I stood in a field of roses. The sky was plain white and clear, a refreshing change from the nightmares I typically had. I stood among the field of red, and standing opposing me was a black shadow, ever elusive and hazy. Flowers beside it began to sprout and the hazy creature faded away into the canvas, leaving me with a peaceful and clear scenery. I laid down, laying among the roses, as I felt a hand grab me.

I woke up, immediately grabbing the intruder by the arm and forcing them onto the bed. My vision was still hazy, but I could swear it was someone familiar. I had pushed his or her shoulder down and pinned them down, but as my eyesight cleared up I saw that it was Isabella. She looked so unnatural and out of place in her blue and white casual clothing. I jumped back, landing on the floor, putting the back of my hand on my eyes.

“Why are you in my room?.” I demanded.

“How do you even sleep like that-”

“Get out. Now.” I glared at her.

“Look, I was just here to keep an eye on you. I didn’t know you would be so aware, even in your sleep.”

I sighed. Off to a bad start, but no harm was done. “How did you even get in here?” I demanded harshly.

“Spare key.” she said as she flashed a pair of keys in her hands.

“What do you want?” I asked bluntly.

“I’ve been asked to accompany you for the day.”

“Good gracious, what do you people want.”

“Look, they just want me to make sure you find your way around town.”

“I’m going to go tour around the town and one of my friends is going to take me around. Would you like to come with us?” I was uncertain about asking her, but I didn’t see too many problems emerging from this.

She looked surprised.

“Are you sure you want to invite me along?”

“You’re going to follow me regardless of whether I choose to invite you or not, I’d rather you not be a pest and instead be able to enjoy the day.”

She stared at me for a moment, as if trying to come to a decision.

“Fine, but don’t get any funny ideas.”

“Don’t forget who tried to sneak into my bed.”

“I was not-”

“Let’s get going.” I cut her off as I picked myself up, preparing myself to leave. I grabbed my bag and left the room, slowly walking down the stairs while stretching. I heard Isabella chasing down after me, shouting what seemed like insults.

I stepped outside, finding myself in the company of busy streets, birds chirping and a sun that had just woken up. I begun heading towards The Hearth, leaving Isabella behind so that she would actually have to try to find me. Nobody noticed me now that I was dressed just like any other townsmen, I felt right at place in between everyone else. It felt nice when nobody gave you death glares or told children to stay away from you.

When I arrived at The Hearth, I found Alice inside, cleaning up behind the bar . There was nobody else inside.

“Hey there.”

She turned around, holding a towel.

“Oh hey, give me a moment I”ll be done in a few minutes.”

“You sure you can leave the tavern with nobody else around?”

“Oh, no one comes at this time. Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright then, I have a friend that might-”

I heard the door to the tavern bust open, and what came in barging was an irritated Isabella.

“I meant to say I have a friend that’ll be joining us for the day if you don’t mind.” I told Alice.

“The more the merrier.” Alice spoke in her usual cheerful tone as she continued cleaning.

I took a seat and urged Isabella to do the same. She took the offer, panting as she sat down.

“What’s with you today?” glared Isabella.

“What do you mean?

“You were so cold and unnerving when I first saw you. But when you came in last night, and seemingly was quite friendly with Rachel. You seem to have your guard up all the time, as if uncertain about the world around you. But when you were with Rachel and Alice, you finally seemed… human.”

I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t quite sure how I should respond.

She simply continued staring.

“You really aren't that terrible of a person,” unlike when we first met her voice was calm and collected, and strangely I couldn’t sense a single bit of hostility behind it.

“You don’t know me enough to say that yet.” I responded, breaking eye contact.

“That’s what I know from what I’ve seen so far.”

“Well, you might change your mind later then.”

I looked around for Alice, realizing that she had disappeared while I had been conversing with Isabella. A minute or so later, Alice stepped out from the back, holding a basket. She walked over to Isabella, waving to me.

“Alice, this is Isabella, she’s supposed to accompany me for the day as her task for the church. Isabella, this is my friend, Alice.”

They greeted each other, and did a small self-introduction.

“Well Alice, where do you plan on taking me today.”

“We’re gonna start off with the general districts, then any shops that an adventurer like yourself might find important, and finally we’re gonna have lunch at one of my favorite spots in town. I’m gonna have to be back here a little past noon, so after that you can go around as you need.”

“Alright, sounds good to me.”

Isabella stood up, saying nothing. The three of us walked out, a strange trio. An outsider, a barmaid and a paladin of the church, clearly not your average group.

Alice took me to the market district, showing me around and pointing out any shops that I might be able to use. I marked the clothing shop, training hall, the doctor and the library as I typically frequent those services upon arriving at a time when I had the opportunity to. She also pointed out a few merchants or shops that were known for having crafting materials, as well as merchants that sometimes had rarer resources in stock. Overall, she really knew what she was doing.

A couple hours passed as Alice showed me around, and by noon we had begun going uphill at one of the towers that stood in the town. The stone steps were worn and dirty, it didn’t seem as if too many people frequented this place. But as we emerged atop the tower, we were able to see three other towers and a spectacular view of the whole town. We sat down in the shade, taking in the scenery.

“Whoa,” I was astounded. The view from up there was simply beautiful. Why does no one come up here?” I asked.

“Well, the view’s only great for people who don’t live here. Anyone that lives here will get bored of this place in a short while. But coming here once in a while isn’t too bad.” responded Alice.

“I suppose that makes sense.” I answered softly, taking in the scenery.

“This is what I mean” said Isabella, staring straight at me.

“What?”

“You seem so relaxed now.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Is it because of Alice?”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Just because.”

I looked up at the sky, trying to compose an answer, because I wasn’t sure of the answer myself. It took a few moments of thinking to come up with something.

“They say that the younger you are, the closer you are to innocence. It’s nice to see how people are like before they’re exposed to the cruelty and harshness of reality.” It was true. Ignorance was bliss.

She looked at me, as if I was a complex puzzle that she just couldn’t put down. A minute or so passed, the strong summer winds pushing against us. The shade kept us at a nice and cool temperature, protecting us from the hot sun rays.

“What were you doing before you got here?”

“Nothing worth retelling.”

“Mercenary?”

“No.”

“You make it sound terrible.”

“I’m gonna go down for a little bit, you two lovebirds take it easy!” shouted Alice as she went down without telling us why.

I grinned, but Isabella wasn’t entertained.

“Well, you mind telling me what changed?” she said in a demanding tone.

“Not quite sure actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m a drifter. My whole life, I’ve been in all sorts of places, among all sorts of crowds. But never once did I feel like I was right where I should have been, never once did I think that I could continue on the rest of my life at that one moment. I don’t like people. People didn’t like me either, they said that I’m too cold of a person, that I was closer to an animal than I was to them. Where I’m from, it was different from here. When I arrived, there were people willing to give me a chance. Makes me wonder just how much of the world that I’ve missed, the different people that are willing to accept people like me who are just out of place. It’s strange.”

“Wow.” she sounded surprised.

“What?”

“That sounded so genuine… and lonely.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Do you tell everyone everything as long as they ask?”

“Maybe just you.” I joked.

Isabella puffed up her cheeks, which I found rather amusing.

“Cease your words before I take back the rights to your room.” she said jokingly.

We smiled, enjoying the moment. Alice came back shortly, carrying water bags with her.

“I went to get cold water.” she said while grinning.

“You didn’t have to go that far for us.” I told her.

“It’s fine, I wanted to give you two some time alone.” she said while grinning.

We began talking again, and had lunch together. We had a big meal, bigger than my usual loaf of bread. It wasn’t noon yet, so Alice still had some time before she had to go.

“I’m gonna take a nap,” Alice said as she stretched. “I’ll have to go soon then.

She walked over to Isabella, leaned on her shoulder and shortly after fell asleep. Isabella didn’t seem to mind.

“You have any family?” Isabella stroked Alice’s hair as she slowly but surely fell asleep under the shade.

“Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

She didn’t know how to continue.

“Sorry for asking.” she continued a while later. She put her knees together and held them with her arms, her usual strong and stern face was replaced by a more loose and soft look. Her silence seemed to be indicating that she was thinking about something.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s all in the past.”

“What happened that made you this way?”

“It’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you one day. Probably not.”

“But you weren’t always like this, were you?”

“Who knows. I can’t seem to remember.”

“But you must have been a kind person. And I still think you are.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know.”

“No you don’t.”

“I’ve been working with Rachael for years, she always has that emotionless face on her. She treats everyone the same. She’s undeniably a great person it’s just that she rarely interacts with people more than she needs to. But yesterday when she came back, she had a different expression. A side of her that I’ve rarely seen. Genuine care and concern, as if she found someone that she understood and someone that understood her.”

I looked up. Was this relief I felt? I wasn't sure. It had been a while since I actually thought about what I felt towards another person. But one thing for sure was that what I felt was foreign to me.

“Maybe me and Rachel just understand each other’s pain a little better.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that, I think she understands my pain and can relate.”

“I see.” she responded, seemingly satisfied with my response.

“What do you think about me?” she asked out of the blue.

“What? Where did that come from?” I asked.

“Just answer the question.”

“Good friend, nothing more nothing less.” I responded.

“You’re not like the others.”

“What do you mean.”

“You don’t seem to be interested in women, or anything in general. Everything seems to be the same for you, and it’s strange to see someone so indifferent about everything.”

“How about you? You don’t seem to be committed to anyone from what I’ve seen. In fact, you seem committed to your status as a member of the church more than anything.”

She smiled. “Before I am a woman, I am a member of the holy church.”

When she said that, I recalled a passage from a book I read long ago.

“So that they will not love, for love is the bane of honor, the death of duty.” I cited.

“A Song of Ice and Fire… how do you know that book?” remarked Isabella, seemingly surprised and very familiar with the passage that I had recited.

“What is honor compared to a partner’s love? What is duty compared to the warmth of a newborn child in your arms… or the memory of a loved one’s smiles? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our greatest glory, and our greatest tragedy.”

Isabella remained silent as if pondering over my words.

“Love is an element of life. But so is dedication and commitment. Someone like you with these qualities will surely become a great leader of the church,” I was being serious.

She smiled. “Thank you, that means a lot coming from someone like you. You speak like a philosopher and tell me this, but what do you imagine for yourself in the future?”

I looked down. It was something I thought about a lot, but never really shared with anyone else. “I suppose I want to settle down, live a normal life. Have my sword in the back of the house, be able to walk down the streets and buy food. Just like any other person.”

“Interested in Rachael?” she asked giggling like a schoolgirl.

“Perhaps.”

“Leave it to me, I'll help you guys along!” she said cheerfully.

“I’m kidding, leave her alone.”

I didn’t feel so uncomfortable like this. I always tried to maintain my usual demeanor, but these past two days I felt different. Was this because I had softened up? The past five or so years had been lonesome and difficult. I recalled my arduous journey, but at the same time I wanted to forget everything I had done and move on. The three of us sat there for a while, taking in the view. The silence was warmly welcomed by Alice who looked smug, leaning onto Isabella for support.

Alice woke up a while later, yawning and stretching.

“Oh no, I’m gonna be late!” she exclaimed, quickly getting up. “I guess this is goodbye, Magnus and Isabella, come visit the tavern when you can!” I heard her as she grabbed her basket and quickly ran down the stairs.

“Careful, don’t trip!” shouted Isabella down the stairs.

“I suppose it’s time for me to go as well, you still following?” I asked.

“I don’t really have a choice in this matter.” grumbled Isabella.

The two of us climbed down the tower, slowly adjusting to the sun’s glare after we had nearly dozed off in the shade up above. I began walking towards the guild, I wanted to check what other bounties had been put up since I last went. I found my way across town, taking a while to get used to the layout. It was still a little hard to get used to, but I was slowly but surely getting my bearings around the town.

I opened the door, and yet again I was met with eyes, glares and stares. Isabella came in after me, and this time I heard even more whispers.

“Psst, heard he took out a group of thugs last night.”

“Him alone against six of ems.”

“Probably staged, look at him.”

“Why’s that church chick following him?”

Word spreads fast in a town like this.

I walked over to the request board, keeping an eye out for anything new. The request for the griffin was still up, but I would need to prepare specifically for that beast. Something else to kill time would be helpful. Something surprisingly did catch my eye. “Vampire”.

It seemed that recently in the forest a vampire has taken up residence in one of the caves. It attacked travellers and merchants travelled on moonlit nights, and had posed a problem for other towns as it occupied a trading route, scaring many merchants. This would be an easy one, good for stalling time.

I grabbed the post off the board, proceeding to the reception.

Clara was at her exact place, talking to other adventurers as usual. I waited my turn, lining up. Isabella still followed me, but I could tell that she was getting bored of following me.

“Why don’t you go back for the day?” I asked.

“I can’t, you might do something suspicious.”

“Really? Can’t a man have some time to himself.” I actually needed to get rid of her, I wanted to see the witch about something after this and I didn’t want Isabella poking her nose where it didn’t belong.

“What do you plan to do?”

“Not telling.”

“That’s exactly why.”

“Fine, I need to talk to a very specific individual about a very particular topic, and I’d rather you not be there for it.”

“Why?”

“Personal reasons.”

She looked at me, uncertain about whether I could be trusted or not.

“Look, just this once. I really need to get this sorted out.” I continued.

“Fine, just this once. We’ll part ways after you’re done here.”

I gave out a sigh of relief. Finally.

The line had grown short, and it was my turn.

“Hey, how can I help you?” asked Clara.

“I want to take up the request for this vampire.” I said, handing her the poster.

“Alright, is there anything else you need from us other than a confirmation?”

“I want to find a group to fight the griffin. I like working alone, but even I can’t fight a griffin on my own.

“Alright then, I’ll be informing the others about this. Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“Yes, what happens to the body of the creatures? Is it ours to keep or does the guild confiscate it?”

“Typically, the adventurer is allowed to take their share of the loot and then the guild take what remains. Why? Is there something you’re looking out for?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I might find this vampire useful for something other than just money.”

“Alright then, I wish you luck in your quest.” smiled Clara. “You’ve been a great help to this town.”

“No worries.” I said, turning around to exit. But I was only able to take a few steps before two fully armored adventures stepped into my path, stopping me in my tracks.

“Hold it.” one of them grunted. I kept walking around them, ignoring them.

“We said hold it.” One of them grabbed my back collar.

When the man grabbed Magnus collar, something went very wrong. Nothing physically happened, but for some reason, he couldn’t move. A chill went down his spine, and his movements became weak, as if something was tying him down. As he was isolated in this moment, he could see Magnus as he turned around and saw a glimpse of his eyes. They were a vibrant blue, but so empty and indifferent. It was like staring into the abyss itself.

I dashed behind him immediately. He was frozen in place as I took out my dagger and held it against his throat. I could feel his breathing as I held his throat, as well as the increasing heart rate that he was experiencing. His partner took a step back in surprise as I glared at him. Others had begun staring at us. I leaned in, whispering in the person’s ears, whoever he was.

“Touch me again, and next time I'll take off your arm.” I let go and dropped him onto the ground. I walked out, Isabella following after me.

“They just wanted to talk, you know.” she said.

“They sounded like they wanted trouble.”

“Wouldn’t have hurt to hear them out.”

“I have pressing matters. You have anything else to say? I need to get going now.”

I picked up my pace, heading towards the market district towards the White Daisy. I kept looking over my shoulder, making sure that Isabella still wasn’t tailing me. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, I walked into the alley and entered the shop. I looked around, nobody was there. Nothing much about the shop had changed. I walked over to the trapdoor and began knocking on it. A second later, it popped open, Eve sticking her head out.

“Oh hey, it’s you. Need anything?”

“I need some potions and some mixtures, think you can help me with it?”

“Sure, but come down here first.”

She climbed back down, leaving the trapdoor open. I climbed down, revealing a large transmutation circle and an assortment of materials surrounding it.

“What are you up to?” I asked, uncertain of what to make of this mess.

“Leave it, I can continue later.” she said as she put away the materials. “Take off your shirt and sit down here”, directing me towards the floor.

I took off my shirt, and she cried in glee as she spotted my runes.

“Look, I want to research your body, but also you in general. Will you answer my questions?”

“Will you make me more potions?”

“Of course, don’t worry about it.”

“Fine then.”

“Those runes on your body, they’re inscribed in the demon tongue. But even then, when I touched them, I couldn’t detect a single drop of mana. They were inactive, doing nothing. Runes by nature are supposed to absorb mana from the body in order to fortify or reinforce it. So I had to ask myself, what was it doing?”

“And the conclusion you reached was?”

“It’s suppressing your mana.”

“Alright, so what is it doing to me right now?”

“It’s preventing you from using magic.”

“Do you know a way to get rid of it?

“Look here, sir. Books on demonology are even rarer than ancient relics. You’re lucky I recognized those markings and was actually interested in studying them. It’s dangerous working with demon scripture. Anyone else would be charging a fortune to even tinker with these. But seeing this, if anyone else learns how to create runes like this… it could be very very dangerous.”

“It doesn’t work like that, these runes won’t be that easy to replicate… I was unlucky enough to be branded by a skilled mage.”

“And yet you won’t tell me who, or how you get these runes. You give me very little information to work with, yet expect a lot of results. A bit unfair, don’t you think?”

“Fair point.”

“But that doesn’t matter, since you’re not going to tell me anyways. Plus I doubt if you’re coming to me for help, I doubt you know enough about these runes anyways. I’m assuming you have other business to address other than the runes?”

“I need some healing flasks and griffin bait.”

“Any specific bait?”

“Anything that’ll lure it out of its cave, preferably something with a strong smell. But I need to be able to carry it for a few days, and the smell needs to be containable until I choose to open the bag.”

“Hmm.. I’ll see what I can do. Come back in a few days, I’ll probably have it ready by then. But stay here for a little longer.”

For the rest of the day, she copied the runes on my body and began recording things down. I was fine with this as long as nobody else finds out about this. Night came fast and I found myself going to the tavern for dinner. Alice was there, and we greeted each other but she was mostly busy that night. I headed home early because tomorrow I would need to find another adventurer to work with. Griffins were nasty business, they preferred aerial combat and liked to pin their opponents down. Having a companion that was more suited for ranged combat on my side would make the hunt much easier. I head off to bed early that night.

I faded into my memories, reaching into the depths of my head and recalling a long lost image. A figure that changed my life. It took the form of a white long haired man, one eye blue and one eye red, both gleaming at me. A smile stretched across his face, looking down at me. And his next few words would haunt me forever.

How much are you willing to give for power?

I woke up, panting and covered in sweat. I felt my heartbeat faster and faster on top of having a pounding headache. Terrible memories flooded in, but I remained resilient and laid back down, trying to block everything out of my head. Nothing but pain and misery would emerge from trying to recall those memories, it would be better if I chose to pretend they never happened.

I rested my head for a few more minutes before I got up and stretched, looking for a pair of clothes to change but I forgot that everything was either torn or destroyed and I was wearing the only pair of clothes that were still wearable. I would have to go to the tailor later if I wanted more clothing choices. It also reminded me that I would need a new cloak as well. I grabbed my sword and my dagger, in case I needed it. I heard roosters outside, and as I looked outside the window, the sun was just beginning to rise as well. I walked outside, finding Rachel and Isabella that had just woken up as well.

“Morning” said Rachel.

“Morning, how you doing.” responded Isabella in a sleepy tone.

“Hey.” was all I said.

“You going to the guild now?” asked Rachel.

“Not today, I’m gonna get something sorted out at the training hall.”

“Oh perfect, I’ve got business to take care of there.”

“Oh, we’ll go together then. Isabella you’re gonna follow me today as well?”

Isabella looked at me and yawned, scratching her hips. “Nope, today I got the day off, go away.” she groaned, heading towards the bathroom.

“Let’s get going?” I turned towards Rachel.

“Of course.”

The two of us headed out, walking in silence as the semi-empty streets matched our silence. Not many people had woken up since dawn had just broken out. I enjoyed the ambience and calmness that filled the streets more than I enjoyed walking amongst people. It felt great to walk among the townsmen like I was one of them, but just walking down these streets without too many distractions was a great experience as well. Shortly after, we arrived at the training halls, an area usually dedicated to either people who were looking to team up with others or people that were practicing. This was where people sought out companions because they could show each other what they were capable of as well. I headed in, and it was mostly empty, probably because it was still early. Rachel followed after, going behind the reception and seemingly sorting out some papers.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked over the counter.

“I don’t think I can take the griffin on my own. I probably need to team up with a couple other people to take it down.”

“What are you looking for?”

“The usual composition. Someone to frontline, then backliners. I can fill the position of frontline but I’m just as good a scout”

“Sounds good, take a seat over there,” she directed me to a series of tables. “Sitting there indicates that you’re looking to partner up with someone or a group of people, they’ll approach you if they’re interested. You can spar with others outside, there’s an open place for people to watch you fight. It’s a good way to demonstrate what you’re capable of. Good luck.” she said as she went back to sorting out papers.

“Thanks.” I walked over to the tables, taking a seat. There was nobody here yet, so I pulled out a book and continued reading. Time passed, and I began to hear people coming in. But I couldn’t be bothered to stop reading. If they were interested in talking to me, they would approach me. I became lost in thought as I continued reading.

A pair of feet approached me. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I looked up at the individual that now stood in front of me. He looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He was big and had a large scar on his cheek. Nothing exceptional to note, he looked in his mid thirties, and he reeked of alcohol. Three others stood behind him, looking at me with a sour look on their faces. It was then that I realized who this guy was.

These guys were the idiots that tried to get in my way yesterday.

“I’ve heard you’re the new hotshot around these parts?” he asked.

I ignored him as looked down, returning back to my book.

“Look here, they say that you fought a troll on your own. Us folk here don’t believe that crap. There ain’t no way a kid like you could take down one of us, much less a troll.”

“Yeah, sure.” I responded without looking up.

No response. I noticed that with this he was drawing too much attention. People had begun to turn to us as he kept trash talking. It continued on for a while, but I simply couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to them. Everyone’s gazes were on us. I could feel their eyes as they shifted towards me and the group of idiots.

I hated looking for trouble, but somehow trouble always found its way to me.

The sound of light footsteps approached me and recognized a familiar voice.

“If you gentlemen don’t need anything, then I will have to ask you to leave the guild.”

I looked up. It was Clara. She looked slightly nervous, which I don’t blame her for.

The small group of men turned their attention to her.

“Hey, what do we have here!” one of them exclaimed. He circled around her quickly, faster than I imagined someone of his size could move. Clara walked forward in response, avoiding his touch. “This adventurer needs a little girl like this to stand up for him? He ain’t no hero!”

“You’ve been causing trouble for other people since you’ve come to this town,” she said calmly. “ I apologize but we can no longer provide you with our services.”

They began laughing hysterically. I shifted my eyes up the entire time. I could see each and every single one of their moments. I saw the small kinks in their armor where I could stab for lethality, as well as which one of them had their guard down the most.

I continued to sit down and let them trash talk me, I simply spaced out as I thought about more important things.

They could tell that I didn’t care about what they were doing either. They began to get bored, now trying to wave in front of me. Yet I continued to gaze off into the distance, lost in my own thoughts.

Suddenly one of them moved quickly towards Clara, I saw a hand joust out and get close to Clara’s body.

My senses sharpened, and just for a split second time slowed down.

I hated having to get involved when I had the option of not having to.

But this… I hated more.

Faster than he could react I appeared in front of him, grabbing his throat and pulling him towards me. Before anyone could react in time I slammed him onto the table. They all began to reach out for their longswords but I took out my dagger faster than they could, slamming it into the table right next to the man on the table’s head. I saw a sense of dread in his eyes as he stopped moving. Everyone stopped moving and talking, all at once. It went from loud to dead silent.

“If you wanted to fight this close… you should have brought daggers,” I hissed.

I could see the hesitation grow on their face. They could see it in me, that I wasn’t joking.

An arrow flew past my face, right between me and them. We all turned our heads to the side in confusion. Behind the counter, Rachel held a longbow. It was clear that she was the one that shot the arrow at us.

More importantly, she looked mad as all hell.

“If you idiots have a problem with each other, take it to the training hall behind.” she shouted furiously.

“I’m terribly sorry about this.” Clara kept apologizing.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it.”

“But still…” she looked pretty down about it.

“It’s you against four of them.” Rachel had her arms crossed, still mad at me.

“I’ve fought tougher girls than them.” I wrapped a piece of cloth around my arm so that I could get a better grip on my sword.

“They’ve been causing trouble for a lot of people in this town ever since they came.” Clara explained.

“Where are they from?” I took off my cloak. I still had no armor on.

“I don’t know, I heard that they were exiled from the Eastern Kingdom for a crime, but I’m not quite sure.” Clara looked nervous.

“I see.” I grabbed my dagger and sword, swinging their sheaths over my back, opening the door into the stadium. There were actually a lot of people on the seats trying to watch the fight. I was rather surprised by the large audience. The four of them were already in the stadium.

“Hey, look it’s the kid!” one of them exclaimed, wielding a large claymore.

“Surround him while we can.” the other grunted in a low voice, and hence the fight began.

I saw audience members staring, as if studying our every more. I didn’t want to make a display out of these four but I didn’t plan to lose this either.

The four of them began to circle me, as if uncertain about whether they should strike first or wait for me so that they could counterattack. The shield user bashed his shield with his sword and creating a constantly heavy thud, but I heard one behind me charging, his heavy armor creating loud stomps as he came towards me. I immediately turned, swerving the slash of his claymore and grabbing his arm, I swung my dagger towards him, but he immediately lunged backwards in reaction, shouting and stepping back before I could actually kill him. I swiftly turned, throwing gunpowder at two of them and instantly igniting them. Sparks flew across the air, the other claymore user and the shield user narrowly avoiding the flames. They shouted in surprise and backed off. Before they could recuperate, I ran towards the one that wielded two knives. I could deal with the slower targets but having someone sneak up on me would be annoying. He swung his knives blindly, I simply had to step to the side in order to avoid his slashes. I found an opening and lowered my body and swung my leg behind him, causing him to fall and land flat on his back and I heard all the air leave his lungs with an oof. I went behind him and held my dagger at his throat. I began to hear people shouting and making some noise from the audience.

He grunted and shoved, but I held tightly to his neck. His three friends had gotten up but didn’t find the opportunity to get me while I was focused on this one. I didn’t say anything, I simply looked down at him as he tried to get away.

“I”ll go, I’ll go!” he sequaled.

I threw him down, and he ran away, leaving nothing but dust and abandoning his friends.

The two claymore users and the shield user closed in on me, instead of surrounding me. They probably wanted to try a different approach. I put my dagger away and took out my sword. I had an idea. I lowered my stance, putting my hand behind my back and picking up some sand that was dispersed among the stadium. We slowly approached this time, and I threw the sand at them. They immediately scattered.

“Won’t work a second time!” one of them shouted.

They split up, one of the claymore users stuck with the shield user while the last one went his own way. They shouted at each other to get back as I snapped my fingers and saw them cover their faces from the explosions.They knew that I wouldn't be able to dash in if I used my flames because I would set myself on fire as well. But that wasn’t what I was doing. I immediately sprinted towards the isolated target, while the other two was confused on why no fires had erupted. This one realized faster than the other two that I didn’t ignite the dust, and he held up his sword and tried to hold his position. I swung my sword at him, which he blocked and then attempted to counter-attack. I went with his swing and went behind him, using the force of his swing in order to propel me faster. I dropped my sword and grabbed onto his back, riding on top of his shoulders. He shouted and swung his arms in a frenzy as I held onto his back. He couldn’t swing his sword that high because he could harm himself as well and it would be harder to wield a sword of that weight at this height. I hit the back of his head with the hilt of my blade. The impact stunned my ride and he tumbled around like he was in a drunken haze. I took off his helmet and slammed the back of his head with the hilt of my dagger even harder , and he went out with a loud thud. His body collapsed onto the ground like a crumbling tower and dust scattered around his body. The audience in the background shouted even louder, as if I had just caught their attention.

The other two attacked in a stabbing motion, I ducked and grabbed one of their arms, swinging it up and causing one of them to bend over in pain. I kicked him in the back, forcing him to collide with the other fighter. The other guy only had a shield up. I went over and grabbed my sword and dagger real fast to target the one with the shield before he could recuperate. He would be harder to eliminate than the larger guy. The other guy was still trying to get up. The shield user knew better, and he tried to fight me with his bare hands. I slammed his metal shield with my sword, but I used my dagger in order to throw him off balance, targeting his shoulder. He dodged but it forced him to fall down, his shield slid across the arena and I held my dagger at his throat. I could see the fear in his eyes. But his reaction changed to that of relief as his partner charged into me, slamming me off his companion and launched me right next to the shield that had slit across the arena. I scraped my arms, some blood oozing out of the newly form scratches, mixing in with the sand on my arm. I grabbed the shield, holding it tightly as I held it up. Both of them were completely disarmed, trying to come at me like a pincer attack. I threw my shield into the largest one’s face, I heard a loud thud as it smashed him directly, blood dripping out of his nose and landed on his back, seemingly unconscious.

The last one stopped moving, unsure of his next move. I leaped at him as fast as I could, dagger in one hand and my other hand empty.

I heard him trying to say something before I slammed the palm of my hand into his face and coiled around him, pointing my dagger at his neck. A bit of blood leaked out and he stopped moving completely, probably unconscious. I dropped him onto the ground and sand flew from the ground into the air.

I heard the audience roar in excitement. I let go, and he collapsed on his knees, panting. That was when I felt a sharp pain from the back of my arm, I leaned forward and fell, maintaining my senses. I looked over my shoulder, the one that had left the arena at first had come back equipped with a bow. He got lucky and managed to get an arrow into my arm. I groaned in pain, but this wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I grabbed the arrow that was stuck in my arm, pulling it out. I felt the blood run down my arm like a stream, and I glared straight at the archer.

“Ha!” the scum that ran away from the fight thought as he came back running in with a bow and quiver. Honestly he didn’t care about what it took, he thought that if he could land a few arrows into Magnus, that they would be able to do something. He was pretty content as he saw his arrow land straight into Magnus’s shoulder.

But when Magnus turned, the scum’s knees began to shake. There was something very wrong. When his friend had grabbed Magnus’s shoulder the first time, they all felt it. A slight chill went down their veins. The second time they met, he knew that there was something different about this boy, something about him didn’t feel human. Call it a survival instinct, something was urging them to walk away. But of course, their folly and arrogance told them otherwise. This time it was different. Every atom of his body was screaming at him to run. When he gazed in Magnus’s eyes, it felt like he had been dragged into a world devoid of light, and Magnus’s eyes were the only source of light in the pitch black void. Blinded and ensnared, the scum’s body froze in place from fear, and he realized in that moment that he was not looking in the eyes of a boy or a man.

Those were the eyes of the devil.

Two bolts of magic flew towards the archer that shot at me. He was the one that deserted his group in the first place. He fell down, probably losing consciousness. I looked at the crowd, surprised to see that Rachel and another member of the audience had stood up and that they were the source of those sorcery projectiles. The archer fell back on his butt, I could see the shock from nearly dying in his face. His shaky arms attempted to draw the bow once more but failed, and he ran back into the guild. I sat there for a moment, taking a moment to catch my breath. I closed my eyes, focusing on something else other than the tingling pain in my arm.

“Get over here, idiot.” I heard a female voice.

I closed my eyes, Rachel, another girl and a man stood over me, hovering over me. I looked up at the newcomers.

“Hey there.” I said casually.

“You idiot, that arrow could have killed.” scolded Rachel.

“But it didn’t.”

“People tend to say that before they get shot in the head.” she added.

I gave her a grin as she grabbed my injured arm.

“Ugh, gentle there please.” I pleaded sarcastically.

She slapped a bandage on the injury, probably on purpose.

“What were you thinking? Taking on all four of them. If you wanted to spread around, well done you’ve accomplished it. All the adventurers in town now officially know of your existence.”

“Well, I’m looking for a few companions, so I can’t complain.”

“And that’s what we’re here for.” the unknown lady, standing besides the tall man that hovered over me.

“And who might you be?” I asked.

She stuck out her hand.

“My name is Celeste, I’m a mage. This here is Leon. We’re friends of Rachel. We were told that one of her friends was in need of a team and we ourselves were very impressed with what we have seen. We look forward to working with you, hopefully.”

I grabbed her hand, shaking it.

We let go of each other’s hands. I began to note down their details.

Celeste had blue hair in addition to blue hazel eyes. She also wore a set of blue robes, complete with a staff that had a sapphire as its catalyst. Clearly she liked the color blue. She carried herself with elegance and grace, surrounded by an aura of leadership and sincerity. Her smile radiated kindness and compassion as if she was a saint. She looked to be at a similar height to Rachel, so she was slightly shorter than me. Unlike others she was not afraid to reveal her magical powers or abilities, possibly because unlike mages who specializes in destruction and liked to keep their secret research, Celeste looked like a mage that worked with a church for the sake of the people.

I felt a searing pain as Rachel tied the bandage harshly.

“You’re staring too much.” she grunted.

“Merely observing my new companions, you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their clothing choices and the way the carry themselves.” I swung my arm a bit, trying to see if there was any pain.

I stood up, facing Leon. Celeste had been his spokesman this entire time, but looking at Leon I could feel intimidation and resolution from his end. He wore a large brown cloak that concealed his armor. Unlike Celeste that radiated kindness, Leon created a pressure of might, his tall figure and his resolute stance indicating that he would budge for nothing and nothing could force him to move unless he chose to. While Celeste carried herself with grace and elegance, Leon moved with a firm and unwavering stance, most fitting of a front-line bruiser. He carried a kite shield, and a longsword, giving me the image of a vanguard. Although his towering body and figure gave a sense of fright, he had a gentle and calm look on his face.

He stuck out his hand.

“Leon, nice to meet you.” he introduced himself.

I grasped his hand, he had a firm and tight grip. Letting go, I saw underneath a suit of thick plate armor. He seemingly moved without much effort in it, indicating to me years of experience wearing heavy armor or naturally having the strength to move in one without much thought. I saw a sigl inscribed on his armor that I didn’t recognize, but I didn’t get a good enough glimpse to re-create the image in my head.

“My apologies for the late introduction,” I nodded at them. “My name is Magnus, just Magnus. I look forward to working with you.” I said as I wiped the dust off my pants.

“So,” Celeste continued. “I heard your target is a vampire that’s been targeting merchants on the road lately?”

“Well, I see you’ve done your research.”

“An inhuman creature, eh?” Leon asked. “I suppose we’ll have to get our silver weaponry ready.”

Inhuman creates referred to humans that have been artificially turned into monsters such as ghouls or vampires. Not to be mistaken with demi-humans who are born half human and half animal, they have overlapping characteristics but demi-humans are mostly half humans and half animals. Creatures such as Vampires would be inhuman, while a werewolf would be a demi-human. Undead inhumans such as ghouls and vampires had the natural tendency to avoid silver, it seemed to inflict more pain and damage than steel weaponry did.

“Indeed,” I commented. “I’ll be gathering gear and materials today, I hope we will be able to leave tomorrow by dawn and lure it into a favourable battlefield.”

“Isn’t your armor going to take a week?” interrupted Rachel.

“I’ll manage without it.” I responded.

“How do you know it’s a lesser vampire?” asked Leon.

“No vampire would attack a town so blatantly. If it had any intelligence or tact, it would never let anyone see it either. The way it works, it’s probably a lesser vampire.”

“You seem to have a lot of experience with inhumans” noted Celeste.

“I suppose you could say that.”

“Where do you want to meet up tomorrow?” asked Leon.

“Straight to the point I see, none of that getting to know each other thing people usually do?” I was strangely suspicious.

“Rachel said you’re a good person.” Leon smiled, slightly childishly.

I looked over his shoulder to make a confused expression, but Rachel looked away.

“She’s a very good judge of character.” Leon added.

“Well, if you guys are fine with this, then I suppose we can meet up tomorrow at the guild after dawn. I’ll be there as early as I can get there.” I was already pretty tired. These was a temporary arrangement, so I was glad we didn’t have to go through formalities.

“Alright, sounds good.” said Celeste, signaling Leon. “We’ll see you tomorrow then.” They both began to walk towards the exit, leaving me and Rachel sitting among the sand.

I hadn’t noticed but she had sat down next to me, as if waiting for me. She had an irritated look on her face.

“I suppose I’ll be taking my leave then,” I said as I began walking towards the exit as well. She grabbed my shoulder.

“Wait, you and I need to sort some things out.”

“Uhhh, what now?” I grunted.

“You need to introduce yourself to others, a lot of people out there want to get you a drink.”

“What? Why?”

“You got rid of some troublemakers for us. Plus, that was on hell of a fight. Not only were your outnumbered, you beat them with a broken blade, and why the hell are you even carrying that thing around?”

I smirked. “I have my reasons.”

She sighed. “Congratulations, for someone that seemingly hates attention. All the adventurers of this town now recognize you.”

“Well, I got people to work with now, so that’s irrelevant.” I said.

“People are now going to approach you, don’t start a fight just because they grab you or want to talk to you like yesterday,” she said as she gave me a glare. “We’re the ones that have to clean up after your mess.”

I nodded in response, attempting to wipe off the sand and blood that was on my arm, but the blood had mostly dried off and was stuck. I almost forgot, but I remembered what Rachel had done earlier.

“You a mage too?” I asked.

“All elves are adept at marksmanship and the arcane arts.” she answered. “It comes to us naturally. There are those better at are much better at archery, but learning a bit of magic is something that all elves must do a young age.”

“I see.” I noted. “How old are you by the way?”

“It’s rude to ask a lady for her age.” she said, looking away and beginning to walk towards the exit.

“I only asked because you look young” I responded, catching up to her.

“Is that a compliment?”

“Maybe.”

She gave out a long breath. “I'll tell you one day.”

“I’ll remember that.”

We opened the door, Rachel taking the lead inside. Upon entering, the gaze of the entire room shifted towards me. People roared and came towards me patting me on the back and offering me a drink. I forced a smile and tried to talk to them, but they were more interested in whether I would join their groups or not. I turned them down, telling them then that unfortunately I have found another group and had already accepted their invitation. I was answered with disappointment, but they gave me their names and asked me to come to them anytime I wanted a group to team up with. Most of them seemed like nice people, I stayed a little while, talking to some of them about the local environment and terrain as well as the recent events and historical events that had taken place in the town. I asked about the terrain, because I knew that I would be going out of town at least a few more times after this. I left shortly after, heading straight for the White Daisy to procure some goods and ingredients for my adventure tomorrow.

“Cling cling” went the door as I opened it.

“I see you’ve added a doorbell to your establishment.” I said aloud. Eve stood behind the counter, seemingly coming up with some alchemical disaster.

“Why, hello there. Your bait is not yet ready.”

“I’m hoping you could help me with something else.”

“Well, depends, what do you need.

“Gunpowder,” I said pulling out eight vials. “Full to the brim, silver dust and holy water. Make sure the holy water is sealed tightly.”

“Common resources, you hunting an undead?”

“Vampire.”

“Tricky business, lemme get that for ya.” She walked over to me and took my vials, taking it behind her counter and opening drawer after drawer.

“Find anything interesting while I was gone?”

“Actually I did,” she responded while searching for my requested materials. “I’ve been reading up on ancient runes, demonic ones specifically. As you very well know, there’s barely anything left behind by the demon race, but I managed to find out something at the very least.”

“Well done, what did you find out?”

“They’re not inactive because they’re stopping the flow of mana, they’re active, but not for the reasons you state.

“And what would those purposes be?”

“Containment. It’s there to lock something inside your body. Something that exudes magic, very powerful magic. But here's the question, what’s all of that magic coming from?”

“That’s what you’re supposed to find out.”

“It’ll take time, but I think I’m getting closer. But these inscriptions are even more complex than any I’ve ever seen as I’ve stated. Whoever put them on you knew what they were doing.”

“Think you can still manage to do something about it?”

“Don’t worry, don’t forget we had a deal.” she winked at me.

I sighed at her. Mages and wizards like her were simply strange. In the pursuit of knowledge and the unknown, they were willing to go through so much.

“Alright alright, don’t give me that scary look. I just like to know things.” She handed me more vials with silver dust and holy water. She leaned, whispering in my ear. “Although, you’re far more interesting than I made you out to be.”