Joy

Lyle stepped out of the forest and breathed a deep breath of the sunlight. He then looked up into the sky and shouted

"WE'RE BACK BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Charlie stepped out of the forest behind Lyle and said in an annoyed voice

"shut up you're loud, we don't want to catch any unwanted attention"

Lyle scoffed at Charlie

"hah? we just got out of that horrible forest and that's what you're saying?"

Charlie turned to get support from the other more "normal" people in the blue 2 team. But only emerged to Ethan sprinting out of the forest yelling out something about his horse.

Mark was currently in an intense battle with Ardaran the village kid. Mark was trying to keep his sword away from him, while Ardaran climbed all over his body determined to reach the sword.

Colby walked out silently and gazed at the blue sky with the other village survivor Natalie walking out of the forest right behind him.

The last person, who came out gave Charlie a bit of hope, in getting assistance with dealing with the rowdy bunch he called his teammates.

Jason walked out solemnly with no emotion on his face. He faced the bright sun and made the biggest chef's kiss pinching his fingers and thumb on one hand together and tossing them away from his lips.

Charlie sighed to himself, well at least it was better than Arch jumping into the grass and rolling around like one of the wolves.

The wolves were the last to emerge out of the forest. Surprisingly they were all perfectly fine except for maybe a few minor injuries and scratches that Charlie already healed.

Jason took role call of the wolves and made sure none of them decided to run off. He had been with them for around a month by now, and he could see the deep desire in their eyes to run free through the valley.

The entire group looked through the valley with a deep sigh of relief. The soothing light green color of the grass with the patches of swaying flowers. How the valley slowly rose on its edges into lush green mountainsides. Small bushes covered the valley adding to the gently sloping valley. The bright yellow sun shown down on them and the blue sky seemed to reach endlessly into space.

The occasional passing cloud floated across the sky making Lyle snicker at how it looked like a turd. But then passed away.

Charlie after seeing everyone gaze into the valley. Stopped worrying about mindless things and looked at the valley also.

A gust of wind lazily blew through the valley gently lifting the cloaks and clothes of the group of travelers. The wind tousled their hair like how a sister would affectionately ruffle the hair of her brother.

Charlie relaxed at the sight of the peaceful valley. It was then that he knew, the years and years of time he spent training. The years and months he spent preparing for the final trial.

It was finished, at that very moment. A grin covered Charlie's face, it was a big one, one that made his white teeth seem like they were beaming.

His shoulders dropped and his head rolled back as he sat down on the green grass. He said in a breathless voice

"God, it's finally over, we finished everything, all the requirements have been fulfilled."

Charlie raised his right hand and looked at it. It was a hand full of clauses and bruises, 2 scars crossed over his hand like an X mark.

The bright sun's rays filtered through Charlie's hand as he sat there in a completely defenseless position.

The rest of the group seeing their leader relaxing all promptly collapsed and laid on the grass next to him.

Even the two survivors looked at the strong knights who had saved them and giggled at them. They looked at each other and laid down on the grass as well.

The wolves all looked at Jason for permission only to see him already faceplanted on the ground.

The wolves all immediately went into "play" mode and went joyfully frolicking through the valley. Some rolled down the hills and others lazed around like the hoomans.

After some time of just enjoying the place and relaxing from their previous battles, they all rose up stretching and yawning but smiling and energetic.

Lyle seemed to be the most hyper and he almost bounded towards Charlie as he asked

"yo Charlie, can we head to the city now? I'm fricking starving"

Charlie nodded

"yes, you don't have to stay with the group, but don't go alone."

Lyle was already running off into the valley when Charlie answered he turned around while running and let out a grin while waving back towards the group. His red hair seemed to be on fire as the noon sun hit him and he turned back around a happily ran towards the city of Muno which could barely be seen in the distance with its towering walls. Though he was the shortest and the most chaotic of the group. He seemed to be the happiest person in the group.

Mark ran after Lyle with Ethan right behind yelling something about his horse.

Charlie looked at the people remaining.

Colby, Arch, him the two survivors Natalie and Adaran, and of course the wolves.

"well," He said with a smile "I guess we will take this slowly"

And the group slowly descended from the entrance of the dark forest. Never looking back at it.

The group didn't know it, but they were walking away from their first chapter, their first real adventure together. Something they would laugh and talk about countless times in the future.

Sometimes they would tease Charlie for his mistake or Mark for being so kind-hearted to the boy.

But this little misadventure, started with the hopes of getting some extra points grew, beyond the saving of two people. Perhaps it saved even more than just two people.

Jason watched as Jeffery decided to bound up and down on the ground like a spring while the village boy help onto Jeffery's back for dear life.

The mother of the kid was laughing at the comical sight, which kinda worried Jason since, her child was flying a few meters into the air, with only some tussles of fur keeping the child away from becoming a pancake.

Well, not a pancake and the fall wouldn't really injure the child. But dang that kid really was going to get thrown off eventually.

Just as Jason thought that the child was launched off of Jeffery's back and flung into the air.

Jason ran over thinking he had to catch the child.

But Adaran tucked himself into a ball and fell straight towards the ground instead of the arc Jason had predicted.

A loud crash ensued as the ground and Araran's feet met.

And from the dust that arose from the crash. Adaran stood there with his feet firmly planted on the ground looking around curiously.

Jason could hear Boops screaming in his headspace. That kid obviously had some crazy talent, and Jason could use the kid as a valuable asset for his future plans.

But then again, he was walking towards the city of Muno having accomplished the final trial for his class.

He was enjoying the time he had with all of these npc's he had come to know, even the ones he had just met like Adaran and Natalie, the conversations they had seemed almost like regular humans.

Jason looked at Adaran who was happily walked around with a clueless expression on his face.

Maybe some other time Jason said to himself, as the group walked to the city of Muno.

Joy was on every one of their expressions, and as the wind swirled and flew around the entire valley. It seemed to carry the leaves of the fallen bushes. Carrying them out to what Jason could only assume to be where the sea was. Or maybe even to some mystical wooden forest.

Whatever it was, wherever the wind took him, whatever he did.

He was Jason Archer, a young boy of 16 years old. He had big goals and big dreams.

And the person who was always next to him through thick and thin. From weird tentacle things to crazy amounts of sorting information, Boops.

And of course, Jason couldn't forget about his "brothers" Arjuna and Perseus. Both of them were trying their absolute best, from making money to learning a class that has only been heard about in the rumors.

There were so many people Jason had met. The list of new places and people he had seen in the past month had surpassed the number of exciting things that happened the rest of his life.

It had only been a month or so. But it felt like forever, yet also like a brief second.

Some deep happiness went into Jason's chest as he walked towards the city. It was a pure warm feeling that made him want to jump up and laugh.

Now Jason knew what that emotion was. He might have been a little late to the party but he knew what it was.

And that, was a lesson Jason would never forget.