I narrowed my eyes.

  So this was the orc I’d been hearing whispers of.

  What was it doing working for the guild?

  And why did it have to be my opponent… I didn’t have time to linger on those thoughts, however, the match had already begun.

  Drawing a short sword in one hand and loosening my bowstring with the other, I readied myself.

  The orcish warrior raised his shield.

  The duel began.

  I moved like wind through trees—fast, light, efficient. I fired two arrows in quick succession, then darted to the left, sword glinting in the morning sun. The orc deflected the arrows with a flick of his shield and rotated his stance, absorbing my lunge with practiced ease.

  “Good footwork,” The orc grunted. “Try harder.”

  I jumped back, landing in a crouch. Was the orc actually giving me advice...?

  No. Ignore it.

  Instead, I shifted tactics—feint, fire, flank. Again and again. The orc was like an unbreakable wall, but I was fast, fluid. With each attempt I changed my angles of attack ever so slightly, looking for the weak point, the opening. There wasn’t one.

  I crouched a good 15 feet away from the orc, breathing heavily. Nothing I’d tried so far was working, but I had another idea.

  In a blur of motion I fired two arrows up into the air and a third directly at his helmet. He blocked the arrow aimed at his head with practiced ease, but I was already moving.

  As I closed the distance and lunged in, the first and then the second arrow I had fired into the sky landed one at a time mere inches behind him, halting his backstep. Taking advantage of the opportunity I had granted myself, I slipped past the shield’s edge, finally bringing my blade to the orcs armored collarbone.

  Tap.

  “Hit.”

  The orc gave a nod. “Not bad.”

  The instructor crossed his arms. “Pass. Go clean up. You’ll get your mark and registration card by noon.”

  I looked from the instructor then back to the orc, my confusion and frustration growing to a breaking point.

  “Wait,” I said a bit louder than I had intended.

  “What is it boy?” The instructor snapped impatiently.

  I gestured to the orc still standing in the middle of the ring.

  “That—What is that doing here…”

  The orc’s eyes narrowed at my question, I ignored it and looked back to the instructor.

  The instructor gave a tired sigh and replied snidely. “That is Bront. Guild Bronze-Rank, but don’t let that fool you. He’s part of a silver-track team, and if he hadn’t been holding back you’d be a stain on the floor right about now.”

  “He’s… an adventurer...?” I responded, my words laced with disbelief.

  Bront grunted and began walking away. I looked again to the instructor who began walking up to me.

  “Look boy-” He said, grabbing my collar. “You can take your prejudiced notions elsewhere, that half-orc has saved more lives than you can imagine. Now get a move on or I’ll reconsider passing you!”

  I stood there dumbly for a moment, then sucked in a breath, and turned without another word.

  * * *

  After the match, I cleaned up, got my provisional mark, and wandered into the Guild’s main hall. My legs led me to the notice board almost without thinking. Drink in hand, I sat in silence, berating my own foolishness.

  Who was I to judge based on appearances alone? I should know better.

  I’d let the whisperings and rumors cloud my judgement, and I offended a fellow adventurer and made a fool of myself before the guild.

  I took a long draw from my mug of ale.

  Sigh

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  As I sat in brooding silence, a familiar voice snapped me out of my introspection.

  “So you passed, ey’?” Selene, the sword-maiden, said, approaching my table.

  “Aye.” I offered flatly.

  “Any further thoughts on meeting with that party you were looking into earlier?”

  I glanced up at her, feeling a bit hesitant following my reality check from earlier. “I um… I’m still considering my options…”

  She snorted. “Right then, want me to introduce you?” Said Selene, ignoring my obvious hesitation.

  I looked down into my mug, thought for a moment, and then downed its remaining contents, standing and facing her fully. “Please.”

  Selene’s smile looked almost mischievous, but I brushed it off. She led me out of the tavern area and back into the guild hall proper, walking confidently and with a slight sway in her steps, I kept my gaze respectfully above the horizon.

  We rounded a short wall that separated a seating area with some long wooden tables, seemingly reserved for adventuring parties to make preparations, draw up maps, and set plans for their quests. Various banners hung from the walls and cascaded over the tall windows that loomed over this section of the guild hall.

  When I looked back towards Selene and the direction we were headed, my heart dropped.

  Sitting there, with a girl that looked tiny by comparison, was the half-orc…

  Seeing no one else in the area, I put two and two together. This was the party whose notice I had taken earlier.

  “Selene, I—” I started to say before she cut me off.

  “Bront! Lyria! I found him—!” she called to the two sitting ahead of us, turning back to give me a sly smile as she led me to them.

  The girl—petite, with a trace of elvish heritage—wore blue and white robes that marked her as a magic user. Her silver hair was styled in loose braids and bangs, blue ribbons tying the rest back behind her shoulders. She also had the most beautiful lavender eyes I had ever seen, however, at this particular moment they glared daggers into me…

  My gaze shifted from the girl that was clearly angry at me, to the half-orc…

  What was his name again..? Brunt..? No—Bront.

  He didn’t look particularly pleased by my presence but he also didn’t look as angry as surely he deserved to be. I locked eyes with him.

  Selene sensing the tension stepped aside, Bront stood up, never breaking eye contact, his full height towering over me. I wasn’t short, but he was bigger in every possible way.

  We stood in silence for a moment, neither of us breaking eye contact.

  The Elven girl swiveled her head between the two of us, looking more and more annoyed by me with every passing second. Her glare wasn’t just anger—it looked like disappointment, like she’d seen this play out before.

  I took a breath, the party in front of me seemed to tense.

  I bowed low.

  Without raising my head, I spoke, “Bront… my actions before were unacceptable. I realize now what a fool I had been. I know words in retrospect carry less weight, and I don’t expect to redeem myself through them alone. I… I hope to expel my ignorance, and I pledge to lead with my heart rather than with preconceived notions of rumors and nonsense.”

  I waited for a moment, but I heard no response.

  I glanced up.

  Selene was grinning down at me, the Elven girl still looked annoyed, but perhaps a little less so, and Bront… Well, he looked about the same.

  “Raise your head.” Bront said finally, his voice low and thunderous.

  I stood again.

  “This is not new for Bront. But apologies are. Don't worry, I take no offense to your ignorance.”

  His intent was by all means forgiving, but his words cut a little.

  “I’m half-orc. I’m used to being the target of people's fears.” He spoke, calmly.

  “I.. I see. Well again, I apologize for my ignorance”

  He nodded, seeming to have already brushed it off. “Good duel by the way.”

  “Agreed… you holding back?”

  “A bit.”

  Fair.

  With that, I looked down to the note with the party’s posting on it, 'A group of three needing a ranged specialist.'

  Selene noticed that and stepped forward.

  “Right then! I believe introductions are in order,” Selene said with a chipper tone that seemed to pause the slightly awkward atmosphere that had settled over the group.

  “The tower of a man you just made up with is Bront, a half-orc warrior. He is a frontline fighter and carries a tower shield and a battle axe. Nothing gets past him. The girl who keeps glaring at you is Lyria, she seems to hate you at the moment! She is a half-elf mage, our magical specialist, adept at elemental magic, warding, and some minor healing. And I am Selene, though we’ve already met,” Selene said, breaking the awkwardness like punching a hole clean through a frozen pond. She then gestured to me which I’d assumed meant I should now introduce myself.

  “Ah, right, hello… My name is Yukon, I’m a ranger, uh… I’m from a small village within the Duskwoods. I specialize in ranged combat, hunting, scouting, tracking, and can hold my own in close combat as well.” My words came easier as I went, gaining momentum after the awkward start.

  I stood for a moment, waiting for a response, before realizing I had missed something. After making up with Bront, Selene’s charismatic attitude, and the seemingly strong bond of these three… Surely this would be a perfect party for me to join, but would they accept me..?

  I cleared my throat before speaking again. “And… If you would have me, I’d be honored to lend my skills to your party.” I said, addressing the three of them as respectfully and formally as I could.

  Selene looked between Bront and Lyria.

  “Give us a moment to discuss, we shall find you at a later time.” Said Selene, waving me away.

  I made my way out of the party prep area in the guild hall and stood for a moment, wondering what to do now.

  I’d had the chance to make up for my foolishness with Bront, Selene seemed like a truly dependable and honest person, truthfully I couldn’t ask for a better party… But would they accept me? Especially after the way I’d treated Bront initially?.. And with the way Lyria was glaring at me, would she be against it?

  I adjusted my cloak, and headed out of the guild hall, wanting a chance to clear my head as well. The afternoon sun beamed down on me.

  This is what it was all about, I thought to myself as I walked, a small smile tugging at my lips. I wished I could tell my father everything. He’d be laughing at my blunders, and chewing his nails over the rest.

  Soon, my journey as an adventurer would truly begin.