Michael sat up from the sleeping bag feeling stiff and groggy from a terrible night. He was unsure, but he felt like he heard something in the middle of the night. Try as he could, the memory escaped him.
The starlight moss was dim like it was during the daytime before. After taking some food with him, Michael headed out to the waterfall.
Taking caution, he checked around the troll cave to ensure it didn’t come back or another moved in. He was glad to see that it was empty and the tracks were faded. Returning to the waterfall, he rinsed off his hands and face and used a wet sock to wipe himself down a bit. The pool of water was clearer and no longer had the murkiness to it. Michael could make himself out a little bit in the water, but not enough to get an info screen yet. He hoped it would clear up enough by tomorrow.
Michael had checked over his food supplies and had enough to last for a week or two, so he would spend the next four days trying to get used to his body and check more of his limits.
Starting off, he began to jog around the clearing. His wings were making it a bit challenging as they would occasionally throw him off balance with a strong breeze. He would stop briefly to get a quick drink of water and then continue to jog, gradually picking up the pace. Before, he should have been winded and walked the course a few more times, but his new body was considerably more durable than his last. Eventually, he sprinted around the field. By his sixth round of sprinting, he had to stop and walk. After completing a couple more rounds, he moved on to strength training.
First up were push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and lunges. Michael continued the routine before stopping again since it felt like he was getting nothing from it. Finding a rock a bit bigger than a basketball, he ripped it out of the ground. He remembered his trainer working out with such stones, and the one in his hands should be around forty pounds, yet it felt nothing like it. Michael could feel some resistance with its weight, but it was not near his limit. Choosing a larger rock, about five of the other one stacked together. It took some effort he was able to pull it from the ground. The weight of the new rock was enough for him to feel the weight. Michael started curling and lifting it as best he could with its size. Then he moved back to doing squats and lunges with the rock across his shoulders. Michael did multiple sets and set the stone aside, feeling good. He closed his eyes and thought of a fond memory of his.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Come on, Michael!” David motivated.
“I… huff… I can’t D-David.” Michael replied, his hands on his hips, head up, gulping down air, and covered in sweat.
“I know you can do it, Michael. You’ve stuck with me these last few weeks. Please don’t quit now.” David tried patting his brother’s back.
“I just… I don’t think I can do it, David. This is so hard.” Michael began to get his breathing under control, but his heart was beating in his head.
David took a moment to think before speaking again. “You wanna make a bet?”
“A... bet?” Michael patted down his sweaty face with his towel.
“Yeah. I know you want that video card for your gaming rig, right? I will pay half if you stick with me for another month. Now the bet. If by the end, you still feel like absolute ass, I will drop this and won’t bug you about it again. But if you feel good, you stick with me for six more months.” David offered.
“Really, David? That is heavily in my favor, you know? Also, how could you know if I was telling the truth?” Michael asked.
David smiled warmly at his older brother. “That is how I know you won’t lie. You are concerned for me. I know you, Michael. You wouldn’t lie to me.”
Michael scratched his head and sighed. “Another month of this?”
“One more month,” David replied with a smile.
“Fine.” Michael agreed.
A month later, Michael felt far better than he had in years and proudly told David so.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael’s expression tensed and saddened, knowing he would never see his brother again. He owed so much to his little brother, and because of the garbage goddess, he would never be able to repay him.
Shaking off the negative emotions, Michael returned to the waterfall to begin his next training.
Michael was working on controlling his wings while sitting down on a moved rock. Having to get used to entirely new limbs was challenging. Currently, he could furl and unfurl his wings at a slow pace and with a lot of concentration. Stepping into the cave for a minute, he retrieved the journal and a biscuit to eat. Drinking water from the waterfall, he sat down again to check on some terms and read further into the journal.
Branch Heads. These individuals are typically mercenaries with considerable experience and guild rank 10 and up. They manage, train, and help mercenaries while providing a space for them to find work.
Class. Class type is based on skillset and highest-ranked skills. A Class varies in what skills are raised.
“I seriously wish I could ask Info Screen questions….” Michael said aloud, wishing he could for some examples.
Gunner. A combat class whose primary weapon is a firearm of some type. They are excellent at dealing damage from medium to long ranges. Depending on the firearm, they can attack singular targets with precision or groups in a wide area.
Healer. A support class that specializes in healing and support magic. This class is best set in the rear as they need time to be able to cast their spells. They can provide boosts to individuals, party members, or groups while healing similarly.
Pyro-mage. A combat class that utilizes mana to attack or provide support with the element of fire. This class is best set in the rear as they need time to be able to cast their spells. Depending on the spell, this class can provide heavy damage to a singular target or less damage over an area.
Shaman. A combat/support class that can use support and attack magic. This class is a compound of Spirit and, at a minimum of one, Elemental Magic. This class is best set in the rear as they need time to be able to cast their spells. This class can cast debuff magic on enemies, heal allies, and attack with the elements.
Spirit Magic. Magic that allows one to commune with spirits and calls upon their assistance.
Elemental Magic. The summary description of the various types of elemental magic. Fire, water, earth, sky, dark, and light.
Getting caught up on the terms he wanted to, he moved back into reading the journal.
Blunderbuss! By Sylfaerune, I feel stupid. Winston made fun of me for the day, but that’s okay. I’m glad he seems to have pulled that stick out of his ass. He still acts haughty, but he’s taken my advice to talk with senior mercs about jobs. There are a few asshats like that prick Kyle who keeps their info to themselves, but I’ve noticed that most mercs are willing to share info that helps others survive better. The branch head warned me that not all branches are like the one here in Dunluun City. I will keep that in mind. Oh yeah, I am kind of… nervous about tonight… Me and Yuna kind of hit it off pretty good, and, uh, I, uh, think it might be happening for me tonight. Wish me luck!
As I am writing this, I can barely move. I don’t know how many times we went, but Yuna is passed out next to me, naked as the day she was born. Damn, she’s beautiful. I was kind of surprised to find out this was also her first time. She tended to put on airs and such, so I sort of thought… Anyway. I’m a man now. I also gotta be careful not to piss her off too much. She warned me she would set my boys on fire if I ever cheated on her. But. I don’t think I will. What the hell does she see in me? I was some poor kid from Spring Prairie village out in the boonies. She is a city girl from here in Dunluun. I don’t get it. Will I be able to make her happy? I don’t know. Maybe I can find someone to talk to.
Our group ran four extermination missions this week. Teamwork is getting good. We brought in a fifth for a group. Thomas is a Ranger. Charlie heard that Thomas’ team had a major falling out due to them finding a good item in a dungeon. Thomas said it was a rank 7 bow. Thomas being an archer, wanted to keep it as it would make him more beneficial for the team, but the rest wanted to sell it to get all new equipment. But here’s the kicker, they only got equipment for themselves, nothing for him. So, I don’t blame him for being pissed. He filed a complaint with the guild about them, but most of the time, nothing comes of such complaints. I hope he can get something out of it. Anyway, Thomas is a damn good archer. I saw the bastard curve an arrow, that’s right, CURVE AN ARROW and take out a dogman taking cover. At the rate we are going, we should be rank 4 after a couple more missions.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Michael checked into the Ranger class to find it was a combination of Rogue and Archer classes.
A dogman was described as a low-intelligence bipedal creature covered in fur with a dog-like head. Like goblins, dogmen were capable of using tools and weapons.
Well, we did it. Rank 4. Our team discussed it, and we will do about five more rank 3 missions while collecting info from seniors before tackling a rank 4. The branch head always says, ‘Preparation is key.’ After what happened to Danny two years ago, I wholeheartedly agree. Yuna and I are still together. I really like being with her. Still don’t know what she sees in me, but I talk to the branch head occasionally. The old lady has helped me work through some of my worries. Of course, she razzes the hell out of me each time, but I think Yuna is worth it.
Holy shit. I… I’m going to be a dad. I just heard from Yuna this morning that she is pregnant. Thomas, who has been with us for the last seven months, thinks we should be fine without Yuna, and the others agree, but I’m worried. What if I keep going out doing missions, especially with these rank four tasks... I just, I don’t know. Maybe I should talk to the old lady again. Holy shit, I love Yuna.
Wow. It has been nine months since I’ve touched this thing. My son is born. Yuna and I decided to name him after her late grandfather, Arthur. Oh yeah, the team made rank 5 a couple of months ago. We’ve all been working our asses off. They did it for Yuna and me. I said I wanted to have enough money to last us for a while since I plan to change occupations in a couple more missions. We don’t have enough money yet for me to change jobs yet. When Yuna got pregnant, I worked with the old lady to set up a life insurance policy in case the worst happened. I don’t have a job lined up yet, but I am working with a couple of merchants to be a warehouse worker, but I hope to take the guardsmen exam in a couple of months. If I can pass that, Yuna and I will be set. Please, Sylfaerune, watch over my family and me. The next mission is to a bad place called the Great Beryl Forest. I researched some of the info on it and heard that an ogre had been spotted in the area. Please, I beg of you, Sylfaerune, don’t let us encounter it.
Tears ran down Michael’s face as he read the last entry in the journal.
“What the fuck?!” Michael picked up the rock he was sitting on and hurled it into the field in a fury.
“You useless fucking goddess! How could you let him die?!” Michael roared at the sky.
Michael might have skimmed over a lot of things in the journal, but he could easily tell that Yan was a warm-hearted person who cared about his family.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaate…
Michael tensed up and looked around. It was quiet, barely a whisper in the wind, but he heard it.
“Who’s there?” He shakily asked.
He got no response.
Michael headed into the cave to get his things together. The den may have been safe, but hearing something in the wind really creeped him out, and he felt he needed to leave.
Adding a bunch of the starlight moss into the empty preserving sack, he strapped the pack to his front, took up the sword, and dragged the trunk out of the cave.
Filling up the canteen with water, which ended up being a magic canteen that would clean and purify water, Michael set out from the cave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael was carrying the trunk on his shoulder while following the old ogre tracks. What he was hoping for, and dreading, to find the remains of Yan’s party. Michael was hoping to be able to follow their tracks back to civilization. He knew it was unlikely that he would be successful, but he had to try.
He walked for hours until he found a tree with a small round hole in the trunk. A bullet hole. Following the trajectory of the hole, he found a bloody mess of a battle scene.
Michael felt like vomiting.
One bloody mess with one broken arm had a broken-looking musket a few feet from it.
Magic Rifle (Broken)
Attack: 30 (-60)
Type: Ranged/Piercing
Effect(s): Fire solid or magic bullets with the use of mana.
“That must be Winston.” Michael moved away to another body that was missing from its chest down, a dead and empty look in its eyes.
A broken scepter was nearby.
Magic Scepter (Broken)
Attack: 5 (-10)
Type: Bludgeon
Effect(s): Boosts healing and support magic by 20% (-20%). Boosts magic rank by 2 (-2)
“Charlie…” Michael turned away to look for Thomas. Yan didn’t mention if they were bringing anyone else with them, so he wasn’t sure if he was looking for one or two more bodies.
After some time, he couldn’t find a third body. He then heard coughing in the distance. Thomas.
“Hello! Is there anyone there?” Michael called out.
“Here…” A weak voice called out.
Michael called out a few times until he found Thomas in a hollow underneath a tree.
“Holy shit, you must be Thomas,” Michael said as he approached the broken man.
Thomas’ face was severely injured. One of his eyes was destroyed, and the other looked barely working. His breath was ragged, and his legs were broken along with his left arm.
“Please tell me you have potions,” Thomas begged.
“I’m sorry. I found Yan’s things, and they led me here.
“Shit. Know any healing magic?”
“Sorry…” That is all Michael could say.
“Heh. Well. Cough! Cough! I guess I might not be making it out of here.” Thomas lamented with a wry smile.
“What about Winston and Charlie? Could they have one?” Michael asked.
The question did perk up, Thomas. “Winston’s pouch got smashed with him. But… Do you think you can beat an ogre?” He asked.
“I already killed it. Unless they can regenerate from having their skull caved in?” Michael reported.
Thomas began to painfully laugh. “Hah, hah, hah! Serves that bitch right. You got no worries. He’s dead. I think I have been here for a couple of days. More than likely, Charlie’s pouch is that fucker’s stomach. It’ll be messy, but you’ll be saving my life if you can get it.”
“Alright. Here, water.” Michael pulled out the canteen and helped the injured man to drink.
“Ahh. That’s some good shit. Better than any top-shelf stuff. Thanks, friend. Hurry back.” Thomas said.
Michael headed out of the hollow while leaving Thomas with some food and the canteen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael sprinted through the forest while making sure to mark trees to find his way back. He found someone alive, and he was going to do his best to help Thomas.
It took him a few hours, but he was able to make his way back to the ogre’s corpse, which looked like it had been picked away by various animals. This only made his job more manageable as the stomach was visible already. Taking out the survival knife, he cut open the stomach lining. The smell was putrid, but he had to do it. Gagging and nearly vomiting several times, he found a damaged pouch and removed it from the stomach.
Checking it, it was a magic pouch like the pack he was using but had a Holding rank 4.
Opening and pulling out a vial with a greenish liquid inside he checked it.
Potion of Healing (Rank 4)
Effect(s): Accelerate and Boost the body’s natural healing. Heals 20% over the course of five minutes.
“Fuck yeah!” Michael tried to put the pouch into the pack, but it refused to go in. Unsure of why and being in a hurry, Michael charged off to get to Thomas.
Getting to the hollow, he called in, “Thomas! I got them! I’m coming down.”
Silence.
“Thomas?” Michael became worried.
He quickly got inside the hollow and found the man’s head drooping.
“No. No, no, no, no. Come on! Thomas!” Michael shouted.
“Huh? Wha? Can’t a guy get some sleep?” Thomas stirred and complained.
“Fucking hell, man. I thought you died!” Michael complained back.
“Heh, about there. You got the stuff?” Thomas chuckled.
Michael said he did and fed one of the potions to the man.
“There’s three more here. Are they cumulative?” Michael asked.
“Heh. I wish they were. Oooooh yeah, that’s a good feeling.” Thomas’ body seemed to fix and heal quickly.
After the effect wore off, Michael gave another potion to Thomas. He continued this for the remaining potions.
After the fourth potion, Thomas blinked his eyes a few times and looked up at Michael.
“Well, I’ll be damned. I never expected to be saved by a demon. We usually get along as well as oil and water.” Thomas commented.
“I’m not like other demons,” Michael replied.
“You sure as shit ain’t. If you were, you would have stopped at the second potion and murdered me. Thanks for not doing that.” Thomas laughed.
“You’re welcome.” Michael smiled.
“Are you a half-breed, maybe? I heard they’re rare, but they do happen.” Thomas asked.
“Uh, I don’t know. I just kind of got dropped in the world.” Michael answered.
Thomas began laughing, “What the hell does that mean?! Hah, hah! Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
A solemn look came to the Ranger’s face. “Damn. Why do I have to be the one to tell Yuna? Sylfaerune be damned.”
“You don’t like that garbage goddess?” Michael asked, pulling out a bit of food for them.
“Me? Nah. I’m more of an Orbus guy. But Yan was decently devout. Funny how you call her garbage. Don’t say that around her devoted believers. They’ll kill ya.” Thomas laughed with a sad look in his eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Michael asked as the last potion’s time should have run its course.
His look became annoyed when he flexed his fingers and moved his arms and legs. “Looks like my left eye is shot for now. I will probably need an elixir to heal it, but that shit’s expensive. Oh well. Better being alive with losing only one eye, I say. You got a name?”
“Michael.”
Thomas began laughing again. “Really? That is by far the most un-demon-like name I have ever heard. You might want to rethink your name, heh, heh.”
The Ranger looked up toward the hollow entrance. “Looks like it will be nightfall soon. I plan to rest here until sunup. Is that Yan’s pack?” Thomas asked.
“It is. I found it in the ogre cave.” Michael replied.
Pulling his own small pack forward, Thomas held out his hand. “I would much appreciate getting his journal. You can keep the other stuff.”
Michael nodded and handed Thomas the journal and a preserving sack.
“What’s this?” Thomas asked as he went to open the sack.
“I found some starlight moss and put it in the pack there,” Michael replied.
“You what?!” Thomas looked inside. “You seriously did. Why give it to me?”
Michael tensed his jaw. “I owe Yan. His journal helped me out quite a bit, and well, consider it thanks to him and something to help his family.”
Thomas stared at Michael dumbfounded before having a fit of gut-busting laughter.
“You really are a special demon, Michael. Can you tell me where you found this?” Thomas asked.
“A cave is hidden behind a small waterfall. Uh, which direction does the sun rise from?” Michael asked.
“East.”
“Then… A few hours northeast of here is a clearing where the ogre made its home. If you follow the ridge to the east, you will find the waterfall.” Michael finished.
“Well damn. With that information and this to prove it, I will be able to get enough Tress for me to retire. I promise, both you and Yan, I will make sure Yuna and Arthur will be taken care of. I swear in the name of Orbus.” A light haze of light flashed over Thomas.
“Huh? What was that?” Michael asked.
“Divine Oath. You either fulfill it or suffer the consequences.” Thomas explained.
A shiver ran down Michael’s spine. It reminded him of the words on the wind.
“Hey, Thomas.”
“Yeah?” The Ranger replied as he got comfortable.
“Do ghosts exist? Or maybe something that whispers on the wind?” Michael asked.
“Ghosts? Not really. People can leave behind a projection of themselves for stuff, but nothing like what you think. As for the whispering wind, I got no clue. Sorry.” Thomas answered.
The two of them turned in for the night, but neither of them slept well.