[1] AN EASY QUEST

Sliff got smacked on the back of his head.

"Go, bring the request," Tane ordered. "The one I chose this morning."

"Right away, sir." Sliff got up from the chair beside his party leader, almost reflexively, and started walking toward the nearby quest board.

He was confused for why the two ladies sitting on the other side of sir Tane kept chuckling at him. Especially because this day he had brushed his hair.

Or at least tried to, anyway.

"Whatever," Sliff thought. "My mission is to bring the request form. I'll do my best."

This Kratur guild stronghold had three quest boards, which fascinated Sliff, since Kratur was fairly new in the Osto region. Getting this many requests meant that the Master of Kratur was definitely aiming to get affiliated with the Celestial Guild Association.

But Vyzen once told Sliff that the Buster guild had more than ten boards even in their smallest strongholds. Ten? Ten! Sliff could not imagine it, just like he could not imagine the level of the Seekers of Buster. The previous week's newspaper reported that "Ironbringer" Valisha took out a Wyvern, all by herself. And it never raised any suspicion, even among the harshest of critics.

Buster was the top guild, after all.

"It was somewhere around…" Sliff thought, scanning the overcrowded bulletin board, where all the submitted requests were pinned for Seekers to accept. "…here!" He pulled a pin off the board, as he grabbed the request titled: Merchants going missing in Taaskov cave. A paper behind this request fell.

A request covering another? This Taaskov cave matter must've been something urgent.

Sliff picked up the request and pinned it back on the board.

"Huh?" he thought, as he glanced at the title of the other request. "Rock-spike impaled humans found in the Goltara mountains; Seekers needed for finding the real cause… Wait… Goltara?"

It made no sense. Those moutains were not even in the Osto region. Why would someone submit a request to a foreign region?

"Suspected cause," he read further. "Distortion Crack…" Sliff immediately started heading back to his party leader's table. "Now I understand why it got buried behind another request… Distortion Crack in Goltara? It's like me saying 'I know Alchos.'"

He snorted at his own joke.

The brush of Alchos was rare to manifest and its art even harder to master. Sliff personally knew about ten Alchosers; half of them were in Tane's party. But he still had yet to meet someone as strong as Vyzen, Seeker or not.

If Sliff had that level of Alchos, he would've also aimed for Buster. But his dream of becoming a Seeker had shattered a long time ago. The Alchos Chamber Test proved that he had no talent in any of the five styles of Alchos.

"I can't give myself excuses," Sliff thought. "Whatever my next mission is, I'll do it with all my heart! I have to repay father's debts, after all. But…can I dream after that?"

"What are you standing for?" Tane said.

Sliff flushed, not realizing he had returned already. "Sorry, sir! Here, the request you asked for." With that, he handed the request to his party leader.

"Verika, Nesina," Tane said. "Call Devo and Arlo; I'll go get this quest marked as taken."

"Sure," Nesina said, rising. "But we should not take Iyana this time."

"The jumpy girl?" Verika said. "Totally! I don't even know why we have her on our party."

Sliff cringed inward but waited for Tane's response.

"Ask Devo," Tane said. "He owns her. So, if he says yes, then—"

"What do you mean, sir," Sliff asked. "Iyana is our party member. We have to take her!"

"Excuse me," Verika said. "Who's asking you?"

Nesina cringed. "You talk?"

"But…"

Tane rose, placing a hand of Sliff's shoulder.

"…Iyana is our party—"

Tane slapped him, knocking his face rightward. "There is no 'our' party here," he said. "Got that, you ass? I keep you around for carrying supplies, where I can't take actual good donkeys. You don't have a drop of talent in Alchos and I still take you along on my quests…"

"Hey, Nesina," Verika said. "I think you were right…"

"Is that so?" Nesina said. "So the donkey-boy really has a crush on the peasant girl. How amusing!" The two of them started laughing.

"Have I not made myself clear enough already?" Tane said. "If it wasn't for your bitch of a father owing me money, believe me, I would've sold your ass a long time ago!"

The two ladies behind him snorted.

Tane leaned toward Sliff and smiled. "Like your father sold his whore-wife to pay his debts—"

Sliff turned, meeting Tane's eyes. Tane froze and so did the laughter.

Without blinking, Sliff kept staring at his party leader.

His master. For that was the extent of a slave's defiance.

No…that had most likely crossed the line, since his master tightened the grip on his shoulder.

"Bastard," Tane yelled, knocking Sliff off his feet with a cold slap.

"What's up with that creepy stare?" Nesina said, buttoning her shirt.

"Don't get your hands dirty, Tane," Verika said. "Let's just go mark that request. Nesina will call Devo and Arlo."

Tane spat on Sliff before walking away with the two ladies, cursing quietly on his way. "Be at the station with all the supplies in an hour, you ass."

"I never chose this." Sliff said quietly.

Tane stopped. "What was that?"

Sliff met his master's cold eyes, wiping the spit off his cheek. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

Tane smiled. "That's what I like to hear. Good donkey."

Sliff gritted his teeth, cursing himself for his own powerlessness. He dragged his fingers through the stone-tiled floor, almost breaking his nails, before punching the floor with all his might.

His hand went numb. Cold. Colder than that one winter when he almost died.

"Even this is stronger than me…"

***

"Put down that bag," Arlo said. "I want to check the supplies."

Sliff did as his master's friend ordered. He unstrapped the bag after putting it down on the wooden cart floor but a bump knocked it over and spilled out its contents. Their party's cart did not have the best coachman, for it was Iyana directing the horses.

"Are you blind, jumpy?" Verika said, as the bump ruined the lipstick she was putting on. "You ruined my makeup!"

"Drive carefully, girl," Devo said. "Or else…"

"Y-Yes, master," Iyana said hesitantly.

"Good," Devo said.

"She had a new scar today," Sliff thought as he put back the contents of the big leather bag he was to carry on this quest.

"How much time remaining till we reach the cave?" Nesina asked.

"We're almost there," Devo said. "You should wake up Tane."

"Let him sleep," Nesina said. "He had work before this, you know." She cleared her throat and glanced toward Verika.

Arlo laughed. "Oh! I know what 'work' you're talking about, Nessi."

Verika flushed, burying her face into her hand mirror.

"Good job, Sliff," Arlo said, ruffling Sliff's dark-brown hair. "You brought everything I asked, the medicines especially are top-notch."

"Thank you, sir," Sliff said. "I tried my best."

Sliff got smacked on the back of his head. "Don't get carried away, you ass," Tane said, yawning afterwards. "Did we reach the quest site?"

"The horses are unstopped," Devo said.

"Our Tane is also an unstoppable horse," Arlo said, poking Tane with his elbow. "If you know what I mean."

"That's none of your business, herb-boy," Tane said, flushing.

The party members laughed.

"What do they even talk about?" Sliff thought. "I'll never get them. I don't want to, either. But…" He glanced at the five faces having a fun time. "I want that. I want to smile too."

The cart rolled to a halt.

"Huh?" Tane said. "I guess I woke up in the perfect time."

"No," Devo said. "The crossroads are a bit ahead."

"Then why did jumpy stop?" Verika asked.

Devo hopped out of the cart. "Better ask her." Nesina followed him.

Sliff immediately had a bad feeling. Was it for Iyana? As he was pondering, he found himself alone in the carriage. He immediately strapped on the supply-bag and got out.

"Why did you stop, girl?" Devo asked.

Iyana simply pointed ahead. At the trail of blood going leftward of their path. Away from their destination. Away from Taaskov cave.

Devo drew his sword following the dark trail.

"Probably a deer or something," Verika said.

"Judging by the smell," Arlo said. "I wouldn't be sure about that."

"Freak," Tane said.

"I smell jealousy," Arlo said in a melodic tone.

Nesina, who followed Devo, waved. "Come, you have to see this," she shouted.

Sliff glanced back to check on Iyana, who stood on the other side of the pathway, throwing up. Blood was too much for the frail girl. He immediately rushed to her, rubbing her back to comfort her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yea—" Iyana turned to reply but immediately turned away.

Sliff glanced over his shoulder in disappointment.

"You should go," Iyana said. "I know you get curious at things like—"

Sliff appreciated the sentiment but couldn't leave her side.

Iyana pushed him away. "I'll throw up on you if you don't go."

Sliff smiled, backing up toward the party members. "It's just puke," he thought. "She'll be fine." With that, he could see what the other party members were gawking at.

"Whoa," Verika said. "A red goblin."

"They're like you, Verika," Arlo said. "Less intelligent, more brutish."

Tane choked him. "The hell you said?"

Arlo struggled. "Jeez, it was a joke, you butt-monkey."

"The good news is," Devo said. "It definitely came from the Taaskov cave." Everybody looked around in confusion.

"How's that a good news, genius?" Verika asked.

"If these little guys were behind the merchants' disappearance," Devo said, pointing his sword at the seven-foot, bloodied corpse lying on the tall grass. "Then we won't have much of a trouble finishing this quest."

"That makes sense," Tane said. Arlo used this opportunity to slip away from his grip.

"A red goblin, huh?" Sliff thought. "Sir's party has taken down a horde of them before. But they were half this one's size." He looked at the bulky back of the barbaric creature, at the slash marks from which the blood dripped. "The cave is going to be darker than I imagined."

Tane smacked his head. "Good donkey! You brought the bag without me even asking you. It seems you finally understand your place."

Devo sheathed his sword, heading opposite to the goblin's corpse with Nesina. "Let's get this over with."

Verica wrapped her arm around Tane's. "Shall we?"

"Of course," Tane said. With that, the four of them walked in front of Sliff and Arlo toward their destination—Taaskov Cave.

"Sir Arlo always walks with me," Sliff thought. "I don't know why."

Arlo met his curious eyes. "Something wrong?"

"O-Oh, no… Nothing," Sliff said. "It's nothing, sir Arlo."

"Arlo," Arlo said. "It's just Arlo."

Sliff nodded. He shrugged to adjust the heavy back on his shoulders.

"I was the one who wanted to leave Iyana behind," Arlo said.

Sliff looked toward him in confusion.

"It was to help her," Arlo said. "It's best for her to not accompany us. You're not fazed by gore too much, that's why I always ask Tane to bring you along. But Iyana…you saw her reaction to just blood."

Sliff returned his eyes, looking ahead at the approaching cave in the clearance of the forest. "Thank you, sir…er…Arlo."

"Hum?" Arlo said. "Satisfied so quickly?"

"Sir Tane is calling you," Sliff said, pointing ahead.

"Oh, shit," Arlo said, ruffling his hair. "I better get going then."

"Alright then," Devo explained to the halted party members at the Taaskov cave's entrance. "Tane and I will be in the front for light and fight, Verika and Arlo behind us for support, and Nesina at the very back because…"

Nesina sighed. "Stuck with the donkey-boy again."

"It'll be over quickly," Tane said, picking up a log. "If he looks at you funny, you are allowed to smack him around."

"Why would I do that?" Sliff thought.

"So," Arlo said. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!"

With that the smiling party members marched straight into the dark cave.

Suddenly Sliff saw a wisp of flame in front of him. The wisp torched a piece of wood, lighting their way.

"You're so cool, Tane," Arlo said. "You burned a stick. So awesome."

"Shut up, you banded brat," Tane said. "Or else, if they ambush us, I will not protect you."

Arlo clung onto Verika. "Why would I need protection when I have this young lady with me?"

Tane turned around. "Hey! Get off from her, you leech."

Devo tapped Tane's shoulder, other hand over his head. It was a signal for stopping them. "I can hear something. It's not goblins."

Arlo got behind Verika. Devo drew his sword. Nesina picked up pebbles from the ground.

Verika waved her hands. Suddenly, a snake-like form made of water, immerged from beside her skirt-belt.

Tane slammed his fists together, his hands erupting flames.

Sliff stepped sideways and squinted his eyes. "Is there—"

More than a dozen red goblins, equipped with stone hammers, immerged from within the darkness ahead. Upon seeing the party members, they started yelling with rage.

Sliff was left open as Nesina stepped forward, others charging ahead too, so he quickly ducked behind a big rock to watch the battle. "This is my favorite part," he thought, looking far ahead.

Devo swung his sword from over his own head, slicing off the head of one goblin, the swing's momentum stopping the hammer of a second goblin.

Nesina chucked three pebbles around the goblin stunned by Arlo's poison then slammed her palms together. Immediately, three big rocks flung toward the goblin, squashing his head.

Arlo splashed poison at other three goblins' eyes, stunning them in their tracks. Verika followed the attack with her water-snake. The liquid creature went inside the ears of the goblins, blood gushing out of their eyes.

Then Sliff glanced toward Tane, four goblins with burned faces lying around the party leader, the one still alive crawling away from him. "He's strong," he thought. "But Vyzen is stronger."

After dodging the hammer of one goblin, Tane was on his way to get slammed by the hammer of the other. But Devo blocked the mighty slam which forced him onto one knee, cracking the rocky floor.

Tane stepped then jumped off from Devo's back, grabbing that goblin's face and incinerating it right after.

"These goblins are weak—"

A goblin stood right beside Sliff.

Sliff froze, gulping as he looked up at the goblin with a burned face. It was the one crawling away from Tane. He was so caught up with watching the party members fight that he missed this big creature approaching him.

The goblin raised its hammer.

"Move…" Sliff thought. "Come on…Move, Sliff!"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Devo engaged with a goblin whose arm he had sliced off before, Tane and Arlo were out of his view, Nesina and Verika standing around and talking.

Eyes welling up, Sliff panicked. "Is this it? No…I can't die…"

The hammer slammed…beside Sliff. He fell on his butt.

But he dared look up at the eyes of the creature about to end his life.

He saw a burned face with...tears.

Fire engulfed the head of the creature; Tane had lunged onto its back. "I don't let my prey slide!" he yelled.

The nine-foot goblin fell beside Sliff, who was slapped right afterwards.

"Don't just stand around," Tane shouted. "You would've spoiled the supplies." He pulled back his hand for another slap, Sliff squeezed shut his eyes.

But the slap never hit him as Arlo grabbed the party leader's hand.

"Look around, dude," Arlo said. "Our quest is done."

Tane looked at the corpses of the goblins, at Devo cleaning his sword, at Nesina and Verika talking. "Pfft," he said, standing upright. "Fine, I guess."

Sliff looked around as the party was getting ready to exit the cave. That feeling he had even before entering the cave was still with him. He looked toward the darkness of the cave.

"Let's go, kid," Arlo said, tapping his shoulder. "We're done."

He turned then nodded.

Walking behind the other party members out of the Taaskov cave, Sliff glanced at the corpses of the red goblins. It was almost eerie…but all of them lay dead reaching where the party was headed. Outside.

"I swear," Devo said. "It was something else."

"We beat the goblins," Tane said. "What else could've made the sound you heard?"

"Let's just chill," Nesina said. "Verika, what're your plans for the weekend?"

"Big things," Verika said, glancing back at Tane.

"Something is wrong," Sliff thought. "But what—"

Darkness.

"What the…" Tane said. "How the hell did it got so dark all of a sudden?"

"I can't see anything," Verika said.

"Yeah…" Arlo said. "That's what darkness means… Ow!"

"Stay together, everyone," Nesina said. "Tane…fire, please."

Sliff squinted as the sudden light flashed, lighting the cave as bright as day. It was not Tane's fire. He looked around—

Devo's own sword was impaled through him, nailing him to a marble pillar.

"What the hell—!" Tane said, turning the other way in panic.

Twelve feet golems made of purple and orange rocks stood silently.

Sliff gulped as he looked behind the pillar, at two more rocky creatures.

And the gigantic monster, almost twice their size, standing in between them. As he looked around, he found many red goblins. Dead. Impaled with spikes made of rocks.

Memory of this morning flashed in his head. "Goltara."

"Hey, hey," Arlo said. "What the hell is going on?"

"They got Devo," Tane said quietly.

Sliff was sure that by now others had also realized it. Their faces definitely told him that they did.

"Those goblins were not ambushing us," Sliff whispered to himself. "They were running away…"

The behemoth of a creature stood in front. Body of jagged rocks, as if they were scales made of obsidian, but far bigger than any stone golem Sliff had heard of. It had to be "that." What else could it be…?

But Sliff did not want to believe it. It couldn't have been…

A Distorter.

Beings of another plane.

Creatures from Distortion Cracks.