No Other Choice

Arinelle stalked through the grounds of the Cathedral toward the Rectory. The combination of her grim expression, rather than her usual pleasant smile, the torn, bloody, and grimy Priestess dress, and the slightly dented shield with the crest of Loreali had Acolytes skittering out of her way. She didn’t seem to notice.

She was annoyed. Mostly at herself, truth be told. She’d rushed in when she should have shown caution. The enemy had been much stronger than she’d anticipated and her armor had not been as effective as it usually was. She’d taken too many hits, fallen to the golems’ fists. She had been dispatched so quickly!

Entering her room, she tossed the dented shield onto the floor where it clanged against a chair and then began divesting herself of her ruined gown, the chainmail, and undergarments. The scrapes and bruises across her skin would heal quickly enough, she knew.

Perhaps this was not her path to walk? Healing she could do. She was skilled in it. But if these golems were the type of enemy the Adventurer’s Guild was expecting them to take on, she did not have the fortitude to take that amount of damage and her armor was ineffective against them.

Slipping on a robe, she headed to the shared bathroom down the hall and began to draw a bath, thankful for the indoor plumbing and elemental-heated water. She slid into the water and closed her eyes.

How could she protect them if she could not withstand the blows?

How could she meet her Destiny if she continued to fall in battle?

She had to work harder. Train harder. Focus. Discipline. Responsibility.

There was no other choice. She had to be Prepared.