HOW STRONG WERE THEY?
I swung my feet off the bed and onto the wooden plank floors of the inn room. I stood and opened the oak dressers, utilizing the light beaming in from the circular window. Behind me, Panuka stirred from underneath the covers of the bed.
HILROY
Morning is here,
I mumbled as I eyed her lumpy silhouette. She peeked out from under the covers and mumbled something incoherently before whipping the covers back over her face.
HILROY
We want to arrive on time for our first quest.
She whipped the covers off her beautiful bare body,
PANUKA
Ugh...
As Panuka and I got ready for the new day ahead of us, my eyes traced a deep old scar that ran down Panuka's backside.
PANUKA
I felt that.
I looked away,
HILROY
Sorry.
I focused on getting my clothes on within our small wooden room.
MANTIS
You two love hawks ready!?
Mantis shouted from outside our room.
HILROY
Give us a moment.
MANTIS
Oh wow, you can do it that quick?
He asked, and Panuka snickered. Realizing the joke, I felt flustered as my mouth opened and closed before I found the words.
HILROY
Oh, shut up, Mantis.
But he crackled with laughter.
Moments later, we were strolling down the city's cobbled roads toward our client. Judging from their chaotic movements, it seemed as if they were rushing to get ready.
MANTIS
How about we get a bite to eat?
HILROY
After the quest.
MANTIS
I'd starve from hunger by then!
I glanced at Panuka, seemingly lost in thought. Her eyes were unblinkingly glued to the bland road, forcing others to maneuver around her with a hint of annoyance.
HILROY
Still need arrows, right?
She perked up at me and nodded.
PANUKA
Oh, yes, I do.
I nodded over to the smith's workshop just before the North Gates,
HILROY
Let's see what he has.
We moved through the slightly busy road towards the tall stone home that annexed the smith's covered workshop. The smith worked diligently in his soot-covered overalls, banging away at an incomplete heated broadsword. Despite his elderly face, designed with swirling white and thick black lines, his body was toned with muscle.
His gray pupils looked up at us through his sweaty, unkempt white hair before he spat,
BLACKSMITH
I don't recall making an order for you lot.
I frowned at his hostility before noticing Mantis pointing at a metal sign bolted to one of the beams:
Taking no orders!
HILROY
Looking for arrows—
The smith stood up straight, revealing his lanky height.
BLACKSMITH
Arrows! Do I look like a fucking fletcher to you?
I pursed my lips at his unwarranted anger.
HILROY
Yes. Actually, you do look like one.
Mantis snorted at my sassy comment as a young gent with a bloody red skin pattern and black cropped hair came running from around the right side of the home.
YOUNG GENT
Looking for arrows?
The blacksmith spun on him with unholy anger,
BLACKSMITH
Why are you out here!? Go back to the shop!
But the young gent, whom I assumed was an apprentice, ignored him.
YOUNG GENT
The fletcher works with Coronor, the carpenter,
He explained and pointed across the road.
YOUNG GENT
Apologies on behalf of Link,
He gestured to the blacksmith with a smile. But the blacksmith was not having it as he brandished the unfinished broadsword.
LINK
I will flail you, boy! Get back inside!
The young gent scurried back off with a grin as we left towards—Coronor's Shack—I squinted at the sign.
A sudden shadow of movement caught our sight, and we looked up into the sky as a speeding Black Hawk bolted at us.
HILROY
A Black Hawk?
It zipped down and phased into Panuka. A black clog of smoke ran down her left arm as the Black Hawk formed and looked deep into her eyes for a second.
Panuka's face contorted into fury, and she shouted at the top of her lungs,
PANUKA
FUCK!
Mantis and I jumped back away from her,
HILROY
Whoa! What's going on!?
The Black Hawk deformed and phased into her as she thrashed about angrily, shouting slurs and curses.
PANUKA
Fucking idiot! Stupid crazy bastard! I knew it! I fucking knew it!
I grabbed her and looked into her watery eyes.
HILROY
What!? What happened?
She continued to squirm with anger as I attempted to hold her still.
PANUKA
That fucking idiot! He just had to wait but... but he killed himself!
She sobbed in frustration before repeating softly,
PANUKA
My dad killed himself...
Panuka didn't want to talk about it, and attempting to make her talk would only anger her. So we tried to let the topic slide as she shopped for arrows within Coronor's store. Mantis and I hung back outside to allow Panuka her space.
Mantis sat on the stone ledge, flanking the steps leading into the shack while I leaned against a wall near the entrance.
MANTIS
I still don't understand what happened between her and her father.
He mumbled. I thought about filling him in but was worried about his ability to keep his mouth shut.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
MANTIS
Any idea?
I guess I should fill him in on what I know. If he lets it slip out, Panuka should understand we're a team, and he only cares for her.
HILROY
From what I understand, she doesn't like him too much. He's a stranger, were her words.
MANTIS
Oh, because of his time in the war?
I shrugged and nodded,
HILROY
Somewhat... She was already an adult by the time he returned from the war against the giants.
I shook my head and collected my thoughts for a moment.
HILROY
He didn't even know he had a daughter. But the trouble started with his nightmares, which then became day terrors. Panuka and I were about to have our first day together—much to her mother’s disapproval. And that's when it happened—
The door cracked open, and I shut my mouth as Panuka strolled out with a quiver of brand-new arrows.
PANUKA
Ready!
She smiled brightly and led on. We turned the corner and saw people before us staring up at Cain floating into the city from the west. He seemed to fly by a spiral of flames, emitting beneath his feet. At his sides were three of his elite soldiers—Blasters. They soared by propelling fire from out their feet and hands.
MANTIS
What a handy ability.
And I nodded agreement while studying the riled expression on Cain's face as he touched down.
CAIN
Out of my way!
He bellowed and made his way to the Guild Office. Remembering what Mokoto had done to one of his underlings, I had a bad feeling about this.
HILROY
Let us get out of here.
I ordered, and we tore ourselves away from the gaggle of curious citizens. I led my party through a back road to avoid Cain and any issues he may cause. Mantis suddenly stopped and hung back.
HILROY
What?
I faced him.
MANTIS
We should go... watch.
He started with uncertainty.
HILROY
Watch?
He became solid in his decision and nodded firmly,
MANTIS
We should go see how strong they are. Cain and Mokoto.
HILROY
But that's dangerous.
MANTIS
Exactly. We're adventurers. Our profession is dangerous.
Panuka went to his side,
PANUKA
Yeah, we should go watch.
She chimed in matter-of-factly.
PANUKA
Besides, Biggs and Wedge still aren't even ready.
I raised my hands in defense, realizing they made a good point. Not to mention, I have rarely seen Mages as strong as Cain fight.
HILROY
Okay—fine, two against one.
Mantis and Panuka led the way with haste.
HILROY
Don't do anything rash or stupid when we get there!
I called out as I chased after them.
We arrived at the markets just as Cain and Motoko began to square off. I was amazed at how easily Cain tracked down Mokoto's whereabouts. I assumed Mokoto decided to take the market hostage and hoped Cain would refuse to fight. Made sense, several guards were standing by, and the place was packed with citizens.
Cain was confronting Mokoto and his party, and despite the number of citizens in the area, they were already dispersing as we arrived. We entered a sphere of heat, and I assumed this was the work of Cain.
As we covered ourselves in Willpower, I noticed a few other adventurers were scattered about the markets and watched closely. Guards rushed to stop the fight, but Cain raised his right arm and forced them back with flaming whips.
I observed curiously as Cain's fellow Blasters took to the air and left Cain alone. In response, Mokoto's party members backed away, allowing Mokoto to face him alone. Is he suicidal? Attempting to face Cain the Executioner alone!?
CAIN
You seem to have a death wish.
Cain snarled and nonchalantly fired off a beam of condensed flames from two extended fingers. The beam of fire fractured off Mokoto's Willpowered buckler and ripped into the ground—nearly carving through the fleeing guards.
Mokoto spun around the beam and Quickstepped into Cain, but his sword collided with an invisible mana ward. Cain took advantage of Mokoto's shock and punched him so firmly in the face that I felt the impact from where I stood.
Mokoto was sent tumbling along the stone pavement. To punch him like that, Cain, as a Mage, was attempting to humiliate Mokoto. But Mokoto stood back up and charged again, only to be defeated by Cain's mana ward and slapped around by Cain's physical dominance.
Mokoto continued to try, his face bruised and battered, his buckler broken, and bits of his armor torn away. Still, he charged in again, attempting to strike from below.
CAIN
Pathetic insect!
Cain spat as he brought the back of his fist down on Mokoto's face, cratering Mokoto's head into the stone pavement. My jaws clenched at the sight of Cain's physical prowess. For a Mage to be so physically strong, my stomach churned, and my body tensed with fear, for I couldn't imagine how strong Cain actually was.
Mokoto was still alive... He stirred a bit before lifting himself, blood oozing out his mouth. Cain drove his leg into Mokoto's abdomen, lifting his entire body into the air before striking him with enough power to send Mokoto's body through a stall and through the wooden walls of a store.
CAIN
How patronizing you are!
He shouted.
CAIN
To think a feeble adventurer such as yourself could take me on.
I winced, picturing myself in Mokoto's place—I would've been dead after the first few blows. And yet, Mokoto, covered in Willpower, bolted out of the ruined home at Cain.
Cain raised a finger, and a wave of heat ripped across the market, causing everything and anything flammable to combust into invisible flames. However, the only person to feel such heat was Mokoto, who fell mid-charge and squirmed in horrific pain. I watched him clench his jaws as he squirmed in silent pain.
I caught sight of the other adventurers, who were as shocked as me. Such control to spare every onlooker in the area. Now I understood why his name was known, why people would fear fighting a gent titled the Executioner. I felt my fear become somewhat of admiration for Cain.
A new height for me. Something that I wanted to achieve, but that feeling wavered and flickered away as I watched Cain form a solid scythe of condensed heat.
The stone ground beneath the heat was seemingly melting away, and if Mokoto had not been vainly covering himself in Willpower, he would've died the second Cain formed that weapon.
Cain brandished the scythe, and I knew all the while he held that scythe—he had precise control over the heat so that my party, the other onlooking adventurers, and myself would not be harmed.
CAIN
I am Cain, the Execution—
BEKA
Cain!
My head snapped to Beka, Keeper of the Guards, cladded head to toe in steel armor—each piece +1. At his side was Boradashire, one of the Captains of the Guards. I wasn't the least bit surprised to have recognized them. Stories of their heroic acts against a vampire named Lich reverberated throughout the city. Even Corotho's Eatery had detailed portraits of past notable guards and Chiefs.
BEKA
Lower that weapon!
Unlike most guards armed with swords and halberds, Beka wore steel bracers around his fist.
MANTIS
Pugilist bracers...
Mantis whispered in awe.
Cain eyed the two guards dismissively before altering the control of his heat to wash over them, noted by sparks of flames dancing off their armor.
BEKA
So be it.
Beka's armor exploded with a golden wave of Willpower before he vanished from sight only to reappear after striking Cain aside—Beka's fisted bracers shattered through Cain's ward and landed squarely on Cain's jaw.
Cain flew through the air but caught himself mid-air with an expulsion of flames. Cain's heat wave plaguing the market vanished as he glared back at Beka, who readied himself in a wide stance. Meanwhile, Mantis was nearly drooling as he leaned forward, hoping to watch Beka fight.
But to his dismay, Cain smiled and lowered himself down as a droplet of blood seeped out the corner of his mouth.
BEKA
You're going to have to come with us.
Cain eyed the badly beaten Mokoto before uttering,
CAIN
Fine.
As Cain was escorted out of the Market, Mokoto's party rushed toward him with laughter. I massage my temple, wondering how they could take this so lightly.
But one of his party members handed him a Health Potion. After gulping it down and recovering slightly, Mokoto crackled out a blend of laughter and pain.
MOKOTO
Holy gods! I almost died!
He grabbed his side in pain before laughing again. I soon caught myself smiling at their lightheartedness.
PANUKA
How are they laughing like that?
She mumbled.
HILROY
You were right again, Mantis—I guess they're used to it.
Mantis looked at me dumbfoundedly,
MANTIS
Wait, what?
PANUKA
Used to what? Almost dying?
HILROY
Their profession. Our profession. They are veteran adventurers, and they understand it's dangerous.