Four mugs hammered. One strong, one soft, one unwilling, and one light. Froth foamed and mixed, tying their bonds.
"Cheers," shouted the strong one. He smiled from ear to ear. His short cropped brown hair swayed to his laugh. He scrubbed on his clean kept brown beard. He thumped his chest, closed his black eyes and belched.
"You are in a good mood, Woodrow," a girl said poking at him. The girl had her golden hair tied to twin tails. Her green eyes blinked playfully. The quiver on her back wobbled with her movement.
"Why shouldn't I be, we are going to make money left and right Della," Woodrow laughed out loud.
"I say it is foolish to go ahead of the army. We should stay here and fight in safety," said a dark blue-haired man. He was clean shaved and his indigo eyes frowned.
"Landynn, we are adventurers. Seeking adventure is our job," Woodrow said pointing with his mug.
Della bobbed playfully on her bench. She glanced around the table looking at everyone. "Why are you not saying anything Valora?"
Valora was sitting silently while sipping her mead. Her grey hair and green robes flowed over the edge of the bench. Her grey eyes were staring at her drink. She rimmed the edge of her mug and slowly spoke.
"I am not good in a fight. I can only heal you guys when you are hurt. I want to be near when something bad happens, so that I can be of any help."
Her friends stared at Valora's eyes. Woodrow broke into a laugh and hugged the other three. "You guys are my friends. I will never let anything bad happen to you."
Woodrow with his sword, Della with her bow, and Landynn and Valora with their staffs left the town hall to go to a stable. Grumpily, the stable man gave them two of his weakest horses. Valora rode with Landynn, while Della rode with Woodrow.
Woodrow and Della went in front laughing and giggling, while Landynn and Valora followed silently.
"How is everyone at the orphanage?" Valora asked to break the silence.
The horse walked in small strides, creating rhythmic hoofbeats. Landynn glanced back without losing sight of the road.
"Don't know. Haven't gone back in some time. I have been with you guys, remember?"
"I still don't understand what an Upus girl is doing with us," Landynn said while trying to look back.
Valora didn't reply.
"Woodrow wants to raise money for his dojo, Della wants money for her family and I want money for the kids. Does a high-born girl need money from adventuring?" Landynn pressured her to get an answer.
Valora looked down silently.
"This could be our last adventure together you know," Landynn said softly.
Valora had been avoiding the question for some time now. She knew that she had to answer one day. She felt that people might laugh at her reason and she also knew that Landynn will not. She started speaking choosing her words.
"Remember the rebellion of Arag against the throne."
Long before, the land of Pemphredo was divided into ten nations. In the older times, before Deimians tried to conquer Pemphredo, the ancestor of the current King Alexander, Pemphredo was ruled by many Kings. King Henry, first of his name, rallied an army and united the whole kingdom, and brought it under his banner; the banner of the flying hawk.
Fifteen years ago, the remnants of the old King of Arag rebelled against the throne. Landynn remembered the rebellion.
"I was eighteen then. Droves of soldiers came to the hospital, their cries still echoing in my ears. Many of them died without getting treatment at the right time," Valora continued.
Landynn listened solemnly. War always creates casualties.
"Many lives have been lost between my fingers, just because their treatment started late. I wanted to be an adventurer so that I will be near when tragedy strikes," Valora said glancing at her hands
"That is a nice goal," Landynn said smiling.
They reached the first town. The place was barren, everyone had left because of the coming danger.
Thundering footsteps were heard coming toward them. The four got off the horses and got into position, Woodrow in the front and the other three to support from behind.
The destitute came. They were in squads of four, led by the Orc-lord, the Ogroard, and the Goblin champion. Horror crawled into their minds as murky black darkness. Valora felt wetness and warmth between her thighs. They won't be able to take them. How could four fight against nearly five thousand monsters?
"We can't take them," Landynn said seeing the horror.
"We can't run away now. They will get us anyway," Woodrow said gritting his teeth.
"I will hold them off. You guys run away," Woodrow glanced back hiding his fear.
A goblin came flying, killing the horses. Their corpses became mangled and turned into a heap.
"There goes away our escape," Landynn said seeing the corpses.
"Valora, hide. The dead have no use for healing." Landynn looked at Valora.
"No, I would rather die," Valora screamed.
"From what I read, they only care to torture the living. Hide in the heap," Landynn pointed to the corpses.
"Listen to me Landynn, I am not going to let you to your deaths," Valora screamed.
"Let the waters drown me. Let me be one with the rain, the river and the oceans. Dwell within me, UNDINE," Landynn chanted.
A water orb came and bound Valora. Landynn took her on his shoulders and walked.
"Let me go. Let me go...." Valora struggled.
He threw her into the corpse heap and piled her in entrails.
"Live. Live and save lives for our part too," Landynn went away to his death.
From the heap, Valora saw it. She saw Woodrow getting broken, bone by bone. She saw Della getting violated from all sides. An ogre grabbed Landynn in its hands and threw him. His head splattered, killing him.
The binds held on. When the binds went away, fear grappled her. She lay in the heap as the monsters walked away.
Time passed by and she came out of the heap. She stood there blank-eyed. The friends she had sworn to protect were now gone.
"Save lives for our part," Landynn's words echoed.
She walked without any direction. She reached a forest and near a river. She wanted to jump on it and kill herself.
"Save lives for our part," Landynn's words held on like a curse.
For what she should live and for saving whom, she did not know. But the words didn't let her die. It held on like a brand.
She did not know how to live in the wild and she didn't have any tools. She felt a weight in her robe's pocket.
A knife that was put in by Landynn. "Save lives for our part," she didn't want to move, but Landynn's soul held on to her from the beyond, like a puppeteer controlling a puppet.
It was a start. She started chopping wood and tried making a fire. It took her half a day to start one. She made a spear and tried catching some fish. It took her another half day to get one.
Days turned to weeks. Food was scarce, so she started thinning. Her robe was disrupting her movement, so she tore it from her leg down. She cut away her sleeves. She shredded and threw away her long hair.
Valora didn't care to live. She woke up, tried to catch something, and finally slept. Then one day she caught something big.
It was a girl. She was naked and bruised all over.
It was Sophia Gonzalez.