Erk's Life
Chapter One: The beginning
Erk's POV
" Erk! Erk, wake up!" Lord Pent was yelling from downstairs. I woke up and then yelled, " I'm coming!" I went downstairs to see what he could want." You're finally awake, I see. I need to show you something." Lord Pent said just as I walked into view. He picked up a slip of parchment that sat on a nearby table. " It says here that an escort is needed to escort a frail priestess to Ostia. Yesterday, you asked me if I could help you find a way to earn some money. It says here that if she arrives safe and sound, you will get paid 10,000 gold." Lord Pent said. " How do I get the job?" I asked." You just need to go to the center of town tomorrow at noon and meet her there." Lord Pent answered. " Okay. I'm going to go back to bed now." I said, realizing how tired I was even though it was probably only a few hours before noon. I was probably tired because I was up late last night studying. In fact, I was so tired I tripped halfway up the stairs. " Erk, were you up late last night studying again?" Lord Pent had asked me right after I got to the top of the stairs. " I wasn't up that late." I said. Then, I went to my room, got back into bed, and fell asleep. I probably didn't wake up again until a few hours past noon. I didn't even realize this until I looked out the window and saw the sun a little more than halfway across the sky. "I need to stop staying up late just to study." I said to myself. Then, I got out of bed and went downstairs.
Pent's POV
" Erk is always studying. He needs to go outside every once in a while, even if it's just for an hour or so." I thought. " I even remember one time when he was about twelve, he would always study all the time, sometimes forgetting to eat and sleep. Eventually, when he did go outside, he just collapsed. That's why I tell him he shouldn't lock himself in his room and study day and night." I said to myself while remembering the very first day I met Erk. Then I realized Erk had come downstairs. He then asked me for more information about the person he needs to escort. When I told him that I didn't know anything else, he walked down the hall, probably on his way to the library to find something to read. He always reads if he's not studying. At nightfall, he came back from the library. He said he was going to bed early so that he would be ready for tomorrow.
Erk's POV
"I need to get some sleep if I want to be ready for tomorrow." I had told Lord Pent just before I went to bed. I woke up early (Early for me, that is) and packed my bag. I packed some gold, some food, and a tent. I still have another hour before I have to go and find the priestess I had to escort. When I had to leave, Lady Louise told me to be careful. She was always worried about me. I told her I would be careful and then I walked out the door. I went to the center of town and then someone ran up to me. She had pink hair tied into two ponytails and she carried a staff. Then I realized she must be the priestess I was asked to escort. Then she said she needed help to find someone who had purple hair who was supposed to escort her to Ostia. Then she realized that I must have been the person. The first thing people realize about me is my hair. Then the girl said her name was Serra. She told me I was so late that she was starting to think about going to Ostia alone. I was only a few minutes late. She was probably just saying that because she probably had nothing else to talk about. After we left town, I found out I was wrong. She kept talking, and talking, and talking, and talking without stopping. She talked about how cute the animals were, and who her friends were. I had the feeling that this was going to be a long trip.
Chapter Two: The long road to Ostia
Erk's POV
" Would you please be quiet?" I asked Serra as she started talking about where she grew up. "It's almost nightfall. I'm sure the animals would love to sleep without you waking them up. We'd better get our tents set up before it's too dark to see." I said, trying to get her to focus on more important things like finding somewhere to put the tents. " Dark? I hate the dark! That's when all the spiders and bugs come out!" Serra shouted. She told me to set up the tents right where we were because she didn't want to run into something big and scary like a bear. " Erk, go find some firewood so we won't freeze overnight." She had told me to. " Why do I have to do everything? Can't you just do something by yourself for once?" I asked. " Because, I would probably hurt myself if I tried to set up the tents or try to find fire wood!" she told me. Personally, I think she used that as an excuse so she could just sit there and relax. So I ended up getting the firewood anyway. After I gathered some sticks and tree branches, I was on my way back to the campsite and I tripped over a rock on the ground. I dropped all of the branches I was carrying, hit my knee on the rock, had to pick up everything, and make back to the campsite. That would be pretty easy if I hadn't hit my knee on the rock. I slowly got up and started to pick up the firewood. Then, I staggered to the spot where I set up the tents. "Ow… Ow… Ow…" That was the only word that seemed to be coming out of my mouth. "What are you complaining about?" Serra had asked me as I walked over and dropped the pile of wood. She must have seen my knee just then because she suddenly half asked, half shouted "Oh my god! What happened?" "What?" I asked. "What happened to your knee?" Serra asked. "It's nothing." I said. "Well, if you say so." She said, as she went into her tent. I decided to go into my own tent because I was really tired from having to walk through the woods to get firewood that we didn't even need. Serra made me go through all that trouble just to get firewood we didn't use. Just then, I fell asleep. The next morning, Serra was shouting my name trying to get me to wake up. " Coming!" I yelled. I put away the tent and went over to Serra. " Where do we go next?" I asked. " This way!" Serra said. " Or maybe it was this way… Or this way…" She said. "So what you're saying is that we're lost?" I asked. I was really starting to think that saying that I would escort her to Ostia was a bad idea. This is definitely going to be a long trip.
Chapter Three: Lyn's Legion
Serra's POV
"We're lost! This is all you're fault, Erk!" I yelled as we were trying to find our way through the forest. "You said that you were certain this was the correct path!" Erk yelled. "It was a mistake!" I yelled back. "Just be quiet." Erk said. " Oh look! There's someone fighting over there!" I yelled.
Erk's POV
"The first opportunity to get into trouble and she takes it. No amount of money is worth this." I thought. Then a bandit came out of the bushes. " You're in league with that devil?" He asked. "Eek!" Serra screamed. I was only able to cast one fire spell before he came crashing down on my arm with an axe. I grabbed my arm where the axe had hit. It was bleeding really badly. Then Serra asked me if I was hurt. Obviously. Then she grabbed her heal staff. The wound on my arm closed up instantly. "Thanks." I mumbled. We ended up traveling with the group that was called 'Lyn's Legion'. Apparently, we had to help some girl named Lyn find her grandfather. We had to battle bandits, soldiers, and some other people to get to a castle. There, we had to battle some old person named Lundgren. "You have entered my domain. You will not leave these lands alive!" He shouted as Lyn ran up and jabbed her sword the thick armor covering his entire body. She stuck the sword through his neck and then he said with his last breath "That girl… Nothing but a savage from Sacae…" Then he dropped to the ground and died. As everybody entered the castle, some guy with a weird name said that he was the head servant of the castle. When Lyn asked if she could see her grandfather, he showed her where he was. After that, everybody else was showed to their rooms. I told Serra we would leave in the morning. She was disappointed, but had no choice. The next day, Serra was saying good-bye to everyone. When she finally finished, it was late morning. We left after that and headed in the direction of Ostia. By noon the next day, we finally made it. I collected my payment and headed back to Erturia.
Chapter Four: Back To Erturia
Erk's POV
I need to go all the way back to Erturia. It's probably going to take about three days to get there, but it won't be hard since Serra isn't here. Then I thought " It's actually kind of lonely without Serra here... No! I shouldn't think about her! She was annoying and selfish! " So I just continued walking. Soon, it was nightfall. I decided to keep walking so I could get to Erturia sooner. As I was walking, I tripped over a branch on the ground. I fell into a bush. A bush with thorns. It really really hurt. It took me a while to get all ofthe thorns out my arm, but at least I didn't have to deal with the pain any longer. I decided it would be better to stop and rest for the night. I eventually fell asleep thinking about Serra, of all people. I awoke the next morning and started walking again. Once I reached the outskirts of Erturia, I thought of what it would be like when I get home. Lady Louise would probaly run up and hug saying how much she missed me. Lord Pent would probaly just ask me what happened and why it took so long. Then I thought of Serra. I wondered what she was doing in Ostia. As I was walking, I bumped right into a traveling merchant. " Watch where you're going, you little brat!" He yelled. I just thought how fun it would be to cast a fire spell and give him a burn he would never forget. I kept walking so I wouldn't worry Lord Pent and Lady Louise. I couldn't wait to get home.