“Damn it… damn it,” I muttered, my vision blurry, my body burning.

  Not Selene…anyone but Selene. She had been the first person I could call a friend since my journey began. Though our exchanges had always been limited, she was like an invisible hand keeping me upright, prodding me forward. After I passed the guild’s initial trial—despite offending her teammate—she pushed me to join their party. When I hesitated in the battle against the shaman, she led the charge. When Lyria refused to trust me, Selene waited, she listened. Without Selene…could I really continue? My childish ambition was to save everyone, but if I couldn’t even protect a friend—

  From behind us, Marcus poked his head out of the covered wagon.

  “Goodness! Is it done? Did you defeat them?“ he called as he hopped down from the wagon.

  None of us turned.

  He walked up, seeing the state Selene was in.

  “Oh no…” he said, his face twisting with worry.

  Then, he suddenly clapped his hands. “Mason! Please retrieve that for me! Immediately!” he called back to his attendant, who nodded and disappeared back into the wagon.

  Kaela, Bront, and I looked over curiously as Mason ran over to us. He handed a flask of some sort to Marcus, who immediately pushed through us and uncapped it, leaning over Selene.

  “May I?” he asked Lyria, rather gently.

  Lyria’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”

  Marcus nodded, and without wasting any more time, supported Selene’s head gently, and poured the glowing orange liquid into her mouth.

  For a moment, nothing happened, but then Selene coughed, and her eyes fluttered open.

  Lyria broke into tears and leaned down to hug Selene. “Oh thank the gods,” she whispered.

  “What was that?” Bront asked, raising an eyebrow at Marcus.

  “A superior healing potion—my own formula, naturally,” he added with a wink. “Crafted from phoenix root and royal jelly. She’ll be just fine.”

  Bront blinked at him for a moment, and then dipped his head in a low bow.

  “You have my thanks…” Bront said, his voice low and genuine.

  I blinked back my tears… she—she was going to be okay. I sucked in a breath and set my jaw.

  Never again will I risk losing my friends. I’ll keep them all safe, whatever it takes.

  I was doing all that I could to not collapse entirely, but Selene was alive… Thank the gods.

  * * *

  Selene and I stayed in the wagon for the rest of the trip to Tilver’s Crossing. The sun just slipped behind the horizon as we passed through the wooden gates.

  Marcus thanked us profusely, promised to mention hazard pay to the guild, and told us to find him if we ever needed a merchant. He didn’t charge for the potion either. I had to admit—he wasn’t so bad after all.

  Tilver’s Crossing was smaller than I expected. Built at the crossroads of two major trade routes, its wooden walls wrapped tightly around buildings clustered together, divided by winding alleyways. Two wide roads split the settlement, and beyond its eastern gate stretched a placid lake. To the north, a forest loomed close.

  We found rooms at an inn near the western gate. Selene was walking on her own again, though still moving gingerly. I was sore in ways I didn’t know existed, but it was starting to dull.

  Lyria and Selene shared a room. Bront and I took another. Kaela vanished to visit some acquaintance of hers.

  In our quarters, Bront worked on his shield in silence. The only sound was the steady clink of metal and the muffled chatter from the tavern below.

  “So… any thoughts on what happened today?” I finally asked.

  Bront exhaled and set down his shield.

  A lantern flickered on the nightstand between our beds. Outside, the wind howled softly, blending with the tavern's muffled murmurs below.

  “Aye. It was Fell power, sure enough. But I’ve never seen it used like that.”

  “And the bandit you questioned?”

  “He claimed he didn’t know where the power came from. Swore it. And I believe him.”

  “You really think he was telling the truth?”

  Bront glanced at me. “Aye. I’ve never met a man who could lie with me looming over him.”

  I nodded, then hesitated before asking, “Can I ask you something else?”

  Bront grunted. “Sure.”

  “How does a half-orc come to be an adventurer? I mean—what made you want this life?”

  He didn’t answer right away. His eyes shifted to the flickering lantern between us.

  “And why should I be tellin’ you that?” he said, not harshly—just matter-of-fact.

  I scratched the back of my neck. “Fair. I guess I’ve just been thinking about it myself… what I’m hoping to accomplish.”

  Bront studied me for a moment. “You saying you don’t know your own reasons?”

  “No—I do. I think.” I lay back, eyes drifting up to the dark, cobwebbed ceiling. “Just… figuring it out more as I go.”

  Bront leaned back. “I became an adventurer for a few reasons,” he said slowly. “But mostly, I want to prove I’m not a monster. That my kind aren’t all savages. I owe it to my mother.”

  I turned to look at him, surprised. But I understood.

  He returned my gaze. “And you?”

  I hesitated, then sat up, elbows on knees.

  “Our reasons aren’t so different, actually. I’m doing this for my mother too, in a way.”

  Bront raised an eyebrow curiously.

  “I was just a boy when it happened…” I started, steeling myself to relive a memory I’d much rather leave buried.

  “I was off with my mother and father on a hunting trip, deep in the Evermoore Woods. It was just the second night when we were attacked… a band of goblins, accompanied by a hobgoblin and a red orc…” Bront’s ears seemed to perk up when I mentioned the orc.

  “They descended on us in the night. My father fought like a demon, desperate to protect my mother and I, but it wasn’t enough. They were overwhelming him. I picked up a stick with my tiny, helpless hands, trying to beat back a stray goblin. The orc landed a blunt hit on my father. I ran to him as he fell, but the hobgoblin saw. Aimed his staff at us. I was too distraught to notice. My mother jumped in the way of a spell I hadn’t even seen coming, protecting us as fire lanced through her heart. Of course, we were next, but in that moment of darkness, a group of adventurers happened upon us, and managed to save my father and I,” I said, taking a break to catch my breath and calm myself down.

  “That very night, I swore I’d one day become an adventurer like them. Someone with enough strength to save—everyone…”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  Bront wore an unusually solemn expression upon hearing my tale. It didn’t suit him.

  “A painful loss…but that's a mighty powerful reason—you will reach that goal...” he said quietly, not asking the question I knew he wanted to.

  After experiencing something like that.

  Did I hate orcs?

  Did I hate him?

  After that, our conversation died down. Bront eventually turned over and shortly after, began snoring. I was wide awake.

  * * *

  Despite the dull ache in my muscles, I quietly stood from my bed, donned my cloak, and slipped into my boots.

  I headed down to the tavern below, slowly emptying at this hour, and took a seat next to a dimming hearth. After staring at the burning embers for a moment—not in thought, but in the absence of it, I reached a tired hand into my pack. I gingerly set the old tome on the table in front of me, peering down at the familiar symbol etched into its leather cover.

  A light and a dark wolf, endlessly encircling each other.

  I reached out, unclasping the latch which clicked open with a satisfying pop, and opened the book, gazing down upon the first yellowed page.

  I flipped through the pages eagerly. The tome itself was written in an ancient script I hadn’t yet learned, but accompanying it were translations that seemed to have been added more recently.

  The book told the history of two deities called Lun and Ten. Curiously, slightly different from the names that Lunae and Tenebrae had given me, though the book did seem to be talking about them.

  My eyes darted from page to page as I read.

  “Long ago, there was a god whose name is yet unknown. This god held dominion over the natural world, safeguarded its cycles, and upheld its delicate balance. As one of the primordial gods of this world, it was an immensely powerful being. So powerful, the other gods often became subjected to its influence. Dissatisfied by this, they began plotting against it. One day, the god was attacked, and a great battle ensued. After a war that spanned millenia, the other gods were able to separate it in two, and thus, Lun and Ten were born. No longer was the power held in one being, but in two. Each representing one half of the whole. Due to the nature of the separation, the gods' two forms took on a more primal, and instinctual form.”

  The book continued on, from alleged sightings to ceremonies steeped in tradition, it explained a lot about this deity, or deities, that I hadn’t been familiar with at all. It even explained a potential reason for the mystery surrounding them.

  According to the writings, some five hundred years ago, a great catastrophe befell the world. Details of the event were not explicitly included in the tome, but the impact was implied. As a result, many of the old deities that had traditionally been worshipped and respected, were lost. Their followers' faith was broken or fragmented due to the hopelessness the calamity wrought.

  “Hmm…?” I muttered to myself as I flipped to the next page.

  Gone.

  The last page had begun to explain some sort of a connection between Lun and Ten and the catastrophe. The last word of the page was, ‘omen’, but the next page wasn’t there. I blinked. No—more than one. A jagged tear ran down the spine. The next few pages had been cleanly ripped out.”

  I kept flipping back and forth, hoping some extra pages were simply stuck together, but I had no such luck. What seemed to be the most important information so far, was gone…

  I sighed and shut the book, leaning over the table, supporting my chin with my clasped hands.

  What was their involvement...? What was the catastrophe in the first place? And why were the pages missing?

  As my mind swam with questions, I heard soft footsteps approaching.

  I turned around, my tired eyes locking with Lyria’s, illuminated by the dim light of the tavern and a once gently burning hearth, now nothing but glowing embers. She wore a plain white blouse and some shorts. Her hair, let down for once and void of the usual blue ribbons, cascaded down over her shoulders. Her fair skin and silver hair made her look almost ethereal, betrayed only by the faint hue of pink that tinted her cheeks.

  Whether I was simply too tired or actually speechless in the moment, she spoke first.

  “You’re still up?” she said. More of a statement than a question.

  “Tough to sleep with a mountain snoring in your room,” I said jokingly, in reference to Bront’s monstrous snoring.

  She smiled and took a seat at the table. “Sure enough,” she replied, looking at the burning embers with distant eyes. “Selene, Bront, and I have had to share a room on plenty of occasions, though I don’t need as much sleep as you humans, they were still long nights.”

  I chuckled.

  “Wait… I don’t know much about elves. When you say you ‘don’t need as much sleep’, what do you mean?” I asked with genuine curiosity.

  “Hmm? Oh, well—true elves don’t require sleep at all, they can just meditate instead. For me, since I’m only half, I can do a bit of both, but I do require genuine sleep at some point,” Lyria explained, looking at me curiously as she did.

  I nodded with a contemplative look as I shifted my view back to the burning embers.

  “You don’t seem to know much about the other races, do you. How much do you know about the five kingdoms anyway?” Lyria probed, resting her elbows on the table and supporting her chin with her hand.

  “Well, I know of the Kings and Queens of each kingdom, I know the names of some cities and their general locations, some brief history, I know of most of the races, though I’ve only ever been around humans… But honestly, my father focused on teaching me about the forest and the natural order. Which herbs could heal you and which would kill you, how to read a person's intent, those kinds of things,” I answered honestly.

  “Hmm… It’s useful information, certainly—but in this world, just general knowledge of the five kingdoms and their history isn’t enough. People will be quick to take advantage of the gaps in your knowledge,” she said, matter-of-factly, not meant as an insult but coming from her, it still stung a bit.

  “Then… I guess I’ll be relying on my new party to help me fill those gaps—” I offered with a wink, a subtle smile playing on my lips.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she cast her head downwards, trying not to let me see.

  I smiled to myself and glanced down at the table as well, catching a glimpse of the tome I’d been reading.

  “Actually, I do have a question for you.” I said, my expression turning a bit more serious.

  Lyria cocked her head curiously.

  “Do you know anything about the ‘great catastrophe’ from a few hundred years ago...?”

  A dark shadow crossed Lyria’s face, she locked eyes with me for a moment before casting her gaze back to the embers.

  “You mean to say you don’t know anything about it?” Lyria asked.

  I shook my head. “Not a thing.”

  Lyria was quiet for a long moment.

  “The elves still keep records of those days… Some of them were still alive at that time, and its toll is not something that could be forgotten,” Lyria said, her expression somber.

  “There used to be seven kingdoms, four of them were wiped out completely, two new ones arose, but the damage from those days is still present even now,” she continued, then paused for a moment.

  “So—what happened...?” I asked again.

  “...It came from beyond the Fell dimension. From somewhere even more ancient. More black. A dark entity that stirred every fiend, monster, and aberration into war.”

  She paused, her expression hardening as if retelling the tale was dangerous in itself.

  “United under one ruler, they assaulted the seven Kingdoms. Their onslaught sundered the land, tore down cities, and enslaved the people without bias. The entity had a unique ability, earning it the title: the King of Death. This ability allowed the King of Death to turn any living being undead. With this power it completely disrupted the natural balance, and he who became the master of death was nigh on unkillable,” Lyria said, her voice almost trance-like.

  As she spoke, every hair on my body stood on end, and strangely, the wolf's mark on my chest burned colder than ice.

  Did Lunae and Tenebrae have some sort of involvement?

  “And… How was it defeated...?” I asked, slowly.

  Lyria sighed and rose from her seat at the table next to me, pressing herself up with her hands.

  “A hero emerged, of course. Not much is known about them, not even their name, only that they somehow defeated the King of Death, and returned balance to the world,” she said, looking down at me.

  “I’m genuinely surprised you didn’t know about it,” she said, brushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear as she turned. The rest cascaded freely down her back, swaying gently with each step.

  I’d have to thank my father for keeping that little bit of history from me, I thought, my gaze unconsciously following her retreat.

  Just before Lyria rounded the corner and headed back up the stairs, she paused. “Oh, and Yukon...?”

  “Yeah?” I said, meeting her lavender eyes.

  “Thanks for your help today… taking down that Fell bandit. We couldn’t have done it without you. Your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.”

  She turned the corner after saying that—but not quickly enough for me to miss the small smile and faint blush that followed the compliment.

  I smiled to myself, my eyes wandering back down to the tome on the table.

  Maybe I had done some good after all. But, that story, the great catastrophe, the King of Death. Something about it bothered me. What was Lunae and Tenebrae’s involvement, if any? And why had the mark reacted to Lyria’s retelling of the events? Also, those missing pages… I had to find out why they were ripped out, and what someone was clearly trying to hide.

  I collected the book and made my way back up to my room. It had been a long day, and my muscles still ached.

  As my head hit the pillow I briefly replayed the interaction with Lyria and smiled to myself. It really seemed like I was making progress with everyone.

  Just before sleep took me, my mind fluttered to Kaela. I wondered what business she had in Tilver’s Crossing. I hadn’t seen her return to the inn, maybe she was done with us already. The thought unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.

  I sighed, turned over in my bed, and finally drifted off to sleep.