I hate walking a lot. Now more than ever, considering it's been another 2 hours since we've set foot on the blazing horizon. Thankfully though, they have supplies like water, and I even got to eat some bread; now, I finally learn to appreciate small things. My flesh wound has been sloppily bandaged with some alcohol and some herbs I have no idea about, but let me tell you, It does not feel like putting on a fucking plaster. I have also abandoned my shoes and my shirt, the shoes because they were drowning in my gross sweat, and the shirt because it was hot enough already.

We came by some places that looked like they weren't designed to end your life, but instead seeming like life could and will flourish there. A mountain pass to our right, which had dirt and grass to some extend, a little stream that flows down the brown, smooth rocks. That was nice for a change.

But back to my problems!

I still don't know where I am or who these 'people' are exactly. Maybe I should ask. Yep, I'll do that; why didn't that come to mind earlier It's been like 3 hours already since I've met them.... and beat one of them half to death.
The heat was almost unbearable, and the sweat that was dripping into my fresh wound, making it sting like crazy, didn't help either.
I decided to break the ice with these guys and ask them about our current situation. Hey, What could go wrong? I mean, they willingly accepted me into.....whatever this is.

"So, I have several questions," I said.

"Aye? Oh well, ask away, we've got time." The brown Minotaur said while turning his head towards my direction.

"First of all, who exactly are you?" I think that question was appropriate, considering I would probably spend some time with these fine gentlemen.

Turning around with a smile on his face, he hit himself on the head; then, he got ready to answer the question.

"Of course, how could we forget to Introduce ourselves? Let me fill you in on the team! Well, there's the big guy with a hole in his shoulder, named Raging War. The best warrior of the Squad and our professional for heavy weapons. " He pointed to the black minotaur of the group.

The fellow he talked about didn't say anything, just weirdly smirked at me.... this guy seriously gives me goosebumps, and not the kind you'd want.

"Then we have Durant Steel." He gestured to the female walking beside him. "She is the one responsible for any kind of ranged combat. She has all of the bows and arrows and one heck of an aim."

She looked over and wore a big smile, "Nice to officially meet you, new guy!".

"And lastly, there's me, Reigning Terror, the brain behind the team, just lemme do your thinking, and all should be fine." He gave me a genuine smile; actually kind of nice to know these are decent people, I was kinda worried they would eat me at some point, but I think I can sleep at night without having to worry for my bowels.

The breeze that was slowly brushing against me and the others was actually relaxing and comforting, a nice exchange from the hell resort that I have been through these last few days. Having someone to talk to while also feeling protected is a really nice change of pace and one that I gravely needed.

We have walked for quite some time now again; the sun was slowly setting, the orange glow emitting from the distant horizon complimenting the distant mountain lines to our left. I have to give this place some credit for Its beautiful weather and sky; it surpasses the one I know.
Terry signaled for us to make rest near some trees that gave a little shade. Hell yeah, finally some shade on my aching loins.

War sat down and brought out his claymore. To no surprise, he started to sharpen it with a whetstone.
Steel just leaned against a tree while also checking her equipment and taking out something to nibble on.
I just rested on the ground next to a bush, which smelled pretty good. Like, an exotic flower, kind of hard to describe.
At least I'm traveling with the company now; this could have all turned out a lot worse.
Terry sat down beside War and pulled out a map, which immediately brought up my interest in the second question that I had.

"Where are we?" I know, I know, pretty fucking smart question. But I gotta learn about my surroundings somehow, don't I?

So he whipped around his map and showed me our current location. We are near some sort of river, and we are almost at our destination, it seems, hence the big red X marking our target. Nice, I could use some actual beds and hygiene.

"The place you are currently In Melkor is the land of refugees and outlaws, the great land of Orin, ruled by Diamond dog organizations which are hated by everyone with a burning passion" He then spat on the ground. "Fucking greedy bastards. We are currently traveling to the town of Dorne, the filthiest piece of land you'll ever find anywhere, But It's our home, which lies an hour or two north-east. Once we are there, we'll meet up with the rest of our Warband, and you can officially join us in our mercenary quests. As of now, you are not hired yet; you'll need to prove yourself to the chieftain, but don't worry, we'll handle that for you." Terry said, smiling at me.

"When you are assigned to a squad, you can choose a weapon and a set of armor, we look out for each other, kid, and once you're part of the family, we will protect each other until the ends of the world."

He gave me a reassuring look, with a stern look in his eyes.

Somehow I kinda liked the thought of a life like this, friends everywhere and watching out for each other, meanwhile getting to live the adventures I have always dreamed of.
And of course, I can use them for my success and stuff; I think I will enjoy my stay in this world from now on. My motivations are simple, live my life to the fullest.
I reached into the bag they gave me and pulled out a bottle of water; I had a sip and stared into the distance and the setting sun, ah how I enjoyed this little moment right now.

Weird feeling being in a new land and all that stuff, but you know, I just gotta roll with it for now, and the idea seems pretty fun. My chest pain was almost gone too.
I wish I had a guitar to play in moments like this, but sadly I never really learned it, a shame really; I love the guitar, hmm, maybe someday. But as of now, I'll have to be content with what I've got.

It has gotten dark by now; we packed our stuff and got ready to move again; it actually wasn't that cold, considering the nights in a desert are supposed to be freezing.

Terry took out a torch and held his hand above it.

"Ignite" Just when he said that, his hand lit up, and a small fireball came out, igniting the torch. What the actual fuck?

I was just standing there with my jaw on the ground; he turned to me and let out a snarky laugh, "What's the matter, kid, never seen magic before?" He asked me in a joking way.

"No, I didn't believe it existed; where I come from, there is no such thing as magic. A legend at best." I just was at a loss for words.
I wanna learn that. I soooo want to learn that.

So, of course I was instantly in his face.

"Can you teach me?" I said in the most hopeful tone I could possibly muster.

"Huh? You wanna learn magic? Most people look ill upon it, you know?" He said, his voice concerned.

"I was never so sure about anything in my life!" I was bursting with envy and enthusiasm.

I always had a thing for magic back in America; oooh, the days of Skyrim being just a dream are finally over; I'm gonna git gud in this world! This is literally a dream come true for me. Imagine all of the possibilities.

"Well, if you're this determined, who am I to deny a young novice his wish?" I could kiss this guy right now, but I should probably not, I doubt these guys are Italian.

"Thank you, Reigning Terror!" I said as genuinely as I could and gave him a warm smile.

"No problem, kid!" He gave me a smile in return. "You can call me Terry, by the way."

We then marched into the night and onto our destination, the moon, which I saw surprisingly little during the rest of my stay here in Orin, funny actually since I am a person who enjoys a night when it's at its best the stars ignite the sky.

Huh...
Where is all this poetry coming from? Sometimes I surprise and scare myself.

As we walked, we once again wandered through seemingly endless hills and hills of sand and rock, nothing but sand and rock and occasionally dirt. But as we walked, flora and fauna grew richer as we went by land.
More interesting sights to see, like a formation of rocks, housed a cave full of glowing mushrooms or some fungus. We walked further and soon came across a small stream that was filled with all sorts of amphibians, like toads or snakes. It's Interesting how lively it becomes once you change the habitat.
I drank some of the water while also looking out not to swallow any lifeforms.

We continued along the river, and It was pitch black now, except for the occasional star.

At some point, I began to see some lights glowing not so far in the distance, must be a campfire, so I told my companions about it.

"Guys, there's a campfire to our left, it could be bandits or something like that." I pointed out while tapping on Terry's shoulder

He turned around and looked me in the eye; not sure what to make of this situation, I kept quiet.
He seemed to think about the situation, about the pros and cons, you know what I mean.

"Good thinking Melkor, if they spot us, they might chase or hunt us down; it's best if we surprise them. Thought like a real mercenary kid, you're learning fast!" He unsheathed his falchion while War just grabbed his claymore, and Steel took out her bow.

"Guys, do you have a spare weapon?" I asked the group.

"Here, you can have this." War just tossed me a katana, a slightly short one, but I won't complain.

"Give it back though. You'll get your own weapon once we're back home, brother." He gave me a wink... ugh.

Terry signaled for all of us to get low and slowly move over to the bonfire.
We covered the ground between us and the camp pretty slowly.

God above, am I really gonna experience my first real fight right now? I am scared and anxious, but also pretty excited.
I just gotta try and take out some of these guys stealthy, as Solid Snake would.
And no stepping on twigs or something like that, clumsy as I am, it wouldn't surprise me, though.

Steel positioned herself about 25 meters away on a hill where she had a perfect overview of the camp.
While we still crept forward towards the campsite.

We lay down in the sand, and we saw the full site.

Terry and War analyzed the situation.

"Yup, rouge diamond dogs, carrying gold and gems around. About eight of em'. We can take them easily, if Steel gives us to cover, It will be a breeze." Said our tactical leader.

There was a lightly armored dog standing guard next to the fire. The rest were sleeping in their tents or resting against the treasure.

"Steel will take out the guard; if he alarms the others before he dies, use the confusion and kill as many as you can, got it?" He looked at me, waiting for my response.
"Got it" I nodded with eagerness.

Then it all began; I drew my katana and waited for Terry's signal.

He raised his hand, and Steel shot her arrow; it soared through the sky so fast, it was almost impossible to see.
It hit its mark, with a gross wet sound the arrow pierced the neck of the canine, and he released a horrible sound, before falling with to the ground like a wet sack.

Then we started our offensive.
I jumped up from my position and hopped over the dead guard, and I locked onto my target.

I sprinted towards the one nearest to my position; he was just waking up. Poor bastard, I jumped up with my katana facing downwards; he only got one glimpse at me before I penetrated his chest with my stab, leaving him breathless and dead before I knew it. Holy shit, I just killed someone! No time to think about it! Stay focused.

I sheathed my short blade and took his bastard sword, which had a better weight and length.
War was in a fight with two of them, while Terry tossed aside another dead one.
Now the whole camp had been woken up, and this was the part where things got fun.

I quickly rushed to the help of War, as I got tackled by a brown mutt, with some heavier armor on; this one was made out of strong leather. He pinned me to the ground, and my arms tried to hold him off, but he was too heavy, like for a dog. He tried to bite my neck and shoulders, but I was holding against him with my sword.

"You bastards attack our camp? Those are our gems! You will die!" He screamed at me while his breath and saliva made me nauseous.

I reached to my side and found my katana in its sheath; while he tried to chew my face off, I grabbed the blade and rammed it into the side of his ribs. He howled in pain and lost focus of the moment; that's when I kicked him off me, he crashed into a tent.

I quickly got up and ran towards him, he shook the blow off, but I was too fast this time, I gave a good slash with the sword. I hit the throat of the bastard, and blood was gushing out like crazy. He tried to fight back, but then he just fell over dead. God, I have a talent for this. Or these guys are just shit; it could also be the case.

I quickly shrugged my morals off and turned around to see that War was grabbing one of the dogs by the windpipe.
The other one of the attackers had an arrow stuck in his back. As I searched for Terry, the gruesome sound of a windpipe being crushed filled my ears. Dammit, I didn't want a bloodbath this early; I just thought we should make sure they miss us.

Another one rushed towards me, this one white, he held a spear in his hands.
You could really tell he was about to shit himself; genuine terror was written all over his face.

He poked the tip towards me, but I sidestepped it and brought my sword down, slamming it to the ground.
Looking down, he gulped and ran towards me, screaming all the while.

As he got closer, I readied my sword and stepped forward, Impaling the poor dog.
The bandit didn't realize he was being pierced by a sword and just tried to get to me, so I pulled the sword out, and he tried to lunge at me again, his guts and blood now showing.

That normally works in video games, but he's still alive.

He coughed up blood, and his march came to an end. While letting out a ghostly whiff, he too fell to the ground.
Terry came from the back of the big camp and brought out a severed head; oh god, come on, this is tasteless!

"That's all of em!" He said. "Good job, team! Especially you, Melkor. Are those tactics from back home? You're a natural." He smiled at me. And then he broke my back with his hand, no I'm just kidding, but the pain from that back pat was Insane.

I have to say, accomplishing something like this really fills me with confidence, fear, and, somehow joy.
And knowing that I'm not going to be all alone makes this a lot easier to adapt to.

War came out of a tent, looking down.

"I only got one kill; what's the deal with that? And they were total pushovers! I alone could have taken dozens of these babies down! Damn diamond dogs, it's like I'm fighting children!" He was pretty frustrated about that, huh. You could see on his face that it actually bothered him; this guy has some issues to figure out yeesh.

Steel joined us too, and we began to loot.
There was quite a bit of gold and jewelry, we split them. I got about a hundred pieces of gold, and all the rubies, which were 25.

"Come on guys, Dorne is just behind that hill back there!" Steel gestured to a certain location, and we then continued our journey. The coolness of the night began to slowly fade away, and the blood on my body began to dry.

The sun was rising, and the warmth of the day came back to us, filling my spirits with energy, although I am pretty tired from walking and fighting so much. I have fought now with these guys, and I will continue my story from here on, with them probably. I really hope I can trust them.
We then climbed the hill, and we saw the city of thieves and criminals.

"There you have it, kiddo, Dorne, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Said Terry, in a weirdly familiar way. We then proceeded to walk towards it.

The city stretched pretty far for a criminal hive; it seemed like there were at least a few thousand lowlifes located here.
There was a crude wooden wall around it, and the gate was guarded by dogs clad in armor that looks like it has been in use for quite some time already. Overall these guys did not seem motivated OR qualified to be on guard, as half of them weren't even paying attention to us approaching.

After a few glances and stares from the guards, we entered the city gates. I was immediately reminded of the slums in India or Brazil, not the kind of place where you'd raise your kids but also not the worst thing possible, but one could tell that this particular town was filled with a lot of shifty individuals.

Somehow I didn't feel as uncomfortable as I probably should have, which may sound weird but I have definitely seen worse, ever seen a german public bathroom? Ugh...

Of course, when you are the only human around you get all kinds of weird stares pointed at you, overall I had a bad feeling about this place. Just a big old uneasiness creeping down my spine.
We made it into a dark and shifty alleyway. Great, this is how robberies start, BUT then again we are armed.
We didn't get much to see of the cities at all except the dirty streets and the smelly bars until we've reached our destination.
Before I stood a pretty big building, like an old Mexican villa but very worn down, and decorated to the brim with trophies and skulls and other charming decors.
We then entered, and it didn't take long before I was immediately greeted by about 50 other Minotaur's who stared at me like I was the next big attraction at the zoo.

And I thought, well this is going to be fun!

Author's Note

Thank you guys for your support and sorry for the long wait! 💖
And if you spot errors or have any complaints please tell me :D