Author's Note: I've recently been getting comments that my chapters are too short. But with only about a couple hours or so of free time I have each day, this is the best I can do. Should I change my schedule to every other day and make longer chapters? Or stick with these bite-sized daily chapters? Please leave your opinions in the comments below.
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"Uncouth commoner!"
"Wormy."
"Mediocre swordsman!"
"W-o-r-m-y."
"Uhh... Ch-childish rapscallion!"
"Woooorrrrrmmmmmyyyyyyy..."
Since Wormy joined us for lunch that one time, he's been coming back again and again. That just now was one of our attempts at witty banter. He keeps trying to give me an embarrassing nickname in revenge, but nothing he says bothers me nearly as much as the name I gave him bothers him. But, like I said, he keeps coming back for more.
Is he a masochist?
Milena was there too, but she mostly stays out of it.
We were heading down the hallway after school headed for the front courtyard to leave. It's the middle of winter now. Out the windows we can see a thin layer of snow outside covering the grounds. Around this time every year, we move to the second semester and we get to choose a couple elective classes this time.
"So, what classes are you picking, Wormy?" I asked.
"I told you, my name isn't Wormy, you- you immature... you immature... um..." he stammered.
"Check it out, Milena, he finally ran out of insults," I said with a grin.
"Well, Wormy, what classes will you choose?" Milena asked, trying her best to ignore the bickering. She still called him Wormy, though. I wonder if it's because I never give the guy a chance to tell her his real name or is it because she enjoys teasing him too?
"Oh, forget it... I'm thinking of taking Advanced Monster Studies. I've heard that they let you fight captured monsters in that class," Wormy answered.
"Now that sounds interesting. Maybe I'll join you!" I said.
"Please don't..." he replied with a sigh.
"Look, if you hate me so much, why do you keep coming back? In fact, why did you approach us in the first place?" I asked.
"Well, you know that when you reach the forth rank, bronze, they have you form squads, right? That means I'll need team members," he said.
"And you'll want Fen on your team?" Milena asked.
"Well, he may be an incorrigible ass-" he started.
"Hey! There's a new one," I interrupted.
Sighing, Wormy continued, "but he's good with a sword and has that ridiculous strength. He's a perfect front liner if I've ever seen one. It doesn't matter if he uses magic or not."
"Aww, I didn't know you cared, Wormy," I mocked.
"Oh, please just be silent," he replied.
"Hmm... does that mean I can't be on a team with you guys?" Milena asked with a sad look on her face. "I don't want to be left out."
"No, you can recruit people of lower ranks if you want. Though, it isn't recommended," Wormy reassured her.
"So, that means Milena can start a team and invite us?" I asked.
"That's right. She'll be the leader, though," he replied.
And so we planned to make a team in a couple years. We would need one more team member, but we've got two years to find someone else.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
We exited the main building during our conversation and headed out the front gate. But as we started out onto the street I noticed a familiar presence.
"Milena. Wormy," I warned.
"I told you, my name is-" Wormy started up again.
"Just shut up for a second," I barked at him. "Don't look back and don't raise your voice. We're being followed."
"What!?" he yelled.
"What did I just tell you, you idiot!?" I growled at him.
"Are you serious? You're just being paranoid," he said as he started to turn.
"I told you, don't look! I think it's the same person that followed me every night when I was out hunting a few months ago," I said.
"How can you be so sure?" Milena asked.
"The way their shoes scuff the street when they walk," I replied.
"You can hear them from this distance? You must have the hearing of a wulvari or something," Wormy said. Oh, if only he knew.
"I've got an idea," Wormy said with a smile on his face.
I was skeptical at first, but after listening to it, Milena and I decided to go through with it.
We turned a corner and got ready. Once I heard the stalker get close, I tapped Wormy's shoulder to give him the signal. Then he cast a capture spell, Stone Prison and Milena followed it up by covering the whole thing in a thick layer of ice.
"Hah! Got 'em!" I yelled.
But just as soon as we started to celebrate we heard a loud crack. The ice-covered stone prison exploded sending shards of it in all directions and blast of wind headed in our direction. The dirt kicked up by the wind blinded us and we couldn't see anything.
I quickly drew my sword and leapt toward the retreating shape in the dust cloud. I tried to cut them down, but I missed and only slashed apart their cloak.
"Dammit... they got away," I cursed.
"What's this?" Milena asked, holding a piece of paper she found on the ground.
"Maybe it came from the person who was spying on us," Wormy guessed.
It looked like some kind of journal page. Among the things I noticed on it were sentences like "recently killed a dire bear alone, despite his size and age" and "Subject has recently gained allies, no further progress on the frenzy or magic capability."
I quickly took the paper out of Milena's hands before they could notice the word "frenzy" on it. That would start a conversation that I didn't feel like having at the moment.
"It's all stuff about me, huh..." I said, trying to divert attention away from the paper.
"We need to tell Daddy about this," Milena said.
Wormy headed off to the nearby boys dormitory for students who don't have a residence here in the city. Then, Milena and I headed back to the mansion. We told Roland about our run in with the stalker as soon as we got home.
They were clearly after me, but why? And the way it was worded made it sound like a report.
...or a research document.
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