I’m a mage. I kept telling myself that I was a mage. But it wasn’t working. The Porkpine- a hybrid of pork and porcupines- wasn’t letting me go just because I was a mage. Though I claimed to be a mage, I only knew the spell for creating a campfire and producing water for drinking. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Every felt like the last.

Every second felt like the thing would jump and puncture my soul-

And-

“Hey! Stop spacing out already!” Someone shouted from behind me. I knew that voice. It was Kayle.

He jumped in front of me and it was like time had stopped. His brown hair almost felt golden through the sun rays: His grin radiant as ever, his sword sharp.

The guy was enjoying himself.

Time sped up in the next second and Kayle sliced the Porkpine in two.

“You okay?” Bretta patted me from behind. Her hair swayed with the wind and her grin made me feel safer.

Quite odd, as even just moments ago, I felt like pissing myself.

“Y-Yeah. That was you slowing the time?” I was breathless.

She nodded. She was our healer and she could manipulate time to a certain extent. Maybe not completely slow or fast forward at will but she could substantially slow time.

The blood of the porkpine colored the gray earth in red. The sea of trees around us made it clear that we weren’t welcome here. Maybe it was just my imagination.

Kayle came back. “I get that you’re excited about your first time out, but could you at least not drag us down? I mean listen-“

“Shut up Kayle. Aren’t you the one who argued and put him on the vanguard? I believe you said, ‘he needs the experience.’ So why are you bitching now?”

Kayle grimaced and tried to sweet talk his way out. But it wasn’t working on Bretta.

“Don’t worry about him; he’s always like that with newbies. Stay by me and cover us in battle. That’s what a mage supposed to do.” Bretta comforted me and glared at kayle. She almost felt like a bro…. “Let’s focus on the mission.” But she didn’t worry that much about me. It was probably because she was still mad at Kayle for peeking on her last night. So her idea of protecting me was just so she could mess with Kayle.

I didn’t like it one bit but I couldn’t just complain either. “Rig-right!”

“C’mon, move yar asses.” Our fourth member, Bambo- the fat guy was way behind. He was supposed to be part of the vanguard too; actually, he was our tank. And yet, he couldn’t keep up with us. Now I understood why everyone nick named him the fat guy. He wasn’t that fat though. He had a weird sense of humor too. As in?

Call him fat and he’d laugh and later pummel you to the ground with farts.

I caught my breath and started walking. This was the first time I was outside of the village. This was the first time I was seeing the world. I’d heard stories, fantasies and legends about the world, how monsters killed us and how we survived. But honestly I was more interested about getting out of that village. I’d been there for over twenty years now. I was born inside the village and was never permitted to go out. But it all changed yesterday.

***

“I want to go out. I want to become one of the hunters,” I told my father.

Father didn’t say anything. He just kept quiet and sipped his tea. He was thinking.

“Father!”

On our porch, just the two of us.

Winds blowing-

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Clouds roaring-

Rain was coming.

“Do you really think your mother would have liked that? I’ve grown old, Star. Who’ll look after your sisters if I go too?”

I didn’t have an answer. Our mother was dead and father was barely living. I had two sisters. One older than me and one younger. They were off marriageable age but my elder sister decided to stay behind and look after father; though it was supposed to be his job looking after them not the other way around. But I couldn’t take it anymore. Do I have to live like this for the rest of my days!? “Father I-“

“Let him go, father. Let Star go,” my elder sister, Liliana said. Ariana- my little sister was behind her.

“Lilly.” Father wasn’t convinced. “The work of a hunter pays well. But the risks are too much. You’re inexperienced. You are incapable.”

“Then let me become experienced. And we need the pay. I’ve been working as an apprentice sword smith for twelve years! I need to see the world!” I had little talent for magic but that much was enough. And yet my father thought it was wise for me to train as a blacksmith instead of becoming a proper mage. I hated him for that.

Father sighed. He just kept on sipping.

The winds blew-

The leaves whistled-

And though I didn’t really think he’d say anything- “Go.” The word came out… one word. Just one- yet- “But if you die before me, I won’t visit your grave.” He didn’t look at me.

He didn’t even glance my way.

If I die after you, you still won’t visit my grave, you do understand that right? I couldn’t say that to his face though.

I smiled and thanked my sisters and father: they all bid me farewell as I headed for the hunters guild. Ariana even broke into tears. Come one guys, it’s not like I’m going to die or- But it was possible.

With lots of hiccups I became a hunter and my first task was to hunt down a Dolphino. They were large fish with tender meat. The village had a population of two thousand. Ten Dolphino could easily provide for half of the village. But we weren’t capable of hunting ten, that much was certain.

***

We’d started off at yesterday afternoon and it was already afternoon today: meaning, it’s already been a day. The sea was close. Come to think of it I’ve never seen the sea. I heard a lot about it. I heard how it was filled with salt. My grandfather said that the sea was a hundred times larger than the pond at the center of the village. My grandfather told me a lot of stories and like most of his stories I didn’t believe this one either. How could it be that big? Where does all that water come from? I chuckled as I went.

“Creep. What’s wrong with you?” Kayle sneered, staring back.

I didn’t like the guy. Why did I had to be on his team? If it wasn’t for Mr. Bran.

Sigh.

I’d joined this team because Mr. Bran, my old mentor, suggested me to. Apparently this team had the lowest casualty rates. Was he even serious?

“We’ll camp here for tonight.” Kayle stood on his sword. “We’ll hunt them at midnight.”

“Mi-midnight!” I couldn’t get almost any sleep last night. I was way too excited for this job. And because of that I was groggy as hell. And if I had to hunt something at midnight, could I even do that?

“What you didn’t get the memo?” Kayle grinned.

No one told me that we’d be hunting in the night. I was already exhausted. The thought of going out at night made me even more so.

I wanted to crawl into my bed and just snuggle my pillows. Not go kissing Dolphinos!

“Having doubts already?” Kayle’s grin widened. Honestly I didn’t think he was capable of being so perceptive. Maybe I’d misjudged the guy.

“Don’t tease him.” Bretta Walked past us. “You see those fish only come up on a moonlit night to bathe in moonlight.”

“You spoil him too much. I’ll go get some firewood.” Kayle grumbled and went away.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

I thought the guy would complain some more.

“Huff-puff! Wh-what are you- guys doing? We- camp here?” Bambo finally reached us. Honestly I was glad he was here. At least someone had less stamina than me. Though I was useless, it did make me feel a little better.

Kayle came back some time later and we set up a tent. I lit the fire. I could produce sparks and if I focused enough, maybe a small ball of fire. But that was my limit.

The crickets around us went about their days like they were in their own world. Maybe they were. But the buzz felt a little too disturbing. But it also reassured me that there were no monsters near us.

“Useful.” Bretta sat down beside me. “What else can you do?” Her eyes were full of curiosity. I couldn’t look at them.

I didn’t want to answer that. These guys had taken me in the pretext of being a mage who knew beginner spells. If I told the truth they’d probably laugh and maybe fire me when we got to the village. But if I lied it’d be bad for the upcoming battles and could potentially endanger someone’s life. So the choice was clear. “I can produce fire and drinking water,” I said reluctantly.

Kayle snorted. “That’s it?” He burst into laughter. He was having a time of his life.

I didn’t want to be belittled by him. “I can also fight with swords and knives it I need to. But I’m not good with either of them. I just know the basics. “

“That’s pretty impressive you know. If you tried hard enough maybe you can even become a mage-knight.”Bambo chimed. Now that he caught his breath, he looked like a handsome guy in the late thirties. He wasn’t fat by any means, but maybe he just didn’t have much lung capacity.

“Don’t fill his head with ideas. Even if he manages that- they’ll take him away.” Kayle’s tone was different than usual. It was almost like he was being serious.

“Who’ll take me away?” I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Bambo cleared his throat. “I’ll keep watch you guys get some rest. We have work.”

Both Kayle and Bretta looked a little distant. I didn’t press them for answers.

I couldn’t.