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NOTIFICATION
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* Quest Completed: Second chances
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+ XP Gained: 25
+ 4x Common item material
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| Current XP: 25 / 100
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| Progress: █░░░░░░░░░░░░
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After two minutes of lying in the mud, I saw Aiden and Seker emerge from the forest, trudging toward me. Seker had the little elf walking beside her. The girl moved hesitantly, her small steps timid. She clutched her shoulder, where a bandage covered a wound that didn’t look as severe as the rest of ours.
We were all in shambles, our injuries weighing heavily. My body refused to cooperate—I couldn’t even summon the strength to sit up. All I could do was stare at the darkening sky, the rain mingling with the dirt on my face. How long had we been trapped in that cave?
Aiden’s expression tightened as he got closer. His eyes darted around, scanning the area, his movements tense. Seker trailed behind him, his steps slow and heavy. He shook his head, muttering under his breath, his face clouded with unease.
Finally, Aiden stopped in front of me, looming over my crumpled form. “Axel,” he demanded, his voice taut. “Where’s Leo?”
I exhaled slowly, my gaze still fixed on the sky. “Down in the caves,” I rasped.
Seker grimaced, running a hand over his bloodied chest. “The cannibals overran the tunnels. We barely slipped through.” His tone wavered. “Leo didn’t make it out?”
I closed my eyes briefly, exhaustion overwhelming me. “No. That man knocked him out. He’s still down there.”
Aiden clenched his fists. “We have to go back. If we don’t—”
Movement in the distance cut him off. Two familiar figures emerged from the forest, supporting someone between them. Aiden and Seker froze, their faces lighting up as recognition dawned.
The elves had returned, both of them carrying Leo by the arms. They moved slowly, steadying him with each step. He looked battered, but alive.
The elves wore shirts that likely belonged to the guards, large enough to cover their private parts, though it seemed they hadn’t had time to find pants.They stopped a few paces away, their sharp eyes locking onto Aiden with disdain. Wordlessly, they eased Leo to the ground and disappeared back into the forest.
“They… helped him,” Aiden muttered, disbelief softening his voice.
“They returned the favor,” Seker replied, watching the elves vanish. “Guess freeing them paid off.”
Aiden hurried forward, limping as he reached Leo. “Are you okay?” His words spilled out, relief laced with worry.
Leo groaned but managed to sit up. “Yeah… I’m alive,” he said hoarsely. “They even healed me a bit. Lucky break, huh?”
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“Thank you, sir,” the little elf said. “For helping us.”
“No problem, kid,” Leo replied. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“Y-yes,” she stammered. “But I can’t tell you, sir. The village elder doesn’t like when humans—”
“I understand,” he said, cutting her off gently. “You don’t want us there. So… can you get back to your village on your own?”
“Yes,” she nodded, stepping in front of us and bowing her head. “Thank you.”
Aiden looked away, his face unreadable, while Seker and Leo smiled warmly at her. She bowed once more, her expression softening with a smile, before she turned and disappeared into the forest. Her bare feet splashed in the mud as she walked, vanishing into the dense trees. At least we got all the prisoners alive. That was something.
I forced myself to sit, closing my eyes to stop the world from spinning. Then, with slow, shaky steps, I joined the group, each movement a fresh wave of pain. My torn clothes hung on me in tatters, offering no protection against the cold rain.
I leaned against a nearby tree, my shoulder throbbing as I pressed a hand to it. For a moment, my eyes met Leo’s. I gave him a nod—a quiet thanks for what he’d done back there. He returned it, his face tired but resolute, before turning to the others.
“Well,” he said with a faint smirk. “Could’ve been worse, right?”
“Fuck you and your quests,” Aiden snapped as he dropped heavily to the ground, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. “Next time you come up with some idiotic plan like this, I’ll pretend you don’t exist.”
“For real,” Seker muttered, his voice flat. “We’re lucky we even made it out.”
Aiden rubbed his temples. “And since we didn’t complete the quest, no free healing for us.”
Seker huffed. “As if we’d get free treatment. The quest was picked by someone else. We wouldn’t have gotten the free healing anyways.”
“Ah, good point.”
The forest around us grew darker, the rain still falling in steady sheets. I shifted against the tree, wincing as another jolt of pain ran through my body. “We need to move,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “It’s getting dark.”
Seker glanced around, his brow furrowed. “Where even are we? This place doesn’t look familiar.”
As if in response to my thoughts, a faint yellow mark began to pulse on the ground in front of us, pointing the way toward Kinowa. I let out a sigh, grimacing as I pushed off the tree.
“I know the way,” I said, gesturing to the path. “Follow me.”
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Emerging from the forest, I let out a weary sigh, dragging a hand down my face to wipe away the furrow in my brow. To our right, the tavern with the school’s crest still glowed warmly, its windows casting light onto the damp street. We still had about half an hour before curfew, so we’d made it back just in time. All we needed now was to find a vailhouse, heal our wounds, and put this wretched day behind us.
The smell of food wafting from the tavern hit like a punch, sharp and enticing. I caught Seker, Leo, and Aiden sniffing the air, their steps faltering slightly as if the aroma might reel them in. But healing came first—dinner could wait.
“Man, I could eat a dragon,” Leo muttered, clutching his stomach as we pressed forward.
The gates loomed ahead, and the guards standing watch gave us a look that said they’d already written a dozen questions in their heads. One of them stepped forward, raising a hand to stop us. His sharp eyes roamed over our ragged clothes and bloodied forms.
“What’s this about---is it elves?” His voice was firm, almost accusing. “Where’ve you been causing trouble?”
Leo stepped forward, shaking his head. “Not elves. Cannibals.” His tone was steady but tired. “We barely made it out alive.”
The guard’s eyes narrowed. “Cannibals?”
“They ambushed us,” Aiden added, doing his best to straighten his posture. “We were just out for a… walk.” He stumbled over the words, careful to avoid the truth.
The guard’s expression darkened as understanding flickered across his face. “Gods,” he muttered. “Suzan’s customers I take it, huh? Guess they got hungry and turned on you.”
Aiden nodded quickly, seizing the explanation without hesitation. “Exactly. Can we go? We need to hit a vailhouse before anything else.”
The guard paused, his gaze lingering on our wounds before stepping aside with a curt wave. “Yeah, go on through.”
Without another word, we shuffled past him, our battered group dragging tired feet into the city streets. The smell of the tavern’s food lingered, tantalizing and cruel, but none of us dared pause. Healing was all that mattered now.
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