Last night I received a letter from Captain Cirlan saying that the mission would be this morning at seven o'clock. It was much earlier than I used to wake up, I struggled a lot to get out of bed and remember that I had a mission to do. I drank a cup of coffee in my mug with a piggy painting, changed into baggy casual clothes, tossed the bottle into my fanny pack, and walked to the door. The cold wind was like a punch to my stomach, the entire front area of the house was wet and puddled with mud. The smell of wet earth in my nostrils made it worth waking up early, I closed my eyes and breathed in as much as I could.

I noticed the cloudy sky, these days it rained a lot and today it finally stopped. The cold is nice, but I dislike it. I'd say I'm more into hot sunny days, where I can walk calmly without feeling my whole body shake even when I'm dressed. The smell of my father's freshly brewed latte made me close the door and head straight into the living room, where I sat in a chair and rubbed my hands over the smoke for warmth.

"Are you cold, champion?"

“I don't know how you're not”

"Are you going to take just a bottle of water?" It would be nice to wear a coat, the mountains are usually the collection points and given the weather here you can imagine how cold it is... Are you excited for your first mission?”

“Yes…and scared. The collection team seemed very energetic, I don't want to end up falling behind and getting fired” I said, wondering which coat to get.

“Do not worry about it. Just try your best, and in the worst case, you will be fired with an experience”

“Comforting, dad”

"What's your real goal, son?"

I thought carefully before answering. I took a sip of coffee and had to try to get the words out three times.

“Hunting a goblin” I said a little reluctantly

“Look, I know the goblins are Shadow level or lower, but-” He was interrupted by my mother, who arrived putting a red coat on me.

“There's some bandages in there if you need them, okay? Be very careful, Lumi. Missions can be dangerous” She hugged me and I did the same. Enjoying every second of the warm, comfortable hug before getting a kiss on the forehead.

“Good luck, champion”

I quickly passed by Emy's room to see her sleeping like a rock. A smile reached my face before I left the room and headed for the guild. My coat was a little big and had a thick fabric, but still I was shivering as I dodged the puddles along the way. The wind died down as I entered the city, which, with the exception of the guards, was empty. No trade, no patrol. Just water and dirt scattered around.

I entered the big guild tower and saw only three receptionists at the counters and three people standing near the quest board. I recognized the graying hair, the two silver blades strapped to his back, the larger-than-usual canines. It was the guy who made fun of me. His gray coat open at the chest actually made him frightening. Beside him was the archer, bow and arrow strapped to her back, her hair in a ponytail, her hands braced on her waist. She was really pretty, she looked cute wearing the beige coat with black details on the cuffs and neck. Cirlan was watching the mural. Tall, curly hair falling over his shoulders, a large ax on his back and a book attached to his black belt at his waist. Cirlan had the appearance of a leader.

They all wore the brass card around their necks, which prompted me to do the same with mine.

“Look who came: The brat who can't carry anything”

“Welcome, Lumi. Are you ready for your mission? Cirlan knew you'd come, unlike anyone here…” Kaled handed two bronze coins to Cacele and I already wondered why.

I laughed when I saw their relationship, I thought the atmosphere would be tense and difficult to interact with.

“Well, everyone here. Unfortunately, our other two members had to leave on an urgent pickup and will not be able to help us. So it's just the four of us” They all nodded.“Glad you came, Lumi, we'll need a hand today.”

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Kaled snorted and turned away. Cacele put her hand on my shoulder and my heart skipped a beat, she didn't look much older than I did.

“Let's go to Little Hill, Karin's hospital requested twenty phosphorescent blue lily flowers for the purpose of new potion formulas. They themselves have the potential for healing capabilities if used well, but they won't be easy to find” He paused and then turned to face me. “Karin is in zone zero, don't worry about creatures as we are unlikely to find it.”

I nodded in response. My gaze quickly hit Cirlan's massive ax and then Kaled's swords, I wondered if the odds of encountering any monsters were really low and I swallowed hard at the thought of the worst. I turned to face Cacele, she smiled gently at me. I wished nothing bad would happen.

I've slipped and fallen on my butt five times. Pequeno Monte was about half an hour from the city, the problem was that I got tired in that half hour. We were following a narrow path, full of holes and bugs. Each step on this climb drained my energy to the point that my legs were shaking, I had to lean against the wet, insect-ridden trees to rest; although, they continued walking without me. My calves, thighs and abdomen couldn't take it anymore, my lungs were desperate for rest — because even breathing in my vision was starting to darken.

I grumbled at the sight of them moving away and tried to run, only I didn't have a rock positioned right on top of a mud puddle. That hurt. I needed to focus, this was an opportunity I needed to seize.

“Is everything okay there?” said Cacele.

“Why don't you use energy to strengthen your body, Lumi? This can make the ascent easier”

"I can't handle mana," I said as I stood up and groaned in pain.

They looked at me like I'd just given them a gold coin. Jaws dropped, eyes wide. It felt like I was somewhat unusual for them.

"Well, can you go on?" said Cirlan.

"I can, it was just a fall..."

“Or five, you shit. Should have come with proper gear” Kaled led the way.

“Why… do you use weapons?”

“The collections are not always in low-risk areas, our team has already had a bad time. Even Kaled's all-but-tough guy had his days” Cacele raised his eyebrows twice and Kaled snorted.

“I already told you it was the blacksmith's fault for forging my sword wrong”

“Or misuse”

The pace of the walk slowed, and the atmosphere became lighter with the conversation. I thought we had spent about ten minutes on this climb, but I got lost in time.

“You have a lot of disposition for someone whose life is lacking in physical exercise. What is your motivation?” asked Cirlan, still looking straight ahead.

“I want to strengthen myself and overcome my fear” The look on their faces as they turned to look at me showed that they knew what the fear was.

“If you stay with us, I'm sure you can move forward”

“Creatures” Kaled said, his nose looking for something nearby like a sniffer.

"Close? Or wild animals?" asked Cacele, who was pulling the bow from her back.

Kaled looked like a madman, he broke into a wide smile and his eyes focused on something within the woods. Without even answering Cacele he entered the forest. The captain and the archer exchanged glances and then turned to me. My heart raced.

“Lumi, the water bags are important. You will take care of them and take them to the top of this mountain. Understood?”

"I don't know if I can do it, captain," I said, concern etched on my face and despair slowly rising in my core.

“You're willing to try, aren't you?”

I waved in a quick gesture.

“Excellent. That's all I need to know”

The two of them bolted up the path and left the water bags for me to carry. It was amazing. Coordination and running speed, both had fitness in the clouds. The bags were heavy, but I needed to respond to the trust he put in me. Best. I wanted to go further.

I did my best to walk ten meters ahead. My body gave way and I fell.

“No, it's not possible”

I tried again. I felt every member of my body scream to stop. My thighs burned and throbbed, my arms seemed to be losing strength and my vision wanted to close down and stay a long time without being the light. I screamed, I ran, I fell. My faith was leaving when I leaned against a tree to rest. Kaled meant it when he said I would give in.

A noise came from a nearby bush. I looked up at him, my fur ruffling. The silence was absolute, I could clearly hear my footsteps on the branches and leaves, my heart pounding against my chest and my breathing light and irregular. Cutting sounds, hissing and a loud roar. I abandoned the bags and decided to climb the tree. I got several bruises but I made it. Two small, green creatures ran past in the exact spot I was, I kept silent until something bigger passed by.

The being with dark fur and huge claws pierced the small creatures. They screamed in agony, tried to run away, but to no avail. All were brutally killed by the great red-eyed being. I slipped on the wet wood, tried to grab the tree, hold on as tight as possible, but I hit the ground. I screamed, I couldn't resist, I had dislocated my shoulder. I held my breath, hoped he was busy enough with his freshly hunted prey to ignore me. I walked vaguely to the bush and saw him. It was large, approximately three meters, it looked like a humanoid wolf. He was still holding a goblin's head, still dripping with blood. There were three other bodies on the floor, mangled. Horror hit my face, my legs gave out and I fell.

My hands were touching the muddy and bloody floor, by now the creature must have noticed me — because I heard something bump against the floor and it was definitely what it was holding. I looked up; sharp teeth, muscle, blood and the remains of living beings hovered in its mouth. Swallowing hard, he raised his claws. When the creature tried to bite me, I did my best to get out of the way, and — by fate's irony — we both slipped.

The ground shook, I had enough time to get up and run. I really needed to get out of there. His steps were heavy but very fast, he was approaching me faster than I could get away. I heard its paws come together and my instincts told me to duck; and so I did. His muzzle skimmed my skull a second less and my head would have been on his stomach.

I continued to run until I reached the trail again. I stumbled and rolled, the thorns ripping my skin as I got to my feet. Tears flowed, the fear was driving me crazy. The sensation was similar to the one I had with the Minotaur, but this time I managed to react — albeit desperately. At that moment I understood the use of weapons by the rest of the group.

I quickly looked both ways and turned to see that the creature had caught up with me. My body was paralyzed, every move I considered making was instantly denied by my brain. Suddenly, the creature was startled. Its big red eyes widened, its claws got bigger, its teeth more exposed. I only understood why when the hot air came straight to the back of my head, accompanied by a growl of something bigger.