The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the world into hues of violet and amber. A campfire crackled in the center of the clearing, its warmth a welcome respite from the evening chill. Sebas sat cross-legged on a log, staring into the flames, his mind still turning over the events of the day. For the first time, he wasn’t completely alone.
Keira, the sharp-eyed archer, perched on a nearby rock, carefully maintaining her bow with practiced precision. Lorn, the sturdy dwarf warrior, sat on a makeshift seat fashioned from his pack, gnawing on a hunk of salted meat. Finn, the anxious young mage, hunched over his spellbook, though his eyes kept darting toward the fire, clearly more interested in conversation than study.
Sebas broke the silence. “So… how long have you all been adventuring together?”
Keira didn’t look up from her bow. “Two years, give or take. I met Lorn first.”
The dwarf grunted, tearing off another chunk of meat with his teeth. “She hired me.”
Sebas blinked. “Hired you?”
Keira smirked and finally looked up, her sharp green eyes glinting in the firelight. “I needed someone to help me clear out a pack of dire wolves threatening a village. I wasn’t much more than a rookie back then, so I found Lorn in a tavern, drowning in ale and debt.”
Lorn snorted. “Aye, I remember it well. You looked like you’d fall over in a stiff breeze, and you were offering coin I couldn’t refuse.” He chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “Didn’t think we’d end up working together beyond that, but the wolves were nastier than either of us expected. Got the scars to prove it.”
Keira’s smirk softened into something more sincere. “We survived because we worked together. After that, it just… made sense to stick around. Lorn’s got his flaws, but he’s reliable.”
Lorn pointed a meaty finger at her. “That’s the nicest thing she’s ever said about me.”
Sebas let a small smile tug at his lips. “What about you, Finn? When did you join?”
Finn looked up from his book, fiddling nervously with the edges of a page. “Um… about six months ago. I was studying at the Arcane Academy, but I—I wasn’t good enough. Not at their standards. I couldn’t keep up.” He sighed, his expression falling. “So I left. I thought maybe I’d learn better by… doing.”
Sebas tilted his head. “You seem skilled to me.”
Finn flushed and adjusted his glasses. “I’m trying. It’s different out here. No classrooms, no instructors yelling at you. Just… survive or don’t.”
“Fair point,” Sebas said quietly. He turned his attention back to Keira. “And you? Why did you start adventuring in the first place?”
Keira’s gaze darkened slightly, and for a moment, Sebas thought she might deflect the question. Instead, she answered with a calm, measured voice. “My parents were merchants. We traveled from town to town, selling goods. One day, our caravan was ambushed by bandits.” Her fingers tightened briefly around her bowstring. “I was the only one who survived.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The crackling fire filled the silence that followed. Lorn’s expression softened, and even Finn stopped fidgeting to look at her with sympathy.
“I had nothing left after that,” Keira continued. “No family, no home. I picked up a bow and started taking jobs. First it was just for coin, to survive. Then I realized I was good at it. Killing monsters, protecting people—it gave me purpose.”
Sebas nodded solemnly. “I understand that.”
Lorn shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “My story’s simpler. I was born into a family of smiths. Honest work, good coin, but I hated it. I wanted adventure, to see the world. So I ran off, joined a mercenary group, and spent years swinging this axe for whoever could pay. It wasn’t until I met Keira that I realized there was more to life than gold.”
Sebas raised an eyebrow. “More to life than gold?”
Lorn chuckled. “Well, don’t get me wrong. Gold’s still important. But protecting the people who can’t protect themselves? There’s honor in that.”
Keira snorted softly. “You’re getting sentimental in your old age.”
“Bah,” Lorn waved a hand dismissively. “You’re just jealous I’ve got more layers than you think.”
Sebas couldn’t help but smile again. These people… they weren’t so different from him. All of them had come to adventuring because of loss, failure, or the need to prove something. He looked toward the flames, the flickering light reflecting in his amber eyes. It was his turn to share.
“I grew up in an orphanage,” Sebas began, his voice low but steady. The firelight danced across his face, softening his sharp features. “The Church of Alexander took us in after the war left us with nothing. At first, it felt like salvation, but it wasn’t.”
Lorn and Finn grew quiet, sensing the shift in his tone. Even Keira’s gaze softened.
“The priests were cruel. They beat us, starved us. Told us we were worthless unless we dedicated our lives to the god they revered.” Sebas’ fists clenched on his knees, the memories clawing their way to the surface. “When the orphanage burned down, I was the only one who escaped. I don’t know if it was fate or luck, but I survived. And ever since then, I’ve been searching for something—power, knowledge, a reason why I’m still here when so many others aren’t.”
Silence followed his words, save for the crackling of the fire. Finn looked down, visibly moved. Lorn grumbled something under his breath, shaking his head, while Keira simply studied Sebas, her expression unreadable.
“Sounds like you’ve been through hell, lad,” Lorn said softly. “But you’re here now. That counts for something.”
Sebas nodded, exhaling a shaky breath. “I don’t want to waste this second chance. I’ll keep getting stronger, no matter what it takes.”
Keira met his gaze, her green eyes fierce. “Strength is important, but don’t lose sight of who you are. Power without purpose is dangerous.”
Sebas considered her words and nodded. “I’ll remember that.”
Finn piped up quietly. “So, uh… what’s your plan? I mean, for leveling up? You said you’re new to this, right?”
Sebas hesitated. “I don’t know yet. I’ll take quests, fight monsters, learn as much as I can. The Dragon Queen gave me a gift, and I intend to use it.”
Lorn’s eyes widened slightly. “Dragon Queen? You’re serious?”
Sebas nodded. “Yes. She’s… my patron, I suppose.”
Finn’s curiosity overrode his nervousness. “That’s incredible! Dragons are creatures of immense power. If she’s giving you her blessing, you could rise through the ranks quickly.”
“Ranks?” Sebas tilted his head.
Keira answered. “The Adventurer Rank system. Below level five, you’re a rookie, like you are now. From level five to nine, you’re considered a proper adventurer. By level ten, people start noticing you. Heroes begin to emerge around level eleven, but the big names—the legends—sit at level seventeen and beyond.”
“And level twenty?” Sebas asked.
Keira’s expression grew serious. “By level twenty, you’ve started gathering divinity. You’re no longer just an adventurer—you’re something more. A demigod walking among mortals.”
Sebas stared into the fire, the weight of her words settling on him. He was still so far from that, but hearing it laid out like this made the journey feel real.
Lorn broke the silence with a booming laugh. “Enough talk of levels and gods! For now, let’s focus on surviving tomorrow’s quest.”
Keira smirked. “For once, I agree with you.”
Sebas looked around the fire, a faint smile tugging at his lips. These people weren’t just strangers anymore. They were comrades, and perhaps, in time, they could become friends. For now, that was enough.
As the flames crackled and the stars stretched out above them, Sebas felt something unfamiliar—a flicker of hope.
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**End of Chapter 9**