On one pleasant spring day, I was wandering through the forest. The air was floral as the leaves atop of large trees subtly swayed. The vibrant, viridian grass of the verdant landscape brushed against the ankle region of my boots as I walked. Various colorful flowers and spotted cap mushrooms were mixed in the grass and other foliage. I looked up at the sky and saw, through the softly shaded leaves, the sun setting in the distance. I turned to my group, relaying my observation to them.
“I think we should rest for the night. The sun’s starting to set.” They all looked up and saw the day fading as well.
“That’s a good idea,” Seraphine replied.
“I agree,” Orvyn added. Cassain nodded his head, agreeing in silence.
“Alright. Let’s set up camp here then.” I found a clearing that had very few trees or other vegetation and set my stuff down. The other three followed suit, making a circle of sorts in the open space. I let out a sigh of relief as I finally took my seat after walking for what felt like an eternity. I hear the others let out their own sighs, but much quieter than mine. I turned to them and spoke.
“Who wants to grab the things to make us a fire?”
Cassian perked up. “I’ll do it.” He promptly stood up and gathered some materials to make up a small campfire. The others sat with me and waited for his return. Seraphine looked at me and Orvyn.
“How much longer until we arrive in Sarsica?” she inquired.
“There’s still a ways to go,” Orvyn replied.
“Yeah, maybe around one thousand miles or so,” I added. Seraphine nodded in acknowledgement. As she did, Cassian returned with a bunch of sticks and some stones. He planted them close to the center of where we were sitting and formed them into a tiny campfire. Seraphine casted a fire spell to ignite the wood ablaze. Its orange glow only being faintly visible due to the sun’s presence. I leaned back and rested on my elbows.
“It’ll be another couple days until we reach Sarsica,” I continued, “I suggest we wake up early tomorrow so we can arrive sooner.” My group nodded in confirmation. I slipped back into silence. I began to think about the town we were going to be visiting. I remember going there for a job at some point. It was a nice place, not too small, but definitely not the large, glamorous cities of kingdoms.
As the sun began to fall further and further from its position in the sky, the darkness of the night and the light of the stars started to take its place. The campfire that originally only provided an insignificant amount of light, now shined with a radiant orange, illuminating the area around it. An aura of warmth now surrounded it as well, enough to keep us warm throughout the night. I watched as hot embers and cinders hopped out of the sweltering wood leaving small marks on the surrounding grass.
“Hopefully nobody comes by while we’re sleeping,” Cassian said.
“Don’t worry. We’re deep in the forest, we should be safe from any unwanted visitors,” I said. Orvyn nodded at my statement.
“Yeah, and we should be prepared just in case anyone does decide to stop by. Don’t stress about it, Cassian,” Orvyn responded while patting Casian on the back. A new reassuring energy hovered around us. It was something we try to often keep around us, even when we first met.
On my way back from a job, I encountered these three wandering a similar forest. We all stopped to introduce ourselves to each other. Orvyn Aethelred, a swordsman; Seraphine Lancaster, a faunish mage; and Cassian Wilkins, an elven archer. The travelers told me they journey around Apheria and gather experiences. From the moment I spoke with them, I was immediately intrigued. Their friendly dynamic and experience oriented aspirations set them apart from other groups, for me at least. After talking a bit longer, they offered me to join them on their travels. I instantly expressed desires of joining them, but needed time to think it over. When I arrived at my home in Silerania, I thought over the proposal they gave me. The day after, I met up with them in Flandonia and accepted their request.
I looked up from my train of thought and broke the hushed peace. “Did you know Rykard and Mae are having a kid?” Everyone looked up at me in surprise.
“You mean King Rykard and Queen Mae?” Seraphine asked.
“Yeah, them two.”
“How do you know that?” Orvyn inquired.
“They told me the last time I visited them.” They gave me crooked looks.
“You visited them?” Cassian questioned.
“After I did a job for Rykard, we developed a personal relationship. He said I reminded him of himself when he was younger. When he was a warrior and not king.” Everyone was astounded.
“Rykard’s a powerful man. He doesn’t have relations with just anyone,” Orvyn said, “You should consider yourself lucky to be close with and praised by him, of all people. That’s a high honor.”
“Interspecies relationships are rare,” Seraphine commented, “It’s uncommon to see a human and lamia have any relationship, let alone have a kid together.”
“Unfortunately, there’s a great stigma around interspecies relationships.”
“Especially when it comes to humans,” Cassian added before I could say it myself.
“I think it’s very brave of Rykard to not just marry a lamia, but to also make her queen,” Seraphine interjected.
“Indeed it is. But yet again Rykard is a brave man.” There was a brief pause before anyone said anything else.
“I wonder what their kid will look like,” Orvyn said.
“I do too. There aren’t any documented half-human half-lamias to my knowledge. I figure that they’d be more human than snake though.”
“Maybe not,” Seraphine asserted, “Interspecies children can sometimes be one species or the other instead of a mix of the two.” I let out a “hmm” at this newfound knowledge. “Regardless, I think their child will be beautiful,” she continued. Everyone nodded in agreement, as did I. Once more, a laconic presence hung over us as no more thoughts were being shared. I, again, spoke to dissipate the momentary quietness.
“We should call it a night. We need to get up early tomorrow if we want to reach Sarsica as quickly as possible.” No one said anything, but they all inaudibly agreed with my assertion.
I laid down on my side and facing the fluorescent flames. The warm air and light washed against my face providing a feeling of warmth as well as comfort. As I closed my eyes, I could hear the faint crackling of the woods as it burned in the pyre. Before I drifted off into sleep, I decided to say one last thing.
”Goodnight everyone.”
“Goodnight,” Orvyn, Seraphine, and Cassian all said in unity.
With this final exchange, I finally allowed myself to fall off into slumber and wish the night goodbye. Before I did though, I thought about my group and our relationship. It was astonishing to me. Three people that I haven’t known for a long time, in comparison to themselves at least, I developed a close and personal relationship with them. I had also developed a great deal of trust in them as well; I knew I could always count on them to have my back. Something that I can’t say for many others. My final thoughts slowly faded away and I fell asleep.
The next day, I woke up with a sharp and searing pain in my right side. In a delirious daze, I instinctively grabbed my side and clutched it hard. When I looked up, I saw Orvyn, Seraphine, and Cassian all standing above me with Cassian holding a bloody dagger in his hand. I looked at them with concerned confusion, pondering why they would do something like this.
“Why?” I asked in a weary plea.
My call wasn’t answered. Instead, all I received were cold looks of disdain and scorn as my former friends looked down upon my bleeding form. No words left their mouths, and only their silent judgment was present. Eventually, they did cease their piercing glares. Cassian wiped my blood off his dagger before and turned away with the rest doing the same. They walked away, leaving me bleeding out on the grass. I thought of calling out to them once more, but knew it would be futile; my desperate cries would be disregarded and left to wither just as before. They marched further and further from me until I could, eventually, no longer see them from the trees. I just laid on the slightly damp ground. My hand and the ground were stained from my side bleeding in agony. I felt too weak to do anything, so I rested on the ground and pathetically accepted my fate. I waited as death slowly crept closer and closer, yearning to take my dying body. My vision became blurry and I was gradually losing consciousness. With my final breaths, I bared myself to the gods above as my hazy sight turned black and I fell unconscious.
Some time later, I awoke and opened my bleary eyes to unfamiliarity. I was lying on a large bed with a blanket made of various animal furs and hides. When I turned my head, I saw that I was in a cabin. A small, wooden, one-roomed one with limited furnishing save a fireplace, table and chairs, kitchenette in the far corner, and wardrobe in front of the bed I was lying in. A window on the other side of the room let a ray of sunlight flood into the abode. Even in my tired daze I felt confused at my new location; the harrowing pain I felt before was still ever present. I lifted up my shirt and looked down to see my abdomen wrapped all the way around with a bandage, which also covered my injured side. While it still hurt like a hot fire poker had been shoved into it, my side didn’t feel as bad as it did before. I gave the cabin another look. It was cozy and comforting, no doubt caused by sounds from the fireplace and the rustic smell. The air felt warm and inviting, complimenting the overall atmosphere of the place. The minimal decoration, while maybe being empty to others, added the feel of the place. With the exception of a cardinal colored rug on the wood floor, nothing lined the interior of the tiny cabin, which I quite liked.
The door suddenly swung open and caught my attention. As I looked up, I saw a young woman walk through the doorway. She had chartreuse green skin with several tribal tattoos inked across it; large, pointed ears with a pair of golden earrings on each one; messy, red hair that extended down to the middle of her back; and small tusks that protruded from her mouth. She wore a tucked, white tunic with the sleeves torn off, baggy brown pants, and a pair of black boots which she proceeded to kick off at the door. A double-sided battle axe was strewn over her shoulder, its luster exhibiting its fine condition. She set the weapon above the fireplace mantel, and on a set of mounted hooks, then turned to face me.
“Look who’s finally awake,” she said in a deep, yet distinctly feminine voice, which fit well with her rugged appearance.
“You were beginning to worry me. You’ve been out for a few days.” The same soft and resonant voice echoed in my head, throwing my brain for a loop and a corkscrew. She walked over, her heavy footsteps smacking against the hard floor, and sat down in a nearby chair next to me.
“I found you bleeding out on the ground and decided to bring you here. How are you?” she asked, looking at me with her deep, ruby red eyes.
“Alright,” I said in a weak and somewhat tired tone.
She glanced down at my bandaged side. “How’s your side?”
“Not great,” I let out a pained breath. “It still hurts quite a bit, but it’s not as bad as before.” She gave me a relieved, but weary look.
“Well, at least you’re feeling a little better. Say, how did you end up in this condition?” I let out a heavy sigh.
“My friends. Or former friends.” She gave me a perplexed look.
“Your friends did this to you?,” she asked in a confused tone, “Why would they do that?”
“I honestly don’t know. I was sleeping when I felt a sharp pain in my side. Next thing I knew I saw companions standing above me with one holding a dagger.” She looked horrified.
“That’s terrible. Some friends they were.” She gave me a more apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“It’s alright. I’m honestly just glad to be alive.” She nodded at my positive perspective. She got up and grabbed a bottle from the top of the fireplace before returning to her previous position.
“Here, drink this. It should help.” She brought the bottle to my mouth and I drank from it. Its contents tasted herbal and bitter. It was hard to drink, but manageable.
She set the bottle on a table next to the bed and spoke again. “That should help ease the pain.” She then leaned over and examined my side, lifting up my shirt and exposing my bandaged side. I winced slightly as she touched my wounded flesh.
Upon seeing this, she immediately pulled her hand away. “Sorry,” she said in an apologetic and gentle voice, resting her hands in my lap.
“It’s alright.” I sat up on the side of the bed with a pained groan. “You know, you never told me your name.”
“Oh, it seems I didn’t. Sorry about that,” she said laughing to herself, “I’m Anastasia.” She gave a light-hearted smile. “What’s yours?”
“Wulfric. Wulfric Blackbourn. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” she said, keeping the same friendly smile.
It was at this moment, I noticed just how beautiful she was. It was something I had observed before, but only in passing. Now, I was able to fully take in, and appreciate, her beauty. She was gorgeous, something I had never seen before. As I looked closer, I noticed more and more of her physical features. She appeared to be an orc, but her large ears threw me off and made me question myself. It was at this point I decided to stop staring at her before I bored holes through her.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what species are you?”
Anastasia returned her smile. “I don’t mind at all. I’m actually a hybrid. My mother was a goblin and my father was an orc.”
“I figured as much. The ears gave it away.”
“Yeah,” she reached up to touch her large, pointed ears, “That’s what tends to confuse people. You know, because orcs don’t have distinctive ears.” I watched her mess with them for a bit before I said anything further.
“Thanks for not taking offense to my question. I know some people can get very angry when people ask about that.” Her smile didn’t seem to fade.
“It’s no problem. I’ve never found it to be rude or anything like that. I get I don’t look like your typical orc, or goblin for that matter. I’m used to people being curious and asking questions about my appearance.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re too far off. Besides the ears, you look pretty orcish to me.”
“Yeah, but not enough for some people.” Her face was slowly drained of its previous look and a more bleak one replaced it. I immediately took notice of this and a feeling of concern grew inside me.
“Is something wrong?” She tried to give a smile, but its fragility couldn’t even convince a foolish man.
“Yeah, it’s just…” Her eyes turned down and away from my gaze. “Being a hybrid isn’t easy. I’ve had my fair share of judgment thrown my way over the years.” Her expression turned more solemnly. My face turned more sullen as well upon hearing this.
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s a shame the world doesn’t treat hybrids too kindly. It’s a terrible thing really.” The remnants of her formerly joyous smile weakened even further.
“It’s okay. I’ve learned to deal with it. Not everyone is going to like you, but I wish people would be more open-minded sometimes.” She lets out a heavy and partially defeated sigh.
“I do too. That’s the reason why there’s still so much division amongst us. Despite this being touted as a “global” world it certainly doesn’t feel like it sometimes.” She nodded her hung head. A still air of silence permeated throughout the cabin until it was disturbed once again. Anastasia looked up at me once more and peered her eyes into mine.
“Thanks for being so understanding. It’s a hard thing to come by sometimes.” I gave her a rare smile.
“Of course. My parents always told me to not discriminate against others, even if they aren’t like you.” Her bright smile was revitalized.
“You had good parents then.” I couldn’t help, but continue my gleeful grin at her words. After a few moments, I decided to end the idle quietness for another time.
“What were your parents like?” She gave an odd look, but kept her cheery smile.
“They’re good people. As I said before, my mother’s a goblin and one of those real heavy ones too. She worked as a blacksmith until she met my father. He’s an orc and was a paladin for the royal army over in Lichtenburg. He would ascend to general before leaving.”
“Really?” I said with an apparent wonder, “How did they meet?”
“My father was visiting Bohravia and needed his sword repaired after a battle had chewed it up. My mother was the blacksmith there and fixed up his blade as well as the rest of his gear. After that, the two eventually got together and had me.” I nodded my head in affirmation.
“What were their names?”
“Wymond and Pandora Beornstan.” Her story was very intriguing to me; it’s not everyday you hear about a goblin blacksmith and an orc knight getting married. My thoughts were interrupted by Anastasia continuing to speak.
“There was a lot of opposition to their decision at first, especially from my father’s fellow knights, but when they moved to Galivinia the judgment died down after that.” Her outward demeanor didn’t waver as she spoke which I found peculiar. “Since we’re on the topic, what about you? How were your parents?” My mouth curled down slightly as she asked this.
“They were also good people; they instilled the best in me.” My mood further darkened. “They always wanted the best for me.”A look of worry washed over Anastasia’s face. She scooted the chair she was on closer to the end.
“Is everything alright?” I averted my eyes from her own.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She wasn’t deceived by my weak facade. Even a blind man could’ve seen I was lying. She got from her chair and sat right next to me, so close that our shoulders touched.
“You don’t have to lie to me, you know,” she said in a vaguely maternal manner, “Now, what’s wrong?” I knew that she wasn’t going to stop prying at me until I told her my issues. I let out a weighted sigh and conceded to her demands.
“My parents are dead.” I could feel my adamantine armor cracking and crumbling off me. Her eyes widened at this information and her face started to resemble my own.
“Oh my— I am so sorry to hear that.” She put her arm on my right shoulder and caressed it with her hand. “What happened to them, if you don’t mind telling me?” I let out a shaky breath.
“One day, I woke up early in the morning, the sun was barely even out. My parents were usually up early so when they weren’t awake I was perturbed, but told myself that it was probably not that big of a deal; I assumed that they had a long night or something. But after a while…” I paused to collect myself, “After a while, I started to get increasingly weary of my parents’ absence. So, I decided to go check on them to make sure they were okay, and when I got there they were dead.” I could feel tears welling in my eyes. Anastasia’s face looked like she could feel what I was, but ten times more.
“How old were you at the time?”
“Sixteen.” I wiped the newly forming tears from my eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Wulfric.” She transitioned from having her arm around my shoulders to pulling me into a tight embrace. Her strong arms made it feel like a giant anaconda was constricting me. It wasn’t uncomfortable per se, quite the opposite actually, more unexpected than anything else. I returned her hug with one of my own.
At this moment, I felt incredibly weak and vulnerable. I could feel my stone heart falling apart and my cold exterior melting away. This was aided by Anastasia rubbing my back and resting her head on my left shoulder, her long, scarlet hair cascaded down her own back. However, unlike other times where I’ve felt this way I didn’t mind it. Maybe it was Anastasia’s embrace or maybe my rough edge was just rubbing away, but, nonetheless, I felt at peace and content with the feeling; I didn’t feel the need to fight it or push it away. I felt tears once again forming in my eye, but this time I didn’t fight them. They rolled down my face and fell off my chin. As they fell onto Anastasia’s pant leg, she looked up from my shoulder and wiped them away with her thumb. She then moved a bit of my hair behind my ear and cupped my face with her hand.
“You’re a good man,” she said smiling. I couldn’t help, but smile widely in return.
“Thanks, Ana.” Her smile grew even larger as I said that. She buried her face into my shoulder, retaining her vice grip.
We remained with our arms wrapped around one another in silence for a fair few minutes before Anastasia lifted her head from my shoulder one again and looked me in the eyes. As she did, I noticed a faint scar under her left eye I hadn’t seen before.
“What’s that from?” I pointed to a dull cut for extra emphasis.
She perked up a bit and followed my finger. “Oh that? That was from when I accidentally cut myself when I was younger.”
“Doing what?” I asked while furrowing my brow.
“I was trying to cut a straw hair and my hand slipped.” I let out a murmured “hmm” at her words. Before I could say anything further, though, her face lit up and she spoke with great haste.
“I completely forgot. Are you hungry?” she asked, “You must be starving after not eating for a few days.”
“Well, now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry. I would like something to eat.” She smiled and stood up.
“I’ll make you something special then.” She patted me on the back and walked to the tiny kitchenette on the other side of the cabin. She lit the furnace, grabbed some meat and vegetables from the cabinets, and placed them in the pot of boiling water. I continued sitting at the edge of her bed, watching her as she prepared my meal.
I thought about how she held me in the meantime; she was perplexing to me as ever. When I first saw her I expected her to be rough and brazen, which was true to some extent, but she was more kind and friendly than I had anticipated. The last thing I could’ve predicted was that a toned half orc would be sweet and sensitive, but I guess that’s how far stereotypes and preconceptions will get you. My contemplation was disrupted by Anastasia calling out.
“Dinner is done!” she exclaimed. She walked back over to her bed with a bowl in hand. She sat right back next to me and handed me my bowl. It was a stew with a myriad of different meats and vegetables with many herbs and spices thrown in as well. A half loaf piece of freshly made bread sat atop the stew too. It gave off a fresh and delectable aroma that told me it was masterfully made.
“Enjoy,” Anastasia said, smiling.
I promptly got a spoonful and took a bite. A burst of flavor engulfed the inside of my mouth. The broth was warm and piquant, the meats were tender and juicy, and the vegetables were soft and gooey. The stew, as a whole, was immaculate and a culinary masterwork. I then took a sizable bite out of the bread; it was soft, but had a bit of give. The inside was doughy while the outside was slightly crunchy. The part that had dipped into the stew was squishy and had absorbed the flavors from it, making it taste even better. I turned to see that Anastasia was watching as I ate the meal she had prepared. I could tell by her smile that she knew I was loving her cooking craftsmanship. Indeed, I was savoring every morsel of it so that I could prolong my enjoyment.
“How is it?” Anastasia asked.
“It’s delicious,” I said, taking another bite in between my words, “You’re an amazing cook. Thanks for making it.” Her cheeks turned a rosy red.
“Of course. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I like to think of myself as a pretty decent cook.”
“You want some?” I said, raising the bowl toward her.
She shook her head. “I’m good, thanks. I ate earlier today.”
“Come on. Can’t a chef indulge in their own work?”
“Again, I appreciate the offer, but I really don’t want any right now.”
I scoot closer to her. “You can’t tell me you don’t want any at all.” I raised the spoon to her mouth. “Open up.”
She rolled her eyes and let out a humored sigh. “Fine. Since you’re so insistent.” She leaned over slightly and swallowed the spoonful of succulent stew. I could see her face light up as the stew’s heavenly flavors swept over her taste buds. I smiled as I saw this.
“See? I told you you would enjoy it.” She lightly pushed my shoulder.
“I never said I wouldn’t enjoy it, I said I didn’t want any. But you were right, it is really good. Actually, would you mind if I had some more?” My mouth curled into a smile as she said this.
“Absolutely.” I got another spoonful and fed it to her. The same euphoric look enveloped her face. I did this a couple more times until she had enough.
“Okay, I think I’m good now. I don’t want to eat all of your meal.” I let out a light chuckle.
“How considerate of you.” I continued eating my stew and bread. It was just as scrumptious as the times I had it before. It wasn’t long before the bowl was emptied and the bread disappeared into nothing more than crumbs. When Anastasia saw I was finished she took my bowl and spoon and placed them on the kitchenette to be cleaned later. She then took her previous place next to me. I glanced over at the window, and noticed that it was already dark.
“It looks like it’s already night.” Anastasia looked over at the window and saw that night had fallen out.
“It seems that it is. I guess we hadn’t noticed how much time had passed while we were talking.”
“You want to call it a night then?”
“Sure. It’s late, plus you need to rest anyway.” She pushed herself off the bed. “You lie down, I’ll be there in a second.”
With that, I laid back on the large bed and furry blanket. Anastasia stood in front of the wardrobe and stripped down to her undergarments, which revealed several other scars that had previously been hidden. She reached inside the wardrobe and pulled out a silken, white nightgown and she promptly put on. She then turned back to me.
“Let’s go to bed, shall we.” She put out the fireplace and climbed into bed with me, her alabaster nightgown flowing down to her ankles. She laid on the left side of the bed, which was behind me, and pulled the pelt blanket over the both of us. It was extremely soft and quite thick as well, enough to keep anyone very warm through a cold night.
“Goodnight, Wulfric,” she said, letting out a breath.
“Goodnight, Ana.” With those final words, she slipped into a silent slumber, her steady breath beating the back of my neck. I, however, found more difficulty in falling asleep due to the still present aching pain on my side.
Later in the night, I would observe Anastasia unconsciously slinging her arm around me and pulling me into a tight hold. Her strong arm ensnared itself around where my neck and upper chest met up. It wasn’t uncomfortable, per se, but was definitely surprising. She shifted closer and pressed herself against my back, leaving no room between us. Her leg would, subsequently, wrap around my own, putting me into an even harsher bind. Her continued physical forwardness, for lack of a better word, was not something expected, but when have any of my expectations been true in regard to her?
I’ve spent many more nights and days with the goblin-orc woman. Her cottage provided a safe refuge for me during my recovery. My time was mostly uneventful though, often spending most of it in bed. However, I also was prone to Anastasia’s wonderful cooking and generous hospitality, which more than made up for it. She would often sit by my bedside and we would chat from the cusp of day until it turned to the dead of night. Our discussions ranged from menial to deep cuts about ourselves. It was quite refreshing to be able to speak my mind, and to someone I knew wouldn’t judge me. I could empty out all my thoughts without being chastised or lectured. It was something I had never seen the value in before, but something I so desperately needed. I guess being the cold-hearted, ruthless mercenary didn’t fit me anymore.
During my time with Anastasia, I was reminded of an old tale that I had read a long time ago. The Great Conquest by Cynemaer Warwick. In the story, there’s a giant landmass known as Africa, inhabited by dark-skinned people and ripe with great riches and treasures. However, a race of light-skinned people, known as Europeans, would invade and enslave the native people. The Whites, as the Europeans were commonly called, would exploit and abuse the Blacks, another name for the Africans, and pillage all their valuables. One such example was Hafsatu, who was the queen of what was known as Egypt. She would be overthrown and forced to watch her kingdom be ravaged and destroyed and her people brutally slaughtered. The Europeans would then commit several obscene and unsavory acts to her, her wife, and any other Egyptians still alive. By the end, the Africans were almost completely wiped out and the continent, once prosperous and vibrant, was left in ruin. Another heart-wrenching story by the famous and unequivocal Cynemaer Warwick.
I decided to wake up early one morning; so early most of the world was still dark save for the dim light of sun which was barely visible above the horizon, and that leaked only a sliver of orange light. I knew the night prior that my time for requital was now. I stepped out of bed into the dark expanse of the cabin. I gingerly searched for my things, being sure to not wake Anastasia from her sleep. I grabbed my sword, pyrestrike, spell book, and arm armor from her wardrobe, and clad them to my person. I cautiously made the treacherous trek to the front door and was sure to open it with the utmost stillness. I then stepped out into the morning twilight
After a few hours of walking, I decided to stop by a river and replenish my energy. I sat by the river’s bank and clasped my hands to grab a drink of water. It was cold, smooth, and tasted how I would imagine glass to taste. After taking a couple handfuls from the creek, I looked around me. The gloom that had casted over everything was replaced by a regular early morning. The sky was a light grayish blue, which hints of the previous yellows and oranges still visible. The sun was even less noticeable than before. A thin mist was spread through the air with a certain dampness that gave the grass its dew. A gentle breeze also flowed from time to time; neither cold nor hot, it was a pleasant wind that gave life to the motionless world around. It smelled fresh and woodsy. The river I was perched beside gave off shimmering reflections from the sun’s soft shine. Following several minutes of sitting by the river, I noticed a yellow jasmine growing on the bank. I decided to pluck it and pocket it for later. I picked myself back up to my feet and resumed my quest.
Several days have passed since I left. Several days of mindless walking, occasionally stopping to regain some energy. I did copious things during that time in an attempt to feel like I was accomplishing something. I replaced the pyrite in my pyrestrike, refreshed myself on some spells from my book, sharpened my sword, and so on. All these I knew would be helpful for my final goal. As more and more time came and went, I began to wonder about Anastasia. While I did feel bad for leaving without telling her, I also didn’t want to worry her in case I never returned. Although, I suspected I failed in that regard. Nevertheless, I hoped she wouldn’t be too troubled over my absence, and wouldn’t scold me too much upon my return.
An endless labyrinth of trees lined the path in front and behind me; an infinite maze I felt couldn’t escape from. Everything looked the same, everythings sounded the same, everything was the same. I felt like I was stuck in a perpetual loop, walking in circles. I stopped abruptly. I heard talking, and it sounded like the voices of my “friends”. I made my way toward the voices. I travelled toward where the voices became louder, slinking behind trees to conceal myself from whom I presumed to be my former companions. I stopped right before a clearing, and couldn’t believe my eyes. There they were, just sitting there and talking like normal. My blood began to boil. They attempt to kill me and turn around like nothing ever happened. I perched behind the closest tree to them and listened.
“I feel like we’ve been walking forever,” Seraphine said, followed by an aggravated and exhausted grunt.
“Well, we still have several hundred miles left, so you better get used to it,” Orvyn replied, also sounding exhausted. Cassian left out a defeated sigh. It was a few moments before anyone said anything more.
“Do you guys think Wulfric is really dead?” Seraphine asked, softly. Orvyn rolled his eyes.
“How many times do I have to say it? Wulfric is dead. Cassian stabbed him and he bled out.” It seems like my “death” had come up more than once before.
“But we never actually saw him die.” It sounded like she was going to say more, but Cassian interrupted her.
“He’s dead. Even if he’s not, we don’t have anything to worry about. We were deep in the forest when we left him. He’ll never catch up to us.” Seraphine nodded her head, but didn’t look fully convinced.
“I just have a feeling he’s not dead. Somehow, someway he managed to survive and is plotting against up.” I slowly drew my sword.
“For the last time!” Orvyn snapped, “Wulfric is dead! He’s not going to do anything!”
“Hey guys,” I said. Everyone immediately jumped up and looked at me. They had aghast looks on their faces.
“What’s wrong?” I said in a smug voice, “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” They all stuttered and struggled getting any words out. Finally, Seraphine squeaked something out.
“H-h-how?” she said, horrified.
“You should’ve made sure I was dead. After you left, someone found me and mended my wounds.” I circled around them, sword in hand. “All I want to know now is, why did you do it?” They all turned to each other, then Orvyn faced me with a sneering glace.
“You alway were the people’s favorite, the most popular among us. How is it that you, who has only been with us for a little over a year, has achieved such a high degree of celebrity amongst the common man?” His words were laced with a thick animus. He carried on. “When people think of us they don’t think of the four of us, they think of you. Not the Great Orvyn or the Great Seraphine or the Great Cassian, the Great Wulfic. Wulfic Blackbourne, the tragic mercenary, the servant of royals, the wandering death, the one who lived.” His words, mocking and venomous. I gripped my sword tighter.
“So, that’s what it is. Jealousy? I hurt your pride that bad you had to kill me?” I gritted my teeth. “You are some heartless bastards.” At this point, blood was beyond boiling, it was bubbling out of me and evaporating at my feet. Orvyn smirked.
“Careful what you say, vagabond. You might regret what becomes of it.” I took a single step forward and everyone drew their weapons, my hold over mine strengthened.
“You’ll pay for this. I’m not letting you get away with it.” Orvyn let out a bellowing laugh. Seraphine and Cassian gave similarly vain smirks.
“You’re not seriously going to fight us all, are you? Not even you are that much of a fool.” My face hardened.
“Seems like it’s my only option.” They looked surprised at first, but quickly returned to their previous arrogant confidence.
“Fine. This time, we’ll make sure you die.” They all got into more battle-ready stances. “This is the end, mercenary.” I got into a stance of my own.
“We’ll see.”
As they all began to rush toward me, I quickly grabbed my pyrestrike from my hip and shot at Cassian, getting him in his right shoulder. He gripped it and let out an agonizing wail. Before anyone could react, I summoned a fireball in my hand and shot it at Seraphine, sending her flying backward; my eyes glowed with a brilliant orange before fading back to normal. Orvyn tried to strike with his sword, but I blocked it with my armored arm and struck his leg with my own sword. He stumbled back and clutched his lacerated leg. I stood with a smarmy grin.
“You guys were confident you could beat me. What’s wrong? Having troubles?” I could tell that they didn’t appreciate my snarky remarks, but under their scowls I could tell they were also apprehensive of me. Everyone, determinedly, stood back on their feet.
“We’re not finished, merc.” They all lunged at me, ready to attack once again.
Seraphine casted a spell and shot it my way, but countered with one of my own causing them to cancel out. Then, Orvyn came in once again with his sword. He repeatedly swung his sword at me, but he accomplished little. I either dodged or blocked his slashes. I attempted to counter with my own, but my efforts were just as useless as his. I ended up kicking his sliced leg, causing him to stumble and buckle his knees, allowing me to get a hit on his right arm. However, just as I was about to hit him again, Cassian shot me with an arrow. I stepped back to give myself some breathing room and ripped the arrow out of my skin, which was excruciatingly painful. Before I could fully recollect myself, though, Orvyn was already coming at me again, despite his injured arm. Our swords clinked together, neither of us letting the other get an inch of an advantage. He flashed a sinister grin as our blades clashed.
“Can’t handle the pressure?” he said with a renewed feeling of overconfidence. I looked over his shoulder and saw Seraphine readying another spell and Cassian putting another arrow in his bow, wincing as he did. I knew that if I didn’t take care of them, I would certainly perish.
I withdrew my sword and ducked under Orvyn’s, then cut his leg and kicked him to the ground. Turning to Seraphine, I summoned thorned vines around her, my eyes glowing green as I did, and tightly ensnared them her body, their gnarled needles ripping into her skin. She was, understandably, frightened by this and tried to escape the vines’ clutches, but they anchored her in place. As she attempted to cut the vines, they regrew just as quickly and tightened their hold on her. I then turned to Cassian and, from my sword, blasted a bolt of lightning toward him, my eyes flashing a blazing yellow. The force of the lightning was so strong it hurled him backward into a tree, which he proceeded to shatter with the force of his impact. Orvyn gazed upon this in both trepidation and shock.
“It’s just you and me, Orvyn,” I twirled my sword before pointing at him. “Let’s settle this, once and for all.” A look of rage filled his face as he turned back to me. He gripped his sword so hard the hilt shuddered.
“I’m going to fucking kill you, Wulfic.” I loaded a bullet and replaced the powder in my pyretrike behind my back.
“You said that earlier.” He spared no time in rushing at me, preparing a heavy swing of his sword. However, when he was a few feet away from me, I pulled out my pyrestrike and shot him square in the chest. He immediately froze and stared at my smoking weapon, then looked down at his chest. A large, bleeding hole now pierced all the way through to his back. He looked back up at me.
“You dirty bastard.”
“Says the person who tried to kill me in my sleep.” I stepped closer to him. “I hope it was worth it. You’re going to pay for your pride with your lives.” I turned to Seraphine, still struggling within her spiky confines, and had the vines constrict her neck, slitting her throat. I then turned to Cassian who was just getting up. I formed a long icicle in front of my hand and launched it his way. It impaled him in the chest, killing him instantly, and stuck into the leftover stump of the tree. I looked back down at Orvyn, who stared back with an expression between anger and dread. “As for you,” I bared a wicked grin, “I have something special for you.” I wiped off and sheathed my sword, then formed a small flame in my hand.
“Goodbye, Orvyn. I hope someone will miss you because I certainly won’t.” I turned around and walked away. As I did, I tossed the infantile flame behind me where it grew into a mighty blaze which encompassed Orvyn. I heard his suffering cries behind me, but paid them no mind. It was done.
The journey back was about as eventful as the first; days melded together as the neverending foliage painted a homogenous path. Eventually, I would make my way back to Anastasia’s cabin. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. On the one hand, I figured Anastasia would be happy to see me, on the other hand I knew she would also be rightfully angry. I was in a deadlock, unsure what to do, but I knew that standing here wasn’t going to make anything better. Plus, what kind of man would I be if I didn’t own up to my wrongdoings? I sighed and knocked on her wooden door;I could hear her footsteps as she approached. The door swung open and revealed Anastasia in an uncharacteristic white sundress decorated with yellow flowers I presumed to be jasmines. A brief look of relief crossed her face before being replaced by one of contempt. Even though I expected this much, I was still disheartened by it.
“Where have you been these past two weeks?” she asked, crossing her arms. She seemed more worried than angry, like a mother would be.
“They’re dead.” She perked up, knowing exactly what I meant.
“Your former companions? They’re all dead?” I nodded my head. She looked at the shoulder where Cassian shot me and her worry only seemed to increase. “Oh my— are you okay?” Before I could answer she was already back in her cabin, frantically searching for some kind of remedy for my wounds. I decided to let myself in.
“Anastasia—” She interrupted before I could say anything further.
“Hold on. I’ll have something for you in a second.” She continued rummaging through her cabinets and cupboards for something for me. I figured that she was just avoiding talking to me, though.
“Anastasia, could you—”
“Here we are,” she said, interrupting me again. She turned around with a bottle and bandages in her hands. “This should—” I grabbed her wrists and she went silent.
“Listen to me for a second, would you?” She dropped the bottle and bandages, and looked at me with attentive eyes. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything, and I’m sorry I made you worried.” I turned my eyes away. “Truth be told, I didn’t want you to stop me or change my mind.” I paused, letting my hands fall to my side. “Or maybe I was scared you’d see a side of me I wish to leave behind.” She grabbed the side of my chin with her finger and directed my eyes back at her.
“It’s okay, Wulfric,” she said, smiling and cupping my cheek, “All is forgiven.” I felt my guilt slip away and I couldn’t help, but smile back at her. Her face softened as her hand moved from the side of my face and she draped both of her arms around my neck. I instinctually moved my hands to her side and wrapped my arms around her waist, both of us pulling each other closer to one another. Us being pressed against each other, so close together, made me feel elated inside. I figured she felt the same way as her face was the same as mine was: fixed with content.
I leaned down slightly and our lips interlocked. She wove her fingers in my hair and tightened her grip on me. Her lips tasted sweet and I liked how they felt against mine. Time lost all meaning to me; whether I had been there for a brief moment or a lifetime, I couldn’t say, but I knew I didn’t want it to end either way. Eventually, we pulled back from one another, allowing our lips to be free. An overwhelming feeling of bliss washed over me; I felt the bitterness and cold that once defined my being shed off me like snake skin.
“Can we stay like this for a while?” she asked, resting her head against my chest.
“I would love nothing more.” I pulled her closer to my chest and held her closer in my arms. She did the same to me, tightening her hold on my back. I looked at her floral dress and remembered something. I pulled the yellow jasmine from my pocket and tucked it behind her large ear, pushing her luscious hair back slightly. She smiled some more.
“You’re a good man, Wulfric.”
“Thanks, Ana.” I paused. “I don’t want to leave you. I want to be with you forevermore.” Ana looked up from chest confused.
“Really? Even if it meant leaving your mercenary life behind?”
“I would give up anything in the world to be with you. And I wish to be a mercenary nevermore.”
