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“Extreme caution must be used when dealing with a member of a guild or party’s support apparatus, especially healers …”
— SCALE Anti-Magic Taskforce Handbook
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—Aidan—
“Ko—Set—Su!” A voice mockingly rang out, breaking the peace of the encounter.
Aidan reached towards the fire, causing one of his rings to glow and wreath his arm in flame. He sprinted to the corner of the fort, just in time to see Kossetsu shakily climb down the lookout’s ladder.
“Koo-settt-suuu, where are you, my guy!? We’ve been worried sick!” The voice echoed.
“Do you recognize that voice?” Aidan whispered.
“It’s someone I really don’t want to see,” he said, staring at his shoes and wrapping his coat around himself.
“I see. I’ll tell him to go kick rocks, then.”
“This guy,” Kossetsu tried to control his shaking, “he’s actually pretty strong, don’t let his act fool you. I can just go with him—he probably wants a healer for a dungeon.”
Aidan placed his free hand on Kossetsu’s arm and scowled in the direction of the voice coming from behind the wall.
“Hell no.”
Kossetsu stepped back as Aidan chanted:
“Drink of this wine, slake your thirst, overflow,”
「Feast」
The ruby ring on his left thumb glowed, absorbing the fire around his arm. Wasting no time, Aidan adopted a relaxed posture and leisurely walked around the wall. He maintained a slight sway, trying to hide the grip he held on the knife behind his back.
“Howdy there!” Aidan said, evaluating the situation.
About twenty yards away, three figures stopped in their tracks. The first figure was a lanky, bespectacled elf, dressed in woodland garb and carrying a staff.
Could be a mage, could have an injury, could be a shut-in.
Next to him stood a short, stocky man with wild hair, an unkempt beard, and heavy tufts of chest hair barely being contained by overalls.
Dwarf? Seems physically strong.
The lead man shouting the taunts was taller than the elf and just as muscular as the bear-man. He had flowing golden hair and showed no obvious tell of being anything but a human man. Personality-wise, the sleeveless jean jacket with no shirt, tight pants, and no visible weapon painted a pretty clear picture for Aidan.
“Oh, ‘sup dude. You here with Kossetsu?” The man took a step forward.
Aidan gave an apologetic smile. “You just missed him, I’m afraid. Went back with the rest of my party while I wrapped things up. I’m a druid, you see. If you’re lost, I would be happy to help lead you out of the forest.”
Aidan wanted to gauge the man’s abilities, especially since he’d somehow broken into an encounter that was already underway.
The man didn’t give Aidan much time. “While I appreciate your hospitality, bud, I’d love to have a look around. This place is a dope clubhouse. Why’d you stay back?”
“Like you said, it’s a, uh, dope clubhouse. And I like to stay and take in nature’s beauty. What’s your name, friend?”
“Reyback. Reyback Razorvayne,” he grinned, “soon to be a one-star adventurer, if you stop hiding my healer.”
Aidan slid a foot forward, preparing a stronger stance. Combat was likely but not guaranteed— Reyback’s companions were significantly less enthusiastic, and the elf had put a hand to his face when Reyback introduced himself.
“I’m right here, Eric,” Kossetsu said, coming out from behind the wall.
“I. TOLD. YOU. It’s Reyback Razorvayne now.”
‘Reyback’ looked over to Aidan. “Strikes fear into your heart, right?”
Aidan raised an eyebrow and moved in front of Kossetsu, who whispered, “Be careful, his power is based on powerful emotions. Cringe and anger are like batteries to him. I’m not joking.”
Aidan’s scowl returned.
He said to Reyback, “Yep, petrified. Unfortunately, Kossetsu is his own person, not just ‘your healer’. I also don’t appreciate your disregard for his ability. Do not disrespect what he goes through.”
“Ok guy, enough of this daddy-do-no-wrong shit.”
No one talks like that. You know that, he knows—actually he might not.
Think happy thoughts.
“Kossetsu, come over here and help us out. We’re gonna go to the Vault and conquer the First Realm together, then join my brother’s guild. It’s a win-win.
“You want to provide for your sister, right? It seems like she just plays mom for you,” Reyback stuck out his lower lip, “how sad. I’m sure she wants to live her own life too, right?”
Happy thoughts…
Kossetsu’s curled fist began to tremble.
“shut up,” he whispered.
Reyback put a hand to his ear. “What was that? Come on, I’ll give you an extra share of the loot.”
Kossetsu continued to stare at the dirt and stepped forward, but found himself bumping into Ki.
“Fuck this guy. Do you really want to go with him?”
Kossetsu’s trembling stopped.
“You all don’t deserve to get hurt over this. He’s not wrong, I need to start stepping up and pay back everyone who's helped me.”
“You already did! I would be dead without you. Right now, I’m not concerned with payback for anything you did—friends just help each other, right?”
Aidan couldn’t help but smile. You’ve really grown, too.
Kossetsu stepped around Ki and shouted at Reyback, “I’m staying here, Eric!”
Reyback turned to his companions. “You gotta be kidding me, this kid is gone for a couple days and he, what, gets a girlfriend? Vince, go grab him.”
“You sure about this, bro?” The stocky man asked.
“Fuckin’ do it, dude. This skinny bitch and half-dead grandpa ain’t going to do shit. If you’re so scared… Kale, you go too. Do the vine thing”
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—Ki—
The elf rolled his eyes and started walking forward. He kept one hand in his pocket and murmured to himself, then tapped his staff into the ground twice and yelled:
「Grasp」
Four roots as thick as tree trunks exploded from the ground and climbed to eye level, heading straight at the party.
Something clicked in Ki’s head. She didn’t know if it was the sudden danger, protective instinct, or confidence from her allies, but she could feel the magic—the mana particles—around her. Though the roots were wild, they also made sense.
Picturing the fort, she dropped to a knee and slammed her palms onto the ground. A jagged wall of ice came forth, impaling the roots and sending them curling backwards.
CRACK
The ice shattered, but the advance had been stopped.
Ki fell to both knees. I hope this is like TV, where pushing yourself past your limits multiple times makes you stronger.
She threw up while blinding pain flashed across her eyes.
Or I’m just taking years off my life.
Aidan didn’t have time to process: when the vines were stopped, the elf broke a band that was keeping his first two fingers crossed. In the next instant, the “dwarf” had grown claws and was clambering towards Aidan on all fours.
Aidan slid the ring from his finger.
The bear-person picked up speed.
And then Aidan swallowed the ring whole.
Seconds later, Aidan let out a roar of spiraling fire that set the bear-man aflame. The fire raged as Vince tried to rely on the ancient wisdom of ‘stop, drop, and roll’.
The fire still didn’t die out.
Even as burn marks crawled down Aidan's half-missing pinky, he didn’t release the spell.
The elf mage ran to his companion, said something under his breath, and pulled out a cloth pouch. He pulled on a string, and a large bucket’s worth of water doused the fire considerably.
Aidan released the spell and huffed out black smoke. As Kossetsu held back Ki’s hair, she sputtered, “I’m fine, keep your eyes on that comic book bully.”
Reyback grunted and rolled his neck, sending popping sounds through the clearing.
“Ok, hard lesson time,” he said, continuing to grow taller as he walked forward.
Cassie dropped to the ground from the lookout tower and asked Ki, “Is this guy for real?”
Reyback sneered. “ANOTHER ONE? How much are you paying these people to pretend to be your friends, Ko?”
Cassie remained unfazed, refusing to even look in his direction. “You can go now. I’m feeling generous.”
Reyback lifted his chin and walked forward. “I’m feeling generous, too. I’m going to show you the strength of the future number one adventurer!”
Cassie smirked and moved with casual confidence, meeting halfway between the two groups. The tension in the air was palpable, but a unique energy was emanating from Cassie. She wasn’t trying to intimidate him; rather, the air rang out with an invitation for competition.
They stood inches from each other, like prizefighters posing for a pre-fight picture. Even while Aidan and Kossetsu tried to warm her hands, Ki’s focus stayed glued to the standoff.
Cassie is at least eight inches shorter than this guy, why does she seem to be the same height?
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to fight you. In fact, I’m feeling extra motivated today,” Cassie said.
Reyback barked out a laugh. “An old guy, a half-dead kid, and two lost girls. Don’t think just because you hit the gym that you’re going to be a match for me.”
Another loud sigh from the elf mage behind Reyback.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Aidan turned to Ki. “I don’t look that old, right?”
Before Ki could respond, Kossetsu yelled to Cassie, “Watch out, h—”
“Don’t spoil it!” Cassie interrupted.
“No, you don—”
Cassie’s half-smile flashed teeth. “You don’t get it. I’ll figure out if he can do anything interesting.”
Reyback cracked his knuckles. “Cocky, huh? Gonna show off for your boyfriend?” Reyback exaggerated looking at Cassie from head to toe. “Heh, maybe I should say your girlfriend?”
He yelled over to Ki, “Don’t cry when I break your girl in half—”
Cassie railed a punch directly into Reyback’s stomach, causing him to bend down and clutch at the pain. She withdrew her fist and stood still.
Reyback pulled up quickly and threw a right hook across Cassie’s face.
Reyback coughed and Cassie remained facing the direction she was punched. Blows were traded, but the tension in the air still hadn’t broken.
Cassie stepped back and laughed—almost giggling in excitement. She shook her arms loose, hopped back-and-forth, and summoned her bat.
Then it truly began.
Cassie unleashed a ferocious swing of her bat. In response, Reyback used his forearms to absorb the blow, but the force still sent him stumbling backwards. Cassie gave him no recovery time, flipping her stance and swinging left-handed at his unguarded head.
By losing his footing, Reyback may have lost his guard, but his hands had splayed out wildly, allowing him to grab the bat in midair.
But Cassie had already let go of the bat.
She dropped and launched a fist directly into his kidney, causing Reyback to drop the bat. Cassie caught it in her off-hand and thrust the top into his unguarded stomach. He tried to grapple her, but she spun out of his reach, circling around him while flourishing her weapon.
Reyback’s muscles bulged and tore his jacket. He lunged, throwing a wild haymaker at Cassie, but she glided past him and lightly tapped him on the back.
“Unlike you, I’m not into bullying weaklings. Usually.” She laughed, “I think it’s a lucky coincidence that people’s hate gives you strength.
“That or maybe the world pitied you,” Cassie taunted.
Reyback’s lower body caught up in proportion to his upper body, centering his gravity. He let out a battle cry, reddening his face and making a vein on his forehead look ready to burst. Cassie took a left-handed stance again, then took the initiative and closed the distance. While still out of his reach, she drove her left leg into the ground and spun into the air for a roundhouse swing.
Reyback flashed sudden lucidity and grabbed for the bat, but he misjudged the distance.
The force of their clash shattered the bat and bent Reyback’s hand backwards with a sickening crunch. Shards of Cassie’s destroyed bat sliced above her eye, while Reyback covered his hand and stumbled toward her, head down.
He looked upwards, just in time to be met with a volley of punches. Blood covered Cassie’s right eye, yet she didn’t have a problem continuing to land heavy blows. She finished the combination with an uppercut to his chin, but Reyback dropped his face and met her fist with his forehead. As Cassie recoiled, he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, drew his head back, and headbutted her directly on the nose.
Another crunch.
The fight stopped, both of them clutching at their heads. Ki strained to ascertain the fight’s status, but the close quarters made it impossible for any of the spectators to see the severity of the injuries.
Reyback came out of the concussion-induced stun lock slightly faster than Cassie. He moved to envelop her, but that provided an opportunity for Cassie to slam her hands against Reyback’s ears and direct a stomping kick into his groin.
Reyback stumbled backwards and collapsed.
While Reyback vomited and tried to stand, Cassie set her nose back into place and shot blood out of her nostrils. After setting her nose, Cassie wrung out her bruised hand and smirked at Ki.
Ki tried to hide the horror that had crept over her face. Is… Is she actually showing off? Is it her previous injuries? Or is she in actual danger?
I just want this to end with everyone safe.
Kossetsu offered a reassuring squeeze of his hand. Aidan readied himself to draw his knife at a moment’s notice.
After looking over at Ki, a shadow fell over Cassie’s face. She brought her attention back to Reyback, who had pushed himself to his feet and slipped brass knuckles around his unbroken hand.
Reyback was now an inch or two shorter, but his muscles still rippled and shifted in size. He grunted something, causing his two companions to step forward. The bear-man (now back to his normal form) still had smoke hovering around him, but didn’t appear to have any major damage. The elf still looked bored.
When they moved to join the fight, Cassie’s face turned stone-cold.
“Interfere and I’ll fucking kill you.”
The air of ‘competition’ instantly dissipated.
Ki struggled against the sinking dread that followed in the wake of Cassie’s one-sided burst of hatred. Meanwhile, the would-be interlopers felt the pressure personally, with the elf involuntarily reaching for an imaginary knife at his throat and the bear-man seemingly unable to move.
Cassie’s burst of killing intent was sufficient to cow the two, but Reyback was too enraged to realize he was being threatened. She shifted her weight away from her still-damaged leg and summoned a new bat. Then, Cassie ran her hand along the weapon and encased it in a shimmering, barely perceivable bubble.
Reyback slapped himself across the face with the brass-knuckles, then placed both hands behind his back. Cassie responded by spitting out a tooth and crouching low.
They moved simultaneously, ready to end the fight in the next exchange. Cassie stayed low and let the bat drag behind her, while Reyback sent heaps of dust into the air with every step.
Sparks from the bubble of magic met the cloud of dust and mud.
Reyback revealed an empty hand and reached for Cassie; at the same time, Cassie slid and condensed the force-bubble smaller than a fist.
Impact.
Reyback collapsed into a heap as his knee visibly, and audibly, shattered. He Desperately grasped at his blood soaked pants and rolled around in the dirt, unable to even scream.
Cassie let herself lie on the ground, catching her breath. After a minute, she hopped up, side eyed Reyback’s party, and sauntered over to her opponent.
Like a wolf going in for the kill. She won’t, though, right?
When he rolled over and faced her, she stomped on his left wrist. Reyback’s blood-curdling scream sent Ki’s hairs on end.
…Right?
Cassie ground her foot into his wrist and moved her bat to his throat.
“Run out of power already? Gonna cry?”
Reyback responded with a gurgle. After Cassie put pressure on his throat, Ki couldn’t contain herself.
“CASSIE!”
Cassie’s blood-covered face stared back.
Now what do I say…?
When Ki didn’t follow up, Cassie looked at the now-unconscious Reyback. She clicked her tongue and threw her compass at his fear-stricken companions.
“Get out.”
They remained rooted in place.
Kossetsu made his way over to Reyback, preventing Cassie from issuing another command.
“Arteries are definitely pierced. Let’s not have anyone be a killer today,” he said.
Cassie shook her head in disbelief, but didn’t object. She let her bat disintegrate and walked back to camp. Passing by Ki, she said, “That's you’re one freebie. Next time, if you can’t—or won’t—stand up for yourself, don't complain about how I take care of it.”
Ki couldn’t maintain eye contact.
Nod.
Respond. Do something.
Ki let Cassie continue without a word.
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—Aidan—
Aidan eyed Cassie and Ki’s interaction. Rather than follow Ki, he grabbed his backpack and turned to the aftermath of the battle, letting go of his knife before he approached.
“Kale and Vince, right?” Aidan asked.
Kale nodded, while Vince clenched his fist.
“Listen, I’m sorry things turned out this way. Seems to me, no one was a big fan of what transpired today,” he said, tossing a water bottle and a small container in front of Vince.
“This is some burn cream. Believe it or not, I’m not immune to my own magic. Crazy, right?”
It made sense to him, given his ability was enchantment and not elemental manipulation, but he wanted to keep every advantage he could.
“Thanks.” Vince regarded the cream, looked over at Kossetsu murmuring over Reyback, and then to Kale.
Kale shrugged.
“Ok.” He sat down and started applying the medicine.
Kale spoke up, “What’s your angle, Mister…?”
He didn’t stop to consider lying. Need to defuse this situation.
“Aidan works. No angle, I just want everyone to leave alive. Are we going to have trouble from your guild? We’re just an adventuring party,”
Kale paused.
“We’re not really in a guild yet. His-” he gestured at Reyback, “brother has a thing for us when we are more established.”
“Is he the vengeful type?”
“Don’t know, to be honest. I know he’s hard on him. There are a few reasons he wouldn’t want to ruin his reputation, though.”
Aidan pushed a little farther, “I’ll take it. Hey, about that magi-”
Vince cleared his throat and deadpanned, “Maybe we just wait in silence.”
Kale rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything after that.
Aidan put his hands up. “Fair enough, fair enough.”
I’ll look into them later. Shouldn’t be too hard.
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—Ki—
An hour after the fight, the intruders were gone and the party packed up camp in silence. Despite Kossetsu needing assistance from Aidan, Ki using a walking stick, and Cassie moving with a noticeable limp, they decided not to push their luck any further by staying to recover.
Aidan called them over to the dying campfire, then opened a pouch and took out a small, chicken-wing sized bone and a half-broken antler. After snapping the bone in half, then tossed both items into the dying campfire. He completed the ritual by placing a match under the wood, creating a column of emerald smoke.
Ki let the smoke wash over her, then motioned for Kossetsu and Cassie to do the same.
“I assume you did some preparation before entering to try to avoid encounters. This locks in the intent on the return trip,” Ki said.
Those materials weren’t cheap, either. Monster trophies, I’d guess.
Kossetsu spoke up, “Sorry I couldn’t fight them physically,” he coughed, then continued, “I did fight in my own way, though: just because I can heal doesn’t mean I have to do it correctly.”
All eyes fell on Kossetsu.
“I made sure he’d live, but his knee will heal incorrectly. He probably won’t be able to afford the level of healer it’ll take to heal it straight up, so he’ll have to re-break it. ‘Reyback’ won’t be able to bother anyone for quite a while.”
Kossetsu shuffled around nervously. “I hope… I hope you don’t think I’m a monster.”
Cassie patted him on his shoulder. “Nah, that’s badass! You gotta do what you gotta do.”
“…Besides, I’m seen as the monster anyways,” she added.
Ki hadn’t made an issue out of it, but after waking up, her body felt cold. The feeling was hard to describe—she wasn’t in pain, it was just a fact of life. The ‘hot’ tea she had been given tasted lukewarm, and the fire died down around her. Even the food they had just finished tasted like nothing. Her emotions had followed a similar pattern—it was almost like she was viewing them through a window and being told how she felt.
Cassie’s words shattered that window and made her heart pound.
Ki took a breath and pictured the blood in her body slowing down, letting the cold flow through to calm her nerves. She tried to remember the words she’d prepared.
“You obviously have a past with that guy. Frankly, he seemed like an abuser that got what’s coming to him. I respect how you handled that, Kossetsu.”
Ki then turned to Cassie. “Sorry for distracting you; I just got surprised, is all. You were really cool!”
Cassie’s face lit up. “Eh, you didn’t really distract me. Nothing like a good fight. I got a little sloppy, and he was decently strong.”
“I hope you're OK with the fact I got some advanced scouting on you,” Ki said.
Cassie put a hand on Ki’s shoulder. “If you're still squeamish about the mess, don’t worry—you get used to it. We can count that as training.”
The sound of glass shifted Ki’s attention. Aidan had opened his backpack and taken out three vials, each with a different color liquid. She recognized them instantly—adventuring potions.
She couldn’t help herself from fangirling.
It’s happening. Adventuring things are happening. Let's try to remember from college. Definitely not TV. Your everyday red potion will help clot blood, slow heart rate, dull pain, and raise body temperature—best used topically and when absolutely needed.
Blue works on some level with mana affinity and overuse. Yellow helps with physical speed, strength, endurance, and mental processing. All three are best used in desperate situations because of their side effects and really only put off consequences for later.
“I brought these in case of emergency,” Aidan said, giving the potions to Kossetsu.
“How would you hand these out? We can’t afford to have you push your body any further.”
Kossetsu sighed. “You’re right… I wish we could give Ki both the blue and yellow, but they don’t work well when taken together. My powers don’t do much for my own recovery, so let's give her the blue and hold on to the yellow until we see how it works.”
He handed Ki the blue vial, but she didn’t drink it.
“I’ll only drink it if you take the yellow one,” She said.
Kossetsu started to object, but Ki continued, “We’re a party. Honestly, I’m the least useful member right now. You’re the healer, objectively more important.”
He shook his head, but still drank the potion. In minutes, Kossetsu was moving around with less assistance, so Ki followed suit. Her eyes widened: she could actually taste.
Maybe that’s not a good thing.
She squeezed her eyes together, hit by an intense sour flavor that was rapidly turning bitter. Cassie tried to hide a laugh and handed her a hard, strawberry flavored candy. Ki put it in her mouth immediately, then eyed Cassie with suspicion.
“Did you know that it would be REALLY sour and then bitter?”
“Hmm.”
Cassie didn’t elaborate.
The group pushed through the veil surrounding the encounter. Aidan surveyed the forest, then took out a compass. Once he found the direction that caused the compass to glow gold, he led the group alongside a river, going opposite the current.
“What do you mean, ‘hmm?’ ” Ki pressed.
“Apparently it tastes different for everyone. I’ve only used it once to see the effects.” Cassie responded.
“I guess it’s a rite of passage, then?”
“Dunno, I’m not a licensed adventurer”
Ki raised her eyebrows. “You’re not an adventurer??”
“The challenge would be interesting, definitely. My annoying mentor gave me a goal to reach before I can do that, though.”
“You don’t seem the type to listen to another person,” Aidan said.
Cassie’s smile dropped. “You all certainly have some ideas about me… It’s a battle of wills now. He tries to hide it, but he doesn’t want me to adventure. If I back down now, he wins.”
Although the relief came slow, it came consistently enough that Ki was able to gradually use her ambient coldness to numb her pain. The rest of their journey through the First Circle was uneventful, and after half-an-hour of walking, the compass began to glow gold.
Ki turned to Cassie. “What did your first potion taste like?”
“Really sour. Then bitter.”