground so that the humans'' soft necks are vulnerable to their locking jaws. An attack. How did these monsters get inside the city? But it clear that security messed up, and now this city is fucked unless there is anyone who can stop these monsters. A man rolls away, managing to escape from the hooves¡¯ trajectory. He is bruised up, but brushes it off, choosing to run in a random direction away from the cow, only to be grabbed by the claws of a bird-like monster swooping in from the sky. He kicks and screams as its claws dig deeper into his shoulders. And just like that, he is airborne, along with the dozens of other civilians who suffer the same fate. Sure, a monster or two can sneak into the city, but these many monsters at once? Who planned this attack? The cow sets its crazed, red eyes on me. Blood weeps down from its horns and face, dripping down to its chest fur, which is now matted and heavy with gore. Its bulbous nose snort and twitch as it eyes the skewer in my hand. Don¡¯t look over here! There is plenty of fresh meat on the floor! *Shrrriiiiiinnnng* At once, six soldiers stab at the cow''s thick neck. The monster snorts in pain and the mass of pure muscle collapses on the ground, dead. Its red eyes can no longer witness the devastation it caused once the soldiers pull out their spears from the fallen beast. More soldiers drop down from the buildings above us to ambush roaming monsters. Many units jump from rooftop to rooftop like ninjas. On all sides, battalions march through the streets, meeting at the focal point of all activity; the heart of the city. This is where the monsters are driven to, only to be eventually cornered and picked off by the soldiers closing in from all directions. It''s pretty exciting watching trained soldiers move and perform like clockwork. By taking advantage of the city''s pizza pie layout, and implementing a simple strategic move, the humans completely overwhelm the mindless horde of monsters acting without a leader. *ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR* Wild gusts of wind send debris from the remains of broken vendor carts flying through the air. The large pieces of rubble from the fallen buildings split further, and the boulders are thrown into still-standing structures. The entire city is now engulfed in clouds of dust formed from disturbed piles of its ruins, making both breathing and seeing impossible. Screams are carried through the intense tornado-level winds, and the hopeless citizens grab onto whatever they could lest they are blown off and impact the very same buildings they previously shelter themselves with. From above flies a giant, red fire-breathing dragon heading straight for the castle in the distance. It¡¯s too soon for me to fight a dragon, ¡­ or is it, now? This is a perfect opportunity to redeem myself from that embarrassing encounter with that thing in the forest. I can fight, be it the spooky ones or colossal ones. You will watch me, Gods! Witness my greatness! ¡°Grea, let¡¯s go!¡± I grasp her hand while we run through the madness that was once the peaceful city streets we walked on earlier eating sweets and meats. Chapter 10: Castle Clashers ¡°Why are you running?" Grea calls out from behind me. ¡°We¡¯ll miss the fun if we don¡¯t get there quickly!¡± I shout; the castle in my sights. The dismembered guts and bodies block the storm drains, allowing the oozing fluids to pool the streets. We avoid stepping on the humans¡¯ and monsters¡¯ corpses, but that does little to prevent the unsightly blood from splashing onto our legs. What if someone else kills the dragon? ¡°Hey, you there! Stop!¡± soldiers shout at us. ¡°The monsters are dead, no need to run any longer! We¡¯ll escort you to the shelters where you will be safe!¡± We run faster, ignoring the soldiers, and luckily, they do not pursue us. We make it up the hill, to the castle. Broken and discarded weapons are unceremoniously scattered on the ground. Besides them, are equally broken humans. Undiscernible knights lay stamped flat like pancakes drizzled with thin, red syrup. It appears that their armor caved inward due to a tremendous pressure, leaving the humans inside to be squashed together with what was supposed to protect them. The overall structure of the castle is lightly damaged, despite the many crumbling walls. However, the monster that caused the destruction is nowhere in sight. The only indication of where it might be is from the gaping hole in the wall that opens up the castle¡¯s interior. ¡°Hello?¡± I call as I peek inside. Revealed is a brightly lit room lined with grandiose d¨¦cor, now open to the eyes of the public. From shiny, sitting suits of armor to elaborate paintings, this royal residence has it all; truly fit for a King. My eyes widen at how amazingly rich this place is. ¡°Mmmmhhhhhh¡­¡± a low grumble answers my call. A scaly neck twists and comes into view from the double doors at the end of the lavish hallway. Longer, and longer it stretches until its head can properly stare down at us. Those ancient, golden eyes burn with a mystical red hue; similar to a holy light protecting a vessel. With flared nostrils, the dragon pulls back its lips and snaps its teeth at us. I motion my hand to my hip, where a sheath is attached, holding my knife. The knife is no longer concealed in my pocket for easy access now that fighting is my life. The monster raises and puffs out its chest, awhile rearing its arms back. No ¡­ It wouldn¡¯t! In one motion, the wings on its back flap up, and ¡­ *Woossshhhhhh* I drop my hands to the ground and dig into the red carpet. ¡°AHHhhh..h¡­.h¡­!¡± Grea¡¯s voice dwindles the further she is blown out of the castle. ¡°Grea!¡± I yell, turning back to see she is not by my side anymore. Maybe, it''s for the better that she''s not here. I mean she was a big help yesterday, but I need to do this alone.I do hope she¡¯s okay, though. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you weren¡¯t sent flying; that would have been a lenient death,¡± a masked woman joins us from the double doors. ¡°Who are you? Do I have to kill you too?¡± I say easily. ¡°Oh ho! What a brat like you, kill me? But enough with this chatter, we have better things to deal with than talking with y-¡± ¡°What does dragon meat taste like?¡± I grin, challenging her. ¡°Hm?¡± she smiles, but a dark look enters her face, slowly becoming more menacing as she processes my remark. ¡°Had I known you would become such a bother, Fergy dearest would have crushed you from the start before you could open that impudent mouth of yours.¡± ¡°Who?¡± The dragon nuzzles its face to her. ¡°Darling, did you think I called you?¡± she rubs its nose with a gentle hand. ¡°We can go to our special place when we''re done here. Okay?" I walk with the tippy toes of my feet towards the two of them, hoping I could slit her throat before they notice. Alas, it fails.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°I can see you, rat. I applaud your persistence to inject yourself into our business. But, that was one time too many. Go join that knight over there, and die,¡± she glares at me. I freeze from being caught by her; my stealth antics unraveled like a Hamlet¡¯s act. I look around to see who she was referring to, and there in the middle of the room is a lone knight. Streams of blood leak out of his white armor to no end. He stands, unmoving, with both his hands gripping the sword¡¯s handle; the tip of the glowing blue blade piercing the polished floor. If it weren¡¯t for his weapon, he would have already collapsed onto the ground like empty suits of armor. The only indication that he is still alive is from his heavy breathing, which is muffled by his stained-red helmet. What a trooper. Even I don''t think I have that kind of resolve to even stand in his condition. I silently salute him while pulling out my knife. ¡°What is that? A child¡¯s toy?¡± the masked lady sneers at me. ¡°Even that knight¡¯s blade couldn¡¯t hurt my Fergy.¡± I take her discouragement with a grain of salt, allowing my knife to exercise the judgment on that. With a burst of speed, I immediately reach below the monster''s stomach. I bend my knees, preparing for the jump as I find my target: the bare, yellow underbelly. *Chink* *Bam!* My head collides into the monster from jumping too high, ¡°Ow!¡± I drop the knife and instantly reach to hold my scalp from the pain, as I crash down onto the floor. Did I hurt it? I glance up at its stomach and to my dread, the dragon is left unscathed. Then, what was the clanking noise I heard? I catch sight of the now bent knife lying a foot away from me. Well, fuck. Where do I get another blade? I quickly scour the room to see if there is anything I can use. The knight¡¯s sword! I scramble up and race towards the still-standing knight. *THUD* A giant foot hovers over me before slamming down. The dragon digs its heel into the floor for good measure; its claws scraping the carpet in a half-moon shape. It hums contently, pleased with itself. ¡°Finally, we can continue with the mission,¡± the lady sighs, but then laughs uncontrollably. She turns her attention to the knight, ¡°There¡¯s only you left. Every single one of the soldiers you lead, are now dead because of you.¡± The knight stays silent, but fresh blood flows from the mouth of his helmet. ¡°I can see a little more potential in you, but it¡¯s too late. Had you trained yourself, instead of training those incompetent fools who will never amount to anything, you could have been strong like me,¡± she lifts her chest with her arms. She continues, ¡°And because I am strong, I can stand alongside my equally capable partner without fear of anything. Fergy-dearest isn¡¯t like the monsters I brought to this city. Those monsters are as trashy as your soldiers. Pathetic and disposable garbage that will happily die for me because they are weak-minded fools,¡± she continues to laugh in glee. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, sweetie?¡± she touches Fergy''s cheek with a gentle palm. It closes its eyes and purrs from her compliments. --- --- --- [Knight¡¯s POV] I wearily blink at the cruel scene before me. My home; the land I swore to protect, was easily torn apart even with all our combined effort to stop them. As I was wrestling the dragon, I could hear the cries of the citizens down below calling for help; each cry becoming weaker the longer I stayed to battle, but I couldn¡¯t leave to help them because of my position. Right now, I can¡¯t hear a single cry. I can only hope the guards down at the walls did everything they could to protect every single one of them. I make a bitter smile, allowing the pooled blood in my mouth to drip down my chin. The guards are doing everything they can, and what about me? The enemy of the kingdom is still there, right before my eyes. Now, move body! ¡°!¡± A blur of a silhouette appears in front of me. I tense, forcing the feeling of the sword to return to me. I stop when I realize it wasn¡¯t the enemy trying to finish me off. Instead, it¡¯s that silver-haired lass who came to challenge the dragon. The young woman motions her index finger to her mouth and winks at me. I do nothing as she grasps her hand to mine. Then she disappears, taking my weapon with her. I couldn¡¯t detect her at all. I steady my legs to balance myself and adjust my helmet with shaky hands. The sword is in your hands now, newcomer. Let me trust you, whoever you are. . . . . . *GuRK* ¡°HWWWAAA!!¡± the dragon rages while scratching its face. A stream of blood bursts from its golden eye. ¡°What?! What¡¯s wrong Fergy?!¡± the masked woman frantically shrills out. There, on top of the dragon¡¯s head perches the silver-haired. I believe she pierced the slight opening between its closed eyelid. What a clever girl. She pulls the sword out of the colossus while cheering, ¡°Ha ha, I got this one in the b- WOAH!¡± The dragon takes flight and torpedoes through the hole in the wall with the girl in tow. It then accelerates vertically hundreds of feet in the air in a matter of seconds. With nothing but the weapon in her hand, she loses balance and falls headfirst off the winged creature''s head. ¡°Tatenfall!¡±Wind slices through the gaps in my armor, shredding my already opened skin as I shoot myself through the sky. My teeth grits due to the boundless pain running through my relaxing veins and tiring body. But I will not stop here! ¡°I have you,¡± I murmur as I catch the silver-haired lass in my arms. Her eyes widen as she did a double-take at me and the ground. ¡°How the fuck can you fly?! I want to do that too. Teach me!¡± I visibly wince at her crude language, ¡°The enemies are still alive. If you will, join me in this battle.¡± ¡°Only if you teach me how to fly,¡± her eyes twinkle in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I smile behind my helmet as we slowly descend to the ground.