As the once thick forest began to diminish, the glory of the island peak came into view.

It was an enormous mountain, its summit disappearing into a ring of clouds. The breadth was equally vast, curving endlessly into the distance. Various steppes, flora, and rivers adorned its face as the sounds of birds and rushing water filled the air. Truly, it was breathtaking.

The island peak had always been vaguely noticeable even from the village, but I could never have imagined a sight like this. Due to the danger, it’s forbidden for anyone without explicit permission to travel this far. Only the head of the village guard and the elder can grant such permission.

“It’s rather amazing, is it not?” Valor said, turning back with a grin. “We’ll head a couple leagues more to the northeast,” he pointed to the mountain range in the distance. “Over by Hunter's Ridge, there’s a plain that separates the forest from the pass. We’ll make camp there,” he finished with a tap of his heel against his horse, signaling it forward. Ours followed in turn.

After covering some more ground we eventually halted next to a small web of streams that split from a distant waterfall on the face of the ridge. As I flipped my leg over, my feet landed on the ground with a thud and a wobble. I had never been on horseback this long before and it was starting to show.

Eldrin took notice and playfully slapped my back as he walked past me. “Saddle legs?” he teased. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it once you start to ride more.”

“Speaking of,” Valor interjected, “let us go ahead and establish our agenda. Our first and foremost objective is to make camp. Once nightfall comes, we will have to tie off the horses which will advertise easy prey, and there’s no telling what might want to come and investigate. So with that said, sleep will be taken in shifts. With three of us, we will each only need to rotate out once. At daybreak tomorrow we will start to set some traps to make sure we don’t overextend our pre-packed rations. After that, the real excitement begins.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A Nox hunt,” he grinned. “You’re going to fell your first snake tail and take your place in the guard.”

I stared back at him, a little shocked. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting from this trip, but undergoing my trial wasn’t something I had considered. Yet, I didn’t feel scared. Over the past couple of years, I’ve trained relentlessly. I’m by no means cocky in my ability with a spear, but I am confident. Besides, with Valor and Eldrin with me...

“Is that understood?” Valor cut through the silence with a stern tone.

It was impressive how quickly he could shift from a lighthearted joking father, to a stern and focused commander. Everything from the way he carried himself to the way he spoke flipped in an instant. I couldn’t help but think of how similar it was to how Hestia would change when she taught me magic.

“Understood.” “Understood.” Eldrin and I answered back in unison.

Valor nodded in silent approval, and we began to unload and assemble our tent. It was nothing special, just a large hide held up with a few posts and rope.

We had arrived around midday, so by the time we finished, the sun had begun to set, with dusk not too far away.

Eldrin took the first guard shift.

Truth be told, I felt some uneasiness as I tried to fall asleep. After all, I had never ventured this far from home. Still, I couldn’t help feeling excitement for what the next few days would bring. I was firmly on my way to joining the village troops.

I may be young, but already I knew the importance of having a purpose, and I was proud of what mine would be. I’m not sure if I’ll ever escape the confines of this village, and the knowledge Hestia had thrust upon me still weighs heavily on my mind. But nevertheless, for now, I’ll work hard to bring honor to my mother and to Valor. My life would have meaning, and in that, I could find true happiness.