Dawn Without Pleasantries

"You're early Rado."

"Haha…I'm used to my day starting earlier!"

The sun has only barely peeked out from the horizon when I'm walking towards the city gates. Standing just outside the open wooden doors is Charles, who greets me with a burning lantern in his hand. His armour makes him appear large, as if singlehandedly defending the entire city.

"Did you rest well?"

"As well as I could manage. Though, I must admit that the inn had a very nice bed!"

Despite a long night of drinking, I don't feel tired in the slightest. Maybe the exhaustion of the past several days came to a head and the soft wool sheets took me away for the night. I awoke at exactly the same time that I have been waking up for the past almost 40 years.

Charles looks behind me at the sizable backpack that I'm carrying.

"I see that you are quite prepared."

"You said that this may take a few days, so I just made sure that I had enough food and supplies to keep us going."

Considering that I will be doing little to no fighting, I had best make myself useful somehow. My food isn't going to be amazing, but it will stave hunger in a way far more pleasant than wild grasses and hardtack.

"Ah, the others have arrived as well."

In these empty streets, you can see just about every person walking around. Amidst the sparse artisans and merchants preparing for the day, I can see three individuals each a street away. It only takes a couple of minutes for all three to assemble here at the gates. We stand just far enough out from the walls that no other guards can overhear our conversation.

"So we are all here."

Our Commander steps out in front of us, looking across each and every one of our faces. I know what he is likely thinking on the inside, but his face does not show that concern.

"You all are aware of the mission. Identify the Demon Lord and, if possible, kill it. I permit the use of any means necessary, just make sure that every last one of you returns. Are we clear?"

""Yes sir!""

The three heroes all salute as a knight should. My response was a little delayed, but I put a hand to my chest eventually. Then dropped it, realising that I raised the wrong one. Fortunately, Charles pays me no mind.

"We have your horses prepared. Ride west, your destination being the forests surrounding the agricultural town of Leudo."

"Excuse me?"

All heads turn to me as I raise my hand. Feeling all of their stares makes me mildly uncomfortable, but I have to clear something up.

"Did you say…horses?"

Almost as if on cue, a pair of knights walk four large animals in our directions. First comes the sound of stomping hooves, then it's the loud grunts. Once the swaying manes and tails come into view, I almost fall backwards in my retreat.

"C-Commander! Must we take these animals!?"

"Of course. You cannot make good time in any other manner."

"But these feral beasts are far too dangerous to take with us!"

I take a step back for each step they take forward until I'm almost out of earshot of the party. Charles looks at me as if I've lost my mind, but it is he who simply does not understand.

"These things cannot be trusted!"

"Nonsense, Rado. These steeds have been trained for battle and are more than prepared for the task at hand."

"I don't believe that for a second! Just look at it!"

My mind flashes back to a time when I was a child. I'm alone on a horse as a child while my father checks the state of the fields. There was little work to be done that day, so a simple ride was all that was necessary. It was peaceful, nothing out of the ordinary. At least, it was until my horse suddenly kicked its front legs into the air and threw me off its back. When I recovered from the impact of my landing, I saw metal hooves slamming the ground next to my very head.

As I look upon the dark eyes of these horses, my body feels sick.

"Those eyes! They have it out for me!"

"What a stupid human."

Is what the eyes seem to be telling me as I frantically point.

"See, it just insulted me!"

"Are you alright, Rado? Perhaps you need more rest?"

Charles is beside me with a hand on my back. I'm not the one who is crazy. The crazy ones are these kids mounting the beasts as if nothing is wrong. The only one left now is a plain brown stallion with no notable markings.

"I will simply walk! Kill me before I must ride one of these!"

"You will slow the group down, so I cannot allow that."

A knight leads the horse to my location. As I try to run, Charles holds me in place.

"Unhand me, Commander!"

"This is your ride, so you had best accept it."

Against my will, I come face to face with the large brown head. It looks down at me, and I can almost hear the thoughts in its mind.

"Why is mine so fat?"

Or so the twitching of its ears seems to imply. If a horse's kick didn't have the power to kill, I would have already begun throwing punches at its nose.

"You'd best hurry, Rado. The others are leaving you behind."

"Grrr…"

I don't have a choice on anything anymore. As such, I begrudgingly step onto the hanging step of the saddle.

"Up we get—AH!"

I could have sworn this thing moved, that can't have been my imagination. Just when I tried to pull myself up, the step swung sideways and completely threw me off balance. The day has only just begun and I already have a face full of gravel.

"Serves you right, old man."

So the loud snort seems to say.

"This blasted…"

It took three tries, but I eventually got up on the irritating animal without breaking a bone. The others are patiently waiting for me down the road, where we can still hear Charles make a declaration to the heavens.

"Commence, Devil's Confession! Best of luck, our heroes!"