Lloyd and his father reached the top of the lift to find the rest of their family waiting for them. Regal walked over and lightly shoulder-checked Lloyd, then approached the railing surrounding their home. Lloyd followed his brother as they both took a moment to stare upon the town below them. The ocean to the east was surprisingly calm, gentle waves brushing against the shore. Looking west, Lloyd could see the short open field that abruptly stopped before changing into the thick forest where they fought the frogs only days before. From where he stood, Lloyd could see the mountains in the distance. He was constantly in awe of the gigantic and majestic tree he lived in, but was always drawn to the distant mountains. One day, soon, I will stand at the foot of the mountain, Lloyd thought as a smile grew on his face.

“Time to head out?” Lloyd asked his brother.

“Let’s do it,” Regal responded. “Did you pack everything honey? Did you make sure to bring…” Regal asked as he grabbed Lloyd’s shoulders and twisted him around. His grip loosening as the laughter began.

Lloyd chuckled before lightly shoving his brother. Turning around, Lloyd saw his dad shaking his head while his mom rolled her eyes.

“No need to make fun of us, we are just being parents,” Tera said. She hugged Lloyd, then moved on to do the same with Regal.

The family descended the elevator together as the wood creaked, and the fibrous rope lowered them slowly to the ground. Lloyd could see the crowds gathering already; in an atypical fashion, they were a little late. As the elevator rested on the lush ground, they opened the gates and walked toward the crowd. Considering only a tiny proportion of the town was Altered, many people seemed to be sleeping away their hangovers. Part of Lloyd wished that he was as well. They walked through the crowds waving and saying goodbye to their friends. Nearing the gates he could see that Cassius was already there with his family as they were joking and throwing fake jabs at each other.

“Finally! I thought you guys had chickened out or something.” Cassius said.

Regal began to say something in response as he ran up to Cassius, but Lloyd tuned him out. Seeing Lily and Lucas, he decided to approach them, hoping that Lily would be able to cure his pounding head that seemed to resonate and rise with the rambunctiousness of the crowd. As Lloyd approached, Lily smiled and tapped a finger on her head. Lloyd laughed and nodded.

“Saw all you boys over at Haven’s place. Then I saw you guys playing a few drinking games later. You should know that you can't keep up with Cassius and Regal. I assumed you'd be feeling it right about now.” Lily said with a short smile. She raised her hands and placed them on Lloyd's head as a faint glow emanated from her hands. Lloyd could feel the rhythmic heartbeat base drum pounding through his head quickly ease up as the seconds ticked by. In a few moments, Lloyd felt almost human again.

“Thank you, I needed that. You’re a lifesaver. You too, Lucas, without you two these last few years, hell, the last decade or so. I don't think it would be here without you guys.” Lloyd said.

"Yeah, you've had some pretty close calls there. I'll tell you what though, even those with powers fear fighting the Corrupted. Yet, you go out there with some sharp metal attached to sticks and willingly decide to fight them. Now, you are choosing to venture to The Citadel..." Lucas said as he shook his head, and a rare smile flitted across his face. "I will never hold that bravery, and it has been a great honor to watch a child like you grow up to master.”

Lloyd’s eyes popped open as he took a half-step backward. He felt like he had just taken a blow from a powerful enemy. He and Lucas never really talked much; outside of going to the healer's hut to mend himself, he didn't speak to Lucas much. He surely didn't know that Lucas felt this way about him, and the surprisingly gracious words that Lucas had for him caught him entirely off guard. He could feel a tear slowly descend from his left eye. He closed his eyes and quickly swiped it away.

“Thank you, Lucas. I…” Lloyd said, pausing to consider his lack of knowledge of the words he could say. Cassius was certainly going to be their motivational speaker on this journey. “It helps that my dad makes these sharp metal objects, which seem to hold up pretty well.”

“Certainly,” Lucas said with a nod.

The two men shook hands, and Lloyd hugged Lily. She briefly rattled off a few questions about whether he had all the necessary healing supplies and potions. He grinned, realizing the line of questioning was oddly similar to his parents'. Lloyd found his family while Tera broke away and took a few steps forward to address the crowd.

Stolen novel; please report.

“I do not wish to stall their journey any longer than it needs to. I've said most of what I felt in my heart in the last day, so I will keep it short. You boys,” Tera stopped and shook her head. “My apologies; I suppose it’s a habit, a habit that’ll have to end today. These three men before you are going to venture into the unknown. They will travel into the wilderness, and cities many of us have never seen. They will join the Kingdom and fight beasts we've only heard whispers and tales of. Corrupted that dwarf houses and cast Magic that would decimate a town. If there is anyone who can defeat those beasts, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that it is these three men.” Tera said.

The number three rung loud in Lloyd’s head. He thought maybe his mom was lumping Lloyd in with the other two as an act of kindness, considering everyone knew that he would be stuck in the Citadel, not allowed to fight. Her confidence, mixed with Lloyd’s newly healed head, stirred a warmth of hope inside him. Maybe I can prove my worth on this journey, and they will allow me to fight the Corrupted in the West, Lloyd thought.

Tera nodded to the two guards atop the gates. They pulled on the crank system, and the gates opened outward. Cassius moved towards his family and started to say goodbye. Lloyd and Regal grouped up with their own family as a few pairs of eyes began to moisten, and a silence settled in around them.

“I love you. Be safe out there,” Tera said, biting her cheek as she softly swayed in place. Lloyd could tell she wanted to say more.

“Love you too Mom,” Regal and Lloyd said at the same time, joining their mom in a group hug.

Pulling away, Lloyd could see that a tear had escaped the confines of his mother’s eyes and was running down her face, which she quickly wiped away. Like mother like son, he supposed.

“Make sure to drink your potions!” Jimmy said as he pointed at Lloyd.

Lloyd patted his backpack before picking up Jimmy and holding him in a hug. “You gotta be strong now. Regal and I are going to the frontlines, but you need to make sure Mom and Dad are safe back here. Keep working on those water powers of yours, ok?” Lloyd said

“Yeah, you better get stronger by next year. We will have Gareth report back to us next time he comes around.” Regal said as he reached up to tussle his little brother's hair before looking back at Gareth, who returned his glance with a nod.

“You bet I will!” Jimmy yelled as he opened his arms, Regal again joining in on a group hug as Jimmy wrapped his arms around his brother’s necks.

Lloyd set Jimmy down and transitioned into a hug from Gavin, Regal following shortly after.

“Watch each other’s backs out there,” Gavin said as he stepped away from his sons.

After saying their final goodbyes, the men waved to the crowd. Lloyd adjusted the straps on his pack, doing a triple check of his bow, arrows, and swords; damn, even Lloyd was just like his parents and Lily. He supposed it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be extra prepared. Walking into the open field, he looked to the right at the fruit trees outside the gate. Each tree was for a member of the town who had fallen in the fight against the Corrupted. Each tree was a memorial to their memories and a reminder of the dangers that lurked outside.

“One sec,” Gareth said.

All three men turned to see Gareth approaching them. Behind him, Lloyd could see the gates were still open, and most of the crowd had walked away. Gavin, Tera, Jimmy, and Cassius's father remained. All four standing at the gates looked like the town's defenders and the welcoming crew.

“What’s up?” Regal asked.

“I just wanted to mirror what Gavin said. Be safe out there. Don’t pick any unnecessary fights. Stock up in any of the towns you come across. Only trust yourselves.” Gareth said.

“What do you mean only trust ourselves?” Lloyd asked.

“The world out there isn’t like Breakwater. Not everyone was fortunate enough to have someone like Tera in their town. Between the food she can grow and the defenses she can construct, we have had it easier here, trust me. Just be careful.” Gareth said before smacking the men on the shoulders and turning back towards the town.

The three men looked at each other with raised eyebrows and shrugged shoulders. They waved one last time to the remaining onlookers in town, then turned and headed into the forest. A few minutes later, surrounded by trees, Lloyd looked back and noticed he couldn’t see Breakwater anymore.

“Woohoo, fuck yeah!” Cassius said as he slapped Regal on the pack. “Let's fucking go, let's do this.”

All the men burst into laughter at the sudden and abrupt change in tone. The day Regal and Lloyd had dreamed of for over a decade had finally come.

“The last one out of the forest has to go collect firewood for the night,” Cassius said as lightning cascaded from his fingertips and pummeled into Regal.

Regal stepped back from the impact, but Lloyd noticed no damage to his clothing.

“Only thirty percent!” Cassius yelled as he ran further into the forest.

“Should I shoot him with my bow?” Lloyd asked.

“Fuck it, might as well,” Regal said as he began sprinting towards his friend.

“Hey! I heard that. Come on guys, not cool,” Cassius said.

Lloyd knew he didn't have to shoot Cassius; he was way faster than him. But he also knew that with the head start, Cassius was probably quicker than Regal. Meh, oh well. At least I won’t have to gather wood tonight, Lloyd thought.

Night had descended, and the fire was already roaring. Lloyd did indeed win the race, and Regal ended up pulling ahead of Cassius at the last moment. It was a brilliant photo finish. While gathering the wood, Cassius came across a few rabbits, which he quickly zapped and brought back to camp to eat. The trip so far was uneventful. They saw a few groups of deer and a small pack of what Lloyd believed to be coyotes off in the distance, but they scattered at the site of the three humans. He didn't want every day to be a fight for his life, but he had hoped they'd come across a Corrupted. Tomorrow will be a more exciting day, Lloyd thought before drifting off to sleep.