I woke up to the sound of light rain, covered in sweat and grime. The rain slowly flooter into the cave. I panted. Old memories haunted me during my sleep. I looked around, the dead silence of the night making me uncomfortable. Feeling a chill I noticed that the fire I had set up earlier had died out. Searching through the dark, I grabbed the nearest log from the pile I had collected earlier, only to realize that the rain water had made it damp.
I sighed as I moved deeper into a part of the cave that hadn’t been flooded. Humanoid faces occasionally giving me glances from the cave walls. As my eyes were slowly adapting to the darkness, I was greeted by small critters and insects lurking on the surfaces of the cave. Sitting down on a rock, I looked over what remained of the pile of firewood. Luckily, several branches would still be usable. After setting them in place, I pulled out of my coat pocket my glove, and proceeding to put it on,I moved my scarred fingers towards the branches. Snapping them yielded several sparks, lighting the dry wood. If need be I could use alchemy transmutation to compress the air, igniting it, which would allow me to create large amounts of fire. In this case only a small spark was needed to sustain me for the night. The small fire grew stronger, slowly spreading warmth across the cave walls. The sound of critters scuttling away set my mind at ease.
Tearing off a part of my cloak I set it down on the cold cave floor, resting on it to try and yield some amount of comfort. Relaxing my body I thought of my plans for the following day. My current location was close to a nearby town and I was hoping that perhaps I would be able to scour some work or find shelter to rest my weary body for a few days. But that's for tomorrow, and as the darkness slowly closed in, my body descended into a deep sleep.
The chirping of the birds woke me up. Dawn had broken and I could see the forest’s shadow from where I sat. Standing up, I grabbed the piece of cloth that I had rested on for the night. II took off my cloak and put the two together, channeling magic together to mend it. I felt the small strings between the cloak and cloth weave together like an intricate puzzle, reforming it as if it was new. Magic like this was easy, only requiring a bit of mana in order to perform. Looking good as new, I put over it my back and packed the small inventory, and I continued on my journey.
It was still early, so I looked towards the sun, looking for a sense of direction. I had to travel west, so I turned the opposite away towards the shadows of the forest, and began yet another arduous journey. The chirping of the birds and forest animals set my mind at ease, and drove away the loneliness that I had felt last night. Delving deeper into the trees for hours, I eventually reached what felt like the heart of the forest, a wide variety of animals peacefully resting under the cool shade. A massive tree resided in the center, stretching across the sky and overshadowing every other resident of the forest. Not wanting to disrespect the forest deities, I reached into my bag and took out flowers that I had scoured from an earlier journey. They were beginning to wilt but still had colour in them, so I buried them at the base of the tree. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a figure peek at me only to disappear as I turned my head. She had green hair, but that was all I could observe before she blurred and hid behind the branches. Saying nothing, I closed my eyes and wished for a good journey, and headed on. Turning around, the path that I had came from had been closed off by a wall of vines, and I drew out my sword, unsure of what this meant. But the vines had been moving around me, as if careful as not to touch me and directed me behind the massive tree and I spotted a new path that seemed to lead out of the forest. And out of the corner, I saw the same figure again, this time I was able to see her clearly before she slipped away. She was a creature of beauty, the color of a dazzling green, but when I saw her, I strangely felt some nostalgia, as if I knew her.
I sheath my sword. I had accidentally walked into a dryad’s lair, I presumed. But it was hard for me to believe that a dryad would be so careless to allow a human to accidentally walk into her home. But I decided not to think about it too much as I stood up once again, and headed towards the exit, curious to see where nature would take me.
The light at the end was extremely bright and I had to cover my eyes as I left the forest. As I walked out the artificial exit that had formed for me slowly returned to a wall of vines. In the far distance, I could see a town, and I sighed in relief as I got closer and closer. How convenient. I had no money, so it would be nice if I could get a job at a guild and then get going again.
I reached the outskirts of the town, the farmers giving me curious glances. I assumed that they didn’t get too many visitors around here, but that didn’t really matter. I continued my way towards the town, noticing that it was larger than your average town. There were many people walking around and about, some glancing at me while others moved out of my way. They definitely didn’t get too many mercenaries around these parts.
As I approached the town, I could see a large entrance with several guards. The gateway was moderately large, but unremarkable. The few guards got up as I approached. They wielded spears and shields on their backs, but nothing about them jumped out as dangerous to me.
“Where you from?” One of them asked.
“Faraway town, just passing through.”
“What you here for?”
I raised my cloak, revealing a dagger and sword underneath along with a set of other tools that I hid underneath. Nothing too dangerous or vibrant, just simple items.
“I’m just an adventurer.” I stared at him blankly.
He looked at me for a moment, as if deciding whether to let me in or not. In the end he went to the side, signaling me to get along. I took a step onto the old cobble path as I heard him speak from the side.
I started walking around, trying to see what the town had. I accidentally stumbled onto the market district, only to realize that I was just a tad bit hungry. It probably wouldn’t hurt to grab a bite with the few coins I had left. As I went around, I spotted a modest looking tavern. I pushed the doors inward as I entered, and the musty smell of rum and beer filled my nose immediately. I looked for an empty table, spotting one in the corner of the tavern. Someone walked towards me, he was a large tall man with slightly tannish skin. He had a small smile on his face as he got close.
“Hey ya, new around here?” he asked.
“Just got here, less than an hour,” I responded.
“Well, welcome to this small humble town. I hope the guards weren’t too rough with you, I swear they get too nervous around travellers. In any case, you want something to eat or drink?”
“Thank you, but I’ll only have some bread and soup, thank you very much”.
“Ait, young man I”ll get you what you need. Give me a holler if you need anything else.”
Strangely enough, the people of this town had been much nicer than the ones I met prior. Perhaps bigger towns were more accustomed to strangers?
Shortly after, a young girl walked over, placing a bowl of hot soup and some bread on my table. She placed her hands behind her back and smiled.
“Hello! Are you new here?” she asked excitedly.
“Yea.” I responded, I honestly just wanted to eat and get going.
She looked at me, as if carefully analyzing me while I ate. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for, it wasn’t as if I stood out from the other adventurers in the tavern. Eventually she looked at the weapons by my side.
“Can I touch them?” she pointed at my longsword.
“No.” I bit off a large chunk of bread as I replied. “Why?”
“I don’t know, I just want to try holding one!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“You should do what little girls like you normally do.” I responded, sipping a bit of the hot soup. It was nice and warm, and I wasn’t too bothered about the taste. Anything warm at this point was great honestly.
“Well, I don’t know what normal little girls do,” she puffed up her cheeks as if pouting.
“Aren’t you too young to be working here?”
“I’m twelve, I’m nearly an adult!” she crossed her arms. “And I'll have you know I want to become an adventurer too! My name is Alice!”
I chuckled. I’ll admit she’s amusing.
“Well, Alice, I hope you find fame and fortune.” I finished up the bowl of soup.
“Thanks mister, I’ve told you my name, so you should tell me yours too!” she smiled.
“Just call me Magnus.”
She was strangely cheerful and a very happy person. She clearly wasn’t bothered by people like me either, which I found rather peculiar. I suppose that working in a tavern had gotten her acquainted with a variety of people. We continued the small talk here and there.
“Oh yea, by the way, is there a guild where I might be able to find work?” I asked as I paid for the meal and stood up.
“There’s only one guild in this small town.” Alice began, skipping as she picked up the small bowl and plate on my table. She gave me directions and I said goodbye as I began to head out. As I turned around I heard running behind me and before I could reach the door Alice bumped into me. She held out a loaf of bread.
“It’s on the house, we haven’t had too many travelers come our way recently, it’s my way of saying come again!” she said cheerfully. I smiled, admiring that innocent and carefree smile that warmed me up a little bit. Then just for a brief moment, I saw a burning forest, a body in my arms, a dagger in her throat. My dagger.
I shook my head, trying to get a grip on myself.
“Well, thank you,” I placed the bread in my bag as I headed off towards the guild.
I left the tarven, strodding out under the glaring sun. It was a little past noon, so I rushed and followed Alice’s directions. It took me a while but I found myself in front of a large building with the words “Town Guild” inscribed on a sign next to it. Right next to it was a blacksmith and far off I could see a church. The church was a place of many memories for me, good and bad, it always bothered me whenever I went past one. I cleared my mind and first stopped at the blacksmith to check on my equipment. I entered into the shop, the smell of hot coal and steel immediately rushed at me, and the heat hit me harder than the sun rays did. A man hammered away at a sword at the anvil, turning around as I approached him.
“Newcomer, eh?” he grunted. “What do you want?”
“I need this sword sharpened and checked for repairs, and I need to borrow a grindstone.”
“Ait, place that sword on the table there, I’ll get working on it in a minute, the grindstone in the corner, help yourself, lad.”
I unsheath my sword and placed on the table, then walked over to the grindstone. I drew a broken sword out of its sheath. It was broken diagonally, but was still very sharp, sharper than most daggers. I carefully began sharpening it, making sure that it pointed upwards like a jagged edge.
The blacksmith came over as I began sharpening.
“What’re you carrying a broken weapon for, lad?.”
“It’s not a weapon,” I responded, “it’s an ornament.”
“It looks pretty, I’ll give yer that.”
“I suppose.”
I heard a sigh as he took my sword off the table and began looking at it.
“This sword is actually really well made, mind telling me how you landed yourself something of this quality?” he asked in admiration.
“Family ornament.” I replied.
There were no further questions, he seemed to have lost interest in me, thankfully. We continued in a deep awkward silence as the sound of hammering steel clung across the air.
An hour or so later, I picked up my blade and gave the blacksmith’s payment for his services. My had been polished to a bright gleam and my sword had been sharpened. Satisfied, I finally headed off towards the guild. I entered a lively and loud hall, filled with what seemed to be adventurers. I got the occasional glance but no one really bothered me. I strodded off to the billboard, checking up on what options I had for jobs. Quite a few posters were up there but not all of them paid very well. Basically I was limited to hunting a large troll that had been sighted recently or a griffin that had nested in the nearby mountains. I had an interest in both, but there weren’t too many details on the actual posters.
I looked around, spotting what looked like people working for the guild. They were dressed uniformly, in a simple white and green gown. I headed off to the reception, an elegant and young lady stood there as she helped other adventurers on their questions. I overheard several things but most particularly about how the troll had been sighted again a few days ago. As they wrapped up their conversation and the adventurer in front of me walked away, I approached the receptionist.
“I’d like to hear more about the troll and the griffin.” I asked before she could say anything. I really didn’t want to bother with the greetings and the typical formalities.
“I really suggest you get yourself a group before taking on these quests.” she was surprised by my bluntness and straightforwardness.
“I can do the troll on my own, I’ll find a group for the griffin later though.”
“Sir, I really suggest-?”
“It’s fine… I know what I’m doing,” I cut her off.
“It’s just a matter of formal procedure before we provide more information to newcomers. Do you have any letters or recommendations or signatures that tells us ur experience in this field of work?” she asked politely.
“Nope.”
“Umm….” she seemed uncertain as I walked away, not even bothering to listen to her finish. I put on my cloak, and just as quickly as I entered the town, I had to leave.
Shortly after, I found myself back outside of town, walking slowly in the mellow sunset. It was nice and warm. Sometimes I complained about not having a roof over my head, or how cold it is outside at night, but I truly enjoy the fresh and endearing wildlands compared over staying inside towns surrounded by drab gray walls. I had been in such a hurry to get to town, but wanted to leave nearly as fast as I got there. Dealing with people just wasn’t my forte, I typically stayed in an area as little as possible to get what I needed and then leave almost immediately afterwards. After a couple hours of walking, the sun began to set, meanwhile I was already deep in the forest where the troll had been sighted.
I wasn’t too concerned about food and water, I could just hunt for meat and drink from a clear lake. The sun set in the distance as I got closer and closer to the mountains, and I reached a clear area under a couple of trees that would protect me from the rain if needed. I gathered a couple branches together and started a small fire. I took out a chalk and began drawing in the surrounding bushes and thickets. I drew a series of small magic circles, leaving a tip of my mana in them so that anything that treated nearby or on them would immediately alert me. I left enough so that anything that wasn’t looking for it would almost certainly touch one by accident. Returning to the smaller clearing, I found a comfortable position to sleep in and closed my eyes. I kept an eye out, but nothing to note. If there was a troll, it would try to find me. I sat around, patiently waiting for something to happen. I allowed myself to get some sleep, closing my eyes and sleeping to the sound of crickets.
I woke up suddenly. Something had triggered the traps. It was too small to be a goblin or a wolf, it was something far larger. Trolls were large brutes that only moves at night because if exposed to sunlight, they would turn into stone. They were large bulky creatures that lack intelligence, but their study hide and great vigor compensates for their lack of battle tactics. I took out my dagger and lurked into the nearby bushes but left my cloak under a tree so that my scent would disperse. I heard branches and leaves break nearby, and on the other side of the clearing, a large troll emerged from the shadows. I was used to looking in the dark, so I could make out a massive bone club that it was carrying, probably crafted from the bones of a carcass it found. Facing it head on was unnecessary but I hadn’t prepared any other traps, so I would have to use magic and steel in order to take it down. I looked through my bag to take out a few vials of gunpowder. I went around the troll, slowly making sure that I didn’t make a single sound or accidentally step on a twig. While I went around it, the troll had approached my cape and began looking around for me. I wanted in position, ready to leap out when I felt like the moment was right. Minutes passed, and after lying in wait, I saw an opportunity to initiate.
Now.
I swiftly and silently dashed out of the bushes and went straight for the troll’s back. I launched straight up into the air, leaping on the troll’s back and impaling it’s shoulder with my dagger. The tough hide grabbed onto my dagger but my dagger was exceptionally sharp, so I had ease pulling it out and stabbing it once again. It roared in pain and started moving in a frenzy to shake me off, but I held on tight, stabbing it multiple times until I felt my grasp loosening and I let go of my dagger, leaving it in its shoulder. I hung on and grabbed even more vials of gunpowder with my now free hand, throwing it in the general direction of its face. As it was confused by the dust, I let go and dropped off, landing with a heavy thud while my boots dug into the ground. The troll stuttered in surprise and began trying to get into position for combat, but before it could do anything I put on my gloves and began compressing a large amount of air. Then I ignited it, creating a line of flame like a very weak incineration spell, igniting the gunpowder that I had spread on the troll earlier and blowing up it’s face. It recoiled in pain as I proceeded to take out my sword for the finishing blow. It rolled around in an attempt to pick itself up but as I got closer it suddenly twisted around and I saw its arm as it slammed me into the nearby trees. I spat out blood in pain as it had used all of its strength in hopes that it would catch me, and unfortunately for me it hit. I was getting sloppy and lazy. Disappointed in myself, I took a second to look at my situation.
A few ribs broken, punctured lung and perhaps broken hand. I picked up my sword, I had to finish this quickly. I held the sword and positioned myself as if I was holding a bow. For a second, mana flowed from every part of my body. My sword flared in black dust and a stem of black tendrils wrapped around me, taking the form of a bow. The troll had noticed me and began charging at me. I released the bow, launching the sword coated in black straight into the chest of the troll, being careful not to damage the face too much, instantly piercing it and it continued for a hundred meters or so, destroying trees and rocks, causing a commotion until silence came a few moments later. The troll collapsed onto its knees, smoke coming out of it from the fire spell I had used and blood splattered from the gaping hole that I had just ripped into it. I began walking towards it, only to fall over, realizing I needed to take care of myself first. I took out a few potions and had a breather, slowly gasping for air as I felt the pain fade away and rested. Half an hour or so passed as the sun slowly but surely rose over the horizon. I stretched and felt some pain. I would have to be patched up by a doctor later, but I’d be fine for now. I felt some of my other magic circles go off. Dammit, I had let my guard down. This time, smaller creatures, maybe wolves that were attracted to the troll’s corpse?
I picked myself up, heading over to the troll. I didn’t have time to fetch my sword, so I pulled out the dagger from the troll and braced myself. Out of the bushes and thickets, a dozen or so goblins came up, each and every one carrying a dagger or a sword. Dammit, they had me completely surrounded. They would watch for a little bit because I was completely surrounded, and then attack when they see that there’s nothing but a dead troll and an injured human in the middle. I began to lose my grip on reality, a slow but pitch black darkness began to take over the corner of my eyes. As I heard their steps slowly get closer, my conscious slipped away, leaving me temporarily as a hollow husk. However, as quick as my conscious had slipped away, something else took its place.
It was lonely down here. I sat upon my throne in pitch black darkness, waiting. For so long, he had been unable to use magic. I had been forced into a deep slumber, waiting for the both of us to recover so that he may fight once again. Even now, he and I were separated. For a split second, I woke up and saw something through his eyes. Just for a second, I saw the world again, in all its color and splendors. As the goblins heads rolled and I crushed their skulls while I danced through their mindless swings, I saw only the beautiful sun as it rose up and the crimson stained grass that I stood upon, the ethereal rays of light that grazed Magnus’s body. But I knew that he wasn’t ready, that his body was still broken. As heads rolled and the field flooded red, I felt my conscious slip, and I fell back into the depths of his mind, returning to my patient wait.
I gasped for air, the runes etched onto my arms and body painfully pulsating and burning me all over. My knees were deep in blood, completely soaked in red. Magic took too much of a toll on my body at the moment. I tried my best not to use it, but this was one of the rare occasions where I had to resort to using it. The wounds on my body began to heal at an unnatural pace, and I felt the pain go away shortly after.
The runes began to stop glowing. I often relied on my swordplay to get me through situations, but I was careless and sloppy this time. I stepped up and walked over to the mess I had made. Around twenty or so goblins laid dead, surrounding the corpse of a large troll. My dagger was still etched into the head of one of the goblins, I picked it up and used it to carve the head of the troll, slicing it off cleanly. My cloak was completely destroyed, it would be better if I would just buy another. I used whatever was left of it to wrap up the troll’s head, preparing to head back. I wouldn’t be able to carry all these goblins back to town anyways.
I hauled myself out of the field, trying to track where I had entered the forest from. I was slightly lost at first, but I felt my intuition told me that I was going the right way. Luckily enough, I stumbled upon a rather large lake while I was finding my way out. I took the time to bathe, removing the dirt and sediment in my white shirt. The bloodstains left my body, and everything flowed into the water. I sat in the cold water, my body taking a moment to cool down. My blood had been feeling pretty warm, but as I got out and waited for my clothes to dry off, I felt my body temperature going back to normal.
On my way back, I finished the rest of the bread that Alice had given me and the water that I had reserved. It was a bit mushy from being tossed around, but very much still edible. It was then that I realized my leather armor was mostly destroyed, probably from when the troll had slammed me against that tree. I ripped the rest of it off, I would need to get another set of armor as well. I almost always choose leather because it provided me good mobility but didn’t completely compromise my defense, but this time I might opt for something a little bit heavier. I looked at my body, realizing that almost all of the pain had faded. That was strange.
Birds flew across the clear blue skies, and the troll head bouncing off my back kept me company as I walked back to town sluggishly.
I arrived before noon, the town was the same as yesterday. People continued on with their lives, and I slowly walked towards the guild while the troll’s head bobbed against my back. As I entered, some people turned to me in surprise. They probably weren’t expecting to see me return so quickly - or at all.
The same girl was at the reception. She wasn’t talking with anyone, but sorting out papers in the back. As I got closer she looked up.
She looked stunned, surprised to see that I was back. I waited, breathing slowly as she continued staring. I wasn’t sure what to say.
It was a second before she realized who I was.
“I’m here to collect my reward,” I stated to the receptionist. “I have the monster head with me here.”
“Um… you didn’t have to bring the actual head with you. After you finish a hunt you just have to tell us where you found the carcass. The guild will then examine whether the job was completed or not.” she seemed slightly confused.
“Well, that’s nor how we did things where we were from.” I yawned, waiting for her to get me my money. “Oh, in that case you should also find the carcass of several goblins near the troll as well,” I gave them a general idea of where I had been, but I couldn’t specify that much because I wasn’t too familiar with the terrain.
“Well um… we’ll send somebody, but right now we could take a look at that… thing you brought with you.” she seemed hesitant to touch the sack.
“Sure, where should I leave it?”
“If you would please, follow me for a moment,” she stood up and went around, exiting her small booth. I followed her, walking down the hallway to the back. The door swung open, people of all sorts moving about. However, the most interesting thing was the multitude of dead creatures that were in the large open area. Monsters of all sorts and sizes were being dissected and analyzed, and I assumed that they would want to take a look at the troll as well.
“You can leave it here,” the girl pointed at a corner free of anything. I did as I was told.
We returned to the reception immediately as she told me to take a seat and wait.
And so I did.
Shortly after, she returned with two people by her side. Great, as if I wanted to meet more people. She said something, I didn’t really try to listen. Of the two people she brought along, one of them had a muscular build. I could see that by the way he carried himself that he was someone important as well. I could be overreading the situation, but whatever.
“Hello, I hear you’re our valued adventurer.” he spoke as soon as he got close.
“If that’s what you’re calling me, then I suppose so.”
“Where are my manners, my name is Charles, I’m one of the residents of this town, the receptionist here is Clara and this here is Isabelle,” he directed to the other woman that Clara had brought with her.
I looked at them blankly. “Ugh, could you just give me my reward? I need to get going.”
Clara, the receptionist handed me a rather large pouch of gold. I wasn’t aware of how much I was getting paid, however I was surprised by the amount. “This is the payment for the troll, but we have more to discuss with you.”
Charles continued, “We’ve been lacking skilled adventurers like you and with the recent surge in the number of monsters in the local area, we’d like you to stay for a little bit.”
“No, I refuse. May I leave now?” I asked as I grew impatient.
Isabella cut in, “Don’t you want to help the people in this town? Isn’t that why people like you exist? To help those that can’t fend for themselves?”
“Not my problem,” I answered sourly.
“Yes, that is entirely your decision as to why you fight but hear us out. We’re willing to offer you a room for yourself among other benefits. We really need the help right now, so we’re willing to offer you even more if you’re willing to stay,” offered Charles.
I thought about it a little bit. If I got more money here then I wouldn’t have to hunt in other villages. Plus, there was that griffin that had been sighted. Might as well I thought.
“I’ll take it,” I responded without thinking too much about it.
“Thank you” responded Charles, “to show our appreciation the blacksmith Aaron will be making a new set of armor for you to replace your current tattered one, it’ll be on us so please feel free to ask from him what you need. I must get going, thank you very much for your work.”
He took off, leaving me with Clara and Isabella.
Clara put out her hand, “Like he said, my name is Clara and starting from today I’ll be giving you requests, feel free to ask me anything in case you need something,” she said cheerfully, completely different from how she treated me before.
I shook her hand.
Isabella, on the other hand, looked at me and said, “You really don’t look that outstanding to me at all.”
She moved around me as if studying a creature.
“Your physique isn’t that special, you don’t look too much like a mage either, how did you take down that troll?” she inquired as she looked at my back.
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“Perhaps it’s a bit rude to ask questions of someone else before you introduce yourself?” I asked sharply.
“Isabella, paladin and priestess of the church, there really isn’t much else to say” she responded dryly.
“Perhaps I would feel more comfortable talking to you if you weren’t looking at me like I was some wild animal.” I responded as I took off with the bag of gold.
“Wai-”
Isabella’s voice was cut off as I left and closed the door behind me, making a beeline for the blacksmith. I did not want to associate myself with a member of the church, I had no time for that crap. I entered the blacksmith’s shop once again, Aaron, was it? He was yet again sitting besides his anvil and hammering away at what looked to be an axe. He noticed me and turned around.
“Aye, yer back boy?” he asked looking at me, twitching his eyebrows. “The hell happened to yer clothes?”
“Long story, I need a new set of armor. What can you do for me?” I asked in response.
“We got leather, chainmail, mixed, plating and heavy steel.” he responded, looking away and returning back to hammering away at his tool.
“I want chainmail, give me something that makes it easy for me to move around in. I don’t want anything that limits my movement or dexterity.” I said, placing a couple of gold coins onto the table.
Aaron turned around and looked at me. “Seems like you’ll be frequenting my shop often, we should acquaint ourselves. Name’s Aaron, I’m a dwarf.”
I was surprised. I’ve seen plenty of dwarves, but he seemed almost human. He wasn’t too short, but rather well-rounded.
“Not from around here, eh?” he asked with a chuckle, as if sensing my surprise. “Around these parts, dwarfs are nearly as tall as humans, they’re pretty hard to distinguish from your average human.”
Our conversation was cut short by the door opening, revealing an irritated Isabella standing outside pouting.
“In the name of god, why was I assigned to you?” she asked as she trampled over to me and grabbed me by the arm. I quickly shook her hand away, indirectly warning her that I don’t like to be touched. “Okay, I just need to give you the keys to your room and take you there. I’m not going to do anything to you.”
I sighed, irritated.
Aaron shouted behind me. “Oi, take your lovers quarrel elsewhere. I have work to do here. Young man, your chainmail will be done in a week, just lemme take your measurements now.”
Isabella muttered something under her breath, I ignored her and went over, waiting for Aaron to take my measurements.
“What’s yer name, boy” he asked as he came over with tape measure.
“Magnus,” I responded with no real emotion.
“No last name?” Aaron asked.
“Not one you’ll recognize” I responded.
“Fair enough, lad,”
He finished taking the measurements and signaled us to get out of his shop now before continuing our earlier conversation.
Upon leaving, she immediately came in front of me, jutting out her hand and giving me a key.
“I’m taking you to your room, then I’ll get going, don’t worry.”
“Okay” I responded.
She started walking in the direction of the church, making me immediately uncomfortable. The cries of children and merchants filled the awkward silence and accompanied our short walk to a building in front of what looked like a church cathedral. My room was directly opposite of it, a decent looking three story building that didn’t jump out at me. It was just a nice house.
“Your room is on the third floor, there’s only one room up there. Feel free to use it as you see fit. There’s probably a change of clothes for you up there.
“Alright, thanks. By the way… you don’t trust me don’t you?”
She flinched. “What?”
“It’s correct of you to be suspicious, but you don’t have to worry about me causing trouble.”
“But I never said anything about that,” she responded coldly, “what makes you think we’re keeping an eye on you.”
“The room’s right in front of the church. You don’t trust me, do you? Considering all that, you’re giving me a free room, but it’s located right in front of the church. You’re right to be cautious, but I won’t be staying long. You won’t have to worry about me doing anything here either.”
She took another long look at me, unsure of what she should do.
“Fine,” she finally responded, “but anything shady and you’ll have the whole town guards banging on your door.”
“Fine by me, I’ll be seeing you later then” I responded as I opened the door and walked up the stairs.
Finally, some peace and quiet. Walking up to the third floor, I opened the door with the keys I was given, and walked into a very comfortable looking room. A desk and a bookcase rested in one corner, a small mirror stood on the table with a very comfortable looking bed with clothes placed on it resided opposite of where the door was located. I passed by the bathroom while I had come up, so I guessed we had a shared bathroom. I sighed and sat down on the bed, unpacking what few things I had. I had a couple books in my bag, some were crushed or torn from my battle earlier, I would have left them somewhere safe like here if I could have. I looked out of the window, seeing Isabella walk into the church right across the road. I began to get comfortable in this room.
Sigh, it had been a long day. Things were going better than I thought. I haven’t been chased out of town yet. What a normal experience…
I looked outside the window. The sun wasn’t going down anytime soon, I still had a couple hours before night came. I decided to look around town first, perhaps see if there were any interesting people or buildings. I also needed to find a shaman or a witch, for certain reasons. But not all towns welcome sorcery, I would have to pry a little bit to see if any were in hiding here. To start off I returned off to the guild to ask, perhaps Clara or some members of the guild would be able to help me. Upon entering, more adventurers turned towards me. I saw admiration and respect in some while I saw scorn and envy from others. Perhaps I’ve already attracted too much attention I thought to myself as I proceeded to the reception. Clara was still there, talking to a couple other receptionists over work. I waited for them to finish, but Clara noticed that I was waiting for her and told the others to continue their conversation later. The other two nervously looked at me and went off their own ways, while Clara waved at me and signaled me that she would have time for me now.
“Hi! Welcome back… I don’t believe you’ve introduced yourself to me yet” she started off.
“Magnus, just Magnus” I responded.
“Well then Magnus, I hear that it’s your first time in town and maybe I was wondering if you perhaps might need help around town?” she inquired with a playful smile.
I smiled in response to her kindness, something that I rarely see given to me. “Actually, yes, I was looking for someone skilled in any kind of magic, be it sorcery, pyromancy, cryomancy or foreign magic. I really need their insight on something.”
“Hmm… wizards and witches tend to stay only for a little while before they leave. We don’t shun or drive away mages like some towns do but some don’t take too kindly to their kind. They mostly respect this and tend to leave after they’ve conducted business. I believe one witch is still in town though, you might want to check the herbalist, she’s known to hang around there a lot.”
“Thank you, I appreciate your guidance” I smiled as I turned to leave, but before I took another step she asked another question.
“Are you perhaps free tonight?”
I turned my head and wondered if there was something else she needed. “I actually am, do you need me for something?”
“Not so much need you for something, I was wondering if you would like to join me and my friends for dinner at the local tavern. We’d like to know you better and hope some mead and ale will help break the ice.” she responded with that same playful smile.
I thought about it. “Thank you, I’ll be taking you up on that offer” I responded. “May I know which tavern you are referring to?”
“Don’t worry about it, come back here after you’ve done business with your witch, me and my colleagues will be waiting here, we’ll go there together.”
“All right then, I’ll be seeing you soon.”
I left the guild and proceeded to find this witch. I asked around about a floral shop or an herbalist, and the directions I received guided me towards another part of town. I arrived at the market district, where shops and even more merchants lined up the streets, free for barter and trade. I went into an alley, and one of the shops lined up by the side stood out to me.
The White Daisy
Looked like another normal floral shop to me, but all the directions led me here. I walked in, to be surrounded by the strong smell of herbs and spices. Flowers of all colors and kinds lined up on the sides, some moving while some remained at rest. I recognized many of them, most of which I spotted on my travels. If needed, I would be able to come here for alchemical wares.
*cough*cough* A redhead stood at the counter, presumably the shop owner. She had beautiful elongated red hair, tied together in small braids and the tips slightly curled. She wore a black and white gown, looking like an old fashioned lady. She had quite the eccentric and fun getup.
“Hey there, I was directed here that there would be a witch around here.”
She looked at me from head to toe.
“How’d you find me?”
“The guild referred to me here.”
“You an adventurer?”
“Sort of.”
“Fine then. What do you want.”
“I have something that would greatly intrigue her, I just need her to take a look at it and see if there’s something that could be done about it.”
“Show me” she grunted.
“I’m not quite sure someon-”
“Show me” she cut me off.
I saw that there was no arguing with her and I took off my shirt. The long sleeves kept my runes hidden, thankfully or else I would have had trouble concealing them from everyone.
She gasped as I revealed the dozens of runes that had been carved onto my skin. Dozens lined up across my right arm in circles, and even more travelled around my torso and chest, all in the color of a very dense black.
“Where’s the witch?” I asked.
“You’re looking at her.” she responded, leaping over the table and running towards me. “These aren’t runes of might or strength, these are carved in the demon tongue. Demon magic, what did you do to yourself?” she asked excitedly.
“You’re a witch?” I was surprised. She definitely seemed like the eccentric one, but she didn’t give off the aura of a witch or mage. She ignored me as she went around my body, uncertain of exactly what she was looking at.
“This is interesting, we’ll take this elsewhere. Come here.” She went back around the counter and opened a trapdoor down into what seemed like the cellar. I looked down, it looked like a normal cellar to me. I slowly went down the narrow wooden ladder, looking around to see if there was anything in there. There actually was nothing. It was just a plain empty wooden room. But I saw traces of magic in the corners, meaning that this room was secured by her. “I put seals up on the walls and doors. Anyone that I feel threatened will know what it feels like to have their skin burnt off.” she said.
“A bit overkill for a flower shop” I responded jokingly.
“Eh, never used it. Nobody thinks that there’s anything worth stealing from a flower shop. Now turn around.”
I turned, having my back face her. She continued looking around for a few more minutes, sometimes touching and sometimes coming in from a closer look.
“Are you done?” It had been a while. If she didn’t have anything to offer me then my presence here was pointless.
“More or less.” She took a step back, resting her chin on her hand.
“And?”
“It’s a curse in the form of runes. It’s not just any curse though, I’d recognize it if it were. This is written in a different script, something that isn’t human, elvish, dwarven or anything I’d recognize.”
“Great, anything actually useful?”
“Like I said, I don’t recognize any of these things on you. But this is certainly interesting.”
I remained silent, as she continued rambling. Hopefully she might be able to recall something that might actually be able to help me.
“What do you want me to do though?”
“I want you to remove this curse”
“Why?”
“Um, because it's a curse?” I answered sarcastically.
“Still, this is something extraordinary. Do you know what some mages are willing to do to study something like this?”
“That’s not the situation here though. Are you going to help me or not?” I was slightly annoyed, but still wanted her help.
She sighed, tilting her head. “I might be able to come up with something in a little bit. But it will take some time to dig up the books. It’ll be a couple of days at most.
“Fair enough, mind if I take my leave now? I think our business is done.” I didn’t really wait for a response, I proceeded to put on my shirt.
“Wait, give me your name.”
“Magnus.”
“Family name?”
“You won’t recognize it.”
“My name is Eve Lovelace, come again, I’d be willing to give you potions and herbs if you allow me to study you further.”
“I suppose that isn’t a bad deal,'' I responded right before I climbed back up and heard an excited squeal from below. I wasn’t wrong about her being eccentric. Then I heard another question coming from down below.
“What kind of magic do you use?”
“I’m not very good at magic.” I shouted towards the cellar. “I’d rather stick to sword and steel.”
“Yet you have the composure and feeling of someone that’s rather experienced in magic.”
“Haven’t been able to use it in a while.”
“Does it have something to do with the runes?”
“I don’t know.”
“I suppose that’s my job to find out.” she sounded very intrigued.
Magic in this world came in all shapes in forms. In most cases they come in the form of normal elements, such as fire, water, wind and earth. A person’s magic manifests at a certain age or is triggered by very specific events. It ranges from basic elemental control to those that have become entwined with the elements that they are able to manipulate the environment. Because of how boundless and unlimited magic is, the most powerful mages were known to have created magic of their own, undefined by shape nor form.
I left The White Daisy, and headed back for the guild. Night would come soon shortly, I believed that I would make it in time for when Clara would get off work. I slowly strolled around town, taking in the scenery and observing where I would reside for now. The town was very rustic and simple, buildings were constructed from a mixture of wooden and brick materials, red roof tiles created simple but elegant rooftops, creating an image where everything was appealing to the eye. The town itself was much larger than I had imagined.
By the time I had reached the guild, the sun was nearly set. I went inside and took a seat, waiting for Clara. I saw her talking to adventurers and helping them with whatever they needed. I took out a book I had been reading earlier, Intermediate Herbalogy, and continued reading. I was terrible at making potions, however I had a keen eye for spotting useful plants or other natural resources. I became lost in thought after a few minutes, and in what felt like minutes Clara came over and tapped me on the shoulders.
“Quite the scholar, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Kind of,” I closed my book shut. “Are you done with work now?”
“Yes, I’m waiting for three of my colleagues, give me a moment.”
She went straight into the back of the reception, coming out a few moments later with three other people. All three were female. I wonder what it was with female receptionists these days, but I wasn’t too bothered about it.
The three looked nervously at me, probably because I was a stranger, which also made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to stick around if they didn’t feel comfortable having me around.
“This here is Melinda,” Clara said pointing at one of the girls. I waved at her and tried my best to smile.
“Over here is Rose,” Clara directed my attention at the girl in the middle, a human this time. She had brown eyes and fair pale skin, and was slightly shorter than Melinda. She carried a book and seemed to be a very shy person.
“And finally this is Rachel,” Clara pointed at the third girl on the right. That was when I noticed that her eyes were different compared to the others. It gave off something different, I wasn’t sure what.. She wore a green cap that matched her uniform and had emerald green eyes that seemed to give off a slight glow, but one thing to note that the way she looked at me felt somewhat hostile.
I greeted them and shook their hands, including Rachel which I was surprised by. I still had no idea what I had done, but I guess there was no point in dwelling over it. I followed their lead as they took me outside and began walking towards their tavern. We made small talk along the way, but Rachel kept silent. When we arrived, I realized that it was the same tavern where Alice worked at. I looked for a name, because I didn’t think I would have returned here.
The Hearth
A fitting name for a good pub. We walked inside, the tavern was busier than before, probably because it was night. I saw the bartender and Alice running around and serving customers. We took our seats at one of the tables in the middle, and as we sat down I heard some people whispering about us.
“Pst, look it’s that new guy. Heard he took down a troll single-handedly.”
“Pff, no way. Looks like another scrawny kid.”
“Heh, probably stole the kill from another party.”
“Look, he’s with reception girls”
We ordered an apple pie and some other dishes, and settled down to make ourselves comfortable. Up until now, I still hadn’t heard Rachel’s voice at all.
Clara broke the ice by asking questions.
“Hey Magnus, where exactly are you from?”
“I’m from the South, travelled a long way here from my hometown,” I answered.
“The South?” asked Rose, “How has the South been doing since the civil war?”
We continued with questions here and there about each other. I learned that Melinda, Clara, and Rose were childhood friends. They grew up together, and wanted to be adventurers. As they grew up they met Rachel, the details they left out by them. And later on, they gave up on this dream because they didn’t find risking their lives to kill monsters and hunting for treasure as feasible as they did when they were kids. And so eventually they landed a job at the guilds, the second best thing. They interacted and helped with adventurers with a variety of jobs. We made small talk and introductions, nothing too special. I tried to be courteous but I my personality made it difficult to talk with them too much. However the meal was enjoyable and the company wasn’t bad at all.
“Oh Magnus it’s you!” I heard a cry behind me. I turned around, and there was Alice.
“Hey there, nice to see you again.” I smiled.
“Hehe, you came back!” she responded cheerfully. “How do you do?”
Kids, I thought. So carefree and innocent. It seemed that Alice knew of Clara and the others, but never got too acquainted. They did a short introduction with each other.
I smiled, “We’re doing great, here these are my friends from the guild, and this is Alice, she works here.”
She stayed with us for a little bit as Clara and others fawned over her, something I found strange about the way women interacted with each other. They seemed so close even though they knew so little about each other.
It was at this point I noticed that Rachel had completely disappeared. I decided not to bring it up since the others acted as if this was normal. We chatted for a little bit longer, and after paying for our food we went outside. Alice had offered to take me sightseeing around town the day afterwards and I accepted. I felt like I had time to kill.
“Thanks for your time, I’ll be seeing you later then,” I smiled.
“Yes, hopefully you’ll be taking more quests at the guild soon,” responded Clara.
We said our farewells and went our own ways from there on. I waved at them as we went our separate ways. It had become chilly and the streets were empty now, leaving a desolate and empty feeling. But yet I welcomed the silence warmly and enjoyed the sincerity and peace that would pass as morning came. I began walking in the direction of my new home, remembering small details to help me navigate town. So far nothing much of interest had caught my eye. A few minutes of walking later, I spotted a familiar sight in the far distance.
Rachel
She was surrounded by six or so larger people, but as always, her face remained calm and emotionless like an automation. I approached them, close enough that I could hear their conversation.
“Your father wants you back,” one of them growled. “Come with us and there won’t be any trouble.”
“What if I say no?” she poked back.
“He said to bring you back in one piece and alive, but not unhurt.” I heard the drawing of knives around the corner.
In the darkness, I saw one of them reach out in attempt to grab Rachel’s arm. She grabbed his arm and twisted it around as he recoiled and flinched backwards. A few of them took out shivs and begun circling her. Scenes like this were far too familiar for me. Six targets, none of them aware of me. Some were scrawny, two of them were bulky. I could easily disoriented one of them and initiate with a surprise attack. These guys looked like your typical thug anyways. I lightly dashed towards the largest one, ensuring that I made no sound until I reached to him and grabbed him by the back of his neck, slamming the back of his head and knocking him out. He gave out a short grunt before he fell down onto the floor. One down. I lunged towards another, kicking the back of his knee to make him drop down and swung my foot in his face, sending him flying. He grunted as he landed a few meters away, remaining at rest for a while. Immediately after I went to the adjacent thug, twisting his arm around and fracturing his arm with my knee. He let out a loud cry, grabbing his arm as he went down. Three down. I turned to continue on my attack only for a dagger to fly across next to my face. It narrowly missed me as I tilted my head, only for a leg flew up from below, trying to strike my face. I leaned backwards quickly, narrowly avoiding the kick. Rachel held a dagger, closing the gap between us and using both of her hands to stab me. I grabbed her arms, preventing the dagger from getting any closer. For a moment, we were locked in combat while I was confused as to what exactly was going on. I threw her hands up, the dagger flying across the air. She blackflipped back, landing on her feet without making a single sound. Looking over, the other three were flat down on the ground. The only one standing was Rachel, in her simple gown, glaring straight at me.
I heard shouting as I saw one of them run away, I couldn’t see his face in the dark. The rest followed suit, scattering like flies. I turned towards Rachael, who still maintained that very same poker face.
We stared at each other momentarily before I broke the silence.“Who and what are you?” I growled.
She sighed, taking off her cap, revealing two elongated and pointy ears.
“You’re an elf,” I stated the obvious. Elves had the unique ability to see the mana flow of nearly all living creatures. They were the race most gifted in the arcane arts, and knowing that, I was no longer surprised by the hostility that she had exerted towards me.
“What are you?” she said. Her eyes were cold and stormy, but what I disliked was the way she looked at me.
As if she could see me for what I truly was.
“I’m very much a human.” I responded coldly, “And I have every intention of staying this way.”
“I’ve only seen mana like this once before. It’s not human, it’s not normal. Isn’t that right, demon?”
The way she phrased the word demon was heavy and aggressive, as if she was disgusted.
“What I do with myself is none of your business, elf.”
“You’re a dangerous threat… whatever you are.”
“I’m human, I can assure you that.”
“Lies.”
“How rude of you to assume I’m lying.”
“I can tell… these eyes tell me everything.”
“And you presume everything on the basis of only what you can see. How egocentric.”
“It doesn’t matter what I see. You yourself should know that power comes at a cost. People like you… in a grab for power, you forget that in your short lives, you do nothing but bring harm to others and leave the world worse off than you found it,” there was a lot of spite behind her words. As if she knew. As if she understood all the pain, all the blood that I had given to the world.
She knew nothing.
“What do you know about me?” I shouted. I walked closer to her, as she stumbled back. “Why do you think I made this choice? Because I wanted to be like this? Because I desired power? Let me tell you, inconsistencies and failures in life are only a result of your own incompetence.” I slammed her against the wall, catching her off guard with my speed. I could see just a bit of fear in her eyes as she realized that with one swift motion I could slice her head right off her shoulders. I pushed her hand against the wall, whispering.
“The world is a cruel and terrible place. It pushes you into a corner after taking everything from you. And when you feel like the end is coming and that you will never see the light of day again, it isn’t the gods or divine that reach out to you to offer you salvation. If there is a god, he would rather spectate and watch as you die. It turns out that it the darkness and the shadows that reach out to you instead, and when the choice is between praying or giving up your humanity, it isn’t much of a choice.” I raised my arm, her eyes still staring at me.
“Men don’t fear swords… magic… or the gods. They don’t fear humans, why would they? Sometimes to inspire fear… to inspire order… the world just needs a monster.”
The cold night warped around us, and the silence took over our conversation. It was only then that I realized that my voice was shaky. Memories flashed across my mind, my hands trembling. I really wasn’t angry. I was just reminded of my own sadness.
Humans couldn’t see mana, the different colors and the different feelings that it gave off. Elves could, which is one of the ways that they used to decide whether someone was a threat or not. When Rachel first met Magnus, every droplet of mana inside of him was pitch black, like the color of coal. That was when she had decided that Magnus was a threat, there was a certain darkness inside of him that only felt insidious. Yet now, the color of Magnus’s mana was no longer black. It had turned a grayish white, like his body had completely changed in a matter of seconds, and was slowly fading into a peaceful white, a color devoid of any emotion. And with this Rachel was no longer scared or fearful or what she was looking at, because in that instance she knew that the being that she had accused of being a monster was only one because the world had made him that way.
“What happened to you?” her slow and gentle voice rippled across the cold night air.
We looked into each other’s eyes. But this time the look on her face was different. It was… different. Gentler. It looked like she was worried. I did nothing but stare, lost in thought. .
“Why do you look so lonely now?” her expression had changed as well. It was completely different from before.
I took a step back, letting her go. The dagger in her hand pointed backwards, and I didn’t sense any more hostility from her.
“What happened to your family?” her voice was soft now, like a gentle whisper.
I didn’t say anything.
I hated the pitiful looks and comments that I get when I tell them that I had no family and that they were dead. But I didn’t hear anything, instead an awkward silence was the response I got. I looked at her, she seemed to understand that the last thing I wanted was pity, that what I needed was not for someone to act as if apologizing would make me feel better. Perhaps she understood all too well the pain I went through. Strangely enough, I appreciated that she didn’t say anything.
“How can your colors change so fast?” she looked at me, her eyes free of malice.
“What do you mean.” I was even more confused than before as well.
“What happened to you?” she whispered.
I was in no way, shape, or form obligated to answer. Yet something compelled me to answer, as if I was trying to justify myself.
“I had nothing. So I had nothing to lose. Meaning everything to gain.”
“Do you hate yourself? For making that choice?”
“I hate the world for forcing me to choose.” I answered, clenching my teeth.
“I see…”
I looked at her. She seemed to be sad? I couldn’t tell.
“Do you ever wish you could go back and change the past?” she asked, her tone completely devoid of aggression.
“Everyday.”
I began walking towards my new home, unsure of what exactly was happening between the two of us. I didn’t really know what was going on in my head either. She walked alongside me, the clouds clearing and the sleek moonlight dropping down on her smooth and lonely face. I hadn’t realized how beautiful and dazzling she had looked, mainly because she had avoided me. Her cold demeanor had melted into the night, creating a lonesome and sad layer underneath her usual facade.
“Why did you think I was lonely?” I asked her.
“The way you look at everything and everyone without a single care, you don’t talk to anyone for longer than you have to. You remind me of myself.”
I remained silent.
“Not surprised?” she continued.
“Birds of the same feather flock together.”
Another moment of silence. The wind screeched and blew towards us, sending chills down my spine. On the other hand, Rachel seemed unfazed by the freezing temperature.
“Aren’t you in any way curious about why I did what I did?” she asked.
“You saw what was happening inside my body, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“If I saw that, I’d take him as a threat as well.”
“I see… but don’t you think I was still in the wrong for deciding without knowing anything?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“You aren’t wrong, I’m a terrible human being. If nothing, I deserve worse.”
She stopped. I realized that she had stopped a few steps behind me. She had a look of sadness and loneliness on her face, as if trying to understand what I had to go through. I didn’t get it. Why was I bothering to explain myself or justify my actions? Since when did I care about the perceptive eyes that followed me and glared at me? Why was she so insistent on talking to me? But for some reason, this time, I felt like a bit of burden had been taken off my shoulders. Why though? Just a moment ago, she treated me like most people had - with distaste and scorn.
“I saw it in you when you pressed me against the wall.” she commented, leaving me clueless.
“Saw what?”
“Sorrow.”
“Don’t kid me, that only happens in stories.”
“Maybe it’s because my eyes are special.”
I looked at her eye. Glimmering bright emerald eyes looked back at mine as she wore an expression I could not read.
“I’m sorry for judging… maybe I jumped to conclusions. I shouldn’t have treated like I knew you before I actually did.”
I could have chosen to not respond.
“You weren’t wrong about anything, don’t worry,” I was being honest.
The tension had gone out of the air, and a small ambience had taken over the atmosphere, like the calm before the storm. For the entire day Rachel had shown me nothing but hostility. That finally changed as she gave me a smile, and for once I couldn’t help but stare.
“You look a lot prettier when you smile.” My lips slipped. I didn’t intend to say that out loud.
She blushed. It took me a moment to realize that I was smiling as well. I didn’t understand myself. I was never much of a talker. But for some reason talking to Rachel was different. It felt… strange.
“It’s getting late,” I said. “Perhaps it’d be best if I walked you to your home.”
“I’d be fine with that. I live around here, I’ll tell you when I get there.”
She began walking in the same direction as me, pretty convenient. But eventually we reached church, and she turned towards my building.
“I live here,” she stated. “Thanks for escorting me home.”
“Um actually, I was given a room on the third floor here for a while.” I answered awkwardly.
“Oh. I guess that makes us neighbors.” She smirked. “Don’t get any funny ideas.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The door to the building swung open.
Isabella marched out, looking as irritated as ever.
“Where the hell have you been” Isabella shouted, seemingly mad at me.
“Out, what are you doing in my building.” I answered casually.
“I’m supposed to keep an eye on you. You come back in the dead of night, without telling me where you are - oh and look, you brought a friend home.”
“She lives in this building as well, that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing in my building at the dead of night.”
“I’ve moved on the second floor.”
“Excuse me?”
“I live under you now.”
“Well, feel to come up in the dead of night if you feel like it.” I joked.
The only thing that stopped her from stabbing me was the fact that she didn’t bring her sword with her. After she tried to hit me multiple times, I swiftly strafed into the building. The entire time Rachel just had this confused look on her face.
“Well, I’m going to turn in for the night. I’ll be seeing you later then.”
I shouted, running up the stairs.
“Good night!” I heard Rachel’s voice faintly before I rushed up and I heard Isabella chasing me up the stairs.
“I’m not done with you yet.” Isabella shouted chasing after me.
“Save it for tomorrow!” I responded, closing my door and locking it.
I stumbled over to my bed. It had been a long day. I needed that long deserved sleep. I laid flat down on my bed, thinking about what I had gone through. I stared up at the wooden plank ceilings, re-calling the short time I had spent with Rachel. That lonely and sad face was ever so familiar to me. Perhaps she was far too similar to someone I had known. Dangerously so. My fists unclenched as I relaxed, and I slowly dozed off to a soft warm sleep for the first time in ages.