Kanjori

Chapter 6 : Sunano Village

It was about 4 in the morning. Gideon insisted that we should travel early, because if we left a little later we would've been caught in the hot desert sun.

During our week to gather resources, Gideon and I had grown a little closer, because he ran missions with me while Damian went off to train alone.

"Hey Damian, I missed you!" I said while giving him a warm hug.

He smiled and said he missed me too as he hugged back.

"Ahem.. so Damian, what's that sword on your back for? I notice you still have your starter sword on you, nobody duel wields, so why?" Gideon asked.

"Oh this long sword? Well I got it because it's a lot heavier than the basic sword, and I assumed that if I practiced swinging with a heavier sword, using a lighter sword like the starter sword would be a lot easier."

"Well you're not the only one who got stronger ya know! I can access my aura at will now!" I said while crossing my arms triumphantly.

Damian pat my head and laughed. "You're such a little kid, I can too."

"Well ok weirdos, it's time to start movin, don't really feel like burning up today." Gideon said while beginning to walk.

We settled down and followed along. The world of Kanjori was so different at night. Very few lights were on and the stars were very visible.

We were very silent on our way there. The only sounds that could be heard were those of nature. The transition from the beautiful grasslands to the dry bare desert was gradual, but soon enough, we had finally entered a new land.

There was sand as far as the eye could see. Large scorpions skittered across the land as our shoes crunched on the sandy terrain under us. The moon shone just as bright as any night, but it had no water to reflect off of.

The scorpions quickly noticed us, and seemed to be very unhappy that we came to their land without an invitation.

They scurried towards us with their tails reared and ready for battle. I lunged and sliced through two of them with ease.

I looked over to my left and saw 3 more scorpions coming towards me, but Gideon jumped and slammed his aura enhanced sword on the ground and killed them instantly.

"They're as weak as boars. There's no reason to waste our time here." Damian said as he quickly cut through 6 of them.

We continued to travel through the sandy area and finally arrived at a village around sunrise.

"Welcome to Sunano Village young travelers! Today we have a special guest, go to the village center if you'd like to see him!" A fairly old lady exclaimed.

We all looked at eachother and nodded in agreement, then headed toward the village center.

The area was packed with players of all shapes and sizes, listening to one man who sat in front of a fountain.

"I recognize him, that must be Krueger! The strongest player in the game!" Gideon said while shaking in excitement.

"Ah it seems we have a trio of newbies. What brings you three to the wonderful Sunano Village?" Krueger asked.

"We're here to get the stone." I replied confidently.

Everyone turned in silence and looked at us, then burst out in laughter.

"You kids are hilarious! I mean look at the three of you. You all have started gear and starter weapons, and I doubt any of you have access to aura." He said while walking towards us.

"The beast that guards that stone is impossible to kill. Even me and the strongest people in my guild could barely stand a chance against it. We swung at it with all our might and yet it seemed unfazed. Save your energy and go home."

Damian stepped in front of both Gideon and I and looked Krueger in the eyes.

"It seems like you and your guild had the strength to defeat it, but didn't have the strategy. Power can only take you so far, I would've thought that the strongest player in game would know something like that." Damian responded in a cold tone.

The air became tense as everyone watched in silence.

"You and that girl wouldn't have been able to defeat me if it weren't for the help of that blonde haired blob of fat over there." A voice said from within the crowd.

The people moved back as Sophia the Spawn Killer stepped forward. Damian's facial expression didn't change as he locked eyes with her.

"Ah Sophia, these were the three you told me about?" Krueger asked while smiling.

"Yeah, and that stupid boy who spoke to you so rudely is the one who stole the diamond from me."

"Well maybe if you kept your grimy hands away from our mission, nothing would've happened to you." I said as I stepped forward.

"YOU'RE TALKING? You're that weakling girl who needed protection. How DARE you speak to me."

"Now now ladies, we all know the perfect way to handle this. Why don't the two of you spar right now? If Sophia wins, you become my maid, and if you win, you get whatever you want from us." Krueger said while rubbing his hands.

"MAID?? I forbid you fro-" Gideon's words were cut short by my sharp glare. I was not going to get disrespected again by some dirty mage who preys on freshspawns.

"I agree to these terms." I said while my hand gripped the hilt of my sword.

Damian looked at me and nodded in approval.

"Alright then, let's all go outside of the village and the fight will be hosted there" Krueger responded in a mischievous manner.

Sophia had almost ruined our mission once before, and it's time for me to put her in her place. The boys have proven themselves to be strong, and I need to also prove that I can carry my own weight. I could feel the anger build up in my chest as we walked towards the designated area.

"Are you girls ready?" Krueger asked.

"Of course I am, this girl will be nothing more than child's play." Sophia said.

I drew my sword and nodded.

"Alright then... THREE, TWO, ONE, BEGIN!"......