You know you're not ready for fame when you flee town because too many fanboys try to hand you their mixtapes.
We left the Guild Trials early.
Yes, again.
Scene: Dirt Road to the Desert Frontier
"Tell me again why we're doing a freelance quest in the middle of nowhere?" I asked, clinging to the back of Kaela's boar mount like a poorly secured lunchbox.
"Because you broke a Diamond-ranked mage in public," Kaela replied, her ears flicking with irritation. "Now every elite guild wants to test you."
"And because someone"—Lina shot a glare at me—"registered our guild as 'Available for Hire' on a freelancer board. With a 20% discount."
I coughed. "Brand awareness?"
"You spelled 'Heroic Services' as 'Herotic Servings,'" Iris said blankly, scanning her grimoire.
"That's a typo."
"That's a summoning fetish."
Quest: Defend Duneveil Village from Bandit Raids.
The quest sounded simple. Show up. Look heroic. Punch a few guys. Get paid in desert melons or something.
What we got instead?
Sandstorms. Lizard scorpions. Zero Wi-Fi.
And an entire village of terrified people who looked at us like we were either angels or walking punchlines.
"Blessings of the sand goddess upon you," said the elder, eyes wide. "You're younger than expected."
"And dressed… quite modernly," added an old woman, side-eyeing Lina's crop top.
"It breathes!" Lina protested.
Nightfall: Guard Duty Begins
We took shifts patrolling the village perimeter.
Kaela sat silently on a rooftop, petting a grumpy badger-hawk hybrid. Lina dozed near the well, a fireball floating above her like a sleepy torch.
Iris stood alone beneath a palm tree, the moonlight catching her silver hair.
And I…
I tripped over a bucket and nearly dislocated my spine.
"You okay?" Iris asked, not looking up from her book.
"Fine. Just… soaking up the atmosphere. And some sand. Into my pants."
"Very heroic."
Sudden Alarm: Sand Thieves Raid!
It started with howls in the wind.
Then came masked raiders on dune runners, kicking up storms and screaming nonsense like "FORK OVER THE MELONS!"
"Really?" I muttered. "Is melon crime… a thing?"
Lina leapt into action, hurling fiery orbs. Kaela whistled, summoning a desert wolf pack. I tried to be helpful by yelling "You got this!" in increasingly heroic tones.
But one thief slipped past the chaos — and headed straight toward a terrified little girl trapped near a broken wall.
Then, everything stopped.
Literally.
Dust froze midair. The wind paused. The screaming fell silent.
Only Iris moved — her boots clicking softly as she approached the girl with unsettling calm.
She knelt. Whispered something. Touched the girl's shoulder.
Then time resumed.
The girl had somehow "dodged" the bandit by pure miracle — or so everyone thought.
Iris stood quietly in the shadows, unreadable as always.
I watched her from across the battlefield.
"…Was that you?" I asked when it was over.
She blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about."
I smiled. "Right. Must've been the sand goddess."
The Aftermath
The villagers cheered.
We were given a basket of melons, three handmade cloaks, and a chicken named Snuffles as a reward.
"Not bad for our first real heroic mission," I said, proudly patting Snuffles.
Kaela grunted. "Mmm. You only screamed once this time."
Lina snorted. "Progress."
Iris didn't speak — just gazed quietly at the moon again, her expression unreadable.
But I noticed her glancing at the rescued girl.
And I knew.
End of Chapter 25