Day 18

It would be a day I could never forget; it was one of those rare moments when fate throws something unexpected into your path. I was straying near the city, collecting herbs for the quest. Everything seemed all right; it was generally calm until a piercing scream shattered that calmness. It was a jumpscare. Some moments passed, and there they were in the distance: an elf who looked no older than me, tied to a tree by four adventurers.

I was filled with a mix of curiosity and caution. I ducked behind a bush and crept closer, keeping out of sight. The nearer I got, the more I could make out of their conversation. "Fucking traitors!" she shouted. "Once I'm out of these ropes, I'll rip you to shreds and hang your corpses at the city gates!" First of all... Whoa! That startled me. Aren't elves refined and graceful? This one was beautiful, but her personality... not so much.

"You really need to change your personality. You're reckless, arrogant, and useless. You have no place in a team." said one adventurer sneeringly. "Come on, guys. We're out of here." They turned on their heels, leaving her with the empty space where her sword used to be. "You kicked me out, and now you're robbing me? What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she shouted after them, her voice cracking with anger.

"Well, it wasn't yours in the first place," one of them muttered over his shoulder. "It belonged to a friend of ours." Their voices were lost in the breadths of the trees. Now, all alone, the elf sagged against the tree, all her pride crumbling before its weight. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered to herself, "Why can't anybody accept me for who I am?" I hesitated for a moment but went out of my hiding spot and approached her.

"Hi, there." I greeted. Immediately, her head snapped up with a glare. "What do you want? Don't tell me you saw all that." The words she spat out were like venom. "Fuck off and leave me alone!" I stood my ground and replied, "No." "Are you deaf? I said fuck off!" "Nah, I can't do that," I replied. "I needed a vanguard. Since I'm an archer, I could use someone to watch my back."

"Are you really deaf? Didn't you hear what they just said? I'm useless! I can't even do my job right!" "But don't you want to be the strongest?" I asked. "What?" she replied, confused. "I said, don't you want to be the strongest?" I repeated. For a moment, she fell silent, then muttered, "Y-Yeah." "Good, we have the same goal," I said. So, why don't you wipe off your tears and come with me?"

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"I can't…" the elf lady whispered, her voice trembling just a little. "Why?" I asked confusedly. "Because I'm still tied up, you damn idiot!" she suddenly shouted at me with frustration. "Not very classy of you," I replied, pulling out my knife. One slash and the ropes fell away. Before we could elaborate further, the ground heaved and shook as a strong tremor ran across the forest.

Birds screeched to the sky, having been disturbed from the forest floor. Both of us turned at the same time to see an ogre emerge, thick enough to drown any creature in fear from the view of anyone standing nearby. Roaring, it brandished an enormous club. "Move!" she yelled. We both jumped away just as the club shot down at the ground, splitting some rocks up and spraying debris.

I quickly scrambled my way into a tree where I was safe on a sturdy branch while the elf lady ended up more grounded and agilely dodging the blows coming from the ogre. From my high perch, I reached into my magic pouch and pulled out my bow and spare sword. "Hey, lady!" I shouted. "Catch!" A quick handicatch, and I sent the sword spinning toward her. She caught it, her movements fluid despite the chaos.

The ogre roared again, swinging wildly, but I took aim and loosed an arrow, hitting it squarely in the eye. The beast howled, staggering back, half blind.

"My name is not lady! It's Silvia!" she yelled, her voice slicing through the roar. With that, she surged ahead, her glinting sword raised to strike upon the ogre's chest. Her slight stature belied the strength with which she buried the blade within it.

Exploiting this, I launched myself out of the tree with the knife in my hand, using the injury given to the ogre to find my chance. As it flailed about, howling in pain, I landed on its back and slashed across its neck. The creature let out one last guttural roar, gurgling with blood, you might say, before falling to the ground with a thunderous thud, blood spraying.

I stood splattered all over with blood, then turned to Silvia and stretched out a hand to her, saying, "I'm Savvy; nice to meet you." "I owe you one." She grabbed my hand and swept her hair back out of her eyes.

After a brief time, we reached the city. A greeting might be an understatement for Silvia's old team: they really got a beating. She found them in the back alley, where she unleashed hell. I stood afar but beside her, watching the carnage she was wreaking with a ferocity that I thought impossible. Now and then, I'd jump in, though otherwise.

The chances of her really killing someone were slim, but by the end of all this, they'd probably wished she had. After what felt like an hour, the group of adventurers was unrecognizable. Their faces were so swollen you couldn't tell who was who, and judging by the unnatural angles of their limbs, Silvia had likely broken most of their bones.

Finally, when she stepped back, breathing hard, she wiped her hands on her cloak as if dusting off crumbs. "That really felt good," she announced with an evil grin, leaving the moaning heap behind.