《Against Fate: The Mage Who Shouldn’t Exist》


 The Beginning of the End

    Back then, things were simpler. I didn¡¯t know what my family was up to¡ªeverything seemed fine. How could I have been so blind?


    ¡°Master Ralph, wake up. Breakfast is ready, and your father wants to speak with you.¡±


    Ralph opened his eyes to find his maid, Jade, leaning over him, gently shaking him. His room was simple, with his bed placed in the center. For a 16-year-old, it was basic¡ªa sword rack in one corner, a writing desk in the other. The curtains flickered lightly in the breeze that slipped through the window.


    ¡°What is it, Jade? Does my father need me? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s midday. Your father wants to speak with you later today, so you need to wake up now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Tell Father I¡¯ll see him after breakfast.¡± Ralph rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°As you wish, sir. Here is your breakfast.¡±


    Jade set a small wooden table on Ralph¡¯s lap. The usual: freshly baked bread, freshly squeezed orange juice, and eggs on the side.


    ¡°Thank you, Jade. You can go now.¡±


    ¡°As you command.¡± She bowed before leaving, closing the door behind her.


    Ralph¡¯s mind wandered as he ate. ¡°What does Father want? There was some sort of commotion earlier outside the house. Maybe he wants to discuss what he saw¡±.


    He dressed in his usual formal attire¡ªa dark purple jacket and gray pants, each marked with the family insignia: a dagger piercing a crow¡¯s claw. Before leaving, he glanced at a framed picture on his desk¡ªa red-haired woman lying in bed, holding a small baby, smiling softly.


    ¡°Good morning, Mom. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    As Ralph stepped out of his room, Jade was waiting outside for him.


    ¡°Jade, what are you still doing here?¡±


    ¡°Your father asked me to bring you to him as soon as you left your room. Please follow me, Master Ralph.¡±


    Ralph nodded. As they walked through the Crowswell house, the usual calm atmosphere seemed tense. Maids and subordinates moved with frantic energy, as if something important was about to happen.


    ¡°Jade, what¡¯s going on today? Another party?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your father only requested a feast be prepared.¡±


    They soon reached a door leading to the castle¡¯s underground. Jade stopped just before it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go any further. Lord Edwin¡¯s orders. Just go down the stairs. Lord Edwin and Lady Maren are waiting.¡±


    ¡°Maren? What¡¯s she doing here too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Master Ralph.¡±


    Jade¡¯s expression had changed¡ªthere was something uneasy about her now. Ralph turned to go downstairs, but before he could take another step, Jade tugged at his shoulder.


    ¡°Jade? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re acting strange.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Master Ralph. Just... be careful, okay?¡± She tried to smile, but it was weak and didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She bowed as Ralph continued down the stairs.


    The magic torches flickered out as he descended. The further he went, the more he heard the faint echo of someone crying.


    ¡°Please... please, I didn¡¯t see anything...¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you didn¡¯t see anything, did you? Did you hear that, Lord Edwin? He said he didn¡¯t see anything! HAHA!¡±


    ¡°Merc, calm down. I don¡¯t want this man dead yet.¡±


    Ralph peeked around the corner, witnessing a scene that stopped him dead in his tracks: his father and sister standing in front of a young man, chained to a chair. The man was bloodied, bruised¡ªmarks of whipping on his back. This wasn¡¯t just an interrogation. This was an execution.


    ¡°Father¡­ what¡­¡±


    Lord Edwin spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. ¡°Ralph, my son.¡±


    Without thinking, Ralph ran past his father, standing between the mercenary and the man. As he got closer, he realized the prisoner was not a man at all. This kid... he couldn¡¯t be much older than Ralph himself. The terror in his eyes hit him like a punch.


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    What could this person have endured?


    ¡°You little bastard!¡± The mercenary pulled his arm back, ready to strike Ralph.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Lord Edwin¡¯s voice was calm but authoritative. ¡°Lower your fist, Merc. Unless you want to be next.¡±


    The mercenary shot Ralph a venomous glare before leaving through the same door.


    ¡°Are you okay? What have they done to you? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°My name is Feld. Listen... you need to know this. Edwin isn¡¯t what he seems. Your family¡­ they¡¯re¡ª¡±


    Before he could continue, Lady Maren kicked Feld¡¯s jaw, knocking him sideways in the chair with a look of disgust on her face while looking down at him. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± She looked at Ralph. ¡°And you, Ralph... what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Maren, this isn¡¯t you!¡± My sister, she wouldn¡¯t do this. She always was nice to me and the maids, thought Ralph.


    ¡°Father... this man is evil, right?¡± He said with a lump in his throat.


    Lord Edwin raised a hand, his voice unnervingly calm. ¡°Calm down, Ralph. I called you here for this reason. It¡¯s time you learn where our family¡¯s power comes from.¡±


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t understand.¡± Disbelief and shock painted Ralph¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, son. This man isn¡¯t evil. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, he pays the price.¡± Lord Edwin smiled coldly. ¡°This is how we gain power¡ªthrough fear. By commanding with ruthlessness, with violence. This man saw one of our operations. He knows too much, so we have to silence him. You understand, don¡¯t you? After all, you¡¯re a Crowswell. It¡¯s in your blood.¡±


    ¡°Did Mother know about this? How long has this been going on? Mom wouldn¡¯t approve of this!¡±


    Lord Edwin¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Yes, your mother wouldn¡¯t approve. That¡¯s why she had to be... moved to the sidelines.¡±


    Ralph¡¯s eyes widened, rage boiling inside him.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± He screamed, launching a punch at his father.


    Lord Edwin blocked the punch effortlessly, Ralph then attempted to axe-kick his father, raising his feet fair above his head, but before he could bring it down, Lord Edwin performed a spinning kick that swiftly landed on Ralph''s chest.


    "Ghh..." Ralph gasped, the sharp pain in his chest stealing his breath. The kick sent him crashing against the shelf in the corner of the room, the wood splintering as he crumpled to the floor. His body felt heavy, his chest tightening painfully. Air. He needed air, but the world around him seemed to blur as his arms tingled and his vision swam. Every instinct screamed to run, to flee, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond.


    "Dad¡­ I... I can¡¯t breathe." His voice was strangled, the words barely escaping his lips as he coughed, struggling to fill his lungs with anything resembling air.


    Lord Edwin¡¯s voice was disturbingly calm. "Stop this petty squabble. I merely knocked the wind out of you." Lord Edwin tossed a set of heavy iron keys to Ralph. ¡°Lock the kid up in the prison below. Don¡¯t let him escape. Or he¡¯ll suffer worse than death.¡±


    Ralph¡¯s vision faded to black.


    "Do you think you overdid it?"


    "No. He has to learn. If he doesn¡¯t accept it, I¡¯ll force it on him."


    As Ralph''s vision faded, the screech of a chair dragging across the floor echoed through the room.


    "Come on, wake up! I said, WAKE UP!¡± A kick hit the shelf behind him, jolting him back to consciousness.


    Groggily, his eyes fluttered open with the stench of blood and iron burning his nose.


    "Father?" His voice was thick, barely more than a whisper.


    His vision slowly cleared, revealing the man still tied to the chair, eyes pleading.


    "Get up! You need to untie me... You¡¯re not like them, right? You wouldn¡¯t have gotten in the way if you were."


    "What do you mean?" He shook his head in confusion, his voice cracking. "I can¡¯t... Father has a reason for this, I know he does..."


    "Reason?" A bitter laugh followed. "You really think this is about reason? I have a family, you know..."


    The words stung, but there was something else in them¡ªsomething that made him hesitate.


    "Hey, you don¡¯t need to talk to me like that. I¡¯m just..."


    "Just what? You nobles, you''re all the same. You¡¯re just like your father!"


    The words cut deeper than expected. His breath caught in his throat as his emotions tangled.


    "I am not my father!" His voice shook with the force of the denial. He tried to stand firm, but a knot tightened in his chest. "I don¡¯t know what he meant by moving Mom to the sidelines, but if he¡­" His words broke as the weight of it all crashed down. Tears welled up, and his breath hitched. "I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t deal with this right now. I¡¯m sorry. You have to decide. Either I take you down there, or the other man does."


    Wide-eyed, the man shook his head. "No... please..."


    "Later. I¡¯ll come back, okay? Just don¡¯t resist. I¡¯m not... I¡¯m not in a place to help right now."


    "Can you... can you make sure my family¡¯s okay? Please, don¡¯t let them get to them."


    He glanced at the man with pity in his eyes, his voice soft but firm. "I¡¯ll do what I can. Just... get in the cell."


    With a swift motion, he grabbed a nearby knife and cut the man''s restraints. Leading him down another flight of stairs, the air grew damp and heavy, the stone walls covered in moss, and the floor slick with water.


    At the bottom, an iron-barred cell stood, stark and empty save for a small bucket and a rusted iron bed. The smell of age and mildew filled the space.


    "Get in. I¡¯ll try to bring you something later. I¡¯ll be back if I can."


    The man hesitated, eyes flicking between him and the cell. With a resigned sigh, he stepped in. The gate slammed shut, the sound reverberating in the dank air.


    As he turned to leave, a hand grasped at his jacket, leaving a bloody stain on it.


    "My family... please. Talk to them." The words were barely a whisper, but the desperation was palpable. The hand fell away as the man let go, watching him go.


    As Ralph came back into the house, Jade was waiting for him. ¡°Master Ralph, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said with pain in her voice.

 A Spark in the Dark

    The hours blurred. Ralph¡¯s ribs still ached, each breath a sharp reminder of his father¡¯s boot. But one plea echoed louder than the pain:


    Feld: ¡°My family¡­ please. Talk to them.¡±


    Feld¡¯s voice clung to him like a curse.


    Ralph: I can¡¯t leave it like this.


    He forced himself upright, wincing as the movement tugged at his bruised chest. His room¡ªonce a sanctuary¡ªnow felt hollow, the air colder, the shadows longer. Moonlight sliced through the curtains, casting a silvery sheen over his mother¡¯s portrait. Her smile, frozen in time, accused him.


    Ralph: ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have let this happen.¡± His fingers brushed the frame. ¡°I¡¯ll find them. I swear.¡±


    His eyes landed on the sword rack in the corner. Dust coated the blades, cobwebs strung between them like funeral shrouds. But leaning against the wall¡ªhis father¡¯s war hammer¡ªits steel head unrusted, its leather grip worn smooth by soldiers'' hands. The only weapon his father hadn¡¯t bothered to hide.


    He strapped it to his back. The weight was foreign, violent. Perfect.


    The manor slept as he crept into the hall. No guards. No servants. Just the moon¡¯s ghostly glow on the floorboards.


    Ralph: Jade. She¡¯ll know where Feld¡¯s family is.


    Her door loomed ahead. He knocked twice¡ªsoft, urgent.


    Knock. Knock.


    A pause. Then the creak of hinges. Jade¡¯s face appeared, lit by a flickering candle. Shadows pooled beneath her widened eyes.


    Jade: ¡°Master Ralph?¡± Her whisper frayed at the edges. ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°You knew about that boy.¡± No question. A blade of accusation.


    Ralph: ¡°Everyone did. Except me.¡±


    She flinched but didn¡¯t deny it. Her gaze flicked to the hammer¡¯s silhouette on his back.


    Jade: ¡°Come inside,¡± she begged.


    Ralph: ¡°Stop.¡± His hand shot out, catching the door. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®Master.¡¯ Not after this.¡±


    Her lips trembled.


    Jade: ¡°¡­Ralph.¡±


    The room was small¡ªa narrow bed, a stack of books, a chipped tea set on the table. Jade knelt, rummaging beneath the mattress.


    Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.


    Jade: ¡°Here.¡± She unrolled a map, its edges frayed. Her finger stabbed a spot deep in the forest. ¡°His family lives here. But Ralph¡­ if you go, you can¡¯t come back.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯ll come back.¡± He tightened the hammer¡¯s strap across his back. ¡°I¡¯m not finished here.¡±


    Jade¡¯s hands lashed out, clutching his sleeve. Her nails bit into his wrist.


    Jade: ¡°If they see you,¡± she hissed, ¡°that boy dies. Then his family. Then you.¡±


    In the candlelight, her eyes were wild.


    Ralph pried her hand off his wrist. Jade¡¯s voice cracked like ice.


    Jade: ¡°Ralph, listen¡ªyour mother wouldn¡¯t want this! You¡¯re not ready!¡±


    His teeth sank into his lip.


    Ralph: ¡°It¡¯s not suicide. I¡¯m coming back.¡±


    The door loomed ahead. One step. Two. He glanced back¡ªJade¡¯s outstretched hand, her face a mask of dread.


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    The latch clicked shut behind him.


    The window before him was wide open. The air rushed in as he looked down. He was on the second floor.


    Ralph: ¡°I used to do this all the time. I surely can again.¡± He readied himself to jump, but as he stood there on the window¡¯s parapet, a guard came around the corner, making him slip and tumble down.


    Ralph: ¡°AHHHH¡ª¡± THUD¡ªass first into the flowers below, completely ruining them.


    Ralph: ¡°Oh, Lord, it hurts thi¡ª¡±


    ???: ¡°HEY, HOW¡¯S IT THERE?¡± came the voice from above.


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    Ralph squeezed himself against the shadow on the wall and waited until the guard passed.


    Ralph: ¡°Okay, here I go.¡± He clenched his fists and walked toward the forest. The fireflies lit the way. It was eerie. Wolves howled in the distance. Then smoke, then light¡ªa small cottage in a clearing.


    Ralph: ¡°This is it.¡± He exhaled deeply, his breath fogging the air.


    Knock¡­ Knock¡­


    A muffled voice called from inside.


    ???: ¡°Mommy, Mommy, Feld is back!¡±


    The door unlocked and swung open with a whoosh. A small child stood there, looking up.


    ???: ¡°You¡¯re not Brother Feld.¡±


    The child tilted his head. Then, suddenly, the mother stepped forward, her eyes wild with fear.


    ???: ¡°You are one of them. You took my son, and now¡­¡±


    ???: ¡°WHAT? YOU¡¯RE NOT TAKING ANYONE ELSE WITH YOU!¡± She pulled her son behind her, brandishing a knife.


    ???: ¡°YOU¡¯RE GOING TO HAVE TO KILL ME TO GET TO HIM.¡±


    Ralph unsheathed his hammer calmly. The woman¡¯s eyes filled with dread as she realized what was coming. CLUNK¡ªthe hammer hit the ground. Ralph raised his hands.


    Ralph: ¡°Madame, I¡¯m not here to hurt you or your son. Feld is alive, for now. But I need your help.¡±


    The mother¡¯s eyes reddened and swelled as tears ran down her face. The knife slipped from her hand.


    ???: ¡°Hee¡­¡± she collapsed in a crying mess. ¡°...but¡­ where is he?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°He¡¯s in the Crowswell prison¡­¡± He paused, meeting her gaze. ¡°Tell me everything you know about Crowswell, and I promise I will help him.¡±


    They sat at the kitchen table, facing each other. Ralph spoke calmly and with focus.


    Ralph: ¡°Before we start, my na¡ª¡±


    ???: ¡°You¡¯re Ralph Crowswell, son of Edwin.¡± She said it with certainty.


    Ralph: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ???: ¡°I¡¯m Natalia, my little one.¡± She patted the child¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s Ron. And you already know Feld.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°What is it you want to know?¡± she asked.


    Ralph: ¡°I want to know everything. What does my family do? What are we?¡± His hands clenched and unclenched.


    Natalia: ¡°Oh dear, you really do resemble your mother¡­¡±


    Ralph¡¯s eyes widened as he slowly lifted his head to look at the long-haired, blonde woman before him.


    Ralph: ¡°You knew Mom?¡± His voice was disbelieving.


    Natalia: ¡°I knew her, yes. But that was long before you were born. And what matters now is what happened after she left, right?¡±


    Ralph: Gulp¡ªthe ball in his throat felt heavy.


    Ralph: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Natalia: ¡°Well, Edwin is a bastard. A heartless, monstrous killer, Ralph.¡± She said it confidently while pouring them both a cup of tea. Pff¡ªpff.


    ¡°Remember the fire a few days ago? That was his doing.¡±


    Ralph held the cup with both hands, staring deep into Natalia¡¯s eyes as if waiting for something.


    Ralph: ¡°So it was him¡­ Do you have proof¡ª?¡±


    BANG¡ªBANG¡ªBANG


    ???: ¡°OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR, NATALIA!¡±


    It was the mercenary who had been torturing Feld.


    Natalia: ¡°Ralph, please. You have to do something! He¡¯s... he¡¯s going to kill us!¡± Horror filled her eyes.


    Ralph: ¡°Hide. I¡¯ll deal with him.¡±


    He crept toward the door, lifting his hammer from the ground.


    BANG! The hammer broke through the door, nearly hitting the men.


    ???: ¡°What the hell?¡± The man looked at the door as the dust settled. Ralph stood there, hammer in hand.


    Ralph: ¡°You¡¯re not going a step closer to them.¡±


    He tightened his grip on the hammer and swung. Whoosh! He barely missed the man¡¯s head.


    ???: ¡°You¡¯re fast, kid. But I¡¯m faster. Heh-heh.¡±


    In an instant, the man was gone.


    Ralph¡¯s eyes darted around.


    Ralph: ¡°Left¡ªRight¡ªABOVE?¡± He raised his hammer above his head but barely missed the man, who landed a kick that sent him crashing into the fireplace.


    Thud¡ªThud¡ª


    Ralph: ¡°Shit¡­ not again.¡±


    ???: ¡°I¡¯m home, NATALIA.¡±


    His mouth twisted into a grin that could cut.


    ???: ¡°Ohhhh, Daddy isn¡¯t here to save you now, is he? Weee weee... going to cry?¡±


    The man grabbed Ralph by the neck, raising him as far as his arm could go.


    Ralph: ¡°Am I gonna die? God, I¡¯m so weak.¡± As his life flashed before his eyes, he heard a voice.


    ???: ¡°Remember, son. Our power is now yours. And one day, I¡¯m going to teach you all about it.¡±


    The memory of his mom rubbing his forehead filled him with calm. The energy she exuded surrounded him.


    Natalia: ¡°STOP! I¡¯M HERE! YOU¡¯RE HERE FOR ME, STOP!¡± She jumped from the other room, pleading at his feet.


    ???: ¡°I¡¯m not here for you.¡± He smirked and kicked her back. ¡°I¡¯m here for¡ª¡±


    As he looked into Ralph¡¯s eyes, he froze, noticing the purple swirling inside them.


    ???: ¡°Is that mana¡ª?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Freeze.¡± He muttered to the man.


    ???: ¡°As if he cou¡ª¡± The man¡¯s hand began to shake. The more he tried to move it, the harder it became.


    ???: ¡°This ends here.¡±


    The man lunged, going for a killing blow straight to Ralph¡¯s abdomen. But Ralph looked up, and purple light flickered around his right arm.


    Ralph: ¡°Expel!¡±


    A barrage of purple light forced the man outside the house, sending him crashing into the forest out of sight. Ralph collapsed, unconscious.


    Natalia: ¡°RALPH! WAKE UP, RALPH!¡±


    Ron: ¡°Mommy Mommy he''s waking up¡± energetically shaking his mothers leg


    The sunlight hit his eyes lying down on Natalia¡¯s sofa looking into the house ceiling


    Ralph: ¡°Hmmmm it hurts¡­¡± his head was at the point of exploding


    Ralph: ¡°GOD IT FUCKING HURTS¡± his ears rining vision fuzzy and white every little sound is amplified and ads onto his pain


    Natalia rushed next to him brining a cold rag


    Natalia: ¡°Don¡¯t move you have a big fever we got lucky your mana was awakened¡± his vision blurring and vertigo like he never felt before swirls his head


    Ralph: ¡°Uhhhhhh what time is it?¡±


    Natalia: ¡°Morning you were out since yesterday night¡±


    Ralph immediately shot up sitting up straight with his hand on his head


    Ralph : ¡°Feld I need to get back to him now¡­¡± Ralph lifts up the covers and puts his weight on his legs wobbly like never before


    Ralph : ¡°What was even that I saw mom then purple then¡­¡±


    Natalia: ¡°HEY lay down Feld is safe remember you told me that¡± while holding his shoulder


    Ralph: ¡°Hes safe for now thats what i said i have to go¡± He gets up wobbling around using his hammer as a cane


    Ralph: ¡°I know enough I believe in you, your son will be back soon¡± slowly making his way into the path to house his legs wobbling after some time he came to be waking up facing the ceiling of his familiar room


    Jade: ¡°Ralph¡­ Ralph¡­ Ralph¡­¡± Jade¡¯s voice echoing in his mind


    Ralph: ¡°It¡¯s safe, I can rest now¡­¡±


    Jade: ¡°What do you want to do with the boy Feld Ralph?¡± his jaw shaked Ralph: ¡°Ah I¡¯m not done yet¡± he tugs Jades shoulder whispering to her Ralph: ¡°Brin..g hi¡­m to me¡± as if those word¡¯s took all his strength he again fell into a slumber


    The wind flows into the room the darkness of the night makes her face hard to spot as a soft humming melody paces by Ralph¡¯s ears


    Ralph: ¡°Mo¨C Jade?¡± looking upon the figure barley light by candlelight he can see her sitting at the foot of his bed humming to herself


    Jade: ¡°Ralph you''re finally awake¡± putting her palm against his forehead ¡°And you fever is gone too thanks god. The boy is safe Ralph there is no need to worry¡± as she gently strokes his head


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯m not a kid you know¡± brushing her hand off


    Jade: ¡°Then stop acting like one, the boy is there.¡± Pointing to the ground beside his bed Feld is asleep. ¡°What¡¯s your plan now as soon as your father notices you me and the boy are done for¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Only me and Feld you serve Edwin remember¡± while rolling in bed turning his back to her


    Jade: "You¡¯re wrong," Jade whispered. "I never served Edwin. I was your mother¡¯s¡ªand her last order was to protect you."


    Jade: ¡°And it seems time has come for me to make a big decision too¡± looking back at Jade she takes out the Crowswell pin on her chest and puts it on the table by her side eyes filled with determination.


    Ralph: ¡°Jade, you¡¯re no¡ª¡±


    Abruptly, the faint sound of clanking armor echoed through the corridors.


    Jade: ¡°Master Ralph, I¡¯m afraid we must cut this short.¡±


    Her eyes burned with a confidence he¡¯d never seen before.

 Fleeing the Shadows

    Ralph: ¡°Why did it have to come down to this?¡± With his back pressed against his room¡¯s door, he tried to hold off the guards, but with their pounding, he slipped¡ªit wasn¡¯t going to last long.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Ralph: ¡°Jade, I can¡¯t hold them any longer!¡± he shouted desperately.


    Jade: ¡°Feld! Feld, come on, wake up! We have to go!¡± She shook him vigorously.


    Feld: ¡°Hmm, five¡­ minutes, Mom, just five¡­¡± He drifted back into slumber.


    Jade¡¯s face twisted in frustration and guilt. After a brief hesitation, she raised her hand and brought it down hard on his face.


    TASH¡ª


    Feld: ¡°What the hell! Why would¡ª¡± He stopped mid-sentence, staring into Jade¡¯s blue eyes, which burned with desperation.


    Jade: ¡°Get up! We have to go now!¡±


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Guard: ¡°Come on, men! Push harder¡ªall together on three!¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Jade!¡± He threw a desperate glare her way.


    Guard: ¡°One!¡±


    Jade grabbed the bedside table and hurled it through the closed window in front of them, shattering the glass completely.


    Jade: ¡°Ralph, Feld¡ªwe¡¯re jumping!¡±


    Feld: ¡°What?! I can¡¯t run yet!¡± His legs were still bruised purple from the beating he¡¯d taken.


    Guard: ¡°Two!¡±


    Jade scooped up Feld and nodded at Ralph.


    Ralph: ¡°I can¡¯t leave Mom¡¯s picture behind!¡± His gaze darted to the table within reach.


    Desperate, he lunged for it, grabbed the framed portrait with trembling hands, and leaped out the window. Jade followed, still carrying Feld.


    Guard: ¡°There!¡±


    THUD¡ª!


    The door burst open, revealing only the broken window, its curtains flapping wildly.


    Click-clack¡­ Click-clack¡­


    Heavy boots echoed ominously through the silence. A figure stepped inside, running his fingers over the empty space where the picture had been.


    Edwin: ¡°Ah¡­ he got away again. Men, after them¡ªnow.¡± His voice was cold, almost detached. ¡°My love, your influence remains¡­ even after everything I¡¯ve done.¡±


    In the forest, the group ran for their lives.


    Ralph: ¡°Where do we go now? We need somewhere to hide!¡±


    Jade: ¡°We could¡ª¡±


    Feld: ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere without me! My family first! Here¡ªturn left!¡±


    They dashed sharply, following Feld¡¯s lead.


    Feld: ¡°Straight! Right! Straight! After that big tree!¡±


    In the distance, Feld¡¯s house glowed like a safe haven.


    Feld: ¡°Come on, let me down!¡±


    Jade: ¡°Oh¡ªyes, sorry.¡± She gently lowered him.


    Feld: (Looking around) ¡°Okay, come in. It¡¯d be bad if they found you here now.¡±


    The room was barely organized, the door patched up as best they could.


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    Ralph: ¡°Where are the other two?¡± He glanced at Feld.


    Feld: ¡°People like us have to work, you know. My brother helps my mom. Not all of us are born rich.¡±


    He wobbled to the sofa and sat down.


    Feld: ¡°Look, Ralph, I don¡¯t like you¡ªbut I hate the Crowswells even more. They¡¯re always meddling in the underbelly of the city.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Yeah, I get that. But I¡¯m not like them.¡± He turned to Jade. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of explaining to do. How are you so fast? So strong? What were you to my mother?¡±


    Jade: ¡°I told you¡ªI¡¯ll explain everything, but not yet. We need to leave the country as fast as possible. Your father¡¯s already put the word out for our capture.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°We could just go to the guards. They¡¯ll help us.¡±


    Feld giggled to himself.


    Feld: ¡°Haha, the guards are in on it too. Are you slow or something?¡±


    Jade: ¡°Do you have a map, Feld?¡± She extended her hand.


    Feld: ¡°Sigh. Yeah, but care to explain why you need to leave?¡±


    Jade: ¡°Edwin has eyes everywhere here. Our safest bet is Sylvoria¡ªthey¡¯re used to travelers. We won¡¯t stand out. Now, can I have the map?¡±


    Feld: ¡°Sure. Give me a minute to find it.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Jade, please¡ªyou need to tell me something. You just snapped into action out of nowhere. Where was this before Feld got captured? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    Jade: ¡°For now, all I can say is this: Your mother was my best friend. We went through hell together. She entrusted me with her greatest treasure¡ªand that¡¯s you.¡± She pointed at Ralph.


    Ralph: ¡°How long did¡ª¡±


    Feld: ¡°Okay, okay¡ªless talking, more map-searching. I¡¯ve got to get my family out too.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°And where will you go?¡±


    Feld pointed at the map. ¡°Here¡ªCivara. They¡¯re fair there. Starting over will be hard, but it¡¯s better than dying.¡±


    Jade: ¡°We¡¯re close to the border. It won¡¯t be long before we reach Sylvoria¡ªthe safest place for now.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Wait¡ªdon¡¯t I get a say in where we¡¯re going?¡± He looked at Jade, confused.


    Jade: ¡°No. You¡¯ve been sheltered your whole life. You don¡¯t know the world beyond these borders.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Again¡ªtrust me for now. You¡¯ll get answers as you experience what¡¯s out there.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Yeah, I get that I don¡¯t know anything. But isn¡¯t this too fast? Do we really have to leave now?¡±


    Feld: ¡°You should wait. Let the dust settle.¡± He rolled up the map.


    Jade: ¡°No. The best time to move is now. Edwin isn¡¯t stupid¡ªwe need to cross before he catches up.¡±


    Feld: ¡°Fine. Then be my guest. I¡¯ll wait for my family. Here¡ªtake these.¡± He tossed two cloaks onto the table.


    Feld: ¡°Just one thing, Ralph¡ªI still don¡¯t like you. But thanks for stepping in for me.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I don¡¯t dislike you either, Feld. Be safe.¡± He donned the black cloak, covering himself head to toe.


    Ralph: ¡°Will we go by foot or carriage, Jade?¡±


    Jade put her hands together.


    Jade: ¡°Aurelia, bless us with a swift escape.¡± She stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ralph. Time¡¯s wasting. Feld¡ªgood luck.¡±


    Feld: ¡°Good luck. You¡¯ll need it¡­¡± He turned his back as the latch clicked shut.


    Ralph followed Jade, marveling at her uncanny knowledge of the forest.


    Ralph: (Whispering) ¡°Jade, do you even know where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡­No answer.


    Ralph: ¡°Can you at least¡ª¡±


    Jade clamped a hand over his mouth. A rhythmic thud-thud-thud pulsed through the ground ahead.


    Jade: ¡°I¡¯m not talking because I¡¯m focusing on getting us out alive. Come on¡ªmove.¡±


    They walked for hours, the moon their only guide.


    Jade: ¡°Let¡¯s rest here. We¡¯re deep enough¡ªthey can¡¯t bring horses through this terrain. Tomorrow, we push for the border.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Should we make a fire? Hunt for food?¡± He looked to her for guidance, then caught himself. ¡°Wait¡ªdon¡¯t answer. A fire would give us away. And I¡¯m not hungry anyway.¡±


    The small clearing, bathed in moonlight, offered a deceptively peaceful spot.


    Jade smirked. ¡°See? You¡¯re learning. But don¡¯t sleep in the open¡ªtoo exposed. We¡¯ll take the trees.¡±


    The forest was dominated by massive oaks, their interwoven branches forming natural beds.


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯ll sleep, then. Wake me when it¡¯s time.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI will.¡±


    As Ralph settled onto the branches, Jade gazed at the stars.


    Jade: (Softly) ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll grow into a fine man. I know you¡¯re still with him.¡±


    She stretched. ¡°I need a weapon. Let¡¯s see what I can find.¡± She leaped down from the tree.


    Meanwhile, Ralph fought his own battle in his dreams.


    Ralph: ¡°No¡ªplease, Father! Don¡¯t! I¡¯ll come back¡ªdon¡¯t hurt them!¡±


    In the nightmare, Jade lay pinned under Edwin¡¯s boot, a sword at her throat.


    Edwin: ¡°A man learns through loss. Consider this your first lesson.¡±


    Zip¡ª!


    Ralph: ¡°Ahhh!¡± He jolted awake to find Jade sleeping peacefully against the opposite tree.


    Dawn had barely broken, dew glistening on the leaves.


    Ralph: (Gasping) ¡°Just a dream¡­ I¡¯m safe. Jade¡¯s safe. Breathe, Ralph. Just breathe.¡±


    Jade stirred, rubbing her eyes.


    Jade: (Yawning) ¡°Sleep well?¡±


    Ralph¡¯s eyes widened as the nightmare flashed back.


    Ralph: ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. You?¡±


    Jade: ¡°Same as always. Come on¡ªwe¡¯re close. A few more hours to the border.¡± She dropped from the tree.


    Jade: ¡°You¡¯re unarmed now. Left the hammer at the house.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s bad.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Unarmed? But you¡¯re mana-awakened. Every human instinctively knows how to use their magic.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I remember that purple¡­ thing¡­ knocking out the mercenary, but I don¡¯t know how to do it again.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Ah. Never mind, then. I¡¯ll teach you after we cross.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Honestly, looking at you, anyone would forget.¡±


    Hours later, the dense forest gave way to a towering wall. A line of people waited to enter.


    Jade: ¡°Listen¡ªif they ask, we¡¯re adventurers here for work. Say nothing else.¡±


    Guard 1: ¡°Morning. What¡¯s your business in Sylvoria?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°We¡¯re adventurers. Heard there are great opportunities here.¡±


    The guard eyed him up and down.


    Guard 1: ¡°Huh. What are you, some kind of mage? You¡¯re too scrawny to be a fighter.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Hey¡ª¡±


    Jade cut him off, stepping forward.


    Jade: ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a mage. I¡¯m an archer. The fee¡¯s two gold per person, right? Here.¡±


    The guard pocketed the coins.


    Guard 1: ¡°Remember to register at the guild if you¡¯re taking jobs.¡±


    Once inside, Jade beamed.


    Jade: ¡°Finally¡ªfree! It¡¯s been too long.¡± She stretched her arms wide.


    Ralph: ¡°So¡­ can he find us here?¡±


    Jade: ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s harder. Only those mercenaries have a lead on us. Beyond that, he¡¯s got nothing.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Guess we need a place to stay.¡±


    Jade: ¡°I know an inn run by¡­ an interesting family. We¡¯ll start there. Then your training begins.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Training? I thought we were just living here now.¡±


    Jade: ¡°You need to be stronger. We¡¯ll need coins, and you want the truth, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ralph met her gaze, resolve hardening.


    Ralph: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Then get stronger. Because to learn everything, you¡¯ll need to tear your father down¡ªand reclaim your mother¡¯s name.¡±

 A Weapon of His Own

    Ralph: "So can we even afford the inn, Jade?"


    Jade opened her coin purse; five silver came into her hand.


    Jade: "This gets us food for one day or two if planned, but not enough for the inn."


    Ralph: "We could go look for a job at the adventurers guild. How much are the prices at the inn?"


    Jade: "They could have upped the prices. Let''s see."


    While walking into town, business is strong. Merchants everywhere, and the sweet smell of food in the air is intoxicating.


    Ralph: "I haven''t had any of these before, but it looks so tasty. Maybe we can have some later."


    Standing in front of the inn, Jade''s expression twisted in disbelief.


    Jade: "What... two gold for one night and food? Only one bed? One month, 10 gold for one bed?"


    Ralph: "We don''t have that kind of money. Are we gonna sleep tonight?"


    Jade: "Don''t worry, we will find a good job that pays at least for tonight. I''m going to hit a friend for a favor he owns."


    Ralph: "A friend? How do you know someone here?"


    Jade smirks at Ralph.


    Jade: "I have many friends. Come on, he should be close to here."


    Ralph: "How does she have friends here? Didn''t she say she hasn''t been here in a while?"


    Arriving at what seems like a rundown blacksmith shop with crooked letters on the signboard: "Dwarfish Stuff."


    Ralph: "Hey Jade, you sure this is the right place?" pointing to the degraded sign.


    Jade: "Just as I remember, yes. Here we are. Let''s go in."


    Ding-ding. As the door swings open, the interior is rather well kept compared to the outside. A small knee-high creature wobbles out from behind the armor stand.


    ???: "Oh, customers! Come, come, let me show you my new invention," waddling up to Jade.


    Jade: "Hey old man, remember me?"


    Looking up at the towering figure above him, the old man opens his mouth wide.


    ???: "Ahhh¨C Oh my marbles, is that you Ms. Jade? I¨CI¨C thought you had vanished a bunch of ye¨C"


    Jade: "Hey¨Chey, I have someone with me, ok?"


    Fixing his glasses and squinting his eyes to get a look at Ralph:


    ???: "Ok, son, come here. Don''t be shy. My name is Zofrik. I''m an old pal of Ms. Jade. Haha!"


    Ralph: "Nice to meet you, Zofrik. I''m Ralph Cro... just Ralph."


    Stopping in his tracks¡ªcalling himself a Crowswell wouldn''t be right. Not now, not yet.


    Zofrik: "And what is it you might need, Jade?"


    Jade: "Remember the deal? You owe me a favor, Zofrik."


    (Waving his hand in the air) Zofrik: "Yes, I know, I know. I asked what you needed."


    Jade: "You know how some mages use wands or staffs to cast spells while training? Can you make me a weapon with that ability?"


    Ralph: "Hey Jade, you don''t need to waste this on me!"


    (Looking back at him) Jade: "Are you gonna waste it? Because I''m investing in you."


    Ralph: "No, of course I''m not wasting a weapon, but why a special one like that?"


    Jade: "Simple training wheels. It will help you conjure your magic at first, and it can be really powerful if you stick with it."


    Zofrik: "What do you fancy, child? A sword? An axe? Ohhh, maybe a dagger? Do you want a dagger?"


    Ralph: "I want a hammer. A great hammer, if possible," looking deep into the dwarf''s eyes.


    (Raising an eyebrow) Zofrik: "Ohohoho¨C Splendid! But a great hammer is far more than what you can carry, young one."


    Ralph: "I will train to be able to wield it better, even if I''m slow now."


    Zofrik: "Ok then, but you have to promise me to take good care of it. Give me a moment."


    As he wobbles behind the counter.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Click¨CClick¨C


    Raising it above his head, this bald dwarf with beard to his feet was holding a giant weapon two, maybe three times larger than himself.


    Jade''s eyes widened at the presence of the weapon, but she remained quiet.


    Zofrik: "What are you waiting for? Take it."


    Using 90% of his strength just to hold the hammer upright with both hands:


    Ralph: "Uhf¡ª How... It''s so heavy..."


    Zofrik: "Go on, try it. I''m going to give you your first lesson, as it appears Jade herself hasn''t."


    Zofrik''s tone changed, now serious and focused.


    Ralph closed his eyes. Blackness enveloped him.


    Zofrik: "Relax your shoulders. Calm your breathing."


    His shoulders dropped. His breathing slowed.


    Zofrik: "Now... remember. Why do you want to use magic? Why do you want to fight?"


    In his mind, flashes of his father, his dream, the escape, Feld, his first fight¡ªeverything came to him. His grip strengthened. For a moment, it wasn''t so heavy.


    Zofrik: "Gods above, Jade... What have you brought me?"


    Ralph opens his eyes. The hammer, once grey and silver, now filled its linings with a purple glow.


    Ralph: "This is it, Jade. This is the same color as that one time¨C" (he stopped, Jade''s hand covering her mouth, slightly trembling)


    Jade: "Ralph... you know that most magic is a hand-me-down, right? Ralph, your mother''s magic wasn''t purple. It was green."


    Ralph: "What? But if this isn''t from mom, then this is¨C" (his heart raced, and with it, the weapon''s glow increased)


    Their voices faded into the background as he was stuck in his own mind.


    Ralph: "This is Father''s¡ªno... no... I can''t! Wait... Ralph, think. This is your magic, not his."


    He gripped the hammer tighter, his fingers trembling.


    Ralph: "No... but I can''t... Because this is what he used to kill people...!"


    His pulse quickened, his chest tightening as the weight of it all settled in. The rush of confusion and disgust made his hands shake.


    Ralph: "Oh God, stop being such a baby, Ralph. We''re not children anymore!"


    His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each thump a reminder of how far out of control he felt.


    Ralph: "Shut up! Shut up, all of you!"


    Then he opened his eyes. The hammer on the ground broke the floorboards.


    Zofrik: "This is why I told you to control your breathing, child."


    Ralph bit his bottom lip while shaking and again grabbed the hammer.


    Ralph: "No... (teeth clacking) this is fine. It''s my magic, not his. Mine... not his..."


    Holstering the now grey and silver hammer to his back.


    Zofrik: "If you ever need to send your mana to it, just... do that again. But don''t go on a rampage again. Jade will teach you... Now go do whatever you need to do, young one."


    Jade: "Sorry for that, Zofrik."


    Zofrik: "Don''t be, hehehe¨C that was one of the most intriguing things I have seen in decades."


    Ralph: "I''m going to wait outside."


    Ding-ding. Jade catching a glance of Ralph''s back¡ªit looks bigger than before.


    Zofrik: "Jade, is that Liora''s kid? Heck, don''t even answer. The look in your eyes says it all."


    Jade: "Uhum," (she nods) "it sure is. Just like his mother... Thanks, old man. I will come to see you another time."


    Zofrik: "Goodbye, Jade. Take care of Ralph... and my Zeal."


    Jade stops in her way to the door.


    Jade: "So that hammer was Zeal, alright," and leaves.


    Ding-ding.


    Vussh¨CVussh¨C (Ralph attempts to swing his hammer)


    Ralph: "Damn, this is heavy. I can always use ma¨C"


    Jade: "Hey... maybe not here. Wait until we are on payroll. Look at the sun¡ªit''s almost midday. Let''s register at the guild and get a job."


    Two hulking orcs flanked the guild doors, their tusked scowls at odds with the cheerful sign above: "Welcome, Adventurers!"


    Ork 1: "What do you want?" (sniff sniff) "Human."


    Jade: "We want to register. Can we go in?"


    Ork 1: "Me don''t know. Me just here."


    Ork 2: "Be quiet, just act scary, dude... Yes, you may go in. Just remember: common sense and no fighting in guild''s quarters."


    Ork 1: "You make trouble, me ready to tumble," pointing at Ralph.


    Ralph: "..." Ralph kept his eyes down, but his grip on Zeal tightened. The hammer''s weight grounded him¡ªbetter to bear this than risk another outburst.


    Ork 1: "Hey, you dum dum, me talk to you," putting his hand on Ralph''s shoulder, his hand almost the size of Ralph''s head.


    Ork 2 looks at his brother and shakes his head.


    Ork 2: "Go in, kid."


    The inside of the guild is bustling¡ªtalking, screaming, multiple species hanging together: orcs, dwarves, humans, half-beasts. A single slot in line remained open: "Registration." As they approached, a rabbit girl awaited for them.


    Rabbit girl: "Welcome to the Adventurers Guild. My name is Linda. How might I help you?" Her red eyes and white ears blinking and shaking happily with energy.


    Jade: "Hello, Linda. My name is Jade. This is Ralph. We are looking to register and get a job."


    Linda started to rummage the papers.


    Linda: "Hmm¨C aha¨C here it is. Two guild initiation papers and two silver each."


    Ralph: (still distant) "But we only have five..."


    Jade: "Are we sure to get at least one gold from a job today?" throwing the five silver pieces up and down in the air.


    Linda: "Well, that''s hard to answer. If you take up a killing task, maybe. This season we have many¡ªwinter is coming up, and we need food. So we have some high bidders for monster meat right now. Goblin is the one I have here: two gold per normal goblin and ten for a commander."


    Jade: "Ok, here. Take the 4 silver pieces and let us sign up."


    Linda: "Ok, come here, you two. Just place your hand here on the paper. Yes, like that. And while the magic does its thing¡ªcough¡ªwe are not liable in case of harm, dismemberment, and death. For benefits: we can buy and sell any loot you pick up, and all you get is yours. Just bring one tooth as proof of killing. Kill a commander, and Sylvoria blesses you¡ªwe''ll even send a retrieval team!"


    Ralph: "That''s it?"


    Linda: "Yep, that''s it. You''re Wood-level adventurers now and are registered in the magical index. Don''t worry, we haven''t had a breach since a few centuries ago," she says this while smirking.


    Linda: "Bye and good luck."


    Jade: "This is why I never signed up. Too much bureaucracy..."


    Ralph: "To the forest now, I guess?"


    Jade: "Yes, it''s fairly close. Just a few minutes gets us there. If this city didn''t have a monster barrier, they would be doomed."


    The town noise fades away, and the eerie chills of the woods creep back in. They lurk and hide in the bushes when two lone goblins are found fiddling around a dead deer''s body.


    The wind howled through the trees as the goblins picked at the deer''s carcass.


    Jade: "Ralph, I''m going to snipe the one on the right. You take the one on the left, ok?"


    Drawing her handmade bow and arrow.


    Ralph: "Pst¨C Wait, I need to charge this. Ok, Ralph, control..."


    (The hammer grows slightly)


    Ralph: "A bit more. Remember what dad said..."


    (his heart raced a bit, but the breathing quieted it down; the hammer''s glow increased)


    Ralph: "I''m ready, Jade."


    Jade: "Ok. Three... Two... One..."


    Swish¨C Pisht¨C Jade''s arrow hit the goblin in the shoulder.


    Goblin 1: "Rahhr urrr!"


    Goblin 2: "Ahhh¡ª cama arrr!"


    Ralph lunges forward, swinging the hammer from head to ground, but the goblin evaded his move.


    Jade: "Ralph, on your back!" As he turned, an arrow pierced through the goblin''s head.


    Jade: "Kill the other one now!"


    Goblin 2: "Ahhh¡ª"


    Ralph: "Come here, you piss off¨C" swings and misses, swings and misses, and repeats. The hammer is getting heavier.


    Ralph: (he goes for another swing but mid-swing) "Damn it, just freeze!" The word left his lips before he understood it. The goblin''s limbs locked¡ªjust for a heartbeat¡ªbut it was enough for the swing to connect to the goblin''s chest, now gasping for air, breathing blood.


    Goblin 2: "Uhf¨C ahf¨C"


    Jade: "Great job, Ralph, but take it out of its misery..."


    Ralph: "Jade, I felt strange there. It was like the goblin obeyed me."


    Jade: "Maybe, Ralph, but I can''t really help with this purple magic. If it was your mother, maybe... Oh, see? He bled out now. The meat is tainted. Good job," and a slow clap from Jade.


    Ralph: "Oh, sorry, I forgot..."


    Ralph: "Maybe he has something on him. Come take a look."


    Jade: "A crude stone dagger. This isn''t worth a copper, I think."


    While the two are hunched over the corpse, a towering shadow comes from behind them.


    Thud¡ª Thud¡ª ???: "Hu hu hu... You puny thing kill my type? How you be... No important. You die, woman..."


    As they turn to face a commander goblin bringing down a mace on Jade. The mace whistled through the air¡ªJade had only enough time to widen her eyes.


    Ralph: "Jade, no!"

 A Heart of His Own

    As the mace came crashing down, time seemed to slow for Ralph.


    Everything moved like molasses¡ªeach breath stretched into eternity.


    Ralph: "I can¡¯t let it hit her... But I can¡¯t block it either. I need to deflect it!"


    His hammer pulsed, its violet glow intensifying¡ªbrighter, stronger. With a desperate swing, he struck the side of the mace.


    CLANG¡ª!


    The force deflected the attack, sending the mace slamming into the ground.


    BUSH¡ª!


    A cloud of dust erupted. When it settled, Ralph and Jade were gone.


    The goblin commander¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion.


    Then¡ª


    Swish¡ª


    Pain exploded through his leg.


    The commander dropped to one knee.


    Commander Goblin: ¡°Hu¡ªMe¡­ can¡¯t move¡­¡±


    He looked down. Blood poured from his Achilles tendon¡ªan arrow had torn through it.


    From the smoke, Jade stepped forward, arms spread wide.


    Jade: ¡°Here, hit me now!¡±


    She taunted him, her smirk sharp as a blade.


    Commander Goblin: ¡°Rahr¡ª!¡±


    He roared, wrenching at his mace¡ª


    BUSH¡ª!


    The weapon was stuck, buried in the dirt.


    Before he could react¡ª


    THUD!


    A devastating blow crashed into his upper back. His face slammed into the ground.


    Dazed, he looked up.


    The last thing he saw¡ª


    Two glowing purple eyes.


    SQUASH¡ª!


    Ralph: ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ I... need to... sit down for a bit¡­¡±


    Sitting down, he saw his hammer buried in what moments ago was a goblin, now just crimson dust.


    Jade (running out of the bushes): ¡°Ralph, are you okay?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Ye¡­ ye... I can¡¯t breathe, okay? My throat is burning, it feels like my arm¡¯s gonna fall off.¡±


    Jade: ¡°By the gods, is there even a tooth left in that thing?¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Let... me see.¡± He pulled his hammer out of the goblin¡¯s head, now painted in a new shade of crimson red.


    Jade: ¡°Ow, there¡¯s a tooth...¡± She picked something out from Ralph¡¯s hammer, grimacing.


    Ralph: ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me.¡± He tried to get up but had to sit back down, gasping for air.


    Jade knelt beside him, her tone softening. ¡°You did good, Ralph. But I think you need a rest. You look like you¡¯re about to pass out.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°I¡ªyeah...¡± He wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands trembling slightly. ¡°Just need a minute¡­¡±


    Jade (grinning): ¡°Well, at least we can finally get a break. Don¡¯t make me carry you back to the guild, though.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere anytime soon¡­¡± He let out a weak chuckle.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Jade: ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    After some rest, they returned to the guild with three kills¡ªtwo goblins and one commander.


    As they approached the balcony, Linda spotted them and waved enthusiastically.


    Linda: "Hello, guys! You didn¡¯t die, that¡¯s good! So, what did you bring me?" Her head swiveled left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of what Ralph was holding.


    As Ralph opened his hand, two small teeth fell out.


    Linda: "That¡¯s it? I was expecting more from you two¡ªhumph!" She crossed her arms, pouting.


    Ralph smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Hum... more, you say? How about this?" He pulled out a tooth the size of his hand, dropping it with a loud clunk onto the table.


    Linda froze, her eyes widening as she took in the tooth. Her hands fidgeted together nervously. "I-is that a commander goblin tooth?"


    Ralph: "Yes, it is! Isn''t it great? We''re getting fourteen gold pieces total." He grinned from ear to ear, clearly pleased with himself.


    Linda: ¡°Okay¡­ let me just write this down then¡­¡± Her hands trembled slightly as she wrote it down.


    Jade (raising an eyebrow): ¡°Is everything alright, Linda? You seem kind of bothered by it.¡±


    Linda jolted a bit before looking up at Jade. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t expecting you to even find one.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°But I thought it was a good thing. Less of a strong creature in the forest now. The town is safer.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Yes, Ralph, but commander goblins mean they were planning something¡ªmaybe to attack a small village, since they can¡¯t get to the town.¡±


    Linda: ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I¡¯m writing this down. We¡¯re sending a team to retrieve the body and do some reconnaissance.¡±


    Linda: ¡°Anyways, guys, thank you for that. Here¡¯s your fourteen gold pieces.¡± She dropped the bag into Ralph¡¯s hand.


    Jade: ¡°Great, we can get one month of housing at the Inn now.¡±


    Ralph slightly elbowed Jade in the arm.


    Jade: ¡°Hey, what is¡ª¡± As she scanned around, she realized some of the guild members were quickly glancing at them.


    Linda: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jade. News travels fast here. Like, really fast.¡±


    So, they went back to the Inn. Upon entering, the smell of food and the loud evening rush greeted them. As soon as they popped in the door, a waiter stopped them, holding two piping hot plates of crab meat in hand.


    Waiter: ¡°You two just find somewhere to sit, and I¡¯ll get to you shortly.¡± He drifted off to tend to the other guests.


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯m starving. We haven¡¯t eaten for a few days now.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Me too. I¡¯m starting to get a bit out of it. And we almost got killed back there. Look, there¡¯s a table over there.¡±


    So, the two sat down to eat, and the waiter came rolling over to them.


    Waiter: ¡°So, what can I get for the lady and gentleman? Maybe a beer to start? Our selection is made here in the city.¡±


    Jade: ¡°I¡¯ll have rabbit soup with bread and a glass of wine. He can¡¯t have alcohol¡ªhe¡¯s not over 18 yet.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°I¡¯ll have a steak with some rice and orange juice, I guess.¡±


    Waiter: ¡°Okay, noted. I¡¯ll be right back with your order.¡± He ran off to the kitchen.


    Ralph: ¡°Hey, why say I¡¯m 16? I was looking for that sip of freedom.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Because no, you¡¯re not over age yet. So, you¡¯re not drinking, Ralph.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°What about you? How old are you, Jade?¡±


    She jolted a little.


    Jade: ¡°It isn¡¯t nice to ask the age of a maiden, but I don¡¯t look a day over 23. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°Uhm¡ªokay, maiden¡­¡±


    Jade proceeded to kick Ralph in the leg.


    Ralph: ¡°Hey, I was joking¡­ So, Jade, this might not be the best moment, but what was my mom like? I mean, you said you were her best friend, and she was gone when I was really young, so I don¡¯t remember her well.¡±


    Jade: ¡°She was a nice person, Ralph. Calm and hot-blooded at the same time. She hated senseless violence so much, she became a healer. We met in the same village. We were the same age, played together, but one day we had to run away when our houses burned down, or the village was set ablaze¡­¡± As she said this, her left hand moved up to her ear.


    Ralph: ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to tell all of it now.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve gotten over it¡ª¡±


    Crash¨C!


    ???: ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re serving me? This is raw! You gave me raw!¡±


    A tattooed guy was harassing the waiter, breaking plates over his food.


    Waiter: ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t see it. It looks medium-rare to me.¡±


    Tattooed Guy: ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t see it? Let me show you then!¡± He grabbed the waiter by the neck and slammed his face into the plate. ¡°Can you see it now? Huh? Can you?¡± Suddenly, a hand gripped his wrist.


    Ralph: ¡°Let him go. This isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    Tattooed Guy: ¡°Hey, who left their kid unsupervised? Come get him before I bust his little eyes!¡±


    Ralph strengthened his grip, and the tattooed guy let go.


    Tattooed Guy: ¡°Oh, you think you¡¯re tough? Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re really tough then!¡±


    He threw a hook at Ralph¡¯s face, but Ralph weaved backward, avoiding it.


    Tattooed Guy: ¡°Kid¡¯s got moves. I like it.¡±


    Ralph closed in and hit him with a one-two overhead punch to the face, sending the tattooed guy wobbling backward.


    Tattooed Guy (wiping blood from his mouth): ¡°You made me bleed, kid! If your parents aren¡¯t gonna give you manners, I will!¡± He pulled out a dagger.


    But before he could do anything, Jade fired an arrow that pierced the dagger under the handle, pinning it against the wall.


    Tattooed Guy: ¡°Hey, lady, don¡¯t get¡ª¡±


    Ralph: ¡°You talk too much while you fight, you know?¡± He gave the guy a hook to the chin, knocking him over the table and effectively knocking him out.


    Ralph: ¡°Hey, waiter, are you okay?¡± He put his hand on the waiter¡¯s shoulder.


    Waiter: ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m fine. This isn¡¯t the norm for this place, but the owner¡¯s out. What about that guy? Is he okay?¡±


    The tattooed guy was snoring in a pile of bean soup, broken glass, and spilled wine.


    Ralph: ¡°Did I overdo it?¡±


    Jade: ¡°No... no, you did enough. He was being an ass. You stepped in. Great job.¡±


    Ralph: ¡°No, I definitely overdid it. Look at him, he¡¯s clearly drunk.¡±


    Waiter: ¡°Just leave him there. The city guards normally come here at this time. They¡¯ll take care of him. Would you two prefer to eat in your room if you¡¯re looking for one?¡±


    Jade: ¡°I believe that would be best. Yes, a two-bed bedroom would be perfect.¡±


    Waiter: ¡°I believe room 218 is free. It¡¯s upstairs. I¡¯ll bring your food up shortly. Let me just wipe this mess.¡±


    Their room was quite empty. It reminded Ralph of his room at home, just smaller. The two ate their food. After eating, Ralph took his mother¡¯s picture from his backpack and placed it near his bed.


    Jade: ¡°Ah, you really did bring it.¡±


    He rolled over to bed, exhausted from their recent adventures.


    Ralph: ¡°Laying in a real bed is the best feeling ever, Jade. I had it all, you know? I had food when I wanted, I slept when I wanted. Now I need to fight to eat and pray for a time to sleep.¡±


    Jade: ¡°Yes, and yet you¡¯ve grown a lot in just a few days, Ralph. More than in a long time.¡±


    Ralph got under the covers. ¡°Sure, Jade, I have. But I know this is just the beginning, so I will sleep. I know tomorrow will be harder. Goodnight.¡±


    Jade: ¡°It will be harder, but sleep well for today.¡±