A warm breeze entered the room where the sleeping human was having a very uneasy and unpleasant sleep. It carried with it a few grains of sand and a smell of piss, which both decided to embed themselves into Melkor's face, resulting in a less than pleasant waking up.
This night hadn't been very restful, quite the contrary actually. While he knew that nothing was actually in this room with him last night, the feeling of uneasiness and his growing paranoia made it almost impossible for him to sleep.

The potion given to him last night had kicked into effect, Melkor awoke without the immediate desire to end his life, the pain had actually faded and his burns have healed nicely. He tried moving his right arm and it obeyed him without any issue. A feeling of joy overcame the human who then burst out of his bed with the energy of a child that had discovered red bull for the first time.
As he sprung up he noticed that he was still fatigued, very much so actually. The potion must have had its limits, all these things are still so alien to him, Melkor actually spent the next ten minutes or so admiring his newly healed body in the sole mirror that hung in the room.

"This is crazy..." He turned around a few times, it seems everything was absolutely fine, a reason to celebrate and start the day with a smile. "I still can't believe some of the things that are possible here! I wonder if this works with severed limbs as well." He trailed off in thought and decided it would be better to not experience that firsthand.
He was hungry as hell and could really go for some food, hopefully, it wasn't another sprouts day.

Downstairs there was a large gathering of minotaurs of all shapes and sizes. He had never seen the gathering room this full before, it seems that today was some sort of occasion he had no idea about, he walked down the floor and into the large room.
As his feet carried him into the hall, he could already smell what had these cows so excited, this foul stench that filled the air and brought tears to his eyes.

Melkor sighed and slumped his shoulders, this could only mean one thing- "Sprout day." He hissed under his breath. The other members of the association couldn't get enough of them, it was some sort of delicacy for these people.
The human wasn't having any of it though and proceeded to walk over to the table containing his squad comrades.
The table was filled with familiar faces, Terror, War, and Steel all sat down and happily ate their sprouts with strong beer and what seemed to be the Orin equivalent of tequila.
The smell almost had him throw up in his mouth but he managed to suppress the urge and rather sit down with his colleagues.
All eyes fell on him as he sat down in his fresh white and grey clothes, seemingly unphased by the fight he and Jerb were in.

"Good morning fellas, how do you do?" He gave Terry and War a shit-eating grin and a small wink towards Durant Steel who was blushing a bit under her fur.
The old minotaur dropped a sprout he held in his hands- "How the fuck are you walking?" a bewildered look could be seen in his eyes.
War opened his mouth next. "You were supposed to be out for three weeks at least brother, that damage couldn't have healed overnight!" Unlike Terry, the black minotaur didn't stop eating while talking, he rather proceeded to stuff his face while doing so.

"Is your species regenerative or something? I mean good for you, but you could have told us earlier." Terry finished his sentence with a light chuckle. The female minotaur at the table shifted a bit uneasily and tried to hide a sheepish grin, which in turn got noticed by the squad leader. "Steel, you had your hand in this right?" He raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Yeah, sorry Terry. I just wanted to help, and I told him that favor from the boss requires a favor in return! It's not like I said everything will be fine and all your worries will wash away, I specifically said that the boss will have a mission for him if he wants that potion." She made her point, it is as said, she warned him of the danger and he accepted it without any hesitation.

"I should have known, no one likes to be bedridden for long and the idea of having all of your pain go away overnight almost seems too good to be true for some. But listen to me Melkor, what you have done is not something to be taken lightly! The boss is a strict man and he demands that all of his requests be met, if you fail your mission that is it, he will sell you off into slavery or have you executed for wasting his materials. The quest that will be given to you is going to be hard and will probably take time to complete. There is no turning back now boy, so you better pray that your task will be doable!" Terry raised his voice and increased the volume as he went on with his monologue, it seems that his own task left him with quite the impression.

"Wow, I didn't think about it like that Terry, I guess I was desperate to feel better... I hated the fact that I was chained to my bed while the guy who did this to me is probably off somewhere getting a reward. My sword got annihilated, and he threatened to kill my friend Jerb, so I guess my rage blinded me. Maybe it still does."
Melkor tried his best to sound sincere, the truth is that he actually didn't listen well enough to Steels explanation of the situation.

Terry gave him a look of understanding and patted him on the shoulder. "You're young and full of energy, revenge is something young warriors constantly think about, so don't blame yourself. The reason you had was valid to you, and that's what makes it the right decision on your part, no one else can make decisions for you kid. I also took the favor of the boss once, I nearly died back then but it also changed who I was. This quest will be a test of your skill, but also nourishment for you, it will give you room to grow. I do not doubt your skill Mel, and I have no doubt you can do it." He looked at the human with a melancholic smile and once again patted his back, before returning to his now cold plate of sprouts.

Mel then looked on the floor, a feeling of shame overcame him, had he thought about this more carefully he wouldn't find himself this deep in the shit. A few weeks of bed rest compared to a mission that could very well spell out the end of your life. Revenge wasn't worth dying, and the chance that he was to find his attacker is microscopic. His mind started to race and his vision became blurred. Thoughts about his situation started to shoot through him, growing darker and darker by the minute. What would happen to him now? Would he fail, and what if he failed? He didn't want to die or to spend his remaining days as a slave. His breaths became shorter, and his heart rate spiked.

A few moments later, after almost everyone had left the dining area, Melkor still sat there, lost in thought. A large sweat had built upon his forehead and his body temperature was almost at the point of producing steam again. It was almost time for him to receive his mission, what would it be?

A concerned black minotaur approached the human.

"Mel, is everything alright?" Raging War sat down beside his comrade, using the absence of his friends to get some time to talk to Melkor alone.
Our hero snapped out of his trance as he felt the vibration of War sitting down next to him.

"Hmm, what?" He asked quickly, turning his head frantically to the minotaur.

"You're not looking too good buddy, is it diarrhea? If so then you should eat-" War found himself surprised at the hand that clasped over his mouth.

"No it's not diarrhea you idiot," Melkor said, trying not to think about the subject, "I am just worried that I won't make the mission, and that I'll fail. I left Terry and Steel worried and I can't help the feeling that I let you guys down."

Raging war just gave him a look of sympathy.
"You know, I was the one who first noticed you back there in the desert. At first, I thought you might be a wild creature coming to eat us, so I instinctively tried to attack and murder you. When I found out you were smart and could talk, I was still on edge about whether or not I should trust you, I have had bad experiences with trusting people too fast. But I felt something when you pierced my shoulder with my blade that day... you had something that makes a warrior, you showed initiative and some unorthodox movements, and I respected you after that. But what really makes you great my friend, is your team effort, you plunged into that diamond dog camp with us and threw yourself in the fight without hesitation, willing to put everything on the line for a group of strangers that you've met in the desert, that is when you earned my trust."

He gave his friend a large smile and looked him in the eyes afterward. Melkor was a bit baffled that the guy could form such long sentences when all he previously heard from him were one-liners, battle cries, or insults.

"And what happened in the streets during your patrol was something that impressed many of us. You showed selflessness for a friend, you risked your life and fought like a madman just to help Jerb get out of there. That was the moment I realized trusting you is not good enough, you are someone I admire. After Steel told me what you have been through I was even more impressed by you Melkor, and I want to tell you, that you are a man I would be proud to call my shield-brother."

After finishing his sentence, Raging War took his jug and downed his drink in one go, it seems to talk this much had exhausted him as well as dried out his throat.

"Wow man, I don't know what to say except thank you... I didn't know you could be such a softie." Melkor punched the shoulder of his friend and gave him a big grin. This was a confidence boost he direly needed, he has indeed shown some weird mannerisms and behaviors to these people. It was very unusual to adapt as fast as he did, but for him, this was always something he'd dreamed about. Magic, adventure, and a thrilling life were all the things he longed for when reading novels and books back home.

'He's right, I can't doubt myself, I am not a small boy anymore, I am a magic-wielding mercenary, fighting in a land of criminals!' He slapped himself on both cheeks really hard and regained his senses.

It was like a train had hit him in the head and made him realize what a bitch he had been. He would pull this thing off, and no one would be able to stop him.

Melkor stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, before turning to his friend War and giving him a sly look.

"Wanna spar for a bit?" He asked in a confident voice while giving War a look that screamed, come at me.
The minotaur responded accordingly and narrowed his eyes, a large toothy grin forming from his mouth.
"I thought you'd never ask."

This time, Raging War wasn't going to hold back at all.

Author's Note

A little relaxed chapter, and Melkor having to deal with some shit. Look forward to the next time, where we get a rematch between our eager human and a minotaur that will probably go all out this time!