“Save my daughter.”

I stared between the man who had appeared before us and Veronika, unsure what to make of the situation.

“Excuse me?” Veronika leaned in closer to the man. “Are you supposed to be the commission we were to expect?”

“No.” The man shook his head. “I’ve been searching out for any adventurer parties coming through the area, when I heard tale of you, the Red Foxes being here, I knew I had to act.”

“And you want us to save your daughter?” Dayvin scratched at his chin. “What happened to her?”

The man reached into a vest pocket, pulling out a wrinkled piece of parchment and handing it to Veronika, who grabbed it with a quick snap of her fingers as her eyes began to pour over it.

Unable to see what was written on it, I could only take a guess as the creases in Veronika’s brow deepened, her scowl along with it until at last she handed the parchment back to the man.

“You expect us to undertake that?”

“Please, it’s just, my daughter.”

“I understand that.” Veronika sighed as she took a moment to look at each one of us, her gaze lingering just a second longer on me. “But you would be better of looking for either an Iron rank party, or a Steel rank solo.”

“This is all the money I have.” The man pointed towards the pouch filled with silver gily. “I can’t afford to pay for a full Iron party, nor can I afford a single Steel ranker.”

“So that’s why you seemed to desperate for us.” Veronika snorted. “Low rank enough that our rates are manageable, with enough experience that it may still prove possible.”

“Please.” Was all the man said, his eyes desperate.

“I can understand your feelings on the matter.” Veronika’s eyes had softened, but her tone still held firm. “But I have my own people to consider. There is a level of risk I’m willing to put them through, they are adventurers, but as party leader it is still my duty to ensure that they all come back in one piece. I’m afraid that-” Veronika stopped mid-sentence as her gaze landed upon me. “-that I won’t be the one calling it this time.”

“Excuse me?” The man looked confused as I felt.

“No, the one who will call it this time will be our traveling companion who recently joined us.” Veronika was speaking directly to me. “It’s you’re call. Normally with only the four of us I’d be against it, but with another body on the commission as well as the fact that you’re….”

She waved vaguely about as my mind filled in the blank.

That you’re stronger than us.

It was a strange feeling. Less than three days ago I was being protected by my master, unable to do anything against the dangers of the foes following us. Now suddenly I was being thrust into the position to determine what our fate would be, whether we should accept the impromptu commission or not.

Veronika has been doing this for years. Best to just follow her lead on this one.

I began to open my mouth to reaffirm Veronika’s initial hesitation, to turn down the man, when for a split second I caught his eye.

And I understood.

Pain. Hurt. Fear. Not for oneself, but for someone else.

I’d experienced that before. It had only been brief, but when the Sage Hunter had taken my mother, it had been as if my entire world had fallen apart.

And that had only been for a few seconds.

This man had been dealing with that for who knew how long.

“Rook, there is a saying that goes ‘To turn a blind eye, is to lose sight of oneself.”

Now I understand mom.

“We’ll do it.” I found my mouth saying even before my mind had fully settled on my decision.

“Thank you.” Suddenly I was caught up in a tight hug as the man rushed me, embracing me. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s, uh, no problem.” I gently detached the man from his hold on me.

“Well, that settles it then.” Veronika nodded as if she had expected it from me. “Why don’t you fill us on the rest of what we need to know then?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” The man looked about as if trying to avoid our eyes. “I only know what was on that letter.”

“Of course.” Dayvin pinched the bridge of his nose. “If that’s the case, share anything else that we might be able to make use of. Where was she beforehand, where was she going, etc.”

“She was going to visit her mother.” The man’s lower lip trembled for a moment before he took a moment to breath in, steeling himself. “She was being escorted by an adventurer, a lone Iron. Figured it should have been easy enough the two of them were in a traveling group with others so they had numbers worst case scenario into which they could blend.”

“And where does your wife live?” Dayvin questioned.

“She isn’t my wife.” The man shook his head. “We never married. It was more of an… abnormal courting that led to the birth of my daughter.”

Wedlock.

“Besides the point.” Dayvin shook his head. “Your daughter’s mother, where does she live?”

“Kar’anza.”

“Kar’anza?” I turned to look at Dayvin for explanation.

“It’s a small village to the south, about a two, maybe three-week trek. By the Helena mountains.”

That one rang a bell. I’d heard stories of them since I was younger from my mother as she had recounted her adventuring days.

“Towards the southern coast of the central desert there sits a mountain range that scraps the very heavens. They see miraculous riches and marvels can be within the deepest mountains of the range. Only the greatest of adventures are allowed access to all but the most outer reaches of them.”

“Really?” Young me had asked, wonder in my eyes.

“Mhmm. Back in our prime, my party attempted to get access to the mountains but where denied. Mind you, we were a well-known and high ranked gold party. But even we were told that only nizeium parties or ornnax solo adventurers were allowed.”

“So what happened after?”

“Oh, we attempted to climb them anyways. You can’t exactly have a watch for an entire mountain range. We only made it past the slopes of the first few minor mountains before we gave up and retreated.”

“Why?”

“We encountered a creature known as a Peak Lion, except it was unlike any we had seen before, when the sun hit it just right, the colors of the rainbow would be reflected off it like the rays of the sun off the morning dew.”

“Kar’anza isn’t within the mountains themselves, is it?” I pondered aloud, beginning to fear that the Red Foxes were overestimating my abilities.

“No.” Veronika shook her head. “Before Tez and Zet joined us, Dayvin and I had been out there a few times while traveling to nearby villages for one commission or another. Still-” Veronika stared up at the ceiling. “-this letter here paints a picture that isn’t just as simple as retrieving a missing daughter. She never reached Kar’anza. Following that, there have been some strangers appearing recently throughout the town, usually only staying a day or two at the latest.”

I felt my blood freeze, mind turning back to the group of cloaked strangers who had appeared in Junaper.

“What sort of strangers?”

“The letter didn’t really say.” Veronika shrugged. “Other than the fact that they all had a tattoo of a three triangles overlaid on their hand. Why, do you know something about them?”

“No.” I answered honestly after realizing the description didn’t match, the Sage Hunters having no such tattoo.

“Well, the fact that there may be another group we are contending against doesn’t fill me with confidence.” Dayvin leaned back, eyes closed with his hands behind his head. “But it’s a rare few adventurers that never have an encounter with a potentially hostile group. May as well give the twins a taste.” After a moment of silence he peaked open an eye before pointing at me. “You as well.”

I was about to inform him that I had experienced dealing with a hostile human enemy, but on second thought I closed my mouth. One, it would do little good other than to sound like a kid trying to not be left out, and two, I wasn’t the one who dealt with them, it had been my master.

“So when do we leave?” I put the question out there everyone had been wondering.

“Well, it’s a two-week journey at best, so tomorrow.” Veronika answered.

“Excuse me.” The man spoke up, sticking a hand out as if waiting to be called on.

“Yes?” Veronika signaled for the man to speak.

“I just thought since you were adventurers you could cut the trip shorter.”

“Being adventurers doesn’t make distances any shorter.” Tez answered, the first time I’d heard her voice in some time.

“What about the Ring Gate?”

“No.” Veronika instantly shook her head. “Those things are finnicky at the best of times.”

“Ring Gate?” I felt left out, unsure of what they were speaking.

“Ancient devices left over from the lost ages. They can connect between other Ring Gates but are one way, they follow a circuit of sorts. Most of the Ring Gates aren’t operational, or just outright lost.”

“And so we don’t want to take it because….?” I questioned.

“Because anything could happen with them. There is no rhyme or reason to them.”

“Another question.” I said. “Why are they called ‘ring gates’ in the first place?”

“Because they are all marked by the same ten rings carved into them.”

I had been beginning to have my suspicions, but that confirmed it for me.

“I think I we should take the gates. I might be able to get them to work.” I offered up.

“Fine.” Veronika tossed her hands up. “Worst case scenario and it doesn’t work it’s still in the same direction we need to travel anyways.”

“Thank you.” The man rushed forward to hug Veronika this time, but before he could reach her she thrust a hand in his face.

“I’ll pass.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” The man awkwardly shuffled about before finally pointing toward the door. “I’ll just be going. And, uh, thank you. Thank you so much.”

We nodded as we watched him leave, the sluggish satisfaction from our feast gone without a trace. An awkward air hanging over us, we got up shortly after, leaving behind an entire gily in payment. Rather than direct ourselves to the sleeping quarters, Dayvin gestured us forward, leading us outside.

Stepping into the night air, I felt a surprisingly cold breeze whisper past my ear, wrapping my arms around my chest to keep warm.

“Why are we out here Dayvin?” Zet had his hands on his hips, looking annoyed at being dragged outside.

“Veronika may be fine trusting us in the hands of a kid we just picked up the other day. Don’t take this personally Rook, you’re a good enough fellow, but I can’t just accept risking ourselves unnecessarily because she has some romanticism about finding strange kids in the desert.”

“None…. Taken?” I wasn’t sure honestly how I was supposed to react to what he had just said.

“I need to see more of what you can do before I’m satisfied.”

We all looked toward Veronika who had been silent, but she shrugged as if what he said was fair.

“Go ahead. Just don’t end up beating on each other too badly. I’m going to bed though.”

Just like that she turned back around, heading inside towards their lodging they had paid for.

“And you? You can turn this down, but if you do, I’m going to let him know on second thought we won’t be taking his commission.”

“I’ll do it.” I answered, chin held high.

The noble part of me would say it was because I didn’t want to let down our requester in his time of need.

But the realistic part of me knew that more than anything, I wanted to prove myself. Weeks of feeling like useless baggage had made me feel defiant and combative, I wasn’t so oblivious as to ignore my own feelings on the matter.

“Follow me than.” Dayvin pointed towards the outskirt of the small city. “Probably best we take this outside city bounds so no one thinks a mugging is going on or we all may end up locked up for the night.”

I nodded, nothing else to say on the matter as we silently walked through the rough looking roads. There was still light activity going on, but it was clear most of the city was turning in for the night, lights beginning to be blown out or turned off as we walked by, until at last we had made it to the outer portions of the city, stepping outside of the short wall.

“So what, how are we doing this?” I asked Dayvin, already thinking of the best way to beat the hammer wielder.

“Oh, you won’t be going against me.” Dayvin chuckled before pointing at the twins. “Individually, both Veronika and I can whip some sense into these two. But together, they are greater than the sum of their individual parts. You would think that with both Veronika and I being individually better than both in a two-on-two spar we would win, but often it ends in our loss. Chalk it up to their being twins or whatever, you get the point either way.”

“So that’s why they came along.” I had been wondering why neither of the twins had bothered asking why they were expected to come along as well, but it turns out that they had known the entire time.

“Wait, how are we even supposed to spar without cutting each other open?”

“You and Tez will only use the blunt side of your weapons. Zet, you know the deal.”

Zet nodded, reaching inside the folds of his billowy pants, and pulling out his chain, quickly removing the circular blades from the ends.

“Will still hurt like hell, but I trust Zet and Tez well enough that they know to not follow through on a strike. I will call the winner based on my own judgement. Everything clear?”

“Crystal.” I muttered as I drew my sword forward.

“Good. I want you all stood out fifteen paces from each other.”

I turned away, counting my steps as I imagined the twins doing the same on their side.

“On my mark, you may begin.” Dayvin had his arm raised as my eyes darted between it and the twins, Tez’s bladed staff having once more appeared as if from nowhere, the entire thing a spring-loaded mechanism that conveniently could be stored within a single pocket of her likewise billowy pants.

Now that I think of it, most people out in the desert seem to be wearing that style of clothes.

I shook my head, forcing the thought aside.

Focus.

I was letting my nerves indirectly distract me, mind summoning thoughts of things other than the fight.

Focus.

I licked my lip, waiting.

Come to think of it, this will be my first time sparring against more than one person at a time. This will be the first time I’ve fought another person since-

Since the Sage Hunter.

Focus.

“Begin!” Dayvin swung his arm down, and I shot forward. The best way to win a fight two versus one, would be to remove the outnumbering aspect as fast as possible.

Zet first.

While his chain was exceptionally fast once it got moving, it made for poor defense if something got within his guard before he had a chance to get the chains sweeping about like living steel.

I saw the surprise in his face as I was suddenly before him, but before the back of my blade could crack him in what would be an ordinally fatal blow, Tez appeared before me, her staff catching the blunt side of my sword.

Damnit.

I grit my teeth, trying to force my sword down, but she had the advantage of leverage on me with her longer weapon, not to mention she was strong. I was no slouch myself, but the years of adventuring had obviously had an effect on the girl several years older than I.

Back.

I jumped back just in time to watch one of a chain sweep through the sand where I had just been standing.

Ouch.

Had I taken that hit it would have left an exceptionally nasty bruise behind, and worse, knocked me off balance for his sister to take advantage of.

Left.

I spun to my right as the back of Tez’s staff weapon rammed towards the left side of my face.

Jeez, it’s like they want to break my bones.

I threw myself backward as Zet’s chain flew forward once more, swinging through where I had been standing.

Interesting.

Without the blades attached I had assumed Zet would go for using it as a heavy-duty whip, but the way the chain had swept through reminded me of a lasso, meant to capture and immobilize me.

Jump!

I threw myself to my feet, leaping up and over Tez’s staff as it swung low, meant to knock me off balance.

They aren’t giving me an inch!

I could understand now why Dayvin and Veronika had struggled when fighting against the twins as a pair, it was as if every movement were done in perfect synch with one another, impossibly little time with which to react in between their continuous assault.

I’m at a deadlock. No, worse. I’m losing ground.

I couldn’t just rely on ruptured body. Using it more than once every few days would make the backlash exponentially worse, and anyways, any attacks I tried with ruptured body would be a singular straightforward one and done. Sure, I could remove one of the twins from the fight, but there would still be one more, and with as much as I’d likely be hurting after, they would be able to finish me off.

Metaphorically speaking, or at least I hoped.

This would be a fight without magical gimmicks, just me, my sword, and my pride as a swordsman.

I can do that.

I sucked in a breath, drawing in what little fluid mana there was as my chaotic thoughts didn’t so much as slow, but compose themselves.

Well, maybe a little bit of magic.

Watching the twins now, I could see the way their bodies moved. Coordinated with one another they were, but that didn’t mean the movements they were synchronizing with were exceptionally well practiced. I could see the individual gaps in their defenses, their inefficiencies in their steps. Taught by Dayvin and Veronika they fought with a soldier’s mindset, but this wasn’t a fight between soldiers on a front line, but between adventurers.

Or well, two adventurers and one wanna-be adventurer.

Take advantage of it.

Going once more on the offensive I shot forward, miming as if I were about to make a downward sweeping strike at Tez’s calf. Instantly her staff was swung low to intercept as at the same time I saw Zet’s chain snap forward to take advantage of the split second where I would be stunned after finding my attack rebuffed.

Except, it wasn’t, because rather than commit I forced my body into a forward roll past Tez and towards Zet whose chain had just been flung forward.

In a fight between opposing armies, the battlefield would be fought on fronts, with your enemies directly in front of you, not rolling past where they would be chopped up by your allies.

But this wasn’t a battlefield. There was no one guarding their sides or their backs, I’d noted their tendency to remain open on their weakside, the effect of having been taught by Veronika and Dayvin I assumed.

Past Tez I was free to attack Zet head on. He yanked his chain back, but it was too slow as I ran up and slugged him as hard in the face as I could.

It wasn’t a part or move of any of my sword styles, I just really wanted to land a nice solid punch after they’d almost broken my bones several times in one fight.

Damn that felt good.

Zet staggered back, but I wasn’t done yet. I sent a kick into his shin, causing him to drop to his knee as my sword stabbed out towards his face.

No, of course I wasn’t about to kill him.

At the last second, I swerved my sword off to the side, the blade stabbing past his ear as I saw a bead of sweat drop from his brow.

“Zet is out.” Dayvin called. Satisfied, I spun around to face my final opponent, the smirk on my face knocked clean free when her staff swung out and caught me in the side, my own sword having barely caught it on the flat side of the blade as I was tossed away in a sprawling roll.

That’s on me.

I’d gotten carried away and forgotten the fact that Tez was directly behind me, it wasn’t as if in a fight a person or monster would let you take a time out after beating one of them.

Lesson learned.

Had I not gotten my blade in the way of the strike, Dayvin likely would have called the fight then and there, her own bladed staff if turned the right way would have sliced through me.

I’d paid for the lesson with a bruise to my side, but all things considered it was a cheap price to pay.

I stood up, my feet softly sinking into the sand as I padded towards Tez. Between the two twins, Zet had the more outright dangerous and ridiculous weapon, but it’s weakness had been his undoing, too unwieldy when forced into a close quarters fight. While Tez’s weapon was more mundane in comparison, it was reliable, and Tez herself I had quickly realized was the better fighter between the pair. Just because it was only her left, I couldn’t afford to relax.

Already took a hit I shouldn’t have.

Tez had evidently learned by watching that it was unwise to let me take the offensive, the gaps in their defense blaringly obvious to me, so she came to me, her bladed staff shooting forward in a fast jab.

I stepped to the side of the strike, attempting to grab the haft of the staff and pull it away from the girl, but I paid for it as she yanked it back, her grip far stronger than I anticipated. She pulled me forward, slamming her head forward in an effort to headbutt me, but I dropped low, sweeping a leg from under her as I thrust my sword down. The girl rolled out of the way, sweeping her staff out to knock me down with her, but I stomped hard, trapping the staff underfoot before kicking out with my other foot and dislodging her hand from its grip on the shaft.

Unarmed, when she stood back up with her hands raised as my sword point was held in front of her face.

“Tez is out.” Dayvin sighed as I lowered my sword. “That makes Rook the victor.”

I smiled, satisfied with the result. I hadn’t been religiously practicing with a sword since I could remember for no reason after all.

“Damn.” Zet whistled as he approached us. “And you didn’t even move as fast as you did with the ants.”

“I don’t like to pull that out too often.” I answered, giving his outstretched hand a shake.

“Hmm. Don’t know why.” Tez seemed sourer about losing than her brother, but with a sigh she stretched her hand out as well, a show of good will. “It’s like you saw right through us.”

“You guys have a pattern, you act like there are more people around you than there are.”

“Our fault.” Dayvin acknowledged. “Me and Veronika learned our fighting after enlisting. When we began teaching those two, they must have picked up on some of our habits from our time enlisted.”

“That’s what I figured.” I dusted some of the sand off from my clothes as I looked between the three of them, finally settling on Dayvin. “So, are you satisfied with what you saw?”

“You’re good, better than us if that isn’t already obvious.” Dayvin snorted. “Even without that flashy move from the other day you took those two apart without much effort.”

“Hey!” Tez was staring daggers at Dayvin, but he merely shrugged. “What? I watched the entire thing from the side. Except for when he seemed to forget you were here, he never looked like he was doing more than biding his time.”

I half smiled, as Tez began to argue with Zet and Dayvin about how hard the reality of how hard they may or may not have pushed me. The afterglow of my victory was beginning to fade as my pride as replaced with something else.

Guilt.

Am I really who I think I am? Or is it just a side effect of being a reincarnation?

The thought troubled me more than I cared to admit, my pride as a swordman of having spent years working to be as good as I was, was it all just a fraud?

Was I a fraud?

We began making our way back to where we were staring, and for having not been the one on the receiving end of the beat down, I was quiet as if I had been. The small city was even darker than when we had made our way to its outskirts earlier, and when we at last returned to the adventurers rest, I spotted only a single person at the bar drinking the night slowly away.

I quickly departed from the Red Foxes who were rooming together, bidding them good night before slinking away, looking forward to the thoughtless embrace of sleep.

Fraud.

Fraud.

Fraud.

I settled into my cot for the night, until at last I was lulled to sleep by the cruel whispers of my own mind.