Chapter 2: A plea of faith

*2 days until the Culmination*

In the distance, Xerxes could see a wide spread of adventurers gathering around each other, with a man in shimmering white armour. The other details of his appearance were too vague from this point, but he could make out the fact that he looked like someone of nobility, with long, luscious locks of blonde silky hair and a broad greatsword that clearly displayed craftsmanship representing the Baratheon Kingdom's making.

Xerxes asked Mr Hilt, "What's happening over there?" He jabbed a finger upwards to point at the group of adventurers. Aya curled her fingers into circular shapes, forming makeshift glasses, as she tried to gaze at the adventurers.

Mr Hilt then looked at the young aspiring mages, with a frown evident in his bushy eyebrows. "Sure, sure, check it out. Remember, I ain't a babysitter, and there's only one inn in this small village. You two know how to navigate yourselves, don'tcha?" Without waiting for confirmation, he carried on, saying, "Cool, we all cool? Great. Well, down to the village."

The small group of three traversed down a few unsteady paths, until they met the main track where they could reach the city directly. The city didn't evoke anything that Xerxes or Aya had seen before. It wasn't modern; the houses were made of logs of wood, and no bricks were in sight. The paths were filled with different adventurers holding various weapons: swords, bows, and axes. Joyous faces were apparent on each and every single person.

What clearly caught the eyes of the young adventurers was the Stargate. Adventurers moved in and out, going to places Aya and Xerxes could only dream of, completing quests beyond their strength, experience, and price range. Aya stopped for a moment, staring at the Stargate, its ethereal blue glow radiating on her face, her eyes wide open. "I refuse to believe we are in front of an actual Stargate, Xerxes. Only Vanessa and Dorian have ever used one before. But I think—no, I know—we will get to this level, taking quests all over the continent."

Xerxes reassured Aya's beliefs, smiling at her, knowing that one day they'd conquer the most difficult of quests, gaining power and recognition.

Besides the Stargate, Xerxes looked over at the group of people lined up behind the entry of a darker and more potent portion of the forest. Mr Hilt also placed a hand on Xerxes' shoulder. "Kid, I'm heading to the Lumberjack, gonna try to get this wheel situation or whatever sorted. Also, don't be late—we will head out at some point between 4 and 5 pm tomorrow. I charge a fee if you delay the journey even more—don't you forget that!"

Aya snapped back, "We charge a fee for a 16-hour delay too, charlatan!"

The businessman paid no mind to Aya's snarky comment and began walking away, waving his hand as the kids were left to their wits, free to do as they pleased for the next few hours.

Aya asked Xerxes, "So what now, Xerx? I'm feeling rather ready to ask adventurers how much they believe I will amount to, or I would love to taste some amazing food."

Xerxes chuckled at her remarks, scratching the back of his head. "I had something else in mind. See that group of adventurers? I think something is happening down there. I want to check it out and see what they are raving about, and maybe then we can ask some adventurers how cool you are."

Aya nodded her head, clenching a fist and smiling as they began to walk over to discover what a large group of adventurers was doing here.

As they approached, they saw the knightly man pointing his sword at a few people whom neither Xerxes nor Aya could see, as they were encompassed in a crowd hurling insults and claims along the lines of, "How come you idiots have come here without the minimum requirements?" "You're delaying the mission! It's only this time of year when we can catch a look at the thing!" "Get outa' ere', ya gonna hold us back, mongrels!"

The knightly figure then grinned. "They are correct. Your insolence has already given me enough reason to deny you entry to the forest. The rules **are as follows."

He pulled out a scroll, clearing his throat quite comically. "FIRST! Have at least two mages within the party. SECOND! Provide the entrance fee of two gold coins to me. And THIRD! Have a minimum of four adventurers within your party to enter The Forest of Last Living."

The two adventurers on the floor, one more audible than the other, pleaded, "I'm doing this in the name of science, don't you understand?! Before you barbarians take out the Orc, I want to see it! It's the last of its kind, and I don't want the prize for killing it or anything. You'd be fools if you denied science. This is what will shape the future, leading to more discoveries about an ancient race! You scoundrels—don't you see the importance?! My friend Blake is training to become a full-on tutor at a magic academy! Two, three, what's the difference? C'monnnn!"

The proclaimed Sir Knight gave a sharp look down as Xerxes and Aya drew closer. "You overgrown child! There isn't any world where we would let you in now. You don't even know the difference between two and three!"

The insult was well received by everyone, and the crowd erupted in laughter. He continued, "Unless there are magically two extra adventurers willing to help, then sure. But if someone doesn't come forward in the next ten seconds, then we will begin the expedition!"

The crowd fell silent, bickering amongst themselves. No one wanted to join them. They were pretty useless in hindsight, and even if they could join another party, people didn't want to spoil their chance at claiming the prize in the most beneficial way. Having a party of four was better for prize distribution than five, six, or seven people, despite the added safety. Additionally, new strategies would have to be adjusted to include them, and with ten seconds left, there wasn't any chance.

The knight then began counting down until the last second. "Three, two, and—"

He was cut off by Aya shouting above the crowd's anticipation, "We will accompany the hopeless adventurers!"

Xerxes gave Aya a bewildered look at her spontaneous claim. All the surrounding adventurers looked at the two, distancing themselves from each other.

The two pleading adventurers finally came into view.

One had the quintessential appearance of a scientist: a large white overcoat, dark shoulder-length hair that seemed like it had been the victim of an explosion. Her glasses were overly large and were constantly adjusted to fit her small face. Her skin was tanned, and although she was naturally beautiful, it was evident she didn't prioritise maintaining it. She pursued something greater—science. The man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, had quite a bland look. He seemed one-dimensional, dressed simply, with no weapons on him, black messy hair, and tired, sunken eyes.

The crowd burst into laughter at the kids who were taking initiative, as Sir Knight put a hand upon his forehead, shaking it in pity. "Well, rules are rules," he said as he put away the scroll. "Whether it be a child or an elderly man, they meet the requirements. It is against a knight's code to send children into battle. However, there will be no room for error. As Sir Knight, I will drive this blade through the Orc's heart, so men—first or last to the orc's head—know that today is a day that history shall be made. In three minutes, we depart with the flimsy party Lady Umiya and Blake have created."

Xerxes then walked through the parting crowd to meet Lady Umiya, who immediately threw herself towards Aya, hugging her tightly. "Oh, thank you, blondie! I really needed that lifeline—if not, history would have been lost! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" she exclaimed, tears streaming from her happy eyes, dripping onto Aya's suffocating body.

Meanwhile, Xerxes took a more simplistic route and waved a hand at the man named Blake. "So your name is Blake, I'm Xerxes and that's Aya. I'm going to assume that the lady who's crushing her is Umiya. We're both Tier 6 mages, she has an affinity for wind and I do for fire, though I'd say I have better physical strength than magical, so I carry around this old sword. It may not be flashy but I can still cut most things with it. So it's nice to meet you."

With an exhausted voice and a blunt way of talking, Blake replied, "Cool, I'm Blake, I was coerced to come here by crazy over there. I'm quite strong, I am Tier 4 in fire magic like you and because I am at Tier 4, my mana pathways have opened up to taking on another affinity, which is earthen magic as well. I am Tier 6 in that. Umiya is more of a liability but if she really knows that something will kill her, she will act, so let's focus our teamwork on us 3, and we have quite a good mix of elements that can help. So, you and I will take the front, Umiya and Aya can take the back of the party, offering support when needed. Agreed?" Xerxes nodded and that was all the confirmation Blake needed. Xerxes was also curious about one more thing—this man Blake had two elements.

"How do you have two elements, Blake? I thought people were only born with one."

Blake, honestly not bothered to give a full response, simply said, "Well, get strong, to the 4th tier stage, and then maybe you will get another element, that's all."

Xerxes knew pushing more would only aggravate Blake and waste time that they needed in strategising, so he stopped prying and directed his attention elsewhere.

Blake then walked over to Aya and Umiya, pulling the mad scientist off her. "Leave the kid alone, you creep, we are going to head into the forest any minute now, and we barely have a strategy. I don't plan on getting too hurt either, so don't be reckless. You and Aya will cover the rear guard, I will be up at the front with Xerxes, and I will provide the additional assistance he needs to deliver a decisive blow."

Umiya smiled while Aya gasped for air as she ran from the tyrant, scurrying behind Xerxes. Umiya spoke, "Oh yeah, we need a strategy. How forgetful of me. Okay, my mind needs to work at double capacity quickly, so what I think would be best is that I have earthen magic at 5th tier, so I will be able to pick up on footsteps within a radius of 12 metres, so I will sense out for any beasts.

Blondie had what?" Xerxes replied, confirming it was wind.

Umiya repeated, "So you have wind, Blondie. You can use your magic to keep a good range, spotting enemies faster than we can. Also, you can provide support in Blake's favour. He uses fire, so he can take out loads of small fry without wasting mana, with you amplifying his attack. This is done by using fire and wind in confluence, creating a more potent attack."

She chuckled, acknowledging things were coming together smoothly with this small group. "Finally, Xerxes, our only melee and fire mage, well, he just needs to save enough magic to get a really good blow on things, so he should wait before engaging too much. Boom! Strategy equals done! So can we go in yet?" Umiya said, jumping high to see above the people's heads to check if anyone was going in from the front.

Blake sighed and complained, "Best we will get, so does everyone follow? There are going to be low-level goblins, so keep watch. Their strength isn't a problem, even for Tier 6 mages, but their numbers are."

Xerxes and Aya didn't display a face of worry. After all, goblins and small wolves had been easily bested by the both of them, but compared to Aya, Xerxes was a bit more afraid of something—it was the Orc.

Xerxes decided to mention it, "I heard that there was an Orc, I don't really understand—weren't they supposed to be extinct from The Great War of Succession, 740 years ago? I mean, if there really is one, what would it be doing here?"

Umiya happily answered his question, "EXACTLY WHY WE ARE HERE! I want to know what drew the orc to Layne, and not only that, he is a part of the ancient races—who wouldn't want a glimpse or even a part of his body for testing?" She laughed quite maniacally, which made Aya pale in the face. This woman really was crazy.

Xerxes put a hand to his chin, thinking about the Orc. Though he did feel bad that this was probably the last orc of its kind, he wasn't as afraid as he thought he would be. Was it the thrill of the unknown? Was it the risk he was putting himself into? Was it the fact that this felt so real—the start of him becoming an adventurer that could be respected? Without enough time to unravel the truth about himself, he pushed his thoughts down.

Simultaneously, Sir Knight also had an announcement, "Adventurers, we are going to go in. Everyone ready, set, and charge!" He roared. Xerxes didn't even have the chance to process the announcement before a horde of Adventurers pushed past him, Aya, Umiya, and Blake, knocking him to his knee. Once that storm passed, Blake put a hand out to Xerxes.

"C'mon, we're relying on you heavily. Don't just stay on your knee, rise Xerxes and run." Aya and Umiya waited back as Xerxes took Blake's hand, with Xerxes and Blake nodding at each other in confirmation that they were ready. They both then drove their feet into the ground, launching forwards. They ran at an incredible pace, with Umiya and Aya following them from behind.

They were instantly met with the screams of the adventurers who were further ahead, alongside battle cries and the clashing of metal. The forest was extremely dark, which didn't help. The visibility was less than a metre in front of them, so Xerxes decided to change that. With his left arm, he lit a flame that illuminated the area better, and in his right hand, he held his sword.

Blake then complimented Xerxes' action, "Good stuff. Umiya, can you sense anything, and Aya, can you feel or see anything ahead?"

Aya immediately replied, "No, I can not."

Umiya then followed up on Aya's quick response, "I can't sense anything either, I'm using my earthen magic to try and feel anything that may be on the ground but there's no irregular movements, am I tone deaf or something?" She questioned herself.

They ran for a minute, Blake wondering why they couldn't sense anything, but then Xerxes remembered a key attribute of Goblins, his face grimaced as he stopped in his tracks. Blake and the rest of the party looked at Xerxes, Blake's voice tensing, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING XERXES!"

Xerxes gnashed at his teeth, looking up and what peered back was what seemed like an infinite expanse of red gleaming eyes pouring down on him with Xerxes muttering, "They are above us."