ă€ŠZero to Hero [High Fantasy Romance LitRPG]ă€‹


 I. Work, work

    "Hey Alex, you''ve got this, right?" The very large, very sweaty man called out to me from the door of the small food cart, the long line of murmuring customers nearly drowning out his voice. As he spoke, my eyes met an old lady''s. She was eying me down like a predator ready to pounce.

    No, Dave. I don''t got this. It''s just me back here, dude.

    "Yeah, I got this." I couldn''t help but clench my teeth as my spatula struggled to pry free one of a dozen burgers cooking on the little grill in front of me. It didn''t help that I had to squat because this damn food cart was made for twelve-year-olds and not a twenty-six-year-old grown man who should be out working a normal job like any normal person would be doing at my age. Not that everyone was six foot three, but fuck. Build a better cart, Dave.

    "Great man, I appreciate you. Carla said I need to get back to the trailer NOW, otherwise I''m not getting any, and you know how she gets." He grinned with that sleazy smile of his, his greasy, thinning hair making him look like someone''s drunk uncle. "It''s now or never, man."

    "Lucky bastard," I muttered, still wrestling with the burger.

    "I thought you weren''t into women?"

    "I told you, man. I like women. I''m just selective."

    "That''s not what I heard..." He twiddled his eyebrows like an idiot.

    No, Dave. I just wasn''t into your wife. Who came onto me every time we worked together. Kept having to turn her down.

    I bit back a groan of frustration as the burger I was working on crumbled away, incinerating in the grill''s flames.

    Fuck.

    Dave was getting his shit together. He snagged a couple of twenties from the till, walked over to me, watched me wrestle with the burgers for a few minutes, then patted me on the back.

    "I believe in you. And don''t worry too much. Devon will be here in a few hours. You just gotta hold out ''til then."

    "Yeah, no problemo," I grunted out, throwing yet another ruined patty in the trash. Another couple bucks added to my tab, Dave. He''d started to charge me every time I burned something on his grill. Said it was gonna come outta my paycheck.

    Asshole. Buy a better grill.

    "See ya tomorrow," he said, reaching into the cart''s fridge, snagging a pack of cold beers, and disappearing down the sidewalk, leaving me alone with in his shitty cart that was too small.

    "When will our order be ready?" A snotty woman with a pig nose looked up at me from cart''s window. She looked familiar, but I couldn''t place her...

    "Uh...you ordered?"

    "Yes, nine minutes ago exactly. For my friends and I," she replied, pointing towards the small group waiting off to the side. There were five of them there and judging by their pot bellies, they were the ones who ordered the nine burgers. One of ''em ordered three.

    "Uh, give me a sec''." I cursed Dave a dozen more times in my head, glancing at the half-frozen burgers on the grill that seemed to be laughing at me. I think I was gonna go home tonight and light myself on fire. But maybe finish my whiskey first, because fuck me if that didn''t sound good right now.

    I turned around and faced Pig-Nose, wiping my sweat-drenched hands on my pink apron. Dave''s little joke. "I''ll have that right up for you in ten," I mumbled, turning back toward the grill and cursing under my breath.

    "Ten? Ten? We ordered fifteen minutes ago!" Piggy nose was getting oinky. Like angry-pig oinky, as opposed to normal pig oinky.

    "I thought you said nine?"

    She huffed and started to teakettle.

    "Look, the line is twenty deep right now, and my boss just took off to plow his cheating wife." I snapped, "so this line is going to go as fast as I can manage on my own. It''ll be ten minutes, okay?"

    She squinted at me and looked like she was about to reply but stopped herself. Instead, she sniffled a bit, grabbed some mustard packets, and stomped away angrily. Probably left to find someone who would pretend to listen.

    "Wow."

    "Such bad customer service."

    "He''s an asshole."

    I ignored the people in line and focused on the grill.

    ***

    I hated Devon. She was young, nineteen, and one of those girls that were too pretty for their own good. And by hate, I mean definitely wanted to get with. She was kryptonite for me. Cute. Funny. Sassy. Always had some angle she was working, and I was as big a sucker as they came and always got roped in. Every. Damn. Time.

    I sighed. It seemed like this past year, everyone had an axe to grind with me. Everyone except Marissa. Sweet, sweet Marissa, who kept my spirits high, no matter what my mood was. But ever since we moved from the restaurant to the food truck and started traveling, everyone wanted to be the big boss, but Dave didn''t share anything. Not with me, his most senior employee, and certainly not with a few eighteen and twenty-year-old airheads.

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    "What the hell happened in here, Alex? This place is a wreck!" The tone of her voice made me gag.

    Frozen patties sat stacked on one of the freezers, condiments coated just about every service of the cart, and the grill was smoking. I noticed that a bag of plastic-wrapped burger buns had melted to the grates at some point.

    "Dave fucked off, and I had to run the cart alone."

    She looked at me, her little hands on her admittedly narrow hips. Her lips, painted some bubblegum pink color like usual, were scrunched up, making her look like an angry monkey. But her face softened a bit after a minute. "You don''t deserve this, you know?" she said with genuine feeling, reaching down into one of the freezers and grabbing herself a bottle of water before passing one to me.

    Devon was annoying, but she really was sweet. This was her first job, and she was a try hard. She had that peppy, I was the petite, former cheerleader who did all the flying tricks energy, with a I''m kind of a bitch undertone.

    "Thanks, Devon. You''re right, but until something happens, I''m stuck." I laughed, opening my bottle of water and taking a swig.

    A sharp crack caught our attention. At first, I thought something broke inside the grill.

    The air seemed to be sucked away, as a strong suction pulled everything outward. Paper bags fluttered like birds'' wings, and I caught sight of a small storm cloud out over park''s small lake. The clouds flashed, and streaks of lightning flared in the distance.

    "It wasn''t supposed to rain," Devon muttered, peeking her head out of the food truck window. She pulled her phone out, and her long fingernails tapped at the screen. I always wondered how girls could do that. I couldn''t press the buttons with my normal fingernails.

    As quickly as the storm arrived though, it disappeared. The skies cleared to their typical afternoon blue, and all traces of dark storm clouds were gone.

    "What the fuck was that?" I said as I joined Devon at the food cart window.

    "Don''t know. Pretty weird though." Her lips were pursed. She did that when she was nervous. Or angry. Most of the time really.

    A couple of the festival goers walked by, dragging their screaming kids behind them. Tonight would be slow if storms rolled in.

    "Hey, let''s take advantage of the storm. Help me get this place put back together. The crowd might thin out early because of it." She looked doubtful, so I added some sauce. "Plus, with fewer people to serve, we could maybe call it an early night." Her eyes sparkled. Offering early closes was one of the rare perks of functionally running someone else''s business. And I needed that perk today.

    "Yeah, I don''t see why not," Devon replied. "You got it, boss."

    Fucking, yes.

    The rest of the night went smoothly, if quietly. After a couple more quick sales, the clouds started rolling in again, and the crowd dispersed. I handed the last burger plate out and turned, wiping the sweat and grease smoke out of my eyes.

    Devon was flitting around the cart, doing whatever else needed to be done. I had to give it to her; she really was a hard worker. She finished putting the last of the condiments away and teetered her little body on the freezer''s railing, her little butt wiggling in the air in her short skort thing as she did her best to organize the buns and patties.

    It''s the small things, really.

    After admiring for a moment, I cleaned the grill and noticed it had become eerily quiet out there. I didn''t even hear crickets or the usual evening insects. A flash of lightning lit the sky, and the scent of ozone filled my nose. Storm coming. A big one.

    We needed to close up the shop before the rains came.

    I got to work, doubling my efforts, but it wasn''t enough to occupy me. My mind wandered to how awesome this work used to be back when I was younger. When Dave pitched the idea of a food cart, I was all in. When he said I might be his main guy, I was pumped. I worked my ass off. When he brought on Tony, then Marissa, and later Devon, it was a ton of fun. I taught them how to work the carts, the customers, the whole deal. We started going to all the fairs and festivals. Tony and I became buds. Marissa and I got close. Devon was... Devon. Cute and annoying.

    We got busier and busier, so I worked longer and longer, grinding myself into hamburger meat.

    But then Dave started dipping into the till a bit too often.

    Carla started being more demanding. Then she cheated. They decided to make it work.

    Dave had a midlife crisis. Bought himself an old muscle car. An RV. Boats. Guns. Knives.

    Tony and I handled the cash flow. We knew what Dave was up to. So did Dave. So, Tony disappeared, and I learned my lesson. Don''t rock the boat. Don''t question orders. Just do the job. No matter how shitty the work.

    "How much longer?" Devon asked with an overly innocent look on her face. I hated that face. Nothing good came from it.

    "I dunno. Probably 10-15 minutes." I glanced around, looking at what was left. It really just came down to the grill and cleaning up any lingering messes inside the cart. There were always fries tucked somewhere on the floor.

    "So... would you mind if I took off a little early? There''s a party tonight, and I kind of wanted to go..."

    I grunted. "Finish the last of the prep, and you can head out."

    She sighed and got to it. She''d just gotten herself a new boyfriend and was all excited to see him. She spent most of her time bouncing from one guy to the next. I knew. She talked about them all the time.

    There was Craig, the tall guy, and Louis--he was exotic--and Mark or something, and Jason, who was always hanging around. I couldn''t help but notice how often her conversation lingered on the fact that they weren''t exactly dating dating or anything. Girl did what young girls do.

    She finished up. "Can I go now." The pursed lips again.

    "I guess that''s fine..." I sighed, looking at her pouty lips and pretty eyes. She always knew how to work me.

    "Thank you! Thank you!"

    "Yeah, no worries. Have fun out there."

    "You sure?"

    "Nah, you''re fine. I''ve got it covered."

    Devon stood there, watching me for a moment, then stepped in, and gave me a big hug. "You''re sweet."

    "Don''t worry about it, kiddo." I tried to laugh it off.

    She was into me. I knew it. She knew it. And we both knew I wasn''t about to try anything. I wasn''t that confident, and I wouldn''t want fuck up her future with my baggage.

    "Have fun tonight, and make sure you get to work on time tomorrow. Dave won''t be happy if you''re late." Again. Late again, Devon.

    "I know!" Her lips scrunched up again. "Uh, Alex?"

    "Hmm?" I went back to scrubbing the grill.

    "Do you think that I should have worn a shorter skirt today? I''ve been doing my squats every morning now, and I think my legs are looking extra good!"

    I turned and looked. The short little devil was staring at me, biting her lower lip as she waited for a response. She tied up her shirt in one of those front knots girls tie. Her abs were glistening with sweat. She twirled. All her hard work paid off, from what I saw.

    "Well yeah, but..." I stammered, my eyes unable to leave her abs. Goddamn, she was hot.

    "Yeah what? Yeah to the skirt?"

    "Yeah, you''re legs are looking great."

    "Thanks, Alex!" With that, the girl flitted off into the darkness.

    Fuckin'' girl was a menace.

 II. The Storm

    I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white as I peered through the foggy windshield of my shitty old Pathfinder. Rain pounded relentlessly onto the glass, transforming the world outside my climate-controlled bubble into a black and gray blur. Lightning flashed over me, followed immediately by the deep rumble of thunder. I could feel the thunder in my bones. My wipers worked furiously, but they were losing against the overwhelming volume of water pouring from the sky.

    "Severe weather tonight across the state. Officials advice everyone to find shelter as soon as possible." The radio crackled between bursts of heavy static. "We are currently seeing heavy rain with high winds and severe lightning across the northern half of the state. Also, dozens of reports of people going missing have begun to flood theˇŞ"

    I hit the button on my console to shut off the annoying chatter, switching over to my phone''s Bluetooth. I knew what the weather was doing. I had my own eyes. I didn''t need someone trying to tell me something I could see for myself.

    The dim headlights of my Pathfinder barely cut through the darkness of the highway, softly illuminating the sheets of rain and the occasional reflective road sign. I leaned forward, straining to see the familiar landmarks that would guide me home. I''d driven this route countless times from work, but tonight everything seemed off. The clock on my dashboard read 1:37 PM, far later than I''d planned to be out.

    "I just had to let Devon go early. It ended up being another hour once I found all the litter on the tables outside the cart." I grumbled to myself, my deep baritone drowned out by another peal of thunder. A gust of wind buffeted the car, thrusting the vehicle to the right. I tightened my grip on the wheel. Taking a deep breath, I steered my car back into the center of the lane, then, minutes later, made my way onto the exit ramp. The welcome sign of my little rural town appeared out of the gloom.

    I was almost there.

    I wasn''t a nervous guy, but tonight''s weather had me on edge. My eyes scanned the horizon, and the dark outline of the trees that surrounded Riverton loomed in the distance after every lightning strike, looking like some ancient forest in the dark.

    I lived in a small place out on the far side of town in a small neighborhood tucked in the woods. It was away from all the bustle of the city and the claustrophobia of the town. It was just me and my cabin. I normally loved the solitude, but tonight, that seclusion felt like it would swallow me whole. I drove on, my foot pressing the accelerator a little harder. A few minutes later. I could see the streetlights of Riverton''s little downtown poking through the trees. I was close. I passed the large sign with a deer warning for motorists that was at the edge of town, then crossed over the bridge. I was getting close.

    Once I reached the edge of town, I slowed down to a crawl, not wanting to get another ticket. Who gets a ticket for going seven over? Cop was an asshole. But, as I crawled my way through the flooding streets, I noticed that the downtown was a ghost town. There wasn''t a single person, and all the shops were closed. It made the old brick buildings feel old and desolate, giving me the chills. I made it to the single street light in town, which was violently swinging in the heavy wind. It was red.

    I reached for my phone, hoping to check the weather forecast. I tapped at the screen with my thumb and pulled up the local radar, which showed an enormous red circle centered around my town. Then, a notification popped up:

    [Severe Weather Warning]

    [Find Shelter Immediately]

    "Yeah, no shit!" I yelled to absolutely no one. The Bluetooth music coming from my phone started to glitch, then shut off. The phone''s screen flickered weakly before going dark, the battery finally giving out.

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    "Fuck."

    I looked down at my pitiful charging cable sticking out of console. It had frayed away to nothing a year ago, and I never bothered to replace it, a laziness I regretted in exactly that moment. I tossed the useless device onto the passenger seat with a frustrated sigh. Gripping the wheel with both hands, I sighed as the wind shook my car and a bolt of lightning cascaded through the sky above me.

    I tried to recall the last weather report I''d seen before I left the bar. How long was this storm supposed to last? Was it going to get worse? I considered pulling over at the library to wait out the storm, but the thought of sitting helpless in a flooded parking lot seemed an even worse idea than staying out drinking with coworkers until early morning then night of a major storm. With no way to call for help if something went wrong, I decided to run the red light, not being willing to be stuck out there longer than I needed to be. I saw the bright white flash of the ticket camera. A problem for another day.

    I made it a few more miles, the streets getting more and more flooded and the storm picking up as I did. Hydroplaning twice, I slowed down to ten and crawled my way home. Just as I began to pull into my neighborhood, a strange vibration rippled through the car. The ground beneath my tires seemed to shift. My heart raced as I realized something was wrong. There wasn''t enough water on the street to slide around at this speed. I pressed the accelerator, desperate to get to stable ground, but the car barely moved.

    I felt as if I were driving on ice, the wheels struggling to grip the unstable road. Then, the car lurched. A deep, rumbling sound rose above the patter of rain and the howl of wind. It was a primal noise that sent shivers down my spine. I scanned the roadside, looking for somewhere safe to pull over. That''s when I noticed that the right shoulder of the road was gone.

    My heart leapt out of my body.

    I hit the gas and I swerved hard to the left just as the earth groaned and split open under the right side of my car. I managed to undo my seat belt and throw open the door just as my car began sliding into the sinkhole. I threw myself out and landed with a hard, wet thud on the narrow sidewalk, rolled twice, then watched in horror as my vehicle teetered on the edge of the rapidly expanding maw. With a final metallic groan, my trusty old car disappeared into the depths, leaving me stranded in the raging storm.

    The ground continued to crumble, the sinkhole growing larger with each passing second. I scrambled backward, my feet slipping on the wet concrete as I tried to put distance between myself and the expanding chasm. My knee hurt like hell, but I didn''t have time to worry about it. Rain pelted my face, obscuring my vision and adding to my disorientation. Luckily, a few moments later, I sat at the edge of the ruined road, chest heaving, looking down at my dim, shitty headlights as they stared up at me. A moment later, they flickered and went out forever.

    I stood frozen, rain pelting my face, staring at the spot where my car had vanished. I knew I had to make a decision: attempt to walk the final mile to my home or find something taller than me to sit under until the storm passed. The wind howled around me, providing a compelling argument for the former. A lightning bolt flashed above me, arguing for the latter. I didn''t want to stay out in this, so I took a few steps toward home, but my knee was banged up. I could feel it swelling, and it didn''t want to bend.

    My clothes were already soaked through, clinging to my skin and chilling me to the bone. I weighed my options, trying to think. Home was still at least a mile awayˇŞa distance that seemed insurmountable in these conditions and with a busted knee.

    A nearby oak tree stood tall in the dark night, it''s wide branches reaching out like a sentinel amidst the storm, its thick foliage offering a promise of protection. Lightning illuminated the sky once more, and in that brief flash, I saw that the road ahead was more flooded than before.

    I looked around a final time, looking for any other options. None presenting themselves, I made my decision.

    Each step was a battle against the wind, the elements, and my rapidly worsening knee. Reaching the tree, I pressed my soaked body against the sturdy tree''s trunk and thanked the nature gods for oak trees. A few minutes later, I sat at its base, enjoying the slight protection against the elements it provided.

    The wind and rain picked up after some time, maybe half an hour, and the lightning got closer and closer. My knee hurt like hell, and it had swollen to the point where my pant leg was starting to stretch.

    As I huddled beneath the oak''s branches, a blinding flash filled my vision. Then another, and another. I reached out with my left hand and braced against the tree to stand back up. Just then, a deafening crack split the air above me and my vision went completely white.

    Pain exploded through my left side. It felt like my right foot was shot. I was flying backwards. My back hit the ground, hard. Something hot and sharp was hitting my skin.

    Then everything went black.

 III. Where Am I?

    I woke with a start, my eyes snapping open as I gasped for air. I was in a bed. I didn''t remember how I had gotten home. No, I couldn''t be home. This definitely wasn''t my bed, and I only had one bed.Groaning like an old man, I tried to sit up, but I could hardly move. My head spun, and the room felt like it was moving, like being on a boat in large waves. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, waiting for the sensation to pass.

    The air smelled fresh, with a pleasant tinge to it... almost like flowers and wood smoke. Lavender? My brain felt like mush. I remembered being injured. I hurt my arm walking home. Didn''t my car break down? That was going to suck. I really didn''t have enough money to deal with unexpected repairs right now. I just bought new tires for the thing.

    It didn''t pass.

    As the minutes ticked by, I felt like I had to do something. I started to move my body, carefully testing which parts of me worked and which were broken. I remembered learning somewhere that you always start from the bottom, so I started to wiggle my toes, feeling the rough, warm sheets above and below me. The sheets were scratchy. They felt like they were made out of some sort of wool, but they felt good in the cool, damp air of... wherever I was. I pumped my feet, causing a sharp pain to shoot from my right foot into my leg. I sucked in air, trying to manage the pain, which subsided a moment later.

    I tried to move my legs, but my right knee screamed at me and refused to budge. My torso hurt everywhere, but at least I could move it a bit. I twisted and bent as much as I felt able, which wasn''t much. My right arm felt fine, probably better than any other part of me, but my left was numb and wouldn''t move no matter what I did. I reached over to touch it. There were strips of cloth or bandages sticking to my arm. They felt like they were stuck to my skin. I moved my head side to side, slowly so as to not trigger the vertigo. I got hit with the spins again, so I stopped. Once I had limbered what muscles I could, I slowly opened my eyes and took in the room around me.

    Where the hell was I?

    I found myself in a dimly lit room, the air heavy with what I recognized was incense. The room was made from stone, with large blocks stacked one on another, separated by kind of dark grey mortar. The walls were sparsely decorated, with only a few small paintings of people I didn''t recognize and a symbol I had never seen on the wall opposite my bed. It was an eight pointed-pointed star with a golden circle in the center. The star was gold with a blue background. It was simple but nice. Sunlight filtered through a small window to my right, falling directly on the star.

    I peered outside the window. The bright light outside the room caused my eyes to blur at first until they slowly adjusted to the sunlight. I could make out simple shapes outside the building in what looked like a field. They were small brown blobs that slowly clarified into... sheep? A number of high pitched voices were calling to one another further out in the field, and small heads poked out here and there from the tall grasses, or possibly crops, on the far side of the field. I realized they were children, playing some game.

    Did some Amish people find me in the street and bring me here?

    Oh yeah, I passed out outside. There was a storm. That was crazy.

    Using my good arm to sit up a little more, I enjoyed the simpleness of the fields outside for a while. My brain was mush, so this was the best I could do. The sheep were slowly munching on grass, and the laughter of the children was nice. After watching and smelling and listening for a while, I looked around the room a bit more and saw the floor was covered with a simple blue and gold woven rug, the same colors as the symbol on the wall. There was a small wooden table with two chairs in the far corner of the room, where I saw the incense burning. It was all so chill. I couldn''t remember the last time I was somewhere this peaceful. It sure as hell beat being at work today.

    "Oh shit, Work!" I reached under the covers to pull out my phone, but there was no phone. Or pants. Or underwear.

    I was naked.

    At that moment, the events of the previous night rushed back into my head. My Pathfinder fell into a sinkhole! And I got struck by lightning! Twice?! My heart raced as all the memories hit me, hard. I should be dead. One hundred percent dead. D. E. A. D. Toast. Charcoal in my driveway. Not sitting in some idyllic pastoral heaven filled with incense and sheep.

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    Wait...

    ...I fucking died.

    Was I in heaven?

    That had to be it. There were sheep outside. Sheep for the shepherd. God was a shepherd, right? Something something lambs and the meek and all that.

    A gentle knock sounded on the door. I froze, not knowing what to do, but before I could think anything through, the heavy wooden door swung open. A large matronly women with heavy, tired eyes and a wide, professional smile entered the room, her greying hair pulled back in a bun. Her ample body was covered in a blue and gold robe of some rough-looking material. Probably wool.

    She didn''t look toward me at first, merely going through the motions of entering the room and performing her duties. She walked to the incense burner, lit another stick, then turned to walk toward me. Her eyes opened slightly, and she spoke in a melodic language I didn''t recognize: "Ho, vi estas veka! Bone. Tre bone. Sankte." Her eyes lifted to the ceiling, and she clasped her hands in front of her very large breasts. I mean, the things were like watermelons. An amulet rested on her chest. It was lined in silver with a diamond that almost seemed to glow in the dark set into a large blue stone.

    A moment later, she dropped her hands and said, "Kiel vi fartas, sinjoro?" The woman smiled brightly, well-worn laugh lines appearing around her eyes.

    I shook my head, which caused my brain to spin. I didn''t understand a word of what she said. "I don''t know what you''re saying, ma''am. Does anyone in heaven speak English?" I tried to speak slowly so she could understand me. That never worked, but it would work this time, right?

    "Pardonu min, sinjoro. Mi ne komprenas viajn vortojn." She shook her head softly, then patted my cheek. " Vi estis grave vundita kiam Naya trovis vin, mia filo. Vi sekuras nun." Her voice was strong but gentle and comforting. She moved closer and handed me a glass of water. "Trinku."

    I didn''t realize how thirsty I was. I downed the glass in one go. The water tasted fabulous. So pure and cool.

    "Bone, filo. Vi ne veki?is dum tri semajnoj. Ni ne sciis se vi travivos. Naya, Renard, kaj mi resanigis vin multajn fojojn ?i tiujn pasintajn semajnojn. Mi ?ojas, ke vi estas veka." She smiled again and took my glass. She moved across the room and placed it on the desk in the far corner, then returned to the bedside.

    "Yeah... totally." I didn''t know what to say. She seemed to be talking as much to herself as to me. Her words felt sincere but practiced, like an ER nurse talking to patients, or a teacher speaking to students. She must be a priestess up here in heaven. Why didn''t God teach people up here English? I always thought I''d hit the pearly gates in great shape, but I guess it makes sense that our souls would have to heal for a bit. Once I met that God guy, I was going to give him a lashing for making such a shitty world before this one.

    "Vi devas pli da resanigo. Pardonu min, filo. ?i tio doloros," she said gravely, a shadow crossing over her face. She reached down and grasped my left hand in hers. She began inspecting my hand, moving my fingers and murmuring to herself. She traced her fingers up and down my charred skin. Between the bandages, red lines snaked up and down my arm, only broken where my skin had split. The lines almost looked like lightning. The bandages themselves had browned with what I could only assume was blood.

    "Um, could you maybe use gloves? Or some antiseptic? Alcohol? Wet wipes?" I didn''t know where her hands had been. "At least wash your hands or something."

    I knew she didn''t understand me, but as the last word left my mouth, she pulled a vial of what looked like water or alcohol out of her wide belt, dripped it on her hands, and rubbed it into her skin. She whispered some kind of chant as she did. Then, she closed her eyes and began singing in a soft, melodic tone.

    "I really don''t need to be saved today, thanks." Her voice was nice, but this was weird. "Seriously, it''s cool."

    And that''s when I noticed her hands were starting to glow white.

    "The hell?"

    Before I could stop her, she pressed her two hands onto my left one, slowly working up from my fingers to my wrist. I didn''t feel anything at first, but a moment later, I could feel a slight tingling. My heart skipped a beat as I slowly felt more and more sensation as she massaged that weird white light coming from her hands up my arm and into my shoulder and neck. She dropped her hands from my neck back to my fingers, eyes closed and lips chanting, then started again. By the third pass of this routine, I could wiggle my fingers, and my arm was starting to itch.

    "Ohh... that''s so much better..." I groaned as my arm came back to life. My throat caught as I wiggled my fingers more. They didn''t move a lot, but they moved. She kept doing this routine, and with every pass of her hands up my arm, I gained more sensation and movement. However, something else started to come back with it... pain. By the fifth pass, it didn''t feel good anymore. It hurt. A lot.

    "Um... that''s okay. That feels great. Thank you. Really. I think we''re good now." I tried to move my arm away from her, but her hands were like vice grips. She started her sixth pass. This time, I gained much more sensation, and some of the burns on my arm began to feel like, well, burns. My arm felt like it was on fire.

    "Okay. That''s enough. Seriously. I''m good now! Thanks!" I squirmed in the bed, then tried to shimmy out the other side. Her firm hands kept me exactly where I was laying. I felt like a literal toddler. I grabbed the mattress and tried to pull myself away, but I didn''t budge. Her grip was steel.

    "Pardonu min. Ne movi?u. Vi bezonas ?i tion," she said sternly, holding me in place. How was she so strong?

    By the tenth pass, I was screaming. By the fifteenth pass, I was an incoherent blob of flesh. By the twentieth pass of her infernal glowing demon-light hands, I realized I wasn''t in heavenˇŞI was in hell.

 IV. Pardonu!

    I woke up screaming. I shot up, the heavy blankets falling off my naked chest and across my lap. It was cool out, causing my skin to prickle up immediately. I grabbed the blankets almost as quickly as I threw them off and wrapped them around myself to ward off the cold.

    Then I realized both of my arms worked.

    I began wiggling my toes and moving my feet. My right foot still hurt, but not nearly so bad. Same with my right knee. My left arm was fully covered in bandages, which smelled like flowers and antiseptic, and there was only a little blood staining them now. I lifted my arms above my head, then back down. I didn''t have full range of motion, and my arm was still mostly numb, and the skin felt tight and itched, but I could move my arm! I wiggled my toes, then my fingers. I bent my knees. I rotated my torso, my arms, my neck, my head. Everything worked. At least kind of.

    I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I blinked them away, but they were stubborn. I really thought I was done. I''d never be able to do anything ever again. How the hell would I enjoy heaven if I had a broken body? Thank you, freakishly strong magic nun.

    With a deep sigh, I looked around my moonlit room. Everything was as it had been, except the incense on the desk had gone out at some point. I could make out the edge of the moon through the window, which bathed the space is a soft silvery light. Someone had placed a glass of water on my end table. Reaching out with my left hand, I willed it to grasp the cool glass, and, after a failed attempt, I picked it up and brought it to my lips. The water tasted amazing. I finished it in a few gulps, then placed the empty glass back at the end table.

    A soft knock on the door sounded in my room. I froze again. Please no. No more. The evil mistress of pain and healing was back for more. Was there a torture schedule or something?

    "No thank you!" I said louder than I meant to.

    The door opened, and a woman of maybe twenty five or twenty six walked into the room. A small candle illuminated her pale, freckled face, which was narrow, with high cheekbones and almond eyes slightly too large for her face. Her robes, which were shapeless and brown instead of white and blue, were a size too big and hung awkwardly off her thin body. She was short, maybe standing around five three, and her brown hair was pulled back into a braid.

    "La plorulo veki?as," she said with a wry smile. "Kiel vi fartas?" Her voice was sweet and melodic, with a different accent than the woman from the day before. She approached my bed, placed a glass of water on the small wooden nightstand, and pulled the covers away from my arm. She began running fingers up my arm, closing her eyes as she did. Scarred from yesterday''s experience, my arm jolted involuntarily. "I''m okay, really."

    Her eyes opened, and she gazed into my eyes. Hers were amber, almost golden. "Ne timu. Mi estas ?i tie por helpi vin." Her tone was so sincere and sweet that I couldn''t help but relax.

    Seeing my body relax, she sat at the edge of my bed and placed her hands back on my arm. A soft white glow, barely perceptible even in the moonlight, began to emit from her hands. Whatever the light was, I could feel it seep into my skin just like with the older woman. It felt good, even if it made my arm tingle and ache. Unlike with the older woman, however, whatever she was doing felt softer, more gentle.

    I closed my eyes for a few minutes, but I found I couldn''t keep them closed for long. The pain was enough to be distracting, and she was a pretty lady sitting on my bed. I tried not to look at the woman. I looked at the symbol on the wall, softly glowing in the moonlight. I looked out into the dark field. I didn''t want to be weird, but my curiosity got the best of me.

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    The girl was definitely around her mid-twenties, with fair, clear skin and bright blue eyes. She had light freckles that ran down her long, thin nose. Her hair was jet black and immaculately kept. So much so that it shined in the moonlight. Her hands were thin but strong, with long fingers and shiny, buffed nails. She was rather pretty. I felt my cheeks flush slightly and my heart quicken, if only a bit. It had been over a year since I dated last, and I hadn''t been touched by anyone since Melissa and I split.

    The woman adjusted her body as she worked, turning her torso toward me, working her way up my arm and into my shoulder, her eyes closed, brows furrowed in concentration. She coupled her healing with some type of massage, working the... magic, I guess, into my muscles. Her robe fell away from her neck, causing the moonlight to highlight the curve of her collarbone, the muscles in her neck, her delicate jaw and... her long pointed ears.

    "Your ears!" I shouted, pointing with my free arm. "Why are they pointed!?!"

    Her eyes grew wide and her face reddened. She covered her ears with her hands.

    "Mal?entile! Mi estas amiko elfulo, kaj ili estas miajn orelojn! Bruto!" The woman stood up and, fishing in her robe''s pockets, pulled out some sort of black shawl and wrapped it around her head, covering her ears. She put her hands on her hips, scowling as she did, but I reached out and grabbed her hand.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to insult you." I didn''t know why she reacted that way, but clearly I messed up. I searched for the word the older woman kept saying the day before when she was torturing me. I was pretty sure I knew what it meant. She only said it a hundred times while breaking me. "Pardonu. Pardonu. Sorry. I didn''t know it was being insulting. I was surprised. Pardonu."

    The girl''s expression softened, and she sat back at the edge of the bed with a huff. Taking my hand back in hers, she began to work on my arm again. She softly intoned some sort of chant or words, and the soft light emitting from her hands grew brighter. Much brighter. It didn''t feel good any more. I began to squirm, then groaned, then writhed.

    "Okay, that''s enough now. Thanks. Thanks much. That''s great. All done." She didn''t let up, working her light into my muscles with the same vigor the larger woman had. "Pardonu. Pardonu! PARDONU!" I shouted loud enough that my voice echoed in the small room.

    She gave me a mischievous smile, then simply said, "Nedankinde," and the white light began to dim. It started to feel good again. I decided I''d never trust her, or bring up her ears, again.

    "Yeah, funny. You really got me. Haha So funny." I glared at her, sulking.

    "Haha." she said back, a shit eating grin on her face. "So funny," she parroted in her melodic accent and giggled. For the first time in however many days, I genuinely smiled. Then we both laughed together. She smiled as she continued her work, her eyes meeting mine from time to time. I felt like I made a friend. I rested back into my pillow, letting her do her work.

    Some time later, she finished, and my arm felt the best that it had felt since the storm. Since I nearly died. Actually died?

    "Thank you." I said sincerely, pushing the thought away.

    "Nedankinde." I assumed that meant you''re welcome.

    I pointed at myself. "Alex."

    "Naya."

    "Pleased to meet you, Naya." I meant it. I didn''t know how long I had been here, but it was nice to connect with someone, even if that someone had pointy ears, amber eyes, glowing hands, and shouldn''t exist. She smiled down at me, the smile reaching her eyes. She lifted her hands from my arm and walked to the foot of the bed. Reaching under the covers, she placed her hands on my right foot. The same good, itchy, achy feeling crept into my foot, then spread up my leg and into my knee. It was rough but bearable.

    "So, um, where am I? Is this some sort of hospital?" I asked, knowing I wouldn''t understand a word she said. It was just nice to talk to someone.

    Her eyes fluttered open. She opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again. "Ili ne kredis, ke li travivos. Vi estis tre vundita, kaj mi pasigis multajn noktojn ?e via lito. Mi dankas, ke vi vivas. Forta vi estas." She smiled softly, a subtle sadness filling her eyes. "Ne ?iuj vivos." Her golden eyes peered into mine a moment longer. She seemed like she wanted to say more, but a distant noise outside the room ended the moment. She stood up, brushed her hands on her robe, and walked back to the side of my bed.

    "Vi devas ripozi." She placed her hand on my head as she spoke. I didn''t understand her, but I was wracked with a massive yawn when something passed from her hand into me.

    "Bonan nokton, Alex." She smiled, squeezed my hand, then turned to leave the room. I was asleep before the door shut, dreaming of beautiful fields, sheep, and brown-haired elven maidens.

 V. Bonan Matenon

    I woke up refreshed the next morning, forgetting for a moment where I was. I reached to the nightstand for my phone, then remembered that there was no phone. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I yawned and pulled myself up into a seated position. That holy symbol, which was somehow always at least softly illuminated by the light coming from the small window on my right, was glowing in front of me. It was disorienting. It was almost exactly where my old TV had been. The world outside was quiet: no sheep, no children playing, no pretty elven priestesses speaking in melodic accents. There were birds, though. They chirped cheerfully as the sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the dust in the air.

    I sighed, then took the chance to stretch and wiggle around in the bed. Everything still felt stiff, but it felt a hell of a lot better than the days before. I pushed myself to the edge of the bed, swung my legs off, and gently set my feet on the ground. I nearly fell the second I stood. My legs wobbled like a newborn deer''s.

    "Ughhh," I grunted, falling back onto the bed. "I thought magical healing was supposed to be instant? What is this shit?" I tried to stand again, but failed again. Pulling myself upright, I looked down at my uncooperative legs... and realized that they didn''t look like they were mine. They were much thinner than I remembered. In fact, all of me was thinner. Yet again, for what had to have been the tenth time in a few days, my heart began to race. Inspecting my body, I quickly realized that I had lost weight. A lot of weight. I was fairly in shape before, what with all the labor and gym and martial arts and stuff, and I had added some padding the last few months it got cold, but this body was not that body.

    I wasn''t emaciated, but I had lost quite a bit of muscle mass, and nearly all of my padding was gone. My arms were thin, which I hadn''t noticed before. I could see my ribs in my chest and torso, and my abs were clearly visible, but not in the good way. I looked kind of like how I did after I hiked for a few months after my sister... after I moved away from home.

    How long had I been out?

    Gathering up courage for another attempt at standing, I teetered up, using the bed posts for support. I hobbled step by step to the desk in the far corner, then plopped down on the wooden desk chair. My knee was a lot better. Not perfect, but better. My foot felt tight. My head felt okay. The only part of me that still felt awful was my left arm. I could only feel half as well as I should, and my movements took more effort and concentration than I''d like. The bandages had come off, revealing large, thick scars and several burns running up my forearm. The red lines were still there, but they were fading. I tried touching my thumb to my fingers, but I could only make it to the middle finger, which was half-numb.

    I noticed that some clothes had been laid out on the desk, and an incense stick was already burning in the holder. The clothes were unfamiliar. The shirt was a tan long-sleeved tunic of some kind that would have been right at home at a renaissance fair, and the pants were brown and shapeless. The fabric was well made, but rougher than I was used to.

    "Probably wool, then." I sighed. Of course the clothes in heaven were made of wool. Wool was hot, and wherever I was now, the weather was more temperate than back home. Some wool socks and a leather belt were under the pants, There were some brown leather boots in the opposite corner, near the door.

    I took my time getting dressed. I didn''t want to get vertigo again, and a lot of me didn''t want to move. Luckily, the clothes were baggy, so it made it easier to maneuver than it would have been. After taking an embarrassingly long time getting dressed, I finally stood there, looking out my little stone window, dressed like a medieval villager. I couldn''t say that this was a life goal of mine, but I''d be lying if I said it wasn''t kind of fun.

    A sharp knock at the door pulled me away from the pastoral bliss of the morning and back into the present. The door swung open, and a stout man, nearly as wide as the doorway and a head shorter than me, marched into my little sanctuary. He had long brown hair that he kept pulled back in a ponytail and a neatly trimmed beard. He was obviously well muscled, like a laborer, and a rod dangled from the belt of his red and white robes. He had a walking stick in his hands.

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    "Bonan matenon," he said, his words hard and clipped. He seemed all business, scanning the room in an instant and eying me up and down. He reached down, grabbed my boots, and marched to my desk. Before I could even protest, the boots were on my feet, and he thrust the walking stick into my hands.

    "Staru." He reached out and grabbed me, hoisting me onto my feet like a child. He was strong, stronger than the older woman that healed me the day I woke up, and she was strong. He was like a bear. "Venu." He marched out of my room and stood in the doorway.

    I understood well enough, and I really didn''t want to argue with the scary short guy. I looked at the stick he handed me. It was stout and thick, made of some dense, dark wood. The grains were tight, and it felt like it could punch through the stone floor before breaking. The ends were bound in some sort of yellowish metal. Taking a deep breath, I took a step, but it was too big. I barely planted the walking stick in the stone before I fell over. The man reentered the room and wrapped his arm around me.

    "Malrapide," he said more softly and gently than before, slowing me down and helping me with the first few steps before letting go. He walked backwards, watching each of my faltering steps as I left my little room and entered a long stone hallway. "Bone," he said as he stopped and adjusted my grip on the staff. He nodded his head toward the hall. The man had a stern look, but not a bad one. He wasn''t smiling, but his eyes shone with empathy.

    "Alex." I said, pointing at myself.

    "Renard," he replied, his eyes focusing on my movements.

    It turned out that my room was one of many. I was housed in the furthest room on the right, but there were at least twenty on each side of the narrow hallway. I could hear sounds in some of the rooms: groaning, the shuffling of feet, a stray cough. Halfway up the hallway was an archway, from which emitted the soft, flickering light of candles and the heavy smell of incense. Step by faltering step, I made my way down the hallway, then followed Renard into what was a large room. My breath was taken away.

    A massive stone statue stood on the far side of the large room. It was a woman, but the sheer size and quality of the thing took my breath away. She was in a sheer, flowing gown, and her long hair cascaded down her shoulders and along her collarbones, reached well below her breasts. Her right hand was held up, and in it was the same eight-pointed star, similar to the symbol in my room. In her left hand, which she held down and out toward the room, were some sort of grapelike fruit. Her expression was soft, warm, and loving. Coming in through the windows high above her, from the same side of the building as my room, the light shone on her beautiful face, filling the room with soft, golden light.

    It was beautiful.

    I had to pause, leaning on my staff and looking up at the statue. I didn''t consider myself religious, but there was something about this place, about the statue, that made me stop and think. What if? What if there was more to the story than we knew? I mean, here I was, standing under the statue of some unknown goddess, being guided around by a guy who I suddenly realized might be a dwarf, after being healed by magic light hands and a pretty elf priestess. Would believing be so weird after all of that?

    The sounds of soft prayers pulled me out of my thoughts, and I tore my eyes away from the statue. A woman, little more than a girl really, kneeled in front of the statue, her hands clasped in front of her and eyes lifted in prayer. Behind her, a group of people, maybe a dozen or so, sat on stone benches facing the statue. Each had an incense burner in their hands, and they had their heads bowed in prayer. The kneeling girl stayed in that position for several moments, then she stood and returned to one of the pews. A man, older and stooped, rose and walked toward the statue. One after another, they took turns while Renard and I watched.

    Turning to the stout man beside me, I noticed his face was as impassive as it had been, but his eyes shone with the same light they had when he saw me struggling to walk minutes before. Maybe he wasn''t such a hard ass as he seemed? After fifteen or so minutes, the last congregant stood up, and a woman, the same one who healed me the day I woke up, emerged from behind the statue. She said a few parting words that I didn''t understand, and then everyone said a prayer as a group and stood up. Within minutes, the temple began to clear out, and she turned to look at me.

    "Sankte." She said as she walked toward me. "Venu, filo. Mi volas, ke vi renktonu iun."

    She reached out, grabbed my hand, and guided me behind the statue and into a dark room beyond.

 VI. I Got Struck by Lightning. Twice

    A moment later, we emerged from the dark antechamber, and the priestess guided me into a large open room. Renard followed several steps behind. Natural light filtered through stained glass windows set high up in the walls, and candles rested in small sconces evenly spaced along the walls, casting a warm glow on everything.

    The room was large, though not quite as large as the one with the goddess statue. There were paintings of various scenes on the walls, which I assumed were depictions of moments and stories important to the faith. There were several tables in this room, and each of them had a robed person sitting at them, quill in hand, scratching away at what looked like scrolls. I saw that Naya, who was dressed in blue and white robes today, was floating from table to table, checking in with the various writers, who were all dressed in the simple brown robes she wore when I first met her.

    When my staff thumped against a chair, she looked up and smiled, cheerfully saying, "Bonan matenon, Alex!" before returning to her work.

    The priestess walked ahead to a robed figure at the far side of the room. She beckoned for me to follow. It took me a while to get there, limping as I was between the narrow aisles created by the twenty-or-so desks in the room, but I got there eventually. The priestess patted me on the shoulder when I finally made it, offering a word of encouragement that I didn''t understand but could totally feel. It felt patronizing, but also kind of nice.

    I looked the man over. He was older, maybe around fifty, with long greying hair pulled back into a ponytail and a full beard. His skin was tanned, and he was rather handsome, looking shockingly similar to George Clooney. He didn''t lift his head right away, opting instead to finish the section he was writing. I realized then that he wasn''t writing but copying material from another document placed alongside the scroll. His handwriting was neat and efficient, and he wrote with practiced precision. I couldn''t remember the last time I had handwritten much of anything.

    He finished the sentence he was working on, then looked up at us. His eyes were brown, with dark rings under them, but his eyes sparkled with energy. A golden ring adorned his ring finger, and he had an amulet around his neck like the others, though his stone was black and circular.

    "Bonan matenon, patrino," the man said in a strong baritone. His eyes scanned over the three of us, but there seemed to be little intent behind it. I thought that meant good morning.

    "Bonan matenon, Arden. ?i tiu virulo estas unu el la postvivantoj. Mi volas, ke vi parolas kun li," the priestess said in her singsong accent.

    "Certe, patrino." The man stood up and walked around the table, and the priestess gave him my hand. The man took it in his and shook it firmly. "Hello, friend. I''m Arden, a priest here at the temple. I''m pleased to meet you."

    I didn''t realize what I heard at first, but slowly the gears clicked in place. "Wait, you speak English?" It had been a while since I heard someone speak anything I could understand.

    "I do, though not as often as I''d like anymore. It''s amazing how fast our native language fades when we don''t use it." He smiled and shook his head. "I''m happy to have the opportunity to practice."

    "Native? What do you mean?" A couple of the brown-robed people in the room lifted their heads and glared at us. I realized the room had been quiet before we started talking.

    "I''ll explain in a moment. First, let''s get out of here and stop disturbing the others. Come, my chambers are in the south wing. We can talk there." He turned to the priestess, bowed respectfully, and said, "Dankon, patrino. En la lumo." He turned and walked to another door set into the far way, opened it, and beckoned to me. I limped my way forward until I entered the doorway, which led to a long hallway like the one my room was in. We walked several doors to the right, then entered a room on the left wall.

    The room was slightly larger than mine, with a large bookshelf on one side, a desk next to it under a small window, and a small bed along the opposite wall. There was a small table with two chairs set against the wall that framed the hallway.

    "Sit," he pulled out one of the chairs. "Would you like anything to eat? Fruit? Nuts?"

    "No thank you. I''m not hungry." I was, but it didn''t feel appropriate to take the man''s food.

    Arden smiled at me and brought the bowls of fruit and nuts to the table anyways. "So, I''m sure you have a million questions." He popped a round purple fruit in his mouth.

    I sat down and mindlessly pulled a few of the fruit off the vine. They were kind of like grapes, but less sweet. "Yeah, I do, but I don''t really know where to begin." I thought for a while, and he was nice enough to wait while I did. "So, is this heaven or what? Because I got it in my head that that''s where I ended up."

    Arden laughed, then replied, "no, we are not currently in heaven. This world is generally called Reial by its inhabitants, though the different races sometimes use different names."

    "This world? Like, we aren''t on Earth anymore?" I wasn''t terribly surprised considering all the weirdness I''d experienced over the past few days, but it was still a bit disconcerting.

    "Yeah, as far as anyone is aware, the world we are on is not Earth." He paused and popped a large grape-thing into his mouth, clearly enjoying the flavor. "There are some things here that are the same. Some animals seem to be the same, or similar, like the goats that I''m sure you''ve seen outside your window. There are many plants that are the same, and the sky is nearly the same color blue. Theory is that it isn''t just humans and the like that get called here." He paused to eat another grape, then continued.

    "However, there are many, many differences. The stars are different, and there isn''t a sun for starters."

    "Wait, what?" I said, choking on a nut that looked a lot like a brazil nut."

    "Yeah. You probably haven''t seen it yet, but there''s a tower in the center of the kingdom. On top of it is this huge glowing orb that alternates being glowing brightly during the day and going out at night. I''m sure you''ll see it soon. It''s in the center of the continent."

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    "Wild."

    "There''re many races other than humans here too, of which I heard you''ve noticed. Naya was embarassed when you called out her ears. She''s normally good about keeping them covered, but she often treats you at night and sometimes forgets."

    I blushed at the memory. "Yeah, about that. What did I do wrong?"

    Arden laughed, then answered simply, "the elven empire of Osreva is to the far southwest. Our kingdom, Istaera, has been in a... cold war, I guess you can call it, with them for a few hundred years. There is a lot of prejudice on both sides, though humans aren''t permitted in Osreva except under special circumstances. Many elves have died or been enslaved along the frontier, and even the free elves like Naya are subjected to harassment."

    "I had no idea." That sounded a little too much like home. I felt bad for Naya.

    "You wouldn''t know. It''s simply part of life here." He paused and ate a few more grapes, giving me time to process things.

    "What started it?"

    "Well, there are at least two stories. One is that Osreva attacked Istaera when the Osrevan Empress Elysara eloped with King Hendry in 5E 54 under the pretense of a diplomatic gathering. The other is that Hendry captured the Empress during said meeting and forced her to sire his children. Emperor Elauthin charged his people with recovering the Empress at any cost, then died of unknown causes. Today, the heirs to both Osreva and Istaera sit in our capital, but the heirs haven''t been recognized by Osreva, so their throne is still empty."

    "Damn, that''s a lot." History was always one of my favorite things. It was my major before kicking that guy''s ass for touching my girlfriend. If I really was in a new place, there''d be a lot more history to learn.

    "What else would you like to know?"

    "Okay, so I''m on another planetˇŞ"

    "World. It is unclear if Reial is a planet, but the evidence points to it being flat."

    "So I''m on a different world. With different physics. And a different language."

    "And monsters."

    "And monsters. Wait, what?"

    "Yep, monsters. They form from ambient, stagnant mana. It''s a major job in this world to keep that from happening. Mostly because the sun will go out if we don''t."

    "Stop it." What the shit.

    "Yep. The Sun Orb, and the other eight smaller towers that form a ring along Land''s Edge, or the Reach as some people call it, relies on the flow of mana to function. There''s a big wall that acts a boundary between the known world and the Wilds. The whole system is fueled by the world''s mana. If it gets choked up, the orb goes out. It happened once. Wasn''t good, apparently, but that was early in the fourth era, when some being calling himself the ''Dark Lord'' formed. Not many people know about it though."

    A glimmer of a thought floated into my head. "So is that what the eight-pointed star represents?"

    "Yep! The goddess descended in the first age and tasked the elves to build the towers to bring light to the world. In doing so, she gave the people here hope, or so the story goes."

    "Don''t you believe it?"

    He paused for a second before popping a few nuts into his mouth. He chewed slowly, obviously thinking. "I don''t really know if it matters. What is, is, and I''m here to record it."

    "Aren''t you a priest?"

    "Well, sure, but faith doesn''t have much impact on what I do. Our magic works with or without faith, and faith has no bearing on my ability to copy old texts. I suppose I''d like to believe, at least because that means I''m here for some reason and not by chance. Thinking that way makes losing my wife and kids a little easier to bear."

    That took me aback. That sounded horrible. "What about me being here? Could that be chance?"

    "I have no idea. Humans aren''t native to this world. Well, basically no one is originally from here, though most are natives at this point. Every year, people from Earth arrive here. Usually, it''s after accidents or near-death experiences, at least for us humans. The other races seem to have different experiences with being called. If people aren''t found and helped, most will die again, but some survive, like you and me. That''s part of what the church does. We receive visions when people are called, and we''re tasked with finding them."

    I paused for a while, trying to arrange my thoughts. "So, what do we do here? What''s the point?"

    He laughed, then simply said, "survive. Just like back home. I assume you were American by your accent?"

    "Yeah. Florida. You?"

    "Michigan."

    Holy hell.

    "You know how back in America there was the idea that you could be or do anything if you tried hard enough?"

    "Yeah, that myth of meritocracy bullshit. Totally."

    "Exactly. It was bullshit there, but here it''s kind of true." He fingered the amulet around his neck.

    "Explain."

    "Well, you can become much stronger here than back home. More skilled. More knowledgeable. Whatever you might want, there are ways to pursue your interests. That isn''t to say there isn''t the same bullshit, and in some ways the hierarchy is more strict here since people are actually stronger than others. But the hierarchy is based on things other than only wealth, which is a plus. Stuff gets shaken up more."

    "So what, can we become superheroes here or something?"

    He shook his head. "Yes and no. It''s kind of like this game I played before I went to the army. You fight monsters, do stuff that relates to your classes, and complete quests, and you get stronger. But it''s not just fighting. In fact, most people don''t really focus on adventuring. Some people master trade skills, while others focus on status and wealth. It varies. You just have to do something to impress the system, and it decides what you''d be best at by giving you a class. That''s the hardest part. And since we aren''t from here, we aren''t born with racial or heritage classes, so we get the distinct pleasure of starting at zero."

    "What about you?" I was genuinely curious. This was crazy.

    "The church found me, just like they found you three months agoˇŞbroken and face down at the side of a road, vultures eying me like a holiday meal. Mother Varga brought me back here, healed me up, and gave the choice of where I''d go next. I felt like I owed her, so I stuck around. Learned the language through interacting with them and copying their books and writing, then fell in love with the world and its history. I felt like I finally found my purpose, and I still feel that way today, even if I still think about my family a lot." He smiled as he spoke. "I read so much I got the scholar class."

    "That''s awesome, man. I''m happy for you. Except for your family, that''s terrible." I stumbled over my words. How the hell do you navigate this kind of information? Then his words his me... "Three months?! No wonder I look like shit!"

    "Yeah. Healing superficial and fresh injuries is relatively easy, but you''d been laying in the road for at least three days before Naya found you and got you back here. You were nearly dead." His perpetual smile faded a bit. "If it weren''t for Renard and Varga''s strength and Naya''s diligence, you''d be dead twice."

    "Holy shit." I thought about what he said, then asked, "you said Naya was at my bedside most nights. Why?"

    He frowned. "She lost her family a few years ago in a monster attack. How you looked when she found you reminded her of when she found her brother. She couldn''t save him, but she was able to save you. If it weren''t for her, I don''t think we''d be talking right now."

    Shit, poor girl. "What about you? How were you when they found you?"

    "Back then, Varga was a junior priestess like Naya is now. She found me in a ditch in Llyn, the closest town to our temple. She carried me here on her back and personally healed me. I wasn''t so bad off as you, but I wasn''t in great shape either. Took me a few months to recover."

    I let all of it sink in for a moment. This was a lot. A question popped into my head, and I couldn''t help but ask, "what happened to you? Back home, I mean."

    His mouth twisted, and a distant look cross his eyes. "A bridge collapsed. You?"

    "I got struck by lightning. Twice."

    He laughed. "That can''t be all. I mean, not that that isn''t enough, but you were torn up when Naya found you."

    We continued talking and laughing, steering to lighter topics, like how a tree exploded with me next to it and if America was still in the Gulf War.

 VII. New Worlds and New Friends

    Holy. Shit.

    I sat at the foot of my bed, trying to absorb everything Arden told me. He filled my head with everything he could, and it was more than enough to get the gears in my brain grinding.

    So this world wasn''t Earth. Or maybe it was. Time travel? Who the fuck knows. People who weren''t from this place... what was it''s name? Reial. That was it. They got sent here, and I was one of them. He said we couldn''t go home either. He''d tried everything, and nothing stuck. That sucked pretty bad. It wasn''t like my life was that great back home, but I had friends and stuff. I knew that would sink in eventually, but it really hadn''t yet. It would suuuuuck when it hit, though.

    Apparently, the gods were also real, and I had been called by one. Well, there were many gods in the past, but the one everyone worshipped now was called the Goddess. Not the most original, but Christians called God, well, God, so it made sense. I asked if there was an afterlife, and Arden said yes, that''s where monsters were believed to come from, but no one ever came back from it. It was a physical place under the ground, which they called the Depths, and it was kind of like Hades. He said that people''s spirits stick around for a bit once they die, but if they aren''t healed and sent back to their bodies fast enough, they go to the underworld, and that was that.

    "What the fuck." I looked out the window. A small bird fluttered onto the windowsill and chirped at me. It looked like a cross between a parrot and a hawk. Not from Earth.

    My thoughts kept going, spinning around and around. The people were different, the animals were different, and the plants were different. The moon was different. The sun was gone, but there was a big ass tower that made things work kind of the same. If I had enough energy to get outside, I''d check it out, but that little walk to Arden''s room ruined me. The sky was almost the same. Slightly more blue, I decided. Kind of eerie, really.

    My family... not that I had much of one... Nope. We weren''t going there, Alex. Not today.

    I limped over to my cot and lay down. After a few moments, I fell asleep.

    ***

    "Hey. Wake up." Someone shook my shoulder. "I need to heal you before my shift is over."

    "Ugh. Fuck off, dude." My head pounded, and my left arm was aching like crazy. Then I realized what he said. I shot up. A thin guy... girl... guy... in oversized brown robes was looking back at me. It was honestly hard to tell what they were, so I went with my gut. His black hair was shaggy and unkempt. "Wait, you speak English too?"

    "Yeah. Now move over. I need to get this done. I want to sleep." He walked to my nightstand and grabbed my glass of water. He gulped half of it down, then turned back to me.

    "What the hell, man?"

    "Sorry. I''m a healer. Need water."

    "Yeah, but still. Rude. I drink out of that."

    "Whatever. You won''t die, you big baby. Now, can I heal you or not?" His voice was high-pitched for a guy and kind of soft. He wasn''t particularly well-built either. Kind of thin and lanky.

    "Can I get the pretty one again?"

    "Ass."

    "Sorry."

    "Look, I''m on shift tonight, so suck it up, and let''s get this over with. It''s not like I wanna be rubbing all over you either. You fucking reek."

    I sniffed myself. I did, in fact, reek. "Yeah... sorry."

    "Move."

    "Okay, okay. I''m moving." I scooched over.

    Once I made enough room, and he pulled a small vial of some red liquid out of a belt pouch and rubbed it into his hands. A moment later, his hands were glowing.

    He started working my fingers and hand. He seemed a little less skilled than the others but after a few minutes, the tingling started. My headache faded away, and my muscles began to feel relaxed and loose. My scars, which were still red and swollen, softened. I could tell the kid was doing a decent job. "So what''s your name?"

    "Doesn''t matter."

    "Oh, don''t be like that."

    His eyes met mine. They were the bluest eyes I''d ever seen. Like twin pools of sapphire. "Tristan."

    "Hi, Tristan. I''m Alex."

    "Don''t care. It''s not like you''re gonna be here forever or anything. No use getting friendly with you."

    I hadn''t thought about the future that much, but now that I could kick ass and do epic stuff, at least in theory, I knew I''d be out of here eventually. "How does this work, anyway? How long am I allowed to stay?"

    Tristan huffed. "I guess we''re doing this." He sighed. "This temple is a place of healing and rest. You stay as long as you need."

    "Oh God...dess. I was worried about that and was too afraid to ask." I laughed, but he mostly scowled and kept at his work. The room got quiet. I felt him work my hands and wrist for a bit and listened to his breathing, but it started to feel awkward. I hated awkward silences. "So, how do I look? I''m starting to feel a bit better. Do you think it''ll be much longer?"

    He cleared his throat. "Honestly? You''re pretty messed up, and your wounds set in too long."

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Na-Ya didn''t find you right away. The longer wounds have to settle, the harder it is to heal them. You''re going to be here for a bit."

    "How long do you think?"

    "I don''t really know. Lady Varga thinks three months, but I''m not so sure. Feeling your wounds, I''d guess six.

    "What then?" Six months. Shit.

    "When you''re healed up, you''ll have the option of staying longer, but you''ll be put to work. Honestly though, most people go on to the city or find work in the towns once they''re healed. We don''t see people back that much, unless they get themselves torn up."

    "Do you ever go out?"

    His hands froze, and I saw his head drop. Did he not understand me?

    "To the towns, I mean. Do you go out much?"

    "Not often."

    "Why not?"

    "Why would I leave?" His jaw clenched.

    "Because there''s a big world out there. Don''t you want to see it?"

    I watched as his scowl grew. "I go to Llyn every once in a while. That''s enough, I guess."

    "Llyn?"

    "It''s the biggest town nearby. That''s about as far as I''ve gone." He sounded deflated.

    "So you''re totally happy here? No regrets or anything? You''re a young man stuck in a temple with stuffy priests and the sick, and you''re sure you don''t want to go anywhere?" He wanted out of here. I could feel it. He had the same demeanor I had when I had to move back home after I decked that douchebag for groping my friend. Broke his jaw and everything.

    "I''m not..." He huffed, then stood up and switched to my foot.

    "Not what?"

    He glared at me. "I''m not unhappy."

    I got the feeling that wasn''t all of it. "You sure? From what Arden told me, it''s pretty great out there."

    Well..." His words trailed off. "Why are you asking so many questions? I just wanna go to bed."

    "Sorry. Thanks for helping. You can stop."

    "Great." He stood up and brushed his robe off. "I''ll get you more water." He shuffled out, nearly tripping on his shapeless brown robe as he did, then came back a minute later with a pitcher and poured me a glass. "Here you go."

    "Thanks." Our eye met as I took the glass. They really were the bluest. "Hey, if you ever want to talk, I''m here, okay?" Why not try to extend the olive branch? He seemed lonely, and I could use a friend. Plus, he knew English. That helped.

    He sighed. "Fine. Now go to sleep. You need it. Varga''ll be here in the morning, and she won''t be gentle."

    I groaned. Tomorrow was gonna suck.

    "I''ll see you tomorrow night." With those final words, he left.

    I felt my heart rate spike. The big lady was coming in the morning.

    ***

    My heart wasn''t wrong. All I could think of when she healed me was those old jokes about Russian massages and people screaming the whole time. That was me. Screaming. But man, when she was done, I felt so much better.

    "Bone. Restu nun, filo," she said with the same professionalism as always, but she had that twinkle in her eye that I hated. She was making fun of me in her head. I knew it.

    "Bonan matenon, patrino." I parroted the words I heard the day before. If I was gonna be stuck here, I would learn their language, and fast. I hated not knowing what they were saying.

    A huge smile spread across her face. "Bonan matenon, Alex! En la lumo." With those last words, she left my room.

    After a few minutes, I yawned. Healing really took it out of you. I leaned back and was out the second my head hit the pillow.

    ***

    I slept a ton over the next month. That walk around the temple grounds did a number on me. But, I was able to start putting food down, and I didn''t look so gaunt.

    Every day, Tristan and I talked. He was a little sulky and kind of naive, but he was a good kid. I didn''t like his visits as much as Na-ya''s since he wasn''t as pretty, but he was great company.

    We talked about anything and everything. He was curious about Earth and wanted to know as much as he could about life there, so that''s mostly what we talked about. After eight or nine days of that routine, Tristan came in twice as sulky as usual.

    "What''s up, Tristan? Get rejected by a baddie today or something?"

    The kid sighed. No, not kid. He''d told me he was twenty, almost twenty-one. He just looked younger due to reasons I didn''t understand due to our language barrier but absolutely pretended like I did. "Can we just not?" His blue eyes met mine. "Not today, okay?" He sat down next to me. "Be nice. Just for today, okay?" His voice was soft and earnest. I let go of all the prods I''d readied for our treatment and nodded. What was today?

    "Of course."

    He worked my hand and arm for several minutes before sighing again. "Varga says you''re doing a lot better. You''re healing fast, which is good." His voice had that edge that people got when they were struggling with something.

    "That''s cool. I''m looking forward to not having to be healed so much." I gave him space to talk. When he didn''t, I asked, "What''s the matter?"

    He ignored my question. "She thinks it''ll be about two months before you''re good again, but I''m still not so sure."

    "Awesome. What''s wrong?"

    His face screwed up in that anger that only young, hot-headed teens can show. "It''s just a little annoying. Okay?"

    "Why?"

    "It''s not fair!" The kid yelled louder than he meant to based on his own look of surprise. "I''m tired of the same old thing, you know? I''ve been here since I was born, and there''s nothing else. You guys come here, then you go."

    "And that''s bad, I''m guessing?"

    "Of course, it is!" He looked so pouty. "I want to see more, you know? I don''t want to be stuck here doing the same thing every day. You get to have adventures and stuff, then you get to come back, and everyone thinks you''re awesome. I''m stuck here polishing statues and healing assholes like you."

    "I hear you, man. I''m definitely an asshole."

    A smile broke out across Tristan''s face. I was winning, cutting through the layers of pout to the man beneath. "Yeah, I can tell."

    "So what about your parents?"

    His smile faded. "They''re both dead."

    "Oh, shit. I''m sorry, man."

    "Whatever. It''s fine."

    "If you say so. My sister''s dead, so that''s kind of the same."

    "Sorry, man."

    "It''s fine."

    We sat for a minute in awkward silence. "I never asked, what with you being a giant baby and all. How''s your English so good? Arden said he doesn''t speak much these days."

    "Yeah, the old man doesn''t. He''s my teacher and decided when I was young that we''d focus on Common. There''s a merchant in town that I''m friends with. We talk all the time, and I like English. It''s... I dunno, it reminds me of my folks I guess. They were from Earth."

    The kid was starting to make a little sense. A thought came to me. I could connect with him and learn at the same time. It was hard to flirt with Naya when I couldn''t speak to her. "That makes sense. Any chance you''d want to practice with me? I really can''t get around if I don''t understand anything anyone''s saying."

    He looked at me for a moment. "Sure. You''re the first human we''ve had in a while. I wouldn''t mind."

    "Great. So what''s up with Varga. Is she a giant or something?"

    Tristan laughed. "No. She''s just really high-level. So is Rennard. People say they used to be adventurers together, but when she got older, they settled down and built the temple. That''s the story at least, but no one really knows. They don''t talk about it. They''re good people, though. Everyone respects them."

    "Good to know."

    "Alright, you''re all done." Tristan stood up. "Get some sleep. You''re gonna be sore tomorrow." He smiled, then said, "Dormu bone. That mean''s sleep well." He left the room, and I lay back, looking at the clouds outside.

    Tristan wasn''t too bad. He was just a kid with big dreams.

    I started thinking about my own path forward. What was in store for me? Could I really be something awesome? Arden said it was like video games. Could I be a wizard or something? Or a badass ranger? Two scimitars, black cat, the whole thing? Or maybe a badass assassin, taking jobs and disappearing into the night. Maybe I''d be an archer, striking from the shadows and leaving my mark behind, changing the world one arrow at a time...

 VIII. Good Morning!

    "Good morning, Alex!" Na-Ya said with a bright smile as she entered my room.

    "Good morning, Na-Ya!" I said back, giving her my best smile. I''d been learning the language from Tristan over the last month, and while my moves didn''t seem to have any effect on the girl, they were totally working. I could feel it.

    "Feel good, hodia??" She asked, sitting down and inspecting my arm. Today, that meant today. We''d been able to communicate simple sentences for a week or so once I learned the basics, but I still forgot words all the time. Tristan insisted we only speak Common for a while so I would acclimate quickly, so we spent an hour a night practicing before switching to English on the nights he was at the temple. Tristan was a surprisingly good teacher. I figured he''d picked up a few tricks since he''d been getting privately tutored by Arden since he was a boy.

    "Yeah, I feel good." I felt my cheeks grow warm when she migrated down to my leg. It hadn''t gotten easier watching her do that. "So, how are things?" I asked in my best Common, hoping I got the words right.

    She smiled brightly at what was my best Commlish. "Good! You are learning fast!"

    I was just that good. "Yeah, Tristan teaches well."

    "Tristan is smart. You learn fast. And you heal fast!"

    Like the goddamn Wolverine. You''ve never seen anything like me, baby. "Yeah!"

    That was about the extent of my conversation skills, but I wanted to know more. I was crushing on her so hard. "Sooooo... What... What do you eating?"

    She looked at me like I said something funny. "Eitel and eilza are miaj plej ?atataj man?a?oj."

    Damn my kindergartener''s! "Mmm, sounds great."

    She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Come. Stand. You need to walk."

    I hated this part.

    I creaked out of the covers like my grandpa used to, groaning and cracking all over as I did. Once I was able to swing my feet off the bed, I spent a few minutes limbering up, then reached out to my walking stick and stood up. She reached out to catch me when I teetered, but I held her off. I had this. I was a big boy. I could stand on my own. Look out world, Alex is back and ready to kick some ass!

    No...

    Wait...

    I didn''t have this.

    Shit.

    I fell back on the bed.

    "Stubborn man..." I''d learned those words early. She said them often.

    "Sorry." I grinned.

    She wrapped her arms around my waist and helped me stand. She smelled good... Like berries and flowers, with a hint of horse. But everything smelled like horse, so that was expected.

    "Good. Walk now." She helped me take my first few steps, then I got the hang of it. Before long, she opened the door, and I was hobbling out of my room like a track star. A track star who''d been severely injured after being struck by lightning twice and getting exploded by a tree, then ending up in a foreign world with pretty elves, grumpy dwarves, and terrifying monsters. So many monsters. Arden had taught me about a few. Showed me pictures. Scary stuff.

    It was a story as old as time.

    I kept moving, hoping that my momentum would keep me upright. The plan was to never sit down. I was now the man who stood. If I sat, I was done. Standing prevented me from looking like an idiot. I would be fine. That''s what normal people did. Stood around all day.

    I limped into the large room with the Goddess statue. She was still as beautiful as ever, but the church was empty. It smelled lovely though. Like fruit, and flowers, and horse. Like Naya!. Oh God...dess, is that what I smelled like? Probably worse. I''d only had a few rag baths in, like, four months. I probably smelled a lot worse than horse. I covertly sniffed myself. Oh Goddess, it was bad.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "Alex!" Naya waved me on. We walked up and down the pews for a while until she put on a serious face. "?u vi pretas?"

    Totally, beautiful elf woman. Whatever you say, I am but putty in your hands. I nodded.

    She guided me toward the end of the rows of pews, then kept having me walk until we reached the large double doors at the end of the great hall. I''d never been this far before. My blood froze.

    "Wait." I hadn''t been out of the church in... since I got here. I was panicking! I was panicking?

    "Come." She opened the doors, and light filled the hall. Beckoning to me, she walked out into the world beyond.

    For some reason, I was scared. Why was I scared? I dug into the feeling. Why would I feel that way? Because I was a giant baby. I dug deeper. Because I was a big wimpy baby man.

    Focus!

    There were a lot of feelings, but the one that kept coming up felt the most true: once I stepped out those doors, everything they told me about my new life would be real. Once I saw the outside in person, all the feelings I''d been grappling withˇŞthe loss, the confusion, the anger and bargaining and the other stages of grief I forgot, all of it would be justified. This was my life now. There was no going back.

    An impulse hit me hard. I could just hide in my little room and never leave. This could be my home now. My shelter. My bulwark against the cruel world beyond.

    But a competing thought kicked that one away. That was no way to live. Tristan told me there was a guy on the other side of the church like that. He''d come from wherever the dwarves came from and decided his room was home. He''d been there for fifty years. Never left. Not once. He just sat alone in his little room and looked out the window. Every day. Lost in his thoughts about a home he''d never see again. T

    hat was no way to live.

    I wouldn''t be like that.

    I was going to be awesome.

    I took a step out of the church and into the light, and the feelings washed over me. I closed my eyes, took some deep breaths, imagined my center (whatever that meant. My sensei was always saying it, and it didn''t make sense, but I sure could fake it), and just existed for a while. When I opened my eyes again, what I saw took my breath away.

    The sky was endless and blue, a deeper blue than back home, and there wasn''t a cloud in it. From this vantage, I could finally see the tower they had all been talking about. It was a thin white line stretching as high into the sky as I could see. At the top was the sun, or what kind of looked like it.

    It was bright, but I could almost look at it without feeling like my retinas were going to melt the way the Sun felt on Earth. I raised my hand to block the light and looked through my fingers. The light almost seemed to twist and swirl around the thing before being sent out into the world. It almost seemed like the light was a physical thing instead of an energy or whatever it was on Earth. Schrondinger''s light or something. I''d watched a YouTube video about it once, but I forgot the specifics. But light did things, and this light seemed to do other things.

    "Good!" Naya clapped. "Come!" She started walking down a dirt path that snaked away from the front of the church.

    I limped after her.

    The woman had me walk around the church, which was way harder than it seemed. By the time we reached the back of the far too large temple, I heard the sounds of a Rennaissance fair in the distance. I looked toward the noise and saw several red-and-white-clad people and others in brown robes swinging swords and other weapons and doing play fighting.

    No.

    They were training! It looked like they were doing some active sparring against one another. My blood started pumping. Now that looked fun! I could just make out the very stout Rennard commanding each of the trainees as he walked between the various sparring groups. I realized that one of the men, the one with a whole mop on his head, was Tristan. He''d told me he trained sometimes, but I didn''t realize he meant he trained out here.

    "Go?" I said to Naya. I didn''t know how to communicate that I wanted to go watch them train, so I pointed instead.

    "Okay." She''d picked that word up from me. There was a thin gravel trail out to the training ground, but it wasn''t exactly even. She looped her arm in mine and helped me over the treacherous terrain. An embarrassingly long time later, we were standing watching the group.

    Rennard gave a curt nod and continued drilling his class, who''d switched from sparring to forms. Each of them flowed through their movements with practiced ease, though the red and white people were far more smooth about it. Rennard called out from time to time, and the group flowed between forms of different types. Some were fast and acrobatic. Others were forceful and precise. Still others were elaborate and fluid. I felt my mouth drop as I watched them. They were really good.

    I wanted to do that!

    I started practicing the movements in my head. I''d trained for many years growing up. The forms didn''t feel so complicated that I couldn''t pick them up with some practice.

    Rennard called out again, and each of the fighters closed their eyes and held their weapons in front of them. Most of them held maces or swords, though a few, mostly the dwarves, had hammers or axes. With a sharp shout from the dwarf, each of the fighters performed a gesture, and every single one of the red-and-white-robed people shot waves of light from their maces.

    I fell on my ass.

    Naya walked over to help me up as the group members all began to smile, to pat one another on their backs, and drink water. They started stowing their weapons and toweling off, and Tristan and a handsome elf in red and white robes walked over to me and Naya. The elf stripped off his shirt, revealing rippling abs underneath, looking like some sort of hunky elf supermodel. He had long, perfect golden hair, and even his eyes were gold! His fair skin literally glistened in the light, and he looked almost as tall as me. Not a single lock of his perfect hair was out of place.

    When I couldn''t get up, Naya let go of my arm and walked to the man. He scooped her up and swirled her around. She leaned in and kissed him.

    Nooooooooo.......

    Damn it.

    Crush ruined.

 IX. Learning and Training

    I sat in Arden''s study. The older man was sitting across from me, and I watched as the candlelight flickered across his face as he read. We''d been studying for several hours, but the man still wanted to squeeze more out of me, even though my head was practically mush at this point.

    The priest had a huge collection of books, many of which he''d shown me over the last few weeks. There was a stack of them on the desk. He''d taken it as his personal mission to instruct me in the ways of this world, and he was admittedly doing a great job. I could also tell he enjoyed my company.

    He had me reading as much as I could to help me graduate from Commlish to Common. I could actually understand a fair bit of the native language now. At least the concrete ideas. To be fair, I was doing less reading and more reading along, like a first grader, but it was working. I could understand way more than I did before. However, like Tristan said, once I''d gained enough ground in Common that I could understand the main ideas, Arden was insistent that we only use it from that point on. It made communication difficult at times, but I appreciated his instruction. He was an excellent teacher.

    "Translate this passage to me." The grey-haired almost George Clooney pointed at a passage on the page we had been reading. I followed his fingers and read. "Kaj la diino malsupreniris la landon kaj benis ?iujn per sia ora lumo."

    "Uhh..." It had been two months of pretty intense study. Once I''d learned that Naya was dating Ro-Saleh, the hot guy, my head cleared pretty quickly, and I got busy. I''d decided to double my efforts to learn the language and get a footing in this world. I couldn''t stay here forever, watching the two love birds play grab ass every day. They were disgustingly loving with one another, and while I was happy for them, screw them.

    I also learned that Naya was actually Na-Ya, that all elves had combined names, and that she was from a group called the common elves. Ro-Saleh, was from a different group called the sun elves. I honestly didn''t really understand the differences outside of hair and eye colors, but apparently, they were important, at least to the elves. Plus, him being a sun elf made sense. The dude had golden hair and eyes and practically shined with charisma. Also, the more I got to know him, the more I realized he was genuinely a good guy. What a prick.

    "Alex?" Arden caught me daydreaming and was sassing me. He did that a lot.

    "Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, I think it means that the Goddess descended to the land and gave some kind of light."

    "Very good!" He had stood up and was hovering over me. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Her golden light." He patted my shoulder and sat back down across from me. "You''re doing well. This is one of the faith''s texts made for children. You can now understand Common at something like a third-grade level, which is no easy feat considering you''ve only been awake for three months and have only been actively studying for two."

    I hadn''t told him I''d been getting supplemental tutoring from Tristan in exchange for stories from Earth. We''d actually become close over the past three months. He was as sulky as ever, but he really was a good kid. "What can I say? I''m a fast learner." I smirked at him.

    "I won''t even check that ego of yours. You are doing quite well." His face became serious. "What are you planning to do once you''re fully healed?"

    My leg had been stubborn. While my arm had mostly healed, though I couldn''t feel all my fingers and I''d have permanent scarring, my leg was still stiff and painful. Varga said that it shouldn''t be much longer, but Rennard told me that only hard work and discipline would fix me now. The man recommended I join them in their daily training, but Varga hadn''t cleared me for that yet, and her word was the real law around here. "Once my leg is better, I kind of want to get out in the world and see what there is to do. Tristan keeps talking about his hometown, so I figured I''d walk over there once I could, maybe meet some people."

    "That''s a good short-term goal. Are you considering joining Rennard in training?"

    "Yeah, I am. I used to do stuff like that back home for a lot of years, so I''d like to learn what I can." I wanted to make magical light come out of my hands like they did. That was way too awesome.

    "Good, it sounds like you''re getting an idea of what you''d like to achieve in Reial." He sipped on a cup of tea. "If I could make a suggestion?"

    His suggestions were more like things you should absolutely take to heart in my experience with the man so far. "Of course. What''s up?"

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "Learn as much as you can while you''re here, then visit the capital. It''s a little over a month to travel to the Saern from here, but you''d learn a lot by seeing it, and that''s where the most connections and opportunities can be found. If you''re looking to gain strength and get established in this world, it''s the best place for that. From there, you can choose whether you want to come back out here or continue on." He smiled and got a far-off look for a moment. "Plus, seeing the Tower up close is very impressive. "

    "Yeah, that sounds great. Is it hard to find a place there?"

    "Not really. The church is always taking people in, and we have contacts there, so you could easily stay with us. And if you learn everything you can while you''re here, you''ll be of use to any branch of the church, even if you''re not a full priest like Rennard or Varga. I''m just a scholar, but I''m welcome anywhere there''s a church. You could do the same. You can travel as much as you want. Well, until you gain a certain amount of reputation. That''s when people tend to get locked down more."

    It sounded like a good plan. "I''ll do that."

    He smiled. "Good. It will take a year for you to learn everything I have to teach you at the rate that you''re learning, and I believe about the same amount of time to learn everything Rennard can teach if you train every day. You''ll pick up other things in the meantime as well. Hopefully, you''ll unlock a class through rigorous training. That would make your life far easier. Classes are the main way to gain strength. They give skills, abilities, and bonuses. You should be able to unlock your heritage and racial classes soon, but your racial class won''t help you much. Humans have the worst racial class, but we outsiders get some bonuses for being what we are. It makes up for our weak race a little."

    "Should I take notes, or?..."

    "Not at all. You''ll learn through doing soon enough. Just know that nearly everyone unlocks their racial and heritage abilities, most people gain a profession, some people unlock their star signs through rituals, and a few people unlock a heroic class. That one''s the hardest. You need to do something heroic or achieve something great, but the system won''t tell you what that entails or what you''re capable of. Ten people could do the same thing, and only one would unlock a class. It seems to be based on personality and aptitude, at least to some degree, but only the Goddess knows the particulars. That''s why I want to expose you to as much as possible. You''ll have the greatest chance of gaining aptitude in a variety of areas if you learn as much as you can."

    Damn, that was a lot. I appreciated Arden more than ever at that moment. He really was looking out for me. I''d make you proud, father figure in another world. "I''m in. Teach me everything."

    ***

    "Again!" Rennard shouted, and our little band of warrior priests reset. "Ready... Begin!"

    We flowed through the form we were working on. I''d learned it over the past month since I''d talked to Arden. Rennard had been right. My leg only started getting better when I began training, and Na-Ya and Ro-Saleh had taught me some stretching sets that reminded me of Yoga. I was getting much stronger, but my leg was still quite stiff.

    The form we were working on was called Dawn''s Embrace. The theory behind it was that it symbolized the Goddess breaking through the darkness. It was all about staying defensive while weaving through different fluid strikes. It really was impressive watching the others perform it too. Unlike the others, who mostly embodied the ideal (except for Tristan. He hardly tried), I knew I looked like a mess. The form was twenty-one movements, and I messed up half of them. I was too stiff and slow. Once we''d finished, Rennard waved me over.

    "Again!" He shouted while pulling me to the side. Ro-Saleh took on as group leader. "Your form is abysmal."

    "Thank you, Rennard. You really know how to make a guy feel better about himself."

    "I''m not trying to make you feel better. I''m trying to make you better. The forms are about more than just swinging a weapon. You need to learn to stop fighting your body. Also, you''re too weak. You''re losing energy far too quickly."

    "Yeah, I''m a mess."

    "You are."

    "Thank you, Sir."

    "Stay after class. We will be working on your form."

    "Yes, Sir." The stout dwarf marched away. Damn, he was scary sometimes.

    We trained for a while longer, until everyone was gasping for breath and desperate for water. After a series of punishing calisthenics, Rennard called class. Everyone started cleaning up, and I prepared myself for abuse.

    Ro-Saleh sauntered over. "I saw you talking to Rennard. You staying late, Alex?" Ro-Saleh said, his perfect body gleaming with sweat. Two of the women were eyeing him the way hawks eye mice.

    "Yeah, I am. Rennard wants to go over some things."

    "Hey, that''s a compliment. The old man only ever gives students extra time if he sees they have potential. Chin up, friend." Ro-Saleh playfully punched my jaw. I hated to admit it, but he really was a great guy. We''d become much closer since I''d started training. I went to walk away, but he leaned in. "If it''s any consolation, Tristan over there''s never gotten a private lesson. You might look rough, but he''s got no talent at all, and he doesn''t really care to be good. He keeps showing up though, so you''ve got no excuse." He smiled his perfect smile again, his golden eyes twinkling, and I realized in that moment that he was the worst kind of guy.

    A good guy.

    I hated him.

    Na-Ya appeared next to him, looking equally hot and sweaty, and the two sauntered off to wherever they were going to. A few minutes later, the rest of the students filtered out. As they did, Tristan walked up.

    "Ready?"

    "Actually..."

    "Alex!" The old dwarf barked.

    "Ohhh..." Tristan''s face twisted into a wicked smile. "You have fun with that." He ran off to catch up with Na-Ya and Ro-Saleh.

    "Turn!"

    My feet obeyed the dwarf without my consent. They were as afraid as I was.

    "I''m going to shape you up, boy."

    I gulped. This was going to hurt.

 X. Running and Thinking

    Tristan and I stood in the main hall. The two of us were having a heated conversation about the best type of cheese. We''d been arguing for a while, and some of the other priests poked their heads out as we started getting heated.

    He, like a freak, said that cheese was nothing without flavor and that only good cheeses had strong tastes, so the sharper and saltier the better. He was wrong of course. Cheese should be gooey and stringy, like mozzarella. And while the flavor was important, it wasn''t everything. Texture was king.

    "You are a monster. A freak. That is not the natural order of things," I argued. "Soft cheese is by far the superior cheese!"

    "You''re a common peasant. A savage. No one worthy would ever consider such an abomination. You don''t even know what cheese is. You have no idea how to handle a true delicacy."

    "Boys!" A gruff voice boomed through the hall. We both stood straight and turned. Rennar was standing at the entryway, a large pack over his shoulder and his weaponˇŞa war mace that glowed white when he used it in trainingˇŞstrapped to his waist. "Tristan, what have I told you about arguing under the Goddess''s gaze?"

    I looked back. The Goddess did look disappointed.

    "Don''t do it."

    "And?"

    "If I did, I''d have to run laps around the temple until I passed out or it got dark, whichever came first."

    "Get started."

    Tristan sighed, pulled off his robe, revealing a his tunic and pants beneath, and started limbering up. He seemed like he''d done this a few times. I smirked, but Rennar''s eyes shined with a cruel light.

    "Alex."

    Oh, Goddess no.

    "You too."

    Damn you Tristan. Damn you straight to the Depths, which were sort of like the underworld but also definitely a real place filled with monsters.

    I didn''t have robes on, so I pulled off my shirt and started limbering up. I had to say, my muscles had certainly come back, and then some. I wasn''t Ro-Saleh level, but I wasn''t that far off either. I wished I had Rennar back on Earth. I would have cleaned up. The dwarf turned and exited the temple.

    "Should we...?" I asked, hoping we could get out of this.

    "He will actually kill us." Okay, it was happening.

    A few minutes later, Tristan guided me out the front door, and we got running.

    It was slow at first, but once we hit our stride, we kept up a decent pace. Tristan was far less fit than the other trainees, but I was worse still, and my leg still wasn''t fully healed after six months of training. It was much better, but not great. Apparently, all the other aspirants, which was the word for my fellow trainees, had unlocked some enhancements through their levels and the quests they''d completed, so they were stronger and fitter than most. Arden had explained that the first two ranks of an enhancement put you to the peak of human ability, rank three was like Captain America super soldier shit, and the ranks past that were stronger still.

    Most people never got those higher ranks though, because specializing that much usually made you vulnerable in other areas, and being as strong as the Hulk didn''t help you bake bread. Also, most people only had access to low-tier classes, and once every ability was unlocked, it was difficult to continue improving them. It took greater and greater feats to do, and most people didn''t go out looking for danger and glory, and the ones who did usually ended up dead at some point. Made sense, really. And since I was a human, I was already at a disadvantage, which was just fantastic really.

    "Hey," Tristan jogged beside me, sweat pouring down his face, "I didn''t know the old man was leaving today."

    "Yeah, neither did I." Rennar had been gone a lot over the last few months. Ro-Saleh had taken on instructing most of their classes. "Why''s he... leaving so much?"

    "Dunno... I was gonna ask... same question."

    He was huffing and puffing pretty heavily, but so was I, just not quite as much. I think I''d finally surpassed him in endurance. Like me, he hadn''t unlocked any classes, except outside of his human one. Butttt... I wasn''t much more fit now. I was gassing out too. "How long... we run..."

    "Till... nighttime..." He slowed the pace a bit until we were doing that walk-jog thing people do when they hit their limit.

    It was late afternoon. This would suck.

    ***

    "Ahhhhh..." I groaned as I sank into the bath. We''d crawled our way to the temple bathhouse, which was a large stone building behind the temple. The large, hot pool of water was fed and heated by some magical stone called a lotus stone, which poured hot water from who knows where. My muscles were screaming at this point, so the hot water felt amazing.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "Sorry about throwing up out there. Rennar couldn''t have chosen a better time to make me run. He''s evil, you know?" Tristan was lying back on the stone outside of the bath, his arms stretched out on either side. He said he''d bathe later, once I was done. The weirdo.

    "Yeah, he''s not very nice, is he."

    "No, not really." Tristan smiled as he stretched his legs. "But also, he''s kind of the best."

    "Yeah, I can tell." The man took quests from the nearby villages pretty regularly for no charge. He said it was his duty to help the people of the land. He really was a true hero.

    I stretched out and laid my head back. It was a little weird at first taking baths in this world. Baths here were communal, and people weren''t modest about nudity. In all honesty, I was picked on pretty heavily for being weird about it at first. They said it was all in my head and that I was making it weird.

    Everyone had a body.

    It seemed like people hadn''t been so heavily sexualized here, which was actually really nice. After a month or so, I stopped caring. Unless Na-Ya came, then I cared. She was way too pretty, and my broken Earth brain couldn''t just see a body. I had to keep my eyes away from her anytime we ended up in the bath together.

    Damn you, puritans! You ruined me!

    It made me feel a little better than Tristan was shy too. He''d always been nervous about bathing with others and avoided it as much as possible. He was the only other person I knew in this world who was shy about it.

    "I wonder why he left." Tristan was mumbling a little. I could barely hear him.

    "Maybe a quest. I know he does them a lot."

    "Probably. It''s just weird that he''s leaving so often. He usually only goes on one or two quests a month, and rarely do they last more than a couple of days. He was gone two weeks last time. Even Lady Varga seemed worried, and she''s the most level-headed person I''ve ever met."

    "Well, if anyone can handle themselves, it''s him."

    "Yeah."

    We relaxed for a while, and I started thinking about my training and my progress. "So how do I know I''m doing the right thing? I''ve been throwing myself at everything I can and haven''t unlocked a single class."

    Tristan laughed. "You gotta be patient, man. It takes most people years, and even then they only end up unlocking a racial or heritage class. I''ve been working at it since I was a kid and only just unlocked my human class last year, and the human class sucks. The talent it offers, [Boundless Potential], is good and all, but that''s all we get."

    "Yeah, what''s up with that? Why do we suck so bad?"

    "Theory is the Goddess brought us here because we''re so adaptable. Most of the other races are more set in their ways and only have a few heritages that are connected super strongly with their people and history. Humans make cultures out of nowhere, so we have a huge number of heritage classes, and they can be really good. It''s just a lot harder to unlock the really strong ones, and the weakest ones aren''t exactly a huge jump in strength, so most people stop there since, you know, unlocking stuff requires almost dying most of the time. Unless your a carpenter or something, and even then, extreme woodworking is an thing. You gotta look out for those lumberjacks in Nolei. I hear they''re scary."

    "Huh. That makes sense. So what kind of class are you going for now?"

    "I''m working on unlocking the Priest class, but it''s slow. I still have a lot to learn. The biggest issue is that humans are, like, the lowest affinity class for priests, and that makes everything harder. We have to work a lot harder to achieve the same effects, and it takes a lot longer."

    "Who''s the highest?"

    "Sun elves. They''re her people, so it comes naturally to them."

    "Makes sense. So what are the requirements?"

    "It''s a bunch of stuff. First, I have to understand the basic principles of the faith. Then I have to learn how to use divine energy. I need to be reasonably fit since most healing affects us too. And I have to swear to the faith. I''ve done all that, but I can''t seem to figure out the next step."

    "What is it?"

    "No clue. Rennar has been teaching me, but it''s just like there''s a hole I''m missing. It''s the same with a lot of the other aspirants. The Goddess doesn''t tell us what the final step is to unlocking a class. Once we complete the prerequisites, we have to figure out the last part on our own. Many people never do."

    "That sucks."

    "Yeah, it does."

    I thought for a moment, and an idea came to me. "Hey, what are you doing this week?"

    "Nothing, just the usual. Why?"

    "Let''s do a quest together."

    "We''re not really supposed to..."

    "So what? I''m not a priest or aspirant here, and you''re stuck in place. You said you''ve already completed all the prerequisites. Maybe we need to get you out of your rut!" I was getting pumped. I felt like I could handle an easy job or two. How hard could it be?

    "I don''t know..."

    "Come on! It''ll be fun. We''ll explore, see the world, fight monsters, and maybe level up. It''ll be great!"

    "I wouldn''t call walking to nearby villages seeing the world..." His words said one thing, but his eyes said another. "Okay. I''ll talk to Arden, then Lady Varga, <i>if</i> he thinks it''s a good idea. What are you thinking?"

    He noticed my big brain at work. "Well, Rennar showed me a map the other day, and it looks like there''s a village not too far from here. Why don''t we go over and see if anyone needs any help? We won''t take on anything too extreme. There has to be something we can do ourselves. Plus, if I''m out and about, I''ll get to start learning about the world a little more. I can''t stay in the temple forever. I''ll go crazy."

    "Alright, man, let''s do it. Sounds like fun."

    We shook hands, then settled back into the hot water and enjoyed the warmth.

    "Oh, Alex?"

    "Yeah?"

    "I was just wondering..."

    "Yeah?"

    "I''ve just been curious for a while now, but I''ve never asked you..."

    "What do you want to know?"

    "What does a car look like?"

    "It''s a big rectangle made of metal. They''re everywhere on Earth. We build whole cities around them."

    "Really? That''s so weird."

    You know what? It was weird. "I know."

    "What''s it like riding in one?

    We talked for a long while about the intricacies of cars and engines and how Earth had its own type of magic.

 XI. Mostly Healed and Ready to Roll

    "How''s it feel?" Na-Ya was standing next to me, her small glowing hand pressed onto my hip. I could feel the warmth of her healing light through my clothes.

    "Much better. Thank you, Na-Ya." A week before, Rennar subjected me to a gauntlet of physical tests to prove that I was ready to leave, and he didn''t go easy on me. Luckily, I managed to pass his tests and proved I was good to go. But... I''d been more sore the past week than I''d been in my whole life. The dwarf had no mercy on me.

    She lifted her hand and smiled."Good. Now keep up with your exercises when you''re on the road, and don''t do anything too crazy out there. I expect you both back within the month, okay? And don''t let Tristan do anything too foolish. He''s not as smart as he thinks, and he tends to get in trouble."

    I smiled back. "Don''t worry. We''ll be back before you know it. I promise."

    "You better be. It won''t be the same around here without you two." She patted my shoulder and left the room.

    It had been twelve months since I''d come to the temple, and I felt like a new guy. I''d finally just about caught up to Ro-Saleh in physique, if not technique, and I was probably more fit than I''d ever been. All the training and the daily exercises had paid off. I looked into my little mirror and flexed. I was pretty bangin'' if I did say so myself. I still didn''t have all that much feeling in some of my fingers, and I needed to stretch every day to keep my leg limber, but I was back, baby. And now I was about to go on a real quest, like a goddamn hero.

    I heard a knock on my door. "Come in."

    Tristan''s black hair entered first, followed by the rattling and clanging of our gear. He''d finally convinced Lady Varga to let him go with me, and she''d offered him some old gear that had been sitting in the temple''s store room. It looked old, but it was a start, and that''s all we''d need. "Don''t help or anything. I''ve totally got this," he grumbled as he weaved through the doorway and into the room. I obeyed his command and watched him struggle.

    With a huff, he threw the gear onto the floor. My eyes met the two things I wanted more than anything: a decent-looking sword and a round wooden shield. I snatched them up, buckled the sword around my waist, and slung the shield on my back. Now I was a real hero.

    "Damn, you actually look pretty good," he said as he pulled a mace and another shield out of the pile and did the same, strapping his gear over his thick brown robe. With the mace dangling around his hip, he looked like a real priest.

    "You don''t look so bad yourself, my guy. I can see it now: Tristan, bonker of heads, master of the light."

    Tristan''s usual scowl fell away, and I could see a far-off look in his eye. He wanted this as much as I did.

    We got started getting the gear sorted and packed away. There was some dried food, a cast iron pan, some firestarters, a couple of cloaks, some toiletries, and a couple of blankets. He''d also grabbed a bundle of rope at my request and a few other useful things that I hadn''t thought of. Once I''d done most of the packing, I pulled out a few books, some ink, a notebook, and a few quills. Arden was insistent I continue the work he gave me since I hadn''t quite finished my studies yet. I had been translating a historical text about historical monsters, and I''d learned a lot from the work. He''d had me focus on that since he knew I wanted to hit the road, and I didn''t mind either; it was a great way to pass the time and keep up with my studies.

    Before long, we had our packs packed and our gear strapped, and we were ready to roll. I threw my pack over my back, struggling for a minute with the order of pack and shield, and then was ready to roll for real. I had already put on some leather armor Ro-Saleh had dredged up, so there wasn''t anything left to do. A minute later, Tristan looked equally ready, and we nodded to one another.

    I gave a last look at my room. The bed was made, the sheets tucked away. The only indication that I lived here was my old clothes, the ones I arrived in, which sat neatly folded in the corner. Na-Ya said she''d keep my room tidy for when we returned. A wave of emotion washed over me. This was my little sanctuary for the last year, and I''d grown pretty fond of it. But adventure called.

    Later, room.

    "You ready?" Tristan was waiting by the door.

    "Yup. I am now."

    "Good, you big baby. Let''s go."

    We exited the room, and I closed the door behind me. The latch gave a final satisfying click as the door shut. I didn''t know what lay ahead, but the door seemed to encourage me to go find out.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ***

    Our feet crunched in the dirt as we marched along the beaten trail. We''d left the temple hours before and, after the initial giddiness of being on the trail, we had traveled mostly in silence. That wasn''t so much because we didn''t want to talk but because Tristan had forgotten his canteen and was tired of me picking on him for it.

    Wanting to break the silence, I asked the first question that came to my mind. "So where''s your hometown again?"

    "It''s a place called Musskin. It''s just north of Llyn, about a half day."

    "Should we head out there?" It was probably worth going to the smaller settlements. From what I knew, adventurers frequented the larger towns, so there wouldn''t be much work for newbies like us.

    "Nah, there''s a resident hero who takes care of most of the problems in the area. He''s a bit of a douchebag, but he keeps the monsters at bay."

    I laughed. I taught him douchebag after we got to know one another better. He loved the word and peppered it into his speech whenever he could. "Alright, so where do you think it''s best to go? I''m all for suggestions."

    "Well, there''s a small town that''s a day west of here. We''ll hit the crossroads tomorrow. It''s called Galden. It''s a bit of a pit, but we should have some luck there. We''ll need a few more provisions anyways, and there''s a market there." He adjusted one of his pack''s shoulder straps. It kept slipping and was driving him nuts. I was happy I chose the older-looking pack.

    "Sounds good. You ever slept out in the woods before?"

    "No, you?"

    "Yeah, I used to camp a lot with my dad." A memory popped into my head, but I pushed it away. "But the worst I ever came across was a black bear."

    "Bear?"

    I hadn''t learned the word for bear in this world''s language yet, had I? I thought for a while. Ah! "Urso."

    "Ohhh, yeah, they''re all over." He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling as he did. He really had the bluest eyes I''d ever seen.

    I coughed. "The book Arden gave me said there''s some seriously scary stuff out here, and we''re not exactly a powerhouse yet. Let''s hope we have an easy trip north."

    "Yeah, don''t worry. These roads are patrolled all the time by adventurers, and the Legion comes through once a month. We''d have to get pretty deep in the woods to find anything scary."

    I thumbed the hilt of the sword strapped around my waist. "Good." I hoped he was right.

    "Oh, you should check your status screen yet?"

    "Why? There''s nothing on it."

    "Just do it."

    I''d finally mastered pulling it up a month before, but there wasn''t much to note.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Alex

    Strength: 12

    Resilience: 11

    Agility: 5

    Wisdom: 6

    Luck: 2

    <b>HP: 0</b>/<b>0</b>

    MP: 0/0

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Just Alex. Not Alex, Dragon Slayer, or Alex, Breaker of Hearts. Just Alex. I kept reading.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Equipment:

    <b>Steel Sword</b>

    <b>Wooden Shield</b>

    <b>Leather Armor</b>

    <hr>

    <hr>

    "Yup, just my first name still, my stats, plus the equipment."

    "Good. You can filter out the common equipment later, but it''s good to see what you have. Now visualize the map."

    "Wait, there''s a map?"

    "Yeah. Just imagine a map in your head"

    I imagined the map. The screen changed, and I could see a small dot in the center. It was moving along what looked like a road. Everything else was fogged out except for the path back to the temple, which was also visible. I realized the dot was me. "Oh shit, yeah, this is awesome!" It was kind of like GPS.

    "Good, now imagine the party screen. Even though you don''t have any levels, you can join parties. I sent you an invite."

    "There''s a party screen too?" The screen started going haywire and flipped between screens over and over again. "How do I make the screens stop changing?"

    "Just think about the menu. It''ll come up."

    I did, and a new screen appeared.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Tristan, Human has invited you to form a party.

    Do you want to join?

    <hr>

    <hr>

    I thought "yes," and the invite was accepted.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    You''ve formed a party with Tristan, Human.

    Select a name for your party.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Tristan looked back at me and grinned. "You do the honors."

    I thought for a moment, and the name changed. I heard Tristan groan.

    "The Awesome Duo is an awful name."

    "Then you should have come up with a name yourself!"

    "I would have if I knew you''d do such a shit job at choosing!"

    "Too late. I love it."

    "I''m changing it next time we form a party. That''s stupid."

    "Hey, I never said I was good at naming things. You just assumed."

    "Well, I won''t assume again. I''m a lot better at names."

    "Well, then next time you pick."

    "Thank you."

    "Asshole. Just watch, it''ll grow on you."

    "Doubtful." He shook his head.

    We walked for a while, and a thought came to me. "So, how does this whole level thing work anyways?"

    He looked over his shoulder. "There''s a few ways to get stronger. The main way is through achievements. Everyone with a class can complete them, and they unlock your class''s talents.

    "Talents?"

    "Yeah, they''re kind of like the main abilities connected to a class. Once you get a class, you''ll get some talent slots, and you can unlock those by either doing badass shit related to your class. For every two levels you get, you also get enhancements, which is basically how Rennar and Varga are so strong. I haven''t gotten one yet, so I don''t know much more than that. Other than that, you can also complete quests and kill monsters. Most quests either offer crystals or an enhancement, and killing monsters always grants crystals. Kill enough, and apparently you get an enhancement connected to the monsters. It''ll all make more sense when you unlock a class, but that''s the gist of it."

    "Can we do quests without levels?"

    "Yeah, we can. A lot of people do. There are even adventurers who never unlock their classes at all and just do tons of quests and kill monsters. You can actually get pretty strong that way."

    "Okay, cool." I didn''t know what else to ask. We needed to find some quests.

    "Yeah, just ask me anything as we go. I''ll let you know whatever you need to know."

    As we walked, we continued up the road, chatting, joking, and enjoying the sun.

 XII. Fluffy

    When dusk came, we threw our packs on the ground and gathered up some firewood. We''d entered a fairly dense forest hours before, and trees started just off the path. Luckily, the place was teeming with fallen wood, so the two of us were able to gather enough in no time. Not long after, we were sitting down around our first fire. Tristan pulled out some packets and unwrapped them, revealing some sort of jerky.

    "Here."

    "Thanks." I took the meat.

    "You know, I didn''t realize how hungry I was until we sat down. Those apples and dried fruit weren''t enough."

    "Yeah, we have something called trail mix back on Earth. It''s kind of the best. Keeps you fueled up on the trail."

    "What''s it made of?"

    "Nuts, berries, and these little chocolate candies called M&Ms."

    "What''s chocolate?"

    Oh Goddess. Oh no. "You haven''t heard of chocolate?"

    "No, never. What is it?"

    Please don''t tell me this world didn''t have chocolate. "It''s like a brown hard paste. You melt it and make all sorts of candy. It''s kind of sweet and bitter, and it''s probably the best thing in the world." Chocolate was my love language.

    "That sounds gross."

    "You sound gross." Don''t you insult my love like that, you pimpled prick.

    He rolled his eyes, then turned back to the fire. "You think we''re really going to pull this off? This adventuring thing, I mean?"

    I''d been wondering the same thing. "Honestly, I don''t know. I hope so, but we''re not exactly the most powerful people out there. I have no clue what''s in store for us, but I''m not ready to quit before we even start. That would be lame, and are we lame?"

    "I mean, you did name us the Awesome Duo."

    "Yeah, because we''re awesome. And we''re gonna do awesome things. And maybe one day, if we''re lucky, people will write books about our awesomeness. The Adventures of the Awesome Duo. Book One: How Not to Get Your Ass Kicked. Book Two: Kicking Ass. Book Three: Kicking More Ass and Winning Over the Babes. And that''s just the first three books."

    His frown cracked into a smile, then he started laughing. "Babes?"

    "Yup."

    "Really?"

    "Yes."

    "Okay. What will these babes look like?"

    "Like Na-Ya, but not in a relationship with elven Adonis."

    "Adonis?"

    "Hot dude from Greece. Banged some Goddesses or something."

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    "Greece?"

    "Man, I''m gonna have to teach you everything, won''t I?"

    "Apparently."

    We sat around the fire for a while longer, talking about our future exploits. Eventually, we rolled out our sleeping mats, and I passed out for the night.

    ***

    Halfway through the night, he woke me up to the sound of a branch breaking. Something was moving through the brush not far off the trail. It was a few hundred yards away, and I would be lying if I said I wasn''t panicking. The dozens of monsters Arden had me learn about filtered through my mind. Chimaera? No, not in this region. Dragon? Rare and mostly live in the mountains. Goblin? Recently domesticated, but possible. Slime? Could be, but they usually live in plains.

    "What was that?" He groaned and sat up, the lingering embers of the camp fire illuminating his face.

    "Get up."

    "WhaˇŞ?"

    "Come on." I strapped on my sword and picked up my shield. Rennar insisted on training with the thing, and while it felt awkward, the weight was familiar. I had the beginnings of a callus on my arm where the grip had worn through.

    He bumbled up and prepared himself. Another branch broke. Whatever it was was getting closer.

    "Ready your weapon, Tristan."

    "Okay, okay." He leveled his mace out toward the trees.

    "Back to back, like we practiced. Remember the training. Breathe. Focus."

    He breathed in. So did I.

    Another branch.

    Breathe.

    Focus.

    The crunching drew nearer.

    "Alex," he whispered.

    "Yeah." I whispered back.

    "This is awesome."

    "Fuck yeah. We''re gonna kick ass. Just wait."

    "You got it, man."

    Another branch.

    A few minutes later, a pair of red eyes glimmered out of the darkness. The creature was low to the ground.

    "Goblin?"

    "Maybe. Or a hobgoblin. Either way, just breathe."

    We were ready for whatever came at us.

    And then a small white furry animal, about the size of a football, walked out into the dim light. It had a single horn on its head and a pair of tiny wings, and its eyes were glowing.

    "What the fuck is that?"

    "No clue."

    "Do you think it''s dangerous?"

    "Don''t know." I turned toward the creature. It was cute, like a plushie. "Hey, you."

    It perked up and started wagging its tail, then walked closer.

    "Alex."

    "I see it."

    "Don''t call it over!"

    "It''s kind of cute, dude. I''m not sure it''s that dangerous."

    "It has glowing red eyes!"

    "That could be anything. You know that."

    "What the hell do you mean?"

    "Animal eyes glow all the time. Maybe this is normal."

    "Or it''s a monster."

    "Yeah, or that. Come here, little guy." I lowered the shield and bent down. The creature approached, then rubbed its face on my leg, and I scratched its back. It gave some sort of half purr, half hiss, and I back up a step.

    "What''s happening?"

    "It''s not attacking."

    "Great."

    "I''m gonna call it Fluffy."

    "No."

    "Too late. It''s named."

    "No!"

    Fluffy looked up at me with big, shimmering eyes. It was adorable.

    "See, it''s just a baby."

    "You have no idea what it is."

    "You''re right, I don''t." I picked the creature up, and it nuzzled my hand.

    And that''s when it bit me.

    "Ahhh!" I dropped fluffy, and it bounced off the ground, spun around, and hissed. Its eyes glowed a brilliant crimson, and its fur stood up. "Ow, shit."

    "What happened?"

    "The fucker bit me."

    "Really? That''s what you get for picking up random animals."

    "Shut up and get it!"

    We charged forward, weapons whistling in the wind, but it jumped out of the way. The little asshole was fast. Tristan swung his mace, and it dodged out of the way again.

    "Stop swinging so hard. You''re going to kill it."

    "What are we supposed to do, let it go?"

    "Catch it! It''s small enough."

    We chased it around the camp for a few minutes, but every time we came close, it dodged. Damn thing was as fast as lightning. I swore as I missed over and over again.

    "It''s going for your pack."

    "Shit, hold on." I pulled off my blanket and threw it over the little shit. It was wriggling in the cloth, and I jumped on top of the bundle, wrapping around the squirming thing as it tried to escape, but I would be the victor today, Fluffy. It thrashed and kicked in the blanket, but I had it now.

    Then it screeched.

    "Shit, shit, shit. Oh fuck, it''s screaming. Shit, shit, shit." I was panicking.

    "It''s calling for help."

    "What? Why? Can''t it just let us catch it?"

    "We tried to kill it, Alex. Remember that?"

    "Well, that was after it bit me."

    A roar in the distance shook the trees, and a chill ran down my spine.

    "Run."

    "Yeah."

    We grabbed our stuff and ran.

 XIII. That Was Awesome

    The sound of whatever the hell was roaring at us faded as we ran as fast as we could to the north. We ran for at least an hour, only stopping once to take a few breaths and to shove the gear we scooped up into our packs before running again. The thing had been so fast. We looked like nothing compared to it, and it was a baby! However, despite feeling like nothing in that moment, I thanked Renard for all the running and training over the past year. Without it, I absolutely wouldn''t have made it.

    "I need a break." Tristan groaned.

    "Yeah, okay. Me too." Before I even finished my word, we both collapsed onto the ground. It was late, and now we didn''t have a fire. Luckily, the moon was bright, so after resting for a while, we were able to gather some wood and start another fire. It may not be the smartest thing in the world, but it was cold.

    "Tristan..." I said as I plopped down next to the little fire we''d made.

    "Yeah...?" He sounded unsure.

    "That was awesome."

    "Yeah, dude." He laughed. "That was fucking crazy. Did you see it dodge those attacks? Like whoosh, and then I''m swinging at nothing. Man, it was fast."

    "How do we get that fast?" I asked.

    "I mean, level up and all that."

    "What about now? Like, what are we doing wrong?"

    "Well, it''s a monster, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "Well, even the weakest monsters are stronger than most people."

    I thought for a minute. "That''s not what video games taught me."

    "Video games?"

    "They''re like books, but visual. They show you things on a screen, and you make characters that look and act like whatever you want and go around fighting monsters and people and stuff. A lot of the time the protagonists start weak, but the monsters start weak too."

    He laughed. "Yeah, well this isn''t a book or a ''video game.'' This is real life, and in real life, you die. And we''re weak. Really weak. We have one shitty class between both of us, no abilities, and crap equipment. That thing could have killed us. We''re lucky it was alone and whatever else was out there didn''t want to eat us."

    I hadn''t thought of that. I''d just assumed that the monsters would be around our level. But it didn''t matter. "You know something? I don''t care. We''re gonna do it anyways."

    "Do what?"

    "Become heroes. Or, at the least, kick ass and have a good time doing it."

    He sighed. ''I dunno, man..."

    I wasn''t about to tolerate that lack of belief. "Seriously, you gonna wimp out because of one monster?"

    "No. I just..." He stared at the fire. "I want to be a hero too, but it''s just gonna be hard." He sighed again. "You know, my dad was a hero."

    "No, you never told me. Was he famous?"

    "Not really, but he was known in the region. He was a hero, a real one. He got a Heroic Class and everything. It was amazing. He may not have been super powerful or anything, but he was my hero, you know?"

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    "Damn. How old was he when he...?" He''d told me before his parents were dead, but I never knew why.

    "I dunno. He died when I was young."

    "I''m sorry." I realized this wasn''t the most uplifting conversation right then, but I was in too deep.

    "It''s okay."

    "What happened?"

    "He got sick."

    "Oh."

    "It''s alright. Mom was already gone by then, so the temple took care of me. They''re great people."

    "So why the priest thing?"

    "Well, Dad always wanted me to be a hero like him, but when he died, I thought..."

    "Thought what?"

    "That maybe if I became a priest, maybe I could bring him back. or at least stop others from dying like he did. I learned later that I couldn''t do the former, but I definitely can train to do the latter. I dunno if I can, but I want to try. Even if I can just keep people from dying, that would be something. And the more powerful a priest gets, the more likely they are to be able to help people. It''s just hard, and sometimes, when things are difficult, I feel like quitting."

    I sat up and looked at him. His eyes were shimmering in the firelight. "Well, you know what?"

    "Huh?" It looked like he''d teared up.

    "You''re not gonna quit. Not ever. You''re gonna keep going. We''re going to keep going, and we''re going to make a name for ourselves. You and me. We''re gonna be legends, Tristan. Legends."

    He laughed, then looked back into the fire. "I''d be happy with just being a priest."

    "Aim higher." I stood up and pointed to the sky.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I''m showing you how high we''re gonna rise!" I thrust my finger into the air. "Come on. Stand up and do it with me."

    "You idiot." He wiped his face and stood up. A moment later, his finger was pointing to the sky.

    "That''s my man." I drew my sword and pointed it at him.

    "What now?" He shook his head.

    "Let''s make an oath."

    He shook his head more but pulled out his mace and set it on top of my sword.

    "To the Goddess and the world. To our friends and family. To us. We''re going to become heroes. Tristan and I are going to do this thing. We''re going to kick ass, become heroes, and be the best goddamn men we can be. And if the world won''t accept us, we''ll go somewhere else. I''m already in my second world. What''s another?" I smirked at him. He looked at me like I was crazy. "We''re going to make a difference."

    "You idiot. We''re going to get killed."

    "Probably. But first, we''re going to make a name for ourselves."

    He laughed, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Alright, man." He wiped his cheek. "Let''s get some sleep before you get even more crazy."

    "No. No, no, no. You''re not getting out of it this so easily."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Make your oath. That one was mine."

    "Alex, come on. Let''s go to bed."

    "Right now, you big baby. How you gonna be a priest if you can''t even make a vow?"

    "Oh Goddess, alright, fine. Jeez, you''re such a dick sometimes."

    "To the Goddess. Alex and I want to be heroes, and we''re going to do it. You just wait and see."

    "Hell yeah, now repeat after me."

    He groaned.

    "Just do it. I, Tristan."

    "I, Tristan."

    "Swear to the Goddess and the World. I will become a hero. I will kick ass and take names."

    "I swear to the Goddess and the world that I will become a hero. I will kick ass, and I will take names."

    "Good. And I, Alex, will do all the same shit, but even more than Tristan." I smacked his shoulder and grinned at him. He gave me the largest eye roll I''d ever seen. However, as my words faded into the trees, my system interface opened.

    <hr><hr>

    [Oath of Aspiring Heroes] (Quest, Shared): Fueled by youthful determination and dreams of glory, you and Tristan vow to become heroes who will bring hope to the downtrodden. Though your journey begins with uncertainty and inexperience, the bond you share will serve as the foundation for your growth. You both vow to support one another as you learn and grow.

    <hr><hr>

    "Tristan, did you just see a message pop up?"

    "Yeah..." he murmured. "That''s never happened before."

    "It says we''ve started a quest. Do you know what that means?"

    "We got a direct quest from the Goddess. Those are rare."

    "Yeah, but no."

    "What?"

    "You know what this means?"

    "No, but I''m sure you''re going to tell me."

    "It means the Goddess wants us to kick ass and take names."

    He smiled, his white teeth flashing in the dim light. "Yeah, I guess."

    "This is the start, man. This is the start of our story. The Legend of the Awesome Duo."

    "I''ve told you a hundred times, we''re not the Awesome Duo."

    "So drop out of the party. I dare you. But if you do, I''m not sharing any loot."

    "Fine, you''re right." He sighed again. "You''re a bastard, you know that right?"

    "You''ll get used to it.

    "Ugh." He groaned and sat back down. "Come on. Let''s sleep."

    Against my wishes, I yawned. "Yeah. I''m exhausted."

    I threw out my bedroll and snuggled up into my covers next to our fire. Soon, the cracking of the fire and the whistling of the wind were all I could hear. A while later, just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard Tristan''s voice.

    "Hey, Alex."

    "Yeah?"

    "You''re a great friend."

    "You too, man."

    A short while later, we passed out on the side of the road.

 XIV. Dwarves Have Beards

    A large wooden sign stood outside the town''s entrance. It read Welcome to Galden. Home of the Galden Mines.

    "Tristan..." A thought occurred to me.

    "Yeah."

    "You know what mines mean?"

    "What?"

    "Monsters."

    "Yeah, monsters are a lot stronger than us." He shook his head and walked past the sign.

    We walked through the wide streets. There were probably a hundred buildings total and a small market in the center of town. By the time we got there, most of the vendors were closing shop, and we were out of food. Luckily, the money Varga gave us would be enough to sustain us for a little while.

    "So what do you want to do first?"

    "We should get a room, hit the baths, and get a meal."

    "Alright."

    We found the town''s inn on the far side of town. It was up a long staircase and was carved directly into the mountain. Luckily, it looked like it was old construction and was clearly carved out of the mountain itself. Before we opened the heavy iron door, I took a look around. The inn had a view of the entire town and the rolling hills and forests in the distance. In the distance, I could just make out the tower cutting through the sky above Galden''s other mountain. It was kind of pretty.

    "How much for the night?" I hadn''t heard Tristan enter the inn.

    "Ten for the room, five for a bath, and two for a meal." A booming voice sounded behind me. I turned to find Tristan talking to a dwarf. His beard was thick and braided, with a pair of small metal beads hanging from his mustache. Something seemed off about him, though. I looked him up and down and... he had boobs. Holy shit, he was a she.

    "Sounds good. We''ll take it." Tristan dropped the crystals into the dwarf''s hand, and she handed over the key. "Thank you."

    "Down that hall." She pointed to a hallway on the right.

    They exchanged a few more words, but I didn''t hear them. It wasn''t my proudest moment, but I couldn''t stop staring. Dwarf women had beards! What the hell? I noticed Tristan looking at me, so I gave the dwarf a little bowˇŞwhy, I don''t knowˇŞand followed him deeper into the mountain.

    "Tristan..."

    "What?"

    "She had a beard."

    "Yeah."

    "She had a beard."

    "Yes, Alex. She was a dwarf."

    "She had a beard."

    "Are you okay?"

    "Is that normal?"

    "Yeah, all dwarves have beards. It''s a lot of work to keep them trimmed. Don''t be weird."

    I shook my head. I wasn''t trying to be weird. It was just weird. "Okay, fine. So where''s the bath?"

    "It''s downstairs. Apparently, it''s pretty fancy. It''s fed by a natural hot spring in the mountain."

    We entered the room and found a simple but serviceable area. There were two beds, a small table, a lantern, and a stone desk carved into the wall. I threw myself onto one of the beds, but the second I landed, I knew I made a huge mistake.

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    "Ahhh, ow, shit. Goddammit. Fuck." The bed was rock hard. I pulled back the thick comforter. It wasn''t just rock hard. It was rock.

    "You okay, Alex?"

    "No, the mattress is rock. The fucking mattress is rock."

    "Well, that''s what you get for throwing yourself onto it. Galden was settled by the dwarves. I''m not sure what you expected. Haven''t you been studying with Arden?"

    Don''t sass me, youngster. "Yeah, but I kind of only really could focus on the stuff about monsters. You try and study in a language you don''t know! It''s not like the texts were written for my level, either. He had me translating graduate-level shit and thought I''d learn stuff. Bastard."

    Tristan sighed. "Poor little earth boy, couldn''t learn good. What do they teach you over there?"

    "Not much, unfortunately." I laughed, "But don''t make fun of me, punk. I''m an up-and-coming hero around these parts."

    "Or what, Earth boy? What are you gonna do about it?"

    I jumped at him. He tried to fend me off, but after a few minutes of tussling, I had him pinned by his thin wrists. He tried to kick me off, but I wasn''t going anywhere. "You were saying?" I squeezed his chest with my thighs. His chest was thinner than I''d realized. We both knew he was stuck. His striking blue eyes met mine. Contrary to my expectation, he looked less pissed and more... flustered?

    His lips parted, and a soft noise escaped his lips as if he was going to talk. Before he did, he shook his head, blushed, and looked away.

    What was happening? I hadn''t noticed how much he''d changed over the past months. Much of his teen-ish features had disappeared, replaced with an elegant jaw, high cheekbones, and a perfect complexion. With his soft features and high-pitched voice, he almost seemed more like a girl than a guy.

    I realized I was making it weird. After playing an intense game of Stop Hitting Yourself, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and made my way to the baths. After cleaning up, Tristan bathed after me, and we had an admittedly great dinner of some sort of meat and some sort of potato, then slept in our rock beds.

    ***

    The next morning, or what I hoped was morning considering we didn''t have a window, we made our way into town.

    "Alright, let''s hit the market and see if we can find anyone who needs a hand."

    "Okay."

    We started in the market and wandered through the stands. The place was small and dense, but there were a lot of vendors. I saw a few people selling what looked like monster parts.

    "Monster parts?"

    "They''re common here. There are a lot of strong monsters nearby."

    "What do people use them for? Do they have special properties or something?"

    "All kinds of reasons. Sometimes monster hearts have minor healing properties, and the mana crystals that form can be useful, and others can be turned into weapons and armor."

    I imagined a sword made out bones and armor made of insect parts. It looked awesome in my head. "Can we check it out?"

    "I guess."

    "Great."

    We approached a vendor selling various pieces of bone. Some were smaller and looked like they were from small animals, but the others were massive and had to have come from some kind of monster.

    "Dragon bones, dragon bones. Come get your dragon bones! Rare and authentic dragon bones from the Frostfell Mountains! Only a few left. Hurry, hurry." He was a dwarf. I looked at his chest. She was a dwarf.

    "How much are they?"

    "Two hundred and fifty for the whole bones. Fifty for the shards. These are real, I swear on the Goddess''s name. No fakes."

    "What are they good for?"

    "Good for magic staffs, armor, all kinds of things."

    "I don''t need any."

    "You''re an adventurer, right? How about this?" The dwarf woman pulled out a large tooth. It was a couple of feet long, and the end was sharp and serrated. "A chimera tooth. It''s a real beauty. One hundred."

    Something in me told me that was a bad deal. I didn''t know what, but I felt it in my bones. I inspected the bones. Alden''s writing came to me. The bones weren''t the right shape to be a dragon''s, and the tooth was far too thick, and they weren''t serrated. That wasn''t a chimera tooth. Damn, he''d actually taught me a lot.

    "I''ll pass."

    "Fine. Suit yourself. But I know the man who took the tooth from the chimera. He killed it himself."

    "I bet he did. Have a good day." I marched away from the woman. Tristan followed.

    "Good call. I thought you were gonna blow our money."

    "I''m pretty sure those were bear bones, and chimaera don''t have serrated teeth. I guess all the reading Arden''s been making me do has been paying off."

    "Look at you. All scholarly. I''m impressed."

    "Don''t be a dick. You''re just jealous."

    "Whatever."

    "Hey, look." I pointed. There was a crowd gathered in a small circle.

    "What''s that?"

    "Dunno, let''s check it out."

    We approached the group and saw two people circling each other. One was a human, a guy about our age, and the other was a dwarf.

    "I challenge you, Grenden, son of Groden.

    "For the honor of my family and my name, I accept your challenge, Jorgen!"

    The men squared off against one another. Each drew a weaponˇŞthe dwarf a pickaxe, the human a swordˇŞand they began circling. Their movements were stiff and unpracticed, but I could see the gleam in their eye. They were out for blood.

 XV. Guild Fight

    "Tristan." I looked over to my friend, who was scowling at the scene. "Let''s watch."

    "What? Why?"

    "I wanna see the fight. It''s not like we have anything else going on."

    "Someone''s gonna die here. I don''t want to."

    "Then go wander off. I''ll catch up to you in a bit."

    Tristan huffed and marched off. Big baby. It was just some light casual murder in broad daylight. No big deal, really.

    I turned back to watch the fight. The men were still circling one another. One would test the other every couple of seconds, but they hadn''t found any openings yet. The anticipation was killing me. It felt like they were moving in slow motion.

    Finally, the dwarf lunged, but the human dodged and slashed with his sword. This evidently was what the dwarf wanted because he ducked under the blade and shoved his pickaxe into the man''s knee, nearly buckling it. However, the man was able to get his sword in a defensive position, so the dwarf backed away. The man got his balance and followed up with a series of light cuts.

    With all the training Renard gave me, I knew he was testing the dwarf''s reactions.

    The dwarf, an old-timer with grey hair and a white eye, didn''t take the bait. He parried each strike with ease. Each block was measured and controlled, and he didn''t fall for any of the false openings the human gave him.

    "Come on, coward. Show me what you got, Grenden!" The human''s muscles bulged in his neck.

    "Coward? That''s rich coming from you, Jorgan. Running around like a fool, picking fights with everyone who looks at you funny, then getting your ass beat. At this point, I''m doing community service."

    "I wouldn''t have to pick fights if someone didn''t keep taking all my bounties! I''ve had it with you and your guild, you old bastard!" The man slashed at the dwarf''s arm, but he overcommitted. Grenden parried the sword to the side and darted in. He slammed the head of his pickaxe into Jorgen''s belly, causing the man to double over.

    The human slashed weakly, trying to keep his enemy at a distance, but the dwarf jumped to his side, pulled back, and uppercutted the man in the jaw, throwing him to his back. Jorgan scrambled to his feet as blood and a tooth fell out of his mouth.

    The dwarf was by far the superior fighter. His movements were efficient and tested, and he still was strong, if a bit stiff and slow. It just looked like age had caught up to him.

    "Get up, man. You''re embarrassing yourself. Or give up already."

    Jorgen scrambled to his feet and swung his blade in a wild arc. Grenden blocked, then grabbed his wrist and twisted the blade out of his grip. It clattered to the ground, and a loud pop told me the man''s wrist had broken. He screamed, but the dwarf didn''t let up.

    "Yield."

    Jorgen reached for his belt and pulled out a dagger in a reverse grip. He swung at the dwarf''s face, but Grenden managed to drop his pickaxe and grab the man''s wrist just in time to stop the cheap shot. An instant later, the dagger clattered to the ground, and the man''s other wrist popped.

    "Cease this duel!" A man''s voice shouted from up the street. Looking up the gentle slope, I could see a portly dwarf running down the road, his short legs a blur as he rushed toward the fight. When he reached the crowd, he shoved his way between the onlookers until he found himself in the center of the ring. His cheeks were beet red. He placed his hands on his knees and wheezed for a time.

    The crowd groaned as the man slowly collected himself. After a minute or two, he stood up, adjusted his collar, and held his arms up at both men. "Hold! Hold! You cannot duel here without a permit. It is not lawful."

    Jorgan growled at the man. "I will have my satisfaction!" He was nursing his broken wrists, but the fire in his eyes hadn''t died.

    "You''ll have a pick lodged into your eye if we go any longer, you idiot."

    "Who are you calling an idiot, you bastard?" He pointed to the dwarf with his crooked wrist. His hand flopped as he pointed. "This man has ruined me! I''ll have his head."

    "You''ll have the headsman''s axe if you''re not careful," the newcomer replied, "but at least then you wouldn''t have to worry about your debts anymore."

    "I don''t haveˇŞ"

    "Everyone in Galden knows about your debt, you fool. Don''t try lying to me. I have eyes and ears everywhere. If you want to fight, go elsewhere."

    "Fine. But I''ll have satisfaction, mark my words." Jorgan reached down to pick up his sword and dagger, dropped both, then tried again. After an awkward minute of fumbling, he sheathed both and stormed off. When he did, the crowd began to dissipate.

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    "And what about you? Will you give me trouble, master Grenden?"

    "Not today, Ferdol. Not today."

    "Good. Keep it that way. And don''t get baited into these things. You''ll end up dead ''fore too long."

    "Yeah, yeah."

    Ferdol gave Grenden a pat on his shoulder before walking away.

    Grenden bent down and picked up his pickaxe. This was my moment.

    "That was awesome." I sounded like a fanboy. I toned it down a little. "You kicked his ass."

    "Not much else to do with a youngster like that one. No sense in that one. I remember him running around here when he was in diapers. Cute kid. The little shit decided to grow up and become a cunt."

    I laughed. Only English people used the C-word back on Earth. I liked this guy.

    "Who are you?" He eyed me up and down.

    "Alex, an adventurer." I reached out my hand.

    "Adventurer?"

    "Yeah."

    "You don''t look like much." He didn''t take my hand.

    "That''s because I''m not." It was fine. Renard had beaten the ego out of me ten months ago. Teach me everything, badass grumpy dwarf number two.

    The old dwarf chuckled. He took my hand and shook it once. His hands were like stone. "Honest and humble. Good traits for a wannabe. Come, lad. Let''s get some drinks. Your treat."

    "Hell yeah."

    Grenden led me to the nearest bar, a decent-looking stone establishment with around ten tables, and guided me to a table. I sat down as he walked up to the bar, and a minute later, he returned with two mugs of ale and two shots of what looked like whiskey, but it was twice as brown and three times as thick.

    The dwarf shoved a beer and a shot glass into my hands. Without hesitation, he dropped his shot into the mug in his hands, slammed the mug on the table, then chugged the whole thing in one go. With a large sigh, he set his mug down, wiped his grey beard, and burped. Then, he eyed me. "Drink, lad."

    "Yes, sir." Sir? I looked down at the liquor in my mug. It was black as night and smelled like coal. The liquor looked worse. It glooped up the sides of the shot glass like thin maple syrup.

    "What, you don''t like a real drink? I''ll get you one of those dainty nobleman''s drinks if you''d prefer, though I think you''d get chased out of town for it before too long."

    "No, this is great." I dropped the shot into my mug and threw it all back.

    That was the first mistake I made that day.

    It tasted like beer mixed with paint thinner and half an oak tree.

    However, I didn''t want to lose face. I drank steadily. The mug was large enough to hide my disgust as I muscled it down.

    Grenden chuckled like an old sailor. "Kragstout and blackjaw are a real dwarf''s drink. Humans and elves like the watered-down piss, but kragstout is what really gets the job done. Drink up, boy." He tipped my mug back, forcing me to drink faster. I gagged.

    When I finished, I threw the mug down. I''d done it. I''d drank the worst thing I''d ever tasted. My chest burned as it settled into my stomach. When it hit my gut, it turned my stomach, then my whole body went warm. I burped as the alcohol flooded through my veins.

    Damn, this was some good shit.

    "Not bad, laddy. Not bad. What''s your name again?"

    "Alex."

    "Where you from, Alex?"

    "The temple down south."

    "What, Renard''s haunt?"

    "You know him?" I was surprised.

    "He''s my fourth cousin once removed. Of course I know him! Bastard hasn''t stopped by in, oh, seven or eight years. I was thinking about going down to that little temple of his and raising hell until he saw me." He eyed me up and down. "So I take it that makes you a traveler?"

    "I mean, yeah. We came from the temple."

    The man''s eyes narrowed. "What are you, a comedian? From Earth, you damn idiot."

    "Oh, shit, yes! Yeah, I am."

    "So Renard let you go after a few weeks instead of keeping you like the little pet bitches he treats his students as?"

    "Well, no. I actually have been training for about a year. I was pretty beat up when I got here. Healing took longer than they thought it would, so I spent the year training with Renard and a scholar named Arden."

    "A year, eh?" He thumbed his beard. "Where''s your friend? I saw him before that fool drew his sword. Scrawny girl, long black hair."

    "Tristan''s his name. We met at the temple. He''s probably wandering around somewhere."

    "His, huh?" The man''s eye smiled at me. "Well, no matter. That''s good. You got an ally." The man stroked his beard in thought. "Let me tell you something, lad. Renard is one tough bastard. I poke fun at the little fighting force he''s whipped up, but they''re true warriors. If you got training from him and he gave you the go-ahead, you''ve got some talent. He wouldn''t have trained you if you didn''t." He grinned. "So what do you plan on doing with yourself now?"

    "We want to be adventurers. We''re looking for a job to get started, but we don''t really know what we''re doing. Any advice?"

    He grinned and slapped my shoulder. "Good man, listening to your elders. I have advice. Listen close. The only difference between heroes and corpses is luck, preparedness, and hard work. You never go in blind, got it? And you never take a job with your ego. Be safe, be prepared, and train hard. That''s how you live as long as I have."

    "How old are you?"

    "Two hundred and forty-three years."

    My jaw fell open. "Oh shit. Are all dwarves that old?"

    "Not if they aren''t smart. There''s plenty of us who aren''t."

    "Damn... So what should I be looking for in a job?"

    He eyed me up and down. "You got a class yet?"

    I shook my head.

    "Okay, so nothing fancy. Most people try hunting monsters to get their feet wet, then they end up dead. That''s stupid." He stood up. "There''s lots of jobs to go around. Find one that seems easy. The easier, the better."

    "Like what?"

    "Guard work. In town. Nothing fancy. Do a few jobs, and get your feet wet. Maybe find a guard gig for a merchant or something. There''s always work if you know where to look."

    "That man said you run a guild. Would you want to take a couple of guys on?" That would be perfect.

    The dwarf chuckled again. "I don''t take on nobodies. Prove you got what it takes, and I''ll think about it. Until then, I''ll be around. My guildhall''s in the mountain, down Deepdelve, on the left. You can''t miss it. Clan Ironheart''s the name."

    I nodded. This could be the start we needed. "Okay, Grenden. You''ll be seeing me soon."

    "Look forward to it, boy." The man stood up and marched out of the bar.

    I swirled what was left of my beer. It was happening. The legend begins. I hopped off my stool, felt my head rush, and nearly passed out. Oh, fuck, that liquor hit fast.

    Shit. Okay, okay.

    I took one step, a second, and managed to wobble my way out of the bar. The second I hit the street, I heard the bartender yelling for me to pay.

 XVI. Nargles

    I wandered around for an hour or so, searching the village high and low. I asked the guardsmen, the vendors, anyone who looked important. They all said the same thing. Try the job board. Of course, none of them told me where that was, so I wandered around like a dope for half the day.

    Eventually, I ended up finding it outside a tavern on the far side of the town. Scraps of paper littered the board, but most of the jobs that were posted on it were way beyond their skill level, or they''d force us to leave town, and we weren''t ready for that.

    "Damnit."

    I searched the postings for anything that felt doable. Finally, a job caught my eye. Buried beneath two other high-ranking jobs, there was a scrap covered in neat letters. I pulled it free and read.

    A shopkeeper named Farvad was looking for guards for his general goods store. No experience was needed, and the pay seemed reasonable: fifteen crystals per night. It wasn''t clear what we were guarding the shop from, but I figured that it was the best opportunity we had, memorized the directions, and tore the posting down from the corkboard. A moment later, I was walking to the north side of town.

    Galden was a winding network of streets with little discernible pattern or flow. Shops, houses, and warehouses sprang up alongside one another, seemingly at random. An abandoned house overlooked the city well, while a pair of workshops pressed together over an outdoor kitchen. Children chased each other in the narrow alleyways, and more than once, I ran into groups of laughing dwarfs, pickaxes slung over their shoulders, as they made their way to the mine. Life bustled and thrived in every corner of the small town as the glowing orb cast light upon it.

    It took me a while to figure out what the note meant, but eventually, the directions brought me to an empty market square. Stalls and shops lined the streets, but most were old and in disrepair. Several were little more than rotting lumber.

    The last building on the main road was a general store called Farvad''s. Its windows were shattered, its sign was faded and cracked, and its doors hung loosely on rusty hinges. I really didn''t want to go into the store, but money was money. I sucked it up and headed inside.

    The inside of the store was much, much nicer. Three lanterns hung overhead, illuminating the room in pale yellow light. Rows upon rows of goods lay across dusty shelves. Food, weapons, clothing, armor, rope, and even monster parts. There was something for everyone here, and judging by how organized everything was, this shopkeeper took great pride in his business.

    I scanned the room, but there wasn''t a clerk or anyone manning the desk, so I rang the bell. A light, airy man''s voice sounded from the back, something crashed to the ground, the man cursed, and a moment later the curtain separating the back from the front fluttered, and a tiny man about half my size walked out. He clomped up some steps behind the counter, looked me in the eyes, adjusted his thick spectacles, and coughed. I guess he was waiting for me to speak first.

    "I''m here about the job posting."

    "What job posting?" The man''s eyes were magnified by his glasses. He looked kind of like a fish. He had a thick beard that flowed down to his belt, and his hair was a deep red color. His bushy brows furrowed as he looked at me. "I didn''t post any jobs."

    "I found this at the job board." I handed the fish-eyed man the piece of paper.

    He opened the paper and laughed. "Oh, that job! That''s right, yes yes." He crumpled the paper and threw it into a bin. "That''s not available anymore. Sorry. Have a great day." He clomped down the step ladder and walked to the curtain.

    Before he disappeared, I got his attention. "What was the job for?"

    The little bearded man turned and scratched his head. "What job?"

    He couldn''t be serious. "The one I just showed you. On the paper?"

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    The man continued scratching his head for a moment, then a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh right! Well, I''m going out of town this week and need to keep the nargles out. Nasty little creatures, them. Really nasty. I can''t let them ruin my stuff!"

    "Nargles?"

    "Yup."

    "Uh... what''s a nargle?" I''d never heard of them.

    "You don''t know about nargles?" The man stepped down his stepladder, disappeared into the back, reemerged with a large book in his hands, climbed the ladder again, and threw the book down. He licked his fingers before opening the book and flicking through the pages. After going through about half of the large book page by page, he gave a humph of success. "This is a nargle!"

    On the page was a picture of something like a rodent, only it was the size of a cat, green and black, and had wicked tusks sticking out of its mouth. A caption under the picture explained it ate enchantments of all kinds. They were endemic to this region, having originally come from the Depths by way of the mine. "Nasty buggers. Eat everything up." Farvad pushed his glasses closer to his eyes and peered through them at me. "How do you not know about them? Everyone knows about them!"

    "Sorry, I''m not from here. My friend and I just got to Galden yesterday."

    "No excuse!" The man snapped the book shut. "Do you want the job or not?"

    "Um... didn''t you say the job wasn''t available anymore?" You old coot.

    "Of course it''s available. Why wouldn''t it be? I put the job posting up on the job board after all. Damn humans, no sense." The man pulled the book off the desk and marched it into the back. A minute later, he returned with a toolbox. Climbing back up, he opened the toolbox to reveal a wide assortment of scrolls. One by one, he examined them before setting them down next to the box. "Which one, which one? Ah! Here it is." He pulled a crumbling parchment out of the box. "It''s an old contract. I wrote it a while back for a different job, but I figured, why waste it?" He extended a tiny arm across the countertop and handed me the scroll. I unfurled it and read.

    <hr>

    Farvad Binderkettle IV hereby extends to _______________ an offer to be hired for security purposes, including protection of the selfsame Farvad''s shop and merchandise therein for a period of  _______________.

    Payment will be delivered upon completion of the job term, totaling ____ crystals per day. Additionally, Farvad will provide lodging, food, drink, and access to his personal bathroom during the employee''s period of employment. This is rather generous, don''t you think?

    Furthermore,  _______________ agrees not to engage in acts of theft against their employer during the aforementioned contracted period. Such actions, including, but not limited to, blackmail, threats, intimidation, robbery, and general mischief shall be considered a violation of this agreement.

    Failure to comply may result in imprisonment or fines at the discretion of local authorities, or if not possible, the ire of the Goddess.

    _______________ agrees to the terms listed above and accepts responsibility for any consequences resulting therefrom.

    Signed: ______________________

    Farvad Binderkettle IV

    <hr>

    What did I just read? I looked up at the gnome, but he snatched the paper out of my hand and began scribbling in the date and number of days. "Okay, sign here."

    "I haven''tˇŞ"

    "Sign here." The old man stared up at me, his enormous eyes threatening behind his gigantic glasses.

    Reluctantly, I signed.

    "Good!" He took the contract back, rolled it up, and handed it to me. "I''m off." The man picked up a bag from behind his front desk, pulled a hat off a nearby hook, and walked out of the front door. Just as the door almost shut, he popped his head back in and said, "Oh, yeah, the bathroom is out back. Have a great week!" He disappeared again.

    The entire conversation took no more than five minutes. What had I gotten myself into?

    I threw the shield off of my back and set it against the counter, then stepped into the back. The place was a mess. The benches were littered with various powdered stones, chisels, knives, brushes, and tools. Parchments full of cramped notes written in languages I didn''t recognize were scattered everywhere, and vials upon vials of weird liquids, powders, and other substances occupied every spare centimeter of the place. In the back of the shop was another door. I walked that way and found a small bedroom. The bed was about four feet long, even more parchments covered every surface, and a pot was bubbling over in the fireplace. A small cloud of smoke filled the air as the liquid within boiled over and burned as it touched the flames.

    I quickly moved to the fireplace, pulled the pot off, and hooked it on a nearby hook. The liquid within looked like a stew. I could even make out hefty hunks of some meat and that same potato thing I''d eaten last night. There were thick green leaves cooked into the sauce. They looked a lot like collard greens. My mouth watered at the sight. I hadn''t eaten since breakfast.

    I shouldn''t eat someone else''s lunch. Should I? I considered it for a while. On the one hand, it was someone else''s food. On the other hand, the guy was obviously nuts, and I was pretty sure he''d really left town. What was the harm?

    I looked around, and soon enough, I found a bowl, spoon, and ladle. I fished some of the liquid out of the pot, waited for it to cool, and took a large bite.

    It was the most bitter thing I''d ever tasted.

 XVII. Youve Got Spunk, Kid

    My stomach grumbled for the third time. I was beyond hungry and arriving at famished. At least the bitter taste had faded away though, mostly.

    At first, when I felt the first pangs of hunger, I was polite. I didn''t want to snoop around too much. I hadn''t met Farvad until today, and I didn''t know what he was about. He was weird, and his house was filled with weird stuff, so I left things be and kept watch from behind the counter. However, hunger and boredom eventually won me over. I snooped. But, after an hour of searching high and low for anything to eat, I gave up. The guy hadn''t left me a scrap of food anywhere in his shop. I guess I should have assumed.

    I sat cross-legged on the countertop with my head resting against my palm, staring out the window and thinking of all the foods I should be eating. Burgers. Fries. Sushi. Gyro. I''d even take one of Dave''s shitty burger cart burgers right now, and those were made from the shittiest of beef. For the first time in a long time, I thought about my old life, but a violent growl in my stomach stopped those thoughts real quick. My stomach gnawed at me, and I was definitely getting hangry.

    This was awful.

    A fly buzzed by. I smacked it with my free hand and went back to watching the empty shop.

    "Are you kidding me? Fuck!" I shouted to no one.

    I threw the first thing I could find. It fluttered to the ground harmlessly. It was a piece of paper.

    Don''t mock me, paper.

    Where the hell was Tristan? Obviously, I hadn''t told him where I was going, which was entirely my fault, but also, it was kind of his fault. He shouldn''t have split the party! If he were here, I could send him out for food. What use was a sidekick if they couldn''t pick you up some grub when you needed it?

    Damn. I was starving.

    I sat on the counter and watched as the light outside dimmed. Long shadows stretched down the street. As it got dark, I heard some boisterous voices nearby. They entered a nearby establishment, and a minute later, there was shouting, someone cursed, and a piece of glass broke. Then, there was laughing, and the voices exited and got closer. The walls were super thin around here. I looked around. They were basically all wood, not the stone of the buildings on the other side of town.

    I hopped off the counter and strapped my sword on. As I did, I saw the tops of the heads of three people. They had green skin and long ears. There were two men and one woman. A part of me wondered who they were, but the other part of me decided that it was a whole lot of not my business. They passed without incident and vanished into the growing darkness. I could hear them laughing for a while, but even that faded after a few minutes. The shadows grew longer outside as the light became increasingly dim.

    Maybe I should lock the door. That would help, right? I mean, I was supposed to guard stuff. Not that I had any idea about how to stop nargles, or if they were even real. My gut told me they weren''t. I walked to the door and latched it. Better safe than sorry.

    My stomach growled again. I paced back and forth, hoping the movement would keep the hunger away, but it didn''t. I walked to the back and began snooping through the drawers again, looking for anything edible. Still nothing.

    A small chiming sound rang through the building as the front door swung open. Didn''t I lock the door? I walked back to the front.

    Standing in the doorway and illuminated by the deep red of dusk, a group of three green-skinned rough-looking creatures were gazing around the shop. These were the goblins I''d seen earlier. Shit.

    I remembered learning from Arden that goblins had worked hard to be admitted as one of the accepted races of the land at the beginning of the age, but they still faced persecution from most other races due to their violent reputation and frequent raiding along trade routes and settlements. From what Arden had said, their reputation was often fairly accurate. They were short-tempered, fiery, and impulsive, which made them difficult to work with. However, the real problem was that a century ago many had lost their homes and lands in the far north after a series of natural disasters. They also grew fast and generally had two to four children per birth. As such, goblins tended to overpopulate and struggled to find stable sources of income, so they relied on mercenary work or raids to survive.

    "You''re new," the woman said with a grin. Her red hair was tied in a tight braid that was flipped over her slender shoulder. She wore blackened leather armor studded with sharp metal spikes, and he could see twin short swords, more like long knives relative to his size, on her belt. She looked like she was straight out of Mad Max. The two goblin men behind her laughed. Both were similarly adorned. One carried a pickaxe, the other a sword. "So Farvad finally decided to hire someone?"

    "Uhhh..." Real smooth, Alex.

    "The shopkeeper. Where is he?" the goblin woman said. She spoke with confidence, and a light smile never left her lips. I could see her pointed teeth through her smile, but her face was gaunt, causing her cheekbones to stick out in sharp lines.

    "He''s out of town." Why did I say that? My heart raced in my chest as I tried to calm down. I knew I looked nervous.

    The two men burst out laughing, and the smirk grew on the woman''s face. "Yeah? When''ll he be back?"

    "Not for a few days." Shit, don''t tell people information, dude!

    "A few days? How convenient." Her two men snickered again.

    "Can I take a message?" What was I, his butler?

    She laughed and walked up to me. I put my hand on my sword, but she seemed unfazed. "You''re a good doggy. Very obedient." Despite being almost three feet shorter than me, the woman was incredibly intimidating. Something about the glint in her eyes set me on edge. It took everything not to run away. "Who are you, kid? I haven''t seen you around before."

    I swallowed. "Alex. An adventurer."

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    She walked up and sniffed me. "Where are you from, Alex?" Why was she sniffing me?

    "Why does that matter?"

    "It doesn''t. Not at all. Just curious."

    "Well," I paused for a moment, trying to decide how honest to be, "I''m from very, very far away."

    "Oh, a traveler, huh?" The two men stepped closer. "Nice. I''ve only met a few of you before."

    "How did you know I was a traveler?"

    She stepped up and sniffed again. "You smell like incense and fear. I had a feeling."

    "Oh?" I set my jaw. "You think you have me all figured out, huh?"

    Her red eyes bored into mine. They were gleaming. "I think I know enough. You arrive recently?"

    "Not that recently, no." Her smile faded. One of her hands rested on her sword''s handle. I stepped back again. The woman''s movement felt dangerous, and the other goblins mirrored her. This wasn''t good.

    "Vral, stop playing around." One of the goblin men said. "We got a job to do. No time to get distracted."

    Vral turned on her heels. "Oh relax, Tavik. I''m just having a little conversation with our friend here. Is that so bad? It''s not every day you meet a traveler."

    Tavik scoffed, but she ignored him and returned to me. "Anyway, that''s Tavik, the quiet one is Firk, and I''m Vral. Nice to meet you, Alex."

    "Nice to meet you three." What was happening? "Why are you here?" The goblins unslung bags from their shoulders as she spoke.

    "We''re here to collect a payment from Farvad, but since he''s left town, I''m gonna go ahead and say he defaulted. So, we''re gonna take some stuff today, and if you''re a good boy, you won''t get in the way. Are you a good boy, Alex?"

    "Not particularly."

    "Oooh, feisty. I like that." She grinned and stepped up to him again. "What are you doing here, Alex? In Galden, I mean. I thought travelers usually stuck to cities. Much safer that way." She raised her eyebrow.

    "Well..." I couldn''t keep giving away all my info.

    "Oh, don''t be like that, Alex. We were just starting to get along." She played with one of her sword handles. She seemed completely at ease. I was not.

    "I''m adventuring with my friend."

    "Oh? And who might he be?"

    "Tristan. He''s not here now. Out picking up supplies. He''ll be back soon."

    "Ahh, I see, I see." She reached up and patted my chest. "So, here''s the thing Alex. We need some things, and your boss isn''t around. So how about we make a little deal between new friends?" She smiled up at me, revealing her sharp teeth.

    I hadn''t met goblins before. Contrary to my expectations, she wasn''t bad-looking. None of them were. I imagined goblins would have football heads or warts or something. These looked like small people. They didn''t exactly look human, with their large eyes, red pupils, and green skin, but they weren''t gangly or misshapen either. Shit, I was getting distracted. "What kind of deal? We aren''t friends."

    "Well, you don''t have to be so rude." She pretended to pout. "You aren''t much fun. Look, we''re taking his shit, okay?"

    "Hell no." I took a large step back and snatched my shield off the counter. I drew my sword and took a defensive stance. "I have a job to do. I can''t just let you take stuff."

    "Aw, a fledgling. That''s adorable." She tilted her head. "How old are you, boy? And what''s your level?"

    "Don''t call me boy. And it doesn''t matter."

    She laughed. The other two goblins opened their sacks and started wandering around the shop like I wasn''t even there. "It does to me. See, I have a rule against killing kids. Can''t stand it, really. Gives me nightmares." She pointed a thin finger at me. "So, tell me, how old you are, kid."

    "Twenty-six." I leveled my blade at her.

    She looked puzzled and turned her head to the others. "Guys, how old is twenty-six in human years?" Tavik shrugged, but Firk opened his mouth for the first time.

    "Adult."

    "Really? Well, shit. Too bad, kiddo. Tough luck." She approached me, drawing her short swords.

    I clenched my fists and brought my shield close to my body. I took several deep breaths to calm myself and watched closely, waiting for her first move. She giggled as she threw out a few light cuts. She was testing my skills. I didn''t take the bait. The others watched for a minute before breaking off and snooping through the cupboards and shelves.

    "Stop it!" I shouted at them.

    "You''re fighting me, kid!" Vral darted forward, throwing one of her blades directly at my knee. I lowered my shield just in time to block her attack, but her second blade slashed at my throat. I barely had enough time to get back. "Damn. You''ve trained a bit. That''s good. Even without levels, you''ve got some skill. This might actually be fun." She darted forward again, swinging her swords in tight arcs. Each strike bounced off of my shield. She wasn''t able to land any hits, but I was being pushed back with every strike. She was good.

    As we sparred, I saw that Tavik and Firk had begun collecting items from around the shop and were loading them into bags. Damn it! Even if I wanted to stop them, I couldn''t.

    "Don''t look away!" She noticed my thoughts wandering and capitalized on my mistake. One of her swords dug into my left shoulder. I felt my grip on my sword loosen.

    She didn''t let up. She slashed high, stabbed low, and struck again and again. I barely managed to keep up as she pushed me with every strike, and she was doing it without even breaking a sweat. However, my training was paying off. Every swing she took at me came within a millimeter of hitting, but my defenses held. I moved my shield without thinking. Each of her strikes landed on the broad wooden surface instead of my flesh. Her smirk turned into a smile as we fought.

    The bitch was having fun!

    "Vral, let''s go. We got everything we need. Finish up." One of the goblin men called out.

    She lashed at me with a vicious double strike, then jumped back and looked at the speaker. "Get out of here. I''ll just be a minute." She turned back to me and flashed an even larger smile. "Sorry about this, kid. Don''t take it too personally. It''s just business." She took a few steps back, sheathed her weapons, and pulled a pair of gauntlets out of her beltpouch. They glimmered with gold, silver, and blue runes. The fingers of each gauntlet were tipped with thick claws. She pulled them on, then drew her swords again.

    Her blades flashed. I felt pain in my thigh. Then my sword arm. I stepped back, blocking whatever I could, but I barely could see the attacks. I blocked three or four before a slash cut open my forehead. Blood poured into my eye.

    "Fuck!" I yelled, leaping back, but she kept advancing.

    One cut landed on my wrist, leaving a bloody slice. I felt my arm tremble, then my fingers released, and my sword fell out of my grip. Another followed, and I managed to block it with my shield, but the impact drove the wood into my chest. I felt my ribcage bend under the weight of the strike, and air burst from my lungs as I was thrown backward. How was she so strong? I landed on the ground and struggled to catch my breath.

    She laughed as I pulled my shield in front of my chest. She took a couple casual steps toward me, bouncing her swords on her shoulders as she did. The smile faded as she lowered one of her blades to my jaw, nicked it, and forced my head up. The edge of the blade was cold against my throat. I felt blood seep from my skin as the blade nicked it.

    "You''ve got spunk, kid. I like that. You held on longer than most, and you didn''t show fear." She pulled her sword away and sheathed both. "Not a lot of people have guts anymore. It''s a good quality." She looked out the window at the darkening town square. "It''s getting late. Best get yourself to a healer. Else your sword arm''ll stay like that." She looked down at me one more time. "Find better employers, Alex. Otherwise, you''ll end up dead." She turned, walked to the door, and vanished into the darkness.

    Once I''d caught my breath, I stood up and checked the damage. They took everything. Almost everything, anyway. There was still some miscellaneous crap left lying around, but most of the shop had been looted. I reached into my bag and pulled out one of the potions Na-Ya had given me. Uncorking one, I threw it back, and a moment later, my wounds tingled. The blood falling into my eye stopped flowing. The potion wouldn''t seal my wounds completely, but it would be enough.

    Once the potion finished doing its work, my vision blurred. It took a lot out of people to heal, and the faster the healing, the more it took.

    I fell back onto the ground and promptly fell asleep.

 XVIII. You Signed A Contract?

    Something slapped me across the cheek. Then again.

    My eyes snapped open as a tiny man shook his fist at me. "You bastard! Who sent you? Did Vral send you?"

    It was Farvad. The old gnome looked livid.

    "Ugh..." That was the only word I could make.

    Farvad slapped me again. It was a little pathetic, but it woke me up. "Who''s your master? Speak!"

    "Hey, knock it off!" A familiar voice shouted from behind the gnome. A thin hand grabbed his shoulder, and the man was pulled back. In his place stood Tristan.

    Tristan?

    "What the hell? I finally find you, and you''re half-dead on the floor of some shop." His brow furrowed as he inspected me. "What the fuck happened?" He reached into his bag and pulled a flask out. He knelt down, uncorked it, and shoved it in my mouth. When the bitter liquid hit my tongue, I tipped my head back and drank it all. My skin tingled, then I started to itch. A moment later, I felt much better.

    "Hey, buddy." I sat up. "Oh, you know. I got my ass kicked by some goblin chick. Beat me up good. I didn''t stand a chance." I rubbed my face. I could feel a thin scar above my eye. "No lie though, it was kind of hot. She was awesome."

    "Chick?" The gnome looked confused. "I don''t follow. Was it a goblin or a chicken?"

    Tristan rolled his eyes. "It''s old slang from the other world. Alex is out of date in two worlds."

    "Ah." The gnome said, stroking his beard. "Intriguing. Alex is a traveler then?"

    "Wait..." Tristan glared at the gnome. "I thought you didn''t know who he was." Tristan crossed his arms and stared daggers at the man.

    "Of course, I remember him! I hired him just yesterday!" Farvad sputtered. "Not that it did much good. He''s about as useful as adding chimera to a health potion!" When he saw our blank faces, he added, "it makes the potion toxic. Bad stuff. You''d sprout feathers."

    "Neat." I stood up. "So, you guys know each other?"

    "Yeah, I found this guy yesterday as he was leaving town," Tristan said. "He said he needed help gathering some herbs outside of town, but when we got out there, he said he forgot what he was looking for. We camped out in the woods, which sucked REALLY BAD," he glared at Farvad, who shuffled, "considering I didn''t have any gear and they lock the gates at night. We headed back this morning only to find you in a pool of your own blood."

    It was my turn to get glared at. "Sorry, Dad."

    He rolled his eyes. "Now that you''re awake and okay, what the hell happened again?" he asked again.

    "That damn bitch Vral broke into my shop!" the gnome spat, shaking his head violently. "I told her I''d have the money for her in a week!"

    "Yeah, that was her. Red hair tied in a braid. Short swords. Completely badass. I''ll never forget her. She''s my soul goblin," I said wistfully.

    "Dude, we need to get you a girlfriend or something. Your brain''s broken."

    "Shut up." He wasn''t wrong. It had been a while.

    "Make me," he teased.

    I shot him a middle finger and stood up. It was early morning, probably not long after dawn. I looked down at Farvad, who was poking around the odds and ends the thugs left behind. After a time, he looked back up at me, and I could tell he forgot who I was.

    "Alex. You hired me."

    "Oh, right." He knocked his fist against his head. "I took a blow to the head a few years back. Don''t remember real good anymore. I wanted to go out and collect some herbs to make some [Intellect Potions], but I... I..." His eyes unfocused. "Why didn''t I do that again?"

    Tristan huffed. "You forgot why we went outside of town. We just spent all night camping in the wilderness because you couldn''t remember what we went out there for."

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Farvad rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Oh, right! It was a lovely evening at least. I hadn''t been camping in years."

    "You said it had been a month since you''d been in the woods when we talked last night."

    "Yeah, that''s what I said." The gnome rolled his eyes. "Stupid humans, forgetting things."

    Tristan and I looked at one another and sighed.

    "Sorry, I couldn''t protect your stuff, Farvad." I walked up to the man. "She was much stronger than me."

    "Oh, I knew that when I hired you. I just hoped they wouldn''t go in the back if someone were here, and I didn''t want to get knocked on the head again. That''s why I hired you."

    "So you never planned on telling me I was going to get into a fight?" I said, my fists tightening. "And you abandoned me here all alone?"

    "Yeah."

    "Asshole." I shoved past the man.

    "Wait!" He shouted behind me.

    I didn''t want to stop, but I couldn''t help it. I was too nice. "What?"

    "You signed a contract. If you leave, you''ll owe me for damages." His glasses glinted as he spoke.

    "Wait..." I said, and a thought came to me. "You had me sign that so I''d be on the hook for anything that got stolen!"

    "No, I would never do that."

    "You set me up, asshole."

    "You should have thought of that before signing a contract." Farvad reached into his pocket and withdrew the paper I''d signed. The ink was softly glowing. "If you walk out of here without fulfilling your contract, you''ll become a debtor. Debtor contracts go to the Adventurer''s Guild for bounty collection." He smirked.

    Tristan''s eyes opened. "Alex, you didn''t..."

    I sighed. "I did. How was I supposed to know? It didn''t seem like a bad gig."

    "It''s a freaking contract." Tristan walked up and began inspecting the paper, squinting and running his index finger under each line.

    "What does that mean?" I asked.

    "It''s basically a quest, but it doesn''t come from the system. It works kind of like the quest we got a few days ago, except once you sign it, it acts like a magical bond. If you don''t complete the quest or get out of your obligation, you legally become indebted until the cost of the debt is paid."

    "Shit." I shook my head. "You knew this would happen," I spat at the gnome.

    "Knew what would happen?"

    "That Vral..." His eyes weren''t hazy this time. The asshole was using his disability to his own advantage. I stepped close to him and spoke through clenched teeth. "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

    "Well. Since you failed to stop the theft, you''ll be getting my inventory back. But until you figure out how to do that, you might as well make yourself useful." He walked into the back room and returned with a broom. "Why don''t you clean while you think?" The asshole gave me a smug grin and handed the broom to me. He must have done this before.

    ***

    I cursed Farvad and every one of his ancestors while I cleaned, organized, and reorganized what was left of the shop. Tristan helped, but the guy hadn''t stopped making fun of me for three hours. To be fair, I deserved it. I needed to stop being so impulsive. I realized that I hadn''t been taking things seriously. Like it was a game or something. I had to cut that out. Otherwise, I''d end up dead.

    Once we''d done as much as we could, the little gnome exited the back of the shop and scrutinized our work. Walking to a shelf near the window, he rubbed his finger on the wood and scoffed. "You missed a spot."

    "Alright, I''m done." I threw my rag down. "Look, I did everything you wanted me to. If you really expect me to somehow defeat a goblin that handed me my ass, you''re nuts." I shoved a finger in his face. "I''m level zero, man. And she''s gotta be way above that. I could barely keep up. Find someone else."

    He pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. Once he put them back on, his gaze was steel. "Level zero, huh?" He looked to Tristan. "Are you level zero too?"

    Tristan glared at me. "I''m level one."

    "Class?"

    "Priest."

    "Ah, well." Farvad turned back to me. "Everyone starts somewhere. But I have an idea." The old man disappeared into the back. A moment later, he returned with a handful of potions. "Since you two are so weak, these should help. Two for each of you. Take them, and get my belongings back from Vral."

    Tristan''s eyes grew wide. He snatched the potions from Farvad''s hands. "These are rare. Why would you give us these?"

    "Because I''d like to get my things back." He smirked. "And, I wouldn''t mind showing those thugs a taste of my alchemy. These are some of my best potions to date, you know. You two babies going out and beating the dreaded Vral the Swiftfang using my potions would be good advertising." He laughed, then added, "Plus, I love seeing people who aren''t as smart as me succeed." The old man winked and gestured toward the door. "Now go get my stuff."

    I took the potions. "What do they do?"

    "Oh, you''ll see. Simply take them when the fighting starts, and I''ll wager my shop that you''ll enjoy the results." The old gnome grinned. "Oh, and remember to keep breathing. Otherwise, you may die. No, go on. Go get my things back." And, with that, the brain-damaged old gnome wandered back into the back of his shop, leaving me stunned and slack-jawed.

    Tristan''s eyes met mine. "These really are quite powerful. If what Farvad says is true, you and I might stand a chance."

    "How can you tell?"

    "High-quality potions sparkle. It''s all the mana in suspension. Look." He held a potion up in front of me. It did seem to shimmer.

    "And if they don''t work?" I looked down at the vials. They shimmered in my hand.

    "Then I guess I''ll get my ass kicked alongside you this time." He laughed. "Or worse. Who knows?"

    "Take a job they said. It''ll be fun they said. You''ll get experience they said. Adventuring is great they said." I kicked the door frame as I walked out of the shop. "This shit sucks." I tucked the potions in my belt as I walked up the street. Tristan did the same.

    "No use whining. You did it to your damn self." Tristan shook his head.

    He was right. It was no use feeling sorry for myself.

    "I have no idea where to start. What do you think we should do?"

    I thought for a bit as we walked. "Let''s ask around. Someone has to know something. I''m sure we''ll find some leads."

 XIX. The Dregs

    We asked around for a few hours, but none of the other shopkeepers would help us. The second they heard the name "Vral," we promptly got escorted out of every shop on the strip. By the time the evening bell tolled on the mountainside and the miners began pouring out of the mine, we weren''t any closer to finding the goblin than we were that morning.

    The wind had picked up throughout the day, and it was starting to get cold. We''d long since pulled our cloaks tight to preserve us from the chill. I was beginning to give up on finding any leads, and a glance at Tristan told me he was too. His cheeks were red from the cold wind, and he looked tired. I realized that, due to Farvad, he hadn''t slept well. He probably would need a good night''s rest.

    However, something caught my eye just when I was about to call it quits. Down a side alleyway was a small boy, probably nine or ten, wearing little more than rags. He was far enough into the alley that he was protected from the wind but not so far that he couldn''t be seen. A poor child sitting in the streets wasn''t all that striking. Galden had a good amount of beggars, as I''d learned throughout the day.

    But, something was off about him.

    At first glance, he looked normal. Short brown hair and dirty green clothes. A small hat set in front of him for crystals. But he looked dirty in the wrong ways, almost like it was a costume. He looked well-fed too, with round, plump cheeks and a healthy pallor, setting him at odds with the other beggars I''d seen. It felt wrong to judge a beggar that way, but my gut told me something was up. I  elbowed Tristan.

    "You see that?"

    "An urchin. Fascinating, Alex." He shifted to continue walking.

    I grabbed his cloak and stopped him. "No, look closer. There''s something off about him."

    Tristan rolled his eyes and looked at the child again. "No shit..." Tristan''s soft voice barely carried over the wind. "I heard they do that sometimes, but I didn''t think it was real."

    "Do what?"

    "Halflings. I heard they sometimes dress up like kids as a con. Works great on the kindhearted. I guess we know how soft your heart is now."

    "Ass."

    "Just saying."

    I shook my head. What a world this was. "Maybe we''ll get some answers." I started walking down the alley to the man-child.

    "Wait." Tristan tugged my shoulder. "Why do you think he''s here? Beggars are supposed to be the eyes and ears of criminals and the like. Maybe we should walk away."

    "Well, if he is a kid, I can''t just walk by, now can I?" I pulled my arm free and kept walking. Tristan followed, albeit hesitantly.

    "Sir, please" the kid said as we approached, his tone pitiful. He limply held out a small hat. He looked sickly and pale, but I could tell up close that I was right. The roundness in his cheeks and the twinkle in his hazel eyes told a story other than abject poverty.

    "Of course, little one." I pretended to reach into my pouch and pull out some crystals. Kneeling in front of him, I turned my hand over. His eyes waited for something to fall into his hat, but when nothing did, I smiled. The man looked at me, bewildered and annoyed. I leaned in to whisper. "Cut the act. We''re not idiots."

    The man''s facade broke. He leaned up and smiled. "That''s not what I heard, at least about you. Heard you''re pretty dumb." The man''s eyes gleamed, but when the sound of footsteps filled the alley, his entire demeanor changed. "Oh, thank you, kind sir!"

    I looked behind me just as an elven couple came into sight. The woman held her chest when she spotted the halfling, and the man immediately withdrew a few crystals and handed them to Tristan.

    "For the lad." The man said, his deep blue eyes filled with compassion. "You''re both doing a good thing, helping him." Tristan, bewildered, held his small hand out, and the man took it with the most sincerity I''d ever seen. "You do the Goddess''s work in this cruel world."

    "En la lumo," Tristan said, pulling out his holy symbol and waving it around as he said a few more words that I didn''t understand. The elves nodded vigorously as he spoke.

    "She''s a priest, even! There is good in this world." The woman''s voice was pure, like birdsong. I snickered at her words though. Everyone mistook Tristan for a girl.

    "Come, let us leave the priests to their work." The man took her arm. Both of the elves bowed, their bodies bent nearly ninety degrees. They hung there for a long moment before standing back upright and walking away.

    The halfling''s eyes never left them until they were out of earshot. Once they were, he spoke normally again. "Heh, works every time on the pointy ears. They can''t help themselves. So damn sentimental." He held out his hat to Tristan, who reluctantly dropped the elf''s crystal into it. The halfling pulled his hand back and grinned a wide, toothy grin. "You two helped me good. Got more in that one haul than I did all day."

    "Happy we could help. Now what the hell do you know about us?" I said, doing my best to be intimidating. The halfling wasn''t impressed.

    "Oh, you know. A little this, a little that." He coughed and shook his hat.

    "Ass..." I pulled out a few crystals and dropped them into his hat.

    "Ah, I think I''m remembering more now. "Maybe some rumors are spreading that some dumbass tried to stop the Slashers during a job."

    "You heard what happened to me?" I blinked in disbelief. Word traveled fast.

    The halfling adjusted his sack of cloth pants as he leaned against the wall. "Word has it Vral spared you after you pissed yourself. That true, pissboy? Did the mean green gobbo bitch scare you so bad you couldn''t help it?" He gave a sly grin.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Despite myself, I smirked. "Yeah, got her right in her eye too. She could barely handle my stream of justice. A little longer and she would''ve drowned. You should''ve seen it."

    The guy cracked a smile, then burst out laughing. "Now that''s something I''d pay to see." He grinned and held out his small hand. "Name''s Arturus."

    "Alex." I shook his hand and waved Tristan over. "And this is my trusty sidekick Tristan."

    Tristan huffed. "Yeah, don''t listen to him. He''s my comic relief. Nice to meet you, Arturus." He nodded to the man.

    "Likewise." Arturus sat up. "Now, how about you tell me why you were snooping around askin'' about Vral, eh? Not many people would do that if they didn''t want to die. You looking to end up in the river? Or maybe you wanna be buried down in the quarry? Either way, it''s not pretty." He chuckled.

    "Well, she stole a bunch of shit from Farvad, and now I''m on the hook for it." I shrugged.

    "You signed one of the old coot''s contracts?" He covered his face with his palms and laughed again. "You really are dumb."

    "In my defenseˇŞ"

    "I believe you now, lass. He''s gotta be your comic relief," the Halfling laughed and pointed at Tristan, who smirked.

    "Again, in my defenseˇŞ"

    "He''s an impulsive idiot who doesn''t listen to his best and only friend, who consistently is proven to have all the brains in our little duo." Tristan crossed his arms over his chest.

    "Yeah, mostly that actually." I looked up at Tristan and smiled. He puffed up with pride at being validated. Turning back to Arturus, I asked, "so can you help us out?"

    The halfling shook his head and smiled. "You and the girl an item?" He eyed Tristan.

    Tristan hid behind his hood. "Um... no. Nothing like that."

    "Guys aren''t exactly my type." I felt Tristan bristle next to me.

    Arturus looked Tristan over for a moment and squinted. "Oh, my apologies. Mistook you for a dame." Tristan ignored him. "Anyway, yeah, I could help you two out if you made it worth my time. How about ten crystals to lead you to them? That''d be worth my time. Ain''t made shit today anyway outside those elven softies."

    "I''ll give you three extra if you promise we can find them without issue."

    He smirked. "Seven, and I even throw in some information."

    I looked to Tristan, who shook his head. "Five."

    Arturus glared at Tristan. "You''d do well to listen to the dame more often. Smart one." The halfling spit in his hand and held it out. "Done."

    I took his hand and immediately regretted it, but it was too late. Then, I took a handful of crystals out of my pocket and pressed them into the halfling''s soft, tiny hand. He chuckled as he counted them, stood up, and dropped them into his pocket.

    "Well, that''s a fair payment. I''ll be eating well tonight. Follow along, newbies. Let''s get you where you''re going.

    ***

    We followed Arturus for over an hour as he wound us through every part of town imaginable. I guessed it was intentional to lose anyone who might be trailing us, which I supposed made sense. Along the way, he taught us a little bit about Galden''s politics.

    From what the man told us, there were three competing civil guilds in town. The miners'' guild, the merchants'' guild, and the crafters'' guild. Since this was the only city to mine glowstones for a hundred miles in any direction, the competition between the groups was intense. Each one controlled various parts of the city and had different levels of influence everywhere. More importantly, they regularly hired mercenaries and adventurers to do their dirty work.

    As for our situation, Arturus didn''t know much, but he knew that Farvad had defaulted on some job he''d taken for the crafters'' guild, and the Slashers were hired to deal with it. From what he said, the Slashers had been a registered party with the Fighter''s Guild, but they''d been kicked out a while back for taking on unregistered jobs. They''d since become unaffiliated mercenaries. I didn''t quite understand what all that meant, but it was interesting. There were apparently multiple competing civil and adventuring guilds here.

    After weaving through the streets a while longer, he guided us to the mountain. We walked along the stone face for maybe twenty yards before he found something. Pulling back a facade, the halfling revealed a metal grate, pulled it back, and led us down a short staircase into a long stone tunnel. Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as we walked, and it was damp and smelled like mildew.

    "Where is this?" I asked, my voice echoing in the gloom.

    "Shhh, not now. Monsters sometimes hide in the tunnels. Wait until we get where we''re going."

    Monsters? I unslung my shield and placed my hand on my sword.

    Finally, after a solid five-minute walk in the gloomy tunnel, with only small glowing crystals in the walls lighting our path, we came to a crossroads. Taking a left, we walked further. As we did, I could make out the barest hint of voices in the distance, and a bit further long I could smell something. It smelled good. Like... food?

    "Do you smell that?" I asked.

    Tristan nodded.

    "Yeah, we''re down in the Dregs now. All kinds of good food to eat down here. Just don''t ask what goes in it."

    "The Dregs?"

    "The lowest parts of the city. It used to be where the first mine shafts were dug. Today, it''s where the poor folks live." He gave his signature toothy grin. "And all the criminals."

    There was another branch in the tunnel ahead. Light poured out of the right side, and the sounds of hundreds of voices bounced off the stone and dirt of the tunnel. Taking the right, Arturus led us into a huge cavern. Glowing gems adorned the walls and ceilings as far as I could see. Scattered about in the dim light were hundreds of ramshackle structures. Some were made of dirt and wood, others of stone, and others were little more than cloth tents. They were packed tightly together, and the streets that ran through them were packed with people. Many people in the crowd had dull clothing in varying states of disrepair, and many others were well-equipped. Most wore hooded cloaks that hid their faces.

    "Welcome home, boys." He spread his arms wide with a proud grin. "It''s not much, but it''s better than life up top for some. Down here, the rules don''t matter. Come on, it ain''t far. Stay close."

    He pushed into the throng with practiced ease. We did our best to trail him, but it wasn''t so easy. Due to his small stature, he shoved through the crowds with almost no resistance. We normal-sized folks weren''t so lucky. I did my best to follow him, but the constant stream of people slowed me down. After a few minutes of pressing through the mass of bodies, I saw a narrow gap form ahead and spied Arturus about fifteen feet ahead of me, hands on hips and tapping his foot. I grabbed Tristan''s thin wrist and ducked through the crowd. A moment later, we were beside the little man again.

    "Sorry, I forget how awkward you tall folk are," the man grinned, then nodded at a nearby stone structure set into the cavern''s wall. "That''s what you''re looking for."

    The structure was by far the largest in the Dregs. It was carved from stone and spanned the entire height of the cavern and was at least as wide. There were no identifying markers on the building.

    "So what am I looking at?"

    "That''s the only inn in the Dregs." He slapped my stomach playfully, then pointed to the building. "Everyone who''s anyone on this side of the law stays there, so I''ll bet my mother''s ashes she''s renting out a room."

    "Why''s she doing that? Is it cheap or something?"

    Arturus scoffed. "Hell no, that place costs an arm and a leg. But anyone who''s not spoken for comes here for work. All you unchartered mercs." He looked around then leaned close. "Vral works for a company called The Slashers. She''s been taking jobs from Jorgan." He stood back tall and brushed his coat off. "Now, if you''ll excuse me," the man gave a two-finger salute, "my job''s done, and I''m starving. Until next time." Arturus walked into the crowd and was gone.

    Tristan looked the structure over. "Now what?" His blue eyes met mine. He was nervous. I scanned him and realized something. He wasn''t looking great. He was pale and clammy, and he was breathing heavier than usual. His night out in the woods did a number on him.

    I did the math and came to a decision. Patting him on the shoulder, I gave him my best smile and answered, "We know where to go, now. Before we jump into anything stupid, let''s go back to the inn and get you some rest. We''ll come when we''re ready."

    The look of shock on his face was priceless.

 XX. Vral

    I began guiding us back through the throng of people and to the tunnels. It took some bobbing and weaving, but before long, we were in the damp, echoing tunnels that led back to town. Luckily, the path back wasn''t complicated, just long. After a half-hour of winding tunnels, we reached the first crossroads. I turned and took a single step, but, in the soft light of the glowstones ahead, I could see two figures in the dark.

    One was tall in a long cloak. The other was short. And familiar.

    I froze.

    My boot kicked a loose stone on the ground. Both of the sillouettes turned their heads. I ducked back behind the wall and held my arm out, stopping Tristan.

    "What isˇŞ"

    I put my finger over my lips.

    He nodded.

    Peaking my head around the stone, I saw the taller of the two take something from the other, then walk toward the surface. A minute later, the grinding of the metal grate filled the tunnel, and he disappeared into the night beyond.

    The small figure began making its way up the tunnel. At first, I thought we hadn''t been noticed, but the figure''s glowing red eyes locked onto mine, and its mouth opened in a broad smile.

    "What are the chances I''d run into you down here, kid?" A familiar woman''s voice echoed down the tunnel as she took step after measured step.

    Knowing there was no point in hiding any longer, I stepped out to greet her.

    "Hey!" I said was a smile. "Fancy meeting you here, Vral."

    Her grin broadened. "Not even trying to run. Good boy. How''s the arm holding up?"

    "Good as new and ready for round two."

    A low chuckle escaped her lips. She stopped a few yards away. Reaching into her pouch, she drew her gauntlets again. Their glowing runes illuminated the walls of the tunnel as she put them on. "Feisty." The runes flared as she pulled both gauntlets on. "You''re not gonna make it out this time. I got some major shit for leaving you alive last time." She slipped her blades from their scabbards. She took a step toward me. I heard Tristan shuffle behind me. I shook my head, and he paused.

    "You sure you don''t want to let me go? It would be our little secret." My heart hammered as I donned my shield. My fingers brushed against my sword''s hilt, but I forced my hand to the potions on my belt. Withdrawing one, I bit the cork and pulled it free. The acrid smell of whatever the potion was hit my nose. I spit the cork at her and waited.

    "Damn. Smells terrible." Vral stepped forward another step. "Sorry, kid. I never make the same mistake twice." She flashed her pearly fangs and laughed. As she did, she took another step forward, but her head cocked to the side. She sniffed, and her smile faded. "Who''s your friend?"

    I heard Tristan shuffle. A moment later, he stepped out behind me, mace out. "Tristan."

    The goblin sniffed the air again. "You didn''t tell me you were seeing another girl, Alex. And here I thought we had something special. Shame on you." She grinned and took another step forward.

    Why did everyone think that? "Tristan''s my buddy, not my girlfriend."

    Tristan coughed.

    "Whatever you say." Another step.

    "You''re outnumbered. Let us pass." I said, bringing my shield to bear. With a deep breath, I drank the potion down. The moment it passed down my throat, fire erupted inside me. My blood burned, and my muscles seized. I nearly fell to a knee as my muscles spasmed. Remembering what Farvad said, I took a deep breath, and my vision stopped swimming.

    "Interesting." Vral stopped her advance. "But no."

    She exploded forward, a barely visible green shadow in the dark tunnel.

    However, this time, I could see her coming.

    Barely.

    Her blades slammed into my shield. The blows threw me back a few steps, and before I could catch my feet, Vral launched herself at me again. I caught one of her swords with my shield but missed the other. An instant before she''d have gutted me, Tristan''s mace caught her blade, deflecting it toward the wall. She worked her blade around the mace''s shaft, but before she could strike again, I parried it with my sword.

    With our weapons occupied, I did the first thing that came to mind.

    I punted her.

    The wind erupted from her lungs as my boot caught her square in the stomach. One of her swords clattered away as she flew backward. She hit the ground with a thump. I moved to intercept, but she jumped back to her feet and leveled her remaining blade at me.

    "Nice one." Vral coughed and rubbed her stomach

    "You haven''t seen anything yet," I said, charging. I swung at her head, but she dodged to my side at the last second. However, before she could take my side, Tristan launched his mace at her. It caught her in the temple. She stumbled backward into the wall. Blood seeped into her fiery red hair, but she remained standing, her weapon still gripped in one hand.

    I bached at her face with my shield, but her gauntlet came up. When my shield struck, it felt like all my momentum was doubled back onto me. It was like I got hit by a truck. I was thrown back into the wall and nearly blacked out as I slumped to the ground. She stabbed at my stomach again, but again Tristan deflected it.

    The woman cursed, then turned on my friend. "I guess you''ll die first then, bitch."

    The goblin rolled around me, snatching her other sword off the ground as she did, and leaped at Tristan. He blocked once, twice, then twisted wrong, and one of her swords cut into his leg. He backpedaled until his back struck the tunnel wall. A flurry of blows followed, which he barely kept up with. Vral slashed Tristan''s thigh, then caught his wrist. His mace fell to the ground, and his eyes turned into saucers as he limped away from the seasoned fighter. But, another slash to his thigh and he fell onto his back.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I struggled to stand again.

    "Thought you had a chance, did you?" she taunted, leveling her sword at his throat.

    I pushed off the wall and stood, but before I could reach her, she drew back the weapon.

    "No!"

    I launched myself at her. She jumped away, and I landed in a heap on the ground. Pain surged through my body as I ate shit.

    A quick glance revealed Tristan bleeding on the ground next to me. I tried to stand again, but before I could, she pressed her sword against my neck.

    "Sorry, kid. This is it." Her voice was dark.

    I was going to die. I knew it. I looked up into Tristan''s eyes, expecting fear. Instead, they were filled with resolve and... glowing? He lifted his palm and said two words:

    [Holy Light]

    White energy erupted from his hand. The light brushed past my cheek, striking Vral straight in the chest. I heard her stumbling backward. Her armor burned with a hiss.

    "Goddess''s tits!" she yelled. I turned to see her swatting at her burning armor.

    I didn''t hesitate. Grabbing the other potion in my belt, I threw it back.

    Uncontrollable rage exploded inside of me. Every single fiber of my being cried out for vengeance.

    With a bellow, I stood and dashed forward, shield raised. She turned just as I struck her back with my shield. She landed on her back, and both of her blades clattered away.

    Leaping onto her, I pinned her shoulders to the stone and raised my shield. With all of my strength, I drove it down. She moved her head at the last instant. A loud cracking sound echoed down the tunnel as my shield''s metal edge buried several inches into the stone. The rest of the shield splintered. I shook the remnants free and raised my sword. Her eyes widened as I slashed downward, but her gauntlet caught it just in time. My arm was thrown back twice as hard as I''d swung. I felt the sword slip out of my fingers and heard it skitter away down the tunnel.

    Vral struggled underneath me. "Get off!" The claws on her gauntlets scraped against my armor as she punched and writhed under me, but I ignored it. I leaned forward, wrapped my hands around her throat, and squeezed.

    "Don''t. Fuck. With. Us." I said, punctuating each word by slamming her head into the ground. Her head bounced on the cold stone as my grip tightened. Her clawed hands thrashed at my forearms as I squeezed. I smiled down at her, savoring the power coursing through me.

    Power over my enemy.

    Power over this world.

    It felt good.

    Gazing into her red pupils, I watched them dilate with pain and fear. She grew weaker and weaker as she struggled to break free.

    I heard something behind me, but I didn''t care. All I cared about was ending this threat. This danger to me and Tristan. I tightened my grip. The goblin gurgled, her arms growing weak.

    "Alex..." It was Tristan''s voice. "Stop."

    I turned to find him sitting against the wall. He was holding his leg, and his eyes were locked on me. He shook his head.

    "She tried to kill us. Both of us!" I screamed. "If we leave her alive, she''ll do it again." Of course, she would. "She''s a murderer!'' I shouted, looking back down at the suffocating woman.

    "You''re not."

    His words sank into my potion-addled brain. He was right. I wasn''t a murderer.

    I released my hands, and Vral coughed and gagged as air filled her lungs.

    "Damn..." the goblin gasped. "You got me good..." She coughed, then lay flat on the ground, defeated.

    "Yeah, well if it weren''t for him, you''d be dead. Be grateful."

    She laughed, and a large smile plastered itself on her face.

    As my breathing stabilized, my vision began to swim. Words appeared in my mind

    <hr>

    For protecting your ally against certain death and sparing the life of an enemy, you have proven your worth as a shield to the vulnerable and a defender of the living.

    You have unlocked the [Guardian] class.

    You gain the [Provoke] active ability.

    You gain the [Boundless Potential] and [Shield of Resolve] passive abilities.

    <hr>

    I felt something wash over me. It felt warm, soothing. And along with those sensations came feelings. Relief. Confidence. Power. For the first time since landing in this world, I felt like things were finally happening.

    I let out a victorious roar.

    [Healing Light]

    White light washed over me. Within seconds, my injuries were healed. Well, most of them. I watched as the light seeped into my skin, causing the nicks and cuts littering my arms to mend. Looking back at the light source, I saw Tristan sitting with his legs folded underneath him. His palms were facing upwards toward the sky, with white energy gently seeping from them. The energy filled the space, shimmering as it danced in the air.

    After a time, the light faded. When it did, he collapsed. "Gods, I''m tired." He rubbed his temples.

    "Mind getting off of me?" Vral''s voice was strained. I forgot I was still on top of her.

    "You gonna be good? If not, I can sit here all day."

    She nodded. "Yeah. You won. I''ll be good."

    When I hesitated, she held out her fists and motioned for me to remove her gauntlets. I did, taking them in hand. They were finely crafted, made of some white metal with glowing runes adorning each finger.

    "See? I''m spent anyway." She rubbed her neck.

    I got off of her. The goblin took a deep breath, then slid backward and propped herself against the far wall of the tunnel. Once she settled, she sighed. "I know this game. You''re gonna get all chummy with me, get some information, then knock me off. If you''re gonna kill me anyway, don''t bother. I don''t want to be led on. Just get it over with."

    I looked at Tristan, who shook his head again.

    I turned back and met her eyes. "I don''t feel like it." I took a seat against the opposite wall of the tunnel.

    She sighed again. "Damn..." Her eyes lowered, revealing the first bit of vulnerability I''d seen from the woman. "It''d be better to die here. My employers don''t take failure kindly. Guess they''ll want me dead now."

    "Who is they? Jorgan?"

    She laughed. "That loser? Nah. I just take jobs from him from time to time."

    "Then who?"

    She shook her head. "Doesn''t matter." She tried and failed to stand.

    "We need to get Farvad''s stuff back from you."

    "It''s all gone." She muttered. "Sorry."

    My brow furrowed. "Where is it?"

    "Gone. Sold, probably." She huffed. "And you best be gone too before my employer''s men catch wind that you''re who was down here tonight."

    Tristan struggled to stand. I stood up and walked over, offering my hand. I half helped, half picked him up. Once he was standing, I turned and walked to her.

    "How about a deal?" I asked.

    "A deal?" She chuckled. "What is it?"

    "Why don''t you join up with us? You''re good in a fight, and we could use the help. Maybe the three of us can even fight back against whoever this employer of yours is?" I offered my hand to her. "What do you say?"

    She stared at my hand, then glanced at Tristan. "Would she be okay with it? I was about to murder her ass."

    "His ass." I laughed and shook my head, but the goblin just gave me a funny look.

    I looked back at Tristan, who looked away.

    Huh?

    She chuckled again. "Sounds like you two need to have a heart-to-heart." She slapped my hand away, stood up, and retrieved her swords. "I''ll pass." She held her hands out and gestured to the gauntlets. "But thanks."

    "You gonna be good?"

    She rolled her eyes. "Probably not. Now give ''em. I''m gonna need ''em."

    I handed them over. She nodded and put them in her pouch. Turning, she took a couple of steps down the tunnel, then looked over her shoulder. "I''m resourceful. Don''t worry about me." She smiled. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a vial of red liquid. She uncorked it and drank heartily. "Luckily, they probably don''t know who you are yet, so you might make it a little longer in this town. Or not, who knows? Either way, I''m done."

    "Are you sure you don''t want to come with us?"

    "I said no, okay! Get over it." Before I could reply, she bolted down the tunnel, turned left at the crossroads, and disappeared.

    "Crazy ass goblin." I looked back at Tristan, who was wobbling on his feet. I took a step closer to him. When I did, he started to fall. I reached out and grabbed him before he hit the dirt.

    "Thanks."

    "No problem." I helped him stand up straight. "Let''s get you back to the inn."

    He coughed, nodded, and let me guide him down the tunnel toward the surface.

 XXI. Rest and Recover

    By the time we left the tunnels and were back on the streets of Galden, Tristan was shivering, and a soft wet cough left his lips every minute or so. I kept my arm wrapped around him as we walked and could feel him leaning on me more and more as we wove through the streets. By the time we''d made it halfway, I was half-carrying him. As we walked, I stole glances at him from time to time. It was hard to tell whether he was getting sick or if using magic for the first time took it out of him, but his face was pale, and his eyes were sunken. He looked terrible.

    The other reason I kept looking at him was associated with the giant Vral-sized elephant that was following us through the town. I felt like I was seeing him for the first time. When we''d first met, he was awkward and gangly, with shaggy black hair and the thin body of what I assumed at the time was a young man who hadn''t quite hit his growth spurt yet. I remembered being confused when he said he was actually twenty-one, but I always assumed I misunderstood him. He had an accent back then, and we only half-understood one another.

    However, he''d changed significantly over the past year, but I realized I''d never noticed. Not really. He''d never gotten more masculine. The pimples had cleared, and his hair grew more manageable, but that was about it. I told him many times he was someone''s type, being as pretty a guy as he was, and tonight, the soft curve of his jaw and his thick black lashes looked different in the light of the large glowstones lining the roads. I had a sneaking suspicion Vral was being honest in her assessment of my best friend in this world. I didn''t know how I felt about it yet.

    A soft cough left his lips. He covered his mouth and paused, then looked at me. He must have noticed me watching him

    "Don''t stare."

    "I wasn''t."

    "You were." He rolled his eyes.

    I didn''t fight back. "How are you holding up?" I asked.

    He frowned. "I''m fine." He pulled his cloak tight against the thick wet mist falling from the sky. His eyes wandered to the side. He did that when he was lying.  That meant it was bad.

    "Let''s get you back and in a bath. The warm water''ll help."

    "Yeah... that sounds good right now." Tristan''s eyes were unfocused, and he voice was ragged. "Do you know where we are?"

    "Not too far now." I guided us through an alley I''d walked down earlier that day, then turned left. From there, I could see our inn on the mountainside. "There it is."

    "You have a good sense of direction. I have no idea where we are." Tristan smiled at me, then coughed.

    "Always did. Come on. Let''s get you warmed up." We walked the rest of the way to the inn. The warm air washed over us as we entered the large front door. An older woman with golden curls and skin kissed by the sun tower orb thing greeted us. I nodded to her and walked toward the hallway that led to our room.

    Once I''d made it down the hallway, I realized Tristan was three times as pale as he was when we''d left the Dregs. I wrapped my arm around his narrow shoulders and guided him to our room. He was shivering terribly.

    "Sorry." He sniffed and let out a wet cough. "I don''t know the spell to stop being sick. I don''t mean to slow us down."

    "Don''t be stupid." I unlocked the room and led him inside.

    "Come on, get those wet clothes off."

    His face screwed up. "No. Not with you here."

    I rolled my eyes. "Oh, after a year of me being picked on for being a prudish earthman, you''re gonna be the first person to act shy here?" I realized as I spoke that Tristan had always been nervous about these kinds of things. He always kept his baggy robes on, and even in baths he sat outside the water until everyone else was done. Could he really be...?

    "No, it''s just..." He looked down at himself, then at me. I raised my eyebrows, but he remained silent. Okay, it was time to call his bluff.

    "You know what? Fine. Leave them on. Get sick."

    His only response was a series of wet coughs, then he fell onto the rock bed. "Too late..."

    Called my bluff real good.

    I sighed. "Alright, I won''t look."

    "Yeah. Good." I turned around and listened to the sounds of clothing being shed. A moment later, his muffled voice sounded behind me, "I need help."

    "I thought you said not to look."

    "Can''t... reach... boots..." As soon as he finished talking, he broke out into a series of violent coughs. I turned around and saw him doubled over, both hands covering his mouth. His brown robe was pulled up, revealing his thin waist and wide hips. His pants were down to his ankles, but they were caught on his boots.

    "I''m coming." I darted over and began untying his boots. As I did, I realized I was inches from his legs. Which were hairless. Smooth. Curved. Feminine. Realization washed over me like cold water.

    "Tristan."

    "Yeah?" He coughed.

    "Are you..." Was I really that much of an idiot?

    "What?" Another wet cough.

    "Are you a woman?" I looked up at her. She froze, the remaining color drained from her face, and she refused to meet my gaze. For a solid minute, she said nothing.

    "...Yes."

    All thoughts stopped. "You''re joking."

    "Why would I joke about it?" Her voice, which was quiet, and fragile, trembled.

    "But... Wait..."

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    She struggled to pull her wet robe off. I stood up and grabbed the rough cloth. She slowly wriggled out of her robe, leaving her in only a loose white shirt. I could see some sort of wrap around her chest through her wet shirt.

    She was definitely a girl.

    How had I missed all the signs? Her soft jawline, smooth neck, lack of facial hair, thin body, small wrists... Shit.

    "Why the hell didn''t you tell me?" I rubbed my face, unsure of what to say.

    "I... You just..." Her cheeks were flushed red. "You assumed when we first met, so I justˇ­ˇ± She fell into a coughing fit.

    That''s why she wanted to change alone and never bathed with anyone. ˇ°ItˇŻs okay. Come on. LetˇŻs get you to the bath.ˇ±

    I wrapped my arm around her waist, scooped under her knees, and picked her up. She didnˇŻt resist. A moment later, we were down the hall and in the bath. The steam hit my face as I opened the door.

    ˇ°Here''sˇ­ fineˇ­ˇ± She said with that lack of enthusiasm people feel when theyˇŻre sick and miserable. I didnˇŻt let go. Neither did she. I carried her to the edge of the pool, kicked off my boots, and walked into the water, clothes and all, until we were both in the warm water.

    I couldn''t help but sigh as I hit the warm water. I sat down on the stone ledge under the water. Tristan didn''t try to move. Instead, she breathed deeply and rested her head against my shoulder. A few coughs escaped her lips from time to time, but she looked more lively the longer we sat. We stayed like that for a long time. I didn''t know what to say, and I had a feeling heˇŞshe felt the same way.

    ˇ°Alexˇ­ˇ± She coughed, then looked at me. Her blue eyes shimmered in the steam.

    ˇ°Yeah?ˇ±

    ˇ°I donˇŻt want things to be weird.ˇ± She frowned. ˇ°YouˇŻve always treated me like a friend. I donˇŻt want that to change.ˇ±

    I met her eyes. ˇ°I wonˇŻt.ˇ±

    She breathed. ˇ°Good.ˇ± Her arms, wrapped around my neck, loosened, and she leaned into me. ˇ°I want to keep being the ˇ®Awesome Duo,ˇŻ even if itˇŻs a terrible name.ˇ±

    Her head rested against my shoulder again.  ˇ°I wouldnˇŻt change a thing. DonˇŻt worry, okay?ˇ±

    She looked up at me and smiled. ˇ°When have you ever cared how I felt? Ass.ˇ±

    I laughed. ˇ°Hey, thereˇŻs a first time for everything.ˇ±

    ˇ°Ass.ˇ± She laughed, then coughed right in my face. I was definitely going to get sick.

    I pushed her gently, and she let go. She floated to the far side of the pool and groaned as the warm water soaked into her. I took off my tunic and pants and did the same. For a while, we were quiet, except for the occasional cough from Tristan. Our eyes met once or twice, but clearly neither of us wanted to address the elephant. I broke the ice first.

    "So... how many people at the temple know?"

    She didn''t look up. "Lady Varga, Na-Ya, and Arden."

    Okay, so this was a thing. I tried to find the best words I could, but only one word came out: "Why?"

    Her sigh echoed off the water. "It''s complicated."

    "Complicate it for me."

    She looked up. Her blue eyes met mine. "You know about the war between Deneir and Nolei, right?"

    "Yeah. I made the mistake of implying Na-Ya was from Nolei once. She got pretty upset."

    "After centuries of war, things get weird." She looked back down into the water. "There''s a reason Na-Ya never leaves the temple. The chance of her being mistaken as Noleian is too high. Contrary to what she says, she comes from there and has their features." She looked back up. Lifting her hand from the water, she gestured to her eyes. "And so do I."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Na-Ya is my cousin. My grandmother was an elf."

    I felt like I should understand more, but I didn''t. "I don''t follow. What does that mean?"

    "My grandmother had a child with her first husbandˇŞNa-Ya''s mom, my aunt. Later, my grandmother was captured by a Deneiran lord and had another child with him. That was my mom."

    "What happened then?"

    "My dad came to this world, killed the lord, and saved my mom. They fell in love, did the thing, and had me."

    "What happened to your grandma?"

    "She died giving birth. Mixed-race births are hard on elven mothers. She didn''t survive it."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Thanks." She sighed. "I wish I could have known her." She splashed the water and coughed.

    I let the words hang for a moment. "How did you meet Na-Ya?"

    "My aunt had been searching for her mother for years. When she saw my mom, she knew right away who she was. When she learned that their mother had passed, she took my mom in. The two of them became close and settled outside of Llyn. Auntie taught Mom everything she knew about our people. Together, they sang to life a new grove outside of town for stray elves to live and rest."

    "So how did Na-Ya end up at the temple? And what about you?"

    "When Dad was alive and healthy, he protected the grove and Llyn. But he got sick. Bandits started moving into the forests and snatched people up. Na-Ya was one of them." She played with the water more. "She doesn''t talk about that time much. I know she was about to be sold when Rennar and Ro-Saleh came. Rennar had been Dad''s companion at one point and answered a letter he sent. They took down the entire camp by themselves and rescued everyone. She always gushes when she talks about how Ro carried her in his arms that day. That''s when she decided to return to the temple with them, and when my dad learned he couldn''t protect me anymore, he sent me, too. I was ten or eleven at the time, and I''ve been there basically ever since."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Don''t be." She looked up and smiled. "But thanks."

    "Sounds like a lot."

    "Yeah. It was."

    "So why pretend you''re a guy?" I think I understand the thought behind it, but not entirely.

    "Even though I''m only a quarter, and I''m lucky enough to only have the eyes, Dad thought it would be best. Elven women are preyed on the most. But since elves age slower and are androgynous as children, I got away with it for a long time. I didn''t begin to change until the last few years, and it''s mostly been the last year that I''ve become..."

    "A woman."

    "Yeah."

    "That''s why you wear the baggy robes all the time and don''t bathe with others."

    "Yup."

    "But it''s not like anyone at the temple would have cared, right? You were safe there."

    "Yeah, I was."

    "So why?"

    "For a long time, it was a habit. I wanted to obey my dad, and what happened to Na-Ya scared me. Plus, elves don''t really distinguish between genders until they go through the change, so it felt normal. But when I started to go through the change, I was planning to open up to everyone. It wasn''t like I could keep the ruse up much longer anyway. But then you came. You guessed wrong when we first met, and I just kind of went with it. Not that I blame you or anything. You couldn''t have known. You caught me at the absolute worst time. For a year, elves look... rough."

    I couldn''t help but laugh. "Yeah, you were pretty gangly."

    She giggled. "Ass." With a big smile, she continued. "We became friends, and I really didn''t want to make it weird. I was also dreading having that talk with everyone at the temple, so when you asked to go adventuring with me, I did everything I could to make it happen. I figured we''d deal with it later." She looked up at me shyly. "I wasn''t wrong. This just isn''t how I imagined it going."

    "Yeah, me neither." I thought back to our time together. I really had been deluding myself. "Honestly, I''m not that surprised. There were a lot of times I noticed things about you that were off, but when I make my mind up about thingsˇŞ"

    "You''re a massive idiot who can''t change direction until you slam into a wall?"

    ''I was going to say I become singleminded, but yeah. What you said."

    "I am. You should listen to me more."

    "I''ll consider it. No promises, though."

    She shook her head. "Sounds about right."

    The sound of our laughter bounced off the stone walls. Then it got quiet. For a long time, we soaked in the water. It seemed to be doing wonders for her, and my aching muscles released the longer I sat. It''s amazing how much almost dying affects the body. I thought it''d be awkward sitting like that all quiet after a deep conversation, but it was more comfortable than anything. I enjoyed the space to be quiet.

    "Alex.''

    "Yeah?"

    "What class did  you unlock?"

    "Guardian."

    "Oh..." A funny look spread across her face.

    "That bad?"

    She shook her head. "No. It''s just... thanks."

    I smiled. "I wouldn''t change anything."

    "I know."

    Quiet again. "You cast spells during the fight. I assume you unlocked a class, too?"

    She blushed. "Yeah, I did. Priestess."

    "What did your system notification say when you did?"

    She turned bright red, and her eyes wandered to the side. "That I finally understood the Goddess''s Word and unlocked a class."

    "Uh-huh. What did it really say?"

    "Nothing!" She splashed me. "Let it go."

    "Sure."

    "It''s gonna get weird, isn''t it?"

    "At first, yeah."

 XXII. Change of Plans

    I woke up to the ringing of the town bell. Yawning, I turned over and looked at Tristan. She''d hit the bed the night before and almost immediately fallen asleep, but I couldn''t sleep. While the bath had done her good, she still looked pale and tired when we''d gone to lie down. This morning, however, she looked much better. Her skin had taken on its normal creamy tone again, and her breathing was soft and consistent. I could feel relief wash over me.

    She didn''t wake as I moved to the edge of my stone bed, yawned, and stretched. The light hit the curve of her jaw and caused her jet-black hair to shine. She looked so peaceful lying there in her bundle of blankets. After the veil of delusion lifted, I finally could see how many ways she reminded me of Na-Ya. Her eyes were almond-shaped and piercing blue, like Na-Ya''s, although her skin was more fair. In the morning light, I could see a smattering of freckles along her nose and cheeks. Her shoulders were broader than her cousin''s, likely from all the training she''d done at the temple, but I could see traces of resemblance between the two women.

    I shook my head. Don''t be weird.

    But then a thought bubbled up in me.

    This whole time Na-Ya''s cousin...

    My best friend...

    Had been a girl...

    Who I''d talked to like a guy...

    About her cousin...

    And how hot she was...

    So. Many. Times...

    Shit.

    I shook my head even more. Problems for later. We''d almost gotten murdered the night before and were still in the process of paying back debts to an angry alchemist. My death by embarrassment would have to wait for another day.

    I stood up and headed out the door. I could smell something fresh coming from nearby and followed my nose. A minute later, I was standing face-to-face with a large spread of cheese and bread.

    "Sleep well?" The innkeeper sauntered up, a big smile plastered on his face.

    "Very."

    "Glad to hear it. The weather last night wasn''t the nicest, but we''re expecting clear skies today." The man pushed passed me and set another plate down on the table. "Food?"

    "Absolutely. How much?"

    "Free. You''re guests here. Please, enjoy." The man bowed low, then added, "and tell your lady friend there are restoration potions available if she''s not feeling well. I heard she was looking sickly last night."

    "I will. Thank you." I felt my cheeks heat up. Did everyone know but me?

    The man nodded and went on his merry way, and I loaded up a tray with food. Juggling the two plates, I marched back to the hallway, giving the man a nod as I walked past. When I got back to the room, Tristan was just starting to stir. I shouldered the door open and entered just as she sat up. The blankets fell away from her chest, revealing her collarbone in the dim light. I realized I''d never really seen her without her robes on or thick training clothes. I looked away as I handed her the plate.

    "Mmm, thanks." She snatched the plate from my hand and began devouring the rolls on the tray. She moaned. "Wow, that''s delicious. Good bread."

    I shoved a hunk of bread in my mouth. It was delicious.

    "Thanks for last night," she mumbled through a mouthful of cheese.

    "No worries. Hope you feel better." I smiled at her, then added, "The innkeeper told me to let you know they sell restoration potions if you need one."

    She swallowed and looked over at me. "I should be good now. I heard first-time spellcasting takes a lot out of people. Now I know." She tore into another loaf of bread, choked, and looked for something to drink. I shot up and handed her the glass of water I''d placed on her end table the night before.

    She gulped the entire cup in one go. "Thanks."

    "You''re welcome." I returned to my stone bed and devoured the rest of my food. Neither of us spoke. The room was filled with the sound of chewing for a long time. Eventually, Tristan finished eating. Without thinking, I stood up to take her plate. When I reached out, she swatted my hand.

    "Don''t baby me." Her blue eyes glared into mine. "I''m fine."

    "I just wanted toˇŞ"

    "I''m fully capable of putting my plate on the end table. Thank you." She huffed, then did exactly that.

    I tried to suppress my grin. She always got defensive whenever she didn''t feel one hundred percent. Or, when she didn''t feel confident about a decision she made. "Big baby..." I muttered just loud enough for her to hear. Her ear twitched as she lay back down on the bed.

    "So, what should we do now?" Tristan finally said as she rubbed her temples. "Are we going back to the Dregs, or do you have another plan?"

    "I say we head back to Farvad''s shop. Vral told us his stuff is sold. I don''t really see what more we can accomplish for now. I just hope he''ll be okay with that." I ran a hand through my hair.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Tristan sat back up. Her blue eyes pierced me with a glare. "Or, we go find Vral again. I''d bet coin she was lying. Maybe if we beat it out of her..."

    "I''d rather now run into her again. Without those potions Farvad gave us, I don''t know if we would have made it. Plus, you seem pretty out of it after casting magic once."

    She waved me away and stood. "I''ll be fine. Fighting fit." She pumped her bicep at me. She had nice arms...

    Damn, shut up brain! Bad brain!

    Tristan stared at me as I cleared my throat. "Yeah, let''s not test it. For now."

    "Fine, let''s do all the things you want to do." She grabbed her robe off the hook near the door. "Ugh, still soaked." Her face blanched as she felt the cloth. "I really will get sick if I wear this."

    "Then don''t."

    She looked over her shoulder. Her face was stern. "And what would I wear instead?"

    I looked over her thin frame. "Just wear your armor. It''ll be fine. Everyone already knows around here anyway. The only person who was fooled was me."

    She rolled her eyes. "Not surprising. You are an idiot."

    I shrugged. "No arguments here."

    We both laughed.

    "Look away. I''m going to put my gear on."

    I followed my order. The rustling of fabric and armor filled the air behind me.

    "You can look."

    When I turned around, Tristan was wearing her armor. Her breastplate was strapped over a sleeveless white tunic and form-fitting brown trousers. A simple belt with two pouches hung loosely around her hips, and she''d pulled her hair back into a high ponytail.

    "If you say anything, I''ll smash you with my mace." She shook it at me for good measure.

    "What would I say? You look fine, same as always."

    Her face contorted.

    "It''s true. Honestly, you look way better than you did in your robes. They never fit you right."

    She rolled her eyes. "Get dressed. Let''s head out."

    ***

    A short while later, we were out on the sunny streets and weaving our way toward Farvad''s. The innkeeper was right. The day was much nicer. No clouds in the sky and just the slightest touch of chill in the air. I took a deep breath and released it in a whoosh. The cool air felt refreshing.

    After a few streets, we arrived at Farvad''s. Pulling the iron door open, I could see the old gnome sitting at his desk fiddling with some contraption. When we entered he looked up, and I could tell right away he didn''t know who we were.

    "Hello and welcome to Farvad''s Exotic Emporium, home to Istaera''s finest imported goods, relics, andˇŞ" He trailed off. Finally, recognition filled his gaze. "Ah yes, I remember you now." Farvad leaned back in his chair, then shook his head and sighed. "I''m happy you aren''t actually customers. I don''t have much to sell. Any luck finding my things?"

    "That''s why we''re here, actually."

    "Well then? Tell me of your adventures!"

    We recounted our tale. Everything from following Arturus''s leads through the city and our fight with Vral and what we''d learned.

    "Ah, well, that''s a shame. Money comes and goes I suppose."

    I was surprised at his reaction. "I thought you''d be more mad?"

    He chuckled. "Most of it was junk. The good stuff I took with me. Besides, there are more pressing concerns than some worthless trinkets." I heard Tristan shuffle behind me. Before I could respond, he said, "I''m more interested in what you thought of my potions." His eyes gleamed as he observed us.

    Crazy old man. "They were wild. Made me faster and stronger than ever. Thanks for the advice about breathing."

    The man laughed. "Yeah, there was a three percent chance you''d suffocate after taking a haste potion. I''m happy to see you didn''t. And the other? What did you think?"

    I thought for a moment. I hadn''t realized they were different, but I could remember the rage I''d felt. "The other made me much stronger, but I nearly lost my head."

    "Indeed! Berserk potion. It increases resilience and strength. Unfortunately, it causes confusion." He clapped his hands, then stood up. "But you were able to stave off its negative effects?"

    I nodded. "Yeah. Tristan snapped me out of it."

    The man looked at Tristan, then back at me. "Interesting..." His eyes gleamed. "It''s not often someone can overcome the effects of a fiend''s blood coursing through their veins. You two must trust one another quite a bit." He looked back at Tristan. "And you, girl. What''s your analysis?"

    Tristan reached into her pouch and pulled a vial out. Handing it back to him, she said, "I only took one."

    He eyed the potion, then snatched it from her outstretched hand. "I see. Shame, that." He slipped the potion into his belt. "The potion you did take, was it enlightening?"

    She shuffled, and her eyes met mine for a moment. "It clarified some things for me." She broke eye contact and focused back on Farvad. "It also allowed me to save Alex''s life."

    "Yes, yes. That''s all well and good, but that doesn''t answer the question, young lady." The man grinned, waiting for Tristan''s answer.

    Tristan cleared her throat, then shook her head. "I don''t remember."

    He thumbed his chin. "Memory loss? Interesting. I don''t recall that being a side effect of insight potions..."

    "Yeah, well, that''s what happened." Tristan crossed her arms. "So is that all, gnome? If you don''t care about the rest of your belongings, can you release Alex from your service?"

    The gnome continued to thumb his chin, his eyes unfocused and distant.

    "Farvad?" I asked.

    He continued to look into the air.

    Tristan clapped. The old gnome jolted.

    "Yes? Hello, welcome to Farvad''sˇŞoh, it''s you." The man looked like he saw us for the first time.

    Tristan and I looked at one another, then back at the man. I knew he was a cooky old man, but this was something else. I spoke first. "Farvad, do you often forget things?"

    He scrunched his face. "Forget... Yes! That must be what happened!" He jumped from his stool and hurriedly began gathering jars and papers on the floor next to his desk. "I have to get going!"

    Tristan and I looked at one another. He wasn''t well.

    "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice soft and filled with compassion.

    "I decided to go to the temple down south. I''ve been suffering with memory loss since... since..." his eyes unfocused. "Since a while ago. I thought I''d go and get healing. So are you going to help me or not?"

    We shared another look. My mind raced. Go with him to the temple. That might be a good thing. We''d be helping him out, and it would get us out of town. After the night before, it wasn''t clear how deep we''d gotten ourselves. However, that would set us back weeks, and we''d just gotten a footing in our first adventure. Was it really time to return to the temple?

    I didn''t have the answer. I looked at Tristan. Her blue orbs met mine, and she nodded.

    That''s all I needed to know. "Yes. We''re going to help you get to the temple."

    "Wonderful news! Please give me a minute to pack." The man gathered several bags from various corners of the room and began shoving everything he owned in them.

    Tristan leaned into me and whispered, "He''s obviously suffering more than we knew. The others''ll be able to help him."

    I nodded and said, "It''s the right thing to do."

    Her eyes met mine again, and something flashed behind them. She smiled at me, and I couldn''t help but smile back.

    A loud crash from the back room pulled my attention away from her. The little old gnome returned. He had doubled in size and was carrying three overstuffed packs of... what, I couldn''t tell. "Okay friends, let us away!" The old gnome had found a walking stick and, pointing it straight ahead, marched out of his shop and into the street. He promptly turned the wrong way.

    I shrugged at my companion and rushed out of the shop to redirect the old gnome.

 XXIII. Guardian

    As the three of us walked through the narrow streets of Galden, I was struck again by how easy it was to get lost. Most of the streets seemed similar to one another, especially the ones in the center of town, and there were alleys everywhere. Luckily, I''d traveled them enough times and my direction sense was good enough that I was able to direct us, even if I had to backtrack from time to time.

    As we walked, I kept an eye on Farvad. Despite his frequent memory lapses, someone who didn''t know him would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong. The little gnome whistled a songless tune as he strode through the crowds with vigor, a large smile stretched across his wrinkled face. And while he carried three bags filled with... stuff, he didn''t seem slowed or bothered in the least. Looking over his packs, I couldn''t quite tell what they were filled with. However, the odd shapes and acrid smells coming from them told me to mind my own business.

    Tristan, on the other hand, was utterly quiet. Moreover, she seemed tense and uncomfortable, and I had a feeling I knew why. With her old bulky robes soaked, she was forced to wear her much more form-fitting breastplate and leather armor in public. While the cold steel wrapped around her torso hid her figure to an extent, nothing could conceal her more than her shapeless brown robes. From her strong thighs to her narrow waist, she had to feel like she was on full display.

    And, despite my best efforts, I couldn''t help but admire her. I''d heard the quote many times in my life, but I never realized how true it was: clothes really did make the person.

    Worse, she attracted more than the occasional glance from passersby. Most were benign. In truth, most people seemed to gape more at Farvad than either of us. Yet, several men did in fact leer at her, which she noticed and bristled at. More than once, I glared at these sets of straying eyes, and my imposing size scared plenty of wandering orbs off. Despite that tactic working well enough, I knew I could do better. I reached out and gently pushed her into the center of our little group. A moment later, she was wedged between Farvad''s stuffed bags and my larger frame, obscuring her from sight, at least a little.

    She sighed. "Thanks," she said, offering a faint smile. "That obvious?"

    "Not at all. I just know you."

    She adjusted one of the straps on her breastplate. "I guess you do. You''re sweet. For an idiot."

    "I try." I smiled at her.

    Eventually, we left the cramped residential section of Galden and began walking about the long road that would soon turn into the pass we''d come in through. The mountain slopes formed a natural wall on either side of us that narrowed the farther we walked, and I could see Galden''s sign far ahead. However, as we got close to the large metal sign, Farvad''s whistling stopped. His feet followed shortly after.

    "Everything okay, old man?" I looked back at him and searched his eyes. They seemed to usually give away when he was fading, but his green orbs revealed that this wasn''t one of those moments. For once, he seemed completely lucid.

    "Look. Up ahead." He pointed a bent finger toward the mountain slope.

    I followed his finger, and after a moment of searching, I found what had stopped him. A large group of goblins, maybe six or seven, were sitting on an outcropping up above. They were hopping around, and their laughter echoed off the stone. From the little I could make out and their gestures, I could tell they were playing some sort of dice game. "What''s so special about them?"

    "Don''t you see it? They''re armed. Look at their gear." I squinted. He was right. I could just make out a variety of crude-looking weapons strapped onto their hips.

    "Isn''t that Vral''s gang?" Tristan asked.

    "Yeah, she''s a member," Farvad responded.

    Was, I surmised. "How do you know?"

    "I never forget a face."

    It took everything I had to not laugh.

    "They must have realized I''d try to leave town. I told you they wanted to stop me." His bushy brows furrowed, and his expression soured.

    I turned to him and crouched until I was eye-to-eye with the gnome. "Farvad, we can''t help you if you don''t talk to us. Why do they want you? And who is ''they''?"

    He shuffled, and his eyes drifted. His hands flexed and relaxed several times. "Can''t tell. Sorry."

    "Why not?"

    "I can''t tell you that either." His lips pursed.

    I wanted to push him more, but Tristan''s hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Okay, but you''re absolutely sure they''re after you?"

    His face screwed up. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Yes."

    "Alright, fine," Tristan said. She crouched beside me and took one of the gnome''s large, rough hands in hers. "You don''t need to tell us everything. But please just tell us one thing. Is what''s happening related to what''s happening to you? Your mind, I mean?"

    He froze. Then, slowly, he nodded.

    "And are you in danger?"

    He nodded again.

    "Are we in danger now?"

    Another nod.

    Her sapphire eyes met mine. "Alex, what should we do?"

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I shrugged. "Since when do you ask me what we should do?"

    She punched my arm. Hard. "Now''s not the time. Answer, dumbass."

    I laughed and rubbed my arm, then stood up and looked around. There were two small buildings nearby. I directed our trio to the alley between them. Once we were hidden, I admitted, "I''m honestly out of my element right now." I rubbed my chin. "A week ago, I would have said fighting goblins would have been like fighting children. Then I got my ass kicked. We only survived because Tristan and I are a dream team, and..." an idea came to me. "Farad, do you have any more of those potions you gave us?" If I had a few, I might be able to get us out.

    The old man chuckled. "Yes, yes, of course I do." He began untangling himself from the mess of straps he was wrapped in. A few long minutes later, he held out two potions. "One is the one the lass didn''t take. It''s a strength potion. The other is a healing potion." He handed them to me. "Take them, and remember to keep mental stock of the effects. I''m still working on those. Too many impurities."

    "Thanks..." I held them both up into the light. The healing potion was red and thick like blood. There were globs of something black and slimy floating within the liquid. I did my best to not think of what they could be. The other was a lighter color red and looked like a cross between sand and liquid. There were pieces of dirt at the bottom of that vial. I slipped them into my belt and reached for my shield, only to then remember I''d shattered it fighting Vral.

    "You wouldn''t happen to have a shield stuff in one of those bags, would you?" I asked.

    "Sorry, no. Best I can do is a frying pan." Farvad dug into a different bag and produced a large cast iron pan.

    Shit. "I appreciate the offer, but I haven''t been trained in the art of the frying pan."

    "Suit yourself." The gnome put the pan back into his back and began strapping his gear back on. As he did, I poked my head out of the alleyway and glanced up the mountain. The group of goblins was gone.

    Double shit.

    "Guys, the goblins are gone."

    "What do you mean?" Tristan pushed me aside and peeked her head out. She cursed. I was definitely rubbing off on her. "Where did they go?"

    "Good question." I drew my sword. "We should move."

    As I spoke, the sound of a sword scraping against leather rang out behind us. "Is that so?" came a gravelly voice. I turned around to see six goblins enter the far side of the alley. "Where you goin''?" I recognized the speaker. It was one of the ones that had been with Vral. Favok or something.

    "Triple Shit." I held my sword out in front of me. "Farvad, get behind us." The gnome shuffled backward, and Tristan pressed herself against me, blocking the gnome from sight.

    The lead goblin chuckled and tapped his saber against his boot. "Lucky. Looks like we''ve got good meat today. Last bite we had didn''t satisfy."

    I thought of Vral. A part of me hoped she was okay. The other part of me wanted to punt her again. "Is there really any need for this? Our friend here just wants to visit the temple for some healing. Surely you can respect that?" This wouldn''t work. I knew it wouldn''t work, but maybe it would by me some time to think.

    "Not really." The goblin chuckled, then turned and faced his comrades. "What do ya think boys, wanna eat the human? It''s been a while." A chorus of laughs was the only answer. "After that, we''ll eat the scrawny one. Not much meat on her, but I''m sure she''d taste great."

    "We''ve got money. How much to get you to leave us be?" Tristan offered as she glanced my way. She was shaking.

    "Tsk, tsk. Did you hear that, boys?" The goblin grinned, showing off rows of tiny, sharp teeth. "The humans wanna make a deal." They took a step forward as a group. "How''s this? We kills ya, eats ya, and takes yer crystals?"

    "Yeah, yeah! That''ll work!" One of the smaller goblins shouted.

    "I like that plan!" Another giggled.

    "Looks like the crowd''s spoken." The leader cracked his neck. "Now let''s have a good time, won''t we?" He took another step forward.

    "No." Farvad stepped between us and put up his hands. "I''ll go willingly if you spare them. There''s no reason to waste their lives."

    The goblin raised his saber and inspected its edge. "See, I think there''s a very good reason to do just that." He pointed his blade at me. "He''s a wanted man, and the bitch next to him is too. Decided to poke their noses where they shouldn''t have from what I heard. So it ain''t just about you, old man. We''ll be gettin'' paid good for two jobs today," he spat. "Now, step back and let us cut up the hummies, otherwise my blade might just slip and get you too." When he finished speaking, he smiled. His teeth were jagged, and several were missing.

    In a flash, he reached for his belt and threw a dagger. It arced through the air directly at Tristan. Before I could think, my sword moved. I felt the metal object thump against my blade and bounce away.

    "Thanks," she whispered.

    "Don''t thank me yet."

    The leader cursed under his breath, and another drew another dagger. In unison, they marched up the alley. For every step forward they took, we took one back, but Farvad''s little legs weren''t taking large enough strides. As they approached, a single word echoed inside of my brain. I held onto it and waited for them to act.

    "Run. I''ll hold them off." I gritted my teeth as the goblins closed the gap.

    "Don''t be an idiot!" Tristan shouted. I''m not leaving you."

    "I can''t protect you both."

    "I don''t need protecting."

    "Tristan..." I realized something then. I was framed by a single trait. I took Dave''s shit and worked every redeye shift so my coworkers didn''t have to. I got kicked out of college for defending a girl who needed it. I got in a dozen fights in school protecting my friends. I''d knocked my shit-ass dad out for daring to touch my mom. Fucker never showed up again. And now, I was going to protect a little old man and my best friend in this whole world. Because that''s who the fuck I was. "I''ll always protect you, Tristan. It''s who I am."

    "Alex..." She stepped back and chanted a simple phrase.

    [Armor Up]

    A wave of energy washed over me. My skin radiated light, then glowed white-hot as an infusion of energy coursed through my body. The hairs on my arms stood, and static danced along my fingertips. The second the words left her lips, she grabbed Farvad''s collar and pulled him backward. "Don''t you dare make me spend another whole year patching you up again. Do you hear me?"

    "If it means I get to spend another year with you, I can''t make any promises."

    "Let''s spend our days seeing the world." Her voice was strained as she dragged Farvad backward. The goblins ahead of me snarled.

    "Deal. Now get out of here."I heard their footsteps retreat.

    "Cowards," the goblin leader sneered as escaped, but his eyes never left me. "No matter. We''ll find them and tear out their throats. For now..." The six goblins all grinned and stalked closer. As they closed in, I reached down to my belt and pulled the strength potion free. Uncorking it with one hand, I held my sword out as I drank its contents down. Holy hell did it taste bad. The instant the liquid hit my stomach, every single muscle in my body seized. Then, my armor creaked my muscles swelled.

    Seeing me freeze, one of the goblins tried to rush past me. With a heave, I sliced at its head. I felt my blade cut through something like butter. It was so smooth that I questioned whether I''d actually hit anything. Looking at the goblin, our eyes met. The goblin blinked once, twice. Then its head fell from its shoulders.

    The leader snarled. "Bastard..." He looked at his fellows. "Two of you, go around and catch them!"

    Before they could run, I shouted the word that was bubbling in my mind.

    [Provoke]

    Every goblin''s head jerked as my spell took hold. Their red eyes narrowed on mine. They eyed me hungrily.

    I smiled at them. If I were going down, it''d be fighting, not running. But I wasn''t about to go down fighting a group of goblins in some dirty alley in a mining town. That wasn''t my story.

    "Which one of you wants to try first?"

 XXIV. An Unlikely Ally

    The goblins stared at me. None of them moved, but I could see the hate in their eyes.

    "Tavik, he said the hummies didn''t have any levels!" one of the goblins shouted. "Ain''t no way he could take one of us down in one hit without them!"

    "Doesn''t matter! Get him!" the leader screamed.

    As if they were one creature, the five goblins charged me. I stabbed, slicing into the nearest goblin''s hand, and leapt backward at the same time. It shrieked and grabbed at its hand as its club fell to the ground. I swept my blade in an arc to keep the others at bay, but the leader ducked under the attack and entered my space.

    Before I could recover, the leader''s saber slashed my leg. I felt the blade connect, heard my pants tear, but the edge of my cuisse and Tristan''s armor spell prevented the blade from tearing into my skin too badly. However, the sting of the blade was still substantial.

    Hearing him curse, I spun my blade around and stabbed downward. Before he could dodge away, my sword entered the space behind his collarbone and met little resistance. A wet gurgle escaped his lips as my blade sunk through his flesh. An instant later, the tempered steel emerged from his torso and sunk into the dirt.

    He died on his feet.

    The dead leader''s fellows screeched as I tried to wrench my blade free, but the impaled corpse kept it planted in the dirt. I pulled again, but before I could get it out, the remaining four rushed me. With no choice, I abandoned my sword and jumped backward before I became a pincushion.

    "Kill him! Kill him!" one of the remaining goblins cried as he tried to slash me. I grabbed the handle of my dagger from my belt and unsheathed it just in time to parry the strike. Sparks flashed into the air as we connected. I twisted my blade, using the force of the strike to push it back. Then, before it could escape, I punched the hilt of my dagger into the monster''s mouth, breaking through its thin lips. Its eyes rolled back as my dagger lodged into its brain, but a club slammed into my armored calf before I could celebrate.

    "Shit!" I shouted as I dropped to one knee. Another club hit the side of my head, and my world exploded into stars. Without thinking, I pulled myself up and wobbled backward, but the three goblins continued to batter my armored legs as I stumbled. Their clubs bounced off ineffectively, but they were wearing me down. I thanked the Goddess that I''d been lucky enough to take down the ones with blades first.

    As my vision began to clear, I searched for anything that could help me. Nothing stood out in the alley except piles of garbage, but at the top of one pile was a dented kettle. Hoping I wasn''t about to make a big mistake, I dove for it. Snatching its handle, I rolled and stood back up, my new weapon bared and ready to strike. A chorus of chuckles filled the ally.

    "Stupid hummie lost his sword!" one goblin chuckled.

    "So dumb!"

    "Gonna make us some tea?"

    I swung my makeshift weapon, knocking one of them backward as it tried to swing its club at me. As it stumbled back, I swung at another just as it tried to capitalize on the opening. This time, its club struck my kettle, which shattered. Shards of clay rained everywhere. The attacker yelped as clay peppered its eyes, but again I was struck, this time in the knee. Despite my armor and Tristan''s spell, it hurt. A lot. I groaned as I fell to one knee once again. This time, the wicked gleam in their eyes told me my luck was running out.

    While their fellow was pulling clay out of its eyes, the other two jumped forward and struck in unison. I managed to deflect one of their clubs with my bracers, but the other connected with my ribs. Air burst from my lungs. Doubling over, I covered my head and neck with my hands. An instant later, the blows rained down. Left and right. Side to side. Back and forth. A massive strike, this one across my head, sent me sprawling onto my stomach. I nearly blacked out.

    Rolling as quickly as I could, I felt one of the creatures jump onto my breastplate the instant I could see the sky. The green monster lifted a rusty dagger and struck downward toward my eye. Time seemed to slow down as the blade descended toward my face. I didn''t know what to do. There wasn''t enough time. My body knew it, and it resigned itself to the fate. I closed my eyes and threw my hands out, hoping to maybe stop the attack but knowing deep within the blow would come...

    Except it never did.

    I heard a grunt, then a shriek. I cracked an eye to find the goblin, its eyes wide, staring wildly down at me. The dagger had fallen from its hands, and a trail of blood dripped from its cracked lips. In the center of its chest, a blade extended. It was stained red. With a grinding sound, the weapon was withdrawn. Blood spilled from where the blade had been.

    The goblin fell lifeless on top of me.

    I struggled to push the foul-smelling thing off my body. With a heave, I threw it to the side and scrambled to my feet. Holding my hands up, I took a fighting stance, but the other two goblins lay dead mere feet away. In the center of the alley stood a small cloaked figure. Twin blades dripped with blood in its small hands.

    "You alright?" the figure said, revealing a woman''s voice.

    "I''m alive, so there''s that." I didn''t move. "Friend or foe?"

    "Neither. But I''m not here to kill you."

    "Thank the Goddess." I dropped my arms, staggered back, and leaned against the nearest building. Pulling the healing potion from my belt, I drank it heartily. Despite the coagulated chunks, it might have been the best thing I''d ever tasted.

    As I drank, words appeared in my mind.

    <hr>

    For your valiant protection of a dear ally and your survival in the face of certain death, you reach Guardian Level 2.

    You gain the [Resilience I] passive ability.

    <hr>

    The pain in my battered body and my blurred vision slowly faded. In time, I felt restored, if not exactly refreshed.

    "Not bad. Not bad at all. You took on six, one of whom had a few levels on you, and survived. Looks like I made the right choice." The woman pulled the hood of her cloak back, revealing her green skin and braided red hair.

    "Vral..." I groaned, pushing myself off of the wall. I took a fighting stance again. She didn''t seem hostile, but I didn''t want to take any chances. Not that I had any chance in hell of surviving if she decided to attack, but I wouldn''t go down without a fight.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Alex," she nodded. Wiping her blades on the goblin still impaled by my sword, sheathed them, then reached out and grabbed my sword. With a fluid movement, she pulled it free of both the ground and the corpse and threw it to me. It skittered to my feet.

    I reached down and picked it up. "You hear for a rematch?" I gritted my teeth and held my sword between us.

    "Nope." She knelt next to the corpse.

    "Then what?"

    "Saving your ass."

    What? "Why are you helping me?"

    She began looting the body. Without looking at me, she said, "Because I overheard some birdies talking about taking down the adventurers who defeated the mighty Vral. Normally, I wouldn''t give a shit, but you spared me after we fought. I believe in doing right by those who do right by me." She smirked as she withdrew a few pouches from the corpses. "Plus, Tavik was an asshole. This was my shot at paying him back for some shit he''d done." Her smile grew as she found another full crystal purse. "Except you got him first. Good job."

    She stood, jingling the crystals, and looked at me. "But you''ve really pissed off the wrong people. You won''t get far without an ally."

    "Why should I trust you? Last time I saw you, you wanted to kill me."

    Her smirk turned into a grin. "That''s business. No hard feelings, yeah? It was just a job."

    "And what happens when you get another job like that?" I sheathed my sword.

    "We''ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then, we ought to catch up with that girlfriend of yours. I''m sure she nearly swooned when you told her you''d protect her. But, Tavik''s gang wasn''t the only band sent out today. We should get moving, you big charmer, otherwise you won''t have a girlfriend much longer." She grinned before pulling her hood back up.

    "We''re notˇŞ"

    "Then you''re an idiot." She walked up to me and patted my chest.

    "How longˇŞ"

    "Since you left the inn this morning." She walked past and sauntered into the street.

    "How do you know where theyˇŞ"

    "I shadowed them until they left town. Figured you''d be alright until I got back." She waved me on. "Let''s go."

    A fire lit inside of me as I watched her walk away. I wasn''t about to let anything happen to them. I began running.

    ***

    We spent the next few hours jogging down the narrow mountain pass. Considering how far we''d traveled without finding them, Tristan and Farvad had to have been moving fast. That, or...

    I shook my head and picked up the pace.

    To my surprise, Vral kept up with ease. Her lithe form allowed her to match my longer steps with little effort. Whenever the terrain narrowed too much for us to jog side-by-side, she easily fell into step behind. When the terrain widened again, she slid up beside me with no prompting whatsoever. Sometimes she even led the way. The small woman was clearly conditioned and more than capable. I was lucky she was on my side. For now.

    Before long, we''d made it out of the pass and into the hills beyond. Once we reached the top of the third hill, I could see two shapes far in the distance, right where the plains met the forest. One tall, one short. It was them.

    "Tristan!"

    No response.

    I cupped my hands and shouted. "Tristan! Wait!"

    Nothing. We were too far.

    Either way, I felt something inside of me relax. They were safe. Alive. I hadn''t failed. I let out a deep breath.

    Vral chuckled. "That''s cute."

    "What is?"

    "Nothing." Her large red eyes shined in the afternoon light. She was grinning again under her hood.

    "Let''s catch up." I began jogging again, and Vral matched my pace. I couldn''t quite tell, but it looked like two forms ahead of us stopped moving altogether. Maybe they''d noticed us.

    ***

    An hour later, we were getting close. I could make out their faces in the dwindling light. Tristan stood with her mace drawn and raised, and Farvad peered at us with wide, searching eyes. It looked like his mind had faded since I''d seen him last.

    "Tristan!"

    "Alex!" Tristan dropped her mace and sprinted to me. When she reached me, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I pulled her close and felt her breath hitch. Then, faster than a blink, she pushed me away and punched me in the arm.

    "What the hell?" I grumbled, rubbing my shoulder.

    "That''s for being a massive idiot and scaring me half to death!" She shouted, lifting her fists to punch me again. "You don''t get to pretend to be a hero! You''re not that cool!"

    I held up my hands in surrender, fending off a couple of weak punches. "I''m okay, I''m okay!"

    She dropped her arms and glared at Vral. I could tell she didn''t recognize the small woman with her hood drawn up. "When I saw two people running at us, I thought you''d..." She stepped into me again and wrapped her arms around my waist. This time, it was gentle. "You''re not allowed to do that again. I don''t think I could stand it." Her words were muffled, her face buried into my shoulder. "I''m staying with you next time. Got it?"

    "Okay." I held her close until I felt her arms fall away.

    Pushing me away again, she nodded to Vral. "Who''s your friend?"

    "My friend? Oh, um, it''sˇŞ" I looked over my shoulder to find Vral leaning against a tree, chuckling.

    "Hey girly," Vral said as she pulled down her hood.

    Tristan audibly gasped, then rushed for her mace.

    "It''s okay!" I called to her. "She''s helping us."

    "Bullshit! You''re such an idiot!" Tristan snatched her mace up, pulled Farvad behind her, and shifted to place herself between me and Vral. "You absolute buffoon. Did you get hit in the head as a kid or something?" Tristan glared at me, then Vral. "Don''t move, bitch. I''m stronger than last time."

    "Oh relax." Vral rolled her eyes and held her hands up. "Alex, would you kindly tell your little attack dog I mean her no harm?"

    I cleared my throat. "Tristan, Farvad, I assure you Vral helped me. I wouldn''t be here without her. Please. Let''s talk it out."

    Tristan glared at me again, but she lowered her mace. "We''re talking later." Her sapphire eyes were ice, and her voice was final.

    I nodded and tried to smile. Looking at Vral, I said, "it would be easier if you explained yourself."

    Vral laughed. "Well, it''s pretty simple, honestly. You spared me after we fought. Even after you beat my ass into the ground. It was fun. After that, I went on the run, overheard some conversations, and decided to help you two. Partly because I''m grateful. Partly because the assholes who ambushed you in Galden are part of the guild I work for." Her smile faded. "Worked for. The more I can take down, the more likely I stay alive, and no one else will work with me now that I''m ''dead.'' My job was to take you two down or die trying. I didn''t do either. So here I am, working with a couple of nobodies in an attempt to not get shanked once they find out I''m still alive."

    I nodded. Tristan shifted on her feet.

    Farvad clapped his hands and laughed. His laugh filled the growing twilight. "Good, good. The more the merrier." The old man''s eyes were unfocused. He looked at me. "My niece! She wanted to come to the forest. Where is she?"

    "Tristan, I think Farvad''s fading."

    "He has been for a while. Keeps forgetting why we''re out here." She placed a hand on the gnome''s shoulder.

    "Aren''t we here to pick herbs?" His brows knitted, forming one long thick greyish line across his forehead. His green eyes swirled and dimmed before our eyes. Turning to Vral, he clapped his hands again. "Ah! There she is." His hands fidgeted as he walked up to Vral. "It''s been too long, Elna! How''s your mother?"

    Vral crossed her arms and frowned. "What''s wrong with him?"

    "From what he told us, he''s been confused for some time. We''re taking him to the temple for healing."

    "What caused this?" Vral''s lips screwed up in disgust. She held her hands up, preventing him from hugging her.

    "He said you gave him a knock on the head a while back. That''s all we know."

    Vral''s frown deepened. "Yeah, I did, but it wasn''t much. Just a scrape." Her sharp white teeth gnawed on her lip. "He wasn''t like this last few times I saw him, but it''s been some months since I''d been sent to collect."

    Tristan tilted her head. "Could you have... I don''t know. Given him memory loss or something?"

    Vral snorted. "Are you joking? I smacked him upside the head with my palm. I''ve done worse to my niece''s and nephew''s asses when they''re being rotten."

    Tristan''s eyes widened. "Nephews? You have family?"

    "I''m a goblin. What do you think?" Vral pushed herself off the tree she was leaning against and drew herself up to her full height. "Dumb ass siblings bred quick and early. I''m the only one that got out of the cave I was spawned in." Her eyes unfocused as she remembered something. I realized then just how different Vral''s life had to have been. She shuddered. "Decided it wasn''t for me..." she grimaced, "... to do all that kid shit. Not with those losers, anyway."

    "Dogs!" Farvad laughed. His crooked finger pointed back up the plain. In the distance, I could make out at least a dozen shapes rushing toward us.

    Tristan squinted, then her eyes grew wide. "Those aren''t dogs."

    No, they weren''t. "Team, we need to go." I drank a long pull from my waterskin and adjusted my pack. "Now."

 XXV. Into the Forest

    The figures on the horizon moved like shadows, their forms blurring against the fading light of the plains as they rushed toward us. I couldn''t quite tell what they were, but my heart thudded in my chest as I squinted, trying to make out details. They were too far to see clearly, but the way they movedˇŞswift, purposefulˇŞsent chills down my spine.

    ˇ°Dogs!ˇ± Farvad shouted again, his voice cracking as he did. He pointed wildly, a wild smile spread across his face. His eyes were hazy and unfocused. ˇ°Dogs, I tell you!ˇ±

    ˇ°Come on, old man. Get your ass moving!ˇ± Vral shouted and pulled on his arm, but he wouldnˇŻt budge.

    ˇ°Why would we run from a pack of pups?ˇ± FarvadˇŻs eyes grew even more hazy. ˇ°I grew up with a dozen of them. I used to roll around and play with my pack every day. Grandpapa was a shepherd. We wouldˇŞˇ±

    ˇ°Yeah, yeah, I''ll buy you a damn dog when we get to the temple. Now move!ˇ± The little goblin heaved as she continued pulling on the man''s arm, but he was far stronger than he looked.

    At her words, his head whipped around. The gnome looked at her with suspicious eyes. ˇ°You mean it?ˇ±

    ˇ°Yes, now come on!ˇ± she shouted through bared teeth.

    With a broad smile, the gnome turned, throwing Vral off of him as he did, and began marching down the road. ˇ°Hurry along, whippersnappers!ˇ± He started whistling as he walked. He didn''t seem to have a care in the world.

    ˇ°We''re so dead,ˇ± I muttered, my hand instinctively going to the hilt of my sword. The weight of it was comforting, but the memory of how close IˇŻd come to dying in that alley hours before was still fresh. I wasnˇŻt ready for another fight. Not yet. I just wasn''t strong enough. That thought stung.

    ˇ°Hey.ˇ± Tristan placed her hand on my arm. Her sapphire eyes met mine. "You''re doing everything you can. Don''t beat yourself up." Her lips curled up into a small smile. "We''re going to make it, okay?"

    We''d learned so much about one another over the past year. She knew my thoughts so well now. I let go of my sword and reached up to squeeze her hand. "Thanks. I appreciate it, Tristan."

    She smiled back at me. Something changed in her eyes.

    "Let''s go, you two! There''s no time for that!" Vral shouted back at us, her green skin glistening in the evening light.

    Tristan and I nodded at one another and ran to catch up. Luckily, Vral had gotten Farvad to speed up by the time we reached them.

    "What do you know about them, Vral?" Tristan shouted to the goblin ahead of us.

    Vral pulled her hood down, her red braids swaying as she turned her head. ˇ°Mercenaries,ˇ± she said, her voice low and grim. ˇ°Strong ones. And theyˇŻre not here to talk.ˇ±

    I watched as Tristan''s hands found her mace and gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white. ˇ°How do you know?ˇ±

    ˇ°Because I used to work with them,ˇ± Vral snapped over her shoulder, her sharp teeth bared in a snarl. ˇ°And trust me, they''re all strong, and they donˇŻt take prisoners or leave survivors. My guess is the boss found out I''m still around and knows I joined up with you idiots. He doesn''t want to leave things to chance. We need to move. Now.ˇ± She pulled on Farvad''s arm. Luckily, the old man sped up even more.

    I glanced behind us. The mercenaries were closing in fast, their silhouettes growing larger with every passing second. I could make out them out better now. Each had the same green skin as Vral, and they were riding some sort of animal that looked like a cross between a dog and rat. I vaguely remembered reading about them, but I couldn''t remember any details.

    What was worse is that they were gaining on us, and fast. A sinking feeling hit my gut. There was no way we could outrun them. I couldn''t keep everyone safe.

    ˇ°Alexˇ­ˇ± Tristan panted. Her voice was soft, gentle, but tinged with fear. ˇ°What should we do?ˇ±

    ˇ°I don''tˇ­ˇ±

    Before I could finish my words, I saw their impact on her. She deflated, her blue eyes dropping to the ground. She looked so defeated. Her look wounded me more than anything pain I''d ever felt. She was looking to me, trusted me, and I was going to let her down.

    A thought hit me. ˇ°Into the forest,ˇ± I said, my voice firm. ˇ°WeˇŻll lose them in the trees.ˇ±

    TristanˇŻs eyes lifted back up, meeting mine. The fear behind her blue eyes melted away, replaced with something else.

    Trust.

    Absolute and unshakable trust.

    In that moment, I realized how much she meant to me. If we survived, I''d let her know.

    She nodded, her face pale but determined. "Then that''s what we''ll do." She sprinted forward and grabbed FarvadˇŻs arm, helping Vral guide him into the woods. As we hit we moved off the clay road, the old man stumbled, but somehow, he managed to keep up, helped in no small way by the two women pulling him forward, his little legs moving in a jerky, uncoordinated rhythm as his three bags jostled violently on his back.

    ˇ°WhatˇŻs the plan?ˇ± Vral asked as I caught up to them.

    ˇ°Lose ourselves in the trees and pray.ˇ±

    ˇ°Works for me.ˇ±

    ***

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    The forest loomed overhead, its dark canopy stretching out all around us. The trees were ancient, their gnarled roots twisting out of the ground like fingers. Everywhere I looked, I thought I saw the shadows move. It wasnˇŻt a comforting sight, but the further we went into the forest, the more confident I was that I''d made the right choice.

    Vral was at my side, her movements fluid and effortless. She didnˇŻt seem winded at all, even as the rest of us were reaching the point of collapse.

    I lifted my arm and gestured for us to halt.

    ˇ°TheyˇŻll catch us if we don''t keep moving,ˇ± she said, her voice calm despite everything.

    ˇ°We can''t go any further. Look at Farvad.ˇ± The old man had fallen behind some time before. I could barely make him out in the distance. Tristan was helping him along, but he looked like death and was visibly limping. By the time he caught up with us, he was huffing and puffing, his cheeks flaring with every choking gasp. Beside him, Tristan didn''t look much better.

    Vral took a glance at the gnome and nodded. ˇ°Got it.ˇ± She threw her pack down. ˇ°In that case, I''ll do what I can to get them off our trail.ˇ±

    ˇ°How?ˇ± I asked, my breath coming in short gasps.

    She grinned, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. ˇ°I woman has her secrets."

    "Don''t be gone long, okay? And don''t take any unnecessary risks."

    Her smile twisted. "Thanks for the concern, but I''m a big girl. Just get the old man settled. I don''t need to lose out on the quest because he keeled over in the middle of nowhere.ˇ±

    Before I could argue, she darted away, her cloak billowing behind her like a pair of dark wings. An instant later, she was gone. I shook my head and wondered how I''d ever beaten her in a duel. The woman was formidable.

    ˇ°Do you think we lost them?ˇ± Tristan groaned. Her chest heaved, and she was coated in sweat.

    ˇ°I hope so. Vral is going out to make sure.ˇ±

    ˇ°Thank the Goddess,ˇ± Tristan panted, her voice strained and cheeks red. She let go of FarvadˇŻs arm and collapsed onto a nearby stump.

    Farvad stumbled beside me, his breath coming in ragged wheezes. The old man collapsed into a heap on the group and, aside from his breathing, didn''t move. A moment later, I could hear soft snoring.

    Looking around, I found a well-shaped nook in a nearby stump. I didn''t want to rest, but I wouldn''t be fit to do anything if I didn''t get recover some. Shaking my head, I forced myself to sit. My legs burned, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I realized we had to have run for at least four hours.

    It was almost as bad as RenardˇŻs punishments, except this experience was the real deal.

    As I cooled down, I could feel the cold night air biting at my skin. I did my best to stay alert for a time, ensuring I''d be ready to protect us if I need to. But, after an hour of nothing but the sounds of the forest, I started to relax. I let myself tune into the world around me. The air was cold and wet here, and the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves permeated everything. The smells and sounds made long-forgotten memories bubble up in me. For the first time in a long time, I thought of home.

    I camped a lot as a kid in forests just like these. Dad was always gone, and Mom was always drunk. Neither cared what I did, so I''d disappear for days, wandering the woods and finding hidden treasures. A raccoon skeleton. Some yellow mushrooms. An abandoned burned-out car. An old rotten tree fort. The woods always had something to find, and I''d made sure to find everything I could on my little expeditions. I pulled my cloak around me and relived my experiences. Despite everything, I felt a smile spread across my face.

    I heard something to my left. Looking toward the noise, I watched as Tristan walked over to me. Without a word sat between my legs. I felt her slender back press against my chest. I pulled my cloak around her, followed by my arms, and she settled into me. She was shivering, so I drew her closer. After a few minutes, her shivering stopped, and all that was left was the sound of our breathing and the creaking of the forest around us.

    Neither of us spoke. We simply sat and breathed together. I could smell her scent in her wavy black hair. She smelled like sweat, earth, and woman.

    She smelled good.

    After a time, her breathing slowed. A small twitch told me she''d fallen asleep in my arms. Despite our circumstances, I felt a small smile creep across my face.

    ***

    I stayed awake, listening to the sounds of the forest and enjoying Tristan''s body pressed against mine. Just as sleep almost took me, a twig snapped somewhere near us. I tensed and reached for my sword. There was another sound, closer this time, followed by the faint rustle of leaves. I shifted, trying to ready myself, but Tristan was out cold.

    ˇ°Mmmˇ­ˇ± Tristan moaned.

    Before I could do anything, a shape darted out of the trees and approached. Red eyes reflected the dim light on the moon.

    ˇ°Look at you two. I knew you were a thing.ˇ± VralˇŻs voice whispered through the night.

    Every muscle in my body untensed when I heard the goblin''s voice. I let go of my sword. ˇ°Are we safe?ˇ±

    ˇ°Much safer now.ˇ± Her teeth gleamed in the night.

    ˇ°Thanks. I owe you.ˇ± I said.

    ˇ°Yeah. You do. And I''m going to collect right now. Open your cloak. I''m freezing.ˇ± Before I could stop her, the woman darted into the fabric and pressed against my side. Her skin was like ice. ˇ°You two are warm.ˇ± Her teeth chattered as she pressed into my side.

    "Why''d you open the cloak?" Tristan mumbled.

    "Vral''s cold."

    "Oh. Okay." Tristan yawned.

    "You don''t mind, do you?" Vral asked hesitantly.

    ˇ°ItˇŻs cold out, and you helped us. You''ve earned a spot in this cloak.ˇ± The quarter-elf scooted over and patted my leg. "It''s warmer up here."

    I felt Vral tense, but a second later shuffled under the cloak and nestled into the spot Tristan created for her.

    ˇ°Do you think weˇŻll be safe tonight, Vral?ˇ± Tristan asked.

    I felt the goblin nod under the cloak. ˇ°Safe as we can be," she chattered. "We should all be able to get some sleep. They won''t find us anytime soon." She sounded confident.

    Feeling her shiver, I wrapped my arm around her, and her skin began to warm. Tristan shifted closer to her and pulled the cloak tight.

    ˇ°Thank you.ˇ± Vral''s head rested against my chest. "Not many people show my people kindness. I thought you''d shoo me away." Her chattering slowed.

    Tristan shifted to the right, resting her head against my shoulder. "He might be a dope, but he wouldn''t do that. And neither would I."

    ˇ°We aren''t most people,ˇ± I added.

    ˇ°I think I''m starting to see that.ˇ± VralˇŻs voice was strained. She was exhausted. "Maybe I actually made a good decision for once by joining you two."

    I didn''t know what to say, so I left her words unanswered and willed my heat into her. After a few minutes, I heard both of their breathing slow. Pulling them close, I listened to the night and tried to drift off into sleep.

 XXVI. Roots, Cultists, and Plans

    I woke up to the sound of humming. Cracking an eye, I could see it was early morning. The sound of birds singing morning songs around me seemed to confirm my assumption. The forest was practically alive with the rustle of leaves and the constant chirps of a dozen birds I didn''t know. The air was still cold, but I was comfortably warm. A warm, goblin-shaped lump under my cloak indicated that Vral was still asleep in my lap. Her red hair peeked out from the gap in the fabric, her breathing slow and steady. Tristan, however, was gone.

    Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I looked around for the source of the humming and the missing quarter-elf. I spotted Farvad near the center of the small clearing weˇŻd camped in the night before. The old gnome was hunched over and humming to himself. He was inspecting the brush and pulling what looked like weeds out of the ground. He hummed a tuneless melody as he worked, shoving the plants into his belt pouch with a level of focus that I didn''t expect from the old man. For once, he seemed completely with it.

    Further away, Tristan stood with her mace in hand, slowly practicing the forms Renard had drilled into our heads over the past year. Her movements were deliberate, her body flowing through each strike and block with a grace that made it hard to look away. She was graceful, strong, and genuinely beautiful. I couldnˇŻt help but shake my head and marvel at how IˇŻd been so oblivious. I really was an idiot, as she liked to say.

    I yawned and stretched my legs out a little, causing my cloak to open up a little. Vral grumbled in her sleep, her face scrunching up in annoyance before she slumped further across my lap like a large, green cat. After a moment, her grumbles died down, replaced by peaceful snoring. My feet were half-numb, but sheˇŻd done more than any of us the night before, and whatever she''d done had worked considering the lack of death while we slept. I didnˇŻt have the heart to disturb her. Despite the tingling in my toes, I pulled my cloak tightly around her to keep the morning chill at bay.

    My focus drifted back to Tristan as she finished a pattern and straightened. SheˇŻd rolled her sleeves up at some point, revealing her toned shoulders as she began her next form. Her slender body curved in all the right places, and as she lifted her mace high above her head and brought it down in an overhead strike, I saw her muscles flex beneath her shirt. Her form wasnˇŻt perfect, but she made it look good. When she finished the next form, she paused to wipe away sweat, and as she did, she noticed me watching her. Her sapphire eyes locked onto mine. Instead of looking away like she usually did, she flashed me a small grin and began to work through the next form. A few minutes later, she finished and walked to me.

    ˇ°Morning,ˇ± Tristan called, her voice light and teasing. She walked up, her mace resting on her shoulder, and crouched down beside me. ˇ°HowˇŻs the living pillow this morning?ˇ±

    ˇ°Comfy,ˇ± Vral mumbled, her voice muffled by my cloak.

    Tristan laughed, a soft, melodic sound that made my chest tighten. ˇ°Sorry, didnˇŻt mean to wake you, Vral.ˇ±

    Vral grunted in response, burrowing deeper into the fabric and my leg. The pins and needles in my toes worsened.

    Tristan shook her head, her grin widening as she turned her attention back to me.  "She''s not wrong though. Thanks for keeping us warm last night." She ruffled my hair. "YouˇŻve got a real talent for this, you know. If this adventuring thing doesn''t work out, you could sell yourself as a body pillow."

    ˇ°Guess IˇŻm just built different,ˇ± I said, my voice dry. ˇ°YouˇŻve been up for a while?"

    She shrugged, her expression softening. ˇ°I slept most of the night, but once the tower''s glow started, I couldnˇŻt sleep anymore. Too much on my mind. Figured IˇŻd get some practice in while I had the chance, clear my head a little.ˇ±

    I nodded, understanding all too well. The events of the previous night were still fresh in my mind, and the thought of what might have happened if Vral hadnˇŻt been there sent a shiver down my spine. ˇ°You look good out there,ˇ± I said. ˇ°YouˇŻve come a long way from the gangly boy who didn''t want to learn his forms," I teased.

    Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. "Well, at least I''m not the idiot who mistook his best and only friend for a boy for an entire year." She stuck her tongue out. Her fingers tightened around the handle of her mace. ˇ°But thanks. IˇŻm trying. Still not as good as you, but I''m getting somewhere.ˇ±

    ˇ°YouˇŻre better than you think,ˇ± I said, my voice firm. ˇ°And youˇŻre only going to get better.ˇ±

    She glanced at me, her eyes searching mine for a moment before she smiled. ˇ°We both will."

    "Wait, that''s why you two aren''t an item?" Vral''s head poked out from my cloak. "She''s hot. What''s wrong with you?" Her red eyes glared up at me.

    "A language barrier and thick robes," I said.

    "He''s an idiot," Tristan replied.

    "Mostly that," I added.

    "Obviously," Vral said as she stretched in my lap, her arms emerging from my cloak like muscular snakes. I hadn''t noticed before, but her skin was littered with scars. Some were faint, but many seemed fresh.

    Before I could ask about them, FarvadˇŻs voice cut through the quiet morning air. ˇ°Breakfast is ready!ˇ± he called, holding up a handful of roots and leaves. ˇ°Come and get it before itˇŻs gone!ˇ±

    Tristan stood, brushing off her pants before offering me a hand. ˇ°Come on. LetˇŻs see what the old manˇŻs cooked up this time.ˇ±

    I hesitated, glancing down at Vral. The goblin had pulled her arms back under the cloak and wrapped it tightly around herself.

    When Tristan''s hand got close, she hissed. Tristan booped her head, and Vral swatted at her. "Do we have to?" she asked, her face more worried than I''d ever seen it. "I hate the cold."

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ˇ°YouˇŻll be fine,ˇ± Tristan said, her tone stern.

    Vral groaned and unwrapped herself. Her skin instantly was covered in goosebumps. She tried to shoot back under my cloak, but Tristan helped me stand up before she had the chance. That''s when I realized my feet were far more numb than I''d realized. I nearly toppled over.

    My feet felt like duck feet as I waddled over to Tristan, who''d positioned herself halfway between us and Farvad. I heard Vral muttering as she stomped behind me. As I walked, I stretched, and every single muscle in my body protested after a night spent sitting on the hard ground. I was looking forward to making it back to the temple. I should only take a week, even if we had to stick to the forests.

    Tristan waited for me to waddle up, her mace resting on her shoulder, and together we walked over to where Farvad was busy arranging his findings on a flat rock.

    ˇ°WhatˇŻs on the menu?ˇ± I asked, crouching down beside him.

    ˇ°A feast fit for kings!ˇ± Farvad declared, holding up a root with a flourish. It had variegated leaves that were covered in some sort of leaf fur. ˇ°This here is valleaf. Good for digestion, and is a crucial component in a variety of potions. Doesn''t do much on its own, but when paired with other plants, it enhances their effect. And these,ˇ± he said, pointing to a cluster of small, silverish berries, ˇ°are moonfire berries. Full of vitamins. Also has a variety of other effects that aren''t important right now. And this,ˇ± he added, holding up a leafy green plant, ˇ°is dragonroot. ItˇŻll give you energy, and a lot of it.ˇ±

    Tristan raised an eyebrow. ˇ°Dragonroot? IsnˇŻt that poisonous?"

    ˇ°Only if you eat too much,ˇ± Farvad said, his tone dismissive. ˇ°About a thumb''s worth, itˇŻs perfectly safe. Any more, you''ll be sick." When Tristan didn''t seem convinced, he added, "Trust me, IˇŻve been doing this for years.ˇ±

    I exchanged a glance with Tristan, who shrugged. ˇ°Well, itˇŻs better than nothing,ˇ± she said, picking up a handful of berries and popping them into her mouth. Her face scrunched up as she chewed. ˇ°Bitter,ˇ± she muttered, but she kept eating.

    I followed her lead, trying a bit of everything. The valleaf was kind of spicy, the berries were exceptionally bitter, and the dragonroot tasted like a cross between dirt and smoke, which wasn''t terrible. Farvad watched us with a satisfied smile, his hands clasped in front of him.

    ˇ°See? Told you it was good,ˇ± he said, his chest puffing out with pride.

    ˇ°ItˇŻsˇ­ something,ˇ± Tristan said, her tone diplomatic. ˇ°Thanks, Farvad.ˇ±

    The old man beamed, clearly pleased with himself. "I''m glad I hired you lot to take me herb picking. I tried hiring this boy last week. Kind of wimpy looking. I gave him a chance, but he didn''t know what he was doing, and we got lost."

    Tristan''s brows knitted, and she glared at him, but he didn''t seem to notice.

    "How much am I paying you again?"

    Tristan and I exchanged glances. A soft shake of her head told me to leave it be.

    "Not much. You actually asked us to take you to the temple. You said there were some great herbs in that area. Don''t you remember?"

    The gnome scratched his head and thought. "I think so..." He harumphed. "I don''t remember things so good anymore. Been making these potions for a customer for about a year. I think they''ve eaten holes in my brain. Not sure what anyone would need a tincture of gloomshade and shadowspire root for, but that''s what they wanted. I''d have dropped the job months ago had Grenden not done right by me in the past." The gnome wrung his hands. "Damn fool, working with those cultists. Told him he was nuts, but here we are."

    I looked down at Vral, who was absently munching on the herbs. She had a faraway look in her eyes. "Vral, know anything about that?" I asked.

    She seemed to not hear me. Tristan elbowed her in the side. She yelped, and her head jerked toward us. "Huh?"

    "The potions Farvad is making. Cultists. Sound familiar to you?"

    "Potions?" She asked to the air. She shrugged. "I don''t know much about any of that, but those cultists are the ones I was meeting with down in the mines when you caught me. Didn''t have time to even get new orders before you showed up. The boss told me to take anyone out who saw me, and you two were the lucky ones who did."

    "Why?" Tristan asked.

    "They don''t want word of their dealings getting around." She went back to eating.

    "Why''s that?" I asked.

    "If you were a scary death cult who served a dead being called the Dark One, you wouldn''t exactly want everyone to know either. Would you?"

    The logic was hard to refute. "Why''d you work with them?"

    She stopped chewing and glared up at me. "You think goblins get anything but the shittiest jobs? I gotta eat, and I''m good at killing things and keeping my head down. I worked for whoever would hire me." She went back to munching.

    I realized that I didn''t know much about her, but I was confident that her life had been hardˇŞvery hard. I had my bumps and scrapes, but I had a feeling her life had been a gauntlet.

    "Why didn''t you tell us before?" Tristan asked.

    "Because their eyes and ears are all over Galden, and I didn''t wanna get cursed or some shit. I''ve seen what they do to people who talk. It''s not pretty." She shivered. "But out here, I don''t feel so nervous, and the old man already spilled the worms, so screw it." She popped the last of the dragonroot into her mouth. "Plus, I gotta tell my new crew how much shit they''re in. Least I can do before we all get tied to an altar and cut open. Maybe they''ll send us to the pits to breed them new footsoldiers." When we all stared at her, she looked up at us. "What?"

    It was Tristan''s turn to shiver.

    I wasnˇŻt so sure what lay ahead, but I didnˇŻt argue either. All I could do was put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. I focused on finishing my meal, my thoughts drifting to the day ahead. We still had a long way to go before we reached the temple, and the forest was far from safe. Luckily, Farvad''s roots brought some life back to my body. In fact, by the time I finished the meal, I felt great, and only a little soreness remained. "Thanks, Farvad. That really was a good breakfast."

    "Just imagine if I''d been able to return to the shop. I''d have made potions that would have dazzled your little minds. Maybe, when we get to the Temple, they''ll let me set up a lab."

    Tristan looked interested. "You know, they just might. Priestly magic can do wonders, but it''s much more potent when paired with conventional methods. I''ll put a word in for you."

    "Excellent!" A broad smile spread across his face before he began putting the leftovers into his packs.

    The rest of us did the same, and within a few minutes, our packs were back on, and we were ready to hit the trail.

    "Vral, should we look out for anything today?" Tristan asked.

    A crooked smile spread across her face. "Just the bodies."

    "Bodies?"

    "You''ll see." Her smile spread, and a gleam filled her eyes.

    I realized at that moment that Vral was terrifying. "What''s the plan?"

    "Let''s go straight south for a day, maybe two, then we''ll hook back over to the road. Once the survivors find the bodies, they''ll think twice about following us. They know I''ll find them."

    "There was a monster of some kind that we ran into when we first came to Galden. A day or two, and we''ll be in its area."

    Vral thumbed her chin. "Probably better that way. If the idiots do decide to follow, we might get an assist."

    Farvad clapped his hands. "Nargles! See, I told you when we met, and you didn''t believe me."

    I stared at the gnome. "You remember that?"

    "Of course I do!" The gnome huffed. "And don''t forget our contract. You need to recover my belongings."

    Tristan shook her head. "Your things are at the temple. Don''t worry." A soft, sad smile spread across her face, and she patted his shoulder.

    "Nargles?" Vral asked.

    "Vicious beasties. Steal your things."

    She looked up at me, but all I could offer was a shrug.

    Shaking her head, she began marching to what I could only assume was the South. I waited for the others to move, then followed the little goblin toward what I desperately hoped wasn''t Fluffy''s mom.

 XXVII. Fluffys Mom

    A couple of hours after we followed Vral into the woods, Farvad yelped. Rushing back to him, I saw him lift his boot. Something was stuck in it.

    "Hold up," I called to the others.

    Offering my shoulder to the gnome, I watched as he wrenched on the thing. With a little effort, he pulled it free and held it up. It was a throwing dagger.

    Vral walked back to us. "Yeah, that''s mine." She reached out and took the dagger from Farvad and tucked it into the bandolier strapped around her waist.

    I asked the question with my eyes.

    "You''ll see," she said with a wicked grin.

    As she walked away, I turned back to Farvad. He''d been doing well today, but the further we went, the slower he''d gotten. I hoped there wouldn''t be any more issues on the way to the temple, but my gut told me we wouldn''t be that lucky. "You hurt?" I asked the gnome.\

    "Not at all." The gnome smiled, but it was strained.

    "You sure?"

    "Don''t baby me, boy. I''ve been around a long time. A little goblin knife won''t put me down." He huffed and marched on.

    Beyond him, Tristan''s brows were furrowed. Our eyes met, and I shrugged. A small nod of her head told me she understood, and she turned on her foot and continued down the deer path Vral had us on. Tightening my pack, I followed.

    I didn''t make it a hundred paces before I saw that Vral had stopped and was crouched next to a fallen tree trunk.

    "Something wrong?" I asked when I caught up.

    "Just taking back my stuff." There were a half dozen daggers buried in the rotting bark. One by one, she was pulling them free and slipping them into her belt. When they were all secured, she straightened and turned around. "Well, let''s get going." Without another word, she jumped on top of the large trunk and disappeared.

    Not being as nimble, Tristan and I looked for a spot to walk through. Without luck, we walked up the tree''s length, then walked back down the other side. When we reached the trail again, I heard Tristan gasp. Following her line of sight, I saw what upset my companion. A goblin was hanging from a nearby tree. A thick rope held him upside down by his leg, and his throat was slit from ear to ear. Maybe twenty feet beyond, one of the rat dog things lay in a pool of blood, its neck positioned at a precarious angle.

    "Damn..." I muttered, and I saw Tristan shiver.

    Vral snickered. "Dumb ass fell for a basic trap." She spat on the ground. "Deserved it too. He was a right cunt. Tried to cop a feel more than once. Broke every finger in his hand after the third time."

    I looked at the goblin''s hand. True to her word, the fingers on his right hand were gnarled and twisted. I wondered what kind of damage one would have to do to break a hand so badly that it couldn''t be healed in a world with easily accessible magical healing. I vowed that I''d never try to find out. I also vowed to never piss off Vral and once again wondered how we possibly survived our fight with her. Potions or no potions, she was an absolute badass, and I was glad she was on our side. For the moment, anyway.

    Farvad was grumbling as he caught up. When he saw the bodies, he grinned and pulled a knife out of his belt. Marching over to the animal, he cut its ears off and shoved them into his belt pouch. I didn''t have it in me to ask why.

    Vral continued on, but every hundred yards or so, another body greeted us. Each was in a similar state. Another goblin hung upside down like the first. One had fallen into a shallow pit filled with spikes. Another''s chest had a hole in it. Some still held weapons and looked like they''d attempted to defend themselves, but many of them still had their weapons sheathed.

    Vral had been efficient.

    After seven such bodies, Vral chuckled. "That''s the last of them. Half of the company down in one night. Not too bad if I say so." She puffed up like a peacock and side eyed me.

    Taking the bait, I gave her the praise she was looking for. "You''re incredible, Vral. Truly. Great work."

    The little goblin''s head practically doubled in size. "Go on."

    Tristan shook her head. I knew she was bothered by the death, but I also knew she didn''t pity the creatures. Her past and training told her what would have happened to us had we been found. After a moment, she laughed and dropped to her knees in mock prayer. "O great Vral, mighty murderer of murderers and slicer of scalawags. A warrior without peer." She bowed her head to the forest floor. "I praise thee for protecting the meek and innocent, and smiting those who would do us feeble travelers harm." When she lifted her head, there was a twinkle in her eye, and she couldn''t hold back a grin. "How was that?"

    Vral''s grin doubled. "That''s right, peasant. Bow down before the great and terrible Vral! Mercenary, thief, savior! Praise me, or face my wrath!" She jutted her chest out so far that she stumbled forward a step. I reached out to catch her before she could fall on her face, but I managed to almost entirely grab her chest. Her entire body weight followed. She yelped as her breasts filled my hand. As quickly as I could, I helped her back upright and took several steps backward. Her sharp red eyes darted to me, and her smile faded.

    I was dead.

    She was going to hang me by my feet and skin me alive.

    Waiting for my death, I took several more steps back. In the corner of my eyes, I could see Tristan snickering. Bitch.

    After the most intense ten seconds of my life, Vral''s smile returned. "I am a forgiving Goddess. You shall live to see another sunrise for your act of service, mortal, though a fitting punishment will be meted upon you in time." She straightened herself up, flipped her braids over her shoulder, and strutted down the deer trail. Calling over her shoulder, she added, "Come along, peasants. We must get back to the trail lest the heretics catch up with us."

    "I think that''s enough praise, lest your ego carry you away, O great and powerful Vral." Tristan laughed. She patted me on the shoulder and walked past.

    "There is no such thing as too much praise, Tris. You''ll have to learn this lesson before you understand my teachings and your power as a woman. Without demanding praise, how will you keep the men in their proper place beneath us? It''s their lot in life to gaze upon us women with adoration and wonder, to long for our touch and to crave our attentions. Never forget that a good woman..." Vral''s voice faded as both women continued down the trail and disappeared behind a tree.

    Farvad looked at me as if he expected me to translate what just happened.

    "I think they just became friends."

    "Friends? Can''t be good. You''re in danger, lad." The gnome was stuffing several more sets of ears into his belt pouch.

    Where''d he even find more of them? "You''re almost certainly right."

    With a chuckle, he, too, patted my shoulder and marched down the trail.

    With a groan, I pulled up the rear and contemplated how much of a bad influence Vral would be on Tristan.

    ***

    We walked through the dense forest without pause for several hours, the terrain slowly changing from the rocky, gnarled trees we''d grown accustomed to seeing in the foothills surrounding Galden to the denser, lusher foliage of the deeper forest. Tall, ancient trees with trunks as wide as wagons rose up around us, their branches interlocking above our heads, forming a thick canopy that blocked out the evening light. It was honestly remarkable. I''d never seen the redwoods back on Earth, but I imagined this is what they must have looked like.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    As we neared a clearing, Tristan tapped my arm. "Let''s stop here. Everyone looks beat."

    She wasn''t wrong. Farvad''s grumbling had increased significantly, and he looked like he was walking under a bag of bricks. Tristan had slowed substantially, and I had a dozen blisters on my feet. Even Vral seemed to have slowed down, if only a little.

    "It''s not time to rest yet," Vral said, her nose twitching.

    "Why?"

    "Because of them." She pointed a green finger to the west.

    Five goblins, each riding a dog-rat thing. The leader, a tall, thin, bald goblin, pointed a spear directly at us and sneered as his fellow blew a horn.

    "Well, fuck." Tristan drew her mace and rested it on her shoulder. "Looks like we didn''t lose them."

    "And now I''m gonna have to fight tired," Vral sighed, pulling out her twin short swords and dropping her pack to the ground. She stretched, causing her back to pop several times, then began limbering up. "You think you can take me, Brak?" She eyed the leader and spit on the ground. "You might want to go back north a few hours. You''ll find some of your best fighters dangling from some trees."

    "Oh, Vral." The leader smirked, showing two rows of sharpened teeth. "Always so confident." He barked a few commands at his subordinates in goblinese. His companions nodded and began flanking us.

    "Back to back," I ordered. My party fell into formation.

    "Boy," Farvad whispered. "Take this." He handed me a vial. The contents inside were deep red and coagulated. A health potion. The old man''s hand trembled as he grasped my wrist. "My life''s in your hands. I''m trusting you." Before I could say anything, he shuffled back, positioning himself between me and Tristan.

    The goblin who blew its horn did so again, and another answered its call in the distance.

    "Are they trying to distract us?" I asked. They seemed so intent on their flanking movements but weren''t making any movers. If they were confident, they would have attacked... It clicked. They were stalling. I guessed they weren''t sure they could take on Vral, and even if they could, they didn''t know exactly what we were capable of. They were waiting for reinforcements.

    We didn''t have time for that.

    One of the riders made the mistake of circling a bit too close to Vral. "Oh no you don''t," Vral grunted. Before the rider could move, she launched forward in a blur, slamming one of her swords into the mount''s eye. The creature instantly fell to the ground. Before the goblin even touched the earth though, his head fell of his shoulders, and Vral was back in formation. The goblin''s lower half hit the ground with a dull thump. "What''s the matter?" She wiped her sword off on her pants. "You lot afraid of little old me? Alex here took me on alone, twice. He''s more man than any of you." She spat on the ground and snarled at the remaining foes.

    "Stop stalling, Brak!" The horn-blower shouted as he leveled a spear at Vral. "We can take her!" The rider charged forward, her speak leveled at Vral''s head.

    [Armor Up]

    Tristan shouted words of power, and a shell of magical energy coated the four of us.

    [Provoke]

    As my ability took hold, the goblin''s spear angled away from Vral and toward me, but she was too close, and the change in angle nearly threw her from her mount. Using the opportunity, I grabbed the shaft mid-charge and yanked the goblin off her mount. She shrieked as she flew through the air and landed face down on the ground. Without hesitation, Tristan smashed her mace into the back of the goblin''s skull, and she was gone. Throwing the spear up and catching it like a javelin, I threw it with all my might at one of the others, but it flew wide.

    As soon as the spear left my hand, the rider closest to me charged. The tip was aimed at my throat. I tried to move, but Farvad was too close. His stocky body halted my movement. All I could do was watch as death came for me.

    "Don''t touch him!" Vral exploded into action. Her sword cut the spear in half. The leader attacked her, but with ease, she dodged the incoming spear thrusts and launched herself into the air. Her left blade slammed into my attacker''s chest, her right took his head off. By the time she landed and rolled to her feet, his headless body toppled to the ground beside her. When she did, the leader rushed her. His spear caught her shoulder, throwing her backward. The goblin dog snarled as it leapt on her pinning her to the ground as Brak dug his spear into her arm.

    Seeing her hit the ground. spurred me into action. I dashed forward, my blade leveled. Both remaining opponents moved to intercept. The first tried to stab me with a spear. With a quick parry, I deflected the blow. Tristan engaged behind me, giving me time to get to Vral. Seeing a shield on the back of the goblin Vral had beheaded, I tore the wooden object free of the corpse and bolted toward my companion. Vral screamed as the dog creature snapped at her, her blades flailing wildly to protect herself. Just as the creature latched onto her forearm, I arrived, swinging my borrowed shield like a cudgel. It slammed into the side of the monster''s head. Its jaw loosened on Vral''s arm. A quick slash of her sword took out its eyes. A slash of my sword finished it off.

    The rider threw himself from his dying mount and leaped at Vral. She turned just in time for the spear to embed itself into her abdomen and dove clear of me. Vral coughed up a mouthful of blood as the goblin rolled to his feet. He drew a sword and raised it high, his smile telling me exactly what he intended as he leaped for her. Before he could finish her off, I hacked his left arm off at the elbow. With a twist of my body, I decapitated him.

    <hr>

    You reach [Guardian] Level 2.

    <hr>

    Vral fell onto her back, groaning. Her body shook as blood trickled from her wounds and her mouth. A quick glance backward revealed that Tristan had killed the goblin rider, and its mount had scampered away. With Tristan safe, I rushed to Vral''s side. Dropping my blade and shield, I fumbled the potion I received from Farvad out of my pouch and ripped out the stopper with my mouth. I thrust the vial into her blood-filled mouth and grabbed the back of her neck, angling her head so she could drink. Slowly, Vral sipped until the container was empty. Her breathing eased as color began to return to her face, but the wound in her shoulder and belly remained nearly open.

    "Guess I''m not as good as I thought," she sputtered, blood trickling through her lips.

    "You were incredible, Vral." I pressed my hand against the wound in her stomach, but despite my efforts, it wouldn''t seal. It was still leaking. Something was wrong. Her blood spilled through my fingers. A horn blared in the distance.

    "It''s poisoned." Farvad was standing over my shoulder, his voice weary. "He must''ve known he couldn''t beat her without an edge. It''s shadowbane." His voice fell. "There''s nothing I can do..."

    "That asshole..." Vral coughed. "Figures." She laid back and closed her eyes. "I was stupid. Stupid." Another set of horns rang in the distance, closer this time. "Alex." Her crimson eyes locked onto mine. "You have to leave me." Her voice was pained, but determined. Blood dribbled out from the corner of her mouth.

    Tristan dropped to the ground next to me and placed her hands on Vral.

    [Healing Light]

    Waves of white energy erupted from her hands and rolled around the goblin woman, coating her skin, seeping into her wounds.

    Vral moaned in response but opened her mouth. "Leave me here. I''ll be dead soon, and so will you if you stay." When I tried to object, she glared at me and yelled. "Go!"

    More horns sounded through the woods. They were getting closer.

    "Damnit!" I growled. I wasn''t about to leave her.

    Tristan stood up and backed away from me. "We can''t wait."

    "She''ll die." I turned my attention to the gnome. "Do something, Farvad. Surely you have something."

    "I don''t, boy." The gnome''s voice was somber.

    Vral wobbled to her feet. Sword in hand, she readied herself for the coming onslaught. The trees around us rattled as dozens of creatures crashed through the woods.

    "I can hold them off. Can make it count..." She groaned, her green skin clammy and pale. Tristan''s healing had slowed the bleeding, but her wounds were still trickling blood. "I''ll have finally done one good thing in my shit life." She looked at me and laughed, the sound weak and strained. She sheathed her blade and reached down, grabbing the one she''d dropped and brandishing it toward the trees.

    Taking a deep breath, I knew there was only one choice I could make. I reached down and hoisted Vral onto my shoulders. Her little legs kicked as I positioned her on my shoulders and tightened my grip. Reaching down, I picked up my sword and shield and turned south.

    "What are you doing? Put me down!" Vral shouted. She tried hitting me, but she barely had enough strength to do any damage.

    "Nope." I nodded to the others. "Time to run."

    Tristan shouted, "But she saidˇŞ"

    "No one gets left behind! I won''t lose a single one of you!" I adjusted Vral on my shoulders and took off at a sprint. Footsteps behind me told me the others followed.

    Another horn blared, much closer this time, accompanied by snarls and howling. The sounds echoed through the trees. We were running out of time. Every second counted.

    "I hate you." Vral hissed between clenched teeth. "Why are you like this?" Despite her anger, her voice was weak, and her heart wasn''t in it.

    "Hate me all you want. You can beat me up later. Until then, don''t talk. Save your strength." I forced myself to run faster. My pulse throbbed in my veins, pounding against my temples.

    For once, Vral shut up, going slack against me. Her green arms wrapped around my neck.

    "Hold tight!"

    Through gaps in the dense brush and trees ahead, a clearing came into view.

    It was covered in small, yellow flowers that stretched to the base of an ancient oak tree hundreds of meters away. Small, multi-colored mushrooms sprouted along its thick roots. And in the center of the field, just below a thick bough, was a white ball of fluff the size of a football. As we ran into the grove, the ball moved, and two red eyes fixed on us. Wings sprouted from its back, and it hissed in defiance at us.

    Fluffy was here?

    The little monster hissed a second time, then darted into a hole in the oak.

    Shit.

    That meantˇŞ

    A thunderous roar erupted from somewhere close by.

    I froze.

    "A guardian beast," Vral murmured, her voice ragged. "Not good."

    There was another roar, and a loud crash as a massive shape burst forth from behind a distant tree, flattening a large swath of brush as it careened toward us. Standing at least fifteen feet tall, Fluffy''s mom had dark gray scales covering her body and two huge wings protruding from her back. Its tail thrashed about behind it, sending plumes of pollen into the air with each swipe.

    When the beast spotted us, it slowed to a halt, its claws tearing the grass as it settled down, regarding us cautiously from afar before letting out a series of barking calls. A series of squeaks emitted from the tree. When the squeaks stopped, Fluffy''s mom''s red eyes narrowed on us.

    Damn it, Fluffy.

 XXVIII. Luminara

    "I guess we know who this place belongs to," Vral hissed in my ear.

    A horn blast sounded behind us. They weren''t far now. Any moment, they''d break through the treeline. But the giant dragon thing in front of me had me rooted to the spot. Its large red eyes drifted from Tristan, to Farvad, to me, to Vral, and back to me. Its eyes narrowed as it took me in. As it did, a deep, terrifying sound rumbled up its throat.

    Then it started walking toward us.

    Despite the obvious danger we were in, I couldn''t help but be awed by the monster. Each movement was measured, deliberate, graceful. Its wing unfurled as it walked. Step by step, it got closer. Fifty yards. Forty. Thirty. When it reached the center of the field, it crouched down low. Behind it, Fluffy slunk out of its hole and glared at me.

    "We could make a run for it..." Tristan whispered. Her hand met mine. Our fingers wove into one another.

    "We''d die before we made it out of the grove." I gave her hand a squeeze. I didn''t know what to do, but I knew the solution wasn''t running.

    "Why isn''t it attacking?" She whispered as it turned and walked to the left.

    "I have no idea." Behind us, I heard footsteps retreating from us. If things went south, I prayed that Farvad would make it out. The monster turned again and stalked to the right.

    "Easy, easy," Farvad said somewhere behind us, but the creature wasn''t looking at him. Its eyes seemed to have settled on Vral and I. I could see the creature was considering us. Its eyes were intelligent. It seemed cautious. It was thinking.

    I wracked my brain for what it could be. I couldn''t be so stupid that all of Arden''s instruction was for nothing. Something had stuck, right?

    I took the monster in. It had scales on its back and great leathery wings. Fangs. A horn. Was it a dragon?

    No.

    Not a dragon. Fur lined its arms and back, and it had large, upright ears that made it look kind of like a shepherd or Doberman. In fact, its entire face was vaguely doglike. According to the manuals, dragons didn''t have fur or ears.

    So, definitely not a dragon.

    But it was intelligent. Its offspring was intelligent. Its chirping and whistles were words of some kind. They were communicating. Okay. It was a magical beast of some kind. It had the traits of multiple monsters, and several of its qualities were clearly supernatural. A crystalline horn was on its head. Its eyes were glowing. Vral called it a guardian beast...

    That rang a bell.

    I could just barely remember sitting in the reading room with Arden. I was reading an old tome about native monsters of Reial. It was after I told him I wanted to become an adventurer. He insisted I learn everything about the monsters of this world. Said it would help one day. I laughed when I realized the book was similar to a D&D Monster Manual. We got sidetracked talking about our previous adventures back on Earth...

    There was an entry about a rare type of creature.

    What was it?

    Another horn blast sounded behind us. They were nearly here.

    Could I reason with it?

    "Alex, they''re getting close!" Tristan''s voice was filled with fear.

    I squeezed her hand again. "I know! I just need another moment. Please." The monster was close now. Its eyes were locked on mine.

    Guardian beast...

    It came to me. Guardian beasts. A divine beast. The Goddess''s guardians in the mortal plane. Powerful beasts that protected natural places of power from harm. While they generally stayed out of human affairs, they wouldn''t hesitate to defend themselves or the land if threatened. Ill-tempered with the arrogant, kind with the good-hearted, they demanded respect and rewarded compassion.

    This was one of the Luminara.

    "Everyone, kneel!" I could Tristan''s gaping face out the side of my eye. "Drop to your knees!" I let go of her hand as she lowered herself to the ground.

    Fluffy''s mother''s head turned to the side. She was regarding me, considering my words. After a moment, it almost seemed like a smile spread across her doglike muzzle. I stared into those intelligent eyes and stepped forward. Slowly, carefully, I took another step. And another. As I walked to the creature, I lifted Vral from my shoulders, took her in my arms, and walked to it. Its red eyes softened as I approached.

    "Moron," Vral hissed. "You gonna offer me up as a snack or something? Because if I get eaten, I''ll kill you!" Despite her injuries, she was feisty as ever. However, there was little strength to back up her words. Glacning down at her, I knew it was an act. Her skin was deathly pale, and her veins were bulging. Some had blackened, and her eyes were sunken. Despite her sass, I knew she wouldn''t survive much longer. With a soft prayer to whoever would listen, I prayed that this wouldn''t be her end.

    There was another horn blast. I could hear cackling around us. I ignored it. I kept my eyes on the divine beast and continued forward until I was about mere feet away from its snout. Lowering Vral to the ground, I watched as blood trickled from her wounds. Her eyes met mine. She was scared. In pain. Taking her little hand in mine, I knelt behind her and bowed my head to the ground.

    "Mighty guardian of this forest, child of the Goddess, I need your help. This woman before you was poisoned. She''ll die without Her grace. Please, great guardian. Your aid is all that can save her." I didn''t know the right words, but I spoke from the heart. I hoped that would be enough.

    In the corner of my vision, I saw flashes of movement. Green skin. Grey fur. My heart raced. If this didn''t work, we were dead, one way or the other.

    For a long moment, nothing happened. Could I have been mistaken? Doubt crept in. I was wrong. This was just a monster. We were dead.

    Then, it moved. I nearly had a heart attack. But, all it did was sit down in the thick grass. Okay, not dead yet. An arrow wizzed past my head. Don''t move, Alex. Be cool. I tensed as the guardian lowered its head to the ground, its red eyes studying us intently.

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    Fluffy scurried from its burrow and rushed to its parent. A series of squeaks and snorts sounded between them, and, with a huff, the larger creature nodded. I watched as it stood back up, rose on its hind legs, stretched its wings, and lifted its head to the sky. With a loud whoosh, it inhaled. The grass fluttered, and the wind shook. Then, it slowly exhaled, and a wave of blue energy escaped from her nostrils.

    As the energy escaped its snout, the air itself crackled with power.

    Glowing blue motes drifted down from the sky above, floating lazily through the air like dandelion seeds. They shimmered softly, reflecting off the guardian beast''s eyes as it fell. The creature breathed in deeply a second time. A soft, slow exhalation sent them scattering across the clearing. Wherever they touched, thousands of sprouts grew. In moments, the entire area was covered in vibrant blooms of every color imaginable. Looking around, I watched as the new life was born all around us.

    I pulled her up against my chest, and both of her hands found mine. Above us, one of the motes drifted lazily through the air, dancing on unseen winds. Slowly, one of them made its way to the air above the goblin in my arms. A second mote joined it. The two motes danced with one another as they sank to the ground. Stopping just above her skin, they played together until both softly fell onto her wounds. When they touched her skin, there were brief flashes of light. Then, a soft blue energy surrounded her. She gasped as her wounds closed.

    "Alex?" Tears streamed from her eyes.

    "I got you."

    "Thank you," she whispered, squeezing my hands so hard it hurt.

    The sound of galloping broke through the silence. I turned to see dozens of figures burst into the clearing. At the front of the pack, a bald goblin shrieked. His shriek was cut short and his eyes turned to saucers when he saw the massive creature in front of us. Before he could make another sound, one of the blue motes touched his skin.

    In a flash, the goblin was gone, replaced by a stunted, twisted bush. Except it wasn''t a bush. It looked kind of like a tree, but its branches were crystalline, and its leaves were gems that glowed with an inner light. His companions, not seeing their captain''s fate, charged, their weapons held high, but they too were touched by the blue motes of energy. In seconds, all the riders were gone. Without a sound, each fighter turned into a beautiful crystalline tree.

    The battle was over before it began.

    Looking around the clearing, I saw all that remained of the attackers were their mounts, which meandered around the glade, completely pacified. The crystalline trees radiated an aura of peace and serenity. It was as if no harm could ever befall this place.

    "Beautiful," Tristan said behind me. She fell to her knees next to me, took my hand, and reached out to take one of Vral''s.

    "It really is."

    "Vral, you''ve been blessed by a divine being. Do you realize how incredible that is?"

    Vral blinked her tears away and squeezed both our hands. "No." Her familiar grin returned. "But that makes me powerful right? Will it give me new skills? Am I a saint now? Saint Vral. That has a good ring to it." A grin spread across her face, and I could see the gears working behind her eyes.

    Tristan laughed. "No, but it means you have a good heart. One worth saving."

    Her grin vanished. "Huh?" Vral looked between the two of us. "Worth saving? I''m supposed to be a badass. Not some goody goody like you two."

    Tristan and I laughed.

    Vral''s face screwed up. "Hey! Don''t make fun of me! Do you even know who I am?"

    "Now more than ever," I said, squeezing her hand.

    "Our friend," Tristan answered.

    "Ugh, you''re gross." Vral blushed furiously. "I''m scary. The mighty Saint Vral."

    We laughed again, and this time Vral joined us. It felt like a barrier broke down between us.

    More blue motes of energy flowed around us. Wherever they touched my skin, it glowed, and I could feel my sore muscles loosen. Around us, the flower-filled field became even more vibrant. The tiny flowers'' petals glowed with an inner light. They unfurled toward the sky as if they were living starlight. As they did, the guardian watched us silently, its expression unreadable.

    Taking it in, I nodded to the beast.

    It dipped its head in acknowledgment. "You revealed the depths of your character." The deep rumble of its voice shook the grove and shocked all three of us. Fluffy danced back and forth between her arms before climbing up onto its mother''s snout. "Few mortals would approach this place. Fewer still would ask for aid. Even fewer would be worthy of it."

    I bowed my head. "Thank you for honoring my request."

    "Rise, champion."

    Champion?

    I cleared my throat, let go of Vral''s hand, and stood. As I did, I looked between Tristan and Vral, but both seemed as confused as I was.

    With the smallest inclination of its head, it regarded me closely. "What is your name, mortal?"

    "Alex."

    "You possess strength, Alex. Not only of body or mind but of spirit." It waved its hand, and several of the motes floated toward us. "I watched when you could have abandoned your ally. It would have been easy. You might have survived had you done so."

    Several blue motes swirled in front of me. As they swirled, an image appeared. I saw Vral as she was not long before, barely standing and ready to give her life.

    "You chose not to forsake her. Why?"

    "Because she saved me. Saved all of us. It was the least I could do for her." I thought a moment longer, then added, "And I like her. She''s never seemed like a bad person to me, ever since the first time we met. While complicated, I consider her my friend."

    Vral squeaked behind me.

    "I see." The guardian waved its hand, and the image faded. "The little one was little more than an enemy to you." The image shifted, and our first fight with Vral appeared. "She intended to slay you. Why did you spare her?" The image shifted to the three of us sitting against the tunnel walls.

    "She was beaten, and she spared me the first time we fought. It didn''t feel right. Even if she was an enemy, I couldn''t kill her. Something told me she didn''t deserve it."

    The guardian waved again, and the motes scattered. "Your commitment to protect your companions shows the worth of your heart. That worth, in turn, will create change in this world."

    I didn''t know what it meant, but I bowed all the same.

    "Priestess." The guardian turned to Tristan. "Stand."

    I heard Tristan shuffle. A moment later, she was beside me, and her hand found mine again.

    "You were given visions. Two paths lie before you. What is your decision? Our mother will bless either path you choose."

    Tristan turned to look at me. I smiled at her. Something was behind her eyes, but I couldn''t place what was behind them. She turned back and spoke. "I choose the second path, great spirit."

    The light around us seemed to grow brighter for a moment. Tristan squeezed my hand. "So it shall be. Walk in the light, daughter."

    "I will."

    She nodded and turned back to me. "Without doubt or hesitation, these two will follow you through your trials. Always be worthy of their faith in you."

    Tristan squeezed my hand again, and Vral grumbled and said something about the creature not knowing her.

    "I''ll do my best."

    Her eyes shifted. I followed her line of sight to Farvad, who had backed to the edge of the glade and was hiding behind one of the crystal bushes. "Gnome." It nodded to Farvad. "Come closer."

    For a moment, I thought he''d pretend we couldn''t see him, but he eventually walked out from behind it and to the guardian.

    When he did, she spoke. "Alchemist. You suffer from a disease of the mind."

    "Yes..." He rubbed his forehead. "I''ve tried everything, but I can''t heal. The illness resists magic and alchemy, and I lack the ingredients to concoct something potent enough to cure it." Farvad shuffled forward and offered the guardian a bow. "Would you happen to know the cure?" His voice was shaky.

    "Your wounds are of the shadow. Through your engagement with dark forces, you have poisoned yourself with His essence. The old enemy wishes to return, though in what form, I cannot say. However, mortals who are touched by His darkness are destined for suffering."

    "Is there no way to fix it?" The gnome asked.

    "Go to the priestess''s temple and rest, fair friend of the forest. There, you will find relief."

    Farvad bowed to the beast.

    "And, take this. You may find it to be of use." She reached out and plucked a single glowing leaf from one of the crystal trees and handed it to him. "May it bring you healing."

    Turning back to me, her eyes flashed. "In time, we will meet again. Until then, my children, be well. Farewell, for now." Her voice echoed through the trees, filling me with warmth. Then, a mighty gust of wind knocked me backward as the guardian took wing and vanished into the evening sky.

 Chapter XXIX. A Talk Under the Stars

    A few hours after our divine encounter, the sun finally set, leaving the world bathed in moonlight and stars. We decided to stay in the grove, which was the right decision. I couldn''t remember a single time in my life that I''d seen so many stars in the sky. It was genuinely beautiful. Besides the snuffling of the pacified goblin dogs, the night couldn''t be any more peaceful. The soft glow of the crystalline trees filled the grove as if it were starlight reaching up toward the heavens, accompanied by the whispers of the giant oak''s leaves.

    Before the Tower''s light had faded, Farvad tried tinkering with the trees, but he couldn''t break off a single branch. Even the leaves resisted his efforts. Seeing him struggle, Vral tried to help him, but even her sharpest blade couldn''t make a chip. It was like they were a permanent fixture in Reial now. I got the sense that they would be here long after we were gone.

    Giving up, the gnome had made a little lean-to with his blankets and promptly fell asleep. Vral, despite her insistence that she was fine, had also taken to sleep almost immediately after the guardian left. Unlike the night before, she''d sequestered herself in a nook in the large oak and covered it with her cloak. Given her ordeal, I simply told her to sleep well. She promised she would.

    That left only Tristan and I awake. She''d stayed by my side after the Luminara left, which I''d enjoyed. When night fell, we laid a blanket out to enjoy the stars. When the light finally dwindled, looking up at the stars overhead. Leaning her head against my shoulder, I could feel the heat of her body against my skin. I found myself hoping that we could stay like that forever.

    As the stars twinkled overhead, I let my mind wander to the past few weeks. So far, our journey hadn''t gone the way I thought it would. In my head, I''d imagined it would have been a bit more smoothly. We would have defeated a few weak monsters, gotten some easy levels, and completed a series of achievable quests. In my ignorance, I thought it would have all unfolded for us without much fuss.

    Boy, had I been wrong.

    In reality, we''d almost died more than once. Being honest with myself, we''d gotten incredibly lucky to have come through our trials unscathed. It might actually be a miracle that we weren''t currently corpses in a pit somewhere. I''d taken it all far too lightly at first. I guess life and media back on Earth caused me to underestimate this new world. I knew now that I''d need to be smarter, and more prepared, to survive. And I''d need to be strong to thrive.

    But, despite every challenge and hardship, I wouldn''t trade our journey for anything.

    We were about to finish our first quest. We had a new companion.  We fought off thugs and murderers. We met a freaking divine being. All in a couple of weeks. If this was what adventuring was, I knew it was the right path for me. And I had the right person at my side.

    "It''s beautiful," Tristan said. She lifted her head from my shoulder and was looking at me. Our eyes met. Her sapphire eyes almost glowed in the starlight. She was radiant.

    "Incredibly so." I meant it.

    "You were a real hero today." She reached out and took my hand. Her fingers weaved through mine.

    "I just did what I thought was right. Anyone would have done the same."

    "No. I don''t think just anyone would have done what you did. Saved someone without hesitation." She looked away. "Hell, I''ve met people who wouldn''t have done it for their own family." She turned back to me. "She''ll never forget it. And neither will I."

    She pulled closer. I felt my heart beat faster. "I hope I deserve the praise. "I don''t think she''s lived a great life. And I don''t think she''s ever had anyone." I shrugged. "I couldn''t live with myself if I''d abandoned her. She deserves a chance to have people on her team. Now she gets one."

    "You''re a good man, Alex."

    I didn''t feel like I was. I''d made so many mistakes. "I just did what I could." I couldn''t keep her gaze, so instead, I looked back toward the sky. I couldn''t help but sigh.

    "Don''t do that." Her fingers brushed against my chin. Gently, she turned my head back to her. "Don''t doubt yourself. No one is perfect. But, I''ve known many good men. You''re a good man."

    "Thanks, Tris." I smiled at her. "I couldn''t have done it without you."

    "Of course not. How would you survive as a member of the Awesome Duo without your other half?" Her eyes twinkled.

    I couldn''t help but laugh. "I thought it was a terrible name?"

    "It is, but it''s growing on me. Has been for some time. I''m fond of it now." Her face reddened, and she bit her lip.

    "I guess we''ll have to come up with a new name now that we have Vral."

    "Oh, I''m sure she''ll want to name our group Vral and Gang or something like it."

    "Saint Vral and Her Loyal Followers."

    "Vral the Slasher, and Company."

    We laughed, and Tristan pulled herself closer.

    "Thanks for joining me, Tris. I couldn''t imagine this without you."

    "You don''t have to. I''m not going anywhere."

    "Good." I laughed. "Because I don''t know if I''d accept your resignation at this point."

    "Oh?" Her eyes narrowed, and she smirked. "And what would you do to stop me?"

    "Hey now, I can''t give away all my secrets." Wait... were we flirting?

    She grinned. "I guess I''ll just have to pry them out of you one day." She wrapped her arm around mine and put her head back on my shoulder.

    Something was happening between us. Don''t screw it up, Alex. "I''m happy I got struck by lightning."

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    "Oh yeah?" She murmured on my shoulder. "Why''s that?"

    "It brought me here, to you."

    She giggled. "I''m happy you got struck by lightning too." She squeezed my hand. "I was in a huge rut when we met. I didn''t feel seen by anyone, and I wanted more than a life filled with dusty books and prayer services. Then, this stinky, handsome guy showed up beaten half to hell, called me a big baby, and helped me get out of my head."

    She was right. I smelled terrible back then. But... "Handsome?"

    "Very."

    I blushed. "I''m happy you think so."

    She squeezed my hand. "I do. But what was more important to me was that, for the first time, someone saw me. I wasn''t the little kid hiding in the temple. I was someone''s friend. And when I realized that handsome guy would eventually leave, I got upset. I didn''t want you to go. But then you asked me to come with you. You chose me. That felt really good. And you know what?"

    "What?"

    "I''m happy I decided to join you. I''m happy that we get along so well. And most of all, I''m happy that I get to be here, right now, under these incredible stars, with you." She smiled up at me. "Thank you for everything. You''ve made my life so much more fun."

    "Even counting all the near-death experiences?" I asked

    "Yes, especially those."

    She pulled closer until there was almost nothing separating us.

    "Alex..." She whispered.

    "Yeah?" I swallowed hard.

    "Will you kiss me?" She asked.

    Without hesitation, I wrapped my hand around her neck and pulled her lips to mine. They were soft, and tender, and tasted like cinnamon. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she pulled me in. Her body molded to mine. My hands drifted down to her waist as our tongues intertwined. I pulled her on top of my lap. She took my jaw in her hands, and the world faded away.

    After a time, we slowed. Our breaths came in short gasps. As our lips parted, her forehead found mine. I opened my eyes to find her sapphire orbs gazing at me. I couldn''t imagine any place better than this moment in my life.

    "I''ve wanted to do that for a while," she said, her breath ragged.

    I kissed her again. "It''s hard to resist all this, huh?" I teased.

    She smacked my arm, but then she took my hand in hers, lifted it to her lips, and kissed it. "Yeah, kind of." She kissed me again. "But don''t get full of yourself. I don''t want that head of yours to get to full."

    "Yes ma''am," I said and laid on my back, pulling her along with me. Her head found my shoulder. When she was nestled in, I pulled my cloak over us.

    She turned to look at me. She was searching my face. Her finger traced patterns on my chest. "What about you? Did you... think of me? Or has this been one-sided?"

    "Since the second we met, I''ve looked forward to spending my days with you. It didn''t take long before I noticed things about you."

    "Like what?" She asked.

    "Like your eyes. When you''re happy, they shine. When you''re trying to hide something, you look away. You smack me when you''re flustered, and you hide when you''re sad. Your favorite food is eilza, and your favorite color is green. And you have the biggest heart of anyone I know, even if you''re sulky."

    "Sulky! I do not sulk."

    "Mhmm."

    "And my favorite color is teal," she poked my ribs. I twitched under her assault.

    "Yeah, teal is just green with extra steps." I countered.

    "It isn''t," she said. "If you paid attention, you''d know that." Tristan pulled herself closer and pretended to pout. "It''s deeper, more nuanced. Like me."

    "What does that even mean?"

    "I guess you''ll just have to find out." She kissed my cheek. "But we have time. I''m sure you''ll get it right one of these days." There was a hint of playfulness in her voice. Her fingers found my face, and she pulled me into a long, lingering kiss.

    When we finally broke away, a question entered my heart. I didn''t know if it was the right time to ask, but I went for it. "What does this mean?"

    She smiled. "No idea. I''ve never felt this way before."

    "I..." Had. Many times. But never as much as this.

    She placed a finger on my lips. "I know your past. You told me enough when you still... when I was still hiding who I was. It''s okay. I don''t mind."

    I kissed her fingers.

    "In elven culture, they... we don''t worry so much about the titles. That''s a human thing. For us, our hearts reach out to the ones we love. We have little choice in the matter. If our affection is accepted, our hearts grow together like the roots of a tree. In time, with enough water and light, the roots become one."

    "So, we''re trees now?"

    She giggled. I loved that sound. "Yeah, I think we are." Her smile faded, and she chewed on her lip. "Does that bother you?"

    "To be honest, it''s comforting. I want to grow with you."

    "Good. You didn''t have a choice." Her face moved closer to mine.

    Her lips were so close. I could barely resist them. When she wove her hands through my hair, I stopped trying.

    ***

    The next morning, I heard a noise above me. I opened my bleary eyes to find two big red eyes staring down at me.

    "You lovebirds finally do the deed?" Vral had her characteristic grin on her face.

    Tristan groaned next to me. "You can go away now, Vral." She rolled over and buried her face in the nape of my neck.

    "Not until you tell me!" The goblin lifted my cloak, but when she looked inside, she scowled. "You two still have your clothes on! I slept in the tree so you''d have some privacy, and you didn''t even do anything?" The goblin was fuming.

    "We talked and kissed. It was perfect." Tristan said deamily.

    "We haven''t even woken up yet. Can we have a few minutes?" I asked.

    "No!" She snapped.

    "Are you really mad at us for not doing... that?" Tristan asked.

    "I am! What''s the point of sleeping together if you don''t sleep together?"

    Tristan groaned again. "Enjoying the night with the person love is more than enough, Vral."

    Love?

    Vral grabbed my ankle and started dragging me out from under my cloak. "If I was as pretty as you, and I had a great guy all crazy about me he is with you, I''d do it all the time!" She dragged me across the grass before finally dropping my leg. "But no, you two are out here teasing us with the will they won''t they. Gods." She shook her head. "Get up! It''s time to get moving." She huffed and turned away.

    "So," Farvad said, peeking out from under his makeshift lean-to. He was looking at Vral. "I take it there are some new developments I should be made aware of?"

    "No! The losers didn''t do anything. Just kissy-kissy stuff."

    "Told you." The old man emerged from his tent, stood, stretched, and started pulling apart his lean-to. "You owe me some crystals, girlie," the gnome shot over her shoulder.

    Grumbling, Vral fished out her crystal pouch and handed over some of the scintillating gems. As he collected his winnings, I couldn''t help but notice the smirk on his wrinkled face. The bastard was taking bets!

    "You rotten..." Tristan threw off the covers and stomped over to me. "You two bet on whether we''d do... that last night?"

    "Vral was convinced you would," the old man said, grinning as he stowed his winnings. "I said the boy''s too much of a gentleman to do such things so soon." He glanced over at me and waggled his bushy eyebrows. "Or with so little privacy." He turned back to Tristan. "And you''re far too prudish to even consider it. A little priestess girl like you wouldn''t know what to do with a man. Seems I was right."

    Tristan shot him a death glare, then shot a second at Vral. The goblin shrunk into herself, but Farvad merely shrugged.

    "When''d you two make the bet?"

    The gnome shrugged again, which only seemed to incense the quarter-elf further. "Oh, we talked about it when we ran from Galden. We knew you were all hot and bothered for the boy, and the goblin wanted to make a bet. Easy money, really."

    "Hot and bothered?..." unable to tolerate any more of their antics, Tristan stormed off toward the edge of the glade, her cheeks red as fire.

    "What did I say?" The gnome looked at me, utterly confused.

    "No wonder you''re not married," I muttered.

    "I was married for one hundred and twenty-three years. My late wife was quite the looker. Gave me my lovely daughter.

    "You were married?" Vral ran up to Farvad. "And you have a daughter? I''m shocked. Who would marry..." She didn''t finish her sentence.

    "She''s pretty as a button. Lives in Llyn. I''ll introduce you one day."

    Well, shit. I guess I underestimated him. "I stand corrected."

    "You''re forgiven, lad." He gestured toward Tristan with his thumb. "Best go cheer up your woman. We''ll wait for you two."

    Tristan huffed and headed back. "No need. It''s fine." She snatched up her pack and marched to the edge of the glade. "It''s a few days to the temple. Let''s get going."

    Shaking my head, I stood up and gathered my things. Within a half hour, we were on the trail and marching to the temple.