The ants didn’t hesitate. They surged forward, splitting into two groups—three rushing toward Lance, the other two coming straight for me and Bael.

With a grunt, I slashed at the first ant that lunged at me, its mandibles snapping dangerously close to my arm. My claws sliced through its hard shell, strange black smoke leaving its body. The creature screeched, twitching violently before retreating.

The second ant was on me before I could catch my breath. Its mandibles clamped down on my leg, and I bit back a shout of pain as I lashed out with my other clawed hand, striking it square in the head. It let go, staggering back, but it wasn’t dead yet.

“Lance!” I called out, glancing over to see how he was faring.

He was already engaged with the three ants, his sword flashing as he parried their attacks with precise, calculated movements. His hood had fallen back, revealing his intense expression as he ducked and wove between their strikes. One ant was already down, the strange smoke-like substance oozing from its wounds, its legs twitching as it lay in a pool of it, but the other two kept their pace.

“I’m fine!” Lance shouted back, his voice strained but controlled. “Focus!”

I grimaced, turning my attention back to the ant in front of me. It was smoking heavily from the head wound I’d given it, but still, it came at me again, its movements sluggish but determined.

Bael, meanwhile, was flapping his wings in a frantic attempt to help, but his tiny body couldn’t lift off the ground. His sharp chirps filled the air as he snapped at the ant from behind, distracting it just enough for me to land the final blow.

With a hiss, the second ant collapsed at my feet, its legs curling inward and then… disappearing in the weird smoke.

I didn’t have time nor knew if I should celebrate. Lance was still fighting off his two remaining attackers, and while he was holding his own, I could see the strain in his movements. His breaths were coming fast, and a thin line of blood trickled down his arm from where one of the ants had grazed him.

“Bael, stay back!” I ordered, charging toward Lance’s side.

With a quick slash, I tore through the legs of one of the ants attacking him, sending it toppling to the ground. Lance took the opportunity to finish it off with a swift downward strike, his sword plunging into its head.

The last ant hesitated, its mandibles clicking uncertainly as it faced both of us now. It backed away slowly, its antennae twitching in all directions.

Lance and I exchanged a glance. We didn’t need words to know what to do next.

And then, it just ran away, quickly disappearing in the dense vegetation.

For a moment, we stood there, panting, catching our breath. Bael chirped again, waddling over to me with his wings flapping weakly as if he had actually been part of the battle. I couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Well,” Lance said between heavy breaths, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “So much for no attacks.”

“What the hell was all that smoke? Where are the bodies?” I asked while looking at the little smoke that remained on the battleground.

Lance sheathed his sword, looking grim. “I’ve no idea, but if this is what we’re facing on this portion of the outskirts, it’s going to get a lot worse the deeper we go.”

I nodded, a bit more worried about our prospects now. The deeper parts of the outskirts weren’t just filled with more monsters—they were said to be filled with worse ones.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Let’s hurry up and get to Vermilion Post,” he said after a moment. “And make sure your hood and gloves are on.”

I nodded in agreement.

We made our way into Vermilion Post with our hoods pulled low, blending in with the small but steady flow of people moving through the marketplace. The post was as busy as ever—hunters, traders, and mercenaries milled about, haggling over supplies and exchanging stories of their latest conquests. The air was thick with the smell of cooked meat and the tang of metal, the hum of conversation blending into the background noise.

I tugged at my hood, making sure it covered my face, and reached out with my senses, searching for the familiar pull of Tania’s presence. She was always on the move, her energy hard to track, like trying to catch a breeze. But this time, we got lucky. I felt her nearby, her emotions a steady hum amidst the chaos.

“There,” I muttered to Lance, nodding toward a distant figure standing near a row of market stalls. She wasn’t wearing her hood, and her fiery red hair was impossible to miss, standing out against the sea of muted browns and grays around her.

Tania was leaning against a wall, her arms crossed, looking as though she was deep in thought—or maybe just bored. I caught her attention from afar, raising my hand slightly. She noticed, her sharp eyes flicking toward us, and after a moment, she gave a quick nod. She motioned toward a corner of the post, a more secluded spot near the edge of the market where we could talk without drawing attention.

“Let’s head over,” I said, pulling my hood a little tighter as we weaved through the crowd.

Lance walked beside me, his face unreadable beneath his own hood, but I could sense the tension in his movements. We hadn’t spoken much since the ant attack, worried we might jinx ourselves again.

As we reached the corner, we found a relatively quiet spot where we could wait for Tania. She was still making her way over, moving with her usual confidence through the crowd.

I glanced at Lance. “Think she’ll come with us?”

He shrugged. “She will if she wants her dragon.”

I nodded, folding my arms as I leaned against the outermost wall, trying to imitate her previous posture. I had to give it to her, she looked cool doing it.

As Tania approached, her expression was already sharp with irritation. She stopped in front of us, folding her arms with a huff. “What are you two doing back at the Post?” she demanded, her fiery eyes flicking between us.

Lance couldn’t resist. He smirked, leaning against the wall beside me. “Worried about us?” he teased.

Tania’s glare could have melted iron. “Worried?” she snapped, stepping forward and pointing a finger at him. “The only thing I care about is a certain promise. And you two idiots can’t fulfill it if you get yourselves killed.” She turned her glare on me next, and I could practically feel the heat of her anger.

I chuckled, raising my hands in mock surrender. “Speaking of promises,” I said, “we’re going to need you to take on a more active role, if you want us to succeed, of course.”

Tania blinked, her sharp expression faltering for a moment. She looked conflicted, her eyes narrowing as if she wasn’t sure what to say. I could feel her hesitation, the inner tug-of-war playing out behind her eyes.

“We’re going deeper into the outskirts,” I continued, my tone calm but determined. “We’re going to get stronger. We all need to get stronger.”

At the mention of strength, I saw her perk up slightly, interest flashing in her eyes. She didn’t say anything, but I could see her gears turning.

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Look, however mighty I might be, I’ll still need some help when it comes to dealing with the helenian nobles.”

Tania scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Mighty my ass.” Her stern face broke into a grin, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Fine, fine. I’ll come along. But,” she added, holding up a finger, “I can’t go right now. I need at least a bit more time to prepare.”

“Deal,” I said with a nod. “You’ve got some time. We’ll wait for you at our camp, and we’ll head out after breakfast tomorrow.”

Tania nodded, but she seemed distracted, searching me for something. “Where’s the cutie?” she asked while looking me up and down. I sighed and pushed a bit of my hood away, revealing Bael lying comfortably on my shoulder. Tania smiled and thought of petting him, but frowned and took away her hand when she looked at me.

Tania gave us a final once-over, her warm smile appearing only whenever she focused on Bael. She then frowned again, her fiery gaze settling back on me. “You better not get yourselves into trouble before I get there.”

“No promises,” Lance said with a shrug, causing her to shoot him one last glare before turning on her heel and disappearing back into the marketplace.

It was settled then.

Lance and I went around looking for the things we would need for our journey. The options weren’t the best, really, but we’d have to make do with whatever we could find. Tomorrow we would depart for one of, if not the most, dangerous place in the entire world. We had a clearer goal now, and that prospect felt truly exciting.