~ Jasper ~

After another hour of walking, the two travelers found themselves at a slightly less dense portion of the forest, which Hazel had remarked would be the edge of the village. Sure enough, within fifty meters of the forest edge was the first human structure Jasper had seen all day, what appeared to be a small cottage.

By this point, the sun was already setting, and the torches lining the roads were already lit by the inhabitants. Jasper saw it as a blessing that it was dark enough for the lights to garner their attention, while light enough that they could still see without them.

“Here we are,” Hazel announced, “Rosemary Village.”

The town itself seemed rather quaint. It appeared that there were no more than three or four hundred inhabitants by the population density and relative size, as Jasper could barely see from one tree line to the other, and there were plenty of buildings once they made it to the roads.

“We should start with the central square,” Hazel stated, “I’ll show you the main locations of interest first, then I can introduce you to my grandmother. While she’s probably still pissed with me, I imagine I can convince her to let you stay the night.”

“It’s not an issue,” Jasper declined, “I’m adept at living outdoors. I’ll just find a spot on the outskirts of town.”

“No, you won’t,” Hazel retorted, “No way am I letting someone I owe my life to live outdoors like a savage when I can help it.”

“Like I said, I don’t mind,” Jasper tried to insist, but was cut off.

“No, no, no way.”

Jasper heaved his shoulders at this, knowing he wasn’t winning this argument. Instead, he simply followed her toward the center of town, waiting for the rest of the tour. Ten minutes after reaching the road, Jasper found himself in front of a well, and surrounded by what appeared to be shopping stands.

“Here we are,” Hazel gestured, “Shops seem to have just closed, so it’s nice and clear. Not a whole lot of people roaming about at this time of night.”

Jasper looked around, noticing that there weren’t very many people here this time of night. The population was sparsely scattered around the edges, with only a couple people approaching the well for water. Despite being in the center of town, it still felt rural. It was a comforting feeling for Jasper, who had spent three years away from civilization and thus was not used to large crowds.

“Hey, it’s Haze!” a voice called out.

Jasper felt Hazel wince beside him, and mutter a curse, as he turned to look at the newcomer. It was a young man around their age, standing a few centimeters taller than Jasper. The most noticeable thing about his features was a slightly bent nose, likely a result of an injury, and the height of his chin in the air. Clearly, despite such a humiliating injury he was quite sure of himself.

“Oh?” the young man asked, looking straight at Jasper, “And who might you be, newbie?”

“Leave it, Carpa,” Hazel growled from beside him.

Jasper held his hand in front of Hazel, motioning her to calm down.

“Reishi,” Jasper introduced, “I’m new to these parts. Hazel here was showing me around.”

“Well, well, Haze,” Carpa condescendingly addressed, “Seems like you’ve got yourself a boy-toy. What, are you trying to play hard-to-get? Because that’s a game I’m willing to play, if you know what I mean.”

The smirk that graced Carpa’s face made Jasper’s skin crawl with dread. It didn’t take a genius to read into the haughty young man’s tone, and it seemed like Hazel noticed it too, as her fists began to clench.

“Watch it,” she sneered, “Or have you forgotten what I did to you this morning?”

Carpa flinched, his hand flying to his face as fast as it could. When he realized what he had done, he scowled and straightened his back.

“Don’t get too cocky, girl,” he threatened, “I remember hearing earlier today that what you did to me got you tossed from your house for the day. I’m sure Dioica, the wonderful old woman that you call ‘grandmother’, wouldn’t be happy if you’re continuously on my bad side. She always was fond of me, after all.”

“That’s because you’re nothing but a kiss-ass!” Hazel shouted.

In her rage, Hazel attempted to move forward to attack Carpa, but Jasper held his hand in front of her again.

“Let’s not give your grandmother even more reason to be mad at you, Hazel,” Jasper warned, before turning back to Carpa, “I don’t like the way you’re speaking to my friend. Now, run along before you do something that will get you hurt.”

“Oh,” Carpa spat, “Looks like we have a hero of some kind on our hands, eh? Trying to impress my girl, are you?”

“I think she’s made how she sees you quite clear,” Jasper declared, “And I’ll give you one more chance to leave with your honor intact, or you might experience some unfortunate consequences.”

“That does it,” Carpa declared in a fit of rage, “I won’t have some hillbilly like you threaten me!”

Carpa rushed forward with his fist pulled back, aiming a shot at Jasper. However, Jasper immediately saw through his poor technique, and simply ducked under Carpa’s fist as he threw it. Carpa continued following through on the punch, and Jasper simply grabbed him around the waist and tossed him over his shoulder.

Carpa landed on his back, gasping for air, while Jasper turned around, his right arm facing Carpa’s prone body.

“Maybe you should actually learn how to fight before you go around threatening people,” Jasper advised.

“Go to hell!” Carpa snarled as he rose to his feet, readying another punch.

Jasper wasn’t going to wait around to counterattack this time, though. Despite Carpa’s lacking fighting abilities, Jasper did want to give him the benefit of the doubt when it came to adaptation, meaning it would be best to take the offensive this time. Before Carpa could launch his punch, Jasper landed a powerful right hook to his face, dislodging his nose even further and sending him sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned to Hazel, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

“I know I said I believed you when you killed the greenies,” Hazel stated, “But I think you just killed the rest of my doubts with that performance.”

Jasper rubbed his arm with his artificial hand, a smirk forming on his face.

“I like to think my skills aren’t completely manufactured, Hazel,” he quipped, “Though I’m glad that my fighting skills seem to apply even without a weapon.”

Hazel simply rolled her eyes in response, though her lips twitched into a slight grin.

Without so much as checking on Carpa, Hazel and Jasper left the scene and made their way toward Hazel’s grandmother’s home, which was about a ten-minute walk from the town square.

“So, tell me about your grandmother,” Jasper initiated, “She sounds rather strict, if it resulted in you running off like you did.”

“That’s not really the issue,” Hazel admitted, “She’s usually quite collected, and rarely raises her voice at anything.”

“So she draws the line at punching guys in the face?” Jasper quipped.

Hazel gave Jasper a sideways look, a wry smile forming.

“I wish it were only that,” she remarked, her smile slowly transitioning into a faraway grimace, “But it’s a bit more fundamental.”

“Fundamental?” Jasper repeated, tilting his head.

Hazel stayed silent for a moment, contemplating how to respond to the question.

“I think she disagrees with the kind of person I am,” Hazel finally replied.

“What’s wrong with that? I think you’re pleasant enough.”

Hazel shook her head.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not exactly a ‘proper lady’ or anything,” Hazel pointed out, “No, I’m far more boyish than that. Even I can tell that it’s not exactly normal. But, what? Am I supposed to deny my own tendencies? Am I supposed to repress the side of me that wants to go out and explore, to fight on even footing with the jerks I grew up with?”

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“Hazel,” Jasper tried to interrupt, but she wasn’t listening.

“I mean, what’s even the point of all that ‘proper’ nonsense? Sure, I can learn how to set tables, or how to put a dress on, or sit with proper posture, but where’s the fun?”

“Hazel, you might want to listen,” he tried again in futility.

“She doesn’t understand that I can live just as fulfilling a life by blazing my own path, finding my own place in the world rather than simply following what she did!”

“Ahem,” a new voice interrupted.

Hazel looked up, her face immediately paling, and Jasper felt the urge to hang his head.

They had reached their destination, and standing in front of the door was an elderly woman. Her head only came up to Jasper’s shoulders, but in spite of that she expressed a powerful demeanor that reflected nothing but confidence. Her arms were crossed in front of her, and her face reflected exasperation.

“I see you’re back,” the woman commented flatly.

Hazel gulped, and Jasper had to cover up his amusement at her misfortune.

“Hello, grandma,” she slowly addressed, “I am indeed back.”

A long silent moment followed the statement, with the two women staring at each other. Jasper almost stepped back, feeling distinctly out of place in this family argument. After long enough, however, the elder woman simply sighed.

“Come on in,” she relented, “You can bring your guest as well.”

Jumping slightly from being acknowledged, Jasper nodded and followed Hazel into the front door.

The house itself was rather small, only taking up one story that Jasper guessed was under two hundred square meters. In the common area, a single sofa and two chairs were positioned against the front-side walls, while a small kitchen area could be seen opposite a small dining table on the opposite side.

The elder woman beckoned the duo to the sofa while she took a seat in one of the chairs.

“Um,” Hazel hesitated, “Can we just forget that what I said out there, well, happened?”

Jasper silently agreed with her request, hoping not to end up in the middle of a family argument, but while luck was on his side, it was not on hers.

“I think we’ll be having words later on that, Hazel,” her grandmother declared, “But I won’t force our guest to endure such a conversation.”

Turning over to Jasper, her face twisted into a slight smile.

“My name is Dioica, and as you have probably guessed, I am Hazel’s grandmother,” she politely introduced.

“I am Reishi,” Jasper returned the introduction, “It is nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Dioica’s smile twisted slightly into a light smirk.

“Well, at least someone around here seems to have learned manners,” she commented dryly, sending a glance in Hazel’s direction.

Hazel simply returned the glance with a glare of her own.

“May I ask how you two met?” Dioica inquired.

At this, Jasper began to explain the circumstances behind their meeting. While Hazel simply seemed bored hearing the story again, except when the orcs came up, Dioica was listening intently. When Jasper finished, she let out an exasperated sigh.

“I can’t say I’m surprised my granddaughter would do something so reckless,” she admitted, prompting another glare from Hazel, “But I suppose that we are in your debt, Reishi.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jasper shook his head, “I’m sure if she wasn’t there they would have attacked me anyway.”

“Still, thank you for bringing her back,” Dioica insisted.

Jasper simply nodded back politely. At this point, it would be rude to turn down her gratitude.

“Hazel,” Dioica addressed the mostly silent third occupant, “Would you mind letting me speak to our guest alone for a little while?”

“Huh?” Hazel replied, her voice annoyed but lacking bite, “Why?”

“I don’t mind having her here,” Jasper offered, but Dioica was adamant.

“I’d prefer to have this conversation alone,” she insisted.

Not completely happy with the situation, Hazel shrugged and walked into the back. With the room down to two, Jasper began to feel significantly more nervous. This older woman seemed nice enough, but he had the impression both from Hazel’s story and her demeanor that this was a woman he did not want to piss off.

“Listen, I’m sorry about Hazel’s attitude,” Dioica apologized, “She’s rather brash, and she doesn’t really know when she’s gone too far.”

“I don’t mind,” Jasper reassured, “It’s refreshing to speak to someone so upfront about what they’re thinking.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it,” Dioica muttered, “But I’d like to speak to you a bit more about her, if you don’t mind.”

“Is this why you sent her out?” Jasper deduced.

Dioica nodded.

“I’m not sure she’d be particularly happy hearing some of the things I’m going to say. Well, not that she’s in the right frame of mind to hear anything I have to say right now.”

“If it helps, I can confirm that the person she hit earlier definitely deserved it,” Jasper joked, “Heck, I gave him one of my own when I ran into him earlier.”

“Don’t worry, I know that Carpa is a piece of work,” she agreed, “But that wasn’t really the problem with what she did.”

“Does this have to do with her rant outside?”

Dioica nodded, hanging her head a bit.

“She seems to think that I disagree with the person she’s becoming, or her personality, or who she wants to be.”

“She didn’t tell me much,” Jasper noted, “But she did give me that impression.”

Dioica shook her head.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Dioica stated, “I’m incredibly proud of the young woman that Hazel is becoming. It’s certainly unorthodox to see a girl act as headstrong as she does, or to see her engaging in activities that are usually filled by men, but I don’t have a problem with that side of her.”

Dioica’s eyes lost focus slightly, as if she was lost in a memory.

“What Hazel is missing, and the reason that I was upset with her, is her attitude. You see, her entire life she hasn’t had many friends, and that’s partly her fault. I’m sure you can tell, but when it comes to tact, she is somewhat lacking.”

Jasper chuckled at the statement.

“Back when her father was still alive, she would come home and complain. ‘Daddy, no one wanted to play with me!’ ‘Daddy, the other kids all ignored me at school today!’ And he would respond by saying, ‘It’s okay, one day someone will see the real you, and want to be your friend.’ I loved my son, but I could tell that he was dead wrong about this.”

“I assume this is where her personality comes in?”

“The truth is, I saw several of her interactions with her peers. She was often rude, and dismissive of them. When the girls would come by and offer to let her join their activities, she would mock them for such ‘proper’ and ‘girly’ activities. When boys would offer to let her join, it would usually end in her hitting them or saying something incredibly rude. Her temper was incredibly short back then, and it didn’t take much to set her off. The kids eventually learned to back off, outside of goons like Carpa.”

Jasper sat back, contemplating all of this new information.

“So, to summarize, you were upset because she was acting like when she was a child, and she fought back, thinking it was a more fundamental issue?”

Dioica nodded.

“You picked up on that quickly for someone with no experience raising a child.”

A sad smile formed on Jasper’s face.

“I wouldn’t say no experience,” he admitted, “I had two younger sisters, and our parents weren’t the most attentive. I had to fill that role for them a bit.”

Dioica seemed to notice the sorrow in his eyes, as she moved to change the subject.

“Reishi, I have a question for you,” she requested in a serious tone, “What are you looking to accomplish?”

“Excuse me?” Jasper looked up in alarm.

“I’m sorry, perhaps I was too direct,” she admitted, “Let me explain.”

“You mentioned that you were already coming to Rosemary when you found Hazel, right? You said something about living alone for three years before that, right? What I want to know is what you wanted to do when you got here. Why leave your home of three years to come to a small village like this?”

Jasper took a deep breath. He hadn’t even told Hazel what his goals were yet, beyond a very vague statement. However, something told him he could trust this woman, and after all she had said about her granddaughter, it was the least he could do to discuss it with her.

“I want revenge.”

Dioica’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“Revenge?”

“Three years ago, an older man named Lingzhi found me washed up on a beach, the result of a story I’d rather not tell right now. He spent the last three years teaching me everything he knew: how to survive on my own in the wilderness, details of the civil war, and how to wield a sword. He was the closest thing I had to a father figure I’ve ever had, since my real dad was hardly ever there. But about a month ago, he was murdered in cold blood. When I challenged the man to a fight, perhaps foolishly, I was embarrassed, and lucky to escape alive.”

Jasper pulled off the glove on his left hand, causing Dioica to gasp.

“A tree fell on top of it, and my only escape was amputation,” Jasper explained, putting his glove back on, “For some reason, he didn’t want to kill me himself, and it’s the only reason I’m here now. When I say I want revenge, I mean I want that man dead at my hand. I don’t care if I go down with him, I will have justice for my master’s death.”

Dioica gave the young man a long look.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” she questioned, “Revenge is a dangerous road to travel.”

“I know that,” Jasper agreed, “Or, at least, I should. There’s a small voice in my head saying that it’s not worth it, that there are better ways to move on. But the rest of me, the me that remembers that horrible day, is telling me that I can’t let him get away with it. That I need his blood, no matter what. And that’s truly how I feel.”

“What about your family?” Dioica challenged, “You said you had two sisters you practically raised?”

Jasper looked away uncomfortably.

“They went missing three years ago, in the same incident that left me with Lingzhi to begin with. I’m not really sure where they are, if they’re even still alive.”

Dioica sighed, and put her head in her hand.

“I suppose I could try and convince you otherwise, but I can see it’s a fool’s errand,” she stated in defeat, “Why come here, though? Is this man a resident of Rosemary?”

Jasper shook his head.

“I don’t know, but I doubt it. He was wearing the crest of Aurem, and this town is deep in Argentis. Unfortunately, all I know is his face and voice, and that he is or was once a soldier of Aurem. I came here as more of a starting point, I guess you could say. I wanted to ask around, see if anyone saw the man coming through, or knew of him, or anything. Maybe it would give me an idea of where to go next, if nothing else.”

“I’m sorry to say I haven’t heard anything about any Aurumian soldiers coming through Rosemary in the last month or so,” she apologized.

Jasper sighed.

“I figured as much.”

Dioica smiled slightly.

“Well, while you figure out what you’re going to do next, why don’t you join us for dinner? If you need a place to stay, you’re welcome to the couch for the night as well.”

Jasper looked up, his eyes wide.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Reishi, you’re one of the only people I’ve ever met who’s able to tolerate Hazel at her worst. That would be enough reason to show you generosity. Plus, you saved her life.”

Jasper looked away, slightly embarrassed.

“Okay, thank you.”

A knock could be heard from down the hall at that moment.

“Can I come out now? I’ve been in here for half an hour!”

Dioica pursed her lips at her granddaughter’s attitude.

“Yes, everything’s fine! Come on out!”

The door immediately slammed open, and Hazel walked out looking irritated.

“Finally,” she muttered, taking a seat at the dinner table.

However, before Dioica could start cooking, the front door also opened in a hurry.

“Dioica!” an unknown man shouted, rushing into the room, “Something’s happened with the nearby orcs! We’re calling an emergency meeting of the council!”

The elderly woman’s face dropped all emotion, appearing stone cold.

“What happened?”

“We’ve been given a deadline for the ransom. We have less than a week before they kill and eat the hostages.”

Dioica’s face immediately paled.

“What can we do? They have at least twenty of us already!”

The man shook his head.

“Our town guard isn’t strong enough to win a battle with them, and if they failed, the entire village would collapse!”

Dioica paused, then shot a glance over at Jasper.

“Not strong enough, huh?” she muttered, before turning back to the messenger.

“I think I have an idea.”

She turned back to Jasper.

“Reishi, would you mind accompanying me to city hall? I hate to ask more of you than you’ve already done, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

Jasper gulped, and stood up to follow. One thought was prevalent in his mind, however.

What am I in for now?