Dragon Quest XI: Partners Until the End

[Chapter 23]

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

The insistent knocks echoed throughout the dimmed room, earning some loud groans from the sleeping individuals resting in their respective beds. For a minute, it stopped, letting the pair sigh in relief. But it quickly repeated once more in groups of threes, and the couple immediately groaned at the sound. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but it was way too early in the morning to be dealing with the situation.

"Ugh...Who's at the door so early...?" Erik grumbled, his voice husky from just waking up. He tossed in his cot to try and look at his roommate from a few feet away. With his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could vaguely see Freya's head peek out from under the covers and look in his direction with a drowsy stare. "Were we supposed to meet up with the others now?"

"I don't think so..." Freya mumbled, raising a hand to try and muffle the yawn escaping. The halted knocks had started up once more, making the thief groan obnoxiously as he burrowed back into the comforts of his blankets. Freya giggled and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Go back to bed, Erik. I'll check who it is,"

He grunted in response, leaving only a few blue spikey locks jutting out from his burrow. Freya resisted the urge to coo at her friend and his cute actions, and, instead, she focused on slipping out from the covers. She shivered at the cold hardwood under her feet and pushed down the want to retreat back to the comfortable bed. Freya trudged to the door and slowly opened it, squinted lightly as the light from the hallway was too bright for her sleepy eyes.

"Rise and shine, partner! Time to hit the arena!" Vince exclaimed with a wide smile upon seeing the brunette opened the door. His voice was very welcoming and a tad loud for the early morning, if she was going to be honest. Nevertheless, Freya smiled back warmly, albeit a bit confused at the sight of the buff man.

"Good morning, Vince," The teen greeted. She reached up to scratch her cheek sheepishly, feeling a little awkward as she was still dressed in her sleep wear, which consisted of a plain nightgown, compared to Vince's fully dressed self. "Isn't it a little early to be heading to the arena now? It doesn't start till later, right?"

"Well, yeah. Not for another couple of hours," The man responded easily, almost as if he didn't realize that there was no real reason to wake the girl—and subsequently, her dear friend—at the break of dawn. Just faintly, Freya could hear a muffled yell from behind her, and the Luminary had to bite down on her lip to prevent the bubbling laughter from escaping. She only prayed that Vince didn't hear Erik, which seemed to be the case, as he continued on merrily. "But it doesn't hurt to get a head start and warm up, right?"

"R-Right..." The girl agreed, despite not really understanding his mindset. Still she sent him a nod and grinned up at him. "Let me get ready and I'll meet you at the arena, okay?"

"Alright, man! See you in a bit!" Vince cheered with his own cheeky grin. The two waved farewell and Freya watched him disappear down the corridor before shutting the door. With a sigh, she leaned against the wall, feeling a bit more awake than earlier.