-Callia-

  I had just laid down after the big ceremony when my brother's warning reached me. It had taken him one day to get back to Port Town, whereas Sir Portten’s forces managed to return in a three-day march. News that the rescue team had been abducted made me sick to my stomach. It had been my fault. It was my vote that pushed us to detach a team. Callen tried to reassure me from his end, but the guilt was suffocating.

  The night passed in a blur. I was unable to sleep, but my brother was also up with me through the night. I’m not sure how, but for the first time I truly began to settle into a meditation. Instead of letting guilt overwhelm me, I leaned on the stable and solid presence that had always been there. I was grateful, but eventually the night passed, and I reassured him I was ok.

  I got up from my room in Sir Portten’s manor, looking out to the town, which was lively as people settled back in, sharing stories and drinks. The first thing on today's agenda would be sharing news of the bandits forming in the woods. Concern and guilt subtly return, and I can’t help but find myself looking out at the walls. What if I went out to fix this myself? It would be better than letting others get hurt. I looked down at the medallion I had been given as proof of my new rank.

  Memories of Dad saving us from the mushrooms just as we arrived at Port Town surface. I was a knight now, and to me that meant protecting people. I’ll go clear the bandits before they can threaten any merchants. I stepped into Sir Portten’s office.

  “Sir Portten, Thanks for hosting me last night. I got some urgent news, so I’ll be returning to Port Town ahead of the volunteers. If you see Sir Fullart, let him know I’m headed back to Port Town.”

  Sir Portten hesitated a moment, likely considering if he should ask why I was leaving, but instead just nodded his head.

  “Sir Callia, You have done more for our town than we could ever repay. So long as I rule this town, all you need do is ask, and we shall do all in our power to aid you.”

  I head out of town and down the road. It’s almost liberating, the feeling of walking openly in the wild. Monsters are drawn recklessly towards those with lower levels or any other measure of strength. Now I stood high enough that casual visits outdoors won’t warrant battle tactics. Some smaller monsters would still try their luck against a superior foe, but most of those had been cleared out by the passage of multiple armies.

  The quiet gives a semblance of safety, but with the presence of bandits, I need to stay alert. I take a casual jog down the road while vigilantly looking for signs of people breaking off the road. The stench of rot is thick from the bodies abandoned in pits along the path. I can’t help but wonder how many died because that fat bastard didn’t care enough to order someone to help them.

  Finally I found the first trail of soldiers that had left the main road. With ease I climbed a tree and quietly followed them. The darkness of night had properly settled in, and just ahead the dim light of a fire illuminated a cluster of 5 men. I moved to the tree above their camp with ease. The roots formed a pair of pseudo walls around them, but I could easily listen in from above.

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  “Sure, the fatso may have led us to getting our asses kicked, but he was still a noble! If some small town at the edge of nowhere can muster up enough men to do that, then think about how much money they make!”

  One bandit with a scar seems intent on convincing the other four that our town was rich. Which was complete crap; just a couple years ago every building in the town was turned to ash. Though, the earthkin probably had plenty of money. I quietly lined up a shot on the speaker but listened in to hear the other opinions.

  “Rook, I get you don’t want to give up after we were promised so much loot, but these woods are dangerous territory. There’s a reason nobody dares set up out here, and it’s only a matter of time till they send those knights after us.”

  I quietly smile to myself hearing a more sensible answer. Maybe I don’t need to kill them all. If I pick out the agitators, the rest might just disperse. I continued to listen from above as their conversation continued. A third one spoke up this time.

  “It would be trouble staying out here with just us, but it’s not just us. I ran into a couple of others who were spreading the word. That idiot Ralf is the center of a big group that's forming. They said to follow the river upstream, and one of the boys will bring us in. With a guy like that, I bet we could nestle in real hard. Anything short of a full mobilization wouldn’t matter, and we could always regroup somewhere else if they do try something.”

  The others seemed a bit too positively inclined to the suggestion. I felt it was time to interfere. With ease I dropped down while putting an arrow into the skulls of the instigators. I casually turn around with style to deliver a warning, but my danger instinct flares. I delivered a devastating kick to the man who tried to shank me while I was turning. The others stopped dead in their tracks, looking at the man whose head had caved in from my kick.

  “I heard your little chat. I had deemed you three sensible enough to let go, but he decided not to choose life. Now, it’s your turn. If I come across either of you again in these woods, I’ll assume you made the same choice. Understand?”

  I don’t even wait for their answer before jumping back onto the tree and ascending it rapidly. It was going to be a busy night with plenty of people to visit and give life-altering guidance to.

  Mandatory Talent Show

  Lexia rubbed off the blood from her knuckles. She had reached the first town on her map, but it wasn’t Port Town. It was similar, though the people had named it Riverport town. It was established as a rest stop for shipments headed to their northern neighbor. Still, despite it being the wrong place, Lexia felt it would be a waste to leave without checking.

  Her method? Beating the town's guardian knight to a pulp and demanding a spontaneous talent show. To be honest, Lexia was rather excited to see what people could do. All her life had focused on combat and survival. Her father had placed great stress on just how vital the ability to rip the arms off offensive peasants was. That didn’t deny the novelty of seeing someone make a loaf of bread with a pan and a torch.

  Still, she wasn’t here for impressive baking skills, so she broke the man's nose and demanded the next showing. This time the presenter introduced themself as a net weaver. He showed a regular spool of rope and started weaving it into an intricate net. When he finished, Lexia couldn’t help but clap as she found herself confronted with a net shaped into her likeness.

  She took the net and added it to her pack before punching him in the face. The boy started crying as he ran over to the healer, who was waiting next to Lexia to treat the broken noses. Lexia didn’t even need to call for the next showing, but it was apparent that nobody was the kind of talent Lexia wanted. She set off in the morning after breaking the noses of nearly half the town.

  She did notice as the townsfolk began cheering and crying in relief. Maybe next time she should try a different approach. If the people were that happy to see her gone, then obviously anyone with actual talent would've hidden themselves to avoid being abducted. Lexia mentally revised her plan, but the question remained: how could she convince the town to send their best?