The knowledge he had gained from his first fight had proven itself invaluable in his second. Although he did take a hit, he learned a lot about the jackalope’s behavior. The price he had paid for his victory was great though. His left arm laid limp at his side. It felt unfair that although he could not feel his arm to move it, he could very clearly feel the pain throbbing through the limb. An image of silver hair flashed in his subconscious.

Maybe I should go see Lady Kana at the Church of Light, she could probably fix my arm… but that just adds to my growing list of favours and debts. I want to keep going, I want to get stronger.

Yori could not help but think as he looked towards the city that he needed to keep going. It seemed insane considering how injured he already was. With even more difficulty than before, he tied his latest victim to his former.

Perhaps growing up on a farm doing physical labour every day had made him tough. Maybe it was his sheer determination. Whatever it was, something was making Yori able to push passed the pain and keep fighting. Scanning his surroundings, Yori searched for another jackalope. A warm breeze blew the hair out of his eyes, which his hands were not free or currently able to do. It was a small relief, but appreciated none-the-less. Quickly inspecting his bloodied targets tied and carried on his right-hand side, he smirked a bit thinking back to the jackalope that him and Naoki had run from. The both of them got their butts kicked by one, and he had defeated two. Confidence bolstered his thoughts.

If it’s another jackalope I can fight it. I know how to defeat them now.

Yori’s search for a new foe continued. When he did happen across another jackalope grazing, he realized there was a new issue. He still had not figured out how to sneak up on them. Their hearing was too acute for his movements to go unnoticed, no matter how slowly he went. He would have to keep trying though. Surely there had to be some sort of solution. Adventurers slay these kinds of creatures effortlessly every day.

Yori positioned himself so he could approach from behind the jackalope, about fifteen feet away.

Step.

The creature flinched slightly but did not turn towards him. Yori shallowed his breathing as much as possible, being conscious of each and every breath he took. The effort was painful but he tried to ignore the ache.

Step.

The small horned creature in front of him abruptly twisted his head, and then body towards Yori. The boy’s eyes went wide. The attention of the jackalope caused a pressure in his chest, dreading what he assumed came next. Despite all his effort, the cycle seemed to be repeating itself. The jackalope’s superior hearing was too much for Yori to overcome at this point. The monster launched itself, pouncing towards Yori’s left shoulder.

Purely by reflex, Yori raised his right hand, holding his knife in front of his injured left shoulder, blade pointed away from his body. It was the only way he could think of to protect his already heavily bruised limb. Eyes squeezing shut in preparation of intense pain, Yori braced for the contact. He wondered if he was going to lose his arm due to his own stubbornness. The pain came swiftly, but in a form that briefly confused Yori. He had expected to feel the jackalope’s horns hit him, but it had not been horns that he felt. It was the hilt of the blade in his hand. Pain and confusion blended in his mind, making him dizzy. There was no further movement. His blade felt heavy.

Opening his eyes he realized that the rabbit had impaled itself face first on the dagger.

Yes! I did it, and so fast this time! This strategy could work.

Yori allowed himself to feel excited and maybe a little jubilant at his accomplishment. Not only had he not sustained any more injuries from this victory, but he also did it quickly. It seemed that intuitively predicting a creature’s path allowed him to deliver a fast, fatal blow. If he could keep up this efficiency then he would be able to gain experience and bodies to dismantle with minimal effort. This meant getting stronger faster, and hopefully money to repay his debts.

Yori continued applying his strategy and defeating the jackalopes. Rather than sneaking up, he began rushing the creatures, purposefully provoking their attacks. Since he knew where they would aim for, he easily lured them into his trap, and dispatched most of them quickly. He did have to use his left shoulder to bare the brunt of the impact. The pain in his shoulder grew worse and worse. Although his strategy was effective, occasionally his blade would not strike true and would instead deflect off of the creature’s horns. This meant the horned rabbit either fell to the ground or it would deflect and hit Yori, but with much less impact than a direct hit. Regardless, in these situations he would have to reposition and prepare himself for a second attempt.

As the hours ticked by an orange hue was cast across the field that had become Yori’s hunting ground as the day was coming to a close. The sun tucked itself behind the walls of Esaron as night crept closer. Yori knew he had to turn in now. His vision would be compromised at night and he very much needed to get some food other than the dried meat and preserves Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford had given him after his first, and only, day of work. He wondered if they and the Guild Master were upset with him for not appreciating the job that was provided to him. It was not that he did not appreciate it, it was that he felt there was something else he wanted to accomplish.

Besides the physical pain itself, the task that seemed most difficult to overcome at this very moment was tying up the slain jackalopes. With only one good hand, Yori managed to very crudely loop the creatures together. Even after he was finished with his fighting for the day Yori’s arm continued to get more and more painful as it laid limp at his side. He had managed to kill and capture ten jackalopes in total. His first step towards shedding his weakness was a success. He defeated, and subsequently, lost his fear of, a monster.

An image of a toothy grin outlined in green skin came to mind. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.

One step at a time.

He could feel the stares and hear the whispers as he re-entered the city. The street was not as busy as in the morning as most people had gone home to eat supper with their families. The eyes of the city guards widened, and one even gave him a smirk and nodded his head in Yori’s direction as he passed. No one asked if he needed help as he made his way back to the Guild. The passersby simply looked him over and went along their way, as if it were normal to see a person in this state r they just did not want to become involved.

In order to make money off the monsters he had slain Yori would have to sell the creature’s body parts. Even if he wanted to, there was no way he could break down the corpses with his injuries. Not to mention he had no idea which parts were valuable. He decided to bring them to the Adventurers’ Guild, where they offered rendering services. Yori hoped that this would be worth enough money so he could afford the entrance fee for joining the Guild as an Adventurer. That way he could form or join a party and start accepting quests.

Through the thick wooden doors of the Guild he could hear Adventurers laughing and cheering, telling stories of their victories. Another mention of a dangerous beast loose near the city. The place seemed quite loud as everyone ate their meals and drank their ale in celebration of that day’s adventures. Yori rested his shoulder on the door, unable to use his free hand to grip the handle. He traced the metalwork that outlined the door with his eyes that acted as both decoration and reinforcement while he gathered the strength to push the heavy object. Opening the door slowly, he placed his foot on the stone floor of the Guild, dragging his own victories behind him towards the reception desk. Elina stood behind the counter with a bewildered look on her face that morphed into sadness.

A hush overcame the rowdy crowd. A gruff looking Adventurer with a large, coarse beard briefly made eye contact with him before looking away. The man gingerly lowered the mug of pale-yellow ale in his hand to the wood table in front of him, attempting not to make any noise.

A somber, pitying air enveloped the air of the high-ceilinged room.

Only Yori’s footsteps and the dragging of the jackalopes echoed from the rafters above. Any amount of pity brought him pain, but this level also brought him shame. He could tell they all saw his weakness. Looking around, Yori knew that every one of them was leagues stronger than him, including the rookies. They could beat a jackalope without an ounce of effort. Yori had been so proud of himself for what he had accomplished today, but this realization made all this newfound confidence come crashing down. He was a lizard playing at being a dragon.

From behind the counter it was easy to see the sadness on Elina’s face. Her unusually long ears seemed to droop down, something Yori did not even realize was possible. As Yori approached she unclenched her hands from in front of her and gripped the side of the counter that separated them. Her normally stoic visage broke in a wash of concern for the boy.

“Are you ok, Yori!? What happened? Did the farm get attacked by jackalopes!? How-“

For an instant Yori kind of chuckled to himself at the thought of Elina thinking he just had terrible luck. He cleared his throat and lifted the belt that tied the jackalopes.

“I would like to sell these corpses, but I’m not sure where to get them processed. Could you point me towards the rendering facility please?”

“Haaa- You went seeking them out didn’t you. And so many. Very well, follow me.”

Elina let out a sigh as she briefly looked over the dead rabbit-like creatures. She figured him out in an instant. She was used to Adventurers returning from a day of conflicts with battle scars in her line of work. Elina closed her eyes and sighed once again, furrowing her brow before coming around to Yori’s side of the counter. Exiting the Guild building, she led Yori to a neighboring shop just next door. A sign hung above the entrance emblazoned with a cleaver and a chunk of meat.

The air in the shop was stale and smelled of blood. The mounted head of a large, black feline stared back at Yori, sending a chill down his spine. It’s yellow slitted eyes reflected the the boy’s rough visage. It looked almost familiar to him. Other creature’s mounted heads covered the walls to either side of the front counter. There was an open doorway behind the counter on the right. A very cold air poured from that room, leaving the storefront quite chilly. Goosebumps rose on Yori’s arm and he shivered slightly from the cool air.

“Garl, I brought you a new customer, so get up here!”

“Aye! I’m comin’, I’m comin’! Just gotta’ wash up a bit ‘ere. Be wit’ ya’ in a moment.”

Elina yelled in the direction of the open door. Yori was taken aback by her gruff way of speaking to the proprietor. She was always so kind to him, after all. He heard some shuffling coming from the backroom and a small bang. The sound of splashing followed, as well as fast-paced footsteps. The shop owner emerged soon after. The stout man walked passed the counter to look Yori up and down. Once he had a good look, the gruff man walked behind the counter and seemed to elevate himself with a stool or step ladder.

“What can I do for ya’, lad? And lady, o’ course.”

He nodded politely towards Elina as he addressed her. Garl was a short man, seemingly middle aged like the Guild Master, and similarly covered in scars. The man was also quite stalky, his arms being as big around as Yori’s head. Garl’s massive gray beard was neatly woven into a braid. An off-white apron adorned his torso and waist. Blood splattered across it and the beard that dangled in front. He looked like he could easily best any of the monsters he rendered. He splayed his massive hand on the faded wood counter in front of him. The wood looked extremely worn in the middle, tinted red from the blood of the many creatures that had passed through this facility.

“Excuse me sir, I uh… I have some jackalopes I was hoping to sell…”

Yori’s confidence was shot. He stumbled over his words as he struggled to make even the simplest sentences. The heads of the mounted monsters that surrounded him all seemed to be mocking him. Yori almost turned tail and left out of embarrassment.

Why would anyone that is used to working with such incredible monsters care about a few pests that I killed?

“O’ course, my boy. Let me have a look at what you have there…”

Pulling the belted creatures onto the counter, Yori placed them in the stained section in the middle.

“Ah, some jackalopes. Right, well, I can give ya’ 1 copper piece each for these.”

The large man laughed, causing his belly to jiggle and he flashed Yori a grin, not realizing what the boy had gone through to obtain these corpses and why. Yori did not return the gesture. His spirit was crushed once again. These 10 jackalopes, which took him the better part of an entire day, would only earn him 10 copper pieces. That little money would only pay for food and his inn for the day, but nothing more. He certainly could not become an Adventurer on that much. It would take him nearly killing himself for 100 days, not including his living expenses, if he wanted to enter the Guild. So what now?

“That’s all?”

The question slipped out of his mouth quiet and exhausted. The burly man went quiet as he saw the devastation in Yori’s eyes. He raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head as he explained himself to Yori.

“I’m afraid so lad, not much to jackalopes. Unfortunately, breakin’ ‘em down costs nearly as much as they’re worth.”

Reaching under the counter, Garl pulled out a large copper coin, worth 10 regular copper coins. He held out his hand for Yori to take the money, and the other hand to receive the belt holding the kills. Accepting the coin, Yori handed the belt over to the short man, slumping his shoulders as he turned leave. Elina held the door for him as they left the establishment.

“Thank you, Miss Elina, for showing me this place and helping me again.”

“No worries, sir Yori. No trouble at all. However, there is one more thing I do want to bring to your attention. We should really get you to the Church of Light for some healing. I shall lead you there since I am sure you have never been.”

“I though about that, but it’s ok, I’ll be fine. I’ll just head back to the inn. Most of it will heal on its own eventua-.”

“No, absolutely not! I’m sorry, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to do that. I’ve been doing this a very long time, young sir. Don’t think I didn’t notice the dislocated shoulder and the extensive bruising on that arm, which looks like it stretches across your chest! If you do not get that healed properly, and soon, you could lose use of your arm, or even die from internal bleeding. Now, come with me.”

She had pointed to the dark purple bruises poking out from under his shirt around his neck and collar bone. Before Yori could utter another protest, Elina grabbed him by the ear, leading him away from the establishment like a child needing discipline. As the two of them went to leave, they heard Garl holler towards them. They turned to see him standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Elina! Stop back here when you’re done, would ya’?”

Picking up on the sadness in his voice, Yori glanced back at the man as the door closed behind them. The solemn tone was an odd contrast to his seemingly boisterous personality. He could not pause any longer as Elina still had a firm grip on Yori’s ear, ushering him to the Church of Light.

Must be official Guild business, and therefore none of mine.

Still, his curiosity was peaked but he resisted the urge to pry. After a few minutes Elina released Yori, expecting him to follow her on his own accord. The journey was slightly uphill, as the stone-covered city slanted up towards its center, where the Church of Light was located. Most people would have assumed the crystal protecting the city would be the centre, but it was positioned more towards one side to envelop the farms just outside of the city walls, including where Yori had briefly worked. The uphill trek did not help Yori’s level of exhaustion. He wanted nothing more than to sleep right now to escape the physical pain he was in, but he persisted. As their destination came into view the ground flattened. A large stone building loomed in front of them, casting a shadow over Yori with its high cylindrical peaks. He looked up at the stained-glass windows covering the front, a new one every few feet. They depicted images of sages wielding light-emitting scepters, healing allies and repelling demon-like creatures. There was nothing remotely like this impressive building in his small hometown.

It almost looks like a castle.

Yori continued to admire the artistry around him as Elina led him through the large wooden double doors. The doors were open and welcoming as many citizens filtered in and out freely. As they stepped into the main entrance, Elina immediately called out for a healer. A blue carpet led into the next room. Echoed voices mingled in the high ceilings of the main area of the Church. The smaller entrance room they currently stood in was well adorned with flowers and holy imagery. Elina noticed Yori looking at the offerings laid out neatly against the walls.

“This is the largest Church in Esaron, so many people bring offerings either in support of the Church or to hopefully receive blessings from the healers here.”

Yori nodded to acknowledge that he was listening to her. However, he had caught sight of a sign just inside the front door. It stated that healing services cost 5 copper coins.

Great, I’m going to lose half the day’s pay from this.

It then dawned on him that he had received healing when he first arrived in the city as well. He wondered who had paid for the service at that time. It was more debt, more favours, and more pity, but he wanted to know so he could properly return it some day.

Yori wallowed in his unfortunate dilemma for a moment while they waited for a healer to be sent. A familiar face emerged from the large main hall of the Church, rounding the corner towards them. A beacon of light in his otherwise miserable state. Lady Kana; possibly the last person he wanted to see him in this condition. Yori averted his eyes, embarrassed and ashamed that he once again needed help from the silver-haired girl. Kana’s initial bright smile quickly turned to shock as she took in Yori’s appearance. Her pure white robes rested gracefully on her small frame, billowing in haste as she approached them. Her white shoes traded poking out beneath the gold rim.

“Yori!? Oh my, is that you? What in the world happened?!”

Her serene presence and gentle posture was gone as she began checking Yori over to assess the damage. Kana grabbed Yori’s right arm and spun it in a vertical circle at the shoulder. She pulled back his sleeve to see some scrapes and bumps, but nothing major. She moved on to the other side, grabbing his right arm and attempting to do the same. Yori squinted and yelped in pain as she pulled his limp arm upwards. She gently lowered the arm back to his side at the signal of pain and pulled back his sleeve to assess the damage. Dark purple bruising covered his upper arm and stretched across his shoulder and chest. Blood pooled in his elbow as the internal bleeding became compacted.

Kana made a tisk noise at Yori and took a hold of his good arm, dragging him off to behind a white curtain on the right side of the room, beyond the entrance to the main area of the church. The room was small and seemed like a makeshift emergency room. Four beds were spread evenly across the small space. A small circular window shed light upon the two beds in the middle. As she pulled him aside Kana glanced at Elina and gave her a quick smile.

“Thank you for bringing him here Elina.”

“Wait, but – Miss Elina…”

Kana interrupted Yori’s protesting by pushing him to a seated position on the small bed behind him, the closest to the curtain. She seemed somehow gentle and forceful at the same time. Kana pulled the curtain closed to block the view of Yori from the crowd shuffling in and out of the building. Some of them had begun giving him odd looks, and the young girl took notice. Usually, people in that state were Adventurers, which meant they would be wearing much better gear and much nicer clothing. To see what looked like a farm boy in such a state was alarming and curious to the city folks.

Starting with setting the bones in Yori’s arm properly, Kana began the healing process. Attempting to seem tough, Yori closed his eyes and grimaced while doing his best to smother any noise from coming out of his mouth.

Lady Kana has seen me in such sorry states, always in need of help. I don’t want her to think I can’t take a bit of pain, too.

Yori’s good hand gripped the side of the bed tightly, his knuckles turning white with the effort. He quietly hoped he didn’t pass out from the pain.