Me: “How much time will it take us to reach there?”

Deiti: “You don’t know?”

Me: “No...This is my first time.”

Deiti: “Oh...it’s your first visit to Port Fortitude...”

Me: “Yes...”

Deiti: “We are just have to walk another 1hr to our destination.”

Me: “Oh...okay...”

Deiti: “What are you doing here, in Port Fortitude?”

Me: “Ohh...I was on another quest in the Dentia forest but upon our return journey through here, we got to know that due to the weather all the ships are cancelled for 2-3 days. So I decided to take a quest here.”

Deiti: “Okay...Dentia forest??? You went on a quest in the Dentia forest?? Not even Level A adventurers go inside the forest....although....” She looks at me closely...

Me (looking at her): “What?”

Deiti: “Ohh...I got it...I was thinking why was I summoned in the Council of Zoit's branch office to receive my quest....So you are a Council’s Adventurer....right?”

Me (I don’t tell her the whole truth...why should I? I don’t know her very well...): “Yes...I am...”

Deiti: “Unbelievable....I am going on a quest with a Council’s own elite adventurer...WOW!!!”

Me (surprised at her reaction): “Elite?”

Deiti: “Only an elite Council’s Adventurer would dare to do a quest in the Dentia forest and return alive...wow...You must be very powerful...”

Me: “No...no...Nothing like that.” (Really I’m not all that strong...well...maybe a little)

Deiti: “Don’t be so modest, it took me three years to get a Level C quest and in my first Level C quest I’m paired with an elite and looking at you, I don’t think you are that much older than me...WOW...a young prodigy...”

Me: “Ha ha ha ha" (I laugh sheepishly...even she has experience of three years...I am really lucky...)

Her expression changes and I recognize that expression..It’s an old one...apparently this one also had it...it was an expression of mischief.

Deiti: “You know....if I didn’t like girls, then upon hearing this I would have taken you somewhere quiet and let you do me to your hearts content...he he he he...*wink*”

Me: “*Sigh* So...You are not one of the good ones are you?”

Deiti (smiling): “Nope....”

Me: “But...girls?? You do girls?? You swing that way!!!”

Deiti (still smiling): “Shocked!...he he he he...bet you thought you had a chance here...didn’t you?”

Me: “No...I didn’t have any of those kinds of thoughts...I am relieved if anything...”

Deiti (little surprised): “Well that’s new! Whenever guys would hear this, their shoulders drop and there face gets filled with disappointment...he he he he he...”

Me: “You like to tease don’t you??”

Deiti: “Yeesss....he he he he...but apparently, this time I have failed to get my satisfaction.”

Me: “All this time, I had girls surround me and drive me mad...so even though you are a girl and a beautiful one... knowing that you will keep this professional as it should be...is a nice change of pace...”

Deiti: “Ohh...speaking of girls...who was that hottie back in the Council?”

Me: “You mean Adi’Je...uhh...umm...she is my wife.”

Deiti: “WOW!!!You just hit the jackpot buddy...even I want to do her...ummm... (she bit her lower lip) in so many, many ways.”

Me (raising one of my eyebrows): “I doubt that she would agree to it...but if you throw in an offer of threesome which included me...then it’s an another story.”

Deiti: “Hmmm...It’s that so!!! Interesting...”

I could see her thinking it for a minute...

Me: “Whatever your thinking stop it at this moment...it’s not going to be successful.”

Deiti (pouting): “No fair...why do you have to monopolize her?? I bet you even don’t give the satisfaction she needs...but I can...*wink* he he he he...”

Me: “I don’t know about that but apparently, right now she is the only one who could give me satisfaction...”

Deiti: “What do you mean?”

Me: “Ahh...nothing...say...how much more?”

Deiti: “We are just about to reach our destination...But jokes aside I must say, I have never heard a Zuma to join this line of work...I thought...”

I cut her line in the middle...same words all over again...

Me: “Yes...Yes...we are thought to be weak and I am the first one out of my clan to join this line of work...”

Deiti: “How did you manage to do that?”

Me: “It’s a long story...Ahh...before I forget...what are Feuruz?”

Deiti: “You don’t know about them?”

Me: “I have no clue about them...”

Deiti: “Okay then....they are midsized ground dwelling species of monsters. They are brown in colour, has four legs and two sharp claws attached to its mouth. The claws help them to feed and to attack. During this time of the year, they come up and mate in the farm lands which offer them free food...it’s a yearly occurrence here.”

Me: “Okay...so how many lands do we have to clear?”

Deiti: “Umm...not much...just three or four midsized lands. But the real deal starts when you try to kill their leader...they are more dangerous than the normal one’s. Last time one of the adventurers died fighting it...So we have to be careful”

Me: “Okay...I think it will take us just two days to clear it...what do you think?”

Deiti: “It will depend upon the infestation but...yeah...that about it...”

After chatting with her for a while some more, we reached our destination. She was right; there was only three midsized farm land. They were filled with these weird looking things. I gather they were Feuruz.

Me: “So, how do you want to plan this?”

Deiti: “We each take one field and clear them...I doubt they can organize themselves when attacked from two sides.”

Me: “Fine by me...You take the left most one and I’ll clear the one next to you...in this way, if you need any help I could provide you with assistance at a moments notice and vice versa...”

Deiti: “Okay...then let our dance of the heart begin.”

She dashed onto them, within seconds she cut down a few of them with her axe. It was a small one but she was very agile. She would first strike on a leg then when the monster tumbles a little she drives the killing blow on its head. I wonder why she doesn’t take the killing shot at the first time. I also unsheathe my swords and went for some Feuruz blood.

I dashed in between two of them; they were first hesitant at what to do. After cutting two of their heads clean, they decided to attack me... I cut down the next one with a horizontal slash with my right and another one with a vertical slash with my left. Then onto another one, then another one...this continued. Sometimes I looked towards Deiti and I saw she was dancing quiet elegantly between them before hacking them. She cut their legs and smashed their heads and sometimes hacked their claws... She really knows how to fight. On the other hand I encountered a slight annoyance. Though I was cutting them down, the blood splatter was very weak. It didn’t spurt out as I hoped. Without my blood lust ability, long battles will be tough for me. I still try to cut them in a way to make that happen but it’s of no use. I got tired after some time, while she was still dancing and killing. After taking some rest, I started to cut them again. At the end of the day we managed (I managed while she finished before me) to clear two lands.

We prepared tents and I cooked our food. We decided to take three hours sleep shifts. But I couldn’t sleep...I was disturbed at the fact that I still had many more ways to go to reach even Aby’s level without my blood lust skill. I have to become stronger so I decided to use these monsters as practice. Deiti came to me, she couldn’t sleep herself. We talked...for quite a while...about anything...I felt a bond of friendship grow within us...it was too early to tell but I was hopeful. The more people I meet, the more friends I make, the more would be my development.

Next day, we went ahead with the plan of clearing the rest of the farm land. We had two days remaining to our quest. I took this moment as training for myself. I worked on my footwork, my form as I was taught by the instructor back in Port Solitude. I tried to cut them with precise strike and dodging their attack. They came towards me with their claws and even their mouths. When clearing them from the field, I observed, that at the end of the field the infestation is higher than other parts. I looked towards Deiti to see what she was doing. She was as usual, dancing between them and cutting or hacking mercilessly. I signaled her to look over the high infested place. She nodded and came over.

Deiti: “What are you thinking?”

Me: “I think their leader is hiding there.”

Deiti: “Okay...so how do you want to approach it?”

Me: “You take the south while I’ll come from north and kill everything that stands except us.”

Deiti: “Well, what kind of plan is that?”

Me: “What? What was wrong in that?”

Deiti: “Well, nothing...I thought you elite guys would be full of swagger.”

Me: “I don’t have swagger?”

Deiti: “Ahhh....No...”

Me: “Let’s stop talking and start killing, shall we?” I was a little annoyed...I don't have swagger??...But first, What is swagger???

I went forward with the plan. I was angry...no blood, no blood lust and no excitement.

I cut them down like paper but a thought still lingering in my mind. Without the given armour, without my given sword, without Adi’Je and everyone’s backing...what am I? How strong am I? If this is my level then I am still lacking...

After some hours of cleaning the fields, we reach closer to their leader’s position. Suddenly two tentacles shot out from the ground and struck my armour. I didn’t affect me as such but if I didn’t have this armour, I was a goner. I had to be more attentive to my surrounding...

A large brown body appeared from the ground in front of us. It was different from the rest of the Feuruz’s...It was large; somewhat hairy...had eight tentacles and two claws beside its mouth. My eyes lit up...finally some blood...It launched its attack towards us. We both dodged its attacks successfully, but it reverted its tentacles back to our us...we dodge it but it moved just like before...it was not giving us chance to attack. This time when its tentacles came with sideways slash I cut few of them while two of the tentacle bounced of my armour.

But still, its blood did not drench me like others monsters...why??? I was getting frustrated...I pushed forward as it screamed in pain...It still had six of them left. It attacked again...with all of the tentacle at once...I was waiting for it, when it reached me, Deiti jumped from behind me, planting a foot on my shoulder propelling her upwards into the air, she took care of two of the tentacle, while I turned sideways to a certain degree and cut the rest of the tentacles. I didn’t wait for a second as I lunged myself towards its main body...I stabbed it, slashed it, its claws were no match for my armour but still its blood didn’t spurt out...instead it rolled out of him. I looked like a manic at that moment. Stabbing, slashing like a crazy person, continuing on and on until I heard Deiti screaming at me.

Deiti: “LE’ON...it’s enough....ITS DEAD....ITS DEAD...”

I stop and look at it...it was in pieces...its innards were all chopped...I created a mess. I turned towards Deiti, I saw what I thought it to be disbelief and wonder or maybe that was fear in her eyes.

After cutting all of our prey’s heads as proof of payment, we waited for our delivery carriage. It is mandatory for adventurers to receive delivery carriages for quest above D in both Council and General Body which are in radius of 40 km from the branch offices. After some unfortunate events when the adventurers died without any help even though they were in the vicinity of cities, this rule was made. The delivery carriages acted as an on road hospital for the wounded or carried rations for the adventurers or help the adventurers bring back their proof of payment back to branches for evaluation.They were always scheduled to arrive a day early of the maximum limit of days allotted for a quest.

The carriages arrived and we loaded it with the heads. They were many...we would receive a good sum for it. We had make few trips back and forth to get all our proofs back to the collection center. While we were on our return journey, both of us talked but she didn’t mention anything about my outburst back when killing the big one. And I’m thankful for her as even I don’t know what happened. I figured if I have to become strong then the first thing I should do was to know myself...know my strengths and weakness. From there I would proceed to weed out my weakness. Then I can be truly strong.

We reached Port Fortitude and reported back to the General Body Office. We got our payment. We brought back 256 heads, per head cost 3 gold and the head of the big one cost 50 gold, making our income to the total of 818 gold. We each received 409 gold.

Before parting, Deiti gave her adventurer ID number so that I could contact her again if I wanted to do a quest together.

After that I went back to the Council Office and was glad to see the same woman working behind the counter. I approached the counter and she recognized me. She pulled out the grey crystal again and I put my hand on it. After that she inspected the details again and said.

Counter Lady: “Sir, you have successfully cleared quest level as well...now all that is left is the 200 gold fees. Do you have it with you at this moment or do you want to give me your account number and I can deduct it from there?”

Me: “No, I have it with me...here.”

I gave her the money. She counted it first and then inputted something in the screen. After some time she looked towards me with a smile and said.

Counter Lady: “Congratulations Sir, you are now an official member of the Council of Zoit's Adventurer Unit. Your Adventurer Id number will remain same and all the stipulations I had previously stated to you will apply from this moment onward.”

Me (smiling): “Thank you...for your assistance.”

Counter Lady: “It was my pleasure, Sir.”

I left the Council Office and finally I got my name fully registered as an actual member of Council of Zoit’s Adventurer Unit.

After two days and nights, I came back to the team and was exhausted. I went straight to bed...with lot of things weighing heavy in my mind.

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