The sun began to set over the horizon as the ferry moved through the waves. After an hour’s journey at sea, the island of Tesctan was finally in sight.

“Ha, finally!” Silica, Liana, and Jil had stayed at the prow of the ship for the short voyage from Chadd to the main island in the archipelago. Yet for Silica, this was her first real time seeing the island as a fully-fledged adventurer. The Gormott archipelago was made up of five islands in total; Testcan, Jor, Malicina, Vulkres, and finally Chadd. Of the three, only Testcan and Chadd were inhabited by humans. From what Silica heard, Jor’s settlements were destroyed by the orc pirate raid that Gran put a stop to and had never been rebuilt after. Malicina meanwhile was an orc stronghold which the empire had long given up on trying to break. Vulkres was a volcanic island, always brimming with smoke. Silica’s home island of Chadd was an outlining island and known only for the fishing village and the catacombs beneath that guaranteed at least a guild’s presence.

Testcan was the largest on the island sitting at the heart of the archipelago. It had the largest town, the port of Testcan, a strong fortress, several mining towns along the mountain range running at the spine of the island as well as grain farms. Due to the proximity to the waterfront further south between the Empire and Mahama, there was a constant flux of traffic from the Erstin continent transporting troops to fight the seemingly endless wars with the southern empire.

“When was the last time you came here?” Liana asked.

“I donno. Few years,” Silica rested her arms over her head. “Doesn’t look any different from out here.”

“To what is our purpose here?” Jil asked, fluttering close to Silica. “Are we not destined for this Free Port Garo mentioned.”

“Well yeah, but the only place that has ships heading there is in Testcan.”

“While we’re there, it may be worth paying Yanes a visit,” Liana said.

“Who?”

“Oh, right. You haven’t met him yet. Yanes’s in charge of the guilds Testcan branch. He and Garo use to work together before Yanes settled here.”

“Huh? Don’t think either of them mentioned him,”

“I don’t think they were that close.” Liana leaned against the rail, using her hand to keep her long blue hair out of her eyes. “But he really helped me adjust to the island when I was starting out.”

Jil fluttered to the railing beside Silica taking a seat. “How much of the world have you seen?” She asked Liana.

“To be honest… Nothing outside the archipelago.” Liana said truthfully. “Though I always wanted to at least go to Free Port. But I promised myself to wait until Silica was ready.”

“Kinda make it sound like I was holding you back,” Silica frowned. Liana responded with a light chuckle. “This might be a little late but,” She then looked down at Jil, “A fairy’s gonna draw us a lot of attention, and I’d rather not get people like the church or the empire involved.”

“I was under the impression you had thought of something before we departed,” Jil frowned.

“.... We could always put you in my bag again.”

“I refuse to be carried in that cramped smelly pouch again.”

“I was thinking,” Liana pushed herself away from the rail. “We could just say she’s your familiar. I doubt many people will find that odd,”

“Familiar?”

“Clara told me about them. Some wizards have the ability to summon a spirit entity that can manifest as an animal or monster. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to pass Jil off as a pixie type.”

“Farmiliar…?” Jil pondered.

“Is that okay with you?”

Jil nodded. “Assuming I will never have to be shoved into your sister's luggage, then it is acceptable.”

“I can always shove you in there,” Silica growled.

A bell was then rung.

“We’re approaching the port,” Liana said, double-checking her bow and quiver. “Come on. Let's get ready to depart.”

“Right.” Silica grabbed her bag and hauled it over her shoulder before checking to see if her sword was at her hip. When she realized it wasn’t she simply chuckled. This is gonna take some getting used to…

Jil took flight, hovering by Silica’s side.

“Okay, welcome to Testcan; biggest port in Gormott.”

****

The ferry slowly sailed into the harbor. The long cape with the lighthouse could be seen on the right. South of that was the ramparts of the island’s fort. Its wall was built and reinforced onto the cliff face. Even in the fading sun, barrels of cannons could be seen poking from the gaps. Up ahead was the large town built at the shore of the harbor. Bricked buildings lined most of it, extending a few miles inland with the large stone walls extending around its perimeter, moving into the sea with a lone circular tower. Smoke could be seen on the top with the garrison preparing to light the fires on top. All across the town, lights began to flicker on as the night began to loom ever closer.

The ship anchored at the docks and extended the ramp to allow the exodus of its passengers. Silica and Liana were the last people to disembark, walking towards the orange coated buildings, moving through the bustle of people who still strolled around the docks.

“Jeez, it really has been ages,” Silica said resting her arms at the back of her head. “So… where’s the guild again?”

“It should be down that street.” Liana said walking ahead of Silica and Jil. “Oh?” She then suddenly stopped.

“What’s up?” Silica asked.

“There’s someone waving at us,” Jil pointed out. Up ahead a soldier was approaching them, waving his arm in the air. “He looks… familiar.”

“Oh, van Jorhan!” Silica waved back. “Wait, why’s he here?”

“He was sent to get reinforcements before the attack, remember,” Liana said.

“Uh… right. Forgot about that.” Silica barely remembered the meeting besides being expelled from the guild and storming out.

“Is he a friend of yours?” Jil asked.

“Kinda. He’s Hal’s dad so-” Silica’s heart pinged at the mention of Hal. “D-Do you think he knows?”

Liana shrugged. By her expression Silica could tell she felt the same way.

“By the goddess, it’s wonderful to see you two,” van Jorhan said as he finally reached the girls. “And you too, good fairy.”

“Uh, greetings,” Jil bowed her head.

“My, my. A lot happened in my absence.” van Jorhan beamed. “I had a letter arrive from Garo yesterday saying your expulsion was revoked. And from what he told me, you’re now the hero of Holbourgh. I’ll be honest, I always believed you’d be! I can tell a hero of the empire when I see one.”

“Y-Yeah, uh…” Silica and Liana exchanged looks at one another. “So um… D-did that letter say anything else?”

Van Jorhan’s joy very quickly dissipated. “Yes….” he took a deep sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I uh… I was told the fate of my son.”

Silica had known van Jorhan for many years. He was a veteran of the wars with Mahama, and had since dedicated his later years into training new recruits. He always seemed cold and difficult to talk, never showing emotion even when he saw guardsmen killed by orcs. For both sisters, this was the first time either had seen him display any emotion.

“I understand… all three of you were there at the end.” van Jorhan sniffed. “Please. Did my son die a soldier?”

“Na,” Silica smiled. “He died like a badass.”

Van Jorhan chuckled. “That is… heartening to hear.”

“We’re really sorry for your loss, van Jorhan.” Liana bowed her head.

“Please don’t concern yourselves. I… I will be fine.” van Jorhan coughed before straightening his posture. “Anyway, to what business do you have on this island? If the fairy’s with you, I suppose you're delivering her to the church?”

“Huh?” Silica crocked her head. “Didn’t you come to meet us?”

“I was not aware you were coming.” van Jorhan pulled out a letter. “I was going to give this to the postal service to send back to Holbourgh. It’s in regards to the reinforcements.”

“Oh, you mean they're sending soldiers over?” Liana asked.

“Well…” van Jorhan stroked his beard. “They’ve been diverted.”

“What?”

“Diverted?”

Both Silica and Liana looked shocked.

“There was a more pressing incident in the north. Given the islands importance, the governor-”

“Is just gonna abandon Holbourgh!” Silica exclaimed outraged. “You have any idea of the guards that were killed that night?! What if the burrow attacks?!”

“I assure you I intend to petition the governor over the matter first thing in the morning.” van Jorhan said. “I will not abandon our home to any threat, be it orcs or whatever it was that attacked that fateful night. For that, you have my word.”

“But… you harbor doubts about your success.”

“Wh-?” Van Johan looked astonished at Jil. The fairy realized she had spoken out loud flustered. Silica guessed it was her ability to read other people’s emotions.

“F-Forgive me. I meant no disrespect.” Jil bowed her head.

“No, you are correct.” van Jorhan sighed. “Governor Calonico is… a difficult man to say the least.”

“Difficult?”

“Means he’s a fat bastard who doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” Silica pouted.

“Silica!” Liana snapped.

“What? It’s true.”

Van Jorhan chuckled. “I see you haven’t lost that sharp tongue. It is true not many in the archipelago think highly of his majesty's representative but he still speaks with the emperor's voice.”

“Well that’s encouraging…” Silica muttered under her breath, earning herself another stern look from Liana.

“Well, we wish you the best of luck regardless,” Liana said with a weak smile.

“I will do my utmost.” van Jorhan smiled back. “Oh, pardon me, you haven’t answered my inquiry.”

“Oh, right,” Liana gave the soldier a quick rundown of what had happened earlier today and the journey they were undertaking.

“S-Serendipity?!” van Jorhan did not take the news with a smile on his face. “You two?!”

“Yep,” Silica grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “So we’re off to Free Port to find a boat that’ll take us there.”

“I-I am to blame for this…” Jil bowed her head. “Unfortunately it cannot be undone. Silica must be the one to take me to Serendipity.”

“You can sound a little more enthusiastic about it,” Silica glared at her partner.

“I’ll be with her too. Someone needs to keep her out of trouble.” Liana said, earning her a glare from her sister.

“Well then… I suppose I should pray to the goddess for your safe journey.” van Jorhan said, clearly still trying to process what he was told. “You’ll certainly need it.”

With a ruffle of his hair, the soldier saluted the girls. “Anyway, I must be off before the post office closes. I do wish you all the best for the road ahead.” With the final gesture, van Jorhan took his leave.

“So they’re gonna abandon Holbourgh. What a shock,” Silica pouted walking on with Jil fluttering behind her. With her hands resting on the back of her head, she walked down the main street.

“Silica. The Empire does have more on its plate than ever before.” Liana said following her sister through the cobbled streets. “If you even bother to keep up with the newspapers you’d know they’re fighting both Mahama over Progg and the Eastern army over Vescel. Not to mention the Norra that raided the north of Estine.”

“Yeah yeah. They’re too busy to deal with stuff like orcs or those monsters that attacked our town. That’s what the guild’s for,” Silica said.

“I think you're being a little unfair. I know you're not a huge fan of the Empire but we are still a part of it.”

Silica continued to scowl. She didn’t particularly hate the Empire, in fact she barely knew anything about it having never visited the continent. All she could remember was the recent lord visiting Holbourgh 4 years ago, Governor Vercel Calonico. The man didn’t even hold anything back, hurling nothing but insults at their way of life and to the guild. Since then she’s been particularly skeptical of the nobility, seeing them all as uncaring bastards who couldn’t care less how those who lived in the colonies.

“What is this Empire you speak of?” Jil asked.

“Oh, guess you wouldn’t know huh,” Silica cast off her sour mood. “You uh, know what an empire is, right?”

“I do to an extent,” Jil muttered, rubbing her chin as she pondered. “To my recollection, it is a mortal style of nation that encomiums large sways of land.”

“Right.” Liana nodded. “The Erstine Empire is what we’re a part of. It’s the largest nation on the Colberat continent North East of here. Along with that, they have dominion of a lot of the islands in this part of the sea.”

“Hal and van Jorhan, and even old man Claude is… well was soldiers in the army.”

“Hal was island guard,” Liana corrected. “His dream was to one day join the imperial army.”

“The Island guard?” Jil said.

“It’s soldiers from the colonies. Their official name is the colonia auxilia, though people like us just call them ‘island guard’ for short.”

“I see. I certainly have a lot to learn about the world in its current state.” Jil nodded.” Jil nodded curiously. “What are these wars you were mentioning?”

“Basically, land grabs or power shit,” Silica huffed. “In the south, there’s another empire called Mahama. They’ve been fighting the Empire for years now.”

“And to the west is the Gao empire. Though that’s…. More complicated than with Mahama.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, from what I know, that empire’s been in a state of perpetual civil war for over a century.”

“Seriously?” Silica looked surprised.

“Didn’t you pay attention to Clara’s history lessons?”

“.... Most’ve em.”

Liana chuckled. “I think it was a rebellion against the Celestial emperor that caused a lot of the generals to start fighting against each other, even killing the old court. Donno much about what happened after that, but since then a lot of these warlords carved out their own kingdoms and dominions in the continent. The main ones the empire fights are the Eastern army and the Hǎilóng.”

“I see…” Jil flew to Silica and landed on top of her head. “Your world's politics sound ludicrously complex.”

“You’re telling me, I can barely understand half of all that,” Silica groaned.

Liana chuckled as she walked out in front. “Come on. Let’s get to the guild before nightfall.”

****

After leaving the docks, the two walked up the main street lined with wooden stalls that had been stripped down for the night. Unlike Holbough, the town was far more compact, with large blocks of brick-built buildings lining the street in close, orderly formation.

Liana, who had been to Tesctan a number of times, led Silica and Jil through the streets. As she did, Silica couldn’t help but notice a lot of people were turning to stare at them, or specifically Jil. However, a majority of the people that passed them by barely raised an eyebrow to them.

“And, here we are.” Liana stopped in front of a pub-like building. “The Tesctan adventurer guild.”

“This?” Silica crocked her head. “It’s no bigger than the Poached eel back home.”

“That’s what I thought too when I first came here.” Liana chuckled. “Come on.”

Silica and Jil followed Liana into the building. Despite the difference in architecture, the interior was much like that of the Poached eel. Long tables lined the space, a large board to the left of the room overlaid with posters, a bar at the far end; the only discernible difference was the number of people present. Only one table was occupied by a group of three adventures, all turning to look at the girls as they walked in.

“The hell… there’s barely anyone here?” Silica said.

“That is unusual….” Liana said, puzzled. “Even at this time of day, this place should be packed.”

“Could it be they have retired for the evening?” Jil asked. “That is what humans do at this time of day I believe.”

“Well yeah, but it’s way too early for that.” Silica said resting her hand over her head.

The three approached the desk where they were greeted by a middle-aged man wearing round spectacles, long scruffy hair tied into a ponytail at the back and a book in his hand. His eyes were squinted, making it seem as though his eyes were closed. However, he seemed to notice when the girls approached him.

“Liana Hale?”

“Hi Yanes. It’s been too long.” Liana greeted.

“Two years, by my count.” The man said getting up from his chair. “Dare say you look every bit as beautiful as your mother.”

“Aw, you think so,” Liana beamed. Silica stared at her, narrowing her eyes. She never knew her sister to care about her outward appearance.

“Silver hair,” The man then turned his attention to Silica, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “And odd-colored eyes…. Liana is she-”

“Yep.” Liana stood to one side waving her arm out, “May I introduce to you my adorable little sister; Silica.”

“H-Hey,” Silica’s cheeks burned.

“Yes, I knew right away.” The man nodded. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Silica. Both Garo and Kline have told me a fair deal about you.”

“Yeah… uh, exactly how much did they tell you?”

“Enough to know I should keep a close eye on you.”

Silica silently cursed her adoptive father and mentor (and likely Liana) for whatever stories they had relayed to who was as far as she was concern a total stranger. She could also hear some snickering close to her left ear. Turning her head sharply, Jil quickly turned her head, innocently whistling.

“Ah, where are my manners.” The man smiled and placed a hand to his heart. “Yanes O’lang. I am in charge of the adventurer’s guild, Tesctan branch.” His expression then changed as he slowly crocked his head to one side. “Forgive me for asking but… who, and what is that beside you.”

Both Silica and Jil froze in place. This was the first time they were confronted by someone about the fairy which put their ready-made excuse to the test.

“G-Greetings,” Jil bowed her head nervously. “My name is Jil. I-I’m, uh…”

“She’s my, uh, familiar!” Silica finished for her partner.

“A familiar?” Yanes didn’t sound very convinced.

“Th-They come in all shapes and sizes after all.” Silica blurted out without thinking.

“Yes of course.” Yanes nodded. “Although, I never heard from either my colleagues that you were training to be a wizard, let alone conjuring a familiar of your own.”

“Uhhh…” Silica’s mind went blank.

“Sorry, her circumstances are a little… complicated,” Liana spoke up for her sister.

“Ah, say no more.” Yanes smiled weakly. “I’ve learned in all my years working for the guild that everyone has something they wish to remain private. Fret not, I will not pry further,”

Silica breathed a sigh of relief.

“Perhaps we should think of a better excuse than this familiar business?” Jil whispered.

“There’s always my bag like a good little pet- Ow!” Silica smacked her ear following a sharp prick. Looking back at Jil, she saw the little fairy glaring at her while clutching a single strand of her hair. “I was kidding…”

“But you were considering it. I can read your emotions, remember.”

“That’s no excuse to pluck my hair out you little fly!” Silica swatted at Jil who effortlessly dodged before drop kicking Silica in the middle of the forehead.

Liana simply laughed weakly while Yanes looked away trying to hide his laughter. “So anyway,” His demeanor then changed, his voice becoming somber. “I uh… heard about the attack on Holbourgh.”

Liana jumped slightly at the mention. Silica meanwhile was prying Jil from her cheek when he mentioned Holbourgh. Slowly, Jil released Silica and fluttered away while Silica felt the wave of somber emotions surging over her once more.

“You have my deepest sympathies. From Garo’s letter, no one should’ve experienced what you went through that night.”

“.... Does the guild know anything?” Liana finally asked.

“I can’t say. I’ve only just sent the reports back to HQ in Free Port. But that van Jorhan fellow… I learned his son was killed in the attack. I had to cut the poor guy off last night and escort him back home.”

“We actually ran into him at the harbor. He did seem pretty rough.” Silica said. Jil suddenly looked at her as Silica could feel a ping of frustration on that encounter. “Say, is it true the empire’s not gonna do a thing about the attack?”

“Silica don’t,” Liana said sternly.

“Not exactly,” Yanes said. “They were preparing to reinforce Chadd, both for the attack and the investigation into that pillar of light that appeared.”

“Pillar of…. light?”

“You must’ve seen it? They say it erupted. At the height of the battle.”

“Oh…” Silica slowly looked to Jil, seeing she had the same conclusion.

“It must’ve been a result of our contract.” She whispered.

Silica looked to Liana, who gave her a weak smile before looking back to Yanes. “Well, Holbourgh can still count on the guild for assistance in this trying time, right?”

Yanes slowly looked away. “Not… quite.” He said slowly.

“Huh?”

“Yanes?”

With a deep sigh, Yanes folded his arms. “Unfortunately, we’ve had our own calamity at the moment. About two days ago, an orc raiding party landed at the northern point of the island and occupied the mining town of Fawn.

“Occupied?” Liana repeated, puzzled.

“Is that unusual?” Jil asked.

“Well, yeah. When orc’s attack they burn towns to the ground.” Silica explained to her. “Lost count of how many times they tried to do that to Holbourgh.”

“It’s not as unheard of as you think, although it is rare for orcs to settle into human towns and cities unless they’re intending to turn them into forts or strongholds.” Yanes continued. “To make things more bizarre, they’ve been abducting people from the farms across the island.”

“Wait, abducting?” Liana pondered. “That is strange.”

“Yeah, so what’s this gotta do with not helping Holbourgh?” Silica asked.

“Unfortunately, the local adventures are more concerned with repelling the orcs. And after losing Malicina, the Empire cannot afford to lose this island.” Yanes said, bowing his head. “I’m sorry, but until the orcs have been dealt with, I doubt Holbourgh will be seeing any reinforcements from either the Empire or the guild.”

Silica clicked her tongue. Given the damage caused by the skull knights, another orc attack could be enough to finish the town off. Even though she had finally left, Holbourgh was still her home.

“Wait…” Suddenly, Silica got a brain wave. “If the orcs are gone… Then you guys’ll have to help Holbourgh, right?”

Yanes adjusted his glasses before replying. “Well, yes. The army has already been mobilized along with most of the adventures on this island. They're heading to Fawn as we speak.

“Silica…” Liana narrowed her eyes. “I know what you're thinking.” It was clear by her tone that she was not on Silica’s side.

“Come on, we’ve done this a hundred times in the catacombs!” Silica boasted enthusiastically. “It’s simple; we go up there with that army, find and kill the warboss and let the hoard tear itself apart leaving it ripe to get crushed by the imperial army. Simple right!”

“Simple, yet highly dangerous and ill-advised for someone of your level of experience,” Jil said matter-of-factly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I beat that knight thing.”

“I know, I was there. And we barely won.”

Silica pouted. “They’re just orcs. I fought them hundreds of times. You probably don’t know what they are-”

“They are big, green, have tusks and are highly aggressive.”

“Okay… so you know exactly who they are.”

“I may have lost my memory, but if I know what a human is I am fairly certain I know what an orc is as well.”

“Relax, I killed a bunch of them already. Right Liana?”

“Do you really think I will be giving positive examples in your defense?” Liana scowled.

“Uhh… probably not.” Silica admitted quietly. Truth was most of her one on one fights with orcs ended in near brushes with death. It was common knowledge that an orc could outmatch a human in terms of physical strength even if said person was enhanced with mana. While commonly lacking in mana and magic, the orcs more than made up for that shortcoming by being stronger, more naturally resilient, and most crucially came in overwhelming numbers. Taking over an entire town would mean that the force that attacked was far larger a force than anything the burrow had assailed Holbourgh with.

“I know how you feel. I’m frustrated too.” Liana continued. “But we’re supposed to be going to Free Port. Let the adventures and the army handle this. I’m sure it’ll be more than enough.”

Silica sighed in defeat. “Fine,” She grumped.

“So the two of you are off to Free Port?” Yanes said before noticing Jil. “Sorry, three of you.”

“That’s right. Do you know when the next ship will be departing?”

“Unfortunately, that ship left this morning. The next one will be coming in about a week.”

“A week?”

“Sadly yes. The ships that’ll go from here to Free Port would usually have sailed from the mainland to the other colonies. They come regularly enough, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.”

“In other words, we’ve got lots of time to kill in the meantime.” Silica said with joy as both Liana and Jil reeled at what was to come.

“That still does not give us reason or an obligation to do something so dangerous,” Jil stated matter-of-factly.

“Liana said it herself, there'll be lots of seasoned adventurers going up there. We’ll probably end up fighting off stragglers and goblins if they got any with them.”

“Silica…” Liana scowled.

“Come on. It’s our home. If we’re going away for goddess knows how long, wouldn’t it be better to know it’s gonna be all right.”

“.... I guess it would take a lot of my mind,” Liana sighed.

“Plus it’ll give us the opportunity to sharpen our skills and teamwork before we set out.” Silica continued, now facing Jil. “Given where we’re going, I’m sure it’ll do us a lotta good to get our act together.”

“That’s a fairy convenient excuse to come up with on the spot,” Jil said glaring at her. In the end she let out a deep sigh of defeat. “I had a feeling I may regret my decision.” She groaned as Silica playfully stuck out her tongue.

Liana couldn’t help but let out a weak chuckle.

“She certainly lives up to how Kline and Garo described her.” Yanes said, folding his arms. “Well, if you want to help I won't stop you,” he said pushing up his glasses. “I’d recommend you stay for the night and set off in the morning. The Empire’s planning a full-scale assault on the town then so you should make it before the fighting starts.”

“Thanks Yanes,” Liana said.

“We won’t disappoint you,” Silica said, turning about before Jil stopped her by flying directly in front of her.

“You do everything I say, exactly as I say it. Are we clear?”

“Jeez, you're worse than mom…”

****

Yanes watched the two girls walk out the doors before slumping back down on his chair, book in hand. Someone then approached the counter, sitting a few feet away with a drink in his hand.

“So that’s Kline and Valary’s little kids,” He said, twirling his drink. “And I thought that last pair was interesting.”

“What do you make of them?” Yanes asked.

“Part from the fact they’re clearly hiding something ‘bout that little critter.” The man chuckled, raising his glass. The dim light reflected off the charm he had around his wrist. “Well, so far they’re just a bunch of brats. Specially that silver haired one.” A fedora was set down on the table, a single feather poking out from the band. “Depends how they handle these orcs, but I got a good feelin’ ‘bout em.”

“I suppose it will be HQ that will determine what they’re worth,” Yanes said, turning a page in his book. “So… how fair is the good count.”

The man clicked his tongue, shooting a wide grin. “Oh, it’s getten’ interesting. As of yesterday the governers personal guard just made an arrest of a very peculiar adventure.” He said raising his glass, “You know the one. Gao warrior, red and black changshan, two swords, long black hair.”

“I see…” Yanes pushed his glasses up. “I wonder what he could want with him of all people.”

“Who knows,” the man gulped his drink down and grabbed his hat. “All I can say is that man’s definitely up to somethin’ he doesn’t want the guild, nor the Empire to know about.” He then got up and grabbed his rifle that was sitting at his side. “And I intend to find that out.”

“Do take care of yourself Donald.” Yanes turned a page in his book.

“Please, who’d ya think I am?” Donald Rochesc, placed his fedora on top of his short blond hair, turning to Yanes with a grin. His light gray leather jacket bore a fist emblem. “Taken’ down corrupted nobles is why I joined the guild to begin with.”

Fawn ambush

Captain Morgen stood atop the mound of the camp which had a clear view over what was the town of Fawn.

“Those damn brutes…” He grumbled as he peered through a pair of binoculars. At his side was the adventurers guild representative, Braun. A giant of a man with a war axe strapped to his back. He took the binoculars and looked at the town.

The town’s wooden palisades that kept out monsters were reinforced. The neet wooden stockade was now a patchwork of lumber, planks and spikes decorated with skulls and bones likely of the warbands hunts and victims. The town beyond was ruined. The stone houses that lined the mountain range were damaged and destroyed, laminated by bonfires. The empire had constructed a camp for the night in a nearby gully with a small wood, hidden just out of sight from the town and in a perfect defensible location. The woods were nearly buried into the gully behind the camp, and the drop along with the open ground separating them and the town, any attack made would be seen coming.

“To think they actually occupied the town,” Braun said, lowering the binoculars. He was a local of Tesctan, which made the current situation in Fawn that much worse for him. “I know we are attacking in the morning but, the orcs will put up a fight.”

Captain Morgan chuckled, twirling the edge of his mustache. “That’s why we have those.” He gestured to the cannons that were being set up along the ridge. The gunner crews were proceeding to the maintenance of the weapons, cleaning out the barrels and having the crates of ammunition at the ready.

“From what we’ve learned, those that were abducted were taken into the mine and out of harm's way. Come daybreak we’ll pound the orc defenses with cannon fire. The mindless monsters they are, they will charge out to meet us. Gunners will line the ridge and pin them down while the men engage them in the open supported by the gunners. While we clean up their main force it's up to you and yours to infiltrate the camp and rescue the survivors.”

“That sounds ambitious,” Braun said looking back at the camp in the nearby woods, concealed from sight of Fawn by the ridge. “You only have a thousand men with you.”

“That will be more than enough to clean up that rabble.” Morgan dismissed walking back to the camp.

“We don’t know the full size of the enemy or who leads them.”

“We have them outgunned. And as much as I hate to admit it, adventures like yourself can put up a fight against their kind.”

“I don’t doubt it, but I have fought orcs long enough to know that we shouldn’t underestimate them. They could be up to something for all we know,”

“They are mindless, volatile beasts lacking even the most basic of intelligence. I have led many suppression campaigns against their kind to know what to expect.” Morgan stopped and turned to Braun, tapping him on the chest. “You are under no obligation to follow my orders. If you don’t like my council, by all means, do whatever you want so long as it doesn’t put me, and my men at risk.”

With a final huff, captain Morgan left Braun, disappearing into his tent. Braun did not share the captain's optimism. It was no secret there were many in the empire that distrusted the guild, and the captain was certainly one of those people. That was made evident by the treatment of the ten adventures that accompanied the army, one of whom was a Mahaman swordsman. At the far edge of the woods was where their tents were set up, far away from the majority of the main army, making it evident that they did not want the guild's involvement in what they considered an internal matter, determined to obliterate the orcs with imperial might alone.

Nonetheless, the request was made by Admiral Hurby, therefore superseding the infamous count's wishes. As much as the army did not want them here, they had little choice but to rely on the guild's support.

“Some things never change.”

****

“Okay, breath and…” With a flash, Mar Branser opened his eyes and lunged his spear forward into a tree before pulling back, examining the hole he made. The red, spiky-haired boy rested his spear’s point on the ground. “Still got it!” He cheered to himself.

“Hey kid! There’s such a thing as training too hard! Come on, relax would ya.” One of the adventurers, Marke, called out.

“Ha ha! Sorry. My old instructor told me to practice regularly.” Mar said stroking the back of his head. “He was sure to drill that point into me.”

With a smile, Mar hooked his spear into the strap of his back. This leather band wrapped around his right shoulder, over his green tunic to his waist, sporting chains and a charm. Along with that he wore his fingerless leather gloves and sporting long trousers and strong boots.

“Must’ve been quite the instructor. You look like a man possessed,” Lucina joked, handing him some stew Log had prepared.

“He was…” Mar shuddered as he took the food. “By the goddess he was.”

“Haha, I feel your pain friend.” Hema, the Mahaman swordsman chuckled, sharpening his talwar with a whetstone. “As grateful as I am to the man who trained me, I don’t have too many fond memories of that experience.”

Mar chuckled before sipping down his soup. Around the bonfire sat his fellow adventures all coming to enjoy the meal prepared. Marke, a pilfiger. Lucina and Thormak, two wizards. Hema, Decan, Lorita, all three swordsmen. Then finally Tozak, Blen and Rickter, the former being an archer with a crossbow and the other two armed with rifles. Mar didn’t know any of them well, merely taking the orc suppression job when it was offered to his partner from the guild receptionist of the island Yanes.

“Hey Mar,” Blen, after gulping down his soup let out a small burp. “Where’s your friend.”

“Oh, Soma? Good uh… question. He’s-”

“There he is.” Lucina pointed behind him.

Running out of the woods was his partner, Soma. A fairly young looking boy with short blond hair, wearing fairly well-made explorer garments, a light brown cap, a very heavy looking rucksack, and a staff with a large diamond crystal as its tip.

“Hey, kid.” Marke waved. “Want some.”

“Oh, thanks. Maybe later.” The boy said. “Mar, could you come with me.”

“Uh, sure,” Mar put down his food and got up. “See you guys later.”

“Don’t go too far!” Lucina called.

With a wave, Mar then followed Soma through the woods, using his staff's crystal to light his way.

“Sorry about this. I just need someone to watch my back.” Soma said.

“No problem. It’s what partners are for, right?” Mar said. However, the thrush was he didn’t know much about Soma. He had only met him on the ship going to Gormott, hitting it off on the voyage. The boy was fairly reserved, not saying much about himself absorbed in the large book he carried in the rucksack. All he knew was that he was from the empire and a scholar in training at that. When he said he wanted to investigate the ruins that were on Tesctan he asked Mar if they could form a party. Mar agreed. It was when they arrived that the attack on Fawn happened. As it was where Soma wanted to go to Fawn’s mine, he agreed to be part of the expedition despite Mar saying he should sit it out.

“So what are we doing out here?”

“We’re looking for… There!” Soma then ran down a small glade, coming to a stop at an overgrown obelisk jutting from the ground. Setting his staff in the ground nearby, Soma unclipped his backpack, setting it down on the ground before fishing out the large worn tome.

“What’s this?” Mar asked, tapping the rock. “A ruin?”

“Yes,” Soma flipped through the pages to a particular spot before fishing out a notebook. “It’s what I came to this island to investigate.”

“Really? Just this rock?”

“Not just that, no.” Soma shook his head, running his finger over a passage. “About a week ago, I heard that Fawn minders opened a new vein only to find strange ruin. From the reports I read, its architecture was different from that of the Iollian ruins on the island of Chadd.”

“Iollian?”

“One of the ancients before the calamity. The Miskatonic university will likely send researchers to investigate, and given their thoroughness I wanted to have a look before they arrived.” Soma looked up at her partner. “Sorry. I know it’s selfish of me, given the crisis.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Mar grinned. “I’m pretty much in this for selfish reasons.”

“Oh?”

“It’s my dream to become a platinum ranked adventure, just like my master!”

“That is ambitious,” Soma chuckled.

“Yeah, I know it sounds a bit out there,” Mar rose his spear, resting it along his shoulder blades.

“No, I think it’s a good ambition to have,” Soma said, returning his focus to the ruin. “Let’s see…”

“I just thought… Wouldn’t it make more sense to do this in the morning?”

“It would, but we have a battle to fight. Who knows if it will survive- wait…” Soma then brushed off a part of the moss from the obelisk. He then grabbed his staff close to the crystal head, bringing the light closer. “But that’s…”

“Find something?” Mar asked. Soma didn’t seem to hear, throwing his head back into his large tome muttering to himself, seeming completely absorbed by the ancient rock. Seeing that he’ll be getting no response, Mar moved away, scanning the environment. His instructor had drilled it into him to always be aware of his surroundings.

“No doubt about it. This was a waystone,” Soma muttered out loud. “But why is-”

He then stopped abruptly, snapping his head out into the forest. “Mar. Someone’s out there.”

Mar quickly snapped to attention as Soma retrieved his staff. “What is it? Orcs? A monster?”

“I’m not sure…” Soma edged himself closer to his partner. The light on the crystal intensified, fighting back more of the darkness. There was nothing in their immediate surroundings, yet the ever oppressive darkness loomed over, with Soma’s light barely touching large sways of the dense treeline.

“You sure it wasn’t a wild animal?” Mar asked again, yet did not drop his guard.

“No, definitely not…” Soma said, closing his eyes. “It’s close… Very close!”

All of a sudden, Soma slammed his staff into the ground. Light erupted from the crystal as a barrier formed. Moments later, three flashes of light burst at their six o’clock. As the barrier collapsed, Mar rushed in front of Soma brandishing his spear. Something had just attacked them and had backed away.

“Who’s there?!” Mar demanded as Soma shone his light. There was a human figure a few feet away, crouching to the ground with a silver saber in their left hand. Whoever it was cut a woman’s figure, though much of it was covered by both the darkness and the cloak covering her upper body. What could be seen as a finely embroiled green tunic and black shorts and long boots. Their face as well was covered by a round wooden mask with two slits for the eyes, decorated with patterns across the bottom.

“Who are you? Are you an adventurer?” Mar demanded.

“Why did you attack us?” Soma asked, holding his staff out.

The figure rose, twirling her sword. “You’ve walked right into a trap.” She said.

“What?” Mar tightened his grip. “What do you mean.”

The figure backed away. “If you want to live,” twirling her sword. “Start running. That’s the only mercy I will grant you, humans.”

“You… humans?”

The woman then spun on her heel just as something lunged at her from the darkness. It was an orc, swinging a battle axe moments before the silver blade effortlessly sliced through the muscular arm. The orc barely had time to react as the woman spun around its body, leaving two deep cuts across its body before following up by decapitating the monster.

“What the-?” Mar took a step back. Soma meanwhile bit his lip before turning about. A spirit shot fired from his staff at a charging goblin, its head bursting on impact with the magic.

Mar reacted fast to defend his partner, lunging his spear at a goblin that leaped over the ruin, impaling it on the point before throwing it aside. The unmistakable war echoed throughout the woods.

“Mar…” Soma backed closer to his partner.

“Yeah,” Mar twirled his spear. “Hey! Get over-” He turned to the woman only to find she was gone.

****

“Hm?” Marek dropped the soup ladle, turning to the woods.

“What is it?” Decan asked. Marke shushed him inching closer to the woods.

“Hey! I got the battleplan from the captain!” Braun announced as he arrived. “Marke? Are you listening?”

“.... Yeah I-” Before the adventure could answer, something crashed into him, taring his torso from his lower body, smashing into a tent close by.

“MARKE?!!” Lorita cried, gasping as the man’s legs fell to the ground. The crash had awoken many of the soldiers of the camp, moving to the adventures lodge. Then, the war cries erupted from the woods. A wave of orcs and goblins poured forth like a wave, crashing into the unprepared men and women before them. The initial charge killed many of the defenseless soldiers before the rest broke, fleeing away from the woods.

“GET BACK! GO!!” Hema yelled as he drew his weapon. As he was the only one with his weapon at the ready, he threw himself at the charging orcs to allow his colleagues to escape. With his southern sword style, he danced around the charging marauders slashing his way through the foes, killing three before an orc with a club blindsided him bashing him on the head with its arm, knocking the man to the ground before bringing its axe down.

Alongside it, a female orc strolled from the darkness of the forest, branding a large bow made of bone, a large quiver at her back, delivering a roar, throwing up her bow as her fellow orcs and goblins stormed the camp.

****

“What’s going on?!” Captain Morgan demanded as he emerged from the camp, drawn out by the noise made outside.

“Sir! The orcs are attacking!!” A nearby soldier yelled.

“WHAT?!” The captain’s mouth dropped. “WHERE?!”

“From the woods sir!”

Gritting his teeth, the captain retreated back into his tent, emerging later with his sword and pistol in hand. “Give orders to the gunners! Turn them around and fire at will!”

“Sir!” The soldier nodded before running to the mound where the guns were set up.

With a grunt, the captain ran towards the chaos, opening fire on the first orc he saw blowing its brains out. Turning about, he took a step back, narrowly avoiding another orc swinging a hammer down, firing his second shot into the beast’s chest before a third into its head.

Chaos reigned throughout the camp. So fast was the assault, a number of soldiers were barely able to grab their weapons, many not even armored, some breaking and attempting to flee only to be grabbed by the rampaging orcs or jumped by goblins. Those that did retrieve their weapons attempted to organize themselves into desperate bands. The sound of gunfire echoes as imperial gunners fired unorganized volleys into the attackers. Swordsmen, spearmen and halberdiers tried to organize themselves, remembering the imperial training of fighting in close formation. Only a handful was able to organize while many were isolated and overwhelmed.

On the ridge, a handful of soldiers and gunners reached the cannons.

“Alright! Turn those things around! Waist those green-skinned bastards!”

As a gunner team reached one of the cannons, something lunged overhead, landing behind the group. It was a dire wolf with a scrawny goblin riding it wearing a leather cap, and had belts stacked full of dynamite and explosives. Flashed its pointy teeth at the gunners before bursting into laughter, holding a stick of dynamite with its fuse lit.

“Two late, humies!” It jeered before throwing his stick at the panicked gunners before charging towards the camp. Explosions then erupted from the cannons and explosive powder storage, all of which had been stocked with bombs and explosives. The goblin and wolf were thrown forwards as the explosions consumed the ridge in flame.

****

Mar leaped back, hitting his back against a tree before ducking under a swing from an orc before running his spear through its gut, kicking it down.

Another orc charged from behind but was then blasted back by an energy blast from Soma. The hulking orc was sent rocketing back, slamming into one of its comrades.

“You okay back there!” Mar asked.

“Yeah… somehow!” Soma said before shooting an energy shot at another orc, burning a hole in its chest. It still charged forward but was killed when Mar charged it, impaling it through the neck with his spear.

“Damnit! Where are they even coming from?” Mar swore, leaping back as a goblin charged at him, inverting his spear and impaling it on the ground, turning sharply before throwing it at another orc. The brute swatted the goblin aside with its hammer as it charged Mar.

“Here goes!” A light blue hew coated the tip of the spear just before Mar leaped off the ground.

Dragons thrust!

In a blaze of blue energy, Mar descended on the charging orc, crashing into it like a meteor piercing a hole through its chest. With the same momentum, Mar leaped off the orc, skidding back towards Soma.

“Stay close to me!” Soma instructed. He held his crystal staff close to him, hovering his free hand close to the crystal. Mana flowed like mist from his hand into the crystal, which began to shine with a near blinding light. “Deliver us from our woes,”

“Soma….” Mar gritted his teeth, releasing yet more orcs and goblins when approaching.

“Bright Purge!”

The light then erupted from the crystal with a loud bang. A wave of blue light flowed through the woods, crashing into the attackers. Their skin frayed as though scorched by fire as they were thrown back with the force of a cannon. The bark of the trees was blown off, branches overhead snapped, leaves scattered in the wind. When the light faded, all that was left was the two adventurers, scorched grass and bodies of orcs and goblins laying motionless on the ground.

“Holy shit….” Mar whistled. “Why couldn’t you do that earlier?”

Soma had partially collapsed on the ground, using his crystal staff for support as he gasped for breath. “It uses…. Way too much mana…”

“Whoa, are you alright?”

Soma waved his hand before forcing himself to his feet. “Y-Yeah… I can still use my magic. But… I won’t be able to do that for a while.”

“Alright,” Mar nodded. “Let’s get back to camp. They’ll probably need our-”

“No,” Soma said suddenly. “The orcs…. They had to have come from somewhere…”

“What do you mean? They came from the town. Where else would they come from!”

“We’re in a gully. There’s no way for them to flank us without someone noticing. Either they slipped an army over open ground undetected when the army has cannons aimed at the town,”

“.... Or they dug a tunnel?” Mar finished off Soma’s train of thought.

“If we find it, we could jump the orcs in their base. Maybe even kill the chief or warboss.”

“What about the others?”

“They’ll be fine. This could be our only chance.”

Mar looked back to where the camp was. Soma simply clicked his tongue before dislodging his staff. “If you wanna go back, that’s fine. I won’t stop you.” He declared bluntly. “But I gotta see those ruins in the mines.” He then began to walk through the darkness.

Mar looked back towards the camp before letting out a deep sigh, clutching his spear tightly. Sorry guys…. Best of luck.

Ignoring the pang of guilt, Soma ran to catch up with his partner.

****

Braun bellowed as he swung his two-handed axe, splitting the skull of an orc. His weapon still bloodied, he pulled it free, letting the corpse collapse to the ground. As more approached, Braun pooled mana into his axe before slamming it on the ground. The earth fractured and burst, throwing four orcs that were charging him to topple to the ground.

“Thormak!”

“Earth Clutch!”

The earth then came alive, swallowing the dazed brutes, dragging them down into the ground while slowly crushing them to death. Behind him, The other adventurers were gathered. Having reunited at the center of camp, the handful of adventures fought off the hoard as best they could.

Thormak and Lucina were at the center of the formation, the former casting offensive spells while the latter used her healing magic on her comrades. Blen and Rickter meanwhile had grabbed imperial guns and ammunition and were sharpshooting the orcs, scoring headshots after headshots. Decen and Lorita were at the front, fighting off the green tide with Braun. Sadly, Hema never caught up with them. Tozak was killed in the initial wave trying to grab his crossbow. The greenhorns, Mar and Soma never returned from whatever it was they were doing in the woods which could only mean that they ran headlong into the orcs and likely were already dead.

The situation was desperate. The camp was now burning. Captain Morgan was a few feet away with a handful of survivors making a final stand.

“Where did they even come from?” Lorita yelled, kicking a goblin back before impaling it on the ground.

“I’m getting low on ammo!” Rickter yelled as he reloaded his weapon.

“Same!” Blen said as he fired his last shot felling an orc. “Braun! We need to get outta here!”

Braun spun on his axis, unleashing an art that turned him into a mini-whirlwind. The goblins that had pounced at him were reduced to bloody smears while an orc was blown back with large gashes across its body. “Agreed!” Braun stopped spinning, heaved his axe overhead, and sent it into the orc as though he were striking lumber, digging into the left shoulder burrowing to the waist.

“Captain Morgan! We have to retreat!”

The captain only just heard him over expelling his ammo into a nearby orc. Halberdiers held their ground, impaling the brutes one after the other.

“Agreed!” The captain yelled. “Troops, prepare to withdraw on my or-”

Before he could finish, a plume of purple mist erupted, consuming the entire imperial formation. The blast distracted the adventures from their battle. Loreta, unfortunately, paid the price for the laps when an orc blindsided her, knocking her to the ground before smashing her head in with its axe.

“No!” Braun retaliated, swiping his axe taking the brutes head off.

He eyed the imperial formation once more, still obscured by the dust from the recent eruption. What could possibly have caused it?

Wounded captain morgan was then seen crawling out, turning about and begging for his life before a black blade plunged into his gut, piercing the armor as though it weren't there. As the smog cleared, the imperial troopers were all over the ground, some dead, others defenseless as the orcs and goblins finished them off. The one looming over captain Morgan gave off a very different vibe. The hulking brute, waring armor of bone and scaled leather with various scapes and tares. A bone jaw hung around the neck. Its face was exposed, with a single braided beard on its chin and a left tusk that had been snapped in half. The gaze it gave Braun was not that of the many that he had killed so far. It was focused, controlled. Its weapon also did not resemble anything that a typical orc would have; a large sword that was not of the usual crude orc designed. Its surface was onyx black and radiating with purple mana, the likes of which Braun had never seen.

It was clear who this was, it was the orc warboss. The one in charge of the invasion. It became more apparent when an orc attempted to charge Braun but was held back by it.

“Go,” Braun said to his comrades. “I’ll buy you as much time as you need.”

“Braun! You can’t-” Blen began.

“GO!” Braun yelled before he broke into a charge.

The warboss roared as it did the same, charging forward to meet his new opponent head-on. Their weapons clashed in a blaze of purple sparks as the two brutes exchanged blows. With his heavy axe, Braun was much slower but had more power behind each of his swings, putting the orc on the defensive. In the adventurer’s experience, a normal orc would become more aggressive and create an opening. Yet this one remained composed, deflecting and dodging each attack. It was not going to be an easy fight.

When is it ever?

Braun dug his axe into the ground before throwing up dirt. The orc reeled back, waving the dust away from its eye.

For my comrades,

Mana pooled on the tip of Brauns axe, giving off a radiant orange glow.

I will put everything on the line!

He unleashed his art, slamming the head to the ground. The earth fractured and burst upwards. With a grin, Braun raised his axe, ready to charge in and finish off the orc. Unfortunately for him, the warboss had not only dodged it, but had leaped to the man’s left side. Purple mana was gathering to cross the black blade. Before Braun could realize what was happening, the orc swung. The black projectile struck the man as he was attempting to turn, shattering his axe’s staff, renting his chest in the process. Braun fell to the ground as the orc warboss loomed over him, his black weapon radiating with the same ominous energy. The last thing he saw was the weapon coming down to his neck.

****

“BRAUN!!!”

Warboss Kuzak had just taken the head off the human when he heard the cries. A human male was charging him, attempting to run him through with its weapon. Kuzak dodged the lunge, grabbed the human by the collar and hoisted him in front of him. Gunfire ranged as two shots tore through the human shield, undoubtedly killing the pitiful creature.

“You bastard!”

Snorting, Kuzak threw the corps aside and charged the remaining human adventures. He deflected two shots from the firearms, leaping off the ground before it came alive and crashed atop a human sharman. The final three humans pose little threat, the warboss carved through them in one swing, unleashing the awesome power of the dark blade.

Chuckling to himself, Kuzak raised his weapon into the burning night sky. With this weapon, entrusted to him by the warlock, he was invisible.

“Bozz!” Golga, the only orc woman in his warband that had taken up a weapon approached, along with a few of the warriors. “The humie’s ‘re all dead. We’ve caught a number ‘a them trying to flee.”

“Kill them,” Kuzak said as he sheathed his weapon. “We cannot risk them sending word of what happened.”

“Who cares! They can send as many of their warriors as they wish! We’ll crush them all the same!” A warrior boasted.

“The warlock's instructions were clear. We cannot allow the humies to discover what we’re up to.” Kuzak scolded. However, the human response was faster then he had thought. They were lucky this time, but the god may not grant them the same favor next time. “Tek!”

The goblin leader emerged, riding his trusty direwolf.

“Speed up the excavation! I want the relic fully unearthed!”

“B-b-but bozz,” Tek stuttered. “Da boyz and slave’s ‘re moven as fast as I can make’em. Any faster ‘n they’d be some accidents.”

“Use the slaves until they break if you have to!” Kuzak growled. “Just ensure that relic is unearthed in full and ready to be moved before the humies respond in force. If any give you trouble, I can always find someone else to take your place.”

“Y-Yes bozz. I’ll get’z right on it!” Tek snapped the reins of his mount as he scarpered into the remains of the camp. Goblins were freckle creatures and a race the orcs always had to keep an eye on. As useful as they were in their societies, they were also more dangerous than their small weak appearances would believe. Any orc who thought little of the goblins would often find a knife at their back. Kuzak did not trust Tak, but there was no denying he needed his explosives and the goblin’s expertise to excavate the ruin.

“Golga, have the boyz take everything of use,” Kuzak instructed. “And… take some of the bodies for the warning.”

Golga grind, bellowing orders to the warriors before departing.

Kuzak took a step forward then stopped. He looked to the ridge at the eastern side of the gully. There was nothing he could see, even with the flames still rising from the camp. Dismissing it as nothing more than his blood still boiling, the warboss began the walk back to the mine.