In the cold dead night, somewhere in the middle of a thick and dangerous forest, lies a mansion. Though it was located in such a place, far from any town or whatsoever, this house was still occupied by a wealthy family. A tall metal fence was the only thing that separated this mansion from the forest and whatever beast may lurk within. And humans clad in light armor would patrol along the fence, weapons in hand and eyes opened for the first sign of danger. Hired to protect the owner from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

More importantly, to protect a young girl named Coraline.

This fair maiden was currently residing in her room located on the fourth floor, far from the ground, and could be one of the safest places in the whole area.

Coraline sat by the mirror, her blue eyes set on her reflection. She was motionless as if she was a mannequin, lifeless. But in truth, she was evaluating her appearance. Her long red hair, her fair white skin. The candlelight danced in the reflection of her emerald eyes. There was one thing the girl knew, one of these needed to go. And the only one she could decide on was her hair. With a pair of scissors, Coraline snipped off a large portion of her crimson locks. What was long now reduced to a short pixie cut. That was it, the first step to a brand new path, there was no going back now.

A knock was heard on the door. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Lady Coraline, it's me, I have brought what you need."

"Door is open, hurry now Marian."

The door opened as quickly as it closed. A woman older than Coraline rushed over to the girl's side and was in the possession of a bundle of clothes. The woman gasped once she had a good look at Coraline.

"Lady Coraline, w-what did you do to your hair?" The woman asked quietly.

"What I have to do, I don't want to be recognized by anyone when I leave." The girl explained.

"Oh, is there anything I can do or say just to convince you to stay?"

Coraline shook her head. "No, there isn't. My decision is final, you know that I want this."

"I know," The woman sighed. "But your parents will not understand, and I too fear what is out there lady Coraline."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself. So is this it?"

"Oh!" The woman unfolded the bundle of clothes to reveal several articles. A brown shirt and a blue cloak. "I had asked William for this, he has already cleared out the exit for your departure."

"Thank you, I am deeply sorry for this, and I hope that you will forgive me."

"I can never be mad at you, Lady Coraline."

With that, Coraline prepared for her departure.

Chapter 1: Coraline of Gladius

Sneaking out wasn't that much of a problem when Coraline had perfected her little plan. Especially when you've convinced and bribed the head of the guards. All she had to do was slip through the gap in the mansion's security and she was free as the wind. Once Coraline was far enough, she howled with excitement as she ran into the shadows as she started her journey into the unknown.

Though the light of the moon illuminated the darkness, it could never pierce through the thick forest top. Yet Coraline chose to traverse this dark place with a single torch to light her way. It was cold, thankfully the cloak around her was enough to keep warm with the aid of the fire in her hand. Though one might believe that it was foolish to be in the forest alone, she was smart enough to arm herself with her family's prized possession, the Wizard King's sword, Sky Shatter.

It had no scabbard, for it was rumored that nothing can contain the immense power that the sword held. Any beast that dares to stand in her way will be annihilated on sight.

Her body tensed as the bush behind her rustled, quickly, she turned to face whatever threat would come. With her torch in one hand and the sword in the other, Coraline readied herself for her first trial. And let it be known that today on this fateful night, she held her ground with courage and pride. She stared down whatever animal it was that came across her path to adventure, and there she glared at the face of death.

A hulking beast emerged from the thicket, a bear the size of a small hut riddled with scars. A broken sword was stabbed deep into its chest yet it still lives even with the injury. Her face paled upon seeing this beast, it roared at her ferociously.

"Come on Coraline," She spoke out loud. "This is what you have been training for. Let's show this bear what's what!"

The bear then lumbered over towards her, a hungry glint in its eye. Then it quickened its pace, Coraline stood her ground and raised her torch above her head. As the beast neared, Coraline smiled. Her next move would be written down in history for all to read, generations shall learn that our hero had indeed fled from the beast.

"This thing is too scary!" She screamed as she ran around and away from the beast. "Come on, do some magic!"

She begged the sword for power to smite this bear, but it remained dormant even with the danger that loomed. Coraline continued to run, the cold wind would land on her pale face, but thanks to fear and all her running, she felt no sense of chill. All she cared about was the beast that followed. Her heart screamed with her, lungs threatened to collapse as everything around her blurred. Coraline feared that she was wearing herself thin, soon enough she would die of fatigue instead of being mauled alive.

She ducked, she jumped, and no matter how hard she tried to lose the beast, it only smashed its way toward her. It was relentless, no obstacle stood a chance against this monster.

Regret slowly filled her chest as everything started to darken. Her breath was heavy, if anything, this was a sign that her brain was slowly losing oxygen as she ran. Her heartbeat was getting louder and louder by the second. That's when she realized that there was no way that she could outrun this beast, no other choice but to fight. She gritted her teeth and skidded to a halt. Hair covered in sweat and grime, Coraline turned on her heel to face down this monster.

Sword drawn and ready, the beast neared with every passing second. Only one problem left; she was not trained for this.

And yet, she steeled herself, even if she barely had any strength to lift her sword. Coraline was determined to defeat this beast even if she had to fight with her hands.

A giant fist shot out of the forest, Coraline stared dumbfounded as this limb grabbed the beast with one swipe. She would've cheered if it were not for the fact that this giant fist belonged to some kind of reptile, which only meant that it was a dragon or other nasty lizard. It was by far thicker than a large tree, which meant some beast the size of a house had intervened with Coraline's date with death. She watched as this reptilian crushed the bear like a grape, blood splattered everywhere but Coraline, she thanked whatever power above that kept her from the splash of blood. But then she prayed for help as the giant fist released the corpse before retracting back into the darkness.

Her eyes focused on where it originated, she could not see in the dark but she could hear something within it. A twig snapped which startled her, her trial had not ended yet as whatever this creature was, approached.

"Stay back!" She managed to croak out.

"That's my kill, you better not claim it!"

Coraline's legs finally gave in as relief filled her heart, she collapsed on the spot as a small smile grew on her face. It was a woman, somehow there was another human in the forest, who must be an adventurer. Her smile grew larger when the thought hit her, an adventurer here of all places. A strong one at that, maybe even a mage from what she could tell. Or even better, a wizard. No ordinary adventurer could ever summon the might of the mystical dragon.

"I-I am sorry! This was all you, I swear, though I am very thankful for saving my life!"

"What's a human like you doing out here?" The woman asked.

"Human?" Coraline parroted.

And to answer her question, the woman finally emerged from the darkness and into the light, she wasn't human, to begin with. They were a lizardman, a very scary one at that. She wore no armor, and barely any proper clothes to be in fact, her green scales were exposed as if she did not fear any injuries. At least she was modest enough to wear pants and a waist cape, as well as a tight top that exposed her shoulders and stomach. Her neck had a muffler that fitted the scenario. The buckle of her belt was shaped like a dragon's head. And finally, there were her weapons, a short sword, and a hammer.

"You smell like a noble." The nameless fighter commented.

Coraline gasped. "How did you know!?"

"I bodyguard girls like you back in the day, you all have that distinctive scent." She explained nonchalantly.

"Are you… an adventurer?"

"Victoria, the Imprisoned Wrath." That was enough for Coraline to feel a little safe.

"I'm… Coraline, I uh… am an aspiring adventurer!"

No doubt about it, this lizardwoman was not one for you to trust so quickly, but Coraline had no other option. Believe it or not, she was stuck in the forest with no other way and no sense of direction. All she did know was which direction was the nearest town, she did not know how far exactly. Now that Coraline noticed it, she got herself lost after being chased by that bear.

"Aspiring?" Victoria scoffed. "Next time you say that, hold a real sword."

"What's wrong with mine!?" Coraline shot up to her feet.

"Where do I begin? The thing is obviously coated in gold from what I can tell, those scratches are very telling. The design and the gem placements are what really show that this thing is nothing but a chunk of scrap metal. This is supposed to be Sky Shatter? What some people don't know is that the sword is bigger than the two of us."

"Wait, really?"

Victoria clicked her tongue. "Yeah, and whoever bought this sword got scammed real good."

"Oh…" Coraline finally weighed her options, she took a second to decide, but she knew she was doomed if she went on her own. That encounter with the beast had shown Coraline how foolish she was with this adventure of hers. She should've prepared better, there was danger in this forest yet she blindly entered it. Before Victoria could even speak, Coraline dropped down to her knees and planted her head on the dirt. "Please take me as your apprentice!"

"No."

Coraline snapped towards Victoria, tears in her eyes. "Please! I don't want to die out here! My combat skills are mediocre, and I have zero sense of survival!"

"Not my problem, kid, if you know what's good for you then you'd be on your way home."

"I don't want to go back…"

This caught Victoria's interest. For a moment she was deep within her mind, she laughed loudly after she concluded. "You're one of those sheltered girls who want to be free! I've seen this before, and honestly, you're lucky that you ran into me!"

"Then you would teach me!?"

"No," Coraline nearly tripped on her own foot. "but I know someone who can."

Wordlessly, Victoria walked away with Coraline behind, but Victoria had not forgotten her prey. The bear she had easily vanquished was on her shoulders, and Victoria carried it as if it weighed nothing.

"So what changed your mind?"

"Eh, call it nostalgia, met a lot of noble girls like you who wanted to feel the thrill."

"Girls you protected?"

"Let's not talk about the details. But I did have a lot of fond memories of some of those maidens that wanted to feel alive for once. Anyway!" Victoria shook the bear's lifeless body. "I'm very eager to claim the reward on this thing, so let's hurry back to my camp."

"Right!" The young girl beamed up with new hope.

Eager to be an adventurer just like Victoria, Coraline followed the lizardwoman with a hop in her step.

She did her best not to pester Victoria with questions, even though Coraline wanted to know everything about the lizardwoman. If anything, it was like a brand new book to Coraline. A new opportunity to learn about great battles and treasure beyond her wildest dreams.

Victoria was tough and skillful, Coraline could tell. The way she carried herself showed stories of adventures and hardship. Easily, Victoria had won against a beast with just a single move.

Now that Coraline remembered it, Victoria had somehow summoned a giant fist which led Coraline to believe that the Imprisoned Wrath was also a mage of sorts. Or perhaps she used a scroll. Victoria did have some on her belt which wouldn't surprise Coraline if they were indeed magic. Adventurers, even if they could cast magic, would also carry spell scrolls as they did not require any use of mana. Spell scrolls were an advantage for anyone, even a peasant with no prior experience in the realm of spell casting could use one.

This would also benefit Coraline if she could get her hands on some.

"I'm back!" Victoria announced her return as she and Coraline exited the forest.

Free from the maze-like forest, Coraline had found herself faced with a vast open field. The light of the moon cascaded upon the open field, and the beauty of the night was like a picture painted by the greatest artist. And Coraline was in awe of the scenery. Never before had she been given a chance to see such sights. Frozen upon the edge of the forest, Coraline stared ahead. A whole new world is on the horizon as the mountains, both tall and mighty, stood proudly in the distance.

But that wasn't all, the sky was lit up with a grand alignment of stars. The large moon felt as if it smiled back at Coraline as she looked upon the world above. Unconsciously, her hand reached for the stars as if she could catch one. This alone had her feeling free for once. Free from her family name, and free from her prison.

Victoria allowed Coraline to soak in the view, which Coraline was grateful for.

Once she finally had her fill, Coraline gave Victoria a nod and the two continued to Victoria's camp.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Coraline was so distracted by the new surroundings that she had not realized that a small camp was made just a few feet away from them. What she had not seen was a wagon as well, with a large sign which read "Mare's Wares".

It was a traveling merchant, so that meant the old man by the campfire was the owner. There was another as well, a man who Coraline presumed was the guard of this shop. He was strangely lightly armored with only a helmet that obscured his face and a pair of mismatched gauntlets. His right one was bulky while the other was simpler. A single pauldron was on his left shoulder with a flowing red cape .

As for the old man, he was bald and only wore raggedy clothes. His long beard rivaled a wizard's, and he looked so frail that Coraline was sure a harsh wind alone could defeat him. If anything, he might as well crumble to dust.

Victoria walked up to the campfire and placed the bear somewhere far enough it wouldn't get singed by the flames. "Old man, I'm back."

"What!?"

Victoria placed a palm on her face. "I don't feel like doing this again. Hey!" Victoria turned her attention to the guard. "D, I got something you'll be interested in."

"Is it the girl? I don't do slavery, Ria." He chuckled. "Alright, welcome to the Mare's Wares! What can I get you, Miss?"

The two approached the wagon. Now that Coraline had a good look at it, this wagon was covered with all kinds of shields. Many of them had symbols that represented other countries. One that caught her eye was the symbol of Whitefall, an elven country which- if Coraline had remembered right- was east of Valor. Valor was where they were, the land of man as the other races had called it.

Whereas Valor's symbol was a fearsome lion with a crown, the country of Whitefall chose a blazing star to symbolize their attunement and superiority with magic. Coraline made a note to visit that place one day to see if the stories were true. She had heard many fables and myths.

But something else came to mind, and that was the fact that the man in the cape was the merchant, not the old man by the fire.

"She's not here to buy anything, but I'm sure she could help you with your bucket list."

"Oh?" The man turned to her with a curious hum. "Ah, so you finally kidnapped a desperate village peasant for me to train in the art of combat?"

"Is that what you've written on the bucket list? To kidnap and train someone from a village?" Victoria questioned with a hint of concern.

"Yeah," He said with brutal honesty.

"You know what? I'm fine either way, you do you. Anyway, Coraline, meet your trainer. He'll teach you how to fight and survive."

"I- I am pleased to meet you, I'm Coraline!" Professionally, she raised an open hand to the man and waited patiently.

He took her offered hand and shook it with a bone-crushing grip. Coraline tried not to show weakness, but the tears in the corner of her eyes betrayed her little stoic visage.

"I'm Difesa the Wandering Shield, Knight of Valor, son of Alexander Morgan Difesa the Beast of Valor, and Helena Difesa."

"Wait… Difesa?" Something shattered loudly. She realized something that wasn't right as this man had introduced himself as Difesa. "You're a Difesa? No, that can't… Oh no, oh no!"

Difesa kept a firm grip on her hand as Coraline struggled to break free. "Do I know you?" He asked innocently. She had not answered, so Difesa took a closer look to see if he could get a clue. Before Victoria could intervene and clear her confusion, Difesa grabbed hold of Coraline's face and forced her to look into the slits of his helmet. For a moment it looked like Difesa was looking into her soul. "A Gladius?"

"A what?" Victoria was still out of the loop.

"Gladius is a noble family who also is a part of the King's Swords. What are you doing out here, Coraline?"

Victoria stepped in and pulled Coraline away. "Wait, how did you know who she was?"

"The only family in this country that is concerned about a Difesa would be the Gladius, and where most of our fellow nobles would greet us with false kindness. Gladius would spit in our direction. Your family has a mansion within this forest, correct? If so, a logical conclusion would lead me to believe that you are who I've accused you of."

"Is this an issue?"

He chuckled. "Nope! This whole rivalry thing is just stupid anyway!"

This caught Coraline off guard. Before, he spoke with a dreadful voice, it was as if she was faced with the dead as he explained everything. But now, he was cheerful. If anything, Coraline swore there was a smile on his helmet now.

And he said something she had not expected. Difesa claimed the rivalry between their families was stupid. He genuinely did not care about such things. If so, that meant there was no danger with him. Still, Coraline was taught not to trust people too easily. If he tried anything that would harm her, she'd be ready.

"Alright, so you want to be an adventurer? Well, you're in luck! I'm looking for a squire and I will cover all the pay that is required! You're very lucky that I was looking for someone to teach the ways of being a knight! Or something… I prefer the sword and shield and all, but I do enjoy using a crossbow sometimes. Well, being a knight doesn't mean you're stuck with a single class of weapon! The only diversity that's important is your choice of weapons! Or so my uncle says."

"Wait, what do you mean you don't care!?" Coraline exclaimed. "You, a filthy and barbaric Difesa, don't care about what your family did to us!?"

"What did we do?"

"What!?" Coraline was taken aback by his question. "You know what you did, we all know!"

"Hey, Victoria, what did my family do?" He asked the lizardwoman and only received a shrug. "I'm just saying, I have no clue what my family did to you. Ask my grandpa if you'd like, but doubt he'd give you a straight answer."

Coraline wore a confused smile. "The old man? He can barely hear a word that we say. What's your game plan, Difesa!"

"Bucket list." He answered plainly. "Listen, I know our families don't see eye to eye, but you can't just let that dictate you on who to hate. Get your own opinions, and don't judge a book by its cover."

A sound advice. Coraline couldn't form an argument with that especially if it would paint her in the wrong. There was no point in fighting as he implied, and she had never seen him before so her view of Difesa was still neutral. So there shouldn't be any issue with becoming his squire.

"Fine," She huffed tiredly. "I hope that we can get along well." She said through her teeth.

"Great! I'll go fetch you some weapons, and see what you prefer." Difesa left the two be and entered the wagon.

Victoria patted Coraline's shoulder. "Not judging a book by its cover is good advice and all, but stay vigilant when you're around people. Orcs are violent, elves are jerks, and humans are dumb."

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying, kid, don't go around like D and talk to some necromancer about signing a petition for an orphanage."

"That sounded a little too specific. Did he…?"

Victoria only answered with a tired sigh.

Difesa soon returned with several weapons in his arms. All of which were haphazardly littered on the ground. "Alright! First thing first! A weapon is not just an extension of yourself, but an identity! All great adventurers wield weapons that helped them stand out! Each with names written down in history, such as Excalibur! But, even the greatest archer starts with a measly longbow."

"Can't I just use this sword?" She raised the golden blade toward Difesa.

Difesa inspected it in his hands. Gave the sword a few swings as well. Then Coraline witnessed madness. The sword she stole from home was shattered against Difesa's blade.

"This can't do," Carelessly, Difesa tossed the broken weapon aside. "Not only is this weapon coated in gold, but it was also poorly made. Now, our options are plenty and I will be able to teach you everything I know. So just tell me now which weapon you want to master, then maybe we could learn another style after."

"Wait, you can teach me anything?" Coraline gazed upon the pile and saw all kinds of weapons. "What's this?" She picked up a strange weapon, one she was not familiar with.

"A flintlock pistol!" Difesa said happily. "A revolutionary weapon that was crafted by the famous inventor, Gorn Ironbeard! Also, Victoria's preferred ranged weapon."

"This thing is stronger than a crossbow!" Victoria entered the conversation with two pistols in her hands. She showed off a few tricks and even juggled the two dangerous weapons. "Accurate too, you can hit a target at least a hundred meters far!"

"But… reloading is very time-consuming." Difesa pointed out. "A crossbow simply depends on how strong you are, especially the mechanical ones! Though… looking at you, Coraline, don't think a crossbow is fit for you."

"Yeah, it does look a bit too heavy for me."

The Wandering Shield brought up a short spear that might as well have been a dagger on a stick. "How about this? Light, easy to use, and you can even carry a shield on your other hand."

"How about a normal sword?" Coraline suggested.

"I don't have anything else that's light enough for you to carry…" Difesa explained. "You couldn't break free from me earlier, so you can't carry anything but a short sword, and I don't have any in stock. I do have some daggers though."

"I mean… if I train then maybe I can have a bigger weapon, right?"

"Of course!" Difesa shot up to his feet. "By the time we're done, you'll be a proper adventurer!"

"Then this!" Coraline retrieved the short spear from the pile as well as a buckler. "This will do! You really gonna teach me, master?"

"Please, just call me Difesa. And from now on, you shall be my squire. We shall return to Helm's Keep tomorrow, so get some sleep, it's already late."

"Will do!" Coraline felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

"Come on, you can sleep in my tent." Victoria offered, to which Coraline accepted gladly.

Coraline had not realized how tired she was, that she fell asleep before Victoria could even give her a blanket. With the young lady deep in her dreams, the others followed her steps and went to bed. The only one that remained awake was the old man who continued to stare at the fire.

The morning came as a sudden shift.

Difesa manned the reins and led his horse down a dirt road. His grandfather sat on the other end, his eyes locked on the horizon behind the wagon. A corpse of a large bear separated the old man and Difesa, which was tied to the wagon to keep it still. The other two followed behind on foot. The reason for this was simply that Coraline's training began with some cardio. Victoria on the other hand joined to make sure Coraline wouldn't fall behind.

To say that Coraline was tired was an understatement. The moment the sun broke the sky, Difesa had woken Coraline from her slumber. Then they were on the road right after breakfast.

"Come on, we gotta distribute those fats!" Difesa said. "Only a few meters more and then we can ride the rest of the way to Helm's Keep!"

"I don't know why I have to run with her! She's your student!" Though she had followed behind Coraline since the start, Victoria was not winded at all. If anything, she was far bothered with her current task.

"Can you drive?" Difesa questioned.

"Point taken! But I'm still gonna be peeved off by this, especially after!"

Suddenly, Difesa's grandfather wore a hardened look. And as if he sensed the shift, Difesa glanced over his shoulder. The horse slowed down, this sent a clear message to Victoria who slowed to a brisk jog. Coraline only realized the change in the wind when she saw Victoria draw out her weapons. The sword on her right and the hammer in the other. When the wagon fully stopped, Difesa simply stood up with a lie shield, his sword left in its sheath.

Coraline followed the example and readied herself, though it would be difficult for her as she barely had any energy left to fight.

"Victoria?"

"Something is ahead, smells like dark magic."

Difesa stepped off and surrendered the high-ground advantage. He stood there ahead of the others, shield ready for what was to come.

It approached, and the three prepared themselves. It was running at full speed, despite the large appearance of this beast. And seemed like the scent of blood lust was strong with this creature. The ground shook slightly as it grew closer.

Victoria prepared her sword and wanted to throw it at her foe, but Difesa raised his hand. "Hold on a second, it's Johan!"

Coraline learned that it was someone they knew, but Victoria claimed she had sensed dark magic in the air. Upon a closer look, Coraline realized that this wasn't a giant of sorts, simply that this character carried a ridiculously large bag. No normal man could hope to carry such a thing, so Coraline assumed that Johan was an orc. That is until she saw his face. It was clear as day that Johan was no human, not even an orc, but a skeleton. He may have worn civilian clothing and a hood, but there was no hiding the fact that it was a hollow skull on his shoulders.

"Johan!" Difesa greeted. "What's wrong!?"

"Thousand Fang!" Johan warned them. "The Thousand Fang is right behind me!"

Victoria scowled deeply. "Coraline, stay close to the old man, and don't leave his side no matter what."

"You're making me protect the old man? I wanna fight too!"

"There's not going to be a fight," Difesa said. "Let me handle this, just stay by grampa's side, and don't do anything."

Johan had reached them soon after. Difesa told him to follow Coraline to the back of the wagon, and took a step forward where he waited for those who pursued Johan.

Coraline peaked around the wagon as Johan relaxed with Difesa's grandfather. "Hi, I'm Coraline. You're Johan, right?"

The skeleton gave her a short nod. "Yes," His voice had a slight echo. And there was no doubt that he was undead. "I am so glad that I met you four, or else I would've met a dire fate."

"Why, who is the Thousand Fang?"

"Them!" He pointed toward a large group that approached with a speed equal to Johan's.

Horses armored with spikes and blades were headed their way. And the riders? Though they wore some manner of protection, it was clear that these were orcs. Armed with clubs, swords, and axes. The orcs set their eyes upon them and the wagon. Difesa stood his ground, with his shield planted into the dirt and his arms crossed.

The group slowed to a stop, and an orc woman who Coraline presumed was the leader, stepped off of her horse. She was larger than everyone, built like a beast yet still held some feminine traits. She wore the least amount of armor unlike those that followed her. When Difesa and the orc leader were just an arm's reach away from each other, Difesa had to look up to meet her eyes.

"Difesa." She hissed.

"What are you doing so far in Valor, Uloth? Also chasing my pal, Johan? This isn't a good look."

"This does not concern you, Difesa, walk away and allow us to turn this skeleton into dust."

"Can't do that, may I offer you a chance to browse my wares instead?"

Uloth tightened her grip around her weapon, a mace that looked like it could turn anyone into a pile of mess.

Coraline was worried, there was a bunch of them and only three able-bodied fighters on Difesa's side. Well, Coraline had no experience but it looked like she needed to do her part if things went bad for everyone. Ten orcs in total. She scanned the rest of the orcs, every one of them was as scary as she had heard. But there was an interesting detail she had failed to notice at first.

"They're all women?" Not just that, but there were a few goblins as well, just hidden behind them.

"Don't be fooled, orc women are just as vicious as the men" Johan explained. "Don't know what sets them apart, honestly. What I do know is that the Thousand Fang are the third strongest clan in Koruk Uzgobog."

"Why are they after you, all the way here in Valor?"

"Well…"

Uloth spat at the knight's feet. "The skeleton swindled us, Difesa, as an honorable merchant, you should respect our reason to kill this pest and erase him from history. Or are your wares just as fake as his?"

"Uloth, come on, your chief and I made business before, so you should know my stuff is legit. Come on, what did you all buy from him? Maybe I have it in stock, but don't get your hopes up."

"Oh?" Her tone was childish as if she wanted Difesa to know that she was insulting him. "You have the Crown of the Swarm Lord? My, that does sound like an amazing deal!"

"You're getting on my nerves, you really are." He said calmly.

"This pile of bones promised us what we desired! When we realized the crown was fake, he had already run off with a number of our slaves and we wanted them back!"

"I'm telling you, I don't have them!" Johan explained from the safety of Difesa's wagon.

"All the reason to rip you apart!" An orc said. The others agreed with her and the whole group demanded violence.

"How about we take the man thing back, he'd be perfect as a slave!" Another suggested.

"Yeah! There's another human back there! Frail looking, but she can work the farms!"

They started to throw suggestions all around, most wanted to just be done with it and go home, while some wanted Victoria back as well.

Difesa had enough, so he pulled off his gauntlets and tossed them aside. This action silenced the orcs, and Uloth smiled viciously upon Difesa's idea. Before Coraline could even question, Difesa slammed his fist against Uloth's jaw.

"What was that!?" Coraline managed to get out as the orcs cheered.

"Orcs are violent," Victoria sighed as she returned her weapons to her belt. "Their religion is more about strength, and most of their disputes are dealt with in combat. That's how the orcs of Koruk Uzgobog function, and Difesa is familiar with their culture."

Uloth was larger than Difesa, but she wasn't slower. She was just as quick as Difesa when she threw her own punch. But size does give an advantage to Difesa. His smaller stature allowed him to dance around Uloth's attacks.

"Come on, Difesa! You still owe this pile of bones!" Johan cheered. But he was simply a whisper compared to the clan Thousand Fang.

The orc and goblin women demanded blood, and Difesa promised that there would be some, just not his.

The crowd went wild when Uloth was pushed back a step, caused by one good punch to the stomach. Courtesy of Difesa of course. He was like a snake, the knight dodged and weaved around Uloth before she could land a hit. This only angered the orc, her attacks started to become desperate. She became more so as her subordinates ridiculed her.

She underestimated him, which was her biggest mistake yet. Difesa bounced around and landed several punches all over her. Uloth slowly became disoriented when he landed another hit to the head.

"She's being slaughtered!" Coraline was in awe of Difesa's skills. She expected him to be pummeled by the larger character, but Coraline was proven wrong.

"She probably thought he was just a weak little human," Victoria chuckled. "Honestly, their ignorance is just second to elves."

"Don't compare me to an elf!" Uloth had heard Victoria's statement.

The orc caught Difesa's fist, then a wicked smile formed. With her strength, Uloth pulled Difesa over her and slammed him onto the ground. Once there, she pinned him down and unleashed her fury upon him. He kept his arms up to block her fists, but for Difesa, it felt like he was being attacked with a blunt weapon.

He tried to throw back a punch, but it was expected as Uloth caught it once again. She pushed his arm down and continued her assault. With only a single arm free, Difesa couldn't block it all and now his helmet was dented after a heavy blow.

When Coraline believed that it was the end for Difesa, along with her dreams. Difesa caught Uloth's hand which shocked the orc. Before she could even pull her fist free, Difesa slammed his helmet against her face. Another headbutt finally broke Difesa free as Uloth fell onto her back.

There was finally blood as Uloth lost a tusk.

Before she could recover, Difesa slammed his boot into her stomach. "Yield." He demanded.

"It ain't over yet!" Uloth roared.

Difesa finally unsheathed his weapon, Coraline gasped as she saw the sword. The blade was broken and worn out. Only half a sword, it even looked dull. Which meant something since Coraline wasn't an expert with swords. The orcs went silent as he showed off his steel.

"You're beaten, accept it!" Difesa told Uloth. "Or should I make you an example to your friends here?"

For a moment, Uloth was silent. She stared into his helmet and sought out the truth in him if he had the guts to go through with his threat.

"I yield."

Difesa relaxed, his sword returned to its sheath and he lifted his feet off Uloth. "And you know what I want."

Uloth was pulled back to her feet thanks to Difesa. "By my honor as an orc, my group shall leave Johan alone. But know this, if we spot him in our territory, then he shall be punished."

"Good, and tell your chief I said hello." Difesa walked away after. The two didn't look back, and it would seem that Uloth was a woman of her word.

The orcs and goblins were gone the moment Uloth got on her horse. But she gave Difesa one final glare before they all rode back home.

Once they were gone, Difesa collapsed to his knee. The others rushed to his side.

"Difesa!" Victoria called his name. "You better not die just because you stupidly fought an orc! You could've at least used your shield!"

"You weren't worried earlier…" He chuckled. "You doing good, Johan?"

"I am, old friend, thank you for defending me from those beasts."

Difesa groaned as the pain finally reached him. "Next time, don't scam orcs if you want to free their slaves. I know you have some actual stuff that they'd surely be interested in."

"They demanded the Crown of the Swarm Lord, something I cannot possibly find, just for fifty slaves."

"Well, next time I'll stay out of it."

Johan retrieved something from his belt and gave it to Difesa. "Here, this will take care of your injuries."

"This doesn't mean I owe you another one." Difesa said accepted the object. A bottle with red liquid.

He wanted to pull off his helmet, but found that he was unable to. Uloth had punched him enough to have his helm stuck on him. With that in the way, Difesa poured the contents into the holes of his helmet which shocked everyone. He certainly felt better after.

"You feel better, Difesa?" Victoria inquired. "If not, hurry up. We need to get back to Helm's Keep before dusk, or else we can't register Coraline to the guild."

"Oh, right!" Difesa pushed himself back up and hurried to his wagon, he had not forgotten his belongings of course. "You can take care of yourself now, Johan? We gotta go, so see you! Let's go girls, grandpa is faster than you!"

"Wait!" Johan called out to them as Coraline and Victoria climbed in the wagon. "Can I get a ride also!?"

They were already gone, and Difesa simply waved back. Johan was left there in the middle of the road. Though he was a skeleton, he was also tired. His only chance for a smooth ride back to the city was gone, and now he must travel on foot. He was not looking forward to it, especially with bandits on the prowl.

As the wagon hurried through the path, Coraline poked through the window and gazed upon the city in the distance. It was just as magnificent as she had read in her books. A castle could be seen next to a massive mountain. And a massive structure stood in the center of the city, and Coraline knew what it was called. She couldn't help but point it out to the others.

"The Adventurers Guild!" Victoria gave her an amused grin, and Difesa chuckled audibly.

They both found her enthusiasm charming.

It was no surprise that Coraline was as excited as a child receiving a new toy. This was her dream, something she had wanted ever since she read the stories about the heroes of Valor.

Though, this wasn't what Caroline had first expected.

Difesa, a rival of her family, had promised to teach her even if they were enemies. No, she considered him as a friend despite the short time they'd known each other. Caroline felt that she could trust him. There was Victoria as well, someone she looked up to. Victoria was strong and confident, something Caroline aspired to be. If Difesa taught Caroline everything he knew, then perhaps there was a chance for Victoria to teach Caroline a thing or two.

Then there was Difesa's grandfather. She didn't know his name, but Caroline had decided to call him Old Man Difesa.

Something is odd, she didn't know their names. Difesa had left it out, and he had not introduced his grandfather to her properly. Caroline still wondered why the old man was with them. But she could ask next time, of course.

For now, she wanted to gaze upon the glorious city in the distance. That was the place where she could finally achieve her dream to be an adventurer.