"What the hell was that?" I exclaim rushing out of the cave. "Over there, there's smoke coming from the camp. James, he's gotta be in trouble!"

Eric and I raced through the thick brush and hanging ivy, Eric effortlessly striding across the crowded forest floor, whereas I was leaping from branch to branch, trying to keep pace with him. As we approached the camp, we hear the ringing sound of steel clashing with steel.

"It sounds like a fight, Eric!" I yell, "Eric, what's happening? Answer me!"

As Eric broke through the brush that leads to our camp, I notice five hobgoblins with their backs to him when suddenly he yells out "Whirlwind Surge!"

Once Eric finishes shouting his skills name, he swings his Nandao, which he has modified with a pitch black chain connected to it, at the hobgoblins decapitating them in one clean strike.

As Eric decapitates five hobgoblins at once, I finally reach the west side of the camp using the trees as stepping stones, before diving in front of three hobgoblins as I cast Frost Arrow in mid-air at two of them before casting a Quick Strike at the third hobgoblin's throat taking down each of their health down to fifty percent.

As I look around the camp, just about holding my own against the hobgoblin, I spot James by the fire with Archer kneeling at his side, his longbow aimed right at the chest of the hobgoblin chief, which is at level fifteen with a Melee resistance at level six, Ranged resistance at four and a Magic resistance of one.

I spot Archer drawing his bowstring to shoot the three arrows he's nocked as James uses an enchantment on the arrows turning them into lightning bolts. As Archer fires the arrows at the hobgoblin chief, the bolts explode, bringing the hobgoblin chief's health down to seventy-five percent. However, as I finish fighting the hobgoblins I'm attacking, I realize I'm back-to-back with Tamer.

"Where the hell did these creatures come from!" I exclaim as I parry a downward strike.

"It looks like a hobgoblin raiding party," Tamer answers. "Ethan, stick close to me, and we'll survive okay."

As Tamer cuts down the hobgoblin he's fighting with a skill called Bolt Wave, however, the second Tamer's hobgoblin burst into those strange crystal bubbles. I jump up, launching two Frost arrows at the two hobgoblins clumsily stumbling towards us, freezing them in place as Tamer pulls out a crossbow and uses the skill known as Thousand Needles.

I use a new skill called Dancing Slice, which I read in one of the thief books that Yra snuck into the stack of books on different magic types at the tavern. Unfortunately, it only works if I'm wielding both my daggers at the same time, as it allows me to strike at multiple different spots as if the target and I are caught in a deadly dance.

Once I kill the hobgoblin, I roll backwards, standing back-to-back with Tamer again when I feel an intense pain in my left leg, causing me to fall to the ground screaming. As I do, I realize that the hobgoblin chief has turned his attention on us as it charges straight towards us, but Eric and Warrior haven't had time to intercept the chief as they're both pinned down by 5 hobgoblins each.

As the hobgoblin chief reaches us and swings downwards at me, I feel myself being kicked out of reach of the blade.

A sticky red substance sprays into my face, blinding me in one eye, which is when I realize that Tamer is the one standing in front of me. I also notice that there is a severed arm lying at my feet, furthermore, just as Eric slams into the chief using a skill known as Tempest Rage, I let out a blood-curdling scream as I fall unconscious just as the hobgoblin chief bursts into bubbles.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

As I groggily wake up, pushing my aching body up using my hands, I notice that the ground is soft as my eyes still haven't adjusted correctly. Once they do, I realize I'm in a bedroom with medical devices and magical medicinal runes.

I decide to try and stand up, but as I do, I'm reminded in a painful way that I was shot in my leg, but then I notice that there are crutches next to the bed. I pick them up and hobble out of the room when I hear yelling coming from downstairs.

"He almost killed Tamer!" Someone whose voice I don't recognize yells angrily.

"He's brand new at the whole adventurer obligation. You were new to this to a year ago!" a voice I recognize as Eric's bellowed back, "Also, Archer, what the hell? You shot Ethan with your arrow!"

"I didn't intend for Ethan to get hit with the arrow, the hobgoblin Chief moved at the last second, resulting in Ethan getting hit," Archer defensively yells.

"Don't blame Archer Eric. That kid has to go!" The other voice bellowed loudly like he was using the skill known as Warrior's Roar.

As I make my way down the stairs, I notice in a room off to the side Tamer lying on the bed with the area where his right arm should be bandaged with James talking to a female. Maybe she's the doctor, but I can't be sure. As I recall the events of what happened before I woke up here, I feel a sudden urge to scream and throw up as I remember Tamer's arm falling in front of me as my right eye is covered in Tamer's blood.

Deciding to get some fresh air, I sneak out of the house. I walk into the street and walk across the dirt path towards a bench, when a kid about my age runs into me, knocking us both to the ground.

"Ow, be careful kid, you could hurt yourself if you aren't paying attention," I say calmly and soothingly, not wanting to upset the kid.

"Sorry, that's my bad," the kid says looking up at me. "Oh, wow! You're an adventurer!"

"How did you know I was an adventurer?" I ask, completely confused. "There's no visible mark that the blessing gives you is there."

"Oh, that's easy! It's my Blessed Skill, I'm an adventurer of the wind blessing deity," the kid says with glee. "Oh, sorry, I didn't introduce myself; I'm Kenneth, Son of Rylmir, Son of Ascelindia."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Kenneth. My name's Ethan," I smile at him. "You still didn't say how you knew I was an adventurer."

"It's my blessed skill. It's a skill known only to people who are of direct relation to the six deities. You can call me Kenny."

Kenny and I sat there talking for what seemed like hours, sharing cookies, Kenny's awful attempts at cartwheels, and overall just laughing and enjoying ourselves like kids should.

Finally, I notice it's dark the night sky is amazing, so full of stars. Tears start to wet my eyes, the image of Seraph and I sitting on top of a hill that overlooked a small town just like this one filling my mind. It's only been a few years since we both looked up at the sky together when Seraph asked me out.

"You okay, Ethan?" Kenny asks, noticing I'm now crying.

"Yeah… Just remembered something about my boyfriend," I say when suddenly I'm gripped by sadness at the realization that Seraph is really dead.

"What did you remember?" Kenny asked.

As I peer up at the night sky from Kenny's lap, my eyes blurred a little with tears, what I notice is that he is genuinely concerned. Overcome by my emotions, I find that I am unable to speak. An eerie silence descends like a blanket, offering no real warmth to my frozen soul. Not even Kenny's companionship seems to thaw it.

"How could this have happened to me?" I ask no one in particular, "I'm just a beggar from Nefradin."

I hear Kenny giggle softly, "I'm from Nefradin too."

As we look at each other for a second, we both burst into laughing fits, which cause the pair of us to fall to the ground, our sides hurting from laughing so much, however, our laughing fit was soon cut short when we heard the screams of the people near us followed by the sound of glass shattering and wood splintering. As we looked in the direction of the noises, ready to act should the need occur, I spot Eric laying on the ground, covered in debris and glass, in front of the Doctor's house with Warrior in mid-fall from the same window.

"AND STAY OUT, THE PAIR OF YOU!" A man roars, scaring Kenny and me as he walks out of the shattered remains of the window just as Warrior crashes into the ground.

As Kenny helps me stand, I spot James sitting next to Tamer's bed, Tamer sitting up, looking as if he's in severe pain.

"Ken-Kenny, can you help me to the person sat in the bed over there please," I ask, pointing towards Tamer and James.

"Sure," Kenny says softly, kneeling in front of me.

"What you doing?" I ask, confused as to what he's doing.

"Well you're hurt, so I may as well carry you," Kenny replied and I think I spot his face going red a little. "You okay with that Ethan?"

"Yeah but you sure you can carry me without breaking," I mock jokingly at him as I climb onto his back.

"Wow, Ethan, you're so fat," Kenny mocks.

He picks me up, and we walk to the doctor laughing loudly, making James and Tamer smile while watching us walk towards them.

"Ethan, who's your friend here?" James asks, indicating Kenny.

"My names Kenneth. Nice to meet you, but I really must go," Kenny says urgently. "Sorry, Ethan, I hope to see you again."

Before I have a chance to reply, Kenny runs out the house and down the road. I look over at Tamer, feeling sick.

"I'm so sorry, Tamer, I'm sorry," I say, unable to hold back the tears. "You lost your arm protecting me."

"Ethan, it's fine, honestly," Tamer says in a sympathetic tone. "I'm not mad at you, I chose to save you."

"Ethan, Tamer is right," James states. "He doesn't regret the choice to save you."

As I limp over and hug James and Tamer, I notice that Warrior and Eric have gone in separate directions.

"How long has it been since the hobgoblin attack?" I inquire.

"Three days, Ethan," James states, causing both Tamer and me to look at him.

"WHAT!" Both Tamer and I yell deafening James slightly.

"Three days, James, we're late returning to the capital," Tamer says.

"I know, I sent a raven as soon as we got here, informing the king of our delay," James informs us before turning to me but gets interrupted by Archer.

"Guys, I'm gonna look for Warrior and Eric, I'll be back in an hour or two," Archer states, walking out the door.

"Guys, I have a warning for you," Tamer says urgently causing both James and me to look at him.

As we look at Tamer collected his thoughts, he let out a deep sigh as he started talking.

"I, um, think, um, that maybe, um, Warrior and Archer…" Tamer stutters trailing off.

"Tamer, what do you think Warrior and Archer are going to do?" James asks which for some reason makes Tamer even more nervous.

"James, could you stand outside the room please?" I ask, thinking if it was just me, then Tamer might be more open. "I think, given the nature of the information, he might be a little hesitant."

James looks at me confused before reluctantly saying, "Sure… Ethan, I trust you. I'll be just outside."

As James leaves I noticed that Tamer's nerves seem to lessen, causing my perception to go up, which makes me start to wonder how afraid he actually is of James and Eric.

"Okay… Ethan… I have some very very important news," Tamer starts, still nervous, but less so now that James is out of the room. "Archer, Warrior, and I are all on a mission to find an Elven boy who looks like this," Tamer pulls out a piece of parchment with a magical sketch. "This boy, the others haven't worked it out yet, however, this boy is you, isn't it?"

As I look at the parchment, I start to back away to the door, my face growing more and more white, my stomach feeling like a whole swarm of butterflies had moved in. Due to my leg being in a cast, however, I fall on my butt as I start to panic screaming and feeling like my arms and legs weighed a ton.

James to comes charging into the room, wielding a 2-foot tall Ironwood staff that is etched with twin white snakes spiralling from top to the bottom. Unlike a normal staff, however, this one seems to draw in magical energy that causes the snake spiralling around the staff to glow white. Tamer, however, doesn't seem to notice the white glow.

"Libertine, scorch the flames of truth. Manifest blazing sword," James says.

Fire shoots out of the staff, almost as if it is on fire, save for where James has his hands. The fire is so bright and hot, it forces me to look away, and when I look back what was once a staff has formed into a literal sword of fire.

"I-I-I-It's okay," I stammer. "Tamer… just showed me the reason… why I'm being hunted," I take a minute to collect my thoughts and composure before resuming. "The king put a bounty on me."

"It's… true, James… I was one of twenty teams of three adventurers that were given a royal-level quest," Tamer states quietly.

I start to feel woozy and faint as Tamer and James start to spin, I feel like I'm falling as everything goes black as I hear James and Tamer yelling, but I can't make out what they are actually saying.