Arden, the scholar at Light's Hope Temple and my teacher for Reial's language, history, politics, biology, life, culture... religion... the guy who taught me everything was looking at me from across his desk. I'd spent hundreds of hours studying across from him after I'd recovered enough to move. Whether we were drinking tea, studying, or just sitting together, spending time with him felt as comfortable as it would with my closest friend.

"So, you two are determined to go on this quest, then?" He steepled his fingers in front of his face, really accentuating the George Clooney look he had going for him.

"Yeah. I think it'll be fun." I glanced at his ring finger, where he'd placed his [Ring of Detect Lies] after I'd returned it to him. I didn't miss the thing. It was too sensitive, constantly tightening and loosening over the most mundane parts of conversations.

When he saw me looking at it, he eyed his ring. "Mmm. So, you think fighting a cult, taking on mercenaries, and getting trounced by a black mage is fun, do you?"

I shrugged. "I mean, it's exciting at the very least. Right?"

He took me in for a long time. Right when I thought I was going to get the lecture of the century, he smiled. "You've come a long way since you limped your way into my scriptorium twenty months ago."

Of all the people who would have remembered how long it had been, it would have been him. "I guess I have."

"You're still not much of a student."

I laughed. "Not really, no."

Standing, he walked to a bookshelf and plucked out a book before returning and handing it to me. "Here. Take this."

Turning it over, I saw the title was An Encyclopedia Regarding the Dungeons, Beasts, and Monsters of Reial, Volume 1. "Never a day of rest for this student, huh?"

"Nope." He sat down. "Since you've been chosen to walk the fighter's path, it behooves you to learn as much as you can about the creatures of this world. You'll need it on the road ahead. I'm sure of it."

Placing the book on the desk in front of me, I said, "As usual, I'm sure you're right about that. Tristan said she thinks it's our lot in life to struggle. It can't hurt to know more."

He nodded. "Knowledge is power."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just wish I could remember more. It never seems to stick."

"That's why you need to study twice as hard as everyone else. Your brain's a muscle. If you exercised it as much as you exercised those biceps of yours, you'd be the smartest person at this temple. Maybe Istaera."

I flexed my admittedly rippling muscles at him and grinned. All the training had paid off. "You mean it, Dad?"

"Oaf." Try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

He'd told me a year before that he'd just started a family back on Earth before he went to war and subsequently got sent here. Since he never got to know his kids, I knew that, for him, our relationship was a bit of a proxy for the one he'd lost. With my own shit family, I'd felt much the same way. He really was a bit of a father figure for me, as cringy as it was to admit. And admitting it made me feel guilty. I'd hardly spent time with him since we'd been back. We'd been training nonstop. "Sorry for leaving so soon."

"Don't be. You have greater things to accomplish than sitting in a dusty old library with me."

"I like sitting in this dusty old library with you from time to time."

"I like it when you do. But you'll have time for that later. Right now, you're needed elsewhere. I'm not going anywhere."

There was an awkward pause. Being emotionally honest wasn't our strong suits. "Have you heard about me and Tristan?"

"I've heard enough. And I've watched you grow together for a long time now. It was obvious to everyone but you two what was happening. It was only a matter of time."

I laughed. "I guess so."

"More importantly, how do you feel?"

"I..." How did I feel? "I love her. A lot. We complement one another."

"That's all that matters. Everything else will flow from there."

I nodded. "Yeah, you're right." I needed him to say something else, but I didn't know what it was.

He looked me over. "She's a good match for you, you know."

"You think so?"

"I do. You're stubborn and passionate, and you don't think things through. She's stubborn and dedicated, and she overthinks everything. You're both earnest and lack emotional intelligence. You have a lot of room to grow together."

That's what I needed. Validation mixed with Arden's patented hard truths. "It's hard, factoring someone else's needs in all the time. I don't know if I'm doing it right."

"You can only do your best, and you'll mess it up from time to time. Don't sweat it when you do. She'll see your efforts. Just be honest. In fact, be honest in all things. It's best."

"Yeah."

He twirled the ring on his finger a couple of times before pulling it off and handing it to me. "For your journey."

I held my hands up. "That's really expensive. I couldn't possibly..."

He turned his hand over and dropped the ring into my palm. "I'd feel better if you did. Take it, and bring it back when you're done."

"How do you know I'll come back? It might be dangerous."

"Because you're a man who keeps his word. If you give it to me, I know you'll be back in time, and that little ring of mine can be some extra insurance."

Turning the ring over in my hand, I felt my heart clench. Slipping it onto my finger, I felt as the metal band resized until it was snugly pressing against my skin. "I promise I'll be back." The ring didn't budge. I was telling the truth.

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"Good man." Arden stood. "Well, until that day comes, you should take care of yourself. You're leaving in the morning, and it's late. You should get a good night's sleep before the trip."

Standing, I waited until Arden finished circling the desk. When the older man held out his hand to shake mine, I slipped past and closed him into a hug. "Thank you."

For a moment, he didn't do anything. Slowly, he closed his arms around me and gave me a pat on the back. "Don't mention it."

Pulling away, I clapped him on the shoulder once. "I'll be back before you know it. Until then, take care of the place. I'll maybe almost possibly have started this book by the time I get back!" I reached down and plucked up the book he'd given me.

He laughed. "I expect you to annotate the margins and read cover to cover. Also, take care of that woman of yours, and make sure the kids don't screw up too badly. That Ennel has far too big a head for the meager skill he has."

I laughed as I stepped backward. "Don't let him hear you say that."

"Oh, I don't mind. He's not the first noble who thought the world of himself, and he certainly won't be the last."

Turning, I waved to my father-figure in another world. "Take care."

"You too."

Exiting his study, I walked down the hall, through the scriptorium, and into the Great Hall. There, I saw Tristan kneeling in front of the Goddess's statue, her eyes shut firmly in the dim light. As silently as I could, I made my way around the room, doing my best not to disturb her. If she wanted me here, she'd say something.

"You walk as loud as a bear." She cracked an eye, and her sapphire orb sparkled in the moonlight filtering down through an opening high above. "Come over here and sit with me."

Smiling and a little unsure, I said, "You sure?"

"Did I stutter?" Her face split into a broad smile.

Laughing, I padded over to her and knelt beside her. Her hand found mine, her fingers laced through mine, and we sat for a long time, saying nothing.

"Sorry for being distant."

I looked over at her. Her eyes were shut again, and she looked so beautiful. The elegant curve of her sharp jaw, her long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail, the line of her collarbone, her slightly pointed ears. Everything about her was perfect. "It's okay."

"It's okay to not be okay." Her eyes opened, and she looked at me. Worry creased her forehead.

I squeezed her hand. "I've been worried about you."

She nodded. "I know."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not at all." She sighed. "Let's just leave it at this: I'm just scared."

"About?"

"Not us, if that's what you're asking. You're kind of my favorite person. You're stuck with me." She shifted closer to me, until her side was pressed against mine.

I wasn't worried about that, but it was nice to hear. "Well, just know that I'm here for you whenever you're ready."

She squeezed my hand. "I appreciate that more than you know." She sighed again, this time deeper. "When I was a kid, we had a... run-in with the Crimson Kingdom. I've never been able to forget it."

"Who's we?"

"Na-Ya and I."

"What happened?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember much. Hearing their name again brought up a lot of old memories, though. I'm still sorting through them."

Arden's ring tightened around my finger, but I decided to let it go.

"I'll make sure to talk to you when I'm ready, okay?"

"Sounds good."

Standing, she pulled me up. "Now, an incredibly handsome man asked if I'd like to spend some special time with him in his room a couple of days ago. It might be a little late, but I'd like to take him up on that offer right about now." She stepped up to me and pressed her chest to mine. So soft... "If he'd have me, that is..." She batted her eyes.

I reached down and cupped her cheek.

She reached up and grabbed my hand with hers. Her fingers were so small compared to mine. Nuzzling my hand, she started kissing my fingers.

"He'd have you anywhere, anytime." Leaning over, I pressed my lips to hers. She parted them and sucked my tongue in, the hunger for me radiating off her in waves.

When we finally pulled apart, she bit my lower lip, sending tingles throughout my entire body. "Lead the way," she said.

A fire lit inside my body, and I nearly dragged her to my room.

***

Adjusting my shield, I stepped up to Jorn and Maven, who were standing in front of the temple's front doors. Tristan stepped up behind me. It was a little before noon, and besides Jorn and Maven, we were the first out.

"Morning, kids," Jorn had his usual smile on his face.

Maven threw a piece of what looked like rabbit up into the air. Her hawk, Claws, swooped out of nowhere and snatched it before it started falling back down. "Morning, you two." A suspicious look crossed her face. "You two look well-rested."

I blushed, and Tristan shuffled.

"Leave them alone." Jorn elbowed her. "Let them keep their affairs to themselves.

Up above, Claws cried out for murder at the man's nudge.

"You heard him. No touching." Maven smirked.

"Damn bird. No fun."

Voss walked up behind us. "You lot ready for another quest?"

I nodded to the Templar. "You know it. How's the arm?" Voss had broken his arm when he was captured in Copperhill. Since it took a few days to get him back, the injury had set in, making his recovery rather slow. That was the problem with healing magic. If it wasn't cast early, the injuries were far more difficult to heal. That's why it'd take me so long to heal up after I'd arrived in Reial. Shattering your knee and getting struck by lightning twice tends to beat a guy up.

"Not bad at all." He bent his limb and twisted his wrist. "Still a little stiff, but nothing to cry about. I'm ready as ever."

Next, Nivan and Nel walked up to us side by side and giggling. After Nivan asked Greta about his future love life, I'd never have guessed he'd find his match so soon, and in the ever-shy Nel no less. Besides me and Tristan, the two young lovebirds were the talk of the temple, and unlike us, they weren't exactly keeping things private.

"Morning, you two!" Jorn shouted. "Fine morning, eh?"

Nel blushed. "Yeah..."

Nivan grinned. "Sure is."

Next, Silan and Ennel walked out of the temple's front doors. Ennel looked perfectly polished, the eight-pointed star emblazoned on his large enchanted shield glimmering in the Tower's light, but the young man's eyes were wide and eager. This would be his first taste of action. I could relate. It'd only been two months since Tristan and I had gone on our own first quest.

"Milady." Ennel walked up to Tristan, dropped to one knee, took her hand in his, and kissed it. "You're as radiant as the Goddess herself this morning."

Tristan frowned. "Uh... Morning?"

"Lord d'Ranthil, please." Silan stepped up and placed a hand on Ennel's shoulder.

Standing, Ennel shot her his best smile.

Judging from her face, his shot missed by a mile.

"Morning, Silan. Ennel." The former nodded to me, but the latter ignored me entirely. I'd learned that Silan was one of Ennel's knights back home. The older man had left Ennel's father's service and joined the temple after his wife died, and it was Silan's letters that led to Ennel joining the temple. Since Ennel was a third son or something, this was his best shot in life.

After them, Lize, Pawel, Ilan, and a dozen other Templars followed. Soon, everyone was standing in the Tower's light, equipped and ready for the journey ahead. After a few more minutes, Ro-Saleh and Na-Ya exited the temple and walked past us and to the head of the mass of Templars. Clapping his hands, he looked at us all. "Alright, everyone, focus up."

We all got quiet.

"There's not much to say, so I'll keep it brief. It's one week on foot to Galden. It should be an easy journey. However, as we march, keep your eyes peeled. There have been sightings of an unknown creature in the forest, and some reports suggest it could be a dragon. Others say it could be a chimaera. I don't have any interest in going toe-to-toe with either, so if you see anything, speak up."

Ennel raised his hand.

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't we take such a beast down if it's lingering so close to our lands?"

Ro's face didn't outwardly change, but I could almost feel his aura change. "Absolutely not. It wouldn't be worth the risk." To all of us, he said, "In fact, the entire eastern forest is out of bounds. Renard's going out that way to investigate. Luckily, Galden's northwest, so we should be well out of range of any threats."

A couple of Templars murmured to one another, but for the most part, everyone stayed quiet.

"Beyond that, Greta assured us that all the undead have been taken care of. However, Na-Ya will be keeping her senses attuned to the land. If anything approaches, she'll let us know well before we can see it. That being said, don't slack. Again, if you see, or smell, anything, speak up."

"The smell." Voss's face turned green.

"Horrible," Ilan added. "Never again."

"Any other questions?"

No one spoke up.

"Alright, everyone, let's move out!"

Without hesitating, Ro turned and began marching down the road. As one, the rest of us followed.

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