Finn walked me through twisting hallways that became colder and narrower the further we went into the Order's stronghold.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I asked trying to break the silence. As we walked, my footsteps grew louder, with the silence between us.

Finn looked back with a less enthusiastic grin. "We are going to the barracks. We set up a bed for you there. It may not be fancy, but it will be our home for a while."

"Great," I mumbled. "I went from my cozy bedroom to a barracks. I'm living the dream here."

Finn laughed. "Believe me, it's not as terrible as it seems. You may even like it."

I don't know if I will enjoy sleeping on a hard cot with snoring strangers. "I have always dreamt of this."

We rounded a bend and almost ran right into a suit of armor that was standing unexpectedly in our path. I stepped backward, my heart leaping into my chest.

"Be careful," Finn said. "The decorations have a tendency to develop minds of their own."

I grumbled my ascent. "Murderous furniture.

What's next, people-eating rugs?" And with that, the rug suddenly moved and I stumbled. I grasped at Finn's arm, using it to balance while I wildly flailed.

"Did you really have to say that?" Finn asked as he pulled me to my feet. "Rule number one: never dare the fates with sarcasm. It tends to bite back."

We kept going, the air thick with moss and old stone. The quiet was broken only by intermittent water drips and an echoing of our footsteps.

Was that laughter? I felt so out of place in this world of experts. I felt unsure as I followed Finn. All of these people looked like they belonged here. But I had no idea what I was supposed to be.

Attempting to divert myself from the growing queasiness in my stomach I said, "What exactly am I supposed to do here? Polish armor? Scrub floors? Learn the secret handshake?"

Finn's face went serious for a second. "You are here to train, Sam. To be the hero this world needs."

I couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. "A hero? Not me. I can barely walk without tripping in these halls."

Finn's eyes were crinkled with humor. "Alright, your first lesson is multitasking: learn to walk and chew gum at the same time."

Before I could answer, we stepped into a large, almost circular room. There was a certain fantastical element in the air, almost magical in the barracks. Row upon row of different bunks, lanterns dangling precariously low from the ceiling, and the sweet scent of herbs wafting through the air. The bunks lined the walls, but the group in the middle would have fit right into a fantasy novel convention.

"Welcome to your new home," Finn said, very melodramatically.

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"Not bad," I said nonchalantly. "What's on the 'Chosen One' schedule of events next? Killing dragons? Saving princesses? Please tell me there's no prophecy about me having to smooch a frog."

Finn laughed saying, "Not so melodramatic. You can sleep now. Training starts at dawn."

As he is turning to go, a thought suddenly occurs to me. "Hey, Finn? What if..., what if this isn't going to work out? What if I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am?"

He turns in the doorway, his face softening. "Sam, no one is perfect, a hero included. It's all about feeling the fear and trying anyway. Sleep. Tomorrow's another day, you might just find yourself doing better than you think."

I looked around the room, a mixture of would-be heroes and misfits. A tall man with wild purple hair was juggling fireballs, when he saw me, an eyebrow arched with interest.

"Fresh meat!" he exclaimed, extinguishing his fireballs with a puff of smoke. "I am Zeke,"Are you here to save the world, too?"

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently, but I think the universe has made some kind of mistake."

A girl with auburn hair braided with small flowers, chimed in. "Oh, we all feel that way at first. I'm Luna, and this is Herbert." She gestured to the plant, which wiggled its leaves in what I assumed was a greeting.

"Right," I muttered, wondering if I'd finally lost my mind. "I'm Sam. So, uh, what exactly do we do here? Besides juggle fire and chat with foliage?"

A big man with a beard stepped forward, looking serious beneath thick eyebrows.

"We train, we learn, we prepare for the great battle against the forces of darkness." He spoke so sure about preparing for a battle against darkness that I was not sure if he was serious or joking.

"And sometimes," said a small girl from the corner, wearing glasses, "we have movie nights. Last week was The Never-Ending Story."

I couldn't help but giggle. This might be all right. "When do we get to the exciting parts, like the magic spells and epic quests?"

Zeke said with a smirk. "You'll see. Just a heads up: The last person who requested an epic quest ended up taking a month to find the perfect avocado for the cafeteria's guacamole. Be careful what you wish for."

I couldn't help but grin along as the others laughed. Finn's words about trying even when scared stuck with me. If this bunch of misfits could do it, maybe I could too.

My stomach flipped out at that moment. "Ah, guys, I don't want to ruin this magical meeting moment, but can one of you show me to the outhouse or something?" I said with embarrassment.

They all just looked at me dumbfounded.

"Ah, the outhouse. yeah, we do have something like that around, I think," Zeke said, scratching his beard thoughtfully. As he led me outside, it quickly became clear we were going toward a rickety wood shack at the edge of a forest. "Here we are," Zeke said with a grin. "The classic outhouse experience. But honestly," he added, as if it were a afterthought, "you could just use the toilet inside like every normal being would."

I blinked at him. "Wait. There's a real toilet? Indoors?"

Zeke nodded, choking back his laughter. "Of course, there is. What'd you think, we're a bunch of primitives? We've got magic. You really think we're gonna put up with using some box in the woods?"

I glared at the outhouse, then back at Zeke, who was about doubled over. "You dragged me all the way out here for nothing?"

"Nah, not for nothing. I just really wanted to see the look on your face." He finally burst into laughter, clapping me on the back. "Come on, rookie, let's get you back to the magic toilets. No need to get acquainted with Herbert's cousin if you don't have to."

"Magic toilets," I muttered, shaking my head. "This place just keeps getting better."

"Yeah, well," Zeke continued, "the last guy who tried to use the outhouse got spooked by Herbert's cousin. Turns out Herbert has a very...protective family."

"Wait, you're telling me a plant guards the outhouse?" I asked, an eyebrow rising.

Zeke nodded, grinning. "Oh, not just any plant. Herbert's cousin is a bit more. bitey. Let's just say the guy learned the hard way not to disrespect the local flora."

I glared at him, trying to grasp the total non sequitur of it all. "Noted. Magic toilets, then."

As we turned back to go indoors, Zeke shot me a mischievous grin. "And hey, you think I'm a joker now? Wait until training, where you'll see the funny shit i do with my fire magic."