[Volume 2 - The selection test.]
Roseline woke up to the sound of birds singing outside. The sun streamed through the cracks of the trapdoor, filling the room with a warm, golden light.
She sat up slowly in bed, clutching her dress against her chest, while her eyes scanned the room looking for Colin.
But he wasn't there. Her gaze found only his shirt, thrown over a nearby chair.
With a hesitant gesture, she picked up the garment and, to her surprise, found a carefully folded letter inside. With trembling fingers, she opened the paper and began to read:
"My dear Roseline,
For now, I can only leave my shirt with you. I promise that when we see each other again, I'll be a stronger man. Every time I hold the stellar blade, your face will come to my mind,
Colin."
Roseline's face flushed as she read those words. She brought the shirt to her face, breathing deeply the familiar scent that still permeated the fabric. It was Colin's aroma, comforting and safe. Whispering to herself, with a slight smile on her lips, she said:
"I'll be waiting for you, Mr. Colin."
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
After a night of celebration, Colin and his companions gathered some provisions, a cart, and threw the enormous head of Bakurak inside it, covering it with a tarp.
They had a place to visit before heading to their final destination. Brighid, normally chatty, was strangely quiet and withdrawn, sitting on Safira's shoulder. For Colin, this was a relief, but Safira found the atmosphere strange.
Riding toward the village where Renovich lived, Colin noticed that the structures of the place were better than he remembered.
Large stone monuments were being erected, and the wooden houses were well-built. In the distance, he spotted Renovich helping to build a roof, vigorously hammering the boards.
When he saw them, Renovich waved cheerfully and passed the hammer to another man before coming down.
"It's good to see that you're all well!" exclaimed Renovich, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"We're also happy to see you," replied Colin, observing the progress of the village. "The place seems to be thriving."
Renovich invited them in, but Colin shook his head and tossed him a bag of coins.
"I'm just passing through. I came to pay my share."
Renovich caught the bag, looking at Colin with surprise.
"You didn't need to do that. Did you defeat the demon?"
Colin gave an ironic smile and nodded.
"We took care of the demon and a nest of bugbears a few nights ago. I hope those were the monsters that attacked the village."
"If you did all that, why are you giving me money?" asked Renovich.
"Just take it and shut up."
Renovich nodded, still astonished, and looked at the cart covered by the tarp.
"What's in there?"
"The demon's head," replied Colin, making Renovich gulp. "What's going to happen to you all now?"
"We're going to rebuild the barrier. With the demon and the bugbears dead, the region should be peaceful."
"Then this is goodbye," said Colin. "It was a pleasure meeting you."
As they talked, a voice called out to them. It was Jamily, with her son in her arms and Renovich's daughter holding the hem of her skirt. She smiled happily when she saw them.
"Colin, Safira! I prayed every day for the gods to protect you!"
"Your prayers were answered," replied Colin with a gentle smile.
Jamily insisted they come in and have some freshly prepared tea, but Colin politely declined.
"We're already leaving."
She widened her eyes, noticing Brighid.
"Is that a fairy on your shoulder?"
Brighid flew over to her, greeting her enthusiastically.
"Can we stay?" the fairy asked Colin.
"No."
"How boring!" Brighid clicked her tongue.
"Are you staying in the village, Jamily?" asked Colin, while adjusting his horse's reins.
"Yes, it took a while, but I've started to see this place as my new home. People treat me well; it's a united community."
"Alright, we're going," said Colin, turning his horse. Safira and Brighid waved cheerfully. "See you later, folks."
Jamily watched the group leave and turned to Renovich.
"Will they be okay?"
Renovich looked firmly at the horizon.
"After everything I've seen, those three would be the last ones I'd worry about."
Colin rode ahead, a smile on his face, eager for what was to come. They set off toward the capital of the Ultan Empire, without looking back.
The main road leading to the heart of Ultan was busy, with carts coming and going.
It was a route frequently used by the empire's garrisons, and the presence of stagecoaches and merchants was constant.
However, those escorting the stagecoaches weren't soldiers, but students. A detail caught Colin's attention and made him frown.
Most of the students looked at them with suspicion, their eyes fixed mainly on Brighid.
Fairies were rare on the continent and worth a lot in the black market. Colin realized it would be better to avoid the road.
He was still a novice in using magic, as was Safira, and Brighid had a curse that prevented her from harming humans.
"Let's take a detour!" exclaimed Colin, pulling the reins of his horse and leading them into the forest.
"What happened?" asked Safira.
"We're drawing too much attention," replied Colin. "These people from the capital must know how to use magic better than we do. I can't risk a fight with them."
"It's because of me, isn't it?" retorted Brighid, irritated.
Although it wasn't entirely her fault, Brighid had a significant share of responsibility. Seeing the annoyance on her face, Colin preferred not to answer. Embarrassed, Brighid pouted, crossed her arms, and turned her face away.
"It should take longer to reach the capital this way," said Colin. "And with the head of a Bakurak, wild animals will probably be attracted by the smell of blood. Stay prepared."
Feeling guilty that they had to take a detour, Brighid sighed, flapped her wings, and descended from Safira's shoulder.
"Wait a minute, I'll be right back!"
"Where are you going?" asked Colin.
"Don't leave here!"
The fairy took flight and disappeared among the treetops. Colin and Safira exchanged glances but remained silent. Safira wanted to approach Colin, but he was so closed off that the idea of disturbing him made her hesitate.
The singing of birds filled the forest air as sunlight filtered through the foliage, partially illuminating the cart. Colin looked attentively around, noticing squirrels jumping from branch to branch and unfamiliar birds. The tranquility evoked memories of his childhood, when he used to camp with his father in the mountains – bittersweet memories, however.
Brighid returned with a smile on her face.
"This way!" she pointed east. "Quick!"
"Where are you taking us?" asked Colin.
"I don't have time to explain, let's go!"
Safira and Colin shrugged and followed her. The path was easier than they imagined, without many obstacles. As they entered deeper into the forest, they began to notice broken trees and a strong smell of something rotting.
They didn't need to go far to find an ogre sleeping on a pile of dry leaves. It was about ten feet tall, bulky – easily a thousand pounds – with yellowish skin, pointed ears, sharp teeth, and wearing only a leather loincloth. With a long belch, it scratched its belly.
"Colin!" whispered Brighid, approaching him. "If I can get some of that ogre's slime, I can perform a ritual to disguise myself!"
Colin raised his eyebrows, not understanding.
"Ritual? What are you talking about?"
The ogre yawned, sniffed the air, and opened its eyes.
"Food!" it growled, sitting up and scratching its belly. "I smell food!"
Rising with a groan, it grabbed a club made from a tree trunk.
"Who you be?" asked the ogre, looking at the Bakurak's head in the cart and sniffing the air. A hungry smile formed on its thick lips. "Brog want that! Give to Brog!"
"Wait!" shouted Colin, but it was too late.
Brog advanced with his club already raised, bringing it down with force.
Thump! CRACK!
Brighid conjured a barrier at the last moment, blocking the blow that would have crushed Colin. The club shattered, and the ogre stumbled backward, falling on its back with a thud.
"Hey, fairy!" called Colin, his eyes fixed on the staggering ogre. "You can't fight against humans, but that thing...?"
Brighid touched her index finger to her lips, thoughtful.
"Do you want me to kill it?"
"Of course!"
She crossed her arms, reflecting for a moment.
"It's better if you do it, little Colin. Consider it practice."
Colin snorted, dismounted his horse with a roll of his eyes, and pulled the dagger from his waist.
"I hope this disguise works, you hear?"
The ogre stood up, furious, and ran toward Colin.
Zoom!
Colin slid under the ogre's legs, his dagger cutting the tendon of its right heel. The ogre stumbled, falling face-first to the ground with a thud.
Even Colin couldn't believe the precision of the cut.
The ogre roared in pain, turning onto its back, trying to crawl away.
"S-Spare Brog, mister elf!"
But Colin wasn't there to show mercy. He advanced, eyes fixed on the monster, which raised its hands in supplication.
Squelch!
With a quick movement, Colin's dagger severed the ogre's hands. The creature screamed, the sound echoing through the forest. Without hesitation, Colin turned the dagger in his palm and plunged it into the creature's forehead, which fell dead to the ground with a final sigh.
THUD!!!
"There, take all the slime you want." Colin cleaned the blade on the edge of his shirt, returning it to its sheath. He jumped off the ogre's inert body and walked toward his horse.
Safira watched, still surprised by Colin's coldness. Brighid, on the other hand, accustomed to worse situations, flew into the ogre's mouth and disappeared inside.
A greenish glow emanated from within, and Brighid came out shortly after.
"All done!" she exclaimed. "Now I need fennel, sweet potatoes, radishes, and carrots!"
"What are you going to make with that, soup?" retorted Colin, irritated.
She shook her index finger in denial.
"You'll see, little Colin!"
He shrugged.
"We'll sort that out in the capital. Travel hidden, fairy, and I'll take a look around to see if I can find anything of value."
"Humpf!"
Brighid flew to Safira and hid in her shirt. Safira shuddered at the sensation, but the little fairy just poked her head out, the scent of roses still permeating her, even after immersion in the fetid mouth of the ogre.
"No need to worry, little Colin, that ogre had nothing of value," said the fairy. "Ogres usually don't sleep outside their lairs. When they do, it's because they haven't found one yet. You won't find anything valuable nearby, I'm sure."
Colin let out a grunt and turned the reins, leading the horse out of the forest. He thought about cutting off the ogre's head and taking it with him, but gave up.
Brighid mentioned that Bakuraks were rare, and he concluded that the value of the monster's head would be enough not to need the ogre trophy.
It was time to move forward.