Chapter 12-

I was making my way back to the carriage and Alice was following behind while rubbing her forehead.

“You didn’t have to flick me!”

"Two years. For over two years you've never brought up that you could've helped me with magic."

"You've never asked me to!"

"I almost died multiple times and you could've helped me."

"I'm sorry, I forgot that I could use spells!"

"How could you forget? You're a fairy. Magic is a common thing for you. Isn't it supposed to be like breathing for you?"

"But I'm not a fighter. That's your job."

"Anything could've helped."

We soon arrived back in front Lura's carriage.

I looked at the drawn route on the map. Using the best of what I could remember from the dream, I charted a course of what might lead to some answers.

"Just offer help whenever you can. I'm tired and need sleep."

"What are you going to do, now that you have a clue to follow?"

"First, I need to help Lura with dealing with the Rocs. After that, I'll follow this path and hopefully to somewhere or someone that could help me?"

I then hopped back inside the carriage and made my way to my blanket.

I guess I woke Lura, because she got up and looked at me.

"Why are you awake?"

"I… went to drain the lizard."

Lura then climbed back into her blanket.

"Didn't need to know that. Go back to sleep. Remember that we need to wake up early to be ready for those Rocs."

"R-Right."

****

The sun was slowly rising and both of us were getting our stuff ready to face against the Rocs.

Lura was sharpening arrows on a whetstone, checking her bow for any cracks, testing the bowstring, and making sure that her knife was sharp.

I was just stretching and making sure that my leather armor wasn’t too tight.

“I just realised something.”

“What is it?”

“I don't have a way to fight the Rocs."

"Wait, are you telling me that you just realized that?"

"I'm a fistfighter and my weapon is a club, so long-range isn't one of my specialties."

Lura then sighs.

"I'll do my best to damage their wings. That'll allow you to deal with them when they are grounded. Sounds good?"

"Yep, that would work. By the way, where is Felix and Tim? Aren't they part of your group?"

"Tim got hired to help a group hunt some ogres and Felix is on an escort mission through the countryside."

"So that's why you took the job to hunt Rocs."

"Yeah, I needed something to do until they got back. That way we could all take the Promotion Exam and move up to Bronze-Rank."

"I guess that I'll have to take this Promotion Exam too, if I want to move up to Iron-Rank?"

"You'll have to prove it to the guild that you're capable of taking the test, then have your Advisor schedule the test.”

Our conversation was then cut off by the sound of a loud screeching sound. Then the ground around us was covered in a large shadow.

Lura immediately got her bow ready and aimed at the direction where the sound came from.

"Get ready! Here comes our friend!"

Above us was the dark figure of a bird and it was heading in our direction. As it was getting closer, the size of the bird kept getting bigger and bigger.

My jaw almost hit the floor when I saw the full size of the creature.

"... you gotta be kidding me?"

"Look out!"

Lura fired an arrow at the beast and we both jumped out of the way of two massive razor sharp talons. They clawed at the ground that we were at, sending dirt flying everywhere.

The Roc flew past and back up in the air, causing a gust of wind as it flew. This thing wasn't what I was expecting. Just like the beasts and monsters in this world, this thing looked like a monstrous version of what I'd expected.

This large bird had the wingspan of a football field. It's wings, back, and tailfeathers have a sapphire color to them. The belly and head of the rock have crimson red feathers, while the beak and legs are a bright yellow. This creature looked more like a massive blue eagle and could probably swallow an adult cow as an appetizer.

The Roc was circling above us and watching us from a distance. Strong gusts of wind blew at us whenever it flapped its wings. It was flying at the same speed of a fighter jet.

I look at Lura and ask.

"OK, what's the plan to fight this thing?"

"For now, we need to split up! I’ll force it to land and that’s when you’ll strike!”

“Gotcha!”

We both run in different directions. Lura was firing arrows at the Roc, making it focus its attention on her.

I was keeping my distance, circling around, and waiting until the Roc is within striking distance.

Alice was flying in the air beside me.

“You need to keep your guard up.”

“I know, I have my eyes on the Roc.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t she say that there were two Rocs?”

Then I felt something grab onto my side and lift me off of the ground. Soon I was in the air and flying at the speed of a fighter jet.

The other Roc had come out and snatched me off the ground. If I hadn't put my iron club in the way, the creature's feet would most likely have crushed me.

But that didn't help the fact that I was now high in the air and holding tight onto my club which was being held between two of the Roc's large fingers.

“It would be nice if you’d just tell me ‘Hey, look out behind you’!”

I opened up my inventory, reached into it, and pulled out two daggers that I picked up from the time that I hunted the ice goblins.

I then plunged one of them into the side of the Roc's feet and it let out a loud screech.

This made it release its grip and my club fell down to the ground, while I was still holding onto one of its toes and using the knives to climb up its leg.

****

Lura was running around and firing arrows at the other Roc. She then heard the sound of another Roc appearing and saw it soaring in the air above her.

"This doesn't look good Toshio. We might need to fallback and come back with more help?”

She looked around and couldn’t find Toshio.

“Toshio, where are you?!”

Then something fell to the ground closeby to her. She then noticed that it’s Toshio’s club and looked up at the other Roc.

“Toshio!”

But Lura was forced to focus on the fight with the Roc flying at her.

She quickly fired arrow-after-arrow at the beast, managing to fire enough arrows into the wings and forced it to crash onto the ground.

As soon as it got to its feet, the Roc started pecking at Lura. She dodged each of its attacks and quickly chanted a spell.

Vines came out of the ground and wrapped around both of the Roc’s feet, trapping it on the spot.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flying straight to the ground. Then a loud boom was heard and the ground lightly shook.

BOOM!

****

I was making my way up the side of the Roc’s belly with my hands and holding the knives with my teeth. The speed of how fast the Roc was flying, it was blowing strong winds against me and making the climb difficult.

The Roc was trying its best to try shaking me off. It was doing barrel rolls, sharp turns, flips, spins, and dives. I was gritting my teeth and holding on tight.

I then arrived at the head of the Roc. I took the knives out of my mouth and held both of them in one hand.

“I’m sorry big fella! I don’t want to do this, but you’re leaving me no choice!”

I plunged both of them into one of its eyes and the Roc lets out a loud screech.

Soon the Roc was falling out of the sky and towards the ground.

The Roc crashed into a large oak tree, causing me to fly off. I hit the side of a tree, crashed through some branches, and finally crashed into the ground.

I slowly crawled towards a nearby tree and leaned my back against it. I was sore, bruised all over, and bleeding from my nose. So I took this time to take a short rest.

Alice flew over and saw the state that I was in.

“I saw how you fell from the sky! Are you ok?!”

“Just need a short break to calm my breathing. How are things going for Lura?”

“She’s fighting the other Roc, so you might need to help?”

I then stand up.

“Then I shouldn’t waste anymore time.”

“Actually there’s something important that I need to tell you.”

I didn’t listen and started running towards the direction where Alice came from.

As soon as I arrived, I saw that Lura was standing on top of the now dead Roc and pulling her arrows out of it.

She saw me and pointed at my legs.

“Oh my gosh, are you alright?!”

“What is it?”

As soon as I took a step forward, my left leg gave out and I fell to the ground.

Then Alice caught up to me.

“I was about to say that you have a chunk of wood in your leg.”

I looked at my legs. I was surprised that there was indeed a large splinter in my leg. It looks like when I crashed through the branches, one the size of a carrot stabbed through my left calf.

I immediately panic.

“Ahhh! How am I not feeling this?!”

“Probably thanks to the adrenaline rush?” Lura said while walking to me. “Let me help with that.”

She then pulled the branch out, causing me to clench up. She then started using her healing magic to seal the wound and the pain started to fade.

“What happened to the other Roc?”

“Currently on top of a tree, dead.”

Lura hands a small vial with a familiar green liquid.

“Drink this.”

“I don’t wanna. These always taste gross. Aren’t you already healing me with healing magic?”

“I only have enough magic to seal the wound on your leg. You need to treat the other cuts on your body. So stop whining and drink the potion.”

“Fine, I’ll drink it.”

I down the gross green liquid and force myself to not spit it back out.

“I gotta give you credit though. I don’t know any Copper-Rank adventurers that could take out a Roc on their own?”

“It was less of skill and more of surviving the fall.”

“Still, you’re different from the last time we met. I know that it doesn’t mean much, but I’m sorry for bringing you to hunt the boar.”

“It’s fine. If I didn’t go, you and the others would’ve probably died to it?”

“...”

Lura then hugged me and it caught me off guard.

“Thanks for saving us back then.”

“Um… no problem. Glad that I could help.”

Before I could hug back, she got back to her feet.

“Alright, lets head back and turn the quest in.”

She then gave my left leg a slight kick. Guessing the adrenaline rush ended, because a sharp pain traveled up my leg and torso.

“Ahhh!!”

****

After that, I helped Lura collect the claws of both Rocs and returned back to Brook to turn the quest in.

Turns out that slaying the Rocs gave a better reward than I thought.

[Reward: 40Gold]

I even got the form to take the Promotion Exam for killing a Roc by myself. So when my test is ready, my adventurer card would notify me when it's ready.

Both Lura and I were currently standing in front of the grave that she made for me.

“It’s kind of weird that I’m standing in front of my own grave?”

“Do you want to remove it, now that you’re here?”

“It could stay. I just came here for this.”

I reached down and picked up the tip of my old sword. It was covered in some weird purple greasy rust and tingled my skin when I touched it.

Lura looked at it confused.

“What do you need that for?”

I then reached into my inventory and pulled out a small bag. This surprised Lura and made her take a step back.

“Yep, that’s the usual reaction that I get when I show this ability.”

I start searching through the bag and pull out a small grey crystal. Before Lura could ask, the crystal flew out of my hand and towards the broken tip of my old sword.

This caused me to drop it and we both were left speechless at what happened next.

The two things fused together and started forming into something. It formed into a strange black metallic sphere.

I then pick it up and inspect it.

“Huh, well that happened?”

“You’re leaving somewhere, aren’t you?”

“Guessing that you were awake the whole time?”

“I woke up the moment you left the carriage and I heard that you were talking to someone about leaving somewhere.”

“I was talking to Alice.”

“Alice?”

Alice flew in front of Lura’s face and pointed at herself.

“Me! The lovable and adorable Alice!”

But it didn’t look like Lura could see Alice.

“She’s a fairy that’s acting as my guide.”

“So you really are a Traveler. But where do you need to go and why is it important?”

I then roll up my sleeve and unwrap the Divine Cloth. This caused Lura to cover her mouth and gasp.

“Whatever the black stuff on the boar’s tusk was, it caused my arm to get like this. Neither healing magic, holy magic, or magic items could fix it. I’m going to a place where I might get it fixed?”

“How long will you be gone?”

“I have no idea, but I need you to not tell anyone about it.”

“What do I tell the guild?”

“The answer is right behind you.”

****

Lura turned around and didn’t see anything.

“There’s nothing there.”

She turned back and saw that Toshio was nowhere to be seen.

“You could’ve at least said a goodbye?”

She then made her way back down the hill.

As soon as she left, the sound of something snapping and Toshio fell from a nearby tree.

“... ow.”

Alice then floated down next to me.

“You know that it’s not nice to leave without saying goodbye, right?”

I stand up and start dusting myself off.

“I know. But I fear that she might insist on coming with me? I don’t want to bring someone like her to something that would most likely be dangerous. This was the best that I could do as a goodbye.”

“There’s no changing your mind about this, right?”

“Nope.”

“Then that means you’re ready to head out now?”

“Hold on.”

I walk over to the grave and place a gold coin in the bowl.

“Now I’m ready.”

After that, I left the cliff and started my long walk towards the location on the map.