Ugh, I felt terrible. Everything was throbbing.
Raising my heavy head from the table I was sprawled across, I peered across the dimly lit room with bleary eyes. Nearby, Arthur was slumped in a chair, and Aria and Selene were nestled on either side of him, their heads resting on his shoulders. They were just beginning to stir, groaning softly in harmony with my own discomfort.
As I continued to wake up, memories came rushing back like a flood.
We had decided to celebrate our first adventure together with drinks. I could vaguely recall downing shot after shot, the fiery liquid scorching my throat until the world had become a hazy blur of laughter and nausea. But then, somewhere along the way, my memories stopped, consumed by alcohol.
Suddenly, an electric shock of realization jolted through me, cutting through the alcoholic fog.
Oh shit.
We had to meet the other groups this morning before we headed into the Forgotten Forest. We couldn't be late!
I jumped to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my head. I quickly began waking up the others, starting with Eliza, who was curled up beside me, still lost in the land of dreams.
"Eliza, come on, wake up," I urged, shaking her gently.
She mumbled something incomprehensible and snuggled deeper into the folds of her cloak, seeking refuge from the morning.
"Just ten more minutes, please," she murmured, her voice drowsy and laden with sleep.
I shook her more vigorously, the clock ticking louder with each passing second. We didn't have the luxury of a snooze button this morning.
Eliza's eyes snapped open, and for a fleeting moment, a look of confusion and panic crossed her face before recognition set in. She scrambled to her feet, her cloak falling to the ground in a tangled heap. Her hair was a wild mess, and her eyes were bleary, but she was awake and alert in an instant.
Caspian and Jonas, in varying stages of dishevelment and confusion, followed suit, groaning and rubbing their temples. The alcohol-induced haze that had settled over us was finally beginning to lift, revealing the harsh reality of the day ahead.
We exchanged hurried glances, realizing that our unplanned indulgence in spirits had put us dangerously close to missing our important meeting. There was no time for showers or elaborate preparations. We needed to get ourselves together, and fast.
As we scrambled to prepare ourselves, I heard Celest curse in the background. Looking over, I saw her pushing Arthur and the others awake.
....
We had somehow made it. To be honest, I hadn't thought we would when I woke up with that horrendous hangover.
As I stood among a bustling crowd of adventurers, all clad in their rugged attire and armed to the teeth, there was a sense of anticipation and apprehension in the air. We were going on our first mission with actual adventurers!
Turning to Arthur, who was busy checking the strings on his bow, I couldn't help but let a wry grin slip across my face. "Who would've thought that after last night's drinking, we'd actually make it here in one piece?"
Arthur chuckled, a hint of amusement dancing in his forest-green eyes. "You'd be surprised; this is pretty normal. We've yet to miss a mission, despite drinking all night. You gotta relax sometimes when you're an adventurer; otherwise, you'll die. Anyways, no time to mope; we've got a forest to conquer."
I couldn't argue with that logic. The pain in my head served as a constant reminder that we didn't have room for error today. This mission was too important, and we needed to be at our best.
Caspian, Jonas, and Eliza joined us, each of them sporting their own unique combination of readiness and exhaustion. Last night's drinking had taken a toll on all of us.
Jonas let out a long, dramatic sigh. "I can't believe we're doing our first mission hungover. At least the forest can't be worse than this hangover."
Eliza, her eyes dark, offered a weak smile. "Let's hope so. If everything starts spinning like last night, I'm out."
Caspian, ever the optimist, clapped us both on the shoulders. "Come on, you two. We've trained for this and we'll all recover soon. Besides, this mission is our chance to prove ourselves as Class A adventurers."
He had a point, I guess.
Together, we finished packing up our cart; soon, we were ready to leave for the Forgotten Forest. Behind us, the first rays of dawn cast their gentle, golden hues over our group.
....
The forest welcomed us with tranquil music, its rustling leaves singing a soothing serenade, and the occasional bird adding a melodic note to our journey.
I sighed to myself; I hadn't been to this forest in two years now - it was nice to be back.
As we ventured deeper into the forest, my thoughts turned to my last memories within these woods. Memories with my parents, with Kael, with Lily.
Oh, how I missed them. Over the past two years, I had done everything in my power to not think of them, to avoid feeling the pain of loss once more. But here, back in the woods I had grown up in, regret tugged at my heart.
I could vividly remember the day I had left my village behind. The day I chose this path of exploration. Sometimes, I questioned that decision.
Distracting myself from these painful thoughts, I turned my attention back to the present.
Nearby, I could hear Arthur telling a story to Jonas and Eliza.
His voice cut through the forest, his dark hair tousled from the journey framing his rugged face as he launched into heart-pounding tales of adventure. "You won't believe what happened in the Azure Caverns," he began, his forest-green eyes sparkling with mischief. "We were surrounded by trolls, and our only way out was through a hidden passage that I just happened to stumble upon."
He described daring escapes and unexpected alliances, his stories punctuated by laughter that echoed like tinkling bells amidst the rustling leaves.
Amidst his storytelling, Aria and Selene actively interjected, oohing and aahing. Their crimson and blonde hair contrasted like fire and ice as they fought for his attention, their laughter adding to the forest's natural melody.
Aria leaned closer to Arthur, her voice a sultry whisper, "Arthur, you've always had a way of getting us out of tight spots, haven't you?"
Selene chimed in, her gaze on Arthur nothing short of adoring. "Yes, it's like you're our knight in shining armor, always rescuing damsels in distress."
Arthur, ever oblivious to their advances, simply grinned and continued his tale, unaware of the ongoing flirtation that accompanied our journey through the Forgotten Forest.
In the background, I could see Eliza rolling her eyes.
As our journey continued, the forest deepened with each step. We were nearing our destination, the encampment of the bandits. The atmosphere grew tense as we approached, the forest around us falling into an eerie silence.
Finally, we arrived at the designated meeting point, where all the groups that had ventured into the forest would converge. A tall, imposing man named Erabor addressed the gathered adventurers. His voice was strong, carrying authority.
"We have a strategy," Erabor began, his gaze sweeping over the assembly. "We will encircle the bandits and close in on them from all sides. Once we've secured the perimeter, we will light a fire in the dead of night. We will burn them out, then, we will strike."
The plan was simple, but sound.
With a final nod from Erabor, the groups dispersed, each returning to their own to prepare for the impending operation. As I rejoined my friends and the Dawn's Champions, the weight of our mission hung heavily in the air.
Celest gave us hushed instructions as we crouched behind trees, our breaths barely audible. "Remember, stay hidden until the fire is lit. Once that happens, we move in together. Arthur and I will take the left side, Aria and Selene the right, and Alex, Caspian, Jonas, and Eliza, you'll be in the middle."
Jonas adjusted his bow, readying an arrow. "Got it, Celest. We'll be ready."
The tension in the air was palpable, our hearts pounding in unison with the anticipation of the impending battle. Time seemed to stretch, each second feeling like an eternity as we held our positions, eyes trained on the distant flicker of the bandit campfire.
The forest around us remained eerily silent, but the stillness was shattered by a sudden, blood-curdling scream that echoed through the night. Our heads snapped in the direction of the sound, eyes wide with alarm.
Wait. The fire hadn't been lit yet? Had something gone wrong?
Caspian whispered, his voice filled with urgency, "Someone's in trouble. We need to help them."
But before we could react, the distant scream was followed by more, forming a chorus of desperate cries.
Erabor's voice cut through the confusion, carried by the wind. "Now! Light the signal fire!"