It was well after dark when Zell stumbled into his home. His father, Arlim was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace. His black bearded face was set in stone, green eyes bright and focused on the flames. He didn’t look up as he spoke.

“Old Aggie carved you a sword.” Arlim motioned to the seat next to him as he spoke. His tone was unreadable. Zell hesitated.

“I’m d-dirty, the chair...”

”-is just a chair.” His father finally smiled as he interrupted. “You know that when you told us you were going to her to become a Monster Hunter , your sister and I went there ahead of you?”

Zell looked confused and shook his head.

“I told her to send you away, to do whatever it took to keep you from the life that took your mother. She said that was the plan regardless of our request. I see now that it was a fool’s endeavor. Your head is as hard as your mother’s. So you will be a Monster Hunter, and you’ll be a damn good one. Maybe you’ll live long enough to have a family. Maybe I’ll get stuck raising your orphans or widow on this farm.”

“Dad I...” Zell was choking on tears.

“I would be proud.” Arlim continued, his own tears settling into the deep worry lines around his eyes. “I would be sad, and angry, and the grief might break me. But I would be a very proud father, just as proud as I am now of that wooden sword that I know must have been utter hell to earn. You have my support in this, my full support.”

“And mine.” Cora’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs. Zell had forgotten how sweet and kind her voice could be. “But I won’t forgive you if you die.”

They joined each other in front of the fireplace and hugged. The past eight months had indeed been hard on Zell not just because of the grueling life, but because the silent resistance from his father, and the very vocal resistance from his sister. Now that those walls were broken, He felt truly invincible.

Zell ate his cold dinner of beef stew and bread, then peeled off his clothes. He rinsed himself off in the creek behind the farmhouse, wincing at the open blisters on his palms. He made his way up to his bedroom in darkness. When he finally collapsed onto his bed, he thought certainly he couldn’t sleep for his excitement. What felt like a moment later it was time to wake up. Two hours before the sun, Zell fed the animals and began his march to the meeting place. Six miles up an even more treacherous trail than the one leading to the hermit's cabin was the way to Saddle Peak, the pass out of Stonewood Valley and into the kingdom proper. Zell had only been there a few times with his father to rendezvous with traders but the way was simple enough.

The boy felt more rejuvenated than he expected. He was sore but even that was lessening as he warmed up to the climb at hand.

He made good time, the sky was barely turning pink as he reached the trading post at the pass. The small building was empty except for three times a year for a few days at a time when the traders from the kingdom came to exchange goods with the farmers and hunters in the valley. There was a piece of slate and chalk on the outside that people from either side could write down their individual needs which runners checked once a month.

His new master and Merc were already there, sitting on a bench outside of the empty trading post. She had two full packs with her, and Merc was wearing a thick leather harness with several pouches.

“Say goodbye to the valley.” She said as she handed him one of the backpacks.

“Wait we’re leaving? For how long? Can I tell my family? I...” Her look stopped him.

“Yes. I don’t know. Your family already knows. You have used up your three questions for the day. Move.” She started walking down the path away from the valley toward an unknown destination. Zell was left with a thousand questions, but obediently followed.

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“Do you know how a Monster Hunter is usually trained?” She asked him after awhile, brushing her thick gray hair aside and giving a sidelong glance as she spoke.

It was the first time she had shown her face. Zell had assumed she would look like an old crone with her rough voice and harsh demeanor. Instead he saw she was in fact an elf, with flawless dark brown skin, large violet eyes, and perfect (in his eyes) facial features. He realized he was staring and snapped his gaze forward.

“C-classroom study, and lots of fighting practice, and a big t-test.” He stopped as she stopped walking and raised her hand.

“Your stutter is conditional. You only do it when you answer questions. Clear communication is important, quit stuttering.”

“What do you mean? Oh...” Zell realized it and fell silent as he finished the question. How had he never noticed that himself? It was true though, he stuttered only in response to questions.

“Anyways yes, you are correct. Most Monster Hunters start in a classroom, learning about the various types of monsters and tactics used for defeating them. They practice combat against each other, the instructors and illusory monsters. They never so much as see a real monster until they’ve graduated and joined a guild or start hunting solo. Now, how do you think I was trained? How were the monster hunters of the beginning trained?”

“It wasn’t the same?” Zell replied with his own question, noting the lack of a stutter.

“You just used one of tomorrow’s questions. We were not trained. We fought for our lives like animals. We watched our villages burn, we were scattered, killed and devoured, or worse. There were no classrooms, no teachers. Our instructors were the monsters themselves, the test was simple survival. We killed them by the hundred, they killed us by the thousand. In the end their raw power and bloodlust was overcome by our ability to adapt and innovate. We learned new skills, new magic, new ways to deal death. My friends and I started the first Monster Hunter guild, devoted to amassing and evolving our tactics.” She watched Zell digest the information. She could see his curiosity boiling over, and expected more questions to come pouring out. Instead Zell adjusted his pack, gave Merc a good ear scratch, and walked in silence.

The jaded elf smiled a very rare smile. She was in danger of liking this kid. She let the next several miles pass in silence. Around mid day, they came to the edge of the forest. Before them were the gentle rolling fields of grass known as the Bleating Meadow. True to its name, the calls of hundreds of sheep drifted on the wind accompanied by the barks of the working dogs accompanying them. The fluffy white beasts moved around the green meadow in herds, resembling clouds drifting in a green sky.

The trio crossed over the soft grass and made it to a well maintained road wide enough for wagons to pass each other comfortably. They followed the road south until evening when a group of six armored riders appeared on the hilltop just ahead of them. The elf pulled her hood over her head as she led Merc and Zell to the side of the road.

“Monster Hunters on patrol. Give them space and don’t stare.” She ordered quietly but firmly.

Zell did as he was told but instead of passing, the riders formed a circle around the three. Merc growled softly, understanding the threat. His master said nothing, waiting for the leader to identify himself.

“What’s the spot on dire wolves today?” The man facing them asked from under his closed plate helmet.

“Just a sec.” The leather armored woman on his right said as she flipped through a small book. “Twelve silver and twenty copper.” She finally finished a moment later.

“And we didn’t even have to pass the border!” The helmeted man added with a low whistle.

Zell stood wide eyed, terrified at what these people had just implied. He couldn’t see his master’s face but Merc was still standing protectively at his side, growling softly. These were supposed to be the people he aspired to become!?

“You can keep your pet. We just need that twelve silver, twenty copper, and everything else you have.” The helmeted one said as he drew his plain longsword. The other five drew their weapons on cue.

“So this is how far they've fallen.” The elven warrior sighed as she threw off her thick cloak to reveal herself fully.

She wore marvelous shimmering green dragonscale mail with golden trim. On her hips were twin longswords that would be the centerpiece of any king’s trophy room, each pommel set with a large flawless emerald. In the evening sun her grey mane and violet eyes seemed to catch and hold onto the light. Her posture straightened as she abandoned the old woman facade. Everything about her build, posture, expression, and equipment conveyed one single message. This woman was a killer among killers, terrible and beautiful. Zell sucked in his breath, unable to look away to even measure the reactions of the riders.

They didn’t react other than to freeze. Those that had exposed faces turned as white as the many sheep around them.

“Lady Agitha!” The words burst from six throats all suddenly dry with terror and shock. All six riders dismounted immediately and with incredible swiftness dropped to one knee with a fist over their chest and their weapons on the ground in front of them.

“I should kill you.” Agitha remarked calmly to the leader. She walked up to him in two long steps, her motion so fluid and fast that she almost seemed to be gliding. She crossed her toned arms as she glared coldly down at him.

“Please use my sword if you will.” The kneeling man held his weapon in both hands above his head, keeping his face down. “Do not soil your blades with such unworthy blood.”

“Ugh.” She made a disgusted noise as she turned away. She picked up her cloak and spoke again. “Even in a field full of sheep your cowardice stands unrivaled. Anyways, I’m back in town. If I hear about anything like this happening to anyone else from now on I’ll feed you your own shit while it’s still in your guts. Understand?” Zell believed every word of it, and judging by the shaking and sweating of the riders, so did they.

“I asked if you understood.” The statement was quiet, clear, and laced with death.

“Yes Lady Agitha!” The shout was loud, clear, and terror stricken.

“Get out of my sight.” Agitha waved dismissively and all six riders scrambled to their horses and bolted in a very disorganized manner north.

“Questions?” Agitha turned to Zell, and the demon sword queen had been replaced by an easy going elf grinning sheepishly.

“No Ma’am.” Without a stutter Zell smiled brightly and walked south, petting Merc’s head as he passed.