Sleep… One of the three main necessities of the body and one I’ve been neglecting for days now. Without my Endurance I probably would’ve just fallen face-first into the dirt by the end of the second day, much less almost kill someone and then escape after the third.

Actually, did I kill…

[The Class Skill [Arcane Focus] has reached lvl 68.]

[The general Skill [Martial Instinct] has reached lvl 2 ->4.]

I did not. That’s good.

Hurting people is one thing, people I don’t like and people who might pose a threat to me but I’m not so comfortable with taking their lives. Sure the man looked like an asshole but judging by his words he was just doing his duty and what he thought was right. He probably even had a family. Just imagining someone killed Mom or Dad for doing their job… I don’t want to be the cause of such grief and the target of all the hatred.

I just want to be back with my family.

With that said I probably found the key to surviving in this forest while also fucking up everything. I attacked a person, probably a military official of another country, and stole a slave… Would that get me executed if they ever caught me or just simply enslaved for a lifetime? Let’s never find out.

Finally opening my eyes reveals the exact same forest I’ve been wandering in for almost a week now except with a lot of dead trees and a complete lack of greenery. I’ve no clue how long it’ll take for the forest to reclaim this land, whether mana can help the greenery flourish or it’ll take actual decades for everything to regrow after the destruction I caused.

I really am a criminal, huh?

And I don’t remember collapsing next to a small pond… So, where is she?

I still have the contracts, I don’t feel like anything took a bite and… yeah, she did her job well. Not that she had a choice after I made my request into an order.

More importantly, we can’t stay here. This part of the forest won't stay vacant for long and I’d like to avoid both the beasts arriving to claim the territory and the humans likely searching for either of us.

“Why did I have to find an antagonistic one?” I finally sit up, feeling groggy but no longer dying of exhaustion. “Would you deign me with your presence oh graceful…” I really shouldn’t just call her Slave. “... warrior?”

No response, no movement, and not a single soul in sight.

“Fine by me.” I mutter and dig through the bag again I’ve been using as a hug pillow until now. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”

This time maybe not so much a royal plural. It’s weird, having company after being around just beasts for so long even though they turned out to be much more intelligent than I thought.

Some coin, nice but not too useful right now, a knife, which worked wonders even the last time, a waterskin, with something that definitely doesn’t smell like water inside, some stale bread, papers, and three small vials. Healing potions. Quite a haul.

“Look, I really don’t want to use this damned piece of paper so just come here,” I feel like dealing with a child. “I have some food if you’re hungry.” The universal lure, it always works.

A combination of the threat and offering finally breaks the ice and the girl lands by my side with the grace and impact of a rock while also scaring me shitless. Judging by the fleeting smile on her face this was no coincidence.

Now that I have the time to take a proper glance at my new involuntary companion… Her parents must be some damn lookers. The slight malnourishment and layers of dirt aside, her white hair and blue eyes combo are already breathtaking, not to mention her considerable height and… tsk, curves. It’s not fair though, she’s older.

To top it off she’s got some muscles. Like, they took our physical training seriously back in Granhall, and I never slacked just because I hate sweating but… she might be stronger than Hugo.

“My name is Elyssia,” Even I know common courtesy. “care to introduce yourself?”

The frown and silence. My years of defiance have taught me how to recognize a firm no.

“Then I’ll just call you Whitey. Simply saying Slave is too derogatory, even for me.” I shrug.

Sulk all you want, but if you refuse to communicate properly we won't get anywhere.

“Release me!” She finally turns to face me and declares as if this was some sort of negotiation.

Really, that’s the first thing you want to say?

“I can’t.” I declare nonchalantly and through great difficulty take a bite of the bread.

It’s old, dry, and pretty tasteless but still a change compared to berries and barely grilled meat. A shame there was no salt or pepper in the bag.

“You have the contract,” She snaps, still as hostile as ever. “All you need to-”

“That’s not how it works.” I really should’ve just explained this properly from the start. “I’ll say this once, nice and simple. Destroying the contract does not remove the collar. Even if you do shred it and escape you won't get far because just looking at you screams runaway slave which means you’ll get captured and locked up, again. People don’t like convicted criminals running around, obviously. You breaking the law is not a me problem.”

That was neither short or simple but I hope it at least got through to her. In Valeria and the neighboring countries only misdeeds serious enough can make you lose your freedom and lowering your guard around people like that is the same as inviting trouble.

“I’m innocent!” She yells loud enough for my ears to ring.

“Sure, sure, every criminal says that.”

“Then give it to me!” Okay, at least we’re getting somewhere.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I won’t.” Her eyes grow menacing after my flat-out refusal but I don’t back down, meeting her gaze without flinching. “I need you but I don’t trust you, it’s that simple. The upper hand…” I dangle the contracts in front of her eyes. “Don’t make me issue orders, forcing my will onto people is really not my thing.”

I really need her to realize one thing; I value my life over her comfort and feelings, She can hate me all she wants and attack me once this is all done but until then it’s the survival of the fittest. With that said I’ll treat her like a person, like a comrade, with respect and most of her free will.

She needs me but she hasn’t realized that yet.

The silence that follows… I wouldn’t really call it awkward, more like cold, and slightly hostile. The lack of communication leads to the downfall of even the most stacked team. I learned this the hard way.

Imagine if something ambushed us just because we were arguing like some snotty brats…

“Fine!” I grip the scrolls again. I should really check which one is hers. “New orders!” Whitey visibly flinches and grits her teeth as the words leave my mouth. “Don’t leave me, don’t attack me, and don’t try to steal anything from me!”

Then a moment of silence descends.

“That’s it?” Whitey raises an eyebrow after blinking a few times.

“That’s it.” I slap a piece of bread into her hand before standing to my full height, which is still a little over a head shorter than her.

I heard stories about how the Tamer Class came to be, and how people slowly earned the trust of beasts through small gestures and patience. So why not try the same? She looks beastly enough to me.

“C’mon, I think I’m slightly better than whoever held this piece of paper before me, right? So how about we don’t give them a chance at catching up?” Talking to someone who refuses to answer feels even more weird than just babbling to myself.

Do I really need her? Yeah, I haven’t slept this well in days. Maybe because I haven’t slept in days at all…

A slight nudge of Survival gives me a basic idea of which way the East should be. I burnt down most of the forest to the northwest, most likely angered the authorities to the north, and hopefully lost my hunters from the south, and… yeah, that only leaves the east. Or the heart region of the forest with the most powerful creatures around.

East.

I start walking without waiting for Whitey to make up her mind, just like parents do with their unruly children. The only difference is I ordered her to stick close to me so it’s not really her choice.

The quiet persists as we trudge through the ash-covered land with only a husk left of the once lush and lively forest. The skies still have a tint of grey, a testament to the days-long inferno even though life around us is scarce the first signs of the upcoming rebirth are already visible to the watchful eye.

Small bugs crawl through the thick gray layer and the first sprouts are already forcing their way through the ashen remains. In the end, nature always prevails.

Should I strike up a conversation? But what could I say? ‘The weather is nice.’ would be cliche and-

“Valka.” In the end, Whitey is the one who speaks up.

“Huh?”

“My name.” She clarifies. Although, the ‘Huh’ was just an instinctual reaction, I’ve already put the pieces together to realize it’s a name.

“Didn’t like the name I gave you?” I really should stop teasing but it’s just so much fun. Silence means no so I just steer the conversation to different waters. “Just so you know, I am helping you.”

“Huh?” Her noise of disbelief is much more believable, especially with her fists tightening.

“Let me explain.” I raise my arms appeasingly. “I have no clue how to take off the collar and as I said if you tried to approach a settlement with that thing around your neck things wouldn’t end well. But, if you had someone with you carrying your contract…”

“People will think you own me.” She finally uses that pretty head of hers.

“And we can get help. I know some pretty skilled craftsmen.” My mood is finally on an upward slope, keep it going. “But getting to them won’t be easy.”

“Uhuh.” Okay, we’re finally getting somewhere.

“I guess you already checked that I’m a Mage but since we’re gonna have to stick together and most likely fight together I’m gonna give a quick rundown of what I can do.” Just the bare minimum. Don’t get too comfortable Eli, she’s still a convicted criminal.

“When you attacked me…” The girl, Valka, speaks up again, seemingly lost in her thoughts. “How did you use two elements?”

That’s not how I remember it.

“First of all, you attacked me, I simply made sure nobody got hurt.” I was doing the right thing back then. “Second, well… I’m a little special, you know. Most people call individuals like me Blessed because-”

“Born under the Comet.” Valka finishes the sentence for me.

“That’s right.” I haven’t got the slightest clue why my mood is this good today. Usually, I’d just go full-on sarcasm mode with someone this uncooperative. “And because of that, I can use a whole lot of elements.”

Will telling her this much bite me back? Eh, by the time she could do any harm, I’ll be around allies who can snap her neck in the blink of an eye. I’m starting to see why the contract is so popular. No risks, all the rewards… I still don’t like it.

“Who were the kind people you were traveling with before I butted in?” Fuck it, I need information more than anything right now.

“Abyss damned scum who bought me to fight against some monsters until-”

“No, not that. I’m talking affiliation, allegiance…uh, chief?” I try something much simpler because my conversation partner seems pretty simple herself.

“They kept mentioning some Battle Queen and Elder Line.” A proper answer finally arrives after some contemplation.

I hoped they were just some mercenaries or any random hired muscle but it seems like I really did step into some deep shit. This leaves marching through the forest all the way to Granhall.

***

The following hours are spent marching through the blackened land and slowly increasing the amount of words exchanged. Valka is clearly wary of me and I’m not naive enough to leave myself open around some bearing the mark of a criminal just because I have the power to command her.

I made it clear to her that I don’t plan on keeping a slave because it sounds like a lot of responsibility and honestly just way too cruel.

I’ve kept my eyes peeled for possible shelter and lunch as usual but haven’t seen much besides a few rodents and finding any suitable spot to set up camp with everything burnt to the ground isn’t easy. I still can’t believe I am the one who caused this. All those level-ups waiting to be claimed…

“I’m telling you I’m not a criminal!” Valka keeps insisting despite the collar telling a whole other story.

“That’s exactly what any murderer or thief would say you know?” It really is. “People don’t just get condemned with the collar because they were naughty children, the laws are pretty strict about that around here.”

“Well, I’m not from around here.” She huffs.

At least be a bit more creative, add some creative flair or tragic backstory to the mix to make me want to believe you.

Before long something finally breaks the ugly and monotonous scenery, cutting through the landscape like ink on paper, except with a whole new surface on the other side. Greenery, at last.

Life has finally returned, all kinds of life. Big furry, growling type of life…

[Badger lvl 95]

“I don’t think I can outrun that.” I mutter to Valka while taking a few steps back, just in case I’d need to use her as a shield. She’s the Warrior after all.

“Why would you run from our lunch?” She cracks her neck and although I like the confidence the size comparison really isn’t in her favor.

“Don’t you need any weapons?” I’m already afraid of the answer.

She simply rolls her shoulders and slams her fists together. “I’m good.”

Dear Gods… of all the slaves back then why did I have to pick her?