After ensuring no one followed her, Grace made her way to the house she had lived in her whole life up until six months ago. Somehow as if her dog knew she would show up here, Lilly was laying outside the house, looking in the direction she had come up.

"What in the world, Lilly," Grace called out, slapping her legs and smiling as the dog trotted over to her.

A few moments of scratching her friend's head put her in a slightly better mood. "Stay here and hide somewhere. I need to go inside."

Lilly gave a small yip and moved to the house next door, hiding in a shadow along the wall.

Unable to help it, Grace snorted as she shook her head.

Whatever he did to her has changed her in more ways than I realize...

Walking toward her parent's old house, seeing the broken-out windows, burnt sides of the house, and caved-in roof hurt as it always did. She needed a moment to see how much that knight had given her.

Moving around the property one time to make sure nothing was disturbed, she entered through her usual window and made her way to the floor she knew held life inside.

Pulling the pouch out, she pulled on the leather, and her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw what had to be at least thirty silver.

Dumping them out into her hand, she counted each one, ending at thirty-seven pieces of silver.

“Surely he didn’t mean to toss this one,” Grace muttered.

Counting twenty back into the pouch, she put it inside the hiding spot. She pulled out a sack she had put in there just days ago, sighing.

I just put this in here, and already I’m using it.

Stripping down, Grace pulled out the water skin and clean cloth she had and started wiping the blood off her body. She took one small sip from the skin before using the water to get all the spots she could find.

She then took the clothes she had just washed that had been stained with blood after she killed Bones and put them on.

Once she had packed the sack with her bloody clothes and rag, she collected a square of meat and put everything back in place before returning the hiding spot to normal.

She saw the red box in her vision, waiting for her to acknowledge it. Focusing on the words, she felt her heart skip.

*****

One quest pending

—

Outfit Yourself: The time is coming when you will need protection. Find yourself armor, as your flesh will not withstand what is coming. You have two days to complete this quest.

Reward: Unknown

Failure: Unknown

*****

What the hell is unknown?!

Grace knew the quest was right. She needed armor and had no idea how to get it, but with her current windfall of money, she knew just whom to ask.

Max rubbed his chin as he stared at Grace. Her question had caught him off guard after she asked him for a moment in private.

“Does this question have anything to do with why you have blood and flecks of bone in your hair?”

Grace frantically ruffled her hair, felt a few small pieces against her fingers, and groaned. If her cheeks could show the flushing sensation she felt, it would have embarrassed her even more.

“It does,” she replied. “I need armor and only have two days.”

Squinting, Max’s head shook side to side just slightly. “Two days… what happens in two days?”

She looked around the street and knew no one was close or listening.

“Do you trust me, Max?”

He snorted and crossed his arms. “What kind of bloody question is that? Of course, I trust you; otherwise, I wouldn’t treat you how I do.”

She bit her lip slightly but knew this was the best move.

Tossing the coin pouch at the large man, his arms moved quickly, catching it mid-air and giving it a small shake.

“Look inside. See that I’m serious.”

His fat fingers deftly pulled the leather apart, and Grace smiled as the man’s eyes bulged as hers had.

“What... where…” Max pulled the strings shut and quickly held it back toward her. “Who did you kill for this?”

“No one… it’s a long story, but I need you to keep it and help me get armor with it.” She paused, moved closer to Max, and touched his forearm. “You’re family, and something is coming… I’m not sure what yet, and I need to be ready to help stop it.”

Max blinked a few times and started to laugh. Tears began to flow as the man continued to laugh, holding his sides. “Girl, I’m sorry, but I know you’re tough, but–”

Grace moved before he could react, momentarily getting behind him and lifting him up.

“What the hell!” he shouted.

Max moved and twisted when she put him down, looking for her, yet she was gone from where he expected Grace to be. He felt a tap against his backside and stood up straight.

“What…” Max stopped talking and glanced back at the places he knew people might be watching them from. He began walking away, moving to the northeast side of town.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Where are you going?” Grace asked.

“Follow me,” he motioned with his hand. “We need to talk.” Max moved a few more steps and stopped, seeing movement from the corner of his eye. "And tell your dog to stay put."

Grace furled her eyebrows and then gave a sharp whistle. Lilly stared at her until Grace shook her head and motioned with her hand to stay.

The dog didn't complain, moving back to the spot it had been hiding.

Max didn’t say another word until he stopped in a small yard of an estate with weeds. The stone wall was crumbling in most sections, having been burnt so bad by fire that it fell apart. The once massive and ornate house was now nothing more than a few burnt timbers standing alone on this property.

“Tell me, when and how?”

“When and how, what?” Grace replied, ignoring the glare he was giving her.

“You’re young and foolish. If you think for a moment that some people might recognize things, you shouldn’t show them little girl. I’ve known you for six months. Somethings changed in the last week… something…” Max paused, watching her, and then his hand flicked forward.

Grace saw it. The knife he had pulled out of somewhere coming toward her. Her body reacted independently, the new skill she had acquired telling her how to twist and bend. Only seven feet had separated them, but she managed in that time to move out of the way of the knife as it flew past where her chest had been.

“What the hell, Max!” she shouted, angry and preparing to defend herself when Grace realized the man was chuckling and shaking his head.

“Which God?”

His question struck her core as it told her he knew. Grace wasn’t sure how, but Max knew more about her and what had happened than she did.

“How do you know?”

“What God?” he asked again, this time growling as he spoke.

“Balethem.”

He nodded slowly and reached up with a hand to rub his eyes. “Tell me, you know what this means?”

“I’m not sure what conversation we are having here, Max,” Grace replied. “You obviously know more about what has happened than I think I do. So why don’t you tell me what exactly you want to know.”

Max lowered his massive fingers from his eyes and repeatedly tsked his tongue against his teeth.

“Tell you what. Why don’t you tell me when and how you became an emissary for Balethem.”

Grace sighed and then slowly nodded her head.

“It was a week ago…”

Max had never reacted more than the occasional wince at certain events and descriptions, and he had responded better than Grace had expected when she shared both visions she had.

Grace was surprised that the man did not seem shocked by anything she said.

“And that brings us to you and me being here with someone I consider family throwing a knife at me.”

Max chuckled and bobbed his head from side to side. “Yeah… well, I was ninety-five percent sure you were an emissary and knew it wouldn’t be an issue.”

“And if I was the other five percent?”

“I’d take care of Levi.”

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Now it’s your turn. How do you know all this and not seem shocked about anything I said.”

Max took a deep breath. “I’ve been around, and the only reason I survived what happened here is because of that. I have even been where your family is from. The kingdom of Hodagulm is a land filled with much beauty but also some very dangerous things.” Max started to chuckle for a moment, triggered by something he had remembered. He saw the look on Grace’s face and gave her a wink. “Let’s just say it seems like every bug, snake, and animal wants to kill you. Lots of poisonous things.”

Holding his hand up and waving her off as Grace started to open her mouth, he continued. “There are emissaries for the different Gods all over. Some have been peaceful, and others…” Max motioned to the charred remains behind him. “Have burnt cities, towns, and kingdoms, trying to earn their God's favor. There are different levels of emissaries. Do you know which one you are?”

Grace smiled. “Status.”

*****

Grace Akem

Age: 16

Female

Initiate of Balethem

—

Physical: 11

Mental: 6

Spiritual: 5

—

Abilities:

Persuade - Usable

Juggernaut - Usable

Heal - Usable

Evasion - Usable

*****

“I’m listed as an initiate.”

Max snorted and shook his head. “That never gets old… you know you don’t have to say the words? Just think them in your head.”

Grace felt her cheeks warm again and groaned. “Seriously?”

Nodding, Max grinned. “I had a… a friend who was one… he left on a quest and never returned a few years back… some of the things he had to do were–”

“Brutal and horrible,” Grace said as she interrupted Max, seeing his expression.

Grimacing, the large man nodded. “God’s are fickle. They will kill you just as quickly as they will bless you. I’m afraid you have learned that your weakness isn’t your own life, and now…”

Grace nodded. “Every quest has been his life.”

“Know that I will help you because I trust you to do what you know is right,” Max replied. “You’re in a tight spot, and there will be moments when you have to decide your path, but as you told me, you didn’t kill even when promised more power. You also brought our town together because of your actions. So, let me give you some advice, and then we can get you some armor first thing tomorrow morning.

“You’re going to run into another emissary eventually. It always happens. It is like some weird force that draws them together. When it does, your choices are going to be living or dying. My friend… he ran into two before he left. Each time, he got a quest. Either he lived because he won the fight, or he died. Not fighting would cost him his life also.”

“The abilities you told me are very powerful, especially for being so new. You are actually farther ahead than most, I think, start off. You need to be careful because the people you face will also be gifted. Focus on your strengths, and make sure always to be prepared for someone to use an ability against you. That Empower skill you have passed up, my friend had it. It will make the next attack hit for twice as much damage. If you catch someone unprepared with it…”

Grace winced. Having seen what her fists and that sword had done to grown men, she could only imagine what someone with the same stats would do to her if that attack hit.

“How do I know if they will use an ability?”

“They shimmer, or their weapon shimmers for a brief moment. I’d tell you to practice but don't since things look like the city is about to end up in the outhouse again. If there is ever a doubt, save yourself. Know that others are familiar with that trick. Some will bait out defense abilities… And then there is magic…”

Grace felt her eyebrows going up as Max said that. “Magic? Real magic?”

He nodded and smirked for a moment, gazing off into the evening sky that was turning red and orange from the setting sun.

“I once saw my friend shoot a lightning bolt from his hands,” Max said before laughing. “Damn fool wasted a seven-day cooldown spell to prove to me I didn’t know a thing. He was right. The second I saw it take place, I crapped myself. Like a full-on, everything in my bowels…” Max saw Grace grinning and snorting and gave her a shrug. “Magic is real. It’s rarer. Most focus on being strong and fast. All that is good until someone unleashes a massive spell that rips your arm off.”

Grace felt her brain trying to absorb and work through everything she had just heard. She stared at her feet a moment and looked up to see Max smiling at her.

“It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“Way more than I could imagine… thank you… for this,” Grace replied as she motioned to them being in an empty area of town. “Thanks for sharing your wisdom and protecting Levi and me.”

Max nodded, took a few steps forward, slowly reaching out with both hands and drew Grace toward him.

She didn’t resist the embrace and found herself squeezing him back.

“Family cares for each other. Blood doesn’t matter. You’re my family, and so is Levi.”

His words sent a cascade of tears down her cheeks, and Grace tried to blink to stop them, but for that moment, her soul bared itself through her tears.