“I’m coming,” I turn to see where the voice came from. She steps in front of some bushes, which I’m guessing she just came from. She’s tall and she stares right down at me with steely-eyes. I glance warily back at the people assembled before me. How she managed to escape notice for twenty minutes from a team that is supposed to have all sorts of powers, I can only guess. She seems to notice the unease between us. She speaks up, “I want to come on your quest with you.” This quest is more than just some ordinary quest. It can save a lot of lives, and it can also cost you your life. “Why?” I think I already know the answer. Going on such a big quest like this is an immediate claim to fame, no matter what you do or contribute. But when she responds, she turns to look straight at me, with the answer I least expect. “To make sure you don’t mess up and all.” The way she says ‘mess up and all’, like it’s something we’re guaranteed to do, is unnerving. Its almost like she thinks that she is the key to our success. “This isn’t a joke,” I say, flatly. She stares right at me, holding my gaze with a hard one of her own. “I know it isn’t.” “Look, I’m sorry, but——“ Without missing a beat, she fires back, “Are you seriously going to risk all the time it will take to escort me back?” I pause. She was right. It could take a little over an hour, and that’s time we don’t have. At the same time, I don’t have a whole lot of time to figure out some sort of alternate solution. Why don’t we just leave her? The voice in my head creeps up on me before I can stop it. But I know in my heart I’ll never do that. She’ll never find the way back without a map. But most importantly, going back will mean accepting defeat as team leader. And with so many people already doubting me because of my background, that is going to be the last thing I do. “I can help you,” she promises. She’s suddenly deadly serious. I hold onto that a moment, considering. Maybe there’s more to her. But our team is carefully designed. Some of the most skilled and powerful, I can guarantee. And maybe some of our richest. But regardless, our plan is carefully mastered and designed. It has a guarantee for success. And I have strict orders to follow it. I stare at her again. There has to be some sort of reason she came. Why she’s so confident that she can mean something for us. “What’s your skill?” “I don’t have one.” I don’t expect this. I poorly hide my shock, and I realize that only after the gasp escapes my mouth. She looks at me with so much determination, almost as if she’s daring me to say something about her powerlessness. One of the rich-rather-than-skilled starts yelling, and I can’t suppress my annoyance at the interruption. “Then what do you have to offer?” they taunt. “Besides one more person to protect?” Rather than saying ‘shut up’ which I would prefer, I raise my hand, like a wall between their words and mine. “Quiet.” I stare back at her, but she still doesn’t lower her gaze. That’s a feat within itself. All our eyes are probably piercing into her skin, getting stuck right in her heart. At least, that’s what it would’ve felt like for me. But she holds her ground. Maybe this is a stupid idea, but I know that if I don’t ask, I’ll forever regret it. I word it carefully, leaving no reason for either her or my team to misinterpret it. “Why would you come, and I quote ‘to make sure we don’t mess up’ when you know you don’t have anything to add to an already well-skilled group? For a moment, I think I made her deter. But then she speaks up, louder than ever before. “I can’t summon dragons, like you can.” I don’t show my surprise, but I’m impressed. She did her research. “I can’t make fire appear out of thin air. I can’t take over someone’s mind, heart, body. But I think - I know - that I’d give up my life for this cause within a heartbeat. I believe that we can do it, and I want to be a part of it. So give me that chance.” There’s silence, besides from a few skeptical grunts behind me, but I ignore them, riddling with my own thoughts. It is the absolute perfect answer. What I wanted more than anything when I was looking for a team. In the end, it doesn’t come to how many skills you have, and certainly not how rich you are, but how much you care. How much you are willing to sacrifice. That was the true factor that guarantees success. “Okay.” I look right into her blue eyes the whole time, meeting her with my brown ones. “I can work with that.” She brightens. The people that I couldn’t care less if they lived-or-died start arguing. I ignore them, but gather fragments of one word, “Unworthy leader.” I swirl around. Rather than backing away, I take a vicious step towards them, hands on my hips. “Say that again.” Their gazes drop. I sigh. So pathetic. What good plan is made if no voices their opinions? What good teamwork is made if everyone criticizes each other behind their backs? What good quest is success if no one actually tries? That’s exactly the answer. None. I look back at her. “Remember this. If I find that your words don’t hold true, neither will your place on this team,” she gives me a hard nod, and in that moment, she looks ready for just about anything. “Let’s get going,” I order. “We’ve wasted too much time already.”