The Meet up

Flashback

"Senna!" Jam rushed to Senna's room, clutching his crutches and hobbling on his broken leg.

"What!?" Senna responded, shocked.

"I have an idea. Your sister is an adventurer, right?" Jam asked.

"Well, yes," Senna responded.

"How about you give something to your sister, and I’ll be the messenger so I can get inside the city? How about that?" Jam suggested.

"Hmm, that could work, I guess," Senna responded. "Alright, I'll give her a gift and some letters to update her on what’s going on in this town. She needs to know. Make sure you meet her. I miss her."

"Yes, I promise," Jam responded.

Present

Jam held the gift up while staring at it. "I wonder what is inside this gift," he mused. "Hey, old man, do you know where we're headed?" Jam asked the driver of the wagon.

"We're headed north, but first we have to pass through the mountains and just hope we don’t run into any monsters. After the mountains, there will be a small forest ahead, then we will arrive at the main city, Elysoria," the coachman responded.

"Hmm, how many days do you think it will take?" Jam asked.

"Maybe about a week, I guess. We might run into monsters," he responded.

"Well, that would be very unlucky," Jam said, worried.

Traveling to the City

The scene switched from night to day as they headed north. They passed through the mountains, and the wagon’s wheel broke down, but they fixed it and continued their travels. At night, they had a campfire while eating dinner, and the old man and Jam talked. One week later, they arrived at the city.

Arriving at Elysoria

The city was breathtaking. Birds flew overhead, and the massive gate with high walls was surrounded by water. The scene was picturesque, with greenery and the distant mountains adding to the beauty.

As they approached the gate, a guard stopped them to inspect the carriage. "What is your purpose for coming here?" the guard asked.

"I am a messenger for one of the adventurers in the guild called 'Shadow Blade.' Her name is Selene. Her sister Senna asked me to give her this," Jam responded, showing the gifts and letters that Senna gave him.

The guard seemed busy, talking to other guards. "Let them in!" he shouted.

Inside the City

Once they entered the city, Jam was awestruck by the grand buildings and bustling streets. The architecture was magnificent, with rich people walking around, and their children playing near a fountain at the center.

The old man dropped Jam near the fountain where the children played. Jam started to wander around, looking for the guild. He approached an old woman and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where the Shadow Blade's place is?"

"Don’t talk to me, peasant!" the old woman spat at Jam’s foot.

"Motherfucker!" Jam shouted angrily as the old woman wandered off. He took a deep breath and sighed. "It’s just an old woman. Don’t get so worked up. Damn, this is hard," Jam thought.

After roaming around for 30 minutes, Jam returned to the fountain and sighed. "This is so tiring. I want to go home," he muttered, feeling the stress weighing him down. Desperate for a place to rest, he headed to an inn near the fountain. When he saw the price for a stay, he was shocked.

"Five gold coins for one night?! Are you kidding me?" he thought, dismayed. "Might as well sleep on the floor outside."

Determined to find his way, Jam approached the innkeeper. "Excuse me, sir, do you know where the Shadow Blade's place is?" Jam asked.

"You're new here, kid. Haven't seen you around. Anyway, just head outside of the gate and go south. You'll find a black mansion with a black gate," the innkeeper replied.

Jam's eyes filled with hope. "Thank you, mister innkeeper!" he said gratefully.

The innkeeper laughed. "You're welcome, kid. Oh, I forgot to tell him..." he murmured as Jam rushed outside, heading south.

When Jam arrived at the black gate, he felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. "How do I do this..." he overthought, staring at the imposing mansion and the small forest behind it. As he pondered, a wolf suddenly appeared, growling at him with a sinister look.

The wolf, standing at 5'5", towered over Jam, sending a chill of fear through him. Jam, nervous and unsure, could only clutch his meager belongings—a bunch of clothes and a small pouch. "STAY BACK, YOU BASTARD!" he shouted, trying to sound brave.

The wolf, enraged by Jam's defiant shout, lunged forward and sank its teeth into Jam's left arm. Jam screamed in agony, desperately holding onto the wolf’s head to prevent further injury. With a violent jerk, the wolf threw Jam against the gate. He hit the gate hard, landing on his back with a jarring impact. His arm was bleeding profusely.

Desperate and in pain, Jam fumbled for his metal fork, his only weapon. As the wolf charged at him again, Jam braced himself, tears threatening to spill from the intense pain. He prepared for a final, hopeless stand with his pathetic fork.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere—a person clad in a red cape and a hood, wielding a scythe. With a swift, effortless motion, the person sliced through the wolf’s head, engulfing it in a burst of red flame. The wolf collapsed, its threat extinguished.

Jam, still reeling from the shock and pain, tripped and fell to the ground, screaming as the agony intensified.

The person in the red cape hurriedly carried Jam to the mansion, his screams of pain echoing through the air. Once inside, the figure gently laid Jam on a bed and called out urgently, “Selene! I need help here!” The voice was unmistakably young and feminine.

Jam, wracked with pain and disoriented, thought in his agony, "A girl?!"

Selene, a figure of urgency and concern, leapt from the third floor and rushed to Jam’s side. “What happened, Rhea?” she asked, her face a mask of confusion and worry as she assessed Jam’s injuries.

Rhea, the figure in the red cape, explained, “It’s my fault. I let a Dark Wolf escape, and this guy became its target…”

Before Selene could respond, Jam let out a sharp scream.

Selene quickly observed, “It looks like there’s acid in the wolf’s saliva.” Without hesitation, she cast a healing spell over Jam’s injured arm.

As the soothing magic began to work, Jam's consciousness wavered, and he passed out, his body finally succumbing to the exhaustion and pain.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***