“If we had to stay around here for days or weeks,” Ayame said, “we could take the bear and eat it bit by bit.”

  “Huh?” Tara said. “Yeah, I guess, but we don’t need to.”

  Ayame shrugged.

  “I know, I’m just saying.”

  She was right, but it was still a bit weird to say it.

  Just like that, Vincent imagined them eating the bear around a campfire. It was a bit surreal. He didn’t know if he’d be able to get used to that, though naturally, if it became necessary, he’d have to do it, period, without protesting.

  Better if it didn’t become necessary. Much better. Not that he had never eaten bear meat, though it wasn’t exactly his favorite food, but he didn’t want to go around being forced to kill and eat monsters to live and complete any mission.

  Besides, eating food prepared on a plate and killing it, doing it with his own hands, the cuts, that was different. He didn't have to think about it until he found himself in such a situation, if he ever did. In any case, the first of the three sword hilts shouldn't be far, according to the map.

  Focus, he thought. They had had trouble with that damn bear, though it obviously wasn't a normal animal. That meant they needed to concentrate.

  They reached the edge of a hill. Vincent took a look. He wasn't very good at estimating distances by eye, but the drop was considerably greater than the one he had suffered when that log broke, that was obvious.

  To get to the point: it was a deadly fall, without a doubt. But there was no other way, so they were forced to go down the wall, using the cracks in the rock to support their arms and legs, and hands and feet.

  As quickly as they could, without forgetting caution. By that, he meant Tara and him, of course. Since Ayame could fly whenever she pleased, she simply did that, reaching the ground in a jiffy.

  She had to wait with her arms crossed, looking at them. But they didn't take that long either, and there were no surprises this time. No bear or other creature wanting to throw them off, knock down the wall, or at least launch itself against it.

  Something like that, none of that.

  Something is something, he thought. We can be without problems for a few minutes.

  Something is something, he thought. They continued on, stepping over another fallen tree in the middle of the path.

  Shortly after, Ayame had to move a rather large rock so the two of them could pass. The strength she had in such a small body was incredible. Of course, one's strength had little to do with their height, body, or muscles. But still, it was a shocking image. Just like when she had ripped those trees from the ground, as if the roots were made of paper.

  “And finally, after all that, there it is,” Tara said.

  “It can’t be this easy,” Vincent said, putting a hand in front of her, making her stop.

  “But what do we do then? We can’t just stand by.”

  She was right, of course. Standing still, watching, wasn't a solution. He was expecting a trap. But if there was some kind of trap, they would have to overcome it. They couldn't just turn around, choose the option, choose what was theoretically more prudent. They could only move forward.

  “I’ll do it,” Vincent said again.

  Ayame shook her head.

  “You tested the log. You tested how good the log was as a bridge. Now it’s my turn to take the risk.”

  Vincent didn’t argue with that. He wanted to, but he didn’t.

  He watched her approach the pommel, bend down to pick it up, lift it.

  And then, nothing. Absolutely nothing happened.

  Now he let out a sigh of relief, clearly tempting fate. But still, nothing happened.

  “A tad anticlimactic,” Ayame said.

  “But one of three,” Vincent said. “The sooner we finish, the better.”

  They were here to secure their place in the academy in a relatively safe and easy way. So this was exactly what they wanted.

  Actually, they set off again in search of the second piece. They had to jump over more logs, climb more stone walls. Jump between trees, grabbing onto branches and ropes like real monkeys. Like monkeys. Come on, the usual.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  But in the end, they reached the second of the hilts, also in plain sight. And they also picked it up, without anything happening.

  “Wow, well that’s great,” Tara said, putting it away.

  She also had the first one, of course. She carried a backpack with some supplies. Even if things dragged on for days or weeks, they wouldn’t have been forced to eat any bear.

  Come on. The reward for this quest would only cover expenses for a week at most. Still, it was turning out to be much easier than any of them expected, which he didn't like. It gave him a bad feeling. A bad feeling, like any reasonable person. Well, all that jumping and climbing, those were also challenges, dangers. He couldn't say it was easy, but it wasn't the same.

  “Hey, Vincent,” Tara said, as they advanced in search of the third and final hilt.

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Nothing. I was wondering what your village was like. I mean, how was life there? What do you remember most? Things like that.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Just to talk? That’s all.” Tara shrugged. “And because you’re my teammate? There’s nothing wrong with us knowing more about each other, right? I’ll also answer any questions you want to ask me.”

  “I’m interested too,” Ayame said, looking at him over her shoulder. Her own shoulder; that is, not in the figurative sense.

  “Well…” Vincent began, of course.

  He had no intention of telling them the name, though he highly doubted they would investigate it. They had no reason to suspect and, anyway, why would they do that? Even if they suspected, how and when and why would they do that? It wouldn’t make sense, but he would keep the name to himself anyway.

  “It was, well, it was a nice place. Small. Everyone knows each other. They depend on their neighbors to get through winter and hard times. Which doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of assholes, of course.”

  But nothing like what we saw in Viewpoint, as soon as we arrived, he thought.

  “Not like in Viewpoint,” Ayame said, as if she had read his mind.

  For fuck’s sake. Vincent flinched.

  “Yeah. There was none of that,” he continued. “Or at least I haven’t seen it. What I remember most… Well, my family. What else?”

  Tara nodded.

  “Yeah, I miss them too.”

  “They weren’t too happy about me going to Runehaven,” Vincent said hesitantly. “They would have thought… I mean, they thought it was too dangerous.”

  “Well,” Tara said, “it is dangerous, yes. But what else was a combat class going to do?”

  “That’s true,” Ayame said. “You couldn’t have stayed in the village. After all, who would have hired you? And for what? You’d be surrounded by people who could do any job better than you.”

  “That sounds really bad,” Tara said.

  Ayame rolled her eyes.

  “You know, why hire someone as a farmer when you can hire a Farmer? Or a blacksmith, a tailor, or whatever. A class for everything. Everyone has their place.”

  Vincent bit the inside of his cheek.

  “Yeah, the system is what it is, period. But they’re my family. They couldn’t help but worry.”

  Ayame nodded.

  “Of course, we understand perfectly.”

  “I’m glad they finally understood,” Tara said.

  “Respected your decisions,” Ayame said.

  Vincent wondered if he should share a little more of the truth still. He didn't want to lie to them. Not when they had become good friends so quickly. He knew it was necessary to lie to them to some extent. But what harm could it do to be a little sincere then, going where that extent didn't cover.

  “They didn’t agree,” Vincent said. “I left a note and ran away from home.”

  “Oh, wow,” Tara said. “That’s…”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “It’s not that I blame you. It’s just that, well, it sucks. Now I understand the face you make sometimes. Like your head is somewhere else.”

  “A very bitter part,” Ayame added.

  “I didn’t want to hurt them, but I was going to rot in that town. It was the only way.”

  Ayame surprised him by turning around and hugging him tightly. She patted his back. She stroked his hair.

  “Shh, don’t worry. You did what you had to do. In time, they’ll understand.”

  Tentatively, Vincent returned the hug.

  “Yeah, I hope so.”

  “They’ll understand,” Ayame repeated firmly. “You’re their son, after all. And their brother or sister. Do you have siblings?”

  “Well, yeah, I have a sister too.”

  Ayame nodded against his shoulder and patted him a few more times before breaking the hug.

  “Sooner or later, they’ll understand. Don’t you worry.”

  “She’s right,” Tara said. “You didn’t run away for pleasure, because they treated you badly. If they’re good people, they have to understand you. Eventually, they’ll realize this was the best path for you.”

  “Well,” Vincent shrugged. “And the only one.”

  There it was again. The only way. They couldn't imagine a different way of doing things. Because it had been like that. For years and years, right? Why? If things were a certain way, they had to be the best way, right?

  They wouldn't understand, he thought suddenly. They wouldn't understand why I've strayed from the path.

  “Not exactly,” Ayame said. “Runehaven is the most prestigious academy on the continent. He could have ended up in any other.”

  Tara waved a hand.

  “Well, yeah. You know what I mean, damn it.”

  A natural silence fell as they continued to advance. Not at all uncomfortable. At least, not for them. But it was turning over in his head. He couldn't help wondering how their reactions would have changed if he had told them the real reason why his family wouldn't have wanted him to come to Runehaven, if they had known he intended such a thing in the first place. Would he have heard those comforting words from both of them? Received Ayame's hug and those sweet caresses?

  He felt like his stomach was full of lead, asking himself those questions. He didn't want to know the answers. It scared him too much. That's why he was grateful that they soon found the last damn hilt.

  Tara approached cautiously, precisely because it was the last one. Picking it up, putting it in her backpack. It seemed like everything was going to turn out like the last two times. But then…

  “Drop the backpack!” Ayame said.

  Because it had started to shake. Vibrating strongly. Not the backpack itself, of course. The sword hilts, which, as soon as the backpack hit the ground, shot out. Flying, tracing circles in the air. They vibrated and shone more and more.

  “Fuck!”

  Vincent raised an arm to cover his eyes from the blinding light that burned his retinas. When the light ceased, when he could lower his arm, they were no longer alone.

  There was a giant in the meadow. A giant in armor with three swords. Two of them in its hands, of course, but the third one in its damn mouth.

  “Fuck!” Vincent muttered.

  “I knew something like this would happen,” Ayame said, unperturbed as usual.