Chapter One

“Dio, look up!”

I snapped my head upwards to see magically enchanted arrows raining down from the heavens.

“I’m on it, Z!”

While sprinting, I took one hand off my sword, Zeus, and extended it to the sky.

“Lightning Shower!”

Brilliant bolts of lightning lit up the sky and extinguished the arrows just as quickly as they had been summoned.

“There has to be a skeleton mage nearby, regular skeletons can’t imbue magic,” I watched Z say through gritted teeth.

“Z! New plan! Buy me some time. I think the mage is conjuring these enemies. At this rate, we’ll just keep facing hordes of them!

“I got you, just go!”

I dashed through the center of the melee and made my way to the outer ring. Closing my eyes and focusing my energy, I cried out.

“Bolt Seeker!”

A magnificent ray of light concentrated around Zeus for a moment. I could feel my eyes pulsing behind my eyelids. Searching the area, I found my target and released the bolt.

Whoosh! Crackle!

I was able to feel the skeleton mage’s presence thanks to my new technique…and one hell of a beam from the sky instantly ceased his existence. I smiled to myself. Man, I have gotten stronger.

“Hey, man!” Z’s frantic voice snapped me back to reality. “Yeah it was cool and you’re a hero and all, but a little help?”

I dashed through the skeletons, routing them one by one with Zeus. With no mage, these monsters were like paper; without them constantly spawning, we made quick work of them. Exhausted, Z pulled out his quest book and saw the mission Ward off Skeletons in Zone F auto-complete. I, of course, never accepted it from the quest hall.

“Whew. Thought they had us there for a second,” he said, sheathing his sword Flash. “Next time you want to show off, how ‘bout you make sure your best bud is still breathing first.”

“Hehe, my bad on that one,” I said, running my hands through my silvery hair. “Guess I got a little too hyped up!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever showboat. Drinks are on you! Hesitation equals a life lost here in the wilderness. Even for the F ranked regions.”

We started on our way back to HQ, treading through the woods carefully.

“Hey, Z?” I questioned, walking through thick underbrush.

“What’s up?”

“Why don’t you ever use any of your skills?”

“I could use them. It just seems pointless right now. Using a skill that might take down two enemies is just a drain on me, you know that.”

“I get that…but not using them at all means they can never grow, right?”

He pondered that for a second, then flashed a grin and put his arm over my shoulder.

“That’s why I bring my main man Dio with me everywhere I go!”

I made an audible groan.

“My turn for a question. Why do you not want any of these quest rewards! I’m A rank and you’re stuck at F because I turn in all the completions while you hide in the corner.”

Hmm. A good question. One I’ve thought about too many times. It’s too much work. Heroes begging you to join their party. People celebrating when you walk in, expecting you to pay their tab. Girls surrounding you, never giving you a moment’s peace. I want to be unknown. Z gets asked daily if he’ll join some guild, quest, or party. He always turns them down though, as it’ll just be us two, and that’s the way we like it. Especially because we don’t want anyone to witness us in combat with the system we have in place.

“I…just don’t want to deal with any of it. Besides, look how good of a life we’re living. You’re okay with the spotlight. And I’m okay no one looks my way. We have a nice place, good money, food, what more could we want!”

“Hear me out, man; Women!” He chuckled “You’re missing out on one of the most important mysteries in life! Fundamental for livin’, if you ask me! I don’t even need food, just a steady diet of women and I’m good. You think we could get paid in girls?”

What a moron. He truly thinks about one thing, and I’d know better than anyone being his friend. The amount of times I’ve heard a midnight knock on the door asking if Big Z is there, I couldn’t count. I looked back at Z and his face had grown serious.

“You think people will ever question my rank? It’s gotten pretty inflated lately with your growth, and I wouldn’t want any trouble.”

“Relax. No one is stupid enough to challenge an A rank to a duel. Too much to lose. You’d both have to be A ranks first of all, and even then there’s 3 in the whole city, including you. I don’t imagine anyone is eager to throw all that time and effort away.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Just bothers me sometimes the way you get treated. I want you to live just as good as I do.”

“Don’t worry about it, Z. I’m your wingman for life.”

I held out my fist for him to bump it.

“I got your six,” he knuckle bumped me back.

“Never can get tired of this view though…”

Walking up to the bright lights of the city Haven, I marveled at the beauty. It looked great during the day, don’t get me wrong, but the place truly shined at night. Different hues and shades highlighted homes and the commercial areas as well, making everything synergistic. It was a city built with love, and lots of it. The fountain in the central square could be seen from the outside of the city; a beacon for all adventurers calling them home. With such a large structure, I can hear the water rising and falling in its familiar pattern that has never changed. Well-guarded too, as 6 guards decked out with heavy armor and high-quality steel swords checked the hero ID of every person in and out.

A guardsman stepped forward towards us.

“ID please,” He stated plainly but seriously.

“Here you are sir!” I pulled my ID out of my jacket pocket and handed it over.

“Claudio Terris, Adventurer Rank F. Son, are you sure you should be out here? Dangerous for someone your level.”

“HAHAHAH,” My supposed right hand-man was doubled over in pain laughing.

“Shut up, Z. You’re lucky I don’t disband our party.”

“Go on in kid, you’re good. As always, you’ll get it back when you leave. Alright, next!”

“Real hero coming through!” Z exclaimed through what seemed like 400 teeth.

“I’d say. Almost don’t even need to check ya. Zachariah Goldmine. Adventurer rank A. Hey save some glory for the rest of us, ya hear!”

This is crazy. These guys never joke around. I guess that’s what being famous gets you.

“No promises, I can’t control what comes to me!” He laughed as the gate slowly raised in front of us. “What we gettin’ into tonight, Dio?”

“We always hit Lisa’s. Good food, good drinks. A place for adventurers, never too much trouble.”

“Let’s do it.”

We turned right at the fountain and walked the brightly lit path to Lisa’s as we had done a majority of our nights. What else were two 18-year-olds with plenty of money and no restraints going to do? Go to bed? Not after that fight; time to enjoy another night making it back home safe. Everyone doesn’t get to say that, and the cemetery outside Haven proves it. The good times don’t last forever.

“Why do I feel like you’re being cheesy right now? Whenever you’re this quiet, you’re usually thinkin’ how tomorrow isn’t promised or somethin’ like that.”

I playfully shoved him.

“Back off. I’m just thinking about how much longer I’ll have to put carry you. My back’s been hurting a lot lately…”

“Damn, it’s gotta be like that?”

We reached the dancing neon signs that embroidered the bar belonging to Lisa. Z stepped forward and called out to her as she seemed to have been waiting for us…

“Lisa, baby, two of your finest seats!”

She flashed a blade.

“I told you to never call me that. It’s been the same rules for the past 7 months since you lot turned 18 dumbass. Sit wherever you want.”

“You’re too good to me, ya know that?”

She sighed and walked off to the back of the bar.

“No menus, no specials tonight? You really ticked her off Z, way to go.”

“Hey man, I can only be me,” He shrugged and chuckled.

Glancing to my left, I noticed a woman with moonlit, shiny purple locks approaching our table. It fell gracefully onto her shoulders and then even further down to her waist. Its sheen was almost blinding; it seemed brighter than some stars in the sky. She was tall, maybe just an inch shorter than me. Bright, exciting green eyes had me enraptured. She walked with such confidence and elegance that it seemed like she was floating. How have I never seen her working here? Even Z was hesitating to talk and that never happens.

“Uh, uh yeah I’ll-“

“Shut up.” She said sternly.

Z and I looked back and forth at each other. Terrible service but not bad to look at, maybe some guys like this aggressiveness? Z looked ready to try again, but she cut him off.

“I said I’m talking. I don’t work here. So, I don’t need to be hit on by you Zachariah.”

That name drop took both our breaths away. How did she know him? He is famous around here, so I guess that checks out. Time for me to apologize and diffuse the situation.

“Miss, I’m really sorry about my friend. He doesn’t know when to shut up, and I’m afraid he never will.”

She smiled at me. One of the prettiest smiles I’ve ever seen. Is this woman a Goddess? Temptress?

“Dio, you have nothing to apologize for.”

A confused look shot across my face. How does she know me? I try to be nameless and faceless as best I can, but she clearly had our number.

“In that case, how can we help you?”

“I’m here to join your party!”

I instantly shot Z a look that says don’t speak if you’d like to stay in the land of the living.

“Well, me and Z are a two-man team. Yin and Yang. Alpha and Omega.”

“Fire and Ice.”

She shot him another drop dead glare.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

I rushed to start speaking again.

“We just don’t want another party member right now, Miss. I’m very sorry.”

“Don’t call me Miss. My name is Kylah. Kylah Terris.”

If I had a drink, I would’ve spit it out.

“Yo Dio, this your sister? Never told me about her. Wait, don’t tell me you got married without me in your wedding? Thought I was your best man!”

“I don’t know this woman!”

She flashed a mischievous grin.

“Just messing with you Dio! Kylah Page.”

I exhaled deeply.

“That is not funny!”

“I don’t know, they say it’s great to make yourself laugh and I certainly did.”

“Well, back to the whole you joining us thing. Not going to happen. Like I said, it’s always been just Z and I. We plan on keeping it that way. Sorry to disappoint.”

“No, I’m sorry, Dio, that it had to come to this.”

She leaned down to where she was within inches from my ear and whispered softly and singsongy.

“I….knowww….your…secrettt.”