The days quickly passed, and eventually, it was the day of the Evergreen Protectors' return. Sera had called Gael to her office yesterday to notify him of the meeting place. 

Remember, it's not in my power to decide whether you'll actually be accepted. They might not think you're a good fit, or they simply believe their current lineup of three is enough. Nael remembered Sera's words. 

The meeting place was directly outside the city walls, close to the hill where Gael last saw the girl in the night. 

Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since then. I wonder where she went. 

It was nearing the afternoon when Gael had finally arrived at the meeting spot. It wasn't hard to locate the group–their campfire was still burning, leaving a trail of smoke floating into the sky. 

The trio noticed Gael before he had even approached. As soon as he was within speaking distance, one of the members, the dwarf in particular, called out to him. 

"Oi! Get over here and take a seat. We won't be heading out yet."

Gael nodded, replying with thanks. He sat down on one of the empty logs they had fashioned as a bench, and stared at the people gathered around the fire. 

The dwarf, the talkative one of the group, spoke up first. "Now I know ol' Sera said you were trustworthy, but I ain't about to put my life in the hands of someone I barely know. You get me, human?"

"Yeah, no, I understand." Gael nodded. "Should I introduce myself?"

The trio seemed fine with that, so Gael stood up from his seat and began chanting. 

"Yurdo havs." 

A small, yet potent bolt of holy energy manifested atop his fingertip. Making sure to keep perfect control of the bolt, he spun his finger around, twirling it in all directions. 

"My name is Gael Runner, and I'm a practitioner of Benefaction magic. I plan to learn Animation and Conjuration as well, but that's only once I've learned more about the Benefaction branch."

"Hoh, an Outworlder?" The dwarf replied, surprised. "Didn't you all scurry to the major cities to celebrate the Autumn Festival?"

"I'm relatively new, so I chose not to go," Gael replied. 

Without replying, the dwarf, elf, and half-orc all exchanged glances, before nodding. 

"Alright, you seem fine." The dwarf nodded. "I'm Solov, by the way. I serve as the Tank of the party." 

Solov offered his hand to shake, which Gael took heartily. The dwarf was only about half his height, so he had to bend down slightly. Still, his bulky and muscular frame definitely meant he was tough. Even his handshake was rough. 

The elf took his hand next. "Phremene. I provide cover fire and support our vanguard. I can also treat minor wounds."

"Nice to meet you." Gael smiled. 

Lastly, the half-orc shook his hand. His green skin, protruding tusks, and beefy frame made him look twice as terrifying up close. 

"Drugo meet human. Human stay back, buff Drugo. Then Drugo smash."

What a unique way of talking. Do all barbarians lack eloquence? Not that it's bad.

"Nice to meet you, Drugo. I will buff you when I can."

Of the three of his new teammates, Drugo the half-orc definitely stood out the most. His halberd was a work of art, stained in the dried blood of his foes. A faint scent of death emanated from him, but it didn't belong to the orc.

"What's the plan, by the way? What job did you guys decide to take?" Gael turned to Solov. 

"It's a job to hunt down a vampire that's been seen prowling the streets at night.' The dwarf replied. "We received word that it's been hiding in a cave somewhere, so we're going there to exterminate it."

A vampire, a bloodsucking craven thirsty for carnage. Based on my past experiences with that race in games, they're particularly weak to the sun, along with a multitude of other weaknesses. 

"It's an extermination contract, then? What do we know about the vampire?"

Solov continued explaining. "Her name is Vivian, and she often wanders the streets of Goldenleaf to look for prey. Reports of dead bodies, completely dried up and with bite wounds to the neck have been showing up a lot more recently. We can only guess that the vampire's getting increasingly hungrier."

"I see. That sounds like a pain. Well, lead the way, guys. I'll keep to the back and make sure you guys don't die."

Oh, and before we head out… 

"Stay still, please. I'm going to cast a buff on all of us. Shurah, sybil!"

The group felt a holy aura overcome them. It was gentle, caressing, like a mother's embrace. Before they knew it, a thick blanket of light was surrounding them like a second layer of armor. 

First level spell, Protection From Darkness. I bet you guys are glad I joined, now didn't you?

While Gael couldn't protect them entirely from fatal wounds, the spell he had just invoked was perfect for when a being of evil chose to approach. The holy light was designed to detect them and attack. It also doubled as an extra layer of protection, as it prevented weaker attacks from evil creatures from connecting. 

And it lasts for three hours, too. It almost seems cheating to know about Inveridium. 

"You've got some neat tricks, human. Now, should we go? The cave is pretty close, so we'll run a bit of the way to save time."

***

"Dead boar." Phremene laid down and inspected the carcass. 

It was a deceased boar, seemingly sucked dry like Vivian's other victims. It seemed the vampire's diet wasn't just restricted to humans.

Phremene explained that the boar had just died less than an hour ago, which meant that it was still fresh. Their target seemed to have just passed through the place. 

Guess it's reassuring to hear she doesn't just eat humans. Maybe she's a cool vampire. 

They had left the plains more than half an hour ago and entered a more dense forest. In here, trees stood menacingly in every corner, and the grass was more than twice as tall as the ones from the plains. 

They were led by Phremene through the dim forest floor, slowly. They were constantly on high alert, guards up.

"We should be close by." The elf informed them. "Keep your guard up."

Solov instantly moved to the front of the party, shield raised. Based on his explanation as they were traveling, the dwarf had an affinity for Mutation magic. When it was necessary, he would be the first to apply it to himself in order to withstand more damage or deal more. 

Despite their seemingly experienced appearances, the Evergreen Protectors were truly nothing more than newbies. Various strategy games had taught Gael the importance of formation and how they could greatly impact the flow of battle. 

Sure, Solov being in the front was one step in the right direction, but the half-orc Drugo being directly beside him was two steps backward.

He's wielding a damn halberd. It has a pointed edge for a reason, so stay behind the vanguard to more easily counter!

If they adopted a more phalanx-like formation, then they most likely would be more successful. 

But hey, who am I to judge? It's my first time on an expedition like this, so it's obvious they know more than me in regards to being out in the field.

Phremene suddenly whispered to alert the party, "The smell of blood has changed direction. It's coming from that cave over there."

The elf pointed to a cave seemingly hidden behind a wall of thick vines. Almost obscured, the only reason she was able to see it was thanks to her keen senses as a ranger.

"Solov-dwarf should go first. Drugo will follow." The half-orc proposed. 

Solov nodded and slowly continued in the direction of the cave. 

The closer they got, the more the cave seemed to feel more dangerous. An intimidating aura emanated from the inside of the cave's bowels, and a suffocating air seemed to leak outside.

As the party stood at the entrance to the mouth, Gael seemed to notice something come over Phremene's face. A slight change in expression had indicated that she wasn't so sure about this. 

I hope they know what they're getting into. I'm not worried for my life, but theirs? 

Gael sighed. He didn't want their blood on his hands, even if they were basically strangers to him. He raised his hands and began chanting. 

"Aradz, hamza lier! Sindro, sinsum!"

The party was surprised. The backpacks they were carrying, along with the weapons, and armor they wielded, seemed to be weightless. Their limbs felt light, and for some reason, the prior exhaustion they had accumulated while on the way here seemingly disappeared, blown away like it was never there. 

They stared at the only person who could've done it. Gael shrugged, a bit embarrassed. 

"What? I'm just doing my job."