I was taken aback
by the dark apparition before me, terrified by its' very presence. I
face-palmed while flashing an irritated glare.
Oh, that's right,
this is a fantasy world! My world's logic doesn't apply!
The doppelganger
raised its' sword up and charged, swinging at me with such precision that it
was hard to dodge. I gripped the hilt of the sword. All I could hope for is if
my kendo skills are good enough against myself.
"Be careful!
Shadow Doppelgangers can mimic the moves of the person they are a part
of!" Keya shouted informatively.
She was standing
far away from the fight. It was relieving to know she found some cover because
she didn't look much like a fighter. Then again, appearances are deceiving.
The doppelganger
charged again, lifting its' sword up before striking down. I managed to block
the attack, pushing me back while sparks flew from my blade. It cocked its' arm
and parried its' sword. I evaded the doppelganger's move and swung my blade at
its' head. However, the shadow creature blocked and brought me into a
stalemate. Suddenly, I felt the creature's swift kick against my abdomen,
pushing me to the ground. I coughed before standing back.
"This is
harder than I thought!" I muttered to myself.
If it were an
MMORPG game, it would have been over in just a minute. But this was not a game.
My eyes widened in shock. The doppelganger was about to strike. I picked myself
up and gripped my sword as I regained my battle stance. We both changed at each
other at once. Clash! Our blades struck once more. This time, the blow was so
powerful; it sent a slight shockwave throughout the area.
"Had enough
yet?!" I said fiercely to the doppelganger.
It didn't respond.
It just remained silent. Before it could make its' next move, I pushed the
shadow back and thrust my blade forward, hoping to pierce through its' heart.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my forearm. I looked and saw the creature's
blade penetrating the skin. I screamed in pain, feeling the blood flow out of
my arm as it pulled back. I was angry, but not like before. I was becoming
enraged. Seething in agony, I gritted my teeth as started getting angrier and
angrier. Then, everything turned red. With a bellowing roar, I sprinted and
swung my sword. It tried to block but, this time, its' attempts were all in
vain. The blade glowed of a red light and with one strike, the shadow's blade
came flying out of its' hands. With one thrust, I pierced through its' heart. I
watched it dissipate before my eyes.
I breathed heavily
and saw my vision becoming clear. Afterwards, in a matter of seconds, the sky
returned to being blue and the forest, and the fields, returned to normal. I
didn't know what had happened. I was fighting my shadow, and the next thing I
know I had become stronger and faster than I was before. Suddenly, a deep surge
appeared, causing me to drop the sword in my hand and grasp my upper right arm.
"Ah!" I
screamed excruciatingly.
Throughout my
entire life, I have never been stabbed. Sure, there were the occasional cuts
and bruises from accidents, kendo trainings, and from getting into scuffles
with the high school yanki's. However, this was a different feeling.
"Akio, hang on!"
I snapped my head
and saw Keya running as fast as she could. She crouched down beside me and told
me to give her my arm. She started rubbing the wound, disregarding the blood
staining her hand. I seethed when I felt her apply pressure.
However, I was
stunned to see a green light flashing from her hand.
She stated
attentively, "This will only take a second. The healing spell takes a lot
of focus."
She removed her
hand. I looked and was astonished to see the wound on my arm was completely
healed.
"Thanks. You
save my life," I said in gratitude.
She shrugged and
smiled.
"It was no
big deal! I would've used my healing ability on anyone who's injured, or
ill!" she replied, waving a hand nonchalant while her cheeks turned red.
Smiling, I
couldn't help but pat her on the back in thanks. I turned to see the sword face
flat on the floor. I reached in, grabbed it by the hilt, and held it up to
admire its' design.
"Well, at
least I won't be using the branch, and you didn't have to spend anything on
weapons, Keya," I mused, flashing a half-hearted grin as I placed the
Blade of Accord into my belt.
Since I didn't
have a scabbard, putting it there would suffice. I just hoped the blade didn't
cut through the leather.
Walking up to my
side, Keya added in awe, "I was amazed that you were able to unlock [Rage]
on your first challenge! Usually, it takes level 1 warriors days before being
able to use it!"
"What's
[Rage]?"
"It's a class
trait, common among the warrior class. It allows the user to challenge his rage
and fury throughout their body, giving them enhanced strength and speed but
only for about 60 seconds," she lectured analytically.
That sounds oddly
like the super-saiyan transformation from Dragon Ball Z!
"What about
your healing powers? Is that all part of being a magician, or did you have to
learn to use it?" I questioned, pointing at Keya's ability.
She corrected me
in a straightforward manner, "Actually, the healing spell was taught to me
by the palace's private healers. However, I haven't fully mastered it and it
takes a lot out of me." the tone of her voice contained hints of fatigue.
Later, Keya and I
continued on foot, getting back on the cobble stone road. Frankly, we should
have stayed in town and checked into an inn. The sun was beginning to set.
Turning to Keya, I
asked, "How far is the next town?"
She answered,
"About 3 miles."
That was a good
thing to hear, meaning we didn't have to camp in the middle of nowhere. Also, I
wouldn't know the first thing about setting up a camp to begin with.
1-hour-later, we made it to the town of "Kor". My legs were getting
tired and were about to give out. Keya wasn't looking so good either. She
leaned against my shoulder, using me to support her exhausted body. Luckily, the
inn wasn't too far from us. In fact, it was close to the entrance. It was
probably built close by, so to attract more customers better.
We waltzed right
in, signed us into a room, and paid the innkeeper at the check-in counter.
Unfortunately, there was only one room vacant, at the moment. Not really much
of a problem as long as there was an extra bed. However, that was not the case.
The two of us
sauntered into the first door on the left. As we entered, we discovered the
room was a little small, and that there was only one bed!
Wait! I have to
share a bed with Keya?!
The thought about it was both exciting and horrendous. For starters, she was a
girl and I was a boy, meaning it would be too uncomfortable for both of us the
entire night. Even though I've only known Keya for a few hours, I could tell
she was innocent. She wouldn't forgive me if I took advantage of her. Taking a glimpse,
I could tell she was just as embarrassed as I was, noticing her flushed red
face and flabbergasted gaze.
Maybe I should
sleep on the floor. Then again, there doesn't seem to be any extra sheets and
since this isn't a hotel, I doubt they would have any at the front desk.
"W-well,
let's get ready for bed, s-shall we?!"
I was snapped out
of my train of thought by Keya's voice. Turning to her, I watched her walked
over and started moving the sheets back.
"Come now,
these sheets aren't going to move themselves!" she demanded, gesturing me
for help.
She was pretending
to not be embarrassed, but I could still tell it on her face. I strolled over
and began helping. Keya's hand fidgeted as she pulled back the covers. I could
feel the vibration emitting throughout the fabric. Sweat started dripping from
her face in agitation. I placed a hand on hers. Keya tensed up and turned her
attention toward me.
I smiled and
assured, "Don't worry, Keya! I'll be sure not to do anything dirty to
you!" I couldn't help but chuckle at the end. I just wished she bought
into my facade because, at the same time, I was freaking out.
Keya chuckled,
also. She smiled reassuringly and moved her hand out.
"I-I know you
won't. I'm just nervous because…this is my first time sharing a bed with a
boy," she claimed, fidgeting with her fingers like a shy schoolgirl. She
snapped out and continued while stuttering, "N-not that there's anything
wrong with you! I-I mean, you're very attractive and n-nice, b-but it's just…I
mean…"
I interrupted her breakdown, raising my
hand up in a nonthreatening manner and said to her, albeit taken back,
"Okay! I get it! Please, don't force yourself to say it!" honestly,
I'm just as nervous as you are!
After the bed was
finally set up, Key asked me to leave the room to give her privacy to change. I
wondered: did she pack her pajamas in her rucksack?
So, I waited
outside of the room until she finished changing.
"Okay! You
can come back in!"
I strolled back
into the room and was bewildered by the site before me. Standing in the middle
of the room, Keya was dressed in a silver nightgown that stretched passed her
thighs, and nothing else. My face immediately turned red and I felt my nostril
dripping blood.
Keya cringed after
seeing the blood from my nose. Snapping out of my daze, I wiped my nose with my
sleeves, clapped my hands, and put on a fake smile.
"W-we should
probably hit the hay! Early to bed; early to rise, as the saying goes!" I
remarked fastidiously.
"Y-yes! We
should get right to sleep! We have a busy day tomorrow!" She concurred,
having the same embarrassed expression as me.
I took off my
jacket, boots, and pants, which was usually how I slept. After turning off the
lights, Keya and I crawled into bed together. We faced away from each other,
trying to make the situation less awkward as possible.
We couldn't sleep.
The feeling of each other's warmth under the sheets kept the two of us awake. I
turned slowly; enough to see the back of Keya's head, but not enough to alert
the elf girl.
"Hey,
Keya…are you awake?"
"Yes."
"Just making
sure."
Then, something
came to mind.
"By the way,
Keya. What…are we doing tomorrow?" I questioned puzzlingly.
She answered,
turning to face me, "Oh! Well, tomorrow, we're going to the nearest guild
office in town to sign us up to become official warriors and magicians. That
way, when we're out adventuring and honing our skills, we could make money from
the bounty we've collected along the way."
That made sense
because it's common in games to register in guilds. That way, players can gather
wealth and fame from their exploits. Until I learn a way to return home, I
should sign up and be a warrior. After we talked, we finally went to sleep,
falling deep into slumber as my vision went dark.
The next morning,
the sun shined through the window. The sounds of bird's chirping ringed in my
ear. My eyes fluttered, only to gasp when I found myself snuggled up against
the elven mage.
What the fuck?! Why the hell are my
arms around Keya!? Oh god, I need to fix this before she wakes up!
My eyes bulged as
beads of sweat fell from my face. Slowly, I moved my right hand away from her.
Hell, even the way we were positioned was raunchy. I could even see a nipple
hanging out from her nightgown, no that the dress wasn't too revealing to begin
with. I tried to escape without alarming the sleeping elf girl. Unfortunately,
my left hand was pinned by Keya's side. So, with caution, I gingerly slid the
other arm out but right when it was all the way out, Keya's eyes flew open and
met with my own. The atmosphere grew tense. She looked around, probably
noticing how close I was standing over her and how close my face was to hers.
She gasped, letting out a loud scream wither face turned red and before I had
the chance to explain, a flash of blue light emanated from Keya, blowing up the
entire room around us.
45-minutes-later…
We were sitting in
the corner of the inn's tavern, facing each other while we ate. I was eating of
eggs, bacon, and bread while Keya was eating just eggs and bread.
Like yesterday's
lunch, she refused to eat anything with meat. I asked her why she didn't want
bacon. She explained that elves are vegetarians and possess a deep bond with
the earth, meaning that eating meat was a major taboo amongst elven society.
After that, Keya and I didn't speak. She was still mad at the ordeal that
happened earlier.
"Look, Keya,
I told you. Nothing happened. I accidentally slept on your side and I was just
trying to move away before you woke up…"
"So, it WAS
your intention to touch my body, wasn't it?!" She accused judgmentally.
I was trying to
explain, but it just made the situation worst.
"N-no! I
didn't mean it to happen! It just happened! I would never have my way with you!
Honest!" I pleaded as best as I could.
Instead of saying
anything, Keya glared at me. It felt like she was piercing me with daggers from
her gaze. Then she took a deep breath and responded calmly, "I believe
you. I can tell from your eyes that you wouldn't do anything indecent, on
purpose."
That brought me
relief to hear.
"However, that
doesn't mean I've forgiven you," she continued seriously, waving her index
finger like an instructor. "After we register at the local adventurer's
guild, you're going to have to treat me to something…special."
I didn't really
like the sound of that. Frankly, I would do anything to put an end to the
misunderstanding. However, didn't have any cash to afford to treat her.
Keya beamed,
giving me a devious smirk.
"You're
thinking that since you don't have any money, how would you treat me? Don't
worry, after you sign up, the guild masters will provide you with a 50 copper
coin starter loan to set you off. Once you receive it, I'll be sure to tell you
what we'll be doing with it."
After we finished
breakfast, we checked out and headed to the guild. Unfortunately, due to the
damage we caused to the room, half of the money we had was spent for the
repairs. That nearly left us broke.
We walked out of
the inn and strolled up the street.
The adventurer's
guild was about a block away from where the inn was. It only took us 12 minutes
to arrive but when we got there, the place was packed. The inside of the guild
was filled with wooden support beams, having white walls and lanterns hanging
on the ceiling. There were even blue flags with a horizontal white line and
three golden lions, hanging between the beams.
This is going to
take a while.
And it did, about an hour, to be précised. Once we made it to the front where
Keya and I signed a bunch of paper work.
"Name: Akio
Yamazaki. Age: 17. Race: Human..."
God! it was
tedious! After we were done, they then branded the back of our hands with a
symbol of an X inside a circle. We were now officially guild members and
certified adventurers. Despite the agonizing wait and the uncomfortable number
of documents needed to sign, it was all worth it.
"So, what
now?" I asked as Keya and I exited the guild house.
"Now, we just
have to find a job on the quest bulletin board, but before that, you still owe
me a treat."
I was hoping she
would've forgotten about that promise. Maybe elves have better memories than
humans, I guess. Instead of protesting, I complied and let Keya guided me on
where we needed to go.
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