Threatening Reality (8)

"I hate to say it, Josh, but you might have to get used to that."

"Yeah, you heard him. Now, come back to bed." Sakura agrees with my sentiment and pats the covers beside her. Josh looks at me with eyes filled with betrayal. It's like I was his last lifeline, and I just sided with the enemy.

"I didn't mean right now," I say as I shrug my shoulders. Sakura peeks her head out and glares daggers at me, to which I can only chuckle. I take the ensuing silence as an opportunity to change the subject. "So, now that we're all up, what do we want to do today?"

"Sleep." Sakura gives me an immediate answer. It's hard to blame her, given how hard she pushed herself yesterday.

"That's fine; what about you two?" Josh and Shinobu shrug their shoulders. "Well, we need to pick up the new workout equipment Young-ho made for us, and Jezabel said she has some work that needs to be done as well."

"I don't want to work today…." Sakura moans as she rolls over in her bed.

"Then you go pick up the equipment, and I'll talk to Jezabel."

"Okay, Josh and I will go later."

"No." The quiet boy beside me speaks up unexpectedly. "I'm going with Nick."

"That's a little surprising but sure." I quickly agree before Sakura can get a word in. I notice her glaring at me from beneath the covers.

"Fine, then Shinobu and I will get our equipment while you suck up to the Guild Master." I know she's mocking me, but I can't disagree. I go out of my way to ensure Jezabel and I have a stable relationship, so it's easy to see where she's coming from. Sakura is well aware of the benefits we receive from my behavior, so it seems she's just acting out because she isn't getting her way.

"Actually, I was going to go with Nick…."

"You're coming with me!" Sakura shouts as she interrupts Shinobu. Not wanting to make the situation worse, the blond girl agrees with a sigh.

"Alright." I clap my hands together to take control of the conversation. "We'll see you two later. Let me know if you have any problems."

"We can handle it!" Sakura shoots back.

"Perfect." The walk to the guild is uneventful. I casually stroll down the street with Josh in tow. Despite my curiosity, I avoid asking him why he wanted to come with me. A number of thoughts meander through my mind, but I don't engage them. "What do you think about the war?"

The words spill out of my mouth without much thought. We may not speak much, but I've always felt very comfortable around Josh.

"It's important."

"How so?"

"The fairies are in danger. We have to help them."

"Not necessarily. We can always stand back to see how things turn out." Josh doesn't respond, but I can feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. "Is it really worth risking your life for them? You could die; you understand that, right?"

"Yes."

"Very well then." I am concerned that Josh is just going with the flow regarding the war, but he seems committed. "Duke Avaritan threatened me this morning. He said that he'd kill me as well as everyone I know when this war is over, which means we'll have to kill him first. If he stays in the town when the army moves out, then we'll have to take him out during their absence. What's more likely is that he'll move with his forces, so it's imperative that we make sure he doesn't leave the forest." I stop and turn around to face the boy following my words. His expression is the same as always. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He nods.

"I don't want you to get involved for my sake. If you're going to put your life on the line, you need to do it for yourself." Having said what I needed, I continue onward to our destination.

"If it isn't tweedle dee and tweedle dumb." Jezabel doesn't waste any time with small talk before hurling insults at us.

"So am I tweedle dee or tweedle dumb?"

"You're dipshit." I can't help but chuckle as she bombards me.

"Then who were you talking to?"

"Those two." She points behind me, where Travis and Josh are standing silently.

"I'm assuming this has something to do with the work you were talking about."

"We're heading into the forest to gather materials for the fairies."

"Like, all of us?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No, I'm just surprised."

"You weren't the only person the Duke threatened. I have some reports that he plans to make a move against myself and several other nobles after the war, which means we're going to take a more direct approach when it comes to helping the fairies."

"We have to kill him," I say breathlessly.

"Welcome to the show, kid. This won't be the last time you need to kill someone, so get used to it."

"The Adventurer's Guild conducts assassinations?"

"Of course not, but we are the target of a lot of them. You think no one has noticed what you're doing? Even people from other cities have started talking about you, and they'll come after you just like they came after me." My fun little jaunts into the forest have opened a horrific can of worms. I harden my heart in preparation for the future as Jezabel continues speaking. "I know it's unfair, but there will always be those who can't that envy those who can. Ability isn't the only measure of success."

I run countless scenarios through my head. Potential assassination attempts, wild accusations, bombastic lambastes and fraudulent temptations. The prickly path I've been walking molts into a treacherous dungeon filled with deadly traps.

"I see."

"Try not to let it get to you. This is a brutal world we live in. Either you give yourself up to the powers that be, or you get strong enough to become their enemy. There are no other choices," Jezabel explains.

[Well, I can think of at least one other choice.]

I take a moment to compose myself before responding.

"What's the plan?"