Valora swiped through a bat with her shortsword. A clean precise cut from head to midsection. The flying bat fell to the sides of her mid swoop. She bent over and picked up its experience gem then sheathed her sword.

  “ Damn. That was cool. Are you in the military or something?”

  Valora looked back at her group. She had been leading them through the dungeon. They all decided it was best for her to do so considering she had a shield, yet she hadn't taken it off her back.

  “ No I'm not. Please raise the torch higher though and stand to my side. I can't see when you're directly behind me.”

  “ Yes ma'am” Valora had been talking to a thin framed mid twenties Male. His attire was all black cloth and he had just two daggers on his hips, his name was Kai. He was also estranged to the other two party members.

  The other two were a couple. They made matching names, ShiningPear and GlowingOrange. Valora and Kai both cringed when they introduced themselves. They went by Pear and Orange, Pear was a thicker built woman who was short, her clothes were just a simple tan robe with a belt across her waist. She held no weapon but rather a large book. It was leather bound but held no markings. Orange was a tall skinny guy with an afro of ginger hair. He had regular clothes similar to what Lance had started with but he had a mace. The couple hadn't been much help thus far but they had at least not gotten anyone hurt. Valora was doing most of the heavy lifting.

  Valora thought things over and knew that the others were likely very new and in the same boats as she had been starting Wish Legacy. She stopped leading them and came to a stop.

  “ Alright, who knows about their class and starting ability? Take no offense but dead weight walking, takes its own direction. I'll not be blind in stride alongside it.” Valora said, looking back at them. Kai to her side chuckled.

  The couple looked at her then to each other then giggled with Kai.

  “ What?” Valora said feeling embarrassed.

  “Madame, we humble, dead weights doth only request more explanation. Hahaha sorry.” Kai said bowing. “ Sorry you got a little proper, when you spoke just now.” He said using air quotes for proper.

  Valora felt the rose in her cheeks bloom.

  “ One freaking day around Bastion..“ she thought with a verbal sigh. She took a mental note that trying to speak like him was doing the opposite of giving off his commanding presence. “ Sorry, whatever, just tell me if you guys have checked your menu. What's your classes and skills? We all need to know something about each other to coordinate.”

  Kai had been rather helpful thus far, he had taken a few stabs at some bats and held onto the torch. The question hit him the same, “ Menu?”

  Pear and Orange both shrugged in agreement. Valora explained. “ Say Open menu or think it it will come to you. Then you will see a bunch of information. Find your class name and stats. Then look over your skills. To use your skills you need to say them.”

  Pear and Orange spoke amongst themselves for a few moments, while Kai nudged Valora.

  “ My class is Vagrant. I have one skill, it's Blade Bend. It says I can use the ability to bend my blade or the blade of an opponent while striking, or clashing. You want to help me try?” He said with a hopeful grin.

  Pear turned around. “ I'm a librarian. I have two spells. One is study, the other is Quiet. One gives us information on the enemy, and the other deafens them.”

  “ Uh, I'm a Ruffian. I have a skill called Belittle. *cough..* It makes an enemy I target lose morale. Says they have to have some intelligence though. Whatever all that means.” Orange said, a little shy about sharing.

  Valora shook her head at everyone as they spoke. “ Sounds like a good group. I'm a Knight class. I have a skill called second wind. It relieves fatigue and gives me more stamina.” Everyone was surprised. Orange looked jealous. Valora lied with poise, she'd practiced this lie.

  A long cat-call like whistle was blown from Kai. “ Well look at you, you won the lottery. Gonna make all the boys jealous. Haha.” He said, giving her a thumbs up.

  Valora shrugged, nonchalant. “ I will say I'm not mad at it, but it's not in our control. Never know you guys might have better classes. Also Kai, does your skill cost mana? If so, we should just try it in combat, you don't want to waste mana.”

  Kai sighed, “ Yep. Sure no problem. But when do we stop fighting bats?”

  “ Soon. Alright let's go. Use your skills when you can to get used to them.” She said turning back to the path.

  Valora continued to excel at taking them through the cave unhindered. A few bats and spiders later and she had amazed them all feeling content with her chaperone. She had also amassed a handful of gems. She explained to them as she harvested them that's what she was doing. Soon after they all grew eager to fight and earn their own. They continued on their path and before long they came upon a torch lit area. Valora remembered needing to climb at some point but it seemed like the layout had changed a bit. Upon reaching the checkpoint the blue flame torches puffed into a regular orange blaze. There were a couple crates here and quickly the small supplies stash was divided amongst them. They all sat and took a break. Valora tried to chew into the bread but didn't care for it, it was hard and stale. She began to miss Lance and his cooking. As she just began to wonder about her brother and friends Kai scooted close to her.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “ Hey, how do you know so much? You already die? You're on hard mode right?” He whispered whilst the couple across from them ate and drank talking to themselves.

  “ Yep.” Valora replied devoid of emotion.

  Kai understood she didn't want to talk much about it. “ Listen I'm new, but so far it's been pretty much you carrying us. I really appreciate it, but also I feel like I've done nothing. Think you can use your shield now?” he said switching topics.

  “What?”

  “ Yeah, like use your shield. Let me fight, heck coach me. You're doing great with sharing information, but… I wanna play the game too haha. Maybe you can take the torch?” By this time Pear and Orange began to listen as Kai had stopped whispering.

  “ Yeah, tag me in coach. I'm ready” Orange said, waving a balled fist. Pear took some char from her torch and smeared it under her eyes.

  “ Haha, okay guys. If you're ready, no problem. I'll step back and coach you. But you have to listen to me, no one's dying on my watch.” Valora said, smiling at everyone. “ This must be what that feels like…” she thought. They got up and moved on.

  They kept moving on the path before them. The simple winding bend of the sandy path through the cave became almost scenic, the spires of stone, either hanging from above or jagged from the ground allowed the torchlight to peek through their cracks disturbing shadows within its reach. Valora had adopted her shield leading the way forward. Far off in the distance the flicker of torchlight bobbed up and down. She stopped in her tracks.

  “ Pear, can you see that?”

  “ Yes. What is it.”

  “ Use your spell once you see a form as they approach. I'm putting out the torch. Hide. All of you.”

  Valora rolled the torch on the ground, extinguishing it. The darkness swallowed them, they hid behind stones staring at the lights as they moved closer. Around forty to fifty feet away Pear whispered. “ Study! …..Goblins! Some good, some bad. Cunning and crafty, Small and Nasty. These ones are low level but that's all I can get from the spell.”

  Everyone tensed up as they drew closer. Kai and Orange drew their blades. Valora held the unlit torch and shield. Everyone waited until they were almost near. Just as they were about to pass, Orange jumped out at them and the three goblins jumped in fear. He waved his mace at them then yelled. “ Belittle! HAGOK NAK” The latter seemed to come out in a different language.

  The goblins all paused. The one in front took a deep gasp and put his hand on his chest. The two behind him put their hands over their mouths and looked at the front one from his sides. He looked back at his companions, he grew angry quickly. “ NO! You are frog fucker! I no wants warts!”

  Crickets were heard chirping among the silence that followed. Valora stepped out and then so did Kai, who was laughing. Orange was blushing. “ No… you..” the goblins behind the front goblin laughed at him, repeating Hagok Nak in a childlike rhythm. The forefront goblin grew angry and red, he began to hop from foot to foot flailing his arms in a tantrum. A moment later he stopped, face down in silence. The goblins behind still chanting Hagok Nak. The darkness of his brow hid his eyes, the quiver of his lip showed sadness. A tear fell. Orange feeling bad put his mace down, “ I.. I'm sorry I..”

  “ Whooo. Who talk to you?.. humanns.. How you know Goblin!” The saddened goblin spoke up staring Orange right in the eyes. The chanting stopped. The two goblins behind seemed to realize the question and its implications, their eyes darted amongst the group, ears flickering, prodding different directions for sound, like a cat.

  “ I only know this.. I didn't know it was so mean I'm sorry.” Orange said, waving his hands about. Valora stepped in front of him Pear and Kai both stood to the sides, a hand on their weapons. Valora put her hand on Orange's shoulder and winked at him.

  “ What he means is he thought that meant Hello.” Valora said with a quick bow, eyes forward vigilant. “ He's only barely learning goblin, please forgive him. Can you strong goblins help us leave this cave?” she said feigning weakness.

  The goblin raised his torch. Higher to see Valora entirely, he and the goblins behind swoon a little blushing. “ Yes! Goblins strong! Out of cave easy! Come.” He turned waving them along the path eager to please.

  Valora smiled, the rest of the party looked at her confused. She looked back at them with a quick nod. They began to follow behind the trio of goblins. A few steps onto the path, Orange and Kai stepped forward quickly attacking the goblins. A mace to the back of the head of one, and a quick dagger to the nape of the other two. All of the goblins fell, a quick death. Valora yelled out as it happened.

  “ No! *the bodies falling* ….. why” She whispered after they fell. Kai and Orange fist bumping happy. Pear stood behind. Hiding her face behind her book. Kai stood up after grabbing the goblins torch looking over the bodies.

  “ Good job! I didn't know they were so stupid! Haha easy.” his smile pained Valora as he looked over the bodies, Orange had begun pilfering the corpses.

  Valora bit her lip. Anger rose in her. “ This is not what I wanted!”

  Kai startled and looked back, eyes wide. Orange looked up at her as well and stopped digging through the pocket of a goblin. “ You gave us a signal to get them, what are you talking about?”

  “ I meant to follow! Damnit!” Valora snatched the torch from his hands. “ You wanna kill fine! But didn't I just stop the situation from getting worse by talking to them? You killed three innocent goblins.” She said looking down at Orange. She started to feel hypocritical, she had done the same. Just the context of the situation was far different. Killing goblins was easy, if you fooled them. It just felt wrong, and it didn't sit right with her now. She looked down at the bodies. Her mouth salivated, she bit her lip harder disgusted with herself. She spat to the side. “ Remember gems near the heart, hurry up.” She looked back at Pear, who had streaks of tear trails on her cheeks. She nodded forward, Pear quickly moved past the bodies and beyond. Valora relit her torch and kept walking, after handing the other back to Kai.

  Kai watched Valora and Pear walking down the path, he was so confused. He looked down at Orange who shrugged. Only then did Kai look at the goblins. Noticing the wounds to their necks. Their lifeless eyes, bloody tongue pooling blood from their mouths. He stared for a long second. Orange rolled them over and ripped open their little leather vests. Kai stopped staring and knelt down to harvest the gems.

  “ Does this game scare you Pear?” Valora said. They had walked forward a good bit but stopped to wait.

  “ Mhmm.” Pear whimpered, hugging her book.

  “ Me too. Remember it's a game, killing in games is easy, it's the inbetween parts that are hard.” She looked back at Kai and Orange. “ Don't be upset, they took the easy way.. just don't let it go by unspoken.”

  Pear looked back. Her boyfriend was kneeling over the bodies. She stared hard for a moment then sighed.

  “ This game brings out parts of people they didn't know they had in them.” She looked at Pear. “ I was her. I was them. What am I now?” Valora thought.