The next morning, Brett and Josh were up before sunrise. Both wore the same expression, a mix of restless anticipation and unspoken nerves but there was a spark of excitement in their eyes.

  Josh took extra time with his armour, checking straps, adjusting buckles, and laying out the gear he’d chosen to bring. “Admiir said it’s important to have everything you need without weighing yourself down,” Josh explained as he worked. “Too much gear can slow you in a fight or make it hard to move at all.”

  He glanced over with a grin. “Apparently, they’ve got all kinds of magical items for travelling. I heard some of the others talking about portable campsites that fit in a backpack! Bet they cost a fortune, though. Guess we’ll be roughing it for now… not that I really know how to do that.” He patted the enchanted satchel slung over his shoulder. “At least we got these for free.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were on the road to the guild, breakfast in hand. The streets were quiet in the early light, and they reached their destination at almost the same time as the rest of the trainees. Many greeted one another warmly, the nervous frostiness having thawed for most but a few still kept to themselves. Brett noticed Josh wander over to where Noe sat alone at a corner table, attempting to start a conversation. Noe didn’t even glance up from his meal, and after a moment Josh walked away, shrugging as if it didn’t bother him.

  On their usual table, Brett found a plate of food waiting along with a handwritten note: “Eat up, all. It’s going to be a long day and you’ll need the energy – Ronald.”

  He smirked, then sat down and helped himself to a pastry—, crisp, golden, and packed with steaming meat and vegetables. The taste reminded him of a Cornish pasty.

  By the time the last trainees arrived, the guild hall buzzed with chatter. Nearly everyone was in good spirits, though Brett noticed restless hands fidgeting with straps and weapon hilts, telltale signs of nerves.

  A side door swung open and the instructors stepped out as a group, Ronald taking point. “Alright, quiet down,” he called over the noise. “I know you’re excited, but let’s get the briefing done first. As you were told, you’ll be going out with one of us today in smaller parties. Each group will head in a different direction, no stepping on each other’s toes. Before we leave, each party will select quests from the board. Don’t worry, we’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. You’re nearly done with basic training, but I still expect you to follow your instructor’s lead.”

  He began listing off names and destinations. When Brett heard his own, he was pleased: Josh, Carcan and Perberos Fidrixish, the elven twins and Caistina, his own instructor. Carcan carried herself with an air of superiority, but she clearly understood mana and claimed to be a capable healer. Her brother was just as full of himself, but he had worked hard during their shared training sessions.

  A message blinked into Brett’s HUD:

  [Caistina Thristrar has invited you to a party. Would you like to leave your current party and join?]

  Brett willed the answer yes. His HUD flickered, updating the display from Josh’s group to the new one. Names and status bars appeared beside his own. Around him, the hall was breaking apart into smaller knots of people as the instructors found their teams.

  Ronald was taking his group composing of Adqen, the elven mage; Zolma, the human healer; Vokal, the beastfolk ranger; and Craberos, the elven fighter northwest of town. Kal, the healing instructor, would head southwest with Koz’ru, the beastfolk mage; Strandor, the human ranger; Thed, the beastkin; and Noe. Admiir was taking Zendal, the gnome mage; Bheldur, the dwarf ranger; Torrel, the gnome healer; and Brannur, the dwarf fighter due north, while Caistina would lead her group southeast.

  Brett’s gaze lingered on the group of shorter adventurers heading out with Admiir, curiosity tugging at his features. Caistina caught it before he could speak.

  “There’s a network of mines and caves in their direction,” she explained. “Perfect for training, and plenty of quests to be had there but those tunnels aren’t made for the long-legged. You’ve got to play to your strengths and know your limits in this line of work. For us, we’ll be heading into the forest toward a dungeon that seems to be the source of many of the goblins plaguing the region. Plenty of headroom for the tall folk. Though we aren’t going far enough out to get to the actual dungeon.”

  Her eyes flicked pointedly to Josh, then to the twins, who were nearly as tall as Brett but far more slender.

  Ronald’s voice boomed over the chatter, cutting it dead. “Alright, you all know your directions. Get to the boards and find some quests to complete. Your instructors will advise you on what’s suitable and stop you from walking into something that’ll get you killed.”

  The trainees scattered toward the notice boards, each claiming a different section. Parchments rustled. Quests were read and discarded. Instructors drifted between them, offering the occasional nod or removing a slip entirely.

  When Brett’s group reconvened at a quiet table, each had one or two parchments in hand.

  Brett had found two, a collection quest for six Rock Drake eggs from the cliffs of Dragonspine Ridge. The notes said Rock Drakes were low-level monsters, though notoriously stubborn kills. Another for hunting goblins and bringing back their ears as proof, something they’d done before without even knowing it had been an official job.

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  Carcan’s finds paired well with Brett’s. She’d spotted a request for twelve Glowcap Mushrooms from the Twilight Caverns, which happened to be part of the same ridge as the drakes, and she too had seen the goblin hunt posting.

  Perberos came back with a rat-slaying contract, twenty giant rats in the town sewers, which earned a visible grimace from his sister and another for locating a missing courier last seen travelling along the southeast road toward Seabreeze Port.

  Josh’s haul was… ambitious. A gathering quest for giant raven feathers from the Dragonspire ridge, a string of kill contracts ranging from bandits to goblins, the destruction of a giant wasp nest in Farbrook Fields and an Alpha Dire Wolf hunt.

  Caistina plucked the last one from his hands with a sharp tut. “That,” she said, “is not an appropriate quest for your level, unless you’re in the mood to be wolf food.”

  “Alright, you’ve got plenty of options here,” Caistina said, tapping the map spread out in front of them. “But you won’t be able to finish all of them today. My advice, focus on a few, then, if there’s time, see what else you can pick up. Three quests take you towards Dragonspine Ridge, so that might be your best direction. You could swing by Farbrook on the way, and keep an eye out for the courier on the road.” She glanced at them expectantly, giving space for discussion.

  Brett looked around the group, a thought forming. “Before we decide, we should talk through our strengths and weaknesses,” he suggested. “If we’ve got any glaring gaps, better to know now. I’ll start.”

  He raised a hand slightly, like introducing himself to a class. “I’m a mage, mostly firebolts for offence. I’ve recently learned to bend magic, so I can snipe around cover. I know a ward for trapping creatures and a shield spell. I’m not fast or particularly tough, but I can be destructive when I need to be.” He grinned, then gestured to his friend. “And this is Josh, my lifelong best mate.”

  Josh gave a modest shrug. “As you can probably tell, I’m a fighter. I’ve decided to specialise as a defender, so my focus isn’t offence, it’s keeping the rest of you from getting hit. No fancy tricks yet, but I can take a beating.” His easy smile and natural charisma broke some of the stiffness in the group; Brett could see their new companions’ expressions soften ever so slightly.

  The twins exchanged a brief, silent glance, almost as if having a wordless conversation, before Carcan spoke first. “My brother and I are both very new to this life,” she admitted. “I hope you’ll forgive us for any mistakes. As you know, I’m a healer, no offensive magic at all but I have a range of healing and recovery spells. I also know the shield spell, like you, Brett, so hopefully that will be useful.”

  Brett noticed the slight tremor in her voice. Was their aloofness nerves, rather than arrogance?

  Perberos spoke up quickly, his tone more confident. “I’m decent with a bow, and I can track and use hand weapons. I’m aiming to become a skilled tracker and hunter, so you can leave that to me.” Despite his poise, Brett caught the subtle shift of his stance, nerves hidden under a layer of practiced calm.

  “Alright then,” Brett said, nodding. “Sounds like we’ve got a solid setup, Josh gets between us and the bad guys, Carcan keeps him alive if he gets stabbed, and Perberos and I rain down arrows and magic from a safe distance. Sound about right?”

  A few chuckles passed through the group.

  Josh tilted his head, feigning thought. “I’m not so sure about my class choice… think I can swap?”

  That earned a proper round of laughter.

  Brett glanced at Perberos. “Think you’ll be able to find the items these collection quests are talking about?”

  The elf gave a loose shrug. “Hard to say. I’ve got the tracking skill, it’s meant to help locate monsters and items, so hopefully that’ll give us an edge. But it’s still at basic level, so… no promises.”

  “That’s still better than anything I’ve got,” Brett said with a faint grin before turning to Caistina. “Anything we’ve missed? Or are we good to head out? Also… are you fighting with us, or just watching?”

  “No, I won’t fight unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Caistina replied. “I’m far too high level to gain any experience from these monsters. If I step in, it will hinder your experience gain as well. My role is to observe and to keep you alive if things get truly dangerous. As for preparations, I think you’re set. I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”

  Ah, so power levelling won’t work in this world? Brett thought to himself.

  The group did one last check over their gear, tightening straps and adjusting packs. Around them, the other parties were doing the same, bows being strung, sword edges tested, murmured plans exchanged. Josh, however, had a different priority. He drifted back toward the table, swiped a fistful of pastries, and shoved them into his mouth like he was racing a clock. He gave a satisfied nod, cheeks full, then shot his friends a thumbs up.

  Brett shook his head, half amused, half bewildered. How Josh could eat at a time like this was beyond him. His own stomach felt like it was folding itself into origami.

  Once everyone confirmed they were ready, the groups filed out. The four parties split into two clusters at first, two heading north, two south and then divided again at the gates, each taking the route they’d agreed upon earlier.

  Brett counted himself lucky. Their path didn’t lead straight into the dense, shadowed treeline like some of the others. Instead, they followed a sunlit road that curved southeast for a while before eventually dipping south. For now, the open sky was above them, the warmth of the sun on their backs. It meant no immediate goblin ambushes… or so he hoped.

  The road stretched ahead in a gentle curve, the grass on either side shimmering in the late-morning light. Birds darted overhead, their calls sharp and quick, as if passing along messages only they could understand. For a while, the only sounds were the crunch of boots on the packed dirt and the occasional metallic rattle from Perberos’s gear.

  Josh was the first to break the quiet. “You know, this feels almost… peaceful,” he said, glancing at the empty fields. “Like we’re on some countryside stroll instead of heading toward a goblin-infested forest.”

  Brett snorted. “Give it five minutes. I’m sure something will try to kill us before lunch.”

  Perberos slowed for a moment, crouching to run his fingers over the dirt. “Tracks,” he murmured. “Not goblin… something lighter. Maybe rabbits. Still fresh.”

  “That’s comforting,” Josh said, “because the alternative would be…?”

  “Scouts,” Perberos replied simply, straightening. “But these aren’t. Not yet.”

  They kept moving, but Brett noticed Caistina scanning the horizon, her sharp eyes lingering on the dark line of forest in the distance. Whatever peace the road offered now, it wouldn’t last forever. The sunlight was warm, the air smelled of grass and wildflowers but somewhere ahead, something was already waiting for them.

  For every follow, I promise to spare at least one minor character.

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