Glenn dug through Becka’s pack until he found her flint and steel. Becka held out one torch, and Glenn struck the pieces against each other until a spark lit the torch. She held out the other, which Glenn lit as well.

He tucked the flint and steel into his shirt pocket and took a single torch from Becka. Glowing together, the torches produced enough light that they might soon alarm the Monsters.

“Heroics!” Becka whispered. “Shall we?”

Glenn wanted to kiss her one last time before they moved, but they had no time for it. Besides, while holding the torches, one of them might accidentally catch fire. “Heroics,” he agreed.

Together, he and Becka jogged back toward the edge of the earthen jut. They emerged in full sight of the dancing Grass Sprites and dancing Moss Beast. Azalea hovered in the middle of the circle, her blond hair and white dress swaying as if caught in a gentle wind. Not a Monster looked up.

“One,” Becka whispered. “Two. Three!”

Glenn tossed his burning torch into the left portion of the clearing at almost the same moment Becka tossed her torch into the right. Tracers cut through the air as each torch spun and fell in an easy arc, yet neither went out. It took more than a strong wind to extinguish Wolfpine torches.

When the torches landed on either side of the circle, all the tinder and leaves the Grass Sprites had gathered in the clearing caught fire. The reaction was far more dramatic than Glenn had expected. In the blink of an eye, the entirety of both nature circles erupted in flames. Two well-placed torches turned what had been a Ritual of Earth into what was almost certainly a Ritual of Fire.

And the Grass Sprites, as they shrieked and caught fire, were obviously enraged.

Yet instead of all charging the jut of earth, as Glenn had feared, the Grass Sprites scattered in all directions like a horde of chickens startled by a fox. The Moss Beast roared and spun about, gnashing its huge sharp teeth, but it didn’t charge them on the earthen jut. None of the Monsters had been paying attention before now.

They wouldn’t get a better chance to rescue Azalea than this chaos. Glenn leapt down off the jut and sprinted toward the flame circles, and a thump and huff assured him Becka was right behind him. He hurdled the ring of flame—it was waist height at best—and winced as Becka cried out behind him.

Glenn hurdled the second ring. Becka must have run straight though the first ring of fire, yet a few flames wouldn’t stop her. Becka was tough. She’d proven that enough times to everyone.

Glenn reached the center of the circle and snatched Azalea’s dangling feet, but felt resistance. The Moss Beast’s Skill held her tight. Even as he tugged the Monster ceased its blind thrashing and focused on Glenn. It threw its whole body forward, its arms out, and roared.

A roar, from a Moss Beast, was a tumult in the trees, one filled with flies and dirt. Glenn gagged and spit as dirt and bugs battered his unprotected face, but he didn’t let go of Azalea. She felt stuck, but Glenn pulled ... and 13 Strength, even to a Moss Beast, was no trifle.

The invisible resistance clinging to Azalea increased and then broke, like a branch tugged so far past its breaking point it finally snapped. Azalea tumbled into Glenn’s arms without a sound. He spun and sprinted from the circle as the enraged Moss Beast trampled after him and the flames in the clearing began to spread to the forest at large.

Glenn hoped the fire wouldn’t spread far—conditions were damp this time of year—but there had been no other way to save Azalea. As he hurdled the first flame line, he spotted no less than four piles of Monster ash, each containing a tiny purple crystal. Becka stood waiting, breathing hard, with her slit of pale leg visibly bloodied. Another shallow cut crossed her forearm.

Yet Becka still stood. The four Grass Sprites she’d just defeated weren’t so lucky. She’d slain all four with nothing more than her [Commoner’s Dagger], but she’d always been a very talented Knife.

Glenn had grabbed the girl and Becka had cleared a path, just as they’d planned. Becka fell in beside him as they cleared the circle, with Azalea bouncing in Glenn’s arms and Becka’s pack bouncing against his back. He couldn’t fight holding a nine-year-old girl, but Becka could.

Better yet, Becka snatched up a still burning torch as they reached the edge. Smart. Glenn should have retrieved his own torch, but he was too busy not being chewed up by a Moss Beast.

A single Grass Sprite, this one still on fire, chittered angrily as it attempted to block their path. Glenn punted the little elemental into the tree line. He might not be able to swing his sword right now, but he could still kick a puny Monster a good ways with his impressive Strength.

Relying on his internal compass, Glenn turned what he judged was due east as soon as they entered the forest proper. Grass Sprites chittered furiously behind them, and a groaning rumble like dozens of branches bending in the wind told him the Moss Beast was also on their trail. Moss Beasts might seem ponderous, but they could move frighteningly fast when angered.

And Moss Beasts got real angry when someone set their forest on fire.

Air whistled as a horde of tiny needles peppered them from behind. When more than three Grass Sprites gathered together, they could even launch ranged attacks. The tiny needles bounced off Glenn’s [Ring-Mail Armor] and [Traveler’s Pack], but Becka yelped as the needles ripped right through her thin [Seamstress Dress] … and into her back.

Yet Becka didn’t slow. If she did, Glenn would drop the pack and carry Becka instead.

Glenn risked a glance at the green Health Bar temporarily floating above Becka’s head, which flashed into existence thanks to the damage she’d received. Over half of her bar was already charred black. Devilspit! Against these Monsters, Becka might as well be naked.

A Townsfolk dress like Becka’s wasn’t intended to protect against Monster attacks, but Glenn knew Becka likely hadn’t been able to acquire anything heavier before she left. Everything Karl Coldbreaker forged for his shop was Adventurer’s Gear, and the Gods didn’t just forbid non-Adventurers from buying it. Non-Adventurers couldn’t even wear that gear, even if it was given freely.

Glenn’s own [Ring-Mail Armor] had been difficult enough to acquire. It was the one concession the Gods allowed those who signed a contract swearing an oath to take a melee Class, provided they were chosen by the Gods to be an Adventurer. Glenn had signed that contract, but Becka had not.

Glenn kept his eyes ahead as they ran, clutching a still unconscious Azalea tight. He caught Becka glancing back out of the corner of his gaze and prayed she wouldn’t trip. If she did, Glenn would set down Azalea, unsheathe his sword, and cut Grass Sprites in twain until she found her feet again.

“It’s catching up!” Becka huffed as they both ran. “It’s too fast!”

She was referring to the Moss Beast. Could they fight it and slow it down? Yet once they committed to battle with an enraged monster that might actually be Level 8—the thing looked ancient—Glenn doubted they could run, especially once the Grass Sprites encircled them. Ansin might not have made His Monsters intelligent, but He had made them crafty enough to fight as a team.

Running beside him, Becka thumped his arm. “Get Azalea to the Safe Road! Get her home!”

Glenn only then realized what she might be about to do. “Gods, no!”

“I’ll be fine!” Becka shouted, and ran off to the side. “Save that child, Glenn!” And then, as Becka sprinted almost perpendicular to Glenn’s path, she wildly waved her flaming torch. “C’mon, you Monsters! Let’s see how mad you get when I set the rest of your forest aflame!”

Glenn almost diverted after Becka, yet he couldn’t, because his partner was absolutely right. If they couldn’t outrun the Moss Beast, and they couldn’t defeat it, there was only one option remaining if they wanted to save Azalea Whitetalon. One of them had to lead the Monsters away while the other got Azalea to the Safe Road.

Glenn only wished it was he who’d thought to be the distraction, but he’d come back for Becka as soon as he got Azalea to safety. He wasn’t abandoning his partner, but saving this child came first. He’d get Azalea to the Safe Road and come back for Becka as soon as Azalea was safe.

He’d just have to trust her to stay alive until then, or, if she died, retrieve her ensouled corpse.

====

While Monsters are hunted and feared in Balarel, they remain Divine. It is known to all that the Challenger Gods created Monsters and put them in the world to challenge their children—mortals—to Level and grow stronger. Therefore, while Townsfolk and Adventurers are wary of Monsters, they also respect them, and society at large follows certain rules as to who may attack a Monster.

While Adventuring, it is considered poor form to attack Monsters that do not offer one experience unless that Monster attacks or threatens another mortal who can’t defeat it alone. Monsters do not simply respawn on a whim. Defeated Monsters may not return for days or weeks, so high Level Adventurers who wipe out low Level Monsters actually make it harder for other mortals to Level.

Therefore, Adventurers will often ignore Monsters who pose no threat to them even when they could easily kill such Monsters. While it is not officially a crime to kill a Monster below one’s Level, one who does so without good cause may soon become unwelcome in town. Merchants may even refuse to trade with such Adventurers, cutting off their ability to trade Life Crystals for coins.

Finally, just because a Monster doesn’t offer experience doesn’t mean it can’t cause grievous injury with a lucky hit. For all of these reasons, Adventurers usually only engage Monsters who offer experience. They leave those that do not for Adventurers of lower Levels to defeat.