Page 7

Basic Healing

I n the end I didn’t master my first skill in three days.

Or five days. It actually took me seven before I managed to heal a tiny scratch on my own body.

The High Priestess Elayra was kind and supportive, but I could see in her eyes that I was less than a stellar student.

Her high hopes for me had all but died by the time she sent me home the evening of the seventh day.

According to her, it was time to go learn in the real world.

She could help me no further. Or maybe, she just didn’t want to. I had a feeling it was the latter.

I walked back to our barracks, leaning on the simple wooden staff I’d chosen.

Well, chosen was a strong word. Really, I couldn’t afford anything else.

Captain Boromia had made it sound like we’d have plenty of money for whatever we needed.

But the truth was, the RSB only provided one meal a day and our barracks were in terrible shape with minimal furnishings.

The money they gave us was barely enough to cover our other meals and basic equipment.

It was supposed to last us our entire first month.

But after only seven days, the entire party was running dangerously low on funds.

We’d have to start hunting monsters soon.

It was our only choice if we wanted to keep eating.

Not to mention the cost of upgrading our skills or learning another from our respective guilds was astronomical.

Sure, we’d heard there were some magical skill books or stones out in the wild that would allow us to learn a new skill instantly via magical transference, but they were the rarest loot around.

Not only that, but the chances of finding a book for our specific class meant we only had a one in seven shot of discovering anything useful.

With my luck, I’d only find things for Kuro and if he got a second skill before the rest of us, he’d become more insufferable than I could bear.

I already wanted to strangle him most days.

But there was the problem of training. All of us were terribly green and could barely execute our skills to begin with.

That meant that outside the walls of Selas, we’d be sitting ducks.

And we had no idea what to expect out there either.

The newcomer groups that had already gone hunting kept mostly to themselves.

It seemed hunting spots were prized information, and maps were too expensive for us to buy right now.

Our only choice was to go out and hope we didn’t die.

And that’s how we found ourselves leaving the city gates just before dawn on our ninth day in Cindersea.

The morning air was crisp and cool as we stepped outside Selas’s protective walls.

Our ragtag group of five moved cautiously, even on the main road, eyes darting nervously at every rustle in the nearby bushes.

Kuro, of course, strode ahead with unearned confidence, his hand resting on the hilt of his cheap sword.

“We should head east,” he declared, not bothering to look back at us. “I heard some rookies talking about easy prey in that direction.”

I rolled my eyes, gripping my staff tighter. “And I’m sure they were just dying to share that information with you, Kuro.”

He shot me a glare over his shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before I could retort, Kai, who had chosen to learn the ways of the bow instead of the sword for his fighter class, stepped between us.

“Enough, you two. We need to work together if we want to survive out here. The outlands are not kind to newcomers. Especially those who argue loud enough to be heard.”

“Who the hell died and made you leader?” Kuro shot back, not lowering his voice at all.

“Nobody,” Kai replied, keeping the gentleness in his voice somehow. “But we need to be careful.”

“Who is the leader?” Rhia asked.

“Not me,” Mira said quickly, twirling her blue hair through her fingers. “I… I’m not cut out f-for that.”

“Me either,” I added, looking at Kai. “I think Kai should be the leader.”

“Why?” Kuro scoffed. “I’m the strong one and a knight. I should be the leader.”

“You’re just full of yourself,” I shot back.

“Kai was the one that brought us all together, that found us a place to live, and has gathered all the information to help us make decisions about guilds and skills and hunting. He’s been the leader this whole time.

The only thing you care about is yourself. ”

Kuro’s grip tightened on his sword, like he was going to draw it and strike me down. But Rhia stepped up beside me, her hulking form casting him in shadow.

“I agree with Oliver,” she said.

“M-Me too,” Mira added, cowering behind Rhia. “Kai should be the leader. If he wants to, that is.”

“I’d be honored,” Kai smiled with a small bow. “But only if everyone agrees.”

All of us turned to Kuro, our glares attempting to burn holes right through him. He just shrugged and clicked his tongue.

“Fine. Whatever. But don’t come cryin’ to me when you need a knight to protect you.”

Kai nodded, his expression a mix of relief and determination. “Thank you all for your trust. Now, let’s focus on our goal. We need to find some low-level monsters to hunt, preferably in a relatively safe area.”

As we continued down the road, the sun began to peek over the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape. The trees on either side of the path seemed to loom over us, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers.

“I’ve heard rumors of some kobold camps to the southeast,” Rhia offered, her deep voice barely above a whisper. “They’re supposed to be weak, but numerous.”

“Kobolds?” Mira squeaked, her eyes wide with fear. “A-Aren’t they dangerous in groups?”

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be careful, Mira. Besides, we have Rhia, Kai, and Kuro to protect us magic users. You stick with me at the back, and we’ll be just fine.”

Kai nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the treeline as we walked.

“Kobolds could be a good start. They’re not too tough individually, but we’ll need to be strategic.

Rhia, you and Kuro will be our frontline.

Oliver and Mira, stay back and support with magic. I’ll provide cover fire with my bow.”

It was a simple plan, but a good one. Things didn’t need to be overly complicated, especially when none of us had any experience.

Keeping it simple might mean the difference between life and death out there beyond the city walls.

And that’s why Kai was the leader. He seemed to always know exactly what to do.

As we veered off the main road onto a narrower path, the forest grew denser. The underbrush rustled occasionally, making us all jump. Even Kuro seemed less sure of himself now.

After about an hour of tense hiking, Kai held up a hand, signaling us to stop. He crouched low, gesturing for us to do the same.

“Look,” he whispered, pointing through a gap in the foliage.

In a small clearing ahead, I could make out a few small, dog-like creatures scurrying about.

Their scaly skin glinted in the patches of sunlight that filtered through the canopy.

They had long snouts and pointed ears and carried crude weapons - mostly clubs and short spears.

They were kobolds, from what little I knew of them, just as Rhia had suggested.

There wasn’t much to go on from what I could see, but it looked to be a small group of either rogues or scouts of some kind.

Rumors in Selas talked about a Kobold stronghold somewhere in the forested mountains.

I’d even heard mention of ruins where the majority of their numbers lived.

But we were nowhere near there and these Kobolds…

well, they didn’t look to be the smartest. Especially the larger one that was repeatedly swatting his spear at a nearby butterfly.

My heart raced as I gripped my staff tighter. This was it - our first real fight. I glanced at Mira, who looked pale and terrified. I wasn’t sure if we had a chance of winning, but I gave her a reassuring smile, nonetheless.

“Remember the plan,” Kai whispered. “Rhia, Kuro - you two go in first. Draw their attention. Oliver, Mira - stay back and use your magic to support. I’ll pick them off from range.”

Kuro nodded eagerly, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he drew his sword. Rhia hefted her wrapped fists that were still bruised from her training. Her expression was grim but determined.

“Wait for my signal,” Kai said, holding up his hand.

But before he could get another word out, Kuro went charging into the clearing, sword swinging wildly as he let out a battle cry.

“Kuro, wait!” I hissed, but it was too late. The knight barreled into the clearing, his battle cry echoing through the trees.

The kobolds whirled around, their beady eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, they froze, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion. Then, as one, they let out high-pitched yips and charged towards Kuro, clubs held high.

“Damn it,” Kai muttered. “Change of plans. Rhia, get in there and back him up. Oliver, Mira, start casting. I’ll cover you.”

Rhia nodded grimly and rushed forward, her massive form crashing through the underbrush.

I gripped my staff tightly, my palms slick with sweat as I tried to remember the healing incantation I’d barely gotten the hang of the day before.

Mira trembled beside me, her lips moving silently as she waved her wand in front of her.

The clearing erupted into chaos as the two groups collided.

Kuro swung his sword wildly, managing to catch one kobold across the chest. The creature yelped and staggered back, green blood oozing from the wound.

But two more leapt at him, their clubs connecting with his thin leather armor with dull thuds, causing him to cry out in pain.