Relik surfaced from sleep to the uncomfortable press of damp earth. The pre-dawn chill pricked his skin, smelling of pine and lingering campfire smoke.
He blinked to the grey light. Logun sat by the fire, unnervingly still and sober. His jade eyes, unusually sharp, scanning the forest shadows.
"Morning kid," Logun said softly, "slept well?
"I've had worse," Relik lied.
Logun shook his head then sighed in resignation.
"Looks like my luck finally ran out. About fifteen of 'em, I reckon. All armed. And looking decidedly unhappy."
Relik's stomach plummeted. He scrambled to his feet. Figures detached themselves from the shadows - cloaked, hooded, armed with axes, swords, and glinting knives. They fanned out with quiet, deliberate menace, surrounding the small clearing.
Fear, cold and paralyzing, seized Relik.
Bandits.
He was going to die before he even learned what a Guardian was supposed to guard.
The leader stepped forward, a massive Hurc with dark grey skin and tusks, the upper part of his face obscured by a dirty hood.
"Well now, Logun," the leader's voice, a low growl, cut through the quiet. "Up and at 'em, are we? Didn't think you'd be an early riser after last night's... festivities."
Logun remained seated, infuriatingly calm. He didn't reach for a weapon. "Ah, Yabi. Fancy meeting you out here. Just enjoying the sunrise."
"Sunrise?" Yabi scoffed, hefting his notched sword. "You owe us, Logun. A considerable sum. Nobody cheats my dealers at cards and walks away clean." His hard eyes swept over Logun, then landed on Relik.
The boy swallowed
"Heard you were traveling light, but you picked up a valuable piece of cargo. Surely you won't be leaving Remu until someone pays well to get their little bird back in the nest."
Relik's fear mixed with a rising tide of exasperation. He was about to be killed because his recruiter, his new guildmaster, was a cheat.
"Now, Yabi, let's not be hasty," Logun said smoothly, "it was all q misunderstanding? A friendly game that got a little... enthusiastic?"
"You palmed the Queen of spades, Logun! You owe us the debt, plus interest for the insult." Yabi gestured towards Relik. "And this one... he's collateral. Or maybe, even the payment itself. He's the Von Vino's son, only child. This kid's worth more than you and me."
"Collateral?" Logun sighed, "you wound me. You think the Burning Tempest is going to hand over even half a coin for a fledgling? We'd just send someone to collect your dealer."
The absurdity of the debt collection finally snapped Relik's fear.
"Look," Relik interjected, the words escaping before he could stop them. His voice was shaky, but edged with annoyance. "Can we speed this up? I'm cold, I'm hungry, and frankly, this is a ridiculous reason to get ambushed. You seriously tracked us out here because he cheated at cards?"
Yabi's head snapped toward Relik, eyes narrowing dangerously. "You got a mouth on you, kid. Keep it shut."
"Honestly?" Relik retorted, a strange, reckless defiance blooming in his chest, "If you're going to interrupt our morning with a debt collection, you could at least be efficient about it. This whole operation... it's kind of amateur hour, isn't it?"
Logun chuckled, a low, rumbling sound.
"See? Always thinking about efficiency," he looked back at Yabi, "but the kid has a point, you know. And capturing a Guardian-in-training is going to bring a lot more trouble down on your heads than my paltry gambling debt is worth."
Relik shook his head, folding his arms. "For cards? I'm not sure being selected by the gods and handed over to a guy who owes money to bandits is something you can make worse. But hey, if you ever professionalize, look me up. I'm sure I could offer some... process improvement suggestions."
Logun burst into a full, hearty laugh.
"Recruiting? Oh, that's priceless! The fledgling wants to join your little gang!"
Yabi roared in frustration, pointing his sword at Relik. "You've just made things a whole lot worse for yourself!"
"That necklace!" one of the bandits pointed out. "It kinda looks like Titan stone."
Relik instinctively grabbed the jewel, and tucked it into his shirt.
Yabi smirked, extending his axe, taking a slow step forward, "We came looking for change and found something worth more than gold. The Astras look down on me with favour."
Before the words had left his mouth his axe fell to the ground, arm attached. The limb bounced and rolled into the campfire with a sickening thud.
Everyone froze. A spout of blood and a cry of pain inspired an uproar.
Another bandit lunged at Relik. His head and arms detached - a clean, splash of blood some of which landed on Relik's shoe.
The attack instantly ceased. Relik turned to find Logun standing, his sword in hand, his face devoid of emotion.
"Logun, you bastard," Yabi snarled, clutching his shoulder. "You chopped off my left arm."
"Well, you're now right-handed," Logun replied, reaching up to palm Yabi's forehead with his free hand. Forcing the large figure onto his knees.
"Anyone else interested in trading in a limb?"
The bandits regressed.
"Logun, you fool," Yabi said between sharp pulls of breath. "In Hurc mythology, Titan stone is more than just a rock its-"
"All I need to know is that I can sell it, if times ever get too tough," Logun tightened his grip, "Yabi, you've been my favorite gambling buddy in Remu. It's a pity how good things come to an end."
Logun raised his sword and smiled at Relik before swiping Yabi's head of his body. Casually pushing the Hurc onto his back.
"If we let him live, you will forever be a target."
Relik withheld his reaction.
"And if anyone of you... And I mean any!" Logun yelled at the group, "even so much as think about mentioning the stone to anybody. I will have Maico hunt all of you down until there is no trace that you ever existed."
"You bloody bastard. We don't care what you garbag-"
The bandit was swiftly stabbed in the back by one of his associates, "He does not speak for all of us."
"Yeah I have kids man."
"Hm," Logun nodded, "well I wish you all the best. Relik dig this man a grave. Oh and put that fire out."
________________________________________
The El Sharaab red, followed by several generous mugs of the tavern's strongest ale, under Allegra's cheerful encouragement, had worked a peculiar magic on Wyva.
The knot of doubt in his stomach had dissolved entirely, replaced by a warm, buzzing confidence that felt remarkably similar to the certainty he'd felt on the Selection Hall platform, albeit significantly less... divine.
He was no longer sitting stiffly at the table; he was standing on it, swaying slightly, attempting to mimic Allegra's surprisingly agile dance moves amidst the spilled drinks and discarded food.
Allegra, somehow even more energetic despite the copious amounts of alcohol she'd consumed, laughed, her green curls bouncing as she spun around him. The crowd around their table, and indeed, a good portion of the tavern, wasn't jeering – they were cheering. They clapped along to the rhythm of an unseen drum, shouting encouragement, their faces split in wide, drunken grins.
Wyva, caught up in the infectious energy and the pleasant haze of intoxication, found himself genuinely smiling, laughing, feeling a sense of belonging he hadn't expected in this chaotic place. Maybe the Burning Tempest wasn't so bad after all. Maybe it was just... different.
The revelry was abruptly shattered by a voice that cut through the noise like a shard of ice.
"Alright, that's enough."
The tone wasn't loud, but it was absolute. It carried an undeniable weight that instantly dampened the tavern's boisterous energy. The cheering faltered, then died. Conversations sputtered into silence. Wyva, mid-sway, nearly lost his balance on the table.
Standing just inside the tavern entrance was a man who was the antithesis of everything Wyva had seen of the Burning Tempest so far. He was tall, lean, and moved with a coiled, almost unnerving stillness. His dark hair was neatly tied back, his face sharp and devoid of any humor. He wore practical, dark clothing that looked meticulously clean and free of wrinkles. His eyes, a piercing grey, swept over the room, missing nothing, lingering for just a fraction of a second on the sight of Wyva and Allegra atop the table.
This had to be Koa. The Vice Captain. The strict one.
"Everyone who is not a member of the Burning Tempest," Koa's voice was calm, measured, but held the finality of a closing tomb, "will vacate this establishment. You have one minute."
A murmur rippled through the stunned crowd.
One minute? Some people grumbled, others looked indignant, a few simply stared at Koa as if he were speaking a foreign language.
This was their tavern, their night. Who was this man to order them out?
Allegra, however, visibly sobered slightly, though the wobbly grin didn't entirely leave her face. She hopped down from the table with surprising agility.
"Ah, Koa! Early back from your... important Vice Captain duties, are we?" she chirped, though there was a hint of caution in her tone.
Koa ignored her, his grey eyes fixed on the still-hesitant crowd. He pulled a small, polished stone from his pocket and began to count, his voice clear and steady, cutting through the remaining murmurs.
"Fifty."
The grumbling intensified, but no one moved.
"Forty-five."
A few people exchanged nervous glances.
"Forty."
A chair scraped as someone finally stood up.
"Thirty-five."
More people began to rise, reluctantly gathering their belongings.
"Thirty."
The trickle became a stream. The defiant glares turned into hurried exits. By the time Koa reached "Twenty," the tavern was emptying rapidly, the earlier noise replaced by the shuffling of feet and the low muttering of disgruntled patrons.
"Ten."
The last few stragglers practically ran for the door.
"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."
Koa pocketed the stone. Silence descended on the tavern, a sudden, echoing emptiness that was more unnerving than the earlier noise. Wyva stood on the table, feeling exposed and ridiculous.
He looked around.
The vast, crowded room was now almost entirely empty. Aside from Koa standing by the door, only three figures remained: Allegra, now leaning against the table with a thoughtful expression; a massive Hurc behind the bar, polishing a mug with slow, deliberate movements. His dark grey skin gleaming in the dim light – the bartender, Veech; and Wyva himself.
The realization hit Wyva with the force of a physical blow, instantly cutting through the last vestiges of his intoxication. The Burning Tempest. The celebrated, his guild. It wasn't a vast organization with hundreds of members like he'd imagined, like the visions would have suggested. It was... this. Three people. Four, counting him.
A cold wave of panic washed over him. He had been selected for this? His eventual legacy was going to be tied to this handful of eccentrics and it's solely strict Vice Captain? The clear path in his vision suddenly seemed obscured, twisted. He wanted to jump down from the table, to demand an explanation, to run back to El Sharaab.
But the confidence, the ingrained habit of presenting a smooth, unruffled exterior, kicked in. He forced himself to stand taller on the table, to meet Koa's gaze with what he hoped was a calm, assessing look, rather than the wide-eyed panic he felt inside.
He needed to salvage this.
He needed to make Koa see that he was a valuable addition, not just another drunkard Allegra had picked up. He had to project the image of the Guardian from his vision, the one who was sharp, capable, worthy of respect.
Koa walked slowly into the room, his footsteps imperceptible even in the deep silence. He stopped a few feet from the table, his abnormally grey eyes fixed on Wyva. There was no anger in his expression, no judgment, just a cool, unwavering scrutiny that made Wyva feel as though he was being dissected.
"Name?"
"Wyva of El Sharaab, sir."
Koa allowed a quick snicker to escape before his face reverted, "newly selected Guardian?"
Wyva managed a nod, stepping carefully down from the table. "That's me," he said, trying for a confident tone, hoping his slight unsteadiness wasn't too obvious. "Ready to... begin."
Koa's gaze remained steady. He didn't acknowledge Wyva's attempt at a smooth reply. He simply looked him up and down, a slow, deliberate assessment. Then, unexpectedly, his expression softened just a fraction, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
"Do you have a sister?" Koa asked, the question completely out of the blue, delivered in the same calm, measured tone he'd used to empty the tavern.
Wyva blinked, thrown completely off guard. A sister? "No," he stammered. "Only child."
"Unfortunate," Koa nodded slowly, as if this information was significant, though he offered no explanation. He turned his gaze from Wyva to Allegra, then to Veech behind the bar.
"Alright," Koa said, his voice returning to its earlier, authoritative tone, but with a newly found beat to it.
"The welcome wagon's over. Time to get to work. We have two new Guardians to integrate. And a lot of cleaning to do." He gestured around the now-empty, messy tavern. "Veech, start stacking the chairs. Allegra, try not to set anything on fire. Wyva... try not to break anything, and once you're done with that I'll show you around. And please let Maico know that she has to help."
"Where is Maico?" Veech asked.
The man didn't wait for a response, or didn't expect any questions. He simply turned and walked towards a door at the back of the tavern, disappearing into the shadows.
Wyva watched him go, then pivoted to face Allegra. The woman in question offered him a shrug and a slightly lopsided grin, and then at the silent, hulking form of Veech behind the bar.
"Trust me we need him, otherwise we'd get nothing done," Veech sighed making his way around the bar.
"He balances all our… energy," Allegra giggled to herself.
"If he's second in command then I can't imagine what our Captain is like."
"Yeah he's a gambling alcoholic you'll love him," Allegra responded as quickly as the previous statement was made, "Veech where's the rest of the roast?"
The Hurc responded with a rumbling burp.
Allegra's face fell, "You're one step up from being an animal you know that?"
"Your race was the last to develop speech," he responded with a matter-of-fact-ness that left no room for debate.
Wyva shook his head.
Hopefully the other members are reasonable.