Elliot ran as fast as he could, the wolf hot on his heels. He could hear its growls getting closer, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun it for long. Just as he was about to give up hope, he tripped over a root and tumbled to the ground.

  The wolf pounced, but before it could reach Elliot, an arrow whizzed through the air and struck the ground in front of it. The wolf skidded to a stop, snarling, as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

  It was Kael, the ranger from the guild.

  “Need a hand, rookie?” Kael asked, nocking another arrow.

  “Yes, please!” Elliot shouted, scrambling to his feet.

  Kael fired another arrow, this one grazing the wolf’s side. The wolf yelped and turned tail, disappearing into the trees.

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  Elliot let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  Kael shrugged. “Don’t mention it. Just doing my job. But you might want to be more careful next time. Not every quest is as simple as it seems.”

  Elliot nodded, still shaking. “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.”

  Kael glanced at the necklace, which Elliot had dropped in the clearing. “You planning to finish that quest, or are you just going to leave it there?”

  Elliot hesitated. “I don’t know. That wolf seemed pretty attached to it.”

  Kael chuckled. “Fair point. But if you want to make it as an adventurer, you’ll have to learn to face your fears. Come on, I’ll help you.”

  Together, they retrieved the necklace and made their way back to the guild. Elliot couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment as he handed the necklace to the quest giver and received his reward.

  “Not bad for a first quest,” Kael said, clapping him on the back. “You might just make it after all.”

  Elliot smiled. For the first time, he felt like maybe he could.