Jinni sat on the corridor railings, watching the Hunters below. They frolicked and drank, indulging in their terrible taste in music. They were all part of The Herald, a settlement of hunters serving him. The wind blew through his long dark hair. There’s something in particular he loved about this spot. The view and the feel. The sense of being above the world. Darius walked in, dipping his hands on the bowl of water of water placed at the entrance.

“Pyrovile was saved,” Jinni said, coming down from the rails. “Adventurers stopped the volcano and saved the town from corrupt nobles. How do you make of this?”

Darius remained quiet. The room was poorly lit, like an unexplored cave. He walked forward, his steps making a soft thud on the wooden floors, then silent as he stepped on the bear rug at the centre.

“Good taste,” Darius whispered, looking down.

“A friend of mine got me that. Said it was a rarity in these parts. I still have some meat left if you want?”

“I’m not here for breakfast, Jinni. This is getting out of hand,” Darius said, voice heavy and a bit concerned.

“And what is getting out of hand? Please do educate me”

Darius walked towards the balcony, removing his coat. He was a towering figure with numerous battle scars inscribed on his back.

Jinni sat on the couch, crossing his legs. “Whatever the problem is. You should be able to handle it,” he stretched out his hand. A long sword flew to them.

“The cold not only freezes one’s body. But the heart and soul as well. I am here for the tranquillity, for the quiet,” Darius faced Jinni.

Jinni furrowed his brow, sat upright, and crossed his hands. “Shouldn’t that be more of a reason to take care of it, or should I have to do it myself?”

“I thought this was a holy place?”

“But I still make the rules,” Jinni snapped. With swiftness, he moved his sword to Darius' neck, “Listen. I don’t have the patience for your pathetic behaviour. The adventurers are causing more trouble, especially at Rukashevya. My hunters are having a difficult time dealing with them. I’ve also heard rumours of a rogue band of hunters. I believe you know something about them, considering how you sent your brother to one”

“Your blade looks sharp. Yet, it’s not sharp enough to cut fire,” Darius whispered.

Jinni, angered, said. “And what do you mean?”

“You’re playing with fire, Jinni. Getting this much attention will do no good for your plans. The head might later be involved,” Darius said, his blood dripping on the blade. “That man is a prodigy, his gift rumoured to singlehandedly defeat the five, yet you plan to anger him”

Jinni pushed his sword further into Darius’ neck. “Bloodborne does not scare me. Not even the famed general of the sixth. Why do you think neither of them has arrived to stop this?” he asked, drawing back his sword.

“The others have arrived,” a voice said.

Facing Darius, Jinni said, “We are done here, then.”

Darius cleaned off the blood from his neck. “Let’s leave Ryder”

“I’ll take care of the adventurers,” Ryder said. “The ones I’m able to handle that is”

Jinni scanned the young man. A compact, dark-haired figure with a small build and questionable eyes. He was called the drummer, though no one knew why. Rumour had it his gift was extraordinary, and he was also able to use the three great powers as easily as breathing. At just twenty years old, he possessed an unsettling demeanour for someone with such a powerful gift. The world can be such a cruel place. But...

“I would prefer you handle it. Darius,” Jinni said. “It’s an order. I don’t like to waste any more time on this matter”

Darius stepped forward, his eyes looking down at Jinni. “My boy already said he’ll handle it”

“But I want you,” Jinni said, unperturbed.

“Mind your tone,” Darius said quietly. The wind howled, pouring snow into the room. A barrier blocked them outside until it broke.

Jinni sighed. “That mechanism cost a lot, you know”

“As told, I’m here for the tranquillity. I’ll do what was ordered. After I leave this wretched kingdom for the infection such as yourself”

A sword was at Darius’ neck. This time, Jinni wasn’t using it as a threat.

Ryder stood back, his arms clasped around his back. He observed.

Darius closed his eyes. The howling wind halted, and the snow also stopped pouring in.

Jinni smirked. Sometimes, you have to show them where they stand; he thought.

“Yes, I agree. Show them where they stand”

Jinni’s eyes went wide with shock. Did he just read my thoughts?

Darius’ eyes opened, still looking down at Jinni. “Your mindset is that of a child who’s learnt how to throw a stone. How could I possibly read your mind? When your soul says it all,” he whispered. “Humans have a strong will towards something. Whether it is as extravagant as ruling the world or fooling around, it is still nothing but a will. But one is always greater than the other. While you are planning on becoming the strongest and most influential swordsman in the kingdom,” he leaned in closer. “I want to be the strongest in the world. Now tell me, why would the strongest take others from a simple swordsman? Now drop your sword”

Jinni bit his lips, swinging his sword at Darius. At that moment, all the metal equipment and weapons flew to Darius.

“Die!” Jinni screamed.

“Drop your sword, Jinni,” Darius said in a low voice, his coating seeping out a bloody red and dark hue. The air shattered, and so did the weapons. The hunters below looked up at the tower; it felt distorted. They hurried up.

Darius held Jinni’s sword. Dropping it to the floor. Jinni just stood, his eyes on Darius. A man with no gift, just an ordinary man, they told him. He knew but ignored it. The leader of the most formidable group of hunters in the world, he has always wondered what their goal in the fourth was. And why he’s helping him.

“Ryder. Seventeen of them,” Darius whispered.

“Roger,” Ryder said. He snapped his finger as the walls downstairs spawned out spikes, thrusting into the hunters that came forth.

Darius glared at Ryder. The kid is an extraordinary one. Even when his gift was out at work, he managed to handle himself well without it.

They both walked out of the entrance. Darius stopped. “And, Jinni. I’ll get you what you want. But first, I’ll have my tranquillity,” he said, leaving.

Jinni picked his sword, clenching his fist. “DARIUS!”

*

A month passed swift as the shifting tides of the ocean. Emilia wrote. Fishing is surprisingly difficult. You have to sit for hours waiting for any unlucky critter to take the hook. We’ve encountered some simple monsters on the way, too. Nothing Mr Swordsman and Pasta can’t handle. As for me, hehe. Silly me, just sat there and watched. What can you do when you’re the weakest, right?

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

We took on a few other commissions as well, like helping an old lady gather apples from her orchard. Pasta wanted to steal some. Thank goodness I caught him in time. The kind old woman still gifted us a basket in the end. We climbed some mountains, arrived at a military camp and lots more. Oh, and we also went fishing. I think I’ve already said that, but who cares? I had a lot of fun. Pasta had been meditating a lot lately. The heavens only know what happened to him overnight. Mr Swordsman also has been acting strangely again. Sometimes on a good day, he’s all talkative and, dare I say, ecstatic. But on others, especially sometimes after a fight. He becomes strangely quiet. Must be a warrior thing, Dad sometimes acted like that, but he was mostly hungry. Hehehe.

We are en route to the border city and can see it from a distance. Well, that’s it for today." Emilia closed her journal and tucked it back into her bag.

“You’ve been writing a lot in your diary these days,” Pasta said, his hands on the back of his head.

“It’s not a diary, but a journal. I want the older me to at least have some sort of entertainment”

Pasta dropped his hands. “Huh? You’re speaking like I’m going to die”

“So now you’re a form of entertainment?”

“I am your entertainment,” Pasta giggled.

Emilia sighed and pulled out her newly bought water container, taking a long sip before speaking. “Here I am still wondering what Tori sees in you”

Mr. Swordsman glanced back briefly, then turned his gaze forward once more.

“Tori? What does that mean?” Pasta asked.

“Forget about it”

“Please, just tell me”

Emilia changed the topic. “How do you think Hudson and Mary are doing?”

Pasta chuckled. “I almost forgot about that guy. I hope he does not bump into any mercenaries”

“I won’t be surprised if he and Mary got married,” she giggled. Moving her hands in a devious manner. “I’ve already planted the seeds there”

Pasta glared at her. “Gross”

She stumped her foot on the floor. “It’s not gross. I was just doing what any friend would. Plant the seeds to help sprawl a beautiful relationship”

“I see, a beautiful relationship,” he said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “But Hudson isn’t into Mary. That should be obvious.”

Emilia rubbed her head. “You really can’t read the room, can you? Now, answer me this: if he isn’t interested in Mary, then who is the lucky person?”

“Mr Swordsman, of course,” Pasta said bluntly.

Mr Swordsman stopped in his tracks, almost tipping himself over. “W-What did you just say?”

Emilia shook her head. “And why would you say that?”

“I don’t mean it as a romantic thing. He’s just always around Mr Swordsman, especially during the battle and afterwards. You hardly see him with her. They spend less time together, and that’s only when they eat.”

“And because of that, it can’t be Mary?”

“Absolutely”

Emilia walked ahead. “You boys sure take things the wrong way. It’s so common among you all, it’s almost scary.”

Mr Swordsman glared at Pasta. “You need some help, Pasta. You really do,” he said, leaving him behind.

“What did I do?” Pasta asked.

*

Verdantia is the border city of the seventh realm. Its great walls provide security for the city. Adventurers restock their equipment and necessities here before leaving for the fourth realm or venturing deeper into the seventh. Retired individuals love staying here due to its down-to-earth security. Mr. Swordsman stared at the huge walls from afar, which seemed to stretch all around the realm. The seventh: a land of prosperity, he thought.

“Finally, we’re almost out!” Pasta screamed, stretching his arms.

Emilia stared at the skies. “It’s been a long journey. We can finally leave the realm,” she said. “Hey, look!”

Bluebirds with long feathers flew overhead. They flew playfully, leaving the city. Emilia and Pasta watched in awe as Mr Swordsman stole peeks of it.

“Okay,” Emilia said, clapping her hands. “First things first. According to the Adventurer’s Guild, it takes around twenty days to arrive at Rukashevya, the capital of the fourth realm, on foot, and that’s if we don’t sleep. A carriage ride takes six to seven days. Merchants often accompany adventurers to the Fourth Realm if they paid a fee. Pasta and I will head to the Merchant’s Guild to arrange some assistance.”

“Yeah, let’s do this!”

Mr Swordsman frowned. “What am I supposed to do then”

Emilia pointed at him. “You should rest. You were still recovering from the whole volcano incident, then you got yourself injured again”

Mr Swordsman stared at her. “It’s been over a month. I’m fine”

“No, no. I don’t want to hear it. Go get an inn, have some rest, maybe read a book or something. I just need you to relax”

“I should still follow. Remember, I was the one tasked with protecting you both”

“This city has the highest security in the entire realm. A food thief couldn’t even run up to the next street without being caught over here. We’ll be fine.”

“Let’s meet at the gates, an hour from now,” Mr. Swordsman said. He left them and went to the closest inn he could find.

Pasta and Emilia visited the merchant’s guild, which was quite different from the adventurer’s guild. Instead of rowdy and drunk individuals boasting about their accomplishments, the atmosphere here was more refined. The interior resembled a large office where business ideas and ventures were being discussed. Emilia bravely stepped forward, expecting the common feeling of walking into a room and being stared at like an outsider, which she indeed was in this case. The sensation was to be overwhelming.

Nothing happened. No one even laid her eyes on her. They were all too busy with their own work to give her their time. An adventurer here for the same reason, there was nothing special there.

Emilia’s face turned bright red, and she was upset. Why? Because the people here are rude. They should have at least greeted her or something. Of course, she would have shy out of the situation, but maybe she’ll make an effort to respond. No, she wouldn’t. Her mind was in disarray. She was both happy and upset at the same time.

Pasta watched his sister fall into a mental breakdown. She held head and spoke to herself before taking a deep breath. She brought back her senses and put on her ‘I don’t care’ face.

He followed her from behind as they arrived at the counter. The young man there wore glasses as he studied the documents placed in front of him. He spoke to himself for some time before he faced the siblings.

“How may I help you, adventurers?” he asked.

Emilia cleared her throat. “We’re here to find a merchant who is willing to guide us to the fourth”

“So?” the receptor asked.

“Hu- That’s it”

The receptor sighed and continued working on his documents. “That’s your job, not mine. I’m not here to ask every merchant if they want to accompany you. Ask them yourself”

“Ask them myself?”

“Yes genius”

Emilia stared into the building. There should be over twenty of them. Her body shivered. She had to ask strangers again. What if they ignore her or say no? She couldn’t imagine what she’d do after.

“I’ll go,” Pasta said.

Emilia tugged on his shirt, shaking her head. How many times will she have to rely on others? Their destination was getting closer, and so was her fate. She was scared, but she had always ignored it. Dealing with the boys was easy. Solving the puzzle, even as scary as it was, was also easy. The underground tunnels were dark and filled with strange noises, yet she still managed to guide the people out. But. But for some reason, she just couldn’t bring herself to speak to strangers. Memories of her father surfaced, and his voice echoed in her mind.

“You’re a shy one,” he said in a husky voice. “Come now, go say hi to your older brother.” He pushed baby Emilia forward. She stared at him with teary eyes. What brother? This was her first time seeing him. Pasta picked his nose and waved to her. She was scared of the marks on his body. Why did he have those marks? Emilia wondered. Kid Pasta ran to her and fell on his face. Mud covering everything. Emilia giggled. Hesitating a bit, she moved her little legs to him, helping him up.

“Sowy,” she said.

“That was nothing,” he replied with a smile. “I am the mighty Pasta after all”

Emilia held on to Pasta’s shirt. Taking the first step was always the hardest. Even if it becomes a disaster, she’ll still need to do it.

Pasta paused and observed Emilia as she approached the seated mercenaries, who fell silent upon her arrival.

“I- “

“Hey now. We know why you’re here and no. We don’t want adventurers accompanying us to the fourth realm”

Emilia bit her lip, her eyes on the floor. Every ounce of her body wanted her to shed tears. No. she clenched her fist.

“I-I haven’t even s-sai.”

The mercenaries laughed. “Hey girl, what are you trying to say? Ok now, scram”

Pasta watched.

Emilia's eyes finally went teary, but a tear didn’t drop. She still managed to hold it in. How could she do it just by thinking about it? Pasta should have spoken; Mr Swordsman would have scared them for behaving like this. Yet all she could do was cower and stand in place. Pasta was watching her. She wiped her tears. Her older brother was watching her.

Emilia raised her head. “We are looking for someone to accompany us to the fourth realm!” she exclaimed loudly. The entire building fell silent, all eyes on her. She took a deep breath; it was evident that her approach was not well received. That’s not how you ask for help, she thought. They must have viewed her as foolish for shouting. Emilia had barely started walking back to Pasta when a voice interrupted her.

“I’m on my way to the fourth realm,” a merchant said, standing. “Head to the gates in thirty minutes. Don’t be late.” The merchant left.

“Thank you, thank you!” Emilia said, bowing numerous times. Her tears flowed down her cheeks. These were not ones of despair.

Pasta rubbed his sister’s hair. “You did great, Emi”

Emilia chuckled. “Told you, I’ll handle it”

*

The merchant glared at Mr. Swordsman.

“I assumed it was just the two of you,” he said.

Emilia laughed nervously. “My bad, I forgot to mention Mr Swordsman.”

“Mr. Swordsman? What kind of name is that?”

“He doesn’t have a name, so we gave him one,” Pasta said.

“I’m sorry, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Emilia and this is my older brother, Pasta,” Emilia said.

The merchant sighed. “You all have the strangest names. I’m Bhaahinakandas. Call me Bhaa for short. But don’t misuse it.”

Pasta, Emilia, and Mr. Swordsman held in their laughter.

“Hey, what’s wrong with all of you?” Bhaa asked.

“It’s nothing,” they all said as they entered the wagon.

“Well, I hope so,” Bunka said as he rode the wagon through the gates.

Emilia and Pasta stuck their heads out, looking back. It was a fun adventure, with its ups and downs. Now it’s time for a new journey. The anticipation could make them scream. Being adventurers won’t last forever as they wish. As a pleasurable dream, everything must someday come to an end.