Before he could react, the woman rushed towards him and hoisted him up with ease. Kayd was shocked by her strength and nearly stumbled when he got up from the ground.

“Where am I? And who are you!?” Kayd looked around hastily, holding on to the handle of his blade, causing the woman to move back with her hand extended out.

“Calm down, I don’t wish to kill you.”

Kayd looked up and down the woman, trying to see if she had any other weapons, any tricks up her sleeve. But he saw nothing, just layers of cloth that could give his sword a challenge to slash

through.

The woman looked back at Kayd, noticing his unique clothes, changing into a curious expression.

“Your clothes don’t look familiar.” The woman remarked. Kayd remained silent.

“Mind telling me your name?” The woman asked again.

“Tell me yours first,” Kayd yelled back.

The woman switched to a more confident pose.

“Captain Ishmael, mercenary captain of a few subordinates. Well, none at the moment after a few…Mishaps.” The woman flashed a forced smile. But Kayd could see she was being genuine, with barely any signs of lying, and he calmed down.

“Kayd, disciple of Master Carwel.” Ishmael looked at Kayd with a confused expression, almost laughing as if Kayd had just spoken a bunch of random babbling.

The two looked at each other for a few more seconds, before a loud thud from nearby caught their attention.

“What the, Another one?” Ishmael muttered, taking out her weapon again.

Another one?

She approached the nearby bushes where the sound came from and thrust her hand into it. After a few moments, she grabbed hold of something and ripped it from the bush.

In her hand was a long grey robe with a feathery texture and some layers of clothes beneath. A bag loosely hung onto it, swinging side to side.

“What’s a pile of clothing doing here?” She wondered.

“Umm, please drop me.” A muffled groggy voice surprised the two as the robe had a wearer, simply hiding inside the layers of cloth. She dropped it in shock, causing a small squeal from the person inside hitting the dirt.

A young girl’s head popped out from the robe, looking at the two with a drowsy look, before suddenly turning wide-eyed and horrified.

“What the!? Who are you, people!?” The girl hurried back near the bush, grabbing a staff she dropped in the bush.

“Calm down,” The woman repeated the same words she already said to Kayd, but the girl remained skeptical and on edge, pointing the tip of her staff at the two.

“Don’t do anything funny, just because I’m a healer doesn’t mean I can’t burn the both of you!” The girl stuttered a few times while delivering her threat, but the sudden threat surprised Kayd.

Behind them, two more loud thuds caught their ears.

What is going on right now?!

Kayd questioned himself. He kept his eye on the girl, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Two people emerged from the shrubs opposite of them, a man and a woman. Their clothes were a stark contrast to each other.

The man wore plated armor with a cracked helmet and a set of decorated medals stuck to his chest along with a large cross. While the woman wore a sleek brown cloak, covered in a thick layer of leaves. Her chest was covered in different skulls, badges, and other small trinkets. A few familiar to Kayd.

“What is this place?” The man asked in a gruff tone.

“Beats me, hey your armor looks a tad bit interesting~” The woman responded in a smooth and mature voice.

The two looked at each other before quickly turning to Kayd and Ishmael. The man drew a longsword while the woman drew her bow.

She repeated the same words she said to Kayd and the girl earlier, trying to calm down the situation. At this point, Kayd had already memorized her entire response, word for word.

After a minute or two, tension died down and everyone sheathed their weapons.

“So, this is where the scroll brought me to.” The man crossed his arms and spoke in an emotionless tone. Everyone turned to him as if they had the exact same thought.

They all came here from the scrolls as well? Master Carwel said they were extremely rare, and how did they find them!? Kayd found himself with a wave of questions and not a single answer for any of them, he needed to calm down for a while and regain composure.

Kayd put his hands in his pockets, but he felt his hands touch something inside. It was a scrap of paper with writing on it. The others noticed him holding it, checking their own pockets. To their shock, they also had a similar paper.

Is this a message? He started to read it.

Welcome to the realm of Splendor

May you feel the pride of accomplishment, the lust of pursuing more, and the end of your envy! Only the truly ill-fated are sent here, and that includes you. A final chance of glory, and a final chance before damnation and eternal melancholy.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Just as his eyes read the final words on the paper, it burned brightly, quickly turning into ash, blown by the wind and becoming nothing.

The same happened to the others, finally getting an answer to where they were, and what was going on. A feeling of joy hit Kayd, realizing he had reached the place his master had reserved for him, and of the thought of accomplishing far more than his peers, and perhaps gaining far more than any disciple of the Snowblade clan.

I need to accomplish something here, no matter the cost. For myself and Master Carwel

His task was now clear to him.

“So that scroll wasn’t lying.” The man spoke again, this time speaking in a calmer tone.

“No kidding, here I thought I got scammed by that merchant.” The woman laughed, her face half obscured by a green hood.

The girl stood up, holding her staff with both hands, she was less afraid but still cautious of everything that was going on.

“So, this is the realm of sp-splendor…” She muttered. Ishmael turned to all of them, unsure of what was going on as well. After a minute, the awkwardness started to die down, and Ishmael could speak again.

“Well, since you people don’t look as confused anymore. My name is Ishmael, well one of you knows that already.” She took out her hatchet, bits of it were chipped off and even a small splotch of blood remained on the top.

“I am the captain of this mercenary company, and bear the title of pest eradicator and village savior.” She said proudly.

“Pest eradicator?” The woman chuckled to herself, amused by one of Ishmael’s titles. “Sorry, it just sounded over the top.”

“It may be an odd title, but it’s one earned through blood and fighting. Something I doubt you have done,” Ishmael responded in a sly tone.

The woman stepped back, disgusted at her response, stepping back in surprise at her reply.

“The titles I bear were gained through heavy action, and they do come with their perks. But apart from that,” She glanced at the people in front of her. “What are your names?”

“Ikari, lady of the forest. Wait that sounds kind of dumb and boring.” The huntress spoke first.

“Quellin, knight of the Ferrous Hands.” The gruff man responded with a slight bit of sadness, holding up his badge against the sun to make it shine. Kayd suddenly remembered the Ferrous Hands from a few books he read. A large empire with soldiers who care little of themselves and only seek to serve the king’s will.

So he came from my world as well? Are the others as well?

After both spoke, they turned to the girl who was still cowering in front of the bush. She stood up, still pointing her staff at everyone.

“My n-name is Lia, I’m just a l-low level mage that also does healing.” Her words were hasty, stuttering a few times before she finished.

Ishmael looked at all of them, taking in what she just heard.

“So all of you are not from this world.” She asked.

“You’re not?” Kayd responded, Ishmael turned to him. Ishmael simply turned to him with a confused expression, not able to take in the information she just heard and pausing for a minute, simply staring at the group before talking again, this time with a smile.

“Interesting titles, but judging by your appearances and the fact I have not heard anyone by those names, I suppose they mean nothing. Not to mention that this place houses so many threats.” Ishmael spoke, looking around at the forest surrounding them.

What’s the deal with titles here?

“If you join my mercenary company, I can give you people a place to live, and even use my titles to help survive here.” She finished. Kayd was unconvinced.

“What if we refuse? And shouldn’t a mercenary company already have more than a single crew member? What threats lay in this forest, I encountered many kinds before.” He spoke. Although she wasn’t hostile in his eyes and was kind to them ever since he met her, she was still suspicious.

Ishmael sighed, “Let’s just say that the threats here are…Very bad, and very numerous. As for my crew. That’s another story.” Just as she finished speaking, a bush started to rustle violently.

Everyone took out their weapons, looking at the source of the noise. Ikari though was not as alarmed, calmly taking out her bow and aiming at the bushes with an arrow ready.

A second later, she fired. A small shriek emanated from the bush and it stopped rustling.

“Horde rats…” Ishmael grimly muttered. Ikari slowly moved towards the bush to get her arrow back.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ishmael spoke.

“Relax, I know forests, and I believe whatever was alive there, isn’t anymore.” She grabbed the arrow and pulled it out of the bush. Stuck to it was a large rat, just about the same size as a dog.

“Damn, I thought I wiped out the horde rats months ago. If there’s one, there’s a hundred nearby. If you don’t want to get torn apart, join me.” Loud shrieks echoed through the forest, bringing fear to each of them.

“Given none of us seem to know this place at all, perhaps taking her offer is the best option,” Quellin explained. Kayd and Ikari remained hesitant.

“We’re in an unfamiliar place trusting some random person does not normally go well. Besides, they don’t seem that bad-” Ikari’s words were cut off as another large rat jumped towards her and latched onto her arm, clamping down and tearing away at it with voraciousness. She screamed in agony while trying to punch the creature off her.

Another one!?

On instinct, Kayd drew his sword and slashed the rat in half, quickly killing the thing. It let out a weak cry as it fell to the ground and Ikari gripped tightly to her bleeding arm.

“Perhaps Quellin is right, we are at a massive disadvantage right now, trusting Ishmael may be our best chance right now.” Kayd begrudgingly explained. Around them, high-pitched shrieks, most likely of the same rats they just saw, echoed throughout the forest.

“Still not convinced, most of them are probably just all bark and no bite.” Ikari rebutted.

From a nearby shrub, a small group of rats jumped out, quickly rushing towards them with large sharp teeth.

Before the rabid things could leap onto them, Ishmael rushed in, hacking at the vermin with great speed and accuracy, taking them down with single but powerful strikes. She looked back at the team, holding a blood-covered hatchet.

“Alright, maybe the deal isn’t so bad,” Ikari spoke.

“As long as I’m not near these things.” Lia quivered. They all turned to Ishmael, their minds settled, even if they didn’t trust Ishmael or even each other, it was better than seeing more of those large creatures.

“Get on the shell.” She climbed on top of the shell and into the small wooden structure, motioning for everyone to follow suit.

Higher ground? That’s it!?.

Once everyone got onto the structure, they felt the floor shake, and the shell started to rise. From inside the shell was a large crab living inside it.

“Move forth Pip!” Ishmael aimed her hatchet in front of her. As if it understood her words, the crab began scurrying forward, moving faster than Kayd expected, quickly fleeing the area they were once in.

After just a minute, the shrieks of the rats became faint until the ambiance of nature replaced it.