The remainder of the journey through Miriarda Forest was only slightly less eventful than the first day had been. Rather than avoiding danger, Darm seemed to be an expert in uncovering it wherever they went, pitting them against bands of Girscaw, bandit groups, and even a pack of Lunwolves that nearly tore Rowan’s throat out, his health having dipped dangerously low before Darm could come to his aid.

Despite Rowan’s growing competence in battle, Tethis refused to cut him any slack in their training sessions, intensifying them instead, something that caused Rowan no end of grief. Fortunately, Darm was always on hand to ensure Rowan did not die, although now that Tethis had begun to use weighted training swords rather than branches during training, this was increasingly becoming a worry for the poor street rat.

However, die, Rowan did not, and as they left Miriarda Forest behind, he found himself much changed. Gone were the tattered rags of his street rat days. In their place were new clothes and a set of leather armour, cobbled together from the possessions of those he had killed. While he would win no fashion awards, the fresh look gave Rowan a new sense of confidence that matched his new outlook on life.

No longer content to walk, he was ready to fly, like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon and taking flight into the world a changed being, so too was Rowan ready to shed his old life as a street rat, eager to become something better. What that something was, Rowan still was not sure, but he knew one thing: he could never allow himself to sink so low as before, to return to where he had started. Darm and Tethis had given him a new lease on life, and he intended to take advantage of it.

Twenty-four days after they had left Taureen, Karsolnia City came into sight. The high walls and gray-stone architecture was radically different to that of Taureen, with its dusty red houses and pale white stone. However, despite the differences between it and the place where Rowan had spent all of his life, he felt more at home looking at the walls of Karsolnia than he ever had back in Taureen.

As they approached the main gate, Darm commanded the packbeasts to slow. Ahead, a pair of guards stood watch over the gate, wearing armour and bored looks as they surveyed the oncoming carriage.

Seeing them, Rowan’s blood went cold. Guards. The enemy of all street rats. No interaction with the guard was ever positive, and he had the scars and concussions to prove it, having been knocked around time after time by the tyrannical market guards of Taureen.

Shrinking back, Rowan did his best to melt into the carriage floor, his breath catching as he tried unsuccessfully to become invisible. Tethis, however, proved a hindrance to this plan, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing him to stand up, peering through the curtain that separated the back of the carriage from Darm’s seat at the front.

“Name and occupation?” the lead guard called out as Darm brought the carriage to a halt.

“Darm, I’m an adventurer.”

“Anyone else in the carriage?”

“Two of my fellows,” Darm responded. “We’re here to put up for the night, before continuing off north in the morning.”

The guard nodded at this. “Can I get you all to step out of the carriage? Need to inspect it to make sure you’re not carrying in any dangerous goods. Had a man try to smuggle in some demon crystals the other day, so the lord’s got us inspecting everyone right now.”

“By all means,” Darm replied, stepping off the carriage and jumping lightly down. In the back, Rowan briefly considered making a run for it, but Tethis grabbed his arm, pushing him out the back before stepping out herself.

Coming face to face with the guard, Rowan had a brief moment of panic as the man looked him over, but fortunately, he seemed more preoccupied with Tethis, his gaze when he turned to her a mixture of fear and desire.

“Names?” the guard asked.

“Tethis,” Tethis grunted.

Reluctantly turning his gaze away from the elf, the guard looked at Rowan. “And you?”

“R-Rowan, sir.”

Unexpectedly, the guard said nothing at this, merely nodding as he consulted his clipboard. “And you’re both adventurers as well?” Tethis nodded, while Rowan managed to squeak an affirmative, which prompted another nod from the guard. “Is there anything to declare in the carriage?”

“Just the tools of our trade,” Darm interjected smoothly, jumping in before either of his communication-impaired companions could say anything further. “Weapons, camping supplies, and the like.”

“Mind if I take a look?”

“By all means,” Darm replied.

Disappearing into the back of the carriage, some knocking sounds could be heard as the guard inspected the vehicle. A minute later, he emerged, bending down to shake Darm’s hand. “Everything seems to be in order, enjoy your stay in Karsolnia.”

With that, they were finished. Jumping back into the carriage, Rowan watched as Darm prodded the packbeasts forward, passing through the main gate and into Karsolnia, leaving the checkpoint behind them.

As the guards faded into the distance, a sense of relief washed over Rowan. Never before in his life had a guard treated him deferentially like that. No, not deferentially, Rowan realized, just normally. How the guard had acted was something he had seen countless times before in his life, but never with him. Today, the guard had done something completely out of character for a man of his station, at least in Rowan’s experience, he had treated Rowan like a person.

While the brief interaction may have seemed completely unextraordinary to most, for Rowan, whom as a street rat had been treated as a nuisance at best, and inhuman scum at worst, this was a truly eye-opening moment. All at once, the realization hit him that his life had been completely upturned in the past month, that this had not just been the feverish delusions of a dying man, but rather a real event. No longer was he Rowan the street rat, a shifty urchin with deft hands and the ability to evade capture. Instead, he was Rowan the adventurer, a man who had been tested in battle and emerged victorious.

Reeling in this revelation, Rowan was silent as the carriage trundled through the cobblestone streets of Karsolnia, passing houses made of wood and stone with black-trimmed eaves, their windows open to receive the cool breeze that blew through the city, pushing away the heat even if just for a moment.

“We’re here.”

Darm’s announcement awakened Rowan from his stupor, causing him to look up as the carriage came to a halt. In front of them stood a large inn. Made of bleached stone with dainty wooden shingles, the sign in front of the inn bore the name, Solnia’s Slumber, with a picture of a sleeping woman, her long hair draped behind her as one hand fell over the front of the bed she was resting on.

“Ah, good ole’ Solnia’s,” Darm said happily, dismounting from the carriage. “We’ll rest here for the night.”

“We could have just camped outside the city,” Tethis said dourly, but Darm waved her away.

“You know what I always say, what’s the point of riches if you can’t sleep in a good bed when the opportunity arises?” Pausing for a moment, Darm shot Rowan a complex look. “Rowan, come help me get the beasts unhitched?”

Scrambling down from the carriage, Rowan aided Darm, unshackling the beasts and handing their reins to a young boy who appeared nearby and led them toward a small stable beside the inn. Pushing the carriage, they got it into position in the small space in front of the inn, where several other carriages were currently resting as well.

Satisfied with their work, Darm smiled. “Right then, why don’t we head inside. I could use a meal, and Gerve makes some of the best damn steaks this side of the Great Desert.”

Not waiting for his companions to answer, Darm waltzed toward the door of the inn, swinging it open and disappearing within. Scowling, Tethis made to follow him as Rowan brought up the rear, quickly checking to make sure he was presentable before heading inside.

The inside of the Solnia’s Slumber Inn was surprisingly cool, magical arrays on the walls pumping cold air into the interior. Darm was already seated, flirting with a dwarven waitress who seemed amused by the halfling’s antics. Beside him, Tethis appeared bored, tracing small circles on the table with her fingernail as Darm chatted.

“Three slumbering steaks, and tell Gerve to make ‘em rare,” Darm told the server as Rowan sat down. Waiting for her to leave, he turned to Rowan. “I ordered us some wine, do you drink?”

“I’ve had some stuff we found in a bottle once or twice,” Rowan admitted slowly. “Does that count?”

“Nope,” Darm replied. “This is the good stuff, real Karsolnian Frostberry Wine. Drink it slowly, do your best to appreciate the flavour, and if you can’t, then pass it over to me. Tethis never lets me order a second cup.”

Fortunately for Rowan, as Tethis was currently staring at him with a dark look in her eye, the server chose that moment to return, asking Darm something about the seasonings that Rowan didn’t quite understand. Fifteen minutes of light conversation later, she returned, three steaming plates balanced perfectly in her arms. Quickly setting the plates down in front of them, the server bid them a good meal, disappearing as Darm licked his lips and even Tethis appeared to crack a smile as she dug in.

The steaks were perfect. Thick and juicy, they had been cooked with some sort of spice that Rowan could not identify, but that his taste buds identified as delicious. Doing his best to emulate Darm’s usage of the knife and fork, Rowan wolfed the meal down, pausing occasionally to sample the variety of roasted vegetables on the side of his plate and to sip some wine. Darm was right, the wine was delicious, and Rowan did his best to ensure that it wouldn’t disappear too quickly.

Half an hour later, the plates now clear of food, Darm began to talk. “So, Rowan.”

“Yes?” Rowan asked uncertainly. He had known for a while now that Darm wanted to speak with him about something; however, having a good idea what that thing was, he had put off asking Darm about it, not wanting to face the probable truth. Now, it appeared that the time had come.

“This past month, you’ve advanced at a tremendous rate. Honestly, when we took you in, I thought we would have our hands full merely helping you to recover from the trauma of nearly dying,” Darm said with a laugh. “Instead, you’ve progressed by leaps and bounds, shouldering all of Tethis’ terrible training without complaint, and carrying yourself well in battle.”

“Thanks,” Rowan said quickly.

“Unfortunately,” Darm said with a sigh. “This is where we have to part ways. No matter how far you’ve progressed, the places Tethis and I are heading to are far too dangerous for a novice fighter such as yourself to be of help. And unlike in Miriarda Forest, we won’t be able to keep an eye on you either. If we bring you with us, the only outcome that awaits you if you come along is death.”

“You said I was doing well,” Rowan replied, choosing his words carefully. “I thought you said back when you took me in that if I did well, you’d let me continue travelling with you?”

“Truth be told, I just said that to get Tethis to agree to take you in,” Darm said awkwardly. “First rule of negotiation, always start at a higher point than you’re really aiming for. All I wanted was to get you away from Taureen, as I knew we’d be sending you back to your death if we let you return. But no matter how well you’ve done, it’s true that where we’re going next is far too dangerous for a beginner.”

Rowan deflated at these words. While he had always suspected that this would be the case, to hear it straight from Darm’s mouth really drove the point home. The month of dreaming had come to an end, and it was time for the street rat to wake up. As he cast his gaze downwards, Darm shuffled in his seat.

“Now, now, don’t go getting all weepy on me just yet. I wasn’t done talking,” Darm told him. “In the last month, we became friends, you and I, and I’m not in the habit of just abandoning my friends, so there are two options for you. The first is the normal option, my original plan. We’ll leave you here in Karsolnia with an introduction to the head of the city guard and enough funds for you to establish yourself here in the city. You can become an ordinary guardsman, marry a local woman, and live a happy, normal life, far away from Taureen.”

Rowan nodded. A month ago, he would have leapt at the opportunity to become a guardsman and leave his old life behind. Now, however, he felt strangely unsatisfied at the prospect. “And the second option?”

“There’s an academy a day north of Karsolnia. Faebrook Academy,“ Darm explained. “I’m not sure if you’d have heard of it down in Taureen. But it’s also known as Adven—”

“Adventurer’s Academy,” Rowan said with a nod. “We street rats knew of it. You never steal from a student of the Adventurer’s Academy if you value your life, or the use of your hands.”

“That sounds about right,” Darm replied. “Faebrook is the reason we’ve come this far north. They’ve hired us to scout a newly discovered dungeon, one they think contains-”

Whatever else Darm had been about to say died in his throat as Tethis sent him a savage glare. Coughing slightly, he nodded. “Well, you seem to have heard about it at least. Faebrook is well known for producing talents, but especially in the fields of magic and combat archaeology. However, unlike with the guard job, we can’t guarantee you anything. We have the connections to get you a shot at their admission test, but whether you’re accepted to the academy or sent packing will be entirely up to you.”

“You only get to choose one option,” Tethis cut in bluntly. “If you accompany us north, we’ll leave you at the academy with enough funds to take the entrance exam. But we’re on a tight schedule, and we won’t be sticking around to take care of you if you fail.”

Looking to Darm for confirmation, Rowan received a nod.

“We don’t want you thinking that you can just fall back on becoming a guard if you fail,” Darm explained. “If you’re going to take the entrance test, you need to go in with the resolve that you have to pass. For non-nobles such as yourself, that’s the only way to approach the Faebrook Academy selection test. Give it anything less than your all, and you will be surpassed by those who want it more.”

“I understand,” Rowan replied, his mind racing.

“We’ll give you the night to think about it,” Darm said kindly.

However, Rowan shook his head. He had already made his choice. “I want you to take me to the academy.”

“Are you sure?” Darm seemed surprised by the suddenness of his choice. “Life as a guard isn’t bad. You get a warm bed, a decent pay, and respect from the commonfolk. With your new combat abilities, you won’t need to worry about dying in a skirmish either. You’re sure you want to give all that up?”

“I’m sure,” Rowan replied firmly. And it was true. Prior to his stabbing, Rowan would have given anything for the chance to live a normal life, to leave his life as an orphaned street rat behind. Death, however, had changed his perspective on things. Rather than be satisfied with an ordinary existence, content to simply exist without suffering any undue hardship, Rowan wanted to live, to experience everything that he had dreamt of in his fifteen years as a street rat. There were more guard jobs, more cities, but the chance for an urchin to attend a prestigious academy such as Faebrook only came once.

“Well,” Darm said slowly, exchanging a glance with Tethis. “That makes things simple then. We’ll drop you off tomorrow. For now though, let’s enjoy the night.”