The breeze of the warm summer air was pleasant, as was the warmth of the sun. Sadly, the breeze and the warmth of the sun ended far too quickly.

Beneath me, a soldier to two slowed my fall a little: not enough to land safely, so I tucked and rolled, knocking into more. By the time I stood up and turned around doing my best to brush off broken shield fragments, cobble stone dust, and other not so nice gifts from the dirty ground from my tunic.

I looked at the sticky blood stains and the tears on the tunic. This was the second tunic I ’d ruined in the past few days; or as I saw things, as I didn’t really count being part of the forest as being truly there.

Back in the dorm, I had a single tunic left. It was the old one I had that Orla had gifted me before I travelled to M ægen Scōl. She had done her best in getting a tunic made big enough for me, but it was a touch small and tight when she gave it to me. Still, getting tunics made were expensive, mainly because I had to have them custom made for me and also because so much fabric in their construction.

The previously uniformed ranks of slate grey surcoated, mail armoured soldiers were in a state of confusion. Despite the confusion, they had trained well and were already pulling out their wounded, along with forming a shield cordon around me. The solid grey kite shields overlapped, forming an impressive barrier. Behind the shield barrier, the faces of the soldiers were focused and just a touch angry.

Moans and cries from the wounded were slowly calming down. Obviously, they got a healer, or some kind of healing tool. I doubt they would share it with me to aid in getting rid of the stiffness in my previously wounded shoulder.

Down here on the street, the breeze was non-existent and similar looking three-story buildings hid the sun. The buildings lining the cobbled road which had seen better days. One building had a hole in the wall up on the second floor, just beneath the roof, where I had jumped out.

Looking up, I saw the blue tuniced, bushy bearded Raider look down in disbelief. Standing next to him was the padded armoured Solider with her leather greaves, arm protectors, and gauntlets.

I was debating whether to wave to them when I heard the soldiers part behind me. By the time I turned around, they had reformed their solid enclosure of shields. This time, I wasn ’t alone inside the enclosure.

The purple helmeted solider stood inside with me. They were in combat position: their shield guarding as much of the body as it could, their head ducked down so it would be a harder target to hit, and their sword drawn and ready by their side.

‘Are you Berwyn of Crossroad Island?’ The purple helmeted solider asked.

‘No.’ I answered truthfully.

Not only had they stripped the Isle of Trees of anything valuable, including us, its people, they had then had to go further and strip the name of the isle. So, even though it might ’ve been petty, I refused to accept the new name of the isle.

Further more, when I gave my name to Gannis all that trouble ago … Strange, earlier I felt it was only a short time since my two tunics were ruined. Now, though, it felt much longer. Anyway, when I gave him my name after being blessed by Saint Evaine, I finally accepted that Three Bridge was now my home—at least for now.

‘Tell the truth. There is no one in Lundein or outside its walls, which has such a unique appearance. You are Berwyn, are you not?’ The purple helmeted leader was not letting their guard down.

‘Quiet.’ I said, shutting her up.

I rubbed my forehead, ignoring the dirt on my palm as it transferred onto my forehead.

‘You do not—’

‘Quiet.’ I said, adding in a hint of the intimidating, thunderous tone of a far off thunderstorm.

Though the shield barrier remained firm, the purple helmeted soldier shifted backwards a step. I really wanted some time to think about everything that was going on with me.

In a short period, I got married not to one but two women, then got turned into a forest. When I came back from that, I find one of my wives waiting for me. But I take another woman into the forest, fall in love with her, and fuck her senseless. Later that same day, I find out that my other wife did not love me, but only married me so I could protect her and that she was pregnant with my child. That was okay, but she didn ’t wait for me. She was already lining up others to protect her because I was gone. Maybe I could let her go because she was worried about her—our—child growing within.

Further more a collection agency was collecting money illegally, and I killed one of their collectors. My other wife killed the other three. That night we spent sleeping together in a single bed, her wrapped in my arms as she processed the fact she ’d killed someone for the first time.

The next day, I had a wonderful fight with my lover. Then afterwards I find out I was not only a member of her Livery Company but also a guild master for a new guild. One which was based out of Three Bridge. The celebration in my wife ’s tavern grew out of hand and spilled out into the street. I had to spend that night fucking Sara just to appease her, even though I wanted to spend some more quiet time with Tan-bei, sleeping quietly together in the same bed.

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Then, when I finally got some time with Tan-bei, we were meant to have a quiet stroll through Lundein ’s crowded streets on our way to talk to Gomes. Instead, the troublemakers of Brook Gate Fellowship arrested me on false charges. Finally, I was now surrounded by soldiers from the temple, and from what I guessed they were saying, they were from the Lundein temple and not the Three Bridge temple.

I gave the leader of the soldiers a murderous stare, hoping that would keep them quiet a touch longer.

This whole situation was frustrating.

I had already accepted that, at least for now, my home was just on the other side of those walls, in Three Bridge. And I was building myself a life, something I had not realised I had been missing.

Soon after the Night of Destruction, a group of Guardians rescued me. In time, I took my place in their ranks. As their numbers dwindled, I forgot just how special the company of friends was. In the end, that group was down to two members, me and Sirona.

Finally, it was down to just me.

Those years as a Guardian had been hard. But between Orla and Gomes and Sara, my heart was finally open to find love and friendship. No matter how much she hurt me by not trusting in me, I had to give her thanks for that.

‘Are you Berwyn of Crossroad Island?’

If she wasn ’t going to be quiet, then I would just have to ignore her. I scratched my head. Yeah, I had to give thanks to Sara for helping me open my heart up. Otherwise, I might’ve missed being able to be with Morag and my beloved Tan-bei.

But being with those two put me in a difficult situation.

Could I really be a guild master?

Not just any guild master, but one for a new guild. An important guild, as it was the first guild to be formed by the temple.

‘Stop ignoring me. Answer me truthfully. Are you Berwyn of Crossroad Island?’

‘No.’ I again answered truthfully.

Hoping that this truthful answer would shut her up. When I gave Gannis my name, I also adopted Three Bridge as my new home. I was disgusted by how the people within the walls treated those from Three Bridge as second-class citizens.

Sure, the worse buildings within the walls were only slightly worse than the best buildings in Three Bridge.

The people in Three Bridge may be crude and somewhat violent. In general, there were plenty of good people out there who might be a bit rough around the edges. But I believed the main troubles within Three Bridge were down to how the streets of Lundein were guarded. It was, in fact, the hero ’s fault that Three Bridge was as bad as it is now.

Many of the Three Bridge citizens I ’d been drinking with last night had said that things had gotten worse since the last of the old heroes had died during the so-called Three Bridge Revolt. All of them were happy to see a new guild of heroes formed to help protect them.

Hearing the tales of heroes around the Guardians ’ fire when I was a child back on the Isle of Trees, I made a choice to be the kind of hero from the Time of the Fall. Those heroes protected others, even at the cost of their own life. That was why I became a Guardian.

Though I had not paid that price, I had paid a far steeper one: my first love and first child were taken from me.

Orla had then come into my life and, at a great cost to herself, taught me how to be human again. She told me of tales of what her relative was doing here in the Twin Cities. About the school she had set up to teach heroes to protect the innocent and weak. I dreamed in my heart that maybe the school would help me learn to be one of those heroes for whom songs would be sung about.

It was a strange dream, maybe an egotistical one, but I knew the cost of being a hero. None of the fools pretending to be a hero here in Lundein even had a clue. Not even the most epic of ballads of the heroes from the Time of the Fall mentioned the day-to-day struggles I lived through when I was a Guardian.

But now more choices were seemingly taken away from me. Not only was I now meant to be a hero; but also a Guild Master. It wasn ’t a path I had chosen to take. I wasn’t sure I was fit to lead. My dear Castor had forced this choice upon me. Even being sent here to Mægen Scōl wasn’t really my choice: Orla had pushed me down this path.

Not that I am upset with her for forcing this path upon me. Though I knew I would miss her terribly, I had eagerly left for M ægen Scōl. When here I found only a shadow of the brightness of the dream which Orla had shared with me. But now, in this role and surrounded by the friends I’ve made, did I see the first glimmers of a new dawn?

I hoped so.

The purple helmeted solider edged closer to me. Their shield held up, sword ready to stab me. I saw determination in those eyes. The same determination I now felt within.

‘Stop delaying and tell me. Are you Berwyn of Crossroad Island?’

‘No.’ I answered truthfully once more. ‘I am Bercilan, the Guild Master of the temple authorised guild Saint Evaine’s Defiance.’