The Warriors Code

Mira Barrette… that's a really pretty name.

"And what about you? What's your name?"

"Oh, it's Evryn."

"No last name?"

"I have one… but I don't really like it all that much."

She tilted her head slightly. "Can you tell me? Only if you want to, of course."

Evryn paused for a moment. She's just a sweet girl running a coffee shop—who cares if she knows my full name?

"It's Valkar."

She nodded, repeating it softly. "Evryn Valkar…" Her lips curled into a small smile. "That's a strong and beautiful name." A faint blush dusted her cheeks.

"You think so? I never really thought much of it."

"Yes!" She clapped her hands together, her green eyes lighting up with excitement. "Just imagine it—Evryn Valkar, the legendary man of the galaxy, the savior of the people!"

Evryn chuckled softly. "Thanks for the compliment, but I'm really nothing special. Just an ordinary guy."

Mira pouted slightly. "Well, I think there's more to you than you realize. You shouldn't doubt yourself, you know?" She smiled—warm, genuine, almost radiant.

Evryn felt something stir in his chest. Her innocence and kindness were almost overwhelming, like a light shining into a part of him that had been dark for too long.

He took another sip of coffee, hiding the small smile creeping onto his face. "Well, when I leave this planet, I'll be sure to visit again. I'd like to hang out with you more."

And get more of this heavenly coffee…

Mira's eyes widened, then sparkled with excitement. "Then it's a deal! When you come back, you'll know exactly where to find me."

"Yes, I will," Evryn said, taking another sip of his coffee and finishing it.

"Well, what is it you wanted me to do in exchange for such a delicate drink for free?"

"Oh," she twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, "I don't need anything. I just said that to see what kind of man you are."

Evryn's eyes widened slightly in surprise. This girl is sharp… A small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

"Well, I don't want to keep you any longer. You seem like a busy man," she said as she stood up, picking up his empty cup. As she walked back toward the bar, she turned and smiled. "I hope to see you again!"

With that, she disappeared into the back to wash the cup.

Evryn sat there for a moment, a warm feeling settling in his chest. The conversation had been so natural, so calming. It had been a long time since he felt this relaxed.

Standing up, he made his way to the door.

As soon as he stepped outside, the crisp morning breeze hit him. He took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs, savoring the scent of the village.

Maybe she's right about me…

But deep down, a nagging feeling remained.

There are still so many questions I need answers to… too many things happening at once.

***

A few hours later…

The village was alive with activity—kids playing outside, fires cooking food, and people chatting.

Evryn walked through the village, searching for Garran.

Passing by a few villagers, he headed toward the inn where they'd stayed for the past two nights, hoping to find some clues about Garran's whereabouts.

As he approached, he spotted Eryk standing outside, talking to Ronan. They weren't carrying their weapons, unlike when they had hunted together. But still, they were likely to know where Garran was.

"Hey!" Evryn called out.

They both turned, waving in response.

Evryn quickened his pace, but the sword on his back shifted slightly, forcing him to slow down.

"Hey, uh…" Eryk hesitated, trying to remember Evryn's name.

"It's Evryn, Eryk," Ronan said, giving Eryk a playful shove.

"Yeah, right. Sorry about that," Eryk said with a chuckle.

"No worries," Evryn replied. "Do you guys know where Garran might be? I've been looking for him for a while."

"What do you need with him?" Ronan asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Nothing major. I just need to ask him a few things about this place. He seems to know the most about the environment here."

Ronan grinned slightly. "He's at the archery range, training." He nodded toward a large wooden building further down the pathway, past the inn. "It's the one with no stone on the bottom of it. You'll find him there."

Archery? Evryn thought. I never took Garran for an archer. I've only seen him use that greatsword when fighting that wolf.

"Thanks," Evryn said, turning toward the archery range.

***

Before long, Evryn walked inside the archery range.

The building smelled of sweat, flint, wood, and a strong scent of dirt. The ground had no wooden flooring, just dirt. Ahead of him, he saw the archery range—a plank running from one side to the other, with arrow targets at the far end of the building.

There, he saw Garran standing alone, pulling an arrow back before releasing it toward the target.

Swoosh.

The arrow glided through the air, hitting a bullseye on the target.

"Wow…" Evryn muttered to himself, impressed.

Garran turned around to see who had entered. Spotting Evryn, he grinned.

"Haha, what brings you here?" He set down the bow along the plank and started walking toward Evryn.

"I never took you for a man who does archery."

"Haha, I get that a lot, but a true warrior masters all weapons!"

"Hm," Evryn's curiosity grew, "What do you mean?"

"A true warrior, like myself, should master all weapons, no matter what they are." He paused before continuing, "Whether it's a sword, bow and arrow, great hammer, spear, or even guns— you should master them all."

"Why is that?" Evryn asked, intrigued.

"Because," Garran grinned, "What if you lose your weapon in battle, or it breaks, and you have no other? You'd have to rely on another weapon lying around."

Evryn raised an eyebrow. "But what if there's no weapon for you to use?"

Garran's smirk widened. "Then you use the two things you were blessed with—your fists—and beat the bloody hell out of your enemy. Heh."

Evryn took his words in deeply. "So, what do you call all of this?"

"The Warrior's Code."

The Warrior's Code, huh…

"So, what did you need?"

Evryn slowly pulled the sword from his back with his left hand, revealing it fully. "I just wanted to ask a few questions, and for you to teach me how to wield a sword."

Garran's smirk grew wider at the sight of the sword. "Ah, I see. Let's start with the questions first. What do you want to know?"

"I saw a giant creature out in the forest—big, tall, and with a really long neck."

"Ah, you saw a Thaladrak. They're not harmful unless you provoke them. But their fur's a real treat. Vibrant orange, quite beautiful, though it does stand out in the forest."

"They're kind of ugly, though, especially their faces. Long snouts and dark faces, compared to their bright orange fur. No creatures dare to challenge it, really. Except maybe behemoth wolves or Ashclaws, but only if they've got a big enough pack."

Garran waved a hand dismissively. "Enough of that. Let's get to the fun part!" He clapped a hand on Evryn's shoulder and dragged him outside.

"Hey, wait!"

Garran let go of Evryn, causing him to stumble back a little.

"What was that for?"

"Alright, Evryn! I want you to grab the sword with both hands, holding it tightly around the hilt."

"Like this?" Evryn tightened his hands around the hilt.

"Yes, exactly like that! Now, hold it out in a stance, ready to swing."

"Okay!" Shifting slightly, Evryn positioned the sword in front of him, his grip firm and ready to swing.

"Very good. Now, I want you to lift it slowly and swing."

Evryn swung the sword. It felt heavy, his arms aching a bit, but with enough practice, it shouldn't hurt for long.

"Not bad, but you need to put more force into it. Imagine you're slicing through something."

Evryn shifted his feet slightly to find a more comfortable stance, tightening his grip even more. He swung with more force.

A smile formed on Garran's face. "Very good! Much better than the first time. Now, I want you to do this fifty more times. Pace yourself!"

Fifty more times?? You've got to be kidding… Evryn thought, but he knew he had to do it if he wanted to get stronger.