The sun, high in the sky, kept going back and forth between big, white, puffy clouds. Under it, following the King’s Road was Max, dying from the heat.
“How can it be so hot?” he wondered. “The first spell I want to learn is how to summon an AC.”
He took his hat and tried to cool himself off with it, but then he realized that his head was burning from all the heat so he put it back on and slowly tried to move forward.
As he walked, he spotted a large, ancient oak tree whose branches cast a generous shade over the road. Underneath it, a colorful caravan was parked, with a small, cheerful fire burning and a plump merchant sitting comfy on a blanket, surrounded by various goods.
“Finally, some shade!” Max’s eyes lit up at the sight.
He approached the merchant, who noticed him and waved. “Ah, traveler! Come, rest your weary bones, and share a drink with me!”
Max didn’t need to be asked twice. He flopped down onto the blanket with a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I thought I was going to melt into the road.”
The merchant laughed. “The heat can be merciless, especially if you’re going really far away. I am Fenn, a humble merchant. And who might you be?”
“Max,” he replied, accepting a wooden cup filled with cool water. He took a long drink, it felt really good. “Thanks, Fenn. I needed that.”
Fenn smiled. “May Preyya shine a light on your road, Max. It is not often I meet travelers brave enough to journey alone.”
“Preyya, that’s the same name the King mentioned. I wonder who that is?” he felt weird asking something that was probably a piece of common knowledge to everyone in this world.
“Who is Preyya? Refresh my memory please,” he said.
“The God of Traveling,” Fenn explained. “Preya watches over wanderers and vagabonds, guiding them and lighting their path. It is said that Preyya’s light never fails, even in the darkest of times.”
“Sounds like a pretty handy god to have on your side,” Max said. “I could use some guidance.”
“We all could, my friend.” Fenn chuckled. “But tell me, what brings you here, on this long and lonely road.”
Max hesitated for a second, then shrugged. “Just…trying to find my place in this world, I guess. I’m a mage, still learning the ropes. Or the spells, in this case.”
“A mage, eh? That’s impressive,” Fenn said. “I’ve always admired magic. It’s like the world’s best-kept secret.”
Max grinned awkwardly. “Well, I’m still working on the whole “impressive” part.”
The two of them shared a hearty laugh. As they continued to talk, Fenn, pulled out a small carved wooden box and opened it, revealing a collection of dice.
“Care for a game of chance?” Fenn asked, his smile mischievous.
Max’s eyes narrowed playfully. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. Just a bit of fun,” Fenn replied. “And a prize for the winner.”
“Alright, I’m in,” Max said, leaning forward.
They played several rounds, and whoever got the highest number won.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Max won the final round. Fenn clapped his hands together, clearly impressed. “Well done, Max! It seems Preyya truly does shine her light on you.”
“What’s the prize?” Max asked, half-jokingly.
Fenn reached into his caravan and pulled out a small, scaly creature. “This, my friend, is a Kobold. His name is Snickers.”
The Kobold looked up at Max with wide, curious eyes. “Uh… hi,” Max said, unsure how to react.
Snickers blinked and gave a toothy grin. “Hi! I guess I belong to you now.”
Max looked at Fenn, who was grinning ear to ear. “You’re giving me a Kobold?”
“Consider it a token of our friendship,” Fenn said. “Snickers is quite handy. He can help carry your belongings, and he’s got a knack for finding things.”
Max scratched his head, still trying to process this unexpected turn of events. “Well I… thanks, Fenn. I’ll take good care of him.”
The merchant laughed. “I’m sure you will. May Preyya’s light guide both of you on your journey, you’ll need it.”
Max stood up, feeling oddly uplifted despite the heat and the long road ahead. He adjusted his hat and gave Fenn a grateful nod. “Thanks for everything, Fenn. And Snickers, welcome to the team.”
“Yay! I’m on a team!” Snickers exclaimed, doing a little dance.
Max chuckled at the Kobold’s enthusiasm. “Let’s get going, buddy. We’ve got a long way to go.”
The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the path. Max, feeling the call of nature, decided it was a good time for a quick break.
“Hey Snickers, wait here for a moment. I need to… take care of something,” Max said, glancing around for a suitable spot off the road to take a leak.
Snickers nodded. “No problem boss! I’ll guard the road.”
Max stepped off the path into a small thick row of trees. Finding a safe spot, he began to relieve himself. Just as he was about to finish, he heard a rustling noise behind him.
“Uh-oh,” Max muttered, turning around cautiously.
From the underbrush, a pair of glowing eyes stared back at him. A low growl filled the air, and before Max could react, a giant wild boar burst out of the bushes, charging straight at him.
“Holy crap!” Max yelled, pulling up his robes and sprinting back towards the road. “Snickers! HELP!”
Snickers, who had been doing a little dance on the road, looked up just in time to see Max hurtling towards him, followed by the massive boar.
“Boss! What’s going on?!” Snickers shouted, his eyes wide.
“Big! Boar! Coming!” Max panted, dashing past Snickers and back onto the King’s Road.
The boar continued its charge, but as soon as it reached the edge of the road, it slammed into an invisible barrier with a loud thud, stopping it in its tracks. It let out a furious snort, shaking its massive head in confusion.
Max, catching his breath, turned to see the boar pawing at the ground, unable to cross the boundary. “It’s... it’s protected. The King’s Road is protected!” he gasped. He could feel a burning sensation on his right arm. The entire arm felt like it was on fire.
Snickers, not missing a beat, whipped out a small, rusty dagger from his belt. “Time to show this piggy who’s boss!”
Max raised his hand, summoning his remaining energy. “Fireball!” he shouted, hurling a blazing orb of fire at the boar. The fireball struck the boar square in the chest, singeing its fur and causing it to bellow in pain.
Snickers, meanwhile, was putting on a show of his own. He darted around the boar, waving his dagger menacingly. “Take that! And that! And a little bit of this!” he cried, swiping at the air with exaggerated motions.
The boar, confused and enraged, tried to focus on Snickers, but the Kobold’s erratic movements and taunts kept it off balance. “You call that a charge? My grandma charges faster than that!” Snickers taunted, jumping up and down.
Max couldn’t help but laugh at Snickers’ antics. “Keep it distracted, Snickers!” he called out, gathering his mana for another spell.
Snickers gave a mock salute. “Aye aye, boss! Distraction is my middle name!”
With a final flourish, Max cast another fireball, this one even more powerful than the last. It hit the boar with a resounding explosion, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap of smoking fur.
The forest fell silent, the only sound the crackle of flames and the heavy breathing of Max and Snickers. The boar lay motionless, defeated.
Snickers trotted over to Max, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. “Well, that was easy. Didn’t even break a sweat!”
Max laughed, clapping Snickers on the shoulder. “You were amazing, Snickers.”
Snickers puffed out his chest proudly. “Just doing my job, boss. Just doing my job.”
“Let’s get moving before anything else decides to attack. And maybe next time, I’ll find a safer spot to, you know…”
“Pee?” Snickers finished his sentence.
“Yes Snickers, pee.”
“Good plan, boss. Good plan,” Snickers agreed, falling into step beside Max as they continued their journey along the protected King’s Road.
“May I ask did you piss yourself when you saw the boar?” Snickers asked grinning behind Max.
“Shut the fuck up.” the burning on his hand disappeared, and a small XP bar filling up appeared. “Leveling up in this world is going to be harder than it seems.” he thought.