Ana's POV

I was sitting in the snow, shivering as I held Trux in my arms. As I sobbed, fat tears and mucus ran down my face. It wasn't my prettiest moment, but then again, my best friend was dying and there was nothing I could do about it. It wasn't fair. I'd been so close to killing Zaros and then he had to pull this crap on me, casting a piercing spell against Trux. It hit his chest and just missed his heart. But the damage was already done. Satyrs were fragile creatures and just a small injury could be fatal if not treated immediately.

It just so happened that I had just used our last health potion, leaving me with nothing to heal him. All I could do was wail as the Purple Warlock got away yet again.

Ever since I was 10-years-old, I've had to watch this happen. First with Claudie, a pirate selkie who'd been like a second mother to me. She'd taught me to stick with my crew, even if they annoyed me to no end. Then there was Hirotake, a swordsman spirit who taught me to always hold my sword high—if not with my hands than with my arms, if not with my arms than with my teeth was something he liked to say. Liam, a bodybuilder dwarf who taught me that even if my body failed me, my mind wouldn't. Wardell, a centaur who taught me to guard the treasures of my heart. Payra, a gunslinger half-orc who taught me showing my feminine side wasn't such a bad thing. And now Trux.

He let out a pained gasp as he gripped my arm. "A-Ana...Shut up...and look...at me."

I clenched my teeth and stopped my crying. His eyes were losing their vibrant, emerald color as he struggled to find the words to say to me.

"I want you...to listen to me."

Nodding, I wiped my eyes and leaned in close. "What is it?" I asked him.

"Sometimes...there are gonna be...people who...make you mad," Trux wheezed. He coughed, "I want you...to know...that those...idiots...are gonna feel...the wrath...of your...meaty little...fists."

I laughed. "Yeah. They will."

"Promise me...Ana. Promise me...you won't back down...else I would've...died for nothing...cuz you didn't...stop that...monster."

"I promise."

"Good...now...go get your...new sidekick...and make me proud. You hear me....short stacks?"

"Yeah...I got you."

He gave me a shaky laugh. "I'm...gonna go see...Ribi again." Ribi was his girlfriend. He'd lost her before I came to this world and was framed for her murder.

I gave me a nod. "Yup. I bet she misses you."

"Yeah...Take care...short stacks..." With that, his chest stilled and his eyes turned glassy. His body slowly turned into a soft, golden mist. When woodland creatures like satyrs died, they turned into that mist which was magical pollen. It would settle somewhere and grow into a flower or a tree or something.

When he was finally gone, I clenched my fists and stood up.

"Zaros!" I yelled up at the sky. "I'm gonna find you wherever you are! And I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!"

Nothing responded. I almost wished something did. But I couldn't take Zaros now. I only had 10% of my health left. I'd get him in the next world. And I planned on finishing what I started. I wouldn't let another partner die because I was too weak to stop him.

The air rippled next to me and a portal appeared. John, in his usual get-up of a red wizards hat and red robe, stepped out. Above his head, his name, level, and title floated in the air.

John Rambos: The Red Mage, Level 50,000

He looked at me and said, "Are you ready?"

I took a breath and nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Home."

"Home...as in...Earth?"

He nodded. "This will be your last chance to get rid of the Purple Warlock. If you fail...there won't be any more chances."

I gulped. No more chances? This was gonna be the fight of a lifetime. My partner needed to be the strongest man alive if I was gonna win this.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Stepping into the portal with John, I prepared myself to for what was on the other side...

...And fell into darkness.

Jason's POV

I was in trouble. Again.

I'd been having fun with some friends. But I guess Officer Jenkins didn't find underaged drinking and vandalizing a park at 10:15 PM was a good idea of fun and tried to arrest us.

I say tried because we all ran. I headed towards Almond Bay, my usual getaway spot. It was a beach hardly anyone went to these days. Those old geezers who sat around scarfing donuts and doing paperwork weren't fast enough to catch me.

Unfortunately, they got a new guy. Juan Moruga. He went to my current high school a couple of years back; he had everything going for him before he graduated. A cute girlfriend, the best quarterback, a scholarship to some fancy-schmancy school. After he graduated, life got even better. He and girl got engaged, he finished college as the smartest person or whatever and became a cop. He was the golden boy of Brodale and a real pain in my ass.

Anyway, Officer Moruga chased after me. The beach wasn't too far from the park, only a mile or so. I tried to lose Moruga, but once this guy was on my tail, he refused to lose it. It didn't matter what alley I ran through or how many twists and turns I took, he was right there with me.

Once I got to the beach, I clambered up the side of the fence and picked my way down the rocky slopes. Glancing up, I found Moruga doing the same. Gritting my teeth, I picked up the pace.

"Riddley!" he yelled. "Stop running!"

"No, thank you!" I called back.

"You know I'm gonna catch you!"

I turned to flip him off but ended up tripping over loose rock and tumbling down the rest of the way to the beach. After the whole ordeal, I ended up with a few cuts on my arms and a deep gash on my thigh. Gritting my teeth, I got back up and hobbled towards the right side of the beach. I was headed toward a patch of forest that led to a rather empty part of town, where senior citizens lived. I'd hide there for a couple of hours if I could make it.

Moruga was gaining on me so I picked up the pace, ignoring the blood dripping down my leg and the burning pain that came with each step I took. It didn't help that running on the sand was a chore all by itself.

"Riddley, this is ridiculous! Stop running!"

I ignored him and kept limp-running toward the forest. Just as I reached it, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me back. I struggled against him, swinging an elbow towards his face. He leaned back just in time and threw me to the ground. Before I could get back up, he put one boot on my back, keeping me there.

He took out his walkie talkie and said, "This is Officer Juan Moruga. I have one runaway custody. Reporting back up at Almond Bay."

I groaned. With any other cop, I might've been able to escape, but I've tangled enough with Moruga that he knew all my tricks.

He took his boot off of my back and knelt next to me. "You know, Riddley, I think you're a real pain to deal with, you know that?"

"Likewise," I grumbled.

"You can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you? How many times have your parents bailed you out after you did something stupid, huh?"

"Shut up."

"C'mon, man-"

"I said, shut up!"

I wasn't in the mood for a lecture, especially not by him. The Moruga family wasn't my favorite. They were arrogant, stuck-up asshats who deserved to go die in a hole, every single one of them.

It was too bad they were my next-door neighbors.

Juan sighed and hauled me up. "Fine. If you won't listen, I won't waste my breath. But just know this: you keep this up, and you're headed toward a bad place, Jason."

I stayed silent and limped back up the rock wall with Juan at my side, keeping a tight grip on my arm. He and his back up took me to the station. I found I was the only one caught, which was just great. I got my cuts bandaged and was told to sit in a waiting cell.

Ten minutes later of awkwardly scooting away from a middle-aged woman who kept staring at me, an officer took me from the cell. My mom had arrived and was waiting by the front desk. She looked tired with her hair in a hastily done bun and a sweater over a Winnie-the-Pooh T-shirt and pajama pants.

She was busy talking to Officer Jenkins and Moruga, no doubt trying to apologize for my little stunt. Moruga, being the calm, cool, and collected little prick that he was, waved off her concern, saying "It was nothing." Jenkins, on the hand, was busy trying to convince her to send me off to a military school for my senior year.

Good ol' Jenkins. Tryin' to get rid of me as fast as possible.

Mom spotted me and a look of relief washed over her face. She turned to the officers and said once more, "I'm so sorry about tonight."

Juan gave her a blinding white smile (blegh) and said, "Don't worry about it." Looking at me, he put his serious face back on. "Just...stay out of trouble, Jason."

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes as I walked passed him. "Mhmm."

Jenkins's eyes bore into the back of my head, "Do keep in mind what I said, Mrs. Riddley."

She sighed. "I think we will."

I couldn't stop the surprise from showing on my face. Was she serious? A military school? For real?

"Let's go, Jason," she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the station.

"Mom," I said once we got in the car, "are you serious about the school?"

"What do you think, Jason?" she said, angrily yanking her seatbelt into place. "You keep doing this, over and over again. You never listen. You're always hanging out with those boys who get you doing stuff you shouldn't be. What is this, the seventeenth time I've had to pick you up?"

"Sixteenth," I muttered.

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "Your father and I are tired of having to go through the same thing with you. We came here to get a fresh start. Why do you always have to ru-" She stopped herself from finishing and clenched the steering wheel. I already knew what she was going to say, though. 'Why do you always have to ruin everything?'

She took a deep breath and said calmly, "The point is, Jason, is that I wish...we wish that you would just get your act together. We wouldn't have to go through this if you'd just...stop."

When I didn't respond, she sighed again and started the car. "We've decided that if this happens again, maybe military school is the best option for you. I hope you understand why."

Man. This was bad.