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“One way of advancement is through obtaining the ‘Keys’ created by the Vault. Each key can be obtained in the first, third, and fourth realm, with the added benefit of direct transportation to one of the Gates, aka ‘safe zones'. Of course, you’ll have to beat the Titan that lies at the end of a realm.”
— Anonymous’s Guide to Adventurer Rankings
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Fire.
Cassie’s earliest memory was of fire. Of flames that engulfed her vision and choked away her dreams.
In her dreams, she couldn’t feel anything besides the brightness of the fire. She didn’t feel the fear, the smell of smoke, or the scent of death.
She was sure they had been there.
Why can’t I remember the feeling?
A woman screamed.
A man’s voice rang in the background.
“NO. NO. NO. NO!”
The man’s voice grew shrill:
Accept this offering, O World:
「[҉༙྇[̳̦ͤ͋_̧̛̞̮̝͓̞͉̫̝ͧ̄̈͌͗̚͠͡͝_̷̨̢͖͙̻̟̆̐̕҉̯͇ͫͭ̉_̡̯͇̪͕̝͉͖̠̰̦̊̏̐̄̒͑͋ͨ̉ͦ̈͋̀̌͝」
Static.
Suddenly, Cassie was pulled away from the scream by an invisible force.
But her vision was still engulfed in fire.
Fire. Her earliest memory.
----------------------------------------
—Cassie—
Cassie awoke with a start, barely catching herself from rolling off the slanted roof. She wiped the sweat from her brow and closed her eyes.
Don’t let the nightmare win. Look: nothing changed. There’s no fire. Everything is alright.
Cassie opened her eyes, slowly this time, and surveyed the closest thing she had to a home. She looked toward the gate, then moved to the open air forge with an attached workshop (and the roof she was currently laying on). Past that lay the ancient willow tree overlooking a pond that glistened from the moonlight.
Cassie remembered when Ben caught her attempting to chop down a willow tree with an axe larger than herself. Of course, Ben wasn’t pleased with this development, but still pulled out old training dummies for her to hit instead.
Cassie smiled, not realizing she had adopted her natural smile—relaxed, unguarded.
The axe is still stuck there after all this time.
She didn’t have the heart to remove it once she’d named the tree Tara. She’d even surprised Ben by making a sign for it.
Would you still yell at me if I jumped from the tire swing into the water?
Across the pond, on the right side of the walls, stood a garage, as well as a small stable that could accommodate three or four horses. Neither were well-maintained, though thanks to a certain new guest, they looked the best they had in years.
Then came the inn, a two-floor log building with eight lodging rooms situated at the back of the structure. Ben spent most of his time in the attached building next to it that held a library on the first floor and his workshop on the second—usually emitting some kind of colored smoke from the chimney.
All in all, the entire complex wasn’t enormous, but it was large enough to give some privacy from one side to another.
After losing her parents nineteen years ago, it never truly became a home for her, but Cassie did have some fond memories. She loved listening to the adventurers and their tall tales, learning about animals, and even undergoing (self-led) training. She was five and didn’t understand many adventurers were avoiding the horrors of war—to her, it was a glimpse of her parents.
Some bad memories, like an extremely rough breakup, still had bright spots: she came back to this place and (unintentionally) helped Ben develop a new hangover cure.
The reminiscing sent Cassie back to a lethargic, post-nap attitude. She looked at the stars, tracing imaginary shapes in her mind.
The world’s so big, but so small.
She sighed. I might finally have an adventuring party like he wanted.
I’m done waiting. I’m going to reach for greater heights.
Greater than they ever reached.
Cassie heard something underneath her, so she shifted her perception, unconsciously heightening her hearing toward the sound of a conversation. She had been compared to a cat before, and she understood why—things like this situation got her that reputation. She didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but she wasn’t going to move from her spot.
Tough luck if they say anything wild.
The first voice was a girl, maybe around fifteen years old. “A-are you doing okay, Ko? You were really beat up.”
The other was a boy, clearly Kossetsu. “Yeah… Yeah, definitely. Not to brag, but I got told I was the most important part of the party.”
“I told you! You gotta believe in yourself more,” the girl replied.
“Ow!”
“I didn’t hit you that hard, you baby,” the girl said.
“Yeah yeah.”
Giggling.
“You’re free to hit back!”
“What can I say? I’m not just a supporter of women’s rights: I also support women’s wrongs.”
“What an excuse! Alright, as a representative of all women: I’ll let you off the hook.”
They both burst out laughing.
After they caught their breath, Kossetsu said, “Let’s go inside, I think dinner’s ready,”
The duo entered her vision as they crossed the path and into the inn. Kossetsu looked more relaxed, settling for wearing a fitted sweatshirt, a beanie, and darkened glasses. Walking nearly arm-in-arm with him was a shorter girl with black hair tied up in an updo, wearing an oversized sweatshirt that fell to her mid-thigh.
The new girl’s name was Xia. Cassie didn’t know her, but after not speaking to Ben for a few months, she didn’t feel the need to push for information. Plus, Xia’s reasons for staying away from civilization and why she needed a place to stay were more obvious than Kossetsu’s.
Not only was she young and on her own, but she was an ‘Afflicted’.
Each major race of the world, collectively called mortals, had branches, like night elves. Some branches were purely social divisions, while others had tangible differences. The Afflicted were separate from all of those. They all had some kind of ‘monstrous’ trait like the horns of a ‘demon’, scales, or anything that deviated too far from the world’s socially accepted animal traits.
For most of history, they had either been hunted as devils or whisked away to be a village’s god. Actually murdering them was banned everywhere— except Taitale—by the Fourth Age, but it wasn’t until the end of the Great War fifteen years ago that the ‘devils’ were finally defined as Mortal. Now, they were just mortals afflicted with dark magic from the dungeons.
Xia was an Oni. She had ruby-red skin and two small black horns protruding from her forehead, but otherwise shew as just an overactive, slightly-smaller-than-average teenage girl.
A concerning gurgle came from Cassie’s stomach, making her realize she hadn’t eaten since the fight with Reyback.
Ah, right. Food.
She hopped down from the roof and made her way towards the inn.
And Ki.
Cassie stepped into the inn and caught sight of Ki, arm-in-arm with Myrah.
Her stress returned.
Huh.
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—Ki—
It’s. A. Real. Adventuring. Lodge!!!
Ki leaned against the wooden railing overlooking the first floor, trying to contain her excitement. After leaving her room, she’d been entranced by the candles—each with a differently colored flame—surrounding three chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. The flames danced brilliantly and filled the first and second floor with a warm glow.
She took in the rest of the lodge: at the bottom of the stairs to the first level, Kossetsu and an Oni girl were sitting on two large L-sectional sofas set in front of a roaring fireplace. On the opposite side of the room, Aidan and Ben were placing an array of food onto a banquet hall table.
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The lighting, her hunger, and the rich fusion of smells from food, smoke, and old wood buried Ki in a trance.
Is this heaven?
Myrah looked at Ki with concern.
“Are you okay?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah,” she replied, unconsciously taking Myrah’s arm.
Myrah guided her across the carpeted walkway, past three other rooms on the second floor, and down the staircase.
“Do you want to sit down? Can you walk on your own?” Myrah asked.
A look of determination came across Ki’s face. “I am so hungry right now—this is a quest I must overcome myself.”
Myrah raised an eyebrow, but let go of Ki’s arm. She rubbed her hands together for warmth and headed over to Kossetsu and the girl.
Ki started making her way to the food. She was fairly sure she was delusional again, but she swore she saw a golden chalice on the table across the room. The journey will be arduous, but I must undergo this mission—
It was suddenly much easier to walk.
She looked out of the corner of her eye, finding her arm around Cassie, now bearing much of Ki’s weight.
The mission can wait.
“Hey, Cassie.” Ki said, trying to sound lucid.
“Hey yourself. Looked like you needed some help.”
Immediately after taking a seat, Ki was surrounded. Multiple voices spoke at once, but the clamor was soon quieted by Ben.
“Let’s all give her a little space and take a seat.”
Aidan and Cassie flanked her, while Kossetsu, Myrah, and the Oni girl sat across from her. While everyone got situated, Ki tried to stop her mouth from watering at the feast.
It’s like a harvest festival!
Ben gestured for them to start, before heading back into the adjoining kitchen.
Kossetsu looked over. “Should we wait?”
“Nope!” Cassie grabbed food, allowing everyone else to start the meal guilt-free.
Ki dug in as well, barely taking time to savor the food.
The oni girl stood up.
“Hi there everyone! Fo—” she swallowed her mouthful of food, “for those I haven’t talked to yet, my name is Xia~. Pleasure to meet all of you!”
She looked at Ki. “You’re Ki, right? Kossetsu said you have some super-cool ice powers!”
Ki shyly gripped a mug of beer. Oh you were so wrong, Ki. THIS is the power of a popular-phase girl.
“Super-cool, good one.”
Xia burst out laughing and slapped a jumpy Kossetsu on the shoulder. “Oh! I didn’t even do that on purpose!”
Ki continued, “Ha, either way, I just started using magic—I’m not anything special. Kossetsu, Aidan, and Cassie are all way cooler”
“Cooler, nishe!” Xia said, her teeth sunken into a cob of corn.
Xia took a napkin offered by Myrah and kept chatting without losing a beat. During a quiet period, Ki cleared her throat and gripped the mug tighter.
“Everyone: thank you for saving me today—er, the other day. I don’t have a great excuse for being stupid, so…”
Kossetsu smiled and Aidan started to respond in a fatherly tone, but Cassie spoke over him.
“You gotta be stupid sometimes if you want to test your limits! Only way I’ll be angry is if you keep apologizing.”
Ki sensed the same look from Aidan that he’d given her on the return journey.
He said, “It’s good to recognize dumb decisions and learn from them so you don’t continue to make dumb decisions. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve made plenty of them. Even though I don’t agree with your method, I get why you did it.”
Xia didn’t let the uncomfortable quiet hang around.
“Why did you do what? You fought a bear or something, right?”
Ki started to stutter a response, until Myrah picked up Xia’s mug and said, “Is this wine?”
Xia put her hand behind her head and giggled. “I’m, like, a demon basically—so alcohol has no power over me.”
“Is that how it works?”
Xia hiccuped.
Kossetsu turned to Myrah and hissed, “Sis.”
“What? Someone needs to be a responsible adult.”
Kossetsu stood up.
“Hey Xia, you full? I wanna show you something cool by the pond.”
“Let’s go!” She raised an arm, cheered, and left with Kossetsu.
After they were gone, Myrah sniffed the mug and laughed, shaking her head.
“Nope, that’s apple juice.”
———
After the meal, Ben came back with another green vial. Ki, much to her regret, drank it without question.
What is it with the Orthos family and giving me bitter drinks!?
She took a drink from the beer she was nursing, and before she could curse herself for drinking another bitter beverage, she widened her eyes.
How is it so cold? Didn’t he say my magic was under control?
Ben sat down, methodically cutting and portioning a plateful of food. Cassie barely let him take a single bite before she spoke.
“Grandpa, I think I got myself a party now. You gonna get me that license?”
He stopped cutting a slice of meat. “Have you asked your 'party’ if they want actually want to be a party?”
“Uh,” she turned to Ki, “you want to be an adventurer too, right?”
SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES
Ki’s actual response surprised herself, “I’m probably only good for refrigerating food, to be honest.”
Aidan spoke to Cassie with a tinge of heat in his voice, “She just got out of a life-or-death situation, don’t make decisions for her.”
The corner of Cassie’s lip raised, but she otherwise ignored him. Catching Ki’s eye line, she said, “Damn, you didn’t seem like the type of person to settle for mediocrity. Not after everything I’ve seen you do.”
Mediocrity.
You did settle for Mediocrity. Over.
And Over.
And Over.
Myrah said, “That’s not fair, Cassandra, Kiseki is clearly trying her hardest”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Listen Myrah, I know you have the whole pure and pristine vibe going for you, but I caught the outli—”
“You’re wrong,” Ki said, staring into the mug’s ripples.
“I am the type of person to settle for mediocrity. In my past life I did it again and again.”
A tear fell halfway down Ki’s cheek, leaving a glistening, frozen trail.
Aidan involuntarily shuddered from a sudden burst of cold air.
The mug’s liquid froze as Ki said, “But you’re also right: in this life, I will not be the type of person to settle. I wish you had asked first, but maybe this is the kick I needed.”
She looked around the table. “Maybe it’s something we could all use?”
The raging fire in Ki’s eyes met the roiling waves in Cassie’s.
“I’m in.”
Ben cleared his throat and stood up. “Cassandra, let’s speak in private.”
Cassie remained locked with Ki for a while longer, then went outside with Ben.
“Uh…” Ki looked apologetically at Aidan and Myrah.
Myrah didn’t respond, while Aidan scratched the back of his head.
“Listen, I’m not going to stop you,” he said.
“Will you join me, though?”
“I tried the adventuring thing a couple times. To be honest, I can’t keep going back to that forest. Not after everything that’s happened.”
He sighed.
“…If it’s the other Dungeons, I guess someone should come with you two and make sure no one tries to ‘learn from stupidity’.”
“That works for me!” Ki said, her tears replaced with a beaming smile.
Myrah started piling empty plates. Not knowing how to approach her, Ki just followed suit. After the three cleared the table, Myrah’s normally serene face was replaced with a penetrating gaze that made Ki shift anxiously.
“Are you going to rope Kossetsu into this?”
“I-I don’t know. I guess I was going to ask him since—”
“He’s barely sixteen.”
Ki tried to gather her thoughts for a proper response, but Aidan beat her to the punch.
“Is he going to stop going behind your back?”
Myrah’s eyes darkened.
“I do not like your implication. Please, expand on that statement.”
Aidan’s matched Myrah’s intensity. “I’m not saying it’s anything you did. I think you know more than anyone that he is pushing himself to worrying limits. Teenage angst will only make that worse. Unless you want to lock him up, I’d suggest a party of people that care about him is the best place for him.”
“…”
Myrah left, leaving Ki and Aidan alone.
“Are you going to keep arguing with everyone?” Ki said, clenching her jaw.
Aidan rubbed his eyes. “What do you mean? I probably just got Kossetsu and Myrah to join the party.”
“It’s not only that. It’s pretty obvious you have a problem with someone.”
“I don’t like arguing and confrontation. In fact, I detest it, but…” He trailed off and took a seat at the table.
“What?” Ki pressed.
“…If I don’t do it, no one will. I’m not making that mistake again.”
Why does it always end up like this? Why can’t we see eye-to-eye?
Why?
“Why now?” Ki took a breath, “Why care so much now?”
Aidan winced. “What do you want me to say? That I fucked up? Well, I fucked up. I’m sorry. I let your parents take you on that insane journey, then left you alone and scared in the city. All because of my personal shit.”
It was Aidan’s turn to clench his jaw.
“I’m not asking for your forgiveness—I don’t deserve it. I know I have no right to say this, but I want you to thrive, to speak your mind, and to not change yourself for anyone ever again,” he said.
“Based on the looks you’ve been giving, I sense I’m not doing those things,” Ki said, continuing to let her inner thoughts spill out.
“Okay, I’ll be honest: I see the way you look at Cassie, and I’m worried you’ll go along with anything she says. Because of my mistakes.”
Ki sat beside Aidan.
Don’t give in to the guilt.
He’s obviously in the wrong.
…
Damn it.
“You’re not so important that you’re the root of every issue, and there’s no need to be a martyr. You aren’t the only one trying to make up for their history of avoiding problems,” Ki said.
“Please don’t treat me with kid gloves. Like, there are plenty of ways I’ve been a massive jerk in the short time we’ve been back together.”
A smile escaped Aidan’s face. “I mean…”
She returned the smile. “I get where you’re coming from. I’ll promise to be myself if you promise the same.”
Liar.
“Fair enough. Let’s take everything one step at a time, then,” Aidan said.
They moved to the couches, telling stories about their time apart. The mood improved dramatically, though Ki had a nagging thought in the back of her mind.
How do I be myself if I’ve never been myself in the first place?
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—Cassie—
Cassie crossed her arms at Ben, who was pretending to be more interested in his personal garden.
“So, what’s your excuse now?” Cassie asked.
Ben gripped the railing until his hands turned white.
“Excuse? Is that what you think it is? Do you think it’s fun for me to tell someone to not follow their dreams?”
I’m not backing down this time.
“Yeah, I do think it’s an excuse. You wanna know what I think the real reason is?”
“Go ahead, enlighten me.”
Cassie found her fevered pitch stopped in its tracks.
How does he do it? Stop my every—
She pictured the roaring fire in Ki’s eyes.
“You think I’ll end up like mom and dad.”
“I know you will.”
As if that’s a bad thing.
“When I was little you shared stories about them defying monsters, the government, destiny, and anything or anyone else that stood in their way. It’s NOT FAIR to tell me those stories and expect me to want something different!”
“So that’s what you want to do? Be your parents and follow in their footsteps?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Ben!” She shouted.
Cassie let out more emotion than she intended, causing her aura to brush against Ben’s. He showed no signs of discomfort as he walked over.
I won’t let you make me feel like a kid.
Ben gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“What are your words, then?”
“I want to go past where their footsteps end. Not for them, but for me. I love the rush of adventure, the clash of wills in battle. Sometimes, I even enjoy the people I meet.”
“And the glory?”
“Sure, glory is a nice side bonus if it leads to greater challenges,” Cassie said.
She met Ben’s gaze. “I’m going to do this, with or without you. I don’t plan to die and abandon you like they did.”
Ben took his hand off her shoulder and walked back to the garden. He was a calm, peaceful man that found his thrills in scientific discovery and community.
That made it all the more jarring when she saw anger flash across his face.
Huh…?
She saw him struggle to contain his emotions.
Why do I feel…?
Cassie felt an ache in her chest.
He lost a daughter.
And my dad was just as close to him.
He’s been dealing with everything on his own.
And I’m treating him like that.
“Grandpa,” she said, in a low tone.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. That was wrong of me.”
“I want to show you something,” Ben said, grabbing a pitcher of water.
They moved to the center of the garden, where a plaque lay in front of a bird bath. Each corner had a sun and moon painstakingly engraved into it, and the entire area of the bath was surrounded with multicolored flowers. None of that mattered to her right now. Her attention was fixed on the raised lettering of the plaque:
‘Dedicated to Tara and Aichen Orthos.
Ever forward.’
“I used to talk to them every day—even about the little things,” Ben filled the bird bath, “they even helped me make some major breakthroughs.”
“I promised them I’d keep you safe. After we saw less of each other, it became harder and harder to tell them I was fulfilling that promise.”
Grandpa…
“There’s something I left off my list,” Cassie said, her voice breaking.
“I want to make you proud.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” he wiped away a tear, “I understand you have your own dream and are determined to follow it. You even found someone apart from me that will put up with you.”
Ben hugged her. “Let’s keep that promise together, okay?”
“I promise,” Cassie said.
Ben whispered, “If you are going to do this, you are going to do it correctly. It won’t be easy. When you ask for the same training they did back then, I will make it even harder.”
Cassie found her own eyes watering.
“That’s exactly what I want.”