Consciousness filtered in like a misty haze. Yori opened his eyes but they would not focus. The world was a blur around him, leaving Yori unsure of where he was. His body was numb and limp as he tried to move, mentally grasping at anything to help him make sense of his surroundings. Yori’s sense of touch was the first to return to him. He could feel he was lying down, his wrists and fingertips resting on a soft cloth as he twitched his fingers. It was likely a bed he was laying on. His hearing was the second sense to fully return. A soft lullaby echoed in the darkness around the boy. A scent wafted to his nostrils as he took in the aroma of fresh flowers.

Wait, am I in a field?

He felt a tender hand stroke his hair, brushing aside the tresses from his forehead. Yori suddenly became aware that someone was there next to him. A blurred outline of a person sitting in a chair beside the bed, a candle illuminating the room on a bedside table close by. This realization led to a sudden epiphany.

I’m alive.

Yori’s eyes had finally regained their focus, illuminating the darkness that he thought would be his end. He rested his gaze on the person slowly caressing his head, who was also the source of the lullaby. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight like water as the sun first rose into view. The thin brows above her purple eyes were raised, riddled with concern. The young woman was leaning slightly over him, her white robe loosely draped over her delicate shoulders. Yori noticed the golden embroidery lining the white garb, signifying her status as a priestess of the Church of the Sun. He quickly deduced that she must be a healer from the church. Yori’s face flushed slightly from the embarrassment he felt from having his wounds tended to, especially by someone so beautiful.

The young girl noticed his eyes open, as well as the pink raise to his cheeks, and smiled at Yori while he observed her. She halted her humming and pulled her hand from his head, placing it on her lap.

“Good morning, sir. I see you are awake; I hope you are feeling much better now.”

“Um, yes, thank you. I-I’m so sorry.”

Yori’s throat was hoarse and dry. He had not had anything to eat or drink in a long while. The girl’s voice was as sweet as her singing. She gently placed her fingers around his, grasping his hand to console him. Yori didn’t doubt for a second that her concern for him was legitimate.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, sir. You were wounded and I was called upon to aid you.”

She removed her hand from his and placed a fist over her heart as if making a pledge, proudly puffing out her chest while exclaiming the duties of a healer.

“It is the duty of a healer to-“

Yori flung himself into a seated position and clenched either side of the young girl’s shoulders, interrupting her as all the painful memories came rushing back to him. The helpless screams of his parents, the smoke and heat of the burning village, the fear of facing that dreadful monster… and Noko’s bloodied body, her lifeless gaze etched into his mind. Willpower alone was enough to allow him to move his body. Yori’s sudden movement startled the girl next to him. She winced at the intensity of his grasp and the sheer volume of pain in his eyes.

“Th-the people… the people from - my village… where are they?! Please, please tell me someone saved them!”

The girl averted her eyes, training them on the glass of water she had ready for him on the bedside table next to them. She was no longer able to look into his eyes knowing what had happened. Her face went solemn and her shoulders drooped. Yori immediately knew this was going to be bad news.

“Sir, I do not think I am qualified to answer you. I shall bring you to the Adventurer’s Guild. You can talk to someone there and get a report from them since they observed the outcome first hand. They are the ones you asked for help from.”

She spoke carefully, as if to a child, like she was afraid her words would knock him over. This was not an incorrect assumption. Fearing the worst, Yori put a hand to his chest to feel his racing heart. The room was blurring again as he tried to gather himself in order to get back to the Adventurer’s Guild. He needed to hear what happened, and perhaps they had an answer as to why as well.

“Please, drink this first. You have not had anything to eat or drink since you arrived, and you need to take care of yourself.”

The robed girl reached for the water and bread next to her and placed the bread on Yori’s lap, bringing the water towards his face. Embarrassed that she was about to try and feed him, Yori grabbed the water and took two large gulps and a single mouthful of bread. She was glad that he was eating but raised her hands to try and stop Yori from getting up after only one bite.

Yori roughly placed the glass and bread back onto the table, and urged his legs to move, flinging them over the side of the bed. The girl appreciated his determination and moved aside, offering her hand to him. Yori did not take her hand at first as he wanted to stand on his own. He attempted to push himself off of the bed and faltered, lurching forward and almost hunkering to the floor, his legs still damaged from the intense sprint of the previous day. The girl reached for his chest and supported his right side, advising him to put his arm around her. As she did so, Yori realized his shoulder did not hurt as much anymore. In fact, nothing hurt much except for his leg muscles at the moment. He would have to investigate this later and thank this talented healer.

The two walked side by side to the Adventurer’s Guild, which was not far from the Inn they had set Yori up in to rest. The owner was close friends with the Guild Master and tended to do him many favours in exchange for his patronage and good word. The relationship helped both of their businesses. The cold brick beneath Yori’s feet made walking on his injuries difficult, the ground feeling absurdly hard compared to the dirt roads and paths back home. Sound echoed off of every cramped-together building and wall, also very different from the open air of Oseford. It was almost suffocating how close everything was to each other. The silver haired girl fussed over Yori the entire way, constantly checking him over for more wounds in case she missed any. She was also continuously apologizing to the people around her as she kept bumping into them from lack of awareness, her focus purely on Yori. Everyone was very polite to her as they all smiled and nodded their head in a bow towards her when addressing her or she addressed them.

She seems to know an amazing amount of people for this being such a big city.

Yori was reminded of how everyone knew each other in Oseford, as well, but here in Esaron there were thousands of people. A pang of memory flashed through his mind and he continued the rest of the way solemnly looking at the ground in front of him. The ground beneath them appeared to be well-traveled, yet well-kempt, cobblestone. It was mostly gray, with the occasional beige stone scattered about to break up the monotonous colour. A soft voice interrupted his quiet distraction.

“We’re here.”

He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked up to find the building he had dashed into before. The large wood doors loomed in front of him, standing in the way of answers he needed. He could hear the patrons inside, even through the door. They sounded rowdy and joyful, shouting and laughing at one another’s stories. Yori let go of the girl, wanting to support himself into the building. More adrenaline helped carry him as his heart started racing. Him and his aid each placed a hand on the heavy door and pushed. A bell rang above their heads as the door swung open, and back closed behind them. Yori did not remember there being a bell, but then again, his senses were running on pure determination when he was last here. He took a moment to glance down at the spot where he collapsed in front of the reception desk. The blood had been thoroughly cleaned from the area. Not a spec was left. As they approached the desk, he noticed the same girl as before that he had pleaded with to save his friends, her pointed ears once again holding back her light blonde hair.

Like before, she was smiling until she saw Yori. The room went deathly silent, as if everyone was holding their breath. A chill ran down Yori’s spine as he sensed the tension in the people around him, seated at tables with beverages in their hands. His heart was in his throat at the anticipation of what news he was about to hear. A grim thought crossed his mind.

These people seem to recognize me. If everyone is treating me like this, just how many people did they not manage to save? Please let Naoki be alive!

The woman behind the desk bowed her head in acknowledgment at the healer beside Yori, and then to him.

“Hello again sir-“

“Yori, it’s just Yori. Please.”

A saddened smile flashed on the woman’s face.

“Hello again, Yori. The Guild Master has asked me to bring you to him when you arrived. Please follow me. Thank you for escorting young Yori here, Lady Kana.”

Lady Kana smiled and nodded, taking a step back and bowing slightly to the other woman.

“I will wait here as you speak to the Guild Master.”

The receptionist stepped away from the desk and walked to Yori’s left, gesturing for him to follow. She had a slender build, complimented by her knee-length navy blue skirt, white leggings, and brown and white waist-length blouse. The top of the blouse was ruffled against her slight bosom.

Yori was bewildered.

The Guild Master wants to see me personally? Why didn’t he just send a messenger? Guild Masters are the strongest of all the adventurers. What does someone so important want with a useless farm boy like me?

There were countless stories told of grandeur and bravery about the fabled Guild Masters. Yori had heard them plenty of times from the village elders and his mother. He had been told that they were so powerful that they could fend off an entire army of soldiers with ease single-handedly. There were tales of them defeating gargantuan monsters that seemed they could only exist in fairy tales. These people have completed feats so grand that the country put them in charge of developing the next generation of adventurers. Adventurers were people that would go explore the world, to accept quests that would mean certain doom to a regular citizen, and to protect those that needed protecting. All of them had been blessed with a mark other than that of the Villager, the weakest and most common of all the blessings.

The young girl with pointed ears led Yori down a short corridor behind the front desk, turning left at the end of the hallway. Torch-like objects illuminated the hall from either side, mounted on the walls at just about head height. When inspected it was apparent that the light emanating from them was not from fire, but from a small crystal hovering above an active magic circle. Nothing like this was present in the small town of Oseford. Her feet made very little noise on the wood plank floor compared to Yori’s. Her posture was tall and confident, and she carried herself very gracefully. She stopped in front of the first door on their right. Yori noticed that this door was ornately carved with twisting ridges and leaves, and polished with a glossy varnish. It stood out amongst the other doors, which were simple and plain, all of them made with the same chestnut coloured wood. The receptionist raised her right hand and knocked lightly on the door with the back of her knuckles. Afterwards, she crossed her arms behind her back and awaited a response.

“Yes, come in, come in Elina.”

The answer was almost immediate. A gentle but gravelly voice echoed from behind the door, muffled by the wooden obstacle. Yori clenched his fist in anticipation, a bead of sweat formed on his brow as he anxiously waited for Elina to open the door. He was about to meet a legend.

Elina gracefully turned the copper knob and pushed the door open wide. She stepped aside and looked Yori in the eyes.

“Go ahead, sir.”

Yori gingerly stepped forward into the Guild Master’s office, as if the floor beneath him might crumble at any moment. The bead of sweat rolled down his face to his chin. He felt like an ant looking at a bear. A very large man sat behind an ornate wooden desk, the window behind him framing his muscular upper body. Long gray hair adorned the man’s head, resting on his massive shoulders. He had a jovial, yet thoughtful expression, wrinkles creasing most of his face as he smiled. This hulking man made his friend Naoki look like a scrawny little child. Scars covered every part of his body that Yori could see, evidence of the many battles against monsters from folk tales the Guild Master had participated in. There was one particularly deep, dark one on his left shoulder that peaked out from under his brown tunic that caught Yori’s eye. For being of such high stature the man was dressed simply. His tunic was bound with a leather belt at his waist. Burgundy trousers poked out from beneath his plain shirt.

Kana walked up beside Yori, her arms still crossed behind her back out of respect for the hulking man in front of them. She bowed her head as she greeted the Guild Master.

“Good morning, Guild Master. This is the boy you wanted to see, the one that sent in the request for our guild to save Oseford.”

“Yes, I know who he is. I can tell by the misery on his face, and the exhaustion in his eyes. Come here young man. Please, have a seat.”

His voice was shockingly gentle for a man so intimidating. The Guild Master stood, pushing his desk chair with the back of his legs and leaned on the table in front of him. He gestured towards a maroon couch on the left-hand side of the room as he sat in the small wooden chair opposite the couch. Yori thought for a moment the chair would buckle under his weight, but it creaked and held strong. As Yori sat on the suede couch, the Guild Master leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, his hands in a loose fist in front of him. He looked Yori in the eyes with his own intense sky-blue ones.

“After you bravely notified us of the attack on Oseford five days ago, we sent a party of our finest adventurers immediately to handle the situation.”

He hesitated for a moment, clearing his throat and glancing away for a second. This short moment felt like an eternity to Yori, but it gave him an idea of what was to come.

“Dear boy, we’re afraid that nothing remained. The village, every single building, had been burned to the ground. There were no bodies to be found either. Perhaps the others also fled like you did-“

Yori launched his face forward, leaning heavily and clenched the edge of the couch. This could not be true. It made no sense. The world around Yori began to spin and get even more confused than it already was.

“What about my parents?! My sister! Where are their bodies?!”

He shouted in frustration at the man’s optimistic words. It was as if he was trying to tell Yori that the worst day of his life had never happened, like he had imagined or dreamed it all. Forgetting the difference in the strength between him and the Guild Master, one of the strongest people in the land, he lashed out with misdirected anger.

“This is impossible! I saw them kill my family, I saw them kill others, too! Bodies don’t just disappear!”

“As I said, maybe the rest escaped as well? There are many scavengers in the area, they could have taken the bodies to their dens.”

The Guild Master attempted to keep the energy in the room calm. The elderly man held the boy’s gaze without wavering as he spoke, but his words were quickly shot down as Yori relived that night for him. The young man described how he was woken abruptly by the disturbances and smoke wafting into his room, saw people and houses burning outside, and ran to aid his family, only to see them slaughtered right in front of him. He also relayed his failure to save his sister, the subsequent miraculous victory over the green-skinned creature and finally his marathon run to the city for help. Tears welled in the old man’s eyes as Yori told his story, a man that had survived countless battles and had lost many friends and family of his own. Yori’s eyes also overflowed as he could not contain his overwhelming emotions. Anger, fear, frustration, confusion, everything welling up and weighing on his mind.

“I’m… so sorry… that this happened to you and your loved ones.”

The Guild Master was barely able to keep his composure himself in order to speak to the distraught boy.

“I promise on my life, I will find out what happened to your family’s bodies and your people, and why this tragedy has struck. There must be a reason the crystal in Oseford failed to keep the creatures out. That barrier should have been impassible.”

His voice dropped and became more gravelly than before. The Guild Master’s grief and anger were apparent. Yori could see the man’s hands were clenched tightly now. A flash of fear crossed Yori’s mind, intimidated by the fury and destruction he knew this man was capable of.

“In the meantime, Kana will take care of you and the rest of your wounds. I have reserved a room at the inn you woke up in. You can stay there for the time being until you get back on your feet. I have also arranged for you to work as a labourer for a farmer just outside of the city walls that I know could use a hand. He’s very willing to hire you on, he needs all the help he can get with the growing season coming to an end. Both are good friends of mine and will surely treat you well. I hope you have no objections to this arrangement.”

The Guild Master rested his hand on Yori’s shoulder, gently clenching the small boy. The man stood and nodded towards Elina. She stepped forward and stood next to where Yori was seated on the couch.

“If you would follow me, Yori sir, I will take you to meet the innkeeper. Once you are settled in, we can go see your new place of work.”

“WAIT!”

Yori interjected, leaning over, his head in his hands, carrying the weight of everything he had just heard. He stared at the floor for a moment in reprieve. A few final tears fell to the ground below him as they prepared his new life for him. The image of his sister’s lifeless body falling to the ground burned in his mind. Slowly, Yori tilted his head up and met the Guild Master’s surprised stare.

“I want to be strong, strong enough to never lose someone again! I want to protect everyone around me, everyone that’s important to me. Let me become an adventurer, let me learn how to fight!”

Yori continued staring at the Guild Master, showing no signs of hesitation this time. He was done being weak and helpless. He wanted to be the one that protected others. He would learn to be strong enough to never lose anyone ever again. The old man shook his head slow and deliberately, letting out a sigh.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, little lad. There are certain requirements to become an Adventurer, and you being graced with the Villager Blessing means it simply can’t be done.”