Page 16

Try Again

“ G et up!” Kuro barked, shoving me so hard I nearly fell off my bed. “It’s your turn to get the fire ready for breakfast!”

I groaned and rolled over, an arm draped over my eyes. Even just a quick glance told me it was still dark outside. Really dark. Like far too early to get up dark.

“Isn’t it your turn?” I grumbled, my voice gravelly with sleep.

“No. It’s my turn tomorrow.”

“You said that yesterday.”

“I’m the one that keeps track of the chores the best! All you lazy bums want to do is sleep! We have to get out there and hunt monsters and make money so we can afford to eat at a tavern again! I’m tired of rations and slop!”

“If I get up, will you shut the hell up?” I growled.

“I don’t like your tone, Ollie.”

He knew I hated that nickname. That’s why he continued to use it all the time. However, I knew if I argued with him, he’d just keep arguing back. The man was impossible and anything that got me away from him, even chores, was a blessing in my book.

I groaned again and forced myself to sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The cold stone floor sent a shiver up my spine as my bare feet touched it. Kuro stood there, arms crossed, a smug grin on his face.

“There, was that so hard?” he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I shot him a glare and stumbled to my feet, grabbing my cloak from the hook by the door. As I fumbled with the clasp, Kuro continued his morning lecture.

“You know, when I was a squire, we had to be up before dawn every day. Rain or shine, snow or sleet. You’ve got it easy here in the barracks.”

“You were a squire for five days,” I muttered, pushing past him to the bedroom door. “And it’s never snowed here.”

The door behind me shut, cutting off whatever retort he had.

Crossing through the main room, I pushed my way through the front door and out into the chilly pre-dawn air.

The streets were quiet at this time of day.

At least they were in our neck of the woods.

I was sure the main barracks were already bustling, but out here in the slums, things were still fairly quiet.

One of the perks of not having to live with all the rest of the newbies I supposed.

I walked around the side of the house to gather the wood and start the fire only to find Kai already sitting there, flames blazing in front of him.

“Hey there, Oliver,” he said cheerfully, as if it weren’t well before the ass-crack of dawn. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Until Kuro ruined it.”

Kai chuckled softly, his brown eyes twinkling in the firelight. “He does have a talent for that, doesn’t he?”

I slumped down next to Kai, grateful for the warmth of the fire. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to save up enough money to have a mage cast Silence on him while he sleeps.”

“Now, now,” Kai said, his voice gentle but firm. “We both know you’re above that kind of pettiness.”

I sighed, knowing he was right. As much as Kuro drove me crazy, I couldn’t bring myself to actually harm him. We were a team, after all. Even if some members of that team were insufferable.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

Kai pulled out a small scroll from his pocket. “Well, there’s really not much to do but get out there and try again, right?”

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

“I made a trip up to the RSB this morning and they haven’t posted any low-level hunts for quite a while. The lowest one I found was for a thirty-foot serpent in a nearby lake.” He glanced over at me. “Apparently it spits acid.”

“Gods…” I muttered, staring at him wide-eyed. “We’d be dead in an instant.”

He nodded. “Yeah. So, I figure we’ll stick to kobolds today. If we can get one of them alone, maybe we can take it down before it has a chance to call its friends.”

I nodded, trying to hide my apprehension.

Kobolds were dangerous enough, even if we could isolate one.

Their pack mentality made them formidable opponents, especially for novices like us.

If they got a chance to call for help, we’d be screwed.

We’d learned that the hard way the day before.

Thank the gods for Sky, or we’d already be dead.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, forcing a smile. “At least we know what we’re up against with kobolds.”

Kai placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We’ll be fine, Oliver. We’ve got each other’s backs. And we’ve got you, our noble cleric!”

His praise sent a warmth through me that had nothing to do with the fire.

I quickly looked away, hoping he didn’t notice the flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

He thought so highly of me and as far as I was concerned, I didn’t deserve any of it.

But that was part of his charm and the reason he was our leader.

He could motivate nearly anyone no matter how pathetic they were.

“Yeah, well, let’s hope Kuro doesn’t decide to charge in headfirst like last time,” I grumbled, desperate to change the subject.

Kai chuckled. “I’ll keep him in check. You focus on staying alert and ready with those healing spells. We’ll need them if we’re going to make it through the day.”

I nodded, trying to shake off my lingering doubts.

As we sat in comfortable silence, the sky began to lighten, painting the clouds in soft pinks and oranges.

The sounds of the city waking up gradually filled the air - merchants setting up their stalls, the clang of the blacksmith’s hammer, the distant shouts of RSB members preparing for their daily patrols.

“I’m sure glad Sky was around to help us yesterday,” Kai said, breaking the silence. “That was lucky.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Lucky.”

“Too bad he didn’t want to join us permanently. Not sure if he’s the type for that though.”

I perked up at that, wishing for the same thing myself. But Kai was right, Sky definitely didn’t seem like the type to join up with a group. And after his outburst once we’d gotten back to town, I was left wondering why.

“Something happened to him,” I said slowly. “Don’t you think?”

Kai nodded. “Something happens to everyone, eventually.” His voice took on a somber tone. “You just gotta figure out how to live with it. And sometimes, being alone is the only way to do that. ”

I stared up at him, caught off guard by his sudden declaration of wisdom. But he just shook his head and smiled.

“I don’t know why I said that,” he shrugged. “Or at least, I don’t remember why I feel that way. Maybe something happened to me before we were brought here.”

“I wish I could remember sometimes,” I nodded. “But then I think that maybe my old life wasn’t good. Maybe something horrible happened to me. Would I really want to remember that?”

“Yeah. I think you’re right. That’s a good way to look at it.” He stood up, offering a hand out to me. “Besides, we’re in Cindersea now. It’s not like we can go back. Our lives are here, and we have to live in this world, monsters and all.”

I took his hand, allowing him to haul me to my feet. “No use worrying about the past I guess, even if we can’t remember it.”

“Exactly.” He reached his arms out, stretching wide as he turned his head up toward the sky. “I still can’t get over that moon being so close though. It just… feels wrong. Like it’s not supposed to be there.”

“Yeah. I don’t know what world we came from, but whatever it was, it didn’t have anything like that.”

It wasn’t long before everyone inside the barracks began to stir.

By the time Mira, Kuro, and Rhia were up and in the main room, Kai and I already had a roaring fire going and breakfast underway.

It was a cheap and simple meal of oats and cream, but it was warm, and it filled our bellies. And that’s all that mattered.

Just after dawn, geared up and ready for another adventure, we headed through the city gates and out into the wildlands.

The sun had barely risen over the distant mountains as we made our way through the dense forest surrounding Selas.

The air was crisp and filled with the scent of pine and damp earth.

Kai led our group, his keen eyes scanning the undergrowth for any signs of kobold activity.

Rhia brought up the rear, her muscular form tense and ready for action.

“Remember,” Kai whispered over his shoulder, “we’re looking for a lone kobold. If we see a group, we retreat. No heroics today.”

Kuro scoffed. “Speak for yourself. I could take on a whole pack of those dog-lizard runts.”

I rolled my eyes, thankful that Kai was there to keep Kuro’s bravado in check.

Mira walked beside me, her blue hair a stark contrast to the earthy tones of the forest. She clutched her wand tightly, her eyes darting nervously from tree to tree.

I could sense her anxiety and gave her a reassuring smile .

“It’ll be okay, Mira,” I whispered. “We’ve got each other’s backs.”

She nodded, but her grip on the wand didn’t loosen. I couldn’t blame her though. Our last encounter with kobolds had been a near-disaster. And the aftermath was nearly the end of all of us.

We trudged on for what felt like hours, the forest growing denser and darker around us. The air became thick with humidity, and I could feel sweat beading on my forehead. Just as I was about to suggest we take a break, Kai held up a hand, signaling us to stop.

“Look,” he whispered, pointing to a small clearing ahead.

There, hunched over what looked like the remains of a deer, was a lone kobold. Its scales glinted a dull green in the filtered sunlight, bits of fur catching the sun. It had its long snout buried in the carcass and we had our target at last.

Kai motioned for us to spread out, circling the clearing. I crept to the right, my heart pounding in my chest. This was our chance to prove ourselves, to finally take down a monster without needing to be rescued. And if we were lucky, maybe it would have something valuable on it.