Chapter 1

The tavern was crowded as usual. The bounty hunters gathered around tables sloshing their drinks, playing cards, and engorging on food. The waitresses were rushing back and forth, trying to keep the drinks full and their bellies content. The atmosphere was always rowdy in the bar, no matter the time of day; as a haven for bounty hunters, it was always open. The staff rotated a bit, but many worked long shifts to keep their customers happy.

“Aaaaugh, it’s getting so difficult to find these bounties nowadays!” One drunkard whined as he slammed his nearly empty mug into the table. A waitress was beside him a second later with a new mug of beer. He didn’t even notice her in his inebriated state.

“Yeah, I know what you mean! I’m out here looking for a special one myself.” The drunk across the table from him reached into his vest and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper.

Their voices carried despite the chaotic thrum of noise. The young man sitting at the bar turned his attention from his glass of water to the men at the table behind him. He spun the stool around to get a better look.

“Oh? Is there a new one up on the list?” The first drunk forgot his drink for a moment. He set the drink hard on the table, sloshing it over the sides. The waitress appeared like a wraith from the shadows to clean it up.

The man straightened out the paper with fat fingers. He let out a chuckle and shook his head. “Nah, it’s a special request…from the Church.”

The first drunk leaned in, nearly knocking the new mug of beer over. He tried to whisper, but his voice was still obnoxiously loud. “So, it’s a big one?”

“Yeah, kind of has to be if it’s a special request from them!”

The young man at the bar sipped at his glass of water. He watched the two with intense interest. Getting information on bounties wasn’t that hard. One just had to wait for some dumb drunkard to spill the beans. He had already learned that in his short time tracking bounties.

The man waved the paper with the request around, not stopping his flailing to give anyone a proper look. “It’s a magic-user! A really dangerous one at that.”

The other man let out a low whistle. “Sheesh, and they got you to do it?!”

Both men shot to their feet at nearly the same time. The young man at the bar spun back in his chair to turn his back to them.

The bounty hunter crushed the bounty in his hand. He snarled at his comrade. “Are you trying to insinuate that I’m weak!?”

“No!” the other bounty hunter bit back, “I’m calling you weak!”

“You bastard!”

The two men grabbed each other by the collars. They were growling and grumbling at each other, about to punch the other when a singsong voice spoke up.

“‘Scuuuuuse meee~!”

With one hand dug into the collar of the other bounty hunter and the other still clutching his bounty, the large man swung his head at the newcomer. With a snarl he snapped, “What’dya want, you pikshy!”

The young man rubbed the back of his head and gave the two a warm smile. Still grinning, and with a little chuckle, he tilted his head to the side. “You’re talking about a magic user, riiiight~!”

“Y-yeah…”

“Weeeell, I’m kinda interested~! Wanna tell me more~?”

The young man looked little like the rest of the bounty hunters in the bar. He was short, only a few inches over five feet tall. His blonde hair curled around his face and was kept out of his eyes with what appeared to be a pale white necktie with blue stripes. The end of it danged off to the left of his face and down to his shoulder. His large eyes were a bright, shimmering blue. The right eye was marred by flecks of gold, giving it a strange glimmer.

His clothing was just as strange: torn tan pants barely covered the sandals and bandages legs beneath. His black undershirt was exposed, and while it covered his chest and neck, his shoulders were bare. The robe he wore was wrapped loosely around his body, hanging off his shoulders. Like the tie, it was white with a few stripes of light blue and a similar trim. A dark blue swatch of cloth was tied around his waist.

The man forgot who he was fighting and loosened his grip on the other’s collar. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde. “Why would I tell a brat like you?”

He guessed this strange kid to be sixteen at most. He stood out in this bar full of dark faces and scarred skin wearing dark and worn clothing. He was honestly surprised someone hadn’t thrown out this brat already.

The man gave him a questioning look. Just what the hell was this kid even doing here? He had no business here, and he certainly had no business talking to anyone about bounties.

The young blonde just kept grinning. His eyes sparkled. “‘Caaaause~!”

And the next moment, his expression shifted. The grin still danced across his lips, but his eyes darkened. The shift was terrifying.

“I’m gonna go get it.”

That was enough to bring the bounty hunter back around. His eyes widened and he tried not to act too unsettled by the young blonde. “W-what? It’s my bounty! Special request was made to me! It ain’t open for the taking!”

The young blonde’s eyes shifted back to a gentler look. He kept grinning. “Oh! Don’t worry~! The reward money is all yours!”

The larger bounty hunter relaxed a bit, but he was still on edge. He decided to just give the brat the information to get him away. It wasn’t like the kid would be able to handle himself against a magic-user. The kid looked like he could easily be snapped in half.

“O-oh….um…well… In the woods, not too far from here.”

The kid suddenly turned on his heels and offered a wave to the bounty hunter. Without asking for any more information, he made for the door. “Thank youuuu~!”

He left both bounty hunters dumbfounded behind him.

There was a large forest just outside of the town. He didn’t understand maps so he couldn’t rely on them. He only knew where it was because he saw it in passing on his way in. It was hard to miss. As he walked along, he whistled happily, enjoying the nature around him.

“This place is really green! Reminds me of the goat farm~!”

The young man was no true bounty hunter, though he hung around with the lot quite often. He had grown up in the far north, spending his days on his aunt and uncle’s goat farm. While he had been around a lot of trees, the foliage in the mountains was quite a bit different. The spiky trees he was used to were replaced with fluffy leaves that extended high overhead and cast dotted shadows across paths. He enjoyed it immensely.

But he was the type to find beauty and fun in everything he saw or did. It might make him eccentric, but he liked to live true to himself. He wanted to laugh as much as he wanted and befriend as many outcasts as he could. His clothing, his attitude…all of it made him seem lackadaisical, even if it was far from the truth. But all of that was what made Tanel himself.

There were dark pockets of shadows between bushes and trees. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for something to happen. He didn’t know what to expect, but he wanted to be the first one to find this supposed magic-user. He wasn’t worried about what would happen to him; he trusted that he would be fine.

He didn’t notice the vines creeping out from the bush towards him. Their movement was almost silent as they slid across the forest floor, hidden by leaves and brush. Tanel stepped daintily through the path, trying not to get his foot stuck on a root. As the vines closed in from behind him, he paused and glanced back.

“Did I just hear something?”

He saw nothing moving in the forest. The birds still chirped overhead, and critters chittered in the distance. He knew that meant there was no real danger nearby. He learned that much from his time with the goats. He just shrugged it off.

“Naaah, must have been my imagination~!”

He turned and stepped to avoid a small root on the path. Instead, he found himself running into a rope of vines that had formed just before him. His eyes widened as he tripped over it. He tried to stop his face from hitting the ground by jamming his knee into the dirt. He caught himself awkwardly.

“Owiiie!”

Tanel sat up and pulled his knee to eye level. The pants were scuffed, and spots of blood sprinkled the pale fabric. He had skinned the knee when he tried to catch himself. His knee smarted and he sniffled as he nursed it.

“That hurt really baaaad!”

The more he looked at the knee and let the pain settle across him, the more he lost his control. He sniffled and hiccupped, fighting to keep back his tears. One last look at the bloodied knee was enough to break it. He let out a loud wail and started bawling. “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!”

There was some rustling in the bushes nearby. He ignored it and continued crying, tears and snot dripping freely down his face. He heard a quiet footstep before an equally quiet voice spoke up.

“U-um… A-are you alright?”

Tanel turned his head to look at the newcomer. A young girl with dark red hair and tanned skin was watching him from a distance. Her hair was tangled with twigs and leaves stuck to it, but she had it pulled back behind her into a braid. Her clothing was simple, just a light brown dress with some green embroidery along the edges. She wore simple boots. Thick wooden bangles hung loosely off her wrists. Her big green eyes looked at Tanel hesitantly, reflecting worry and fear both.

Tanel managed to stifle his crying. He sniffled as he answered her, “I hurt my kneeeeeeeee.”

The young girl stayed her distance. She glanced down at the bloodied knee. She grimaced. “Oh, um…”

She took a few more cautious steps towards Tanel. “D-do you need help up?”

Tanel sniffled and rubbed his face on his sleeve. He nodded. “Y-yes please.”

The little girl seemed to make up her mind quickly. She still approached Tanel cautiously, but her worry outweighed her fear. She slowly extended her hand out. Tanel took it and the much smaller girl helped him to his feet.

Though Tanel was short, this girl was even shorter; she barely reached his shoulder. Just a glance told Tanel that she was also younger. He rubbed the last of his tears across his sleeve.

“Come with me. I’ll help you wrap that up.”

Fortunately, he could walk with only a little pain. He followed the young girl through the forest. He glanced around as they moved, taking in all the sights. The forest was thick with leaves and brush. He saw pale shapes skitter past and fly through trees. He wondered what it all was.

“Do you live around here?”

The young girl glanced back and paused for a second. She slowly nodded her head. “Yes.”

She turned back to the front and continued walking. He hopped to catch up with her. He watched her closely. Judging from everything that happened, he was easily able to figure out who she was.

‘Ah, she must be the magic-user I was sensing…’

He caught up with her and gave her a grin. “What’s your name?”

This time the girl didn’t hesitate. “Avani.”

She glanced over her shoulder at Tanel. “So, what are you doing here?”

Tanel grinned back at her. “Well, I’m looking for treasure~”

She raised an eyebrow. “Treasure? What kind of treasure?”

“A really really special treasure that’s super hard to find!”

Her skeptimism showed through her frown. “Is there really a treasure that special out here?”

“There’s treasure wherever you go!”

Avani gave one more glance to Tanel before turning away and shaking her head. She gave up trying to make sense of this bizarre traveler. She sighed. “You’re strange.”

Tanel just laughed. “Yeah, I get that a lot!”

After a few more steps, Avani suddenly stopped. She turned to face Tanel. “We’re here.”

Tanel looked up and took in the cave they stood just before. The entrance was large, but the path narrowed just inside. Vines and plants crept up the sides and near the opening, as if standing guard. Dewdrops glittered off them. The place was almost sparkling. Tanel had never seen anything like it.

His jaw stood agape. “Wow!”

Tanel had to duck to get through the passage. Avani led him to a rock and gestured for him to sit down. She left him to stare around the place as she went to go get bandages. The cave was quite roomy inside. There were blankets set up in a makeshift bed of leaves and thick moss. There was an old pot settled over a handmade fire pit. The place was devoid of features that made it a true living place, looking more like a camp stop during travels.

The lack of stuff within the cave made it look even larger. Tanel was in awe. “This is such a big place!”

Avani returned carrying some torn clothes and a wet rag. She knelt in front of him. “Roll up your pant leg.”

Tanel’s pants were already ripping, but it was getting in the way of the wound on his knee. With a bit of effort, he rolled up the short pant leg to over his knee. The bandages underneath were more visible now.

Avani reached out to start undoing them. “Let’s get these off so I can clean it properly-”

Tanel suddenly pulled his leg back. With a grimace, he shouted, “Stop!”

Avani scrambled back, falling onto her butt. She scooted back a few feet breathing heavily. The fear returned to her eyes.

“S-sorry!” she squeaked out.

Tanel’s smile quickly returned. He held his hands up in front of him. “No, sorry! It’s okay, I’m fine! I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Tanel glanced down at the bandages on his legs. For a moment, his smile flickered, but it quickly returned. His voice was quiet as he spoke, “I just don’t like showing people my ouchies…”

Avani wasn’t convinced, but she simply nodded her head. “A-ah, okay…”

A commotion outside broke them out of the silence. Avani jumped to her feet, scrambling back further into the cave. “W-what’s that?”

Tanel stood and Avani’s eyes followed him. He gave her a reassuring grin. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’m gonna go check it out. Stay here for a sec, ‘kay?”

Tanel ducked his head and skirted his way through the narrow tunnel that led back to the cave’s opening. He wasn’t surprised when he saw two familiar faces poking around the area. He gave them the warmest smile he could muster. “What are you guys doing here?”

What was more worrisome than the two bounty hunters from the bar was the large group of men that followed them. They had the cave surrounded. All wore similar fashions of clothing, dark colors worn thin over time. They all had weapons in hand. By the look of the chipped and stained metal, he had no doubt this crowd was used to using them.

The bounty hunter who passed him the information stalked over to him. He grinned down at the smaller blonde boy. “Heh, I knew it would be a good idea to follow you out here. You led me right to my bounty.”

Tanel trembled with anger. He wanted to force them away, but he knew he couldn’t risk it. Avani was still inside the cave and her safety came first. Plus, he had the forest to consider.

He settled for trying to look as intimidating as he could. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t very much.

“Get out of here,” Tanel warned. “It’s gonna end up ugly.”

The bounty hunter just shoved past Tanel, knocking the smaller man over. He let out a rough chuckle. “Sorry, no can do! I’m here to get my bounty!”

Tanel tried to climb to his feet, but another of the men kicked him back down. They grabbed him by his arms and held his head down, keeping him from raising himself more than a few inches off the ground. He heard the bounty hunter laughing as he ducked into the cave.

“This is no place for you, pixie!”

The other men took that as a cue to rough Tanel up. They kicked him back down to the ground. One of them stepped roughly on his hand. He cried out and tried to grab for the ankle, but his wrist was caught, and he was yanked back upward. A rough punch to the gut had him doubling over on the ground once more.

The men laughed and taunted him. “Get lost, loser!”

“What’s a brat like him doing here anyway?”

They left him crippled over in pain on the forest floor and stomped over to join the other bounty hunter. The heavy footfalls in the narrowed part of the cave echoed eerily throughout it. Avani scooted back towards a wall, praying it was just Tanel returning. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe it could actually be true.

When the first bounty hunter stuck his head through, her face paled. She felt her legs tremble beneath her. She had done her best to stay hidden, but they finally caught up. She knew what it would mean for her.

She tried to run, but the cave ended in this large cavern. The bounty hunter easily caught her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. She tried to scream but her throat constricted in terror. She only got out a few muffled cries.

He ducked low to get back towards the entrance, where one of his men was already waiting. He passed her off to the man and she struggled. She kicked and screamed, trying to get free. The man pulled her through roughly. She scratched her arm against the side of the cave.

As he dragged her back towards the entrance, she saw Tanel heaped over on the floor. Her pulse pounding in her ears. She let out one high pitch cry.

“Aaaaaaaaah!”