Their trip back was arduous, as they juggled the severed head between them. Not only was it heavy, but it absolutely reeked. After travelling for about an hour, they finally reached the point where the forest became lush and full of life again.

  “Stay safe.” Whispered the gentle female voice inside Raine’s head. It caused Raine to stop and spin backwards, but there was no one there.

  “Everything alright?” Checked Lynn.

  Raine nodded and picked up his step. Reaching the main road leading through the forest, they were relieved to be going in the right direction. Soon, Satus was back in view.

  It was already late afternoon when they returned. Tired and breathing heavily, they slowly dragged their feet towards the city gate. There was no one besides the two guards outside the gate, and Raine could the Guards judgement as they approached.

  Who could blame them? Given our torn and messy appearance, we look like a couple of beggars.

  “Stop right there!” Said one of the guards, raising his hand.

  “Name and purpose.” Said the second one, halting their advance.

  “We were here just yesterday, remember? It’s Raine and Lynn.” Said Raine.

  “Our purpose is to claim a bounty.” Added Lynn as he threw the creature's head at their feet.

  “That…! Call the captain immediately.” Shouted the first guard.

  I guess this is a bigger deal than we thought.

  The event caused a commotion, and people began gathering around the gate.

  “Make way! Make way! What’s with the stench?” Shouted a soldier as he pushed through the crowd.

  “I’ll be damned.” He muttered as he stopped in front of the head. He moved it around with his foot, then grabbed it with one hand and lifted it.

  “This, my brothers, is a ghoul’s head.” The soldier said proudly, as though he had slain it himself.

  Even more chatter arose, Raine and Lynn the centre of attention.

  So that’s a ghoul?

  “You boys brought this?” He asked as he observed the torn clothing, both caked in dirt and blood.

  Raine nodded.

  “Do you require treatment?”

  “We’ve already been taken care of.” Raine replied.

  “Captain, surely you can’t believe…” The guard behind him spoke up.

  “That they killed it? How much more proof do you want? Do you think one can get a ghoul’s head, fresh and still dripping blood at a market?” The captain asked the guard incredulously.

  “If you want more proof, we left the body where it fell in the forest. Just look for infected trees and follow the smell.” Lynn smirked.

  “Gather a squad of men and go check it out.” The captain ordered. Two of the soldiers behind him nodded and pushed back into the crowd.

  “As for you two, the payment will be ready tomorrow. Today, however, please take a rest in any inn you wish, at my expense of course.”

  “Is there a place where we can wash? A river, perhaps?” Inquired Raine.

  “A river? Bollocks! Over my dead body! You’re not bathing in any river today.” A familiar and angry voice echoed through the crowd.

  “I’m guessing you’re already acquainted with them, Lady Vera?” The captain sighed as he turned towards the Black Cats matron.

  “Indeed, I am. They are my guests, and they shall be bathing in a bath fit for a lord.” Vera exclaimed in that same commanding voice she used in the tavern. “Come now, I’ll get some fresh robes and towels for you.” She waved the boys forward.

  They tiredly followed, aware of the all the eyes on their backs.

  “You boys must be starving. Any requests?” She asked as they walked.

  “Anything will do.” Said Lynn.

  “Yeah, anything.”

  The bathing area was in a neighbouring building attached to the inn. She escorted them into one of the larger rooms, holding a handful of towels.

  The flooring was black stone, and smooth, surrounded by wooden floors. Raine had never seen such a room before. There were three buckets on the side, a few wooden stools, a brush, soap, and a single bath. The bath was large enough to fit a dozen people if not more, its water crystal clear and steaming.

  “Do wash yourself thoroughly before you enter the bath. That ghoulish blood would ruin your soak, would it not?” Vera told them as she left.

  They quickly undressed. As they washed, they were surprised they saw not even a single scar from their fight with the ghoul. Relieved as they were, Lynn expressed disappointment. He thought the bite marks would have left a cool looking scar across his chest.

  They climbed into the bath, letting out a deep sigh of relief, the hot water soaking away the remaining evidence of today’s events.

  A knock came from the door.

  “May I step in?” Called Vera. She didn’t approach the bath but instead gathered their clothes from the floor. “Let me borrow these for a moment.” She told them before leaving them in peace once more.

  “She’ll probably wash them.” Lynn murmured to Raine, his head tipped back, eyes closed as he enjoyed the rare privilege.

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  After soaking for over an hour, they got out and dried themselves. Slipping into their robes, they left the bathing chamber, heading towards their room from last night.

  On their beds was a set of new clothes, a ripped piece of parchment on top. The note read: Had to take the liberty of getting you some new clothes. Hope you like them! Vera.

  They donned their new clothing. Two pairs of dark trousers with a leather belt and a thin, long-sleeved shirts, alongside two grey vests. Raine picked up the dark vest with fur trim. It was dense and fluffy, lined with the fur of a wolf.

  “Isn’t this a bit much?” Raine frowned.

  “I love it.” Lynn replied, smile stretching ear to ear.

  Raine considered him for a moment. “I’m sorry.” His tone was sour with remorse.

  “Where did that come from?”

  “If I didn’t go off that road today, none of this would’ve happened.” Raine sighed, obviously still shaken from their experience. They would have been dead if not for the elder wolf.

  “You’re sorry for that?” Lynn’s brows stitched together.

  “We both almost died because of me.”

  “Yeah, well. Whilst running off like that was stupid; thankfully, everything worked out.”

  When Raine’s expression didn’t change, Lynn gave him a light punch in the shoulder.

  “Reckless or not, remember we’re in this together.” Lynn muttered, clearly more concerned than he would admit. “Don’t go throwing your life away.”

  Raine nodded, guilt gnawing at him.

  “Let’s go grab something to eat.” Lynn changed the subject. Raine reluctantly agreed.

  They slowly descended the stairs leading towards the tap room. The sound of laughter and joyous conversation wafting out through the thin walls. However, as soon as they stepped inside, a silence fell over the crowd like a pall. Every pair of eyes was trained on them.

  Vera was the first to break the silence, darting forward. “There they are! The real men in this shithole of a city, the ghoul slayers!” That exclamation broke the silence, the crowd breaking into cheers of celebration. Vera pulled them into a big hug before proclaiming. “Drinks and food are on me tonight! You boys deserve it.”

  It was a long and loud evening. It felt as though the whole town was crammed into the tavern in celebration.

  “How did you manage to beat a thing like that?” “Were you not injured at all?” “I’ve got a daughter your age.” “Where are you boys from?” “You should apply for the army; you’d be paid well.” “Are you still single?” Were only a handful of comments they received that evening.

  The old one-eyed veteran thanked them with tears. He explained that his men had perished to the creature just over a month ago. He’d wallowed in their deaths, believing Satus would never no true peace whilst the Ghoul plagued them.

  Raine’s heart knotted in guilt for receiving all the credit for the kill, but, whether directly or not, he and Lynn were responsible for its death.

  “There it stood! Eyes white as the dead! I threw myself at it, knocking it over!” Lynn practically sung to the crowd akin to a bard telling stories. He was stood atop of one of the tables, a mead too deep.

  It was quite a fun sight to behold, the crowd enraptured by Lynn’s story. It reminded Raine of his father, who’d often told stories to him and other village kids in much the same manner.

  “ - Then he swung down his sword, cutting the vile beast’s arm! Blood splattering like a fountain as its roar shook the forest!” Lynn pointed at Raine, multiple heads turning to him.

  His face reddened as he slouched back on his chair, attempting to hide.

  They ate, drank and laughed deep into the night, till only Raine, Lynn and Vera were left. They sat behind a single table, a handful of candles providing a dim, flickering light.

  “I’m surprised you guys could kill a ghoul. Are you trained in the elements?” Vera asked.

  “We didn’t really beat it ourselves.” Raine admitted. “An elder wolf killed it. We were about to die when it saved us.”

  “An elder wolf huh? I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink tonight.” Vera giggled at the ridiculous story. “The ghoul is dead because you guys acted on it. You brought back its head. How it happened or why it happened is of little importance. The city can sleep peacefully for a while, and that’s the only thing people care about.”

  “That may be, but we happened to survive by chance.” Said Raine, the atmosphere growing heavy. “Do you know of any elemental wielders?” He asked, happy to change subject.

  “I’m not so sure about an element user, per se. Not many people use that power around these parts. However, there is a well-known master who’s supposed to live east of here. It’s quite a distance away, probably just over a month of travel by foot.” She explained as she went to grab a map.

  It was an old map. It covered the entire continent of Gaea; everything from the mountain ranges to the small curves of each river, drawn to the correct scale on the map. Eleven citadel-like structures stood out against the plains of Gaea. Each of them was unique and colourful. It was the eleven capitals, ancient dwarven-built citadels, where the royalty and nobility lived and ruled.

  In the south-western region where they were now stood the citadel of Orcus, surrounded by its high walls, nestled between the Lucent Ocean and river Lockness that flowed through its marble streets. In its golden days it was the culinary capitol of Gaea and not a single mouth went unfed. Now it was ruled by gluttony, the rich feast, whilst the poor starved.

  At the farthest point north-west was where the knowledge capitol Lorworth was positioned. It was a magical citadel filled with towers of all heights and sizes, crowned by spires and domes of different shapes. One would go there to immerse oneself in the study of history.

  The Great Northern Plains region held the horse citadel, Whitemare. Split between the green pastures on the east and the savannas on the west. The citadel was an oval shape, surrounded by multiple walls, each taller than the one before.

  Just west of it was the agricultural citadel of Landale, with the richest soil in Gaea. It was known for its produce, including fruit and vegetables. Though in recent years it had become known for being the citadel closest to ruin. Drought, their biggest nemesis, had forced them to secure a water from the Ekho River. Other nations naturally abused that weakness and fought for the source as well.

  Hidden deep within a forest, in a mountain pass between Landale and Lorworth, was the fairy citadel Wealdhelm.

  On the southmost point of the map, bordering between the Asphair Ocean on the west and Cobalt Ocean on the east, stood the biggest port city in Gaea; the naval citadel Southpoint. It also bore a different name, the Frontline.

  The golden citadel Lionshade, stood atop a lone cliffside beyond the Eastern Plains, surrounded by a multitude of azure lakes. It was known for its riches, ores and gems.

  South of Lionshade, within the confines of the white-sand desert, the oasis citadel Deimais stood. Its walls were made in a unique shape, resembling a star, making it highly defensible. Not that many attempted a siege in the desert in the first place.

  Duskstone was nestled in the Xiphos mountain range, at the eastern edge of Gaea. Not much was known about it, other than that it was a place people tended to avoid, for the citadel was wrapped in shadows.

  And finally, the Ashen Isles, where the ruins of a citadel were marked. It had fallen to war over five hundred years ago. It was said that nothing, but ashes remained.

  The citadels were a result of the constant wars of the past. Virtually unbreakable cities, capable of self-sufficiency, protected by dwarven craftsmanship and magical barriers. Sieges on these citadels have lasted for several decades and in the end, it was always the attacking force that retreated.

  “We’re here right now.” Vera pointed at the map. “The rumour is that he lives about five hundred leagues over in this direction; somewhere around this part here.” She tapped the parchment. “In a small hut along the mountain range.”

  “An old man living in the mountains? Are you talking about Cyrus?” Asked Lynn.

  “Someone you know?” Raine asked curiously.

  “Only from rumours, but he’s a living legend.” Lynn hiccupped, sobering up very slowly.

  “He was the Lord Commander of Lionshade, if I recall correctly.” Vera reminisced.

  “Would he be willing to teach us?” Raine inquired, unable to hide his excitement.

  “Why don’t you go there and ask him yourself?” Vera yawned, the long night finally catching up with her.

  “That’s the plan!” Grinned Lynn.

  The same hearty breakfast as the day before awaited them in the morning. The captain sat behind the bar, eagerly awaiting them with a heavy purse of golden coins.

  It didn’t take long for them to finish the meal, and with a heart-warming farewell, they had left the inn only to stop at another market stall.

  Now wearing a pair of new leather boots each, paid for with their reward money, they excitedly hurried towards the towns gate, the morning’s sun rise in front of them. They set off towards the Galar mountain range, hoping the former Lord Commander would be willing to teach them.