"Rhok Berry, who are your friends?"

A man with a shaved head walked over to a woman who fought over a bag with a group of men.

"You are with her?"

One of the men asked and the man with the shaved head wrapped his hands around her waist. He did that nodding with both eyebrows up.

Immediately the men spread out and surrounded them.

"I think we should walk away"

The first guy charged at him from behind. He took a step in his direction and with perfect timing, he kicked as he was close enough to ran into him. Hitting him in the jaw, the man fell like a tree on his back.

The others three charged at him all at once, immediately he kicked the guy in front in the chest. Then swung his right leg at the guy on his left, but he ducked and speared him into the ground. Sitting on top of him he punched him in the face. Putting both hands up he shielded his face. The others joined, kicking him all over. He continued to shield himself lying in the fetal position with both hands at a side of his head.

They stopped kicking and turned to know the woman was gone. They then started to search the man.

"He has nothing "

"What do you mean I have nothing?"

He got up and searched for his pouch.

"Let's take him to the guilds, there might be a bounty on him."

One man suggested and the others agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait, what's going on."

"Your partner ran away with our money, so we are turning you in to recoup our money with the bounty on you."

"No, no, you've got everything all wrong. I am not thief."

"Yeah, sure, you don't know her you are just some guy helping a helpless girl. You didn't know she was a thief."

"Yes, exactly. I know you were being sarcastic but that is the situation."

They ignored him and dragged him along.

"No really, I don't know her. I thought you guys were harassing her and I tried to ease the situation by saying she was with me. She stole my pouch for gods sake."

The men ignored him and took him to a guild anyway.

"Adam is back"

A woman shouted before they got to the counter.

"Damn it Adam."

A man said the moment he walked from a room behind the counter. He tossed a silver coin at the woman behind the counter.

"Narci"

Adam said to the woman behind the counter with a forced smile.

"I'll take that."

The men pushed Adam to the man. He then handed them a silver coin each.

"You cost me more than all your siblings combined. What was it this time?"

"This time it wasn't my fault. I tried to help some…"

"You know I really don't want to know now that I think about it. I'll prep the paperwork for a task. You should really think about registering as a.n adventurer "

"Ecno, not this again. I am a registered adventurer, I don't need to register with Brim. I pay you back after I complete the task."

Adam went to his room and started to park for his trip.

"Your brother is clearing a gob in a village near by, will you check on him if you can?"

"Which one"

"The slippery one"

Ecno waited for a response for while, after awhile he walked out of his room. When he was almost at the stairs he heard an okay. After awhile Adam got down. He had on a leather vest with a metal breastplate.

"Wow, new gear.."

"You like, Nilboghide and the breastplate has 20% abercromium and ethalica. I had it custom made."

"What about your pants?"

"Oh, that's ordinary goblin leather. I'll upgrade when I have enough money."

"Narci, Ecno , stay safe."

Narci put some oil on her forehead and placed it on his.

"Good hunting "

Narci and Ecno said in unison.

The moment Adam walked out Ecno busted into laughter.

"Nilboghide"

"I didn't have the heart to tell him there are no Nilboghide. They are still good for Nilbog skins right. I really hope his breastplate really have ethalica. It will be really bad if it thinks it does and it didn't."

"He will be fine, there are no fairies where he is going."

Adams travelled miles on foot resting when he could. After three day he got the village. The moment he got to the village they knew why he was there.

"Welcome, we have been expecting you. "

The village crowd made way for him. They followed him closely with every step he took. Soon he got to a hut. Adam turned around and looked at the crowd, they nodded in approval. He pushed aside a thick cloth that was covering the entrance and entered. In there was an old man sitting by a lit lantern.

"Sit, what will you need to complete the task?"

"I'll just need to know where the giant mole-rat is."

"Of course and don't forgets the flying snakes."

"There are no flying snakes, it says on the task sheet giant mole-rat. It doesn't mention flying snakes."

"But there are flying snakes."

"Okay, I'll need a guide to the snakes nest."

At this moment Adam was dripping with sweat.

"We have no adventurer here, no one will be able to physically guide you. They are all scared."

"It's fine I'll figure it out, thank you."

Adam got out of the hut, immediately he took off his vest and breastplate.

"They are all scared', these cheap bustards. Minimising the monster count to reduce the price."

He heard footsteps and turned to see a boy following him. He ignored him and kept walking.

"You were great in the RUT, I'm thinking of entering this year; any tips?"

"Yes, don't do it."

"Why?"

"You are young, don't fight to entertain others. Be a kid do what kids do."

"I'm 13."

"Okay."

Adam walked out of the village gates. He walked for awhile then got to a sign that said 'entering butterfly forest.' The moment he entered and saw a kaleidoscope on a log. He passed by and went deeper into the forest looking at a map he was given. He then heard a squeak and turned around a giant naked mole rat.

He quickly drew his sword and swung it at it. It stepped back and grunted he swung at it again and this time it burst.

"Baloo mole rat, sweet."

Adam said on top of his voice as the blast deafen him in both ears. As he watched the deflated giant mole rat ran he was happy.

Not getting a chance to celebrate he remembered the giant mole rat killed villagers.

"Wait Baloo animals don't usually kill, they just inflate to intimidate. So what killed the villagers?"

Still deaf he noticed birds flying away, rabbits and other animals running to hide in holes . Wind blew through the trees breaking some, then Adam heard the sound of flapping wings. When he saw it it was too late. It knocked him down from above and pinned him down. It tried peaking Adam in the chest but his Abercromium metal plate held up. Adam pushed it with both legs giving him a chance to escape.

"Ursagryph, I've heard stories of chimeras but fighting one is different."

He ran in the opposite direction and the Ursagryph chased him.

"For a heavy big animal you are fast."

Adam thought just before sliding under a fallen tree. A kaleidoscope of butterflies flew into the Ursagryph face. Allowing Adam to hide behind a tree. He then noticed what he saw the butterfly on earlier was not a log but carcass of dead villager. There were white stuff growing on the skin. One busted open and a caterpillar crawled out.

The Ursagryph rampaged breaking trees in search of Adam. When it's back was turned he run and tried stabbing it in the back. The sword hit its wing and fell; With that same wing it hit Adam, sending him flying into a tree back first.

He coughed out blood and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He got up and looked around for a branch. He swung the branch at the Ursagryph and it grabbed it with it's beak and snapped it like a twig. He stepped back as the Ursagryph walked towards him.

"I guess that won't work because your not just a bear."

Adam put out his index and middle finger then ran his up his two fingers and made a fist. The Ursagryph swung at him and he quickly ducked. He then punched it in the stomach and all it's organs flew out of it. Adam walked to a puddle and washed his hand.

"A chimera in this parts, that's really unusual."

He turned around to see other animals had started to eat the Ursagryph.

"Hey, hey , shuu shuu."

The animals ran into the bushes and Adam started to pull out the talons, then the claws.

"They stole the heart, at least they know what's good."

After he was done picking of the Ursagryph, he cut its head and put it in a sack bag.

"Now it's left with the flying snakes."

It was getting late and Adam decided to head back to the village. When he got to the village he showed the chief the head and told him about the Baloo mole rat .

A family offered him a place to spend the night. The next day he went to visit his brother.

He was directed to where he was by the villagers. When he got there he was digging.

"Yeve "

He turned around and saw Adam.

"What are you doing here?"

"Father asked me to check on you."

"This task is impossible, the farm is infested with Mul Hiegdehide. They want me to get raid of it with the plant intact. Usually I'll ignore them and burn the whole farm to the ground but winter is coming. I started to uproot the plant and kill then replant but they somehow affect the replanted ones."

"Fire kills Mul Hiegdehide but also kills the plant, ice incapacitate them but also kill the plants. If there were ready to harvest you would have used hot water."

"They are in the soil, this is the third time I'm doing this task. The first two time I burnt the farm to the ground. Maybe they should just buy the Mul Hiegdehide killer."

"What's that?"

"It's something Menrva, it kills the Mul Hiegde without damaging the plants."

"Then why don't they buy it?"

"It cost three gold coins. They can only pay two gold coins."

"I'll add the difference, let's buy it."

"Are you sure, that's like six moons earnings."

"Just killed an Ursagryph, I'll be fine."

They both went to the outskirts of the village and talking to the seller. The talked to the chief and bought the Mul Hiegde killer.

The man handed them a liter bottle of a solution.

"Is that it, this can't cover the whole farmland, not even half. We spent all your savings on a bottle."

The chief lamented .

"It's okay, it's better than loosing your whole farm."

Yeve comforted him.

He took the solution and started to spray it on the crops. The Muls died instantly falling off as he sprayed the plant. About half a quarter the solution finished, Yeve then burnt the rest of the crops.

"My job is done, let's head home."

"I still have flying snakes to slay, I'll see you at home."

"Thanks again for your help."

Adam went to kill the flying snakes and headed back home.

"Where is your brother?"

Ecno said the moment Adam walked in.

"I'm sure he will be home soon, he had a impossible task."

Adam went up stairs to change, he returned to see a man leaving.

"That was Issa, someone wanted to sell him this."

Ecno showed Adam a black ring with strange engraving on it.

"My father's ring, it must have been the woman I tried to help."

"Issa refused to buy it so she pawned it in addition to a medallion for 40 pieces of copper. He said she would be back tomorrow for it."

Ecno handed him the ring which was on a string. He put it around his neck then put the ring under his shirt. The next day he woke up early and went to Issa's store. He stayed in the back and waited for the woman to come. After hours of waiting she finally came.

"Wait here; let me get it"

Issa went to get Adam, when they got there they saw her put something in her bag.

Issa passed by and went to lock the door. She thought nothing of it because the same thing happened the first time. Issa got back behind the counter and the woman stepped back.

"I see you remember me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He held up her medallion, a gold medallion with an engraving of a fairy catching a falling star. The engraving of the star is imbedded with a red stone.

"donec velitis non vultis."

Adam read on the back of the medallion.

"Give it back, it doesn't belong to you."

"Ironic, it doesn't belong to you either. You pawned it."

"Yes, but I've come to buy it back."

"Sorry but I won't sell it?"

"Fine."

She turned around but before she could walk away Adam stopped her. He opened her bag and took out a coin.

"You know your stuff, a serpent coin."

He tossed the coin to Issa who then unlocked the door.

She walked out and Adam watched her leave.

"This medallion means something to her she will be back."

Adam touched his pocket and felt the shape of the medallion. He reached into his pocket and took it out.

"What, I thought I gave you the serpent coin."

"Yes, you did."

Issa showed him the coin.

"When did she switch the coin for the medallion?"

"Wait, they are the same?"

Issa said after taking a closer look at Adam's serpent coin.

"The Edema de Serpentine coin is one of a kind. There can't be two, one must be a forgery."

Issa examined both carefully and noticed they were both fakes.

"I guess we won't be able to fine her now."

"I wasn't able to place a tracker on the medallion but if she still has the coin we can find her."

Issa gave Adam a piece of paper and dropped his blood on it. It started to move on the paper.

"That will lead you to her."

Adam followed the blood map to an abandoned house. It was covered in weeds and there was a lot of cracks in the walls.

Adam tiptoed and entered the house from the back. The moment he entered the woman put a knife to his neck.

"Oh it's you."

She said the sheathed the knife. She handed him the coin and entered a room. There she packed stuff into a small bag.

"Why steal it if you were going to return it?"

"Wasn't going to but I have to leave and I travel light. Can't take everything with me."

"Hey this blade, it's my dad's."

He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her to the wall.

"You were at my house that night, your partner killed my parents."

As he chocked her she tried to remove his hand. After trying for a while she started to dose off. She then suddenly hit him in the crotch with her knee. He quickly let her go bowing his head for awhile.

"I don't do partners."

The moment Adam stood upright an arrow flew right pass his head.

"You lead them to me"

"Who are they?"

"Don't know but they want me dead."

More arrow flew through the windows.