Allium worked me to the bone for the next week. She had me running everywhere, carrying extra weights, and sparring with her every day. So when Allium said we’d be taking a break today, I was thrilled. We grabbed our siblings and headed out into the town.

Laketown was a tiny little hamlet in the middle of the Wild Lands. Most people were either farmers or fishers. Firstborns usually took up the family’s field or designated fishing hole. People in town always grumbled about being given bad fishing hole spots.

If everyone is always complaining, maybe all of them are bad?

The rest of the kids either found their own spot in town, or more likely, set out for greener pastures. Allie said that most tried to make it as adventurers, and that there were a lot of Freshies—that’s what everyone called people who had turned eighteen and finished their Tutorial— who went to the Guild after the last Stampede.

Allium had left when I was only two; the farm was already gone by then, so I never really worried about inheritance or anything like that. I did hear that sibling disputes were pretty common, though.

But Allie as a farmer? She may have fought with me to not inherit.

Everyone in town was aware of how amazing my sister was. Most kids never came back to the town, let alone brought money and delicious gifts for their families. Every trip, Allium came back with even more coins. Mostly just bronze, but one time she brought a bag of silver, too.

She also brought more and more delicious food back every time. When Allium discovered that I loved cinnamon-flavored things, she always made sure to bring some back with her.

She had been gone for a few years, but word of her adventures did manage to trickle back. Merchants would come in talking about a daring new adventurer performing incredible feats—slaying a hydra single-handedly, battling hordes of undead, blowing up a college.

Whatever a ‘college’ is, I’m sure it deserved my sister's wrath.

She even had a title: “Frizzy Fury.” Allium never liked it, but I thought it sounded cool, even if it was confusing.

But why do they think she’s frizzy? She’s a rabbitfolk!

I loved those stories, and Bellum and Milly were hooked whenever I recounted them as they fell asleep. Corby preferred stories about adventurers being noble heroes, saving people, and being virtuous. Whenever I told Allie about the stories I’d heard of her adventures, she’d get this goofy grin on her face and refuse to elaborate.

The stories Allium told us were different; they barely even mentioned her daring adventures. She always talked about strange lands, weird foods, and amazing people she met. She was never that good at telling stories, but the look on her face said everything. I knew I needed to go out there and see all those wonders for myself one day.

And taste those wonders…

We were walking down the main road of the village towards the market. Allium had a twin in each arm.

“I still have a few coins from my last job, so I thought I’d take you kids out for a treat today.”

That got cheers from all three of us, especially me. Allium’s visits always meant that we got to eat more than bone broth and turnips.

So. Many. Turnips.

I shuddered off the thought of the horrid vegetable and looked at the cute expressions of the twins using Allium as a climbing pole. Allium was smiling, too, but something seemed off about it. She looked cute as heck in her casual clothes, sword still attached to her side—she never went anywhere without it.

She does seem to be fidgeting with it a lot…

“Everything alright there, Cinnabun? Do I have turnip on my face or something?” Allium asked.

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

I’m just imagining things. Allie’s amazing. She can handle anything.

Allium grinned at me. She started throwing the twins in the air as we walked, much to their amusement.

We walked over to Mr. Bo’s food cart.

“Hey, if it isn’t Laketown’s famous Frizzy Fury. Let me guess: taking the kids out for a treat?” An elderly green demon asked.

Allium’s eye twitched at the mention of her title. “Got it in one, ya old coot.” Allium’s eyes glanced up to the kids who had once again climbed on her head. “So what do you kiddos want?”

“Appas!” They shout in unison.

“Alright, you heard them. 3 apples, please.”

“Sure thing; I’ll even throw them on a skewer with some leftover meat I got. Only 1 bronze extra..”

1 bronze for meat?!

“Oh, I can’t ask you to do that,” Allium protested.

“Oh, it’s my pleasure,” he said.

He’s got a weird look in his eyes.

Allium seemed to notice it as well.

“Alright, my turn to guess: you’d get a lot of Experience from upselling to someone with my level?”

Mr. Bo put his hands up in surrender. “Ya got me. Wouldn’t be much of a merchant if I let an opportunity like that pass me by. Still, seems like a win-win to me. You guys get treats, and I get some sweet Exp. Hard for a guy to level in a small town like this.”

“Yeah, yeah. You have a deal,” Allium said.

Mr. Bo grinned wide as he handed us the skewers and the fire on his tail grew brighter.

All four of us bit down and melted from the yumminess of the apple. Mr. Bo laughed at our expressions. “Harvae be praised, we’ve had a great harvest this year. Glad you guys enjoyed it. If you’ll excuse me, I just got 2 levels!”

Oh god, fruit. Meat. This is the life.

“Congrats on the levels. Glad I could be of assistance,” Allium said as we walked away.

“Maybe I should get a cooking skill when I unlock,” I mused out loud.

“I don’t know if even the System could stop you from accidentally poisoning anyone. So if you’re cooking, I’m gonna let these two take a bite first,” Allium teased.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I stuck my tongue out at her. We made our way to the communal park. Bellum and Milly frolicked around while Allium and I sat on a bench and ate our skewers. I laid my head back and enjoyed the warmth of the sun across my…

Wait, where did the sun go?

I blinked my eyes open in confusion. A clear blue sky had suddenly been covered by clouds so thick there was no light getting through. The magic lanterns around the town began turning on suddenly, slowly illuminating the town.

My eyes had barely adjusted to the lack of light when I had two kids shoved into my lap. Bellum and Milly were both too scared to cry. I looked up to see Allium with a look on her face that sent shivers down my spine.

“Cinnabun, I need you to listen up. You’re taking these two, and you’re going somewhere safe. Our house is too fragile. Go to Corbin’s. Do not stop for anything till you get there. I’m counting on you.” She took off her cap, her blue hair flowing free, and then hesitated.

“Pallea, forgive me, but they need it to survive. Please have mercy.” She put the cap on top of me, ears violently jamming through the slits, and I could feel a sudden boost of Strength. “You’re gonna need this more than me. Now go.”

I jumped up in a fright at her orders. I was still reorienting myself when a sudden burst of blinding light flashed behind me. I couldn’t resist the urge to look back.

Appearing out of this flash of light was a disgusting-looking man. His skin looked like a month-old rotten turnip, and his eyes—

Huh. Where are his eyes? Or his stomach…oh gods.

“Undead,” Allium snarled, shaking me out of my stupor. I gripped my siblings tight and started running.

“It’s gonna be okay. Big Sis Allie is gonna take care of everything. In the meantime, Bis Sis Nym will protect you, okay?” I flashed them as big a smile as possible.

More streaks of light kept appearing all around, and I didn’t want to know what was coming out of them. I turned the corner into a back alley, but saw a wall of gross flesh further down the path.

Long way it is.

I tried to back up when I heard a loud, gross gurgle from behind me. Thank the gods for Allie and her training, because I was able to duck and roll out of the way in time to see a deformed hand swipe down where I had been standing.

I got a better look at my attacker. There was barely any skin left on the bones, and it looked even scrawnier than Corby. It was limping after me as I backpedaled with its one half-rotted eye staring at me hungrily.

I needed to think of a way out, but my odds of making it out of here against an actual monster with actual stats weren’t great. Not enough space to run away. But I wasn’t without resources. Allie’s hat clearly had some kind of magic that was making me stronger.

Do I bet it all on this? Screw it. No time to think. Just do.

“Kids, get on my back and hold on as hard as you can. This is gonna get bumpy.”

I spotted a picket fence…spike?

What were those called—focus, dammit!

I dove out of the way of another swipe towards the fence thingie. I picked it up and braced myself. I could hear the wall of flesh behind us getting closer. Now or never.

I started to run towards the creature and flung the shoe off my foot as hard as I could at its face and kept going towards it. The shoe bounced off its head harmlessly, but it was enough to block its sight for a moment. I took the opportunity to jump higher than I had ever jumped and pointed the fence thingie down as I landed right on its leg, making a sickening crack.

Don’t check to see results. Move!

I scrambled forward trying to maintain some momentum, I lifted my head to see another undead ahead of me.

Don’t panic. More space here. Distract. Run around.

I tossed my other shoe at it and tried to run around. Unfortunately, it was faster than its friend with the limp. It managed to swipe at me, and I tumbled down trying to dodge it. I couldn’t tell if it got me. I grabbed at the tiny arms attached to my neck.

Both kids are still here. Good.

I tried to run, however futile it felt, and yoinked both twins from my back to my chest. At the very least, the damn thing would have to go through me to get to them. But the strike I was dreading never came. I took the risk and turned my head to check.

The peppier undead had its head removed. Next to it, a guard with a bushy mustache held an axe and panted.

Huh. Lucky. Cool mustache.

I kept running down the main road. I could hear the sounds of Allium fighting like a rampaging storm, but even I wasn’t stupid enough to risk looking back any more.

Bis sister time. Protect these two.

“Keep your eyes closed, kiddos. You don’t want to see this.”

I ran and ran. I ran past the screaming and the crying and gurgling. I ran past the sight of my neighbors being eaten.

Oh god. Don’t stop. Don’t throw up. Don’t close your eyes. Just. Keep. Running.

I turned the corner to our street. I could see Corbin’s house. He was looking out the window and waving frantically at me. Before I had time to process why, I had stopped moving. I couldn’t move. Slowly, my brain started to grasp the immense and terrifying pressure holding me down.

Death.

That was the only word to describe the feeling that was turning my legs to stone.

I’m gonna die I’m gonna die I’m gonna die. No! I need to keep moving. I need to protect them. Allie trusted me.

But no matter what I did, I couldn’t move. Then I saw a bright, white circle appear all around me.

Fuck! Maybe I can at least move my arms enough to throw the twins to safety. Corbin would see and come get—

Before I could finish the thought, I was flying forward. On pure instinct, I twisted in the air and landed on my back, shielding the twins from the fall. I looked back up and saw Allie in the middle of that circle of light, sword crackling with raw, sparkly power and a giant zombie the size of a house laying at her feet. She looked back at us and smiled.

“Love you!”

Then she was gone.

W-where is she?! Allie? No, Allie can’t be gone. It’s a trick. It must be. She’s just being sneaky, right? Like a prank. S-she loves pranks…

The twins could no longer hold their tears in and were bawling at full volume, snot covering my arms. I noticed some undead in the distance turn towards the wailing sounds.

Stupid!

I still had a mission to carry out. I got to my feet and got to Corbin’s door. I kicked it and hollered. “It’s Nym!”

The door flew open, and Ms. Scully pulled me in. Ms. Clea slammed the door and started barricading it. Ms. Scully didn’t let go, nuzzling us with her fuzzy fur. Slowly, the twins stopped crying. Eventually, she relented and released us. The twins were asleep in my arms. I went upstairs and put them in a bed and tucked them in.

When I turned around and saw Corby in the doorway, tears in his eyes. I mechanically put a finger to my lips to shush him and walked out and gently closed the door behind me. Noodly arms reached around, grabbing me and holding me tight.

“I-I thought *hic* I was gonna lose you.” Corbin was choke-sobbing.

I just stood there. The adrenaline stopped coursing through me and the thoughts started to flow in like water. First a drop. Then a stream. Then a flood.

Allium is…gone. Like really, really gone.She saved me and now she’s gone. I couldn’t do anything. I just stood there. She had to save me because I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t keep my word. I failed. Oh gods I failed and she’s gone and what am I gonna do?

I didn’t even notice that I was on the ground sobbing. Mrs. Scully and Mrs. Clea were around Corbin and me, holding us.

“It’s not your fault. You were so brave. How did you even manage to carry those two all the way here?”

I sniffled and wiped my nose with my arm. “A-Allie. She gave me h-her hat and it made me stronger.”

Their eyes went wide and Ms. Scully quickly snatched the hat from my head before I had time to react.

I tried lunging for it, but I had no strength to move. It felt like a mountain had just fallen on top of me. I just looked up and could only manage a whimper of protest.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry. You’re just too young to have stat boosts. Even having it for such a short time is gonna take a toll on you. After you unlock, you can wear it again. I would never deprive you of your sister’s gift.” Her arms were waving frantically trying to calm me down.

I wanted to protest, but the world was getting awfully dark.

Maybe I’ll sleep…just for…a bit…