《A Quest for the Stars》 Legal Information (skippable) A Quest for the Stars uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Inc., used under Paizo''s Community Use Policy (paizo.com/communityuse). We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. A Quest for the Stars is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo. For more information about Paizo Inc. and Paizo products, visit paizo.com. Open Content: The game mechanics of this story are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Third-parties: As stated on Royal Road''s Terms of Service Section 9, Royal Road is not affiliated with any third-party websites, has no control over those websites, and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites. Closing Thoughts: As stated above, material previously designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Material designated as homebrew can also be used in any form without written permission. However, anything else (including but not limited to plot, characters, locations, deities) remains as the author''s work and his alone. This story has only been published on Royal Road and the Prologue has been posted on FictionPress and no permission has been given to publish it elsewhere. Chapter 1 - The Streets of Helix City Legends say that somewhere in the realm between dimensions there is an infinite expanse known as The Planetarium. The Planetarium was an endless void illuminated only by the endless stars above and below. There was a solid floor, but its invisibility - or even transparency, for no one knew what it really was - gave its viewer the impression that they were taking a stroll in the universe. At the center of it all, sitting on a throne of stars, was an entity known as The Smith. He was a tall, muscular individual. His gray pants and smith¡¯s apron did little to conceal the outline of his calves and upper body, and he used one hand to carry his great Hammer of Creation with ease. His grim expression exuded an unwelcoming air, a graying bearded face with neither the time or patience to deal with nonsense. No one knew his name, or where he came from, and those who knew him would only address him by his title. He was a master crafter with the ability to create anything he could conceive in his mind. His Hammer of Creation could turn mere dust into fine jewels, sharp weapons, or durable armor. Yet, that was not the extent of his power. The Smith''s latest project was to visit each constellation of the night sky to collect the residue of dead stars - stardust - as the foundation of his latest invention: A set of stones, each with a different power. With the stardust gathered from Perseus, he created the Perseus Soulstone to grant whoever wielded it the Armory of the Hero; from the Dragon came the Draco Soulstone, granting its wielder the dragon''s breath; from the Lynx came the Lynx Soulstone, granting its wielder bestial strength. The possibilities were endless. The Smith''s silently toiled away for years, using his power over the stars to reach each destination within mere minutes, hours, or days, gather the stardust, and work tirelessly in his forge. His goal was simple; he wanted to scatter a handful of Soulstones at a time - no more than five - across the cosmos and see how the righteous would use their powers. Would they do the right thing? Or would they, as the Smith often surmised, let the power corrupt them and use it for evil? The Smith recorded his progress in the Planetarium. Whenever he sat down on his Throne of Stars, he would see silhouettes of the constellation shapes across the sky, and these silhouettes would light up whenever he brought a Soulstone and activated it for a test run. He would often admire his progress, like a painter staring at a canvas. One day, when he sat down to activate a black stone for a test run, his face watched in horror to see a few constellations had been activated. The Smith returned to his forge with haste. A red brick chimney on fire and platforms of glowing white sand would normally provide the only source of illumination in this otherwise dark room. But the Smith''s cabinets were opened and spilled, broken glass scattered across the ground, and the last of the Soulstones rolled away from him towards the center of the black room. The Smith stood at the edge of his platform to see his stones enter a swirling vortex of stars, which was circled by other white sandy platforms. A lone cloaked silhouette stood across from him on the platform opposite of him. This person gritted their teeth, having being caught in the act. "You," the Smith shouted furiously. "My apprentice! Why did you do this?!" The Smith''s apprentice remained defiantly silent, either having no reason for their actions or concealing their true motives. They revealed a Soulstone in their hand - having the star pattern of a triangle - and made the leap for the vortex below. The Smith reached out a little too late, nearly falling in himself. The hooded apprentice faded away, smiling as they did so. The Smith rose from the ground, his beard flowing and his apron flapping from the winds below. He discerned that all of his creations had entered the vortex as well, and those that were lit up back at the Planetarium had already been activated by the people who found them. "Why did you betray me like this? After everything I''ve done for you! Insolent child!" The silver lining was that the majority of the Soulstones had ended up in a single planet, which was likely the scoundrel''s destination. However, the Smith was a leader of his own community. His people needed him, and he could not be away for long. Plus, most civilizations would run at the sight of a giant muscular man, and he would not be able to inquire on the location of his creations. Gripping the black stone firmly in his hand, he gently tapped it with his forehead like a father would with his child. He gazed upon the five-star pattern of the stone, and soon saw a pair of eyes staring back from the inside. "All of you Soulstones, made from dust and spirits, wander the cosmos like lost lambs. You are my last one, and to you I must entrust a sacred duty: Bring them all back, no matter how long it takes! And punish the one who caused all of this!" Gazing at the vortex below, the Smith winded up his fist. "You have your own power, but I have also entrusted you with some of mine. If any of the other spirits are willing to aid you, you are free to have them travel with you and they may choose their own masters. Those who refuse must be sealed away! Go forth, Corvus!" With a mighty thrust with his fist, the black gemstone dove into the swirling vortex of stars. *** The year was 1659 and the age of technology was upon the world of Io with the introduction of steam power fifty years ago. Five of the six kingdoms of the world of Io benefited from it, and while it was a slow process, this new power was accepted as the new standard. While horse-powered wagons continued to exist, humanity was in the process of mass-producing a four-wheeled vehicle that was manually operated by man; while mages continued to use magic to fly, a good portion of them became engineers and raced to build the first flying ship; railroads became even more popular. The Theocratic Kingdom of Helix was at the center of it all thanks to the local Artificers Guild, a school for inventors located in the capital named Helix City. By definition, an "artificer" was a skilled inventor or craftsman. And so, the Artificers Guild accepted inventors, smiths, alchemists, and mages of all kinds. It didn¡¯t matter if Timmy Goodman brewed potions to heal the sick and the weak, or if Johnny Badboy loved causing destruction with fireballs; as long as they brought something to the guild, they were free to take the Guild¡¯s four-year course and help themselves to the knowledge it provided. The Guild was a school where minds developed but the curriculum would only get tougher and tougher as the years went on. Only the sharpest minds in the world could ever hope to graduate from the Guild; where one hundred entered, only ten would come out triumphant. Once they graduated, they were ranked based on their grades and given a diploma. That diploma was more than a badge of honor; it was a key to the rest of the world and with it the graduate was free to go anywhere they wanted. It was a license, a passport, and a job application all rolled into one. It was a graduate¡¯s way to say ¡°Look at me, world! I have the skills to make a difference in your life!¡± No longer students, graduates become employees to the Guild and as employees they carry out whatever commissions the rest of the world requests of them. Success brings honor to the Guild while failure brings shame to it. That''s why only the best of the best - the top ten - can be employed by the Guild. Speaking of graduates, it was time to check in on the Guild¡¯s graduation ceremony of the Class of ''59. It fell on the 7th day of Cobre, the third month, and students had begun to gather in the auditorium on campus. The ceremony was due to start in an hour, around noon, and all graduates were present and accounted for. Except... ¡°Excuse me! Pardon me!¡± Lenoria Tsukino. The blonde girl had gotten up early to bathe and get ready for her special day, but as time ran out, she scrambled to find anything to wear. In the end, she settled for an olive-green sleeveless top, a pair of black slacks, her favorite white boots with oil stains on them, and a white overcoat that concealed everything from her thighs to her neck. She adjusted her goggles, which had jade green lens that matched her eyes, clasped her tool belt around her waist, and tied her scarf just tight enough so that she didn''t strangle herself. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. As early as she was, she somehow ended up running late. ¡°Stupid bus! They should wait a few minutes if they arrive at their stop early, not keep going!¡± It was a bright, sunny day when Lenoria dashed through the streets of Helix City. She avoided puddles of water, kids playing in the mud, a taco stand, and conveniently-placed pie stands to avoid staining her white graduation overcoat. It was given to her on the day she found out she made it to the top ten graduates of the Guild and took extra care to not fold it or even so much as crease it until graduation day. She didn¡¯t even try it on until earlier in the morning and was relieved to see it fit her perfectly. How Lenoria looks, according to AI. Peddlers sold their wares on the stone sidewalks while carriages traveled on the cobblestone roads. A construction worker clumsily dropped a hammer from above her, but she spotted the falling hammer just in time to avoid it. She picked up the hammer and tossed it at the worker, who caught it and gave her an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Lenoria!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Liam! Just be more careful!¡± The girl continued her jog to the Guild. She was determined to get there on time and nothing was going to stop her. ¡°Hey, missy!¡± A man in a trenchcoat emerged from an alleyway. ¡°Care to buy a love potion for just ten gold pieces?¡± Except for that. ¡°A love potion?¡± The girl jogged in place. ¡°Everyone knows they don¡¯t work.¡± ¡°This one does,¡± the man insisted. ¡°Just give it to the man of your dreams, have him drink it with his eyes closed, and make sure you¡¯re the first person he sees when he opens them!¡± ¡°No way. Go find some other sucker!¡± *** Lenoria pocketed the love potion she bought from the merchant in her belt pouch and continued her jog for a bit longer before stopping for a short break. The glare from the sun and the sweat from her eyebrows made it difficult for her to see, and her body temperature was going up. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if she removed her coat for the last stretch, would it? She removed the overcoat, folded it as best as she could, and began her march to the Guild at a slower pace. She grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her face with it and put it away carefully to ensure it didn¡¯t make contact with her coat. After climbing a hill, the Guild building was finally in sight. It wouldn¡¯t be long, she hoped, before she crossed the red brick wall that separated the Guild campus from the rest of the world. And judging by the position of the sun, she still had time to spare. Just as she made her descent on the hill, Lenoria felt a big hand around her thin arm and a vigorous tug nearly made her collapse on the sidewalk. She recovered quickly and met the gaze of the person responsible for pulling her: A human male with rugged features and a shadow around his mouth where a beard should be. He didn¡¯t have an imposing figure, but the girl knew better than to stay in his grip for long and quickly escaped his grasp. ¡°Hey, cutie pie! What¡¯s the rush?¡± Lenoria ignored him and continued her descent down the hill. The man rushed to block her way, but the girl simply weaved around him. ¡°What, no ¡®hello¡¯? I¡¯m not good enough for you? That¡¯s cold, baby.¡± ¡°Good grief, not again.¡± Lenoria stopped in her tracks and gave the man a bored look. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not your baby. Second, if a woman doesn¡¯t give you the time of day, that¡¯s not code for ¡®Convince me.¡¯ And third,¡± she pointed at some bushes up ahead, ¡°if you¡¯re going to mug someone, make sure your helper doesn''t stick out like a sore thumb.¡± A second human male popped out of the bushes, this one holding a knife and shocked he was found. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Grab her and go!¡± Lenoria''s eyes darted back and forth between the two thugs. Ten feet ahead of her and ten feet behind her. She had more than enough room to make her escape, but she dreaded the possibility of her coat getting torn or (even worse) red stains on it. And conveniently for the two men, there were no witnesses around. ¡°This just isn¡¯t my day, is it?¡± The girl gently placed her folded coat on a wooden sign. Dejected, she turned her attention to the first man with irate eyes, raised her fists, and made the ¡®Bring it¡¯ gesture. Lenoria cracked her knuckles in anticipation. She stood between the two thugs and there was a gap between each of them, giving them all a semblance of freedom. It was chillingly quiet. The Guild was still a distance away and unless anyone there could see or hear what was about to ensue hundreds of feet away, there would be no witnesses who could help her out. A girl facing two thugs had two options: Submit to their demands and go quietly or scream for help. The lecherous gazes from both men hinted at them hoping Lenoria took the first option. However, a girl who had taken a self-defense class, - say, in kickboxing - had a third option. And that was to fight. The first thug launched himself at her with his fists, but his form and stance had left him open to a swift boot to the jaw. from the girl. Teeth immediately fell out and the girl was sure she had cracked a bone somewhere. The thug faceplanted the ground instantly and every muscle in his body had stopped moving. ¡°Next!¡± Lenoria turned around to see the second man charge at her with a knife, but she was ready to counter. He lunged at her but, in one quick movement, the girl placed her right hand on the man¡¯s wrist to stop it from moving while she used her left hand to smack the knife away to the right. The girl kept her forearms crossed while the knife went flying out to stab a nearby tree. Sweating profusely, the second thug got on his knees and bowed in quick succession. ¡°P-please don¡¯t hurt me! I promise we¡¯ll stop!¡± Not hurt him? A man who was surely about to mug and kidnap her was pleading for mercy? Lenoria couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many people cried for mercy to these two. Maybe they were just starting out and they were just a couple of bumbling buffoons. Maybe they were actual professionals and the dice just weren''t in their favor today. But letting them go would just give them another chance to attack her or another woman. They had to face justice, whether they deserved mercy or not. The girl grabbed a rope from her haversack and smiled at the defenseless mugger. ¡°I think I gave you two enough bruises for one day. I got something else in mind.¡± *** ¡°Constable, come quick!¡± Constable Richards waded through the growing crowd to arrive at the scene of a crime that had taken place. The grizzled hobgoblin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed with disbelief. One man was beaten down while the other was found babbling incoherently. Both were tied by a silky yet sturdy rope. The word ¡°Weenie¡± was written on their foreheads with black ink. With his police-issued baton, the Constable tapped the babbling man¡¯s head to get his attention. ¡°You. Explain what happened.¡± ¡°It was horrible¡­¡± The bound man said. The other man immediately woke up and groveled at the constable¡¯s feet. ¡°Please, sir! Just take us to jail!¡± The Constable looked over at the guards who called him. ¡°What¡¯s all this? Explain!¡± ¡°Apparently, they¡¯ve been beaten up by a student, sir,¡± one of the guardsmen explained. ¡±It was a ¡®savage, flat-chested girl with blonde hair,¡¯ sir.¡± The Constable grunted. ¡°His words, not mine.¡± He handed the Constable a piece of paper. ¡°We believe this was left behind by the perp, and it¡¯s addressed to you, sir.¡± The Constable snatched the piece of paper. He mumbled as he read, then squinted his eyes to read it again to make sure he read it right. These two tried to kidnap me. If this is Constable Richards, please meet me at the Guild¡¯s courtyard after the graduation ceremony if you have any questions. ~Lenoria ¡°Who is it, sir?¡± Asked the guardsman. The old Constable sighed and folded the paper. He pocketed it away and fixed his gaze in the direction of the Artificers Guild. ¡°Son, have you ever looked into the ¡®Domestic Terrorist¡¯ file? Well, oddly enough, she¡¯s one of the good ones.¡± ¡°T-terrorist?¡± The young guard stuttered. ¡°How can a terrorist be good?¡± ¡°She knows how to make explosives, has enough magical knowledge to make your typical wizard blush in embarrassment, and she¡¯s smart enough to name every bone she breaks if you¡¯re dumb enough to piss her off. The neighbors often wonder if they¡¯ll be blasted to oblivion every time she gets a batch of gunpowder for her experiments.¡± The young guardsman waited for the Constable to continue. ¡°But¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s no criminal. In fact, she can¡¯t help but step in whenever a woman or child is in trouble. Doesn¡¯t matter who it is. And yet, she refuses to join the force¡­¡± The Constable grinned. ¡°Still, she did clean up this district in the four years she¡¯s been in town. Rape cases have gone down to an all-time low. Whoever taught her how to fight must have been quite the teacher.¡± ¡°So¡­we DON¡¯T arrest her?¡± ¡°That would be the smartest thing you said all day.¡± The Constable pointed at the two muggers and snapped his fingers. ¡°Book ¡®em, boys. Looks like we finally have a lead in our kidnapping case.¡±
A Quest for the Stars is a work with an entry in Paizo''s Community Use Registry. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. This novel is only posted here on Royal Road. If you see it anywhere else, please contact Antares905 at https://www.royalroad.com/profile/390982 . Thank you! Chapter 2 - Graduation Day ¡°I did it.¡± Lenoria dragged her feet across the campus gate and looked at the sundial posted on the courtyard. ¡°And with twenty minutes to spare!¡± Once she made it across the gate, she stretched her arms and legs as if she¡¯d just woken up from a good night¡¯s sleep. She unfolded her white coat, dusted it off, and donned it before moving on. ¡°I should have just left it here instead of taking it home, but at least there¡¯s no tears.¡± The girl had stumbled upon two dogs on her way - both of them black with collars and two feet in height - and both playfully circled and jumped around her. This frustrated her as she had to stretch her arms skyward to keep her coat barely out of their reach. As this happened, a couple - both humans, male and female - only observed from distance, laughing and sneering. ¡°It¡¯s okay, they won¡¯t bite,¡± both would tell her, laughing as they did. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the problem.¡± The girl was annoyed, but at least she made it to the Artificers Guild unscathed. She looked around the area, pleased that her arrival caused a few of the students to glance her way. The majority of them were underclassmen who still had some years left before their own graduation, and if there was ever a time to get a confession from someone, today would be the day. Another graduate sporting a white overcoat caught up to her. She was a young elven woman with black shoulder-length hair and gold earrings with a small turquoise gemstone encrusted in each one. She was slightly taller than Lenoria but, like most elves, she had a more slender frame. ¡°Good morning, Lenoria.¡± ¡°Yo! What¡¯s up, Clara? Did you just get here?¡± A look at Clara, thanks to Midjourney. Clara smiled. ¡°Yeah, I stayed up late trying to get my reading done and got a little carried away.¡± Tears streamed from the elven woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have time to put on my perfume.¡± Lenoria dug beneath her coat and pulled out a red vial a moment later. ¡°Rose scented. Thank me later.¡± Clara squealed and grabbed the vial. ¡°You¡¯re a life-saver!¡± The vial unleashed a mist spray at the tap of the cork. ¡°Thank you! It smells great!¡± Lenoria waited for Clara to finish spraying herself before speaking up again. "What were you reading, anyway?" "I finally got around to your recommendation. I really liked ''Stars and Knights,'' but it''s a shame the author is taking his time with the sequel. I thought the ending was bad, but everything else is enough to redeem it." "I told you it was good. Hehe." Lenoria¡¯s amused look quickly shifted into a frown when her eyes met those of another student in a white coat at the door of the building. A lone fly hovered above his balding head. He was overjoyed to see Lenoria but the feeling was not mutual. ¡°Uh oh, creep alert straight ahead,¡± Lenoria warned her classmate. The balding man adjusted his bowtie. ¡°Good morning, Lenoria! You¡¯ll be happy to know that I¡¯m fighting to get that restraining order lifted!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t ask, Thomas,¡± the girl said with a deadpan tone, and she continued her way inside. The balding man blocked her path and refused to let her through. With a stern expression, the girl gave him an irritated ¡°What?¡± Thomas placed his hands behind him and looked away in a timid manner. ¡°You see, since we¡¯re graduating, we might not see each other again. So, I¡¯m throwing a party at my place!¡± Lenoria did not hide her discomfort. ¡°A party? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fun, but Clara and I have a book date tonight.¡± ¡°We do?¡± Clara received a quick elbow nudge to the stomach from Lenoria. ¡°Oh, right. We¡¯re going to read and review ¡®I Was A Ghoul Reincarnated Into Another World¡¯ which is, like, 600 pages long for the first volume.¡± Lenoria shrugged. ¡°As you can see, our hands are tied.¡± Thomas¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°You like girls now?¡± ¡°Not that kind of date.¡± There was a look of desperation in Thomas¡¯s eyes. The girls stepped back as he tried to lean forward enough to invade their personal space. As they backed away, he stepped closer and closer. ¡°W-well, how about I just take the party to your place, then? I¡¯ll bring the drinks and we¡¯ll party so hard neither of you will remember a thing!¡± The girls exchanged awkward glances and, without warning, suddenly rushed past Thomas for about ten feet before stopping. He kept his cool, but the girls could see he was getting frustrated. ¡°Thomas, give it up.¡± Lenoria crossed her arms. ¡°And you better scram before the student council finds you. They¡¯re the ones enforcing that restraining order, and I don¡¯t mind fetching them if you don¡¯t knock it off.¡± She signaled Clara to go inside with her, and both girls continued on their way to the school auditorium. ¡°I don¡¯t get women. They say they can¡¯t find a man, but when a nice guy like me comes around, they¡¯re not interested anymore¡­¡± Thomas snapped his fingers. ¡°I just have to find an opening, that¡¯s all. Then she can see how much of a gentleman I am!¡± *** The girls continued their conversation as they hurried through the halls inside the school. Signs were posted on the walls, giving students and visitors alike the directions to the auditorium, so no one got lost. Naturally, the girls followed the signs without looking at them. ¡°Do you have any plans for the future?" Clara asked. Lenoria had given her future some thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, yet. I¡¯m thinking about picking up odd jobs and maybe start a repair business.¡± That was the short-term goal. Lenoria was grateful for the knowledge and skills she picked up at the Guild, but she wouldn¡¯t feel relieved until she received her diploma. She would figure everything else out once she left the campus for good. ¡°Oh, I-I see. Mind if I helped you out, then? I got nothing going on, so...¡± Lenoria¡¯s smile returned. ¡°Don''t you have goals, too? You could make some money even as an adventurer.¡± "Adventuring''s a little dangerous, don''t you think? Besides, what would I even do? Wear a skimpy outfit and dance the nights away?" Clara smiled nervously, but her eyes soon indicated some inner reflection. "That doesn''t sound too bad, though. But Dad always said we should take our time making decisions, and I have a handful of lifetimes to decide on what I want to do." "Oh, right. Elves live a long time, huh?" Lenoria stopped. "You know, maybe you should take advantage of the Guild''s resources." Clara blinked at her twice. ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened to you? I''d rather stay poor than be in their debt." "Hey, just because I want nothing to do with the Guild doesn''t mean you should be the same. I heard it has financial aid for people who qualify. You should try it out, at least!" Lenoria took a guess on what Clara was trying to do, and that was to stand with her in solidarity. But Lenoria already chose her path, and she believed Clara should do the same for herself instead of being a follower. The elf girl always tried to make ends meet, but judging by her worn boots, weathered staff, and tattered legwear, she wasn''t always successful. Despite this, she never burdened Lenoria for loans or anything of the sort and always stood with her through every hardship. Clara may have been a far cry from the proud high elves, but her elven pride not only extended to herself but also those she cared about. Lenoria could not have asked for a better friend. It was for this reason Lenoria didn''t want to drag her to a future Clara may not want to be involved in. "I don''t know, Lenoria. Between all the scandals and the bullies, I don''t want to be here any more than you do." "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Clara snapped a shocked look at Lenoria. "I, um, well-" ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about me! If you¡¯re still undecided, you still have time before- Whoa!¡± A sudden pat on the back had enough force to knock Lenoria to the ground. She straightened up and looked to see who was getting kicked next. ¡°You!¡± A blonde woman matching Lenoria¡¯s height looked down on her condescendingly. Her gothic purple dress accentuated her buxom figure and thin yet toned biceps perfectly. The scent of lilac clung heavily in the air. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Excuse me, Lenoria. Sometimes I forget how frail you really are.¡± The woman cackled the proverbial noblewoman¡¯s laugh. ¡°Or maybe I don¡¯t know my own strength. Please forgive me.¡± The fiction-savvy Lenoria believed that every hero had their rival, and the woman before her was acknowledged as her equal by the rest of the students. For better or worse, her rival for the past four years was the resident bully. From a glance, both girls were similar. But those who have been around them long enough would know that they were completely different people. Clara helped Lenoria stand. ¡°What do you want, Anne?¡± Anne Steiner. After endless prompts, this was the best I could do, further proving that AI is rarely perfect. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to congratulate Lenoria for making it to the top three of class of ¡®59.¡± Lenoria perked up. ¡°Top three? Have the grades been posted already?¡± She wanted to believe it, but she knew better than to express hope in front of Anne. ¡°They were posted early in the morning. They¡¯re down the hall on the right if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lenoria eyed Anne suspiciously. ¡°And since when did you care about my grades?¡± ¡°Oh, I just can¡¯t hide anything from you, can I?¡± Anne shrugged and feigned a look of innocence. ¡°There is the matter that I¡¯m in second place.¡± Lenoria¡¯s face remained disinterested, but she felt a massive brick - labeled ¡®Loser¡¯ - hit her on the head in her soul. ¡°My work on portal magic must have grabbed the Headmaster¡¯s attention. I¡¯ve already gotten collaboration offers from the Merchants Guild in Akihabara and the Fishermen Guild in Akranes.¡± Anne sneered. ¡°What about you, Lenoria? Any offers regarding your golem knowledge?¡± Another brick - labeled ¡®Not Popular¡¯ - landed on Lenoria¡¯s head. The girl screamed inwardly while outwardly maintaining her composure. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m sure third place will get me noticed sooner or later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will! But just in case you get pitiful offers,¡± Anne pulled a small card out of her belt pouch, ¡°come work for me. I¡¯ll make you so rich you¡¯ll forget about your little golem project.¡± Would it be prideful to refuse financial aid from your rival? Lenoria took a mental note of her funds - eight gold pieces and three silver pieces to her name - which were enough to cover rent and basic necessities for another month, but nothing else. She would need more to start on her projects since the guild would no longer offer materials to cover the base cost of the potions and scrolls she would make and sell. The final brick - labeled ¡®Lack of Integrity¡¯ - fell from a greater height and reached terminal velocity by the time it entered head-bonking proximity to Lenoria. But the girl skillfully caught it with a single hand and crushed it to smithereens. ¡°And what, have you being better than me thrown in my face every five minutes for the rest of our lives? Crafting is not always about the money, Anne. I may not have wowed the instructors like you have, but I joined the Guild to learn! And in the process, I learned how to ease humanity¡¯s way of living.¡± Lenoria turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± She walked away. Anne was left babbling incoherently and failed to grab Lenoria¡¯s attention any further. Lenoria callously continued her way to the auditorium and stopped at a fork in the hallway. A sign hanging above the hallway to the right gave directions to the students¡¯ grades for the year, and she observed as a multitude had gathered to check the rankings. The girl shook her head and continued on. She smirked to herself which soon transformed into an arrogant smile. ¡°That was so cool! Too bad only Clara was there to witness my coolness.¡± No young genius went as far as they had gone in their lives without a little hubris. *** The auditorium was filled with people of countless races and creeds. Humans sat next to orcs, dwarves sat next to elves, holy men begrudgingly sat with men in gray or black robes. Their attention was not directed at one another, however; instead, they all kept their eyes on the stage at the front and center, where a small group of students in white coats sat on wooden chairs waiting anxiously for the ceremony to start. At the center was the headmaster, an elven man with a slender yet imposing figure. But to the headmaster¡¯s right on the opposite end from the students was a trio of people Lenoria had never seen before, two with naturally tan skin and a resting look of indifference while a younger blond human boy with fair skin would stare intensely whichever direction he happened to be facing in. The woman wore a navy-blue military coat with a rapier holstered to her right hip. She dressed elegantly and kept a lithe figure. By contrast, the red-haired man next to her was built like an ox, was covered in steel armor from shoulder to toe, and had a massive axe strapped to his back. From a distance, a red orb was embroidered on the woman''s coat and the man''s neck scarf. The boy - youthful in appearance but mature in his composure - wore a steel breastplate with a yellow cloth hanging around his waist. A shield resting by his feet was decorated with the image of a hammer encrusted with cobalt blue gems. A mace was strapped to his waist. "I know a holy man when I see one. He looks around my age, too." Lenoria''s smile turned into a squiggly line. "He''s a cutie- Wait, focus, Lenoria! Don''t start acting like Thomas, now. Just go up to him, say hi, and ask him out for a cup of espresso! Take it slow." Lenoria was too distracted to notice Clara coming from behind her, having rushed inside and tripped on a crease on the red carpet beneath her. Clara tumbled forward with enough force to knock Lenoria down. The students in attendance all pointed and laughed at the girls, but a grand gesture from the headmaster silenced the auditorium. ¡°Girls, the ceremony is about to start. Take your seats now and I¡¯ll forget this little blunder.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Starflower!¡± Clara immediately rose to her feet. ¡°So sorry, Mr. Starflower!¡± She helped Lenoria stand and both climbed the stage and took their seats. Headmaster Starflower scowled, but proceeded with the ceremony. He opened the assembly with a speech about the nature of the Artificers Guild, starting with the opening day in 1551. And every year since then, the Guild and its leaders strived to unlock the mysteries of the world with magic and science and help others in their journey of discovery. The students graduating today will go out into the world to make their dreams become reality while simultaneously representing their Guild with pride. Lenoria looked at two empty seats behind her, the only empty seats on the stage, which were labeled ¡°T. Carpathia¡± and ¡°A. Steiner.¡± She stared questioningly at the other students present, wordlessly asking where the two missing students were. ¡°Anne picked up her diploma earlier,¡± whispered a male halfling. ¡°And Thomas, ohoho boy. His restraining order from the entire female student body hasn¡¯t expired yet, so they gave him his diploma away from the crowds.¡± Lenoria worded a voiceless ¡°thank you¡± to the halfling and continued listening to the headmaster¡¯s speech. Once he was done, the ceremony began and he called each student by name. Lenoria paid attention to each student that was called and wondered who exactly was number one, if she was number three and Anne number two. Students were called from descending order, starting from twenty, and there were no gaps in between. Once number six was called, Lenoria¡¯s anxiety grew as the list of possible candidates became smaller and smaller. Ranking fifth was her own friend, Clara Aur¨¨le, who jumped out of her seat in surprise and clumsily made her way to the center of the stage to grab her diploma and shook the headmaster¡¯s hand. Clara specialized in summoning magic and popularized the summoner class after it had faded into obscurity five years ago. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± shouted a male elf in the audience. Clara waved at him with a nervous smile and took back her seat. Lenoria nodded at her with approval and assumed the man in the audience was Clara¡¯s father. Ranking fourth was Ruby Ratsong, a frumpy female gnome who was a master evoker - that is, a wizard specializing in evocation magic - and often encouraged children and teenagers to play with fire, then encouraged any would-be arsonists to join the Guild instead to study so they could become wizards and work as adventurers. Her methods were deemed unconventional yet effective. Ranking third, as Anne revealed earlier, was Lenoria herself. People joined the Guild to study magic and science, and those who hadn¡¯t figured out their career by that point often became alchemists, wizards, or any divine caster. But Lenoria picked magical science itself, displaying an aptitude in the artificer class. In the four years she had attended, Lenoria focused on studying about golems - constructs created with metal and magic - and tried to create some in her spare time only to fail miserably. But her failures only encouraged her to keep going, and she eventually built her first construct: the gear servant, a small gear-shaped robot. Mages already had construct assistants which often doubled as guardians, yet the robotic design of Lenoria¡¯s servant was appealing to the public and it was cheap enough for any adventuring mage to create. While small, a gear servant required less maintenance and could often be left alone for days while a mage adventured away. A mage worth his salt would never fail to argue that a homunculus is better since organic materials tend to be cheaper. Lenoria, however, would counter that a gear servant only needed cheap metal, oil instead of blood, and could be deactivated at any time. Knowledge in engineering was required, sure, but the servant was still relatively cheap compared to greater constructs. In the end, the gear servant project never took off and Lenoria kept the prototype as her companion, but some of the instructors praised her for her ingenuity. Lenoria grabbed her diploma and shook the headmaster¡¯s hand. She glanced at the audience, most just applauding out of respect. Clara¡¯s parents cheered on, and the girl responded with a wave at them. She turned around with a somber expression and returned to her seat. It was then when the headmaster announced that the ceremony was ending, and that the first and second ranking graduates had already received their diplomas. That¡¯s when Lenoria snapped out of her daze and realized what this had meant. It was a sad reality that two of the people who infuriated her the most were recognized as the best students of the Guild. I joined the Guild to learn! And in the process, I learned how to ease humanity¡¯s way of living. Her own words echoed ironically in her mind. She eyed the auditorium seats again, hoping to spot anyone she recognized, but she already knew the truth. There was no way they would attend from halfway across the world. Her family. Oh, how she missed them. ---------- ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! Don¡¯t worry, Pop! Once I graduate, I¡¯ll get a job with my degree and help out! That¡¯s a promise!¡± ---------- The headmaster tapped the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tsukino, would you mind stopping by my office tomorrow? I have a business proposal for you.¡± Despondent, Lenoria smiled at the man weakly and nodded. "Hopefully, tomorrow is the last day we''ll see each other. You''ll be out of here and I finally get that break I deserve." The two bid farewell and Lenoria climbed down the stage steps. She looked back to the opposite end; the three mysterious people from earlier were already gone. As for the headmaster, the girl never got along with him, but she was glad to have finally graduated. Chapter 3 - Once Upon a Noon Dreary Clara was stopped to be congratulated by her parents and had asked Lenoria to wait for her outside. Not having anything better to do, the girl made her way to the courtyard and sat on one of the empty benches, but not before politely greeting her friend¡¯s family. They had greeted her warmly and not once did their pride for both girls diminish in the slightest. Lenoria liked Clara¡¯s parents. They lived in the slums, but neither let that get in the way of Clara¡¯s studies. They often refused charity from Lenoria until one day the girl decided to cook a meal in their house. Several bad meals later, Clara took over and agreed to cook if Lenoria brought the food. It became a weekly tradition the girls would do at the end of each school week. Over time, Lenoria slowly integrated into their family. Lenoria sat on the bench closest to the courtyard gate. ¡°What should I do now?¡± Crows constantly cawed in the air and the trees. Their voices were louder than any of the birds in the courtyard and some of the students had resorted to throwing pebbles at them to keep them quiet, but the crows were smart enough to keep their distance while simultaneously continuing their cawing. It was as if they were doing so just to irritate the people below them. Lenoria giggled at the sight. Man would accomplish the most amazing feats but they often fell short without their weapons in the animal kingdom. Corvids in particular had her admiration; they were intelligent enough to rival apes and small children, and they could often tell if a human is dangerous with mere observation. Lenoria wished she was a corvid. The girl continued observing the crows and decided to play a little game. She counted each crow in a group and the person closest to that particular group. The number of crows a person encountered at a given time was said to determine their luck. One crow meant bad luck, two meant good luck, three meant health, four meant wealth, five meant sickness, and six meant death. She started with one of the graduates, Ruby. She was congratulated by a gaggle of gnomes while two crows were seen behind her pecking at fallen pecan nuts on the ground. Lenoria smiled. ¡°Good for you, Ruby.¡± Next was Anne. Last time Lenoria played this game, Anne had been surrounded by six crows perched on a tree. This time, four crows watched as she rejected the confession of another student. The young man had given her a letter that was said to contain his feelings for her, but the haughty girl simply tore it in half and made her way out of the courtyard through the main gate. Understandably, the boy cried as he kneeled down and picked up the pieces. ¡°Well, when you run your own empire, I guess nothing else matters.¡± She moved on from student to student but most of the crows were aloft at this point. She was startled when a lone shadow towered over her and paused her little mind game to address the newcomer. ¡°Constable Richards.¡± Constable Richards The hobgoblin adjusted his trench coat and placed his hands behind his back. He remained at the center of the gate, just close enough to be able to talk to Lenoria. ¡°Is this what you do? Watch people go on about their business?¡± Lenoria placed her feet on the bench and curled up while remaining seated. ¡°You should try it sometime. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll have to stop doing your job for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cheeky with me, girl.¡± Lenoria grinned. ¡°About those two perps, they want to press charges against you.¡± ¡°For what, self-defense?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this was AFTER they admitted to being part of a human trafficking ring. You¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t take you with them.¡± ¡°No need to worry about me, Constable. I can handle myself.¡± Lenoria raised her right arm to flex her bicep. ¡°I know, which is why my offer to join the force still stands. You¡¯ve graduated now and as far as I know you don¡¯t have any plans.¡± Lenoria scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between that and what I¡¯m already doing?¡± ¡°You would actually get paid.¡± ¡°Yeah, but then I¡¯d have to listen to you bark orders at me.¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± The Constable¡¯s gaze veered off to his right. ¡°Say, do you know that fellow over there?¡± Lenoria glanced in the direction the Constable was staring and facepalmed. Thomas was (poorly) hiding behind a tree, observing her. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t, to be honest with you.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± The Constable narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t supposed to be within 100 feet of the premises!¡± Grabbing his baton, the Constable dashed in Thomas¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re off the hook, Lenoria. Just no more vigilante shenanigans!¡± ¡°Fiiiine,¡± the girl answered half-heartedly. She grinned again when Thomas realized he was spotted, and he shrieked with a high-pitched voice before running away from the Constable. A single crow flew from the tree Thomas was hiding in. More time passed and there was still no sign of Clara. The graduates were either still inside or gone, and none remained in the courtyard. It was not like Clara to leave her without warning and Lenoria became increasingly worried. Maybe she got delayed by her family? CAW! A corvid¡¯s distressed voice startled the girl. She looked down and witnessed a corvid on the ground hopping its way to her. Its plumage was pitch black save for a single white tail feather in between the others. ¡°A raven?¡± The raven left a trail of blood behind it, prompting the girl to remove her coat, tossing it on the bench, and dig through her tools to search for something that could help the injured avian. Lenoria used the first aid kit she kept in her haversack, but she had little idea how to treat animal wounds. Knowledge in biology was not exactly her forte but she knew that every second wasted decreased the chances of her feathered patient surviving from the puncture wound on its belly. ¡°Help! I got a wounded animal over here!¡± No response. The courtyard was devoid of students and the crows in the courtyard had taken notice of the wounded animal. The advancing sound of their flapping wings was silenced by the wounded raven¡¯s cries. ¡°Where¡¯s a druid when you need one?¡± Lenoria debated on leaving the raven to its fate. Maybe the crows just wanted to help the little bird or maybe they wanted to devour it. The latter case would be gruesome but that was nature for you. There was nothing she could do for the bird. Except one thing. ¡°You¡¯re dying. I¡¯m probably gonna regret this, but¡­¡± She grabbed a vial of green liquid from her belt and popped it open. She poured the liquid on the bird¡¯s wound and soon enough its magic began to work immediately. The bleeding stopped and skin regenerated to close the wound. ¡°That was my only potion, but Mom always said animals need the most kindness because they can never repay it.¡± A cry full of energy rang in Lenoria¡¯s ear as the raven perched on her shoulder. ¡°Ow. You little scamp. You better tell your friends about me so they don¡¯t see me as a threat.¡± The bird just looked at her curiously. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Oh, right. Guess you don¡¯t understand me.¡± Lenoria shooed the crows away first by shouting, then by raising her arms to make herself look bigger, and the few crows that proved to be brave enough to stand their ground soon flew away when she chased after them. ¡°There. They won¡¯t bother you anymore. Did one of them do this to you?¡± The raven tilted its head in confusion. ¡°What am I doing?¡± Lenoria sighed. ¡°I¡¯m talking to a bird. I¡¯ve always dreamed about a knight in shining armor sweeping me off my feet on graduation day, and instead I¡¯ve become the raven whisperer.¡± The raven preened Lenoria¡¯s hair in response. ¡°Sorry, pal. Only way you¡¯re getting a kiss from me is if you¡¯re a handsome prince cursed to live as a bird.¡± Lenoria scooped up the bird and walked over to the bench. She knelt to carefully place the creature on the bench. ¡°Come find me if you¡¯re bullied again, okay?¡± The girl then made her way to the gate, but her pace was interrupted by the flapping of wings. The raven landed on her head and preened her hair once again. ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t have any bird food at home. Sorry.¡± She grabbed the bird from her head and brought it to her eye level. ¡°I can¡¯t- Huh?¡± A black stone gleamed beneath the raven¡¯s neck. It had an elaborate trapezoid pattern marked in white with a string keeping it attached to the raven¡¯s body. ¡°Do you have an owner?¡± Lenoria held the stone and turned it around. ¡°No address or addressee.¡± She looked around the area. Still no students. ¡°Alright. Guess I¡¯ll keep you, but only until we meet your master. Got it?¡± The raven flapped its wings again and ascended to land on Lenoria¡¯s head once she released it. They both faced the school building to see Clara finally coming outside with her parents. ¡°There you are. I¡¯ve been waiting forever for you.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Clara bowed apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s just, um¡­¡± Lenoria looked at Clara questioningly, then looked over at her mother. Clara had a habit to fall silent whenever she was embarrassed about something, and during such times her mother would finish her sentences for her. ¡°She just had to say goodbye to her instructors,¡± Clara¡¯s mother answered. ¡°She was a star in the summoner course, she did excellent on the planar course, and she did well above average in all other subjects.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lenoria looked over at Clara with a mischievous smile. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°Say, Lenoria,¡± Clara¡¯s father asked, ¡°mind coming for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Lenoria answered. ¡°Is buuz okay?¡± ¡°Those are the dumplings from your homeland, right?¡± Clara¡¯s father grinned gleefully. ¡°Been a while since I had beef.¡± ¡°Actually, I was thinking about mutton filling today. It IS a big day, after all.¡± ¡°Good point. The day¡¯s still young, so why don¡¯t you girls go out and have fun? Just be back in time for dinner.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Lenoria grabbed Clara¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, Clara!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so rough- Eeep!¡± Clara was dragged away by Lenoria and both girls made their way out of the gate. The graduation ceremony may have marked the end of their school days, but little did the girls know that the same day also marked the beginning of the rest of their lives. *** ¡°Slow down, Lenoria!¡± Lenoria released Clara as requested. They had gone a good distance from the gate, but they were still on the school sidewalk. Clara awaited Lenoria¡¯s words anxiously, as if she knew what was coming. ¡°Saying goodbye to your instructors? Gee, Clara, if you needed time alone, you should have just asked me to distract your parents for you.¡± Clara pouted and turned her face to the left. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°We¡¯re alumni, as of today. So, it wouldn¡¯t be taboo to, say, ask one of the instructors out.¡± The raven on Lenoria¡¯s head cawed. ¡°See, even he agrees.¡± Clara hid her face with her hands. ¡°I-it¡¯s not what you think it is,¡± her muffled voice said. Lenoria gave Clara a playful nudge. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re getting any younger. You gave him a rose last week, what¡¯s taking so long?¡± Clara slowly lowered her hands. Her face had gone beet red and continued stumbling in her words. Lenoria just giggled at the sight. ¡°You know I¡¯m just teasing. Instructor Gardens did have a friendly disposition, so I can see anyone falling for him, and-¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t go through with it,¡± Clara blurted out. Lenoria stopped mid-sentence to process what Clara just said. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°I was meaning to give my confession to him, but I chickened out at the last minute.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lenoria imagined herself wearing a dunce cap and donkey ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Clara. Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Clara chuckled half-heartedly. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯d go for someone like me, anyway.¡± ¡°Why, because he looks older than you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m older than him, actually.¡± ¡°Not the point.¡± ¡°W-why does it matter, anyway? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll see each other again.¡± ¡°Now, you listen here! Oh, hold on.¡± Lenoria removed her dunce cap and donkey ears. ¡°Much better. But you listen here, Clara. You can¡¯t let fear make your life decisions for you or else you¡¯re going to miss out a lot in life. ¡®What if he doesn¡¯t like me?¡¯ ¡®What if I¡¯m not good enough?¡¯ You have to ignore these questions. You have the right to chase after anything you want!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t know! We can¡¯t read people¡¯s minds, so you¡¯re never gonna know how they feel about you until you go find out for yourself! We¡¯re marching back in!¡± Clara met Lenoria¡¯s gaze. ¡°Actually, he was on his way out when I saw him today, so¡­¡± ¡°Then we go in tomorrow! The Headmaster wants to see me anyway, but once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll be there for support! What do you say?¡± After a pause, Clara nodded. ¡°Good!¡± Lenoria placed her hands on her hips and posed triumphantly. ¡°Now what do you say we go shopping on the marketplace?¡± The girls continued on their way out of the school premises. The day was young, and they had until dinner time to go to Clara¡¯s house. Clara¡¯s frown slowly faded as she tried to fight a grin trying to take over her face. Lenoria would try to tickle her to raise her spirits, if only for a little while. ¡°Somebody help me!¡± The shrill shriek of a young boy grabbed their attention, followed by a cry for help. ¡°That¡¯s coming from the park,¡± Clara said. Both girls nodded to each other and quickened their pace in the direction of the voice. They turned a corner and soon entered the gates of a nearby park, which was only a block away from the school. The girls approached a gathering crowd and excused themselves as they pushed and shoved to see what they were looking at. The girls were not ready for what awaited them. Two dogs sat by a hobgoblin child who had assumed the fetal position. ¡°Aren¡¯t those the dogs that tried to grab my coat?¡± The boy was in distress but unharmed. Just a stone¡¯s throw away was the source of the child¡¯s fear: A bird of prey perched on a boulder holding an aggressive stance. The bird glanced at Lenoria, then back at the child. It licked the tip of its bloody beak as it watched for sudden movements with anticipation. Several yards from the scene were the motionless bodies of the dogs¡¯ owners. Both lay in a massive pool of their intermingling blood. Their faces were contorted with fear, a sharp contrast to the laughter at Lenoria¡¯s mishap earlier. Clara whispered to a halfling woman in the crowd. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°The kid threw some rocks at the bird. The bird got upset and swooped down to snatch him, but the dogs pushed him away in time. And the owners, well,¡± the woman pointed at the corpses, ¡°last thing they did was laugh at the bird. It started moving its wings around all crazy like, and next thing we know those two drop like flies.¡± The raven on Lenoria¡¯s head cawed anxiously, flapping its wings erratically. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Lenoria tried to grab the raven but she got bitten for her trouble. ¡°Ow! Quit it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a harpy eagle.¡± Clara kept her eyes on the bird of prey. ¡°They¡¯re carnivores that prey on small mammals and birds. The little guy must be scared of it.¡± ¡°Just my luck!¡± Lenoria grabbed the raven with both of her hands and brought it down to meet her gaze. ¡°Listen to me! You keep crying like that and you¡¯ll be that monster¡¯s lunch! Zip it before it notices!¡± The raven stopped struggling. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?! Be a good boy and stay quiet!¡± Lenoria brought her hands to her shoulder which allowed the raven to hop on. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but why do you have a raven on you? More importantly, shouldn¡¯t it be flying away?¡± ¡°No idea, but I¡¯m glad it stopped panicking. Running away is just an invitation to a chase for some predators.¡± Lenoria scratched under the raven¡¯s beak. ¡°Take a look around, Clara. What do your eyes see?¡± ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Clara¡¯s first instinct was to stare back at the eagle. She looked at the base of the boulder to find a dead animal there as well as some rocks. Right in front of the eagle, between itself and the crowds, was the child. To the right of the bird - that is to say, west - were the corpses of the dogs¡¯ owners. ¡°It was definitely eating and minding its own business. There¡¯s rocks next to that dead rabbit, so at least that confirms what the witness said.¡± The girls were startled by the sudden shout of the halfling woman. ¡°Will you stop trying to point fingers and do something already?!¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Lenoria said, ¡°a predator that has just eaten won¡¯t bother hunting right away. If we show we don¡¯t mean harm, it might leave the kid alone.¡± She crossed her arms in a pensive state. ¡°But what do we do? We¡¯re not supposed to interact with any animals in the park unless we¡¯re employed by the park or the government. And there¡¯s no druid in sight.¡± ¡°Should we try calling the guards?¡± Clara asked. Lenoria snapped her fingers. ¡°Of course! The Constable was on campus just a short while ago. Go look for him on the courtyard, then make your way up the hill if he¡¯s not there.¡± Clara seemed puzzled. ¡°The hill? Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say there was a crime scene there earlier. If you¡¯re fast enough, there could still be officers there. Hurry!¡± ¡°Okay, I will. But what will you do?¡± Lenoria scooped the raven and handed it to Clara and moved northeast with a slow pace. ¡°Someone¡¯s got to look out for the kid. But I need to check how that couple died, too. No one drops dead just like that.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Clara tried to reach out for Lenoria, but the girl was already halfway there. She looked at the raven, who had been docile the whole time. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s up to us. Come on!¡± The girls split up with a plan in mind. It wasn¡¯t the best plan, but leaving the kid there was not an option for Lenoria. Her eyes were on the eagle the entire time, and the bird met her gaze fearlessly. Or perhaps it was gauging its next meal. Lenoria crouched by the bodies to determine the cause of death. How did they die? She soon found the answer, and the answer shocked her to the point she felt a pit in her stomach. She first lifted the man¡¯s shirt, then the woman¡¯s to confirm. They died the same way, and quite possibly at the same time. Puncture wounds dotted their napes and their spines. "Them, too?" Chapter 4 - Aquila The sinking feeling persisted in Lenoria¡¯s gut. Whatever killed this couple did so with murderous intent. The wounds were too precise; the spines were struck to shut down the victims¡¯ mobility and the nape areas were struck to finish them off. There was no saving them. Lenoria gently stroked the back of the woman and felt something in the way. No, several somethings, all invisible. She plucked one out of the woman¡¯s back to get a feel of it. Long and pointy, like a dart. Soft barbs along the shaft. Feathers. Lenoria slowly and softly touched the quill of the invisible feather, yet that was enough to prick the tip of her finger. Blood rushed to drip out of the wound. Lenoria licked her fingertip and hoped it would clot soon. Assuming the other invisible feathers were the same, and the couple died from similar injuries, which were preceded by the eagle flapping its wings, there was only one logical conclusion: The eagle was no ordinary bird and was the main suspect for the murders. ¡°This¡­is a problem.¡± Lenoria then looked back at the dead couple. An object gleamed a few feet away from the corpse of the man. ¡°A gun!¡± Eyes on the eagle, she moved away from the couple and carefully picked up the gun by the grip. She kept it behind her back while using her free hand to wave at the eagle. Its head followed the movements of the hand, confirming its sights were on her and her only. ¡°I can¡¯t let it see this. Whatever it is, it can definitely think.¡± Next order of business was to get closer to the boy. ¡°Hey, kid! Just do what I say and you¡¯ll be fine!¡± The eagle screeched in response. It hopped off the boulder and spread its wings in a threatening manner. Lenoria fought the urge to run away. ¡°It looks like it understands human speech. Good. Huh?¡± It took longer than she had anticipated, but she made it to the boy¡¯s location and stood between him and the eagle. The dogs were happy to see Lenoria, so much that they ignored the immediate danger to stand on their hind legs and leaned on her playfully. Muddy paw prints were left on her overcoat, something that displeased her greatly. ¡°Cut it out! That¡¯s my coat! Aw, there¡¯s mud on it and¡­wait, is that PEE?¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± The hobgoblin child whispered meekly, too embarrassed to look at his would-be savior. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped.¡± Lenoria took off her coat and placed it on the small child. The dogs sniffed the coat and proceeded to lick the child¡¯s face. This gave the girl an idea. ¡°Listen, kid. I¡¯m gonna need you to run when I tell you to, okay?¡± ¡°M-mommy said I¡¯m not supposed to talk to strangers.¡± ¡°Did mommy also tell you to throw stones at dangerous animals?¡± Lenoria wanted to say more, but she stopped herself. ¡°What am I doing? It¡¯s not his fault.¡± The last thing the child needed, Lenoria thought, was to be blamed for the current situation. As deliberate as his actions were, they weren¡¯t entirely his fault. Telling him that people died because he provoked a predatory bird would only leave him with trauma, not a lesson learned. He needed support. He needed a hero. ¡°I need you to be brave for me. Don¡¯t worry about the bird,¡± she said as she cracked her knuckles, ¡°you leave it to me. Go and find your parents, okay?¡± ¡°N-now?¡± Lenoria raised her hands just above shoulder level, spreading her fingers as if they were claws. Her gaze remained on the eagle, who inched itself forward. ¡°Yes, now! Run as far away as you can! I promise I won¡¯t let it hurt you!¡± Still frightened, the boy slowly backed away. Steps became strides, which quickly became a dash. The boy turned around and ran away and did not dare to look behind him. The dogs followed him, barking as they did so. The eagle was ready to take off. Lenoria was not ready for a potential fine for even interacting with a park animal, but in her heart she already made the decision to keep the predator away from the boy for as long as possible. The dice were rolled for initiative. *** Clara¡¯s legs took her back to the Guild¡¯s courtyard. She frantically looked around for someone - anyone - who could help her out. But there was no sign of students or teachers. She stopped to take a few short breaths but didn¡¯t recover her energy as fast as she wished. ¡°Is there anyone here? Please, I need your help!¡± Clara turned her attention in the direction of the park at the sound of a screech. It was faint, but definitely avian in nature. What surprised her even more was when the raven¡¯s eyes glowed with a jade green light and glided its way to the ground in front of the elven girl. When it opened its beak to speak, the voice of a woman escaped it. In times of peril, one must rise up against the odds. Men and women, powered by the stars. Child of Apus, listen well, for I shall only explain this once. Your destiny lies in Thule, as does the Raven¡¯s. I must aid her now lest she dies, and should you find doubt in my words Turn around that corner over yonder and aid you shall find. ¡°Y-you can talk?¡± The little raven left Clara¡¯s question unanswered and instead darted off in the direction of the park. ¡°Wait! I have so many questions! Come back!¡± The raven did not come back. ¡°It¡¯s so cliche. Like that book Lenoria gave me, ¡®The Chosen Kobold.¡¯¡± She paused. ¡°That one had a bad ending too, huh?¡± Clara definitely noticed a pattern in Lenoria¡¯s tastes. ¡°¡®Turn around that corner¡¯ she said. Lenoria did say the Constable was in the area.¡± Clara took a deep breath. ¡°Here goes nothing!¡± *** The eagle took off, but Lenoria was ready. Her heart raced when the eagle screeched yet her legs did not falter. She swiped at the eagle¡¯s talon as it flew above her. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But she was off by an inch. ¡°So fast!¡± Lenoria¡¯s hair flowed with the wind from the speeding avian. It screeched again, which made the boy scream. Everyone present shut their eyes to avoid witnessing what was about to ensue. Guilt quickly settled in her for having underestimated the eagle¡¯s agility. Its beak caught something. Lenoria winced. The crowd cheered. The eagle grabbed the white coat and hovered in place a few feet in the air. Perhaps in frustration, perhaps as a way to threaten anyone watching, it shredded the overcoat with ease using its sharp talons. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± All of her efforts to keep her coat intact amounted to nothing. Lenoria kicked the dirt in a tantrum, dirt flying out ahead of her. She spotted the boy quaking in his feet under a tree looking up at the eagle. ¡°What are you waiting for? Keep going!¡± ¡°Waaah!¡± The boy dashed for a nearby bush and dove in it. The eagle finished tearing Lenoria¡¯s graduation coat. Countless pieces of cloth scattered in the wind, landing on trees, a nearby pond, feces-stained grass. And the eagle did so with a smile. ¡°This thing is not normal. No animal would do this.¡± A vial landed right by Lenoria¡¯s feet. ¡°Of all the things that made it out¡­¡± She picked up the love potion and inserted it in a slot on her belt where the healing potion previously was. She shook her head and continued staring at the predator. If it could think, then it would attack at a moment she lowered her guard. The eagle flapped its wings and hovered in place. It scanned the area around it; the boy was nowhere in sight and the dogs had scampered off out of the park. ¡°Good. Now I can focus on saving my skin.¡± Feeling determined, she waved her arms at the eagle. ¡°Hey, you big bully! Why don¡¯t you try picking on someone your own size?!¡± The taunt worked. The eagle wasted no time and immediately charged at high speed. There was no time to dodge; having no experience fighting birds, Lenoria let her instincts take over and she prepared to punch the eagle as it flew above her. Just as she reeled her arm to attack, a gash was made across her shoulder. The eagle¡¯s beak tore off a chunk of flesh as well as the strap from the right side of Lenoria¡¯s sleeveless green top. Just as the top started falling off, it suddenly changed into a torn shirt made of iron chains. Blood quickly seeped through the chains to color them red and the silver lining is that the shirt, thanks to its true appearance, stayed on Lenoria. The girl shrieked and retaliated with a punch, but the eagle barrel rolled out of the way and speared its way back to the boulder. ¡°That bite could have taken anyone else out! I¡¯m lucky it missed the neck.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± Someone in the crowd asked. ¡°Blondie there¡¯s looking pretty bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the guards!¡± ¡°Guards won¡¯t be enough for this thing.¡± Lenoria directed her attention to the crowd. ¡°You should all run away! This bird can hurt you all!¡± ¡°What, and miss this?¡± ¡°This will make a fine bedtime story for my lil¡¯ uns!¡± A man in an explorer¡¯s outfit moved to the front of the crowd. ¡°This is a fine specimen! No member of the Harpia harpyja has shown this level of cunning before!¡± He raised his weapon - a hunting rifle - and took aim. ¡°Just leave it to me.¡± A new challenger had entered the battlefield. Was it really okay if the bird died? "I kinda feel bad for it, though. It was just eating a meal before it got out of control¡­¡± Lenoria looked away. Enemy or not, she could not bear to see an animal get shot. A high-powered KAPOW! echoed throughout the park. The smaller birds perched on the trees fled the scene as well as some of the critters such as rabbits and squirrels. The boulder was splashed with a blot of blood, dripping from top to bottom. ¡°Bulls-eye,¡± the gunman boasted. Smoke came out of his rifle, which the gunman immediately blew away. ¡°Is it over?¡± It wasn¡¯t. Lenoria and the gunman¡¯s jaws remained agape as the eagle bit into its wound, dug out the bullet, and spit it out. There was blood on the wound, but it wasn''t fatal; in fact, it had simply made the predator angry. The bird¡¯s screech was sudden and loud. A blue light shined on its neck. Lenoria covered her ears and right when she did so, she felt something rush above her and past her sides. The sound of gurgling behind her grabbed her attention. Her irises shrank at the sight of the gunman bleeding in four different points: his stomach, both of his knees, and the jugular. Puncture wounds just like the ones found on the raven and the dog couple. He collapsed and remained stiff on the ground. The crowd¡¯s screams filled the air. ¡°I should have just grabbed the boy and ran¡­¡± She gave the crowd a wild stare and shouted even louder, crossing her arms in front of her head as she did so. ¡°If you don¡¯t run away, this thing is going to kill all of you! Get to safety while you still can!¡± Between Lenoria and the now-scary-looking bird, the crowd didn¡¯t argue further and this time they ran away without questioning the girl. This was no mere eagle; it was sapient and a murderer. Lenoria wanted to run but couldn¡¯t. She took a deep breath, but her arms and legs suddenly felt heavy. She felt pulse after pulse spreading throughout her body. The eagle was focused on her now. It didn¡¯t bother looking at the crowds at this point. ¡°Am I next? Am I¡­going to die?¡± The eagle prepared the next volley, the blue light shining on its neck again. Lenoria raised the gun she grabbed earlier and tried to fire, but the eagle beat her to the punch. It flapped its wings, and when it did so the light faded away to reveal a sky-blue gemstone. The shock from this revelation lasted for only a moment when intense pain began to assault her. Two feathers on her elbow joints. One on her stomach. And the last one on her neck. She felt the same kind of pain that pricked her fingertip, except it increased to exponential amounts and felt it across her body. Blood leaked out of her wounds, and she immediately collapsed on the ground. Her eyes quickly lost their vibrant color, and her upper body was now soaked completely with blood. ¡°Why¡­is it¡­so cold¡­?¡± Tears streamed from her eyes. Images of her life flashed before her eyes, and soon she saw the most important people in her life. Her elven friend. ¡°Clara¡­stay away from the park.¡± A balding man in a navy-blue hakama and kimono, working on smithing some horseshoes. ¡°Pop...¡± A woman in a jockey¡¯s outfit, feeding the horses. ¡°Mom...¡± A tall, slender blonde woman with a gentle smile. Her older sister. ¡°Ami¡­¡± Twins playing in the dirt. Her younger sisters. ¡°Dolly¡­Kana¡­¡± And a pale, sickly boy, not older than ten. The youngest sibling. ¡°Arthur¡­¡± Lenoria learned a harsh lesson at the cost of her life. Not every enemy will be evenly matched with her and things aren¡¯t always as they appeared. If she had the time for regrets, she¡¯d be kicking herself for not coming up with a better plan. The young child had no one to help him, so was trading her life for his the only way to save him? I don''t want to die. Lenoria wanted to scream, but she was choking on her own blood. The pain became numbness, though she could still feel the world around her. Her consciousness would soon fade, so she thought it would be best to close her eyes. The last thing she saw was the little raven which now stood on her sternum. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little guy. You should fly away while you still can¡­¡± Total numbness took over. ¡°So this is it. Will I fade to nothingness? Will I dream?¡± The girl could no longer feel the world around her; eternal sleep had taken over by the time three new arrivals came to her rescue. Interlude - Lenoria Tsukino Lenoria was a young teenage girl of sixteen years of age when she first enrolled in the Artificers Guild. She was the daughter of a woman from Helix and a retired samurai from the Far West, specifically the island of Akihabara. Her homeland, named the Great Plateau, was located across the sea on a great island, which was made up of plateaus and flat plains. She was always given strange looks by the locals because of her blonde hair and green eyes, but the long-standing tradition of the people of the Plateau was to treat everyone equally, "for all bleed the same in battle." The Tsukino family didn''t struggle in winning the acceptance of the noble warriors, doubly so because they provided the local warriors what they needed: Stables, horse care, and bowmaking. The machine-operated Helix City filled Lenoria with wonder; it was nothing like back home. Metal boxes with wheels instead of horses, brick buildings instead of yurts, and men in blue uniforms instead of men in hide armor. Lenoria had read about the city in books, but they didn¡¯t prepare her for seeing the sights in person. Her parents were working the family stables, her older sister was already traveling abroad, and her younger siblings were too young to explore the world with her. Lenoria, however, wasn¡¯t alone; a friend of her father had traveled with her to see to it that she was ready to live on her own. He was a half-orc named Sage. Like most (if not all) half-orcs, he was the result of a union between human and orc, appearing more muscular than a human but less rugged than an orc. He wore a simple white karate gi with a black belt around his waist. The man always appeared jovial, and never grew tired of answering Lenoria¡¯s questions. ¡°See you after school, Lenoria.¡± His only job was to pick up and drop off Lenoria at the Guild. With the money she saved up by doing odd jobs back home, Lenoria paid for her tuition and a small house. 90% of the world¡¯s schools and universities were free, but the Artificers Guild charged for entry up front due to its fame as the institution that nurtured the minds of many of the world¡¯s geniuses of today. Even so, tuition was cheap and a student working part-time during the summer usually saved up enough to enter if they worked hard enough. Staying in the Guild was a trial of its own. Lenoria¡¯s first experience with bullying occurred immediately upon arrival when she accidentally stumbled into a young Anne Steiner. Both girls were carrying their textbooks and now they were scattered on the cobbled pathway. ¡°I-I¡¯ll get them! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± The shy Lenoria hurriedly gathered the textbooks from the ground, but she had trouble telling any of them apart due to her dropping her glasses when she bumped into Anne. The haughty girl did not take this lightly. She stood up and planted her foot on Lenoria¡¯s head - who was still on the ground picking up the books - and afterward moved her foot and made sure her heel was right at the center of her back before twisting it on the poor girl. ¡°Listen to me, princess! Watch where you¡¯re going next time, or it¡¯ll be worse for you!¡± Anne immediately picked up her textbooks, kicked Lenoria¡¯s glasses to the downed girl, and ran up to a group of other girls and walked with them inside. Lenoria eventually got up and made her way inside as well¡­with a pair of broken glasses and a chipped tooth. In her mind, she felt like she somehow deserved it. ¡°I better watch where I¡¯m going¡­t-things will get better.¡± They did not. Over the months, Anne would play some mean-spirited pranks on Lenoria, such as replacing a bottle of perfume with skunk spray, stealing her clothes from the locker room, and making her boots itchy. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the students started joining in on the bullying by calling her names once word of her heritage spread around. ¡°Horse kisser!¡± ¡°Cat breath! Cat breath!¡± After that, came the rumors. ¡°Hey, Lenoria! Heard you and Thomas were dating!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not!¡± Lenoria was disgusted at the thought. ¡°Look, she¡¯s blushing! That means it¡¯s true!¡± Coincidentally, this was around the time Thomas took notice of her. But despite everything, Lenoria took it all in stride. Whenever she felt overwhelmed, she¡¯d remember her father¡¯s words of wisdom. Unyielding like the dragon, unbending as steel. On her second year at the Guild, Lenoria was approached by a timid boy with fair skin; an aasimar, according to his peers. Anne had smacked her books out of her hands that day and the boy rushed to help pick them up. The two started talking, sharing their interests, and eventually grew closer romantically. Then finally, after one month of being together, their schedules aligned for them to go on their first date. The timid boy, named Carter, sent a courier to Lenoria¡¯s house to deliver a letter. Tipping the delivery man, the girl closed the door behind her and read the letter. The Far West has blessed us with beauty Overwhelming like a thousand cuts Meet me tonight under the stars Meet up with me, a man with guts Lenoria tossed the letter reflexively. She picked it back up and read it again and again, slowly the first time then normally all subsequent times. Her face beet red, she set the letter on her nightstand. She finished her preparations and made a last-minute checkup, replaced her casual clothes with a yellow dress from her closet, and picked up the letter one last time. The bottom of the letter had a simple drawing of the two of them together under a tree. ¡°He wants us to meet at the hilltop.¡± She set the letter back down and left the house to meet Carter at the park. Once she arrived, she made the short climb to the hilltop where the man of the hour awaited her. Elated, the man greeted her with a hug. ¡°Len! So, you got my letter!¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lenoria returned the hug. ¡°You did send it to my address, silly.¡± ¡°I know, but how did you know I¡¯d be here?¡± ¡°This is the place you made your confession. When I saw a picture of the tree, it was easy to narrow down.¡± Carter chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a special occasion, after all. We rarely had time for each other, so I wanted to clear as many milestones as I could on our first date. W-with your consent, of course.¡± Milestones? ¡°Hold on. You mean to tell me you¡¯ve never kissed a girl before?¡± Carter shook his head. ¡°This is my first time out with a girl. I wanted our first date, our first meal, and our first kiss to be under this tree.¡± Lenoria pulled away; all of her nerves suddenly stricken at once. ¡°K-kiss?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to,¡± the boy reassured her. ¡°Sorry if it sounds like I¡¯m too eager or something! I-I know girls hate that, but I just wanted to see you.¡± Lenoria didn¡¯t mind the attention and Carter had gone out of his way to make the night special for her. Truth be told, she wanted this, more out of curiosity how a kiss felt like and if it was like anything she pictured in the romance novels she¡¯s read so far. And who better to do it with than someone she¡¯s grown to trust? ¡°D-do you mind if we get the kiss out of the way, then?¡± She was afraid to vomit on Carter with a full stomach, and she thought getting it out of the way might ease her nerves. ¡°Really?¡± Carter gently lifted the girl¡¯s chin so she could make eye contact with him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The girl timidly nodded and closed her eyes. She puckered her lips when she felt Carter¡¯s breath get closer. Despite the bullying she constantly faced from the Guild, she believed the power of love would carry her when she was too overwhelmed to continue. Sadly, what some call love, others call blind idiocy. Lenoria had failed to notice the rope that had been hanging behind Carter. ¡°Show time,¡± he whispered as he took a step back and pulled the rope. A pink object bludgeoned Lenoria from above and it was big and heavy enough to make her collapse on the ground. Both it and her rolled down the small hilltop and when she stopped and came to her senses, Lenoria found herself atop something squishy. A pig¡¯s corpse both knocked her down and broke her fall. The pig¡¯s guts had spilled on the way down and it had gotten on both her dress and her face. The girl gagged from the overwhelming rotten smell and vomited on it and her dress shoes. ¡°W-what is this?!¡± Carter laughed on his way down from the hilltop. ¡°Shit, that was too funny! I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could hold that in!¡± ¡°Carter, w-why?¡± ¡°I was kinda curious if you¡¯d actually fall for this kind of crap.¡± Carter tossed a book which landed by Lenoria¡¯s feet, titled ¡®My First Love Story.¡¯ Lenoria picked up the book. It was one of her favorites and had even left a review for it at the local bookstore. ¡°You knew I liked this one. How could you do this to me?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m actually the good guy here. Thomas paid good money so I could ruin your big day.¡± Rage mixed with Lenoria¡¯s tears. ¡°Thomas put you up for this?!¡± ¡°Yeah, he wanted you to be so sad that you¡¯d cry in his arms when he found you and he¡¯d win you over by being there for you. If you don¡¯t believe me, just take a right when you leave the park. You¡¯ll see him ¡®casually¡¯ taking a stroll when you turn the next corner.¡± ¡°Then why would you tell me this? Why would you do any of this?! Why?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s funny. The headmaster was right, you¡¯re an easy target.¡± He flipped a gold coin at Lenoria. ¡°Here, clean yourself up. Thanks for making my night, treat yourself to something nice, too.¡± Despair washed over the girl when Carter walked past her uncaringly. Her knees hit the stained soil, her hands clasping her dirty face. It was so sudden, so outlandish that it left her speechless. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s going to be carrying a pitcher of water tampered with sleeping serum. I wouldn¡¯t drink from it if I were you.¡± Lenoria slammed both of her fists on the ground. ¡°And now you¡¯ve grown a conscience? If Thomas put you up for this, why are you helping me now? This is all a big joke to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t find it weird that someone in the Guild suddenly wanted to get close to you? You¡¯re an idiot for trusting me. As for Thomas,¡± Carter made his way to the exit, ¡°I just wanted to scam him.¡± Lenoria waited until he left before she stood up and made her way out herself. She knew Thomas was a weirdo, but she needed to confirm what Carter had told her. She made a right turn and, surely enough, Thomas casually strolled around the corner just as she reached it. ¡°Lenoria, what happened to you?!¡± He offered a pitcher of water. ¡°H-here! You look awful, so wash yourself with this!¡± She had no words for him. Instead, she snatched his pitcher of water and splashed it on him. After a moment, his eyes drowsily squinted before he collapsed and fell asleep on the concrete sidewalk. *** The next day, Lenoria reported the incident to Headmaster Starflower and demanded for Thomas and Carter to receive punishment. His response? ¡°What my students do off campus is none of my concern.¡± With a cold gaze, he then added, ¡°Even if it is true, you must have done something to deserve it. Wouldn¡¯t you say, you little half and half?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Heh. Do you truly expect me to believe the words of a foreigner?¡± Lenoria was taken aback from hearing the headmaster himself repeat what some of the students had been calling her. ¡°Sir, how could you say something like that?¡± ¡°Me? What about you? You bring forth accusations against my top students without proof. If I act too hastily, I could ruin their lives for no reason. And where does that take us? Nowhere.¡± "Proof?" Lenoria questioned the headmaster angrily. "So, what? Should I have brought the pig carcass or let that pervert put a baby in me and wait nine months before you did anything?" The headmaster raised a hand to stop Lenoria. "It doesn''t need to go that far. But if there was no attempt, then there''s no proof." ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Lenoria stared at the ground. ¡°You¡¯re doing nothing about this. You¡¯re the one encouraging this sort of behavior, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You can''t prove anything.¡± ¡°Only people with a guilty conscience say that. Carter said you called me an easy target.¡± ¡°Hmph, shifting the blame for his little prank, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°So, you admit he pranked me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put words in my mouth, young lady.¡± ¡°Then you put both of them up for this!¡± ¡°I am done with this conversation. You¡¯re obviously crazy and hysterical.¡± The headmaster calmly made his way to the other side of the room. ¡°Leave my office, now.¡± Lenoria turned around to leave. ¡°Fine. Then I guess I¡¯ll just contact the Scholastic Guild about this.¡± ¡°By yourself? The entire school hates you and no one will come forward on your behalf if by some miracle my bosses decided to pay a visit. That I can guarantee.¡± The headmaster didn¡¯t even hide his audacity at this point. He twirled a thin strand of his long silver hair as much as he could and smiled to see that Lenoria had no response to that. That is, until she reached the door and turned the doorknob. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way.¡± The girl opened the door, left the office, and slammed the door behind her. At first, Lenoria expected to find a way to get back at the headmaster overnight. According to her small collection of action books, the hero often found a way to pay back his enemies by the climax of the story. A single night then turned into a week, then a month, and before she knew it, Lenoria reached the end of her second year at the Guild and was given a three-month vacation. The longer she thought about it, the more she started to believe she was being childish. How can a single person take down the most powerful man of the Artificers Guild? How could she accomplish this if no one was going to take her side? Things don''t always turn out the way they do in stories, and that was a painful lesson for her to accept. *** Lenoria¡¯s thoughts about her life were interrupted when she woke up to the sound of footsteps. The sky was overcast, and she still felt the wounds the eagle had inflicted on her. Her legs were moving but her hands were immobile. Has the day of her judgment come? Chapter 5 - Corvus Lenoria woke up to feel her legs moving on their own. She opened her eyes to find herself walking with her arms bound by a red string. At the end of a string was a man in black, wearing a flowing hanbok and a black-brimmed hat. The hands were pale, one of them wrapped with the string to get a better grip on it. The girl looked around her. She was still at the park, but the sky was overcast. Instinctively, she looked for the boulder and there she found the eagle staring at the ground. She looked where it was facing, and that¡¯s when it clicked. She was dead. The predator was watching her prone corpse and the little raven standing on her chest. Time had stood still. Her lips moved to say something, but she was quickly interrupted. ¡°It can¡¯t hear you,¡± said the male voice of the figure in black. ¡°Are you the Reaper?¡± The girl asked. ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes.¡± ¡°Please, Mr. Reaper, give me a chance! T-there¡¯s a lot I have to live for!¡± The Reaper stopped and looked back at Lenoria. He was not angry or sad, but his grim expression startled her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must now escort you to the Underworld, where you shall face your judgment.¡± Judgment. The very word scared the girl. Cults of the dead would often scream on the streets about how judgment day would come for the unbelievers, but she always dismissed it as a bunch of loons trying to manipulate the crowds with scare tactics. They scared her, yes, but that didn¡¯t make them less annoying for her. ¡°W-what¡¯s going to happen to me?¡± ¡°You will wait to be judged, unless you are claimed by the angelic beings of the Upper Planes or the fiends of the Lower Planes.¡± ¡°I see,¡± the girl said. ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t that religious but didn¡¯t do bad things?¡± ¡°Then you shall be judged by your deeds. If the Master deems you just and righteous, then you will be free to go to a plane of your choosing. But if you are guilty, then he will choose your punishment.¡± Master? ¡°I thought the Grim Reaper had no master.¡± ¡°Young lady, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I am simply one of the many servants of King Yeomra.¡± ¡°I heard of him.¡± Lenoria wished to test her knowledge. ¡°He rules the realm of souls.¡± She was in no hurry to meet him. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything I can do, mister, um-¡± ¡°Joo Dae-seong,¡± the man introduced himself. ¡°It would be best if you addressed me by my title, however.¡± ¡°What is your title?¡± ¡°¡®Messenger.¡¯¡± ¡°R-right. Isn¡¯t there anything I can do to return to the world of the living?¡± The man in black shook his head solemnly. ¡°Can I at least visit my family? My friend? They have to know!¡± ¡°Even the living should know that is not how it works. If I allow you to roam free, then you will become a ghost. And it is my duty to prevent that from happening.¡± Nothing was working. Even the afterlife had its rules, and they must have been absolutely grounded if a servant of a god of death was unwilling to compromise. Lenoria returned to the spot where she died. She crouched next to her own corpse and tried grabbing her own hand with her bound hands. ¡®Tried¡¯ being the key word here as her new, pale hands went right through the dead body. She caught her reflection on a nearby puddle of water. A strange light shone above her head. A halo. Her knees sank to the ground and a single tear fell from her eye. ¡°Do you plan to defy me,¡± asked the messenger. Lenoria wanted to escape. She thought about trying her luck and maybe kicking the Messenger while he wasn¡¯t looking. Then she looked at the eagle; a predatory bird, while dangerous, should not have been able to kill a human so easily, let alone four. Maybe the Messenger had some hidden power that would capture her or, worse, kill her again. She decided against escaping. Whether her fate was cruel or not, the Messenger was just doing his job. How many more times does he have to do this today? Her parents taught her better than to make a difficult task even harder. ¡°No. I would just like to stay here a little longer.¡± She kept her gaze on the raven. ¡°This little one is here because I saved his life. He must be trying to save mine.¡± ¡°That is absurd,¡± the Messenger said harshly, ¡°most animals do not have that level of compassion.¡± ¡°This one does.¡± Lenoria sobbed. It was time to say goodbye, even if the raven could not hear her. ¡°I wanted to protect you. Something nasty hurt you and I just happened to be there. And now you¡¯re risking your life just to be there for me. You¡¯re a dumb little bird, but you and Clara are the kindest souls I met at the Guild!¡± She scooped up the bird one more time. ¡°You have to fly away and live! Please do that for me!¡± The Messenger, rigid as he was, gave the girl a surprised look. ¡°How are you doing that?¡± ¡°Doing whaAAA!¡± The raven was moving in her hands. Lenoria dropped it and was immediately relieved when the bird slowed its descent by flapping its wings. ¡°You can move!¡± The obsidian stone around the raven¡¯s neck shone with a green light. The ghostly visage of a woman in a black gothic dress appeared behind the raven, staring at Lenoria firmly. ¡°I thank you for saving the life of my precious Poe. Now that you made contact with him, I can reach you even when you''re in a timeless dimension such as this one. Anyone who goes out of their way to aid corvidkind is worthy of the Raven Star.¡± Lenoria was mesmerized by the woman¡¯s appearance. ¡°Who are you?¡± She could barely get the words out, but she did so fluidly. ¡°I am Pearl, the spirit of the Corvus Constellation. And you, girl, are free to borrow its power.¡± The woman in black approached Lenoria and gently cupped the girl¡¯s head with both hands. ¡°You do not wish for things to end here, do you?¡± Pearl, made by Midjourney ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t.¡± Lenoria could not keep eye contact and just closed her eyes. ¡°Corvus? I haven¡¯t heard of that constellation.¡± ¡°The stars of the universe are infinite. There¡¯s bound to be star patterns you¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Pearl released Lenoria. ¡°I can grant you a second chance at life with my power, but in exchange you must aid me on my quest. This quest is sure to bring pain, misery, and tears in your life. But you will not be bound in servitude; you are free to pursue your goals during downtime. I only request that you help me whenever I ask.¡± ¡°Is the quest dangerous?¡± ¡°Yes. You will definitely get hurt, but you will be stronger than before with my power.¡± That was Lenoria¡¯s only concern. By all accounts, she should be dead and moving on to the afterlife. She wasn¡¯t a big believer in destiny, but she wanted to live long enough to make a name for herself and get her family out of debt. And she was going to need power to make it happen. If none of this was real and was just a dream, then she had to wake up sooner or later. ¡°You would claim her soul,¡± asked the Messenger. Pearl shook her head. ¡°I am not a fiend nor am I interested in buying a soul. I simply need the girl until my quest is finished, then she can move on with her life. I¡¯ll even resurrect her with my power.¡± The Messenger nodded. ¡°Very well. If it is a simple revival spell, then I will take my leave. But if it¡¯s anything else, I must report it to my master. I will remain here until the girl either decides to come with me or return to life in a proper manner.¡± Lenoria wiped her face with her forearm. ¡°How long do I have to make a decision?¡± ¡°As much time as you need. Time will resume once your soul re-enters your body, but it may take a while for your soul fragments to return to you. Once they reunite, you¡¯ll be able to awaken.¡± Lenoria planned to accept in any case, but she wanted to gauge how sincere Pearl really was. Worst-case scenario, if Pearl wanted to enslave her or wanted to screw her over in some cosmic way, Lenoria would (begrudgingly) leave with the reaper and face her judgment. ¡°What are your terms?¡± The first question was simple, but she expected a complicated answer. Lenoria figured as long as time stood still, she should leave no stone unturned as far as questions go. She already formulated more questions, each depending on the answer Pearl gave her. ¡°You will help me hunt down the Soulstones, as dictated by my master. This task may take years, even decades. It may not even be completed during your lifetime. For this reason, I won¡¯t try to force you to complete this as soon as possible.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What would I get in exchange?¡± ¡°Other than another chance at life?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± ¡°I guess not. You¡¯ll be granted the power of the Corvus Soulstone. What you can do with it depends on how powerful your soul is.¡± Pearl nodded to the little raven, who flew over to Lenoria. Lenoria held out her arm for the little raven to land on it. ¡°Your name is Poe, huh? I was going to name you Kazehaya or Toki, but it looks like you already belong to someone.¡± She lifted the stone with her index finger. ¡°So that¡¯s what this is called. Soulstone. But why me, Pearl?¡± ¡°I already told you; you saved Poe¡¯s life.¡± Pearl pointed at the predator on the boulder. ¡°Poe was attacked by that eagle. He barely escaped with his life, but his wings could only take him a short distance with that injury. That¡¯s when he found you.¡± ¡°So, this task could have easily fallen on anyone?¡± ¡°Yes, but not everyone is like you. There was no guarantee you - or anyone else, really - would have healed my little Poe.¡± CAW! Pearl chuckled amusedly. ¡°And it appears he¡¯s taken a liking to you.¡± It would explain why the raven - Poe - acted differently from other birds. He was guided by someone else. The more Lenoria thought about it, the more foolish she felt for not catching the signs earlier. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, couldn¡¯t you have contacted me before we went to the park?¡± ¡°I wanted to speak with you alone, but that¡¯s when your friend found you. It was all for nothing, because she is aware of my existence now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? If there is more than one Soulstone, people are gonna know sooner or later.¡± Pearl shook her head sadly. ¡°And therein lies the problem. More people means more fights. The spirits of the Soulstones are like me, they grant power to people they deem worthy. But not all of them possess the wisdom to judge someone as worthy. Conflict is inevitable and we¡¯re not going to find them all overnight. But we face trouble if they fall into wrong hands.¡± Pearl and Lenoria caught a blue glint from the eagle¡¯s stone. ¡°Exhibit A. The power of the Soulstones is so strong they can awaken the minds of animals. And the color of the stone indicates it holds the power of the Aquila Constellation.¡± ¡°I was right. I would have died sooner if I treated it like any other animal.¡± Lenoria wanted payback, but more than anything she wanted to get out of the situation with her life. ¡°In summation, I collect these stones for you so you can return them to your master. Why does he want them?¡± Lenoria wanted to know if the stones were to be used for some evil purpose. Pearl kept her eyes downcast. ¡°My master created them. He is a smith of unparalleled power, but a freak accident scattered the stones to your planet. He just wants them back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from another planet?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you having second thoughts?¡± Lenoria giggled. ¡°Nope! I always wondered if there was life outside of this planet. I mean, there are other dimensions but a few years back we learned that this world is a celestial body that is greater than the moon in the sky, according to scholars, anyway. Now, if your master wanted to use these stones for some evil master plan, then we¡¯d have a problem.¡± ¡°Our master has always been a noble man. He wants just a handful of stones across the cosmos, not his entire collection.¡± Pearl looked at Lenoria solemnly. ¡°Do you have any more questions? I have a feeling I¡¯ve addressed your greatest concerns.¡± ¡°I only have one more. Am I going to have to sell my soul to you in any way, shape, or form?¡± Pearl smiled. ¡°No. This is less of a wish and more of a request for help. A deal, an oath, a contract, whatever else have you, that states you won¡¯t back out of your promise as long as I don¡¯t back out of mine. And vice versa.¡± Lenoria returned the smile. ¡°Only if you let me take the lead. Deal?¡± The girl extended her hand for Pearl, and both women shook on it. *** Alistair Adams ran to the park as fast as his legs could take him. When a student in distress ran up to him and asked for his help, the blond boy did not hesitate to put down his baguette sandwich and follow the elven girl. Grunting in exasperation, his companion put away his own sandwich and followed right behind them with a hand on the axe strapped to his back. Alistair When Alistair, his companion, and the elven girl arrived at the park, they immediately noticed four motionless bodies on the ground. Alistair checked the closest one, which appeared to be a man in an explorer¡¯s outfit with a hunting rifle. No pulse. A shriek from the elven girl alerted him of the body closest to the gunman: a young blonde girl wearing a bloody, damaged shirt made of iron chains. ¡°Lenoria!¡± The elven girl ran to the corpse and lifted her head. ¡°She¡¯s cold! Please, help her!¡± ¡°Lord Beau,¡± Alistair said to his companion, ¡°is that-?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. This is the girl Gabrielle wanted to meet. Looks like our visit here was all for nothing.¡± ¡°All for nothing?¡± The elven girl stood back up and poked the chest of the red-haired man. ¡°You have to help her!¡± Alistair got on one knee to examine Lenoria. ¡°Rest assured, your friend will be given priority. But if she is truly gone, then I¡¯ll have to check on the others.¡± The lad scratched his head. ¡°Piercing wounds, like arrows.¡± He gently caressed the wound on the girl¡¯s neck and pulled out an invisible object from it. ¡°A feather. But who could have done this?¡± The lad got to work. A holy light emanated from his hand which he then proceeded to place on Lenoria¡¯s neck. New skin sealed the puncture wound, and the same occurred when he placed his hand on Lenoria¡¯s belly and elbows. ¡°Her pulse is weak, but she¡¯ll live.¡± Blood spurted out of a puncture wound made on Beau¡¯s neck. Voicing an exasperated grunt, the ox of a man pulled out the invisible feather and turned around to meet the aggressor. He spotted an eagle on top of a boulder wearing a sky-blue gemstone around its neck, spreading its wings as if to make itself look bigger. ¡°I believe we found the culprit.¡± The elven girl took a step back. ¡°That eagle was there earlier. But they just hunt smaller prey. Maybe the culprit was another.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. Look around you.¡± Beau pointed at each of the corpses on the ground. ¡°All of them died from similar wounds, and Alistair said he found a feather lodged in that girl¡¯s neck. On top of that, no eagle holds a stone that just glows out of nowhere.¡± Beau¡¯s irises shrank and voiced a crazed laugh. ¡°Alistair! Heal the girl while I take care of this! My blood¡¯s boiling!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get in trouble if you do that,¡± the elven girl warned. ¡°Ma¡¯am, let it go.¡± Alistair dislodged three other feathers from the girl¡¯s body. ¡°Once Lord Beau makes the decision to hunt, there¡¯s no stopping him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a paladin, aren¡¯t you? Shouldn¡¯t you obey the law?!¡± A shower of dust rained on the elf as a battle between Beau and the bird had already begun. The predator flew in the sky and immediately dive bombed towards the elf. The girl raised her staff to protect herself, but Beau stepped in at the last second to shield her from a bite that tore off a chunk of skin from his hand. ¡°Do you still believe this thing isn¡¯t the culprit?! It clearly means to kill us!¡± The big man swung his axe at the eagle but the predator had flown away in time. ¡°Alistair, I¡¯ll need some patching up later.¡± He held up his wounded hand. ¡°Save some of your healing magic for me.¡± Alistair nodded, to which Beau responded in kind before running off after the bird. ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± He waited for the elven girl to face him before continuing. ¡°To answer your question, my duty is to protect the people first, the government second. Besides, in the four years I worked with Lord Beau, my first mistake was believing I could tell him what to do. Not to mention, I¡¯ll need your help, miss, um-¡± ¡°Clara.¡± ¡°Miss Clara, then. I¡¯m Alistair.¡± ¡°Why do you need my help? I know nothing about human anatomy.¡± ¡°You see, um,¡± the boy began, thinking heavily on each word that would follow, ¡°this isn¡¯t the first time a girl needed my help. When she awoke, all she noticed was her clothes piled neatly close to her and not the bandages I placed around her entire body until long after she had beaten me with a nailed club.¡± ¡°Oh. So, you need-¡± ¡°-a witness to vouch for me, yes. Are you afraid?¡± Clara shook her head. ¡°We had a field trip to the local clinic, once. They let us look at some of the worst injuries anyone¡¯s ever seen, with patient approval. I should be fine.¡± ¡°Lenoria!¡± Alistair and Clara witnessed the arrival of a balding man with a snotty nose and a pungent body odor. ¡°Oh, my love! Does she need mouth to mouth?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Alistair asked the newcomer who sat on the ground by Lenoria¡¯s head. Alistair¡¯s irises changed to a red color as he stared at the man intensely. Clara shoved the newcomer away. ¡°Thomas, what are you doing here?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m her boyfriend,¡± Thomas told Alistair. ¡°She¡¯s not dead, is she?¡± Squinting his eyes at Thomas, Alistair was not too pleased to see him. ¡°Ah, Thomas Carpathia. I heard about you.¡± Alistair¡¯s irises returned to their natural blue color. ¡°Her pulse returned, by the grace of the gods. But I need to patch up her wounds or else she is at risk of death.¡± ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be necessary! Just give her to me, I¡¯ll take her to the school¡¯s infirmary!¡± Thomas then looked at Clara with a pleading look and made a shushing motion. But only an enabling idiot would stay quiet at a time like this. ¡°What are you scheming this time? Didn¡¯t Lenoria tell you to back off earlier?¡± ¡°I-it was just a lovers¡¯ squabble, honest!¡± Thomas was focused more on Alistair and tried to convince him over Clara. ¡°You have to believe me, kid!¡± Alistair remained indifferent. ¡°Word does travel fast concerning you, sir. And I¡¯m not even into gossip. Even if you are who you claim to be, I can¡¯t let you carry the patient here until she is awake and can give her consent.¡± Clara leaned closer to Thomas, but not before taking a deep breath. ¡°You do know what consent is, right? You¡¯ll have to wait until Lenoria wakes up and be able to clarify the situation for us before you can even lay a finger on her.¡± Alistair watched the older man recoil from Clara¡¯s statement. Why was he so nervous? A reasonable man would understand the situation and wait for his beloved to awaken and confirm or deny his story. Alistair sighed. ¡°I heard enough. Get out. You¡¯re disrupting my work.¡± Thomas dropped to his knees and groveled before Alistair. ¡°P-please, sir! I love her so much! This is my chance to show her I can take care of her!¡± ¡°There is no way he is the number one student of the Guild. Lady Gabrielle, why are we here?¡± Alistair shot Thomas a squinted look once again. ¡°Is this really the time? She needs medical attention.¡± Alistair did not believe him in the slightest; his body language, outrageous claims, and Clara¡¯s attitude towards him told a completely different story. ¡°I need you to tell me what you¡¯re really after. Be honest with me, and you may have a chance.¡± Clara was shocked. ¡°Alistair!¡± ¡°However,¡± the boy continued while ignoring Clara, ¡°if you lie to me again, this won¡¯t end well for you.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t lie to you,¡± Thomas lied. Alistair sighed. He was done observing the much older man and he had enough. ¡°Yes, you did.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± There was an underlying fury in Alistair¡¯s calm expression. He was done with this conversation. ¡°Is that so? If you really want to help, then I¡¯ll need to know your medical experience.¡± ¡°M-medical experience?¡± ¡°The human body is a fickle thing. Operating on it takes skill, and the wrong move can kill her. I need to see proof that you can handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than qualified, just give me a chance! I know my way around a body.¡± Alistair looked at the contents of his toolbox. Sutures, needles, bandages, and liquids in labeled bottles. His lips curved for a moment before giving Thomas a saddened look. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m convinced. I should let you help if you are who you claim to be. Time is running short and delaying any further could prove to be fatal.¡± Clara was horrified. ¡°Alistair, no! He¡¯s lying to you!¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Thomas rubbed his hands together, giving Lenoria a lecherous gaze. ¡°What do you need me to do, doc?¡± The lad wrote on a piece of parchment with a quill, then on an envelope. He folded the paper, placed it on the envelope, licked the envelope shut, and handed it to Thomas. ¡°I need you to go to the address listed on the envelope. This girl lost a lot of fluids, and she will need plenty of them if she is to stay alive. Give the person in charge that slip, and they¡¯ll take care of the rest. Can you do that for me? I¡¯ll let this girl know how you contributed if you do.¡± Thomas read the address. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s close to here!¡± He pocketed the slip away. He placed himself in a daze and imagined what Lenoria would say if he took credit for saving her life. Without a word, Thomas ran out of the park. Once Thomas was out of earshot, Alistair sighed with relief. ¡°Good. Now we can continue.¡± Chapter 6 - The Crimson Tornado After putting some distance between themselves and everyone else, the eagle found a branch on a tree to stand on. Beau stopped in his tracks, axe still in hand. ¡°Why do you kill, I wonder? Is it to test your strength? Food? Or is it simply the desire to crush the weak just like man crushes a cockroach with pure, murderous intent? We all have those thoughts, but it¡¯s not like we should act on them without permission. The attack on my neck? I¡¯m willing to let it slide if you leave right now. But if you refuse to leave, I will teach you the meaning of fear.¡± The eagle screeched its response. Beau could not speak bird but, somehow, some way, watching the eagle raise a wing at him, with a single feather standing out more than the others, made him chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you would care to tell me what you¡¯re doing here? Or who your master is, for that matter.¡± The eagle shook its head. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so.¡± Beau readied his axe. His role was far from done. *** ¡°Good. Now we can continue.¡± Clara had already grabbed her quarterstaff and was ready to strike Alistair before she stopped herself. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Did you really think I was going to let someone like him touch her? Especially after you had gone through the trouble to come get me?¡± Clara lowered her staff. ¡°It looked that way, yes!¡± Alistair grabbed the bandages from the toolbox and started wrapping them around Lenoria¡¯s waist. ¡°This girl is your friend. You wanted me to save her. And if you wanted to keep that guy away from her, there must have been a reason. That¡¯s all I needed to know.¡± ¡°Even so,¡± Clara said, hardly believing what she heard, ¡°you just told him to get something for you and would put in a good word for him if he did.¡± ¡°And you just assumed the same thing he did,¡± the boy said calmly. ¡°I told him I would tell this girl how he contributed to the situation if he gets me what¡¯s on the list. That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll be successful or that my commentary will be positive.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Clara was catching on. ¡°What did you tell him to get for you?¡± The boy smiled confidently. ¡°Two gallons of dihydrogen monoxide and one pinch of diamond dust.¡± Alistair cut the bandage roll once he determined he used enough to wrap Lenoria¡¯s wound. ¡°Done.¡± Clara¡¯s cheeks expanded as she held the urge to laugh. ¡°You told him to get water?¡± ¡°Glad you caught on.¡± ¡°But that means you lied to him!¡± ¡°No. I told him the truth. I intend to keep my promise if by some miracle he returns with the list items. This girl needs plenty of water and nutritional fluids, and the diamond dust is needed to restore the weakness she¡¯ll surely feel after waking up. Her safety, her well-being, comes first here.¡± Alistair grabbed two empty pitchers out of his backpack and used a spell to pour water into them. A divine light shone on his hands. ¡°Create! Pour! Hydrate!¡± The light vanished after he chanted and water mysteriously filled the pitchers out of nowhere. ¡°Of course, I was already prepared if he proved unable to complete a simple water fetching task.¡± Clara was at a loss as to how Alistair¡¯s mind operated. ¡°Don¡¯t paladins have a code, like ¡®thou shalt not lie, cheat, or steal¡¯? Won¡¯t you get in trouble for deceiving Thomas?¡± ¡°If I had told him I would have put in a good word for him, most likely. But I only told him I would tell this girl how he contributed. Had he inquired further, I would have elaborated more and said he¡¯s only been a nuisance so far. But these types tend to think only with their dicks, so no further explanation was required.¡± Clara¡¯s anger had subsided and it had been replaced with dread. ¡°You are so bright for someone so young. Still, you don¡¯t know Thomas like we do. He¡¯ll be very upset once he finds out you duped him. He¡¯s the top student of the Guild, you know.¡± Alistair chuckled. ¡°Well, Mr. ¡®Top Student¡¯ is welcome to make his argument, but your friend should be awake by the time he returns. Look.¡± Quiet groans came from Lenoria as she stirred and her eyes flickered open. ¡°I was so concerned about Thomas that I totally forgot about Lenoria!¡± Clara was overwhelmed with a mixture of grief and relief as she wept and held Lenoria¡¯s hand with both of hers. The tightly shut floodgates had burst open. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get here fast enough!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­but what¡¯s that you said about¡­Thomas?¡± Lenoria caught sight of Alistair by the time her eyes opened completely. ¡°He¡¯s the cutie from earlier! What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Horror settled in after she felt her throat, then elbows. She looked down at her belly to see it wrapped in bandages and sat up immediately. She grabbed her stomach in pain from the sudden movement. ¡°Owie¡­¡± ¡°Easy. Your wounds have stabilized but you still need medical attention. We¡¯ll need to get you to the infirmary.¡± Alistair knelt on one knee and casually placed his hand on the girl''s back. ¡°Can you stand?¡± Lenoria blushed profusely. ¡°He didn¡¯t see everything, did he?¡± She gasped. ¡°Clara, what was that about Thomas?¡± ¡°Thomas was here not too long ago, pretending to be your boyfriend,¡± the elf answered without holding back. Lenoria shivered uncontrollably. ¡°Remind me to kick him next time I see him.¡± ¡°But Alistair here sent him away and patched you up. If there¡¯s anyone you need to thank, it¡¯s him.¡± Alistair wagged his finger negatively. ¡°No thanks needed; I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± Lenoria giggled nervously. "I''m single, as a matter of fact. Thank you for keeping him away from me." She placed her hands on the ground. ¡°I-I think I can walk.¡± Lenoria tried to stand, but a combination of her weakened body and gravity sent her back down to earth. ¡°Take it easy for now.¡± Alistair held her firmly so that she wouldn¡¯t hit the ground. ¡°I said I can-¡± Lenoria made eye contact with Alistair. His gaze was firm, unflinching, as he pleaded with her to stay put. Her eyes locked with his, mesmerized by the visage of her savior. "Yes, sir. Y-you saved my life, after all, didn''t you?" "Y-yes." Alistair flinched when the girl stared back at him with a half-lidded expression. "I only did what anyone else would. I-I didn''t have any ulterior motives, I swear." "Kinda hard to believe that when you''re the one holding me." Lenoria yelped when Alistair nearly dropped her at the realization that he had been holding her this entire time, but giggled when he caught her once again. "Y-you''re not going to hit me or call me a pervert?" "And why would I do that? I would never strike or say something so rude to the man who saved me." ¡°Thank you.¡± With a sigh of relief, Alistair gently released Lenoria as he sat on the ground next to her. ¡°I still have healing reserves, but I need to save them in case Lord Beau also needs medical attention. If the worst comes to pass, I¡¯ll use everything I have to restore you completely. Please understand my situation.¡± ¡°Beau?¡± ¡°Alistair came here with a friend,¡± Clara said. ¡°That eagle on the boulder sure was something else, and he went after it.¡± Lenoria feared the worst. ¡°I understand your situation, but we have to get ready to run. Your friend is in danger.¡± Spotting the ghostly visage of Pearl behind her, Lenoria tried to keep the mention of stars and Soulstones to a minimum as she recounted her one-sided struggle with the feathered predator. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. *** The predatory bird wasted no time to continue its assault. With a flap of its wings, it unleashed a violent air current that caught Beau off-guard and nearly made him fall on the ground. The iron-clad man felt a stinging sensation on his left cheek, followed by more on his elbow joints and finally a piercing sensation on his stomach. An invisible feather had grazed his cheek while three others were lodged in him. With a wild grin, he licked the blood that dripped down to the left tip of his lip and heaved his massive axe. ¡°Is that all? You pack quite the punch for a bird your size. Combine that with your aerial mobility and you make the perfect predator. But even you must know that the only thing a predator should fear is another!¡± With one mighty spin, Beau tossed his axe at his opponent. ¡°Observe!¡± But the eagle moved its head sideways, dodging the heavy axe with a simple weave. If it had teeth, it would be grinning. Beau was unarmed with no way to defend himself. That made the bird lower its guard. It was Beau¡¯s turn to grin, for he wasn¡¯t done; he pulled his hands towards himself, making the axe turn a complete 180 in midair. In the blink of an eye, the axe returned to Beau''s hands and he immediately threw it again. It all happened too quickly for the eagle to dodge a second time. A gaping wound was made on its back with a force that would decapitate the average man. Yet, somehow, the eagle remained aloft and alive. The axe spun towards him and Beau fearlessly caught it, used its momentum to make another spin - briefly forming a crimson tornado - and tossed it again at his opponent. Once again, the toss was too fast for the eagle and another cut was made. This one was close to the gunshot wound from earlier, and blood started pouring out. Beau welcomed the literal bloodbath with a crazed smile. The feathered predator - descendant of the dinosaurs and murderer of four people - was afraid for the first time in its life. Survival instinct lies in the soul of every living thing, but the fear of death haunts all who can make coherent thoughts. The power of Aquila was both a blessing and a curse. Flight (both meanings of the word) was the best option here. The strike from the axe shocked it but it was not enough for it to fall. The eagle flew away from the park just when the axe returned to Beau¡¯s hands. ¡°There is no sport in chasing weakened prey. But if you want a rematch, head on over to the northern kingdom of Thule! I¡¯ll take you on any day of the week!¡± Magic and tactics be damned; sometimes all you need to win is a big stick. *** ¡°Aaahhh¡­¡± Lenoria took big gulps from one of the pitchers of water Alistair had provided. She just finished telling both him and Clara what had happened in their absence while Clara sat next to her and Alistair inspected the remaining corpses within earshot. The boy did not show concern for the well-being of his companion, and elected to tend to the dead instead of running away. Clara looked distraught. ¡°I knew I should have stayed! We could have stood a chance if we fought together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It was too fast for me, and its feathers always hit the vital points of its targets. How do you defend from something you can¡¯t see?¡± Lenoria, of course, omitted some of the truth. In reality, she could now see the feathers thanks to Pearl¡¯s power; gray and fluffy, just like her murderer. Soulstone users could conceal their powers if they wished, but their powers were never hidden from another Soulstone user. That was what Pearl had told her. One more thing, Lenoria. While there will be some who use their powers for selfish reasons, there is also the chance you will meet people who use their power for selfless causes. If you can tell them apart, the latter will prove to be valuable allies. Do you really think they would join me? That would be up to the individual. But I can already sense another Soulstone nearby. And your elven friend may be able to tap into its full potential. Clara? Would it be okay to drag her into this? Again, that would be up to her. But your journey could prove to be more bearable if others are willing to share the burden. And the eagle? Leave it be. Once you¡¯ve grown stronger, we will seek it out and challenge it again. For now, she was free to live her life until Pearl needed her. When would Pearl need her? There was no telling. The raven woman needed to discern the location of each Soulstone, and would let Lenoria know when she detected one. As she mentioned, one other than Aquila was nearby and all she needed to do was focus on its energies before she sent Lenoria to retrieve it. Apus, the bird of paradise. ¡°Lenoria!¡± Everyone heard the voice of Constable Richards approach from the main park gate. He was followed by other hobgoblin guards, some civilians, and two hulking brutes made of metal with no discernible faces. The machines were twice the height of anyone else present, and all but the guards kept their distance from them. The Constable kneeled by Lenoria¡¯s side, inspecting her limbs and face for injuries. ¡°You¡¯re drenched in blood, girl! What happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gonna believe this, but there¡¯s an eagle flying around killing people. We should close the park and get everyone out of here.¡± Lenoria directed her eyes to the fallen corpses. The Constable followed her gaze, and upon seeing the dead he immediately commanded his men to check on them. ¡°I checked them just now,¡± Alistair said. ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡± The girls and Alistair bowed their heads solemnly. The Constable scratched his head. ¡°One eagle did this? That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible.¡± A wounded Beau limped his way to the crowd. ¡°Though hardly a challenge. It fled when I made it experience true fear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still alive?¡± Lenoria hung her head in defeat. ¡°Barely. It will need time to lick its wounds, and even then, it should think twice before messing with us again.¡± Alistair nearly dropped his medical kit at the sight of his companion. ¡°Lord Beau, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°Relax, only half of this blood is mine.¡± The big man planted his axe on the ground. ¡°Though I do require healing, if you can spare it.¡± ¡°At once!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Beau looked over at Lenoria. ¡°Can the girl walk?¡± There was no point in lying for Lenoria. ¡°N-no, sir. But I don¡¯t mind getting carried out on a stretcher.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You need more help than I do.¡± Beau looked over at Alistair. ¡°Al, pray for us.¡± Alistair grabbed on to a pendant he kept under his chest plate. Green gems decorated the iron cross hanging from the thin metal strand. The lad closed his eyes, said ¡°O Hammer of Justice, bless these souls with your wisdom and heal their wounds¡± and enveloped everyone around him with holy light. As Lenoria bathed in the holy light, her legs became less wobbly and her stamina returned. The pain didn¡¯t go away completely, but she felt strong enough to walk. ¡°Are you a priest, by chance?¡± ¡°Paladin, actually. Some of my divine powers can also be obtained by priests,¡± the boy explained. This was Lenoria¡¯s first and second time she received healing magic from a divine caster. ¡°If I had him with me 24/7, I might just accept your job offer, Constable.¡± ¡°Cute, but don¡¯t say things you don¡¯t mean.¡± The Constable¡¯s gaze landed on both Beau and Lenoria. ¡°Both of you engaged an animal of the park, not to mention you¡¯re involved with this crime scene. I¡¯ll need you two to stay put while we tend to the dead and get our story from witnesses. Hope you don¡¯t mind waiting.¡± The Constable stepped away to get a closer look at the dead. Meanwhile, Lenoria gave Alistair and Beau a sorrowful look. She placed her hands on her sides and bowed until her head and shoulders were at a 90-degree angle, just like her father had taught her. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Beau¡¯s injuries were far from gone, but he moved as if he was not injured at all. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t step in to save a kid, you wouldn¡¯t have been involved in this mess.¡± ¡°You risked your life for a child? And you¡¯re implying you could have just as easily ignored the situation. In any case, there¡¯s no need to be sorry. So, come on,¡± Beau said in a rather commanding tone, "raise your head already. No need to bow." Lenoria did as Beau asked just as Alistair stepped in. "Regardless of reason, risking your health for the sake of a child is very admirable. Never feel bad about that." ¡°But I could have died.¡± Lenoria did die, but so far everyone believed Alistair saved her from death. The trauma that came with dancing with death had already settled in, but she did her best to hide it. She couldn¡¯t tell them about Pearl, after all. ¡°And you could have died.¡± ¡°If your principles aren¡¯t worth dying for, then they were never yours to begin with,¡± Beau replied harshly. ¡°If it helps you sleep at night, I accept your apology. But I was never in any danger.¡± ¡°With all due respect, sir, there¡¯s blood on your face and armor,¡± Alistair interjected. ¡°And I have yet to meet a foe who could do worse.¡± To Lenoria, Beau said ¡°Lenoria, wasn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t save you out of the kindness of my heart, you know. Alistair is noble enough to do so without a second thought, but I had my own reasons for going along with it. You see, we came to Helix from the other side of the border for two reasons.¡± ¡°They came from Thule?¡± Lenoria knew Thule was a tyranny where undead prowled freely in the open. Any warrior who could survive there had to be strong, she thought. She turned to Clara, who looked like she wanted to say something but ultimately decided to keep it to herself for now. ¡°And what would they be?¡± she asked Beau. ¡°The first is that Alistair here is on a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of the Hammer. He wishes to become a knight in the name of his patron and bring honor to his noble house by slaying demons.¡± Embarrassed, Alistair stared at the ground. ¡°My lord, there¡¯s no reason to tell her everything¡­¡± ¡°With all due respect to you, kiddo, the girl here has not taken her eyes off of you. I don¡¯t think she minds knowing more about you, if the drool on her lips is anything to go by. Doesn''t she look like your type?¡± Now it was Lenoria¡¯s turn to feel embarrassed as she wiped her moistened lips and hid her red face. Clara chuckled at the sight while Alistair just looked the other way. ¡°I-I¡¯m not a kid¡­¡± Alistair countered weakly. "I-I suppose I can''t deny her beauty and politeness, either." ¡°And what is the second?¡± her muffled voice asked while her face remained hidden. ¡°To hire the most talented artificer who specializes in golems,¡± Beau revealed. ¡°In other words, you. If you have money troubles, you can kiss them goodbye.¡± I hate to leave things on a cliffhanger, so let¡¯s check on Thomas, shall we? *** ¡°I¡¯m serious! Why are you laughing?¡± The android apothecary - a humanoid made of metal with human-like sentience - leaned on the counter and wheezed while holding the slip Thomas had given him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked another android. ¡°Gaze upon this,¡± the first one said as he handed his companion the slip. They then both laughed as loud as they could. Steam erupted from Thomas¡¯s ears and nostrils. ¡°You stupid lumps of metal! I¡¯ll teach you to make a fool out of me!¡± And on that day, Thomas learned it was not wise to try to punch two men made out of literal metal when you yourself weigh only about 150 lbs. and lack muscle mass. Needless to say, the altercation got the authorities involved and Thomas was promptly arrested for a breach in the restraining order, 200 gold pieces in damages to the apothecary, and obscene gestures to an empty potion vial. Chapter 7 - The Job Offer, Part 1 The Smith used the Seat of the Planetarium to check on the stars. Several silhouettes took up parts of the cosmic sky, while other sections were illuminated by star patterns. He paid close attention to the Queen and the Chariot, but only spared a glance to the River and the Hero. The cosmos were quiet, and nothing stirred- What is this? A humming sound alerted the Smith to the southern skies. A previously-darkened silhouette was now illuminated by an elaborate star pattern. The Raven had awakened. ¡°So, it has begun,¡± The Smith proclaimed as he gazed at the Raven star pattern sternly. ¡°You are late, Pearl. Who did you choose?¡± *** Up until evening the rest of Lenoria¡¯s day remained relatively uneventful. Questioning from the police was little compared to the brush with death she had and nothing, not even the officers¡¯ prodding questions, shook her more than her earlier experience already had. The mother of the hobgoblin child was found two blocks away from the park. She had been shopping while she let her son wander on his own, and she insisted to the authorities that she had been watching him like a hawk the whole time. Ironic choice of words aside, the police were not amused. ¡°The fine¡¯s two gold pieces and eight in silver. Keep an eye on your mailbox in the coming months, too; the families of the deceased may take you to court.¡± When Lenoria walked past the office the mother was in, she could hear an argument erupt and the sound of objects falling. She spared a glance to see the hobgoblin woman - a rotund figure with a perpetual scowl - reaching for the officer behind the desk as if she wanted to strangle him. Other officers rushed to the scene and pulled her away from the desk to restrain her. The girl¡¯s lips curved with slight satisfaction and she moved on to the foyer. The familiar scent of steam and the sound of gears and machinery whirring assaulted Lenoria¡¯s senses when a hulking figure approached her. Towering over her and almost twice her height, the armor-clad figure waved at her in a friendly manner. ¡°GREETINGS, LENORIA.¡± ¡°Oh, hey Roo-Key. How are ya?¡± ¡°PERFORMANCE MEETS THE PRECINCT¡¯S STANDARDS, SO MY CURRENT MOOD IS SATISFACTORY. HOWEVER, I WAS DAMAGED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE REPAIRING ONE OF THE LOCKS FOR THE CELL DOORS. IT SHOULD NOT HINDER MY PERFORMANCE, BUT THE OIL LEAKAGE IS CONCERNING.¡± ¡°Mind if I take a look?¡± Roo-Key lowered his metal arm for Lenoria to see. There was a dent on the bicep area and the forearm was punctured enough to make a hole that exposed the clockwork mechanism powering the construct. Oil stains dotted the arm and the ground he stood on. ¡°CAN YOU REPAIR IT?¡± ¡°Nothing an hour on the workshop can¡¯t fix, but I¡¯ll be honest with you.¡± Lenoria¡¯s hands glowed with a jade-green light. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Hold still for me, this will only take a second.¡± ¡°UNDERSTOOD.¡± The light molded itself to form a glyph on Lenoria¡¯s left hand and an energy screwdriver on her right. She placed her glyph hand on the ruined arm first before placing the rotating screwdriver on top of the glyph. Making contact with each other, the light¡¯s magic slowly restored Roo-Key¡¯s arm to its former glory. Roo-Key brought his arm closer to himself and closed and opened his fist repeatedly. ¡°MUCH OBLIGED, LENORIA. I CAN NOW OPERATE AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY. PAYMENT WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME IN 1-3 BUSINESS DAYS.¡± ¡°But you guys are always open.¡± Lenoria smiled at the machine. ¡°Never mind that. Take care of yourself, okay?¡± The two parted ways and Lenoria continued her walk to the foyer. Getting lost in her thoughts distracted her from the world around her, and she didn¡¯t notice the hobgoblin boy from earlier staring at her in admiration even from afar. ¡°That was so cool!¡± The boy¡¯s sudden shout snapped the girl out of her thoughts. The shout startled Lenoria and attracted the attention of every civilian and officer in the foyer. She quickly closed the distance to keep the boy from shouting further. ¡°What was?¡± ¡°That spell you did just now! Are you a wizard?¡± Lenoria smiled at the boy. ¡°No, no. Wizards sling fireballs and lightning bolts. I¡¯m more of a specialist in chemistry and mechanology.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Science! Do you go to school?¡± ¡°Yeah, but whenever the teacher says we¡¯re reading up on science, it¡¯s about animals and coloring books about stars.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a little kid. No surprise there.¡± Lenoria sat on one of the many chairs in the foyer and invited the boy to sit next to her. Constable Richards had brought her to the station for questioning and she couldn¡¯t leave until she received permission to do so from one of the officers. With nothing to do and nowhere to go for the time being, teaching someone what she knew would help pass the time. ¡°Well, chemistry is the study of matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s matter?¡± ¡°Nothing, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Lenoria giggled at her own joke but the little hobgoblin didn¡¯t seem to understand it. All of the officers in the lobby - five in total, including the receptionist - balled up pieces of paper and tossed them at Lenoria and booed her. ¡°H-hey, cut it out! Ow! Hey, who threw a donut?!¡± The hobgoblin boy laughed. ¡°There¡¯s chocolate in my hair!¡± Catching the boy laughing at her, the girl sighed and left her hair as it was. ¡°You know, it¡¯s very mean to laugh at other people¡¯s misery.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s funny!¡± ¡°When you¡¯re with friends, sure. But laughing at people having a bad day is not nice. I mean, how would you feel if I laughed at you when you were in trouble earlier?¡± The hobgoblin boy stopped laughing. ¡°S-sorry.¡± Lenoria left it at that. She had more than a bad day, but she had no intention of guilt tripping the boy. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Gror,¡± the boy said as he bashfully stared at the ground. ¡°I¡¯m Lenoria. Let¡¯s just forget the lesson plan. You want to see some magic, right?¡± The boy nodded. ¡°Alright, hold still.¡± Lenoria¡¯s hand hovered above Gror¡¯s head and summoned another glyph and on her right hand she summoned a needle made of pure energy. After countless swift movements with the needle, Gror¡¯s clothes immediately exuded the same light as the glyph and needle. ¡°Done!¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± Gror hopped off his seat to check his clothes. ¡°What¡¯s with the light?¡± ¡°Just a personal touch. It goes away in a little bit, but that¡¯s not the best part. Go ahead and stretch them out.¡± Gror does as told, stretching the sleeves first and then doing the same with the waistband of his blue shorts. ¡°They stretch like rubber!¡± ¡°Yup! That¡¯s the [Magic Vestment] spell. Most casters can learn it and it¡¯s a good spell for experienced adventurers who don¡¯t want to spend money enchanting their armor. It affects clothes, too, and the enchantment lasts for hours.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°So, it makes armor stretchy, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like the spell makes armor tougher and clothes more durable. The stretchiness is my personal touch.¡± Gror continued stretching his clothes to test their durability. Watching him jump and run around reminded the girl of her time in the Steppes. In her mind¡¯s eye, the little hobgoblin gradually transformed into a human boy with chestnut-colored hair running around the grassy plains back home. ¡°I wonder if Arthur would react the same way. It¡¯s been four years¡­¡± Her thoughts then directed her to earlier in the day, her corpse bloody and stabbed. The girl recoiled at the thought, closing her eyes as if to avoid seeing that image but doing so did very little. The pain in her body was long gone, but somehow, she still felt it in her spirit. ¡°Deal or not, I owe Pearl big time.¡± ¡°Ready to go?¡± A gentle tap on the shoulder from Clara snapped Lenoria out of her nightmarish thoughts. ¡°What did the police say?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll close the park to investigate the crime scene, and we¡¯re off the hook since the harpy eagle is not an animal native to the city. Thanks to all the witnesses who stepped forward, we¡¯re no longer suspects.¡± ¡°Sounds good enough to me.¡± Lenoria patted Gror on the head. ¡°You be good, now!¡± ¡°W-wait! Um,¡± Gror twiddled his fingers, ¡°will you teach me what you know?¡± Lenoria turned back and got on one knee to meet Gror at eye level. ¡°Things are gonna be weird for a little while. There¡¯s no telling if I¡¯ll see you again. But if you promise to behave, and if your parents are okay with it, I promise I¡¯ll come see you. Can you do that for me?¡± The boy scowled. ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°That means no picking on animals or other people. You won¡¯t get far in life if you keep doing that, okay?¡± The boy nodded begrudgingly. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Lenoria stood back up. ¡°Good. I promise the wait will be worth it.¡± *** Dawn arrived at the Aur¨¨le residence. The house was silent, and nothing stirred at home. Lenoria rested on a bed in a small room while Clara slept on a chair in a corner of the room. She had returned home right after she left the police station, but only to gather some of her belongings, her backpack, and plenty of potions before walking with Clara to her house. Since the police and civilians were involved, the girls discussed everything that had happened with Clara¡¯s parents but left out the part about Lenoria¡¯s injury. Lenoria felt bad for this particular visit, for she did not sleep during the long hours of the night. Her death, rebirth, a contract, and the possibility of a high-paying job kept her wide awake; the least she could have done was to give Clara back her bed, but the elven girl had already fallen into a trance. --------- ¡°Think about this offer, Lenoria,¡± Beau said. ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting with your headmaster and my sister tomorrow. She wishes to meet you and would be elated to know your answer right away.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± the girl asked. She had wondered why the headmaster wanted to see her out of nowhere. They weren¡¯t exactly on speaking terms. ¡°My sister wishes to bring stone statues to life. She¡¯s read the student info available to the public and determined you¡¯re the right person for the job. Of course, that means traveling to Thule but it also means my sister would be your only boss.¡± A job where she didn¡¯t have to report to the headmaster already sounded like a sweet deal for Lenoria. ¡°You flatter me, sir, but I don¡¯t work for cheap.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to. The trip will be all expenses paid and your payment will follow the Guild¡¯s standards.¡± Beau turned to leave. ¡°Think about it. My sister is the type to expect an answer then and there, but I know people need time to make life-changing decisions. If all goes well, life will be much sweeter for you.¡± He beckoned for Alistair. ¡°Come, Alistair. We must share our story with the Constable and meet back with Gabrielle.¡± ¡°At once, sir,¡± Alistair immediately followed Beau, but he felt a grip on his wrist. He looked back to see Lenoria grabbing on to him. ¡°Um¡­¡± Lenoria knew she had to speak now. Cosmic forces surely placed him in her path more than once today, and she¡¯d be foolish not to take the opportunity. ¡°W-will I see you again?¡± The silence that followed was only amplified by the wind blowing around them. The tree branches and leaves sang around them at the motion of the winds. Alistair avoided eye contact, but didn¡¯t try to pull away, either. ¡°If the divines will it.¡± After a long pause, Alistair slowly pulled away from Lenoria¡¯s grasp and smiled at her. Then went on his way. ---------- Lenoria hugged her pillow and held back the urge to scream. All of the day''s events were immediately pushed at the back of her mind while her moment with Alistair remained at the front. It was all she could think about. ¡°His name is Alistair.¡± She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She had two hours at best before she had to get up and get ready for the day ahead. *** The steam-powered bus ride to the Guild was bumpy and neither girl was too happy about it. Lenoria¡¯s golem knowledge was required for the meeting, so she made sure to bring her favorite book on the subject, ¡®Constructs for Dumb-Dumbs and Smart Alecks¡¯ to review what she knew and review anything she had forgotten. But jumping at every bump on the road did not help her at all and she had to shut down her other senses just so she could absorb the information as best as she could. Next to her sat Clara, anxiously aware of the leering gazes in her direction. She hid her face with a straw hat she grabbed from a cupboard in her bedroom and stared at the window to avoid making eye contact with anyone else. The girls were due to arrive in a short time, but to Clara it felt like the longest ten minutes of her life. Contrasting Clara¡¯s conservative yellow gown, Lenoria¡¯s outfit was made for the current weather: knee-length shorts and a sleeveless top, both in matching dark green. Her armor had to be repaired after the fight from the day before, and without it the girl felt exposed. Her plan in case they were attacked was to flee, and promised herself she¡¯d end things quickly if she and Clara were cornered. ¡°Anyone getting off at the Artificers Guild?¡± asked the gruff orc bus driver. ¡°That¡¯s us,¡± Lenoria said while closing her book. She nudged Clara to get her attention and both girls stood up when the bus arrived at their destination. Hopping off the bus, the girls entered the gate and made their way to the entrance through the courtyard. No students around or in the courtyard; graduates were not required to attend the last day of classes while everyone else had to. The girls spotted a raven on one of the benches. ¡°It¡¯s Poe,¡± Lenoria thought as she spotted a white feather on the little raven. ¡°That¡¯s right, Pearl did say something about Clara. I should definitely tell her after we¡¯re done here.¡± Clara was thinking something similar. ¡°The raven said my destiny lies in Thule. And those guys from yesterday came from Thule, and they want Lenoria to work for them. This can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± She briefly lifted her gaze to see Lenoria open the main door for her. ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Pearl¡¯s ghostly visage stood next to Poe, watching both of the girls enter. ¡°Remember what I told you,¡± she murmured. Listen well, Lenoria. The contract bound us, and my revival spell restored your soul. However, it can only be cast once. If you die again, I won¡¯t be able to help you. Go easy on the heroics. The girls made their way to a lift inside of the Guild¡¯s main building, which was manned by a machine just like the one Lenoria spoked with back at the station. ¡°Subjects identified: Lenoria Tsukino and Clara Aur¨¨le. The headmaster has allowed access to his office on the top floor strictly to his visitors and Lenoria. Clara may not enter.¡± Lenoria shook her fist. ¡°Are you kidding me? Why can¡¯t Clara come?¡± ¡°Orders from the headmaster. I am only here to enforce them and take you to him.¡± Clara gave her friend a forced smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lenoria. I¡¯ll wait at the foyer.¡± ¡°Sorry. I promise to be back as soon as possible.¡± Lenoria stepped inside of the lift. ¡°Take me to the headmaster¡¯s office.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± At the push of a button, a railing was raised below from a hidden compartment. After a ¡®click,¡¯ the lift ascended to the top floor. The top floor was the rooftop of the Guild, and the headmaster¡¯s office was a small brick shack at the center of the rooftop. Lenoria thanked the man of metal and headed straight for the office when the headmaster suddenly opened the door and closed it behind him. Headmaster Starflower. ¡°You and I need to talk, Lenoria.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sass me. We need to clear the air before we go inside.¡± Lenoria sensed hostility from the headmaster. ¡°About what, sir?¡± The headmaster scowled. ¡°I know you and Thomas had your differences, but he is the top student of the Guild! The best we ever had, to boot! And now he¡¯s in jail because of you! That mark on his record will hurt his future for sure!¡± ¡°Thomas got arrested?¡± Thomas hadn¡¯t crossed her mind since the Constable chased after him. Clara did mention something about him, but she was more concerned about other things at the time. ¡°Oh, that. He was only supposed to be here for his diploma, right? Well, he decided to stay on campus and only ran when the Constable caught him violating his restraining order. He must have been caught.¡± ¡°It''s not that,¡± the headmaster said, ¡°because according to him, he was arrested while getting things for you. He was set up! The apothecary he was visiting had him arrested over ludicrous charges.¡± Lenoria¡¯s expression exuded disappointment but lacked surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him to get anything for me. I¡¯m very sorry, sir, but whatever he was doing, it¡¯s on him.¡± Lenoria reached for the doorknob, but a grip from the headmaster on her wrist held her back. ¡°Tell me, who am I supposed to believe: an outstanding student with nothing but good grades, or a mongrel such as yourself?¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh, are you going to ¡®tell¡¯ on me? Go ahead, no one will believe you, and you know it.¡± Lenoria debated whether or not to throw a punch when she heard a phrase she recognized all too well. But hurting an important figure like the headmaster could land her in jail just like Thomas, and living under the same roof as him was the worst-case scenario. The girl bit her tongue. ¡°Please let me go, sir. There¡¯s nothing I can do about something he¡¯s responsible for. Not to mention, laying your hands on another student is an infraction on the Guild¡¯s standards.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me about the Guild¡¯s standards when you come in dressed like that,¡± the headmaster said before he released his grasp. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a chance to redeem yourself. Constable Richards refuses to release Thomas, even if we try to post bail on his behalf. So, here¡¯s the deal: I¡¯m not letting you through until you convince the Constable to release Thomas from jail.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°The Constable favors you for some weird reason. He won¡¯t listen to us, but he¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Headmaster Starflower spun Lenoria at a 180-degree angle. ¡°Off you go!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s-!¡± The girl stopped herself. The headmaster grinned smugly at her and placed his hand around her to escort her back to the lift. But his expression quickly disappeared when the two heard the sound of a door opening behind them. A familiar figure in armor stood in the doorway. ¡°You!" Chapter 8 - The Job Offer, Part 2 Aside from Alistair, Lenoria had never been so happy to see a man she barely knew. She was hoping to see the paladin in the office ready to sweep in and save her from the evil headmaster, but running into Beau was the next best thing. Beau examined the scene only briefly before he greeted Lenoria with a single wave and addressed the headmaster. ¡°Is something the matter, sir?¡± Headmaster Starflower removed his hand from Lenoria¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not at all. This girl simply got lost and she was on her way to fetch our guest of honor.¡± He gently shoved Lenoria in the direction of the lift. ¡°Not another word, missy! Off you go, nice meeting you!¡± Lenoria stopped walking and nearly collapsed when the headmaster¡¯s repeated shoving was growing in force by the second. ¡°What is he playing at?¡± I didn¡¯t save you out of the kindness of my heart, you know. Beau¡¯s words briefly popped in her mind. If anyone could save her now, it was him. Unbeknownst to Beau and the headmaster, Poe hovered above both men. His wings flapped and flapped, not worrying or caring that his ghostly feathers showered all over the headmaster. ¡°Lenoria,¡± Beau interrupted the girl¡¯s brainstorming, ¡°did you not want to meet with us? Has something come up that we should know about?¡± The headmaster froze in place. ¡°Y-you already met?¡± ¡°Yes. This girl bravely defended a child from a wild animal. My sister had already decided to meet with her, but this girl¡¯s heroics reinforced her belief that the job can be done.¡± A wave of relief washed over Lenoria immediately. ¡°No, sir. I was just on my way in when the headmaster stopped me for a chat.¡± Lenoria forced herself to keep things civil; no matter how much she believed the headmaster deserved it, she knew better than to try to expose him without evidence. Besmirching the very institution which gave her the tools to make something great, especially in front of a potential client, was not a good look, either. She had to bide her time for now. A vein popped up on the headmaster¡¯s forehead, but he remained calm. ¡°Y-yes, of course.¡± He reached for the door, but Beau stopped him to let Lenoria through first. The big man grabbed Lenoria by the hand and led her inside the office. The headmaster waited until Beau allowed him to pass, but he was stopped by the big man¡¯s words. ¡°Lies are unbecoming of any leader. Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Beau stepped back into the office. ¡°Insolent little mongrel! How dare she turn them against me! I made sure she was isolated from the rest of the Guild! How was she able to make friends with a noble family?¡± The headmaster¡¯s seething slowly formed into a grin. ¡°No, I can still turn this around! Then these people will have no choice but to hire Thomas and bail him out!¡± Meanwhile, Lenoria had approached a woman seated inside the office. The same woman she saw from afar at the graduation ceremony - with short, wavy black shoulder-length hair wearing a black admiral¡¯s uniform, seated with a leg crossed over the other and enjoying a cup of a hot drink - was now within speaking range. The scent of apples lingered around her. ¡°Are you Beau¡¯s sister?¡± Holding in the urge to vomit, the headmaster said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be rude to a woman of high class, T-Tsukino.¡± The older woman let out a hearty chuckle. ¡°No need for flattery, headmaster. We¡¯re here to talk business, not choose the next mayor.¡± The woman set down her drink on the main desk, stood up, and offered her gloved hand to Lenoria. ¡°Gabrielle Bisset. I deal with the top businesses and Guilds in both Helix and my homeland of Thule. It is an honor to meet one of the top students of the Guild.¡± Gabrielle Bisset. Out of endless prompts, this one was the best. Gabrielle¡¯s praise struck like lightning; quick, shocking, and unexpected. Lenoria felt a sense of pride of being a part of the Guild, another feeling which she chalked up to another first for her. She gladly shook Gabrielle¡¯s hand; the woman had a firm, yet caring grip, one that hinted no sign of weakness but offered security at the same time. She didn¡¯t let go until Lenoria pulled away. The headmaster wanted to speak up, but Beau¡¯s presence kept him in check. He dragged his feet to the big wooden desk at the end of the office and sat on the leather chair in the middle. Gabrielle took her seat and gestured to Lenoria to sit next to her. Beau stood by the door, his unblinking eyes fixed on the headmaster. The Artificers Guild was more than a school; it was also, unsurprisingly, a guild. It was a place for civilians to post jobs and offer a monetary reward for a job well done. The instructors often assigned these jobs to capable students, and the high-ranking students often had the option to pick the kind of job they wanted to work on. But even though Lenoria was a high-ranking student - despite the hardships she suffered - Headmaster Starflower saw to it that the most rewarding jobs went to the other high-ranking students first. Lenoria would be left with the scraps, so to speak, by the time she was allowed to pick. Hearing that someone wanted to hire her - with the implication that her success would mean she never would have to worry about money again - was a nice surprise for her. Headmaster Starflower preceded the meeting by talking about the history of the Guild. First came the founders, then he spoke about the star students, and lastly the inventions that came from the Guild¡¯s star students, both past and present. ¡°Each student holds rank, which is the accumulation of their grades turned into a final average. Lenoria only holds third in rankings, and if you wish I can introduce you to the other students!¡± ¡°Do these other students specialize in machinery like Lenoria is?¡± Gabrielle asked. ¡°Well, no. But-¡± ¡°Then we shall hire Lenoria,¡± Gabrielle said, frowning and shaking her head, ¡°since we already made up our mind about her.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re absolutely sure about this, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°If this is about money, Mr. Starflower, we plan to spare no expense no matter who we hire. Your school is prestigious, is it not? We already knew Lenoria ranked third in the Guild, but no one seemed to score higher than her when it came to golem studies.¡± Directing her gaze to Lenoria, Gabrielle nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a simple sculpting job, but I would like for you to make a living statue with your abilities. Is this something you would be interested in?¡± Making constructs was easy for Lenoria. She had ignored Starflower''s backhanded remarks and did not hesitate to respond once Gabrielle gave her a chance to speak. ¡°Depends on the pay, ma¡¯am. But if it¡¯s a fair wage, I¡¯d be happy to accept.¡± ¡°Splendid. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have an invention I could have a look at, would you?¡± ¡°Of course! Have a look!¡± From her back, Lenoria retrieved a sphere made of metal. She pressed a button at the top of it and set it on the ground, and just as it made contact with the wooden surface, thin metal legs sprouted at the bottom. This was followed by two arms of the same thickness emerging from the side and a single glass eyestalk coming out of the top where the button was. ¡°While wizards have homunculi, I invented a little helper that essentially holds the same functions as the common wizard¡¯s helper. I present to you the gear servant! This little guy can fetch stuff, help around with housework, and can even solve basic mathematical problems. I introduced it at the beginning of the semester and ever since then I¡¯ve been working on ways to improve it.¡± Lenoria posed triumphantly. ¡°Go on, Miss Bisset, ask him a question.¡± To the tiny robot, she urged, ¡°Be on your best behavior today, Hayate!¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Lenoria,¡± the gear servant replied. ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± Gabrielle said, ¡°what is 11 x 11?¡± ¡°121.¡± ¡°What is 5,280 divided by 2?¡± ¡°2,640,¡± Hayate replied without hesitation.¡± ¡°Final question, what is the lowest prime number?¡± ¡°2.¡± Impressed by the small machine''s intelligence, Gabrielle clapped her hands with a slow applause. ¡°Oh, Lenoria. Your tiny invention is marvelous!¡± ¡°T-thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± Lenoria tapped her knee, a signal for her little construct to return to her. ¡°This is exactly the sort of thing I expected to see from the Guild¡¯s elite students. I love how you gave it the same aesthetic as the clockwork golem. And you said they can do common household chores?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I must see the plans,¡± Gabrielle said with an excited yet commanding voice. ¡°I want to see how your mind came up with its design! You have them, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course! Look!¡± Lenoria unrolled a parchment she kept in a case strapped to her thigh. She handed the parchment to Gabrielle, who examined it carefully. ¡°Please be careful with them!¡± ¡°I will. Now, let¡¯s see. Hmm, yes. I see what you tried to do here¡­¡± Gabrielle was so intensely focused that she didn¡¯t notice Lenoria looming over her shoulder to catch what portion of her plans she was going over. The sheet of paper was scribbled with both important notes and nonsense, the latter which happened whenever Lenoria would read during her breaks. One such note read ¡®what if I made it shoot fireballs from every orifice?¡¯ Gabrielle rolled up the parchment and handed it back to Lenoria. ¡°I am quite impressed with the way you nurtured this girl¡¯s potential, Mr. Starflower. If we hired her through the Guild, I fear the three thousand gold pieces we quoted would feel more like a bargain than a fair price.¡± Lenoria held in a gasp. ¡°Three thousand?¡± That was five hundred times the weekly wage of the average man. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You believe in her that much, Gabrielle?¡± Beau asked. ¡°If that is the case, I can always raise the price,¡± said the headmaster. ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Lenoria proposed. All eyes were on her; the headmaster¡¯s with a hint of frustration, Gabrielle¡¯s with curiosity, and Beau¡¯s with indifference. ¡°Hear me out. I¡¯d love to make as much gold as I can, but I don¡¯t like taking what I didn¡¯t earn. How about I accept the three thousand for the job, and once I¡¯m done you can pay me what you think is fair. If the job ends up being piss poor, then you obviously don¡¯t have to give me anything. But I can guarantee I¡¯ll give it one hundred percent!¡± The Bisset family had boosted her confidence and Lenoria wished to ease their minds. While this was the main driving factor for her proposal, wanting to spite the headmaster also had something to do with it. ¡°Consider your words carefully, Lenoria,¡± Gabrielle said. ¡°Are you suggesting gratuity as if you were some street performer?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. You¡¯d be paying the amount you quoted Mr. Starflower and if you like how the project turns out, then you are welcome to add anything extra.¡± After a moment of thinking, Gabrielle gave her answer. ¡°It¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll pay the six hundred gold pieces to the Guild to hire Lenoria and shall pay her a fair amount once the job is done. Mr. Starflower, I want to get started on the paperwork immediately. I want no one else to represent the Artificers Guild.¡± The headmaster was not happy, but he suppressed his rage as best as he could. ¡°We could have gotten more from them! Damn it all! I can¡¯t let her have this job! I can¡¯t let HER represent the Guild!¡± ¡°Looks like we can wrap up here, Mr. Starflower. I just have one concern.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Miss Bisset?¡± ¡°Lenoria said she introduced her gear servant at the beginning of the semester. That was nine months ago.¡± The seed had been planted, and it was now taking root. Lenoria was careful with her wording and had hoped either Gabrielle or Beau could read between the lines. ¡°I believe she mentioned something like that, yes,¡± the headmaster said almost dismissively. ¡°I went over her plans, and I can see she did her best to improve it since the day of its conception. If it is supposed to help with menial chores and do the things a homunculus is supposed to do, the [Unseen Servant] spell should be a thing of the past in a matter of years. Why, then, are there no more of them? The one Lenoria owns is the only one I¡¯ve seen in the school.¡± A cough escaped the headmaster. ¡°T-that¡¯s because the Guild didn¡¯t want to take risks with something like that, so we didn¡¯t make any prototypes.¡± ¡°Risks? I see no risk with something like this! If you mass produce them with cheap metal, you could make a fortune while spending so little!¡± Gabrielle stood up. ¡°Mr. Starflower, why would you deny the world something like this? Why would you, the most learned man in the Guild, let such an opportunity slip from your grasp?¡± Lenoria didn¡¯t need to look at the headmaster to know he had been left speechless. There was only one correct answer to that question, and only she and Clara knew. The headmaster would try to get around it, like he always did, so even if Lenoria wanted to speak now, it was her word against his. For now, she was just content to see him squirm though she will surely pay for this somehow. The headmaster could only stutter a word in before Beau stepped forward to interrupt. ¡°It¡¯s because you hate what she is, is it not?¡± The headmaster jumped but did not say anything to defend himself. Lenoria looked shocked for a different reason. How could Beau have known? ¡°P-pardon me, sir?¡± The headmaster stuttered. ¡°You hate the fact she isn¡¯t a native from Helix, so you stunted her growth with petty hatred.¡± The headmaster froze in place as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°Help me out, Starflower. Am I hitting any of these right out of the park?¡± Sweating nervously, the headmaster readjusted his shirt collar. ¡°W-why would you assume something like that, sir? It¡¯s not what-¡± Gabrielle exchanged her frown for a calm yet murderous look. The headmaster fell into an uncomfortable silence when he looked in her general direction. ¡°All we ask for is the truth, Mr. Starflower. Do you encourage ethnic prejudice in your institution?¡± ¡°Choose your next words wisely,¡± Beau warned. ¡°We heard you call Lenoria a disgusting name out there. Your office walls aren¡¯t exactly soundproof, you know.¡± Headmaster Starflower, pale as a dead man at this point, lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you, Starflower!¡± Beau roared. As much as she enjoyed seeing this, Lenoria had to step in. Beau looked like he was ready to snap someone in two. ¡°Beau, Miss Gabrielle, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve gone off-topic, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s right! This is irrelevant, isn¡¯t it?¡± The headmaster gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Good girl! I guess even a dog can get something right every once in a while!¡± You break a girl¡¯s spirit long enough, eventually she¡¯ll fold and fall in line. Tormenting Lenoria directly and indirectly finally paid off, he believed. Beau¡¯s fury subsided while Gabrielle had remained calm the entire time. ¡°So, it isn¡¯t true? Did Beau mishear?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± the headmaster said smugly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think you heard, but I can assure you I wasn¡¯t mocking my student.¡± His own lies would suffice, but he really needed to drive the point home. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Lenoria? Tell them how good the Guild has treated you, how good the students and I have treated you.¡± It was one thing for Lenoria to try to expose the headmaster on her own. It was another thing entirely for him to ask her to expose him and his lies. ¡°But sir¡­lying to the client is against Guild standards.¡± Lenoria made sure to say this as loud as she could. Her spirit was far from broken; had the girl been alone throughout her entire stay in Helix, the story would be different. ¡°Y-y-y-y-y¡­¡± The headmaster stuttered endlessly. ¡°D-don¡¯t joke around like that, Tsukino.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± "Figures." A smile came from Beau. ¡°Gabrielle?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough.¡± Gabrielle made her way to the door. She folded her arms in reverse. ¡°The deal is off, Starflower.¡± The headmaster ran after Gabrielle and met her at the door. ¡°Miss Bisset, please! This girl is a prankster who shouldn''t be taken seriously! I¡¯d be more than happy to introduce you to my top student instead, Thomas Carpathia! He¡¯ll do the job better than she ever could!¡± But unbeknownst to all but Lenoria, black ghostly feathers fell from his body whenever he tried to lie. Gabrielle stopped in her tracks. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± She turned to meet the headmaster¡¯s gaze. ¡°A family friend had the ¡®honor¡¯ to meet your top student. Did you know that the student behind you was injured in the park close to the school grounds, and your top student tried to take advantage of the situation?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep track of every student! If Tsukino had said something, she would have received my deepest condolences,¡± the headmaster lied. ¡°You called Lenoria a hurtful name out there. On top of that, you praised a predator and spoke about a potential victim dismissively under the same breath.¡± Gabrielle kept calm, but Lenoria could sense a storm beneath her words. "Explain yourself, Starflower." The headmaster took offense to that. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, ma¡¯am, but Thomas is an outstanding student. Your friend would need hard evidence for this accusation.¡± The headmaster bit his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I didn¡¯t mean to say that!¡± "Are you calling my contact a liar?" "N-no, ma''am!" ¡°My family friend just so happens to be a paladin devoted to the Hammer of Justice. I may not be a native to Helix, Headmaster, but if I recall correctly the Hammer is one of the more serious deities around here and he doesn¡¯t take dishonesty lightly.¡± Lenoria realized Gabrielle was talking about Alistair, and the other witness must be Clara. ¡°T-that may be true, but not everyone is deeply into religion,¡± the headmaster nervously countered. "I''m a-afraid his word could not have weight in, say, a courtroom." ¡°That doesn''t matter. I trust my friend¡¯s word with my life,¡± Gabrielle declared. ¡°He is the evidence I need, and his witness is willing to testify as well, if your implied threat is anything to go by.¡± ¡°It was us, Starflower, who arranged Carpathia¡¯s arrest. Not Lenoria.¡± Beau slowed his speech to make sure the headmaster understood what he said. ¡°Your man violated his restraining order, thrashed an apothecary, and did something to some potion vials I am not willing to disclose because there are two ladies present. Why do you go through such lengths to defend him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re responsible for his arrest?¡± The headmaster growled, baring his fangs like a cornered animal. ¡°By what authority? His grades brought the Guild to greatness!¡± The storm that was Gabrielle could erupt at any moment. ¡°His grades mean very little, Starflower. When your top student acts the fool to the point that the majority of the female students write letters to us, and minorities write letters to us pleading for help, the Scholastic Guild takes notice.¡± ¡°Lies and slander, I assure you!¡± The headmaster stopped briefly when he registered what Gabrielle just said. ¡°D-did you just say the Scholastic Guild?¡± Lenoria was just as surprised as the headmaster. ¡°Who are these people?¡± ¡°Correct. House Bisset may be one of Thule¡¯s noble houses, but I personally take pride in the institutions I invest in.¡± Gabrielle unrolled a parchment she kept concealed under her coat. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe my words, Starflower, then allow my license to speak for itself.¡± Gabrielle flipped the parchment over so that the headmaster could read it.
Helix City Scholastic Administrative License The Bearer (Gabrielle Bisset) Having filled out the application as required, (Gabrielle Bisset) is recognized as a figure of authority in the Scholastic Guild and may suggest decisions to be put up for vote by the rest of the Guild leaders and later approved or denied by the Guild Master. (Gabrielle Bisset) may also enforce rules across institutions on the Guild¡¯s behalf. This certificate is good for ten years unless otherwise revoked. Date: 12th of Injigo, 1658 (1/12/58)
The headmaster shook his head erratically. ¡°T-this has got to be fake!¡± He bit his tongue again. ¡°Stop antagonizing her! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Lenoria stepped closer to take a look at the certificate. ¡°Looks pretty real to me. It¡¯s even got the Scholastic Guild¡¯s stamp of approval. Hard to duplicate, if not impossible.¡± ¡°And that grants her authority over me? No¡­¡± And at that moment, something snapped inside the headmaster. Some say it was from the stress of his daily duties, others say it was because of the anxiety of losing everything he worked for, and most assume it was just his common sense and any shred of decency leaving his body. Without a thought in his mind, driven by pure instinct, the headmaster invaded Gabrielle¡¯s personal space. He puffed his chest and tried to make himself look taller. "I will not let you undo everything I have worked for!" Headmaster Starflower, bless his soul, had forgotten about Beau. In one swift motion, the big man grabbed the headmaster by the neck and placed himself in front of his sister. The headmaster feebly reached for Beau and tried to break himself free, but Beau¡¯s vice grip had the force of the jaws of a wild beast. ¡°The certificate is merely a courtesy.¡± Gabrielle tore the certificate to prove her point. ¡°My family has been a benefactor to the Scholastic Guild for decades. The only reason you haven¡¯t even heard of our contributions is because we chose to remain anonymous. But you¡¯re welcome to contact anyone in the administrative team. They can vouch for me.¡± She nodded to Beau. ¡°Release him.¡± For Lenoria, watching the headmaster get ragdolled provided much-needed catharsis for her. She did not pity him in the slightest, especially now that he insisted on digging his own grave. The headmaster scrambled to stand back up, but he remained prone once he noticed Gabrielle¡¯s cold gaze fixed on him. ¡°Do you not see the mistake you¡¯re making, Lady Bisset? A Helixian native will pride themselves in their work and is overall a better candidate! Please reconsider!" There was furious indignation in Gabrielle''s eyes. ¡°The duty of the Scholastic Guild is to create an environment in all educational institutions where students can thrive and be able to do their best. I consider the prejudice in the school and Carpathia¡¯s predatory escapades to be your fault, Mr. Starflower. You were entrusted with the Guild, and you brought shame to it. The damage you caused will take years to fix. You made me do this.¡± ¡°What are you saying, ma¡¯am? I have no control over what my students have-¡± "I''m getting sick of your excuses." Gabrielle gave Lenoria a saddened look. ¡°Lenoria has potential. She should be enough proof for you to realize that anyone can achieve greatness, no matter their race, color, or creed.¡± Poe perched on Lenoria¡¯s shoulder and, by spreading his wings, he summoned another raven on the opposite shoulder. Watching black feathers scatter from the headmaster anytime he moved allowed her to put things together. ¡°You guys did this?¡± Pearl had told Lenoria she could communicate with her and her corvids telepathically if she wanted to. The two ravens cawed as loudly as they could, as if to respond affirmatively. This didn¡¯t draw anyone else¡¯s attention, and Lenoria felt relieved they weren¡¯t heard. ¡°This is your power, Lenoria.¡± Pearl floated behind Lenoria. ¡°Poe is merely reacting to the desires in your heart. You wished for this man to face justice; all Poe did was sprinkle some misfortune on him. He had a hard time masking himself.¡± It would explain the headmaster suddenly telling on himself. The fact Lenoria wasn¡¯t aware she was causing Starflower to stumble with his own words concerned her. It was a power that needed to be controlled and she planned to ask Pearl how to control it later. For now, she waited with bated breath to hear Starflower¡¯s fate, though it appeared everyone knew at this point. ¡°Pack your belongings, Starflower,¡± Gabrielle said coldly after a long pause. ¡°You¡¯re fired.¡± Chapter 9 - Schools Out The fallout of Mr. Starflower¡¯s arrest was more than anyone, including Lenoria, could have expected. Mr. Starflower was originally going to be sent to the school infirmary until he contacted the authorities to arrest Beau for attacking him. For such a delicate matter, a mage working for the police was brought in to cast a [Zone of Truth] spell to everyone involved. Lenoria was first, followed by Gabrielle. The police hesitated when it was Beau¡¯s turn, for he towered over all of them. They somehow managed to summon the courage to question him and asked the ladies to wait in the courtyard.
Zone of Truth School: Enchantment Description: A 20-ft zone is altered with magic that forces anyone within to tell the truth. A Will saving throw negates the effect, but those who fail cannot lie.
Lastly was the headmaster, and he was forced to tell the truth to every question which in the end got him arrested. The screaming that followed, coupled with the injury Beau had given him, delayed his arrest when the pain was too much for him and he passed out. The trio remained in the courtyard and were asked by the police to stay in the school grounds until the order was given to be released. When the police got the full picture, they arrested the headmaster instead for instigating the situation and for reporting a crime falsely. The headmaster was taken to a prison hospital to be treated for a damaged windpipe, classes were dismissed early (and for the next three months, for it was the last day of the semester), and Lenoria, Beau, and Gabrielle were detained by the police to explain what had happened. In the brief amount of time Lenoria was alone, she knew it was time for a private chat with Pearl. ¡°Ya mind telling me how Poe did all that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really explain the power of the Raven, did I?¡± Pearl paused for a moment to search for the right words. ¡°Simply put, the Raven holds the power of fortune. You can bring misfortune to your foes and fortune to your allies.¡± ¡°Fortune? Like money?¡± ¡°Not what I meant, though I suppose wealth is one of the perks. I mean fortune as in good luck.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just bad luck, why did the headmaster act all weird? Wouldn¡¯t bad luck have a more physical manifestation, like him falling down some stairs or something.¡± ¡°You subconsciously manifested your power to curse the headmaster. You know how it takes some effort to tell a good lie? All Poe did was befuddle him so that he¡¯d have a harder time looking for the perfect way to word his lies. For this reason, his mind immediately defaulted to telling the truth since it was easier for him, even if it wasn¡¯t in his best interest.¡± ¡°You said it was done subconsciously. How do I stop it from happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You need to learn to control your emotions towards other people. It¡¯s okay to love or show anger to others, but wishing ill intent is how someone gets caught in the crossfire.¡± Pearl smiled. ¡°Thankfully, the only casualty so far is someone who absolutely deserved it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me. Good riddance to that scoundrel.¡± Lenoria lied down under the shade of a nearby tree, her hands behind her head acting as a pillow. She pondered on her next move; if Gabrielle was an administrator of the Scholastic Guild, did it mean there was no job in the first place? She did tell the former headmaster that the deal was off, and if that was the case Starflower had managed to take away a great opportunity from her grasp. ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± ¡°Far from it. But I¡¯m going to need some money if we¡¯re traveling for some stones. And if I had to get a job to even have a chance to get a foot out of the country, we¡¯ll definitely be here a while. This power of yours could affect potential bosses.¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, this power can only work on someone a single time. After that, it can¡¯t affect them again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, assuming my future boss survives whatever curse falls on them.¡± Lenoria sighed. ¡°I just hope no one pushes me to that point.¡± "There is one more power I need to go over. Since my master has tasked me with retrieving the Soulstones, I can absorb any that we collect. With this, we''ll be able to activate the power of any Soulstone that we collect." Lenoria promptly sat up at the mention of the Raven''s second power. "No way! That sounds powerful!" She pictured herself using Aquila''s power to shoot feathers at ravenous dragons. "The power itself is limited in uses, but we''ll get to that once you start gathering the stones." Pearl hovered to a branch of the tree when she spotted Gabrielle making her way to Lenoria. ¡°I admit Beau should have held back, but if it all goes well, they¡¯ll let us go because he attacked out of self-defense.¡± Gabrielle proudly told Lenoria, who appeared unresponsive and just stared at the sky from her spot. ¡°Is something wrong, Lenoria? If you¡¯re worried about the school, I¡¯ll see to it we hire a new headmaster before the next semester starts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± the young girl said. ¡°I always wanted to speak out against the headmaster, but he made sure no one was on my side. He threatened to fire anyone who ¡®spoke out of turn¡¯ so the instructors were always quiet, and he spread rumors about me so that the students would treat me like some outcast. And it¡¯s not fair that he got arrested only after I graduated.¡± Gabrielle sat down next to Lenoria. ¡°How long has this been going on?¡± ¡°At least three years now.¡± The girl wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°If that was the case, why didn¡¯t you report it?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯d always tell me that the Scholastic Guild never listened to reports made by a single person. I needed at least a group of eight people to make a report, he¡¯d always say.¡± ¡°W-we made that rule to avoid petty reports. I didn¡¯t know-¡± Gabrielle shook her head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no excuse for making a rule like that. Starflower used it to torment you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Lenoria nodded. ¡°I am deeply sorry this happened to you, Lenoria. Since no one complained about him, we had no reason to investigate him until now. I was expecting to find some level of corruption, but not this much.¡± Lenoria sniffled. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. Beau said you guys came from Thule, so I know you can¡¯t always be around.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, I¡¯m part of the administrative team and I¡¯m as responsible for this as they are. But if there¡¯s anything I can promise, it¡¯s that I¡¯ll see to it that everyone who took part in Starflower¡¯s lunacy is brought to justice. I¡¯ll start with erasing Carpathia¡¯s affiliation with the Guild; someone like him does not have a place here, and the best he can hope for is freelance work in prison.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Gabrielle¡¯s reassuring words helped Lenoria feel better. However, ¡°Thank you, but it won¡¯t undo everything he and the head-, I mean, former headmaster, did to me.¡± Lenoria sighed. ¡°At least the girls can rest easy now, even if I couldn¡¯t help them with the letter.¡± ¡°Maybe not with the letter, but you did help in a different way. It was because of you that I was able to confidently call him out.¡± ¡°How? I don¡¯t think I did anything.¡± ¡°When Alistair saw how Carpathia was behaving towards you, he felt the need to report it to me after the Constable let him go. Before he told me, I was at a loss on what to do. I had enough faith in the Scholastic Guild to believe they would have weeded out any undesirables by the time of my arrival, and really thought the letter written by the students was just something that had been blown out of proportion. When Alistair gave me his report,¡± she said she shook her fist, ¡°I was livid.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± There was disappointment in Lenoria¡¯s voice. ¡°Alistair got the ball rolling. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°He also told me you were there because a child cried for help.¡± Gabrielle smiled. ¡°The way I see it, if you hadn¡¯t made the conscious decision to help a child in need, I would still be undecided about what to do with Starflower. Think about it.¡± Lenoria didn¡¯t think about the incident too much. She and Clara heard a child cry out for help, and there was no way either girl would have left him alone. But after some thinking, the girl realized where she fell in this equation. Without her, Clara wouldn¡¯t have found Alistair, Thomas would have stayed out of the park, Alistair wouldn¡¯t have set up Thomas or witnessed his cringeworthy behavior, and if none of those things had happened then Gabrielle wouldn¡¯t have received a report on Thomas¡¯s behavior. Without Alistair¡¯s report, Gabrielle would have been uncertain and would have just as likely dismissed the allegations instead of responding to them. A simple, yet heroic decision sparked a chain of events that ultimately led to the arrest of a headmaster who obstructed justice. Justice for Lenoria was brought to her by the domino effect that she herself had caused. I¡¯ll find a way. Lenoria¡¯s promise to the headmaster that she¡¯d have a hand in exposing him to the Scholastic Guild came true. Just not in the way she expected. ¡°Oh, my gosh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever take yourself for granted ever again. Every decision we make has meaning, no matter how small. In the end, thanks to you, Starflower got his comeuppance.¡± Just when she believed the world had given up on her, the girl found a reason to believe in the future. This stranger had no reason to help her, because like anyone else in the school, she could have contributed to her suffering. Instead, Gabrielle took the high road and went out of her way to spare Lenoria from further torment, even if she was four years too late. What would the Guild become now that the two worst people in the institution are gone and behind bars? ¡°I guess this means you don¡¯t need me anymore, huh?¡± ¡°What gave you that idea? I still need your knowledge in robotics for the project I want to invest in.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Of course! Thule may not be a safe place for a young lady such as yourself, but we¡¯ll offer payment and protection in exchange for flawless work. Think you can do that?¡± ¡°As long as gratuity is still on the table,¡± Lenoria joked, but was slightly surprised to see Gabrielle seriously considering her suggestion. ¡°Sounds like a deal to me,¡± Gabrielle said. ¡°Let¡¯s go over our terms and come up with a contract.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± If only Alistair was here, Lenoria would call it the perfect day. Oh, well. She had plenty of time to ask Gabrielle once business concluded. *** Clara was disheartened to hear that class had ended early after the police had arrived at the Guild. Word spread like wildfire about the headmaster all in due thanks to the school¡¯s nurse, the local gossipmonger. Some of the instructors cheered, the majority were saddened to hear about their headmaster¡¯s fate, and the rest remained indifferent. And the students? A group of them came to a single conclusion. Clara hid herself around a corner so they wouldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Did ¡®Lenoria the Tomboy¡¯ do this?¡± ¡°I heard she strangled him without witnesses around!¡± ¡°She¡¯s like eighty pounds! There¡¯s no way she could overpower anybody! She probably had help.¡± ¡°Heard she got Thomas, too.¡± ¡°I heard about that! He¡¯s supposed to be part of a mentor program next semester but now that spot¡¯s vacant.¡± Clara elected to leave the gaggle of boys to their gossip. The students had a habit of saying bad things about Lenoria, and after defending her for so long the elven girl realized she might as well had been talking to a wall. No one ever listened to her, except a few of the reasonable folks in the school. ¡°Let¡¯s teach her a lesson! She¡¯s gotta be alone!¡± Clara stopped and listened in. ¡°Are you serious? My coin purse still tingles from the last time she kicked me!¡± ¡°And she graduated! This is our last chance to get payback!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, if she got the headmaster, we could be next!¡± ¡°Bah,¡± taunted the leader, ¡°you¡¯re both as yellow as she is!¡± ¡°Think about it! We don¡¯t have the headmaster¡¯s protection anymore! We risk actual consequences if we do anything!¡± The leader banged his fists on a locker. ¡°So what are we supposed to do? If we don¡¯t do something now, there goes our way of life next semester! We should send a message to let the rest of the dweeb population know things are staying the same!¡± Clara looked away, seething. ¡°What did Lenoria even do to deserve this? Jerks, all of them!¡± She suddenly heard the sound of objects falling on the ground. She looked in the direction of the bullies to see them surrounding a young man with downcast eyes. He wore a tan robe and cap, and his skin glistened with a rich spectrum of variants of an orange hue thanks to his lustrous scales. The leader had knocked the books he had been carrying. ¡°Right on cue, devil freak.¡± The leader greeted the newcomer with a punch to the chest. The gloomy boy gasped as the other bullies joined in, but he exhibited no other emotion. ¡°Oooh, I¡¯m so annoyed right now and you¡¯re always a pleasure to see! Instead of Lenoria, I¡¯ll take out my frustration on you!¡± Clara knew him as Omar, a tiefling boy whose family hailed from across the northern sea and the only person in the Guild who possibly had it worse than Lenoria. While the boys and eventually the girls decided Lenoria wasn¡¯t worth assaulting without losing a tooth, Omar had no way to defend himself and became the local punching bag in the short amount of time he¡¯s been at the Guild. Clara¡¯s first instinct was to turn around and look for Lenoria, but she stopped herself after hearing the grunts Omar cried from each punch thrown at him. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to summon on school grounds, and I can¡¯t beat them in a brawl. What would Lenoria do?¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re fun to torment! It¡¯s your own fault for having that ugly face!¡± The leader pulled back his fist as it started to hurt from all the punching. ¡°If Headmaster Starflower is gone, I don¡¯t know when¡¯s the next time I get to do this! I¡¯m feeling merciful today, though, so just hold out for another hour!¡± Omar''s hood was pulled down by one of the other bullies, exposing his jet-black horns and a brown mullet. "You''re as ugly as a goat!" Another bully clasped Omar''s horns tightly. "Got your horns!" "Agh!" Omar''s pained groans made Clara turn the other way. "T-those are sensitive!" "Shut it, freak!" Another punch was delivered, this time to the face. Clutching her staff, Clara emerged from her hiding place and was just about to scream something when the battered boy spit out a tooth and mumbled something too faint for Clara to hear. ¡°What¡¯s that? Your pa¡¯s the fiend, not your ma?¡± The leader taunted. ¡°I won¡¯t let you¡­get away with this¡­anymore¡­¡± The bullies gasped when they noticed a black flask on Omar¡¯s hand. It blinked with a red light, its speed going from slow to blinking rapidly. A hot, red flash engulfed the hallway as the orb broke apart to unleash a school-shattering KABOOM. *** Dozens of students and instructors fled for their lives as a portion of the Artificers Guild began to burn. Lenoria and Gabrielle stood from their seats just as they were wrapping up the terms of their contract. ¡°Gabrielle, we have to get you to safety!¡± Beau grabbed his sister by the hand. ¡°You too, Lenoria!¡± ¡°Lenoria, we have trouble!¡± Pearl grabbed Lenoria¡¯s shoulder, startling the girl. ¡°A Soulstone has revealed itself!¡± ¡°Already?¡± Lenoria glanced over at Beau and Gabrielle. She couldn¡¯t speak to Pearl with them around. ¡°Meet me inside the school! Your friend is there, too!¡± ¡°Clara!¡± Lenoria nodded to the Bisset siblings and made her way towards the danger. ¡°Don¡¯t go in there, Lenoria! It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Beau warned. ¡°My best friend is still in there! I have to save her!¡± Lenoria barely escaped Beau¡¯s grasp and made her way inside the Guild. Pearl floated closely behind her. ¡°I promised you would have my support during your confession! I¡¯m not leaving you behind!¡± Coming up next week: Clara''s interlude and the next chapter, all in one day. Stay tuned. Interlude - Clara Aur猫le Clara Aur¨¨le was the only child of her small family, which included herself and her two parents. The parents, named Alain and Yolandra, had known each other since childhood, well over two centuries by the time Clara came of age. For the better part of a century, the small family lived in the forest city of Rougewood. Elves aged slowly - at a rate roughly 1/6th of a human¡¯s - and for this reason they often learned about the world around them at a slower pace. Patience was the race¡¯s strongest virtue, and for them there was no need to rush through life like the rest of the short-lived races did. They chose to make friendships with immortal beings, like the fae and creatures from different dimensions such as angels, over races with shorter lifespans such as humans and ratfolk. For the Aur¨¨le family, elven traditions became stagnant with time, and they desired to explore the outside world. When Clara turned ninety, just twenty years short of achieving adulthood, the Aur¨¨le family decided to leave the Rougewood and travel across the kingdom of Helix. They visited the port city of Pom, the quiet village of Maximus, and the alpine city of Ulysses Crossing, staying at each location for ten years, before settling in the big city, Helix City itself. By that time, Clara had turned one hundred and twenty, and enrolled in the Artificers Guild. Alain and Yolandra had hoped their little Clara would pursue either a druidic career like her father or become a priestess of the elven deity, the Moon Guardian, like her mother. But nothing prepared them for the news of their little girl - now a grown woman - choosing the summoner class, instead. The world of eidolons - a realm inhabited by creatures qualified to become a summoner¡¯s companion - fascinated Clara, and she wished to learn more about them. Clara loved animals because her father knew how to handle them, but even they paled in comparison whenever she read about angels, reapers, and the paragons of law, the inevitables. This last one, paired with the mechanical structure of Helix City, inspired her to specialize in mechanical eidolons when she took the summoner course in the Guild. To become a summoner, each student had to perform a minute-long ritual where their astral presence entered the realm of the eidolons and called upon them. The eidolon that presented itself - if it presented itself - is said to manifest from both the state of the summoner¡¯s soul and their deepest desire. It was to Clara¡¯s surprise that her eidolon took the form of a faceless machine garbed in jade-green armor, with a crescent moon adorning the tip of its helmet. Blue lights illuminated where the eyes should be, and while the being appeared more like a samurai, its hulking fists and frame indicated a more brutal approach in battle. This was the day Clara became a full-fledged summoner, and to commemorate this special occasion, she named her eidolon Tsukuyomi, after the moon kami of the Far West. *** During one of the many mornings Lenoria slept over at her place, Clara woke up at the earliest stage of dawn. She slept on a soft chair while Lenoria took the bed; it was customary for her family to offer their guests the best they had, because if the guest could look past their shabby house, they were guests worth having over. It hadn¡¯t been long since Clara and Lenoria became friends, but the blonde came from humble beginnings herself; she understood their living arrangements, and never judged them for it. This particular morning, Lenoria was hugging the body pillow for warmth; her tossing and turning eventually left her blanket on the ground, and she grew cold. Clara picked up the blanket, tucked her in, and left the room, smiling as she did so. Once she was out of the room, that smile was turned upside down as Clara got ready for her daily routine. The elven girl walked down the creaky hallway and entered the family bathroom. The stench of mildew lingered in the small bathroom; a smell she had grown accustomed to. She could hear her parents arguing in the next room; rent was due, and they barely had enough to pay for essentials over the next month. They tried to keep it a secret from Clara, but she knew better. All the work they put in to live in the city and in the end, they barely made ends meet, but they were too proud to move back to the forest. All Clara could do was smile. Her parents smiled, too, when they saw her downstairs later, if only to forget their woes or at the very least bury them under the rug. Their marriage was strong, but the stress of having little money made them cranky. Thankfully, Lenoria always took care of the food whenever she was over; they never spoke of their problems in front of her, but Lenoria was smart enough to put two and two together. Lenoria. The blonde girl wasn¡¯t always like this. Her kindness had always been overshadowed by the rage she felt for Headmaster Starflower. Her mood was a black sea that engulfed all manner of positivity, and it only grew from the harmful words that were littered by the other students. Clara often wondered how things would have been if she never made the effort to open her heart. ---------- ¡°Class is dismissed!¡± Clara¡¯s mind went back to a day in her third year at the Guild. Instructor Gardens had just finished his lesson plan for the class and assigned homework the students had to turn in the next day. She waited until the rest of her classmates had left before she stood up, fixed a fold at the hem of her skirt, and made her way to the instructor¡¯s desk. Instructor Gardens was a thin human male with a neatly trimmed black beard and long black hair at the top of his head and buzzed sides. He always wore an amethyst-colored robe with a cape attached to it by sun-shaped clips. An enticing, manly perfume lingered around him and his desk. A stack of books decorated his desk, including titles such as ¡®Ra: Lord of the Light,¡¯ ¡®Religions of the World,¡¯ and, resting at the very top with the illustration of a woman in a maid¡¯s outfit posing with a firearm while a young boy in elegant clothes posed clumsily next to her, was the critically acclaimed fiction novel ¡®Elizabeth the Combat Maid.¡¯ ¡°What troubles you, Clara?¡± Instructor Gardens was not only smart, but his sharp senses always knew when Clara was feeling troubled. ¡°You can tell? Well¡­¡± ¡°Out with it, Clara. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°There¡¯s this girl,¡± Clara began, ¡°and she¡¯s always getting picked on by the students. I¡¯ve been watching her for a while, but I just don¡¯t know how to approach her. She¡¯s always so tense.¡± Instructor Gardens rested his elbows on the desk. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that people from the Far West are savages.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°A rumor I¡¯m not particularly fond of.¡± ¡°Right? Whoever started it must have no shame.¡± Instructor Gardens remained silent for a moment before continuing. ¡°Unfortunately, only the Disciplinary Council can put a stop to the bullying around here. Instructors aren¡¯t allowed to interfere with the lives of the students.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so dumb! The Disciplinary even joins in on the bullying sometimes!¡± ¡°I know, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. When I brought it to the attention of the headmaster, he declared that anyone interfering with the academic development of any student is to be expelled immediately. I would quit to make a point, but I would rather provide a safe environment for the students.¡± Clara knew the instructor meant what he said, for he was one of the few who openly opposed the headmaster¡¯s decisions. ¡°What drew you to this girl, anyway? You don¡¯t want to be her friend out of pity, do you? That would only hurt her even more.¡± ¡°No, sir. I¡¯ve been watching her since she started her first year. She¡¯s so smart, pretty, and kind. Well, that last one isn¡¯t so obvious now, but she used to help the students with their homework. But after her date with Carter, well¡­¡± Clara sighed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t trust men anymore. Or elves, for some reason. O-or anyone else, really.¡± ¡°And what do you want to do about it?¡± Clara gulped. ¡°She¡¯s the victim of a broken heart. All I want to do is mend it and refill it with love.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re in love with this girl.¡± Clara¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°N-no!¡± Flustered and blushing, Clara averted her gaze. ¡°M-my heart already belongs to another.¡± She was too chicken to point out this other person was right in front of her. ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± the oblivious instructor moved on, ¡°maybe I can arrange a playdate between you two. Give you two a chance to bond. I was hoping to contact her guardian since she keeps forgetting to take her homework with her. I can use that opportunity to arrange something this weekend. ¡°S-so soon?¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with living life at a fast pace once in a while.¡± The instructor smiled. ¡°Trust me, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Fast forward to next weekend. ¡°That nosy instructor.¡± An irritated Lenoria carried her camping gear to a hilltop in the outskirts of town. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s scheming, but he obviously doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°Now, now, Lenoria,¡± her half-orc guardian said, ¡°Instructor Gardens is only looking out for you. He said your grades have been declining and you¡¯ve been getting hostile with the other students.¡± ¡°Big deal. So what?¡± ¡°I heard they call you ¡®Lenoria the Tomboy.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s a step up, believe me. It used to be ¡®Lenoria the Pig Fu-¡¯¡± ¡°In any case, I see the man¡¯s point. You need time away from the Guild and just enjoy life! The fact this doubles as a science project for extra credit is just the icing on this cake.¡± ¡°That, I get.¡± The camera pans to reveal Clara clumsily climbing the hill right behind them. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is why she has to be here!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s cute he found you a partner for this science project!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a planar instructor, and he wants us to go camping to collect data on local bugs and flowers! He should have at least funded a field trip to the world of the dead or something closer to his field!¡± ¡°U-um, Instructor Gardens is a smart man! He must have a reason for arranging things this way!¡± Clara didn¡¯t like it when Instructor Gardens was insulted in any way. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt the man¡¯s genius, but that doesn¡¯t make him a bright candle,¡± Lenoria chortled as she brushed aside a strand of hair from her face. ¡°No need to get worked up about it, elf. Only reason I¡¯d even defend such a braindead decision is if I liked the guy.¡± Clara fell silent. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± Lenoria stopped and pointed at Clara. ¡°You actually like him!¡± Clara hid her face in embarrassment. Lenoria¡¯s mocking tone was a bit much for her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little old for him? Better make a move now before he passes on sometime in the next sixty years!¡± Karma sent Lenoria back down to earth in the form of an iron skillet falling from Sage¡¯s backpack onto her head. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Cut it out, Lenoria.¡± Sage scolded. ¡°You know elves mature slower than humans. She may be older than the two of us combined, but in the eyes of an elf, she¡¯s like a girl in her early 20s.¡± A single tear fell from Lenoria¡¯s eye as she rubbed the bump on her head. ¡°Pretty weird, if you ask me.¡± ¡°If you have a problem with that, take it up to the gods.¡± Sage set down his backpack. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The girls set down their backpacks once they reached the hilltop. Signs of a campfire made ages ago rested in the middle, and Sage got right to work by taking out an axe to chop down firewood. ¡°I¡¯ll get us started. Why don¡¯t you girls go out and start collecting the data your instructor wanted?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need help, old man?¡± ¡°I can handle this. I¡¯m quite spry for my age, you know. Just be back by nightfall.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Clara bowed and moved on ahead. Lenoria rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± One word made Lenoria stop. ¡°Be nice to Clara. She¡¯s here to help you with your grades.¡± At that, Lenoria scoffed and spun around to address her thoughts on Sage¡¯s words. ¡°Not sure if you got the memo, but I¡¯m a natural born genius! Only reason my grades went down is because I stopped trying.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Ken.¡± A grunt escaped from Lenoria. Sage had a habit of calling her by her father¡¯s nickname whenever she was out of line. She hated that, and he knew it. ¡°I¡¯m a lot different from Pop, you know.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re just as stubborn as he is. I always bailed your old man out even when he was too proud to ask for help. And we both know you can¡¯t graduate from the Guild without help.¡± ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I am.¡± Sage carried his first stack of firewood to the center of the hill. ¡°You want to prove me wrong? Then I challenge you to do everything alone for the entire day. If you ask Clara for help at any point today, you¡¯re buying dinner when we head back to civilization.¡± ¡°Too easy. And if I win?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean that pigsty of a room you sleep in for a whole week.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± The two of them shook on it and Lenoria went after Clara. Little did she know that Clara had been listening in and pretended to look busy when Lenoria caught up to her. Fortunately for Clara, she didn¡¯t have to pretend for long; she spotted worker ants marching away from the camp in a single file. Alas, Lenoria wasn¡¯t interested. Distance was kept between the girls. Lenoria was fully intent on winning her bet and recorded everything she found in the wilderness on a notepad; the different flowers, the different insects, even the color of dirt from place to place. Anytime Clara offered to share her own notes, Lenoria would just shoo her away. Sunset arrived and Lenoria was irritated. Clara wouldn¡¯t stay off her back the entire time and nearly gave up on the project when she had an idea. ¡°Hey, Clara. I think I saw a four-leaf clover on that patch of grass over there. Would you mind getting it for me?¡± The patch of grass Lenoria was pointing at was nearly a perfect 10-foot square of nothing but clovers. Clara gulped and felt intimidated by the challenge, but her expression shifted to one with determination and made her way there. ¡°Sure thing, Lenoria!¡± The urge to laugh was almost too much for Lenoria, but she held it in as she returned to camp. ¡°Sucker. Four-leaf clovers don¡¯t exist. Hope you get eaten by a bear or something, you stupid elf,¡± she mumbled maliciously. Tired, Lenoria returned to camp not long afterward. A campfire had been set up and two tents stood close to it. Sage sat on a log by the fire with a stick and a marshmallow over the fire, releasing a sweet and pleasant smell. ¡°Right on time,¡± Sage said. ¡°Where¡¯s Clara?¡± ¡°She said she needed to look for a four-leaf clover. She should be back soon.¡± ¡°I sure hope so, the view is beautiful at the hilltop at night.¡± Sage took a bite of his marshmallow. ¡°You two friends yet?¡± Lenoria scoffed and giggled. ¡°Yeah, best friends for life. Like I¡¯d ever be friends with an elf.¡± ¡°What did elves do to you, Lenoria?¡± ¡°Headmaster¡¯s an elf and he¡¯s a total dick. They¡¯re all pompous with a high and mighty attitude.¡± Lenoria sat down next to Sage. ¡°Dwarves are cool, tieflings are sexy, giantkin are crazy strong and awesome. But elves? They just love making me miserable.¡± She looked up at Sage. ¡°Is it racist to say this when it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Not all elves are bad, you know. Clara said she wanted to be your friend.¡± ¡°She probably just wants to set me up like Carter did.¡± Lenoria kicked a rock. ¡°I¡¯m done with people. I just want to graduate and get back home as soon as possible. Family first, you know.¡± Frowning, Sage decided to drop the subject. Lenoria was as stubborn as her father, so there was no point in trying to convince her to think differently. He offered a stick and a marshmallow to the girl, hoping she would forget her troubles for the time being. He looked over at a puddle of water next to him, catching the reflection of a reptilian creature too late as it pounced behind him. Daggerlike claws pierced his back, followed by a bite to the shoulder and a tail swipe that nearly made him trip. The dinosaur had two strong hind legs and two small arms. It stood about four feet tall, possibly four and a half, and sticky saliva dripped from its mouth. Lenoria rushed in with instinct, but a hiss from the dinosaur frightened her. Sage groaned in pain, but two quick punches to the neck of the beast freed him from the jaws of the dinosaur. The creature let out a shrill cry before its body became limp and unresponsive. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Sage said, ¡°a little shaky, though. Oh¡­¡± Sage¡¯s body fell limp, too. Burns marked his back and shoulder and his blood bubbled ominously. He fell face first into the ground and could only turn his head sideways before full immobility set in. ¡°Ugh. Troodons! They¡¯re as vicious as velociraptors but the bastards come with Dexterity poison! Quick, get the antitoxin and restoration potions!¡± Lenoria froze. ¡°A-antitoxin?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with me, Lenoria! You packed antitoxin, right?!¡± Lenoria hadn¡¯t bothered to pack antitoxin or the potions for the trip in due part because she didn¡¯t want to be here in the first place. ¡°N-no¡­¡± ¡°Damn! You¡¯re gonna have to carry me, then!¡± ¡°But the town''s a mile away! And you¡¯re too heavy!¡± Lenoria grew tense when she heard the rustling of leaves but was partially relieved to see Clara return to camp. ¡°Lenoria, look!¡± The elven girl held up a four-leaf clover. ¡°It took me a while, but I found it!¡± ¡°Not now, elf! We have a problem!¡± "W-what''s wrong?" ¡°Clara!¡± Sage was a little more welcoming. The poison had started taking effect and his eyelids were getting too heavy for him to keep open. ¡°Perfect timing! Lenoria¡¯s a little wimp so she¡¯ll need your help carrying me to town!¡± ¡°Oh, no! What happened?!¡± ¡°Troodon poison. I¡¯m useless without an antidote, so we need to return to town and get me to a clinic! Can you help?¡± Lenoria already pictured (in her head) Clara tossing the clover away and walking out on them. ¡°No! The old timer can¡¯t die here! If I go to town, other predators might try to eat him!¡± Shaking her fist, Lenoria swallowed her pride and got on one knee, but Clara stopped her before she could set the other knee on the ground. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Groveling was the answer, in her mind. ¡°What does it look like? I¡¯ll do anything, just please help us!¡± ¡°Lenoria,¡± Clara said as she placed her hands on Lenoria¡¯s shoulders, ¡°we can¡¯t waste time like this. He needs our help! You don¡¯t need to ask!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Clara made her way to the immobile Sage. ¡°Troodons, right? How many did you fight?¡± ¡°Just the one,¡± he answered. ¡°That means the pack¡¯s nearby. They never travel alone. If the two of us carry you, we won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°Figures. Useless like the rest of the elves.¡± Lenoria snapped her fingers with a sullen expression, but she tensed up again when she heard the leaves rustle. ¡°Luckily for you two,¡± Clara continued, ¡°I¡¯m a summoner. And what¡¯s a summoner without her eidolon?¡± Looking at the sky, she cried ¡°Return to me, Tsukuyomi!¡± The rustling intensified as trembling footsteps got closer and closer. From the trees came a hulking construct, the same eidolon Clara had made contact with during her summoning ritual. There was a scabbard strapped to its waist, but its massive fists appeared to be deadlier weapons. It had a featureless face with blue glowing eyes. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan! Tsukuyomi, please carry Mr. Sage and don¡¯t let him go unless I tell you!¡± Clara then grabbed two sticks Sage had left for the girls to pierce their marshmallows with and set the tips on the campfire before handing one to Lenoria. ¡°Lenoria, you and I will keep the troodons away. They may be predators, but they¡¯re scared of fire.¡± Lenoria was still processing everything. ¡°Hang on for just a second! I thought summoners needed a minute to summon their eidolon! How did you get yours so fast?!¡± ¡°I had Tsukuyomi follow us this whole time.¡± Clara bowed apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My safety is his top priority but if I had found the clover much earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? I¡¯m the one who sent you on that fetch quest.¡± With a guilty expression, Lenoria elected to remain quiet and grabbed the stick Clara offered her. ¡°I hope this works¡­¡± ---------- Clara sat alone on a chair by the kitchen table once she was done with the morning housework. Fondly looking back on that fateful night, she smiled at the thought of Lenoria buying dinner for the three of them once Sage was released from the clinic. It was a bittersweet meal that night; the girl had admitted to her how she felt throughout the whole ordeal, and even after Sage was taken safely back home, Lenoria warned her to stay away from her or else she¡¯d get hurt. But it wasn¡¯t until a month after that incident when Clara understood how deep those words were. ---------- ¡°So what? You think just because trash joins the elite, they get to behave like the elite?!¡± Anne Steiner had a couple of thuggish girls from her posse grapple Lenoria, with each girl holding an arm, while she repeatedly landed one heavy blow after another on Lenoria¡¯s gut. ¡°No,¡± Lenoria answered weakly. ¡°Wrong answer!¡± Anne finished with a devastating kick to the stomach. The haughty girl sneered as Lenoria was released by her posse, but quickly became concerned when the two thugs collapsed and revealed Clara standing behind them with a staff held by both hands. A bump had grown on Lenoria¡¯s eye while drool uncontrollably dripped from her lips and her arms and face had been viciously decorated with bruises. Even then, Lenoria had some strength, not enough to stand up but enough to call out to her savior. ¡°Clara.¡± ¡°Leave her alone, Steiner.¡± Clara¡¯s scowl had not changed since her arrival. Inwardly, she was shaking, but escape was not on her mind. ¡°Clara, what are you doing?¡± Lenoria panted heavily. ¡°Steiner may have a little woman complex, but she¡¯s built like a gorilla. She¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Yeah, Clara, you should listen to her. Oh, wait. Who really cares about what she says?¡± Anne pointed at Lenoria. ¡°She¡¯s just trash! Trash doesn¡¯t get any rights! Not even the instructors want to side with her! That¡¯s why the headmaster is fine with me making her my personal punching bag!¡± Shamefully, Lenoria looked down. ¡°I have a complex? Please! She thinks she¡¯s too good for everyone just because of a harmless prank! She doesn¡¯t trust anyone, so why should we trust her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. I¡¯m not here to make friends. Not anymore.¡± ¡°She could just jump off a building and no one would bat an eye! She¡¯d be doing everyone a favor then, at least!¡± A shadow was cast over Lenoria¡¯s eyes as her lips quivered. As harsh as Anne was, no lie was told. The Guild wouldn¡¯t miss her. Perhaps everything would be perfect if she just disappeared. ¡°Get out here, you stupid elf, or else you¡¯ll get hurt, too!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± A teary-eyed Lenoria looked back up to see Clara standing in front of her, shielding her from Anne. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching Lenoria ever since she arrived at the Guild. Not in the creepy way like Thomas, but I always noticed the romance books she¡¯d check out of the library and how friendly she was with everyone at first! It didn¡¯t matter what a person struggled with, she¡¯d always help them understand the problem and lead them to the right answer!¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t carry diseases! She doesn¡¯t kill people, she helps them! She even gave a poor man money - money she needed - just so his family could eat that night!¡± Lenoria gasped as if she remembered something but said nothing. ¡°The reason she doesn¡¯t trust people now is because everyone rejected her, first! I¡¯ve lived in this world for over a century, and I¡¯ve seen many good women kill themselves when the world turned its back on them, and I won¡¯t let that happen to her!¡± Lenoria had nothing to say, but not for lack of trying. All she could do was mentally deny everything. Clara had to be lying. ¡°She¡¯s not trash! The Guild i-is just jealous because she¡¯s climbed her way to the top despite not being a native! Her grades may have taken a hit, but that¡¯s only because she stopped trying.¡± Clara grinned. ¡°The way I see it, she surpassed you a long time ago, Anne. She¡¯s not with the elite, she¡¯s above them!¡± Dumbstruck for a moment, Anne¡¯s face quickly filled with rage and grabbed Clara by the neck. ¡°Enough!¡± She slammed the elven girl against a wall. ¡°You think you¡¯re better than me? I could snap you like a twig!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Clara coughed. ¡°But I¡¯d do anything for Lenoria. She deserves all the happiness in the world.¡± Anne pulled back her fist. Clara flinched, bracing herself for the worst. But when she reopened her eyes, Lenoria, although weakened, used all of her strength to hold the stronger girl back. ¡°Let her go, Steiner,¡± Lenoria said, ¡°you¡¯re not hurting anyone else today.¡± Grimacing, Anne pulled her arm away and stormed off in a huff. ¡°You two sure know how to take the fun out of everything! Hmph!¡± Lenoria had enough strength to remain standing until Anne was out of sight and would have hit the ground had Clara not caught her in time. ¡°Why did you come here? I said mean and hurtful things to you and told you you¡¯d get hurt if you kept hanging around me.¡± ¡°Ever since you gave my dad that gold coin, I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you.¡± Clara held Lenoria close to hug her. Lenoria didn¡¯t resist and instead wrapped her left arm - which had less bruises than the other - around Clara. ¡°I just want to be your friend, Lenoria.¡± ¡°Why me? I¡¯m not that special¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. You took a big hit on your self-esteem.¡± Sobbing, Clara hugged Lenoria tighter. ¡°You¡¯re mean now, but I know the kind of person you are underneath. I won¡¯t pretend to know a lot about you, but we can always hang out at the library, or a cafe, or even at my place!¡± Hearing Clara sob made Lenoria sob, too. Bittersweet tears streamed from both girls as they both held the urge to scream. ¡°I-if this is a prank-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, I promise! I¡¯ll help you go back to the way you were!¡± The two of them wept until school was out that day. They walked home together that day and stayed up all night at Clara''s place reading romance novels. ---------- When Clara came to her senses, the heat had already intensified to unbearable levels. The smoldering corpses of the bullies lay prone and stiff just a yard away from her. What remained of Omar was a burnt skeleton that gradually crumbled to ashes. The smoke in the air burned her lungs and nostrils. Trying to stand, Clara immediately collapsed when she didn¡¯t feel her feet. Then she noticed the pain. A burning, piercing pain. She looked at her feet and she could not see them because they had been buried in the rubble. The ceiling had partially given way from the explosion and the rubble fell on her lower body after she had passed out. The way back was blocked, and even if she could move, she would have to take a different route outside. Clara¡¯s vision was nothing but a blur of red and black. She heard an object clink on the floor and roll its way to her. A vermillion gemstone was all she could make out from it; an oval shape that glistened beautifully in the fire around her. It must have fallen from Omar. ¡°L-Lenoria. It¡¯s too late for me. I don¡¯t know if my words can reach you, but I just have a request: Be better. Be better than who you were when we met. Ascend to the heavens and aim for the moon! Then maybe, just maybe¡­¡± Clara closed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll see me with the rest of the stars.¡± But the elf was not ready to rest just yet. She opened her eyes, surprised she was still in the burning building. ¡°Hold on a minute, what am I doing?¡± Clara pushed herself up as best as she could. ¡°If I die here, what¡¯s going to happen to my best friend? I promised her I would never make her sad! I have to fight on until I break free!¡± As if reacting to her monologue, the vermillion stone emitted a glint. ¡°Reach out and grab me, kiddo! I¡¯ll get you out of here,¡± said a grating voice from the stone. ¡°T-the stone.¡± Clara wiped her eyes. Her vision cleared slightly, but now she could see the stone shining with a fiery light. ¡°It can talk?¡± Chapter 10 - Apus Lenoria carefully waded through the corpses of the students who perished in the fires of the explosion, going out of her way to not step on any of them. The orange-hued hallways, the intense heat, and the smoke had created a literal hellscape in the school and all she could think about was Clara. The girl spotted a corpse with a vial in his hand. She snatched it, stared at it for a moment, then uncorked the vial and imbibed the red liquid it contained. She took a moment to confiscate the mask the corpse was wearing and inspected it before putting it on. She mouthed an apology before standing back up. ¡°Is it wise to stop?¡° Pearl, being a spirit, was naturally unaffected by the effects of a school fire. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I only stopped because I had to see if that was a potion of [Resist Energy]. I don¡¯t feel the heat anymore, at least for now.¡± Lenoria tossed the vial away. ¡°Clara is my best friend! I¡¯m not leaving her to die. But I can¡¯t save her if I pass out from a heatstroke.¡± Potions are brewed using the lowest caster level of the spell in question. Resist Energy, being a 2nd level spell, means it was crafted by a caster who knew 2nd level spells, usually a caster class of 3rd level or higher. Since it was at a lower caster level than 7th, the resistance to fire was 10. ¡°And the mask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gas mask. It¡¯s infused with an oxygen tank that will let me breathe for now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Pearl shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re the brains of this little operation. However, you must learn to accept the harsh truths of the world.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Your friend may be-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence!¡± Lenoria didn¡¯t turn to face the spirit. ¡°She has to survive this. Between the two of us, Clara was always the one who was physically and emotionally stronger. She can¡¯t die like this, not when things are finally looking up for us!¡± The stone hanging from Lenoria¡¯s neck emitted a green light. Spawning from Pearl¡¯s shoulders were Poe and another raven, and the two immediately circled around the women. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if it wasn¡¯t for her! It¡¯s time I returned the favor!¡± ¡°And it appears Poe has heard your wish.¡± Pearl nodded at her raven companion, who then flew overhead and led the way down a hallway. ¡°He¡¯s granting you fortune. He¡¯ll find your friend, whether she¡¯s dead or alive.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find her alive! I promise!¡± Lenoria ran after Poe and the second raven. Driven by the memories of Clara¡¯s kindness towards her, the girl pushed out all negativity from her mind and focused on the task at hand. The potion had a timer on it, and the oxygen tank was less than half. It was only a matter of time before smoke would fill her lungs and mask her face. She had to be quick, or else she¡¯ll die a more permanent death. *** Clara¡¯s coughs had diminished after she made contact with the vermilion stone. It was hot to the touch, but the elf withstood the pain from the burns. The light it emitted was similar to the raven from the day before. The spirit of a tiny bird appeared. Its plumage was mostly red, except for the tips of the wings as well as the belly, which were all white. Despite the danger around it, the bird seemed cheerful and sang a joyful song. ¡°A bird of paradise?¡± ¡°Not just any bird of paradise, young lady!¡± The bird¡¯s voice was elderly and grating. ¡°You can call me a guardian spirit. Looks like you¡¯re in a bit of a pickle, but it¡¯s your lucky day!¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Well, maybe not so lucky. If Omar had just listened to me, you wouldn¡¯t be in this mess to begin with.¡± ¡°You knew Omar?¡± ¡°Yeah! He was a good boy for the most part, but he had vengeance in the heart. It tainted him so much he refused to see reason. I tried to stop him, but he used my power for a bad thing, as you can see!¡± Clara couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. The fire that was consuming the Guild came from such a tiny bird? ¡°Now that the pact is severed between him and me, I¡¯m a free agent. I can survive this fire, but if I¡¯m buried in the rubble, it could be ages before I find a new master. How about it?¡± The bird spread his wings excitedly. ¡°If you become my new master, I can lend you my power to help you out of there. Whaddya say?¡± The elf refused. ¡°No. This is all too convenient. And you said something concerning just now; you said the Guild is burning because of you?¡± ¡°Because of the power I lent to Omar, young lady,¡± the bird corrected. ¡°All I did was release his potential. And I can do the same for you!¡± Potential? ¡°Mine is the power of evolution! I can help you achieve great power in short bursts, or my name ain¡¯t Apus!¡± He took a moment to scan Clara. ¡°A summoner! It¡¯s my lucky day! If you accept me, I can even grant you the form of your eidolon for a short time! You¡¯ll be good as new!¡± Apus Child of Apus. Do you still believe this thing isn¡¯t the culprit?! It clearly means to kill us! I¡¯m her boyfriend! Regardless of reason, risking your health for the sake of a child is very admirable. Never feel bad about that. Strange things had happened in just twenty-four hours, and Clara felt out of the loop. Lenoria definitely knew something; had the raven not called her ¡°Child of Apus¡± before flying back to the park, Clara would not have suspected her best friend at all. She blamed herself for not inquiring sooner, justifying Lenoria¡¯s injuries as a reason to give her space. ¡°Clara!¡± The elf heard a familiar voice coming from behind her, on the other side of the wall of rubble and debris from the upper floor. ¡°Lenoria! Is that you?¡± *** On the other side, the ravens perched on a foothold of the wall while Lenoria frantically tossed debris from the wall. ¡°It¡¯s me! Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trapped on this side,¡± Clara¡¯s muffled voice replied, ¡°but forget about me! Save yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you behind.¡± Lenoria¡¯s voice and lips quivered but she resisted the urge to cry again. ¡°We promised each other, remember? ¡®Best friends forever!¡¯ We promised we wouldn¡¯t make each other sad! That¡¯s why I''m going to get you out of there!¡± The girl removed her mask when she heard short beeps coming from it. The oxygen tank had run out completely, which meant the mask could no longer help her avoid breathing in the smoke. ¡°Damn, not here!¡± ¡°Lenoria, please-!¡± ¡°No!¡± A feeble punch from Lenoria slammed the pile of rubble. ¡°You saved me from those bullies! Do you have any idea how close I was from just jumping out the rooftop that day you saved me from Anne? You not only saved me from more beatings; you saved my life! I¡¯m going to return the favor if it¡¯s the last thing I do!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot,¡± Pearl chastised. ¡°She¡¯s beyond saving! If you stay here any longer, you¡¯ll die with her!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lenoria furiously kicked the wall, but it did not budge. ¡°I should have died yesterday, but I didn¡¯t! I promised Clara I¡¯d be here to support her during her confession, but I should have talked her out of it instead! We¡¯ve grown attached to the Guild, for the fat lot of good it did! Now look at us!¡± Lenoria continued pounding the wall. She stopped to cough, but she pushed her words through. ¡°When you think about it, I dragged her here! It¡¯s my fault she¡¯s trapped!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Lenoria, please don¡¯t blame yourself,¡± Clara urged. ¡°No! I have to take you back to your mom and pop! I got Starflower arrested, so I can at least end this life on a good note!¡± The effects of the smoke blurred Lenoria¡¯s vision. She looked behind her and noticed the smoke had grown dense. She was feeling weak and light-headed, and stopped pounding the wall to conserve her energy. ¡°I just¡­¡± But it proved futile. She got on one knee, then got on all fours and started crawling away from the wall. ¡°I just¡­need to¡­find a gunpowder¡­barrel¡­¡± Lenoria¡¯s arms could not hold her way any longer and she plopped on the hard ground of the school hallway. All Pearl could do was facepalm in disbelief. ¡°Not again.¡± *** ¡°Lenoria? Lenoria!¡± Clara¡¯s cries of despair did not elicit a response. ¡°No! Not like this!¡± ¡°Clara.¡± Apus reached out to Clara sympathetically with one of his wings. ¡°You can still save your friend.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just accept you!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± Apus squawked. ¡°You only need to accept it temporarily. I can¡¯t force a long-term decision from a moment of desperation! I can¡¯t stand by and not help when people are suffering, and neither should you!¡± Clara didn''t sense any malice from the bird. ¡°Y-you mean it?¡± ¡°Yes! If you want to keep me around, we¡¯ll make a proper contract! But it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t; I just want to help you fix the mess I made!¡± Clara had to act fast. She was out of time and now that Lenoria passed out from breathing too much smoke and possibly heatstroke, she only had seconds before Lenoria died (once again). ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I have to save Lenoria!¡± A blinding light illuminated Clara¡¯s fist after she snatched the stone. ¡°Alright, Apus. Do what you promised! Save me and my friend!¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Before Clara could ask more questions, she felt her body move on its own. Her legs hardened with a green alloy, followed by her arms and torso. A green helmet materialized itself on her head out of nowhere, and her forearms and fists grew twice their size which allowed her to stand and break out of the rubble. Her legs - once twisted and bloody - had been restored and reinforced with metal. Her appearance had assumed Tsukuyomi¡¯s frame, except Clara was now over a dozen feet in height. She hunched herself to avoid breaking the ceiling any more than it already was. She examined her metal hands with awe. ¡°I¡¯m¡­Tsukuyomi? What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your power!¡± The red stone Clara held suddenly transformed into a tiny red bird. ¡°Our power. I just granted you the power to unlock your potential! The power of evolution!¡± ¡°This is Tsukuyomi¡¯s potential? I¡¯m bursting with power! Is that normal?¡± Clara nearly made a celebratory hop but she quickly remembered her current state. ¡°We have to get out of here! Hang on, Lenoria!¡± Thanks to her new body, Clara could now dig through the rubble with ease. It took a few crucial moments, but she quickly made it to the other side. ¡°Lenoria!¡± Clara quickly picked up Lenoria¡¯s body. She wasted no time; her priority now was to get out of the building as soon as possible. The smoke, however, made it impossible to see beyond a few yards. Extreme measures had to be taken. Thankfully, there was a door nearby. Keeping Lenoria under a metallic arm, Clara used the other to punch the door. One punch. Two punches. Splinters flew inside the abandoned classroom. By this point, everyone had evacuated and anyone who had been left behind was either dead or somewhere inside. Clara ignored the thoughts of helpless students begging for help; no one deserved to die in such a horrible way, but she had no idea where to look and Lenoria was already passed out. If she delayed any further, Lenoria could die. Spotting a window, she continued running and broke through it with a great leap. Just in time, too; another explosion was set off behind the girls and the shockwave had enough force to shove Clara¡¯s new body in midair. Having little control in the air, Clara flipped sideways so that she would land on her back and not land on top of Lenoria. ¡°Are you okay?¡± There was no response from Lenoria. ¡°Hang on!¡± The armor around Clara disappeared. She stared at her arms for a moment and pressed her ear against Lenoria¡¯s chest. She held her breath in anticipation, fearing the worst. A pulse. Weak, but still beating. *** Lenoria coughed weakly. Her eyes opened to see the blue sky. She expected to see the Messenger once again, but to her surprise she could feel someone cradling her when her sense of touch had settled in. ¡°Clara¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± Clara looked like she had bathed a whole hour under the sun. ¡°My legs were broken after the ceiling caved in on me, but they recovered after that transformation. I just need a minute to catch my breath.¡± "Transformation?" Frowning, Lenoria lifted herself up and sat down next to Clara. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t be there sooner. You didn¡¯t get your confession in, did you?¡± Clara shook her head. ¡°No, but it¡¯s fine. I know I can¡¯t rely on you forever. I need to learn to do things by myself.¡± She closed her eyes. All she could picture was Omar¡¯s battered body before the explosion set off. ¡°I wish I was stronger.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lenoria gave Clara a gentle jab on the shoulder. ¡°You carried me out, didn''t you? I may be a bit tiny, but do you know how hard it is to carry a body?¡± Clara had taken Lenoria to an empty lot across the street from the Guild. Students huddled nearby, some shaking, others crying. The remaining instructors did their best to keep their students calm, but it was obvious some of them had a hard time keeping it together themselves. Lenoria¡¯s rage burned just like the school across from her. Once Clara told her everything that had happened, the girl felt it was best to offer a moment of silence for those that died from the folly of a few. ¡°I wish I was as brave as you,¡± Clara said. ¡°If I had stepped in, I could have stopped Omar.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for something that isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Lenoria stared at the ground. ¡°If you beat yourself up for something out of your control, eventually something will happen that will bring you so far down the rabbit hole that you won¡¯t be able to come out. I won¡¯t let that happen to you.¡± ¡°But I could have done something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Omar needed help, but he didn¡¯t see anyone about it. Even when we offered a hand, he refused us because of the ideas people implanted in his head about us.¡± Lenoria kicked the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but people who don¡¯t seek or accept help when they need it are less likely to make it out of their problems alive.¡± As harsh as it was, Clara saw the wisdom in Lenoria¡¯s statement. She believed, deep in her heart, that Omar needed help. But there was no point in trying to force people to see things the way one did; they would have to be open to it, first, and Omar was reclusive to the point a couple of girls trying to help him was nothing more than a nuisance to him. ¡°There¡¯s one thing we can do for Omar, and everyone else who didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Clara asked. ¡°Starflower is responsible for this. He got arrested for falsely calling the authorities, but I¡¯ll tell the Constable to start an investigation on the school before they let him out. If you want to do right by all the victims, giving the Constable a truthful testimony is a start.¡± Lenoria¡¯s eyes landed on Clara. ¡°What do you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do.¡± Clara nodded. ¡°Count me in.¡± ¡°And you,¡± Lenoria said to a red bird perched on a nearby tree, ¡°thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Clara and I would be goners.¡± ¡°No problem, Lenoria. Glad to help!¡± Apus spread his wings proudly. ¡°How about you girls help me find a master?" ¡°Actually,¡± Clara began, ¡°I thought it over and I wouldn¡¯t mind having you around. Wielding Tsukuyomi¡¯s power was exhilarating, I have to admit.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Clara? You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s my wish to get stronger, both for myself and others. And,¡± she said while turning to Lenoria, ¡°I have a feeling Lenoria would want me to accept.¡± ¡°Clara¡­¡± Lenoria was touched and relieved. She wanted to bring up the topic of the Soulstones to Clara, and now was the perfect time to do it. ¡°Excellent.¡± Pearl¡¯s voice and the glow from the Corvus Soulstone preceded her appearance. Clara was caught off-guard by the raven woman¡¯s manifestation and was mesmerized by her appearance. ¡°The road you have chosen is not without its share of suffering. If you accept Apus, then you shall accept my mission to retrieve the other stones just like his and mine. This also means traveling through time if I deem it necessary. Do you accept this power and responsibility?¡± Understandably unaware of the stipulations, Clara needed help, guidance, and helpful guidance. Lenoria had some explaining to do, and she had to do it out of earshot of the other students. What truly helped her find her words was seeing Clara¡¯s determination. Even when she doesn¡¯t see the full picture, the elven girl was willing to step in and help out. But she needed Lenoria¡¯s support, and there was no time like the present. Lenoria explained everything to her best friend, leaving no detail untold. Little did the girls know that this was just the prelude to the adventure of a lifetime. Conclusion of the School Days arc! Lenoria and Clara are on a quest to find magical stones based on the stars of the night sky. Guided by the spirits of Corvus and Apus, the girls make use of their new powers as new threats emerge from the horizon. ¡°What do you think we¡¯ll face next, Lenoria? The world is full of wonderful sights but also with terrible elf-eating monsters!¡± ¡°Relax, Clara! With me and Tsukuyomi around, nothing will stop us! I admit I¡¯ve been helpless against the eagle and the fires, but I learned from my mistakes, and I will definitely impress our wonderful audience!¡± ¡°Then why am I here?¡± Asked a confused Alistair, garbed in a tuxedo. ¡°You¡¯re here to provide a shield for a couple of adventuring girls!¡± ¡°In this monkey suit?¡± ¡°What can I say? You look handsome in it!¡± A single sweat drop rolled down Clara¡¯s cheek. ¡°Maybe we should get on with the preview of the next arc before we run out of time.¡± ¡°Good thinking!¡± Lenoria cleared her throat. ¡°Join us next time on the next story arc, ¡®The Road to Thule¡¯! Giants, bandits, and...plant monsters?! The adventure starts soon!¡± ¡°My future looks rather bleak,¡± Alistair concludes.
A Quest for the Stars is a work with an entry in Paizo''s Community Use Registry. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. This novel is only posted here on Royal Road. If you see it anywhere else, please contact Antares905 at https://www.royalroad.com/profile/390982 . Thank you! Chapter 11 - The Noblewomans Test The girls were given a chance to bathe before meeting with the Constable himself back at the station. They were clean but the smell of smoke remained etched in their nostrils. Between their daring escape from the school, their bath, and their meeting with the Constable, Lenoria and Pearl explained the very nature of the Soulstones to Clara and what it meant for her to have used Apus¡¯s power. Naturally, Clara didn¡¯t spend a lot of time thinking about it before she accepted Apus. There was more to go over, but if she could convince her parents that she¡¯ll be fine traveling with Lenoria, there would be little keeping her from staying in Helix City. Before long, the girls arrived at the Constable¡¯s office. The hobgoblin looked displeased as the girls took their seats. ¡°Why is it that whenever something happens, you just happen to get caught in the middle of it?¡± asked Constable Richards. ¡°I wish I knew,¡± Lenoria lied. The Constable went on to ask the girls basic questions - what did they see, where were they, were there witnesses, etc. - and was as terse as he could be. He was mildly annoyed at best, however, and was less annoyed to see Lenoria (yet again) and more so because he hated doing paperwork; he was a man of action, not words. The girls had agreed to omit the part about the Soulstones; there was no way the Constable would believe them. Instead, they chose to tell him the partial truth: The bullies were picking on Omar and had been doing so for months. Omar had enough, and he decided to bomb the place. ¡°I tell ya,¡± the Constable commented, ¡°a man can only take so many wedgies before he snaps.¡± ¡°Omar was a victim, just like the rest of us,¡± Lenoria said as she pressed her hands on the edge of the desk. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to convince the rest of the boys in that regard, even if that¡¯s true. A dead man can¡¯t defend himself, no matter how innocent he is. And even if he could, you can¡¯t just pin it on Starflower; the headmaster may have pushed for this to happen, but it was your man who decided to bring explosives to the school.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± ¡°Your bloodlust for Starflower is noted, Lenoria. The man¡¯s already facing time for assault and for his policies in the school. But, at best, he was indirectly involved with the bombing.¡± Gritting her teeth in anger, Lenoria sank her head and gave the Constable a defeated nod. ¡°I¡¯d keep you here longer, but Gabrielle Bisset has requested to release you. Is there anything else you want to add to the report before I let both of you go home?¡± Lenoria and Clara looked at each other, neither of them having anything else to add. ¡°You¡¯re good to go, then.¡± The Constable stared at the stack of papers in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I need to review but come back if you have anything new.¡± He stared at the stack for a moment, then back at the girls. Clara looked like she had something on her mind. "Anything you wish to tell me?" "Well," Clara began. ¡°Why is Miss Bisset requesting to let Lenoria go?¡± ¡°Some of the instructors believe Lenoria planted those explosives as a retaliation for Starflower¡¯s abuse. But thanks to you and Miss Bisset, Lenoria has an alibi.¡± He gave Lenoria a reassuring look. ¡°It¡¯s not like I would have arrested you right away even if you didn¡¯t have one, unless we have evidence you actually did it.¡± Lenoria stood up. ¡°Great. You mind telling me who those instructors were? Because it sounds to me like they just want me arrested.¡± The Constable raised a hand to calm the girl. ¡°I understand your blood¡¯s boiling but take it easy. They could just as easily be instructors who were more concerned for their lives, and they all believed you were the main suspect because of your love for explosives and the animosity for the headmaster.¡± Unable to argue with the Constable¡¯s response, Lenoria scoffed and averted her eyes. ¡°As to answer your question,¡± the Constable continued, ¡°Miss Bisset is interested in whatever deal she proposed to Lenoria. She doesn¡¯t want to see Lenoria behind bars for something she didn¡¯t cause.¡± There was a look of disbelief when he looked back at Lenoria. ¡°I have to say, girl, you sure know people in high places.¡± ¡°I only met her today, and I found out right away she is part of the administration team of the Scholastic Guild.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know who she is,¡± the Constable said. ¡°She¡¯s a big name not only here, but in Thule as well.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Lenoria said, ¡°she did say she was part of House Bisset, a noble house in Thule. I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Clara said. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s to be expected. Only major businesses and the bigwigs know that name. And me, of course.¡± The Constable relaxed his seating posture. ¡°But in Thule, she¡¯s known across the land. Out of the four noble houses, House Bisset is rumored to be the most influential. And Gabrielle is the matriarch.¡± Lenoria¡¯s curiosity grew. ¡°Influential in what way, exactly?¡± ¡°They¡¯re devout worshipers of Thule¡¯s national faith, the Church of the Crimson Witch. You know, the same church that attracts all kinds of mages, including necromancers. Her word is never taken lightly.¡± Knowing it would be wise to know more about her new boss, Lenoria decided to inquire further. ¡°And Gabrielle approves of such practices?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the way of Thule, girl. Flesh-eating undead roam the countryside, so you¡¯re bound to have weird people running the place. I¡¯m not sure just how devout House Bisset is to the faith, though; for all we know, she could just be doing it for lip service.¡± And Pearl said the girls¡¯ destiny would be found in such a dangerous country. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t answer how House Bisset is influential, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting to that,¡± the Constable. ¡°Gabrielle is a powerful noble. Power in this case meaning she¡¯s loaded with money. Thule¡¯s laws aren¡¯t as strict as they are here, so bribes aren¡¯t off the table. I can¡¯t say if she¡¯s done anything shady, but she is loved over there just as much as she is over here.¡± With a deep breath, he continued. ¡°Then there¡¯s her brother. He holds the title of Warden of the Land and is her personal bodyguard. Whenever he is not protecting her, he¡¯s busy hunting fugitives like prey animals.¡± As shocking as this information was, Lenoria showed no reaction. But if she was to work for Gabrielle, she had to know as much information as possible, whether it was true or false. The part that concerned her, however, was that if both of the Bissets were like this, then where did that leave Alistair? The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I see. Thanks a bunch, Constable.¡± Lenoria made her way to the door. Waiting on Clara to join her, she had one last question. ¡°I¡¯m not religious, but it¡¯s nice to know these things every now and then. What can you tell me about the Hammer of Justice?¡± ¡°The Hammer?¡± The Constable chuckled lightly. ¡°Funny you should mention that, he¡¯s the patron of Helix. Are you familiar with the saying ¡®He who spares the rod hates the child¡¯? Memories of her parents spanking her when she acted up during her childhood slowly returned to Lenoria. She instinctively rubbed her rear for a pain that was no longer there. ¡°Guess that answers my question, and a few others. But the Church of the Hammer more or less lives by that principle; discipline is crucial for society to thrive. Criminals must be punished, the laity must be corrected when wrong, and everyone must stick to the path of righteousness. Other vengeful deities preach vengeance when someone wrongs you, but the Hammer calls for disciplinary retribution, paying back your enemies an equal amount. No more, no less.¡± The Constable exhaled deeply. ¡°I tell you, if everyone lived by that standard, my job would be a hell of a lot easier.¡± Lenoria opened the door for Clara, who bowed politely before leaving the office. The blonde followed suit and peeked her head in for some closing words. ¡°I got a job out of the country, so it looks like I can¡¯t take your offer after all.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain yourself to me, girl. Get out there and make your life worth living.¡± Smiling at the Constable, Lenoria nodded and closed the door. ¡°Heh. First time in forever she¡¯s been this respectful.¡± The Constable sighed and returned to his pile of paperwork. *** ¡°Lenoria.¡± Gabrielle and Beau stopped Lenoria and Clara on their way out of the station. ¡°Your heroism is inspiring, but it was foolish to charge in without a plan.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you, Miss Bisset.¡± Lenoria grabbed Clara¡¯s hand, pulled her towards Gabrielle, then stood behind her while placing her hands on the shoulders of her elven friend. ¡°This is Clara. My colleague and¡­best friend.¡± The two women exchange greetings, Clara drying her sweaty palms before making any contact with Gabrielle. ¡°P-pleased to meet you, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Another graduate, I see. No need to be so polite, Clara.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. M-my parents always said to treat nobility with respect,¡± Clara said shyly. Gabrielle frowned. ¡°I knew the fame of the family name wouldn¡¯t stay secret for long.¡± ¡°I blame the gossipmongers, personally,¡± Beau added. ¡°Miss Bisset,¡± Lenoria interrupted, ¡°is there a way Clara could come with me?¡± All present were shocked, Clara most of all. ¡°L-Lenoria!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the star student you think I am, Miss Bisset. Starflower was a crook, that¡¯s true, but I was cold to the rest of the student body. In the end, it was my choice, not his, to nearly give up on my studies. Meanwhile, Clara was always this nice girl who had everyone¡¯s interests at heart!¡± Lenoria¡¯s lips quivered uncontrollably, closing her eyes to prevent the tears from escaping. Nearby, Pearl and Apus listened in. Pearl remained as callous as ever, while Apus smiled. A flustered Clara shifted her glances between Lenoria and Gabrielle. ¡°L-Lenoria, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where I¡¯d be without her, Miss Bisset. In fact, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be here at all! I-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Gabrielle said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m aware of Clara¡¯s abilities, but you are the one who can finish the job flawlessly. There¡¯s simply no incentive for me to hire a summoner at this time.¡± Lenoria¡¯s face sank. The thought of not having Clara by her side in a strange land wrung her heart. ¡°Is there really no way she can come work with me, Miss Bisset?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Lenoria met Gabrielle¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t need a summoner to do an artificer¡¯s job, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if she helped you out.¡± Gabrielle smiled. ¡°I do have to warn you that the pay will have to be split between you, as is the Guild¡¯s rule. Is that a dealbreaker?¡± Lenoria wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°N-no, not at all.¡± She looked at Clara. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine with me.¡± It was Clara¡¯s turn to smile. ¡°It will be an honor working for you, Miss Bisset!¡± ¡°Think nothing of it. However,¡± Gabrielle nodded to Beau, ¡°before we go any further with the hiring process, I¡¯m going to need to test you.¡± Of course there was a catch, Lenoria thought. Gabrielle headed down the hallway with Beau right behind her, prompting the girls to follow them outside the station. ¡°Don¡¯t look so disappointed, ladies. I¡¯m doing this to see if your heart is truly in this job, not to mention this test will determine if you can handle yourselves in the wilderness.¡± Lenoria¡¯s face brightened up at the sound of that. What kind of test had Gabrielle prepared for them? A treasure hunt? An island adventure? A rescue mission that involves several men in armor, trapped and distressed? ¡°As you know, the mountains to the north serve as the Thule-Helix border. My test is the following: Cross the border on foot. Once you reach Thule, you are to report to a small village named Goodsprings.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Clara said. Lenoria quietly agreed. ¡°The mountains are dangerous. If the treacherous paths don¡¯t kill you, the local wildlife will certainly do its best to finish the job. There¡¯s also reports of bandit activity, but Constable Richards has informed me of your history fighting crime.¡± Lenoria grinned smugly. ¡°I have no problem with bandits.¡± She pounded her fists together. ¡°No problem at all.¡± ¡°You seem surprisingly lax at the terms of this test.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably be screaming once we reach the point of no return, if I¡¯m being honest with you.¡± ¡°We could use some help, Miss Bisset,¡± Clara said. ¡°Won¡¯t you be joining us?¡± Gabrielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. I¡¯m a busy woman, and once I wrap up my business with the Scholastic Guild, I¡¯ll be heading back to Thule sometime tomorrow.¡± ¡°And it is, of course, my job to protect her,¡± Beau chimed in. ¡°We could head back together,¡± Lenoria proposed. ¡°You¡¯ll need a few days to get your affairs in order here. You need to arrange your goodbyes, shop for gear, and get plenty of rest after the day you had.¡± It was then when the girls paid closer attention to their sore muscles. It had been a long day, and Lenoria fought the desire to take a nap on the cold ground. ¡°That is a good point, ma¡¯am.¡± It only took a handful of minutes to reach the main exit of the police station. The quartet is greeted by the night sky, the girls welcoming the night breeze after the hot day they had. ¡°Starflower¡¯s trial date has been set, by the way,¡± Gabrielle revealed. ¡°Really? When?¡± Lenoria asked. ¡°A little over six months from now, on the 17th of Albastru.¡± Gabrielle exhibited a look of disapproval. ¡°Such is the law of the land. His crimes are classified as felonies, but just barely.¡± There was no doubt in Lenoria¡¯s mind that this had something to do with her test. Something Gabrielle was about to confirm. ¡°We¡¯re all required to be here on that date, ladies. Get some rest and start your preparations, because at the latest you¡¯ll be departing on the 15th of this month. Once that day arrives, your timer will start. Cross the mountain, head over to Goodsprings, and finish your project in time to make it to the trial. Can you handle that?¡± Each month had twenty-eight days, so starting on the 15th the girls had one hundred and seventy days to complete their task and return home in time for the trial. Lenoria was not agreeing with the terms so far, but she would have taken slave labor if it meant winning thousands of gold pieces at the end. Now she was just looking for more favorable terms. ¡°Challenge accepted. So, it¡¯ll just be the two of us?¡± Then came the words Lenoria would never have expected. ¡°Alistair will be joining you once he finishes his pilgrimage. He should be back in Helix City between the 14th and 15th but knowing him he plans to rest only when he¡¯s extremely tired. Be ready to depart around that time frame.¡± Lenoria¡¯s brain shut down the moment Gabrielle mentioned Alistair. In her mind, Lenoria was fine with rescuing handsome men in armor from a fire-breathing dragon. However, that image was immediately replaced with her and Alistair going on a romantic hike. She could see it now; his armor would be too heavy, causing him to slip and fall a lot. She would rush to his rescue more than once, each instance increasing his affection for her. By the time they camp for the final night, the aloof paladin would be wrapping his arms around her as they stargaze under the night sky. What came after a successful date? More dates? Marriage? Children? Five children? Seven? Lenoria¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment. She wondered if picturing the distant future with Alistair was too soon; she had to be careful how she acted around him or else she¡¯d risk chasing him away. She promised herself to take it slow if he accepted her feelings. The idea of rejection did not escape her, but plenty of men had rejected her before. It was only thanks to Clara that her faith in men was slowly, but surely, restored. Even if Alistair rejected her, there would be plenty of times to win him over. She just had to be herself. ¡°Lenoria?¡± Gabrielle snapped her fingers in quick succession, but Lenoria was lost in her fantasy. The noblewoman was utterly lost on how to act. ¡°She¡¯ll snap out of it soon enough,¡± Clara promised. A short distance away, Pearl pinched her nose in frustration. ¡°Apus.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Pearl?¡± ¡°This girl is a hopeless case. I¡¯m counting on your support.¡± Chapter 12 - Departure Day The more Lenoria thought about it, the job offer sounded more and more dangerous. She was asked to relocate to a village in Thule, a land known for having undead roam the wilderness; but first, she had to make a trip through the northern mountains, a dangerous venture on its own; once she made it safely to Thule, she would have less than six months to touch base with Gabrielle, finish her work, and return in time for Starflower¡¯s trial. The reward of three thousand gold - plus gratuity based on the quality of her work - was to be split between her and Clara. The terms seemed less favorable than she had initially hoped for and at times she had second thoughts. So why, then, did she decide to go? Two reasons motivated Lenoria: First, she was driven by spite. It was unlikely the authorities were going to let Starflower go if she was absent from the trial to testify, but she feared they would show leniency if she never showed up. Not to mention, Starflower didn¡¯t want Gabrielle to hire her, and thus accepting the job and finishing it on time to attend the trial would make a fine twist to the knife. And secondly? Alistair. It was cliche and she would be the first to admit it, but from the moment she laid eyes on him during the graduation ceremony, Lenoria felt attraction towards him. That attraction grew exponentially once he did everything he could to bring her back to life. Granted, Lenoria was actually dead, but Pearl¡¯s spell brought her back to life. The lad¡¯s efforts didn¡¯t go unnoticed; if he went so far to save the life of a civilian, how far would he go for someone he truly cared about? ¡°Hey, Pearl?¡± Lenoria was already on her bed back home, but she couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°What?¡± Asked Pearl. Her eyes were glued to one of Lenoria¡¯s books, ¡®Tales from the Tavern.¡¯ ¡°Have you ever been in love?¡± ¡°Like you and anyone else,¡± Pearl said without batting an eye. Lenoria sat up. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just sit there! Give me the deets!¡± ¡°Hmph. Do you really want my life story, or do you need advice?¡± Busted. ¡°A-advice, please. How could you tell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s written all over you. I¡¯m a little surprised; weren¡¯t you the type to avoid men like the plague?¡± ¡°N-not all men!¡± Lenoria gripped her white sheets firmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of a social life during my time in Helix, thanks to Starflower. Part of the reason I want to go to Thule is because it¡¯s a new experience. I might just meet some new people and have a good time despite the dangers.¡± ¡°And you need advice on how to behave around Alistair, and perhaps around other potential suitors.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like I plan to ditch the guy! But I¡¯m bracing myself in case he¡¯s not even open for a friendship.¡± Pearl closed her book and set it on the stand next to the bed. ¡°For starters, don¡¯t show how much you¡¯re gushing about him right off the bat. He seems like a decent sort, but most people will try to manipulate you if they know you¡¯re looking at them with rose-tinted goggles.¡± ¡°Is this about the incident back at the station?¡± Pearl nodded. ¡°Part of me suspects you left a bad parting impression on the Bisset family.¡± Lenoria had eventually snapped out of her fantasy earlier and apologized to the Bisset siblings. Gabrielle promised she understood, and under hushed whispers she also promised not to tell Alistair. Beau, not one to partake in girl talk, just kept his distance and told Lenoria not to apologize for things he himself could not understand. ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°Most people won¡¯t show their true colors right off the bat. Not even me; we¡¯re working together in this mission, but I¡¯m not obligated to divulge anything about myself more than necessary.¡± ¡°Bummer.¡± Lenoria was hoping she could get to know more about Pearl, but she understood her feelings completely. As Carter has proven to her, opening up to the wrong person has a heavy cost. ¡°That¡¯s all for tonight. Go ahead and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day and you have a week to prepare.¡± ¡°Got it. Good night, Pearl.¡± *** 12th of Cobre, 1659, 7pm Four days have passed since the school fire. The girls had rested thoroughly and were ready to make preparations for their adventure. Gabrielle promised food and lodging was available once they made it to Thule, but they needed to procure seven days¡¯ worth of rations since it would take that long to reach the mountains and the cable car service that would take them to the finish line. Let¡¯s take a look into the lives of the three young people who will make this journey. First was Alistair Adams. The young paladin was raised from nobility at a young age under the caring nature of House Leone. House Leone was (in)famous for their worship of the Hammer of Justice, a deity of retribution with a strict set of rules. Most people of Thule followed the Sun King or the Crimson Witch, for the Hammer¡¯s doctrine demanded his followers to take a look at themselves before passing judgment on others. In other words, he was also the deity of accountability. For this reason, House Leone and House Bisset were always at odds with one another, for their doctrines were sometimes opposing each other. Until one day, when Alistair was asked to guard Gabrielle Bisset because her brother Beau was taking a sick day. Gabrielle was loved by many but had an equal number of enemies. One of them was bold enough to hire an assassin to slay her during a public outing, but it was thanks to Alistair¡¯s detection abilities that the day was saved. The culprit was arrested and died from the interrogation before he squealed. Ever since then, House Leone and House Bisset decided to call each other friends. Hatchets were buried, grudges were settled, and differences were set aside. Gabrielle was forever grateful for Alistair¡¯s quick thinking and selfless disposition, while Beau saw a younger brother in him once he made a full recovery. Alistair was always invited to accompany Gabrielle anywhere she went since then, and when she learned he needed to make a pilgrimage in honor of the Hammer to finish his paladin training, she was happy to arrange a trip to the Artificers Guild a week earlier than scheduled just so Alistair didn¡¯t have to pay for a trip of his own. Once they were in Helix, Alistair met Lenoria, Beau fought a bird, and Gabrielle cleaned house with the Scholastic Guild. The rest, as they say, is history. But what was Alistair doing this whole time? After he and Lenoria parted ways, Alistair had to make the rest of the way to his destination on his own: The eastern province of Pom, home of the St. Jenkins Cathedral. A nightmare to travel on foot, Alistair took the train on Gabrielle¡¯s orders. In just a week, he had to report back to Helix City where, if everything went according to plan, the girl he had recently saved would be there waiting for him to travel the rest of the way home. Gabrielle was a busy woman and could not be out of the country longer than necessary, and neither she nor Beau could afford to wait a week for Alistair. But at least she had arranged for everything to fall into place at just the right time. This aspect of Gabrielle frightened Alistair and he was glad he was not her enemy. ¡°Rise, young paladin.¡± The night of initiation had arrived. It was time for Alistair to be fully vested in the holy power of his patron. He had already displayed some of his power on the day he met Lenoria, but the rite of initiation would grant him the official title of paladin amongst his battle brothers. Alistair rose at the command of the hierophant, Andrew Silvermoon. He was a half-elf with brown hair, golden eyes matching his priestly garments, and a scent of incense coming from a bowl sitting on the podium behind him. He held a scepter, which up until now had been used to tap on Alistair¡¯s shoulders since the beginning of the initiation. Now that it was nearing the end, it was time for him to grant Alistair the Hammer¡¯s blessing. ¡°Alistair Adams, by the power vested in me, I officially name you paladin of our order. From this day onward, anyone wearing the symbol of the Hammer is considered a fellow brother, and should your cause be just, your brothers will be there to support you.¡± ¡°I thank the Hammer for this blessing,¡± Alistair replied as part of the rite. ¡°Bless this child, O Hammer, and grant him your wisdom,¡± said the congregation in attendance, all speaking in unison. The moonlight pierced the stained-glass windows one by one. Each had the image of angelic beings or regular people who have done extraordinary things in the name of the Hammer. With this combination, the resulting light show could be seen on the pathway between the pews, and it was as if the images on the windows arrived to offer their respect to the new paladin. ¡°Everyone. I will not fail you,¡± Alistair whispered as he gazed in the direction of the moon. *** That very night, Clara had taken initiative and took inventory on her belongings. She couldn¡¯t take everything with her on the upcoming adventure, and every item had to be useful one way or another. Tsukuyomi and Alistair could serve on the front line, while Lenoria and herself could provide backup with ranged weaponry. She took her time going over each and every item; with the threat of bandits and mountain wildlife, failing to account for even a single thing could prove fatal. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With a sigh, the elven girl thought about her confession. Just two days after the fire, she finally caught up to Instructor Gardens and poured her heart out for him. But... ---------- "Mr. Gardens!" Clara had called Instructor Gardens to the courtyard, one of the few places in the Guild that was still intact. "Yes, Clara?" "Mr. Gardens, I don''t know if this is the time or the place, but if I don''t say this now, I feel like I''ll regret it for the rest of my life!" "Slow down, Clara. I''m not going anywhere." "But I am! I''m traveling with Lenoria in just a few days, and well..." A fidgety Clara stared at the ground. She glanced at a nearby bush, from which Lenoria raised a thumb of approval to her. "The thought of being away from you has been unbearable." "Don''t feel that way, Clara. A day will come when you have to apply everything I have taught you on your own. Your choices must be made independently!" "It''s not that, sir! These past four years...you''ve always made my heart flutter!" "Pardon?" "Your kind words and your willingness to help your students is something I rarely get to witness from anyone else! I yearn for a companion like that, one who will always love me despite my flaws. I yearn for someone who will always help me stand on days I feel weak, never judging but always choosing love!" Clara locked eyes with the instructor. "That''s the word! Love! I''m in love with you, s-sir! You have a hold on my heart, a powerful grip that not even an adamantine sword can ever hope to slice! My admiration for you burns hotter than the sun! These past four years have been brief, but they were the best years of my life!" "Clara, I-" "It was thanks to you that I met my best friend! Nothing I say or do will ever express how thankful I am that you came into my life!" Clara stopped to catch her breath. "We''re two different people, but I have always dreamed of this moment, and now that it''s here, I don''t want it to go away! "Clara, please listen to me!" Clara paused to let Instructor Gardens speak. "You''re right. We''re two different people. That''s why I must decline your confession." A pain never felt before rippled in Clara''s soul. It was indescribable; it did not hurt anywhere in her body but at the same time it was something she knew was a bad feeling. It reminded her of a time when she was 20 when she asked her father for a piece of licorice and he said no, except this was a hundred times worse. "Please don''t misunderstand. I value each and every single one of my students. I am well aware of how hot emotions can burn, especially in elves. But there''s something you must consider." Instructor Gardens turned his back on Clara. "I''m nearing middle age, Clara, and your life is only beginning. By the time I die, you''ll barely be reaching middle age, yourself. Do you plan to be a widow for the rest of your life onwards?" Words escaped Clara. She stumbled with her words, but had no counterpoint to offer. "When I took this teaching job, I vowed to put my students first. And that''s why you must know that what you''re feeling probably isn''t love, Clara." He turned to face Clara again, this time with a gentle smile on his face. "I''m touched by your level of admiration, but you should reserve your feelings for someone around your age and not some silly old sod like me. Even if I returned your feelings, you''ll be sad on the day I die, and feeling that way for another century or two isn''t a pain I want to inflict on people dear to me." Clara sniffled. "Mr. Gardens..." "I know it hurts, but trust me, this is for the best." ---------- Days later, Clara still couldn''t believe it. She was not used to rejection, and the rippling pain remained in her. But deep down, she knew her mentor had a point. What if it wasn''t love that she felt? What if the feeling of rejection passes in mere days and she''s ready to move on to someone else? Would that mean she never loved her instructor to begin with? There was a knock on the door. ¡°Clara, can we come in?¡± asked her mother. ¡°Sure! It¡¯s open!¡± The wooden door creaked open and in came Clara¡¯s parents. The two of them sat with her on the bed and Clara stopped what she was doing to hear them out. ¡°We¡¯re glad our little girl is going on an adventure, and on official business from the Guild!¡± Alain beamed with pride and patted his daughter on the head. ¡°We want you to have some things from our adventuring days.¡± Yolandra nodded at her husband, who then placed a box on the bed. He opened it to reveal a sling and a handful of rocks. ¡°And here¡¯s mine.¡± Yolandra reached into her apron to grab a wooden carving and placed it on Clara¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, is that-?¡± Clara stared at the carving, which was shaped with a full moon and an elven head in the middle. ¡°This holy symbol has always been my good luck charm. I want you to have it.¡± ¡°Lenoria¡¯s a tough girl, but you¡¯ll need something to defend yourself,¡± her father added. ¡°I used this sling when I was an adventurer. I know there are better weapons out there, so if you¡¯re short on coin, then-¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it!¡± Clara brought the items closer. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come in handy!¡± The couple leaned closer to give Clara a hug. ¡°If you ever feel like giving up, you¡¯re more than welcome to come home,¡± Yolandra said. Alain nodded. ¡°But most importantly, have fun and don¡¯t you worry about us. You should see as much of the world as you want to see.¡± ¡°Dinner¡¯s almost ready, so put your things away and help set the table.¡± Yolandra patted Clara on the shoulder and signaled for her husband to leave the room with her. Once the couple closed the door behind them, Clara hugged her new items and stored them under her bed. "I can''t tell them what happened." Clara sighed. She was scared of how her parents would react to the instructor''s rejection. Perhaps the trip to Thule is something she needed, after all. *** 15th of Cobre, 1659, 8am The day of departure had arrived. The countdown officially began at midnight and Lenoria made sure to make every second of it count. ¡°Rise and shine, Mistress!¡± Lenoria had programmed Hayate to wake her up early in the morning. With a love tap near the eye stalk, Hayate silenced himself and waited for Lenoria to fully wake up. The girl was quick to stand, even if she was still groggy, and made breakfast, took a bath, and took a final tally on her inventory (in that order). Backpack? Check. Several changes of clothes? Check. Water and rations? Check. New battle outfit? Lenoria paused to search for her new outfit. ¡°Oops, silly me!¡± She opened her closet and there it was: A brand new chain shirt along with her favorite green shorts and sleeveless top. She put on the clothes first before adding the armor on top of them, but that was not it. When Lenoria had sent her chain shirt for repairs, she made a request. ¡°Glamer the new one, too!¡± Once she strapped her chain shirt on, she tapped the chest area to activate the armor¡¯s magic. The armor disappeared, and in its place was a sleeveless yellow duster that reached all the way to her shins. It came with buttons, but Lenoria chose to keep it open. All the better to grant as much mobility as possible during a fight. Lenoria''s new look and the default outfit for the adventure. Credit: GreyChameleons With her gear in order, Lenoria wrote a note and set it on the table. She owned very little and the landlord was free to help himself to anything she left behind. On a separate piece of paper, she wrote another note, folded it, set it on the table, and locked the door behind her before she left her home for the final time. ¡°If you see the old man, tell him I¡¯m sorry and that I¡¯ll be in Thule for six months. If he¡¯s looking for me, tell him I¡¯m in Goodsprings.¡± ~Lenoria. *** The first thing Lenoria spotted when she arrived at the reopened park was a wagon parked by the entrance. She spotted Clara, her parents, and Gror petting a brown horse with fluffy white lower legs attached to the wagon. ¡°Hey!¡± Lenoria¡¯s shout was enough to grab the attention of the two, who immediately ran up to greet her. The park brought bittersweet memories - the moment she died and meeting Alistair for the first time - but she chose to keep smiling to not worry those present. After all, it¡¯s a new day and there was so much to look forward to. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked Gror. ¡°The Constable said you were leaving for a while, and he invited me to see you off.¡± ¡°Have you been good this past week?¡± ¡°Yeah! I haven¡¯t gotten in trouble at all! Ask the Constable!¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, you know.¡± Constable Richards arrived with Alistair not far behind. ¡°He¡¯s been a bit of a nuisance back at the station, but he¡¯s only been trying to help and make amends.¡± It was then when Alistair and Lenoria locked eyes. The lad was the first to avert his gaze, but Lenoria barely held on and did the same right after. ¡°Remember what I said,¡± Pearl whispered. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Lenoria cleared her throat. ¡°Alistair, right? I wanted to say thanks for saving my life. If it wasn¡¯t for you, who knows what would have happened to me.¡± Alistair believed Lenoria was referring to his healing magic, but the girl was actually referring to the time Alistair kept Thomas away from her. The deceit was intentional to keep Alistair in the dark about the Soulstones. If only he had one of his own, at least then she wouldn¡¯t have to lie to him. ¡°You¡¯re, um, y-you¡¯re welcome,¡± Alistair said, doing his best to keep his composure. Meanwhile, Clara and Apus were observing this interaction. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking, Clara?¡± ¡°I know, just look at them,¡± Clara whispered. ¡°Lenoria can¡¯t spit it out, and Alistair looks a little nervous.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to us to play matchmaker!¡± ¡°Do you think we should?¡± ¡°Sometimes, all two lovers need is a little push before they realize just how in love they are!¡± Apus circled around Lenoria and Alistair before returning to Clara. ¡°Let¡¯s give them their space for now, and step in when they need help.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Pearl nudged Lenoria. ¡°We better speed this along.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lenoria clapped her hands together to grab everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be off, now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Alistair moved over to the horse and fed it a sugar cube. ¡°There, there. That¡¯s a good boy,¡± he said as he patted the horse¡¯s tuft. ¡°Ladies, go ahead and load your belongings inside the wagon. I¡¯ll start getting ready for departure.¡± ¡°Then I guess this is it,¡± said Alain. ¡°We haven¡¯t been together for long, but you¡¯re like a second daughter to us. You girls take care of each other, okay?¡± Yolandra bowed solemnly. ¡°In the darkness of the night, may the Guardian guide your path with moonlight. You¡¯ll always have a home here, no matter what happens.¡± Lenoria shook the elven couple¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll be back as soon as we can, okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll send letters from time to time, too!¡± Clara huffed, and then heaved her backpack inside the wagon. Gror looked at Lenoria expectantly. ¡°You¡¯ll come back and teach me magic, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡± Lenoria knelt on a single knee and shook Gror¡¯s pinkie finger with her own. ¡°There are plenty of dangers on the road ahead.¡± Constable Richards grinned. ¡°Give ¡®em hell, girl.¡± ¡°All aboard,¡± Alistair announced. The girls quickened their pace and got in the wagon. Lenoria set the flap of cloth aside so she and Clara could look at everyone even as the wagon departed. They waved at the group goodbye, and the group waved back. ¡°So long,¡± said Constable Richards. ¡°Take care,¡± shouted Gror. ¡°Pay tribute to any Moon Shrines if you see them,¡± said Yolandra. ¡°Always chew your food thoroughly, and chew twice as much for tough foods,¡± said Alain. "Bye, everyone!" The girls stood on the back of the wagon to say goodbye. "Be safe!" "I love you!" "Be good!" It was not long before the wagon arrived at the northern city gate. Once the party crossed the gate, they would be in the wilderness and would need to use their strength and abilities to make it to the next town. Next stop: Cedar Forest! Character Sheet - Lenoria Tsukino (5th level) Lenoria Tsukino Human Artificer (Mechanologist) 4/Brawler 1 Neutral Good Medium Humanoid (human) Initiative +3; Senses; Perception +17 DEFENSE AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 armor) HP 32 (4d8/1d10+5) Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +7 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee Unarmed strike +7 (1d6-1) Ranged Masterwork pistol +8 (1d8) Special Attacks arcane derring-do (4/4), deeds, martial flexibility (4/day) Artificer Extracts Known (CL 4th; concentration +8) 1st (1/day) - body capacitance, enlarge person, light repair, magic vestment, magic weapon STATISTICS Str 9 (-1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 18 (+4), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1) Base Atk +4 CMB +3 CMD 16 Feats Dirty Fighting, Dodge*, Gunsmithing*, Improved Unarmed Strike*, Point-Blank Shot, Weapon Finesse Skills 36 (artificer) + 9 (brawler) = 45 ranks (-1 armor penalty to relevant checks whenever wearing armor) Languages Common, Aquan, Celestial, Draconic, Elven Special Qualities blind you with science, brawler¡¯s cunning, gunsmith, jack of all trades, martial training, skilled, trapfinding +2 Combat Gear cloak of resistance +1, glamered chain shirt +1, goggles of the pathfinder, masterwork nunchaku, masterwork flintlock pistol plus ammo Other bag of holding (type I), brawler¡¯s kit, gear servant orb, gunsmith¡¯s kit TACTICS Lenoria¡¯s role in a party is to adapt to any situation. She can search and deactivate traps, fight in melee, fight from afar, and activate magic items that are otherwise inaccessible with regular means. The downside is that she is not as efficient in these roles as other classes and is outshined by them all. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. When in melee, Lenoria activates her martial flexibility to obtain any feat she might need for the encounter, such as Deadly Agility. OTHER INFO Race Human Size Medium Deity None (Agnostic) Gender F Birthday 15th of Weiss, 1638 (11/15/1638; 20 years old) Homeland The Great Plateau (The Far West) Sign Scorpio Height 5¡¯2¡± Weight 120 lbs Hair Blonde Eyes Green XP 10,090/15,000 Human Traits Ability Score Bonus: Lenoria gains a +2 bonus to an ability score of her choice. (Ability chosen: Intelligence) Skilled: Lenoria gains an additional skill point at each level. Bonus Feat: Lenoria gains a bonus feat at 1st level. Artificer Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency (All): Brawlers are proficient with all simple weapons plus the handaxe, short sword, and weapons from the close fighter group, and are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). Mechanologist artificers are proficient with all simple weapons and firearms, the hand crossbow, and light armor. Brawler¡¯s Cunning (Ex): Brawlers treat their Intelligence score as 13 for the purposes of qualifying for combat feats with an Intelligence prerequisite. Martial Flexibility (Ex): Brawlers can obtain a combat feat they haven¡¯t obtained yet for a minute, up to a number of times equal to 3 + ? her brawler level (minimum 1). Martial Training (Ex): Brawlers count their total class levels as both monk and fighter levels for the purposes of qualifying for feats, as well as feats that have their power determined by monk or fighter level. Unarmed Strike: The brawler gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, and can attack with her hands, knees, elbows, and feet. Her unarmed strikes are treated as both manufactured and natural weapons for the purposes of spells and effects that modify either one. An unarmed strike from a Medium brawler deals 1d6 points of damage, and this damage increases starting at 4th level and every four levels thereafter. Arcane Derring-Do: At 1st level, the mechanologist artificer gains a grit pool and deeds just like the gunslinger. However, she doesn¡¯t learn 3rd level deeds until 6th level, 7th level deeds until 9th level, and 11th level deeds until 12th level, and does not learn any more deeds beyond that. Her grit pool goes off by her Int modifier instead of her Wis modifier. Trapfinding: An artificer adds half her class level to her Perception checks to locate traps and to Disable Device checks (minimum +1). An artificer can also use Disable Device to disarm magic traps. Jack of All Trades: Artificers are inventors by nature, and they all pursue to invent items of certain categories. Some build constructs, others stick to magic items, and others try their hand at alchemy. An artificer gains Brew Potion or Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at 1st level, and at 5th level and every five levels thereafter, she gains a bonus item creation feat. The artificer must meet the prerequisites of the desired feat. Moreover, artificers can increase the DC to create a magic item by 5 for every prerequisite they do not meet, even for potions, spell-completion, or spell-trigger items. Mechanologist artificers like Lenoria instead gain Gunsmithing at 1st level and Craft Construct at 5th level. Craft Gear Servant (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the artificer can craft a tiny machine in the form of a small cog. It uses the stats of the poppet as a base (including its Construct type) and is treated as a familiar with the following exceptions. It follows the basic rules as familiars do (HD, hit points, attacks, saving throws, and skills), gains the familiar¡¯s Intelligence and natural armor bonuses, but gains no other special abilities. The gear servant shares the master¡¯s alignment, does not get Fly and Swim as class skills, but treats Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (engineering) as class skills, speaks the same languages its master knows, and if it is dismissed, lost, or destroyed, reconstructing another takes one week (minimum eight hours per day) through a specialized ritual that costs only 50 gp per artificer level. Blind You With Science (Ex): At 3rd level, an artificer can blindside or impress others with her knowledge alone, allowing her to make shrewd and insightful calculations about people and even inanimate objects. An artificer uses her Intelligence modifier instead of the skill¡¯s typical ability for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks. She can also use her Intelligence modifier instead of Charisma on any Diplomacy checks made to gather information. Scientist¡¯s Cunning (Ex): Starting at 4th level, artificers can use items they create with item creation feats without the need of a Use Magic Device check, as long as the item in question has a CL equal to her artificer level -3. Extracts: For the artificer, all magic is the same as long as it can be used for scientific advancement. Like an alchemist, artificers use extracts in place of spells (and thus follows all of the rules, see Alchemist entry for details) and, starting at 4th level, they learn two 1st level extracts plus an extra number of extracts equal to their Intelligence modifier, and they add another extract to the formula book at every level. Unlike an alchemist, an artificer can only learn up to 4th level extracts over the course of her career but she automatically treats her extracts as if she knows the Infusion discovery (though she isn¡¯t eligible to learn other discoveries). If an artificer multiclasses into alchemist, the complex nature of her extracts prevents her from applying the infusion discovery to the alchemist¡¯s extracts, and the discovery must be learned separately. To learn or use an extract, an artificer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the extract¡¯s level. The saving throw DC against an artificer¡¯s extract is 10 + the extract¡¯s level + the artificer¡¯s Intelligence modifier. The artificer¡¯s selection of extracts is limited. She prepares extracts just like an alchemist does, but she is limited to spells of the transmutation school from the wizard and sorcerer spell list. At 3rd level or lower, the artificer has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, her caster level is equal to her artificer level. Mechanologist artificers subtract 1 from the number of spell slots they obtain, and they start play with only one extract plus an additional number equal to their Intelligence modifier. However, she can cast Repair spells from each level as spell-like abilities once per day. Chapter 13 - I Can Hear Their Footsteps 15th of Cobre, 1659 - 3:35pm (170 days before the timer expires) ~Lenoria~ It was a bright sunny day in the Cedar Forest. The skies were clear, and the forest was sparse with trees. The heat from the midday sun was balanced with the cool mountain winds from the north, and overall the weather was fair. The paveless road was bumpy but otherwise tolerable. The smell of the trees permeated the forest air. Lenoria, Clara, and Alistair had only been on the road for three hours, but Lenoria had grown impatient. She has given him the signs, so why isn¡¯t he making the first move? All he had to do was hold her hand or say a charming line - no matter how lame - and she would swoon immediately. Alistair was not much for conversation. He kept his eyes on the road and would only speak to either say a prayer or check up on the girls. Chestnut would whinny occasionally, but otherwise he was a well-behaved horse. Other than that, he hasn''t revealed much other than his birthday, and that was after Lenoria asked him. Born on the 1st of Injigo, 1640, Alistair was nineteen years of age. Lenoria lied face down. Her muffled groan was just soft enough to be out of Alistair''s earshot. "Have boys always been this dense?" "Maybe he''s just shy." Clara flashed a smile as she patted Lenoria''s back. "Or maybe his order doesn''t approve of inappropriate behavior." Lenoria shifted her face so that her chin - and not her face - was planted on the creaky wagon floorboard. "What''s wrong with smiling back, or just stopping the carriage to take a break and sit with us?" "You''d be surprised." Clara had seated herself on a corner of the wagon. ¡°Just about every religious order has its own set of rules." "In any case, you can¡¯t rush these things." Pearl had decided to join in on the conversation. "Maybe he''s not interested, or maybe he''s just trying to be respectful. It could be a lot of things.¡± Those were some plausible possibilities, but Lenoria was not convinced. She sat up in a cross-legged position now that her interest was piqued. She was always a woman of science, not religion. She had respect for the kami her father revered, but she was creeped out by religious fanatics when she arrived in Helix and all they accomplished with their constant prodding was make her distance herself from it all and focus on science. And then there were the paladins, the champions of the benevolent deities. Ever since she was a little girl, Lenoria would hear stories about heroes crushing evil with divine power. Her mother would read her a book every night until she was six years old, at which point she had learned to read on her own. She would develop a crush on heroes of fiction, and until she turned ten, she would cry whenever her parents would reveal that some of the heroes from her books were not real. When she arrived in Helix City to study at the Guild, she got to meet paladins in the flesh. The most common where the ones serving the Sun King, a sun deity whose tenets included self-sacrifice, an open mind, and an open heart. All, however, were treated nearly the same. The girl would either greet them respectfully or gush about their deeds if she heard of them prior to meeting them in person. If Clara was the reason she made it to shore after being in a sea of anguish for so long, then hearing about the heroic deeds of these real-life heroes gave her the strength and drive to keep swimming until the end. In summation, Lenoria refused to get herself involved with religion, but would be open to it if a paladin managed to convince her. She knew they followed a strict code (but didn''t know what this code was), and if they broke that code, they would lose their divine powers. What better way was there to see if someone was a good and honest person - or at least tried to be - than seeing if they had their powers once they claimed they were a paladin? And when one in particular did everything he could to keep her safe, even when he didn''t know her, and proved himself to be a respectful, selfless gentleman, she couldn''t help but let her heart flutter naturally. Lenoria just couldn''t stop thinking about Alistair since that fateful day. She refused to wait any longer but knew she had to have faith in Pearl''s wisdom. That''s why him not even taking the time to approach her drove her crazy. If she had it her way, she would be sitting next to him chatting him up with an unrestrained whirlwind of words, even if such a lack of restraint would unnerve most people. For now, she had to be calm. "You make some good points, you two. Care to elaborate on what these rules could be?" "Every priest follows a set of rules they must always uphold, according to their deity. Doubly so for paladins." Clara eyed Alistair''s belongings, which sat on the corner opposite of hers. She spied his holy symbol strapped to the backpack with a silky strand. "He follows the Hammer, right? He''s known to be strict with traitors and criminals and stricter with his disciples. Some orders won''t even allow their disciples to kiss their partners until they are married." The crawling that followed was sudden enough to make Clara jump frightfully. Lenoria had gotten on all fours and skittered her way to Clara, and once there she grabbed the woman by the sleeves. "Say it isn''t so." "W-would it help if I told you paladins are immune to diseases at some point in their careers?" Clara''s fun fact turned some heads, including Pearl and Apus. Embarrassed by their stares, Clara looked down and kept her gaze on her lap. "My mom is a former priestess, you know. S-she passed down all of this info a-and I thought it''d be useful to you." "Is she serious? if that''s true, then Alistair just went from a 10 to an 11." Lenoria smiled warmly at Clara. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Clara.¡± Lenoria quickly shifted back to frowning and lost herself in her thoughts. In reality, her situation with Alistair wasn¡¯t all that was bothering her. She and Clara had been charged with retrieving some magic stones for two reasons. The first being that they belonged to an entity whom Pearl called ¡°Master,¡± and the second being that in the wrong hands the Soulstones could plunge the world into chaos. Omar¡¯s kamikaze attack was a prime example of the latter. Dozens of students died that day and hundreds more were injured. The worst part was that Omar was merely an apprentice alchemist; what if he had perfected his bombs like many veteran alchemists had before him, and used Apus¡¯s power to enhance them even further? The resulting explosion would not only reduce the school to dust but level a good portion of the city as well. This was why she couldn¡¯t trust Apus, at least not completely. Lenoria was grateful Clara was a trusting person, but unwavering trust was often like a blade designed to hurt only yourself and not the person in front of you; trusting the wrong person can be harmful or even fatal. There was no malice between them, and Lenoria was still grateful he saved them, but she promised herself to watch for any signs that hinted the bird could be using her friend. After all, Tsukuyomi may be a representation of Clara¡¯s soul, but at the core he was still a deadly weapon. The wagon¡¯s sudden stop involuntarily pushed the girls forward. Clara checked on Lenoria, who gave her a reassuring nod. Both girls heard Alistair¡¯s faint voice outside. ¡°Easy, Chestnut! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lenoria peered at the road ahead via the small window at the front of the wagon. ¡°What¡¯s going on out there, Alistair?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something blocking the road, Miss Lenoria. Please stay put.¡± ¡°He¡¯s far too polite. I have to let him know he can ease up around me.¡± The girl masked herself with a cheerful disposition. ¡°No need for the ¡®Miss,¡¯ Alistair. Just ¡®Lenoria¡¯ is fine. Can you tell what¡¯s blocking the road?¡± ¡°No. I can only see that it¡¯s white and bulky.¡± Alistair drew his mace and jumped off the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Stay here, please. Your life is my top priority.¡± Likely orders from Gabrielle, but that didn¡¯t stop Lenoria from acting coy. She hid her face with both hands, purposely appearing timid. ¡°Kyaaa! Mr. Adams, is that a declaration?¡± ¡°Declaration?¡± And then it hit him. Alistair¡¯s face turned beet red, and he swung his opened palms defensively. ¡°I-it¡¯s not what you think! It¡¯s just that-!¡± ¡°H-help¡­¡± The debilitated voice came from the road. The white bulk on the road turned itself over to reveal an elderly man. He had a malnourished appearance, with black bags under his eyes and thin - almost skeletal - limbs. The ''bulk'' Alistair was referring to the hunch on his back beneath his white tunic. Alistair dropped his mace and rushed to the weakened man. ¡°Ladies, I could use a hand!¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Lenoria marched to the back end of the wagon and opened the flap. ¡°We got work to do, ladies and gentleman, erm, gentlebird.¡± *** The elderly man drank from the leather waterskin Alistair offered him. A gasp escaped from his breath when he was done and handed over the container back to the lad. he then bit into a dumpling Lenoria had given him; she made some for the trip to share with the others, but there was no harm in giving up one of them to help the old man out before sending him on his way. ¡°Phew! Thanks, kids! I thought I was done for!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a long way from the next village, pops,¡± Lenoria said. ¡°What brings you out here?¡± ¡°It was terrible.¡± The old man covered his head with both hands. His legs and arms quaked from the moment Lenoria asked her question. ¡°Monsters. Some as big as my house. A small group of them but they were strong.¡± Frowning, Alistair looked at both of the girls. It was obvious to Lenoria that he wanted to help the old man, but he seemed as if something was holding him back. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Pearl whispered. She recently developed a habit of popping in and out of her stone whenever she wanted. ¡°The old man came this far. If he hurries, he¡¯ll make it to the city by sundown.¡± Lenoria and Clara gave Pearl an incredulous look, but they quickly turned away in case Alistair noticed them. Clara shrugged, but Lenoria made her choice when she nodded to Alistair. Flashing a slight smile, Alistair gratefully nodded at the girl before looking back at the old man. ¡°Where did you last see them, sir? The monsters.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! They look big but they hide in the shadows. Poor Larry lost himself and his goat when he wandered outside the compound.¡± The old man sobbed. ¡°The others are still trapped there. I got lucky when I escaped.¡± ¡°It could be anything,¡± Clara said. ¡°But out of the local animals, dire tigers are stealth hunters, so they could be the culprits.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t tigers solitary hunters, though?¡± Lenoria didn¡¯t know much about animals, but she knew the basics on the local wildlife. Anything besides eagles, anyway. ¡°The fact you escaped means they aren¡¯t watching the road at all times.¡± Alistair thought of a plan. ¡°If we can sneak inside this compound, we might be able to escort everyone without being seen. We could take them to the next town over and file a report there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this sounds like a bad idea,¡± Pearl said through her teeth, but neither Lenoria or Clara were listening. The old man stopped sobbing. ¡°You¡¯d truly do that, sonny?¡± ¡°It is my duty as a paladin of the Hammer to help the helpless. But admittedly, I don¡¯t want to drag my companions to a place they don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°No need to worry about us, Alistair. If anything happens, Lenoria and I know how to get out of any bind.¡± Clara subtly winked at Lenoria. "Once things settle down, you''re more than welcome to take a break with us and go over battle tactics." "O-oh, um, thank you..." Alistair cleared his throat. ¡°Sir, one last question. How far is this compound from here?¡± ¡°About another mile. There¡¯s a road to the right from here that leads to it. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± Alistair grinned. ¡°Okay, we can do this! Let¡¯s come up with a plan on the way there.¡± ¡°You kids do that. I feel rejuvenated thanks to your kindness! I¡¯ll head on over to the capital and warn the authorities!¡± The old man bowed politely before taking off. ¡°Thanks again, kids!¡± ¡°He sure can run,¡± Lenoria commented. The trio went back to the wagon and began to discuss their plan there. Once the old man gained enough distance, he stopped and started cackling. ¡°Hehehehe. Gotta love the young folk, they¡¯ll go out of their way to help an old man if you cry hard enough. Have fun dealing with the rest of those assholes." He glanced around and shouted at the sky. ¡°You hear that? I sent more fresh meat down your way, so you¡¯ll let me go, right? Right?!¡±
Old man: Bluffs the party. 1d20 + 4 + 2 = (14) + 6 = 20 Alistair: Sense Motive check failed. 1d20 + 9 = (6) + 9 = 15 Lenoria: Sense Motive check failed. 1d20 + 4 = (12) + 4 = 16 Clara: Sense Motive check failed. 1d20 + 1 = (1) + 1 = 2
*** The trees of the forest increased in number the deeper the party went in. Alistair laid out the plan; at any point before finishing the mile, the three of them were to march the rest of the way on foot and grab as many people as they could fit in the wagon. Lenoria volunteered to stay behind if any civilians remained, and until she learned the nature of their enemy, all she could do was hide them and herself from the danger. Once the wagon arrived at the designated area, Alistair stopped Chestnut and got off the wagon. This was the prompt for the girls to do the same, and for Clara to summon Tsukuyomi. Alistair and Lenoria would ride Chestnut the rest of the way, while Clara would ride on the back of her eidolon. If the danger was animalistic in nature, they would leave the wagon alone. But if not¡­ ¡°Grab what you need and leave behind what you won¡¯t miss.¡± Alistair hoisted a saddle on Chestnut¡¯s back that was big enough for two. ¡°Do you need help getting on, Lenoria?¡± Lenoria offered no response, but instead she climbed on Chestnut and seated herself at the front of the saddle. Alistair was dumbfounded. ¡°How-?¡± ¡°My parents own a stable back home. They would teach me how to ride in their spare time.¡± She offered a hand. ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± ¡°Are you sure you can ride Chestnut? We¡¯re not exactly in a position for trial and error.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Lenoria scooted herself to the back part of the saddle. ¡°But when this is over, you have to let me try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I could use a hand for when he¡¯s being ornery.¡± Alistair looked back at the wagon, then back at Lenoria. "By the way, thank you." "Hmm? What for?" "I feared you''d want to keep moving. I know Miss Bisset placed you and Miss Clara on a timer, and it would be much more beneficial if you arrived in Thule posthaste." Was he opening up to her? This was Lenoria''s chance. "Think nothing of it. It''s not like we''ll be in this compound the whole day. Besides, what if there are women and children in there?" "I hadn''t thought of that." Alistair''s expression changed. He made eye contact with Lenoria more, and his head stooped less and less with each interaction. "You really don''t mind?" "All that matters is we make it back to Helix in time." Lenoria shook her hand, as if urging Alistair to hop on. Alistair obliged and climbed on Chestnut''s back with Lenoria''s help. It took all of Lenoria''s strength to not fall off, and she breathed heavily by the time the lad inserted his feet in the footholds. ¡°Are you ready to go, Miss Clara?¡± ¡°Just about! It¡¯s just that I spent a long time packing all my stuff! What if we need something and I leave it behind?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Clara.¡± Lenoria¡¯s voice was demanding. ¡°Fine.¡± The rustling behind the wagon quickened and then stopped. Clara came out of the back with a sack full of her belongings. ¡°All set!¡± ¡°Can Tsukuyomi carry all of that?¡± ¡°He should be able to!¡± Clara placed her sack over Tsukuyomi¡¯s shoulder before climbing on his back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The eidolon was silent but appeared to have a strained expression in his eyes. ¡°...¡± ¡°See, he¡¯s fine!¡± It took some convincing, but in the end the girls settled for a compromise. Clara handed over her sack full of items and placed it inside a leather bag Lenoria carried. The bag appeared bigger on the inside and managed to fit everything inside just fine. If Clara needed something, she could just ask Lenoria. Alistair got on Chestnut and with a gentle tap with his sabatons he got the horse to move forward. As for Tsukuyomi, flame jets burst from his back which propelled him in the air while he carried Clara with both hands. Even in flight, Tsukuyomi was slower than Chestnut, but Alistair made sure he wasn¡¯t going at full speed unless it was necessary. When they spotted a road to the right, Alistair accelerated and took it. Not far ahead was a walled compound with its front gate missing. The wooden wall blocked most of the view to the inside, but the party could see a few buildings up ahead, each the size of a warehouse. ¡°We¡¯re going in! Stay alert!¡± Alistair did not stop and simply braced himself for any nasty surprises. So far, nothing. The gang crossed the wall with no trouble and made their way to the warehouses. ¡°Lenoria, do you see anything?¡± ¡°Hang on a sec!¡± Lenoria lowered her goggles and scanned the area with them. She kept an aloof expression, but if one were to glance at her mind¡­ ¡°Oh my gosh, he¡¯s so cool when he takes charge!¡± ¡°Any threats nearby?¡± ¡°No, sir! But one of the warehouse doors is ajar! It¡¯s big enough for Chestnut to get through.¡± Lenoria adjusted her goggles right above her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go there first!¡± ¡°Sounds good to me. Miss Clara, please keep up!¡± The dash across the empty lot of the compound was over 100 feet, which was nothing for Chestnut. Alistair yanked the reins for an abrupt stop, and Lenoria used the momentum to jump forward and land by the double doors. Tsukuyomi¡¯s jets immediately cool for a slow descent to the ground. Sticking the landing with both hands, Lenoria flipped forward and landed on her feet just inches away from the entrance. She knew better than to grab the handle right away, though; instead, she examined the doors¡¯ structure before putting on her goggles again. Alistair jumped off his steed and grabbed the reins to guide him forward. ¡°We¡¯re sitting ducks out here, Lenoria. Please hurry.¡± ¡°Just hang on a second. It could be trapped.¡± Looking up, Lenoria grinned and pointed at the top of one of the doors. ¡°See? Whoever¡¯s inside was expecting visitors.¡± Alistair and Clara followed Lenoria¡¯s glance to perceive a metal pail sitting atop one of the doors. ¡°A bucket of paint?¡± Alistair asked in disbelief. ¡°Stand back,¡± Lenoria warned only once. When Clara and Alistair did as they were told, Lenoria kicked the door with enough force to cause the pail to fall over on the inside. The sound of hundreds of tiny feet skittering filled their ears as a swarm of spiders exit from the fallen pail. Lenoria and Alistair looked on with disapproval, but Clara? Clara shrieked. ¡°Miss Clara, please be quiet.¡± ¡°Stomp them, burn them, do something!¡± Clara¡¯s voice was uncontrollably loud. Alistair rushed over to shush her and when that didn¡¯t work, covered her mouth with his gauntlet-covered hand. But it was too late. The forest leaves rustled. The forest was dozens of feet away, but Lenoria could hear them from her position. And it wasn¡¯t just from one tree; she didn¡¯t count them, but the compound was shaped like a square and she could see at least two trees shaking on each of the three sides she could currently see. She couldn¡¯t see beyond the wall, but the trees were tall enough for their canopies to be seen. It¡¯s not like she was curious to see beyond the walls, though. She wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°Double time, you two!¡± ¡°Miss Clara, we have to move!¡± All Clara could do was babble incoherently. The spiders were not going anywhere in particular and some even climbed the door and the walls. Her feet were frozen and she would not budge. ¡°We can¡¯t help it, she¡¯s super scared of spiders.¡± Lenoria grabbed Chestnut¡¯s reins. ¡°I¡¯ll get Chestnut! Do what you can to carry her across! Tsukuyomi should automatically follow her!¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°NOW, ALISTAIR!¡± The girl was not scared of spiders but was grossed out for each one she and Chestnut had to stomp. The horse didn¡¯t care, something Lenoria envied just a little. ¡°But I¡¯m not supposed to lay my hands on¡­¡± Alistair mumbled to himself. With a look of resignation, he drew himself closer to Clara, ¡°Forgive me for this,¡± and hoisted her over his shoulder. Barring the chain shirt she wore and the staff she carried, she was surprisingly light. Clara calmed herself down just enough to cover her mouth and continue screaming as Alistair rushed inside the warehouse with Tsukuyomi following closely behind. Lenoria slammed the doors when they were all inside and placed a metal bar over a slot in front of both doors. Quaking footsteps drew closer to the warehouse which were soon followed by a great force slamming the double doors. Alistair drew his mace once he set Clara down and placed himself in front of the girls. But after a couple of more slams, the creature on the other side gave up and lumbered away. ¡°It¡¯s gone for now. Everyone alright?¡± Alistair did not lower his guard, with his gaze fixated on the door. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lenoria gingerly brought Clara closer with her arm. ¡°It¡¯s alright, there are no spiders here.¡± The fearless girl felt a cold metal object pressing against the back of her head, and saw Alistair raise his hands once he turned to face her. By that reaction, Lenoria realized they were not alone in the warehouse. Their problems were just getting started. ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle, Miss Tsukino,¡± said the voice of a woman behind her, ¡°unless you want your brains splattered on the ground.¡±
Party Abilities Lenoria
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Intelligence Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Weapon Finesse - Use Dexterity modifier instead of Strength for light weapon attack rolls, such as unarmed strikes and rapiers.
1st (Brawler 1) Brawler''s Cunning - Treat Intelligence as 13 for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats. Martial Flexibility, 4/day - Gains the benefit of a combat feat for one minute. Martial Training - Brawler level counts as both fighter and monk levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats and certain magic items. Unarmed Strike - Gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat Dirty Fighting - Forgo the +2 bonus of flanking a foe in exchange of using a combat maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. Also counts as Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, and Improved Unarmed Strike for the purpose of qualifying for certain combat feats. Improved Unarmed Strike - Can use limbs to deal lethal damage.
2nd (Artificer 1) Arcane Derring-Do - Gains the gunslinger''s grit feature, using her Intelligence modifier instead of Wisdom. Gains the Deadeye, Gunslinger''s Dodge, and Quick Clear deeds. Trapfinding - Adds half artificer level to Perception checks to find traps and Disable Device checks. Can also disable magic traps. Machine Expert - Gains Gunsmithing at 1st artificer level, Craft Construct at 5th level, and a bonus item creation feat at 10th, 15th, and 20th levels. Gunsmithing - Can craft ammunition, create and repair firearms, and mix black powder for all sorts of firearms.
3rd (Artificer 2) Craft Gear Servant - Gains a machine familiar, with some restrictions Point-Blank Shot - Gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against foes within 30 feet
4th (Artificer 3) Blind You With Science - Use Intelligence modifier, instead of the regular modifier, for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks.
5th (Artificer 4) Scientist''s Cunning - Can use crafted magic items with a caster level equal to artificer level -3 or lower without rolling a Use Magic Device check. Extracts - Learns spells the same way alchemists do Dodge - Gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
Alistair
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Constitution Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Endurance - Gains a bonus to Constitution checks and saves against harsh conditions, such as avoiding nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst and avoiding nonlethal damage from a forced march.
1st (Paladin 1) Aura of Good - A paladin''s aura is measured by paladin level. Detect Evil - Can detect evil creatures or objects Smite Evil, 1/day - Gains a bonus to attack and damage rolls vs evil creatures, and gains a deflection bonus to AC against those creatures. Fails against nonevil creatures. Power Attack - Deal more damage in melee in exchange for accuracy.
2nd (Paladin 2) Divine Grace - Adds Charisma modifier to all saving throws. Lay on Hands, 3d6, 6/day - Can heal wounds by number of dice indicated, or deal damage to undead by the same amount.
3rd (Paladin 3) Aura of Courage - The paladin is immune to fear, and grants all allies a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against fear. Divine Health - The paladin is immune to all diseases. Mercy - Adds an additional effect to the lay on hands class feature. Mercy (Deceived) - A paladin''s lay on hands also allows a victim of ongoing illusions to roll a new saving throw. Shield Focus - Increases the bonus granted by any shield by 1.
4th (Paladin 4) Channel Positive Energy, +4d6 - Spends two uses of lay on hands to restore the hit points of all living creatures within 30 feet by the amount of dice indicated, or deal the same amount in damage vs undead. Spells - A paladin gains divine spells. The caster level is equal to paladin level -3. Smite Evil, 2/day
5th (Paladin 5) Divine Bond - Alistair has established a bond with the Hammer of Justice, which has manifested itself in the form of a mount. Protector''s Strike - Whenever the paladin smites an evil creature, he can choose to grant the deflection bonus to an ally instead of himself.
6th (Paladin 6) Mercy (Diseased) - A paladin''s lay on hands also functions as a remove disease spell, using his class level as his caster level.
7th (Paladin 7) Smite Evil, 3/day Mounted Combat - Can roll a Ride check when a mount is hit, negating the attack if the Ride roll is higher than the opponent''s attack roll. Can only be activated once per round.
Clara
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Elf +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution Low-Light Vision - Elves can see twice as far as humans under dim illumination. Elven Immunities - Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws vs enchantment spells and effects. Elven Magic - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to caster level checks to overcome spell resistance, and +2 racial bonus to Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items. Keen Senses - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception checks Weapon Familiarity - Elves gain proficiency with longbows, shortbows, longswords, and rapiers, and treat any weapon with "elven" in its name as a martial weapon.
1st (Unchained Summoner 1) Spells - Summoners cast arcane spells, and can do so while wearing light armor without incurring arcane spell failure. Cantrips, their 0-level spells, can be cast an unlimited amount of times per day. Eidolon - A summoner makes contact with an eidolon, a powerful outsider she can summon. Construct callers like Clara must make contact with an eidolon of the inevitable subtype. An eidolon''s abilities are determined by its evolution pool. Life Link - If an attack threatens to send an eidolon back to its home plane, the summoner can give up any number of hit points. Each hit point reduces the damage of an incoming attack on the eidolon by 1. Additionally, the eidolon loses hit points the farther it strays from its summoner. Improved Initiative - Adds a +4 bonus to initiative checks.
2nd (Unchained Summoner 2) Bond Senses - The summoner can fuse her senses with her eidolon, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything her eidolon does. She can do this a number of rounds per day equal to her summoner level.
3rd (Unchained Summoner 3) Summon Monster I - Can use the summon monster spell of any level available a number of times per day equal to 3 + the summoner''s Charisma modifier. The summoner can only use this ability if the eidolon has not been summoned. Planar Tinkering - At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, the summoner gains an additional evolution point for her eidolon. Reach Spell - Can increase the range of a spell of a base range of touch, close, or medium. A reach spell uses a spell slot one level higher than the spell''s actual level for each increase in range category.
4th (Unchained Summoner 4) Shield Ally - Whenever the summoner is within the eidolon''s reach, she gains a +2 shield bonus to AC and a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws. These bonuses go away whenever the eidolon is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.
5th (Unchained Summoner 5) Summon Monster II Extra Evolution - Your evolution pool increases by 1 point.
Chapter 14 - Guns & Bottles ~Lenoria~ ¡°And who might you be?¡± Lenoria remained calm, but having a gun planted at the back of her head made her feel on edge. She guessed that the only reason Alistair raised his hands instead of coming to her rescue was because they were not alone. ¡°Turn around.¡± Having no choice in the matter, Lenoria adjusted one of her fingerless gloves and turned around slowly. She was at a disadvantage, but she needed to formulate an escape plan. Clara had been reduced to tears thanks to the spiders and feebly collapsed when the assailant pushed her away. Alistair risked his own safety to catch Clara, and that was enough to trigger the sound of several firearms clicking. Lenoria counted five, but there¡¯s always the possibility there could be up to twice as many. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t fire but the agitated voice of a man shouted, ¡°Hands in the air, brat!¡± The lad complied, but only after he made sure Clara was unharmed. The two of them raised their hands, anxiously waiting for what happened next. By now, the room came into focus just as Lenoria caught sight of her assailants when she turned around. Wooden crates scattered across the room, some opened, and others closed. Five people stood on them, while a sixth remained on the ground to point her flintlock pistol at Lenoria. This one was a human woman in traveler''s clothes, which consisted of leather boots, a wool shirt, and breeches that were held by a sturdy belt. She was a brunette middle-aged woman of short stature and average build save for the near lack of neck. Behind her, standing on the crates, was the ragtag group of ne''er-do-wells who were all garbed in leather armor and boots, a neckerchief around their necks, and blue bandanas on their heads. The biggest and swolest of them was a half-orc with a thin moustache that drooped downwards, and all of his black hair tied into a top-knot. Two furry individuals with faces like dogs - caninefolk - tried their hand at intimidation by baring their teeth at Lenoria. And two small folk - halflings, Lenoria assumed - stood on the tallest crates. The male had balding silver hair while the red-haired female had a youthful yet mischievous smile. There was a seventh member who, unlike the others, was merely observing with a cocky smile on his face. A cutlass was strapped to his waist, and he was garbed with a simple pair of black slacks and a red shirt unbuttoned at the top. A black hat was settled on his brown dreads and an X-shaped scar marked his right cheek. ¡°Pirates. I¡¯ve never seen such a colorful bunch before.¡± Turning back to the woman, the apparent leader, ¡°Hunter,¡± Lenoria greeted casually. Taking offense, the older woman bludgeoned Lenoria with a pistol whip for her trouble. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunter to you! Have you already forgotten how to address your elders?!¡± ¡°I wish I could forget you,¡± Lenoria mumbled. ¡°How could I forget, ma¡¯am?¡± She asked cheerfully. ¡°My, my, my, it¡¯s only been three months and you¡¯ve already gotten five more wrinkles and an extra chin.¡± ¡°I see your snark is the only thing you¡¯ve sharpened since the last time we met.¡± With a patronizing look from her brown eyes, Mrs. Hunter pulled her firearm away. ¡°Of all the people to come here, it had to be this delinquent.¡± Pearl floated closer to the girl, her lips just inches away from Lenoria¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯d hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.¡± ¡°You know her, Lenoria?¡± Alistair asked the question with the obvious answer. "And why did she call you that?" Quietly shooing Pearl away, Lenoria maintained her composure. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s my old music teacher, Mrs. Hunter. I had a phase where I missed class a lot, and some teachers didn''t take kindly to that.¡± ¡°Starflower fired her because her teaching methods were unorthodox and too cruel,¡± Clara chimed in, nearly hiccupping from her crying. "I had no love for that flowery little elf, but everyone in that school needed some serious discipline." The former teacher sighed. "If only I had my paddle right now, but this gun will just have to do for now." ¡°And when you¡¯re done complaining, I want you to get your things ready because we¡¯re here to save you. So, tell your men to stand down,¡± Lenoria said fearlessly. ¡°Save us? Don¡¯t make me laugh." ¡°Lenoria, mind if I interject?¡± asked Alistair. Lenoria shot the lad a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Alistair. I can handle someone like her, no problem.¡± The older woman¡¯s smug look dissipated, a contorted glare taking its place. ¡°I had enough of your disrespect. Men, tie her up!¡± In the blink of an eye, Lenoria grabbed onto Mrs. Hunter¡¯s wrist and used her other hand to smack her firearm away. What Lenoria lacked in strength, she made up for with quickness, and it all happened so fast that the former teacher had no time to reinforce her grip. The sound of guns clicking filled the air again. ¡°Hold up!¡± The man in dreads broke his silence. Without looking at the rest of the men, he added ¡°Stand down. Let her speak.¡± The rest of the firing squad lowered their weapons once the order was given. ¡°Yes, Cap¡¯n,¡± they said in unison. Lenoria let out a loud "Phew!" while Mrs. Hunter was nearly bursting with tears. ¡°She laid her hands on me! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I told you before, ma¡¯am, that my crew doesn¡¯t kill needlessly. You¡¯re paying us to protect you, not to kill or kidnap.¡± The apparent leader of the group then gestured for Lenoria to continue. ¡°Um, thanks.¡± Lenoria nodded to Alistair and Clara, who used this as a chance to lower their hands. ¡°For starters, we bumped into some old timer on the road about a mile from here. He looked famished and dehydrated, so we helped him out.¡± ¡°He sent us your way while he went to the capital to get help. He said monsters kept you trapped in here. I¡¯m sure His Majesty will send help eventually in just a matter of hours,¡± Alistair added. ¡°Well, what do you know?¡± Mrs. Hunter chuckled. ¡°Old man Claude did what he promised he¡¯d do. And he sent help!¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Seems that way to me,¡± the man in dreads surmised. ¡°But even if the king sends his forces this way, I doubt we¡¯ll live long enough to see them. The boy is covered in armor and the girls are too stringy, so they¡¯re useless as bait.¡± He shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Not like I¡¯d use innocent people as bait, mind you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t call me ¡®boy,¡¯ especially when you don¡¯t even look older than me,¡± Alistair said. ¡°My mistake, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a girl.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± The leader bowed to Lenoria. ¡°Name¡¯s Caesar. And you¡¯re Lenoria, right?¡± ¡°Right. And the two behind me are Clara and Alistair.¡± Lenoria took a moment to examine the face of the leader. ¡°I could have sworn I saw your face posted on a bounty board somewhere.¡± Caesar grinned. ¡°You heard of me?¡± Bounties come and go thanks to the abundance of adventurers and honorable policemen back in Helix City. Petty criminals typically fetch for ten gold pieces or lower, while high profile criminals have gone as high as twenty thousand. Adventurers of all stripes often waited in taverns for bounties that suited their experience, and most wanted criminals were the kind that had become too much for the police to handle. So, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Lenoria to sift through the memory banks in her brain to pinpoint who this man was. ¡°You¡¯re the captain of the Celestial Compass.¡± Lenoria slammed her fist down at the palm of her hand. ¡°I remember now! You¡¯re wanted for a botched robbery at a jewelry store, a botched plundering at a fishing market, and four hundred gold¡¯s worth of parking tickets!¡± ¡°Five hundred gold¡¯s worth,¡± Caesar corrected. The halfling woman from Caesar¡¯s crew piped up. ¡°That can¡¯t be it! What about those crimes of infamy, like making rich folks walk the plank?¡± Lenoria scoffed. ¡°You mean those folks you shoved off fifty yards from the shore?¡± ¡°What about the poison we laced on the captain of the guard¡¯s wine?¡± asked the half-orc. ¡°You laced his wine with sleeping poison. All you gave him was a good morning¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°And the booty from Robertson¡¯s Plunder?¡± The male caninefolk asked anxiously. ¡°That¡¯s the name of a restaurant. Are you guys even trying?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, the treasure chest was tasty when we ate it,¡± confirmed the female caninefolk. ¡°Can we get back on the subject, please?¡± Everyone turned to look at Mrs. Hunter. ¡°Thank you. Look, I may have stepped out of line earlier, but for all I know you could be seeking payback! How do I know you¡¯re not working with the monsters out there?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even consider that, to be honest with you,¡± Caesar said. ¡°Pleasantries aside, I guess it¡¯s better if you answered the lady¡¯s question.¡± Lenoria felt the eyes of the pirates locked in on her. She came in with honest intentions, but what these people saw was some kids playing heroes at best, and marauders at worst. They had every right to be on edge. Mrs. Hunter may have been cruel, but she was a musician more than she was a fighter. It was Caesar she was wary of; incompetent pirates they may be, but they were still pirates, and Caesar was leading them. And if some law-abiding goody two-shoes - like a paladin - made any false movements, they would feel threatened. "Mrs. Hunter, please listen to me. You and I had our differences in the past, but I promise we''re not here to hurt you." The young girl made the effort to drop the snark from earlier, but the teacher''s mood remained the same. ¡°It feels like you''re telling the truth, but I just have to make sure. You, knight,¡± the older woman called for Alistair. ¡°Are these girls coercing you into acting as their bodyguard? I know enchantments and you don¡¯t appear to be under any spell, so they have some dirt on you, right?¡± Alistair shook his head solemnly. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m on a job from House Bisset to take these girls across the border. It was my idea to come here to save you, but I needed Miss Lenoria¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°House Bisset? The House Bisset? Are you saying that this girl,¡± Mrs. Hunter pointed at Lenoria, ¡°is important enough to grab House Bisset¡¯s attention?¡± Alistair nodded. ¡°Oh gods, he¡¯s not fibbing.¡± Mrs. Hunter¡¯s posture became more relaxed as she continued to prod Alistair for information. Whether Lenoria liked it or not, Mrs. Hunter¡¯s mood was the key needed to move forward. She could keep the pirates in check if they didn¡¯t trust Alistair and even get them to cooperate in finding a way out of the compound. Without her, things could turn chaotic quickly. ¡°And you¡¯re sure she didn¡¯t charm you?¡± Mrs. Hunter asked a little less maliciously from before. ¡°He¡¯s not charmed,¡± Clara said. ¡°It¡¯s all true; we had the honor of meeting Miss Gabrielle Bisset.¡± ¡°Turns out she¡¯s an administrator for the Scholastic Guild.¡± Lenoria let out a light chuckle. ¡°Fancy, that. Starflower got fired and I¡¯m sure anyone who supported him will follow suit if they haven¡¯t already.¡± The older woman burst out laughing. ¡°The elf got fired? Oh, that is definitely good news. That means I can get my job back if I go home.¡± Alistair looked relieved, albeit only a little. ¡°Splendid. If you promise to do better, I¡¯m sure Miss Bisset can give you another chance. As for your pirate friends, well¡­¡± Tension filled the air when Alistair exchanged looks with Caesar. For Lenoria, this was no different from a police standoff with a bunch of criminals. His next words would be crucial in making either new friends or foes. ¡°...it looks like we¡¯ll have to work together, for now.¡± Alistair sighed. ¡°I have a moral obligation not to associate with criminals, but circumstances like this should be enough to justify an exception.¡± ¡°A boy after my heart,¡± the halfling woman of the crew said sardonically. ¡°You¡¯re not so hot yourself, you know.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, but so are you,¡± Caesar reassured Alistair. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a truce, and when it¡¯s over, how about you give us a five-minute head start before you try to arrest us, eh?¡± Alistair relaxed his shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, but I can promise to do my best to keep us alive.¡± ¡°Tsukuyomi and I will do the same,¡± Clara promised. ¡°You sound a bit more reasonable than earlier, so let¡¯s try to get along,¡± Lenoria told Mrs. Hunter. "What changed your attitude so suddenly?" "What can I say? I may have been mistaken if both this boy and Gabrielle Bisset see something in you." "Is she really such a big deal?" "Such a big deal?" Mrs. Hunter was almost offended. "She has a strict work ethic and will work you down to the bone if she has to, but she''ll do right by you if you do the same for her. Not everyone knows about her nobility, but I know bard circles who would drop everything for the opportunity to write a sonnet for her. What did you even do to get her attention?" "I, um, ranked third for the Class of ''59. A-and apparently, I''m the best candidate to operate golems and other machinery." Mrs. Hunter seemed genuinely interested to hear more, while the pirates had eased up and withdrawn themselves from the conversation for now. "Is that so?" "I know it sounds a little conceited, but-" "It''s not. Be proud of your academic achievements. A little gloating never hurt anyone." Mrs. Hunter smiled. "I guess you aren''t the slacker I thought you were." "Let me prove it to you. If I get you out of here alive and you promise to be good, I promise to put in a good work to Miss Bisset for you." Lenoria extended her hand. "What do you say?" ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± said Mrs. Hunter. The two women shook hands on it. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan against the giants surrounding this compound?¡± The trio knew there was something they had been meaning to ask, and that sentence alone both answered their question and brought them a sense of terror. "Eh?" A single footstep rumbled softly outside. Everyone else appeared to be distracted by Mrs. Hunter¡¯s revelation, but Lenoria¡¯s sharp senses almost missed the footstep. She then heard a sound that gradually grew in volume towards the warehouse. ¡°Look out!¡± Lenoria pulled Alistair away and Tsukuyomi did the same with Clara. Mrs. Hunter scrambled to find cover. But it was too late. A massive boulder was forced through a window at the top of the eastern wall. It missed Lenoria¡¯s party by merely a few inches as it caused a loud crash and a rain of broken glass. When the dust cleared, Clara was the first to stand and seemed horrified at the destruction the boulder caused. At least three of the wooden crates had been wrecked and the pirates lied prone on the ground. And then she spotted it. A rope had been wrapped around the boulder and a portion of it had a big red blot smudged on it. And attached to the boulder was the corpse of old man Claude. Character Sheet - Alistair Adams Alistair Adams Human Paladin 7 Lawful Good Medium humanoid (human) Initiative +1; Senses; Perception +2 Aura courage (10 ft.) DEFENSE AC 25, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +4 shield, +1 deflection) HP 74 (7d10+21) Fort +12 Ref +7 Will +11 Defensive Abilities divine grace +3 Immunities disease, fear OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in banded mail) Melee Fiendbane heavy mace +10/+5 (1d8+3 bludgeoning plus 2d6 vs evil outsiders) Special Attacks smite evil 3/day (+3 to attack rolls and AC vs evil target, +7 to damage) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +10) At-will - detect evil Paladin Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +7) 2nd - shield other 1st - challenge evil (DC 14), grace STATISTICS Str 14 (+2), Dex 12 (+1), Con 16 (+3), Int 13 (+1), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 16 (+3) Base Atk 7 CMB +9 CMD 21 Feats Endurance, Mounted Combat, Power Attack*, Protector¡¯s Strike, Shield Focus Skills 28 skill points (-7 armor penalty to relevant checks whenever wearing armor) Languages Common, Celestial Special Qualities aura of good, channel positive energy (DC 16, 4d6, 6/day), divine bond (mount), lay on hands (3d6, 6/day), mercies (deceived, diseased) Combat Gear banded mail +2, cloak of resistance +1, fiendbane heavy mace +1, headband of alluring charisma +2, heavy steel shield +1, ring of protection +1, silver holy symbol Other paladin¡¯s kit, 2682 gp TACTICS Alistair is the party tank and prioritizes defense if his party members are more than capable of taking down the enemy than he is. He casts challenge evil on the strongest-looking enemy and provides a distraction while the rest of his party gets to work. OTHER INFO Race Human Size Medium Deity Hammer of Justice (Lawful Neutral deity) Gender M Birthday 1st of Injigo, 1640 (1/1/1640; 19 years old) Sign Capricorn Height 5¡¯7¡± Weight 162 lbs Hair Blonde Eyes Blue XP 23,000/34,000 Human Traits Ability Score Bonus: Alistair gains a +2 bonus to an ability score of his choice. (Ability chosen: Constitution) Skilled: Alistair gains an additional skill point at each level. Bonus Feat: Alistair gains a bonus feat at 1st level. Paladin Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armor types, and shields (except tower shields). Aura of Good (Ex): The power of Alistair''s aura is equal to his paladin level (see detect good for details). Detect Evil (Sp): Alistair can use the detect evil spell at will. As a move action, he can focus on on a single object or individual to determine if it''s evil, and learn the strength of its aura as if he studied it for 3 rounds. However, using detect evil this way does not allow him to detect other sources of evil during the spell''s duration. Smite Evil 3/day (Su): As a swift action, Alistair can smite an enemy. If the enemy is evil, he gains a bonus to attack rolls equal to his Charisma modifier and a bonus to damage rolls equal to his paladin level whenever he attacks the target of the smite, and he can bypass the smite target''s damage reduction. He also gains a deflection bonus to his AC equal to his Charisma bonus. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The effects of smite last until the target is slain or Alistair rests. Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, Alistair adds his Charisma bonus to all of his saving throws. Lay On Hands +3d6, 6/day (Su): Alistair can heal wounds by touch. As a swift action, he can apply this ability to himself, and as a standard action, he can apply it to others. In either case, a single use of this ability heals 1d6 points of damage per two paladin levels he possesses. Alternatively, Alistair can use this ability to damage undead with a melee touch attack and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead receive no saving throw against this damage. Alistair can use this ability a number of times equal to half of his paladin level plus his Charisma modifier. Aura of Courage (Su): Starting at 3rd level, as long as Alistair is conscious, he is immune to all forms of fear. In addition, all allies within 10 feet of him gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. Divine Health (Ex): Alistair is immune to all diseases, magical or otherwise. Mercy (Su): At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, a paladin can choose one mercy. Mercies are additional effects that occur whenever the paladin applies his lay on hands ability. Deceived: This mercy allows the victim a new saving throw to disbelieve any ongoing illusions that have occurred within the last minute. Diseased: This mercy allows Alistair''s lay on hands to also be treated as the remove disease spell, using his level as his caster level. Channel Positive Energy +4d6 (Su): At 4th level, a paladin can channel positive energy just like a cleric. All allies within 30 feet of the paladin have their hit points restored by 1d6, plus an additional 1d6 for every two paladin levels beyond the first. Alternatively, Alistair can use this ability against undead, who must roll a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin level + Charisma modifier) to take half damage. This ability spends two uses of the lay on hands ability. Spells: Starting at 4th level, Alistair can cast divine spells. His caster level is equal to his paladin level -3. Divine Bond (Sp): At 5th level, Alistair formed a divine bond with the Hammer of Justice. This bond took the form of a divine steed, whom Alistair named Chestnut. Chestnut is treated as an animal companion, and Alistair''s effective druid level is equal to his paladin level. As Alistair levels up, Chestnut can also grow stronger. Chestnut N Large Animal Initiative +1; Senses low-light vision, scent Perception +7 DEFENSE AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural) HP 51 (6d8+24) Fort +8 Ref +7 Will +3 OFFENSE Speed 50 ft. (10 squares) Melee Bite +8 (1d4+5), 2 hooves +6 (1d6+5) STATISTICS Str 20 (+5), Dex 15 (+2), Con 18 (+4), Int 6 (-2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 6 (-2) Base Atk +4 CMB +10 CMD 22 (26 vs trip) Feats Endurance, Multiattack, Run Skills 6 skill points Languages Common, Celestial (cannot speak) Special Qualities combat trained, low-light vision, scent TACTICS Chestnut is Alistair¡¯s trusty steed and valiantly charges into battle with him when the boy needs him. While he can¡¯t speak, he displays uncanny signs of intelligence. Combat Trained: Chestnut knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel, in addition to the tricks he knows from his bond with Alistair. Low-light Vision (Ex): Chestnut can see twice as far as a human during dim illumination, such as nightfall. Scent (Ex): Chestnut carries a strong sense of smell, and can discern the general location of strong scents (or invisible enemies). Link (Ex): The bond between Chestnut and Alistair grants the latter a +4 bonus to Handle Animal checks regarding Chestnut. Share Spells (Ex): Whenever Alistair casts a spell that only targets himself, he can choose to grant it on Chestnut instead. Evasion (Ex): Whenever Chestnut is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he instead takes no damage if the saving throw is a success. Ability Score Increase: Chestnut gains a +1 increase to one ability score. (Ability chosen: Constitution) Devotion (Ex): Chestnut gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves vs enchantments. Tricks By rolling a Handle Animal check and beating the DC, Alistair can command Chestnut to do a variety of moves, called tricks, as a free action with a +4 bonus to the roll. Attack: Commands the animal to attack. Come: The animal moves to the master''s location, even when it normally wouldn''t. Defend: Commands the animal to defend its master. Down: Commands the animal to stand down. Guard: The animal stays in place and keeps others from approaching. Heel: The animal follows its master closely, even when it normally wouldn''t. Protect: The animal stands beside a designated target and prepares to attack any non-ally that gets close. Get Help: When the command is given, the animal seeks a designated creature and brings them back to the master. Quiet Watch: The animal keeps watch over an area. If alerted of danger, the animal quietly warns its master. Character Sheet - Clara Aur猫le Clara Aur¨¨le Elf Summoner (Construct Caller) 5 Neutral Good Medium humanoid (elf) Initiative +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3 DEFENSE AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18 (+4 Dex, +5 armor, +1 deflection, +2 shield) HP 34 (5d8+5) Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +6 (+2 vs enchantment) Immune sleep OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee Quarterstaff +3 (1d6) or quarterstaff -1/-5 (1d6/1d6) Ranged Masterwork crossbow +8 (1d8) Spell-Like Abilities Summon Monster (II, III) 6/day Summoner Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8) 2nd (3/day) - blur, lesser evolution surge, phantom steed 1st (5/day) - grease (DC 14), protection from chaos, shield, summon monster I 0th (at-will) - arcane mark, detect magic, guidance, light, open/close, read magic STATISTICS Str 10 (0), Dex 18 (+4), Con 12 (+1), Int 12 (+1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 16 (+3) Base Atk 3 CMB +3 CMD 17 Feats Extra Evolution, Improved Initiative, Reach Skills 15 (summoner) Languages Common, Elven, Draconic, Sylvan Special Qualities bond senses 5/day, elven immunities, elven magic, keen senses, life link, low-light vision, planar tinkering Combat Gear chain shirt +1, cloak of resistance +1, mithral buckler +1, masterwork crossbow, ring of protection +1, potion of cure light wounds x2, potion of resist energy x2 TACTICS Clara fights by summoning and supporting her eidolon and summons minions once her eidolon is sufficiently buffed and still needs help. Once she¡¯s done all she can, she fights with her crossbow. OTHER INFO Race Elf Size Medium Deity Moon Guardian (Chaotic Good elven deity) Gender F Birthday 25th of Svatur, 1534 (08/25/1534; 124 years old) Sign Virgo Height 5¡¯7¡± Weight 99 lbs Hair Black Eyes Red XP 10,040/15,000 Elf Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, ¨C2 Constitution: Elves are nimble, both in body and mind, but their forms are frail. Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Elves have a base speed of 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. Elven Magic: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties of magic items. Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word ¡°elven¡± in its name as a martial weapon. Summoner Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Clara can wield all simple weapons and all light armor, and can cast summoner spells in light armor without incurring the arcane spell failure. Spells: Clara can cast arcane spells from the summoner spell list. The DC for any saving throws from her spells is equal to 10 + spell level + Clara''s Charisma modifier. Eidolon: As a summoner, Clara forms a link with an eidolon, a creature from a different dimension. As a construct caller, this eidolon must be of the inevitable subtype. This eidolon can fight by her side, but summoning it requires a ritual that lasts 1 minute. Clara has named her eidolon Tsukuyomi. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Clara also gain a pool of points, called evolution points, which she can spend on her eidolon''s abilities. Every time she gains a summoner level, she can rearrange these abilities as she deems fit. Life Link (Su): Whenever Tsukuyomi would be slain and sent back to his home plane, Clara can instead sacrifice a number of hit points up to the damage taken to leave her eidolon unharmed. In addition, she and Tsukuyomi must remain close to each other or risk penalties to the eidolon''s hit points. Bond Senses (Su): As a standard action, Clara can share her senses with Tsukuyomi, perceiving everything he does. She can use this a number of rounds per day equal to her summoner level. Summon Monster (Sp): Clara can cast summon monster of the highest level available to her or lower a number of times equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She cannot cast summon monster I, for that is replaced by... Planar Tinkering (Ex): Starting at 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, Clara gains an additional evolution point for her eidolon. Shield Ally (Ex): Starting from 4th level, whenever Clara is within Tsukuyomi''s reach, she gains a +2 shield bonus to her Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus to her saving throws. These bonuses do not apply if Tsukuyomi is rendered immobile, grappled, paralyzed, or helpless in any form. Tsukuyomi (Clara¡¯s Eidolon) LG Medium Outsider (inevitable) Initiative +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7 DEFENSE AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +4 armor, +2 natural) HP 44 (4d10+20) Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +4 (+4 vs death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stun) Immune exhaustion, fatigue, nonlethal damage Resist sonic 10 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect) Melee Slam +8/+8 (1d8+4 bludgeoning) STATISTICS Str 18 (+4), Dex 14 (+2), Con - (0), Int 8 (-1), Wis 10 (0), Cha 11 (0) Base Atk +4 CMB +8 (+10 on a bull rush) CMD 20 (22 vs bull rush) Feats Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack Skills 20 kill points Languages Common (does not speak) Eidolon Special Abilities Darkvision: The eidolon gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Darkvision allows the eidolon to see in the dark, albeit without color. Link (Ex): Tsukuyomi possesses a mental link with Clara that allows her to give orders to him from any distance. The two also share magic item slots, with Clara''s taking precedence if there''s ever a conflict over them. Share Spells (Ex): Whenever Clara casts a spell from the summoner spell list that only targets herself (i.e., with "You" under the target entry), she can choose to grant the benefits of the spell to Tsukuyomi instead. Evasion (Ex): Whenever Tsukuyomi is subjected to damage that requires a Reflex saving throw, he takes no damage if he makes a successful saving throw. Ability Score Increase: One of Tsukuyomi''s ability scores is increased by 1. (Ability chosen: Intelligence). Tsukuyomi''s Evolutions Evolution Pool: 6 (4 base plus 1 from planar tinkering plus 1 from extra evolution) Base Evolutions (Free): At 1st level, inevitable eidolons count as both constructs and outsiders for the purpose of effects such as the bane weapon special ability and the favored enemy class feature. They gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, disease, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stun. Limbs (Free): Inevitable eidolons are bipedal creatures, and can make slam attacks with its arms. Slam (Free/1 point): The inevitable eidolon can make a slam attack, dealing 1d8 points of damage. By spending an evolution point, he can make an additional slam attack. Resistance (1 point): Tsukuyomi possesses sonic resistance 10. Flight (Su) (4 points): Tsukuyomi has a flight speed equal to his land speed, and has perfect maneuverability. Chapter 15 - The Laester Tribe The giant patriarch had a plan to devour the humans, but he had to rethink them now. One of his sons tossed a boulder through the window of the human building to send a message to the humans inside. That message being ¡°come out or be crushed.¡± The patriarch was not pleased. He has dealt with humans long enough to know the direct approach doesn''t always work. The purpose for this hunting trip was to show his children how to deal with humans in the wild. They had a lot to learn. His original plan was to lure the humans out by providing a false sense of security. He needed a head count of the humans and did not want to reveal his number - his three children, plus himself - until he was sure he could win. Humans would often send one of their own number out in dangerous situations to see if the danger has passed, and once the "all clear" was given, more would come out. All the father of the giants had to do was wait for this signal before rushing in to attack. His children had a different idea; his eldest son, Mohk, rushed in when more humans arrived, two on horseback and the third flying in with a strange contraption. His youngest, Thrak, had returned with the corpse of an old man he struck a bargain with. The old man promised to bring in more fresh meat in exchange for his own life and the patriarch agreed to the terms...in word only. On other days, the patriarch would approve of Thrak''s initiative, but today his dimwitted son attached the old man to the boulder he threw at the human building. The patriarch was saving the old coot as a snack for later and now the patriarch was grumpy and hungry. ¡°Thrak! That was our dinner!¡± ¡°But Pa, human meat tastes better when they¡¯re scared!¡± The (slightly) smaller giant spoke with a guttural voice. ¡°That¡¯s why I peeled some skin off before giving him back to the humans. If we scare them all, they be even tastier.¡± ¡°Think of your mother! If we don¡¯t bring something back by nightfall, what do you think she¡¯s going to do to you?¡± The younger giant recoiled frightfully. ¡°N-no, Thrak no want another branding!¡± ¡°Then grab your brother and sister. We attack building until puny humans come out!¡± The patriarch had no intention of delivering old man Claude to his wife, but threats usually kept his children in line. But standing between nine and eleven feet in height - possibly more if they didn¡¯t walk in a perpetual stoop - and wielding tusks protruding from their lower jaws, there was little that could frighten this family. Yet even the patriarch feared what his wife would do if they returned empty-handed. At least now his son will be more obedient; it helped that his wife¡¯s punishments were creative and more painful than anything he could think of beyond slicing a limb off. *** ~Alistair~ One of the caninefolk vomited at the grisly sight of Claude¡¯s corpse. The old man¡¯s clothes above his waist had been stripped, and his skin from the same area had been flayed and peeled. His muscles were exposed, including those on his face. Yes, his face had been torn off; his left eye hung from his eye socket and the other was missing. Most surprising was the stench of decay that had set in. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the party met the old man, but he smelled as if he had been dead for a while. However these giants carried their business, no one wanted to know. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Clara had collapsed on top of Tsukuyomi, but there was no scratch on her. Alistair sat up. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Does anyone need healing?¡± He felt something move beneath him. To his horror, he had been on top of Lenoria the entire time. He failed to notice anything beyond Lenoria¡¯s goofy expression, which he had mistaken for a dazed look. ¡°Lenoria! Please forgive me! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± The girl giggled uncontrollably. ¡°F-five more minutes, please¡­¡± Blood dripped from her nose. "She''s injured!" Alistair grabbed the girl''s arm and placed two fingers on her wrist. From this, Lenoria kept giggling as more blood dripped from her nose. "She''s getting worse! Miss Clara, I could use your assistance!" "Um," Clara said as she pulled Alistair away, "I think it''s best if you got off of her, first." The girl¡¯s dream was interrupted by the shrill shriek from Mrs. Hunter. The former teacher woke from her own daze to the corpse of the old man staring at her. There was pain in her voice as well, for the boulder had landed on her right foot. She did not jump away in time and had tripped just as soon as she had gotten up from her earlier tantrum. ¡°Oh, right. Lives are in danger.¡± Lenoria snapped out of her dream and stood back up. ¡°So, we¡¯re hiding from giants. That¡¯s good; now we know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± The girl took a moment to wipe away the blood dripping from her nose. Lenoria¡¯s voice was barely audible due to the ongoing screaming of the mutilated woman. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m going to need you to calm down.¡± ¡°Calm down?¡± The screaming ended and in its place was a tone of indignation. ¡°What am I supposed to do, limp my way back home?!¡± ¡°Unless we put our heads together and think, none of us are going home.¡± Lenoria¡¯s choice of words seemed to have placated Mrs. Hunter at first. The realization that the entire group could be doomed was enough to halt her outburst, which was then swiftly replaced with more crying. Alistair wished the girl had shown more tact, but dealing with someone from the Guild had already put his companion on edge. He recalled Gabrielle''s words to him. She needs time to heal. Please be patient with her. Not able to stand seeing someone in pain, Alistair ran to the teacher''s aid and conjured a divine light on her injured leg. He was able to move the boulder with enough force, and noticed her foot wasn¡¯t completely gone. With his holy light, he was able to restore the foot to its former glory and removed the blood stains in the process. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. If it had been crushed to a pulp, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save it.¡± Alistair called off his healing light. ¡°Please work with us. We¡¯ll do what we can to keep you safe, but this will need to be a team effort.¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! The Celestial Compass don¡¯t work with no cops or knights,¡± the shorter man in the pirate group protested. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I would hate to steal your thunder, Tim, but I believe I already made the call to assist these fine folks.¡± Caesar patted Mrs. Hunter on the shoulder. ¡°Unless boss lady here wants to rescind her offer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± The older woman spoke softly. ¡°We¡¯re doomed, anyway.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We came here with a plan. Or at least we had one¡­¡± The plan Alistair had in mind involved sneaking away to the wagon, but that would only have worked if the attackers were animalistic in nature. Now that giants were involved, they most likely would have seized the wagon by now or, worse, prepared an ambush in the perimeter. His go-to method of doing anything had always been to stand and fight. Alistair didn¡¯t like it, but it had been ingrained into his heart and mind thanks to his paladin training. He was ready to run outside and challenge all of the giants while everyone else ran away, but he believed in his heart of hearts that he would not come out of that fight alive. And if that happened, he could not keep his promise to Gabrielle to escort Lenoria to Thule. He was at a loss for words and actions. And then he recalled his mentor¡¯s words of wisdom, which always rang in his mind whenever he had moments of self-doubt. Brave heart, Alistair. Trust in yourself and in your companions. Protect them. Brave heart. The first step was to stay calm, for panic breeds chaos. Once a tranquil heart shut down the turbulent emotions, belief in oneself was necessary to move one foot forward. And that was normally the end of it; however, Alistair was part of a party now, and with the proper leadership, they could become extensions of himself. But for that to happen, and continue, he had to do his best to protect them which always started by making the right calls. So, we¡¯re hiding from giants. That¡¯s good; now we know what we¡¯re dealing with. Lenoria¡¯s confident tone from earlier indicated that surviving this was possible. The pirates seemed nervous while their captain was putting on a brave front. Mrs. Hunter was bawling, but neither Clara or Lenoria were panicking. Showing fear was a sure sign of losing, and as long as at least one person was calm and positive, they could get out of this alive. But Alistair needed help. ¡°The giants have begun their attack. Is there anything we can do, Lenoria?¡± ¡°Well,¡± the girl began, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell ya the probability of winning this fight, but we stand a chance. We don¡¯t know what kind of giants we¡¯re dealing with, but we can narrow down our choices. Right off the bat, the big six are out.¡± ¡°The big six?¡± ¡°Fire giants, frost giants, cloud giants, storm giants, stone giants, and hill giants. The first two prefer extreme weather, the third, fourth, and fifth live in high altitudes, and the sixth doesn¡¯t live in forest environments.¡± ¡°How do you know so much about giants?¡± Lenoria grinned proudly. ¡°Constable Richards had to arrest some giants before, and he¡¯s given me some intel on them. I don¡¯t know everything, but since we¡¯re not dealing with the biggest threats among them, we can fight them as long as they don¡¯t outnumber us.¡± ¡°You hear that, men?¡± The pirates turned to face their leader. ¡°Stay sharp and give it your best.¡± ¡°With that said, the trees were shaking before we went in. Four sides means there¡¯s at least four of them, possibly more.¡± ¡°And what makes you so sure we aren¡¯t surrounded by thirty of them or even more?¡± Mrs. Hunter was not as hopeful as everyone else, but her panicking and crying had ended around the point Alistair decided she was no longer a threat. ¡°If there were that many, don¡¯t you think they would have crushed every single warehouse by now?¡± Mrs. Hunter growled, but she offered no counterpoint. Caesar only nodded in agreement, while Clara remained silent for now. Thanks to Lenoria, Alistair was getting a clearer picture of their enemy. ¡°These giants are smart. They know we¡¯re here and they used a boulder to try to flush us out. Lenoria brings up a good point; they must be few in number and they¡¯re trying to see how many of us are there before they advance.¡± ¡°Exactly! And assuming they¡¯ve seen us marching in, they must know we¡¯re at least four in number; five if we count Chestnut.¡± Alistair¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of his chest when Lenoria smiled sweetly at him. Was she just being nice to him and wanted to show him praise somehow? Or was he going to have to curse Beau under his breath for trying, perhaps inadvertently, to set him up with Lenoria? "Lord Beau, what have you done? Am I... truly worthy?" The time for romance was not now, however. That was a matter for a different time. ¡°It¡¯s just as likely they also know how many of us are in here, and whether they know that number or not, they have to know there¡¯s at least more than four people in here. And if they¡¯re hesitant to approach, we can assume their number must range from four to seven.¡± Alistair paced back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a divide and conquer approach. If they¡¯re hiding, they¡¯re most likely in some sort of formation. Any ideas on how to break it?¡± Lenoria raised her hand. ¡°Mrs. Hunter,¡± she addressed her teacher, ¡°do you still have your performances memorized?¡± ¡°Ha! You mock me by assuming I¡¯d forget my own work.¡± The older woman posed proudly. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Good. I have a specific one in mind: Rhumba Madness. Clara, get your poem book out. Alistair, get Chestnut ready. This is what we¡¯ll do.¡± *** 15th of Cobre, 1659 - 6:30pm Those humans sure do take a while to come out. The giant patriarch debated on tossing another boulder, but his ammunition was limited. He was saving it for when the humans came out, and if any of it went to waste, he would risk the humans escaping. If even one escaped his grasp, they would surely return with greater numbers. The Laester tribe was a small family, but they were close-knit if one forgot about the mother¡¯s cruelty. They always laid traps in the vicinity of their cavern home and would check them daily in small groups. It was never a single giant, for they knew humans were crafty. The last time one of their number checked on a trap by themselves, that family of six became a party of five overnight. Staying in their cavern home was a move that was considered high risk with an even higher reward since they were so close to the capital city. Big cities often had many people, and all people had dreams. To them, adventurers were a silver-piece-a-dozen, and it would be weeks before a search party was sent out for those reported missing. It was the perfect crime. Earlier in the day, the family believed to have hit the jackpot. Mother Laester sent out the whole family to procure nourishment while her husband taught them how to hunt better, and not even an hour later they spotted a human compound. A couple of humans were seen outside, and they theorized more would be in the warehouses. And so they waited. Fortune hit them not long after when an elderly man and his pet goat - a kid goat, judging by its size - wandered outside the compound to search the bushes. The giants quickly snatched them and tore them apart, feasted on the fleshy bits, and tossed their bones to the warehouses to send a message. Only an old, crotchety man dared to escape not long after. The giants chased him down, but the old man was smart. He bargained with them and promised them fresh meat within the hour. Wary of betrayal, the patriarch ordered his son Thrak to hide behind the forest trees and bring the old man back to him if he either showed signs of deceit or if the hour was up. A lapse in judgment and perception prevented Thrak from witnessing the meeting between the old man and three young adventurers, and the young giant punished the old man for his own foolishness by devouring him. The old man told him he sent fresh meat down to the compound before he was eaten, and when his brain cells finally decided to work together, Thrak returned to his family to warn them. But it was too late. By the time he returned, his older brother was tackling a door on one of the warehouses. Had he not devoured the old man - or leaving behind his flayed corpse, for that matter - the family would have blamed Thrak for not returning to warn them of their new prey, or not capturing them himself. The sun was setting and the patriarch decided drastic measures needed to be taken. He conjured a flame with his hand and fetched one of his rocks. If the humans weren¡¯t coming out now, they wouldn¡¯t consider coming out in the dark. The patriarch had to force their hand. The giant patriarch previously ordered his three children to hide on each side of the compound - with himself overlooking the main road - and to shake the trees if necessary to fool the humans into believing there were more of them around. An advantage of working in the shadows is that they could fool the enemy of their numbers if they played their cards right. He also ordered for them to launch an attack on the compound once he delivered a signal. A signal ranged from a single boulder, a flaming boulder, or scattered pellets. The single boulder meant charge in, seek, and destroy; the flaming boulder meant ¡®wait for the fires to spread and kill anything they flush out¡¯; the scattered boulder pellets meant ¡®return/stay in formation,¡¯ meaning they had to wait longer in the forest in case their father spotted something in particular. A flawless plan for sure, except¡­ ¡°Why are they advancing? I didn¡¯t give them the signal!¡± Chapter 16 - Roll a Perform Check! ---------- ~Clara~ ¡°Are you sure about this, Miss Clara?¡± ¡°No worries, Alistair.¡± Clara went through her belongings to choose an outfit to wear. ¡°Over the years, I learned that monsters like three things: women, elves, and crushing womanly elves.¡± ¡°You mean elves who are also women?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°My point is that I can grab their attention, and with the song Lenoria chose, I may be able to keep their eyes on me long enough for you to run away.¡± Clara posed confidently with her hands on her hips. ¡°Just be quick on your part!¡± ---------- Clara, Mrs. Hunter, and the pirates climbed a metal ladder to the roof of the warehouse. The light had faded from the building, and it was only a matter of time before true darkness settled in. The elf could hear at least two of the pirates reciting a prayer for salvation or a quick death and Mrs. Hunter huffing with every step she climbed. Lenoria''s plan of action...was a musical number. The pirates masqueraded as a treasure hunting traveling band and Mrs. Hunter hired their services not too long ago. Their first adventure together just so happened to be to search the abandoned compound they were in, and the rest was history. It was thanks to their masquerade that the tools for their salvation were available to them from the beginning. The pirates, plus Clara and Mrs. Hunter, were to climb to the roof of the warehouse and put on a performance. The pirates'' wagon, inside the warehouse, contained the musical instruments necessary to perform an exhilarating rhumba that Mrs. Hunter had composed during her term as a music teacher. They couldn''t risk practicing, lest they alerted the giants of their plan, and their best move was to memorize the music sheet and hope for the best. Mrs. Hunter''s job was to lead as the composer. The pirates would need help remembering the sheet, so it would be up to her to help them remember by giving them musical cues. It wasn''t much but giving them a visual tell instead of just telling them "Hey, this is your part" was better help than nothing at all. And Clara? She was to dance and sing the verses from a poem she memorized from a book in the Celestial tongue, the language of the angels and other divine creatures of good. She didn''t know the language herself, but Lenoria helped her translate it to the Common tongue and from there Clara wrote it down on her own notebook and memorized it. The poem itself was named "Colors," which talked about crayons in a box. It sounded childish, but a poem about how every person was like a crayon along with music that encouraged dancing would be a sight to behold. ¡°I heard Lenoria came up in third place, yet she has ideas like these." Mrs. Hunter stopped climbing to catch her breath. "Starflower was wrong, though. The girl is no mongrel, she is more like a badger.¡± Clara stopped climbing. ¡°I would appreciate it if you avoided that word; it''s derogatory for mixed families, you know. If you want to return to the Guild, that¡¯s a habit that definitely won¡¯t be tolerated.¡± Clara didn¡¯t see it, but there was a look of remorse on the music teacher. ¡°I know. Truth be told, I just don¡¯t know how I can thank her for trying to save us. If I stick with what I know, we can at least avoid an awkward conversation.¡± ¡°Honesty is the best policy, Mrs. Hunter.¡± Clara continued her climb. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could believe her former teacher, but at least she didn¡¯t sense any malice. ¡°Lenoria went through a lot. One time, she even hated my guts just because I was an elf. But just last week, she rushed inside the school to save me from a fire. I¡¯d do anything in the world to see her happy, and that¡¯s why I''m traveling with her.¡± ¡°Clara, with all due respect, you should focus on yourself a little more. Do you know what I¡¯ll do when I get out of here?¡± Mrs. Hunter waited for Clara to answer, but once she realized the elf had nothing, she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll reapply at the Guild and continue teaching. Anything is better than hiring a band of pirates to loot an abandoned compound. I¡¯m grateful the little mon-, I mean, Lenoria, is helping us, but I will never devote my life to her just because she saved it. And I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll expect me to.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°Is that the only reason you¡¯re traveling with her? You should focus more on your wants and needs.¡± Mrs. Hunter let out an exhausted breath. ¡°What about¡­your hopes and dreams? I¡¯m not saying you should abandon your friend, but you can¡¯t let your devotion keep you from experiencing what the world has to offer.¡± There was no rebuttal from Clara. She climbed and climbed but kept her thoughts to herself. Mrs. Hunter ended her argument there, and the pirates anxiously climbed after her. When Clara reached the hatchframe of the ceiling, she looked down at everyone else. ¡°It¡¯s time. Once I go up there, we have to hurry and start the music as soon as we can! Remember your roles and leave the rest to Lenoria!¡± *** ~Alistair~ Lenoria and Alistair had their own role to play. The two of them sat on Chestnut¡¯s back while Caesar stood by to open the double doors once he was given the signal. Alistair had brought up a concern as the group made their plans, and since Lenoria had to account for every possibility, she had to listen to what he had to say. Best case scenario, he was wrong and there was little to worry about. At worst, they''d be ready for whatever surprises the giants decided to bring. ---------- ¡°Raiding parties typically involve every single member for the raid to be successful. But these giants are treating this like a warzone.¡± ¡°Meaning¡­?¡± ¡°I fear not all giants will show up. The commanding officer of any army always hangs back somewhere to plan every attack. You know what this means, don¡¯t you?¡± Lenoria had a hunch, but she still asked. ¡°We run for our lives?¡± ¡°No. It means if Miss Clara is successful with the distraction, it¡¯s up to us to find the leader.¡± Alistair fed Chestnut a sugar cube. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re facing, but we must be ready for a fight regardless. I just hope the rest of the giants don¡¯t give chase.¡± ¡°Have faith in my sharpshooters,¡± Caesar interrupted. ¡°And in me, while you¡¯re at it. We¡¯ll keep the giants off your ass, and you better hope there¡¯s no leader to worry about. But if there is, you better keep them off our backs, too.¡± ¡°The plan falls apart if either side fails.¡± Alistair sighed. He realized there was no point in worrying. He had to be mindful of the plan, but he must always expect the unexpected anyway and plan accordingly. He still didn¡¯t trust Caesar, but the pirate didn¡¯t have to reassure him. For now, he had faith everyone will at least do everything they can to survive. ¡°Thank you, Caesar.¡± The pirate captain shrugged. ¡°You can thank me by agreeing to let my men go when this is over, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s in the cards for a goody-two-shoes like you. Just do your part.¡± ---------- And then they heard Clara¡¯s voice. It was faint, but the song had just begun. ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Lenoria said. ¡°Oooh, she¡¯s still got a wonderful voice. I swear, she should have been a bard.¡± ¡°Plenty of time to discuss career choices later.¡± Alistair fixed his eyes on the doors. ¡°Get ready!¡± *** The giant patriarch knew his children were missing a few screws, but he didn¡¯t expect them to march right into the compound. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET BACK HERE BEFORE OUR NUMBERS ARE GIVEN AWAY!¡± *** ~Clara~ Clara¡¯s group positioned themselves. The two halfling pirates - named Charles and Cecilia - lied face down on the cold concrete roof and prayed they wouldn¡¯t be spotted. The canine couple - named Wulf and Vanessa - held instruments; Wulf held a trumpet while Vanessa had a set of drums. The half-orc, named Temuulen, carried a trombone, and Mrs. Hunter stood ready with a tambourine in one hand and a conductor¡¯s baton in the other. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And Clara? She was dressed for the occasion. A vermilion long-sleeved blouse decorated her torso and bared her midriff, while the black slacks she wore were tight enough to shape a slight curve around the hips without discomfort. Her black dancing shoes made tapping sounds with every step on the concrete roof. ¡°Do your parents really approve of you dressing up like that?¡± whispered Mrs. Hunter. ¡°They always said I must dress for every occasion,¡± Clara confidently retorted. ¡°Look, here they come!¡± Three giant silhouettes were spotted coming from the south, west, and eastern walls. The east-west walls were broken through, a small feat for a giant. All three of them had gray skin, but each individual appeared different; a bald male had its skull caved in but seemed to operate normally; another male had shoulder-length greasy hair and had a club ready; and a female had pigtails that went down right below her shoulders. All three wore rags to cover the bare minimum, had tusks protruding from their lower jaws, and walked in a perpetual stoop. Their height on average was around ten feet, just eight feet short of the warehouse height. And they all had their eyes on Clara. ¡°Mrs. Hunter!¡± Clara called out to her former teacher. ¡°Lights, please!¡± Mrs. Hunter hurriedly moved her baton around, casting a combination of spells. An orb of light hovered above Clara, drawing the giants¡¯ attention to her. When she gasped at the giants¡¯ approach, her voice had increased by several decibels. Shaking her maracas gently, she began with an extended ¡°la¡± sound at various levels. This was the cue for the other instruments to get ready to play. It was all up to a single roll to make this a believable performance. Clara Like crayons in a box We''re all so different Some purples Some greens Some crazy extreme Not a one in the box Is the same thing We''re all only crayons Non-toxic Clara¡¯s voice was gentle, almost angelic. Certainly, a sharp contrast to the nearly guttural tone from Mrs. Hunter¡¯s ¡°Hit it!¡± Cue the symphony! The entire compound booms with the sound of a trumpet, drums, a tambourine, and Clara¡¯s maracas. The band was small, but Mrs. Hunter¡¯s magic increased their effectiveness at least fivefold. The giants were mesmerized by the change of ambience. The balding one was the first to be entranced, followed by the second male just moments later They moved their shoulders to the beat and followed that up by tapping their feet. If the music didn¡¯t keep them in place, Clara¡¯s struts and calculated hip movements definitely helped. *** ~Lenoria~ The enhanced volume of the singing could be heard through the warehouse walls. Caesar stayed in place, ready to open the doors, but he was smiling now. Lenoria swayed her head back and forth, and nearly burst into laughter when she caught Alistair doing the same. "1-2-3 giants here, dance and don''t pout! Is this really all we have, guess we''ll find out! ¡°That¡¯s the signal!¡± Lenoria stopped swaying and had to smack Alistair in the back of the head to get him to stop and realign his focus. ¡°Open the doors!¡± Caesar removed the iron bar and pulled the doors open. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance!¡± ¡°Thanks! Now go up there and get to safety!¡± But a cutlass was already on Caesar¡¯s hand. ¡°No. I¡¯ll cover your escape!¡± A horrified Lenoria wanted to argue, but Chestnut dashed on ahead. ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Caesar!¡± Alistair shouted as he steered Chestnut out of the warehouse. ¡°A fool, but a good man!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Caesar watched Alistair ride off with Chestnut and Lenoria. ¡°I could say the same about you two.¡± He peeked outside the warehouse to look at the giants, and one of them had already spotted Chestnut exiting the compound. ¡°Time to earn my pay!¡± *** ~Clara~ Meanwhile, the performance has been successful thus far and the giants danced to their hearts¡¯ content. At least the two males were; the sole female of the group was not buying it, and she had been searching for an opening to climb on the warehouse to reach the band. And not a moment too soon, she noticed a couple of humans leaving the compound on horseback. ¡°Wake up, you two! The humans have tricked us!¡± The giantess growled when her brothers continued dancing. ¡°Thrak! Mohk! Why aren¡¯t you answering?!¡± ¡°Pretty elf dance good,¡± exclaimed the balding sibling. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be dancing,¡± said the other giant. Shaking her fists in anger, the giantess nearly pummeled her brothers when she decided it was better to give chase by herself. This was a possibility, but Clara struggled to keep her cool all the same. ¡°Lenoria!¡± The prone halflings, however, seemed to have picked up on Clara¡¯s anxiety. ¡°Don¡¯t count us out just yet,¡± Cecilia whispered. Nodding to her fellow pirate, the two then fire from their small crossbows, having carefully aimed for the giantess¡¯s back beforehand. Cecilia¡¯s attack, however, released a cloud of powder upon impact. Lenoria''s instructions echoed in their minds. "If the giants give chase, try to stall them! You guys got anything to blind them? ... Great! Use that!" ¡°W-what is this?¡± The giantess¡¯s eyes watered profusely. ¡°Pepper! I¡¯m blind? I don¡¯t have time to be BLIND!¡± Enter Caesar, who slid through the gravel into the scene with his cutlass in hand. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m captain of this motley crew!¡± The pirate captain launched the sword just inches away from the giantess¡¯s feet. Trailing right behind was a glowing blue rope that, once the knife was planted on the ground, came alive and wrapped itself around the feet of the giantess. Unable to see, the giantess was unaware of the rope and came tumbling down. The impact caused a loud thud, a quake Caesar could feel from being so close to her. ¡°HELP ME, YOU LOUTS!¡± Caesar readied himself when the giants turned to him, still dancing. At the sight of this, Clara¡¯s anxiety returned. Whether or not he was ready for this, the elf still felt a sense of guilt for what horrible fate awaited the pirate. And thus, in moments of stress, it was natural to blurt out the first thing on your mind. ¡°Conga line, everyone!¡± The giants stared at Clara, puzzled by her new command. ¡°Just do what I do!¡± To the rest of the band, she added, ¡°Keep playing and form a line behind me! Follow my lead!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early for the-¡± Mrs. Hunter sighed in exasperation and cast a new command on the giant with hair. ¡°You heard the girl! Do what she¡¯s doing and head south!¡± ¡°I said HELP ME,¡± the giantess roared. ¡°Oh, and help the loud one up and take her with you.¡± The hairy giant, still enthralled by the spell, started imitating Clara¡¯s new dance: He took a few steps forward and swayed his hips to the left; he took a few more steps forward to the beat and swayed his hips to the right, and repeated the process as he made his way out of the gate in this manner. His brother - obviously dim-witted, in Clara¡¯s eyes - picked up his sister and placed her under his arm, then used his free hand to place it on his brother¡¯s shoulder and imitated his dance. ¡°LET ME GO! THE HUMANS ARE RIGHT THERE!¡± The giantess tried to free herself but, being the youngest and the weakest, she couldn¡¯t break free from the grasp of her stronger brother. Not even when her legs were freed after Caesar recalled his rope. ¡°That was intense.¡± The pirate captain dropped to the ground, panting heavily as he seated himself. ¡°Last time I do a favor for a pretty face.¡± The music continued playing for as long as the pirates could still play. Clara wiped the sweat from her forehead and held back the urge to cheer loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked,¡± Mrs. Hunter said. ¡°You know that¡¯s never going to work again in a million years,¡± said Cecilia with a heavy-lidded stare. ¡°Don¡¯t need it to!¡± Once Clara finished a short break, she continued dancing, this time to celebrate their victory. Deep down, however, she knew this wasn¡¯t over. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and all she could do was smile. For now, she celebrated along with the rest of the pirates. Two ravens circled overhead, along with Apus, who had crossed his wings and started a dance of his own. *** ~Lenoria~ Chestnut dashed out of the compound and took the road to the north under Alistair¡¯s directions. The lad kept his eyes on the road, his irises shifting from blue to red and back to blue, and repeating the process as he watched the road, turned to one side, back to the road, then turned to the other. Lenoria clung her arms tightly around his stomach and leaned her head on his back. Had the circumstances been different, she would have seen this as a date. Horseback riding was a pastime she missed for being so far away from home and meeting a boy who could ride a horse just as well as she could was a dream come true. She wanted to enjoy this moment, even if it could end at any time. If only she could see Alistair¡¯s face right now. ¡°Lenoria, we have trouble!¡± There was no sign of Pearl, but Lenoria heard her voice in her mind. ¡°Pearl? Ugh, she knows I can¡¯t talk in front of Alistair!¡± ¡°We share a psychic link, you airhead. You can speak to me with your mind.¡± There was a pause. ¡°Listen! Another Soulstone has been detected!¡± Lenoria¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°Another Soulstone? Where?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pinpoint its location; all I know it¡¯s that it¡¯s approaching fast! I can¡¯t stress this enough but stay alert!¡± Another Soulstone? Did one of the pirates have one and was making their way to them? No, not possible; Pearl should have detected it back at the compound if that was the case. Was there another Soulstone whose power detected hers? Or¡­ ¡°Alistair, any sign of a giant?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alistair pulled the reins on Chestnut. ¡°Damn it! Where could it be?¡± ¡°You just found him,¡± said a guttural voice from above. Another giant - similar to the others, except with a broken tusk and a scar across his chest - had been tailing them in the sky. He held a massive boulder, which he soon lit on fire with a mere thought. Alistair was shocked. ¡°Oh-¡± ¡°-crap,¡± said Lenoria with a similar expression. ¡°Fee-fi-fo-fum! The Laester tribe shall dine on your entrails tonight!¡± The giant tossed the flaming boulder in their direction. ¡°Chestnut, dodge!¡± The impact created a shockwave great enough to force Alistair and Lenoria to jump off Chestnut. The two young adventurers lied prone as the giant descended upon them, about twenty feet away from them. With a wave of his hand, the fires that had spread in the forest formed a circle around them. To Lenoria¡¯s surprise and horror, a maroon gemstone could be seen hanging from the giant¡¯s neck. ¡°A cave giant.¡± Lenoria groaned painfully as she and Alistair got on their feet. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting your kind to travel above the surface.¡± The giant bared his teeth in response. ¡°You made a mockery of my tribe. Just know that I¡¯ll enjoy this.¡± The giant conjured flames with his hands. ¡°Your time has come!¡± Chapter 17 - Fornax ~Alistair~ The circle of flames roared as the giant finished declaring the doom of our young adventurers. There was a notable absence of smoke, but not heat; the level of heat ensured neither Alistair or Lenoria even thought about taking a chance to cross the circle without the risk of severe burns. On the plus side, the fires were their source of illumination in the darkness of the forest, allowing the two to fight on more equal ground. Alistair stood in front of Lenoria, who had already drawn her pistol. Chestnut neighed behind them outside of the circle, having survived the impact but anxious to be separated from his master. The giant in front of them held a battleaxe for someone his size. Worried this could turn ugly, Lenoria had one question in mind. ¡°Any ideas?¡± Unafraid, Alistair assumed a defensive stance by raising his shield to conceal his face from the giant. ¡°I know little about giants, but he¡¯s old. He must be experienced in battle, judging by his age and scars. We¡¯re not coming out of this without some scratches, but we can win this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead, then.¡± A silver ring gleamed on one of Lenoria¡¯s fingers, and she raised it to Alistair¡¯s eye level. ¡°Brute force?¡± Alistair did the same with a ring of his own. ¡°Indeed. But first.¡± Alistair lowered his shield. ¡°Giant! Why do you attack us?¡± ¡°Why else?¡± The giant patriarch grinned evilly. ¡°We must feed. My family has simply grown tired of underground food and decided to move to¡­greener pastures.¡± ¡°You speak without remorse. I will need you to face the reality of your situation.¡± Firmly gripping the pommel of his mace, Alistair stretched his weapon hand forward as if to point at the giant. ¡°Your friends have been dealt with and only you remain.¡± The giant¡¯s grin disappeared. Lenoria was, unsurprisingly, beaming. ¡°Oh my gosh, he¡¯s gonna ask him to surrender in the coolest way possible!¡± ¡°Things don¡¯t need to end with bloodshed between us. Lay down your weapon, submit quietly, and-¡± ¡°-turn myself in to human authorities, right?¡± The giant mockingly asked. ¡°No.¡± Alistair paused. He didn¡¯t always do this, but he knew what must be done. ¡°You have slain an innocent man, and you have tried to do the same to us. As a paladin of the Hammer, I¡¯m afraid I have to respond in kind. Your own words have condemned you, and now it is time for you to die.¡± Lenoria¡¯s expectations shattered like glass during a wine tasting gone south. ¡°A death declaration. W-we can work with that.¡± ¡°Why you little-¡± The giant took a step forward. ¡°I am bigger and stronger! I will crush you and your concubine!¡± A pillar of flames surrounded the giant, turning his frame into a smoky black and creating an eruption of fire as tumultuous as his rage. The rising flames reached their peak right above the canopy, after which they descended on Alistair. Alistair raised his steel shield, but the heat of the flames spread through his shield and armor. His skin sizzled from the very thing meant to protect him. "A pyrokineticist..." Gritting his teeth, Alistair made the choice to tough it out and withstand the pain. ¡°I am the furnace of the Laester tribe! I provide heat for them and the means to defend themselves! And tonight, you shall be food for them!¡± ¡°This is¡­nothing!¡± A holy light emanated from the tip of Alistair¡¯s mace, and soon afterwards a similar light appeared on the giant¡¯s forearm. The image of a hammer was etched on it, something that no amount of scrubbing could take away. The light from Alistair¡¯s mace disappeared, only to reappear as a thin sphere around Lenoria. Moving his hands in a very specific pattern, Alistair ended the motion by pointing a finger at the giant. ¡°Spineless coward! Are you afraid to fight me in melee?!¡± But the giant didn¡¯t take the bait. ¡°I¡¯m fine right where I am!¡± ~Lenoria~ ¡°C-concubine?¡± Lenoria could barely contain her excitement. ¡°That¡¯s a step in the right direction, at least!¡± ¡°Lenoria, time and a place!¡± Pearl scolded. ¡°Right! I¡¯ll tease Alistair about that later!¡± Lenoria took careful aim at nearly point-blank and pulled the trigger on the pistol she obtained from the dog couple on that fateful day at the park. A loud BLAM echoed across the forest, mitigated slightly by the sound of the crackling fire. Nearby birds fled from the trees while Alistair recoiled slightly from the sudden shot. The puncture wound from the gunshot released drop after drop of blood from the giant¡¯s left bicep. Breathing through his teeth for a moment, the giant bellowed an anguished cry. ¡°Humans and their toys! I¡¯ll crush them both!¡± ~Giant Patriarch~ With one foot forward, the giant leapt forward and brought his axe down with a mighty swing. Alistair tried to block the attack, but the axe hit its mark. The thinly present sphere Alistair used earlier paid off. Lenoria was struck but the sphere blocked most of the impact. However, a short strand of her hair was lost in the process and a small nick on her cheek released a few drops of blood. Images of her own death flashed before her eyes. Lenoria shook it off for now and focused her gaze on the enemy before them. ¡°I owe you, Alistair!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ~Alistair~ ¡°Your fight¡¯s with me, coward!¡± Alistair placed himself between Lenoria and the towering giant. ¡°Take this!¡± A bludgeoning blow blew the wind out of the giant¡¯s sails and body. The giant looked down just in time to see Alistair prepare another attack, to which he sidestepped from in time. The giant stumbled in his step, his ankle nearly contorting. ¡°Fool! Did I not say I was the furnace of the Laester tribe?!¡± Another pillar of flames formed around the giant. This time, the cloak of flames did not erupt but rather kept Alistair from getting too close. For his trouble, the young paladin recoiled from the intense heat and nearly dropped his mace. His armor glowed with a menacing red light, which was followed by the sound of his skin sizzling. "What would...Lord Beau say at a time like this? ----------- ¡°Gaaah!¡± A year back, Alistair¡¯s body had been flung across a courtyard where he landed face first on the grassy field. His mace and shield clanged on the stone pavement nearby, rendering the young paladin defenseless. ¡°Get up,¡± Beau harshly demanded. The big man placed the hilt of his axe across his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, Alistair.¡± ¡°Lord Beau, this is insane!¡± The boy weakly planted a foot on the ground and a knee with the other leg. ¡°Knocking you down is a tall order! I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Not with that attitude. You¡¯ll be facing bigger foes than me if you continue on this paladin road. Will you whine to them, too?¡± Grabbing the knee of the leg with its foot on the ground, Alistair pushed himself back up. ¡°N-no, but¡­¡± ¡°Then suck it up. If you start complaining and continue to think you can¡¯t do anything, you¡¯ll just pave your own road to defeat. Those who admit defeat without even trying cannot expect to win even when the odds are in their favor.¡± With one impatient move, Beau heaved his axe forward. ¡°Again!¡± ¡°What do I do, then?¡± Alistair begrudgingly picked his mace and shield back up. ¡°What do I do when an opponent is bigger than me?¡± ¡°Figure out the enemy¡¯s source of power and their weaknesses. If he relies on melee, use missile weaponry. If his eyesight is weak, hide. If he¡¯s a dumbass, outsmart him. Every situation is different, so be sure to adapt accordingly.¡± ---------- ¡°What¡¯s wrong, little warrior? Even we know sticking your hands into the fire is dangerous,¡± the giant taunted. Alistair could only grunt in exasperation. ¡°What is his weakness?¡± ~Lenoria~ Pearl spared no moment in grabbing Lenoria¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯ve identified the Soulstone! It¡¯s Fornax, the Furnace!¡± Lenoria exhibited very little surprise. ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°Be quiet and listen! The giant wields a burning aura around him, but more importantly he benefits from the stone¡¯s power for being a pyrokineticist! He¡¯s able to launch blasts even if he wields a weapon in hand, and on top of that anything who makes contact with him will get singed.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like good news at all. How do we beat him?¡± ¡°Alistair seems to be able to hold on, but those flames are annoying for sure. However, the stone has a weakness; it can be powered by the wielder¡¯s virtue or vice. You take that away, and the stone becomes useless!¡± Virtue or vice. It wasn¡¯t too vague to work with, but Lenoria had a feeling Pearl wouldn¡¯t elaborate more than that. It boiled down to a strong belief - or even a strong feeling - or a bad habit. Lenoria¡¯s mind got to work, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to lock on something. You made a mockery of my tribe. Anyone would feel slighted after what Lenoria and the pirates had done. But Lenoria had a feeling, nonetheless¡­ I am the furnace of the Laester tribe! I provide heat for them and the means to defend themselves! Was there a need to identify himself so loudly¡­ Fool! Did I not say I was the furnace of the Laester tribe?! ¡­Or repeat himself, for that matter? But thanks to the giant¡¯s boasting, the girl made a calculated guess. ¡°Eureka!¡± Lenoria grinned. ¡°It¡¯s pride! The stone¡¯s gotta be powered by pride!¡± ¡°A reasonable guess. How sure are you?¡± ¡°60%, but this is better than having no leads! But how do we knock him down a peg?¡± Clara. ¡°I have a hunch! Pearl, I¡¯ll need you to help Alistair.¡± The giant was distracted, allowing Lenoria to safely set down her leather bag and rummage through its contents. Inside, she found a vial with clear liquid inside. ¡°Bottom¡¯s up!¡± Meanwhile, Alistair stood his ground and not once had he looked back to check on Lenoria. The giant was strong, but the boy¡¯s armor would not be pierced or dented in any way. With the surrounding heat, it appeared the giant had hoped Alistair would remove his armor. That was not happening, if only for the simple fact heavy armor like Alistair¡¯s took a minute or so to remove. The boy had to tolerate the heat until one side died or surrendered. ~Giant Patriarch~ The giant shifted his weight to his left to catch Alistair off-guard. The boy had little time to react and couldn¡¯t block the axe¡¯s blade in time. The blade from the axe collided with a portion of his left cheek and then his chest, the blow weakened by the armor but still having enough to power a cough out of him. Just as swiftly, the giant went for another slice, but this time Alistair blocked it in time. ¡°Pitiful little human. All you¡¯ll ever be is coke for my flames. You abandoned your friends to save your own skin? At least I care for my family, and I¡¯m the monster.¡± The giant¡¯s strength pushed Alistair backward by a few inches. The struggle created a trail of dirt and mud from Alistair¡¯s feet. Alistair tried to push back, but there was no budging the giant. And most confusing of all was Alistair¡¯s sudden smile. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. We didn¡¯t abandon our friends, but rather kept you away from them. Without your leadership, your family¡¯s bonds will crumble!¡± The giant scoffed. ¡°You humans and your speeches.¡± The giant shoved Alistair away. ¡°This is not like literature; your speech will not strengthen you, and you will still fail.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know your kind could read literature.¡± Alistair pointed his mace at the giant once again. ¡°O Hammer, please give me strength!¡± New confidence surged through Alistair. His armor was red hot, his chest was hurting, and yet he remained on his feet. From his point of view, he felt himself a new man. From the giant¡¯s perspective, however, two corvids perched on his shoulders. ~Alistair~ ¡°You put so much weight and trust in your family, but if they¡¯re only as strong as you are, then I¡¯m confident we can win!¡± With a spring in his step, Alistair launched himself forward. ¡°Allow me to show you why evil will never prosper!¡± ¡°Why are you not afraid, you runt?!¡± The giant shifted his feet again to try to dodge Alistair¡¯s blows. ¡°You¡¯re a fool! You would give up your life for theirs?!¡± But the blows came. First, Alistair went for the shin. If sufficiently crippled, his foe could not walk away once he realized the danger he was in. The sickening crunch from the impact of his mace sent the giant into an agonized howl, bending his knee to reach for the affected area. It instantly became purple from the internal bleeding. The giant¡¯s mistake was putting his head within reach of the boy. The second blow came just as swiftly, and while the giant saw it coming and weaved seemingly on time, the ravens¡¯ eyes briefly turned green to guide Alistair¡¯s weapon to his intended target. Several teeth popped out from the impact and the giant¡¯s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Head trauma busted the giant¡¯s head open, and blood now trailed from the side of his head. The flames from the giant died instantly, but in their dying moments they burned Alistair¡¯s mace hand with each strike he landed. Alistair pulled his arm back to place the bloodied mace vertically just inches in front of his face. ¡°Not my life. I offer yours!¡± ~Lenoria~ Lenoria sighed a little and moved forward. It was time to enact the penultimate stage of her plan. With the buff from Clara¡¯s fire-resistant potion, she was ready to jump into melee. ¡°The giant¡¯s flames are dying! It appears to me he¡¯s been humbled enough.¡± There was pride in Pearl¡¯s telepathic voice, ironically enough. ¡°They could flare up at any time, though. I¡¯m not taking any chances!¡± Adjusting her glove again, Lenoria then tapped Alistair on the shoulder as Poe returned to her arm. ¡°Alistair, tag out! I¡¯ll finish this!¡± Chapter 18 - Fighting Dirty ~Lenoria~ ¡°What do you mean ¡®tag out¡¯? We have him right where we want him!¡± Lenoria tried to see things from Alistair¡¯s perspective. The giant was bleeding and badly injured, while the lad¡¯s worst injury was some burn marks on his face. Even if the giant could go on for a longer amount of time than anticipated, at least Alistair was well-equipped to handle melee. By contrast, Lenoria¡¯s simple shirt of chains couldn¡¯t possibly protect her from the giant¡¯s heavy blows. There was no reason for her to enter when they were so close to winning. ¡°Listen to me, Alistair. You can¡¯t go on fighting like that and hurt yourself. Please take a break and join me when you¡¯ve recovered.¡± The girl stood almost side-on with her feet just about at shoulder-length apart. She placed her left foot forward while positioning her right foot at a right angle to her left one. She brought her right hand to the side of her face and her left to the front of it. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Al. I¡¯m not going to lose a friend just because he got careless.¡± Alistair wanted to protest, but he caught a gleam from an object a few steps to his right. ¡°Very well. Just get behind me if you get hurt!¡± ¡°You got it.¡± Lenoria braced herself. Their conversation gave the giant enough time to recover his footing and tower over her menacingly. It was his turn to attack. Listen well, Lenoria. You¡¯re small, but you¡¯re quick. There are exceptions out there, but the general rule of thumb is the bigger they are, the clumsier they move. Outsmart them and outmaneuver them! ¡°Let¡¯s see if your training paid off, old man.¡± Lenoria had a theory, and it was time to try the scientific method to see if it would work. But for that, she had to recall a painful memory. Even if it is true, you must have done something to deserve it. Wouldn¡¯t you say, you little half and half? Her rage for Starflower returned. I don¡¯t wanna die! As did her fear for the avian that killed her. I promised Clara I¡¯d be here to support her during her confession, but I should have talked her out of it instead! We¡¯ve grown attached to the Guild, for the fat lot of good it did! Now look at us! When you think about it, I dragged her here! It¡¯s my fault she¡¯s trapped! And her guilt for Clara getting hurt in the school fire returned as well. The turbulent mix of emotions moved the pendant around her neck, the black stone giving off a green light. The same light extended to her entire body and mixing it with the surrounding flames gave the battlefield an eerie glow. This led to nothing special, but the sight was enough to calm Chestnut and awe Alistair. ¡°Good people have always helped me out of a bind. Gabrielle, Alistair, and Clara. They had good intentions, but I always felt so helpless! I don¡¯t want to be the damsel in distress, anymore!¡± Lenoria stared at the giant fiercely and unblinkingly. ¡°I¡¯m a girl, first and foremost! But I¡¯m a scientist second! And pissing both off is something you¡¯re gonna regret real soon, mister!¡± The scientific method was a six-step process to answer any question. The first step was to review the question itself, and the second step was to hypothesize - make an educated guess - to help answer the question. Lenoria asked herself how to use Pearl¡¯s power better. And her hypothesis was Pearl¡¯s advice. You need to learn to control your emotions towards other people. It¡¯s okay to love or show anger to others, but wishing ill intent is how someone gets caught in the crossfire. And just moments ago, she had learned that the opposing Soulstone, Fornax, was powered by a strong emotion. The question now became ¡°Can emotions also power the Corvus Soulstone, or any Soulstone for that matter?¡± It was time to move on to step 3. Experiment. ~Giant Patriarch~ Humans and their speeches. The giant patriarch took the time to catch his breath when his two human opponents started bickering. The murderous look in his eyes had only intensified thanks to the humiliating beatdown he received from the boy. He was ready to finish him off, but thankfully the boy¡¯s concubine stepped in. She wanted to try her hand at taking him down, something he believed she didn¡¯t think through. Such a brave soul; the patriarch wondered how she¡¯d taste like once her spirit and body were broken. The time for wandering thoughts had to be set aside. The woman just started glowing in green. The light show was bad for his eyes, but he had adjusted himself well enough for the sun¡¯s rays, so a little extra light didn¡¯t hurt. A scientist? What an odd title. Kings, knights, clowns. All bled the same, though admittedly clown meat was pure bliss compared to other kinds. He raised his axe to prove a point, but the girl wouldn¡¯t back down. With two mighty swings, this would be over. The girl shouted a single word. ¡°Pearl!¡± The axe came down. The girl yelped from the first strike, the axe blade slicing through her shirt. Blood spurted out of the left of her midsection. Where was her resolve now? Confident again in his abilities, the giant¡¯s eyes shifted to a flaming color as his cloak of fire returned. The girl¡¯s weak cries of pain were music to his ears. One more swing ought to do it. ¡°How dare you turn off the flames, you worthless child? I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡± But the giant¡¯s swing became increasingly heavy even for him, and a sudden increase in weight threw him off so much that he missed by a wide margin. He brought his axe closer and he was shocked by what he saw. It was coated in black feathers. ~Alistair~ The paladin picked up and imbibed the vial Lenoria had dropped on the ground for him. The green lights were stunningly beautiful, but the fact Lenoria could do this unsettled him. He would have to ask about that later. His concerns unfortunately became a reality when the giant struck Lenoria. A pained grunt escaped him, after which he immediately grabbed his midsection out of instinct. The ring around his finger reacted to the pain with a brief gleam. ¡°T-the spell¡­¡± In this stressful time, he had forgotten about the rings on their fingers, which were the foci for a spell he cast earlier before they rode off from the compound. [Shield Other] ~Lenoria~ ¡°That was¡­too close!¡± A combination of Alistair¡¯s defensive magic, her own reflexes, and Pearl¡¯s fortune magic all helped Lenoria avoid certain death. She didn¡¯t come out unscathed, but the giant¡¯s attack was a lot weaker than she had expected. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Nothing had really happened when Lenoria brought back old emotions, so as part of her experiment she decided to bring one that called for the current situation. And that¡­was survival. The desire to survive mixed with her dislike for the giant brought the results she needed. Poe currently hovered above the giant and rained feathers on him in the same way he did to Starflower during Lenoria¡¯s meeting with Gabrielle. ¡°Very good! I don¡¯t know what you did, but you controlled your emotions and cursed the enemy in front of you.¡± The experiment was an overall success, and Pearl¡¯s advice turned out to be correct. Lenoria was now resolving steps 4 and 5: Observe and Record, and Analyze the Information, respectively. After her experiment worked, she concluded that individual Soulstones could be powered by a person¡¯s emotions. The final step was to share this result, which had to be done later and away from Alistair¡¯s ears. Poe didn¡¯t escape the giant¡¯s notice; their foe now had malicious intent in his eyes, and she wasn¡¯t about to allow the monster to hurt her feathered friend. Now was time to go on the offensive; Lenoria ran up to the giant and aimed low. ¡°YEOW!¡± The giant hopped with one foot in place while he grabbed the other with both hands. ¡°MY SHIN!¡± ~Giant Patriarch~ A kick to the shin, even from someone much smaller than you, was incredibly painful. A sharp pain shot through the giant¡¯s body, but after a brief bout of pathetic whimpering he planted his hurt leg back in place and stepped forward to end the girl for good. He didn¡¯t want to kill her if he could help it, but she deserved torture more than the boy did. The axe would be overkill if his aim was right. He dropped it in favor of his fists, which he launched immediately. He wanted to take his time with her later, so a simple knockout would suffice for now. But the girl dodged each blow, weaving left and right. The giant¡¯s fists were now coated in feathers that weighed them down. He could carry himself just fine, but attacking was a different matter. Why couldn¡¯t he hit her? ~Alistair~ Alistair¡¯s and Chestnut¡¯s irises disappeared for a short time from shock after witnessing Lenoria¡¯s dirty tactic. The girl had struck the giant on the shin with a perfectly placed boot. The boy instinctively grabbed his own shins to see if he was hurting as well and, for a brief moment, sympathized with the giant¡¯s pain. As he restored his wounds, the boy recalled his training days with Beau when the enraged giant forfeited his axe for his fists and missed every punch. When tempered properly, anger was a powerful tool. But when used blindly, it was as useful as a millstone in the middle of the ocean. Such an amateur mistake spoke much of the giant¡¯s battle experience. On the other side, there was Lenoria. She had no qualms about fighting dirty. Her tactics worked, sure, but they were far from honorable. And now she was resisting the giant¡¯s cloak of flames? Had she been immune to fire this entire time? How much was she hiding from him? The girl hadn¡¯t spoken with him much until they met the old man on the road. He had been meaning to approach her before that but didn¡¯t know how to go about it. If he had taken the initiative, he probably would have gotten a better gauge on her abilities. Watching her take on a bigger foe than her made his heart beat¡­faster than usual. Why? It had to be the adrenaline; the situation called for him to be alert and on his feet, after all. Yeah, that had to be it. ~Lenoria~ Silence hung in the air with the rising heat of the cackling flames. More blood dripped from the giant¡¯s smashed head; his wounds now swollen over his frightened eyes. His cloak of flames died once again, and as hard as he tried, he couldn¡¯t summon them back. The girl stood before him, immune to his fire and watchful of all his movements. He boasted great strength, but his opponent was too fast for him to make use of it. There was only one thing he could; his ace in the hole, so to speak. ¡°M-mercy¡­¡± The giant opened his palms to halt the girl¡¯s advance. ¡°I-if you let me go, I promise I won¡¯t eat people anymore!¡± Seeing the giant plead for his life gave Lenoria pause. She was ready to punch him, but she saw her younger, naive self in his place. She recalled doing the same whenever Anne would torment her. Please, Anne! I didn¡¯t do anything this time! A-ah! ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Lenoria!¡± Alistair¡¯s firm voice snapped her out of her daze. ¡°He¡¯s only telling lies!¡± Anne¡¯s shadow dissipated into mist in Lenoria¡¯s mind, replaced by Alistair¡¯s hand. The boy gently placed his hand over the head of her younger frame, the healing light working its magic to remove the blood and head trauma she had received. It was imaginary, but Lenoria nearly slipped into helplessness again. Being saved by Alistair yet again was a wonderful feeling all the same. Her fury returned tenfold when her eyes returned to reality and caught sight of the giant grabbing a clump of burning ashes with his meaty hand. Balling her fist, she reached for his stomach with a single bound. The giant reeled his hand back to throw the ashes, but Lenoria¡¯s fist was faster as it had reached his gut. The girl quickly retracted her fist from the giant¡¯s abdomen. The monster¡¯s mouth was painfully agape, shocked by the girl¡¯s strength and the wits to call his bluff. If only she had waited a little longer; he then would have blinded her with the fallen ashes on the ground and would have capitalized on that moment to finish her off. Losing his remaining strength from that last punch, the giant fell to his knees and let out a mighty wheeze and bellow. ~Alistair~ The flames from the circle vanished when the giant fell. Seeing the behemoth on the ground drove the boy to run past Lenoria and finish him off. Firmly grasping his mace, the boy jumped and swung. One strike. The mace caved the giant¡¯s skull in, but the beast was still breathing, albeit unconsciously. Two strikes. The giant¡¯s head was further busted open, blood splattering all around him. The giant¡¯s breathing ended as his basic brain functions ceased. Their enemy, prone and defeated, stopped moving altogether. ~Lenoria~ The circle of flames died down to mere ashes, allowing Chestnut to reunite with his master. Feeling proud of herself, Lenoria ran up to Alistair. "Woo-hoo! Teamwork!" She raised a hand, hoping Alistair would meet her halfway with his. But when he didn''t even spare a glance, Lenoria slowly lowered it. "A-Alistair?" "You really are something else." A swing of the mace splashed a little bit of the bloody gore it had on the grass ahead of the boy. "You jump in to rumble with a giant in melee, use some power I couldn''t even see save for the green light, and to top it all off you used dirty, honorless tactics to secure a victory." His scolding tone softened with a side glance and a smile. "And yet...you were amazing doing it. Had I taken the due diligence to ask for the full scope of your powers before we rushed to the compound, we could have come up with a better strategy. Miss Bisset was right, you are a comrade I can trust." Shocked at first from his initial tone, Lenoria''s heart quickly melted after hearing the praise. "Y-you''re not mad?" "I can''t say I approve of your methods, but my oath only forbids me from associating with the forces of evil." Alistair holstered his bloody mace on the strap around his waist. "Please forgive me for being distant. Can I count on you and Miss Clara to watch my back in situations such as this?" Lenoria giggled. She grabbed Alistair''s hand and gently removed the gauntlet. For her part, she removed one of her gloves and shook Alistair''s exposed hand. "You don''t even need to ask, and I bet Clara won''t mind, either. And don''t be sorry; just don''t be scared to approach me or Clara about anything, okay?" Up until now, Alistair''s hand was limp, after which he firmly grasped Lenoria''s hand and shook it. "Deal." Lenoria quietly caught sight of Pearl hovering above the giant. A flock of ravens had gathered around her, the constant flapping of their wings heard in the air. The woman opened her palm above the giant¡¯s neck, her skin color gradually shifting to take the form of the cosmos themselves. With a simple beckoning gesture, the maroon Soulstone around the giant¡¯s neck floated to her. Wrapping her fist around out, Pearl waited a moment before opening her hand again. The Soulstone was gone. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡±
Rewards Encounter treated as having a party of 6+ people. XP awarded for three CR 6 monsters: 1,200 XP awarded for one CR 7 monster: 535 Bonus XP awarded for creativity: 170 Total XP awarded: 1905 Lenoria: 11,995/15,000 Clara: 11,905/15,000 Alistair: 24,905/34,000
Chapter 19 - My Silver Shield Late evening moonlight greeted the reunited groups as they boisterously celebrated their victory. Alistair filled everyone else in on what happened with the giant that assaulted them, and Mrs. Hunter did the same about the giants that came out of their hiding spots. ¡°The conga line should break in about ten hours, or until they reach Helix City,¡± Mrs. Hunter elaborated. A sweat drop fell from Lenoria as she smiled nervously. ¡°H-hehe, I guess Constable Richards will have a big problem on his hands.¡± ¡°Do you think we should make it there before they do and warn him?¡± asked a concerned Alistair. ¡°No need.¡± Lenoria grinned. ¡°The city¡¯s got scouts and soldiers in the outer perimeter. The city will be fine.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s time to get moving.¡± Mrs. Hunter placed herself in front of Lenoria. ¡°For all we know, there could be more of them coming, and I¡¯d like to be out of here before we get bigger problems on our hands. Quite literally, I must add!¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Lenoria reached out to her former teacher with her hand. ¡°It was nice working with you, ma¡¯am. Even if we have our differences, I¡¯m glad we set them aside long enough to make it all work out.¡± Mrs. Hunter didn¡¯t reach out to Lenoria right away. ¡°You know, Starflower was wrong about you. He said you were a savage who only cared about herself. I can see why some of the other instructors didn¡¯t fall in line with his way of thinking. They saw potential in you, girlie, and the bastard was full of hot air.¡± She reached out to Lenoria¡¯s hand with her own and shook it firmly. ¡°Prove him wrong.¡± Lenoria knew it would take more than that for other instructors to change their minds, but for now changing the opinion of someone rough and old-fashioned like Mrs. Hunter was a huge victory in her book. ¡°As for you, Clara,¡± the old woman looked at the girl still wearing her dancing outfit, ¡°I personally see potential in you. I don¡¯t ordinarily do this, but I have a letter of recommendation for you.¡± Mrs. Hunter rummaged through her belongings and grabbed a wooden scroll case. She handed it over to Clara, who accepted after some hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s this, ma¡¯am?¡± The elf asked. ¡°Thule has a bard¡¯s college. Despite the land¡¯s politics and religious zealots regarding the dead, the College of the Wilds is located on neutral grounds where aspiring bards from all over the world gather. The Artificers Guild may be about inventions and magic, but the College is more about expressing your art. Show them the letter I just gave you, plus a lump sum of 100 gold, and they¡¯ll let you start as soon as possible.¡± Clara listened intently to Mrs. Hunter, her eyes beaming brightly. ¡°T-thank you! I-I don¡¯t know what to say, or whether or not I should accept it!¡± ¡°Just take it. If you want to help your friends, then support them with enchanting melodies.¡± Meanwhile, just a couple of yards away, Caesar and his pirates reached out to Alistair. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll let us go so easily, so I¡¯ll cut you a deal.¡± The pirate captain offered his hands. ¡°Arrest me. As captain, I lead this crew as best as I can. But they¡¯re all good men and women, all things considered. Prison colors don¡¯t exactly suit them, you see.¡± ¡°Cap¡¯n...¡± Caesar¡¯s words fueled his crew¡¯s tears. It was hard for Alistair to judge them harshly after seeing the fireworks. ¡°P-please calm down,¡± the boy pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m not arresting anyone.¡± His gaze lowered to the ground. ¡°Everyone played a pivotal role in our survival. Please just head back to the capital and celebrate your victory there.¡± He then gave Caesar a firm stare. "No more crimes, okay?" Caesar grinned and lowered his hands. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Alistair.¡± He turned around and snapped his fingers. His pirate gang then formed two lines behind him. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not dead the next time I see you.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m being honest here, I¡¯d rather not see you at all.¡± A hearty chuckle escaped from Caesar. ¡°Message received.¡± He nodded to his pirates. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the capital. Drinks are on me tonight.¡± Caesar marched in the opposite direction and was about to grab Mrs. Hunter when he noticed one of his own crew stayed behind. ¡°What¡¯s up, Cecilia?¡± Giving Alistair a cold stare, the halfling woman made her way to Alistair. ¡°Something¡¯s been bothering me about you, kiddo.¡± She took a moment to inspect the boy once she was a mere foot away from him. ¡°You¡¯re a mess. You got blood on your cheek. Hasn''t your mother told you to clean after yourself?¡± "Don''t treat me like a kid. I''ve always cleaned after myself." "I can''t help it when you look that way." "I''m nineteen!" "And yet you''ve got such a cute baby face." Cecilia beckoned for Alistair to come closer. The lad sighed, irritated as he got closer and bent the knee to get down to her level. She firmly used one hand to turn his head sideways to look at his wound, and then used the other to adjust it back in place. Keeping her hands on him, she finally smiled. "Loosen up a little,¡± she spoke with a sultry voice. ¡°Not all criminals are bad people. Here¡¯s my show of thanks for getting us out of that bind¡­¡± ¡°P-pardon-¡± A sharp pain made Alistair flinch when Cecilia pressed her lips on his cheek. The woman was gentle with her touch, but Alistair had not recovered completely from his fight with the giant. All Lenoria could see was red, even more when she noticed Alistair¡¯s discomfort. He briefly made eye contact with the young artificer, and immediately pushed Cecilia away. The halfling woman giggled mischievously. Alistair used a handkerchief he had inside of his suit of armor to wipe his cheek and see if he still had blood on him. Upon inspection, a red blot decorated the sheet, after which Cecilia giggled amusedly. ¡°You lucky boy. I never kiss on the first date.¡± Cecilia gave him a wink before catching up with her gang. ¡°When you¡¯re done playing knight in shining armor, come look for me. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Alistair scratched his head. ¡°Um¡­thanks?¡± Lenoria fell into a state of angered silence, which was suppressed only long enough for her to say goodbye to Mrs. Hunter and the pirates. Once the two groups went their separate ways - Mrs. Hunter to Helix City and Lenoria continuing north - she sulked for some time afterwards. *** 15th of Cobre, 1659 - 11:39pm ~Lenoria~ It was a calm, moonlit evening in Cedar Forest. The moon and the stars illuminated the night sky, and the forest had grown thick with trees. The hearts of the three adventurers had calmed down somewhat, and the girls shivered from the chilly winds of the evening time. The scent of the cedar trees pierced their nostrils. ¡°Won¡¯t be long before we reach Hammer¡¯s Reach.¡± Alistair announced from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Please be patient.¡± In the back of the wagon, a sulking Lenoria had seated herself on a corner alone. She felt the occasional sting from the giant''s attacks from earlier, but witnessing someone else kiss Alistair was a worse pain for her. Feelings of jealousy sizzled like dynamites she had to constantly turn off, and failing to account for even a single one could result into an explosion that could hurt an innocent bystander. Pearl took a little too much pleasure in this, if her smug look meant anything. "I knew you couldn''t trust that boy. He just stood there and took it." "Pearl, please..." Clara knew it was best to give Lenoria space when she was in a horrible mood. If Lenoria needed a hug or a shoulder to cry on, she would have approached her friend by now. "I warned her about this. And shame on you for not doing the same." "Me?" Clara pointed at herself. "Lenoria and I always support each other." "And look where that got her. Instead of using sound logic, she instead went for a hopeless pursuit." The two women bickered back and forth, with Apus gripping his talons on Clara''s shoulder as he swayed with her movements. Poe, on the other hand, distanced himself from Pearl and stood on Lenoria''s head. He preened her hair, which gave the girl a ticklish sensation. The bird had picked up the habit of roosting on the back of her neck and covered himself with her hair once he was done preening, which he then proceeded to do. Normally an uncomfortable feeling for the girl, this was his way of asking for cuddles...something Lenoria graciously accepted this time around. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Both of you, stop." Despite Lenoria''s weakened voice, it was enough to get the two women to stop arguing. "I''m fine." "Good. Maybe now you''ll stop with this nonsense and focus on the task at hand," Pearl said coldly. "We recovered Fornax, and it is up to you to decide what we do with it." "You''re the one who said that the mission, while important, would take ages to finish." Lenoria didn''t remember all of Pearl''s words, but she was sure she was free to do what she wanted in between missions. "It''s only been a week, and we already found two stones." "Two out of dozens; don''t you forget it." "Yeah, but if it wasn''t for Al, those giants would have stayed hidden, and we never would have found it! He was doing the right thing, and he ended up helping your cause in the end!" Lenoria knew Pearl wanted to say more, but the woman in black elected to back off, instead. "Giving up so easily?" "I might as well, since I can''t make you see reason. But if your heart breaks just like it did with Carter, don''t come crying to me. I won''t forgive you if you use the resulting heartbreak as an excuse to neglect our deal." "Pearl, that''s enough!" Clara kept her voice down, but that didn''t stop her from making her message clear. "Be mad all you want, but I won''t allow you to talk to Lenoria that way!" "It''s okay, Clara. She doesn''t understand." Lenoria rose to her feet. "I''ve only known Alistair for a week, but he''s already leagues above Carter! He follows a righteous god, and he hasn''t lost favor with him, yet!" Lenoria looked down and twiddled her fingers. "H-he''s also selfless, patient, and kind. O-of course he''s going to get attention from other girls!" She nodded. "That''s why I have to do something and act fast! He''s going to be thinking about that pirate girl if I don''t." "Attagirl, Lenoria!" Apus finally made his voice heard. "What do ya plan to do?" "I...don''t know yet." Her newfound confidence quickly left her, but she immediately had an idea. "I got it! Maybe I should just go to the front and sit next to him! Maybe then he''ll fall head over heels for me!" Apus facepalmed. Or was it face''wing''? In any case, the bird-of-paradise was visibly annoyed. "Oh, brother. Why do girls have to make everything so complicated?" "Hey, I''m trying my best," Lenoria protested. "And if that''s your best, you''re going to lose that boy''s attention." Apus flew from Clara''s shoulder and stood on the wooden floor in front of Lenoria. "You have to be direct with him. Men don''t do hints." Lenoria''s eyes sharpened. "What?" The mere thought of being direct scared her. "Can''t I just give hints until he finally confesses?" "No! He''ll just think you''re being nice to him!" Apus hopped in place. "Direct, Lenoria! Be direct!" "How could you possibly know about what men like? You''re a bird!" "And in my short time down here, I''ve learned plenty of things." "What things?" "Clara and I have done a lot of reading this past week, and I''ve noticed a common theme between the romance novels you girls like to read." Surely, Apus must have seen how great Lenoria''s taste for books was. The girl stood ready to answer all criticism as if she was the author for any of those novels and short stories. "There''s a lack of communication in every single one. I mean, really, how many of those stories wouldn''t be shorter if people just talked to each other?" So much for that. "Well, there''s..." Lenoria paused when she couldn''t come up with a title right away. "No, not that one. Oh, how about-!" She interrupted herself again. "No, that one also had a lot of padding. Maybe-" And again. "Nope." And again. "Not that one, either." And again. "See? Think about it, Lenoria. What if Alistair meets some farmer''s daughter in the next town, and the two of them hit it off? Or what if he meets a singer in the town after that, and her soothing voice is enough to charm him for life? Or even worse, what if he already has eyes for Clara?" "M-me?" Clara blushed and hid her face. "I wouldn''t betray Lenoria like that!" "Look, all I''m saying is without you tying him down, he''d have no reason to say no to anyone bold enough to approach him. Or worse, he''d be the one doing the chasing if he meets someone he immediately fancied." "He wouldn''t," the girl said weakly. "Men love genuine attention if it''s from someone they like. There''s a good chance he would if you don''t act now." Lenoria wanted to counter, but she knew Apus was right. There was an air of uncertainty in the wagon, and it only dragged on the longer Lenoria kept quiet. Clara raised her hand to say something, but she quickly retracted whatever statement she had in mind. Pearl remained indifferent, making it clear she didn''t care what Lenoria did at this point. The blonde was on her own. Balling her fist with determination, Lenoria moved to the back of the moving wagon. "You''re right. Even pivotal moments in history would have been prevented if good men had spoken out in the face of danger. Alistair praised me at the end of that last fight, and I''m not going to let anyone else prevent that from happening again!" Opening the flap of cloth, Lenoria jumped off the wagon. What followed was a loud thud, then a loud "Owie!" "Alistair, stop the wagon!" Clara''s voice was heard loud and clear, and Alistair did as he was asked to do. The elf then ran to the back and jumped off as well. Pearl crossed her arms nonchalantly. "You realize what you''ve just done, right?" Apus smiled at Pearl. "Encouraged a girl in love to jump out of a moving wagon? That takes guts. I''m rooting for her." "This isn''t some romance novel, you know. Sooner or later, she needs to learn to see the line between fantasy and reality." "I know, but if anyone was gonna get through to her, it had to be someone who could speak her language." *** "W-where am I?" Lenoria awakened just as the wagon had resumed its path forward. Her vision was still blurry, but she could feel a pair of strong hands on her. She felt pain across her body, and a stinging burn whenever the hands applied pressure on the parts with most pain. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air. "Ow! Clara, be gentle!" "I''m sorry, Lenoria." Alistair''s voice nearly made Lenoria jump. Once her vision returned, she watched as the paladin administered to her wounds with the tools from his opened medical kit; he had spent his remaining divine power for the day by healing most of Lenoria''s wounds from the earlier fight, and this was his only option. The two of them were alone on the back of the wagon, a detail that made her heart race immediately. She felt a soft blanket beneath her, and by its fluffy touch she knew right away it wasn''t her blanket or Clara''s. "Miss Clara is driving the wagon. The thought frightened her, but Chestnut likes her." He shook his head with disapproval. "What possessed you to jump out of a moving wagon, anyway? Miss Clara said you hit a branch on your way out and tripped over some sharp rocks on the way down. As you rolled down the road, you hit your head on a rock." Lenoria recalled the incident with embarrassment. She counted herself lucky no one else saw that. "Oh, it''s just that I saw a bug, and-" Direct, Lenoria! Be direct! The girl remembered Apus''s words to her, which brought back her prior conversation with him. She kicked herself in her mind because coming up with an excuse would just be proving Apus''s point. Why did he suddenly care for her, though? Surely, he must have noticed how little Lenoria trusted him. No matter how she felt, she knew he was right in this particular case. She decided to try his method, if only to say ''I told you so'' if nothing went as planned. "Actually, Alistair, I jumped out because I had something to tell you." "You did? You could have just told me through the little window." "It''s...private. I wanted to talk to you face to face. Please listen." Alistair put away his medical tools and closed the box. He sat upright, and offered a hand when Lenoria rose from her makeshift bed. "Alistair...are you seeing anyone? Do you like girls?" The question caught the paladin off-guard, but he was willing to answer. "I''m not seeing anyone. Most layfolk don''t see their lives with a paladin unless they follow a fertility god or something, so I''m single. A-and yes, I like girls. Why do you ask?" Lenoria was hoping Alistair would know where she was getting at, but she had started to see why Apus was telling her to be direct. "Oh my gosh, he''s denser than a lump of lead." Her throat tightened, blocking the words she wanted to speak. She balled up the hem of her duster with her fists and gritted her teeth "I..." She closed her eyes tightly. She felt embarrassed, even though she knew she had no reason to be. But like someone leaning on a door, her words burst out when the pathway finally opened for her. "I like you, okay?! Will you go out with me?" Alistair remained firm in his posture, but Lenoria could tell he wasn''t expecting to hear that. "After you left, I thought I wasn''t going to see you again. You focused on saving the wounded, despite the danger at the park. When you found a pulse in me, you stayed by my side and didn''t let anyone else touch me." Lenoria''s words rushed out like she was a burning building, but once she figured out what to say, she grew calmer, and her speech became more fluid. "You''re a hero, Alistair." "Lenoria..." Alistair shook his head firmly. "I''m no hero. I just didn''t want for anyone to suffer if I could help it." "Even so, you kept Thomas away from me, and your testimony against him helped Gabrielle make the decision to fire the man who had tormented me and even placed those two monsters in jail." "That Carpathia guy ended up in jail? I-I didn''t know. I mean, I heard he was infamous in the Guild, but all I did was misdirect him a little and report what I witnessed to Lady Gabrielle." "All that says about you is that it took no effort at all. Your heroism comes naturally, then." She gently caressed both of his cheeks, which were a little rough from the stubbles of shaved hair. "The truth of the matter remains clear to me, Alistair. You saved me from Thomas, you saved me from Starflower, and today you kept me safe from the giants. The way I see it, you''re my hero. And to top it all off, you''re cute! My heart beats just looking at you, but I didn''t know how to approach you until now." "L-Lenoria!" Alistair stumbled in his words, but he showed no signs of resistance. "I like you, Alistair. Do you like me?" Alistair sighed. "I m-must admit that I do. And I kind of saw this coming from the way you have been looking at me since this morning. I just didn''t want to assume anything." He relaxed his shoulders and let out a deep breath. "And that last fight made me realize just how short life can be. But even with that in mind, I knew it was my given duty to safely escort you to Goodsprings. I didn''t want to frighten you with an inappropriate comment, much less after what Lady Gabrielle has told me about you." "How much did Gabrielle tell him? And how?" Apus''s method turned out to be the best move. Had she stuck to giving out hints, Lenoria would never have found out Alistair suspected something. Or at the very least, it would have taken a while for these two to find out anything. Lenoria wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kept her face just inches away from his. Even in this position, Alistair remained firm, albeit a little nervous. She couldn''t blame him; it took everything she had just to stay in the lead. Her arms were weak and noodly, as if they could fall off at any time. "I am so glad I talked to you now instead of later. I hope we spend more time together from now on." "S-sounds good. My only request is that we take things slow. Is that okay?" Hesitating, Lenoria retracted her arms and nodded with a smile. "Sure." Alistair must have asked this for a reason, but for now Lenoria was content for having made the first step. As long as she could be with him, Alistair could take all the time he needed and move at the pace he wanted. Her wishes had been made clear and he hasn''t rejected her. That was enough for now. "Hey, guys!" Clara announced from the driver''s seat. "I see a wooden wall up ahead." "Hammer''s Reach." Alistair curved his lips towards one side. "We''re finally here." Chapter 20 - Jail Birds A cruel stare slipped from Jean Starflower. The girl he despised so much was on her way out of the city for a job of a lifetime. And the people seeing her off looked so pathetic to him; an elven couple - his own kindred - were speaking to her as if she was part of the family, and even an honorable man of authority like Constable Richards was charmed by her Western wiles. Something wasn¡¯t right in the world when gifted prodigies such as himself had to make way for worthless foreigners. One day, he¡¯ll humiliate her just like she did to him on that fateful day. It was only right for him to bide his time and let the girl build her reputation back up. Once his revenge was complete, everyone will hate her even more and he will force an apology from Gabrielle Bisset and force her to return him to his rightful place at the top. ¡°Hey, asshole! Don¡¯t just stand there and let us do all the work!¡± For now, Starflower had to get back to reality. He nodded at the inmate next to him and went back to work. Picking up the trash at the local park was not a suitable job for him. And black and white stripes for his clothes? Definitely not his style. But this was his life now. The Helix City Jail was not only a place that held criminals awaiting trial; it was a community service center for them, and those who wanted to earn their freedom had to work for it. One week¡¯s worth of community service earned the workers one minute off their prison sentence, once they received it. Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t realize the whole thing was a scam. Sixty weeks of community service would only shave an hour off their sentence and it would take 1440 weeks - 30 years - to take off a whole day. ¡°Hey, Jean!¡± Thomas cheerfully picked up the trash ahead of him. ¡°This is fun!¡± Ignorance was bliss for some. ¡°You¡¯re still grumpy because we¡¯re here? Come on, it¡¯s not so bad!¡± Starflower¡¯s wastebasket made a metallic, crumpling sound when he dropped it. ¡°Excuse me? I spoke with my barrister yesterday. Bastard couldn¡¯t get me freedom in exchange for my resignation from the Guild. In fact, he said we¡¯re both looking at 50 years, minimum! It¡¯s all a matter of when, not if at this point!¡± Thomas scratched his head with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I¡¯m getting that much. All I did was trash the local apothecary for playing a prank on me.¡± Starflower¡¯s blade on a stick snapped in two, leaving him with nothing to pick up the trash save for his bare hands. ¡°Are we forgetting the violation of your restraining order, your obscene gestures, and your attempts at dru-¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Thomas''s eyes widened as he looked around before lowering his voice to a whisper. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to get lynched by our jailmates, do ya?¡± Starflower whispered back. ¡°Why would they hurt me?¡± ¡°Guilty by association,¡± Thomas said with a cocky grin. Starflower sighed and rolled his eyes. He was in no mood to deal with bruises today. ¡°I only do this because I made a promise to your father, but if the two of us find a way out of this, we¡¯re going our separate ways. I¡¯m done covering up for you.¡± The disgraced headmaster grabbed the former student by the collar. ¡°You couldn¡¯t just stop being weird, could you? All you had to do was sit down and do your tests. Instead, you tried your luck with the girls because of those weird fantasies of yours. Have you nothing to say for yourself?" ¡°Come on, Jean. You and I both know I did nothing wrong. Besides,¡± Thomas tilted his head down and looked at Starflower from beneath his eyebrows, flashing a buck-toothed smile covered in braces, ¡°do you know what my dad will do to you if he found out you abandoned me?¡± Starflower took a step back. ¡°Are you threatening me, boy? You¡¯re forgetting I¡¯m your superior.¡± ¡°Not anymore! We¡¯re both just cellmates! Besides, it¡¯s not like you can cast anything, not with those things on you.¡± Thomas pointed at the manacles attached to Starflower¡¯s legs. They were inscribed with purple runes, which glowed from time to time. Starflower gave Thomas a defeated look and just looked away from him. But something else grabbed his attention now. From the top of the hilltop, he could clearly see the insufferable girl giving a lad in armor a longing look. Smirking cockily, he called out to Thomas. ¡°Say, Thomas. Isn¡¯t that your girlfriend? Or was it Steiner? I keep forgetting.¡± Thomas looked where Starflower was facing and his jaw dropped to the ground. A lad in armor helped Lenoria jump on a wagon, and moments later he jumped on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Lenoria, my sweet dove! Why are you leaving with him?¡± Thomas gritted his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s the brat who pranked me!¡± ¡°The boy?¡± Starflower¡¯s mind got to work when a shocking realization dawned on him. Wishing to be absolutely sure, he pressed Thomas for more info. ¡°How did he prank you, Thomas?¡± ¡°Lenoria was injured at the park last week. So I, being the gentleman that I am, tried to resuscitate her but that brat got in the way! He and Clara would have let her die if it meant I couldn¡¯t be the one to save her!¡± Thomas¡¯s lies aside, Starflower grimaced at this revelation. He remembered his interaction with the Bisset family as if it had happened moments ago, but one part in particular stood out for him. ---------- ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Gabrielle turned to meet the headmaster¡¯s gaze. ¡°A family friend had the ¡®honor¡¯ to meet your top student. Did you know that the student behind you was injured in the park close to the school grounds, and your top student tried to take advantage of the situation?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep track of every student! If Lenoria had said something, she would have received my deepest condolences,¡± the headmaster lied. ¡°You called Lenoria a hurtful name out there. On top of that, you praised a predator and spoke about a potential victim dismissively under the same breath.¡± Gabrielle kept calm, but Lenoria could sense a storm beneath her words. "Explain yourself, Starflower." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The headmaster took offense to that. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, ma¡¯am, but Thomas is an outstanding student. Your friend would need hard evidence for this accusation.¡± The headmaster bit his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I didn¡¯t mean to say that!¡± "Are you calling my contact a liar?" "N-no, ma''am!" ¡°My family friend just so happens to be a paladin devoted to the Hammer of Justice. I may not be a native to Helix, Headmaster, but if I recall correctly the Hammer is one of the more serious deities around here and he doesn¡¯t take dishonesty lightly.¡± ---------- ¡°A paladin serving the Hammer.¡± Starflower watched as the wagon Lenoria had gotten on drove away from the park. He clenched his fists until blood dripped from them. ¡°He¡¯s the witness who threw me to the dogs!¡± ¡°He got you, too?¡± ¡°The little brat won¡¯t get away with it!¡± He grabbed Thomas by the collar again and reduced his voice to a whisper once more. ¡°We¡¯re breaking out of here.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Just leave the planning to me. It¡¯ll take days, but I swear to you that vengeance will be mine!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re not gonna kill Lenoria, are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Starflower released Thomas. ¡°I believe spending the rest of her life with you is a punishment no one else can top. But you will help me kill the brat.¡± ¡°And Clara?¡± ¡°Leave Clara be. Soon she¡¯ll see the error of mingling with humans like them.¡± Starflower picked his broken stick back up. ¡°If she insists on her absurd aspirations, then she¡¯ll receive the same treatment as the boy.¡± ¡°You know, I see you punks doin¡¯ a lot of conspirin¡¯ and not enough workin¡¯!¡± One of the jailmates said impatiently. ¡°Hold your horses, just stay in your la-¡± Starflower turned around to find a man nearly a foot taller than he was. He was a horse of a man, having a long snout, strong white teeth, a brown coat, and a black mane. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You tryin¡¯ to be funny? I¡¯ll show you what we do to pranksters like you,¡± the irritated man said as he pulled back his fist. ¡°This will end well.¡± Starflower braced himself, and before he knew it everything went black for him. *** The former headmaster awakened in a small candle lit room. The bed creaked and his body panged with pain with each move he made. Most of the damage was made to his face, though he felt something on his ribs and right arm as well. ¡°What happened?¡± A muffled voice escaped from his mouth. He touched his face, then the rest of his head. ¡°Bandages?¡± Next, he checked the rest of his body. Bandages were wrapped around his torso and right arm as well. ¡°Last thing I remember is¡­oh.¡± Footsteps could be heard down the hall. They stopped by his door, then¡­silence. Finally, a knock. ¡°H-hello? Are you awake?¡± A voice he didn¡¯t recognize. A woman for sure, likely a nurse or officer. Anyone other than Thomas or the horse man was better company at this point. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡± The woman entered and closed the door behind her. She was dressed in a nursing uniform which appeared like a dress; there was a rose-colored blouse and long white skirt overalls on top of it and around her pronounced legs. Her black hair was cut in a simple, bobbed style. ¡°J-Jan Starflower.¡± A set of many, many keys jingled as she approached the bed. ¡°Jean, as in ¡®John¡¯,¡± he corrected. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m s-sorry.¡± The nurse read from the former headmaster¡¯s chart. ¡°O-oh, dear. You suffered a concussion and a broken nose. Then you were grabbed by the arm and were dangled like a pinata.¡± That would explain the injured arm. ¡°What were you thinking, sir? Everyone knows it¡¯s a death sentence to use horse analogies around Horseface.¡± The nurse removed some of the bandages on Starflower''s head, exposing his mouth and eyes. ¡°Horseface?¡± ¡°The man who pummeled you.¡± He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but Starflower decided to keep his mouth shut. He lied back down and let his hand rest over his eyes. ¡°Is he sensitive about his looks?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the only equinefolk I know who is. He was a mob boss down on his luck and the last thing he needed is someone pushing his buttons.¡± Starflower¡¯s eyes reopened immediately. Mob boss? He sat back up and relaxed on the bed frame behind him. ¡°Should I be afraid? Mafia bosses normally have contacts outside and I¡¯m worried for my family.¡± This, of course, was a lie. Starflower left his forest home decades ago and has not kept in touch with his family. In order for the nurse to trust him, he must first appear vulnerable and harmless. ¡°I-I do know his gang doesn¡¯t hurt the families of their opponents, but I worry for the Constable. Horseface hates officers who can¡¯t be bribed just as much as people who make horse puns and analogies.¡± The nurse covered her mouth. ¡°I-I said too much!¡± The woman had said more than enough for Starflower to begin brainstorming. He counted himself lucky for concocting a plan to escape to be hatched this early into his arrest. The first step would be to make some choice allies, and the first that came to mind was Horseface himself. The nurse appeared timid and inexperienced, yet her age would suggest otherwise. Was she merely putting on an act? If not, she could play a key role in his escape plan. The waters needed to be tested, and to do so he must push her boundaries without actually crossing them. Starflower gave her a warm and gentle smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can keep a secret. In return, would you mind releasing me from these shackles around my ankles? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m a bit sore.¡± The nurse puffed her cheeks. She lowered her clipboard to conceal the keys attached to her belt. ¡°My apologies, I should have known better.¡± Starflower brushed his hand in the air. ¡°At the very least, may I ask for your name?¡± The nurse seemed rather perplexed by his question. ¡°Batu Sarnai,¡± she answered. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s only fair that I knew yours, since you already knew mine.¡± He placed a fist under his chin and made sure their eyes locked before continuing. ¡°Tell me, ma¡¯am, where do you hail from? You have quite the unusual name.¡± ¡°E-eh?¡± The nurse raised the clipboard over her face so that only her eyes could be seen. ¡°W-well, I was born on the Great Plateau, but my family and I immigrated here when I was a little girl. We don¡¯t have surnames there; Batu is my father¡¯s name and Sarnai is my actual name and that¡¯s what everyone calls me.¡± Starflower saw red. The rage he felt earlier returned. All he could associate with the word ¡°plateau¡± was the student he hated so much. All he pictured was her sneering at him at his state of misfortune. He was wise enough to keep his anger concealed, however. The little girl would pay for the sin of exposing him, he swore to himself. The nurse was merely unfortunate enough to bring such emotions out of him, but thankfully she was blissfully aware of the vortex of negativity in him. With a slightly higher pitched tone in his voice, Starflower forced a smile. ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s a great naming method.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, but I need to get going.¡± The nurse walked over to the nightstand and gently placed a corked vial on it. ¡°Your wounds are minor. Drink this after eight more hours of rest. You¡¯ll feel good as new.¡± ¡°Alright. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Sarnai.¡± The nurse seemed like she wanted to say something, but she decided against it and hurriedly left the room. Starflower lied his head back down and closed his eyes. This time, he sported a sinister grin. The seed had been planted and the plan was officially in motion. Breaking out of jail would be ten times easier if he wasn¡¯t shackled, so he had to make do with what he had in hand. As he noted, the first step was to make choice allies. Horseface was his next target, and acquiring enough muscle to bust out required him to swallow his pride and appease the beastfolk in jail. This wasn¡¯t prison; everyone was confined to cells for the majority of the day, meaning the only chance he had to make contact was to speak to the boss during community service hours. The second step was securing his own freedom. And for that he needed to woo the timid little rabbit who had just left the room. (We return to Lenoria in the next chapter! Though if you wish to see more Starflower chapters in a row, let your voice be heard in the poll below and in the comments section!) Chapter 21 - Time to Rest ~Caesar~ ¡°What was that about?¡± Mrs. Hunter and the pirates had already fallen asleep in the wagon, leaving only Caesar and Cecilia wide awake for the trip to Helix City. ¡°What¡¯s there to say, Cap¡¯n?¡± The halfling woman leaned back with a relaxed pose. ¡°It takes a strong man to do what he did, and I find that attractive.¡± ¡°If you say so. You think maybe he had a girlfriend? Like the blonde or the elf?¡± ¡°I doubt it. They were both pretty quiet when I made my move.¡± Cecilia yawned. ¡°I¡¯m up for late night drinking, but it¡¯ll take some time before we reach the capital. Mind if I take a nap?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wake you when we¡¯re there.¡± Caesar remained awake while the rest of his crew slept in the back. Their trip to the capital was a short, three-hour wagon ride, and he didn¡¯t mind being left alone for that long. His crew earned their rest and the party that will come later. ¡°Morning!¡± A ghostly pirate with a blue, translucent hue floated between Cecilia and Caesar. ¡°Did I miss anything?¡± Caesar greeted the pirate with a smile. ¡°Hey, Beckett. How was your nap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Star Dream, young man. And it was great. I see you put that rope I left you to good use. I must have missed something.¡± ¡°You could say that. We met a knight and his babe squad and together we drove away a group of giants wanting to eat us.¡± Beckett grabbed his head painfully for a moment, then looked in the direction away from where the wagon was going. ¡°Caesar, how many of them were there?¡± ¡°The giants? I think there were four of them, but I already lost count.¡± ¡°And this knight you mentioned?¡± ¡°Oh, him? Well, there was him, then there was that cute blonde, and an elf and her machine. I think that last one was a summoner.¡± Beckett gasped. ¡°You fool!¡± The pirate pointed in the direction of the compound. ¡°I count two, no, three treasures that way!¡± He hopped in place. ¡°Where¡¯s your treasure, boyo? I told you not to lose sight of it!¡± ¡°Relax, old timer. If you hadn¡¯t taken that nap, we would have detected your treasures right away.¡± Caesar dug through his pocket and pulled out a greenish blue gemstone that gleamed in the ghost¡¯s presence. ¡°See? It¡¯s right here.¡± The gemstone had a four-star pattern of an acute angle. Caesar was amazed to witness three of the stars form in the shape of arrows, which then pointed in the direction of the compound. ¡°Huh. What do you know?¡± *** 16th of Cobre, 1659 - 12:23am ~Lenoria~ ¡°Warmth at last!¡± The chatter at The Drunken Chef Inn came to a halt as the door swung open and Lenoria made her party¡¯s presence known with a boisterous announcement. Alistair was not far behind, stopping the door from slamming shut just in time and held it open for Clara to enter. The sign outside warned patrons to leave weapons in their rooms or at the door, and no eidolons or animals were allowed inside. Clara had dismissed Tsukuyomi before letting herself in, and she was followed by Alistair who gently closed the door behind him. The scent of cooked meat and strong cider greeted them kindly as they approached the counter. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the innkeeper, however; the gruff half-orc male wiped a tankard with a dirty rag and hinted no sign of hospitality even when the trio stood right in front of him. ¡°My daughter cooks, I brew the ale, and the apple cider¡¯s imported. When she ain''t cooking, someone else is. If you don¡¯t like the prices, leave.¡± Without looking at them, the gruff innkeeper pointed at the sign above them. Nodding at the girls, Alistair confidently grabbed his coin purse and said ¡°Evening, good man. We¡¯d like three rooms, please.¡± ¡°Sorry, boy. We only got two.¡± Lenoria got a worried look from Alistair, but he quickly reasserted himself and looked back at the innkeeper. ¡°Very well. How much is it to park our wagon here?¡± ¡°Three silver pieces.¡± ¡°Half the price as a regular room, from what I can tell from your signage.¡± Alistair grabbed four gold coins and set them on the counter. ¡°We¡¯ll take the two rooms and the parking. Use the extra for our food, and if we owe you anything, let me know so I can make up the difference.¡± The innkeeper looked at the girls, then grinned at the boy. ¡°Heh. Whatever you say, boss man.¡± Alistair turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the wagon tonight. Please make use of the amenities, food, and drinks. Just don¡¯t let the tab go over 10 gold pieces.¡± But, once again, he was stopped by Lenoria¡¯s hand gripping his wrist. ¡°I wonder if this will work?" Lenoria cleared her throat. ¡°Alistair, don¡¯t be ridiculous. It¡¯s a nice gesture, but I don¡¯t want you catching a cold.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, either, but I see no alternative.¡± ¡°I do. There¡¯s three of us and two rooms.¡± Lenoria gave him a half-lidded stare. ¡°So, how about we share rooms?¡± Pearl rolled her eyes and Clara observed inconspicuously. Lenoria felt a nudge from who was presumably Apus as she summoned the courage to be bold again. She enjoyed teasing Alistair earlier and was willing to see how much she could push that boundary without making him uncomfortable. For that, she was thankful to have met Thomas; from him, Lenoria learned what not to do with a person you¡¯re trying to court. But Alistair¡¯s indifferent response concerned her. He was slightly worried, at best. ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable on my account.¡± ¡°He¡¯s actually thinking about it?¡± Keeping her cool, Lenoria glanced backwards to address the innkeeper. ¡°Are there baths in the rooms?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he replied politely, ¡°all rooms have one. When you have so many ass-smelling adventurers wandering in during the dark hours of the night, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a worthwhile investment.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. His backhanded compliment aside, the innkeeper''s response was music to Lenoria¡¯s ears. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± Keeping her seductive look, she trailed her finger across Alistair¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What do you say, Alistair? Wouldn¡¯t you want a hot, relaxing bath before coming down for dinner? Your shoulders must be stiff from all that fighting. I could use a strong pair of hands for my back, personally.¡± ¡°I think you should reword that carefully,¡± Clara whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this,¡± Lenoria whispered back. Still staring at Alistair, she continued. ¡°I think it¡¯s very sweet how you look out for us, but you should reward yourself every now and then. It¡¯s okay, I promise!¡± After a pause, Alistair nodded at the girl seriously. ¡°You¡¯re right. We all did a good job today, and I do feel grimy. I could use a bath.¡± Even with his serious stare, Lenoria¡¯s heart nearly burst out of her chest. ¡°Oh my gosh, is this really happening? I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯m mentally prepared for what''s next!¡± Alistair extended a hand for the innkeeper. ¡°Sir, are the rooms ready now?¡± "Now?! He''s that eager?!" The half-orc handed over two sets of keys. ¡°Ready and waiting for you, boss.¡± ¡°Waaah! M-my heart! Stay strong, Lenoria! Stay strong! Just keep calm and follow his lead!¡± *** A stack of clothes was held tightly by Lenoria as she and Clara entered their new room. Alistair had escorted them to the second floor of the inn and opened the door for them. It was nothing fancy; the room had a rough 15x15 measurement with a single bed and a nightstand on both sides, and the only source of illumination was the moonlight coming from the single window straight ahead of them. A door to the right was ajar, partially revealing a wooden tub. Sulking and defeated, Lenoria remained quiet while Alistair went over future plans. ¡°I really appreciate you two for sharing the same room so there could be one left for me. And don¡¯t worry, dinner is still on me. Let¡¯s get ourselves cleaned up and meet at the tavern below, okay?¡± ¡°Sure thing, Alistair,¡± Clara said with a smile. The lad looked over at Lenoria, who was now pouting. ¡°Um, is everything to your preferred accommodations, Lenoria?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lenoria snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile. ¡°Y-yeah! The bath smells nice and the moonlight is beautiful.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. The inn is open all night, so I¡¯ll check in on you in an hour. We¡¯ll sleep in after dinner, for we have a long day tomorrow.¡± He grabbed the door handle and paused for a moment. ¡°Oh, and thanks again.¡± Lenoria waited until Alistair closed the door and stepped away before grabbing a pillow and screamed into it. ¡°Uh, Lenoria¡­¡± Lenoria tossed the pillow away. ¡°This is horse crap! Can¡¯t he tell when someone¡¯s hitting on him?!¡± ~Alistair~ It was a tiring day for Alistair. Starting early morning picking up Lenoria and Clara, then spending the majority of his day keeping everyone alive had a toll on his body and mind. He looked forward to the bath he would surely enjoy thanks to Lenoria and Clara being kind and considerate enough to bunk together just so he could have the remaining room available. He opened the door at the end of the second-floor hallway and pocketed away the key. It was a lot smaller than he had expected, measuring ten feet in length and ten in width. Just like the previous room, another door led to the bathroom. An assortment of soaps and perfumes were ready for him to use, and Alistair took care to use the unopened ones. There was a pamphlet on the nightstand.
The Drunken Chef Inn boasts warm rooms, comfortable beds, and the kitchen open all night. The inn staff is not responsible for stolen items, kidnappings, injuries, or brawl-related deaths.
¡°Huh. I wonder what Lenoria was going on about earlier?¡± Alistair left the pamphlet on the stand. ¡°No complimentary massages here.¡± Returning to the bathroom, Alistair noted that the tub, although made of wood, was magically operated; all he had to do was clap his hands and water would pour from out of nowhere. The temperature was set to lukewarm, and once he cleaned up most of the dirt by soaking himself with a pail of water, he sat down inside the warm tub. Once he was finished and dried himself up, he dressed up with a simple green pair of slacks and a tan tunic. With the soreness of the day finally catching up to him, he took a moment to rest by sitting on the bed. When you¡¯re done playing knight in shining armor, come look for me. I¡¯ll take care of you. Cecilia¡¯s words came to mind, still fresh as if she was there with him. ¡°But¡­I¡¯m not playing,¡± he said to himself. He rubbed his left cheek, still picturing that moment they shared together. All he could feel was discomfort and a slight sense of embarrassment; he felt anxious the moment it had happened and long afterwards. You¡¯re a good man, Al. I¡¯m not going to lose a friend just because he got careless. Friend? They barely knew each other. Yet, from the moment they met, Lenoria was all smiles around him. And now that she had explicitly told him how she felt about him, he wondered if this was truly okay. I''m single, as a matter of fact. Thank you for keeping him away from me. W-will I see you again? Kyaaa! Mr. Adams, is that a declaration? The signs had always been there, at least. Alistair just didn¡¯t catch on. The girl he was traveling with was a sharp contrast from the halfling; Lenoria hadn¡¯t made a single move until after she confessed, and he appreciated her honesty. In fact, the only thing he hated about that moment between them was that it ended too soon for him. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± The paladin¡¯s heart raced, each beat pulsing through his body and growing a vortex of emotions in his head. Flattery became happiness, happiness became calm, calm became complacency before it finally shifted to guilt. ¡°N-no, I can¡¯t. W-we have to be steady, remember?¡± As eccentric as Lenoria was, she had shown him kindness and compassion. She not only ventured with him on a rescue mission, but she and Clara did so without complaining, even at the expense of a delay in their trip. And yet, despite it all, Lenoria continued to smile at him as if to reassure him that he made the right call. Women like them were one in a million. Having someone pine for him the moment they met was a pleasant surprise for him. He felt nothing similar for Clara, but he respected her as a comrade and was equally happy for her part in distracting the giants. And while Cecilia was nothing like either girl, at least she took his confusion in stride. He had to be more confident. A blue light blinked on the nightstand by his bed. Alistair had left his backpack there, and he immediately reached out for it. From it, he dug out a glowing blue stone. Other than the polish and its blue color, it appeared to be an ordinary rock about the size of his hand. He tapped it once with his finger, and after a few seconds he could hear Gabrielle¡¯s voice coming from it. ¡°Sorry to call you so late, Alistair. Did I wake you?¡± Alistair put on the best smile he could make. ¡°N-no, ma¡¯am. We just checked in at the inn in Hammer¡¯s Reach.¡± ¡°Hammer¡¯s Reach? That¡¯s only twelve miles away from Helix City. Has there been a delay?¡± Alistair stared at the moonlit sky. He took his time recapping everything that had happened since his departure from Helix City, including the fight he had with the leader of the giants himself. Once he was done, he could hear the clapping of hands from the other side of the conversation. ¡°That is marvelous, Alistair. I wish I could have been there.¡± ¡°If you had been there, the giants would have been pummeled in seconds. If not you, then Lord Beau or Lady Orwell would have welcomed the challenge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Alistair. Had it not been for you, I doubt Lenoria or Clara would have gotten this far.¡± ¡°I-I suppose you¡¯re right, ma¡¯am.¡± Silence hung in the air for a moment before Gabrielle spoke again. ¡°So, has Lenoria made a move, yet?¡± ¡°She took the initiative not too long ago. I was surprised w-when she asked me out. I feel something in my stomach, and my heart beats every time I remember our earlier conversation. Is that normal?¡± ¡°Sounds to me like you feel something for her, too. You two are welcome to take time off to relax, but I won¡¯t allow anything beyond a one-week delay. Is that understood?¡± Two weeks at most to make it to Goodsprings. The team had been making good progress despite the delay, and Alistair welcomed the opportunity to rest. He definitely would love to spend the entire day resting tomorrow. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ll make it to Goodsprings in two weeks, at the latest.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes sharpened when he suddenly realized something. ¡°M-ma¡¯am, how did you know Lenoria was going to make a move?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I pretended to know since you wouldn¡¯t shut up about her, and you naturally spilled the beans.¡± The paladin pouted. ¡°That is unfair, ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°Oh, relax, will you?¡± A laugh came from the other side. ¡°Lenoria wouldn¡¯t stop thinking about you, either. She was grateful you saved her life, you know?¡± Lenoria had made that abundantly clear. Alistair still remembered the hug she gave him; calloused fingers, but smooth arms around his neck and shoulders. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you. Go to your woman. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s waiting for you.¡± ¡°S-she¡¯s not my woman!¡± Alistair may have blurted it out, but he didn¡¯t take back what he said. ¡°W-we agreed to take things slow!¡± Gabrielle chuckled. ¡°Whatever you say. Just stay safe. And keep the girls safe, too.¡± The light from the rock faded away. Alistair set it on the nightstand and rose to his feet. He was surprised to hear Gabrielle approve of their budding relationship. However, while she was good at keeping secrets, he feared it was only a matter of time before word got out into the noblewoman''s inner circle and its immediate vicinity. And then there was something on his mind that had bothered him ever since Lenoria asked him out. Would she still like him if he hadn¡¯t been there to save her back at the park? Chapter 22 - Heroes by Circumstance ~Alistair~ 16th of Cobre, 1659, 1:30 am Alistair checked on the girls after he was done getting ready, and they all agreed to meet up on the first floor. Alistair descended from the wooden stairs and walked over to the counter to get their orders ready. The half-orc from earlier was gone, but in his place stood a young girl in a gown who was currently counting the coins kept behind the counter. Her silver hair shone like metal, and her eyes - while downcast due to her task - appeared to be a simple brown with the vibrance of a gemstone. When she was done, she noticed Alistair approaching the counter. She stored the coins away and put on her best customer service smile. ¡°Hi! Is everything okay with the room?¡± ¡°Everything is fine, thank you.¡± Alistair gazed at the wooden sign above. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed the menu when we first arrived.¡± ¡°Good thing the kitchen¡¯s always open. What will you have, sir?¡± Alistair took a moment to go over the menu. There was no line behind him, so he took his time doing so. He skipped the breakfast section and went right over to lunch and dinner. ¡°No porridge with sugar almond milk? That¡¯s a shame¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, sir, but we do have a special on iguanodon meat today.¡± ¡°Iguanodon?¡± ¡°An herbivorous dinosaur local to the area. Pa killed one after it messed with the local farm, but he got a leg injury for his trouble.¡± ¡°Oh, is your father a hunter?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been a bit grouchy lately because of his leg injury. I saw how he talked to you when you came in. Please don¡¯t take it personally.¡± So, the innkeeper has a human daughter? They looked¡­nothing alike. ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯ve met plenty of injured men, I know how they can be.¡± He turned his attention back to the menu. When he heard the door open behind him, he decided to make his choice so that the line wouldn¡¯t be held up for long. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take a chicken stew and two orders of cooked iguanodon shank. I¡¯d like one of them with a side of bread, please.¡± The stew was for Clara, who had looked at the menu before going up to the room earlier. Lenoria didn''t have the foresight to do the same, but she simply asked Alistair to surprise her. ¡°And the other?¡± The girl hastily wrote down the order. ¡°The second shank shall be the same. If she wants seconds, please don¡¯t hesitate to make them right away. O-oh, and the same goes for the soup!¡± ¡°You got it. I¡¯ll keep the pot boiling. And your drinks?¡± ¡°Two bottles of cider and a bottle of absinthe, please.¡± ¡°Okay, if that¡¯s everything for you, then it¡¯ll be one gold piece, please.¡± Alistair happily handed the gold coin and sat down at the nearest table. He watched the man behind him stare at him for a second before he turned his attention to the girl behind the counter. He rummaged through his backpack to retrieve a book inside. ¡°There it is.¡± He grinned victoriously as he grabbed his treasure. A book titled ¡®My First Love Story.¡¯ Alistair was more into adventure books mixed with science fiction - the kind where the authors guess what the future would be like, such as having flying wagons or islands floating in the sky - but he got into romance shortly after he left Thule. He already finished two other titles, and this was his third because he liked the premise. The story was about a sheltered noble and a spunky yet humble delivery girl. The two meet one day when a trio of haughty noblewomen took advantage of the noble¡¯s gentlemanly nature to bully him, knowing fully well he could not fight back. The delivery girl happened to be making her rounds when she stumbled into the scene and beat the three women with her secret ninja skills! Alistair learned two things after reading two chapters of the book: One, he felt joy reading romantic comedies; and two, not all books saved the confession scene for the climax of the story. This particular title had a confession scene only two chapters in, out of the twenty-one written. The paladin was intrigued by this idea, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel something familiar from the book. He started on the third chapter, which was titled ¡®First Date.¡¯ The noble was sheltered and had no real experience with women; all he knew came from his code of conduct. He planned for an extravagant first date after the girl¡¯s shift ended. The delivery girl, having her fair share of enemies, was running late because everyone who hated her took time out of their lives to bar her path home. Hilarity ensued. By mere chance, Alistair looked up at the counter. The innkeeper¡¯s daughter gritted her teeth as she slowly slid the coins on the counter to the man in front of her. The tavern had grown quiet - with no sounds due to the lack of patrons; other than the sizzling of meat in the kitchen and a colorful man in a feathered hat playing the flute by the stairs, nothing else was heard - so the occasional coin clinking didn¡¯t escape the lad¡¯s notice. When the girl turned to look at him, Alistair gave her a reassuring nod. When the robber turned to face him while firmly gripping his knife, all he saw was a dumb boy lost in his book. Alistair got up and stepped closer to the entrance, pretending to make his way outside. What he actually did was approach the weapon rack by the door and grabbed his mace, which still had some of the giant¡¯s blood on it. He concealed his mace around his waist, and the tunic he wore was long enough to hide his waistline. He could see the robber¡¯s knife thanks to his peripheral vision. An anxious girl, the scoundrel¡¯s quiet voice, and the knife at the counter was all the proof he needed to bring justice. The paladin returned from the door and walked over to the counter, mace in hand. There was no point in tiptoeing his way there, for he was not a stealthy man. He was ready for a fight, and he wanted his dinner with the girls to go well. They had done enough, and he didn¡¯t want to involve them. The flute in the background fell silent. Silence was then followed by a high-pitched note. The robber, masked and angry, spun his heels and threw the knife at Alistair. The knife was deflected when Alistair raised his mace to defend himself. The knife clanked as it fell near the stairs, eliciting a hidden smirk from the robber. The smirk would soon fade when he realized he was unarmed. Alistair charged in and struck the head. Blood profusely dripped from the robber¡¯s nose. The girl behind the counter shrieked when he reached for a weapon strapped to his waist, but this left him open to a punishing counter from Alistair, who went for the arm this time. The robber groggily drew his weapon, but soon collapsed in a pool of his own nose blood. ¡°Hey, Alistair!¡± Lenoria cheerily descended the stairs in her new outfit: A yellow yukata decorated with a white floral pattern. The wide sleeves covered her hands, and the skirt reached right below the knees. ¡°I smelled iguanodon meat, so I had to come- eep!¡± The man in the feathered hat took advantage of the blind spot and placed Lenoria in a headlock from behind. ¡°Hey, let go!¡± ¡°Fat chance!¡± The challenger smiled deviously at the angered paladin. He had picked up the knife from the ground and placed it on Lenoria¡¯s neck. ¡°She must be important to you! Give us the money and I¡¯ll let her go!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He must have been the lookout for his friend on the ground, Alistair thought. Keeping calm, he put on a sad face. ¡°Hang on a second, please let her go!¡± Alistair pleaded. ¡°Do as we say, boy, and no one gets hurt!¡± ¡°I mean it! I¡¯ve seen what she did to the last giant who challenged her! I don¡¯t want to pay the innkeeper for the mess she''ll make from beating your face in!¡± The boy then shot Lenoria a sly smile. ~Lenoria~ When Alistair smiled at her, she grinned back at him and swept her leg to knock down the man in the feathered hat. He banged his head on the table, which managed to knock him out cold. When Lenoria inspected herself, she found a tear on her clothes on her right shoulder. ¡°Are you kidding me? This is the only time I wear this and some creep tore it open!¡± There was little chance to say more when the door opened. The innkeeper returned with a stack of firewood, which he dropped when he saw the mess the brawl had caused. ¡°We better explain ourselves first.¡± ¡°I concur,¡± said Alistair. *** And so, the two explained themselves, but not before the local guards arrived. After all sides told their story, the two criminals were escorted away while they were still out just as Clara had finally arrived. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone,¡± the innkeeper said to his daughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dad. I¡¯m fine, thanks to them.¡± The young girl then pointed in the direction of Alistair and Lenoria. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the damages, sir.¡± Alistair grabbed his coin purse but the innkeeper stopped him. ¡°No need, boy. Those two clowns made this mess, not you. Adventurer or not, you shouldn¡¯t have had to step in for me.¡± ¡°It was no problem at all.¡± Alistair looked back at Lenoria. ¡°My girlfriend, on the other hand, got it worse than me. One of them tore her clothes.¡± Lenoria froze in place. ¡°G-girlfriend?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Alistair timidly sank his head. He seemed surprised, too. ¡°Unless you¡¯re having second thoughts.¡± ¡°N-no! In fact, this whole time I was making sure I looked good enough so you wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed to be seen with me! I wanted people to say ¡®Wow, that guy must be great if he¡¯s going out with a cute girl!¡¯¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to go through all that extra effort for my sake, Lenoria.¡± Alistair gulped and thought carefully on his next words. ¡°You¡¯re already beautiful.¡± The lad¡¯s words were as sincere as they were unexpected, giving the girl a rosy complexion. Hiding her face, she didn¡¯t want Alistair to see her. She wanted to tease him, but it looked to her that he could give just as much as she could without trying. ¡°Al! You can¡¯t just blurt things out like that! You don¡¯t have to say it if you don¡¯t mean it!¡± ¡°But I do mean it. Why would I be embarrassed to be seen with you?¡± A stark contrast from Carter, for sure. She remembered the days where they met in private, which in hindsight was a massive red flag. Alistair may be her second love, but he was the first to treat her normally. "Sir, would you like for me to stand watch in case those thieves return?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening. Most people are asleep around this time, and the guardhouse doesn¡¯t release their jailbirds until the next day, at least.¡± The innkeeper patted Alistair on the back. ¡°Just go on and relax.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Alistair took his seat and beckoned the girls to sit with him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get changed, Lenoria? I can wait a little longer.¡± ¡°No need. Watch this!¡± With a snap of her fingers, two of the loose strands from the torn outfit moved on their own. They emitted an orange glow as they interweaved with one another. The tear soon closed itself, and there was no sign of damage whatsoever when the magic stopped. Both of the girls took their seats, but Lenoria took the time to pose triumphantly before she did. ¡°Clothes that repair themselves! Pretty neat, huh?¡± ¡°Magic is something I never got tired of seeing.¡± Alistair beamed with admiration. ¡°I think this is the perfect time to learn more about each other. What do you say?¡± The rest of the night was the relaxation the adventuring trio needed. They laughed as the girls recounted stories from the Guild and Alistair did the same about his days in boot camp during his paladin training. "...and so, my drill sergeant asked me why I didn''t bring my rain gear during our hiking exercise. I didn''t realize it at the time but that was a loaded question, and I foolishly answered that it was a sunny day and rain was unlikely. So, he had his druid assistant cast an [Aqueous Orb] on me before saying ''Don''t worry, we''ll make it rain.'' I was drenched and cold for the rest of the hike." Alistair did not seem sad or otherwise negatively impacted by the experience, so Lenoria took this moment to laugh. "My Alistair, a hellraiser? Say it ain''t so!" "No wonder you''re so disciplined," Clara commented. "Your training shaped you to be as noble as the warriors of the Jaguar Lands." "I heard about them," Alistair said. "According to the map, their border is located 16 miles north of here. We could travel along the border and head northeast and make a turn northwest, or we can cut through the Jaguar Lands and save ourselves a day of travel." "That sounds fun!" Lenoria was thrilled at the thought. "Their empire is huge, but the strip of land cutting through Helixian territory is only a mile wide. We can be in and out on the other end by the day''s end!" Map of the immediate area, drawn by yours truly. Food finally arrived at the table via delivery from the innkeeper and his daughter. Clara¡¯s chicken stew had a decently proportioned skinless chicken drumstick mixed with potatoes, corn, and slices of squash bathed in hot water. The innkeeper carried the plates of hefty lumps of meat and set them before Alistair and Lenoria. He then took a long piece of bread, sliced it in half with a knife, and divided the pieces between the couple. The innkeeper dismissed his daughter, and he himself left for a moment before returning with a couple of forks, knives, and three bottles. A bottle with green liquid went to Clara, while two bottles with reddish brown liquid went to Alistair and Lenoria. The utensils also went to them, the last of them being a simple wooden spoon given to Clara. ¡°Let me know if you need anything else. Call me Lewis.¡± With a bow, the innkeeper went back to the counter. Alistair nodded and readied himself to dig in. Lenoria, however, just sat there, mouth agape. ¡°Um, Lenoria?¡± Clara shook her friend gently. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. But you guys, this is a lot of food! This chunk of meat has to be three pounds, at least!¡± ¡°I was surprised, too. But you can pack some of this for tomorrow¡¯s trip.¡± Clara raised her bottle. ¡°I was expecting a pint for each of our drinks, though.¡± ¡°Sorry, ladies. I just didn¡¯t know how much to order.¡± Alistair sank his head defensively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just take a few sips and get up as early as we can tomorrow.¡± Lenoria wanted to get up and fetch some tankards, but Alistair¡¯s words gave her pause. ¡°Actually,¡± he began, ¡°I got in touch with Lady Gabrielle earlier. We can delay our trip by another week if we really need to rest. And after today¡¯s fight, I¡¯d say we earned it.¡± That was another mystery she needed to solve, so Lenoria cut to the chase. ¡°How did she contact you, Al? She should be on the other side of the continent by now.¡± ¡°With this.¡± Alistair retrieved the rock he used to speak with Gabrielle earlier. He handed it over to Lenoria, who wasted no time to drop her food to inspect it. ¡°A wizard in Thule invented it, but so far he¡¯s only handed out a dozen pairs of them. Each of the noble houses got a pair, though I¡¯m not sure what happened to the other eight.¡± ¡°It looks like an ordinary rock, but it¡¯s definitely imbued with magic.¡± Upon further inspection, Lenoria took note of a couple of inscriptions in a different language. They were written with a crimson color, and she felt a sudden burst of energy just by murmuring what they said. ¡°It¡¯s in Draconic. ¡®Property of House Bisset.¡¯¡± She handed the rock back to Alistair, who pockets it away. ¡°Al, that¡¯s amazing! So you can get a hold of Gabrielle no matter where she is?¡± ¡°Yes, though she has pleaded we do so during an emergency only. She reached out to me earlier, after all, not the other way around.¡± He uncorked his bottle of cider and raised it. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re free to sleep in tonight. We can depart tomorrow at any time, and if we sleep in, I was thinking we leave around nightfall.¡± Clara raised her bottle. "That''s great. Then maybe we can extend our stay in the Jaguar Lands, too. The indigenous people there have always been friendly, and I hear there''s a festival across the lands that will begin, soon." This was the perfect excuse for the girls to drink as much as they wanted. Alcohol helped induce sleep, and after a clink from all three bottles, they did just that. They ate and drank merrily as they discussed battle tactics for future adventures so that nothing was left to chance whenever the unexpected occurred. For Alistair, this was useful information for future tactics. If he was the head, the girls were the limbs he could operate. For Clara, she could relax knowing that Tsukuyomi will never be alone on the front line. And for Lenoria, she no longer had to be the first to rush in. She took a celebratory swig of cider and used the remainder of the night as an opportunity to relax. Interlude - House Bisset 16th of Cobre, 1659 - 9:07 am Gabrielle Bisset had always been the early bird. There was always something on her schedule to do and she insisted on being punctual with every single entry. Despite taking the cable car across the border and traveling the rest of the way through horse carriage, arriving home only the night before, she somehow summoned the energy to rise early and go about her daily routine. Opening up a navy-blue tome, she got to work. She didn¡¯t expect to fight at all on this day, but the undead in Thule were unpredictable. She was not afraid in the slightest, but it was wise to be sufficiently equipped anytime a trip into the wilderness was planned. Judging the position of the sun, at least eight hours had passed since she last spoke with Alistair. After that, she asked the people in her household to not disturb her until noon so she could sleep in and relax. She needed peace and rest, for her routine needed it. Reading out the names of spells in the tome, Gabrielle could see a crimson glyph form underneath the book just as another, albeit in a smaller frame, formed on her forehead. Once she was done, Gabrielle left her study and descended the spiraling flight of stairs to the parlor. The maids and manservants residing in the manor greeted her warmly, and she greeted them in the same manner. An older gentleman in particular brought her a cup containing a hot, dark brown drink, from which she sipped calmly but soon displayed a disgusted expression. ¡°Timothy, if you¡¯re going to add honey to my coffee, you might as well bring me a bottle of mead.¡± ¡°My apologies, madam. It would explain why Lord Beau was snickering when he said you requested this.¡± ¡°I see. I suppose I had it coming,¡± Gabrielle said as she handed her mug back to her manservant. ¡°I did purify his bottle of exported mead during our trip.¡± ¡°Purify it how, madam?¡± ¡°By using a spell to remove the alcohol.¡± Putting on a more serious face, Gabrielle went back to business mode. ¡°Anything to report?¡± ¡°Nothing much, madam. His Majesty remains ill, the Arrow remains on the loose, and your delivery from the Stonemasons Guild has finally arrived.¡± Gabrielle breathed a soft gasp. ¡°Excellent. The artificer I hired can get to work right away once she arrives.¡± ¡°You were able to find someone, then?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yes. And she won¡¯t be alone. She¡¯ll be bringing in a friend, and Alistair has been charged to protect them both. Have the preparations been made for their arrival in Goodsprings?¡± ¡°Yes, madam. Sheriff Helms has been informed of their pending arrival. Lodgings should be ready by the time they arrive.¡± A solid start. Gabrielle wanted Lenoria to feel welcomed in this strange land; all the better to keep her mind off the prominent dangers that inhabit the place. ¡°If there is nothing else to report, you are dis-¡± ¡°WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?¡± The roar from a familiar voice could be heard throughout the parlor. ¡°I told him many times to use his indoor voice indoors.¡± Nodding to Timothy, Gabrielle snapped her fingers. ¡°Send him in.¡± Timothy rushed out of the parlor at once and returned moments later with Beau right behind him. The big man did not wish to be escorted, and arrived before the manservant did. ¡°Beau, you seem agitated. No criminals to hunt down today?¡± ¡°Sister, this is serious.¡± Beau held up a rolled parchment. ¡°I come bearing terrible news.¡± Gabrielle snatched the parchment. ¡°What is so bad that made you want to scream bloody murder this early in the morning? I specifically ordered for no one to disturb me until noon.¡± The matriarch of House Bisset unrolled the parchment. Her eyes, relaxed and colorful, widened the longer she read the parchment. She shook her head, crumpling the piece of paper with a simple grip from her fist.
From: The Argus Penitentiary To: Gabrielle Bisset We hope this letter finds you well, Madam Bisset. We write this letter to inform you that our current prisoner, Mirabelle Bisset, will be released on the 17th of Cobre of the current year. As a result of a private investigation, we have determined the charges against her are harsh and unjust, and thus will be placed under your care until she can get back on her feet and assimilate herself back into society. Best regards, Arturo Figueroa, Warden of the Argus Penitentiary
¡°Mirabelle is being released today? How can this be?¡± ¡°The messenger didn¡¯t say. But we are expected to pick her up tomorrow.¡± Distressed, Gabrielle snatched the mug from Timothy and chugged it down with a single gulp. Shakily, she sat down on a wooden chair, gripping her shoulder-length hair. ¡°I warned you that demons cannot be locked away for long,¡± Beau said grimly. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what we won¡¯t do.¡± Gabrielle finally raised her head and calmed herself down. ¡°We won¡¯t tell Alistair about it. We have to keep her away from him.¡± ¡°That is impossible. She¡¯s bound to track him down eventually.¡± ¡°Not if I have to say anything about it.¡± Cooled off but not completely, she snapped her fingers once more. ¡°Timothy, fetch me my quill and parchment. Beau, cancel your plans for this week. You must travel to Goodsprings and deliver a letter to Sheriff Helms. Alistair must remain there at all costs.¡± Crossing his arms, Beau smiled cockily. ¡°I don¡¯t see this ending well. You plan to leash Alistair to that dump?¡± ¡°Yes. He cannot find out about this.¡± Once Timothy arrived with a quill and parchment, Gabrielle sat down to sorrowfully pen a letter. ¡°Not after the promise I made to him. This is a mess only House Bisset can fix.¡± World Map (skippable) Just a rough map of the world, and perhaps some background explanation. Don''t judge me, I''m not a cartographer. Note: Each hex is roughly 312 miles (502 km) in diameter. Time for some info dump, which you''re free to skip (hence the "skippable" bit) but it will add some perspective to the world at large. I will also give more details on Lenoria''s trip to Thule further down. The world of Io contains six known kingdoms: The Theocracy of Helix, ruled by the Heirophant of the Hammer, King Reinhardt; The Tyranny of Thule, ruled by the mad king Edgar Nightsong; The Kingdom of Mesarthim, ruled by the Dragon Queen Edana V; The Shimmering Shoals of Eishima, seven individual islands led by Emperor Takahashi; The Everlasting Crags of Grodam, an anarchy where goblins have subjugated several minor kingdoms; and the Polar Regions of Befrus, seven holds ruled by individual jarls, with High King Ulfgar Irontotem at the head of the totem pole. The mad king? King Edgar has ruled Thule for decades and is nearing his 60s. He has had a history of misogyny and questionable decrees, earning the ire of all but his closest followers by legalizing necromancy, slavery, and punishments without trial. Despite these and a number of minor offenses, the people of Thule have lived there somewhat peacefully for good or ill, and answer the call to war with patriotic fervor. For the past five years, Thule has been at war with its neighbor, Mesarthim, after centuries of a bitter rivalry that has slowly escalated. By contrast, Helix has advanced both spiritually and technologically. It has become a hub for immigrants and trade, and the nation has enjoyed a period of prosperity that has lasted well over a thousand years ever since a band of heroes eliminated a demonic threat. Along with Eishima, Helix has grown to be quite powerful, and King Edgar has retained enough common sense to never wage war against Helix. Both have maintained a somewhat amicable alliance, but Helix has wisely decided to not take sides in the conflict between Thule and Mesarthim. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Lenoria the Traveler Just how much has Lenoria traveled in her youth? Let''s take a look. Our heroine left her home with Sage at the young age of 16, and traveled over a thousand miles by ship to the opposite side of Eishima. The trip to Helix would be long, and a pit stop was necessary for the travelers to stretch their legs before the 3100-mile journey to Helix. They stopped at Guangzhou for a break before resuming their trip. From Guangzhou, the duo traveled southeast, then northeast to Aftonville Port due to the ship veering slightly off course. From the Plateau to the port, the trip lasted roughly three months. Tired of the sea, Lenoria and Sage rested for three days before taking the train ride to Helix City. It was a trip that lasted over 24 hours, with several pit stops in between, but the duo made it to Helix City, Lenoria enrolled in the Guild, and the rest is history. The Road to Thule Fast forward to present time, now aged 20, Lenoria is currently traveling with Clara and Alistair to Thule. Their goal is to reach the mountain border, with a planned itinerary of 96 miles from Helix City to the border, take the cable car across the border, scale down the mountain and travel another 8 miles before reaching the village of Goodsprings in Thule. Travel notes A sailing ship travels 48 miles in 24 hours. Each hex on the map is 312 miles in diameter. As a reference, Columbus''s trip from Spain to the Bahamas was roughly 4200 miles, nearly the same distance from the Plateau to Helix. By comparison, a train in Helix travels at a speed of 50 miles per hour. Chapter 23 - A Night to Forget ~Clara~ ¡°Wee!¡± The night had just about ended. After the trio had their fill of greasy tavern food, Alistair announced his departure and got up to head back to his room. Lenoria said the same, but with slurred speech and wobbly legs, she could not make it five feet past the table. Lying on the ground, Lenoria waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯ssssssh okay. I¡¯ll jusht¡­.shleep here¡­.¡± ¡°I know the inn allows people to stay on the floor, but you have a room,¡± Clara commented. ¡°Oh, I guesh I¡¯ll crawl my way up there,¡± the girl said before she hiccupped. With a sigh, Alistair returned from the stairs and planted one knee on the ground. ¡°Come here.¡± With a mighty heave, Alistair picked up the drunken girl off the ground, one arm behind her knees and the other behind her shoulders. Despite her smaller and thinner frame, a limp body always needed a great amount of effort to pick up. The girl blushed and said nothing, choosing instead to just close her eyes and hang on by wrapping her arms around the paladin¡¯s neck. ¡°Will you be going back to the room soon, Miss Clara?¡± The elf wagged her finger as she took a sip from her nearly-finished bottle of absinthe. ¡°No,¡± she said after a gulp. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here a little longer. They say absinthe enhances creativity, so I think I¡¯ll start singing in a little while.¡± ¡°Alright, then I bid you a good night. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Don''t worry, fellow readers, for the night does not end here and we''ll get to Alistair in a bit. For now, let''s turn our attention to Clara. The elven girl smiled as she watched Alistair carry Lenoria upstairs. Once they were out of sight, she got right to work. She grabbed a piece of parchment from a knapsack she carried, along with a quill and a small ink bottle. She stared at her work intensely, gnawing the quill in frustration as the words failed to come to her.
Opening lines O, mighty oak Like a raging fire My morning sun My sun king I''m your mountain Passionfruit
Just a handful of titles crossed off. "No matter what I do, I just can''t stop thinking about him." Clara looked back at the stairs again. Right about now, those two should be entering the room. With a huff, she set her quill down and placed her head down on the table. How did Lenoria do it? She wanted Alistair and set out to win him over. And won him over she did. Compared to herself, who sought out a forbidden relationship between mentor and pupil and waited years to form a bond, only to be rejected during the moment of truth. I''m touched by your level of admiration, but you should reserve your feelings for someone around your age and not some silly old sod like me. Why did he say that? She was quadruple his age. Even if he grew old in a decade, Clara would still love him. In fact, if his old age prevented him from doing basic functions such as eating and getting up each morning, she was willing to take care of him for the remainder of his days. Looks would fade, but her feelings wouldn''t. Or at least that''s what she said to herself. Clara understood Instructor Gardens not wanting to hurt her feelings; his teaching methods consisted of nurturing the students and never telling them how wrong they were in their problems, choosing instead to lead them towards the right answer. Maybe he had a lot more in his mind, but rejected her because he wanted to spare her feelings? Or maybe he was socially anxious about what would happen if word got out of their relationship, and wished to avoid a scandal? Whatever it was, Clara reached a single conclusion. "It was doomed from the start, wasn''t it?" The sound of shuffling paper snapped her out of her daze. Lifting her head, Clara noticed a stranger seated across from her. Adorned with a navy-blue blazer and a red tie, with straight blue shoulder-length hair, and greenish blue eyes like a vibrant ocean scanning the parchment Clara carelessly left exposed on the table. "Is she...?" Taking a moment to put two and two together, Clara covered her face with embarrassment. The table was silent, not a creature stirred. Yet, in the recesses of Clara''s mind, a scream could be heard. The silence was broken when the stranger spoke with a soft voice, raising her fist with admiration. "Exceptional." "Um, hi!" Clara raised her hand meekly after a while. "Ah!" The stranger returned the parchment to the table. "I-I was just staring at the texture, I promise!" "Texture?" "D''oh! Uhhhh..." The new girl stuttered, unable to find an excuse. She placed her palm on top of the parchment as if to prove her point, but all it did was stain her with a red blot of ink and ruin the words therein. Giggling at the new girl''s feeble attempt at misdirection, Clara offered a handkerchief to help her clean up. "If you think the texture''s exceptional, I can give you some parchments for free." "Hmph!" Miffed at Clara''s playful banter, the new girl instead snatched the parchment and the ink and quill. "That''s right, so what if I like paper? Your poetry, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired, after all. It''s not like I enjoyed it or anything; I-I just took pity on you, that''s all!" The stranger got to writing, occasionally scribbling words out of the parchment to replace them with new ones. "It''s obvious you got the hots for someone and lack the finesse to send them a love poem, but don''t you worry! The Ocean Fairy Joanna Jones is on the case! We''ll turn this d-droll and boring writing into something meaningful!" "It was just a bunch of opening lines," Clara murmured. It took a couple of minutes of writing and thinking, but the new girl set the parchment down and placed the quill on the ink bottle. "There!" She handed the parchment back to Clara. "Read it and be amazed by my magnificence!"
Opening lines O, mighty oak Like a raging fire My morning sun My sun king I''m your mountain Passionfruit The morning sun, I can touch feel it Mighty as the tree oak, warm like my passion Stirring in my heart like a raging fire O, my sun king, please stay with me I''ll be your mountain, unyielding and strong
"I can see the amazement in your eyes," the haughty girl boasted. "The first one is free." "This is..." Clara set down the parchment. "This is amazing! C-care to join me for a little while? I know it''s late, but I can pay for your food!" "Well," Joanna said as she thought about it, "food is a method of payment. But I have to warn you, I''m very hungry!" Clara privately opened her coin purse. A moth flew out of it, and to her dismay she could only find two copper coins. With an awkward laugh, she was about to break the news when Alistair arrived. The lad''s face was laden with sweat and an awkward face. He handed a key to Clara before turning away. "L-Lenoria gave me that key, and I locked the door so no one could get in. Please g-get some rest at your earliest convenience." "Will do, Alistair. I was wondering if I could, um," Clara looked at Joanna. She didn''t want to look bad after offering to pay, so she whispered in Alistair''s ear. "Oh, absolutely," the lad said. "I was meaning to give you your cut from the gold we found on the giant, but it slipped my mind. I have the rest stored in a safe space, but this should cover it." He handed Clara a handful of gold coins. The only time she''s seen so much at once was whenever her parents saved up enough to pay for their monthly rent. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "T-thanks, Alistair." Raising an eyebrow, the elf decided to address something she was curious about. "Why do you look guilty and out of breath? You were only gone for five minutes." Smiling slyly, she added, "If you wanted to bunk with Lenoria, all you had to do was tell me and I-" "Out of the question!" Alistair blurted it out suddenly and awkwardly. "G-good night!" Dropping the key on Clara''s hand, Alistair retreated back upstairs. Dismissing his words with a shrug, Clara got ready to make another order and said to herself she would talk to Lenoria in the morning. ~Alistair~ Some time prior The wooden steps creaked as Alistair made his ascent to the second floor. The smell of alcohol from Lenoria¡¯s breath was faint, but still there. He didn''t know her fortitude was so low, and chastised himself for not ordering a tankard for her instead. He didn¡¯t want to deny the girls the celebration he believed they deserved, but in hindsight the paladin realized he could have just ordered tankards and paid for more rounds if he needed to. What you should be doing is stop reading them books and fetch me another bottle, you little turd! Alistair had far more to drink, but his inhibition had not decreased in the slightest. All the alcohol in him did was bring back repressed memories of his childhood. Those violent, glass-shattering nights. Some nights he¡¯d go to bed hungry, other nights he wouldn¡¯t go to bed at all. Most parents would be happy to see their sons and daughters go out and make friends and even form relationships. His relationship with Lenoria would surely be the talk of House Leone for weeks, maybe even months, to come. But his own parents? He couldn¡¯t tell Lenoria about them. He¡¯d die from embarrassment. And then he felt a weak tug at his tunic. He looked down to see Lenoria grabbing onto him as she snoozed comfortably. The violent girl with unorthodox fighting skills that made a giant submit was sleeping peacefully in his arms. The alcohol in her breath mixed with the scent of jasmine she washed herself with was hard to ignore. Alistair believed it was rude to stare, but he had a hard time not sneaking a glance every now and then. She was beautiful in his eyes, and even her snoring and soft mumbling was cute to him. When was the last time someone else thought so highly of him that wasn''t in a position of superiority over him? ¡°Hey, Lenoria. We¡¯re here. I need the key.¡± Waking up from her very short nap, Lenoria complied and reached into her left boot to retrieve the key, allowing Alistair to open the door to the room. ¡°Can you stand?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± she hiccupped. With some help from Alistair, Lenoria got back on her feet. Still wobbly, she collapsed, but the paladin caught her in time. ¡°T-thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I should apologize for ordering so much for you to drink. I didn¡¯t expect you to get like this from half a bottle.¡± Putting his arm around her waist, Alistair kept Lenoria from collapsing as they entered the room. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, Al.¡± With a sudden move, Lenoria stepped in front of Alistair and used all of her weight to push him. The lad had no time to react as his back slammed against the wall. ¡°L-Lenoria,¡± a flustered Alistair struggled to get any scolding words in. ¡°If anything, I sssshould be thanking you. You are sso thoughtful and sweet.¡± Her speech was clearing up. ¡°Won¡¯t you spend the night with me?¡± Was this Lenoria when she lacked restraint? Alcohol was rumored to reveal a person''s true self, locking away a key to the cage reserved for restraint. How much had she been holding back? And for how long? The temptation was great, but he had to put a stop to it. ¡°L-Lenoria, I¡¯m afraid I have to politely decline. I¡¯ll take responsibility for getting you drunk, but this is not the way!¡± Even in her drunken state, Lenoria backed away, though it appeared she had no plans on giving up. ¡°Are you sure? Heroes should always be rewarded, and you¡¯re my hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. We need to take things slow, so please get some sleep.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure, though, if you change your mind¡­¡± She trailed her finger across his chest before she hiccupped again. ¡°Any girl would be happy to have you.¡± ¡°M-maybe so, but I would never betray the trust of the one who has already declared her heart to me.¡± This made Lenoria freeze. ¡°Y-you have a girlfriend? W-what¡¯s her name?¡± Alistair chuckled. The answer was so obvious, yet it appeared Lenoria hadn''t sobered up yet. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just show you?¡± The paladin noticed something on the wall next to the window, so he turned Lenoria¡¯s head in that very direction. Tears streamed from the girl¡¯s face when she spotted a blonde girl with green eyes and rosy cheeks wearing a yellow Western cloth. When she looked again, she noticed the girl was crying, too. ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful! I could never compete with that!¡± It was a mirror. ¡°Why would you have to compete with yourself? I only have eyes for you, you know?¡± The girl sniffled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really. You¡¯ve made it very clear how you feel about me. Granted, we¡¯ve only known each other for about a week, which is why I recommended we take things slowly. Paladins have a code they have to follow, depending on their deity, and the Hammer is very strict about relationships.¡± The lad debated if he should fill her in on it. It¡¯s unlikely Lenoria would remember any of it in the morning. ¡°Cohabitation is a taboo in my faith. Most churches are lax with that rule, but the Hammer''s tenets are stricter than others." Alistair chuckled as Lenoria tilted her head like a curious puppy. "Dates are fine, but the clergy is surprisingly vocal about chastity.¡± ¡°In Common, Alistair,¡± Lenoria hiccupped. ¡°We can¡¯t share the same bed unless we marry.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It appeared as if Lenoria had a moment of clarity. She held a heavy-lidded gaze the entire time, and only upon listening to Alistair elaborate on his faith did she seem to understand what he meant. After some thinking, she pressed herself against him, backing him into the wall again. Holding an amorous gaze, she gently cupped his face with both of her hands. ¡°Does your clergy say anything about kissing? There''s not a lot I can give you, but you can have my first kiss.¡± His back against the wall, there was no escape for Alistair. ¡°U-um, well, I-I don¡¯t think there''s a doctrine against that. B-but I still t-think we should s-stop before-¡± Standing on her toes, Lenoria leaned closer to steal a kiss. Alistair braced himself, for he preferred to get it over with than push Lenoria away. His heart thumped heavily, already thinking of countless ways to apologize to her when she woke up in the morning. Something in him screamed at him to stop her, but his body begged for him to just give in. She giggled from watching him squirm, stopping halfway to get a few more words in. "I''ll stop if you''re uncomfortable. All you have to say is," she paused to yawn, "''no, Lenoria, we mustn''t.''" But he failed to get the words in, so she continued her advance. She puckered her lips and closed her eyes, not waiting for Alistair to meet her halfway. She only drank a little bit, right? So she couldn''t be that drunk! But what if she was? Was it right for him to allow her to do this, knowing she wouldn¡¯t remember at all? Before he could get a word of refusal in, he felt her full body weight against him. Alistair opened his eyes, looking down to see Lenoria asleep on his chest. She could no longer fight the fatigue from the day, the alcohol in her system, or her weary eyes. Working fast, Alistair set her down on the bed, tucked her in, and locked the door behind him. He went downstairs to give Clara the key before heading back to his own room. He thanked the Hammer for his escape and promised himself to monitor Lenoria¡¯s drinking from now on. He wanted his paramour to be fully conscious when he shared his first kiss with her. The right thing to do would have been to decline, but past experience told Alistair not everyone handled rejection gracefully. *** ~Lenoria~ Lenoria awakened in a flame lit room. She clutched her head and squinted her eyes from the faint fiery light. There was a throbbing headache and the fatigue she accumulated from the day¡¯s events. Then, she looked around the room. She was no longer at the inn. She was inside a small wooden cabin. The source of the light came from a burning chimney. A young boy sitting close to the fire turned to see her and showed a toothy smile. He was scruffy with unkempt hair, with smudges on his cheeks black as coal. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± The girl panicked. Was this a dream? ¡°H-hey. Who are you? And where am I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Owen Miller. Nice to meet you, miss.¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s perplexed look, the boy kept going. ¡°You don¡¯t know me, but we sort of met. I¡¯m better known as Fornax.¡± Lenoria rose from her bed immediately. That was when she noticed she was garbed with a nightcap and gown with star and spatial patterns. ¡°I¡¯m in some weird place and I look like a total dork! This is definitely a dream!¡± She angrily pointed at the boy. ¡°You got ten seconds to tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Please be at ease. I don¡¯t want to fight you. If anything, I want to thank you for setting me free from that tyrant.¡± ¡°Who, the giant?¡± ¡°Yeah. It wasn¡¯t my choice to power him up, but anyone who agrees to the pact has to be provided with power.¡± Pact? Did the boy mean the deal spirits make with their potential partner? ¡°I just wanted to meet you, that¡¯s all!¡± The boy shielded himself with both hands. ¡°Honest!¡± Lenoria calmed herself and released the tension from her shoulders. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not going to hurt you. But I need an explanation, so hang on for just a second.¡± With a mere thought, Lenoria called out to Pearl. A moment passed before Pearl manifested herself in a whirlwind of feathers, looking as indifferent as always. ¡°I see you¡¯ve met Fornax.¡± ¡°Hello again, weird witch,¡± the boy greeted as politely as he could. The three of them stood by the fire at the edge of the cabin. There was little else inside besides the bed, the chair, and the chimney, as well as the lights from the stars and moon outside. A scarlet hue illuminated within the darkness of space outside.as the blue planet hovered below. Before she could ask her question, the window had grabbed Lenoria¡¯s attention. ¡°Wow.¡± She walked over to the window to get a better look. ¡°It¡¯s¡­.it¡¯s¡­¡± At a loss for words, she blurted out the first thing on her mind. ¡°Is this the Astral Plane?¡± ¡°Close. It¡¯s a simulation of a cabin orbiting around your planet,¡± Pearl revealed. ¡°We¡¯re actually inside your Soulstone. Or, more specifically, inside one of its many compartments.¡± It was a strange feeling for Lenoria, seeing her planet floating beneath her. How many times has she gazed at the stars and looked at the moon from below? Now the reverse has occurred, and she was at a loss for words for a moment until she repeated Pearl''s word back to her. ¡°Compartments?¡± ¡°There are sections within the Corvus Soulstone that are reserved for the spirits of the other stones we will acquire. They¡¯re vacant now, but I hope that changes soon.¡± Pearl hovered in place, taking her seat on an invisible throne. ¡°Remember how I mentioned that, although having limits, I can absorb any Soulstone we collect and use its power?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Lenoria said as she remembered. She had forgotten about it since the fire occurred right after Pearl told her. ¡°That means we can use the power the giant had.¡± ¡°Exactly. You can only call upon it once a day, but it¡¯s nice to know it¡¯s at your disposal. And before you ask, Fornax has agreed to help us.¡± The boy nodded to confirm Pearl¡¯s claim. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lenoria asked. ¡°He¡¯s just a boy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Miss Lenoria. It¡¯s the least I could do for what you¡¯ve done for me.¡± The boy rose from his chair. With a flick of his fingers, the flames of the chimney intensified. The strong smell of coal invaded the girls¡¯ noses despite the absence of smoke. ¡°Besides, I can help you defeat your enemies when you need a more direct approach than Pearl¡¯s.¡± The reflection of the flames danced in Lenoria¡¯s eyes. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful, explosive friendship in the most literal sense? ¡°As long as you don¡¯t put yourself in harm¡¯s way, I¡¯ll be happy to have you, Owen.¡± The girl was more determined than ever to continue on with Pearl¡¯s mission. She wondered if Owen was a suitable match for Alistair, but even if he wasn¡¯t there were surely more stones to choose from. The only thing that worried her was if Alistair could keep a secret. ¡°What do you think I should tell Alistair?¡± ¡°The honest truth, if you ask me,¡± Pearl said. ¡°If we take who he is at face value, then he¡¯s a disciplined individual who would carry out his duties diligently for the good of the realm. Ideally, he¡¯d lead this mission and ensure its success far better than you could.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Pressing her hands against her head, Lenoria squealed. ¡°I¡¯d be so happy if we traveled together after Starflower¡¯s trial. If Clara takes Mrs. Hunter¡¯s suggestion to study at the College of the Wilds, I¡¯d be all alone without either of them! I¡¯d be crying and begging her not to go, but would approve of her decision regardless!¡± She could see it now. Alistair would have no reason to stay with Lenoria other than for the sake of their budding relationship, but if they don¡¯t make progress soon, he¡¯d likely want to keep his distance to focus on himself. But what if he knew Lenoria was on a noble mission to prevent chaos from growing in the world? Lenoria, I cannot see my life without you. Someone so smart, so selfless, so beautiful! Let¡¯s get married and travel the world! I shall aid you on your quest for the stars! Their first stop would be the Plateau. Lenoria would love nothing more than Alistair meeting her family. Her own brother Arthur would have the older brother he always wanted, and her sisters would adore him. Her mother would treat him like one of her own children, while her father would likely work him like a horse in exchange for lodging. But at the end of each day, the happy couple would cuddle under the stars. ¡°She¡¯s drooling,¡± Owen whispered to Pearl. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. She does this a lot."
A Quest for the Stars is a work with an entry in Paizo''s Community Use Registry. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. This novel is only posted here on Royal Road. If you see it anywhere else, please contact Antares905 at https://www.royalroad.com/profile/390982 . Thank you! Chapter 24 - The Order of the Blue Jay 16th of Cobre, 12:21 pm (169 days before Starflower¡¯s trial) The sun had always been a wonderful sight. It nourished the plants, provided much needed warmth, and energized all living things. For Lenoria, the midday sun warming her face was an annoyance best resolved by closing the curtain. Her hair an unkempt mess, she groggily got up from her bed and dragged her feet to the window only to find Clara already there. ¡°Oh, morning.¡± Lenoria yawned. ¡°What are you doing up so early?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past noon, Lenoria,¡± her elven friend answered. Now awake, Lenoria winced from a headache. Clara was quick to offer a tankard of water, and one swig of the drink was a welcome feeling for the girl¡¯s dried lips. ¡°What happened last night?¡± ¡°You got drunk and passed out. Alistair had to carry you up the stairs before he went to bed.¡± What a shame. Lenoria only remembered drinking half a bottle; what followed next was a total blank. With a slight sense of embarrassment, Lenoria pressed for more info. ¡°Oh, man. Was I a happy drunk or the obnoxious kind?¡± ¡°Little bit of both, but Alistair didn¡¯t mind. He could see how much of a danger you were to yourself, and he suggested escorting you back to the room.¡± ¡°Did you walk back with us?¡± "Nope. I thought you were just pretending as an excuse to get Alistair alone with you, but he returned to me like five minutes after to hand over the key because he locked the door behind him." "Stupid alcohol brain..." Lenoria''s hangover mocked her inability to remember the night before. She tried to piece everything together, but all she could remember was herself handing over the key to help Alistair open the door. "Pearl, did you see anything?" "No," the woman in black said. "I had no desire to see you act the fool, so I made preparations to introduce you to Fornax around that time." "Figures." Lenoria patted herself up and down. "At least I don''t feel itchy, and I don''t see any bruises. He''s a bigger gentleman than I thought." Lenoria returned to the bed and sulked. "Then why do I feel so disappointed?" "He''s not Thomas, you know," Clara said. "Alistair should know what consent is. I''m sure he wanted to, but you must have said no or something." She shrugged. "Or he''s just not the kind of guy to make a move on anyone who''s drunk. You''ve seen how he is." "That could be it. I hope he didn''t take things the wrong way." Clara had an idea. "Well, we don''t have to leave until nightfall. Why don''t the two of you take Chestnut out for a stroll? I can stay here and see if I can raise some money with my singing." It was a wonderful idea, but Lenoria quickly thought back on her dream the night before. They had only been traveling for a day, but they were in a completely different area. Hammer''s Reach was drastically different than Helix City, and who knows when the girls will get another chance to explore the area together. "Actually, I was thinking maybe the two of us should hang out today. Alistair wants to take things slow, anyway, and he''s welcome to join if he wants to. But I''d like to explore this village with my best friend at least once." "That does sound like fun. You really don''t mind?" "Not at all! What about you?" "I can always practice some more once we head north." "Then it''s settled!" Lenoria grinned. "Let''s give Alistair a chance to sleep in. You and I have got a date with the local sights!" Clara''s smile broke when she looked out the window. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Clara¡¯s ears twitched, holding her index finger to keep Lenoria from speaking. The girls focused on their hearing, and soon enough they heard it. Continuous rumbling. "No, no, no, no!" Lenoria glued her face to the window, her eyes scanning the nearby buildings. A blue blur rushed through the trash cans outside of the inn, all which exploded with colors before she had a chance to gaze at the subject''s face. *** 16th of Cobre, 1659, 11:51 am (30 minutes ago) After some needed rest, Alistair rose from his bed and offered a prayer to the Hammer. When he was done, a single ray from the sun shone on him, forming a circle of light beneath him. Divine power coursed through his body, and for a brief moment his irises disappeared. When the ray disappeared, his body went back to normal. His divine powers had been restored, allowing him to continue with his fight against evil. He walked to the door of the neighboring room, but the memories of the night before returned just as he was about to knock. Not ready to face Lenoria just yet, he decided against waking the girls and instead made his way downstairs. Even from the second floor, the smell of eggs and pork sausage did not escape him, and he followed the steam to the tavern¡¯s main room and got in the breakfast line. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The tavern was livelier than the night before. A young blue-haired girl sat on a stool on the tiny stage, practicing with a withered mandolin while a seahorse in a bowl next to her had its own stool to be on. Travelers would come in while others would leave, ready to continue with their business in town. The rest were workers, drinking their problems away before going back to work. Once it was Alistair¡¯s turn, he ordered his breakfast. It took about half an hour before he could smell his order, and once the plate was placed on the table, the lad poked the innkeeper with a question. ¡°Do you need help in the kitchen, sir? I see that you¡¯re busy and orders have been slow in getting out.¡± The orcish male waved his hand dismissively. ¡°You already paid for your stay, son. I¡¯m not going to make you work for your own meal.¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, sir, but I¡¯m afraid not everyone would be as patient as I am. Surely we can come to an agreement.¡± The old orc could see the wisdom in Alistair¡¯s reasoning. Angry customers meant no money. ¡°Alright. If you can fetch my little girl and get firewood in her place, I¡¯ll write off your breakfast from your tab.¡± Alistair scratched the back of his neck. Dismissing it as a mild rash, he held the urge to scratch further. ¡°The girls¡¯, too?¡± With a scowl, the old orc nodded begrudgingly. ¡°I expect you to work hard for that firewood, so eat up and go. You¡¯ll need the energy.¡± Alistair nodded in agreement and began to chow down. The pork patties were a little spicy for his taste, but he welcomed the challenge. He ate as fast as he could, pausing only to take a gulp of water to wash down his food. Not long after he was done, he caught something with his peripheral vision. He looked around the tavern and realized the guests noticed it, too. Then he observed his tankard of water. It was vibrating every couple of seconds. Then he heard footsteps. The same footsteps he heard the night before. ¡°Innkeep!¡± Once the old orc¡¯s eyes were on Alistair, the lad said something that shook everyone to the core. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to alarm you, but I believe we have a giant problem.¡± The guests murmured amongst themselves. The orc¡¯s fatherly instinct took over, and without a word he grabbed a musket from under the counter, along with a pack of ammunition, and made his way to the door. Alistair blocked the man¡¯s path to the main entrance. ¡°Sir, please stay here!¡± ¡°My daughter is out there. Move before I force you!¡± He¡¯d waste time arguing with a father on a mission. Alistair was quick to comply and opened the door for him, and once the man went through, the lad grabbed his mace from the weapon rack and followed him outside. "Everyone, stay here!" He warned the tavern patrons only once before slamming the door shut behind him. ¡°I ain¡¯t fighting no giant, but I will if it means my daughter can get to safety.¡± Alistair caught up to the innkeep. ¡°It¡¯s likely a cave giant, sir. A gang of them attacked us on the way here last night.¡± ¡°Last night? You led them here?!¡± ¡°We made sure to get rid of the gang! It was an elderly giant and three younger ones.¡± ¡°You took care of dad and the kids. What about mom?¡± Alistair nearly stumbled on the unpaved road after the revelation. He stopped for a moment to look behind him; he could see a spectacle of bright lights in multiple colors happening behind the tavern building. Sensing an ill omen, Alistair had half a mind to return and get Lenoria and Clara to safety. But if he turned back, an innocent family would surely die. ¡°If it is my fault the giant is here,¡± the lad said as he firmly gripped his mace, ¡°then it is my responsibility. I¡¯ll make sure your daughter is safe, sir, even if I have to lay down my life.¡± Lenoria would be fine, and Clara had Tsukuyomi. His mind was at ease knowing the girls could handle themselves if anything happened at the tavern. ¡°You have guts, kid. But you should leave the dying to the grown-ups.¡± ¡°I have no intention of dying, though.¡± Alistair grinned. ¡°If mom giant is only as strong as dad giant, then I alone shall suffice. With that said, how do you know them?¡± ¡°Them cave giants have been a nuisance for a while. The guards have been able to keep them away, but if momma giant made it inside, then there¡¯s got to be trouble.¡± Alistair and the old orc followed the road to the main gate of the village. Surely enough, they spotted a cave giant right by the entrance. Her protruding tusks did not hide her ugly appearance, and neither did her long nose and stringy black hair. Red, pristine scales decorated her skin. The pink mumu she wore would have persuaded some laughs if it were not for the corpses of a couple of guards at her feet. Barring her path was a man in plate mail, just like the one Alistair wore. The knightly human male wielded a partisan and the musculature to hold it, and an azure cape with the symbol of a bird emblazoned on it clung to his shoulders and down his back. ¡°Whoa,¡± the old orc exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s a member of the Blue Jay!¡± ¡°The Blue Jay?¡± Alistair heard about them during his time in Helix. It was a non-religious order dedicated to punishing criminals and other miscreants they deemed dangerous. Anyone could join as long as they believed in the Blue Jay¡¯s cause. Still wishing to own up to his perceived responsibility, Alistair calmly approached the knightly figure and stood by his side. His eyes focused on a symbol of the man¡¯s left pauldron: an iron cross decorated by aquamarine gems. ¡°A servant of the Hammer?¡± The bearded, graying figure looked at the new arrival. The giant before them tried to step closer, but she stopped when both men looked back at her. ¡°You¡¯re not the backup I called for,¡± said the older male. Clutching his own holy symbol, Alistair shot him a cocky smile. ¡°Full-fledged paladin, Alistair Adams, sir. I have been initiated only three days ago, but I can fight with the best of them.¡± Pocketing away his symbol, Alistair set his sights on the giant in front of him. ¡°I have sworn to join any battle brother in need of help, if their cause is just!¡± Despite the danger, Alistair was more than ready to prove himself to the other paladins of the Hammer. Any chance to bring honor to the Hammer was not exactly mandatory to follow up on, but those who did were rumored to gain special favor from the Hammer. ¡°I don¡¯t need a rookie watching my back. Go home,¡± the older man ordered. Alistair¡¯s pride left just as quickly as it had arrived. ¡°But, sir-¡± ¡°No buts. I¡¯m not going to watch myself and keep some greenhorn from getting gobbled up.¡± ¡°Forgive my stubbornness, but this giant is my responsibility. A group of giants just like her stopped my group on our way here.¡± The giantess finally spoke to interrupt them. ¡°It was you! You¡¯re the reason my husband is dead and my children are missing!¡± The mother giant¡¯s mouth - revealing teeth sharper than her husband¡¯s - lit on fire. An orb of flames formed inside, growing bigger and bigger. Alistair and the knightly figure braced themselves. "Sea God''s Breath," shouted a mysterious maiden. Who knew all it would take to stop the flames was a watery orb to the face? A splash interrupted the giantess, forcing her to withhold her attack. Her hair and face drenched in water, she looked around for the person responsible. ¡°Who¡¯s got a death wish? Show yourself!¡± Down the road into the village stood a smaller figure. Alistair expected Lenoria but this person appeared to be shorter. She wore a suit made of a white blouse, navy-blue skirt, a red strand on her chest tied into a bow, white tights, and a pair of black heeled boots. Her head was decorated with blue hair and a pair of dolphin-shaped hairpins, with two long strands of hair dangling off to the sides. She posed bravely with a scepter, which had an aquamarine encrusted in it. ¡°Tch,¡± the knightly man scoffed, ¡°about time.¡± ¡°Evildoer!¡± The young girl pointed at the giant. ¡°Don¡¯t you know fire is dangerous?! Apologize to Mr. Spark right now, or you''ll answer to Melodious Aquamarine!¡± Chapter 25 - Two Hammers The knightly man, known as Mr. Spark, gave the young girl a round of applause. Alistair, confused by the whimsical turn of events, followed the lead presented to him and clapped, too, albeit slowly. ¡°A child? A child wants to die?¡± The giantess, drenched and angry, stared at the newcomer cautiously. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯m almost a grown-up!¡± The whimsical child teenager pointed furiously at the giantess. She released her scepter, which floated in place, and after a dainty twirl she shot another watery orb from her hands. ¡°Sea God¡¯s Breath!¡± The giantess was ready and blocked the attack with her hand. ¡°You have terrible aim.¡± ¡°Miss Aqua, I warned you about using your powers like that.¡± A seahorse, measuring about three feet in height and wearing a black bowtie, floated next to her. ¡°You are still an amateur. Aim carefully and ignore your rash impulses.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t just sit by when Mr. Spark is in danger!¡± Aqua, as she was called, pointed at the giant. ¡°Mr. Horsey, that ugly woman is going to eat him if I don¡¯t do something!¡± Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Is...is that a talking seahorse?" ¡°Ugly?!¡± The giantess stomped her feet in place. ¡°It¡¯s very rude to talk about someone when they¡¯re in front of you!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make you less uglier!¡± Sticking out her tongue immaturely, the heroic girl pulled her left lower eyelid to make a mocking face. ¡°Ugly! Ugly! Ugly!¡± Just then, an enormous glyph appeared in the sky. For a single second, the sun became the moon, bathing the field with white rays and cherry blossoms. An object descended quickly from the sky in the direction of the inn, causing a short quake just seconds later. ¡°Tsukuyomi!¡± The girls were definitely okay. Summoning an eidolon took a minute, meaning Clara was in a safe place if she was able to summon hers uninterrupted. His worries at ease, Alistair faced the giantess with righteous indignation. ¡°My friends will be here soon! Don¡¯t go anywhere, monster!¡± ~Cave Giant Matriarch~ Everything was going so well. Breaking through the gate was easy enough, and the dead guards at her feet would surely make for a good meal later. But the giantess was alarmed when Alistair announced that backup would arrive. She was sure she could handle four puny humans, but she could not hope to take on more without getting hurt. She had to run, but she didn¡¯t want to return home empty-handed. And that¡¯s when she spotted her: A small girl with silver hair and eyes like gems, hiding behind a bale of hay nearby. Smacking her foul lips, the giantess ran and snatched the youngling from her hiding spot. The young girl shrieked, unable to escape the giant¡¯s mighty grip. ¡°Allie,¡± the orc hunter screamed. ¡°Dad! Help!¡± A dagger-like claw was held at the girl¡¯s neck. ¡°Release her! I¡¯m the one you want,¡± Alistair called out. ¡°No deal! The only meat tastier than clowns is that of anyone consumed by fear! And what can be better than a crying child?¡± Unfurling massive wings behind her back, the giantess batted her new limbs furiously just as the orc took aim. ¡°You¡¯ll make a fine stew come dinner time, child.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Let her go!¡± The old orc opened fire just as the giant matriarch took flight. ¡°Monster!¡± But the old orc¡¯s aim was way off. With no time to reload a heavy firearm and with panic settling in, all he could do was chase after her along with Alistair. Alistair was the faster of the two, and jumped just in time to grab the giant''s foot right as she took off flying. "Got you!" "You rotten twerp! Get off of me!" "Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" "No! You took my family, so now I take something from the humans!" Down below, Aqua was not far behind. "Mr. Horsey, I could use your help!" Blowing bubbles into an empty spot next to her, a watery portal soon opened, letting a floating steed through. The creature had the upper body of a horse and the lower body of a fish, and wore a bowtie below its neck. "Hop on," cried the sea horse. Aqua hopped on, and the horse galloped after the flying giant. Farther away, using her free claw, the giantess swiped at her own leg as much as she could. Alistair weaved side to side to evade her blows, but the rash from earlier grew intense enough for him to free up his hand to grab the back of his neck. This was the opening the giantess needed, connecting with a blow with enough force to pry him away from her now that the boy was only holding on with one hand. "Not now!" Having entered the forest, Alistair slipped through the branches as he fell. Landing on his back, Alistair yelled in pain. All he could do now was watch the giantess become a small dot in the distance as Aqua and her steed chased after it. ¡°Allie!¡± His age finally catching up to him, the old orc collapsed on the forest road. He pounded the ground in a tantrum mixed with grief and anger; angry at his own helplessness, grieved by his daughter¡¯s kidnapping. ~Lenoria~ A roaring fire grew closer and closer. Alistair readied himself, but he was relieved to see Lenoria being carried by Tsukuyomi. The young genius jumped off the machine and tackled Alistair with a hug. ¡°Al! Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, L-Lenoria.¡± The events of the night before still fresh in his mind, Alistair gently broke free of Lenoria¡¯s embrace. ¡°We have a problem. A big one. Looks like our business with the giants isn¡¯t over, yet.¡± ¡°How come? I know Mrs. Hunter said the spell would break around this time, but I doubt they would have made it here so quickly.¡± ¡°No. Apparently, the three we let go had a mother, and the one we¡¯ve slain was her husband.¡± Filled with remorse, Alistair averted his gaze from both Lenoria and the innkeeper. ¡°She took the innkeep¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m sorry, but I must go retrieve her. Please relax for the rest of the day.¡± Exasperated, Lenoria shook her head. She was shocked to hear the giants had a mother, but she was more frustrated with Alistair. ¡°That''s suicide and you know it. Don¡¯t you remember what I said last night?¡± Not wishing to relive the incident, Alistair quickly asked, ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°You asked me to watch your back, and I even told you that you didn¡¯t even need to ask. You thought I was just saying that?¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± Alistair instantly remembered. ¡°You and Miss Clara worked so hard yesterday, and I don¡¯t want to impose on your break.¡± ¡°And you think this isn¡¯t important to me? Last I checked, we all fought the giants, and for that reason I feel just as responsible as you do.¡± Glancing over at the innkeep, she called out to him. ¡°Sir,¡± she said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll save your daughter.¡± Halting his weeping, the old orc coughed and held it all in long enough to speak. ¡°How? No one knows where those giants live.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a good tracker. I¡¯m sure we can find her,¡± the girl lied. Her basic perception was good enough, but she had a different plan in locating the giant¡¯s lair. They soon heard galloping in the distance. Aqua returned along with her aquatic steed, and only shook her head to deliver the news she had. "I see. She was too fast for you," Alistair guessed. "I''m sorry. I didn''t think something so big could be so fast," the heroic girl said sorrowfully. "It''s a common misconception that big things are slow," Lenoria said. "They''re clumsy, sure, but giants can be fast. You''d have better luck on horseback, but it looks like mom was much faster than dad." Alistair and Aqua nod. "Don''t fret, we''ll find her! Just leave it to me!" Lenoria then had an idea. "Why don''t you join us, miss? It looks like you''re dressed for the job, and we can split whatever treasures we find at their lair." Aqua wasted no time. "I feel bad for that young girl. I''ll be happy to help. I just need to go back to the village and find my group." The young magical girl then ran back to the village on her steed. "Wait!" Defeated, Lenoria snapped her fingers. "I was hoping she''d give us a ride." "You still have Tsukuyomi," Alistair pointed out. "Oh, right." Looking back at Tsukuyomi, Lenoria said "Hey, big guy. Grab the old man and take him back to the village, will you?" With a wordless salute, Tsukuyomi clutched the old orc''s neck and flew away with him. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Screamed the old orc as he was taken back to the village. "He''ll be fine." Lenoria smiled at Alistair. "Cheer up, Al! We got this!" "You seem awfully cheerful despite what''s going on. Do you really have that much faith in us?" "Of course! I feel great after the win we got last night, and if it''s just a family of giants, then there''s got to be less of them to deal with now that dad and the kids are missing." Next, she held Alistair''s hand. "Plus, any amount of time I get to spend with my sweetheart is like honey on oats. If you ever have doubts, just lean on me and let me handle things! I promise I''ll do my best to make things work out!" She watched Alistair''s doubts wash away. Feeling her hand prompted him to grip it firm with his as they both walked back to the village. It was quiet, but soothing; but with pending business on the horizon, she knew she had to be on her A-game today. *** ~Clara~ Meanwhile, back at the village, Clara surveyed the damage that was done by the giantess. The wooden gate had been forced open, wood and splinters scattered around the village entrance. Some of the local guards had been injured, and two had been confirmed as dead. The cause of death must be related to the scratch marks on their metal armor and the bite marks on their faces. "What do you think, Clara?" Apus asked from her shoulder. Clara thought hard on the matter, but all she drew was blanks. "I have no clue. Did those giants from last night have claws like that?" "Couldn''t tell ya. I was too busy dancing last night to pay attention." Without a single lead about their new enemy, the young summoner sat down on a carved log. "I wonder what Lenoria would say." "Hey, cheer up! There are plenty of ways that you can help!" "Really? How?" "You leave the tracking to Lenoria while you and Alistair give that monster the wallop of a lifetime!" Apus balled his wing into a fist and swung at the air. "It''ll be some good old fashioned fun! You have potential as a summoner, Clara! So don''t look down on yourself so much." Clara patted Apus on the head. "Thank you. I-I guess I really needed that." "No problem. None of us are useless; we''re just created differently." Footsteps alerted Apus of another person''s presence. A familiar looking girl stopped in front of Clara, short on breath but smiling sweetly after seeing Clara. "Oh my gosh." Clara nearly dropped the staff in her hands. She rose to her feet and greeted the newcomer. "H-hi! You wouldn''t happen to be Melodious Aquamarine, would you?!" The sweet smile became smug. "Yes, I am! You heard of me?" "Heard of you? You''re the girl in a sailor suit raised by a pirate a cappella band! You abandoned that life and instead used your powers for good!" The smile quickly turned into a slight frown. "I-is that the backstory that''s being passed around?" Clara nodded. "It''s an honor to meet you! I don''t normally gush like this around people, but may I have your autograph?" Back to her confident demeanor, Melodious Aquamarine used Clara''s quill and ink to sign a tome with a withered leather cover. "To my fan, Clara. Thank you for believing in me. Your friend, Aqua." Once she signed the tome, Melodious Aquamarine handed everything back to Clara. "F-friend?" "Anyone who feeds a hungry little girl is a friend of Aquamarine. In fact, you can just call me Aqua!" "I-I can''t believe it. Me, a friend to Melodious Aquamarine?" Clara almost squealed, but a new thought stopped her. "Feed? How did you find out about that?" "Guh!" Aqua''s eyes quickly darted for the sky as a drop rolled down her cheek. "Y-you see, I keep tabs on some of my fans. And whenever one feels incredibly happy, I investigate why." She nodded, more to herself than Clara. "Y-yeah, that''s it! Whoever it was, they must have been glad they met you." Clara thought back on the night before. "Wow. I thought Joanna just wanted to trade in her knowledge for food. She must have been super grateful." "No she wasn''t!" Struggling to come up with more excuses, Aqua quickly backpedaled. "I mean, yes! She must have been g-grateful to be fed." "I guess that makes us even. She was helpful, and I was able to return the favor." Clara then felt a hand grab her wrist. "Clara, we have an emergency!" "Emergency? Whoa!" Clara was dragged away by Lenoria, but the young summoner was able to at least exchange a silent goodbye before the girls went behind a run-down shed. *** Once Lenoria had some private time with Clara, she revealed her plan. The giant patriarch had the Fornax Soulstone in his possession, meaning it was possible Owen knew the way to their lair. Pearl agreed it was a good plan, and this was the perfect opportunity to test their new power. ¡°I was hoping to take a break, but Alistair could get himself hurt without us.¡± Clara nodded. ¡°You can count on me and Tsukuyomi.¡± ¡°Thank you. Alistair said the giant looked like she could breathe fire before she left, so there¡¯s a chance the Soulstone could be useless against her. But we can use it against other dangers that get in our way.¡± Holding the Corvus Soulstone, Lenoria summoned an eerie green light. ¡°Fornax! Uh, come here, please!¡± The black soulstone then gave off a maroon light, and in Pearl¡¯s place stood the scruffy boy from her dream. ¡°We meet again, Miss Lenoria. And you must be Clara.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a kid,¡± Clara pointed out. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Relax, will you?¡± Lenoria patted the boy on the head. ¡°They¡¯re spirits that only you and I can see. All he has to do is lead the way; we¡¯ll be doing the fighting.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re okay with this?¡± Clara asked the boy. The boy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to do not only that, but lend you my power as well. I can provide heat even in the coldest night outdoors, or I can launch a single blast of fire. And if I help you, those giants won¡¯t hurt people anymore.¡± Although skeptical, Clara relented. ¡°Very well. It¡¯s good to have you with us, then.¡± ¡°Cool. Let¡¯s get ready and grab Alistair so we can head out as soon as possible.¡± With all in agreement, the girls withdrew from their hiding spot behind a shed and made their way to the village gate. Once there, they caught Alistair in the middle of an argument with a grizzled man in armor, with the old orc and Aquamarine trying to mediate between them. ¡°...it¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± Alistair said. ¡°What kind of idiot lets their underage daughter go into the wilds to gather firewood? Someone like that doesn¡¯t deserve children!¡± With the old orc too shocked to react, Alistair bit back in his place. ¡°Blaming the victim won¡¯t solve the problem, Brother Spark! That was uncalled for!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your damn brother, you little greenhorn!¡± ¡°But we both took the oath to serve and protect the people!¡± Not letting go of his flanged mace, Alistair held it high to convince the stranger of his duties. Spark did not budge, however, instead choosing to stare Alistair down as if trying to intimidate him. ¡°You know what was uncalled for? Telling the giant you had backup coming! No wonder she ran!¡± Alistair grunted. He couldn¡¯t come up with anything to deny that claim, but he remained steadfast nonetheless. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you stop her? You didn¡¯t move a muscle after she killed the guards or after she started running!" Spark threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Look, it¡¯s a little late to play the blame game. Who cares whose fault it is? There¡¯s nothing anyone could have done.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even try!¡± Lenoria was raring to jump in, but Owen held out his hand to stop her. ¡°No, Miss Lenoria. Let them sort it out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re buying into this macho trash, Owen.¡± ¡°Every man has their pride, Miss Lenoria. Notice how the other boy isn¡¯t moving, either.¡± Seeing someone trying to intimidate Alistair brought back memories of the Guild, and Lenoria wanted nothing more than to help him. At Owen¡¯s suggestion, however, Lenoria did notice Alistair wasn¡¯t budging, either. He had to tilt his head to look at the bigger man, but Alistair was calm yet furious; he reminded her of Gabrielle on the day she fired Starflower. Apus stared at both men seriously. "You could be the world''s strongest woman, and all you''d do is emasculate him. Alistair knows he can depend on you if he needs help. Trust his judgment, Lenoria." Gabrielle could handle herself, but Beau was always there for her if she needed him. Perhaps Lenoria should follow Beau¡¯s example, and remain on the sidelines until she was truly needed. ¡°H-he¡¯s right, Mr. Spark,¡± the blue-haired girl finally chimed in. ¡°You told me paladins fought for love and justice. Wasn¡¯t that the whole point of joining the Order? We should help him!¡± ¡°Stay out of this, Jo- er, Aqua.¡± Spark looked back at the girl, who had the look of a sad puppy. ¡°You can¡¯t just look at me like that whenever things don¡¯t go your way.¡± But the girl continued to stare at him sadly, her eyes watering and lips quivering being the only warnings she was giving before she proceeded to the next step. ¡°You bear the symbol of the Hammer,¡± Alistair said. ¡°I suggest you avoid causing a scandal for the church and represent him properly. Or is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± ¡°Tch, fine,¡± the older man said. ¡°But if anyone from my crew dies, it¡¯s on you, boy.¡± Alistair smiled cockily. ¡°Thank you. You have a crew?¡± ¡°Yeah. We went our separate ways when we came to this village, but I think it¡¯s time we assembled the band.¡± Spark wiped his face downwards. ¡°We¡¯ll meet here in an hour. Any idea on where to go?¡± Alistair sighed and shook his head. ¡°No, but my team has a tracker. I have faith she¡¯ll find the giant¡¯s lair.¡± With one loud huff from his nostrils, the man shook his head disapprovingly. Giving the blue-haired girl another look, however, was enough to calm him down. ¡°Fine, your team can come, too. But we¡¯re leaving in an hour, with or without any of you.¡± Spark walked away rudely, prompting an apologetic bow from the girl before she rushed to follow him. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± The old orc asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Alistair said. ¡°Please head back to the inn and rest, sir. I promise we¡¯ll bring your daughter back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to comment on how I let her out alone in the woods?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had to pick up after my parents before,¡± Alistair reassured him. ¡°She told me about your injury. I know she was only trying to do the right thing.¡± Giving the orc a knightly bow, Alistair excused himself and went on his way. That¡¯s when Lenoria finally called out to him, and he stopped to wait for her. ¡°There you are,¡± Lenoria said, hiding the fact she¡¯d been watching the whole time. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± ¡°Not just yet. I managed to get us some help, so we¡¯ll be traveling with another party. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Staring up at him, Lenoria reached out to his left cheek. Alistair flinched at the touch, but relented when Lenoria did nothing else. ¡°You seem tense. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°S-sorry, I¡¯m just not touched to being used, I mean, not used to being touched!¡± He slapped himself on the forehead. ¡°That sounds so wrong.¡± Lenoria giggled. ¡°You want me to stop?¡± A smile crossed Alistair¡¯s face. ¡°N-no, this is actually nice.¡± He awkwardly held her wrist, pulling her a little closer so her hand was pressing against his cheek. Then, Lenoria stumbled on a pebble. But Alistair¡¯s firm grip kept her from falling over. They stared at each other, tense about what just happened¡­ ¡­and laughed it off. Alistair relaxed his shoulders, seemingly forgetting the conversation he had not long ago. They slowly let each other go; how often would they get to enjoy moments like these? ¡°T-thanks, Lenoria. I feel much better now.¡± He sighed. ¡°Are you sure you want to come with me? I think we can handle a giant or two.¡± ¡°Depends. Does gold melt faster than silver?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s a little chemistry joke.¡± She pinched Alistair¡¯s cheek. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m in perfect fighting condition, and it¡¯s about time Clara and Tsukuyomi stretch their legs, too.¡± ¡°A-alright, if you say so.¡± Taking a moment to think, Alistair soon was back to his stricter self. ¡°We have less than an hour to prepare. Let¡¯s go over tactics and do some shopping. Then, we¡¯ll take one last trip to the inn before we return to the gate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small village, but we¡¯d still be cutting it close.¡± Nodding to Pearl, who hovered nearby, Lenoria then beckoned for Clara to come closer. ¡°Before all that, I have something to tell you.¡± Now was the time to tell Alistair the truth, more than ever. If dad giant had a stone, odds were that mom had one, too. Summoning the Corvus Soulstone to her hand, Lenoria held it up for Alistair to see. The jade light of the stone made Clara¡¯s react as well, surrounding Alistair with a mixture of green and vermilion. She had to tell Alistair so that they could formulate a plan. But how would he take it?
Name Level and XP
Lenoria 5th level: 11,995/15,000
Clara 5th level: 11,905/15,000
Alistair 7th level: 24,905/34,000
Party Abilities Lenoria
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Intelligence Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Weapon Finesse - Use Dexterity modifier instead of Strength for light weapon attack rolls, such as unarmed strikes and rapiers.
1st (Brawler 1) Brawler''s Cunning - Treat Intelligence as 13 for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats. Martial Flexibility, 4/day - Gains the benefit of a combat feat for one minute. Martial Training - Brawler level counts as both fighter and monk levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats and certain magic items. Unarmed Strike - Gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat Dirty Fighting - Forgo the +2 bonus of flanking a foe in exchange of using a combat maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. Also counts as Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, and Improved Unarmed Strike for the purpose of qualifying for certain combat feats. Improved Unarmed Strike - Can use limbs to deal lethal damage.
2nd (Artificer 1) Arcane Derring-Do - Gains the gunslinger''s grit feature, using her Intelligence modifier instead of Wisdom. Gains the Deadeye, Gunslinger''s Dodge, and Quick Clear deeds. Trapfinding - Adds half artificer level to Perception checks to find traps and Disable Device checks. Can also disable magic traps. Machine Expert - Gains Gunsmithing at 1st artificer level, Craft Construct at 5th level, and a bonus item creation feat at 10th, 15th, and 20th levels. Gunsmithing - Can craft ammunition, create and repair firearms, and mix black powder for all sorts of firearms.
3rd (Artificer 2) Craft Gear Servant - Gains a machine familiar, with some restrictions Point-Blank Shot - Gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against foes within 30 feet
4th (Artificer 3) Blind You With Science - Use Intelligence modifier, instead of the regular modifier, for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks.
5th (Artificer 4) Scientist''s Cunning - Can use crafted magic items with a caster level equal to artificer level -3 or lower without rolling a Use Magic Device check. Extracts - Learns spells the same way alchemists do Dodge - Gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
Alistair
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Constitution Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Endurance - Gains a bonus to Constitution checks and saves against harsh conditions, such as avoiding nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst and avoiding nonlethal damage from a forced march.
1st (Paladin 1) Aura of Good - A paladin''s aura is measured by paladin level. Detect Evil - Can detect evil creatures or objects Smite Evil, 1/day - Gains a bonus to attack and damage rolls vs evil creatures, and gains a deflection bonus to AC against those creatures. Fails against nonevil creatures. Power Attack - Deal more damage in melee in exchange for accuracy.
2nd (Paladin 2) Divine Grace - Adds Charisma modifier to all saving throws. Lay on Hands, 3d6, 6/day - Can heal wounds by number of dice indicated, or deal damage to undead by the same amount.
3rd (Paladin 3) Aura of Courage - The paladin is immune to fear, and grants all allies a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against fear. Divine Health - The paladin is immune to all diseases. Mercy - Adds an additional effect to the lay on hands class feature. Mercy (Deceived) - A paladin''s lay on hands also allows a victim of ongoing illusions to roll a new saving throw. Shield Focus - Increases the bonus granted by any shield by 1.
4th (Paladin 4) Channel Positive Energy, +4d6 - Spends two uses of lay on hands to restore the hit points of all living creatures within 30 feet by the amount of dice indicated, or deal the same amount in damage vs undead. Spells - A paladin gains divine spells. The caster level is equal to paladin level -3. Smite Evil, 2/day
5th (Paladin 5) Divine Bond - Alistair has established a bond with the Hammer of Justice, which has manifested itself in the form of a mount. Protector''s Strike - Whenever the paladin smites an evil creature, he can choose to grant the deflection bonus to an ally instead of himself.
6th (Paladin 6) Mercy (Diseased) - A paladin''s lay on hands also functions as a remove disease spell, using his class level as his caster level.
7th (Paladin 7) Smite Evil, 3/day Mounted Combat - Can roll a Ride check when a mount is hit, negating the attack if the Ride roll is higher than the opponent''s attack roll. Can only be activated once per round.
Clara
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Elf +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution Low-Light Vision - Elves can see twice as far as humans under dim illumination. Elven Immunities - Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws vs enchantment spells and effects. Elven Magic - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to caster level checks to overcome spell resistance, and +2 racial bonus to Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items. Keen Senses - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception checks Weapon Familiarity - Elves gain proficiency with longbows, shortbows, longswords, and rapiers, and treat any weapon with "elven" in its name as a martial weapon.
1st (Unchained Summoner 1) Spells - Summoners cast arcane spells, and can do so while wearing light armor without incurring arcane spell failure. Cantrips, their 0-level spells, can be cast an unlimited amount of times per day. Eidolon - A summoner makes contact with an eidolon, a powerful outsider she can summon. Construct callers like Clara must make contact with an eidolon of the inevitable subtype. An eidolon''s abilities are determined by its evolution pool. Life Link - If an attack threatens to send an eidolon back to its home plane, the summoner can give up any number of hit points. Each hit point reduces the damage of an incoming attack on the eidolon by 1. Additionally, the eidolon loses hit points the farther it strays from its summoner. Improved Initiative - Adds a +4 bonus to initiative checks.
2nd (Unchained Summoner 2) Bond Senses - The summoner can fuse her senses with her eidolon, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything her eidolon does. She can do this a number of rounds per day equal to her summoner level.
3rd (Unchained Summoner 3) Summon Monster I - Can use the summon monster spell of any level available a number of times per day equal to 3 + the summoner''s Charisma modifier. The summoner can only use this ability if the eidolon has not been summoned. Planar Tinkering - At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, the summoner gains an additional evolution point for her eidolon. Reach Spell - Can increase the range of a spell of a base range of touch, close, or medium. A reach spell uses a spell slot one level higher than the spell''s actual level for each increase in range category.
4th (Unchained Summoner 4) Shield Ally - Whenever the summoner is within the eidolon''s reach, she gains a +2 shield bonus to AC and a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws. These bonuses go away whenever the eidolon is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.
5th (Unchained Summoner 5) Summon Monster II Extra Evolution - Your evolution pool increases by 1 point.
Chapter 26 - Acrimonious Partnership, Part 1 The truth was not always a simple thing. What sounded like a heroic quest for one person could sound like a simple treasure hunt for another. For others, a simple hoarding binge. But for Alistair? None of the above. ¡°Lenoria, Miss Clara, I¡¯m afraid I cannot take part in this.¡± The paladin gazed sternly at the girls, despite their growing disappointment. He considered not holding back, but it was not in him to twist a knife that¡¯s already been plunged. ¡°We understand, Alistair,¡± Clara said. ¡°We won¡¯t force it on you. But I¡¯d like to ask why you refuse.¡± ¡°Do I really need a reason? The giant we faced last night is enough proof. These stones are a power that¡¯s beyond our ken.¡± Nearly tearing a small tuft of his own hair, he pointed at Lenoria. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that same power is now in your hands?¡± ¡°The spirits only want to go home, Alistair,¡± Lenoria sorrowfully said. ¡°But they serve anyone who makes a deal with them. I-it¡¯s not their choice!¡± ¡°If only you knew,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what power does to people. It takes them to places they never considered!¡± I can¡¯t let that happen to you. ¡°And you think we¡¯re not responsible?¡± Lenoria fired back. ¡°You don¡¯t know a thing about us!¡± ¡°I never did!¡± His lips quivered, but he powered on. ¡°And I wish you understood that!¡± ¡°I have to admit, you walked right into that one,¡± Pearl commented. ¡°Not. Now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re playing with fire, Lenoria.¡± Alistair grabbed Lenoria¡¯s hand, the one that held her Soulstone. ¡°Figuratively and literally. Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t smash it to pieces.¡± Lenoria could not escape Alistair¡¯s grip. ¡°L-let go, Alistair!¡± She looked up to find Pearl watching everything unfold; her amused demeanor was gone, and now Alistair had her full attention. ¡°I¡¯m doing my best not to hurt you, but this will be a lot easier on both of us if you hand it over. You too, Miss Clara.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, either, but you¡¯re not giving me much of a choice here!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let either of you go down this path. My conscience won¡¯t allow it!¡± The paladin successfully wrestled the stone from Lenoria¡¯s hands. ¡°Your conscience can suck a lemon! Calm down, and we¡¯ll talk this out a little more!¡± During the struggle, neither of them noticed the darkening of the skies. Clouds had gathered, the winds were howling, and the familiar cries of corvids filled the air. Not one, not five, not even a dozen; a massive swarm of crows, ravens, and other corvids cawed loudly, their piercing cries putting a stop to their bickering. And in the blink of an eye, they were no longer in Hammer¡¯s Reach. The trio and the swarm ended up in a pitch black void, dotted by countless stars and blotched with green, nebulous lights. The Corvus Soulstone was gone from Alistair¡¯s grasp. A white raven descended from the swarm, prompting Alistair to pull Clara closer and do his best to shield the girls from a potential attack. ¡°A compartment?¡± Lenoria thought. And thus, the white raven spoke. ¡°You threatened to smash the stone, boy. Did you think I would take such an offense lightly?¡± ¡°P-Pearl?¡± ¡°Another monster?¡± Alistair kept his mace hand ready. The white raven cackled. ¡°Monster? Only a monster would vow to protect those under his care and hurt them in the same breath!¡± ¡°I¡¯m protecting them from the poison that is the pursuit of power!¡± ¡°And you would hurt her to accomplish that goal?! Has the Hammer sunk so low to allow cowards into his fold?!¡± The raven hissed. "You hurt someone who meant no harm. Just look at her hand!" Alistair looked back at Lenoria, who quickly put her hands behind her. He once again grabbed the same hand as earlier, gentler this time, and found a bruise right where he had grabbed her. Meeting her saddened gaze with remorse, Alistair mouthed an apology. ¡°Calm down, Pearl,¡± Clara said. ¡°We could have handled this!¡± ¡°No! The moment he laid hands on the stone was the moment he sealed his fate!¡± The eyes of the white raven turned completely red. ¡°If you oppose me, I¡¯ll have to annihilate you as well. I can always find someone else to become Apus¡¯s master!¡± ¡°She means to kill both of them?¡± Wiping her eyes with her forearm, Lenoria took a step forward. ¡°Pearl, that¡¯s enough! I know you didn¡¯t like Alistair from the start, but I won¡¯t let you hurt him or Clara!¡± ¡°Stand aside, Lenoria! I gave you life, and I have no problem taking it back!¡± ¡°L-Lenoria, what does she mean?¡± Alistair¡¯s soft voice was a sign of his wavering resolve. Despite the situation, Lenoria grinned with her usual cheekiness. ¡°You asked me to give you a good reason why you shouldn¡¯t smash the stone.¡± Her grin slowly disappearing, Lenoria knew it was time to confess. ¡°You didn¡¯t save my life back at the park. I was dead when you arrived, but Pearl brought me back to life right before you checked my pulse.¡± Alistair was astonished. ¡°That¡­thing revived you?¡± He pointed at the white raven. ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only that, but the spirit in Clara¡¯s Soulstone restored her legs and gave her the power to save us both from the fire!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, Alistair,¡± Clara confirmed. ¡°I owe my life to Apus, the spirit in my Soulstone! If it wasn¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t be here and neither would Lenoria.¡± Determined to see this through, Lenoria grabbed on to Alistair¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I get your reasoning, Al, but these spirits only do bad things when their masters command them to! Power doesn¡¯t make people evil; it just reveals who they are deep down!¡± ¡°It is too late for that, Lenoria!¡± Pearl¡¯s rage intensified along with the buffeting winds. ¡°You¡¯d defend a man who hurt you? This is how it starts; he hurts you, then says he¡¯s sorry. What happens then? You feel sorry for him, so you forgive him and let the cycle continue!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lenoria commanded. ¡°I know what trauma bonding is, and that¡¯s a slippery slope I want to avoid. I know a lot of things, and there are things I don¡¯t know! But one thing I do know, without a shadow of a doubt!¡± She turned around, grabbed Alistair again, and¡­closed her fist and smacked him above the forehead. ¡°Ow!" ¡°Both of you are morons! Pearl, I could tell Alistair was a good guy from day one but you didn¡¯t believe me!¡± Shooting Alistair a glare, she added, ¡°And Al! I could have answered all of your concerns, so there was no need to grab the Soulstone! This could have been prevented if you let me explain myself instead of being so zealous!¡± Both Pearl and Alistair were taken aback by Lenoria¡¯s scolding, saying nothing in response except¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alistair said. ¡°What have I done?¡± A raven descended from above and perched on Alistair¡¯s head. Hopping around and preening his hair here and there, the little raven stood right above the paladin¡¯s nape before he cawed loudly. Lenoria patted the raven on the head. ¡°Poe!¡± Clara was relieved as well. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Poe?¡± Pearl listened to Poe speak some more. ¡°Even you oppose my decision?¡± Poe cawed affirmatively, flapping his wings as he stood firmly on Alistair. ¡°Even though I have legions of corvids at my command, who will happily rip anyone to shreds?¡± Poe cawed bravely, his response the same as the last one. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Alistair gestured to the raven on his head. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Poe is such a sweetheart,¡± Lenoria said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he just defended you and is trying to reason with Pearl!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s put that theory to the test, Poe.¡± A glowing white spear suddenly materialized above the white raven. The pointy ends aimed below, right at Alistair. Alistair grunted, eyes wide open. ¡°You were saying?!¡± ¡°Pearl! What are you doing?¡± The girls asked in unison. ¡°Even if my little Poe is right, the fact that Alistair hurt Lenoria remains.¡± The polearm was slowly pulled back by a couple of feet. ¡°You had every intent to smash the Soulstone by any means necessary, endangering those under your care as well as myself and my mission. I must still punish you for your crimes, and keep you from ever doing it again.¡± ¡°Pearl, this is insane!¡± Lenoria was then pushed away gently. ¡°Al?¡± ¡°No, Lenoria. She¡¯s right.¡± Alistair looked up at the menacing polearm. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, but sometimes pure intention is not enough to stop people from doing horrible things. I shouldn¡¯t have laid my hands on you, and should have instead insisted on you handing over the stone. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°C-come on, Al, it¡¯s not like I said you couldn¡¯t touch me at all. Just be more gentle next time.¡± Alistair dropped his mace, which soon clanked on the transparent ground of the void. ¡°Pearl, wasn¡¯t it? I was tasked to protect these two from the dangers of the world. I failed to realize my zeal could also be dangerous, which resulted in this. If I can atone for this crime, then I leave my fate in your hands!¡± ¡°Alistair, there has to be another way!¡± Clara remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy, Alistair! It didn¡¯t hurt that bad,¡± Lenoria added. ¡°A fool at first, but an honorable man to the last!¡± Pearl¡¯s telekinetic power pulled the spear some more. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick and painless!¡± ¡°Pearl, no!¡± The white spear was launched. There was literally no time for Lenoria to do anything; in a split second, the giant projectile was fired and pierced through Alistair¡¯s neck. He threw his head backward to the pain, struggling to scream due to his blocked windpipe. Then the projectile started moving again, and went all the way through, and planted itself on the ground. Clara noticed something pulsating at the tip of the weapon; a bloody, fleshy bud, shaped like a bean with black roots, which was soon reduced to ashes along with the radiant weapon that pierced it. Alistair touched his neck. ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Pearl said. ¡°The righteous never need to fear the [Holy Javelin].¡± And just like that, they were all back in Hammer¡¯s Reach, specifically in the bigger room back at the inn. The sunlight greeted everyone with warmth. The swarm was gone and everything seemed to have gone back to normal. Pearl, however, was prone and hurt. She was back to her human form. ¡°Pearl!¡± Not wasting a single second, Lenoria went to her partner¡¯s side and knelt to provide a softer surface to rest her head. ¡°Ugh. I can¡¯t manifest my power for that long.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me, you old witch!¡± ¡°I just need to rest inside the Soulstone for a week.¡± Pearl coughed. ¡°And who are you calling old?¡± Alistair knelt next to Lenoria and leaned closer to Pearl. ¡°Ma¡¯am, tell me where you¡¯re hurt so I can treat you!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Pearl scoffed cockily. ¡°You would heal someone who threatened your life?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious to me that you mean something to Lenoria. A-and there are things I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± He grabbed Pearl¡¯s arm to check on it, but she immediately retracted it. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck. You get one question,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Very well,¡± the paladin said. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pearl chuckled. ¡°You had one question. It could have been about the secrets of the universe, if there was life beyond the solar frontier, or even about the degree of lust this girl holds for you.¡± Pearl closed her eyes. "As infinite as the void, I''d say." Lenoria scoots slightly backward, blushing as she did so. ¡°Instead, you ask something inane.¡± Pearl coughed. ¡°Lenoria already explained to you why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m collecting the other Soulstones and returning them to my master. I don¡¯t know what drove you to be so hostile, but it¡¯s in your best interest to work with these two. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve granted you my Spirit Sight.¡± ¡°Spirit Sight?¡± Lenoria asked. ¡°Is that why he can see you now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve determined that he¡¯s trustworthy. Sorry, perhaps I should say that I was convinced.¡± Pearl looked over at Poe, who happily perched on Alistair¡¯s head. ¡°Every corvid gets a single wish from me when I adopt them. Most ask for food or shiny trinkets, but Poe withheld his for a special occasion. He decided to use his own wish for me to spare Alistair.¡± Tears formed in Lenoria¡¯s eyes. ¡°You did that for us, Poe?¡± Poe cawed again, spreading his wings affirmatively. ¡°So it was this or my life.¡± Alistair said. ¡°Poe didn¡¯t do it for you. He did it for Lenoria. He figured she¡¯d be sad if I claimed your life, and he owed her a favor for saving his life.¡± Pearl¡¯s exposition was tiring her out at this point, pausing to take a few breaths. ¡°Our goals align, Alistair. If you don¡¯t want these stones to fall into the wrong hands, it¡¯s in your best interest to help the girls. And as an added boon, your Spirit Sight will also allow you to see ghosts and other incorporeal horrors.¡± ¡°And by doing so, you¡¯ve aided my own cause.¡± With a sigh of acceptance, the paladin rose to his feet. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Lenoria leapt for joy, hugging Alistair and then Clara. ¡°Ow,¡± Pearl said as her head clunked on the ground. ¡°Isn¡¯t that great, Clara?¡± Lenoria grabbed Clara¡¯s hands and jumped in place. ¡°Alistair gets to help us!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Distracted, Clara took a moment to read the room. ¡°Oh, r-right. Congratulations, Alistair.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be hearing from me for a while, but the stone will glow when it detects a Soulstone outside of our collection. It is up to you to locate them until I get back.¡± Closing her eyes, Pearl yawned. ¡°See you in a week.¡± And with an explosion of star-like particles, Pearl disappeared. Alistair sat down on the bed, trying to take it all in. The girls sat next to him, flanking him, and patted him on the back. "Welcome to the team," Clara said warmly. "I guess you''re stuck with us for now." "It would seem that way." Alistair looked back at Lenoria. "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry." ¡°I already said it was fine, Al." Blushing again, Lenoria stared at the wooden floor. "Buuuut, if you want to make it up to me, just grab my hand a little more gently next time." "I''m serious! Huh?" Lenoria grabbed Alistair''s hand and held it between them. She smiled at him, seemingly leaving the whole thing behind them already. "So am I." Lenoria grinned. "Sadly, as much as I want to enjoy this moment, Clara and I need to change our clothes. I wouldn''t mind if you stayed, but Clara..." "A-at once!" Alistair rose from the bed, gave the girls a knightly bow, and closed the door on his way out. Once Alistair was out the room, Lenoria took out the dirty clothes from last night - Clara''s armor and her own - out of a closet. With two flicks of a wand from her tool belt, the smudges, blood stains, and grime from their battle gear were removed instantly. Once this was done, Clara finally addressed something on her mind. ¡°Hey, do you have a second?¡± ¡°Yeah, we can chat while we change. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you saw it, but there was this...fleshy thing that came out of Alistair when Pearl used that spell on him.¡± Clara shivered at the thought. ¡°It was all bloody and wriggly. I don¡¯t think Pearl was planning to kill Alistair at all.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Well, the spell she cast is typically used for undead, demons, and sometimes people. But with people, there¡¯s never a guarantee it¡¯ll succeed. Maybe whatever that creature was had something to do with the way Alistair behaved earlier, and Pearl took action to prevent him from doing any harm.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to do something this roundabout.¡± Now wearing her battle gear, Lenoria shook the Corvus Soulstone. ¡°Yo, Pearl! Are you awake?¡± ¡°...yes. Please don¡¯t shake the stone,¡± Pearl¡¯s voice echoed in their heads. ¡°And you¡¯re right on the mark, Clara. I never planned to kill Alistair. My target was the Cassiopeian Bud in his system, which I detected the moment he showed hostility.¡± With a vein pulsing on her temple, Lenoria¡¯s angry grunt preceded a suppressed outburst. ¡°The hell? So you did all of that just for show?¡± ¡°No. I also was able to gauge how he handled responsibility, and with the bud out of his system, he should be able to play his role as your defender better. In time, he shall regain his confidence.¡± Hearing that made Lenoria calmer in an instant. She crossed her arms as she waited for an explanation from Pearl. ¡°You mean he lost it before? I thought he was just shy.¡± ¡°Maybe he is, but the bud was feeding on his negative emotions.¡± After a pause, Pearl continued. ¡°You are right, Lenoria. The Soulstones do not operate on good or evil, but on the power and intention of their masters. The bud comes from the many powers of the Cassiopeia Soulstone, and it works as a parasite that amplifies their victim¡¯s negative emotions so that it can feed on them. It must have taken a liking to Alistair¡¯s uneasiness.¡± "Another Soulstone user did this. Poor guy. I wish I found out sooner...¡± "The part about Poe, however, was true. Even if I didn''t plan on killing Alistair, I still wanted to scare him and make him suffer for what he did. Poe begged me not to do it, so instead of prolonging things, I went right for the bud." "Thank you, Poe," Lenoria said, hoping her words would reach Poe. "So he convinced you to do this, then?" "There was one more factor. When I detected the Cassiopeian Bud, I could also sense that Alistair''s divine connection had been weakening. But when he offered to atone for his crimes, his power returned to him." Pearl chuckled. "I won''t apologize for doubting what you saw in him, but I''m convinced he means well, for the time being." "Al..." "He really does care about you," Clara commented. "Can you imagine what more he''d do once you know each other better for like, like say, a year?" Lenoria could hear wedding bells in her head, but she snapped out of that immediately; she wouldn''t be returning for a while if she indulged her thoughts now. "More on that later. Pearl, is there anything else we need to know about Cassiopeia?" ¡°The buds it produces also work as wiretaps.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a wiretap?¡± Clara asked. ¡°Oh, right. I forgot they haven¡¯t invented those here. It is basically an audio-only scrying device. Whoever planted it in him must already know where we''re going.¡± Lenoria sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just great.¡± Clara was not as worried. ¡°You destroyed the bud, so that means they won¡¯t know when we¡¯ll get there.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Pearl continued, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that whoever the master of Cassiopeia is, they¡¯re using their power for evil. They may try to claim your stones, maybe even your lives. This may well be the point of no return. Even if you abandon this trip, Cassiopeia¡¯s master would likely come to Helix if they want more power.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll find them first,¡± Lenoria declared with a closed fist. ¡°They¡¯ll pay for what they did to Alistair!¡± ¡°Good. I detected great potential in Alistair, and he may be worthy of a Soulstone of his own. I was thinking Scutum, if we ever find it. Hopefully my power will provide him with much needed aid, but I¡¯m counting on you to protect him from Cassiopeia until he awakens as a wielder.¡± Strapping up their boots, the girls were ready to go. They left their room and made their way downstairs. Do not fret. Despite your disadvantage, everything is going. Just. As. Planned. Chapter 27 - Acrimonious Partnership, Part 2 The young girl awakened in a daze. Cold steel clanged as she sat and crawled around, quickly noticing the shackles around her hands and the cage bars surrounding her. Once her vision fully returned, she panicked after seeing the monster stirring an enormous cookpot just a dozen feet away. "Now we add the pepper, some potatoes, some kobold lungs..." Tossing a handful of ingredients, the giant of a woman glanced at her newly awakened prey. "Good morning, my little sunshine. Wakey wakey, time to eat to your heart''s content." The giantess opened the cage door and threw in a handful of leather knapsacks. She encouraged her little prey wordlessly, who then opened the leather bags to find rations, candy, and bread inside. "Humans have some weird tastes, but if you dig enough, you''ll find some diamonds in the rough. There''s some chocolate in there, too, if you want it." Allie kicked the bags away. "I don''t want any, you monster! My dad will come get me, you''ll see!" "No need to be hurtful, I just want to take care of you since I lost my family." "You just want to fatten me up!" "Semantics." Allie retreated to the opposite end of the cage, doing her best to be as far away from the monster as she could. "At least eat the chocolate. It''s so delicious, and it comes straight from the Jaguar Lands. That''s where all chocolate originated from." The giantess smacked her lips. "The folks from the Jaguar Lands make frothy drinks with it. Back in the day, they used human blood and used it for sacrificial purposes. These days, they don''t sacrifice their own people anymore, so they use annatto to give their drinks that red coloring their ancestors loved." The giantess walked over to a cabinet, where she retrieved a bowl made from adobe. Using a large wooden spoon to stir its contents, she used the utensil to add a clump of red paste to the cookpot. "I''m an aspiring gourmand, you see. I love trying all sorts of food, and firmly believe the Jaguar people were on to something when they used human blood for their drinks. But annatto is a good substitute, and it''s so yummy when you slather it on meat." Grabbing another spoonful of the red paste, the giantess briefly opened the cage, tossed the red clump at Allie, and closed the door. "Have a bite. There''s more where it came from." Allie''s stomach grumbled once she smelled the paste. It was obviously some sort of marinade. It didn''t help that she hadn''t eaten since dawn. How long had it been since she was kidnapped? Hungry, she gave in to temptation and licked some of the paste off her hand. "It''s...it''s good." "Thank you, my dear! I made it myself! I''ll go ahead and delay dinner for another hour. You earned it! I''ll go and fetch some lizard skin jerky to hold me over until then." The giantess''s quaking footsteps rumbled less and less the more she distanced herself away. Alone, scared, and feeling hopeless, Allie curled up in her corner of the cage. "Dad..." *** 16th of Cobre, 2:00 pm (169 days before Starflower¡¯s trial) Once they were ready, the Lenoria and company made their way downstairs. Filled with resolve, more than ever before, they were ready to march to the giants¡¯ lair. The tavern portion of the inn was quieter than usual. A lone girl wearing simple clothes and a blue scarf sat at the counter, and the old orc was back at the counter. He had brought a drink to the lone girl, who grabbed and gulped down. She grinned at Lenoria before and after consuming her beverage but did little else. ¡°You guys go on ahead,¡± the Lenoria said, glancing at the counter once before smiling at Alistair. ¡°I forgot my bag of holding. There¡¯s no rule about looting an enemy, is there?¡± Alistair shrugged. ¡°We can help ourselves to the giants¡¯ treasure if they¡¯re dead. The warrior sect of the Hammer calls it ¡®spoils of war,¡¯ and ever since then we¡¯ve had no issues.¡± He opened the door and looked at the sky. ¡°I can¡¯t tell how much time has passed, but I doubt we have a lot left. Please hurry.¡± ¡°I already passed on the instructions to Clara. If they¡¯re in such a hurry to go, move on without me. I promise I¡¯ll catch up.¡± Raising a thumb, Lenoria climbed back up the stairs. ~Alistair~ Alistair and Clara waved Lewis goodbye and left The Drunken Chef Inn. Alone on the road to the gate, the two had time to chat. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± ¡°The whole Soulstone thing?¡± Clara asked. ¡°It was a lot for me, too. It¡¯s a big responsibility, and I¡¯ve doubted myself since that day. But Pearl and Apus have faith that we can do this, and I want to help Lenoria.¡± Alistair sighed. ¡°I feel like an idiot. This whole time I believed I saved her life. Now I¡¯m finding out my presence there made no difference that day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. You and Beau didn¡¯t have to come along, but you did. The eagle that killed Lenoria was still around, and I don¡¯t think anyone in law enforcement would have stood a chance against it. Well," she said after a pause, "Constable Richards is pretty strong, so maybe he could have done something if he was there." ¡°But Lord Beau fought that creature, not me.¡± ¡°Right, but you did outwit Thomas. I was skeptical that day, but once I got to know you more, I came to realize that your heart was in the right place. If you hadn¡¯t been there to drive him away...¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I guess t-t-there¡¯s that,¡± Alistair said half-heartedly. ¡°And Starflower! You single-handedly got rid of him as well by being there that day!¡± Clara stopped. ¡°And even if you hadn¡¯t made a difference, so what? I know very little about you, Alistair, but not many would push forward after seeing a few dead bodies on the ground. You''re brave and selfless; it''s no wonder Lenoria had a hard time getting her feelings out, she was probably scared that you¡¯d think she was beneath you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that, Miss Clara. Someone like me can¡¯t-¡± ¡°For the love of nature, please don¡¯t finish that sentence.¡± She grabbed Alistair¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That woman adored you the moment she laid eyes on you. You should have seen the way she was ogling you back on graduation day.¡± ¡°All I remember from my time at the Guild was that there were a couple of girls who tripped on the way down to the-¡± Alistair¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait a second, that was you two?!¡± Clara nodded bashfully. ¡°She knew little about me, and even then¡­¡± ¡°Sometimes, your heart beats the moment you meet someone, Alistair. She must have been so happy to be in your arms that day. All people are shallow like that, to an extent.¡± Clara smiled coyly. ¡°Surely, even you must have met someone who just made your heart beat the first time you laid eyes on them.¡± ¡°Is this a trap? Because it feels like a trap.¡± ¡°A tra-? No, it¡¯s not. You don¡¯t even need to answer.¡± Clara moved on ahead. ¡°Just think about it. It¡¯s not strange for two people to like each other from the beginning. What matters is what they do afterward.¡± Standing alone, Alistair did just that; he thought about everyone he¡¯s ever met, and who among them made his heart beat. ¡°Lenoria wasn¡¯t the first, but...¡± Perhaps he should embrace it. Clara was right; there really was nothing wrong with the way they met. Lenoria remained polite with him, and he did the same. Nothing could go wrong if he just went with the flow, right? ¡°Are you coming?¡± Clara stood about a couple of dozen feet ahead of him. How long had she been waiting there? ¡°Oh, coming!¡± For the first time in months, Alistair felt renewed. Right on time, too; he would have plenty of time to meditate once Allie was rescued. *** ¡°You¡¯re cutting it close, kid.¡± As promised, Spark waited at the gate along with Melodious Aquamarine, the latter who had been poking at the motionless Tsukuyomi. ¡°Oh, right. We did leave Tsukuyomi behind when...¡± Clara brought her voice down to a whisper. He wasn¡¯t brought with them during Pearl¡¯s outrage, so he must have decided to wait for Clara for further instructions. Alistair nodded and approached the knightly man. ¡°We made it in time, Bro-, erm, Mr. Spark.¡± ¡°Just Spark is fine.¡± ¡°Okay, then, Spark. Where is your crew?¡± Spark scoffed. ¡°They ran into a little accident yesterday, so there was a delay. Even with that, they should be here soon.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Spark,¡± Clara chimed in, ¡°but isn¡¯t it hypocritical to excuse your own failure to gather your crew in time after you ragged on Alistair for barely making it in time just now?¡± Alistair looked back at Clara. "Uh, Miss Clara...?" Spark chortled. ¡°And who are you to criticize or judge me?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Clara, a friend of Alistair. We¡¯ve known each other for less than a minute and based on your words alone I can already tell you¡¯re not a pleasant person.¡± Clara had witnessed Spark''s unpleasantness earlier, so her statement was not far from the mark. ¡°Hear, you say?¡± Spark chuckled. ¡°What, do those big pointy ears listen to everything that isn¡¯t your business?¡± ¡°No, but they do help me sense bullshit.¡± Not taking kindly to that, Spark clanked his way to Clara. She merely took a step back, and in an instant Tsukuyomi slammed the ground with a ground shaking THUD between the two. ¡°A summoner.¡± Spark snickered mockingly. ¡°Just a kid hiding behind a suit of metal. Take that away, and what are you?¡± ¡°An expert arbalist, best shortstop of the Artificers Guild Kickball Team of 1658-1659, with a degree in Linguistics, Dimensionology, Conjuration Magic, Magic Devices, Engineering, Chemistry, AND fluent in Common, Elven, Draconic, and Sylvan.¡± She paused for a moment to catch her breath. ¡°Oh, and aspiring musician.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know your team had cowards and nerds, Alistair. You do all the fighting for them?¡± ¡°No, and I would watch what you say. Miss Clara was brave enough to lead us in our victory against the giants,¡± Alistair said proudly. ¡°Whatever. Don¡¯t tell me this is all you¡¯re bringing.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m here now!¡± Lenoria had finally arrived, carrying her bag of holding like a backpack. She frowned when Spark looked at her, inspected her from a distance, and snickered. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing armor,¡± Spark said. ¡°You realize those giants will have an easier time tearing you apart.¡± ¡°Giant,¡± Lenoria corrected. ¡°As far as we know, only mom giant is left. Clara took care of the kids, while Alistair and I took care of the dad.¡± ¡°This runt,¡± Spark pointed at Alistair, ¡°he took care of the dad?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Why do you think we¡¯re insisting on taking care of this?¡± Lenoria leaned against Alistair¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mr. Adams here did a fine job ridding the world of such a monster. He''s strong, brave, and sweet. I¡¯m happy and proud to call him my man.¡± ¡°L-Lenoria,¡± Alistair whispered, ¡°t-there''s a time and a place for-¡± ¡°Play along; men like him can smell weakness from a mile away,¡± Lenoria whispered back. "First impressions matter!¡± Not wanting to argue, Alistair simply placed his arm around Lenoria¡¯s waist. ¡°You¡¯re too modest, my, um, love. It was our bond that triumphed last night.¡± Lenoria squealed. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. I could just kiss you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me." Spark couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "No one in the Order is strong enough to take down a giant, not even with just two people. You''re lying.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe us, Spark,¡± Alistair said. ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to show you.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m upgrading your role from whipping boy to meatshield.¡± Alistair narrowed his eyes at the man in armor, but instead of calling him out, he decided to call for Melodious Aquamarine. Once she was called, the girl put away the stick she was playing on the dirt with and rushed to the growing party. Spark excused himself and stopped by an abandoned shed. ¡°We should discuss our marching order, then. Lenoria, you¡¯ll scout ahead for us and lead us to the giants¡¯ lair.¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Lenoria nodded in agreement. ¡°Miss Aqua, you¡¯ll stand behind Spark and I. Your orbs of water look like they pack a punch, so please aim carefully and don¡¯t stress about the enemies ahead. We¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re protected.¡± Aqua winked. ¡°That is a good strategy, Mr. Paladin, sir!¡± ¡°Miss Clara, you and Tsukuyomi will bring the rear.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Spark got everyone¡¯s attention once he returned. "We''re good to go. Let''s get to it." "What about your crew?" Clara''s attitude had rubbed Spark the wrong way, but she was genuinely curious what changed. "It''s standard procedure in our organization. If we''re traveling in big groups, two of our number stay behind several yards away to prevent back attacks. The giant may be on her own, but who knows what other dangers the forest has." No one disagreed with Spark''s arrangement. "Very well," said Alistair, "I''m thankful for their aid." Going over the marching order one more time, Alistair convinced Spark to walk next to him, and the group marches out of the village on foot. A feeling of dread loomed over Clara. Spark was far from pleasant, and a last-minute change to the plan did not sit well with her. ¡°Apus, I need you to do me a favor.¡± Chapter 28 - Rescue Mission Two men took a walk outside of Hammer''s Reach and into Cedar Forest. Giants had been spotted according to word of mouth of some brave adventurers, but these men didn''t care. They were armed with guns and knives, and both carried small yet stuffed backpacks. One looked at the tracks on the road and followed them while the second played his flute without a care in the world. Lastly, both wore azure capes with the symbol of a jay emblazoned on them. Both, however, had only one thing on their mind. Revenge. "Spark says he hit the motherlode," said the roguish half of the duo. Bandages covered the lower half of his face, including his nose. He wore a black cloak that cast a shadow over his eyes, yet he moved with grace in his leather armor as if he could see clearly. "Who knew it''d be them, though?" "He said all we had to do was follow the tracks." The second man adjusted his feathered hat. "I definitely recognize the smell, though. Jasmine, just like the beauty from last night." "Strange to hear you say that. I thought you didn''t like women." "I never said that. I said I hate everyone. But I can make an exception for her." "What, you gonna plow her before we kill her?" "Gross, no!" "Sweet, I call dibs!" "I already called dibs on her first, asshole." "I thought you didn''t want her?" "I''m not sleeping with her, but that doesn''t mean I don''t want her. A beauty like her has to remain untarnished, my friend. I''ll just play a chipper little tune to enthrall her, have her follow me back to the village, and hopefully we''ll live the rest of our lives together." "You leaving the Order after this?" "Spark already said it was fine. I saved enough gold to retire, and once she sees how much I made, I''m sure she''ll want to stick around." The roguish man shook his head. "I knew you were into blondes, but I didn''t think you would plan this much for her." "Every woman has a price, Hunter. You have no idea how many would agree to marry you if you promise them a life of luxury." The man in the feathered hat sighed. "You have to be careful not to give them all of your money, though. If you put them in charge of it, it''ll be gone by the end of the day. But tell you what, if you keep the elf, just give her a little at a time. And if she gets lippy, just say something like ''Don''t make me hit you!'' They love getting treated like crap, so you have to be able to back up your threats. Even one with a strong backbone eventually breaks if you isolate her and threaten her enough times." "Yeah, that''s a fair consolation price." Hunter tapped his finger on the pointy end of his knife. "Honestly, I can''t decide if I want her first or jam this knife in the boy." "Still sore about that beatdown, huh?" "The brat caught me by surprise last night! It won''t be happening again." Hunter rubbed his bandaged nose. "I can''t wait to see the look on his face when you steal his girl. Then, it''s on to our main objective. You still in, Chet?" The other man smiled. "Sure. One last job. Once we kill Aquamarine, the Order can work in peace." "What a shame; I was hoping she''d join us. Think you can use an enchantment to hypnotize her to work for us?" "We both know that''s not how magic works. Enchantments normally require reasonable requests. If she wouldn''t join a criminal organization, the spell would lose its effect once she found out what the Blue Jays are really all about," Chet responded. "And before you ask, the same applies for pretty much everything else. The blonde won''t do anything she wouldn''t normally consent to even if you hypnotized her." "Bah. I was hoping you''d at least hypnotize the elf. What''s the point of learning magic if you can''t have a girl kneel down at your beck and call?" As the two conversed, little did they know that they were being watched. Even if they had great eyesight or sharp hearing, they could never have detected the flapping of wings once the subject changed to more inane matters. ~Lenoria~ 16th of Cobre, 4 pm, 1659 (169 days before Starflower''s trial) It was a long walk to the giants'' lair. Alistair believed it was best to leave Chestnut and the wagon back at Hammer''s Reach in the event the remaining giant had reinforcements set up an ambush for intruders. It was preferable to fight in the open over being grouped together with limited mobility. It was a sound plan for Lenoria, but if she had known Spark would be complaining the whole way, she would have asked for the wagon ride. "Alright, everyone, we''re doing great. It won''t be long, now." She looked over at Spark, who had taken the time to light up and smoke a cigar. Huffing it and puffing it out with great effort, it gave her the impression he was doing this on purpose. "Uh..." "What? A guy can''t smoke in this stressful time?" "It''s not that," Clara said. "But it''s been a while since this area had any rainfall, and the air feels dry. You could start a fire if you''re careless." "Big deal. We have Aquamarine here to put out any fire, right?" "S-sure. I''ll do my best if that happens." Clutching her scepter, Aquamarine smiled. The young girl slowed down to wait for Clara so she could walk with her. "Don''t worry, Clara. It will be fine." "If you say so." Clara lowered her voice. "I don''t get it, though. Why are you hanging out with a jerk like him?" Aqua giggled. "Oh, um, we actually met not too long ago. I was on my way to Helix City two days ago when I found them battling with a group of brigands. They needed help, so using my spells and befuddling them with my water attacks, the brigands ran away! The Blue Jays said they were in this forest to drive out the evil presence in this forest, so I was happy to assist them until they''re done." Didn''t Spark fight Alistair earlier and refused to go after the giant at first? Things made less sense to Clara the more she learned about the Order of the Blue Jay. Why would he refuse if he claimed he was there to fight evil? As Aqua chatted away, Clara could feel Apus land on her shoulder. "Clara, I have bad news." "Do tell," the summoner said through her psychic link. "Spark''s crew plans to kill you and little Aquamarine here. They''re just waiting for the right time." Clara paused to look at Aqua, who at this point had stopped telling her story and sniffed a flower she plucked from the side of the road. "It''s a good thing she can''t hear you. We just met today, but she''s a heroine many people look up to. As for that other piece of news, tell Alistair and Lenoria everything you heard. Any idea who they are?" "Well, one of them said Al caught him by surprise last night. Didn''t he beat some robbers down?" "Oh, right. We talked about that last night. I''m still mad I missed it." Clara did all she could to avoid shaking the staff. "So it''s them. I knew the Order was bad news. It all makes sense. But if they met Aqua two days ago, why didn''t they try to kill her then?" "You said she was a heroine. Maybe she''s stronger than all of them, and they''re waiting for a time she''s vulnerable." "Good point." Clara gave a quick glance to the road behind her. She couldn''t see them, but she couldn''t shake the feeling that she was being watched. "Alright, go tell them. Ask Lenoria if it would be fine to send Tsukuyomi after them." *** Spark. Lenoria couldn''t believe the insolence of the man. He was dressed like a knight and even bore the symbol of the Hammer, but he behaved differently from Alistair. And when Apus told her about a recent discovery, she had to restrain herself from just jumping at the guy and beating his face in. "Isn''t he a paladin? Why is he conspiring against us?" She whispered. "And you''re sure it''s the two guys from last night?" "Absolutely. They''re still mad at the two of you, and one of them seems to have taken a liking to ya. Clara''s wondering if she can just send Tsukuyomi after them and give them a good walloping." "They were pathetically weak, but I can''t risk sending Clara after them. We need a plan." Lenoria leaned her chin on her fist. "I wonder why they would think about killing Aqua, though. Isn''t she one of them?" "Maybe? She''s been nothing but nice, so there''s a chance she isn''t." "True. She did try to go after the giant, and Spark didn''t. Whatever we do, we''ll make sure she stays unharmed. But where do we begin?" It was evident the young magical child had a more compassionate heart than the paladin (if she could call him that) traveling with her. Without evidence to the contrary, Lenoria was inclined to take her words and appearance at face value. All Spark proved to be was a nuisance, and every now and then she would watch him try to twirl his polearm with one hand...only to fail and endanger Alistair and Aqua, who had to back away just to keep themselves from getting hit whenever the polearm would inevitably fly out or drop on the ground. He would then take a victory puff from his cigar. A light bulb turned on. "I have an idea, but tell Alistair what you told me, first. I don''t want him to feel left out." *** 4:42 pm "We''re here." Owen''s announcement caused the group to stop, Lenoria first, whose sudden stop created a domino effect which made each individual person stop in order of formation. The entrance to a cave was up ahead, but the path was blocked by vines and branches. "Al, Clara, do either of you have any sharp weapons?" Alistair and Clara shook their heads. "Darn it. I don''t want to get anything on my hair." Lenoria pointed to the side of the road. "Let''s go around the foliage." Spark grabbed a machete from his waist. "Women. Step aside!" Jumping with fright, Lenoria quickly stepped aside and let Spark through. "Hey, Al. Do you get like that when you''re angry?" Alistair kept his eyes on Spark, who at this point started a one-sided shouting match with the vines and branches, grunting for every piece of bark or plant hacked away. "I try to keep my emotions in check. There are things that set me off, but that''s not any different from your average person." Aqua smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, please excuse him. I haven''t known him long, and I didn''t know he got like that when he was angry. He must be worried about that girl." Yeah, right, thought the main trio. "Done." Spark pointed at the branches and vines, now littered on the road, as he sheathed his machete. "Get a move on." "Not just yet," Clara said. She looked over at Tsukuyomi, who had her attention. "Be a dear and sweep it all up, won''t you?" Saluting quietly, Tsukuyomi moved ahead and picked up the vines with his hands and kicked the branches aside. After a minute or so of doing this, the road was clear. Tsukuyomi picked up the vines and branches and stacked them into a pile beneath a tree. "Not bad, elf. Is he trained to use the lavatory, too?" Spark flicked his cigar at the pile of branches, laughing at his own quip. His laughter soon faded when the branches crackled from the fire they''ve just been given. "What did I say?" Clara bonked the insolent paladin on the head. "Put it out! Fire spreads, you know?" Spark sighed and stomped on the branches in an effort to put out the fire. "Wait a minute, I don''t need to do anything. Aquamarine, do your thing." "O-oh, sure!" Forming another orb of water between both hands, Aqua made another dainty spin and launched it at the fire. The steam born from the fusion between fire and water rose to the tree canopy, forming a cloud about 20 feet in diameter. Spark was caught in the steam, forcing him to cough profusely. Lenoria had wisely motioned for everyone else to back away towards the cave entrance, and stopped once the cloud stopped growing. All was going according to plan. "Boy, that''s putrid." Spark emerged from the cloud of vapors, relieved to breathe fresh air once more. "Told you we had means to put out any fires. Good job, Aqua." Clara rolled her eyes and followed everyone inside the cave. It was dark and emitted a foul stench. When she summoned an orb of light and placed it on her torch, everyone was horrified to see the rotten remains of the giants¡¯ past victims. Bones had been discarded like yesterday¡¯s trash, and the only tissue that remained was muscle matter too sinewy to chew or the intestines that were strewn about. Then they looked up. Bodies hung on meat hooks and were most certainly the source of the smell. Most had holes on their abdomen, while others had holes on the back of the cranium and where the eyes would be. Lenoria gagged but didn¡¯t vomit, Clara and Aqua covered their noses, and Alistair remained strong and didn¡¯t let the smell stop him. Spark took a moment to expel the contents of his stomach. ¡°How horrible,¡± Aqua commented. The young girl put up a brave front, but it was obvious she had been shaken up. ¡°Let this be a lesson, Aqua," Spark said. "The world is awful and ugly. This is the reason all giants should be exterminated.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± Lenoria said. ¡°Giants aren¡¯t any different from you and I. There are some out there who leave us alone or even do nice things for us. Personally, anyone who does bad things should be held accountable. Wouldn¡¯t you say, Mr. Spark?¡± Spark sneezed. He wiped his watering eyes with his forearm and used a handkerchief to cover himself when he sneezed again. ¡°Accounta-what? You can have any opinion you want, but don¡¯t spout gibberish just to make yourself sound smart.¡± It went on back and forth like this, but let¡¯s skip that. The path split into two different directions - one path to the left and the other to the right - with a great door between them. Putting her ear against the door, Lenoria could hear sobbing coming from the other side. Detecting no traps, Lenoria plucked a pin from her hair and picked the lock. Once she was done, Alistair and Tsukuyomi lifted the bar blocking the door and set it aside. Nodding to each other, Alistair opened the door and gasped when the magic light zoomed inside. ¡°It¡¯s the inn girl!¡± Lenoria rushed inside, running past more skeletal remains of the giants¡¯ past victims and stopped at the girl¡¯s side. Distraught but alive, the innkeeper¡¯s daughter rubbed her face against her left bicep to wipe her tears away. Shackles have been strapped to her hands, and a chain attached to them prevented her from escaping. There was a peculiar smell in the air, mixed with lime. Clara pinpointed the smell coming from Allie, who had been bathed in red paste. ¡°Smells like annatto and lime.¡± ¡°The giant said¡­she wanted to let this stuff sit and marinate for tonight¡­¡± The young girl tried to keep it together, but the tears were coming back. Lenoria grimaced at the thought but Spark looked smugly at her. ¡°¡®Giants aren¡¯t any different from us,¡¯ you say? Then explain this.¡± ¡°This is a tribe that eats people, what the hell did you expect?¡± She was glad that their job was nearly done. The sooner the giant was slain, the sooner they could part ways with the Blue Jays. "Besides, I''ve seen people do much worse just for the fun of it." ¡°Allie, can you sit tight while we deal with the giant?¡± Alistair bumped his chest. ¡°We need you to be brave a little longer, but I promise you won¡¯t have to wait long.¡± Alistair comforting Allie might have spawned feelings of jealousy from a lesser girl, but Lenoria understood the situation. She was alone, scared, and anxiously waiting for the giant to open the door and finally eat her. Help had finally arrived, and the girl nodding to Alistair indicated a level of bravery she didn¡¯t imagine. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. How did she react when Clara came to her rescue on that awful day? Certainly not like this. ¡°You¡¯re strong, Allie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­for the best.¡± The chains from the shackles rattled as Allie lifted them up. ¡°The giant says she¡¯s magically enchanted these chains. They won¡¯t open or break unless she either wills it or she dies.¡± Lenoria examined the chains more closely. It took some time, but she did see some runes written on them. ¡°She¡¯s right. These shackles won¡¯t break easily and have been hardened by magic.¡± This meant the giant had to be slain, after all. ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty here,¡± Spark proposed. Oh, what now? ¡°We¡¯re here to rescue this girl. She¡¯s here within our reach, and all we have to do now is get her out of here and bring her back to daddy.¡± Clara glared at Spark. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Those shackles won¡¯t open unless the giant dies or opens them herself.¡± ¡°Who said we¡¯re opening the shackles?¡± Spark flashed a malevolent smile. His two party members caught up to them, each brandishing a sharp-looking machete. The three blocked the entryway, blocking the others'' only means of escape. "Oh, it''s Chet and Hunter!" Aqua''s cheerful disposition did not alleviate the tension in the room, and soon she felt it as well. "Why is everyone looking so serious?" "Scoundrels!" Alistair was already prepared for battle, having drawn his mace and raised his shield. Lenoria bravely stood next to him, while Clara and Tsukuyomi stayed closer to Allie. "How did you break out of jail?!" "I bailed them out," Spark said nonchalantly. "Putting any member of the Blue Jay in jail is an obstruction to justice. Once the guards came to their senses, they lowered the bond amount which allowed me to get them out." "Jail? What did they do?" Aqua seemed confused. "They tried to rob my dad''s inn!" Allie''s raised her voice, which echoed through the room and out of it as well. "I remember them!" "As do we," Alistair added. "Oh, don''t worry. We''ll still rescue the girl. We''ll just cut off her hands and be on our merry way." Spark nodded to Chet and Hunter and they moved forward, but a bluff charge from Alistair was enough to keep them away. Hunter and Chet then sneezed, and both were followed by Spark. "Cut off her hands? Are you nuts? Her father won''t believe you''re her saviors." Spark paced back and forth across the front of the doorway. "''Oh, Mr. Innkeep. We tried to save your daughter, but we had to put the boy and his harem down because they wanted to cut her hands up. We couldn''t stop them in time, but if we find a healer, I''m sure they can regenerate her hands.'' How''s that for a sob story?" "Magic doesn''t work that way," Clara said. "Regeneration is a miracle on its own. Not many healers out there know the spell needed to reattach or regenerate lost limbs." "It won''t matter; once the innkeep figures that out, we''ll be miles away with our reward money. What should we do next, I wonder? Maybe we can use the Order''s resources to find out where your families live, and hand out that information to loan sharks." Spark laughed for a second before coughing again. "Damnable allergies..." "But...Spark..." Aqua reached out to him, but a swing from his polearm kept her away. "Don''t you get it, you dumb kid?! We''re going to kill you!" Spark looked over at Lenoria, who wasn''t the least bit worried. "And you! You should be quivering in fear! Don''t you realize you have nowhere to run? Or do you want to hear the rest of our plan before we finish the job?" "Your plan?" Lenoria scoffed. "What, how your perverted friend in the funny hat over there wants to steal me away from Alistair and how you plan to kill Aqua before she can report your organization''s true nature?" The Blue Jays staggered from Lenoria''s biting words. The girl crossed her arms confidently, remaining by Alistair''s side without fear. "Surprised that I knew? Don''t be. We have ears everywhere." She grinned. "That''s why I tricked you into cutting the branches of the Helixian manchineel tree back near the entrance. I noticed some of the sap got close to your face, and you inhaled a lot of smoke and steam when you burned it." "Tricked me? Ho-?" Spark then remembered Lenoria''s words back when they found the entrance blocked by the branches. Darn it. I don''t want to get anything on my hair. Let''s go around the foliage. "I knew you had little patience with women after seeing how you talked to Clara, so if I pretended to care about my hair, I knew you would have dismissed me as some dumb girl and would have offered to cut through the branches instead!" Spark expressed some confusion as to why this mattered...until Hunter''s sudden scream alerted him and Chet. "I can''t see!" Hunter knelt on the ground, crying in agonizing pain as his eyes bled. "Oh, it looks like your lackeys breathed in the vapors, too. They do linger for a while, after all." Spark grunted. "Chet! I don''t like how she''s mocking us! Do something about it!" Chet already had his flute out. "Hey, little dame. Let''s run away from here and frolic in the green pastures of Hammer''s-" The flautist was interrupted by heavy coughing, bringing him to his knees as well. "I should mention Helixian manchineel is dangerous." Lenoria tapped her head, then her throat. "It is a tree that has evolved to fend off attackers. If you hack its vines and branches, the sap will splash on your skin and cause blisters. If you eat its fruit, your tummy will ache for days. And if you burn it, the smoke you inhale affects your nervous system and inflames your throat, nose, and cornea, causing temporary blindness and a lot of coughing and sneezing. Oh, and if you put out the fire, the steam yields the same result as the smoke." Owen stood in front of the Blue Jays and waved at them. "I know they can''t see or hear me, but it''s still hilarious." He turned to Lenoria. "I''m glad I told you about those manchineel trees. Looks like you saved your friends and taught these punks a lesson." Alistair smiled. "Amazing. How did you know he was going to burn it?" "Clara helped with that. If you tell a guy like him he shouldn''t smoke, you know for a fact he''s going to keep doing it. If you tell him he could start a fire doing so, he''ll do it just to spite you." Lenoria raised a thumb at Clara. "Thanks!" The three Blue Jays were coughing up a storm at this point. Hunter had the worst of it, as his constant sneezing was both painful and forceful enough to reopen his nose wound from the night before. Blood trickled down to the rocky cave floor through his bandages. "You''re just a stupid girl!" Spark fought through the pain and charged towards Lenoria. But Alistair was ready. Spark was ready to impale Lenoria at full speed, but his attack was parried and deflected thanks to Alistair''s flawless shield bash. Not to be outdone, Spark swung his weapon erratically with no pattern to predict. The mark of the Hammer soon appeared on his face. Once Alistair parried each and every blow, he countered with a mace strike to the arm followed by one to the skull. "You bitch! Poisoning me so that your man stood a chance, huh?" "Actually, I noticed how you were twirling your weapon earlier. You had no style or grace and you would hold it like an amateur. Meanwhile, Alistair''s training put him on par with a giant twice his size, if not better. His posture is flawless and he''s not clumsy at all." Spark coughed again. "Are you saying he''s better than me?!" "Always has been. Even if you succeeded with your ambush, even if you weren''t poisoned, I doubt you would have gone far." Mulling over his next move, Spark''s eyes widened when he heard rumbling footsteps. "The giant." Spark struggled to stand up. "Aqua! Come back to the Order with us! I-I promise we won''t kill you immediately if you cover our escape!" "No!" Aqua glared at the Blue Jays. "I was hoping you waited a little longer before exposing yourselves. That way, I could have made a proper arrest." "Heh. There was no point in pretending to be nice, was there?" "No. But at least I have enough proof to report back to the Church of the Hammer!" "The Church?" With no more time to think, Alistair looked over at Lenoria. "We can''t be caught in here. We''ll have to fight her right outside this room! Are you ready?!" The dice would soon be rolled for initiative.
Name Level and XP
Lenoria 5th level: 11,995/15,000
Clara 5th level: 11,905/15,000
Alistair 7th level: 24,905/34,000
Party Abilities Lenoria
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Intelligence Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Weapon Finesse - Use Dexterity modifier instead of Strength for light weapon attack rolls, such as unarmed strikes and rapiers.
1st (Brawler 1) Brawler''s Cunning - Treat Intelligence as 13 for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats. Martial Flexibility, 4/day - Gains the benefit of a combat feat for one minute. Martial Training - Brawler level counts as both fighter and monk levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats and certain magic items. Unarmed Strike - Gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat Dirty Fighting - Forgo the +2 bonus of flanking a foe in exchange of using a combat maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. Also counts as Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, and Improved Unarmed Strike for the purpose of qualifying for certain combat feats. Improved Unarmed Strike - Can use limbs to deal lethal damage.
2nd (Artificer 1) Arcane Derring-Do - Gains the gunslinger''s grit feature, using her Intelligence modifier instead of Wisdom. Gains the Deadeye, Gunslinger''s Dodge, and Quick Clear deeds. Trapfinding - Adds half artificer level to Perception checks to find traps and Disable Device checks. Can also disable magic traps. Machine Expert - Gains Gunsmithing at 1st artificer level, Craft Construct at 5th level, and a bonus item creation feat at 10th, 15th, and 20th levels. Gunsmithing - Can craft ammunition, create and repair firearms, and mix black powder for all sorts of firearms.
3rd (Artificer 2) Craft Gear Servant - Gains a machine familiar, with some restrictions Point-Blank Shot - Gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against foes within 30 feet
4th (Artificer 3) Blind You With Science - Use Intelligence modifier, instead of the regular modifier, for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks.
5th (Artificer 4) Scientist''s Cunning - Can use crafted magic items with a caster level equal to artificer level -3 or lower without rolling a Use Magic Device check. Extracts - Learns spells the same way alchemists do Dodge - Gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
Alistair
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Constitution Skilled - One additional skill point per level Bonus Feat - Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level Endurance - Gains a bonus to Constitution checks and saves against harsh conditions, such as avoiding nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst and avoiding nonlethal damage from a forced march.
1st (Paladin 1) Aura of Good - A paladin''s aura is measured by paladin level. Detect Evil - Can detect evil creatures or objects Smite Evil, 1/day - Gains a bonus to attack and damage rolls vs evil creatures, and gains a deflection bonus to AC against those creatures. Fails against nonevil creatures. Power Attack - Deal more damage in melee in exchange for accuracy.
2nd (Paladin 2) Divine Grace - Adds Charisma modifier to all saving throws. Lay on Hands, 3d6, 6/day - Can heal wounds by number of dice indicated, or deal damage to undead by the same amount.
3rd (Paladin 3) Aura of Courage - The paladin is immune to fear, and grants all allies a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against fear. Divine Health - The paladin is immune to all diseases. Mercy - Adds an additional effect to the lay on hands class feature. Mercy (Deceived) - A paladin''s lay on hands also allows a victim of ongoing illusions to roll a new saving throw. Shield Focus - Increases the bonus granted by any shield by 1.
4th (Paladin 4) Channel Positive Energy, +4d6 - Spends two uses of lay on hands to restore the hit points of all living creatures within 30 feet by the amount of dice indicated, or deal the same amount in damage vs undead. Spells - A paladin gains divine spells. The caster level is equal to paladin level -3. Smite Evil, 2/day
5th (Paladin 5) Divine Bond - Alistair has established a bond with the Hammer of Justice, which has manifested itself in the form of a mount. Protector''s Strike - Whenever the paladin smites an evil creature, he can choose to grant the deflection bonus to an ally instead of himself.
6th (Paladin 6) Mercy (Diseased) - A paladin''s lay on hands also functions as a remove disease spell, using his class level as his caster level.
7th (Paladin 7) Smite Evil, 3/day Mounted Combat - Can roll a Ride check when a mount is hit, negating the attack if the Ride roll is higher than the opponent''s attack roll. Can only be activated once per round.
Clara
Level Ability/Class Feature Feat
Elf +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution Low-Light Vision - Elves can see twice as far as humans under dim illumination. Elven Immunities - Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws vs enchantment spells and effects. Elven Magic - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to caster level checks to overcome spell resistance, and +2 racial bonus to Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items. Keen Senses - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception checks Weapon Familiarity - Elves gain proficiency with longbows, shortbows, longswords, and rapiers, and treat any weapon with "elven" in its name as a martial weapon.
1st (Unchained Summoner 1) Spells - Summoners cast arcane spells, and can do so while wearing light armor without incurring arcane spell failure. Cantrips, their 0-level spells, can be cast an unlimited amount of times per day. Eidolon - A summoner makes contact with an eidolon, a powerful outsider she can summon. Construct callers like Clara must make contact with an eidolon of the inevitable subtype. An eidolon''s abilities are determined by its evolution pool. Life Link - If an attack threatens to send an eidolon back to its home plane, the summoner can give up any number of hit points. Each hit point reduces the damage of an incoming attack on the eidolon by 1. Additionally, the eidolon loses hit points the farther it strays from its summoner. Improved Initiative - Adds a +4 bonus to initiative checks.
2nd (Unchained Summoner 2) Bond Senses - The summoner can fuse her senses with her eidolon, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything her eidolon does. She can do this a number of rounds per day equal to her summoner level.
3rd (Unchained Summoner 3) Summon Monster I - Can use the summon monster spell of any level available a number of times per day equal to 3 + the summoner''s Charisma modifier. The summoner can only use this ability if the eidolon has not been summoned. Planar Tinkering - At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, the summoner gains an additional evolution point for her eidolon. Reach Spell - Can increase the range of a spell of a base range of touch, close, or medium. A reach spell uses a spell slot one level higher than the spell''s actual level for each increase in range category.
4th (Unchained Summoner 4) Shield Ally - Whenever the summoner is within the eidolon''s reach, she gains a +2 shield bonus to AC and a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws. These bonuses go away whenever the eidolon is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.
5th (Unchained Summoner 5) Summon Monster II Extra Evolution - Your evolution pool increases by 1 point.
Chapter 28.5 - Delphinus ~Aqua~ In order to gain some context to the current situation, let''s go back in time. Melodious Aquamarine is one of many local heroes in Helix. No one knows where she truly came from, but rumors state that she was raised by a pirate a capella group, who took advantage of her magical powers to raid ports all over the continent while they themselves performed in taverns. But one day, she met a strange creature - a seahorse wearing a bowtie who could breathe air and water - who was responsible in teaching her morality. Not wanting to hurt people anymore, Aqua abandoned her crew and ran away to live a nomadic lifestyle to atone for past crimes. At least, that''s how the story goes. No matter the story, the end is the same: A young, nameless girl - for no one knew her real identity - awakened as a magical girl, vigilantes (often teenagers or young adults) who fight crimes of mundane or magical nature with the aid of their familiars. Her understanding of hydrokinesis grew thanks to the tutelage of Mr. Horsey, whom she met at a young age after she found a beautiful gemstone on a beach. "Hello, I am the spirit of Delphinus. My form changes based on your favorite aquatic creature. Ah, I see you love the seahorse. Then I shall assume this form for you, my lady." The spirit of the stone materialized itself, taking the form of a floating seahorse wearing a bow tie. "I needed the vessel of the aquatic creature in question. Fret not, my lady; I found this particular creature alone in its habitat, rejected by every potential mate. While it does not truly understand the scope of our mission, it welcomes your company." *** The young girl took the heroic persona of Melodious Aquamarine, a heroine who blasts monsters and criminals away with orbs of water, alleviates all who thirst, and sings sea shanties for seasick sailors. In time, she was loved by most people who were visited by her. Others viewed her as a menace who needed to be stopped before her acts of heroism brought the unwanted attention of great evil to the world. Despite lacking proper education, Aqua was tutored in both history and the ways of the world by Mr. Horsey, who was knowledgeable in all subjects and offered the young girl answers to all questions that she had. It took a long time, but Aqua eventually attained an acceptable academic level after she turned 19 years old. And her first official mission was given to her not long afterwards. It was during a visit to Helix City where she was contacted by law enforcement. Hearing of her heroic deeds, a high priest of the local church of the Hammer of Justice sent the police to bring her to him so he could grant her a holy mission. It was a dangerous mission, and he could not entrust this mission to just anyone. But his acolytes were inexperienced, and his people needed him, and with no one else to turn to, he prayed for a miracle. Once she heard the mission objective, Aqua immediately accepted. She was tired of fighting petty crime, and this was her chance to prove herself against the face of evil. Mr. Horsey advised her to be careful, and not let hubris be her downfall, but allowed her to go with understandable reluctance. She was to infiltrate the Order of the Blue Jay, an organization that fell from grace recently and was currently under investigation for demonic activity. *** Melodious Aquamarine, wielder of Delphinus 14th of Cobre, 2pm, 1659 It didn''t take long for Aquamarine to find her quarry. Skipping along merrily on her way to Hammer''s Reach, about 30 minutes after passing by an abandoned compound, she found three men wearing azure capes surrounded by a party of bandits. Two halflings, two dogfolk, and an orc made way for the apparent leader: a human male with tan skin and coarse hair tied in dreads. "Well, well, well," the bandit leader wagged his cutlass carelessly, "if it isn''t the Order of the Blue Jay. What are you cultists doing this time?" "Cultists?" The older of the Blue Jays kept his polearm steady. "You must have mistaken us for a different bunch. We''re a righteous group hunting the evil creatures of the forest!" "Likely story," said a cute, red-haired halfling. "We don''t mind plunderers, but we don''t take kindly to demon worshipers. Hand over your valuables, or you''ll walk the plank!" "Walk the plank?" Aquamarine was a lot more interested in this exchange now. It would be ideal if the pirates and the Blue Jays wiped each other out, but she needed to infiltrate the latter. She needed to chase away the pirates. "Stop right there, evildoers!" Aquamarine stepped out of the bushes and pointed at the pirate leader. "I won''t let you hurt members of the Blue Jay!" "Hey, Captain," the orc pirate said, "ain''t that Melodious Aquamarine?" "By the ravaging seas, that is her." The captain grinned. "None of you are a match for her. Let me handle her." "Uh, oh, he has that look again," said the red-haired halfling. "Captain, as your chief mate, I would advise that fighting her is a bad idea." "Quick, initiate the ''Save the Captain'' maneuver," ordered another halfling. The pirate crew then surrounded the captain and lifted him up from every angle. "Hey, what are you doing?!" "We got him," the male dogfolk said. "Retreat!" "Hold on, you guys! Wait!" Humorously enough, the captain was carried away, unable to free himself. Aquamarine knew the pirates were doing the world a favor by mugging the Blue Jays, but trust from the latter needed to be won over. She decided not to give chase, instead putting away her scepter and checked on the rescued trio. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, we''re fine." The older of the trio clutched a wound on his arm, which appeared to be a minor cut. "You''re Melodious Aquamarine, right? I''m Spark, and these two are Hunter and Chet. You have my thanks for saving our skin; those damn pirates nearly had us." "I heard you say you were hunting down the evil creatures that lurk this forest. Do you need some help?" Spark bowed courteously. "You honor us with your presence and offer, ma''am, and we shall accept it. Would you mind scouting ahead of us?" He pointed in the opposite direction of where the pirates had gone. "Okay! Be right back!" Once Aqua had skipped away, Spark and his party sneered. Chet was not pleased at all. "Boss, why did you let her join us? Now she''s going to upstage me whenever I play a bard song." Spark was not happy, either. "Melodious Aquamarine has a bounty of seven thousand gold pieces, paid out by the bigwigs of the Order themselves." "Seven thousand?!" Hunter immediately drew his knife. "Let''s go off her, then!" "No! She''s most likely on edge because of the forest. We''ll have to win her trust, first. Then we''ll kill her when she least expects it." Not far away, Aqua skipped merrily down the road. Mr. Horsey, in his natural seahorse form, had fallen behind and just about caught up to his master. "Unsurprisingly, they''re currently plotting to kill you when you least expect it," he reported. "I see why the old priest sent us to find them. If they were demon worshipers, they would have no qualms about killing a heroine of justice!" Aqua wanted to make the arrest now, but she would need concrete evidence if she were to justify it in court. For now, she would have to continue her infiltration and stay on her guard. The Blue Jays never tried to kill her in her sleep, but Mr. Horsey kept watch every night just in case they tried. *** Present day Aqua''s status as a nomadic heroine would often attract unwanted attention to her. To keep a low profile, she would remove her disguise and pose as a young student named Joanna Jones. During her time in Hammer''s Reach, she made a new friendship with a girl named Clara, secretly witnessed Hunter and Chet get arrested for trying to rob an inn, and accepted to aid a young paladin and his crew for a daring rescue inside a giant''s lair. Pretending to be a naive maiden had its toll on her brain. She knew the Blue Jays were rotten, but she was alarmed to see Alistair''s group figure it out when a red bird spilled what the villains had been plotting behind their backs. If they knew now, it was only a matter of time before the villains were unmasked and were forced to flee. Which is why she was relieved when they, too, decided to wait things out until they arrived at the giants'' lair. She heard how Lenoria recounted some of her knowledge of the local wildlife and flora, using the red bird to ask Clara for confirmation. When she heard from a young boy - who was invisible to Spark, apparently - that the giants grew manchineel trees to ward off intruders, Aqua knew she had to be on her guard. Spark was oblivious to the fate that would soon befall him and his friends. Which brings us to now. The young heroine had been naively hopeful that her mission would still succeed, but Spark had picked this very moment to declare her death. She was hoping to come up with a plan after the Blue Jays made the decision to kill her and her new friends, but nothing had come to her. There was no way she could infiltrate their headquarters now. Worse still, she had to be careful not to expose her powers of Delphinus before them; if she could see an invisible red bird, it was possible Clara could figure out the full extent of her powers. She had to fight with her own abilities instead of relying on Delphinus. It was a good thing her Soulstone could take the form of her hairpins; she would hate to carry it around and keep people''s attention away from it. ~Lenoria and co.~ The giant''s footsteps were getting closer. Blinded and injured, Spark and Chet stumbled their way towards the exit as they left Hunter behind. Alistair was furious. "Where do you think you''re going?!" Spark turned back as he ran away. "The deal is off, little man! You deal with the giant!" "Boss, wait for me!" Hunter ran after them, but due to his watering eyes and the poison of the manchineel tree, he soon stumbled on a rock and tripped. "Sorry, Hunter! But it looks like you inhaled most of the smoke! You have to remember the rules of the Order!" "''If anyone in the Order falls short, cut them off no matter your bond,''" Chet said. The two Blue Jays stumbled their way out of the cave, hoping to leave enough distance before the giant could see them. "That''s not fair, you guys!" Tried as he might, Hunter could not see no matter how much he wiped his eyes. Hearing the girls behind him, he had an idea. "I can''t die here! If I can just grab Aqua-" But it was too late. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Hunter had discerned where the room was a little too late, as he made a leap but was soon grabbed by the scaly monster. "What do we have here," the giant said. "Did you open the door? You''re letting the smell of the marinade out!" Hunter frantically pointed at the door. He was not completely blind and could make out the door from the rest of the cave''s features. "No! They did! They''re the ones you want!" The giantess looked back at the room where she held Allie, but all she saw was the chained girl. "I''d rather be here than run away with you, thief!" Allie stuck her tongue out at Hunter, who had just ran out of options. "Oh, so you planned to rescue the little tot." The giantess tore the cloak from Hunter, shredding it to pieces with a single claw. "Well, now that I have you, I will eat you! Any last words?" "Uh..." Hunter''s face brightened as if he had an idea. "You mind starting on the legs first? I mean, if you''re going to ''eat'' me..." Hidden behind the great metal door along with the girls and Tsukuyomi, Alistair couldn''t help but facepalm. "What is he doing?" "Don''t think on it too hard," Lenoria whispered with an annoyed heavy-lidded stare. The giantess just stood there. It appeared that Hunter had achieved his desired effect. But then... SNAP "AAAAAAAAAH!" One tight squeeze was enough to snap Hunter''s legs. "No! Mercy! Mercy!" "Fool. I don''t get why humans say things like that in their last moments, but I love to hear their screams when they realize their error." "Mercy!" The giantess flung the thief away, who soon collided with the cave wall. His face now a bloody mess in part of the nose wound and the collision, the blood masked his sight completely as he made one last pathetic attempt to crawl away. As for the main group, they almost felt pity on the Blue Jay. But between the predatory scheming, deceit, and intentions of murder, they just couldn''t bring themselves to jump in to help him. Aqua, not really having witnessed a murder before and remembering the bodies near the entrance, closed her eyes. "Miss Aqua," Alistair said compassionately, "I understand how you feel. A hero''s path is never easy, and you''ll witness your fair share of murders. If this is not the life for you, I would be happy to help you exit gracefully. As for the rest of you, we need to come up with a plan. We only have a few precious seconds before she comes over here." Pulling out a meat tenderizer - the kind shaped like a hammer - the giantess approached her prey and raised her hand. Hunter, crawling away at a snail''s pace, hurried as best as he could. "Thanks to you, I almost lost my appetite. I refuse to indulge your desires but at least you''ll make food for the rats." Using her free hand, she pinned Hunter in place. "Die!" SPLAT! Blood splattered across the cave floor with each swing of the tenderizer. "No one. Makes me. Lose. My. Appetite. Without getting away with it!" The giantess swung and swung until Hunter was nothing more than a bloody paste in rags. Taking deep breaths, she tossed the tenderizer away and turned her attention to the door. That''s when she noticed the mark of a hammer on her belly, and more humans. She froze in horror as the little armored boy she met earlier and a machine next to him both charged at her, while three women stayed by the door; two of the women opened fire with their weapons while the smallest of the three sang a beautiful aria. This was Aquamarine''s answer to Alistair''s proposal. To move forward with the giant''s demise over her infiltration mission, she did not think about the scoundrel who just perished but instead her mind was on the girl behind her. "Your cannibalistic ways end now, monster!"
Melodious Aquamarine
Level Features Feat
Human Ability Score +2 - Constitution Heart of the Sea - +2 racial bonus to Profession (sailor) and Swim checks, treat both as class skills, can breathe twice as long underwater, and gains a +4 bonus to concentration checks when casting spells underwater. Bonus Feat - Humans gain an additional feat at 1st level Precise Shot - Removes the penalty for ranged attack rolls into melee.
1st level (Sea Singer 1) Spells - Bards cast arcane spells spontaneously Bardic Performance 7/day - Bards know a number of performances, which they can do for a number of rounds per day (4+Charisma modifier, plus an additional 2 rounds per bard level) Sea Shanty For each round the sea shanty plays, the bard rolls a Perform check. Allies within 30 ft. can use the Perform result in place of a saving throw vs exhaustion, fatigue, nausea, or sickness. Distraction For each round the distraction plays, the bard makes a Perform check. Allies within 30 ft. affected by illusions (figment or pattern) may use the result in place of a saving throw. Fascinate (DC 14) This performance hypnotizes creatures who fail a Will saving throw against it. Inspire Courage Allies who hear the bard gain a morale bonus to saving throws vs charm and fear effects, as well as a competence bonus to attack and damage rolls. World Traveler 1/day - The bard gains a bonus equal to half of their level on Knowledge checks (geography, local, nature), and Linguistics checks, and can reroll a check against one of these skills. Point-Blank Shot - +1 to attack and damage rolls to ranged attacks made within 30 ft. of the target.
2nd level (Kineticist 1) Elemental Focus (Water) - Kineticists starting their careers choose one primary element on which to focus, allowing them to use a variety of abilities and wild talents (see below). Kinetic Blast 2d6+2 - Each kineticist can launch a blast made from the element they are focused on. (See wild talents for more details). Burn (Limit: 7 points) - Kineticists can overexert themselves to channel more power than normal for their abilities. This exertion takes the form of burn, and each point of burn inflicts 1 point of nonlethal damage per character level. This damage cannot be healed at all until the kineticist rests, at which point the burn resets. Gather Power - Kineticists can reduce the amount of burn from their blast wild talents by gathering power. Spending a move action reduces the burn cost for the next blast talent by 1 point, a full-round action reduces the cost by 2, and a full-round followed by a move action reduces the cost by 3. Infusion - At certain levels, kineticists gain infusions, which help shape their kinetic blasts to suit their needs. Extended Range Kinetic blasts can have a range of 120 feet, instead of 30 feet. Adds 1 point of burn. Wild Talents - At certain levels and from class features, kineticists learn magical abilities drawn from their inner psychic talent. Basic Hydrokinesis The hydrokineticist can create water at will, purify water, create mild currents with existing water, and dry wet creatures. Obtained automatically by choosing water as the elemental focus (see above). Water Blast Water blasts are ranged physical blasts that deal 1d6+1+the kineticist''s Constitution modifer points of bludgeoning damage, plus an additional 1d6+1 points of damage for every two kineticist levels after the first.
3rd level (Kineticist 2) Elemental Defense - The kineticist learns their defense wild talent, determined by their element, Shroud of Water The hydrokineticist obtains a shroud of water, ice, or both that protects them from attacks. This either grants a +4 armor bonus to AC, or a +2 shield bonus, and the kineticist can shift between them freely. This bonus increases by 1 point every 4 kineticist levels after the 2nd. Wild Talent: Kinetic Healer The kineticist can heal a creature an amount of damage equal to the kineticist''s kinetic blast damage. Adds 1 point of burn, but the recipient can choose to accept burn instead. Weapon Focus (kinetic blast) - +1 bonus to attack rolls to the chosen weapon.
4th level (Kineticist 3) Infusion: Quenching Infusion The kineticist''s water blasts can put out nonmagical fires. Adds 1 point of burn, but by accepting 2 points of burn or reducing the damage to 0, the blast can also quench magical fires. Elemental Overflow +1 - The kineticist gains a bonus to attack rolls with their kinetic blasts for every point of burn accumulated, up to +1 per 3 kineticist levels, and twice as much in damage rolls.
5th level (Magical Child 1) Spells - The magical child casts spells just like an unchained summoner does and adds spells to their spell list. However, they cannot learn spells that deal with eidolons. Dual Identity - The vigilante has two identities that are best described as social and vigilante, the former is how the vigilante is known as a member of society and the latter is the vigilante''s crime-fighting persona. Socially, this character is known as Joanna Jones, while her vigilante identity is Melodious Aquamarine. The change between identities is both physical and mental, and both identities can have differing alignments. However, for the purposes of feats and other class features, both identities must share the same alignment in order to qualify. Transformation Sequence - The magical child reduces their time changing identities from 1 minute to 5 rounds, at the drawback that the switch is more colorful and thus more noticeable. Seamless Guise - The vigilante gains a +20 circumstance bonus to their Disguise checks to appear as their current identity and not the other whenever an outside party tries to identify them. Social Talent - At every odd numbered level, the vigilante gains a social talent. Social Grace (Perform [Sing]) +4 bonus to chosen skill whenever under social identity. Animal Guide - The magical child gains a familiar at their first class level, using their vigilante level as their wizard level. The familiar also comes with two identities. Toughness - +3 hit points, plus 1 additional hit point for every character level after 3rd.
6th level (Magical Child 2) Vigilante Talent - At every even numbered level, the vigilante gains a vigilante talent. Using these talents under their social identity warrants a Disguise check against the Perception check of onlookers, without the benefit of seamless guise. Armor Skin When wearing light or medium armor, no armor check is applied to Acrobatics, Escape Artist, or Stealth checks. At 8th level, the vigilante can move at full speed in medium armor.
7th level (Magical Child 3) Social Talent: Intrigue Feat (Street Smarts) - The vigilante gains a bonus feat from the list provided. Unshakeable - The vigilante adds their level to the DC to any attempts to intimidate them. Deadly Aim - Trade ranged attack bonus for damage, and the penalties and bonuses increase at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter. Street Smarts - +2 bonus to Knowledge (local) and Sense Motive checks, with the former always treated as a class skill. If either skill has 10 ranks or more, the bonus for that skill increases to +4.
Chapter 29 - Disciple of the Lioness and Demon Initiative Table
Character Result
Lenoria 1d20+3 = 15 (Fourth)
Alistair 1d20+1 = 15 (Last)
Clara and Tsukuyomi 1d20+8 = 18 (Third)
Aquamarine 1d20+3 = 20 (First)
Laester Matriarch 1d20 = 20 (Second)
The dice were rolled for initiative. The giantess was outnumbered, but in her mind, she was far from outmatched. No human has ever seen her angry and lived to tell the tale. As a matter of fact, any human she encountered never lived to tell their kin what they saw. She was a monster, but she was also reclusive and preferred to send her family out to bring food to the table. Her husband may have been a tactician, but she was the true mastermind behind the operation. She could not afford to be seen. For the first time in years, her appetite was spoiled. Funnily enough, the date coincides with the last time she was truly angry. The insolent boy from earlier was back, and with more numbers. Next to him was a machine with great fists. Both of them charged in and did their best to push her away. It all happened in an instant, with the boy declaring her demise being her only warning. With a strike to the leg from his mace, the boy managed to get a shriek out of her. But soon she realized their role was not to strike her down, but to keep her at bay from the main attack force. A blonde woman pulled the trigger of her weapon, the ensuing explosion echoing throughout the cave halls. The elf next to her had fired from her crossbow, and both attacks hit their mark. All accompanied by a beautifully sung aria from the smallest of the three women. Surprise Round log
Actions Rolls
Aquamarine initiates her inspire courage bardic performance as a standard action. All allies receive a +1 bonus to attacks, damage, and saving throws vs fear and charm effects.
Clara opens fire with her crossbow while Tsukuyomi charges with Alistair. Out of the two melee attackers, Tsukuyomi strikes first. Attack: 1d20+9 = 24 vs 23 FF AC, Damage 1d8+1 = 5 (Clara) Attack: 1d20+11 = 22 vs 23 FF AC (Miss) (Tsukuyomi)
Lenoria opens fire with her flintlock pistol. Since she is close enough to the enemy, she only needs to overcome the giant''s touch AC. Normally, touch AC is 10 + Dexterity modifier plus other modifiers, but with the giant being flat-footed (and lacking a significant Dex score to begin with), this gets brought down to a measly 10. Attack: 1d20+10 = 16 vs 10 touch AC, Damage: 1d8+1 = 7
Alistair, being the last to act, charged along with Tsukuyomi. Using Smite Evil beforehand, not only does Alistair score a hit, but his smite damage is surprisingly doubled for reasons that will be revealed soon. Attack: 1d20+16 = 34 vs 23 FF AC, Damage: 1d8+5+14 = 21
~Lenoria and co.~ Defending herself from all of the attacks, it was immediately clear that Alistair''s strike did the most damage against the giant. The mark on the giant''s belly reacted to Alistair''s charge by lighting up intensely for a second. "It''s just as I feared!" Lenoria reloaded her pistol. "Fear what, Alistair?" "The wings, the fire...I should have known something was off. She''s a dragon!" "Are you sure, Alistair?" "Positive! Only fiends, undead, and evil dragons take this much damage when a deity has marked them!" "Don''t dragons have four legs?" Aquamarine asked. "Dragons are known to get around. The spawn of a dragon and a different creature typically carries some of the dragon''s traits," Clara clarified. "And if she has red scales, that will make her immune to fire!" Lenoria glanced over at Owen, who was just as surprised as she was. "I''m sorry, Lenoria. I didn''t know," Owen said. "She rarely opened up about herself, even around family. But we are not without options!" The giant prepared her counterattack. Flames gathered inside her mouth, which exposed her sharp dragon fangs. At the same time, Owen glowed with a maroon color, which he soon transferred to Lenoria. "If you survive this, this makes us even!" With the aura gone, Owen dropped to the ground and quickly disappeared. "Owen!" Transferring all of the energy to her fist, Lenoria dared not look back a second time and instead opened her palm just as the giant unleashed her breath of fire. The result, while transparent, could be seen by all who possessed a Soulstone. A rectangular wall of heat - as tall as the giant and just as wide - shielded the group from the great flamethrower. This caused the stream of flames to split to the sides, but some wayward flames managed to burn our heroes. Despite the damage done, everyone was still standing. The maroon light vanished from Lenoria''s hand, and she was ready to fight once more. "If Owen hadn''t given me that, I would have been a goner." "No! My fire!" The giant looked at Lenoria. "You little gnat! I will eat your heart!" "You can try, but I''ve already given it to someone else!" Lenoria smiled cheekily and pointed at the giant. "Attack!" After giving the order, Lenoria instantly felt her body cool down as if she had been splashed with water. Her burns disappeared as well as the wounds that had opened from the fire. "Thank you," Aqua said as she released Lenoria''s arm. "It''s not much, but I can restore wounds." Lenoria raised a thumb, but quickly spotted Aqua''s left elbow had been encased with ice. The redness of the skin around it indicated signs of frostbite. It''s up to the rest of you! I''ll do what I can! Clara fired another crossbow shot while Tsukuyomi mercilessly slammed his fists on the giant, but her thick hide repelled their attacks. Alistair''s strike, however, hit a weak point and fractured a bone. As for Lenoria, she managed to readjust her gloves and reloaded her firearm. Round 1 log
Actions Rolls
The Laester Matriarch, no longer surprised, opens up with a breath weapon that is usable once per day, and blasts the group with a 30-ft. cone of fire (DC 20). As an immediate action, Lenoria spends Owen''s power to create a ward that reduced that damage by half. Damage: 9d6 = 40 fire damage (reduced by half from Owen''s ward, Reflex half) Aquamarine: 1d20+13 = 30 (success) Clara: 1d20+6 = 24 (success) Tsukuyomi: 1d20+3 = 6 (failure) Lenoria: 1d20+7 = 10 (failure) Alistair: 1d20+7 = 16 (failure) Result: Successes take 10 fire damage, failures take 20 fire damage
Aquamarine activates her Kinetic Healer wild talent, restoring some of Lenoria''s hp. She, in turn, accepts 1 point of burn, taking 7 points of nonlethal damage. She spends a free action to continue singing her aria. Accepting burn also activates her Elemental Overflow, boosting the power of her kinetic blasts. Kinetic Healer roll: 2d6+6 = 11 hp restored Burn accepted: 1/7
Clara fires a crossbow shot, but misses. Attack: 1d20+9 = 12 vs 23 AC
Tsukuyomi attempts a full attack with both fists, but misses all. 2 slams: 1d20+9 = 15, 1d20+9 = 11 vs 23 AC
Lenoria spends a standard action to reload her weapon and spends a move action to activate her Martial Flexibility to gain the benefits of Rapid Reload for 1 minute, allowing her to reload her pistol with a move action instead.
Alistair initiates a full-attack action, using his mace to attack twice. He hits with the first swing, but not the second. Attack 1d20+14 = 32 vs 23 AC, Damage: 1d8+5+7 = 14 bludgeoning
Remaining hp Lenoria: 23/32 Alistair: 54/74 Clara: 24/34 Tsukuyomi: 24/44 Aquamarine: 57/67 - 7 nonlethal Notes Nonlethal damage: If current hit points are decreased to a number equal to the amount of nonlethal damage sustained, the character is incapacitated.
~Alistair~ Both sides have taken significant damage. The giant boasted only a fraction of dragon blood, but that alone made her significantly more powerful than the rest of her kin. The silver lining was that dragons typically needed time to recharge their breath weapon, and the giant only being half of one meant that she would struggle to do the same thing again. Raise your shield, Alistair! Raise it so that even the heavens themselves cannot hope to crush you! Recalling the words of his paladin mentor - fierce like a lioness on the hunt - Alistair raised his shield just as the giant snapped her jaws at him. She bit down on the metal shield, her teeth still hot from the dragon''s fire, puncturing Alistair''s defense just a little. Unable to remove herself immediately, she clawed at him erratically, her efforts allowing her to scratch Alistair on his left side. Protect your party so that they can deliver the finishing blow! The boy shouted as he pushed his shield upwards, keeping the giant at bay. "I could use some help, ladies!" Hearing this, Aquamarine got ready. She opened her hands about half a foot apart from each other. She then revolved her hands vertically, each spin forming an orb of water. Raising her hands, the ball hovered above her until a dainty spin gathered momentum and launched it at the giant. The impact was enough to push the monster away from Alistair, granting him sweet reprieve. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Next was Clara. Seeing her shots were not doing much, she resorted to spellcasting. "Since you''re so obsessed with food, I hope you don''t mind your body getting a little greasy!" A puddle formed at the giant''s feet just as she regained her footing. The greasy coating on the cave floor proved to be slippery enough for the giant to fall in, creating a loud THUD as she slipped and fell. "Alright, Tsukuyomi! You''re up!" Hearing his mistress''s words loud and clear, Tsukuyomi raised his fists at the fallen giant and slammed them down. Despite his smaller frame, Tsukuyomi''s ground-pounding smash knocked the wind from the monster. "We have her now!" Pulling the trigger, Lenoria had aimed for the head but her target was not as big this time. Still, given how close she was to the monster she still managed to get her shot in. "You meatbags," the giant roared, "my family just wanted to eat the delicacies of the surface! Couldn''t you have just left us alone?!" Alistair recalled Beau''s words to him. Contrary to the lioness, Beau''s savagery was defined with some words of advice. I''m not a fan of his, but one of the Hammer''s rules that I like is to never show mercy to those receiving the death sentence. The world is cruel, and you must be just as ruthless even in the criminal''s final moments. The boy just needed to remind himself. The giant from the night before almost tricked Lenoria, and what the dragon-like creature before him was doing now was surely meant to trick him as well. But it failed to work. "You robbed a father of his daughter. The rules of Helix are different those from the underground. Man, giant, beastfolk, they all live in harmony. Had you reserved your love of food for game and crops, your life would have been spared." "Isn''t the world a big ol'' craphole right now," Lenoria whispered. "I think he means relative to primitive lands," Clara corrected. "I''ll let the girl go!" The giant fearfully snapped her fingers. A clink is heard in the distance, and when Lenoria looked behind her, the shackles from Allie''s hands had dropped to the ground. "S-see?" Alistair unflinchingly stepped forward. "You killed a man simply because you believed he was here to rescue the girl. Even before he acted weird, you had already declared you would eat him." He raised his mace threateningly. "I don''t believe for a second that you''ll change your ways after we leave." Consumed by the fear of death, the giant lunged forward jaws-first. She was once again stopped by Alistair, who held her in place with his shield and struck her twice with his mace. The first strike caused the giant to sink her fangs into the shield, breaking from the impact against the metal object. Already knocked unconscious from the pain, Alistair followed with another strike that caved in her skull. And just like that, the battle was over. Round 2 log
Actions Rolls
The giantess attacks Alistair with a bite and both of her claws. Attack: 1d20+15 = 34 (claw), 1d20+15 = 16 (bite, nat 1), 1d20+15 = 17 (second claw), Damage: 1d6+10 = 16
Aquamarine, boosted by her power, launches a water kinetic blast and takes a penalty to her accuracy with Deadly Aim. Attack: 1d20+9 = 26 vs 23 AC, Damage: 2d6+6+4+4 = 19 bludgeoning
Clara casts Grease, conjuring a puddle of slippery liquid beneath the giant''s feet, forcing a Reflex save from the giant. Grease (DC 14): 1d20+3 = 5 Result: The giant slips and falls. The prone condition grants her a +4 bonus to AC vs ranged attacks, but also inflicts a -4 penalty to AC vs melee attacks.
Tsukuyomi wastes little time to capitalize on the opening provided by his mistress and slams both fists on the prone giant. 2 slams: 1d20+8 = 24 vs 19 AC, 1d20+8 = 21 vs 19 AC Damage rolls: 1d8+4 = 6, 1d8+4 = 12
Lenoria opens fire once again, spending a standard action to do so and reloading as a move action, ready to shoot again next turn. Pistol: 1d20+10 = 17 vs 14 touch AC Damage: 1d8+1 = 4
Alistair, seeing a vulnerable opponent, sacrifices accuracy for more power. Attack: 1d20+12 = 22 vs 19 AC, 1d20+7 = 19 vs 19 AC Damage: 1d8+9+7 = 20, 1d8+9+7 = 18
*** 16th of Cobre, 6:23 pm, 1659 (169 days before Starflower''s trial) Everyone had a job to do. Alistair spent hours getting the corpses off the meat hooks, Lenoria checked the rest of the giants'' dwelling for treasure, and Clara and Aquamarine sought out a private spot and helped Allie get clean. Lenoria was done with her task first. The giants had accumulated a lot of silver and copper coins from wayward adventurers, as well as mundane weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. Some had even written a journal detailing their escapades. One adventurer wandered in a gnoll camp, naked, and stole a chieftain''s hat, while another was a fugitive who nearly died after a run-in with Constable Richards back in Helix City. She skipped to the final page of a journal belonging to a former mercenary who had just finished his police training before setting out for a job in Hammer''s Reach. Her heart skipped and broke upon reading the final entry of the journal. Just you wait, girls. Dad''s going to make you proud. Lenoria assumed he simply never made it to Hammer''s Reach. With nothing left to do, she returned to the fork of the cave where she found Alistair lining up the mutilated corpses neatly. He knelt in prayer, holding his holy symbol tightly, urging his patron deity to bless the poor souls in the afterlife. She had to ask him. She had to confront him about it. Once he was done with his prayer, the girl cleared her throat to get his attention. "Oh, hey Lenoria. Did you get a good haul?" The two of them were alone. Lenoria heard no word from Owen, which worried her but had to leave off for later. "I couldn''t help but notice just how bloodthirsty you are. The two giants we fought got the same treatment." "I prefer to solve things peacefully, Lenoria. I''m just not as open to it with monsters." "I''m not saying you should be. It''s one thing to show no mercy, but it''s like the thought doesn''t even cross your mind." Alistair let out a remorseful sigh. "And the thought scares you." Lenoria smiled. "It''s more like I don''t want you to turn into someone like Spark." "Spark." Alistair scoffed. "The fool was no paladin. His holy symbol was aquamarine in color. I scoured my books after my first meeting with him and there''s no mention of that color being part of our history. It was no surprise he turned on us, really. As for your concern, well..." "Yes?" "It''s not a sin to fight for what''s right. It''s a paradox to fight to end all fighting, but that is exactly why I became a paladin. But Lord Beau taught me that people rarely play fair at the hour of their death. That''s why we can''t let our resolve wane, not even for a second." "Al..." "The giant we fought last night was planning to throw burning ashes at you based on his body language. I''m glad you snapped out of your daze in time, but things could have gotten ugly if you hadn''t. Enemies like those man-eating giants spared no one during their hunger binge, and I doubt they would have shown mercy to us if we had been weaker." Lenoria applied the same logic to her school days. Bullies gave her a wide berth only after she learned how to fight. Until then, there was no escaping their harassment. "You''re right. I''ll be more careful around whatever enemies we face in the future." "I should also make sure my zeal does not go beyond what''s necessary. I didn''t mean to worry you. I promise to be gentle with you in word and deed." Alistair didn''t realize it, but he had set himself up to be teased by Lenoria, who did her best to hide a goofy grin. Fortunately for the young paladin, she decided against it due to being present around dozens of corpses. "What are you going to do with them?" "Well," Alistair said, "I was thinking of a funeral pyre. But I don''t want to risk a forest fire, especially not with the manchineel trees around. Once we return to Hammer''s Reach, I''ll report our findings to the guards." He scratched his head. "And give them a heavily-worded scolding for releasing criminals from jail." *** 7pm The sun was setting, and everyone was finally done with their duties. Everyone gathered by the cave entrance to discuss the next plan. "Spark and his goon ran away. Are you satisfied with this result, Miss Aquamarine?" "That''s totally fine, Alistair. I''ll write my report on the way back to Helix City. Besides, the goon they left behind had an interesting letter on him." Aqua waved around an opened envelope. "He had it in a knapsack, so it didn''t get stained by any of the blood. This details some of their plans, which included their goals, movements, and setting up some dark shrines. I hope this gives me and the Church a clue to their whereabouts." "Right, the Church. Are you a believer?" "Not really. Religion never sat right with me, but that doesn''t mean I don''t help people in need. They asked for a favor, and I obliged. Nothing complicated." Clara addressed a concern. "There is one thing that worries me. Spark said he could use the Order''s resources to gather information about us and find out where our families live. I know we couldn''t stop them from running away, but..." "Let them keep their threats," Lenoria said. "It''s not like my parents are helpless." "And my family is back in Thule," Alistair said. But after seeing Clara''s worried expression, his face changed. "Oh." "Aren''t your parents retired adventurers, Clara?" Lenoria said this as to remind her they were not helpless, either. "It will be okay!" "R-right." Clara smiled, but her tone was not convincing. "Should we return to Helix City?" Alistair asked. "No! We spent a lot of time here already. You still have to go through the Jaguar Lands if you mean to get to Thule as fast as possible. I-I don''t want Lenoria to be late just because of me. But," Clara then faced Aquamarine, "if it''s not too much trouble, can I accompany you to Helix City? I-I could use some help protecting my parents from the Order." "Miss Clara, is this truly what you want?" "No. I wanted to travel with you guys all the way and enroll in the College of the Wilds! But this is a lot more important." "Then we''re going back with you!" Lenoria grabbed Clara''s hands. "Listen here, you! I woke up today wanting to explore Hammer''s Reach with you, and you''re going to let some punks scare you into running away from me?!" "No, but-" "Lenoria is right, if you let anyone get into your head, you will have a hard time kicking them out. If it eases your worries, I don''t mind returning to the city." Alistair grabbed the rock he used to contact Gabrielle. "I''m sure Lady Gabrielle will understand our delay." "But-!" "No buts!" Lenoria pulled Clara for a hug. "I''m not letting them take my best friend away from me." "That''s admirable and all, but don''t I get a say in this?" The main trio paused and looked at Aquamarine, who at this point had her hands on her hips with an annoyed look. "Clara, I got sick of doing favors once the Blue Jays started asking me to wash their clothes three times a day. It was exhausting to pretend to be this sweet little girly girl who did everything they asked. And now you''re trying to strong-arm me into doing you a favor. Have you no manners?" "I just...asked if I could go back with you." Clara found it embarrassing that a woman her age was being scolded by a teenage girl. Lenoria seemed to find it amusing, but Aqua''s next words bit her just as hard. "And you! I don''t know the full story, but don''t you think it''s silly to sacrifice your career for the sake of a friend?" The young artificer was speechless and had no retort. "And you," Aqua said to Alistair, "you lead a charge against something much bigger than you, but once these two get started, you automatically fall in line? Take charge! What do you want to do?" In the end, the trio were powerless before the mighty Aquamarine. "I guess it doesn''t matter, because we''re going to do this." To Clara, "You are going with your friends," and to Lenoria, "and you better treat Clara nicely after going through the trouble of staying with you for the sake of your career," and to Alistair, "and you, take command once in a while! If these two like you, they won''t mind you taking charge when you''re skeptical about something! Geez!" "But," Clara said tearfully, "my parents-" "I''ll look after them. Melodious Aquamarine never abandons her friends, after all," the magical girl finished with a smile. "Just give me an address, a letter written by you explaining things, and I''ll make sure those punks never lay a hand on them." Fighting the tears, Clara walked slowly towards Aqua, which quickly became a dash and a tackle hug afterwards. "T-thank you! Thank you!" "Gah!" Aqua pushed Clara away. Her face beet red, the magical girl stumbled in her words of admonishment. "L-listen here, y-you!" She pointed at Clara. "D-don''t misunderstand! It''s not like I''m doing this for you or anything! I just, uh, have nothing better to do, that''s all! Be thankful Melodious Aquamarine''s schedule is open all season." After writing a letter to Clara''s parents, the trio bid farewell to Aquamarine, who made her way back to Helix City while they made the return trip to Hammer''s Reach. *** 9:17 pm The return trip to Hammer''s Reach went smoothly. The girls tried their best to cheer Allie up, but the young girl kept quiet throughout the entire walk back. She must feel relieved to be going back home, but the trauma of getting kidnapped and almost getting eaten would surely stay for some time. The group was soon startled by the sound of neighing in the distance. Neighing Alistair knew too well. "Chestnut! Is that you?" The boy whistled. "Come here, boy!" The horse neighed in response, much louder this time. "It is him!" Alistair followed the voice back to its source, and it didn''t take long to find his steed. Chestnut had a rope around his neck, and planks of wood dangled from the reins used to pull their carriage. "Pieces of the wagon?" Clara asked. "Just as I feared," Lenoria mumbled. "Who...who did this?" Alistair removed the wood from the reins. "This wood''s from our wagon! What happened?"
Rewards Encounter treated as having a party of 4-5 people. XP awarded for stopping the machinations of three CR 3 creatures (The Order of the Blue Jay): 600 XP awarded for one CR 8 monster (Half-dragon cave giant): 1,200 Bonus XP awarded for keeping Allie safe: 360 Total XP awarded: 2,160 each Lenoria: 14,155/15,000 Clara: 14,065/15,000 Alistair: 27,065/34,000
Chapter 30 - Tweeting Villains It was a disaster. The rest of the trip was a 1-minute dash to the gate of the village. The guards posted earlier were gone, which the group took as the opportunity to excuse themselves and go back inside the village. The door to the shed by the Drunken Chef Inn - the wagon''s last known location - was ajar. "I''ll go find my dad!" Allie ran off to the inn. "Please do!" Alistair rushed inside the shed, horrified at the sight inside. The wagon had been dismantled. The wheels were missing, the front seat was smashed to bits, and the back portion was now exposed to the elements. "No, no, no," Alistair said as he checked the exposed area. "My wagon..." Alistair sank to the ground. Lenoria stood behind him, patting him on the back. "It''s okay, Alistair. We''ll get a new one!" "You don''t understand. This was a gift from Lady Gabrielle." He punched the ground, sending some of the hay flying outwards. "It...means a lot to me." Gabrielle must have bought him the wagon before she left Helix City, Lenoria thought. Kneeling next to him, Lenoria placed her arm around him to pull him closer until his head was resting on her. "Then we''ll find whoever did this." The shed was suddenly illuminated by light. Lenoria glanced back outside, and noticed a crowd gathered with torches. "Though I have a feeling they''ve come to find us." With righteous fury, Alistair stood back up and drew his mace back out. "We''ll sort this out first." He was the first back outside and was met by a gaggle of villagers with torches and pitchforks. And Spark and Chet were leading them. "There he is!" "What is the meaning of this?! I demand an explanation!" "You''re in no position to make demands, boy!" Pointing at his head injury, still caked in blood, Spark made sure everyone in the crowd could see it. "Go on, kid! Tell them how you were so weak that you had to sneak up on me!" "You threatened to attack us first! I have witnesses!" A random villager piped up. "What, your harem?" One after the other, the villagers broke into laughter. "Damn it. If only Miss Aquamarine was here..." Alistair knew he had an uphill battle from here on out. All the villagers saw was two men dressed as paladins of the Hammer arguing with each other, and Alistair had the misfortune not to reach the village first. "All I remember was getting mugged after you struck me," Spark lied. "And since you helped yourself to my belongings, I thought it was fair to have the villagers here do the same to you after I found out what rooms you and your girls were staying in!" "It''s only right," said another villager. "You done messed with the Blue Jay, boy! They punish criminals and fakers like you," said another. "If they say someone is bad, then we don''t have to listen to the other side of the story!" "Our rooms?" Alistair peered at the crowd, placing his hand over his forehead to block the light from the torches. From among them, he noticed a girl wearing a blue scarf grinning at him as she twirled a set of lockpicks with her finger. "You!" Alistair took a step closer but was quick to block a weak punch from Spark. "Leave my girlfriend out of this, kid!" "Spark said he was a woman beater," one villager said. "Let''s get him and show him how it feels to be beaten for once!" The villagers all clamored amongst themselves and marched forward to do the deed. But that was when Lenoria had enough. She ran outside to stand between Alistair and the angry mob. "The hell''s the matter with all of you?" She pointed angrily at Spark. "Can''t you see that he''s lying to you?!" Chet wasted no time drawing his lute out, but a swipe from a sneaky Tsukuyomi was enough to snatch it and crush it with a tight grip. "Don''t even think about it," Clara warned him. "Don''t listen to them!" Spark urged the crowd. "He must have hypnotized these girls or something! Or worse, they schemed to pretend to rescue the innkeep''s little girl, only to deliver the news that she''s dead so they could run away with the consolation money!" "Sounds like you''re projecting," Clara said. "Shut it, elf," said a villager. "We don''t mind hurting you if that''s what it takes to save you!" "You realize we can all think rationally here, right? Alistair is a paladin." Clara pointed at Chet. "Not some low-rate bard that likes to hypnotize people!" "Hey!" Chet raised a fist to hit Clara, but he flinched at the sound of gunfire. His hat fell to the ground, and it now had a burned bullet hole at the center. "Leave. Them. Alone." Lewis the innkeeper reloaded his musket after Allie tossed him an alchemical cartridge. "Or the next shot will be right between your cheeks!" "You mean my face, right?" But Lewis only growled at him, which was all it took for the bard to stand down. The villagers began to murmur amongst themselves. "Hey, isn''t that Lewis''s little girl?" "But the Blue Jays said these kids left her for dead at the cave because they''re too weak to fight the giant." A curmudgeonly old man waved his cane at the crowd. "She''s obviously an impostor! The Blue Jays never lied before!" "You have a rash on your back that you always show me, Old Man George. No matter how many times I said no, you always make time to do so," Allie calmly, yet disgusted, told him. "It is her!" Spark and his goons were surprised to see Allie. "W-we didn''t lie! We genuinely thought they left her for dead!" He seethed. "Then that means...they''re really that strong?" All eyes were on Alistair, who chose to capitalize on this moment. "Citizens of Hammer''s Reach, you need not fear anymore. The Laester tribe, as the giants called themselves, is no more. My party here, along with the aid of Melodious Aquamarine, prevailed in our battle against them." "The heroine of the seas?" "The one and the same." Alistair then pointed at Spark. "These people, on the other hand, were more than happy to abandon one of their own in order to get here first and spread these lies about us! Their plan was to kill us and to cut off Allie''s hands in order to free her from her bindings, but we wouldn''t let them and ran the moment the giant approached. I''m sure the guards will recognize at least one of these people as one half of the pair that got arrested for robbing the inn last night. Allie and her father can attest to these claims." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "It''s true, all of it." Lewis pointed at the guards accusingly. "I don''t get why you idiots even set a bond for him. I always said that if freedom has a price, then it is only the poor who suffer." "Miss Aquamarine found an interesting letter on the corpse of their friend. She''s on her way now to report the Church back in Helix, and I would keep an eye out for any word from the Church." "That''s a lie," Spark roared. "That letter does not contain plans about the Order''s movements, and doesn''t mention anything about dark shrines!" "I never said the envelope contained details about dark shrines and the cult''s movements," Alistair corrected. "But I was about to get to it. How did you know that, exactly, Mr. Spark?" The villagers now surrounded the three remaining members of the Blue Jay. Spark reached for his polearm, but the hilt was caught by a random pitchfork and it was tossed aside. But unfortunately for Alistair, Spark was the leader of his group for a reason. He worked best when his team was in danger. "Fine! I admit we may have blown things out of proportion." He then pointed at Alistair. "But what about you? You said the giants were your responsibility, right? You said the whole family stopped your little group on your way here, remember? Now, why in the world would you feel responsible about taking out the mom giant?" The crowd once again began to murmur amongst themselves. Alistair had no rebuttal, and neither did Lenoria or Clara. "Admit it. If you hadn''t run into them, mom giant wouldn''t have even come here in the first place to kill the gate guards." That''s when it dawned on everyone what Spark was trying to do. And there was nothing Alistair could do except admit to the truth. Not even Lewis could step in to defend the trio. "I''ll take your silence as your admission," Spark said smugly. "If these kids hadn''t come here, we wouldn''t have to bury our guards." "And sweet Allie wouldn''t have gotten kidnapped," said the old man from earlier. "If they stay here, who knows how they could ruin our village!" "It would be best if you left now, kid," Spark grinned again. "That''s enough, all of you." Lewis stood next to Lenoria. "These kids just saved my little girl''s life, and I''ll be damned if any of you kicked them out." "Get out of our way, Lewis! These kids are a menace!" "And I''m the one who pours all of your beers at the end of each work day, so pipe down!" Lewis raised a hand. "I propose a compromise. These kids will leave, but they shall do so when they''re good and ready!" He aimed his musket at Spark. "But if you want to make use of your torches and pitchforks, I recommend kicking these clowns out, as well. The sooner, the better." "We just exposed the truth about these kids, and this is the thanks we get?" Spark''s fury quickly subsided when the barrel of the musket was pressed against his face. "I had enough of your group since last night. If you don''t leave now, I propose we turn this angry mob into a lynch mob. Your choice, punk! I can round up some of my army friends and make sure none of your bodies are found by your order." Alistair may be immune to fear, but even he flinched from Lewis''s threat. Spark, now afraid, turned to the rest of the mob. "What are you doing? Get this murder sympathizer, too!" But the mob disagreed. "That Lewis kicks ass when he''s angry." "I heard he killed three people with one arrow before he fired it." "He cooks a mean iguanodon, too." "And he pours our beer! Don''t forget the beer!" The villagers all nodded in agreement at the last point before turning their attention to Spark and his crew. "This isn''t over!" Spark snapped his fingers and pointed towards the village gate. "Not by a longshot!" Spark and his friends finally left the area, and soon enough the crowd dispersed, villager by villager, until Lewis, Allie, and Lenoria''s crew were the only ones left. Lewis lowered his musket once Spark was out of his sight. "I couldn''t stop them from raiding your rooms. If you hadn''t brought my little girl back, I admit I would have been in that mob, too." "So, they took all of our belongings?" Clara asked. "Not all of them." Lenoria placed her bag of holding on the ground and opened it up. "That scarf girl was giving us a weird look, so as a precaution I went to both rooms and stuffed as much of our stuff as I could in my bag here before I met back with you." "My backpack!" Clara grabbed her backpack from the bag of holding and rummaged through it. "All of my stuff is here!" "Mine, too!" Alistair then raised an eyebrow. "Um, you even grabbed my clean underwear." Lenoria pinched Alistair''s cheek. "You''re welcome!" He quickly brushed Lenoria away. "Looks like all of our money and stuff is still here, but we still lost the wagon." Lenoria was quick to grab a screwdriver from her belt. "What if I told you I can fix it?" "You''d do that?" "Depends." Lenoria looked over at Lewis. "How are we for tonight?" "Your man here already paid for tonight''s stay, but I recommend skedaddling sometime tomorrow morning. I doubt these people will let you stay longer than that." "That''s all the time I need." Lenoria grinned. "I''ll definitely have your wagon up and running, Alistair. Rest easy." "Looks like you kids had a long day. I''ll set your rooms back up and Allie will cook your dinner." Lewis went back to the inn. "I''ll help you, sir. I like my bed set up in a specific way." Clara winked at Lenoria before going back to the inn with Allie and Lewis. Once again, Alistair was left alone with Lenoria, the latter who already ran back inside the shed and started taking measurements of the wagon. "Hey, Al, mind running back to the inn and pay for some wheels? I''m sure Lewis has some." When Alistair didn''t say a word, Lenoria turned to look at him. "Al?" "Oh, sorry. It''s just...I don''t know what to say, or even how to thank you." "No thanks needed, Al. All I did during that last fight was fire my pistol, but it was your strength that finished off the giant. My talents are better spent in creating and fixing things, anyway." Lenoria pocketed her measuring string away. "Besides, I admit my heart broke, too. Not by what those people did to the wagon, but by your reaction to it." "You don''t have to go through such lengths. You must be tired." "I am, but the excitement I have now will keep me awake until the job''s done. If anything, you worked harder than any of us. You must be tired, too." "Yeah, I feel sore all over. I''ll call you when dinner''s ready." Alistair stretched and reached for the door. He looked at Lenoria, hard at work, and smiled. "On the other hand, it makes no difference if I rest here, does it?" Lenoria giggled. "Won''t you get bored?" Alistair sat down, leaning against the wall. "We could always chat. I did say we should get to know each other more. I''ll let you start." "Really? You want to hear about my boring life?" "Based on what I experienced so far, I doubt your life lacks excitement." That must have been why Clara winked, Lenoria thought. She could work and talk at the same time, and she was happy to see Alistair had the same idea. "Well, I was born at the Great Plateau. Dad would always say he used to be a samurai, and..." *** Meanwhile, somewhere outside the village, Spark and his two other members schemed as they rested in a denser part of Cedar Forest. "Outsmarted by a bunch of brats..." "Hate to say it, boss," Chet said, "but maybe we should have waited until we could confirm the innkeep''s kid was dead before we made our move." "How was I supposed to know they were that strong? None of us could face that giant!" "Well, they did tell us over and over that they got rid of the dad." "Really? That''s the first time I''m hearing this." Spark punched a nearby tree. "No kid is that strong! I understand if it were the Constable or the Heroine of Thule, but them? Gah! Not only did we miss our chance to cash in on that fat bounty, but now we''ll be the laughingstock of the Order!" "Relax, Sparky." The girl in the blue scarf calmly leaned against a tree. "Aquamarine got away and there''s nothing we can do about it. We can expect punishment if we return to the Order empty-handed." "If we return now, maybe the big boss will be lenient," Chet said. "I have a better idea. Let''s wait here and kill whoever the Church sends this way." Spark snapped out of his tantrum when he heard that. "Hold on, Valerie. Even you should know how bad of an idea that is." "You think our great leader is going to let this slide? Our movements have been compromised, but maybe we can scare the Church into silence if we stop any delivery boy that comes here on their behalf." "You have a point. We can still salvage this mission." Spark sighed. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Val. You have a good head on your shoulders, not like the fat cow I have waiting for me at home." Valerie laughed. "When are you going to dump her, anyway? I''ve already shown you how better I am than her at absolutely everything." "Are you kidding? I didn''t isolate her from all of her family and friends just to dump her without thinking. She has to realize I''m the only thing that''s important in her life. That way, I could be gone for years and she''d still feel relieved when I return home. Who knows, maybe she''ll get so lonely that she''ll be open to absolutely anything to keep me home. If, no, when that happens, you can move in with us." Valerie rolled her eyes. "Fine. It''s not like I have a house to return to. But none of us will have a place to return to at all if we stand here and do nothing. Let''s get to work." "I still think we should just go now, tell the big boss, and take whatever punishment waiting for us and get it over with," Chet said. "Chet," Spark said, "you remember the Order''s motto, right?" The bard sighed. "''We tweet and tweet, without accountability.''" "Good man. Let''s set up camp for tonight. Tomorrow''s another day." Chapter 31 - Acquiring Help 16th of Cobre, 6:27 am, 1659 (169 days before Starflower''s trial) It was too early to deal with buffoonery. Constable Richards had been summoned by his subordinates to check out the front gate. He was not a morning person and everyone knew that, so he knew it must have been a real emergency if whatever this was couldn''t wait until later in the morning. Chugging his mug of espresso and scarfing down a round pastry, he drove his steam vehicle to the front gate. What he saw there shocked him. Two giants - cave giants, if the Constable remembered correctly -- were dancing in a circle. One had their hands behind the other, while the other giant had a slightly smaller one carried under their arm. The sight itself was surreal enough to keep all other policemen present standing around in awe. It was only when the Constable cleared his throat that they finally turned to look at him. "Oh, Constable Richards, s-sir," said a sheepish young man. "Give me that damn report, rookie," the Constable demanded. "What is going on here?" "Oh, um..." The rookie reached for his clipboard. "L-let''s see. The giants appeared at dawn, sir. They have been dancing in place ever since." "That''s it? Any probable causes?" "Magic is usually the case for something as unusual as this," another officer said. "An enchantment, perhaps?" "What kind of hare-brained idiot hatched the idea to enchant these giants and send them our way?" The Constable left the safety of his vehicle, grabbed his baton, and closed the door behind him. His subordinates looked on as he stepped in the middle of the circle the giants had made with the constant walking. "Sir! Sir! It''s too dangerous," said the rookie. Ignoring the warnings from his rookie, the Constable shouted at the giants. They had to answer to him, now. "Alright, alright! Break it up! Party''s over! What are you three doing here?" The two dancing giants ignored the Constable, and a closer look at the third revealed she was asleep amidst the chaos. "I said break it up!" Three bludgeoning strikes were all it took to snap the two giants out of their daze and rouse the third from her nap. The three giants, now fully awake, looked at each other in confusion before turning their gaze to the walls of Helix City. The exit from the forest opened up to a grassy plain spreading a good half mile before reaching the city, safeguarded by a stone wall measuring about 100 feet in height. And they couldn''t help but notice the morsels in blue before them, and an orange one right in their midst. The female giant smacked her lips. "Are you boys finally done dancing? Looks like that group led us right into a feast." The two males flanked Constable Richards, while the female stood in front of him. They made sure to block all potential escape routes. "Constable," shouted the rookie. He aimed his pistol at them, but one of the other officers clasped the barrel of the pistol and pushed it down. "Anderson, what are you doing?" "You''ll be wasting ammo," the officer said. Looking at the giants listlessly, the Constable decided now was a good time to grab a cigar and light it up. Putting away the lighter, he grabbed his baton with one hand and held the cigar with the other. Then, he took a smoke. "This is a bad time to be here today, little man! We''re going to eat you now! And there''s nothing you can do about it!" *** 7:50 am The three giants, bruised and battered, were hauled away to a special cell designed for them. Adjacent to the main jail building was another shaped like a cube. The inside was big enough to contain bigger criminals, such as trolls and ogres. Measuring 30 feet in height and about 50 in length and width, the building provided enough room to stretch their legs. "You can''t do this to us," screamed the female giant. "Our Ma and Pa will come save us," warned a balding male giant, "you''ll see!" "I hope they do," said Constable Richards. "But like everyone else, they have to follow proper procedure in order to see you. Be thankful your only crime is assaulting an officer; if you pressed your luck any further, you''d be in here longer." The giants yelled and snarled as the Constable closed the cell door. He locked the door and pocketed the keys and made his way outside. On his way out, he walked past the other cells. Like beasts in a cage, they all watched carefully as he walked past them; each individual, ranging from 8 to 12 feet in height, had all been arrested by the Constable himself. They all underestimated him based on his size, and they all paid dearly with broken shins or ankles. The majority of them were ogres. Nasty creatures measuring about 8-10 feet in height, they possessed brute strength, greasy hair, foul stench, and a savage mindset that is surprisingly cunning when coming up with ways to make the smaller folk miserable. While ogre society has evolved as a whole somewhat, some even integrating themselves into society, a big minority were happy with their lot in the wilderness and often captured their victims and played cruel games with them before finally devouring them. People are usually lucky if they died on the first day of captivity. It was during one of these games when the Constable found the ogres present here, who had traumatized their hostages for a whole week. The rest were trolls. Bulky giants in various shades of green, with stringy hair, and slender yet strong builds, with tusks on their lower jaws. They would tower the ogres easily if it were not for their hunched bodies. Trolls usually keep to themselves, living anywhere from burrows, caves, even under man-made bridges. But the ones present here were incarcerated for assaulting traveling merchants, and it took some of the strongest men and women on the force to bring them to justice. Despite their regenerative abilities - allowing them to heal their wounds as long as they made no contact with acid or fire - the strong fell while the weaker ones survived and faced jail time. None could get out of their cells, but the thought of them breaking out gave Constable Richards ceaseless anxiety. "That''ll be the day," he thought to himself. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. *** I noticed the image back in chapter 7 had a bad link and some of you may not have seen it, so here''s an image of Starflower. ~Starflower~ "Say ''ah.''" Starflower stared at the nurse as if she had offended greatly. He made a great effort to keep his mouth shut, refusing to show her the contents of his mouth. "Feeling sour today, Mr. Grumpypants? I have to check your tonsils to see if the medicine worked." "It did. I''m not a child, you know. You don''t have to pretend I am." "I have to make sure Horseface didn''t leave any permanent damage before you go back with your jail mates." The nurse clasped her hands together, giving the elf puppy eyes. "Pretty please?" "Where''s your pride, woman? Ugh. I feel dirty just thinking about seducing her." Knowing he had to be cooperative to an extent, Starflower finally decided to open his mouth and stick out his tongue. "I have to cast my pride aside, as well." The nurse clapped her hands with joy. "That''s a good boy!" She took advantage of this opportunity to inspect the inside the disgraced headmaster''s mouth. "All set! You''re cleared." "Good. Maybe now I can go back to a life of meaningless labor." "You say that, but I know you will miss me." Starflower forced a smile. "Maybe you''re right, Ms. Sarnai. Why did you come back, anyway?" "Hmm? What do you mean? You''re my patient, so I have to check up on you." "Allow me to rephrase that. Why are you really here? I couldn''t help but notice the rest of the nurses don''t care about the rest of us, so all inmates in this jail get a different nurse each visit. You, on the other hand, came here to see me again." "I can''t hide anything from you, can I?" The nurse put away her tools back into her medical kit. "And you''re saying caring about my job gave me away?" Starflower nodded. "If you have to know, I got curious when the officers talked about you. They said you were arrested because you instigated bullying in your school. Worst part was how you tormented some poor girl from my homeland." Starflower didn''t like where this was going. With no means to defend himself, he braced himself for the worst-case scenario. "You''re right. And you''re here to take revenge on her behalf." "Goodness, no!" "What do you mean, ''no''? You could strike me down while I''m still weak, and no one would bat an eye!" "That may be true, but revenge just poisons the soul!" Ms. Sarnai looked down to the side. "And so does racial prejudice. I think what you did to that girl was horrible, but my job isn''t to judge; it''s to heal." To heal? An admirable goal, but not everyone can be saved. Someone her age must have already witnessed the ugliness of the world, and yet she insisted on seeing the best of people. This woman truly believed Starflower could be ''healed'' as if his mindset was a disease that could be cured overnight. He thanked the gods for providing such a naive girl within his grasp. But he had to work fast. The elf chuckled. "You could get in a lot of trouble for being chummy with the inmates, you know. A beautiful woman such as yourself should not be endangering herself like that." "Eh?" The nurse''s face lit up like a lighthouse. "M-Mr. Starflower?" "I will be upfront with my feelings, Ms, Sarnai. The world is ugly and cruel, so we must take every opportunity to make ourselves happy, for tomorrow we could die." "But I want to live!" "A sense of humor? I like that. But there''s no need to be afraid. Together, we could be happy." He did not mean any of it, but boy could he put on an act. "Mr. Starflower!" The nurse covered her face. "I''m an old woman! I-I''m not here hunting for a man!" "It seems to me like you are hunting for one, what, with that tight uniform of yours." "I can''t help how I look!" "Besides, judging by your appearance, I would say I easily beat you by a hundred years or so, but as you can see, I''ve aged like fine wine." Starflower rose from the bed and grabbed the nurse''s warm hands. "It would mean a lot to me if you would consider it." "O-oh." The nurse seemed enthralled at first, but something in her snapped out of it and pulled her away from Starflower. "No, I can''t do this! It''s against government policy to enter a relationship with any of the inmates! B-besides, I''m a married woman." Married? This would be a lot tougher than Starflower initially believed. "I meant no disrespect. Had I known you were married, I would not have said anything." "It''s okay, I should have said something earlier. It''s just, hearing a young, er, I mean, youthful-looking man pour out his feelings like that was a surprise. My mind went blank." His prey may have avoided the jaws of death, but soon she found herself caught in his paws again. "You sound like you don''t hear it a lot. Does your spouse approve of your profession?" The nurse smiled sadly. "He doesn''t know. He would never approve because he always wanted me to be a housewife. I was happy when we got married two years ago, but ever since he enrolled in some adventuring guild, he''s rarely home. At first he was away for days, then days became weeks, then months. It puts food on the table, but at some point, I decided I needed to get out of the house and applied here. At least here I get to see so many people." "I see." A pitiable situation. The woman was lonely, and isolation due to her marriage meant she likely had no friends. Abusive men would isolate their wives to weaken their courage and keep them submissive, but the nurse didn''t seem to have any past trauma at a glance. He can''t afford to let go. "I''m sad I cannot win you over, but I''ll be content if I can see you any time I need you. And I would like to apologize again for my earlier act of disrespect." Nurse Sarnai blushed again. "D-don''t be! I thought it was sweet. It''s not every day I hear a compliment, so it was nice." There was a lot to unpack there, but Starflower had pending business elsewhere. "Then I''ll be seeing you." His seduction plan failed, but a seed had been planted regardless. The gears in his brain were already in motion, but now he had to see the head honcho amongst the jail birds. *** 9am The sun was hot in the morning. The jail birds who were served with community service had the task to pick up the trash left on the sides of the road that led to the main gate out of the city. Guards were posted to keep watch for suspicious movements, giving Starflower very little breathing room to scheme. Speaking of breathing, Starflower had to hold his breath at intervals. Not because of the trash, but because Thomas had been placed next to him. "By the gods, man! Have you not bathed since yesterday?" "That''s ridiculous, Jean," Thomas said indignantly. "I haven''t bathed since I was arrested, and two weeks before that." "You smell worse than a homeless man!" "Hey!" A nearby homeless man paused from his trash-collecting venture to stare angrily at Starflower. "At least you don''t have a choice," Starflower said to him. Back to Thomas, he adds, "I have to hand it to you, I can''t think of a worse method of torture than hanging out with you." "Don''t be mean, Jean. I know there are women out there who love a man''s natural musk! Besides, bathing is a scam by soap merchants just so they can make money off of people like you! Bathing actually breaks your skin." "That''s if you do it three or more times a day, you imp!" One of the guards walked by them, prompting the two to keep picking up the trash. Once the guard moved to another group of inmates, the two paused once again. "Look, forget the bathing thing. Any news from the outside?" "Oh, yes. Looks like my sweet Lenoria is making her way to the mountains. Valentine followed her a good distance before she returned here to give me the news." "I knew I could count on her. I do have a vacation house in Ulysses Crossing. I''d have to take the long way if we want to take the cable car, but from there I can find my way to Bisset Manor." "Oooh, I can''t wait! What''s the plan?" Starflower grinned. "Get the old horse on our side." "Horseface? You know he''s the don of the Greco family, right?" "That is precisely why we need him. He may have been arrested, but a guy like him should have connections to the outside. Question now is how we get on his good side." "Yeah, it was pretty funny when he knocked you out. Good luck getting on his good side." Starflower scoffed. "Lucky for you, I already know a little about him. He''ll probably be skeptical if I personally approach him. That''s where I need you." "Me?" "If you can simply arrange a meeting between us, I can handle the rest. He''ll think I''m more of the respectable sort if I do the exact same thing he would do." Thomas growled. "What, and make me look like your lackey?" "Do you want to break out of here or not?" After a moment of weighing his options, Thomas reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But you owe me, Jean." Starflower nodded and got back to work. He was looking forward to freedom, from both jail and Thomas. "I refuse to be stuck with him any more than I have to, but I still need him. But this will all be worth it in the end." Chapter 32 - Horseface 17th of Cobre, 9:10 am, 1659 (168 days before Starflower''s trial) It took a couple of days, but the plan was finally in motion. All Thomas had to do was to somehow arrange a meeting between Horseface and Starflower. The inmates were once again picking up trash by one of the main roads, and Thomas was lucky enough to be assigned to an area Horseface and his crew were working in. Starflower feigned an illness, allowing him to stay in his cell to plot the jail break. I''ll look weak if I go to him and request a meeting. It''s better if you find one of his lackeys and have him pass on the message! "Weak, my ass! That would make me your lackey!" Thomas thought of things he could have said back to Starflower, but hindsight wasn''t going to help him. What helped him push through was the thought of Lenoria spending the rest of her life with him, and Starflower was somehow going to arrange that. "Maybe once we grab her, we can both do an undead ritual so we can spend eternity together! My own corpse bride!" Thomas chuckled. "You know what they say, ''When in Rome-'' Gah!" Not paying attention, Thomas had bumped into another equinefolk. This one had a black coat pf fur and a white mane, and looked just as angry as when Horseface pummeled Starflower and knocked him out cold. "S-sorry! Are you one of Horseface''s boys, by chance?" "Who''s askin''?" *** 7pm Once back at the cell, Thomas reported what happened during his encounter with Horseface''s crew. "You actually pulled it off?" Starflower asked, surprised Thomas actually accomplished his task. "What can I say? You put a carrot in front of me and I''ll do as you ask." Starflower grimaced. "Just no horse analogies when we''re in his presence. This is our chance to strengthen our alliance. What did he say, anyway?" "He said he''ll agree to the jail break if we pay him a thousand gold once we get out." Starflower shifted on his bed. "Surely you weren''t dumb enough to accept that offer from the start." "Of course not!" Thomas looked around nervously. "I, uh, told him we''d double it if he pulled some strings now." Starflower, angrily, quickly rose from his bed. "YOU WHAT?" "I thought it would be funny!" "You idiot!" Starflower watched his voice, which he brought down to hushed whispers. "Don''t you realize what you''ve done? You put us in debt with the mob!" "Correction, put you in debt with the mob. My hands are clean!" Starflower immediately regretted sending Thomas in his place. He should have gone instead. "You don''t even wash your hands!" "Metaphorically, Jean!" Both heard a loud bang against the cell, followed by a pipe being thrown at Thomas''s head. They turned in the direction of the hall, where they spotted Horseface being escorted back to his cell by one of the guards. Horseface didn''t take his eyes off the duo until his line of sight was finally blocked by the cement wall. Starflower picked up the pipe and inspected it. To his surprise, it was a scroll case. He opened the lid and pulled the parchment out. "I don''t believe it." He scanned through the parchment some more. "This is a map of the jail. And what''s this? Guard rotations, lunch menu, a building where they hold giants and other large people..." A crazed grin appeared on Starflower''s face. "Yes, I can work with this!" He found a note inside the scroll case which had been labeled "To Starflower." He opened it up, letting Thomas look at the map to distract him as he read the note.
Let''s talk this out like gentlemen. I like men like you. Men with a spine. Do right by me, and you''ll make more money than ever before. If you screw me over, we''ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth. Let''s discuss this plan of yours tomorrow. P.S.: I don''t like that toad of yours. You''re coming alone.
"I see." Starflower pocketed the note away. It looked like he and Horseface were on the same page about one thing. But regardless of feelings, Starflower still needed Thomas, and doing so much as showing the note to him could jeopardize the mission. He had to find out what Horseface wanted to say. *** 18th of Cobre, 9:05am, 1659 (167 days before Starflower''s trial) Trash duty was different today. It was customary to be paired up with your cell mate, but someone in the adjacent cell voiced a complaint and requested for Thomas to be dragged out of his and force him to bathe, so he was excused from trash duty for the day. This didn''t seem strange to Starflower until he arrived at the cleanup site. He was assigned to work...at a landfill. Several horsefolk were already on site with shovels in their hands, while a lone guard acted as the overseer. Once Starflower got off the transport vehicle, the guard escorted him inside where he met Horseface relaxing under the morning sun. Once the transport vehicle took off, Horseface made a hand gesture to dismiss the guard, who happily left them alone. "It''s good to meet you again, elf. I hope there are no hard feelings for the beatdown I gave you." Starflower sat down. "The fault lies on me," he lied. "Had I known I was pressing your buttons, I wouldn''t have said anything." He looked back at the guard, who was already back at his post. "Won''t you get in trouble for this?" "You''re not familiar with the work I do, it seems." Horseface lit up a cigar with a snap of his fingers and offered one to Starflower. When Starflower refused, he pocketed it away and continued. "I have my connections. I''m a rich man; I didn''t get here by scrubbing toilets, washing dishes, or by looking for copper coins on the road. I got here because I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. It was a racetrack, you see. When I was a young boy, I was in the stands selling drinks when this fat man pulled me aside and asked me which horse I would bet on. You know what I told him?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Starflower locked eyes with the mob boss attentively, waiting for an answer. "''Bet on Horseface,'' I said. And what do you know? This man won millions. Turns out he was the don of the Greco family, and he won a bet he made with other crime bosses. I became his ''lucky horse'' and gave me a place in his family. He may have been a racist bastard, calling me Horseface and all, but he was good to his men." He took a puff of his cigar. "Ever since that day, he taught me to look for the dirt in people''s hands. You never know what people are willing to pay for your silence if you manage to find the dirt on them. You could say I own a third of Helix City because of my connections." Horseface pointed at the overseer. "You see that guy? My boys caught him fooling around with someone other than his wife. You know how the Hammer is Helix''s patron deity, right? And the whole capital is a theocracy. When you let religion rule over the land, things such as infidelity become major crimes. Needless to say, he works for me now." "And this is what you do? Weasel yourself out of trash duty by blackmailing a guard?" "More than that. You saw the map. I can get what I want, whenever I want. Ordinarily, I could be out of here by later this afternoon, whack the sucker who snitched on me, and be back home in time for a nice, relaxing bubble bath." "Whatever you want, you say?" "Yeah. For example, I can get the files of any inmate I want." Horseface scoffed. "You wanna know what your toad friend tried to do? He introduced himself as you, and said you were Thomas Carpathia. So, we checked the files on both of you after he left." A chill went down Starflower''s spine. "Thomas, you idiot! What are you scheming?" "According to the files, Thomas Carpathia is here on inappropriate behavior, violation of his restraining order, and property damage to a local business. There''s a lot to unpack here, but the most important thing here is why would that toad say he was you?" Horseface stood up and paced around Starflower. "Everyone here knows who you are. Jean Starflower, disgraced headmaster of the Artificers Guild. Were you trying to hide your own identity from us by adopting the name of someone who''s done worse than you?" "Horseface, you got it all wrong." Starflower rose from his seat. "I didn''t tell Thomas to switch names with me, I simply sent him to request a meeting with you! Why in the hell would I assume the identity of another person, when I am completely proud of who I am?" "So, you have no problem admitting your identity, Starflower?" "Of course not!" "Hmph. That means that son of a bitch lied to me." "That''s right! I''m Jean Starflower, not him!" "Is that so?" Horseface snapped his fingers. "That''s a relief." A bludgeoning force collided with Starflower''s head, knocking him to the ground. The elf felt an agonizing pain on the back of his skull, and all he could do was writhe on the ground. Another equinefolk stood behind him with a shovel in hand. "Jean Starflower. You tormented a foreign girl during her stay here in Helix. Carpathia''s harassment is admittedly worse, but all I see is red whenever I hear about abusive men. Bullies, rapists, wife beaters, gaslighting schemers, the whole lot. That foreign girl was placed under your care, ready to learn what she came here to learn. And despite that and the hefty payment of her tuition fee, you reward her with a terrible time." The mob boss nodded to his henchman, who struck Starflower''s back with the shovel. Starflower cried out, but no one came to his rescue. "I was thinking about enrolling my sweet baby girl in your school, but now I''m having second thoughts. Every day, I''d be scared and worried for my little Natalia. But if I don''t enroll her, I''d be breaking her heart. I can already hear her; ''Pap¨¤, don''t you love me? You promised me I''d get to go to the Artificers Guild if I got good grades in school.'' Do you think she deserves nothing after the hard work she''s done? I like to reward hard work, especially my children. But how does a father tell his daughter how perverted and uncaring the real world is, hmm?" With another nod, the henchman kicked Starflower on the ribcage. Once again, the elf cried in agony but none dared to approach him. "You''ll pay for this, Thomas!" "People like you don''t seem to realize that Helix is the hub of the world. Immigrants come here all the time. I''d like to hear what your excuse is for this unacceptable behavior, but I''m more inclined to bury you alive." "W-wait!" Holding the back of his head with one hand, Starflower used his free hand to stand back up. "I can still break you out, but we need to work together!" "I doubt that." "In three days, you''ll be a free man! But I need your help!" Horseface raised a hand, prompting his henchman to step away from Starflower. "Three days, huh? Do you take me for a sucker?" "Look, Horseface. I have no reason to betray you. I know how the mob works; I hurt one of you, I hurt all of you. I''m in no position to challenge the Greco family." Starflower had enough energy to elicit a grin. "But I do know how corrupt the police are. Constable Richards may be an honorable man, but that doesn''t mean the rest of the police force are. You could easily get out of here on your own by buying the right people. You said so yourself. Question is, why aren''t you out of here already?" The look of terror on Horseface was priceless, but Starflower knew he couldn''t push his luck. He was playing with fire, and there was only one way that story ends unless he stopped prematurely. "You are a ruthless man, Horseface. But killing me here won''t get you out of jail any sooner. You can bribe your way out of a murder charge, but not tax evasion." Horseface wasted no time in lifting Starflower up by the collar of his prison shirt. "How did you know?" "There was more than one reason as to why I sent Thomas to you. While he was away, I faked an illness so I could stay in my cell. I used that time to do a little digging, and I found out about your little tax problems. Looks like you''ll be doing big boy time at the penitentiary once you''re sentenced." "You''re shackled with Silence Manacles! There is no way you can cast magic as you are!" "You are correct in that assessment. If you kill me now, it''d be like shooting fish in a barrel. So, I had a little help from my informant on the outside. And that''s not all; she discovered that the Amphibonacci family is already seizing each day by expanding into your territory." "The frog men?" Horseface''s eyes turned completely red. His lone henchman, understandably, backed away out of fear. "How do you know this? How do you know any of this? It should be impossible, even with contacts on the outside!" "My contact on the outside is just that good. She found out a lot of info within a limited amount of time. She even brought a tribute, at my request." Starflower dug through his pocket, pulling out a bloody piece of paper that had been wrapped around something. When Horseface grabbed and opened it, he was surprised to see two webbed fingers. "I came not as your adversary, Horseface. With my brains and your resources, we can all break out of here. But this is our only chance to solidify our alliance. Are you in, or are you out?" "Refusing speak until I agree?" Horseface snorted. He released his grasp, allowing Starflower to get back on the ground on his own two feet. "Smart man. I''m afraid I''ll have to take you at your word. Those frogs have been a thorn on my side for as long as I can remember. They must have emboldened themselves once they realized my tax trouble could get me locked away for good." "Excellent. Then we have a deal?" Horseface raised his hand. "There is still the matter of the two thousand gold pieces once we break out. Or was that a lie?" Fearing another shovel smack to the head, Starflower shook his head. "You have nothing to fear. I didn''t agree to it, but I''ll get you your money. The map was enough to convince me that the price is worth it." Horseface sat back down. "Didn''t agree to it? Then why did your friend say it was fine?" "Couldn''t you tell based on your earlier discovery? He lied to you." "Then it''s best to keep him out of the loop. You''ll go down with him if you keep associating yourself with him." Starflower knew this. Thomas was already in trouble for lying to the mob and would likely pile more problems if he was left unchecked. Even so, Starflower had another idea. "As much as it pains me to say this, he''s vital to our escape plan. I understand he''s not the type that would survive in prison, but he was at the top of his class. He''ll be able to spot things we miss and offer some valuable insight." Horseface snorted. "Very well. I have better things to worry about, anyway. He''s your problem, not mine. With that said, what do you need from me?" Starflower grinned. He got a couple of bruises for his trouble, but he was finally making progress with this meeting. "I''ll need whatever dirt you have on the guards back at the jailhouse. I will also need you to arrange a getaway vehicle." "Three days from now, you say?" "Yes. Lastly, I''ll need the schedule of the jail''s nurses. They''ll prove vital to our escape." Chapter 33 - Jail Break It was nearly done. The plan, complicated as it was to set up, was fairly simple. The guard that Horseface had blackmailed was to leave all of the cells unlocked. Since nightly duties only had a skeleton crew on site, it would fall on him to watch all of the cells. On Starflower''s signal, the jailbirds would break out and make their escape. The escape crew consisted of Horseface, his henchmen, Starflower, and Thomas. Only they knew of the actual plan; everyone else would simply be used as bait, while Horseface would lead everyone else through an escape route he made with Starflower''s guidance. All of them would live on the run as wanted men. Starflower warned that they would need to grab the items they came in with and leave nothing behind; being savvy with magic, he told everyone that leaving even a single object behind would help scryers learn of their whereabouts, making their plans moot. Starflower had to promise his keys to his vacation home in Ulysses Crossing as part of his deal with Horseface, once he obtained them, for they would all go their separate ways once they were free. The police would be looking for them, and the sooner they all left the city, the better. Splitting up would mean that the police would have to divide their strength into smaller parcels; easier for the escapees to deal with. The purpose of the getaway vehicle would be to take all of the jailbirds to designated locations, allowing them to split up. Once Starflower was dropped off, he was on his own. It was now the night of the escape, and the jail birds anticipated Starflower''s signal. But in order for the disgraced headmaster to give them the signal, he had to break free from the shackles binding his feet and magic. And there was only one way he could pull it off. 21st of Cobre, 7:55pm, 1659 (164 days before Starflower''s trial) "Almost done." Nurse Sarnai removed the bandages from Starflower''s head and torso, having put them in place after a shovel-related incident. "I''ll need you to put your shirt back on, but your wounds should be healed now. You really have to stop getting on Horseface''s bad side." "Yes, silly me." The headmaster chuckled. "But as you can see, I''m not that harmless." "I guess you''re right, most of the elves I tend to don''t worry about their upper body strength." "Oh?" Starflower smiled slyly. "So, you have noticed. Admiring my physique, Ms. Sarnai?" "W-what? N-no!" "My offer still stands, ma''am. What your husband doesn''t know can''t kill him." "I-I already told you, I''m an old woman. I can''t be running around having an affair like some teenage girl!" "I can tell you still have the energy. I don''t think you''re old." Starflower pointed at the shackles around his ankles. "If you take these off, then all I''d need is five minutes to convince you. Ten, if you''re feeling sturdy." Her face beet red, the nurse stared at the ground. "M-Mr. S-Starflower! J-just w-w-w-what kind of woman do you take me for?" "A savage in heat, like the rest of them." Starflower gave her a warm smile. "One who hasn''t been touched by a man in years," the elf said matter-of-factly. "By all accounts, even I think I should be reported for making a pass at you the other day. But you haven''t reported me. Why is that?" The nurse gasped, as she had no rebuttal. "You blush when I say things like this, you smile when you receive a compliment, and you shiver when I touch you longer than a second. You say you want to be faithful, but your subconscious betrays you. Perhaps you want to be a faithful wife, but there''s no guarantee your husband feels the same way. Any man would come running home the moment he is free if they had a woman like you waiting for them." "Mr. Starflower...you know I can''t." The timid nurse averted her gaze. Starflower took this opportunity to grab a lone scalpel within his reach and rose from his seat. In just seconds this would all be over. Until he heard something. Sobbing. The headmaster stopped himself, quickly pocketing the scalpel before the nurse could see him. "You think I don''t want to?" The nurse''s tears sprinkled on the hard ground. "I made a holy vow to my husband all those years ago. I know he''s out there. I know he''s probably cheating. But I can''t prove it. And even if I could, I can''t just stoop to that level. It''s not right!" She sobbed some more. "I gave myself to him on our wedding night, but ever since then, his attitude slowly changed. By the time we had been married for six months, I could feel him just going through the motions. Even if I wore something skimpy, or set up a romantic dinner, he wasn''t the same man I married. But I vowed before the altar that I would stick to his side through thick and thin." She turned to face Starflower, who had been taken aback. "When you love someone, you endure all kinds of pain for their sake. My whole family thinks it''s stupid, and I can''t disagree. But what kind of person would I be if I broke this holy vow? I promised to be with him until death do us apart, and that means I can''t run at the first sign of adversity." "You really are old fashioned." Starflower had given up before, and he was ready to give up on Sarnai for good. Wracked with guilt, he approached the saddened woman with a tear in his eye. "I must apologize once again. What you said is quite admirable, and if I had met you several years ago, I no doubt would have tried to woo you then. You deserve to be happy, and I truly wish I could show you what love truly is," he said sincerely. His words helped the nurse relax. He meant it this time, but the escape plan was still in his mind. He was no fool. "It''s fine," the nurse said as she wiped her tears away. "I know young men can''t help themselves sometimes." "I wish to make it up to you. If you undo these shackles-" "Don''t start!" "-I can cast a spell that will find your husband." The nurse looked at him with hope in her eyes. "Don''t. Don''t play with my heart like that." "I''m not joking. Are you familiar with scrying, Ms. Sarnai?" The nurse nodded. "Every spellcaster I know charges an arm and a leg for such a spell." "I''ll do this for you, free of charge." He stared at a nearby mirror. "Yes, this will do nicely." *** Meanwhile, back at the cell area, the jailbirds waited anxiously for a signal that had taken its time to arrive. "Where the hell is he?" Horseface stared at the door leading to the north exit, which had a hallway that led to the nurse''s office. "He better not have escaped without us!" *** Starflower''s shackles hit the cold, hard ground. Able to spread his legs once more, the former headmaster did some leg stretches before getting to work. "Ms. Sarnai, do you have something that once belonged to your husband? A lock of hair, a portrait, anything?" The middle-aged nurse rummaged through her clothes for something she couldn''t find. Then, with hesitation, she removed her right glove to reveal a plain silver band. "My engagement ring. He bought this for me on the day he proposed. It''s technically his." "Perfect." Starflower stretched out his hand. "Give it to me! I only need it for the duration of the scrying spell''s casting period." The nurse held her hand back, but eventually gave in after constant urging from Starflower. "Are you sure you can find him?" "Yes. You''ll get your answer right away. I just need a name now." "Rutherford!" For the first time since they met, Nurse Sarnai had a joyful expression. "Rutherford Spark!" "Got it!" Facing the mirror, Starflower made some elaborate gestures with his hands. Holding the wedding band as well as some rose petals from some abandoned "get well soon" flowers, he turned back around and aimed his palm at Sarnai. The nurse, horrified by this action, had no time to react as a nebulous purple light wrapped around her head. She fell limp and collapsed, but Starflower caught her in time. "What the hell am I doing? I should have killed her." He carried the unconscious nurse and set her gently on the bed. "I guess I did use her for my own ends. The least I could do is spare her and find her husband for her." He pocketed the wedding band away and marveled at his own hands. An electric current coursed throughout his entire body, causing some loose strands to erect themselves upward. "But first, I have to get everyone out of here." *** The jailbirds heard a thunderous commotion coming from the direction of the north exit. One guard gestured for another - Horseface''s mole - to stand back as he investigated what was going on. The former checked through the peephole, but right as he did so, the door was blasted open from the other side. Splinters and electricity pierced the guard, who cried in agony before he passed out from the pain. With electricity still at his fingertips, Starflower cried out. "It''s time! Open the cell doors!" "You heard him!" Horseface removed his own shackles from his ankles. "This is a jail break! You''re all free!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Horseface waited until the jailbirds near the southern exit opened their cell doors and made a break for the south exit. Once that happened, he and his men opened their own cell doors and closed the gap between Starflower and themselves. A random henchman failed to see the wisdom of the don. "Boss, why did you have us wait? Doesn''t every precious second count?" "Yes, but keep one thing in mind. In chess, the pawns go first." Gunfire was heard to the south. The jailbirds could hear the sounds of battle not far away, with guards ordering for someone to check the cells. "Leave the words of wisdom for later! Let''s go!" "This is where we part ways," Horseface told his mole. "Stay here and be free of debt or come with us and join my empire! The choice is yours!" The escapees wasted no time in falling in line and ran down the north hallway. Horseface and his five henchmen, faster than humans, easily outsped Starflower and Thomas. Some of the henchmen nearly stumbled on the corpses of two guards that had been fried. They were the guards that guarded the nurse''s office, as mentioned by Starflower back when they plotted their escape. Thomas stopped at the entrance of the nurse''s office. "If Jean killed the nurse, then her body must still be there..." But just as he tried to open the door, Starflower pulled him away and continued running. "Jean!" "Not her!" Starflower grimaced. "Have you learned nothing?!" "Come on, Jean. Just give me five minutes with her." "I said no! You do so much as touch that door knob and I''ll cut your hand off! Understood?!" "Geez, okay." The two continued on their way, and soon both flinched at the sound of gunfire up ahead. There, they witnessed Horseface facing down two guards. The don''s muscle mass had increased by at least 50% and his eyes glowed red once again. The don of the Greco family was shot at by the two men, but he charged at them like an unflinching train. Once he closed the distance, he grabbed both men by the neck and slammed them against the wall. There was a look of fear on Thomas''s face, resulting in a foul scent coming out of his backside. Starflower could barely stand the smell but understood anyone would be afraid of such a sight. "A barbarian." Starflower instantly recalled the moment his career ended; the moment Beau Bisset grabbed him by the throat to protect his sister from harm. "I''ll pay him back tenfold!" Once he snapped out of his daydream, one guard had been knocked out while Horseface lifted the other one and finished him off with a backbreaker maneuver with his knee. The exit door was right in front of them, but Starflower pointed to another door to the right. "Our belongings are in there! Horseface, you and your men gear up first! And you better grab all of your stuff!" "Don''t order me around, wizard! I know what I''m doing!" Taking a moment to catch his breath, the winded Horseface kicked down the door and let his men through first. Thomas peered into the room and witnessed the horsemen already made a mess of it by busting open all of the lockers inside. Meanwhile, Starflower summoned a red and black glyph as he prepared another spell. After six seconds, five diabolical hounds - about four feet in height, having black fur and red eyes, and flaming mouths - appeared around Starflower. Taking a moment to lick their master, Starflower quickly shushes them and, with a series of hand gestures, made all five of them disappear. "Go, my hounds!" Starflower pointed at the opposite end. "Tear any guard that follows me to shreds!" The invisible canines get to work, heading in the direction of the cells. "Geez, I never did like your dogs," Thomas said. "They''ll buy us time. Not every guard is trained against invisible monsters." "We''re done!" After a minute, Horseface and his henchmen, now armed with swords and guns and wearing black suits, signaled for Starflower and Thomas to grab their belongings. Once inside, the two quickly found their belongings and geared up. "Listen to me, Thomas. Take this." Starflower showed Thomas an envelope. Thomas cautiously grabbed the envelope. It was stamped and glued with a red seal. "What is this?" "It contains a [Hypnotism] spell. Whoever opens it, they''ll be at the beck and call of the delivery boy. We''ll use this to lure that mongrel into a trap. We''ll use her as bait to grab the paladin and Madam Bisset''s brother and kill them in one fell swoop." Thomas had stopped listening right when Starflower said ''hypnotism.'' He placed the envelope on his back pocket and grinned lecherously. "Whatever you say, Jean. I thought you''d be still mad at me for trying to turn the mob against you." Starflower smiled. "Thomas, Thomas." He chuckled. "Me, mad? Your father asked me to look after you. We''re family." Thomas could not restrain his puppy eyes. "Y-you mean it?" "Heh. What do you think?" It did not take long for the two to gear up, as Starflower had a robe that transformed into a black suit of his own as soon as he put it on, while Thomas wore his flea-ridden leather armor and a magical backpack where he stored the rest of his belongings, including his white and black-striped jumpsuit. Starflower had the same idea with a backpack of his own; he did not want to look like a hypocrite in front of Horseface if the authorities managed to scry them and teleport to them. It was around this time the alarm finally sounded. "Let''s move!" Once the two were done, all eight escapees made their way to the exit and all but Starflower were shocked after they saw what had happened. The adjacent building that had contained all the giants had a hole in the wall, allowing cave giants, ogres, and trolls to lumber their way outside. They all made their way towards a single direction, and soon enough the escapees heard the panicking voices of some of the guards who were surely getting mauled or devoured. "Good call on setting an explosive there," Horseface said. "My man on the inside had no trouble planting that at all. it looks like he made his choice by setting it off." "It''s home stretch from here." Starflower pointed at the brick wall several yards ahead of them. "This is where your strength comes in handy, Horseface. We have plenty of time to tear down that wall, but once it''s breached, we only have a minute to make it to the getaway vehicle." The elf then tossed a set of keys, along with two scroll cases, at Horseface. "The deed and keys to my vacation home, as well as a scroll of [Teleport]. It''s not gold, but it should sell for a reasonable price. Definitely more than twice for what we bargained for. You know, since we''ll be splitting up soon." "Very good." Horseface nodded. "Let''s get moving." Starflower smiled. The time for payback was nigh, and he could savor it now. "One more thing." He turned around and pointed at Thomas. "It appears the guards have their own snitch." "What?!" Horseface and Thomas said in unison. "I watched him talk to one of the other guards earlier today. I couldn''t hear him because they were whispering, but the guard gave him a strange envelope." Horseface''s eyes turned red for a brief second. "Search him!" All five of the henchmen surrounded Thomas, who tried to run away but was quickly overpowered when four of them grabbed his arms - two for each arm - while the fifth fished through Thomas''s filthy pockets and found the envelope Starflower had given him earlier. Horseface snorted violently upon looking at the red seal. "That''s the Amphibonacci seal!" Horseface tore the envelope open and pulled the parchment from the inside.
Mr. Carpathia, I hope this letter finds you in good health. Thanks to your contribution, I tipped off the authorities on where the rest of the Greco family holds their activities. As promised, once we execute them all, we''ll give you what you requested. Please see my associate on the inside and confirm this is what you wanted. Sincerely, Salvatore Amphibonacci
Out of the envelope, Horseface pulled out a hand-drawn sketch of a young female horsefolk. "Natalia..." Crumpling the sketch and the letter, Horseface looked at Thomas furiously. "Quel diavolo." Thomas looked over at Starflower, who simply grinned at him. "Jean, tell them you did this! This is just a big prank you set up! Tell them!" "Horseface," Starflower said, "you looked over the files I requested, right?" "I remember." Horseface snorted. "Thomas Carpathia. I knew you set off the wrong vibe when I met you that day, but you purposely deflected the blame of your crimes and tried to pin them on your cell mate here. All to hide who you truly are: A predator!" "Change of plans." Starflower made his way to the brick wall. "Horseface, this looks like a personal matter. I''ll breach that wall for you." Without batting an eye, Horseface kept his eyes on Thomas menacingly. "Take your time." "Jean, wait!" But his words fell on deaf ears. Starflower had ran his way to the wall, and took his time inspecting it carefully. Thomas tried to break free, but a punch from the fifth henchman weakened his efforts. Now with a black eye, all Thomas could do was scream. "Let me go! Help! Help! Police! Police! Somebody help me!" "Boss, we have to get him to stop squealing," one of the henchmen warned. Horseface happily obliged with a punch of his own, but all that did was give Thomas another black eye. "You thought you could ruin my daughter, you son of a bitch?!" Horseface nodded to his henchmen and walked away. "Give him the hangman treatment!" "You heard him, fellas. We better make it quick, too; the family''s in danger!" The four henchmen continued to hold Thomas in place while the fifth rummaged through his belongings until he found what he was looking for: A rope. Panicking once again, Thomas tried to wriggle free, but this time the henchmen released him; they all took turns to beat him into submission while the fifth henchman climbed a tree to place the rope over a sturdy branch. Once one end of the rope was secured, the henchman used the other end to make a noose, which he then put around Thomas''s neck. Now a whimpering mess, Thomas no longer had the strength to fight back, and could only watch as the mob pulled the other end of the rope to lift him up in the air. Everyone panicked when they suddenly heard quaking footsteps. "Hey, we got to move!" "But his neck ain''t snapped yet!" "Leave him! We can''t let the giants see us!" The mob henchmen ran off immediately, with one remaining member staying behind to tie the end of the rope to the base of the tree. He managed to get done and run away in time just as two giants entered the vicinity. By the looks of it, two cave giants. "H-help...!" Thomas''s strained cries were too faint to be heard, but he was no less horrified once he spotted the giants. And the giants had spotted him, too. "Look, Thrak!" One giant said to another. "Food!" The other giant sniffed the air. "A human that hasn''t bathed in days." "My favorite," both said in unison. His voice too strained to cry, Thomas looked over at the brick wall one last time. The giants had failed to notice Horseface and his henchmen escaping through a perfect hole in the wall while Starflower leaned against a solid surface and was watching everything unfold with a smile on his face. His consciousness fading, Thomas''s vision became a blur. He could no longer see the giants, but he could hear their breath getting closer. He kicked his feet wildly in an effort to ward of the attacks he knew were coming, but he soon felt a strong grip around both of his legs. Like low-hanging fruit, he was yanked with enough force to snap the hemp rope, freeing his neck from asphyxiation. But when one problem was resolved, another took its place. Thomas could feel his blood flow slowly go to his head as a giant held him upside down. "Dibs on the eyeballs!" His sight returned just in time to see the inside of a giant''s maw, which soon bit down on his skull. He coughed at first, then screamed as loud as he could. "Someone, anyone! Please help me! I promise I''ll try to change!" Starflower shrugged coldly. "I hear you loud and clear, Thomas. But how many times have you sang that same tune?" "Let''s go!" Horseface ordered. "If you don''t hurry, we''ll leave without you!" "Then I guess this is goodbye, Thomas." Starflower walked through the hole and ended up on the other side of the wall. He then touched the edge of the hole, which came off like a piece of cloth, leaving the wall good as new. He then folded the hole as if it were a piece of clothing and inserted it in one of his pockets. "If it''s any consolation, I''ll tell your dad you died like you lived. But I don''t plan to see either of you ever again!" Starflower followed Horseface into the woods of the nearby park, smiling at the sound of Thomas''s fading screams. After a series of hand gestures, Starflower, Horseface, and the henchmen disappeared. Ogres and trolls soon gathered around the two cave giants, and they all fought over the bruised body like animals, each individual grabbing a limb and pulling it towards themselves. Thomas felt indescribable pain all over his arms and legs, and his skull halfway inside a giant''s mouth. Right before his skull and spine were disconnected from his body, Thomas had one last thought. "If I had stayed with the nurse, I wouldn''t be here right now..." *** Some time later, Thomas''s mutilated corpse was found among a pile of giant corpses. The police were finally able to get the situation under control, placing the criminals back to their cells and killing the giants that had proven themselves too much to handle. The two cave giants present had been gunned down, while a third had been reported to be slain by Constable Richards himself. A silhouette in the shadows gazed upon Thomas, who was merely a head attached to a spine and vessels of the nervous system. "Interesting..." Chapter 34 - Campfire Talk 17th of Cobre, 9:21am, 1659 (168 days before Starflower''s trial) It was an early morning for our party. Once everyone had bathed and geared up, they all met outside by the shed. Lenoria patted Chestnut on the neck while Clara and Alistair spoke with Lewis and Allie. "D''awww, did you miss us, Chestnut?" Chestnut whinnied in response. "I''m sorry to have kept you in that dark shed, buddy. You''ll get to stretch your legs today! Aren''t you excited?" Chetsnut whinnied negatively. "No need to be rude. We all got wrapped up on important business, remember? We couldn''t help it!" All she got as a response was Chestnut snorting air on her face. "Ew, horse snot! I just cleaned up today, you know!" Alistair''s loyal companion bared his teeth as if he were smiling at Lenoria. The ''smiling'' stopped when Lenoria grabbed a handful of sugar cubes from her bag. "Be a good boy and you may have one right now, okay? Sit!" But Chestnut was not having it; he chomped Lenoria''s hand, grappling it and refusing to let go. Chestnut swayed his head back and forth, moving Lenoria with him. "H-hey, what are you doing? Stop it, boy! Stop!" Without turning around, Alistair temporarily broke his conversation to address the issue. "Don''t treat him like a dog, Lenoria. He hates that. Just give him a sugar cube and he''ll calm down." "But Aaaaaaaaaal!" Alistair closed his eyes, refusing to see the scene unfolding behind him. With a deep breath, he opened them and resumed his conversation with the innkeep. "I''m sorry, Mr. Lewis." "Don''t be. You kids did all you could, and all that matters is that you brought my little girl back to me." Lewis patted his daughter on the head. "I''ll make sure word of your deeds goes back to Helix City. I just need to make sure those Blue Jays aren''t lurking around, first." "AL! AL!!" "Can you truly handle them on your own?" Clara asked. "Look, they came to my side of the woods causing trouble. Since they''re not tax collectors, I''m afraid I''ll have to see them out next time they show their faces around here." "AL! CLARA! ANYONE!" "Then we leave Hammer''s Reach in your capable hands," Alistair said. "Safe travels!" Allie waved at them. "The Jaguar people are hospitable folks, but they can be...strange sometimes." "We''ll keep that in mind. Let''s go, Lenoria." When they all faced the direction of the wagon, everyone witnessed Lenoria''s head clamped between Chestnut''s teeth. She flailed her arms and legs in a fruitless attempt to break herself free. "Chestnut, spit her out right now!" The horse does as his master commanded, dropping Lenoria on the ground and following that with spitting noises as if he had just tasted something awful. Clara wasted no time and made her way to Lenoria''s side and helped her up. Lenoria dusted herself off. "Al, I don''t know where you got him from, but I think you got yourself a demon horse." "Don''t be ridiculous." Alistair patted Chestnut''s mane. "He came from the realm of the gods and is devoted to the Hammer just like I am. He''s not your average horse, you know." Chestnut whinnied as if to confirm Alistair''s claim. "You did say he was ornery, so I''ll keep all of these things in mind." Steaming but defeated, Lenoria dragged her feet back to the inn. "I''m gonna go change." 10:21am One bath and a change of clothes later, the gang was finally ready to leave Hammer''s Reach. Clara and Lenoria once again stood on the back of the wagon to wave goodbye to Allie and Lewis, who waved back for as long as they could. It would be a while before they actually reached the north gate and enter the plains ahead, but the wagon was a blip in the horizon by the time Lewis remembered something important. "I wonder why they were in such a hurry to cross the Jaguar Lands, though?" "I think they were going to Thule, Dad." "That land of warmongers?" Lewis scratched his head. "But they''re so talented. Why would they waste their potential there?" "Maybe they''re off to do something important. You''re not the only one who can get bored of the city life." Lewis chuckled and grabbed an ax he had planted nearby. With his musket strapped to his back and cartridges around his waist, he headed for the forest while Allie went back inside. It was time to gather wood, and they could speak more on current events once he returned. *** The trip to Thule officially continued when the party crossed the north gate. The area was forested for another mile until they reached the exit. The sunlight greeted them once again as the land opened up into vibrantly green pastures devoid of trees; plains as far as they eye could see. "Welcome to the Butterfly Plains, Al." Lenoria peeked through the little window in front of the wagon. "I''ve never been here, but it''s so beautiful!" "It is. Anything we need to know?" "I know we''ll be here for a while before we reach the next town. But since we''re away from the big city, the night sky will look gorgeous!" That''s right, the night sky. Lenoria suddenly remembered something she wanted to do, and now that the possibility of doing so was near, her heart thumped at a greater rate. "I wonder if he''ll be okay with stargazing together..." "Gorgeous, huh?" Alistair kept his eyes on the road. "I''d love to see it." "Just you wait until tonight, Al. You''re gonna love it!" Lenoria withdrew back to the wagon floor and sat next to Clara. "Whatcha reading now, Clare?" "I''m just reading up on how to set up a camp. It''s been ages since you and I went camping together, and now Alistair is joining us." Clara closed her book. "But it looks like you got something on your mind. Everything okay?" "A whole lot, really. But I don''t want to worry you or Alistair." Lenoria sighed. "But I know you won''t stop asking until I say something, so I''ll get the big one out of the way." "Let me guess: The Blue Jays?" "Yes! The fact Spark convinced the authorities to let his goons go is already scary. I wonder just how much influence that entire order has." Lenoria slammed her fist on the wagon floor. "They even managed to turn the village against us. It could have gone bad if Lewis hadn''t stepped in." "That worries me, too, Lenoria. And I''m sure Alistair feels the same. The best we can do now is leave things to Aquamarine. I have faith in her." "Right..." Clara''s words helped Lenoria relax. She knew there were times she simply had to step aside and let the authorities handle things. Once Constable Richards caught wind of how the authorities in Hammer''s Reach had acted, he''d surely give them a piece of his mind. "What else is bothering you?" "This one''s just as important, but on a more personal level." Lenoria blushed. "I feel like Alistair and I made a lot of progress in such a short time." "How long did you stay up last night, anyway?" "After you left? About five hours." "Did you, um...?" "No. He took a vow of chastity, so there won''t be any of that for a long time. But that''s not the problem." Lenoria''s cheeks puffed out. After as short breath, she continued. "Every time I get close, every time I lean closer to him, I can feel him...resisting. He accepts it, but it''s kinda like he doesn''t want me to touch him." "That is concerning. What are you going to do?" "I don''t know. I always thought all guys liked physical contact. Do you think maybe...he finds me unattractive?" "Why would you even think that? You''re very pretty. Don''t let the Anne''s words get to you, or anyone else''s for that matter." Clara tapped her forehead. "Think, Lenoria! There has to be another reason. Maybe he just doesn''t respond well to physical touch, so you''ll have to think on other methods." "That''s a great idea! Let''s relax in the meantime and enact our plan when it''s time to camp!" "Okay!" Clara''s cheery smile changed into a blank face. "Um, what is our plan?" "Make an effigy of his greatest enemy during the evening?" Owen''s sudden appearance frightened both girls. "Owen, you''re okay!" Lenoria was ecstatic as soon as she recovered. "Of course I''m okay. I just ran out of power yesterday. Congrats on your victory, by the way." "Cool! We''re planning something special for Alistair. Let''s take a look at our camping supplies. I''m sure we can come up with something!" *** 6:30pm The wagon exited the main road and entered a small park off the road. The park was relatively small compared to a normal park, with stone tables and benches scattered about and fenced by a wooden wall around it. Alistair got off the wagon to open the main gate, command Chestnut to walk through, and follow him and the wagon in before closing the gate behind him. Once inside, Alistair announced the group''s arrival at the park, prompting Lenoria and Clara to help unload their camping gear. As Alistair helped them carry their belongings to a nearby stone table, he caught sight of a sign not far away.
Butterfly Plains, Section C Thank you for visiting one of our many pit stops. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.Please help keep our butterfly sanctuary clean by cleaning up after yourselves and disposing all of your waste properly. Thank you.
"Butterfly sanctuary?" Alistair set his camping gear on the ground. "Is that why they call it the Butterfly Plains?" "Yeah," Lenoria said. "Fire butterflies migrate here all the time." "Fire butterflies?" "Yeah. They sleep during the day and only come out at night. But they''re beautiful to look at." "I see." Once the group finished unloading their camping gear, Alistair grabbed some firewood he bought back at Hammer''s Reach and placed it on a neat stack. After encircling it with some rocks he found nearby, he grabbed some flint and stone and smashed them together to create sparks. The sparks then clung into the firewood, and they quickly grew into a fire. He then went to his backpack to fetch a skillet, but once he returned to the fire, Lenoria had set down a skillet of her own. "Lenoria?" "Why don''t you take a break, Al? I''ll handle the cooking." "It''s alright, Lenoria. I don''t mind." "I insist!" Grabbing a bandana and an apron (out of nowhere) and tying them around her forehead and torso, Lenoria tightly clung to Alistair''s arm and pulled him towards a stone table. There, Clara had placed a cloth on the table and set some plates down. She moved out of the way to let Lenoria through, who didn''t waste time to sit her beloved down and pile some books in front of the boy. "Lenoria, it''s fine-" "We want to thank you properly for how good you''ve taken care of us! You''re a gentleman and you''re always ready to protect us from harm, even though we''re capable of defending ourselves. The least we can do is take care of some of the mundane duties." "Ladies, please! We''re a team." Alistair looked over at Clara right as Lenoria returned to the skillet. "Looking after one another is what a team does." "Precisely, Alistair," Clara said. "It would look bad to let you do all the work around here. Let us take care of the campfire duties. Besides, I love camping out, and setting everything up just happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine." "Miss Clara, I''m afraid I have to-" Alistair heard sizzling and caught the scent of animal meat. "What''s that smell?" "Leftover dumplings! Stay put, my love!" Lenoria had placed a couple of dumplings on the skillet and had a bundle of them sticking out of a cloth she left on the ground. "I made these on the morning we left Helix City. They should still be good if we reheat them." Alistair blushed and looked at the ground. Unable to reason with the girls, he resigned himself to reading one of the books Lenoria left on the table. "Let''s see here. ''I Want to Be Your Parrot,'' ''Dusk,'' ''Vegetable Cornucopia,'' ''Elizabeth the Combat Maid, Volume 1-''" "That''s a good one," Clara chimed in. "These are all romance novels. The last two have drawn images in them. Hmm?" Alistair looked at the last book, ''My First Love Story.'' "Wait a minute! This is the same one I have! But the cover looks so worn down, and some of the pages have been creased and torn." He looked at Lenoria, who hummed happily as she flipped the dumplings on the skillet. "How could she possibly have known? Lady Gabrielle said she''s a genius in her field, and I''ve seen flashes of insight first-hand. I shouldn''t be surprised figuring out my tastes was cakewalk for her. Of course! Her brain must operate at a high rate, like a powerful construct. Truly remarkable. I wonder what astounding things she''s witnessed. What could she be thinking right now?" "You put the lime in the coconut and drink ''em both up, you put the lime in the coconut and drink ''em both up~" The dumplings were ready, but there was no cloth to put them in. Thinking quickly, Lenoria grabbed the dumplings - after making sure she kept her gloves on - and wrapped them with the hem of her apron. Lenoria then dashed to the stone table, unwrapping the dumplings and grabbing them, placing them on the plate she set up for Alistair. "Ready for the appetizer, Al?" "Appetizer? Do you have something else planned?" "Yeah! Lewis was happy to sell me some pork ribs, so we''re having those for dinner." "Has she been planning this since this morning?" Alistair sniffed the air; there was something about the scent of the dumplings that felt off to him, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. "There was no need to buy more food; we have enough rations to last us the whole trip." "I know, but we wanted to do something special tonight. We can''t have dried meat all the time, or at least I don''t think we should." Lenoria grabbed a dumpling off the plate, blew on it to cool it off, then tapped Alistair''s lips with it. "Stop being so edgy and relax. Say ''ah.''" "There''s no harm in eating her cooking, is there?" Alistair bit down and chewed. "She made it with her own two hands. I-if we''re going to be dating, then I should get used to-" Alistair waited for the flavor to kick in. But it never came. He slowed down on the chewing and savored the dumpling, but all he could taste was the steamed dough and the two-day old meat. "I''ve had buuz before, but this is different. No salt or pepper. No onions, garlic, or any of the other vegetables. This is bland!" "How do you like it, Alistair?" Lenoria blushed. "I make this for Clara''s family all the time and they love it." "Are Miss Clara''s parents lacking in taste buds? What about the people in Helix?" Not wanting to hurt Lenoria''s feelings, Alistair chowed down with a smile on his face. "I...must...bear it..." "Oh my gosh, he''s crying! Does he love my cooking that much?! Eeeeeeeee!" She immediately grabbed the second dumpling and tapped it on Alistair''s lips. "There''s plenty more where that came from!" The boy may not know fear, but he was not immune to anxiety. "Lenoria, you obviously have potential, and I can tell you put your heart into it. But I can help you do even better!" He decided to tell her the truth without telling her he didn''t exactly enjoy the food just now. "Eh?" "I wouldn''t mind a second helping, but I''d rather not spoil my appetite. How about you and I make something together, instead?" Lenoria blushed again, but this time steam came out of her nose and ears like a tea kettle. Meanwhile, Alistair rose from his seat and ran to his backpack. He brought it back with him, and from it he retrieved a few glass containers which he then set on the table. "If we''re having pork for dinner, we better trim the fat first, and then season the meat." As Alistair listed his instructions, Lenoria''s mind was elsewhere. "Cooking...together..." "Lenoria?" "I-I''m listening!" "Excellent! Then let''s get started!" *** 9:34pm After careful preparation, the camp was set up completely. Clara happily set up two tents - one for herself and Lenoria, the other for Alistair. Alistair mentioned keeping night watches, which gave Clara the idea to summon Tsukuyomi. The ritual took a minute, and it consisted of Clara dancing with twirls of the body and the spinning of her staff at certain points where she had to stand still. Once the minute was up, she had marked a perfect circle on the ground. The circle then glowed with a pink color, and the nearby grass within approximately 10 feet was given the same glow. Beautiful cherry blossoms rained from the sky, forming a cylinder within the circle. A portal opened in the circle, and out came Tsukuyomi. His flaming jets from his back propelled him about a dozen feet into the air before he turned them off, and his descent was soon followed by a great quake from his landing. "Will Tsukuyomi help us with the night watches?" Alistair asked. "Better. Tsukuyomi may be an eidolon, but he''s still a machine." Clara grinned. "He can stay up a whole night and not even be tired, so we''re free to sleep in and set up a single watch for him." "That''s amazing!" Alistair relaxed his shoulders. "That would help immensely. Thank you, Miss Clara." As the hours went on, Alistair patiently showed Lenoria how he cooked his meals. He introduced her to his spice collection, which were contained in the glass jars he retrieved earlier. The glass jars contained peppercorns, salt, powdered cayenne, and cinnamon. He applied generous yet balanced amounts of salt and pepper to the ribs and watched them cook over the skillet over the campfire. Once the food was done, everyone gathered around the fire to eat. Alistair shrugged when he took a bite, but the girls stopped after their first bite. Clara looked down at her portion. "It''s..." "Yummy!" The two girls abandoned all dining etiquette and devoured the ribs as fast as they could. Alistair looked on in disbelief, but immediately acted when the girls started choking by offering them his waterskin. "Slow down, ladies! There''s plenty more where that came from." He stifled a laugh when Lenoria''s cheeks puffed out from all the water she drank. "Then I''ll be eating until I''m full. Excuse me!" Setting the bone aside, Clara grabbed seconds by reaching her hand into the skillet. Her fingers sizzled for a second, but at that moment she didn''t care. "It looks plain, but the meat falls off the bone pretty easily! I had no idea cooking could be so fun and varied!" Lenoria smiled. "Al, are you Gabrielle''s chef or something? This is amazing!" "No, but I studied to become one," he answered. "This is just something I could do with the ingredients at hand. It''s not much, really." "You could get a job anywhere you want with your level of skill," Clara said. "Thank you, Miss Clara, but I don''t have a degree." "Oh, you failed that class?" Alistair kept his smile, but Lenoria noticed it fade just a tiny bit. The boy kept his gaze on the skillet, the campfire dancing in his eyes. "Something like that." The girls looked at each other, and quietly agreed not to pry any further. "It was a silly dream, anyway. I enjoy cooking. I don''t do it for the money." Lenoria finished chewing before setting her plate down. "Al, how do you feel about traveling around the world?" "The world? I''m sure most people would travel if they could. As for me, I''m in service of the Hammer, so I go where he falls. And he falls where evil is afoot." "Is that what you really want?" "Why does that matter?" "Think about it. Evil is everywhere we go. No doubt it exists everywhere around the world." "I see what you mean. Even so, I can''t just get up and leave; I have duties to uphold back in Thule." Alistair looked back up at the girls, who held their Soulstones. "Oh." "I plan to go back home to my family in Eishima when I finish working for Gabrielle. Once I spend some quality time with them, I plan to hunt more of these Soulstones full-time." Lenoria pocketed away the stone and blushed. "And it would mean a lot if you could come with me. I was originally going to wait for Clara to finish her course at the College of the Wilds, but I don''t mind waiting for you, too." A butterfly landed on Lenoria''s nose. She jumped at the sight of it but quickly composed herself to not scare it. "A fire butterfly," Clara remarked. Lenoria then placed her finger close enough to her nose for the butterfly to grab on. The insect does so, prompting Lenoria to slowly move her finger away from her nose. The butterfly''s wings lit up as soon as she did, providing some light for the campsite. Hundreds of tiny, similar lights flashed around the campsite. Alistair stood up to look for his mace, but Clara stopped him. "It''s okay, Alistair. They''re harmless." "Sorry, force of habit." Alistair relaxed his posture and stood in awe. "I''ve never seen anything like it." The light show continued well after dinner was done. Everyone cleaned up after themselves and put everything away, throwing the trash on nearby wastebins and Alistair using his [Create Water] spell to wash the wooden plates they dined on. Once he was done, he noticed Lenoria sitting on the stone table. He seated himself next to her and watched the butterflies with her. Watching this from a distance, Clara quietly wandered into a secluded section of the park to get a closer look at a group of butterflies. "Is the Plateau anything like this?" Alistair asked. "No," Lenoria answered him. "Butterflies like to avoid cold regions in general. But we do have horses!" "I see. Maybe Chestnut could make some new friends there." "Wait, so does this mean-?" "I''m still thinking about it, mind you. I don''t have another incentive to just get up and travel, and I still have to think about my duties in Thule." "You''ll get to learn about a bunch of recipes from across the world." Without batting an eye, Alistair held his hand out and waited for a handshake. "Deal!" "That easy, huh?" Alistair hung his head down, and after some hesitation, he reached for Lenoria''s hand with his own. This surprised Lenoria, but she was pleased as well. "Oh my gosh, he never makes the first move! No, relax, Lenoria! It''s only been two days. He has to ease into it first. I have to be patient!" "T-thanks for your help earlier, by the way. I wouldn''t mind cooking with you again." Lenoria gave him a coy half-lidded stare. "I thought we had enough rations to last the trip." Alistair laughed. "Excuse me for trying to spend time with you." "Looking for excuses to get closer to me now, Mr. Adams?" "That''s not what I meant!" Lenoria feigned sadness by clutching the left side of her chest and hiding her eyes with her right forearm. "I never knew love could be so cruel! There was so much I was looking forward to!" Alistair lowered her arm, gazing at her firmly. "I would never use you like that." He entwined his hand with hers again. "Ever." Lenoria was only joking around, but she quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Alistair was completely serious, and she didn''t catch on until now. "W-wait, Al! I was just kidding!" "Oh." The boy chuckled awkwardly, unsure what to make of Lenoria''s teasing. They stared at each other in silence as the butterflies glowed around them. "I''m such a dunce..." "No," Lenoria said softly. Her eyes were half-closed as she slowly got closer. "No, you''re not..." Eyes closed, Lenoria''s face got closer and closer. "We didn''t drink anything this time. Is this how she truly feels?" Alistair closed his eyes as well, his heart beating and his body showing no resistance this time. He thought on the close calls they had recently, only spanning a few days. How many times could they have died before this very moment? Pearl, that¡¯s enough! I know you didn¡¯t like Alistair from the start, but I won¡¯t let you hurt him or Clara! Mr. Adams here did a fine job ridding the world of such a monster. He''s strong, brave, and sweet. I¡¯m happy and proud to call him my man. You¡¯re a good man, Al. I¡¯m not going to lose a friend just because he got careless. The white raven, Spark, the giants...Lenoria was with him, standing by his side. She had no reason to speak on his behalf, to look out for him, or to fight for something other than herself. Yet, she and Clara did so without complaints. "I always believed there was a due process for relationships. Slowly get to know each other, go out on dates, wait several months for something like this..." He held his tears in, but he refused to release them just yet. Why did she care about him so much? Yet, this was her choice. This was how he justified his lack of resistance. Tomorrow would surely be a new day, but what if something happened that would rip all three of them apart from one another? He had faith in their abilities and would surely give it his all in every fight for their survival, but if the worst ever came to pass, if there was someone he could make memories with... It was her, the girl who didn''t abandon him. Chapter 35 - Recipes for Al 19th of Cobre, 12:51pm, 1659 (166 days before Starflower''s trial) It was now the fifth day of the trip to Thule. Thanks to Gabrielle''s patience and generosity, the party was more relaxed despite having taken five days during the trip, two of those which were needed to cross the Butterfly Plains. The plains were mostly devoid of humanoid life, with travelers to and from the next town occasionally sharing the road with them and rangers tending to the fields and wildlife spotted here and there. The plains had their own ecosystem, but all save the fire butterflies knew better than to linger close to the roads. And then, on the 19th of the month, they arrived at their next destination. A lone guard in leather armor watchfully stood by the main gate. After inspecting the wagon, he let the group through. The town itself was small, with a single dirt road flanked by adobe buildings leading to a massive gate in the distance. Some of the villagers stopped to watch the newcomers'' arrival. "This place looks like a town in one of those gunslinging books I''ve read about. I wonder what problems this little thorp has." Lenoria sat on the driver''s seat next to Alistair. "Think we''ll run into trolls next time?" "Or necromancers?" Alistair pulled the reins gently, prompting Chestnut to slow down without coming to a full stop. "Troll necromancers?" They both said simultaneously. "The two of you can relax." Tsukuyomi flew above the wagon and dropped Clara on the driver''s seat between Lenoria and Alistair. "Monster sightings are rare in these parts. It may be a tiny hamlet, but they have the backing of the Jaguar army from across the border. Monster sightings are rare because the Jaguar army can get here in just minutes. There''s always someone standing by to defend these people." She closed her book to meet the stares of the couple. "Instructor Gardens always said that knowledge is power, and books are its fountain." "Our apprentice bard saves the day again!" Lenoria pulled Clara in for a hug. "What can we expect from this town, Miss Clara? What do the locals call it?" "Camino de los Muertos, or ''Road of the Dead.'' It''s quiet during the rest of the year, but between the months of Hong and Weiss it becomes a tourist attraction during its Day of the Dead celebration." "Day of the Dead?" "The one time of the year where the spirits of the dead come to visit the living. There''s a lot to it, but the gist of it is that the locals visit the graveyards, adorn the graves of their loved ones with orange marigolds, and make altars at their homes with food offerings. The marigolds are said to help guide the dead during their trip to the world of the living, and the essence of the food on the altar is absorbed once they arrive." "I''m concerned about the ''spirits coming back to life'' part." "Don''t be; they''re not evil spirits like wraiths or shadows. These spirits are those who come from the afterlife to visit their loved ones. There''s no explanation for this phenomenon, but people usually have a good time." "You seem to know a lot about this place, Clara," Lenoria said. "Oh, I did pass through here many years ago, back when my family and I traveled across Helix." Lenoria smiled. "If nothing else, I guess the festival helps people accept death more easily. We could come here for the next festival if you like, Al." "Maybe." The boy paused. "If you finish Lady Gabrielle''s commission in time." "Seven months from now. It''s a date!" *** The trio decided to stop by a restaurant, named ''El Rancho.'' The inside was similar to The Drunken Chef, with barstools at the counter and booths throughout the rest of the small restaurant. The air had the smell of cooked meat and a variety of spices that no one except Alistair seemed to easily identify. Some of the locals - workers and farmers, Lenoria assumed - sat by the counter drinking coffee and talking about their day. The trio sat down on the barstools, where they were warmly greeted by the man behind the counter, a middle-aged man who wore a tan tunic and blue slacks. "Travelers, welcome! What would you like to drink?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The group was given their menus, Alistair appearing unimpressed compared to the girls. "Water for me, please." "Si, se?or. And for the women?" "It''s a little late for coffee," Lenoria commented. The options were mostly alcoholic, with only milk and limeade as the available non-alcoholic options. "Limeade for me." "Tepache for me," Clara said confidently. "Right away. I''ll be back in a bit to take your order." The man behind the counter went to the back, which was soon followed by the sounds of running water. "Is your liver made of iron or something," Lenoria asked. Clara shrugged. "Hey, we''re just passing through and who knows when we''ll be back here. Besides, the alcohol level is supposed to be mild. It''s been a while since I had anything pineapple flavored." Alistair''s curiosity grew. "What is tepache, anyway?" "It''s a drink made from the peel and rind of pineapples and sweetened with sugar and seasoned with cinnamon." Alistair took out a notepad and wrote it down. "I see. Thanks, Miss Clara." The three then looked at their menus. One of the dishes, which had the image of a poultry drumstick bathed in a brown sauce, caught Lenoria''s attention. She raised an eyebrow when she read the name of the dish. "They serve mole meat here?" Clara looked over at what Lenoria was staring at. "Oh, no, no, no. That''s mole. It''s a spicy sauce the locals around here like to use for their meat dishes. Turkey is the most common meat here, but they also use it on chicken, pork, and lamb, and usually served with a side of rice." Clara looked over at the menu again. "Oh, look. The meat comes from the local terror birds." "Terror birds?" "Predatory birds the size of horses." Alistair wrote on his notepad once again. "The Jaguar people must be incredibly brave to hunt them." "Oh, I see." Lenoria closed the menu. "I''ll try it." "Same here," Alistair said. "Are you sure? Heat levels vary, but mole is usually spicy," Clara warned them. "If I''m going to be traveling the world later on, I have to try every dish," Alistair justified himself. "And you know me, Clara. I won''t back down from a challenge." Clara looked over at what Lenoria was staring at. "O-kay, then. Don''t say I didn''t warn you. Guess I''ll just order the sope dish, then." The trio''s drinks were soon delivered, and they received their food approximately half an hour after they ordered it. Lenoria and Alistair''s dish was a plate of poultry drumsticks marinaded with a brown sauce with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, served with a side of rice. Clara was served a plate of two thick tortillas topped with chopped beef, crumbled cheese, lettuce, mashed beans, and avocado slices. "And a stack of tortillas for the two of you," the server said to Alistair and Lenoria, pushing a stack of tortillas to them. "I never knew such food existed," Alistair said as he curiously stared at the food. "Handmade tortillas are the best!" Lenoria removed her neck scarf and replaced it with a napkin. Clara nodded. "Agreed. Enjoy the meal, you two. You might feel some pain digesting everything later," she mumbled the last part. Alistair had already taken a huge bite, and after some chewing, he swallowed his piece. "What was that, Miss Clara?" "Nothing! Just musing to myself." With Clara and Alistair already eating, it was Lenoria''s turn to take a bite. She took note of how Alistair ate; not wanting to dirty his hands with the sauce, he used a fork to hack at the drumstick and bite down on whatever chunk that had remained impaled on it. She decided to do the same with her own fork, dunk the piece on the sauce that had stayed on the plate, and chomped down. "Wow. Thish is delishious!" Clara calmly sipped her drink. "3...2...1..." "YAAAAAH!" The girl breathed fire from her mouth and nostrils as her head turned completely red. Without putting much thought into it, she took a huge gulp of her drink - iced water with lime - and sighed a breath of relief. And then... "D''oh! Brain freeze!" Meanwhile, Alistair kept chowing down. He sucked the air through his teeth with each bite and was sweating bullets, but nothing seemed to stop him. "This is good! It''s got quite a kick, but the chicken dishes back home are nothing compared to this!" He raised his hand, gesturing for the server to come over. "Sir! You must tell me this recipe!" "I can''t," the server said. "That''s my grandmother''s recipe." "I understand. Could you at least teach me the basics? Just give me a list of ingredients to make the regular kind; I''ll figure out the portions and what other ingredients to use to make my own unique batch." "Ah, so you can cook?" "Yeah. I studied to become a chef, and you see..." Alistair chatted away while Lenoria and Clara continued eating. Lenoria ate at a slower pace, and while she could not finish her plate due to the spiciness overwhelming her, she made up for it with nine additional orders of limeade to help alleviate the pain. "You could have just ordered something else," Clara said flatly. "You''re going to pee like crazy later." Unable to walk, a bloated Lenoria jumped off the stool and rolled around on the floor. "Pop would freak if he ever found out I didn''t finish my plate." *** Somewhere on the other side of the world, a balding man wearing a navy-blue kimono and hakama pants stopped hammering away at some newly made horseshoes and looked in the direction of the sun. A middle-aged woman wearing a jockey''s outfit and helmet strolled inside the shed he was working in. "Is everything okay, dear?" The horseshoe smith, wearing a grim expression, said with a raspy yet no-nonsense voice, "I don''t know why, but I feel like scolding Lenoria next time I see her." *** Once everyone finished up, Alistair waved around his notepad victoriously. "I''m going to the market to buy some ingredients. We''re going for round two tonight, ladies!" "Ugh," Lenoria groaned. "Can''t we just have tacos instead?" They had tacos later that night. Chapter 36 - A Road Once Traveled 20th of Cobre, 4pm, 1659 (165 days before Starflower''s trial) Crossing the border was an easy yet time-consuming experience. The entirety of Helix was a kingdom, but the Jaguar Lands was its own nation, and crossing the border meant getting inspected before being given the thumbs up to proceed. Adventurers were not an uncommon sight, so weapons and magic items were not blacklisted by the Jaguar-Helix border guards. In fact, only drugs were outright banned, and items requiring gunpowder only received visible suspicion at best. The trio camped out in the wilderness of the Jaguar Lands not long afterwards and woke up early on the day of the 20th to move forward. They were officially past the halfway point, and once they crossed the northern border back to Helix, it was home stretch to the cable car station, which would take them to Thule. But thanks to the permission granted by Gabrielle, the group decided to take their time crossing the Jaguar Lands. The path to the next settlement, Ezmestli, was a dirt road in the middle of the rainforest. The trip was put on hold for a moment because, during their lunch break, Lenoria consumed a concerning amount of water after Alistair tried his hand at making spicy food. Results were...inconclusive. And now Lenoria wandered into the woods to get it all out of her system one way or another. "Darn it. Lenoria looked like she was poisoned." Alistair had finished packing everything up and sat on the driver''s seat of the wagon. "Miss Clara, can you look for her? I''d like to go, but..." "No need to worry, Alistair. I got this." The two heard footsteps approach. "Oh, there she is now." "My tummy hurts..." Lenoria pouted as she sat next to Alistair. "Thanks for waiting, you two." The trip immediately resumed once the girls sat down at the front. The girls would usually spend most of the time in the back, but every now and then they''d move up next to Alistair. Lenoria tried to grab Alistair by the cheek, but he stopped her. "W-what are you doing?" "Can''t I admire my love''s chiseled face?" She paused. "Oh, right. I washed my hands by the river, Al. It''s okay." "That''s not the point," Alistair said softly. He tried holding her back while keeping his eyes on the road, but the girl successfully managed to pinch one of his cheeks. "H-hey!" "My hands are clean! Promise!" "Again, not the point!" Hard as he tried, Alistair was unsuccessful in his attempts to wrestle Lenoria away from himself. Once he used his strength to grapple both of her hands, Lenoria slipped away and restarted her struggle anew. They both laughed as they played, but all four of them (counting Chestnut) froze at the sound of a scream echoing through the forest. "Did anyone else hear that?" Clara asked. "I felt that." Lenoria shivered. "It sounded close, too." "Someone''s in trouble. We have to help them." Alistair released the reins and jumped off his seat. "Wait a minute, Alistair." Clara jumped from the wagon after him, and Lenoria did the same soon afterwards. "We''ll go with you." "No. Stay here and watch the wagon. Bandits pose as injured people all the time. I''m confident you can take them on if they come for you." "What if you need backup?" Lenoria asked. "Or worse, what if it''s something out of your league?" "We''ve been able to handle everything so far. I promise I''ll be back if I don''t find anything in the next minute." "It''s just..." Lenoria gulped. "Last time I rushed in to save someone without a plan...I died. It was only for a little while, but I had never felt as scared as I was during that short amount of time." "I see." Alistair immediately abandoned the side of the road to met back up with Lenoria. "I won''t let anyone hurt you like that eagle did. We''ll come up with a plan, but we need to work fast. Any ideas on what we can do?" Luckily for everyone, Lenoria already had a plan. She reached into a pocket on her duster and from it pulled a golden orb. With a finger tap, the orb sprouted spindly legs and arms, and a single glass eye at the top. It hopped from Lenoria''s hand and awaited its orders patiently. "Hello again, Hayate. Would you mind doing me a favor?" "Ready and waiting, mistress," the tiny machine replied. "I need you to head northwest for a minute. If you hear nothing, report back here. If you do hear a scream, follow the noise to its source, then report it back." "At once, ma''am." Hayate ran off into a denser part of the forest. The sound of footsteps wading through the forest undergrowth grew fainter and fainter by the second until they were completely silent. "I should follow him. Every second counts," Alistair said impatiently. "I have an idea." Alistair and Lenoria turned to Clara. "Why don''t I stay here? Tsukuyomi can stick close to Chestnut in case something attacks, and I can stay in the wagon in case someone attacks. That way, you have each other''s backs in case something goes wrong, and I can scream as loud as I can if bandits come out of hiding after you leave." "Of course. Tsukuyomi''s pretty big. I''m sure he can scare most animals and people away." Lenoria grinned. "I got your back, Al. Let''s keep a good distance from Hayate. That way, we''ll be closer to Clara in case something moves in." "Excellent. We''ll be back before long, Miss Clara!" Alistair and Lenoria darted off towards the same direction Hayate went off to. They waded through tall grass and low-hanging tree branches, but the way was far from impassable. Lenoria took the lead, unable to discern Hayate''s location but she walked as if she knew where she was going. Alistair did his best to keep up while wearing plate mail, but he urged Lenoria to slow down in hushed whispers. Then they heard the roar of a beast. The two stopped and focused their hearing by closing their eyes. Hearing the grass rustle, Lenoria took out her pistol only to lower it at the sight of her robotic companion. "What did you find, Hayate?" "A jaguar family, mistress. Unidentified humanoids are currently fighting it. They all wore azure capes." "It can''t be..." Grabbing his mace, Alistair took the lead and continued down the path Hayate came from. "Stay close, you two." "Right!" Lenoria crouched and placed her hand on the wet rainforest ground. Hayate jumped on it, and with a tap of a button, the robot''s limbs and eye went back inside the body. "Good job, Hayate! Please take a break." Alistair hid behind the trees once the forest opened up again. What he saw in the small open area did not surprise him, but it also did not make him any less angry. One hulking humanoid with short, dark fur, wearing leather armor and an azure cape aimed his bow and arrow at a family of spotted big cats. One big cat - bigger than the rest, with a bone plate protruding from its back - bravely bared its fangs on the humanoid as yet another big cat stood behind it in a defensive posture. Huddled into a corner behind the second big cat was a pair of cubs. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. When Lenoria finally caught up, she hid right next to Alistair. "A jaguar family and a bugbear..." She looked next to the hunter, where she spotted several little green men bleeding out from claw and bite marks. One in particular had his skull split open. "Looks like his goblin entourage didn''t make it..." Next to them was the body of yet another big cat, with arrows and knives wedged on its body. "What are the Blue Jays doing here?" "They''re part of an organization that is publicly known for being righteous, Al. I''m pretty sure the border guards just let them through." "We can''t leave them be. I have to interrogate them." Lenoria blocked Alistair with her arm. "Let''s try to cause as little bloodshed as possible. This doesn''t look right, but for all we know, he could be within his rights to hunt these jaguars. If he''s as stupid and awful as Spark and his lackeys, then he''ll get what''s coming to him. I''ll stay here and keep an eye on things. I''ll have Hayate update Clara on what''s going on, and tell her it may take some time before we go back." "Got it." Alistair calmly came out of his hiding spot and into the opening with his hands raised. The bugbear and the jaguars turned to look at him, the former being much more happier than the latter. "Hey, kid!" The bugbear kept his eyes on the big cats, whose gazes shifted between him and Alistair. "Good timing. You look like you can fight. Can you help us?" Alistair remained wary, but he believed it was best to get on the man''s good side. After all, bugbears were known to be bullies, but it was folly to believe all of them were like that. "What are you doing wandering in the rainforest like this?" "My pals and I were out exploring, but these monsters decided to hunt us." The bugbear nervously pointed at the injured jaguar, then gesturing to his bow. "W-we had no choice! You can see what they did to my friends!" There was no denying the carnage in front of him. With a nod, Alistair carefully made his way to the bugbear and stood between him and the jaguar family. "Very well. I''ll cover your escape. Back away slowly and don''t take your eyes off of them." He had recalled some of the animal facts Clara imparted on him when they first entered the Jaguar Lands. Jaguars were solitary creatures, and encountering a family of them was rare. As long as prey animals were abundant, they left humanoids alone. But even if attacks on people were rare, willingly marching into their territory was considered stupid and suicidal. Jaguars were behind only lions and tigers in terms of power, and taking your eyes off of them was an invitation for them to chase you. With this in mind, the chances of the jaguars attacking unprovoked were next to zero. Something happened here, and Alistair was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Back away? Are you stupid?" The bugbear approached the injured jaguar. "I''m not walking away without my prize!" The injured jaguar shifted to one side and roared at the bugbear, who quickly backed away from it. Its weak, labored breathing could not be ignored, prompting Alistair to place his mace on the rainforest ground while keeping his shield up. Taking a moment to stare at the pile of goblins on the ground, Alistair then made his way to the injured animal. "There''s no saving them. All of them are dead." "What are you doing?" "Sir, if I may be frank, it would be better to preserve your own life at this point. Maybe the whole family would leave us alone if I patched this one up." "Are you insane? They''ll kill both of us!" "They''ll come after you for sure if you linger here!" Alistair kept his eye on the jaguar family. The bigger pair watched his movements in anticipation while the cubs, unaware of the danger around them, swatted at the tail of the bigger member of the pair. "They''re not attacking. Would it be safe to take my eyes off of them?" "Stupid brat! I can''t let him do this." The bugbear scanned his surroundings, and smiled gleefully when he spotted the boy''s mace on the ground. "What an idiot, putting down his own weapon in front of all this danger." The bugbear picked up the mace, keeping his eye on the jaguar family. The bigger jaguar snarled and kicked the dirt with a bluff charge. "Easy. We don''t wanna hurt you." Meanwhile, Alistair removed the knives that had been plunged on the injured jaguar. The animal growled menacingly, but it could only retaliate with weakened swats at the boy. "It''s okay. I''m here to help you." He couldn''t pull the arrows away, but they should pop out on their own once he used his healing magic. "O, Hammer of Justice, heal this creature with thy righteous hand." The bugbear raised the mace he stole and aimed for the unaware boy, who had begun the healing process when holy light emanated from his hands. "Sorry, kid, but that''s how the Order does things. I''ll have to bring his mace and shield as proof. This is an even better catch than those cats. They can have his corpse." This was all Lenoria needed to see. The girl rushed in, jumped as high as she could, and connected with a boot to the back of the bugbear''s head. Once the bugbear turned to see his assailant, he was greeted with an uppercut to the jaw. "Leave my man alone!" "Guh! Two of them?!" The bugbear tried to swing at Lenoria, but he felt his whole body collapse when one of the big cats pounced on him. "Ah! Help! Get ''em off me!" The injured jaguar''s eyes opened widely. It immediately got up, made a dash which shoved Alistair aside, and dove on the bugbear with a bite to the skull, immediately ending his screams. The biggest of the three jaguars looked on as the other two ended the life of their oppressor with just two bites, and prepared to run when Alistair and Lenoria took this opportunity to pick up the mace and escape. "Let''s get out of here!" The couple had a decent start, but they were too slow and eventually the predator caught up to them by jumping a huge distance above them and landing about five feet in front of them. Alistair kicked the dirt to stop on his tracks, stopping Lenoria as well. "We don''t want to fight you," Lenoria pleaded. "We''re not with them, I promise!" "I''ll distract it. You go on ahead and get Miss Clara," Alistair said. The jaguar stopped on its tracks. Then, it stood on its hind legs. The couple waited to see what it would do, but they did not expect for the jaguar''s hind legs to turn into humanoid legs. In fact, the rest of its body took on a human appearance before the terrifying head of the beast finally did the same. The jaguar had taken the form of a human-like male with tan skin and shoulder-length black wavy hair, wearing a simple white tunic, white pants, a green cape over his body, and a green headdress. His cat-like ears, eyes, and tail betrayed his human appearance, giving him a more bestial look. "Ooh, a local!" Lenoria sighed with relief. "I heard the Jaguar people form druidic societies. So he must be a druid." She casually approached the local man. "Nice to meet you. My name is-" "Stand back." The stranger grabbed his weapon of choice - a wooden club with several embedded blades of obsidian - and made a jabbing motion to stop Lenoria from getting closer. Image of ceremonial macuahuitl. (Source: Wikipedia) "Eeep!" "We mean no harm. Please put away your weapon," Alistair said. But the catfolk was persistent. "No. First, you outlanders better tell me what you''re doing in our forest! The jaguar population has gone down these past couple of months, and I want to know why." Lenoria raised her hands submissively. "Sorry, we don''t know! We''re just passing through!" "Liar!" The catfolk marched forward menacingly. But the feeling of cold metal pressing against the back of his head made him stop. "Let them go," Clara said, pressing her crossbow against him. "Whatever it is you''re accusing them of, they''re totally innocent." "That voice...it can''t be..." The young catfolk dropped his club and turned around. Tears welled up in his eyes, turning the cold-hearted warrior into a sobbing mess. "Clara?" Chapter 37 - To Be Forgotten... "Clara?" The Jaguar warrior wiped his tears away. Clara inspected his facial features closely, but nothing came to mind. Then she stared at his arms, his chest, and his legs (which she spent the longest looking at). She shook her head sadly. "I''m sorry, I don''t believe we''ve met." "It''s me! It''s Tizoc!" He immediately reached for her hands and held them together with his. "After all these years, we finally meet again!" "Clara, you know this guy?" Lenoria was ready to sock the guy just in case he was another creep. "His name rings a bell," Clara lamented. The elf felt goosebumps all over her body, but not out of fear or anxiety. "You haven''t forgotten about me, have you?" Tizoc released his grasp. "You helped my family when a pandemic hit my village. You didn''t have much on you, yet you and your parents went out of your way to get medicine for my sick father. And you comforted me, even when I thought my father was going to die. You didn''t stay for long, because our village was just a stop to your true destination. But I haven''t forgotten you these past fifteen years." "Fifteen years?!" Lenoria and Alistair looked at Clara, who was just as perplexed as they were. "I didn''t know where you were headed, but that didn''t stop me." Tizoc bent over to pick up his club. "When I came of age five years ago, I said goodbye to my family and set out to look for you. I asked the mountains where you were, but they were too proud to answer. I asked the trees, but they only spoke in riddles. I asked the crows and vultures, but they only spoke about our eventual demise. I even prayed to the Moon Guardian at the roadside shrines for your safety." Tizoc raised his club. "Every victory was dedicated to you. I wanted to be strong enough to protect you so you and your family didn''t have to wander anymore. But I came so close to giving up so many times." He smiled. "And now we finally meet again. And for the second time in a row, you arrived in my time of need." Alistair did the math with his fingers. "They met fifteen years ago, and he reached adulthood just five years ago. He must have been a kitten when they met and waited to leave his home for ten of those years." "That has got to be...one of the most romantic things I ever heard! Clara, I had no idea!" Lenoria shifted her gaze at Clara, whose face was red with embarrassment. "When were you going to introduce us?" "Clara, please say something," Tizoc pleaded. "T-this is happening awfully fast!" Clara pulled herself away from Tizoc. She turned around and hid her face from everyone. "Tizoc, right? I-I appreciate the things you said, but I can''t accept your feelings." The smile Tizoc had displayed was flipped upside down in a single instant. His strength helped keep him in a firm posture, yet his knees wobbling for a single second was the only indicator Lenoria needed to determine his true feelings. "You traveled far just to find me. I appreciate that, I really do. To tell you the truth, I think it''s romantic." Unable to understand, the confused catfolk warrior bent a knee before Clara. "Then...why do you refuse?" "It''s been years since I last saw you, Tizoc. You were just a little kitten back then. Elves like me age differently from everyone else, and I''ll look the same as you grow older. We''re adults, you and I, but...I need time to adjust." Saddened, the man nodded. "I understand. It''s enough for me to know that you''re safe." After a brief pause, he looked over at Alistair and Lenoria. "I''m sorry for attacking you two." Lenoria seemed surprised by Clara''s response, but she wasn''t going to question its authenticity. "No harm, no foul. We came here because we heard a scream." "Ah, yes. I have to thank you for your help against that poacher earlier." "Poacher?" Lenoria had more questions now. "It''d be best if you started from the beginning." *** The four of them returned to the clearing, where the corpse of the bugbear came into view. Blood oozed out from an opening from the back of the head as the face, with its eyes rolled upwards, bore a terrified expression. Meanwhile, one of the adult jaguars feasted on a leg torn off from the corpse while the other adult played with the cubs. Tizoc took the initiative and alerted the jaguar family by voicing an incomprehensible sound. The two animals were immediately alert, but once they saw Tizoc, they went back to what they were doing. "We should be fine now. Feel free to investigate as much as you want." The girls decided to search the body of the bugbear while Alistair took a closer look at the goblins first. "You have my thanks, Tizoc." Alistair turned his eyes to the jaguar family. One of the adults swatted its claws playfully to one of the cubs, while the second cub could be seen pouncing on the tail of the bigger animal. He noticed the stab wounds, which had been healed but not completely, and wondered if it was okay to finish healing it. "How did this happen, Tizoc?" The catfolk warrior, still gazing at the jaguars, backed away into a rock slowly and sat down on it. "I arrived at Ezmestli not too long ago, and the villagers immediately came to me with their problems. Many jaguars had been found dead recently and they asked me to look into it. It didn''t take long until I met these poachers." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Are these animals endangered?" "No, but they nearly faced extinction many, many years ago. Back in the old days, my people would hunt and kill jaguars because they believed the jaguar''s pelt granted a warrior the animal''s strength. Nowadays, we only fight them as a means of training. Never to kill. It is our nation''s sacred animal." "I see. We were ready to defend ourselves if it came to that, so it is fortunate we met you." Alistair stared at Tizoc firmly. "But I''m afraid these aren''t your ordinary poachers. The one with the blue cape is a member of the Blue Jay." "The Blue Jay? Is that why there''s a bird stitched on the cape?" "Yeah, they claim to be righteous but in reality, they''re a bunch of power-hungry thugs," Clara said. "If they say the sky is green, they''re ready to punch you the moment you show them some evidence." Alistair nodded. "I have no idea why they''re here, but this isn''t a good sign. If the jaguar is sacred, what do they have to gain by hunting them?" "I would like to know, myself. This is the second group I met today." Tizoc let out a tired sigh. "They must have a base nearby, but I have no leads." "I found one!" All eyes turned to Lenoria, who waved around a bloody parchment. "Says here they made a temporary base at a nearby keep." "Let me see!" Tizoc snatched the parchment away. His eyes widened the more and more he read it. "It''s true, all of it. I know this location. It even has directions on how to get there." *** Grabbing his macuahuitl, Tizoc signaled everyone to leave the clearing in a slow yet orderly fashion. They got back on the road in no time, where they reunited with Chestnut and Tsukuyomi. "This is where we part ways." Tizoc used his club to point to the road ahead. "It''s only another mile to Ezmestli, so you''ll be there in no time." Lenoria gave Alistair a worried look, which he immediately acted upon. "Tizoc, are you sure you can handle this alone? The Order doesn''t exactly play fair." "Even if I go alone, I must do so for the sake of the jaguars and all other wild animals. I don''t want to put your lives at risk for my problems, especially Clara''s." Clara broke eye contact after that declaration, fixing her adventuring hat to conceal her eyes. "It''s a-alright, Tizoc. We don''t mind." "That''s right. Those Blue Jay clowns got us kicked out from Hammer''s Reach back in Helix." Lenoria pounded her fist into her palm. "If they''re doing something wrong, then I don''t mind going out of our way to stop them." "I''ve already accounted for another delay during our trip, so it''s alright. We''ll visit Ezmestli first to drop off Chestnut and the wagon, then go the rest of the way on foot." Alistair went back to Chestnut and fed him a sugar cube. The girls already made their way to the back, and Alistair seated himself on one side to give Tizoc enough space for him to sit. "Hop on." A droplet of sweat quietly landed to the ground all the way from Tizoc''s eyebrow. "Are you sure? I don''t mind going alone. You must have urgent business to tend to." "Nonsense. You traveled far from home to see Miss Clara." Lenoria peeked out the little window. "Besides, that map says the keep is somewhere beyond our next destination, so we''re headed the same way, anyway. We''ll help you out with this." "You made some good friends, Clara. I''ll protect them as well." Not wishing to turn it into an argument, Tizoc accepted the group''s help and sat next to Alistair on the wagon. With a flick of the wrists, the whipping reins told Chestnut to move forward. *** On the back of the wagon, Lenoria was pressing Clara for more information. "What do you remember from your last trip here?" "Not much. I remember there was a disease going around and the village was placed on quarantine. We were unfortunate enough to be there when it reached its peak, so we were forced to stay until it was neutralized. To speed up the process, Mom and Dad helped the villagers however they could. All I was asked to do was to play with the children." "And that''s where you met Tizoc." "More than likely. I just can''t remember their names." Clara covered her eyes. "I feel so stupid and embarrassed. It was just a trip to me. I didn''t know we made a huge impact there." "Hmm." The girls dropped the subject for a little while as the wagon shook from a bumpy section on the road. A potion tipped over from Lenoria''s backpack and rolled its way towards the back. Its owner caught it just before it could roll through the flap and break on the road behind them, expressing a sigh of relief afterward. Lenoria could hear the boys converse outside. Alistair had asked Tizoc if he knew any good recipes, but the latter''s terse responses prevented the possibility of any bonding time. Alistair tried to be polite, but ultimately Lenoria could relate to how Tizoc was feeling. "Having to carry on like nothing happened after the love of your life recently rejected you? I get his pain." She hoped Alistair didn''t take it the wrong way and planned to chat with him before doing anything else once they arrived. She returned the potion to her backpack and grabbed her notepad from there. She opened the page to her latest idea: A wooden box where people could store food. The box would have cooling and freezing compartments, allowing people to store their food for longer periods of time. Meat and vegetables would take longer to spoil, and it would be bigger on the inside just like her bag of holding. After drawing some more, she glanced at the potion one last time, after which she came up with something to say to Clara. "You saved so many lives there, Clara. Tizoc seems grateful for that, at least." "Mom and Dad did that, not me." Lenoria smiled. "And you helped him and the other children get through it, just like how you helped me get through those horrible days at the Guild. Maybe he would have been alright without you, but even the thought of losing someone can be a little too much. For all we know, he could have turned into a completely different person if you hadn''t been there." "Gratitude, I understand. But love?" Clara blushed at the thought. "I mean, he seems nice. I don''t sense any malice from him at all, and I admit I had a hard time looking away from him when he wasn''t looking. But it feels like I just met him." She sighed. "If only I could remember what happened in those days." Lenoria set her notepad down. Hands behind her head, she leaned against the wall of the wagon. "Why don''t you just ask him?" "Ask him? I-I can''t. It''s too embarrassing." Lenoria smiled slyly. "Why not? I saw the way you were looking at him when we first met. Don''t you want to know?" "T-that''s different!" Clara hid her face with her hat. "You don''t have to be head over heels for something to appreciate it. It''s not my fault he looks like a sculpture right out of a museum!" "Is that what we''re calling it?" Lenoria giggled. "Besides, he couldn''t stop looking at you, either. If the feeling is mutual, what''s the harm?" "The answer is still no." Clara sighed. "I''m not going to say yes just because he sounded genuine with his confession. It''s not right to accept someone''s feelings when you don''t feel the same way they do." A familiar feeling washed over Clara, a stream of salty water that reopened past wounds. The same dreadful feeling she felt on the night of her own confession had returned, and the irony of the words she just spoke was not lost on her. Lenoria dropped the smirk and sat next to her, but Clara refused to make eye contact at this point. Nevertheless, Lenoria pulled her closer for a hug and let silence hang in the air for as long as Clara needed it. "Instructor..." Chapter 38 - Into the Keep The plan was to find an inn at Ezmestli, drop off Chestnut and the wagon at a stable, and take the east exit of the village to reach the abandoned keep. The villagers lived humble lives, living in small, cube-shaped houses made of adobe. From a distance, Alistair could see the entrance to the local marketplace and spotted some of the stalls. It was packed to the brim with vendors and shoppers alike, and seeing so many people at once was a little overwhelming for him. "Park here," Tizoc told him. Alistair stopped on the west side of a two-story stone house by the dirt road. He jumped off, patted Chestnut on the back, and went to the back of the wagon to meet back with the girls. "We''re here, ladies." He opened the flap to find Clara in meditative stance and Lenoria taking a nap. "Right. Lenoria said she couldn''t sleep well because of the full moon last night. I always thought that was mere superstition, but..." He didn''t want to, but he placed his hand on her shoulder and stirred her awake. "Come on, Lenoria," he said softly, "we''re here." Lenoria yawned. She gazed at the orange-hued sky and smiled at Alistair. "Good morning, honey." The greeting caught Alistair by surprise, but despite the anxiety he pushed himself to greet her back. "M-morning, Lenoria." He shook his head. "Wait a minute, it''s sunset. It''s only been about an hour since we got back on the road." "Oh, really?" Lenoria stretched her arms as high as she could. "That nap was so refreshing, though. I feel like I could go for another day." "Please keep that energy," Tizoc pleaded. "According to the map, there has to be at least nine enemies in the keep." To Alistair, he said "I''ll have them get our room ready for tonight. I''ll also have the innkeep prepare special drinks for you; if I can''t stop you from coming with me, then I''ll make sure you at least have the energy to keep up." Tizoc glanced over at Clara, who remained deep in meditation, before excusing himself and headed inside. "A man with a broken heart. It would be best to leave him be." It was time to wake Clara up, but Alistair paused when he watched Lenoria get up from the wagon floor. "Hey, Al, watch this." Doing a few squats in place, Lenoria then jumped off the wagon. The paladin reflexively stretched his arms out to catch her, and once he did, he was rewarded with a peck on the neck. "My hero." "Lenoria, what''s with you?" Alistair let out a ticklish laugh. "N-not in front of Miss Clara." "Hey, you signed up for this when you agreed to be my boyfriend. If you want me to stop, you need to ask nicely." "N-no, that''s okay." Alistair blushed when Lenoria nuzzled against his face. "This is...a-actually kind of nice." "As for Clara," Lenoria said, "she''s meditating. She''s not sleeping, it''s more like she simply tuned the rest of the world out." "Then maybe it''s time we woke her and-" "No! Um, I mean, l-let''s give her another minute. We haven''t had a moment to ourselves since, um..." "That night at the Butterfly Plains?" Face beet red, Lenoria leaned her head against Alistair''s. "And we haven''t even talked about what we''ll do once we get to Goodsprings. I mean, what will you be doing while I work?" "I will more than likely travel back to the Leone Estate and stay there a couple of days. After that," Alistair thought for a moment, "I have no idea." "Hey," Lenoria said while she jumped away from Alistair, "how about you convince Gabrielle to work with me? I mean, I could tell her I need some protection." Remembering his last conversation with Gabrielle, Alistair had a different idea. "We could try being more honest with her. I don''t think she''ll mind as long as we''re upfront about it." "You know her more than I do. I trust you." Lenoria then remembered something she wanted to address. "Oh, by the way, I noticed you and Tizoc were talking on the way here. He seemed a bit moody, but I was hoping you didn''t take that personally." "Don''t worry about that, Lenoria. I''m fully aware of the context." It was time to wake Clara up, but Lenoria offered to do so. As Lenoria shook her friend awake, something bothered Alistair. "I wonder what Tizoc meant when he said ''room''?" *** "What? You only have one room?!" Alistair was in full panic mode while he and everyone else spoke with a matronly human innkeeper. Lenoria glanced over at him. "Why are you so surprised, Al? Rural inns usually only have one room for guests." "R-really?" Alistair hoisted his backpack and made his way to the door. "I-I just remembered, I left something in the wagon!" Lenoria held him in place by gripping the paladin''s hand firmly. "Relax, Al. They should have beds for everyone." With a hint of doubt, she turned to the innkeeper. "Right?" "We have beds for four people," the innkeeper answered. "Besides, look at this menu!" Lenoria pointed at the handwritten menu posted on a wooden board. "All you can eat eggs in the morning for just three copper pieces! And look! It says chocolate picante. I don''t know what ''picante'' means but it''s probably some exotic flavor!" "Lucky for you, I already ordered some ahead of time." Tizoc pointed at a nearby table, pointing to four mugs made of clay. "Who knows when we''ll be back, so preparing for an all-nighter is in our best interest. These should keep us awake for a little while." "Bottom''s up." Lenoria grabbed a mug and gulped it down. "Mmm. It''s cold, but foamy and chocolatey. A little bitter, though." Lenoria wiped a red smudge from her lips with a handkerchief. "Excuse me, ma''am, would you happen to have some water?" "I have water," the innkeeper answered. "Why?" "Could you bring me a tankard? With lots and lots of ice?!" Lenoria breathed fire once again and circled around the table. Eyes watering and forehead sweating, the girl ran around with an unquenchable burn in her tongue and throat until the innkeeper brought her iced water. Risking brain freeze, the girl drank the whole tankard as fast as she could. "Aaaah." "Please make sure you''re reading up on the ingredients before you try something new, Lenoria." Clara took a swig from her own mug, bringing a smile to her face. "Not bad." "It''s spicy." Alistair swished a small portion in his mouth before gulping it down. "Definitely some cayenne pepper in there. Hmm. Vanilla pods, powdered annatto, and honey." He looked over at Tizoc, who sipped his drink quietly. "You seem unfazed, Tizoc." "I drink this every day, and I was raised on spicy food. It will energize you more than coffee will." Tizoc looked over at Lenoria''s clay mug. "I must say, Alistair, your woman is very brave." "I know, right? She''s amazing." Blushing after realizing what he just said, the boy cleared his throat. "Err, I mean, why do you say that?" Tizoc grabbed Lenoria''s mug and flipped it upside down. "She drank the whole thing in one gulp." *** Once they settled down in Ezmestli, the group explained the situation to the innkeeper and what they planned to do. In the best-case scenario where everyone lived, they would be stumbling in during the dark hours of the night and don''t want to bother her by waking her up. The innkeeper kindly gave them a spare key so they could open the inn should they arrive after she had gone to bed. With a bow of gratitude, our heroes departed from the inn and took the north exit into the woods. Should the worst come to pass, Alistair gave the innkeeper a gold piece and asked her to consider changing the locks if they''re not back by sundown. "Jaguars are not normally nocturnal, but stay alert," Tizoc warned. "They are ambush predators, and if one is desperate and hungry enough, our mere presence in the rainforest could be seen as an invitation to hunt us." "If you factor in the trees and brush of the rainforest with the darkness of the night," Lenoria said with unease. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "We''re effectively in their element." Alistair already had his mace and shield with him. "Tizoc, can you keep them off our backs?" "I can try. If we stay on the road for as long as possible, we should be able to avoid any unpleasant run ins. But according to this map, those Blue Jays are in a deeper part of the rainforest." "That reminds me," Lenoria said. "What can you do, Tizoc? Besides transforming?" "I''m an herbalist by trade. I can make potions with the herbs of the earth we walk on." Tizoc reached into his cape and grabbed three vials. They all had a color like murky water, and Lenoria could see stems and leaves floating inside. "I can only make three each day for now, but every morning I take the time to ask mother nature for what she can spare. If I ever need more, I have to buy the materials myself in the markets. Oh, and I can also fight in melee." The young warrior handed over his vials to Clara. "They work just like potions, and these three in particular are as effective as normal healing potions. If you or your friends need first aid, don''t hesitate to use them." Clara nodded and pocketed away the potions. "I will. But I think we have plenty of recovery items." "Actually," Alistair said, "having extra healing couldn''t hurt, Miss Clara. If something happened to any of you in the middle of a fight, it would be very difficult for me to disengage the enemy to resuscitate you." "Oh, so it''s possible for the Blue Jays to overpower you," Tizoc wondered. "Hell no. I''m confident any of us can single-handedly trounce on whatever members await inside that keep, if they''re anything like Spark or that bugbear. But they''re not known for playing fair, so we must be cautious at all times." Music to everyone''s ears. *** The party of five - Lenoria, Alistair, Clara, Tsukuyomi, and Tizoc - continued onward and took a route off-road when they determined they reached a certain point in the map. It took some time - from twilight to the darkness of the night - but they found a withered keep standing in front of a massive stone formation. A dry, shallow moat surrounded it, and the lack of risk of getting wet allowed the party to cross it without a problem. The old drawbridge was raised to block the entrance, but Lenoria spotted a hole on the wall about 20 feet west of the entrance. The artificer took the lead into the stone tunnel, staying a short distance away from everyone. She then stopped, raised her left arm bent upwards at the elbow with her palm facing forward, lowered all but two of her fingers, then pointed to the left and right. Alistair and Clara refused to move until Lenoria gave the signal to go, but Tizoc almost caught up to her before he was pulled away by the other two. "Why are we sneaking around like this," the catfolk warrior asked. Clara wordlessly pointed to the tunnel walls. Tizoc squinted his eyes, yet he could not see what Clara was looking at. Not until he focused on a single point in each wall; they were faint, but he could see them. Two glyphs faded in and out of the material plane doing little to illuminate the dark and dusty tunnels. Tizoc realized a mage must have cast something in the tunnels and Lenoria was trying to figure out what. When Lenoria was done with her inspection, she pointed at a small tile on the west side of the tunnel, hugged the east side, and continued onward at a slower pace. The rest of the band nodded to one another and followed Lenoria''s example by hugging the east side as well. When Lenoria moved away from the wall, everyone else took note at which point she did so and moved away once they reached that exact same spot. "Could you not disable it," Alistair whispered. "No," Lenoria whispered back. "It''s a [Fireball] trap. It''s very complex, and by my calculations, we had a 60% of triggering it even with my skill. I wasn''t going to risk it." She pointed at the ceiling and the walls of the tunnel. "We can probably survive the fireball itself, but these walls look so old and withered. The impact has a good chance of causing a cave-in." Alistair shivered at the thought. "Good job. Please keep up the good work." Once the group continued their march, Alistair gazed at Lenoria with admiration. "She''s so fearless in the face of danger while also prioritizing our safety. I wonder what her thought process was..." "Oh my gosh, he actually praised me!" Facing ahead was the only thing keeping Lenoria''s red face away from the party. "I can''t let him down now. Scouting and searching for traps is my strength in the same way beating up bad guys is his. It''s my chance to shine!" Reaching the tunnel exit, Lenoria stepped out into the bailey of the keep without further incident. The main building was just up ahead, and she mentally prepared herself by hopping in place and shadowboxing with a couple of punches. But this pre-fight ritual was interrupted by the rattling of metal. To her right, she spotted several cages with jaguars inside of them. Most of them hissed and growled at her, but one in particular tackled the iron bars of the cage and tried to claw at her through an opening when that failed. "We''re not too late," Tizoc whispered. "We can still save them." "Not yet," Alistair said. "If we release them now, they''ll simply jump at us, and we''d cause a scene. Not to mention, we might end up killing them to defend ourselves." "We can''t just leave them here." "I know. That''s why we must deal with every single Blue Jay here before we do." Alistair pointed at the cages. "Tizoc, see if you can calm the jaguars down. Lenoria, see if you can find more traps. Miss Clara, please help me keep an eye out for danger." First up was Tizoc. The troublesome jaguar was already making noise with all of the hissing, which immediately roused the others. Alistair readied himself for any Blue Jays that would check out the noise, but one hiss from Tizoc was enough to confuse the hostile cat into silence. Following that with a growl, the big cat and all the others were cowed to submission. "What did you tell them," Clara asked. "I was saying hello. Looks like I managed to calm them down." Tizoc reached into the jaguar''s head with his hand. "We''ll get you out of here. Just wait a little longer." "Good." Alistair looked over at Lenoria. "Now it''s up to Lenoria." This whole time, Lenoria had been searching for glyphs on the main building. "Nothing here. I guess it''s safe to open the door." She raised a thumb at Alistair, placed her hand on the doorknob, and jiggled it. Unfortunately, the dice had a different idea. "Huh?" Lenoria felt a tight squeeze around her shins and had little time to react as she was pulled upward by a rope attached to a tree branch. Hanging upside down, the girl could see the rope squeezing her legs as she hung about six feet above the ground. "Hold still, Lenoria!" Looking around, Alistair spotted an opening into a small room. A knife had been placed down on a rack set on a table. "We can get her down with that." "I''m on it!" Clara made a dash into the room and pulled the knife from the rack. "Got it!" Click! A portcullis slammed the only exit shut from above, trapping Clara in the room. "Rats!" "Hey, Al, I can''t turn around. What happened?" Lenoria asked. "Miss Clara is trapped, too. Hang on, I''ll get you both out!" Unable to reach Lenoria''s branch, Alistair dashed for the tree. "Hurry, Al! I can feel the blood going to my head!" "I guess it''s up to me!" Just as Alistair reached the tree to climb it, he felt his body collapse atop a pile of leaves. "Whoa!" The leaves made way for a pitfall, plunging the young paladin into a 10-foot hole. When Tizoc finally noticed what was going on, he witnessed several men in chainmail coming out of their hiding spots; some came out of crates, others from the main building, and the rest from blind spots he couldn''t perceive before. The caged jaguars grew tense and the belligerent one from earlier started roaring again. "Well, well, well," said a blue-caped man holding a morningstar, "looks like another cat just trapped himself with us. And he brought some friends!" "Looks like he''s all alone now, boss," commented another wielding a longsword. "Just wait until the press hears about this. Yes, I can read the headline now. ''Three teenagers tried to colonize a region by hunting jaguars to extinction, but they are stopped by The Order of the Blue Jay!''" "Tizoc, I''m counting at least eight of them!" Clara shouted as loud as she could to get his attention. "Run away!" "I won''t," Tizoc said bluntly. "I promised to protect you, Clara. I tried to keep you from coming here because you could get hurt. And now that you are here, I have to make peace with myself, and accept the fact that what you are all about to witness won''t be pretty." "Why? Because we know we''ll beat your face in to a bloody pulp," asked the Blue Jay with a morningstar. "No." Tizoc grinned. He flashed a pair of fangs that were not there before. He gazed at the full moon, after which his pupils vanished completely, and his muscles began to expand. "Because you hurt my jaguars. I am no longer responsible for what''s about to happen to you!" The Order of the Blue Jay collectively gasped in horror as they witnessed Tizoc grow claws on his hands and feet, and spotted fur all across his body. Plates of bone covered his chin and pectoral muscles, and his human-like face took the appearance of a jaguar. "You will make a fitting sacrifice to the gods," Tizoc roared. "Sir, he''s one of them," said a frightened Blue Jay. "A Lycan," Clara said with awe. "Clara, what''s going on?" Lenoria tried to reach her feet to undo the knot around her shins. "I can only see glimpses. What is Tizoc doing?" "Tizoc''s a Lycan, Lenoria! He''s either saving our lives or dooming us all!" Clara banged the portcullis with her bare hands. "Tsukuyomi! Get Lenoria down and Alistair out of that hole!" With a single burst of his jets, Tsukuyomi propelled himself forward, grabbed Lenoria, and yanked the rope off her legs. "A Lycan?" The blood flow was returning across Lenoria''s body, but she felt dizzy during the process. "You mean like a werewolf?" "He''s taken the form of a jaguar, but unless he''s tamed his instincts, he can''t discern friend from enemy! Get somewhere safe, now!" "I''m not leaving without you!" Lenoria tapped Tsukuyomi''s biceps. "Get Alistair!" Once Tsukuyomi approached the pitfall, Lenoria jumped away from him and made a dash for Clara. "Lenoria!" Clara slammed her fists on the portcullis again. "Don''t!" "Sorry, Clara! But I''m here to save you and study this man. Scientific discoveries like this are hard to find!" With Lenoria inspecting the portcullis and Alistair in the process of getting out of the pitfall, the dice would soon be rolled for initiative once again. Chapter 39 - Werejaguar "Lenoria, leave me here! If Tizoc loses control-" "Then we''ll knock him out, tie him up, and reason with him! I''m not leaving either of you here!" Lenoria inspected the portcullis, but given the duress of the situation around her, her senses were not as sharp as before. "Help me get you out of there!" "What are you louts standing around for?!" The Blue Jay with the morningstar barked orders. "Kill the girls and skin this cat alive!" "S-sir, with all due respect," said another Blue Jay nervously, "he''s one of them!" "You''re going to let one little kitten scare you?" The apparent leader whistled to a man in a black trench coat. "You, rookie! Show them how it''s done!" The man in the black trench coat, a black-haired humanoid with a pale complexion smirking with a cigar in his mouth, drew a pistol and aimed it at Tizoc. "Is that all, boss? You''re making this too easy for me." BANG! "Tizoc!" Lenoria flinched from the gunshot, but Clara got her attention with a tap from her metal prison. "Keep going, you''re almost there." Clara pointed at a metal box Lenoria had found and was in the middle of fiddling with the gears inside. "I doubt Tizoc will need our help." The elven girl shifted her gaze back at the scene. Drops of blood had fallen from Tizoc, who stood firmly in place as the gunman, with a horrified expression, backed away. The werebeast dug a bloody bullet out of his wound and tossed it aside before letting out an angered roar. "Any other volunteers?" The leader asked. "Boss, that man just took a bullet wound like it''s nothing!" The nervous Blue Jay from earlier sheathed his weapon. "We stand no chance!" "Since when did you boys get a choice in the matter? You know what the code of the Blue Jay says. ''Stand up for what we believe is right and die trying.'' You agreed to exterminate all of the jaguars in the region for a pretty copper as part of your initiation into the Order, so now you have no choice but to obey!" "Wait a second." Lenoria gazed at the leader first. He was a neatly dressed man with a black suit, top hat, and a blue cape. Meanwhile, his men - ranging from humans, catfolk, and bugbears - wore tattered clothes and appeared to be tired, emaciated, and scared. Closing her fist angrily, Lenoria removed the final gear from the box which released Clara from her prison. "Clara, they may be Blue Jays, but I don''t think they had a choice. Tell Tizoc to focus on their leader." "Why me?" "If you think he''s lost all reason, then you can snap him out of it. He''s gotta love you like crazy, still." "Uh..." Clara twiddled her fingers shyly. "I-it''s not that big of a deal. I mean, Tizoc looks calm, so maybe he didn''t lose his inhibitions-" "Clara, just read the room, will ya?" Clara stepped outside her cell for a closer look. A couple of the Blue Jays had drawn knives and stabbed Tizoc, but he simply grabbed them and tossed them away. In his new form, the catfolk warrior showed no sign of pain despite the blood the Blue Jays had obviously drawn from him. When Tizoc swiped at both men with a murderous look on his face, the leader wore a smile on his. "Tizoc, stop!" Clara shouted. Tizoc stopped himself before he could deal a killing blow to a prone Blue Jay. "Clara, I can''t stop now! If their goal is to kill the wildlife in the area, then I have to do something about it!" "Yeah, Clara. Don''t butt in!" The leader readjusted his collar nervously. "I mean, uh, who''s next? Come on, boys, you can beat him!" "No, this ends now! Tizoc, if you kill those guys here, you''ll be making a big mistake!" ---------- A few days ago... Blinded and injured, Spark and Chet stumbled their way towards the exit as they left Hunter behind. Alistair was furious. "Where do you think you''re going?!" Spark turned back as he ran away. "The deal is off, little man! You deal with the giant!" "Boss, wait for me!" Hunter ran after them, but due to his watering eyes and the poison of the manchineel tree, he soon stumbled on a rock and tripped. "Sorry, Hunter! But it looks like you inhaled most of the smoke! You have to remember the rules of the Order!" "''If anyone in the Order falls short, cut them off no matter your bond,''" Chet said. The two Blue Jays stumbled their way out of the cave, hoping to leave enough distance before the giant could see them. ---------- Present day "The dark shrines, the elimination of wildlife, thriving on betrayal, shedding innocent blood, a full moon!" Clara pointed at the group leader. "The Order of the Blue Jay is nothing more than a demonic murder cult, and he''s one of the instigators! Why else would he smile after seeing one of his own subordinates getting hurt?" All of the Blue Jays present gasped at this revelation and turned to their leader for an answer. "Uh, well, you see, uh, t-that''s knowledge we can''t reveal to just anyone. You have to be at a higher rank, which you can get to after spending some gold. You have to understand my position here!" "Sir," said the nervous Blue Jay, "you threatened us to join you." "Or else you''d hire hitmen to kill our families," another said. "And you just wanted us to get killed by this...monster the moment the plan fell apart?" The mooks dropped their weapons and raised their hands to surrender. Even the ones Tizoc had swiped preferred to crawl away than spend another moment fighting. They all stepped aside so that there was nothing standing between Tizoc and the leader. "I almost shed innocent blood." Tizoc pitched a growl. "Demons. They ruin all that is beautiful, including nature. I will never forgive someone like you!" Tizoc pounced, but the group leader was ready. Just as the werejaguar had reached him, the man disappeared in a blink of an eye. But he quickly caught the scent of blood behind him, and to his horror, an emaciated creature looking like a human skeleton coated in red slime had stabbed Clara with its claw right on her waist area. Blood spouted out of her, mingling with the red slime around the creature. The Blue Jays were understandably horrified. "What the hell is that?" "Is that a demon?" "It''s one of them undead skeletons!" "Clara!" Lenoria threw a punch at the creature, but her fist sizzled on contact, the red slime corroding her skin. "Yeow!" "My slime will corrode your skin every time you touch it." The creature laughed. "Ladies, ladies, stop crying and accept your punishment with grace!" The ugly creature leaned closer to Clara as it jammed its claw deeper into her abdomen. "I''m sorry, but caring for the innocent? Protecting nature? Familial bonds? Hygiene? Human weaknesses! Thanks to you, I have to kill you all to keep the Order''s name clean or else our glorious leader will be after my ass! If it''s any consolation, though, you''re the first outsiders to figure out what we''re really about. I''ll make sure your deaths are as agonizing as possible!" "His skin is as tough as leather. My punches can''t pierce it! Huh?" Lenoria and the demonic creature heard chuckling from Clara. "What''s so funny, elf?! Blood loss made you delirious already?" "No." Clara flashed a bloodied smile. "If you''re worried about your image, I-I''m afraid you''re a little late to the party. Your friend Spark abandoned one of his lackeys a few days ago during our confrontation with them, and this lackey just so happened to have detailed plans about your movements. Isn''t that funny? He slipped up by betraying his friend. Ironic that he was just following your Order''s tenets, and he ended up dooming you all." "B-big deal!" The demon was clearly nervous. "No one will believe a group of adventurers like you!" "Maybe not. But they''ll surely believe our friend, Melodious Aquamarine." The demon yelped. "What? Are you saying Spark failed in killing her?!" "It''s only a matter of time before your Order''s exposed. By now, the Church should be mobilizing all the forces it can spare to take you down. Imagine their surprise when they find out the Order''s been consorting with demons." Clara had absolutely no idea if what she said was true, but in a pinch she had decided to wound the demon''s pride in the best way possible. "Then I better kill you and tell our leader-" The demon sniffed the air. "Why does it smell like incense?" The creature turned around. What he saw behind him was a young boy - his armor caked with mud and his entire face downcast in a shadow, save for a single, hateful eye - about to strike with a mace swipe. The image of a hammer glowed on the creature''s hands like a glyph, and the magic aura from the boy''s mace reacted to it by glowing in the same manner. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Um, a little late to talk this out, huh? "Very," Alistair answered matter-of-factly before bludgeoning the creature''s face with a fierce blow. The creature howled in pain and grabbed his face to cover the wound. Red slime splashed on Alistair''s mace, corroding it slightly. "Al, be careful!" Lenoria warned. "That thing has tough skin and it melts things like acid!" "I''m acutely aware." With a swing of his mace, Alistair splashed some of the corrosive slime away into the ground. "We''re dealing with a babau, Lenoria. A demon. You can''t punch it without getting hurt, so I''ll need you to leave him to me. Tend to Miss Clara!" Initiative Order
Babau Alistair Tizoc Clara Lenoria
"You better win!" Lenoria''s feet slid on the stone floor until she reached Clara. "Clara, speak to me. Are you okay?" "I''ll be fine. The acid in my wound hurts pretty bad, though." Clara uncorked one of the vials Tizoc had given her and took a swig. "It''s bitter, but I feel better already." "Oh, boo-hoo!" The babau taunted. "Are you gonna cry because I hurt your woman, kid?" "Not his." Alistair and the babau looked towards Tizoc''s direction. The werejaguar, relaxed at first once Alistair had arrived, furiously got on all fours. "Mine!" Tizoc ran past the rest of the Blue Jays, who wanted nothing to do with this fight, and launched himself at the demon once he got in range. The babau tried to dodge it, but Tizoc read his movements in time and chomped down on his skull. Every single tooth and fang sank into the leathery skull of the babau, but the force was surprisingly not enough to kill. "Is that...all you...got?" The babau taunted Tizoc, who immediately knocked the creature to the ground and used all four claws - front and hind - to slash it. But Tizoc''s claws did little to pierce the demon''s skin, making it cackle with amusement. What''s more, Tizoc''s jaws and skin burned red thanks to the demon''s slimy coating. "Tizoc, get out of there!" Alistair shouted. "Babau demons can''t be damaged normally! Their skin is as tough as yours, and the acid is only going to hurt more the longer you keep touching him! Only holy weapons and cold iron can hurt them normally!" "Cold iron?" One of the Blue Jays, sitting atop a wooden crate, jumped off and opened it. "It''s too late! I know you''re trying to keep me in place so boy wonder over there can kill me, but you''ll die before you get the chance, you damned cat!" The babau, confident in his imminent victory, swiped his bony claws at Tizoc''s face, followed by two bites. The second bite appeared to be quicker than the first, but proved to be just as deadly when the babau demon went right for the neck. Clara picked up her staff. "Tizoc!" "All you have to do is let me go if you want to live! You don''t have to die for these people, you know!" But to the demon''s surprise, Tizoc tightened his squeeze. He tried to speak, but it was hard to convey his message with his mouth open. "For generations, my people have dealt with you demons. Some gave in to their power while others died opposing you. But if I''m to die here, then may my sacrifice be pleasant to the Feathered Serpent!" He then stared at Alistair, the whites of his feline eyes visible and his pupils shrunken. "Alistair! We Jaguar Lycans made a sacred vow to defend the wilds from fiends like him! I leave the rest to you!" Successfully keeping the demon in place, Tizoc held the fiend which allowed Alistair to deliver two painful strikes. The creature howled in pain, but it was still not down. "Don''t speak like that," Alistair said. "We can still-" "Clara! I wanted nothing more than to find you and care for you! But fate has decided this cannot be! All I can do now is repay the favor your parents have done for me and my fellow Lycans!" "Fellow Lycans?" Clara shook her head. "Tizoc, let go! Don''t throw your life away for a creature like him!" "Listen to her," the demon pleaded. "Look, if this is about getting a woman, I can give you elves! A lot of elves! Elves prettier than her! You would drown in no time." But his words fell on deaf ears. The demon would strike, then Alistair, then Tizoc would endure to hold him in place, and the process would repeat anew. That is, until Tizoc''s feet staggered. He struggled to stay awake, and his jaw strength weakened. "Clara...is the only one I wish to be with. Even if I die here, I hope I can be reborn so I can reunite with her once again. I have already waited fifteen years for this moment, and I won''t allow you to take her from me!" Shaking her fists, Clara grabbed a bolt from the ground and loaded it on her crossbow. Aiming for the demon, she opened fire just as Tizoc released him and passed out. "No. I refuse to let you throw your life away like this!" The crossbow bolt made a squelching sound when it struck the demon''s head. "Fool! Don''t you realize ordinary weapons can''t hurt me?" He looked like he was within an inch of his life, but even now the demon seemed confident. "You can''t hurt me with regular human weapons!" Clara grinned. "I know." That''s when the babau demon felt a burning sensation coming from his head. By instinct, he dislodged the bolt from his head but immediately dropped it when his hand burned. "Cold iron? When did she-?" He looked over back at Clara, then Lenoria. A wooden crate had been placed next to them, and Lenoria had just finished putting on a pair of silvery caestus. "That''s the weapon crate we were going to use against the fey! How did you get that?" "We had a hand!" Clara nodded at her friend. "Lenoria!" "With gusto!" Lenoria bumped her metal caestus together and charged in. Seeing Tizoc''s unconscious body made her lose her temper, and all she wanted to do now was beat the demon down. The charging punch connected, twisting the demon''s head with a sickening crunch. The cold iron from her new weapon was like a grill on a steak, burning the demon''s skin. "That one''s for Tizoc!" With the demon now on the ground from its mace wounds and the final blow, combat was over.
Rewards Encounter treated as having a party of 4-5 people. XP awarded for stopping the machinations of eight CR 3 creatures (The Order of the Blue Jay): 1600. Combination of story elements and intimidation contributed to their surrender, and these XP are treated as if they had been defeated in combat. XP awarded for one CR 6 monster (babau demon): 600 Bonus XP for rescuing the captive jaguars: 220 Total XP awarded: 2,420 each Lenoria: 16,575/15,000 Clara: 16,485/15,000 Alistair: 29,485/34,000 LEVEL UP! Lenoria and Clara advanced to 6th level! Lenoria: Retrain Clara: Construct Caller Summoner 5/Voice of the Wild Bard 1 Lenoria: 16,575/23,000 Clara: 16,485/23,000 Alistair: 29,485/34,000
Tizoc, the Werejaguar Warrior
Level Class Features Feat
Catfolk Ability Score Modifiers - +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom Cat''s Luck (Ex) - Once per day when a catfolk makes a Reflex saving throw, he can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the saving throw is attempted. Natural Hunter - Catfolk receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks. Sprinter - Catfolk gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. Low-light Vision - Catfolk can see twice as far as a human under dim illumination (such as nightfall).
Lycanthropy Ability Score Modifiers +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma (all forms); +2 Strength, +2 Constitution in animal and hybrid forms. In addition, In animal and hybrid form, the Lycan''s ability scores are the same as the base creature¡¯s or the base animal¡¯s, whichever ability score is higher. Lycanthropic Empathy - A Lycan gains a +4 bonus to Diplomacy checks when altering the attitude of an animal related to their animal form (jaguars). Defensive Abilities - In animal or hybrid form, the Lycan''s natural armor bonus to Armor Class increases by 2, and gains DR 10/silver (takes normal damage from silver weapons, other weapons deal 10 less damage). Offensive Abilities - In animal or hybrid form, the Lycan gains the natural weapons, special attacks, qualities, and abilities of the base animal. - With the jaguar as the base animal, Tizoc gains two claw attacks, a bite attack, and the pounce, rake, and grab special attacks. - Pounce (Ex): When charging, the werejaguar can make a full-attack action. - Rake (Ex): When pouncing, the werejaguar makes two additional claw attacks. The werejaguar can also rake a grappled foe, but they must start its turn already grappling the foe. - Grab (Ex): When successfully connecting with a bite attack, the werejaguar can make a grapple check as a free action, and gains a +4 bonus to grapple checks using its jaws.
1st level (Druid 1) Nature Bond (Herbalism 3/day) - The druid can make concoctions from his spell list a number of times a day equal to his Wisdom modifier. Nature Sense - The druid gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks. Spells - Druids can cast divine spells, using their Wisdom modifier for the Difficulty Check of their spells as well as gaining bonus spells. Wild Empathy - Druids can improve the attitude of an animal, as if rolling Diplomacy. To make a wild empathy check, the druid adds their Charisma modifier and druid level to the empathy roll. Other - Druids learn the Druidic language for free, but they are forbidden to teach this language to non-druids. - Druids are proficient with a few weapons, as well as light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). However, they are forbidden from using metal armor and shields. Druids wearing forbidden equipment lose their spells and supernatural abilities while doing so and 24 hours after. - Druids who cease to revere nature, change to a prohibited alignment, or teach Druidic to non-druids lose their spells and supernatural abilities, and cannot gain druid levels until they atone (usually with the atonement spell). Martial Weapon Proficiency (Macuahuitl) - Gains proficiency with a martial weapon.
2nd level (Druid 2) Woodland Stride - Druids can walk through natural undergrowth at their normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. They are still affected by magically manipulated undergrowth.
3rd level (Druid 3) Trackless Step - Druids leave no trail in natural surroundings (unless they want to) and cannot be tracked. Spell Focus (Conjuration) - Spell DC for Conjuration spells increases by 1.
4th level (Druid 4) Resist Nature''s Lure - Druids gain a +4 bonus to saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of the fey, as well as spells or effects that utilize or target plants. Wild Shape 1/day - Druids can transform into a Small or Medium animal and back again. The effect lasts one hour per druid level, or until the druid changes back.
Chapter 40 - Destiny of the Outsider The gang wasted no time in cleaning up the mess that had been made in the last scuffle. Clara let the injured Tizoc, now back to normal, rest on her shoulder while Lenoria and Alistair tidied up the keep with the help of the deserting Blue Jays. The catfolk''s eyes opened just as Clara had gotten comfortable with a book in hand. "Finally awake, Tizoc?" "Yeah." The young warrior groaned as he rubbed his chin. "I''m never biting a demon again." "Alistair used his divine magic to stabilize your wounds, and I used one of the potions you gave me to restore your worst wounds." Clara handed Tizoc a potion vial. "This is the last one. That was irresponsible, you know. You could have gotten yourself killed." "I''m sorry." Tizoc took a swig from the potion vial. His tongue and throat welcomed the earthy flavor he himself had brewed as his sense of taste slowly returned after numbing it with the demon''s slime. "When I saw that thing attack you, I was sad, scared, and angry. I thought I was going to lose you. So, I panicked. My body ran on instinct at that point." "I appreciate it, Tizoc. I really do. What irked me, though, was when you told that thing I was your woman." "It won''t happen again." Tizoc bowed apologetically. "It was a heat of the moment thing, but I can''t deny how I feel, and-" Clara raised a hand, and Tizoc stopped. "Let me finish. I''m not your woman, Tizoc." She sighed. "At least...not yet." Tizoc lifted his eyes to meet Clara''s directly and waited to let her finish this time. "I was confused earlier. I still am. These things normally take time, you know?" Both of them looked over at Alistair and Lenoria. Lenoria had gotten caught by the rope trap again, and Alistair had trouble bringing her back down. "Sure, love can blossom when the feeling is mutual between two people. But then you have people like me; it takes time for me to feel anything for someone." "You''re saying there''s a chance, then?" "In a way, yes. I just don''t want to string you along for something that may not happen. You deserve someone who adores you, Tizoc. I just can''t be that person right now." "I understand completely. Even now, you''re considerate of my feelings and have been there when I needed you the most. It won''t be easy to forget about you, even if I tried." "It''s up to you to decide how you want to deal with your feelings, Tizoc. At the very least, I hope we can be friends." *** Next up was figuring out what to do about the jaguars. With help from Tizoc, the jaguars were directed outside once their cages were opened and soon they all scampered off into the forest. To prevent them from coming back, the Blue Jays were asked to make a fire. Lacking sufficient firewood, all of them placed their azure capes on the center of the bailey and set them all on fire with a lit torch. As long as the fire was kept under control and inside the keep, the jaguars would think twice about moving back in. As for the demon''s corpse, it became dust over the passage of time. "This is the fate of all beings from a different plane who perish here," Alistair said. "They all become dust and return to whence they came." "Does that mean they come back," Lenoria asked. "No, they''re not like us, Lenoria; we mortal creatures can separate the soul from the body when we die. Our souls ascend to the afterlife, and after being judged by the gods of death, they determine where we go. Creatures from the realms beyond, like demons, have their bodies forever fused with their souls. When they die, they dissolve back into pure energy and return to their home plane, their identity forever gone." "You''re forgetting one crucial detail, Alistair," Clara interjected. "Creatures like devils, demons, and even some angels are made from souls." "Right, the souls of the dead. How did you know, Miss Clara?" "I took a planar course back at the Guild." Clara''s cheeks turned slightly red. "I-Instructor Gardens took his time to drill this knowledge into our heads." "I didn''t know the two of you knew this already." "I didn''t." Lenoria wrapped her arms around Alistair''s right arm and squeezed it. "Tell me more, Al." "But didn''t we go to the same cla-" Clara''s mouth was suddenly covered by one of Lenoria''s hands. "Continue, my love." "Oh, um, well..." Alistair tried to return to his train of thought. "Most people live ordinary lives, die, are judged by the gods of death, and move on to a higher plane of existence depending on how they lived. Souls that are deemed righteous go on to live on a plane of their choice, while the souls of the wicked are said to be judged harshly and face punishment according to their crimes. While some people debate on this, the majority of scholars and religious folks alike believe the main judge is a being named King Yeomra." Lenoria had heard religious drivel from doomsayers and other fanatics before, and hearing Alistair repeat it almost word for word was jarring to her. What stood out, however, was the name he just mentioned. "Yeomra?" "What I do know is that people who consort with fiends and make deals with them eternally condemn themselves. Demons and devils alike are always looking for souls to snatch by making deals, and once that person dies, their soul is forever bound to that fiend. The fiend then does what it wants with that soul, and some choose to mold more of their kin that way." Alistair gazed at the ashen remains of the demon they had fought earlier. "Babau demons, for example, are made from the souls of murderers, but not just any murderer; they are formed from the souls of those who relish in personal and intimate murders, such as vengeance on a person who slighted them or an abusive spouse who tortures their beloved before finally killing them. Of course, people who do that without remorse already condemn themselves to a hellish afterlife, so fiends don''t typically look for people like that to bind with. No, they prefer the souls of the righteous and corrupt them." The young paladin glanced over at the former Blue Jays, who had been listening in on him. Once he noticed them, the former Blue Jays groveled before him. "Please forgive us, sir. We have families to feed, and we just don''t have the skill to ward off assassins. We didn''t know the Order was dealing with demons." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Assassins?" Alistair solemnly stared at the Blue Jays. "Is the Order that depraved? I knew they were the type that would threaten their opponents with exposing their personal information, but to hire assassins to back up their threats?" "What were you planning to do with the jaguars," Tizoc asked coldly. The spokesperson for the former Blue Jays - a human male with short black hair - stepped forward. "We were planning to kill and skin them, but the boss insisted we kept the organs here. He wanted to skin them alive, but we talked him into doing this humanely by euthanizing them first. B-but that was before you all came along." "Tizoc, you said the jaguar is the nation''s animal, and thus it is sacred to the natives," Alistair said. "What is the punishment for killing one?" "The same fate that awaits war criminals and traitors: Execution by firing squad. The only exception is self-defense, and even then, there''s a mighty fine if the killer invaded their territory." The Blue Jays raised their heads, and some started wailing. A drop of sweat hit the grass the spokesman was standing on. "H-hold on a minute, we didn''t kill any of them." "But there was an attempt," Tizoc roared. "You should be thankful. Back in the old days, criminals sought redemption by offering themselves for a blood sacrifice." Tizoc turned to Alistair with a crazed smile. "As a matter of fact, why not start there? All I need is a ritual knife and we can begin." "Hold on," Lenoria interjected, "I don''t like these guys but if they''re leaving the organization then they can''t be that bad! Right, Al?" Alistair remained steadfast in his judgmental stare. "Al!" "Whatever you feel is right, Tizoc." Alistair took a step back. "As a foreigner, there''s little I can do to mettle in the affairs of your country. But if you need my advice..." He looked over at the former Blue Jays again. "How about some mercy?" Tizoc raised an eyebrow. He could hear the girls breathe a sigh of relief, but he remained indignant. "Mercy? After everything they''ve done?" "A demon coerced them to capture your jaguars. You felt its strength, Tizoc, and if you had come to face it alone, you would not have survived even with your Lycan blood." "Don''t remind me. What''s your point, Alistair?" "My point is that you should put yourself in their shoes. If even you struggled against a demon like that, then these fellows had no chance on their own. As much of a hand they had in this, they''re still victims. If you kill them in cold blood for working with the Order, you''ll end up fulfilling that horrid organization''s twisted goals." Tizoc seemed to understand by covering his face with the palm of his left hand, albeit with some frustration. When the Blue Jays attacked him earlier, their blows barely left a scratch. But when he attacked the demon, he could barely faze it. It was Alistair''s holy weapon, the Blue Jays'' cache of cold iron, and his own jaw strength that saved the day. "Um, sir," the nervous Blue Jay called out to Tizoc, "maybe we can make it up to you with honest work. We were all farmers before the Order knocked on our doors, and I was thinking maybe we could help you out. What do you say, fellas?" Some of the Blue Jays voiced their disapproval, but the majority murmured positively. "Farmers? If that''s the case, you already know how to work the fields, look after animals, and know when to harvest the crops." Tizoc thought on it for a moment. "We''ll take it a step further. You shall receive druidic training, starting tomorrow. I haven''t seen a single druid since I arrived in Ezmestli, and establishing an order of our own to protect the wilds could help us in the long run in case the Blue Jays decide to retaliate." "Druids?" The nervous Blue Jay looked over at his comrades. They all thought about it, but not a single one was immediately against the idea. "I-I''m game." "Me too," said another Blue Jay. One by one, the former Blue Jays voiced their acceptance to Tizoc''s idea. They all approached him, and each one cemented their allegiance by shaking the catfolk warrior''s hand. "Say, Al," Lenoria whispered, "what would you have done if Tizoc went through with the ritual sacrifice?" "It''s hard to say, but I would have at least tried to stop him with force if it came to that." Alistair smiled, though Lenoria sensed some sadness from it. "Demons nearly took everything away from him tonight. If he presented a stronger case than the one he had earlier, I might have let him have his way." "Maybe you should have, Alistair," Clara said. "Even if Tizoc whips these guys into shape, there''s no guarantee they won''t return to the Blue Jays." "You could be right, Miss Clara. That''s why I would like to delay for a few more days before we resume our trip. Let''s voice our concerns, but let''s also trust his judgment." The young paladin crossed his arms. "Besides, they listened in to my lesson on fiends. If nothing else, they must be relieved to have dodged the claws of damnation before it was too late." "You know, Al," Lenoria relaxed her hands behind her head, "fiends exist and do these awful things. Why is it only that religious institutions warn people about them?" "Fiends are a rare sight, Lenoria. You''re more likely to meet fey in the woods than a demon in broad daylight. But I know some like to live among us, and like that babau, they tempt people to do the wrong thing." He sighed. "It''s why I want to grow stronger, so I can hunt down the ones causing trouble in my homeland. And seeing how the Order of the Blue Jay works to keep its image, it''s not surprising to find out they have been working with demons." It would explain why the Order did horrible things while paying lip service to what they deemed as ''righteousness.'' Lenoria would definitely keep an eye out for more members of the Blue Jay, because if they were around wherever she went, chances are that demons were on the prowl. Then her mind went to Thule. If Helix was facing these problems under the surface, what kind of trouble would she find across the border? *** 21st of Cobre, 10:32pm, 1659 ~Starflower~ It was a brisk spring evening in Cedar Forest. The moon and the stars illuminated the night sky, and the forest had grown thick with trees. The paveless road was bumpy but otherwise tolerable. The scent of the cedar trees pierced the nostrils of all who came through. The three bleeding mages on the dirt road were no exception. Their robes were tattered, their staves were split in half, and their exposed skin had been fried to a crisp. An elven mage had his back slumped against a tree, while a halfling mage had been impaled by a pair of stalagmite-like spears of ice. And the third mage, a woman with a canine head, seemed fine until she vomited blood. She clutched a glowing stone, which called out to her team. "Bounty Squad, report! Can anyone hear me?" "Forgive us...Constable...he was too strong..." "Officer Aludra, please confirm your location! Where the hell are you?" But the mage had already collapsed on the dirt road, lying on a pool of her own blood. Her paw released the glowing stone as the Constable called out to her. "All units, requesting backup! Repeat, requesting backup for three MIA officers! Search the warehouses! Search the sewers! Dead or alive, Horseface and Starflower must be found!" Not far off, Starflower enjoyed his evening walk. It wouldn''t be long until he arrived at Hammer''s Reach, and with Horseface and Thomas finally off his back, there was no one left to get in the way of his newfound freedom. He held a piece of long, stringy silver hair, which he soon lit on fire to turn it to ashes in mere seconds. "Their mistake was sending their scryer after me." He smiled and turned to the trees of the forest behind him. He was followed by the sound of rustling leaves and branches, and he had a good idea who it was. "Valentine." The rustling stopped. "We are free now. Thomas may have been your master, but he was the instrument of his own demise. I was supposed to be his caretaker, but my wisdom never got through to him. And where was he when he was supposed to take care of you? Chasing skirts, reading disgusting magazines, and being a nuisance. I had to go along with his schemes, or else his father would come after me." He laughed softly at first, but as he continued to laugh, he would get louder and louder. His irises shrank from his skyward glance at the moon. "It just hit me, Valentine. We''re free! We can do whatever we want! What should I do first? Torture that mongrel? Fry the boy to smithereens? Or perhaps pay a visit to House Bisset?" Silence lingered in the cool forest air. Once he saw he wasn''t getting an answer, Starflower continued with his walk to Hammer''s Reach. Once he moved, he could hear the rustling sounds follow closely behind. "The possibilities are endless, and now that Thomas is dead, I''m finally free! Revenge will be mine!" "What you did to that girl was horrible." A woman''s words sucker punched Starflower out of his scheming. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, but not sharp enough to deter him from his path. Now alert to his surroundings, the elf scanned the forest for anything out of the ordinary. But there was no one there. "Show yourself!" "Revenge just poisons the soul, and so does racial prejudice." "Sarnai?" The elf restrained himself from raising his voice. "Who are you to judge me, woman?" "You''re lost, Jean. I just want to help. Deep down, I know you''re a good man." Starflower ignored the voice, instead choosing to move forward. There was no way she was there with him, and even if she was, he wasn''t about to let her guilt him into stopping his revenge plot. Tense and nervous, he took a deep breath to calm himself. The chest pain soon disappeared, as did any trace of the voice. "I must be hearing things." His chaotic thoughts were soon interrupted by ravaging winds and the sound of whirring engines. He almost missed a translucent flying vessel overhead, flying dozens of feet in the air at high speed and shaped like a galleon, heading north. He caught only a glimpse of the man piloting the ship, a man with dreads who wore a black tricorne hat, a red tunic, and khaki slacks. "An airship?" Starflower felt a terrific headache after the day he had. "I''m definitely seeing things." Interlude - Leveling Up Our young heroes departed from the keep after Tizoc offered to spend the night there as a show of good faith for the former Blue Jays, who had recently deserted their organization. Alistair offered to stay with him, but Tizoc turned him down, urging him that someone had to look after the women and promised he would be okay. They were not far from Ezmestli anyway, so if Alistair suspected trouble, he could arrive on horseback in no time at all. Lenoria, Clara, and Alistair stumbled back to the humble little inn during the late hours at night. Alistair stayed outside for a while longer to park the wagon, but he also believed the girls would need time to change out of their battle outfits into something more comfortable, so he took his time looking for a suitable parking spot for his wagon before removing his banded mail and tying Chestnut on the side of the building on a wooden pole. Once he bid his trusty steed good night, he went back inside. The young paladin locked the door to the inn once he was inside and went to the room. "I better knock first." He knocked once. "Ladies, may I come in?" No answer. He knocked two times. "I''m coming in. Pardon me." Alistair gently opened the door. The simple adobe room had a single window, and the walls were painted in pink. The beds had been arranged in an X-shaped pattern, one bed for each corner. Clara snoozed sitting up on her bed, while Lenoria snored with her body sprawled on her bed. Her yellow duster, now back in the form of a chain shirt, had carelessly been placed on the floor next to her bed. Two empty beds remained, presumably for Alistair and Tizoc. "I''ll clean this up on the departure date. I''m beat." Alistair stretched his arms and took a better look at the girls. Neither one had bothered to clean up or take off their shoes, they had gone straight to bed. Knowing just how hard they fought earlier, he took a moment to first wrap a blanket around Clara. She already seemed comfortable in her current position, so he did little else before moving on to Lenoria. He started off by removing Lenoria''s boots and setting them down on the ground next to her armor. Next were her fingerless gloves, which came off surprisingly easy despite how well they had been adjusted in her hands. Her legs and arms were hanging off both sides of the bed, and Alistair positioned them so that the girl lied on her side. Lastly, he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, and tucked her in properly. "Tomorrow''s a new day. Rest easy, you two." Yawning softly, Alistair lied down on the empty bed opposite of Lenoria and slept the rest of the night away. *** 21st of Cobre, 10:24am, 1659 (164 days before Starflower''s trial) In the later hours of the morning, the sun''s rays coming from the window pushed Lenoria to wake up. Sitting up with messy hair dangling off the front of her face, the girl rubbed her eyes only to find herself in a room devoid of people. "Al?" She yawned groggily. "Clara?" "Hey, mister," Lenoria heard the innkeep yell from the other room, "she''s awake." "Don''t get up just yet, Lenoria!" Alistair could be heard yelling from the other room, and his words were soon followed by loud footsteps which were getting closer and closer. When the door swung open, Alistair strolled in with a wooden tray in one hand. "A-Al, what is this?" A wonderful aroma filled the air when Alistair set the tray down on the bed. It contained a plate of scrambled eggs, toasted bread, and a clay mug of a familiar drink. Lenoria''s stomach grumbled, urging her to have a bite. "Please dig in. I made breakfast. The innkeeper said I was allowed to use her kitchen free of charge as long as I fed her, too." Alistair sat down at the foot of the bed. "Oh, right. I was able to make a non-spicy variety of xocolatl. I know you''ll love it." Not one to refuse food, Lenoria rubbed her hands together and ate away. She took a sip of the cold chocolate drink, and after the taste settled in, she immediately took a big gulp. "You''re right, it''s not spicy at all. Here, have some." "It''s alright, I should get back to-" The rim of the clay mug was shoved to his mouth. Feeling the frothy drink splash on his lips, Alistair drank up as a courtesy. "L-Lenoria, I made this for you, not for myself." "And I want to share it with you. What''s wrong with that? Besides," Lenoria smirked, "you just drank out of that same mug. It''s kind of like an indirect kiss, if you think about it." "I-I-I, er..." Alistair was too blindsided to stop Lenoria from grabbing the mug and finishing the rest of the drink. The girl''s point proven, Alistair sat defeated while Lenoria squeezed one of his cheeks playfully. "You''re so fun to tease. But I guess sharing shouldn''t be the only way to show my gratitude. How about an actual reward?" Panic set in the flustered boy. The girl had already set her tray aside and was inching herself closer for whatever this reward entailed. Not wanting to stick around to find out, the boy thought of an excuse to pull himself away. "I-I just remembered, I also have to clean up the kitchen." Pretending to hear the innkeeper, Alistair quickly rose to his feet just as Lenoria got close enough to lean on him. She plopped on the foot of the bed as the young paladin quickened his pace to leave the room. "C-Coming!" Unamused, Lenoria sat up and sighed. "He was so bold that night at the Butterfly Plains." She had thought that night was magical and a great turning point in their relationship. Was it only a one-time thing? *** Once breakfast was done, the trio marched back to the keep to check up on Tizoc. To their relief, the Jaguar warrior was going over some military-like drills with the former Blue Jays in an effort to get them into shape. With the latter being farmers and having experience in the fields, they did an outstanding job handling the stamina-depleting exercises they were given, such as push-ups, pull-ups, and several laps around the bailey. Alistair set up some dummies for them while Clara sat down to read a book Tizoc had lent her, Music of the Jaguar Lands. It held an array of folk songs that typically used flutes, recorders, accordions, brass instruments like trumpets and trombones, and cymbals and drums. "My bard training is nearly complete. I just have to find the right tune and-" Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Her train of thought was interrupted by an explosion outside the keep. Tizoc remained alert while Alistair and Clara lowered the drawbridge and rushed outside. To their dismay, they witnessed Lenoria and Owen covered in soot while the former held her firearm firmly, still red hot from overheating. "L-Lenoria, what happened here," asked a worried Alistair. "Target practice." The artificer licked her thumb and index finger to put out a tiny ember that lit up on her hair. "Owen''s providing the fire for the explosives." "Explosives?" Clara locked eyes with Alistair and shrugged to each other. "You only need gunpowder or alchemical reagents for that pistol of yours, Lenoria." "Right. I''ve been brushing up on my alchemy and figured out a way to fire some alchemical shots using Owen''s power." "It''s simple science, really," Owen commented. "I simply use a tiny ember as the catalyst and infuse it with one of her shots. It takes very little of my power, allowing her to use it multiple times." "Watch and learn, you two." Lenoria loaded another bullet into her flintlock pistol and aimed it at a burnt dummy a couple of dozen feet away. The dummy was set on fire by several tiny embers and its hay limbs had already been reduced to ashes, leaving only the head, the torso, and the wooden pole it was embedded on. "I better warn Tizoc so he''s not alarmed." Bowing politely, Clara excused herself and ran back to the keep. "Clara, you''re gonna miss the fireworks!" "I''m still here," Alistair assured her. "Go ahead." "O-okay," Lenoria said before nodding to Owen. With a snap of his fingers, Owen made the barrel of the gun red hot once again. The scruffy boy took a couple of backward steps and covered his ears, and when he shouted "Fire!" Lenoria pulled the trigger and kept her hand steady from the sudden recoil of the explosive shot. The loud bang of the gun nearly overshadowed the sound of the whistling bullet, a prelude to the explosive impact that blew the rest of the training dummy to smithereens. The resulting shockwave set a wayward tree ablaze, and the ashes that came from the brittle bark covered the two with even more soot. Seeing the fires spread slowly, but still at an alarming rate, the young couple had the same idea and ran back to the keep. "Tizoc!" *** Fortunately for the rainforest, its local guardian and the young paladin made a joint effort to put out the fire by filling up buckets of water with their magic and splashing the trees with them before it could spread further. While a couple of trees were too burnt to be saved, none of the wildlife was affected, albeit just a little frightened. After a job well done, everyone went back to the keep. Calling her experiment/training regimen a success, Lenoria sat down and brought Hayate out. She reached into her toolbelt for a screwdriver and spent a good portion of the afternoon fiddling with Hayate''s wiring. "And now to turn this on..." Lenoria closed the lid to Hayate''s wiring. A pattern of lights turned on around the tiny robot''s spherical body before its single eye lit up like a bright candle. The light show attracted everyone in the bailey, including Alistair, but most of them decided to admire from afar. "Could Hayate always do that?" "No, but I''m glad he does now." Lenoria lifted the tiny robot and placed it on the palm of her free hand. "How are you feeling, little guy?" "Good as new, mistress. Our bond is stronger than ever, and all systems have been improved." "Good. Get some rest." Pushing a button on the robot''s back, Lenoria waited for Hayate to become a metallic sphere before pocketing him back in her pocket. "I had to use a drop of my own blood on him. Now he''s officially bonded to me, and he functions more like a familiar now." "None of the other artificers could to that, Lenoria." Clara approached from behind. "You might be the first to come up with something like that." Lenoria frowned. "It would have been available for all the other artificers, but Starflower made sure such knowledge didn''t go outside the Guild. I even found a way to make construction cheaper, but he never bothered to spread the word." "And because of the way he treated you, he''s currently rotting in jail, awaiting trial." Alistair, taking initiative, grabbed Lenoria''s hand. "We have nothing like this in Thule. I know people will love it." Comforted by Alistair''s words, Lenoria pulled herself away from him and picked up a book she had left on the grass. Clara and Alistair noted that the title was Artificer: The Path of the Inventor, but what surprised Clara was the name of the author. "Lenoria, this was written by Starflower." "I know. When I decided to take my studies seriously again, I not only wanted to break away from the stuff Starflower taught, but I wanted to find my own path. That''s why I made Hayate. I thought, if I could make him, I could also make other things. But I realized I was wrong." Lenoria put the book away in her bag of holding. "I tried doing things my way, until I realized Starflower was more experienced in that field than I was. I can''t forgive him for what he''s done, but even I will admit the man''s a genius. So, I decided to change my way of thinking, and do things his way for once. I''ll read up on what he''s written during our free time and add my own touch here and there." "That''s...actually very humble, Lenoria," Alistair commented. "I stand behind your decision." "As do I," Clara said. Lenoria knew she had their support regardless, but it was nice to hear them say it. Starflower knew what he was talking about, and she was looking forward to using his teachings to make a name for herself across the border. Her hope that this would spite the headmaster in jail was just the frosting on the cake. "Thanks, guys." Lenoria grinned. "Okay, who''s ready for a sparring match? How about you, Clara? I think you could use a self-defense course." "Eh?" Clara quickly drew her quarterstaff. "I should be fine with this, right?" The elven woman, however, did not have a grip on her weapon, which was proven when Lenoria knocked it off her hands with a harmless smack to the wrists. "You weren''t ready. Let''s try that again." "D''oh...."
(Lenoria''s new sheet, made in Roll20.) Chapter 41 - Date Night Contrary to their stay at Hammer''s Reach, the rest of our protagonists'' stay at Ezmestli proved to be uneventful. But sometimes, lack of excitement is the best outcome. Tizoc would spend his time teaching the former Blue Jays the laws of nature as well as training with weapons. Clara would aid him by taking her books to the keep and quiz the trainees on what they learned. Being farmers themselves, the former Blue Jays would ace the tests on plant life but only get average scores on everything else. They had a long road ahead. As for Alistair and Lenoria, they spent the next day exploring the village to spend quality time together, the highlight being that very night when they went to a small food stand manned by a catfolk cook and two human companions. Lenoria had a black eye, courtesy of Clara from a training session gone wrong the day before. Despite that, the girl happily had her arms wrapped around Alistair arm as they looked at the handwritten menu. "Street tacos are the best, Al," Lenoria said. "Try them!" "Um, okay. I guess I''ll get an order of five." Once the two made their order, they sat by a stone table, both of them seated across each other. Lenoria laughed as she recounted everything the pair saw throughout their day, from the local wildlife to a small waterfall just a mile away from the village. "I should have bought a swimsuit before we left the capital." Lenoria smiled to get a reaction out of Alistair, who so far displayed an emotionless expression. "Al, are you okay? I don''t think I''ve seen you smile the whole day." "Huh? Oh, m-my apologies." Alistair forced a smile. "Are you having a good time?" Lenoria maintained a hunched seated position, leaning forward just a little while her hands pressed firmly against her knees. "I''m with you, aren''t I? Of course I am." By contrast, Alistair maintained a rigid posture on the stone seat, obviously feeling uneasy. "Are you sure? Because once we get to Thule, we can visit a fine dining restaurant. There''s one I know that has the best T-Rex steak." "That sounds expensive, Al. What''s wrong with street food?" "Nothing at all. I just want the best for you. I''m even in the process of saving up for a shopping day." "Saving up?" Was Alistair short on money? "Al, we made a lot just by killing those giants. Have you already spent it all?" "No, I set it all aside for situations like this. The gold we made isn''t enough, is it?" "For a shopping day? Al, that''s enough to not worry about rent for years!" Alistair scratched his head in confusion. "Really? You''re actually fine with this?" "Yes, I am," Lenoria chuckled as she replied. "You didn''t think I was in this for the money, did you?" Alistair sank his head in embarrassment, averting all eye contact. "I just t-thought girls wanted the lavish lifestyle." Lenoria was taken aback. She felt a little offended, but she also wanted him to ease up, and tried to help him out after a deep breath. "Al," she held his hands with hers. "we could take a walk around a park every night just to talk about our day, and I would enjoy every minute of it because I''d be with you." "You really don''t mind? Because if there''s anything you need, anything at all, I''ll do my best to give it to you." Lenoria held an amorous gaze. "Anything?" "E-except that," Alistair corrected himself. "Worth a shot." The girl shrugged. "There''s a lot to unpack here, but we haven''t had time between just us since that night at the Plains. There was bound to be some trouble eventually. Might as well tackle it together." Lenoria gazed at the moon, which had barely begun to wane after reaching its peak that first night at the keep. She invited Alistair to watch with her by patting the empty stone seat next to her, and once he obliged, she held his hand and gave him a warm smile. "Mr. Adams, you already won me over with word and deed. I''ve already given you my heart, but you seem to have the wrong idea about me." Alistair knew Lenoria was teasing him since she has only addressed him by his last name every time she did so, but he couldn''t deny the truth in her statement. "I appreciate the gesture, and it''s fine once in a while. But I''m not a rich noble girl; I don''t want you to break yourself just so I could have a shopping spree for a day." She poked him on the cheek to emphasize her point. "Got it?" "So... not even a copper piece?" "Money shouldn''t even be in the conversation to begin with. There are certainly times where I think it''s okay, but generally the only time you and I need to talk about money is if we owned a business, if we''re splitting a bill, or if we were pooling funds to buy something we all wanted..." A thought came to mind. "Or...if you and I w-were married." "M-married?" "Crap!" It was too late to backpedal, and it was up to Lenoria''s quick thinking to steer the conversation back on topic before her lewd mind took over. "Yeah. Married couples have to deal with bills, taxes," Lenoria snapped her fingers as something else came to mind, "and rent. Clara told me her parents would get absolutely serious whenever the rent was due." "Those are all important things. I haven''t even thought about that..." "Order number 86," shouted the cook. "That''s us." Lenoria got up. "Your money is your money, Al. It''s up to you to determine how you want to spend it, but you shouldn''t do something just because you are expected to do it." Leaving Alistair to think about her words, Lenoria walked over to the stand and called out to the cook. "What''s the damage, sir?" "Three silver pieces." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Here you go." Grabbing a gold piece out of her coin purse, Lenoria flicked it with her thumb towards the cook''s direction. "Keep the rest." The cook caught it confidently with a single hand, inspected it, and gave Lenoria the thumbs up of approval. "Thank you, miss." Lenoria grabbed the plates and went back to the table. She set one in front of Alistair, who took a moment to marvel at the food set before him before poking at the soft oily texture. "I know it''s a little greasy, but it''s just like the ones we had at the restaurant the other day." "I-I''m not worried about that. It''s just," Alistair paused as anxiety set back in, "y-you don''t mind?" Thoroughly chewing her food, Lenoria swallowed it before speaking. "Oh. Don''t sweat it. Mom always said that if I ever invited someone out to eat, I should be the one to pay. Especially friends. Besides, I wanted to do something for my sweetie for taking such good care of me." "Oh, u-um..." Alistair coughed. "Y-your mother is wise. I-I wouldn''t mind meeting her." "You''ll probably like her. I know she''ll love you." Lenoria uncorked her waterskin and took a light sip. "It''s Pop who worries me." Alistair finally took a bite out of his meal. His smile returned as he savored the taste of the spiced pork, onions, and some thin greens he couldn''t identify right away. "T-thank you, Lenoria. I like it. It''s a shame Miss Clara is missing out." "Don''t worry about her, she''s got Tizoc watching her back and I''m sure she''s eating something tasty. I wonder how she''s doing, though?" *** Back at the keep, the former Blue Jays sat around a fire at the center of the bailey. Training was done for the day, and they rewarded themselves with a late-night cookout. They had pleaded with Clara to stay over for dinner, who happily obliged under the pretense that she was hungry when in reality she hoped to give Alistair and Lenoria some privacy. It took a while to get the fire going, and even longer to cook the meat they set over the fire. The lingering aroma lasted for what felt like hours before the food was ready, and even Apus displayed signs of hunger despite never eating in front of his mistress. "I thought you didn''t eat meat, or at all for that matter," Clara said to him telepathically. "We spirits don''t eat at all, but we can still enjoy things if we could somehow get a hold of them." Apus landed next to the fire and tried to peck the meat that had been placed on it. As expected, however, his beak went right through it like a hand through a puddle of water and went back to Clara''s shoulder. "See? It looks tasty, but I can''t enjoy what you kids eat these days." Once food was ready, Tizoc placed the first slab of marinated meat on Clara''s wooden plate. She grabbed it with her bare hands and chomped down on it. What she didn''t expect was a chewy surface and a solid center like stone, the impact felt through the roots of her teeth, her gums, and eventually all the way to her brain. "It''s...good, but it''s hard and tough. What is it?" "Roasted basilisk," a former Blue Jay answered ecstatically. "Some of the meat is calcified, so you have to be careful when you bite down." Clara fought the urge to regurgitate what she had just swallowed, but the taste was enough to convince her to tough it out. She watched the rest of the Blue Jays remove the rock-hard center from their helpings by peeling the meat away from them and discarding the center to the ground. Not wanting to go through with that, she instead pointed at a drumstick on the fire. "Tizoc, do you mind?" "Not at all. Here." He grabbed the drumstick and placed it on Clara''s plate. "When done right, cockatrice is just as good as chicken." Taking a bite a moment too late, Clara chewed away as everyone around her merrily recounted the events of the day. The taste was far from bad, and the texture was just right. She took her seat to get comfortable, and once Tizoc was done serving the others, he took a portion of basilisk for himself and sat next to her. "What have you been up to since you left our village," he asked. "We went to the alps in Ulysses Crossing before moving to Helix City ten years after that. That''s where I met Lenoria and Alistair." "You''ve made friends who care about you. They have done far more for you than I ever could," he said with a sad smile. "Don''t get ahead of yourself, Tizoc. The only reason that demon was beaten was because you managed to hold it in place." Clara took about out of her drumstick. "We owe you for helping us out." "I guess things ended up working out after all." Setting his plate down, Tizoc took a deep breath. "Can I ask you for a favor? Please don''t tell anyone else my village is inhabited by Lycans." "We wouldn''t know that if you hadn''t said anything in the first place." "I know, and it was impulsive. But I thought last night would have been my end. I know you can do right by me, but your paladin friend-" "I can tell you right now you won''t ever have to worry about that. Alistair is a good man, and if you explained the situation to him, he''ll understand." Clara smiled. "So, you''re a Lycan? And from the looks of it, you were born that way." "Yes. Some of the villagers hold rats, bears, or boars as their totem animals, but the majority of us have the jaguar as our totem. As far as I can remember, things were always this way." "Wereboars?" Tizoc smiled amusedly, despite the incredulous tone in his voice. "Really? That''s the one that stood out to you?" "Sorry. I studied a little lycanthropy back at the Guild, and even now it still amazes me how there are ''were'' versions of every animal. And you came from a village full of them. Why keep it secret?" Tizoc went silent and gazed at the waning moon. He put a lot of thought into his next words, hoping Clara would understand. "When people don''t understand something, they fear it. And just like any other feeling, fear at its extreme makes people do questionable things." Clara nodded sadly but quickly patted Tizoc with a compassionate smile, deciding not to press the issue further. If there was anything he wanted to say, she believed he''ll tell her eventually. The two continued to talk between bites. The rest of the former Blue Jays were laughing the night away as they drank cheap ale and sang songs (some too crass for young audiences). Clara and Tizoc laughed at the sight, but both settled for observing from a distance as they continued to catch up. "So," Tizoc said with a frown, "you''re leaving tomorrow." "Yeah. My friends say it''s for the best. We had some free time on our hands, but we all agreed it was best to head for the border as soon as possible. I don''t think this is the last time we''ll hear from the Order of the Blue Jay, and maybe Miss Bisset can give us some information about them." "You could always stay," Tizoc offered with a hopeful look in his eyes. "I''ll see to it you have food and shelter, and the two of us could lead this new order once they grow strong enough. Please think about it." Exotic food, a beautiful rainforest, and a humble populace. Clara admitted to herself she wouldn''t mind staying longer, and with Tizoc by her side, at least she wouldn''t feel lonely. The former Blue Jays were far from perfect, but the thought of tutoring them had its appeal. She could teach them more about the fauna of the Jaguar Lands, just like Instructor Gardens taught her. However... "I''m sorry, Tizoc." Clara rose from her seat and turned her back on Tizoc. "I know you mean well, and if I stayed, I know I will be protected not only by Tsukuyomi, but by you as well. You''ve been nothing but patient with me, and I wish I could have given you everything you wanted. But..." Tizoc kept silent as Clara struggled to get the words out. He couldn''t see her face, but her body language - closed fists, shaking, and facing the ground - said it all. "I already made a promise to Lenoria. Things may be fine now, but she''s going to need my help once we cross the mountain border. I don''t want to leave her." She turned around, staring at Tizoc with a guilty look. "You caught me at a bad time, and-" "Clara," the catfolk interrupted her, "there''s no need to explain yourself. I''ve said it before, and I''ll say it again. It''s enough that you are well, and as disheartening as it is, if leaving with your friends means you won''t suffer, then I will set my feelings aside so they won''t bar your path." "Tizoc..." "Besides," he said with a smile, "the only reason I can''t join you now is because I have my own role to play here. But it''s only temporary; once these men shape up and become proper defenders of the rainforest, I will come find you. And should your friend Lenoria need my help, all she needs to do is ask." The invisible wall Clara had built around herself crumbled under the weight of Tizoc''s words. Quiet tears dripped on the grass of the bailey as she timidly approached Tizoc, who pulled her into his welcoming arms. The young elf may have forgotten the time she spent with Tizoc during his childhood, but she was nevertheless proud that, thanks to her influence, he grew up to become a proper man. She was also proud that, thanks to her, Lenoria had gained another ally she could count on. Chapter 42 - To the Border! 23rd of Cobre, 6pm, 1659 (162 days before Starflower''s trial) The day of departure had arrived at last. To avoid a widespread panic, everyone agreed it was best to avoid talk of demonic activity except with the local authorities. The villagers had remained blissfully unaware that the young group of foreign travelers saved them not only from the clutches of the Order of the Blue Jay, but also from demonic influence. All they knew was that a group of tourists was so moved from the decline of the jaguar population that they decided to train under a local druid to become strong enough to defend the rainforest. "Have you decided on a name," Alistair asked. "The Order of the Jaguar was too easy," Tizoc said, " so we settled for another. We call it ''The Silvered Fangs.''" "''The Silvered Fangs.'' I like it." Tizoc then clapped his hands and called over the rest of the Silvered Fangs. Even though the efforts of the real heroes had gone unnoticed by the villagers, the current guardian of the rainforest knew it was right to reward them. "Lenoria," Tizoc addressed the young inventor, "the caestus you possess are made of cold iron. It is a metal that is prepared at low temperatures, and it''s effective at bypassing the defenses of demons. However, it''s also effective against fey." "Fey?" Lenoria suddenly couldn''t remember if she learned about the fey or not, and it slightly irritated her. "You mean the forest dwellers?" "They dwell in natural habitats, yes. Some are benevolent, while others wish to see humans suffer. But they''re all tricksters by nature, and it would be wise to carry something to ward them off." "Duly noted, Tizoc." Lenoria took a moment to look at her new weapons. They were forged to look like silvered heads of jaguars with solid handles inside their jaws, which Lenoria could grab on to thanks to the entry points from behind. Despite the excellent quality from the cold iron, Lenoria knew her own fists packed a stronger punch, but the caestus would serve her well should the Blue Jays retaliate with their demon forces. "Thank you." "Alistair." Tizoc nodded to one of his men, who stepped forward to present an object grabbed in a simple white cloth. "You serve the Hammer of Justice. It is fitting that you take an actual hammer with you to battle. We couldn''t tell whether it was magic or not, but it was gathering dust back at the keep. With no owner to claim it, we''re fine with you keeping it." Alistair unfolded the cloth. The weapon presented to him was a hammer with a long handle and a cubed metal head with blunt spikes on one side. He picked it up with one hand, but it was heavy and unwieldy enough that he had to use both hands to lift and swing it properly. "An earth breaker. It''s not my style, but I can easily adapt if I ever need it. You have my thanks, Tizoc." "And for Clara, I went to the market and got you this guitar." Tizoc had concealed an acoustic guitar under his cape and revealed it before giving it to Clara. The elven girl grabbed it and swept her thumb across the strings to test it out, and the melodic tune brought a smile to her face. "That''s very thoughtful of you, Tizoc. I don''t know what to say. Thank you." "You spoke of your dreams and your desire to help your friends. Now that you''ve awakened as a bard, you can use your talents to do just that." To Alistair and Lenoria, the warrior added, "Thanks to you, the village of Ezmestli was spared from whatever terrible fate the demons of the Blue Jay had in store for it. I doubt this is the last we''ll see of them, which is why I must train these men and work with the authorities to bring them down." "It''s for the best." Looking troubled, Lenoria could not ignore her own feelings on the matter and decided to speak about them. "Tizoc, I wish we could stay and help. Those clowns make up a cancerous tumor in our society while disguising themselves as the good guys." "You''ve done enough for Ezmestli and the Jaguar Lands as a whole. My people must learn to fight those invaders, and I hope your efforts have laid the groundwork to make it happen." Tizoc grabbed Lenoria''s hand, clamping it with both of his. He held her hand high enough to lean his forehead on it, slightly bowing his head to do so. "You have provided a much-needed light for us, just like you have done for Clara. Should you ever find yourself lost and in despair, just know you have a home here with us." Lenoria was happy to hear Tizoc''s promise, which was far more welcoming than the treatment she received at the Guild. Her thoughts wandered back to her first year, wondering how different things could have been if, back then, she had already met every single one of the friends she had now. She would have been far happier, even if they all fell victim to Anne, Thomas, or Starflower''s abuse. Not that she wished for that to happen, but she knew Aquamarine and Tizoc would not tolerate any abuse towards Clara, and the thought of Alistair protecting her would have given her the love and security she always needed. Her journey to Thule was almost at an end, with only one obstacle remaining: The Ragnarok Mountains. How many friends would she make there? And how many more once she crossed the border? Hugging Tizoc and shaking the hands of the Fangs, Lenoria bid farewell to her new friends and boarded the wagon. Clara did the same immediately after, while Alistair shook all of their hands and waited for the girls to board the wagon. "This isn''t goodbye, Tizoc," Alistair promised. "We''ll see each other again, hopefully soon." "We shall. Please take good care of Clara until then." "We will. All of you, watch yourselves in case the Order returns." "We''ll be fine," said the nervous former Blue Jay from the other night. "Tizoc has been strict with our training, but I know we''re getting better and stronger each day." Tizoc pointed at the setting sun with his finger, then pointed north. "May the Feathered Serpent-" The Silvered Fangs joined in on Tizoc''s blessing. "-carry you safely to your destination." It took a little while, but Alistair eventually made it to the wagon and, along with his companions, rode the vehicle into the sunset. They had rested enough, and it was time for an overnight trip to the mountains. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *** Two hours after departing Ezmestli, Lenoria, Alistair, and Clara made it to the border. The border guards inspected their equipment and other belongings for about 20 minutes before giving the all-clear to let them pass. An uneventful passage of time, but certainly a welcome one. Once the border was a good distance behind them, Alistair parked the wagon on the side of the forest road and passed out rations to the girls before moving over to Chestnut to feed him a small bale of hay. Once that was done, the trio sat at the driver''s seat and snacked under the starry sky. "Say, Al," Lenoria said after munching on her serving of dried beef, "do you know if Gabrielle likes samurai?" "I...have no idea, actually. Why do you ask?" "Clara and I were thinking about making some living statues molded after samurai. We were wondering if that would be perfect or in bad taste." "Truth be told, I haven''t worked that closely with Lady Gabrielle," Alistair admitted. "I was mostly just a bodyguard when Lord Beau was absent. There must be a reason she chose you for this job, though." Lenoria held up three fingers. "I was at the top three back at the Guild, and the only one who specialized in golems and other constructs. Thomas was focused more on steam power, while Steiner worked on teleportation magic. My guess is that she looked at the list from the top and made her way down until she saw my work. I actually had to convince her to bring Clara with me." "I did not know that." Alistair looked over at Clara. "Were you not on the top five, Miss Clara?" "I was, but I just wasn''t what Gabrielle was looking for." Clara shrugged. "Don''t sweat it, you two. I started this journey not knowing what I was going to do with my life, but thanks to Mrs. Hunter, that''s changed." Clara brought her feet up and turned around to look back inside the wagon through the window. Atop her backpack, books, and weapons sat the guitar Tizoc had gifted her. Feeling a mix of gratitude and remorse, Clara turned back around and set her food to the side. "Tizoc is a thoughtful man, isn''t he? He deserves as much credit as Mrs. Hunter and Instructor Gardens for helping me figure things out." Lenoria arched an eyebrow. "You changin'' your mind after he gave you a gift?" "Not exactly. It''s just...I feel awful for turning him down, even though I was honest with my feelings. Did I do wrong?" Alistair and Lenoria exchanged looks for a brief moment. Both knew what to say. "Miss Clara, I firmly believe that honesty is the best policy, even when it hurts." "Yeah," Lenoria agreed, "you told him how you felt. It would be cruel to string him along with false hope. Plus, you''re still hurt about Instructor Gardens, right?" Clara nodded begrudgingly. "He was a great inspiration for you, and there''s no changing that. You''re gonna be hurting for a while, so it''s best if you know how to deal with it the right way before you move on. If you can avoid using other people on the rebound, you''ll be able to move on without hurting other people." Clara absorbed Lenoria''s advice like a sponge with water. Tears had welled up thinking about that awful night, but she was able to withhold them and smile instead. "Thanks, you two. I feel much better." Clara cleared her throat. "We should probably get a move on." "You''re right." Alistair grabbed the reins. "It''s a good thing we resupplied at the village. It''s going to be a while before we see the cable car company near the summit, and it will be cold before we make it." "It''s alright." Lenoria scarfed down the rest of her rations. "I may not have bought a swimsuit, but I do have a cute outfit for the cold mom bought for me before I left the Plateau. It still fits!" The trio nodded before Alistair flicked the reins to get Chestnut to continue forward. The brave steed neighed and obeyed his master without complaint down the hill they were on. "By the way," Alistair said, "what do you mean when you said, ''on the rebound?''" "Oh. Hehe." Lenoria giggled. "That''s just a term used for when someone goes on a relationship to get over the last one. Also known as visiting your three friends, Hops, Scotch, and Bob." "Oh. Haha," Alistair chuckled. "Kiss and dip." "Okay." "Coitus and annoy us." Alistair averted his gaze from the girl and kept his eyes on the road. "I-I get it now." "I see you''re as childish as ever," said a familiar voice. "No way." Lenoria rummaged through her pockets and, sure enough, her Soulstone shined with a jade-colored light. "Pearl, you''re awake!" "I''m feeling a little groggy, so I''ll need a few hours to get my bearings. My apologies for being late, but I have made a full recovery." "Better late than never," Alistair said. "I don''t think we''ve properly introduced ourselves. I''m-" "I know who you are," Pearl said coldly. "This one here wouldn''t shut up about you ever since the day she met you." Lenoria covered her face with embarrassment. "P-Pearl, that''s supposed to be private!" "Welcome back, Pearl," Apus said. "Looks like you made it in time for the mountain portion of the trip." "Then our destination is not far now," the raven woman said solemnly. "I see you''ve gotten stronger, Lenoria, but you have a long way to go. I just pray any potential enemies don''t catch us off-guard." *** That same night, around the same time... ~Starflower~ Starflower looked back a couple of nights before. After Horseface dropped him off at an abandoned warehouse, Starflower said his goodbyes and used a [Teleport] spell to teleport himself a safe distance. He had offered to take Horseface and his remaining lackeys with him, but thanks to the letter that was found on Thomas, Horseface didn''t have the heart to skip town when his family was being targeted. Of course, the letter was a fabrication from Starflower himself, but the old horse didn''t know that. "Pitiful fool." Starflower had teleported to a fork on the road somewhere in Cedar Forest. One road would take him to Ulysses Crossing - the location to his previously owned vacation home - and the other would take him to Hammer''s Reach. With the deed to the home no longer his, he had no reason to travel to Ulysses Crossing. Plus, if Horseface was ever captured, the deed he gave the old horse could provide a lead to his capture. He was going to Hammer''s Reach to think about his next move. The Bounty Squad that set out to find Starflower met an unfortunate end. They had used a scrying spell to locate him, followed by a teleportation spell to arrive at his current location. What welcomed them wasn''t the bell of victory, but a lightning bolt that bounced from all three of them. One mage died instantly, while another - a female dogfolk - was knocked unconscious. The lone survivor, a halfling, was quickly impaled by a volley of icy spears. When the dogfolk mage woke up, she found her friends had been slain and she herself suffered internal injuries too great to heal. Starflower took a piece of his own hair - which had been confiscated during his arrest - from the dog woman that was bleeding out on the dirt road. As far as he knew, that was the only thing from his own possession that had been hidden away for a situation like this, yet his sense of freedom felt restrained at best. He would have to stay awake for days if necessary to ensure no one from the Helix City Police Force snuck up on him. He wasn''t about to count Constable Richards out just yet; the man was known to be cunning enough to bring even clever criminals to justice. To bring Horseface in for tax evasion must have been nothing short of genius. Starflower spent that very night in the woods. He stayed awake throughout the whole night and, feeling fatigued, he decided to watch the outskirts of Hammer''s Reach before making his presence known. Throughout the day, he would observe the townsfolk through the holes on the palisade walls, and after going through a couple of days without seeing the police, he decided it was time to go in through the front gate at dusk. He arrived at his destination soon enough. A gaggle of repairmen worked to repair the main gate - from a giant attack, as he later found out - so the guards were letting anyone through as long as they had no reasonable suspicions to stop travelers. As word of the jail break had yet to reach this humble little village, the elf was allowed to stay at Hammer''s Reach with no issues. "Horseface must have kept them busy by staying in the city. But I can''t stay here for long." His suit sprinkled with dirt, his hair tangled and messy, and the stench of sweat finally catching up to him, Starflower stumbled weakly towards the local inn. The village felt desolate at this time of night, the sound of the winds and the local crickets being the only things keeping him company. And then came the sound of crumpling paper at his feet. It was a newspaper, dated two weeks ago. What caught his eye was the sketch of a burning building, and the headline made his heart race. "No. No! This can''t be! Who did this? My pride and joy...gone?!" 78 CONFIRMED DEAD, INCLUDING 3 INSTRUCTORS, AFTER TRAGIC EXPLOSION AT THE ARTIFICERS GUILD
(There''s another preview for ya. Starflower shall return on July 13. Mark your calendars!) Chapter 43 - Attack of the Vain Queen "Al, do it now!" Sprawled at the feet of the girls in the dank cave were countless decaying corpses with yellow skin and tattered clothes, and Lenoria had just punched a shambling corpse to incapacitation. Out of their sockets were all manner of plant life, ranging from daisies to dandelions and green vines. The corpses had been entangled with vinelike tendrils, and all of them could be traced to a single source. A giant green plant with numerous yellow flowers growing at the bulb and countless tendrils that wriggled in place sat at the end of the cave. The girls weaved as Alistair charged with his new weapon, a two-handed hammer, and struck the bulb with a heavy swing. The plant hissed and screeched a dying cry as it released a cloud of yellow pollen into the air. Alistair remembered to cover his mouth and nostrils and stepped away to leave the plant monster on its death throes. Once it stopped moving, he breathed a sigh of relief and congratulated the girls with a high five. "We did it," Lenoria cheered as the gang immediately vacated the area. Clara had informed them beforehand that the monster they faced - the yellow musk creeper - reproduced by inserting its tendrils into a victim''s head, simultaneously killing them and planting its seeds in the brain, resulting in the walking corpses they faced just now. Should the walking corpse break away at any point, they would seek a suitable place before they collapse and fall apart to plant the seeds in their bodies. The pollen the main plant released often entranced unwitting victims long enough for the plant to start the process. They exited out of the cave and back to the mountain trail. The temperature had dropped the higher they had gone up, so there were no qualms when it was time to put on their winter outfits. Alistair wore thick brown furs over his banded mail and head, while Clara wore a simple coat over her chain shirt. Lenoria''s outfit, which was a gift from her mother, was a pair of black leggings, a long-sleeved pure white blouse, and an orange vest on top of the blouse. Having made enough money, she made sure to enchant her armor with the outfit so that she would look stylish for every battle. When Alistair protested she wore too little for a hike to the mountains, Lenoria countered with a simple beige overcoat that covered everything, topped with a beige ushanka for the head. She couldn''t get the black boots she wanted, but she settled for dying her fingerless gloves black. "When those Blue Jays end up in prison, they''re gonna know who sent them there," Lenoria would say. The gang went back to the mountain druid who hired them for the job, an old and haggard man, short and stout, who was more than eager to reward them for a job well done. A dwarf. "Thank you. Please take this," the druid said as he handed over a sack of money. "Thank you so much," Lenoria said as she grabbed the sack, but she instantly dropped to the ground along with the sack as soon as the druid released it. "Ow."
Rewards Took down 15 yellow musk zombies (CR 1/2 each) and a yellow musk creeper (CR 2): 535 XP for each party member. Received 2,300 gp Experience Lenoria: 17,110/23,000 Clara: 17,020/23,000 Alistair: 30,020/34,000
"It''s a hefty amount," Alistair commented. "Are you sure?" The druid nodded. "If you hadn''t arrived, that monster would have taken more people and scattered them across the mountains to reproduce. If we don''t cull them regularly, they become a problem for the ecosystem and a danger to travelers." He stretched his arms. "This old body can''t fight as it did in its heyday, but I can at least pluck the seeds, burn them, and give those bodies a proper burial." "We can help," Alistair offered. "Thank you, young man, but I can handle myself. This is a job for an old man like me, not for youngsters like you." "Alrighty then, thanks for the money!" Lenoria grabbed Alistair''s hand and pulled him away. The lad wanted to insist on helping but elected to follow Lenoria''s lead instead. She led her companions down the mountain trail back to the wagon, where Chestnut and Tsukuyomi patiently waited for them. Once they were out of the druid''s earshot, Alistair pulled his hand away. "Was that necessary?" "You heard the old guy. It wasn''t our job, so there''s no reason to stick around. If we insisted, he would have been too proud to let us do it for free, and I didn''t want to bleed him dry." Alistair seemed less irritated and blushed with embarrassment. "I didn''t think of it that way. Still, I''d hate to leave him alone." Clara patted the paladin on the shoulder. "He should be fine. From the way he spoke about the yellow musk creeper, he must have been doing this for a while." "But-" "Look at it this way." Lenoria opened the flap on the back of the wagon. "I''ve seen you carry a bunch of things. What do you do when one of us offers to help?" "I say, ''Out of the question, I can handle this.''" Alistair immediately understood where Lenoria was getting at. "Oh." Lenoria displayed a victorious smirk. She clasped his chin between her index finger and thumb and moved it side to side tenderly. "And we love you for it, you big, strong man." "Alright, alright. I''ll drop it." He sighed. "He can handle himself." Lenoria released him. She smiled sweetly, albeit still keeping a trace of her earlier smugness. "If it makes you feel better, we''ll pay him a visit when we return." Alistair gave it some thought. "I have a feeling you''re mocking me." "Nope. I just don''t want my sweetie to be left unheard." The trio boarded the wagon and sat on the driver''s seat. Flicking the reins, they once again made their way forward. *** 26th of Cobre, 6pm, 1659 The path eventually led into a tunnel. Numerous green torchlights illuminated the inside, giving the path an eerie feel. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Everburning torches," Clara pointed out. "Whoever was in charge of building this tunnel must have been a mage of some kind. Instead of having to relight these torches every few hours, they reduced the cost of labor and manpower by lighting up this tunnel permanently." "Mundane, but useful," Alistair commented. Lenoria contemplated on the journey thus far while Alistair steered the wagon carefully towards the exit of the tunnel, which was several twists and turns away. To break the monotony of the silence, Clara grabbed her guitar and strummed a few tunes just as they made the final turn. The light from the exit was at least hundreds of feet away, and a sweet scent lingered in the air as the tunnel became foggy. This concerned Alistair, but not by a lot after realizing he could see through the fog. "Al said he was going back to his noble house once we settled in Goodsprings. How long will it be before I see him again?" Placing her elbow on the armrest, Lenoria rested her head on the palm of her hand. "I''ll ask him if I can come along, but I won''t hold it against him if he says no. It''s only been a week since we got together, and some time apart can do some good, anyway. It''s not like I should expect him to make a risky move on me anytime soon." Lenoria nearly tipped over the wagon when she felt a sudden force on her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She recognized Alistair''s incense scent on the heavy weight leaning against her body. "Oh my gosh, I wasn''t thinking out loud, was I?" "Zzzzz." A sense of both relief and disappointment washed Lenoria''s anxieties way. She instinctively caught the reins just as Alistair released them. "Poor guy. He must be tired." "That''s odd." Clara set her guitar aside. "We just woke up a couple of hours ago. He shouldn''t that tired." The girls nearly fell off as the wagon came to a sudden stop. Chestnut whinnied before bending his feet and lied on the ground on his side. Lenoria shook her fist. "Chestnut, you jerk! Why did you stop?" "I better check on him." Clara hopped off the wagon. She looked back at Alistair, who unconsciously lied on a fetal position and used Lenoria''s lap as a pillow. "You two, uh, get comfortable." "P-please hurry." Hiding her face with her hands, Lenoria didn''t want anyone to see her. She could feel Alistair''s scratchy chin nuzzling against her thighs, which had her open a gap between her middle and index fingers out of curiosity. Lenoria nearly jumped when she saw Alistair facing her, eyes closed and snoozing peacefully. "Please...don''t...leave," he said weakly in his sleep. Hearing Alistair''s softened voice eased Lenoria''s nervousness enough to use a hand to comb through his hair. "O-on second thought, please take your time." "Alistair is so lucky." Clara marched over to Chestnut and called out to him. "Chestnut, you''re...not alright, are you?" She gave him a pat on the rump to wake him. "Hey, look what I got? Sugar cubes! Your favorite, right?" Clara just so happened to have Alistair''s jar of sugar cubes with her and rattled it with a wrist motion. The cubes clashing with the jar should have been enough to rouse him from his slumber, but Chestnut peacefully slept in the middle of the tunnel. There was a flowery fragrance in the air Clara assumed was roses. When she couldn''t see the tunnel exit anymore, something just clicked in her brain. "The fog''s grown thicker." The tunnel had grown quiet. "Lenoria!" The elven girl jogged quickly back to the wagon. Besides Lenoria and Alistair, there was a third silhouette hovering above them. She stopped immediately, and feared the worst since her weapons were back at the wagon. "The enemy?" "Take a closer look, Clara," Apus suddenly said to her. "Apus! I''m so happy to see you!" Taking Apus''s suggestion, Clara ran through the fog and back to the wagon, seeing a familiar black dress hovering in the air. "Pearl!" Upon seeing Clara, Pearl made an aerial dash to the elf''s location. "What happened? Why are these two asleep?" "Good to see you, too," Clara said, narrowing her eyes at Pearl. "Where were you?" "I was meditating. What-" A green glint pierced through Lenoria''s left pocket. "The Soulstone? That means another user is nearby. I''ll need to realign my focus to it. Just a moment." Pearl snatched the Soulstone from out of Lenoria''s pocket and closed her eyes as she wrapped her fist around it. The Soulstone shined intensely, and soon enough Pearl''s body did as well. "It''s just as I feared; you have been attacked by Cassiopeia again. I can detect their energy not far from here." "Cassiopeia? The one who left that...bud inside Alistair?" Pearl nodded. "The one and the same. The purpose for my meditation is to scan the skies for any sign of the other Soulstones, but it seems I didn''t detect it on time." "Pearl, I know you woke up recently, but it''s hard to believe a Soulstone flew under your radar." Pearl sighed. "The easiest way to explain how my meditation works is to compare it to stargazing. You spend so much time looking at what''s out there that it gets difficult to stay aware of your immediate surroundings." Clara did not like the answer, but she was satisfied for the time being. "That''s just great. Any idea on why they''re here?" "None. Whoever their user is, they must have decided to take the fight to us. This fog around us must be their doing. It induces sleep as long as one breathes it." Pearl scanned the area. Thanks to her vision, she was able to locate another path just a stone''s throw to the right. "The fog is coming from there. We have to exit the tunnel and come up with a plan." Clara, however, had a different idea in mind. "Tsukuyomi!" The mechanical eidolon wasted no time to make a giant leap over the wagon and landed right next to his mistress, the seismic landing leaving a small crater on the tunnel pavement. With him, he had Clara''s bag in hand and handed it over to her. "You''re not thinking about going in there, are you? You might get killed," Pearl warned. "I can''t think of anything else. Even if we take them out of the tunnel, anyone coming from behind us could be affected. I can''t leave things like this if I can do something about it." Clara carefully dug through her bag, strapping the case of iron bolts to her belt and loaded her crossbow with one of them. "Nothing Cassiopeia does can put me to sleep. I''m the only one who can put a stop to this." "Clara, if you go, there''s a chance you won''t return. We know very little about Cassiopeia. Their power could be much stronger than Apus!" "If I don''t fight them now, they could sneak up on us at any time. And if they sneak up on us and grab our Soulstones, then your mission will come to an abrupt end!" Clara''s infuriated speech pushed Pearl back a little. "Don''t you get it?! if I go in, the worst that can happen is that Apus ends up in their hands. But if we do nothing, we risk a back attack and may end up losing everything! Not only that, but Alistair was already under Cassiopeia''s influence before. With all the fog he''s breathed in, who''s to say he won''t be affected again if we don''t take care of this now?" The mood altered so quickly for Pearl that she was at a loss for words. "She makes a good point. She''s not the same naive girl I met back at the Guild. If Cassiopeia''s powerful enough to overpower even myself, we stand no chance. She''s prepared herself to die here if she must." Gritting her teeth, Pearl had one last warning for Clara. "If you do go in and lose, we''ll end up losing everything, anyway. If we run, we might stand a chance." "I don''t plan on losing. I promise to get to the bottom of this. If I fight, I''m fighting to win. But even if something happens to me, not all will be lost." Clara grabbed Tsukuyomi''s hand to get his attention. "Tsukuyomi, if anything happens to me, grab my Soulstone and run. With your power, I''m sure you can get Al and Lenoria to safety. We''ll have to leave Chestnut behind, but I know Alistair can recall him as soon as he wakes up. I''ll try to hold on for as long as I can." She turned back to Pearl. "You said they''ll stay asleep as long as they keep breathing in the fog, right? If we take them out of it, then that should be enough to wake them up." "R-right," Pearl said, still dumbfounded. "You''re doing a brave thing," Apus said. "Please use my power if this enemy gains the upper hand." Clara nodded. "That''s the plan. Thank you, Apus." Strapping her guitar around her left shoulder, Clara strummed a few beats to make sure it was working. She glanced over at Alistair and Lenoria, both snoozing peacefully, and smiled. She decided to give both of them a hug, one at a time, at least as best as she could, given their seating arrangements. "What happened while I was gone," Pearl finally asked. "A lot. If I don''t make it, Lenoria will fill you in. You better tell her what happened." Clara could only see so much with her eyesight, but she tried to pinpoint the direction Pearl pointed earlier. "That way, right?" "Yes. And Clara," Pearl called out to the elf when she took a step forward, "please be careful." "I will." Nodding to Tsukuyomi, both dashed to the hidden path with Apus flying right behind them. Clara blindly touched the tunnel walls until she found the entrance, and continued her jog once she figured out the new tunnel was smaller but free of debris. Clutching her guitar, she fondly looked back on her adventure so far. "Tizoc. Aquamarine. You both taught me so much in such a short amount of time. Please send some prayers, good thoughts, anything. I really need them."
Clara and Tsukuyomi Chapter 44 - Plant Tamer "Apus." The tunnel echoed with the sound of quickened footsteps and the occasional water drop from the ceiling. Clara continued her jog down the dusty, foggy tunnel with Apus and Tsukuyomi. While not paved like the main road, this makeshift tunnel had no bumps down the path, allowing Clara to maneuver herself gracefully without tripping, even with sharp twists and turns along the way. Her mind was only on the road ahead and the people behind her, for she knew that if she was allowed a moment to think about her own safety, fear and hesitation would hamper her fighting ability. She had taken the time to cast a spell which summoned a thin red sphere around herself, almost invisible to the naked eye. Even with this form of protection, the elven girl was starting to have doubts. "I meant what I said back there. Cassiopeia will pay for what they did to Alistair, and I plan to win this fight. I don''t know what awaits us at the end, but I want to learn as much as I can if victory is impossible." "Looks like you thought about this at length, though just minutes ago you didn''t even know this would happen," Apus commented. "I know. But if it hadn''t been for you, neither Lenoria nor I would be here right now. Ever since the day of the fire, I felt like I''ve been living on borrowed time. I can''t shake the feeling that, sooner or later, I have to give it back. That''s why I haven''t hesitated with any big decisions. When Lenoria was given that job offer, I knew I had to go with her. As for Instructor Gardens, I knew I had to share my feelings with him, even if it hurt. I didn''t even think twice when Lenoria had me sing for the giants." Clara stopped once the final turn was made, and only then could she feel her legs tremble. There was a light at the end of the path, and anything she had to say had to be said now or be held back forever. "I''m scared, Apus. Just like that day of the fire, I''m alone. And this time, Lenoria won''t be there at all." Apus landed on Clara''s wing and patted her head with his wing. "If you have other ideas, I don''t mind hearing them out." Clara bravely shook her head. "N-no." Clara felt a presence behind her. Whether it was a product of her mind or a manifestation of faith itself, she could feel a ghostly hand on her back that quietly encouraged her to keep going. "Whenever Lenoria can''t help me, she''d cheer me on. I can''t help but think she''d be doing the same right now." She moved one foot forward. "And when I was trapped at the school fire, she risked her life to save mine. The least I can do is return the favor. But I also want to return with a smile on my face, and I want her to smile, too. That''s why I''m going to win." Her resolve strengthened, Clara dashed towards the light, at which point the path slowly opened for her. Crossing over the rocky arch, she found herself at a small clearing about 40 feet in diameter. Vines dangled on the walls, and thorny roses surrounded a small rocky platform at the center. There was no way out besides the path she just came from, though a small hole on the ceiling was wide enough to bring some of the sunlight inside. Something that stood out in the beautiful garden was the pile of rotten vegetation on the leftmost corner from Clara''s point of view. It was best to steer clear of it; the smell was almost as bad as Thomas on a good day. "Cassiopeia!" Clara wasted no time in calling her adversary out. "I know you''re in here, so come out and face me before I set this entire garden on fire!" It wasn''t long until Clara got a response; she heard mumbling from the pile of rotten vegetation as if something - or someone - had been stirred from their nap. Clumps of green burst out as a tiny hand clawed its way out from the inside, a small creature about three feet in height wearing an olive-green cloak and wooden mask following right behind it. "Who are you," the tiny creature asked, "and why haven''t you fallen asleep?" "Looks like someone didn''t study elven physiology," Clara taunted. "Are you the one behind the fog?" "And what if I am?" Despite the difference in both size and numbers, the small creature did not show fear. "It''s only until I fulfilled the Lady''s wishes. Once I do that, I promise to be on my way." "And who is this ''Lady'' of yours?" "It doesn''t concern you, elf. All the Lady wants is that red bird of yours, along with her missing plaything. If you hand over your stone, I promise to spare your life as long as you don''t get in my way." "Plaything? Does he mean Alistair?" The fact the creature was able to see Apus set Clara on full alert, and it was safe to assume this Lady of his knew of the existence of the Soulstones as well. "Apus is a friend of mine. What makes you think I''ll hand him over to someone like you?" The small creature impatiently snorted air out of his nostrils. "I get the feeling you''re going to be difficult." "I can''t let him know Alistair is in the tunnel." Outwardly maintaining her confidence, Clara stepped forward. "I don''t have to be if you simply call off the fog and hand over your stone, Cassiopeia." The small creature chuckled. He retrieved a silvery blue gemstone from his cloak. "I think not! If you refuse to obey, then I have no problem taking what I want by force. Arise, Titan!" The ground shook beneath them, prompting Clara and Apus to brace themselves as the mass of rotten vegetation started moving on its own. It first formed an enormous pair of legs, and the construction slowly went from there. "A shambling mound! Tsukuyomi, go after it!" Clara heard no response from her eidolon. She turned around to find, to her horror, that Tsukuyomi had been brought down to one knee. "Heeheehee," the small creature cackled evilly, "looks like even your giant machine can''t fight off the poison from my Abyssal Roses." "It affects eidolons, too?" Not wanting to risk Tsukuyomi falling asleep, Clara only had one option left. "Apus, fuse us!" "You got it. Hang on!" Apus flapped his wings furiously, causing his Soulstone to shine with a bright vermilion color. Clara hovered in place while Tsukuyomi was reduced to an orb of light. This spherical light flew in the direction of its mistress, hardening Clara''s body with a green alloy which took the form of a green suit of great armor. A samurai helmet was constructed around her head, and her mouth was replaced with a sheet of metal. Now that Clara''s transformation was done, and now twice as large, the logical thing to do would be to attack the wielder of the Soulstone before he could finish the summoning of the shambling mound. But Clara was not one to simply throw the first punch. The one time she got careless had placed her inside a cell, after all. She decided that, for better or worse, it was better to inspect the battlefield in case anything changed. The vines dangling from the walls started wriggling, but they did little else. This gave her the feeling they were there for more than just show, but until she could confirm her theory, she had to avoid aerial combat unless it was absolutely necessary. Knowing that the shambling mound could arrive at any moment, she decided to focus on defense first before doing anything else. With delicate hand movements, Clara''s large outline became blurred and wavering just in time for the massive plant monster''s arrival. The new arrival stood about 8 feet in height and had become a mass of wriggling vines and dripping slime on two tree-trunk-like legs. "Titan, smash them to pieces!" The creature''s commanding voice moved the mass of vegetation forward with lumbering steps just as the dice rolled for initiative. Rolling Initiative
Clara''s initiative roll 1d20+8 = 13
Small creature & shambling mound initiative roll 1d20+3 = 9
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Clara thought quickly and clutched her guitar. Once again, whether it was her imagination or a true manifestation for the faith she had in her friends, she could hear Tizoc''s encouraging words along with a pat on her back. Clara, you can do this. "I won''t let you down!" With a strum of her guitar, Clara''s bardic magic briefly summoned the roar of a jaguar. The roar was enough to make the little creature panic and stay still for a moment, making his shambling monstrosity pause in its tracks. A vermilion light enveloped Clara''s body with a burning aura as the spell enlarged the fists of her eidolon. She thought back on Tizoc''s transformation a few nights ago and, for a brief moment, she felt like a large, predatory beast herself. "I''ll follow your example, Tizoc!" "Titan!" The small, robed caster stomped repeatedly in place. "What are you loafing around for? Crush her!" Quaking footsteps accompanied the charging monstrosity. Clara had just finished casting her spell and raised her hand just in time to block the attack. The force of the creature pushed her back, but thankfully she managed to deflect the tackle and thus avoid most of the damage. Clara, don''t let that big bully scare you! "Aquamarine! Of course!" Thinking back on the day she faced the giant matriarch, Clara sang an aria the same way Aquamarine did that day. Finding renewed resolve within herself, the elven girl stood ready while the cave echoed with her robotic yet melodious voice. The plant monster continued its assault and slammed both of its vine-like limbs down on the strengthened Clara. The first blow landed successfully, allowing the tendril to wrap around Clara''s arm tenaciously. "Gotcha," the small creature cried victoriously. "Huh?" The feeling of victory didn''t last long. The creature observed as Clara safely pulled her arm away from the mound''s tendril to prepare a vicious counter. "Don''t get careless, Titan!" The plant monster''s tentacled maw wriggled ominously as it continued its assault with its other arm. Clara was horrified as the tendril caught her this time, crushing her arm as it constricted her. Pieces of metal flew out as the creature maintained its hold. The tides had quickly turned against Clara. She had already determined she couldn''t take down such a monster on her own despite being equally matched in strength, but she had a different plan to achieve victory. She remembered how the creature recoiled from the jaguar''s roar, and in that brief moment, the plant monster stopped in its tracks. Only after the creature barked orders at it again did the massive creature continue with its attack. Thus, if she needed to end this fight quickly... "I have to strike the Soulstone user! But how do I break free?" Apus hovered next to Clara. "Clara, you''re not looking so good! If that monster keeps you there any longer, you definitely won''t get out of there!" "I can''t just leave! What about the others?" The tightness around her mechanical arm caused Clara to end her singing. "L-Lenoria..." ---------- A few days ago, Lenoria had knocked Clara''s staff out of her hands during a training session back at the keep in the Jaguar Lands. Clara clumsily picked up her staff, tightened her grip, and assumed a battle stance by holding her staff horizontally with both hands. But even like this, Lenoria went for the wrists and knocked it away again. "We can do better, Clara. Let''s try again." Clara knew the point of the exercise was to prevent the terrible fate of getting disarmed, but she knew she was outmatched by Lenoria from the beginning. Disappointed in herself, the young elf kicked away her staff with frustration and stiffened her shoulders. "What''s the point? We both know melee combat isn''t my forte." "And you won''t improve with that attitude. I mean, come on; what are you going to do if, say, Thomas breaks out of jail and finds you?" "I slap him and call the guards," Clara answered matter-of-factly. "Oh, right." Lenoria suddenly remembered how much of a wimp her example was. Clara would have to do little else to incapacitate him. "Mind if I try something?" "Sure." With Lenoria''s instructions, Clara held out her left arm. Lenoria grabbed it by the bicep with a tightened grip, something that immediately gave Clara a greater sense of discomfort. "What if one day, he broke out and somehow got stronger than me? And the worst part is that, like the little imp he is, he isolates you so that you can''t call for help? What then?" Clara tried to pull herself away, but Lenoria wasn''t budging. "O-okay, you made your point. Please let go." "Come on, Clara. Where did last night''s bravado go?" Alistair simply observed, but deep down he felt Lenoria wasn''t handling things the right way. He wondered how strong the bond between the girls was, which ultimately contributed to his lack of interference. His healing magic had been restored for the day, so if either of them got seriously injured, he could jump in and heal them. For now, he had chosen to wait on Lenoria''s word. Clara whimpered after her repeated attempts to break free yielded no fruit. The longer she tried, the angrier she got. Until... "I said let go, Thomas!" Reeling back her delicate fist, Clara went for a haymaker right for the eye... ---------- ...and pushed the shambling monstrosity a good ten feet away. Rose petals scattered as the monster tried to keep its footing, giving Clara the window she needed to distance herself and rethink her strategy. Thankfully, her new form had powerful flame jets on her back which allowed her to stay away by ascending over a dozen feet in the air by the time the monster regained its footing. The small creature was flabbergasted, gazing upon his ruined rose garden. "Titan, you clumsy oaf! Look what you did to my garden!" "Your garden is the last thing you should be worried about!" Despite her face shielded thanks to the mask, the small creature could feel a terrifying gaze coming from his opponent. Now that she was out of reach from the shambling monster, all she had to do was dive bomb towards the caster and, hopefully, this would be over. Clara gave thanks to the people she met on her trip to Thule, as well as her best friend in the world. Thanks to them and their tactics, victory was at hand. Or so she believed. "I won''t lose to some elf nobody!" The small creature held up his Soulstone, unleashing a blinding light from it. "Plants and vermin of the wild, I command you to protect me!" The rustling of leaves filled the air, echoing across the clearing and well into the tunnel. Clara felt a sudden jerk on her leg, followed by her arms and other leg. The vines from earlier had grown in length and wrapped themselves around her limbs, holding her in place in midair. "The vines came alive?" She could feel a fifth vine forcefully wrapping itself around her neck. Slowly but surely, the vines squeezing her limbs caused more chunks of metal to fly out, and soon enough, her neck could suffer the same fate. "Alistair....Lenoria..." "You shitty elf!" The small creature finally revealed his blue-skinned face when his eyes bulged to a ridiculous size, causing his wooden mask to snap at the string and fall to the ground. The shambling mound seized its movements, a sign of the small creature''s fury and focus on a single objective. "A mite?" Clara briefly recalled her knowledge on mites. "Cassiopeia...is a fey creature?" Her eyes widened with dread and anticipation. "No! That means..." "How dare you scare me! By order of Her Majesty, you shall be the first to die!" The creature roared with furious malevolence. "Creatures of the underground, I find this woman guilty! Hang her!" The vines tightened around Clara''s hands, legs, and neck. From the direction of the tunnel - as well as the surrounding area - Clara could hear skittering everywhere. Much to her horror, she could see tiny dots gathering on the ground to converge into a growing mass. "Spiders!"
Clara & Tsukuyomi (Fused) Sheet These are Clara''s base stats when fused with Tsukuyomi. I noticed sleep is listed under both saving throw modifiers and immunities, but this is for the unlikely event that her immunities are compromised. She has retained her spells and class features as well, and the following parameters have been modified for the current battle. Blur: 20% concealment chance. (1d100 is rolled if an attack roll hits; the blurred creature automatically avoids the attack regardless of result if the result is 20 or less.) Inspire Courage: +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls, as well as Will saves vs. fear effects Lesser Evolution Surge (Improved Natural Attack): Increases base weapon damage (2d6 -> 2d8) Shield spell: AC 18 -> 22 (Shield bonus; cast before chapter start) Chapter 45 - Pyxis Loss. For Clara, a victory would have been, at minimum, injuring the tiny mite enough for Tsukuyomi and Apus to escape without anything stopping them. She would have been fine if Lenoria and Alistair could have continued their trip without her, even if it brought deep sadness in their hearts. She didn''t want to make her friends cry, but this would have been the worst outcome that was still acceptable. What wasn''t acceptable were the swarms of spiders gathering 15 feet beneath her. She held the urge to scream, but it was only a matter of time before they would start climbing the walls and the vines to get to her. And with her suspended in the air by the mite''s vines, she had nowhere to go. She could feel her consciousness slip as the vines applied more and more pressure on her body. "That was scary." Tired and stressed, the small creature sat down at the center of the room atop a flat rock formation. "I hope you like spiders, elf! You''ll make a nice soup once they all sink their fangs in you!" "You...won''t...win!" Clara tried her best to break free, but the vines were supernaturally strong. "What are they made of; metal?" The mite cackled evilly. "You may be tough with that stone of yours, but you''re just a baby compared to me." He held the grayish blue stone confidently. "As for me, I''ve had my power for months, giving me plenty of time to master it." Clara wanted nothing more than to break free and pummel the evil creature, but as she was unable to break free, there was only one option left. Preferably before she started to panic even more. "I''m sorry...I promised you that I would go to Thule with you, but..." "I know what you''re thinking, Clara!" Apus''s solemn words interrupted Clara''s thoughts. He wasn''t speaking via their psychic link, but rather with his own voice. "But we haven''t lost yet! Look!" Using his beak, Apus pointed at the vines wrapped around Clara''s mechanical arms and fists, then turning his attention to the ruined rose garden. "You came this far because the people who love you truly believe in you! Lenoria, Alistair, Pearl, Owen, your parents, everyone! You have to stop thinking about this ''borrowed time'' you mentioned earlier, and truly start living not just for them, but for yourself!" "But Apus...I''m still scared...there''s nothing we can do..." "There''s always something you can do, Clara! You can use your strength to break free and ruin this punk''s garden! I hope you''ve noticed, but ever since you destroyed some of those roses, the fog started to disappear." Clara took a quick scan of the area. Apus was right; the fog was still present, but it wasn''t as thick as earlier. She looked at the vines around her wrists and hands, and realized she wasn''t completely helpless. She tightened her grip with both fists, hoping to yank the vines away from their source. "Not everything is lost. That''s why you can''t give in to despair!" The mite gritted his teeth in anger. "How dare you. You talk as if you can still win!" "That''s right, spider breath," Apus confidently insulted his adversary. "What''s your relationship with this Lady of yours, anyway? You get props for being her obedient little lapdog, but unlike you, Clara fights for people who love her!" "Ha. Her Majesty loves all of her subjects! I have both her power and her backing!" "Wrong!" Using both of her fists, Clara successfully crushed two of the vines, much to the mite''s horror. "If she loved you so much, she wouldn''t have sent you to your execution without backup!" "What are you doing to my precious plants?!" Angered, the mite held up the Soulstone again. "Stop it! I order you to stop right-" The clangor of cannon fire rang throughout the cavernous area. The resulting explosion blew the spider swarms, the roses, and the shambling mound away. The vines ceased their movement, their grip loosening to let Clara escape and descend back on the ground. Most of the spiders had been reduced to nothing, while the rest had been blown apart. "Is that you, Clara? Man, you gained some weight since last time. What happened? I thought you looked great in that skimpy little dancer''s outfit." The elven girl, slightly embarrassed, recognized the insolent voice. The enigmatic arrival stood atop a flying vessel - which was about the size of a canoe at best - with one foot in front of the other. He wore a gas mask just like the one Lenoria had back at the Guild, protecting his human physiology from the fog. "C-Caesar?" Clara was astonished, but she welcomed his presence. "What are you doing here?" "We came to find you," the pirate captain answered. He surveyed the area to calculate the damage his explosion had caused. He noticed the mite having jumped away from the explosion on time and placed himself behind the shambling monstrosity. "We''ll talk later. How about I take care of the big guy while you finish business here?" "Sounds like a plan!" Despite Caesar''s bravery, the size difference between him and the giant plant didn''t escape her perception. "How is he going to pull this off? He had to be crafty during our confrontation with the giants..." Caesar leapt from the flying canoe, which soon disappeared without a trace. Landing just a few from from the monster, the pirate captain brandished a cutlass to level the playing field in his favor. "Momma always told me to eat my greens, but I think we can skip these for dinner." "Where did you come from?" The little mite shook his fist indignantly. "Doesn''t matter if a lot more of you show up! Titan will grind you all into paste!" The mite pushed a single fist forward, causing the shambling monster to do the same to Caesar. Blood and sweat flied outwards as the giant fist connected with its target, and soon after that Caesar could feel the plant''s tendrils wrap around him. "Caesar!" "The humans my fair Lady had to deal with always talked a little too much. They failed to make a fool out of her, and you definitely won''t make a fool out of Zep!" "Zep, huh?" A blue outline enveloped Caesar, and as if he were coated in butter and oil, the pirate slipped out of the plant monster''s grasp. "Looks like I definitely made a fool out of you." Zep the mite growled desperately. "H-how? How did you escape?" "A magician never tells his secrets!" "But how did he do that? Was that a [Freedom of Movement]?" "Let''s save the questions for later, Clara. He''s wide open!" Apus gestured to Zep, who was distracted by Caesar and the amount of focus he had to place for his plant monsters. "Caesar is doing what he can to help out. We better give him a hand." "I know just what to do." Hoisting her guitar, Clara prepared a spell with some elaborate hand movements. Then, she started playing. "Hey, Zep. How does a shambling mound organize a birthday party? He plants it." "W-what?" Zep stifled a laugh. "Oh, no..." And dropped his Soulstone. "N-no..." The mite''s suppressed laughter erupted into endless cackling. "W-what magic is this?" Sinking to his knees and then on all fours, Zep could no longer contain his laughter. " W-what''s h-happening to me," he asked as he laughed and laughed. "That j-joke''s not f-f-f-f-funny!" With Zep on the ground laughing away uncontrollably, Titan collapsed on the ground as well, rolling to and fro. Confused by this turn of events, Caesar wordlessly asked Clara for an explanation. "That''s a new spell I''ve been wanting to try out. [Hideous Laughter] doesn''t work on plants, but it can work on anything that understands the concept of humor." "Well," Caesar said as he narrowed his eyes at Clara, "you could have at least picked a better joke." Taking a moment to recover, Zep successfully kept his laughter contained. Still on the ground, a few gasps are released from him while he looked up at his adversaries, one who was reaching for something in his holster. "Hehehe, you wouldn''t mind talking this out, would you?" "Sure." With one quick motion, Caesar drew a multi-barrel firearm and pulled the trigger. The impact from the shot pushed Zep back as a wound opened on his shoulder. His tiny opponent wailed in agony while Caesar grinned without a care. "How about we call it a draw?" "Damn...you..." The bleeding mite spotted his Soulstone just a few feet away. Wasting little time, he crawled towards it. "I must...escape...can''t handle...two at once..." The mite knew when he had been beaten. If he could just get a hold of his Soulstone, he could use Titan to hold both of them off while he escaped to live and fight another day. "My Lady...my beautiful Lady...I failed you..." ---------- He thought back on the fateful day he received his Soulstone. The little creature had been chased out of a village by a gang of human children, who threw stones and bricks at him. He stopped when his path was blocked by a deep and flowing river and felt dread when the children pelted more rocks at him, some hitting their bullseye. Not long after, another mite came to his rescue by baring its fangs and hissing, causing the children to run away in fear. The rescuer consoled the bleeding mite by hugging him and patting him on the head. "Even though your people believed I was ugly, you looked past that and gave me a purpose. Was it pity? Love? In any case, I wanted to be your servant. As luck would have it, you gave me the tool to become not only that, but a king as well..." ---------- "All you wanted me to do was bring back your plaything to you. Even though I failed, I don''t regret the chance you''ve given me to serve you. I-" The mite''s thoughts were interrupted when he felt a heavy weight land on his back just as he reached his Soulstone. An angry Clara turned off the jets on her back and landed on her opponent, knee-first on his spine. The creature twitched like a bug when she got off of him and did not resist when the Soulstone was taken from him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Finally. Cassiopeia is finished," Clara declared. "Fool," the mite taunted. "You may have beaten Zep, but all you got for your trouble was the King''s Stone." "What," Clara asked flatly. "Her Majesty...my Lady...she possesses the Queen''s Stone, Cassiopeia. And thanks to the King''s Stone, I was able to borrow her power. I was not expecting other Soulstone users this soon, and while I may have failed, I know she will avenge me." He coughed up some blood. "The King''s Stone...Cepheus...is only useful when he borrows power from Cassiopeia." "So that''s why Pearl detected Cassiopeia..." Feeling slighted, Clara raised her mechanical fist to finish off the creature. "Why is she harassing us? Does she want our power? Alistair? Something else? What?" But Zep only gave her a bloody, toothy grin. "Wouldn''t you...like to know?" Clara grunted in exasperation when the mite breathed his last and fell limp. She stood back up and loosened her grip on her own Soulstone while pocketing away both it and the new one she had acquired. Tsukuyomi''s armor vanished in an instant, revealing some bruises around her arms, legs, and neck but otherwise looking as healthy as ever. "Well done, Tsukuyomi. Please get some rest." Captain Caesar "Put ''er there, partner!" Caesar raised a hand, hoping for a high five. His heart thumped when Clara not only drew herself closer to him, but also smiled sweetly as she did so. "She''s feeling grateful for saving her. I guess I can trade a high five for a kiss on the cheek." What greeted Caesar''s cheek wasn''t the soft lips of an elf who was rescued, but an angry backhand. "That''s for the weight comment from earlier," Clara said. "For such a dainty thing, you hit pretty hard." Not complaining about something even he felt was well-deserved, Caesar held on to his cheek as if to keep his own face from collapsing. "What are you doing here?" "I said we came to find you, didn''t I? By now, the rest of the crew should be getting your friends out of the tunnel." "But how did you even find us? It''s not like you knew the people we met along the way." Clara was perplexed. How did Caesar find them? Caesar grinned confidently. "Beckett, want me to tell her?" A ghostly pirate with a blue, translucent hue appeared behind Caesar. Like a typical pirate, he wore a black tricorne hat, a long beard, and had a hook for a hand, as well as having the strong smell of alcohol all over him. As if to confirm Clara''s suspicions, Caesar revealed a blue gemstone with the palm of his hand. "A Soulstone..." "Yup. Beckett calls it Pyxis. It lets me detect other stones, and it comes with its own tools." "This could be a good thing...or a bad thing." Clara had doubts about how sincere Caesar''s help actually was. He saved her from the mite, but was this the better outcome? "You look tense," Caesar commented. "But the good Constable struck a deal with us. I promise, we ain''t doing piratey things...for now." "How do you expect me to trust you? You don''t plan to steal the Soulstones we have, do you?" "No." Caesar paused. "Oh, come on, don''t stare at me like that. I came with Aquamarine. She and I have news to share with you. It''s...about the one you call Starflower." Clara was inwardly elated when she heard Aquamarine''s name, but shifted back to dread when Starflower was mentioned. What news did Caesar bring? ---------- The rest of the pirate gang, along with Melodious Aquamarine, had carried Alistair and Lenoria to the safety of the other side of the tunnel. One of their own - the orc named Temuulen - was also sleeping due to being the first to enter the foggy tunnel without a mask on, and succumbed to its poison as a result. Aquamarine went back inside to figure out a way to move Chestnut and the wagon, and the rest of the pirates accompanied her while Cecilia stayed outside to watch the sleeping bodies. Cecilia seemed bored at first until her eyes spied a vulnerable Alistair. "We meet again, Mr. Knight. I guess this would make us even for saving this old pirate crew." The halfling knelt next to Alistair. "You know, my favorite fairy tale growing up was the one about the sleeping tavern wench cursed by a wizard to never wake up unless she received true love''s kiss. When I grew older, I found it a bit creepy." She crawled until her lips were right next to the paladin''s ear. "But looking at you now? I guess that story does have its appeal. If I was under a sleeping curse, I would definitely want a handsome lad in shining armor to kiss me. I''m wondering if it''ll be okay to wake you up this way. I mean, you''ve probably been wanting more of what I gave you the other night..." The halfling pirate could hear Alistair rolling away from her. When she looked back at him, Alistair had rolled about a good three feet away from her and had found himself in Lenoria''s arms. The sleeping girl immediately blushed in her sleep and mumbled away. Cecilia crawled closer to them, but she was shocked to hear what Lenoria was saying when she got up close. "...no, Alistair. N-not here," the blonde said as she smiled lecherously. "My throat is still sensitive from last time..." "These two are in that kind of relationship? And hold up, last time? Is that why he walked with a limp that night?" Cecilia stomped the ground in place. "That tramp! How dare she make a move on him while I was gone?" She grunted. "I knew I should have stopped the crew from taking that detour to the Butterfly Plains." "I-I guess it''s okay, if it''s you. Please," Lenoria conceded in her sleep, "please pour that chocolate all over..." She snored. "...all over my oatmeal." The blonde turned over on her side. "Thanks, Alistair. This one''s not spicy at all." "All that fuss for some chocolate?" Pinching the bridge of her nose for a second, the halfling woman placed her hands on Alistair''s shoulder. "Forget this. I''ll just wake him up the old-fashioned way." Before she could do so much as get another word in, Cecilia felt a tap on her cheek. Lenoria was throwing punching motions in her sleep, each one as gentle as getting poked by an annoying sibling. "Look out, my love," the blonde said in her sleep, "an evil goblin...tried to sneak up on you." "Who the hell are you calling a goblaaaaaaaaah!" Cecilia felt her small body move on its own, and immediately discovered Lenoria had grabbed her ankle and threw her aside. She rolled and tumbled down a hill until a tree broke her fall...and most likely a bone or two. Caesar and Clara, who had arrived since Lenoria started tapping her on the cheek, looked on with amusement and concern (the latter mostly from Caesar). "Is she always like this when she sleeps," Caesar asked. "Oh, yeah. This is a good day for her. You should see her when she goes to bed angry." *** Enough time passed for Lenoria and Alistair to get the poison out of their system and wake up (as well as to tend to Cecilia''s injuries). Lenoria was the first to open her eyes under the setting sun and was startled when the first thing she felt was Clara throwing herself at her for a hug. "C-Clara, what are you doing?" She groggily looked around and realized she was outside the tunnel somewhere along the mountain trail. "What happened?" "It''s a long story," the elf said with a sniffle. "I''m just so happy you''re okay!" "D-don''t cry. Just calm down and tell me what happened." The girls waited for Alistair to wake up before Clara filled them in on what happened. As they conversed along the mountain trail, Aquamarine and the pirates returned along with Chestnut (now awake) pulling the wagon with them. Once everyone was on the same page, Pearl returned by manifesting herself out of thin air. Caesar and Cecilia jumped at the sight of her, but the former only needed a moment to recover. "And who''s this beautiful lady?" Pearl rolled her eyes and just turned her attention back to her group. "Well done, Clara. But even though we won this time, this could have gotten ugly pretty quickly. Had you not been immune to sleep magic, our journey together would have ended here." She closed her fist firmly. "To think I was deceived. I definitely detected Cassiopeia''s energy. I had no way to know it was Cepheus who borrowed her power." "Don''t beat yourself up, Pearl," Lenoria said, having recovered from her nap. "You did what you could, and Clara was ready. I''d say this was the best outcome." "You''re correct," Alistair said. "We owe our lives to you and Miss Clara." "I can''t take all the credit here." Not willing to admit it, Clara nevertheless directed all eyes to the pirate captain. "Caesar helped me break free when I needed it the most. If he hadn''t shown up, I was ready to send Tsukuyomi back with Apus to get you two to safety." "You have my thanks, Caesar." Lenoria raised a thumb of approval. "Why didn''t you tell us about that stone of yours, though?" Caesar shrugged. "It never came up. Beckett was taking his nap after a very taxing battle, and he only returned right after our groups parted ways." "I see," Pearl commented. She eyed the ghostly pirate behind Caesar, who observed the conversation quietly. "You, too, entered the Star Dream. I would like for you to enter our fold, Beckett." "Bah," the ghostly pirate said dismissively. "I have no choice in the matter, anyway. This punk struck a deal with the Constable, so I have no choice but to join you and your crew." "Wow. Two Soulstones in a single day," Lenoria said. "Three," Cecilia interjected as she, too, revealed a Soulstone of her own. This one was colored threefold, with even shades of navy blue, teal, and white. "No captain rules the sea without his own pirate ship. As chief mate of the Celestial Compass, it''s only fitting that I''m the one who is in charge of the ship''s maintenance." "My pride and joy: The Argo Navis," Beckett said proudly. "It would explain why you two escaped my detection abilities," Pearl commented. "I wonder how many more we missed along the way." Melodious Aquamarine shyly shifted her body side to side as she, too, revealed a Soulstone. "Four." "You''ve got to be kidding me..." Pearl lowered her head. Alistair''s hand shook as he pointed at Aquamarine. "You too, Miss Aquamarine?" He then felt something soft pressed against his leg. "Eh?" A couple of somethings, actually. "My, my," Cecilia said as she squeezed the paladin''s leg. "You''ve gotten involved with some pretty dangerous women, haven''t you? Why don''t you stick close to me, darling? I can protect you a lot better than that skinny little tomboy." "E-excuse me?" Lenoria squeezed her fist at that remark. "You mind letting go of my man, little lady?" "That''s funny, I don''t see your name on him," Cecilia retorted. "I bet he wouldn''t mind seeing mine every day if it was marked across the chest." "Ladies..." "You better let go before I pummel you into a bloody paste," Lenoria warned the halfling right before lunging at her. Clara and Tsukuyomi snatched her arms just in time to hold her back. "Easy, Lenoria! Y-you must be tired!" "Let go, Clara!" Feeling embarrassed enough, Alistair set his foot down. "That''s enough, all of you!" "But Al," Lenoria whined. "No buts. Lenoria, there are better ways to resolve conflict than violence, especially with people who have helped us. Your devotion to me is duly noted, but there''s no need for barbaric methods to show it." Lenoria crossed her arms and pouted. "You didn''t think I was barbaric when I punched that bugbear for you..." "And Miss Cecilia," he said to the halfling pirate, "your feelings have not gone unnoticed, but I made a promise to Lenoria. I will never betray her trust and faith in me, and I would appreciate it if you didn''t try to tempt me." "Are you sure?" Cecilia batted her eyelashes. "I may be small, but I''m as comfortable as a pillow, at least compared to her." Lenoria quickly realized what Cecilia was referring to, and crossed her arms to hide her chest. "And just what are you leering at, pervert?" "You and I both know there''s nothing to look at, blondie. He''ll be happier with me for that reason." Cecilia shrugged. "I know how it is with men. Bigger is usually better. That''s why pretty girls get away with more." Lenoria had a hard time keeping her anger in check, and perhaps because of that, Alistair set his foot down again. "Miss Cecilia, I think if you like someone a lot, how they are on the outside doesn''t really matter. I hadn''t even noticed Lenoria''s, um, finer features until you pointed them out. There''s definitely something about her that you can''t see, and that happens to be the feature that won me over." Shocked by Alistair''s gentle scolding, Cecilia felt the urge to know more. "And what would that be, Mr. Knight?" "If you can''t see it, I''m afraid I can''t help you." He sighed. "What matters is that you now know where I stand. I advise both of you to set your differences aside and work together. Please." Alistair''s authoritative voice placated both women. Lenoria blushed and complied by sitting down on a nearby rock, while Cecilia rolled her eyes and went back to the rest of the pirates. The scene made Caesar chuckle, which reduced the tension even more. "He''s got a point there, Cecilia. It''s better to not get involved with those two. Loyal men like Alistair here are hard to find." "Hmph," Cecilia scoffed. "If he''s got any sense, he''ll come around soon enough." "Uh, thanks..." Alistair said to Caesar. "Hey," Caesar whispered, "making you look good in front of your woman ain''t free, pal. How about we call it even with a gold piece or two?" "..." "I''d hate to interrupt," Aquamarine interjected, "but we''re wasting time here. Caesar, don''t you have something to say?" "Hey, you''re in this as much as we are." Not wishing to be the bearer of bad news, Caesar hesitated to change the subject. "Uh, Lenoria? If I can talk to you seriously, there''s something I''d like to say." "Um, yes." Lenoria stopped blushing and focused her attention on the pirate captain. "What''s up?" "You might want to stay seated for this. There''s a reason the Constable asked us to join you. It''s...about your headmaster." "Starflower?" Lenoria''s feelings towards Cecilia''s earlier remark were quickly overridden at the mere mention of the headmaster. "Did they move his trial date? Did they give him the chair? What?" Caesar and Aquamarine glanced awkwardly at each other. One of them had to break the news, and neither one wanted to be it. They feared this would shatter the girl in some way, but they knew she would find out sooner or later whether they stayed quiet or not. It had to be said. For better...or worse. Conclusion to the Road to Thule arc!
Lenoria receives some terrible news...and that''s just the beginning! "What do you mean Starflower''s out of jail? That is so unfair!" "Deep breaths, Lenoria! We just arrived in Thule, so let''s do our best!" "Yeah, we''re definitely not in Helix anymore. Pearl, do you sense any Soulstones?" "Many. Looks like you''ve got your work cut out for you, but this is to be expected. You already made some friends, but after the Cepheus incident, it would be safe to assume the wielders are enemies until we meet them." "Heh, no worries. With my trusty cutlass and my pirate crew, we''ll obtain those treasures in no time!" "Hang on, what are those nobles doing to my Alistair?! And who''s that punk with the red hood?" "There''s one with a blue hood, too." "I don''t know, the cutie with the red one seems okay to me." "This will be bonkers for sure. Noble houses, undead, and...a paladin heroine? Only here in A Quest for the Stars: Welcome to Thule!" Lenoria paused. "Huh? What do you mean we won''t be there ''til mid-August?"
A Quest for the Stars is a work with an entry in Paizo''s Community Use Registry. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. This novel is only posted here on Royal Road. If you see it anywhere else, please contact Antares905 at https://www.royalroad.com/profile/390982 . Thank you! Recap - The Road to Thule Lenoria and co. Lenoria Tsukino A young genius who journeyed from the Far West to enroll at the Artificers Guild, from which she graduated after taking a four-year course. Currently on a trip to Goodsprings to fulfill a commission for Gabrielle Bisset while fulfilling her promise to Pearl, who saved her life. Status: Alive Soulstone: Corvus (The Raven) OTHER INFO Race Human Deity None (Agnostic) Gender F Birthday 15th of Weiss, 1638 (11/15/1638; 20 years old) Homeland The Great Plateau (The Far West) Sign Scorpio Height 5¡¯2¡± Weight 120 lbs Hair Blonde Eyes Green XP 18,710/23,000 Clara & Tsukuyomi An elven summoner who befriended Lenoria on their third year at the Artificers Guild. Unsure what she wanted to do with her life at first, she decided to attend the College of the Wilds, located in Thule, to study and train as a bard. Her eidolon, Tsukuyomi, rarely strays from her. Status: Alive Soulstone: Apus (The Bird-of-Paradise) OTHER INFO Race Elf Deity Moon Guardian (Chaotic Good elven deity) Gender F Birthday 25th of Svatur, 1534 (08/25/1534; 124 years old) Sign Virgo Height 5¡¯7¡± Weight 99 lbs Hair Black Eyes Red XP 18,620/23,000 Alistair Adams & Chestnut A young paladin devoted to the Hammer of Justice who is returning to Thule after undertaking a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of the Hammer. Currently escorting Lenoria to Goodsprings, and has entered a relationship with her. Chestnut, his brave steed, pulls the wagon they are traveling on by his master''s request. Status: Alive Soulstone: None, but Pearl has said he is destined to carry Scutum (The Shield) OTHER INFO Race Human Deity Hammer of Justice (Lawful Neutral deity) Gender M Birthday 1st of Injigo, 1640 (1/1/1640; 19 years old) Sign Capricorn Height 5¡¯7¡± Weight 162 lbs Hair Blond Eyes Blue XP 31,620/34,000 Captain Caesar Captain of the Celestial Compass, a pirate crew best known for their (minor) crimes. He and his crew have answered Constable Richards''s request to protect Lenoria while the police hunt down Starflower and Horseface in exchange for a clean slate. Status: Alive Soulstone: Pyxis (The Compass) OTHER INFO Race Human Deity None Gender M Birthday 9th of Viridi, 1634 (12/09/1634; 24 years old) Sign Sagittarius Height 5¡¯9¡± Weight 175 lbs Hair Dark Brown Eyes Teal XP 23,000/34,000 Melodious Aquamarine (Joanna Jones) A magical girl who met the party while infiltrating the Order of the Blue Jay. Once parting ways to look after Clara''s family, she has now returned after Constable Richards requested her help. Status: Alive Soulstone: Delphinus (The Dolphin) OTHER INFO Race Human Deity None Gender F Birthday 23rd of Argenti, 1639 (6/23/1639; 19 years old) Sign Cancer Height 4''9¡± Weight 105 lbs Hair Blue Eyes Blue XP 23,000/34,000 Tizoc A catfolk druid hailing from the Lycan Village who fought alongside the party to protect the jaguar population from the Order of the Blue Jay. Currently training former members of the Order to shape them into proper warriors, and promised to seek Lenoria once he has fulfilled that duty. A Lycan himself, he can transform into a werejaguar. Status: Alive Soulstone: None OTHER INFO Race Catfolk Deity The Feathered Serpent (Neutral Good deity) Gender M Birthday 15th of Hong, 1635 (23 years old) Sign Libra Height 5''8" Weight 170 lbs XP 9,500/10,000 Spirits of the Sky Pearl - Spirit of the Corvus Soulstone. A cold and moody individual tasked with recovering the Soulstones, and wields the power to bring misfortune to anyone who dares get in her way of her goal. Apus - Spirit of the Apus Soulstone. Laid-back and kind, he''s more interested in having fun but helps Pearl in her quest nonetheless. Wields the power of evolution, a flexible power that helps any individual bound to him to tap into their true potential. Owen - Spirit of the Fornax Soulstone. Formerly helping the Laester tribe, this scruffy-looking child has joined Lenoria and Pearl in their quest to gather the Soulstones and helps with his pyrokinetic abilities. Beckett - Spirit of the Pyxis Soulstone. An old pirate captain with a hunger for treasure, he helps Caesar to hunt down the Soulstones. Agreed to help the party at Pearl''s request. He wields a magic lasso and the power to help Caesar escape from any bind, and his powers expand when attuned to the Argo Navis. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Mr. Horsey - Spirit of the Delphinus Soulstone. Once a nameless entity, he took the form of a seahorse and adopted the name given to him by Aquamarine. He guides Aquamarine in her role as a magical girl and, by proxy, extends his help to Lenoria as well. Allies and Supporting Cast Cecilia - A halfling sorceress and the chief mate and quartermaster of the Celestial Compass, placing her as Caesar''s second-in-command. Doesn''t like Lenoria much due to their shared interest in Alistair, but she has agreed to help out on behalf of Constable Richards. Wielder of the Argo Navis Soulstone. Charlie - Halfling ranger and Cecilia''s older brother. Works as the ship''s sailing master. Wulf - Dogfolk cleric who works as the ship''s cook and surgeon. Vanessa - Dogfolk alchemist and Wulf''s fianc¨¦e. Works on the artillery as a gunner. Temuulen - Orc barbarian who works as the boatswain for the Celestial Compass. Constable Richards - Chief of the Helix City Police Department who has observed Lenoria since her arrival on Helix City. Gruff and impatient, he loathes deskwork and prefers to be out in the field. Currently recovering in the hospital after failing to apprehend mob boss and fugitive, Horseface. Gror - A hobgoblin boy Lenoria saved from an awakened harpy eagle. Ever since the incident, he''s gained an interest in magic. Instructor Gardens - A wizard nearing middle age who puts the growth of his students above anything else. Did not reciprocate Clara''s feelings when she confessed to him. Mrs. Hunter - Former music teacher at the Artificers Guild. Has met Lenoria during her delinquent phase, but warmed up to her after she was saved from the giants. Lewis and Allie - A father-daughter duo who run the Drunken Chef Inn in Hammer''s Reach. Came to the defense of Lenoria''s party when an angry mob went after them. Gabrielle Bisset - Member of the Scholastic Guild and current matriarch of House Bisset. Noble yet firm, she gathered evidence against Headmaster Starflower and fired him during their fated meeting. In order to test Lenoria''s skill and fortitude, she has tasked her to travel to Goodsprings with only her wits and the help of Alistair and Clara (and by extension, anyone they meet along the way). Beau Bisset - Gabrielle''s younger brother and bodyguard. His policy can be summarized as "Speak loudly and carry a big axe." Villains Jean Starflower - Former headmaster of the Artificers Guild. Due to his racial prejudice for reasons known only to him - or perhaps for no reason at all - he instigated some of the bullying Lenoria faced during her four-year course and did nothing to end it. Fired for his negligence and racial prejudice, and arrested for assault, he later broke out of jail thanks to Thomas and Horseface. Currently hiding out in Hammer''s Reach. Thomas Carpathia - Genius student and local pervert. He has harassed Lenoria with unwanted advances and he faced no repercussions for his actions until the female student body organized themselves to get a restraining order against him. Arrested for violating the restraining order as well as damaging the local apothecary, his actions catch up to him when he''s framed during the jail break and hanged by Horseface''s men before being partially devoured by some giants passing by. Horseface - Mob boss of the Greco family who holds a good portion of Helix City under his pocket. There was a bump in his luck when he was arrested for tax evasion with no hope for bail, so he agreed to help Starflower with his jailbreak plan. Status unknown. Order of the Blue Jay (as a whole) - A mysterious order that proclaims to fight for truth and justice. In reality, it is a demonic cult that lures hapless victims to sell their souls for whatever they desire, and shows no mercy to any and all deserters. Demons make up a portion of their number, but they usually stick to the shadows or disguise themselves to pass for the local folk. Spark - Leader of his own gaggle of cultists from the Order of the Blue Jay. He failed to kill Aquamarine and amputate Allie, but he was somewhat successful in getting Lenoria''s party kicked out of Hammer''s Reach. A married man, he''s having an affair with Valerie, and is currently hiding out with her and Chet somewhere in Cedar Forest. Valerie - A member of the Blue Jay who gathered an angry mob and smashed everything in the rooms the party had stayed in. Chet - A bard working for the Order of the Blue Jay. Had plans to retire, but they fell apart after his latest venture. Hunter - A roguish man who was left behind by Spark''s party. Killed after he made the mistake of flirting with a recently-widowed cave giant. The Laester Tribe - A family of cave giants that terrorized our heroes in an abandoned compound and later at Hammer''s Reach. The patriarch was slain after a battle with Alistair and Lenoria, the sons and daughter were hypnotized, arrested, and later killed during the jail break, and the matriarch was slain after the heroes traveled to her cave to rescue Allie. Cassiopeia - The mysterious wielder of the Cassiopeia Soulstone with the power to use plants in disturbing ways. She planted a malevolent bud inside Alistair to keep tabs on him, and has labeled him as her plaything. Zep - A mite who was taken in by Cassiopeia after the rest of the world had forsaken him. His orders were to capture Alistair and steal whatever Soulstones he could find, but he met his end thanks to the joint effort from Clara and Caesar. The Story So Far On the day of her graduation ceremony, Lenoria Tsukino meets an injured raven carrying a mysterious stone and heals his wounds. Little did she know that such an act of kindness would change her life forever! Chosen by the spirit in the stone to wield the power of Corvus, Lenoria is tasked to seek and collect other similar stones before they fall into the wrong hands. Such a quest had to be put on hold for a time. Lenoria was sought out by a woman named Gabrielle Bisset, who later revealed she was a member of the Scholastic Guild and wanted to hire Lenoria for a personal project. In order to test Lenoria to see if she was truly up for the job, she tasked the young student to cross the Helix-Thule border on foot and then report to a village in Thule named Goodsprings. Lenoria accepts, and together with her best friend Clara and and a young paladin named Alistair, the trio embarks on their trip to the border. On their way to the first pit stop, the village of Hammer''s Reach, the party makes a detour to an abandoned compound and finds themselves trapped inside once they find out the area was surrounded by cave giants. Thanks to Lenoria, she and Alistair sought out the leader on horseback while Clara and a pirate crew - led by their captain, Caesar - dealt with their offspring. After a job well done, the two groups part ways, with Lenoria content after finding the Fornax Soulstone. Once in Hammer''s Reach, the party faced a two-pronged attack. One side was the matriarch of the giant tribe and on the other was the Order of the Blue Jay, who posed as heroes when in reality they had sinister plans for a heroine they met in the forest. The party stops the Order in time to save the heroine, who in turn helped them defeat the giant matriarch. After a job well done, the heroine - named Melodious Aquamarine - parts ways with the party to look after Clara''s parents, who could become potential targets of retaliation by the Order. Some days later, the party enters the Jaguar Lands where they met a young man named Tizoc. This nature warrior reveals he met Clara in the past, and claimed to have traveled since coming of age to look for her. Despite Clara turning down his declaration, Tizoc informed the group that poachers were in the area and quickly find out they had made a base at a nearby keep. After making a reservation at the inn of Ezmestli, the group marches towards the keep, which was actually occupied by a group from the Order of the Blue Jay led by a babau demon. Once these forces of evil are defeated, Tizoc elects to train the survivors (who had been coerced into joining the Order before switching sides) and promises to train them into proper defenders of Ezmestli. This way, Lenoria and co. can continue their journey in peace, but Lenoria promises to ask Gabrielle Bisset for any information regarding the Order of the Blue Jay. With the trip to Thule nearing its end, the party falls victim to a strange fog that causes anyone who breathes it to fall asleep. Clara, thanks to her physiology, is immune to the fog, and seeks out the culprit responsible behind its creation. She quickly locates him in a deeper section of the mountains and challenges him to a duel. When things didn''t look good for Clara, she nearly freed herself from her adversary''s vines when Caesar returns with cannon fire. The two challenge the master of the fog, and together they emerge victorious, winning the Cepheus Soulstone for their trouble. Caesar reveals to Lenoria and co. that he and his crew, along with Aquamarine, had been hired by Constable Richards himself to look after Lenoria. When asked why, he reveals something horrifying. Starflower, former headmaster of the Artificers Guild, had escaped from jail. From his side, Starflower plots his revenge as he rests in Hammer''s Reach. However, a newspaper article brought him up to speed on the tragic explosion that occurred not long after he was arrested... Chapter 46 - Doomed Village "No. No!!!" Lenoria sank to her knees in anguish, pounding the mountain soil with her fists in an effort to vent her years'' worth of pent-up anger. The news delivered to her were the last thing she ever wanted to hear, and all she could do now was stain the ground with her tears. "How did Starflower get out?" "If it makes you feel any better," Aquamarine said, "he and the mob boss made it to the top five of the nation''s most wanted fugitives. Pretty soon, everyone in Helix is going to be looking for them." "Is that why you''re here, Aquamarine?" Clara asked. "Not at first. I was relaxing with your parents on the night of the escape when all of a sudden, a speeding vehicle caught my attention. The Constable chased after it with his own vehicle, but he suffered a terrible accident." Lenoria''s wailing grew louder and louder, prompting Alistair to comfort her with a hug. "It will be alright, Lenoria. They will be brought to justice." "The Constable is fine, Lenoria. But he had to be hospitalized." Aquamarine continued. "I chased after the vehicle with Mr. Horsey. Turns out the driver was none other than Horseface himself. He had been found in one of his warehouses and ran away. He was heading for the city gate and he caused the gate to collapse just as I was about to catch up to him. That''s when the pirates saved me-" "With my trusty rope," Caesar interjected. "...but Horseface got away. When the Constable came to, he struck a deal with the pirates. If they protected Lenoria until Horseface and Starflower were caught, then their crimes would be forgiven." "Once he found out we already met before and what happened at the compound, he had an easier time trusting us." Caesar raised his cutlass confidently. "We''ll take care of you, so turn that frown upside down. I can''t stand seeing a pretty girl cry." Not to be outdone by Caesar, Alistair gently raised Lenoria''s tear-stained face by the chin. "We''ll protect you from Starflower if he ever comes after you. Cry if you must; I''ll be here beside you," he finished with a smile. Nodding quietly, Lenoria then leaned on the boy''s chest. "Thanks, Al. I-I know you will." "Yeah, we''ll help you, for better or worse," Cecilia said. "Besides, you saved our bacon back at the compound. Smart girl like you can find a way to get that scrawny elf''s ass back in jail." Lenoria was still saddened by the news. Constable Richards had been hospitalized and two of the nation''s most dangerous criminals had escaped from jail. But after reassurance from Cecilia and Alistair, she stopped crying. She had to come up with a plan, but first she had to cross the border. "Thanks, everyone." *** 23rd of Cobre, 9pm, 1659 (three days prior) ~Starflower~ "The Drunken Chef," Starflower read the sign of the inn he arrived in. He knocked on the wooden door despite the lights being off, and knocked again when there was no response. Then, footsteps. They got closer and closer, but the door had yet to open. "We''re closed," said a gruff voice from the other side. "Rooms are full and there''s no food. Find lodging somewhere else." Despite the rude remark, Starflower feigned politeness and even put on a smile. "I''m willing to sleep by the fire, friend. I can pay twice as much for the stay, but please let me in. I''ve traveled far and I''m hungry." "I said we have no-" The old man was interrupted by the muffled voice of a woman. Much younger than him, Starflower thought, so she must have been a niece or daughter. He heard the sound of a latch not long after, and the door opened to reveal a middle-aged orc male walking with a limp. "Come in, but I''m serious about the food. You''re out of luck for coming here, traveler." Starflower bowed politely and went inside, closing the door behind him. A young girl offered to take his coat, but when he politely declined, she immediately went for the door and locked it up with a triad of latches. He noticed a handful of people seated at the tables, some licking day-old crumbs at the table and a lucky few gnawing on rat bones. "Has a famine struck here recently?" The orc proprietor limped his way to the counter and grabbed a stool to sit on. "Not a famine, but we did get our share of vermin." He shot a hardened look at some of the people at the tables. "And the ones who fed them." "How were we supposed to know, Lewis?" One of the patrons asked. "They''ve never done this before!" "Really?" Lewis, the orc proprietor, slammed his fist on the counter. "The Order convinces all of you to turn my inn upside down, loot it, set an angry mob on a group of innocent people, and you seriously didn''t expect them to betray you once they had no use for you?!" "The Order?" Starflower was intrigued, but for now he elected not to intrude. "They said they were sorry, and they were hungry!" Another patron argued, but Lewis wasn''t having it. "Sorry doesn''t quite cut it, does it? You fed them and now they won''t go away. Caravans have stopped trading with us, and those Blue Jays just so happened to have more food with them after a while. And anyone who goes out to get help doesn''t come back. Think about it! For once in your lives, take a look at the bigger picture!" The patrons sank their heads, some looking guiltier than others. "Petty squabbles at best. None of my concern." Starflower set a handful of gold coins down on the counter and found a spot by the chimney. He sat down to look at the fire, still somewhat intrigued at the ongoing conversation. "Lewis, we have no other choice. We have to take their deal." An elven woman spoke from the crowd. "Old Man George went over to their side and got his youth back just for going over to them. We just need to be humble and fair, as the Hammer has taught us." "We are not making deals with demons, Elder! They are the ones who started this in the first place!" "How do we even know they''re dealing with demons? And even if that was true, what else are we supposed to do, Lewis? Starve?" "Better to starve than to damn ourselves!" Lewis''s anger was not quelled in the slightest. "Look at yourselves! Our founding fathers named this village Hammer''s Reach because they believed in the Hammer to provide for them. And how do you thank him? You chase one of his paladins out of town by listening to a band of terrorists! And now you want to make deals with demons?! It''s no wonder the gods have forsaken us!" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Starflower''s ears perked up at the mention of a paladin. With a side glance, he paid closer attention to the troubles of the village. "Calm down, Lewis. I was thinking we should all get together and beg for food. Maybe the Blue Jays are feeling merciful lately." Lewis shook his head disapprovingly. "You''ll be begging to the wrong people. They obviously made sure our food deliveries never made it here by trading with them before they even made it here. They''re hoarding our food, and they hope to make some sort of dark deal with us for basic necessities. If you march there and beg for it, you''ll be playing right into their hands." "Lewis, we-" "Shut it, you old hag. It''s only been a week since this started and we''re already out of food and most of the guards are either dead or switched over to the Blue Jays. If these people have any sense left in them, they should put your leadership up to vote." Lewis stood up. "I''m out of here. Allie, get your stuff. We''re going on a trip." The young girl from earlier stopped sweeping the floor and set her broom down. "Where are we going, Dad?" "We''re going to Thule. Maybe there we''ll find Alistair and his friends and beg for their forgiveness. I''ll work a lifetime if I have to if it means we can get food back on our table." The Elder ran up to Lewis. "Where''s your integrity, old man? If you leave now, this inn won''t belong to you anymore." "I''m not planning to come back. I''ve always been a nomad, and my little girl deserves to be in a place where the people who tried to cut off her hands aren''t revered as heroes." "You''re nuts! Do you think the Blue Jays will just let you walk out? There are rumors that they can find a background on people no matter how much they stray from society! They probably have eyes everywhere and dirt on just about anyone!" "I have to try!" "You won''t survive out there." All eyes shifted to Starflower when he finally spoke. "Not with a limp like that." Lewis looked at the elf indignantly. "Stay out of this, traveler. My mind is made up." Starflower smiled cockily. "I know a ranger''s garb when I see one, Mr... Lewis, right? You should know better than anyone that the wilderness is unforgiving. As strong as you think you might be, all a wild animal needs to do in order to win is capitalize on your weakness. It doesn''t even need to be a wild animal; what if bandits shot you on your bad leg?" "I can always patch it up," Lewis argued back. "That may be, but without a single healing spell at your disposal, you can only get so far. If you''re too reckless, you may end up losing your life. Who will look after your daughter then?" "I assume you''re not speaking out of the kindness of your heart, traveler." "You assume correctly. I''m speaking out of interest." Starflower waited for the murmurs to die down before he continued. "What if I got rid of your problem for you? All I request in exchange is food and a look at your records. I need to know who''s stayed here in the past week." Lewis seemed skeptical, but a shrug from his daughter convinced him to inquire further instead of turning it down. "That is confidential. Our guests need their privacy, you see. For what reason do you need to know that?" "Nothing sinister, sir," Starflower lied. "I''m looking for my friends. Nothing more." Lewis was hesitant to divulge the information. "I don''t like the looks of this guy, but if he can save the town..." "I see there''s some trust issues in the air. That''s fine, it''s not like it''s important or anything," the former headmaster said sarcastically. "W-wait!" The Elder grabbed a book from the counter. "H-he''s just kidding! Humor is how we''re coping with this situation right now. Please forgive us." "Why you-" Lewis shook his fist but the Elder shushed him and followed that with some whispering. "You were getting ready to leave, weren''t you? Plus, what''s the harm of sending some meat to the grinder? Suck it up and play along." Like an angry dog, Lewis bared his teeth but did nothing as Starflower browsed through the check-in book. The former headmaster went back several pages until he reached the morning of the 16th, where he found something interesting.
16th of Cobre Lenoria T., Alistair A., Clara A. - Check-in time: Late as hell. Rutherford S., Jo Jo, Valerie Kovaleva - Check-in time: Late as hell.
"She was here. And what''s this?" Starflower had to focus on restraining a grin, but a chortle escaped him. "What''s so funny?" "Sorry, it''s just...who names their kid ''Rutherford?'' It''s so old-fashioned." Starflower was only telling half the truth; he found it hard to believe that Ms. Sarnai''s husband also stayed at the inn on the same night Lenoria did and needed confirmation. "Now that you mention it..." Lewis looked at the page Starflower was on. "That''s around the time Spark checked in." Bingo. "It sounds to me like you don''t like him." "He''s the one leading the Blue Jays," the Elder said. "It''ll be hard to miss him, if you decide to get rid of them for us. He''s the loudest one of the bunch." Starflower closed the book. He had seen enough. He handed it back to Lewis, content with his findings. "No sign of my friends here, unfortunately. But as promised, I''ll get rid of the Order for you." "Excellent!" The Elder clapped happily. "Do you, um, need any help?" "You''ll only get in the way. Rest easy, though; you''ll be free by tomorrow night." "T-tomorrow? We can''t wait that long!" "It''s a shame, but I had a long day. I''ll need to restore my spells to stand a chance against the Order. Now, if you would like to hire someone else instead-" "No need! Please rest up for tomorrow!" "Good. I''ll be sure to make it a spectacle worth the wait. That, I can promise." Starflower went back to his spot by the fire and sat back down on the warm wooden floor. Opening up a purple tome, he brainstormed for different ways to handle the Order of the Blue Jay. He was no hero, but building his reputation back up after the heavy blow it took for defending Thomas could help with his long-term plans. Revenge could wait. While it came up too soon for his liking, he wasn''t about to miss the opportunity to reward Nurse Sarnai for her role in his escape. After a brief glance at the wedding band, he reminded himself to prepare a [Scrying] spell the following morning. *** 24th of Cobre, 5:21am, 1659 But Starflower could only get a fraction of what he wanted to sleep. Despite wandering for over twenty-four hours in the wilderness, his body would not let him rest. Images of students burning in a fire haunted his dreams, and every single time the dream would culminate with someone crying. First it was Sarnai, then Thomas, and on his last dream... Lenoria. Starflower awoke early in the morning in cold sweat. He sat up feeling stiff from sleeping on the hard floor. Those sleeping around him had given him a wide berth despite the place being cramped as it was. At first, he believed they were being polite, but one good sniff of himself made him wince. "I need a bath." "Awake already?" Lewis was the only other person awake and had used this chance to clean the tankards that had carelessly been strewn about. "One of our guests stormed out because of our ''poor service.'' Which means a room opened up, and I''m giving you priority for the favor you''re going to do for us. Plus, you''re stinking up the place." He tossed a key at Starflower, who caught it flawlessly. "Hmph. Poor service, indeed," Starflower mumbled. "You say something?" "I said I''m deeply grateful, friend," the elf lied. "This is my chance for a bath and some proper rest. I have a plan for the Order, but I will need everyone''s cooperation. I do not wish to be disturbed until noon. Is that clear?" Lewis snarled, but he nodded with compliance. "Just don''t forget. You promised we''ll be free by tonight." Starflower was halfway up the stairs before he turned back to Lewis. "Have a little faith. I used to be an adventurer, but the call to teach won me over." He waved at the man dismissively before continuing his ascent to the next floor. He glanced at the key to see the room number he had been given, and once he found a matching number on the door, he inserted the key into its lock until he heard a latch and opened the door. Once inside, he wasted no time to strip and entered the bathroom. After he filled the wooden tub with warm water, he slinked inside and seated himself. "Much better." Starflower meditated on the dreams that had horrified even himself. They were too vivid to be just dreams. He recalled burning his hands trying to save his students but failed every single time. How many stars flickered out that day? How many dreams ended in that sea of flames? He thought back on his adventuring days. He wished to return to those days, if only for a little while. "Olen, old friend. When was the last time we shared a pint?" Interlude - Jean Starflower 23rd of Hong, 3:32 pm, 1620 The roar of the mighty white dragon echoed across the snowy alps of Ulysses Crossing. For weeks, the beast had rampaged the area, killing cattle, innocents, and adventurers bold enough to seek it out and face it. The people of the small town - about 6000 and change strong - always watched the skies during the day and stayed in their homes at night in fear of the creature. The snowy town was already cold, but the temperature would drop even lower just from the dragon''s sheer presence. It was polite enough not to intrude into people''s homes, but anyone found outside was unfortunately fair game. A brave adventuring duo were on their way home from the Jaguar Lands when they heard the news of the dragon rampaging the alps. A young elf wizard named Jean Starflower and a dwarven warrior/alchemist named Olen Kjellsson were divided on the issue. The people of Ulysses Crossing didn''t have a lot of gold to offer, which was a dealbreaker for Starflower. Olen, however, wanted to help the people even if they couldn''t offer much. The people''s pleas for help and sorrowful eyes were all it took to convince him. A compromise was made with a bet. Whoever slew the dragon would choose the next destination. No drinking contests, drawing straws, or playing a game of Pin the Tail on the Rust Monster; this time, the next destination on their way home would be picked by the winner of a test of might. That was good enough for Starflower, and Olen would get to help the local people of the alps. What was the plan? The two waited for nightfall before going out to the dragon''s typical hunting ground at an isolated street in the village''s business district. Dwarves like Olen were short but stout, either from fat or muscle, which for a dragon it would be like eating a potato. Surely enough, once Olen stood out alone in the street, the beast swooped down from the sky and nearly caught the dwarf with one bite. But Olen was ready. By timing things right, the dwarf dove behind a conveniently-placed barrel which provided enough cover for the dragon to second-guess itself. "Now, Jean!" Starflower had hidden inside a wooden crate, and Olen''s signal, he fired a pellet from his fingertips in the direction of the dragon. The small pellet then expanded into a massive orb of fire - easily 10 feet in diameter. A great explosion set the immediate area in flames...including the barrel of explosives Olen had used for cover. The explosion blew Olen away into a small, condemned building while the dragon roared in agony. The roar from earlier was not to signal the beast''s terrifying presence, but rather its defeat, as it burned in a sea of flames. "Sie werden daf¨¹r bezahlen," the dragon cursed in its ancient tongue. The beast''s blurred vision soon met with Starflower''s unmoving gaze on it. "Elf. Wie k?nnen Sie es wagen, mir das anzutun?" A squelching sound came from the dragon''s charred neck after Starflower lunged a dagger at it. Blood spurted out of the beast as it now collapsed from the finishing blow. "You had the misfortune of getting in my way." Starflower used the snow on the ground to moisturize the dagger and delicately wiped the blood off with a handkerchief. He heard groaning in the distance which made him sigh with an annoyed expression. "Get up, Olen. No need to oversell your injury to a crowd that can''t see you." Olen rose to his feet from the wooden debris. "Thor''s pecs, son," the dwarf said as he wiped the dust off, "that burned hotter than my asshole on chili night!" A rather unpleasant memory came to Starflower''s mind. "Don''t remind me. I still think a bear died in the woods that night. It''s the better alternative than what I actually witnessed." "Don''t be a sourpuss, Star. One more of those could have actually killed me." Starflower shrugged and smiled at the dwarf. "You and I know damn well I couldn''t kill you on my best day. You''re as stubborn as a mule and three times as ugly." "Whether it''s some silly little elf or a mighty dragon, at least I''d go down like a warrior. As is tradition in my homeland, anyone dying a warrior''s death is welcomed into the halls of Valhalla. To eat and drink to my heart''s content, I would never come back to this hellhole of a planet!" "You got me there." The two men laughed away before bumping fists. Now that the dragon had died, the people of Ulysses Crossing were free to come out once again. One by one, the townsfolk emerged from their hiding places and each one would cheer whenever they saw the dragon''s charred corpse. To this day, the people of Ulysses Crossing talk about how an elf and a dwarf - two races known to be rivals - worked together to take down one of the world''s most terrifying creatures. The two had become best friends over the course of their adventure, their final stop being Helix City... *** 5th of Nuhas (the fourth month), 3pm, 1655 "Mr. Starflower?" The knock on the door woke Starflower from his nap. He would dream of his last adventure with Olen occasionally and look back on those days fondly. "Yes," he answered to the voice on the other side of the door. "Would you like me to bring you something from the restaurant? It''s Fish and Chips Day." "That won''t be necessary, Ms. Tyler. I''m going out for lunch later with an old friend. Thank you, anyway." It was 35 years since they last traveled together, but Starflower always kept in touch with his old friend and would always visit him at least once a month. Today just happened to be the date for that monthly visit. "You''re welcome, Mr. Starflower. By the way, your afternoon appointment is here." Starflower had been counting his coins when he heard of the appointment. "Oh, right. Another enrollment interview. What''s the name?" "Tsukino, sir." "Tsukino? That''s a name I haven''t heard of before." "She''s come all the way from across the world, sir. She''s the only one who came out of this year''s entrance exams with a perfect score." A coin rolled on the ground, in due part of Starflower being astonished by this revelation. Students at the Guild enrolled by taking an entrance exam, and only those with an acceptable score - 55 or higher - would proceed to the next stage, which was an interview with the headmaster himself. Here, the student and headmaster would discuss important matters such as career paths, long-term goals, and payment plans. Starflower himself had enrolled not long upon his arrival in Helix City, taking the entrance exam back in 1621 and graduating near the top of his class in 1625. Due to his adventure with Olen, he had arrived at the institution full of himself, acing every test and winning every magic duel against the resident bullies. But his spot at the top was eventually taken by other ambitious magicians, and by the time he graduated, he was a new man, modest and with more empathy. But his hunger for knowledge never left him. He eventually made his way back to the Guild and applied to teach there. One thing led to another, and he eventually took the position of headmaster. His new responsibilities included interviewing the students, management of the Guild itself, and, of course, being the direct boss for the rest of the faculty. The job came with its share of perks, the big draw for him being unlimited access to the Guild Library. Even as headmaster, Starflower had no way to know the test results of the entrance exams until the day of the relevant appointments. For the purpose of checks and balances, he couldn''t simply handpick someone from the streets and give them a spot in the Guild''s student body. So, when he heard that a girl from across the world aced the tests given to her, he was immediately impressed by this accomplishment. "Ms. Tyler, are you absolutely sure? Only a handful of people in the history of the Guild, including myself, have passed the exams with a perfect score." "We checked the results fifty different times, sir. It''s no hoax." Starflower set his coins aside and adjusted his black tie. "Then delay her no longer. Send her in." The headmaster sat down and felt relief when the woman quickened her pace back to the school elevator. A girl from across the world...a genius? Whoever she was, she must be a prodigy back at her homeland if she passed the exam in a land she''s never set foot on before. This was a chance for Starflower to take in an apprentice and teach her everything he knew. Perhaps she''s pursuing alchemy or could even be an apprentice wizard. Or maybe she''ll even pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, something he himself had helped advance during his tenure as headmaster of the Guild and even wrote a book about how anyone can prepare to become an artificer, the masters of mechanical engineering. It was thanks to Olen''s knowledge in alchemy that he wrote a book about the subject, and it was praised as one of the best-sellers of its time. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He was given no more time to think when there was another knock on the door. "You may enter," said the headmaster. A wrinkly older woman opened the door for a younger girl. The young blonde girl wore a long-sleeved pure white silk blouse, khaki cotton slacks, and an orange vest with multiple pockets on top of the blouse. She seemed to have a bashful disposition, refusing to make eye contact even when the headmaster invited her to sit down. With a nod, the headmaster dismissed the older woman, who closed the door and resumed with her day. Sensing distress and anxiety from the girl seated on the other side of his desk, the headmaster offered some comforting words. "Whatever guides you read about what to do or say in interviews, I would like for you to forget about them. I only ask that you answer honestly and relax your posture. We at the Guild don''t care about your background, as long as you bring the results we desire. Am I clear enough so far?" The girl nodded meekly but offered no response. "It''s like talking to a wall." Taking a deep breath, Starflower took the girl''s silence as a yes. "Very well. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your perfect score. Very few people make it past the 90-point mark on the entrance exam, let alone 100. You are something special, Ms. Tsukino, and we would love for you to join the Guild." The girl''s irises shifted upwards a tiny bit, looking in the headmaster''s general direction without making direct eye contact. "R-really?" "Indeed. However, there are still rules we must follow, and for that reason I must proceed with the interview and ask some questions. Are you ready to begin?" "Y-yes, sir." Starflower proceeded with the interview questions. Each question uncovered a little about the young girl. Her name was Lenoria Tsukino, second born child out of five who studied at a public school at the Great Plateau named The Institution of the Black Wheel. Her parents appeared to have some considerable level in their education, but both had given that up to pursue their dreams and start a family. What drew Lenoria to the Guild were the books about Helix City itself, and the idea of building machines enticed her so much that she braved a three-month trip across the ocean just for a chance to learn how to make them. Her long-term goal was to build a machine for the betterment of humanity but had no idea how to go about that. Starflower was satisfied with the answers the girl provided for the more relevant questions. He was familiar with the history of the Great Plateau, which was once led by an ambitious khan centuries ago, and thus feared this girl would have been an illiterate savage. But her growing confidence, her speech mannerisms, and knowledge of every subject at the Guild took him by surprise. There was no way her presence would give the institution a bad image. "Last question, Ms. Tsukino. What is one subject in modern-day teaching that you dislike, but know in your heart of hearts is necessary to teach to the masses?" "Astronomy." Once the girl had gauged Starflower''s personality, she grew confident with each response and answered most questions assertively. This one was no exception. "People have been using the stars to guide them since the old days. I''m not too fond of it because you need to be a math expert to study it properly, not to mention some pseudoscientists have birthed their own philosophy saying that the placement of the stars determines our personality and fate from birth. I mean, from personal experience, apparently my sign is supposed to mesh well with two particular signs, but all the boys I met under those signs just weren''t compatible at all. I''m not one to take people''s joy away and I say nothing around the suburban moms who believe in it; what irks me is the scammers that try to make a profit out of it by tailoring it to be irrefutable." Starflower had his own opinions on the matter, but for the sake of neutrality, he couldn''t agree or disagree until the interview was over. "Irrefutable? Explain yourself." "It goes like this. Hello, Mr. So-And-So, your fortune for the day is that you avoid making impulsive decisions. That''ll be 40 gold, please." "But...that advice could really be applied to anyone." "Exactly! Those fortune readings use vagueness to give a sense of personal feeling to anyone who reads them. Even science doesn''t claim to have all the answers because science in a nutshell can be described as a never-ending journey of discovery. If you try to read the future using star movements just for the sake of curiosity, by all means, don''t let me stop you. But when you pass it as a better and cheaper alternative than actual divination magic, let alone astronomy, you not only bastardize science, but you also bastardize astronomy itself! Heck, this was proven to be the case back in 1461 when Dr. Ellie Maxwell took part of a social experiment that ultimately dismissed this practice as a pseudoscience!" In the ears of the public, this would have caused an uproar. Your average scientist would never accept the placement of stars as a form of fortunetelling or psychology, but even they would never say the things Lenoria just said out loud unless they wanted to be ostracized by certain groups in society. Starflower continued listening as Lenoria spoke about the subject passionately. This was definitely something that had been bugging her, and the unfortunate reality was that if your point in a debate was tempered by personal bias, it was less credible. But this wasn''t a debate for Starflower; it was a teachable moment. "You make some valid points, Tsukino. But you have to remember that science is not about personal bias. Sure, it''s a wonderful thing when science proves us right, but it''s even better when we''re proven wrong." "Y-yes, sir," Lenoria bowed her head. "I''m not in trouble for going on that rant, am I?" "On the contrary. Pointing out the flaws of any study and standing your ground is an admirable trait I''d like to see in my students. It means you either have done extensive research on the subject that you feel 100% sure that your point is correct or you''re currently speaking about something you''re ignorant about and you''re brave enough to be proven wrong. And seeing as you''ve spoken about the subject matter with such passion, I can see you are most certainly the former. It''s okay to be wrong, as long as you keep an open mind to correct your mistakes." Starflower''s praise made Lenoria blush. "T-thank you, sir." "But there''s something I want you to understand," he added solemnly. "We can''t condemn the crowds for believing in something such as star divination unless it directly endangers their lives. It''s an ancient practice that has been used for centuries, and even though modern astronomers have labeled the practice as obsolete, we must still be grateful to it for pointing us in the right direction. Sure, the scammers use it to make fake divinations vague enough to make each person give them a different meaning, but using the stars for navigation and even as magical foci is something that has been done long before either of us was born. Do you understand what I mean?" "Wow..." Lenoria expressed bewilderment from Starflower''s wisdom. "I have a lot to learn." "Do not worry, you have four years to get this lesson drilled into your head." Starflower rose from his seat and extended his hand across the desk. "Welcome to the Artificers Guild, Lenoria Tsukino." An adorable squeal escaped Lenoria as she shook the headmaster''s hand, but she quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. "S-sorry, sir. It''s just-" "No harm done. All that''s left is the method of payment for your tuition." "Oh, no worries. I got it right here." Lenoria dug through her coin purse. "Crap, I didn''t bring enough. Sage!" Moments later, despite the protests of the older woman from earlier, an orcish man wearing a simple karate gi slammed the door open. "What is it?" "Do you have the rest of the tuition fee?" "Oh, sorry. I got it right here." Starflower observed as the strange man dug through his own coin purse to count every single gold coin inside. What was even stranger was that the man had two right hands - his left hand had a thumb on the left side instead of the right - and could only wait patiently until both of them finished counting the coins and presented them to Starflower. "Then the matter is settled. This will help take care of the Guild''s funds as well as your tuition." Starflower smiled warmly. "If you have any questions, don''t hesitate to reach out." *** 24th of Cobre, 6:05am, 1659 Starflower roamed the rooftop of the charred remains of the Artificers Guild. He hoped to see its remains with his own eyes after reading the newspaper article and having the nightmares earlier that night. He believed Lewis to be a man of his word and didn''t worry about anyone disturbing his new room in order to find him, but he had to wrap up his business quickly just in case. The Guild building was mostly intact. Some of the floors had collapsed, but the outer frame and foundation proved sturdy enough to keep everything else in place. The lower floors received most of the damage while the outside of his office on the roof remained mostly intact. He used a key he had to unlock his office door and entered. To his horror, everything on the walls to his left and right had been turned to ashes or burnt beyond recognition. Every book he opened had its pages collapse into ashen remains. His own award trophies had been melted and hardened into an unshapely mess, and even his own office supplies had not escaped the damage and were nowhere to be found. His next stop was the inner courtyard. According to the newspaper article, epitaphs honoring the fallen had been placed in the outdoor garden at the center of the Guild, so he quietly made his way there to offer his respects. He knew every single name in the epitaphs he read - some were troublemakers while others were stars of their class - but at the end of the day, they were all the same when they had been burned alive and buried six feet under elsewhere. The only epitaph for the student body he could not find was Omar Hassan''s, who had been confirmed to be the bomber thanks to eyewitness accounts. Then, he reached the faculty epitaphs. All of them gave him pause, but the one that truly drove him over the edge was...
In memory of Evelyn Tyler Loving wife Caring mother Doting grandmother And a shoulder for everyone at the Guild for the past 30 years 1597 - 1659
The elven headmaster sank to his knees in tears. Despair settled in as all he could see in his mind were the images of his students burning in the fire and Lenoria and Sarnai in tears. Adding to those images was that of the secretary who loyally worked for him, even after he built his reputation for being cold and ruthless. The last time he had seen her was right before his fated meeting with Gabrielle Bisset, where just minutes before the elderly secretary had excused herself to take her lunch break at the Guild cafeteria. "I''m sorry, Ms. Tyler. Tsukino may have deceived me, but I had no reason to drag you into this feud. Thank you for your years of service." He was not an expert in oneiromancy, but his own interpretation of the dreams had a single meaning. The students who died, the instructors who worked for him, the girl he bullied, and the nurse he deceived...all suffered because of him. His moment of internal agony was interrupted with a sudden blunt force to the back of his head. Down but not out, Starflower recognized the voice of his assailant and his uncaring tone. "Get up." "What is he doing here?" Grabbing the back of his head, Starflower was grateful his attacker was at least lenient enough to give him the chance to stand up and defend himself. "Gardens. I should have your job for this." Instructor Gardens, with a staff in hand, had assumed a defensive stance in preparation for a counterattack. His blue robes and red cape flowed gently with the wind. "Funny choice of words, but jail must have gotten a few screws loose. Last I checked, you were no longer headmaster. Miss Bisset was considerate enough to name me the new headmaster before she left. Be grateful I didn''t blast you to oblivion." His internal turmoil quelled but not completely gone, Starflower''s smug face returned if only to put up a false front. "Really? And why, pray tell, have you elected for mercy and not vengeance?" "Because I have questions. Questions only you can answer." Instructor Gardens lowered his staff. "Tell me what possessed you to do everything you did. Lenoria was a model student, despite her handicap and the decline her grades suffered. Clara said she was incredibly sweet, too, until your policies and your thugs broke her spirit. If you want to return to jail alive, you will tell me the truth." "And here we see your true colors, Gardens. Meek like a guinea pig when in reality you''re as murderous as a cassowary caring for his chicks." Starflower kept his composure, but assigning Gardens as the new headmaster was not without its merit. He would have a tough fight in his hands if he didn''t comply. But he wasn''t planning to go back to jail. "Very well," he said, "I shall tell you everything. But if I see so much as your fingers twitch, you''ll never see me again." Chapter 47 - The Palm of Death "You really want to know everything, Gardens?" Starflower forcefully closed his fist. "She''s not the sweet and innocent girl you think she is." "We shall see about that." With one tap of his staff, Headmaster Gardens conjured a floating candle lit with an amethyst-colored flame. "This candle of truth shall take the truth out of you. If you want to win even a modicum of my trust, you''ll submit to its enchantment." Starflower expected no less from his former colleague. "Very well, I accept. Let''s start from the time after I granted Tsukino her interview. I went to visit an old friend of mine, and..." ---------- 5th of Nuhas, 3pm, 1655 Once Lenoria left the Guild after the interview, Starflower took a stroll during his lunch hour. The day was only halfway done for him, and he needed a boost in energy if he was going to make it through the rest of the day. The fresh air outdoors was enough to rejuvenate his spirit, but his body hungered for nourishment. Luckily, he didn''t have to walk for long when he found his next destination. The Dragon''s Hoard, a general goods store, which always had a varied selection of hot foods and snacks along with the mundane necessities people needed in their daily lives. Starflower opened the door which, to his surprise, was pushed by a couple of horsefolk in black suits. One of them bluffed a charge, yelled "Boo!" and smirked when Starflower stood his ground without flinching. The two horse men laughed all the way to the next corner, after which the elf rolled his eyes and went inside the store. "Olen, you old goat. Where are you?" "Over here." A disgruntled voice could be heard from behind the counter. A pair of hands slammed a tankard and a bottle on the countertop before Olen himself rose to his feet and poured himself a pint. "Ah, Jean. It''s been a while. Have a seat anywhere, lad. I''ll get you something." The two men were youths during their adventuring days, but the difference between dwarven and elven physiology was clear as day. While Starflower appeared like he hadn''t aged a day - his silver hair always a vibrant color - Olen''s hair had shifted from a colorful brown to a dull gray over the past 35 years. Starflower was at the healthy age of 156 but Olen was past the average dwarf''s prime years at the age of 140. Olen excused himself to look for a second tankard at the back of the store. Meanwhile, Starflower took note of the store''s current state. Some of the merchandise had gathered dust, and there was no hot food on the stone oven. He spotted cobwebs on the ceiling corners with no spiders anywhere in sight. Several envelopes had been stacked on a shelf right under the counter, the top one reading "IMPORTANT. MUST READ." in bold red letters. "I hafta tell ya, Jean, the older you get, the more stuff you forget. It doesn''t always take this long to find a simple mug." Olen returned with a wooden tankard and slammed it on the counter. Opening the bottle again, he poured a pint on the new tankard before sliding it over to Starflower. "What brings you here, anyway? Don''t they have a cafeteria at that there Guild of yours?" "I was more in the mood for dwarven cuisine. Besides, today''s the 5th." "It is?" Olen reached for a small booklet on a shelf under his counter. He flipped the pages, and when he finally stopped, he couldn''t believe what he saw. "So, it is. And you paid for the venue last time, didn''t you? Guess it''s my turn." Starflower stood up and walked over to one of the counters of dried goods. He looked over at the dried fruits and meat before deciding on a jar with dried fish on a stick. He brought it over to Olen before opening it up and grabbed a piece. "I have less than an hour before I have to return to the Guild. Why don''t you just cover these, and we call it even?" "Are you sure? There''s a new eatery across the street and I thought it would be nice to try it out." Starflower, ever the curious sort, glanced over at the glass front door, and through it he saw a new store that had opened up across the street. "Antonio''s Trattoria and General Goods," the elf said aloud. The sign listed basic household necessities as well as cuisine he had never heard of before. A line had formed outside with people from all kinds of different backgrounds and creeds, which was overwhelming compared to Olen''s desolated store. That''s when Starflower put two and two together. "Those foreigners from the neighboring province are putting you out of business?" Olen gave his friend a sad smile. "You were always the smart one out of our little duet. Odds are you won''t see me again after today." Starflower snapped the stick in his hand in half with a single motion. "Olen, you are simply in the middle of a rough patch." Starflower was never good with words, but he did his best for Olen''s sake. "They may offer more exotic foods, but you hail from the frozen continent of the south pole. You are proof that this economy needs more people like you. Where else will you find dried meats, fruit, and fish with your own personal blend of spices?" "It''s not just that, Jean." Olen sighed. "I didn''t tell you this, but six months ago, I caught my wife cheating with the milkman. She convinced me to give her another chance, only to turn around and file for divorce behind my back. She''s...she''s taking half of my earnings, so now I don''t have enough money to pay the vendors and barely had enough to pay this month''s rent for the house and business." "Didn''t I warn you it was a bad idea to marry that woman? She worked at a brothel before you came along!" Olen slammed his fist furiously on the counter. "And this is why I didn''t tell you until now. Don''t you think I know that? I''m going to lose everything, including my kids, and all you can say is ''I told you so''?" The words of anger were enough to push Starflower back a little. The elf gritted his teeth, but he lacked a retort. "You''re right. I''m...sorry, Olen. I truly wish I could help." Olen''s fury quickly subsided and he, too, expressed guilt over the words he spoke at the height of his emotions. "No, part of it is my fault. Things were always tougher for us whenever I deviated from your plans. I should have listened to you." "Love makes you stupid," the elf said bluntly. "But that just means you''re the one who cared in this relationship. If you don''t mind me doing so, I''ll pay that judge of yours a visit tomorrow and ask for leniency." "You''d do that?" Olen gave Starflower a hopeful stare. "Please don''t say that if you don''t mean it." "Don''t worry about it. You saved my hide more times than I can count. There''s no telling if this will work, but even at the worst-case scenario, I can offer you a job at the Guild. Even a custodian''s pay is decent when you work there." "Well," the dwarf said after a pause, "okay. I''ll trust your judgment, Jean. I would prefer if you can save my business if you can help it. I''m not exactly keen on cleaning up piss and vomit every day." Starflower laughed at that, causing Olen to do the same. No matter what monsters they faced, things always turned out for the best as long as they kept on smiling. They talked and snacked for a little longer until Starflower had to return to the Guild. He left a gold coin behind on the counter and made his way out. "Uh, Jean-" "Keep it. I know that jar of fish isn''t worth that much, but I''ll be paying for our food until you get back on your feet." "Jean, I can''t accept this!" "Then pay me back once business is booming again." ---------- "Let me get this straight," Headmaster Gardens said, "you''re angry at Lenoria because...immigrants took your friend''s job?" "Don''t undermine Olen''s situation," Starflower warned. "It gets worse." ---------- At first, things got better because Olen and I fought the system. Olen''s wife smeared his name and dragged it through the mud so that the crowds would be on her side. Thankfully, her "evidence" was full of holes, and not only was Olen granted full custody of his kids, but he was allowed to keep his profits. In no small part with the evidence I brought forth. One night, he decided to throw a party both for his victory and in my honor. he invited as many people as he could. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Little did I know that would be the night where everything changed. 12th of Argenti (the sixth month), 9pm, 1655 After a long day at the Guild, Starflower used one of the Guild''s bathrooms to wash himself and get ready for the party he was invited to. Olen was determined to thank his friend for everything, and he wasn''t taking no for an answer. The Guild''s semester had officially begun earlier that week, and after the day he had - which included consoling Lenoria after she had been sprayed by skunk musk courtesy of Anne Steiner - he made sure to clean himself as thoroughly as possible as to not bring a foul stench to his own party. What greeted him at Olen''s shop, however, was not loud music and festivities; rather, it was the police in the middle of a crime scene. Two officers - a little green man with pointy ears and a small scaly creature, both dressed in blue - stood at the entrance as if to block the way in. Crowds had gathered outside the shop, wondering what was going on. More officers stood on the road, blocking the way for vehicles to get through and one unlucky driver had to turn around and make a detour to reach his destination. The scene extended to Antonio''s Trattoria, where the sidewalk and the glass door had been stained with blood, and even more officers stood at the scene where they questioned the civilians inside and out. "Olen!" Starflower dashed for the entrance of the Dragon''s Hoard, prompting the officers to meet him halfway to stop him. "Let me through!" "Sir, this is a crime scene," one of the officers said, the green one dressed in blue - a goblin. "My friend owns this store! An old dwarf! Tell me what happened!" The two officers exchanged glances awkwardly and remained quiet. The longer they remained silent, the more anxious Starflower grew. His glare with shrunken irises eventually forced a confession out of the scaly officer, who had gotten uncomfortable from getting stared at. "He was a bystander in the middle of a gang war, sir. A drug deal gone wrong at the Trattoria was unfortunately dragged out to the streets and into the shop across from it. The owner of this store was brave enough to protect his customers, but one of the gangsters - the biggest of the lot - struck him with a palm to the chest area. When the dwarf keeled over from that one strike, that''s when the gangsters decided to bail." Starflower''s tensed from this revelation. "Keeled over...?" He shook his head in denial. "No, you lie! Olen is a proud warrior! It would take more than a single strike to defeat him, let alone kill him! He must still be alive! Is he alive, kobold?" The scaled creature - the kobold - yipped and sank his head as Starflower angrily pulled him closer. "S-sir, please let go-" "Answer me, damn you!" An electric shock flowed through Starflower''s body, stunning him for a moment. This allowed the kobold officer to back away while the goblin, with a surprisingly high jump, used his baton to bonk Starflower on the back of the head, bringing him to his knees. "Gah!" "Calm down, or I''ll toss you in the jail for assaulting an officer! Hey, Leota!" The little goblin called over a burly man with a balding head, gray skin, and black tattoo sleeves marked on the visible areas of his arms. The officer walked over to his goblin subordinate while holding a notebook. "You still got the sketch of the perp?" "Right ''ere, boss." The bigger man flipped open the notebook and gave it to the goblin officer, who in turn handed it over to Starflower. According to eyewitness accounts sketched on the notebook, the man who had struck Olen with a single palm strike was a tall individual with a muscular build dressed completely in black, including a black beanie cap and ski mask to conceal his identity. However, a sharp eye had noticed green skin on the eyelids as well as a chiseled jaw. But the one distinguishing feature that set him apart from any orc was that he had two right hands; the left hand had its thumb on the left side, not the right. "We will bring him to justice," said the goblin officer, "and we will avenge your friend. If you have any leads, your cooperation is appreciated." "Avenge?" Starflower feared asking the next question, as he suspected he already knew the answer. "Is Olen...gone?" This time, the two small officers took one step to the side, allowing Starflower to peer into the store through the glass door. Two other officers stood by as a team of medical workers examined the limp body of the dwarf. When they quietly determined nothing could be done, one of them closed Olen''s eyelids while another veiled him with a pure white blanket. "Boss, I think you might want to hear this!" One of the officers called over the goblin officer, but at this point the commotion was fading out for Starflower. The voices around him muffled out, as he could only focus on the scene in front of him. This had to be a nightmare. Olen couldn''t be gone. Not like this. If Starflower closed his eyes, he would wake up back at the Guild, having dozed off. He would then rush to the Dragon''s Hoard immediately and prove this was all a sick dream. Once he recounted the story to Olen, his friend would call him a pansy for being so emotional and have a laugh about it before starting with the festivities. He closed his eyes and reopened them. Nothing. He closed them and opened them again. Nothing. He did it one more time. Still nothing. He pinched himself to see if he was dreaming, and it stung him. Starflower punched himself in the arm which bruised easily. All the pain did was make cracks at the floodgates which would soon be released. Starflower held the urge to scream and instead quietly sobbed in front of the Dragon''s Hoard. The man had just won his freedom, his business, and his children back. Why did this happen? "You damn fool! You said you would pay me back! Why did you have to die?! What will I say to your kindred? What will I say to your children? Wake up and tell me, you old bastard!" Starflower slammed his fist on the stone sidewalk. "No, this isn''t about the payment. The Guild." He pounded the sidewalk again. "My status!" And again. "None of that matters! I just...I just lost my best friend..." "Sir, do you have a minute?" The returning goblin officer tapped Starflower on the shoulder. "You should hear this, too." "Please, leave me to mourn," Starflower said weakly. "Excuse me, signore." What called out to Starflower was not the gruff voices of the police, but the sweet and angelic voice of a girl. The elf looked at the newcomer; she was a small humanoid with hands like a human but the hooves, hair coat, head, and mane like a horse. The coat of hair on her body was completely brown while her wavy mane was a bright auburn color. She had an azure blanket wrapped around her, but Starflower could see a red long skirt and a white uniform blouse with the symbol of a dove on the right side underneath the blanket. Just from these details alone, he discerned she was from a religious school. "What do you need, child?" "The police said the dwarf inside is your friend. He," the girl awkwardly said, "h-he saved my life. That big orc tried to kidnap me, but when I broke free, he tried to punch me. That''s when your friend pushed me and took the hit instead of me." She tightened her grip on the blanket. "H-he pushed me into a shelf of beverages, which is why I''m wet like this. When I woke up...the police were already here." Starflower wiped his tears. He could not cry in front of the girl, and hearing her side of the story gave him some closure. Not a lot, but it was a start. "He was a hero to the last..." "I''m sorry..." The girl sobbed, too. "Pap¨¤ told me I was supposed to be grounded, but I snuck out to meet up with my friends. If I hadn''t come here..." The elven headmaster had little experience with children. Lenoria was the closest thing to a child he ever interacted with due to her enrolling at the age of 16, younger than any other student he ever had. The little lady in his presence carried herself well enough, but he knew he had to be careful with his verbiage. "Don''t blame yourself, child. Olen was a hero when he was younger. He would even go out of his way to protect farms from monster attacks even though they could only pay him with vegetables and water. He would be sad if you blamed yourself for what happened tonight." The girl nodded awkwardly. "O-okay..." Before excusing himself, Starflower handed a card to the goblin officer. "Thank you. Please contact me at this address once a date for the funeral has been set." The goblin looked at him, puzzled. "What? Don''t you want to see if we can at least bring him back?" Starflower turned around. "Don''t bother. He was a warrior first, and died just like any brave warrior from the south pole would. For one such as him, only Valhalla awaits." ---------- Back at the present day, the light of dawn had enveloped both the current headmaster and the former. Once Starflower finished recounting his story from the past, Headmaster Gardens had a guilt-ridden expression. He was still cautious about the cunning elf, but now he felt pity for him as well. As for the person who murdered Olen... "You believe Lenoria was involved?" "No one in Helix possesses two right hands." Starflower closed his fist angrily. "Her caretaker is the culprit!" "That...makes an uncomfortable amount of sense," the current headmaster said softly. "I have met the man. No one else matches the police''s description. But if you knew, why didn''t you turn him in?" "Believe me, I tried. But he''s a slippery one. He and Tsukino lived in separate homes, so I could never find him. I only saw him once, which just so happened to be on a day he dropped her off at the Guild after I had arrived. Since I had no proof and no way to track him, I settled for the next best thing." "By making Lenoria miserable." A shadow cast over the eyes of Headmaster Gardens. "Does she know why you did this to her?" "She''d be an ignorant woman if she didn''t know. I''d wager she knew everything and even now is in cahoots with the murder. Join me, Gardens! Join me in exposing the monster she truly is!" "Enough! I won''t allow you to badmouth her anymore!" The current headmaster tapped his staff on the ground once. "I asked you if she knew. The only way she would know for sure is if you spoke with her about it." "Why? So she would lie to me?" "You haven''t." Headmaster Gardens pinched the bridge of his nose. "You''re an idiot, Starflower. The answer to the death of your friend has always been in front of you. You cannot blame Lenoria for what happened to him!" Electricity crackled at the elf''s fingertips. "How dare you. After sharing my grief with you, my darkest moment, you continue to side with her!" "Because she''s innocent!" "Lies!" "She would never have dared to hurt you because she looked up to you!" Headmaster Gardens''s revelation put a stop to Starflower''s outburst. "Lenoria has always been a sweet and caring woman! She''s even come to me crying on separate occasions, asking me why you always hated her! Even on the days her temper was at its worst, she always maintained a level of respect for you I wouldn''t expect for most people!" He angrily stomped his way to Starflower. "Had you simply taken your head out of your ass, sat down, and explained everything to her, she not only would have forgiven you, but she would have even helped you bring Master Sage to justice!" Starflower''s hands shook, now unable to keep his electrified hands with a steady aim. "How...how do you know this?" "Because your rant allowed me to put the pieces together. Lenoria and Master Sage parted ways years ago over a major disagreement, and it involves the murder of your friend." Chapter 48 - To Make Amends Starflower looked at Headmaster Gardens incredulously, confused by the latter''s admission. "You...knew about Olen''s murder?" "We all did. The whole city did. Olen Kjellsson? The humble owner of a small shop who saved a little girl''s life. Who didn''t hear about him?" "And you''re saying Tsukino is innocent?" This was the first time in recent years anyone ever acknowledged Olen''s heroism, at least within earshot. It was a jarring experience for Starflower, who until now had kept all of the information to himself. Little did he know that other people had taken notice. And now, someone could explain the greatest mystery he had ever faced. "Tell me everything, Gardens." "Very well." The candle''s warm light continued burning strongly. "My turn." ---------- 9th of Cobre, 3pm, 1658 "Excellent. Well done, girls." It was the end of the school year, and the entire student body was free for the next three months. Those who had kept up with their grades were free to prepare for the upcoming year, but those who had done poorly with their grades either had to make up with repeated assignments by the end of the month or drop out of the Guild altogether. Lenoria was no exception, but thankfully, she now had two people who supported her career path. She had just finished catching up with every assignment she had missed over the past year, and she never would have done so without the support of her new friend Clara and Instructor Gardens. A stack of papers had been piled on the edge of her desk, and while she was victorious and managed to secure her spot for the final year, she was so exhausted that she felt like she lost a war. "I''ll have to stay here and grade every single assignment, but I''m confident you passed with flying colors." The instructor went to the other side of the room and opened the door at the end. It was a small closet, where he kept some of his personal belongings and from it, he grabbed a tray with three porcelain teacups. "How about some tea to lift your spirits?" "Mind if I took a nap, instead?" Lenoria laid down her head on the wooden desk while Clara cheerfully sat on the desk adjacent to her left. "I don''t care how long it takes; I don''t mind staying until you finish grading all those assignments." "She could work on her wording, but at least she''s not showing hostility anymore." Instructor Gardens carefully placed each teacup in front of the girls - one for each - before returning to his desk to set down the tray. "You''re free to stick around, Lenoria, but don''t you two have anywhere to go?" "My parents aren''t expecting me home until sunset," Clara said. She glanced over Lenoria, who was already snoring on her desk. "Lenoria said she had trouble sleeping last night. It''s a miracle she tackled through all of these assignments." "I see." Instructor Gardens grabbed the pile of parchments from Lenoria''s desk and placed them over his desk. Taking a feathered quill and a container of red ink, he got to work. Clara looked on anxiously, seemingly more worried about her friend''s grades than anyone else. After the instructor finished grading two parchments, Clara spoke again. "How is she doing, sir?" "You have nothing to fear, Clara. It seems Lenoria never forgot what she learned here at the Guild. So far, she''s gotten a perfect score in her assignments." "Really? Y-you''re not just saying that?" "I have to be unbiased when it comes to grading my students'' work. If the headmaster sees any discrepancies, he''ll double-check the work himself." ---------- "Lenoria scored perfectly in each assignment. It''s a wonder how she only ranked third place if she was able to work swiftly, flawlessly, and sleep-deprived." Headmaster Gardens paused after he noticed Starflower with a new guilt-ridden expression. "Something wrong?" "No, please continue," Starflower said. ---------- 4:28pm Instructor Gardens needed about an hour and a half to grade the mountain of work Lenoria had spent all day completing. For most people, this task would require hours or even days based on the number of students taking part of the make-up program. But for a wizard like himself, this task was hardly arduous. Using a spell to enchant his eyes, it only took mere seconds for the instructor to read each page. Needing to pause only to cross-reference with his own notes - written and mental - the instructor managed to grade every single assignment just under 90 minutes. A yawn interrupted his workflow. Lenoria had woken up, her right cheek red thanks to her resting on it on a hard surface for so long. "Clara, I''m hungry," the blonde said groggily. "We''ll get something after this, okay? We''ll explore the city for a food stand," the elven girl reassured her. "This late?" The girls were old enough to wander on their own, but the instructor couldn''t help but feel concerned for their safety. Sunset would begin in a couple of hours, and if the girls took their time even if they departed now, they''d more than likely be going home in the dark. "Girls?" "Yes?" "Why don''t you get something from the cafeteria? It should be opening again right about now and will be doing so for the rest of the month around this time." Instructor Gardens placed three gold coins on his desk. "If I may ask for a favor, could you bring back a beef pasty for me? You can use the remainder on yourselves." Clara''s face lit up like a lighthouse. "S-sir..." "Think nothing of it. You two must be hungry." "A-admittedly so..." Clara grabbed the coins and headed for the door. "Lenoria, you want anything?" "Anything to boost me enough for the walk home." The blonde yawned again, refusing to get up from the desk and only going as far as to stretch her arms and legs. "I-I''ll be back soon." Her face still reddened, Clara picked up the pace and exited the classroom. Things had gotten so quiet with just Instructor Gardens and Lenoria in the room, so much that the only sounds heard were the strong winds outside and the occasional scribbling from the red-ink quill. Whenever Instructor Gardens would look at Lenoria, he would find her staring at her desk without any sense of awareness to her surroundings. "Lenoria?" "I''m not seeing anyone right now, and plan to keep it that way," she snapped coldly. "That wasn''t what I was going to ask." The instructor cleared his throat. He had been finished for a little while but had scribbled on random parchments to keep busy. This wasn''t going to be an easy question to ask. "I was wondering if you studied for this at all." "Heh. I wouldn''t call it studying; it was more like reviewing." "It''s just...you had a perfect score for over 90% of these assignments." Annoyed, the girl finally made eye contact. "What, are you saying I cheated?" "On the contrary, I think it''s amazing. You don''t seem to be at your best right now, and yet you aced the entire make-up program." "Oh." Her head sank as she stared back at her desk again. "It''s child''s play, really," she said more calmly now. "Isn''t this program kinda flawed, though? Everyone could spend all year flunking their classes but could just take a month at the end of the year to make up for all of it." "But you didn''t." Instructor Gardens smiled. "Attendance was the main issue for you this year. So much that you missed half of your classes. Literally. You were looking at a grade of 50 for the entire year because of all the assignments that you missed, but you managed to bump that up to a 95 just by spending the day making up for all of it." He patted the stack of parchments. "Not just for my class, but for the rest, too." "Wait, you''re smart enough to teach every subject here?" Lenoria scoffed. "Gee, why didn''t they make you headmaster, then?" "Really?" Starflower asked. "Patience, Jean." "Everyone else refused to take you in. I had to take a crack at trying to learn every subject. It''s only right." "Okay, I get it." Lenoria grunted with an eye roll. "Sorry you had to deal with a delinquent like me. Is that what you wanted to hear?" "Far from it. I want you to be proud of your accomplishments. You can do anything if you put your mind to it." "Bullshit!" A loud bang on the desk echoed across the classroom as Lenoria rose to her feet. "You always know what to say, don''t you? I don''t know what you''re playing at here, mister, but it''s not going to work. You don''t know a thing about me, so stop treating me like one of your students! The only reason you''re putting up with me at all is because you''re getting paid to do it and no one else would do it! You said it yourself!" Instructor Gardens remained calm. He knew from the start that the Guild had failed the young girl, which resulted in her volatile behavior. "Lenoria-" "No matter what I tried, there''s always some asshole trying to hit me on the ground! I tried to bring something to the Guild, I really did! But everyone out there seems to be out to get me, and no one''s ever lifted a finger to help me! How can I be proud of myself when even I can''t tell if I''ve done the right thing or not? Answer that, Gardens!" The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The girl''s red cheeks were stained with tears. She sobbed and hiccupped occasionally, but her anger was far from quelled. "You don''t have an answer for that, right? Because I''m worthless to this school! And you know it!" "That''s not true at all, Lenoria," the instructor interjected. "We can''t always see our own worth, but that doesn''t mean it''s not there." "Then why...?" The girl''s body language changed. Her fists shook not out of anger, but from something else. Her face and voice revealed years'' worth of anguish that had been withheld for far too long. "Why doesn''t he see it that way?" The instructor knew right away who the girl was referring to, and unfortunately, he didn''t have an answer for her. Helplessly watching the girl cry, all Instructor Gardens could do was offer a comforting pat on the shoulder. "The only person who even tried to make things better was Clara. Anne still glares at me. Thomas still stalks me. Carter still writes me letters saying I''ll pay for getting him expelled, even though he''s the one who pranked the headmaster all those weeks ago. Anyone I thought who was my friend ended up betraying me. And the headmaster..." She slammed both fists on her desk again. "I read every single book he wrote. I never thought I''d get an interview with him, and I was so happy when I actually did. Then, it''s like he changed into a monster overnight. I never found out why..." ---------- "Why didn''t you ever tell me this, Gardens," Starflower demanded. "Because you were never the social type. Besides, you had already fired a couple of instructors who felt pity for the poor girl. But I stayed and kept quiet, not because I feared losing my job," Headmaster Gardens said with a glare, "but because the students wouldn''t have a safe environment if I stood up for them and lost my job." "This is getting us nowhere." Starflower shook his fist impatiently. "And this doesn''t answer what role she had in Olen''s murder. Delay no longer, you pretentious wretch!" "You needed to hear how much this girl suffered first! You may not have broken her spirit completely, but you''ll see how close you came to damning an innocent girl!" ---------- Instructor Gardens had grabbed a wooden chair and sat across from Lenoria, who had finally calmed down after pouring out her thoughts and feelings into the open. Once she sniffled for the last time, Instructor Gardens had one more question for her. "You mentioned all your friends had betrayed you. What about Master Sage? Wasn''t he your guardian once upon a time?" "..." Lenoria looked down at her desk. Her annoyed expression was gone, replaced with sadness and possibly remorse. "Why are you so nice to me? I already told you I''m not interested, and I''ve given you nothing but a hard time." "Didn''t Clara tell you?" The instructor smiled at the girl. "I only care about the well-being of my students. Part of being a teacher is dealing with students of all types. We don''t get to pick and choose favorites, or at least we aren''t supposed to. But I believe that we should always reach out to those who distance themselves from us. Every life matters, but when a group of people are safe on a lifeboat, we tend to prioritize on the people who are still out in the water." "Not everyone has the patience to deal with people like you do, even if you''re telling the truth." "I know," the instructor said with a saddened smile. "Believe me, I know. But I think what you need is a more positive environment. And even though the Guild won''t provide that as long as the headmaster is around, you can make things better for yourself if you surround yourself with people who love you. Clara tells me you two have been hanging out more." "Her parents always treat me like I''m part of their family." Lenoria wiped away her tears. "She...really trusts you, doesn''t she?" "All I''ve done is helped her discover a part of herself she hadn''t noticed before." The instructor pointed at Lenoria. "You alone possess the power to get up, dust yourself off, and keep walking on this road of life. But the people you surround yourself with? They can always offer a hand for you when you''re too tired to get up." For the first time since her arrival in the classroom, Lenoria smiled. "What, you read that off a fortune cookie?" "What would you say if I did?" "I''d say that''s very profound. I''m starting to see why Clara likes being around you." Lenoria sighed. "If only I was so lucky." "The day will come when people will want to be around you, too. Clara told me the kind of woman you once were. Don''t let those bullies make you cage her in the depths of your soul." Lenoria shook her head disapprovingly. "You have a weird and naive way of thinking, old man. But...I like it." "Why do you do the things you do, Gardens?" "Time and a place, Jean." "I wish you would hurry up. I have places I need to be." "You asked me to tell you everything. We''re almost there." "..." "Lenoria needed time before she could open up. Clara and I bonded with her on the following days, because she had nowhere else to be. She even took some extra credit courses to bring her grades back up, but nothing really happened until a week later..." "You remember when you asked me about Sage?" "I remember, Lenoria. But you don''t have to say anything unless you''re comfortable saying it." A week after Lenoria began to open up, she and Clara had wrapped up their extra credit course for the day. Before she could leave, Lenoria looked troubled. "I have to tell someone." Lenoria took a deep breath. "Sage went to my house about eight nights ago. He said...he said he murdered someone on the year I started out in the Guild." Instructor Gardens and Clara were shocked to hear this, but Lenoria was far from done. "He said it was an accident. Someone in the Amphibonacci family hired him to take out the kid of a rival gang leader to send a message, but an old dwarf got in his way. Because of that, he fled to hide from both the police and the mob." "!" Starflower stammered in place as he remembered the horse-faced girl. "T-that child! Then her father must be-!" Instructor Gardens had to know more. "Lenoria, are you 100% sure that''s what he said?" The girl confirmed it with a nod. "He said it so casually, and even asked me to pack up to go home because he could feel the mob closing in on him. I told him I couldn''t because..." She looked over at Clara. "...because I didn''t want to abandon my friend. The reason I was so sleepy that first day was because we argued all night until I told him to leave and never come back. Right when things were finally getting better for me..." Clara was touched by the earlier comment, but she, too, had something in her mind. "Why did he even take the job? The deed itself was horrible enough, but a kid?" "He said he was desperate and needed the money after he gambled away all of his savings." "Isn''t he from some monastic order? I thought monks were supposed to ''wash away all worldly desires,'' or so they say." "Yeah, but back when he journeyed with my dad, he was a terrible gambler." "What would you like to do, Lenoria?" Asked Instructor Gardens. The girl seemed lost. "I don''t know. He''s family, but I know the right thing would be to turn him in. But I was so angry that night that it didn''t even occur to snatch a piece of cloth from him or something so we could track him later. Even if I wanted to help the police, there''s no way for me to do so now." "Any idea where he went?" "No." Lenoria plopped back down on her desk, mentally exhausted from the stress as well as the day''s work. Clara reached out to her for a hug while Instructor Gardens looked out the window. It was still early for a spring afternoon, and sunset wouldn''t start for another couple of hours. The older man had prepared himself to talk about this at length. "There''s only one thing we can do when we''re at a loss on what to do: We do what we can," he finally said. "Lenoria, do you know the name of the man who was murdered?" "Yeah, I heard it was an alchemist berserker warrior from the south pole. His name was Olen, and he died a hero..." Lenoria opened up one of her textbooks. She opened it up to a page she knew by memory, and on it she had placed a yellow flower as a bookmark. She held it up for Clara and the instructor to see. "I heard the caretaker say that even his closest friend stopped visiting after a while, so I''ve been leaving yellow roses on his grave ever since the night I found out." "They are said to represent strong ties," said the instructor. "Right. Maybe his soul moved on, but I got to thinking. What if he''s floating around and is sad he had been forgotten? That''s why I got the roses; to keep his spirit at peace, and to remind his friend that he''s still there whenever he decides to visit again. I''m sure they had a strong bond, perhaps even strong enough to transcend life and death. I''d like to think so, anyway." ---------- "It...can''t be. This must be a trick!" "I have no reason to lie, Jean. But I knew you wouldn''t take me at my word, which is why I have this candle with me." Headmaster Gardens held up the candle tray, its base now coated with melted wax from the flame that had burned up until this point. As if on cue, the flame went out, as did the chance for the men to trust each other''s words from here on out without a shadow of a doubt. "Lenoria was innocent the whole time. She had no idea Master Sage took part in your friend''s murder until after three years of suffering at your hands, and even then she never made the connection between you two. No one did, until now." "No. No!" Starflower combed back the hair dangling in front of his face with a crazed expression. "I won''t accept this! Immigrants still brought their petty wars with them, and because of them Olen was killed! This is still their fault! Amphibonacci. Had I known he was responsible, I would have burned him and his family to the ground a lot sooner!" "Perhaps so, but all you''re doing now is deflecting the blame of your own actions. How do you even live with yourself? Instead of investigating your friend''s murder, you went after a poor girl who didn''t even have anyone to defend her! I''m glad she overcame her anguish despite everything you''ve done to hold her back. Clara and I stopped her from turning into you!" All Starflower wanted now was for Headmaster Gardens to shut up, especially after such a damning statement. But there was no stopping the incensed headmaster, who had every right to be upset. "You tried to break Lenoria''s spirit, and while you succeeded for a little while, you failed in the end. Yet thanks to you, other students followed your example. The charred corpses of the usual bullies were found near Omar Hassan''s body." Headmaster Gardens pointed at three separate epitaphs. "Those are their epitaphs. Even after Clara gave her testimony to the police, no one will remember them as the boys who pushed another past the brink of despair. Just like Omar, they were victims, too. Yours." The epitaphs may have been mere inscriptions, but it was as if hundreds of eyes stared directly through Starflower. All of his efforts to break Lenoria as a petty gesture to avenge Olen instead snowballed into the destruction of the Guild he himself had improved over several years. He may not have been directly responsible, but his actions drove others to physically and mentally torture their peers simply because of the way they looked. He may not have made the fire, but he helped create it. And he was the only one around still holding a match. "Your efforts were all for nothing. All you''ve managed to do was cause more suffering on this road of destruction. These epitaphs are a reminder of the irreversible damage you have caused to both the Guild''s reputation and to every family who''s lost someone that awful day." Headmaster Gardens listened to Starflower take rapid breaths through his teeth. The disgraced elf''s emotions had become a turbulent maelstrom inside his soul, a sure sign of an incoming outburst dreaded for its unpredictability. But all that remained inside Starflower was guilt. And just like a child facing a death in the family, he did not know how to deal with it. "I thought my plan was foolproof. Someone, somehow, had to pay for Olen''s departure. Tsukino was the only one who could lead me to the murderer. Had I simply asked her to help me from the start..." He shook his head. "No. At that point, she was on good terms with him. But I could have investigated a little more, yet my own rage blinded me to reason. I should have questioned the mobs that plague this city. I had the tools to get the truth out of them. I still do. But instead, I chose the easier route. Mentally torturing Tsukino did not bring the satisfaction I had hoped for, but it was still cathartic in its own way." Starflower, already exhausted, bent a single knee. He thought back on his past self from almost four decades ago, an adventurer who had grown from a novice wizard to a master in a matter of years. A man who experienced the reflection of flames dance in his red eyes as he blasted evil cults to oblivion, with cheeks that experienced the kisses of the young maidens he saved more than the tears from his own eyes. That man was long gone. He was the first to die in his quest for revenge. "Never could I have guessed she was completely innocent. I never realized I was only perpetuating and even accelerating the cycle of death. The ruins before us...are the result of my own folly, and mine alone. Olen would never have wanted this." He slammed his fist on the concrete floor. "Nor Ms. Tyler, for that matter. I swear to all of you, the day I raise my spellcasting hand on a student or alumni is the day I die! I will never make this mistake again!" Satisfied with this result, Headmaster Gardens stared at the morning sky. "The fact you''ve come to acknowledge this on your own shows there''s still good in you. This doesn''t change the fact you destroyed many lives, and I hope the guilt you feel now follows you to the end of your miserable life." The sound of a magical alarm could be heard throughout the entire school. Starflower''s heart raced when he heard the voice of Constable Richards booming across the area, but Headmaster Gardens remained callous to the announcement. "JEAN STARFLOWER, I KNOW YOU''RE IN THERE! WE CAN DO THIS THE EASY WAY, OR THE HARD WAY! YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO SURRENDER, OR ELSE I''LL HAVE MY MEN SHOOT ON SIGHT AFTER I SEND THEM IN!" "Bastard..." Starflower glared through his eyes of anguish. "I was wondering why you prattled on for so long. You were stalling for time!" "In my defense, I informed the police of your presence right before I attacked you. But my point still stands." Instructor Gardens dropped his staff on the ground. "It was never my intention to kill you, but you must still atone for what you''ve done. Will you continue on this quest of self-destruction? Or will you turn yourself in to the police and face justice? You have less than a minute to make your choice!" Chapter 49 - Taking Out the Trash Headmaster Gardens patiently waited for Starflower''s answer, though the latter did not have the luxury of time as he did before. Or perhaps he never did; the wily headmaster had given him the answers he was seeking for the past four years, but his true intentions were to stall for time to grant the police a chance to apprehend Starflower before he could escape. He could get away with a [Teleport] spell, but Starflower wondered if the headmaster anticipated that. Despite Headmaster Gardens''s deceit, Starflower no longer had a multitude of options when it came to carrying out his plans for revenge. He had plans to flee the country and start a new life, live in Thule to seek out their secrets of undeath, head to the south pole and deliver the bad news to Olen''s family and spend whatever remained of his life to make it up to them, or even just settle down in a remote village to pursue a second chance at teaching and even bribe the locals with protection in exchange of keeping the authorities off his trail. All of this, of course, after carrying out his revenge. But his plans were all moot and became pointless over the span of a single night. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Lenoria was never at fault for Olen''s death. This whole time, his anger should have been directed at Sage, and Sage only. He had no way to track the man responsible for murdering Olen, and if he couldn''t at least bring him to justice, then all of his efforts to seek justice would truly have been in vain. The epitaphs in the courtyard stood ominously as if they judged him for his crimes. Then, Starflower remembered something. "Where''s your integrity, old man? If you leave now, this inn won''t belong to you anymore." "I''m not planning to come back. I''ve always been a nomad, and my little girl deserves to be in a place where the people who tried to cut off her hands aren''t revered as heroes." "You''re nuts! Do you think the Blue Jays will just let you walk out? There are rumors that they can find a background on people no matter how much they stray from society! They probably have eyes everywhere and dirt on just about anyone!" "I have to try!" The gears had already started spinning again. Not all was lost for Jean Starflower. It may be too late to apologize to the fallen, but at least he can still do some good for the amount of time he has left. For too long, he had blamed immigrants for the current state of his home. It is true that Horseface and Amphibonacci had made seedy parts of Helix into their personal dens, but even they were mere specks compared to the people who had come for a chance of a better life. People who had come not only to enrich the land with their culture, but some who had come to appreciate Helix as their new home so much that they were willing to defend it and its people. People like Olen. Starflower could do no good from behind a jail cell. And after counting the lives he destroyed during his tenure as headmaster, the best he could hope for was the chair if he was caught. There was no escaping death row. Even now, as Constable Richards was surely approaching the school grounds, there''s no guarantee he would escape a confrontation with him alive. But he could still do something. There was no excusing how he handled things, but Sage still needed to pay for what he had done. And the first step for reaching him was to deal with the Order of the Blue Jay. The time had come at last to take out the trash. "Gardens," Starflower finally spoke, "you, of all people, should know that things aren''t always black and white. Just as you can see the good in people, I can see the necessity and the silver lining behind even the most horrible actions." He vaguely gestured to the epitaphs around him with open arms. "There''s no coming back from what I''ve done to these innocent people. No matter what I do from this point on, the fact will remain that they have died from a simple misunderstanding. But the least I can do is to try to make things right. However, you''ll be disappointed to know I can''t do that from behind bars." "What do you plan to do now?" Headmaster Gardens gripped his staff firmly, bracing himself from whatever Starflower had in store. "What else? Sage is out there, and he needs to pay for what he has done. If I let him run around freely, there''s no telling how many more lives will suffer. Olen died a hero; if I want to honor his sacrifice," Starflower closed his fist, "then I have to ensure this tragedy isn''t repeated elsewhere." Headmaster Gardens smiled. "I don''t need a candle to determine how genuine those words are." He holstered his quarterstaff on his back. "If you escape now, you''ll definitely live your life as a fugitive. Are you sure this is what you want?" "It''s not. But I know this is what needs to be done. I must determine his location first. Then...I''ll pay Tsukino a visit." Starflower plucked a strand of hair from his head. "I must make amends. I''m sure word of my escape will eventually reach her, and I must ease her worries before I make my move. This time, I will listen to anything and everything she has to say, and if she can provide a reason as to why I shouldn''t kill Sage, I''ll consider letting him go. It...won''t be an easy conversation." With a POOF and some magical smoke, the strand of hair transformed into a sealed envelope. Starflower handed it to Headmaster Gardens, who seemed perplexed. "What is this, Jean?" "Details about Carpathia and the role he played in all of this. I would recommend reading this away from the eyes of the police. Memorize every word you can, because once you finish reading it, the letter will burn itself to ashes." Headmaster Gardens gently waved the envelope around. "This is a little heavy. When did you write all of this?" "I used a spell to write down my inner thoughts instantly. Don''t think too much on it." Glass shattered faintly back inside the Guild. It happened, once, twice, thrice. Eventually, Starflower lost track as it continued to happen. He braced himself for what was surely the police breaking in, forcing him to make his move now. "It looks like I''m out of time, Gardens." "Jean, I no longer work under you nor do you work here at the Guild. Please, call me Seth." "Very well, Seth." A powerful stroke of electrical energy was released from Starflower''s fingertips. The smell of ozone filled the air as Headmaster Gardens was struck by the electric beam. His clothes and hair fried, the headmaster bent the knee as Starflower stared at him smugly. "That''s for the sneak attack from earlier. Don''t get upset, though; the police shouldn''t interrogate you about my whereabouts if you''re hurt. You''ll live." Without even saying goodbye, Starflower took his leave by vanishing without a trace. Headmaster Gardens struggled to breathe as footsteps approached the Guild courtyard. When the door opened, a small bear ran outside and dashed directly towards the headmaster. It was much smaller than a grizzly, with short jet black fur, and a ring-like mark right below the neck. Stolen story; please report. "Seth," the small bear shouted. It had the voice similar to that of a young boy. "Seth, are you okay?" "Yes, Asbj?rn." Seth groaned when he seated himself on the cobblestone. "Bastard. I knew he had the right idea, but he didn''t have to blast me with that amount of power." The small bear sniffed the headmaster curiously. "Looks like you''ll be fine." The little bear sat across from Seth. "So, what do you think? Still doubting the power of the stars?" "No, I think this power is very real." Seth reached into his pocket and grabbed an amethyst-colored gemstone from inside. "You managed to trick Jean into thinking the police were coming. That man''s mental faculties are stronger than his lapse of insanity would have you believe." "You have an answer, then?" Seth nodded. "I''ll help you. Power like this must not fall in the wrong hands." *** 2pm A line had formed near a cave during a sunny afternoon in Cedar Forest. At the front was a simple wooden chair where Spark sat with Valerie on his lap, while Chet stood at their right and a youthful human male with red hair and a gray tunic at their left. The red-haired man unrolled a parchment and raised his voice to silence the chatter. "Villagers of Hammer''s Reach! Make your requests before the Order of the Blue Jay! The venerable and respected Sir Spark, presiding!" "Thank you, George." Spark clapped his hands. "Good afternoon, people! I have some bad news and some good news for all of you. The bad news is that we have ran out of food and other provisions." Wails of hopelessness and angry words of hunger filled the air. "We can''t go on like this!" "Why hasn''t Helix City sent anyone to help us?" "My baby boy is sick! Please help him!" "People, people, please!" Spark waved his hands downward in his effort to calm the crowd. "I haven''t told you the good news. We talked with the leadership of our Order, and they''re willing to send more food over to us. Moreover, our great leader has decided to hand out free memberships for anyone from Hammer''s Reach!" The wailing eventually settled down, and the whispers of the people were louder than anything else coming from the crowd. Valerie and Chet grinned to each other, while Spark remained jovial. "That''s right, you, too, can join our Order. Memberships are usually 15 gold per person, but anyone from Hammer''s Reach not only can get in for free, but will also get paid on the first day they are sworn in!" "That doesn''t make any sense!" Spark soon spotted his heckler from the crowd - an elven boy with orange hair wearing farmer''s clothes. "Why would they offer money from their own coffers for a small village? These big organizations generally don''t care for the average man." Spark already had an answer. Practicing in front of a mirror for hours certainly helped him. "Because the fight for truth and justice never ends! The Order of the Blue Jay is always looking for helping hands, and who better to fight for the weak, the meek, and the tireless than those who had been victims themselves?" The crowd''s murmurs hinted skepticism, some even voicing how it was convenient for the Blue Jays to be charitable right when Hammer''s Reach needed help. "Come on, people," Spark said a little more impatiently, "did we not get those awful kids out of town for you? Thanks to us, you found out the terrible truth about the Hammer. The Church wants nothing but the gold in your purses, and had you allowed that boy and his harem to stay, they probably would have assaulted whatever merchants came your way and isolated your village from the rest of civilization by killing any help they sent your way. I''d wager they went back to Helix City and told everyone not to go to Hammer''s Reach in retaliation. But don''t despair!" With a snap of his fingers, flames bursting in the air allowed Spark to summon a piece of floating parchment. The bottom of the parchment was rolled up, but the contents were written in very fine print along with a big red ''X'' beneath it. "Hammer''s Reach has been selected to receive a privilege normally available only to a select few. By signing this contract, your greatest desires will become a reality!" Spark pointed at George. "Look at him! Didn''t you used to call him Old Man George? Now he''s just George." George flexed his biceps in front of the crowd. "I haven''t felt like this since my prime back in ''27!" More whispers around the crowd. Some couldn''t believe it, but others pointed out George''s basic features, like hair texture and jawline. Surely enough, this was the same old man who suffered a bad rash, and it appeared that it was completely healed when his youth was restored. After some debating, the crowd decided to move forward and accept the contract. But the elf boy spoke again, slowing their advance. "Pardon my interruption, but isn''t that a demonic contract?" "I''m sorry?" "I can smell the Abyssal sulfur here. That isn''t ordinary fire that you used to summon that contract." "Who is this kid?" Spark cursed under his breath as the crowd grew restless again. "You misunderstand. That''s just something the Church of the Hammer uses to scare their people into following them! They try to scare you with words like ''hellfire'' and ''punishment'' and ''accountability.'' They never take the poor into account when it''s time to gather their tithes. We''re all just numbers to them. The Order of the Blue Jay would never use the people''s hardships to collect souls." "Is that your final answer?" The young boy chuckled before looking at the sky. "Valentine, please do the honors." A heavy object plopped at the feet of the young boy. The crowd gasped with horror at the sight of a thin and wiry creature about a foot and a half in height with furled batlike wings and curved ramlike horns for the head. The creature carried the mixed stench of sulfur and carrion, and blood oozed out of multiple stab wounds all over its body. The crowd, as expected, panicked at he sight of it. "What is that?" "That is a quasit," said the young boy. "They are typically birthed as familiars for wizards and other magicians. But when such a spellcaster dies, their soul is bound to the creature they carelessly summoned and are doomed to spend an eternity of getting exchanged as currency with other demons. As you can expect, they like to collect souls." Revealing a black boot on his foot, the young elf smashed the tiny demon''s head on the dried soil. The stench grew stronger as more blood spilled, causing people to recoil and back away. Orbs of light ascended from the demon''s corpse until they disappeared as blips in the sky, and once the last orb disappeared, the contract Spark had conjured burned in literal flames. "Of course, if you kill the demon, the souls it collected are freed. However, gods of death frown upon demonic deals, so a soul''s freedom may lead to even more torment. Be thankful none of you sold your souls for such a pitiful fate." "It''s so ugly!" "That could have been us." "Smells like me ma''s toes!" "See? I knew he was trouble!" Squeezing through the crowd was none other than Lewis, who had his musket in hand. "Now do you people believe me? It''s about time we return to Hammer''s Reach and give up on the idea of selling ourselves to demons! Together, we can persevere and find a way to get through this! But this isn''t the way." Voicing their disapproval to nearly being duped, but having no weapons to retaliate with, the townsfolk of Hammer''s Reach took Lewis''s advice and took the road back to the village. Soon the crowd dispersed, leaving only the Blue Jays, the elven boy, and Lewis. "No, wait! Come back!" Spark rose to his feet, causing Valerie to fall off his lap and plop on the dirt of the cave entrance. Valerie''s cursing fell on deaf ears as Spark only had one target in his sights. "Boy! What is the meaning of this? I don''t know who you are, but you ruined my chances for a promotion with the Order!" "Gee whiz, mister." The boy shrugged. "It''s a shame you don''t know me...because I know you." Spark gritted his teeth and grabbed his partisan. Chet and Valerie rushed to his side, while George stood there with no idea how to react. "Lord Spark, what happens if the demon I made a deal with dies," asked a concerned George. Spark continued glaring at the boy. "You''d lose your youth for sure, George, but don''t worry. That wasn''t the demon you struck a deal with, so your youth is safe." "Are you sure you can do this," asked Lewis the boy. "I''m sure. If you try to butt in, you''ll only get in the way. I can''t be held responsible if you get hurt." The elven boy took two steps forward with a reverse arm-fold. "Now, go. You have a daughter to look after, and you''re in the splash zone. Of course, I did promise a spectacle, so do what you will." With the boy''s warning loud and clear, Lewis took his leave. He had no idea what was about to happen, but a feeling of dread loomed over him. Spark just stood where he was. "You plan to fight me? You don''t even know a thing about me, boy-" "I beg to differ, Rutherford Spark. I know everything about you." The boy grinned as Spark dropped his weapon in fear. A puff of pink mist enveloped the boy, revealing Starflower in his place once it dissipated. "I''ll only warn you once; walk away from this lifestyle and never return. Go home to your wife." Chapter 50 - Happy Valentine "I''ll only warn you once; walk away from this lifestyle and never return. Go home to your wife." Winds buffeted those present as clouds gathered above Cedar Forest. The trees danced with them, presenting a feeling of dread and doom. Spark stood on edge, while his associates formed a line with him. The path was open for Starflower to retreat, but he elected to have a little fun, instead. "You''re bluffing." Spark tried his best to remain confident, but Chet and Valerie knew better. Starflower''s earlier remark was like a jab to a glass jaw. "We have been watching the road to Helix City and we haven''t seen a smarmy brat like you at all. There is no way you came from the capital." "Ah, but I did, Rutherford-" "Stop calling me that!" Starflower smiled. "What''s the matter, Rutherford? Did the thought of a child trespassing on your privacy scare you? Or maybe you have seen the Reaper himself?" "All I see is a dead man! George!" The portly George stepped forward. "Yes, sir?" "The Order needs you. We could use a sacrifice to take back to HQ." "Hey, you guys gave me my youth back and all you want is a dead elf?" George cracked his knuckles while Starflower braced himself. "You''re making it too easy to pay you back for your kindness!" Out of the three, Chet appeared to be the most concerned. "Spark, are you sure about this? That guy fessed up to a lot of murders when he joined us, you know?" Spark smirked. "Precisely who we want on the team. Besides, you know how much demons love elves. A sacrifice like this one will restore our reputation for sure." The Blue Jays had their eyes away from the action for five seconds at best when they heard the rustling of branches not far off. George was gone while Starflower posed with his back turned on them. "Where did he go?" A gasp escaped from Valerie. "Over there!" Spark and Chet looked at where Valerie was pointing; a tree Starflower was looking at was dripping with blood, and when they looked at the base they saw the bloated body of their new member prone on the ground. What they had not witnessed in those five seconds was George charging in at Starflower, but all Starflower had to do was grab his attacker''s fist to hurl him at one of the nearby trees. George''s back slammed against the bark of the tree and painfully slid down to the ground and lied there. The portly man''s shirtless back bled thanks to the tree''s rough exterior, causing him to groan in pain. "That shouldn''t have hurt anything other than his pride," said the former headmaster. "Now, where were we?" Staring at the prone George at the base of the tree, the Blue Jays couldn''t hide their own surprise at the sight. They refused to believe that an elf not only parried the blow of someone twice his girth, but also tossed him away like a master of martial arts. But this was very real, and they had to accept it. "What do you want," Spark asked nervously. "Don''t make me repeat myself, Rutherford," the elf said tenderly, like a father speaking to his child. "Your wife misses you very, very much." "That fat cow?" A smile stretched over Spark''s cheeks, trying his best to hold a laugh. "Did she arrange this? Did she find out about the affair?" "Affair? That would explain why she hasn''t seen him. I should have known." Watching Starflower express a saddened look made Spark burst into laughter. He slightly bent over to hold on to his stomach as his cackling screeched as far across the forest as his voice could carry it. "You''re in love with her, aren''t you? Oh man, and here I thought she was an angel." "Love? Is that what this is?" "Looks like your wife has some demons of her own, Sparky," Valerie giggled. "Looks like she isn''t so pure, after all." "Maybe she''s the one who needs to go to jail," Chet quipped. "Why does this hurt so much?" Other painful times, such as Beau manhandling him and Horseface''s minion striking him with the shovel, came to mind. As painful as those instances were, Starflower could no longer feel his previous injuries. But the mockery he was facing now? That cut deep into his soul. After all the humiliation he had endured, strands of Starflower''s hair levitated in place. "Make a mockery out of me and her, will you? I was debating on what to do next after my escape, and thanks to you, I have found my answer." When George finally looked up, he was blinded by the intensity of the electric currents that had spawned from Starflower''s fingertips. "I won''t allow you to disrespect her like this! I''m taking out the trash that litters my country! Starting with you!" A ray of electricity pierced through George and stretched out well beyond a hundred feet. The youthful man''s hair and skin darkened and burned from the heat, and his eyes rolled over right when his body hit the ground, limp this time. One down, three to go. "Spark," Chet said, "I-I think he''s a wizard." "B-big deal," Spark retorted, "we killed plenty of wizards, remember?" "Yeah, apprentice wizards." Chet gulped once his eyes locked with Starflower''s. "H-he looks l-like the real deal!" "Nice going, Sparky!" Valerie punched Spark on the arm. "We lost another frontliner." "It''s fine, Valerie. He signed the contract, so there''s no loss there." Spark smacked Chet on the back of the head and snapped his fingers. "Alright, Chet. You''re up." Chet backed away, looking at the cave''s dark entrance and debated on running inside instead. "W-what? Why me?" "You''re a caster, aren''t you? You can take him." "Wouldn''t it be better for us to fight him together? W-we might stand a chance that way." Valerie laughed mockingly. "What''s the matter, Chet? Scared of dying all of a sudden?" "Yes," the bard said bluntly. "He just blasted our new recruit to death with a single [Lightning Bolt]. You''ll have to forgive me for having second thoughts about this." "What a baby." Valerie clasped her hands together and stretched her arms to the left as much as her muscles allowed her. "Men are so useless. I''ll show you clowns how it''s done." Starflower maintained his posture - arms folded behind his back - as Valerie charged in. Instead of attacking, however, she revealed a black sphere in her hand at the last second and threw it at Starflower''s feet. Spark elicited a grin as his confidence slowly returned. "That''s our Val. She''s great with the art of feinting and fake-outs. He''ll need sharp eyes just to keep up with her movements." The black sphere shook the ground beneath Starflower to release a black cloud of smoke that covered him up quickly. Inside the smokescreen, the Blue Jays could hear coughing inside the foul, sulfur-smelling cloud. "Of course, once Valerie acts, it''s already too late for you. That smoke bomb is effectively tear gas." Spark grinned. "You''ll be down for a while." "Valerie, please end this quickly!" Chet urged his companion. "You got him on the ropes! Kill him before he recovers!" "Quit your whining! I got this." Valerie brandished a knife, waiting for the smoke to disappear. But once it did, she was in for a surprise. "No, this isn''t right!" Without the worse for wear, Starflower already conjured a purple glyph at the palm of his hand. He positioned himself so that Valerie was in front of him and the Blue Jays were to his left. "That is a neat trick. Unfortunately for you, I already smelled something far worse in jail." "Tch. This just means you can handle poison better. But my alchemy is top notch!" "My friend was an alchemist, just like you. I learned a lot from him, and I''m even willing to call him one of the greatest of all time. Top notch, you say?" Starflower angrily set one foot forward. "You insult his memory by calling this crap top notch. You call that poison? This is real poison!" The glyph Starflower summoned stopped glowing, and immediately a bank of purple fog appeared in the area. Staring Valerie down, Starflower made sure the fog - spreading in a 20-ft radius and 20 feet high - only had Valerie inside of it. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Breathing in the purple vapors, Valerie soon felt something come out of her nose. She wiped her mouth with her hand, shocked to find blood. Her vision soon became a blur, and her throat felt a burning sensation. Her head spun with agonizing lightheadedness. "That, my dear, is a [Cloudkill] spell," Starflower said emotionlessly. "I specifically made this spell so that it affects your nervous system. All [Cloudkill] spells are the same, but I managed to give it my own touch." "[Cloudkill]?!" Valerie widened her now-bloodshot eyes. She could feel blood coming out of them, which immediately hardened around her lashes. She was unable to open her eyes again due to the hardened crust weighing on them. "What the hell? That spell can be used to take down groups of people!" She coughed more blood. "Why use it on me?!" "I''ve just been released from jail and got all of my spells back. I feel like a boy with a magnifying glass." Starflower closed his fist. "And you are the ants!" With her vision gone and blood coming out of her eyes, nose, and mouth, Valerie wailed until the poison took its effect and shut down her nervous system permanently. All she could feel was the cold embrace of the afterlife just as she stopped breathing. "Next." Starflower set his sights on Chet. One Blue Jay had been fried with electricity and the other''s life was snuffed out in a matter of seconds. Spark and Chet were understandably frightened. "Heh. You''ve done nothing to help your friends. Are you the manservant?" "What are you waiting for, Chet? Do something," Spark ordered. Chet struggled to hold back his tears. "H-Hunter''s dead...that old loser is dead...and now Valerie''s dead..." "And their deaths will be in vain if you do nothing to avenge them!" Sensing a crumbling partnership, Starflower went in for the killing bite like a predator on an injured offspring. "It doesn''t have to be this way. Rutherford sealed his fate by starting this fight, but at least you can save yourself, bard." Spark became so enraged that a vein visibly throbbed on his forehead. "Don''t listen to him, Chet! He''s just using you to get to me!" "He''s half right, Chet," Starflower said. "Rutherford''s my only target; I want nothing to do with you. Your friends died because this bastard sent them to their deaths. Even his affair partner bit the dust, and he didn''t even bat an eye. I''ve never met someone so heartless, and I was right when I made the decision to kill him so that his wife doesn''t suffer the same fate as that hapless bitch on the forest soil. If you protect him now, would he not turn his back on you just as swiftly?" Another glyph appeared on Starflower''s hand, his fingertips now aiming for Chet. "This is your only out. Based on what I''ve seen, I can only assume each member of the Order is contractually bound to a demon, and if you threw away your life now, you''ll join your friends as some demon''s plaything. But if you step aside, you''ll not only live, but you''ll have the honor of being the first to witness history in the making; the downfall of the Order of the Blue Jay!" "You have some nerve! We''re the ones who intimidate our enemies, not the other way around! Children, babies, it doesn''t matter who we hurt as long as the Order can twist the story to make them the evil ones! If you kill me, you''ll make it to the top of their list of enemies, pal!" Grabbing his lute, Chet screamed at the top of his lungs. "Both of you shut up!" A few strums from Chet''s lute were enough to make Spark quiet down. But Starflower, as expected, stood unaffected. "Did you just try to hypnotize me," the former headmaster asked angrily. "I gave you an out, but you not only closed the door to your salvation; you swallowed the key, too." "N-no...no!" Chet dropped his instrument and dashed for the woods. "Stay away f-from me!" Starflower sighed. He was so furious he held back the glyph he had conjured and instead turned to the tree branches. "Valentine, I have no patience to leave loose ends. Execute him." The leaves above Starflower rustled as a shadow in the trees went from branch to branch towards the same direction Chet ran to. It didn''t take long for the bard to scream which was abruptly cut by a squelching sound. All that was left was Spark. "I-I don''t have any more meat shields..." He nervously pointed at Starflower. "What are you, some servant of the Hammer? Y-you''re supposed to forgive those who wrong you!" His grin twisted into a impious expression. "T-that''s right, you''re supposed to submit to your enemies and let them hurt you!" "Sorry, but you''re preaching to the wrong altar boy." Starflower grinned. "I do recall a fraction of the Hammer''s tenets, however. His lowest of servants should accept justice with humility, while those directly blessed by him are to mete it out fairly. You''ve committed so many crimes today, Spark, that even a layman would be justified in killing you." Starflower mumbled something under his breath and turned his back on the frightened warrior. "But I''m tired. Your pathetic whimpering has saved you. Consider this your lucky day. Let''s go, Valentine." Starflower walked away from the cave and was quickly rejoined by Valentine when the leaves and branches rustled above him once again. Spark, confused, roared angrily. "Bastards, both of you! Just who do you think you are?" When he didn''t hear a response, this only served for Spark to yell at them even louder. "Hey, look at me when I''m talking to you! You take away my meat shields, and now you''re too scared to fight me, you fruity elf?!" Sighing, Starflower continued on without a word. Humiliated, angered, and alone, Spark sank to his knees. "I''m supposed to be the hero. How did this happen?" ---------- Spark thought back two years ago, back to when he joined the Order of the Blue Jay. He knelt before a robed man dressed in azure garments, who tapped his shoulders with a blue feather. Flanking him were several horned creatures - some small as a kid goat, others as big as ogres - who joined their hands in a dark prayer. "Rutherford Spark. You are special; no one has shown as much potential to join our warrior ranks as you have. You represent everything we stand for, and for this we grant you the rank of Lieutenant. You shall be assigned to lead a group of our own members, and you must do so efficiently." The robed man gave him a sinister grin. "If they become a liability, then the sting of betrayal before they can deal heavy damage to our name shall be a pleasant tribute to our dark lord. It matters little how you go about it; as long as the sting of betrayal is fresh in their wounds at the time of their death, then you''d have done your duty well." The robed man stretched his arms into the heavens, as if pleading to anyone above who was watching this. "O, dark master, may this new soul be pleasing to you! May he carry out his duty efficiently. May he lead children astray, cow the innocent into silence, force even the righteous into submission, and most importantly, deceive the populace and represent the Order in the name of ''benevolence.'' And should he grow powerful enough to lead us, may he become your greatest champion!" ---------- Mentally receiving a second wind, Spark rose to his feet, grabbed his partisan, and aimed his weapon at Starflower. "Bless me, dark master," Spark prayed, "for I am your chosen champion!" Screaming at the top of his lungs, Spark ran towards Starflower. His polearm shifted back and forth between targets - Starflower''s head, back, and rear - unable to decide what he wanted to impale. No longer afraid of Starflower''s power, he was confident he would survive. He was the Order''s chosen hero, and even if he bled, there was no way he could die. But the glyph in Starflower''s hand never faded away. First emitting a blinding light, then it disappeared. Immediately after, a mass of black, rubbery tentacles erupted from the forest soil beneath Spark and grabbed his arms and legs. One stray tentacle wrapped itself around his neck, straining his voice. "Fight...me...you fruity...elf..." "I knew your type couldn''t resist a target with its back on you. I was always in control, Spark. The only reason your Order exists in the first place is because I retired from adventuring by the time they became public. But the time has come for me to come out of retirement." Starflower flashed a sinister grin. "I had only come out here to convince you to go home to your wife, but thanks to your incessant mocking, you''ve motivated me to not only kill you, but to make everything you''ve done to amount to nothing by exterminating your organization with my bare hands. How does it feel, Spark, knowing that in your final moments, you contributed to the downfall of your Order? How does it feel knowing that you literally damned yourself serving an Order that will soon cease to exist?" "I won''t...die here!" Spark tried to break free but failed. "I''m...the hero...Helix needs. Release me...and fight me like a man..." "No. You had all this time to confront me yourself, but instead you sent three people to die needlessly for you. I''m not going to be the one who will kill you." Starflower lifted his arms into the air. "Valentine! Come to my aid and show this ant the true meaning of fear!" Spark braced himself for an attack, unaware of its origin but still ready, nonetheless. He anxiously scanned the road ahead, then the cave behind him, and finally the sides of the road. He then heard the skyward scream of a creature he never heard before. He glanced above him and felt a sharp pain on his shoulder stabbing at him like a piercing spike and screamed at the intensity of it. He tried to reach for his injured shoulder, but the tentacles did not allow him the opportunity to do so much as move his hand by an inch. He glanced at his shoulder and noticed a stream of blood coming out of his pierced pauldron. Spark was definitely struck with a weapon and could still feel it on his shoulder, but all he could see was his wound. "Bastard! Fight me like a man!" "It''s more amusing this way," Starflower said with a chuckle. "Had you been brave enough to fight me from the beginning, you might have gotten a good hit in or two. I might have even shown mercy with a single killing blow. But now? I refuse to give you the satisfaction of even laying your hands on me." Spark heard the screech of the same creature from earlier, much closer this time. When he looked up, the sight of a bird of prey on a tree branch - with gray feathers, a double crown on its head, and a stitch near its belly - scared him to silence. "You smug prick!" As an act of defiance, Spark gathered whatever contents he could from his mouth and shot them out. Anticipating this, Starflower weaved to the side to avoid the spittle. This act irritated Spark even more, but Starflower made sure to keep his distance. "Suffer." Starflower snapped his fingers. "Valentine, the knees, please." A glimmer of light reflected from the creature''s sky-blue gemstone, which was held by a necklace around its neck. With one giant flap of its wings, Spark screamed as the pain in his shoulder now extended to both of his knees. Blood spurted out of them as invisible spikes lodged themselves in him. "Good girl," Starflower praised the bird before facing Spark again. "You have a habit of making things harder on yourself. One of the saner people in the village - I think he was named Lewis - talked about how you convinced an angry mob to rally against a group of adventurers because, according to you, they planned to rescue a girl from the giants that kidnapped her, then cut off her hands, and use the rest of her as ransom. What you failed to account for was the adventurers actually rescuing the girl and bringing her back safely. It was your own idiocy that led to your downfall then, and it is that same idiocy that has led to your own demise." Starflower knelt to Spark''s level. The latter had grown numb below the knees and could no longer stand on the ground. It was then, and only then, when the tentacles showed a modicum of leniency by allowing Spark to kneel. "Just...kill me," said a weakened Spark. "In a moment." Starflower was less amused and was losing patience with Spark''s insolence. "Would you like to know the best part, Rutherford? Two of the adventurers that tried to stop you were my own students." The tentacles finally vanished, and in no time at all Spark jabbed his polearm at Starflower. "Your students?!" The elf, for his efforts, stopped the attack with a single hand. Spark tried to pull his weapon away, but Starflower placed a firm grip on it. "My students don''t have a heart of ice, so they won''t hunt you down. Constable Richards will do his best to arrest you without lethal force. And Sarnai? If I let you live, you''ll only take advantage of her good nature again. The least I can do for her opening my eyes is to make a world where she can live happily. And the first building block for that world with be painted with your blood." Nodding to Valentine, Starflower released his grip on the polearm, turned his back on Spark for the final time, and walked away. "Don''t you look down on me-" Spark screamed again when another invisible spike impaled his hand, forcing him to drop his weapon as the agony continued. This time, Valentine swooped down and sank her talons into Spark''s head. Spark flailed his arms to grab the bird as its sharp talons sank deeply into his eyes, but the blood loss had weakened him to the point of near-unconsciousness, and all the flailing did was tire him out more. The ''champion'' of the Order could only scream in excruciating pain as the harpy eagle immediately began feasting on the flesh of his face after plucking his left eye out of its socket and felt the resulting blood stream trickling down his cheek and into the forest soil beneath him. "Chet! Dark master! Anyone!" Spark was instantly silenced when Valentine sank her beak into his throat, his voice now gurgling with the blood he continued to lose. None of the people he betrayed came to his aid, for he would soon join them. "Be thankful, Spark. Since you consorted with demons, you and your friends will reunite soon in the pits of the Abyss." Starflower chuckled. "Valentine, when you''re done eating, we''ll need to arrange a delivery to Helix City. Sarnai needs to know about her newfound freedom." Chapter 51 - The CCC "It''s been arranged, then?" The sun had started to set as new winds blew in the forested village of Hammer''s Reach. The newly freed villagers, inadvertently cowed by Starflower''s methods, hunched their backs and lowered their heads in silence when he inquired about his morbid request. The bodies of Spark, Valerie, and Chet had been placed in coffins and taken inside a wagon. The stench of rot had already set in, and minimal effort was made during the embalming period to ensure it wasn''t as bad as it would normally be without it. "Yeah. I just don''t get it," Lewis said. "Why go through all that trouble for these demon worshippers? They nearly doomed our village to damnation, and here they are on their way to get a proper burial." "The world must know what happened here. The reason they isolated you from the rest of the world is to keep their terrible actions hidden. They fear being exposed because they rely on the ignorant to back them in the event someone is wise enough to see through their crap and try to expose them." "Here''s your letter," said the newly arrived elder when she held out an envelope. "As you requested, it''s addressed to the Constable and sealed with my own stamp. They shouldn''t stop Lewis when he arrives at the police station." "And the details," Starflower asked. The elder sighed. "Yes, I even included just how loving the lovely couple were with each other. It''s kind of odd for a situation like this, but I''m not about to question the man who saved us." "Very good. I pray the city shows leniency for your part in this debacle and feeds your village." "I better get back to work, then. We scrounged up some of the Order''s belongings and we managed to salvage some food. I''m hoping it lasts until help arrives." The elder excused herself and left Starflower and Lewis. "All set, Dad." Allie shouted from the driver''s seat. "It''s kinda stinky, though." "Coming." Lewis shook Starflower''s hand. "I better get going as well. Our trip to the city will be long and boring, but we''ll be safer once we start our lives there." "I wish you the best of luck." Starflower stopped Lewis after seeing how the orc male limped away. "Excuse me, Lewis. How did you get that limp, anyway?" "It''s an old injury. I took treatment for it, but it came back. I haven''t had time to see a doctor, but I know healing potions won''t do jack." "Definitely a disease. Gangrene, maybe. I''m surprised he''s been alive for this long if that''s the case." Starflower clapped his hands together. "I see. Wait for just a moment." Starflower grabbed his scroll case, from which he pulled out a scrolled parchment. He unrolled the parchment and spoke words of incantation. "F¨¹ttere und heile Vater und Tochter." The scroll then burned to ashes and in its place was a platter of cured fish with a side of bread. Starflower gingerly handed it over to Lewis and took his leave. "An old dwarven friend of mine loved cold cured trout. It was his favorite meal because it reminded him of home. The bread is an elven recipe, so you''ll get the best of both worlds. Be sure to share it with your daughter; the two of you are in for a trip." "Hmph. Weirdo." Lewis sniffed the food on the plate. "It does smell great, though. We''ll eat it on the way." "You certainly earned it. It was you, after all, who took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I won''t hide that this is a low point in my life, yet out of everyone here, you''re the one who treated me humanely." Starflower quietly waved as he walked away from Lewis. He glanced at the villagers of Hammer''s Reach, some who were wary of him after seeing the injuries the Order of the Blue Jay had sustained, while others bowed with gratitude. He quietly acknowledged every single person and went on his way to the northern exit. Then, he heard the sound of wings flapping on the trees nearby. "Valentine, I recently learned that revenge isn''t the answer. I will bring down the Order of the Blue Jay, and after that I''ll wander the realm for a while. But you don''t need to live the nomad''s life if you don''t want to." The eagle simply remained perched on one of the tree branches, listening to Starflower. "I understand you loved Thomas very much, but life is too short for you to mourn him forever. Why don''t you stay here for the time being? You can live a peaceful life in the forest." The creature made a shrill cry, flapped its wings, and flew away. Starflower knew little about animals, but enough to know that they displayed affection differently from humans. At least he got an answer from Valentine, and it was better they parted ways now. After all, she must never know the hand he played in Thomas''s murder. *** "Egh. I''ll never understand how elves love this crap." Lewis munched on a piece of the bread Starflower had given him and Allie as he steered the wagon on its way to Helix City. "I like it. It''s mixed with nuts, oats, and blueberries." Allie scarfed down everything in sight, alternating between the bread and the fish. "We haven''t eaten this much in days. I''m glad Mr. Starflower came to the village." Lewis shrugged and took a bite of the cured trout. "Hey, not bad. I guess he meant well, even if he''s a little, eh, gruesome with his methods." He remembered seeing how the corpses of the Blue Jays looked like. He was glad the coffins were nailed shut by the time Allie was ready to depart. As for Old Man George, his fried body was buried in the outskirts of town. Lewis had slowly distanced himself from the old man after Allie confessed just how much he had been harassing her. Thankfully, it was nothing physical, and to some, just showing her a bad rash to get her disgusted reaction seemed innocent enough. Lewis did nothing per Allie''s request, but when he decided to deny the old man entry to the Drunken Chef, George turned violent against him. Lewis had no choice but to pummel the old man before kicking him out. A rather easy task, much to the disillusioned old man''s dismay. In hindsight, this may have been the catalyst that made him reach out to the Order of the Blue Jay. Good riddance to him, all the same. "Eat up, Dad," Allie told her father. "I''m full, Allie. I''m surprised there was enough for both of us." "Are you sure? The plate still looks full to me." The two of them looked at the plate of food, which was still full. "It''s like we didn''t grab anything yet." And then, POOF. The plate vanished along with the food. At that moment, the wagon rolled over a bump on the road which quickly dislodged one of the wheels. Allie held on to her father while Lewis steered the startled horse to a stop so he could assess the problem. "I hate it when these wagons are so high up. Stay here, Allie." Lewis carefully grabbed on to the seat as he carefully set his good foot on the ground. But his hand slipped from the wagon, and Lewis shouted expletives as he landed on his back. "Dad!" "Stay there, Allie." Lewis groaned as he sat up. "Damn it! That-" But something felt off. His bad foot didn''t go off like it normally would whenever he would bump it on a table or any conveniently placed rock on the road. In fact, he didn''t feel any pain at all. He slowly stood back up and stepped on his good foot first, then gradually applied all of his weight on his bad one. Nothing. "It''s as good as new..." Lewis jumped in place like a young boy. "Allie! My foot feels great!" "Really? Any idea why?" "I don''t know. I-I think it''s from the food we just ate!" Lewis smiled and laughed as loudly as he could. "Just hang tight for a moment. I''ll fix this wagon in no time!" "Okay, Dad!" Allie went back to her seat and softly cried tears of joy. "Thank you, Mr. Starflower..." *** ~Lenoria~ The climb to the summit was near its end. Now that the group had grown in a matter of hours, not everyone could fit in the wagon. Instead, they settled on a convoy; Melodious Aquamarine would take the lead with Mr. Horsey while the Celestial Compass crew would stay on the Argo Navis - their floating galleon - and take the rear. Caesar manned the rudder while Cecilia stood on his shoulders, surveying the land ahead. Alistair, Lenoria, and Clara would stay in the wagon sandwiched between Mr. Horsey and the Argo Navis. It would almost be dark. The sun was almost set, and the temperature had dropped to an even lower level. Clara had wrapped herself with two winter blankets and went to sleep. After the day she had, Lenoria and Alistair felt it was best to leave her alone and let her nap on the back of the wagon. "We''ll be arriving soon, Lenoria. Once we take the cable car, we''ll exit Helix and cross the border into Thule." Alistair looked over at Chestnut. "I wonder what their policy on animals is. I know merchants take their own wagons with cable cars all the time, but I wonder if there''s a fee for any furry friends." "Maybe," Lenoria answered despondently, not bothering to look. She rested her elbow on the armrest and gazed through her side of the mountain trail. "We''ll figure it out when we get there." Nodding sadly, Alistair kept his eyes on the road. "She hasn''t said much since Caesar broke the news. I don''t like seeing her like this." Lenoria was usually okay with small talk, so seeing her like this was a first for Alistair. He knew she most likely wanted a hug or just wanted to be left alone, and given the status of their relationship so far, it was likely the former. This alone scared Alistair, since it involved physical touch. But he also disliked the idea of leaving her alone to her thoughts. She was so happy over the course of the trip despite the obstacles they faced together, but all it took to make that mound crumble were the news of Starflower''s escape. Alistair had heard a fair amount about Starflower from Gabrielle. The noblewoman had described the man carried himself well for the most part, until a lapse in sanity turned him hostile against her despite being his superior. Had Beau not been there to neutralize the man before he could cast a spell, things may have ended a little differently. Perhaps he never would have seen Lenoria again. W-will I see you again? Alistair recalled the last words she had spoken to him before they met again at the start of their trip to Thule. Ever since she woke up in his arms, he couldn''t stop thinking about her. To think she liked him at first sight... "Even now, I find it hard to believe she sees something in me. But she does, and for this alone, I cannot disappoint her now. There''s got to be a way to cheer her up. What would Lord Beau say at a time like this?" The young paladin rummaged through his past conversations with Beau Bisset, who''d often give him words of advice. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Alistair, women like it when you display dominance, and a sure sign of dominance is leadership. Take her by the hand and lead her where you think she wants to go while pretending that''s where you wanted to go. Trust me, this will turn them crazy. "I''m already escorting her to Goodsprings. What else?" The best way to cheer up a woman when she''s feeling down is to feel her up. You either get a slap to the face or you skip several steps in your relationship. Either way, you win. His face beet red, Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose. "That''s terrible advice, but knowing Lenoria, that has a high chance of going horribly right." The young man already pictured how this would go in his head. "Alistair, the doctor says we''re going to have quintuplets! Y-you''ll take responsibility while I work for Lady Gabrielle, right?" Admittedly not the worst outcome, but Alistair snapped himself out of it before things got crazier. "Next." If a woman''s father refuses to give you his blessing, challenge him to mortal combat. If he pusses out, you become the new dominant male, and if he accepts, well...you better be ready to kill him. How do you think I won over Grunhilda, warrior princess of her orc tribe? "Isn''t there anything useful you could actually contribute to this conversation, Lord Beau?" Well, you could always kill her greatest enemy and present his corpse as the dowry for the wedding. "Isn''t that a little too extreme?" It will make her feel protected. Think about it; killing the greatest threat on her life means there''s nothing harmful left that can stop you and granting her that level of security puts you well above any other man. If you can do that, you''ll be able to have any woman you desire. Alistair had doubts at first, but based on what the girls had told him, Starflower was a respectable and powerful magician. He, perhaps more than anyone else, was the greatest threat on Lenoria''s life and the current source of her anxiety. If Alistair made sure the wicked headmaster no longer was a problem in her life, Lenoria would be a lot less anxious, and he would most certainly earn her love. "Wow, Lord Beau. That''s...honestly very insightful. Thank you." No problem, Alistair. Uh, you do know I''m not actually here, right? "Right..." Alistair snapped out of his thoughts to look back at Lenoria. The girl was still lost in her thoughts, gazing at the side of the road without looking at anything in particular. "Um, Lenoria..." "Yeah?" "I-if that Starflower fellow does so much as get within smiting distance-" "Al," Lenoria began as she took her elbow off the armrest and straightened her posture, "you don''t have to get involved. I don''t want you to get hurt." "Don''t worry about me; if I feared getting hurt, I wouldn''t have trained to become a paladin." Lenoria scoffed. "Al, this is serious. This is no time to act all macho-like..." "I am serious. Back when we defeated the giants'' father, you told me not to be scared to approach you about anything. Well, I want to help you." "I said that because I was hoping you''d hit on me sooner or later..." Defeated by her own words, braced herself for the incoming topic and resolved herself to make it quick to get it over with. "There''s no stopping you, is there?" "No. I asked you and Miss Clara to watch my back, and the two of you have done so without any complaints. That bugbear didn''t see you coming, and Miss Clara saved our lives earlier today. The least I can do is return the favor." Doing his best to contain his rage, Alistair firmly gripped the reins. "If Lord Beau was able to manhandle that madman, then I simply have to get stronger to match that level of strength. But even if I can''t do so in time, I promise I won''t let him lay a hand on you." "Al..." "I meant what I said back at the tunnel exit. I will be there beside you." Lenoria visibly deflated and relaxed her shoulders as she leaned against Alistair. The volley of negative emotions she had suffered throughout the day were taking their toll on her, and she could feel her energy return only after Alistair snaked an arm around her and under her arm so he could still use both of his hands to hang on to the reins. "Thanks, Al..." *** 26th of Cobre, 7:30pm, 1659
Welcome to the CCC - Ragnarok Station. Please make use of the available facilities before departing. Remember to have your ticket ready for the attendant when boarding the cable car.
The sun had set, starting the cold night at the bustling Ragnarok Station. Lampposts with everburning torches had been scattered across to keep the entire area illuminated, while merchant stalls had been set up to sell food and souvenirs to arriving and departing tourists. Lenoria''s mood had quickly improved, giggling as she pointed at anything Alistair was curious about once they got off the wagon and moved forward at walking speed. They roused Clara from her nap, who groggily walked alongside them while staying wrapped with her blankets. Chestnut, now walking with a light load, kept up with his master and companions just fine. Aquamarine slowed her pace so she and Mr. Horsey could walk with them while Caesar parked his floating vessel off the path outside the station. "Funnel cakes! Get your Ragnarok Funnel Cakes here," shouted a man wearing a chef''s apron and hat. A goblin chef holding a comically large knife cried out to tourist passerby. "Step right up and get some tasty fried spider legs! Tarantula, giant cave spider, even the dreaded Thule Goblin-eating Phase Spider! Fried to perfection and high in protein, it''s a goblin delicacy that can satisfy the whole family!" "You bastard," said an angry customer to the little green man as he held a suspiciously humanlike leg, "this is a human leg!" "Look, pal. This is the leg of the Goblin-Eating Phase Spider, native to Thule. Their legs are shaped just like a human''s, except they''re pasty and a little sinewy, and like all phase spiders, it can disappear and wait for hours before it pops back out of nowhere when you least expect it. My brother was in the privy when it got him. Had a couple of suicide bombers from my tribe die just to bring this one down. The least you could do is take a bite before judging." The angry customer calmed down, almost showing pity for the goblin. "Geez, I''m sorry for exploding on you like that." Clara''s face turned green with disgust and looked away from the stall. "I think I''m going to puke." "Thanks for your patronage," said the goblin chef as he pocketed away some coins. "Hold on there, pal, you forgot your mayonnaise!" "Excuse me!" Unable to hold the contents of her stomach any longer, Clara shoved Alistair and Lenoria aside and returned to the back of the wagon. Once there- HURK! "We better avoid caves once we arrive in Thule," Lenoria commented. "Agreed," Alistair whispered back. The third stall was something else entirely. Several dolls with a hairstyle similar to Aquamarine - as well as other dolls with red, teal, and purple hair - were hanging at the ceiling of the stall. A catfolk woman advertised the merchandise with an adorable pose. "Nya! Get your Melodious Aquamarine dolls here! Handmade with great quality, only 2 silver pieces each! Buy one now, and I''ll throw in a Righteous Topaz or a Melancholic Nocturna for half off!" "There are magical girls other than Aquamarine out there," Clara asked once she returned. Aquamarine giggled. "Well, duh. You didn''t think I was the only one who signed a contract with a mysterious creature from beyond the boundary of the Prime Material, did ya?" "Do any of them have Soulstones," Lenoria asked. "Nope, just me. Mr. Horsey and I are a special case." "If I may interject here," said the floating spirit of Mr. Horsey, "I believe Melancholic Nocturna awakens once every month for an hour to bring untold destruction to evildoers before going back to sleep. Her power is special, too, even by the standards of magical children." "That may be worth investigating," Pearl said. "Once our schedule opens up." The group stopped at a railing, granting them the view of a long metal tube going through a dirt path beneath them. On top of the tube stood a vehicle about 10 feet in height and approximately 100 feet in length. Above the vehicle was a metal cable that stretched well beyond the station and into the mountain range itself, following the dirt road and the metal tube. "I''ve never ridden a cable car before," Lenoria said. Alistair shrugged. "Neither have I. I wonder how it works." "I can answer that." The group looked behind them, then downwards to spot another goblin. This one had a gray stubble where a beard should be and wore thick brown overalls on top of his white shirt. His eye color could not be seen through his black-tinted goggles, but he wore a smile on his face. "The name is Lorak. You must be the kids Madam Bisset has been expecting; she told me to look out for a boy bearing the symbol of the Hammer matching your description." He grinned at Lenoria. "And you must be the girl of the hour. She told me you''re one of the top graduates back at the Guild. It''s nice to meet a fellow engineer." Flattered, Lenoria gave the goblin a short wave. "Thank you, Lorak. What do you do here at the station?" The older goblin thumbed his nose. "Hehehe. Glad you asked; I''m the driver of this here cable car. I used to steer ships for Madam Bisset until she got me this job here. Easy on the hours and makes a decent living, but it gets boring here in the mountains." He pointed at the cable car, then followed the tracks with his finger. "You were wondering how this works, right? It''s quite simple. There''s a machine on the other side of the mountains that pulls the cable you see above the car there. The cable car then moves along the tracks - that tube you see there - and keeps moving until it stops at your destination." "Won''t the cable break after enough uses?" Alistair was concerned more than anything, as he wondered if the car could hold the weight of his wagon and his animal companion. "If it''s made of any ordinary metal, it would eventually wear out and the cable would snap. But we used adamantine for both the tracks and the cable; that way, the car is strapped tightly, and the cable never snaps." "Adamantine? That''s the toughest metal in the world!" "Very expensive, too," Lenoria added. "Veteran adventurers rarely travel without at least a weapon made out of adamantine." "Hey, people pay to travel through these mountains, and their money is no good if we all go off track and fall to an untimely death. That''s why your safety is our number one priority." The goblin operator posed confidently. "Don''t worry; our slogan goes ''We get you to your destination alive or your money back, guaranteed!''" "..." "Sounds like a deal to me!" The newly arrived Caesar broke the silence as he and the rest of the pirates stopped at the railing. Lenoria noted that the Argo Navis was no longer on her line of sight. "Ahoy. You operate this vessel, then?" Lorak gave Caesar a toothy grin. "Aye, ain''t no man-o-war, but it does the job right, even when waist deep in grog and clap of thunder." "Sounds like a good time, for an old seadog, anyway." "You speaking ill of me, landlubber? I can still pillage like the rest of them." Neither man refused to stand down; they watched each other''s movements carefully and stared each other down while everyone else stood dumbfounded by what they just witnessed. Cecilia stood in front of them as if to keep anyone from interfering, and relaxed her shoulders once Lorak and Caesar broken into laughter. "If it isn''t ''Shark Bait'' Lorak. What are you doing so high up in the mountains," Caesar asked. "I''m flattered you heard of me, lad, but those days are behind me. The mountains be rough sometimes, but if you have a better way to get a beautiful rich woman to pay you to work for her, I''m all ears." Caesar leaned his chin against a hand, intrigued. "Beautiful and rich, you say?" "Don''t even think about it," said Alistair defensively. "Lady Gabrielle is off-limits." "Can''t blame me for thinking about it. If she''s some sort of forbidden fruit by the bigwigs in Thule, then I just have to meet her." Caesar looked at the cable car as he leaned on the railing. "Don''t you need a crew for this sort of vehicle, though?" "Glad you asked!" Lorak whistled at the sky. In a matter of moments, the group heard the pitter patter of several feet from a distance, the sounds getting closer and closer until eight goblins in similar outfits like Lorak''s stopped right behind the operator. The eight goblins bowed politely, and Lorak decided to introduce them as he continued with his exposition. "Everyone, meet the rest of the band. They are Flimsy, Stinky, Murky, Muddy, Grouchy, Noisy, Stabby, and Morgan. They take care of maintenance and all other kinds of dirty work." "Hi," said all eight goblins simultaneously. "Hello," said Lenoria, who was astonished as just about everyone else. "Looks like we''ll be in your care when crossing the border." One of the goblins, having mud stains on his overalls, gave Lenoria an infatuated look. "You smell like the flowers my mom used to steal from the neighbor." "Hehehe," Lenoria forced a chuckle and a smile, "t-thank you. Where can we put our things?" "We got a platform we can attach to the cable car." Lorak pointed at the tracks. "Just head on down to the docking part of the station, and the gang there will be sure to load your things there." "I''ll take care of the loading," Alistair said. "Why don''t you ladies take care of our seats? I''ll join you shortly, once I get Chestnut on the platform. I''m sure he''ll enjoy the view." Chestnut whinnied in agreement. "Okay, Al. I''ll meet you back here so we can board the car together." Lenoria watched as the goblins escorted Alistair down a ramp to a lower section of the station. Once he was out of sight, she looked over at Lorak. "How did Gabrielle assign our seats, anyway?" "Originally, it was just going to be you and the boy, right?" Lorak flipped over the pages of his clipboard. "But then you got the pretty elf girl here. And now you have all of your new friends there. You aren''t trying to take advantage of the lady''s generosity, are ya?" "N-never! I can pay for the extra seats if you have any available! I just didn''t expect our group to grow in size, is all." "Alright. Well, you, the boy, and the pretty elf get in for free, and you can help yourselves to the congratulatory cheese and wine she had us save up for ya for making it this far. We have the seats for everyone else, but that''ll cost you seven silver coins, fourteen if you''re extending food service to them." "That''s it?" Lenoria rummaged through her coin purse to see if she had the exact amount. Having nothing but gold pieces, she sighed and flipped two coins to the goblin operator. "Good enough for you? Get your guys some drinks while you''re at it." Lorak caught the coins with his greedy little hands. He bit both coins with his sharp teeth before giving Lenoria a toothy grin. "Miss, you''re an angel from the Upper Planes. Thanks to you, now we can get us a pint of sweet potato and durian liqueur." "You...you do that." At least now Lenoria could cross off ''meeting friendly goblins'' off her list. She knew the importance of a cold drink at the end of a workday, but the thought of consuming something as stinky as a durian fruit made her lose all of her appetite. "So, he worked for Gabrielle, huh? I wonder what other colorful characters we get to meet in Thule..." Chapter 52 - The Other Side of the Tracks The group was due to arrive on the other side of the mountain border in two hours. Having made some money during her adventure, Lenoria paid for the cost of the tickets for the massive group that had joined her. Gabrielle Bisset had taken care of the costs for her, Alistair, and Clara, but no one had expected a magical child and a pirate crew to join them all in due thanks to Starflower''s jail break. Lenoria was flattered Constable Richards, even after getting hospitalized, was looking out for her well-being, and the fact that three of the people that had been sent wielded Soulstones of their own, plus Alistair''s reassurance, brought her some much-needed relief despite the circumstances of their arrival. With Alistair napping on the seat across form her and Clara having joined the others by singing sea shanties, Lenoria was left alone with Pearl. With nothing else on her mind, she decided to inquire about the power of the new Soulstones. Starting with Captain Caesar, who wielded the power of Pyxis, the mariner''s compass. With it, he could locate other Soulstones, conjure and use a ghostly rope as a lasso, and escape from even the sturdiest of binds. "Why didn''t we detect his stone when we first met," Lenoria asked Pearl. "Beckett, the spirit of the stone, had entered the Star Dream by the time you met Caesar," Pearl explained. "It is a state of hibernation we spirits enter when we spend too much energy, and such a state takes the spirit to a place where its power can''t be detected. If I were to make a guess, it is a failsafe that prevents the spirits from using too much power at once. Otherwise, we''d be tapping into our true power too quickly and cause havoc in the wrong hands. That''s why we need partners, to borrow their power to manifest our own." "I see. So, Beckett must have spent a lot of energy for something to make him take a nap, just like you did when you attacked Alistair. The stronger the partner, the stronger the spirit becomes." Lenoria rested her hands behind her head. "What about Aquamarine? Shouldn''t the Corvus Soulstone have detected her even with you out of commission?" "That one''s a little trickier to explain, so try to follow along. Aquamarine awakened as a magical child, becoming a heroine of the seas. But she wasn''t as strong as the spirit had hoped, so he lent her the power necessary to fight crime. She has great potential as a bard and even greater knowledge of hydrokinesis, but she needed martial training and the ability to hide her real identity. Thanks to the Soulstone''s power, her true self and her Aquamarine persona are two different people." "I mean, that''s just most people who fight crime. Are you implying that Aquamarine uses a trick that allows her to remain undetected by other Soulstones?" "It would appear so. Otherwise, if she was detected by another Soulstone wielder when she''s not in disguise, she would find herself at a huge disadvantage. If she transformed in front of a crowd, everyone would know her secret identity. That in itself presents a problem." "You''re right, it is a little tricky." Lenoria admitted. "Looks like she needs us as much as we need her." The two stayed silent for a couple of minutes. When Pearl realized Lenoria wasn''t adding anything else, she asked "Aren''t you going to ask about the Argo Navis?" "What about it," Lenoria said after a huff. "It''s just a silly pirate ship. I don''t want to know anything about it or that halfling, for that matter. Besides," she paused to grab a gray blue gemstone from her bag of holding, "I''m more worried about this one. Clara said it borrowed Cassiopeia''s power to use as its own. Is that all it can do?" "In a nutshell, yes. Cassiopeia has power over plants, and Cepheus can borrow and amplify its power. They were named after an old legend of a king and queen, which explains their synergy. By acquiring Cepheus, we already avoided the worst-case scenario." "We definitely owe Clara for this." Lenoria believed it was best not to think about what could have happened if Clara had failed. It didn''t happen, and that was all that mattered. "I''ll treat her to something nice once we get to Goodsprings." "The part that concerns me is that the spirit of Cepheus hasn''t answered my call. I hold the Smith''s authority and have the power to seal the stone away. This spirit is surprisingly courageous, albeit a bit stupid." "Seal it away?" Lenoria didn''t like the idea of sealing something away without giving it a chance to explain itself first, especially since the spirit worked for Cassiopeia and any information could yield was helpful. "What do you mean by that?" "Exactly what I''m implying. A Soulstone that is no use to us has no point in staying with us. I''ll simply return it to the Smith, who will keep it out of anyone else''s hands." "Isn''t that a little extreme? Are you sure that''s a good idea? It could lead us to Cassiopeia so we can end this once and for all." "Or maybe he could lead us into a trap. It''s your call, Lenoria, but I recommend we seal Cepheus away before Cassiopeia can steal it back from us." "Can''t we at least give it some time to make this choice? Maybe the spirit is a good person who''s too scared to help us." Pearl sighed. "I hate it when you''re right. But we''re only giving it until tomorrow at sunset. If we don''t have an answer by then, I''ll seal it away myself." There was plenty of time left, and the pirates, along with Clara and Aquamarine, were still singing the night away. The melody was rather soothing, which ultimately made Lenoria close her eyes. They were in for an overnight trip to Goodsprings, and it was best to save her energy in case Cassiopeia attacked again. *** 26th of Cobre, 9:46pm, 1659 Lenoria stretched her arms after exiting the cable car. She had arrived at a similar station like the one in Helix soil, but there was less cobblestone on the ground in favor of dirt and grass. Stalls were manned mostly by men in simple tunics selling various meats, breads, and vegetables. Alistair silently grabbed her hand and led her to a railing on the edge of the station. Lenoria was amazed by the view before her; she could see the mountain path they had to take to get to the base of the mountain, and further in the distance she could see a vast array of trees and plains. Several dots in the distance indicated signs of civilization, and a bigger one stood out from among them despite being perhaps dozens upon dozens of miles away. "That''s Red Haven, the capital city," Alistair said as he pointed to the bigger settlement. "The king of Thule lives in his castle there, and the leads of the four noble houses reside there, as well." "Ah, then Gabrielle lives there, too." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "As matriarch of House Bisset, she has to live close to the Parliament and the castle." Alistair pointed eastward. "We''ll be going to Goodsprings, located southeast of Red Haven. It''s a quiet little village, and she owns the land there. While the authorities there answer to the King and his men, they have to report to Lady Gabrielle in matters of business." "She''s a bit of a tycoon, then." Lenoria wondered just how much power her new boss had. "She''s basically their landlord, erm, lady." "It''s the layman''s way to put it, but you''re correct." The duo faced in the direction of the cable car and saw the rest of the gang emerge since they had seated themselves towards the very back. Clara, Aquamarine, Caesar, and Cecilia seemed to be in excellent condition while the rest of the pirates were in a state of singing - and drunken - stupor. "Be careful climbing down the mountains," Lorak said. "Lots of dangers in Thule''s shadows, you see. Just stick to the path and you''ll be arriving in Norwich in about 30 hours." "30 hours," Lenoria asked. "It took us about three days to climb the mountain on the other side." "We''re at a lower elevation here, so it won''t take as long to reach civilization." "Norwich. The village at the base of the mountain..." Alistair unrolled a parchment after taking it out of a scroll case attached to his belt. "I see. The path is straightforward just like the one in Helix. Maybe if we rush forward without a break..." He mumbled the rest to himself. "Don''t tell me he plans to go down the path without a break," Caesar asked Lenoria. "He does this sometimes. I''ve asked him to take it easy on his body, but he''s as stubborn as a goat." Lenoria shrugged. "I guess it isn''t that bad. Clara and I are used to the bumpy ride, even when we sleep." "Let me get this straight. You guys now have a flying ship at your disposal, and you want to walk down the mountain path?" Caesar chuckled. "Forget Norwich. Why don''t I just fly you to Goodsprings? I''m sure we can get there in no time." "You''d do that for us?" A flying ship would surely save time. "We would appreciate it, wouldn''t we, Lenoria," Clara said. "If it''s fine with everyone else." Lenoria tugged Alistair''s sleeve to get his attention. "Al?" "I appreciate the offer, Caesar, but we have a problem." Alistair rolled up the parchment and inserted it back in the case. "Airships are rare in Thule, and even those who operate them need a license. On top of that, Thule is at war with Mesarthim right now. Any vessel without so much as a registered coat-of-arms will likely be shot down by cannon fire and we could get arrested. We''ll have to follow protocol and get the ship registered before we even think about setting sail." "Geez, what a killjoy. You paladins sure make life harder for everyone around you, including yourselves." Caesar maintained a jovial attitude despite the glare Alistair shot at him. "Oh, relax, will ya? If I was looking after a couple of cuties like these two, I''d also be working hard to make sure they don''t get arrested." "T-thanks," Alistair said. "We should get going, then. The sooner, the better." "I''m still not going on foot." With a snap of his fingers, Cecilia rushed to her captain''s side. She had been helping her brother Charlie walk but dropped him the moment she was summoned. The other pirates, drunk as they were, stood at attention as they readied themselves to listen to their captain''s orders. "At least not down the mountain. I''m not a scholar like the rest of you, but I do know the mountain border is officially property of both Helix and Thule. Anyone born here is a citizen of both nations, and everyone here adheres to whatever laws are in place within reason." "Oh..." It dawned on Lenoria where Caesar was going with this, to Clara and Alistair''s confusion. "There''s no law in Helix that is against flying pirate ships-" "Because there was never a need for one," Alistair interjected. "-so as long as we stay on the mountain, we won''t be stopped by the local authorities. Once we reach Norwich, we''ll simply put away the ship and go the rest of the way on foot." Caesar lifted his index finger and tapped his head twice. "My plan''s foolproof. If you want to take a stroll through these mountains, be my guest. But I don''t see the point of dragging your lady friends with you, too." Alistair raised a hand to object, but he glanced over at Clara and Lenoria. Clara''s wounds may have been healed since her last fight, but both of the girls were weary from the cable car ride and quite possibly from the entire journey. With a sigh, his eyes returned to Caesar with a look of defeat. "It wasn''t my intention to tire them out. If we take the ship to Norwich and continue on foot, we should get to our destination by morning. I accept your terms, Caesar, provided you''re not up to anything terrible." "And who do you take me for? You really think I got some ulterior motive?" Before his own crew could get a word in, Caesar turned to them and added, "Don''t answer that." Both men heard giggling coming from Lenoria''s direction. From her position, Lenoria raised a hand in an effort to make them stop talking. "Then it''s settled. We''ll take the Argo Navis to the base of the mountain and continue on foot. Thanks a bunch for the offer, Caesar." Caesar responded with a grin. "Hoist anchor, Cecilia! We''re taking off!" "Aye, captain!" Holding a gemstone of her own, Cecilia made her way to the railing. "This will take a minute, so you have that much to unload your stuff from the platforms, you scalawags!" "We better start unloading, then." Lenoria was the first to head back to the cable car and was soon joined by Alistair. "I-I''m sorry. I wasn''t trying to take the longer route without reason." "I know, I know. Don''t worry about it," the girl said with a pat on the shoulder for reassurance. They returned to the cable car and made their way to the back door, which led to a platform attached to the car that contained their belongings (and Chestnut) inside four walls made of metal bars. The goblin crew was already in the process of lowering a metal bridge from the platform to connect it to the unloading bay, which would allow Alistair to guide the wagon out of the platform without any bumps. Lenoria sat next Alistair as he directed Chestnut back to the railing. The goblin crew followed closely behind, and the little green men''s mouths opened and remained agape when they noticed a galleon floating in the air beyond the railing as if it were anchored at a dock in the ocean shores. A wide gangplank had been lowered, with Caesar already on board at the other side beckoning for everyone to get in. Clara and Aquamarine were the first to walk on the gangplank, casually talking to each other as they did. They were followed by the pirate crew, and lastly Cecilia. The goblins, seeing this, carried the party''s belongings and set them down once they were safely inside the galleon. "How in the world can you keep this ship afloat?" Lorak shouted from the station. A crowd had started to gather and marvel at the phenomenon in front of them. Concerned merchants remained in their stalls while children tried to slip away in vain from their parents'' grasp to take a closer look. "It''s magic," Cecilia said. "I don''t have to explain diddily squat." "Oh, come on." Lorak turned to Caesar. "From one seaman to another, you have to tell me your secret." "Sorry, pal. I have to back up my chief mate on this one," Caesar said. "Please?" Alistair watched the exchange between the two, which he found amusing. His smile disappeared when he looked back at Lenoria, who seemed despondent once again. "Everything okay? We''ll be in Goodsprings soon." "You''re right." It would still be a little while before they actually arrived, but morning wasn''t that far off. "I...I guess we''ll be parting ways pretty soon, huh?" "Parting ways? Oh..." Alistair remembered the talk they had on their first visit to the Ezmestli inn. "R-right. In light of recent events, I could always postpone a visit to my family. B-besides, I haven''t been gone for long, so I doubt they miss me yet, anyway." "Are you sure?" Lenoria twiddled her thumbs. "You don''t have to do that for my sake, you know. They''re your family, right? I''m sure they wouldn''t mind." "Honestly, I don''t mind at all. Besides, I made a promise, didn''t I?" Lenoria shivered at the emotions that ran through her. The two gazed at each other, having nothing else to say. But the message was clear between them; Alistair wasn''t going anywhere. His journey back to Thule began with a promise to escort the girls across the border, and now he has sworn to protect Lenoria with his life. That promise extended to everyone else, as well, even Caesar. But the paladin''s main concern was his love. A maniac who had tormented her had broken out of jail, and there was no telling when he would strike. Love. The thought of it was as exhilarating as it was scary for Alistair. It had almost been two weeks since they started this journey, and only three since they met. Was it safe to utter those three sacred words this early? Were those words something Lenoria needed to hear now? Should he wait for a more appropriate time? When was the appropriate time? After Starflower has been struck down? Why are Lenoria''s lips slightly opened? Why is she closing her eyes? Why is she getting closer? Why-? "Hey, lovebirds!" A blunt object THUNK''d Lenoria on the head before it landed on the seat and rolled away into the dirt below. Lenoria looked over at the insolent halfling back on the ship, who had clearly thrown a rock at her. "If you don''t hurry up, we''re leaving without you." "I had almost forgotten about that. My apologies." Alistair flicked the reins to get Chestnut to move once more. Once Cecilia went deeper inside the ship, the paladin felt something warm smooch him on the cheek. His face had almost gone numb from the mountain air, but he definitely felt that, as quick as it was. "I have to be quick when I''m around you, or else someone''s going to try and stop me," Lenoria confessed. "I-I understand, Lenoria. I don''t mind. Um, why is your face red?" "Still dense, I see..." Lenoria cleared her throat. "I-It''s just the mountain air. It''s getting a little hard to breathe at this altitude, so we better get to lower ground." Finally making it inside the ship, Alistair and Lenoria hopped off the wagon as Caesar and Wulf pulled the wooden bridge back inside. The rest of the trip to Norwich was a blur for Lenoria. Never taking her eyes off of Alistair, it was as if she was looking at the face of an angel. Chapter 53 - Norwich 26th of Cobre, 10:38pm, 1659 Out of everything that Clara was expecting to see in this adventure, a flying galleon descending towards the ground on the side of the mountain was definitely unexpected. The descent reminded her of the lift back at the Guild, which was manned by a golem whose roles included escorting students up and down each floor and work on maintenance when necessary. The speed was far below maximum velocity, but it was definitely preferable over climbing down the mountain or walking down the trail for hours. It was fairly fast - approximately 600 feet a minute, she guessed - so there were no complaints. Lenoria, ever the lovestruck girl, spent her time gazing at Alistair, who was grooming and feeding Chestnut. Cecilia made her rounds around the ship, making sure the pirates were not slacking off after their drinking binge. Her brother Charlie stood at the top of the crow''s nest with a spyglass, keeping an eye out for aerial terrors. The dogfolk Vanessa was on a lower deck wiping the cannons while her fianc¨¦e Wulf was passing out tankards of water. Temuulen, the boatswain, assisted Charlie once he was finished mopping the upper deck of the ship. And thus, it fell on the captain himself to steer the vessel. "The mountain is almost a mile tall, so we''ll reach land in about 15 minutes," he announced. Looking out from the bow of the boat, Clara was left alone with her thoughts until Aquamarine joined her. "Oh, hey." "It''s been a while since I traveled by ship," said the magical girl. "It reminds me of my days as part of my own crew." "Oh, you traveled with your own crew?" "I was, until I found out they were pirates. They...had me use my powers to steal from businesses." Aquamarine leaned on the railing. "Enough about me, though. How was your trip, Clara?" "Well..." Clara recounted everything that had happened on her journey so far, including getting evicted from Hammer''s Reach, meeting more members of the Blue Jay, Tizoc, and her confrontation with Zep. "Spiders? Eww, they sound so gross!" Aquamarine made a punching motion. "At least you showed that little creep what for!" "Thank you. I''m a bit worried about his mistress, though." Clara sighed. "I thought I was fighting Cassiopeia, but it turns out we were fighting one of her minions. She''s definitely after Alistair, as well as anyone with a Soulstone." "I don''t see what the big deal is. All we have to do is find her and beat her, right? There''s no way we can hide from her forever, so we should face her head on!" Clara smiled. It was nice to see someone who had a simple solution for such a complex problem. "Thank you, Aquamarine." Her face flushed, Aquamarine pointed at Clara accusingly. "D-don''t misunderstand! It''s not like I''m doing this for you or your friends! C-cute heroines such as myself are bound by oath to protect the innocent, and that means helping the police when they request it! We have a reputation to uphold!" "I appreciate you, all the same." Clara chuckled. She was relaxed now that she had spoken more on the subject with Aquamarine. Even if Cassiopeia attacked in the future, at least someone was ready to face her. "How are my parents? I''m happy to see you, but I''ve been a little worried about them ever since you joined us." "Don''t you worry about them," Aquamarine reassured her. "They know about the situation with the Order, so Constable Richards posted some of his men close to their house. You can rest easy. As for the Order, the Church of the Hammer has taken steps to announce their crimes to the public, and they have appealed to the King of Helix himself to denounce them for their evil deeds. He''s yet to give an official statement, but it''s only a matter of time, now." "The King?" Clara sighed with relief. "Good. Thank you so much for everything you''ve done for us. I''d hate to impose on you any longer." "Don''t sweat it. Although, if you want to pay me back, you can feed me every day." "Deal!" Gratefully shaking Aquamarine''s hand, Clara moved on from the topic to something more mundane like hair styles and color, to which both discussed at length all the way until Charlie shouted- "Spider caves, Cap''n!" "Any hostiles sighted," asked Caesar. "No, but I see threads that glow like your rope, Cap''n." Clara''s hair straightened upward at the sight of glowing spider webs about as big as an elephant blocking a massive cave entrance on the rocky mountainside. She instinctively let go of the railing and darted off to the nearest mast at the center of the ship. "S-s-s-s-" "It''s just the webs of the Goblin-eating Phase Spider," Cecilia playfully remarked. "Don''t tell me you''re scared of horse-sized spiders-" A blunt object struck Cecilia on the back of the head. When the halfling turned around, she only saw Lenoria innocently filing her nails. "Hey!" "You mind not scaring my best friend? The next one''s going to your face if you keep it up." Lenoria didn''t bother looking up while issuing her threat. "I''m not a wildlife expert, but wouldn''t a visible web ward off potential prey," Alistair asked. "Well," Clara began as calmly as she could, "those webs are invisible, but they r-react to the moonlight. That''s why they only c-come out to hunt during the new moon and eat enough to last them through the rest of the moon phases. Though if anything t-touches the web, they w-wake up from their state of torpor and investigate." "Okay, so we''ll be fine as long as we stay away from their webbing." Caesar grinned. "But we can''t be too sure. Cecilia, apply the ship''s cloaking spell." "Aye, aye." Still hurt from the rock thrown at her, Cecilia snapped her fingers. A white light outlined the ship as well as everyone onboard. "Did I get everyone? Good. Now don''t run off and do something stupid. Even if we see spiders, they won''t be able to see us thanks to this spell." Clara sighed with relief and slid down the mast until she found herself sitting on the floorboards. "Phew. That''s handy." After a few minutes of silent descent, Charlie shouted again. "Land ho!" All eyes looked up at the crow''s nest of the ship. "We''ll make landfall soon, captain!" "Thanks! Cecilia, Tem, get ready to toss the anchor!" Caesar stepped away from the rudder and gazed down the side of the ship. The mountain path was distant but fairly visible down below, and the village gate was just coming into view. A coil of chains slithered when Cecilia pulled a lever, and she and Temuulen grabbed on to them to slow them down. The anchor had been attached on the other side, and them grabbing the chains slowed the anchor''s descent to the ground below to prevent any unfortunate accidents. Once the anchor crashed down on the ground, the duo let go of the chains and waited until the ship hovered just a few feet above the mountain path before readying the gangplank. *** "I hope we didn''t draw too much attention," Lenoria commented once she set foot on the mountain gravel. Norwich gate was just up ahead, and the air was much easier to breathe.
Welcome to Norwich! Population: 746
She was definitely in Thule. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Clara eyed the village walls and gate. "No guards posted at the gate. Maybe they lock it after a certain time? It is the middle of the night, after all..." "That is unlikely." Alistair crossed the bridge with Chestnut and the wagon right behind him. "There''s always someone posted at the gates of each settlement. They probably just went to take a break." "Wouldn''t it be more responsible to get someone to take your place while you take a break?" "When you gotta go, you gotta go. If it''s a quick trip to the privy, then they should be back soon." Lenoria patted her belly. "Then again, if they had anything like Al''s spicy cake, then they''ll be there for a while." "I said I was sorry!" Al''s apology was interrupted at the sound of creaking wood. The group spotted Aquamarine on top of the wall beckoning for them. "Hurry up, slowpokes! I hear people up ahead!" With a skip and a hop, Aquamarine went inside the village on the other side of the wall. "Ugh, she''s so impatient," Lenoria commented. "Right." Caesar, already inches from the gate, knocked on it. The gate creaked open to the dismay of everyone present. "She didn''t even realize the gate was unlocked from the beginning." On his way back, he heard a squelching sound as he nearly slipped on something brown. "Ew." "Still, this doesn''t sit right with me. We better get a move on; something''s going on, and I don''t like it." Alistair nodded to the girls and took the lead with Chestnut by his side. Lenoria followed closely behind, followed by Clara and Tsukuyomi. "Hold it!" The quartet stopped when they heard Cecilia not far from them. "You have a bad feeling about this? Is there something we should know before going in?" "Undead tend to be on the prowl late at night. The village is quiet probably because people are staying inside their homes." Alistair''s uneasiness could be felt by everyone present. "With that in mind, there should always be guards posted at each gate in the event some of the undead make their way to civilization." "Hang on," Lenoria interrupted. "Aquamarine said she could hear people inside the village, so I doubt everyone is inside their homes at this hour." "She''s right." Caesar peered inside through the opened gate. "It''s hard to see, but I think I see torches in the distance. It''s definitely a crowd." "It could be a holiday of some sort," Alistair said. "Or it could be Starflower." Lenoria''s heart raced at the thought of meeting Starflower soon. "I''m getting a bad feeling, too." "Good. Maybe now we won''t have to wait long." Alistair wished to advance, but a tender hand on his wrist kept him from going forward. "Lenoria..." "We''re probably overthinking this, but if it is him..." Lenoria shook her head. "We can''t fight him here. We may have a numbers advantage, but he''s probably anticipating a big group. If he knows we''re here, then we could fall into a trap." "So, what do we do?" The group stood in place for a while, unsure of what to do. After some thought, Cecilia had an idea. "Here''s a thought. Goodsprings is a relatively safer place, right? How about you three grab your stuff from the wagon and store it in those bags of holding you''re carrying?" Cecilia pointed at the galleon behind them. "We can keep your wagon stored in the Argo Navis in the meantime. Any objects kept in there are safely stored inside once I put it away. If you find the wizard inside, or if he finds you, you''re probably gonna want to run, right? If you make it to Goodsprings, you can plan a counterattack there." Lenoria didn''t want to admit it, but Cecilia''s plan was solid by her standards. "What about you guys?" "I''ll keep the Argo Navis fired up. The captain can shoot a flare if things go bad." Cecilia winked at Caesar. "I thought the captain was supposed to go down with his crew." Caesar put up a brave front, but his feet were already facing the direction of the ship. Meanwhile, Lenoria, Alistair, and Clara wasted little time to grab their belongings from the wagon and spread them a between their bags of holding. Thanks to the interdimensional space in the bags, they were allowed to carry up to 700 and change in pounds inside three bags that weighed only 25lbs each. "That''s why you''re shooting a flare, captain. Should things go wrong, you can fire a red flare or a blue flare. Red means we give you time to go back to the ship, and blue means we go on without you. In either case, we take the ship back to the cable car station and figure out a plan there." Cecilia crossed her arms confidently. "As for the three of you, the elf can escape with her flying eidolon while the happy couple escape on horseback. Oh, and Aquamarine can use her own steed. If there are no guards here, then there''s probably no guards at the other side of the village, which means you''ll be able to escape uninterrupted. And if there''s a blockade of some sort, well, then you''re SOL." "Can I truly leave the wagon with you, then?" Alistair asked her. "Just who do you think I am? I''m a thief, not a hoarder. I don''t need the wagon, so I really don''t want it." "Then we better catch up to Aquamarine. Everyone good with the plan?" Alistair got a nod from everyone before turning around to face the village. "Good. I''m hoping it''s nothing big, but this may be our best chance to escape should we meet that wicked wizard." In the end, everyone saw the wisdom in running away. While Alistair may have a home in Thule, everyone else was out of their element in this new land, which carried the possibility of failing to coordinate a proper attack. And if it was a trap set by Starflower, at least they would be ready. Best case scenario, they''re probably overthinking things, but everything felt off even for those who were stepping on foreign soil for the first time. Without further delay, Alistair took one last look at the wagon, now parked inside the Argo Navis, before moving forward with Chestnut, followed by Lenoria, Clara, and Tsukuyomi. Giving his crew a thumbs up, Caesar ran after the rest of the party. The darkness of the night and the sparse outlines of the buildings gave the village an eerie feel. "Looks like some sleepy backwater town. There''s probably nothing exciting going on, anyway." *** A crowd of all backgrounds and creeds gathered at the town center of the village. Most people in the crowd held up a torch to bring some light to the dark rural area, but some wished they could have kept them off. Men watched quietly in anger, housewives were screaming for someone to stop, and children cried and closed their eyes at the behest of their parents, so they didn''t witness the brutality in front of them. A hooded man cloaked in blue was beaten with stonelike fists from a slightly larger and muscular bull of a man, who stood over nine feet in height. The bull man wore a breastplate with a crimson sheen and wore a gold ring through his nose. With the cloaked individual bleeding from the mouth and nose, he was tossed aside at the feet of a woman wearing peasant''s clothes and a ghastly pallor for her skin. A group of children huddled at her feet, five in number, frightened by the limp corpse of the hooded man. The children were two boys and three girls; one of the boys had the red skin of a devil while the second had a furry hide and tail, and cat ears near the top of his head. A rat-faced girl, smaller than the rest, timidly clung to the leg of the adult woman with her while the second bared her orcish tusks and teeth to project her anger at the crimson men. Lastly, a young human girl sat by their feet with a pained expression, seemingly unable to stand on her feet. Once he was done, the bull man waded through more hooded corpses and took his place next to an older man. This other man wore crimson pauldrons, and a cape draped over everything below the neck area. He was balding with gray hair and appeared to be getting close to venerable age, but despite being just a little over five feet in height, his presence alone had cowed everyone else present. Flanking him opposite of the bull man was a red-haired human male wearing similar armor and wore a circlet instead of a helmet. Behind the three of them was a small squad of men in crimson armor, five strong. "You...you got what you wanted!" The woman with the children had somehow managed to find her voice. "You came here after the rebels, and you killed them all, so please leave us in peace!" The old man calmly darted his eyes between the fallen hooded individuals. "That''s funny. My informant told me there were seven rebels in this little village. Math may not be my best subject, but I count six here in a pool of their own piss and blood. Where''s the seventh?" *** Aquamarine had observed everything from behind a patch of trees with thick undergrowth and waved at Alistair and the gang once she caught sight of them coming from the opposite way. "There you are," she whispered once they snuck their way through the trees. "Now that we''re all here, we can teach those guys a lesson." "They look too well-dressed to be bandits." Lenoria took a moment to process the events unfolding in front of her. The children were close to the danger but at least they were unharmed for now. There was also no sign of Starflower anywhere, and she was so glad to be wrong about something for once. "At least it isn''t Starflower." "No." There was trembling from Alistair in that single word. That''s when the girls noticed their paladin friend - usually brave and strong - shaking uncontrollably. "We''ve...we''ve stumbled upon someone much worse. Aquamarine, we must leave this place at once while we still can." "W-what?" Aquamarine''s voice was broken not by fear, but laughter. "What are you saying? I''m counting five thugs, two bigger thugs, and some old fart. I can''t just ignore them when they''re doing something so cruel." "No, Aquamarine." Clara could sense something sinister coming from the men in crimson, though she could not place her finger on it. "It''s not like Alistair to behave like this. There''s something seriously wrong here." "If I didn''t know any better, I''d say you were scared." Lenoria waited for some kind of rebuttal, and her concern only grew when she received none. "Al?" "There''s a fine line between fear and survival instinct. And the latter is telling me to run as fast as I can." Alistair wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "That man is Count Demetrio, one of Thule''s Three Judges and the most powerful necromancer of the land. He holds jurisdiction over this portion of the continent and holds power greater than that of Lady Gabrielle." Alistair had said a whole bunch of words without actually saying much, but Lenoria knew this was a bad sign. To make matters worse, Pearl''s voice called out to her. "Lenoria, I have terrible news." "I''m kind of in the middle of something here. Can''t they wait?" "No. I''m detecting two Soulstones within two hundred feet of us, straight ahead." "Don''t tell me..." Lenoria looked back to the situation ahead of her. Her eyes moved past the woman and the children to the old man, then the men in red behind him, and lastly on the duo flanking the old man. Her Soulstone reacted to the last two, emitting a brief, green-colored glint in response to something similar coming from them; a yellow glint coming from the red-haired human, and a gray one coming from the bull man. "Aw, crap." 1st Anniversary Special A Quest for the Stars turns 1 on Royal Road today! I wanted to do something special for today, and while I had some ideas, in the end I decided to make an art gallery and some fun facts. But first, some background. Quest started as a simple amalgamation of plots and stories, almost a crossover. Then it became its own original story before that got scrapped indefinitely, and it stayed in the back burner until I got into TTRPGs. Once I learned how to play some systems, I decided to take on the role of Game Master and give it a try. There were definitely bumps on the road and took years to get the hang of it. But after several years, I had my own group and to this day we still play weekly. Sometime last year, I decided to combine elements of my failed projects and spin them into a new premise. And thus, A Quest for the Stars was born. It hasn''t been an easy road, but here we are, one year later. I mentioned some fun facts, right? Let''s start with those. The story originally started in the Goodsprings arc. The plan was to write ten chapters before publishing the Prologue on RR, and that''s what I did. Once I published the Prologue, I wasn''t satisfied with what I had written, so I decided to start with Helix City and work my way there. The chapters I had written previously were left unused but remain in my Docs to this day. To give you an example how different this story would have been, Lenoria started as a criminal who immigrated across the border because she heard news of her long-lost sister wrongfully arrested in Thule. She got herself arrested so she could be sent to the penal colony her sister was in and would then plot to break her and herself out. Alistair was pretty much her parole officer, Instructor Gardens joined her as a member of her party, and Goodsprings was supposed to be the aforementioned penal colony. I also switched personalities between Al and Pearl, with Alistair being more assertive and colder and Pearl being more of a shrinking violet. By the end of the tenth chapter, Lenoria would have acquired the Corvus, Ursa Minor, and Leo Minor Soulstones. Starflower was supposed to be a starter villain. It''s more obvious in the earlier chapters, but Starflower''s incarceration was originally planned to be his last appearance. But then I realized he had potential, so I decided to plan his jail break and have him go on a revenge quest, yet that eventually got scrapped too in favor of what we have now. Will he fall back to old habits, become a better person, or just turn into something else entirely? Only time will tell. The world runs on the concept of anachronism stew. Forum goers are more likely to already know this because I say this every time it comes up, but Quest isn''t your average fantasy/gaslamp setting. We have Helix, where a portion of it is based on 1920s America with a steampunk twist and another part of it lives in the Aztec times with a more modern take. Then we have Thule, which is more of a dark fantasy setting with undead as the main threat. Befrus is a cold region along the south pole that is ruled by dwarven castes living peacefully with the Vikings. And then we have Eishima, a group of islands based on some of the greater names in Asia like China and Japan living in feudal times. How can all these groups of people coexist? Well, that''s the fantasy aspect. They just do. The minotaur from chapter 53 was named by a player. I don''t remember the exact date, but it was probably around 2017-2018 where I ran a one-shot campaign where a villainous force went through an expedition in Hell. One of the players wanted to play but didn''t have the time to make a new sheet, so I happily provided him with a minotaur barbarian. To give him a sense of uniqueness, I let him name the minotaur. What I had forgotten to take into account was that this particular player, if given that kind of power, would turn a serious campaign into utter hilarity. What did he name him? "Sir Loin the Black Angus." The name has been slightly altered for this story, but I don''t think anyone will notice the difference. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Valentine''s name is a pun. I''m very surprised no one caught it or pointed it out yet. She''s a harpy eagle named Valentine. Borders on black comedy and fridge horror when you remember who her master was. Speaking of names, some of the cast have meaningful names. Instead of explaining this one, I''ll drop a link to the thread where I give away the meaning behind my character names. Gallery Here''s a collection of doodles and drawings I wanted to show off. They''re not great, but I wouldn''t have been able to do this back when I started writing, so I''m actually a little proud of myself for these. Maybe next year I can provide better ones. We shall see. Lenoria and Pearl. You can see I tried to give Pearl wings, but that was a miserable endeavor. Alistair in casual clothes. This is what he''d wear on a crisp fall day. Can''t go without his mace and shield, though. My two muses. Riddel (left) and Lenoria (right). I had fun drawing chibis and nearly cried when I drew Riddel. Two early drawings of Lenoria. I''ve yet to come up with my different style so I''ve been drawing her with help from tutorial videos and other guides. A commission made about three years ago. I still love it. Credit: solnish.tumblr.com And this is Lenoria wearing her guild uniform. These last three images are something I''ve been working on this past week during my free time. Juggling between this, writing, and my daily routine wasn''t easy, especially this past week. It''s not my best work and you can definitely see some errors if you take a closer look. Yet I feel a lot better drawing on paper, and tracing that piece of work in my Sketchbook app. Hey, tracing is not so bad when I''m already providing the draft, eh? Preview: Thule Arc The above images were made during Midjourney''s infancy. AI is better now, but as I continue to learn to draw, I''ll be slowly dropping my dependency on AI images. As always, Grey continues to deliver. Chapter 54 - Kingdom of Thule, Cold and Dark "A judge?" Alistair''s explanation did little to answer the questions on everyone''s minds, and Clara''s own question was her way of asking Alistair to explain himself a little better. "Don''t judges preside over a courtroom and nothing else?" "Not a judge, but one of the Judges," Alistair corrected her. "Thule is divided into three provinces - the West, the East, and the Center - and one person governs each province. And these people are appointed by the King himself and exercise his authority whenever he''s unable to do so himself. The title is a courtesy, given their role." Terror slid across the entire group, most notably Lenoria. "But you said the King was sick." "Exactly. Count Demetrio rules the Eastern Province. And as long as the King is sick, all of the King''s authority over the Eastern Province falls on him. And out of the three Judges...he''s the cruelest of them all." *** "Are you going to make me repeat myself?" Demetrio''s voice was worn down from old age, but the calm yet firm tone of it had everyone''s attention. "Or are you going to force my hand?" One of the villagers stepped forward. "Please, sire, don''t be angry with us." "You misunderstand." Demetrio chuckled malevolently. "I don''t get angry. I have people to do that for me. And they don''t have to get angry if you simply turn in the remaining rebel." *** "Rebels?" Lenoria asked. Alistair didn''t hesitate to answer. "A rebellion started not long after King Edgar got sick. A vigilante who dubbed himself ''The Arrow'' leads it and has incited many people to attack the crown and anyone who works directly for the King. Since Thule is in the middle of a war, this was perhaps the best time for them to attack." "So, the claims of Thule being a tyranny have their fruit," Clara said. "I won''t deny that. But we in the Church believe there are better ways to change the government, and needless violence isn''t one of them." He turned his back on the ongoing scene. "This is our chance. If he sees us, we''ll likely be questioned since we''re outsiders. We have to leave while we still have the chance." "Smartest thing you''ve said all day." Caesar was already on his way out of the tree patch. "Let''s go, ladies." "Wait!" Aquamarine refused to stand from her hiding spot. "Don''t you think we should do something? There''s kids involved." "We have to let the proper authorities handle this. The Count''s word is law around here." "Aren''t you the leader of this little band?" Aquamarine placed both hands on Lenoria''s shoulders. "Doesn''t this upset you in the slightest?" "It does," Lenoria answered. "But do you see the guys next to that old man? Pearl detected Soulstones on them. We can''t just jump in to save the day. We could get slaughtered." Alistair nodded. "And now we have our reasons not to get involved just yet. We may have to deal with them eventually, as is part of Lenoria''s mission. But we must reach Goodsprings first and plan everything there." "It''s probably for the best." Clara eyed the rebel corpses in the distance. "The Count looks like the patient sort. He may have ordered the execution of the rebels, but the villagers have not been harmed. Maybe the stories about him being a big bad boogieman have been exaggerated." *** "This woman here has committed the crime of housing rebels, and you have the gall to tell me not to be angry?" The Count''s chilling statement left a few of the villagers murmuring in fear. The one who stepped up earlier, as scared as he was, did not back down. "My Count, Eleanor may have acted foolishly, but it''s possible the rebels have coerced her into helping them." The villager, built like a lumberjack, gestured at the woman with a meaty hand. "Look at her. She runs the local orphanage. The children will be lost without her if you decide to execute her." "There are no exceptions to the law I implemented. Willingly or not, this woman has aided the rebels. Six of them have paid for their transgressions with their lives, but we''re still missing one. Would any of you like to take their place? Or would you like to speak up now and give away their location? At this point, my patience is wearing thin and I''m willing to swing both ways." "I...don''t know, my Count," Eleanor nervously said. "He jumped out the window and went somewhere to the s-south." Demetrio scoffed. He raised his hand to his chest level and effortlessly summoned a black and red glyph. He pointed at the woman with his index finger, which soon took a skeletal shape and started gathering energy with a baleful green light. "Eleanor, Eleanor. You should know better than to lie to a Judge." Eleanor gasped and took a step back. She looked over at the red-haired man, who bowed his head before addressing his liege. "Lord Demetrio," said the red-haired man, "I can confirm that she''s lying. Up until now, her heartbeat was calm and stable. But it changed during her statement. She knows where the remaining rebel is." "How can you hear my heart from that distance?!" "Do not question my subordinate''s accuracy, wench." Demetrio kept his smile, but it was shallow enough for anyone to note his whittling patience. "Asterion''s senses are the sharpest in the land. If you won''t give me what I want..." Demetrio pointed at the girl seated at the woman''s feet. "...then perhaps I''ll take something dear to you instead." *** Our heroes had successfully circled around Demetrio without getting detected and had placed themselves about a hundred feet behind him. But Lenoria paused once Demetrio aimed his spell at the little girl. "No..." "I see leaving them to talk things out didn''t work out for the best." There was a bit of smugness in Aquamarine''s expression, but she was angrier than anything else. "Now he''s going to kill an innocent little girl." "Damn it," Alistair cursed under his breath. He could no longer bring himself to ignore the situation. He felt a hand gently wrap around his wrist. "Al, we have to do something," Lenoria pleaded. "There has to be something we can do," Clara said. Alistair shook his head. "This may be my homeland, but if the Count sees any of you, he''ll definitely do his best to interrogate you. And if we dare to raise a hand against him, we''ll be branded as renegades and be sent straight to the gallows!" "I don''t believe you." Aquamarine placed her hands on her hips. "Alistair, slayer of giants, afraid of an old man? I understand he''s a big deal around here, but won''t you at least try to do something?" "There''s a difference between any elderly man and Count Demetrio!" A choice had to be made now. Alistair could still hear bickering between Demetrio and the villagers. With a loud gulp, Alistair closed his eyes firmly. "Caesar." "Huh?" Caesar had been busy looking for an escape route amidst the trees. "Chestnut knows the road to Goodsprings. Follow him and keep Lenoria safe. Keep everyone safe. I''m afraid this is my stop." "Are you crazy?" Lenoria grabbed Alistair by the shoulders and shook him back and forth. "You''ve been building this guy up as some sort of boogieman, and you''re going out there by yourself?!" "Please understand, Lenoria. Aquamarine has the right idea; I have to do something, or innocent people are going to die. But if you stay here with me, I can''t guarantee your safety." "Screw that! After everything we''ve been through?" Lenoria pulled Alistair close enough for their noses to touch. "If you''re staying, I''m staying!" Clara sighed. "I-if she''s staying, then I''m staying, too." Caesar was ready to leave with Chestnut in tow, but a firm grip from Aquamarine held him back. "It''s our job to keep you safe, so we''re going wherever Lenoria goes." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Lenoria nodded. "I know we haven''t known each other for long, but this trip with you has been the best time of my life. I''m not going to lose you to some creep on a power trip." "I won''t fight him. As I am now, I don''t think I have the strength to take him down, even if I wanted to. But I will engage in dialogue with him." Alistair turned his back on everyone else. "Just give me five minutes with him. If anything happens to me, then please move on to Goodsprings. Lady Gabrielle may work for Lord Demetrio, but she''ll understand the situation if you explain it to her." "Al..." "Do as I say, please! If anything happens to me, run away!" Alistair shook his fists. "Our trip together...was also the best time of my life. We have a lot of work ahead, but I look forward to the day our schedules open up so we can travel together again." Alistair turned around and curled his fingers in between Lenoria''s right hand and wrapped his free arm around her waist to bring her closer to him. Lenoria blushed when she was firmly pressed against him, but didn''t protest. Their lips were just a couple of inches from touching, and Alistair could feel the heat from Lenoria''s faint yet rapid breathing. After a moment of hesitation, Alistair pushed himself forward and kissed her. It was brief and he quickly pulled away from her, but Lenoria remained unresponsive even as Alistair let her go. "Remember," Alistair said, "if anything happens to me, make your way to Goodsprings. It''s imperative for Lady Gabrielle to know what happened here. I''m sure she''ll know what to do in the worst-case scenario." "S-sure." Her face flushed, Lenoria''s mind was elsewhere. "That one was a lot better than the one we shared in the Plains..." She watched as Alistair emerged from the trees and made his way to Demetrio''s group. All she could do now was to have faith in Alistair. They couldn''t convince the crowd back in Hammer''s Reach of their innocence, but perhaps this Demetrio was a more reasonable fellow if he was given what he wanted. *** "Lord Demetrio!" The crowds immediately turned their direction to the northern road to see a young man in armor making his way to them. This didn''t stop him, but it did slow him down as the realization dawned on him. He had everyone''s attention now, including the men in red as well as Demetrio''s other henchmen. "You bear the colors of House Leone." Demetrio lowered his skeletal hand, which immediately regained its skin. "Identify yourself, then state your business. You have wandered too far from your pride, cub." Alistair knelt with a single knee and bowed his head respectfully to the count. "Alistair Adams, sire. Squire to Lady Victoria Orwell and cook for House Leone. I recently finished my pilgrimage to the Cathedral of the Hammer and have returned home." The crowd whispered amongst themselves while Demetrio''s men stood astounded. Even the Count himself appeared to have been caught off-guard, his attention completely averted from Eleanor. "The Lioness?" The crowd repeated this the most amongst themselves. "What''s he doing all the way out here in the country?" "Scrawny little thing like him? How can he move with all that armor?" "''Ey, wasn''t he the kid who got engaged some time ago?" "Could be a different one." *** "Psst, hey Clara. You know who this Orwell chick is?" "No," Clara answered Lenoria. "Aquamarine?" The magical girl thought about it for a moment. "Ugh, I remember Mesmerizing Emerald gushing about her before I left Helix City, but I have no idea who that is." Something else that caught Lenoria''s ear concerned her greatly. "Engaged?" *** "I was never a believer of chance encounters, but this is an unexpected surprise." Demetrio''s men readied themselves for a fight as the Count remained calm and aloof. "Have the lions once again sent a cub to preach about the rights and wrongs of my position?" "W-with all due respect, I have not come to bring honor or dishonor to my family name. Rather, I''ve decided to speak to you as a fellow man." Alistair locked eyes with Demetrio. "Have the children there committed a crime? Is there a need to treat them like this?" Demetrio''s men wasted no time in laughing but quickly went quiet when their lord raised his hand. "Has your pilgrimage rotted your brain, boy? We are at war with another country. Do you know what this means? We have to be ready for anything within just as we have to be out of our home, including subterfuge and sabotage." "With all due respect, L-Lord Demetrio, there are other ways to go about this. Look at the villagers." Alistair and Demetrio looked at the villagers watching them. "They''re not angry or rebelling against you. They''re scared! Scared that you will slaughter them just like the tall tales about you say if they make as much as a false movement! We must strive to resolve each conflict peacefully." "Is that why you''re shaking in your sabatons, too, boy?" Demetrio''s smile, Alistair thought, did not seem threatening at all. In fact, it appeared that the Count was amused. "You''re scared I would harm these people needlessly, is that it? Then let me tell you something, paladin. You know as well as I do what happens when we let even one person sow a seed of chaos. A single rebel is enough to threaten the existence of any kingdom. You and I can agree on everything but the methods we must use to dispose of them." "But orphans, sire? Must they go through another tragedy in their lives for the sake of war?" "If it comes to that!" Demetrio pointed at the girl sitting timidly by Eleanor''s feet. "That one in particular hasn''t been taught any manners. Does she not know it''s rude to be seated when you have company over?" "T-that''s because little Lisa is crippled from the waist down!" Eleanor firmly gripped the hand of the young girl. "Your men destroyed her mobility chair when they barged into the orphanage building!" Rage rose inside Alistair like a volcano on the brink of eruption. Barely able to keep his temper in check, he spoke as softly, yet audible, as he could. "I-is this true, my lord?" Ignoring the woman''s remark, Demetrio gestured for Alistair to stand. When the boy did so, he continued. "There''s something you need to understand, young Alistair. Treason is one of the worst things you can commit not just in Thule, but any land you claim as your home." *** "Nothing''s changing," Aquamarine impatiently noted. "The old man''s just trying to justify what he''s done." "We have to be patient, Aquamarine. Sometimes dialogue takes a little longer than we''d like, but Alistair''s doing his best. What do you think, Len-?" Clara looked to her left - Lenoria''s last known location - only to find it empty with no sign of her friend. "W-where did she go?" "Caesar''s gone, too," Aquamarine grumbled. "Great. Now what do we do?" "Miss Aquamarine," said the spirit of Mr. Horsey, "this might be a good time to come up with an escape plan. We have no choice but to follow Lenoria''s lead, and if we are unable to coordinate with whatever plan she has, our chance of failing our mission goes up by at least 40%." "Then we better find her." Aquamarine scanned the surrounding area. "Where did you go?" *** "Now''s my chance..." All eyes were on Alistair, allowing Eleanor to pick up the little girl at her feet before looking at the rest of the children. "We can''t go back to the orphanage or else the Count''s men will look for you there. Stay close and don''t look back, okay?" "Where are we going?" The children whispered quietly as to not be heard. "Far away from here. If we get a head start, they won''t catch up to us." The woman held on tight to the girl in her arms. She pointed at the tall grass and waited for the children to sneak towards it before inching closer to it herself. "Whatever you do, don''t let go, okay?" "Okay," Lisa answered meekly. "...and furthermore..." Demetrio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Without taking his eyes away from Alistair, he said, "Ser Loin, take care of it." There was a sadistic smile on the face of the bull man. Upon hearing Demetrio''s order, the woman darted off into the opposite direction, squeezing the girl in her arms as tightly as she could so she wouldn''t drop her. But the bull, knighted as Ser Loin, only chuckled as the distance between his target and himself grew by the second. "You''re only making it harder on yourself, sweetheart. But I do love a moving target." "No, wait," Alistair vainly shouted. But to his horror, there was no sign of Ser Loin. He had been standing close to his lord, but he had vanished in the blink of an eye. Then, a scream. The crowd gasped and screamed as Ser Loin had already accomplished his task. He victoriously raised his prey - Eleanor''s limp body - after having impaled her through the spine with one of his horns. The child she had been carrying had already plopped down on the dirt below, unable to escape. *** "That does it!" Aquamarine stood up from her hiding spot. "We tried it Alistair''s way. Now we do things my way!" *** "Ruby Knights!" The men in red, idle until know, stood firmly at attention at their lord''s command. "Scatter and search for any remaining rebels. Asterion, find the rest of the children. And Ser Loin, kill the cripple; unlike the children, there''s no place for her in the slave pits. And someone restrain the boy before he does anything stupid." At once, Demetrio''s men scattered and went about their business. The red-haired man, named Asterion, darted off to search for the children while the men in red immediately spread out to search the people''s homes. A firm hand gripped Alistair''s wrist just as he was about to run up to the young girl''s defense. Caught off-guard, this momentary lapse lasted long enough for a single Ruby Knight to slap a pair of manacles on Alistair. "You bastard!" Demetrio''s smile finally vanished. "This is what happens when we spare traitors, young Alistair. They would more than willingly bite the hand that feeds them, even when they''re shown mercy. Go home and meditate on this, and for your own sake, do not interfere." "N-no. Knights are supposed to be chivalrous! I can''t allow this!" "Why don''t you sit down and watch the show, cub?" The bull man tossed Eleanor''s corpse aside and looked down on the crippled girl. "I''ve seen what your kind does to baby cows. How about I treat this little one the same way?" Alistair could not shake off the feeling of dread as Ser Loin raised his fist on the young girl in front of him. She did not put up any resistance; or rather, she could not do it even if she wanted to. All she could do was raise her arms to block the incoming blow from striking her tear-stained face. "Lenoria, please move on without me..." Struggling to break free, Alistair decided to act now. "Ser Loin, I challenge you to-" KER-POW The bull man''s laugh was suddenly drowned out by the sound of a loud bang coming from the trees to the east, interrupting his strike. It happened quickly; by the time the assailant showed herself, smoke was coming off of Ser Loin''s face as he tended to his injury with both hands. Something hot had struck him; hot enough to burn the hairs on his chin and powerful enough to knock some teeth out of him. His screams of pain were muffled due to him covering his mouth, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. Aquamarine stopped herself from jumping in and remained hidden with Clara. "Oh, good. About time someone did something." Alistair''s anxiety went up a level. "Lenoria!" POW Another shot could be heard, this time in the distance to the south. A red light appeared in the sky, and it appeared to have been ascending. "That''s a flare! Caesar?" Chapter 55 - Lepus Moments before "Thanks for coming along, Caesar," Lenoria whispered. After Alistair had gone to speak with Demetrio, she decided to sneak away along the trees and undergrowth of the outer perimeter of the town square, where everything was taking place. "Not like you gave me a choice," Caesar protested. "You know Al is counting on us to get you to safety, right?" The two eventually settled down on the eastern fringe of the forested area. They were closer to Eleanor and the orphans; Lenoria had noticed something in Eleanor''s body language earlier and decided to help her out however she could without interfering with Alistair''s plan. "I''m not letting him do all the work, you know. I feel brave whenever I''m close to Al. It kinda makes me want to be just like him, you know?" Lenoria set down her bag on the ground and rummaged through her belongings in search for something. "I need a disguise in case something happens. I want to help him without doing something stupid." "You plan to obstruct their definition of ''justice'' by helping that woman and her children get away from here. Technically speaking, you''re already doing something stupid." Lenoria narrowed her eyes at the pirate captain. "Are you gonna help or whine?" Caesar grinned after placing his hand on the pommel of his sheathed blade. "Don''t worry, this is just like a heist, which is right up my alley. What''s the plan?" "I have a bad feeling about that guy, so take those children and that woman to the Argo Navis. You have a spare gas mask, by chance?" "Sure do. But even if they make it back to the ship, I can''t guarantee their safety. And let''s not forget Al''s got a reputation with those people. If they find out you''re friends with him, who knows what''ll happen if you pull this stunt." "That''s what the disguise is for, so they don''t find out." Lenoria smiled when she found what she was looking for: An azure cloak. "This is what I call taking down two stones with one bird." She gasped. "The kids are coming this way. Are you in?" Caesar snuck away in the direction of the ship after handing over a gas mask. "Leave it to me." ---------- Present time The children had gone inside the forested area after catching sight of Lenoria, who whispered to them to follow the man with a black hat. Her eyes then met with Eleanor, who was sneakily making her way to the trees as well with Lisa in tow. Nodding with reassurance, Lenoria beckoned the woman to quicken her pace before she was noticed. "...Whatever you do, don''t let go, okay?" Eleanor made sure she had a firm hold on Lisa. "The Arrow must have sent them to help us. I knew he wouldn''t abandon us..." "Okay," the young girl answered meekly. "Looks like we got help," Eleanor whispered. "Quickly now, children! Follow them!" Unfortunately, she was not quick enough. The bull man got her, causing the children to flee in terror. Lenoria had little time to mourn the woman''s passing when Demetrio ordered his forces to spread out. She hid behind a tree just as Asterion ran past it as he gave chase to the children that ran away. Lenoria loaded her pistol and aimed at their pursuer when she noticed the large bull man raising his fist on Lisa. She begrudgingly let Asterion run away - believing Caesar would keep the children safe - and switched her target to the bull man. KER-POW With the bull man''s face wounded, Lenoria then proceeded to throw a jar on the ground, spilling some greasy liquid. "I''m counting on you, Caesar." Adjusting her cloak and mask, she came out of her hiding spot in full view of everyone else. The village was already in a state of panic due to the Count''s men breaking and entering into their homes. With his knights and Asterion gone, Demetrio was left with a cuffed Alistair. The Count faced Lenoria with a stern look, all signs of amusement finally gone. "Lenoria," Pearl said telepathically, "if you were to brawl with that minotaur one on one..." "Not a chance." The girl would have felt more confident if it was a cave giant like back in Helix. A minotaur, however, was a different story; they weren''t the smartest creatures, but she knew they were naturally cunning. Their heightened sense of awareness allowed them to see any attack coming, and the only reason Lenoria''s bullet even hit its mark was because he was too slow to deflect it. "Please tell me you have a plan." Lenoria''s lack of response made Pearl even more worried. "H-hey, answer me! Do you even know what his power is?" "Is it super speed?" "No, it''s super-" Pearl blushed and stopped once she processed what Lenoria said. "How did you know?" "There''s skid marks on the ground next to him, and there''s steam coming from his feet. You don''t leave tracks when teleporting, so I just assumed he moved really, really fast." Pearl nodded. "Very good. That''s pretty much the power of the Lepus Soulstone. Do you have a plan to counter it?" "I might." "Ser Loin," Demetrio addressed his henchman. "Looks like we found our rebel. I should have known targeting the child would have flushed her out." "I''m not a rebel!" Lenoria posed like a crane, raising one leg and stretching her arms to the sides. "But going after children? Unforgivable! Your time has come, evildoers! The Order of the Blue Jay will not stand for this!" Alistair''s jaw dropped and Lenoria was sure everyone else must have had a similar reaction. Demetrio simply raised an eyebrow. "The Order? That gaggle of cowards? It doesn''t surprise me those troublemakers would join the rebellion." Pearl did not fail to notice Lenoria''s blue cloak, which had a bird embroidered on it. "Is that a cape you pilfered from the Order?" "Hey, that bugbear wasn''t using it anymore. It''s so snug, too!" "Are you done whingeing, Ser Loin? Your new order is to eliminate that meddling bird." Demetrio pointed at Lenoria. "We don''t need her alive in order to question her. We could use more intel on that annoying bunch." Ser Loin shifted his eyes between Demetrio and the child at his feet, the latter who had started sobbing. "Lord Demetrio, what about the kid? I can give it a quick death and make those rebels suffer!" "Are you defying me?" The minotaur jumped at the threatening inquiry. "N-no, sire. Y-your will be done." With a heavy snort, the minotaur''s eyes locked on to his new target. "You little hamster. You knocked half of my teeth out with that little firecracker of yours. Now how am I going to impress the spotted babes back in my tribe?" "Not like you had a chance to begin with," Lenoria retorted. The minotaur growled. "Mock me all you want. I''ll crush that scrawny little body!" He slid his hoofed foot back over and over again, preparing a charge. The amulet containing his Soulstone glowed with a grayish pink light and soon afterward he disappeared completely. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. What he failed to realize was that Lenoria was ready. "There!" Lenoria kicked her feet towards her left side right before the minotaur appeared again. He lunged his head forward, but his feet slipped on a greasy surface which made the trajectory of his attack to go off course. Instead of Lenoria, a lone tree became the target of the bull man''s impalement, his horns lodged deeply enough to protrude on the other side. "Don''t tell me you planned that far ahead," Pearl asked. "Something that big going that fast is gonna have a hard time stopping. Simple physics, Pearl. Besides that, I noticed his Soulstone activating right before he attacked that first time. I figured if I timed it right, I could dodge his attack." "You''re insane. Anything else you want to surprise me with? I''m curious to see if a spirit like myself can die from a heart attack." Lenoria grinned behind her mask. "You won''t wait long. Now we run!" Instead of going north, Lenoria sprinted off directly to the west to where the young girl had been dropped on the ground. The child''s tearful eyes gave Lenoria a hopeful look once she arrived, and did not resist when the young scientist lifted her off the ground. "I''m here to save you." "Please...protect...her..." Eleanor''s dying words made the child sob once again. She exhaled a breath of relief before closing her eyes with a smile on her face. "I will," Lenoria solemnly said. All that was left now was the Count himself, though she wondered if Alistair would attempt to stop her now that she openly opposed Demetrio''s actions. The weight of her actions finally set in for her, and whether or not she did the right thing, her new alias had become a wanted woman. She had to ditch her disguise once she was away from prying eyes. "Alistair, I command you to stop her," Demetrio ordered. "My apologies, my Count, but I believe your order was to go home and not interfere." Demetrio was surprised by Alistair''s defiant words. "As you can see, whether I leave or stop this criminal, I''m pretty much useless thanks to these manacles your men have placed on me. And it appears your men have left with the key." Demetrio seethed furiously. With Asterion still not back from rounding up the children, his Ruby Knights scattered across the village causing a panic, and Ser Loin stuck in a tree at the moment, he had no men left to send after Lenoria. "Worthless, all of you." Lenoria used this opportunity to head to the northern path. Alistair did nothing to stop her, but he also didn''t follow her. "Know this, Blue Jay," the boy said, "once I''m free of these bindings, I will look for you. You have no idea the trouble you put yourself in." Lenoria knew Alistair was likely doing this to keep up appearances, but his eyes and the tone of his words sent a chill down her spine. If nothing else, he had promised her he would look for her once he''s free from his bindings. To her, this meant they would reunite in Goodsprings if everything played out perfectly. "I''ll come back for you if I have to. I promise." Not wanting to stick around any longer, she held the child close and darted off to the northern path. "If you want something done right..." The Count had summoned another glyph, and his hand once again took on a skeletal appearance. Baleful green energy gathered at the tip of his finger, which he then aimed at Lenoria with. "...you have to do it yourself." The spell was interrupted as the Count''s feet wobbled and his vision soon panned sideways. He felt his face hit the soil and gravel, which had been chilled to freezing temperatures. "A sheet of ice? At this time of the year?" The Count''s hand slipped on the slippery surface and landed back on the ground chin-first. He raised his head just in time to witness a blue-haired girl stick her tongue out at him as a mocking gesture before running after Lenoria. "More Blue Jays? This is absurd!" *** "This is the most uncoordinated rescue mission I''ve ever been in," Aquamarine complained as she and the girls made their exit from the northern Norwich gate, which had been devoid of guards just as Cecilia had guessed. Lenoria led the way on the back of Chestnut with Lisa on her lap, while Clara - now wearing a blue cloak of her own - was carried by a flying Tsukuyomi. Aquamarine, bringing up the rear, rode on the back of a polymorphed Mr. Horsey, who had assumed the form of a hippocampus and galloped just a few inches off the ground. "I won''t lie, Lenoria, this isn''t exactly our proudest achievement," Clara added. "I know, but my prediction was almost completely accurate." Lenoria tightened her grip on the reins. "I couldn''t just let that guy kill the children. I hope Caesar got them to safety." "Yeah, that''s what we need," Aquamarine said sarcastically, "instead of orphans, they get to become pirates. I can''t believe we became fugitives after being in Thule for an hour. That has to be some sort of world record." "We didn''t exactly have a lot of options at the time, Aquamarine." Clara sighed. "Maybe this isn''t so bad. If we become fugitives, maybe we can find or build a cabin in the woods. I could forage for fruits, Aquamarine could provide the water, and Lenoria could hunt for meat. We could arrange meetings with Alistair so that he isn''t incriminated, and Caesar could probably plunder from the greedy and provide for us since we''d already be criminals. I''m an adult even by Elven standards, so I could claim to have adopted the three of you if people ask questions. Yes, I can see it..." Aquamarine narrowed her eyes at her summoner friend. "You thought that far ahead already?" "Well, yeah." Clara blushed. "Don''t you guys make contingency plans for the worst-case scenario?" Lenoria smiled at her friend''s thoughtfulness. "I appreciate it, Clara, but we''re all wearing disguises. If we lay low, they don''t find us. Let''s head to Goodsprings and plan things from there." *** It took a few minutes, but Ser Loin managed to dislodge his horns from the tree he impaled. He snorted angrily as if he had seen red, darting his eyes back and forth looking for any sign from the girl who slighted him. "You okay there, big guy," Alistair asked. "Yeah, little punk caught me off-guard. Guess I was off my game." Alistair sighed. His own plan had gone awry, and as upset as he was that Lenoria disobeyed him, he was thankful to her for having done something he failed to do. "They must be at least a mile ahead by now. Please stay safe, Lenoria. I''ll make my way over as soon as I can do so without raising suspicion." "Slacking off, are we?" Demetrio asked. "There''s still an important matter. You know, for when you have a chance. I do recommend you get on it as soon as you can, Ser Loin, because THEY''RE GETTING AWAY, YOU BIG LUMMOX!" Seeing his master irate was enough to make the minotaur jump. "A-at once, my lord!" To Alistair''s shock, the bull man sped off towards the northern path at blinding speeds. An air current ruffled his hair and brought dust to his eyes. "GRAAAAAAAH!" *** Having a chance to rest while on horseback, Lenoria gently tapped the shoulder of the child on her lap. "Are you okay, sweetie? I hope we didn''t scare you." "I-I''m fine." The girl looked down sadly. "But Miss Eleanor...and my friends..." "I know, we''re sorry." Eleanor''s words still fresh on her mind, Lenoria tried her best to smile for the girl. "What''s your name?" "L-Lisa." "Just Lisa?" Lenoria''s heart raced. "Crap, I forgot she''s an orphan. Of course she wouldn''t know her surname." "Y-yeah. I never knew who my parents were. But Eleanor was always nice to me." The girl sobbed. "She...she..." "Shh, shh." Lenoria gently patted the girl''s head. "Everything is going to be okay." "But Eleanor...and my friends..." "Your friends will be fine. I have a friend looking after them right now, and he knows where to find us. You''ll see them again soon." "R-really?" "Really, really. I promise that those mean people won''t get you or your friends." Lenoria sighed. It was a heck of a promise, and the reality of taking Lisa away was setting in for her. "I can''t hide her forever, but she has nowhere to go. Did we really do the right thing here?" Pearl''s spirit suddenly popped up beside her partner. "Lenoria!" "Gah!" Lenoria shivered from fright before glaring at Pearl. "I told you not to do that!" "Never mind that. We have trouble! It''s...the minotaur. He''s on his way here and will soon catch up to us! I can sense him!" "Pearl, are you sure?" "I''m sure. He''ll be here any second now. Get ready!" Pearl''s announcement alerted Clara and Aquamarine as well. Little Lisa remained oblivious to the imminent danger and Lenoria had no idea how to break it to her. Unfortunately, there was little time to think about it when everyone felt a gust of wind blow past them. Chestnut, Tsukuyomi, and Mr. Horsey stopped in their tracks immediately at the sight of the hulking bull man ahead of them. Snorting angrily, he barred their path, leaving them nowhere to run except for the path they came from. "You''re crazy if you thought you could outrun me. The Count''s angry with me because of you, so I''ll be bringing all of your heads on a silver platter!" "Damn it, he caught up to us..." Lenoria lowered her hand to her waist where she had concealed her firearm. Lisa had resumed her crying at the sight of the monster before them, who gladly took a menacing step forward. "That''s right. You''re all going to the slaughterhouse. And don''t think I''m not ready to throw down, because my life''s on the line, too!" Chapter 56 - Girth and Speed Lisa whimpered at the sight of the monster ahead of them and tightly hung on to Lenoria. Aquamarine calmly climbed off Mr. Horsey while Clara jumped off from Tsukuyomi''s arms. Lenoria hurriedly leaned closer to Chestnut''s ear, making sure Lisa didn''t fall off from the sudden movement. "I know you don''t like me, Chestnut, but can you keep her safe for us?" Chestnut snorted his response. "Good. I''m sure your master would be proud of you. None of us can''t outrun him, so feel free to throw in a hit whenever he''s open." She then poked Lisa. "I think you gave me a bruise from squeezing me, Lisa. Use that strength to grab on to Chestnut and not let go, okay?" Lisa nodded and closed her eyes as she clung to Chestnut as tightly as she could. Lenoria patted the crippled girl on the shoulder and hopped off Chestnut. A vortex of water swirled around Aquamarine as she drew her rod with a cat-eared plushie attached to it, and Clara and Tsukuyomi placed themselves in front of their teammates. The four Soulstones present gave off a small glint in anticipation of the upcoming battle. "Clara, can you transform again," Lenoria asked worriedly. Clara shook her head. "Afraid not. We''ve been taking short breaks, but I haven''t gotten any proper rest since my fight with Zep. Apus is as tired as I am and needs to rest." She resolutely stared at the bull man. "But we''ll still keep him away from you two. Individually, I don''t think we stand a chance. That''s why we have to work together." She may have been putting up a brave front, but Lenoria knew her friend better than that. Clara hadn''t completely recovered from her last fight, and as a result her resources were limited. "Don''t be ridiculous, Clara. You''re forgetting I got some training in, too." Lenoria stretched her fingers as she pulled back her fingerless glove. "Sing to your heart''s content and use your crossbow when you see an opening. I''ll let you and Aquamarine focus on missile weaponry. I''ll try to wear him out in melee." "Alright. Tsukuyomi, please back her up." By Clara''s command, Tsukuyomi marched forward until he was mere feet from the minotaur, who at this point had been observing them quietly. He grinned maliciously when Lenoria stepped up next to Tsukuyomi, still wearing her cape and mask. The path was big enough to allow the girls some mobility during a fight, but also narrow enough for the minotaur to block their path. It was clear to them that he had no intention of letting them go. Once Lenoria put up her fists in a stance, the bull man bellowed with laughter. "You really think you can beat me with those tiny fists of yours? You had a better chance with that pistol from earlier." "Don''t need it. Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to shut your trap and fight?" "Fine." Ser Loin raised a meaty fist. "You''ll be the first to die!" Ser Loin met the smaller girl head on with his fist against hers just as the dice rolled for initiative. The impact pushed both of them backwards, leaving a gap between them again.
Character Initiative
Ser Loin 20 (1d20+0)
Lenoria 10 (1d20+3)
Clara 19 (1d20+8)
Aquamarine 6 (1d20+3)
Chestnut 16 (1d20+1)
Turn Order: Ser Loin, Clara, Chestnut, Lenoria, Aquamarine Ser Loin did not hesitate to make the opening blow. In a blink of an eye, he closed the distance between himself and Lenoria and impaled her with his horns. The girl did her best to block the attack, but by mere instinct she stretched out her palms to soften the impact. Due to this, the horns had impaled one of her hands, which she quickly dislodged to avoid any further injury. It didn''t completely pierce through her hand, but it was enough to make her bleed. "That was too fast. I couldn''t keep track of him at all..." "Ha. I thought you''d be too lithe to take a hit like that. You''re nothing like the rebels I trounced just now. This should be interesting!" Ser Loin took a step back as Lenoria shoved him to keep some space between them. Not far from them, Clara readied a crossbow shot and aimed for Ser Loin. But Aquamarine''s words stopped her. "Have faith, Clara," said the little magical girl. "Go ahead and support us. I promise I won''t let him hurt her too much." Clara lowered her crossbow. "R-right. Lenoria is stronger than before. She''s given us directions and is counting on us." Singing another aria, Clara''s voice instantly boosted the girls'' morale and their fighting spirit. Aquamarine nodded with approval while Lenoria raised a thumb and grinned at the minotaur. "What''s your deal," Ser Loin asked as he traded punches and kicks with Lenoria. The gap in strength was immediately noted by the girl, who had taken a more defensive stance to block with her forearms and knees. "The Order of the Blue Jay usually hires small fry they can sacrifice to the meat grinder. You''re not really part of that organization, are you?" "He''s smart for a brute." Lenoria ducked instantly to make way for Tsukuyomi, who pulled back a mechanical fist to deliver a haymaker. The alloy punch connected to Ser Loin''s jaw, chipping out another tooth. Using this opportunity to gain a tactical advantage, Lenoria slid herself through the gap between the minotaur''s legs, emerging on the opposite end with only minor cuts and scrapes from the gravel of the road. The minotaur threw a punch as she slid through, and only narrowly missed her. "How did she do that?" Ser Loin scanned the area and noticed a raven hovering above Lenoria''s head by about 20 feet. "What is that? That wasn''t there before..." "Thanks, Pearl," Lenoria whispered. "Saved my bacon with that ability of yours." "Even with my powers over fortune, we''ll need more than just luck to defeat him. You were lucky now, but we can''t guarantee the same result next time. Please tell me you have a plan." "I do. I just need to keep him distracted for a little bit. I can''t risk giving away my plan." When Ser Loin turned to face her, Lenoria struck with her left knee to keep up the momentum. But the bull man met her head-on and blocked the strike with his forearm. "Aw, nuts." "You hit like a boy," the minotaur taunted. He suddenly felt a force strike him on the back of the head, giving the air a smell of wet fur. Ser Loin wobbled a couple of steps to his left before turning around and snarled at the offending party. "And you smell like dung," Aquamarine retorted. "I''ll remember your face, brat!" "Come and get me, ugly!" Aquamarine pulled her lower eyelid mockingly and stuck her tongue out. "Bleh!" "I''ll save you for last. But first!" A fist shot forward for Tsukuyomi. The muscles behind it expanded just as Ser Loin''s face seethed with anger and his eyes glowed with an eerie red light. Tsukuyomi raised both arms to defend himself, but he could not escape the damage as his armor bracers received dents from the impact after Ser Loin followed up with two more punches, missing with the last one. Lenoria watched the minotaur''s moves carefully, noticing a change in their pattern. "His punches suddenly got better. He''s fighting like a kickboxer." Sparks and metal flew when the bull man lunged at the eidolon with his horns, narrowly grazing him as the horns slid down the machine''s green armor. "Go back to the scrap heap!" "We have to stop this behemoth. But how? At this rate, Tsukuyomi won''t be able to hold on much longer." Clara''s mind raced as she tried to come up with a solution that could stop Ser Loin''s assault, at least momentarily. "If only I could stop him from attacking." She immediately exhibited a smirk when something came to mind. "Ser Loin, right? Then allow me to show you my moooooves~!" The girls momentarily gaze upon Clara after making her joke, and most surprised of all was Ser Loin himself, who looked at her incredulously before even more anger set in. "Just for that, I''ll make sure to bury you alive when I''m done with these two." "I just made him madder." Clara smiled defeatedly when the magic of her voice faded away and loaded her crossbow despondently while Tsukuyomi charged desperately with a one-two punch. Having to deal with the eidolon in front of him and the girl behind him made the minotaur a little more open to their attacks, and he was sure his nose bled when Tsukuyomi got a hit in. This snapped Clara back to reality and aimed carefully at her opponent. "Don''t you dare give up just yet!" Watching her opponent''s movements, Lenoria rammed her knee on the minotaur''s backside when he dared divert his eyes from her due to Tsukuyomi''s assault. "That was a bad joke, but we got him on the ropes, Clara! The key to victory is to hit him with what you used against the mother giant!" Clara and Aquamarine sweated a little once the realization hit both of them. "I should have done that form the start. Aquamarine, can you continue applying pressure to him while I prepare the spell?" Aquamarine harumphed loudly. "Why have you do it when I can just do it instead? Just wait until he gets a taste of my Ice Panel!" "Ice what?" Ser Loin asked with a confused tone as his ears twitched from listening to Aquamarine. Seeing Aquamarine holding out her hands without doing anything else, he grinned when he suddenly struck Tsukuyomi unexpectedly. He followed up with another punch, then a third that narrowly missed, and finished things off with an impalement attempt. But despite three of his attacks landing, Tsukuyomi seemed to have received minimal damage. "What?!" He quickly spotted a nebulous red thread on Tsukuyomi''s neck which traced back to Clara, who had started bleeding around the neck and chest area as if she had been impaled with something. "You always protected me Tsukuyomi." Her left arm dangled lazily before she grabbed on to it. "I figured it was time to return the favor..." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Clara!" Lenoria shouted sadly. "I hope you made peace with your maker," Aquamarine angrily declared, "because you''re through! Ice Panel!" Ser Loin braced himself for another attack, but to his surprise his feet wobbled once again, causing his body to collapse on his back on the newly formed sheet of ice. "Not again!!!" "I won''t forget this, Clara! Tsukuyomi, hang back for just a moment!" Lenoria wasted no time and swiftly climbed on the minotaur''s back and grabbed his necklace. It was too late for the prone beastman to do anything when he finally noticed what was going on, and the iron chains jingled as they left their owner. Lenoria nearly jumped when she heard snarling nearby. "Got it! Time to go!" "What?! We can''t just leave this guy here," Aquamarine argued. Lenoria made a dash for Chestnut and took a moment to pat the horse to see if he was okay. Once she confirmed there were no injuries, she began the mounting process. "We got the Soulstone and Clara''s seriously hurt! If we don''t run now, we may not get another chance!" "Lenoria makes a good point, Miss Aquamarine," Mr. Horsey said. "Clara is in dire need of first aid. Prolonging this fight may aggravate her injuries further." Nodding begrudgingly, Aquamarine grabbed on to Clara and helped her get on Mr. Horsey. "You careless wonder. Tsukuyomi would have come back tomorrow if he bit it. Why did you do that?" "Hehehe," Clara chuckled. "H-he ended up helping out in the end." She grabbed on to her arm. "Ow..." "Hmph. That''s what you get for making me worry." Aquamarine''s face reddened when Clara sat in front of her. "D-don''t you dare move! I might just drop you when we''re running if y-you do anything funny!" "I appreciate your help, Aquamarine," Clara said wearily. "Please don''t let go. I can''t hang on to the reins with my bad arm." "R-right." The two girls flinched when they saw Ser Loin rise from the ground but sighed with relief when his feet wobbled again and he fell down. "Let''s go!" Flicking the reins and Lisa leaning on her, Lenoria ordered for the others to advance. Tsukuyomi lagged behind them, but his flight allowed him to move unimpeded. The snarling around them grew intense, and both horses weaved when a walking pale corpse wearing soiled rags rose and stumbled from the bushes and stood on the road. It growled with a gruff tone, indicating a disturbing lack of humanity if its putrid flesh hadn''t done so already. "Undead..." Clara struggled to stay conscious. "Is that why we''re leaving?" "Yeah. I knew we would attract some sooner or later with the sounds of our fight. I''m just glad they came when they did, or we would have had trouble leaving." Lenoria focused her eyes on the road ahead. The snarling grew louder and louder, and soon more walking corpses stopped on the road and tried to reach out for the horses as they passed by. "Avoid them! We can outrun them easily if we don''t engage!" "Come back here!" Ser Loin, in a moment of clarity, rolled to his side repeatedly until he was out of the ice puddle. Standing up straight, he soon noticed a large amount of walking corpses stumbling ahead of him...and they all eerily turned to face him as soon as they heard him. "This is bullsh-" *** Despite waiting for nearly an hour before Demetrio''s knights finished their business in Norwich, Alistair remained calm as he patiently waited on a bench in the town square. He would hear their updates from time to time, all reporting no sign of rebel or Blue Jay activity since their arrival. He would hear Demetrio bark orders to either check again or search the outer perimeter of the village for any tracks. Once all knights reported back simultaneously, they all apologized for their lack of results. "You see, young Alistair," Demetrio said, "force is sometimes necessary to keep people in line. Now that the Order of the Blue Jay humiliated my men and I, their actions will encourage the rebels to keep fighting. And as long as they keep fighting, more people will suffer. I''m sure your heart is in the right place, but with all due respect, I would appreciate it if you didn''t question my authority in the future." Alistair bowed his head respectfully. "Of course, Lord Demetrio." The boy felt a sense of accomplishment watching Lenoria stand up for what was right, but a part of him begged him to come clean over her rash behavior. He felt a collision between duty and ideals and wrestled with his oath to protect the girl and the oath he swore as a paladin to defend king and country. Was he willing to betray one for the other? "Sire-" His manacles opened when a Ruby Knight inserted a key in the keyhole. Alistair instinctively rubbed his wrists after being shackled for so long, and just as he was about to say something, Demetrio interrupted him. "What do you know of the Order of the Blue Jay? This isn''t the first time they foiled my plans, and I would certainly love to have a chat with the next member I see." Was this an out of his dilemma? Alistair decided to try his luck and gamble by providing what he knew while diverting any involvement Lenoria had with the Order. "They were a thorn during my pilgrimage, Lord Demetrio. They threaten others into submission, and I''ve recently discovered that they have made deals with demons." "Demons, you say?" Demetrio scratched his chin. "Interesting. That is quite the accusation, Alistair. However, even with you being a noble paladin, I can''t just take your word for it." "I understand your viewpoint, my lord. But I personally struck down a babau demon that had made the Jaguar Lands his hunting ground. I had help from the local populace." Alistair almost smiled when he had an idea. "If it pleases your lordship, I can hunt down the Order personally and interrogate them. I w-won''t deny I have a personal vendetta against them, but I believe I can also use that to better serve my country." If Alistair could convince Demetrio he was capable of handling such a mission, he would be free to exact vengeance on the Order of the Blue Jay and divert Lenoria''s involvement with them. He only hoped she would get rid of her silly disguise once she escaped and planned to scold her later for doing something so impulsive, as well-intentioned as it was. As long as no one suspected what she did today, he could work on behalf of Count Demetrio while keeping his conscience clean. It''s not like the Order was completely blameless, and if they already tried to foil Demetrio before, then he would have an easier time removing all suspicion from himself and his party. "You do not have to take my words at face value, but I would encourage you and your men to keep an eye out for demons." "Your advice is appreciated, but hardly necessary," Demetrio said. "Relative to me, the Order of the Blue Jay is nothing but a termite mound that needs to be exterminated. I don''t fear demons, but I know how dangerous they can be if left unchecked. That''s why I shall grant you permission to exterminate any Blue Jay that you find. No, consider it an order." It was more than he had hoped for, but Alistair did not turn it down. "It shall be done, my lord." "Good. Then you are dismissed. Carry on with your business here in Norwich." Demetrio tapped his foot impatiently. "Ser Loin and Asterion have been gone for a while. Have the rebels outsmarted them? Search the perimeter again," he ordered his knights. "B-by your leave..." Alistair bowed again before excusing himself. He remained hopeful that the girls avoided capture. He was free to do as he pleased for now, but as much as he wanted to make his way to Goodsprings, there was one thing he needed to check up on. After some searching, he found a crowd gathered at the local cemetery not far from the town square. A muscular man shoveled the dirt amidst the crowd as they had all gathered next to a coffin. There was no weeping, just silent mourning with a whisper here and there. "Eleanor was a good woman," said a male villager. "To think she was housing rebels," another said. "Demetrio is going to kill us all. I just know it!" "He already searched our homes and found nothing. J-just do what he says, and he''ll move on." Alistair felt compelled to comfort the crowds, but now that he was away from Demetrio, guilt had settled in. He had revealed himself to stop Demetrio from killing one of the children, but someone else died in their place. Eleanor was gone and the children had gone missing. "I should have acted earlier." If he had challenged Ser Loin to a duel, he probably would have been jailed for defying Demetrio and his men, but he would have saved more lives. He would have stopped Ser Loin from carrying out his lord''s order long enough for her to run away. At least that''s what he told himself. "You''re the boy from earlier," exclaimed one of the villagers from the crowd. The others soon faced him and had started making their way to him. "Y-yes." Alistair put on his best gentle face; not showing anger nor sadness, but compassion and kindness. "Do you need my assistance? I''m Alistair Adams, and-" "Yeah, we know who you are." One of the male villagers spat on the ground close to Alistair. With a head nod, he signaled two others to come closer. These two men held planks of wood and threateningly smacked them on their free hands. "You''re the one who not only defiled Lady Mirabelle, but sent her to prison, too." "W-what?" Alistair''s shoulders stiffened at the mere mention of that name. "You got it all wrong. That''s not what happened." One of the thuggish men took a couple of steps closer. "Do you know what we do to pricks like you?" "You have some nerve showing your face around here," a woman screamed. "Why would you do something like that to such a gentle woman, and frame her to boot?" "I don''t understand how your god hasn''t stripped you of your powers yet," another said. "That''s because I''m innocent! I didn''t do anything," Alistair protested. "There was a trial with a mountain of evidence suggesting she plotted to throw me in jail! I was a victim of a conspiracy!" "Lies," some of the villagers screamed. "I''m serious! Those who were there during the trial can vouch for my innocence! If you were there, you would know, too!" But the villagers were not listening. "We didn''t need to watch some rigged trial. For all we know, the government could be trying to cover something up." "Yeah. Lady Mirabelle is the kindest soul this nation has ever known! But thanks to you, her name was dragged through the mud by those journalists in the big city." "You can salvage whatever you have left of your integrity if you take your punishment like a sweet little lamb. If the King doesn''t punish you, then we will!" The villagers closed in on Alistair, clamoring with names and insults as the two thugs swung their planks at him. Shield at the ready, Alistair parried their blows effortlessly but did not counter as he normally would. "Even against a crowd this big, I have the advantage. But I can''t hurt them..." "Leave the boy alone." The crowds stopped when the man with a shovel - likely the cemetery''s caretaker - called out to them. "Stay out of this, Otis," one of the thugs ordered. "Don''t defend him, Otis," another callously said. "You will not spill any more blood today," Otis retorted. "Not on my graveyard. I already dug a grave for Eleanor, despite her stupidity. Do not make me dig for more." "Don''t insult her," shouted a woman. "We''ll drag this boy and hang him in the forest if you''re so worried about working overtime!" "I wasn''t referring to him," Otis said menacingly. "Look at him. He carries the banner of the Hammer of Justice. He is blessed by a higher power. Do you seriously think you can hurt him with sticks and stones? On top of that, the Hammer is a harsh judge and executioner. He would have abandoned this boy long ago if he really did commit the crimes you claim he has done." Otis placed himself between Alistair and some of the men from the crowd. He planted his shovel on the dirt below and rested his fists on the handle. Alistair then noted just how tall Otis was; he easily towered over every single man present, himself included. "Who is responsible for these allegations?" "Lady Mirabelle, sir. She was here until this morning before needing to depart for some pending business." The villager who said this, a middle-aged man in overalls, removed his hat out of respect. "She was so sweet, she tried to play off her trauma as if it wasn''t a big deal. I have a daughter who is just as old as her, so my blood boils from just looking at this boy. I swore I would rough him up to show him how being weak feels like..." Alistair froze at the revelation. "She was here?" "And I assume you spread the word," Otis guessed. "And was this boy there to defend himself?" "No, but even if he was, we would have made sure to bury him where nobody would find him." "Yeah," the villagers agreed with a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. "Then her word is just as good as his. According to this boy here, she plotted to have him thrown in prison and she was arrested for the amount of evidence found on her. Evidently, she was rightly served with the same sentence she tried to condemn this young man to serve." "Then why was she released from prison so soon," screamed a villager, and others screamed along with him with words of affirmation. "She must have been innocent the whole time!" "Why is anyone released prematurely?" Otis remained callous and calm. "We all know crooks get out of jail early all the time. Some even choose to join the guard in Goodsprings over the executioner''s axe. With this Mirabelle being a noble, it''s not hard to guess why she was released." Alistair''s mind and heart raced as Otis revealed more. "Crooks? Goodsprings?" "This is what we should do. Anyone wishing to harm this young man will have to dig his own grave, first. If the gods are with this young man, they will protect him from harm. You can test your luck if you wish, but I won''t overwork myself because of your stupidity." Otis offered his shovel to the first man he saw. When that man refused, Otis moved to the next one, then to the one after that. Alistair felt relieved to see someone come to his rescue. All of the men who were so eager to gang up on him suddenly weren''t so brave anymore. He bowed to Otis politely and with gratitude. "T-thank you, sir..." "Don''t thank me just yet. It would be best if you left this place. If the gods are with you, then you''ll be safe during your trip back to whence you came. If not, then you most likely deserve whatever fate awaits you out there." The caretaker dragged his shovel back to the grave he was digging on. "I know one thing for sure; you are not welcome here." "This is just like back in Hammer''s Reach..." Frowning, Alistair hunched his head forward and left the cemetery. Just like before, his efforts ultimately amounted to nothing and decided to leave Norwich before he provoked more of the villagers with his mere presence. The villagers, having no rebuttal for Otis''s earlier comment, stepped aside while glaring daggers at the young paladin. Knowing they could do little else, they spat on the ground he walked on and continued to do so until some grew too tired to continue while others did so until Alistair reached the northern gate of the village. "And stay out!" "Just like old times..." Alistair ignored their insults and yelling. Not many have cared to believe his claims of innocence, and knew he''d waste his time with people who already made up their mind. The best he could do now is meet back with the girls in Goodsprings and discuss the night''s events with them. He also resolved to tell them the truth behind the allegations before anyone else did. It was only right. Alistair left the village even more anxious than when he first entered it. Mirabelle had been released from her prison sentence. He knew true justice was rare in Thule, but for her to be released now was a little too soon for his liking. On top of that, the discovery of crooks joining the guard in Goodsprings as a way to avoid the death penalty made him fear for the girls'' safety. What had Gabrielle signed up his beloved up to? "How am I going to tell them all this? O, Hammer, I have not asked for much, but please keep the girls safe. And if possible, bless them with the wisdom to determine the truth, should they hear these allegations before I can reach them..." Not far from the village, shambling rotting corpses barred his path. He counted at least a dozen, with many more standing idly in the distance, their eyes glowing with the light of necromancy. And they all eerily turned to look at him. With a sigh, the young paladin grabbed his massive hammer and got to work. The night had only just begun for him. (Coming up next: Alistair''s interlude) Interlude - Alistair Adams It was a cold evening during the month of Injigo. A shadowy figure waded across the deep snow up a quiet hill somewhere in a farm in Thule. A feminine hand stretched outward to maintain balance while the other remained concealed inside the tattered cloak. Quick breaths were expelled regularly, their rhythm picking up the higher she climbed. Patience, the woman reminded herself. She had to hurry, but she also had to conserve her energy for the trek back home. Arriving at the doorstep of a rundown cabin, the woman grabbed on to the wooden railing of the porch steps and exposed her other hand to put down a basket by the door. She placed a gentle hand inside, caressing the fragile head of a baby boy. The little one slept peacefully in its temporary crib, unaware of the cruel circumstances surrounding his arrival. "My Alistair. My sweet little Alistair..." Tears sprinkled the wooden porch beneath the mysterious woman. "The locals say that this family has been trying to have more children with little success. They...they''ll take care of you better than I ever could." Smooching the boy''s forehead, the woman placed a small sack next to the basket that jingled with coins when she set it down along with an envelope inside the basket. The winds had been peaceful lately, but she wedged the envelope inside a gap just to be safe. "You''re an Adams, no matter what. I love you, Al." The woman gasped when a candlelight flickered inside the cabin. Saddened her time ran out, she dashed down the hill and into the nearby woods. She nearly collapsed from her aching muscles and shortness of breath but mustered the strength to keep her breathing under control when the cabin door opened. "WHO''S OUT THERE?" A human male with lanky arms rushed outside and jabbed his pitchfork aimlessly. "I TOLD YOU THIEVES YOU AIN''T GETTIN'' AWAY WITH MY PIGS AGAIN!" "Janus, look!" The tender voice of a woman came from the doorway. The man turned around and finally noticed the babe left in his doorstep. "A baby..." Janus groaned in annoyance. "You been talkin'' to Carol again? You know she''s been spreadin'' rumors about me, right?" "You know she''s only trying to help with our situation, darling." The woman reached for the baby but stopped herself when she noticed the sack. She opened it and gasped. "Oh, my goodness." She picked up the sack with one hand. "This must have the baby''s weight in gold!" Janus snatched the sack away from the woman and grinned from ear to ear after shaking it once. "Hot dog! I guess having an extra mouth to feed ain''t a big deal." The woman picked up the basket holding the boy, who slept peacefully throughout the commotion. "Look," she said as she grabbed the envelope. "There must be a note in there." She tore the envelope open and held the note with one hand as she read it. "Oh, Janus, some poor girl had to run away from home and doesn''t have the experience to raise the baby on her own. Can we really keep it?" "As long as you clothe him and feed him. Shoot, he got a name?" "The note says his name is Alistair." She nuzzled the sleeping baby. "Alistair Adams, a gift from the angels themselves!" *** 8 years later Alistair grew up as the sole child of Janus and Lynn Pierce. No one but his stepparents knew of his circumstances, so Alistair remained oblivious of how he came to join the Pierce family. But they always treated him and loved him as their son, through the good times and bad. At least that''s what he told himself. The young child ran home after working at a neighboring farm. He had saved up enough to buy a new book, Tales of the Tavern, which he picked up from the bookstore on his way. Farmer Bill paid the boy a decent amount that day, enough to get him any book he wanted while still having plenty left over for the week''s expenses. He made sure not to linger in the bookstore, for it would soon be dark, and forced his weary body to run up the road on the hill once he went on his way. "Excuse me, which is the way to Europa?" Alistair heard the voice of a young girl on his way there, which gave him pause. She was a pale girl, with long white hair and blue eyes. She was taller than Alistair, but just by a couple of inches. Alistair was at an age where girls were at the back of his mind, so being the boy he was, he simply gave her the directions to the nearest settlement, Europa, and went on his way. The young girl thanked him with both a word and a smile and moved on as well. Twilight had arrived by the time Alistair made it to the porch of his home. Sitting on a rocking chair was his father, Janus Pierce. The bottle was rarely absent from the calloused hands of the farmer, and he had built a reputation as a lazy and sterile loser. He would often blame his wife for not being able to have children and for not watering the crops right, and according to him that''s the reason they were always hungry. Despite his flaws, Alistair knew his father worked hard, and always pitied him even from a young age. Al always made an effort to bond with him, and had hoped he could do so tonight as well. "Papa, I''m back. Look, I bought a new book." "Another one?" Janus scowled after taking another sip. "What you should be doing is stop reading them books and fetch me another bottle, you little turd!" The bottle broke just inches away from Alistair''s feet. The boy flinched from his father''s sudden throw, and instinctively shielded himself with the book he just bought. Janus rose from his chair and snatched a purse from Alistair''s waist before the boy could do anything else. Weighing the small purse with the palm of his hand, Janus''s scowl remained as he counted the silver pieces inside. "Boy, what did I tell you about slacking off? This is way less than last week! Did Bill catch you hiding and reading your books again?" "N-no, sir..." "Don''t lie to me, boy!" The rest of the evening went on as normal. Concerned neighbors would ask Alistair the next day if it was he who screamed all afternoon and all night, but he denied it. He also denied getting stripped and forced to sit on the shallow river as punishment for something he did, those were just nasty rumors from gossipmongers who didn''t mind their own business. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. At least that''s what he told everyone. *** 1st of Injigo, 5pm, 1654 It was Alistair''s fourteenth birthday, and he was just about to wrap up his work day. He spent hours making deliveries on foot on the nearby village of Europa, an icy port settlement that never let a little cold stop them from living their daily lives. Alistair worked at Elmer''s General Goods Store and would make deliveries without fail when he wasn''t sweeping the store. Pay day just so happened to be on his birthday, so he had plans to spend some of his earnings on a small chocolate cupcake he spotted at the local bakery. But dread came over him when Elmer called him to his office. "Alistair, your daddy came here a couple of hours ago. Is it true that you''re underage?" Europa was one of the more progressive settlements in the Eastern Province, and no one under 16 years of age was allowed to work anywhere except in family-owned businesses. At the urgings of his family, Alistair had kept his age a secret, so hearing the old man seated across from him inquiring about it now was like a punch to the gut. "Y-yes, sir." "I can''t keep you, then. It''s against the law, and I don''t want the king''s men coming down on me or my shop. You''re fired." "Please, sir," Alistair begged, "I''m the only one at home working right now! Without this job, I''m not sure we can survive the rest of the winter!" "Hey, now. You''re still getting paid for this week. As a matter of fact, your daddy picked up your earnings for you when he got here." "What?! Why?!" "Why else? He''s your guardian and since you''re only fourteen, you legally can''t pick up your own earnings." "But he''s a no-good drunk," Alistair suddenly shouted. "He''s just going to spend all that money in the tavern!" Elmer laughed. "What? No one is that irresponsible around here." "Then you obviously haven''t known him long enough!" Wasting little time, Alistair grabbed his brown winter coat and dashed out of the store. Anything he may have left behind was of little importance now, and he had to rush home before his father could spend any of the money. He checked the local tavern, The Smiling Huntsman, but none of the patrons had seen his father all day. Alistair checked the gambling parlor, only to meet the same result. Alistair asked any homeless person he could find, but all they could tell him was that his father had been searching for storage containers all day. The young boy even asked the pretty women who would stand on different street corners at different points during the day. Surely, they must have seen something after all the time they spend outside. "Sorry, hon. We haven''t seen him all day. But if you do see him, tell Janus he still owes me three gold pieces." Alistair didn''t know why his father would owe them money, but he promised to pass on the message. After two hours of searching, Alistair only had one place left: his own house. He made his way towards the village outskirts and took the trail back home. Sitting on the front porch as always was his father with a bottle on hand. The boy didn''t recognize the brand on the bottle, and only vaguely recalled the image of a grape he''d seen painted on expensive bottles he had seen noblemen carry around. "About time you brought your ass home, boy," his father said after taking a swig of wine. "Where the hell have you been?" "I''ve been looking for you, dad," Alistair answered politely. "Don''t give me that. You know I''m always here." The older man scowled after staring Al up and down. "Where''s your payment? Weren''t you supposed to get paid today?" Alistair didn''t think Elmer would lie about what happened to his money, so his father must have been playing dumb. The question was why. "Elmer said you picked it up, and that you told him I was too young to work." Janus stifled a laugh. "I didn''t think the old man was going to snitch on me. Now I''m going to feel bad for what I''m about to do." Janus rose from the porch steps and went to the side of the house to search for something. It was dark out, but Al noticed the front door has been left open. His irises shrank once they had adjusted to the darkness, and his lower jaw quivered at sight of what had happened inside. His mother Lynn has been beaten to death. Her corpse lied on a pool of dried blood. He was too stunned to move or say anything, and when Janus returned, he looked like he had forgotten to do something. "Oh, right. That," the older man casually said. "Guess that makes me a wanted man, huh?" "Mom..." His face stained with tears, Alistair could barely hold it together. "W-what happened?" "Hey, I had my reasons. The bitch cheated on me. Right after I came back from collecting your gold, she came at me with a surprise. ''Good news,'' she called them. She said she had seen the doctor, and the doctor told her she was having a baby." "A baby? M-mom was pregnant?" "Can you believe the audacity? There''s no way that was my kid." Janus took another swig of wine and broke the bottle after tossing it to the side of the house. Judging by the time frame, Janus must have gone straight home after collecting Alistair''s pay. If Alistair had done the same after his shift, instead of searching the village for his father, he could have prevented this tragedy. Now his mother was gone, along with a brother or sister too good for this broken home. "How...how could you? Mom would never hurt us!" "You still believe she''s your mom?" Janus scratched his head. "Or maybe neither of us told you the truth." "The truth?" "I''ve been sterile all my life, boy. You''re not some miracle baby like your mom said. There''s no way she could have ever gotten pregnant from me, so it stands to reason she cheated on me. That''s why she''s dead!" His spirit wavering, Alistair could barely stay standing. "W-what are you saying?" "What else? You''re not my real son, and Lynn wasn''t your real mom. Some dumb girl dumped you here because she was too young to raise you. She must have been some rich girl, because she gave us enough money to last us for years. Too bad I spent the last of it by the time you were old enough to work." "I was adopted..." Alistair''s childhood finally made sense to him. Lynn showed him affection, but Janus never treated him like a son. And now it turned out neither of them were his real parents, and his real mother left him with them. Why couldn''t he stay with her? Why was he instead sent to live with a cruel father? Angered by this revelation and the murder that had taken place, the smaller Alistair took his father by surprise by tackling him to the ground. Years of frustration and abuse surfaced with Alistair''s tears. "Murderer!" "Get off of me, boy!" "How could you?! After everything I''ve gone through, how could you kill her?! I worked hard because you refused to find a job and mom was too weak to stay at a job for long!" Anger and rage can blind anyone from danger, no matter how obvious. A blunt metal object struck Alistair on the head, courtesy of Janus, with enough force to remove him from his mother''s murderer. Yes, Lynn may not have been his real mother, but she nurtured him like he was her own son. Janus gripped his steel pipe firmly while Alistair cried on the ground. This was the object he had gone to fetch earlier and kept it out of Alistair''s sight until now. "You''re nothing without me, boy. And you''re never going to be anything. With your money, and a little extra that I came across, I can finally leave the farm life for good! I have a getaway driver not far from here, so I can''t stick around for long." The older man dragged the steel pipe as he approached Alistair. The boy was too hurt to move, keeping both hands on his injured head. "I''ll start a new life elsewhere! I''ll find some pretty little thing who doesn''t know any better and make her my wife! I''ll get more kids! I''ll make this money grow so I don''t have to work a day in my life!" Janus raised the steel pipe above his head. "You tried to avenge a whore that isn''t even your own flesh and blood? If you love her so much, WHY DON''T YOU GO JOIN HER, THEN?!" Alistair braced himself for what could be his last moment in the world. He was sad, scared, angry; his father had done so much to earn his anger, yet he was too weak to fight him. With a groan of defeat, Alistair closed his eyes and hoped to see his mother the next time he opened them. "AAAAHHHH!" Alistair didn''t see what happened. He assumed his dad just shouted a war cry and expected to be bludgeoned with the steel object. But nothing came. In fact, the air had started to feel a little warmer. He didn''t know what had happened until he finally reopened his eyes: Janus had been burnt to death with something. His burning corpse lied prone just a couple of feet from him. His screams had only lasted for an instant until there was nothing but silence and the sound of cackling fires. By instinct, he turned around and spotted someone in the other side of the fence. Wearing a simple white gown was the silver-haired girl he met years ago. Steam rose and left from her extended hand, which more than likely fired a spell just now. "Are you okay," the girl asked. "Y-yeah," said the young boy. "I''ve seen you before, I think. Who are you?" "I''m Mirabelle Bisset," answered the young girl. Chapter 57 - The Hounds of Bo?tes Tendrils of rage wormed into Alistair''s heart. The light of the waning moon brightened the sparse forest path, granting him vision over the multitude of foes before him. He was separated from the woman he swore to protect, risked his life during dialogue with one of his superiors, and an entire village had ostracized him. All within the past two hours. Traveling since early in the afternoon had finally taken its toll on him, and while he had been idle for most of it, he was fatigued from the events of the day. A nearby corpse''s head was flattened by Alistair''s war hammer, a gift from Tizoc that was almost as long as he was tall. His eyes wide open, he turned to decapitate another corpse skulking right behind him with the sheer weight of the weapon. He heaved the hammer with a victorious roar before slamming it down on the forest soil in a display of dominance. "I have faced giants, cultists, and demons. If you still think you have a chance, you''re welcome to try!" The undead, long gone from the coils of mortality, mindlessly shambled forward. They lacked the capacity to understand Alistair''s warning, and while the boy knew this, he had hoped something - anything - was still alive within them. With their arms forward, they shambled and reached out to the only living creature they could sense. But there was a silver lining buried beneath it all. Now that he was alone, Alistair could finally let loose. "Wait for me, Lenoria." *** ~Caesar~ About 90 minutes earlier "Who are you, mister?" The children, understandably frightened, ran along with Caesar on their way to the Argo Navis. Eleanor''s murder pushed all four to tears, with two actively sobbing, another sniffling, and the last to put up a brave front despite the betrayal of his tear-stained face. The only things that pushed them to run were the rush of adrenaline and the sound of footsteps behind them. "My name''s Caesar! Didn''t Eleanor tell you about me?" The captain remained as calm and light-hearted as he could, but the footsteps were getting closer. He had to convince the children he was friendly or else their doubts could hold them back long enough for Demetrio''s men to catch up. At least he knew their former caretaker''s name all in thanks to paying attention to the villains'' earlier conversation. "She never m-mentioned you, sir." "Are y-you one of the bad guys?" "I''m a friend of hers," Caesar lied. "Are there any grown-ups you trust around here?" "N-no," answered a young rat girl. Knowing he had to save his breath while running, Caesar refused to inquire further. "Eleanor was waiting for me to take you all away from here, anyway, so just follow me back to my ship. It''s not far!" "Y-you have a ship?" "Yeah! It can fly in the air, so you''ll be safe once you hop on board!" With newfound resolve, the children wiped their tears and followed Caesar out of the tree patch. Under any other circumstance, he would have not placed himself in this situation. Pirates like him were happy to rob the rich and the greedy but drew the line at kidnapping. However, he had to put aside his own code for now to guide the children away from a madman. He''ll have to think about the repercussions later, and the silver lining for his involvement would be his crew gaining the infamy they rightfully deserved. "Halt, in the name of the King!" A voice interrupted Caesar''s train of thought as a volley of objects whizzed past him and THUNK''d on a nearby tree. He quickened his step after glancing behind him for a single second caught the sight of a man in red running after him, displaying a wolfish grin as he reloaded an arrow for his bow. "He''s catching up!" Caesar made sure to stick to the trees, which allowed him to avoid the arrows fired at him. The exit was close; he could feel it. He just needed to exit the patch and make a beeline for the gate. With any luck, the guards would not have returned to their post just yet. The last thing he needed was a pincer attack. Blood dripped out of his shoulder just as the semi-open village gate came into view. The children shrieked when they heard him shout, but he pointed at the gate. "Go!" Caesar shouted through gritted teeth. "My crew is right beyond the gate! They''ll help you!" Tired and gasping for air, the children stopped. "Mr. C-Caesar!" The captain smiled at the children to ease their worries. "Move it! Tell my crew that ''there are dogs at the captain''s quarters!'' They''ll know what to do!" After a moment, the children nodded to each other. "Let''s go," said the oldest among them, a young, red-skinned boy just a year or two short of puberty. He was the first to run, and the others soon followed right behind him. Confident no more obstacles were left, Caesar forced himself to stay in place to keep the man in red from advancing. "That''s far enough," he warned the pursuing soldier. Knowing that drawing his firearm would be a bad idea, he reached for his cutlass instead and strapped it to his metal gauntlet. He had no desire to fight a charging minotaur, and battling with a gun could bring the full might of Demetrio''s army on him just from the sound alone. "You''re smart for stopping when you did. You can''t outrun me," said the man in red. "You''d collapse from exhaustion before I even break a sweat!" "That''s funny," said Caesar between his panting. "I could go all night, myself." "Lad, you don''t look so good." Beckett''s disembodied voice was one of concern. "I''m bluffing, of course I can''t outrun him. He got me pretty good back there." Caesar''s back and a portion of his arm and shoulder seeped with blood. "That shot was too precise. I can''t let my guard down around him or else he''ll find an opening for sure." The man in red seemed to be less interested in Caesar, however, as he raised his bow and took aim at the runaway children. "Lord Demetrio asked me to find the rest of the children. When he doesn''t specify their condition, I don''t have to bring his prey back alive." Time slowed down for Caesar. What was he even doing here? The reality of the situation struck him like a sack of potatoes. He wasn''t just dealing with some form of law enforcement; the man before him was a cold-blooded killer, willing to follow orders and even kill the innocent in the name of his lord. Someone like that must be leagues above the ruffians and police he was used to fighting and escaping from. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Caesar''s mistake was thinking he could easily run away from him. With his cutlass latched on tight, Caesar dashed forward and struck the vile villain before he could fire. Threatening gestures from the blade kept the soldier from firing an arrow. "Let''s get one thing clear," Caesar said, "the one thing that pisses me off is guys like you thinking you can pick on anyone weaker than you. I''m done running; time to teach you a lesson!" "You think you have the moral high ground here?" Dropping his bow, the man in red threw a barrage of punches at Caesar. These blows were quick and almost accurate, but Caesar managed to dodge the first two and parried the third with his metal gauntlet. "Impressive for some low-rate cutthroat! But your luck ran out when you crossed paths with me! I''m Asterion, one of Lord Demetrio''s best bounty hunters; keeping up with criminals is right up my alley!" "You don''t have to be on the ''right'' side of the law to tell between right and wrong!" The cutlass swung downward with considerable force, but this time it was blocked by Asterion''s bare hands. Shocked at first, Caesar maintained the stalemate by continuously applying force while Asterion held the blade back. "So, what, protecting kids is a crime now?" "I''m carrying out my lord''s orders. If he says an orphanage caretaker is a traitor, then she has to die before she can brainwash those kids! I merely want to round them up and escort them to my lord; a year or two in the slave pits will teach them a lesson in his infinite mercy!" "Slave pits?" The words resonated within Caesar like a clapper in a bell. "You know what? I heard enough. You''re definitely not getting past me!" On the contrary." Asterion released the blade, the sudden movement forcing Caesar to stumble forward. "You''re not getting out of here alive!" "Wha-?" A fist enveloped with golden light charged towards Caesar. Instinctively, the pirate captain tried to parry the attack by raising his cutlass. For a moment, a starry outline surrounded Asterion''s arm, and Caesar swore he could see a greyhound charging at him while baring its teeth. But just as Asterion''s left fist reached the blade, Caesar felt a bone-crushing force striking his ribcage. He looked down to see Asterion''s right hand, along with a second greyhound also wrapped with golden light, aiming right for the heart. The left hand was only meant to deceive him, and it worked. The blow was absorbed by Caesar''s armor, but it was softened only by a narrow margin. Caesar nearly collapsed from the amount of damage from the single strike, which was enough to startle him. "I call that my ''Divine Fist of the Hound.'' Be a good boy and stay put. I have orders to carry out." "Damn...it..." As much as he wanted to endure the pain, Caesar stayed put to tend to his wound. This gave Asterion the chance to withdraw and make his way to the southern gate. "Beckett...fetch my rope..." "You''re out of your league, son," said the ghost pirate''s disembodied voice. "He''s roughed you up good while he''s barely got a scratch on him. Let your crew blast him to bits!" "You''re right, I''m out of my league." A ghostly rope instantly materialized on Caesar''s hands. "That''s why he''ll slaughter the crew if I give him the chance. I won''t let that happen!" Drenched in sweat and blood, the pirate captain stabilized his posture and spun the rope like a lasso. Caesar briefly glanced behind him and heard Chestnut''s neighing as it faded away towards the north. He then looked back at the runaway Asterion, who was already several yards away as he ran for the south gate. The children were already gone and were most likely explaining the situation to the crew at that very moment. "Right. Now''s the time to leave." The ghostly rope was hurled. The distance seemed too great at first until the rope, as if it gained a life of its own, stretched on outwards and zigzagged its way to Asterion. It caught up to him at surprising speed and quickly wrapped itself around him. "Gotcha!" Caesar then ran towards Asterion''s direction. "Clever trick! But did you seriously think that was going to stop me?" The sound of a SPLAT alerted Asterion and felt something slide off his back. "What the-?" He turned around and was met with brown sludge colliding with his face. "Cow pie!" The red-skinned boy grinned mischievously as he took aim with a slingshot along with the other children; two had opened fire while he and another boy loaded their slingshots and launched their stinky ammo. "What the hell? What is this?" Asterion wiped his armor and then his face. Against his better judgment, he smelled the smudges on his hand. "Oh. Oh, no. Oh, no you didn''t! Do you know how long it''s going to take to rinse off this crap!" Asterion kept his eyes closed, not willing to open them lest the dung got inside his eyelids as well. He felt two more lumps feebly smashing into his armor. "Cut it out, you damn brats!" Asterion felt his entire body fall and landed face-first on the ground. He felt the rope untie from his body followed by the sound of heavy footsteps running past him. "Sorry, but I gotta run," he heard Caesar say cockily. "Get back here!" It took him a moment, but Asterion got back up on his feet. Keeping his eyes closed, he focused on his surroundings by sniffing the air and focusing on his hearing. "Cheap cologne," he uttered. "Yes, I can still hear your footsteps. I don''t need my eyes to track you down." Laughter escaped the villain as he bolted for the gate. "I can hear all five of you running like frightened cats! You can''t escape!" CRASH Chipped wood burst out of the closed gate, splinters now sticking out of the dirty Asterion. "It was open a minute ago!" He plucked the splinters out of the exposed parts of his body. "Ow! I swear they''ll pay for this!" Not far ahead, the gangplank had been lowered from the Argo Navis. Caesar could tell Cecilia was confused at the sight of the kids. "They''re orphans, Cecilia. They need us." "What the hell happened? You look like you''ve seen better days, Cap." Cecilia glanced past Caesar. "And where''s that lovely man in shining armor?" She stepped aside to let the children through. Once the children came on board, Caesar and Temuulen grabbed the gangplank and brought it back to the ship. "Things happened. We didn''t find Starflower, but I''d say we found something arguably worse. We had to split up." "At least we can track them down later." Cecilia grabbed the wheel and kept it steady as the ship began its ascension on the mountainside. "Where to, Cap?" The whole crew heard the sound of the anchor chains lowering. Knowing no one touched the lever, Caesar and the children rushed to the side of the ship and spotted Asterion hanging on to the anchor about a dozen feet beneath them. His face was still smudged with dung but his eyes had opened again. "Anywhere but here," Caesar ordered his chief mate. It looked like Asterion wouldn''t give up until either man was dead. Chapter 58 - Struggle in the Air "You think you can run from me?" Asterion ascended slowly on the chains of the anchor. "I am Lord Demetrio''s bloodhound! No criminal, rebel, or pirate will make a fool out of him and think they can hide from his wrath!" "Who''s the weirdo?" Cecilia couldn''t see due to her piloting the Argo Navis, but she could hear Asterion. Vanessa winced after sniffing the air. "He smells like poo!" "Looks like he needs a beatdown!" Temuulen prepared to jump from the railing, but he was pulled away by Caesar. "Think twice before you engage," Caesar angrily ordered. "We had a scuffle back in the ground, and this is how he left me. He may be all high and mighty about the law, but he''s strong!" "The law?" Charlie asked. "Is he some guard or something?" "Worse; he technically serves some big bad boogieman who''s got the authority of the king on this side of the woods." "What?!" The pirates were less than pleased. "Just what happened in that little village?" Temuulen asked. "Long story; I''ll explain after we lose him! Any ideas?" Cecilia kept her eyes on the skies. "What can we do, Cap? Just wait for him to come onboard?" "No." Caesar knew he outranked his crew in both authority and fighting ability. As competent as they were, none among them could face Asterion in combat. He himself only survived because the kids took priority for Asterion. Cecilia could probably dazzle him with magic for a short time and maybe Tem was strong enough to wrestle him out of the ship, but either case came with risks, and he wasn''t about to endanger his crew. "Cap?" "Cecilia, we have no choice but to put the ship on overdrive. How many more spells does it have left?" "Just one," Cecilia revealed. "Any more than that and we risk sinking it. We kinda used most of its power when we helped that elf girl earlier." "I''m glad you punks like prattling on so much!" Asterion''s hands were now on the railing, to everyone''s shock, and he was in the process of raising his leg to climb over it. "Turn this ship around!" "Damn it..." Still feeling his injuries, Caesar nevertheless issued orders for the crew. "Wulf, patch me up! Cecilia, keep your hands on the wheel, no matter what! Tem, back me up! Charlie and ''Nessa, grab the kids and go below deck!" "Sure thing, Cap''n!" Charlie searched for the kids, but they were gone. "Uh, Cap''n, where did you leave them?" "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" The pirates soon spotted the kids running with a bucket in hand as they screamed as loud as they could. The scream, followed by a bucket to the face, startled Asterion enough for him to lose his balance and fall off the ship. "There they are," Vanessa said listlessly. "That one''s for Eleanor," said a ratfolk girl among the children. She adorably adjusted her glasses and raised her hand victoriously. Caesar could barely speak through his laughter. "W-well done, kids!" "Yeah, that''s setting a good example. ''Hey, well done, children. You just committed your first murder,''" Cecilia muttered. "Maintain low altitude, Cecilia," Caesar ordered. "I can still hear him." Surely enough, Asterion''s grunting could be heard not far away. The rest of the crew gazed down the side of the ship and spotted their enemy clinging to the anchor chains once again. Cecilia steadily kept her hands on the wheel, but she could feel her arms shaking. "That bastard''s determined. What do we do?" "Don''t ascend until I tell you to. Stay low and go around the mountain." Caesar knelt to the children''s level as they maintained a cautious position. "Things are about to get bad. I appreciate your help, but if you stay out here, you risk getting caught by the bad man." "Miss Eleanor was always nice to us. We can''t let him hurt her friends," the red boy said. Caesar could sense Asterion getting close to the railing again. "You want to help, and I don''t want you getting hurt." He showed them a mischievous smile. "Ever heard of a compromise?" Meanwhile, hanging on for dear life on the anchor''s chains, Asterion continued to climb up. But every time he grabbed on to the chains, the anchor would lower itself, albeit slightly; the hunter believed the chains lowered about a centimeter each time he pulled them downwards in order to climb up. "These pirates are probably in league with the rebels. Lord Demetrio will promote me for sure once I slaughter them all!" Asterion ducked when a tree branch narrowly missed him. It appeared the pirates'' latest attempt to kick him off was to lower the ship enough to let the trees handle their dirty work. The branches that did hit him scratched the skin his armor left exposed, but that was not enough for him to lose his grip or balance. "Did you seriously think that would stop me? Nothing will dissuade me from my duty, not even-!" Asterion''s irises shrank after spotting a wooden sign right above the trees.
WARNING! TREETOP SLOTH BEAR HABITAT LICENSED AIRSHIPS MUST MAINTAIN HIGHER ALTITUDES AT ALL TIMES!
The Argo Navis had descended enough to caress the forest canopy. Asterion hurriedly continued his ascent, but panic had set in, and he pulled the anchor chains hard enough to lower the anchor even more, keeping him in place. He braced himself as his body unwillingly brushed against the leaves and branches of the canopy and, to his dismay but lack of surprise, the claws and teeth of several bears who had been peacefully napping on the treetops and had now been roused from their sleep. "Ow! Hey! Whoa!" Seconds passed before Asterion climbed above the canopy, his face mauled with deep scratch marks. He felt nibbling on his rear, and did not hesitate to kick the bear that had latched on to him back to the treetops it came from. "You think you''re clever? This pain is nothing compared to what I''ll do to all of you!" Speaking of pain...
WARNING! NOW ENTERING POISON IVY TERRITORY FOR YOUR SAFETY, PLEASE REMAIN ABOVE THE TREES, AND DO NOT TOUCH THE VINES (Seriously, how dumb do you need to be to stray into obvious danger?)
"Now, wait just a minute!" Asterion''s pleas remained unheard when his body collided with the sharp ivy-laden trees right under the canopy. He only made contact for about five seconds at best, but by the time he re-emerged, his face had swollen, and his exposed skin had broken out. "Agh! It''s in my bear wounds!" "He isn''t letting up, Cap," an astonished Cecilia pointed out. "There''s no stopping him!" Caesar''s frown turned upside down after he looked up for a moment. "Heh. We''re not done yet. Cecilia, maintain a lateral position but start ascending!" "Cap, are you sure? That''s-" "Just do it! I have an idea." Caesar was confident in his plan and maintained his smile in front of the children. "You ready?" The children nodded, each one holding a bucket. "Ready!" "Make it easier on yourselves and surrender now!" In spite of the bear wounds, the poison ivy rash, and smelling like poo, Asterion continued his ascent. "Lord Demetrio is expecting results! I''ll make his wishes happen or die trying!" SPLAT Several oval-shaped objects smashed themselves on Asterion''s head and shoulders. He recognized the texture, but the stench was unexpected. "What the? You''re throwing rotten potatoes? How desperate are you?!" "Give it up, psycho!" Caesar tossed an empty bucket aside. "Or you really are going to die trying to capture us!" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Never!" The potatoes did little to delay Asterion and he continued moving up. Caesar, for his part, kept calm and simply held out a hand to the side. "Next bucket." The children had come to an agreement with Caesar; in order to help without getting hurt, they would fetch for anything the ship could spare, fill buckets with it, and hand them over to Caesar. What followed next was a rain of brittle objects that had an unbearable stench once cracked open, blotching Asterion with a mixture of yellow and transparent slimy fluid. "Eggs?!" What followed after that was a bath of green liquid with meaty chunks pelting the villain''s head. "What is this?!" "My hagfish, crab, and dire boar sausage gumbo!" A distraught Wulf mourned the loss of his dish. "Quit whining," Cecilia ordered, "I''ve been telling you for weeks to throw it out!" "What else have you got up there? You''re throwing everything and the kitchen sink at me?" Asterion taunted when no more objects were thrown at him...until moments later when a porcelain sink bonked him in the head. "THAT IS IT!" "Uh, oh." Caesar motioned for everyone to step back right before Asterion leapt from his current location and landed right on the quarterdeck, just a few feet behind Cecilia. Wasting no time, Asterion punched Cecilia away from the steering wheel, causing the ship to stagger and spin a little. "Cecilia!" "Take that, you little trollop!" The pirates drew their weapons, but Vanessa and Charlie made sure to place themselves in front of the children. Asterion himself assumed a fighting stance which he freely swayed his left arm to the left and right, mimicking the slithering of a snake. The humiliation from getting slathered with green goo, rotten eggs and potatoes, cow dung, poison ivy, and getting mauled by bears fueled both his rage and determination. "I''m commandeering this vessel in the name of Lord Demetrio. Come at me if you dare, but I must warn you that I''ve single-handedly slain a dozen rebels! You brigands are nothing but mere insects to me!" "In...sects, you say?" Cecilia, bleeding from the mouth, stifled her giggling. "That''s funny. You''re about to be one pretty soon." Holding up her Soulstone, she raised it up, speeding up its ascent. "Now, Cap?" "Yeah!" Caesar picked up one more bucket and readied to empty the contents on Asterion. Caught off-guard by this and the revelation of Cecilia''s Soulstone, Asterion moved solely from instinct and jumped backward and off the ship. "No big deal; I can just climb up again. Much better than getting splashed with whatever he has." But something had caught him. Asterion could no longer move his hands and feet as his entire body had caught on to something sticky. From his perspective, the Argo Navis had become transparent, with only white lines outlining the vessel along with its occupants. He froze at the realization of how big the net was...and how green his skin looked. When he punched Cecilia earlier, the ship spun out of control for a moment and moved laterally. No, it was never out of control; Cecilia made the ship spin so that it would miss the enormous spiderweb he was now trapped on. He could move his head just enough to look back at the fleeing ship, and spotted Caesar holding an empty bucket. What did he try to splash him with, anyway? Surely it must have been something that was worth the jump, otherwise he could have just sidestepped to avoid the bucket''s contents. But what if the bucket had nothing, and it was just a bluff to get him to jump? Yes, that made more sense. The pirates had duped him. "In...sects, you say? That''s funny. You''re about to be one pretty soon." To his dismay, he felt like he wasn''t alone anymore. He felt like he was being watched, and rightfully so. Asterion swore he felt vibrations on the web, but he couldn''t see anything. "W-wait a minute, let''s talk this out!" Frightened, he struggled to break free. But the more he moved, the quicker he felt the vibrations move. Then they stopped. "Heh. H-how bad can a spider be?" Asterion grinned, but his uncontrollable shaking betrayed him. "They just bite and poison you. I wish I could meet one that would just deck me, you know?" A sudden impact to the face made a tooth fly out. Then another, and another after that. And even more after those. Asterion counted them; four giant pale hands punched him, and two pasty feet kicked him. The giant pale blue and white creature before him was about the size of a horse and had four arms and four legs; indeed, the limbs were different enough from each other to tell apart, but aside from them the creature appeared to be no different from a giant spider. Its fangs drooled with venom and drew closer for the killing bite. "W-wait a second! I''m not a goblin," Asterion screamed despite the green goo from earlier still clinging to him. " I''m not a goblin! I''m not a-!" SQUELCH *** "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" While they did not wish Asterion''s fate on anyone, his screams were music to the pirates'' ears. They had finally lost him, allowing them a moment of respite. "What was that," the red boy asked. "Nothing you need to worry about," Caesar said. Enough killing was done today, and he was not in the mood to teach the children about the cycle of life and death. "What are your names?" "I''m Marlon," the red boy introduced himself and pointed at his feline-like companion, "and this is Ray." "Hello," said the young feline. "I''m Susie" said the little rat girl. "And I''m Gortha," the orc girl introduced herself last. "Nice to meet you. I''m Caesar, and I command this ship." The captain unsheathed his cutlass and raised it up high. "You''re safe with us, now." "Yeah, about that." Cecilia pointed at the crow''s nest of the ship. Smoke somehow billowed out of it, and the ship had slowly made its descent into the forest below. "Don''t count your mimics before they hatch, Cap." "Fair point. Cecilia, get ready to make an emergency landing! Everyone, get to your stations!" Caesar nearly darted off when he noticed the kids gawking at him. "Uh..." "Cool, a real-life pirate!" "Hehehe..." Caesar bashfully forced a smile. With the enemy gone, he wondered what exactly Lenoria sweetly talked him in to. *** Not long after their duel with Ser Loin, the girls observed a shooting star dashing across the night sky before vanishing. It left a golden trail behind that gradually faded away. "Hey, Clara, make a wish!" Lenoria felt Pearl''s presence flying alongside her and Chestnut, and Poe settling down on her head as they sped off through the forest road. "What?" "That''s no ordinary shooting star. Whenever a Soulstone wielder dies, the cosmos briefly mourns their passing. And judging by the position of that shooting star, it appears the wielder of the Hounds has met an untimely end." "The Hounds?" Lenoria felt relief. "Then Caesar must have made it out safe and sound." Clara then asked a question that had been plaguing her since her departure from Norwich. "Where did Caesar go, anyway? We got separated during that altercation from earlier." "The plan was to take that woman and the children back to the ship, but..." Lenoria looked down on Lisa. Sensing a sad mood, she quickly changed the trajectory of her conversation. "Looks like he and the kids must have made it out safely if the guy that chased them is dead. He''ll meet us back in Goodsprings once the coast is clear." "That''s going to present another problem. Bad guy or not, he was one of the Count''s men. That''s got to count as some sort of felony..." Clara winced when she felt a frozen hand on her wounds. She may have been away from melee, but she suffered the same wounds Tsukuyomi did due to their bond. "Ow..." Aquamarine temporarily retracted her icy hand. "Would any of you have felt better if we left them alone? We all knew what would have happened if we ignored everything." There was no denying the girls did the right thing in the end. More innocents would have died if they ignored the situation and marched to their destination. The alternative would have been a clean slate but a guilty conscience. It didn''t sit right for Lenoria and Clara, but it appeared their night of arrival was destined to be bad regardless of what they did. "Hold still." Aquamarine laid her icy hand on Clara''s gore wounds. Taking a moment to gather water, she made some hand motions which summoned a trail of prismatic water that circled around Clara''s body. The bruises from the minotaur''s fists and the puncture wounds from his horns faded away, though the pain she felt meant they weren''t completely gone. "You should feel well enough to help steer Mr. Horsey." "Thanks, Aquamarine." Feeling much better, Clara straightened her posture and firmly gripped the reins. Free from Demetrio''s clutches and the undead far behind them, there was one more issue to address. "We should get our story straight before we reach Goodsprings." The hem of the blue cloak around her person dangled for a moment before she released it from her fingertips. "And ditch these disguises while we''re at it." "Good idea." Lenoria held the reins back, prompting Chestnut to stop running. "Let''s take a moment to change, but let''s not linger any longer than we need to. It should be easy enough to come up with a story." The girls discussed what they were going to tell the authorities in Goodsprings should Demetrio''s men ever snoop around and ask questions. Ditching their disguises was a start, and since they hid their features well enough, they could avoid detection as long as they kept a low profile. Unfortunately, two problems arose; the first was Lisa. Demetrio and his men knew her face, and if they ever crossed paths again, their plan would fall apart. Aquamarine offered hair dyes from her disguise kit, but that would only be a temporary solution to a much bigger problem. The second was that, in the end, it didn''t matter how effective their plan was; the problem was what Alistair would think of this whole fiasco. He already seemed upset about his predicament, and Lenoria couldn''t really tell if his words toward her were part of the act, or a promise that he would punish her for what she had done. Whatever the case was, she was worried he ran into more trouble, and even if he left Norwich, it would take hours for him to cover the distance they just have. "Please be safe, Al. I''ll go back for you once we get settled in Goodsprings." *** A weary Alistair rested at the base of a tree, his back resting on the mossy bark. Rotten corpses lied sprawled across the road, the eerie light from their eyes absent thanks to Alistair striking down every single one of them. "I hope she didn''t take my words the wrong way..." Applying some healing light to his wounds, Alistair was far from death''s door. "The Hammer has not abandoned me. That must mean I''ve done the right thing. Lord Demetrio may be at the top of the hierarchy, but that doesn''t make him exempt from justice." There was just no way he could stay mad at Lenoria. Her heart was in the right place, and he didn''t see it until his patron''s presence had to point it out to him. "I owe her an apology." To his dismay, his work was far from done; he spotted Ser Loin running down the road on his return trip to Norwich. Alistair steeled himself and prepared for battle, but quickly realized something was off. Ser Loin was frightened. "Ghouls! Ghouls! Get outta my way!" Ser Loin ran past the boy, completely ignoring him. Alistair then watched the road again and was not happy to see three emaciated figures running closer to him. Their sharp teeth gleamed from the waning moon and their pallid flesh tightly held itself against their thin, starving frames. "MEAT. MEAT. GIVE US THAT OVERSIZED COW AND WE PROMISE TO MAKE YOUR DEATH QUICK AND PAINFUL." "Ghouls. Unlike the walking dead, they''re intelligent and hunger for human flesh." With a sigh, Alistair hoisted his great hammer. He had to politely remind these strangers why he or anyone else wasn''t on the menu tonight...or any other night, for that matter. Chapter 59 - Ghoulish Affairs Cold steel brutally smashed into the skull of the pallid dead. Alistair dragged the hammer through the forest dirt, wiping the brain matter and viscera away, before hoisting it to parry the claws of a second undead creature charging at him. A third tried to circle around him, fully aware of what the hammer can do, and kept its distance to watch for an opening. Even the first, as injured as it was, showed no signs of slowing down, and only seemed mildly annoyed to find its teeth scattered on the ground. "JUST ONE BITE. THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF MEAT IN YOU, BOY. CAN''T YOU SPARE A POUND?" "No! Your mere presence is an affront to the gods of righteousness! Surrender now and I''ll give you a quick death." Exhausted and on the road to Goodsprings, this was Alistair at his most merciful. Sparing undead was out of the question and destroying them was beneficial to the ghoul as much as it was to the potential victims. But the ghouls snarled with refusal. All they could feel were the pangs of hunger, and Alistair was the only living human in the vicinity. The young paladin steeled himself and watched the ghouls'' movements as the dice rolled for initiative. "MINE!" One of the ghouls sprung itself forward, teeth-first, just to miss Alistair by a hair. "I''ll free you from your pain!" Bones cracked when the hammer''s head struck the ghoul''s ribcage. As the undead monster staggered in place, Alistair lifted the two-handed hammer overhead and inflicted a decisive blow on the creature''s skull. Its body plopped on the ground lifelessly, putting the other two on high alert. Unlike the shambling corpses Alistair had to battle until now, the ghouls before him were conscious enough to be aware of their own actions. Their mere existence a curse that compelled them to eat the flesh of the living, for nothing else would sate their hunger. And those unlucky enough to be bitten would be infected with a fever that would persist until either the subject died, or they managed to fight it off. And anyone who died with this fever would rise as another ghoul. It was times like these Alistair was grateful to have taken his paladin training. The Hammer of Justice granted him protection from all diseases, something that intrigued Lenoria greatly for some reason. He quietly reminded himself to ask her why in the future. Assuming they even have a future at this point. The boy panted heavily, his breath visible thanks to the cool evening air. His fatigue did little to hold him back at first, but as time passed his movements became more sluggish. The only thing that gave him solace was the weapon of choice, the one gifted to him by Tizoc. With a jaguar engraved on the side of the head, it was as if the Jaguar warrior himself was there with him, bringing judgment to the undead that truly deserved it. "LOOK AT HIM SWING THAT THING! HE''S SO SLOW!" "HE''S SO GREEN! THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO EAT HIM UP!" The second ghoul - the first to have met Alistair''s hammer and lived, signaled for the other to come closer. The third did just that, and once they were both ganging up on the boy, the assault happened. The third ghoul that had moved in lunged at him with a sharp claw. Alistair parried it, but this left him open to the second ghoul''s own volley - its own claws followed by a bite to the neck - which left the boy screaming and bleeding. Alistair could feel his shoulder go numb, making his heart jump. "Fight it! Fight it!" Through sheer fortitude, the boy powered on and shook off the numbness on his shoulder. He could feel the blood dry up from the mountain air, giving him a clear idea on where the bite mark was. "O, Hammer. If this be my end, grant me the strength to take these villains with me!" Cornered and wounded, Alistair called upon the powers of the Hammer once more. The third ghoul immediately shined with a holy light as a hammer was emblazoned on its bare left pectoral muscle. Swinging the hammer sideways, Alistair allowed his patron to guide him. YEET A voice from out of nowhere shouted so loud Alistair thought someone screamed in his ear. To his surprise, the ghoul he struck had landed somewhere in the forest beyond, leaving a trail of guts and gore in its path. The area it landed in was devoid of undergrowth, allowing the paladin to see the ghoul''s head separated from its body and the remainder of its life leave its eyes. "What...just happened?" A screech interrupted Al''s train of thought; he spun around and countered against the remaining ghoul''s counterattack. A strike to the ribcage was enough to break the injured creature''s wounds, its bone fragments piercing its beating heart before it was crushed by Alistair''s hammer. Alistair had used the hammer earlier that day when he battled the yellow musk creeper, but he quickly deduced the weapon was stronger against undead, as well as the fiends who were averse to the cold iron it was made of. He knew weapons that occasionally obliterated undead existed, and he was incredibly happy to have one in his hands. The fact that a voice shouted during such a critical moment was concerning to Al. He would have to consult with an expert once he arrived in Goodsprings. "Tizoc, what kind of weapon did you give me?" *** Meanwhile, back in Norwich, Ser Loin finally arrived to give his report to Demetrio. The remaining Ruby Knights had assembled and were ready to depart while an impatient Demetrio threw his hands in the air at the arrival of his henchman. "Where have you been, Ser Loin? And where are the bodies?" The big minotaur cowered before his master and bowed his head apologetically. "F-forgive me, my lord! They were stronger than they looked! I had quite the battle in my hands!" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Demetrio balled his fist in response. "You battle-obsessed fool! I commanded you to get them, not admire them!" "Y-your will be done, my lord! I''ll j-just lick my wounds and head north first thing tomorrow!" "You better! Even with a head start, they won''t evade you as long as you-" Demetrio squinted his eyes and was quick to notice the lack of amulet on Ser Loin. "Ser Loin, where is your stone?" After running so long for his life, Ser Loin had forgotten about the theft of his own Soulstone. Grasping at his neck in the unlikely event it was still there, the minotaur''s heart sank as Demetrio stern expression remained unchanged. "You lost it?" The minotaur''s whimpering made the present Ruby Knights laugh, none of them aware of the machinations in their lord''s mind. "I slipped on ice, my lord!" "Then perhaps the time has come that you retired, Ser Loin." Even someone as uncultured as Ser Loin knew that knighthood was more than a title; it was an honor, a lifestyle. There''s no record in history of a knight retiring at the peak of their youth, only during old age. Realizing this, Ser Loin took a step back. "My lord, l-let''s not be hasty!" A skeletal hand pointed at the doomed knight. "You have served your kingdom well, Ser Loin. You knew the price of failure, and the world must know that continued bungling such as yours carries consequences. But for your contribution, I shall personally make your death quick, and your remains will continue to serve in your stead until they, too, become dust. Have you any last words?" Failure. A common cause of death for those serving such a cruel master. Ser Loin admired such cruelty, and was often happy when he could inflict it on others. As a proud warrior of his own tribe, the harm he inflicted on his enemies would be considered a badge of honor if he provided proof, such as chopped body parts, armor bathed in blood, or even corpses exuding terror. If he were to die tonight, then the least he could do was bring honor to his tribe by maiming his murderer. "GRAAAAHHHH!" Ser Loin valiantly charged, horns first, to rob Demetrio the chance to cast his spell. The Ruby Knights stepped forward to oppose him, but Demetrio merely motioned for them to stand back. It mattered little to Ser Loin; if he were to die killing his former master and make a bloodbath by doing the same to as many Ruby Knights as he could, he would meet his ancestors with a grin. But a single blink of an eye changed the environment around him. The evening sky received a scarlet hue, giving the town square of Norwich an eerie feel. Ser Loin froze in terror when he watched his former master take the form of a gaunt, naked human with skin tightened around his bones. The Ruby Knights also received a similar treatment, and they all bared sharp teeth. Ghouls. "Monsters!" Ser Loin would continue his charge, but it was brought to a halt by a pair of hands holding on to his hoofed feet. One pair, two pairs, three; several hands sprouted from the soil beneath him, followed by hissing coming from underground and ahead of him. The ghouls that had wrapped their hands around him chanted a single word. "MEAT." "Get off of me! Mercy! Mercy!" Ser Loin''s pleas fell on deaf ears, and his own strength failed him when he tried to remove the ghouls who had latched themselves on his person. He wailed in despair when each one took a hungry bite out of him. His screaming went on for what appeared to be minutes (really just seconds) before the ghouls at his feet dragged him under the earth, his screams echoing from the distance. In reality, Demetrio''s spell had gone off long before Ser Loin could make his last stand. With one snap of his fingers, Demetrio made the minotaur''s body collapse in place and polluted his mind with hallucinations of his worst fear. There were no ghouls in Norwich; only those that existed in Ser Loin''s mind. "I see. So, your worst fear was getting eaten alive." Without completely turning around, Demetrio''s eyes turned to his Ruby Knights. "We can only assume Asterion has failed me, as well." *** 27th of Cobre, 4:26am, 1659 The brown horse with white feathered legs charged through the lonely barren road of the forest, with the flying machine and a seahorse dashing not far behind it. The three advanced with wild abandon, their riders fearing that the dead and Demetrio''s forces could catch up to them at any time. "Look over there," shouted Aquamarine. "Lights!" Surely enough, a stone wall came into view. Torches illuminated the area, allowing Lenoria and company to spot the two guards standing at the gate. Both wore steel plate armor, but the cloaks strapped to their shoulders were red like the Ruby Knight armor. "Keep your cool, everyone. Just follow my lead." The girls nodded at Lenoria, who then turned to Lisa with a reassuring look. "You don''t have to say anything, okay? We''ll keep you safe." Lisa nodded meekly and squeezed Lenoria''s hand. She kept her head down once the armored men stepped forward to greet them. "Halt," one guard shouted. "You''re in Goodsprings, travelers. I know it''s late, but you need the proper clearance to enter at this time of night. Otherwise, you must wait until morning." Goodsprings at last. It''s been almost two weeks since the group departed, but they had made it to their destination safe and sound. Lenoria wasn''t about to let proper protocol stop her from getting inside. "I understand you have a duty, gentlemen. But we were hired by Lady Gabrielle herself, and we must speak with the Sheriff. Is there no way you can make an exception?" The two guards looked at each other at the mention of Gabrielle. They looked back and forth between each other and Lenoria until the second guard spoke. "What are your names?" "Lenoria Tsukino." "Clara Aur¨¨le." "Joanna Jones." Aquamarine put on a coy front. She hoped her outward shy demeanor, school blazer, and overall cute appearance would convince the guards she was just an innocent schoolgirl. The guards seemed convinced until they turned to Lisa, who didn''t speak a word. "Hey, kid. What''s your name?" "Er, please go easy on her," Clara asked both guards. She and Aquamarine had given Lisa a quick makeover during their short stop. Her frizzled hair had been straightened and tied into a ponytail, and her ragged tunic and slacks had been replaced with a uniform just like Aquamarine''s. It was fortunate she had kept one with the right size, but the magical girl was sad she had to part with it. "Lisa''s very shy around other people." Having heard enough, the guards nodded to each other. "We''ve been expecting Miss Tsukino and Miss Aur¨¨le, but Madam Bisset has not informed us about the other two." "Joanna is a valued friend who helped us during our trip. Without her help, Clara and I wouldn''t have made it here." When telling a story, Lenoria believed it was best to sprinkle as much truth as possible to make it more credible. "As for Lisa, Joanna is babysitting her for a while. She''s got a big family, you know?" And when it was time to lie, it was up to Clara and Aquamarine to put on their best acting faces and follow each other''s lead. All Lenoria had to do was follow along. "And where is Mr. Adams," one of the guards asked. "We split up in Norwich because he said there was something he needed to do," Lenoria explained, "so he let us borrow Chestnut here to take us the rest of the way." Technically not a lie. Chestnut raised his head regally and whinnied in response. "That''s Chestnut, alright. If he''s fine with you riding on his back, then everything checks out. Sorry for any doubts, ladies, but if you''ve lived in Thule for about half as long as we have, you''d understand our position." The guard''s statement raised some eyebrows, but there was also something that didn''t escape Lenoria''s perception. "Oh my gosh, Alistair is popular!" Chestnut rocking his back a little was enough to snap her out of it. Otherwise, she could have gushed about it until either guard had to awkwardly grab her attention. "I see. We''re a little tired, so is there a way we can head straight to our sleeping quarters after seeing the Sheriff?" The guards shrugged. "Why not," the first one said, "there''s enough room for all of you. Come inside and wait where we tell you to. The Warden will see you shortly." "Warden?" The girls all had the same thought. That''s a title usually given to someone in charge of a penitentiary, and after meeting "Judge" Demetrio, they wondered what kind of person was going to meet with them. "Can things get any weirder," Lenoria thought.
Rewards Defeated Zep and his shambling mound (combined CR of 7): 800 xp awarded Defeated Ser Loin (CR 8) and assisted in slaying him: 1,200 xp awarded Defeated Asterion (CR 9) and assisted in slaying him: 1,600 xp awarded Rescued all of the children: 20% bonus awarded. Total xp awarded: 4,320 xp Obtained the Cepheus Soulstone! Obtained the Lepus Soulstone! Lenoria: 21,430/23,000 Clara: 21,340/23,000 Alistair: 30,020/34,000 Aquamarine: 27,320/34,000 Caesar: 27,320/34,000
"What the-?" Chapter 60 - The Unchained Warden As the girls waited for the Warden, they opted to survey the village from the safety of the entrance. The guards outside had opened the gate for them, allowing them to step foot inside. Once there, they were greeted by two other guards, who stood firmly in place with their halberds crossed to prevent passage. Once Lenoria identified herself, the guards uncross their polearms and requested for the girls to stick close to the gate. "Are you sure about this," Joanna asked Lenoria. "Yeah. Thanks for patching me up all the way, but the two of you will be helpless against the undead. At least Chestnut and I have a good chance of running away if we bump into a horde." The girls came to an agreement. Once they settled down, Lenoria would go back for Alistair while Clara and Joanna would stay behind to watch Lisa. Clara''s bardic powers were tapped out and Tsukuyomi was close to disassembling, and Joanna''s joints had been encased with burning ice after restoring both of the girls. When the choice came to use the last bit of her power to heal Lenoria or Clara, Joanna opted for the former given her melee and ranged combat abilities. "Then we just wait for the warden, have them take us to our lodgings, and wait for them to make themselves scarce before you go search for Alistair." Clara recapped the plan without fail. "I wish we could help you, but these fights have taken their toll on us." "You two have done plenty. I''m sure Al will understand. And if he''s still with that Demetrio guy, at least then I can introduce myself as the worried girlfriend." Pressing her cheeks with both hands, Lenoria grimaced to fake her crying. "''Oh, Alistair! What took you so long? You know our bed is so cold without you!'' If I do everything right, that old guy won''t suspect a thing!" Joanna narrowed her eyes at Lenoria. Even after everything they had faced, Lenoria''s enthusiasm never went away whenever Alistair was concerned. "I''m amazed you have any energy left at all. But what about Chestnut? Won''t the bull guy recognize him if he''s still there?" "Not to mention, Chestnut must be tired after all that running," Clara pointed out. Chestnut neighed and nodded his head, as if to reassure Clara he would be fine. "I may have the solution." Lenoria rummaged through her bag and pulled out a kitchen knife. "They''re looking for a male horse, aren''t they?" Chestnut neighed to protest, but did little else since Lisa was still on his back. "Fine, fine. I''ll just hide you behind a shed or something while I go get Alistair." With Chestnut happier with that arrangement, Lenoria then tapped Lisa on the shoulder. "How are you holding up?" "I-I''m fine..." Watching your caretaker die must be a traumatic experience too harsh to image. All Lenoria could do was offer comforting words. Gror may have had a near-death experience, for example, but he did not lose someone he loved to that dreadful harpy eagle. Helping Lisa recover from such an awful experience would be difficult. "What this girl needs is a parental figure. I wonder if she has any other relatives..." "T-thank you," the young girl said softly. "What are you thanking me for?" "That mean bull was going to hurt me. You saved my life. All of you did. You were all so cool when you fought him..." The girls were well out of earshot of the guards, but Lenoria still looked around to make sure no one was listening in. Once she made sure they were in the clear, Lenoria beckoned for her two companions to come a little closer. "We didn''t like what those guys were doing, so we had to do something." She placed her hand over the stab wound on her shoulder. Ser Loin had missed piercing a vital spot, but Lenoria knew she was stronger than ever before. Never in her life did she ever see herself going toe to toe with a minotaur, much less hold him off for as long as she did despite the size and strength difference. "First thing I''m gonna do once we settle in is make a mobility chair for you. Sound good?" Lisa nodded with approval, but her face went pale when someone approached them. Lenoria turned around to meet the newcomer: A red-haired woman with braids wearing a simple black sleeveless top, thick pants, and leather greaves above her boots. Her skin was stonelike in both color and texture, and a black tattoo Lenoria didn''t recognize was marked on her right cheek. The tattoo stretched out to her spine and both of her arms, and her skin tightened around her bulging muscles. A rock giant. Smallest of all giantkind said to descend from stone giants, but still bigger than the average human - usually between seven to eight feet in height - and typically a lot stronger, too. Despite the smell of cheap ale lingering after her arrival, the woman appeared to be far from inebriated and in possession of her mental faculties. "Are you the ones Gabrielle sent over?" Awed by the giant woman''s presence, Lenoria nevertheless mustered all the assertiveness from within to speak with her. "That''s right. Who''s asking?" The woman''s grin shifted to the side. "She told me you had a lot of spunk in ya. Name''s Solveig. I''m a priestess and a warden. My job''s to make sure my men stay healthy, stay on their best behavior, and help them keep any dangerous folk from escaping." The girls have heard of weirder job descriptions, but that didn''t make Solveig''s any less concerning. "Escaping," Joanna asked. "Didn''t the boss lady tell ya? Normally, when you commit a crime in Thule, you go to jail or prison based on the severity of your crime. But if you''re an outstanding citizen, you may get a chance to join the Broken Scales." This piece of information did not sit well with Lenoria. "You mean to tell me every single guard here is...?" "A crook on their best behavior." Sensing the girls'' uneasiness, Solveig leaned closer to Lenoria with a smile. "Just stick close to me and I''ll protect you from them." Lenoria nodded assertively, raising her head high and straightening her back. Clara and Joanna followed her example, while Lisa failed to hide her discomfort. "Alright," the young scientist answered swiftly. "Heh, looks like you''re a tough girl. It''s hard enough to find people willing to work for a high-profile woman from House Bisset. This means either the trip to the mountains toughened you up, or you were already tough to begin with. Either way, looks like I won''t have to coddle you." Gabrielle''s idea to reach Ragnarok Station on foot suddenly made more sense. The girls would be working in a harsh environment, and in order to weed out all signs of weakness, the dangers of the mountains proved to be the most efficient method. If Lenoria could face the dangerous creatures and the harsh conditions of the Ragnarok Mountains, she could handle Goodsprings and its denizens for sure. The question now was why Goodsprings, and not the capital city? Judging by Clara''s scowl, it appeared Lenoria wasn''t the only one who caught on. "Thank you for being a good host. Would you mind taking us to our lodgings?" "Gladly. My job here is to escort you there, anyway, and I can''t have you passing out from blood loss " Solveig tapped Lenoria on the shoulder, a move that made the latter flinch. It was hard to see it, but blood had seeped through the bandage and her dark clothes. "A stain like that is hard to ignore. I take it your trip was far from uneventful?" "Lots of walking dead on the way here," Joanna gestured to the road behind her. "I applied some first aid, so we should be fine for now." The girls had to deny any involvement with Demetrio''s men. As far as they were concerned, three unidentified rebels thwarted their plans. No one else. "Say less. This way," Solveig said as she led the way ahead. Lenoria lightly tapped Chestnut''s belly, which was the signal for him to follow. Clara, Joanna, and Mr. Horsey followed right behind them. Dawn was still far off, but some of the villagers were out and about; some workers in construction were getting a head start on a small house to avoid the sunlight, while some men in overalls with farming tools left a nearby tavern with their bellies full. Most of the shops were closed, but a smithy was operating even in the darkness of the night if the smell of smoke was any indication. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lenoria couldn''t help but notice some of the guards stopped their patrols to leer at the new arrivals. Refusing to encourage them while also wanting to appear polite, she took a moment to make eye contact before continuing on her way without a word. "You mentioned the guards here being crooks," Clara said. "What about you?" "Oh, hon, you don''t want to know," Solveig revealed nonchalantly. "Let''s just say I was supposed to get the gallows because the butcher''s axe was too kind. But after seeing I was too heavy for their ropes, they decided on a life sentence. If I can serve Goodsprings for thirty years, I can leave with parole." Solveig stopped to grin at the girls, who were a little stunned by her revelation. "I remember my first day like it was yesterday. After a couple of months, I said to myself ''What if I just leave?'' And that''s what I did; everyone here is too weak to stop me, at least at first. Then the Sheriff took his gloves off." Solveig shrugged. "That guy knows how to brawl. Instead of extending my sentence, he offered me a deal. I get to walk out of here whenever I want, but I have to serve my sentence as his warden. That''s fine with me, really; more bones to break." That''s when Lenoria noticed the pattern on Solveig''s tattoos; they were shaped like bones, from the jawbone, spine, and lastly both humerus bones. She wasn''t familiar with giant anatomy, but she figured the bones were more or less the same. Despite the initial shock from Solveig''s monologue, Lenoria remained steadfast and unafraid. "Thanks for the autobiography, Solveig. But was there a point to any of that?" "I guess not. I just like reminiscing, and as long as you don''t piss me off, we''ll get along just fine." The girls left it at that and continued on their way without further distractions. Lenoria took this chance to tap her Soulstone once to get a response from Pearl. "You''ve been pretty quiet. Everything okay?" "I''m fine, but I''m detecting two Soulstones here in Goodsprings. One of them is somewhere in this village to the east." Pearl paused before continuing. "The second...is right in front of you." With things getting stranger by the second, Lenoria was not surprised when she noticed her hair - normally long and straight - had frizzled and rose in place. "Static electricity?" Lisa''s hair was going through the same process while Clara and Joanna had gone unaffected. "I see. If Solveig has a Soulstone, it must be one that exudes an electrifying aura. If it''s not affecting Clara or Aquamarine, then the range must be limited." "It looks like she was granted Ophiuchus. Apus and the others are wise for hiding from her; we can''t give ourselves away until we know Solveig is a friend or foe." "Something tells me she isn''t the type to be convinced with words no matter what side she''s on. We better brace ourselves for a fight in the future." Some minutes later, they finally arrived at their destination: a wooden one-story building that was longer than it was wide. There seemed to be nothing special about it, but the girls were ready to rest anywhere at this point and were itching to discuss the night''s events as soon as Solveig made herself scarce. But that wasn''t happening just yet. "This is where you''ll be sleeping. There''s a kitchen in there with plenty of ingredients, so you''re free to help yourselves as long as you restock the pantry when it''s low on food. There are dorms on both sides of the building; one for the boys, one for the girls. Before I let you go, though, there''s something I have to ask." Solveig crossed her arms. "Where''s Alistair Adams?" If the Sheriff knew of their pending arrival, then anyone working for him must have known as well. It was silly to believe Solveig wouldn''t know, as well. "That''s what we want to talk to the Sheriff about. Where is he," Lenoria demanded. "Asleep in his own home. I take over his duties overnight. You''re free to wait until morning so I can escort you to his office, but I doubt you have that kind of time, judging by the look in your eyes." Lenoria remained silent, but she knew Solveig was right. "If his life is in danger, then his chances of survival go down the longer we delay. I will ask again: Where is he?" "Screw it. She''s sharper than she looks, anyway." Lenoria sighed. "I''m not sure, to be honest with you. We split up in Norwich because he had some business there, but I grew worried when the undead started popping out of the woods. He''s the type to insist we go on without him." "I''ve heard the stories, so it doesn''t surprise me. If he''s smart, he''d stay in Norwich and wait until morning. But he''s not known for making the smartest decisions, if his taste in women is anything to go by." Lenoria balled her fist angrily. "Clara, Joanna. Please take Lisa inside and get some rest. I need to have a word with the Warden here." "I know that look," Clara said with hesitation as she and Joanna jumped off Mr. Horsey. "Are you sure you don''t need us?" "It''s fine. Just go." There was a smugness in Solveig''s smile when she let Clara and Joanna through. Tsukuyomi gently picked Lisa off of Chestnut and followed them inside. "Women''s side is on the right. Just pick any bed you want," the Warden happily informed them before the door closed behind them. Once it was just the two of them, Lenoria frowned at the giant woman. "Listen, you. I don''t know what your problem is, but you don''t scare me one bit. It''s fine if you look down on me, but I won''t let you pick on Alistair." "And why does that matter to-?" Solveig paused and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lenoria. "Ohhhh, I get it. Alistair got hitched while he was away and got busy. No wonder it took you all more than a week to get here." Lenoria blushed at the implication, prompting Solveig to roar with laughter. "I-I wish, but he''s made it clear he doesn''t want to. I don''t mind, though; I actually think it''s admirable how he wants to stay chaste." "He must really like ya if he''s confident enough to tell you that. You''re definitely a step up from his previous partnerships. That little girl isn''t yours, then?" "Mine? What do you-?" Solveig raising her eyebrow was more than enough to answer Lenoria''s question. "No! She''s just a relative of Joanna''s! Do you even know how human physiology works? Alistair and I just met about three weeks ago!" "Really?" Solveig scratched her head. "Weird. I have a drinking buddy who claims humans reproduce like rabbits. Then again, he had already gulped down two bottles of moonshines when he said that, so he must have been thinking of something else. Goblins, probably." As scary as she was, at least Solveig had a sense of humor. The giant woman had a relaxed posture, hands in her pockets and slumped shoulders. With a job as dangerous as hers, Lenoria had discerned that Solveig didn''t deem her a threat after all. Her knowing Alistair, however, was something that needed to be addressed. "How do you know Al? Are you an ex-girlfriend or something?" "No, but he is a big name around here. Plus, his determination is admirable. Any man who can still move forward after all the crap he''s been through deserves to be happy, and I''d hate to see anyone take advantage of him just because he''s friends with two noble houses. My question to you, Tsukino, is this: What are you to him?" More questions for later, Lenoria thought. She was respectful enough to give Alistair distance as far as his past was concerned, because she herself didn''t think she ever needed to mention Carter or anyone else who fancied her back in her school days. But they weren''t on the same wavelength, so she figured it was time to lay it all bare with each other if they wished to move forward. Alistair''s past could affect her in the future, and she needed to get more context to better gauge just how popular her beloved was in Thule. For starters, she needed to ask him about his prior engagement, which was mentioned back in Norwich. And if Solveig was to be believed, there must be at least one other woman he was involved with. For now, she had to give him the benefit of the doubt and speak to him privately once both of them were safe. She didn''t owe Solveig anything, but Lenoria wanted to go back and search for Alistair. Clara was still hurt, and someone needed to look after Lisa. So, both of her friends had to stay behind, and right now there was only one other person to ask for help. Solveig seemed sincere when she said she wouldn''t want anything bad to happen to him, so maybe she could be trusted with this one favor. The girl thought on how to answer Solveig''s question until she found the words she needed. "He''s... he''s the man of my dreams. My knight in shining armor. We''ve been through so much together these past two weeks, and he''s never complained about me. He''s always protected me, even after telling him over and over that I can take care of myself." Thinking back on the entire trip, Lenoria couldn''t think of a single instance where she took the initiative to do something for Alistair, at least not since the Butterfly Plains. Cooking her meals? Alistair. Healing her wounds? Alistair. Checking up on her well-being? Alistair. Always protecting her from harm? Alistair. Offering a prayer each morning for her safety? Alistair. And staying behind in Norwich? Alistair wished to save the children alone, believing he could, just so Lenoria and her friends wouldn''t be captured and questioned by Demetrio for being outsiders who had arrived at the wrong time. He never said it, but perhaps he didn''t need to say it. His actions spoke louder than anything Lenoria had ever said or done for him. "He...he loves me. I wanted him from the moment I laid eyes on him, but I''m starting to think it was nothing more than desire..." "To be fair, it''s only been three weeks," Solveig pointed out. "You can''t just fall in love with the first guy you meet." "Still... he''s always looked out for me. For us. I always had his back, but he always ended up doing more for us." "Ah, so between the two of you, he''s been putting in more effort." Solveig crossed her arms. "Knowing that, what are you going to do?" "I wanted to go back for him because I thought he ran into some trouble. But now...it''s more than just that; I want to talk to him. Tell him how I feel." Lenoria looked up at Solveig. "Why am I even telling you any of this?" "I don''t know, but it looks like you care for the little runt. As do I, believe it or not," Solveig said. "I was thinking about going to look for him, too, once I confirmed what happened. But rounding up a search party could take hours." Clara and Aquamarine had to stay behind and look after Lisa. And being unfamiliar with Goodsprings, Solveig was Lenoria''s only option. "I still have plenty of energy left in the tank. How about we go look for him together," Lenoria proposed. "You sure? You won''t get far if Chestnut is tired." Chestnut tried to play off his exhaustion, but he had trouble raising his head the longer he stayed awake. "You''re right. But he''s as stubborn as his master," Lenoria said. "I got this." Solveig gently stroked Chestnut''s mane. A radiant light emanated from Solveig''s hand, and it waned with each stroke. When she was done, Chestnut stood in his hind legs and shouted a hearty neigh. "There we go. Good as new." "What did you do?" "What''s it look like? It''s a [Lesser Restoration] spell. Chestnut should be fine for another day." "You''re the best!" Lenoria wasted no time and climbed on Chestnut again. "Ready to see your master?" Chestnut neighed affirmatively. Solveig grinned. "Good. Why don''t you two go in ahead and wait by the gate? I''ll catch up shortly." "Okay!" Delaying no more, Lenoria flicked the reins and pushed Chestnut to return to the gate. Once they were out of earshot, Solveig grinned cockily and prepared her own spell. In an instant, she donned a black trench coat and a black gat hat, and at the same time a fiery portal appeard before her. "Time to summon my own horse. There''s just one thing left I need to ask you, so you better be ready, Lenoria. You, too, Pearl." Chapter 61 - Ophiuchus The two women rode until dawn in search for Alistair down the road to Norwich. Albeit a little tired, Chestnut pressed forward, determined to see his master again. A feeling he and Lenoria shared, surprisingly enough. A spell cast by Solveig before departing had rejuvenated him, and he regained his stamina. Right behind them was Solveig, who rode a flaming horse with a sturdier build than Chestnut. The horse had been magically conjured within a glyph of flames, and its flowing mane continuously burned just like the twilight sun that was starting to rise. "I''m surprised they make horses that big," Lenoria commented. "A blessing from the Lord of the Dead," Solveig answered. "Arcane magicians can conjure their own horses, but the divines bless their priests with a spell of their own." Lenoria wasn''t a believer, but her eyes had been opened ever since she started traveling with Alistair. The concept of divine magic gradually got easier for her to understand. They haven''t been apart for long, yet she already missed the little things about him. She wasn''t big on prayer, but she thought it was sweet how Alistair took a moment out of his day to pray for her safety and well-being. She desired to be on the same spiritual wavelength, even if it was all foreign to her. "It may be a while before we find him. Which god have you devoted yourself to," Lenoria asked. "You said ''Lord of the Dead,'' but a few come to mind." The giant woman scoffed. "You want to jump into that rabbit hole? Don''t complain if I put you to sleep." They had some way to go before they reached Norwich. Lenoria grew anxious as time passed, and she could use a good distraction. "Go for it." "Very well. You ever been to the Far West? There''s an island to the southwest that follows its own mythos. The locals call it ''yeongwonhan bea seom'' or ''The Isle of Eternal Rain.'' I''ve never been there, but a traveler from that island brought his customs to my village. I didn''t fancy the majority of it, but there was one thing that always fascinated me." "And what was that?" "Death," Solveig said without missing a beat. "My village was superstitious and gave foreign customs a wide berth, so the traveler couldn''t stay there for long. But just like me, he had an interest in the great beyond. He told me if I was ever interested in following his doctrine, I should simply seek death in the battlefield. That was thirteen years ago, and not a thing happened until five years ago." "That...coincides with the time Thule declared war on Mesarthim." Lenoria felt a little proud to have remembered a history lesson Alistair taught her in passing. "Yup. Mesarthim galleons arrived and destroyed a lot of Thule ships that day. But once they made landfall, Mesarthim''s forces were no match for the army of the damned. I arrived only after the carnage had ended, and there I saw them: Reapers." Reapers? Like the one Lenoria met when she was slain almost a month ago? "That''s when my beliefs were confirmed," Solveig continued. "It doesn''t matter what color you are, what doctrine you follow, or what you do with your life. Death claims everyone, and the Reapers rarely fail to collect. I had to ask them who they served so that I may learn more about the nature of death. All of them, at least over two dozen, replied with the same name." King Yeomra the Great. That name again. Lenoria remembered how scared she was of meeting him and feeling relieved when Pearl revived her. Yet this giant of a woman was not scared in the slightest, having a morbid curiosity that would frighten anyone who feared death. "I didn''t know it then, but that''s when my life as a priestess started. Every day since then, I would wake up with the ability to create water or detect magic auras. The Reapers were kind enough to point me back to the traveler who visited my village, who was currently residing in a dwarven stronghold in the Ragnarok Mountains. That''s when he told me of my new responsibility: ''If you wish to learn more about the cycle of life and death, follow the Great King''s orders to the letter.'' It sounds like a big job, but all I have to do is heal the sick, speak people''s last rites, and occasionally hunt down a ghost or two." "Ghosts?" Solveig nodded. "Yep. They''re real, and there''s usually a reason for their existence. It''s rare for a spirit to be harmless, you know; the agony one can feel from being bound to the mortal realm after dying is enough to drive even the purest soul insane. That''s why hunting them and purging their existence from this world is an act of mercy." Strands of hair lifted from Lenoria head, and she could the tiny hairs on her arms rise on their own as well. "Look out," Pearl shouted telepathically. A purple pillar of electricity erupted from the ground ahead of Lenoria, who pulled the reins in time to stop Chestnut before he collided with it. The horse swayed his head back and forth, and Lenoria guessed from his anxious neighing that he could not see the danger that was right in front of it. "Of course he can''t see it. This must be her power..." The young girl knew she''d been had. "It''s funny." Solveig stopped her horse right behind Lenoria. The giant was victoriously smug as if she was proud of what she had done. "Nothing gets past King Yeomra. Every death is reported to him thanks to the Reapers who serve him. And he appears to be interested in your quest, little raven." "Pearl..." "There''s no point in hiding." Solveig''s smugness did not budge when a pillar of feathers manifested between herself and Lenoria. The feathers disperse in the form of cawing crows to reveal Lenoria''s partner in her quest, ready to meet the source of their new obstacle. As this happened, Poe landed on Lenoria''s shoulder and nuzzled against her cheek. "It appears our friend the Messenger reported our little incident." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Hey, don''t shoot the Messenger," Solveig quipped. "If it makes you feel any better, I''m the only cleric of Yeomra who knows about your quest, and that''s only because I have a stone of my own. To the Messenger''s credit, he did promise not to tell if the spell used was a simple revival spell. But the context was far from normal, you know. Whoever heard of the dead resurrecting the dead?" The dead resurrecting the dead? That would mean... "Don''t act surprised," Pearl warned Lenoria. "You remember our little talk about needing partners? The Star Dream claims us when we use too much power because in reality there''s no limit on how much we can spend, technically speaking. My spells are still limited, but I''ve transcended my mortal limits." "I know, but it never really hit me until Solveig said something." As a matter of fact, Lenoria had never bothered to ask Pearl anything about her past except once on the night after the school fire. And she still remembered her answer... Most people won¡¯t show their true colors right off the bat. Not even me; we¡¯re working together in this mission, but I¡¯m not obligated to divulge anything about myself more than necessary. "You had a life before this." Lenoria then remembered something. "Solveig, you said you deal with ghosts! Was Pearl your target all along?" "You''re very bright, but that actually depends on how dangerous she is to the general population. Her arrival was foretold, and I was tasked to deal with it as I see fit. Normally, ghosts are spirits of the dead who have some business in the realm of the living. Maybe they have a score to settle with their murderer, or maybe their dream was never achieved." Solveig tapped her forehead twice. "What binds Pearl to the mortal coil? Is this quest of hers truly the only thing she must accomplish in order to pass on? Or is something else keeping her here?" Lenoria gazed at her partner with an expression full of pity. Even now, in the face of an agent of a death god, Pearl remained silent. Solveig was more than capable of beating Lenoria in a contest of strength judging from size alone, and as a ghost hunter she must also have her methods of dealing with Pearl. The giant waited for an answer, which would determine her next course of action. And when Pearl finally spoke, her words startled both women. "Are you done?" Solveig leaned forward. "Are you sure you want to take that tone with me?" "I don''t care what you think, if I''m being honest with you. But I''m afraid to inform you that the power that binds me here...is unknown, even to me." Hearing no rebuttal from Solveig or Lenoria, just getting confused looks from them, Pearl took this as her sign to continue. "I remember my past life. I lived alone in the forest in the outskirts of a village. The villagers would call me the Old Crone of the Forest, but the children turned out to be kinder than them. I''d spend my days knitting things for them and baking cookies for them. But the one thing I can''t seem to remember is the day of my death." "I see. It''s not unusual for spirits to forget why they died. I take it you won''t rest until you find the cause of your own death?" Pearl nodded. "Correct. Maybe my meeting with the Lord of the Dead is long overdue, and I plan to meet him eventually. Maybe I died with anger and hatred in my heart, and that''s why I''m here." The woman in black stared at the ground before closing her eyes. "There''s no room in this world for vengeful spirits; yet, the Smith has granted me another chance to do some good for the world. If my presence here is a crime and an affront to the gods, then at least allow me to do some good. If I still deserve punishment when my work is done, then I''ll face my sentence with dignity." The electric whirlwind did not show signs of vanishing. Solveig remained quietly attentive while Lenoria searched for a way out in case things got ugly for them. "Allow me to complete the Smith''s mission and find the cause of my death. Then I''ll answer your lord''s summons." "You''re pretty cocky, you know. Most people in this world would answer the summons of their king if the alternative were punishment for disobedience. And here you are, making demands instead of just submitting quietly." To everyone else''s surprise, the electric currents finally died down. Solveig irritably scratched her head. "People like you are more trouble than they''re worth. I was ready for a fight, but something tells me I wouldn''t enjoy it." Solveig growled with frustration. "And I wanted to break some bones, too." "She''s a monster..." Relieved things have calmed down, Lenoria took this opportunity to get Solveig''s attention. "You''re not going to hunt Pearl, then?" "Not unless she gives me a reason," Solveig warned. "I only know as much about your quest as what you told the Messenger. You hunt down these gemstones which have spirits inside of them, and each one has some magic power, right?" Lenoria and Pearl nodded quietly. "Right. Besides you and Ophiuchus, there''ll be others. And it''s only a matter of time before one of them starts causing problems." The giant may not know, but Lenoria was unnerved by how right she was. Over the course of her trip, she''s met at least two Soulstone users who have used their power for their own gain. She had Alistair''s back when they both took down the cave giant patriarch, and Clara had Caesar when she took down Zep. And then there was Ser Loin, who used super speed to take down some rebels and killed a woman suspected of aiding them. Lenoria believed Eleanor wasn''t his first victim. She didn''t even want to think about Cassiopeia or Aquila. Her mind then went to Caesar. If the wielder of the Hounds was defeated, did that mean Caesar also acquired that Soulstone? And how many others were in Demetrio''s hands? The young scientist was going to need help if she continued bumping into strong foes. "If the Soulstones are such a problem for you, why don''t you join us?" Solveig shook her head. "Excuse me?" "I think our goals align even though we have different reasons. If we combine our powers, we can stop anyone who wants to use these powers for evil. What do you say?" It was Pearl''s turn to listen attentively. It didn''t make much of a difference to her if Solveig was a friend or foe, as long as Ophiuchus ultimately ended up in her possession or ranks. "And what makes you think I want to work with you," Solveig asked. "I''ve heard about the fire at the Artificers Guild. A lot of Reapers were busy that day. Are you going to deny how much destruction those stones can cause?" Lenoria frowned. "No. I was there when it happened. Believe me, I know what they can do. But if we don''t do something, there''s a chance they could do more harm than good. That''s why Pearl was sent here, to take care of damage control. That''s why me and Clara are helping, too. And that''s why," Lenoria paused with a faint blush, "t-that''s why Al is helping, too. He and I agreed that power in itself is fine. The problems only start when someone misuses it." "He said that?" Lenoria nodded and realized Solveig was relaxing her posture more. The two of them found common ground before, and it didn''t hurt to try again. "Al wasn''t happy when he found out what I was doing. But the two of us talked things out and now he''s willing to help me." Lenoria checked again to see if the electric whirlwind was truly gone, and once she confirmed there was no danger she continued. "You can ask him when we see him." "Fine, fine." It appeared the giant heard enough. "From the looks of things, you''re going to need a priestess to help you out. But I can''t really travel the world until my sentence is over, so there''s a limit to where I can go with you." That was good enough for Lenoria, and there was no argument from Pearl. The sooner they could find Alistair, the sooner he could vouch for her and the sooner they can move on to the next stage of their quest. Both women hoped that, by the end of the next day, Solveig was fully on board with their mission. Chapter 62 - Reunion The morning sun had finally arrived in full view, shedding much needed light through the forest canopy. Lenoria kept her eyes on the road with a determined expression, gripping the reins firmly as Chestnut dashed through the uneven dirt road of the forest. "For a ghost hunter, you sure have no problem using a spirit of your own." Solveig, steering her own steed behind Lenoria, scoffed at the blonde''s remark. "Ophiuchus is many things, but he won''t use lethal force unless I ask him to. And when it comes to finishing a job, I''d rather do it with my own power. He likes the arrangement, because he would rather cure people." "Cure people? But I thought his power was electricity." "It is. But he used to be a doctor in his past life, so through me, he can still save people even from beyond the mortal coil. I, in turn, get to use his power to soften up my prey." A doctor in his past life, just like Pearl was a hermit in hers. It was a coincidence that made Lenoria turn to the giant curiously. "And before you ask, he doesn''t remember how he died, either. I only know that he was 38 when he died. Kinda young for a half-elf, wouldn''t you say?" "Is that how you figured out Pearl was a restless spirt?" Lenoria stiffly pressed as she turned her head to face the road. "No. His Majesty revealed that information to me for free, because Pearl is the appointed leader of your little treasure hunt. He didn''t have to tell me about Ophiuchus, because the spirit knew who he was before, what his powers were, and what his purpose was." "The purpose...that would be finding a righteous person and lend them their power, wouldn''t it?" "Yeah." "But not every spirit has the wisdom to judge someone as worthy properly. Even Pearl said so when she first met me." "Are you saying Ophiuchus was wrong in picking me?" "No. What I''m saying is that we''re bound to meet a few rotten apples in the future. We''ll have a lot of fights on our hands the longer we do nothing, and you could get hurt." "Hey, I already told you I''m helping. You don''t need to sell this little quest of yours to me." That was not what she meant, but Lenoria decided to let it go. For now, she was happy to have a dangerous wild card as her healer, though the extent of the help her new ally had offered had not been discussed yet. But even just healing wounds would be more than enough help, and if she offered Ophiuchus''s power to the cause, then the party''s power would be boosted by an acceptable amount. Yet despite this boon, this also revealed another mystery. If both Pearl and Ophiuchus remembered their past lives, where would that leave Apus? And Owen? Mr. Horsey? She would have to get the gang together later to talk about this at length, and she wanted Alistair there, too. "Oh, my darling Alistair. Where could you be? This trip is taking forever." "Keep it together, girl. This isn''t a book, you know. It''s not like we can skip time from the last meaningful event and suddenly find the guy." The sounds of fighting made Solveig straighten up. She spotted a multitude of shambling corpses up ahead, along with an armored lad. "There he is!" Lenoria wasted no time to stand on Chestnut''s back when Alistair came into view, ready to jump off at the time she deemed best. A dozen or so walking corpses had surrounded Alistair, and while the boy was holding them off, nothing kept the horde from getting closer and closer. The boy had nowhere to run. "I just have a question, girl." Solveig reached under her shirt to grab and hold out a necklace. It was a piece of wood shaped into a perfect circle with wandering shadows drawn within. "Has your man died, and if so, has he been raised by a necromancer?" YEET A rotting corpse flew past both women, its blood and guts spilling on the dirt road. "I will not rest until I''ve destroyed each and every single one of you!" Alistair sounded like he had energy to spare. "Does that answer your question?" "Fair enough," Solveig answered her new companion. "Stand back unless you want to get splashed," she ordered. Not knowing - or wishing to know, for that matter - what Solveig meant, Lenoria sat back down on Chestnut and asked him to slow down. Chestnut refused until Solveig and her horse managed to get slightly ahead of them, both glowing with a radiant light. "The gates of the underworld have opened to take you away! Head for the light and answer the gatekeeper, for none can escape him! Let your souls rest in peace, and free yourselves from your bindings!" Solveig raised her wooden symbol. "Submit!" One by one, the rotten corpses explode, each one bursting with the same light Solveig was emanating. She was just inches from the first zombie when her ability went off, and every single one that had surrounded Alistair met with the same gory end. Neither Al or Solveig were spared from the aftermath and as a result both were bathed with stale blood and putrid fluids. They both wore a mask of experience, unfazed by the new stench and instead they both took a moment to take a breather once the moans of the undead were no more. One straggler remained, half of its corpse destroyed while the remaining half crawled towards Solveig, but one kick from Lenoria was enough to end its undying existence. "Al!" "Lenoria?" With the dangers gone, Alistair''s legs wobbled before collapsing. The paladin panted heavily while Lenoria wiped his face with a handkerchief, removing the sweat and most of the blood. "What are you doing here?" "I''m offended you even have to ask." Tossing the handkerchief away, Lenoria pulled Al closer for a hug. "I promised myself I would come get you once we settled in Goodsprings." "L-Lenoria, you really shouldn''t." Feeling a little self-conscious, Alistair feebly tried to push Lenoria away. "M-my armor''s dirty..." "Save it for someone who cares about that." Knowing her mind was set, Alistair did not fight it and instead returned the embrace. He had a lot of explaining to do, and this moment of respite gave him the chance to do so. Instead of words, however, there was sobbing...and tears. "What''s wrong, Al?" Alistair held back on the sobbing as much as he could. "I-it''s nothing." "''Nothing,'' he says. You''re crying..." "Sorry. It''s just...I didn''t think anyone would come back for me. I must look pathetic..." "Why would you think that? We''re your friends. The only reason Clara and Aqua, er, Joanna, didn''t come with me was because they knew they would hold you back if they came with me." Lenoria gently lifted Alistair''s face with both hands. "Everyone is safe," she whispered. "Thanks to you, everyone is safe. You''re not pathetic, Al. It''s okay to cry." "I..." Still sensing hesitation, Lenoria finally remembered they weren''t alone. "Don''t hold back on my account," Solveig said, almost laughing. "I was curious how far you were going to go before you remembered, though I would have stopped you if you started taking off your clothes." "Solveig..." Alistair found the strength to stand back up. Refusing to let go, Lenoria held on as she got on her feet along with him. "You''re here, too." "I''m honored you remembered at all. Part of me was intrigued how you conquered such a feisty soul." Whether it was his imagination or not, Alistair could feel Lenoria''s body heat up after Solveig said her piece. "I didn''t conquer anything," the boy stated matter-of-factly. "Solveig here says you met before. She also said you had quite the taste in women." Lenoria stared at her beloved inquisitively. "Oh." Alistair tried to avoid eye contact, but Lenoria''s eyes followed his wherever they went. "I-I was meaning to tell you. Well, I-I didn''t mean to hide it from you, actually, but-" "It''s okay." Lenoria giggled. "I wasn''t expecting you to be popular around here, but I''m not surprised, actually. I mean, who wouldn''t want you?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "The majority of people reading this story, apparently," Alistair mumbled. Lenoria''s head faceplanted on the ground, courtesy of a strong hoof. "Chestnut! I didn''t forget about you," the boy reassured his steed. Chestnut neighed loudly, happy to see his master again. "We''ll talk more in Goodsprings. We should get going." Solveig turned around and marched on the path back to town. "She''s right." Lenoria spat out some mud before standing up and climbing on Chestnut''s back. Once she had her feet on the footholds, she offered a hand for Alistair. "Hop on!" Alistair hesitated at first, but his weary body urged him to take his beloved''s hand in the end. He placed his hands behind him, gently resting on Chestnut''s rump. "I see you and Chestnut bonded while I was gone." "He loves me!" Lenoria laid her head on Chestnut''s mane. "Don''t you, buddy?" CHOMP "Hey, let go of my hair!" Chestnut whinnied after Lenoria yanked her hair away from his teeth. Ignoring the mocking sound, Lenoria''s attention went back to Alistair. "What''s wrong, Al? You''ll fall off if you don''t grab on." "G-grab on to what?" "To me, silly!" Alistair gulped. With understandable reluctance, his hands eventually made it to Lenoria''s shoulders. "You tease! This isn''t a conga line, Al. Here." Using both hands, Lenoria guided each of Alistair''s hands down to her waistline, one at a time. Once there, she pulled them towards the center around her belly and, after insisting, made sure Alistair interlocked his fingers with both hands so that he was holding on to her tightly. "Are you sure about this?" "Don''t you worry, Al. I''m strapped to Chestnut, so as long as you hold on as tightly as you can, you won''t fall off, either. I''ve been on horseback plenty of times back home in the Steppes, so I''ll make sure you don''t fall off, okay?" Alistair nodded. "Very well. I-I said this before, b-but please don''t think I''m a pervert..." "I''ll deep-fry my boots and eat them before I accuse my hero of something he''s not." Lenoria hid her blushing cheeks by keeping her eyes on the road. "Not like I would mind, as long as it was just you..." "Hurry up, you two, or I won''t be there to save you if we bump into another horde," Solveig yelled from the distance. "We better hurry. Miss Solveig can be very irritable," Alistair suggested. "You''re telling me. Let''s go, Chestnut." Flicking the reins, Chestnut turned around and rushed back on the road to Goodsprings. Once he caught up to Solveig, the horse slowed his advance while keeping up with the giant woman and her steed. The rest of the trip back was quiet. Lenoria wanted to chat with Alistair, but the boy''s exhaustion caught up to him; feeling safe and sound, he couldn''t help but rest his head on the back of her shoulder and allowed his eyes to close. "You''ll fall off if you take a nap." "It''s okay." Alistair yawned. "I''ll try not fall asleep. But if I do...I know I can count on you if anything happens." "Al..." Lenoria didn''t argue any further. She promised herself she wouldn''t let anything happen now that Alistair was safe and sound. And more importantly, "He trusts me..." *** "Wake up, Al. We''re here." 27th of Cobre, 9:16am, 1659 Alistair mumbled as his eyes blinked open. It took a moment for situational awareness to kick, but once it did, Alistair promptly removed his head from Lenoria''s back and removed his hands from around her waist. The sudden fumbling and the weight of his armor brought him from Chestnut''s back all the way to the ground. "Al! Are you okay?" "Yeah. Ow..." The crash woke him up completely. The paladin gazed at his surroundings and realized he was beyond the gate of a village. "Is this it? Are we truly in Goodsprings?" "Of course we are, you silly goofball." Lenoria hopped off Chestnut''s back and landed close to the boy. She offered a hand, which he gladly took and pulled himself up. "Are you sure you''re okay?" "I am. I-I''m sorry about that. I promise I didn''t mean to get too comfortable..." Lenoria giggled. "Hey, do you hear me complaining?" Relieved to hear her words of consent, Alistair''s tired body lurched forward. Still having a bit of energy left, Lenoria caught up to him and held his hand so they could walk together. She didn''t know where he planned to go, so the least she could do was escort him back to their lodgings. The two were finally in Goodsprings. Lenoria was here for a job, but she was looking forward to some R&R with her love. Surely, they would be given the opportunity to rest before she got to work. They both stopped at the sight of several men in steel blocking the road, each one standing with a spear ready. Front and center was their apparent leader, a brown-haired human wearing a gray overcoat over his toned body. He exuded a sense of professionalism with his black boots, blue slacks, and black shirt under his coat, which seemed perfect for the cool mountain town weather. "Hey, Lance!" Solveig greeted the stranger while slapping Lenoria on the back. "A lot happened, but Lady Bisset''s guest and her concubine have arrived." Sheriff Helms "I see. Welcome to Goodsprings." The man''s tone and expression showed signs of indifference. "I was informed there would be more of you." "Three of them are resting in their lodgings, and there are more coming later." Lenoria had no idea how she would explain the arrival of several pirates guarding some orphan children without mentioning Demetrio, but she hoped this answer was at least satisfactory for the man she assumed was the Sheriff of Goodsprings. "It is a good thing, then, that Lady Bisset anticipated this and set up that building just for you. It is big enough to lodge as many as twenty people." Lance crossed his arms. "There is food in the pantry that Lady Bisset was kind enough to provide, but it is up to you to restock it with your own funds. The sooner you finish her commission, the sooner you''ll be allowed to go home." "Twenty people?" Lenoria nodded in agreement. She wasn''t expecting a charity case from the start, but it was nice for Gabrielle to be a bit generous with the provisions. "Mr. Adams," the callous man continued, "House Bisset requests your assistance. Under no circumstance, other than break time, are you allowed to leave Lenoria''s side. Your new task is to protect her from harm. Are we clear?" "That sounds more like an order, sir," Alistair pointed out. "I already had the intention of staying with Lenoria as much as possible but staying with her around the clock sounds like an invasion of her privacy. Is there a reason Lady Bisset ordered this?" "You misunderstand; the undead have become more active as of late. The fact our guest made it here unharmed means she can handle the dangers of Thule, but I doubt even she can handle a horde." That would explain why Alistair bumped into so many ghouls and zombies. He battled so many on his way to Norwich alone, and judging from the Sheriff''s wording, even Lenoria could tell this wasn''t a common occurrence. Was Demetrio''s arrival in Norwich truly a coincidence? "Lady Bisset plans to compensate you for both the job and the inconvenience, but the guards are authorized to stop anyone coming out of the village by themselves. You must travel in groups or not at all, at least until this surge of undead activity dies down." "If that''s the case, I apologize for my insolence. But you must understand I shouldn''t be in her space all of the time." "There is no need, Mr. Adams. Staying within earshot and protecting her from any danger are your only duties. You are free to spend the day however you wish, otherwise." Having Alistair around from dawn to dusk? All to herself? There was only one thing she needed to confirm. "Will Alistair be staying at the lodge as well," she asked. "Of course," the Sheriff replied. "The lodge is yours until you depart. I only ask for the men and women to stay in their respective dorms. I shouldn''t have to tell you why." Lenoria excused herself for a moment and stepped away from the crowd. She stared at the morning sky with a bright blush as both body and mind felt rejuvenated for the first time since she arrived in Thule. Her heart and mind had been set ablaze with the unquenchable fires of passion and desire, resulting in her legs quivering uncontrollably. "The thought of sharing a lodge must be overwhelming for her," the Sheriff commented. "I''ve traveled through the wilderness before with my friends in the Naval Force. I can''t imagine traveling through the mountains without a moment to myself, only to find out that I would have no privacy at my destination, either. I feel her pain." Pain was not the word Lenoria would use. This trip with her friends was one of the greatest events of her life after spending the better part of her school days alone, and it seemed to her she was destined to meet Alistair. Normally, when people meet a stranger they are instantly smitten for, they never see them again unless one side goes out of their way to interact with the other. Yet, Lenoria met the paladin again after missing her first chance to interact with him back at the graduation ceremony, and he did what he could to save her life. What would this be, then, if not destiny? He''s... he''s the man of my dreams. My knight in shining armor. He loves me... Her conversation with Solveig still fresh in her mind, Lenoria believed nothing could put a stop to their love as long as she kept the flames burning. The rescue mission from earlier was only the beginning of something great, and with their bond now stronger than ever, she''d have an easier time connecting with her beloved Alistair. The explicit fantasies that played in Lenoria''s genius mind, conceived one after another at an inhuman rate, had to be redacted for the sake of not tagging this story with Sexual Content. That would involve going into the dashboard and click the mouse a few times, which is already several steps too many for this author. Instead, you get this.
"Al, honey, I''m home!" "Welcome home, my love. Our six children and I missed you very much. Your chemistry workshop has been cleaned and it''s ready for use, the kids have done their homework, and I prepared your favorite dish: Plain white rice topped with bonito flakes." Alistair then picked up a small piece of parchment, read from it, and sighed. "According to the script you wrote, a housewife or househusband is supposed to ask..." He cleared his throat. "''What will you have, my love? Dinner? A bath? Or maybe... me?''" Before Lenoria could give a (consensual, of course) pounce, the door slammed back open to signal the arrival of a new visitor. "Aunt Clara," the children shouted. "Clara?" Lenoria gasped. "What are you doing here? This is my fantasy sequence!" "Last thing I remember was me falling asleep back at the lodge and having a nice dream about my music career." Clara strummed one of her guitar strings. "You kids want me to play a song?" "Ha! You, with a man?" The next arrival was a haughty voice Lenoria knew too well. "I can still smell the skunk musk on you, Tsukino." "Steiner! What are you doing here? You''re not scheduled for an Act 1 cameo!" "She won''t be here for long," Alistair declared. "By the Hammer of Justice, I command you to leave, villain!" Closing his fist, Alistair swung forward and...gently bonked Anne on the head. "Egads, I have been bested!" Anne used her forearm to shield her eyes. "I have been defeated by the most handsome paladin of the land! Now I must reflect on my evil ways!" Once Anne ran away, Clara played a song with her guitar while the children gathered and Alistair and Lenoria stared at each other longingly. "Alistair Adams... you''ll always be my hero. My husband. My king..."
Back to reality, Lenoria could not contain her glee. "Gabrielle is the best boss ever! Can this day get any better? What can I do for Al to keep this from turning one-sided." Alistair, blankly staring at Lenoria''s thought bubble, had to shake the girl awake. "How about you start by not drooling when you''re fantasizing about me?" He rummaged through his bag of holding and grabbed a black vegetable out of it. "Never mind that, Lenoria. Looks like my ingredients are still intact, so how does tacos for lunch and dinner sound? I can prepare a side of rice and mashed avocado, too." The girl''s heart pounded rapidly on her ribcage. The pupils in her eyes formed into hearts, unable to contain the blissful feelings throughout her body and soul. "Living together and having him cook for me? It''s like a prelude to being married!" Lenoria wondered earlier if all she felt for Alistair was nothing more than desire. Alistair offering to cook dinner was such a small gesture, but the feeling that resulted from it trumped whatever fantasies the girl had in her head. Tired as he was, he still thought about her so much that he was already making plans for lunch and dinner. Lenoria was definitely in love. Finally turning to face Alistair - with blood dripping from her nose - she gave her beloved a thumbs up. "I don''t know, Lance." Solveig chortled. "She seems to be taking things pretty well. Are you sure the poor girl''s in pain?" "..." Sheriff Helms had no rebuttal, but he had to wonder if this was truly the girl genius Lady Bisset had hired. Chapter 63 - First Order of Business 27th of Cobre, 6:34pm, 1659 The setting sun''s light had already waned to a dim light by the time Lenoria woke from her slumber. The dorms were roomy enough to fit ten beds in each room with plenty of space between them. She and Alistair had stumbled inside the lodge after meeting with the Sheriff, and they both immediately passed out as soon as they lied on the beds in their respective rooms. Lisa was awake when she arrived because she was unable to sleep, so Lenoria recapped what had happened as if reading her a bedtime story to help her sleep. Once Lisa was fast asleep, Lenoria plopped down on her own bed and fell asleep within seconds. She could eventually hear the girls moving about in her sleep, but she was so tired that she didn''t bother stirring herself awake. For a moment, she dreamt lucidly until she fell deeper into slumber. Lenoria was the last of the girls to rise from her bed and left the room to wander into the dining area. A simple wooden counter separated the dining section from the kitchen, the former where she spotted Joanna brushing Lisa''s hair while in the latter section Clara wore a white apron that had been smudged by the pork she was chopping. "Morning," Lenoria yawned. Joanna held a hairpin with her teeth. "It''shh...almosht ee-ning." "Good evening, Miss Lenoria," Lisa greeted. "Hehehe, no need to be so polite. Just call me Lenoria." "S-sorry. Miss Eleanor always said we should greet grownups with Miss or Mister." "Ah. Right..." It was hard to bring up Eleanor without remembering the circumstances that brought Lisa into their lives. "She was raising you properly, but we''re not that old. Just call us by our names; we''re all friends here!" "We are?" "Yeah! And what do friends do? We look out for each other!" Lenoria grinned. "So come to us if you''re ever in trouble, okay?" "O-okay..." Lisa smiled from ear to ear. She seemed content when Lenoria entered the room, so her smile definitely came from something Lenoria said. "Yo, Clara! I thought Al was cooking dinner!" Clara set down the cleaver she had been using. "It would be rude to wake him up after the night he had, so I let him sleep in." Disappointed, Lenoria lowered her head and sat down on a wooden chair, her chin resting on the back of it. "Awww. He promised he''d make lunch and dinner..." "Lucky for you, he set the ingredients behind this counter before he went to bed." Clara picked up the cleaver again. "Why don''t you take a bath? I''ll call you down when dinner''s ready, and I''ll wake him up, so he doesn''t miss it." This was an example of two friends who always looked out for each other. "Thanks, Clara. I could use a warm bath, actually." "Yup, just go back to the dorm and go to the other door." Satisfied with the work she did on Lisa''s hair, Joanna looked back at Lenoria. "The baths here don''t have decanters that flow endlessly like the ones in Hammer''s Reach, so I filled the tub for you with my powers. You''ll need some fire to warm it up, though." "I can handle the fire. Thanks, you two!" With that said, Lenoria went back to the dorm room, grabbed some clothes from her bag of holding, and opened a door on the northern wall. The only source of light was the setting sun, and it wouldn''t be long until night fell completely. A single wooden tub was raised on a platform similar to a table, except that the legs were about a foot in height. Burnt wood on the ground below the tub indicated previous usage, and there was a stack of firewood on the corner in case Lenoria needed more. "I see. You preheat the tub until the water reaches the desired temperature." She reached into one of the pockets of her duster and pulled her Soulstone out of it. "Owen, are you there?" "I''m here!" The scruffy boy appeared out of nowhere, but Lenoria wasn''t spooked after she witnessed Pearl do it so often. "What do you need?" "Could you light a fire on the firewood over there?" She pointed at the wood under the tub. "Not a problem!" Clapping his hands twice, Owen successfully conjured a flame on the firewood. To Lenoria''s surprise, the fire didn''t grow in height but rather spread over the firewood while staying low. Because of this, the room wasn''t brightened by much, but it was enough to allow the girl to see the rest of the room more clearly. "Thanks, Owen." "You''re welcome. Call me again if you need me." The boy disappeared as early as he had arrived. Waiting some time for the water to heat up, Lenoria eventually turned off the fire with a splash of water before stripping. She dipped her toes first to avoid shocking her body with the sudden change in temperature before sitting down so that the water level was all the way up to her shoulders. "Ahhhh." The round tub was spacious enough for her to stretch her legs all the way to the opposite end with some room left to spare. Her shoulders sank until only her head was visible above the water, getting a view out the window on the opposite side of the bathroom. After traveling for so long and sleeping from morning to late afternoon, her aching muscles welcomed the warm water like a friend who had been absent for months. It would be a while before Clara would call her for dinner, and with the sunlight fading away with each passing second, Lenoria opted to keep a mental note of where the door was in case it got too dark to see when she got out of the tub. With all the meditating she wanted to do, she was going to be here a while. "Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Demetrio, Lisa..." So much had happened since she crossed the border. "Alistair..." But her mind was primarily on her beloved. Now that they were in Goodsprings, she had to get started on Gabrielle''s commission; all while hunting the Soulstones Pearl had asked her to locate. She could just focus more on her job, but after the enemies she bumped into over the past twenty-four hours, she wondered if postponing the treasure hunt any further would be a good idea. She would have to ask Pearl later for her input. For now, Lenoria just wanted to relax and think on what she could do right at that moment. Relocating Lisa was her number one priority; if Demetrio showed up at any point during their stay, they would risk blowing their cover if he ever spotted her. She would have to return to Norwich and find out who Lisa''s parents were. After that, it was a matter of tracking down family names and narrow down potential relatives. First order of business, however, was help Lisa with her mobility handicap. Demetrio''s men destroyed her mobility chair, and eventually it would get tiresome to carry her everywhere. With a new chair, Lisa would get the exercise she needed. "We''ll need adamantine for this. If I''m going to make a chair, it would have to be indestructible, or at least close enough." *** 7:24pm After applying soap and spending enough time in the tub, Lenoria came out of the water and rinsed herself with a pail of water she found nearby. After drying herself off, she dressed herself with a yellow kimono and wrapped a towel around her hair. She heard laughter coming from the dining area. Her friends spoke to someone with a manly voice, one she instantly recognized. "Al!" Lenoria was able to tell Alistair was being argumentative; she could hear him protesting about something while her friends were laughing as if they were dismissing whatever his concerns were. She opened the door connected to the dining area a little so she could eavesdrop without them spotting her. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "I insist, you''ve done more than enough, Miss-" Joanna and Clara had grabbed Alistair''s arms and escorted him to one of the tables. The boy''s hair was wet, and he was wearing a new set of clothes. It looked like he had the same idea about taking a bath right after he woke up. "You stay right where you are, Alistair." The sounds of a sizzling frying pan drew Clara''s attention back to the kitchen. She dashed away, opened the counter to let herself in, and closed the flap behind her before flipping the chopped pork. "That smells good..." Lenoria wanted to come out now, but her instincts begged her to wait a little longer. "Miss Clara, I appreciate the thought, but there are things we need to talk about before-" A spoonful of rice interrupted Alistair, making the rest of his sentence a jumbled and muffled mess. "Lighten up, will ya? You''re the only guy I''ve met who''d see the downside of having three pretty girls under the same roof." Joanna retracted the spoon and placed it back on a plate. "Besides, it''s better to talk about ongoing problems after you''ve eaten something. Don''t you agree?" Tasting the rice, Alistair quietly chewed his food and swallowed before speaking again. "Fine. It would be better to speak our minds with everyone here. Where''s Lenoria?" "Taking a bath," Clara yelled from the kitchen. "Have a seat. It shouldn''t be long before she''s done." Lenoria exhaled with relief. It was nice to have reasonable people in her party. She''d rather not talk about the elephant in the room, at least not until after dinner. Unable to wait any longer, she stepped out with a loud "Hey, everyone!" Her eyes eventually locked with Alistair''s, and both of them blushed when they did. "H-hi..." "Hey..." The paladin awkwardly faked a cough. "You, um, you look great tonight." "Thanks. You, too..." Both of them laughed awkwardly, though their laughter was eclipsed by someone else''s. They glanced over at one of the tables to find the elephant in the room holding her stomach as she laughed and laughed. She was reading a book, ''A Paladin''s Pun Book,'' getting a chuckle out of Lenoria. It appeared that the issue needed to be addressed, after all. "Hey, Al. This is Lisa. Lisa, this is my knight in shining armor." Alistair chuckled before shaking Lisa''s hand. "Nice to meet you, Lisa. And don''t mind her, I''m not actually a knight." "Just take the compliment, will ya?" Lisa''s laughter gradually calmed down as she eagerly shook Alistair''s hand. "N-nice to meet you, Alistair. Everyone said nice things about you!" "Really?" Alistair was suddenly curious. "What did they say?" "Clara said you took down a demon, Joanna said you slayed a giant, and Lenoria said you destroyed a horde of undead!" Lisa beamed. "Mr. Alistair, did you die?" A raven''s croak rang out of nowhere as Poe came in through an open window and sat on Lenoria''s head. The girl grinned innocently, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry," Lenoria said to a bewildered Alistair, "I may have taken some liberties when telling that story." Alistair sat down across the table from Lisa. "No, I didn''t," he said with a smile. "But I might have been if it wasn''t for them." "It all happened so suddenly, but I''m glad we made it out." Joanna pulled up a chair and sat next to Lisa. "You''re pretty calm, you know. You were so brave, too. We had no idea how we we''d do against that big bully, but you kept your cool throughout the whole thing." Lisa stared at the ground. "W-well, Miss Eleanor said we always have to stay calm. Soldiers are always barging into people''s houses, and she said that the more you behave, the quicker they''d leave." Soldiers? Lenoria wondered if that happened everywhere in Thule, settlements exclusive to Demetrio"s domain, or just in Norwich. "I know one thing for sure: We can''t return her to Norwich," Alistair said. "It''s likely Lord Demetrio left some of his men there in case any of you returned. If the worst came to pass, then all of our efforts would go up in smoke." "About that..." Lenoria squeezed one of Alistair''s hands. "I''m sorry. I could tell you were pretty mad before me and the girls left Norwich. I just couldn''t think of anything else..." "Please, don''t," the boy said reassuringly. "I was hoping to talk the Count down, yet it seemed he was already set in making an example out of someone. We could not save Eleanor, but your idea ended up saving everyone else." Alistair bowed his head. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I feared that we were doing the wrong thing, but the Hammer never left my side. Given the circumstances, even he believes you did the right thing." Lisa''s eyes beamed again. "Are you sure? Are my friends safe?" Not knowing what to say, Alistair shifted his gaze to Lenoria. The girl knew exactly what to do, and exactly who to call. "Pearl." "You have nothing to worry about. I can still sense the Pyxis Soulstone and its wielder. They''re far away, but they''re safe." Which must mean Caesar and everyone else were safe. A pirate he may be, but she believed he wouldn''t let anything happen to the children. "Thanks to my awesome powers, I can safely say that they''re safe. So, chin up, Lisa! We''ll see them again." This piece of news was enough to make Lisa''s eyes well up with tears. "They''re safe..." "Food''s done!" Clara''s announcement could not have come at a better time. "Alistair, would you mind mashing the avocado?" "Not at all, Miss Clara." Alistair made his way to the counter to prepare the avocado side. Everyone else observed with anticipation, ready to put the subject behind them. *** Dinner was delicious. The homemade pork tacos with a side of rice and mushed avocado hit the spot, and everyone chatted away long after dinner was finished. With the night still young, Lisa had plenty of energy left. "I want to go outside! Can we see the stars, pretty please?" Clara nodded. "Tsukuyomi, would you mind taking Lisa outside for a little while?" Tsukuyomi nodded and waited for Lisa to raise her arms before picking her up. The girl giggled as the eidolon sat her on his right arm before using the left to open the door. "Hey, can you run a lap around the lodge? I want to see how fast you can go!" Tsukuyomi''s eyes met with his mistress''s, not wanting to ruin the moment but also withholding any action that could be met with disapproval. "Fine." Clara did not take long to give in. "But don''t stray too far. You haven''t been fully repaired, Tsukuyomi, and your condition could worsen if you leave the area. You two have fun," she finished with a smile. "Yay! Let''s run around until you get tired!" Lisa laughed as Tsukuyomi finally went outside and closed the door behind him. The rest of the group could hear Lisa''s muffled yet unceasing laughter circling outside the building. Clara chuckled. Lisa''s laughter appeared to be contagious. "Robotic eidolons have endless stamina, so they''ll be running around for a while." "Why don''t you all go outside? I can handle the dishes," Lenoria suggested. "You''ve handled the day well, and I just woke up. Go play with Lisa." "I''ll help," Alistair offered. "We can knock things out faster if I help." "But the dishwashing basin is so small, why do you need two pe-" Clara covered Joanna''s mouth and dragged her outside. "Don''t mind her. Have fun, you two." Clara winked at the couple before closing the door shut behind her, leaving Alistair and Lenoria to handle the dishes. The two of them piled the dirty dishes on one side of a small porcelain basin, which had been loaded with soapy water, and got to work. "I''ll wash them, and you dry them," Lenoria decided. "I haven''t done anything all day. Please allow me to handle everything," Alistair insisted. "You were so close to becoming zombie chow earlier, Al. I don''t think I would be happy with myself if I just let you take care of the housework." With unrelenting determination, Lenoria tied an apron around herself. "Besides, it''s common for a housewife to take care of the dishes." Alistair nearly dropped the wooden plate he was holding. "I-it''s a little early to talk about marriage, don''t y-you think?" "I don''t think so. I mean, that would be the case if we saw each other, like, once a week. But I''ve bonded with you these past two weeks more than I have with any man in my life." Lenoria smirked. "Besides, you''ve been engaged before. What''s the big deal?" Paying no mind to Alistair''s silence, Lenoria whistled happily as she moved on to the dishes. She started on the closest stack by grabbing the top wooden plate, scrubbing away the pork juice and leftover avocado, rinsed it, and wiped it clean before starting on another. After scrubbing that plate and a couple of spoons, she looked over at Alistair who, to her surprise, seemed unresponsive. "Al?" "Sorry, it''s just...you caught me off-guard." He sighed. "You''ve heard, then?" "Heard what?" Lenoria set a spoon on the basin and looked over at Alistair curiously. "About you being engaged? A bunch of people in Norwich were mumbling about that, actually. It was hard to miss." "I''m sorry. It''s not like I wanted to hide it from you. It was just...hard to say." "Don''t apologize. It''s not like I''ve told you about my past. I don''t think I ever needed to, so you don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to." "But I''ve been wanting to tell you. I''ve wanted to tell you for a while, actually..." And just like that, the young girl had an idea. She respected Alistair''s privacy, but she was actually more curious than she was letting on. "How about this? Would you feel better if I told you about my past? It would be a lot better if we learned more about ourselves, and if your situation is hard to say, then that means you really haven''t told a lot of people, have you?" "No," Alistair said weakly. "Then we should sit down and talk about it. I can''t imagine holding something in for a long time." After removing her apron, Lenoria grabbed Alistair''s hand and led him to one of the round dinner tables. "Forget the dishes. I think we should take care of this now." After one deep breath, Alistair nodded. "You''re right. I admit I have been curious about you, too, but it would be hypocritical to ask if I wasn''t willing to tell you the same thing about myself..." "No worries. Let me tell you about Carter first, then you can say what''s on your mind." Interlude - The Weaver of Lies A horrible feeling came over Alistair once Lenoria was done discussing everything that had happened to her, from the day she enrolled in the Guild to the day she me Alistair. She made sure to leave nothing out and answered any questions Alistair had. She wanted him to know he could be honest with her, but more importantly she wanted to ease his worries. "I had no idea. Anne, Carter, Carpathia..." The boy held up her hands from across the table. "I was aware of the kind of man Starflower was, but none of them had any right to put you through that!" "I-it''s fine, Al." Going over everything had taken a bigger mental toll than Lenoria expected, but she played it off as best as she could. Her goal wasn''t to worry Alistair and definitely did not want a pity party. "I didn''t want to worry you." "Had I known Carpathia was that kind of man, I would have been able to come up with a more creative way to get rid of him. And Carter-" "Is no longer in my life." Lenoria wrestled herself out of Alistair''s grasp. "None of them are. It''s not like I''ve forgiven any of them, but staying angry all the time wasn''t doing me any favors. I was angry at the world for a while...until I met Clara." For a moment, Alistair just stared at her. The girl''s gloomy disposition as she spoke about her past suddenly shifted to sunny as she recalled the day she met Clara, the time she saved her from Anne''s bullying, and how her career was saved thanks to Clara and Instructor Gardens never giving up on her. "It is no wonder you adore Miss Clara so much. And Master Gardens is a saint for not giving up despite your initial hostility." "Yeah, I wasn''t always this sweet- Hang on, did you just call him ''Master''?" "A wise man such as him, capable of teaching multiple subjects up to and including arcane magic, must surely wield unimaginable power," Alistair explained. "I must personally thank him for all the help he''s given you." "That''s sweet, Al, but you don''t have to." "I insist. I''ve come to realize something after you told me everything." The boy, too, appeared less gloomy and vengeful now. "If they hadn''t been there for you, there''s a good chance we never would have met. You more than likely would have held on to that hatred, and I...never would have recovered my faith in humanity." Lenoria gave it some thought and couldn''t help but agree with her beloved. "I guess you have to take the bad with the good. But what do you mean about faith in humanity?" "There''s a lot that I''ve gone through. I''ve seen the worst in humanity, and in Thule, it''s never far from you." He closed his fists firmly, as if recalling a bad memory. He loosened his grip when Lenoria''s soft hands comforted him. "I could tell you''ve been holding things back. What''s hurting you, Al? You can tell me." "You were always perceptive. Very well, I''ll tell you. But only because I trust you." *** I was raised on a farm from a young age and worked odd jobs until I turned fourteen. I never knew my real parents; but the Pierces raised me as their own until the time came that tragedy took them, and learned the truth about my relationship to them in the process. That''s when I met her. I had seen a girl with silver hair from time to time, taking the road closest to my house to go to Europa, but we officially introduced ourselves during the first day of the new year back in 1654. Something attracted me to her, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual. In fact, it was thanks to her that I moved to Red Haven and was adopted into the Leone family. I had no family at that point, so it was easy for me to integrate with them. Their only condition was for me to train as a soldier, and since their patron was the Hammer of Justice, they sponsored my training at a religious boot camp. I trained for two years, and when I was fresh out of boot camp, House Leone and House Bisset were in the process of setting aside their old rivalries. They needed someone to guard Lady Gabrielle since Lord Beau was sick on the day she wanted to have a picnic with close friends and family. As luck would have it, an assassin infiltrated this outing, but thanks to my detection abilities, I intercepted them in time before he could deal a killing blow. Lady Gabrielle was forever grateful since that day, so much that she initiated a truce between her family and House Leone. Wait, so it was thanks to you that two feuding families buried the hatchet and let bygones be bygones? Yeah. Her gratitude didn''t end there, however; she wanted to unify our houses by arranging a marriage between me and someone of my choosing. The candidates were all beautiful, I must admit, and ranged from house maids to women who weren''t in the immediate family but were technically part of the clan. That''s when I met her again: the girl with silver hair. To my surprise, I found out she was actually Lady Gabrielle''s younger sister, and we were both at a similar age. My attraction for her hadn''t died, and she seemed happy to see me. So, as you can probably guess...I elected her as my fianc¨¦. Lady Mirabelle Bisset. We were officially engaged since then, and I was allowed to be her bodyguard whenever she went out. I had hopes that our outings would be romantic. "I don''t care how long those girls have been your friends. Tell them you can''t see them anymore!" "Just because I invited you out doesn''t mean I''m footing the bill. You''re a man, aren''t you?" That was...the most miserable time of my life. Why did you stay with her? Despite everything, Mirabelle saved me from a killer who tried to get me after I witnessed the aftermath of a murder he committed. I always believed that no matter how harsh she was, she had done everything out of love. I truly believed she wanted me to become the best person I could possibly be because she saw potential in me. I always believed that''s why she pushed me so much. I thought she saved me because she loved me. But every day I stayed with her, it became more evident she wasn''t looking for love. *** 2nd of Cobre, 9pm, 1658 I couldn''t take it anymore. After two years together, I couldn''t take it anymore. I didn''t care if it was noble tradition or not but being a ''proper gentleman'' as they called it cost money. I had an allowance at House Leone since they took me in as their cook, but the pay wasn''t that much better than my previous job. Yet Mirabelle expected me to rent a carriage every day and would expect me to pay for every meal we had outside the estate. I offered to cook for her, but she was not having it. By the time our relationship ended, I had racked up over four thousand gold in debt. ...Is that why you always offered to buy me things? I''m sorry, Lenoria. All I''ve experienced from relationships I''ve learned from dating Mirabelle. No, don''t be sorry. I would like to hear how this ends. Sorry, I''ll get to that right now. One night, during one of her ''breaks,'' she called me over to one of the local inns, ''The Hanged Nail.'' Every time she went on a break, I would always beg her to come back to me. I didn''t want to lose her, you see, and she''d always wait until I was overcome by anxiety to come back as if nothing happened. Not this time. Even though she took measures to reach out to me, I was the one who made the final call. "Darling!" All Alistair could see in the inn room was Mirabelle''s thin silhouette sitting on a large bed in the middle of the dark room. He reached out for a candle, but a cry stopped him. "No! Don''t, Al." Mirabelle sobbed. "I''ve hurt you. I don''t deserve to see a man as righteous as you in the light. The darkness is more fitting for someone like me." Alistair sighed. Mirabelle did not always cry, but this wouldn''t be the first time she did to gain his sympathy. He was not in the mood. "What do you want, Mirabelle? You left a very concerning note back at House Leone." "Why are you so rude, darling? I want to go back to how things were! Why else would I call you here?" "By writing this?!" Alistair held up an envelope that had been torn open. It was too dark to read the contents out loud, but Alistair recalled every word that Mirabelle had written. A cry for help.
Alistair! Alistair, please help me! This is so wrong! I was seeing another man during my break, but he wasn''t the nice guy he claimed he was. I have to watch everything I say around him, or else he''ll flip out on me. I''m taking a big risk writing this as he sleeps right behind me, but I can''t just walk out or else he''ll get upset! I don''t know how to say this after the parting words I gave you, and you probably won''t want me back. But you''re the only person who can help me, Alistair. Pretty please? You always know what to say, even when my mental health is being mean to me. You are my first love. My knight. My king. It was wrong for me to leave you. I''m running away from this man. I''ll book a room at The Hanged Nail, and I''ll be there for three days. I didn''t want to write this, but if you don''t come here within that time frame, I''ll end this pathetic thing I call my life. Please come to me, Alistair. Please protect me from this madman. I can''t live knowing you can''t protect me. I just can''t.
"Did you, or did you not write this?" "I wrote that note, yes. I''m so glad you came, and-" "You cheated on me?" "W-what?" Mirabelle sounded nervous. "I-I wrote you a heartfelt letter asking for help, and you zoom in on the one negative? Besides, you knew what a break meant." "No, I didn''t," the boy said sadly. "You did this every time we went on a break?" Mirabelle stayed silent, her sobbing now noticeably absent. "You always do this." Alistair took a step closer. "You always claim things would never work out between us. I then beg for you to stay. You think about it overnight, only to say you made up your mind and leave me. Then you return days later, acting as if nothing happened. And I, like a fool, always took you back. Then a month or so later, it starts all over again." The young paladin wiped a tear. "You have done this over the past two years. Over, and over, and over. And the worst part? I always let it happen. And now it turns out, you did all of that because you were cheating on me!" He crumpled the envelope with a single grasping motion. "It ends tonight." "A-Al, we''ve known each other for four years, and have dated for two of those! Are you truly willing to throw four years away?" "Why not? You did," the boy answered coldly. "Over the past two years, you never appreciated what I did. I tried to improve my life for your sake, even went to cooking school. I''ll be graduating in less than a week, you know?" A single tear dropped on the wooden floor beneath the boy. "Not once did you ever think about me. Not even to ask how my life was going. No, all you were concerned about was how I looked as a ''real man.''" "Are you still on about that?" The girl''s weepy voice disappeared in an instant. "Just let it go and move on, already! Haven''t you already forgiven me for this before? Why are you making this so difficult?!" "Not even an apology..." Hearing everything he needed to hear, Alistair removed a golden band from his ring finger. "The engagement is off. I''ll tell Lady Gabrielle I fell out of love; I refuse to tarnish your reputation, but I will not lie, either. Please use this ring to cover any cancelation fees from the wedding and whatever venues you''ve rented for. Now, come. I''ll take you back to your sister." Alistair didn''t even take two steps toward the door when he heard deep breaths, and they were all done through teeth; Mirabelle was angry, and she couldn''t hide it anymore. "You''re breaking up with me? How dare you! I''m the one who decides when the relationship ends, not you!" "I already made my choice. Once we get you home, we''re parting ways. This is goodbye, Mirabelle." The boy tried to move forward, but the girl''s hands grappled his wrist firmly enough to hold him in place. "If you''re going to do this, then look at me!" Alistair refused at first, but the woman''s soft, cold hands forcefully made sure he made eye contact with her. Or at least as best as they could, for the room was still dark. "Look at me when you''re breaking my heart!" However, Mirabelle grinned under the mask of darkness. The darkness of the room had concealed the silhouette of another person who had watched everything unfold. All Alistair could remember before passing out was the force of a blunt metal object striking his head. *** "Get up!" The force of a strike to the gut startled Alistair awake. The boy opened his eyes, and realized he was lying on a cold hard ground. He was surrounded by solid white walls, and the one in front of him slid with metal bars to keep him caged. The armored man who had kicked him awake stood on the opposite side along with Mirabelle and an unidentified man. The two sneered at Alistair, but quickly disguised their faces with sadness when the armored man looked at them. "He won''t hurt you anymore, Lady Mirabelle. But are you sure you want to stay here with him?" "What?" Alistair soon found purple coloring around Mirabelle''s left eye and a bruised left bicep. It didn''t take him long to figure out what exactly he was accused of. "Yes," Mirabelle wept, "I have to find out why he did it. He meant the world to me, and I..." She sobbed and covered her eyes, a false cry Alistair had grown too familiar with. "Lies." Alistair struggled to get more words out before coughing. "She''s faking it! Look, there aren''t even any tears on her eyes!" "Shut your mouth!" The mysterious man accompanying Mirabelle kicked the metal bars between the two, but he recoiled as he painfully retracted his foot. "Y-you don''t get to speak after what you''ve done!" "He''s right," said the guard, "assaulting a noble already carries a hefty prison sentence. Attacking one as kind and caring as Lady Mirabelle, well, let''s just say you''re in more trouble than you think you''re in." The guard bowed respectfully to Mirabelle before parting ways. Once he was gone, the noblewoman uncovered her tearless eyes and sighed. "I thought he was never going to leave. Nice work, Angelo." "Anytime, m''lady." The previously unidentified man, still hurting from his injured foot, bowed before Mirabelle and kissed her hand. "What''s going on," Alistair growled. The manacles around his wrists did not let him put his arms forward, and he couldn''t walk with the manacles around his ankles. "What is the meaning of this?" "Oh, where are my manners? Al, honey, this is Angelo, one of the fine men from House Nightsong. A real man." Alistair raised an eyebrow. "What''s with his eye? It looks bigger than the other. Is it a birth defect?" "What?" Angelo scoffed. "Don''t be ridiculous. My dad was my mom''s dad." "T-the important thing is that he never denied me what I wanted. He does everything I ask him to, and he doesn''t complain." Mirabelle grabbed the iron bars. "Unlike some people." Mirabelle''s words struck like hot iron daggers through the heart, but Alistair did not allow sorrow to wear him down. Instead, he seethed with rage, helpless due to his current predicament. "When Lady Gabrielle offered the hand of anybody I wanted, you fought harder than anyone to be my number one pick. You claimed to love me-" "Oh, please. Just because I said that doesn''t mean I meant it. I never cared about you. I just had to do whatever it took for you to pick me. I couldn''t let those other girls claim you as theirs." Alistair raised his voice. "Then why? Why did you show up in my life?" She may have had ill intentions, but Mirabelle''s kindest act was to tell me the answer to one of the greatest mysteries in my life. Mirabelle''s lips curved. "Do you really want to know?" She giggled. "It''s simple, really. All I wanted in my life was my very own lapdog. Someone who was so thankful for my presence that he would never question the things I did. Someone I could chain up and use whenever I wanted and would never complain about it. I had the perfect plan, too, but your father was in my way." "My...father?" "Oh," Mirabelle scoffed as if laughing off a mistake, "I didn''t mean Janus. I''m talking about your real dad. Both of your parents loved you, but they made the mistake of taking money from a loan shark under my employ. That''s why they had to give you away; they used half of their savings to give to your adoptive parents so they could raise you better while they took the rest and fled the country. They probably thought you''d be safer under a roof instead of living the nomad''s life." My parents...my real parents...they were alive. Mirabelle tended to be more honest whenever she went on a rant, so I thought she was telling the truth. "The silver lining was that Janus was a drunk nobody who would do anything for money. When I asked him to make you miserable in exchange for more booze, he was more than happy to oblige. All he had to do was raise you to be a real man until you grew at the proper age, but I guess he couldn''t even do that." "But how..." Alistair didn''t even know where to begin. "How did you know Janus when you don''t even look older than me? Are you...human?" "That''s not important," the girl coldly said. "You silly boy. Don''t you get it? If I made you miserable and isolated you from everyone who even remotely cared about you, then you''d have no one else to rely on but me. Oh, don''t give me that look; men do it all the time to keep their women in check, so what''s the big deal?" Alistair had already hatched a plan, but he had to let Mirabelle keep going for as long as possible. "Why go through all that trouble, Mirabelle? Why did it have to be me?" "Because you look so cute. You''d make a wonderful plaything and could even pass for a girl thanks to your looks." There was a malicious yet empty smile as Mirabelle grabbed a set of clothes from her haversack. She unfolded them to reveal a maid uniform, complete with thigh high socks and black boots. "Angelo is the man I want to marry, but if you promise to serve me forever, I''ll drop the charges." So her whole plan since you were a baby was to make you her plaything? What is she, a demon? You know that doesn''t even sound right. I know, Lenoria. It''s hard to believe. I still have a hard time believing it, myself. I always believed you were handsome, but I would never force you into a dress. What did you answer? What any sane man in my position would say. "I would never do such a thing!" "Is that really your answer?" The dark lighting of the jail hallway didn''t completely conceal Mirabelle''s eyes, a blue, ice cold look of indifference. "Men everywhere will say ''Wow, that guy is so lucky to have a girl so full of love that she''s willing to kill him!'' They''ll envy you so much that they''ll dismiss your concerns whenever you speak ill of me! Come, what do you say, Alistair? You know what prisoners do to people like you in prison."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "You orchestrated everything since my birth just to make me miserable. If I say yes, I''ll be in Hell. If I say no, I''ll be in Hell. My whole life, I''ve known nothing but misery." Even Mirabelle and Angelo were terrified when Alistair raised his head to meet their cowardly stares. With righteous anger, the boy seethed as Mirabelle was branded with the holy light of the Hammer of Justice, her forehead marked with his holy symbol. "I will land in Hell, but I will not stay there! If I end up there, it''ll be under my terms, not yours! Do your worst, Mirabelle Bisset." If there was one thing Mirabelle hated, it was losing control of the situation. She was so sure I would say yes to her proposal, and I''d be lying if I said I didn''t take joy in her moment of frustration. She''s the weaver of lies, but the thing about weaving knots is that you have to be careful you don''t get tangled from making too many. "This isn''t over!" The noblewoman stormed off in a huff, with Angelo following right behind her after soiling himself. "Not by a long shot!" A couple of hours later, Alistair was visited by Gabrielle and Beau. He was happy to see them, but his smile disappeared once he met their stern faces. "I can''t fathom you would do something like that, Alistair," Gabrielle confessed. "It was a lie fabricated by Mirabelle." The boy gave them a pleading look. "Please, I know it''s hard to believe, but she and her new lover ambushed me at the Hanged Nail and..." Gabrielle sighed. "I don''t find that hard to believe at all." Alistair was perplexed. "Y-you don''t?" Beau confirmed it with a nod. "Back when we were children, Mirabelle would lie all of the time if it meant she would get her way. She was always Mother''s favorite." "Be that as it may," Gabrielle followed, "if there''s no evidence to the contrary, then you''ll spend a long time in prison, Al. I''m willing to represent you, but you must either plead guilty or find hard evidence to your innocence. And these allegations are seldom easy to fight because of how easily they can be spun." Grabbing the metal bars, Alistair shook them as hard as he could. "Lady Gabrielle, I promise I''m innocent!" "You''re an honest boy, Alistair. Which is why I will fight for them to give you the minimum sentence. Have you any proof to the contrary?" "Not with me," Alistair admitted, "but there''s someone who can help me. We met not too long ago, when she needed help getting some food. Please head to the shrine of Yeomra and ask Solveig if she can present herself as a witness in court. And give her this message..." Solveig?! Yes. She and I met a few months before that. She owed me a favor, and she knew it, so what better time to call it in than when I was in jail? You kept calm even life piled things on you. It must have been hard. Yes, it was. I only kept calm during visits, Lenoria. I didn''t want to worry Lady Gabrielle and Lord Beau, nor did I want to give Mirabelle the satisfaction of looking defeated. But any time I was alone, I cried. I cried when I felt no hope, I cried whenever I remembered how Mirabelle betrayed me, and I cried whenever I thought about my parents. Mirabelle manipulated every event just to make me miserable, and even now I struggle to believe she did all of this for such a petty reason. Thanks to her, I''ve never come to know my biological parents, and probably never will. I can''t imagine all the pain you must have gone through. How did you cope through it all? The only people who believed my innocence were the Bisset siblings. Even if I enlisted Solveig, I was fighting an uphill battle; I am a lowborn, after all, fighting the allegations of a seemingly innocent highborn girl. Mirabelle was known for her compassion towards the poor and the orphaned; no one would have believed me if I accused her of the things she confided in me. Not without evidence. I was alone, and the walls of injustice were closing in on me. I was close to giving up hope because there was no help in sight; people I thought I trusted betrayed me, and those who still believed me could not do much to help me. That''s what I mean earlier about faith in humanity, Lenoria; there was no one I could rely on. No one except myself. But I eventually remembered my boot camp training. Our drill sergeant, a rough man and even rougher mentor, taught us to do what we could, and to pray when the odds were ever stacked against us. He claimed that strength of will won battles, but faith even during impossible times won wars. And so, I prayed. I prayed for a miracle, for leniency from the jury, for Mirabelle to face justice, and for Solveig to pull through. And then, the day of the trial finally came. 9th of Cobre, 11am, 1658 "Court is now in session! Judge McConnell, presiding." Judge McConnell, an elderly man dressed in black and wearing a long white wig, went through the usual procedures typical for a court of law. He had both Alistair and Mirabelle swear to tell nothing but the truth, summoned a candle of truth (despite objections from Mirabelle and her lawyer), and heard the testimonies from both sides and their witnesses. To Mirabelle''s luck, she managed to overcome the candle''s magic and won the crowd early on with an exaggerated recollection of the events from that horrible night. She claimed that Alistair barged into her room, punched her in the right eye, and squeezed her arm before shoving her against the wall. She sobbed and wailed as part of her performance, but her face would be indifferent and cold whenever her lawyer (and later Gabrielle) interjected by asking her questions, and then would grimace with anguish again whenever she resumed her tale. She would frequently point at the purple coloring under her supposed bruised eye just to drive the point home. "Even my own sister is against me! My own family doesn''t believe me, and that''s what hurts me the most!" It was obvious to Alistair she was faking, but he knew the crowd didn''t constantly deal with her tantrums and fake tears like he had, much less for two years. Despair set in for the boy, and as hard as Gabrielle tried, the odds were against him for sure. "There, there," said the man representing Mirabelle as she callously wailed as loudly as she could. "Your tears matter more than actual evidence," he added quietly. It was Alistair''s turn to take the stand, and he was followed by Gabrielle, who would ask him questions. As the head of House Bisset, Gabrielle has the authority to search Mirabelle''s house to find proof of Alistair''s innocence, but she could find no leads. All she could find was a book titled ''Manipulation 101,'' and that was not considered viable evidence in the slightest. Gabrielle took good care to ask questions directly relating to the incident, instead. Where was he? Visiting Mirabelle after she had written a suicide note to him, emotionally manipulating him to do her bidding. When asked by the judge where that note was, Alistair could not provide any evidence to the claim. The table of evidence included his belongings from that night, and said note could not be found there; Alistair quickly deduced that Mirabelle must have snatched it from him after he passed out that evening but before the guards had arrived. This did not look good for Alistair. He knew that if he could not provide the evidence indicating his innocence, the judge and jury were within their right to follow the default law of the land: if the accused could not prove he was innocent, then he would be found guilty. Also known as ''guilty until proven innocent.'' The boy looked at the derisive looks of the crowd behind him, all shaking their heads with disapproval; he looked at the judge, who only gave him an indifferent shrug; lastly, he looked at Gabrielle, who had to withhold her own tears for the sake of professionalism. The boy knew what she was thinking. Plead guilty, plead guilty. It''s your first offense, they''ll be lenient with you. As for Mirabelle, she held the urge to laugh. Knowing this would expose her, she settled for holding her mouth agape with lifeless eyes, smiling as she did so. Some in the crowd had noticed her, but she didn''t care; they were nothing but insects compared to her, and only the words of the plaintiff and defendant, along with their lawyers, the judge, and the jury, were all that mattered in the courtroom. Victory, as far as she was concerned, was assured. "Hold everything!" The doors at entrance to the courtroom burst open by a big foot. A giant woman clad in black entered the courtroom with a large wooden box strapped to her back as the crowd whispered among themselves. A man in red followed soon after and pounced on her; however, to his misfortune, an electric shock repelled the assault, shocked the assailant in place, and pushed him against the courtroom wall. Holding back his tears, Alistair was the first to welcome her. "You''re late, Solveig!" "Sorry, I had a tiny delay." Solveig removed her black gat hat and bowed her head before Judge McConnell. "My apologies, sir. I don''t know how human customs work in the court of law, but I am a witness summoned by Alistair here. Will you accept my testimony?" "Hells, woman, the boy here has already been condemned by law and the crowd," the judge said. "If you can prove his innocence, I''m all ears. As for you," the judge said to the man in red, "why did you try to stop her? You''re not one of my guards." I gave Solveig instructions on how to speak for me since she''s never been to court before. I also knew Mirabelle was going to play dirty; if her plan was to isolate me from anyone who cared about me, then it was just as likely she was going to stop anyone who wished to speak on my behalf. That''s why I instructed Solveig to come to court ready for battle. "S-sorry, Lady Mirabelle," the assailant said, "we tried to stop her, but she was too strong." "All ten of you?! You idiots!" Mirabelle shouted at the man in red, her face contorted into a dreadful grimace. "You weren''t supposed to let the judge see you!" I also knew Mirabelle was prone to temper tantrums when things didn''t go her way. In a single instant, the tides had turned in my favor. "Ms. Mirabelle," the judge said as he pounded the gavel. "I expect you to stay civil in court! And we shall address the words you just said later!" Despite her outbursts, judges often favored the highborn during court cases. Had Solveig not arrived in time, I most likely would be rotting in prison right now. "But-!" "No buts! Ms. Solveig, please continue." "Thank you, Your Honor." Solveig stood in front of the audience, placing herself between the judge and everyone else. "Contrary to the label bestowed upon myself, I haven''t witnessed any crime. Even if I spoke for Alistair, I would be lying if I told you I knew everything." Hearing this allowed Mirabelle to calm down. In her eyes, Alistair wasted what could have been a valuable trump card. But to her surprise, Solveig inspected the table that held all of the evidence under the watchful eyes of the court guards, whose job was to ensure no one tampered with the evidence. On the corner of the table, she spied something that intrigued her. "What''s that sheet of parchment there?" "It''s the ticket written by the officer who arrested Mr. Adams that night," Judge McConnell answered. "May I read it?" "Of course." One of the guards removed the ticket from the table and held it up for Solveig to see. The giant woman glanced over at Mirabelle once, grinned, and spoke to the judge again. "Your Honor, which of Lady Mirabelle''s eyes was bruised?" "The right one," he answered. "Then why does this report say that her left one was bruised?" Mirabelle froze in place as she felt a pit in her stomach. The crowd gasped and murmured amongst themselves, their voices fading back to silence when the judge pounded the gavel again. Alistair smacked his head, recalling the evening he was arrested. He couldn''t believe he missed such a simple detail; if Mirabelle''s bruise was actually real, she could have still felt the pain and thus would have been able to accurately point out where her injury was. But since that wasn''t the case, she had forgotten which eye she claimed had been bruised and picked the wrong one to color on the day of the trial. Judge McConnell was furious. "Ms. Bisset, did you actually fabricate false evidence against this young man?" Not wanting to incriminate herself any further, Mirabelle kept quiet and avoided answering the judge. "You do understand that silence in this case is admission of guilt, right?" "I....I..." She weaved herself into a corner. All that lying and deceit was eventually going to catch up to her. "I came here with a witness, by the way, Your Honor." Solveig set down the heavy box from her back. "Unfortunately, he''s moved on from this world. Have all the witnesses been called, Your Honor?" "Yes," the judge answered. "Then none remain that could take the stand after this. Good." Grabbing a round piece of wood attached to her necklace, Solveig held it over the wooden box before her. "This will take about ten minutes, Your Honor. Will you allow this?" "Proceed," said Judge McConnell. Solveig nodded and got to work. Holding her wooden symbol above the box, she slowly circled around it, occasionally raising her head to meet the curious stares of the audience, Gabrielle, and Mirabelle. "Your Honor, you certainly can''t allow this!" Mirabelle pointed at Alistair accusingly. "He''s plotting something!" "He may not have provided evidence of his innocence against your allegations, Ms. Bisset, but you have showed signs of dishonesty. I was waiting until the sentence to say this, but I find it appropriate to begin the next case immediately." "But you haven''t even sentenced him yet," Mirabelle argued. "Trust me, Ms. Bisset, it would be better to do it this way while we wait for Ms. Solveig''s spell to go off. If Mr. Adams so wishes, we can begin the case of the crimes committed by Mirabelle Bisset immediately." "Yes, Your Honor," Alistair said. "It would be wise not to delay this any longer. Would you not agree?" "What?!" Mirabelle punched her lawyer''s shoulder. "He filed a countersuit?! When did this happen?!" "Ma''am, do you remember when I wanted to speak to you right before the trial?" The lawyer sank his head timidly. "B-but you said it could wait until after you''ve won? Well...." A frustrated grunt came from Mirabelle, but she decided to do nothing more than cross her arms and sulk. It was Alistair''s turn to smile, and she took offense to that. "I can''t do anything here! What is he up to?!" Over nine minutes pass. The spell was almost done, but even Gabrielle had to know what was going on. "Alistair, what exactly have you brought to the courtroom?" "My salvation," Alistair answered back. "Lady Gabrielle, did you know there was a spell that can be used to communicate with the dead?" "I''ve heard of it, but I never dabble in divine magic." "Understandable. What about you, Judge McConnell? Have you heard of it?" The judge nodded. "Yes, but it''s usually divine spellcasters who learn it. Does that box contain what I think it does?" "Correct. Ordinarily, such a spell can be difficult to use to its full potential. Most priests only live long enough to be able to ask five questions to the dead. But Solveig is something else; her devotion to the Lord of the Dead has granted her a power which allows her to ask more than the usual, among other boons." Alistair gave Gabrielle a sad smile. "That''s why I asked her to bring in a special witness today. I already appealed to the judge and the graveyard this person was buried in, and they all agreed. I''m just happy it got approved so fast." Gabrielle gasped. "You surely can''t mean-!" "My father got me into this mess, and he''s the one who will get me out of it!" Alistair stood up and slammed his hands on the table. "Do it, Solveig! Allow his corpse to be a better parent than he ever was!" The lid of the box opened just as Solveig lowered her holy symbol. A holy light erupted from inside, with listless groaning preceding the rising of a charred, decaying corpse. A shriek from Mirabelle turned the courtroom''s attention on her, but Solveig stayed focused on the tail end of her ritual. "Janus Pierce, or I should say the body of Janus Pierce." A swift movement from Solveig''s hand kept the corpse in place as if she was manipulating it with invisible strings. "The body is a marvelous thing. His soul is not home, but it left behind ectoplasmic residue that can play the role just fine, and will be able to answer our questions. At least about any event preceding his demise, anyway." "No. No!" Standing up, Mirabelle seemed nervous for the first time since the trial began. "Judge McConnell, may I be excused? I-I just remembered that I promised the orphanage I would sing for them today!!" The judge shook his head. "Not while you''re on trial, Ms. Bisset." "They''re using magic to call any witness they want! They''re probably just manipulating the corpse to say anything they want him to say! It''s not fair!" "May I also remind you that it was Lord Demetrio himself who ruled that the dead counts as valid witnesses, so long as they can speak coherently and no foul play is detected?" The accused did not bother to hide an exasperated grunt. She could already hear the whispers of those who had been rooting for her until now slowly switch sides. With Mirabelle quieting down, Solveig continued. "Your Honor, you speak not to the actual Janus Pierce, but rather an ectoplasmic copy which has animated his corpse for a short period of time. It knows everything he knew in life, including his deepest and darkest secrets. Since we''re different on a psychological level, he tried to resist the spell, but it looks like I managed to make him submit. He''ll answer truthfully to anything we ask him, but we only get six questions. I panicked the moment I saw Mirabelle open her mouth. We all knew she was going to exhaust Solveig''s questions before we could get a chance to. It may not have saved her, but the less evidence we had on her, the more likely she would have gotten a lighter sentence. "Before you can say anything, no, the corpse won''t answer questions from just anybody." Solveig shot Mirabelle a glare. "Only I and the Judge have been granted permission to ask the questions." It was at that moment I knew I had won the battle and the war. But Mirabelle wanted to make this more difficult for all of us. "Judge McConnell, please understand! I-I have mental health issues! Y-yeah, that''s it!" Mirabelle grasped for whatever words could possibly save her. "I-I''m not in the right state of mind, you see! I can''t go to jail!" "I''ve had enough of you, Ms. Bisset," the judge roared. "It''s obvious you have no problem lying under oath, and now you''re just saying anything you can so that the court shows leniency." There was no way out for Mirabelle. The walls of justice were closing in, and all she could do was try to push them away. There was no stopping the corpse of Janus Pierce from speaking the truth, and her men were useless in stopping intruders like Solveig at the door. All of that combined with the evidence found against her, she lost the opportunity to run away. All that was left was one final trump card. "ANGELO!!!!!!" The noblewoman''s shriek was loud and sudden, startling most people in the court. Then the window closest to Alistair broke, startling the crowd even more. Angelo had jumped through with a longsword strapped to his gauntlet, ready to rescue his woman. "I''m here, my love!" "You idiot! You were supposed to jump through the one closest to me," Mirabelle said, infuriated by how everything was turning out. "Duuuuuh, sorry, my love. I thought you wanted me to kill Al-" An arrow to the knee interrupted Angelo mid-sentence, forcing him to tend to his wound before he was knocked down by the courtroom guards, who bludgeoned him with their clubs until he passed out from the damage. "Huh. Not as tough as his talk." Alistair stood up to join in, but he felt two delicate hands around his neck. "Guh!" His only warning was the laypeople in attendance gasping when Mirabelle cast a teleportation spell to close the distance between herself and Alistair. Normally feeble and weak, Alistair found his ex-fianc¨¦e''s grip to be surprisingly hard to break. He could feel her long fingernails inserting themselves on the back of his neck, breaking the skin. "Release him, Mirabelle!" Wrapping her arms around Mirabelle''s midsection, Gabrielle tried her best to pull her away. "You''re making a huge mistake!" "Mirabelle Bisset, I command you to stop!" As futile as it was, Judge McConnell continued pounding his gavel. "No! I worked for eighteen years to have such a cute and obedient plaything! I won''t let this chance slip away!" Mirabelle''s irises shrank as Alistair struggled to break free. The boy tried pushing her away, but she wasn''t budging. "Submit to me, now! You''ll never, ever meet another woman who wants you as much as I do! You''re trash, and trash deserves to be caged away in service of their masters! No one loves you, Alistair! You''re lucky you even get to look at me at all! I won''t let you undo everything I have worked-" Mirabelle, bless her soul, had forgotten about Solveig. In one swift motion, the giant woman used one of her big hands to grip Mirabelle''s skull and lift her off the ground. The grip was strong enough to make the smaller girl shriek and she was forced to release Alistair after several seconds. The boy showed signs of life by coughing as loud as he could and wiped the blood that had started to drip from his nape wound. "The Lord of the Dead sends his regards, Mirabelle. He''s aware of your crimes and has sent me here to punish you for them." Electricity hummed around Solveig. "For conspiring to murder Lynn Pierce, an innocent soul, as well as the countless innocents you murdered, this is your sentence. This will hurt, but you''ll live." The guards were busy with Angelo while the spectators in the courtroom, panicking from Mirabelle''s actions, had gotten up and fled. No one but both sides of the trial, the judge, and the jurors remained to put things back in order. An electric shock fried Mirabelle entirely, starting with the left side of her face. The electric surge came from Solveig''s hand, lighting up the courtroom with purple light as a string of lightning coiled itself around Mirabelle like a snake asphyxiating its prey. "Ms. Solveig, stop this right now," the judge ordered. "You''re able to dish it out, but you''re too thin-skinned to take it! What was that you said? ''Trash deserves to be caged away,'' right? It''s high time you looked at yourself in the mirror, because all the trash I see is in my hand!" Tossing Mirabelle away like a used rag, Solveig immediately raised her hands to surrender. "Seize her," Judge McConnell ordered. "And take Mirabelle to the prison hospital. Her trial date shall be postponed for now." "Hands behind your back." One guard had handcuffed Angelo and escorted him away while the remaining four huddled around Solveig. The quartet agreed to let two arrest Solveig while the rest checked on Mirabelle. Solveig did not resist her arrest and was swiftly escorted away once she was handcuffed. As for Mirabelle, her dress was blackened by the electricity, and while her body suffered minor burns, it was the left side of her face that suffered the most damage. The burns looked like they needed immediate medical attention; even if they healed, it would be a long road to recovery. "Solveig," Alistair called out to the rock giant. "Thank you." Solveig stopped in her tracks. Despite their best efforts, the guards could not force her to move. "Save it, kid. Rock giants have their pride, you know. I owed you a favor, but it looks like I paid my debt and then some. If you really want to thank me, then bring me something to eat at least once a day. I hear jail food is terrible." After confirming his promise with a nod, Solveig continued moving. The guards seemed relieved she was complying; it didn''t look like they would be able to take her to her cell, otherwise. "I see no reason to continue any further," said the judge, tiredly. "What does the jury say?" "Alistair Adams is innocent," the jurors said, one by one. "And we find Mirabelle Bisset guilty of conspiracy and attempted murder." "Then that''s that. Mr. Adams, you''re free to go. Case dismissed." Judge McConnell pounded the gavel. "Security, put that corpse back in its coffin." The young paladin sank his head in disbelief. Solveig had spotted a single detail everyone else had missed, and riled Mirabelle enough to the point she couldn''t keep her tantrums in check anymore. Gabrielle gave the young man a congratulatory pat on the back, while some of the returning audience members whispered amongst themselves again, most expressing disbelief that a ''violator'' got away scot free. That was when the judge pounded the gavel again, getting everyone''s attention. "It is obvious Mirabelle Bisset could not behave herself. She''ll be given the chance to appeal but given the number of crimes she has committed just today, it doesn''t look any good for her unless you want to make an appeal as well, Lady Gabrielle." "No. I believe several years in prison will be a good start for her," Gabrielle coldly said. "Mother spared the paddle on her, and this is the result." "Then that''s the end of that." Judge McConnell rose from his seat, removed his wig, and left it on his seat. "I need an ale." *** Everyone had to remain in the courtroom for a little while since those present needed to be questioned so that the guards could write a proper report. As for Janus''s corpse, no questions were asked that day; the judge and jurors believed that with Mirabelle constantly disrupting the courtroom along with the mountain of evidence against her, it was more than enough to charge her for the crimes of conspiracy, murder, tampering with evidence, perjury, and assault and battery. But after a little while, Alistair and Gabrielle were free to go. Once the two were outside, he couldn''t help but jump happily. "You know, I could use a woman like her." Gabrielle, relieved that things had calmed down, stood next to Alistair. "I''m sorry you had to go through all of that, Alistair. I''m sorry for ever doubting you." "It''s fine, Lady Gabrielle. I had always been an outsider, so I''m grateful you were blessed with the wisdom to see past her lies. I kept my freedom, but I lost my fianc¨¦e." Alistair sighed. "Mirabelle lacked the mental stability to make wise decisions. She was only focused on me, more on herself, which prevented her from seeing all the potential ways her plan could fail." Alistair sank his head. Despite his victory, his spirit felt hollow. "If you and Lord Beau knew how she was, why did you allow her to pursue a relationship with me?" Gabrielle sighed, as if she had expected those words. "She didn''t just manipulate you, Alistair; she had us fooled as well. We believed her at first, after all. She''s always been a pathological liar, but some time before you came along, she was on her best behavior. I can see why, now; she wanted to hide her true self long enough to sucker you into her plans." She patted him on the back. "I promise you that I will never let her hurt you again." Alistair didn''t just dodge a bullet; a cannonball had been fired into his inner mental sanctuary, eradicated a good chunk of it, and he somehow managed to survive the experience over the past two years. "What happens now," the boy asked. "The cooking school won''t take me back. I have the skills of a chef, but I don''t have a degree to back up that claim. And thanks to the allegations, i doubt they''ll take me back." "I''m sorry, Alistair. I''m partly responsible for letting this happen, but not all is lost." Gabrielle clapped her hands once. "We go back to training. You lowered your guard and because of that Mirabelle put you in a chokehold you couldn''t escape from. If you don''t want to train with us, I won''t stop you. But if you do come back, I''ll ask Beau to be twice as hard on you." Alistair gulped, dreading the days ahead. But he knew in his heart he needed to get stronger. He had barely mastered his paladin powers, and his combat prowess was only slightly above that of a new adventurer. If he could survive Beau''s training, he''d get stronger in a short amount of time. And hopefully, gain the strength to not only protect himself, but those he cared about. Chapter 63.5 - Love Once Alistair had recounted the events of his past, he took a moment to take a gulp from his waterskin. Lenoria listened to every word without fail, and after a while Clara eavesdropped from one of the front windows. Joanna ran along with Lisa and Tsukuyomi, their laughter a sign that Lenoria and Alistair had some manner of privacy. Let''s just say I was supposed to get the gallows because the butcher''s axe was too kind. "So that''s what Solveig did; she got sent here because she stood up for you. If that''s her crime, she shouldn''t even be here..." Lenoria did her best to put up a cheerful front, but her spirit had been crushed. Sensing distress, Alistair was quick to justify his silence on the matter. "It was a difficult subject, Lenoria. I didn''t want to worry you by dumping all these terrible things that happened to me. I was raised to bottle these feelings in, and-" At some point the girl had stopped smiling at him and settled for staring at the wooden floor beneath them. Of course she wasn''t happy; he kept such a huge matter from her, after all, he thought. Over the course of telling his story, she had persuaded him to keep going and did not seem bothered; but that was exactly the kind of thing he was used to. Mirabelle would always tell him nothing was wrong, only to turn around an hour later and start a conversation with ''We need to talk.'' Those talks usually ended with her dumping him for a couple of days, then returning as if nothing had happened. The boy feared what Lenoria could be thinking. "I''m sorry. My fa-, I mean, Janus would always tell me to just suck it up every time I wanted to cry. That''s why I bottle these feelings in. And on the rare occasion they do come out, I either get laughed at or get a lecture on how unmanly it is." The boy sighed. "In the end, I guess that mattered very little. Compared to Carter and Thomas, Mirabelle was truly something else. She went as far as threatening my life, and now she''s free. I''ve put you in danger by not warning you about her, and now-" "Why would you think that?" Lenoria''s interruption rattled the paladin. Her tearful eyes waited for his reply. Maybe she didn''t see things his way and was troubled by something else he hadn''t seen. "The villagers kicked me out of Norwich not long after you left. Mirabelle was there that morning and twisted the story to benefit her while slandering me. If she hadn''t done that, it''s possible the villagers would have rallied behind me and encouraged Lord Demetrio to stand down. And Lisa''s caretaker wouldn''t have-" "Al, I''m sorry for interrupting you again but I''m not mad at you for that! In fact, I''m not mad at you at all!" "W-what?" A heavy shadow drawn across her face could only hide the girl''s tears for so long. "You''ve been suffering your whole life. You never met your real parents, and you lost your adoptive parents at such a young age. You were thrown in jail over some bullcrap and almost went to prison for it. You went through all of that for such a stupid reason. You didn''t deserve any of that! And yet...you managed to carry on. You carried on where most people would have just given up and accepted the injustice that was handed to them. I don''t know what I would have done in your shoes, but I don''t think I would have lasted as long. You were strong enough to not let it change you!" "Lenoria..." "And don''t you ever blame yourself for something that isn''t your fault! Lisa understands you couldn''t save her caretaker, but she''s happy you managed to save everyone else! If it wasn''t for you, Caesar and I wouldn''t have been able to save anybody!" The girl banged her fists on the table, startling Alistair. But it soon became apparent her frustration wasn''t directed at the boy. "There''s no way you could have known Mirabelle was slandering you, so why would I be mad about something like that? If anything, I should be mad at myself for being so stupid!" Despite her lower jaw quivering and the sobbing that followed, Lenoria continued, albeit with a choked voice. "No wonder you''ve been so distant. Mirabelle hurt you so much that you can''t tell when someone''s being real and honest with you. You safeguard your feelings so that you would never be vulnerable again. You feel like you have to do everything on your own, don''t you?" Left speechless but wishing to answer Lenoria, Alistair nodded weakly. Tears streamed down Lenoria''s cheeks, her guilt and anguish becoming harder to conceal. "I should have been more considerate of your feelings! You''ve kept your distance because you didn''t want me to think you were acting inappropriately, right? And yet I kept breaching your personal space! I should have done more for you instead of acting selfishly! I knew the signs because I''ve been there before! And yet...I didn''t do anything for you..." If anyone could tell how Alistair really felt, it would be someone who had gone through the same thing. She was a young girl who was ostracized for either rumors blown out of proportion or for things that were out of her control. She had a stalker obsess over her, and another man treated her as a plaything to amuse himself because he felt bored. And the headmaster, oh that awful, evil headmaster. He allowed it to happen, and she could not understand why he hated her so much. By contrast, Mirabelle Bisset was all three of them rolled into one. Alistair was the first to rise from his seat and walked over to Lenoria. But the girl refused to wait for him and rose from her seat as well. The two met exactly in the middle, and Alistair immediately opened his arms with a welcoming gesture. Surprised by the paladin''s boldness and unable to hold it anymore, Lenoria bawled and rested her head on Alistair''s shoulder. The boy wrapped his arms around her, using his left hand to stroke the girl''s head gently. After a minute, Lenoria calmed herself, her voice weakened and her nose sniffling. "I''m the luckiest girl in the world," she said softly. "I''ve done nothing for you while you''ve spoiled me during our trip together, yet you''ve been so patient with me and never complained. Even now, you''re putting me above yourself. You prioritized our safety before yours. I never matched that energy of yours..." "Is that why you think you''re selfish? You may not have realized this, but you''ve done more for me than anyone ever has." "That''s not very reassuring, you know. I know you''re just saying that." "I mean it. You''ve always been there for me. I always valued the time we spent together, even when you teased me. I don''t mind you touching me, and I welcome it if that''s how you express your love. But all I really want is to spend quality time with you. We could read a book together, attend a play at a theatre, or we could even just stargaze every night. That''s what I like about you, Lenoria. You didn''t mind my company, either, and you were always up for anything I suggested. The circumstances we met each other in were less than ideal, but I feel so blessed to have met you." The two quietly continued their embrace for a little longer. Lenoria''s crying eventually ceased, but Alistair did not let go. Because of this, Lenoria remained where she was for as long as she needed, feeling warm and safe in the arms of the man she loved. She eventually pulled herself away, calmed herself, and used her forearm to dry her tears. "Thanks, Al. I needed that. And I-I''m sorry. I made this about me, didn''t I?" "Don''t apologize, Lenoria. I felt terrible hiding this from you this entire time. If Mirabelle hadn''t been released, I probably never would have told you about her. I''m sorry for not doing so sooner." "Then let''s agree we both have been awful to each other. Otherwise, we''ll be apologizing to each other all night. We both suck." Lenoria forced a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. And it seemed to have worked, because Alistair chuckled, too. "You aren''t supposed to laugh," she said jokingly. "Sorry." They both held their laughter, but Lenoria laughed after seeing how much Alistair was holding on to his laughter. "You started it this time!" "It was because of your face!" "Only because I feel relieved," Alistair pointed out. "I''m relieved I don''t have to hide anything from you anymore. I know I can be honest with you without having to walk on eggshells. T-thank you..." "You went out of your way to make me feel wanted and loved," Lenoria said after calming down. "How could I be mad for something you couldn''t control? And you opened your heart to me, even though you didn''t have to. That must have taken a lot of courage. Weren''t you afraid that I could have been another Mirabelle?" "I was," the boy admitted. "But a part of me believed in the sincerity of your words. I couldn''t believe my ears when I first heard your confession, and you were fidgety back then, too. You were putting in a lot of effort just to speak to me, so of course I had to take the risk. No one in the history of ever went out of their comfort zone for something they didn''t think was worth their while."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. That night was still fresh in their minds. They were all tired after dealing with the giants all day, and for a short yet embarrassing moment, Alistair recalled the kiss he received from Cecilia. He had simply dismissed it as her relieving her stress after a busy day and had completely forgotten about it after what happened later that night; Lenoria, during a lapse in judgment and getting herself hurt as a result, grabbed his attention to let her feelings out in the open. "Thinking about it, you were courageous, too. I could have been another Thomas or Carter, yet you opened your heart to me, anyway." Lenoria blushed uncontrollably. "T-that''s different! Mirabelle really hurt you and your self-esteem! It was easy to open up to you because you''re a man of the cloth! You''ve had your powers this whole time, meaning you''ve always been a good guy! The worst you could have done was say no." "W-when you put it like that..." Alistair let out an awkward chuckle. "Am I truly that easy to trust?" "You say that like it''s a bad thing. If people can trust you easily, then that''s a good thing! That means they don''t see you as a bad person." Lenoria reached for Alistair''s hand. "And I''m glad you appreciate my company. But I understand that Mirabelle hurt you deeply. If you''re ever having trouble trusting me, you can tell me, and we''ll talk things out. I don''t plan to ever give up on you." And then came the words Lenoria promised herself she''d say to Alistair the next time she could speak to him. "I love you, Alistair Adams. I''ve had my eyes on you ever since I saw you at the graduation ceremony, but this journey helped me see the kind of man you truly are. No man, other than my father, has protected me the way you have. And when something threatened to tear us apart, I couldn''t bear the thought of it for long. Ever since then, I couldn''t picture life without you. I just couldn''t." The girl hid her face with both hands. "My feelings may have been, um, less than pure at the beginning, but I''ve come to fall in love with the man I got to know." Alistair seemed relieved to hear it, but now that Lenoria put her feelings out in the open again, he felt he needed to return the favor. But he wasn''t sure if his heart would truly be in it. Would he be doing it just because Lenoria did it and she was expecting an answer from him? It wouldn''t feel right at all unless he was 100% sure. And with his mind a jumbled mess thanks to the stress he accumulated, he could only remain silent. There was a stray thought in his mind that had plagued him since night before, and Lenoria''s last line solidified a decision he had to make. Was it okay to be a little selfish, himself? Maybe it was okay to make a request... "Don''t force yourself, Al." Lenoria smiled. "Your silence says it all. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you have to say it back when you''re not sure. Peer pressure is awful, so I understand if you can''t right now. But you''re the one I love. I wouldn''t have said it if I wasn''t ready to be rejected. Even if you broke my heart now, I wouldn''t regret it because I know you would have done your best to be gentle." "But I don''t want that." It was only fair for him to exchange Lenoria''s confession with his own, especially when he, too, couldn''t stand the thought of being apart from her. "I don''t want to break your heart. Not now, not ever. I feel the same way about you. I was fully committed to the idea of walking all the way here last night, crushing all the undead that tried to stop me. You were on my mind the entire time. That''s why I fought and pushed forward." "Al..." "That moment we shared last night," the boy said as he blushed, "you know, before we parted ways...I couldn''t forget about it, either. I don''t think I could do it with anyone else, and I-I was wondering if we could reenact it at least tenfold. You said your thoughts were less than pure, but I w-wouldn''t mind indulging you to an extent." Now that was a surprise for Lenoria, and she could feel her heart skip a beat before it started pounding her chest. "A-Al, you know I''ll always consent to a kiss, so you don''t need to ask for permission. Not even for dozens and dozens of them!" The girl looked to her side, still unable to believe what she was hearing. "But are you sure about that? This is such a big step for you! And what about your vow of chastity? Aren''t you afraid you''ll break it in the heat of the moment?" "Going to the extreme is still out of the question, but I feel like words alone cannot convey how I feel about you. I...I love you, too, Lenoria Tsukino. I love spending time with you, and you''ve always loved to be around me. But you''ve also yearned for something I couldn''t provide, and that I still can''t provide. My service to the Hammer of Justice has always been important to me, and I''m glad you understand that. But I also want to show you how much I care about you." The paladin paused to hold Lenoria''s hand before making his way to the men''s dorm, dragging her along. "The least I can do is meet you in the middle. I promise that these lips of mine will touch yours, and only yours." Entranced at first by Alistair''s declaration, reality set in for Lenoria when Alistair closed the door behind them once they were inside the men''s dorm room. The beds lined up perfectly just like in the women''s dorm room, and they could only see the inside at all thanks to the moonlight seeping in through the curtains from the windows. Once Alistair''s eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he pulled Lenoria towards one of the beds. He didn''t think he would have gotten this far, but Lenoria had been submissive the entire time and complied with whatever non-verbal cues Alistair had given her. She sat on the bed, hands on her lap, without Alistair having to tell her. When her beloved sat down with her, she took that as her cue to pull him closer to her until she was flat on her back and Alistair on top of her. "Al, t-this is the men''s dorm. You remember what the Sheriff said, right?" "You''re saying this now?" The boy stifled a laugh. "The door is locked and right now I''m the only man living here. Miss Clara and Aquamarine are with Lisa right now, and I''ve heard children can be quite demanding. I doubt they''ll be looking for us anytime soon." Her eyes stared at him longingly with anticipation for his next move. She only planned to kiss for who knows how long, but she mentally rehearsed for this moment dozens of times before. Yet, she didn''t feel prepared and had forgotten the script she had filed away in the back of her mind. In fact, the couple''s talk about their past had already been forgotten. Their hearts were filled with desire, and both only wanted one thing. Each other. "And then there''s Caesar and his crew. If he''s joining our cause, then it stands to reason he''ll be moving in here, as well. This might be the only chance we have to do this. And if we do get in trouble," Alistair pressed his forehead against Lenoria''s, "I promise to take full responsibility. So please...please stay with me." The girl could feel it. Alistair''s heart was racing, too. The suspense was killing her, and she was having trouble controlling her breathing. It was time to give Alistair a little push. "Alistair...aishiteru..." After much waiting, the first kiss finally landed. She had always admired Alistair''s strength, and now even his lips were strong and commanding, urging her lips to lock and move with the same strength and boldness. She refused to part from such a bold yet sweet kiss. His lips trailed down to her neck, which elicited a soft whimper from her. Alistair bashfully pulled away and turned his gaze a little lower. "Sorry..." "It''s okay. Eyes up here, mister..." When Alistair looked up at her, blushing, Lenoria lunged with another kiss. Her fingers intertwined with his, ensuring they didn''t wander towards anywhere they shouldn''t be. After a while, his lips wandered down her neck again, but the girl giggled this time. He kissed all over her neck, resulting in differing levels of joy and laughter, focusing more on the parts that tickled her the most. Payback for all the teasing she gave him ever since they met. He eventually trailed his kisses down Lenoria''s shoulder, which had been exposed thanks to the looseness of her yukata. Her breathing grew louder, and he stopped to ponder if it would be a good idea to go beyond the shoulders. He decided against it and, ever the anxious one, Alistair glanced at her with uncertainty. The girl had her eyes closed, obviously enjoying what he was doing. "Why...why did you stop..." This gave him the reassurance he needed to keep going. Alistair had an idea how much Lenoria desired him, but it was one thing to know something and it was another thing entirely to actually feel this desire. Feeling wanted was not something he knew he would come to like, but the feeling was certainly welcomed. He couldn''t hide the joy he felt whenever Lenoria responded with the same level of passion he provided. *** Alistair found himself resting his head on Lenoria''s chest. The girl stroked his head just like he did to her when she cried earlier, curling her fingers in his hair from time to time while using her other hand to gently press his head against herself. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking," the girl asked. "Yeah." "I''m bad at this," they both said at the same time. They laughed at how in sync they were, even when stating a negative opinion. "Sorry, Al. I just never kissed anyone before you came along." "Neither have I, despite being engaged for two years. Mirabelle never even touched me." "What a waste. If she had, I could have had a wonderful teacher who could show me how to be a better kisser." "I see it as a good thing that we''re both bad at this," Alistair stated. "We have an idea of what we''re doing wrong. It''s just a matter of p-practice, now. And, well, there''s also the fact we''re each other''s first experience. We''ll be learning things together at the same pace." Two broken people, brought together by circumstance in the midst of their healing. A lot happened before they met, a lot happened during their journey together, and they were both sure a lot more will happen in the future. Most, if not all, would argue that what they''re doing now isn''t a good substitute for the therapy they surely needed, but it definitely eased the pain in their hearts. Like a strong painkiller taken while the patient waited for a long-term solution to their injuries. They cast aside their worries for now and sighed contently. Lenoria kissed Alistair on the forehead and nuzzled her cheek against his hair. That was when she remembered he had taken a bath earlier, and the aroma of manly perfume was still fresh. Alistair closed his eyes; he wasn''t drowsy, but he wanted to do nothing more than to cuddle with his sweetheart. And he was beyond sure the feeling was mutual. He was right. "Practice, huh? I like the sound of that..." Chapter 64 - Workshop After a while, Clara, Tsukuyomi, Lisa, and Joanna went back inside the lodge and into the women''s dorm. Having secretly listened to Alistair and Lenoria''s earlier conversation, Clara decided to lie on the bed closest to the door while Joanna and Lisa started reading a book together. Then, a knock on the main door. Clara rose from her bed after letting the banging on the main door go on for a minute. She could hear the footsteps approach the windows, but the curtains blocked all but the visitor''s shadow. When the visitor realized they couldn''t peer inside, they returned to the door and knocked on it again. It had only been half an hour since Lenoria and Alistair snuck away to the men''s dorm, and Clara wasn''t about to interrupt them with something so menial. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to meet the visitor who came over to see them. "Suuup," Solveig greeted. "You..." Clara didn''t know the full details, but Lenoria did explain the short version of her encounter with Solveig when they had a short moment of privacy earlier during dinner. While she did listen in on Alistair''s story earlier, as far as she was concerned, the wielder of Ophiuchus was still dangerous. "What brings you here?" "You might want to hold the attitude, girl. Just because I promised to help Lenoria doesn''t mean I have to be nice to her little friends." "Is that how you perceived it?" Clara crossed her arms. "My apologies. I was under the impression that you were a dangerous criminal. I have to be on high alert for people like you, you know?" "Right back at ya, hun. Or have you forgotten how all of those people back at the Guild died?" The sharp words stunned Clara long enough for Solveig to shove her aside and let herself in. Peeking her head outside before closing the door, Clara lowered her voice so only Solveig could hear. "How did you know about that?" "Reapers report to King Yeomra, and he''s the one who grants me my power. Whenever your spirits have a kill count, I end up hearing about it one way or another." Solveig leaned against a nearby wall, the one bordering between the dining area and the women''s dorm. "Don''t think you can hide your bird friend, either. For all I know, the two of you are the most dangerous people in Goodsprings now." "Guess I should come out." Apus manifested himself in the form of a tiny finch that perched on Clara''s head. "How ya doing?" "You don''t owe her anything, Apus." Taking a moment to scratch Apus under the beak, Clara shot a glare back at Solveig. "Why don''t you start making sense. What do you want with me?" "You''re not my top concern right now. I''m just here for Lenoria," Solveig responded. "As luck would have it, Gabrielle ain''t here yet, so I''m stuck as the welcoming committee. I''m supposed to show Lenoria where her workstation is going to be so she can get started first thing tomorrow." Glancing around the empty room, Solveig addressed the obvious. "So, where is she? She can''t be napping, still." SLAM The door to the men''s dorm burst open, banging the wall as hard as Lenoria was able to. "Life is goooood~..." The young scientist seemed to be blissfully and euphorically unaware that under dim light or total darkness, she''d look normal. But under the lights of the dining room, everything was visible to the naked eye. Including the bite marks and red marks on her neck, cheeks, shoulders, and inner thighs. Clara blushed at the sight and obvious implications while Solveig guffawed. "Look at you, girl! What happened to you?" "O-oh, I was attacked by mosquitoes." "What kind of mosquito leaves bite marks? With teeth? You got them all over your neck and shoulders." Solveig leaned closer. "Hold on a sec. Do I spy one on your leg as well? What manner of beast attacked you?" "Very large mosquitoes," Lenoria lied. "Whatever. That''s not why I''m here for. Why don''t you get dressed and meet me outside?" Lenoria nodded and closed the door behind Solveig once she was back outside. She readjusted her yukata to conceal her shoulder and opened the door to the women''s dorm. The door closed behind them, prompting Clara to speak her thoughts. "Did...did you and Alistair, um...?" "He was surprisingly restrained, so no." Lenoria giggled. She glanced in the direction of the men''s dorm for a moment. "But you know, I think I can hold out as long as it''s him." "I see." Refusing to inquire further, there was something else Clara needed to address. "Are you sure you should be going alone with her," Clara asked. "Solveig? We kinda had a heart to heart earlier, so for now I think she''s trustworthy. She''s nicer than she lets on." "She''s just as bad as Anne. She can get under your skin if you let her." "No, Anne with a Soulstone is a scary thought. Can you imagine what she''d do to us if she gained super strength or ice powers or something?" Goosebumps spread all over Clara''s body. All she could picture in her mind was Lenoria trapped in a giant ice cube while Anne broke Clara''s spine with a knee to the back. "I don''t even want to think about that gorilla." Clara shivered while Joanna giggled, amused at the sight. "At least Solveig hasn''t tried to chokeslam me through a wall. That already makes her better in my book." Removing her yukata as they spoke, Lenoria switched back to her green top and shorts. She strapped a toolbelt around her waist and took a moment to take inventory of her tools. "Looks like I have everything," she said after a minute. "Don''t you worry about Solveig. I won''t let anyone pick on my friends. Even if she gets out of line, we have Alistair to help us put her back in her place. But she''s agreed to join us on the Soulstone hunt, so in the meantime I expect everyone to be on their best behavior." "Well, alright." Clara sat on the bed next to Lenoria''s. "I''ll put up with it for now. Just scream as loud as you can if there''s trouble. We''ll come running." "One of you, anyway." Lenoria''s eye pointed in Lisa''s direction. The young girl was glued to a book she had borrowed from Lenoria. She had returned to the dorm not long after Lenoria and Alistair had snuck away, and it was thanks to Clara that the young girl didn''t bother ask any questions. "The other should stay here and watch over Lisa." "Hmm?" Lisa raised her head when her name was spoken. "Did you call me, Lenoria?"This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I''m just telling Clara how great your new chair is going to be." Lisa gasped and stared at the girls in disbelief. "Really? Do you really mean it, Lenoria?" "Yup! But you have to be a little patient, alright? Can you handle getting carried around by Clara and Joanna for just a few more days?" There was an obvious display of discomfort coming from Lisa as she hesitated to give an answer. "Um..." "I know it sucks, kiddo, but the only ones I see that are available are those they use in the hospitals. Those usually need someone else to push them, but you still look healthy and strong. You could use a chair that is easy to use and help you get some exercise at the same time." Lenoria''s words seemed to have eased the little girl''s anxiety just a tiny bit. This young girl was now alone in the world, and if she were to find a family to adopt her, Lenoria wanted to make their lives easier while helping Lisa stay healthy. It was not easy for parents to raise children who were crippled from birth or were crippled some years after they were born; parents looking to adopt, or even foster parents for that matter, would find a handicapped girl needing to be pushed around to move to be troublesome and inconvenient. Lenoria reminded herself to ask Solveig later if she could be healed, but she knew something like this would be complicated if it was even possible. "Hey." Lenoria knelt next to Lisa''s bed. "I promise it''ll be the best chair in the whole world. At least think about it, okay?" "O-okay." Still looking unsure, Lisa waited until Lenoria stood back up to ask something else. "You said earlier that we''re friends, right? Do you plan on leaving me?" "What? No!" Taken aback by such a question, Lenoria realized this girl may be a little more perceptive than she let on. "I don''t ever leave my friends. I go out a lot, but my friends always know I''ll never abandon them no matter how long we go without seeing each other." "But if you leave for several days, how would I know you haven''t left me forever?" "Wow, Al was right. Kids can be demanding." After giving her next choice words some thought, the young scientist finally remembered something she hadn''t thought about since her time in Hammer''s Reach. "Of course! Al! Al has the answer!" "Everything okay, Lenoria?" Clara shook Lenoria out of her pensive daze. "Yes, sorry! I just remembered some other projects I wanted to work on! But I need you both to hang on until after I''ve seen this workshop." Feeling more confident, Lenoria had some final thoughts for Lisa. "Can you do that for me? I promise I will never leave you, and I promise you it''ll be worth the wait." Hearing those words of reassurance seemed to have calmed Lisa down completely. "Okay. I-I believe you, Lenoria." There was some impatient banging coming from the front door. Clara rolled her eyes and asked Lenoria to wrap it up with a non-verbal gesture towards the main door. "I''ll see you two later. I''ll be right back!" With her tools ready to go, Lenoria made her way out of the front door and waved the girls goodbye. "That''s one heck of a promise, but maybe it won''t hurt being that girl''s caretaker for now." Just as Lenoria exited the building and closed the door behind her, Alistair emerged from the men''s dorm. There was discomfort coming from his feet as he limped his way to the counter, and before Clara could assume anything, she noticed the boy had mistakenly worn Lenoria''s wooden sandals instead of his own shoes. She hid her smile with her hand at the sight of more red marks around his neck and right shoulder. "Is something wrong, Miss Clara," Alistair asked calmly. "Nothing, just," she interrupted herself to hold back her laughter, "I was just thinking that red is a good color on you." *** "If you ever make me wait that long again, I will fry you where you stand." There was no sign of aggression coming from Solveig''s body language, but Lenoria knew good and well she could make good on that threat if she wanted to. Electricity is something she''s only witnessed from Starflower on the rare occasion he wanted to flaunt his powers, and until she could gauge the extent of Solveig''s combat capabilities, she had to assume she was just dealing with another Starflower. "I''m here now, aren''t I?" Rarely one to be afraid from the threats of others, Lenoria smiled cheekily after closing the door behind her. "Besides, quality time with friends is always good. Especially if one of them''s your sweetheart." "I can assure you there are people who care more about your talents than your love life, myself included." Solveig scanned the area and pointed at another building not far from the lodge. "That''s going to be your workstation. You choose your hours, but Gabrielle wants a written report at least once a month. If you''re slacking too much, she''ll know." "Whoa." Even from a distance, the structure appeared to be at least as wide as the lodge and was tall enough to have a second floor. "Gabrielle reserved that for me?" "Don''t feel too flattered. The place is run down, and you might spend a whole day just cleaning it up." Dangling a key, Solveig waited until Lenoria opened her hand to drop it. "Don''t let that stop you." A task that didn''t sound too daunting for Lenoria until both women got closer and closer to the next building. It was a short walk northeast across the dirt terrain - roughly about a block away - and as they walked to their destination, Lenoria began to notice how isolated the lodge and the workshop were from the rest of Goodsprings. They were at the edge of civilization, and the nearest building - a lumber mill - was over five hundred feet away to the south of the lodge. It seemed that Gabrielle didn''t want Lenoria to be disturbed during her work; either that or keep her from getting distracted. The workshop was a two-story building that seemed in a state of disrepair. All the signs that had been posted had their words faded away from the passage of time, yet the structure seemed durable in due part of its brick foundation and walls. The door was locked, so Lenoria used her new key to unlock the door to open it and closed it behind Solveig and herself. Lenoria couldn''t believe her eyes. The workshop was split into several sections, each with its own purpose. The greater part of the workshop was taken over by a foundry-smithy hybrid, which included a smelter, a pedal-operated grinding wheel, an anvil on the ground, and a wooden table that included a wide assortment of hammers. Dusty ingots littered the floor beneath the table. The smelter was off, and steps would be needed to turn it back on. Knowing she would be working with a lot of metal, Lenoria''s priority would be to get the foundry up and running. The next area contained a spinning wheel, several balls of yarn, and a case of sewing needles. Next to the spinning wheel was a legless mannequin on a stand. Lenoria was no weaver, but maybe she could hire someone to weave clothes for her golems once she had gold to spare. Not far from the spinning wheel was a table with a gaggle of small hand tools scattered on top of it, including files, hammers, and pliers. Lenoria guessed this was reserved for goldsmithing, but she was sure there wouldn''t be a problem using it to make dolls and poppets as well. The second to last section was a carpentry table with more hammers, and also included hand saws of different sizes, squares, chisels, and a large wooden mallet. Bows, arrows, and quarterstaves were examples of weapons made with carpentry, and wands were typically crafted with wood before they were enchanted with magic. And speaking of magic... "An enchantment table!" Lenoria examined the long table at the center of the workshop. It had old, dusty stacks of paper, rusty tools from all the other stations, and a crystal ball at the center which didn''t seem to have a purpose at a glance. But Lenoria knew better; this table was used to infuse any item with magic, and to make that happen, the crafter normally provided their own magic. In summation, all magical items started out as mundane items, and the enchantment table was what gave wands their spells, bags of holding their extradimensional space, bracers an armorlike enchantment, and so on. To Lenoria, this table was the most important piece of this workshop-sized puzzle. "All of the equipment has either rust or dust, but it''s nothing I can''t manage. This place has everything I need, and then some." "Heh. I guess you liked it, after all. Gabrielle''s a busy woman, but I''m sure she''ll be happy to hear you like it. Still, to think you got about five months to finish this if you want to make it to Starflower''s trial on time. Think you got what it takes to get the job done?" There was no doubt working on her projects would exhaust Lenoria, but seeing the tools around her gave her the motivation she needed to work. Her talk with Lisa encouraged her to mentally come up with the schematics for a new chair, and her alone time with Alistair gave birth to not one, but two brand-new ideas for a project. There were now four projects in queue, and they all had to be finished within five months. She wondered if she could get more time now that Starflower had broken out of jail; no prisoner meant no trial, and if there was no trial to prepare for, then there''s no longer a point to have a deadline. For now, her goal was to have something for Gabrielle by the end of Svatur, the eighth month. "I got everything I need, Sol." Chapter 65 - The Meeting Following the inspection of the workshop, Lenoria bid farewell to Solveig and returned to the lodge. She found Alistair sitting by one of the round tables reading a book, his tunic a little wet from the dishes he finished washing. "Oh my gosh, I forgot about the dishes! I-I didn''t mean to leave them all to you!" "It''s okay." Alistair put his book down and met Lenoria at the door. "I felt rested, and Miss Clara told me where you went, so I took the liberty of finishing the dishes." "I''ll get them next time, I promise!" Lenoria set her tool belt by the door and followed Alistair back to the table. She caught the warm, exquisite aroma of a familiar scent in the air, and spotted large beans on the counter and a pot over the fire. "Forget the dishes for a moment and join me for a drink. I''m brewing some hot chocolate. Would you like some?" "Al, you spoil me. Wait, this isn''t the spicy kind again, is it?" "Of course not. I know you can''t tolerate spicy foods that well, so I didn''t add cayenne peppers this time. I did make it with the roasted beans I purchased in the Jaguar Lands, though." "Then I''ll take some. Thanks, babe," Lenoria said with a wink. Alistair hid his slightly flushed face as he went to check on the pot of boiling chocolate. "I-I ground enough beans for everyone, but I wanted you to taste the first batch." "Oh, really? That''s very sweet. If you keep spoiling me so much, I''m going to get fat." "And that''s a bad thing...how?" Alistair poured the hot concoction from the pot to a wooden tankard, placed it on the table, and slid it to Lenoria. "It''s okay to indulge once in a while, you know." "I guess you''re right. Heeheehee..." She was used to budgeting for her meals when she lived alone, and any day there was a big payout, Lenoria would splurge the day before. Eating anything delicious Alistair was in the mood for felt so alien to her, because she wasn''t used to doing so for many days in a row. She took a sip of the warm, frothy drink, which was absolute bliss for her taste buds. The weather was fairly cool at this time of night, yet she instantly warmed up from a single sip. "I can see that you like it. I''ll make some more and call everyone else. I hope Lisa is still awake; I want her to try some, too." As much as she wanted to relax for the rest of the evening over a delicious drink with her friends, Lenoria knew it was time for serious business. "Al, make sure you make plenty. I actually want to talk to everyone about our plans moving forward." "Sure thing. I had almost forgotten this wasn''t how our lives were going to be from this point on." Alistair seemed saddened after sharing his thoughts, but he was quick to distract himself by mixing more bean powder into a new pot of water. Lenoria used this opportunity to call everyone over, and after a minute Joanna groggily stumbled out of the women''s dorm. She was followed by Clara and Tsukuyomi, the latter carrying Lisa in his arms. Tsukuyomi seated Lisa opposite of Lenoria, while Clara sat to her left and Joanna to her right. More tankards were placed on the table, and Alistair poured enough hot chocolate in each one from the boiling pot. "There''s a lot we need to go over, ladies. I just wish Caesar was here." "How is he doing? Any updates," Clara asked. "I sensed movement these past twenty-four hours, but he hasn''t really moved from where he is." Lenoria crossed her arms. "Pearl says he might be trapped somewhere. Either that or he''s just bidding his time. I''m thinking about going that way first thing tomorrow." "Knowing him, he''s probably okay. He''s got a crew at his beck and call, not to mention a flying ship." Clara''s face lit up when she took a sip from her tankard. "Exquisite as always, Alistair. Thank you." "Thank you, Miss Clara. Drink up, everyone. I think we should all be in a good mood if we''re going to talk about the future." "Seriously? A boy made this?" Joanna picked up the tankard. "Can''t be any better than the food Clara cooked for us." Joanna took a sip. "It''s...it''s so good!" "Pretty good, eh?" Lenoria watched Joanna drink the whole thing in one gulp. "It''s not bad." Joanna tried to play it off as if it was no big deal but her face flushed both from the heat and the embarrassment from having to rescind the words she spoke prior to drinking it. Meanwhile, Lisa''s eyes sparkled after taking a sip, then offered the tankard to Clara. "Would you like some, Clara?" "It''s fine, Lisa. Alistair always makes enough for everyone, so I''ll just get more from him if I want seconds." "Are you sure? B-because I don''t mind! Miss Eleanor gave us chocolate once a year, and we always had to share what little we had with each other." "The situation in Norwich must be worse than I thought," Lenoria mumbled. After some insistence, the gang convinced Lisa to drink everything in her tankard. With some hesitation, she drank it all, and not a single drop was left behind. "Sorry, it''s just that I didn''t want to hog all of it. Are you sure it''s okay?" "Don''t worry about it, Lisa," Alistair reassured her. "It''s like the chefs at House Leone say: ''Food is meant to be eaten. An emptied plate and emptied glass equals a happy stomach.'' If you want more, I''ll be happy to boil another pot." "Try not to have too much, though. Too much sugar is bad for you," Clara interjected. With Lisa nodding, Alistair started the process of making another pot. "While I do that, would you mind telling us what''s on your mind, Lenoria?" Lenoria nodded. "It''s the end of the month. Gabrielle gave me until the halfway point of Albastru to not only get everything done, but to have time to spare to attend Starflower''s trial. With him free, they may move the date later or sooner, depending on when he''s caught. For now, we have to assume there are five and a half months - 155 days - to get this task done." "She wants us to create living golems, correct?" Clara held her fist close to the left side of her chest. "You know my spells are available to you, Lenoria." "Same here," Joanna said. "It''s not like I''m going anywhere, at least not until Starflower''s arrested." "As are mine, my love," Alistair declared. "Whatever spells you need, if they are within my power to use, are yours as well." "Thanks, everyone. I plan to make something cheap and durable, but even with those prerequisites in mind, we might need more funds than what we already have. And it''s not like I can ask Gabrielle to find her own project, unless I ask for an advance on our pay. But the upside about this commission is that she''s given me liberty to go about it however I want as long as we provide her the results she wants." "Makes sense. What do you have in mind," Clara asked. "First, I want to test out the equipment she''s lent me. That''s why I want to make Lisa''s new chair first." The rest of the gang turned to Lisa, who was as surprised as they were. "Didn''t I tell you yesterday I''d make you a new one as soon as we settled down? And I promised you earlier I''ll make the best one in the world. But for that, we''ll need adamantine." Clara raised her hand. "You mean the metal Lorak used for his cable car? That''s super rare, isn''t it?" "Normally, yeah. Which makes you wonder how the little guy got so much of it to begin with. He''s either struck a deal somewhere or he knows places where we can mine some. And considering he''s got his business up in the mountains, I''d say it''s the latter." "Why do you say that," asked Joanna. "Even sturdy equipment like what the cable car uses needs to go under maintenance every now and then. What do you do when a part gets worn out so much you can''t use it anymore? And what do you do when something goes missing because you carelessly misplaced it?" "Um..." Lisa spoke up, but what followed was too inaudible for the gang to even hear her. Lenoria made sure to smile at her. "It''s okay, little baby. Tell us what''s on your mind." "I-I said you don''t have to do so much for me," Lisa said softly. "I could never pay you back for the chair, the chocolate, or the makeover." "Who said anything about payment? We do these things because we want to. Me? I like building things," Lenoria reassured her little guest.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! There was a mischievous smile on Clara''s face. "That''s right. She made a set of dolls once from one of the books she was reading. Which one was it? Handsome Knights from Outer Space?" "Hey!" Lenoria flailed her arms adorably. "She''s too young to learn about that one!" "What about the time you handmade dolls of the entire cast of that one children''s play, The Cowardly Squire''s Brave Tales? I swear the blonde girl who journeyed with the knight reminds me of someone..." "Oh! I know that one," Lisa said excitedly. "The squire is brave but gets all tongue-tied around his beautiful sidekick!" Feeling embarrassed, Lenoria reflexively covered her reddened face when she felt Alistair''s hand on her shoulder. "Huh. That explains a lot of things," said the boy. He refilled Lisa''s tankard with more chocolate, just a little less than halfway full due to Clara''s earlier advice. "I understand!" Even after blowing on the top of the tankard, Lisa yelped after taking a tiny sip of the drink. She decided to put it down until it cooled off a little more. "Creating things is to Lenoria what drawing is to me." Hearing that from Lisa snapped Lenoria back to the matter at hand. "That''s right. I know some people like to draw what they like for hours. It''s kinda the same for me, except I like to make dolls and robots. Being able to work on the things you love and get paid for it? A lot of people would consider that a dream. I would like to try my hand at making a mobility chair for you to test out the equipment I was provided with, Lisa, but I won''t if you don''t want me to." "Would you mind if I thought about it? I-I don''t want to cause any trouble." Lenoria had a mind to keep insisting, but Alistair''s interruption stopped her. "Whatever you want, Lisa. We''re not going to force something on you if you don''t want it. We also don''t want you to sit through all the boring grown-up stuff we have to talk about. Would you like to go outside for a little bit, or go back to the room?" Lisa yawned. It would seem play time had exhausted her energy reserves for the day. "I''m sleepy..." "I''ll have Tsukuyomi take you to the room now. I''ll stop by later to read you another story if you can''t sleep," Clara offered. "Is that okay?" Lisa nodded and allowed Tsukuyomi to pick her up from her chair. She clung to his neck as best as she could and wearily looked at everyone else. "Night, everyone. Thanks again for the chocolate." "Good night, Lisa." The four adventurers waved at Lisa and smiled at her as she was taken back to the dorm room. Once the door closed behind her and Tsukuyomi, Alistair reached for Lenoria''s hand. "Sorry to interrupt you like that, Lenoria, but we did just meet Lisa," Alistair apologized. "I didn''t think it would be wise to shower her with gifts this soon, lest we overwhelm her." "No, you have a point," Lenoria admitted. "We can just buy one from a clinic somewhere, at least in the meantime. Poor thing was probably taught not to trust strangers. She''s probably wondering if we''ll finish what Demetrio started." "I doubt it, she''s definitely taken a liking to you," Joanna said. "In any case, let''s get down to business. I''ll still need adamantine, whether Lisa wants the mobility chair or not. And to get that, we''re going to need Caesar." Lenoria rolled her lips loudly before grabbing a clipboard out of her haversack. "With all the movement Pearl''s sensing, we can assume he''s still alive. But there''s no telling if he''s in trouble or not, so we''ll need to round up a search party and leave as soon as we can." Scribbling something on the clipboard, Lenoria then set it on the table for everyone to see. "We would have three objectives, listed in order of importance. The first would be to find Caesar and his crew. We''ll have to assume they''re in trouble, and we have to be ready for anything. We already met plant monsters, fey, and undead. Let''s at least try to prepare for all three." "I''m under orders to follow you wherever you go, and my hammer is good against two out of three of those enemies. I''ll take care of the front line," Alistair promised. "Good. Pearl can detect how close he and the other Soulstones are, so I''ll be going along. And Solveig can take care of the healing." Lenoria pointed her quill at the second objective. "Once we get Caesar, we''ll locate the Hounds Soulstone next. It hasn''t moved much from its current spot, but it''s definitely somewhere in the mountains. If Caesar doesn''t have it..." Lenoria and Clara exchanged glances, and after a moment Clara realized where she was getting at. The elven girl shivered with dreadful anticipation. "No, no way! I''m not going there!" "Come on, Clara. We''ll be in good hands if you come along." "I''m not marching into spider territory!" "It''s part of the quest!" "Forget it!" Clara crossed her arms around her chest, pressing them against her body as if she was hugging herself. "I don''t care what Pearl says, you can''t make me!" "What if I promised to keep all spiders away from you," Alistair suggested. "Impossible! Spiders can smell fear, and I don''t think I can keep it together when I see one the size of a house!" Lenoria narrowed her eyes at Clara. "You''re thinking of dogs." "What if I just go in your place?" By raising one of her fingers, Joanna conjured an orb of water at the tip. "I can provide missile fire, and Lisa likes Tsukuyomi. You can stay here and babysit, instead." Clara seemed happier with that arrangement, and with it the melee/range ratio was evenly spread. Lenoria wrote down her name and Joanna''s on one side of the clipboard and Alistair and Solveig''s on the other. "That could work if Clara is willing. It may take some convincing, but we could probably get the pirates to help out with whatever else we need. Al can cover the front line, me and Joanna with ranged weaponry, and Solveig can heal. I''ll have to ask what weapons she can use, though." Lenoria hovered her quill above the second objective. "I don''t want to do this, but if the halfling''s a sorceress, she''s probably our best chance to walk out of whatever spider den the Soulstone is currently at unharmed. We could use firepower like that." Everyone agreed so far. Clara would stay behind with Tsukuyomi to take care of Lisa, while Lenoria, Alistair, and Joanna traveled with Solveig to rescue the pirates. This prompted Joanna to bring up another concern. "What do you think Solveig will say when she sees we''re teaming up with pirates?" "It''s no use hiding Pyxis and the Argo Navis, so we tell her the bare minimum. We just leave out the part where we rescued a bunch of kids from Demetrio." The kids. That was another bridge they had to cross, and soon. "Solveig wielded the power to destroy undead when we rescued Alistair. Maybe she''s not fond of Demetrio, either. I''ll have to ask her. If she isn''t, explaining the situation with the kids will be much easier. If she''s on a mission from her god, then I doubt something like this will matter to her." "If you want, I can go with you when you talk to her," Alistair suggested. "Followers of the gods of death aren''t fond of necromancers; if we explain the situation properly, she might even overlook the whole incident altogether." "Good. Let''s do that. Worst-case scenario, we''ll have to convince her somehow to keep her mouth shut. But I think she can be trusted." At last, Lenoria tapped her quill on step three. "Let''s say we get the pirates and the Soulstone. We''ll look for Lorak and ask him where we can get some adamantine. He''ll probably want something in exchange, though. I wonder what." "Seduction is out the window." Clara felt everyone''s eyes on her. "Don''t look at me like that. I''m just pointing out goblins don''t look at us the same way the taller folks would. They are like us in some ways, but they look at humans and elves the same way we would look at a primate." "Hold on, what about the one that complimented the way I smelled," asked a concerned Lenoria. "He must have been the oddball of the bunch. Every demographic has one. They''re not attracted to us, otherwise." "Good, because I''m not going to seduce a goblin." Joanna crossed her arms in a huff. "A defender of love and justice such as myself shouldn''t use those methods, anyway. But how did you know seduction wouldn''t work, Clara?" Nothing but silence as Clara calmly sipped her tankard of hot chocolate. Lenoria simply shrugged while Alistair, being who he is, looked at Clara inquisitively. "Uh, Clara?" "I think what''s more important, now that we have a plan, is that we should think about what to do with Lisa and the rest of the orphans." Clara sadly pushed her empty tankard forward, and when Alistair offered to pour more, she refused the offer. "I want to talk about it now so that we''re all on the same page once you come back." "What do you mean, Clara? We can just adopt them all and have them live here!" Joanna placed her hands on her hips and posed heroically. Yet, while she may have expected the others to take her side, Lenoria and Alistair smiled bitterly at her. "Right?" "It''s not that easy. Or maybe I should say...it''s complicated." The situation felt all too familiar to Alistair, and it seemed to him Lenoria understood where he was coming from. "People, especially those who are easily impressionable, tend to latch on to the ones who save them. It wouldn''t feel right to adopt her, or any of the children for that matter, just because we were there at the right time." "It was a heat of the moment thing, Alistair! You know that! Everyone knows that!" "I know that. It''s just...to them, we''re heroes. We saved them at a low point in their lives, and because of that, they may put their trust on anyone who does the same for them in the future. I think they should find people who will raise them as their own." Lenoria eyed Joanna with sad empathy. "It''s a messed-up situation, but they have to learn that they can''t trust every stranger they meet." "As opposed to what, strangers they can trust because a piece of government paper says so?!" Joanna''s words had, once again, caught the trio by surprise. Even if none took her side, they could see that her wisdom was valid. "I didn''t mean to put this responsibility on all of you when we said we should rescue them, but we can''t just abandon them when that bald old man is still out there! What if he finds them? At least here, we can hide them and give them a fighting chance!" "That''s a good point." Alistair clenched his teeth defeatedly. "We can''t hide them from Lord Demetrio forever. But...my point still stands. What if they trust the wrong person one day?" "Teach them what you can and pray for the best," Joanna answered quickly. "Everyone makes bad decisions sooner or later. But shielding them from every single danger could be bad for them if they don''t learn what''s good and what''s bad. The kids need a good teacher, and after seeing you speak and fight, you get Melodious Aquamarine''s seal of approval, Alistair Adams!" Alistair bashfully scratched his head. "You truly mean that, even though we disagreed on this matter?" "I can tell you only want what''s best for them. If it wasn''t for that old wrinkly bastard running around, I would agree that we should at least return them to Norwich. But you saw the undead; you saw the minotaur; and this Demetrio punk probably memorized what the kids look like. They aren''t safe anywhere in Thule." Joanna had thought about the matter this much already, despite not voicing her opinions before. Lenoria wondered if there was more to this heroine than she let on. "So don''t foist those kids on someone who might not even be able to protect them. Let''s raise them for the time being, and once the coast is clear, then we find a safe place for them." "I''m in favor," Clara announced. "Joanna is right. This situation is far from normal. If we just drop this responsibility on someone else''s lap, there''s no guarantee they''ll be able to protect the children. Even worse, they themselves may hurt them." "You''re right. We just arrived in Thule, after all," Lenoria added. "We''ll be hard pressed to find people we can trust. If things were different, we could all march down to Norwich and build a new orphanage for them. But who knows; maybe this Demetrio guy left spies behind in case the ''rebels'' returned. And if they see us with the children, there goes our cover." Lenoria added a new objective, not above or below her current ones, but written on the right side of the clipboard. "We protect the orphans for the time being. If we find someone they like and we can trust, then we''ll get the adoption process started, wherever we may be. Until then, we''ll do our best to take care of them. All in favor?" Clara raised a hand. Alistair raised a hand. Joanna raised a hand. And Lenoria was the last to raise hers. "Motion passed. Let''s make our way back to Norwich and locate Caesar from there." "Thanks, guys." Joanna bowed her head in gratitude. "Let''s get ready and set out ASAP. Who knows what a bad example those pirates are setting for the kids." Chapter 66 - When Moths Cry 27th of Cobre, 12:09am, 1659 "Boy, didn''t I tell you to get your feet off the couch?!" A familiar voice shook Caesar from his state of unconsciousness; the motherly voice that was calm yet me left threatening. "Yes, Momma!" He nearly fell off the tree branch he had been sleeping in from fumbling around, but a last minute save not only allowed him to grab on to the branch, but he also used the momentum to vertically circle around the branch like a gymnast. Making a not-so-graceful landing back in the branch, Caesar surveyed the area he had just woken up in. "Oh. I''m still here..." Caesar was currently standing on the branch of a giant tree. It was a long way up to the canopy, and a long climb down the tree. Fortunately for him, he spotted more thick branches that he could use as footholds. Teetering close to the edge of his current branch, Caesar made the leap farther down below. The branches were tough and didn''t budge, their position solid like stone. Taking his time between his jumps, his injuries from his duel with Asterion reawakened along with him, forcing out groan after groan from jump after jump. He could not force himself to hurry lest he risked slipping and falling. "Looks like my pirate training paid off. Hey, Beckett..." Caesar called out his spirit partner through a pained voice after jumping on the last visible branch. There was a long drop to the forest floor, and the scent of smoke urged him to quicken his pace. If there''s anything he learned from traveling with a bunch of rascals, it was to follow the fire. His crew must be close. Beckett watched as Caesar fastened a ghostly rope around the branch they were on. "You took quite a beating earlier and fell off the ship after slipping on some spilled hagfish. The gods must have blessed you with incredible luck if you''re still alive." "Is that what happened? Now that you mention it, I do remember falling off the ship. The canopy and the branches probably broke my fall, then." All Caesar could remember was the screams of the children as they called out to him after he fell. With help from the rope, Caesar lowered himself enough to be able to jump off and land safely. He dashed towards the source of the smoke, where he eventually found what remained of the Argo Navis; the ship was a mess thanks to the ongoing fire and the fragments that had flown away from the crash. Charlie and Temuulen had been placed by a nearby tree, their unconscious bodies covered in soot, but their ongoing breathing indicating signs of life. Wulf and Vanessa were putting out the remaining embers of the fire while Cecilia was taking inventory of whatever had been salvaged. "Captain, you''re alive!" Wulf set down his empty bucket before greeting Caesar. "Everyone is present and accounted for!" The absence of four pint-size newcomers would say otherwise. "Thanks, Wulf. Where are the kids?" "They jumped off after you, Captain, once the sinking ship reached a much lower altitude." Vanessa set her bucket on the ground and slumped against a nearby tree. "Wulf and I searched inside the ship, just in case. But they''re nowhere to be found." "They jumped off the ship? And you let them?!" Caesar closed the gap between the ship and himself. The fire had finally died down, but he could not hear anything besides the critters of the night. "Oh, no, we didn''t crush them with the weight of the ship, did we?" "Oh, no." Wulf''s voice was barely audible. "We kidnapped those kids, and for what? So they would die here?" He fidgeted in place. "No, no, no! We''ll get the noose for sure!" "Calm down, if they jumped right after me then there''s a chance the canopy broke their fall, too. They must have landed somewhere not far from here. Besides, any kingdom that sends kids to their slave pits and raises the dead as zombies isn''t the type I''d expect to put a whole lotta stock on human life." Caesar wanted to search for the kids right away, but he worried what a panicked crew would do if he left them alone. Now that the fires of the ship have been put out, it was time for the captain to quench the flames of anxiety. "Cecilia, what''s the damage?" "It''s bad, Cap. We managed to retrieve most of our goods, but the ship took a lot of damage. That bounty hunter or whatever you ''befriended'' made holes on the stern. He must have made them every time he had to climb the ship. Fortunately for us, the ship can self-repair the damage with time. The bad news? The sisters inhabiting my stone have to take a nap." "Aye, the Star Dream," Beckett said. "Making that emergency landing was a good call. Otherwise, the ship would have disappeared in the air, and all of you would have plummeted to yer deaths." "Yeah, but if we don''t move now, all we worked for could go up in smoke. We have to find those kids." Caesar looked up at the sky. "If I had to guess, they''re going to be close to where I landed. I''ll go on ahead." "Not like that, you''re not." Cecilia flicked her fingers on Caesar''s shin, causing her captain to hop in place. "You''re still hurt from your fight." "I''ll be fine!" A green flask was placed on Caesar''s hands. He tried to return it to the sender, but Wulf was not having it. "At least drink the potion, Captain. We need you hale and hearty in case we run into more trouble." "We?" "You didn''t think you were going alone, did you," Cecilia asked. "Remember our code: ''A good captain may die with the ship...''" "''...but a good crew keeps the captain alive!'' Please let us come along with you," Wulf insisted. "I say only one of you should come with me," Caesar countered. "I mean, who''ll take care of Vanessa while we''re gone?" Twigs broke after Vanessa set down a small cannon on the ground. She quickly pushed mud clods aside along with the broken twigs, replaced by metal shells pointing upwards in a neat, single file. "You must have me mistaken for someone else, Captain." Vanessa loaded up a shell inside of the small cannon. "Faraway threats get the mortar. Anything gets close, they get the teeth. Hopefully these louts will be up and about by the time you get back." She pointed at Charlie and Temuulen, both of them still unconscious. "Take Cecilia and Wulf and just leave some potions and medicine behind. Wulf can heal the kids if they''re hurt, but they may end up worse the longer you dally."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Vanessa was right. They were already running on borrowed time. The forest was unknown territory to them, and they knew little of the ecosystem that inhabited it. Wulf had some fighting capabilities, and Cecilia hadn''t used any of her spells yet, but the children were defenseless. Finished with the inventory of the ship, Cecilia held up her Soulstone, causing it to glow with a multicolored light. In seconds, the Argo Navis disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a wooden wagon in its place. "Our knight in shining armor left that behind. I''m sure we can borrow it until he asks for it back." "Great idea, Cecilia. Vanessa, take Charlie and Tem inside the wagon. If you''re confident in guarding the perimeter alone, then don''t let anything destroy it." Caesar whistled to the other two, who followed him back to where he came from. "Stay put! We''ll be back for you!" "Don''t die on us, Captain," Vanessa warned. Both parties got to work, with Vanessa carrying her unconscious comrades to the wagon while Caesar led the rest to the depths of the forest. *** Caesar took the lead, scouting ahead for signs of danger and giving the all-clear by making a beckoning motion to the two behind him once it was safe to do so. Wulf followed not far behind, looking both sides before moving ahead. Cecilia took up the rear, always looking back in case they were being followed. Having known the way, Caesar pointed out the path to take. Even though the captain made no complaints, Wulf and Cecilia would hear him whispering to himself as he squeezed his stomach. "Captain, did you drink the potion," Cecilia asked. "I did, but I didn''t heal completely. I should be fine until we find the kids and head back to the wagon." Caesar stopped at a tree and inspected the base. "These are my footprints from when I first woke up. Now to determine where the kids are." Venturing beyond the tree where Caesar had first woken up on, the three pirates kept their eyes peeled for smaller footprints on the cold forest soil. Leaves crumpled under their feet as they pressed forward, some blown away by a sudden chill breeze. But the pirates were focused; too focused, perhaps, to notice the boulder right in front of them until it was too late. Caesar and Wulf tumbled over the boulder on to the other side and fell flat on the ground, while Cecilia''s stature only permitted her to collide face-first on it. To her dismay, the boulder was not cold and solid like she anticipated, but rather fuzzy and warm. She instinctively backpedaled as the ''boulder'' stirred itself awake, taking the shape of an enormous insect with compound eyes, fuzzy body and antennae, and fluttering wings which immediately brought it to a higher elevation until something stopped its ascent. Its endless chittering indicated anxiety, perhaps even fear. It''s three-sectioned body was about the size of a large dog, and its wingspan was easily six feet across. "A giant moth?" Caesar was the first to rise and provided a hand for Wulf to help him up as well. "They sure grow them big in Thule." "I heard Thule had a forest of giant moths," Cecilia said. "The moths provide silk for the locals, and in exchange the local rangers protect them from poachers and other dangers that don''t belong here." Caesar narrowed his eyes at the moth''s feet and grimaced at the sight of two metal jaws clamped on one of its feet. Realizing the moth couldn''t flee even if it wanted to, the pirate captain kept calm and patted the creature''s injured foot. "What''s the matter, little guy? Someone trapped you here and you think we''re here to finish the job?" Cecilia shut her eyes as green blood oozed out of the moth''s ankle. "Now who''d do something so cruel?" "What should we do," asked Wulf. "We have to find the kids." "We can''t just leave it here like this. Hang on a second, I''ll grab my tools." Retrieving a lockpick from his toolbelt, Caesar got to work. Something he learned from his bandit training came back to him as he began to get a feel of the bear trap. "Traps like these need a key." He turned the pick inside a hole in the bear trap. "Once you find the keyhole, you start fiddling with it until..." Click! The mechanism in the trap loosened up, allowing Caesar to open the metal jaws with ease. The giant moth fluttered around the trio; although its mouth wasn''t visible and, like all insects, lacked eyebrows to show expression, Cecilia couldn''t help but feel like it was feeling happy. "What''s it doing," Wulf asked. Cecilia brushed off a strand of her long red hair from her face. "There''s only so much I know about animal behavior, but I think it''s thanking us. The wound doesn''t look too bad; it should heal on its own." A youthful scream broke the silence of the forest. Though darkness reigned the woods and the only source of light was the waning moon, the trio picked up where the voice came from. "Our friend looks fine, and that''s our cue. Come on!" Caesar followed the screams, with Wulf darting right behind him. Cecilia lagged behind and tried to get their attention without yelling. "Wait for me, you long shanked buffoons," Cecilia said with a hushed voice. "I have tiny legs!" She turned around one last time, looking at the moth that was already departing. "Stay out of trouble!" Though it was dark, Caesar watched his step. Nothing but darkness, and yet- Wait, he could finally see a light. Several lights, in fact. Not just light, but torch fire, it looked like. He stopped and stretched his hand to get Wulf to stop as well. He motioned at the crinkling leaves under his feet, and without a word Wulf crouched down and picked up a clump of leaves and mud. Just like a self-respecting dogfolk, he gave the clump several sniffs in quick succession before opening his hand to let the wind blow the leaves away. "It''s them. The children are close." "Judging by the fire, it looks like they''re in trouble." Caesar could hear Cecilia panting right behind him as she finally caught up. "Okay, you two. We''re going in for a pincer attack. Me and Cecilia will distract whoever''s there while Wulf sneaks around, locates the children, and takes them to safety." "Okay...good...just give me a...few more minutes..." Cecilia covered her mouth as she coughed and coughed, catching her breath all the while. "You got it, boss man. Let me get a head start." Wulf took a left turn and carefully waded across the thick forest undergrowth. His plan seemed to be to take the path less taken to help decrease his chances of getting detected by whatever was ahead. "I swear I heard the children screaming. We have to get ready for a fight. You ready, Cecilia?" "Yes, Cap." Cecilia''s breath returned to its normal rhythm. "Just slow down for me, will ya?" Caesar nodded and followed Wulf''s example by taking a right turn and a detour across the forest undergrowth, hoping to avoid detection. Cecilia managed to keep up with his pace this time, making sure to stick by his side with her dagger drawn. Off into the distance, where the path opened, all four children stood. They were surrounded by three taller figures with blue cloaks and capes, giving them nowhere to run. A fourth cloaked figure stood closer to the undergrowth-free path as if to keep an eye out for anyone outside of their circle. The lookout, a human male, took his eyes off the barren road. "Uh, if there''s four kids and four of us, that means we each get one to gift our great leader, right?" "We''ll work that out later. Just do your job." A scrawny and haggard winged man - a birdfolk - carried a commanding voice. Having an arrogant yet confident posture, unlike his assistants, would indicate he was the leader of the group. He had a long and curved neck, like a vulture, and a darkened spot of blood was evident on the upper part of his beak. "We hit the jackpot for sure," commented a blonde-haired human woman in leather armor next to the vulture man. "So easy to frighten, too." "Our leader sure does like them scared," said the third member, a dwarven man. "We''re not scared of you," Marlon bravely shouted. "Our pirate gang will make you walk the plank! You''ll see!" "How cute, they''re playing pirates." The vulture man gripped the pommel of his sheathed weapon. "Kinda makes me want to play along, with a real blade..." Not far and hidden in the bushes, Cecilia lied prone as she watched the events unfold. "Blue Jays!" "Right, you are," Caesar whispered back. "Just like the ones we bumped into back in Cedar Forest. Looks like they haven''t given up on their cultist hobby. What happened to the good old days of mugging people for gold and leaving it at that?" "Forget that. What do we do?" Caesar looked across to the other side of the forest path. Wulf had placed himself on the opposite side of the forest clearing, and he seemed inclined to inflict vengeance on the Order of the Blue Jay just like his captain and chief mate. Each person knew their role, and it was up to just three pirates to save the children. But Caesar had other plans. "We''re going for diplomacy. We''ll fight them only if it''s self-defense." Caesar nodded. "You ready, Cecilia? Then follow my lead." Chapter 67 - Much Ado About Pirating The current plan was something Caesar and his gang had done many, many times. It only works once on each victim, and sometimes they don''t even succeed. You can only fool a person so many times before they wise up to the same trick, and those that do are just lucky to be alive. The plan was simple: Caesar and Cecilia would distract the Blue Jays long enough for Wulf to retrieve and escape with the children unnoticed. Blue Jays tend to be pathetically weak, but every now and some get promoted from meat to the meat grinder to competent soldiers. That''s why Caesar believed it was best to deal with the vulture ahead of him diplomatically instead of using brute force. Despite his gaunt frame, the blood on his beak and splattered on some of his feathers indicated he was a dangerous individual. It would be better to punish them for scaring the children, but there was no telling how strong these Blue Jays were. To the pirates'' luck, the human lookout wasn''t even paying attention, having instead decided to read a magazine called ''The X Conspiracy.'' This allowed Caesar and Cecilia to walk in on the Blue Jays'' bullying unimpeded. Catching the scent of cheap cologne, the vulture man angrily turned around as he drew his knife, his face dropping when he spotted the taller Caesar. "Quincy, you bird-brained fool! You were supposed to keep anyone from sneaking up on us!" The lookout, named Quincy, pulled a finger out of his ear and stared at the newcomers. "Oh, they must have slipped past me," he said absent-mindedly. "That''s what we get for posting your sorry ass as the lookout." The blonde woman drew a knife, prompting Caesar to draw his cutlass while Cecilia stood by to prepare a spell. In response to that, the dwarven male draw a battleaxe, but the vulture man raised his hands to surrender instead. "Hold on, you two. I know who this is." The vulture man kept his cool. "You''re Captain Caesar of the Celestial Compass, right?" "Y-yeah," Caesar answered, definitely not expecting someone to know him. "Have we met?" "Friend, you''ve caused a ruckus back at the Syndicate! You''re a hero!" Through gritted teeth, the vulture man signaled for his henchmen to put their weapons away. "We were just talking good things about you!" The three Blue Jays in front of Caesar bowed their heads for a second, forcing a smile with their devious lips. As for Quincy, he seemed skeptical to do anything except stare in confusion. "Liar," Susie squeaked. "You were just talking about how you can beat our captain in combat!" "That''s right! We''re part of the Celestial Compass, too, and you weren''t scared!" Marlon nudged the catfolk next to him. "Isn''t that right, Raymundo?" "Yeah! These guys even said they''d make us walk the plank," answered the little catfolk. Caesar didn''t expect the kids he rescued to be little fibbers, but it was amusing enough to see the Blue Jay in front of him scramble for an answer. "Uh, boss," Quincy said, "I didn''t know birds could sweat. You''re looking drenched!" "Shut up, all of you!" The vulture man was unhappy, and hoped his outburst gave him some much-needed breathing room. "Look, we''re a little exhausted, and desperation can push a man to do strange things, like picking on kids or eat tree sap thinking it''s honey. But we''re both members of the BPL. Surely, we can come to an agreement?" "The BPL," Marlon inquired. "The Brigand, Pirate, and Lawyer Syndicate," Caesar answered. "I hear they have a dental plan," Cecilia mentioned. "When does enrollment begin?" "It''s going on right now, and you have until the end of the year to apply," the vulture man said. "Thanks to the good captain here, they''ve recently unionized, so they''re required by law to give you something if you''ve been a member for at least a month." "Sounds like an honest answer to me." Cecilia faced Caesar. "Let''s hear them out, Cap." "I''m not fond of bullies who pick on my crew," Caesar warned. "This better be a good deal." "Oh, but it is! Look, you can have your crew back unharmed." The vulture man pointed at the kids. "Thanks to the dangers of this forest, we could all end up dead if I''m too greedy, so I''ll hold up my end of the bargain now. But we need you to do us a favor." "Marlon, can you take everyone else to the side of the road there?" Caesar pointed to the other side of the road, opposite of himself. "The grown-ups need to talk about grown-up stuff." "Do we have to," the young tiefling argued. "Yeah, unless you want to mutiny and stay with these very fine people," Caesar offered. The little tiefling boy resigned himself to the more generous offer and marched to the other side of the road, beckoning for the fellow children to follow him. Caesar went several steps to the opposite direction to lead the Blue Jays away from the kids. "I''m all ears," the captain said. "So it''s like this, my man," the vulture man began, "my friends call me Frankie, but you may call me El Buitre. And these are my associates, Darla," he points to the blonde woman, then to the dwarf, "Legs, and of course you know our lookout, Quincy." "A vulture named ''Vulture,''" Cecilia quipped. Keeping his anger in check, El Buitre ignored Cecilia''s quip and continued. "Anyway, the Syndicate offers good benefits, but the pay is something, como se dice, left to be desired. So we joined the Order of the Blue Jay because the pay is good. Unfortunately, our first job has been a little difficult." "This forest is home to the Abyssal moths," Darla explained, "which prey on people. They''re as big as birds of prey, they like to paralyze their prey, wrap them up in silk, and use the cocoon to liquefy their victims and proceed to drink them." "That''s why we can''t leave. The moths trapped us in." Legs''s words sounded convincing. "No matter where you go, you''ll eventually find the way blocked with silk. If you touch it, you''re as good as gone."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Caesar grinned. "I see. And you want me to cut the way forward?" The four Blue Jays nodded. "Sounds like a job for the Celestial Compass," Caesar declared. "We can handle a few moths." "Yes! They''re just moths!" El Buitre placed a feathery arm around Caesar. "Dangerous ones, but they''re still bugs. If you can squash them, all the better for us! We''re better suited for burglary, not fighting, and we couldn''t possibly survive trying to do this job." "Alright, alright, you made your case." Caesar''s words were enough to stop the Blue Jays from speaking more on the matter. "We''ll get rid of the moths for you. Sound good?" "I knew you wouldn''t let us down." El Buitre took his arm away from Caesar and took a moment to raise his arms to make a celebratory gesture. "We''ll be in the area. Come back when you''re done and give us the all-clear so we can leave the forest, ya hear?" "I guess that means we''re on the job." Caesar quickened his pace out of the road to put a distance between him and the Blue Jays as fast as possible. "Let''s go, Cecilia." "Coming!" Not caring much for the Blue Jays, Cecilia followed her captain out of the area. She could feel the eyes of the Blue Jays following her every move until the darkness of the forest embraced her once again. Once they were out of sight and earshot, Darla, Legs, and El Buitre laughed without restraint, as if they had been holding it in the entire time. Quincy laughed along with them, but his laughter wasn''t as loud as his companions. "Uhh, why are we laughing?" "We suckered those guys into doing our job for us," Darla explained. "But I thought our target was-" "Idiot, of course we know who the target is." El Buitre smacked the back of Quincy''s head. "Ow." "Lucky for us, those two didn''t ask questions. By the time they figure out what they''re doing, it''ll be too late." El Buitre snickered. This was all too easy for him. "Stupid assholes didn''t even take the children with-" Turning around to resume his bullying, El Buitre was soon dismayed when he didn''t see the children at the spot they were told to wait at. "Oooh, those kids just made a big mistake." The vulture man angrily swiped his arm, ultimately pointing deeper into the darkness. "Search the perimeter! They couldn''t have gone far!" "Why don''t we just follow the captain," Legs suggested. "That place yer pointing at is pretty dark for the rest of ya." "I said go! Vamos! Rapido!" *** "Oh, man. This is going to be a pain..." Wulf''s lamentations fell on deaf ears. On their way back to the wagon, Caesar and Cecilia had reunited with their chef and the children, all but one totally content that the plan had worked. The children had bruises on them, but after Marlon insisted they suffered only a few scratches from the fall, Wulf thanked the seas before unleashing two flashes of holy light on his crewmates and the children. "Captain, are you sure about this? Those Blue Jays can be very vindictive." Wulf had a firm grip on his trident and looked around and sniffed the air in case they were followed. Caesar, by contrast, walked seemingly without a care in the world. "We got what we came for. I''d call that a win." "Good job on the extraction, Wulf," Cecilia sincerely said. "Kinda concerned about the moths, though." "You believed them, Cecilia? I thought I told you to take what they said with a grain of salt." Fallen twigs snapped as the pirates continued their way back, the children hanging on Caesar''s every word. "You mean giant moths don''t exist," Gortha asked, seemingly disappointed. "Oh, they exist. They just don''t snatch up and eat people like those Blue Jays said. Some don''t even have mouths at all." The children gasped, which delighted Cecilia and Wulf. At the end of the day, the orphans were children, and their childlike wonder reminded the three adults of simpler days. "Really? Then how do they eat," Ray asked. "Well..." Caesar scratched his head. "They don''t. Moths start their lives as caterpillars, eat everything they can, and then form a cocoon. After some time inside the cocoon, they become adult moths, and some don''t come out with the mouths they go in with. Their energy was all stored inside from the food they ate as a caterpillar." "Wow..." Their conversation was abruptly and rudely interrupted by the sound of explosions. Instinctively, Wulf gathered the orphans to a single spot and shielded them from potential fire while Caesar and Cecilia ducked for cover. The explosions were distant, but the pirates recognized the weaponry used to create them. "Mortar fire! ''Nessa is in danger!" Cecilia glanced around for any signs of ongoing fire. All she could see were brief flashes of light which preceded each explosion. "Captain, I''m going in," Wulf snarled. "My woman''s out there fighting for her life!" "Are you nuts? Stay here," Caesar commanded. "We have to stick together!" "My fianc¨¦e''s out there!" Wulf could feel Caesar''s hand around his wrist. "Let go, Captain!" "Exactly, your fianc¨¦e is out there! Do you know what that means?" Another explosion went off, this one much closer than before. It was quickly followed by a howl and some maniacal laughter, and some blank stares from our present party. "HAHAHAHA! DIE, DEMONS, DIE!" The war cry was distant yet familiar. "W-well," Wulf stammered, "she could still use a hand." For once, everyone agreed. The time for questions was long gone, and they had to reach the wagon to lend Vanessa a hand. But instead of rushing in blindly, Caesar led the gang to the wagon at a slower pace, stopping at the sound of each mortar shell going off. No signs of wildlife here, nor were there any corpses lying about. Caesar was glad that his crew followed his orders even in his absence. It seemed Vanessa knew where she was firing and was avoiding innocent lives if possible. The wagon was not far, and each shell going off lit up the area long enough to help the rest of the crew see how close they were getting. Not far from the wagon came Vanessa, carrying her mortar with all of her strength. "I knew it''d be you, Captain." She set her cannon down. "And look, you brought the younglings safe and sound." "Couldn''t have done it without your man," Caesar quipped. "We''ll celebrate later, though. I heard you scream about demons. What''s that about?" "Had a ratman sneak up on me when I was patrolling the area. I fought it off, but I could feel more coming from a single direction. That''s when I opened fire." Vanessa chuckled nervously. "Must have scared them off, but I caught a glimpse at the rest of them. Hunched little men with buck teeth and forked tails. The way they charged was inhuman, and so was the red in their eyes." "Wrecker demons," Wulf guessed. "We''re here now, my love. We''ll take over!" "You think I''m tagging out because of some rats? Guess again." Vanessa loaded the next shell into her muzzle-loaded cannon. "If it''s alright with you, we need to fight off the next wave. Charlie and Tem haven''t woken up, and I''m starting to get worried." "How are they," Caesar asked. "Are they okay?" "Can''t tell. They have a pulse and they''re breathing just fine, but they''re napping like big babies. If the whole crew was up, we''d take these demons out in a cinch." The pirates separated and stood on different sides of the wagon. Caesar took north, Cecilia east, Vanessa west, and Wulf south. The orphans stepped inside the wagon at the behest of the pirates, but they kept the flap open so they wouldn''t miss the fireworks. "Then it''s up to us to pick up the slack! Vanessa, you just focus on your fire," Caesar ordered. "The rest of us will be your eyes!" The obvious question in everyone''s minds right now was why demons were lurking in the forest. The Order of the Blue Jay was also causing trouble and based on the intel they gathered about them back in Helix, the Order is never far behind whenever demons are concerned. There must surely be a correlation between both of them, and now the pirates'' hands were forced. They had to fight. As their eyes glanced all over the forest, a dark figure moved in the shadows above the Celestial Compass. They felt the gentle breeze of fluttering wings but panicked at the sight of a set of compound eyes that glowed in the dark. Fearing more demons, Caesar kept his sword arm ready, never taking his eyes off what could potentially be a new threat. The voice of a young woman assaulted their minds; it was loud and sudden, startling them all. "Outlanders! What are you doing in my forest?!" Chapter 68 - Immotherial Girl "Y-your forest?" The pirates braced themselves as the tall monstrous silhouette revealed its four arms, which sprouted from the middle of its thin three-sectioned body. The light revealed its viridian wings and white, feathery body - slightly poofier around the upper chest area - along with its gray humanoid face. The only other humanoid feature besides its facial structure and feminine appearance was its long, silvery locks that flowed with the wind. "Captain, would you mind dealing with it?" Vanessa loaded another mortar shell. "Running low on ammo, so I need absolute focus to get rid of those monsters." "I don''t think we need to worry about that." Caesar relaxed his stance and lowered his cutlass. "She looks like a giant moth, but she seems friendly." "And why would I be friends with humans?" The mouthless moth woman spoke directly with the minds of the pirates. Her mental voice sounded like an irate young woman. "You brought the demons here, didn''t you?" "We don''t know much about demons, but I know they don''t belong in the forest. We''re trying to clear them all out of here!" "Lies! The demons hunt for my babies day in and day out and destroy my domain as they go about it! We already protect the woods and provide the humans with silk from the shadows, so why do they not protect us?!" "Your babies?" Cecilia tried to put the information presented so far, but there was only so much she knew about the forest and its creatures. "I haven''t heard of giant moths calling an even bigger moth their ''mother.'' Just what are you playing at here?" BANG! Another mortar shell exploded in the distance, inciting the cries from a trio of hunched rat-like demons. The rest of the rat-like demons stopped in their tracks, second-guessing themselves on their current course of action and decided to hide behind the trees instead. "What is that infernal noise," the moth woman inquired. "Guangzhou gunpowder," Vanessa answered matter-of-factly. "The best of the realm." "I think she means the demons, love," Wulf corrected her. "Human weaponry is the worst! I cannot allow this!" A glyph formed at the palm of one of the moth woman''s four hands. "I cannot allow the demons to roam free, but your weapon will ruin the trees, the foliage, and the soil! I have no choice but to eliminate you first!" Focused on reloading her weapon, Vanessa could not pay attention to the danger going on behind her. With Cecilia and Wulf out of his immediate reach, Caesar placed himself between the giant moth and his beastly artillerist. While surprised by the pirate''s selfless action, the moth woman did not stop readying her spell. "I''m not letting you hurt a member of my crew! I don''t get what your deal is, but all we''re doing is dealing with these demons before we go home!" Caesar pointed his drawn cutlass at his new adversary. "If you want to get to ''Nessa, then you''ll have to go through me first!" "A tempting proposition. Very well! I''ll kill both of you and stop this madness myself!" Grimacing before covering his face, Caesar remained in place and braced himself for the moth woman''s attack. "So much for that!" What would have been Caesar''s gruesome, impending doom never came! Oh, for those of you who do not like pirates, this just isn''t your day! The young captain steadily removed his forearms from his face when he heard endless chittering. Another moth - the giant, non-humanoid variety - placed itself between him and its kin. Its wings fluttered erratically, doing its best to grab the monster woman''s attention. "What is it, my child?" Silence followed. The moth woman''s compound eyes changed from a cautious yellow to a calm green. "This dashing human and his ugly companions saved you?" "Dashing human," said Caesar with a slight blush. "Ugly companions?!" Cecilia, however, was less than pleased. "My apologies! Had I known you were the ones who saved my child from a horrible trap, I wouldn''t have attacked you in the first place. I''m sorry!" The moth woman''s psychic voice went from aggressive to sickeningly sweet in an instant. "No harm done," Wulf reassured her. "That must be the little guy our captain saved earlier. What are the odds?" "Save it for later!" Vanessa shoved her mortar into the wagon. "The demons are closing in, and I''m out of ammo!" Surrounded by demonic snarling, Caesar, Cecilia, and Wulf scanned the woods around them and firmly gripped their weapons. The snarling was closing in from all sides, and with no way out, all present prepared themselves for a fight. "Moths! Kill the moths and their Guardian," the demons chanted. "Alrighty, then." Relaxed and carefree, Caesar issued orders to his crew. "Listen up, ye scalawags! The Order of the Blue Jay wanted to kill some moths, so let''s do the opposite and save them! We''re defending this wagon and everything inside, as well! Vanessa, get your knife out and keep the kids safe! Cecilia, provide some cover fire! Wulf, you and I will charge into melee, but stay close to us!" "Yes, Captain!" The crew''s reply was hearty and without fear. "They got us surrounded, but this isn''t any different than the time the police surrounded us during a botched dine ''n dash! We''re just dealing with demons this time, so our no-kill rule is suspended for the time being! Plunder everything, and leave nothing!" Music to everyone''s ears. Just as the dice rolled for initiative, Caesar and Wulf charged in while Cecilia climbed the wagon to gain a better vantage point. The demons proved to be faster, and after hearing her babies were the demons'' current targets, the moth woman found the resolve to fight back. Suddenly, silence. The demons stopped hollering, shouting, chanting. Without a word, all six of them - each coming from a cardinal direction, plus from southwest and northeast - threw large rocks in the direction of their quarry. The moth woman shielded herself with her four arms, but a stray rock was lucky enough to hit her on the head.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Owie!" "It looks like these guys are organized, Cap," Cecilia commented. "Any ideas?" "I''ll have to ask our expert on fiends," Caesar said, turning to Wulf. "What do you have for us?" "Not much, I''m afraid." The dogfolk shook his head. "I only know demons in general can communicate via telepathy. They can strategize without us knowing!" "Terrific," Caesar said sarcastically. "Anything to add before they beat us quietly to death?!" "These demons are known as abrikandilu, or wrecker demons. They specialize in destroying things, preferably beautiful things!" "Great! When we see Alistair again, we''ll be sure to let him know we took good care of his wagon!" Dropping the sarcasm, Caesar scanned the area for any sign of the moth woman. Ever since she got hurt from thrown rocks, there hadn''t been a peep out of her, and now she was gone. "Where did she go?!" "She must have cast an invisibility spell or something," Cecilia guessed. The giant moth that Caesar saved was at a higher elevation, giving the sorceress an idea of what might be going on. With a snap of her fingers, she pointed at the wrecker demons closest to Caesar - the ones coming from the north, northeast, and east. "Alright, Cap, stick close to the wagon!" A mass of the forest undergrowth came to life, and Cecilia smiled cockily as the tall grass and vines followed her hand movements and wrapped themselves around the ankles of the three wrecker demons. Two of them wriggled free instantly, but a third nearly slipped and fell when the living plants held it in place. Caesar took this as an opportunity to hug the wagon, since his chief mate had arranged the spell to give anyone hugging the wagon a wide enough berth to move freely without touching the living vines. BANG! The strong smell of gunpowder was hard to miss, and so was the bullet wound once Caesar opened fire from his quickly-drawn pepperbox pistol. Black ooze dripped from the rat-like demon that had struggled to break free from the vines, forcing it to gutturally squeak in agony. Caesar posed confidently with both blade and firearm, pointing upward with the latter and his opponents with the former. But to the pirates'' surprise, the demon''s wound quickly closed off, stopping most of the bleeding. Its state of panic was short-lived, as it now confidently raised its claws and squeaked a sound similar to human laughter. "That''s not a good sign," Caesar warned his crew. "Wulf! What are these things made of?!" On his end, Wulf had to contend with the demons coming from the south, southwest, and west. Quick on his feet, the caninefolk clashed with the demon coming from the southwest, putting himself within range of the other two in case either one had the idea to run past him. The demon claws were either parried by his trident or stopped by his leather jacket, giving Wulf the opening he needed to counter with a heavy thrust. The three-pronged wound seemed significant until a large portion of it immediately closed off, reducing the amount of blackened ooze seeping through the three holes. "Captain, demon hides can be tough! Only cold iron can pierce them," the caninefolk warned. "Great! I wonder where we can find cold iron!" Caesar slid back when a trio of claws closed in on him. With the wagon right behind him and the demons blocking him from the front and sides, the captain had no choice but to block their incoming attacks with the heavy blade in his hand. He knew there was no escape, and it was up to him to fight them off. "Cold iron? That''s easy; just ask the paladins you''ll meet when we put you six feet under!" Vines lashed out at the feet of the wrecker demons, none of them able to advance further until the obstacle in front of them was taken care of. The pirate captain valiantly stood his ground, and swung his blade from side to side to ward off the claws that reached out to him. His waist took most of the damage from the one claw that managed to break through his defenses, causing tears on his unbuttoned shirt while some blood escaped from his wound and dripped on the grass. Caesar''s vision became blurry for a split second as he withstood the attack. "You''re a tough nut to crack," said the attacking rat demon. The blood on his nails instantly hardened. "You people are usually ready to pop like zits after a hit or two!" "I smell blood in the air," said another. "He''ll be popping soon!" "Heh, you''re not looking so hot, yourselves." It was hard to see, but there were pieces of shrapnel embedded on every single demon present, and they did not notice until Caesar pointed at them again. "Looks like our artillerist did a good job softening all of you up! All those explosions in the dark really paid off!" "Lucky break," barked a third demon. "It''s six of us versus the three of you! That flying moth is useless, and the Guardian made herself scarce by running away! But we''ll find her soon enough!" "Guardian? What exactly is she guarding? Is it-?" A wolfish yelp from the other side of the wagon yanked Caesar out of his train of thought. This was yet another mystery he had to solve later. "Wulf!" "I''m fine, Captain!" On the other side of the wagon, blood had dried around bite wounds Wulf had sustained, giving his exposed white fur a desiccated rusty color. "Looks like I''ve been cursed by the demons, though. I suddenly don''t feel so fired up." He sighed. "I know Vanessa likes clinging to my arms. She''s going to hate this..." "You don''t sound well at all," shouted Caesar. "Need a hand?" "I''ll fight on, Captain!" A bloodied hand grasped the trident, holding it steady from right below the head with the help of the cleaner hand. "There''s not a lot I understand. You and Cecilia have changed a little ever since you discovered there''s a higher purpose for both of you. Things look a little bleak now, but you''ve shown me and Vanessa that woman and beastfolk alike can also live a life of plunder and adventure! The code is not fond of deserters, and I won''t move unless you give the order to retreat!" A ray of fire was shot between Wulf''s ears and struck a distracted demon through the chest. The demon''s hide repelled the beam at first, but ultimately the attack pierced right through, creating a small gaping hole before it dropped dead from where it stood. The demons looked up in the direction the beam was shot from, but did not locate the assailant. Coincidentally, where there once was a halfling sorceress on top of the wagon now had nothing at all. This detail easily explained why the demons gasped when they heard Cecilia''s disembodied voice coming from the wagon. "Got you." "Looks like our chief mate is getting serious." Caesar shifted his smile to the left. "Where did you go, Cecilia? I thought attacking an enemy usually broke the invisibility spell." "Our moth friend hasn''t abandoned us, Cap," said the tricksy halfling''s disembodied voice. "If these guys fight with overwhelming force, then we''ll just have to match that with our own tricks!" Chapter 69 - Honest Fan Service It is said that the world of Io entered the age of magitech in the year 1551, but a sense of wonder and the drive to push past limits has been a part of humanity for almost as long as time itself. Since ancient times, humanity looked at the birds and asked themselves, "How can we fly?" They looked at the marine life of the sea and asked, "How can we dive and swim like them?" They looked at the local necromancer and asked, "Okay, how can we do what he does, but humanely?" For many years, humanity asked themselves these questions and sought out the answers through trial, error, sweat, tears, and with enough courage to overcome their fear of failure. For every answer they had found that brought them closer to their desired goal, countless of experiments had been conducted that only ended with failure. But these experiments eventually became easier to conduct once humanity learned to combine science with magic. Religious scholars theorized that it was the divine that have granted humanity the gift of magic. The divines sat back and watched humanity grow once they planted the seed of magic. Through their devout followers, they nurtured this seed to keep it healthy. But as humanity and magic grew, pride also grew along with them. It was human to allow competition to thrive, but it did not take long for the fiercest competitors to believe they had all the answers and used their own wisdom to combine magic to build dangerous gadgets and constructs of metal to drive the point home. Over the course of time, casters became inventors, allowing magic and science to combine as one. In reality, this did little to hinder humanity, but the divines approached this new era with caution. They had to, for they did not want the seed they had cultivated to wither and die in a single instant.This new approach gave birth to golems, giant constructs made of magic and metal, and engineers preferred this new method over the one necromancers had used since animation spells had been discovered. Old methods of doing house chores made way for the new, and humanity thrived better than ever before. But sometimes, the divines would question if humanity didn''t abuse the power they had been granted. And at no other time had this been displayed as intensely as this very moment. "Power fans! Get your power fans here," shouted a young girl we all know, from the town square of Goodsprings. "These paper fans spin rapidly on their own, and if you keep them on, they give you an image to look at! Monster drawings, hot knights, cute animals, and more! An amusing way to stay cool!" The imagination of the human mind is as fascinating as it is bizarre.
At an undetermined time in a very familiar area of our current tale, we return to our young heroine who goes by... "Lenoria Tsukino, a gadgeteer genius who fights for love and science," the young blonde introduced herself as she twirled a screwdriver. Along with her companions, Alistair the Giant Slayer- "Must you give me a title," the boy wondered aloud. -Clara, Summoner Princess of an Ancient Elf Tribe (Probably)- "I thought I was a broke girl who lived with her parents," Clara corrected. -and who could forget the cute and fabulous girl wearing a sailor suit raised by a pirate a capella gang, Melodious Aquamarine! "I''m more of an opera artiste, if you ask me." Joanna lowered her glasses. "And don''t call me that in public! Can''t you see the school blazer? I''m just your average yet cute upperclassman, Joanna Jones!" These four heroes are on a mission to make an honest living while meeting a goal imposed by their boss, the matriarch of House Bisset herself, Lady Gabrielle. And today, they have gotten closer to that goal by, um... "Selling power fans!" A paper fan unfolded from Lenoria''s hand. "My favorite is the one with Alistair drawn on it." Alistair looked at the fan curiously. "I get Lisa was feeling energetic with her drawings, but did she really have to draw my face on dozens of them?" "I think the better question," Joanna began, "is that if you''ve ever looked at your woman there and asked yourself ''How did I fall in love with her?''" "She''s kind and makes my day better," Alistair admitted. "I could gush about her all day long, but then we''d end the chapter and get nothing done." "Speaking of, where are we at this point in the story?" Clara''s question piqued everyone else, and they all pondered upon it where they stood. "I mean, is this the future? An alternate timeline? A non-canon event? Is Caesar here with us safe and sound?" "Beats me. I thought this would be the beach episode." Joanna kicked a rock. "When I heard the chapter title for this episode, selling fans was not what I had in mind." "Guys, guys, we''re wasting time here." Lenoria pressed a button on her paper fan and released it. Her expression remained the same when it stayed in place before it started rotating until it became a circular blur. The pattern on the fan and the speed of the blades made a semi-perfect image of Alistair in a defensive stance. "And stop with the meta jokes! We can only squeeze so many before people start cringing." Alistair bowed. "Apologies, my love. Where do we begin?" "There is that old alchemist living on Timothy Lane," Joanna proposed. "Why don''t we go there? I''m sure even his little hermit hut gets a little too hot to his liking." And off they went to Timothy Lane and let themselves in through a rickety wooden gate and followed the single path to an old cabin. The girls stopped to let Alistair through, who then proceeded to knock on the door. "Do you think he''s home," Clara wondered. "He should be. He''s supposed to be under house arrest for another two weeks because of the explosive jelly incident," Joanna explained. Lenoria flailed her arms erratically. "I said I was sorry!" A turn of the knob spurred the youthful group into silence. "Shh." Alistair adjusted the collar of his cream-colored tunic as a crotchety human male stepped out of the door. "Greetings, sir! My name is Alistair Adams, and these are my wonderful associates. We represent Honest Lenoria''s Fan Service, and we were wondering if your house was prepared for the summer." "Fan...Service," the old man repeated. "That''s right," Lenoria cheerfully explained. "We sell my top-of-the-line power fans, which form images for your amusement! We also install more practical fans at a cheaper price, and we repair them when they eventually break down." "It will cool you down in the heat, or your money back!" Joanna smiled cockily. "Now that''s what I''m talking about. Let me fetch my-" The old man interrupted himself. "Hold on a tick. Did you say one of you is named Lenoria?" Lenoria stood front and center. "Yuh-huh." "The same Lenoria who moved in recently and started crafting those weird inventions?" "Yuh-huh!" SLAM! *** "I can''t believe that old guy didn''t bite." Lenoria sighed deeply as she, Alistair, and Joanna sat on a wooden park bench. With no plan other than ''mope around until you catch a lucky break,'' they all elected to wait for Clara as she ran off to do her own thing. "You guys!" Clara panted without ceasing once she returned. "Guess what? I just went to the outskirts of town, and a group of fey are interested in our fan service!" "That''s great news, Miss Clara!" Alistair leapt with joy. "Thanks, Clara!" Lenoria hopped happily in place. "Don''t we have an appointment with the local bathhouse today," Joanna asked. "We can''t miss that, you know. I hear the pay big money for whatever maintenance services they hire." "Ah, but no one said we can''t do both at the same time!" Lenoria held Alistair''s hand. "It''s simple. Me and Al will meet with the fey, and you two can head to the bathhouse." "Sounds good to me." The magical girl raised an eyebrow. "Hold on a sec. What kind of fey are they meeting with, Clara?" "Satyrs. You know, half men, half goats. They''re always partying and dancing." Clara shrugged. "I figured with all that moving around, they''ll be sweating a lot. They said they''ll pay handsomely for our fan service." "And who are we to say no to potential clients?" Lenoria nodded with agreement. "That settles it! Let''s not keep them waiting, team. Move out!" And so our party splits! Clara and Joanna were fine with going to the local bathhouse while Lenoria and Alistair went on their merry way to visit the nice forest fey. Four heads thinking better than one, they saw no way this could possibly go wrong. *** We''ll move on to Lenoria and Alistair in good time. First, let''s check how Clara and Joanna are doing. The two entered the local bathhouse, which had men and women in armor coming in and out. The smell of soap products emanated from the azure porcelain walls, giving the inside of the bathhouse a feeling similar to an ordinary bathroom, sans the lavatory. Clara nearly slipped due to the steam having moisturized the tiled floors. "Welcome!" A horned humanoid greeted the girls. He wore black slacks, black dress shoes, and a black vest over his white long-sleeved shirt. His appearance was rather fiendish, with orange skin glistening from the magical lights illuminating the bath-like foyer, his white teeth clearly visible and two insectoid mandibles protruding from the sides of his mouth.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Despite his looks, his voice and choice of clothing articles gave him a gentlemanly appearance, as if to ease the worries of potential clients. "The realm has blessed me with the presence of beauty today. Have the divines themselves taken a liking to me this day?" "Actually, we''re here about the fan service," Clara explained. "Every good bathhouse could use some." "Yes, yes, I have been expecting you. Honest Lenoria''s Fan Service is quite a mouthful. I pray you meet my expectations." "We''ll get it done in no time flat," Joanna boasted. "Then I bid you welcome to Purgatorio, the place where saints and sinners alike wash themselves off of their worldly worries." He rolled his eyes. "We were going to name it something else, something something Bathroom Infernalis or something like that." "Why didn''t you," Clara asked. "Naming a business is not easy, you see. When you come up with a clever name, you have to have to claim it before someone else does. Bureaucrats and their yellow tape," he mumbled the last sentence. "But enough about my woes. Let me show you where the baths are..." The girls got to work. They agreed they would work more efficiently if they split up, so Joanna made her way to one side of the bathhouse while Clara was escorted deeper into the middle section. "Time to apply these skills I''ll never show off again," Joanna declared. It took some time, but a turn of the screwdriver here, and a spell there, Joanna installed a set of blunt blades in an isolated space of her section of the bathhouse. With a snap of her fingers, the blades started spinning, cooling her off in this warm environment. "That''s better! Now the bathers will benefit from our fan service, all thanks to the great Joanna." The magical very normal schoolgirl tapped her head cockily. With another snap of her fingers, the device''s blades stopped spinning at a gradual rate. "I don''t know where Lenoria got this idea from, but I have to admit, a cooling device for a bathhouse is genius. Time to get Clara and collect our pay!" Joanna picked up her tools and happily strolled back to the foyer. There was no sign of Clara anywhere, so she waited for the gentlemanly receptionist to finish attending two female customers before approaching him. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen my friend?" "Ah, you mean the beautiful elf," said the gentleman. "While you were installing your fan service on the women''s baths, your friend had started on the mixed baths since they''re the least crowded. She was done about fifteen minutes ago, and since she didn''t see you here, she moved on to the men''s baths." Joanna''s face dropped. "Did...did you say the men''s baths?" The gentleman nodded. "It''s the darndest thing. I offered to accompany her, but she said she worked better unsupervised. Even after I told her the local barbarian tribes like to bathe around this hour, she insisted on going in alone." "And you let her?!" Joanna stared at the man incredulously before marching down to the men''s baths. She stopped right before the entrance when common sense got a hold of her, and gulped when she noticed how small her five-foot frame was compared to the double-door entryway. "These are...the men''s baths..." Joanna reached for the reinforced double wooden doors, but the sound of running water on the other side stopped her. "Clara wouldn''t have gone in there unless she was sure she could handle the danger, right? Y-yeah, Clara is strong! There''s no way she would go inside without a plan. I-I could just wait here. I shouldn''t risk rumors of Melodious Aquamarine acting like a common pervert!" Unable to hear her ongoing thoughts, several female passerby stopped, looked on judgmentally, and went on their merry way. A male mohawked dwarven pair in particular - with towels strapped around their shoulders and silken breeches below their waists - headed in her direction, but they stopped when they noticed her. "That hairstyle...ain''t that Melodious Aquamarine?" "Nah, that can''t be her," the second dwarf told the first. "This one''s acting like a common pervert, staring at the men''s baths with her mouth agape. Besides, Melodious Aquamarine wouldn''t be caught dead with that ridiculous school uniform. She uses a red bow tie, remember?" "Oh, right! Good point, friend. Let''s just use the mixed baths today." The duo left the magical girl to her own devices. Oh, if only communication was a thing. "I can''t just stand here. What do I do?" Joanna paced back and forth. "Wait, I know! We''re a sisterhood of singers. She may be older, but compared to me, she''s a small babe when it comes to singing experience." She harrumphed arrogantly. "It falls on me to save her every time she''s in trouble. Who knows what sick, twisted things she could be forced to be doing as we speak." ---------- And now, we take a look into Joanna''s vivid imagination. "Excuse me, miss, would you mind washing down my back and/or butt?" "Sure!" Clara''s answer was incredibly eager, to the delight of all the musclebound men present. ---------- "Yaaah! I''ll save you, Clara!" Joanna kicked the double doors in front of her and dashed through the porcelain hall to enter the men''s baths. To her shock, she eventually heard hollering, growing louder the closer she got. After making a turn, there she was. A crowd of shirtless men had surrounded Clara...as she played her guitar, seated on a pedestal. "Oh, no. Am I too late," Joanna whispered. It appeared that whatever song Clara was playing had reached its climax. The young elf released her instrument from both hands, letting the strap around her shoulders to hang on to it. Some of the men - shirtless but not completely naked, mind you - were driven to tears, while others cried for an encore. "Sorry, boys. But you''ll have to hear the rest at the tavern tonight," Clara announced. Everyone in the crowd groaned, disappointed by Clara''s refusal to play more. "Pretty please, Clara," pleaded a musclebound rock giant. "We''ll pay you with a feast if you play again. Won''t we, lads?" "Yeah!" All of the men''s voices were in sync. "Her voice is as sweet as the sauce of the local rib sandwich," added a burly dwarf. "Her words alone will get me through the next bloodbath," added a muscular human. Clara chuckled. "Sorry, boys, but friends and family come first. I''ll be at the tavern tonight, I promise." After cutting through the crowd, Clara finally noticed her smaller friend. "Oh, hey Joanna. What are you doing here?" "Y-y-y-y-y-y-" Joanna pointed at Clara accusingly. "YOU SHAMELESS WONDER! I thought you were in trouble, so I came running!" "Oh, sorry. I didn''t mean to make you worry, honest." Clara raised an eyebrow. "Hold on. Why did you think I was in trouble?" Blushing profusely, Joanna''s tongue tied while her elven friend smiled cockily. When she finally found her words, she said, "What was I supposed to think? You were in here for at least half an hour! Have you no decency?!" "We came here because we have a job to do, remember? I was done for about fifteen minutes, but these guys recognized me and wanted me to play a few songs." "We''re truly sorry," said one of the barbarians. "Her voice is as alluring as the nymphs themselves. We got carried away with the encores." "Hmph!" Joanna shifted her head sideways. "W-well, as long as you''re sorry, I guess I can let it slide." "Glad that was resolved. I wonder if Lenoria was as successful as us," Clara pondered. Don''t count on it, Clara. Or should I say, let''s check in with our main heroine now. *** Meanwhile, somewhere in Goodsprings Forest, Lenoria and Alistair strolled their way to the appointed place Clara had given them. The day was warm but the occasional cool breeze provided much-needed relief during their walk. "Remember, Lenoria, that you''re the face of this business." Alistair wedged his free hand between his other arm and Lenoria''s head, which had pressed itself against him lovingly. The girl''s grip was surprisingly strong, using both of her arms to hold on to his. His efforts to remove her would surely require more strength. "So. You. Must. Always. Remain. Professional!" But the girl would not budge. "Relax, will you? We haven''t found the fey yet." Stars formed in the girls eyes. "Besides, how often do I get to spend time alone with my sweetie?" "What about the moment we had six chapters ago," the boy asked. "We''re weeks - months, I think - from that point in time. I can''t imagine going that long without you!" The girl''s arms snaked around the boy''s neck once she stood in front of him. "Can''t I just sneak a kiss or two under that tree over there? If we''re quick, no one''s going to notice..." "Actually, we would." An elderly voice out of nowhere made the two lovers jump in place. "Over here." Alistair turned around and Lenoria followed his gaze, and both spotted a tree not far from them. The tree''s bark shape gave it a grandfatherly look, with weary eyes, a ''bearded'' mouth, and even a ravishing moustache! "Did that tree just talk," Lenoria asked. "Did that girl just talk?" The tree''s voice bordered on a mocking tone. "You humans always fancy yourselves the supreme beings of the world, don''t you? Why are you always so surprised other creatures can talk?" "Hey!" "My apologies, sir," Alistair said while respectfully bowing his head. "My beloved is learning the ways of the forest around her new home. She did not mean to offend." "My, my, a young man versed in the old ways. Ready to jump to your woman''s defense, I see." A moving branch poked Alistair''s nape, causing the boy to jump again and hide behind Lenoria. The couple glanced over the direction opposite of the elderly tree and spotted another tree, this one smiling like a caring grandmother, likely the source of the raspy voice they just heard. "Don''t mind my husband over there, dearies. He thinks he''s hot manure ever since the archdruid of Rosewood ate an apple from his branch and called it the best he''s ever had." "W-well, it is," the other tree defended himself. "He should have named me guardian of this forest, not that oversized pig." "And what would you do if the forest ever fell under attack; throw apples at them?" The matronly tree shook her branches ominously. "Yeah, that''ll get invaders off our backs." "Rosewood," Lenoria piped up. "That''s the druidic society bordering the Western and Central provinces, correct?" "The druidic society located northwest of here, yes," the arrogant tree corrected. "Oh, stop it. You know humans can''t help putting labels on the lands they live in," the matronly tree scolded her partner. "You sure do know your geography, young lady. What brings you to our forest today, anyway?" "We''re supposed to meet with the local fey today," Lenoria explained. "We''re offering fan service, from gifting our homemade fans to installing fans in houses and local businesses." From afar, Lenoria spotted a group of horned men approaching her. The top part of their bodies appeared to look like well-built human men, while the bottom half consisted of a goat''s hind legs and quarters. Their horns curved like a ram''s, and all were draped with open tunics of various shades of white and cream. "Satyrs! Right on time!" Lenoria waved at the crowd of newcomers. "Hey! Are you here about the fan service?" No answer. The satyrs continued their march without a word. The talking trees took one look at each other before their faces, like magic, disappeared. "They''re not answering," Alistair pointed out. "They''re probably just shy from seeing a pretty face. I''ll break the ice to put them at ease." Lenoria leaned forward, her raised arms bursting with energy. "Yoo-hoo! You guys look familiar. Have we met before?" The satyrs stopped in their tracks. "Yes," said the leading man among them. "Huh." Lenoria was at a loss for words. "Is...is that a good sign?" "Usually," Alistair said as he met his beloved''s eyes. "That one could drop the attitude, but it looks like your plan to break the ice worked like a-" Alistair''s gaze shifted towards the satyrs again, his face instantly dropping from what he saw. "The satyrs have guns." "Pardon?" "THE SATYRS HAVE GUNS!" Alistair turned around, swooping Lenoria off her feet as he did so, and focused on the road behind him as he ran. The sound of gunfire rang in the air, one deafening KER-POW after another. Momentarily lost in the moment from getting carried around like a bride, a stray bullet bouncing from Alistair''s armor was enough to snap Lenoria out of her daze. "I don''t get it! I thought forest creatures like elves and fey preferred wooden weapons like bows!" "We make exceptions for scammers like you!" The satyrs had given chase, carrying around long firearms as they fired in all directions. Alistair couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "You scammed these guys, Len?" "That''s the fun part about time skips! We won''t know for sure until we get around to that chapter." Lenoria winked at a random direction, followed by screaming as she and Al fled for their lives. *** "Ow! Ow! Owie!" Our heroes successfully escaped from the satyrs, and now that they were back home at the lodge, Alistair patiently picked the bullets that had struck Lenoria''s back. Once he was done, a gentle healing touch closed the bullet wounds, making Lenoria feel good as new. Moments later, Clara and Joanna returned from their own venture. "You two look awful," Joanna said. "What happened to you?" Once Lenoria and Alistair explained what happened - from talking trees to gun-totting goat men - Clara couldn''t help but feel horrified. "I''m so sorry! They seemed so friendly when I set up the meeting," she insisted. "How did you escape?" "We lost the satyrs after a tengu and a lizardfolk crossed their paths," Alistair revealed. "I''m not proud for running away, but it looks like we escaped with our lives." "What about you," Lenoria asked the two girls. "Any luck?" "You''ll be happy to know that business is steady," Joanna answered confidently. "Three fans have been installed and pretty soon we''ll have some pretty satisfied customers." "Then it looks like our fan service is a success." Lenoria slumped against her seat. "Good. Good. That brings us closer to our monetary goal. Good job, everyone." Limping her way across the dining area, Lenoria made her way to the girl''s dorm to get some much-needed rest. "When do we tell her that a lot of her fans were found discarded across the village?" Joanna asked. "Give her a day to savor her victory, then we tell her," Clara proposed. Chapter 70 - Battle in the Dark A ray of fire was shot between Wulf''s ears and struck a distracted demon through the chest. The demon''s hide repelled the beam at first, but ultimately the attack pierced right through, creating a small gaping hole before it dropped dead from where it stood. The demons looked up in the direction the beam was shot from, but did not locate the assailant. Coincidentally, where there once was a halfling sorceress on top of the wagon now had nothing at all. This detail easily explained why the demons gasped when they heard Cecilia''s disembodied voice coming from the wagon. "Got you." "Looks like our chief mate is getting serious." Caesar shifted his smile to the left. "Where did you go, Cecilia? I thought attacking an enemy usually broke the invisibility spell." "Our moth friend hasn''t abandoned us, Cap," said the tricksy halfling''s disembodied voice. "If these guys fight with overwhelming force, then we''ll just have to match that with our own tricks!" "How is she doing that? Her invisibility spell isn''t usually this powerful." Caesar was not a mage, but he knew Cecilia couldn''t cast [Invisibility]; she often relied on potions for the spells she couldn''t cast, and even the magic from the potions wore off whenever she struck with either knife or spell. To witness her going on the offensive without breaking the spell was something that warranted belief and thus he monitored her movements curiously. "Alright, plants! Do your thing!" The vines and tree roots latched on to the legs of the demons close to Caesar, wrapping themselves around their ankles and forearms. The one that had been entangled could not fight them off, while a second and third did their best to evade them. With the demons so close, he couldn''t risk firing his pistol at point-blank range, and he couldn''t keep his eye on Cecilia the whole time. Holding his cutlass sideways, he elected to focus more on defense. "Swashbuckling it is!" Holstering his pistol, Caesar drew first blood after heavily swinging his cutlass. The demon in front of him screeched at the pain, and even more at the sight of the black ooze dripping from its new wound around the belly. "Alright, crew! These demons are tough, but don''t give up! Your artillerist worked hard to weaken them, and I''m not about to let her efforts go to waste! The enemy has a numbers advantage; that''s why we have to show them it''s not the number of fighters that matters, but rather the strength in those numbers!" "You got it, Captain!" Cornered by two demons and his back almost against the wagon, Wulf raised his free hand defensively against his face, palm out, as he kept both eyes on the demons. "Pellis ferrea!" In an instant, his white fur gained a metallic sheen that glistened thanks to the fire coming from the smoldering corpse nearby. "Back him up, Cecilia! Don''t you worry about me; I can take these guys!" "Big words for a dead man!" The two wrecker demons coordinated a silent maneuver by flanking Wulf and sank their fangs into his flesh; that is, at least as much as their strength alone could bite through a hard surface. Fragments of teeth fell from their mouths as both recoiled from the pain and discomfort from biting Wulf''s toughened flesh. "Agh. What is that; is your fur made of metal?!" The caninefolk thumbed his black nose. "Try harder! Maybe you won''t chip as many teeth if you do, but I doubt you''ll get through my skin!" The demons grunted, but Wulf wondered how his captain fared. On Caesar''s side of the wagon, two demons sluggishly swiped at the captain despite their handicap while the third, unhindered, lunged at Caesar with its sharp fangs. Caesar turned to face it, but his reflexes failed him as the creature sank its teeth into his arm. The drool from the demon rat man gave off the stench of sulfur as it tore into his skin, something Caesar tried to scrub away immediately after the creature backed off. "I can feel something creeping in! Fight it! Fight it!" The urge to sulk rose within Caesar; he started to wonder if he really commanded the respect of his crew, or if it was simply his charming good looks that brought the band together. "Get it together, man..." Then came a gentle touch on his back. A delicate, unseen hand patted him on the back. He couldn''t help but flinch, dreading that a new foe had just entered the game. "Shhh. Stand still, and stay quiet," the voice of the moth woman telepathically whispered to the captain. "Just think your words. I''ll be able to hear you." "Really?" The echo in Caesar''s mind made him recoil a little. "Whoa! But why shouldn''t I move?" "Huh?" One of the demons started looking around. The other two followed his lead, first staring straight through Caesar, then looking all over their surroundings. "Where did you go?!" "He disappeared! Just like the smaller one!" "Because you''re invisible now, silly." The moth woman''s disembodied answer sounded rather sweet. "I promise not to let you die. You can help me save my forest!" "Hard to say no to a pretty face. I already said we''ll help you, but the more I think about it, the more I think you''ll have to give us a reason to trust you." Caesar smiled. "What''s your name?" "My name?" The moth woman nearly stuttered. "Why would you want that?"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Another ray of fire zapped through the air, this time hitting one of the demons befuddled by Caesar''s disappearance. Once again, it appeared the demon''s hide would ward off the attack, but Cecilia''s spell was powerful enough to pierce through. As a result, a molten hole was left behind, leaving the vile fiend to breathe its last before collapsing. Two demons down. "You just turned this around for us. The least I''d like to know is the name of our savior." Another demon was struck, this time by Caesar''s swaying cutlass. To his surprise - twofold, at that - he was able to strike a tender area near the shoulder which in turn spilled more black ooze, yet the blow did not kill. The rat-like demon released an unholy screech, backpedaling to give itself some room between itself and Caesar. On the other side, a demon avoided getting skewered by Wulf, but just barely. That one, too, screeched loud enough for its comrades - and everyone else, really - to hear it. With two of their comrades dead on the ground and themselves wounded by mortar shrapnel, fire, and steel, their next course of action was immediately decided. Nodding to each other, the demons retreated back into the darkness, evading a stray blow from their invisible adversary as their hunched bodies became silhouettes beyond the forest trees. Scattering in all directions, those in Cecilia''s vines made an effort to exit the area first before heading straight to the cover of darkness. "They''re running away," Cecilia commented. "What are your orders, Cap?" The demons had made an effort to hide their pained grunting, and not one word was spoken amongst themselves. Caesar spotted one glancing his way as it retreated, its face contorted with anger and frustration. The captain took a moment to check his surroundings; he turned the corner on his right and spotted Wulf had already sat down on the blood-stained grass to catch his breath. He opened the flap behind the wagon, spotting Vanessa with a dagger drawn while the children huddled behind her. He saw no sign of Cecilia, but judging by the words she spoke just now, she must have still been on top of the wagon. "We fall back on the opposite direction. We''re down two men, there''s children on board, and we don''t know how many more are waiting over there. We''re not in the shape to keep fighting." "Fair enough." Loud steps on the wagon''s roof preceded the sound of landing on the grass. Moments afterward, Cecilia''s tiny form became visible again, as did the hovering moth woman''s. "I wasn''t sure how long that spell was going to last, but I''m glad they ran away before it wore off." Right afterwards, Caesar''s invisibility spell wore off as well. He could see his hands again, wounds and all. "Yeah, I''ve been meaning to ask. Invisibility normally wears off when we attack. Why didn''t it do it this time?" "Because my spell is a stronger form of invisibility," said the moth woman. "We had no time to coordinate, so I asked your friend who among you was better off benefitting from it." "Which is why I said me and the Captain," Cecilia confirmed. "Well, telepathically, but the story''s the same. I should be able to cast it in due time; then, we''ll be unstoppable." Caesar looked over at Cecilia and Wulf, the latter who was already nuzzling his beloved while the orphans jumped off the wagon. They ran up to Caesar, their starry eyes filled with wonder and admiration. "A-are they gone?" Susie asked. "No more monsters?" Marlon followed. The children waited anxiously with anticipation, growing more and more as Caesar delayed with his response. The captain wasn''t sure himself, but he didn''t want to lead them on with false hope. "Any good pirate knows that there''s always danger in the darkness. Even if the demons are gone, there''s no guarantee they won''t come back." As if to calm the children''s nerves, Caesar remained calm and composed. He straightened his posture, crossed his arms, and smiled. "This forest is like the deep sea. We''re navigating in uncharted waters, so we can''t just jump down and go for a swim. So keep your eyes peeled for danger, even when it feels safe. You never know what''s lurking in the darkness." Satisfied with his answer, the children''s frowns did not fade. However, their expressions did shift more towards the determined side, saluting their captain before huddling together to voice their thoughts in secret. In truth, Caesar couldn''t imagine there being something worse than the abrikandilu lurking in the forest, but he couldn''t help but feel as if he was being watched from the shadows. *** A feathery silhouette feasted on the rotten carcass of a doe. Caring little for manners, the tall avian creature - measuring about 8 feet in height - was a messy eater, splashing blood and guts all over the surrounding area. Meanwhile, a gaggle of abrikandilu lounged in the shadows; some napped on the giant tree branches while others played games using the rocks and the dirt of the forest ground. They lazily raised their heads when four of their number recently arrived and hurriedly rushed to the feathery silhouette, who couldn''t be bothered to stop eating to greet them. "M-master Grif, we come with terrible news!" "Hmm?" Raising his curved neck along with its head, the creature known as Grif spoke somewhat dismissively. "It couldn''t wait until after I finished eating?" One of the surviving abrikandilu was pushed closer to its master and gave him a shaky nod. "N-no. We were trolling for moths like you ordered, but we took a detour when we found some bandit schmucks. We figured a little ripping and tearing would get our blood flowing. Right, boys?" The three abrikandilu behind their assigned squad captain (if we can call it that) nodded along as he continued his story. "But the moths interfered. Their guardian stepped in and saved the bandits. We don''t know how powerful she really is, but she''s cunning. She made two of those bandits invisible, leaving only the strongest among them visible to us. We lost two of our number, and that''s when we came to you." The tall avian demon gave pause to process everything he had been told. His minions had returned empty-handed and essentially lost two of their own for nothing. "You failed?" "Master, they overwhelmed us-" "FAILURES, ALL OF YOU!" A cloud of spores scattered when the silhouette raised his voice. He stepped out of the shadows, revealing itself to be a feathery yet monstrous cross between man and vulture. The demon raised a talon and stomped on the carcass of the animal beneath him, splattering more gore around it. "What''s the point of having your own minions if none of them are strong enough for the task at hand?" Marching towards the center of their makeshift encampment, the vulture demon''s red eyes commanded the attention of all of the abrikandilu present. "Listen up, you rats! We''re not exactly in a position to take our time with this mission. Those moths want to play dirty? Then we''ll show them dirty..." Chapter 71 - A Captains Desire 28th of Cobre, 2:27pm, 1659 Norwich was once again in the sights of our protagonists. Unlike the night of their arrival, the village seemed more lively from afar under the overcast skies. It would only take a few minutes to arrive casually on horseback, less than a minute if they rushed inside now. "Are you sure Caesar is beyond the village, Pearl?" Lenoria''s arms clung around Alistair while both rode on Chestnut''s back. The woman in black hovered next to Chestnut, her expression as cold and grumpy as usual. "His movements vary from time to time, but he has not left the forest since we parted ways. I can sense Beckett, but I can''t locate the Argo Navis." "Then we better get moving. They could be in trouble." The blonde leaned her head on Alistair''s shoulder. "We''re here, Al. I know these people don''t like you, so I was thinking maybe we could hide you with a cloak or something." "I have a better idea." Not far behind them, a low-pitched neigh could be heard as Solveig and her steed marched towards the side of the road. "We''re going off-roading." "What?" Melodious Aquamarine, not far from Solveig, raised her arms in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Who knows what kind of bugs you''ll find in the tall grass." "Why did Lenoria bring this brat, anyway?" Solveig''s mighty steed, a skeletal horse made of fire, casually strode off the road and into the tall grass - easily three feet in height - without setting anything ablaze. "Hey, bird woman. You sure your man is this way?" "I just said that he was," Pearl said with irritation. "Were you not paying attention?" "Perfect. Then we go this way." Ignoring Pearl''s protests, Solveig marched off the road in the direction Pearl had pointed to. The giant woman did not stop or even care for anyone else''s thoughts, and went on her own. Aquamarine shook her fist. "Talk about a big fat meanie! Why did you bring her, anyway, Lenoria?" Chestnut was next to step on the tall grass, following Solveig''s example as he brought Lenoria and Alistair with him. The noble steed waited until Alistair gave him the okay to proceed, then strolled further into the grass and followed the living fireball. Lenoria, riding on the back, gave Aquamarine a gentle nod. "I trust Clara more than anyone else to take care of Lisa while we''re gone. But I don''t think it''s a good idea for just the three of us to go. Who know what''s waiting for us in that forest." Having not gotten a word in until now, Alistair finally spoke. "I trust Solveig to keep us alive, despite her demeanor. Please bear with it, Miss Aquamarine." The boy scratched his head. "I''m more surprised she agreed to come with us." "Yeah." It was a surprise for Lenoria as well, but it was a welcome surprise. The couple had made their way to the inner part of the village the night before until they located her, and she was not one to hesitate despite having only a few hours before departure. Are you kidding me? I hate that bald toad, too. If we save these friends of yours, then that means Demetrio sent his men after them for nothing. An ally driven by spite was still an ally. Plus, an agent of a death god opposing the actions of a necromancer was not unexpected. But until they had asked her, a margin of uncertainty would have remained. A good scientist would leave no question unanswered if that meant it left nothing to chance in their theory. And their reward was Solveig''s assistance until Caesar and his crew were found safe and sound. Then, she would return to Goodsprings to resume her duties. That was her only condition. "Fine, whatever." Aquamarine braced herself before urging Mr. Horsey to step towards the grass. The tall grass felt wet yet coarse as it brushed against her skin. This was going to be a long day. *** 27th of Cobre, 11:09am, 1659 The lair of the moth woman was a cave somewhere in the forest. There was no direct sunlight, but the phosphorescent fungi stuck to the walls pierced through the darkness with a blue light. There was enough space to fit the wagon inside, and once deeper inside the cave, everyone had gone to sleep to relax their minds and recover their wounds. Cecilia was the first to rise from her slumber. She yawned and stretched her lithe frame as she took note of the feel of the place. The luminescence was bright enough to reveal a safe passage, yet it wasn''t overwhelming for the eyes. The cold of the night outside was absent, feeling warm and cozy from just her tiny bedroll. She could hear the water constantly dripping in the distance, but not annoying enough to wake anyone in the middle of the night. The humid environment gave the cave a damp, earthy smell. This was the best sleep she''s had in months. "It was just a dream..." The halfling woman had a sweet dream the night before. The paladin of her dreams tended to her every need, and the loser scientist girl was the maid of what became their ranch in the country. Finally, that knight in shining armor had come to his senses and ditched the brainy buffoon for someone who could take care of him, in both body and soul.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The rest of the band slept in their own comfy bedrolls as well, right outside the wagon. The pirates had spare blankets, and Cecilia remembered spreading out as many as she could to give the children a soft and safe place for them to sleep on, so she figured they must still be inside. The smiles on everyone''s faces - including her captain - indicated that they, too, were having sweet dreams. "Very nice of that moth girl to let us hide here in the meantime." Oh, right. Their new friend had given them her name as they fled to the cave. The captain may have been flirtatious during his request, but he genuinely wanted a name from her to establish trust. And a name she gave them; unique, sort of. Definitely a pronunciation they''ve never heard of before. Luno. "Wouldn''t be the first time the captain tried to woo something from a different species. She really saved our skins back there, though." A tiny ember flickered at Cecilia''s fingertips. With a snap from her fingers, it vanished without a trace. "Looks like my spells are returning. No one''s woken up yet. I might as well work on my meditation now." For a sorceress like Cecilia, regaining her spells was not a difficult task. Her mind wandered back to the forest, the giant moths, and their guardian. Were they simply mere insects, or something above that? And if they were, what was their relationship with the fair folk? Come to think of it, she hadn''t spotted any during her time in the forest, but it was common for such creatures to have an aversion to humanoids such as herself. Especially with demons attacking the forest. This sort of back and forth thinking went on for another fifteen minutes, drawing no conclusions. Then, before she knew it, Cecilia could feel her power return to her. Her veins briefly flashed throughout her entire body with an emerald green light. "Much better." Wide awake for sure, Cecilia used a rope to keep her bedroll rolled up and tossed it on an empty spot in the back of the wagon. The commotion did not stir the children; rather, they remained asleep as they had all cuddled next to one another like a group of cats. "They did have a rough time last night..." Not wishing to linger much longer, Cecilia closed the flap of the wagon and sat next to her sleeping captain. What was he dreaming about? It was unusual, yet not impossible, for everyone in the area to be having sweet dreams at the same time. But what was the probability of something like that happening? Given the strange events that preceded this, she wouldn''t be surprised if the demons left behind a little surprise as they fled with their tails tucked between their legs. But without Wulf''s insight, all she could do was speculate. "It''s about time for everyone to wake up, but they''re all sleeping like babes." Cecilia sighed. "Captain, what could you possibly be dreaming about? I better find Luno and figure out if she knows anything." *** It was an early morning for 14-year-old Melvin. His body awakened, yet his ears were active before his eyes were. They picked up the all-too familiar sound of strong winds around him. Hurricane season was still a couple of months away, but he lived long enough on the coast to know that weather can be unpredictable. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he had to get up soon and be the man of the house if his father Rufus wasn''t around. He had to grab his mother and his brothers and run for the community center. But the longer he listened, the more he realized those weren''t hurricane winds. They were the sounds of a vacuum at full blast. That could only mean one thing. "Melvin Caesar!" The stern voice of an adult woman stirred the teenage boy awake. To him, that voice meant he was in danger if he wasn''t standing in the next five seconds, explaining why he sat up and scrambled to quickly get out of bed. By the fifth second, Melvin was on his feet ready to start the day, posing as a soldier at attention like those he''s seen in the movies. "Hold up. I''m back home? What about the gang?" The boy held up his hands in astonishment. His battle scars, burns, and the scent of brine and rum were noticeably absent. "Am I dreaming?" A slap on the back of the head was painful enough to convince the young Melvin otherwise. "Ow." "You know it''s Saturday, boy. You ain''t got time to dream, and you definitely ain''t getting out of deep cleaning the house." The woman shoved a mop on Caesar''s hands. "I''ll start on breakfast. That bathroom better be spotless when I''m done." "Momma, wait." Melvin set down the mop to meet his mother in the eyes. "Is it really you?" "Were you expecting someone else?" The matriarch raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You''re not hiding a girl under the bed again, are you?" "No! I just..." Melvin''s voice trailed off. There was no way he could explain the dream he had. He could have sworn his life of piracy was real. Cecilia, Charlie, Wulf, Vanessa, and Temuulen lived a life of crime with him, broke bread together, drank together, pillaged together, cried together. He even recalled the time he swept a giant off its feet with his trusty rope. Was that also a dream? Lenoria. The Soulstones. Were they not real? Melvin reached for his waist, only to realize he had been wearing black boxer briefs instead of his baggy pants. His pepperbox pistol and cutlass were gone. His armored gauntlet was gone. His Soulstone...was absent. All of his gear was gone. Yet that was nothing compared to the joy he felt. He fought back the tears as he ran up to his mother and hugged her as tight as he could. His mother was surprised, but her stern disposition melted away at the sound of her own son crying on her shoulder. "Did you have a bad dream, sweetie?" "Kind of." Everything he lived up to this point was too out there to be believed. He knew how his mother would respond, but he sat down and told her anyway. She didn''t have the same kind of imagination he had, but understood enough of his words to understand what his dream was about. "You were definitely dreaming. I catch you drinking and sword-fighting anywhere before you''re 21, and you''ll be sweeping broken glass off the floor." She tousled her son''s dreads. Despite her choice of words, she must have been happy for her son. "You''re still cleaning the bathroom, though. Next time you''ll think twice before peeing on the edge of the toilet." His mother''s words notwithstanding, Melvin was never happier to be back home. The dope slap his mother gave him hurt enough to make him believe he wasn''t dreaming. If his adventure was all a dream, then there was no need to worry about the Soulstones anymore. He was reborn with a clean slate, and didn''t have to worry about zombies, demons, and giant moths anymore. He will miss being a pirate, but now he can get back to being a skateboarder and aspiring basketball star. The accident he suffered 24 years ago must have only been part of a drawn-out nightmare. He could still hear the voices of his crewmates, but perhaps that was just the aftereffect of the unique experience he woke up from. "Captain! Captain!" Interlude - A Captains Haiku The pirate captain Unique roving criminal Compass and arrow In Sagittarius And Pyxis, at their brightest Born on the twelfth month But his true birthday At the end of the Twentieth A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.At century''s end In a blue planet Far from Io, far from Helix In the Milky Way A miracle made To taste the bitter fruit born In the tree of time A young lad with dreams Sweet dreams, to move from the ''hood And achieve greatness A loner in life But one with animal friends And with family Yet his life ended Saving his best friend from death A life for a life Another rebirth Unknown cause, reasons unknown Not Truck-kun this time Chapter 72 - Its a Wonderful Reincarnation Cleaning the family bathroom on the second floor was seldom an easy endeavor, especially in a house with three boys. There''s the scrubbing and the wiping and the rinsing and the deodorizing. As Melvin grew older, he quietly assumed that his mother''s harshness on him and his brothers during her deep cleaning was because boys were typically dirtier than girls, and if she taught them to be more self-conscious of the messes they left behind, there would be less to clean up in the future. Ironically, Melvin wouldn''t be aware of his mother''s expectations had he not embarked on that decades-old dream to begin with. He remembered most of his time in Io - except for the parts of him being a baby and a toddler, of course - and had often wished he helped out his mother more and showed his parents and brothers how much he cared about them. And now, after what seemed liked 24 years, he''s gotten another chance to make good on the promise he made himself. After mopping the bathroom and letting the tiled floor dry, the boy''s heart raced when he opened the curtain. In the house next door, past a window on the second floor, he spied a girl his age reading a book. Her features were hard to make out, but he took note of her short, silver hair and the black short-sleeved dress she wore. And after a chance glance in his direction, the mysterious girl smiled at him and waved at him joyfully. She was quick to stand up and stepped away from the window. After a minute, he could hear the sound of a door closing and the girl dashing from her front porch to the direction of his house. "Who...is that?" *** The Williams household was an African-American family living in a two-story house in the cul-de-sac. Melvin looked at the family picture hanging by the stairs; there was Rufus, the father who worked from sunrise to sunset from Monday to Friday; there was Yolanda, the mother who drove the kids to school, attended PTA meetings, and took care of the house; Antoine, the eldest of three children and straight-A student; Devin, the youngest child who would much rather play video games than study; and Melvin, the middle child. Having this in mind, it was strange for Melvin to see a sixth person - who just so happened to be the girl next door - eating a bowl of cereal at the family table while chatting with his mother. "Hey, sweetie." Yolanda''s tone sounded a lot nicer than earlier, though Melvin suspected it was partly because they had a visitor. "You remember Selena, don''t you?" Now he remembered. Selena was probably the prettiest girl in 8th grade, at least to Melvin. She was quiet, sweet, and quirky; most of the student body kept their distance because of her strange fondness for insects, but she didn''t mind the loner''s life. After all, there was a boy from her class who just so happened to live next door to her and also loved insects. Come to think of it, did she always have silver hair? "Hey, Ces," Selena greeted as she tilted her head and smiled sweetly. "Your mom was talking about that crazy dream you had." "You told her?!" Melvin froze when his mother looked back at him. No words were spoken, but he knew that look; raising an eyebrow as she tilted her head forward? That look meant ''Boy, drop the attitude before I smack you with this spatula.'' One smack of the spatula on her hand was done to emphasize her point, which was enough for Melvin to meekly sink his head and mouth an apology. Yolanda, turning back to the stove to flip the pancakes waiting for her, kept her friendly tone. "I had to tell her. Selena loves bugs, sweetie. You know Luna moths are her favorite ones." "I bet the giant moths were cute, too." Selena, paying no mind to the non-verbal exchange between mother and son, happily munched on the oat cereal in front of her. Melvin sat down across from her, and was happy to see a plate of pancakes make its way to the table. And not just pancakes, either. "Breakfast sausages and syrup." Melvin''s mouth was already watering. Blueberry pancakes were his favorite, but sausage links drizzled with syrup were the next best thing for him. Selena patiently waited for Melvin to finish his breakfast, after which she stood and slid her chair into the table. "Thanks for the meal, Mrs. Williams." "No problem, Selena. You know you''re always welcome here. What are you kids up to, anyway?" "We''re going to see Precious for a little bit, then we''ll go to the park and look for mantids." Selena happily skipped to the front of the house. "Hurry up, Ces." Melvin stuffed his face as fast as he could, paying no mind to the footsteps at the front of the house and the ones at the stairs. The slow, hardened stomps were not the sounds he was used to hearing from his brothers, so there was only one other person this could be. Not wanting to risk a lecture, Melvin swallowed his food before greeting his father. "Morning, Pops." "Morning, son. What''s the rush?" Rufus Williams was a stocky man in his late thirties, with a short yet simple curly haircut and neatly-trimmed beard. He pulled out an empty chair, but not before greeting his wife with a kiss. "Morning, baby." "Morning, baby. Caesar''s on his way out with his little girlfriend for a playdate in the park." Yolanda set her husband''s plate on the table, which was a simple yet thick stack of sausage links with two slices of toast on the side. "Momma, she''s not my girlfriend," Melvin corrected, keeping his voice low and meek to avoid another scary stare. Rufus hung his head back in confusion. "The weird little white girl next door?" "Keep your voice down," Yolanda quickly said with a whisper. "Better for him to have any reason to go outside than to stay in and watch those Asian cartoons all day like he does every weekend." "Fine." Rufus planted a fork on one of the sausage links. "But you better set a good example, Caesar. Last I heard, her parents work all day, seven days a week. As far as she''s concerned, you''re the only man who''s ever around her. You understand?"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Pops, I''m only four-" Melvin was quick to catch himself from digging a grave that didn''t need digging. He remembered all the times he hit on (and was rejected by) the girls from his dream, and to have one finally rely on him was something he hoped to cherish, doubly so if it was his parents'' wishes. "Yes, sir." *** The ride to Melvin''s first stop from his house was an alleyway just beyond his suburban neighborhood. Normally, this would take a mere five minutes on skateboard, and that''s usually been the case for Melvin. But having a new companion ride along with her pink bike, Melvin wanted to get there as soon as possible to introduce one friend to another. So he had no qualms with cutting through church parking lots, weaving between pedestrians on the sidewalk, and kickflip over a garage sale sign when turning a corner instead of going around it. Sweet Selena had trouble keeping up, barely able to keep Melvin in her line of sight. "Slow down, Ces!" She smiled with relief when Melvin slow down next to a red building, but she frowned when he took a sharp turn to the right. She pedaled her bike faster, making sure to ring her bell to warn incoming pedestrians before she, too, turned the corner. They had arrived at a dirty alleyway, sitting between a butcher shop and a Hispanic general good store. Melvin stopped and stomped on his skateboard, flipping it upwards and catching it midair. Selena parked her bike against one of the three trash cans by the back door of the butcher shop and joined her friend. "This is where Precious lives? Who is she, anyway?" The boy chose to answer using a different method. Clapping his hands first, Melvin followed that up with three short whistles. Selena braced herself when one of the trash cans close to her bike rattled on its own. She could hear a muffled cry from inside. She lifted the lid off the trash can, and- "Mrooow?" "Precious!" Melvin fought to hold back his tears, instead crouching to greet the feline with the slate gray fur that had already ran up to his feet. The tiny critter rubbed itself against Melvin''s leg, as cats are wont to do, and didn''t resist when Melvin picked her up. "Oh, how I missed you, girl..." "She''s so cute and adorable," Selena commented. "Russian Blues are always so cute." "You must have seen me yesterday, but it feels like years since I last saw ya." By chance, looking under her belly gave Melvin pause. "Hey, your scar is gone." Selena tilted her head. "S-scar?" "Yeah. The butcher said he found her with a stab wound on the night they met. He said the vet told him it was a miracle she stayed alive for so long. I would have taken her, but Momma is allergic, so..." His voice trailed off as he kept searching for the scar on the cat. But the little critter had no wounds whatsoever. He remembered from his dream that wounds took time to heal, and even then the worst ones always left a scar behind. And scars could never be removed completely. It was like magic. "Don''t you find that odd, Selena?" Selena offered no response, so the boy turned to face her. But she was gone; there was no trace left of her, her bike was gone, and even her rose scent had vanished completely. Precious used this distraction to squirm her way out of Melvin''s grasp. When the boy proved too much for her, she instinctively swiped one of her claws across his face and, after Melvin shouted expletives and let go to tend to his wound, she ran off into the shadows of the alley. "Ah! Precious, don''t go! I''m not hurt! See?" The boy pointed to his wound, which...was actually not in pain at all. Realizing this, Melvin wiped his fingers across the area Precious had scratched, and felt no pain whatsoever. There wasn''t even a sign of blood. "Wait a minute..." *** Moments before Cecilia followed the silky tunnels inside the cave. She had failed to wake everyone else up, which made her suspect some foul magic was at work here. The gang''s new ''ally'' was nowhere to be seen, driving her to the conclusion that she must know something they don''t. She had to find Luno and demand answers, using force if necessary. She steeled herself for a fight, and whenever there were forks on the path, she would pick the one with the most silk. "Nice going, Cecilia," the halfling scolded herself. "''Oh, we''ll keep the Argo Navis fired up. The Captain can shoot a flare if things get bad.'' Look at you; trying to impress that knight in shining armor, now you''re in some cold, damp cave with what I assume is a killer moth girl. Everyone is dreaming peacefully, but this is a nightmare for me." And then she wondered, why was she the only one among her crew to wake up? She had the sweetest dream in months, and woke up from it just fine. If some foul magic was at work here, then her friends would likely be experiencing sweet dreams like she had. Dreams they wouldn''t wake up from. "Magic. Wait a minute..." Stopping to catch her breath, Cecilia wiped the sweat from her brows and clasped her hands together. In a single moment, her irises shifted from their emerald green color to purple. She focused first on the cave ceiling, then the walls. If they were inside some sinister magic field, she would find it and get a clue on what''s going on. Unsurprisingly - for her, anyway - her head sank as if she was suddenly burdened with a heavy weight. "I feel something for sure." Six seconds have passed. She closed her eyes and steadily spun around. In the darkness behind her eyelids, Cecilia was able to picture a single purple strand coming from the direction she was facing. Not long after, that strand multiplied into two, then those two multiplied into four, then eight, sixteen, and so on. She would face a different direction, but the result was the same. One strand would multiply into many, and that''s when it dawned on her. "The silk!" Cecilia opened her eyes, seeing the same purple light coming off of the silk stuck on the ceiling and walls. "Yes. It''s faint, but there''s definitely something coming off the silk. The aura is from the enchantment school, and the spell itself can bend weak minds..." Faint, enchanted, and mind-bending. Given the circumstances of her predicament, it was not hard to draw a conclusion. "The aura matches that of my [Hypnotism] spell, but there''s something different from it, too. The silk is somehow keeping them asleep." Cecilia thought back on the night before. She remembered Charlie and Temuulen staying asleep, a sleep so deep not even the sounds of fighting woke them up. "A forest of giant moths." Moths! Kill the moths and their Guardian! "And she''s their guardian. The moths were protected by the locals for their silk, but I just thought it was to make clothes or something. Of course. It all makes an uncomfortable amount of sense." A couple of voices interrupted her train of thought. They came from the path up ahead and, coincidentally, her detection spell revealed a greater number of strands in that direction. Cecilia''s steps softened after she hunched her back, hurriedly but quietly marching forward. When the path cleared up, she had finally found her quarry. However... "This is where Precious lives? Who is she, anyway?" The children and the crew had been wrapped around in silky cocoons. How was it possible, if Cecilia left them asleep back at the makeshift encampment they made farther back in the cave? What she saw were definitely the spitting images of the children and her crew, but their bodies were transparent. Their outward features were visible, but so was the magic strands of silk wrapped behind and round them. And Luno? She hovered above a pool of pristine water, where her ''Captain'' also hovered motionlessly. "Oh, gods, no. Captain!" Not wasting time, Cecilia went on the offensive. Pointing at Luno, three magic darts materialized around Cecilia and launched themselves in the direction of the moth woman. "I knew you were bad news when I first laid my eyes on you. Let my crew go! Let my Captain go!" Chapter 73 - The Bells of Hope 28th of Cobre, 4:37pm, 1659 "Lenoria. One of the Soulstones is nearby. It''s faint, but I can sense it coming this way." Lenoria and the rest successfully walked around the walls of Norwich and continued on along the mountainside, where the Norwich Forest trees had finally come into view. "Which Soulstone is it, Pearl?" Lenoria asked. "It''s..." *** The magic darts hit their mark, knocking Luno out of her trance-like state and forcing her to open her eyes to meet with her assailant. "You little tw...tw...twit! What do you think you''re doing?!" "You first!" Cecilia shook her fist angrily. "I just cast a [Magic Missile] at the darkness that is your heart, and I don''t mind doing it again if you don''t explain to me what''s going on!" While waiting for an answer, Cecilia tried to make sense of the situation in front of her. Ghostly forms of her friends were trapped in cocoons hanging from the ceiling of the massive cave room she''s in, and if she wanted to save them, she had to act fast. Maybe she could fire a [Scorching Ray] and hoped the silk would dissolve and release them. But as they hung from the ceiling, she wondered if the fall would hurt these translucent bodies. What would happen to the bodies she left behind if the bodies here perished in some way? Better not risk it. "You were supposed to be asleep, dreaming sweet dreams. You''re the first person to ever manage to wake up on their own." Luno dusted herself off. "I understand your anger, but if you attack me again, it won''t end well for you." "Then tell me. Why did you put us to sleep? We drove the demons back, didn''t we? You have no reason to attack us because we saved your stupid forest!" "Not entirely! You only pushed the demons away. You didn''t kill them. Their presence continues to linger in my forest, and before my forest can even stand a chance to survive, I had to trap them here with me. But I couldn''t do it when they first stepped in here. No; I had to wait until the appointed time." Luno fluttered a little closer to Cecilia, flying away away from the pool of cave water. "We mothmen are agents of fate. Our purpose is to ensure that destiny stays on its proper course. Have you heard of the rare times a human is brought back to life without explanation? Or how about when humans sometimes find themselves at the right place and at the right time? Or perhaps...the times a building collapses, and all the investigators could find as a probably cause was a faulty foundation? That''s us." "You seriously expect me to believe there''s an organization of moth people who work in the shadows because they see themselves as the hands of fate?" Cecilia stomped the ground. "Cut the crap! All you''re doing is making me want to set this place on fire and free my friends!" "You will doom your friends if you do." Luno pointed at the cocoons in the ceiling. "What you''re seeing there is your friends'' consciousness made manifest. Damaging them, burning them, cutting them? They all yield the same result. By doing so, you risk severing their consciousness from their physical bodies. If you destroy their consciousness, they will never wake up." Her adversary thought of everything. It was a good thing Cecilia didn''t fire her darts at her captain''s ''consciousness''. The moth woman could be bluffing, but it was frightening to think what would have happened if she wasn''t. All she can do now was stall for time until she figured out a way to free her crew without endangering them. "Fine, I won''t set anything on fire. But what''s this about you trapping the demons here?" "For that, you must know a little about me. My people may be agents of fate, but I wandered into this forest many years ago. The giant moth population was declining, so I stayed here to protect them from hunters and poachers. Eventually, Rosewood Grove took notice of me, and their archdruid made me Guardian of this forest. The archdruid himself is no one special, but he is a conduit of the forest divinities. If they approve of someone becoming a guardian of one of their forests, then they grant him permission to grant that power to the worthy. And the power given to me? To give me eyes across the forest. Every moth, big or small, reports to me. I see what they see, and feel what they feel. And if someone is a threat to them? I have the power to trap them here." Cecilia was not one to take things at face value, but it was a good thing Luno liked to yap and yap. The longer she did so, the more time the halfling pirate had to come up with a plan. "Wait, if you already knew about us after freeing your little friend from the bear trap, why did you reveal yourself to us all threatening-like?" "And give away a hint of my powers? No, thank you." Luno crossed her arms. "But there''s something that bugs me now. How come you woke up? Is your mind trained against hypnosis?" "What, and give away my powers?" The irony was not missed from Cecilia''s retort. "Hmm. They do say that red-haired people are touched by the fey. And given your magical aptitude, I wouldn''t be surprised if you were. Maybe your fey blood gave you some protection from my powers, if not outright immunity. You have been asleep for over an entire day, after all." An entire day? Then that would mean... 27th of Cobre, 11:09am, 1659 28th of Cobre,1659 Cecilia had assumed she only slept for about eight hours when in reality it must have been at least over twenty-four, if not more. There was no way to tell the time of the day without stepping outside, and with bigger things to worry about at the moment, she wondered if it was wise to escape now. Escaping through the darkness in uncharted territory should only be considered if there was no other choice. Especially if the demons were still out there. "Okay. So you need help with the demons. And you need your own pirate crew for that because...?" "Because I need help protecting this forest. And while my moths are scary to the average human, they have no fighting ability whatsoever. Poachers know this, the demons know this, and they both hunt my babies day and night. I can''t be everywhere at once, even if they''re my eyes and ears. A crew like yours is just what I need." Cecilia took a defiant step forward. "You think they''ll listen to someone who forced them to sleep for so long? They can''t even agree on what to get for chow every night." It was hard to tell from the woman''s mouthless face, but Cecilia shivered when it shifted to something close to a smile. "But they will listen to their captain. Your crew respects him enough to include him in their dreams. I don''t need to convince them, really. Just...him. I''m so thankful I waited to close off the forest exits until he arrived." "No...Y-you mentioned sealing the forest at the appointed time." And then it hit Cecilia. "Were you waiting for us?!" Luno nodded. "Your captain. He...is special. I had a vision proclaiming the arrival of a man in red in a ghostly vessel not too long ago. The fates declared this man would not only drive off the demons, but save the forest as well. It''s his destiny to remain here and help me protect it! But I know humans; without companionship, they will grow lonely and eventually die an early death. That''s why I''m keeping his crew here, and I''m willing to give him everything he desires." "Destiny? As if! How is the captain any different from anyone else?!" "Has he not told you? Of course, with a secret as wild as his, I suppose no one would believe him even if they wanted to. But let''s just say he is...out of this world." "I get it, you want him." Cecilia scoffed. "Fine, keep your secrets, but don''t act like you know him. I just want to know; if you needed help that badly, couldn''t you just ask the people in the neighboring towns?" "No. They are far too weak to battle the demons. And the local governments, from what I''ve gathered, would rather raze the forests along with the demons. But a crew of seasoned adventurers? They shall be more than enough to handle an extermination task." Luno flew around Cecilia in a non-threatening way. Despite the halfling''s visible hostility, the moth woman was graceful by comparison. "There''s no need to fight me, Cecilia. You and I are the same; you care for your crew just like I care for my forest. I promise they will never be harmed. In fact, they will continue to dream while I carry out my plans." Luno snapped her fingers. Out of the pool of water came a dripping, translucent figure in shining armor that Cecilia recognized instantly. The halfling silently cursed the moth woman for such a low blow as the newly arrived Alistair embraced her from behind. "And that means you, too, if you wish. Your suffering can end here. You can dream away, along with everyone else. After all, isn''t this what you want? You can live the fairy tale you always wanted and have that family you always wanted. You are also free to challenge me if you wish, but I must warn you right now that you cannot fight destiny. Your captain is destined to remain here; if you try to prevent that, your story might as well end here, too. But if you want to surrender, then simply close your eyes and let your dreams carry you away." Had the captain''s destiny already been determined by the gods? And could it be overwritten? Luno certainly seemed to believe nothing could stop what was already set in stone. If Cecilia tried to stop her now, she would be outmatched and possibly killed. The easier thing to do - perhaps even the smarter thing to do - would be to resign herself to a lifetime of sleep, dreaming about her wildest fantasies until her body expired. The man of her dreams would be hers, and no one else''s.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! But unbeknownst to Luno, Cecilia was not one to betray her crew''s well-being. "I see. So, that''s your game." The halfling pirate wiped her eyes, soaking her sleeve as she steeled herself for what could be the consequences of her decision. "You somehow have access to our minds while we sleep. There''s no way you could have known this boy before we came here." Without even taking her eyes off of Luno, Cecilia unsheathed her dagger and stabbed the thigh of the ''Alistair'' behind her. The boy shouted a garbled scream, and in an instant he dissolved into a puddle of water that splashed everything around it. "You peeked into my dreams. I do thank you for the dream I had earlier before waking up; that guy was so good at plowing the farm fields - among other things - but if he''s to become mine one day, I''ll win him over fair and square. I will never settle for a cheap copy!" "You do understand that by stabbing him, you will only dream about an endless void if you stay here?" "I''m not staying here. If you''re some sort of forest guardian, then I won''t risk my life by fighting you. But I promise I''ll find a way to stop you. No matter how long it takes." "Hey, Selena! Where are you?" Both women turned to the direction of the pool, hearing Caesar''s voice coming from it. Not bothering to challenge Cecilia, Luno dismissed her declaration with a scoff and flying toward the pool. "Do what you want, then. But there''s no way you can leave the forest. The silk and the foliage will block all of the exits, and they won''t move without my command." "We''ll see about that." Cecilia made great effort to not show how relieved she was. She managed to avoid a confrontation with her new enemy, and she was now free to leave the cave. She would be leaving her crew and the kids for now, but leaving and returning with help was a better plan than facing off against something more powerful than she was. With guilt in her eyes, she looked back at her crew''s ''consciousness'' before running off to look for the exit. *** The sparse giant trees were more noticeable during the daylight hours of Norwich Forest, even under the overcast skies of Thule. For the fleeing Cecilia, the droll sight was more welcome than the phosphorescent fungi inside the cave, and she was happy to finally be outside, away from the damp cave. "Block all the exits, huh? If only I could fly, then getting out of here would be a breeze..." Cecilia thought about climbing the trees, but found it to be a fruitless idea. For her relatively small arms and legs, climbing a tree would take a while, and even if she reached the canopy, she would have nowhere to go unless she had wings. She settled for looking at the sun''s position and determine where north was. She knew going further south would take her to the mountainside, but going north would eventually take her back to Norwich. And from there, Goodsprings. "The dumb blonde. I hate to say this, but she''s the only one who could save everyone. I have to get to Goodsprings..." It didn''t take long for someone to take notice of her footsteps. She spotted a group of abrikandilu - five in number - who were throwing stones at a giant moth clinging to one of the giant trees. A broken twig here and a pile of leaves there, Cecilia made too much noise for them to ignore. Quite conveniently, she discovered a bush not far, and took a literal leap of faith and hoped no one had spotted her. The abrikandilu looked in her direction, immediately giving up on harassing giant insects to check out the new arrival. They didn''t spot Cecilia, but definitely noticed the sound she made when she jumped into the bush. Not ones to take chances, the hunched demons readied their claws and advanced menacingly, splitting the bush in two in order to open it. Nothing. They quietly nodded to each other and searched around the general area. Cecilia held her breath; had she not drank the potion of [Invisibility] in time, she would have been found and promptly been torn apart. Once the demons were out of earshot, she quietly emerged from the bush and continued on her way north. "Guess it''s stealth from here on out." Little did she know, the warmth of her Soulstone had returned. It was faint and she couldn''t sense it, but it was definitely there. *** It was as Luno said. Cecilia stood at the edge of the forest. Despite her best efforts of sneaking around unseen, the forest had darkened, giving it an eerie feel which was intense thanks to the occasional demonic howl from other areas of the forest. And despite making it to the exit, the way was blocked by thicket upon thicket of briars, moth silk, and thick, thorny vines. The vines tangled themselves into a surprisingly sturdy wall in the spaces between the trees, making escape nigh impossible. Worst of all, Cecilia had already finished her potions of [Invisibility]. Store bought potions were often weak, and those with the [Invisibility] spell imbued in them only lasted three minutes at best. With the howling getting closer and nowhere left to hide, Cecilia waited for the inevitable and prepared to attack. Perhaps there was only a few demons approaching, and she could force the vines to come to life once more while she peppered her adversaries with scorching rays of fire. To her absolute horror, the new arrivals were six abrikandilu, along with the Blue Jays she and the captain met the night before the night before, just a stone''s throw away. They seemed surprised to see her just as much as she was to see them, but the tension only got worse when one of the abrikandilu cried. "That little jerk was the one who sabotaged our plans," one of the rat-like demons hissed. "Really? Esa muchachita?" El Buitre gave Cecilia a shrug of indifference. "You and that fool of a captain were spotted with the children we rightfully kidnapped. Not only that, but we made it clear that the Abyssal moths were the enemy, and yet you helped them." Cecilia grinned defiantly. She was scared and on the verge of tears, but she refused to show weakness to her enemies. "Save your breath. We know you cultists are in league with the demons, and those moths are far from dangerous. Besides, part of the deal was for us to grab the children, anyway. Don''t blame me for having such a bad lookout." That''s right; it was better to shield oneself than to show weakness with emotion. Cecilia had to remain calm. The last thing she needed to do was give the Order of the Blue Jay the suffering of the innocent they desperately craved. She wasn''t even remotely worried about the blue-caped buffoons; it was the rats behind them she was worried about. No doubt some of them from the night before were among them, and would be more than happy to sink their teeth in her. "Look around you, sweetheart," said the blonde woman next to El Buitre, Darla, giving Cecilia a toothy grin. "You really think this is the time to act all brave? A small, dainty little thing such as yourself should know better than to wander around in the darkness." "You''ve got nowhere to run," the dwarf among them warned. "The forest is sealed and we have you cornered!" "I''m in way over my head here..." Cecilia smiled back. "Then congratulations. It took, what, ten of you bastards to corner one tiny 26-year-old halfling girl?" Flames flickered in Cecilia''s hands. The time to make a stand had come. "Then again, relative to other halflings, I''ve barely reached the adulthood stage." "That''s an adult?" Asked one of the abrikandilu. "She''s 26?" Asked another. "So go ahead and do what you came here to do," Cecilia continued, "but I''m warning you, I''m not going down without a fight. You lay a hand on me, my captain will make sure you don''t leave this forest alive. And even if you do kill me, I know some dangerous folks who will make you wish you were-" Cecilia quickly stopped herself when she spotted the blonde woman unstrapping a firearm off her back. Thinking quickly, Cecilia conjured up a glyph with her left hand, but a deafening KER-POW interrupted her casting. The shot from the woman''s musket was too much for the halfling, who now held her now-wounded arm as it dripped with blood. El Buitre snickered away while the demons hollered at the sight of blood. "It''s not in me to hurt women, but I don''t mind Darla doing it for me," El Buitre admitted. "Huh. Normally, they''re rolling on the floor crying after a single shot." Darla leaned the barrel of her musket against her shoulder, using her hand to hold it by the butt stock. "Color me intrigued, sweetheart. You''re something else, ain''cha?" "Why, you-" The pain from the musket wound held Cecilia back, forcing a whimper out of her as she struggled to cast a spell with it. "That was my good arm..." "Looks like you''re finally starting to understand just what you''ve gotten yourself into. But you''re too late." El Buitre pointed at Cecilia. "You have two options: Scream, or don''t. But you should have never crossed the Order of the Blue Jay." You bring shame to your family. Leave and never return! Cecilia was not one to believe in destiny, but the cruel words from her past returned to haunt her in what was possibly her final hour. She remembered herself, at the gates of a great manor, giving offensive gestures as her parents looked on from inside with absolute disgust. "Well, guys. I guess you were right. I''m just a good-for-nothing little girl who was going to get herself killed by exploring the outside world. But it''s not like I can take back what I did." She brought shame to her family and failed to deliver on her promise to save the captain, her crew, and the children. Perhaps this was destiny; soon, she would die an outlaw''s death, cornered and alone. She was too much of a shrew to live the romantic life she always wanted. Perhaps she didn''t deserve any of what little happiness she obtained, even in her dreams. "Sorry, Cap. I don''t think I can take on this many demons." "The stars above command you: Open the way, in the name of your king!" The vines behind her untangled themselves and pulled themselves back into the shadows. A light as blue as the sky shone through the new exit, and no sooner after turning around did Cecilia feel something bigger than her pick her off the ground. She picked up a manly scent she instantly recognized as a pair of strong arms cradled her. She held back her tears as she clung to the chest of her savior. "Forgive us, Miss Cecilia." A holy light shone from Alistair''s hands as Cecilia''s gunshot wound disappeared almost completely. The blood dried in an instant, and the wound closed off. "You took on a big responsibility in our stead. I hope we''re not too late." "N-no, you''re not." Lost in the boy''s eyes for a moment, Cecilia snapped out of her daze and squirmed herself off his cradling. "But the captain...the crew...the children... they need our help." "Then let us assist you." The paladin hoisted the great hammer off his back. "My shield is useless against firearms. Stay behind me, okay?" "Boy!" El Buitre''s angered voice caught Alistair''s attention. "How did you unseal the forest?" "Blue Jays." Seeing the musket and recalling Cecilia''s wound, it didn''t take long for the paladin to piece together what had happened. "Sorry, but I don''t answer to scoundrels, especially those who make deals with demons!" "How did he know about that?" For the first time since his arrival at the forest, the leader of the Blue Jay group froze in fear as Alistair''s hateful eyes turned in his direction. The rest of the Blue Jays quivered in fear, their movements slowed from Cecilia''s wriggling vines. As for the demons, they expressed caution at the boy who didn''t run at the first sight of them. "Blue Jays....you and your demons have hurt one of my friends! Do not expect any mercy!" The birdfolk leader did his best to stand his ground by putting on a cocky grin made from false courage. "Big talk from a greenhorn!" More people could be seen entering the forest''s new exit; all women, including a silhouette taller than even Alistair. "You''ve gone from one person to five. You think you scare us?! There''s still ten of us, so we outnumber you two to one!" El Buitre was partially right. Four people had joined Cecilia in her hour of need. There was Alistair, the bratty girl known as Melodious Aquamarine, the blonde who''s always drooling for Alistair, and a rock giant she didn''t recognize. They had all arrived in their steeds, and had gotten off of them as they prepared to battle. But unbeknownst to the Blue Jays, there was a sixth person among them. Shining with a light blue aura and standing behind Alistair was a black-skinned man, wearing a crown over his balding head and holding a scepter with his left hand. He was shirtless, and wore only a simple green kilt and a red cape around his shoulders. Standing at least six feet in height without his back hunching over, the regal man emanated with authority and courage, like a true king. "Raven princess," the regal man''s eyes darted to the left, knowing Lenoria was nearby. "The demons have turned this forest into a den of evil. Are they friends of yours?" "No." Lenoria, holding a light blue gemstone, answered grimly. "You know our deal, Cepheus. Do what you have to do." Chapter 74 - Cepheus 27th of Cobre, 9:20pm, 1659 "We protect the orphans for the time being. If we find someone they like and we can trust, then we''ll get the adoption process started, wherever we may be. Until then, we''ll do our best to take care of them. All in favor?" Clara raised a hand. Alistair raised a hand. Joanna raised a hand. And Lenoria was the last to raise hers. "Motion passed. Let''s make our way back to Norwich and locate Caesar from there." "Thanks, guys." Joanna bowed her head in gratitude. "Let''s get ready and set out ASAP. Who knows what a bad example those pirates are setting for the kids." "Aren''t you forgetting something?" Pearl''s interruption was not appreciated, especially by Lenoria. The woman in black was being cryptic again, and with no context to go on, Lenoria rolled her eyes and answered with "What?" "I hope you didn''t forget our talk back at the cable car." Holding a light blue gemstone, Pearl remained quiet until Lenoria finally remembered. "It is time to decide. What are we doing with Cepheus?" "That''s the Soulstone Zep had..." Clara remembered as well. "He used it to plant those poisonous roses and summon that shambling mound." "Yeah..." Lenoria had forgotten all about her talk with Pearl about Cepheus, whose Soulstone was previously owned by a minion of Cassiopeia. According to Pearl, a legend from a distant planet explained that Cepheus and Cassiopeia were king and queen of an ancient civilization. The queen vainly boasted about her beauty, which angered the gods. An oracle explained that the only way to appease them was a sacrifice, and thus both king and queen ordered for their daughter, Andromeda, to be chained up at a rock to be sacrificed as a sea monster arrived to destroy the kingdom as divine punishment. In the end, a hero appeared and slayed the monster, rescued the princess, and married her. A little cliche, but for Lenoria, it just worked. But now she wondered: Is this the same Cassiopeia who angered the gods, and if so, had she returned from those ancient times for some evil plot? And what was her connection to Alistair? Lenoria had a whole bunch of questions, and she wasn''t answering any of them if the one lead to Cassiopeia is sealed away. "Let''s hear him out, Pearl." *** Present day The sun had only begun to set, providing the Blue Jays with enough sunlight from the outside world to help them realize an exit to the forest had opened up. For Lenoria and the others, the aura Cepheus exuded was enough to help them see clearly for a short distance, leaving no shadow in its wake. Their foes - armed with knives, axes, firearms, and even claws - cautiously observed the newcomers with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. But the vulture among them was not even worried. "Are you the leader of this little harem, then? Heh. I''m going to enjoy giving you a dose of reality, kid." "Stay back, Miss Cecilia," Alistair whispered. "Tend to your wounds." "I appreciate you, but I have all of my spells ready." Cecilia did her best to stay behind Alistair, gripping the back of his leg as if she was trying to stay behind a tree. "I can fight." "Then stick closer to the girls," Alistair ordered. "If you plan to fight, make it harder for them to reach you." A single drop of sweat slid down Cecilia''s face. "Eh? You''re not going to say ''No, a lady such as yourself shouldn''t dirty her hands with this filth,'' or something like that?" "Hold on," Lenoria interrupted, "are you hurt or not?" "I was until Al healed me!" "Then why in the world would he say it," Lenoria roared. "It''s a cliche! I''m a sucker for cliches, and this is a really good one!" "Are you kidding me? We just saved you! The least you could do is give us some backup instead of fawning over my man!" "I''m not fawning over him, I''m teaching him proper etiquette!" Cecilia shrugged with a smug expression. "Then again, a boy like you wouldn''t understand something as basic as that." The two girls bumped heads in the most literal sense, each growling to the other. It appeared that Cecilia''s life-threatening scare, along with Lenoria''s aching trip to Norwich Forest, was forgotten in a single instant. "Excuse me-" El Buitre piped up but he was silenced by the glares from the bickering duo. "You be quiet," both of them shouted. "Is this really the time to be arguing?" Aquamarine remained by Mr. Horsey''s side, unsure if she should make a move or let this argument resolve peacefully. "I should have expected this. It''s my fault for not taking preventative measures..." Alistair''s murmurs to himself were interrupted by a pat on his shoulder. "Solveig?" "Do you see them, Al?" Alistair knew what Solveig meant. "The feathered one is already whispering to his friends, and the demons are brandishing their claws. What are you going to do about it?" "Right." Alistair clutched his hammer. "Ladies! The enemy is upon us! They have hurt one of our own, and we can''t allow them to get the drop on us!"If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Attack!" El Buitre''s battle cry signaled the end of the girls'' bickering and the beginning of the Blue Jays'' counterattack. Darla took aim at the enemies ahead while Legs''s dwarfish form charged along with the rest of the abrikandilu. Quincy stood next to his boss, acting as a wall. "Fine. I have so much pent-up energy that pummeling you to the ground wouldn''t be worth the effort." Lenoria reached under her duster and pulled out a pair of caestus, forged to look like silvered heads of jaguars with solid handles inside their jaws. "What do you say, pint size? Truce?" "Fine by me." Cecilia leaned her back against Lenoria''s - or at least, against her backside - and scanned the battlefield. The melee attackers - seven in total - charged past Cecilia''s undergrowth, all too willing to sink their teeth into fresh meat. She needed her payback against the musket girl, who knelt behind the wall of meat that was Quincy, ready to open fire once again. And then there was that bird bastard; what was his deal? "Solveig, the two of us will deal with these demons! Ladies, counter any sniper fire, if you will! Len-" Alistair''s command was cut short when one of the charging demons was pushed back with a metal-clanking punch. One other, perhaps feeling bad for its fellow, halted its advance and engaged the assailant in melee while the remaining four demons (and Legs) continued their charge. "Wow, Tizoc was right." Lenoria excitedly bumped her metal caestus after successfully deflecting the second demon''s claws. "They''re effective against demons!" Her victorious quip was interrupted by the screaming of the struck demon. One of its teeth had been dislodged, and it held on to its mouth due to the ongoing pain. "The cold! It burns! It burns!" "H-hold on a sec! Fall back," El Buitre ordered, yet his demons did not hear him in time. They all lunged with their mouths open, only for two to meet Alistair''s vicious counterattack after sidestepping to evade them, while two others had latched their jaws on the haft of a polearm with a single edged blade on the end. The polearm seemed unwieldy, a weapon too big for even someone like Alistair; that''s when the demons asked themselves, ''If two of them are already aiming for the boy, then whose weapon are we biting onto?'' "Hello, boys," Solveig welcomed them as she lifted her polearm - and the two demons - like nothing. What followed after that was a burst of electricity that electrocuted both of the fiends, but to Solveig''s surprise, the duo survived the impact. "Resistant to electricity, are we? Excellent. Don''t die on me just yet!" "I oughta say the same to you!" A pair of axes swung at Solveig''s legs in a cross formation, resulting in a dull ring of metal as bloodied steel clashed with her armor. The giant woman staggered, bending a single knee as the impact released the demons from her blade on a stick. The dwarven fellow who attacked her went for another swing, locking weapons with Solveig this time. "Ha. You rock giants are always easy to outmaneuver." Elsewhere, Quincy looked at the battlefield. The demons had engaged their new enemy, and Legs had charged in as well without a second thought. Darla took aim and opened fire, and the big man took note of the malicious grins on both of their companions. "Uh, boss, is that okay? They didn''t start this fight, so..." A slap made Quincy recoil, all thanks to El Buitre. "Shut it, Quincy! We''re biding our time, so just stay here and keep us safe! Darla, what''s your status?" After some silence, El Buitre patted his sniper on the shoulder. "Darla, I''m talking to you." Upon closer inspection, El Buitre took note of Darla''s tilted head. She leaned to her right, the opposite direction from her musket, and only replied with incoherent babbling when her boss called out to her by name over and over. "Nnnngh....fafaffa....pretty colors...." "What have they done to you? When did this happen? How?" Far ahead, somewhere on the enemy''s rear line, Melodious Aquamarine twirled amidst a multitude of colorful bubbles, each one reflecting prismatic light on Darla''s direction. "You!" "Haha," the magical girl laughed arrogantly, "hope you liked my Bewildering Bubbles! They''re harmless, but annoyingly distracting!" El Buitre growled, but his problems had only just begun when, not far from Aquamarine, the halfling he had pursued earlier felt brave enough to blast an abrikandilu with a ray of fire. The demon had snapped its jaws at Alistair after surviving a hammer to the back, and while the demon''s resistance to fire saved it from the halfling''s spell, the demons'' wounds had become obvious to the naked eye in just a matter of seconds. All of the abrikandilu oozed with dark blood, either from electricity, fire, or just the wounds inflicted by the enemy''s use of cold iron weaponry. But the blonde... Where did she go? Her previous targets switched to the hammer boy after he took a step towards them, opening him up to get flanked by his own targets as well as the ones the girl had taken the time to pummel with those metal fists of hers. The rock giant was busy holding off Legs, while the abrikandilu she had been fighting were distracted by the magical girl and the halfling. Who was left to take on the brawler girl? With a crouching slide from behind a tree on the side of the road, their quarry slipped past the abrikandilu and made a beeline for the remaining Blue Jays. What is she, stupid? The halfling''s entanglement spell was still in effect, meaning anyone caught in it would be severely hindered. The Blue Jays had been close to the farther edge, and with just a few steps they could get out of the entanglement zone and make a much-needed escape. They could simply report back to the demons'' master with news about how some paladin and his groupies ambushed them and proved to be too much for the abrikandilu that had gone with him on patrol. He had to watch his wording, however; while betrayal was rewarded in the Order of the Blue Jay, demons were not the type to take such slights sitting down. He would have to make it look like he wasn''t deserting his allied forces, and- "Cepheus!" What came after the girl stated a single word horrified El Buitre; the halfling''s entanglement spell changed so that some of the wriggling vines not only stopped moving, but enough withdrew inside the earth beneath them to grant the girl a safe passage; a passage that led directly to her intended target. "This girl...is after me?" The thought was insulting. How dare she target him directly after the trouble he had gone through to provide enough meat shields to protect himself? "Darla, open fire!" "On it, bo-" Darla had been given no time to aim when an orb of water struck her right on the temple. Her vision blurred for a second before going completely black, tossing her firearm into the air from the sudden, bullet-like impact to the head. The blonde girl expressed her thanks to the magical girl, as not much remained to block her way to El Buitre. This must have been their plan all along. They had little time to organize themselves after their entrance, yet they had taken out his sharpshooter while keeping the abrikandilu on their toes. They looked like kids, yet the way they fought indicated a level of experience that could be compared with veteran police who had tumbled with the Order ever since that idiot Spark spilled a lot of their secrets after a run-in with some amateur adventuring group. El Buitre was not pleased; had word already spread of their tactics and how to counter them? "Hey, boss." Quincy made a dopey laugh; he had caught Darla''s musket after she threw it, and he was now aiming it at the blonde girl who was giving them so much trouble. The blonde girl, not wanting to risk a serious injury, stopped her charge and raised her hands. "Uh, what do I do with this?" At long last, Quincy had done something that didn''t mess up his plans. "Yes! Yes, Quincy! You got her on the ropes, now!" El Buitre threw an uppercut at the air. "What are you waiting for? Let her have it!" Chapter 75 - Back in Those Days... "Hey, boss." Quincy made a dopey laugh; he had caught Darla''s musket after she threw it, and he was now aiming it at the blonde girl who was giving them so much trouble. The blonde girl, not wanting to risk a serious injury, stopped her charge and raised her hands. "Uh, what do I do with this?" At long last, Quincy had done something that didn''t mess up his plans. "Yes! Yes, Quincy! You got her on the ropes, now!" El Buitre threw an uppercut at the air. "What are you waiting for? Let her have it!" "Lenoria!" A heavy swing from Alistair brought down one of the abrikandilu that had surrounded him. He had struck the demon square on the chest and was pretty sure the ribcage collapsed inside the vile fiend. "Let me through!" But the other demons would not let him pass. He had to take them down, lest the front line was compromised and let the others through to take on the rear line. As for Lenoria, a new challenger had stepped up to block her path. Having a long firearm aimed at her was nerve-wracking enough, but she also had to contend with this man''s size; he easily towered over her and must have been at least a foot taller than Alistair. If only she was close enough to Solveig, at least she would get him off her back. No, after some inspection on her target, she had an idea. Someone like him could still be taken down. "Alright, Quincy." Lenoria extended both of her hands outward. "Let me have it." "Huh?" Lenoria''s command took Quincy by surprise. It wasn''t an order from his boss, so he just continued to aim at her. "Hey, mister! Didn''t you hear the boss? Let me have it!" A bold gambit, but Quincy had already proven himself to be smarter than he let on. He just witnessed this girl take on some demons and bravely charged towards their rear line. Darla was down and Legs was busy, so it was up to Quincy to be El Buitre''s meat shield. There was no way he would fall for the girl''s mind game- "Uh, okay." Quincy handed the musket to Lenoria, at first wondering how she''ll be able to take it with her hands already grabbing on to her caestus. With some help from the girl, he settled for the open jaguar jaws the melee weapons symbolized. "I''ve done it, boss! Just like you said, I let her have it!" "Quincy, you re-" El Buitre had to keep quiet. This story never shied away from being graphic but shouting out slurs and some of the...stronger curse words was a fine way to get censored. And if there was something our skinny feathered villain was proud of, it was that he was able to finish fights without having to start them unless he wanted to. He wasn''t about to let his anger put him into another sensitivity meeting, and- Well, that all changed when Lenoria stuck her tongue out at him mockingly. That''s when he lost it. He started by screaming as loud as he could, then he followed that by shouting every word he could think off, then repeat those words in his native tongue. Whatever giant moths happened to be in the vicinity flew away in an instant, frightened by the volume and intensity of El Buitre''s curse-laden volley. The abrikandilu blushed. Alistair seemed confused. Cecilia raised an eyebrow. Aquamarine hid her face shamefully. Solveig and Cepheus were unfazed. And Lenoria had to keep herself from giggling as her face, too, turned red. "Oh, my gosh. I know some of those words." "Yeah, you get used to it," Quincy said. "The boss gets like that every time I mess up." "Wait, really?" "Yuh-huh. He smacks me around when I fetch him something I thought he wanted or when he thinks I''m out of line. Darla does it to me, too. A-And Legs. Sometimes they call me those words and smack me around. I must be a terrible person." "Is that so?" As terrible as this was, the girl saw her chance. "You know, if I was your friend, I wouldn''t hit you like they do." "Huh? Why not? Darla says pretty girls get to hit men as much as they want and get away with it." "You flatter me, Quincy, but my boyfriend is over there." She pointed at Alistair. "I''m not sure he would like it if another man called me pretty." "Oh." Quincy removed his bowler hat and scratched his balding head. "Then why did Darla say it was okay to say it, no matter to who..." "Whom, and I wouldn''t know. But real friends wouldn''t smack you around or set you up for failure. They wouldn''t call you names, either." Names like...mongrel? "Real friends...will like you for who you are. They wouldn''t do anything to hurt you; in fact, real friends would at least try to avoid doing anything that would hurt you."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The girl smiled throughout her discourse, but she also fought to keep her tears inside. What Quincy was going through was fairly similar to the experience she faced in those days back at the Artificers Guild. Thomas''s harassment, Carter''s mental abuse, and Steiner''s beatdowns were brought to mind. By comparison, it seemed Quincy was treated differently due to his apparent mental disability. She felt bad for not knowing what condition he had, but the Order of the Blue Jay must have been harassing the poor guy, and he must have accepted it as terms of endearment. Indeed, his unawareness to the abuse was the difference between him and Lenoria. She had to do something. It was hubris to believe she could talk him out of doing bad things with them, but she did have to get him away from them as fast as possible. Her eyes darted to the vulture just up ahead, still under his curse-laden tantrum. All she needed now was to keep Quincy distracted long enough to do what needed to be done. And for that, she had to play with his childish tendencies. "Say, Quincy, thanks again for letting me have this here musket. But I think your boss will be happy if I gave it back, so why don''t we play a game?" Lenoria pointed at the forest exit, now devoid of silk and vines thanks to Cepheus''s power. "We''re gonna play hide and seek. Why don''t you go outside of the forest and count to 100? Then, if you find me, I''ll give you back this musket. Deal?" "Uh, okay!" "But it has to be at 100, okay? And no peeking!" Lenoria quickly checked the battlefield. Thanks to Solveig and Alistair, three of the abrikandilu had been taken down. The other three had surrounded Alistair, but he looked none the worse for wear. Solveig struggled to land a hit on the dwarf, who was either dodging her heavy swings or blocked them with both of his axes when she almost got a lucky hit in. Aquamarine had taken it upon herself to support Solveig with water blasts, hoping to score a lucky hit. Then there was Cecilia, who was using her trickery to befuddle the demons with such things like laughing spells. They didn''t work too well on demons, but not for lack of trying. With some gesturing towards the rear line, Lenoria convinced the girls to let Quincy pass. As for Alistair, he was not totally aware what was going on, but there was enough space outside of his swinging range that would allow safe passage if Quincy was quick enough. And quick he was. With the eagerness of a child, Quincy wasted no time in doing what Lenoria asked him to do and ran for the exit Cepheus had made for them. The girls did not stop him, Alistair was too far from him, and the demons did not care. With Darla out and El Buitre still under his tantrum, only Legs was able to call out to him. "Quincy, you rock-headed simpleton! Where are you going?!" Legs''s momentary pause was interrupted by a blade to the side. Solveig''s woldo, by sheer luck, connected with the dwarf''s midsection and finally drew blood from him. "You''re a slippery one for sure." Solveig retracted her blade. The dwarf''s blood dropped along the grass on its way back to its wielder. "You fight like a lot of the dwarves I''ve faced in the mountains. Why are your talents wasted on the Order of the Blue Jay?" "Heh. Your kind would never understand our goals," spat the wounded dwarf. "Believe me, we tried," Alistair added after blocking the claw of an abrikandilu. "There''s no understanding you cultists. I''m sure if anyone else followed us along since our departure from Helix City, they wouldn''t understand your motives, either!" On top of adding to the banter, Alistair had observed Quincy leave the forest unimpeded. Three abrikandilu remained, but none would let him pass. "More importantly, why did Lenoria let that Blue Jay go?" The paladin''s eyes shifted back to his beloved, who gently set down the musket on the ground, smacked her caestus against each other, and waded through the wriggling undergrowth towards the boss of the operation. "Whatever it is, be careful. Something about that leader feels off. He hasn''t lifted a finger to help his teammates, but these Blue Jays will do anything to save their own lives." "-and once we''re done here, Quincy," El Buitre''s eyes spiraled deviously as he wrapped up his tantrum, "you''re going to bed without supper! How does that sound?" All he could see, however, was his men either absent or dying...and Lenoria reaching for his shoulder. The cold iron''s touch came as a shocking sting to him as he dreadfully anticipated what came next. "Would you care to repeat that, carrion breath?" A punch to the beak pushed El Buitre back a couple of feet. He wiped the blood from his mouth and spat out a tooth and smiled at her. "Heheh. The leader likes them scared, but I like my prey with a little fire in them." "I don''t see what you''re smiling about. Or maybe you''re just delusional like your buddy Spark." "Spark?" There was some familiarity in that name for El Buitre. "Spark was an arrogant dog who got put down like one. You wouldn''t happen to be the ones that did it, would you?" "What? No, we didn''t kill him." Lenoria looked back at the others; everyone was busy fighting someone. Legs refused to go down and the abrikandilu tried to run past Alistair to reach the girls, who backed him up with their spells. It was up to Lenoria alone to clear the air and take care of the leader. But Spark died after their last encounter? "We got a bone to pick with him. Are you telling me someone killed him?" "If it wasn''t you, then who?" El Buitre smiled. From his pocket, he grabbed a deck of playing cards. The back was red in color, and white on the edges. "Maybe we can use divination to figure that out." "Nice try, but I know a deck of playing cards when I see one." "There''s no tricking a dama like you, is there? Fine. Then I wish to play a card game with you, instead." Lenoria assumed a defensive stance by raising both fists while one of her elbows covered her midsection. "A card game? What did you have in mind; Blackjack? Old Maid?" "No." Icy spikes protruded from El Buitre''s chosen card. "I was thinking more along the lines of a cold War!" The card was tossed. Reflexively, Lenoria crossed her arms to cover her face, and felt a sharp sting on one of her forearms, followed by the pangs of frostbite. Individually, neither the card or the ice were as painful as the bites of the demons she just shook off, but the two forces combined formed something deadly. What''s more, that power came from a single card; El Buitre already had more between his claws, ready to be tossed. "Oh, you''re gonna be a tough one to put down," Lenoria commented. Chapter 76 - Put on a Poker Face! The Raven vs the Vulture! 27th of Cobre, 9:23pm, 1659 After some coaxing, Cepheus was convinced to come out of his Soulstone. The regal figure that emerged from the Soulstone''s light gave Lenoria a kingly bow but, unlike Owen, Apus, and Mr. Horsey, he displayed no meekness to her or Pearl. His grim expression was devoid of joy and gratitude, giving the women only a certain degree of respect. "I understand you are my new master, and up until now you had debated on what to do with me. But I also know you are the enemy of the wielder who holds my wife''s power. If you expect me to give up her location or the wielder''s identity, you would be wasting your time." "Even if you would be sealed away if you refused to cooperate," Pearl asked seriously. "Yes. I refuse to put the wielder of Cassiopeia in danger, even if the root of evil has taken over her heart. You are free to stop her as you wish, but I will have no hand in doing so." "Then we will waste no more of your time." Using her index finger, Pearl conjured a green light. She stopped herself when Lenoria stood in front of her. "Even now, you choose to protect him?" "He''s our one lead to Cassiopeia," Lenoria explained herself. "Even if he refuses to help us in that regard, it wouldn''t be fair to seal him away without giving him a chance to defend himself." "Need I remind you how much harm Cassiopeia has done on our way to Thule? Now that we''re closer to her domain, we should expect her attacks to be more intense! If this man wants to defend such actions, he can explain himself before the Smith!" "And I say you''re full of it, Pearl!" Lenoria stretched out her arms to get her point across. "I won''t allow you to do anything to him!" Cepheus gave Lenoria a quizzical look. "You would defend your enemy? Why?" Still in her defensive stance, Lenoria looked back at the king. "Heh, you seriously have no idea? If nothing else, you''re our prisoner. As your new master, you have to do what I say. But I''m also not going to treat you like garbage; if you don''t want to give away your wife''s location, I''m cool with that. But I do plan to defeat her master, and will reunite the two of you before long." "You would do that for us?" "I know words mean very little, so hang tight long enough for us to prove ourselves to you. I promise not to use your power to harm your wife, but in exchange you have to help us during this little fetch quest Pearl has given me. What do you say?" Cepheus smiled confidently. "It is amazing that I will be taking orders from a lowborn girl. But the Smith has given you authority over the rest of us; that, I can respect. I will pay no mind to what you do to those who consort with demons and the dead, but I shall be watching you whenever there is conflict between yourself and other people." "Fine, but I''ll add this: Cassiopeia''s wielder will pay for what she''s done to my Alistair." Lenoria casually pointed at Alistair with her thumb. "She''s hurt him with her powers, and I''ll be protecting him the same way you''re protecting your queen. I will not hand him over to them, just as you won''t give us the location of their hideout." "You are a fair master. It will take time, but we will make a fine team," Cepheus conceded. *** Present day Frostbite reddened Lenoria''s skin around the wrist, the result from a card being thrown at her which now lied on the grass beneath her, torn in half and soggy. Playing cards were never great weapons, but El Buitre was trained in using them and also knew how to imbue magical power within them. In his hands, the cards were as sharp as knives, and the magical explosion from that last attack meant their new sharpness wasn''t their only deadly aspect. But every ranged weapon had a weakness. In order to be used effectively, the thrower had to remain stationary; if he wanted more mobility in battle, he had to stick to a single attack. What mattered now was how El Buitre was going to act; did he want to run from Lenoria and keep a fair distance from her, or did he want to kill her and stick close? For Lenoria, it was much better to just keep the pressure on her opponent. Missile weapons rarely fared well in melee because the wielders usually left themselves open during an attack. With a pep in her step, she quickly closed the gap between herself and El Buitre and threw a punch at him. The jaguar cestus missed its mark, but only barely; the attack took El Buitre by surprise, as if a jaguar itself pounced and missed. El Buitre, for his part, dodged Lenoria''s incoming blows. No matter what stance she took, he responded to each punch and kick with quick reflexes. And at one point when the kick was too fast for even himself, he enchanted one of his cards and parried the blow. Lenoria used the card as a foothold, quickly jumping on it and then took a massive leap away from her opponent. "He''s fast and can hold himself in combat." Lenoria locked eyes with her feathered opponent as she caught her breath. "And he can imbue those cards with magic. If Spark had been as skilled as he was, we would have had a harder time back in Hammer''s Reach for sure. So why did he wait until now to attack?" "Back away, little woman. Our business doesn''t concern you." El Buitre jumped a few feet backwards and drew two cards from his belt. Icy spikes protruded from the cards before he tossed them, one deflecting after striking Lenoria''s duster while the other barely missed her neck. "You jerks made it our business after you decided to hurt our friends and innocent people. You think I''ll just let you do what you want?" The girl released her caestus, letting them hit the ground while she drew the pistol from her holster. "And the way you treat poor Quincy is unforgivable!" Lenoria opened fire. El Buitre''s shoulder sizzled from the bullet, searing his flesh like scalding liquid. His face contorted from the pain, El Buitre let out an agonized scream. To his credit, he didn''t drop to the ground, maintaining enough fortitude to remain standing even under so much pain. "Quincy is a tool, nothing more!" El Buitre''s wings spread, and flapped and flapped as they took him upwards. "He has been ours for as long as I can remember. But he''s a defect, just like everyone else around me!" The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A tiny red dot formed itself, hovering above El Buitre''s index finger. With a sadistic smile, the birdfolk looked past Lenoria and eyed the rest of her party. The abrikandilu did well to keep them all in place, and the girls had stayed closed while also staying away from melee. All within 20 feet of each other. Lenoria knew that spell all too well. "Hey, what are you doing with that? Stop it!" "''What are you doing with that? Drop it?'' Heheheh, I was going to use it to blast everything around me, but if you insist!" With a swing of the hand, the small red orb was tossed in the direction of the battlefield. Solveig had Legs pinned to the ground while the abrikandilu had their claws on Alistair, some grabbing to his hammer while other claws grabbed on to his shoulders. The orb expanded into a ball of flames, exploding once it hit the ground. Centered between Alistair and Solveig, everyone within 20 feet of it was incinerated. Alistair''s armor, along with Solveig''s, turned red from the burning heat. The abrikandilu instantly turned to ashes, while Legs burned alive. Aquamarine and Cecilia, being the farthest from the explosion, jumped away and lied prone for cover. Darla''s body rolled lifelessly in the ground; she was the only one who didn''t scream as her corpse was scorched. Lenoria could not avoid the impact, either. She stood on the outer edge of the explosion, but she misjudged the fireball''s position and as a result she was caught in the explosion as well. Her body collapsed on the ground as her vision blurred, with El Buitre laughing as he flew away. "Cepheus..." She ordered weakly. "You need medical attention!" Cepheus bent a single knee. "My soul is linked to yours. I, too, feel weakened!" Alistair coughed as he blew away the smoke around him with the force of his hands. He noticed the smoldering corpses of the demons and the dwarf at his feet, the latter which he offered a short, silent prayer. "Blue Jays...I knew they would betray their own, but not to this extreme..." "Hey, blondie," Cecilia said after a cough. "Check on your girl..." That was when Alistair took notice of Lenoria''s unconscious body near where El Buitre was last seen. "Lenoria!" The boy immediately ran to her side and knelt down to inspect her. He instinctively reached for his cape, which he used to clean the girl''s soot-covered face. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but the main one was regret for letting her leave his side for so long. He reached for her lips with his own, and breathed strongly into her lungs. He detected a pulse when he checked, but the girl was unresponsive. "Those Blue Jays will pay for this..." "Calm down." Solveig lumbered closer to the couple and sat by Lenoria''s right side. "Is she still alive?" "Just barely..." Alistair punched the ground beneath him. "It''s all my fault. I should have ordered her to stay back. I-" "I told you to calm down," Solveig said fiercely. "You''re strong, but you have a glaring weakness; you let your emotions blind you to everything else around you." "I-" Alistair had no coherent retort to that piece of insight. He simply closed his eyes tightly, as if swallowing something unpleasant. "It doesn''t matter how strong you are. If you panic every time this one gets hurt, or any time things don''t go your way, your enemies will use that against you. Keep a cool head and find the solution to your problems." Solveig''s hand hovered above Lenoria''s chest. After planting her woldo on the ground, sharp end face down, her free hand released a bright light. The outline of Lenoria''s body took on a golden glow, and in mere moments her burns disappeared. Lenoria weakly opened her eyes and let out a few coughs. "L-Lenoria..." Alistair stifled a sniffle as he pulled Lenoria closer with a hug. "You''re okay..." "Heheh, of course I am. If I didn''t know any better, you sound like you want to cry." While feeling better, her wounds had not completely healed. A tight hug from Alistair was all it took for her to exhibit her pain. "Ow." "Please stay by my side from now on. I''ll make sure no one hurts you like that again." "Al, honey." Lenoria returned the embrace with a single arm, using the other one for support as she sat up straight. "I had to put that guy under pressure. He was so smug while he watched you fight. And the way he treated his subordinates...I just couldn''t let that fly." "Thanks to your little plan, he got away," Solveig said coldly. "You should have gone in with proper backup. We didn''t know how strong he was, and you learned the hard way he shouldn''t be underestimated." Aquamarine, having caught up, nodded along. "You handled yourself well, Lenoria, but Solveig''s right. If he had put a little more oomph on that Fireball, I''m not sure we would have been able to save you." Lenoria sighed through her teeth. "You''re right. Ordinarily, those Blue Jays tend to be a little on the weaker side. That guy''s strength caught me by surprise. I''ll be more careful." "It''s all we can ask for." Alistair offered a hand. "Can you stand?" "Y-yeah." The girl took Alistair''s hand, who then helped her stand back up on her own two feet. Just as they did so, they turned back to the entrance of the forest. Quincy meekly grabbed his bowler hat and walked closer to the party with guilt on his face. "Blue Jay!" Two words angrily spoken by Alistair put everyone on guard. The boy dragged his hammer as he furiously stared down the bigger man. "You have some nerve showing your face around here." "S-sorry..." Quincy gulped upon looking back at Alistair. The boy was angry, just like his boss. "I f-forgot to mention the boss gets violent when he''s angry." "Yeah? Well, your neglect nearly cost my girlfriend her life." Alistair hoisted the hammer over his shoulder. "Your putrid organization knows no shame. I will strike you down if that-" "Al, wait." Lenoria''s plea stopped Alistair from charging in with his weapon of choice. "Quincy did nothing wrong. Please don''t hurt him." "You can''t be serious," Solveig said incredulously. "He wears the organization''s colors," Alistair retorted. "You seriously can''t believe a word this cur says. Not after everything we suffered because of them." "Al, sweetie." Lenoria limped her way in front of Al, putting herself between him and Quincy. "I know how you feel. I''d be angry, too, if I almost lost you. But you''re blowing up on the wrong guy." "First Cepheus, then this guy." Alistair shook his head disapprovingly. "Why do you insist on defending those who hurt you?" "Because we should all know better than to judge someone just from the way they look." Alistair, Solveig, and Aquamarine exchanged glances with one another. They were curious by what Lenoria had meant. "Look at him, all of you. He can''t look you in the eye and he''s shaking in his boots. Does that look like someone who wants to hurt you?" After confirming Quincy''s body language was (correctly) how Lenoria described it, Alistair took a moment to scan the bigger man. He looked him up and down, his eye color changing from blue to golden, then back to blue. "My divine senses don''t detect any malice coming from him. Lenoria''s hunch could be right." "I''d trust it," Cecilia chimed in. "I had the pleasure of meeting these Blue Jays the other night. They treated this one like nothing more than dumb muscle. And when I was cornered just minutes ago, he looked like the only one who didn''t like the thought of tearing me apart." Alistair and Solveig looked back at Quincy, who smiled meekly at them. They both sighed to each other, and finally put their weapons away. "Fine, we won''t do anything to him. We''ll have to go over what crimes he committed later, but for now he''s free to go. But I will promptly arrest him the minute he acts up. Is that okay with you, Lenoria?" Lenoria leapt with joy. "Of course. Thank you for understanding, Al." "Unbelievable. Just don''t expect me to watch his every movement," Solveig warned. "If he hurts you, it''s your own fault." "No one''s defended me like that before," Quincy said. "My boss always hurt people, but right now I feel bad that he hurt you." "That''s your conscience talking," Lenoria pointed out. "It''s an unfortunate fact that we care more for the people around us than complete strangers." "Huh?" "I told you before, didn''t I?" Lenoria grinned. "I wouldn''t mind being your friend. That''s probably why you feel bad now; no one likes to see their friends hurt." "Friends..." Quincy repeated. Aquamarine giggled. "It''s like watching a kid learn things for the first time." "I don''t like it, but at the end of the day Lenoria''s the boss of this operation." Solveig picked up her woldo and latched it on her back. "We should get moving and find those pirate friends of yours." For once, everyone agreed. Cecilia took point, and everyone followed her as she tried to remember where Luno''s cave was. On the way there, Alistair tuned out all ongoing conversations and meditated deep in his heart about his main concern: Was Lenoria right to pardon a member of an organization who wanted them dead? Only time could tell. Chapter 77 - The Story of the Williams Brothers The march forward was silent and awkward. Cecilia scouted ahead of the party, with Alistair and Solveig following close behind her. Aquamarine took the middle, ready to launch a water blast whether the enemy attacked from the front or the back. Then was Lenoria...along with the party''s new addition, Quincy, on the rear. He was a bit of a pacifist, but he promised Lenoria he wouldn''t let anything hurt his new friend. "...I''m sorry about your other friends," Lenoria said, in reference to the late Darla and Legs, both carelessly burned by their boss. "We only meant to incapacitate them if possible." Quincy stayed quiet for a moment. Then, "The boss said it was common for people to come and go all the time. Before them, it was Arms and Johnny Bob, and before them it was Lips and Hoss. Before any of them, it was always just me and the boss." Others? Were they transferred to other teams? Or perhaps...were they betrayed by El Buitre? "Boss only had one job for me, and that was to swing this ''ere fist at anyone he pointed at. A lot of people would stop moving after I did that, though. He explained later that I was ''hurting'' them, and he only had me do it because people always hurt him first." "Sheesh..." It was as if Quincy didn''t know the difference between right or wrong. Lenoria was glad Alistair was out of earshot, but Aquamarine looking back at them every now and then indicated she could hear them. Lenoria would smile at her to show nothing was wrong, but she dreaded whatever discussion awaited her. "You never met the boss before, did you?" Lenoria shoved her worries aside to give her new friend her full attention. "Can''t say that I have, Quincy. The only reason we even engaged a conversation was because you guys were after my friend." "Friend." There was that word again. Quincy looked up ahead, watching Cecilia speak with Alistair and Solveig. "She''s your friend, too?" "S-something like that." Lenoria wasn''t sure if Quincy was ready for the mess that was her relationship with the halfling. At the very least, they were acquaintances, but Quincy didn''t need the full details for now. "He never said why he was after her. But he wanted to hurt her, too." Quincy stared at the ground as he walked. "Lenoria, I feel weird. It''s like I''m hurt, but I don''t think anyone hit me." "I think that''s your conscience speaking again." Quincy looked at her, confused. "Oh, you know. It''s that feeling that tells you when you''re doing something bad." "Something bad?" "Yeah. You didn''t feel anything when your boss wanted to hurt her. But now that you know Cecilia is my friend, what you''re feeling is probably guilt because you could have hurt someone I cared about. I mean, at least I think so." "It''s scary," Quincy admitted. "How do I make it go away?" "Don''t feel bad, big guy. Everyone struggles with guilt when they get it. The best you can do is promise to do better and try not to hurt people your friends care about." Lenoria nodded. "If there''s ever any time you need to hurt someone, it''s when people try to hurt you or your friends. You can''t go around beating up people just because someone told you, okay?" It seemed like Quincy had difficulty grasping the concept, but he nodded eventually as if he understood. Lenoria patted him on the back and left him alone with his thoughts. She needed some time to think, too. "You have a knack for this, you know," Pearl said as she materialized herself next to Lenoria. "Oh, hey Pearl. There''s nothing to it, really. It''s like speaking with kids. I do it with poppets and robots all the time. A lot of them are always confused when they start feeling things. Most of the time, they get their memory chips removed and move on to become androids." Speaking of kids, the girl wondered how Alistair felt. He wasn''t comfortable with the idea of a member of the Blue Jay traveling with them. The fact Quincy still wore a blue cape - as protective as it was - didn''t help matters. "Al. I wonder if I did the right thing." "It would be best if you let him cool off. Only time will tell if you made the right choice." Pearl placed her arm around Lenoria, an act that surprised the latter. The embrace was not amorous, but rather motherly. "That thing you said about judging someone based on how they looked? Thank you for saying it." "W-what''s with you? You rarely act like this." "Is it really strange for me to feel pride for you?" "Yes." "Then perhaps I''ve been too cruel to you." Pearl retracted her arm and floated right along with Lenoria. "Was it Starflower, then? Then one you thought about when others judge based on appearances?" Lenoria did not hesitate to nod. "Yeah. What about you? Have you been judged based on how you looked before?" Pearl''s pride slowly shifted to a sad smile. She did not answer, but Lenoria knew just by looking at her. Perhaps there''s a reason Pearl never spoke about her past. *** Luno tapped into the fountain''s magic to search for Caesar. The images in the fountain shifted between the dreams of the other pirates - a feast at a king''s castle, a fishing contest, even a wedding ceremony - but she could not find Caesar or the rest of the Williams family. "That puny little brat! What did she do?" Her mental voice was almost hysterical, searching through the dreams with no success. "How is this possible? I can''t find him!" *** "Hello?" Things got weirder for Caesar after Selena disappeared. Nightfall arrived in after a while, but the streetlights did not come on. In fact, the streets grew darker and darker, to the point Caesar believed he was going blind. He tripped over a piece of broken sidewalk, and felt blood drip out of his nose when he quickly got back up. But there was no pain. When Caesar tried to readjust his sight, the outlines of the buildings were gone. All he could see was pitch-black darkness. He looked down at himself, and he could see his arms and body just fine; everything else around him was gone, and now he felt like he was wandering inside a big empty room. "Mroww?" Everything was gone...except Precious. The cat made her way to him and rubbed her body against Caesar''s legs. Happy to see her again, the boy cradled the cat with his arms and refused to let her go. Precious, for her part, did not struggle like she did earlier and purred contently as Caesar continued to wander in the darkness. "I don''t know what''s going on. Maybe I am dreaming." Caesar scratched the critter''s chin. "But at least we''re together. Mind if we look for Selena together?" Precious was not listening, and even if she was, there was no way she could answer. She was a cat, after all. But the boy was just happy she was around, even if this was a dream. Truth be told, he didn''t know what he was dealing with now; he pinched himself earlier and felt pain, so he truly believed he was back home. But things got weirder the moment Selena disappeared. He no longer felt any pain, and when he thought of the possibility that he could still be in a dream, he tried to empty his mind; it was easy for lucid dreamers to turn their dreams into nightmares if they had no control over their thoughts. "Wait. If everything disappeared when I emptied my mind, then maybe..." It was worth a shot. Careful not to invoke some scary image, Caesar thought about his family. His mom, dad, and his brothers came to mind. Weekends were the only days they could spend time together as a family, and while he and his brother Devin were introverted, they had no choice but to go along when their dad wanted to visit the lake or when their mom wanted to go to the local aquarium. Devin. Caesar wondered what his younger brother was up to. Before he knew it, there was a brown wooden door in the middle of the vast expanse of darkness. Seeing no other way out, Caesar approached the door. He could see light coming from underneath, and he could hear muffled gunfire coming from the other side. Taking a deep breath, Caesar opened the door and ventured inside. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Caesar''s younger brother, Devin, was a stocky boy several months into puberty. He would often lock himself up in his room, either reading comic books or playing video games. The scene before Caesar was no different; Devin had wrapped himself with a woolly blanket and was having fun playing a video game where he could shoot other people. "Devin?" Without a care in the world, the younger boy greeted his brother. "Hey, Caesar. Nice to see you again." "Again?" "Yeah." Devin did not pry his eyes away from the screen. "I see you in my dreams every now and then. Wanna play a game with me?" Caesar sat down next to his brother and looked at the screen. He never enjoyed shooting games like his brother did, because he always thought they were too violent. "You know how Momma feels about games like that." "She ain''t here, bro. Now, check it. This is Sinner''s Circle 2. You get to be this guy who leads a gang and wipes out all the other gangs in his city. Best part is, you can make him into anything you want." Caesar took a closer look at Devin''s avatar. "Your guy''s a girl." "I know, right? She cute, too. Look what I can do." By pressing some buttons, the girl on the screen - wearing a simple white top, a black ballcap over her blonde, braided hair, and black baggy pants - twirled her pistol and shot a police officer behind her. In a matter of seconds, there was the all-too-familiar sound of police sirens, presumably to arrest or kill his brother''s avatar. Caesar....could not bear to witness the carnage that followed. He caught glimpses of his brother''s character getting gunned down, but her health went back to full whenever he had her smoke a cigarette. But the shootout eventually ended, and in the way Caesar expected it to end; his brother''s character lied in a pool of her blood. But after the screen turned black for a couple of seconds, she was hale and healthy again as she stood outside an apartment complex. "Thought I could get away that time. But now check this out. When you pause, then you hit up, up, down, down, X button, B button, and Start button...hahaha, she''s wearing a banana suit!" Caesar grinned and nodded along. It was nice to see his brother having fun after not seeing him for so long. But at the back of his mind, he knew he had to get going soon and find a way out of whatever he was in. The girl he saw on the TV screen reminded him of Lenoria; in fact, her slender frame and her aptitude with firearms was nearly a perfect match. That...couldn''t be a coincidence, could it? "Can she talk," Caesar asked. "Sure. I just press this and..." "There''s nothing I can''t do as long as I have my trusty wrench," said the girl on the screen. To Caesar, even the voice was similar, if not the same as the girl he had come to know. It was all too coincidental; this had to be some crazy dream. And if he could remember everything about Lenoria, then surely she must be real, right? Caesar stood back up with Precious and headed to the door. "I''ll be seeing you, Devin." "A''ight, bro. Just be sure to check on Momma. She misses you, you know? Ever since you died, she just hasn''t been the same." "Ever since I...died?" Something appeared in Caesar''s mind. It was brief, maybe even less than a second, but he heard gunshots as he fell into a river after jumping off a high bridge. Dread overwhelmed him and did not want to think any more on the matter, deciding instead to open the door and go back out into the darkness. Except the door now led him into a graveyard. It was a warm sunny day, yet the atmosphere was far from bright. The smell of cologne he used to wear as a pirate was in the air, and once again he took a moment to inspect himself. His pirate clothes had returned to him, as well as his pepperbox pistol and cutlass. He was no longer a small teenage boy; he was once again a man who had the strength to bear his armor and gear. He was back to being a pirate from Io. "Caesar." The pirate turned around to see who called out to him, but he could already tell from just the voice. The voice belonged to another African-American male, wearing a black trench coat and holding an umbrella. "Antoine..." Caesar took a step forward, but a glare from his older brother stopped him. "So this is what you''ve been up to? While Pops worked himself to death, you were playing pirates." Antoine raised his hands dramatically, letting them fall on his sides. "I don''t know what''s going on. I only saw you in my dreams, but those dreams were almost always the same. There you are, sailing the skies in some flying ship, drinking and stealing from other people. I had to see it to believe it." Dreams seemed to be a recurring theme here. First, Devin claimed to see him in his dreams, and now Antoine was saying the same. Caesar wondered how this could be, and wondered how his brother could even peek into his life as a pirate. "Hold up, bro. You can''t be serious." "And that ridiculous outfit. You always had that on in my dreams. And now I''m seeing you here. Does this mean I''m dreaming again?" "I-I don''t know, but I can explain myself. Please give me a chance." "A chance?" Antoine scoffed. "Okay, Caesar. How do you explain your new life? Are you really dead? Or did you just fake it so you could run away?" "I didn''t fake anything!" Caesar''s shout spooked Antoine into silence. "I don''t know what''s going on, either. But I did die. All I remember is falling off the bridge and into the river. Then...it was all blank for a while." His anger quelled but not entirely gone, Antoine listened to Caesar''s life in another world. His mom would always talk about life after death, and after his memories returned after hitting puberty in Io, Caesar believed he must have been dead the entire time once he overcame the shock of remembering his past life. Without a way to return home, he made the best of his new life. He was orphaned at a young age, so he could not remember his new parents. But his life would take a turn after the orphanage he was in was raided by pirates, and he had been taken away to work as a deckhand. One thing led to another, and eventually he came to lead a crew of his own. "You really thought you were dead, then..." Antoine sighed. He wanted to be angry, he really did. But Caesar was never known to be a liar. He would always confess if his mother ever found out about something he did, even if it meant going to bed with a sore behind. "Sorry, it''s just...it''s been difficult since you''ve been gone." "You said Pops worked himself to death. You don''t mean..." All Antoine had to do was point to a couple of tombstones behind Caesar. The pirate captain inspected them and read the engraved inscriptions. He simply could not believe his eyes. A circular piece of stone had been glued between the tombstones, which read "IN LOVING MEMORY OF FATHER AND SON."
RUFUS NORTON WILLIAMS Born 07-25-1961 Died 03-07-2009 Loving and devoted father, husband, uncle, and brother.
MELVIN CAESAR WILLIAMS Born 10-21-1990 Died 12-09-2004 A light from this world, gone too soon.
Caesar knelt before his father''s tombstone. Flowers had been placed before it, and twice as many had been placed before his own tombstone. He had a morbid curiosity about being so close to his own corpse, but he focused his thoughts on his father. This was a dream, after all; it would make no sense to dig his own grave just to see what he looked like now. "What year is it," Caesar asked his brother. "2028," Antoine answered somberly. "Ice caps are melting, raw beef is 20 follars a pound, we order our food with our phones now...oh, and we had a black President about 20 years ago." "For real?" Caesar asked bemusedly. "You missed a lot of things. And...we missed you. When you died, Pops looked for another job to cover the hospital bill and the funeral. There were days where he wouldn''t get sleep for days." Antoine pointed at his father''s tombstone. "As you can see, it caught up to him not long after you left us. Momma had savings for my college funds, but with Pops gone..." Even if this was a dream, this all came as a shock to Caesar. The tears did not come to him, but he was saddened all the same. "Pops..." "He died from a stroke. Doctors said it was mostly stress, but they also said part of it was a poor diet. They never miss a chance to knock on soul food." "Momma always told him to eat his greens, but he did love his pork chops," Caesar commented. With a groan, he stood back up. "I''m sorry I couldn''t be there, Antoine. If I hadn''t died..." "Not your fault. I was angry for a while that I had to give up my dreams, but no matter what I thought, I just couldn''t leave Momma alone. And that''s a choice I would make again." Antoine held out his hand. Caesar grabbed it, and the two brothers then pulled each other for a hug. Precious clung to Caesar''s chest before climbing up to his shoulder. Antoine didn''t ask, but deep in his heart, he knew; Caesar had to leave and return to his new home. Back on Earth, he had been dead for 24 years; even if he was able to return after all this time, there was no way they could explain everything without risking getting sent to some mental ward. "Devin hasn''t been the same, you know," Antoine said. "He didn''t take the news of your death very well, and when Pops passed, he refused to leave his room. He never believed you died, and after he started claiming you were visiting his dreams, he got a little better and got out of his room more." "He seemed fine when I saw him just now," Caesar pointed out. "But...he was the same as he was back when we were kids. But you? You grew up..." "I kinda had to. Momma needed me. Devin needed me. And Pops couldn''t be there anymore." Antoine sighed. "Devin started having those dreams about four years ago. I didn''t believe him at first, and neither did Momma. But then I started having them about two years ago. Talking to you now...I guess it made me feel better." Caesar knew what he had to do next. There was one more person who needed to see him, even in dream form. "I just gotta find Momma''s dream, then I need to find Selena." Antoine hung his head back in confusion. "Selena? Who''s that?" "The girl next door. Don''t you remember?" Antoine chortled and shook his head. "You tripping, man. We rarely had any neighbors because no one liked us, remember?" Time slowed down for Caesar. A feeling of dread he hadn''t felt before overwhelmed him. His ''memories'' with Selena became a jumbled mess of colors; the meals they shared, the outings they went on, the bugs they recorded on their notebooks...all gone. Instead, they were all replaced by memories of Caesar sitting alone in the park, recording his findings on his own. Whenever he tried to think about Selena, he couldn''t remember her face anymore. Instead, he saw...her. "I finally found you!" Luno''s frantic voice stunned Caesar and Antoine with fear. Powerful winds buffeted them without ceasing, opening a door behind Caesar that wasn''t there before. When it opened, the winds shoved him and Precious with overwhelming force, closing the door when they unwillingly crossed to the other side. Chapter 78 - Precious No More "There." Cecilia pointed at the entrance of a rocky cave. Everyone stopped in their tracks to look before Alistair decided he would be the first to take a closer look. Discarded silk lied on the ground at the entrance, something the boy kicked to the side. The entrance was dark enough, but he caught a faint blue light deeper inside. "Phosphorescent fungi, right," the boy asked Cecilia. "Yeah. It''s dark around this area, but once you''re deeper inside, you won''t need torches," Cecilia answered. "What''s the plan, handsome? Even if we find that moth, we can''t just go in swinging around our weapons." Lenoria nodded. "You''re right. You already mentioned how dangerous she was. If we''re careless, we''d risk hurting your captain and the others." The scientist''s eyes shifted to Pearl''s direction. The woman in black had wandered inside the cave, marveling at the walls and the overall structure. "Everything okay, Pearl?" "Yeah, it''s just..." Pearl slid her hand up and down on the cave wall. She seemed lost and unaware of her surroundings, her face brimming with curiosity. "This place feels familiar..." *** A strong wind pushed Caesar and Precious from the graveyard back into the dark void. The trees, the graves, and the sun had disappeared without warning or explanation. Yet, despite feeling rattled, Precious refused to run away. Whether she was a figment of his imagination or something else entirely, Caesar quietly appreciated his furry companion for sticking around despite the danger they would surely face. "Go back to sleep, my sweet prince," Luno said with a sweet voice. Once more, she had hovered at a higher altitude than Caesar, though her presence was more menacing than before after what just transpired. "You have a destiny to fulfill." "Luno." The moth woman''s presence confirmed something Caesar had suspected for a while. "I was never back home, was I?" "No, dearie. When you fell asleep, I had you and your crew dream about sweet things, about the things you desired the most. Your friend Charlie, for example, wants to be pardoned by the king of Helix and hold a feast in your honor. Your dogfolk friends wish to get married someday and want you as the best man. All of your pirate friends have included you in their dreams because they respect you that much. Well, all except for one." "One?" "The one with the red hair. She was the only one who overcame my enchantment. However, instead of saving you, she ran away to save herself." "No, that doesn''t sound like Cecilia at all." Caesar bared his teeth to the moth girl. "Don''t lie to me. Cecilia wouldn''t have ran without a good reason. Knowing her, she would have tried to free us, first." "Uh..." Luno dithered as she tried to come up with a way to keep up the ruse. But it appeared the captain knew his crew well. Trying to antagonize Cecilia was a careless gamble. "I''m right, aren''t I?" Luno''s shoulders dropped as she gave up in her deceit. "Fine. There''s no hiding anything from you, is there? I was hoping to spend as much time as I could with you under the guise of a human girl. But after inspecting your memories, I realized you didn''t have any friends growing up. I had to alter your memories a little so you wouldn''t suspect a thing. The best way I could do so was by twisting your perception during your dreams. It was easy enough, but it only worked for as long as I could concentrate on the spell. Right when I thought everything was going swimmingly, your halfling brat attacked me. After that distraction, it took me forever to find you again." "Then...Selena was never real?" The revelation didn''t surprise Caesar, but finding out the sweet girl he grew up with never actually existed gave him plenty of grief. And then there was the piece of advice his ''father'' gave him; was that just Luno manipulating things? "I''m afraid not. But if you stay in the Realm of Dreams, I promise to take on that form as much as you want." "What about Devin? And Antoine?" "I don''t know what you mean, but if you''re talking about the last place you were in, I had no part in that. You ventured into that person''s dream on your own." Caesar growled. "Stop playing with me. I''m dreaming, then? Why did you put us to sleep? What do you want with me? What did I do to you?" "You did nothing wrong. In fact, the timing of your arrival is impeccable. You are destined to defend my forest with me. The demons grow even more tenacious by the day, and they want to exterminate my babies. But if the threads of fate say you and I will protect this forest together, then you must have the means to destroy the demons." "Wait a second. Me? Destiny? You must have me confused for someone else." "But it''s true! You have potential, my sweet lantern in the night. You even ventured far to the depths of the Realm of Dreams. I never thought you would have the mental fortitude to make it this far, especially after I had you and your friends locked away in a different section of the Realm. You even wandered into the dreams of other people. None of my other captives have accomplished that before." The moth woman crossed her arms. Precious''s growling did not go unnoticed, and she was getting more annoyed by it by the second. "And then there''s this anomaly. You named her ''Precious,'' correct? My power created the world you lived in, down to the last detail of your house. I made everything there, including your parents. But this one?" She pointed at Precious. "I thought I created her, too, based on your memories. If that were the case, she should have vanished when your halfling friend attacked me. But she didn''t..." "Precious is very special to me," Caesar retorted. "You may have manipulated my dreams, but she was part of my childhood! No matter how many bad days I had, she was always there to make it all better. She was my first friend..." Caesar gently squeezed the cat in his arms. "She was my best friend. Even after 24 years, I never forgot about her." Tears streamed down Caesar''s cheeks and dripped into the solid ground below. He had recalled something unpleasant that needed to be remembered. "I remember how I died. A group of punks were going to kill her. They stuffed her into a bag and tossed it at the river. I jumped in to save her. Next thing I knew, I''m in this world..." The critter in Caesar''s arms looked up at him. She bumped her head on to his chin to get his attention and licked him when he brought her closer to his face. Caesar quickly wiped his tears away and smiled at her. "Well, it doesn''t matter what she is, I guess. The important thing is that you can spend as much time as you want with her. All I need you to do is come back with me and let your consciousness rest." "What happens if I do that?" "I can turn your dreams into reality. I tried it with your halfling friend earlier; the result was a knight in shining armor she dreamed about. It''s still a work in progress, but I can basically siphon elements of your dreams and make them real. With the help of you and your crew, I can amass an army that can battle the demons and drive them away. All you have to do...is spend time with everyone you like in the world I crafted for you." Caesar shook his head. "That''s the problem, Luno. You created that world. Even if you made perfect replicas of my family, they''d still be just copies. If I can''t even meet with my real family, then I don''t need to go back with you. I''m not going to help you." Caesar turned to leave but nearly jumped in place when he found Luno right behind him. "Get out of my way, Luno." "No. I don''t get it; you were smiling when you were back with your family. I did my best to make you happy; why won''t you help me?" "You don''t kidnap people and put them to sleep. If your forest is really infested with demons, then my crew will be in danger if they stay asleep. Besides, that wasn''t my real family." Caesar thought back on his meetings with Devin and Antoine. "Except them. If those were really my brothers, then that means I can find my way back to them even without your help." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Not if I can help it," Luno warned. "As far as you''re concerned, I''m your only gateway to the Realm of Dreams. If you refuse my help, you''ll never see your family again!" "You''re wrong," Caesar said defiantly. "There are other ways. I''m pretty sure dream magic isn''t something exclusive to you, and even if I can''t visit my family in their dreams, all I gotta do is leave this planet and go back to Earth!" "You plan to leave this world for another planet?" "It''s worth a try. A couple of weeks ago, I had given up on the idea of seeing my family again. When my crew was trapped in a warehouse, surrounded by giants, I wasn''t sure we were going to make it out alive. But then I met this cute babe who figured out how to handle them. She taught me that it''s not pointless to have hope, even when the world around you gives you every reason to despair. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she and Beckett were part of something greater." The pirate grinned. It was all he could do to stop himself from crying again. It was a shame Beckett could not stand by his side right now, but he wholeheartedly believed the old codger would if he could. "Constable Richards gave my crew a chance to have a clean slate, but really, all I needed was an excuse to see Lenoria again. At first I just wanted to thank her for everything, but when I found out about her little quest, and how our stones are made from the stars themselves, that''s how I knew she was my ticket back to Earth." Caesar thumbed his nose. "That''s why I can''t stay here, Luno. Lenoria''s counting on me to keep the kids safe, and I can''t do that if I''m sleeping on the job." "No...you can''t!" "You could have asked us to help you, Luno. You didn''t have to put us all to sleep; if you said ''Hey, I have a demon problem and I need your help,'' I could have talked the crew and tried to come up with a game plan. That''s kinda what we were doing, actually. Heck, I would have sent someone to get Lenoria and everyone in her crew; I''m sure they would have been a lot better than a bunch of pirates, she''s very resourceful, after all. But now that you put us all to sleep without consent...I''m not sure we can trust you anymore, no matter what you say." Judging by the moth woman''s mouthless expression, she must not have thought of simply asking nicely. Perhaps if she did, without putting anyone to sleep, everyone would have been more willing to help her. Perhaps they could have even found a better way to deal with the demon invasion. But she was focused so much on destiny that she didn''t come up with other ways on how to arrive there; all she wanted was for Caesar to protect the forest with her. "Do the right thing, Luno. Please let us go." The silence was nearly palpable. Caesar anticipated things going either way and was prepared to fight if Luno did not comply. On the other hand, he promised himself he''d be open to compromise if she agreed to let him go. To him, his crew''s lives were more important, and depending on what Luno said, he would be more than willing to stay behind for a little while as long as everyone else was free to go. "This...Lenoria," Luno inquired, "would your halfling friend bring her to the forest if she succeeds in escaping?" "Cecilia can get any job done. I know she''ll bring Lenoria back to help me and the rest of the gang." Luno could feel the cogs of her mind rotating unceasingly. If Caesar was unwilling to help her because of the way she handled things, then she may have inadvertently changed the fate of her forest to a less favorable outcome. Without Caesar, her forest was doomed. And now that he disapproved of her methods, perhaps there was nothing she could say that would change his mind. And then it hit her; what if Caesar''s destiny was not to destroy the demons? What if his arrival merely kickstarted things in Luno''s favor, and this ''Lenoria'' he spoke of was his means of dealing with the demons? What if Lenoria was the tool necessary to drive them away or, even better, wipe them all out? If him being in danger meant that Lenoria would eventually come looking for him... "...I''m afraid I''ll have to say no." Luno used her four arms to grab Caesar''s arms. Her grip was firm enough to provide little means of escape, and when she lifted him up, Caesar''s grip on Precious loosened up, dropping the poor cat on the ground. Just as cats are wont to do, however, Precious landed on all four feet, and growled at Luno once again as she stared her down. "Precious, get out of here," Caesar ordered. "I won''t let anyone hurt you anymore." The pirate captain grunted as he tried to break free. "But you''re not safe here!" Upon hearing his orders, Precious stopped growling. She bared her fangs on Luno, but after a moment the critter closed her eyes and directed her face to Caesar. He had no idea what the moth wanted to do to him, but without either of his weapons drawn, he was as vulnerable as any civilian. "Thanks, Caesar. But I don''t think I can do that." The psychic voice was not from Luno; this voice was matronly, carrying the weight and wisdom of old age. "By chance, I took a trip to the Realm of Dreams. I never would have expected to see you again, after all these years." A glimmer of emerald-green color came from Precious''s collar. A glimmer that Caesar was all too familiar with. The light had somewhat of a hypnotic effect on Luno, who took her compound eyes away from Caesar to look at the talking cat. The pirate used this distraction to break free long enough to slap her face, stunning her long enough to let him go. "Precious..." Caesar landed on both feet. He quickly drew his cutlass, ready to fight. "You can talk?" "Ordinarily, you shouldn''t be able to hear me. But we''re in the Realm of Dreams; anything is possible." The cat arched her back in a defensive stance. Her unblinking eyes stayed on Luno, who recovered from the slap on the face. "Word to the wise; if you ever fall asleep in a strange place, keep your Soulstone active. It may be taxing on the mind, but you''ll be able to stay in touch with the spirit if you end up in a situation like this." "Soulstone?" The glimmering collar caught Caesar''s attention again. The light was so familiar to him, and it reminded him of Beckett. "You have one, too?" "Yeah. If you kept yours on, you would have been able to handle this monster." Precious took a step forward. "I guess it''s up to me. I can''t bear to see a human who loves cats in trouble, so I''m going to need you to get out of here." A telepathic cat was already so surreal to Caesar, but one who was familiar with the nature of the Soulstones was something else entirely. With it being a dream, he didn''t question it. But was this truly the same Precious from all those years ago? "Precious...it''s been so long. I can''t leave without you. My crew and I live the nomads'' life, but we have plenty of food and shelter. Please come with us." "I can''t. Once I wake up, I''ll be back where I fell asleep at, and it''ll just be another day for me. But if you don''t wake up, your friends will be in trouble. That''s why I''ll do everything I can to save you." "I won''t give you the chance!" Still in the air, Luno dive-bombed to Caesar''s location. The pirate braced himself, cutlass ready, to defend against whatever attack Luno had planned. But Precious had other plans. By jumping in the air and curling into a ball, the small cat body-slammed one of the moth woman''s hands. The moth''s psychic scream assaulted both of their minds, but Precious wasn''t the least bit fazed. Luno held up one of her fingers, bent towards her thanks to the body slam. "My finger! That hurt! That actually hurt! How dare you!" "Your fight''s with me, monster! Leave this human alone!" "You can fight, too?" At this point, Caesar had stopped trying to make sense of his furry companion. "Okay, that''s gotta be from the Soulstone..." "It''s a long story. We''ll catch up later," Precious commented. "Right now, you need to wake up." "Wake up?" "You''re still asleep. You need to wake up and save your friends while I keep this monster busy. I don''t know how long I can hold her back, so you need to hurry." "How am I going to do that?" "Fools! I won''t let you!" Luno swiped a claw at Precious. The small cat dodged it in time by jumping away but had little time to think as Luno tried attacking with her other claw. Precious evaded the claws skillfully and countered with a paw of her own. To Caesar''s surprise, he witnessed a bigger paw - made of pure energy - swipe at Luno at the same time Precious did. Luno tried blocking the attack, but the bigger claws drew blood. "Ah!" Caesar balled his fist. His best friend was putting up a fight, but he couldn''t bear the thought of leaving her behind. Drawing his pistol, he opened fire on the moth woman. The bullet should have hit her shoulder, but it went right through her harmlessly, instead. "I told you," Precious scolded, "if you kept your Soulstone activated, you would have been able to handle this monster! We''re in her playground, and until we leave, we''ll be at her mercy!" "Then you''re coming with me. I''m not leaving you alone!" "Forget about me! I promise we''ll see each other again. I don''t know how, but if we both carry our Soulstones, then we''re bound to run into each other eventually. But if you stay here, there''s no way that''ll ever happen!" Arguing with a feral cat was not something Caesar expected to do; it was strange enough he already had to do it, what was even stranger is that he knew she was right. He had to wake up, but how? "All you have to do is remember the one way people wake up from their dreams, guaranteed." Beast and insect engaged in melee again as Caesar thought on Precious''s words. How could people wake up from a dream? Most cases, dreams play out of the control of the dreamer. Then, they end, allowing the dreamer to wake up and start their day. Even if Caesar could run away, there were no more doors for him to go into. All three of them had spoken and battled in the empty black void, and there was no clear indicator where Caesar could go to. Precious may have been small, but she fought with the ferocity of a tiger. She would pounce, bite, claw, or even curl up into a ball to attack her foe. What was even more surprising was each injury Luno sustained. The moth woman bled as if she had been on the rough end of a sword fight. The small cat was clearly winning. But then, something unfortunate happened. Just as Precious pounced again, everything had gone dark. Caesar and the moth were gone, and she couldn''t even see her own paws. Then, she felt leather all over her body. It was as if the empty black void had reduced its size to a small leathery sphere that trapped her inside. Precious could not move freely anymore; she tried to claw and bite her way out, but she could not escape. From Caesar''s point of view, Luno had stuffed Precious inside a leather sack. The moth quickly worked to tie a tight knot at the entrance in such a way that left very little space inside the sack. Then, with a single crushing motion, Luno made the bag disappear....along with Precious. Caesar was left speechless. "To think all I needed to do was search for her worst fear. Now, my sweet lantern, what would your worst fear be?" Chapter 79 - The Answer to a Precious Question "I''m very tired of this game of cat and mouse. I tried to make you happy, I really did. All you had to do for me was submit and aid me in raising an army. With the help of your crew, we could have raised the army at a faster rate, and would have driven the demons back. But since you kept refusing, your friend died." A shadow was cast over Caesar''s eyes as he stared at the ground below, his fists shaking and mouth quivering. Precious had been stuffed inside a bag, and then...she just disappeared without a trace. No touching farewells, no words of encouragement; she simply vanished. But the captain was not overcome with despair, nor was he afraid of the moth woman. Instead, anger boiled his blood, and his best friend''s demise brought inconsolable tears from his eyes. "I raised that cat for years until I died. And you killed her..." The captain raised his pepperbox pistol. "I haven''t seen her in years. She wasn''t some hallucination you and I made. I could feel it in her voice; it was her. It was really her. And you took her from me..." Without warning, Caesar opened fire. One shot would not be enough, oh no. He pulled the trigger over and over again until the cylinder kept spinning without a boom behind each pull. Each shot was aimed at Luno, right where the human heart would be, and Caesar did not miss a single shot. "You''re going to pay for this!" The captain was confident. In the anime he was used to watching, the hero would always power up after some traumatic event. It was naive to believe something in fiction would work in real life, but it didn''t hurt to try, much less believe. Unfortunately, this wasn''t one of those stories. "Your cat friend was right about one thing. You don''t have the means to hurt me." The moth woman was unharmed. The bullets clinked on the hard ground below. "I, on the other hand, have ways to make you squeal." With a snap of Luno''s fingers, Caesar soon felt a force pushing him backwards. Water splashed when he stepped forward, feeling cold water seep in through his boots with each splash. A shallow river had begun to form, threatening to take him deeper into the darkness. "How ironic. A pirate afraid of a little water," Luno taunted. "That is your biggest fear? For all your talk about adventure, I have to say your fears are a little underwhelming." "What did you do?!" "I have the power to turn your dream into a nightmare. And what do we have here? The spell I cast dug deep into your memories and fished this out. What does this river mean to you, my sweet lantern?" In a blink of an eye, the terrain changed back to that of an urban area somewhere in the USA. It was the middle of the night; the lampposts had turned on and the lack of traffic made the bridge they stood on into a lonely place. The only noise the two heard was the rush of the river down below. "I don''t know the context of what''s going on, but the fact this is a nightmare for you is good enough for me. I''m going to give you one last chance, my lantern; are you going to help me raise an army to battle the demons, or am I going to have to trap you here until you agree? Maybe I should just leave you here anyway, and force this Lenoria girl to help me, instead." "Don''t you dare," Caesar warned. He recognized the bridge and the river; Luno''s magic had taken him to the night he died. He knew what would happen next if he let things play out naturally. "Face it, there''s nothing you can do. If you had done as I asked, you would have experienced nothing but a great time. But you forced my hand, little lantern. And what''s this?" The sound of screeching tires came from around the corner into the next street. A green, square-shaped vehicle had arrived, its lights indicating that the driver did not intend to stay long. To Caesar''s horror, two masked men in black emerged from the vehicle and forced a squirming creature into a black plastic bag. Caesar caught only a glimpse of the tiny creature stuffed inside: A Russian blue cat. "Hey, bro, don''t you think this is a little extreme," asked one of the masked men. "I don''t care. Thanks to this thing, I''m down a thousand bucks," the other callously said. "Precious..." Caesar could only whisper her name. The nightmare had begun. "I thought I got rid of your cat friend. Or is this a distant memory?" Knowing very little, Luno could only speculate. "That''s it, isn''t it? You did say you raised it. Did something happen to your little Precious? I guess harming innocent little animals is human nature; such cruelty is universal, it seems." Luno may not have cared as much as he did, but Caesar knew she had a point; one of the things that remained consistent between both worlds was that humanity would always find creative ways to hurt the innocent. He watched as the leading masked man tossed the bag into the river, submerging it for a moment before coming to surface. The force of the river pushed the bag towards the bridge, eventually going under and past Caesar. Precious''s nervous wailing only added to his anxiety. He wanted to jump in, but his fear of the river stopped him. "She must have felt confused the entire time. No cat is going to survive that. It''s a shame you''re going to relive this moment for the rest of your life." Luno''s wings fluttered. "It took me forever to find you because the Realm of Dreams is like a giant maze. You never know whose dreams you''re going to bump into. I can''t just wake up, but I can find my way back to my body. While I''m gone, you''re going to think about what you did." This was the end, Caesar thought. He had no way to harm Luno, and with a single spell, she managed to trap him in a nightmare of his own. He had no weapons, no plans, and no means of escape. But if he gave up now, Lenoria would be in danger. And then he had an idea, perhaps even an answer to the last question Precious asked him. "Lenoria said she applied the scientific method when she fought the dad giant," he said to himself. "Huh?" "Observation, experimentation, and analysis...I already collected enough data." Caesar''s tired eyes faced the river once again. The bag Precious was in was going farther and farther away. He couldn''t do anything for her in his current state, but perhaps he didn''t need to. "All that''s left to do is conduct an experiment." "What are you talking about?" "You spent all this time trying scare me into submitting to you. You could have just left without saying anything. Even now, you''re taking forever to leave, and you stopped the moment I said something." There was newfound confidence in Caesar''s eyes, along with quiet anger. "You wanted me to crack, didn''t you? Because this is something you''ve done before. Every Bob, Dick, and Jane would be scared to see a monster like you in the flesh, and would happily meet your demands if it meant that they lived. You scare people into giving you what you want from them, and you thought you could do the same to me. It must be driving you insane that I''m not doing the same thing they did." Luno had no idea how to counter such an accurate statement. She wanted to deny it, but Caesar''s confidence convinced her not to. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "You said I have a destiny to fulfill, but I think it''s a little too convenient that this ''destiny'' benefits you and no one else. I''m going to carve my own way, not yours. But I also refuse to stay trapped here. Lenoria needs me; she''s counting on me to keep the kids safe and return to her with them. It''s the least I can do after she showed me how to beat you!" "Beat me? I know you didn''t get in touch with anyone from the outside world the whole time you were dreaming, so stop talking nonsense!" "And that''s another thing I can''t stand; you asked for my help, but you didn''t have enough faith in us to do it our way. You think so little of humans that you believe you can dictate how we live our lives, yet all you''ve done is hide in the shadows like the bully you are. But you''re wrong; I can show you here and now that destiny can be defied. I can show you that humans are masters of their own future. If you really think I''m going to stay here because you didn''t get your way," Caesar said as he skillfully and quickly jumped on the railing of the bridge, "you have another thing coming." "Preposterous! You think you can defy me?" "Just you watch me!" A leap of faith; the act of believing and/or accepting something not on the basis of reason. Alternatively, it can mean a risky action taken in hopes of a favorable outcome. For Caesar, it meant something both with a figurative meaning and a literal one. He could hear the flapping of moth wings getting closer right after jumping off the bridge. A furry claw reached down to him just as his body splashed on the turbulent rapid currents of the river, barely missing him. The river was deeper than he remembered, and he had to swim upwards even as the currents carried him in the direction Precious had gone to. Several rocky obstacles blocked his way, but the river was determined to push him through them with brute force. "All you have to do is remember the one way people wake up from their dreams, guaranteed." Caesar had recalled Precious''s words of wisdom to him. It took him a little while, but he figured it out. Witnessing something scary is enough to wake most people up, but some can endure the frightening images and push onward despite the apparent danger. But there was something else that guaranteed the dreamer to wake up. The rush of adrenaline from a near-death experience. Alas, Caesar did not go gently. *** December 9th, 12:25am, 2004 Melvin Caesar was never a hero. He would stay inside his home on weekends to watch anime. He never went outside, which worried his parents very much. His mother always made him help with the weekly deep cleaning, and his father ensured the boy didn''t grow lazy and always made him do chores around the house. Eventually, little Melvin knew it was best to get the chores and cleaning out of the way before moving on to enjoy his weekends. There were times he would talk back to his parents, but he learned quickly that it was never a good idea to do so. To the surprise of his family, Melvin had a talent for basketball. He would sometimes play hoops with his dad and brothers after school, but would always shy away from conversation whenever they tried to convince him to try out for the school team. He dreamed about being signed up for the big leagues when he grew up, but him being unable to stand in crowds, much less speak to them, made him feel like his dream could never be achieved. Yet even he was surprised when he jumped into the local river to save the life of his best friend. A couple of cruel men had snatched Precious from the alley and tossed her into the river inside a bag. All little Melvin could hear was the complaint from one that Precious had cost him a thousand dollars. He followed the bag down the flowing river, but his best friend would go farther and farther away thanks to the speed of the currents. Seeing no choice, the boy jumped into the river, hoping the currents would allow him to catch her. By some string of luck, he did it. Melvin was able to swim back to land with the bag in tow. He opened it immediately, coughing in the process, finding Precious inside. The poor cat was wet, but far from injured. She would be able to dry herself in time. Melvin, however, was not so lucky. It was the beginning of December, and winter was just a couple of weeks away. His clothes were wet, and cold winds blew against him as he rested on the shore. He was not the athletic type, so all he could do was gasp for breath and cry from the pain of his burning muscles. He shivered profusely and his speech slurred. His eyes were harder and harder to keep open. Hypothermia was settling in, and there was no one around to help him. Death would come soon. "You s-silly cat...I told you to s-stay away from other humans..." Melvin did not have the full picture on how cruel the world actually was, but he had an idea. His parents would always tell him to go straight home after school. Gang violence was thankfully at an all-time low, but the neighborhood would still have the occasional shooting. On top of that, the police''s efforts to crack down on gangs was unfortunately led with corruption; Melvin would hear news reports about black men and women who were detained, beaten, and sometimes even killed, because they simply were at the wrong place at the wrong time. It didn''t matter if they were innocent; most people were content that arrests were made in the first place, and if arrests were made, then that meant, for some, the system was working . The public was divided on the issue. It made sense for him, then, to hurry to the 24/7 store late at night after his father and Devin caught the flu. His mother would have gone, but she was in the middle of cooking a home remedy and could not leave Rufus after he suffered coughing fits throughout the day. She was against letting Melvin leave the house after 11:30 at night, but relented after Melvin reminded her the 24/7 store was just two blocks away. All he had to get was chicken noodle soup and more cough syrup. The return trip proved to be more eventful. A police roadblock was set up in his neighborhood. Not the first time it happened, but it was still annoying for Melvin. This meant that he had to take the next block by the river and go around, cut through some yards, and even jump a fence, before reaching the cul-de-sac. But Melvin only made it around the block when he spotted Precious in trouble. And this is where we are now. Melvin worried his parents would assume he disobeyed them to goof off somewhere, and now he lied dying alone by the river. More importantly, he worried they would think he abandoned them when they needed him the most. Would they be angry he jumped off the river to save his best friend? "You have t-t-to leave, P-Precious. Go back to the butcher and live your life..." But Precious would not leave him. She was already meowing as loud as she could. Melvin always believed she was smarter than the average cat, but could she possibly be calling out for help right now? "T-the bad men are going to find you if y-you don''t leave now..." But Melvin was just lying to himself. He didn''t want her to leave; he just worried about her safety. He was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety; he didn''t know what awaited him on the other side, and right now he just wanted to be home with his family. He wished he could take Precious with him, too, but that wasn''t happening. He reached out to her and pulled her closer. The bad men didn''t hurt her, but just now he spotted a white circle painted on her back. "Why did they do this to you? W-why...?" His remaining time was a blur to him. All he could remember was Precious lying next to him, purring. He may have died a disobedient son and something far from a basketball star, but to this little creature, he was her hero. *** "Caesar!" The first thing Caesar saw when he woke up back in the cave was Lenoria staring down at him. Alistair and Aquamarine were tending to the kids while a rock giant of a woman was checking on his pirate crew. "Is this another dream," the captain wondered. "I hope not. It''s bad enough you''re napping on the job," Lenoria teased. "Right." Caesar''s body was sore. When Lenoria noticed he struggled to sit up straight, she pulled his arms to help him up. "Thanks. I was going to make my way back to you, but...things happened." "Don''t worry about it. I''m just glad you''re okay. And," she said looking back at the crew, "you''ve kept everyone safe, too." Familiar voices stirred the captain even more. His crew casually conversed with one another, alerting him that something could be off. Luno had made sure they stayed asleep, if she was to be believed. "Captain," Vanessa was the first to greet him, "I had the craziest dream. Wulf and I were getting married, and you were there." "You had that dream, too?" Wulf knelt beside his captain. "Man, I honestly don''t think we could have picked a better person to be the best man." "I dreamt I was having a feast with the first Khan," said the grim Temuulen. "The captain arranged it so that we''d have a glorious battle afterward." "And I had a dream we had an official pardon from the King of Helix, himself," Charlie interjected. "The captain saved his life, after all." "Looks like everyone had some nice dre- whoa!" Lenoria was shoved aside by an insolent red-haired girl. "Captain!" The captain''s chief mate tackled-hugged him. "I thought...I thought..." "I''m okay, Cecilia. I''m not going anywhere." "Promise me that!" Cecilia clung to him as she pressed herself against him. "I was the only one awake until just a minute ago! You''re back...everyone''s back..." "C-calm down. I promise I won''t go anywhere. And that goes for the rest of you, as well. But you all look a little worried." "Of course we were," Wulf said. "You''re the one who brought us together." "You''re our captain," Cecilia said. "You''re the only family we have in this world." The other pirates voiced their agreement. Caesar may have lost his old family, but in the process he had gained a new one. The pirates went in for a group hug, and the children had already surrounded him and looked on with curiosity. Lenoria, Al, and Aquamarine looked on with smiles on their faces, showing Caesar they were happy to see him around. With new friends and family, the joy in Caesar''s heart was enough to make a grown man cry. Chapter 80 - The Cave of Dreams Lenoria and the rest listened carefully as Caesar told the tale of his grand adventure in the Realm of Dreams. Apparently, this adventure involved visiting multiple dreams - not all of them his - and how he dreamed he was back home. He kept his past vague and simply told the group that he lived in a small town that faced its own issues with violence. They wouldn''t understand, he thought, if he revealed he was from some far away planet and he was reborn in this world after he died from hypothermia. Once Caesar finished recapping his tale, he went on to explain what Luno had told him. She planned to raise an army with his help, and all she needed was his consent, and with it she could also win over the pirates'' consent since they loved their leader so much. Cecilia backed him up on this claim, as she personally witnessed Luno showcase her power by pulling a character from her dream and made him real by molding him with water from a small pool of water. Caesar also had a theory that keeping a Soulstone active before going to sleep would allow the wielder and spirit to reunite in the dream if a similar fate would befall them. "I guess that''s why I couldn''t reach ya," Beckett said. "It makes sense. But how did you come up with this theory, lad?" "Well..." The conversation had to be put on pause after Wulf growled. "You''re one of the Blue Jays who had the kids the other night..." Wulf''s statement put the rest of the pirates on high alert. Caesar instinctively stood in front of the children, blocking them from Quincy''s line of sight. The big man could only gulp in anticipation. "Hey, Lenoria," Caesar asked, "why is he hanging out with you? Is he threatening you?" Lenoria made sure to stay in front of Quincy. "No, you guys got it all wrong; Quincy was part of the Blue Jays, but he''s promised not to hurt anyone anymore. He feels bad for what he''s done," she said as she turned to him, "right, big guy?" "Y-yeah," Quincy confirmed. "Lenoria said the boss is bad." "Uh...huh." Caesar relaxed his shoulders. "Well, it''s not like we saw him do anything bad. He was just standing as a lookout the first time we met him. What say you, Al?" I don''t fear demons, but I know how dangerous they can be if left unchecked. That''s why I shall grant you permission to exterminate any Blue Jay that you find. No, consider it an order. Alistair sighed. He had not forgotten Demetrio''s order. "I promised Lenoria no harm would come to him unless he hurts any of us. But there is something I need to say: Lord Demetrio has commanded me to kill any Blue Jays that I meet." Lenoria scratched her head. "R-right, you mentioned that..." "I trust Lenoria''s judgment and will believe Quincy will make good on his promise not to hurt anyone. Besides," Alistair adds, "I think we have more pressing concerns." The girl in question wanted to leap with joy and pounce on her beloved, but she had enough sense to know this wasn''t the time for that. "Thanks, Al..." "Your friend explained everything on the way," Solveig said. "I heard about these forest guardians. Their duty is, as you can guess, protect the forest they live in. I know Goodsprings has Hildi, the giant boar, and Rosewood itself is said to be protected by a dire ape. I''m not familiar with the others, much less the moth that''s behind this plot. I just know that, to these creatures, the well-being of their forest is their top priority. Everything else is secondary." "Everything else..." Caesar repeated almost absent-mindedly. "Luno is someone trying to protect her forest. She''s going about it the wrong way, but," he added through gnashing teeth, "...I understand how she feels." "Hold on a sec, Cap," Cecilia interjected. "You don''t seriously think we should still help her, do you?" "After everything she''s done to you. To us..." Wulf''s retort lied atop a calm fury. "We know she had you trapped in a dream," Vanessa said. "She had us all trapped." Charlie nodded. "And while we enjoyed our dreams, it wasn''t fair to lollygag while you were in trouble." "How...did you know I was in trouble," asked the captain. "A cat. She used a magic stone just like yours, Captain," Temuulen confirmed. "She said you were in trouble, and was letting each of us know before she returned to you. She said we were also trapped in a dream, and the best way to wake up from it was to endanger ourselves." "She...must have done that when she ran away the first time..." Caesar could barely keep his composure. "Precious...so you also were chosen by a Soulstone, after all..." He straightened up with his head held high. If he ''died'' in a dream and woke up right after, then Precious must have woken up after she was ''killed.'' Forget about me! I promise we''ll see each other again. I don''t know how, but if we both carry our Soulstones, then we''re bound to run into each other eventually. Feeling hope that, maybe, Precious was alive somewhere in the world, it was harder for Caesar to stay angry. "I understand. I even told Luno I would never forgive her for what she''s done. But-" "But you still want to help her," Cecilia asked. Anger still boiled within Caesar. He debated if it was genuine or if he simply forced himself to stay angry out of principle, but a lot still remained. All the suffering he faced while asleep, his crew left in a vulnerable state, leaving the children unprotected...that was all Luno. He could not trust anything she said after she took advantage of his offer to help her. If anything happened to her, she would have no one to blame but herself. Yet, while there were some stark differences between the two groups, Caesar could not help but draw a parallel between the demons and the gangs that plagued his old neighborhood. Both were unwelcome presences that festered like a terrible wound wherever they went, hurting innocents if that got them what they wanted. All Luno wanted to do was to protect her forest and her babies, and with the demons around and no one to help her, she turned to drastic measures. "Let''s just say she and I have more in common than you know." Caesar settled for that excuse in the end. He hoped his crew would understand, but realistically speaking, he expected a mutiny or at least an argument that would make him abandon his current objective. "But that doesn''t mean any of you have to suffer. I''m going to face her alone." "Like hell you are." Closing the gap between them, Lenoria poked Caesar on the chest. "You know the sort of problems we faced trying to find you? I almost died!" "Uh..." "I don''t want to hear it; you''re not going in alone, and I''m not in the mood to argue." "Lenoria''s right," said Alistair, "letting you go alone would make everything we worked for blow up in smoke. As a paladin of the Hammer, I should be the first to march into peril, not let my comrades do it." "That makes two." Caesar had already embraced the idea he wouldn''t be going in alone. "Anyone else?" A big meaty hand picked up Aquamarine by the collar of her sailor suit, carried her over to Alistair, and dropped her on the ground. Proud of herself, Solveig said, "Take this one, too. I''ll stay here and check on your pirate friends. And keep an eye on Quincy," she added the last sentence with a whisper. "You big meanie!" Having landed on her rear, Aquamarine took a moment to pat herself until she stopped hurting. "You could have just asked me to join them, you know." "I know, but this was funner." "Alright, people, let''s settle down." All eyes were on Caesar. As he was the one leading the charge, everyone else just tried to follow his lead. "Cecilia, are we ready to raise anchor?" The halfling grabbed her Soulstone from her pocket, surprised that its vibrant glow had returned. "Yes, Cap. The Argo Navis is ready to depart at any time." "Good. Then grab the wagon and take it outside. Load everything and everyone up; we''re giving Luno one last chance." Everyone present was confused. "May I ask why," asked Alistair. "I don''t think Luno will let us escape that easy. She has command over the forest and she''s the one who sealed it up in the first place," Caesar explained. "I plan to talk to her into waiting for reinforcements, and if we succeed, then we''ll have an easier time leaving here. I''m sure someone in Thule is willing to help." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "What about Rosewood," Aquamarine asked. Solveig shook her head. "Doubt it. Each forest in Rosewood has its own guardian protecting it. You could probably convince a few druids to help out, but they typically have places to be and biomes to take care of." "We could handle it ourselves, but with the Order of the Blue Jay involved, things could get complicated. And there''s no telling just what the demons'' numbers are." After some thought, Alistair had an idea. "I could send a missive to the Church of the Hammer here in Thule. I can''t promise much, but it is our sworn duty to combat all that is evil, including demons. If we can assess the danger level and deliver an honest report, they might send a force great enough to wipe out the demons and, perhaps, save the forest." "Not a bad idea, Alistair," Solveig said. "I like that idea." Aquamarine agreed. "Great, let''s do that." Lenoria smacked both fists impatiently. "We ready to go?" "Yeah." Caesar faced his crew one more time. "Don''t you worry about me. I won''t let her get me again. I promise to come back soon, so get the Argo Navis fired up and get ready to set sail." "Yes, Captain," the pirates shouted back. Everyone got to work, with Solveig, Quincy, Chestnut, the pirates and the children loading up the wagon and getting ready to leave while Lenoria, Alistair, Caesar, and Aquamarine marched forward to the next destination: Luno''s lair. "A cat with a magic stone..." Lenoria turned to Pearl. "You mind explaining that?" "I''m not familiar with any Soulstone that allows the wielder to visit people in their dreams. If a Soulstone wielder did enter the Realm of Dreams, then they must have had some outside help. And you say it was a cat; is it really that surprising, Lenoria? Let''s not forget your murderer was also an animal wielding a Soulstone." How could she forget? A brush with death like that wasn''t something people forget over time. But she had forgotten that the Soulstones awakened the minds of any animal that would make a potential partner; awakening, in this context, meaning that the animal gained a higher level of intelligence. The animal would no longer operate on instinct alone but also make conscious decisions before taking a course of action. Lenoria was glad that at least one animal decided to do the right thing with its new intelligence. Looking back one last time, she waved to Quincy. "Do what they say, okay? And let me know if they were mean to you when we come back!" *** "No. No, no, no!" Sand seeped through Luno''s hands. She wept as her legs sank to the ground until she was kneeling, desperately clawing through a pile of sand for something that wasn''t there. Unable to find what she was looking for, she flew to the next mound. And the next one, then the next one after that. Lenoria hurried to the chamber, followed by Alistair and then Caesar and Aquamarine, side to side, with all four forming a upside down T formation. The moth woman ahead of them did not even notice their entrance, giving Alistair time to grab his mace and shield. "Is that her," Lenoria asked. "She''s pretty." "I know, right?" Caesar smiled drily. "You should see the human form she used to fool me." "Will you two stop admiring the monster for a second?" Alistair kept his eyes on the moth woman. "She hasn''t noticed us. What''s your plan, Caesar?" "Let me take point," the captain whispered. "I''m the one she wants. I won''t let her convince me to go along with her schemes, but...I just can''t leave her like this." The moth haplessly dug through each mound of sand. As Caesar drew closer, he could see that she tried to mold the sand just like kids would make shapes out of snow. In this case, however, sand did not stick together when it was dry, and it all escaped through her fingers. "Luno..." "Go away." Tear drops landed on the cold, hard cave floor. "You got what you wanted. Just leave me alone..." "I never meant to hurt you," Caesar explained. "You saved us from the demons and we even offered to help you. But you can''t be mad that we tried to escape from you when you acted up; it isn''t fair." Luno glared at the man that had approached her, the very same man who had ruined her plans, but the need to fight him had subsided for the moment. She sat on the hard cave ground and raised her knees to her head. "I...I know. Just...leave me. Leave this forest and let it burn." "We plan to leave, make no mistake about this." Caesar closed his fists. "You kept me and my crew trapped in our dreams and in this damp cave. You crossed a line I don''t think you can ever come back from. But I can also understand why you did it." Feeling safe enough to do so, Caesar sat next to Luno. The rest of the band grew alert, but one reassuring look from Caesar was enough to calm them down. "I understand how it is to live in fear of something that could kill you in a second. You peeked at my memories, didn''t you? So you know I''m not lying." Luno nodded. The fur around her body and a pair of arms suddenly disappeared as her features slowly became more human-like. Her arms and legs took on the appearance of fleshy skin while her exoskeleton took the form of a black overall dress with a simple white blouse underneath. Her compound eyes disappeared, replaced by humanoid eyes, and the rest of her face and head gaining ears, a cute button nose, and soft lips. She smiled awkwardly at Caesar, her wings fluttering for a moment. This was the Selena Caesar met in his dreams, though her appearance was a lot older than before, perhaps an indication to Luno''s true age. "Caesar was right," Lenoria commented, "she''s even cuter than before." "I owe you an apology, Caesar." Luno stared at the sand, her soft, demure voice audible by hearing for the first time. "I fooled you into thinking you had a friend when you were young. I know I manipulated things to my liking, but my friendship wasn''t a lie. The truth is, I don''t have very many friends, either. We moth people keep to ourselves and live solitary lives. It was nice to meet someone who shared my love for other moths. I was actually hoping to talk to you longer as I siphoned an army out of your dreams." "We could have helped you, you know. We...still can." Caesar looked above him. A thin stream of sand flowed from above, making the mound bigger by the minute. "That''s a lot of sand." "Yeah, that comes from the cocoons." Luno sighed sadly. "Whenever one is destroyed, it slowly turns into sand. I don''t understand the process behind it, but the silk makes good bondage for the astral and ethereal, at least until it''s destroyed." "!" Pearl left Lenoria''s side to investigate the rest of the room. Seeing that the sand flowed from the ceiling, she flew to the source and reached out to it with her hand. Traces of silk remained on the ceiling, and after taking good look, she discovered a damaged cocoon. The silk slowly transformed into sand in her eyes, just as Luno said. She grabbed a handful of it and inspected it closely before flying back to Lenoria. "Lenoria. Cepheus," Pearl called out to the girl and the kingly spirit. Not long after, the spirit of the King Stone appeared before her, bowing politely before greeting her. "Take a look at this. Can you confirm what this is?" "It''s sand, like the moth said," Lenoria concluded hastily. "It''s more than that," the kingly man said. "It''s Dream Sand. I don''t believe it..." Lenoria tilted her head. "Dream Sand?" Pearl nodded. "It''s sand found exclusively in the Planetarium, the realm where the Smith resides. Sand from the Planetarium is an invaluable resource because it can be made into anything. Only the locals know how to fully tap into its secrets, and sadly I wasn''t born there." "Hold on," said a concerned Lenoria, "if it''s from your master''s home, then what''s it doing over here?" "I''ve been wondering that, myself," Pearl answered. "Ever since we arrived, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of familiarity. It''s hard to explain, but...I feel like we''re at home." "Truth be told," Cepheus interjected, "I share a similar feeling." "Same here," said Owen all of a sudden. "I, as well, Lady Lenoria," said Mr. Horsey. "You, too?" Beckett was the last to answer, having observed the events unfold without so much as a word to Caesar. Lenoria raised her hands with frustration. "Awesome. When were you all going to tell me?" "Don''t be surprised, lass; the Planetarium is where the Smith created the Soulstones. I feel like there''s a gap between our previous lives and the time we arrived at the Planetarium, but all of us were happy while he crafted away." A place that made the spirits feel at home. Sand that could be made into anything. It felt like Lenoria was getting to the bottom of this mystery. Were the moths magical by nature, then? It would explain why Luno insists on protect her ''babies'' aside from personal attachment. But if not, how did they produce the silk? One way to find out. "Luno, right? What do the moths eat? Your babies, I mean." Despite being puzzled by Lenoria''s question, there seemed no reason for the guardian to deny the scientist her answer. "I feed them the phosphorescent fungus that grows in the cave. Why do you ask?" Eureka! The young scientist bowed with gratitude and exited the chamber. Not far from it, she spotted a cluster of fungi with a bright blue color. She pointed at it for Cepheus to look at, who only needed a glance to confirm Lenoria''s new theory. "The fungus was cultivated here, but it is not from this world." Cepheus''s words of confirmation were music to Lenoria''s ears. They were finally getting somewhere. "From the Planetarium, right? Does this mean Luno is from there as well?" "Doubtful." Pearl was quick to correct Lenoria. "If she hails from there, then she would have raised her army a long time ago and would not have needed to cast anyone into deep slumber." She scowled. "No, this cave was carved with a purpose. Someone else lived here before Luno occupied it; someone from the Planetarium." "Do you think she killed them?" "Based on Cecilia''s account, it''s unlikely. She was more interested in keeping her ruse than silencing anyone who discovered her true nature. And none of the pirates and children received any injuries during their stay." Pearl stared at fungi clusters pensively. "I''m more ready to believe someone from the Planetarium was careless enough to leave our secrets here." "She didn''t hurt them, then..." Psychological trauma notwithstanding, none of the children or pirates had physical wounds on them. Out of all of them, only Cecilia was hurt, but only because she was unlucky enough to stumble into El Buitre''s group. There was no excusing what Luno did, but had she wanted to hurt anyone in the cave, she would have done so already. "The moths eat the fungus, and use that energy to make silk..." She was so close, she could feel it. "The silk turns into sand when damaged. And it can be used to mold anything. Come on, Lenoria; think, think." Sand was sand. By itself, it was just millions and millions of grains with no function. But it could be used for a lot of things, such as construction and creating glass. It could also be used for fun; she fondly recalled the days she lived at the Plateau and would sometimes visit the beach. The first time she saw sand was when she went with her older sister, Ami, when Lenoria was only about five years of age at the time. They would spend their time swimming, looking for harmless wildlife, and making sand castles- "Wait a minute..." Sand alone could not be molded on its own. But... "Pearl, what happens when you apply water to Dream Sand?" Pearl gave it some thought. "If I had to guess, it would do the same regular sand does. Why?" Lenoria had an idea. It was a crazy one, but if it worked, perhaps there would be some benefit to Luno''s crazy scheme, after all. But she didn''t plan to place any of her friends in danger. For now, the least she could do was discuss the plan with her team and go from there. Pearl watched as her partner ran off like a madwoman. "Water and sand," Pearl said to herself. "Did she figure out the secret to Dream Sand?" Chapter 81 - Demons Run When a Good Woman Goes to War 28th of Cobre, 8:28pm, 1659 The forest had darkened once again. The demons managed to kill a couple of moths during their hunt, but it was as if the rest had gone into hiding. And with their guardian nowhere in sight, there was no one to torture the information out of. Forests typically had fairies and other forest fey, but it appeared as if only the moths and woodland creatures lived in Norwich Forest. There were no innocents to question, making their task more difficult. At night time, the leader of the band - a slightly bigger abrikandilu than the rest - called for a break. Demons needed no sleep, but they could still be fatigued if they pushed themselves long enough. So when the leader of the small squad called for a break, none hesitated to plop on the ground right then and there. Two in particular grabbed their decks of playing cards. They sat on the ground and split the cards between them, preparing themselves for a game of War. Before they could begin, they placed their wager: They pricked the palms of their hands with their claws, and from each hand emerged an orb of light. When each rat-like demon grasped it, a scream from the orb could be heard. Human souls. "What do you have there," the first demon asked curiously. "An orc chieftain. He summoned me and said to kill the most important member of his enemy tribe, so I killed his rival chieftain''s mother who was fated to die that day from natural causes." The second demon chuckled proudly. "You?" "No one important. Some loser detective was sure his wife was cheating on him, so he summoned me to off her and make it look like an accident. Turns out his wife was secretive because she was preparing an anniversary party, and he didn''t even remember. So, naturally, he hanged himself when he found out his pretty little wife died from a piano falling on top of her. Made sure to leave the anniversary cake at his doorstep before he did the deed." Atrocious crimes, but for the demons, it was just another day. They were determined to win the souls they had placed as bets, and the game of War was ready to commence. But little did they know that, one by one, the rest of their brethren had breathed their last as they were either stabbed to death or beheaded by something hiding in the shadows. They were too focused on their game to notice. After a while, the first demon howled in celebration. "Ha. I win! Hand it over!" The first abrikandilu snatched the orb from the corpse of the second, completely unaware of the danger that had claimed his life just moments before. He was too happy too care, and performed a celebratory dance after absorbing his winnings into his body. The last thing he saw was an iron-clad samurai - wearing ebony armor and a red tiger mask with gold patterns and white teeth - charging with a pair of iron claws. The assailant quickly pierced the demon''s neck with their weapon of choice, splattering demonic ooze over the decks of cards. *** Hours before "Luno! How long would it take you to make this room operational again?" Caught by surprise, Luno addressed the scientist''s question with a mixture of hope and confusion. "Uh, probably about 10 minutes. The moths come and go throughout the day, so I can convince one of them to make a cocoon. Why?" "I may have found a solution to your demon problem, and only one of us has to fall asleep for it!" Lenoria stopped just a yard away from Luno and Caesar, who had long since gotten up and were ready to say goodbye to each other. "You mean it? How?" "Time out." Alistair formed a T with both hands. "You could have at least discussed this idea of yours with us before saying anything." Lenoria''s excitement dwindled down a little. She could sense disappointment coming from Alistair. "S-sorry. I was so excited about this discovery that I wasn''t thinking straight. Are you mad?" "No," Alistair said with a gentle smile, "I''m not. I''m more than happy to help you, just go over these things with us next time. We''re a team, after all; no need to plan things on your own." Alistair''s words were enough to make her swoon, but this was no time to fool around. "I was hoping we didn''t have to do this," Caesar admitted. "But I''m curious about what blondie has to say. Besides, we already planned on helping Luno; this plan just sounds like we''ll get things done quicker. Floor''s yours, Lenoria." "Right. For starters, let''s retrace our steps a little bit. Luno, Cecilia said you brought something out of her dream and made it real. Something out of that pool over there." Lenoria pointed at the small pool of water Luno had used to navigate through dreams. "Is that what you were going to do? Just siphon the pirates'' dreams and make an army of water monsters?" Luno nodded. "I thought that with enough time, I would learn how to make them without dissolving quickly. Right now, any single attack is enough to disperse the water, thus destroying whatever I create. If only I had gotten the pirates'' consent..." "Now that you mention it, only Cecilia''s dream could be siphoned. How? It''s not like she would have consented if she knew." "Well..." Luno bashfully stared at the ground. "I may have used underhanded tactics to get it out of her." "Such as?" Seeing it was hard for Luno to say it, Caesar knew he had to step in. "Go on, Luno. This may be your only chance." Luno took a deep breath. "I-if you say so. The truth is...I took advantage of her emotions during her dream. She was dreaming about a wedding, you see, so as for the groom''s wedding vows, I had him ask her if she would give him anything he desired from her. I-including her dreams." "That''s all it took?" Lenoria chuckled. "Imagine being that much of a sucker. I guess the guy she married must have been a total hunk for her to cave in so quickly." Luno''s eyes awkwardly glanced towards Alistair. The boy wondered why she stared at him for so long, then bashfully stared at the ground again. Then, it hit both of them. "No..." "Are you telling me...she was dreaming about my man?" Sensing hostility, Luno raised her hands submissively. "I had everyone dream about their deepest d-desires! I had no control about what they would dream about!" Lenoria took an angry step forward. There was fire in her eyes and she bared her teeth with violent intent. "I don''t think that helped in the slightest," Aquamarine said sardonically. Lenoria made twisting motions with both hands. "I WILL WRING HER NECK UNTIL HER HEAD POPS OUT OF IT LIKE A PLASTIC DOLL!" "I guess it''s not a good time to criticize the breeding that happened after..." Despite Luno whispering to herself, Lenoria''s senses were too good to miss the moth woman''s remarks. "WHAT?" "Eeek!" All poor Alistair could do was hide his face. Caesar was the only one who found the situation nothing short of amusing. "Gee, Al. I didn''t take you for a player. Cecilia''s my chief mate, so if she left, the rest of the crew would have more work to do on the ship. But since we''re pals, I guess you can have my blessing. I think polygamy is legal in-" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Can we get back to the subject, please?" It was a paladin''s duty to steer his party away from chaos, no matter how red his face was. A single glare from Alistair was enough for Caesar and Luno to take a step back. As for Lenoria, he sighed and stepped out of his comfort zone if that was what it took to calm her emotions. Physical contact. "Now," Alistair said as he wrapped his arm around Lenoria''s waist, "y-you were saying something about water monsters." "Ah..." Lenoria''s anger melted away instantly. However unpleasant Cecilia''s dream was, she had to get back to the subject at hand. "R-right. So, your water monsters are weak right now, Luno. One hit and they splash all over the place. What you need is a strong foundation that will keep them all together. Luckily, the answer has always been right in front of you." Sand. The answer was sand. Lenoria grabbed a handful of sand from one of the mounds and let it seep through her hand. "Sand by itself doesn''t do much. But if you combine it with other ingredients, it becomes something else. It''s always used in construction work, roads, and even making glass. And if you add water, you can mold sand into anything you want." "I..." Luno switched her sights between the pool and the sand, refusing to look at a single one longer than three seconds at a time. She could barely formulate a coherent thought, and her speech was reduced to babbling. This woman Caesar had summoned solved her problem within mere minutes of her arrival. "I''ll get this room back in working order! B-but I won''t be able to do much without the consent of at least one of you," Luno said sadly. "Meaning one of us has to be shoved into a cocoon," Caesar said. "That is, if we''re abandoning the paladin idea." Aquamarine seemed frightened by the idea. "Should we, though? I mean, there''s a lot of demons out there. Never mind that card mage, how are we going to beat them all if we help out?" Alistair released Lenoria. "Miss Aquamarine brings up an interesting point. How can we fight them all?" "That''s easy. Just shove me inside the cocoon when it''s ready," Lenoria said confidently. "You''re insane." Pearl crossed her arms in a huff. "Somewhere between your death back in Helix and the fireball from earlier, you''ve lost your wits." "Pearl is right. If anyone should go, it''s me," Alistair said. "I need you to be someplace safe." "Is that so?" Lenoria''s body swayed side to side, her head sandwiched between her hands and cheeks, before hearts finally formed on her irises. "My darling knight, risking his life to save a forest in place of the woman he loves. But, egads. He enters a deep slumber, and only true love''s kiss can wake him up. I have to stay with him in case that happens. So loving, so vulnerable. I know he''ll be counting on me to save him, so I-" Aquamarine tapped Lenoria''s shoulder before the latter endangered the story''s rating with more mature content. "He and Caesar already stepped away to inspect the rest of the chamber." Alistair and Caesar had placed themselves a stone''s throw away, inspecting the mounds of sand, while Luno fluttered near the ceiling along with a giant moth. The moth constantly spat out a thread, pulling it from its proboscis with its front legs, while Luno flawlessly knitted the thread into a ball. Snapped out of her amorous daze, Lenoria observed the moths do their work. A pair of tiny bird feet perched on her head, and she smiled when she heard Poe''s croak. "You''re always hanging out with Pearl, little guy. It''s always so nice to see you." Lenoria scratched the bird''s head. "What''s your story, anyway?" Poe croaked, to no one''s surprise. "Well, you''re always helping out in battle, so thanks for always being there. I''m just glad you weren''t hurt when that guy threw a fireball at us." The time for payback would come for sure. At least there were no casualties, but there''s no telling what the next encounter would have in store. Everyone had to be ready; their defeat from earlier was a painful lesson that shouldn''t be repeated. Poe found a stray strand of silk on the ground - one Luno had discarded just now - and swooped down towards it. With the silk latched in his beak, the little raven flew around Lenoria, placing the long strand around her neck like a scarf before finally landing on her shoulder. "That''s very sweet, Poe, but I''m not cold." Poe hopped in place as he croaked and croaked. He seemed agitated. "I think he''s saying you should be the one in the cocoon," Pearl pointed out. "Really?" Poe nodded, turning immediately to Pearl and flew up to her. "I guess I better tell Al. Maybe we can come up with a plan." Strolling her way to her beloved, Lenoria wasted no time to voice her opinion. She had originally came up with the idea with the intent to be the one falling asleep, and without her guidance, she wasn''t sure how Alistair would fare once the operation began. "Al-" Without turning to face her, Alistair eyed the cocoon Luno and her giant moth were creating. "Caesar tells me it might better for you to go, after all." "Why''s that?" "Because," Caesar began, "we might be able to use our Soulstones while we''re asleep. The cat the gang mentioned earlier...she''s a friend of mine. She told me we might be able to stay in touch with the spirits if we activate them before going to sleep." There''s that cat again. Was she a friend or a foe? Given how Caesar spoke fondly of her, it might be the former. But Lenoria needed to be sure. "Pearl, can you confirm this?" "It''s a possibility," Pearl commented, looking at Caesar as well. "Dream Sand comes from the Planetarium, and there are different varieties of sand that are used for crafting purposes. It''s possible the Smith used some to create the Soulstones, but I''m not familiar with the process." That was enough for Lenoria. "Good enough for me. It''s something worth testing." The act of speaking with Pearl meant the Soulstone was already active. Ordinarily, the wielder had to hold it up each morning and speak the Soulstone''s name. To deactivate it, they would have to bid farewell to the spirit by speaking their name. It was a ritual Lenoria made sure to perform every night; keeping a Soulstone active during bedtime would put the mind through an arduous process that kept the body awake, preventing any rest. The wielder would awaken with a fatigued mind and body with nothing to show for the amount they slept. Lenoria surmised this "awakened" state while someone slept with their Soulstone active would keep them conscious in the Realm of Dreams. With the info gathered so far, she believed it was worth a try. "Alright, then there''s no time like the present. Luno, you shove me into the cocoon. Then what?" "I cast a sleeping spell on you. It normally lasts a few minutes, but the cocoon increases the potency exponentially. Your consciousness will take an ethereal form, which will then be placed in the cocoon. You won''t be able to wake up until we pull you out, so I want to make sure you are ready for this." With one nod to Caesar, Alistair, and Aquamarine, Lenoria had an answer for Luno. "If this works, we all win. I''m ready when you are." *** Present time Somewhere deep in the forest, back at the demon camp, several hunched individuals, along with some blue-caped humans, arrived from the outer perimeter to report to the lanky vulture demon waiting by the fire. The buck-toothed demons'' disposition appeared meeker the close they approached their commander, who seemed to be running out of patience. "Blue Jays, report!" One of the humans, a young black-haired girl who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, gave Grif a strict bow. "Master, the moths are attacking! They hide in the shadows and use their claws to kill us!" "Impossible," Grif declared, "no moth is strong enough to kill a human, much less a demon." "Something is attacking us from the shadows," one of the abrikandilu hissed, "and we can no longer hunt the moths at our leisure! We must flee!" "I refuse!" With a frightening motion, the vulture demon unfurled his wings. With a wingspan easily measuring over 15 feet from wingtip to wingtip, the imposing figure easily beat his subordinates in both height and width. "No one''s going anywhere! We have a team looking for their little hideout, so it''s only a matter of time before they report back to me! If any of you desert me, there''s no forest on this planet that will hide you from me!" The demons and the Blue Jays, huddled together in fear, nodded to their master without further protest. "Listen up! Our numbers are dwindling and time is running out! It''s time we start searching for caves and underground burrows! These moths are crafty, but we are-" "Master, look out!" The black-haired woman, wasting no time, kicked one of the abrikandilu in the direction of the danger once Grif turned his back. The sorry demon tripped and rolled past his master''s legs and stopped long enough to see the danger heading towards it. A lone samurai in ebony armor, iron claws ready, had jumped from one of the giant trees and used the momentum to charge from above. Thanks to the traitorous Blue Jay, the samurai''s claws penetrated the skull of the abrikandilu instead, its brimstone-smelling ooze dripping out of the new head cavity its foe just made. The samurai crossed his arms in an X-formation, ready to face the taller demon. But he soon felt something from a distance lodge into his neck, and second later, the object and the samurai exploded where they stood. Millions upon millions of grains of sand rained on the encampment, angering the vulture demon even more. "Sand? Our ranks suffered because of a clump of sand?!" Grabbing a wet clump of sand, Grif crushed it with his claw. Not far from the encampment was the new arrival who just saved his life. "About time, Francisco. For your sake, you better have good news." Stepping out of the shadows, El Buitre wasted no time to take a bow with a feathery hand close to his shoulder. "Good and bad tidings, Master Grif. There are intruders in the forest who are familiar with the ways we - como se dice - run business. We were busy tormenting a lone halfling when they showed up claiming she was one of their own. Naturally, we fought, but my squad is gone. They are that strong." "How can this be? No one should be that strong, much less familiar with the methods of the organization." Grif scratched under his demonic beak. "Unless...it''s that group rumored to have slain Spark and our babau scout." "They might as well be, but there is a silver lining." El Buitre flashed a grin. "After I disengaged, I hid until they let their guards down. Then I followed them to a cave. I personally witnessed giant moths flying in and out of it. Our guardian might be there, as well." Chapter 82 - Break It Out, Keep Grinding Back in Luno''s chamber, Alistair stood at the base of a cocoon. Lenoria''s body slumped against the cavern wall behind him while her ethereal presence poked out of the cocoon above. Luno stared curiously at the paladin, something that turned his face red. "Your mate has a good heart, young man," Luno commented. "She''s my girlfriend," Al corrected, "we''re not at that stage just yet." "Girl...friend? But you are friends with the other girl there, right?" Luno pointed at Aquamarine. "Is she your ''girlfriend,'' too?" "No way!" Aquamarine was quick to dismiss the idea. "No offense, Alistair." "None taken," Alistair shrugged off the comment just fine. "Lenoria is...something else." Luno still seemed confused. "Something else? She''s not your mate and she didn''t bear your offspring. What would that make her?" "H-human relationships are more complicated than that." His cheeks flushed, Alistair fought to keep his composure. "We make choices together, whether they''re easy or complicated." "Oh?" "Take now, for example. Truth be told, I anticipated nothing more than a monster that needed to be slain," Al admitted. "But I can see why Caesar wants to help you. All Lenoria did was find a way to finish that task sooner and more efficiently." He stared into the distance absent-mindedly. "She''s looking out for the best interests of both parties. I''m still against the idea, but the samurai that spawned from the pool earlier was proof that her plan can succeed." "I see. You have your disagreements, but you make things work." There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Alistair kept calm but he couldn''t shake off his anxiety, while there was no shortage of guilt for Luno. "Caesar is angry with me..." "Miss Cecilia gave me the synopsis of her encounter with you," Alistair said without a hint of compassion. "You refused to sit down and talk with the pirates and instead chose underhanded methods to get what you wanted. They may be petty criminals, but it seems you underestimated their sense of camaraderie. Once they found out their captain was in trouble, they did everything they could to rush to his side. I don''t know the amount of mental anguish you put them all through, but I could see it in your eyes; it''s enough to justify their anger." "You don''t hold back, do you?" "In speaking my thoughts? Never. One must always be ready to face the truth, no matter how unpleasant it is. You''re guilty because you hurt someone who was looking out for you initially, and part of you wants to justify what you''ve done so you don''t feel as terrible. If you truly want to earn forgiveness, you have to take accountability for what you''ve done and maybe even commit an act of penance. Only then do you have a chance to earn Caesar''s forgiveness, and it may take a while before he even considers it. Are you ready for that?" Luno didn''t have an answer. Her left hand trailed up and down her right arm with a look of discomfort on her face. Sensing more guilt and perhaps a willingness to make things work, Al decided to try a different approach. "But," he continued, "to your credit, no one under your care was actually hurt. Even when things didn''t go your way, you didn''t resort to physical violence. I can''t speak on how much mental damage you''ve done, but the fact that you''re feeling some guilt is a step in the right direction. I''ve met plenty of people who can''t even define what remorse means. What you''re feeling now, Luno, is an admirable quality." You''re trash, and trash deserves to be caged away in service of their masters! No one loves you, Alistair! You''re lucky you even get to look at me at all! Recalling the harsh words from his past, Alistair remained steadfast and looked up at Lenoria''s cocoon. I should have been more considerate of your feelings! You''ve kept your distance because you didn''t want me to think you were acting inappropriately, right? And yet I kept breaching your personal space! I should have done more for you instead of acting selfishly! I knew the signs because I''ve been there before! And yet...I didn''t do anything for you... A single tear went down Alistair''s cheek. Lenoria never exactly said the words ''I''m sorry,'' but given the context of that evening, she didn''t need to. Her feelings were genuine; he had Mirabelle for comparison, who would actually do the same thing while putting on an act. By contrast, Lenoria was not one to shirk responsibility if she was the one at fault. In fact, her guilt for her behavior was the source of her tears, and it was only after Alistair voiced his approval that she was able to calm down. "As long as you''re honest, Luno, Caesar may come around eventually. Do your best to help him." "If you say so..." Luno didn''t understand Alistair''s sudden change in tone, but she knew he didn''t feel well. "Would you like to see her?" "See her? But she''s right here," he said as he pointed at her slumbering body. "Her dream, silly." Luno pointed at the small pool of water not far from them. "The water there not only molds pieces of your dreams into reality; the pool itself allows you to look into the dreams of anyone in a cocoon." "Wouldn''t that be a breach of her privacy? B-besides, I''ve already caught a glimpse of the inner workings of her mind. You didn''t put her in some fantasy where I''m some lustful knight, did you?" "None of the sort, Alistair. She wanted to dream of a place that brought her inner peace. Wouldn''t you like to know what that is?" Alistair wanted to deny it, but curiosity got the better of him. A place that brought Lenoria inner peace; she had already done so much for him, and after all the stressful events they faced together, he had a mind to take her to such a place if it existed in the world. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. He had to know what it was. "Fine." Alistair knelt in front of Lenoria, placed his hands on the back of her head and knees, and carried her off the ground. "In case she is facing anything unpleasant, I''d like to be the first person she sees when she wakes up. Let us see what she''s dreaming about, Luno." *** Prior to the scene above, Lenoria and Luno reached an agreement. Lenoria would be the only one to step inside a cocoon and come up with a small number of soldiers for Luno to use against the demons. The moth woman refused at first, dissatisfied with the amount, but after spending five minutes alone with Lenoria, she was convinced that a small number was all the scientist needed to achieve victory. In exchange, Luno would give up her kidnappings and focus on alternative ways to protect her babies without hurting visitors and the locals. Lenoria would do what she could to help in this endeavor, but Luno would need to take initiative in whatever big decisions would need to be made in the future. Hopefully, if the demons and the Blue Jays were driven back, Luno would have all the time and respite she needs to do things peacefully. Once the two women shook on it, Lenoria sat on the cold, hard cave ground and submitted to Luno''s sleeping spell. She was promised sweet dreams, so she was nervous about where she would end up. She could feel her consciousness awaken somewhere outdoors. Her legs brushed against the coarse grass beneath her as she rose to her feet. The skies were clear, and the sun was out, yet the chilly air was a sharp contrast to the scene before her. The girl was not far from the edge of a small cliff. She carefully strolled towards it until she spotted a sandy beach in the distance. She had been here before. "Wait a minute. There''s no doubt about it; the lush green steppes, the blue beach on the shore, the crisp winds blowing against my face. This is- OH MY GOSH, THIS IS SO DULL!" The girl sighed to herself and sat down at the edge of the cliff. Without a doubt in her mind, this was the one place that brought her inner peace. "No wonder I feel at home..." "Then this would be the Great Plateau." Pearl, unseen until now, sat alongside her companion. "Your home." Lenoria smiled. Caesar had told her that keeping the Soulstone active while sleeping would connect her to Pearl in the Realm of Dreams. Part of her was worried it wouldn''t work, so seeing Pearl next to her eased her worries. "Yeah," Lenoria said, "Mom would take everyone to the beach while Pop would sit here to meditate. He''d always jump down if Mom ever got in trouble, even though she can handle herself. He doesn''t show it, but he always loved us." The eerie absence of people in the dream was then noticed by Pearl, bringing up a concerned. "Where are they, then?" "When you think about it, dreams are just illusions of the mind. Even if I thought about everyone back home, it wouldn''t really be them. So, I told Luno not to make copies of them. And even if I wanted her to, it probably wouldn''t be the best idea considering what I''m about to do." "Raise an army." Pearl nodded. "You told Luno you''ll only make a few soldiers. With your vast imagination, I''m sure you have a plan." Lenoria''s smile slowly waned. "Pop would always tell us scary stories. A lot of them were fiction, but there was one time he told one based on true events. Pearl, have you ever heard of the Tiger Claw?" "I can''t say that I...have..." Perceptive as ever, Pearl was the first to realize they weren''t alone. She turned around to see a lone figure in the distance standing on the steppes, gazing at the blue skies. His great armor was as ebony as the night, with orange markings on his face too far to make out what they were. Poe croaked with surprising defiance, jumping from Pearl''s shoulder and landing in front of her, as if wishing to protect her. "The Tiger Claw was said to be the Emperor''s hunter. He went after hardened criminals 90% of the time. The other 10%...were those the Emperor wanted eliminated." Pearl looked on with awe, never taking her eyes off the armored samurai. "I get the image is cool, but why a tiger?" "Pop said that Eishima is a continent with seven different cultures, each with their own government. But the seat of the Emperor rules them all. And when it''s time for a new Emperor to be chosen, they search for the one worthy of rule across all seven islands. Over fifty years ago, a man from Akihabara named Takahashi Shin was chosen from among those eligible to rule. As for the tiger..." The women gaze at the sky, where they see an enormous reptilian creature with a serpentine body and sharp teeth gazing back at the samurai. "Akihabara chooses their own candidates meticulously. Every Emperor that has hailed from Akihabara descended from the Dragon Clan." Annoyed, Lenoria crossed her arms. "Great. Now I have to explain the concept of clans to you." "Not necessarily," Pearl reassured her, "because a clan can be boiled down to a large family. Isn''t that right?" Lenoria grinned. "Something like that. Here''s where the symbolism comes in, though." Back at the sky, the dragon looked away from the samurai and spotted another celestial figure in its domain: a giant tiger. The tiger immediately pounced, landing on the dragon and flipping it on its back. The dragon, however, showed considerable resistance by using its claws to try to push away the tiger when it tried to bite down on its neck. Feinting with a bite of its own, the dragon distracted its adversary long enough to coil its snake-like body around it, locking each other down in what appeared to be an eternal stalemate. "They are evenly matched," Pearl pointed out. "That''s right; the people of Guangzhou - another nation in Eishima - have an idiom: ''The dragon and the tiger.'' They symbolize two contradictory forces that are also similar to each other. The dragon is said to symbolize humility, patience, wisdom, and anything else that could be categorized as ''laid-back.'' Meanwhile, the tiger is the opposite: wild, enthusiastic, passionate, and anything else that would fall under ''hot-blooded.'' There''s a whole philosophy behind it, but Pop never bothered to get into that." "Given the context you provided, the Emperor is supposed represent the dragon, and his personal enforcer would be the tiger." "Correct. The Dragon Clan took note of this philosophy and declared that any Emperor born from the Dragon Clan must never dirty their hands to achieve their goals. If they need something stolen or murder a political opponent, to name two examples, they must send the tiger to do it for them." "Then it''s safe to say the Dragon Clan''s history is stained with blood." "Yeah. There have been many tigers in Akihabara''s history, but only one took on the mantle of the Tiger Claw. He is infamous to be the most hardened assassin of them all, killing his enemies without mercy and disemboweling the truly craven." With all the information provided, Pearl knew where Lenoria was going with this. "And we''re building a squad of Tiger Claws?" "Oh, maliciously!" *** The putrid stench of decay, blood, and brimstone filled the air of the darkened forest. Screams echoed Norwich Forest, a place usually devoid of human visitors. But the screams did not come from any animal or fey creature; they came from the demons and Blue Jays that infested the place, who now had to choose between fighting the new threat or disobeying the orders of their masters to save themselves. One group of abrikandilu had chosen to flee, but thorny vines and silk blocked their way out of the forest. "We have to get out of here!" "The forest has no exit! What do we do?" "The master''s portal! It''s only open for another hour before it closes on us! We better get there before he finds out we deserted him!" A single gleam in the shadows was the only warning these runaway demons could ever receive, but their panicked state distracted them from their surroundings. As a result, two samurai jumped out and pounced on two demons like a pair of tigers hunting their prey. Impaled from behind, the demons screamed as the metal claws slid down through their insides, opening a cavity on both sides of their torsos to better spill out their organs. The surviving demon, cornered and alone, roared as it prepared its attack. But the two samurai served as a distraction from the third, who jumped from a branch right above the last demon standing and impaled its skull with his claw. With the demons dead, the three samurai took a moment to nod to each other before slinking back to the shadows. Their blades hungered for blood, and it was now time to feast. Chapter 83 - The Wrathful Demon Alistair witnessed first-hand how the samurai were created. He, Luno, and Aquamarine observed the dream Lenoria was in and witnessed the manifestation of the ebony samurai. Whenever one suddenly appeared in Lenoria''s dream, another would form itself in the pool back in the real world. The watery form would then lumber its way to a mound of sand, which would absorb the water into itself. The sand would then mold itself after the watery creature it absorbed until the sand took on its appearance and texture down to the last detail. The newly created samurai would then salute Alistair and the rest before marching off into the forest beyond the cave. "I wonder where Lenoria gets such, uh, unique ideas," Alistair wondered. "She reads a lot of books, Alistair," Aquamarine pointed out. "Are you really that surprised by her imagination?" "It''s more like I often forget she is a graduate of the Artificers Guild. I can''t help but think about the amount of good she could do if she simply entertained her distractions a little less often..." Without Lenoria around, it didn''t take long for his thoughts to start swarming the vulnerable parts of his psyche. The boy frowned from the things he heard himself think. "She''s smart and beautiful. I wonder what she would have done if she hadn''t met me. Probably do some good for the world. Maybe it''s not too late..." The paladin gazed upon the girl''s sleeping face. "What does she see in me, exactly? She reassured me her confession was her choice, but I can''t help but feel like I''m distracting her from something important. I have never felt this happy with another person before, but I fear I''m being selfish. W-what would happen once my work as a paladin ends? I would have to go back to doing back-breaking labor, and that would not be enough to satisfy her wants and needs. Someone like her deserves the best in the world, not a blue-collar peon like me." Alistair''s thoughts were interrupted upon hearing his name coming from the pool. He took a moment to make himself comfortable by sitting down on the hard ground, setting the sleeping Lenoria right next to him so she wouldn''t simply drop to the ground. "...I can''t wait to finish Gabrielle''s project so I can bring Al here," they heard Lenoria say in her dream. "I want to show him off to Mom and Pop, and to all the mean girls who called me ugly back when I was 10. I want to show off how cool and modest he is. I know Pop feels overprotective for us, but I''m confident he''ll warm up to Al eventually." Stars shined in the girl''s eyes. "He''s strong, reliable, and wise. He does have the temper of a tiger, but his overall attitude would make him a dragon. He''s...he''s my dragon." "Don''t you think you''re being a little selfish," Pearl asked. "Do you have any idea what he wants?" "No, but I think I know what he needs. I think what Al needs is a family. He never met his real parents, so I want to go out and look for them. In the meantime, I want him to relax here in the Great Plateau. Save for a handful of people, no one in Thule has been nice to him, and things might get ugly if we stay in the same land his ex lives in. But here? I know everyone will love him. He''ll have his own family here, at least until he reunites with his own." "And if he ever decides to leave you? Your declarations to one another are admirable, but it could just be hot air coming from the two of you." "That would be his choice to make. If he''s happier away from me," Lenoria gulped before continuing, "I would cry, but I wouldn''t stop him. The time we spent together is the happiest I''ve ever had since I moved out, and I''ll cherish that forever." An unseen weight made Alistair''s head sink. Watching Lenoria discussing her deeper thoughts with Pearl did feel like a breach of privacy, but more importantly it showed him a glimpse of her true nature. She wanted him to be happy, even if it hurt her. And the feeling was more than mutual, for the reverse was also true. "My own family..." Alistair smiled to himself. "Lenoria...if that is your wish, then I promise to not let go," the boy declared softly. "Even when I feel unworthy, I''ll set those feelings aside for your sake." "Al and Lenoria, sitting in a tree," Aquamarine suddenly chanted, "K-I-C-C-I-M-G." "Miss Aquamarine, please." Holding back his irritability, Alistair pinched one of Aquamarine''s cheeks and pulled it as much as he could. "Show some discretion." Aquamarine flailed her arms helplessly. "Owowowowowwowowow!" With his mind at ease, Alistair relaxed his posture after letting Aquamarine go. This experience had been another reminder that he was free from Mirabelle, and the woman sitting next to him cared about him so much that she was willing to go through great lengths to make him happy. "I''m her dragon..." "Orale. Having a tender moment, are we?" Alistair immediately rose to his feet and drew his mace and shield. The arrival of El Buitre, along with four Blue Jays and a large, feathery demon startled him and Aquamarine while frightening Luno. "My hunch was right. I don''t know how you found out about our plans, but don''t think we''re letting you leave alive after everything you''ve done." Gnashing his teeth, El Buitre drew a single card. "Feeling lucky, amigo? You get to meet the master of this operation, an honor too big for someone like you." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "A knight in the service of the Hammer. What a surprise," said the feathery demon. "Always nipping at the heels of our kind, that lot. And they call us the scavengers. You must be the one responsible for the decrease of our forces. Do you have any idea how long it will take to replenish what we''ve lost?" "A champion of the Abyss..." Alistair glared at his new foe. "A vrock." "Once we figured out your samurai were nothing but sand warriors, disposing them was easy. All we had to do was hit them before they could hit us," the vrock commented. "They figured out their weakness already? These demons are more cunning than they appear to be," Alistair mumbled to himself. "What do we do?" With a wave of Luno''s hand, Lenoria''s ethereal form within the cocoon began to disappear. "It will be about three minutes before Lenoria can safely awaken," she communicated telepathically. "Then grab Lenoria and run. If you hurry, they won''t have time to block the exit," Alistair ordered. "But-" "Keep her safe for me, please! I''ll be able to fight this demon effectively knowing Lenoria is in good hands. This must be the enemy commander, so I promise to end things here!" Shield forward and mace backwards, Alistair steeled himself for battle. "Go, now!" Weighing her choices, Luno elected to put her faith in the boy pleading to her. Taking a moment to lift Lenoria off the ground, Luno grew wings on her back and flew as fast as she could past the demon and his cohorts. "After them," the vrock ordered his men. "That must be the guardian of Norwich Forest. Kill her and the girl." The feathery demon marched forward. "Leave the paladin to me." "Yes, sir!" The Blue Jays, flashing sinister smiles, turned around and gave chase. But just seconds later, all save for El Buitre fell on their rears or backs. With snowflakes falling around her, Aquamarine flawlessly twirled her staff and assume a defensive stance with her rod forward. "I got your back, Alistair." "A thousand thanks," Alistair said. Raising his shield, Alistair made the Hammer''s insignia gleam from the bright light from the mushrooms. "Francisco!" The vrock''s single-word command was enough for El Buitre to flap his wings to lift himself off the ground. "On it, boss man! Ahahahaha!" Keeping Luno in his sights, the birdfolk gave chase. Distraught but keeping calm, Alistair could only watch as the tall demon approached him and Aquamarine. The Blue Jays stood up and slipped again, and could only leave the area once they decided to crawl away. "Need me to go after them," Aquamarine asked. "No," Alistair said, "the vrock is the bigger threat. A victory against him means a heavy blow to demonkind." "But Lenoria-" "-will be fine. I''m not a psychologist, but I have faith Luno will do right by us after everything that''s happened. She won''t let anything happen to Lenoria. But if we let the vrock go, invasions like this will be repeated." "You''re a confident little brat, aren''t you?" The vrock sneered. Both sides were at a standstill, and it was only after matter of who struck first. "You know so much about us, but do you wield the power to strike us down?" "It doesn''t matter whether I do or don''t. But I won''t let you lay a hand on my comrades. If you would answer a question, however, I must know why you''re invading this forest. Why here? Why kill the local moths?" "Is domination not enough of a motive for you?" The vrock shook his head. "No. You humans possess a type of greed that would make a nalfeshnee jealous. You can''t fathom a smaller motive, so you think there are other machinations at work. Take Augustus, for example; your ''Dread General'' wishes to conquer other lands. It''s only a matter of time before he and your Count clash over their lands, you know." Aquamarine tilted her head. "Huh? You''re dropping names we don''t know." "He''s talking about one of Thule''s Judges," Alistair revealed. "I''ll explain later. However, what this demon doesn''t know is that I have no love for politics. While it is my duty to obey, I don''t respect either man as an authority figure. All that matters is the invasion happening in front of me!" "Hmph. I thought a distraction would work." Crossing his arms in front of his horrid face, the vrock poised himself to attack. "How about this instead? AAAAAAAHHHH!" "This can''t-" The vrock''s shrill cry forced Al and Aquamarine to cover their ears. Aquamarine warded off its ill effects just fine, but the same could not be said for Alistair; surprised by the vrock''s sudden assault, Alistair had dropped his mace and shield. "Ugh!" "YOU LITTLE WRETCH! DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LET YOU OFF AFTER WHAT YOU''VE DONE?!" Ready to pounce, the vrock ducked at the last moment to avoid a water orb aimed for his head. "Grrrr." "Hmph." Aquamarine''s lips spread into a confident smile. She skillfully twirled her rod before pointing at the vrock with it. "It''s two against one, you know. What you''ve done to the forest is unforgivable, and as a heroine of love and justice, I won''t stand by and let you destroy it!" "Heroic bravado," the vrock snapped back. "I can fly faster than you can run and will leave both of you a mangled mess in no time at all!" "Maybe you can, but ask yourself," Aquamarine continued, "who''s the bigger threat here; is it the boy there, who can''t even keep his fingers on a weapon, or the pretty girl who will smite you and take you to trial before the Guardians'' Association?" "Guardians?" The vrock grimaced. "The cheap water tricks...of course, you must be Melodious Aquamarine." "That''s it, you big lug. Take the bait..." Aquamarine sneered proudly. "Oh? You heard of me, then?" "Indeed. A small drop of water amidst an ocean of potential. A neophyte amongst a group of magical girls. An amateur nipping at the heels of the elite." The vrock''s expression hardened. "In other words, hardly a threat." "Eh?" With a swipe from its claw, the vrock grabbed Alistair''s head and lifted him off the ground. His ears still ringing from the scream, Alistair couldn''t even fight back to set himself free. "I must admit, I was scared to find a challenging foe here. But I see now that trickery is your forte, and nothing else." "This is bad. How do we fight this guy?" A single sweat drop fell from Aquamarine''s forehead. "He''s a powerful demon for sure. There has to be a way to beat him!"