Un Tempo Senza Fine Part 3

Chapter 5: “I guess this is the start of my adventure”

news reporter* “Bandits? She warned you about bandits?”

“Yea, I’m pretty sure that broke protocol or whatever, but I also kinda think she wanted to know what I would do about it”

“And what did you do?”

“Well…hah”

I walked outside, it was still dusk, the sun was dipping under the horizon. The streets were starting to light up, and I looked over towards where my horse was tied up. There were some people standing close by, and I hate to admit to this, but I thought they looked shady. There was a tall, slender man, dressed in a grey jacket and black pants with his hood up. He had his hand on the back of my horse, so I figured he was going to try to steal her.

Once I realized the other two guys were with him, I remember looking up the street and I noticed a town guard. I whistled as loud as I could and got his attention. I motioned over to the thieves and he started walking over. He called out to them, “Excuse me, is that your horse?” the tall man jumped and looked at the officer, “Yea,

“That's hard to believe. Considering I know the owner” He said. I didn't know him. I had seen him around in the tutorial town, I didn't expect him to remember me after we crossed over, but he must have.

Then the three men all sprinted away. The guard whistled loudly as he began to after them.

*news reporter* “So you could up and steal someone's horse? That's a little much.” “Yea, but if you think about it. That's how it is in the real world. The only thing that keeps us from stealing is the law. And we both know this game wanted things to be realistic.”

Soon after the guard was out of sight, chasing the thieves, a large man approached me: and when I say large, I mean large. He stood at least six inches taller than me, which would put him somewhere around 6’2”. And he was built and had a huge hilt shadowing over his back. I knew it had to have been a huge sword.

“Hey you, newbie” He said, “You called that guard over didn't ya?” And i didn't know what to say, but I knew he was going to get physical. If someone meant to engage you all the sudden you could see their level flash over their head. It floated like a halo, and moved with them. I knew I was in trouble when I saw his level was so much higher than mine. So not only was this mass of a man wanting to fight, he was level 23. I was a mere level 2, and that was only because I had helped some townsfolk out in a tutorial town.

“Well, did ya’? He asked again, a menacing grin spread across his face, probably noticing that my level was so low. “Yea, they were about to steal my horse.” I said back, in a lighthearted manner. “I need that thing, ya know?” I said laughing as I started walking towards the horse. I looked up and saw Maria peering through the half open door, she mouthed “Run” to me. I glanced back at him and he was closing the distance between us very quickly. “Kid, I can't let you get away with getting my guys in trouble, now can I?” he said. As he spoke he reached over his shoulder and grasped the hilt of his sword.

I remember thinking “Shit, well… guess it can't be avoided now.”

He unsheathed his sword, and I swear it was larger than me. It looked heavy, double edged, and murderous. But then I heard the voice of Sadon, not that he was there, but something he had taught me. “No matter how daunting your enemy is, stand up straight, and face them with confidence. If you doubt yourself, you're already fighting two on one.?” So I lifted my chin, so that I was looking into his face. He was standing four feet away from me, but his sword was only inches from my face. He took a fighting stance, “You’re not going to run? Hah, you’ve got some spunk newbie.” He said as he transferred his weight to the front leg, it was a slow movement, but I noticed. He was going to attack. “ Spunk? No, you really aren't that scary.” It was a dirty move, but antagonizing him was a good way to get him to attack more wildly, and I knew my odds were better that way.

He raised his sword and swung, the sword was slow and heavy, but I knew if he landed even one blow I'd be down for the count. I sidestepped and the blade swung inches away from my shoulder. I took a step back, “We don't need to fight ya know, if you'll just let me go.” I said, my confidence restored. Knowing I could dodge meant I could win. Sadon always taught me that strength’s only weakness in battle was speed, so I had to have both. “It’s not like you're going to hit me anyways, unless that was just a practice swing.” I said my own mischievous grin spread across my face. It was working.

“Hah! Let a puny level 2 go? I'd be the laughing stalk of the guild!” He yelled as he brought the sword back for another swing. I moved, just enough to get out of reach of the swing. “But think about it friend, if you lost to a level 2 it would be even worse!” I said, almost laughing due to how easy it was to move around his attacks. “What’d you say? You twerp!” He said as he went into a frenzy. There it was, he lost his cool. Swinging frantically, randomly, but still I was able to evade with ease. Compared to Sadon he was slow, very slow. Nothing came as a surprise. I knew that if I let him go long enough his stamina would deplete and he would be easy to take down after that. So I kept it up, evading, almost dancing around his blows. Finally he lost enough stamina to make my move. I stood still, he swung the sword around his back and over his head, he started a huge downswing.

He yelled, “You’re mine! ” and he swung downward. With the blade barreling towards my head I reached both hands up and clapped against the blade. It was still about a foot away from my head. When I let my gaze drop to the ground, and started to roleplay. “It’s a pity, someone who would talk so big and intimidating, is so very weak. I don’t take kindly to men who would pick on the small fries, the “newbies”. So I will take it upon myself to teach you a lesson of respect, not for me, but for everyone you encounter.” And with that I threw his blade aside, I closed the gap between us with two quick steps. The perplexed look hadn't even left his face when my hand made contact with his stomach. My blow not only knocked him off his feet, but it threw him several feet.

I remember hitting him was much like hitting a wall. Sadon always said, “Even walls will fall if you’re determined enough.” And so this wall did, he fell, hard. He laid on the ground with both hands on his stomach, tears forming in his eyes while he tried to regain his breath. “Sorry,” I said “I should have held back a little more with that one.” I said as I turned my back to him. “Who the hell are you?!” He called as I stood in the same place I had delivered my blow.. With that I turned around, took a couple strides and knelt down so he could see my face “ Doesnt really matter, what matters is the respect you should now know. Even “newbies” don't like bullies who are full of themselves.” I said, as condescending as I could. Then I turned around and looked to the doors of the pub. Maria now was surrounded by players and NPC alike, watching with eyes wide and mouths open. I smiled at her as I began to walk towards my horse. I saw his sword lying there next to the horse, and I remember thinking to myself “I’m sure I can use this later on.”

I picked up his sword, and called back to him “If you learned my thoughtful lesson, I doubt you'll need this.” and I equipped it. It was heavy, I immediately felt it weighing down my back, along with the sword Maria had given me. I took a moment to move around, and hop up and down to assess the weight. While I wanted to use this monstrosity someday, I knew at this point it was useless to me. Too heavy to be effective for me in a fight I guess.

I mounted the horse and took one more look over my shoulder towards Maria. the sun was putting off an orange light that lit up her face. She was so beautiful, the sun making her face light up with color. “Don't forget!” she called as i trotted out of town “You’re going to come visit me Merek! I’ll be waiting” she said as I started to run my horse out of the town.

“I guess this is the start of my adventure” I thought as I rode away from the town.

*news reporter* “So, you did have feelings for her?” “I… I guess I did. But like I said, she was an AI. So I held it back.”

“Awe, I’m sorry Nate. But please continue telling us of your adventure!”

“Well, I remember it was dark.”

I was riding down the path on my horse. It seemed like an especially dark night. There was no moon to be seen, no stars, simply cloud and darkness. We had been running through the wilderness for hours, and my horse was getting tired. I slowed her pace to a walk so she could rest for a bit. I remember thinking about how I felt with Maria, and how much I would miss her. I hoped that I would find my friends and be too preoccupied to think about it. Suddenly I was pulled out of my thoughts when a bright blue light flickered in the trees for a moment. At that moment I remembered Sadon’s warning about the monsters at night. Next thing I know i heard a growl, almost as if to confirm my suspicion. I turned my head back to where I saw the light and saw the reflection of eyes beyond the trees that lined the road. I immediately spurred my horse and we started loping down the path again. Then I noticed a sudden shift; blue lights appearing all around me. The monsters were everywhere; I was completely surrounded. I was scared. I remember we ran for what seemed like forever. You could hear the footsteps of the beasts just beyond my sight, hiding in the darkness. Then, down the road I saw another light unlike the others. It was a dim, yellow light and it lingered, steady in the night's blackness. I didn't know what it was but I knew if it was any sort of shelter, then that’s where i needed to be; fast.

I noticed a small “Bed and Breakfast” sign on the side of the road as me and the horse were running. The sound of the monster's footsteps stopped as soon as I passed the sign. “It must be a safe zone” I thought as I slowed my horse to a trot and approached the small inn.

I saw an empty stable near the place and tied my horse up in one of the small stalls. She was tired from all that I had put her through. I laid some grass in the stall and found a small water pail and set it in front of her. I remember running my hand down the side of her face, whispering to her “You did amazing today, thank you.” And I swear to you she knew what I said. She nodded at me and then began to drink the water I had left her. “This game keeps surprising me,” I thought.

I turned around to see the light from the Inn peering through the stable doors. I made my way towards the light, and once I made it to the inn I took a moment to look around. Something about it looked familiar. It was a small building, with a wooden porch spanning the front. It hadn't been painted so the wooden siding was all starting to look weathered. It was quite a cute place.

Still hanging back, in the darkness, I heard the front door creak as it opened and two men walked out to the front of the Inn. Both of them were larger guys, wearing black and grey just like the bandits back in town. One had a cigarette hanging idly from his lips, and the other was just standing out there with him. As they began their conversation I couldn't help but listen in. The man with the cigarette spoke first, “I kinda feel bad, don't you?” he asked, looking to the other man. “Not really, if she was stupid enough to party up with us, then she had it coming.” the second man said as he leaned against the wall, taking in a deep breath. “Still, it ain't right.” The man smoking pointed out. The larger of the two exhaled slowly as he settled in up against the wall, watching the smoke linger in the air. “That aint for you to say, newbie” The second man said with a menacing look to the first.

With that I walked into the light, heading towards the front door. I tried not to pay much attention to the two guys, but that didn't last.

“Where do ya’ think you're goin’?” The large man said, still leaning up the next to the door. “I need a place to stay” I said as I took my first step up the small wooden stairs. “Sorry, but me and my friend here own the place. We’re fresh out of rooms'' He said, motioning to the man with the cigarette. “Yea, sorry friend.” he said, confirming his friend's statement. Both men were dressed in all black, with a small silver emblem on their shoulders.

“Another guild I see” I thought as I debated what to do.

“I'll go inside and check for myself,” I said, pushing past the smaller man, knocking the cigarette out of his mouth. “Sorry, didn't mean to put out your smoke.” I said as I made my way to the door. Then the larger man stood in front of the door, “No, we’re sorry. But you aren't staying here.” He said again, now blocking my entry to the Inn.

“Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I need a place to stay. I don't want to deal with everything that's out in these woods. Not today.” I said, trying to reason with him.

“Nope.” He said as he folded his arms across his chest. “And if you don't leave, you'll regret it.” He said, motioning one of his hands towards the sword fixed to his hip. It was a moderately sized broadsword.

“Look at that Garji, his sword is as big as him.” the man said, moving to stand behind me. “Listen” I said, “I don’t want to start anything, if you'll please move aside so i can rent a room for the night”

“Sorry friend, but you already started this.” The man standing behind me said. Garji’s level appeared above his head, another high level, and I knew I was about to be in combat. “Hah, you're a little level 2!” He said as he drew his sword from his schethe.

I was so irritated, and I was tired. I wasn't about to waste time fighting these two. Like before, I lifted my head and took my fighting stance.

“Oh? You aren't using your mighty sword huh?” He said as he moved closer to me, I took a step back only to find another blade pointed in my direction. “Sorry, but we don't play fair.” the man from behind said. “NOW!” Garji yelled as he and his friend lunged at me with their swords. I moved slightly to the side, running one hand up the side of his blade, and the other making a blow for his throat. He gasped and lurched backwards, I took his hand in mine and broke the sword free from his grip, and spun again. His sword now in hand, and I grabbed the other man's hair and threw him forward. He landed right next to Gareji. “Don't stand up,” I said, but it landed on deaf ears. The smaller man stood up quickly spinning around to face me. He lunged again, yelling this time. I stepped towards him and swiped his leading foot out from underneath him. He began falling towards me, and it was like time had slowed but this time it was actually like the game slowed down, everything was in slow motion. Even me. His body felling slowly to the ground; he expression on his face changing from anger to confusion. I moved quickly, taking his sword from his hand and swinging it towards his throat. My intention wasn't to kill either of them, but to make them regret this decision. The blade slid around his throat, making a very slight cut along the length of it, only a couple layers deep. He landed on the porch with a thump and I stood towering above him. He hurried and grabbed at his throat, looking up at me with nervous eyes. “Please mister, don't… don't kill me” he said, groveling on the ground. “You’d do well to remember not to talk big here, it isn't your place.” I said as I moved past both men to the inside of the Inn.

As I made my way inside I looked around. The inn was well lit, windows on either side of the room peering into the darkness. Then I saw the Innkeeper, he was an older man standing behind a small desk, looking at me with wide eyes. Then I heard a scream, echoing from up the stairs. I looked at the Innkeeper for a but he shook his head, “I wouldn't kid.” He said, but it was too late, I was already sprinting to the stairs behind him.

Chapter 6: “Nice to see you, old friend.”

I heard another scream as I ran up the stairs, at the top I found myself in a dark hallway, doors lining each side. There was a door at the end of the hall, the door slightly cracked open, light peeking through. I ran down the hallway, hearing deep laughter and muffled screams coming from behind the open door. I threw the door open, there were three men in the small room. But, that wasn't the horrific part. There was a girl, being held down on the bed in the center of the room. I stood there, not knowing what to do. One man turned around as the door swung open and yelled “Who the hell are you?!” he said as he stood up, leaving the girls legs flailing wildly as the other two struggled to hold her down. I stood there, not really knowing what was going on, I guess I was in shock. One of the other men shifted slightly, and I caught a glimpse of the girl being held down.

“Maria…?” I thought as I saw the girl come into view.

“NO!” I yelled as I ran at the man at the base of the bed, I don't remember what I was thinking. All I know is that I went from being ready to fight, to ready to kill. Before the man standing at the end of the small bed could react I roundhouse kicked him, and he flew off his feet into the wall. Another man jumped up with a small knife and ran at me, but he was too slow. I ran at him, not caring about the knife he had. I grabbed him around the throat and lifted him off the ground.Then i used my second hand, grabbing him right around his chest, and threw him out the window. I remember time moving like it was a calm river, slow, and peaceful. I could see everything that was happening around me. The man flying out of the window at the side of the room, the other still frantically trying to hold the small girl down. All I could think about was getting them off her, killing them, making them pay for what they were doing to Maria.

Even now I can feel the anger inside. I was so upset, I couldn't take it. It was like a fire inside of my chest. The last man didn't stand a chance. He let go of the sobbing girl and she quickly pulled her knees up to her chest. I noticed her clothes were torn up, they were assaulting her. I couldn't take it. He lunged at me with a small curved knife, it only took me a second to disarm him and let his momentum carry him into his own knife. I felt the breath slowly leave his mouth as he crumbled to the floor, but I didn't care, all I cared about was her.

The man that I had kicked against the wall stood up, shaking he held a small broadsword pointed at me. He clenched the hilt so tightly that his knuckle was turning white.I don’t know how, but as soon as I thought about grabbing his neck, i was within a reaching distance of it. Somehow I had crossed the room like it was nothing, and I found my hand gripping his throat. His sword fell to the ground as I pinned him against the wall. “Leave now! You pig!” I yelled as I threw him towards the open door. “And tell anyone of your comrades that if I ever find that someone has done something like this, i'll find them, and I will kill them!” I said as he stumbled out the door.

I turned back to see the girl sobbing into her knees. So I ran over to the bedside “Maria, are you alright?” I asked, then the girl lifted her head. Although she was the spitting image of Maria, it wasn't her. She had tears gushing from her eyes, and she just sobbed as she looked up at me. I stood there, not knowing what to say to this girl that I didn't know. Finally I mustered the strength to speak, “You’re safe now. I promise I won't hurt you.” I said, still standing motionless above the bed. “Those men are gone, and they won't ever hurt you again.” I said as I reached down to wipe tears of her cheeks. She pressed her face into my open hand, and she said “T-thank you” although it was broken through the crying.

I remember sitting on the side of the bed, trying not to scare her. I couldn't imagine what it was like to go through that, what she had just been through. As soon as I sat down she threw her arms around me. She continued to sob into my chest as I put my arms around her, holding her, but trying not to squeeze her. She was smaller than Maria too, not quite as tall. She had a slender frame like her though, its similarities were astonishing.

“You’re okay, I'll protect you.” I said as I began to move my arm, gently rubbing her back. “What’s your name?” I asked as her sobbing became less intense.

“Elizabeth” She said quietly, almost as if she were whispering. I hugged her a bit tighter into me “Alright Elizabeth, I’m Na-- I’m Merek, and i'm going to protect you. Don’t worry, alright?” I said, quieting my voice, and she made her grip around me tighter. “Thank you, Merek.” she said. Still crying softly, she shifted so she could hold her knees up to her chest again. I kept my arms around her, hoping it would bring her comfort.

We just sat there, in the silence. She seemed like she was beginning to calm down. “I… I trusted them.” She said softly as she buried her face into her knees. “I just… I hate this stupid game.” she whispered. But before I could say another word, she froze. Her figure began to glow slightly, and then she was gone. And a golden dust was left in her place. Just like that, I saw her disappear. The golden just just lingered in the air. Falling to the ground then disappearing. I sat there, holding onto the dust clumps in my hands. She was gone. I was confused, All i could do was sit there in astonishment. Then I realized… She broke character, and now she was gone.

I sat there in silence for a couple more seconds, then I heard a voice come from the door. “What a shame.” A man's voice echoed from the door, standing in the shadow of the hallway. I looked up and saw a large figure, unable to make out a face. “You did well, but that's what happens.” He continued.

“Make a move, and trust that it will be your last.” I said, finally getting my grip back on what was happening. “Oh? I’m sorry, i haven't introduced myself.” He said as he stepped out of the darkness.

It was Noah, my friend that signed up with me. “Nice to see you, old friend” he said as he walked in and sat beside me. He put his arm around me, “let's go downstairs, and i'll explain everything that just happened.” He said. “I saw the whole thing, you did well Merek.” he spoke with a soft tone, and smiled as he helped me stand and began to walk me towards the door.

He called me Merek, how did he know I was called Merek here? “What’s your name again?” I asked, not knowing if he had used his real name in the game.And knowing what would happen if I broke character. “Ah, right. It's Cassius. And I overheard you say your name to Elizabeth, in case you were wondering.” he said as we made our way down the stairs. The Innkeeper was waiting for us near the bottom of the stairs. “Thank you Kindly sir, but… if i may ask, how does a level two take on three level thirties?” He asked. “How do you know what level I am?” I asked, but Cassius took the liberty to explain. “If you own your own building, everyone's information inside is known to you. Their names and levels that is.” He continued. “Now come, let's have a drink. I trust you will repay my friend for driving out the Black Brigade?” He said to the Innkeeper.

“Of course.” he said as we walked through a low hanging doorway into a back lobby, equipped with a bar and stools.

I remembered noticing this wasn't the Noah I had known so well two weeks before. He appeared the same, but he carried himself differently. He was much more refined, he seemed like someone who knew exactly what was going on. And confidence was emanating off of him, like he was some sort of royalty.

“I'm sure you have a lot of questions Merek, and I'll do my best to answer them.” He said with a light tap on the back. We sat down at the bar, the Innkeeper disappeared behind a small curtain hanging in a doorway. He came out holding two bottles of wine, “Here, it's the best I’ve got.” He said as he handed the bottles to Cassius. “This will do fine, thank you. Would you mind giving me and my comrade a moment?” Cassius said to the Innkeeper. “Of course. Uhm, if you need anything let me know. Also, your stay is on the house, for however long you'd like Merek.” He said giving me a grateful glance as he disappeared back into the main lobby of the Inn.

“Alright Merek, ask away.” Cassius said as we sat at the bar quietly. “I honestly don't even know where to start.” I replied. “What, what was that? What happened to her?” I asked, having to hold back the emotions that were pouring over me. My stomach felt like it had up and left my body, leaving a gaping hole in its place. I wanted to throw up, and cry, all at the same time.

“She wasn't acting herself.” He said, raising his eyebrows at me. “What's that mean?!” I said as I raised my voice in response to his cryptic response. “Look at me Merek, you know how we all have to Act.Our. Selves.” he said, pronouncing the last three words of his sentence and raising his eyebrows. Then it clicked, we couldn't break character by saying she broke character.

“So that's what happened, I see.” I said, looking down at the small wooden bar, swirling the wine around in its glass. “You couldn't do anything about it Merek, you did the right thing though. You did your best.” he said as he put his arm around my shoulders again, squeezing my trapezius muscle. “I wish I would've got here sooner.” I said finally, thinking about if I could've made it just ten minutes earlier she might have been alright.

“There’s no point in thinking that way, she will be alright. She's in a better place now Merek.” He said, trying to comfort me. “So, what's the Black Brigade?” I asked.

“Ah, the Black Brigade. Those are the guys that you just wiped the floor with. They are a bandit guild, they run around this area a lot. I don’t know where their home base is, but I'd have to guess it's real near here somewhere. They do this sort of thing all the time, they're really horrid people, and you’ve gone and put a huge target on your back for all of them.” He said looking at his wine glass now. “Not that it matters, their commander is only level 45, and by the looks of what just happened you'd be able to take him on with ease.” He said looking up with a smile. “Still don’t recommend it though” He said as his smile widened. “I think we should disband the lot of them,” I said back. I was still so angry, I would probably kill every one of them if I got the chance.

“I get it Merek, you're upset. But i think it'd be better if we found the rest of our party first. Then we can wipe ‘em off the face of this earth.” He said with an encouraging smile.

“The rest of our party?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Yea, see… our ‘old friends’ are all here too.” And I knew he was talking about the others I signed up with. “They all acted more like I did initially, so they've been out experiencing the world. And, some of them have some rather interesting developments.” he added. “Like what” I asked. “Well, our big blond friend, I think he has, well, a condition. I'm not sure yet, i'll have to figure that out when we meet up. But as far as i can tell they're all following the posters I sent out. We will find them in Bethel.” He explained.

“Okay, so how do you know all this?” I asked. “That's sort of a long story, you sure you want to hear it now?” He said. “Yea, i'm sure.” I affirmed. “Alright, i'll start from the beginning. I had a different start compared to you. I woke up in the woods one day, not remembering how I was there, or knowing what was going on. Then I heard a voice, this voice told me where I was, but I was so stressed I just started running. Soon after the voice disappeared and I was alone again in the middle of the woods. I wandered around for a while, not knowing quite what to do. Then a growl came from the bushes. I started catching glimpses of some sort of beasts running around me, circling me. I picked up a rather large birch branch, and waited. Finally one of the beasts came out of the dense woods into a small clearing in front of me, came to find out it was a beast that resembled a wolf, but it had blond hair like a lion, and a mane to match. It started making its way closer to me, I was so scared of Merek. It charged at me, so I swung the branch and knocked it away but it wasn't for long. It jumped towards me again, then out of nowhere a panda charged in and body slammed the beast. As it fell to the ground two more came out of the woods, and I couldn't move. My feet physically weren't responding to my commands to run, but luckily the panda stood its ground. It was a baby, smaller than the other beasts but only slightly. I swear they tore him apart but he wouldn't back down. Fighting rampantly by my side, and I finally got the courage to start swinging again. Eventually the beasts left, it was dusk and the panda had been so broken down.”

He said as he made motions with his hands, acting out the story.

“The panda limped over to a plant, and picked a leaf from it, then limped back to me and laid it across a scratch one of the beasts had put on my arm. It instantly felt better, so I got up and got all the leaves from the plant and laid them over the baby bear. It signed, in relief... I think. Then I noticed I heard running water nearby so I hurried and took some more leaves there and got them wet so they would stick to the panda better. As soon as i took them out i felt something appear in my pocket, when i looked it was a small piece of paper saying “Recipe learned!” and i guess i made a healing potion. Long story short, the panda was healed by morning and I knew what I wanted to pursue, I wanted to try my hand in alchemy. Come to find out, i'm total shit at it!” he said with a laugh.

“ But I found it fun to learn things about our realm, so I devoted my time to learning. Libraries and pubs are where I've spent most of my time. I guess you could say I'm an information broker now. People come to me with questions, questions about quests, MOBS, and everything else under the sun. Most of the time I have the answers too!” He said with another laugh.

“Although, I did learn a bit of magic. Physical buffs and such, mostly just to help Deathstorm though.” He said. “Whose deathstorm?” I asked. “Oh! That's what I named the panda! Hahaha, he's cute, here I'll bring him in.” He said, as he got up and walked to the door of the barside of the Inn. “Deathstorm, come!” He called through the door, and then I saw it. A massive creature standing at the front of the Inn. Too big to fit through the door frame by at least a foot, still covered in shadow. “Restringere!” He yelled and the beast began to shrink, he shrunk just small enough that he could slip through both doors.

“Wow, was that a spell?” I asked Cassius as the panda walked through to be with us in the bar. “Yeah, crazy huh? Apparently I have a knack for training him. But only him, I can't train anything else worth a damn!” he said laughing as he slowly brought his hand up to his head, scratching it slightly out of embarrassment. “Anyways, most people call this big guy biscuit, but his real name is Deathstorm.” Cassius explained. “Hey, I have something I would like to try with you really fast if that's alright?” He asked. “Sure” i said, a little concerned with the way he approached it. “Okay, well.” He said as he moved to sit back down beside me. “I want to read your palms” He said. “Hahaha, you going to predict my future, Cassius?” I said laughing at the thought. “Not really,” he said laughing with me, “It's a way for me to find out things about your structure. I'll explain in a second just let me see your hands” He said reaching out to my hands. I laid them face up on the bar in front of him. Immediately his mouth dropped. “Holy crap, dude. You're a master?!” He said looking at me in astonishment. “That's insane! Masters are the top tier of combat! That explains why you threw those guys around like it was nothing!” He said. “There's some stuff i don't really get too, I'll have to see if i can find more information on them.” he continued. “I can tell you one thing, you suck at magic, you've got basically no mana capabilities.” He pointed out. “You know how mana works right?” he asked, and I just nodded as he looked back towards my hands.

*News Reporter*

“Whats mana?”

“Oh, basically it the way games explain what you use to cast or use magic. Like… fuel to a fire essentially”

Cassius continued “This is really intriguing to me, man. Your physical abilities are basically off the charts, but magic, that isn't your strong suit.” he said as he looked up with a smile. “How'd you get so strong bro?” He asked, “Well, I met a trainer that showed me some stuff back in town. His name is Sadon” I said, and his eyes lit up. “Sadon? He hasn't taken a student in years apparently. No one with enough potential is what i heard. Also that makes a lot of sense, you took a training route instead of leveling. Smart.” He said with a smile. “Well, I guess I was the exception.” I explained.

I told him how Sadon had spent the last two weeks training me and teaching me about everything under the sun. How he helped me get with other trainers in swordplay and all sorts of ranged attacks. How I had met Maria, and she helped guide me through things too, and how confused I was about my feelings for her. I even explained why I went so berserk with the guys awhile ago, because Elizabeth reminded me of Maria.

“That makes sense, I’m sorry man. But how did you get to a master level in only two weeks?” He asked as he frowned.

“You know Cassius, it's getting pretty late, and we've got a long journey to Bethel tomorrow. Let's get some rest.” I said finally, after what seemed like hours of catching up about the past two weeks. “Sounds good, friend. We can continue this tomorrow.” He said. At that we both got up, and started walking back up the stairs to our rooms.

I looked down the hall, seeing the door that had started all this had been closed. The owner must have taken care of everything for us. “Time to get some shut eye” I thought as I opened the door to my dark room. “Night, brother” Cassius called across the hall. “Goodnight”

DISCLAIMER: I will be posting this book two chapters at a time, I haven't finished it yet so I will need the breaks to continue writing! If you enjoy reading please share it on your facebook or other media. It helps me stay motivated and also pays me very little per read. Also if you enjoy it let me know! You can message me on facebook or anywhere you know me from with comments or questions! Thanks!