"He's not here anymore… did he find a way back home?"
"Master, you have been quite lost in your thoughts and silence for a while. What's tormenting you this time?" asked Cyn'Thia while she was walking beside the Traveler on the road to West, to Teguria.
"...
Tormenting me?
Nothing of the sort, rest assured. Just Ercante's story made me think about something.
But I beg you, now that we're basically alone could you stop please calling me master?!" replied Jorael distressed and changing the subject quickly.
"Yes, Master Jorael."
"..."
The two adventurers continued their travel to the village that requested the extermination of Mole-rats to the Titan Guild. In half a day's travel, they arrived in the country town immersed in the farmed fields.
"In the contract, it's written to talk to Chief Herman, Master," said Cyn'Thia checking the Guild quest as they were entering the village.
"Yes, let's seek for the Chief of Teguria" replied Jorael checking his surroundings.
About 20 wooden houses composed the humble village, with a little-sized muddy plaza at its center, with a big leafy tree casting some shades to refresh the modest villagers from the red sun. There were few people in the piazza, with children playing and running across the place. The townspeople immediately started staring at the incoming adventurers, to the awe of children that stopped their play to gaze at the wonder of the day, a beautiful Elf.
"Mom! Who is her?!" shouted a child to her mother whilst pointing her finger at Cyn'Thia.
"Shh! She's an Elf! Ella, don't yell and go back playing with your friends!" whispered back her mother, trying not to make a fuss.
"Good evening Madam, may I ask a question?" asked Jorael approaching the woman.
"G-good evening young Nobleman, how this humble woman may assist you?!" replied nervously the mother.
"Nobleman?" asked back the Traveler a bit confused.
"Y-yes, don't you have a slave to attend you?" asked the woman.
"Oh, about that… she's my aide, and we're adventurers.
We're here for the contract requested by Titan Guild.
Where's Chief Herman?" questioned Jorael after explaining their presence there.
"Finally, some adventurers accepted our case! Thank you!
Chief Herman has to come back to the village yet.
You should rest at our inn for the time being.
As soon as Chief returns, I'll send him to meet you!" Informed the woman after showing her gratitude towards the adventurers.
The duo left the plaza and arrived at Teguria's inn as indicated by the villagers. It was a modest little inn that was still empty in the late afternoon.
"Good evening Innkeeper, may I ask for a dinner and a room for two?" asked Jorael as they were entering the place.
"Good evening travelers! Of course! Please take a sit whenever you like!" exclaimed the man warmly welcoming them.
The adventurers sat down at a table waiting for the man to take their orders.
"So, what should I bring to you two dear customers?" asked the innkeeper.
"What's in the menu today?" replied Jorael.
"Sir, I recommend our delicious meat stew!
Should I bring two portions?" asked the man.
"No. One for me, but for her please bring a vegetable dish. And two beers." Replied the Traveler.
"Yes! Oh… now I remember!
Sorry Nobleman for being unpolite to your slave.
You Elves do not eat meat, right?" said the Innkeeper while apologizing bowing his head.
"Yes…" replied solemnly Cyn'Thia.
After the man left to prepare their orders the Elf whispered to Jorael:
"Master. Why did you order a beer also for me?!"
"Oh sorry, it's not to your liking?" asked the Traveler.
"No… it's not like that. It's just that I can't stand alcohol…" replied embarrassed Cyn'Thia.
"Well, you don't have to drive…" whispered jokingly Jorael.
"D-drive?!" exclaimed the Elf confused.
…
After the meal, they were waiting for Chief Herman to show up. It was sunset and a bunch of farmers arrived at the inn. One of them approached the adventurers. He was an old man in his sixties, with grey hair and beard; he started introducing himself:
"Good evening. I suppose you two are the adventurers all the village is talking about. My name is Herman and I'm currently the Chief of Teguria.
May I know your names?"
"Good evening Chief. I'm Jorael and she's my aide Cyn'Thia. We're adventurers from Titan Guild that accepted your request." Replied the Traveler after standing up with the Elf.
"Thank you for coming here, in the name of all the village. May I have a seat at your table?
You know this old man and his aching back… ouch…" said slightly in pain Herman.
"Of course! You didn't have to ask!" exclaimed Cyn'Thia helping the Chief sitting.
"This beautiful Lady Elf. Oh my. How much time passed since both I and the village saw an Elf…
I bet the children were lost staring at your beauty, eheheh…" laughingly said the village head.
"…" Cyn'Thia remained in silence embarrassed while blushing, then she sat back at her seat.
"Anyway, may I order something to eat before we get into the business?" politely asked Herman.
"Yes, of course." Replied Jorael sitting back at the table.
"Many thanks.
Oscar! Please, bring me the usual!" shouted the Chief at the innkeeper.
"Sure thing, Herman!" replied from far back at the counter Oscar.
"Now, straight to business… as you read in the contract there is a nasty family of Magic Beasts harassing the villagers in the fields up North.
This is usually not a problem because dealing with one or two Mole-rats is common for us farmers, as in low numbers they typically do not pose a threat to adults.
But what we have here is a large group of them, at least 10 in numbers. This is getting out of hand for us. These monsters assaulted and killed our livestock, and every day they come closer and closer to the town.
We villagers may be able to resist an attack, but what about the children?
So, I beg you, adventurers, we put all we had at disposal to pay the Guild. Please help us!" finished explaining Chief Herman whilst bowing his head.
"Here's the usual Boss…" said Oscar while giving Herman his order.
"Rest assured Chief that we're here to help Teguria." Affirmed Jorael comforting Herman while Cyn'Thia was smiling.
"Thank you, adventurers.
Now I can eat with peace of mind." Said the old man, and started to eat the stew.
"Sorry to bother you while you are eating, but where and when we should go to slay the beasts?" asked Jorael.
"Do not worry!
You should leave early next morning, and head up to North, about five thousand mels from the village." Explained Herman while dining.
"Perfect, then we'll go rest now, to wake up early tomorrow. Have a nice meal and good night." Said the Traveler while standing up.
"oh… Thanks.
I guess tonight I really will sleep well knowing we're in your care.
Sleep well you two too!" exclaimed Herman saluting the adventurers that approached the inn's counter.
"Oscar, may we have a room?" asked Jorael.
"Yes! Here's the key, room number 7!
It's the last room of the corridor to the right." Replied the innkeeper as he was giving the room key to the Traveler.
The two then walked to their room, and Jorael opened the door to find a small but modest room. There was only one double bed.
"Shit! I forgot to say two separated beds!" immediately thought the Traveler after seeing the room.
"Master… are you sure you don't want to do anything with my body?" half-jokingly, half-serious asked Cyn'Thia, maybe a bit tipsy.
"N-no… s-stop it already!
I'm going back to Oscar to change room!" shouted Jorael only to be interrupted by the Elf barring the door with her arms and saying:
"Master, it's better this way. Maybe you can have some sleep without nightmares if I'm close to you…" whispered Cyn'Thia worried for him.
"O-ok… fine then…" said the Traveler and then thought:
"What am I getting into… Miranda, if I'm ever able to come back I swear this is not cheating…"
…
The night swiftly passed, and dawn was about to set a new day.
"Ugh… I don't know what's worse.
Not being able to sleep for having nightmares or not being able to sleep for having a hot exotic beauty with her warm and soft body pressed against mine." Whispered Jorael as he tried to move away from the sleeping Elf.
"Yawn… Good morning, Master…
Did you sleep well?" asked Cyn'Thia while sitting on the bed and stretching her arms as she was waking up.
"Ugh… Yes?" sarcastically replied the Traveler while getting up.
"Hooray! then my strategy worked!" yelled the Elf while smiling.
"hmm… Let's go…" said Jorael while dressing.
The duo after a while left their room and had a quick breakfast. When they were done eating, they departed from the inn to North. In the plaza, two persons were waiting for them, under the big tree. They were Herman, the Chief of the village, and Ella, the little girl they encountered the last day.
"Good morning adventurers!
I'm here to wish you the best of luck!" exclaimed the Chief.
"Good luck and save us Lady Elf!" yelled the child.
"Thanks, we are leaving now!" replied Jorael while walking to their destination with Cyn'Thia.
They could faintly hear from the distance the Chief scolding the young girl:
"Ella! You can't slip out of your home this early!
Your mother will be extremely worried if she can't find you!
Come on, let's go home!"
"The little girl wanted to see you again at all cost Cyn'Thia…" said laughing Jorael.
"Cute little Human, I should bring her a little present when we come back!" replied the Elf while smiling.
After few minutes of walking on muddy roads Cyn'Thia started talking:
"Master, please let me handle this. I want to show you what I'm capable of.
Yeah after years of surviving in Vas'Gwn should have paid off…
Also, you don't have a weapon, Master…"
"Do you remember that I'm a Sage?
Wait. The city ruined by the Cataclysm, Vas'Gwn?!" asked astounded Jorael.
"Yes, Master, I lived there for almost 100 years. Escaping from my Realm, slavers, bandits, monsters, the Lich King…" replied with grief the Elf.
"Lich what?!" asked again the Traveler.
"I recommend you to never encounter it." Said Cyn'Thia closing the discussion as they arrived at the place told by the Chief.
The Elf quickly gripped her new weapon, the silvery bow, and charged it with an arrow. Jorael noticed her going into battle mode and asked:
"Do you sense something?"
"Yes, Master. I can tell something's wrong…" she replied whispering.
"You do have sharp senses, as I could hear their digging below us just a few seconds before you." Said the Traveler complimenting her.
"Thank you, Mast…" she couldn't complete her sentence because the ground started shaking heavily, and suddenly 5 or 6 roaring Mole-rats jumped out in front of them.
"If you need help just say it…" said Jorael.
"No, Master, I WILL SLAY THESE MONSTERS!" shouted Cyn'Thia whilst she hastily drew the bow and shot an arrow straight into a beast's mouth, piercing through its brain and brutally killing it.
"Amazing! That was a 20 mels perfect shot!" celebrated Jorael.
"THANK YOU, MASTER! YOU'LL SEE THE POWER OF THIS ELF!" she yelled back, as in her azure and green eyes the Traveler could see the ardor of the battle.
She rapidly loaded again the bow with another arrow, but the remaining monsters began their charge.
The closer they got, the more disgusted the Elf became by looking at their repulsive naked bodies with sparse fur, red bloody eyes, and long sharp fangs that could bite off easily a hand. She shot another arrow at a running beast, hitting it in its right eye, causing the explosion of its head from the impact.
"I can tell you mastery with the bow…" whispered Jorael while standing still with his arms crossed.
"THANK YOU AGAIN, MASTER!" shouted Cyn'Thia, but this time she didn't take an arrow, as the Magic Beasts were too near. Instead, she firmly took one end of the bow with her two hands and bludgeoned against the four remaining monsters that had launched the attack by fiercely jumping against her.
"YAAHHH!" screamed the Elf as she was hitting them hard with the bow.
As soon as they landed on the ground, she beat them right away with her weapon as if it was a club multiple times, brutally killing them and splattering blood everywhere on her smooth skin and newly bought clothes.
She started panting, then turned her head back looking at Jorael, and said:
"Am I good enough?"
"Uhm… yes… I had the idea that Elves fought more elegantly… ahah…" replied sarcastically the Traveler scratching his head.
The ground shook once more. This time at least ten Mole-rats jumped out, roaring and showing their fangs.
"It's kill or be killed!" shouted Cyn'Thia as she was loading her bow with three arrows and aiming at the monsters.
She shot the arrows and perfectly hit three beasts' heads.
"My, my… now you're showing off!" exclaimed Jorael while shaking his head.
The rest of the Mole-rats started running to Cyn'Thia, but another quake occurred and five more of them crawl out from the ground, this time taking them from behind.
"Oh… another group?!" said surprised Cyn'Thia while preparing to attack the monsters in front of her.
"Wait… something's wrong…
Something… SOMEBODY is coming from behind us…
Who is it?!
…
WAIT… ELLA NO!!!" shouted Jorael with all air in his lungs while he started running at superhuman speed towards Ella, the child from the village.
"Lady Elf! I'm here to cheer on you! NOOO!!!" shouted the little girl as she suddenly found in front of her the group of heinous Mole-rats.
One of them jumped straight to Ella with its mouth open and its deadly fangs ready to bite.
"NOOOO!
I won't make it…
EYE OF GAIA!" yelled Jorael.
His left eye turned to gold, but grey was the rest of the world.