****

“Wake up Daniel.”

        Roderick tapped Daniel repeatedly on the shoulder while he muttered his words quietly.

“Roderick.” Daniel muttered after few seconds and finally sat upright on the bed with baggy eyes

“Roderick, I want to ask you for a favour.”

    Roderick slowly stood up from the bed and moved toward a rustic themed armchair and sat on it while listening to Daniel words attentively.

“Em, could you please j-join a guild I and Stella made.”

    Daniel muttered shamefully, scared of how Roderick would react.

Gosh! What was I thinking

   Daniel head was about to explode, how could he ask his helper for such a thing. But unfortunately, it was impossible to reverse his words.

“Soo.” Daniel asked abruptly after some few minutes of silence

“Ehm, well that was not a proper way to invite someone to a guild party, but anyways, yes!” Roderick finally answered within few seconds. Daniel instantly sprang up from the bed, jumping and rejoicing.

[Congratulations, one more to go.]

Finally after some time, Daniel settled down by sitting on the bed.

“Thank you.”

****

       Daniel, Stella and Roderick strolled through the forest while giggling and chattering loudly

“You see, when I was young, this forest was my favourite spot when I was young.” Roderick muttered with a sudden change of mood while scrolling his fingers across the narrow lining of the body

“The popular Crust Forest, it was filled with colourful birds and bright trees, but after this whole changes.”

“It became an habitants for creepy wild creatures,” Stella interrupted, her eyes suddenly turned teary as she halted to take a gaze at the surrounding

“I knew this forest too, I usually caught birds and parrots with my mom which we sold.”

     Daniel stared at both Stella and Roderick lost in between their conversation, he didn’t knew this forest at all even as a kid. Well, he couldn’t be blamed since he spent ninety percent of his life in the tavern.

[You know I’m bored too.]

Claudius familiar voice echoed in Daniel’s head making him to chuckle

Well, I’m not bored, I’m listening to a very important conversation

[Urggh! Ask Stella for a duel, maybe it will stop their cry drama.]

Hump, okay, but you have to wait a few minutes.

      Daniel shook himself off the conversation with Claudius fixing his attention on Stella and Roderick who had stopped crying and now exploring the forest.

“Daniel, co-could we have a duel, I just wanna cool my brain for a little while.” Stella sniffed, muttering all her words while staring on the ground

“Oh, okay.” Daniel replied instantly and immediately let out a sigh of relief as Stella made everything more easier. After all, maybe her tentadrone still asked for a one on one

“Urggh. You guys should just try not to attract wild animals, I would not want to be a feast.”

     Roderick exclaimed, pushing himself over to a tall and thick tree.

[Hey, just remembered one ability, for me, I’m using the toxic gas, don’t worry it won’t kill you.]

   Stella telepathically informed Daniel who instantly nodded with a reply

[I’m using fire spray. But how do you have a toxic gas ability when I don’t have it.]

“Get on with the duel already.” Roderick shouted, jerking both of them out of the conversation.

       Daniel and Stella stood on their various stance firmly, staring deeply into each others eyes waiting for their proceeding glare. Instantly Stella sprinted off her feet toward Daniel who immediately followed after already activating the spray of raging fire which began to glow out of his hand.

****

“Galena, I’m sorry but it seems like those slaves who were supposed to be killed escaped.” Ricky muttered in suspense of his sister’s reaction only to meet a cold silence which swept across the room

“Sister?”

“I’ve heard you Rick, now all you have to do is find both of them and keep a close eye. Inform me anything about them every three days and catch them if they become to get independent.” The mistress, Galena, Ricky’s elder sister instructed in authority.

      I’m not ready for these brat yet, all I want is to achieve the greatest slave market of the globe and then campaign for the Silvanir elder!

     A wicked smile crept into her face while she left Ricky to leave her presence.

****

     The thick red light from the fire spray immersed the surrounding as Daniel continuously puffed fire out of his palm. Meanwhile Roderick slowly walked around the surrounding ignorant of the fight taking place.

Instantly, his eyes caught a feminine shadow which stood behind a tree making him to advance farther toward the position.

“Hey.” Roderick jumped in front of the tree to meet a girl, about similar age who instantly let out a scream. He instantly covered her mouth with his palm while signalling her to keep quite.

“Okay.” The girl tried to speak out but ended up muttering due to Roderick palm which still held her mouth tightly

“Don’t scream, alright.” Roderick slowly released his grip from her mouth, leaving his hand to drop in the air.

“Wow-” Before Roderick could continue with his statement, the girl instantly transformed into a puddle of water, swimming hastily towards unknown directions, leaving her clothes to fall motionlessly on the bare ground.

“Hey, stop, I don’t bite.” Roderick shouted toward the puddle which reluctantly stopped behind a tree

“Don’t come any closer.” The girl shouted causing Roderick to take a halt “Go back to where I transformed, pick my clothes, and bring it to me.”

“Oh-okay, please don’t run off.”

......

     After some couples of minutes, Daniel and Stella landed on the ground exhausted after a draw

“Roderick, how was that.” Daniel shouted out toward Roderick, excepting an answer. But after some couples of minutes without a reply, Daniel turned his gaze only to meet the tall tree and bushes

“Roderick!” Stella called, standing up immediately. She slowly began to advance farther into the forest while Daniel followed behind, still calling out to him.

      Ouch!

    Within an instant, a blade-like ice cone flew across Daniel’s arm, leaving a small cut which gave out a mesmerising pain

«HP – 985/1000»

«Attacked by : Ice shooter

  Tier : Basic

 Damaged caused : 15 points»

[I don’t think I need to tell you RUN]

     Claudius said leaving both Daniel and Stella to begin pacing through forest, in an attempt to escape the medium sized creature which vastly followed behind.