The knock on the door was loud enough to rattle the stew pot.
"Kel, if you break my door, I swear—!" Sari stomped over and yanked it open.
Standing there, tall and lanky, was a boy who couldn't have been more than seventeen. His dark hair was wind-mussed, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and his grin stretched ear to ear.
"Sis! You won't believe it!" he burst out before noticing the two guests at the table. His eyes went wide. "Wait... are those—the Dragon Slayers?!"
Arlo and Tessa stiffened in their seats.
"Oh no," Arlo muttered under his breath.
"Oh yes," Tessa whispered grimly.
Kel practically threw himself inside, eyes sparkling like a child spotting candy. "You're really them! Arlo and Tessa! My sister told me everything! How you charged the dragon head-on, how you fought through fire and rubble, how you brought it crashing down!"
Arlo scratched his neck. "...She, uh, left out the part where I nearly got eaten, huh?"
Tessa added dryly, "Or the part where we spent four hours screaming and running in circles."
"Doesn't matter!" Kel said, bouncing on his heels. "You're heroes! And I—I want to learn from you! Make me your apprentice!"
Sari's face turned pale. "Excuse me? No. Absolutely not. Out of the question."
Kel turned to her, pouting like a scolded puppy. "But Sis! You said yourself they survived against impossible odds! If I train under them, I could—"
"You could die!" Sari snapped, slamming the door shut behind him. "Kel, you don't know what it's like. Monsters don't care if you're 'aspiring.' They'll tear you apart before you can even scream."
Kel puffed out his chest, undeterred. "That's why I need them! Look—ever since I was little, I wanted to be a knight or an adventurer. You said so yourself, Sis! I used to swing sticks at trees pretending they were ogres!"
"And the trees won every time," Sari deadpanned.
Arlo tried to hide a snort, which earned him a glare from Sari.
Kel turned to Arlo and Tessa with pleading eyes. "Please. Just take me along! I'll cook, clean, carry stuff—I'll do anything! Just let me tag along!"
Arlo raised his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa. Look, kid, I'm barely surviving as it is. You think I know what I'm doing? My 'training' involves tripping over my own boots until luck kicks in."
"That's still better than nothing!" Kel shot back. "Besides, everyone in town's talking about you! You're Dragon Slayers! You've got titles, respect, prestige! You're basically legends already!"
Arlo and Tessa exchanged looks. Both of them visibly winced.
"Prestige..." Arlo muttered bitterly.
"Respect..." Tessa repeated, sounding like she'd just bitten into a rotten apple.
Sari rubbed her temples. "Kel, you don't understand. The only reason they're still breathing is because sheer stupidity somehow works in their favor. Following them would be like running headfirst into a storm with a lightning rod strapped to your back."
"Sounds thrilling!" Kel grinned.
"Sounds suicidal," Sari shot back.
The argument spiraled for several minutes—Sari yelling, Kel pleading, Arlo awkwardly sipping stew to avoid involvement, and Tessa trying (and failing) to inject reason. Finally, Kel slammed his fist against the table, determination blazing in his eyes.
"I don't care if it's dangerous. I don't care if I get hurt. I want to live a life worth telling stories about! And if that means following the Dragon Slayers, then so be it!"
Sari opened her mouth to yell again... but the fire drained from her face. She looked at her little brother—so stubborn, so foolish, and so painfully familiar. Finally, she exhaled sharply and slumped into her chair.
"...You're really not going to let this go, are you?"
Kel's grin widened. "Not a chance."
Sari groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Gods help me. Fine. But if you get eaten, Kel, I am not paying for your funeral."
"Yes!" Kel whooped, pumping his fists in the air. "You won't regret this!"
"I already do," Sari muttered darkly.
Arlo leaned back in his chair, watching the whole exchange unfold. "...Well, congrats, Tessa. We've officially become mentors."
Tessa sighed, massaging her temples. "...May the gods have mercy on us all."
Kel, meanwhile, beamed with unshakable enthusiasm. To him, the adventure was just beginning.
To Arlo and Tessa? It felt like a fresh nightmare.