The midnight wind was gentle, but icy cold. A shiver rolled down Leoâs spine as he hugged himself tighter, the fine hairs on his arms bristling against the cold. It shouldn't have been this cold. It was supposed to be a refreshing night breeze, something he felt when he took out the trash at night. But it wasn'tâmaybe because he was nearly naked.
Roland marched to his left with heavy feet, while Jade skipped ahead of them, twirling like a ribbon.
"Leo, accept the invitation to join our squad," Roland said without warning. Leo tensed, letting out a cold breath.
"W-what?" Leo shivered, rubbing his hands together. "How do I do that?"
He'd never actually brought up the interface himself before, it always showed up of its own accord. But now that he thought about it, there was no tutorial or guide either, so he basically came into this world blind. But that raised another point. He had never really questioned if the interface was normal or something unique. It didn't seem like anyone back home had one either.
"Hm, so you've never used your interface before?" Roland asked.
"Well, I've never brought it up myself. It always showed up on its own," Leo explained. He glanced around as they walked. Fewer people crowded the streets, all the children had disappeared, and the air was quiet, except for the occasional buzz of conversation in the distance.
"The latter is quite normal, but, surprisingly, you've never done it yourself before," Roland said. "Try to bring it up."
Leo nodded. Alright, so how could he do this? Maybe if he spoke some words in his mind, then it'd work. Alrightâ¦how about if he just thought the word.
Interface.
Nothing.
How about out loud?
"Interface," Leo commanded. Roland's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked at Leo, while Jade turned around to face them. Nothing happened, yet again.
"The simplest way to open your interface is by trying to find one of your stats," Roland explained. "Try asking yourself what your health is right now."
"Alright, I'll try that," Leo muttered. He closed his eyes. "What's my health?"
Jade burst out laughing.
"Hah! What theâwho actually does it like that?" she cackled.
Leo's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as his body burned. He opened his eyes, rubbing his cheek.
"What? Iâ" he tried explaining, but just then, a loud chime echoed in his ears, cutting him off. Words burned into his vision like they were being etched by light.
[Leo Somberthorn]
LEVEL: 18 (9 â 18)
AGE: 18
HEALTH: 78%
PASSIVE ABILITIES:
[Motherly Blessing]
'Increased luck by +5, with effect [Grace].'
'The little ones hated by the world, are beloved to the Earth Mother...'
It worked. He managed to bring up the interface, even if it wasn't the normal way to do it.
"It works, I see it," Leo said, looking at them.
Roland rubbed his temple. "That's good. Normally, you think about itâlike your stats, name, or healthâand it shows up. Or you can picture the interface, and itâll show up as well."
It made senseâthough he wished Roland had told him earlier, so he didnât look like such an idiot.
"Yup! Or you can just imagine your name as well, and it'll show up too," Jade added. "Now join the party."
Right. He had to join the party. Okay, so how about imagining the words "party"?
[Leo Somberthorn]
[PARTY]
STATUS: NONE
'Currently not in a party, you have one pending invitation...'
[1 INVITATIONS]
[Roland Breezewater] invited you to his party.
[ Accept | | Decline ]
"Do you know how to do that?" Roland asked.
Accept.
The words shimmered before a soft hum of strings filled the air. Blue light pulsed in his vision like a ripple on water, and then it all faded.
[Leo Somberthorn]
[PARTY: Jade Dragons]
STATUS: IN PARTY
'You are in the [Jade Dragons] party...'
[MEMBERS]
[Roland Breezewater] âª
[Jade Windriver]
[Leo Somberthorn] (new)
"Alright, welcome to our party," Roland said, eyes narrowing. Leo wondered if the interface had popped up for Roland when he joined their party. It seemed like it, based on his reaction.
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A grumble sounded, followed by the growling of his stomach.
That's right.
When was the last time he ate anything?
"Scary sound you made there, Leo," Jade joked, spinning on her heel. "Let's get some dinner. We can discuss the mission while we eat."
Leo and Roland nodded, following the blonde-haired woman as she led them. But as they were walking, Leo couldn't help but wonder.
Everything he'd heard so far about Dwendols and the race ladder seemed wrong. Sure, the human group had come to his village earlier, but they left after getting what they wanted. The soldiers were douchebags, but besides that, Roland and Jade seemed tame enough. They treated him well enough, better than he thought. He wanted to ask them why, but maybe some things are better left unsaid.
The streets grew darker, and the chatter got louder the deeper they went. Leo thought he could see shadows moving in the alleyways, but for some reason, Roland and Jade paid it no mind, continuing to stroll wherever Jade wanted. Whatever crept in the shadows wasn't their business. And it stayed that way.
"We're here," Jade said, stopping under the building's lamp.
They stood outside a large, 3-story, wooden tavern. People filed inside under a large sign that hung above the doors, reading: "The Molten Ladle" with a red-hot ladle that swooped between the words. And inside was where all the commotion was.
"This place again?" Roland muttered, walking towards the door.
"Yeah, it's a good spot to eat and chat, since it's so loud," Jade said, slipping inside.
Roland placed a hand on the door before stepping back. He looked at Leo and the people outside, his eyes narrowing in thought.
"You can go inside, but there's a chance they'll kick you out," Roland sighed. He slung the pack off his back and rummaged through it. After a few moments, he brought out a brown cloak.
"Here, wear this. It'll be frustrating if people keep pestering us," he said, handing it to Leo. A flask appeared in Roland's hand. "Go ahead and wash your handsâbetter to do it out here just to be safe."
Leo took the cloak, slipping the tough fabric around his frail body. His clawed hands reached out, scrubbing against each other as water poured over them, but the blood struggled to come off.
He clawed at it, but no matter how hard he tried, it only flaked off, leaving a stain of red on his blue skin. Was blood always this difficult to clean off? He thought it only stained clothes, not skin. Maybe his skin was different. But it felt fine to him.
"That's all I got," Roland said, snapping him out of it. "It'll be enough." Roland tucked the flask away and opened the door.
Leoâs eyes darted across the room, scanning facesâhuman, mostly, and all strangers. He felt every glance like static under his skin. The smoky aroma of roasted meat pierced his nostrils, while the faint, fresh scent of greens accented it. His stomach roared.
But that wasn't all.
The inside of the cloak was a saunaâsticky, stifling, and suffocating. Sweat clung to him like glue. His heart drummed, but not because of the cloak, but something else.
Anxiety.
Eyes bored into his cloak, trying to see what was hidden beneath. It felt like they could see through it. Shivers rippled through his skin as he shrank inside the cloak.
He didn't have social anxiety. In the past, he was perfectly fine in public. Sure, maybe speaking to a cashier sometimes was a little scary, but in reality, nothing bad was going to happen. But here? He wasn't even a human anymore. If he were, it would be different. Now he was a Dwendol. And here, that was the worst thing to be.
Luckily for him, Jade wasn't too far away.
"Took you two long enough," Jade said, pulling out the chair beside her. "Sit here, Leo."
He hesitated, glancing at Roland. Would it be disrespectful to sit first? Or was he overthinking it?
"Come on, Leo," Jade sighed. "I know I beat up your sister, but am I that scary? Fine, tell her I said sorry. But it's safer to sit between us."
He slipped into the seat between them. It wasn't anything special, just a wooden chair with a red cushion. The table was normal enough, salt and pepper shakers, cups of water, and a laminated menu, which was oddly familiarâlike the diners back home. As for where they were seated, it was along the left wall of the tavern. He could see the entire dining area with ease. He wasn't sure if Jade chose it on purpose, but it was better than being surrounded.
Roland pulled out the chair beside Leo and sat down.
"Leo, you can order whatever you want, Jade's going to pay for it," Roland said as he flipped open the menu.
"Woah, what? Okay, look, I'm not opposed to paying, but why didn't you give me a choice?" Jade questioned, leaning over the table.
"Because you made a deal with me last time, and I'm giving it to Leo," Roland explained without batting an eye.
Jade muttered something under her breath before sitting up straight. She opened her menu as well, then turned to Leo.
"Go ahead and pick whatever you want," she said, flipping through the pages. "If you need some suggestions, feel free to ask."
"Alright, thanks," Leo nodded, doing the same.
Each page was filled with a variety of food that he'd never seen or heard of in his life. He was hungry, but some of these names made him question if it was worth even eating anymore. There was a red-lettered food with a skull beside it, called Bloody Duck, and something called Pig Pot Stew. Those could've been outliers, but still. It's always the odd ones that stand out.
"You look disgusted," Jade said, leaning over his shoulder, a smile plastered across her face. "Need help?"
A lump formed in his throat. He didn't notice it earlier, probably because of the aroma of the tavern, but a sweet, yet soft lavender smell invaded his lungs. It was calming. Too calming. But it wasn't the time to be feeling like this. However, with how peaceful everything was compared to earlier, it couldn't be helped.
His gaze drifted to her face before he could stop itâsharp features softened by the tavern light. It was weird. Jade was attractive, obviously, but for some reason, she seemed different. It was like the humans here were different from those back home. Like theyâd stepped out of some high fantasy painting, too clean, too graceful. Favored.
"U-uh, yeah, I think I need some help," Leo stammered, locking his eyes onto the page. It sucked that he felt like this. It felt taboo. He was a Dwendol, but he was still a human soul, right? So what was he?
A chuckle came over his shoulder, then a slender finger pressed on the page. "Well then, I'm happy to hear that. I know all the good stuff."
Jade flipped forward a few pages before stopping. Her pointer finger sliding beneath the words: The Molten Bowl.
"This is especially good. I haven't had it in a while, though," Jade said, pulling back into her seat.
Roland sighed, closing his eyes. "Jade, don't tell me you're doing this again. Order something normal, not that spicy slop. Now, let's get started."
"Fine, fine," Jade mumbled before waving the waiter over.
Roland cleared his throat before taking a sip of water, and Leo nearly choked on his spit. He didn't notice how dry his throat was. His hands trembled as they grabbed the cup of water, sloshing it around. After another breath, he took a sip.
As he swallowed the ice-cold water, the waiter arrived, wearing brown slacks and a white button-up.
"What can I bring for you fine folks?" the waiter asked.
Roland closed the menu. "I'd like the grilled ox-fish with an Elysian salad on the side, and a Grayleaf tea."
"How many times have you gotten that?" Jade asked, rolling her eyes. "The Molten Bowl for me, with extra spice."
The waiter nodded, jotting it down with a small smile.
"And for him, he'd like the Horn-of-Plenty," she added with a grin.
"That'll be 8 Alders and 2 Senns," the waiter said.
Jade blinked. âAh, thatâsâ¦quite a bit, huh?â She looked at Roland, who simply raised his cup to his lips.
âSounds good. Thank you,â Roland said, placing two silver and two copper coins on the table.
Jade groaned and dug into her pouch. A few clinks later, she dropped the remaining six silver coins with a sigh.
The waiter gave them a quick nod, took the coins, and left.
"You couldn't cover half?" Jade squinted across the table.
"You chose those meals, didn't you? I said you covered yours and Leo's," Roland said, taking a sip from his cup.
Before Jade could answer, the waiter brought their food out. It was a glorious sight with a scent of fresh herbs, savory fish, and spicy stew.
Leo nearly drooled, feeling his stomach open in anticipation. Before him was a horn made of bread, and inside was an assortment of meat and vegetablesâthe perfect meal for a starving Dwendol. He leaned forward, picking up a fork and tearing the horn open, stuffing his mouth with the food it held.
"Alright," Roland said, slicing into his grilled ox-fish. "Let's talk about the mission."