Morning sunlight poured through the streets of Silverhaven like golden wine. The market was already alive with noise, calls from fruit sellers, clattering wagon wheels, and the rhythmic clang of hammers from distant forges. The scent of bread mingled with the sharp tang of heated metal and oil.
Selena stood in front of the Adventurer Training Hall, her eyes wide as she stared up at the arched stone doorway. Above it, carved into granite, was the inscription
Here begins the path of steel, spell, and shadow.
Today, she would choose her class.
Selena: I'm ready,
she whispered to herself, clenching her fists with determination.
Meanwhile, Red had taken a different path.
The sound of hammer against steel echoed like war drums through the thick air as Red stepped into Oki's forge. The building wasn't much from the outside, weather-worn oak beams, soot-stained stone walls, but inside, the heat radiated like a dragon's breath, and the heart of the forge burned with an unrelenting fire.
Dwarf Oki: Oi!
bellowed a voice, half-drowned by the roar of the furnace.
Dwarf Oki: That you, Black Knight?
Red ducked under the low archway, his black cloak brushing against the warm stone.
Red: Oki,
he greeted simply.
The dwarf emerged from behind an anvil, his beard slicked with sweat and soot. His leather apron was scorched and stained, but his hands were steady, calloused from a lifetime of hammering steel. His arms, thick as tree trunks, flexed as he wiped them with a cloth.
Dwarf Oki: Haven't seen your ugly helmet in a while, Oki said, grinning.
Dwarf Oki: Armor holding up, or did you finally decide to stop getting stabbed for a living?
Red unslung his gear and placed it on the workbench. His twin swords, jet-black with crimson etchings, glinted faintly even in the dim light. His armor followed, plates dented, the chestpiece scorched and gouged, one vambrace nearly split.
Red: Had a rough trip north
Red said, arms crossed.
Red: Need it looked over.
Oki whistled low.
Dwarf Oki: Looks like you walked through a fire and wrestled a wyvern on the way out.
Red: Bandits, Thirty of them.
The dwarf barked a laugh.
Dwarf Oki: That's more like it!
He hefted the sword first, inspecting the edge, turning it against the light.
Dwarf Oki: These still cut?
Red: Well enough
Dwarf Oki: Well enough' doesn't cut it with blades like these. These ain't your standard forge steel. These are forged from blackblood iron, only found in volcanic pits. You want 'em sharp enough to split goblin skulls or soft enough to bounce off leather?
Red: Sharp.
Dwarf Oki: Then I need time.
Red: How long?
Dwarf Oki: Three days. I'll reinforce the edge, fix the enchantment lines, and refit the armor plates while I'm at it. You want the usual silent-treatment polish, or you finally gonna let me decorate that coffin armor of yours?
Red: Leave it as it is.
Dwarf Oki: Thought so.
As the dwarf set to work, Red leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the flames lick the edge of the steel. Oki worked in rhythm, sparks flying with each precise blow of the hammer. The forge breathed like a living creature.
Dwarf Oki: So...
Oki said without looking up
Dwarf Oki: how's the girl?
Red: Training today
Oki chuckled.
Dwarf Oki: And you're not there to watch? You? The overprotective iron statue?
Red: She has to decide who she is without me hovering.
Dwarf Oki: Fair, She still actin' like a kicked puppy around other girls?
Red gave a noncommittal grunt.
Dwarf Oki: Figured. Can't say I blame her. You drag a girl out of slavery, feed her, clothe her, teach her to fight, save villages with her, of course she's gonna imprint on you like a baby duck.
Red: She's stronger than that.
Dwarf Oki: She is,
Oki agreed, lifting a blade to the grindstone. Sparks burst like fireworks.
Dwarf Oki: But don't forget, Black Knight, hearts are soft, even when covered in armor.
Red didn't respond. Instead, he walked to the window that overlooked the central square, where the training hall sat across the plaza. His eyes narrowed. He could see the faint movement of students inside, wooden swords clashing, a flash of robes from would-be mages.
And in the middle of them, a figure in white and black leather, stumbling awkwardly through dagger forms. Selena.
He allowed himself a faint smile.
Inside the hall, Selena was overwhelmed, but thrilled.
Rows of trainers lined the far wall, each representing a class: swordsman, mage, archer, assassin, guardian, and more. At a central pedestal sat a robed official, old and wise-eyed, who oversaw class initiations.
Class Changer: All right, next! he called.
Selena stepped forward, biting her lip nervously.
Class Changer: Name?
Selena: S-Selena. Just Selena.
Class Changer: Confirmed. Rookie rank, one registered quest. You have passed basic evaluation and may now choose your adventurer path.
A glowing sigil appeared behind the official, displaying shimmering class symbols.
Class Changer: Each class offers a core affinity, the official intoned.
Class Changer: Blade, bow, spell, stealth, or support. Choose carefully, for your body and soul will begin shaping to your path.
Selena looked over them. Swordsman was tempting, but too broad. Mage? She'd almost burned herself with a cooking fire once. Archer? She couldn't even aim straight. Guardian? She was strong, but still small.
Her eyes settled on the rogue class. Stealth. Speed. Daggers.
She smiled. That felt right.
Selena: Rogue, she said confidently.
Class Changer: Very well. Step into the circle.
She did, and the world around her pulsed with light. Magic surged through the stone, through her boots, up her spine. She gasped...sensation washing over her like cold water and fire all at once.
When it passed, she stood, tingling, panting slightly. Her daggers shimmered faintly with enchantment now. Her stance… felt different. Balanced.
Class Changer: Selena the Rogue, the official said.
Class Changer: May your path be swift and your steps silent.
Red watched from the distance, arms still folded. He said nothing as Oki came up behind him, wiping sweat from his brow.
Dwarf Oki: She chose her class,
Red gave a slow nod.
Red: Rogue. Fitting.
Red: She's fast, Instinctive. Her heart's too loud for an assassin, and she's not cruel enough to enjoy killing.
Dwarf Oki: But strong enough to survive.
Red looked down at the twin sword hilts resting on the workbench.
Red: That's the part that scares me.
Oki clapped him on the shoulder.
Dwarf Oki: You're doing fine, lad. She'll make her own way.
Red said nothing, but the faint flicker of pride in his eyes said everything.
And back in the training yard, Selena lunged toward a training dummy, then missed, tripped, and slammed face-first into the dirt.
Selena: Ugh!
She rolled onto her back, dazed.
"Careful" one of the instructors said with a chuckle.
Selena: I meant to do that!
Selena shouted, pumping her fist in the air.
But as she lay on her back, staring at the sky, her lips slowly curved into a smile.
Her journey had only just begun.