The Retired S Ranked Adventurer (The Shatterfist Book 1)

by Wolfe Locke

  She shook her head, but Almitha pushed her forward as the girl dug her heels in and tried to drag it out.

  "Don’t be a coward!" the elf said. "Do you want to be an adventurer, or not?"

  Near tears, Eleonnas crept forward and approached the hydra. She had no weapon, and she looked around, completely bewildered like she was trying to figure out what to do. Finally, Eleonnas kicked the hydra on the side and sprinted back to the door.

  "Okay," Sven said. "Okay! Good work, Eleonnas! You hit it! You should be proud of yourself. It can be hard to overcome fear.”

  The rest of the party clapped her on the back as she smiled with relief. Tears of pride streamed down her cheeks. Sometimes it’s the little victories that ripple into the future.

  "Everyone get what they needed?" Sven asked. He was anxious to be done. "I’ll finish this!"

  No one objected, so Sven prepared to take the fight into the final act. This was his favorite part of these escorting jobs: when he showed low-level parties what he could do. It almost made him feel like a real adventurer again. The last one he'd been on had been a campaign of despair to free the kingdom from the clutches of a Dark Lord.

  Sven dropped into another kata, deadly serious this time. His [Broadsword] whirled in a blur. It was almost invisible as he moved through the motions except for the cracking blue energy that started to spark against the blade as the ambient [Mana] in the room began to fuel the ability [Spark Sword]—feint left, block overhead, switch feet, thrust forward. This one had been his mentor’s favorite exercise when he was young. The hydra’s heads weaved back and forth, following the movement of his sword. Left, right, and…he stabbed upward and pierced the throat of the hydra’s [Wind] head, careful not to sever the neck. Blue lightning passed through the [Broadsword] in a explosion of power as translucent blood spilled out onto the floor as the head drooped downward, lifelessly.

  Elonneas clapped enthusiastically, and Sven grinned. It was always nice to have an appreciative audience. On to the other [Fire] head next. Sven had fought this particular hydra over and over and putting the [Fire] head out of commission always made the rest of the fight easier and tended to save his clothes.

  Sven didn’t bother with a kata this time, he just sprinted at the hydra full bore with [Broadsword] in one hand as his offhand began to turn red in preparation for his [Element Manipulation] ability. The hydra’s [Fire] head tried to rear back out of the way, but Sven was too fast. He struck out with his blade and the [Fire] head dropped to the ground, completely separated from the body.

  "I thought you said we shouldn’t—" stammered the dwarf, then stopped as Sven picked up the flaming head.

  The head was still alive, barely, and it snapped at his fingers as Sven grabbed it by its severed neck. With his other hand, he grabbed the hydra’s decapitated stump and held it to the [Fire] and used [Element Manipulation] to summon forth the inner fire within the dying head. A concentrated inferno was unleashed, cauterizing the wound instantly. The hydra screamed as the scent of cooking flesh filled the air.

  "See what I did there?" Sven said, holding the head high so the rest of the party could see it. "This is another way to deal with a hydra. It keeps the heads from growing back."

  The C-Rankers all nodded appreciatively, and Sven smiled. Good kids for rookies. Hopeless, but nice kids.

  The hydra had two heads left. The [Water] head and the [Air] head. Sven went for [Water] head next. They were on the same neck. Easy pickings. With the [Fire] head in hand, he went into an abbreviated one-handed kata, using the [Binding Blade] ability to lull the [Water] head into stillness.

  In that moment, Sven leaped. One foot landed on the hydra’s chest and he pushed off, launching himself even further upward. The hydra snapped at him, but he avoided its jaws and slashed with his [Broadsword] once and was done. He dropped back to the ground and the hydra’s [Water] head fell with him.

  Quickly, before new heads could grow, Sven seared the stump with the [Fire] he had taken with his [Element Manipulation]. The hydra screamed furiously. The monster only had one head left.

  "They’ll grow back," Sven said quietly to his foe, quietly enough that none of the rookies with him could hear it. "We’ve been through this before. Don’t worry about it. You’ll respawn soon enough.

  "I am getting tired of dying Sven! This is bordering on abuse! Abuse you hear me!" the hydra roared. "Over and over, you come here! Go somewhere else! It's not fair that you keep killing me! You don't belong here! You should have moved on by now."

  Sven grimaced. The hydra had a point. Don't I know it. The Dungeon of the Wood was immensely popular among adventurers looking for a quick level-up. Maybe it was time for a change of scene.

  But the hydra’s feelings on the issue weren’t relevant right now. Sven geared up to take on the [Air] head. This one was always the hardest because it could manipulate the current of wind around it to increase its evasive abilities. Over the years, though, Sven had refined his technique. I'll just strike out a bunch of times with too many attacks for the hydra to evade them all.

  He crouched down and started a spinning kata, blade whirling in circles around his head. The hydra fell quiet and watched, resigned knowing its death was near. The last head moved slowly back and forth, eyes wide and fascinated. Slowly, the last head moved closer to the ground, putting itself in range of Sven’s attack. Its mouth opened wide, ready to swallow him up. Or give up.

  Spin left, crouch, and...Sven’s [Broadsword] shot out in a wave of a thousand blows but dismissed the attack as he dashed forward into the hydra’s move and stabbed upward through the roof of the Hydra’s mouth and into its brain. It groaned and collapsed to the ground, twitching.

  "Go somewhere else next time, move on. Please." it rasped and shuddered and died.

  Jubilant screams erupted from behind him as the party celebrated their victory. The hydra’s body went translucent and vanished back into the dungeon.

  "We can celebrate later!" Sven said, wiping his blade clean. "We have ten minutes until he respawns, and we need to be out of the dungeon by then. Trust me, you don’t want to be here when he comes back."

  They sprinted behind him like obedient ducklings as they left the dungeon via the stairs that appeared at the back of the boss room. Still, this wasn’t too bad. They seem like good people. Almitha kept pace with him, long legs carrying her forward gracefully.

  "How many times have you fought that hydra?" she said, hardly out of breath at all. “You really do seem like a professional.”

  "Too many times," he said, feeling morose despite their victory. It was time to admit it to himself: he was bored. “I’ve been doing this a long time. You don’t hit S-Rank without the grind.”

  "You were impressive," she said, batting her lashes. That’s an invitation if I’m willing to take it.

  "Thanks." Was all he could reply. I’m not feeling it though. Not really.

  He had a brief thought of inviting her out on an adventure with him, maybe to try and relive the old times, but he set that thought aside. She wouldn’t want to go with an old man like him. And he’d seen it all. He was jaded. Almitha would probably rather travel with someone her own age and rank who could experience the world with her for the first time.

  "Hurry up, team!" he shouted back at the rest of the party, cutting off that line of thought. "Six minutes left!"

  The hydra’s death made all monsters in the dungeon vanish until it respawned, so the path was clear for them up the stairs and out the main entrance. The team made it out without running into any more trouble, even with Dromi Dragonsbane’s short legs slowing them down. When they left the dungeon, everyone started talking at once.

  "Did you see Almitha’s shot?" Brandon Ashdown said. "That [Arrow] went right through the monster’s eye!"

  She blushed. "Oh, come on. It was nothing. You faced the hydra head-on!"

  "And Elonneas!" Dromi said teasingly. "Who knew how vicious she could be? That kick am I right?"

  Elonneas
shook her head. "I do not like fighting like that, in the back is the place to be! You were the first one in, Dromi! I could never do that!"

  Sven stood off to the side, waiting for them to stop congratulating each other. How heartwarming.

  "Time to wrap this up, team," he finally said when he felt it had gone on long enough. "Hungry? Thirsty? I can take you back to an inn you might like."

  They all nodded eagerly, and he led them out of the wood to The Crazy Pony, a tavern he knew the C-Rankers liked and he visited on occasion when looking for work. A sign hung outside the door with a disgruntled-looking horse on it. Fiddle music and laughter came from within. It sounded like someone was having a party inside.

  "I’ll be right behind you guys," Almitha said as the others headed in in. "We still need to settle the account."

  Sven stood outside in the cold, thinking longingly of the King’s Arms. Warm light spilled from the windows of The Crazy Pony onto the ground, and he looked inside despite himself. The tavern was full of young adventurers talking, laughing, and drinking. Just like how things used to be with my team.

  A troop of fiddlers had set up in one corner, and couples were dancing a reel to their jaunty tunes. As Sven watched, his party walked in and were greeted with cheers and excitement. Dromi Dragonsbane launched into what Sven assumed was the story of the attack of the hydra, and the tavern wenches listened with rapt attention.

  Sven sighed. It made him nostalgic. He remembered what it was like to be a young and eager C-Ranker, about to discover the wide world. He had been part of a party then, too, with comrades much like the amateurs in the inn.

  A hand on his arm jolted him out of his thoughts. It was Almitha again.

  "Here," she said, handing him a bag of gold. "For your time, as was the agreement."

  "Thanks." Sven responded, feeling morose and wanting to be anywhere else. Like drinking whatever Lloyd had in mind.

  "The others send their thanks. They know how much you did for us." she said politely. We both know that’s not the case.

  Sven looked back inside the window. Dromi was still talking. I’m sure he’s repeating what happened, but with him as the hero. I’ll let him have his moment. The party didn’t particularly seem to know how much Sven had done for them, or appreciated it. Sven didn’t want to bother mentioning it. He just felt tired.

  Almitha looked down, biting her lip. "Do you want to join us for a bit? Just for one drink. The ale is good."

  "Thanks, but no," said Sven, shaking his head. "I have someone to meet elsewhere. Maybe next time."

  "Okay," Almitha said, looking disappointed. "No problem. I understand."

  If Sven were younger…but he wasn’t. And he wasn’t a C-Ranker anymore, either. He had nothing in common with these rookies anymore and he'd buried enough companions over the years. The yearning was still there, but tonight, he wasn't feeling it.

  Sighing heavily, he moved away from the window and turned toward the King’s Arms. He’d be trying the new ale there tonight, alone. As always, he had a promise to keep.

  Chapter 3: The Flower Girl

  It was a slow night at the King's Arms—but then again, it was always a slow night these days. Sven sat at the end of the bar, slouching down in what had become his usual chair. Aside from the tavern keeper, Lloyd, the only other patron of the inn, was what looked like an air-filled coat sitting in an armchair by the fire. Though Sven had overheard the truth of it, the coat was a man. A low Ranker who'd made a wish with a jinn to increase his [Stealth] and ended up cursed with permanent invisibility.

  The King's Arms had long been a tavern meant for the upper rankers to go. It’s just for whatever reason, there weren't that many S-Rankers to go around these days, nor A-Rankers for that matter. I actually haven’t seen any other S-Rankers in a long time. That was the trouble with getting to that level of power. Most of Sven's comrades had either been killed running "one last mission" or had already retired, bored of the endless quest for the next level of progression. Sven, who had stayed in, kept adventuring and was an exception at this point.

  "What's the new ale today, Lloyd?" Sven said, shrugging off his cloak. "I've been looking forward to trying it all day. Some amateurs almost ruined my chance to try it."

  Lloyd was a dour half-elf who'd been working at the establishment for as long as Sven could remember. He never seemed to age, and he never seemed to smile. Not even when this place was full. Still, the half-elf had been around a long time, and Sven appreciated the familiarity.

  "I’m calling this newest creation, the New Moon," Lloyd said, eyes solemn under caterpillar-like eyebrows. "It’s a dark beer with notes of wolfsbane. Not safe for wolves, werewolves, or part-wolves. Obviously. Probably all breeds of shifters too, and definitely not safe for most people either. A true rankers ale."

  "Fill 'er up," Sven said with an exaggerated slur, holding his stein up for Lloyd to fill.

  The ale was strong and bitter, gloomy to suit Sven's mood. It was hard to imagine the King's Arms had once looked much like The Crazy Pony. In Sven's youth, S-Rankers had come here to party, celebrate victories, and find comrades for new adventures. It had always been full of life and merriment, a welcoming place to find good music, good ale, and a roaring fire. Now it was dark and empty. The plush armchairs were threadbare and fading, and the once-full tables were gathering dust. A remember of things and people lost.

  The door creaked open, and two B-Rank adventurers walked in—a human rogue and a female dwarf in the armament of a fighter. They approached the bar.

  "D—do you have ale?" the rogue said with an exaggerated stutter, trying not to look at Sven. “Sorry... we didn’t know anyone else was going to be here. It’s been empty most nights.”

  "Ale?" said Lloyd perplexed and seeming irritation. The half-elf gave them a look as if to say, why are you here. "Yeah, we have ale. Plenty of ale. We’ve got plenty of brews too. Something for everyone and every taste. What will it be? We’ve got darks. We’ve got lights. A few bitters. You tell me, what’ll it be?"

  Sven smiled warmly at the B-Rankers. It was good to see some new blood in the Arms. Maybe it didn't have to be purely an S-Ranked place to drink. Folks could mingle again—that would be nice. Sven pushed some coins across the bar towards Lloyd. "This round is on me." I could use the company too.

  The rogue looked on in terror as Lloyd brought over two steins of New Moon. “Here’s that Ale you wanted.”

  "You know what?" he said. "N—never mind. We—we're not thirsty! Have a great night. Bye!"

  The two walked out of the Arms as quickly as they could and slammed the door behind them.

  "That gets old. So old." Sven said, picking up one of the B-Rankers' pints of ale and downing it in a long exaggerated chug.

  "They're scared of you, Sven," Lloyd said glumly. "You outrank almost everyone at this point. They know if you got in a fight with them, you could beat them instantly, and they don’t know you."

  "I wouldn't want to fight with them," Sven said. "I only fight monsters and those who challenge me, and even then, only if I really have to. I just want to live my life and have people in it.”

  "Alright, so maybe the problem isn’t you. But you know how the others can be. Of the S-Rankers still loyal to the guild, few, if any, have your... forgiving temperament." Lloyd shrugged, having said his piece, and moved off back behind the bar.

  “What do you mean still loyal to guild?” Sven asked pointedly but didn’t what for a response. He reached for the other B-Rankers' pint in gloomy silence. This was no way to live.

  “You know the rules,” Lloyd responded, deflecting the question. Not really.

  "Come up here to the bar!" Sven yelled out to the invisible man in the coat who immediately tried to sink further into the armchair. Sven tried to sound friendly. "Let's swap stories! I’m sure in your condition you’ve got a bunch."

  In a bit of frantic movement, the pile of coats sank down low into the chair. The invisible man was gone. Sven sighed. All of them, all o
f them, are afraid. What happened to everyone?

  "Well... that killed the mood. I’m closing down in a minute. Same time next week?" Lloyd said hopefully as Sven settled his tab with some of the coin he'd earned fighting the hydra.

  "Yeah," Sven said. "See you next week, Lloyd. “

  Suddenly Sven brightened up and put a few more coins on the counter. “Have a few on me too! I need to go scrounge up my next assignment."

  Once he was outside, the night air was biting, and Sven sobered up far quicker than he wanted as he walked through the sleeping city, pondering the week ahead. He didn’t actually need to scrounge up more work. He already had two more escort jobs, both for more C-Rankers seeking shortcuts to get stronger.

  I really should give the hydra a break. It really isn’t right for me to be coming back so often. Maybe I should hit another dungeon, one a little farther afield. There was one in the Northern Canyon, a day's ride away, that might be a good fit. A change of pace, too, with all the slimes who populated the dungeon. It would be good for the parties to get some practice sleeping rough, camping, hunting for food without drawing attention from monsters and enemies.

  As he walked across a deserted square, lost in thought, a young woman's voice called out after him and interrupted his thoughts.

  "Hey, sir!" she said. "Want to buy a flower? You look like you could use something to cheer you up."

  Sven looked around, surprised.

  "Me? Right now?" he said. It had gotten late, and the moonlight glimmered on the cobblestones. He hadn't expected to find anyone still awake.

  "Yes," said the voice, coming closer. "I'm out, you're out—why not? Flowers are great. I’m sure you’ve got somebody that would like some."