"What?" he whispered, peering over the log.

There in the distance, they gazed upon a large velorin bull. It was a four-legged beast with antlers and scales. Inside of a clearing, it remained oblivious to the two elves nearby. It grazed on the dewy grass and occasionally let out long streams of steam from its nostrils.

She nudged him. "This is you, take aim."

Elron let out a slow breath. With three fingers, he knocked an arrow and slowly stood up to draw. He looked down the shaft of his arrow. The arrowhead buzzed all over the target as he was quickly losing courage. With some regret, he winged it and let the arrow loose.

Raaaargh!

Marsella could hardly believe her eyes. The arrow had missed the velorin entirely and struck a hidden red bear instead. The beast immediately stood up on its hind legs, wailing at its face. It was miraculous yet terrifying that the arrow had struck it in the eye.

"Get down. We must leave now," she whispered urgently.

Raorrrr!

The beast recovered slightly and charged in their direction. The two looked at each other in shock before Marsella grabbed his hand and ran. They ran hard and fast as the bear was hot on their heels. The two jumped and weaved through bushes and logs, yet it was beginning to be clear that it wasn’t enough. They could feel the bear’s grunts of pain in their ears as it neared them. And soon, they could even smell its putrid stink.

"No time, we have to bail in here," she urged as they tumbled into a narrow cave entrance.

Roaaarrrh!

The bear slammed into the side of the mountain, nearly deafening the two as it roared into the cave. It paced and scraped around the entrance with clear determination. The two were terrified as some of the rocks and dust came down on them from the disturbance. Eventually, the bear did give up and staggered away from the opening.

"Fuck, we’re stuck here," she said, throwing her pack down in frustration.

"It’s gone. Can we not make a run for it now?" he asked, still catching his breath.

"No, it’s not a normal bear. Red bears around here hold grudges, and it’s not going to leave anytime soon," she explained, shaking her head.

Elron plopped down on a rock, sighing. "Well, I’m sure someone will come find us by the morning."

She ran her fingers through her hair one last time and said, "Okay, yeah, you’re right."

The two took a minute to destress from the chase before they put a small fire together and checked through their supplies. After an unknown amount of time, they settled in for the night. They ate some rations and stared aimlessly into their small fire. Yet neither of them could ever get too lost in their thoughts, as the bear’s red irises shined through cave's entrance every so often.

"I’m sorry about earlier," she said softly, breaking the silence.

"Don’t be, I know you didn’t say it to hurt my feelings," he replied.

She poked at the fire and said, "I know you think you’re weak, but surely you’re not. I mean, look at the hurt you put on the bear back there."

"I am as weak as they come. I’ll share my status with you to prove it…" he trailed off.

She turned red. "That’s a bit much, don’t you think?"

Before she could refuse anymore, he bit his thumb and drew blood. With that same thumb, he pressed it to hers and envisioned himself. In a flash, like a screen in their head, appeared Elron’s status.

Status

Name: Elron Malfar

Race: Half-elf

Age: 36

Class: Spellblade

Level: 1

Attributes:

Strength - 9

Dexterity - 8

Constitution - 7

Intelligence - 10

Wisdom - 8

Charisma - 7

Racial abilities: Low light vision, minor leap, keen sense

Class abilities: Minor blade mastery

Spells: Create light, create object, flare.

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"Woah, I’ve never seen someone else’s status before. It feels like I’m peering into your soul. This is all so, much…” She stared in awe, her voice soft with wonder. Then to herself, she added, “I can see why the elders don’t discuss the system…”

He blinked at her several times, wondering if she forgot his issue.

"You see I’m level one, and it hasn’t gone up in years," he explained, the frustration evident in his voice.

"Hm, well, you’re a combat class like me, so you’ll probably have to fight and kill things to gain levels," she reasoned, trying to sound encouraging.

"Yeah, but I’m a coward. I’m no good at killing," he admitted, lowering his gaze.

Marcella put her hand on his shoulder. "You are not a coward. I think you’re a good person who just needs the right motivation."

"Thank you," he said, his voice breaking as he teared up.

"You know what, Marcella? You’re the nicest person I think I’ve ever met, which is crazy because it’s only been a couple of days," he confessed, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Aww, shucks, aren’t you a charmer," she joked, blushing slightly.

"I have a bit of a confession," he began, hesitating.

"Oh no, what is it…" she replied, bracing herself.

"My mentor is forcing me to steal that amulet from you," he admitted, as his eyes drooped down to the cave floor.

She held it up, surprised. "This gaudy thing? It’s not really worth anything as far as I know. And wait a minute… What do you mean she’s forcing you?"

"Well, the thing is…" he stammered.

"Out with it," she urged, her patience thinning.

"I’m having, you could say, relations with my mentor and guardian," he confessed, now rocking in place.

"Oh, Elron… That sounds all sorts of bad. It sounds like she’s manipulating you," she said, her concern deepening.

He frantically waved his hands around, trying to explain. "No, no, no. I’m sure she has her reasons. I just really, really need that amulet."

"Ugh, here," she said as she took off the amulet and handed it to him.

"Huh?! You’re just going to give it to me?" he asked, stunned.

"Well, yeah, you’re my friend, and it means nothing to me. My mother gave it to me a long time ago, and now I think it’s ugly. I’ll just tell her I lost it," she explained, shrugging it off.

"Wow, thank you so much. I will—" he began, but she cut him off.

"On one condition!" she stated firmly.

"You’ll promise to distance yourself from that mentor and focus on getting stronger," she demanded, her gaze unyielding.

He weighed her words carefully. It was important for one to keep their promises, especially when that someone was a prince. He wasn’t sure if he could distance himself from his first love, but he was definitely sure that he now wanted to get stronger, much stronger.

“I promise,” Elron said, and he stuck out his pinky finger.

She giggled and said, "Sure," extending her hand. They shook on it, sealing the promise with a shared smile.

As the night went on, they laid on their cots and made idle chatter about different things they liked. They talked about everything, from bugs to plants, to the different foods they enjoyed. It took them a while to fall asleep, but in time, they did. Their bouts of sleep were short-lived; every few hours, the red bear would peer into the cave, releasing a deep, rumbling growl that sent chills through their bones, making their skin crawl.

Rrrroaaargh!

Just before dawn, both of them jolted awake, startled by the bear’s anguished cry echoing through the cave. Grabbing their bows and nocking arrows, they crept toward the cave’s entrance. Outside, Chron stood over the red bear’s body, yanking his sword from its skull. Beside him were Holly and several members of the Moonshadow family, their faces lit sudden relief.

“Oh, you’re safe!” Holly cried as she buried Elron’s face between her bosoms.

Lord Moon hugged his daughter, saying, “I was afraid we wouldn’t find you.”

“I’m okay, Dad. We had that bear on the ropes,” Marcella replied confidently.

“I’m sure you did,” Lord Moon said with a chuckle.

“Good, we found them. Now, let's head home. This trip ends early,” Chron said as he wiped the blood from his blade.

“No! I want to stay!” Elron protested.

“Boy, I won’t argue with you. Get a move on,” Chron commanded, staring Elron down.

Just as Chron’s gaze bore into Elron, the young prince’s heart sank. Despite narrowly escaping the jaws of a monstrous bear, he yearned to stay at the Moonshadow estate. Here, he was free—no citadel walls, no harsh siblings, no constant eyes watching his every move. How could his guardians pull him away now? But he knew he had no choice.

Resigned, he joined the group as they returned to the portal gate they had entered just days before. With quick farewells and promises to meet again, Elron’s guardians activated the elven road, transporting them back to the capital. And, much to Elron’s dismay, it was already bedtime upon their arrival.

“I hope you enjoyed your trip. I’m sorry it had to end on such short notice, my prince,” Holly said, her voice warm but tinged with regret.

“Me too,” Elron mumbled.

Her eyes searched his face. “What’s wrong? I don’t like it when you look so down.”

Elron hesitated, then murmured, “Do you love me?”

Sitting beside him, Holly reached out, cupping his face with a gentle hand. “Of course I love you,” she answered, her gaze steady.

“We should run away, just the two of us. I hate it here,” he whispered, vulnerability in his voice.

Her hand lingered on his cheek. “In time, we will. I promise.”

Elron’s lips curled into a tentative smile as he reached into his pocket, retrieving the amulet. “I ‘retrieved’ it for you,” he said, handing it over.

Holly’s eyes widened as she took the amulet, standing swiftly from the bed. Up close, the amulet's intricate beauty became clear—a vibrant blue gem encased in a circle of golden etchings, crafted in a language only the ancients could understand. Its craftsmanship was undeniably elven.

“I must go now, my princ—no, my love. Wait for me,” she murmured, slipping out of the room in a rush.

Left alone, Elron’s smile faded as he replayed Marcella’s words in his mind. I think she was right… Holly is using me, he thought, a newfound bitterness settling in.