Mayor Lorencio with his handkerchief wiped the sweat off his brow. The bug buzzed around him in the trees drowning out any other sound. He was waiting for his guest to finish inspecting the newly formed cave. His village had discovered the cave when they were investigating the nearby mountains for unexplainable earth tremors and strange sounds. After finding the cave and becoming worried about the situation, they had requested help from the Varangian Guard.

“So what do you think about the situation, Mr. um?” the mayor meekly asked the mercenary .

“Jaron.”

“Ah, yes. Mr. Jaron.” Lorencio dabbed his face with his handkerchief .

The nervousness in the mayor's voice was out in the open, but the youth, who was barely of age, stood there indifferent. He didn’t know if he should be grateful or not for Jaron ignoring his tense mood. The mayor swallowed, waiting for the mercenary to answer his question but the location filled once again with the bugs’ buzzing. The strong sun shone down on them, causing the mercenary to open his elaborate overcoat, but remained silent. At this point the mayor regretted holding the meeting in the mountains by themselves. He felt his forehead was filling with sweat as a girl in her late teens approached them. She stopped in front of them and froze. Lorencio’s spirit rose. The second member finally arrived.

"And you are?" he hurried to introduce himself.

"I um you know um..." the girl pulled down her floppy hat covering her face.

Realizing she was not going to answer he turned back to the mercenary name Jaron.

" Can you introduce your companion?"

" She is not my companion.” He crossed his arms. “She wasn't sent by the guard."

The mayor sweated.

" If she is not, then who is she?"

Jaron shifted his eyes to the girl making her squeak

.

"You, identify yourself."

The girl let go of her hat and grabbed her robe taking a deep breath. " I'm Dalila Darnell. A 1st year From Uaithne University for Wizards. Rank Novice Mage."

Yanking out her students handbook she presented it while bowing. Lorencio’s legs wobbled. The Uaithne University. One of the top ivory schools for mages. It was said majority of wizards who were arch-mages rank were alumni of the school. They were near the village, so Lorencio had sent a request for help. However he didn't expect them to reply. The school was famous for teaching scholarly mages or wizards, and wizards had a habit of looking down on mages or battlemages who did quests as a living.

" So Miss. Darnell, I'm surprised the university was willing to give aid. However,” He looked around to see if he was mistaken. “ It might be rude to ask, but are you the only one?"

" Yes.” she fiddled around with her robe. “ Actually they were originally going to ignore it, but my professor said it might be a good experience and a chance for extra credit for those who needed a boost in their grades. Apparently I was the only one who needed it."

" They sent a first year by themselves?"

She pulled a thick book and rolled onto her toes.

" Not to worry. I may be a beginner but I brought my whole collection of prepared runes for spells."

Lorencio eyed the book.

" It looks kind of big. Don't mages usually have smaller books or use a staff instead?"

She looked down. " Um, I'm not good at layering runes yet. So I can't use those objects."

The mayor wanted to cry. No he had hope, if she was from the Uaithne University then there should still be one more coming from the Varangian Guard.

" So Mr. Jaron, where is the second member?"

"Not coming."

"Not coming?"

"Missed the train."

Mayor felt his soul leave his body. His town was doomed.

“So,” his voice cracked. “ Let's get back to business. what do you think about the situation, Mr. um- what did you say your last name again?” .

“I didn't. ”

“Ah, yes. "

“ A monster.”

"A monster?"

"Yeah"

"Wait Are you saying a monster is behind the tremors?"

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"Probably."

“ I see. Wait a min- minute! Why would a monster be here?”

“Migrated here.” Jaron answered calmly as if it was trivial. Which for the young mercenary it probably was.

“Bu-but why?” The mayor tried to keep his voice from strumming even more. He had had a hunch that it might be a monster, but the statement was still shocking to hear. He had lived here for many years and had yet never witnessed or even less had heard of monsters being in the area. All he could do was tell himself to calm down. However Jaron not paying attention to the state of Lorencio’s mind simply answer back,

“Why would there be any reason?”

That was it, Lorencio was going to cry. He bit his handkerchief to regain his composure. Neither of his guests took notice of him. Miss. Darnell had opened her book and was mumbling to herself. Jaron had pulled out a pistol from his overcoat, inspecting it over. Right, Lorencio reminded himself, they were barely adults. He was a 50 year old man, he could handle this conversation. Organizing his thoughts he began to question the mercenary again, but an unfamiliar voice from behind him spoke.

"Interesting."

Lorencio swiveled around. There stood a hooded boy holding his head in thought.

"The mayor is right. There is no region close enough where an aggression monster could come from. "

Lorencio couldn’t speak. He didn’t even notice the boy's arrival and by the change in expression of the sotic mercenary’s face, he didn't notice either. The mercenary seemed to be shaken from this fact since for the first time Lorencio had met the man, he initiated a conversation.

“Who are you? Where did you come from?” the mercenary blurted out.

"Then with the many protected spells, warriors, and major cities there is no possible way a monster could have traveled this far. Interesting. What do you think, Miss. Darnell?”

Dalila took a step back . "um well um." She fumbled with her robes not forming a response.

“Stop rumbling on and tell us who you are?” Jaron cut her off.

However the boy ignoring the mercenary turned to Lorencio

"Mayor, could you give us more details?"

Before Lorencio could respond, Jaron grabbed the boy's shoulder.

“This is not a game, kid. Go home.”

The boy peered at Jaron.

" That coat." his eyes narrowed. "A noble."

The boy shook Jaron's arm off walking over to Miss. Darnell.

" Nice to meet you, I'm Aaron." He extended his hand to Miss. Darnell.

"Likewise" she whispered back.

Jaron's eyes twitched.

“Mayor Lorencio, who is this kid?”

“I don’t know"

"Don't know?"

The mayor gulped.

"Not a villager?"

The mayor nodded.

"So a traveler."

Jaron once again walked over and grabbed the boy, making him face him.

Lorencio glanced over to his village hoping someone would call for him so he could leave.

" Go back to your traveling group.”

"“Not traveling with anyone?”

"“Unlikely, leave."

" And why should I?" the boy crossed his arm.

" Official mercenary work." The mercenary mirrored the boy's stance.

"And That is why I'm here." The boy pulled his hood down.

"Huh?" Jaron’s stance slanted.

"I'm also from the Varangian Guard ."

"Heh!" This time Dalila yelped in surprise. " You're part of the Varangian Guard . But you have purple eyes."

Lorencio examined the boy's eyes. It was true. He had never seen anyone with those eyes color before, but he didn't know how it related to being part of a mercenary army.

Jaron also tilted his head in confusion.

Dalila froze at their expression.

" Ah, yes, sorry. I learned it at school. So I thought..." she lowered her eyes. " No nevermind."

Jaron stared at the boy for a minute then nodded.

"Nope. Too young."

The boy, no Aaron as he introduced earlier, narrowed his brow.

"No I'm not."

" Restrictions."

"I'm from the administration side."

"Administration?"

" Yep. There are no age restrictions for it." Aaron smiled.

Age restrictions? Administration? Lorencio was becoming lost with their conversation.

Jaron inspected his face.

" Nope, still can't."

"Can't?"

" Missed the train."

"Yes I did, but I came another way."

"Nope."

" What do you mean, Nope?"

"Too far."

"Enough, I have my identification." Aaron exasperatedly pulled out an identification card.

Lorencio peered over Jaron’s shoulder. Aaron had handed him an elaborate Scarlet card with silver lettering. Jaron eyed it and handed it back.

"Still suspicious."

"Ugh, enough with this circular conversation. Believe me or not. I'm not leaving."

Aaron glared at Jaron not waving an inch. Jaron stared equally back until,

"Fine, you win. You can stay. Well, Mayor Lorencio, excuse me.”

"Sure." Lorencio was more than happy for the conversation to end. He moved to let Jaron into the cave. While behind him,

"So Miss Darnell?"

"Call me Dalila."

"Dalila, Do you want to team up?"

" Sure."

The other two were getting along surprisingly well, but it still didn't give the mayor any confidence. Lorencio holding back his tears bid them farewell.