《Re-Re:Hammer》 Prologue
Now, was probably not a good time to be bored. Archeon the Everchosen had come down from the Chaos Wastes with a thousand warbands and was ravaging the north of the Empire as he made his way down towards Aldorf, the seat of civilisation. And while that was happening, hordes of barbarians poured in from the Sea Of Claws and were now raiding Nordland. There were even auspices in the stars that they were going to lay siege to Middenheim and then spread outwards from there. Obviously, that could not happen, and so Captain Estaria and her men were sent there as reinforcements. A grand Battalion of men and women, Horse, Cannon, and Shot were on the road. And even a small squad of Greatswordsmen, that had set out from Middenheim on a task for their Elector Count. They didn''t offer what, so Estaria didn''t pry. But even with the looming threat of Norscan attack at any moment, Estaria was bored. She was never meant to be a Captain, never wanted to be a Captain. She wanted to stay with her handgunners, and her goal was to join the Nuln Ironsides, and wield the greatest firearms Man had ever grasped. She liked guns, she was good with guns, she felt comfortable with the cracking boom of a gun and she was deadly accurate with her beloved guns. But, the tides shifted and instead of what she wanted, she got promoted to a Captain after one particularly bloody skirmish in which she showcased a mad zeal and perchance for inspirational violence, and it wouldn''t do for the Captain to not lead from the frontlines. So all she had was a single pistol for cases when it was needed. Maybe that was why she was bored. On long marches, she would play with her pistol, ensuring it was in pristine condition, ensuring that her bullets and powder were kept, ensuring that she was able to get it ready when called. There was never a shortage of things to do with her pistol, but here on the field as a Captain, she had scant little. Suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts, there was a smell of smoke in the air. She ordered her men to make ready and approached cautiously. When they arrived, they saw a village being raided by the Norscans. One of many in this part of the Empire. Usually, Middenheim would send out large patrols to contest them, but with the threat of siege, it had drawn its men back. Estaria gathered her men to her and delivered her orders. A well-disciplined line formed up, and the Norscan raid was disrupted by a raking volley of Empire Handguns. It was amusing, to see the look of surprise on their face a moment before it was erased by the metal projectile. Soon the village disgorged its raiders, bare-chested or lightly armoured men with large weapons charging towards the Empire line with reckless abandon, throwing themselves into the hail of gunfire and not breaking step as their comrades fell around them. If there was one thing you were forced to admit, it was that these Norscans had courage. Heavy northern muscle then smashed against the tough Southern metal of the Empire Shieldwall, and the slaughter began. Estaria lost the ability to see the whole picture, as it was thrown into a flurry of blades, blood and mud, potted with the boom of guns, the scream of death and the slick of sword separating limb. Estaria''s blade bit deep into the chest of one man, and then she kicked him off her sword, freeing it for a second. Her shield blocked the second man''s axe and her arm trembled from the force but held enough for her to open his throat with her blade. Pushing back the initial charge, Estaria ordered her men into the village, to clean it out and save anyone who could be saved. The men charged with her and then dispersed into the maze of burning hovels. Estaria herself crossed the street and passed death until all the wind was knocked out of her and she was blown off her feet by a giant man with an equally giant hammer. Coughing and trying to get her breath back as the man lazily approached, Estaria rolled over and pulled out her pistol, firing it at the giant, and puncturing his helmet, sticking the ball into his head. For a second, he just stood there, and Estaria worried that his fell gods had given him inhuman resilience. But then with a great crash, he fell over. Taking a moment to recover from his blow, Estaria stood and shook off the last of it. Reloading her pistol, it was replaced in its holster and she moved on, to the village square. It was the centre of the village, and maybe some had decided to go there for ease. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Once arriving, she realised nobody hadchosento go there, as the square had been turned into a makeshift altar, where a man in red armour stood, matching axe with sword as one of the Greatswordsman duelled him. Estaria wanted to pull her gun out and shoot him, but his fight with the Greatswordsman made it too hard to get a good shot. One Norscan decided to try for her life and got a sword through the face for his troubles, only moments before the Greatswordsman lost his footing for a moment, was disarmed, and then lost his head a moment afterwards. The man in red armour looked over as Estaria dispatched another two of his raiders, and bellowed. "I am Zarh, Blood-spiller of Khorne! Come face me all who dare!" the man''s voice was like thunder and his confidence was overwhelming, but Estaria didn''t allow herself to be daunted. If she could kill him, the rest of the raiders would fall apart without his leadership. And so she shot him in the head. Though, the Warriors of Chaos wore great suits of armour with fell durability, and it knocked him a few steps back, but otherwise did little. With no other recourse, she rushed in, meeting his axe with her shield. But the blade was sharp and his arm was thick, cutting through her shield, the vambraces beneath it, and finally nicking her arm. Next cut, would take the arm off. And so she swung with all her vigour and strength, but her blade simply clanged against his armour without puncturing it, and she got a boot in the chest for her trouble. The chest plate was already dented from the hammer, and her ribs didn''t feel like they could take any more punishment. But Sigmar was watching over her, as when she was booted off her feet, she landed close to the sword that had been disarmed from the now dead Greatswordsman. Quickly ditching the rest of her gear, she grabbed it and swung it in a great arc, screaming as it descended on the man closing in on her. The sword cut through armour and bit into flesh, but not deep enough to stop him. That wasn''t an issue though, she had a weapon that could hurt him now. Or so she thought. The next moment was the longest moment in her life, as he crushed her chest plate with his axe and buried it deep into her flesh. Gripping the greatsword with all her strength she pushed down on it, but her arms refused to move, and the axe was pulled out from her chest. The world went grey, sound muted, and then everything faded away into the dark. Chapter 1 Well, at least she wasn''t bored anymore. But she was dead, which had its own set of problems. Wearing a nice dress, was not one of the problems she thought associated with being dead though. And, this place she was in was a strange thing, like it defied explanation. She looked about it and could find no words to describe it. It was like a house, but not a house...gods, her brain wasn''t working right now. Probably because it was rotting away with the rest of her or something. "Confusing eldritch places of confusion are kind of par for the course, being dead and all. Why the dress though, is the real question" she muttered to herself, looking around to see if there was anything she could recognize. "Well, would you have preferred to be in your battered, bloodstained armour?" a voice asked. Ethereal and everywhere, the voice was very off-putting and yet soothing at the same time. Estaria didn''t like it, mostly because it made itself soothing like it was trying to tell her what to think. ¡°I¡­.fail to see the connection¡± The booming voice sounded confused now, which was only natural. ¡°I¡¯d probably be a beggar talking to a brick wall or a woman in one of them prison hospitals where they keep the disturbed¡± Estaria explained, before taking a stroll through the Halls of the Dead. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that. But I can argue with you being dead, because you aren¡¯t. You are just between lives right now, and I am bored, so I am going to try something cool and interesting¡± the voice told her. Estaria raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, the halls retreated from her vision, there was the feeling of being thrust many leagues, and then she landed in her body. Awake, and alive. And confused. She was sure she was dead, but after the axe, the whole thing got a bit confusing. And now she wasn¡¯t dead. Maybe she wasn¡¯t actually dead and the axe just hurt a lot, and then she had hallucinations. She had heard that when you nearly died you saw things that weren''t there... Sitting up, there were people around her, some groaning in pain, others silent as the grave. This gathering must have been the after-action pile, where people were placed so they could be looked over by the medics. However, her mind was drawn to something that was hovering in the air. Welcome to the tutorial, Player. To begin, please give the mental command ¡®Status Screen¡¯ A luminescent box floated in the sky and was filled with words. Words she could read, but make no sense of. ¡®Mental Command? It wants me to¡­.think it maybe? But...what even is it?¡¯ Estaria stared at it for several moments before reaching out and touching the box. It was a physical thing, her finger could feel it, and yet it moved with her eyes. After poking it a few times and looking around to have it follow her head no matter how fast she moved it, Estaria let out a sigh and could no longer put it off. ¡®Status Screen¡¯ she tried a slight nervousness to her though. But, it turned out to be the correct way to do things because the box vanished and was replaced with a new, larger box. It was filled with details, but only the top bit was illuminated, the bit highlighting her name, ¡®Estaria¡¯. The rest was shaded, not so she couldn¡¯t see it, but enough to bring attention to the name. Hesitantly, she reached out and tapped it, and a new box appeared, separate from the large detail-filled box. Estaria Zashira. Daughter of Karl Zashira and Emi Zashira. 28 years old It was interesting to see a strange box know who her family was and how old she was. And also a little creepy. She tapped the new box and it disappeared, and then a new box replaced it, giving her some more information, albeit too late. This is the Status Screen. This is a screen where you can see your status Estaria gave the box a scathing glare as it made such an obvious statement. And once she had done trying to intimidate illuminated floating boxes, she carried on reading. Here you can see your name, title, rank, Job, Level, Health, Luck and Special Resource (Cool) in the first box Each of the lines of the box was lit up against a dark background to bring Estaria¡¯s attention to them as she read them. So clearly, some mental connection with this thing beyond being able to call it up and down. She read what was lit up when it was lit up and was somewhat confused. ¡°Estaria Zashira. (Blank title). Captain. (Blank Job). Level 1¡±. Confused at the blank spots with Title and Job, she touched them both and got two boxes. Title - an acknowledgement of deeds done within the system. Grants bonuses related to the deed Job - The designation of one¡¯s skill focus. More jobs open as the player levels up Estaria had assumed that is how the system referred to her. As a Player. As if this was a game of dice. But, not having a title or a job made more sense now since they were deeds done while having this strange thing, and she had not had this strange thing for more than a few moments. And then she pressed the special resource. This, ¡°cool¡±. Cool - The ability to remain calm and level-headed, the spending of this resource allows the use of supernatural feats of dexterity and precision Certainly lived up to its name. Supernatural feats of dexterity and precision did sound like something she¡¯d like to be doing. But curiosity was still abound, so she let it continue with its explanation. Your stats are in the second box, separated into nine headings. Strength, Stamina, Constitution, Dexterity, Agility, Precision, Intelligence, Wisdom, Luck. Skills may be increased with stat points earned from quests and levelling up, or training Estaria looked over them for a few moments and then nodded softly. They were basically numerical designations of a person¡¯s abilities. Most were a moderate 10, whereas Dexterity and Precision were a hearty 20. Maybe. She didn''t actually know what the scale was. Maybe 10 sucked and 20 sucked a little less... Finally, the bottom box details your stat points, your money, and the xp to next level, as well as any Traits. When you have finished, use the Status Screen mental command, to close it She had 0 stat points, a handful of coins, and 0% xp to the next level. As one would expect, you couldn¡¯t jump into a game half-way through. Even a most strange game like this¡­The one thing that was there was a trait, called ¡°Powder-Child¡±. She could guess but decided to get the game to tell her what it meant, and so pressed it. Powder-Child - The fascination of firearms is deeply ingrained, and skill follows such fascination. Gain +20% range and +10% damage with black powder weaponry That was very numerical. She didn¡¯t know weapons had range and damage, but maybe this system was affecting more than just herself. Maybe it was affecting the entire world...staring into the sky for a few moments, she got herself back on track. ¡®Status Screen¡¯ she thought, closing the screen and getting a new box. Basic Tutorial complete. New quest gained: Arrive At Middenheim It hovered there till she tapped it, at which point it vanished and sanity returned. No more hovering boxes. Plus, it had given her a quest that was basically what she was doing in the first place. She could get used to that kind of quests. ¡°Quest, wake up¡± ¡°Quest, eat breakfast¡± ¡°Quest, blink¡±. She¡¯d ascend to Godhood in no time. But, thoughts of ascension were going to wait, for now, she was going to go out and see what the world was up to around her. So she stumbled to her feet, feeling a little stiff but certainly not like someone had just stuck an axe in her chest, and went out. Finding Sargent Borrago - Borrago Beast Eater, as he was known from one expedition having supply issues and he implimented the idea of supplementing them with the Beastmen that came to raid - she gave him a wave. Estaria was always amazed by Borrago. She wondered how a man could grow as tall as a Norscan and expand even wider than one and still be a jolly man from The Empire. His patchwork face, more scar tissue than actual face, belied his temperament, and he was an all-around excellent Sargent to have. Some new recruits would look at his rotund body and pass him off as a fat noble who bought his way in until Borrago outran them in the track and outfenced them in the field. ¡°Captain! I win!¡± He boomed, walking over to her. He did not move with the grace of a courtier, or the lithe stride of a Master Swordsman, but rather the inexorable nature of an avalanche. Everything about Borrago was Bigger. He had spent a small fortune on the custom-sized armour and weaponry he had to fit his meaty physique, and it repaid him threefold in the field. There were few sights more enjoyable than Borrago bludgeoning an Ork to death with his shield, or him using his cannon-esque pistol to put a fist-sized hole in a man. ¡°And what is this that you win, Borrago?¡± Estaria asked, eyeing the rest of the camp. They had recovered well from the fight, and with the help of the surviving villagers, normalcy had returned and the train had broke early for dinner to tend the wounds, gather the loot and burn or bury the bodies. ¡°A Shilling! Someone thought you were dead, and I said it was not something you have the temperament to undergo. So there was a bet made and here you stand!¡± ¡°Mmm, I certainly felt Morr¡¯s cold fingers beckoning me to the grave. And then I punched him in the face and came back. Far too busy to die¡± She gave him a grin, and then wandered about the rest of the camp with him, to oversee people¡¯s actions and show she was still alive. The great mountian range that Middenheim was built into was looming now, and they would arrive soon....ish. ¡°Have you ever been to Middenheim, Borrago?¡± Estaria asked, looking up at the big man. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°My father took me on a journey to the great Temple of Ulric there once. He wanted a blessing of Ulric that he might find joy in his drab life. And by the Wolf did it work! He was like five men after that day, in all he did. Even dying!¡± Borrago let out a laugh at the last, honouring his father¡¯s memory with jublience rather than despair. Estaria raised an eyebrow, glad for the conversation to distract her from thoughts of the strange system that still lingered on her mind. Why was it there, what was its purpose. It''s secrets? ¡°I never knew you were a worshipper of Ulric. I thought most people from Reikland worshipped Sigmar¡± Estaria was one of the small percentage of people to follow Ulric, the God that Sigmar worshipped, above Sigmar. As one would follow the Rieiksmarshall over a Captain. ¡°My Grandfather came down here on a job, part of the White Wolf mercenary unit. It was here that he met my Grandmother, and they had a few years of adventure before he retired to raise a family. And he worshipped Ulric, as did my father and as do I¡± he spoke with great pride, and it made Estaria smile. Few these days were as proud of their religion as they were of their finances. And a few were dangerously fanatical, a risk to all that surrounded them. Borrago occupied a happy medium. ¡°Well, I look forward to seeing it for myself. I feel that without first-hand experience like you, the worship of Ulric is diluted and different in the South. I may not recognize or be recognized by the Ulric priests when we arrive¡± She spoke, and then shook off such a dreary topic and waved him over to come get a hearty meal. The night passed without incident, illuminated and warmed by the corpse-fires that the Norscans were burned upon. And in the morning, they carried on their journey. Further incident, was fortunately lacking, and so the arrival at Middenheim was prompt. Initially, they were wary, as they were expecting an army to lay siege and then a battalion appeared at their gates, but the acknowledgement of reinforcements rather than besiegers was swift and Estaria got her men inside the fortress-city with good speed. Her curiosity over what was going to happen was answered quickly as a luminous popup box appeared. Quest completed! - 200 xp rewarded. New tutorial available Estaria read and then closed the box, and opened the status screen, seeing that she was 40% of the way to next level. A most generous reward, but she was at the very bottom. Rewards were generous at the bottom, and equal effort gave reduced accomplishment as a person grew. The heroic deeds of a private were the expected duty of a Greatswordsman. It would be a few hours before she was obligated to go to the other military leaders in this city, and so she tapped the new tutorial on her status screen and was greeted with a new box. Welcome to the Combat Tutorial. To begin, please proceed to the training ground She was then even given a cute little map, highlighting her position, and the position of the training ground. Following the guide, she got there in good time and saw quite the field of dummies. Several were occupied by those either running punishment drills or having the ambition to ascend the ranks, but there were plenty free, so she walked up to one. It spawned a red bar above its head when she got close, and a small numerical value at the end of this bar. Its name, ¡®Training Dummy¡¯ was white. This is a basic enemy or Mook. It has just a health bar and no special abilities. Every hit will reduce the health, and the Mook shall die when the health hits 0. Kill the mook Estaria thought it was pretty simple. It was just giving numerals to your average fight. There was nothing strange about it, so she drew her blade and struck the ¡®torso¡¯ of the dummy. Most of the health dropped, but it required a second strike for the health to be depleted and a luminescent ¡°40 xp¡± sprung up from the training dummy. Which was good. The dummy seemed to sag for a few seconds before the health returned to full and the damage she had done vanished. That was definitely magic, and Estaria stared at it for many seconds, before killing the dummy again - getting a Free training, please follow quest instructions to continue popup as she did - and watching it. The damage did just repair itself. Nobody else seemed to notice, so she decided to do some more noticeable damage. Taking her sword to its neck, she struck with all her might, hacking the double-strike needed to ¡®kill¡¯ the dummy and taking most of its head off so it hung by a string. Stepping back, she waited a few seconds and the head put itself back on. She stared around, but nobody seemed to be even looking in her direction, let alone seeing the crazy regenerating dummy. One final kill to ensure she really wasn¡¯t just seeing things, and it was confirmed. Regenerating dummies. Well, ok then. Now that was out of the way, Estaria was curious about this level up system, and so struck, struck and struck again, killing one dummy while the other regenerated until she got a ping sound inside her head, and a new popup box covered the passive-aggressive please follow quest instructions to continue box. You have levelled up. Main attribute increased by 2, other attributes increased by 1 Looking at the Status Screen, she could see the results. Precision, her apparent Main attribute, was now 22. The rest were 11. Her health, luck, and cool had increased slightly as well, and her level was now 2. She didn¡¯t feel any different, but two shillings was hardly any more than one shilling, that was to be expected. Finally getting back to the tutorial, it directed her across the training ground to a different dummy. This was a larger thing and looked altogether more robust. Its name ¡®Elite Training Dummy¡¯ was white, with the Training Dummy¡¯s name being a dull grey. A yellow bar was underneath the red bar, but its number was considerably smaller than the red bar¡¯s number. This is an advanced enemy or Elite. It has a small Luck bar to protect it from direct strikes, and more health and better stats than a Mook, often possessing damage-reducing armour. Kill the Elite Estaria looked at this bigger dummy and nodded to herself. This was your average Marauder Warrior as opposed to a simple Norscan Tribesman. She threw a strong blow at the dummy, but it was off somehow and only glanced the dummy, barely grazing it. Cursing softly, she looked up, sure it would have done little damage to the thing. But instead, the vast majority of its luck bar depleted, down to a two digit number. Then it hit her. Luck protected from direct strikes. There was no doubt that this system was manipulating reality outright now, turning aside blows that would damage the target when it still had luck. The Luck statistic must have increased this Luck bar, making it harder to hurt you. Grinning at this, she unleashed a second blow sharp and hard, reducing the luck to 0 and taking a decent amount of health off. When a strike will do more damage than you have luck, the rest will be taken off health. Armour reduces damage done to health, to a minimum of 10% damage The system, while crazy and reality-bending, seemed to be based in logic. Even the greatest of armour would still not mitigate the whole of the force. And there were tales of some legendary armour still being intact despite the wearer being dead. A few more blows had the training dummy sag, and an ¡°80 xp¡± popped up. The elite dummies gave twice the exp of the basic mook dummies. But took more than twice the blows to fell. The luck and armour were difficult to get through. Finally, she was told to head to another dummy, which she did. This one was huge and imposing. She felt somewhat intimidated by a dummy. This is a master enemy or Boss. It has a larger Luck bar than an Elite, and more health as well as more armour. It is liable to possess special abilities and has a Critical Wound slot. Kill the Boss Estaria wasn¡¯t sure what a critical wound slot was, but it didn¡¯t sound promising. Still, she got down to it, slicing at the Boss and watching its luck deplete. Some experimental side of her made her well...experiment. And so she swung lightly and knocked a chip off its luck, and then swung heavy and knock a chunk off its luck. The strength of the blow was what judged how much strength was knocked off. But with the auto miss system that was around Luck, made it somewhat dangerous to throw a hammer blow while luck was still up, it could put you off balance. So she decided to be more cautious while attacking luck, and only throw down when it was all gone. When the luck was gone and the first strike took off some health, the dummy suddenly swung round and grazed her head, her luck bar diminishing some as the attack was absorbed. In response, she got a popup. This enemy possesses a Counter-Attack trait. Every time it takes health damage, there is a chance of immediate retaliation. This may be blocked or avoided as normal attacks. Which, would have been something to know before the start of the fight, damn thing. But there was no point bitching now, she just got her shield up and struck with the blade, keeping a watchful eye on any attack, and catching it on her shield when it did come. Apparently, Luck didn¡¯t kick in when you intended to block it. Maybe it only happened when you missed the block? Either way, she eventually managed to bring it down to 0 health, at which point a small skull appeared next to the health and its luck and health went back up some. Once a Boss loses all its health, it suffers a Critical Wound, reducing its stats and opening it up to be killed. Stronger bosses have more Critical Wound slots. Stat-dependent traits will be disabled if they drop below the required number Estaria thought for a moment and nodded. It was like the last desperate gasp of a dying man. She had seen it in combat, where a man was severely wounded, and yet suddenly flushed with zeal and passion, driving on to make his death as glorious as he could manage. So Estaria obliged, chipping it¡¯s luck away before smashing its head off with one thunderous blow! The exp then came after that kill. 250 xp was the reward. And a ¡°Boss token¡± going into the Inventory. Congratulations on defeating the boss. It has granted you loot, in the form of a Boss Token. This may be exchanged for rewards in the shop. To find your Boss token, open the Status Screen Estaria read it and wondered where this Boss Token was. She hadn¡¯t received it, only heard of it. Still, she opened her Status Screen, and a tab at the top of the box was lit up. ¡°Inventory¡± it said, so Estaria tapped on it, and was given a whole new box. It was a mirror image of her, with boxes across her body. One on her head, one on her neck, one on her torso, two on each of her arms, one on her legs, and one on her feet. All were filled except the headbox. And below it, were thirty-some boxes, twenty-nine of them empty, and an ornate badge occupying the first box, with a small ¡°1¡± in the corner. Tentatively reaching out to touch it, a second box popped up suddenly, making Estaria take a step back. There were several things in this box. Some money, a title, something called ¡°Stat Potion¡± and other oddities. They had a small picture of the badge and a number next to them, assumingly the number of badges required to buy it, as only the top one with a small ¡°1¡± was lit up, the others were grey. Not sure if she wanted to spend the boss token or not, she decided that if they were important, she¡¯d just kill the boss dummy again to get a new one. So she pressed the top button and got a new, small box. You exchanged 1 Boss Token for 300 gold. Quickly followed by You have gained gold. The Shop is now open after she shut the first one down. The Shop was interesting. Was she going to buy fake things with fake money? The third tab Shop was now lit up, and she tapped it, getting a new box that filled her eyes with items. Too many to read, and most beyond her money finances. Still, she was curious, and so bought herself a bag of 20 bullets for 100 gold, which got transferred to her inventory. Navigating to her inventory, the bag was there, with the little ¡°20¡± below it, but touching it, she got an option to Withdraw which filled her with curiosity. The button was pressed, and her eyes were filled with wonder as a bag of twenty bullets and powder charge was dropped into her hands. Nobody and nothing in this world could create something so permanent from nothing. This new system was disturbingly powerful if it could create a seemingly unlimited supply of bullet out of imaginary currency. She could arm entire battalions with an endless supply of bullets and powder, and they wouldn¡¯t need to be anywhere near supply trains or cities to restock. The consequences were mind-boggling.... chapter 2 Mind-boggling, however, was put on hold when a new box came up, detailing a new tutorial. Welcome to the advanced combat tutorial. Please proceed to the firing range They were words that Estaria could get behind. Firing Range was her kind of thing. Even if her Captaincy was mostly relegating her to a pistol to keep her on the front lines - there were some Handgunner Captains, but they were mostly not well regarded from their lack of frontline leading, a man wanted to look to his side and see his commander, not have to look a hundred paces behind him - she liked to keep her skill with firearms sharp. So she could command the Handgunners with skill and wield her own with precision. While on her way to the firing range, she decided to check on the inventory, to see what she could learn about her pistol. It was hard to walk and read with the luminescent box, but she managed it well enough. Her pistol was an interesting thing. Damage was given and then the new damage in brackets from her Powder Child trait. And then range, bracketed range, and two trait Black powder and Imprecise. The two traits read; Blackpowder - Dangerous speed and exceptional penetration, blackpowder weaponry are great at laying low most targets. Deals 50% more Luck damage and ignores 20% of armour. Imprecise - This weapon is not made with accuracy in mind or uses an imprecise firing system to make itself work. The projectile will land anywhere within a circle surrounding the intended target (The Precision stat reduces the size of this circle, and is modified by range) It was good to hear they did extra luck damage. She could use them to rake an Elite of it¡¯s luck before closing in to melee. Getting to the firing range, she was glad she bought the bullets, because there were not that many free bullets to get some practice in. The targets in the distance were the same as usual, one a dull grey, one white, and one orange. The orange being big and intimidating. But at this distance, with a pistol in her hand, that was no worry. Subtargetting: with ranged weaponry, you may pick a specific body part to target. Each body part has it¡¯s own health and when targeted; Head - difficult to hit, but has moderate hp and will kill or give a Critical Wound to the target when it¡¯s health is depleted, regardless of the remaining Total Health. Torso - The easiest, but highest health body part on a person, the most effort is required to reduce this to zero, but will kill or give a Critical Wound to the target when it¡¯s health is depleted, regardless of remaining Total Health. Arms - Low health, reducing the arm to zero causes it to be unable to use anything grasped in this arm. Two-handed weapons receive mallus to their damage Legs - Low health, reducing the leg to zero will half the speed at which the target is able to move, and may cause them to stumble and fall if charging Total Health is the combined health of all limbs. If Subtargetting is not used, then the projectile will not damage a bodypart, but instead, deal damage to total health. If limb damage exceeds remaining Total Health, the target will die regardless of limb health. This, was certainly befitting of the name ¡°Advanced training¡±. But, she could grasp its concept. Target either a specific point, or as a whole. Specific point would be harder, as a whole less hard. Cocking the hammer of her pistol, she stuck her round through the mook dummies head, killing it in a single shot. She knew what the quest was asking without even reading the pop-up. Kill one of each. She reloaded the pistol, and then stuck a bullet through the Elite Dummy¡¯s head. Between Blackpowder, and the moderate health of the head, Emily killed it in a single shot, and then reloaded and aimed at the Boss¡¯ head. Strong batch of luck despite Blackpowder, and would take a Critical Wound before dying. Still¡­.Boom went the pistol, and crack went the bullet into the Boss¡¯ head. It drained the luck to the dregs and did a small amount of damage to the head, but needed a second round. The high Precision she had must have been helping her not fall foul of Inaccurate. Her eyes were invaded by another sight before she could reload however. Hidden quest complete! Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Headshot Mook dummy: 1/1 Headshot Elite dummy: 1/1 Headshot Boss dummy: 1/1 Accept Rewards? (Sharpshooter Token) If the Boss Token was anything to go off, this Sharpshooter token would be interesting to see what it offered as a reward. Still, she decided to finish up here before checking that shop. No telling if luck Regenerated in battle or not. So another round was taken and then a third to kill it off after the Critical Wound. Which was understandable, she had seen some of the Chaos Warriors rush through three rounds before. Second one had her over a barrel with the Imprecise making her miss his head, but the third one hit clean and took him out. Then, she looked to the quests to get this sharpshooter token, and saw a change. Hidden quest complete! Headshot Mook dummy: 1/1 Headshot Elite dummy: 1/1 Headshot Boss dummy: 2/1 Accept Rewards? (Sharpshooter Token) It intrigued her, that these quests started counting beyond the limit. So reloading her pistol again, she aimed at the regenerated mook Dummy, and cleaned it¡¯s clocks. Interestingly, she wasn¡¯t watching the xp pop up the first time, and this time the mook came up at 20 xp. Did ranged kills reduce the xp? She looked to the Elite dummy, and that too was now a dull grey. Frowning, she opened her status screen and looked over stats, seeing her level was level 3. Huh, she must have missed that with the spam of her quest and now this hidden quest and her interest over the sharpshooter token. A new thing, was the Trait point at the bottom just above Powder-Child. Hitting Spend Trait Point opened up yet a new window, and she felt herself pretty cluttered, so shut down the quest windows and the other clutter so she wasn¡¯t overwhelmed. Here, there wasn¡¯t many things to look at. Only two traits were lit up, the rest were greyed out. One made her laugh. Powder Teen which was clearly an enhancement of Powder Child, and Religious Devotee. Curious, she tapped Religious Devotee, and got the new box. Religious Devotee - Devotion to the gods beyond the average peasant extracts more from their blessings than usual. +5 to stats while blessed It sounded cool, but she didn¡¯t know how to get blessings of the gods, let alone how soon she¡¯d get them. So instead she picked up Powder Teen, clicking the checkbox and then hitting the confirmation box. Powder-teen: Growing fascination and growing excellence makes firearms a most apt choice of arms. 30% increase to range, 20% increase to damage More range would help her with Precision and keeping inaccurate down. She experimented some more getting the headshots in, but it only went up to 2/1, never higher. So she killed herself two more of the dummies, one Elite and one Boss. Surprisingly, the boss did not drop a token either times. Apparently, they were pretty low drop rates. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have blown it on cash. But at the same time, she¡¯d not be able to fire off so many rounds without the 20 she had bought from the store. Even those were getting a bit dry. Firing range was finished for the day though, so she turned to the new quest and accepted the rewards. Hidden quest complete! Headshot Mook dummy: 2/1 Headshot Elite dummy: 2/1 Headshot Boss dummy: 2/1 Rewards: (Sharpshooter Token) + (Random Box) Random Box was intriguing. So she went to it and opened it, getting a flurry of images before it slowed down to a picture reading ¡°20 bullets¡±. Which was nice, she wouldn¡¯t have to spend her gold on more bullets for later shooting. Next came the Sharpshooter token. Since there was only one of them, she could only get three things. One of them was 100 gold which made her think the Boss Tokens really were valuable. And the other two were 30 bullets or 10 Nuln-Forged Bullets. She knew exactly how valuable Nuln-Forged bullets were. Few, if any, places in The Empire could match Nuln, and only the Dwarves exceeded it. So they were selected, and kept stored away for a rainy day. Or a Chaos Day. The hordes were going to descend soon, and having these good quality bullets would go down well for popping heads off the leaders. She scanned through the list, paying only half attention to the handguns on show. She couldn''t tempt herself by knowing she could get one. And then, she got to Four pistols. One for 60, one for 70, and one for 80 and the final one for 100. So they were pretty far off. But their names, made her drool. Micro-Mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead Sharpshooter''s Micro-Mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead Nuln-Forged Micro-Mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead Dwarf-Crafted Micro-Mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead She instantly recognized the name as the legendary repeater pistol given only to the most prestigious of the Nuln academy. Master Engineers and Steam Tank Commanders. Ohh, to have one of them, the only thing better would be a Nuln-forged Hochland Longrifle, and that was personal indulgence as it did not work with her Captaincy at all. Still, they were so far away, so she just shut it down. After that, she got a ¡°congratulations on completing the tutorial¡± thing, 300 xp and 200 gold. She¡¯d explore the store later, and since the xp hadn¡¯t leveled her up, she shut down the Status Screen and headed off to meet the leaders of this place. It was time to focus on the "real" world for a bit... Chapter 3 Sleep was easy, but the meeting with the others had dragged on and painted a terrible picture. Nobody was sure when the horde would attack, but everyone was on guard for it. Some of the younger Captains, those who had bought a commission and had no experience, panicked and wanted to demand more reinforcements from the surrounding cities and counties. But then the Chaos Horde could just lay siege and Middenheim would quickly starve to death from having an overstuffed population, far beyond what they could handle. Their inexperience had warred with more level heads, and then it became a shouting match of rank and privilege, nobleman against commander rather than a collection of military minds. Estaria welcomed the general dismissal when it came, and fled to eat and sleep. She didn''t feel like a great captain, but today she had shown herself that there were far worse out there, and what was worse, these incompetent brats were part of the command structure in a city about to be hit with a wave of savage violence. Morning brought its own surprise. A small box offering tips about enemy name colours, and something called a Daily Quest. Maybe, from the name, a quest that was held every day? She opened the tips box first. Enemies difficulty is rated in colour. Dull grey means the enemy is far below your level, and you suffer -50% exp gain from these and reduced loot. That¡¯d explain the 20xp instead of 40 that mooks gave in the firing ground after a while. White indicates a minor level advantage, or equal level enemies, no change in xp or loot. Orange, indicates a level disadvantage, with the shade of the orange indicating the depth of the disadvantage, +50% exp gain from these and increased loot. Red, indicates a severe level disadvantage, requiring great skill and courage to emerge victoriously. The shade of the red indicates the depth of severity. +100% exp gain from these and chance of high-class items on looting. Black, indicates a legendary disadvantage, such that slaying these enemies will require a heroic display of skill and courage, and your name will go down in the myths of the world. But in all likelihood, you will just die. +300% exp gain and chance of finding a Unique Item on looting. Estaria read that and then nodded softly. She wondered how it would affect her xp when the footmen of the chaos hordes were dull grey. She needed all the exp she could get if she was going to survive in this world, what with it ending and all. At least, that''s how it felt, but The Empire had faced many catastrophes and come out on top. Still, she was glad to know what the colours represented, and now she could better gauge when a fight was beyond her and decide that hightailing it was better than dying. Courage was good so long as it wasn¡¯t unfounded and suicidal. Before she did the daily quest, she had something else to do first, so she got up and dressed, took care of her personal hygiene and then was out, walking with purpose and determination in the brisk morning air. Middenheim was an exciting city to be in, so different from Altdorf she could spend weeks here. But that was only if the Chaos Horde took weeks to arrive, which was something she doubted. Doing some opportunistic sight-seeing, she arrived at where she was heading, the Great Temple of Ulric. Estaria wasn¡¯t sure, but she thought it was the biggest temple to Ulric in the Empire. And as such, it had the greatest fire. Every Ulric temple had a flame, and it was heresy of the greatest magnitude to ever let the flame go out. But, she wasn¡¯t away from the game system here, as she got a box as soon as she entered the ground. Entering Holy Ground. Open Offerings tab? Estaria knew she didn¡¯t have any of them but was curious about this thing, so opened it and was shown confirmation that she had no Offerings. But there was a button to open the Offerings Shop. Which she did, and was confronted with four items. Average offerings for 20gp, Anointed offerings for 200gp, Blessed offering for 2,000gp, and Exalted offerings for 20,000gp. Estaria wasn¡¯t sure where she would even get twenty thousand gold pieces from, because none of the quests had handed it out so far and the tokens sold cheaply in comparison. But, she did have enough money for the Anointed offerings, which sounded a lot better than the average offerings. She wasn¡¯t going to be here again after the Chaos Horde, so might as well make a splash. She bought it, and then it slotted into her inventory with the icon of a handful of grass. At first, she pondered what to do with this, but decided to just fall back on what she knew. Throwing the offering into the great flame to honour Ulric. Withdrawing it, and getting a small, silk-wrapped box, she tossed it into the flame. It was consumed voraciously, and then she got a luminescent box pop up. Ulric¡¯s Boon - +10 to Strength, +10 to Constitution. Lasts until replaced A grin blossomed as she got free stats! Ok, they weren¡¯t free and she could only get the blessing of one God, but still. Her strength and constitution were now nearly equal to her Precision, and her Precision was probably pretty good. Wondering what kind of changes that would make to her combat, she opened up the Daily Quests, and read them. Two small boxes and several checkpoints greeted her. Physical Training: 0/2 ¡°Mook¡± Dummies killed (Melee) 0/10 Sword Drill 0/5km run Agility Training: 0/2 ¡°Mook¡± Dummies killed (ranged) The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. 0/1 Beam Walk Agility Training looked easier than Physical Training, but a Beam Walk was no joke. Plus, it was something you could fail, which made it harder than Physical Training. You could hardly fail at swinging a sword, and a run could be completed in stages. So she first headed off to the firing range, and success for that was simple. But, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure where she would do a Beam Walk. Did they have that sort of thing here? Her map gave her some guidance, and she followed it, Eventually finding herself at what looked to be an obstacle course. Completely empty, but without any gate or door to bar her entrance. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she went up to the Beam, got on top of it, and then her mind wandered off into how she really needed to get her breastplate into the blacksmith to repair that hole that had been made from the axe. And her shield to boot. And while her stuff was in the blacksmith, she might as well get her sword touched up. Her mind drifting away was the worst thing she could do, as she slipped from the beam and crashed into a pile of leaves. Her luck meter reduced from the fall damage - Environment did damage as well as direct, it seemed - and she felt that pile of leaves was only there because she had a luck meter. The ramifications of this System were getting stranger and more worrying every moment... Still, shaking her head to clear it of all the thoughts, she got back up on the Beam and cleared it with only a bit of wobble and one near-fall before she got to the other side and the quest updated with her completion. Balance wasn¡¯t something she was great at but it wasn¡¯t something she was terrible at either. You didn¡¯t get promoted to Captain by being terrible at things. Except reading, she still couldn''t read. Which¡­.made...how she read the text on the luminescent boxes a question. But it did manipulate reality on a grand scale and could telepathically communicate with her. Maybe the words were getting sent into her brain and so her ability to read them was rendered moot. The dummies part of the agility training was super easy in comparison, and she quickly nailed it with two rounds to the dummies head - higher damage, less bullet expenditure - , getting herself a lovely new popup. Basic Agility Training Complete - 1 stat point gained to spend between Dexterity, Agility, Precision. Estaria pondered that. It was pretty decent to get from a daily quest. Added to level up and training, the possibility of getting 100 stats in something if she trained every day for a few months was enticing. Dropping the one into Agility to make the Beam walk later a bit easier, she then thought a bit. Not getting any more bullets from it, would mean she needed to get them from a different source to be sustainable¡­.then it occurred to her. The Hidden Quest was...Hidden. There was nothing to say it wasn¡¯t daily until it popped up as finished. So Estaria quickly headed over to there, her Physical Training amusingly getting a 0.3km/5km on the run quest. Here at the firing range, she took headshots at the Elite and then the boss. Powder Teen did a nice increase on damage, so bullets weren¡¯t expended as quickly. On the hit to the Boss, the hidden quest did indeed pop up. Hidden quest complete! Headshot Mook dummy: 2/1 Headshot Elite dummy: 1/1 Headshot Boss dummy: 1/1 Cracking a grin, she took the other two - spending two shots on the Boss as she missed, blackpowder was inaccurate after all - dummies and then got her medal and her random box, and the final boss got her a level up. Probably the last one for a while since Elites were a dull grey now and Bosses were barely orange at all. Rolling it, she got something helpful but not what she was wanting. An ¡®Engineer¡¯s Maintenance Kit¡¯. Inside were good quality rags, tools for disassembling and reassembling, some nice looking oil, and finely crafted brush. The case itself was even nice leather. A girl could keep a gun in near pristine condition for years with this kind of kit. Serviceable condition without any oil. Didn¡¯t solve her bullet problem, but she had enough for a few days. And if worse came to it, she could buy some with her tokens. Next, was off to the Physical Training. Kill two mooks, run 2km and do a 10-swing drill with the sword. It sounded easy, so she got down to it. The mooks fell like wheat, with her Ulric¡¯s blessing giving her hearty damage increases to her melee. Then, she did the ten swings, which were of a different sort swing and so didn¡¯t count from those that killed the mook dummies. It would be quite the monotony to do all this every day, but that is how a person got fit. And looking at Borrago, there were certainly benefits to being a person of robust physicality. One thing, however, was both interesting and annoying. After the 10th swing, she got a popup box telling her about her Fatigue. It was ¡°25%, consider resting¡±. Which wasn¡¯t very high, so she would consider it later and headed to the track. There, she found some others doing a run as well. She had thought she was up early enough for it to be empty, but these looked more veteran soldiers and so they would be getting in their work early before their duties began. And among them, was Borrago. Of course, he wasn¡¯t a big guy like he was from just messing about in the dining hall. So Estaria went over and joined them on the run, thinking it wouldn¡¯t be difficult since she was a Captain, and had been doing this war thing for a few years. However, she had underestimated it quite considerably. Running like this was a much different exercise to a march or a fight, and so she got a rapid pop-up telling her her fatigue had hit 50%. Rather than give in and admit defeat, she couldn¡¯t let herself be seen like a woman that would do such a thing in front of her men, and so pushed on, running with them as hard as she could. Halfway through this, she got a message telling her her stamina had gone up from extensive training, which was always welcome, but not enough to hold off the next box of ¡°Fatigue 75% - Stats have been halved¡±. This sucked. Really...really¡­.really...and then it was done. Fatigue at 95%, ready to collapse and just sleep forever, she got the one attribute point and quickly slammed it into Stamina. Borrago walked over with a laugh and handed her a drink, which she took with relish and downed to the dregs. ¡°Any reason you decided to come join us on the track?¡± he asked as Estaria just gave up on standing and fell to the floor. ¡°Gotta get the points¡± she murmured, too tired to remember that nobody else could see her status screen. ¡°Ambition! Ha, well now is the best place to have it. I myself want to be a Captain, so I can go home to my mother and see her beam with pride!¡± He had a passionate voice while telling Estaria his goals. And it made her smile, and sit up. Stamina increased fatigue recovery rate as well as it increased max fatigue, so it was slowly draining down the sinkhole. ¡°For now, we should just look to saving our asses from this coming Norscan horde. Then we can think about ambition. Speaking of, I need to get to the Blacksmith. The last guy I met didn¡¯t do me any favours¡± she nodded to Borrago, got up, and slowly ambled off to her room. Her sword, shield and armour were recovered, and given the option, she decided against storing them in her inventory. It would be weird to explain that to the blacksmith. She picked up some actual real money to pay the man with, because he probably wouldn''t accept invisible virtual currency. All her preparations done, Estaria headed off and got her stuff repaired, before spending most of the remainder of the day "overseeing operations" to recuperate. Ulric, that run was a monster. Chapter 4 The next few days were hard days. Her stamina wasn¡¯t increasing fast enough to let her make the run easy, only progressively less gruelling. Every point went into Stamina, and it worked out enough to get 20 by the end of the week. At the start of the new week, however, it was nice to survive the run without collapsing. Her armour had been repaired and had figured out a handy-dandy new system for selling things that she got from the random box. As was the case with the second care kit. Nearly the case with the second pistol, but she decided it was better to have a backup and a secondary for when she needed to pop a few rounds off, or couldn¡¯t reload. The ¡°Huntsman¡¯s Rifle¡± that she got from the box, quite clearly the jackpot with all the fanfare, was more questionable. It might have a good price tag but rifles were rare and hard to come by in the world, so maybe it would do better with an in-world selling. And then it came. In the early morning, just as she was finishing up her Agility Daily and preparing for the Physical, the alarm bells were rung, and Middenheim exploded into action. The Chaos Horde had been spotted. A few seconds after she heard the bells, she saw the pop-up, informing her about a new thing. Horde Battles - dealt with differently to personal fights, Horde Battles are large armies pitted against each other where you play a part, rather than being the focal point as with Personal Fights. Exp is gained collectively, and then delivered to all participants. You gain 50% of the exp for things you kill, and 50% is delivered to a pot to be dispersed between all surviving participants at the end. Loss of the Horde Battle will half the total pot. It sounded interesting - and opened another can of worms that people around her could gain experience, but that was a can for some time when she wasn¡¯t about to deal with a crushing tide of bodies - and rewarding. With the crazy amount of numbers out there, even if she had to share it with everyone in Middenheim, Estaria would still be looking at a good harvest. If they won. If she survived. Looking up to the walls, seeing Cannons and Mortars prepped and readied, ammo barrels hauled and loaded, which was nice to see for Middenland. They were pretty anti-gunpowder usually. It was easy to think that Middenheim was a nut too hard to crack, with artilery readied, grizzled veterans prepping, and an air of discipline-tinged violence hanging over the people. But that would just be a lie told to herself to ease her away from the harsh truth that this could be the end for so many of Sigmar¡¯s Sons. And the end of the greatest Fortress in The Empire. Talabaheim could contest that title, but if Middenheim fell, it would leave the whole Nordland, Middenland and Ostland on the Middenheim-side of the great River Riek open for Chaos raiders. Not entirely sure what to do with herself - her men were foreign to this city and so other captains were guiding them where they needed to be - she wandered into the Quartermaster to see if he needed anything. Her supply gathering abilities with her gold were limited, but a hundred bullets and powder could be the difference between another volley and running dry. And a good volley could shred a battle line. ¡°How are supplies looking?¡± she asked him, not quite dressed the part for her Captaincy, but this was not the situation where he could chase out helpful looking people. ¡°Captain" he exclaimed with a nod, showcasing an awareness that Estaria had not attributed to him. Must have come from years of experience in checking lists and inventory. "I am still trying to figure out how you populate the firing range so prolifically every day and yet there is no shot or powder missing or signed out. The supplies you brought with you were loaded and reported on the day you arrived¡± So it seemed that the game didn¡¯t make people forget discrepancies with the logic of the game-to-real-world conversion. The idea of getting rich of trying to sell off stuff she bought in the shop went down in flames pretty quick. She had no idea what the conversion rate was anyway. Could be that she set herself to a loss, buying bullets from the shop and selling them in the world. ¡°Magic stuff and also things¡± She said vaguely, giggling softly to herself. The quartermaster just grunted and nodded to the rack of weapons. ¡°We are down a few rifles, but other than that we have enough to keep everything on its toes. We will grasp victory or defeat by our own merit, and not by a lack of equipment¡± he nodded and then got back to his paperwork. Estaria thought for a few moments and then bit her lip. One rifle in a horde wouldn¡¯t make a great deal of difference, but at the same time, it just might. Better to be safe than sorry. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°One of our riflemen was hurt in the attack on the Norscans. He¡¯s been trying to smooth out the damage, but eventually came to realize that it¡¯s not happening anymore. So you can have this¡± Estaria lied, but what was she going to do? Tell him that a flowing box gave her a random item every day if she did a quest and that random item was this rifle? What an elaborate trick to play of a poor quartermaster. ¡°Ahh, poor guy. Stick the rifle on the rack and we¡¯ll get it to a man who can use it¡± the Quartermaster ordered. Estaria did such and then left, to her barracks. It was filled with people who had the same idea as she did. Everyone who had some semblance of weapons training was gearing up for this one. The horde demanded nothing less, after all. Donning her armour, her sword and shield, and the two pistols, she went to the walls. There, she menials in fetching and carrying until the preparations were complete. And, then, in the dusky glow, they came to see the Norscan horde in its full enormity. She had no idea where so many people had come from, but it was a true showcase of the scale of the Invasion. This amount of Norscans would require a massive fleet of longboats to come across the Sea Of Claws...Or maybe the did not all come at once. Maybe this was a collection of all Norscans and all Trolls that had come to raid and pillage and take advantage of Kislev¡¯s weakened state and The Empire¡¯s distracted nature. Archeon was a definite distraction for most people. The throbbing chant of ten thousand voices in unison was an unnerving one, one that could easily put fear into the hearts of men were it not for these men being Ulric¡¯s men. Men who manned the walls of Middenheim, the greatest city in The Empire! Borrago strode the walls, his thunderous voice competing with the distant chants. He might lose out when they got closer, but for now, he was doing a grand job in competing with the initial conflict. Out of the gloom, she could see that they had been preparing for this attack, with troll-wielded rams, several dozen ladders and a ramshackle but functioning siege tower. That would have to go first. The others would deal damage to the gate and would allow Norscans to assault the walls, but the siege tower would disgorge a venerable horde and give them a boon that Middenheim could ill afford. So Estaria strode over to one of the mighty emplaced cannons and stood there. Even with her Powder Teen perk, they were out of range, but they would move in soon, and when they did, she would stick a ball in through the front of the tower and see it fall. While waiting for the range, she saw a new box pop up. One that told her about a class of enemy called ¡°Monster¡±. Monsters have no luck bars or critical wounds but possess unique traits such as scales, fiery breath and regeneration, as well as considerable armour and great amounts of hitpoints. Care must be taken when engaging a Monster, for they are a superior foe to any human of equal level. The Trolls having no luck bar would be nice, but they were Trolls, which meant she had to take them down quickly or they would regenerate. Fortunately, Estaria was witness to a new man climbing the stairs to get atop the walls. A man of orange hair and orange clothes, carrying a brazier staff and three sets of keys, he smelled of burned clothes and singed hair, but still, he seemed the most energetic and most elated person on the wall. Passion and Violence mingled closely to make this Bright Wizard a most spectacular sight. By his left, came a great man wielding a great axe. She had seen him when she went to the Temple of Ulric to pray, and this Warrior Priest was a grand match for the Warrior Priest that had been attached to Estaria¡¯s own retinue. The pair of them would be a great, vicious strike against the invaders. Estaria just hoped their faith would hold to the end. Seeing one fall was never a good sign, nor was it ever taken easily. A minute later, the army was close by, and Estaria was preparing the Cannon when a large patch of the field outside of Middenheim caught fire. The entire army was lit up, as bright as day, and the gunners - less than she expected, but this was Middenheim, it would show it¡¯s value in the melee - had a clear line of sight to take shots. The Norscan horde also had a giant inferno to navigate around, hampering their effectiveness. Two birds with one giant flame. Gotta love the Bright Wizards. And with that, Estaria ranged the cannon, and then gave it an order to fire. There was a second¡¯s hesitation while the gunner thought about what was happening. She wasn¡¯t his commander, but she was a Captain of The Empire. And so there was a boom of cannon fire. Maybe it was because she was aiming it and sighting it in or something and the gunner was just putting match to bangy-bit, but the cannon benefitted from her Precision, and the ball flew accurately, smashing through the tower¡¯s face and causing a great groaning of overburdened wood before it collapsed in on itself. A more well-crafted tower may have survived, but this was was knocked together by angry nomads. So quality was questionable. Lack of siege tower didn¡¯t mean the horde was harmless, however. There was still thousands of them, trolls and norscans both. There were enough ladders to cover every inch of the walls, and the rams could still punch through the gates, as solid as they were. Biggest problem solved didn¡¯t immediately solve every problem. And so Estaria turned from the cannon and back to the walls themselves. It was going to be a hell of a fight. Chapter 5 Soon they were in range proper, and the roar of firepower was impressive, even with the lacking quantity compared to what you might find elsewhere. Tradition warring with practicality and more harshly, the order of The Emperor to maintain a certain level of handguns. The order was given not to force them, but to give them an honourable way to balance the both, as the orders of a superior were held in great regard by the sons of Ulric, and none were superior to The Emperor. While a proper army could field twice as many handgunners and the same in bows, she wouldn¡¯t be as confident in their line infantry than she would here in Middenheim, Home Of The Wolf. Even now the Warrior Priest of Ulric was whipping the men up into a frenzy to match the Norscan¡¯s, and Estaria felt drawn into it, feeling her own zeal for the fight grow as he howled. "Ulric give me the fangs of the wolf! Ulric give me the claws of the wolf! Ulric give me the coat of the wolf! And I will show your enemies the mercy of the wolf!" He was echoed by the men on the wall, and Estaria - recognizing the prayer from her own worship and glad it had not changed from North to South - joined her voice to the cacophony. Men bared teeth, howled, screamed and bashed their shields with their swords, a terrible and furious cacophany thrown at the Norscans rushing towards them. The average Altdorf peasant would see little difference between those of Middenheim, and those of Norsca. And maybe the only difference was one¡¯s geographical location, Middenheim''s reputation for a hot temper and feral savagery was not unearned, after all. As Estaria finished her prayer, a box popped up in front of her. Touch of the Wolf - 20% increase in melee damage, +5 to strength, stamina, and constitution With this buff, she realized he wasn¡¯t just doing this for any morale reason, but was actually working the magic of his god like a true Warrior Priest. Drawing the eye of Ulric, so that all who prayed to him would receive his touch. It would be put to great use very soon, as they beasts closed in, unperturbed by bullets and bolts raining down on them, and then the wall shuddered as the rams that the trolls were wielding smashed into the gate. Chunks of the gate splintered immediately, leaving holes that could be widened to man-sized with some spirited axe-work. The Trolls did not survive long enough to enjoy their victory however, as water was poured down a hatch into them and the ground around them, brought instantly to a boil by the Bright Wizard. Deep, pained roars filled the air and the trolls fled, only to be turned into giant rampaging pyres as the bright wizard lit up the night. Seeing a large amount of their number killed by the hated fire, and seeing the night burning intensely, the remaining Trolls fled, feeling that no food was worth facing their greatest - and only - weakness. Screams fought the roaring fire, and the crack of handgun and cannon filled every space that was left with an efficiency that surprised Estaria. She had thought them to be using such weaponry because they were told to, but maybe their pride made them learn how to use it to the best possible manner. Looking out into the field, Estaria smiled. Only a fool would attack a bastion like Middenheim and not expect to be hit hard from the start, and relentlessly till the finish. Then a second sound rang out. One that was almost silent against the din of battle. The clunk of wood against stone. The ladders had come. Small piles of rocks were lined up along the wall in anticipation, and Estaria stepped forward, grabbing one, hefting it over her head and tossing it over the walls. The Norscan climbing up the ladder had his head bludgeoned in by the falling rock, and fell from the ladder. More rocks were thrown, but there were many more ladders than piles and rocks, and the rocks themselves were not endless, so soon the first Norscans made it to the top. The Warrior-Priest of Ulric swung as one of the heads appeared near the walls, the Norscan¡¯s helmet getting split open along with his head in one mighty blow from the man¡¯s axe. Despite a spirited effort to the contrary, the Norscans made it onto the walls, and them melee began. Blood rapidly slicked the floor, and bodies both Empire and Norscan filled the walls, making it a most treacherous foothold to have. And yet Estaria found herself in a state she had not felt in a long time. Each man who fell to her blade invigorated her to further kills. She was a strange woman in her soul. While enjoying the art of precision with her handgun and later pistols, the northern ice could not be shaken and she was always ready to throw down with the screaming masses, blade against blade. And with the unbridled fury of the Middenheimers smashing unyieldingly against the violent howls of the Marauders, it was an easy feeling to get into. A powerful slam of her shield sent one of the Norscans plummeting down to break his body on the ground below, and at the same time, she saw Borrago cut an armoured man in half with a swing. The horned helmet and superior gear marked him out as better than a simple tribesman, but that mattered not for the Beast Eater. Crashing her way towards him, he gave a non-vocal bellow of acknowledgement and together they fought, back to back against the tide of Norscans coming over the ladders. Fatigue at 25% The unintrusive box rang out, and a few moments later the gate was turned to kindling by the warriors hammering on it, exploiting it¡¯s weakened form from the ram. Attacked on two fronts, neither force could assist the other. The Sigmar-led forces on the ground, mostly made up of her Southerners to put the Warrior Priest to best use, got into the thick of the fighting. Neither as ferocious not as skilful as the northern Middenheimers, they had their own zeal when lead by their Warrior Priest. A glance around the walls revealed that it was too chocked full of bodies to see her Priest, but his howl of fury and passion ensured her that he was still alive. She was thankful for the extra Stamina she had built up over the week, and of the buff the Warrior Priest had given, but her fatigue was still climbing with every kill, and the numbers grew as the seconds passed, each unblocked hit lowering her luck. Near fifty percent, a great horn rang out from the central fortress of Middenheim. The horn signalled a retreat to ground further in the castle. The Walls were not the only place preparations were being made, but separate staging grounds as they pulled back to the main castle, each designed to cost the enemy, to bleed them of men and morale. Designed to keep the advantage and pull back when it was lost. Of course, with nobody fighting on the walls and nobody at the gate, the Norscans would have free rein into Middenheim, but that was a non-issue at this point. The retreat off the walls was orderly and precise, fighting and snapping at the Norscans every step of the way. Their pursuit was dissuaded of being to close by a group of northern hunters, who used their longbows to harass anyone who tried to get to close. Eventually, there was enough space to properly disengage, at which point the gate fighters also did the same, backed by a fresh unit of Wolf Brothers who held off the Marauders trying to harrow them. Such violence and fervor from the Wolf Brothers that even the Norscans bawked for a moment. She was then lead through the maze of buildings by the Warrior Priest until they reached a redoubt, a fortified position at the end a narrow corridor of buildings. At first, Estaria thought it would make for great mortar shots, but they weren¡¯t like that here. Maybe it was just to keep them packed together and taunt a few into killing themselves to progress, or something. In this redoubt, they met a new complement of men, fresh and ready for action, as they were directed to a small area off from the centre opening, which held short rations to recover. A few surgeons were also present to stop the bleeding of any wounds and aid in not dying slowly from an unnoticed wound. She looked back, at the maze of streets she¡¯d never have been able to navigate without the Warrior Priest, and then around herself. The whole of Middenheim had been built not as a city, but as a Fortress. The imposing, sturdy houses that were a far cry from the ramshackle hovels of the South were designed to block off movement, they were placed to confuse and the Middenheimers would take full advantage of that ensuing confusion. It seemed they didn¡¯t just rely on high walls and sturdy men. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Taking a cup of the water and knocking it back, Estaria found that it was fouled somehow. The taste turned her face inside out, and it looked to be thick and black and certainly something far beyond what she''d ever put in her mouth usually. ¡°Cold does nothing for the taste! But, here¡¯s hoping you¡¯ll forgive us, things being what they are and all¡± the civilian at the large kettle exclaimed after seeing Estaria¡¯s face. ¡°Proper beans, boiling water, and a bit of goats milk make an experience many times superior to this swill. You should try some after we eject this rabble¡± he finished, before nodding and getting back to others. ¡°The confidence he has¡­truly staggering¡± Estaria said softly, finishing the foul brew and eating her tack before taking a seat on the ground and relaxing. Only people truly confident and truly born in a Fortress could have the courage to make an area for besieged soldiers to rest. And then the source of this confidence appeared, as a giant man with an equally sized hammer, and bedecked with great plate armour. This man was the Ar-Ulric, most respected man of the Ulric church. The very name meant "Son of Ulric". From all around her came the sounds of tapping feet and signs of respect towards the great leader of the Ulric Church, and signs made with gauntleted and gloved hands. With a lift of his hammer and a lupine howl, he took to the front lines, backed by his Brothers of the Axe, the greatest of the already great Teutogen Guard. Such a wall would be terrifying for Estaria to try and charge against. But then they did just that. The first Norscans found their way out of the maze and to the redoubt. Not that it would do much for them until they finally came in mass since that first was shot in the head by Estaria. ¡°Bah, Black Powder is for weeds and cripples!¡± one of the Middenheimers cried. It''s use was not exactly accepted by anyone who didn''t use it. ¡°I dunno, anyone who is willing to wield a weapon they know will explode and kill them with any given use is pretty ballsy in my book. Plus you have to put a few weeks into training just to off-set its inaccuracies. And then another year to be accurate with it. And just because you are training doesn¡¯t mean the whole explosion clause is removed. Imagine if every swing of the sword could make the sword shatter into a thousand shards that then embed themselves in your flesh¡± Estaria countered, giving a speech while reloading her pistol. It garnered a laugh of appreciation from one of the giant Teutogen Guard, either for the words itself or the way it was presented. Estaria was not quite the fanatic to get so insanely flattered that one of the Brothers of the Axe had laughed at her words, but they did make her blush a little from the recognition. She was a face in the crowd girl, even after becoming a Captain. With her detractor thoroughly put down, she shot more Norscans, but the drip was becoming a flood as the Norscans guided their fellows through the maze. A small wave of firepower came from the Redoubt, but there was not many of them to begin with, so it was scattered and light, taking merely the stragglers on the flank. And then they reached the frontlines, and the carnage began. Skulls were split, chests were smashed. Axes bashed against the plate of the men holding the line, it was a whirlwind of carnage. A pile of dead Norscans began to build up in the entrance to the redoubt, and soon Norscans had to climb over their fallen to attack, which put them in the worst position possible and lead to the wall of dead growing. Eventually, Norscans just started to try to push the dead bodies onto the Ar-Ulric and Teutogen Guard. The wall that held off the Norscans fell back a little from the tidal wave of bodies and was supplimented by the men in the Redoubt, turning it into an arena of death that cut the Norscans to shreds. They had numbers in droves, but that was all they had, as there were few champions and it didn¡¯t seem like there were any true-blooded Chaos Warriors in the horde. Eventually, the Redoubt filled with bodies, until there were no more bodies. Estaria let out a breath as the last Norscan fell to her sword. Casually reloading her pistols, she put them into the holsters, and then stretched her tired arms. With the rest, the buff, and her Stamina, fatigue had dropped enough that it was at 41 now. It was lower, but then the fight put it up again. The jittery nerves and powerful battle adrenaline were felt clearly now in this moment of calmness. And it only made the next part even worse. Striding out to the front of the Redoubt, a mighty Chaos Champion appeared, his name Black to Estaria¡¯s sight. A being so strong it would end her life in a handful of moments. And from behind him came eighty-seven red-clad Chaos Warriors. From the Redoubt, Estaria could see the orange names and luck bars denoting each one to be an Elite warrior requiring monstrous power to overcome. The Warriors had let the Marauders weaken and exhaust the Middenheimers, and then rolled in to take victory when it was time. A horn cut through the silence when the Chaos Warriors appeared, and then they charged in. It didn¡¯t seem to be the Chaos¡¯ horn, but rather charging in response to it. Still, that didn¡¯t change the fact that they were charging. Estaria gave the man in front both pistol rounds, but they both glanced off armour, his luck reduced a fair degree from Blackpowder¡¯s damage to luck ability, but still with a sizeable amount left. Whoever was going to face off against him would need to be glorious. Hastily backing up and reloading her pistols, she stuck another two into him before he got to the front line, and a Greatswordsman was cut down in the first swing. Estaria had no more time to worry about him however because his warriors had arrived and were clashing with the men in the Redoubt. Estaria found herself quickly engaged with one of the giant metal clad monsters, and the fight was rough. Each blows felt like they were delivered by a Troll, her shield-work the only thing between her and a shattered body. And that didn¡¯t stop her shield arm from quickly growing numb from pain. Her sword slowly stripped his luck as her own was taken off with large, worrying bites, but eventually, she was down, drawing blood and stealing health. An act soon repeated by the man as her health bar decreased from a blow. Searing pain from the axe wound in her side and the feel of cold blood on her skin was certainly not something she was enthusiastic about. She felt her body flush with heat and her arms tighten with fury, redoubling her effort and throwing her entire body into the man. She bounced off him, unsurprisingly, but it put him off balance enough that she could throw her shield at his head. And then finally before he could recover from the shield, she shot him in the chest. The barrage was enough to tip the man over, and with him on the floor Estaria rushed in and slammed her sword into his throat, spilling blood everywhere. Her dear friend The Warrior didn''t seem to take the request of "Just die already!" and punched Estaria in the ribs, knocking her off her straddling point and standing up. Though, eventually everyone has to accept reality, and he swayed a bit on the spot before collapsing. But all that....all that, was just one man. One man and he had nearly killed her. Around her, men piled in to fight the Warriors and were cut down as they cut them down. But the price was too dear, and the men was getting overwhelmed by the skill and staying power of the Chaos Warriors. Piles of dead Wolf Brothers surrounded the Chaos Warriors, pittered more sparingly by the Greatswords of Middenheim. Even the Ar-Ulric¡¯s Teutogen Guard were being felled, though they reaped a far more bloody toll of their foe before falling. The Ar-Ulric himself clashed against the Champion, being the only man not struck down by a matter of course. And just top top it all off, Estaria got a most infuriating popup. Touch Of The Wolf has Expired Blooded and stunned, now that she had lost her buff, Estaria tried to climb to her feet but was not able to move as a giant foot slammed her into the ground, forcing the breath from her lungs. The Warrior laughed at her, squirming under his foot and trying to reach for her sword that was still in the other man''s throat. The Warrior''s blade came up, and then a massive clang filled the air as the helmet deformed with a crumble, and the man fell sideways, freeing Estaria. Coughing and wheezing as she looked at the man who had saved her, and saw a giant in armour. She wondered if the Warriors were fighting among themselves, but that was quickly put to rest. ¡°Ulric Hunts!¡± came a pounding roar, as a dozen men rushed into the Redoubt, answering the horn¡¯s call and lending aid to their beleaguered comrades. Estaria recognized their armament and insignia as the Order of the White Wolf, a strong knighthood order who had detachments at every temple to Ulric. Even if it was but a single man watching over a small shrine. Middenheim detachment was by far the largest, as their temple was the greatest. The Knights were a cut above the already high soldiers of Middenheim, and their arrival tipped the balance of power again. But by themselves, they would not guarantee victory, only a more costly defeat for the warriors. However, Ulric would not abandon his people and as Estaria staggered to her feet, a booming roar came from the Al-Ulric. Looking over, he was battered and bloody, his armour dented and cut open in places, one arm slick red with blood. But still, he held aloft the helmeted head of the now-corpse champion at his feet. ¡°See the Mercy Of The Wolf, Father!¡± His roar reverberated through the air, and his passion filled every man present with a martial desire unmatched by the earlier Wolf Priest. And Estaria was informed of its superiority by a nice little box popping up. Howl of Ar-Ulric: 100% to Melee weapon damage. +20 to Strength, Constitution, Stamina And like that, the rest felt. Chaos Warriors though they were, they could not stand to Knights empowered by the Ar-Ulric. His blessings were the closest one got to being touched by the God Himself, and so their power was undeniable. And with that driving them, the last Norscan was driven to his knees, bleeding and dying. The Siege of Middenheim was finally over. Chapter 6 The fight, main and proper, was over. But that did not mean Middenheim was safe, or that the siege was over. The Knights of the White Wolf pushed out from the Redoubt back to the gate and walls, to ensure that there was nobody lurking there for a second wave, and many swordsmen took to roving groups to clean the labyrinthian streets that may hide Norscans in waiting. Estaria waited for her Luck bar to get to full before going out to join one of these. With the Ar-Ulric¡¯s blessing, it was an easy thing to cut down the mooks and very few low-orange elites that remained. The power that the head of the church wielded was immense. While finishing up one route to the Redoubt and preparing for another, she got a new popup, one that didn¡¯t bode well. Howl of Ar-Ulric has ended Fatigue at 100%. Activity suspended until Fatigue reaches below 50% "Activity suspennnnnnnnn" Estaria''s confused voice didn''t manage to finish her sentence as she fell forwards, her body no longer responding to the order to stay upright. She didn¡¯t even hear the clatter of her armour hitting the ground. For her, the time from falling to waking was a heartbeat, which was why it was jarring to suddenly wake up in a bed, stripped of her armour and seemingly alone. She wondered what officer gave up his house to put her here because it was a nice place. Her sight, however, was immediately filled with a mass of boxes, such that it was hard to see anything around them. You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up Making a mad waving motion to shut down the twelve boxes that were telling her she had gotten the rewards of the siege, there was one below it that she had never seen before. And what it was saying was most interesting indeed. Loot gathered. Shop price; 999,865 gold pieces. Captain¡¯s share of 20%; 199934 gold pieces. Estaria stared at the box, reading it and then reading it again just to make sure. This one siege had made her little under two hundred thousand gold pieces. Even if the exchange rate was 10 gold pieces to one Throne, she was still rich as an Altdorf noble. That was that, retire now, spend the rest of her life in comfort. Even hire a villa in Bretonnia, take Elaine, admire the countryside, die old and fat and happy. But it was just a fantasy, she wasn¡¯t going to go through with that. She had a duty to The Empire and her men, and she couldn''t just abandon them to go off into the sunset. Shutting that box down, she opened her Status Screen and admired the stats. Strength: 27 (37) Stamina: 32 Constitution: 27 (37) Dexterity: 46 Agility: 37 Precision: 45 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 25 Luck: 25 The many level ups had given her stats a healthy boost, and the training had added a few on to boot. But her main stat, which was assumed to be Precision, wasn¡¯t as high as she would expect from it getting double rewards. Maybe it cycled between three? Main stat meaning your main bracket, not a singular stat. Would explain why the three for a more lithe body were higher than the three for a physical or mental person. Level up also meant trait points, so she went to scour that list. Having six points to spend, she went on a proper spree. Powder Woman: Firearms are the most engaging weapon you can possibly think of, and their secrets are being pried open to feed your appetite. 50% increase to range, 30% increase to damage Powder Matriarch: Black Powder is your Blood. While you may lack academic understanding, your practical knowhow rivals an Engineer and even the most unruly of firearms bow to you. 70% increase to range, 50% increase to damage. Imprecise is removed Decorated Veteran: Well known, and well respected, your name is toasted to by many. Increase the rewards of Tokens, Medals and Medallions by 1. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Swordswoman: Learning the way of the sword is hard, but with practice, one can be a venerable cause on the field. Grants sub-targeting for melee weaponry. Celerity: Swifter than most, you run with the grace of ten men and the speed of five. Add +20 to agility for the sake of movement speed. Quick-Load: In the blink of an eye, you are ready to fire again. Spend Cool to instantly reload your firearm with a flourish Six new traits under her belt, Estaria leaned back on the bed and smiled. Powder Matriarch made her sound old, but it would certainly help relieve people of their lives, especially when she got one of the experimental weapons from the shop. It made her wonder what she was going to spend all that gold on. But, there was still more, down in the corner, waiting for her to tap. So, she did and got even more popups. Repeatable Quest complete: 20/10 mook enemies killed 2/1 Elite enemies killed Gain reward: Money Box Chose reward: Sharpshooter Medal (2), Vigor Medals (2), Sharpshooter Medal (1) Vigor Medal (1). Estaria was unsure what Vigor medals were, so accepted the option where she got both. Her new trait increased the rewards, and so she got two of both medals. And there had been many a man who had fallen beneath her sword and gun, so she got cleared that quest three times, getting 6 medals and three Money boxes. They were opened, and a random amount of gold given to her. While it didn¡¯t seem like much, it was still welcome. She then looked over the Vigor medals shop. It was similar to the Boss and Sharpshooter shops but dealt with the physical side of things. Melee weapons, shields, some potions. Medals counted for two tokens, and there was a potion called ¡°The Long Haul¡± which she bought, and then withdrew and drunk. The Long Haul used. Stamina increased by +5 While Estaria was thankful for making her Stamina better, the potion tasted like old shoes, and made her blanch. But with this, her stamina was equal to her strength, mostly because of the run that was hell, every day for nearly a week. It had given her many stamina points. She then looked to the Sharpshooter Medals. She did want to get the pistol, but¡­. Quicksilver Potion used. Agility increased by +5 Up to 42. With Celerity, she would have 62 Agility for movement. Not that it really meant anything, she didn¡¯t know what the average was. Unless the average was 10. Which would make sense, she was an average woman when it came to the sword, and so her strength was 10 when she was level 1. Leaving the shop - for now, she would go ogle what things she could buy later - Estaria slid out of bed and walked to the door out of the bedroom. It could only have been a few steps, and yet she felt so strange doing it, so...off balance. She was more stable than this building and it was a disconcerting feeling to be so pristinely balanced. She wasn¡¯t meant to be this well balanced, humans were not designed to be this balanced. She kept thinking she was going to fall over because the idea of being too balanced was not one she could grasp and so her brain was defaulting to not balanced enough. Clutching to the door as if it was a stable mast in a storm, she slowly opened it and headed out. Every step was one of grace, and her head told her she should be wobbling all over the place, even though her body barely twitched. Most humans got grace and poise over years of training, so when it hit you all at once, your brain didn''t have the chance to catch up. Getting to the staircase, a servant spotted her and then scurried away for some reason. Well, at least she didn¡¯t have to have anyone watch her walk with legs too long for her gait. The stairs were not wide, but even on her tip-toes, she felt as if they were as broad as the floor itself. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she decided that it was just not going to work like this. Worrying about it was like a new recruit fretting over his inexperience. It wouldn¡¯t just vanish overnight, and only experience would solve this issue. So she took a breath and did her best to stop worrying about it. It was still weird, but she was focused on other things. Like how her steps felt way too small and her legs way too long. It was like she was just shuffling along, barely moving one foot from the other. And so when the servant who had fled the sight returned, she found Estaria walking the length of the room, and then turning and walking back. Her strides were broad and her gait was beautiful. The woman was so fast it took her a few seconds to clear the distance before turning to do it again. But as for why¡­.maybe she had hit her head? The servant gave a light cough, and Estaria looked up from her striding. The servant was holding a cup of something, and it was steaming hot, indicating it had just been made. Maybe the servant fled to go make it. Who knew with these kinds of people. ¡°Ahh, thank you¡± Estaria said as she was handed the cup and took a sip. She could tell from the taste of it that it was the same as the stuff she had been given in the siege like a man can tell a misshapen bit of metal and a mastercrafted sword are still both swords. But the taste was something else entirely. The man really was right that the cold did nothing for its taste. She could quite enjoy this beverage. ¡°So, where do I find some clothes?¡± she asked the maid. The maid gestured to follow her and then ascended the stairs again. She wasn''t talking though. Which, was a strange thing. Maybe it had something to do with the nice silk scarf she was wearing around her neck? Estaria didn¡¯t want to push the point in case it was a bad set of memories for her, so just let herself get guided to a nice set of clothes, which she then donned. Finishing the cup, she replaced it in the kitchen and then went out into the world. With the bustle of the city, you wouldn¡¯t have thought it was besieged by thousands only yesterday. Striding out into the streets and using it to get her legs under her, she found herself at the Redoubt, where many a man had perished. Borrago was there and waved to Estaria as she arrived, but even before he said anything, she noticed a very strange thing. All the Chaos Warriors and all the Norscans were naked. Stripped to their skin and with no sign of where the loot was. She thought it highly industrious of the Middenheimers before Borrago came over. ¡°Good to see you up Captain. Was a scare to see you collapse. But most have their heads full with this conundrum. When we came out this morning, every foe had been stripped clean, down to their underwear, if they had any, to begin with. Nobody can explain it either!¡± His voice was part worried, part wonderous at this sudden and unexpected turn of events. All Estaria could do was smile and nod in amazement. How could she give her only theory of what had happened to him? That all the men had been stripped by the system, and all the things had been sold off. Looking about her, there was much work to be done, and two quests popped up by her side, enlightening her to new things. Dynamic quest started: Move bodies to the pyre: 0/20 Move bodies to the Cart: 0/20 Run to gather supplies: 0/5km The dynamic quest was, an interesting concept. Plus, no shortage of bodies, so she¡¯d certainly be able to overcomplete this one. And if it was repeatable, get a lot of stuff out of it. Whatever the rewards were. Chapter 7 Well that was just bad format. The Dynamic quests were actually two different quests, but some glitch in the system or something had caused them to come up looking like they were the same. Still, the quests were run and done, a whole day was spent¡­.running, actually. When it came out that Estaria could somehow move like she had lightning in her veins, everyone wanted her to go here and get this, go here and get that. She felt like a courier and not a Captain, but it was nice. Plus, everywhere she went was cheers and backslapping and general jubilation as the fact that she had downed a Warrior by herself spread through the town. By the end of the day, she got the carrying bodies quest done, once. The running to collect quest, however, was overdone a solid half dozen times. She had covered every inch of Middenheim by the end of the day, and met nearly everyone, but much was done because of that. Strength increased from all the carrying, Agility from all the running, and Stamina because Estaria didn¡¯t slouch when she was asked to get something. She ran for it. After a the long day had come to an end, Es slumped in the Captain''s Quarters at the barracks. She''d need to go meet the minor nobleman who had given her a bed to recover in, but today was hella busy... Opening the shop finally, she''d find a ¡°Potion Of Lesser Experience¡±. Which was actually really good. The exp bar was close to ending so a quick push would be good. Withdrawing it from her inventory and downing it, it tasted like a thick not-quite-liquid strawberry. Gods, she could buy them just for the taste if nothing else. Experience limit reached. Please choose a Job to continue gaining experience The box came suddenly, mostly because Estaria was focused on the taste of the potion. But with the box bringing her back she turned on the status screen and opened the flashing Job box. There was a list of several, but they were pretty simple and didn¡¯t entice her. This was going to be important. And then she saw one with orange text. Mostly because it really did have telepathic communication with her, the box to explain her question came up as soon as she mentally asked it. Orange Jobs are superior to normal jobs. However, they require passing a Job Quest to obtain Estaria looked at the job - Captain, which was pretty fitting - and then back to herself. It was no use deciding to jump right into this job quest without preparing, that was just stupid. So she shut job down for the moment and opened the dynamic quests for running. Here she completed 6 of them, earning her six of those delightful experience potions, and her choice of six others. Hovering over, there was Lesser Quicksilver Potion, Lesser Guile Potion, and Lesser Acuity Potion. After a very quick bout of thinking, four Guile and two Acuity potions were picked. She really didn¡¯t need more Agility right now, she was still coming to grasp with what she had. Despite how good they tasted, Estaria put the experience potions away in the inventory for now and withdrew the Guile potions. Holding onto her sheet for support, she popped open the top and drunk the content. It tasted, like a sweet apple. Maybe, the taste was evocative of her main stats? While the experience was for everyone, the Stamina potion tasted like old shoes. Testing out the Acuity potion, she got a mellow tinge of chocolate. Which all but confirmed her theory that these were good tasting because that was her main stat! They were downed by her, and then another pop-up came, unexpectedly. 50 Dexterity, Second Slice unlocked. Second Slice - The blade is like flowing water, always moving from one spot to the next with incredible grace. Spend Cool to make a second melee attack immediately after the first. Another Cool-powered technique. Now she was superpowered in both aspects of combat, her long-range covered by Quick Load and her melee range covered by Second Slice. And speaking of melee range...She had spent the day considering what she was going to do, and finally, come to the conclusion that at least some of it was going to be spent in the Temple of Ulric. Estaria didn¡¯t know what happened to the money spent there, but it seemed to please the God if nothing else. So she got some shoes on and shuffled on over in her civilian clothing. Not, that that dampened the recognizing at all, a lot of night workers gave her a wave as she passed, and one Night Watchman even offered to escort her to the temple when she told him where she was heading. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It was cute, but she refused, stating that it was the great work of him and his peers that allowed a woman to walk to the temple by herself and feel safe. He seemed both embarrassed and emboldened by that, and went off into the night, his chest out and his confidence against the monsters in the shadows radiating as brightly as his lamp. Eventually, Estaria got to the temple, and the pop-up told her she was entering holy ground. The offerings shop was opened, and she picked up Holy Offering, dropping 20,000 gold pieces into this handful of reeds. As simple as it seemed, she could really feel the power radiating off it. Heads were turned as she walked towards the fire, clearly not the only one to recognize it¡¯s feel. And then when she threw it into the fire, a most beautiful sight was shown before her. The flame twisted and rose, a wolf running out of the flame and up, up into the sky. Murmurs of Good Omens and Ulric¡¯s Approval filled the air as people began to talk. Some flicking glances at Estaria before getting back to their talk. This was really going to blow up, wasn¡¯t it? She really didn¡¯t need heralding as some sort of chosen of Ulric or whatever else they were planning. Letting out a soft sigh, she saw the new pop up as she gave the offering. Ulric¡¯s Arm- +20 to Strength, +20 to Constitution. Mercy Of The Wolf - deal double damage against foes with 25% health remaining. The strength and constitution were considerable, and Estaria felt herself filling out, her civilian uniform getting tighter as the stats affected her physical build. Wasn¡¯t just the still-strange walking from Agility, but also her physique from Strength. An errant thought flashed in her head that she needed to check herself out in a mirror sometime. Muscular women always made her tick in a way nothing else did. But that was slapped out of her, it was no time to be going ogling her own body. Instead, she was going to the shop. Leaving the Temple to avoid anyone tempted to come over and bother her, she opened the shop item and flicked through, much more money for a spending spree now. One item that caught her eye was a Barrel of Bugman¡¯s XXXXXX. It made Estaria smile, and give a soft laugh. For 5,000 a barrel, she¡¯d be making some dwarven friends with that. She bought four, and her inventory was now ladened with copious amounts of the best booze you could hope to find. Prices increased as she scrolled down, and then something made her splutter. Gromril was for sale. Starting at a fist-sized chunk for 10,000 and currently the most expensive she could afford for 150,000 was a boulder half the size of a man. While that was her stash from the Siege wiped out, that much Gromril wouldn¡¯t just make her a friend. She could probably buy a Dwarf Hold. Even the fist-sized chunk, too small to be made into anything proper by itself, would get you fast friends with any Dwarf you gave it to. And you really would need to give it to a Dwarf, since nobody else could do anything with it. Taking a few breaths so she didn¡¯t do anything rash and buy something that wouldn¡¯t be of use for at least another month, she scanned the lists for more and came across a 50,000 sword. ¡°Blade Of Ulric¡± it was called. And while she really didn¡¯t need to throw any more fuel on the fire, she clicked it up. Blade Of Ulric - The Wolf God¡¯s fang, forged into a mighty scimitar to fell his foes and bring honour to his followers! Looking through its stats, she saw it had high damage, good armour penetration and ¡°Breath Of Winter¡± which dealt additional frost damage and reduced fire damage when wielded. Well worth the price tag, and so Estaria got it. Withdrawing it from the inventory, Estaria admired the blade. It was beautiful, the handle exquisitely crafted out of some strange stone that was just rough enough even blood and sweat would not cause your hand to slip. The edge glistening with the soft frost of early winter, and the blade inscribed with runes she¡¯d have to show a historian or librarian or another smart guy to understand. Returning it to her sheath, Estaria got back to her room, dressed in her combat regalia, spent a good hour cleaning her pistols with her cleaning kit, and then opened the job screen, and accepted the challenge for the Captain job. The world went white, and Estaria could only hold her breath in anticipation of what was to come Chapter 8 In an instant, she found herself at the head of a small squad. Thirty people in all, and she had kept her own equipment, which was good. If she had to do this without the new Blade Of Ulric, things would probably suck. Mostly because the siege was done and she¡¯d have to wait for ages to test it out otherwise. Complete the Patrol with more than 60% of the squad remaining Looking over at her men, she saw that they were the clumsy-in-the-field volunteers kind of men who could barely march and were not wearing armour that fit them very well. The test would be more keeping them alive than anything else. She was sure there would be some enemies coming to try to kill her and her men but wasn¡¯t sure what. And that was what put her on edge, waiting for the enemy to arrive. Still, if she was on edge then her men were thrice as on edge, so she''d steel herself and make sure the men were as well as they could be. When the enemy finally did arrive, it caught everyone off guard with who it was. The vanguard scout came sprinting towards them, waving his hands dramatically and shouting. ¡°Rats! G-g-giant rats!¡± he shouted, arriving in front of Estaria with a panicked face. She mentally sighed and resolved herself to the fact that this job would be her dealing with a group of paranoid levies. Reaching out to plant a hand on his shoulder, she gave him a comforting smile that she gave everyone who got spooked out in the field. It was a smile that everyone learned how to do because everyone got spooked now and then. It was the nature of such high tension. ¡°In a situation like this, you can see something at a glance and it can panic you. You can think you have seen something, and you can go running off to tell someone. But you can¡¯t report such things casually. As the forward scout, your report affects the entire squad. You have to be clear, you have to make sure that what you saw is what you saw. If it is not, then you have put everyone in peril¡± She finished her speech, and he seemed less panicked. A lot more towards the fact that he had seen something and worried rather than getting a clear view. It might have even worked if the speech didn¡¯t immediately lose all credibility as a man pointed and shouted. ¡°Gi-giant rats!¡± The man screamed. The cry of surprise and fear fluttered through the ranks. Even Estaria took a step back. There were many monsters of the world, so why had it made her giant rats? She was shocked that they even existed, though stories always came from somewhere and The Empire did have stories of giant rats in the sewers. But then, she took a step forward and looked to her men. ¡°So the rodents are a bit bigger than usual. I don¡¯t see any giant cats around here, so we have to kill them! Handgunners! Ready your weapons. Swordsmen gather in a line in front of them! They are threats to the Empire and will be killed as such!¡± Estaria¡¯s thunderous voice rocked the men on their heels and halted the rout. And then to punctuate her orders, she pulled out one of her pistols and put a bullet down-wind, Sub-targeting the closest rat¡¯s head. It was a white mook, and so its head was blown clean off. And then his friend was also downed as Estaria reloaded the gun with a flourish and fired again. Such precise shooting and the reloading trick that was most impressive gave the men the spine to follow orders and regain their positioning. Estaria¡¯s pistol was joined by handguns, but they were hastily and inaccurately fired, and only a few of the bullets in each volley made it to their intended targets. Sooner than she had hoped, they were inundated with rat. Scabbed, Swollen with hunger and with fur matted with dirt and other things best not thought to hard on, these creatures were desperate like a wild dog. Flailing claw and the occasional stabbing spear - they didn¡¯t even have weapons for the most part - couldn¡¯t hope to get through shield and armour, but the weight of number and desperation was doing the fighting for them, and men were buried and suffocated under a tide of dead rats. Seeing their friends be squashed by giant rats had an understandably adverse effect on the morale, but Estaria kept them in place with her grit and presence, slicing heads and splitting torsos with her blade, eventually clearing the wave of rodent and concluding the situation. Three people had been mauled to death by the rats, three more were nursing bleeding claw-strikes, two had been resuscitated from near asphyxiation And everyone was shaken. ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly the first combat situation I wanted you guys to be in, but you did well. We¡¯ll finish up this patrol and-¡± Estaria was interrupted by the words of a beast behind her, which caused the whole squad to shrink back in fear. ¡°Kill-stab! Take Life-Bodies for Underempire!¡± the large, black-furred rat had a fractured grasp of how to talk, but that didn¡¯t make it any less intimidating. A large, well-equipped thing with a dozen others. Taller, broader, more menacing than the half-dead creatures that came before, it occurred to Estaria that the ones before had been to shake up the line and test their defences before the proper warriors arrived. The order to fire was one that went unheeded this time, and so with a curse, she just rushed the closest rat and struck with her Second Slice. The first blow knocked the vast majority of its luck down - and did some damage to health with the ice, it seemed magic didn¡¯t play nice with Luck - and then the second blow sent it sprawling to the ground, where it died. The second black-furred rat thrust his spear, and it bashed against her shield with a jarring thud. Her retaliatory swing clipped most of the luck, but she wasn¡¯t destined to kill it, as a pair of handgun bullets slammed into it. Having lost its Luck, the bullets hit home and felled the rat. Her radical charge into the enemy had emboldened her routing squad, at least enough to stand behind her jeering and shooting handguns. Although the way they shuffled back when it looked like she was going to retreat to them implied she was on her own as far as a fight went. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The support was helpful, as the Handguns snapped at anyone who tried to encircle her, and it seemed that despite being big and well armoured, the rats were not the bravest. None wanted to charge towards the group of gun-wielding men except in number, and every attempt to go around the woman in front would leave them exposed to the Handguns for too long before reaching the enemy. And so that lead to the only possible route, going through the woman. And so the sight of Estaria holding off a dozen armed ratmen while her men cowered behind her and fired off pot-shots whenever they thought they could, was branded into their minds. The woman captain carving up rats with her sword, each blow cleaving armour and spilling blood until by bullet and blade, there were no more rats left to fight. Turning back to her men with a scowl that sent them scurrying back as much as the giant rats had, she cocked her head and wordlessly ordered them to continue the march. It took them a minute to get back into line because nobody wanted to go near the rats and so gave them a wide berth, but eventually, they finished the patrol and got back to camp, where Estaria delivered the report of giant rats to the Commander - just because it was a magic dungeon test thing didn''t mean she could neglect protocol. And one of the black-furred rat¡¯s heads because she knew he would just laugh at her otherwise. Of course, it was spooky to see a giant rat¡¯s head dumped on your desk, but he acknowledged the risk that this presented to his camp, and that night there was double guards around the perimeter. Several squads came back undermanned, a few never came back at all, and it was putting everyone on edge. And then, the edge was justified. Rending the night and stirring people from their slumber was the crack of a handgun. All at once the camp came alive with activity, soldiers rushing from their tents to investigate the noise. And from there it was seen, a giant horde of rats descending upon them in the thousands. Chittering, screaming, raging forward like a tidal wave of fur and fang. The more disciplined handgunners among the camp quickly took to firing lines and delivered volleys into the horde, well experienced with the weight of number that many threats could bring. But the rounds were swallowed by the endless tide and there was nothing that could be done to slow it down. The night watchmen were simply absorbed into the teeming mass, and it surged towards the centre of the camp where the rest of the men gathered. And a new box. The Skaven Descend. Lovely and ominous. No quest, no direction, no anything. If these creatures were to overrun this camp, the city beyond them would be helpless. No warning of the oncoming horde, they would be at very least crippled, at worst crushed and emptied entirely. She could stay and fight, but the battle was so one-sided even her powerful attributes would do no good. And yet¡­ ¡°Commander! Get a horse and go warn the city! We will hold them off long enough for your warning to matter. And take the head, so they can¡¯t just ignore you¡± She told him. He had the position and standing to make an impact in the courts, and would at least gain the support of the martial-minded nobles. He seemed shocked at the sudden, blunt nature of it all, but quickly felt the truth in the words, grabbed the head, and set off out of the camp on horseback. That was the city saved, but now she needed to deal with the camp. The camp they were all going to die in¡­ Well, if it was her destiny to die in this quest to get a Job, then she was going to make the most spectacular death possible. She opened the shop for a moment and got Shop closed during Dungeons which was just perfect. Returning to the front, she drew her pistol pair and unleashed both rounds, before quick-loading them and firing them off again. Her Cool ran dry from constant reloading, and then the pistols were discarded and she rushed into the fray, backed by swordsmen and halbarders to her sides and handgunners to her back. It was a fight far different from the siege of Middenheim. There she fought for the city and her life, but here she fought to kill as many of the bastards as she could and to give the Commander as much time to get away as they could manage. A pile of rats grew in front of the line as blade and bullet cut them down like wheat, but no wall held forever. Man after man fell to the swords, the spears, and the fangs of the rats. Some of them were overcome and set about ripping apart whatever they could get their teeth into and eating it. Bullets ran out, and so the Handgunners made a desperate charge into the horde, and a momentary split in the wave gave Estaria the view of a large, heavily armoured rat-man, leading on the rest. She didn¡¯t know if this was real or fake, but given the power of the System, it could be either. Or both. And so she pushed off, charging through the hole in their line, swift as the greatest of horses. A lesser man would simply get caught in the throng as it closed back up, but Estaria was fast enough to keep ahead of the curve, and so ending with a great leap, she soared towards the Rat-man, smashing him from his perch with her shield. Rolling to recover from the landing, her blade swiftly took a sizeable chunk from his Luck bar, which was reciprocated very quickly. The rat was fast, and it struck with undue force, but it was a situation where Estaria could truly grasp the speed of her own movements. They clashed like lightning, a Rat-man squeaking in the broken tongue of rats, and Estaria blocking, dodging, and weaving. Eventually, with extended sub-targeting strikes, she disabled one of the Rat-man¡¯s legs. And with just enough Cool built up, she threw a Double Slice to his head. The first cut triggered a Critical Wound, and with the second, his head came away from his neck. Mercy Of The Wolf providing the damage needed to kill him dead. More black-furred rats came out from around her, screaming in what seemed to be happiness. Why they would be happy that their boss was dead she didn¡¯t know, but she geared herself for the fight. And as her health began to deplete, she was wondering when the quest would be over. 30%...25%....20%.....15%.....the quest, would be over any minute¡­.10%.....5%.....any, minute¡­¡­.. Chapter 9 Suddenly Estaria was back in her room. She didn¡¯t feel the last blow land, but she was sure it did. And yet, she did not die. That was such a relief, she couldn¡¯t handle dying twice in the same lifetime. And then, she was giving a simple box in front of her. Duty Unto Death. Was it, praising her for dying or was there a tone of judgemental disdain behind it, that death ends your duty and should not be rushed into? Shaking her head, she knew she was thrown off because she was questioning the philosophical meaning of a floating box only she could see. Screw that, there was training to be done. And interestingly, new training as well. Physical Training: 0/4 Mook enemies killed (Melee) 0/2 Elite enemies killed (melee) 0/1 Boss enemy killed (melee) 0/20 Sword Drill 0/10km Run Agility training 0/2 Mook enemies killed (ranged) 0/1 Elite enemies killed (Ranged) 0/1 Beam Walk 0/1 Handstand for 5 seconds While her melee training was just average, kill more things, run more stuff, swing more sword, her not-Melee training had the addition of ¡°Handstand for 5 seconds¡±. She wondered how that would go down. As a child, she had never really done a handstand, or any other of the childish play, come to think of it. Plus¡­.Giant Rats. Did they exist? Were they created for the quest? Estaria was unsure, and that was the worst part. And just because her brain was screwy at the moment, she wondered if her Agility was more varied because she was an agility character. It was certainly an interesting idea. Deciding action was the best course of action, she got up and went out, heading off to the training ground. While she was heading in that direction, she scanned the shop for anything interesting, and eventually came across a 10,000gp ¡°Potion Of Greater Experience¡±. She grinned broadly and, lacking any self-control due to having possibly died at the hands of giant rats a few minutes ago, bought 6. Withdrawing the first one and taking off the top, it went down the hatch and froze Estaria in her steps. The taste of the potion was sublime. Never before in her life had she had such a tantalizing taste. Smooth, and rich, it¡¯s texture was perfect and the taste itself didn¡¯t overwhelm her. Even the level up boxes was in the way of the taste, and she had run through them before she even realized it. There was a lot of exp in each one, and she was now level 20, but that wasn¡¯t the point. She struggled with herself, trying not to buy more and simply stormed off to the training ground, her Celerity making good time, and giving her something to throw herself into. Sword Drills and running, a good way to work off strain and give her something to do to ignore the need for more. She had more empathy for the beggers in the street now, the need for something eclipsing all else. After finishing the run, she''d take a quick break to catch her breath, more stable again. First Job Unlocked: Captain. Traits reduced to once every three levels. Ohh, that sucked. Getting fewer traits was always bad, but she did have plenty of them, to begin with, so it wasn¡¯t a massive issue. Keeping up the once every two levels would lead her to be inundated with Traits. She shut that down, and the second one popped up. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Job Traits unlocked. These traits are traits related to your Job. Who made this? Was there really a need to be so obvious? Shaking her head softly she shut that one down and there was a third. Seems she had ignored quite a bit. 50 Precision: Advanced Sub-Targetting unlocked. Groin, Eye, Hands, Feet (arrow/knife/bolt only) Estaria felt herself cringe upon seeing ¡°Groin¡± but kept reading anyway. Groin: Deals high damage and stuns the enemy when hit. Destroying the Groin causes stun bypassing Resistance. Ulric, could she cringe harder? The idea of putting a bullet through a person¡¯s testicle just made her clamp up, despite not having anything down there to be shot. Eye: Very difficult shot, but deals immense damage. Destroying the Eye causes instant death or Critical Wound That, one made sense. There wasn¡¯t much to the eyeball, and sticking a bullet through it was going to go right to the brainpan. Hands: Hitting the Hands will immediately disarm the foe. Destroying the Hands will cause the destroyed hand to be unable to be used. Feet(Arrow/Knife/Bolt only): Hitting the Foot immediately stops a person¡¯s movement. Destroying the foot cuts movement speed by one quarter. Well, there was a nice bit to counter the cringe of the groin. It was like the old tales where the hero archer pinned a man to the ground with an arrow. Wasn¡¯t something she was going to do though, she used black powder, rather than arrows, bolts, or knives. 50 Agility: Weight-Spread unlocked. Weight-Spread: Your weight counts ? of its actual number for the sake of unstable footholds. That looked to be the last box. Letting out a soft sigh from the immense information thrown at her through this one, she was back into work. With the work she did from the basic training, she had more bullets than she knew what to do with. A few hundred standard ones and a hundred Nuln-Forged. They had been used extensively in the siege, to great effect. And the normal ones would allow her to train for weeks on end, even if she didn¡¯t get more as a reward for doing it. The Dummies were so below her level at this point that the fight was a joke. She split them in half with one swing. Which wasn¡¯t a surprise for the Mooks, or the Elites, but taking out the boss with a single swing was emboldening and enticing. She was getting strong. Of course, the Ulric¡¯s Boon and the sword would help a lot for that but still. She was going to have her ego moment and like it! Physical Training: 4/4 Mook enemies killed (Melee) 4/2 Elite enemies killed (melee) 4/1 Boss enemy killed (melee) 20/20 Sword Drill 10/10km Run Advanced Physical Training Complete: 2 skill points to spend on Strength, Stamina, Constitution The training couldn¡¯t be over-completed, which was sad. But she wasn¡¯t going to complain, she was getting free points for this. Stamina was way ahead of Strength and Constitution due to panic buying when she had just started this, so those pointed needed to go into the others. Ulric¡¯s boon was keeping them nice and high, but it seemed artificial values didn¡¯t give the stat traits. So one point in each. And then another box. One that, while she should have expected but was caught by surprise anyway. Hidden Quest Complete Kill Mook Dummy with one Swing: 2/1 Kill Elite Dummy with one Swing: 2/1 Kill Boss Dummy with one Swing: 2/1 Accept Rewards? (Vigor Token, Random Box) Vigour token...Not so important for her because of her Main Stats being different, but she¡¯d probably stockpile them anyway and see if there was anything cool when they built up. The random box was also interesting, and so she opened that, but it only rolled some different swords and they weren¡¯t all that helpful for her with Ulric¡¯s Fang. She¡¯d make Borrago a gift if there was anything that caught her eye. Giving herself a few moments before going off to the Agility training, she rolled through the Vigor shop. She hadn¡¯t really looked properly last time. It was here, she got a red-backed thing with a very angry LOCKED text across it. That¡­.was a new thing. She tapped it and got a bigger red box. This is Locked. Complete special requirements to unlock it She could almost feel the snappy bite in the first sentence. And what those special requirements were, wasn¡¯t even hinted at. ¡°Bloody thing. All right then, keep your secrets¡± she shook her head, closed it down and headed off to the firing range. This was easy. That Hidden Quest was so easy to complete these days. One, two, three. Tokens and box. Box gave her more bullets. And it was all good. Heading to the Agility training, the handstand and beam walk was done. The Handstand was strange, but she couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t like it. The two points went into dexterity because she was really enjoying how easily her sword was to wield. It flowed like silk across the skin, and that was a boon beyond most in the battlefield. Finally, with her training done, she headed back to her room, pulled open the status screen, and looked over the two traits she got. Two were orange-edged and certainly had an interesting name. Clearly, a Job Trait. So she tapped it to read up on it. For The Empire!: A steely shout to light a fire in the hearts of your men! +10 to all stats (Excluding yourself) to anyone who can hear your shout. Captain¡¯s Shadow: Snap of a Captain¡¯s finger, and the target falls. Designate a target to be hit with a Hotchland Long Rifle bullet. Usable every 10 minutes. Fair traits they were. And so Estaria caught some sleep, for what tomorrow would bring. Chapter 10 The training went on for a week, with every day making Estaria feel more and more powerful.. Her dexterity was growing in leaps and bounds, and this new ¡°Advanced¡± training was making it even faster. Her sword was like light, streaking through the air and bringing death to dummies. She wondered how it would go for a real target. Probably, really badly for them. Estaria was roughly aware of meetings going on around her, but she didn¡¯t feel like she was someone who was needed, a low-born captain didn¡¯t need to attend now the siege was done. Plus, she had other problems. A few days into moving the bodies, they came across the Warrior-Priest, at the gates. His grim visage marred by multiple fresh scars, and his armour pitted with axe wounds, he died clenching his hammer, and the bodies of Chaos lay all around him. While he died valiantly, he still died, and it was playing hell on morale. A man like that, being felled by the foul forces of chaos, was seen by many as the foulest omen of what was to come for the Empire as a whole. Added to the fact the Middenheimers didn¡¯t hesitate to bring up the fact that their warrior priest had survived, and this was an omen of what Southerners could do against the Chaos Horde. Which was a really strange mindset to have, but The Empire really didn¡¯t like itself. She had four men in stocks from fighting with the Middenheimers, and more were probably going to follow. With no Chaos left to fight, the tension - cultural and religious - between North and South grew to clashing. And Estaria just hoped they could get out of here with an intact regiment. Fortunately, she had gotten orders this morning to return to Altdorf, and so today was spent gathering the men and preparing for departure. It was hard, as disgruntled soldiers were scattered across the city in less than ready states of being. Still, Borrago and the other sergeants took no excuse, and her column was filled by mid-day, with the bruised and hungover vagrants as much as the men who had arrived within the hour, raring to get home and out of this strange, cold place. The march would be slow and lumbering while people recovered from despondent city life and got into the road again. They would be lucky to get out of the immediate surroundings of Middenheim before night fell. The plan was to return to Altdorf directly, through the road that cut through Drakwald Forest. Of course, that plan didn¡¯t go down well at all due to the infestation of creatures that lingered in Drakwald, but even in these times it was patrolled and guarded. A much better choice than taking the Old North Road to Marienburg and then going to Altdorf from there, it would cut weeks off the journey and didn''t have to bother with the Marienburgers. Es would take Beastmen over them any day. Looking over the men now they had all gathered and were ready for departure, Es decided to try and motivate people, announcing that if the men marched well, they would camp in one of the fortified inns that were along the forest road when they arrived. But she wasn¡¯t sure how good it was at that goal because she was distracted by a man standing by the gate with his guard retinue. ¡°Your name has been heard, Captain Zashira, and we thank you for the support you have led to my city. I heard you fought with great passion in the siege, and it is women like you that the Empire needs if it is going to survive. The Al-Uric mentioned his desire to see you stay, but this is not ours to decide¡± Estaria listened, and felt abashed by the compliments of the courtier. She could lead and she could fight, but being called out and brought to the spotlight was something she suffered under, and it made her nervous, shuftling in her boots as she waited for the man to carry on. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Give this letter to those in Altdorf. I would send a runner, but you are heading that way anyway¡± The Courtier handed Estaria a letter, who quickly put it in her inventory so it would come to no harm. With that done, he nodded and bid them save travels before returning to the castle proper. Estaria took this opportunity to leave before anyone else tried to come and start anything. Gods, she hoped this whole Ulric business would stay here in Middenheim. She was no hero, no chosen, just a Captain. With, a strange system that made her a superhuman monster¡­ The march was slow and fortunately uneventful. Camping was equally uneventful, and they met none of the monsters that the forest was famous for in the first few days. ¡°Excited to see some Beastmen, Borrago?¡± Estaria asked with a grin on the third day. ¡°Haha! I know all the best recipes for Beastman! Some Minotaur Steak would put some steel into the spine of these men!¡± His thunderous boom was heard quite far, and the debate of Minotaur steak and other food made from Beastman sparked into being, with some discussing the taste and the culinary techniques needed, while others pondered the moral and theological impact of such food. While in camp on the third night, Estaria thought to skim the shop to see what she could ear-mark for later use. There, she saw a collection of keys to what were called ¡°Dungeons¡±. Each key had a rating and were relatively cheap. The S-rank key that promised such good fun, was only 10,000, where as the D-rank was 500. Buying one of every rank, she first took out the D-rank and held it in her hand. A few seconds passed before she got herself a box. Enter Dungeon? Yes/No The answer was obvious. She wouldn¡¯t have bought the damn thing if she wasn¡¯t going to enter, so it was exactly what she did and the world turned white for a few moments before depositing her outside a small campfire. A small box popped up in front of her to explain the situations. Dungeons are localized instances where you face challenges relevant to the location you have entered the dungeon from. Each dungeon has a monster superior to the rest, and larger dungeons can have several. A Dungeon is complete and the rewards given when all the monsters are killed - for smaller dungeons - or the final boss slain - for lager dungeons. Slaying more monsters will grant additional rewards. Monsters respawn if the boss is still alive, to a maximum of 5 times. Wounds gained in the dungeon are healed when you leave, but dying in the dungeon will cause a temporary debuff, as well as ejecting you without a reward. Escaping a Dungeon can be done at any time, forgoing completion bonus and half the gathered rewards. Fatigue gained in Dungeons is retained. Having Dungeon keys all the way up to S-rank would let her see the scope and scale of these dungeons. They could be a great source of money and experience if there were good creatures in them, but getting to greedy could lead her to die in the dungeon and lose all the gold. For this one though, she felt far outleveled. White-level mooks and a white level elite as the dungeon boss. A dozen small, hornless creatures braying around the fire while eating something Estaria decided to not look into. One creature, slightly taller with stubby, half-horns, looked over them. Well, she was only here to test this whole thing out. Estaria clicked her fingers, and a cracking bang rang out, the half-horned creature taking a bullet to the head and expiring quickly. The dozen braying creatures looked up, but they were not quick enough to catch Estaria bursting from the bushes with unnatural speed. Driving the Blade of Ulric into the chest of the first creature, she gave a graceful spin and beheaded the second. In a whirl of motion, a dozen creatures laid dead at her feet. These creatures were hardly worth calling a challenge to anything that wasn¡¯t a farmhand, so it was a poor show of her skill, but did let her understand what was going on inside. Dungeon complete! 700+150 gold earned. Exitting in 10 seconds So, no more D-ranks then. Possibly these things were something she was meant to learn of earlier. Or before she got into a massive Horde Battle that gave her some thirteen or so levels and more money than she could count. With one final flash, she was back in camp. There was still a few days of marching to go, and it wouldn¡¯t do to go through all of her dungeons in one day, so she decided to try some more tomorrow. Dealing with the men, she got some food and then went to bed. Chapter 11 As she traveled through the forest, the lack of activity was not to last, the vanguard scouts came back to report that a large Beastman horde had broken into one of the small forts along the road and was currently fighting the beleaguered garrison. Ordering a double-time at the news, Estaria¡¯s column took flight. Most men had recovered from their lack of self-control in Middenheim, but not really from the loss of morale caused by the dead priest and goading of the Northerners. Still, any man would run to the aid of another when the Beastmen were involved. The battle was going poorly for the fort, but that meant it was going to go well for the sudden reinforcements, as they crashed into the enemy forces that lingered at the gate and butchered them with overwhelming weight of numbers and handguns. Estaria then rose her sword and let out a deep bellow to be heard by every man. ¡°For The Empire!¡± Not only a shout for their morale but also the activation of her trait as a Captain, the men roared in return, the garrison of the fort pushing with renewed vigour, crushing Beastman between two flanks. Savagery and thick hides did not save them from the blades of the swordsmen, but it did allow them to exact a toll before finally being taken down. Finally, the last creature was brought low by Estaria¡¯s men, and the battle calmed. All was not over yet, however, because a deep, gullettal roar filled the air, and from the forest undergrowth burst a Minotaur and it¡¯s Bovigor followers. Borrago reacted sharply, his miniature cannon blowing off the Minotaurs kneecap and causing it to stumble and crash into the ground. Estaria took a pair of Bovigors, but the rest smashed into her line, tossing men and buckling armour with feral rage and great horns. Estaria moved with unnatural grace, and her blade sung against Beastmen too feral, and thus considered Monsters. Her high strength and high-quality sword allowed her to do great damage to the beasts, but she was still on her toes for any shield work that needed doing. Fortunately the Bovigors were not creatures designed to face a woman like Estaria, and died quickly. It was hard fought, considering there were less than a dozen, but eventually the last creature bled it¡¯s last into the ground. The crippled Minotaur didn¡¯t get its desired conflict, and amidst a roar of defiance, it was torn apart by a volley from the Handgunners. Which was good, that thing was huge. With it dead, She got a box about how the ¡°Captain¡¯s Halflings¡± gathered the loot and sold them for 15,000. Which kind of made sense, not a lot of loot to be had from Beastmen. Unless you counted dirty fur and ancient weapons. ¡°These lot would be if anyone tried to escape, I¡¯m guessing¡± She commented, before looking around the bodies. She had educated herself on the enemies of the Empire, so best to work her ability to kill them. ¡°Did you find the Bestigor?¡± she asked the man who looked to be in charge. He gave a blank stare for a few moments, still shell-shocked and feeling like he had stared death in the face only to be pulled back a few seconds before the teeth snapped. ¡°Big thing. Large horns. Probably armoured¡± she expanded. It seemed to snap the man to the present because he shook his head. ¡°So it¡¯s still out there. You need to send a runner to replace your losses. I don¡¯t expect them to give up on this place¡± she told him. He didn¡¯t even question her, a sign that either he had gotten command because the true commander had lost his head, or that he was seriously stunned from the fight. Looking about, she could see the rest of the men. Now the fight was over, a dark cloud loomed over them. Victory tinged by the possibility of further conflict, and the need to clear out bodies. Desertions followed this kind of morale, so she let out a sigh and went to find the Quartermaster. ¡°Everyone out there is basically dead out there, morale-wise¡± She told the Quartermaster, who shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s Drakwald. Nobody is happy to be here¡± he replied a gruff growl to his voice. However, his jaw dropped when he saw Estaria pull a barrel out of nowhere. ¡°Let¡¯s try help out, hmm?¡± The barrel had ¡®Bugman¡¯s XXXXXX¡¯ on it, and she could see the Quartermaster¡¯s eyes glisten with admiration and desire. ¡°Where¡­?!¡± He was cut off by Estaria holding up a finger. ¡°I didn¡¯t. You did. Rainy day, you know?¡± She gave him a knowing nod, and then went out. Basic camp had been broken, and wounded were being tended to while the dead were being prepared to burn. Apparently, people were not buried in Drakwald. Too drained emotionally and physically to even ask where all the equipment that Estaria¡¯s invisible Halflings took had gone. ¡°Alright! Quartermaster is putting on a show. But we gotta earn it because it¡¯s quite the show. We are going to need a barricade at the broken gate till it can get fixed¡± She told her men. There were grumbles, but the curiosity of what was to come and the disinterest in missing out was being put on was enough for them to gather boxes, scrap, and stakes to make a temporary barricade against anything that tried to come in. It wouldn¡¯t hold forever, but it would give them some time. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then, when work was finished, the Quartermaster stepped out and let out a bellow. ¡°Alright lads! It¡¯s been a hell of a day and gonna be a hell of a night! That¡¯s why I brought this out. Any man who volunteers for sentry duty gets double helping. Just take care! It¡¯s a strong drink, and we don¡¯t need a bunch of lifeless dullards¡± He put the Bugman¡¯s barrel in front of him, and word quickly spread across the fort. Sentry duty was well filled that night, and Estaria got a cup of what was considered liquid gold by many. Taking a swig, she could really get behind its reputation. Smooth, but with a strong taste and not with the acrid burn that strong alcohol usually had. She was tempted just to spend all her gold on barrels of this and open a tavern. Dungeons to keep her in supply, and a happy town. Still, that went the same way as her idea to retire in Bretonnia. So after finishing off the cup and getting dinner - Borrago cooked his Minotaur Steak marinated in Bugman¡¯s as well as other dishes - she looked at the key to a C-rank dungeon. Time to explore! Are you- She didn¡¯t even bother reading the whole of it before hitting the yes button and getting transported into the dungeon. Campfires ahead of her, she brought up something she rarely used. This system did have a minimap, but most of the time it was easier to talk to someone than try to translate it, the thing was pretty poor for sense of scale and she''d have to keep an eye on it constantly to get anywhere. Still, right now it was helpful. The camp ahead was self-contained, but was on the wings of a larger camp, with a second satellite camp on the other wing of the large camp. Like the way a larger war host would break camp. She knew these creatures could make a loud noise, but a firearm was louder, and out of place, so she wasn¡¯t going to use one of them yet. Plus, these places did respawn as long as the boss was still around. Walking up, she saw the enemy were light orange, more like yellow. Maybe a level ahead of her, they would require a fair amount of time for her to get advantageous reaping from. So, B-rank it was for farming. Kicking off with her incredible speed, she slammed into the back of one of the Ungor. Bigger and stronger than the Brays, they were still pretty human in their size and durability. So her blade slipped in and stole his life. The shock of her sudden, swift arrival allowed her to cut down three of them before they reacted to her presence. Each slash killed another creature, the skin freezing from the runes that adorned her blade. As she cut through the Ungor like chaff, she felt like a God descending to the earth to smite the unfaithful. It was a foolish thought to have since these creatures were a match for the regular footman but could hardly hold up to veterans - Knights and Greatswordsmen - but when you were butchering them with a flick of your wrist, you got to feeling pretty dam powerful. Turning the camp to a bloodbath, she cleaned off her sword and took off, circumventing the large camp and arriving at the second small one. There she delivered bloody vengeance on their existence, before walking into the main camp. Sparsely populated, this was the commander¡¯s camp, as she saw not Ungor but Gor. Large things, as much beast as man and thick hides. All a standard orange, which made the blood-soaked Estaria grin. The Ungor had not been a challenge enough to do more than a small chunk of damage to her luck bar, and the blood that covered her was scented as their own, leaving the Gor wary. She''d stride into the camp until, out of the far tent, came a large creature with magnificent horns. It spoke, but in a harsh language Estaria had no understanding of - although a box did pop up with a progression bar of comprehension, which was a system she was totally ignorant of, plus an option to spend XP to speed up the progress. She felt it would be, at very least fun, to talk back and at most a tactical advantage to understand the enemy. And so she spent the xp and suddenly, it¡¯s words made sense. ¡°--Of Gnak Bonechewer! We will grind man-thing into the ground, make you part of Gnak. Make you strong like Gnak!¡± the bellow was strange to understand but even stronger to reply. ¡°I dunno. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like to be part of you. I like having a bath, ya know?¡± She grinned as Gnak just stood there, shocked that Estaria had responded. ¡°...Kill the talking man-thing!¡± Gnak most elegantly shouted. Growling and braying filled the camp, and it seemed like everyone was going to mob her. Taking a gamble, Estaria let out a bellow. ¡°Scraggle-Horned Cretin! Can you not face me yourself?!¡± With the Brays having no horns and being kicked about, the Ungor having stubby horns and being barely accepted, and the Bestigors having rather magnificent horns and leading the pack, she thought that horns were rather important in their culture. It certainly got a response, as Gnak trembled with rage and let out an keening bray. ¡°Will kill! Will eat! Man-Thing is Gnak''s!!¡± right on the money. Horns were a touchy subject. It rushed at her and Estaria first thought to slow his charge with a swing, but the creature was enraged and would probably charge through it, so she threw herself to the side, letting him charge wide before using her speed to blitz past him, taking a piece out of his luck bar, before spinning and taking the second piece. His frenzied rage couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the Dexterity that Estaria possessed, and every attack was deflected and parried, answered with a lightning-fast riposte. It was not long before she gave him a critical wound and then ended him spectacularly with a called shot to the head, decapitating him in a mighty blow. So this was her powers. A woman could get addicted to this kind of skill. Boss defeated. Exit dungeon? Estaria, hit no, wanting to exploit this power a bit more. The Gors stared at their fallen Bestigor but didn¡¯t get enough time to register it properly before the devastation of Estaria was upon them. It didn¡¯t last long. Total Obliteration. 5000+2000 gold. Bestigor Blood earned. Exiting in 10 seconds. Once arriving back in the world, she noticed the night was much darker than before, people had changed positions and a lot more people had suddenly gone to sleep than before. Time...in the dungeon, was not paused. It carried on outside. That made Dungeons less viable on the road, so she decided tp be careful about going into them. Maybe only one a day? With that in mind, she went to sleep. Long day tomorrow, so she needed to be rested up for it. Chapter 12 Waking in the morning, the mood was better than yesterday night. Probably because of the excellent beer and feeling of comradery. She learned from Borrago that this was a home fort, where people lived, and so the soldiers wives had come out later to dance for them, joined by some of the drunker husbands. It had been a bright night, and truly showcased the brilliance of humanity. And to add to that, the morning showed a relief force coming through the barricade made at the gate, with men to replace that which was lost and materials to replace the gate. Beastmen could attack again, but they would face the same situation as they faced before, possible defeat even without Estaria¡¯s intervention. it was kind of a shame to miss that, though she did like her sleep... With high spirits and a lot of drunks, Estaria shook her head and worked out a sharing of rations so that her men could stay a day or two and recover from everything that had happened, in the company of amicable people before heading out to Drakwald. Borrago shared his recipes to ensure that the Drakwald Fort could reinforce their rations with meat that was ever present. The big man had been industrious last night, and so there was a lot of prepared, salted meat that was shared between the fort and her column. Borrago was a true treasure for the Empire, and she didn''t know what she''d do without the jolly giant by her side. Then, kicking back for a moment, Estaria looked to the B-rank key in her hand, and thought about it. Did she want to run into a Minotaur? It was a question she pondered for a short while after returning to her tent. To allow her some moments to think, she took out the Bestigor blood and knocked it back, blanching at the taste and general act. Blood consumed. Random Physical Stat increased Well, yay, she guessed. Still debatable if it was worth it. Shutting that box down, there was a second one beneath it. 50 strength: Overwhelming - A mighty blow can fell a hardy foe in one swing! Damage that causes a Critical Wound now spills over (but does not create a second Critical Wound) That, would be helpful against bosses and monsters, especially as her Strength grew higher. And now, to go test it out. No more procrastinating, she brought out the B-rank, made sure there was nothing to do and that people wouldn''t miss her for a few hours, and used it. Do yo- The flash of light took her to the dungeon, and it was not a camp, but instead a fort. Burning and broken, it had clearly just suffered from a severe Beastman attack. Opening the mini-map, she saw herself inundated with dots. Too many to fight, even for her, she¡¯d be overwhelmed. She¡¯d need to think tactically. There was a nice expanse outside the fort, so she wasn¡¯t restricted to fighting in there exclusively. With a bit of thought, she gave a smile, and walked through the gate. Drawing her pistol, she shot one of the Ungors in the head, and got the attentions of everyone. All manner of Gors, a surprisingly slim amount of Ungors, and no Brays. This was a true Warherd. Drawing the attention of everyone in earshot, she grinned and then ran away, followed by raging hordes of monster. The lack of Centigors meant that they couldn¡¯t keep up with her, however, and so she was able to circle around and double-back into the courtyard, and then face a reduced force of those who were either too far away to start the run or didn¡¯t want to give up their dinner. Estaria had hoped to get some of the fat trimmed before the large party she led out came back, but Gors were stronger than Ungors. The previous ones she had faced were few in number and shocked at the Bestigor¡¯s sudden decapitation. These beasts were more numerous and ready for a fight, so she had to work at killing them. She was fast but they were ferocious, and several attacks had to be aborted to avoid a wild swing that would not have done her any favours. She had five of them dead by the time the roar behind her signalled the return of the bulk. Not a favourable number, and Gors were cunning, a human intelligence behind that bestial savagery, so the same trick wouldn''t work again. Two pistol shots went through the eyes of the closest Gors, and then Estaria backflipped over the Ungor behind her, up the walls where she could get an advantage of height on them, and be somewhat secured. The steps up to the wall were made for human feet, not bestial hooves, and the Gors - Bovigors especially - were too large a creature to handily traverse the stone steps. Given time, they would be able to make the ascent, but Estaria had no desire to give them time. The closest Gors took fire from her pistols, their blood and entrails slicked the stone steps, making it even more of a hellish foothold. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Eventually, however, her Cool ran out, and she could no longer reload with a flourish. She would have to put her sword away to do the reload, and that was not something she wanted to do. Plus, a spear whizzed past her head and made her turn to the Gor on the ground. Furious over being unable to reach her, they had begun to throw things at her. With little choice remaining - she could not return fire on them and the creatures climbing the stairs with any degree of speed to keep them both at bay - she let out a soft sigh of resignation and leaped off the walls, into the mass of Gor. Her blade came down and separated a Gor into two halves, before disarming another in a literal fashion. Using her shield as much as a weapon than a defensive piece of equipment, she tore her way out of the Gors that had gathered. B-rank truly was the best place to farm for loot and exp. A-rank and S-rank would be way more than she could manage right now. B-rank was enough of a challenge that she had no luck and 80% health by the time she had finished with these Gors. Taking a moment to catch her breath and regenerate her luck, she reloaded her pistols and then realized these buggers would respawn if she didn¡¯t kill the boss. So she moved on, into the keep. Larger, better equipped Gors stood in her path, but their numbers were less, so she could deal with them much easier. She was a duelist kind of girl, excellent against a single target, but not so great against hordes. Eventually, she got into the centre of the keep, where a giant Minotaur stood next to a smaller Bestigor. ¡°How is this woman here? The Warherd sits outside¡± the Bestigor spoke. So, coherent. Clearly a dangerous Bestigor. Maybe even on it¡¯s way to Beastlord. ¡°Killed them¡± Estaria replied, her voice choppy and short to hide the fact that she was still recovering from the fight outside, and not enough to have gone through the Gors outside. ¡°Through many Gor by yourself, and speak the Beast Tongue. A most strange thing..¡± The Bestigor cocked it¡¯s head, as if studying her. But the blood-red coating on Estaria¡¯s armour was too much for the Minotaur. With a roar, it rushed her, wanting to get into the gore-slick fight, to crush, and kill. When one was not intimidated by the size of the thing, there was an advantage to a woman fighting a Minotaur. As it charged, she rushed in herself, before sliding along her knees slashing at it¡¯s leg. Gods, it was like hitting a tree-trunk! She cut the thing but not deep enough to be notable. And the Minotaur saw her slide and span around, it¡¯s crude hammer club smashing against Estaria¡¯s shield and knocking her clean off her feet. Recovery from the blow was quick, though she stood more through her predernatural stability than any true mental stability. As such, the second charge was met probably not so intelligently. Shield up and braced, she rushed the creature at her full speed, bouncing off him but feeling something break as the force of his charge met with the force of Estaria¡¯s own shield. Her body was slowly, not aching so much. The pain was drifting away and getting replaced with a focused zeal, a rush of adrenaline and hyper-focused mentality in such a dangerous situation she might die - if only in a dungeon. Getting back to her feet she ran forward with a thrust of her blade, driving it two inches into his chest, which gave her an elated feeling of victory and meant she totally missed the head that smashed her clean off her feet and into the wall, some three foot above the floor. The fall from that one was not gentle. *AND* her sword was now in his chest. But that was not the end. Instead, Estaria just grinned and had a mad plan. Drawing her pistol while the Minotaur roared from the frostbite growing out from the freezing blade, she zeroed in and pulled the trigger. The ball flew through the air, and precisely hit the handle of her sword, the force of the gunshot driving the blade deep into his chest. The Minotaur staggered towards her, but it did not get far enough before it¡¯s internals were frozen solid, and it collapsed, not to get up. Fuck, there really was a reason she didn¡¯t want to fight one of them things. She was quite possibly stronger than Borrago, and still struggled to cut the dam thing. Getting up and walking over to the Minotaur, she ripped her blade out of it¡¯s chest, and then turned to the Bestigor. Which was probably going to kill her. ¡°Khorne demands the best of fights. To kill you now would be a bare sliver of what I would get to face you when you were at your peak. Khorne¡¯s eyes are upon me, and besting you shall see me gain his favour. Recover, metal woman. I shall wait¡± the Bestigor said. Estaria, just stared in disbelief. She...what? ¡°Khorne is a mad dog of a God! Why...would you?¡± She asked. The Bestigor bristled at her words, but retained himself. ¡°Khorne is many things, Metal woman. You see what is easiest to see. What makes it easiest to hate. For nobody can fight an enemy they love¡± he then turned his back on her, to rummage through a large pile, clearly the loot from his fight. She could just, stick a pair of bullets in his legs and the fight would be done like that. And yet, she didn¡¯t. Something about the overwhelming confidence he had, and the faith in his God. She couldn¡¯t help but somewhat respect the Beastman. He then pulled out an arm from the pile and started snacking on it, so she wasn¡¯t going to be making friends, but found it hard to feel about him like she did before...Which was exactly the point. Couldn''t shoot a guy in the back if you didn''t hate him. And shooting people in the back was The Empire''s best strategy. So she did as he said, and recovered. Health regeneration seemed specced off Constitution, which she had a lot of. And her fatigue was dipping until it was 0. Eventually, she was as recovered as she would be, and got up, speaking to the man. ¡°This has been a most strange day for me, Bestigor. But I think it is one I will remember for a long time¡± she told him, smiling to herself. The creature drew a pair of swords longer than her own Scimitar, and battle, was joined. Chapter 13 The Bestigor was prepared for her, but Estaria was confident in her new stats, and so she moved in to meet him, starting with a shield ram and then following up with a Second Slice attack. Unfortunately, the size and general bulk of the Bestigor meant that the ram did little, and then he parried both attacks before taking a chunk of luck off her bar. This, creature, was more powerful than Estaria could have comprehended. Did they get buffs for being in dungeons? Either way, there was no time to be thinking about that, no time to be doing anything but fighting this most powerful of foes. She¡¯d certainly gain combat experience, if not actual Experience. Estaria flowed like water, and the Bestigor came like falling rocks, each one striking, countering and then trying to exploit a minute window left in the other¡¯s defenses. Luck chipped away little by little, and soon Estaria was on her health, though quickly followed by the Bestigor. Eventually, she decided this fight was not going to be won without some drastic action. So she grasped her blade, gritted her teeth and feinted with her shield, leaving an opening that the Bestigor exploited. His blade bit deep into her armoured side, and the pain near knocked her off her stride. But she persevered with grit and fury, and made a Called Shot to the Bestigor¡¯s arm as it stabbed her. She threw a Second Slice to make sure that she really cut it off, but as blade hit arm, she got a strange, popup. Shadows of the Future: 300% Damage There and gone in the same breath, it lasted long enough for her to cut the Bestigor¡¯s arm off, and then was gone as if there was no evidence it had ever been to begin with. The Bestigor¡¯s backswing was fast and brutal, slashing through Estaria¡¯s armour and spilling copious amounts of blood on the ground. Her health dropped dangerously low, and the shock of it threw her from her feet. The Bestigor roared in pain from his lost limb, and Estaria knew she needed to get up, but her whole body felt numb. Breath coming out in gasps. Her hands felt cold, her whole body felt cold. If she could just...sleep for a moment¡­ This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The thumping footsteps of an angry Bestigor brought her back to reality, and she barely managed to roll out of the way of the incoming hoof before it crushed her head. Now, was not the time for dying. Forcing her body up and relying on her unnatural sense of balance, there was one last chance to finish this off. Come round from his armless zone and stick a sword through his eye. High damage, plus Overwhelming and Ulric¡¯s ¡°Mercy of the Wolf¡± would help her do enough to take him out in one swing. If she could manage the blow, of course. He was shown to be as fast as she was, and as skilled. The only benefit she had, was two arms to his one. But, it was a benefit she was going to push. Rushing at him, she then shifted of to the side and leapt, his blade coming at her and being blocked by her shield as she thrust the sword forward, driving her entire body into the blow that penetrated his eye socket and drove the creature to the ground. Finally¡­.Finally¡­.the fight was over. Estaria collapsed for a few moments, and then hit the yes button when the button came up to leave the dungeon. Dungeon finished, 25000+6000 gold. Greater Potion of Experience earned. Exitting in 10 seconds. She laid there for ten seconds before she was back in the camp. Her wounds gone and the cold feeling subsidized, but the bone-deep weariness did not. Ignoring whatever else might be happening, Estaria dragged herself to the tent and collapsed to the sound of a new box. You have leveled up Chapter 14 Estaria woke groggily in the morning, and went out to see how things were getting on. The shoddy barricade had gone and was now in the process of being replaced by a proper gate, with the materials that the relief force had brought in. No sudden attack in the night, and nothing going horribly wrong. Which was very good, so Estaria meandered back to her tent and opened the screen to pop her newest trait down. Scrolling through, she saw a Captain Trait, so she opened it up. Your fight is with me! - Instantly taunt any enemy to fight with you, ignoring any other target between you. Debuff surrounding troops if you lose or run That was bought. Very good skill for pulling in the enemy commander and getting an intimate one on one with him. Just had to make sure that she could beat him and didn¡¯t have to run away from him. That would be bad. Guys didn¡¯t need debuffs more than being humans already did for them. Next, she opened her inventory and stared at the A-rank dungeon key. The last dungeon was a mess, and she wasn¡¯t eager to have a repeat performance or worse in a hostile territory like Drakwald. Maybe when they got back to Altdorf. And speaking if, it was time to get her guys moving on back there. Didn¡¯t want to be proclaimed dead or anything crazy like that. Putting on her gear, Estaria headed out, and first saw a few men gathered around a wagon. At first she thought it was the supply wagon from the way they were all crowded, but it turned out to be the wagon carrying the building supplies. What led everyone to crowd it was apparent as she got closer and saw people trying to lift it. not doing so well either, since it was a large, ladened wagon. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Estaria asked, looking over at the apparent situation. ¡°Ahh, Captain. We¡¯ve got sommat stuck in the wheel. Guys trying to lift the cart and get it out but so far it¡¯s not going to well. ¡®Eavy laden cart, ya know?¡± the man replied. "Where''s Borrago?" she asked, looking about for the giant man. "''e''s finishin'' up inna kitchen wiv da cook. Sa we doin'' ta macha man fing" was the reply. Some guys had a real thick accent to Riekspiel, others had much less so... Still, cart needed lifting, so Estaria stepped up, grasping the cart and hefting it up. The weight was nothing compared to her strength stat, and it was hoisted off the ground, giving the man plenty of time to free the wheel before she put it down. ¡°Nice lift Captain! Gotta share your secret with me¡± a man exclaimed. Laughter and repeated accolades followed, and then the men dispersed. Going to find Borrago to get everyone ready to leave, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked back at the wagon. It might have been normal for her, but the others should have definitely said something about her lifting some six hundred pounds off the ground by herself. But...apparently no. Did it just not occur to anyone? Or was there more to it than that? Estaria thought for a moment, and then just shook her head. This wasn¡¯t going to get her anywhere. Maybe later she could go talk to a scholar or Wizard in Altdorf about it, if she ever could start that conversation...How would she start that? ¡®Hello, a floating set of boxes that control reality are giving me superpowers. Care to explain?¡¯ That really wouldn¡¯t go down well at all. Insane asylum at best. And that would really cripple her career...Although the jackets that were used to restrain the patients were kind of cute. She¡¯d keep it around as a possibility if all this soldiering fell through, and went off to go see Borrago. With him, she gathered her men and proceeded to make the journey back to Altdorf. Her men were feeling better after their few days in delightful company, and Estaria taking night watch with them helped keep themselves together from the few forays of Beastmen into the camp. Fortunately, they were large enough that anything that tried anything during the day was easily driven away with very little loss of life. The size of the combined with the fact that The Drakwald Patrol had kicked up three times as much in the face of the oncoming Chaos Horde, so in another two days, the road home was finally over. The great city of Altdorf loomed in front of them. Beautiful, beautiful Altdorf. Never would she have thought those walls would have produced such relief in her. Letting her men go to the barracks or their families - and claiming to shoulder any flak they got for that order - Estaria wanted to retreat to her little house and just enjoy not being in a life-threatening situation for a few days, but she had duties to get to - she went to go report to her commanding officer, and deliver the letter as well. She found the Major in his office, and entered after knocking and being told to come in. ¡°Ahh, Estaria! We were expecting you back days ago. How was it?¡± the Major asked. She¡¯d never really got his name, he was always just ¡°Major¡± to her. ¡°We arrived in time to repel the attack, Major. But we have suffered several battles on this outing. First we were hit by an outrider horde in a hamlet, and then after the siege itself, we took the Drakwald road and came across a fort currently under attack. After that, we were pitted with multiple minor skirmishes on the way home, though we managed to hold them off with little loss, it did slow the march. The ultimate objective, however, has been achieved perfectly. Furthermore, The Count of Middenheim has sent this letter with my regiment to ¡®Those in Altdorf¡¯.¡± Estaria withdrew the letter from her inventory - subtle like so it seemed like she was getting it out of her pocket - and handed it to the Major. He was high enough of a rank or just self-absorbed enough to open it and read the contents. Then he closed it again and nodded. ¡°Good. Excluding any emergency deployment, you and your regiment has the fortnight off to rest and recover. We will refill your ranks while you are on leave, and then you will be in charge of training them up to scratch for any future deployments. You are dismissed¡± The Major gave a nod, and then got back to his paperwork. Estaria was glad for her Captaincy, she didn¡¯t want to go any higher though, it seemed a hell of paper and red tape. Still, couldn¡¯t argue at two weeks off. Probably more to drum up recruits, arm and basic boot camp the sods than to actually rest the men. The next generation of citizens coming from her men''s wives in nine months would be a showcase of how much they needed to rest. Giving Major a salute, Estaria left his office, and went home. Home, was a small little thing in a lower class part of Altdorf. Not quite the slums, but far from the implication of gradiore that a Captain implied. She had splashed out on better gear with her pay to look the part to her men,, but would probably get new accommodations soon. Elaine deserved it. Slaving away in a Nobleman''s house, and then making dinner here as well...Estaria did not deserve such a lover. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Though, she wasn''t here now, and Es was dusty and worn from the road. So she stripped out of all her clothes and quickly got into the bath. It was nice to wash like this, in warm water, and Es sorta just half-dozed. After laying there for an unspecified amount of time, soaking in the water, she returned to her senses and washed proper, cleaning herself before stepping out and drying off. Though, in the process of drying, she caught a glance at her body in the mirror, and looked on to admire it more closely. Gone was the lithe and gentle form of before. Now, her abdominal muscles were rippling, and her arms muscular and her legs thick. The once rusty and discoloured hair was now more vibrant, and her soft eyes had a greater auburn glow to them than ever before. It was like this system had gone and sculpted her into perfection. And dam right, she was far more perfect than any in this city. ....Where that thought had come from, she didn''t know, but it was kind of disconcerting. Shaking it off as fatigue and a little bit of pride in her sexy new build, she did the Estaria thing and totally kicked it to one side. If she didn''t think about it, it didn''t exist, those were the rules. That she just made up. Looking for something else to do, she opened her inventory to lazily browse, and saw she had a few of those potions put away. She forgot to finish them off in all the catastrophe she had since then and now. No matter, she was now in a prime position to do just that, so she fished them out and took all four of them. Together, they were just enough to push her over the edge. The stat page, was looking very healthy indeed, these days. She could open it up and get a broad relay of what she had, which was lovely. Strength: 53 (72) Stamina: 60 Constitution: 49 (69) Dexterity: 76 Agility: 66 Precision: 70 Intelligence: 32 Wisdom: 32 Luck: 32 Gold: 69134 Powder Matriarch: Black Powder is your Blood. While you may lack academic understanding, your practical knowhow rivals an Engineer, and even the most unruly of firearms bow to you. 70% increase to range, 50% increase to damage. Imprecise is removed Decorated Veteran: Well known, and well respected, your name is toasted to by many. Increase the rewards of Tokens, Medals and Medallions by 1. Swordswoman: Learning the way of the sword is hard, but with practice, one can be a venerable cause on the field. Grants subtargetting for melee weaponry. Celerity: Swifter than most, you run with the grace of ten men and the speed of five. Add +20 to agility for the sake of movement speed. Quick-Load: In the blink of an eye, you are ready to fire again. Spend Cool to instantly reload your firearm with a flourish. Your fight is with me! - Instantly taunt any enemy to fight with you, ignoring any other target between you. -20 stats to surrounding troops if you lose or run For The Empire!: A steely shout to light a fire in the hearts of your men! +10 to all stats (Excluding yourself) to anyone who can hear your shout.Captain¡¯s Shadow: Snap of a Captain¡¯s finger, and the target falls. Designate a target to be hit with a Hotchland Long Rifle bullet. Usable every 10 minutes Captain¡¯s Half-Dozen Halflings: Sneaky little half-men with large sacks, loot all enemies at the end of every fight, regardless of the fight. 50 Stamina: Furious Zeal - Stats are reduced by 65% at 100% fatigue rather than immediate unconsciousness. 50 Dexterity: Second Slice - The blade is like flowing water, always moving from one spot to the next with incredible grace. Spend Cool to make a second melee attack immediately after the first. 50 Agility: Weight-Spread: Your weight counts ? of it¡¯s actual number for the sake of unstable footholds. 50 Precision: Advanced Sub-Targetting unlocked. Groin, Eye, Hands, Feet (arrow/knife/bolt only) 50 strength: Overwhelming - A mighty blow can fell a hardy foe in one swing! Damage that causes a Critical Wound now spills over (but does not create a second Critical Wound) Groin: Deals high damage and stuns the enemy when hit. Destroying the Groin causes stun bypassing Resistance. Eye: Very difficult shot, but deals immense damage. Destroying the Eye causes instant death or Critical Wound Hands: Hitting the Hands will immediately disarm the foe. Destroying the Hands will cause the destroyed hand to be unable to be used. Feet(Arrow/Knife/Bolt only): Hitting the Foot immediately stops a person¡¯s movement. Destroying the foot cuts movement speed by one quarter. There was a new one. One she hadn¡¯t seen before. From this, she could surmise she got a trait at 50 of every stat. Whenever she got to 50 stamina, she must have just missed the box telling her about it. Gold was nice and healthy, so she opened the shop and bought the 50,000 gold head-sized chunk of Gromril. It was a hefty metal, and pure Gromril at that. The beauty she could have made of that. Or, give it to a Dwarf, make a friend for life...She wasn¡¯t feeling the wisdom or intelligence though. Maybe they were dud stats? Meant to be used on Magic and so without magic, she didn¡¯t really get anything out of them? Entirely possible. With stats checked, money spent and xp potions drunk, flopped on the bed. Staring down at her abs with a dopey grin, she still wasn¡¯t over the fact that they were there. They rippled and twitched as she shifted the muscles, looking so very enticing. Totally caught up on her own body, she heard nothing, until; ¡°Es? Where did you get those muscles?¡± came the smooth voice from the door. Estaria looked up to see her roommate and love standing there, staring at her. ¡°Elaine! you are meant to be at work!¡± She exclaimed, pulling the sheets from it to wrap herself in. Why, was anyone''s guess. It was just a natural reaction to being caught by anyone, even though she slept with this one. "Hired staff were sent home today. Sir Maricc''s wife accused him of sleeping with one of the maids, and he sent everyone home so he could privately talk to her rather than having the entire household listening in" Elaine replied, walking over. She was wearing her maids uniform, with a sensual sashay that knew exactly what it was doing to Estaria. Servant she might have been, but Elaine was definitely one to take the lead in most situations with Estaria. "So I am free today. You can take me to dinner~" she purred, the Bretonnian accent slipping in as she spoke with a seductive, sultry voice. "i..i....i...have nothing, to wear in, anywhere, that is worth going" Estaria stuttered, her cheeks flushed. Elaine''s hands slid up Estaria''s toned body and gently pushed her to lay down on the bed, crawling over and kissing her neck. "You can wear my uniform. I know how much it turns you on~" Elaine teased, whispering gently into Estaria''s ear. "And, I''ll wear a new dress you''ll buy me" she continued, kissing her love''s neck. "Ohh? I''m just a bag of money for your fashion huh?" Estaria replied, getting her mental balance back and brattily teasing her lover. "Well it''s not like you can cook worth a damn" Elaine''s drawl fired Estaria''s blood, and the outfit thrice over. Gods, that woman knew exactly how to get Es raring to go. "Oi, I can make a dec-" Estaria''s complaint was cut off by Elaine''s mouth, and they shared a deep, long, empassioned kiss. "But seriously" Elaine spoke after she had finished fuzzing Estaria''s head with the kiss. "I would love to see you dressed up in this uniform. I think you''d be such a cute maid~" Chapter 15 (M) Elaine very much knew what she was doing. When they had met, she was such a cute, innocent little thing that blushed at a kiss and skittered about at the idea of anything more than that. But that was a few years ago now, and Eliane had fully slid into the role she was meant to be in. Hell, Estaria should be the maid, and Elaine the Captain, she had the temperament for it. With soft kisses around her neck, teasing kisses on her lips and hands massaging her breasts, Estaria melted into a hot putty to be moulded as Elaine desired. And mould she did, driving her lover to new heights of passion and need. Slowly stripping her own clothes off until the two were nude and writhing on the bed. And then it was over. Elaine was by the door with a smirk on her face, and Estaria was panting and trying to get her head around what just happened. ¡°Get dressed, dear. We are going out¡± Elaine ordered, pointing to the maid uniform set on the bed. ¡°And don¡¯t touch yourself, I will know~¡± with the implication of punishment hanging in the air, Elaine left to get dressed. ¡°Fucking¡­¡± Es would get her head on straight and then go to the door, opening it and staring at Elaine. ¡°I can¡¯t go out dressed like that. What if someone recognizes me?¡± she asked. It was all well and good having fun in their own home, but out there she was someone who needed to maintain respect among her men. Though, no sooner had she exclaimed this problem, than Elaine pulled a long blonde wig out and fitted it to Estaria¡¯s head. ¡°.....You planned this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Estaria asked drily. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone over a week, across The Empire to fight a horde of Norscans. So yes, I planned your welcome home present. Felt like you might need something to relax and unwind to¡± When Elaine revealed her plan, Estaria was shocked to hear it. It was surprisingly thoughtful of her and more creative than she had given her girlfriend credit for. Her flushed and bright face hid the blush well, but not well enough to keep Elaine tricked, and she pulled Estaria in for another loving kiss. ¡°I will always look after you, lover. Whenever you need it, I¡¯ll be here¡± she cooed, kissing her one last time and then turning her around and spanking her firm ass. ¡°...Ow. Gods your ass is made of steel. But go, get dressed already¡± Finally obeying, buoyed by the passion and care that Elaine had shown, Estaria got dressed, pulling the whole uniform on and then looking at herself in the mirror. Cute head dress, blonde hair and some red lip paint made it seem like a whole different person was looking back at her. A beautiful woman that made Estaria¡¯s thighs rub together. The beautiful deva in the mirror was squirming gently, not used to being stared at with such interest. But Estaria stared on anyway. She was transfixing, enthralling, and that shy cute look was just making Es want her even more. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So caught up in this show, she missed Elaine come up behind her and grope her breasts teasingly through the uniform. Watching herself get molested in the mirror was certainly an interesting event she had never done before. ¡°You going to stare at yourself all day? I know you love that uniform, but that¡¯s a little narcissistic, no?¡± Elaine teased, nibbling on Estaria¡¯s ear. It was a good point, a very good point. Since returning from Middenheim, Es had been thinking far too much of herself. This power was going to her head, and she appreciated Elaine¡¯s presence, it helped keep her grounded. ¡°So...sorry, Elai-¡± Estaria was cut off with a finger placed on her lips, and a cruel smile on her lover¡¯s own. ¡°Ma¡¯am~ If you are going to be dressing up like that, then you should be a proper Maid, no?¡± Elaine asked, giggling and nibbling on the tender, sensitive neck. Es squirmed and let out a gentle airy moan at the pleasure. Elaine was keeping her so high without ever letting her come down or crest. It was so cruel. ¡°Y-you are really going all in on this, h-huh?¡± Estaria asked, feeling Elaine¡¯s hands gently glide downwards. The apron and uniform were in front of the fingers, but her body was so sensitive it mattered very little. ¡°Mmmhmm~ One Hundred Percent. I¡¯ve been loving the idea of making you my obedient little maid for several days now, so I am going to get my money¡¯s worth out of you. The storm that was brewing in the manor means I¡¯ve got a few days off to make sure you are a good girl in all aspects~¡± Elaine¡¯s mastery of tone and ability to slip between the familiar Riek and the exotic Bretonnian like flipping a switch...it really kept Es off balance. Elaine¡¯s hands slid down Estaria¡¯s and then grasped her hands, moving them to the skirt and encouraging her to grasp with both hands. ¡°Back straight, head bowed, and bend your knees while lifting your skirt up. Give it a go¡± she said, taking a step back and letting Estaria try. The preternatural balance and bodily control allowed Estaria to nail it first time, and give her love a great show, such that she even clapped excitedly. ¡°You are a natural maid! Maybe I should drag you up to the manor and have you work with me? We can work out in the broom closet and I can torment you till you peak and make you work the rest of the day with soaking wet panties~¡± Estaria looked back at Elaine with a raised eyebrow, and for once the woman actually looked abashed. ¡°Too far. Sorry¡± she scratched the back of her head but recovered quickly and nodded. ¡°Anyway, come on! I need a dress, and then we are going shopping~ Should use my maid now I have her, hmm?¡± Elaine then skipped through the door before Estaria could retort, though there wasn¡¯t much to retort about. Elaine knew Es enough to push her just to the edge of comfort and extract the adrenal-tinged pleasure found there. The delight in pushing the envelope just that little bit further. So after one final glance in the mirror, Estaria followed out of the house, her hands clasped in Elaine¡¯s own and her heart beating like a drum. Being out, dressed like this, with her...anything could happen. And knowing Elaine¡¯s interests, anything would happen. It was going to be a long day, but not one she was at all opposed to living. Chapter 16 (m)
Altdorf, was different in this dress. A lot of people glanced over her as if acknowledging her and ignoring her in the same breath. Even here, she was just a servant, so why bother? People cast their gaze on Elaine more. She had some startling black lips to go along with the black outfit she had worn, and while it¡¯s quality was not great, people whispered about it being some social experiment, or sign of a falling out with her patron. Still, she was not bothered, because bothering noblewomen didn¡¯t end well for anyone. Ignoring the fact that Elaine wasn¡¯t one and didn¡¯t claim to be one, she just walked with a well mimicked gait and people made their own assumptions. Taking her ¡°maid¡± to a tailors shop, Elane would browse with the hand of the shopkeeper, auxiliary stuff dumped into Estaria¡¯s arms to carry as they chunnered on about hair and skin tone and how striking she looked in that lip paint. Was this how they treated Elane when she was dressed? As a mobile hat-stand not even worth a glance? She had nerves of steel to not only be brushed off but also used without a thought and not say anything about it. Her appreciation for Elaine¡¯s capabilities improved every day. Though, in her introspection, she missed her love coming up beside her and whispering. ¡°The Dwarves need to hurry up and invent some kind of small device that I can use to keep that dour look off your face~ Maybe some kind of vibrating rock¡± she teased, making Estaria¡¯s cheeks flush. Damned woman, she was a deviant! Who needed tying up and spanking. Or maybe that was Es¡¯ projections, her head was always muddled around Elaine. Eventually, they finally got through all the dresses, black velvet, long enough to cover her, but short enough to be interesting. It had a good sheen to it and worked well with her lip paint. Giving it a twirl, she turned to Estaria and flicked her eyebrows. ¡°What do you think?~¡± she asked, a sultry purr to her voice. ¡°Y-you¡­.look beautiful, E...Ma¡¯am¡± Estaria stammered a little, trying to get her brat head on. But, Elaine really span her in circles and made it so hard¡­ ¡°Excellent! I do so enjoy your opinion¡± Elane exclaimed, paying for the dress and heading out into the city again. Though they hadn¡¯t gone a block before Elane gave her neck a teasing stroke and guided her to the marketstall. Here, as threatened, Elane went shopping, making sure to get plenty for the house and fill the basket Estaria was carrying with it. She was going all in making sure Estaria felt like a Maid in service to her Lady. And now properly dressed, everyone treated Elaine like one as well. It was invigorating to see, and Es found her thighs rubbing together sometimes when they were still. It was just...the heat. Full outfit was hot. That¡¯s all¡­ Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. After a well perused shopping trip, and several dozen curtsies to others who Elaine had subtly gestured she should, they arrived at a nice restaurant. Estaria¡¯s stats were helping keep her spry and with a spring, despite Elaine¡¯s constant edging and attempts to wear Estaria down any way she could. They entered and were given a nice table, not batting an eye as Elaine told Estaria to take a seat and order something. It was all very expensive even on the salary she had, and it felt awkward to get something too much. So in the end she ordered a mild meal. Which, sort of fit her role. Fitting into her role, Elaine ordered a lavish meal and sides and sat back preening like a peacock. When the meal did come, Elaine insisted on being publicly romantic, sharing food off her fork, staring dreamily, making compliments and flirts. It was all extremely embarrassing for Estaria, who never really took the spotlight anywhere she couldn¡¯t kill people. The dinner was a fantastic night, and they left the place amidst whispers barely polite enough to not shout, which seemed something Elaine was totally down for. Walking home, Elaine would suddenly drag Estaria into an alleyway and press her against the wall, kissing passionately, with hands making possessive gropes for her breasts. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is this uniform or the hair or you being out with me...but I feel like I want you. Not just like and live with, but have you as mine¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes stared back, misting with such love, it was so heart-warming to see. ¡°Let¡¯s wait till we get home, at least?¡± Estaria offered, giving a coy smile that just spurred further torment. ¡°Ohh? You don¡¯t want to make love in an alleyway where anyone could see us?¡± she teased, giggling a little and kissing her neck one last time before letting her collect herself and pick up the basket. ¡°.....Maybe later¡± she muttered, her face bright red from this whole ordeal. Elaine¡¯s laughter was gentle and teasing, though implied she¡¯d not for one moment forget this. Walking home, hand in hand, it was such a sweet romantic thing at the end of the day. Added to the fact that Elaine made Estaria get on the bed while still wearing her uniform and finally let her crest the edge after a whole day of torment and denial. It was a bit maddening, but so immense when she finally got what she had been craving. Maybe being a Maid to her wouldn¡¯t be such a big problem after all~ Chapter 17 The night was long and passionate, and Estaria woke with hickies in a lot of places, and better memories than she had had since...ever. Her darling Madam was out cold, the day more exhausting for her than she let on, and would probably be sleeping in today. So getting up and stretching, Es spared one glance for the dishrived maid in the mirror - the paint having flecked and her wig now somewhere on the floor, so the maid was very distinctly her now - bit her lip at the sight and then got undressed and went to wash. A Bath was quite a luxury, and after last night she was thinking to be a bit frugal. So she went to the community well and drew some water, heating it up and washing off the sweat and...other fluids of last night. She thought about cleaning the Maid uniform, but Elaine was well trained with it¡¯s maintenance, and if Estaria made a mistake while fixing it, that wouldn¡¯t be something a simple spanking would fix. So she left it hanging and got dressed in a simple set of trousers and tunic, brushing her hair back into some semblance of order so it didn¡¯t look so bad. She leaned against the wall for a short while, circling her fingers over her body, but eventually overcame the desire to stay indoors and do nothing all day, broaching out into the world. The first she came across, was Dawi, a dwarf who worked at the local smithy. Nobody knew his name, he was just Dawi. Hell, even the nameplate above his head called him Dawi. So maybe that really was his name. He was armed with an axe that looked older than her grandfather, a crossbow that had been well loved over the years, a shield with a similar appearance to the axe, and some leather armour. ¡°Closing up early, huh?¡± Es commented, walking over with a gentle smile. ¡°Boss has closed up for a week, he¡¯s joining an expedition, and I am going with him. Nobody left to tend the forge, so I¡¯m locking up¡± he replied, seeming to be vibrating with pride for finally going on an expedition after so long in the city. He was an Imperial Dwarf, but a Dwarf none the less. ¡°Hmm. So, this expedition. Is it Dwarf only?¡± Estaria asked. It would be rude to butt in if they weren¡¯t taking anyone else, but she was always down to visit new places with her girl. New places to be taken out and teased and...gods, brain, stop that! ¡°Na, The Dawi want all the hands they can get, so even Umgi mercenaries are in on this. It¡¯s a big thing, after all. There is talk of a new mining operation being built in the caves west of Black Water. It¡¯s not quite the cursed Khark itself, but plumbing the depths for Gromril could make any Dwarf financially stable. We were told of it by one of the Karak merchants, and the city is abuzz with interest¡± Dawi finished locking up and then turned to Estaria proper. ¡°Problem being, you gotta buy into the expedition and then you get a cut of any rewards found. Bigger buy in, the larger the cut. So we got a lot of merchants in the expedition, but not actually in the expedition. And enough cuts have been given out that nobody else is getting rich¡± He looked up at Estaria, and shrugged. ¡°Still, all the Dawi in the slums are joining, pretty much. The cut isn¡¯t as important as helping our kin. Though the money would be welcome. They are buying in as cheaply as a pint of ale, to get up there. The hope is that they will impress someone and get into one of the Throngs¡± He finished. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll walk with you back to my house and talk to Elaine about it, but I am interested in this¡± Estaria gave a broad, confident grin, and Dawi led the way. While he did, he grumbled about what he was going to use as the buy in and how much he was going to buy in for. If he wanted to get a big buy and risk it, or little buy and just be present. If there was going to be any good Throngs up in the mountains, if he was going to meet anyone proper. Essentially, like the average dwarf, he grumbled about everything there was to grumble about. Eventually they arrived at her house and she was told the tavern to meet up at before Dawi departed and Es entered her place. Making a basic breakfast and giving Elaine a light nudge, her far-too-early zombie girlfriend woke up and groaned. Playing into the dutiful maid, Estaria got the brush and combed Elaine¡¯s beautiful blonde hair back into an orderly fashion, then guiding her over to the table and having breakfast with her. Or at least, eating breakfast at the same table that she was eating breakfast at. Elaine was not quite present yet. Though, as she downed the milk and slumped back on the chair, she let out a sigh and finally spoke. ¡°I hope there is a great reason for waking me so early¡± she grumbled, in a very dwarven fashion. It made Estaria laugh to see the parallels. ¡°There is. Dawi, up at the blacksmith, told me there is an expedition being readied to go into the mountains in search of gold and glory. I¡¯m not sure about finances¡­¡± Es paused a moment as Elaine gave a gruff ¡®S¡¯nuff¡¯ and then she carried on. ¡°But I am not a girl to sit around all day. So unless you are going to be Madam for the entire time I have off, I need something to do. And I was even thinking we could go together. Like a romantic getaway to the mountains¡± Elaine was quiet for a few moments and then finally rolled up to look at Estaria. ¡°Well, I did hear that fresh mountain air can do you good. Plus, if we do well there I can quit this lord and find a new one. He did sleep with one of his maids, if you are wondering. And if his wife finds out, there won¡¯t be much of a lord left to work with¡± Elaine would then go back to resting her head on the back of the chair. Estaria, for her part, stood up and walked over, planting a kiss on Elaine¡¯s lips and grinning. ¡°Excellent. Plus, with you alone, there will be proper food. Nothing against trail rations but¡­..¡± she¡¯d then laugh. ¡°No, no. Everything against Trail Rations. They suck¡± Es would then head into the house to start preparing travel necessities. ¡°So I¡¯m just food then?¡± Elaine asked, scowling with her voice. ¡°All great deeds in history have relied on food for their greatness. Nothing in this world ever succeeds without food¡± Es exclaimed vigorously, laughing with exaggerated passion and getting Elaine to giggle along with her. Eventually the packs were made and they were ready to head out, but Es stopped at the door. ¡°Ohh, wanna try something¡± she said. It was a risk to do this, but she had enough evidence to be somewhat confident that it would work. ¡°If it is revenge for yesterday, you loved it~¡± Elaine cooed. Es, let out a laugh at that and shook her head. ¡°No, no. No revenge for that. It was...unique¡± Es replied, pulling out a barrel of Bugman¡¯s from her inventory. ¡°Ale? Bit early for a drink, no?¡± Elaine asked, cocking her eyebrow. ¡°You are right, too early¡± Estaria would put in back in her inventory and open the door. ¡°Musta scrambled your brains more than I thought last night~¡± She¡¯d kiss Estaria¡¯s lips and then head out to the door, being led to the Tavern that the meetup was happening. Chapter 18 Arriving at the tavern, it was bustling and packed with people. Several of the servers were dressed in a hastily donned apron and nothing else, clear evidence they were hired straight off the street to keep up with the massive influx of people that had descended. It was into this that Estaria and Elaine arrived. Leaving Elaine at the door, Estaria weaved through the crowd like water through a rock''s cracks, arriving at the host and giving him a nod. "Buy-in?" he asked, his book ready to jot down whatever she offered. Looking around, she''d frown a little. "Hmm, there isn''t a lot of space" she muttered, turning to the crowd and putting on the stern Captain Voice for a moment to cut through the cacophony of the crowd. "Back up, the lotta ya!" she bellowed, seeing an immediate reaction as everyone stepped away and gave her some room. "Selling competence, then?" He would ask, ready to write. "I didn''t know I could do that. But, not just" Estaria would pull two barrels of Bugmans Ale from her inventory and put them down next to him. "Competence, and two barrels of Bugman''s ale. I am Captain Zashira of the Altdorf State Army, and I have my girlfriend with me who is an excellent cook" she''d nod and then wait for his response. It was pretty measured, and just scrawled down on the book. Everyone else was eyeing the barrels though, because that didn''t just come from the market... With sign in done, there were two days left before departure, so Estaria put her gear into a blacksmith that was staying open to make sure that it was in top condition, and then spent the next two days teaching Elaine the basics of a crossbow. She wasn''t expected to fight, but another bolt was always good in a fight. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. When the day came, the expedition set off, a large caravan of fighting men, fighting women, fighting ogres, and all the people that trailed behind such a caravan. The first few weeks were on well maintained and well paved highways, patrolled by men of The Empire and thus mostly unmolested. But, As they got into the hills, there were creatures in the peripherals, Goblins and stray Beastmen who were trying to see if there was any holes to poke in. But, a few Crossbow Bolts dissuaded the cowards of that. A mass of them would be different, but fortunately the caravan did not run into them on their journey. Finally arriving near the lake itself, the Caravan would merge with an already present Dwarven Throng from Zhufbar. Here, would be made a semi-permanent camp to support the operation in the coming weeks. Only a fool would hang so close to Karak Varn for too long, but caution had to be measured with what you could earn from the Blackwater, so the camp was given some convivences that were not common in overnight camps. Estaria herself, meandered among the camps after helping put up her section of the tends. Elaine had not been idle, and the early night was filled with their siren song, which made everyone stare at her with coy and teasing grins, when they weren''t directed at their own partner. It made her feel very noticed, and being noticed was far from her interests when not in battle. So she made sure to be present more in the Dwarven section, where they had not yet heard her. It was here, that she got herself a shock. A Dwarf, sat eating breakfast. Nothing spectacular about him, but a nameplate above him shone in her eyes. Traukon Brightbelly - Level 29 Ironbreaker Chapter 19 Player Interaction - Interacting with other players can be done in many different forms. Open the ¡°Interaction Screen¡± to see what can be done. Estaria couldn¡¯t even move, because she was shocked to find this place had other players. The box in her vision barely rated a sidebar when put against that shock. Sure, it was kind of hubris to think that there was only her given this massive superpower in the world, but she didn¡¯t think that there would be other people this close. She expected them to be exotic Lustirans or mighty Chaos Lords or terrible beasts never before seen. This guy was a dwarf. A really overt dwarf, given the bulky armour and large axe, but still not quite what she thought other players would be. But then, she was just your average human with a special sword, so there was always that. ¡°What¡¯cha staring at, Umgi?¡± Traukon asked, his eyes flicking up for a moment and then returning to his dinner. ¡°Ohh. I¡¯m, just, it¡¯s-¡± she stammered, and that was not something that he was enthusiastic about hearing. ¡°You never seen a true-blooded Dawi?¡± he looked up properly this time, and then paused, and made a sound. ¡°Ohh¡­¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. I never thought I¡¯d see another player. I never knew there was another player in the system to meet¡± Estaria said, moving over to him and taking a seat next to him. ¡°Hmmm¡­.ever thought that strange? The, fact that you call it a system, and yourself, a player?¡± Traukon asked, finishing his food and looking up. Estaria opened her mouth to speak, and then paused, and frowned. Thinking on that one. ¡°No. Until you pointed it out¡± She muttered, now being irate at the fact that it hadn¡¯t bothered her. ¡°The same here. Me thinking it was never a problem, but you saying it sounded strange and wrong¡± Traukon shook his head, grabbing his ale and drinking deep. ¡°Although this system is a great boon. I am stronger than any dwarf, as robust as the mountains, and wield my axes like lightning. Down in the tunnels, I cut a bloody swath through the foe, and now I stand ready to reclaim a Karak! New tunnels to explore, new foe to bring low-¡± ¡°If we succeed¡± Estaria cut in. ¡°There is a reason why most expeditions that way have been small and quick¡± she pointed out. ¡°Ack! Just like an Umgi! You share the boon, and your level is such that you are sufficient to have surpassed any Umgi, and yet you still doubt¡± the ale was finished and he rose to find more. ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ve just met enough foes to know it never goes smoothly¡± she then got off the morose subject, and grinned ¡°But this does. I got some Bugman¡¯s from the shop. Middenhiem was besieged and so I got a massive windfall, and bought cool stuff¡± she told him, pulling out a barrel from her inventory and sharing a cup. After using one for the fortress, two to get here, and one to make a friend, she had no more barrels left, but that was fine. There were always dungeons to run. ¡°So, have you ever had other people not really notice the extreme capacity of your actions? I lifted this six-hundred pound wagon and they just said thank you and carried on¡± Estaria asked, curious. Traukon thought for a moment, taking big swigs o his cup as he did. ¡°Aye...at one point I tossed an axe some hundred paces into a Goblin¡¯s skull. An impossible throw, something that should have raised incredible ruckus. But, it didn¡¯t. My brothers saw it, and then returned to their post because that was the last Goblin that was attacking¡± he told Estaria, shaking his head. "On one hand, I am glad that happens because the explanation would be hella awkward. But, on the other...it''s worrying what else it''s doing to me and the people around me" she''d take more measured sips of her cup, being the typical Umgi as usual it seemed. "Not like we can do anything about it, so here. Check this out" Traukon exclaimed, pointing to a status screen in front of him. Realizing the player interaction one was still lingering, she shut it down and looked over, to see herself. Stats and equipment neatly laid out, along with a racial trait that Estaria didn''t seem to have on her list. Human Ingenuity: All things are within the grasp of Man, for his passion will not allow the world''s refusal - +30% exp gain That trait...it made Traukon¡¯s higher level even more alarming. HE must have gotten into fights every day since the system dropped to get that level. Though, it did track from what she heard about the life of a Karak Dwarf.. "Cool trait" She commented, opening Traukon''s own to check what was going on. His gear was exceptional, as one would expect from a dwarf, and his strength and constitution were incredibly high. T''was a Dawi for ya. Son Of Stone: The Dwarves are as the mountains themselves, and take equal punishment to be laid low. -40% Critical Wound and Fatigue debuffs Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Fitting for a Dwarf" Estaria commented, showing it to Traukon. "Though, what''s an Ironbreaker?" she''d ask with a raised eyebrow. "Ahh. There are a lot of tunnels in the mountains, both ours and the enemies. They need covering, lest our Karaks be overrun. That, is the duty of the Ironbreaker. To stand and fight against any beast that might try to enter the hold above" That would explain the high exp rate, for sure. It was nice to learn more about this, though she was curious as to how far such things went. Maybe they could make a party? "Do you thinnnaa~" She was cut off by a sensual nibble on her ear, hands sliding round her waist to pull her into a hug. "Who''s your friend?" Elaine asked, resting her head on Estaria''s own and smiling gently. "This is Traukon Brightbelly. Traukon, this is Elaine Sforza. My partner" Estaria introduced, getting a light wave from Elaine. "Partner in fighting?" Traukon asked. Clearly, the cultural barrier went both ways, but Elaine was always on hand to be tactful about it. "In love~" Elaine would explain, moving down to kiss Estaria''s lips with tender passion. "Ohh...Hmmm..." Traukon would look around and then stand up and nod. "I should get back to my brothers, the meeting will begin shortly. It was nice to meet you" Traukon said, heading off deeper into the Dwarf Camps. "You scared him off" Estaria commented, standing up so she could give Elaine a proper kiss. "A girl could get used to that. Jealously protecting what is mine~" Elaine cooed, before taking Estaria''s hand and giving it a light tug. "Though, in this instance at least. I came to tell you about this Dwarven merchant that is offering to work on people''s gear. I thought you might want your stuff touched up before we get there. It''s not like you are here to cook~" Elaine teased, pulling her love through the camps. "Hey, I can cook!" Estaria exclaimed, managing to actually get that out this time. "And I can stab things, but you don''t see me in the army~" Torment of her beloved aside, Estaria did arrive at the Dwarven merchant eventually. Estaria didn¡¯t have much in the way of money, but found this a great time to learn the exchange rate. Double-tapping the coin counter on the inventory, she converted ten coins to Thrones, just to see. And out came a hefty bag, that once counted out, had a hundred thrones in it. 1:10 exchange rate¡­.While this would make it hard to use real world wealth to fortify her game currency, it would allow her to do practically anything she desired in the world. Armed with this new, near-infinite wealth, she headed to the stand, and talked. He had followed the mercenary armies up from Altdorf and made a venerable fortune on their equipment, which he would take home with him. Unlike Dawi, this one was no warrior, which he did not see as a huge problem since his family had lived in Altdorf for hundreds of years, and they were small Empire citizens now, not Karak dwellers. This did not stop them from being exceptional craftsman though, and Estaria put in her pistols, shield and armour for some rework and repair. After a little bit of thought, the sword also went. She paid the full two hundred thrones, and then a tip for express. A bit of small talk later - gregariousness came naturally when it was literally part of your job - and she was back in her tent with Elaine. There was some teasing that implied Elaine was about to use this tent for more than just sleeping, and then she quickly announced she needed to help with the cooking, and vanished. Flustered and alone, Estaria internally scowled at her terrible minx of a girlfriend, and then opened up her inventory. The B-rank dungeon key was there - though she needed to buy a new breastplate and longsword from the shop because hers were being worked on - and so did just that and used a B-rank Dungeon key. She was going to get some money and xp grinding in a dungeon, and not targeting the boss because she got trashed last time. This time, there were no Beastmen, but instead Greenskins. A large and rambling camp of goblins and orcs, expanding quite a distance. She couldn¡¯t see the center of the camp from where she was, but she was sure the Warboss was there. She wanted to know where to avoid, but she could always run away or leave the dungeon if it came to that. She wasn¡¯t planning to stick around for completion after all. Darting in, she used her speed and strength to drive the blade through an Orc¡¯s back and then tear him in half, before dispatching the group of goblins he was harassing with her shield, and some kicks. Goblin punting was surprisingly fun, as it turned out, and she could aim them pretty precisely to use them as projectiles. These were slave goblins more than warrior goblins, so she went through them easily, and a punted goblin smacked on the back of a feasting Orc, which then turned and upon seeing Estaria, roared. The hulking mass then charged at her while the rest of the Orc gathered themselves to charge with him. Having learned from the Minotaur, Estaria leapt over the Orc, spinning and slicing her blade into his helmet. But, such a simple blade could not pierce an Orc¡¯s helmet and skull with a single swing, so she merely cut his head and then deflected the second orc¡¯s axe. It was a strong blow, but her stats these days were high enough to take it with little problem. Estaria took her blade to the next Orc and crashed it against his breastplate, only to have the damn thing crack and split in half. She let out a surprised yelp and got smashed to the ground by another Orc for her troubles, rolling quickly to recover and discarding the hilt of the broken blade. Her Blade Of Ulric was something of great durability and strength, but simple mould-forged broadsword was not going to help her in this kind of fight, with her kind of strength. So she grabbed the axe from one of the fallen Orcs and got a little ping off to the side, telling her there was a new tutorial note. Something for later that. Now facing off against all these creatures, she noticed there was no Luck bar. All Orcs counted as Monsters, and so had a lot of health and no Luck. Which, was interesting, so she could just get stuck in with this all-too-heavy axe and start butchering. It broke eventually, but she simply replaced it with another fallen weapon and turned the Orcs into mince meat. The Dungeon kept enforced creature zones, so no Orc moved from their zone to where she was, leaving her to kill with impunity. After they were all dead, Estaria looked up the Tutorial and saw it was about Racials. Weapons she lacked any Racial Proficiency in would have reduced damage and durability, which explained why they broke as quickly as they did. She would need to be careful, and keep a bunch of weapons around so she didn¡¯t end up breaking and running out. Still, even the B-rank orcs were not a huge problem so long as she stayed out of the large zone, with the Trolls and Black Orcs. So she went about it, catching some rests between killing, and after a few hours, she left the Dungeon. No gold reward and half loot, but that still netted her a tidy five grand and two level-ups, which was nice. Took her a long time to get those levels, but she was grinding mooks...so it was all swings and roundabouts, really. She¡¯d get her next trait at 27 tomorrow, since they were waiting here for three days for everyone to turn up, and then join in this expedition with great confidence. Things really were looking up for her. Cancelled So, recent events have had Games Workshop grow serious fangs when it comes to fanworks. The loss of major works like Astartes and TTS have put the final nail in the coffin, and so hat is that. Death of this series, I''m afraid. If they pull back on savaging the fans and people that got them into the position of power they have in the first place, maybe I''ll revisit it. But until then, I''m going to be working on original works that won''t see the GWstepo knocking on my door. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Ignore this part, it''s just useless rambling to make shore that the chapter is 500 characters long. This will consist of making strange noises that go somewhere along the lines of bingle bongle dingle dangle yikkedy doo yikkedy da ping pong lippy tappy too ta. Uncancelled (Also, Chapter 20) The intention in the morning, was to go run another dungeon. She felt it kind of fun to mow down hordes of Orcs, and while her stats weren¡¯t quite high enough for thirty of them to be like chaff, she could still do it. Mostly by staying out of the big boys circle and avoiding anything big, but still. However, went she went to go get her gear and see if that made any difference, she was accosted by a Dwarf with a large beard and strange regalia. ¡°Your sword. How much will you sell it for?¡± he demanded, getting right to the crux of the matter. At first, she thought she¡¯d ask for twice the buying price, at 1,000,000 Thrones. But, then she thought for a moment. There was no guarantee that Orange-rank equipment could be bought again. ¡°Excuse me, for a second¡± she said, In Khazalid, just to confuse him. Turning from him and opening the inventory - it seemed others didn¡¯t really question the gesticulating that using the system caused, like they didn¡¯t question you lifting 800lb or running a mile in less than a minute - and got to the store. There, she scrolled down, and saw Sword Of Ulric - Sold Out. Which...made things a huge risk. Sold out because she had one and it was a one at a time thing, or sold out because it was sold out? If she sold that weapon she¡¯d be out a blade she loved, and didn¡¯t have the capital to buy anything that was in the same vein. Plus, 1,000,000 Thrones didn¡¯t come out of your back pocket, even for a Dwarf, so she¡¯d not have it for a while. ¡°Sorry, It¡¯s an ancient family heirloom. I can¡¯t sell it to anyone. Dishonour to my ancestors, and all. Why, are you so enthusiastic about buying it?¡± Estaria asked, giving the Dwarf a smile and hopefully placarding him. Whatever it was about her sword, it was pressing enough that her Khazalid - which was a Big Fucking Deal for a human to learn - wasn¡¯t even mentioned. ¡°It has Runes. Lost Runes. Regaining the knowledge of even one of them would be the greatest achievement of this expedition. I need the sword so my Master can catalog every rune etched into it, and relearn the Lost Runes¡± The Dwarf had an almost frantic tone of voice, which didn¡¯t suit a Dwarf at all. ¡°Well, I am sure I can hang around your Karak for a week or two while you do your work. I mean, exploring a Dwarven Karak? That¡¯s worth more than a million Thrones¡± she grinned, and then walked up to the merchant¡¯s stall. ¡°But after. The blade is irreplaceable, and I don¡¯t want to die because I let you look over it¡± she told him. The Dwarf took in her words, and then nodded and headed off, probably to go tell his Master. ¡°I don¡¯t know about no Runes, but I dealt with the sword¡¯s physical body. It is very sturdy, and holds an edge better than anything I have seen. But there is a difference between holding an edge and being sharp, so I sharpened it for you. The rest gave a bit of Dwarven love to it, should work better on the field now¡± the merchant told her. It was quite amazing that he got this all done in one night, but the amount she was paying to get it done then probably had him up all night. The equipment went on, and Estaria nodded. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Thanks. See you after the fight, when we are all rich¡± she gave him a wink - knowing who to talk to properly and who to bolster, as any good Captain did - and headed off back to her tent. There, she got a new key, and entered the B-rank dungeon again. From here, she engaged herself a new set of Orcs with her new sword. The difference was incredible and immediately obvious. She split the Orc from shoulder to hip with one blow, and it made her laugh. Further slaughter of the Orcs rose the laughter to a surprisingly disturbing degree. She had a theory that this game system was messing with her head to make sure her head didn¡¯t go quite so insane from everything she was doing, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t feel some emotional extremes. Like the beastman camp, she went through the Orcs like a bloody whirlwind. It felt glorious, it felt empowering, it felt¡­.surprisingly hard actually. Like, physically, her sword had just hit something really hard. Looking up, there was a massive, Black-clad Orc staring down at her. Black Orc Bigg¡¯un¡­..she¡¯d entered the inner circle. Fuck, her head had gone again. The blade of his axe took a chunk of her Luck and she got out of his range, killing the two Orcs that came at her as she did so. ¡°I really need to stop doing that. One day I¡¯m going to come face to face with a damned Dragon. And who¡¯ll be laughing then?¡± Estaria muttered, her blade going up in the air and a pair of pistols being drawn. Sub-targetting aimed both bullets into the Orc¡¯s eyes, and then he was dead, the pistols were away, and she caught the sword. Taking a deep breath, she saw the rest of the Orcs were coming to have a scrap. Es wasn¡¯t so sure she was in the mood for a fight with rankers like this. Still, desire overcame logic, and with a raised blade she rushed into the horde. The butchery was vicious, and blood spilled in copious amounts as she fought. The sword gave her a strong advantage, and her armour plus the shield were better than they were, but she still wasn¡¯t good enough to take this many enemies and not get health damage. She was wounded, and somewhat fatigued, though in the end victory, was hers. Which, was a shock, honestly. The questions in her head swam around, jabbing at her. Was she going to lose herself? Grow apart from normal humans now she was strong as a Troll, fast as a horse and as durable as a rockface? Would she grow as Chaos does, as Orcs do? Would she see humans as frail, feeble things that are inferior to her? That last one hit pretty close to home because yes, she was already... Ahh, more killing would get rid of this mindset. While the boss of last time was enough to keep her away this time, the inner circle needed cleaning up a bit, and her blade was thirsty. ¡°Best get to it then¡± Chapter 21 You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up You gained 10,500 gold You gained Troll Meat The inner circle really was worth the effort, it seemed. The Troll she had fhought was surprisingly less trouble than she had expected, but then it was just your ordinary Troll. If the boss room was anything like the beastman Boss-room, he would have a Stone Troll or River Troll or possibly even a Chaos Troll - though she doubted that last one. Big Guy that nearly killed her was a young Doombull, after all. Far from an ordinary Minotaur as a Knight was from a peasant. Though not matured and at the bottom rung of his power, he was still a force to be reckoned with. And so too would be a Stone Troll. Creatures that were strong enough to take cannon fire without splitting apart as normal things did. Would her sword break such a thing¡¯s hide? Though she had no desire for it to be a River Troll and get vomited on either. Instead of thinking about that, she went to go find her friend Borrago. She had seen his unmistakable appearance and decided he had come along with her on this expedition. Probably for the same reason as well. ¡°Hey big guy! Do you have any recipes for Troll?¡± She asked, grinning to herself. ¡°Captain! I didn¡¯t see you around! But, yes, I do indeed! Come over to the cook-pot¡± he waved her over, and she brought out her Troll, which went into the pot along with several other things that Estaria mentally marked down. She wanted to be able to replicate this, if Troll was going to be a constant enemy. ¡°They say Troll Meat is good for you, because you can absorb their regenerative capabilities if you eat a lot of it. Trouble is, nobody has killed and eaten enough Troll to find out!¡± Borrago then broke into laughter, which was infectious and pervasive. He was a jolly guy, and probably would remain jolly in the jaws of a Dragon he no doubt intended to eat. ¡°I¡¯ll settle for tasting nice. Marching rations leave a lot to be desired, and Elaine is but one woman in a sea of tents¡± she replied, the pot getting a lot of people gathering around it. "Ahh, little Elaine. I do so enjoy her and you. You need more friends, Captain! Though, hopefully none others who are in Elaine''s very loud position" Boraggo gave a meaty grin at that last bit and Es squirmed under the gaze, kicking his heavy boots. "Just make the food" she grumbled, trying to shrink back into her shell. Elaine certainly didn''t hold back at nights, but did everyone have to know about it? The pot was gathering a lot of people, and there was no reason to refuse them, so Estaria had Troll Stew in the company of many, while Borrago told another tale of his exploits. This, was about the time he broke into a camp with his men to rescue a lost patrol, and after the fighting they found female Beastmen. Surprisingly gentle creatures, they were shy and fled as soon as they had an opening, not a single attempt or even the hint of an attempt at attacking was made. And despite many more treks, he had never seen them again, leading him to wonder if they had been some sort of strange Ungor. Certainly, if the Beastmen had their own women, they wouldn¡¯t have to kidnap so many humans. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. After Borrago finished, people continued to swap stories, and Estaria, just listened, hearing the whole session go from past exploits to boasting to competitive boasting. Elaine came to join them at this point, and it was a nice snuggle while bonding with the people here. The competition grew in vigor and passion as more joined. Who could wrap the biggest lie in the skein of the truth so that others would believe him? It passed the time excellently, and night fell with no delay. The Dwarves were full of stories, of tales and exploits. Of Kadrin Redmane and his glorious last stand, of the great Rune Hammer that sits in the depths of the Blackwater, and of the beasts that also lurk there. The talks grew, and Dwarves began a debate of Dwarven culture that the humans were left in the dark about, but followed for the nature of something to do. Eventually, however, sleep demanded it''s daily tribute, and people returned to their tents. Elaine was less needy tonight, and they just slept in each other''s arms. A brilliant end, to a brilliant day... Morning came, and the camp was abuzz with activity. The march to the Lake proper was without incident, and the arrival was met with hallowed silence. Prospectors immediately lined the shores and panned for anything that had been washed up, Warriors gathered with the Quarellers to protect them, and the Mercenaries were split into groups and sent off to different parts of the mountain. While the Dwarves would handle setting up a defensive fort with which to range out from and slowly remove the threat of the enemy from Karak Varn, the Mercenaries were being sent to ensure that any reinforcements from other parts of the mountain or the Underway were stalled so that construction could go unmolested. The Dawi had little faith in the steel of the Mercenaries, both mentally and physically, but they decided to let the humans take the brunt of any incoming attacks. They split into the Fort group, to cover the construction, the Mountian Group that would range into the nearby tunnels and caves to clear them out, and the reserve group, that would watch the Umgi and shore up the inevitable cracks. Estaria and her group got the largest gap, a venerable pathway into the Underway. Staring down into that yawning abyss wasn¡¯t the best, and so Estaria decided to see what new trait she could get to ease the tension. While looking there, she saw a new ability for 50 Constitution. 50 Constitution: Sturdy Skin - gain 10% Armour that stacks with worn armour. Would, probably explain why she did so well against the Orcs, health-wise. And to further improve the day, a collection of traits were shown. Each one called ¡°Captain¡¯s Retinue¡±, it seemed to summon a dozen men with specific weaponry. Swords, spears, Crossbows, Handguns, Axes. Right now, the one most required was the Handgunners, so she picked that one. Captain¡¯s Retinue (Handgunners) - Spawn a dozen units for 5 minutes, with 30 minute cooldown Added to the list of traits, Estaria felt better about what they were doing, which was good because a new pop-up came. Defence Mission - Hold The Line against waves of attackers with limited reinforcements. Rewards increase with every three waves repelled. (This mission allows for three sets of Dwarf reinforcements, but each set reduces rewards by 15%) So that was how it was. Stay here, kill the enemy, try not to call the dwarves. They were rules she could live by. For other people¡­..well, the great WAARRGHHH!!! That came from the Underway set a kernel of fear in other¡¯s hearts, so she summoned her handgunners and rose her own sword in preparation. ¡°For The Empire!¡± Chapter 22 The Greenskins came rushing out of the hole, and a cracking boom of handguns raked their frontline. Her dozen men along with three dozen mercenaries delivered a powerful first strike, the Precision boon that she had given them allowed them to hit more soundly than they would have, and as a result, the first wave was reduced to nothing in a pair of volleys. Estaria had dropped a few hundred spare Nuln-forged bullets into the Mercenaries ammo barrel earlier - they were like droplets of rain to her these days - and so they had ammo for several volleys. And that was exactly what they needed, as she got a pop-up. Wave 1 completed. Commencing Wave 2 in 60 seconds The wait time was skipped after the handgunners had reloaded, because she didn¡¯t want to run down the clock and lose her men. This next rush held the same Boyz, but in a larger number, and some with shields. The whittling volleys managed to reduce them in number, but there was some skirmish on the front-line with a few surviving Orcs. Waves 3 and 4 went the same way, though more and more Orcs were reaching the frontline. On Wave 5 - designated the Boss Wave - a Boar-riding Biggun came out and Estaria cored his brain with her Hotchland shot. By Wave 6, most of the front line had been replaced with large, more heavily armoured Orcs, who''s massive physique soaked bullets with only a stumble, and took multiple to bring down. It was here that the butchering began. Close quarters in vicious numbers, Estaria brought her sword to many of them, and with a surprising zeal, she was joined by the mercenaries. Men fell to Orc axes, Orcs fell to Human blades, and the bodies mounted up on both sides with alarming speed. In front of them was a minefield of Orc and Human, leading for some treasonous footing that more than one Orc tripped on as he charged the human line. By Wave 10, the human line was flagging. Tired, wounded, and thin, it stood against a second Boss Wave, where a great Warboss and his Black Orcs charged the line. This was not going to go well, but Estaria whipped out her pistols and took down the Warboss in a hail of gunfire, reloading twice before the damn thing went down, and then getting stuck in with the frontline of the Black Orcs. A few Handgunners had managed to survive, and were taking pot-shots, but most were dead or wounded. The mercenaries were stout, and she didn''t know if that was because Estaria was here, or because they were Mercenaries and more than their life was on the line if they ran away... Summoning her men again, and using the Hotchland strike, Estaria pulled out all the stops and used all her skills to push back the Orcs, being basically the only fighter in the fray now, with some scattered skirmishing on the edges. It was rough work, and not work she escaped from unscathed. Even with her stamina, the Fatigue bar was encroaching 60% and she had taken some Health damage, luck having been depleted a while back. But with zeal and fury, she managed to push back the last Orc, drive her sword into his skull, and then lean on it. There was no way she¡¯d hold Wave 11. Maybe she should call the Dwarves, and damn the rewards? Congratulations - you have completed the Defence Mission A much welcome pop-up was seen after the last troll was down, but she really wished it would be more clear. There was no indication that there was only ten waves to do. Still, no use crying over spilled milk, aye? A Dwarf detachment appeared to tell her what she already knew - that it was time to pull back - and Estaria nodded. Got to get the people that were wounded back to the camp, the dead into the ground, and then talk to the Dwarves some more. There was no chance she was passing up this opportunity to obtain some serious, honest-to-Sigmar Dwarven Equipment. Plus, the head-sized chunk of Gromril might make a few of the Dwarves happy. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Captain¡¯s Halflings have looted the battlefield You gained 25,000 gold pieces You gained 3x Troll Meat You have leveled up You have leveled up Relationship with the Dwarves increased. Simple Dwarven craft is now accessible in the Shop Estaria got inundated with a host of windows after the defence mission. Reading them and then shutting them down, she bashed it all to the side and helped out with the carrying of the people to the carts kept safely in the rear. Dead for one cart, injured for a second, and everyone was on their way back to the camp. What they saw there was a marvel of Dwarven engineering and robust work ethic. In but a few hours, they had dug in and made a sturdy redoubt and were even starting on stone-work. They truly were a magnificent race to be able to do this in such a short time. Pulling in the dead cart and informing the human Organizer of the reason behind it, Estaria headed out to find the Dwarven Commander of the Redoubt. ¡°One of the Orcs was carrying this chunk of Rock. It looked like metal, so I was wondering if you could tell me what it is¡± she asked, pulling out the large chunk of Gromril. The Dwarf¡¯s eyes went wide and he quickly took the rock and set it on the ground, beginning a series of tests before returning his gaze to Estaria. ¡°This is Pure Gromril. Exactly what we came here looking for. How much do you want for it?¡± He asked Estaria, who just waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a rock to me. So you keep it, make something nice¡± she said told him. The poor Dwarf¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of his head when he heard that, and quickly it was picked up and taken to a small stone building with a heavy door, clearly some sort of Vault for the Gromril. Relationship with the Dwarves increased. Advanced Dwarven Craft is now accessible in the Shop Not like she¡¯d be able to afford it right now though, her cash was a little on the slim side. But maybe she could rectify that with a show of skill around the Karak she was going to be lounging about for a while. As if thought summoned the Dwarf - with Traukon at his side - there was the one who tried to buy her sword. A ¡°Level 30 Ironbeard¡± which reminded Estaria to check her own status later. ¡°There is not much left for Mercenaries to do, outside of maybe guard duty and some manual labour. Neither of which is a fit job for someone of your standing¡± he exclaimed, before, with vigorous passion, she was bundled into a Dwarven cart that had brought the materials, and was heading back to the Dwarf¡¯s Karak. A testament to just how much they wanted this sword, Elaine was even there, which made the weary and blood-soaked Estaria smile. ¡°So, they seem to like you. What did you get up to?¡± Traukon asked, while he sat with Estaria in the back of the wagon, penning Es in by lover and friend. ¡°I got a Relationship boost for succeeding in the Defence mission, possibly without calling any Dwarf reinforcements. And then a second one for giving a large chunk of Gromril to the overseer¡± Estaria explained. And well, Gromril was quite important because Traukon¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°The one from the shop?¡± he asked, to which Estaria nodded. ¡°The 50,000 gold pieces one from the shop?¡± he emphasized, to which she nodded again. ¡°You just gave away 50,000 gold pieces? How much did you even get from the siege?!¡± He demanded, leaning forward in his seat. ¡°Just shy of 200 grand. There was thousands of Marauders, and 88 Chaos Warriors there. As well as monsters, and it strips ally as well as enemy ¡± Traukon sat back in his seat, and shook his head. It was preposterous that such a thing would happen. "Shit. You never told me it was that bad" Elaine spoke up, looking to Es with light worry. She was lost in the talk of money and systems, but the siege was definitely something that lit up on her radar. ¡°It was fine, I had the Middenhiemers with me. Greatest swordsmen in the Empire, there was no worries" Estaria exclaimed, leaning into Es. "And I spent a good chunk of that on the sword that he''s got up front" she finished to Traukon. ¡°So Orange equipment has Runes? Lost Runes?¡± he asked. Gromril was one thing, but Lost Runes were entirely another thing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say for certain. It was 50,000, same as the Gromril, so I never bought a second. But I would say it is a good chance¡± she told him. Traukon looked thoughtful, and then started to mess with his system. Apparently others of the game could see when another was doing it. Taking this opportunity, Estaria opened her own and thought for a moment. She had a trait, and so spent it on getting some Footmen. With that done, she reached her arm around Elaine, and then nodded. "Catchin'' a nap" she commented, shufling back and closing her eyes. A soldier''s best skill was being able to sleep in their armour, and it was one that really paid well right now... Chapter 23
The nap was nice, and uneventful. Not being woken up because anyone''s face was being eaten was always a win in this place Eventually, she was woken when they arrived at the Karak, and she stretched, looking to Traukon. Conversation was to be made, so she started, taking Elaine¡¯s hand and heading towards the Karak. ¡°So, how was your Defense Mission?¡± she asked. The game terms seemed a little strange to voice, but also somehow, a point of reality. ¡°Ahh, I had an Extermination Mission.Orcs, Goblins, Ratmen. All of them met my Az!¡± He raised the shining half-moon axe, and thrust it into the air. ¡°Ratmen?¡± Estaria¡¯s eyebrows were raised in surprise. She had fought them, but thought them mere constructs¡­ ¡°The people of Altdorf claim to have seen them, but the Nobles say there is no such thing, and they are just drunks. Sewer cleaners still swear by Ratmen being in the sewers. ¡°Bah, they definitely exist. Blasted Thaggoraki! They infest the tunnels of the Underway. Warrens all across the Old World and the New. But they are nothing that can¡¯t be solved by Dwarven steel¡± Traukon put the axe down, and then hefted a large, rune-covered hammer. ¡°As for this, well...Orange Hammer, Thungni¡¯s Hammer. I am no Runesmith but the Runes on it look old. Maybe, we regain knowledge of many runes this day¡± he nodded, and then put the hammer away as the caravan stopped. Standing out to meet them, was a Dwarf with a long beard and runed equipment. He had an aura of power and it was pretty clear he was the Runelord of this Karak. As for the Karak itself, it wasn¡¯t quite as impressive as she thought it would be. The sight of a fortress city carved into the mountain was impressive, but it was surprisingly small. Possibly a lesser Karak. Still, Estaria only spent a few seconds staring in awe before unstrapping her Sword, and handing it to the Runelord. Traukon appeared before the Runelord could unsheath the blade, and handed over the Hammer as well. ¡°An Orc Warboss was wielding this, and so I took it from him, along with his head¡± Traukon lied. Easier than the truth. ¡°A most blessed day. Come, enter the Karak! We have meat, ale, and fire for you to rest by!¡± The Runelord exclaimed, gesturing inside. Estaria entered, and was more amazed than she was by the outside appearance. These Dwarves really did excel at craftsmanship. The carving of the stone was amazing, and the insides were - despite the Dwarves¡¯ stunted size - immense in scope and scale. Inside was a bustle of activity, with Dwarves moving with determination and discipline. There was no meandering, no lost wander, everyone knew where they were going and why. So radically different to a human city. Guided to the Main Hall, conversation dimmed as she was seen, but a sharp Khazalid command from the Runelord made the seemingly hostile feel go away, and replaced with one of interest and curiosity. Estaria and Elaine were plied with the promised meat and ale, the fire roared and Dwarves pulled her into rancorous activity. Great ruckus filled the air between conversation, about what brought her here, how she felt of what she had seen, and then onto her equipment. Two blacksmiths began to boast they were the superior and could make even the pig-iron slab of metal Estaria was wearing a venerable piece of protection. This argument, fueled by ale, became a brawl, and it was one that Estaria - thoroughly drunk off potent dwarven ale - was dragged into once her food and drink was spilled by the fight. All in all, the night was a glorious one. Spectacular, and truly what she expected a Dwarf dinner to be like. * * * * The morning was not quite so good. There was a thumping in her skull, like the pounding of an anvil, and she was surprisingly light, the reason for which was her being almost naked. ¡°Ahh, she wakes!¡± A bellow came from a meaty Dwarf, and Estaria got herself up to look at him. It seemed the thumping wasn¡¯t so much in her skull as it was an actual pounding of an anvil. Apparently she passed out in a Blacksmith¡¯s forge. While in naught but her underwear, and her hair strangely styled. ¡°Seems like I had a fun night¡± she muttered, scratching her head and standing up proper. ¡°Aye. Troargargrum and Elbegg started a fight over who could fix your armour, and then you got dragged into it. After black eyes, all three of your barreled in here, and demanded my Forge. It was a surprise to see a human come in with two dwarves. I placated them by telling them I would set the forge up, but you said you wanted to watch. So you took off your armour and did just that. And then, five minutes later, exclaimed it was too hot, threw your clothes into the forge, and passed out in the corner. The others didn¡¯t return, so I assume they forgot. As for the grindal, they were there when you got here¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The Dwarf had a tone of mirth as he explained what Estaria had done last night, and the woman¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Sorry, for the bother¡± she said, looking about, and then stepping backwards. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.going to go find some clothes¡± she told him, waiting for his nod before taking off like a bullet. Her agility was tremendous, and with her Celerity, she could reach an obscene level of speed, which got her to the quartermaster in short order. ¡°So, do you have any human-sized clothes?¡± she asked. The quartermaster, who had been busy doing his daily work, looked up at this muscular, half-naked human and just stared. ¡°Estaria! You run like a horse!¡± came a booming shout from Traukon, who was running very fast for a Dwarf, and carrying a package under his arm. This package was handed to Es when he arrived. ¡°I heard what happened last night, so I went to go find this. Some Dwarf had a hobby of collecting Elf dresses, and then he got an arrow to the skull, so they were just gathering dust. Strange Dawi, that one¡­¡± Estaria was deeply thankful for any clothes, and the package was opened, revealing a beautiful dress, which went on and made the Captain beam with delight. The material was so smooth, and so light, she could really get used to wearing something like this. ¡°Definitely not going to be throwing this in the forge. Thank you, Traukon¡± Estaria even gave him a curtsey now she had the dress to do it. It was lost on the Dwarf, however, who just waved. ¡°Come on! Breakfast is ready. Elaine is waiting for you as well¡± Traukon exclaimed. ¡°Shit, Elaine. What happened to her after I¡­apparently went off to a forge?¡± Elaine asked, a little worried she might have gotten lost or in trouble here. ¡°She fell in well with the women, because she felt ¡®Awkward doing nothing while others did around her¡¯¡± Traukon explained. It was good that Elaine had not gotten in any brawls, Dwarves packed a punch¡­ ¡°So, how did my hair get like this?¡± Es asked, a less pressing question but still one that needed to be asked. It was, to feel,quite the attractive design. And as they passed some reflective stone, she even admired it a little in what passed for a mirror. ¡°Ahh, some young Kvinn saw you about and exclaimed she had never worked an Umgi¡¯s hair before, and she could tell tales of giving a warrior woman some plats, like Helgar Longplats of old. And so you sat down on the floor and let her plat it. And then she went off to tell her friends. Now stop gawking! This Dawi needs food!¡± It was a hilarious breakfast, if the laughter was any indication. Though, possibly half from the system and half from her own actions, she seemed to have an ultimately positive reputation with this Karak. She had got a title of Azul Umgi or ¡°Dependable Human¡±. Which, knowing them, was actually really flattering. Elaine was serving, with such grace and comfort this might as well have been a tavern she had worked twenty years in, rather than a Karak that probably hadn¡¯t seen a human in thrice that. She was really in her element, as Estaria got a deep kiss - to the cheer of the Dawi watching - and then she headed back to the kitchen. Estaria, inundated with good-natured ribbing of her diligent partner, her glorious accomplishments last night, and how anyone could stand wearing the scrap she walked in with. After the liveliest breakfast she had ever had in her life, Estaria was left to wander, Elvish dress and grindal in her hair. This wander took her over to the gunsmiths, where she marveled at the pristine craftsmanship of the weapons on show. They weren¡¯t for sale, and Estaria didn¡¯t insult anyone with the offer, but she could look. And hope. That hope was rewarded when she saw one gunsmith not working on guns, but instead setting up in the training grounds, and doing something interesting. Above him on a board, hung the most beautiful pistol she had ever seen in her life. Long barreled, engraved front, Gromril engraving, rifled internals...she spent a long time looking at it before finally going up to the Dwarf and asking. It took him a few seconds to get over the shock of the Umgi appearing, but then he spoke easily enough. ¡°Setting up a contest to win my pistol. I don¡¯t want it to sit in someone¡¯s trophy cabinet. I want it used! She begs to see action¡± The gunsmith was passionate, and Estaria nodded, though she did admit the lack of current equipment. ¡°Ack, no worry. Plenty of spare thrunds lying about¡± he then pulled one out from under the cart, and handed it to Estaria. The weapon was a magnificent bit of Dwarf craft, perfectly balanced, smooth finish, and something strange, that she hadn¡¯t seen before. It was closer to a carbine that the Outriders used than a full rifle to her, but that was not something her familiarity couldn¡¯t overcome. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, pointing to a strange cap. Having seen that, the Dwarf panicked and tried to grab the gun, but it was held out of reach by Estaria. Seeing no other option, the Dwarf grumbled and then kicked a loose stone. ¡°It¡¯s a percussion cap. Firearm addition that helps keep the powder dry and also allows for faster reloading than most firearms. Trying to get all the kinks out of it before I take it to the Engineers. A Dwarf doesn¡¯t take to innovation well, they prefer the tradition of proven things¡± The Gunsmith explained, before sudden surprise as the crack of the firearm rang out, and then Estaria was reloading it. The dwarf spluttered, and there was a second shot, before she nodded. Precision and her Traits might be changing things, but there was still a degree of skill required in firing. Precision would only allow for more accuracy, you still needed to align and gauge distance and drop. ¡°Well, if the Engineers won¡¯t accept your Percussion Cap, then you should take it to Nuln. Imperial Gunnery School would love such a thing. Was my dream to be an Ironside, once¡± She smiled, and then handed the gun back.The dwarf seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then handed her a different gun. More dwarves gathered, and the contest began. Here, she saw it was not just the craftsmanship of the Dwarves that was strong, but the skill at arms as well. Their accuracy was something to be respected, even against Estaria¡¯s preternatural ability. But, eventually it came down to the wire and Estaria took the victory, earning the right to own ¡°Troll-Drenger¡±. Which, was stored away in the dress and a happy Estaria left to continue her exploration. She might not be in a Karak again in her life, so she was going to make the most of it.
Chapter 24 With some self-control, it was a really nice vacation, this Karak. The food was good, the beer was good, the company was good. And the training ground was also good. She tried to convince herself for ten solid minutes that she was on vacation and wasn¡¯t going to go training every day. And then she went training every day. Elaine liked watching, so that was the reason. Totally, not because she was just a nutjob who couldn¡¯t stop working to try overcome her lack of self-confidence. Not at all. The ¡®Elite¡¯ Training was difficult, and took her quite a while, especially because she wanted to overcomplete them. The rewards for such were interesting, she was given the choice between plus 3 to a stat, or three medals - which would become six with her Highly Decorated trait - and she picked the medals. They really gave a lot of cool stuff, and her stats were pretty dam high already. Eventually, the final day came, and she was exploring the rest of the Karak - the thing was huge and complex, so she got lost often - when she saw a most interesting hole. Well, it looked like a hole but to the Dawi it was probably a tunnel. Opening the oft-unused minimap, she saw irritating fog of war. And so went into the shop and bought a map that revealed the whole of the Karak, tunnels included. Down there was pretty extensive, but what was exploration without going into the horrible tunnel system filled with monsters? So she equipped her armour, the backup sword she bought from a smith, her shield, and finally the two pistols - Troll-Drenger and the thing she won from the random box. With those, she stepped into the tunnels, and got a popup. Field Dungeon - Expansive dungeon located in the real world; treasures and possibility await. Field Dungeons can possess their own mini-dungeons as well the Field Boss, a mighty opponent that has guaranteed Orange-rank loot Estaria¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that the Field Boss had guaranteed Orange-rank loot. That was definitely something she was going to get, so she opened the shop and bought the advanced map, which would track the locations of allies and enemies. She had experimented with the system in her downtime and the simple map she got - but rarely used - was pretty intuitive when worked on. Blue dots and red dots lit up the tunnel, and one large blue dot showed her the location of her friend, Traukon. So, using her extreme speed, she took off and hunted down the Dwarf, finding him cutting his way through a small crowd of Skaven. They really were real, huh? ¡°Estaria? What are you doing down here?¡± he asked, after braining the last rat with his axe. ¡°Found the entrance, thought it looked fun, decided to check it out. Is this what you do every day?¡± she asked, looking about the place. ¡°Aye. As an Ironbreaker, it is my duty to keep these tunnels as clean as can be. And as a player, killing hordes of enemies every day works spectacularly for leveling an¡¯ looting¡± He nodded, then cleaned off his axe and looked to the map. Dwarves had good sense of direction underground, but a magical all-knowing map that designated enemy locations was more helpful than that. ¡°So, ever gone to the Field Boss?¡± she asked, tapping the large red dot with a skull on it. ¡°Ahh, that Drengkai. I went there a while back and almost died! A little apprehensive to return, despite a higher level¡± he exclaimed. To be called a Drengkai - Thing that needs killing, in common tongue - meant he really was not happy with how the last fight went. But, Estaria could understand his feelings, she¡¯d still not gone to the B-rank dungeon boss because of how last time went. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try it together?¡± she asked him, offering something rather novel. This whole other player thing meant she didn¡¯t have to solo play anymore. Traukon looked up, and then nodded at the idea. ¡°Aye! Try not to run off like a damned Elgi though. A dwarf is like a rock. Doesn¡¯t move fast, unless rolling down a hill¡± Estaria laughed at the idea of a dwarf rolling down a hill, and together they went off to go to the Field Boss. The enemies that they faced were in small packs, and between two mid-level players, didn¡¯t stand much of a chance. And so they followed the map to the Field Boss, which was in the middle of a Skaven Warren. By herself, that might have been a problem, since there were a lot more rats here than outside. Still, most of them were just slaves and Clansrats, so their only boon was number, and that boon was devastated on the front of two Players. The number was enough to level up Estaria, which was to be expected really. Though they were pretty low level, she had carved through over a hundred ratmen to get here, and then that number again in the nest. Had they all have been larger Clansrats, the two might have struggled to get through the horde, but as it stood, this mini-dungeon lacked the elites to press them proper. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°We¡¯ve come quite a way¡± Estaria spoke, looking at the map and the distance from where they had started. ¡°My high Stamina is making long things feel less long because I just don¡¯t feel the trek, but it¡¯s a good hour away by a normal pace¡± she commented, sitting about abit to make sure her Luck and Fatigue were at the best possible values before heading in. ¡°Ahh, we Dwarves don¡¯t feel the strain of activity at the best of times, but I will certainly admit I can spend all day in here with my Ironbreaker brothers, and then all night here by myself, and have but an hour to sleep and an hour to eat. It is most industrious¡± Traukon made sure none of the sneaky Skaven were playing dead, and then nodded. ¡°Even though I could statistically, I don¡¯t think I could mentally handle that kind of activity¡­¡± Estaria shook her head, before moving onwards, and coming to a deep pit. Inside it, was the red-coloured ¡°Gnawsplit The Unbreakable¡± Field Boss. A tremendous mass of horrific flesh and metal slithered in the pit, far beyond anything Estaria had ever seen in her life. ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Estaria demanded, recoiling at the sight. She was rarely so vulgar, but this...thing, was¡­.vulgar to the extreme. ¡°An Abomination of the Hell-Pit. We don¡¯t usually see them in the tunnel because it is just too big, but out in the field, it can be a terrifying force to be reckoned with. The Longbeards tell stories of it taking cannon volleys and crushing Steam-Tanks under foot¡± Traukon explained, pulling out one of his throwing axes. ¡°And we are meant to do what precisely? I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start!¡± She exclaimed, staring at the mass of flesh. ¡°Just hit it, Umgi! It¡¯ll die eventually¡± Traukon then launched his ax and lept into the pit. The axe sunk deep into the creature¡¯s back, and then the fight had started. Great. Estaria pulled Troll-Drenger and shot an important looking pipe, which seemed to really piss the creature off since a thunderous roar filled the air as some sort of chemical bile spilled from the pipe. She shot off her second bullet and then, summoning her Handgunners around the edge to provide fire support, jumped in herself, rushing the creature and slashing at what looked to be a leg, summoning her Swordsmen as well to give her some extra support on the ground. The leg, could have been a fist. Could have been a head. Could have been a whole new limb. This thing didn¡¯t really have any central biology to make a good idea of where to hit. And to make matters worse, the wound seemed to spit and belch out new flesh to regenerate the damage already done. ¡°A regenerating, monstrous creation of science. Lovely!¡± she exclaimed, using her Double Slash to bite deep into the creature¡¯s flank and spill what might be blood. Or just more chemical soup. Traukon was busy hacking, slashing, whacking and generally smiting the damn thing, and didn¡¯t engage in banter at all. Though Estaria¡¯s banter was short-lived as the creature swung around and smashed both her and Traukon with it¡¯s massive tail. Between his armour and stocky build, Traukon managed to stay on his feet, and the Swordsmen mostly got out of the way, but Estaria tried to leap over it and misjudged the size, so was blown into a nearby wall. After extracting herself from it, she took the opportunity to reload Troll-Drenger and shoot a few more vital looking contraptions on the thing. The floor was slick with blood by this point, and Traukon¡¯s armour was coated from head to toe. One of the cogs that she shot let out a shrieking grind and then part of the creature¡¯s flesh began to bubble and bloat before bursting in a shower of steam and slime. A volley of bullets from the Handgunners seemed to just, soak into the creature¡¯s flesh, leaving wounds till they popped the bullets out. ¡°There is no bath big enough to justify fighting this thing!¡± Estaria shouted, leaping into the air and driving her sword into the mass of flesh that might possibly pass for a head on this damn thing. It had either suffered enough damage or run out of whatever was regenerating it, since her slashes were leaving lasting marks now. Though it¡¯s size was so great that even driving her blade down to the hilt didn¡¯t hit anything vital, she could still do that and then writhe the sword back out, splitting a massive rend across the creature and filling the air with more pus and blood. Ditching the puss-covered slime sword and ordering two of the swordsmen to throw her their blades, she turned herself into a whirlwind of steel, slicing and cutting and ripping apart the beast. It roared, slamming a fist that Es avoided with a roll - bad idea, because it covered her in pus and slime and Sigmar knows what - and then as she recovered she spun on the spot and sliced both blades through the creature. Traukon¡¯s own actions hit also something that was clearly quite important because the beast let out a roar and swayed, crashing into the wall. In it¡¯s death throngs, the creature lashed out, obliterating the Swordsmen and ¡®merely¡¯ fatally wounding another. The handgunners despawned from the time they had spent fighting, though the beast was slow and wild now, easier to dodge, easier to attack. One great roar from Traukon, two mighty blows from axe and hammer, and the beast fell, it¡¯s supporting leg cut clean off and no more regeneration to recover. A final whine was drowned out by a quick-loaded Troll-Drenger, and the beast was silent. Not wanting to be caught off guard, she reloaded and fired into the creature several more times, before stepping back and flicking her hands of slime. ¡°That was grotesque.¡± Estaria groaned, looking at the dead monster. She would then buy herself a barrel of water from the shop, which she then ripped open and dunked over herself. The raging torrent of water washed away the surface and cleaned some of the floor gunk, but she would need a long, hot use of the Dawi¡¯s fabulous flowing baths before she truly got over that monster. Traukon, in all in Dawi stubbornness, merely grunted and turning to look for any more Skaven. When there were none, he would turn his attention to the System. It was time for loot. Chapter 25 Ok, maybe dumping a whole barrel of cool water over her in the already chilly underground wasn¡¯t a great idea. Leaving the slime pit with Traukon, she¡¯d start jumping up and down, rubbing her hands together and generally trying to get warm again. Traukon, more intelligent than Estaria, flicked his screen to her, showing her the screen he was looking at. There was two options listed here, and the names ¡°Traukon¡± and ¡°Estaria¡± above them, the names yet assigned. Double Experience Orange Equipment Clearly, the guaranteed drop of the Field Boss wasn¡¯t one for each of them, and the other had to take the double exp. While she liked Traukon, she wasn¡¯t just going to give up an Orange-rank equipment for him, and so pulled out a silver piece and tossed it to him. ¡°Flip it. If the Emperor shows his face, I¡¯ll get the Orange¡± She told him. Traukon didn¡¯t have much of an objection as he flipped the coin, and then caught it in his hand when it finally came down to land. Estaria peered in, and saw that the city of Altdorf - where it had been minted - was shown. Having lost, Estaria blew out a breath and tapped the Double Experience, confirming it on the box and giving whatever Orange this beast would yield, to Traukon. ¡°Cloak Of The Underway. Ooh, as if this Dawi needs any more resilience. Like Gromril itself¡± Traukon¡¯s commentary as he looked up the stats of his new item gave Estaria an idea of what it did, and she was glad for it. Having her friend die on his expeditions through the Underway was not going to help their budding friendship. ¡°T¡¯as been a solid outting, Es!¡± Traukon¡¯s booming voice made it clear he enjoyed the ultimate outcome. And Estaria couldn¡¯t complain either, as she got some very welcome boxes. You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up Experience limit reached. Please choose a Job to continue gaining experience Secondary job - at level 30, you can earn your secondary Job, giving you access to more traits and skills. You have earned a Red Job - Red Jobs are jobs that require certain standing in society. Unlike Orange jobs, they are not objectively superior to normal jobs, but can open doors to new places and equipment that is otherwise difficult to possess. Gods, this system loved spamming her with boxes. Still, she got a good feeling of how Traukon was level 30 long before she was, this Underway was an absolute frigging goldmine of experience. The Dawi would be level 100 by the end of the year if he kept this up. Probably. Probably not, in fact, exp did dwindle as the level went further. So opening the list of jobs, the Red Job was at the top. Greatswordsman Why? She hadn¡¯t done anything to earn that title. It was something reserved for those of the highest bravery. She felt bad even thinking about taking it, but take it she did, and added it to the list. Her job changed from Captain to ¡°Empire Hero¡± which was too much flattery for her, so she just blushed and opened her traits. A lot of offensive traits, some defensive traits, and ¡°To Me, My Brothers¡± trait, which summoned 4 Greatswordsmen to her. That was the one that she picked, 4 of the most valorous foot-soldiers in the Empire, armed with their Zweihander and armoured with Dwarf-forged Full Plate, they were a force to be reckoned with. And even 4 of them would be a grand boon to her. Dungeoneering with those would be made almost simple, doubly so because of her buff. Second Job Unlocked: Greatswordsman. Traits reduced to one every four levels. Ascension of Duty - Report to Altdorf New quest, which had no time limit on it, so she decided to just brush it to one side. Most probably due to her new Job, which she still found hard to believe she had. She was just a Handgunner¡­.she wasn¡¯t designed for all of this. So instead, she just bought herself a minor potion of Experience, and pushed the bar over the edge, to level 31. With that done, she leaned back and stared into space. Greatswordsman, chosen bodyguards of the Elector Count, most valued none-Noble soldiers in the Empire. From there, it was a half-step to a Knighthood, were one to carry on such valorous action...That would be something she couldn¡¯t handle. Being Sir Zashira¡­.If she could pull that off Elaine would no longer need to serve, but rich enough she could have her own maid. Probably would prefer Estaria doing that though¡­ 50 Stamina: Furious Zeal - Giving up is not in your nature, nor will it ever be. Stats are reduced by 65% at 100% fatigue rather than immediate unconsciousness. The level up put her at 50 stamina, which was great. No longer passing out was a good thing. Though 65% was a rough hit¡­ The whole Greatsword thing was to be left for later, when she got to Altdorf. For now, she''d look to Traukon ¡°I Shall hope to never repeat killing a being in such a grotesque fashion, but yes-¡± Estaria flicked over to her traits and looked through them, before her eyes grew with intense glee. ¡°-most solid¡­¡± the trait that she saw was immediately picked, and she couldn¡¯t wait to call upon them and see what kind of glorious carnage could be wrecked by these. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I got a new summon trait, so I am going to go find a small nest of buggers to try them on, then make my way topside. Are you heading anywhere in particular?¡± she asked, stepping out of the gunk and getting up the slope to solid land. ¡°Ahh, got my daily route through the Underway to do, then to the feast hall. I shall meet you there, if you do not try to wear your skin away with the flow of water¡± he gave a final laugh, and then headed off ahead of Estaria to his training. Getting under the controlled waterfall until her skin slogged off was an appearing idea, but she sort of needed that skin to survive, so decided against it and just followed the minimap to where a group of Skaven were huddled, gnawing on¡­.Skaven bones. These creatures were so depraved to be cannibalistic. Estaria snapped her finger, and they appeared, four men in glistening Full Plate, swords twice the length and half again the girth of her own, and sturn grizzled expressions as they faced down the rats. She gave the order, and the blades butchered the rats, a single swing sufficient to cleave them in half, and the twisted weapons that the Skaven called swords would glance and reflect off the Plate that the Greatswords wore. Quickly it became apparent that the Skaven were facing what amounted to indestructible Gods, and so they scurried away, few managing to escape beyond the reach of the blades, and none beyond the reach of Estaria¡¯s guns. These beautiful men would be such a boon when it came to Dungeon farming. And maybe even boss battles. A second snap of her finger dismissed them, and she got a pop-up telling her that dismissal reduced the cooldown to bring them again. That was nice to know, but there were few situations she could think of where she wouldn¡¯t need their full help. Maybe when she was bored or testing, like now? With the one last thing to do, done, Estaria left the Underway, and found all the amenities she needed to get rid of the horrible thing she had just come across. **** Sat back on the wagon heading towards the Gromril mine-fort, Estaria nibbled on the rations she had packed for the journey, and listened to Elaine read the letter. Estaria was learning how to read now she was a Captain, but it was slow going and Elaine was more scholarly than she was. The letter was nothing much, just telling her to report to the Commander''s office at her earliest convenience. Though that was enough for Elaine to give a coy grin and straddle Estaria. ¡°Not content with letting the whole Karak know what we were doing, huh?¡± Es asked, her cheeks a little red but she was driven to a bratty persona. ¡°Not at all. I will have the whole world know that you are mine¡± Elaine commented, kissing Estaria¡¯s neck and nibbling there for a bit before leaning back and brandishing the letter. ¡°But for now, time to study some writing¡± Estaria groaned, but with her love on top of her like this, how could she refuse? After all, she had quite the spectacular week so far. Not only did she get to see what few humans had seen, she had even made friends among the Dwarves and spent a week off just relaxing for the most part. So she did as she was told and studied the letter, learning to recognize the strange glyphs as words. Eventually they got back to the mine-fort, and she helped the driverunload his materials. The Dwarves really had managed to turn this reinforced redoubt into a Shanty-Fort. Barracks, Cook-houses, makeshift Inns and Blacksmiths, and a host of residences. Everything a soldier needed. And the walls, heavy wooden walls, with watch-towers, reinforced with ditches and spikes. While it wouldn¡¯t keep out an army, any incursion less than that would find themselves hard-pressed to make headway. It was lovely to see progress, as well as human mingling with City-Dwarf and Karak-Dwarf, a melding pot of culture and culinary taste. Several mercenary divisions had left, and several more had arrived. She did not see the great form of Borrago, so he must have left to return to Altdorf. Which was what she was doing as soon as she found someone to go with. Superhuman maybe, but being in a group meant she didn¡¯t have to fight off every monster, man or beast, that decided a pair of women was an easy target. Voicing her plans to Elaine, the bellowing of a Dwarf attracted her to the master of this fort, the man who Estaria had given the Gromril to when she completed the Defense quest. ¡°Hey! Nice place you got. Really good work ethic¡± Estaria complimented. The dwarf ceased bellowing for a moment and preened with pride. ¡°Gold and Grog keep the Umgi active, and Duty propels the Dawi. It¡¯s a recipe for success here, though we need one for the Tunnels. Damned Rats are growing more numerous every day. Driven out the Greenskin tribes and are just festering. Warrens cropping up every day¡± obviously, he devolved to grumbling, but that grumble did give her a mind to return later if she could¡­ ¡°Anyone heading to Altdorf?¡± she asked, and was directed to a party of Dwarves, who were planning to return to the city, gather supplies, more Dwarves from the slums, and secure some trade routes that would ease the strain of the Karaks. So she hung around till everyone had gathered their gear and spent her time buying some rations at the direction of Elaine from the shop to add to the group¡¯s supply - always have more food than needed, because chance was always good you¡¯d need it - and then they set out. It was good luck to allow them to pass through to the lowlands of the Empire without incident beyond a few Goblins dissuaded by bullet and bolt. And once in the lowlands, the South had yet to fall under the hold of the Horde, and so it was mostly safe. Very few bandits in this time of activity, for jobs were aplenty. Fortune and Glory to be had. The second part, Glory, was what caused Estaria¡¯s step to jitter with nervous energy as they arrived at Altdorf, dropped Elaine off at her home with promises of celebration later if it was warranted and then arrived at the Commander''s office. He looked up, nodded wordlessly, and finished the line he was writing on some parchment before getting up and gesturing to Estaria to follow him. She was then led into a far grander and more prestigious hall, and placed before none other than Kurt Helborg, The Reikmarshal himself. ¡°Ahh, Captain Zashira. I have heard your report, and the reports of others. Including the work in the mountains with our Dwarven allies during your leave, you have been a valorous and commendable asset to the Empire in this dark time¡± he paused for a second, and Estaria was a bit too starstruck to speak, so he carried on. ¡°These deeds have not gone unseen, nor will they be unacknowledged. By the discussion of council and the review of you superiors, you are hereby transferred into the Altdorf Greatswords, and granted the rank of Major, under Commander Tal. Your new equipment, shall be brought to the barracks that Commander Tal shall guide you to¡± The voice was stern, to the point, and official. He delivered his speech, and then got back to the discussion he was having with other generals about the Chaos Horde. Estaria, did not linger and instead followed Commander Tal to the Greatswords barracks, still stunned all this was happening. She made sure to focus on the commander¡¯s words, and his guide through the barracks and training grounds. The last bit was interesting, a spar with Greatswords themselves would be beyond anything she had done before. Of course, she¡¯d beat them because Greatswordsmen were still only human after all, but it would be fun to see how well she did against them. While disciplined on the field and on parade, when she got to the barracks, there was a great cheer at their new number, and much jostling and manly camaraderie was executed. One wanted to go invade the local pub to break in the new girl, but Estaria told them she had to get back to her partner and tell her about all this, though raiding the pub would be a great plan tomorrow. Could even warn the Innkeeper so he had time to prepare. Of course, announcing you¡¯ve a lover to a room full of soldiers who have all slaughtered their way up the hierarchy to stand as the Bodyguard of the Elector Count was never a great plan, and she was inundated with jokes and ribbing about her until a huge woman stepped in and extracted Estaria from the ¡®terrible¡¯ situation, chasing off the other Greatswordsmen. While she got along with her men, there was never that feeling of being one of them - mostly because she wasn¡¯t - but here she felt part of them immediately. Despite the darkened days ahead, she felt good. Chapter 26 After getting home from the barracks and telling Elaine the good news, the rest of the night was fun. She had a way with people when she was riled and focused, and Estaria was caught in the waves. Where Elaine managed to buy velvet ropes from was not something she was going to ask. It was possible that she had weaved them herself for a specific idea, but now she was just caught in her own head and was doing all she wanted and more. The morning came in a flash, Estaria having lost track of the world completely in the throngs of her lover¡¯s embrace. Anyone else would probably be a little stiff and aching from the poses she was put into last night, and the wild way she had twisted and pushed. Kind of probably also needed to talk to her about that because as a woman who was no doubt going to be in the spotlight now, this sort of thing was scandal material, and she didn¡¯t need Elaine getting in that kind of trouble. Plus she didn¡¯t need this whole thing escalating even further. Eventually, it was time to get up, and so she delicately extracted herself from her exhausted love and got dressed in the best clothes she had. Her whole promotion into the ranks of Greatswords was pretty quick, but it was probably pre-emptive so as not to lose her to another Count, if Count Todbringer¡¯s comment was anything to go off. Crossing Altdorf and arriving for her first full day on duty, she got a good look at the quarters, rather than the quick tour of yesterday. This place was better than her house, and was more akin to some Noble-catering Inn than a barracks. Fine dining room - not a mess hall like most, for Greatswords did not make a mess - quality bedding, additional rooms to meet and play games with your brothers. While they were still soldiers and the cards and dice were found, Estaria could also see more intricate games of chess, checkers and the like. Truly, these Greatswordsmen were a cut above the rest. She felt awkward among them,even as they accepted her so readily. After breakfast - why deprive Elaine of anything when her barracks did better food than she had - and more light conversation that was less boisterous and more civil, she headed over to the Master Smith who had been working on her blade and armour. Dwarf-forged Full Plate was too expensive and too time-consuming to be made on order for each individual Greatsword. And so suits were on hand, and adjusted to the height and girth of new recruits. Estaria looked over the greatsword and instantly knew that despite the reputation attached to it, it was inferior to her blade. Which was to be expected, Orange was the highest rank she had seen in the shop, and damned expensive to boot. Half a million thrones, in real world money. ¡°How many swords could you make with half a million thrones?¡± Estaria casually asked. The Master Smith laughed a deep - all Dwarves were deep, but this one was deep even for a dwarf - laugh and looked up. ¡°You have a hidden tunnel into the bank of Altdorf? I could make ten thousand swords of the purest steel out of that. Fit to impress a Karak Dwarf, even!¡± The Master Dwarf looked up, and shook his head. Such an amount was absurd. ¡°It¡¯s about the market price for this¡± she said, drawing Ulric¡¯s Fang and showing it to him. The Dwarf looked amazed, and studied it intimately for many moments. ¡°That would be selling it shortly. I would not put a price on this, it would be like buying a Runefang¡± The Dwarf then looked to the greatsword he was forging, and shook his head. ¡°Ack, and this pile of scrap is no use in comparison!¡± The Dwarf took up his hammer in anger, as if to bash it to pieces and restart his work from scratch. ¡°Don¡¯t! worry about that¡± Estaria said, the first word coming out quickly, and the rest following after a short delay. ¡°The Greatsword is mostly ceremonial. And if you truly want to make a Greatsword comparable to this sword, then I shall finance you. Gather the price of everything you need, and I¡¯ll gift you the coin¡± she told him, before walking up to the Full Plate. ¡°Assuming that takes you more than an hour, how does this work? I¡¯ve never had armour so fine¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The Dwarf was stunned at Estaria¡¯s claim. Even a quick thought would have a blade like that cost him thousands of Crowns and years of work. Still, he focused on what he knew, and showed Estaria the intricacies of her armour. It was quite the chore to get in, one did not have a giant suit of metal without some difficulties in utilising it. Once in, she got a popup. Heavy Armour reduces Agility by 20 when worn Not entirely surprising, it was very heavy after all - between the metal and the internal padding to reduce the impact of the metal - and the rivets, while giving some flexibility, lacked the true dynamics of movement. One could move well in it in any given situation, but to wear it for more than a few minutes to show off that range of movement would truly begin to tax. Testing how everything went, rolling shoulders and bending knees, then finishing up with a few swings, Estaria nodded to the Master Dwarf, and picked up the Greatsword, putting it in her sheath. ¡°Thank you for the work, Master Dwarf. I shall be in the barracks or my house when not on duty, so come to me with the list when you have made it¡± she then tapped her head, and left his place. Her duty, such as it was right now, was to be General Tai¡¯s bodyguard. Greatswords were the guards of Elector Counts when they marched to battle, but most of the time they would guard those of other important positions. In Altdorf, there was no need for a man to stand in his office all day watching him do paperwork, so they were given free reign, and that reign took her to the training grounds. Here she found others in their armour, running and exercising, with a few practising greatsword drills. Master Training Grounds - Reserved for the greatest, to keep them the greatest, the trials here may lay low a lesser man. Training only counts in Full Armour and with the Greatsword Physical Training: 0/4 Mook enemies killed (Melee) 0/2 Elite enemies killed (melee) 0/1 Boss enemy killed (melee) 0/20 Sword Drill 0/10km Run 0/1 Spar Agility training 0/1 Beam Walk 0/1 Handstand for 10 seconds 0/1 Precision Kill Elite 0/1 Kill two Mook enemies with one Swing Mmm, the physical was mostly the same but the Agility training lacked the ranged compliment. Made sense given Greatswords weren''t well known for gunplay. The spar should be easy, these were only humans after all, but could be fun in testing her skills. So that was what she went for first, grabbing one of the practice weapons from the stand. These were weighted and whittled precisely to be roughly equal to the Greatsword they were wielding, so as to be of use in actually training with. She didn¡¯t have any trouble getting a partner, everyone wanted the new girl to spar with. It really played into her ego to be wanted by this many people, so they got into a spar match, overseen by a third, and began the fight. Estaria thought it would end pretty quickly, being so powerful as she was. But it did not, so much. The armour put her at odds with her own thoughts, feeling quicker than she actually was. This was mirrored by the Greatsword, a thing longer and heavier than a blade she was used to. Both steps and swings took longer than she thought they should, and she quickly fell behind of her own mind, making her steps and parries delayed, and often missing the point. She was a durable and swift beast even still, but still got battered by the man who wielded his greatsword like it was a a strand of grass. Five minutes of being humbled by a grizzled veteran, and she was on her back, sore and staring up at the sky. ¡°There. Now you have gone through all the initiations a new Greatsword goes through¡± her partner exclaimed, stepping over and helping her to her feet. ¡°They all get knocked about in a spar?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Pretty much, actually. You can¡¯t buy your way into the Greatswords like you can other places. So everyone here has come up with valour and skill. Almost nobody gives a thought to the differences of mobility and capability with their new weapons, and gets thrashed in a spar because of it. You are damned good at fighting, and when you adapt to your new tools, I am sure you¡¯ll be a terror on the battlefield. But a fight is an intricate dance, and wearing the wrong shoes is enough to throw off a dancer¡± Well, that was quite nice for her ego, after her ego was smashed into the ground. Still, she wasn¡¯t just going to shuffle off, and went through the rest of her training. Five points to spread among her Strength, Constitution, or Stamina, and five points to spread among her Dexterity, Agility, or Precision. Was certainly well worth it, in the end. Topping 50 strength finally, she got a pop-up. 50 strength: Overwhelming - A mighty blow can fell a hardy foe in one swing! Damage that causes a Critical Wound now spills over (but does not create a second Critical Wound) Great for boss smiting, that one. Hopefully, killing big lugs would be easier, now. Chapter 27 Gaining confidence over the next few days, finishing up her daily training and harvesting tokens from it. She had a goal in mind now she was raking in the metaphysical dough. Her Greatsword friends were supportive about her development, and they even did as promised and raided a local pub. With how it happened in the Karak, Estaria paced herself and made sure that the morning wasn¡¯t loud and bright. Not that the Greatswords gave any showcase of their hungover state during the morning roll-call. Eventually, she managed to get her 100 tokens, and opened the Agility shop, immediately scrolling down and purchasing ¡°Dwarf-Crafted Micro-Mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead¡±. She immediately took it to the firing range and spent an hour getting used to the weight and fire rate and reload. It took a good chunk out of her Cool to quick load, so she¡¯d drill herself into manual loading with her new super-speed. After she was done fan-girling over this miracle of modern engineering, she looked through the Physical shop. Contemplated buying potions or something since she was well stocked on swords, but one thing caught her eye. For 30 tokens, she could get a ¡®Toolkit¡¯ which opened a ¡®Workshop¡¯. That, sounded interesting, so she scrolled looking for if there were any special versions of this toolkit. She managed to find at the bottom, for 90 tokens, a ¡®Master Engineer¡¯s Toolkit¡¯ that gave four options for upgrade as opposed to the two she would get with the toolkit. Buying that - and a Dexterity potion to further ease her fluid motion with the Greatsword - she would lean against the wall and see what she could do with this Workshop. It was as she expected, a thing for upgrading equipment. Even giving them magical properties, but she needed the items or a hell of a lot of money for that. A simple Yellow Enchantment was 30,000 without the needed item. Chucking in her Greatsword to the slot, she hit the upgrade, and turned it from White to Yellow. Then upgrade again from Yellow to Green. And then finally from Green to Purple. The next step required a special item to take it to Orange that she couldn¡¯t just pay to skip, but she didn¡¯t have that item, so just had to live with it being a Purple. With it now being a Purple, it now had a higher base damage than Ulric¡¯s Fang, and equal Armour Penetration, and a trait called ¡°Razor¡¯s Edge¡± that could cause Bleeding. Lacked any magical effect though, and was slower. Apparently she only got a choice of 4 when there was a choice to make¡­ Next expenditure was her armour, which went up to Purple. However, unlike the Greatsword, which simply got Razor¡¯s Edge, Estaria was given a choice on which trait she wanted on her armour. ¡°Agile¡± or ¡°Twin-Layer¡±. Agile would reduce the agility mallus down to 10, and Twin-Layer would instead add more armour. Agility was paramount to her fighting style, always had been. She wasn¡¯t one of these fools to go against her Sigmar-given advantage for some kind of need to validate herself, so she made it Agile. At once, she could feel the armour lightening and shifting around her. It felt not only easier to move in, but more flexible as well, allowing greater manoeuvrability. She wanted to get her two pistols up as well, but she was having money troubles after dropping mad cash on the weapon and armour. She could fix them though, and between confidence in her new gear and a confidence in her new skills, Estaria got herself a B-rank dungeon key and entered, clearing the area of all the mobs for best rewards before heading into the dungeon room itself. ¡°Oi, Wazzic? O¡¯s dat git?¡± The Warboss asked, pointing at Estaria. ¡°I dunno Bozz, S-¡± Wazzic was cut off with a bullet to the eyeball, and then Estaria summoned her handgunners to unload a volley on the Warboss. Blackpowder weapons were great for doing damage to luck, and while there was little health damage done, she could dismiss the handgunners - would only get in the way during close combat - and summon the Greatswords. Finally, giving them the buff, she charged off with them and the Warboss fell pretty quickly to the combined arms. Maybe the worry came not from her lack of capability, but from the fact she didn¡¯t use her guns or her summons against the Bestigor. He deserved more, but that didn¡¯t make her any less¡­ ¡°Who would have thought I could get enlightened mental progression through butchering Orcs¡± Estaria muttered to herself, wiping off her Greatsword. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Total Obliteration - 35000+10000 gold earned. Bozz¡¯ ¡®ead looted The dungeon was over, and that was a very tidy sum to get for an hour¡¯s work. Slightly overleveled for that dungeon though, so the experience gains were not that great. Leaving the Dungeon, Estaria opened the inventory and looked at the new item, Bozz¡¯ ¡®ead. It could be sold, or traded for an ¡°Orc Box¡±. So she sold it for the extra money and went to the workshop again. Troll-Drenger was already Green, so it was expensive to get that up to ¡°Giant-Drenger¡± and gain the ¡°Two Barrels¡± trait, which was pretty self-explanatory really. Her Repeater Handgun was given a makeover as well with the ¡°Rifled Barrels¡± ability, for more damage and accuracy. Seemed weaponry didn¡¯t get a choice in what was given. She could live with that though, her gear was cool. The next morning, Estaria was called to office, so went in her uniform, still at odds with the idea that it was hers, that she was deserving of wearing it. Nobody commented on it, so she just stood there and waited to be acknowledged. ¡°Major¡± Commander Tal exclaimed, a prompt for her to start listening. ¡°We have a diplomat heading to Nippon soon, it¡¯s an Island to the east we have been trading with on and off for a while. The rumors are that they have great warriors and strange mages, so we hope to encourage them to come help us fight against Chaos during these times. Given the state of affairs, we don¡¯t have a free barge going to Marienburg for three weeks, which isn¡¯t an acceptable delay right now. So we are going overland. You have command experience, and Captains are in short supply right now, so we want you to head his expedition. We¡¯ll be sending a hundred swordsmen and twenty handgunners, to meet up with a squad of Greatswords from Carroburg on route. We hope that a small squad can move quickly and avoid attracting attention that a larger band has, while also providing adequate protection¡± Estaria would stand and listen for a moment. Nippon, a whole different country, far from all she cared and all she loved. But done for all she cared and all she loved. And with her there, there was no way this mission could fail, so it wasn¡¯t something she was just going to refuse. So with some contemplation, she would nod and give a salute. ¡°I would be honoured to lead this expedition, Commander¡± she exclaimed, getting her order to sort out her life and then dismissed. Heading from the office, she would stride out of the barracks and down the street, to her home. Elaine needed telling that Estaria would be gone for months. Would the woman¡¯s libido be able to handle that? Should she broach the topic that Elaine could see other people? The second idea was immediately scrapped. Gods above, How awkward would that be? She¡¯d rather fight the Hell-Pit bugger again. So she just carried on. And as she carried on, she passed the shrine to Ulric. Sigmar was the God of Altdorf, but nobody dared scorn Sigmar¡¯s God by not giving him a place in the Capital. Estaria stood outside it for a while, looking at her Boon, and the building. It was alright now, wasn¡¯t it? She was powerful, beyond any mortal, and didn¡¯t need to bother him. ¡°I¡­¡± she spoke, to the building, and Ulric above. There had always been tomorrow to start, always been tomorrow to work on it. But now, she was going to a whole new land, for months, where there would be no shrines and no priests and nothing to give her the safety net of tomorrow. But at the same time, it was selfish on two fronts, to ask him to look after Elaine. She had her own religion no doubt - they never talked about that, it was one of the off-limits conversation topics - and Ulric was busier than ever. She didn¡¯t deserve to bother him. So she didn¡¯t, and just headed home. The people on the street made her feel strange, in a mildly uncomfortable way she just couldn¡¯t put her finger on. Though that feeling was washed away when she came home and found Elaine. No more discomfort, no more awkward feelings. Was it love, that stopped her feeling like this towards Elaine? It couldn¡¯t be anything else, it wasn¡¯t like Elaine was any better than any other being on the street at combat, and that seemed to be the deciding factor. The Greatswordmen made her feel better than the average joe on the streets, after all. ¡°I love how shiny your breastplate is, Major~¡± Elaine rolled the last word, stepping up to her and kissing Estaria. ¡°But you are home early. What¡¯s the trouble?¡± Estaria would sigh, Elaine always was insightful. Always knew issues, even before Estaria did sometimes. ¡°I need to go. And this will be something that will take me away from The Empire for several months. It was a hard decision, but this might turn the war in our favour and save countless lives¡± Estaria told her love. There was a flash of panic in Elaine¡¯s eyes, but it was suppressed, and pressed down. ¡°Are you telling me this, or yourself? Go, my little Hero. You¡¯ve already fought the villain at Middenheim, already got the girl here at Altdorf. All that is left is to save the day, no?¡± Elaine asked rhetorically. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to burn down Altdorf in the meantime¡± she added a touch of humour onto the end, and then finished off with a much deeper kiss. How could Estaria refuse, in the face if such a delightfully supportive woman waiting for her when she got back? Chapter 28 Meeting her men and departing Altdorf, the first few days were quiet. This close to Altdorf, the Rieksguard and State Army patrolled frequently and in force, keeping everything clean. So, she did the good Commander thing and got to know the people. Names, skills, weird capabilities they were proud of. All the things that made a man feel like he was valued. It also helped her, avoiding the subtle, awkward feeling she didn¡¯t give enough thought to name, but it existed none the less. She kept the mini-map up just in case, and glanced to it every now and then to make sure nothing was trying to sneak up on them. Nothing tried beyond a few curious animals, and they got to Carroburg with no issues. The squad of Greatswordsmen were enthralling for everyone. Carroburg produced the best Greatswordsmen by far, and they didn¡¯t let any beast or monster come near their fair city, so she was half way towards Marienburg by the time she warned the camp of the first attempted Goblin Ambush. With diligence and discipline, there were no losses, and morale was high as they neared their position. But, one day Estaria¡¯s morale plummeted when she saw a large group on the minimap. It coincided with a farming village on the outskirts of Marienburg, and had at least twice their number. That, wasn¡¯t the trouble though. The big red dot that, when selected, read ¡®Zarh Ubertrim - Level 29 Blood-Spiller of Khorne¡¯ was the trouble. Not only had he killed her once already, he was also a Player, of near equal level to boot. She¡¯d have to face him, stop him from cutting his way through her men with impunity. She could, quite easily. Slaughter everyone here and probably not even hit the bottom of her Luck before the last man was dead. So what Zarh could do, didn¡¯t bare thinking about¡­ Still, she could hardly warn the others about what her magic box had told her, so she carried on until they got close enough to see the smoke, and then took command, ordering proper rank and file so that they would have the best chance of holding off the oncoming enemy. The march forward was orderly and precise, and they got into view just as the Khornate was finishing stacking the skulls in an effigy to his god. Hearing the pounding boots, he turned with a great smile. ¡°Haha! More foes! I am Zarh, Blood-Spiller of-¡± and then he paused, and tilted his head, looking at Es at the front. ¡°...Didn¡¯t I kill you already?¡± he asked. Hearing him speak about it so casually, and being reminded of the moment she was so weak, she rushed forward with a raging battle-cry that counted enough to activate her troop buff, and her greatsword held tight in her hands. Zarh barked some order in an unknown language and then his men charged against her own line, but gave Zarh a wide berth. She hoped he would regret this berth, this giving her an arena to face him one on one. Like quicksilver, she reached him and then slid off to one side like the ground was made of ice, raking her greatsword across his side. The shriek of metal grinding metal ripped through the air, and his armour was marked, but not punctured. ¡°Are we sure I am the Khornite here?¡± Zarh asked, his tone full of sarcastic humor. ¡°You killed me! I think I am justified a little anger, here¡± Estaria replied, pulling out Giant-Drenger and firing off both bullets. Zarh moved in his shield like a whip and both rounds bounced off it. The second volley with Quick Reload also went the same way, but that was fine because she rushed him again as she put her pistol away, throwing her greatsword at the shield with all the strength she could possess. Pressing hard after the initial blow, Estaria placed an armoured gauntlet on the blade and pushed, biting deep into the shield. Though it was a very thick shield, and Es couldn¡¯t puncture it fully before being pushed off, Zarh using the shield to smash her backwards. Her armour soaked a lot of the force, but she was still taken off her feet. She rolled backwards and regained her footing before he could reach her, and swayed again, her armour feeling light and her Greatsword weightless as she avoided his charge and cut at his thick plate once again. ¡°Bah, you move like a Slaaneshi! This system is devaluing the glory of Chaos!¡± Zarh exclaimed. He was, when you fought him properly, a very chatty Khornite, it seemed. Es was less so and swung her Greatsword once again, it clattering off Zarh¡¯s shield, that was angled to soak the force. He then rushed in while Es should have been caught up recovering the blade, but instead she spun on the spot, taking and adding to the momentum that smashed into his helmet just as he got close. A blow more like a hammer than a sword, it staggered him and sent him stumbling. Taking advantage of this, Estaria pushed the point, initially going for a downward strike, but then quickly reangling to bring the force of her shift down on the same marked portion of the shield she had cut into last time. Zarh¡¯s honed reflexes had the shield ready to protect him from the downward strike, but he was caught off guard by the sudden redirection of such a large blade. This time she took a larger chunk out of the shield, sending a lattice of cracks out from the strike and embedding the blade deep in the inch-thick metal.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Zarh took this opportunity to strike back while Estaria¡¯s blade was in his shield, and the axe carved a chunk out of her luck bar, then a second as he booted her in the chest. Still, Estaria ultimately came off better, as Zarh looked to his shield and gave a vexed growl before tossing it aside. Drawing out a second axe, the actual fight started there. Having dealt with his shield, Estaria could now strike at the man, and maybe even kill him! The two rushed each other and Estaria¡¯s Double Strike was deflected by the armour, while his two axes struck low and buckled the plate around her hips. Both low on Luck, neither pulled back, and Estaria even threw forward, smashing her helmeted head against Zarh¡¯s, and then using the flat of her blade as a bludgeoning weapon to ring his helmet a second time. It was all very unorthodox fighting, and any trainer would be frothing at the mouth to see it. Zarh was not against such tactics and after recovering his balance he threw his entire armoured bulk at Estaria, ramming her off her feet and barely missing an axe strike as she rolled backwards with system-given alacrity. Hopping up, she would lash out one foot to crack against his breastplate as Zarh charged, and throw her backwards, disrupting his charging momentum and putting her well outside his grasp. There she then pushed inwards again, using all her incredible speed to blitz past him and open a hole in the armour - and the leg - that supported him. Blood spilled in an arc, and continued to leak out of the wound, her swords¡¯ ¡°Bleeding¡± effect getting to work. ¡°Gonna need that back, woman¡± Zarh exclaimed, turning to Estaria. Not quite sure what he meant by that, she swayed as her vision went grey from a sudden burst of pain. The source of that was an axe in her side, just above the hip, where Zarh had hijacked her speed to punch through the armour and stick his axe into her side. ¡°It¡¯s mine now¡± she replied, pulling the damn thing out. While removing a weapon wasn¡¯t the best of plans for a wound like this, keeping it in would make it far too awkward to fight properly. Tossing the axe far enough away that it would be impossible to reclaim, Estaria exhaled and tried to deal with the burning sensation in her hip. These decisive blows marked a turn-point in the battle, differing from the nicks and chips of before. Zarh tossed his axe at Estaria who barely managed to deflect it, before locking blades with the greatsword of his own that he had drawn. Thicker and more viciously serrated around the edge, it was of lesser quality to Estaria¡¯s own. But that wouldn¡¯t stop it from killing her if she was careless. Zarh¡¯s brute strength was overwhelming, and pushed Estaria back towards the ground, until she managed to shift her weight and lash a kick, sub-targetted into his groin. The reaction was immediate, and Estaria took advantage of it to get out from under his sword and regain her footing. To recap, she was bleeding, reaching exhaustion as her peripheral had popped up and told her she hit 50% fatigue, and facing a foe who didn¡¯t seem to care he was two levels below her when it came to kicking her ass. Though this was normal bleeding, as no popup came to tell her she had the Bleeding debuff. What the difference was, she couldn¡¯t really tell you though¡­ Zarh recovered from his groin-stun, and his eyes flashed red, the blood flowing from his leg seeming to thicken and stop before a hellish roar erupted from him and he rushed Estaria, a berserk charge with no care but for the slaughter of one¡¯s enemy. Estaria set herself, grasped her greatsword, and then thrust it forward, puncturing his chest plate and driving it deep into his sternum. Not, that that really stopped him as an axe punctured her helmet, sliced open her forehead, and sent her sprawling with the force of the blow. Guy really had a lot of weapons, a lot more than Estaria¡¯s¡­ok, she had like three pistols so couldn¡¯t complain. Laying on the ground, staring at the spinning sky and trying to remember what she was doing here, a lovely little pop-up flashed before her. Critically wounded Ahh...so this is what a Critical Wound felt like¡­She felt somewhat bad about the people she had given one to now. Though, that reminded her. Zarh. Swords. Fight to the death. Stubbornly, she forced herself up to her feet, and looked to Zarh, who was currently also dealing with his own Critical Wound. ¡°Gonna¡­.need that¡­.back¡­.man¡± Estaria gasped, swaying in an attempt to keep standing. "It''s......mine....now". Zarh replied, a hacking cough getting in the way of his laugh. Estaria couldn¡¯t see out of her right eye anymore, the blood just pissing out of the wound and pouring down her face beyond her eyebrow¡¯s ability to soak. But the left one was fine, so she locked it onto him as he rose. Gritting her teeth and getting her footing back, Estaria sluggishly lurched towards Zarh, pulling Ulric¡¯s Fang from her inventory. Zarh responded to her presence with a sudden axe swing, but it seemed to be the back up of the back up axe, as Ulric¡¯s Fang cut clean through the head as she parried it away. Gritting her teeth and calling every last ounce of force she had left in her body, she swung a wild and unfocused swing at his head. She wanted a clean decapitation, but sort of just got the blade lodged half way through the middle of his skull. You have won the duel Fatigue at 100%. Activity suspended until Fatigue reaches below 50% She could think of better places to pass out than the middle of a Khornite warband. But, her thoughts didn¡¯t matter, she had lost her Furious Zeal ability when her stats got the Critical Wound hit. And so her heavily armoured body hit the ground with a loud crashing thud and laid there for anyone to take. Hopefully, her men did better than she did and she didn¡¯t have to worry about basically getting killed by the same guy twice in her life¡­ Chapter 29 Well, she was still alive. And uncaptured to boot, unless her captors were playing some kind of mind-games, giving a nice - ish - bed to rest in. Shifting slightly, she was not sure she could escape even if she was captured, her body stiff and itchy. But she wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to just give up, so she pulled herself into a sitting position and dealt with the boxes that had patiently waited for her to wake up. You have leveled up ¡°Stolen Soul¡± obtained Critical Wound - the near death experience has left scars that take time to heal and recover from. Time until Critical Wound is healed; 7 days Distant Words - In the Land between Lands, your God¡¯s words are quiet and his power limited. Halves benefit from Godly Blessing. Only one level from killing Zarh¡­Wow. It put into perspective the rewards from the Field Boss. Though he was a level below her and she was several levels higher than when she fought the Abomination. Exp was on an upwards curve, got harder to get more levels as the day progressed. And just to screw her twice, she was forced into this weakened state for a whole week and her God Blessing was reduced. Not dying sucked. Flicking open the next box, she looked at this "Stolen Soul". Apparently, she had taken Zarh''s essence hostage and was now using it to empower her own racial trait, gaining 100% extra experience from all kills and fights. That, was certainly worth the fight she had with the bastard¡­ Pushing herself out of bed and tying on the shoes, the ground was unstable again. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d have to get used to her sense of balance so often, but apparently those were the breaks when you rolled with supernatural powers. Sluggish and short-legged, she would meander out of the room and follow her instincts to the deck of a ship. ¡°Major! It¡¯s good to see you up!¡± one of the crew exclaimed, rushing over to give her a hand. ¡°The sea aint kind to those of the land, so don¡¯t force yerself¡± he continued, guiding her over to the edge where she could steady herself. ¡°So. We have been at sea a while¡± Estaria commented, noticing that there was just ocean in every direction.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Three days¡± the crewman confirmed, nodding. ¡°We were getting worried when the second day passed and you were still lying there. People thought you were dead and just breathing out of habit¡± Startling lack of biological understanding aside, Es was glad to be on her feet. Though was absolutely feeling the three days with no food or water, so bought some out of the shop. She was getting used to the fact that people didn¡¯t seem to care about her System, so she just did things. ¡°How long till we get where we are going?¡± Es asked, staring into the horizon. Hopefully, more than a week, because she¡¯d not like to present while like this. ¡°Depends on the wind and tides. The Sea loves, and The Sea hates. At good speed, we¡¯ll be there in another four days. At bad, it could take a few weeks¡± Her friendly little crewman was then caught by a senior crew member, who nearly beat him back into his job before explanations of his slacking was given. He was still chased off, but without any real punishment. Her men were apparently well contained in the passenger quarters, and there had been no major issues yet. So, with that report given, she just meandered about the ship, getting the stiffness out of her joints and taking in the sea air. While her stats were halved, they were still pretty impressive, so she helped out where she could, and got a good reputation for herself. Several days passed uneventfully, and Estaria got a lot of new friends with her Harpooning skills keeping supplies fresh and happy. One day, when they were becalmed and unable to really go anywhere, she kept the crew and passengers entertained with a few days from when she went to the Karak, both her own tales and the tales of what she got up to there. It was hard, out in the ocean. There were constant new noises and smells, ruining her sensory awareness. It must have been that, then, that allowed the Corsairs to sneak up on her so easily. One night when she was staring at the starts, a Crossbow bolt slammed into her shoulder and sent her spinning. She hit the deck hard just in time for the system to tell her she had been poisoned and started racking up Fatigue at a rapid rate. Had to be now, didn¡¯t it? Without her full power, and in the dead of night¡­ Still, even critically wounded and now poisoned, she was not one to just give in, and pulled out her Repeater, blowing a hole in the first man, and clipping the head of the second. The shots awoke the crew, and the deck erupted in violence. Though, it was a massacre, all told. The Marines were trained to fight on the ocean, but the Corsairs were swift like quicksilver and beyond precise. One dodged a gunshot from Estaria and kicked the pistol across the deck, straddling her in the same moment and strangling her. She knocked him the fuck out with a solid slug to the jaw, but found it difficult to push him off with one arm, the other having gone completely numb. Fatigue mounting by the second, she gritted her teeth and pushed with all her might, managing to slide him off and stagger to her feet. It did very little, however, since now she just had a fine viewpoint to watch the Corsairs take the crew apart. Light cuts, numbing poison, and garrotes meant they were here for slaves, which was worse than just here to kill them. The tales of Druchii cruelty were legendary. Grabbing one of the Corsairs weapons, she got into the thick of the fighting and locked with one of the Corsairs, though they definitely had teamwork down well, and a second snuck up on her while she was focused on him, wrapping a tight garrote around her throat. She was quickly disarmed of the sword and the man she was fighting delivered several punches to her gut to knock the wind out of her. Between that and the poison, she was quickly losing consciousness. A few, frantic kicks broke bone but the Corsair behind her didn¡¯t let up, and eventually she went limp in his grasp. Chapter 30 Whatever they did to her after she passed out, they kept doing to her the whole ride back, since the next thing Estaria knew, she was jolted awake by being dragged off her feet and forced into a convey of chained slaves. Out of the ship and onto a dock, the place they were brought too was small. So small she could see the walls of the village from the docks. Maybe a dozen buildings in all, a crudely dug pit for fights and a group of a few hundred Druchii. Broken Supply Lines - Too far into enemy lines, you have been cut off from your men, and can not summon them until supply lines are reestablished or you move closer to your own lands Religious Oppression: In the land of an enemy God, your God¡¯s touch is far away and can give you no succor. Negate bonuses from God¡¯s blessing Great. Not only did she lose so much strength her body had slimmed down and returned to a slender form, but she couldn¡¯t summon her troops either. This was going terribly. She was going to have to wait for her Critical Wound to heal up and then do this the manual way, it seemed¡­ It was cold, too. But, not as cold as she expected. Braizers and a large body of active people kept the ambient temperature above zero, so while it was far from comfortable in the rags they had dressed everyone in, it wasn¡¯t something that was going to cause any real damage to be out in. Unless you caught the attention of a particularly mean-spirited denizen, of course. Dragged along into an abutting office attached to a much larger room, the Druchii at the front spoke to a fat Druchii sat behind a desk, apparently half asleep. A captive sat on his knees, collar chained to the desk and arms tightly bound behind his back. The reason or use of this one was not immediately apparent, but given the limited mobility, it was probably just some petty cruelty. They started speaking, and Estaria dropped some points to learn their language, and follow the conversation. ¡°What do you want me to do about it?¡± the fat one asked. ¡°These are Slaves. You are the Slavemaster. Take a guess¡± the other exclaimed, exasperated. ¡°It¡¯s too early for that. Just put them in the main hall¡± the fat man dismissively wove his hand. ¡°It¡¯s Noon!¡± the other shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°Like I said. Too early. Now put them in the main hall¡± the fat one repeated, leaning back on his chair and shaking his head. Clearly, the fat man was in a position that couldn¡¯t just be stabbed in the face, because despite it being clear the other Druchii so wanted to do that, he did not, and just dragged them into the Main Hall, with a yank so hard the front man nearly fell over. This Main Hall was rambunctious, like a large tavern crossed with an administrative center. A whole host of slaves scurrying around fetching and carrying for the Druchii. Petty, childish torments were played on them while they worked, making it just that little bit harder, and clearly amusing the Druchii from the laughter. When the new slaves entered People looked over, whistling cat-calls and hurling insults at them as they were dragged through the hall into a back room. ¡°Alright¡± the Druchii exclaimed in an accented Reikspiel once they got into a preparation area and a few slaves were set to unlocking the collars attaching each slave to the next. ¡°So your job is basically whatever you are told to do. The cuffs aren¡¯t hard to unlock and it¡¯s a straight shot from here to the gate, so feel free to escape whenever you want. The more of you who get out of here, the worse the report for the Fatman. You have your own gathering area to plan revolts, and nobody watches the cutlery so feel free to steal as much of it as you want to arm yourselves¡± Estaria listened to the man and just¡­.stared for a few moments after he finished. She had no idea what to expect, being here, but someone pointing out all the ways they could throw off the yoke and rise up against their oppressors was¡­certainly not among what she was expecting. From the grumbles and solemn roil of emotion that came from this group, a revolt was absolutely going to be a thing, given they were military veterans with long histories of violence. The Druchii really did screw up picking that ship to turn into slaves¡­ Then the guy just left, and they really were tasked to just mill around and do as they were told. No order, no substance, no regime. She knew this place was a small hamlet with a dock, and they were probably just waiting to be transferred inland, but even still, this was just sloppy. She could kill every one of them as soon as her Critical Wound healed, and then steal a ship and go home. They couldn¡¯t exactly have predicted that one of their slaves was a superhuman demi-god, but that was just the nature of the world. So to get her bearings and find where she would be going, where Druchii would come from and where, she did her job. Carrying plates of food and mugs of ale, dragging freight and delivering messages. The Druchii here didn¡¯t live up to their reputation, being more bullies intent on laughs than the legendary torture they were known for. Tripping a slave and having them get covered in ale was the height of hilarity, it seems. She imagined these Druchii the thugs and dredges of society, kept far away from others. Estaria decided the best way to get through the days would be just to fade into the background, do as she was told, and wait out her wound. This didn¡¯t go so well because A few hours into her work, the Corsairs who boarded her ship finally barreled in. One of them recognized her, and pointed with a loud exclamation. ¡°Oi, ain''t that the broad who knocked Marak sparko?¡± ¡°Haha! I saw that, the girl just went bang! And he was done! And then grabs a sword and goes to fight Rudus. We should get her in the Pit¡± another exclaimed, slamming his tankard on the table. This, certainly made fading into the background a lot harder. Something needed doing to make them question if that was really her. And while she hated to use the good memories of Elaine in this manner, it¡¯d be trouble if she didn¡¯t. Plus, chances were the Arena would be against her men. The Greatswordsmen had been quickly dragged off elsewhere, and she¡¯d hate to be forced into a bare knuckle brawl with them, of all people. So adopting her meekest, most servile look, she just gave them puppy dog eyes the like that fired Elaine¡¯s blood. It stopped them immediately throwing her in The Pit, and question of if the Corsair took a blow to the head were asked. Three days, she needed to keep this up, and then she¡¯d be free of them all. So she simpered and scurried and did all her work to make herself look the least threatening. The service to these louts was much like being a Tavern Maid. They were brutish and couldn¡¯t keep their hands to themselves, made demands, shouted and threw things, made cat-call propositions and generally just acted the way Es thought they should. Slowly, ale and meat became more important than the possibility of this woman being that woman, and conversation changed to another topic. Just to be sure, she avoided the gathering area she had been told to go to for the revolt, did her best to speak the way Elaine had made her, and on the second day even started to try and interact with their flirting and cat-calling. She did not need any acting skills for the awkward nature of that particular part since it was fully and completely real. The actual interaction, regardless of how stammering, got her a lot of popularity, and quickly the Druchii started to actively call bullshit on the idea that she was anything more than the Captain¡¯s Maid or some shit. Fatman must have stolen the actual woman, because this mewling kitten would struggle to kill a Snotling. Of course, nobody here could just call out a lie politely, and it had to get violent. Brawls were started about it, Names called, Linages insulted; all the attention for her was actually a little flattering. She¡¯d had people fight with her before, but never for her. Of course, chances were that she was just an excuse and these guys started fights for sitting in their seat or using their plate, but still.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was strangely comforting, being around these Druchii. That feeling of distance and disdain she felt with the humans, that made every conversation a chore and every word picked properly so it wasn¡¯t tainted¡­It was muted around those of Yellow naming, and gone altogether around the ones with light orange. Druchii were a lot more powerful than your average human after all, and louts or not, these were Corsairs, so it stood to reason they really knew their way around a knife. She felt better connected to these Druchii than the humans she had come with, which was a worrying thought. No doubt it was the reason why she could play her part so convincingly. The best lies wore a coat of truth, after all. Money was pooled to buy her off the slavers who were coming at the end of the week, and arguments about who would own her. Some wanted to keep her communal, and others wanted her for themselves. More brawls, more flattery, and Estaria started to question if an escape was actually something she needed to do. Maybe it would be better to just ingratiate, play along, be the bimbo. If she could get them to take her out to sea, unchained and within arms reach of a weapon¡­well, that just solved the whole problem without an issue. By the third of the three days, the Druchii had escalated in their confidence. No longer just making calls to her, they were having her sit with them, feeding her from their plate and¡­treating her kind of like how you¡¯d treat a pet, actually. It was extremely demeaning, her blood boiled, the plan of keeping these fuckers around went way out of the window, and she just about squeezed through the last day with nothing more than a few sloppy, forced kisses and wandering hands. Her mood was not at all helped by the fact that her once-allies who had come with her quickly ignored her. They saw her as abandoning them, and joining the enemy without hesitation. She was shunned during the daily feed, nobody talked to her, and everyone went out of their way to avoid being around her. That, she thought, was fine, they were strange beings she had to put in work to relate to anyway, so she didn¡¯t mind them being less present. They weren¡¯t her men, after all. They were just lucky enough to be the same race as her, she had no obligations. From the suspicious eyes and quick darting away when she was near, they were clearly planning something and they didn¡¯t want her to find out and tell someone. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t do anything rash, and by the fourth day, the day she got the pop-up that her Critical Wound was healed, their revolt had yet to explode. So she would do the exploding for them. Heading out into the Main Hall to get into the position she had spent the last three days scoping out, one of the men intercepted her, and when she tried to duck around him, he pushed her against the pillar. ¡°So, when are you going to start using that tongue for something better than talking?¡± he asked, a coy grin on his face. For her part, Estaria would lift her hands and showcase the manacle and chain. Then, with a rapid moment, she would part them, straining against the chain for a few seconds, and then huffing. ¡°Ok, so apparently I am not strong enough to do that. But¡± she would then skip one foot up to give her the space to drive her knee into his crotch, and smash his skull in with her own. The man collapsed like a sack of shit, and she turned to the stunned group with a blazing fury. ¡°Three days I¡¯ve had to put up with your shit!¡± she exclaimed, the crowd turning from shock at the wild plot-twist, to mild amusement as she snapped. Estaria, seeing nobody was taking her seriously, stepped on the man¡¯s chest and alerting the people that she wasn¡¯t messing about by crushing in in a grizzly showcase of physical strength. Might not be iron-shattering yet, but bone, was clearly something she could do. The amusement turned to confusion as they tried to wrap their heads around what just happened. And just top to everything off, one of the Druchii got stabbed in the throat by a fork. It was the signal to begin, and the Marines and Veteran Swordsmen burst into the room to take the Druchii by surprise. A few casualties were caused, before the Corsairs got over the confusion and pulled their weapons, starting to wreak a bloody toll on the slaves. Estaria wasn¡¯t ignored either, one man swinging a blade at her that she caught in her manacles and tied up, twisting his arm and then dragging him in for a vicious headbutt that ripped most of his luck away. Her dexterity and agility weren¡¯t great given the restraints, so he managed to slip away and recover. None-System luck was on her side as the weapons the Corsairs used were much better quality than the manacles, and his strike had taken a gouge out of one of the links. Trying her chain snapping maneuver again, they yielded this time, and she took the advantage of him being momentarily off balance from hitting her Luck and punched him with all her force in his sternum. Bone yielded, and he fell backwards, giving Estaria time to grab his sword and cut off her leg chains. Pissed it had taken so much effort to kill one fuckin¡¯ Druchii, she turned to the hall and saw that it was going very badly for her friends. This it seemed, would be why they wanted the slaves to revolt. So they could have some fun butchering them rather than having to just see them get shipped off. ¡®Nothing we could do mate, slaves pulled out all kinds of weapons, had to put them down¡¯ So, showing them how it felt to be on the receiving end of that, Es let out a cry that buffed her ¡®men¡¯ and then grabbed one of the nearby steak knives, throwing it at a Druchii with no Luck left. The blade sunk straight in, to the hilt, and his opponent took the opportunity to gouge his eye out with a fork. She¡¯d then get into the thick of the fight, splitting their attention and fighting the Druchii. They were agile like she was, though not as strong or as robust, allowing her to cut into them, as the Swordsmen pushed from their angle. Death was better than slavery, was their thoughts. Backed by her system¡¯s skills, Estaria pushed the Druchii into the soldiers who were fully down to give their lives for a single debilitating blow. Eventually the overwhelmed and under equipped Druchii would drown in the bodies, the blood slicking the floor and the dead making the footholds difficult, allowing the humans to overwhelm them with wild, suicidal tactics. In the end, the fifty Druchii in the hall were dead, and there were some twelve slaves left out of the two hundred who had started this fight. Poor odds, given how there were thrice that number outside. Where they were was answered a few seconds later when the door burst open and a dozen Druchii with Repeater Crossbows filled the room with Bolts. Estaria was quick enough to avoid them, but the remaining slaves were cut down in the hail. Running up one of the wooden beams, she¡¯d push off, flipping to the second floor where she burst into one of the rooms and slammed the door shut. A moment of reprieve, she opened her inventory. In the chaos and the fury and the emotion, she hadn¡¯t thought to use her inventory. And hadn¡¯t put her Greatsword or Armour back in it before she got captured, so all that was left was Ulric¡¯s Fang, Giant-Drenger, and her wild stockpile of bullets. At first, she thought to just hold here and use her cool to blow everyone away as they arrived, but then another thought occurred. Time in Dungeons passed the same as Time outside, and she wasn¡¯t around physically when it did. Nobody noticed, sure, but it was still the fact that she wasn¡¯t there. Cracking a smile, she bought a D-rank dungeon key and used it, getting transported into the Dungeon, where she simply sat down at the edge of the map and took a breath. She was hurt, her Luck depleted and her health some 12% down. But there was good news, as she got two level ups from that massacure, her Stolen Soul really paying for itself. Pushed her over to getting a new trait as well. Summon traits were useless right now, and she needed something to help her deal with the Druchii easier. Scrolling through, she eventually came across one that worked very well for her. Great Sword, Great Woman - The Greatswords are the peak of infantry, and so train forever to maintain that title. +10 to all Stats 50 Constitution: Sturdy Skin - fierce fighting has grained you the ability to survive more wounds than the average person. gain 10% Armour that stacks with worn armour. 50 Luck: Lucky Glance - A good toss of the dice, a respectable flip of the coin, and most importantly, an unstable footing for your foe. An attack that causes your Luck to deplete will not roll over onto your health 50 Intelligence: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* 50 Wisdom: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* She wondered about getting magic, but that was for later. For now she just sat back and waited. This trick of hers wouldn¡¯t work if she had anyone to protect, and so it was quite the solo only thing. But saving her from more Critical Wounds was something she¡¯d accept gladly, niche or not. After a few hours, when the sky darkened in her dungeon, she quit and returned to the real world, where she bought herself some steel vambraces and a breastplate, just to even the odds. The stench was revolting, so she quickly clambered onto the window sill and jumped off from it, clearing the low fence and rolling into the snow beyond, she¡¯d turn and flourish Ulric¡¯s Fang, heading back into the village. For the second time today, the Druchii were caught off guard and lost several heads before they realized it was a fight, and then several more before realizing the sword that Estaria was using didn¡¯t much care for being blocked. The fight was fierce, and Estaria threw in some bullets at the guys trying to hit her with Crossbows. Her new stats and traits helped push the book in her favour. Weight of number had a quality of it¡¯s own, as the Druchii in the Main Hall found out, and Estaria was stripped of her Luck, though her health diminished slowly due to her Sturdy Skin and high stats allowing her to mitigate and reduce blows. It was an elegant and fierce dance, with Estaria using much of her Cool with Second Slices and Quick Loads. While starting combatants, the Corsairs here were not used to fighting a being that matched or even exceeded them. They were sloppy, footwork and bladework designed for fighting lesser beings. Estaria was glad, because she probably wouldn''t have won if they were serious and took training properly. Eventually however, win she did. Some of them took to the tundra rather than try fight her, and she was not so stupid as to try run people down in such a hostile environment, at night, while pretty tired from the slaughter. Three more levels were gained from this though, and so she flicked the blood off her sword and put it back in her inventory. In the morning she¡¯d go out into the Tundra and try find somewhere less active. Druchii had to have civilian populace, right? Couldn¡¯t have the entire society on the back of slaves exclusively¡­ But, the world was cruel, because just as she was readying to find a nice shack for the night, someone spoke behind her. ¡°You are enjoying yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hex Successful She¡¯d..been hexed? By the new voice? Spinning around, she saw terror and awe before her. Hackles rose, eyes bulged and her body locked up with fear. The hell kind of monster just walked into town?! Taller than anything could ever be, more beautiful than Estaria could comprehend, the deep blue eyes pierced through her like a bolt. The dress, subtly designed to be just revealing enough to entice without ever giving you more than a hint. It was almost like her new plans had grown a body and appeared before her. She was such a presence that Estaria almost missed the red nameplate above her. Filnon Darkfury - Level 43 Dancer Of Khaine Estaria quickly drew her sword and held it in two hands, furiously fighting back against the urge to flee. Greatswordsmen did not flee. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but remember how the last Player fight when, and she was in prime condition, prime equipment, and Zarh was below her level. She was going to die. Fuck, fuck, she was going to die. No time to get a Dungeon Key, and being a Druchii that high level, no doubt this one was faster than she was, so no point running away. Still, when death was inevitable, one just had to face it. So tightening her grip on her sword, she prepared to do just that. Chapter 31 Heart hammering in her chest, Senses straining to take in everything, mind racing on the possibilities of what might come. And Filnon¡­just looking. ¡°Come on, little kitten. Tell me you don¡¯t want this¡± Filnon gestured to the bloodshed around her. ¡°What I want is to go home. This is just an unfortunate accident¡± Estaria commented. While she was still on edge, Filnon seemed to find hilarity and laughed, turning around to gesture to the dead Druchii. ¡°Opps, sorry dear. I slipped and killed three hundred and twelve men¡± Filnon exclaimed in a sarcastic tone, giggling some more. On the battlefield, a soldier did one of two things; they developed an ability to see more of a situation than their normal senses could tell them, or they died. At this moment, those senses were telling her that despite having her back turned and looking out to the dead Druchii, Filnon was as ready for her as when she had been staring. So Estaria didn¡¯t move, and just waited. Her Luck was climbing and her Fatigue falling, so it was not all bad. ¡°The intention was to get them to treat me as a harmless, servile girl. And then when they took me aboard a ship to go raiding I could cut up half the crew and make the other half take me home. Then they got rude, so I sort of killed them all¡± Estaria explained, taking in a deep breath and then exhaling. ¡°Understandable. So where do I fit in on this? Why are you trying to kill me?¡± Filnon asked, spinning on the spot to look at Estaria. ¡°You are going to take me away to some place and keep me as a slave, no?¡± Estaria prompted, which elected a shrug from Filnon. ¡°I mean, yea. But, at the same time, are you staying here? Waiting for a wandering Necromancer to give you a cool Zombie Crew?¡± Filnon retorted. It was actually a good point and Es paused for a moment before scowling. ¡°Obviously not, but I am not going to go give myself to some people like this¡± Estaria wildly gestured to the Main Hall with her sword, and then Filnon moved. Estaria thought she was graceful, but compared to Filnon, it was just the dance of a hippo with no legs. The gap was closed in an instant, and Es only had time to step back once before her sword was disarmed, she was tossed over Filnon¡¯s hip, and then the woman flipped while Es was in mid-air, straddling her the instant she hit the ground. ¡°What about someone like me?¡± Filnon asked while Estaria tried to get her breath back from slamming into the ground. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Estaria asked. She had more to that question but just couldn¡¯t get it out. ¡°It¡¯s a weird old system, you know? The first Player I met got killed by me because they were an ugly little Rat-fink. So honestly I thought about killing you as well for even more of the good shit, but I saw you and it was nice. You started hating people yet?¡± Filnon¡¯s question froze Estaria¡¯s rebuttal on her tongue and just stared at the woman. She had thought that it was just something she personally was struggling with. Traukon was such a jolly happy man for how leveled he was, so it had to just be some human thing. But, it wasn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Not-¡± she¡¯d start, and then pause. She was about to say ¡®not hate, exactly¡¯ but then she remembered the thoughts she had of the Swordsmen and Marines in the Main Hall. That was far from nice, after all. ¡°...Yes¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Filnon exclaimed, leaning back on Estaria and nodding. ¡°Was worried it was me for a moment. Druchii aren¡¯t exactly our own friends at the best of times, so it took a while for me to realize I was even more not fans of these lot than usual. And then you come along and it¡¯s like ¡®huh, that¡¯s the first person in a week I don¡¯t want to just stab¡¯ and I wasn¡¯t ruining that for myself¡± Filnon liked the sound of her own voice it seemed, and just jabbered on inanely about the situation, before booping Estaria¡¯s nose and standing up. ¡°So, if you wanna go into the tundra to get captured, killed, and eaten then I will not stop you. A waste of beauty though it is. However, if you come with me then I can promise to be better than these lot¡± Filnon offered, turning towards the gate. ¡°Hey¡± Estaria exclaimed, quickly standing up and turning to Filnon. ¡°How long, are you waiting?¡± she asked. Even without the enarmouring hex, Filnon had a damned good point on her plan of ¡®go wandering, try not to die¡¯. ¡°Why, you got something to do?¡± Filnon asked in reply. ¡°...¡± Estaria paused for a moment, and then looked out to a mass of bodies. She saw them earlier, and it was sad. Carroburg Greatswords, executed with a crossbow and left to rot. It was undignified to the extreme, for such hallowed warriors. ¡°I want to bury them. The rest can rot, but Carroburg Greatswords deserve some respect¡± Es stated, looking around and finding a shovel used for digging latrines. ¡°Ohh, you are adorable. I am absolutely keeping you~¡± Filnon exclaimed, a sentence she had heard from Elaine once before. Different connotations entirely, though¡­Still, it was not a refusal, so Estaria got to it, digging graves for them, so they could rest together with their brothers. ¡°It¡¯s no Gardens of Morr, but here¡¯s hoping he takes note anyway. Your deaths were pitiful and without even a struggle. You deserve that much¡± Estaria told them, looking up at the sky for a few moments, and then turning. As she got near Filnon, she thought she heard the cry of a Raven, but it was dark and they were black birds, so the chances of seeing it were basically nil, if it was here to begin with.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Exiting the small village, Filnon took them to a cart that she had parked. Big enough to hold a few hundred men, it was thick and tiered, with ladders going to the multiple stories. Four giant horses, twice as tall and twice as thick as anything Estaria had ever seen, pulled this monstrosity. Filnon pulled Estaria up onto the passenger seat with her, and then drove the horses on, to their destination. ¡°First thing¡¯s first; You¡± Filnon exclaimed suddenly as they were on their way. ¡°You have a choice now, to be a communal Slave or a private Slave¡± Filnon saw the look and nodded quickly. ¡°I know, I know. You don¡¯t want to be either. But that¡¯s not one of the choices, unless you are interested in being disemboweled and hung with your own intestines. So a communal Slave serves everyone, has a specific task but can be set to other tasks if needed. A private Slave serves a person and can refuse tasks on the grounds of already undergoing one for their owner. Each has its pros and cons, but I will not force you into either¡± Filnon finished, looking to Estaria. It was strange, having a woman who basically asked If Es wanted to be her slave. But if the guys back then were any indication of what awaited communal slavery, then¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be yours¡± Estaria spoke, chill as the air around them. Filnon didn¡¯t seem to notice or care, and just smiled warmly. ¡°Excellent~ Would have been such a waste to send you off like that¡± Filnon would lean back with a smile, happy to have gotten what she wanted out of all this. Ten minutes later however, she was not so happy, and nudged Estaria. ¡°It¡¯s a two hour ride back to where we are going. That¡¯s a long time for you to stay quiet. So speak. Tell me about yourself, doll¡± Filnon encouraged, nudging her a second time when Es stayed quiet. She wasn¡¯t a woman who talked about herself a lot. She didn¡¯t feel it was a worthwhile topic, and didn¡¯t want to burden Elaine with it. But here, she didn¡¯t particularly care about Filnon¡¯s thoughts, and it passed the time. So, she would begin to at the start. ¡°I was born in Altdorf, loving parents, decent enough house, idyllic lower-middle class upbringing. Then some Tilliean Swashbuckler came along and enticed people with the idea of glory and riches. We tried to tell him not to go, but father was not a man who passed up an opportunity when it came along. So he headed out, telling us he would be back when the snow fell. We were worried for him, and I prayed every day. To Sigmar, so he would return safely. To Morr, so he would not take my father. To Ranald, so he would have the luck to find money. I stopped to Ranald after the snow came and went, because I didn¡¯t care about the money anymore. I just wanted him. I spent hours, I bothered priests, I begged the guards to let me see the Arch-Lector. Nothing worked. He stayed gone¡± Estaria was unsure why she was sharing so much detail. She was just, in the thrall of the memories now, and they spilled out of her without bidding. ¡°Mother worked hard to compensate, got ill from the overwork, and then worked hard some more. An accident caused the house to burn down while I was gone, praying to the Gods that they didn¡¯t take my father. If I had been there, I could have helped her. Could have stopped her. But I didn¡¯t, and instead I realized. The Gods don¡¯t care if you aren¡¯t of use to them. So at that moment I decided I would go make my end of use to the Gods, and when I was there in front of him, I could finally see my parents again. Joined the handgunners, always good with the childhood games of precision and aim. Bark of gunpowder and stench of sulfur felt good, . One engagement, it was me and some novice swordsboy down an alleyway. The Cultist downed him and ran for me, forgetting Handgunners have an Arming Sword for close quarters. I swung and cut him from hip to shoulder. It was horrific. A lead round through the skull, a hundred paces away is clean. Watching a mislead teenager choke to death on his own blood is¡­not. The Captain found me down that alleyway after the fight was over, hands shaking, tears streaming, just staring. Old Bastard knew exactly what was going on, so he took me away. Began training with the sword at his request. I would make sure the next time was clean. And then I got promoted to Sergeant. Diligence and Valor, they called it. Guns fired, swords swung, men were led. I could do it. I had a natural gift for it, the learned scholars called me a Savant and put me in command as a Captain. I was just, doing my job. Just a Handgunner, and now everyone relied on me. So I took it, and made sure everyone, from the cook to the Veterans, could kill a man cleanly and quickly. Nobody would have to see it again. I was supportive, close, and polite with the conscripts. People got to like me, and I got to know my men as people. I found a woman on the roads, driven out of her home in Bretonnia by raving bands, and we connected. Got close. I couldn¡¯t just go and die now, I had people to protect. And my parents weren¡¯t going anywhere, so I put my thoughts to living. And, forgot about the past. Fights, Love, and Gunpowder drowned out what happened, replacing it with sweet memories, sad memories, glorious memories. Maybe this was where I was always heading, to not die for Sigmar, but live for Sigmar. I didn¡¯t much care for him regardless, though¡± At the end of the long speech, Filnon would look to Estaria, who had a full on Thousand Yard Stare now. She had dredged up emotions and memories that she had pushed down, rejected and repressed. And when she pulled the plug, they all just exploded out of her in a stream. ¡°Dam¡± Filnon spoke after a few minutes of silence. There was really no other word for all this. She¡¯d just unloaded a whole wagon of shit at a light prompting. There were a few more minutes of silence as she sat, thinking of what to do. What to say. Eventually, she just went for it. ¡°I don¡¯t like them¡± was the opening exclamation. It pulled Estaria out of her haze, and she looked over. ¡°What?¡± she asked, in a confused, not-quite-there tone. ¡°I thought since we were telling deep, heart-felt secrets, I¡¯d tell you mine. Hate aside, I don¡¯t like how Druchii society is. It¡¯s easy to feel superior to other races when you are superior to other races, and that the great Truth of the world is that The Strong Rule. But who determines who is the Strong? Are you, for your great slaughter back there? Is a King, for his command of millions. Is a beggar, for his ability to survive with nothing but scorn and pity? We are too cruel. Too violent, too ready to kill each other, for this development of ours to have been natural. I feel someone has made us this way. And I hate being manipulated like that. I hate seeing my brothers and sisters die in fruitless wars, or schemes, assassinations, and executions. I want us to be coherent, a race that is together with each other. And, it seems there is someone just constantly goading every generation of Druchii into pointless, heartless cruelty for some reason I can not see. We are not born cruel, but made cruel by the very people around us. I was born to it, raised in it, molded by it. But the society of today bores me. I am jaded towards the games they play, there is nothing for me in it anymore. I want more. I want feeling, and substance, and emotions I have never felt. I want to know if the so-called weaknesses all are warned against are so bad. So I have pushed. Fought every day, in arenas and Dungeons. I explore, I kill, I grow, till one day I have the power to sit in the Black Council, and tell Malekith we need to change¡± Having got that off her chest, Filnon was silent for a few seconds, before adding in one last bit. ¡°And not die from doing so. He¡¯s legendary for killing anyone who angers him, whoever that is. Whatever use they are to him or the whole nation¡± It was an enlightening speech, gave Estaria a lot to think about. And so she did, all the way to the city. Filnon talked to the guard, explained the situation with no slaves, insulted him after he got angry, and then headed inside. It was a quite the city, heaving with manacled slaves and well dressed Druchii going about their daily business. Slaves dangled in gibbets, gallows, and objects for which she had no name. It really set itself apart from the port she had just come from. Unconsciously shuffling closer to Filnon to be protected from these monsters, she just sat, and waited. If she didn¡¯t make a sound, people wouldn¡¯t notice her. The cart was dropped off, Filnon got into a second argument about keeping Estaria because she was cute and I want her. It affected Estaria more than it probably should have to be called cute. But she shook that off as just being unstable with the welcome mat and her deluge of emotion getting here. Filnon was very explicitly avoiding all that and hadn¡¯t said anything about it at all and Es felt like she had misstepped already. She felt very awkward as Filnon finished with the man and took Es back to her house. Chapter 32
Filnon¡¯s house wasn¡¯t very big or very filled. Though it did have two floors, so it beat Estaria¡¯s house when it came to competitions. Getting in and throwing off her boots, she¡¯d look to Estaria for a moment, as if gauging something. ¡°You tired?¡± Filnon asked, a casual question as she slid into her house shoes and stepped into the living room of sorts. ¡°No. I¡­I¡¯m a bit..too wired to sleep right now¡± Estaria replied, her hands jittering with nervous energy. ¡°Can you cook?¡± was quite an innocuous second question, probably Filnon deciding to put her new slave to use in the house. ¡°Not in a special manner or anything. My partner did that, mostly. She likes to rib the fact that I can¡¯t cook but I can. Just, like the fancy shit she does¡± Estaria replied, looking around the place. A decent enough place to live, honestly. If it wasn¡¯t for the whole ¡®horrible monsters in the shape of a man have kidnapped me¡¯ thing, she might even enjoy living in such a place. ¡°Don¡¯t have the food or the stove for anything fancy. But you¡¯ll probably want something to eat after the Marking¡± Filnon asked, heading into the kitchen to pull the cooking utensils out. ¡°....Marking?¡± Estaria asked with trepidation, heading into the kitchen after Filnon. She couldn¡¯t say it sounded horrible like ¡®mutilating¡¯ or¡­another horrible thing that started with M, but the Druchii were weird, and could have something for any word. ¡°Personal slaves get a tattoo of their owner¡¯s linage just above the heart, so people can see at a glance who owns them. Makes it easier not to piss off the wrong person. Because you know, our whole culture is almost a caricature built by one guy who¡¯s really mad at the world and wants everyone to know it¡± Filnon¡¯s displeasure of the whole situation was clear, and maybe having another Player of Estaria¡¯s power had given her more confidence, but they still needed more power before they overthrew anything. ¡°Right. And, given your whole thing, I am guessing it hurts alot?¡± Estaria asked, trying not to be judging but not quite failing. ¡°It¡¯s a needle being smacked repeatedly into your body to apply ink under the skin. Has The Empire somehow managed to do that without it hurting?¡± Filnon replied, an incredulous tone to her voice. The logic of the situation did make Estaria feel slightly abashed, so she said nothing and just hung her head and let Filnon get on with her prep. Once that was done, she sat Estaria down on a chair in the living room, potted about a bit, and came back with a kit. Setting a second chair down, she got to work. Estaria¡¯s strong skin meant that Filnon had to put more effort in than usual, and pause for a moment to sharpen the needle several times. It took them a good two hours, all told. The complexity of the crest didn¡¯t help either, a rose coiled around a curved sword. She used mostly black ink with a touch of red to make the tattoo stand out. It was well worth the time spent making it. One thing she was not expecting, however, was a pop-up once Filnon had finished the brand. Slave Mark - Owned by another, your very fate is in their hands. Only you can decide if this a temporary stop, or a permanent curse; give 50% of your earned exp to them. ¡°Great. You are stealing my shit now¡± Estaria exclaimed, shaking her head as she read the box. ¡°Huh. I did not know that could happen¡± Filnon put in, looking at the box. "I...have no idea how to trade exp or anything like that. I''ll look into more permanent fixes, but until then" she would open her system, and then her inventory, and bugger about a bit. They had both had limited system-based interaction with Players, so it took a bit to understand and get a grasp of, but eventually they managed to find the right buttons, and Filnon gave Estaria her Stolen Soul. "Should help mitigate the loss. I''ll look for traits and items that help that further as we level up" Filnon continued. She seemed genuinely concerned about this whole thing, which was strange and nice to see. There was hope for the future with this. "I got one of these as well. I guess you get one from every Player you kill?" Estaria commented, the two Stolen Souls now nestled nicely together. "When did you get that?" Filnon asked, glad to be off the awkward topic of accidental theft. "A few days ago, actually. From the guy who killed me, ironically. Few people can take revenge that far, ehh?" "...That''s a lot to unpack. But, yea. I got mine, level 1. Ran into some Skaven, and Rat vs Druchii is a poor match-up" "Hence the high level, I guess" With the exchange done, Estaria would focus on what she could do rather than fretting over what she couldn''t, and make dinner. As Filnon stated, and as Estaria promised, there was nothing special in to make into dinner, and so Estaria whipped up a simple meal. Despite Elaine¡¯s ribbing, Estaria was not a catastrophe in the kitchen, and could cook well enough to survive. It was eaten with very little conversation, as they had very little to converse about. Filnon was apparently a consummate dungeon runner, doing one B-rank every day along with her arena fights, which, along with her Stolen Soul, explained the level. A lot more diligent than Es was, that was for sure.Stolen story; please report. When dinner finished, and still not tired enough to sleep, Filnon broached the idea of the Arena. A good place for exp, and she could make a name for herself down there, if she won enough. High influence and power would help keep them both safe in this city, and money didn¡¯t hurt either. After a short span of thought - she wasn¡¯t exactly going to be able to do much else well in this city - Estaria agreed to it, and after washing the plates, she would turn to Filnon. ¡°If I am going to be fighting, I¡¯ll need my sword¡± Es stated. Filnon had picked it up while Es was busy burying the dead, but from the abashed look on Filnon¡¯s face, it had not stayed picked up. ¡°Aaabout that¡­see, I...¡± Filnon paused, biting her lip and looking evasive. She hated having to admit this, but Estaria was staring and didn''t seem like she was going to just accept ''I lost it''. So with a sigh and a wild deflation, Filnon shook her head and bit the bolt. "I could only push so much when it came to keeping stuff. I''m not well positioned yet, I''ve been too focused on power and haven''t looked to my position in society. So they told me I could only keep you or the sword, since they needed something to salvage from this disaster. And while it''s a nice sword, I was not handing you over" Estaria would just stare for a few moments. Filnon''s awkward expression and shuffling feet was cute compared to her normal ''absolute control, absolute demurity'' appearance. So Estaria just exhaled a laugh. ¡°I guess that makes me your priceless relic¡± Estaria teased, giving a coy smile. Far from having the intended reaction, Filnon just nodded. ¡°Yep¡± was the simple reply. ¡°You are important to me. More irreplaceable than any sword. Chances of getting another Player in a situation that allows for amicable interaction is so low it basically doesn¡¯t exist. I¡¯ll give anything to keep you¡± With her prank ruined, Estaria deflated, and shook her head, letting the Druchii take her hand and drag her off into what looked to be a dressing room. Placed in front of a full length mirror, Estaria was caught in a whirlwind of motion, and watched as Filnon, with her unnatural elven grace, flitted about the room, stripping her naked and then painting Estaria¡¯s face, styling her hair to an extent the short crop allowed, and then dressing her in a criss-cross sash of such sheer material she might as well not wear anything. Coupled with the silk underwear that was so tight she was showing everything, even through it. Though she couldn¡¯t deny she did look good, with the blush and red lips accenting her own crimson hair, and allowing the tattoo to stand out even further. The silk was also red, though the sash was so sheer colour was hard to see. ¡°I look like a whore¡± Estaria commented bluntly. ¡°One of the unsubtle bints in posh brothels¡± ¡°Arena fighting is as much showmanship as it is murdering the other guy. So you gotta look the part. You have to have an appearance that stands out. And looking at you, you really stand out. Nobody is going to forget Tara, the Crimson Whirlwind~¡± Filnon seemed to be excited about the name, but Es just raised an eyebrow. ¡°Tara? You steal my xp, you steal my sword, and now you steal my name? You are more of a thief than any I have ever seen. Besides. It¡¯s Tar-ree-a, not Tara¡± Es emphasized, not that Filnon seemed to care. ¡°Tara is cuter, and sounds better. Rolls off the tongue better than Taria the Crimson Whirlwind¡± Filnon would stick to her guns and turn from her now she was all dressed up. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it isn¡¯t a nice name, but it¡¯s not mine. I don¡¯t want them announcing the wrong name to the whole damn city¡± Es was not giving up either, since her name was pretty important. Though Filnon just gave a laugh and shook her head. ¡°They won¡¯t. You¡¯ve got to win at least three or four matches before you start getting announced. Now come on, let¡¯s see where we can slide you in¡± Filnon ordered, gesturing to the door. Es followed, begrudgingly, glaring at her the whole time. ¡°You are not giving up on this, are you?¡± Estaria asked with a grumpy tone. ¡°If you are really against it, then yes. But I would appreciate you giving it some thought. Stage names are important for fame¡± With that said, Es went quiet, to give it some thought. It helped keep her mind off the fact that she was drawing every eye in the city, dressed like this. And it didn¡¯t help when they got to the Arena either. Apparently, short notice like this only had one fight lined up, and it was hardly highly billed. They had an Orc lined up to fight Jack The Knife, but the Orc went and tried to eat one of the trainers before the match and now they were down one Orc. A replacement could be dragged out, but the crowd would be displeased regardless and the take would be a pittance. Filnon signed Es up anyway, and she found herself in front of the gate. They had neglected to give her any weapon at all, so she was going out in this damned outfit, fighting bare-handed. She could think of better situations to be in, but there was no use griping, she just had to get out there. Door opened, and the crowd were clearly predisposed to a harsh judgment. A couple of raised eyebrows over Estaria¡¯s outfit, but other than that it seemed they were just waiting for Jack to kill her so they could go heckle the administrator. Jack himself came out, spinning the eponymous knife in his hand, and had a more animate reaction to her outfit. ¡°Seems they sent me a pleasure slave rather than a fighter. Tell you what, dear. If you give these guys a different kind of show, I¡¯ll let you live. You¡¯ll not find a fairer offer in this city¡± He flipped his knife up and caught it as he spoke, a habit much like a coin. Estaria, however, was already irate at the loss of her sword and the outfit she was in, so kicked off at full speed, using Double Slice with her fists to get off a pair of strikes. The first carved off his luck, and the second took a chunk of his health, the roundhouse smacking against his face and scattering a pair of teeth from the force. Getting a bit into it, she decided to try and show off, leaping into the air and spinning, lashing a kick out at Jack. Of course, while basically trained in unarmed combat, she was far from anything resembling real proficiency, and whiffed the kick entirely, landing on her ass. That at least, got a laugh from the crowd. Jack used the time to recover, and went absolutely wild from the pain and humiliation. His knife swung wildly, but Estaria followed the trail and dropped a punch into his ribs at the end of it. As Jack tried to recover from the blow and his failed swing, Es grabbed his wrist and twisted the arm, snapping bone and spilling blood from the compound fracture in a spectacular show. Jack was swaying at this point, and so Es rolled back, and swung a punch that was wildly telegraphed, but equally destructive. The blow landed on Jack¡¯s skull and it crunched from the force, casting him into the sand, where he didn¡¯t so much as twitch. The crowd, having expected a poor show, were actually not sure what to think. A few were impressed, but most were just relieved that they hadn¡¯t wasted their time coming here after all. Estaria was not quite so happy, her knuckles hurt and she had made a bleeding mess of that fight, far from the flowing grace of her blade. She needed to learn how to do this better just in case they decided to just throw her in the arena with nothing to her name again. Absolutely going to talk to Filnon about that little part of her continued participation in arena fighting¡­
Chapter 33 Heading back into the ¡®support building¡¯ as it were, she was met with clapping as she walked past the training area. It seemed like they didn¡¯t want to throw fodder in all the time, and made sure actual warriors were trained for some good bloodletting. The woman who had been clapping was a yellow-named Druchii with white hair and very little in the way of clothing. Though if she was here, then she was clearly not just for show.. ¡°You know, when we throw slaves in without weapons, they usually start begging the audiance for something, or run around trying to tire out their foe, or other ways of avoiding engaging. But you just went ¡®no weapons, no fucks, bam¡¯ and took Jack out. Absolutely amazing¡± The Druchii exclaimed, nodding heartily and then getting up from leaning on the wall and walking over. ¡°So it¡¯s uncommon for someone to fight with just their fists?¡± Estaria asked. Though at first she wanted to get a good sword as soon as possible, the idea of using a niche and theatrical weapon to get her name out there was blossoming in her head. ¡°Well. It¡¯s not uncommon for someone to fight with their fists. It¡¯s just uncommon for them to win with their fists. Usually they just get kicked around and then defeated or executed as the crowd demands. Your little show out there was exceptional for that alone¡± The Druchii got in close and gave a grin, looking over Estaria¡¯s outfit with an eye that made her feel awkward. ¡°And your outfit of choice is certainly an eye catcher as well. A shame you are already claimed, but understandable really. You are a gem, though that kick you tried was hilarious¡± The Druchii continued. Hearing about the wild failure made Es blush and shuffle her feet, but the Druchii wasn¡¯t done yet. Walking around behind Es, she¡¯d put her hands on the woman¡¯s thighs. ¡°You ne-¡± she started, before Estaria jumped from the touch and backed away. ¡°Don¡¯t just touch me like that. Please¡± Estaria spoke, looking at the woman cautiously. Though it was the wrong way to go about things, as the Druchii surged forward, pushing Estaria against the wall and holding her chin tightly to stare into her eyes. Estaria didn¡¯t move, not wanting to do anything rash and ruin the whole thing. ¡°Please? Haha, ohh, pet, you are adorable. The World¡¯s treasures exist for the Strong. It is paltry, pathetic, and degrading to beg for something, and only solidifies your nature to be crushed under heel by your betters. The Strong take, the Weak obey. So-¡± the Druchii moved in close and whispered in Estaria¡¯s ear. ¡°-Make your choice. Take, or Obey~¡± As much as Es didn¡¯t want to start anything, she had her limits, and they had just been reached. Thrusting a punch into the Druchii¡¯s gut, Es slide out from behind the wall, so there was plenty of room to maneuver. The Druchii rolled back, gasping for air for a few seconds before wheezing a few words. ¡°Yep. Like that¡± she staggered a bit before managing to right herself, and shake off the blow. ¡°You just might be what we need to shake off the rust¡± the Druchii exclaimed, shaking her hair out and trying to regain her dignified pose while dealing with the pain of the gut punch. ¡°I¡¯m Triala, of the Witch Cult. And if you don¡¯t mind, I would love to tutor you in the ways of bloodshed. You had a decent run out there but it was raw, wild, and untamed. I can only imagine the beauty that you¡¯ll be able to paint once you are fully trained¡± Despite the terrible first impression, Estaria couldn¡¯t deny that she was lacking in the unarmed vein. And she had made her stance clear in a way that Triala seemed to accept, so she probably didn¡¯t have to worry about that happening again. So she accepted the woman¡¯s offer and got into the training grounds. Here, Gladiator and Slave fought each other to keep fit and keep sharp, or struck dummies to perfect their blow. Triala claimed themselves a dummy and began teaching how best to fight with only yourself as the weapon. There were some analogues to swordsmanship, but also some differences, and it would take Es a while to really get comfortable with this whole thing. Was a real toss-up between getting a sword and fighting how she knew, and sticking with her fists to fight in a way that would get her known. The training helped her grasp more than just the basics, and after a few hours she was throwing punches in a more comfortable gait than close combat brawling.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Stealing my girl already, Triala?¡± came Filnon¡¯s voice from behind. Looking back, Triala rushed over and lept into Filnon¡¯s arms, getting spin around by the Druchii in a display of delight that Es thought was beyond the whole race. ¡°Well, you know how the world is. When you find a pretty gem, take it before another can¡± Triala replied, looking back to Estaria. ¡°And you found the prettiest of gems indeed~ Your sisters are watching, Filnon¡± With that, the Witch would leave Estaria in Filnon¡¯s hands and head off back to her own training, only having come out to see Filnon¡¯s new toy. ¡°Friend of yours?¡± Estaria asked, keeping the bobbing weave of her combat flow going so she could engrave it into her very muscles. ¡°Yea. The Witch Cult is a close-knit place, as Druchii go. I¡¯m still not enthused around them, but they at least would get an explanation before I stabbed them¡± Filnon explained, stepping over and watching Estaria run through the basic five step drill. ¡°You seemed pretty happy with her¡± Estaria commented, a casual observation. ¡°It would crush her heart to tell her how I actually feel. And I don¡¯t do things that cruel without reason¡± Filnon would reply, and then before the conversation could go any further, she nodded to the training dummy. ¡°So. Fisting¡± The tone and eyebrow flick was enough to make Estaria snort, and turn her head away. ¡°Do you have to be so crass?¡± Estaria asked, though there was no hiding her amusement. Some things, you just never grew out of. ¡°Yes¡± was the straight and direct answer, said with such a serious tone Es couldn¡¯t help but laugh some more. And then she recovered and looked to the dummy in front of her, putting on an exaggerated upper-class accent. ¡°The Noble art of Pugilism is an honored pass time of the Nobles of the Empire. It is fitting that I engage in this art, to polish it to the highest possible degree¡± Estaria would then give the signature look of superiority, but shattered when Filnon started laughing. No doubt a sign of madness to be having this childish moment of laughter in the situation they were in, but it was important to be able to relax from time to time. Getting back to the training, Filnon added in a few more pointers, until Estaria felt that she had it all down and could replicate it in a heartbeat. A good first training session, even if hanging around for four hours raised a lot of eyebrows. Heading out from the training grounds, Filnon pulled Estaria off the beaten track to go to a small cafe, where they got some breakfast and sat opposite one another. It was times like these that Estaria could almost forget the situation she was in. ¡°So¡± Filnon would exclaim when they were eating. ¡°Logistics for the future. I was delayed coming down because the Arena Manager wanted you in more fights. And also one of the minor nobles here wanted to fight you because he liked Jack The Knife, and was angry you killed him. I managed to placate him for now, but you might come face to face with him in the arena some time, so just be prepared for that. I can talk to Triala about getting you into the training ground there so we can farm tokens and sort out the equipment problem¡± Filnon was pretty administrative when she needed to be, which was good for them both, but Estaria raised an eyebrow at her priorities. ¡°And the clothing problem?¡± Es put in, though Filnon just grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem. It is getting you noticed wherever you go. People will spread the word of my Crimson Whirlwind, and then we¡¯ll get better fights. Though, I will say. If you make a show of it and get the crowd to adore you, I will make you a new uniform that is more..covering¡± Filnon¡¯s offer was not exactly sound, but the reasoning behind it was hard to ignore. Nobody could deny she was attracting attention dressed up like this. And winning arena fights, dressed like this? That absolutely would get them the reputation they needed in the arena to get into the big leagues. So, after delaying for a bit, she blew out her breath and nodded. ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯ll play your character. It won¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve managed discomfort for the sake of what I can get out of it¡± Estaria exclaimed, sitting back in her chair for a few seconds before looking to Filnon with a sharp stare. ¡°Have you looked into the tattoo problem?¡± Filnon scooped the last of the food up and nodded, quite enthusiastic in her tone when she began to speak. ¡°Mmm! There are a few traits I can pick up in the coming levels that reduce how much xp you lose. They clone the exp you gain, rather than just taking it. There are three of them, and if we get all three of them, I will be getting 50% of your gains while you simultaneously keep 100% of your gains. Effectively creating ghost experience¡± That was definitely a cause for enthusiasm, to be sure. A temporary discomfort in exchange for an advantage in the future. And if Filnon had traits¡­Estaria opened her own screen and scanned the trait list, eventually finding three of her own that did the same as Filnon¡¯s and created ghost experience. The two of them together would allow Filnon to gain 90% of Estaria¡¯s exp while Estaria kept 100% of her exp, effectively almost doubling their earning. Of course, 3 traits was 12 levels worth, which was a while away¡­ ¡°So I am keeping this mark¡± Estaria commented, looking up and explaining her reasons, which made Filnon¡¯s little eyes light up with delight. The time and effort it would take to get these rewards would be absolutely well worth it. ¡°When we pull this off¡­ohh, there is going to be levels for days. I¡¯m actually excited now. Come on, I am not putting this off for later, let¡¯s go talk to Triala¡± Filnon stood, dropped some money, and then practically dragged Estaria off. Fame, Fortune, Power, and The Truth, were all on the horizon. She was close enough to taste it~ Chapter 34 Filnon was definitely welcome with the Witches, her claims of them being tightly knit were not unfounded. Filnon must have been giving them a bit more leeway than most in honour of the memories once shared. Something Estaria could relate to, given her feelings of Borrago and her men. The Gore-slick altar of Khaine was a bit of a put-off for Estaria, but she didn¡¯t hold it against them too much. The Middenhiemers were just a touch away from that kind of savagery themselves, and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised to hear about it in some of the more out-of-the-way villages. The veneer of civilization in the North was thin indeed. Apparently Triala had given some wild, exaggerated story of Estaria¡¯s victory, because the Witches were all around her. Having been up for 30 hours at this point and spent at least half of those in some kind of fight or combat, Estaria was a little buzzing, mentally, and accepted the offer to throw down with the Witches hand to hand. She was intimately aware of the fight with the Greatswords that one time, but put it out of her mind and just focused on the fight ahead of her. They showed this decision to be the absolute correct one very quickly. Swift like she could not believe, and more agile than their skeleton should allow, the Witch was an absolute masterpiece to watch. Estaria pushed herself to the limits trying to keep up with them, and while she didn¡¯t do terribly, the Witch had more experience in this kind of movement and fighting style. But blood was not what they were seeking, and Estaria only took a few battering blows that left bruises, and nothing was cut open except her pride. Laying on her back, feeling as if she had embarrassed herself, she was surprised to have a hand up offered to her by the Witch. ¡°You did dam well to keep up with me like that. How long have you been training?¡± the Witch asked, helping Estaria to her feet. ¡°Actually properly, about a day. But I was taught the basics in Boot Camp and just sort of coast on my reflexes and kinetic sense¡± Estaria replied, feeling a touch more conversational around these than usual Druchii. She got the feeling that they would just kill her outright rather than torturing her in such a way she died with excruciating sloth. In this place, that was kindness. ¡°Well, Triala¡¯s tale has holes and far fetched claims, but is not wholly a lie. You definitely will be beautiful when fully polished¡± The Witch would step back, and let the others take their turn, each one managing to best Estaria, but each one taking longer to do so, as Es showcased a swift adaptability. Finally, Estaria came face to face with a young looking witch. No sigils or seals, no marks or any showcase that she had come here more than a few weeks ago. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Fukuri, you can just wait until you have finished your training. We won¡¯t hold it against you¡± one Witch exclaimed, but the young Witch did not balk. The diligence and drive to face an opponent you could absolutely lose too was something that Estaria related to very much, and so gave her all against this young one. While still possessing the inherent grace of the Druchii, her lack of training was clear. Her moves were not as slick, not as fast, and not as precise. Estaria found it easy to counter and reverse her attacks, driving her back and then after one particularly risky gambit, Estaria tossed Fukuri over her hip and onto the floor, where she stayed for longer than was normal. A little worried, Estaria hurried over to her and crouched down to see if she was ok. The poor little thing was laid there, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Hey, hey. Don¡¯t cry. Did I flip you too hard?¡± Estaria asked, moving to pick Fukuri up and dust her off. Despite the situation, it was instinct to want to help and calm them down when tears started to flow. ¡°No¡­I¡­I¡­need¡­too¡­and..and¡­it¡¯s so¡­can¡¯t¡­do¡­¡± Fukuri¡¯s stuttering through her tears made it hard for her to speak properly, so Estaria would just hug her gently. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Just take a breath, calm down, and then tell me about it, ok?¡± Estaria offered, giving the woman a shoulder to cry on. Some looked on with interest, others dismissive of the emotions shown. But the most interesting part of it all, was a box. Relationship with the Witch Cult increased. Basic Witch Cult Craft is now accessible in the Shop It seemed the Witch Cult really was close knit. She¡¯d have to talk to Filnon later, maybe about reconciling her system-born grievances with her sisters. More friends were always good in this kind of situation. Eventually, Fukuri managed to calm down, but in her now calm state, she was hugely embarrassed that it had happened in the first place and just scurried off after a mumbled word that might have been thanks, or an attempt to dismiss her own emotions, or anything. With that dramatic moment, Estaria would rise and find herself quite weary. As one generally did when they fought a dozen Witches in one sitting and then deal with a young Elf.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Filnon¡¯s diplomacy elsewhere seemed to bear fruit, as she got a pop up telling her she could do a daily training quest here now. It was a good place to farm for tokens, since she needed some good weaponry, but right now she just wanted to get some sleep. It had been too long since she ceased existing for a while, and her mind couldn¡¯t handle much more. Telling Filnon such, they headed back to the home and Filnon let Es collapse into bed, being woken a few minutes later by Filnon, who had apparently put Estaria into a more comfortable and healthy sleeping position. ¡°Sorry to wake you early, but they have something in the Arena for you, and want to know if you are available today¡± Filnon told Es, who sat up and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Uhhh¡± Estaria groaned, relating to Elaine¡¯s zombie mode for a few moments before shaking her head and just trucking on. ¡°That was quick. But yea¡± ¡°They want to see what you can do in a proper fight. So yea, them whipping up a whole fight for you in a day is pretty impressive. Hope for your reputation yet¡± Estaria would get out of bed and then pause, and look to Filnon. ¡°A day? I¡¯ve been¡­asleep a whole day?¡± Estaria asked incredulously. ¡°Mmm, I thought it best to leave you there after everything. If you want more, you can always go back to bed and I can tell them to wait till tomorrow¡± Filnon offered, but Es shook her head. ¡°No, no. I got it. It¡¯s fine¡± she waved off the concern and meandered out with Filnon to the Arena. She shook off the rest of Morr¡¯s Embrace as they traveled, and was fit and ready to get down to it when they arrived. ¡°The loss of a large shipment of slaves has caused a spike in the economy of the town, so I converted our Gold into real money to support living for the next few weeks, while I run a few dungeons. But I got you these from the shop to help out a little¡± Filnon would then hand a pair of leather cestus to Estaria. Tiny spikes adorned the knuckles, more to add weight to the punch than any real kind of penetration. They were still better than her bare hands though, so she would nod and slide them on, heading to the arena gate. Dressed like a god-damn whore. But that one, she could fix eventually. Just had to do good here, and then maybe another match as well. She was not alone at the gate, a half-dozen Gladiators stood with her, armed to the teeth and baying for blood. So focused on their own battle meditation and prayers to their own gods, that they didn¡¯t notice Estaria being pushed into their ranks. Just focused on the door, and when it opened, The Foe. Men took off at a sprint, charging the gap with reckless abandon and crashing into the foe charging at them from the other direction. No beast on peasant slaughter here, but a true and actual fight. She had enough speed to outpace these men, and enough strength to make a mess on the field. Still, she didn¡¯t want to get on the bad side of these men by taking any of their kills, and so lingered at the back, a slow jog to their rabid sprint. And lo, a man on the other side had the same idea. Far more lithe and smooth than the rest, he walked with a confident gait and a natural ease. He clearly focused more on the precise nature of moving and striking than the ¡®bludgeon them to death¡¯ tactic of the other Gladiators. And to confirm such tactics, he had a whip, segmented into blades rather than leather. A Weapon that would require skill and precision to hit the enemy, and not kill the wielder in the process. ¡°Ahh, to mar such a beauty¡± the man exclaimed, shaking his head. ¡°A tragedy, a plague. Ohh, pox upon thy fates~¡± he crowed, shaking his head and then suddenly lashing out with his whip. Estaria rolled under it, and then leapt forward as she finished the roll, delivering a powerful blow that stripped the man of the majority of his Luck. He staggered back, and then cracked the whip again, catching Es with a gentle glance and eating into her own Luck. The way he cracked while being knocked back was impressive, and the Druchii had definitely added him in just for her. A wild flourish and the whip was ready to crack again, though Estaria jumped over it and then twisted in mid-air, letting gravity carry her kick into his head and landing with quite the force. Not letting him get his footing or her position again, she¡¯d roll off to his side, delivering a punch into his ribs and then jumping over him so the wild whip swing missed her entirely. A second blow to his ribs and the man was wheezing, completely out of breath. To further his asphyxiation, she rolled her hips and shoulder into a full force punch of his sternum. Blood spat and bones broke, and though the man showed excellent tenacity by cracking the whip again, it was easy to duck under because of the wild and imprecise angle. He crumbled onto the floor, sliding back from the force just as Estaria jumped into the air and stomped down on his skull. Bone crushed and brain oozed as the force popped the man¡¯s head, killing him very dead. Having dealt with him, she was allowed to linger in the corner, standing near his corpse with gore pooling at her feet. One of the Gladiators threw a man to her, and she knew he wasn¡¯t just throwing the man to throw him because he made eye-contact and nodded first. Stepping into the offered enemy, she threw a punch and shattered the poor bastard¡¯s spine in a resounding blow. With one last axe to the skull, her team were victorious, and the crowd broke into vigorous cacophony. Far more of a reaction than last time, she was glad they were making headway towards getting famous. And headway towards other things as well, if the lovely new box was any indication. These twin souls were quite great~ You have leveled up 100 Dexterity: Quicksilver Viper - A man may try to act before even realizing he has even been struck by a blow of this speed. Spend cool to launch an ultra-high speed attack that is almost impossible to evade Chapter 35 Note to self, avoid stomping in future, or get some better boots. Her crappy little slave shoes were oozing with brain right now and it was horrible. So horrible that she just took the shoes off and tossed them away, using the sand she was walking on to absorb the blood on the bottom of her feet, and just dealing with it on the top. While heading out, she bought the first of the three traits she needed. The more exp Filnon got, the faster she could buy the traits that stopped the leaching from affecting her. The Halflings stripped the dead and sold the gear, which gave her enough to buy one upgrade for her weapon. It was good that the Halflings stuck about even when her summons did not. But then, she thought for a moment. Better to buy a few Dungeon Keys and run them with Filnon to get a proper nestegg. Forty Five Grand was better than the relative pittance she got from this, after all, and maybe they could even run an A-rank together. Probably not though, Estaria¡¯s power wasn¡¯t pitiful but her equipment was sorely lacking, and it didn¡¯t bode well to try something that advanced. Seeing one of the Gladiators sitting on the ground, a large cut through his thigh the reason for his inaction, she¡¯d walk over to him and hoist him up, helping him get back to the support building. Medics were on hand to help him, since he wasn¡¯t such chaff he could simply be discarded. And on the topic of people waiting in the waiting room - almost like it was designed for that - Filnon was stood with a beaming smile. ¡°That was excellent. You really demolished that guy, huh?¡± Filnon exclaimed, stroking the hilt of her left knife. Clearly, it had fired her blood a little, which made it the perfect opportunity for the next question. ¡°Yea. So, I got some money from the fight. Wanna run a dungeon? A B-rank shouldn¡¯t be too much hassle for us¡± Estaria offered. The money for upgrades aside, she¡¯d farm some good exp from a B-rank. ¡°Mmm, half of me wants to test my luck on an A-rank, but I¡¯ve never done one of them. I don¡¯t know their scale and you¡¯ve not even got shoes anymore so let¡¯s not do that¡± Filnon exclaimed, looking at Estaria¡¯s blood-soaked feet. ¡°I am buying some proper boots when we finish this dungeon¡± Estaria put in. That wasn¡¯t even up for debate, she was doing it because if she was going to be kicking more people, she was having good footwear while doing it. Not sure how this was going to work, she just bought the dungeon key and then activated it, getting sent into the Dungeon. If it didn¡¯t work, she could always just leave. Fortunately, it did indeed work, and Filnon was there besides here, daggers drawn and ready for some blood. ¡°It occurs to me that I have never seen you fight¡± Estaria commented, looking to Filnon. ¡°Aside from those few seconds at the dock, you mean?¡± Filnon replied with a teasing tone, kicking off into the mass of the Dungeon before Es could make a reply. It was a Chaos Warcamp, from the looks of it. Marauders by the dozen, Filnon made short work of them, blades like liquid death cutting through them without slowing. Though even she wasn¡¯t perfect, and one cut was a bit too shallow, letting the Marauder not immediately die and giving him a chance to recover. He didn¡¯t get to use that chance however, as Estaria kicked the back of his leg to get him on one knee, and then broke his neck. Dealing with the chaff was a nice thing to get more training with hitting the enemy, and she was doing pretty well punching through them by the time there were no more Marauders. She backed up as she was fighting, to keep close to Filnon, and then when she got to the boss, decided to sit and watch rather than try to mesh in with a woman whose style was unknown. And by all the Gods, was it a sight. Filnon was beautiful in her combat. The poor Chaos Champion didn¡¯t stand a chance, it was all he could do to fend off her attacks with his rune shield. The Blessings of Chaos let him not get totally blitzed, but he was outmatched and Filnon¡¯s dance was whittling him down, her daggers striking, cutting and slashing in increasingly wide arcs to make his shield move further and faster with every strike. And then suddenly she lashed out with a strike so quick Estaria nearly missed it. Must have been the thing she had recently just picked up, Quicksilver Viper.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The scream of pain came from the monster¡¯s helmet, and blood streamed out from the eyehole. Estaria couldn¡¯t imagine the physical dexterity needed to hit such a point at such a speed, through a helmet and over a shield that was in motion. He rolled, and she slipped the shield off his arm with an elegant move, before cutting and striking in such minute detail the Champion¡¯s arm fell off in short order. Then, with acrobatic grace, she¡¯d backflip over to Estaria and give her a grin. ¡°Wanna get in? Good experience striking through plate¡± Filnon suggested. Estaria wasn¡¯t hyped at the idea, but a Critically Wounded man with one arm was a good was a fine enough test, so she stepped in as the Champion rushed with a death scream. Throwing a full force punch to his chest killed the Champion outright, but it was very jarring. The recoil vibrated all the way up her arm, and her shoulder jolted, crunching uncomfortably. She hadn¡¯t dislocated it, just knocked it a little. ¡°Note to self, don¡¯t do that¡± Estaria commented, holding her arm as it throbbed with pain. Opening the mini-map, she¡¯d glance about for the monsters they had yet to kill, and then nod to Filnon. The two split up and dealt with them in quick order. Total Obliteration - 35000 + 10000 Gold earned. Ever-Bloody Heart looted You have leveled up Things were going pretty well for her. A second level even with giving most of her xp to Filnon. But this time the bar lazily lounged in the first five percent of level 40, so she doubted she¡¯d get a third level so easily. Returning to the real world, Estaria did as she said she would and bought some proper boots. Didn¡¯t put them on right now because her feet were gunky blood and sand, but it was nice to have. ¡°You don¡¯t think boots ruin the whole look, do you?¡± Estaria asked, looking at the heavy mud-stomping boots, and wondering if she should have gotten something slimmer. Filnon looked for a moment and gave an unfriendly shrug. ¡°...Yea, they kind of do. But they will have to do for now while we get you something better¡± she¡¯d admit. With nothing else left to do here, Filnon took Estaria back home and helped scrub her feet of the crap she had picked out outside. Then she tried the boots on and they fit well, didn¡¯t impede her movement enough to really be notable. The important stuff out of the way, she leaned over Filnon¡¯s shoulder on request as they opened the inventory to check out the Ever-Bloody Heart. A flowery description, but ultimately it would give a random physical stat, or could be used as a special Offering for specific Gods. ¡°Given Khaine¡¯s whole thing is blood and bloodshed, I am going to guess he is one of the specific Gods¡± Estaria commented, persing her lips a bit. Getting Filnon that kind of blessing would be great to make her even stronger. ¡°Mmm. You got a blessing yet?¡± Filnon asked, closing the screen. ¡°I¡­well, I sort of do but it¡¯s getting suppressed right now. Besides, it¡¯s fine, you get it¡± Es would shrug, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m numerous levels above you and have a religious blessing that actually works. This is yours¡± Filnon practically ordered, sending her the Heart. Not particularly able to argue any further than that, Estaria rolled her eyes and took it. ¡°Fine, but you are cooking dinner this time¡± Es stated, giving a coy grin and liking the fact that Filnon didn¡¯t spank her for being a brat or something. Making her way over to the Witch Enclave, she didn¡¯t get waylaid too much, perks of being a personal Slave, and not unknown in the Arena either. Arriving at the Enclave, there was Fukuri, going absolutely ham on her training regime with an almost desperate tension. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Estaria exclaimed. Clearly it had been a while, as the woman froze up and then looked to Estaria with an abashed face. ¡°...A while?¡± she tried, and then saw that wasn¡¯t working, so just turned fully and had her shoulders sag. ¡°..Longer than I should have¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t had dinner either, have you?¡± Estaria asked, her voice taking on a stern mother tone as Fukuri shrunk further and further beneath her gaze. The silence was enough for Estaria. And so, stepping forward, she would bend down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what is driving you, but if you don¡¯t calm down, then you will damage yourself and ruin months of progress. Possibly even cripple yourself for life. Nothing is worth that risk. So be measured, trust your sisters, and accept that they know the best for you. After all, they have already been through the training you are doing¡± Estaria would then take out the Ever-Bleeding Heart, and hand it to Fukuri.¡°But since there is something driving you, and it is clearly important, then I am giving you this. Throw it into Khaine¡¯s Braizer, and he will bless you. That should balance out whatever is riding you¡± Estaria counciled, letting Fukuri go to the Braizer and throw it in. Relationship with the Witch Cult improved - Advanced Witch Cult Craft available in the shop Well, that was a nice, unexpected side-effect. Hopefully, whatever blessing Fukuri got would be enough to calm her heart and push her progression without damaging her. It was as the Witches said about Estaria; she would be a beautiful gem once polished. Chapter 36 Hanging around to do her training for the day - she needed the tokens - one of the Witches came to talk to her at the end of it, and it was a nice chat, that made her feel more welcomed in their Cult. Her Sister offered some pointers towards more efficient movement and combat, and then left for her own training and to engage in some ritual to Khaine. Though, she was caught off guard a little. When did she start thinking of the Witches as her Sisters? Was she a Witch now, because of the reputation? Or did they just like her? She¡¯d have to sort out that particular question later, because she just didn¡¯t have the mind for it right now. Returning home to Filnon, she ate, talked, and then given the late hour, slept. The next few days didn¡¯t give her any arena fights, as if they were preparing for something big, so she did her training and followed Filnon around to serve her needs. Filnon¡¯s day to day was mostly in the Witch Cult, which kept the two close to Fukiri. There was no notable change from her, but the Blessing had definitely helped emotionally. Another thing she did was upgrade her weapon with the Dungeon Cash. Up to Green rating, they had a decent set of stats now and were far more worthy a weapon to use in combat. Unlike before - or probably like before, she didn¡¯t really pay attention - the appearance of the weapon changed. Thick leather straps bound the gauntlets, studded for increased durability and impact. The spikes grew slightly bigger and much shinier, made from steel rather than iron. It looked like a more dangerous weapon than before, all told. Then, after a few days of just milling around, running C-ranks by herself since Filnon was getting a bit of flak for negligence and didn¡¯t have the time to duo B-ranks with her. Her xp crawled with sloth towards it¡¯s target, and she was elated when she got a call to the Arena. From the lack of any ambience, she could tell there was no crowd waiting, which meant this fight was a more personal one. She wondered why, but was reminded of the guy who hated her for killing Jack. Maybe he was the reason for her recent fighting drought and now the lack of people. Gathering at the gate, clenching and unclenching her new gauntlets, she took a breath and hopped on the spot. It was good, her weapons were decent and she was well trained, she could handle this. The door opened and she saw the man in front of her, quite an intimidating specimen. A Druchii warrior, in full battle armour, with a broad shield and a vicious looking blade. Orange rank foe as well, so not just anyone. Not something that would have been all that hard with her proper gear, but she was decidedly sans gear right now. Maybe this was why Filnon had her experiment with punching plate, to see how well she did. Anticipating her fight with this guy¡­ The Druchii gave a salute to the Master of town, and Estaria spared a glance towards the crowd. Some twelve people, dressed well and looking similar. Possibly family? She was told she pissed off some dude with her murder of Jack, so maybe this was the guy? Filnon was there was well, stern face hiding a touch of worry that this fight might be beyond Estaria. There was no way she¡¯d lose with her in the audience though. Flicking her eyes back to the warrior, she clenched her new gauntlet fists and took off towards him, making sure to take the momentum, and keep it up. The shield and armour would make him pretty hard to deal with, even with the new weapon she upgraded, it would need to be an Orange weapon to give her the penetration to go through that. The armour was heavy and the shield wasn¡¯t light either, so she¡¯d have a mobility advantage, but it¡¯d be like chipping away at a block.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The lack of range the fists gave was mitigated by Estaria reaching into close quarters and bouncing about, never staying in the same spot for a moment as she lashed blows he caught on his shield. The Druchii was fast, but Estaria was constantly shifting, constantly striking, and occasionally bouncing backwards. He let her do it the first time to give himself some room, but she put her foot on one of the ornamental pillars and kicked off, rocking towards him with a powerful kick that dented his shield. He gave chase after that when she bounced back, though was unable to truly make any hit land. Between Estaria¡¯s constant shifting, and her Luck reducing any blow he actually landed, it was an extremely infuriating moment for him. Eventually, sick of having it constantly struck and slowing him down so he could barely swing, he threw the dented shield away and got into the fight with his sword. Es ducked, shifted, and bounced, a vigorous and passionate display of energy, though it didn¡¯t save her from his sword, which cut into her Luck with every swing she missed. Enraging him with the constant motion and difficulty to hit, she goaded a wild swing out of him and then struck with Quicksilver Viper followed by Double Strike, the arm she laid the blows into taking heavy damage and allowing her through his shield of swings to the chest. She made a solid blow, but The armour proved tough for her, since it was well forged and her gauntlets were hardly armour piercing. It jarred her arm and she swept backwards to avoid his sword, getting a small cut across a wide area of her torso for her troubles. The fight was wildly in his favour. She had to get in, deliver a precise strike and then slip out before he could catch her with his sword, which he did a few times. And the armour, it was thick and robust, and ablated her damage down to tiny chunks. It was like hacking down a building with a knife. She got fixated on his sword and the movements needed, and her situational awareness suffered. One shift, she slammed against one of the ornamental pillars as she moved out of his way, and he took advantage of it swiftly, driving his sword deep into her. Only a quick shift avoided it hitting anywhere lethal, but she still took a wild amount of damage. In desperation, Estaria wildly struck out with everything she had left. First she hit his Groin with a Quicksilver Viper, stunning him enough for her to lash a second blow there, followed by a Second Slice. Burning all her Cool on this one strike, she managed to get through his armour resistance and ¡®destroy¡¯ the Groin, causing him to hunch over in agony. Punching him in the head to knock him over, she would take the sword and pull it out. Bad idea, since she was bleeding a lot from the wound, but it was a worse idea to be pinned to a pillar if the guy managed to overcome his wound. Getting free of it, she would toss the sword away and turn to the man on his knees, waiting for him to rise a bit before Sub-Targeting his head and kicking it violently. The heavy clang of foot on helmet rang out as the metal dented from the force and he collapsed, moving no more. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was alive or dead, but at this point she didn¡¯t care. Stumbling away from the corpse, she¡¯d watch him for a few seconds and theh collapse, first onto her ass and then onto her back. Health was low, Fatigue was high, and generally she just felt like shit. Arena Medics came and stitched her up before she bled to death, but that didn¡¯t help the fact that she had nearly bled to death from a wild sword wound. The crowd watching didn¡¯t seem very pleased about her victory, further reinforcing the fact that they were family. ¡°That was close¡± Filnon commented, having left the stands and rushed down to see Estaria. ¡°Bah. I was just-¡± she¡¯d tense up as a jolt of pain ran through her body, and then took deep breaths. ¡°-Playing with him. Had him, right where I wanted him¡± she replied, a thin smile plastered shakily on her face. ¡°Heh. Well, I do believe I promised you a new uniform after a few victories. And that was quite the resounding victory. You killed a Lordling and saved a Noblewoman quite a lot of money and work having him assassinated. Definitely time for a celebration¡± You have leveled up Seeing the box, Estaria would nod, and smile. The Lordling had given her a lot, pushing half way towards the next level. With all this xp, Filnon must be pretty close to her own trait. "Absolutely" Estaria''s shaky reply came. She was still alive, and still kicking, just...needed to lie down for a moment, was all. Chapter 37 The wound, now stitched up, wasn¡¯t life threatening, so she staggered home with Filnon and got put in bed while the woman made her some chicken soup to speed along her recovery. It was nice, being doted on by Filnon like this, and a girl could get used to such a treatment. But there was also important stuff to talk about, so half way through the soup, Estaria broached the subject. ¡°Friends are good¡± was the starting exclamation. To which Filnon nodded cautiously, but stayed quiet to encourage further commentary. ¡°And the Witches are our friends. I, had a thing today where my brain just called them my Sisters without even asking my opinion first, so we are friends now¡± Estaria continued. Sensing where this was going, Filnon would keep silent and just nod along, letting Estaria get it all out. Estaria seemed aware of the situation as well, as she got a little more stammering and awkward with her words as time went. ¡°S-so, we s-should, make. Some work. To, be nicer to them?¡± Estaria finished, flopping completely in the face of Filnon¡¯s withering stare. Clearly it wasn¡¯t just something she could do, or she would have done it by now. However, a few seconds of silence passed before Filnon sighed and nodded. ¡°I promise nothing, but I will make an attempt to mitigate the feelings I have towards them. Spending some more time around them should help¡± Filnon stated, blowing out a breath and taking away the bowl once finished. ¡°Definitely if it is Fukuri. She¡¯s such a loveable little thing, you can¡¯t help but want to help¡± Estaria exclaimed, leaning back and shuffling more into the bed. ¡°Mm, that one is certainly diligent if nothing else. But if I am doing all this for you, then you are going to do something for me¡± Filnon would then lift the covers and get into bed with Estaria, to her great shock. ¡°....I hope you don¡¯t expect anything¡± Estaria warned after she recovered from the shock of the move. ¡°I expect you to be warm and cuddly. It¡¯s been a while since I actually got to sleep, it¡¯s hard staying still for that long. But if you are here, then I can handle it¡± Filnon replied. She started out coy and playful, and then surprisingly became pretty emotional towards the end. It killed Estaria¡¯s complaints, and she just settled down to be a support teddy. Filnon was not kidding about her issues either. She was restless and never properly settled, though Es couldn¡¯t tell if Filnon was enjoying her dream or hating it. The noises she was making and the squirming going on could have been either. The morning came, and Filnon woke groggy and sweaty, quickly departing the bed to go get cleaned up, a haste as if trying to avoid Estaria seeing her like that. But Es had been awake the last hour, watching Filnon¡¯s troubles. Seemed everyone had their issues in the world, and everyone had their way of dealing with those issues. Getting up and stretching, she had recovered well from the wound of yesterday, but still felt a bit stiff. While Filnon was getting cleaned up, Es prepared breakfast and ran a few maneuvers, before going to a C-rank Dungeon after breakfast to really stretch out. That last one really helped, and she regained the spring in her step when she got back, giving Filnon a jubilant smile. ¡°So, I think I remember being promised a new uniform~¡± Es cooed, to the more awake Filnon. ¡°Mmm. Go get cleaned up first. No point giving you something like this when you are matted with dirt and blood¡± Filnon replied, glancing over Estaria¡¯s body for a moment. ¡°Shoot. I completely forgot about that¡± Scurrying away to get cleaned, Filnon was stood outside when Es came out, and lead her to the dressing room. Taking her time, she combed Estaria¡¯s hair, applied the makeup, and then took off her collar. The last bit was a bit startling, and fluttered Estaria¡¯s heart to see. Surely she wasn¡¯t going to make some kind of radical announcement out of the blue about freedom or anything.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Massaging and applying a cream to the bruised flesh around the collar, Estaria hadn¡¯t realized how stiff her neck was until the damn torture device had been removed. But now, with a fanfare of crackles, clicks and crunches, she rolled her neck for the first time in weeks. With that extremely cathartic action accomplished, a new collar went on. Far from the harsh, stiff metal of the one before, this was a supple leather with velvet lining, allowing free movement of her neck without getting in the way. The leash ring was small, and delicate, hanging below the nameplate. A good yank would take it clean off even if Estaria wasn¡¯t superhuman. A showcase of the owner¡¯s trust in their slave. And just to prove that Estaria really had been paying attention, there was a large nameplate, red letters on a black background, that read ¡®Estaria¡¯. Overt and clear for anyone to see, she¡¯d not have to worry about anyone calling the wrong name, regardless of what the arena called. ¡°How much did this cost?¡± Estaria asked, a slightly incredulous tone. The leather was good quality, and velvet was hard to come by in a cold, decadent society. ¡°Not enough to adorn your beautiful figure, that¡¯s for sure¡± Filnon replied, winking to Es through the mirror and making her blush. Then came the makeup, more starting and vibrant than before. A focus on elegance and decorum rather than shocking, bold, eye-catching stuff. Filnon took care for this application, which made Estaria crack a coy grin by the end of it. ¡°Is this my new uniform? Just a killer collar and some amazing face paint?¡± Es asked, giving a soft chuckle. ¡°Yep. Should really catch their eyes, huh?¡± Filnon replied rhetorically, stepping away and leaving Estaria to sweat. Turning around, she would look look at Filnon with a little bit of desperation. ¡°You¡­you are serious? I, you, want me to go out like this?¡± Es asked, a slight shrillness to her voice. ¡°It¡¯ll attract attention, for sure. You¡¯ll be the talk of the city by the end of the week¡± Filnon casually replied, heading out of the room. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! I need to wear something!¡± Estaria exclaimed, stalking after Filnon, who turned around and pondered. ¡°Well, if you are adamant about it, I might be able to go find something. Get back up on the step, I¡¯ll be a minute¡± Filnon cooed, heading deeper into the house. Estaria, stood awkwardly for a moment, blushing at the lack of clothes, and darted back into the room before anyone passed by the window. Standing on the step, looking at the exotic beauty in the mirror, Estaria started to squirm. She was so intoxicating, so gripping, it was hard to look away. That sultry, half-lidded stare she had would fire anyone¡¯s blood, and the way her hands snaked down her body, just slow enough to tease¡­Estaria¡¯s toes curled watching it. ¡°You are enjoying yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± The same words, same inflection, same tone. But, so very different situation. And so very different reaction as well, as Estaria let out a sharp yelp and leapt across the room. Filnon just watched before letting out a snort of laughter. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked between bouts of giggles. ¡°You startled me!¡± Estaria shouted back, pressing against the wall for support as her heart hammered away furiously. ¡°Maybe pay a bit more attention to what¡¯s going on, and a bit less attention to yourself, hmm? Though I can hardly fault your taste¡± Filnon would then gesture for Estaria to come back to the step, and after a few seconds to get her body working again, and trying not to show the results of her quick auto voyeurism, Estaria got back up on the step, and let Filnon get to work. ¡°This is all I could find in such short notice, sorry¡± Filnon said, slowly adding the clothes. She was being far crueler with it, gentle strokes and seductive teasing driving Estaria wild, making her head spin and her breath heavy. Or, maybe she was just super sensitive right now and Filnon was not doing anything different. Whichever one it is, Es could hardly focus with her body burning as it was, and needed a little shake from Filnon to snap back to reality. Of course, that didn¡¯t help at all. The outfit was red leather that was sultry and provocative without being outright lewd like the last one. It left open enough to entice, but covered enough to leave a lot to the imagination. And ooh, boy, was Estaria¡¯s imagination running wild. It was her body, she didn¡¯t need to imagine anything, and yet here she was! This streak of wild narcissism was not something she expected in the morning, but it was hard to break out of. So to have something other than herself to talk to, she turned to Filnon and took a calming breath, not that it did much. ¡°Heels? I am to fight, in heels?¡± Estaria asked, gesturing to the red four and a half inch satin heels that had been slipped on. ¡°They have a core of steel and a bit of tapering so they won¡¯t break easily. And you can even stab someone with them if you want. Plus, training to keep you on your toes, so you can learn our secrets later¡± Filnon explained, nodding softly. All this was too well cut, too well made, to just be something she grabbed out of the wardrobe¡­ ¡°You were never sending me out naked, were you?¡± Estaria asked, looking anywhere, but herself. If she didn¡¯t see it, it didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s not that cold, but still cold enough to be extremely uncomfortable without anything to wear. Plus, it¡¯s the opposite of the image you want to portray to go out wearing nothing. No; Tara is a woman of style and elegance, not just some plucky backalley toy¡± Filnon would exclaim, exiting the room and crooking her finger to follow. ¡°Now come on, we¡¯ve got friends to meet¡± Chapter 38 Click clack. A strange new noise for Estaria, who had never worn heels before. But a soothing metronome that marked her passing and heralded her coming. The killer look of the heels didn¡¯t hurt either, and between her new outfit and her new swaying gait, she drew eyes and attracted attention. Entering into the Witch Enclave with Filnon, there was buzz from the city and from the Witches themselves. Understandable really, given that Death Night was coming in a week. A wild day in which the worship of Khaine was spread across the city. Every city did it differently, but this city was close with it¡¯s Witches, so they were respected and their beliefs more wide-reaching than normal. Es wasn¡¯t sure what to do about that, honestly. She did her training, talked to her friends, motivated Fukuri to measured passion, but questioned her involvement in the whole thing. She was not a fan of Gods in any vein, so Khaine didn¡¯t get a pass just because he wasn¡¯t an Empire God, but the Witches loved him, and she loved the Witches. So, should she give him a try in this whole Death Night business? She couldn¡¯t decide, and it was kind of a sensitive topic, so she didn¡¯t want to ask one of the other Witches just in case they got offended by the idea. There were no fights today, because they were apparently importing something worth fighting, so she just hung around after training and subsequent tokens, chatting with Filnon. ¡°We should run another B-Rank. I need more Amour penetration capabilities just in case another Lordling decides to take umbrage at my murdering. Would rather not go through that whole thing again¡± Es commented, looking down at the still raw scar the blade had left. ¡°Mmm, only I get to penetrate you like that~¡± Filnon replied, giving a wink that made Estaria blush. She¡¯d been keeping the whole damn thing under wraps but then she went and revved it up again. Evil cow. ¡°Could probably ask your new friends for a hand. I am sure they will be glad to give it to you¡± Filnon carried on, after enjoying Estaria¡¯s reaction for a bit. ¡°You are getting along with them to a point you want me to get along with them, and that¡¯s quite the ask. So go talk to them about it¡± Filnon suggested, nodding over to the Hag standing watching training. A little awkward since she had no idea what she was even asking, she would approach the Hag and wait for her acknowledgement. People in power didn¡¯t like randomers - even their own randomers - flagging them down all hours of the day. So Estaria would wait for her to nod, and then begin speaking. ¡°I had some trouble fighting that Lordling, his armour was far too tough for me to punch through properly. Filnon suggested you had something that would help with that?¡± Estaria would finish her proposition and then wait for a reply. The Hag would stare for a few moments, contemplating and sizing her up before calling over another Witch. ¡°Rorralre! Come teach our Klath ae Kheir how to Dance¡± The Hag exclaimed, gesturing her over to Estaria. The damned name was enough to make Estaria want to do anything that wasn¡¯t standing here. The Dwarves gave her a name as well, but it was a lot better than ¡®Beloved Girl¡¯. A lot less embarrassing¡­If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So she would immerse herself in the lesson she was being taught by Rorralre. The combat style was beyond anything she had ever seen or done, making full use of the flexibility and agility of the Witches, as well as making moves that would be uncultured flails if a less talented warrior were executing them. As it was, they were just beautiful cracks of an arm turned into a whip. Estaria was engrossed, and training while trying to follow Rorralre¡¯s motions absorbed her. Though she put great effort towards being a good role model and not wildly practicing this for eighteen hours straight, so would only give it a few and then return home with Filnon. Dinner was cooked, a bit more training was done, and then Es went to bed, taking off her clothes - putting all her gear in the inventory so as not to make the same mistake again - and getting in, with Filnon crawling in beside her. Despite all the teasing and all the highly strung emotions of the day, she just went to sleep and didn¡¯t even suggest anything, let alone try anything. It really did appear that it was all just to mess with Estaria, not to get her into some kind of vulnerable position that Filnon could take advantage of. The morning, after training of both the dance and her system, was an interesting one. Filnon was off on a Dungeon Run, since she was confident that Es could handle anything the Arena threw at her and needed the exp to help Estaria not throw so much XP her way anymore. The Dance that Rorralre tried to teach her continued to elude her, and so she just went into the arena with her own style, the style of hit the enemy till he died horribly. A terrible name, but a very reliable method of combat and a great track record in both the arenas of the Druchii and the fields of combat outside them. ¡°Good people of Avara City, welcome! To the arena!¡± The Master of the City exclaimed. Estaria hadn¡¯t heard that before, so maybe he only did it on special occasions. ¡°Today we have a new Gladiator, a skilled warrior from the house of Nightfury; Tara the Bloody Bunny!¡± The gate was lowered, and Estaria stepped out, but she was a little stunned at the exclamation. That name..they were messing with her, right? He was going to announce her proper name, something cool and striking to make up for the mess of the last one. But nope, he just carried on.¡°She will be facing off against the carnivorous typhoon of gluttony; Aron The Ox-Eater!¡± the gates across from her opened, and a huge, obese Ogre barreled out, each second taking her further and further from the moment where he would make a laugh and give her her proper title. It was slowly coming to the idea that that was her proper title. But, how was she meant to spread fear into anything¡¯s heart with a title like that?! The Ogre charged, and Estaria was not one to just sit back and watch, so she rushed in as well, throwing down with the bastard. His heavy fat and muscles soaked her blows, mitigating the Luck damage, and she found herself needing to make far more precise, well-thought out blows at the joints and spine. Striking at his biological support points, the massive, over-strained body quickly began to crumble under it¡¯s own weight, and a might blow to dislocate his knee had the entire leg crumble into bone shards with a sickening noise. With him down on one knee and unable to get back up from his skeleton grinding itself into dust, Estaria would spin and leap, driving the heel of her shoe into his temple and putting a hole in his gray-matter, killing him instantly and spilling blood everywhere, to the wild applause of the crowd and the chanting of her new name. She looked up to the Master, and pondered demanding a proper name for a moment. But, that wasn¡¯t something she could do yet, and she didn¡¯t want to bring trouble to Filnon. The Ogre was quite the opponent, even though he fabricated his own downfall with his endless feasting. The two Stolen Souls pushed her just past the next level, and the second of the three traits. Increasingly verbose and increasingly romantic, she ignored the write-up completely, just trying to push Filnon to as high a power as possible. Could a level 100 take out an entire country? Estaria has seen what a level 40 could do, and the power growth seemed exponential, though there were stat caps, her Dexterity lingering at 100. Druchii could have different caps though¡­All this thought was not helping her with the bother of the damned name, so she simply turned and headed out of the Arena, to get back to what she could do. Chapter 39 How long, was a week? This subjective question was something Estaria was asking herself, after finishing up a C-rank dungeon she had run more to practice Witch Dance than anything. It had all gone so quickly; going back to the Cult and getting the teasing from her Sisters about the name. Flirting back that if she was a bunny, that meant she would have to get with everyone in the Cult. Laughter, companionship, camaraderie. Nothing she thought she would find in Druchii lands, but here she was, with people she cared about and with those that cared about her. There was even possibly a bit more, given the look on Filnon¡¯s face when Estaria had her flirty play with the other Witches.Still, Filnon never brought it up and Estaria wasn¡¯t going to push, so they just pretended it didn¡¯t happen. She would come talk to Estaria about it eventually, even if it was snapping and going mad about it. Then Estaria could deal with the tangible thing, rather than just a thing that might not be there. What was there, however, was dungeon running. C-ranks for the cash when Filnon was busy, and B-ranks when they were together. The economy of the city slowly recovered with a new influx of slaves, and so they could spend gold in the shop rather than converting it. Between that and her arena fights, Filnon got her second of the three traits, and Estaria got another two levels towards her own. Still bothered by the stat cap, but she¡¯d deal with that later. The boxes in front of her were another delight. Hallmarking the end of her training and the end of her issues with people wearing heavy armour. Witch-Dance: The style of all Witch Elves, this form is a mobile prayer to Khaine as much as a combat style. Every step, and every cut and every twist sings to Khaine, and blades find their target with unnerving ease. While in this style, gain 20% armour piercing and increase nearby Witches stats by +10 when you make a kill. 100 Precision: Armour-chinker: You can find the most minute flaw in any armour and deliver the blow for maximum damage. Gain 25% armour piercing Much needed, given that her weapons base armour penetration was 0%, which was why the plate had such good capabilities holding her off. But now, she¡¯d smash nearly half the armour off anything that tried to stop her. That, along with her now considerable strength, really topped everything off. She¡¯d probably run B-ranks solo from now, and see if Filnon was down for an A-rank. With sufficient cash to splash, she would look to her items. Upgrading her Uniform to Purple, it gained a lot more armour and the ¡°Performer¡± buff that negated damage from glances and clips that she nearly dodged. It was helpful to reduce damage in a way more than just more armour. Her fists got the ¡°Meteoric Plating¡± upgrade for more damage at the cost of greater weight. The weight didn¡¯t bother her these days, and raw damage was good now she had this much armour penetration to put it to good use. With some cash left over, she¡¯d go to the shop, Agility was near the cap and she wanted to see what she could get out of it. But after buying one of the lesser potions and one of the standard potions, they were both sold out and she could boost herself no more. Scowling at the damn thing and hating the idea of dropping 5 tokens for one point, she did it anyway, downing all three of them and getting a new pop-up. 100 Agility Queen¡¯s Step: A stepping method earning its name from the fact that one is not marred by nature, and appears wherever she wishes, like an immaculate Queen. You may walk atop snow, mud, water and thin ice without falling through Immediately after finishing the potion and getting a pop-up, her feet changed. The heels felt as broad and supportive as snow-shoes now, and while her Agility allowed her to keep her balance perfectly before, now she didn¡¯t even need to put in any effort to keep her balance. Hell, now she could run on the top of snow, she might even go looking for a Field Dungeon. Tundra was no longer a place of worry, where knee deep snow could slow her down, exhaust her, and make her prey for monsters. Cold was still an issue though, she¡¯d need more clothes than these to go out there. Feeling more confident than she had in forever, Estaria exited the house, walking with a seductive and attention-grabbing gait. As much as the Agility had helped her keep her balance, she kept her walking simple and to the point because she was still a bit not used to heels. But now? She had some fun with it. Heads turned, work stopped, even some overseers stopped beating their slaves for some percieved infraction as she walked over to the Witch Cult. It was abuzz with activity, as one might expect, though there was an air to it that made her smile slowly slide off. ¡°Did I totally misread the situation? Is this a sombre festival?¡± Estaria asked one of the Witches, feeling awkward now in her flamboyant uniform. ¡°Ohh, nothing like that, Bunny. Fukuri went to the Manor to talk to the Master, but she¡¯s been there a while now. We are pretty nervous something has happened¡± The Witch replied, though Estaria¡¯s was just confused. Why was a young Witch up there? ¡°Surely if you want to organise things with the Master, you¡¯d send someone more¡­experienced?¡± Es asked, not sure what was really going on. The Witch was confused for a moment before clocking onto the issue.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ohh, right. You don¡¯t know. Fukuri was pretty embarrassed about it and didn¡¯t want it spreading around. The Master¡¯s son was meant to marry her since her family is a distant relative of the Blood Queen Hellebron. But she didn¡¯t like him and didn¡¯t want to be a wife, so came to Hag Aria for a solution. Aria said that if she could showcase worth to the Witch Cult by the time the marriage arrived - which was set to be on Death Night - then Aria would ensure there was no marriage. She managed to pass Aria¡¯s requirements yesterday, so she took Fukuri up to explain everything¡± Estaria would nod at the explanation, and look up to the Manor. It was quite ostentatious, set on an artificial hill with spikes and spires and all manner of stuff that wasn¡¯t found anywhere else in the small city. Still, pride and arrogance aside, he wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to try anything against a Hag, would he? ¡°How long have they been up there?¡± Estaria asked, looking at the mansion. ¡°Just over an hour. I can imagine the Master is getting argumentative about this whole thing, but..we are getting agitated. Some of us want to send someone up to go check on the proceedings, since we can¡¯t begin without Aria to start the festival¡± Well, that absolutely was cause for concern. Estaria bit her lip, worried about the social hierarchy of this city, but also about Fukuri and Aria. ¡°We¡¯ll go¡± Filnon exclaimed, having been watching and listening from the corner. ¡°We¡¯ll go check it out. If it¡¯s just being dragged out, we¡¯ll kick some ass and get our girls back here before sundown. If not¡­we¡¯ll handle that¡± Filnon would put in. The way she put it, it was clear she wasn¡¯t asking for permission, just telling the Witches that it was something that was happening. Still, at least lip-service to the idea of the official way of doing things was given, and they got the next highest ranking Witch to send them to go investigate and lend any aid needed. With that given, Filnon marched up to the Manor, at a pace even Estaria had to hurry to keep up with. What they saw, was an extremely suspicious sight. Five Bleakswords stood guard at the front, each one decked out in war-plate from head to toe. The craftsmanship marked them as the elites of the City¡¯s standing army, and that was not something you just had guarding your front door. Not to be perturbed, Filnon would approach and nod to the man at the front. ¡°We seek Hag Aria. The Death Night Festival is delayed without her presence, and we must begin before sundown¡± Filnon exclaimed, her voice hard and commanding, full of confidence. Though the Bleaksword didn¡¯t move, and just intoned in a mocking voice. ¡°The Lord has ordered the doors closed to all comers. None may enter¡± Filnon frowned at that, a scowl that marked her growing temper. ¡°Death Night is the most important festival of the year. The Master would mock The Witches and our Lord Khaine?¡± Filnon demanded, taking a step towards him, that had all five of the guards reach for their swords. ¡°The Lord has ordered the doors closed to all comers. None may enter¡± the exact same words, in the exact same tone. Filnon stared for a moment and then let out a ¡®tsk¡¯ and turned. There was still a small chance that this was just suspicious and the Master was dealing with them in a closed door meeting. Bursting through them would just ruin the reputation of the Witches. So she would turn, and with Estaria in tow, scout out the other entrances. Five men at the back, two at each of the slave entrances, and two guarding the exit from the underground escape tunnel. This, was beyond suspicious. ¡°Filnon¡± Estaria commented, as they were coming back from the tunnel exit. ¡°Something is going on here, and it¡¯s not just an overdue argument. You need to go prepare the Witches, because Aria isn¡¯t the kind of woman to give up and walk away without Fukuri¡± Estaria warned, with a serious face and a stern expression. ¡°And you are going in, I take it?¡± Filnon asked. Estaria was a well known slave by this point, powerful and a little mischievous. If she invaded the Master¡¯s Manor for her own personal reasons, the societal blow would be lessened. At worse, Filnon would get in trouble for not controlling her slave. ¡°Mmm. If nothing else, I can¡¯t just sit and watch as Fukuri is put in peril like this. So I¡¯ll find a subtle way in and scope out the situation, then act from there. Best way of doing it is to get Fukuri out in secret. Aria is a Hag, she can absolutely handle herself, but Fukuri is still young, and barely a Witch. But if they press me, I will paint the walls¡± Estaria replied, turning to the Manor. Es could see Filnon jittering with a desire to do something she probably felt she shouldn¡¯t, but eventually just accepted the plan, nodded, and took off towards the Witch Cult. For her part, Estaria would double back to a point she had noticed earlier. A decorative opening that would take some acrobatic contortionism to slip into, especially given that it was five metres off the ground. No wonder nobody was watching it. Estaria took a few steps back and then ran and jumped, scrambling up the wall and managing to grab hold of the opening, dragging herself up and twisting her body to fit through it. On the other side, she could more clearly hear the gathering of a lot of people, and wondered why it was so dark. Maybe something to do with the religion? She knew they worshiped The Dark Muses, but didn¡¯t think that it was literal¡­. Holding the opening, she would press her feet against the wall and then push off in a backflip, soaring through the blackened air and landing softly on the rafters opposite. From here, she looked down on the gathering below her. A good forty Druchii were here, all focused on the front of the room, which was the only part to have any light. There, a very well dressed man - clearly a Priest of some kind - was reading texts from a book and waving his arms, making wild proclamations to the crowd. She couldn¡¯t see Aria anywhere, but there were an inordinate amount of guards for such a wedding reception. And just to make it far, far worse, next to the groom, was Fukuri. Estaria could only tell who it was from her nameplate, her heavy - albeit beautiful - wedding dress covered her from head to toe, and seemed to somehow hide her arms somewhere, since manoeuvring around, Es couldn¡¯t see them at all. Nor could she see the woman face, an equally heavy veil so thick she was probably blind inside it. That was enough for her to spring into action, since Aria would never have let Fukuri get married after promising to protect her from it. Crossing the rafters, she would drop suddenly, landing on The Master¡¯s son and bashing his head against the ground for good measure. If she needed any confirmation that something was not right, Fukuri didn¡¯t react at all, not even a twitch. The rest of the crowd did though, a collective gasp as she arrived, and then stood up and pulled Fukuri¡¯s veil off, revealing exactly why she hadn¡¯t reacted. Thick wax plugs filled her ears, deafening her to the surroundings, which a heavy blindfold stole her sight, and a heavy, twisted length of rope was wrapped around her mouth to prevent her from saying anything. From the way her cheeks bulged, they probably stuffed her mouth as well to further silence her. The sudden outrage from the crowd and the Priest as they saw Fukuri¡¯s state made it clear that this was not normal, or expected. ¡°Guards, seize that woman!¡± came a shrill order, from what looked to be The Master¡¯s Wife. Well, she could play that game just as well. ¡°Look after her¡± Estaria ordered the Priest, the burning fury in her eyes startling the man to a point he didn¡¯t even question a slave giving an order, just did as he was told and grabbed Fukuri to hide behind the stand together. Fucking bastards made sure she was completely helpless, with the clink of manacles following Fukuri¡¯s every move. The Guards hesitated for a second on getting close, as they properly recognized who they were about to face. But then, they moved in anyway, blades at the ready, to fulfil their order. Chapter 40 So this was what it was like to be a hero, huh? To stand against hordes uncountable and protect the innocent maiden. Ok, so there were actually about eight guards, and the twelve Druchii who were supporting The Master enough to pull out a knife rather than flee from the room by whatever door they could. But she liked being dramatic, it was fun. ¡°I can see you are glancing around me, wondering if you can get to the shit behind me¡± Estaria commented, giving a cruel smile and then taking a step back to crush the Son¡¯s head with her foot. The helmet dented and the skull crunched with a sickening sound, oozing blood all over the floor in short order. This incensed the group of guards, who rushed with a wild cry. The first guard took a blow to the chestplate, and the second a blow to the helmet. Both were knocked off their feet, though a third came and sliced a chunk off her Luck bar. Their capabilities and qualities really did mark them as the best the Master could get, no doubt held in case the Witches tried to reclaim their lost lamb. Still, Es wasn¡¯t going to just give up because they were good at what they did, and threw a kick to the guy¡¯s head, tossing him to the floor. Heavy armour and considerable resilience allowed the other two to stagger to their feet, though the crowd was staying back as they watched Estaria go to town. Blocking one of the swords on the plates of her gauntlet, she snapped a kick to his leg that crunched bone, and then laid him out again with a vicious headbutt. Not the smartest of ideas given he was wearing a helmet, but she was a bit pissed right now. ¡°I¡¯m alright! Calm down and focus, Estaria!¡± came a shout from behind her. The priest had taken off most of Fukuri¡¯s restraints it seemed, and she was supporting her, even in this traumatic situation. That girl was just an absolute gem. What else she was, was right, getting frustrated and enraged by these lot would help nobody, so she let out an exhale as the third man got back up and the first screamed about his broken leg, making the other guards apprehensive about attacking. Calming herself and entering into the Witch Dance, Estaria would flow forward, lashing out a strike to the thin gorget in the armour, punching through it and collapsing the second man¡¯s throat. The sight and sound seemed to snap the Guards self-control, and the dogpiled like a wild frenzy. All arrogant and refusing to work together, they still took advantage of their other¡¯s misfortune, striking Estaria as she struck, pushing others into her way when she tried to retreat, and generally using their brothers as a weapon the same as their swords. It was a truly terrible way to fight, and Estaria slipped through their armour and delivered powerful blows, but they were effective in returning them, chipping away her luck until there was nothing left, and then biting into her skin, the blades so sharp they sliced deep and viciously. More reinforcements came barreling in through the doors, no doubt the guards stationed at the other entrances. Some where equipped and trained less, so might have been the guards brought by the Nobles, or just lesser houseguard. It didn¡¯t matter, they all died in their arrogance. Eventually, after a lengthy, costly fight, she crushed the skull of the last one underfoot. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. These guards were certainly different Druchii to the ones she had fought before. Before she had wrecked their shit, but now she had her shit wrecked. Though, she did ambush them, at night, with a better weapon than she had now, and they had no armour. So maybe that wasn¡¯t their best moment, unlike these guys now. Half blind from blood pouring out of a cut to her forehead, and having trouble moving her arm from a deep cut that had lacerated muscles, Estaria stood for a few moments, wondering if any more of them were coming. And then she was caught off guard and hit with a pair of knives for her trouble, a few seconds delay as if they were trying to decide if they really should do it or not. One was frantically thrown and just cut open her cheek, but the second lodged painfully into her hip. She quickly shifted her arm in front of her face to catch a third in the forearm, and then rushed into the ground before they could bombard her further. These nobles were good, but underequipped and scared. It made for a massacre, with only a few shots of opportunity managing to land by the time the last Noble was dead at her feet. The boxes at her peripheral were warning her of terrible things to come though. Poison Resisted by High Constitution Poison Resisted by High Constitution You have levelled up Poison Resisted by High Constitution Constitution overwhelmed by Quantity; 5% health lost Constitution overwhelmed by Quantity; 5% health lost Now she was out of the focus of battle, she could feel her veins burning with the poison inside her system. She coughed, and then hacked, throwing her stomach up in an automatic attempt to purge herself of what was killing her, but it was not going well for her at all. And then, just to add more issues, the door slammed open and another group of guards appeared. Pulling the knife out of her forearm, she threw it into the head of the closest man, throwing off the crossbow¡¯s aim and only getting cut by the bolts. Rushing in, the repeater crossbows stuck a bolt into her thigh before she got up close, their lighter armour and shock at her movement speed making it easy to slaughter them in close range. Though, she felt this was going to be one of those tragic heroine stories, where they die in a valiant last stand. Her health was 25%, her body was stiff from all the projectiles lodged in it, Fatigue was creeping up slowly past 50%, and she didn¡¯t doubt more would come after word got out. So staggering back into the main hall, she would approach the priest and Fukuri. Her hands were free from the dress, but the thick iron manacles were not coming undone, and it seemed the key was nowhere to be found. ¡°Es! You¡­holy shit, you look-¡± Fukuri started, before Estaria snapped her manacles and gave a cocky smile, ruined a little by the blood and fact that her visible eye was glazed and she was swaying. ¡°¡®S good. Get out of here. Secret tunnel¡± Estaria ordered, snapping the ankle manacles. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you! I¡¯m a Witch now, I can fight!¡± she exclaimed, standing up and steadying Estaria. ¡°Na. ¡®Sa lovely dress. Ya gotta protect it¡± Estaria slurred, staggering back a step. Fukuri watched her, with a heavy heart, and then pulled her in for a kiss. ¡°We all love you, Estaria. Don¡¯t die on us now¡± Fukuri said, stepping back and turning for the door. She couldn¡¯t convince Es to do anything but what she has always been doing, protecting her sisters. ¡°Some more than others, ehh?¡± Es asked, shifting towards the door and lurching like a golem. Fukuri gave no reply, probably didn¡¯t even hear. Staggering across the bloodsoaked floor, she would see The Master at the front of the house, staring with a mixture of awe and fear. ¡°...How? How did you do all this?!¡± he shrieked, pulling his sword out and pointing it at Estaria. ¡°¡®M fuckin Tara The Bloody Bunny¡± Es replied, with a hacking laugh. It was then that the Master noticed the state she was in. Barely holding together with grit and pride..however strong she might have been, this was not even going to be a fight¡­ Chapter 41 Normally, the Master of the City wouldn¡¯t be a terrible opponent. Hard, to be sure, he was well trained and well equipped. But not something she¡¯d bawk at. Unfortunately, right now she was poisoned enough to kill three people, bleeding more blood than she knew she even had, and exhausted from the fight before. It sort of evened the odds a little, and would make this quite the challenge. Lurching forward, she moved into range, risking it all on getting a punch in before he could hit with his swung blade. Fortunately, she was better than she thought, because the man¡¯s arm just detached as she got close, and she landed her punch with no issues, enough damage to blow through his luck and give him a good whack on the schnozz. Ha, what a great word, schnozz. The Master, understandably, was a little irate. He had just had his arm cut off and punched in the face with a spiked gauntlet in one move, anyone facing that kind of hax mode power would not be happy. He seemed as if he was questioning whether he should run or try and make a second shot, and just stood there. Almost frozen to the spot. ¡°I know, she¡¯s quite beautiful, even like that, huh?¡± Filnon asked, the sword by her side dripping with blood. Right, of course, that was the logical explanation for the guy being disarmed, not Estaria developing sudden dismembering powers. ¡°You! Damn Witches!¡± the Master shouted, wildly swinging at Filnon, though she might as well have been a mile away from close the blow came to hitting her. ¡°I had it all planned out. I was going to be the Lord of Har Ganeth! My son would sit on the Black Council and be unparalleled compared to this ilk, this town! And you, for the sake of one insignificant bitch, you ruined all-¡± His monologue was cut off by Estaria putting a fist through his chest and ripping out his heart, which was quickly disposed of. ¡°Ew¡± was Estaria¡¯s first reaction. There was a surprisingly large amount of blood involved with punching through a person¡¯s chest and ripping out their heart. With that done, Fukuri gone, and no more immediate threats, Estaria would slump against the doorframe and slide down onto her ass. Poisons and fatigue were real bothers when put together in high doses with an adrenal crash and blood loss. Filnon quickly ran to Es¡¯ side and started patching up her wounds with store-bought bandages and creams. ¡°We have to get you home¡± Filnon exclaimed, stopping the bleeding as best she could. ¡°Mmm, I am craving a good night¡¯s sleep right now. City sounds a bit of a mess though¡± Es replied, leaning against Filnon as her arm was slung around the Druchii¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, I mean your home. To The Empire¡± Filnon replied, simple, straight to the point, and relying on a pragmatic look of the situation over emotions. But Es, just stared at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I got some blood in my ear, can you repeat that?¡± Es finally asked as they hobbled down the road. She was absolutely right about the state of the place, Witch fought Guard in a violent orgy of bloodshed. ¡°Get you to The Empire. The political scene is going to explode now the Witches have attacked the standing army of a City. We are going to Har Ganeth to offer our services in exchange for sanctuary, but we have no idea how you¡¯ll be received. So we need to get you back where you belong so you aren¡¯t part of what is to come¡± It was all very logical, but there was a small flaw with that, so Estaria would shove Filnon off and stand shakily in front of her, eyes ablaze with fury. ¡°Say what you actually mean¡± Estaria exclaimed, not sure a city in flames when she could barely stand was a good place to have this long-brewing argument, but this was where it came out. It seemed like the world was silently mocking her for letting things build up, because they will always explode at the worst moments. ¡°You are jealous and possessive and because you can¡¯t have me, you want to send me away so nobody can have me¡± Estaria accused, pointing wildly at the Druchii. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Shocked she had been so transparent about the whole thing, Filnon didn¡¯t even bother to try and deny it, and just scowled at herself, holding her arm awkwardly. ¡°How can I not? You are the only person I can even begin to care about. I tried with the Witches, but they¡­just, I can¡¯t. The best I can do is not hate them for who they are, but I still can¡¯t see them as anything other than just¡­there¡± Es and Filnon were temporarily interrupted by a guard who thought he could take them while distracted, and got a dagger in the shoulder for his efforts, his helmet crunched in along with his head as Es delivered a killing blow while Filnon¡¯s dagger distracted him. ¡°Why do you think I haven¡¯t escaped yet?!¡± Estaria retorted angrily, making sure the guy was super-dead by breaking his face against the wall until there was no more face. She was pissed that that had slipped out in the heat of the moment, but there was no point trying to pretend it hadn¡¯t now, so just turned to Filnon. ¡°The first few days were understandable. New place, exhausted, no gear. But then what? I was refreshed, had run enough dungeons to buy survival gear, knew roughly where I was due to some sneaky observations of a map, and even had a few more levels. Sure, sucks to lose the sword, but sometimes you just gotta take your lumps. I could go down, to The New World, and get into an Empire Colony, find my way back home from there. Or even just rush to the coast, grab a row-boat, and off to Ulthuan¡± Estaria would exhale, and Filnon took the opportunity to speak up. ¡°Terrible plans. The New World is a long way off even as fast as you are, and filled with wild and unknown dangers. Ulthuan is dangerous for it¡¯s own reasons. They might not call them slaves, but the humans on that island are as free as the ones here¡± Hearing that, and the honesty in Filnon¡¯s voice, it threw her off a bit and she had to think for a few moments to recover where she was. ¡°Point stands! I¡¯m strong, fast, equipped for the trials, can hide in Dungeons if I really need to. It was not a great plan, but it was one I could pull off if I felt the need. And yet, what then? I get home and am surrounded by these mewling little insects, with the only people I ever felt close to an entire ocean away. I can not get home and look at Elaine and see a person I hate. Or even a person I just don¡¯t have any feelings for¡± Estaria would continue her rant, picking up a brick and launching it down the road, bashing off a helmet of a guard who had a Witch pinned in a corner. ¡°So I stay here until I can feel properly around the human slaves. But every day I grow further from them as I grow in power. And I can¡¯t stop growing in power or this place will kill me, and then you, and nothing will ever change. Back then showed me I can make a mess but ultimately they won¡¯t notice when it takes a hundred men to kill me. I need to get stronger, and to do that, I will grow further from people. So, can I ever leave? Am I doomed to be stuck here forever? I can¡¯t just risk it all on some ill-conceived notion of physical freedom. It¡¯s just one collar for another, then¡± Slumping against the nearby wall, she¡¯d shake her head. The poison had mostly gone, her fatigue was in manageable levels, and she wasn¡¯t bleeding to death anymore, so she was back to her proper self, physically. ¡°And now you¡¯ve saved my life. And I know you want to be closer than we are, but I don¡¯t know what to do! I don¡¯t want you to feel like I was ever obligated to get with you, but I don¡¯t want to just hang on forever, missing a good opportunity on the off-chance that I somehow just stop feeling like this one day and then get back home after the weeks or months or even years since I left and she¡¯s still there waiting for me dutifully because that ever happens. Elaine is a lovely woman but there is a reason soldiers are apprehensive at getting close to someone and promiscuous as a result. I have seen partners jump ship the next week after their other half left for campaign¡± Clearly having been tormented over this for a while, Estaria let it all bleed out of her. It was the perfect moment, given they were throwing all the cards on the table. ¡°Now I just feel bad for being petty¡± Filnon commented, scratching the back of her head. ¡°Good. But also I am sorry. We should have talked about this sooner but I was just letting you get your head around what you wanted to say. Should have been more open with you. I am thankful for the support you¡¯ve given me, and I care about you like I care about all the Witches¡± Estaria would step up to Filnon and take her hands softly. ¡°If you can handle me sharing my love, I will try and include you more in it. And then once we take over Naggorand and return to The Empire, we can find Elaine and see if the throne can seat three, ok?¡± Estaria¡¯s cheerily stated suggestion gave Filnon a touch of courage, and so with a shaky smile, she would nod. ¡°Bold of you to think you will not be kneeling in front of my Throne¡± Filnon replied, still seeming shaky but otherwise trying to regain control. ¡°We absolutely need to find Elaine. You two would have a blast¡± Estaria would grin, and then the grin faded a bit when she realized it was her they would be having a blast with. ¡°But for now, catastrophic uprising. We should probably get back to it, no?¡± Estaria suggested, gesturing to the screaming city. It was a great suggestion, so Filnon nodded, and pulled out her swords. More emotionally free than she had been in a while. Chapter 42 The city, was on fire. Was kind of to be expected really, since when the guards started fighting the Witches, the slaves took this as an oppitunity to revolt, and started setting fire to anything and everything they could get their hands on. Estaria fought them when they got in her way, and felt nothing about crushing them under heel. They weren¡¯t of use enough to be with the Witches or the Guards, so why bother mourning for them? If there was one thing you could always say about humans, it was that there would always be more of them, whatever you did. Though Filnon had no intention of trying to take on the city, and so made a beeline for the Cult, with Estaria in tow. Here, she was deposited inside, ostensibly to defend the women yet to be fully fledged Witches. And yet, everyone was aware that it was so she could rest the many wounds she had obtained rescuing Fukuri. She would stand and protect them if someone came to attack, but until that point, it was a valid excuse to get her off her feet. ¡°You are an idiot¡± a voice came from behind Estaria after she arrived and took a slumped guard position. Looking over, there was the elegant beauty of Fukuri, a long blade in it¡¯s sheath and Witch Armour ready for war. ¡°Maybe, but I couldn¡¯t let you get in a fight. It was a very pretty dress¡± Estaria replied, with a coy smile. Fukuri seemed still a little disturbed about the whole situation, but trying her best to fight it off by focusing on the situation at hand. ¡°Tsk. I ripped that thing off and burned it in the braziers as soon as I got here¡± Fukuri replied, bristling at the idea of wearing it any longer. ¡°I guess it was a bit unfeeling of me to suggest you keep the horrific kidnap dress¡± Estaria replied, scratching her head softly. ¡°Ehh, you weren¡¯t wrong. It was a lovely dress. Just¡­you know¡± Fukuri would shrug and turn from the topic, looking out into the burning city. It was good that she was here, it let Es take a nap. She was thinking about asking about Aria, but Fukuri had enough troubles right now, and it was pretty obvious what happened to the Hag, given everything. A nap turned out to be a lot more needed than she expected, because next thing she knew, she was gently shaken awake by someone trying to wash the dried blood off her face. Opening her eyes, she took the cloth off the young Druchii and suggested she go help someone who needed it a bit more. From the buzz of the situation, the wounded Witches around, and everyone here rather than out there, the fight had come to an end, in victory for their side. There was never any doubt, with Filnon on their side, only how long it would take them. Speaking of, Filnon was not around. So, cleaning off her face and giving the rag off to get washed, she would walk out into the city. It was a mess, death was everywhere, and half the cit was smoldering, burned out or destroyed from the fights. Using the minimap, and navigating over the wreckage and ruin, she managed to find Filnon, staring into a pyre where she was stripping the dead guards and then throwing them on.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Are all Death Nights like this?¡± She asked, stepping up to the woman and reaching out to take Filnon¡¯s hand. The mood and moment was somber, but Filnon didn¡¯t need someone moping around. She needed some light-hearted levity to get her out of the blood-drenched mindset that she was in. ¡°I thought I hated them¡± Filnon replied, looking up to Estaria, and then looking back to the pyre again. ¡°I thought I could just get rid of them all without blinking an eye. But, turns out I really just pity them. The lives they live, the society they are in, the troubles they have. It¡¯s not hatred after all¡± Filnon would run her free hand through her hair and shake her head at the situation, giving a self-depreciating laugh. ¡°They would call me a pathetic wastral for feeling such emotions. But, they are there, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. Druchii society being as it is, I am going to need to kill them en masse again before the end, and I am going to feel such pity for each one I slay, every time¡± Filnon would then let out a sudden noise as Estaria dragged her into a hug. ¡°I get it. There is a difference between killing one or two people in a heated situation, and butchering dozens of your own kind in rapid succession. We get plenty of soldiers in the army that get the shakes or freeze up or have nightmares after their first fight. We know they are our enemy, we know they hate us, we know they will kill us if given a moment of hesitation. And yet we can¡¯t help but feel despair for killing so many of our own people. I think it¡¯s some kind of survival mechanism. While self-defense and one or two is never much of an issue, slaughtering dozens of your own kind has some kind of mental impact that makes you not want to do it. We are all hard-wired towards violence, and this helps us not wipe ourselves out. If it is a big problem, we can look into giving people a choice to surrender, to talk it out or otherwise deal with this in a none hostile situation. We know they are rarely going to accept it, or even if they do accept it, they are going to try and take advantage of that to kill us. But, we can offer, because it puts our mind at ease¡± Filnon would look up at Estaria after her explanation, and nod softly. It was a great offer, and a great idea. ¡°So, tell me what we got planned now. Here is a little depopulated and burned down to really be worth staying around¡± Estaria asked, picking up one of the corpses and hefting it onto the Pyre to help Filnon with her body-clearing guilt. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie to say we are going to Har Ganeth. A dangerous trek through the wilderness, and then glorious arenas the likes of which have never been seen by either of us¡± Filnon spoke, looking over to Es and then giving a soft attempt at a smile. ¡°So you might need this¡± she would hold up a sword, which Es tenatively took, and pulled out. A runed Scimitar, glowing softly with the power of Winter, she immediately knew what it was. ¡°Ulric¡¯s Fang! You found it!¡± she exclaimed, grinning widely, glad to have it bad in her possession. ¡°Mmm, it was put in processing, and then disappeared from there. Turned up in the hands of one of the Master¡¯s Guards, which I liberated¡± Filnon explained. Though despite her glee, Es pursed her lips. ¡°You know, good as the thing is, I¡¯ve gotten used to my fists, and kind of like the intimacy of it these days. And you dual wield shortswords, so a sword this size is no use to you. But¡­it¡¯s perfect for Fukuri¡± Estaria commented, nodding softly. ¡°You spoil that girl like she¡¯s your own daughter. First the Heart, now this sword? Honestly, it¡¯s enough to make someone jealous¡± Filnon would tease, trying to get out of her slump. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll just spoil you later tonight, hmm?~ Always wanted to see how well I could do a massage¡± ¡°That, my dear Estaria, sounds like a damn good deal¡± Chapter 43 Surprising everyone with her self-control, Filnon didn¡¯t try anything during the shower or after the massage. She was really trying to keep her end up, which was lovely to see. Didn¡¯t hurt that the massage kind of sucked though. Manual dexterity aside, Es just lacked the skill to do it properly, and so ultimately just ended up rubbing her back some. Though that was nice regardless, and they had a good night¡¯s sleep together. The morning brought even more delight as well, as it seemed that people got up early to sort out their trek towards Har Garath. The Neutral Druchii that didn¡¯t get involved in either side of the fight, and the valued slaves who had a life worth living here, were gathering supplies and preparing carts to head through the tundra. For her part, Estaria ran a pair of C-ranks - not so strong yet that B-ranks were perfunctory - and pushed the last little slivers of exp into the new level. This whole bloody exp trait had to be when she was at 4 traits a level, huh? Though Filnon was enjoying herself, at level 54, she¡¯d already gotten her three traits that helped Estaria level properly. Though the grind to 100 had never seemed so real. Breakfast was had, Filnon went to go talk to people about the specifics, and Estaria dressed modestly for the first time in weeks, helping out the porters and slaves getting the caravan ready. The cage wagon was used as a storage wagon, to help fit everything in, and because nobody was going to be running away from the convoy in the middle of the tundra. Even Estaria doubted she could manage that, however much she tried to convince Filnon that she absolutely could do that if she wanted to. Mid-day came and went before Filnon arrived, to a mostly packed wagon and slaves milling around doing final prep work. Nothing like your impending horrible death to bring Druchii and human together. ¡°So we are heading out tomorrow, because there is a snowstorm rolling in and we don¡¯t wanna get caught in that. We¡¯ve got the day to ourselves, so wanna run a dungeon? We could kick an A-rank and see where that gets us¡± Filnon suggested. The idea of some good exp was appealing. Money was not really any good to her anymore, as she had recently checked and a player could only buy a single orange item from the shop. But the rest of the enticement was nice. Getting dressed in her fighting garb and then talking Filnon¡¯s hand, they would port into the A-rank, which was the city in about the same state. Though the people milling about were different. Their name colouration put them a level about Estaria, so Filnon would have little issue fighting them off, but who they were was more interesting than their power level. ¡°They look like them Ulthuan Elves¡± Estaria commented, nodding softly. She always wanted to fight one of them. Though they weren¡¯t in a talking mood, and she had to quickly dodge an arrow shot at her. Filnon replied with a pair of daggers, and they were off to the fight. Es rushed in with wild speed, deflected the first spear thrust and then drove a fist into the man¡¯s chestplate. Double Slice got a second one in right on the first and crunched his armour, allowing a wild spinning heel kick to delete his head. Filnon was keeping his friend off her while she was having her little spar, which gave Es an opportunity. ¡°I supported you last time, so I get to fight the boss this time~¡± Es exclaimed, cackling madly at Filnon¡¯s playful glare, and then heading on in. The sound of battle attracted the attention of the Elves, but Filnon and Estaria were not opponents that would be slowed by the likes of them. Their teamwork was not great, but they each knew how to at least keep out of each other¡¯s way. And Estaria was really enjoying her new Queen¡¯s Step, flipping onto the enemy¡¯s spear and then flipping again, driving an axe-kick into the enemy¡¯s helmet.These guys were well disciplined but it seemed not so prepared for wacky wahoo acrobatics. Especially when the breach Es made left an opening for Filnon to come in and help out.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. They were strong buggers, and fighting them alone would definitely have gone back for Es, but with Filnon here and the support she was giving, Estaria was able to focus better on her singular targets and demolish them. Filnon it seemed excelled in mass combat, a beautiful dance that showcased what one could truly do with Witch Dance, rather than Estaria¡¯s mimicry of it. Filnon was good at a 1v1, as Estaria could manage herself in a group, but watching her deal with the quickly scattering infantry was where she was sublime. Objectively faster than Estaria, that must have been the Druchii racial trait on show. Filnon was wildly precise in the most minute of situations. Blades taking advantage of the thinnest windows to spill blood. Something Estaria could manage with a gun, but not quite something she had managed with a sword. The poor bastards were routed and pushed back until they got to what was the Master¡¯s Mansion. Estaria and Filnon killed everyone and everything, right up to the limit to farm the most exp from this place, and then went for the boss when there were no more fights. Took a minute to rest from the fatigue though, and regenerate their luck. ¡®Easy¡¯ though it seemed, they were still pretty pressed as they got into it. There, at the Master¡¯s Mansion, stood a man with a glorious greatsword and gear far more than his peers. A light red colouration marked him as ¡®Swordsmaster of Hoeth¡¯ ¡°Druchii and an enslaved warrior. A strange mix¡± the Swordsmaster would comment, raising his sword in front of him. ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t get so high and mighty you shit, you have slaves just the same as they do¡± Estaria exclaimed, walking up to him. ¡°The servants come willingly for the wisdom of-¡± the Swordsmaster when then shift suddenly, blocking Estaria¡¯s punch with his sword. ¡°Cut the shit and just get to fighting¡± Es ordered, kicking his leg in with a Quicksilver Viper and then rolling a punch to his head that he managed to avoid by counterbalancing himself with the greatsword. Wheeling backwards, he would then strike out, initially out of range but with a radical shift of footwork, cut Estaria¡¯s Luck in half, and still managed to recover the blade enough to bash her with the hilt when she tried to close the gap. She had thought it impossible to wield a Greatsword with such finesse that it was almost a whip, but here he was proving her wrong on that front. The hilt strike drove her away, and then he recovered his blade in an instant and swung it again. Estaria was ready for it this time, and bent backwards, lashing her foot up at a precise moment to hit the blade and knock it up into the air, flipping backwards from her bending and getting on all fours, she rocked herself towards the man, tackling him to the ground as the blade came for another strike. Glorious though he was on two feet, he didn¡¯t seem to have as good of a ground game, and with a contest of strength, Es wrestled the blade away from him and then broke his arm with a satisfying crunch. Not one to just give in, he would pull a knife and stick it in Estaria¡¯s side, doing a considerable amount of damage despite her armour. Reaching back to grab his hand and force it still so he couldn¡¯t pull out and stab her again, she¡¯d lash punches into his face, burning all her Cool to release a one-handed barrage against him. Eventually, there was no more face, and no more Swordsmaster, which was just fine for her. ¡°Now that was a sword guy¡± Filnon commented, giving a gentle clap in appreciation. ¡°Right? Fuckin¡¯ how? That sword is like seven pounds and he swung it like it was a strand of grass¡± Estaria commented, shaking her head and pulling the knife out of her side. She didn¡¯t need to worry about bleeding to death or anything, dungeon wounds healed. And besides, she got something real nice for her troubles. Total Obliteration 30000+10000 gold earned. Ice earned. You have levelled up You have levelled up Two levels, a shit ton of money, and something called Ice. Back in town, she¡¯d buy the third of three traits and feel a weight lifted, freedom to once again purchase her own traits. Next she opened the inventory and saw ¡®Ice¡¯. This was the greatsword that the guy had just kicked her ass with, and she was half tempted to just use it as a weapon. But, they weren¡¯t her thing, so she¡¯d just select it to sell it. However, a new option ¡®Dismantle¡¯ showed up as well. Curious and getting rid of the thing anyway, she would hit that and get some weapon components and reagents. That must have been where you got the stuff you needed for the Workshop. It even gave her an orange item called ¡®Potent Magical Essence¡¯ which was one of the two things needed to craft an Orange Weapon or Armour. No doubt the other part would be a God-specific item like the heart she gave to Fukuri. Well, no better place to get something like that than the city that worshipped Khaine the most. Still, they weren¡¯t there yet, and so she would help with food cooking, calm some nerves and ease some tension of people gathered, get her own hiking gear, and then tomorrow they would be off. She was a little nervous herself despite what she showed, going to such a huge well known city. What would they be like? Would they look down on her Witches, rustic and backwards by comparison? Would they look down on her? Those, were the questions. Chapter 44 Queen¡¯s Step was of use in the snow, allowing Estaria to range far from the caravan in scouting and then return with swiftness that few could match. She was in a heavy outfit that warded off the cold rather than her fighting uniform, so she had a lot less armour if she ran into something, but would not freeze to death on her patrols. A pay-off she was happy with, honestly. Filnon had the other side, and between them they managed to avoid the bigger, more ugly threats of the Tundra. A few lost Maruader bands, a few Druchii who were mad enough to try their luck, and one young Warhound who had lost it¡¯s mother. Filnon took this doggo in as her own, and fed him as they travelled through the Tundra. Eventually, the freezing cold and long nights huddled around a fire gave way to pounded snow and the heat of civilization. They had lost a few people on the way, since the tundra was cruel and there was not enough time to get proper expedition equipment. Nor were some of the slaves and Druchii the type to survive such an exertion in hostile environment. But the loss of those few was mitigated by the arrival into the glorious city of Khaine, Har Garath. The guards at the gate were curious as to what happened, but a conversation with the new Hag that the Witches had elected during the walk over here allowed them to enter and get settled down into the Coven. Far from what Es was used to, this was a mighty edifice, a place of power and respect that loomed over the entire city. The slaves they had brought were gathered and put to work clearing the supplies out of the cage and into the new rooms that the Witches had been given, and that ultimately meant Estaria. Not that she minded a bit of manual work, honestly. Though an hour into it, when they were nearly done, she was approached silently by one of the Witches while she was in the storeroom. ¡°So you are the Chain-Witch, huh?¡± The woman asked. Es stood up and turned around, looking for other people before realizing the Witch was talking, to her. ¡°Yes¡± Estaria exclaimed, nodding. She was so glad to have a title that wasn¡¯t the one from the other damned city. ¡°That was a quick acceptance. What do you have against Bloody Bunny?¡± the woman asked, with a raised eyebrow. Estaria¡¯s face turned a scarlet red from embarrassment and temper, and she got to straightening the boxes with a feverish focus. ¡°Sorry. Fukuri is chittering to everyone about how awesome you were, and let slip that one. Though, from what I hear it is rather accurate. You bounce about, and spill blood. Though Fukuri is giving us quite the tale, how you carved a dozen men to pieces and slew a noble to save her from the foul clutches of her enemy¡± The Witch would give a grin, leaning against the wall, and Estaria¡­stopped her frantic sorting, and sighed. ¡°What is it with Witches and exaggerating my capabilities? She missed out the part where they seemingly couldn¡¯t work together, and the part where I was pretty much fucked at the end of it and needed rescuing by Filnon before I got killed by the Master¡± Estaria replied, giving a shake of her head. ¡°Ahh, stop with the self-depreciation. The fact that you managed to go through more than a pair of the Lordlings is cause for celebration. The Sisters want to dance with you in the arena, if you are up for it¡± The Witch commented.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°The sisters?¡± Estaria asked, confusion evident in tone and voice. Turning, she¡¯d gesture lightly to come walk with her out of the store room. ¡°Ahh, right. You don¡¯t have any of them. Sisters Of Slaughter are a sort of elite Witch who has excelled beyond the others. Hag is a command rank, but Sisters of Slaughter are meritorical. Doesn¡¯t matter who you are, you don¡¯t get with them if you can¡¯t pass the trials¡± ¡°So are you one of these Sisters then?¡±¡°Bah, no! I tried once, but got my fuckin¡¯ arse kicked. Those Sisters are a different breed of Druchii. Which is why I am excited to see you fight them, so I can see if you live up to Fukuri¡¯s hype or if she just has stars in her eyes from your gallant rescue¡± That was quite the thing to live up to, so Estaria took a breath and diverted off for a moment to get out of her current garb and into her fighting gear, before returning and nodding to the Witch. ¡°Fashion sense as well as beauty. Ohh, we are jealous of the love you have for Filnon¡± the Witch exclaimed, giving a grin. Though Es flushed again and shook, dipping her head low. ¡°I don¡¯t love her! We are just, together. She picked me up and I got to not die in the Tundra. We are just each other¡¯s supporter in her goals, that¡¯s all¡± Estaria¡¯s protests just seemed to entertain the Witch further, and the soft chuckles persisted all the way to the arena. Here, three white haired women stood waiting for Estaria. Each one had a soft red name, and even as they stood waiting for her, swayed with grace and dexterity that a human would find impossible to comprehend. This, really was a different breed, huh? Their level of power was quite intimidating for Estaria, though she wouldn¡¯t let that put her off, and just took her stance, activating Witch Dance for it¡¯s buffs and prepping for the fight ahead. ¡°That part of the tale is right. It¡¯s surprising to find a Human with the dexterity and capability to learn our Dance. My enthusiasm grows even further¡± the Witch commented, stepping back into the stands with the rest of her sisters to enjoy the show. Estaria hoped to put on a good show, though had little faith in that capability without Filnon by herself to support her against these kind of foes. Their speed was monstrous. In an eyeblink, they were there in front of Estaria. She managed to reflect the first punch and move to twist the woman¡¯s arm into a breaking bind, but her second friend came in with perfect teamwork, and struck Estaria¡¯s elbow, causing her to lose the grip with a spasm of pain. The third Sister flipped over the First and drove an axe-kick to Estaria¡¯s head, who bent backwards and used her Quicksilver Viper to lash a blow to the woman¡¯s calf, knocking her kick off course and causing a nasty bruise to show up. Flipping fully backwards from her bending, she barely managed to roll her head to avoid the punch from the first, and got a fist in the face from the second. Clearing space for a moment with a wild swing of her fist, the third Sister was on her with a blow to the ribs, which rolled her into the first sister¡¯s roundhouse kick. Sure, 3v1 was a bit cheating, but these girls fought like they were all the same entity. So on point, so aware of each other and ready to capitalize on their gains and cover their losses. It was quite amazing to see honestly. If you weren¡¯t on the receiving end of it, then it hurt a lot. Still, Estaria was not a woman who gave up, and as she rolled from the roundhouse kick, she would avoid a punch by going full splits, and then sweep her legs rapidly, knocking over one of the Sisters. Kipping Up, she deployed an elbow block for one of the thrown punches and then stepped in and slammed a palm against the second Sister¡¯s chest, throwing her whole weight into it to push her away if nothing else. The desperate reversal of fortunes was reversed when she moved to hit the third Sister but got countered and flipped over her hip, the Sister twisting in mid air to land with her knee in Estaria¡¯s back and both arms held tightly in a harsh lock. ¡°Truly, you are a wonder of a fighter. You will make an exceptional addition to our Coven¡± the Hag who had been preceding exclaimed, clapping. ¡°I truly look forward to your exploits in the field, my dear¡± Chapter 45 After - at least from her perspective - a humiliating defeat at the hands of the three Sisters, Estaria got out of her war-garb and back into her normal clothes so as not to stand out so much, and then got back to her work of moving and setting up. Filnon had a lovely little house of her own, nothing spectacular but better than what she had before. A large bed that would comfortably fit both of them - something that made Estaria raise a suspicious eyebrow - and a decent wardrobe to fit a lot of lovely clothes that Filnon was no doubt going to get and dress Estaria up in in the future. Somehow, that idea didn¡¯t really bother her too much. The idea had been tickling her since the day Filnon had done exactly that with the hair and makeup and outfit¡­Gah! Her brain was all over the place recently! Living a high octane lifestyle of murder and bloodshed was really riling her, and she couldn¡¯t think properly. Plus there was that promise of including Filnon more in the love she had for people, and the quickly dawning realization that even if they did take over Naggarond, it would take them years to accomplish. And they were more likely going to just die. To ease all this stress, she finished up here and then went outside and found her way to The Arena. There was a lot of prep needed to slip another person into an already prepared fight, so she was waiting in the training room for an hour before they finally got back to her. The Gladiators here were a lot better trained, equipped, and capable than the ones back where Filnon last lived. She was not kidding when she mentioned arenas beyond their wildest dreams. Standing at the gate in her sultry leather uniform and gauntlets, she got some looks from her partners, some sniggers, and one or two cat-calls. She felt an urge to mess with them, but eventually held it in and just waited for the gate to open. Wasn¡¯t a fight to the death, but to surrender or unconsciousness, so she could restrict herself and play a bit more. Gate opened, a dozen well-armed Gladiators came out from the other side, and Estaria took off like a lightning bolt. The partners closed in behind, and were surprisingly good at sliding Estaria into their party. It was a bloody massacre, and she could see a woman in a VIP Box get a cold and hostile stare from the outcome. Clearly there were some bets that had gone south with her sudden inclusion. One of the enemy was a lot better than the rest, so this game was possibly even fixed and she had destroyed all sorts of plans. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping. I could use a good workout¡± she muttered, following the Gladiators back into their spot, washing off the grime of battle, and then leaving. As fun as it was, she should probably make sure Filnon was settling in fine. Didn¡¯t work out like that however, as ten minutes into her casual meander back home, a well-dressed Druchii appeared before her. White name, so clearly not a Lord or anything like that, but definitely seemed to have an upper-class air about him. ¡°The Lady of Har Garath requests your presence¡± the courtier would comment. By the tone, it was clear that ¡®request¡¯ meant ¡®come immediately¡¯ but Estaria still needed to question. ¡°I¡­should, someone tell my mist-¡± Estaria would then pause and stand shocked at herself. So casually about to call Filnon her Mistress. Which, to be fair that was exactly what she was, but still¡­Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Mistress. About, my, visit?¡± Estaria would stutter out, feeling somewhere between shocked and delighted to be saying such a thing. Her body was all aquiver, jittering with nervous energy as she tried to deal with her thoughts on the situation. ¡°We shall dispatch a runner¡± the courtier would reply, a clipped tone to his voice as if irritated at even a minor delay. ¡°Then please, lead on¡± she would state. The next hour was rough. Of course, meeting a powerful head of the state in her current garb was a massive faux pas, but they didn¡¯t have to be so rough about it. Getting her washed by a pair of soft-handed bath slaves, hair styled and puffed up, and then put in a low-cut dress that made her feel like she actually belonged in a Court. A tight silk underskirt pressed her legs together, and a corset pulled in her waist to cut a much more comely figure. Ladies took dainty steps and had slim waists, she was told, and so this would help her look the part as much as the dress would. Her slave brand and collar were still on show, so nobody could mistake her nature and position, but to just glance at her would be to see a Noblewoman of renown. She hoped they let her keep the dress, though probably¡­not. Entering into the court, she would see a dozen people gathered around a high-stepped throne. They were powerful individuals, yellow and light orange, but the spookiest part was the woman atop the throne. Hellebron - Blood Queen of Har Ganeth A crimson red name, but one that seemed to be dripping with blood rather than just a colour. That kind of fancy effect was quite incredible to see, and along with the title, quite intimidating to boot, so she would give her best curtsey at the foot of the throne. ¡°I am deeply honoured by your summons, Your Majesty¡± Estaria would speak, staying dipped low and waiting for the words. ¡°Such a pretty child¡± the heavily cloaked woman on the throne spoke, in a haggard and raspy tone. She would then raise from her throne and descend, reaching out to grab Estaria¡¯s head and pull it up to meet her ancient and worn eyes. ¡°You are like a tornado in my fair city, destroying order with your presence¡± News travelled fast, it seemed, and Estaria dipped her eyes since she could not bow her head right now. Estaria wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with this, so just went for the brutal honesty of the situation. It helped with the terror of being in the Queen¡¯s grasp, a subconscious feeling that they were only a second away from a sudden and brutal death at her hands. ¡°I am sorry for barging into the arena like that, Queen Hellebron. I¡­.was bored¡± The courtiers behind her, watching and shuffling about, fell silent. Hellebron too, seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and Estaria held her breath waiting for a killing blow. And then there was laughter. Old, wheezing, crooked laughter. It started at Hellebron, and then swept across the court, infecting even the guards and servants around. ¡°Such a delight. This city will be all the better for your presence. How much shall I pay you for her?¡± Hellebron asked the second part of that to someone behind Estaria, letting go of her and walking past. Estaria would turn around and her breath caught in her throat. Filnon was there, but dressed like she had never seen her before. A high pony tail put her pointy ears on show, and a long, elegant skirt contrasted with the sultry bodice that showed a lot more of her torso than it covered. A gilded belt of sorts held some kind of Druchii rune, and gold-etched forearm guards completed the ensemble of a rich and powerful Witch. She was so beautiful, Estaria couldn¡¯t think, could barely keep her strapped knees from knocking together. ¡°Your offer flatters me, Great Crone¡± Filnon would speak, circling with Hellebron a few times in some kind of ceremonial greeting, before breaking off to walk up to Estaria and gently take hold of her chin. ¡°But there are no riches or boons in this world that would ever replace this one in my heart¡± Filnon would then finish off the claim by planting a deep kiss on Estaria¡¯s lips. Murmurs of the court filled the room, but Hellebron seemed not to take offence to it. ¡°Then I shall merely extend a hand. Whenever you need it, we shall shelter your beloved human pet¡± Hellebron would return to her throne, and gesture to the door. ¡°May your stay in my city be fruitful. We shall weather the coming storm, together¡± Chapter 46 The coming storm, didn¡¯t come. At least, not for her. Estaria was expecting something, but not the complete lack of something that happened after. Filnon made a few pleasantries, introduced herself and Estaria, and then left. With the dress, no less, which was a big win in Estaria¡¯s book. They were silent on the return to the Coven, and then once they got to their room, Filnon left. Not a word said or gesture made the whole way there¡­Fucking hell this whole thing was so complicated, why couldn¡¯t she just be a Druchii and jump her bones already? Estaria would have a lot less of a problem surrendering to in this situation, than she would just having to¡­actually deal with them. Stress mounting in waves, she got out of her clothes and into her battle garb, deciding to go run herself an A-rank dungeon. Either it¡¯d burn out the stress, or she¡¯d die and that would also burn out the stress because it would be really sucky to have the debuff. Fortunately, she did not get that far, as just after finishing her dressing, Fukuri would appear at the door. ¡°Hey, Fukuri. You, need something?¡± Estaria asked. ¡°Well, yea, but. Why does it look like you are gearing up to go kill something?¡± Fukuri would ask, her head slightly cocked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dear¡± Estaria would walk over and stroke her head, smiling warmly to the woman. While all the tales about the Druchii weren¡¯t entirely false, it was always good to see Fukuri, the living example of how rumors tend to grow more wild with every telling. Though Fukuri seemed irate at being treated like a child, and pouted for a bit before finally coming out and saying it. ¡°I wanted to work with you in the training ground. You¡¯ve grown so much and I wanted to get your help in keeping up with you and Filnon¡± Fukuri would explain, her tone a little more brash than usual, because she wanted to keep up with the woman, currently treating her like a young girl. ¡°Me and Filnon have unfair advantages to our growth and experience. Don¡¯t use us as goals to strive towards, it will only hurt you when we grow further and further away despite your efforts¡± Estaria would tell her, taking a step towards the door. ¡°But don¡¯t be discouraged from training because of that. Come on, I¡¯ll help you out any time you ask¡± The next two hours were spent tutoring Fukuri in combat, sparring, training and advising until Estaria decreed - to heavy opposition from Fukuri - that she it was time to take a break. The gathered Witches seemed to find it amusing, and there was a lighthearted banter about the place to make Fukuri feel less bad about herself. All in all, it was a nice day. The night was less nice, however, since Filnon was still gone, and didn¡¯t come to bed, nor was she here in the morning. Getting up and hurrying out, she would look around the Coven and note that a dozen or so Witches were gone from the place along with Filnon. Maybe they were dealing with the ¡®coming storm¡¯ that was mentioned, but it was annoying she had not even said anything to Estaria.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Fine, just be like that¡± Estaria whispered to herself, resisting the urge to check the mini-map, and just going about her day as normal. Or as normal as she could be in a new city where everyone was watching her, anyway. It was strange, to be the center of attention like this, and kind of flattering to boot. The irritation of Filnon¡¯s departure melted some, and by noon the following day, Estaria was browsing the shops, looking for something to welcome her Mistress home when she was done with whatever it was she had been tasked to do. It took her a few days to browse all the shops between her duties, but eventually, in an upper class quarter of the city, she found the perfect shop, selling extremely high quality servant uniforms of both males and females. Even the overproud slavers that were the Druchii had a few of their lesser number as servants, and the occasional human proved to be of enough worth to earn a spot above the muck. One dress caught her eye, however, as it stood out from the rest. Full length and beautiful like the rest, it shown softly, and had a strange feel to it. Like nothing she had ever seen before. ¡°Just in from Lustria, that. Apparently some sort of plant down that way gives off a sap they have worked into clothing. It looks great, is skin-tight, and apparently keeps the wearer very happy¡± the shopkeeper exclaimed. ¡°Very happy?¡± Estaria asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn¡¯t get any response from that, just a smirk. ¡°Expensive though, supply and demand you know? We¡¯ve only got about four of these in the entire city¡± he continued, nodding towards it. ¡°Pah, I am the Chain-Witch. You think fiances are ever my concern?¡± Estaria would be a little surprised at the tone of her own voice, and quickly pull out her money pouch, shoring it up with some of her System Gold to meet the hefty price tag, and taking the uniform home. It looked strange, and she didn¡¯t want to get caught off guard by anything when she wore it for Filnon, so hung it up and began to get into it. First the underwear, then the knee-high stockings and elbow-length gloves. He was not joking about it being skin tight. The dress went on next, a bit of a struggle given how tight it was, but eventually she pulled it off. Tight around the arms and torso, but easing up just below the waist for the skirt to flair out. It was surprisingly heavy as well, heavier than she expected it to be. Taking a few steps around the room, and then going outside to help the slaves with their duties some, Estaria became intimately aware of what the Shopkeep meant by keeping them very happy. The smell quickly became enarmouring, and the tight feel of it fought her body¡¯s natural gyration, rubbing and stroking all the right places to heat her blood. The unpourous nature of the material mingled her body scent instead of letting it disperse, and her wild state right now made it all the more intoxicating than it had any right to be. People seemed to pick up on this, and there was ribbing and teasing aplenty in the Coven that day. Come the night, Estaria returned to her room. It was a true torture device, this dress. Never did it ever allow her to get off completely, and it was far too gauche to roll up a floor length skirt to get in and ease the pressure that way. So she was wildly on edge as she entered into the room, unable to think of anything but getting it off, getting a shower, and relieving the pressure inside her. So she was mightily pissed off when she got a popup that read ¡®Poison reduced by High Constitution¡¯ The man who had hit her with the pair of darts seemed shocked when she punched him in the face, and then turned to him with a face like thunder. ¡°Do you mind?!¡± she asked the man, who¡¯s nameplate marked him an Assassin. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have come ten¡­twenty minutes later?¡± she asked, pulling the needles out of her side and equipping her gauntlets. ¡°Do you even know what assassinating someone means?¡± He asked, rhetorically. ¡°I hit you at your worst, not your best. Obviously it is going to be now¡± ¡°Well then come on¡± Estaria exclaimed, slamming her fists together. ¡°I need to burn off some pent up emotions anyway¡± Chapter 47 Estaria and the Assassin would watch each other for a moment, and then like lightning rush in to finish the fight in a single move. Though the Assassin, senses honed from an immortal life of Murder, would suddenly ditched his attack and flipp backwards, avoiding the fist on track for his face. He had thought to take it and hit her through the eye with his blade, but he felt like there was no future beyond taking that blow. Estaria, was glad he had dipped, since his blade was like lightning and there was no way she was dodging it. Keeping him on the back foot, Estaria would step forward and lash a crescent kick at him, sweeping blow after blow at him in an attempt to catch him, or at least drive him back so he couldn¡¯t get close enough to use his knives. Unfortunately, he was good at what he did, and before she could push him too far, he lashed and she had to radically change the direction of her kick before he sliced her tendons wide open. As it was, he just got a light nick for his troubles. Staggering back, she¡¯d give the guy a stare, and recollect herself. This was going to be quite a fight. Closing in and circling each other, attacks were lashed out, mostly to keep the other at bay than to actually hit, flensing luck from each of the combatants as they did so . No real opportunity came up, so she was going to have to get risky and make one. Stepping back as she struck at him, she would keep as much of her spacial awareness as she could about her, and head for the bed. Taking it one backed up step at a time, she let him think she was getting pushed back. The increasingly flushed red face and heavy breathing adding to the idea that she was on her last legs. He took the bait, and rushed in, a lunging slash that Estaria would dodge at the last second, though only barely. Her cheek was cut open, and then her ear, before the knife got stuck in the bedpost. The Assassin would cut through the rest of the bedpost in an extremely quick decision, but it was not quick enough, and Estaria¡¯s Quicksilver Viper smashed him in the chest, and knocked him across the room. She felt bones break and knew he was not getting back up. ¡°Ahh~ It¡¯s such a fucking rush fighting in this damn thing¡± Estaria exclaimed, exhaling and laughing softly to herself. Gods above, she could really get used to this. She was so hot from the exertion, and the smell of herself and the suit was just getting wilder. And the extreme motion needed to fight a person was far above what was done in a normal day¡¯s work. Still didn¡¯t actually get her what she needed, which made it a perfect little device for someone teasingly cruel like Filnon. Or someone who liked being teased¡­.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But then, to bring her out of her moment of bliss, a heavy knife hit her shoulder, and sunk deep in, chipping bone. The Assassin staggered to his feet, swayed for a moment, and then moved in to drive his other dagger into her eye. She managed to stop that by grabbing his wrist and then twisting violently, snapping his arm in compound fracture that sprayed blood across the room. A scream of pain from the Assassin was echoed by Estaria¡¯s own as he wrenched the knife out of her shoulder. The savage serrations of the blade ripped her shoulder apart, making it leak blood like a poorly thatched roof in a rainstorm. Not done with her yet, the Assassin would spin and ram the blade into her side, just missing her lung from the rib deflecting the blade. Half-dead and in blinding agony, his legendary precision was marred to a disgraceful degree. Though, it was good then he would not have to live with such disgrace, as Estaria¡¯s fist collided with the side of his head and turned it concave, smashing the man into the ground and having him dead in a heartbeat. Estaria¡¯s mind went into a realm of bleak red rage and for a moment, she let it play out the fantasy of burning the city to the ground and placing every head on a spike so they would know the extent of her wrath. But, eventually, she reigned it in. She couldn¡¯t do such a thing, and only her bloodloss and the poison in her bloodstream made her think otherwise. Ohh, Filnon would probably not like what they had done here at all, but this would not be something Estaria enacted by herself. It wouldn''t be something she could. Even with her levels, the Druchii were just so superior to a human she was unable to mow them down like she would be against your average human. It was only their endless debauchery and backstabbing silent war that kept the world from being totally conquered by the Druchii. Maybe they thought world conquest would be boring, or some crazy Druchii plan. Besides, she had no idea who had even sent such a beautifully talented man to come and kill her. Maybe it was someone from this city, maybe it was someone else. She couldn¡¯t just start throwing accusations about casually. Breathing heavily, and her vision going blurry and gray, her senses were still wildly tuned into the surrounding area, and she could feel someone else was here. So she¡¯d bend down to pick the dropped knife up and point it at the shadowy corner of the room. ¡°Yer want some too?¡± she asked. Though it was not something she got an answer to,as her hands went numb and the knife slipped out of her grip, followed quickly by her passing out from bloodloss and adrenal crash. The last thought in her head was she was going to die without ever having the chance to finalize her thoughts towards Filnon, dying without a chance to reconcile that and resolve it once and for all. Such was her life, to die in a pool of her own blood, surrounded by regrets. Chapter 48 Blood. Everywhere. It surrounded her, filled her nose and lungs. That should have been really bad for her, since humans couldn¡¯t breathe under liquids, but it was fine. This death was much more peaceful than the last one, nobody bothering her, and nothing but the silence of the abyss. It was something she would lounge in forever, if she could. But, eventually someone had to snitch on reality that she couldn¡¯t breathe under water, and she woke with a start, surging toward the surface where she took a huge breath and started coughing out the blood in her lungs. Gods, being alive sucked. When she suddenly erupted from the cauldron, she sprayed blood everywhere from the force of her ascend, her head thrown back dramatically and her hair flicking copious blood across the temple. She was covered in the crimson liquid from head to toe, her lungs burned with the need to breathe, and yet she had never felt better in her life. Inundated by pop-ups, she could do nothing but smile. You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up Exalted Blessing Of Khaine: +120% bleed damage. The Bloodied Knife: +60% Weapon Damage Lord Of All War: Gain level 1 proficiency talents in all weapons With the boxes dismissed and her breathing returned, Estaria looked up to the lip of the cauldron. Her ascension had splashed a great deal of blood out, and now she was floating in it, still too far for her to put her feet on the ground, but also far enough from the lip that it would be a difficulty in jumping out of the water to grab it. On ground, she could make it easily, but blood was thicker than water, and it made it very difficult to try anything. After a few minutes of contemplation, a rope was dropped over the side, and a Witch peered over. Estaria smiled at her and grabbed the rope, climbing out of the cauldron and standing naked and blood-soaked on the platform. Her clothes had disintegrated in the cauldron, which was really sad because they made her look lovely. Surrounding the cauldron were Executioners, Witches, Dreadlords and Hag Queens - most notably Hellebron herself. It felt like quite the procession and she wasn¡¯t sure if they were here to watch or to arrest her. The one major difference from last time was Hellbron¡¯s appearance. She was beautiful beyond compare, an elegance that could not be matched, and burning red eyes that stared into a person¡¯s soul. ¡°Hi¡­¡± Estaria said awkwardly, wiping some blood from her face, and letting it drip onto the floor. ¡°There are those who call you blessed by Khaine. Touched by his bloody hand, a leader of those who would praise him. I have no idea how a Human came to be so blessed by our Lord, but we must accept these signs, for they can not be refuted by any but the greatest of fools¡± Hellebron spoke. A Witch to her side began to translate into Common, but Estaria waved her off, telling her she understood the language. More shock and amazement filled the air, as well as some well-hidden disgust over her tainting their language with her knowledge. ¡°Fukuri spoke of visions from the Blood-Handed God, to bring you here after your battle, and give you to the embrace of Khaine, so we did just that and you began to recover. Not just that, but you began to whisper the deepest secrets of the Blood. It is to my shame that the secrets of immortality have eluded me, until this moment. For that, you have my deepest of thanks¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Hellebron would finish her speech, and then give a slight nod to Estaria. Interpreted by Es as a deep and hallowed bow. Scrambling to get a proper reply out, she eventually just decided to wing it and go with her gut. ¡°You honour me, Queen Hellebron. I will endeavour to be worthy of such praise you give me¡± Estaria bowed deeply, and then smiled at her. ¡°I am glad. Come, our Sickle Of Khaine. Swear your fealty to me and we shall rise to heights untold by others¡± Hellebron would order, and before Estaria could even think of what she was doing, she stepped forward, getting to her knees and kissing Hellebron¡¯s uncovered foot. The world began to spin, and while she was aware of herself talking, it was not words she could hear. Slowly, distancing from being in the driver¡¯s seat, as it were. After her showcase of loyalty, Hellebron had Estaria washed - her suddenly long, and startlingly crimson hair brushed out and tied into a high pony tail that seemed the fashion in the court - and dressed in a stately outfit fit for any court. This then lead her out into the Arena, where she danced with her sisters for the glory of Hellebron. As the days went on, Estaria go more into this new part of her life. Why was there so much worry, before? This was all she needed. Just dance with her sisters, flatter her Queen when she desired, do as she is told, dress as she was told, talk as she was told. It was the only thing anyone needed in their life. An irritating pop-up came every day about something something theft, but that was ignored. All she ever needed was right here and now. Fights in the Great Arena were intense, a daily affair in honour of Hellebron, and she trained new Witches, while sparring with the present ones. Fukuri seemed worried, for some reason, but would never talk about it, and so Estaria couldn¡¯t help. It hurt, that Fukuri was worried, but a word from her Queen eased all her stress and worry. But, the world was cruel, and her perfect life came crashing down around her as a woman barged into the throne room. The two Executioners who had stood guards had tried to bar her entrance, and been rendered insensible for their efforts.The air was rent by a thunderous scream as if backed by a hundred Banshees. ¡°HELLEBRON!¡± Estaria, upon hearing, and seeing the woman, felt something shatter inside her, and blow away. Suddenly, nothing made sense. She wasn¡¯t even sure where she was, or what she was doing, or what she was wearing. Lover¡¯s Lament - +50 to Willpower for resisting Hexes when in the presence of your Fate-Tied The what? What the fuck was going on? She could, vaguely remember a cauldron of blood and Hellebron, and then it was all just, a soup of emotions she could generally get a handle on. ¡°Filnon. You seem displeased¡± Hellebron would comment, a cool and dismissive tone mocking Filnon¡¯s fury. Seeing this mockery, Filnon¡¯s burning eyes seemed to extinguish, and she would cool down to a chill like the very air of Naggarond. ¡°Fine¡± she would state, pulling a pair of swords out of seemingly nowhere. Beautiful things, the artisanry would stand out in any armoury, and they seemed to vibrate with an intense need to kill. ¡°Ohh, I was so hoping you would do that. This will be fun. Kill her, Estaria¡± Hellebron would say, looking to her obedient little Sickle. ¡°What?¡± Estaria would ask, frowning. Filnon was here, pissed off, and now Hellebron was trying to get her to kill her Mistress? Filnon didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, and rushed in, engaging the guards in a vicious flurry of blades. ¡°Ohh, has it been a week already? You are so engaging in the bedroom, it is hard to keep track of time¡± Hellebron would coo, her eyes glimmering with the power of The Winds. Hex Resisted by High Wisdom ¡°Did..you just try and hex me?¡± Estaria asked, incredulously. She wasn¡¯t quite reaching for her weapons yet, but that was kind of a dick move. ¡°What?¡± Hellebron exclaimed, standing from the throne and walking over. ¡°How is this possible? You should not be able to resist this kind of power. You are just a dirty mortal ornament!¡± Hellebron would slap Estaria roughly against the cheek, splitting her lip and spilling her blood. Hex Resisted by High Wisdom This time, Estaria replied with a Quicksilver Viper, equipping her gauntlets in a fluid move and smashing Hellebron in the chest, knocking her off the pedestal and to the ground. ¡°What the fuck is going on!?¡± Estaria shouted, glaring at Hellebron as she stood up and pulled out her vicious longsword. It¡¯s every move leaving a gleaming red trail. Sure, picking a fight with a Black Named person was not exactly the best idea, but she was kind of pissed right now. ¡°Words are pointless at this moment¡± Hellebron replied, scoffing at Estaria¡¯s demands, and coiling to lunge. But before she could, a blazing black bolt roared out from the doorway, smashing against a flaming barrier that sprung up around Hellebron. ¡°Morathi! You dare-¡± Hellebron would be cut off by Estaria dive-bombing her from the Pedastal. The sudden, wild move caught the High Priestess off guard, though after a few blows she managed to toss Estaria off her and onto the ground. This throw was not well aimed however, as she landed at the feet of Filnon, who quickly picked Estaria up. ¡°Sorry about the whirlwind¡± Filnon spoke, as Hellebron rushed the other Druchii who had come in, and a flurry of magic and blades ripped the surroundings apart. ¡°We¡¯d best scatter. That¡¯s not a cataclysm we can get involved in¡± She¡¯d then take Estaria¡¯s hand, and the two would leave the throne room by a side door, escaping into the city proper. Chapter 49 The sprint from the palace was swift, and silent. Not that that bothered Es much, it gave hee time to get her head back on straight after the weird¡­.week? That felt about right, though she couldn¡¯t think of anything specific about it all. Just, that it had happened and now she was dealing with it. Before she knew it - which was quite the thought in itself given that it was miles away - she was in front of the Death Hag in the front of the coven. ¡°Hey, so, slight problem¡± Filnon would exclaim, standing up straight and nodding to the Hag. ¡°Sounds right. You vanish for a week, and bring havoc in your wake. What is going on?¡± the Hag would ask, shuffling into a casual position and eyeing Filnon suspiciously. ¡°Short version is; I¡¯ve potentially got Morathi killed and The Witch King is coming. I don¡¯t know if I can tell the long story before I am brutally murdered¡± Filnon would reply, in such a casual fashion that the Hag was caught clean off guard. Still, one did not ascend to such a position via weakness, and so she recovered quickly and took a face of mixed indignation and fury. ¡°This is Har Ganeth. No being is above it¡¯s laws. I will not stand for murder in the streets, no matter who, or why. Now get in¡± the Hag would gesture towards the Coven, with a perfect voice of a mother, bustling Filnon and Estaria inside. Once there, Es was sent scurrying for some refreshments, and Filnon was taken to a tea room. Witches liked their tea, so it was no surprise the larger covens had rooms for it and it alone. ¡°So, long story¡± the Hag ordered, when Filnon was seated properly, and Estaria had returned. ¡°....¡± Filnon set her head on right and got her words sorted, and then began to speak. ¡°Hellebron sent me on a mission to get ahead of the issues that were going to come from our little issue with that city. Ended in Hag Graef, because where else would you go for assassins? Had orders to stop the hiring of assassins into Har Gareth by any means necessary. Of course, information is a chief export of that place, so it wasn''t two days before everyone knew who I was, who I was here for, and my declaration in the Throne Room. Third day and I had my own Stalker, one of Morathi. He was amicable to my presence, probably didn¡¯t even need to break his nose. Mistress Morathi wanted to meet me and talk, which was not surprising given everything that had gone on recently. I decided there was no real harm in that, and her support might even be helpful, so I accepted. After a bit of conflict with a group of Assassins sent by relatives of that Lord, some kerfuffle involving a cellar door, three guards and a nest of Skaven, and a guy with a very refined sense of taste for wine, I meet Morathi. We shoot the shit, shoot some more assassins, turn one of them into a dog and then gift him to an ailing old Beastmaster because he is an ¡®awfully clever hound¡¯¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Filnon would pause to crack a broad grin at that, and sip her tea. The Hag seemed amused at it as well, though Estaria was mostly lost in her own world, in part listening, and in part trying to swim through the murky depths of last week. ¡°Eventually, after thoroughly convincing the Assassins to avoid Har Gareth. Morathi confines in me over a few glasses of wine. Troubling news from Har Gareth, that Hellebron has proclaimed someone the ¡®Sickle Of Khaine¡¯, his earthly embodiment on this plane. Worse still, this is some human slave girl. Such rumors will be devastating if they reach the ears of The Witch King, so Morathi wanted my help seeing if they were true or not. She gifted me a pair of really cool swords, and offered to exist in my shadow while I go talk to Hellebron. If these rumors were false or exaggerated, then Morathi would leave to Naggarond and soothe Malekith of these unjust and unfounded rumors. Were they to be real, however; she would enact bloody but precise vengeance on Hellebron for overstepping her bounds to such a degree, so as to avoid a massive and disruptive assault from Malekith on the walls of Har Gareth. Totally fair on all accounts, so I came to see Hellebron. It wasn¡¯t very good to start with, given what people around the city were saying. But I held my temper and went up there. The Guards wouldn¡¯t let me in even after I made my presence known, which was most suspicious, so I knocked them out and came in anyway. And there is Hellebron, stood with Estaria. The one thing! I told her I would never part with, was Estaria¡¯s company. And there she is, parading Es around like her little toy. So I stopped caring about the whole Sickle scandal and attacked her. Or at least got into a fight with her throng of guards and supporters. Maybe Morathi though now was too good of an opportunity to let slide, and decided to end their many centuries of feuding there and then. Maybe she was always going to do that and just used me to get into the palace. I don¡¯t know, honestly. And I had what I wanted, so I left¡± She would finally finish the story, and drain her cup, reaching out to take Estaria¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, that was the long version¡± whispered a stygian voice from the corner. All three sets of eyes turns to look, but there was nothing there but the inky blackness. ¡°I have long considered my Mistress¡¯ insanity¡± the voice spoke, from another corner. ¡°To go against the Witch King like this¡­foolish. She must have had some backing. But now I see, she had only the backing of one slave, and her delusions¡± It was Estaria would broke the silence of the three, snapping her fingers and pointing at the corner. ¡°It was you! You were there that night I got butchered by the Assassin! Shadow¡­.dude¡± Estaria would exclaim, though lose her confidence towards the end. ¡°Shadowblade, yes. My Mistress ordered your protection, though I had not expected to be matched against a dozen Assassins over the span of two days, and so one slipped my grasp. I rushed to your side, and you seemed to be handling things well enough. I admit, I delayed what could have been a rescue to satiate my own curiosity. And it was time well spent¡± The door would then open, though nobody stood in the frame, and there was no clear evidence of how it had been opened. ¡°I have made my decision. Mistress Hellebron has fallen too far; I shall return to Hag Graef, and find myself a new paetron. With the death of Morathi, things are about to heat up in Naggaroth¡± And with that cannonball of a revelation dropped, there was no more presence in the room. ¡°The fuck did he mean, the death of Morathi?¡± Estaria asked, looking up in the direction of the palace. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it sounds like we better lay low in the Coven for a while. I can¡¯t imagine this ending gracefully¡± Filnon replied, staring into Estaria¡¯s eyes. ¡°If nothing else, we have plenty of time to talk¡± Chapter 50 It was not to be, however, because the air was sliced apart by a scream from the entrance of the Coven. A scream that could be heard even if the person was deaf, such was it¡¯s power and fury. ¡°FILNON!¡± It was nice, that they made the object of their obsession clear, and so with leave from the Death Hag, Filnon would walk to the entrance of the Coven. There, stood with a dozen Executioners, was Hellebron. Or at least, what was left of her. She was missing one arm completely, the other was severely mangled, and her once beautiful face was covered with burns and scars. One eye was mutilated as if half-boiled in it¡¯s socket, and she generally had the air of a woman standing only by sheer stubborn will. ¡°Hellebron. You seem displeased¡± Filnon¡¯s cool and sardonic tone opposed Hellebron¡¯s blazing fury with an infinite degree of mockery. Hellebron¡¯s working eye blazed with an intense fury, and she let out a shrieking order, pointing with her mangled arm at Filnon. The Executioners readied their weapons and leaned to rush into the frey, but they were waylaid by a dozen Sisters of Slaughter before they got two steps. The equal number of the most elite warriors the Coven could muster was a loud statement in and of itself. ¡°The laws of Har Gareth bend for no being. Neither King, Emperor, or God may spill blood in the streets of Har Gareth¡± the voice of the Hag Queen who had brought the Sisters was one of command and bridled fury, stepping between Filnon and Hellebron. ¡°You will not be permitted to break these rules simply because you were on the other side of a scheme for once. This dispute will be dealt with-¡± Hellebron¡¯s patience ran out half-way through the Hag¡¯s speech, and she threw a knife at the woman who had the left side of her face cut by it as she narrowly failed to get out of the way. Her temple was sliced by the incredibly sharp blade, and blood was streaming down her face. That throw was clearly aimed for her eye, an instant kill should it have landed. There was a few seconds of silence as the Sisters realised what had happened, and then the whirlwind began. The air filled with the sound of clashing blades and whipping hair, the Sisters of Slaughter and Blades of the Blood Queen were equally matched on the field, and victory would come with great effort. The Hag Queen would step forward to engage with Hellebron, but she was stopped when Filnon put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Let me. I started this whole thing, I should-¡± Filnon was cut off however, when a figure appeared from the sky and delivered a ground-shaking axe-kick to Hellebron¡¯s head. The crunch of bone and splatter of flesh was all but lost in the cacophony of the battle, but the Blood Queen¡¯s head turning concave from Estaria¡¯s heel was not missed by Filnon or the Hag Queen she was stood next to. The image of a woman in beautiful courtly dress, popping the head of one of the most notorious Druchii on Naggaroth was a bemusing one, but however much they wished to show their grief and rage, the Blades were locked in mortal combat with the Sisters, and could not back away from it, for even a second¡¯s hesitation would relieve them of their head. Not one to pass up the opportunity to dance with her Sisters and claim some dark Orange opponents, Estaria joined in the fight, and with her aid the tide turned against the Blades. Filnon joining in was icing on the cake. With the last of their throats slit, the surviving Sisters regrouped around the Hag Queen, and then departed deeper in to bury their dead and bind their wounds.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ow¡± Estaria exclaimed, slumping a bit to the side. Supported though she was, the Blades were beyond exceptional at combat, and her clothing was hanging on by a thread, while her numerus wounds showed through it. ¡°Bloody moron¡± Filnon exclaimed, shaking her head and walking over to support Estaria. ¡°I was irate. She stole a week of my life and didn¡¯t even do anything exciting with it. Just arena fights in her honour, standing around a court talking about how cool she is, and other self-aggrandizing bullshit. I¡¯m a fucking wrecking ball, I can hip-toss an Ogre! Do something more creative. She didn¡¯t even have sex with me!¡± Estaria ranted, before looking up to the Hag Queen. As much as she was talking about herself, the confidence in being able to deal with all twelve of them by herself. Matching the Sisters was not something one did with ease, and was not an act one kept up for long if they could. ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am¡± Estaria would state, bowing her head. ¡°Arreina. And you are a foolish child to leap so readily into that kind of frey. You did spectacularly well to dance with the Sisters like that however, so I shall not chide you too much about it. Now get back into the Coven, Har Gareth is about to erupt into violence and bloodshed, and we must prepare for this storm¡± the Hag would then turn, and head inwards to tend to her wounded SIsters. ¡°We have terrible luck, huh?¡± Estaria asked Filnon, looking to the woman. ¡°People shouldn¡¯t touch our stuff. Hopefully between that Lord and this Hellebron, that will sink in and peiole will¡­.stop touching our stuff¡± Filnon replied, shaking her head. ¡°Ohh?~ I am your stuff now, am I?¡± Estaria asked, giving Filnon a teasing kiss on the cheek. ¡°Did you not hear me in the throne room last week? No man nor beast will ever take you from me¡± Filnon would reply, in a romantic tone. Estaria would blush, and open the door back into the room, where she took a seat on the bed, and then laid down on it and exhaled. ¡°It¡¯s been a long week. But the thoughts I had when dying in this room were about you. To reconcile what I am feeling, and finally deal with everything that has been building up. Come to terms with the idea that I am not going to be leaving here and returning back to my Altdorf girlfriend, and getting back into my life as a Captain of the Empire. I don¡¯t know if it is really love, or if it is just that you are the only person I can really relate to in a world of crimson and a mounting addiction to murder and bloodshed, but I do care about you. And I do want to be part of your life¡± Estaria would speak, more to the celling than anything to help her not stumble or stutter in her words. ¡°So you want to get married?¡± Filnon replied, after a few seconds of silence. Estaria, for her part, would sit up and frown. ¡°That¡¯s your only reaction?¡± She asked, cocnfused at the whole situation. ¡°You are the only one wrestling with yourself, darling. I¡¯ve been in love with you for a few weeks. Or at least in lust with you. I¡¯ll see how my feelings change after we have sex, but I¡¯ve just been waiting for you to get to this point. The words didn¡¯t really matter so much as the conclusion you came to yourself¡± Filnon would take a seat down next to Estaria, and look to her. ¡°Either way, even if I don¡¯t want to be sexually intimate with you after I get the unknown into the known, I still want you. Your company and your support and your delightful exploration of yourself. Being your wife means that you are mine in a way far beyond owning you as a slave. This is Naggaroth, I could get two dozen slaves today alone. But you as a wife is far more than that¡± Filnon would put a hand on Estaria¡¯s, and smile gently. ¡°After all, our hearts are now bound with the silken string of Fate, so how could I give up on you so easily?¡± Filnon would finish, though a little apprehensive at Estaria¡¯s dumb expression. ¡°I¡­never knew you to be so poetic about things¡± Es commented, scratching her head. ¡°You¡­didn¡¯t get a pop-up?¡± Filnon asked, opening her status screen to confirm that she wasn¡¯t just dreaming or was drunk. ¡°Err¡­probably? But I wasn¡¯t really present last week so I don¡¯t think I acknowledged it. It was like watching someone else pilot my body¡± Estaria would then open her own status screen. She had levelled up a lot in the week, with two spare talents to play with from the levels. But the most pressing one, was the big red one at the top of her Talent List. Silken String Of Fate - Two hearts, connected as one, through trial and tribulation, they will never be parted. Share exp gains up to 190% ¡°Apparently, after we both got all three of the sharing traits, that trait was made automatically. It¡¯s very helpful on account of getting exp. I picked it up yesterday just as I was about to arrive in Har Gareth. All this mushy emotional stuff aside, you wanna go test it out?¡± Filnon asked, a coy smile on her face. It was a perfect Filnon thing to say, and really eased the tension of the situation. However it turned out sexually, Filnon was always going to be Estaria¡¯s friend and companion. ¡°Sounds good¡± Chapter 52
That was a nice ceiling, Estaria thought. It was a ceiling that represented everything she had been through to get to this point, a ceiling that was the crux of her growth as a person, and the growth of her relationship with Filnon. Fitting then, that ceilings were the top of a building, as she was the top of who she was, and who she was turning into. Shifting in the silken sheets, she¡¯d look over to Filnon. Sleeping now, no doubt from exhaustion since Estaria had turned out to be quite the proactive and engaging lover, and took everything that Filnon could offer. She was so cute, in her slumber. So beautiful. Estaria¡¯s heart thumped softly with a wild emotional need, almost like a possessiveness, but inverted. A rabid desire to have Filnon be possessive over her. It was weird, and didn¡¯t seem particularly sane, so she turned from that emotion and slid out of bed, putting on a light robe and headed out into the Coven. She meandered about for a bit before finding a Hag talking to Fukuri. The young Druchii saw Estaria, froze, and rapidly fled. To the Hag¡¯s light amusement. ¡°What have you done to little Fukuri?¡± The Hag asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s more what she wants to do to me. I¡¯ll talk to Filnon later about that whole thing. For now, how did things with the meeting?¡± Estaria asked, gesturing with her head in the direction of the palace. ¡°Mixed. Arreina got there and found it half-empty. Tularis told her that his greatest lieutenant demanded war and backed the assault on the Coven. Tularis, on the other hand, backed the laws of Har Gareth and refused to entertain such an idea. The lieutenant then left with half the Executioners and is now apparently planning an assault on the Coven to clear out you, Filnon, and all who will support you. Tularis does not support us, but does not support Lieutenant Zarkar either, and will oppose anyone who starts conflict in the streets. The Druchii Nobles have taken sides and staked their forces to it, as well as an opportunistic fourth party who is taking advantage of the chaos to kill their opponents and strengthen their hold on Naggaroth. The war is cold right now, but blood in the streets will come¡± The tone was clear for Estaria. She was to blame for this, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t justified or understandable. With strong personalities unwilling to compromise, conflict was inevitable. ¡°So go kill Zarkar. Got it¡± Estaria would reply, turning to head back to the room, only to find the Hag¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°No. On several fronts. If you kill Zarkar, you break the rules of Har Gareth and lose legitimacy, turning Tularis and his people on us, while also having to fend off Zarkar¡¯s supporters and the opportunistics. We are currently in the position of being as right as anyone can be, but this ties our hands to inaction¡± The Hag destroying Estaria¡¯s plans before she could even start was demotivating, and she let out a huff and turned around again. ¡°So is there nothing I can do? Just hang around looking pretty and making Fukuri blush? Not that that isn¡¯t a good endeavor, it¡¯s just I like fighting¡± Es vented her irritation through coy humor, though the look on the Hag¡¯s face was an interesting one. ¡°Actually, there is. Tularis is questioning the title that lead to all this, the ¡®Sickle Of Khaine¡¯. He wants to see for himself how realistic it is. It¡¯ll take a while to set up given the current state of affairs, but in a few days you¡¯ll be in the arena. So prepare for that, ok?¡± The Hag stated. Estaria nodded, and turned to leave after getting permission., Witches still had hierarchy to uphold, after all.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After getting into the hallway, she¡¯d lean against the wall and ponder some. Tularis, Captain Of The Executioners, wanted her to prove she was really the Sickle Of Khaine. For that she¡¯d need to be level 75, and do that quest. And to hit level 75 from 67, she¡¯d need to be a little mad. See what she could push herself to if she really did it with all her fire. So, to equip herself for the fight ahead, she opened up the Token Shop and scrolled all the way down to the bottom. There, she saw a new item called ¡°Bride Of A Thousand Witches¡±. Not sure what kind of item that was, she tapped it and it even flickered up with a picture, which was new and probably unique to this or probably not. The System didn¡¯t come with a tutorial so even now she was learning new stuff about it. The dress was¡­.magnificent. She was instantly stricken by it, and it was bought right then and there, her tokens dropping to pretty much zero from it¡¯s cost. The Dress¡¯ stats were considerable for just a White, and so she put it through the Workshop. Increasing it from White to Orange, and then hovering over the button to turn it into a Red. It would be a crippling expense, and even her cash flow would be wiped out by the 120,000 gold that was required for the Orange-To-Red upgrade. But, eventually, she hit the button and upgraded it. The traits for upgrade appeared before her, and she considered which ones would fit. Captivating - The beauty of such a dress is unparalleled, and no being can look upon it without being drawn into it, snapped out only by pain and the threat of death. Enemy stats are reduced by 20 until Health damage is dealt. Bride Of A Thousand Witches - An Eponymous trait, This dress is tied intricately to the Witches of Khaine, and brings out the greatest of abilities there in. Enhances Witch Dance. Steelsilk Weave - Harvested from special spiders, Steelsilk is a most durable fabric, able to turn aside blades and arrows as a breastplate would. Add 30% armour. Paternal Love - Khaine grants a hand towards his child, so they might spread their fame and his name to all. Regenerate 1% of health a second. Regeneration was always good, even if it was pretty slow. Enhancing Witch Dance would also help her with armour penetration, which from her stacks, was pretty much near 100% these days. So ¡°Paternal Love¡± and ¡°Bride Of A Thousand Witches¡± was taken. She casually ignored the implications of being called Khaine¡¯s daughter and threw the dress armour on. She didn¡¯t need the complication of being a God¡¯s Daughter. Espeically one not even remotely her own. As soon as she finished putting the dress on, she felt an emboldening comfort to it. Like the warm embrace of a person who truly cared about you. The fabric was so smooth, and there were some faux blood stains that seemed to add to the style of the dress. A pair of bicep-high blood red gloves, thigh high blooded boots and white hooded cloak that took on the same blood-stained look as it went down finished the outfit. It was very revealing, barely covering her lower torso at all. But, she felt it would ignore reality and protect her better than full plate regardless. So, with a Red Token-bought armour that she threw on and her Red Gauntlets, she would finally turn back to the gold shop. A part of her thought about picking up a pair of firearms, but eventually went against that. As much as she loved shooting and precision aiming, it was something she hadn¡¯t done for a while. She¡¯d want to get back into it rather than jumping. Scrolling down to the keys, she would hover for a second, then buy the S-Rank key, and use it. Stupid? Potentially. But she needed to see what she could do in there, and S-ranks promised powerful grunts, which would make for great exp even if she went nowhere near the boss. The world went white and she held her breath in anticipation of what was coming¡­
Chapter 53
Getting transported to the S-Rank dungeon, Estaria found herself standing in front of a great brass fortress. 10,000 Khornite Warriors stood in disciplined rank and file, lining the left and right with broad shield and long spear. Not¡­.that they seemed to be what she was here for. They didn¡¯t move to attack, or indeed try anything like that. Just stood there and watched her. Taking the hint, she followed the line through into the brass fortress, and there, on the throne, was a cat girl. Not the monstrous Beastmen of Drakwald, but a beautiful woman with cute feline ears and a tail. Dressed in something that looked to be a facsimile of an Imperial Noble¡¯s maid, but coloured in red and black, the woman seemed the epitome of demure service. She seemed to be singing to herself, in some tongue Estaria had never heard. And a tongue that she didn¡¯t get a pop up to translate for, which was the wildest part. As Estaria stepped away from the door, the Cat Girl turned and looked at her, giving a coy grin. Her eyes were startling, and froze Estaria to the spot to look at them. Ablaze as if a thousand Forge Fires were lit within, there was a horrifying depth to them, like falling forever through a bottomless pit. ¡°Nyaha! A beautiful woman to play with!¡± the cat girl spoke, leaping up from her throne and landing with the grace you¡¯d expect a cat girl to have. She was speaking with a strange tone, like she had spilled so much blood it tainted the words she spoke. However cute she was trying to make her voice, one was intimately, intuitively aware that this woman had murdered more people on the field of battle than most would ever see in their life. She would give Estaria a look up and down, and then tut. ¡°D¡¯aww, such a good looking woman in a good looking dress with some excellent weapons, and I have to kill them? Tsk, this place is the worst¡± The cat girl flirted with Estaria and flicked her tail in an irritated manner. Estaria would finally get her head on, and manage to speak. ¡°Are¡­..you...sure you are a Khornite?¡± Estaria asked, not entirely sold on that fact. It all reminded her of the Bestigor she fought, a long time ago. ¡°Ehh. Slaanesh has certainly tried to bring me over to her side. But he doesn¡¯t really put in that much effort. More like a token effort to let me know that she is well prepared if I ever want to go over to his side. Plus, never much cared for the whole, losing your head and going insane. Did that, it ruined my life. Kaben in Talix helped me evolve beyond yet another mad khornate woman¡± the cat explained. There was certainly some confusing bits about this cat girl, but Estaria clenched her fists and teeth in equal measure. ¡°Though, I will admit, I feel strange¡± she continued. ¡°Like I have been dragged from my Universe and copied for the sake of this place. I don¡¯t remember existing before you arrived, and Khorne¡­.feels closer. But different. Like the same meat, cooked differently¡± the cat girl spoke. That, gave Estaria pause. Were these dungeon creatures self aware? Did they know of their own existence? Though Elouviana was not done yet. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the fact that they are copying an exceptionally powerful Daemon Prince that makes me think all this. Though I certainly lost some power in the change¡± the woman finally finished her monologue, and gave Estaria a smile. ¡°I am sorry, where are my manners? I am the First Executioner of Khorne, Favoured Of The Throne, Exalted Daemon Princess of the First Host, Elouviana Zashira¡± Elou then gave a curtsey and flicked her tail. If the idea of self-awareness caught Estaria off guard, then the name had her recoiling back a step.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Zashira?! But...that¡¯s my name! Why do you have my name!?¡± Estaria¡¯s exclamation rang through the hall, and stunned Elou in the same breath. ¡°Really? Hmm, cool¡± Elou recovered much quicker than Estaria did and broadened her grin. ¡°Our universes seem similar, my dear Zashira. Maybe you are this universe¡¯s me. You like spilling blood, testing your might on great foes, got murdered by your sister and possessed in a botched ritual that fucked everything up and turned you into something neither human not Daemonhost?¡± Elou would ask, swishing her tail back and forward. ¡°I mean¡­.yes for the first part. But¡­no for the second part. Zarh was definitely not my sister¡± Estaria would speak. The cat girl had a terrifying charisma that made her want to be polite and engage in conversation with her, even if she was the enemy. Elou seemed to get enthused at the last bit, however. ¡°Zarh? Big-ass Khornate, two axes, wild temperament?¡± she asked energetically. Estaria took a step back from the enthusiasm, and simply nodded. ¡°Awesome! I am so glad my Astartes Bro is around here. What happened to him, here?¡± Elou asked. That was when Estaria turned from scared to awkwardly terrified. How to put this¡­. ¡°I killed him¡± Well, suddenly and bluntly without any tact was one way of doing it. Didn¡¯t seem to bother the cat, in fact she got even happier at that. ¡°Really? Ohh, I am so looking forward to this now! En Garde, me!¡± Following Elou¡¯s shout, she charged at Estaria, explosive speed and power ripping the floor apart and smashing Es in the chest like a cannonball. Divine Creature - Luck Negated The blow blasted her clean off her feet and smashed her into the giant brass door, denting it heavily from her body. 40% of her health had been dropped with that one hit. Even with all her armour and health, she was almost half-dead from a single blow. ¡°Ohh¡± was a disapointed voice from in front of her. Estaria hacked up some blood from her grazed throat, and then looked up at the creature in front of her. She didn¡¯t have a nameplate colour, which should have been a warning, but now she opened the status window to check out just how outclassed she was. Elouviana ¡°Knightbane¡± Zashira, E???r????r????o?????r????? years old Exalted Bloodthirster of the First Host, Favoured Of Khorne, Blessed Princess Of The Skull Throne, Golden Priestess Of Blood Racial Trait Unavailable (Berserker/Knight Of Khorne/Daemon Prince) Level 140 Strength: 201 Stamina: 201 Constitution: 201 Dexterity: 201 Agility: 201 Precision: 201 Intelligence: 201 Wisdom: 201 ¡°Neat, do you have one of them for everyone?¡± Elou asked, walking over to Estaria as she sat slumped, staring at this fuckin¡¯ Demi-God of a monster in front of her. ¡°You-hackhack-you can¡­see it?¡± Estaria asked, coughing some more and pushing herself into slightly better sitting position. ¡°I am a Daemon. We don¡¯t exist in this dimension, so are pretty good at seeing what else doesn¡¯t exist. Though I have no idea what these numbers mean. Is it good?¡± She¡¯d ask Estaria. ¡°I¡­it¡¯s¡­.yea¡± the woman would shift a bit more, and catch her breath. ¡°A trained human soldier is at 10 in their stats. Level is roughly between 3 and 4¡± Elou would stare for a moment, and then give a slightly disappointed shrug. ¡°Well, I really got weakened then, huh? I thought you scaled up to my Zarh, but it seems the power level of this universe is wildly below my one, so I got nerfed to fit in with everyone else. Sorry for nearly killing you¡± Elou would then turn and walk off back to the throne. Estaria, part stubborn bitch and part getting regeneration to ease the pain, would call out. ¡°Wait! I came here because I need a lot of experience very quick. Would¡­.would you mind, getting¡­beaten by me?¡± Estaria asked, desperation making her mad. The idea that this woman was disappointed at being twenty times greater than a trained human in every aspect, was not something she was going to think about. That was just insane. What else was insane, was Elouviana¡¯s response. She threw her head back and let out a howl of laughter, rancor to shake the very building they were in. Eventually, however, she would stop the laughter and shake her head, throwing a book towards Estaria. It oozed blood, and growled at her when she reached out to touch it, but didn¡¯t bite. ¡°No. Giving up hurts my pride, and as a Khornate Daemon, Pride is literally a part of me. But, for the humor and sheer balls of asking such a question, I can give you a bit of help. That book is the book you need. It will become whatever helps you the most in your quest for more power¡± she would return to her throne, and take a seat, crossing her legs. ¡°Now, I am not in the business of bullying people. So you can go. Here¡¯s hoping I stay existing and can see you later. Get strong, so we can have a proper fight, yea?¡± Chapter 54 Not pushing her luck at all, Estaria would leave the dungeon as soon as she was allowed, taking the book with her. S++ Dungeon Failed. No Reward Once she passed the thresh-hold from Dungeon to real-space, the book transformed. Now it had a cool name and everything. Marco Polare¡¯s Guide To The Celestial Dragon Monks Grants access to the Seven Paths Of The Dragon Monks (One free, further paths purchased by Traits); Path of the Flame Your fists burn like fire to your enemies, as your strikes following the Path of Flame cause massive internal bleeding. Path of Iron Followers of this path are considered immortal. Your fists feel as hard as iron, breaking through stone and armor with ease. Path of Shadows Your methods lie in the darkness when following the Path of Shadows, striking when unseen to end your enemies without notice. Path of the Heavens Your mind and body are one with the heavens. Legend says those who follow this Path are blessed with great fortune and the ability to strike with the speed of lightning. Path of Light Monks who follow the Path of Light are among the purest and incorruptible beings in the realms of man, with strikes that leave the damned frightened by their presence. Path of Life The monks that follow the Path of Life are renowned for their kindness and compassion, aiding any incapable of combating the dangers of the world with unshakeable courage. Path of Death Cathay is home to many horrors that stalk the lands, including the undead. These monks are said to be among the leading experts in their annihilation. Stolen novel; please report. This, was most interesting, but for the moment she checked the S-Rank key that she bought before. There was no S+ or S++ keys in the shop, so she tapped one and checked it¡¯s description. There, it detailed that the key randomly assigned you one of the three Dungeon ranks. ¡°Great, now you tell me¡± she muttered, shaking her head. Turning her attention back to the book, she opened it up. It was both a physical book she could read, and an item that was giving her special system powers. There was diagrams, drawings and thesis about unarmed combat, and how to best train your body, hold your body, and fight with your body. Beyond the trait, this would be the most helpful. The Witches were lovely, but they fought with whip, dagger, and Druchii physiology. There was a limit to how well Estaria could integrate their forms into her own combat. ¡°Is this going to be a theme?¡± Filnon asked, causing Estaria to jump and nearly drop the book as her Witch Lover just appeared out of thin air - to Estaria¡¯s perception, anyway. ¡°Is what?¡± Estaria asked, after getting her heart under control again. ¡°You appearing in sexy clothes that make me want to drag you off to the bedroom and keep you there all day¡± Filnon commented, nodding at the dress. ¡°Or is this your way of secretly telling me you are down for the whole marriage idea~?¡± Es had noted the revealing nature of the clothes before, but never really though on the repercussions of what that meant until now. Shrinking a little so as to not show off so much, she tried to think of a reply, but didn¡¯t get anything before Filnon¡¯s lips pressed against her own. ¡°So what¡¯s the book?¡± Filnon asked, after the few seconds of kissing. ¡°M-marco Polare¡¯s Guide To The Celestial Dragon Monks¡± Estaria would reply, stuttering a little. Filnon really needed to meet Elaine, the two were spectacular at throwing Es¡¯ head to the wind. Though, that said, such was a reason for the two to never meet. She wouldn¡¯t be able to stand both at once. ¡°Who are they?¡± Filnon asked, sliding her fingers to interlock with Estaria¡¯s own and hold her hand warmly. ¡°N-not sure¡± Es would stammer, clutching Filnon¡¯s hand tightly. It was nice, to have intimate but gentle contact with another person. The World was a whirlwind recently, and she hadn¡¯t had time to think too much, but she was growing more and more numb and dismissive of Humans. Which, was a terrible thing and she wanted to hate it, so she was glad to be distracted. ¡°They¡­seem to be some kind of Cathay order of monks who¡­fight unarmed. Not sure why¡± She¡¯d flick open the book with her free hand and scan the writing for anything that might help. ¡°They seem very good at it, from what Marco is saying about them¡± Estaria continued. ¡°Well, it¡¯s very fitting for you. Your fists are legendary in Naggaroth these days. Making them stronger will only help you¡± Filnon¡¯s commentary reminded Estaria of the looming fight, and so she looked up to Filnon. ¡°I am fighting Tularis in a few days. Apparently he wants me to prove my relation to Khaine¡± Estaria would have a rather somber tone. And from Filnon¡¯s reaction, it was the right one. ¡°We need to step it up then. My knives are good for ranged, but you are lacking any kind of support there. I should buy you a weapon to help speed up your fighting. I assume you are wearing this because it¡¯s a good item rather than because you are flirting with Fukuri some more?¡± Filnon would tap the corset covering Es¡¯ front, to which she would nod. With that, Filnon would open up her shop and buy an interesting brace of knives. High quality thing, with some well honed knives, they would definitely help her in the fights to come. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll practice with these some and then get to farming. I need level 75 before I can do the Khaine Knife quest, which is pretty far away, so a lot of work in the next few days, huh?¡± Es asked, upping the knives all the way to Red. It totally wiped her gold down to nothing, but now she had a really powerful ranged option with ¡®Thunder Ore¡¯ which would shoot lightning into the guy when she threw the knife, and ¡®Returning¡¯ that would have the knife boomarang back after a few seconds. With a final nod to Filnon, her Druchii love turned and vanished into a dungeon. For Estaria¡¯s part, she studied the book a bit more, and played with the knives. Her extremely high dexterity made it easy to faff with them, and her Precision made throwing them easy even when reading the book. Memorising the forms and advice that was in it, she would pick the Path Of Heavens Trait. Immediately, her body felt light and fluid, which was fitting for a swift and rapid style like Witch Dance. She got her barings with how to throw knives accurately and without flipping them so as to risk the handle hitting the enemy, she would buy herself an A-rank dungeon key. Fittingly, this dropped her in what was pretty clearly a Druchii city. The streets were aflame and roaming squads were gunning for each other. To add to this, there were Executioners around, which noticed and engaged with her quite quickly. This dungeon was liable to be useful for more than just exp, giving her a grasp of the Executioner¡¯s style and competence. Sometimes she really loved this system. Chapter 55 The next few days were restless days. She didn¡¯t sleep, barely ate, and barely stood still. Every time a dungeon was finished, a new one was opened, stopping only when fatigue threatened to limit her stats. She didn''t need a Critical Wound right now. To bolster her chances with this whole Khaine thing, she picked up two relevant Traits. Religious Belief - Your God is more than just a word, more than just a name. You hold belief in their hand on your shoulder, and press forward with that knowledge. +10% to Primary Blessing. Religious Fervour - Your connection with your God is beyond simple, beyond the normal. Others look to you for inspiration, and you inspire it wherever you go. +10% to Secondary Blessing. The extra weapon damage was also cool, though she really needed to get something to start these fucker¡¯s bleeding some day. That +130% was really going to waste. She wondered if Path Of Flame would count as bleeding, but that was for later. She was in the groove right now, creating a mountain of death. She studied her book, applied it to the fight, and then studied a bit more of the book. But this paid off, and she did indeed reach the needed level by the time the day came. Hitting level 75, she even got a new stat trait. 100 Luck: Theft Of Luck - When a man expires, he has no more need for his metaphysical shield against the world. Best put it to good use. Gain 5% luck recovery when you kill a foe. Leaning against the wall and looking at it, she exhaled and wanted to take a quick nap. Though had things to do, so pulled the knife out of her inventory and flourished it, activating the Quest that was now no longer locked behind a level. New Quest - Kill yourself with the Knife ¡°.....¡± Estaria stared at the box and rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was not seeing things. Having already died once before, she was not enthused to do it again. She stared at the Knife for a few seconds, which seemed to throb with wild anticipation of the blood that was going to be spilled. Was this a test? Was this some kind of thing seeing if she was just going to obey anything the box said? Eventually she decided ¡®no, I don¡¯t think I will¡¯ and cancelled the quest. Whether this was the right thing to do or if it was just ready in case she didn¡¯t want to do the quest the easy way, she got ¡®Go to the Temple Of Khaine in Har Gareth¡¯ which was¡­more awkward. She¡¯d have to sneak out, or punch her way through anyone who tried to stop her. Not like she couldn¡¯t do either, to be fair¡­. So gathering together a rudimentary disguise of full body robes to hide her body, and a hood for the bright red hair that gently shone in the light, she would begin her plan. A few minutes wandering around the Coven found the best alignment to the Har Gareth Skyline. Climbing up was simplicity itself, and then a rapid sprint threw her into a soaring leap that got her to the adjacent roof. Finding the Temple of Khaine here was equally as simple, since it was the largest and most ostentatious building. She moved quick enough and managed to stay low enough that nobody saw her. After all, who looked up to the rooftops expecting to see someone sprinting across them? Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Getting to the temple, she launched herself as high as possible, and then used her momentum to scrabble further still. Queen¡¯s Step fortunately procced and made her light enough to maintain this wild momentum long enough to get to the roof. From there, she let herself in via the skylight that shone upon the altar at mid-day. Walking like a slave made people treat her as one, ignoring her passing as she was just doing her job like everyone else. Drink from the Cauldron The new pop-up was kind of gross given that it was filled with blood from who knew how many people, and how long it had been stood there. But at the same time, it was better than stabbing herself, so she would casually walk over, and then leap up to the lip. That caught the attention of the Guard, but before he could stop her, she cupped her hands and drunk from the blood. As soon as she swallowed, the world turned seeringly bright. She was vaguely aware of pain as she fell back from the cauldron and hit the ground hard, but that didn¡¯t seem to register much. The Cauldrons around her blasted great gouts of blood, and the statues began to weep tears of blood as the world span from Estaria¡¯s perspective. It roiled and rolled like trying to throw her off the floor, but never managing to succeed. The blood began to cover the floor, and pool around Estaria. Who, inexplicably, seemed hydrophobic, and merely floated in the blood without being stained by it. ¡°Rather dramatic¡± were the first words Estaria was capable of hearing after an aeon of spinning, and she managed to push herself up to see who was talking. It was a tall man, dressed in truly spectacular armour. He held himself like a man so used to Command he could expect a house to get out of his way. ¡°Theatrics are a way of life¡± Estaria replied, a groggy and hoarse tone as she gathered herself and panted on the floor. ¡°Heh. Well, you¡¯ve shown yourself to be pretty touched by the Blood God with this trick. How did you manage it? I can¡¯t imagine you snuck anything into the cauldrons. And even if you did, the statues weeping blood must be even harder to pull off¡± the armoured man would walk over to the nearest statue, his heavy metal boots splashing the blood as he did so. For her part, Estaria¡¯s hands would be half submerged in the blood, but drip dry in seconds after she lifted them out. Standing up, the blood ran off her clothes and hair like it couldn¡¯t get off fast enough. Apotheosis - Khaela Mensha Khaine Complete. Job Earned - Child Of Khaine This third job, and now her title, ¡°Child Of Khaine¡±, came with some nice perks. ¡®Birthed Of Blood¡¯ made her immune to bleeding, and ¡®Womb Of Warfare¡¯ gave her a crazy Level 4 proficiency in all weapons, and refunded any Proficiency traits, which gave her three new traits to spend. And finally a ¡°Divinity Mode¡± that would give her triple damage and triple bleeding for two minutes. ¡°Through reasons completely unknown to me, it seems I really am blessed by Khaine. His Sickle on the mortal plane, and all that. Didn¡¯t even know he existed till recently, and now I am his?¡± She replied to who she assumed was Tularis. ¡°Well, you certainly murder well enough to attract his attention. I have read your history here in Naggaroth. You started out with murder, moved into murder, and then came here to excel at murder¡± the man would shift his helmet from under his arm, to on his head. ¡°And now, I shall see just how far that skill carries you¡± Estaria, fully recovering her footing, looked over and cracked a grin. ¡°Now that is a helmet. With fashion sense like that, you can¡¯t be anyone but Tularis. I would be honoured to meet you in the field of battle and show you what I can do with Khaine¡¯s blessing¡± Estaria would give a bow of the head. He was, after all, the Captain of the Executioners, and not exactly their enemy. ¡°Just, err¡­twenty minutes, while I nip home and get changed¡± she finished, pointing to the door. ¡°I shall await you in the arena. No man in the city will waylay you, though I feel confident stating that you can deal with any who tries¡± he would reply, turning to leave. Tacit approval to knock the head off anyone who tried to ambush her was always a good thing, especially in this climate. Chapter 56 Throwing back the hood to let her hair shine, she would stride through the streets with confidence. Though she came to realize Tullaris was giving her momentary absolution from the rules of Har Garath more than anything, as she got jumped by a group of six younglings looking for some fame and fortune. Feeling magnanimous after her ascension, she left them alive and carried on back to the Coven. Getting into her room, she threw off the disguise and opened the inventory to grab her Bride uniform and weaponry. Though it was here she got a new set of traits from the System and the token shops were glowing. Born Of Blood - Khaine is the God of Blood, and as such it is his to command. No child of his will ever suffer from his aspect, as long as his hand is on their shoulder. Gain immunity to bleeding damage. Womb Of War - Warfare, fought with a thousand different weapons, is Khaine¡¯s domain. And he grants this domain to his child, so they might sow beautiful carnage in his name. Gain level 4 Proficiency in all weapons. Headripper Uppercut - a tremendous blow take the man clean off his feet, and maybe even his head clean off his body, should the user put in enough strength. Spend Cool to deal 200% damage to the head and knock them off their feet. (Requires Unarmed Proficency 4) Two new Traits - Power Child seemed inherent rather than bought so didn¡¯t refund - was always nice, and the Proficency Talent from her unarmed weapons was pretty awesome to boot. The other trait was a poorly described ¡®divine mode¡¯ which explained nothing, but she was optimistic. So she scrolled a little and found two that really played into her passionate desire to not be stabbed to death for a fourth time. Steel Skin (Replaces Sturdy Skin) - A breast for a breastplate, you can reflect attacks that would fell a lesser man. Gain 20% armour that stacks with worn armour. Gromril Skin (Replaces Sturdy Skin) - Skin as hard as Meteoric Iron, the enemy would be hard-pressed to strike you down even were you to spring wet and naked from a bathtub. Gain 30% armour that stacks with worn armour. Throwing on the dress as well, she had a very hearty armour rating that would hopefully mitigate aforementioned being stabbed. But that was not all, because the token shop was still glowing, so it got opened and browsed. Scrolling down to the red-backed option that she had seen a long time ago, it was now unlocked. However, she felt it staring back at her with a deep and foreboding glare. Even the name, ¡°Orphaned Child¡± was not something she wanted to mess with, but tapped it anyway. Orphaned Child - A woman makes a Widow, but children make Orphans. While young, Khaine still smiles upon this blade, and it shall take it¡¯s owner through many a bloody battle The stats were incredible, and while she wasn¡¯t exactly hurting for a weapon these days, she saw no reason not to get such an aspected thing. And so she definitely bought that for 150 tokens. Extracting it from her inventory, it took the form of a pair of small spikes on her bridal gloves, and had a few tricks. Bleeding was always helpful for the extra DPS, and ¡°Rivers Of Blood¡± special effect that would half the time taken for bleeding to proc damage. Along with her special ability from her Exalted blessing, things were going to bleed to death pretty quickly. It was underwhelming from the looks but amazing in stats, a conundrum she felt was far more common than the one she was having here. Like it was the classic problem of any item-gathering system. To favour ability over appearance¡­This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Still, this weird tangent was snapped out of because she was keeping Tullaris waiting. So, she would flick out of the Vigor shop and into the Sharpshooter shop, repeating the motions to get down to the bottom and see the super item there. Khaine¡¯s Talon - None are beyond the reach of the bloody-handed God Of War, and this weapon ensures such. All beings, no matter how close or how far, will fall to the ever changing nature of this projectile weapon. Another Red weapon, this was a ranged weapon that had the ¡®Mutable¡¯ ability, being able to shit into any ranged weapon that she so wished it to be. After so long, she¡¯d have firearms back in her hands. Was she still attached to them? Or had she moved on from them into her own two fists? She¡¯d have to find that out in a dungeon later. For now, she took a breath, and then exhaled. She was about to fight the Captain Of The Executioners. To prove to him that she was touched by His God. Or rather, at this point to show him how much? Ehh, that too would be figured out later. She was always good at winging it. Striding out into the streets, she did not get jumped this time. Apparently it really was the clothes that made the woman. She wouldn¡¯t want to jump someone dressed like this, there was just something intimidatingly confident about the outfit. It was revealing, but also domineering at the same time. Left alone as she strode to the arena, thoughts drifted to where it was she was going. She didn¡¯t remember much fighting here, because the majority of it was in that blurry week she fought under thrall. And before that¡­.was¡­that one impulse join where she caught the eye of Hellebron in the first place. Stepping into the abutting training area, getting quickly ushered into the waiting room by the clerk, she could hear that now would be different. The sounds on the other side of the door was thunderous, humming with the cries of thousands of people. It seemed the cold war did not cool anyone¡¯s desire to watch a fight of a lifetime. Nobody was so uncouth as to break the sanctity of the Arena, anyway. Eventually, the doors were thrown open by Arena Serfs, and she stepped out into view of the thousands. Screaming, cheering, chanting¡­it was truly intoxicating to be the source of even half of these people¡¯s exuberance. The man fifty foot away from her on the other end of this great arena was the other half. His armour was beautiful, his skull-helmet absolutely iconic, and his blade¡­well, it hummed to her in all it¡¯s wild glory. ¡°Quite the sight, no?!¡± Estaria shouted over the crowd, raising her arms and gesturing to them. ¡°I rarely fight with such a crowd. It will be a new experience for me indeed¡± Tullaris replied. He had a voice that was smooth, cool, and somehow cutting through the crowd like that blade would cut through a person. She was so excited for this fight, she almost missed the crossbow bolt flying from the stands, chipping a bit of her luck off. A glance that way saw another half dozen bolts heading her way, so she flipped, spinning in a display of acrobatic excellence to avoid them. The crowd¡¯s cheers turned then, into shrieks and wails. Knives were drawn, Crossbow wielding members stabbed and stabbing. From the doors at the back, heavily armoured men bust through, and started cutting through the crowd to support the unrobed Druchii that were leaping over the side into the sands. Estaria was frozen, amazed by the gall of these people. The sheer fucking hubris of it all. Tullaris, was less so, and he closed the gap between him and the Dreadswords on the right like an surging wave of death. Three men were dead before they realized he was in range, and then a fourth as he tried to cry out in surprise. Still, no time to ogle him, as she was brought out of her shock by a blade coming her way. She deflected it with his glove, snapped her hand downwards to grab his wrist and wildly twisted it. The crunch of bone was nearly silent in the tumult the crowd was making, but he definitely felt it. Spinning and using him as a projectile to smash his friend into the ground, she would give an irritated sigh. Ruining her fuckin¡¯ fun with a brilliant guy she¡¯d probably not be able to get back into the Arena after all this. ¡°I¡¯m going to fuckin¡¯ kill the lot of you¡± she grumbled, taking a third man¡¯s jaw off with a kick and finding amusement in the face of his friend going from savage bloodthirst to wild disgust as he was smacked in the face with said jaw. This wasn¡¯t going to end here, the cold war had finally turned hot. And as was foretold, the streets would run red with blood. Chapter 57
The fodder they threw at her was an insult, but she killed them anyway because she was a dutiful girl like that. She was rewarded with this diligence when reflecting yet another sword with her gloves. He managed to shift his head out of the way of her punch, and then swept his greatsword in for a second blow, which turned into a third when she dodged that one. He was far better than what they had been sending at her before, and pressed her with no moment to make an attack or reset her footing. Just pushing backwards without remorse or hesitation. It was to be expected, given his armour and weapon marked him out as an Executioner, but still. Kicking off harder than usual at her latest dodge, she flipped backwards and used the second of breathing room it gave her to pull out Khaine¡¯s Talon and put a bullet in his knee. At least, that was the intent, but the man managed to roll off to the side in full plate and the bullet merely glanced his armour. Showcasing exceptional speed and skill, he managed to shift his head out of the way of the second bullet that was aimed to hit between his eyes. Not so fast to get out of the way entirely, the bullet twisted his head from the impact and threw off his gait. Lucky as well as skilled, Estaria¡¯s move to take advantage of this was blocked by another Executioner that swung to take her head off at the neck. Throwing herself backwards out of the sword¡¯s range, she rolled back to her feet and reloaded her pistol, giving the situation a considering eye. Three more Executioners came to support the big guy as he got back on his feet, with a fourth rushing her just inside her cone of vision. ¡°I¡¯m flattered¡± Estaria commented, blowing the brains out of the fourth as he got too close to dodge in time. ¡°All this for little old me?¡± she flourished her pistol for a Quick Load, and then rested it on her shoulder. It was a beautiful pistol. Long-barreled and grooved internally for some reason that she was not quite sure about. Blood red with some exceptional engraving along it, the thing was the kind of gun you¡¯d feel inadequate to get killed by, so ostentatious was it¡¯s design. Her friends didn¡¯t respond however, which was unfortunate. What was the point of butchery if there was no reply on the other side? The four then rushed her, a perfectly orginized formation that covered each other and was absolutely spaced to take advantage of the range of their weapons without getting in the way as close quarters tended to be with weapons that size. Estaria disrupted it some by putting a more successful bullet in the knee of the guy on her left as he was taking a step, making him barrel over and trip his friend, opening a window for her to retreat from the two still standing. She stepped backwards, baiting the man at the front as if she was being pushed back by him. And then she hit one of the pillars behind her. Emboldened by her loss of an escape route, the man rushed forward to stab the blade through her chest. But instead he sunk the blade deep into the pillar behind her as Estaria shifted at the last moment. Before he could get free, a sickening crunch of bone rang out as she snapped his leg, and then reached around and wrenched his neck for the same kind of crunch. She was so glad that gambit worked out, getting stabbed was never fun, even with all her armour these days.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The Boss took advantage of this, and Estaria was a second from a haircut when his blade was blocked by another. ¡°Zarkar! You have broken every oath you ever took! What could you hope to gain out of this?!¡± Tullaris shouted. Far more animate than when he was talking to Estaria. Obviously, these two were close, which made sense given Zarkar was Tullaris¡¯ greatest lieutenant. ¡°You would let Hellebron be killed, with no reaction?!¡± Zarkar would reply, pushing his blade off Tullaris¡¯ and swinging for him, a swing that was elegantly reflected and replied, scoring Zarkar¡¯s helmet with a shriek of metal. ¡°Har Garath¡¯s rules will not! be broken! I put up with her madness¡± Tullaris recovered his greatsword and swung again, but it was knocked aside with a heavy parry. ¡°But the laws, are immutable!¡± Estaria, for her part, just watched. It was a personal thing between these two, and she wasn¡¯t going to interfere. She did, however, clothesline the last Executioner who had less romantic feelings about this duel. Besides, she was enjoying watching the two, they were artists in their field. Swinging heavy blades around like they were merely sticks. Dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging in full plate like acrobats. She could learn a lot from this fight. So with another intervention to shoot the Crossbowman trying to interrupt, she¡¯d flourish the pistol and keep watching. Back and forth went the men, blades swinging and armour screaming from glances and clips. Watching the fight going on, she stuck another bullet in the head of the Executioner she had previously kneecapped as he was crawling towards them with his knife out. It was slowly turning in Tullaris¡¯ favour, and so when Zarkar scored a solid blow against Tullaris¡¯ shoulderplate, he got cocky tried a wild acrobatic flip over Tullaris. Unfortunately that was too overt a move, and the replying swipe that cut Zarkar in half at the waist. ¡°You were my brother, Zarkar! I loved you! You were the only man who could keep up with me, the only man I could trust. The only man I would ever show my back to, and you betrayed me!¡± Tullaris yelled at the dying man on the ground. ¡°Hellebron¡­She¡­.is our queen!¡± Zarkar wheezed, horsely as she was rapidly bleeding out. ¡°Honor is not homogenous. One must decide in what order he holds himself. In what order he carries out ¡®Queen and Country¡¯¡± Tullaris¡¯ tone turned softer, cooler, as the situation came over him in a wave. The battle-rage subsiding as his foe was felled, and now he was left with the pain of the action he had carried out. ¡°It is better to break your heart, than your honor¡± Tullaris would, as Zarkar breathed his last, step over and close the Druchii¡¯s eyes, before standing and looking to Estaria. His eyes were misted and his whole body seemed to be crushed with the weight of what he had done. ¡°Thank you, for supporting me¡± He said, with a quiet voice. Estaria would nod silently, and wait for him to carry on, which he did. The stands had emptied in the fight, and the few supporters of Zarkar that had survived were fleeing now their leader had been brought low. ¡°This won¡¯t be the only place they struck¡± Tullaris stated, looking to the sky. ¡°My Executioners have orders to mobilize if the enemy does, but I don¡¯t know if it will be enough. Har Garath tears itself apart, and we can do nothing but drown in the blood¡± The skull-faced man would hang his head, feeling deep guilt and shame for not having managed to stop this. ¡°It¡¯s mostly me and Filnon. If we leave to Naggarond, the fight might die down much quicker than if we were still here. It will at least move the fight elsewhere, and you can recover¡± Estaria offered, nodding to the man. Tullaris looked over, showing great sympathy and gratitude, and then left. Friendly though she was with them these days, they were still Druchii. Any man would feel shame to cry in front of a woman, so a race who prided themself on being Strong would hate to show weakness in front of another. It was this that Filnon wanted to destroy. But she was still far from that goal. ¡°Sucks I didn¡¯t get to kill ya. I can imagine you give a lot of exp¡± Estaria commented to Zarkar¡¯s corpse, and then headed out of the arena back to the coven, to tell Filnon about her plans. Chapter 58 However wild the Executioners might be now that the dam had broke, they weren¡¯t uncultured or unrestrained, and it seemed that the fighting had not - yet - spilled out onto the streets against anyone who was in the way. So Estaria got a quick run from the Arena and only started to see people that were garbed for war when she got close to the Coven. The¡­¡¯decorations¡¯ made their opinions on trespassers quite clear, a trio of Druchii impaled out front would discourage anyone from coming inside. The frantic flick of their eyes as Estaria came close just made it all the worse for anyone. Of course, some were just dense or brave or both, and there were sounds of a second wave from the Coven, so she rushed inside to help out. Here she was gifted with quite the sight, seeing Fukuri wielding Ulric¡¯s Fang with a beautiful style somewhere between a court dancer and a veteran swordsman. Three soldiers were trying their best to get through the steel curtain of blows Fukuri was putting up, and not doing very well at all. The arterial spray of the first man¡¯s throat being opened up was precisely twisted to spray in a second¡¯s eyes, and the third was beheaded while he staggered backwards. A small knife lodged itself in the second man¡¯s eye just as he recovered from the last stuff, and that was the end of the fight here. ¡°I¡¯m jealous¡± Estaria commented, giving a warm smile. Fukuri would look over, apparently abashed to be praised by Estaria. And then her face turned to shock and her body tensed to shift towards Es, though she need not have bothered, since with a lightning swift movement, Estaria drew her Talon and stuck a round in the head of the man trying to sneak up on her. Fukuri stood shocked for a few seconds, and then cleaned off her sword, put it away, and walked up to Estaria with determination. Grabbin the woman¡¯s face, Fukuri gave a deep and passionate kiss. It lasted several seconds, and was more enthusiasm than skill but did the job. She then broke off, her face bright red, and scurried off to find anywhere else to be. It was quite the amusing scene, all told. ¡°Always the center of a mess, huh?¡± came a voice from behind Estaria. Cute as Fukuri¡¯s outpouring of desire was, these were the lips Estaria preferred to kiss. So turning to see Filnon, Estaria would slide her arms around the Druchii¡¯s hips and stand on her tip-toes to kiss the woman. ¡°Always~¡± Estaria replied, smiling warmly. ¡°Though, on the topic of being the center of a mess, we need to leave. It won¡¯t stop the fighting, though it will take some wind out of it¡¯s sails when it comes to the Witches. The main conflict with the Witches is us, so if we are not there, it¡¯s poor justification to fight them. Especially with so many other people to fight¡± Estaria spoke quickly, but with conviction, hoping that Filnon would listen to what she was saying and not get swept up in anything auxiliary. Instead, Filnon was quiet for a few moments, though eventually would nod.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I¡¯ve just gotten around to actually liking these girls. So I can agree. We¡¯ll need to make a spectacle of it though. There is no way anyone will believe we¡¯ve left if we just sneak out the back door. We gotta go hand and hand out the front gate, and kill anyone in our way¡± Filnon would take Estaria¡¯s hand at that, and turn to leave like it was a romantic date, and they were on a stroll through the city. ¡°It occurs to me¡± Estaria commented, walking along happily with Filnon, only breaking the illusion to shoot a few people with her Repeating Crossbow. ¡°Where would we go once we have left?¡± Filnon would think for a moment, and then shrug. ¡°Naggaroth, maybe. Seems a good place as any. We can hit up the Witch King and settle into the Capital¡± Filnon would launch a knife at a man running at her. He dodged, to take the blade on his pauldron, though the knife cut through anyway and blew his arm off with a crackling burst of lightning. ¡°Ohh, how posh~ Should I not dress like a demure and obedient servant then?¡± Estaria asked, a coy and teasing tone to her voice. ¡°Why would you dress up as something you aren¡¯t?¡± Filnon replied, with a raised eyebrow. Estaria let out a laugh, and ripped the head off a man with a solid uppercut. The gate was not guarded, those who stood there long since pulled into the city¡¯s fighting. Though only the blind could miss the trail of destruction that they had wrought to get here. ¡°And besides, does that mean you want to strip in the middle of the streets and dress up for me?¡± Filnon would ask, stroking Estaria¡¯s cheek gently. ¡°Tempting. Though given the situation, I am forced to suggest a simple inventory switch instead. We might have a bit of trouble with a strip tease in a warzone, you know?¡± With that said, Filnon gave a nod, in mock thought, and then an equally playful sigh. ¡°Well, I guess we will just have to make do for now. Such a foul day when a woman can not see her beloved dress up in the middle of the streets¡± Filnon¡¯s dramatic words, fit for any theater, would make Estaria laugh some more, before flicking her inventory to switch out of her bride and into her maid. Neither of them mentioned it was a full day at a sprint to Naggaroth, so there was no need to change quite so early, because there was no fun in that. Instead, they walked out of gate, making sure to leave tracks in the snow rather than Queen¡¯s Stepping on top of it. Maybe it was the speed they were moving at, or the fact that they didn¡¯t stop. Or some third, more metaphysical feeling they radiated, but there were no beasts or monsters on the run towards Naggarond. A good five minutes from the place, they would finally stop and brush themselves down, do some rudimentary washing with melted snow, and generally make sure to look presentable. Clipping a leash to Estaria¡¯s ornate collar to really sell the whole thing, they would stride up to the main gate with all the haughty whimsy of Filnon¡¯s race. ¡°Lady Nightfury, Adjutant of Morathi¡± Filnon would introduce herself, looking down at the guard like he was a bug. The man would not even bother trying to engage with a woman like this, clearly well experienced with Naggarothi nobility, and just mark her down, letting her enter. Few even looked at Estaria, and those who did were merely a pacing glance. The long, crimson hair and soft red eyes were not enough to give her the time of day, it seemed. ¡°Proceed¡± the guard stated, a monotone voice and perfunctory wave of the hand. ¡°Next¡± ¡°That was easier than the first time, huh?~ I don¡¯t think I have any priceless relics to give over¡± Estaria whispered to Filnon, who smirked. ¡°Mmm, we¡¯d be looking for another country to call our own, because I would have fuckin¡¯ butchered him if he tried to take you as passage fee¡± Filnon replied, taking Estaria¡¯s hand tightly in her own. ¡°Speaking of. First port of call, to temple of Atharti!¡± Filnon exclaimed, heading on with a firm stride that left the speechless Estaria unable to do anything but be dragged along. Chapter 59
Atharti. Druchii Goddess of Seduction and Pleasure. There was only one reason she¡¯d be dragged off to that particular temple, and it was a reason that had Estaria¡¯s cheeks bright red, the whole way through. Sure, she had admitted her love for Filnon, and sure Filnon had said the only thing left was to get married. And they were here in the Capital with a temple to wed them. But she was still, with all that, caught off guard. She never thought it was ever going to actually happen, so now that she was here, and that it was, the world didn¡¯t seem real. ¡°Is it too late to run and hide?¡± Estaria asked, her face a bundle of awkward nerves. Filnon, on the other hand, was in her element, absolutely in control. Stroking Estaria¡¯s cheek, she gave her lover a kiss that knocked knees together. ¡°Yes¡± was the simple, direct reply, before she turned back to the priest. A lot of gold crossed hands, and Estaria was dragged off to a backroom, where she was stripped of her clothes, and directed to a bathtub. Still on edge from how the last time went down, she terrified the slaves with a glare and got washed herself. Maintaining this stubborn independence, she put her hair up herself as well, with only some guidance from the Druchii worker. It was a lovely style, different to the high pony tail that Hellebron put her in, but still good looking. It took advantage of her long hair to wrap braids down her front, rather than her back. With that, and the stunning black wedding dress they laid out for her, she felt like she was a Princess in one of those stories. Just rescued by her Prince, and ready to be whisked away for a life-time of love. The veil was thin and light, her crimson hair shining through it and accentuating the black of her dress. The mirror fell in love with her, and Estaria walked up to the altar with the biggest smile she had ever had in her life. All this set up had taken a good hour and change, and Filnon was waiting by the Altar, in the dress that she had worn the first time Estaria saw Hellebron. Wasn¡¯t the greatest of reminders, but fortunately she was distracted. Stepping up to the altar, she would take Filnon¡¯s hand, and beam with such joy that the dark surroundings felt lit up. ¡°Honoured Atharti! Lady of Lust and Herald of Hedonism! Hear our call¡± the Priest at the head of the Altar exclaimed, hands lifted to the sky. ¡°The call of desire sings out loud, deep, and without pause. So we turn to you, we beseech you hand in tying these two together, for all time!¡± The Priest certainly had passion about him, though Estaria took a short step back as he pulled out a knife. ¡°Let us now plunge the Ceremonial Knife of Wisdom deep into their hands, so that they may forever be one, as two!¡± he would shout to the ceiling. While Estaria was worried about stepping on traditions, she drew the line at getting stabbed. ¡°Can we somehow skip the stabbing?¡± Estaaria asked, to which the Priest laughed and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes we can¡± He would then pull out a bowl of red liquid and dip his finger into it, dotting Filnon and Estaria¡¯s foreheads with it, before entwining his fingers and gesturing towards the two. ¡°Now, before the eyes of great Atharti, exhibit and exalt your need for the desire of the other!¡± Estaria translated that well enough, and turned to Filnon, who lifted the veil, and kissed Estaria with a deep and unbridled passion, hugging the woman close to her as they embraced each other in what felt like an eternity. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What a fool¡± came a sudden voice from the end of the aisle. Looking over, there was a man stood there. Dressed in the garb of the Black Guard, Malekith¡¯s own bodyguard, he radiated power. An deep orange name marked him as ¡®Kouran Darkhand¡¯ and his confident gait and posture marked him as a major player in the City. ¡°Only a fool could see such a passionate display, and still think to steal her from you. I am sorry to drag you away so soon after, but your presence has been requested, M¡¯lady Darkfury¡± The man would give a soft nod of his head, and wait for a reply. Clearly, he was not expecting the cold and biting retort from the Druchii, however. ¡°You will need to specify who you talk to, sir. For as of this moment, we are both, Lady Darkfury¡± Filnon would reply, stroking Estaria¡¯s cheek. ¡°But she is still a slave. Branded and collared by your hand. It is to respect you that she is allowed to wait outside the tower¡± Kouhan would reply, his voice as firm and sharp as the sword at his hip. ¡°She is my wife. One more insult towards her, and I will be taking your head back to Malekith when I answer his summons. Do I make myself clear?¡± Seeing the brewing tension between the two, Estaria would step out, and take Filnon¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I can set up the residence and move in our furniture while you deal with this. Maybe get an arena meeting as well. There is no need to bristle like this on my account. He¡¯s not exactly wrong¡± Estaria did her best to simmer things down, but it only partially worked. ¡°He is wrong. You are part of me now, by the Goddess. Anything I am, you are. Any insult to you, is insult to me. But you, are right. There is nothing to gain starting this fight, so go set up and I shall see you shortly. Miss Darkfury¡± Filnon would kiss Estaria deeply once more, and then turn to leave with the man, only to turn back with a coy grin. ¡°And make sure they have a sturdy bed. We will be making use of it, tonight¡± and with that coy tease, she was gone. ¡°Your Mist-...wife, has certainly some confidence about her¡± The Priest commented, cleaning up the altar and looking towards the door. ¡°Mmm, that she does. But why this in particular?¡± Estaria would ask, looking back. ¡°That was Kouhan Darkhand, Captain of the Blackguard. One of the oldest of Malekith¡¯s Council. Malekith has a legendary temper, killing without mercy or hesitation on anyone who disappointed him, whoever it is. That Kouhan hsa survived so long is a testament to his skill and capability long before he actually does anything¡± The Priest would then, with a final nod, leave to administer more blessings. Estaria, however, ruminated on what she had learned. A legendary temper, and a legendarily stubborn woman. Would the tower survive, if either took umbrage at the other? At least she¡¯d know what was going on immediately, if they started. So, with that out of the way, she turned and headed into the city. Still wearing her dress, as if she was not quite believing it had happened yet. She bought herself and Filnon into a small, high class cottage near the Tower, and then buy and deliver furniture from a local store to it. Stepping into the cottage, she would finally take off the dress and hang it in the wardrobe as the first piece of clothing in there. She would then dress in her maid uniform manually, and begin to get to work, putting the furniture where it needed to be, dusting and cleaning and doing all the things a domestic house-wife was meant to do. However, the mirror was evil, and with all the rest of her emotions running high as they were, it was just the thing to tip her over the edge. And so that needed dealing with as well. But the uniform was cruel, and it did not allow her to simply crest gently, but rather kept pushing her hotter and higher. Fortunately, diminishing returns and refractory period allowed her to eventually come down, and never had she been so glad for the cold air of Naggaroth, but it was quite the fight getting to that point. After clean up, and to distract herself from anything further, she would head over to the Arena. A furtive look over at the tower, wondering how much longer Filnon was going to be up there, and then she focused back on where she was. Dressed like a Servant, in such an outfit, and with a heavy, ornate collar - despite Filnon¡¯s speech about not being a slave, Filnon had bought this herself, and so Estaria was keeping it as long as possible - she easily slipped in to get her ¡®Mistress¡¯ suited into the arena. At least, that was the intent. But, apparently long crimson hair, glowing eyes, a terrifyingly graceful gait, a unique shiny black maid uniform and a collar that told the world her name in bright letters was not very subtle. As she was a picked up by one of the men lingering in the hall a few seconds after she arrived. ¡°Aye, it¡¯s the Sickle of Khaine!¡± he exclaimed, pointing at her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that just a rumor? Har Gareth getting a little too enthused again?¡± His friend asked. ¡°Probably, but that was what they called her. And by the Goddess, she certainly moved like she was worth the title¡± he would then head over to Estaria, and give her a big grin. ¡°We¡¯ve got a great fight just perfect for you! You might even attract the eye of the Witch King himself if you fight in it. Come on!¡± he exclaimed, taking her gloved hand and dragging her off backstage before an argument could be made. Chapter 60
Every arena¡¯s backstage was the same. Even Har Gareth was no different from that shit-stained rock that she originally fought in. There were big guys, little guys, frightened guys. All training and making sure they were ready for the fight. And all of them whistling and cat-calling the hot slave girl that just got dragged in. Dragged up to the gate, she was given a nod and told to stay right where she was. So, she did just that. Of course, she had fought in this dress once before, and she was not doing that again, so quickly switched into her battle regalia. While waiting, she¡¯d flick open her screen. The Paths Of, and their abilities. After a quick refresher, she picked up the one for internal bleeding. Fit her motiff, after all. She was getting kind of overwhelmed at all the shit these days, and forgot about a lot of stuff¡­ Ten minutes later, the door did indeed open, and she stepped out a little apprehensively, only to see the crowd roar with cheers. She hadn¡¯t even done anything, and they were loving here. This was why she kept up with it. What attracted her in the first place. The throbbing, thumping scream of your name in tens of thousands of lips. How could she not? So she gave the crowd a wave, and put on her gauntlets to get ready for the fight in front of her. It was not something she was waiting long for. The door on the other side of the arena didn¡¯t open, so much as smash open as a Manticore raged out of it. Bigger than it¡¯s kin, and more vicious as well, if the constantly thrashing tail was any indication. Pitting one aspect of Khaine against the other, was it? Well, ok then. Estaria could play that game. She first activated her Witch Dance, for when she was going to get into melee. And then, pulling out her Talon, she shot an arrow from her Bloodbane Longbow, and the creature deflected it with it¡¯s tail, making a noise that could easily be a laugh. So it was going to be like that, huh? Flipping her Talon into Repeater Crossbow mode, she sprinted towards the beast and unleashed a volley of arrows, spread about so it¡¯s tail had to work to deflect them. A few even hit the body, but didn¡¯t sink very deeply. Still, it allowed her time to get into position and grab the base of the creature¡¯s tail. With her mobility, she kept up with it¡¯s attempts to shake her off, and struck at it with her Orphaned Child. It took a few attempts, but the flailing of the tail helped her and she was eventually able to tear the tail from it¡¯s body and throw it away. Estaria would then get bashed off the creature¡¯s back with one of the creature¡¯s wings. Recover was quick by necessity because the thing was stomping at her like trying to crush a fly. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Dam thing had a lot of health to it, and some strong armour to boot. But that was fine. All the more for her to murder. When it rushed to swipe a connecting blow to it¡¯s last swipe, Estaria closed in like a lightning bolt. Snapping a punch to it¡¯s head at the same time as she activated her Divine Form, the Manticore was knocked back onto it¡¯s ass. So furious, however, that it carried through with the swipe and ripped a good chunk out of Estaria¡¯s chest before rolling away with the force, and then righting itself. It staggered, taking a moment to shake off the blow, while Estaria took a moment to do the same, and also get to grips with the way the world had changed. Her hair¡¯s lovely soft red turned a deep crimson and took on the texture of blood. Her dress¡¯ stylistic bloodstains encroached on the entire dress and turned it pure red, but the most obvious change was the horns that grew out from her head, and her eyes, growing pale and losing all features. The Manticore let out a hiss and stomped, but did not charge towards Estaria, merely circling her. Aside from being able to see the Winds of Magic swirl around her, A strange new aspect of this was that there were lines moving across the Manticore. Through the back, these lines were moving outwards, a darker and more ominous colour to the lines that exited through his back. It was there she realized, the lines she was seeing was the creatures¡¯ blood. It¡¯s veins, arteries, and blood flow laid bare for her. Not only was her damage and bleeding buffed, but also she was given clairvoyance into where to most precisely strike. And they were not where she would expect at all. The throat had surprisingly slim blood-flow, so cutting that would do little. But there was a large cluster of veins and arteries in it¡¯s underbelly. If she could get there and split that open, it¡¯d die in short order from blood loss. But she needed some way to get down there. A slide under it and slashing the vein with her Orphaned Child would be good, but dangerous and risky. If it caught her or dropped or she didn¡¯t slide properly, she¡¯d be at it¡¯s mercy. Though¡­.yes, that would work. Estaria smirked and rushed her foe, ready to taste the creature¡¯s blood. Estaria rushed past the beast, leaping over the claws that swatted out at her, and with an elegant twist, drew and threw the daggers Filnon had bought for her at the creature¡¯s hind leg. Their high quality, Thunder Ore, and her anti-armour powers came together to penetrate it¡¯s hide down to the bone and crack it with the force of the lightning. It tried to keep itself upright on it¡¯s front leg, but Estaria, landing from her flip, unloaded a whole box of crossbow bolts from Khaine¡¯s Talon into it. The whole weight of the beast onto a now perforated leg proved too much for it, and it collapsed onto it¡¯s side with a howl of rage. It tried to swat at her with it¡¯s free wing, but Estaria moved too fast for it, and she was around it¡¯s underbelly before it could hit her properly. The sharp edges punched through it¡¯s flesh, and while it wasn¡¯t exactly his head, Headripper Uppercut created a powerful shockwave that ripped open the flesh and spilled a tidal wave of blood. The crowd was animate before, but when she finished off the beast, there was an explosion. She had heard Grand Cannons and entire ranks of Hellblaster Volleyguns less loud than this crowd, going wild with euphoria. A fair few were even knocked off the stands and into the sand in their revelry. Still, they didn¡¯t seem to bothered by it, and this had been a very fun distraction while she was waiting for Filnon, so she simply waved again, blew kisses, and clotheslined one fan who was getting a bit too passionate and trying to feel her up a little. She had lines to draw, after all. Dropping the Divine Form, she¡¯d exhale, dismiss the bosses in front of her, and head out of the arena to meet her new wife. Chapter 61 Ok, maybe don¡¯t go right back to the house. Filnon - if she was there - would probably not appreciate Estaria jumping her bones and spending the next six hours in a hot and heady tussle for the top bunk, as it were. So, Es would go and get the second best thing to hot sex with your wife while dressed like a maid; A Good Meal. Priorities were important, after all. And so were looks as well, so before leaving the arena completely, she got dressed back into her maid uniform, and propped up her collar to be front and center so everyone saw it right away. There was great pride in that. Of course, she had a poor reputation among some people. Those who supported the Hag Queen, those who hated slaves like her because they gave others bad ideas. Those who were just sadistic dickbags supported by their culture. Those who hated her lustrous and full her beautiful crimson hair was. And so she had to make sure not to offend anyone during her way to the resturant. Which meant playing a game of ballet down the street so the people very overtly trying to walk into her, did not manage to do so. With how durable she was these days, the flogging they would give her would feel just right, and maybe she wasn¡¯t super opposed to being naked in front of a bunch of onlookers. She did have a divine body after all, might even attract a few new fans if they saw her in the nude, flogging or no. Still, a part of her realized that was just because she was horny as balls, and so managed to avoid getting herself into that kind of situation, to arrive at the restaurant properly. Fortunately, the owner was a fan of the ol¡¯ Sickle Of Khaine, and so she got a fine meal and a lot of jealous stares. Full of food, a little drunk from the fine wine, and still madly aroused from the whole murdering a Manticore and wearing this damned dress - why did she continue to torture herself like this? Filnon would happily oblige on the torment front, if she was asked - Estaria would wander down an alleyway and get accosted by about two dozen men and women with vicious leers. How typical of people. Though, hardly unique, this scene could be played out in Altdorf or Marienburg just as much. ¡°So what¡¯ll it be, friends?¡± Estaria would ask, stepping forwards into the alleyway, heels clicking on the ground. ¡°You want to rape and torture me and then kill me, or just kill me? Or are you one of those who will kill me and then rape me?¡± She asked, a blase tone as she strode forward without flinching. ¡°Lil Miss over there looks like she just wants to do the rape part. Get hold of this collar and drag me to her home until I forget allllll about everyone else, but her~¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The woman who Estaria had called out swallowed hard, apparently that hit the nail on the head a bit too hard. Still, Estaria wasn¡¯t done, and carried on walking with such confidence her would-be muggers were backing off. ¡°Sorry, Lil Miss. I did the brainwashed doll being forced to forget her friends routine once. And while you look like you¡¯ll use me in the bedroom way more than the last one did, I am still not down for a rerun. You will have to look elsewhere for your toy. Might I suggest your friend there? She sorta squirmed when I commented on getting dragged to your house. Like she wants just that thing¡± Estaria would give a smirk as she nodded to one of the others. And when the woman turned her head to look, Estaria moved. Like a bolt of lightning, she was in front of the woman she had been teasing in a second. Cupping her chin, she¡¯d pull the Drukhari¡¯s head down to look Estaria in the eyes. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ll just keep you, hmm? You¡¯ll be a perfect ceiling decoration me and my wife occasionally call down to play with when we get raunchy together¡± Estaria would reach her lips out, to brush against the woman¡¯s, and then suddenly headbutt her with such a potent thwack the woman was rolled back and hit the ground with a thud. The noise startled the rest, knocking them out of their stunned states to scatter like deer. ¡°And tell anyone else thinking the same thing what just happened!¡± Estaria exclaimed, stepping hard on the woman¡¯s gut with her heel before finally getting home. And there she was. Her beloved wife, Filnon. Sat on a chair, looking at the mirror, seeming¡­dejected. This wouldn¡¯t do. This wouldn¡¯t do at all. So, wasting no time, Estaria would pick her up, and carry her over to the bed. Filnon yelped at such a man-handling, but was quickly pinned down by Estaria. ¡°I believe it is my turn~¡± she cooed, moving in to kiss Filnon¡¯s lips deeply. But Filnon broke it off, and looked away. ¡°Es, wait. I need to talk to you¡± she would get out quickly, before anything else happened. Fighting against herself, Estaria managed to roll backwards, letting Filnon shift a little under her wife¡¯s straddling. ¡°It¡¯s about Malekith. He¡¯s¡­the fault of it all¡± she would get out. It was surprising, how quickly one could sober up with a word. How ice running through your veins so quickly put an end to the passion of before. And yet, here she was, Just staring now, waiting for the next part. ¡°It¡¯s all due to him. Every part of Drukhari society, is hatred and venom stoked by him in some deluded attempt to make us strong. So we can pursue his petty revenge on the Asyurani. And yet, he¡¯s also broken. When I went to see him, there was nothing left. A husk of a man barely able to speak, let alone show this grand and legendary temper of his. I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know what has happened to him. If he was always like this, if he has become like this recently, or if that¡¯s just a body double for meeting people¡­.But, fuck I need to find out. And there is only one place I am going to be able to find out¡­¡±Filnon would finish her tirade, grasping Estaria¡¯s hands tightly as she did this entire time. Tears welled in Filnon¡¯s eyes, anger and sadness and betrayal and the feeling of your dreams culminating in the worst possible way. Like all your work getting to this point was just a waste of time. ¡°You, are going to have to kill me, Estaria. This is the only way¡± Chapter 62
¡°Nope¡± It was a simple term, followed by a simple action. Estaria stood up and, changing her heels into flat shoes, headed out of the door, slamming it open. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Filnon asked, scurrying off after her. ¡°To kill Malekith¡± Es replied. That brought eyes on her, both seen and unseen. ¡°You can¡¯t just go up there and kill him! He¡¯s got legions of bodyguards! Cadres of assassins!¡± Filnon pleaded. Weakness, in the eyes of her peers, was disgusting. And then, just to tilt the perception, she pulled a pair of swords out. ¡°I will stop you, if you try¡± Estaria would stop at that, and turn around, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Really? You think you can?¡± Estaria asked, cocking her head. ¡°You are mine. My property, which means your actions reflect poorly on me. Which means I will stop you, there is no question about that¡± Filnon¡¯s voice, turning cool and harsh, rung through the streets. They had since attracted the city guard, and from the looks of it even a Dreadsword Lordling who was looking to get ahead in life. Nobody made a move yet, however. Estaria would pull out a huge Greatsword of her own, and pointed it at Filnon. The size and weight of it meant nothing to her, it seemed. ¡°I won¡¯t mess around like I do in the Arena, Filnon. I will just kill you if you get in the way of this¡± Es warned. But Filnon did not move, and so with a sigh, she would just nod. And then it began. The closest Druchii were blown back from the shockwave of the two moving at a speed even the Lordling could not keep up with. The sound of clashing steel rang out with a tempo of a demented drummer, both showing off capabilities the surrounding people could merely watch on in vein. Then the fight moved, Filnon sliding back to get some range and being pursued by Estaria, who was then pushed back in return. The high mobile, dynamic fight swiftly changed locale, from the ground to the rooftops to the air itself as these two monsters clashed against each other. Despite their best attempts, the crowd quickly found itself left in the dust. The sound of clashing blades fading away into the distance. Even the unseen eyes, flitting at a sprint, could not keep up with them enough to report accurately on what was going on. The only thing that could be considered a trail were the flecks of blood here and there. By the time they did catch up, it was all over. A mile outside the city, Filnon was standing over Estaria¡¯s corpse. They were both battered, cut in several positions, with Filnon having one particularly nasty one running down her side. But Estaria was worse off, with a stab clean through the heart. ¡°A shame¡± came a comment from the shadows. The fact that they were in the middle of the tundra with nothing around them to cast shadows, didn¡¯t matter. He hid within his own name. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for your tricks today, Shadowblade. Just take me to Malekith¡± Filnon would reply, putting the swords back. ¡°I can¡¯t simply take you there. But I shall bring the Sickle¡¯s body to him, and we shall welcome you later today¡± Shadowblade would finally step out of the shadows to pick up the body, and then disappear again. With him, and her gone, Filnon would return the way she came, and enter the city. There were the usual fans and adorants for a great fight, and those who celebrated her defending Malekith¡¯s honour, and those who had her as the peak of how a person should treat their slaves. Not wanting to ruin the appearance, she waved and smiled, and then collapsed on the bed when she got in and went to sleep.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She was woken a few hours later, by a knock. Getting up and groggily opening the door, it was an invitation to dinner in her honour at the Palace. She invited the man in to have some tea while she cleaned herself up, and got dressed. The streets were lined with people who were trying to get a sight of the woman who had killed the Sickle of Khaine. She waved to them and did the whole thing, before finally getting into the Palace and directed up to a nice little dining room. Just her, him, and his personal chef who was bringing food out of her kitchen. She would take a seat, and when the soup course was brought out, and he took the first spoonful, Filnon would speak. ¡°You are the real Malekith?¡± The man would stop a moment, and then nod. ¡°Yes¡± he would speak. His voice, was a ghost passing through the walls. Barely there enough to be heard. ¡°Good. Now. Why have you done this to Druchii society?¡± she would ask him, sipping on her soup. ¡°The¡­Asyurani, betrayed me?¡± he would state, though Filnon raised her eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s a question?¡± she asked, rhetorical but getting a reply anyway. ¡°Yes¡± Filnon would sigh and fall back on her chair, shaking her head. ¡°You don¡¯t even know, do you? You are-¡± ¡°I do not¡± The interruption, made Filnon laugh. Softly at first, but breaking into a fit as it went on. ¡°All this effort, to get here. To drug you. To finally hear the truth, and you don¡¯t even know it!¡± Filnon exclaimed through her laughter. Finishing her soup, she would wave down for the next course, laughing softly to herself all the while. ¡°This is just great. Everything went off without a hitch, and now I am left not even wanting to kill you because your current state of being is worse than anything I could do with any implement. You are probably the for-now-cautious puppet of the Dreadlords, huh?¡± Filnon would ask. Rhetorical for now, but again getting a response. ¡°Yes¡± Filnon would smirk and keep eating dinner. It was really well cooked. It was good to be the King. ¡°So when did this all start? I can¡¯t imagine your reputation¡¯s been a fabrication since the start¡± she asked. ¡°Forty two days ago¡± he would reply. It was nice, and accurate, though it did raise an eyebrow as she counted the days. ¡°That¡¯s about a week after Morathi died. The one person who has been with you since the start. The one person to avoid your temper. And you aren¡¯t romantic enough to care about your mother. Any ideas about how she managed that?¡± Filnon asked. Getting into the groove of this, as even open ended or rhetorical questions were answered as well as they could be. ¡°She, advised. Pointed out threats. Stoked the flames. Always another threat. Always something else. Kept us..strong¡± he mumbled through an answer, and then ate some steak. The pieces were coming together for Filnon, who nodded softly. ¡°Spent so long stoking the flames of anger and hatred that there wasn¡¯t anything left but that, huh? So when she died and there was nobody left who knew exactly what buttons to push, you just burned out¡± She¡¯d lean back against the chair again, and stare at the ceiling. This was not the culmination of her life¡¯s dream that she was hoping for. Everything, had been for this moment. And what a wet fart of a moment it was, as well. ¡°You ever had a dream, and your whole life built up to that dream, and then when you get to that moment, it just all falls apart?¡± Filnon asked. Now, she was just wanting some conversation. Something to cling to as the footholds of her life fell apart around her. ¡°Yes¡± Malekith would reply. ¡°I wanted to be. The Phoenix King¡± he would begin to speak with the barest hint of animacy again. ¡°And I was on the way as well, power and reputation and greatness followed me. But, I came home after my excursions to see my home nearly torn asunder by this¡­Cult of Pleasure. So I took charge of purging them from the lands. This would be the final act that would solidify my foothold as the Phoenix King. But I discovered that it was my Mother who was at the head of this. I dismantled the Cults anyway, and dragged her home to be imprisoned. She promised me the support of the Cults, and I decided to use this to root out those with tendrils within Ulthuan society. After a few years of gathering and disposing of the infiltrators, I finally came across one at the very top. The Phoenix King. So he was disposed of, and we all gathered to elect the new Phoenix King. It was here, I saw how deeply the rot went. Even those unrelated to the Cult were lackadaisical, uncaring for rulership or administration. They denied me, despite everything! And so I butchered these fools and entered the sacred flame. To be burned alive and reborn as the Phoenix King. Loyalty, however, stabs you when you least expect it. My retainers dragged me from the flames as I was consumed by them, and took me away to recover from the wounds. Ha! To have everything go right for you, only to be thwarted at the last moment by what you could never predict. Yes, I relate to your situation a lot, Filnon¡± Malekith, now a little more than he was, stood, and walked to the door. ¡°Come. To the arena. I wish to die¡± he would state, with a touch of vigor and an entire ocean of weariness. Filnon would look to the chef who had been silent until now. She shrugged, and so Filnon headed out. Revenge was one thing, but she was not so cruel as to deny any man their last wish, whoever it was. Chapter 63 Malekith, died. It was an outcome to be expected from a being long bereft of the flames of life. In his final moments, Filnon couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for a man who had lived his life at the behest of others, even without knowing who pulled the leash. And so, after he fell to her sword, she disappeared from the arena and flitted over to the harbour, charting a ship out to Arbay. She didn¡¯t want to go there exactly, it was just somewhere that was not here. After all, she¡¯d just killed the Witch King in front of everyone and stolen his crown that granted great magical power to the wearer. The country was going to erupt in violence, an orgy of back-stabbing and front-stabbing, and she wanted to be nowhere near that mess. Especially considering her rather eminent role in starting it all. So, a nice little cutter was out of the harbour and off towards the horizon before news reached the dockworkers. A good chunk of gold sped that along, and the Druchii were no strangers to quick exits, given their political state. A new life in a new world. Would be nice. ¡°I hear Arbay has some lovely clothing¡± Malekith¡¯s personal chef commented, from next to Filnon. ¡°How do you always keep up with the fashion of the world?¡± Filnon asked, cool and a little dry in tone. ¡°Shop. I browse the fashion section pretty often. Not a lot of good looking stuff that can also be worn in Naggaroth, but still. Nice to see¡± she¡¯d reply, staring out to the horizon. ¡°Well then, care to show me?~¡± Filnon would ask, looking over with a smile. ¡°Later. It¡¯s thin and airy and the worst kind of clothing for a sub-zero sea voyage¡± Filnon would exhale, and reach down to take the hand of the chef. ¡°Mmm, not even to comfort a poor widowed woman?¡± Filnon would ask, sliding in close. The cook bristled with irritation at that, and then loudly exhaled. ¡°Ohh, you. Alright, but you get to play that card once. You hear? Once¡± With that, she took Filnon¡¯s hand and turned towards their cabin. A small thing, not designed for two people, but they¡¯d make it work. ¡°So how long do you think this is going to last? Or am I stuck like this forever?¡± She asked, opening her inventory and swapping her castle clothing to the Araby dress. Thin sheets of fabric covering basically nothing, with a transparent veil to covered her face. ¡°Hmm. This is doing nothing for me¡± Filnon commented, shaking her head and opening her shop. ¡°Ohh? Even if I do this?¡± the chef asked, putting her hands behind her head and shaking her hips in a seductive metronome. ¡°Even if you do that. I¡¯ve no love for my race¡± Filnon would reply, buying something from the shop and handing it to the chef. ¡°Drink this¡±Stolen story; please report. The chef would pout a bit, and then take the potion and uncork it. ¡°I hate potions. Most of them smell like old feet and taste even worse. It¡¯s like, why can¡¯t they just have a nice jasmine tinge to them?¡± she asked, knocking back the vile concoction and shuddering. As she shuddered, her skin flushed with colour, and the short black hair became long and red to match her eyes again. ¡°Now that, does something for me¡± Filnon would comment, stepping up and kissing Estaria¡¯s lips passionately. Longingly, as if she truly believed their little song and dance. ¡°So, how did you find out about this whole messaging thing?¡± Estaria asked, flicking the intangible system box. ¡°I was playing around reading the new things we got after being bound together. And saw that, so decided it was the perfect thing to put the plan into motion without anyone hearing us¡± Filnon replied, sliding herself into Estaria¡¯s embrace. ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked. Even though the ending was terrible, I am glad it worked¡± Estaria replied, stroking Filnon¡¯s head. They stayed there, in the comfort of each other¡¯s embrace for a while, before Estaria got animate again. ¡°Ohh! You know, you should drop the idea of going to Araby and whatever you had planned there, and come to my place¡± Estaria exclaimed ¡°The¡­Empire? You want me to come to The Empire?¡± Filnon asked, unsure and very skeptical. ¡°Yea! We¡¯ve got mercenaries from all over. Dwarves, Northmen, Bretonnians, Wood Elves, even Orks. A Druchii is easy to just slide in there. We will roll into a outlaw¡¯s cove near Norden and slip in more quietly, just to be sure though¡± Estaria exclaimed, nodding. And then, awkwardly stroking her collar. ¡°Slavery is illegal though, so we¡¯ll have to find something¡­different¡± Estaria would blush a little at the thought, but it seemed Filnon was already well prepared. ¡°I¡¯ve been planning this for a while, we just never really got the downtime to do it. And, well, now is as good as any, I guess¡± Filnon would take Estaria¡¯s hand, and gently slide a pitch-black ring onto it. Her system told her that it was a pure Obsidian Ring and that it was granting a twenty percent chance to ignore any magic that was cast at her. Made sense, Obsidian was the bane of Magic, most famously used by the Black Guards of Morr, to strike down the vile undead. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this isn¡¯t just because it¡¯s pretty?¡± Estaria commented. It being anti-magic was striking, given the troubles they had recently. Filnon asked that by running her hands through Estaria¡¯s hair, and then grabbing it and pulling, dragging her to the bed where she straddled the woman. ¡°I love you, and respect you, but you are mine. And I will not lose you again. Not to Gods or Daemons¡± Filnon replied, a fire burning in her eyes. Apparently, the whole situation bothered her more than she ever let on. But now, after the stress she had suffered, it all came pouring out. ¡°Mmm, then I will be forever more, all yours. My Mistress~ My wife~ My Lir Lakh Babh¡± Estaria would reply, putting her hands up to the headboard in a sign of sensual surrender. Filnon would slid her hands up, and with a dexterous move, tie her to the headboard with some strong, silken rope. ¡°Slaves of Naggaroth get punished most terribly for sullying Druhir with their inferior tongue. I hope you are ready for a very, very, long night~¡± Filnon replied, her hands sliding down Estaria¡¯s arms, and stroking her lips. And then, to further the torment, a head strip of velvet was tied around Estaria¡¯s eyes, leaving her blind to the comings and goings of Filnon¡¯s hands. It was, as she threatened, a very long night for Estaria. Her body was Filnon¡¯s plaything, used as she saw fit. Cruel, but loving. Harsh, yet sensual. Painful, yet pleasurable. And worst of all, she pushed her beloved wife to the edge, and then pulled her back again, repeating the dance over and over without a single moment¡¯s pause or heartbeat in which Estaria could catch her breath. The squirming, her own moans, Filnon¡¯s gently whispered coos that mixed sweet nothings filled with love, and mockery oozing with precisely honed venom filled the cabin. Filnon, it seemed, knew her game very well, and after everything she had been through, was playing the role with more vigor than she ever had. Pressing up against the line that might see Estaria end it, and yet never going over. Bringing every ounce of Estaria¡¯s ability to resist to the surface, and then easing off just enough that she did not think to do anything other than beg and plead, in a way that stoked the fires of the game anew. It was, all in all, a most wonderful night. Chapter 64 Level 75 (Next trait, 77) Stat cap: 135 Strength: 110 Stamina: 110 Constitution: 110 Precision: 135 (141) Dexterity: 135 (147) Agility: 135 (139) Intelligence: 100 Wisdom: 100 Luck: 100 Khaine¡¯s Talon (Projectile weapon) - None are beyond the reach of the bloody-handed God Of War, and this weapon ensures such. All beings, no matter how close or how far, will fall to the ever changing nature of this projectile weapon. Mutable - twist between any projectile weapon Orphaned Child - A woman makes a Widow, but children make Orphans. While young, Khaine still smiles upon this blade, and it shall take it¡¯s owner through many a bloody battle ¡°Rivers Of Blood¡± half the time taken for bleeding to proc damage Bride Of A Thousand Witches (dress): Bride Of A Thousand Witches - An Eponymous trait, This dress is tied intricately to the Witches of Khaine, and brings out the greatest of abilities there in. Enhances Witch Dance. Paternal Love - Khaine grants a hand towards his child, so they might spread their fame and his name to all. Regenerate 1% of health a second while in bloody combat. Bride of A Thousand Witches: Khaine weds his beloved child to the Druchii witches, so they might know that he values them above all other races. Through this wedding, secret knowledge is learned. Gain stance ¡®Witch-Dance¡¯. Witch-Dance: The style of all Witch Elves, this form is a mobile prayer to Khaine as much as a combat style. Every step, and every cut and every twist sings to Khaine, and blades find their target with unnerving ease. While in this style, gain 30(45)% armour piercing and increase nearby Witches stats by +10(15) when you make a kill. Human Exemplar: All who live as humans look to you for how to do it. A most fine specimen of your race, you can garner the respect of them with a mere look. Increase xp bonus from Human Racial Trait. Human Paragon: The apex of your race is embodied by you. Merely a glance can show to others that you are the greatest among all who have ever lived. Increase the level up stat cap by 25. Religious Belief - Your God is more than just a word, more than just a name. You hold belief in their hand on your shoulder, and press forward with that knowledge. Job Prerequisite. +10% to Primary Blessing. Religious Fervour - Your connection with your God is beyond simple, beyond the normal. Others look to you for inspiration, and you inspire it wherever you go. Job Prerequisite. +10% to Secondary Blessing. Religious Prophet - Your God speaks to you in your dreams, and when you praise him in word and deed. His aspect manifests near his worship, and all followers of him know you at a glance as his favoured. Job Prerequisite.Gain related God-Related Trait. Steel Skin (Replaces Sturdy Skin) - A breast for a breastplate, you can reflect attacks that would fell a lesser man. Gain 20% armour that stacks with worn armour. Gromril Skin (Replaces Sturdy Skin) - Skin as hard as Meteoric Iron, the enemy would be hard-pressed to strike you down even were you to spring wet and naked from a bathtub. Gain 30% armour that stacks with worn armour. Born Of Blood - Khaine is the God of Blood, and as such it is his to command. No child of his will ever suffer from his aspect, as long as his hand is on their shoulder. Gain immunity to bleeding damage. Womb Of War - Warfare, fought with a thousand different weapons, is Khaine¡¯s domain. And he grants this domain to his child, so they might sow beautiful carnage in his name. Gain level 4 Proficiency in all weapons. Headripper Uppercut - a tremendous blow take the man clean off his feet, and maybe even his head clean off his body, should the user put in enough strength. Spend Cool to deal 200% damage to the head and knock them off their feet. Exalted Blessing Of Khaine: +132% bleed damage. The Bloodied Knife: +66% Weapon Damage Lord Of All War: Gain level 1 proficiency talents in all weapons Bloody Handed God: All Weapons cause Bleed. None-edged weapons cause -60% bleed damage. Weapons that already have Bleed now cause Hemorrhaging, causing Stat Damage as the Bleeding does damage. Path Of The Flames: Internal Bleeding punches Powder Matriarch: Black Powder is your Blood. While you may lack academic understanding, your practical knowhow rivals an Engineer, and even the most unruly of firearms bow to you. 70% increase to range, 50% increase to damage. Imprecise is removed Decorated Veteran: Well known, and well respected, your name is toasted to by many. Increase the rewards of Tokens, Medals and Medallions by 1. Swordswoman: Learning the way of the sword is hard, but with practice, one can be a venerable cause on the field. Grants subtargetting for melee weaponry. Celerity: Swifter than most, you run with the grace of ten men and the speed of five. Add +20 to agility for the sake of movement speed.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Quick-Load: In the blink of an eye, you are ready to fire again. Spend Cool to instantly reload your firearm with a flourish. Your fight is with me! - Instantly taunt any enemy to fight with you, ignoring any other target between you. -20 stats to surrounding troops if you lose or run For The Empire!: A steely shout to light a fire in the hearts of your men! +10 to all stats (Excluding yourself) to anyone who can hear your shout. Captain¡¯s Shadow: Snap of a Captain¡¯s finger, and the target falls. Designate a target to be hit with a Hotchland Long Rifle bullet. Usable every 10 minutes Captain¡¯s Half-Dozen Halflings: Sneaky little half-men with large sacks, loot all enemies at the end of every fight, regardless of the fight. Captain¡¯s Retinue (Handgunners) - Spawn a dozen units for 5 minutes, with 30 minute cooldown To me, my brothers! - Spawn 4 Greatswordsmen for 5 minutes, with 30 minute cooldown Great Sword, Great Woman - The Greatswords are the peak of infantry, and so train forever to maintain that title. +10 to all Stats 50 Constitution: Sturdy Skin - fierce fighting has grained you the ability to survive more wounds than the average person. gain 10% Armour that stacks with worn armour. 100 Constitution: Never Die - Death must put in effort equal to a dozen men to claim you, for you do not go easy. Gain a second Critical Wound, half Critical Wound Penalties. 50 Stamina: Furious Zeal - Giving up is not in your nature, nor will it ever be. Stats are reduced by 65% at 100% fatigue rather than immediate unconsciousness. 100 Staima: Unyielding Flame - Such is the depths of your physical conditioning that even Poison or Magic can not hold sway over you. Negate all fatigue effects other than physical activity. 50 Dexterity: Second Slice - The blade is like flowing water, always moving from one spot to the next with incredible grace. Spend Cool to make a second melee attack immediately after the first. 100 Dexterity: Quicksilver Viper - A man may act several seconds past this strike before realizing it has even been struck. Spend cool to launch an ultra-high speed attack that is almost impossible to evade 50 Agility: Weight-Spread - With a specialized method of walking, you make glide across footholds that others simply crash through. Your weight counts ? of it¡¯s actual number for the sake of unstable footholds. 100 Agility Queen¡¯s Step: A stepping method earning its name from the fact that one is not marred by nature, and appears wherever she wishes, like an immaculate Queen. You may walk atop snow, mud, water and thin ice without falling through 50 strength: Overwhelming - A mighty blow can fell a hardy foe in one swing! Damage that causes a Critical Wound now spills over (but does not create a second Critical Wound) 100 Strength: Titan¡¯s Arm - Armour buckles and Shields crack upon receiving your blows. Gain 25% armour piercing. 50 Dexterity: Second Slice - The blade is like flowing water, always moving from one spot to the next with incredible grace. Spend Cool to make a second melee attack immediately after the first. 100 Dexterity: Quicksilver Viper - A man may act several seconds past this strike before realizing it has even been struck. Spend cool to launch an ultra-high speed attack that is almost impossible to evade 50 Precision: Advanced Sub-Targetting unlocked. Groin, Eye, Hands, Feet (arrow/knife/bolt only) Groin: Deals high damage and stuns the enemy when hit. Destroying the Groin causes stun bypassing Resistance. Eye: Very difficult shot, but deals immense damage. Destroying the Eye causes instant death or Critical Wound Hands: Hitting the Hands will immediately disarm the foe. Destroying the Hands will cause the destroyed hand to be unable to be used. Feet(Arrow/Knife/Bolt only): Hitting the Foot immediately stops a person¡¯s movement. Destroying the foot cuts movement speed by one quarter. 100 Precision: Armour-chinker: You can find the most minute flaw in any armour and deliver the blow for maximum damage. Gain 25% armour piercing 50 Luck: Lucky Glance - A good toss of the dice, a respectable flip of the coin, and most importantly, an unstable footing for your foe. An attack that causes your Luck to deplete will not roll over onto your health 100 Luck: Theft Of Luck - When a man expires, he has no more need for his metaphysical shield against the world. Best put it to good use. Gain 10% luck recovery when you kill a foe. 50 Intelligence: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* 100 Intelligence: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* 50 Wisdom: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* 100 Wisdom: *Trait unavailable due to no Magic* A very healthy stat screen indeed. Though she was no longer getting multiple stats a level in her main. Maybe because of a level limit or something. Either way, she felt confident, now, heading back home. Getting up, and easing out the tension from her body, she dressed herself in her Bride, and headed out to the deck. A little cutter like this only had a deck and two cabins anyway, so it was easy to find her wife. Gods. Her wife. That really still stuck with her. After everything, she could not get used to saying it. Could not get bored of saying it. Her Wife. Though, that also brought up another thing. ¡°I need to go to Altdorf sometime. It¡¯s pretty far from Norden, but still needs doing¡± Estaria would state, stepping up to be next to Filnon as land came into view. ¡°What¡¯s in Altdorf?¡± Filnon would ask, snuggling in. ¡°My girlfriend¡± Filnon would pause for a few moments, and then look up at her. ¡°Elaine, right?¡± Filnon would ask, to which Estaria nodded. ¡°Mmm. I know she¡¯s got seniority over me. But it will be hard to share you with anyone. So, please don¡¯t hate me for it¡± Filnon would ask. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know you are possessive to begin with, and are still carrying that big rock of what Helebron did to me. So I will make sure to show you all the love and respect you deserve¡± Filnon and Estaria spent the next hour snuggling on the deck, before they finally landed at the dock. Back in Empire Lands, her Broken Supply Lines went away. Though, she did gain Religious Suppression. Not surprising, considering she was now blessed by Khaine. Immediately after, she got a new ping that designated her as a walking temple or some such, and thus her religion could not be suppressed, and the debuff vanished. Which, was nice. What was not nice, however, was that far from the warm welcome she was expecting, the place was empty. And not ¡®the road-wardens are coming, scarper¡¯ empty either. This was a popular cove, the Norscans who didn¡¯t just raid for everything came here to trade, as did the Druchii, Pirates, and all manner of sea traders. Exploring the cove revealed that it had been empty for a few months now, and they didn¡¯t simply move coves, as a lot of gear was still around. Rotten wood, rotten food, moth-eaten fabrics, rusted metal, broken carts and makeshift buildings filled the cove, stark evidence of their swift retreat and no return since then. Walking outside some, there were no bodies or signs of battle, which meant they just ditched it. ¡°Nice place. Remind me to never put you in charge of going out¡± Filnon would reply, kicking a rat that ran close. ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be abandoned. It¡¯s an unofficial part of Norden¡¯s economy. Should be booming¡± Estaria replied, walking up to a nearby barrel. It had rotten through, making the trap-door it was covering visible. So she opened it up, and revealed a chest, still locked. That quickly got ripped off, and a whole mass of gold was on show. ¡°Didn¡¯t even take their money. Smugglers live for their money, it¡¯s their whole thing. Come on¡± Estaria would jerk her head outwards, and take off at a run, heading over to the main road. The, empty, main road. ¡°Ok, this is not right. This is the Great North Road. It goes hundreds of miles down the country to Marienburg. It¡¯s never empty. Merchants, Road Wardens, Eonir, Repairmen, Soldiers, Mercenaries¡± Estaria would begin to start panicking a bit, but Filnon picked up on a small bit. ¡°Eonir? The Wood Elves? They actually use this road?¡± She¡¯d ask. Half curious, half trying to keep Es from spiralling. ¡°Yea. They are a lot more sociable than their kin in Bretonnia. Even has a representative in the Count Todbringer¡¯s court¡± Estaria would then look around for a bit while Filnon stood impressed, and flit over to a thicket in the distance, climbing the tallest tree with a rapid grace, and looking out at the surroundings. Far out, a good three miles away, she could see the signs of battle. Her eyesight was as supernatural as her body, but even that was too far to make anything out. Still, it was something and so she leapt off the tree, sending a message to Filnon to follow her. Damned stupid idea, since she had to quickly scramble to put her hands up and protect herself from the whipping branches she flew past. And then the landing. It shuddered her entire body even as she rolled from the impact. Her legs were crying, but fortunately not broken. It was fine, she¡¯d regenerate once she got in a fight. ¡°Dumbass¡± Filnon teased, helping Estaria to her feet. She was covered in tiny nicks and cuts, but didn¡¯t look too worse for wear. ¡°Heh¡­yea. Shush. Let¡¯s go¡± Estaria replied, sprinting off into the direction of the battle. They made good time, and Es burst the skull of one of them by tackling him to the ground. Flipping off him, she¡¯d pull her Talon out and stick a round in the head of a Marauder who was about to cut a woman¡¯s head off. Reloading with a flourish, she brained a guy running up behind her, and then put the Talon away and got down to business. She put her summons to use again spawning them all, and sending them off to help clear out. Weaving through the village, she managed to get quite the sight. Someone in patchwork armour was fighting a huge Chaos Warrior. Of no real fame, as the simple armour and weapon showed, but still beyond any normal person. And yet, this person was not simple, as they were moving like lightning, and striking like thunder, clearly supernatural in their skill and power. It was an enthralling thing to see, and Estaria got engrossed in it. The patchwork¡¯s grace and skill matching the Warrior¡¯s endurance and savagery. Eventually, however, the Warrior missed a step, and had his helmet smashed off for his troubles. Rolling from the blow, his head was cut from his neck with a single swing. ¡°Bravo¡± Estaria would reply, giving a soft clap. The warrior would look up at Estaria, and it was then, looking her dead in the eyes, she finally noticed the light yellow nametag. Elaine Sforza Chapter 65 ¡°Thank you¡± Elaine would reply, that Bretonnian drawl not having left her tongue a bit, for all the bloodletting she was doing these days. ¡°Though I have not seen you before, and you smell divine. Are you new?¡± she would ask. Estaria was, frozen. She hoped to meet Elaine in Altdorf, when not dressed quite like this. Having some time to prepare herself before going in. But to see her, on the battlefield, was..too much. Her brain was just turning off. ¡°Mon ami? You are staring?¡± Elaine would comment after a few seconds. But even if Es could respond, it would have been cut off by Filnon appeared. ¡°Rest of the guys are dead. A few shocked looks, but you were right. I did fit in well¡± Filnon would comment, giving Elaine a nod. And then double-taking back to the woman as she clocked the nametag. ¡°Elaine?! Dam, you are a lot more, soldier than I was expecting¡± Filnon would be less paralyzed than Es, and chunner away. ¡°I have never met a Druchii before, so your familiarity is confusing. Who are you two?¡± Elaine would ask, sliding her sword back into her scabbard. Filnon would look to the stunned Es, and roll her eyes, nudging the woman in the ribs. ¡°You are a demi-god of statuesque beauty. Of course she doesn¡¯t recognize you¡± Filnon would exclaim. Finally, that jolted Es out of her shock enough to speak. ¡°Ahh. Err¡­It¡¯s¡­me. Estaria¡± she¡¯d manage to force out. And then there was a change. The gentle, polite courtesy was replaced with an ice cold fury. ¡°Do not move¡± Elaine replied, stepping forward. Her voice promising unfathomable violence in a few moments, should she not find what she desired. Getting close, she would sniff Estaria, and then bare fangs and sink them into the woman¡¯s neck. Filnon tensed, but trusted her wife enough to not do anything brash. It was a good call, as a few moments later, all the tension drained from Elaine¡¯s body, and was replaced with hitched breathing. ¡°It¡­.it really¡­really¡­¡± she whispered, heavy tears dripping out of her eyes and splashing onto Estaria¡¯s shoulder. Overcoming herself in her lover¡¯s moment of need, Estaria would wrap her arms around the woman and press her blood-stained chestplate in tight. ¡°It¡¯s me¡± Estaria would whisper in response. The fact that Elaine was a Vampire, was something to deal with later. They stood in each other¡¯s embrace for a while, before eventually managing to break apart. ¡°Ohh, wow. That¡¯s terrifying¡± Estaria would exclaim as she saw the bloody trails from Elaine¡¯s eyes. Wiping them away with her dress, it was surprisingly good at absorbing blood. ¡°We can make it normal. I just..¡± Elaine would trail off, at Estaria¡¯s nodding.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I get it. It must have been hard for you¡± Estaria would reply, stroking Elaine¡¯s hair. ¡°Was it¡­.not, for you?¡± Elaine asked, her voice trembling. As if worried that Estaria might have lost her love. ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­.¡± she¡¯d pause for a few moments to get the right words. And then settled on the wrong one for the sake of brevity ¡°Busy. Besides, you were in Altdorf. What could go wrong?¡± Though rhetorical, Elaine answered anyway. ¡°Altdorf has fallen¡± She¡¯d state, simple and direct. Estaria, however¡­just stared. ¡°What?!¡± came a loud noise from Estaria. ¡°After conquering Middenheim, Archeon marched his army through Drakenwald and laid siege to Altdorf. While he ultimately failed in conquering it, the city was damaged enough that it couldn¡¯t be used as a residence anymore, and so we retreated to Nuln¡± Estaria would simply, stare. That explained why the Road was empty, but brought up a whole different set of questions. ¡°I¡­¡± she¡¯d look to Filnon, who was quite courteously just watching, and then back to Elaine. ¡°Shit¡­.But, if Altdorf has fallen, what are you doing hundreds of miles north? Shouldn¡¯t you be in Nuln?¡± Estaria asked, the fact that she was supernaturally powerful was not something that was clocking in Es¡¯ brain right now. ¡°A terribly long story. I¡¯ll tell you on the road. And I am sure you have one of your own to tell¡± Elaine would nod to Filnon. ¡°Ahh. Yea. So, where is camp?¡± Es would ask, looking around a the ragged bunch of fighters gathered. ¡°Follow me¡± Lead out of the village, with carts of salvage, Estaria followed, and Elaine began to tell her tale. You might have noticed I am a¡­.vampire, yea?¡± Elaine asked, and carried on when Es nodded. ¡°Specifically, I am a Blood Knight. I left that life behind when my Master and his followers were killed in a coup, and met you on the side of the road. Originally, I was going to use you to get passage into the Border Princes, but¡­you were so bright, so warm. You fumbled and bumbled your way through trying to teach me, La Chelia Delari, how to use a sword. It was so genuinely heartening. I fell in love with you at that moment, and chose to spend the rest of my life with you. But then, Archeon turned up at the gates of Altdorf. And you were gone, away at Nippon or dead from the threats of Sea. So I had to do what I could and join the Militia. At that point, nobody cared about my abilities, so long as they were used to kill those of Chaos. Fighting atop the walls, I saw The Emperor go down, Deathclaw wounded by the aerial menaces of Chimera and Manticore. And I couldn¡¯t just let him die, so I leapt from the walls and stood with him while we fought. A foolish move. We were both going to die. And then he arrived. A Man I thought a myth. A man my Master venerated by had never met. Abhorash, Lord Of The Blood Knights. With him, my estranged kin charged down the enemy, and drove them from Altdorf. Shattered though it¡¯s walls and ramparts were now. He knew my name, and offered me a place by his side, to lead a fist of Blood Knights north, to harrow, harass, and rend the foe. I jumped at the chance to serve the greatest Vampire in history, and came here. The Emperor, after some deliberation, sent a few Knights and Swordsmen as well. It was worse than we expected. Not only had Beastmen infested the road through Drakenwald after Archeon razed all the forts, but Walach Harkon had corrupted his order of Blood Dragons to worship of Khorne, and we were ambushed, harrowed and whittled by their attacks, Beastmen, and Marauders. Battered, and with massive casualties, we eventually made it into Middenland, where we were met by Eala Fardrifter, who took us in despite our nature, and told us she knew all about the events of Altdorf. And that she would support us, if we supported them. And so we are here. Gathering those surviving villagers of Middenland, fighting a resistance, bleeding the enemy. Doing what we can, however little that might turn out. Imperial Support is focused on the South, and so the North is basically left to the enemy. We are not going to succeed here, but we will fight on anyway. Adversity breeds the greatest of warriors¡± Elaine would finish her long story, and look to Estaria, with a warm smile. ¡°Now, I do believe it is your turn to talk¡± Chapter 66
¡°....Dam, you really have been busy¡­¡± Elaine muttered, as Estaria finished her own long tale about what was going on. There had been a bit of tension in the air, as Estaria spoke about Filnon and what they had gotten up to in Naggarond. But fortunately, they were not at each other¡¯s throats, probably bonding over the mutual feeling of loss they had both gone through, and the unbridled relief when it became clear that feeling of loss was not true to reality. ¡°Mmm. Never did get to Nippon either, which sucks because I hear there are great swordsmen there. Still, I guess I got you here for all my swordsmanly needs now, yea?¡± ¡°Ohh ho. Now I am the one giving the sword lessons, huh? Does sound like fun, I have been looking for someone to pass on my style to¡± Elaine would then glance over to the Druchii, and give a grin. ¡°Might have to fight your wife first though. She¡¯s got that look of a hungry wolf with her chunk of meat~¡± Filnon would glance over at Elaine, and try to be nice in her head for a few moments before deciding that she wasn¡¯t a nice person. ¡°I don¡¯t playfight¡± Filnon replied, cool though managing not to be outright cold. ¡°Nor do I~¡± Elaine would respond, stepping in closer, only for the two to be pushed apart by Estaria. ¡°You are not literally fighting over me. Keep it figurative¡± she¡¯d state, looking at the two. Elaine looked like she was going to try some other tactic, but instead just looked down and then up to Estaria. ¡°You were never a weed, but you are jacked now, huh?¡± she asked, rhetorically, as she reached up to grope Estaria¡¯s arm. ¡°Got a bit of a workout when I was with the Witches, yea. Helps with the lifting and the snapping of necks and all that. Though, jokes aside, I do feel the need to get some sword time. It¡¯s been a while, and I¡¯ve mostly been using my fists for the sake of theatrics. We could make a date of it, all three of us¡± Estaria¡¯s attempts to diffuse the situation a little seemed to work. A little, too well, as Elaine and Filnon gave each other conspiratorial grins and nodded. ¡°That could certainly be arranged~¡± The rest of the walk back to the camp was filled with idle chatter and a bit of fun banter. Though there was some ominous undertones, as Filnon and Elaine kept sharing these looks and smiles with each other. Eventually, they got to the camp, and all the problems of the moment went away because there was a big man at the fireplace, stirring a large pot. ¡°Borrago!¡± Es exclaimed, rushing up to the big man. He turned around, and cocked his head for a moment, staring. ¡°...Captain? Haha, Captain!¡± he exclaimed, running over and picking her up. More like an avalanche than a man moving, Borrago lifted Es off her feet with no more effort than one would pick up a pebble. ¡°Look at you! The hair, the dress, the aura of confidence! Truly, wherever you have been has been good for you!¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Estaria would feel a little abashed at that, because it wasn¡¯t exactly true. But then, not really a lie either, so she didn¡¯t mind it too much and simply accepted the words. Eventually, he put her down, and turned to Elaine, with a meaty grin. ¡°We have just the tent for the two of you to spend some time together¡± he would exclaim, far too loud for her tastes, which made her cheeks blush red. ¡°That¡¯s something we will be talking about later. For now, we do have spare tents made up because we have people coming and going all the time, so having a few more than we need is always helpful for logistics¡± Elaine would reply, having appeared rather silently. ¡°Always so serious. The North isn¡¯t going to be liberated tomorrow, spend some time with your newly reacquainted girlfriend¡± Borrago lectured, turning his attention back to the pot and Elaine led Filnon and Estaria over to a tent. ¡°It¡¯s pretty small, but I don¡¯t suppose you two mind sharing a bed?¡± Elaine would state, gesturing inside and then leaving before much of a reply could be made. One she was gone, Filnon dropped the flaps, and then turned to Estaria with an unnerving grin. ¡°Alright. Put on your maid uniform¡± Filnon ordered, a tone that made Estaria jitter a little with delight. Some people were just inherently this way¡­ ¡°No¡± Estaria would reply, her tone not having much conviction to it, but being stated anyway. ¡°We are in a refugee slash war camp in enemy territory. I am not catering to your terrible fetishes in this situation¡± Filnon would give a look at this show for a moment, and then take a step forward. ¡°Ok. I can live with that¡± she replied, stepping forward again. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to play with you now, make you almost cum for me, and then pull you out to the training ground and let everyone see you try your best to do anything but squirm and mewl while me and Elaine take turns keeping you right there on the knife¡¯s edge¡± The confidence, was the worst part. Filnon didn¡¯t stutter or spend a moment thinking about her words. She just reeled it off, in one clean line, like those people who could peel an apple. Despite all her power, Estaria¡¯s heart was racing from the words alone, and she could barely think, let alone anything else. ¡°I-i-i-i¡¯ll, wear, the dress¡± she stuttered, pulling her current dress off and sticking it in her inventory. ¡°As much as I love the strip-tease, why are you dressing like that?¡± Filnon asked, leaning back and admiring the show. ¡°The¡­uniform, is weird when it all slaps in at once, so I gotta dress it properly¡± Es replied, pulling it out of her inventory and dressing in it. So many parts to it, it took her a while, but eventually she was done, and turned around to face Filnon, who ambushed her with a warm and passionate kiss. ¡°Perfection. Well, almost, but I understand the fact that a collar and leash might be a little too much here. I can suffice with just this, my lovely slave-wife~¡± Filnon¡¯s hand would stroke where Estaria¡¯s mark was placed, grinning to herself and playing with Estaria¡¯s breasts. Self-control collapsed, and Filnon buried her face in Estaria¡¯s neck, kissing and nibbling on it before pushing her fully to the ground and straddling her. Es started to speak, but was silenced by by a finger Filnon put on her lips. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry. But I just¡­¡± Filnon would slide her hands up Estaria¡¯s body, playing with her even through the heavy covering of the uniform. And then, right as her hands got to Estaria¡¯s crotch, and she shuddered from the contact as her mind went blank from the raw bliss of it all¡­Filnon pulled her to her feet and booped her nose. ¡°Seem to have done both. Now come on, we got some sword practice to go too¡± With no more time to prepare, Filnon dragged her maid out of the tent and to the training ring! Willfully oblivious to all the stares and commentary that Es was producing. Chapter 67 Arriving at the training ground, Elaine was stood with an overly long sword. Not something that would be of good use in tight confines, but could be pretty brutal in the open field from the reach advantage it gave. The sheath was tied onto it to create a makeshift practice sword, and she was clearly in the sparring mood. Though, not so much she couldn¡¯t be shocked to see Estaria stumbling towards her, dressed in all that. ¡°...Wow. I did not expect you to come to a training match dressed like that. But who am I to complain, mon amour? Such a great sight on the sidelines while I demonstrate La longue caresse with your wife. From the looks of it, you need the break anyway¡± Elaine would coo, her tone teasing and her eyes sultry. One quick glance at Filnon, and Estaria¡¯s blood was fired. And not in the good way either. ¡°You two planned this!¡± she exclaimed, to soft chuckles from the two. Riled up from Filnon and this dam dress, and everyone staring, Estaria would dramatically point to Elaine. ¡°Screw watching, I¡¯m going to learn your style by beating the crap out of you!¡± Estaria would dismiss the pop-up she got, not even acknowledging it¡¯s presence right now. Just rushing in with a practice sword and throwing down with the Vampire. Blood Dragons, were no joke it seemed. Sure, Estaria was in a poor way right now, using a weapon she hadn¡¯t used in about a year, fighting a person with centuries of experience and supernatural physique, but still. Elaine was definitely having fun, the way she sparred without trying to hurt the woman too much. It would be far too easy, here and now. ¡°So riled. I can smell so much coming off you in waves. I think I¡¯m going to like that dress¡± Elaine commented, giving a giggle. Though it seemed to have the opposite effect, and Estaria stood up straight and exhaled, before turning to Elaine. ¡°You are right, I am trying to learn something here¡± she¡¯d comment, shaking out her hair and and adopting her Witch Dance stance. ¡°Should not be surprised you two are conspiring to have all the fun you can. It¡¯s nice, in a way, that you are getting along. I¡¯ll be the doll that helps that, if I need to be¡± Any other situation, Estaria might have been embarrassed the admit such a thing, but this dress was making her go mad right now, and so her thoughts were not the most coherent. And so she engaged again, less like she was trying to break something, more like she was trying to learn something. ¡°There we go. I am sorry for the trickery¡± Elaine would state, as they went through the forms properly. ¡°It¡¯s just, you¡¯ve always been so delectable when it comes to this sort of thing. You¡¯ve got such skill, such prowess, and yet you think so little of it. So little of yourself. Despite everything, you don¡¯t want to be in control. And such a thing makes it hard not to play with you¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Elaine¡¯s casual dissection of Estaria¡¯s psyche was spot on, and Estaria knew it. It made it hard to really focus on words, given everything else that was going on, so she just finished up the session and then looked at the two. Life was going to get really complicated from here on, huh? Still, right here and now was not complicated. Just fight the thing in front of her. Elaine¡¯s use of the sword reminded her of that Swordsmaster she fought in the dungeon. Such a long blade, and yet swung with such a fluid grace and with perfect use of it¡¯s length. She was even using the off-balanced nature of it¡¯s length to further her strides and swings, keeping a constant motion going without a second¡¯s pause to recover from the swing. Truly, Elaine embodied the search for martial perfection. The sparring lasted ten minutes before Elaine took mercy on Estaria, and called an end to it. ¡°Considering the situation you are in right now, you did really well to keep up with me. I didn¡¯t feel much soul in your sword though. I don¡¯t think it is the weapon for you¡± Elaine would state, shrugging gently. ¡°Yea¡± Estaria would reply simply, her shoulders dipped and her eyes closed for the moment as she tried to sort her head and get her words. ¡°I really, just wanted to spend some time with you, sword training was an excuse¡± Estaria would then open her eyes and look back to Elaine, who gave a smile, and then flitted in close and kissed Estaria¡¯s lips. ¡°You never need an excuse to spend time with me. In fact, why don¡¯t we go spend some time together now? I can deal with that frustration you¡¯ve got building beneath this lovely dress¡± Elaine offered, stroking the smooth, shiny black. ¡°As much as I truly want to accept that offer, you¡¯ve another student today. So I, will go find some things to kill, and maybe bring back dinner. You two can conspire while I am not here, so you don¡¯t need to worry I might overhear and be forewarned about what terrible thing you are going to do to me next¡± Elaine would look back at Filnon for a moment, and then nod to Estaria, and head back to get into position. For her part, Es would glare at Filnon and then equip her Bride dress while maintaining eye contact. The airy fabric let her skin breathe, and the sweat cooled blissfully. Her scent also apparently waffed out a lot, as Elaine¡¯s nostrils flared and her body stood to attention. ¡°A-avoid, going to Middenheim. It¡¯s crawling with enemies¡± Elaine would state, stuttering a little as she tried to get the sudden blast of Estaria under control. To say crawling, while she as a woman that powerful and had Borrago to back her up, must mean it was really bad. ¡°Thanks¡± Estaria would reply, giving a nod and leaving the two to it. The run from the camp into the open was great for her head. There was something soothing about just getting out there and running. Not at a superhuman pace, just a normal pace. It really felt nice. And on the topic of feeling nice, she was back in The Empire, so didn¡¯t have to restrict use of her Guns anymore for the social faux pas that it would make. Once sufficiently out of the camp, she¡¯d tap a glowing box in her peripherals, and apparently complete a quest. New Quest - Gain the approval of La Chelia Delari Quest Completed - 1 Trait rewarded Considering she was on 4 levels per trait, and levels were coming in slow right now, that was a huge benefit. So, cooling off in the Middenland breeze, she¡¯d open up her talents. At the top, was a red talent Mother Of The Snowdens. Other than being red, there was no details for it at all. Still, she had lived life so far being drifting on the breeze and pretty impulsive, so she tapped it and got the mystery trait. New Quest - Defend The Snowdens The mini-map lit up a place in the hills not far from here as where she was meant to go. Never having gotten a quest from a trait before, she took off at full speed towards it, wondering what was going to greet her when she got there. Chapter 68 Fauschlag. Of course it was, had to be the one place Elaine had told her not to go. At least, generally, anyway. The mountain was bigger than just Middenheim, but she doubted the Marauders were keeping themselves isolated in the city. Well, no point worrying about it, she¡¯d just have to¡­ahem, squirm. The idea of getting in trouble coupled with whatever those two were planning certainly felt good in a weird way. An awkward but game smile crept onto her face as she walked towards the mountain, giggling to herself like a young girl who had just had her first kiss. She took a few detours to tidy up the road-side shrines to Ulric and kill the Marauders sheltering there, but eventually got where she was going. ¡°Ha! Beauty deliv-¡± A Marauder at the base of the mountain started, and got his head blown off by Estaria¡¯s Talon. Reloading manually, Es kept a firm gait up the mountain path, dealing with the men who had come to investigate the noise, and making good time through the chaff, up into the cold, snowy air. Here she saw her mission laid out in front of her. Dead wolves, Norscan hunters, and a Warrior leading the lot. The Warrior turned his head to Estaria and got a bullet in it for his troubles, collapsing in a loud heap and distracting the hunters. Getting distracted was not a smart move, as the still living wolves moved in, ripping out necks and dragging them off their feet with fangs in the leg. And the head was a massive beast, big enough to ride and with blood red fur. His nametag denoted him as ¡°Bloodwolf Ulricsson¡±. Estaria questioned for a moment if he was one of the mythical sons of Ulric, or just called that because he was big, but put that aside for now and aided the wolves in their breakout attempt against the Marauders. She never thought she¡¯d fight against wolves against the forces of Chaos, but here she was. The enemy tried bringing in reinforcements, including a few mounted soldiers, but Estaria¡¯s repeater handgun took care of them, and ensured that for now, the fight was over. Most of the wolves retreated to lick their wounds, some dragging the corpses back to their dens to feed their young. Only one Wolf stayed, the man-sized Bloodwolf. Padding up to her, he looked her in the eye, and gave a wuff. ¡°It is my pleasure to help you. These are foes to us all, Bloodwolf¡± Estaria would state, feeling a little awkward talking to an animal. But his eyes did imply some sentience beyond the animal instinct that his brothers and sisters had. Bloodwolf replied with a bark, and nudged her nose with his, before barking again to the wolves. There were a few whines, and a few grumbles, but the wolves picked themselves up and fell in behind Bloodwolf. Quest Completed - Mother Of The Snowdens Trait added Mother Of The Snowdens: Recognized as a friend by the Lord of The Mountain, you have the loyalty of the lupine, and gain a permanent companion in Bloodwolf Ulricsson Wolves as reinforcements. Who would have thought it? Turning from the situation, she would head back down the mountain at a casual place, glancing at Middenheim as she did so. It was a sad sight to see it broken and bloodied. Though she did need to get down there because there was some huge mass in the middle of the city, near the Temple. She couldn¡¯t make it out from here, but it was provoking her curiosity. Between the climb up, the short fight, and the climb down, she had spent about an hour on the mountain. A real showcase of how bad things were going, that in that one hour, Ungor had come out of the woodworks to scavenge the dead bodies she had left in her wake. They let out a shriek as the wolves came into view, and were rundown by Estaria¡¯s unorthodox cavalry, but it did tell her the state of the place. Standing still, she¡¯d cast her eyes around. The horizon wasn¡¯t even burning anymore, the fight was long since over and these Marauders were occupying more than raiding. This was going to get real messy.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. But, she couldn¡¯t just meander around kicking over campfires and being a nuisance, she had to get a proper plan. Maybe take her friends to Norden or Dieshaften and open up a port for mercenaries to get in from Tiliea¡­Of course, that implies that they hadn¡¯t fully fortified the major ports¡­Ultimately there was no reason thinking about this just by herself, so she headed home. The reaction she got was predictable, people panicked as a pack of wolves prowled into the camp, though with Estaria at the head, they didn¡¯t make any rash moves immediately. ¡°They are friends¡± Estaria would state, with a simple tone as if this was just normal every day stuff. The wolves finding themselves part of the camp and just laying down there helped that idea. Even if the giant one was invoking nerves everywhere he looked. Into the camp Es walked, and found her two lovers. They looked so good together, and it made her smile. Though the tightly bound elf by their feet made her curious. And the wounds she saw as she got closer made her worried. ¡°What happened?¡± Estaria asked, rushing up to the two and taking their hands. ¡°Asks the woman with a man-sized wolf following her¡± Filnon would reply with a laugh. ¡°But it¡¯s quite funny actually. This man, is Alith Anar. Due to a bitter bit of history, he absolutely detest the Druchii, and was overcome with rage when we killed Malekith and Morathi, for they were his prey. So he stalked us here with some ancient method of travel and tried to kill me. Elaine saved me from his first shot, I obliterated the tree he was hiding in, and we fought. I got to find out this is a fun crown¡± Filnon would gesture to the crown she had pilfered from Malekith as she said that, giving a coy smirk. Estaria would nod gently, and then her eyes went to the man on the ground. Walking over, she would crouch down and look at him. ¡°So instead of taking advantage of the instability in Naggaroth, you traveled all the way here because of a bitter need for revenge?¡± she asked. It got no response, but she didn¡¯t need one. She would instead take hold of his bonds, and snap them apart. ¡°Hey, it took a lot to get him like that¡± Filnon exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. The elf gave a cautious look back at her, eyes cold but curious. ¡°I know, but there are people on that continent we need someone to look after in our absence. Can you handle having your life spared in exchange for protecting some Druchii?¡± Estaria would ask. The man¡¯s eyes flashed with a fire, and for a moment he looked like he was going to lunge for Estaria. But instead, stared into the blood red eyes. ¡°You know nothing, do you?¡± he asked, looking to his wrists, and then back to the woman. ¡°Means I am the perfect person to make such an offer to you. There is no bias or weight of history in my offer. Just a chance for reconciliation now Malekith is dead and no longer driving his people to insanity. A chance for everyone to discard the past and look to the future. And a promise that if I have to kill you for taking advantage of my kindness, it¡¯ll not be driven by anything that you have done previously¡± Estaria slipping in his casual murder gave him pause for a moment, as if he was trying to decide if he wished to be offended or amused by the arrogance of it. ¡°You think it possible?¡± he would ask, slowly standing. He had clearly convinced himself that Malekith was never going to truly die, and so his crusade was endless, and there was no hope. Now, his conviction was growing brittle in the face of possibility. ¡°Not for all of them, no. But my wife has been driven by an urge to change Druchii society so that they might be able to live again. And Fukuri is so cute and passionate about life that she has clearly not been poisoned by Malekith yet. There are going to be those who resist because they want to retain their lifestyle, those who resist because of what has been done before, and those who accept because they want a future not drowned in the endless blood of a futile war. You may surprise yourself how many Druchii wish to reunite with their cousins now that such a thing is an option¡± It was testament to Estaria¡¯s aura - not hurt by the fact that Filnon and Elaine were hovering like hawks and there was a massive wolf behind her - that she had been able to talk to this man so long without him pulling some Loec Shit and disappearing into the shadows. ¡°It has been so long. I do not know if we can, nor even how¡± he would look around the camp, as if trying to find inspiration. ¡°Understandable. Soldiers come back from an eight year campaign, and sit in their home, with their families. Wondering if they can still be a person after all that has happened. The only way you can find out is if you take it one step at a time. With intent behind every step¡± ¡°Truly, a delightful mind. Youth has great merit, does it not?¡± came a soft voice from behind. Looking back, Estaria saw an Eonir, dressed as one might expect, and moving with great skill. ¡°Now then, Shadow King. Are you going to leave without courtesy, or do you wish an audience with my Queen? This young one has given you much to talk about, no?¡± The way she voiced it made it clear she knew the answer before even getting it, and so gestured for him to follow her. The two departed the area, and finally Estaria could let out a deep breath. ¡°I think that deserves a reward¡± Filnon would coo, sliding up to Es¡¯ left side and taking her hand. ¡°Agreed¡± Elaine would state, sliding up to Estaria¡¯s right and taking the other hand. ¡°Well, I always did want to try that flavoured ice that the Tilliean merchants talked about¡± Es would retort, playing the brat as she was led off into the camp. Chapter 69
¡°So¡± Filnon would broach to Elaine as they walked through the camp, hand in hand with Estaria. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pull out your sword? You fight really well with it, and would probably have done a lot better than whacking him with the sheath if you drew it. I imagine there is a reason, but I am curious to hear about it¡± she asked, looking over at the Blood Knight. ¡°It¡¯s been broken for a while now. It¡¯s a very intricate thing, and so I can¡¯t find myself a smith to repair it. I made some discrete enquiries in the Karak, and they didn¡¯t seem against the idea of doing repairs on ¡®Umgi scrap¡¯, but I never managed to get myself back there before all this kicked off¡± Elaine explained. It perked Estaria up, who pulled out a map and then opened up her tracker on top of it. Normally, it only worked for what was in the general vicinity, but if you overlaid it with a map, you could get where your friends were through it. If they were anywhere on that map to begin with. After some moments, it began to glow in the Middle Mountains. Desolate place, Middenheim had been built into it because it was cool, but the mines and prospectors were hard-scrabble people who never had much luck with anything. ¡°I got a dwarf friend called Traukon in the Middle Mountains right now. I¡¯m not saying every dwarf is a great blacksmith or anything, but he¡¯s going to know someone worth paying to get your sword back operational. You are good enough with a normal sword, so seeing you with that?¡± Estaria would give a giddy grin at the prospect of seeing her girlfriend with her ancestral sword back in her hands once again. ¡°So, that¡¯s a no on the flavoured ice, and a yes on the expedition to the mountains to meet a friend?¡± Elaine teased, giving a toothy grin as Es nodded. ¡°..Y-yea, pretty much¡± she would fold the map back up and nod. ¡°I for one love the plan. But, also I should stay here. There¡¯s going to be a lot of politics to talk about with that guy, and Druchii, and all the rest. So you to have fun, and fill me in when you get back¡± Filnon put in, before giving Estaria a kiss, Elaine a kiss, and heading off into the camp. Elaine gave her a look that implied the three of them were getting into a tent one day and testing the limits of Estaria¡¯s supernatural durability. But for now, it was time to go out. Setting up with gear and provisions - Estaria was Elaine¡¯s provisions, so mostly it was just food for Es - the two made sure everything was set in the camp, and headed out. Bloodwolf gave a woof as if he was going to be a good guard dog till they returned, which made Es feel more at ease as she set out across the Great Northern Road. Marauders and Warriors were found here and there, either carrying their loot and slaves, or on their way to get loot and slaves from one of the still standing villages in the area. Both types were executed with extreme prejudice, and the slaves directed to the camp to support the effort in retaking the North. Or at least annoying the enemy enough to be worth being here. Eventually, they left the road, and headed in country to get to the mountains proper. A few villages were on the way, some burned out and abandoned but making decent shelter for the night. Others, still standing defiant and hard-bitten. Estaria tried to convince these villages to consolidate, and managed to even have a few head out towards the camp. Others refused as this was the land they were born on, and this is the land they would die on. Estaria could understand the conviction, even if she couldn¡¯t condone the action, so left them to it. They¡¯d have a moment¡¯s reprieve with the mess that the two had made up the Great Northern Road anyway, so it should all balance itself out. Hopefully.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After leaving a trail of dead across Middenland, Estaria eventually got to the mountain pass. It was still a long trek through difficult terrain, but they were here now. ¡°You see them?¡± Estaria would ask a few minutes into the walk, looking to her girlfriend. Needed to be wife, so she was all equal. But then what would it be? Estaria Nightfury Sforza? It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, all told. ¡°The three dwarf Rangers stalking us rather well?¡± Elaine would reply, her tone loud enough that their tail could pick up on them. ¡°It is most impressive for someone so rotund to move with such agility. I must commend them¡± Elaine¡¯s provocation worked well, as one of the Rangers appeared out of the scrabble and glared. ¡°I ain¡¯t rotund, I am compressed!¡± he exclaimed, to giggles from the two women and a groan from his partner. ¡°They were provoking you for a reason, ya wazzock. Honestly, it¡¯s like you are some Hazkal stumbling around the Karak¡± he grumbled, shaking his head. ¡°Now who are you two? Ya don¡¯t look like Dum-Umgi¡± Estaria would take the lead at that prompt, and give a nod. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you two. I am Estaria Zashira. Azul Umgi of Karak¡­¡­Shit, I just realized I never asked Traukon what the name was. He just referred to it as The Karak and I never asked it¡¯s name¡± She staggered off course and tried to wrack her brain, hoping that she heard it somewhere, but was saved by the older of the two Rangers perking up. ¡°Traukon¡­.Brightbelly?¡± He would ask, to which Estaria would perk up. ¡°Yea! Of course, he¡¯s here. Why didn¡¯t I open with that?¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°Azaza. He¡¯s a Hammerer of Karak Azaza¡± The Ranger would state, leading them up the path, through a hidden pass and into a camp. Very well made, with everyone moving as they knew exactly where they were going and what they were doing. It was nice, after all the metaphorical Chaos she had been around, to be here in dwarven stability and surety again.Taken through the camp to the center where an old, well-adorned man was pouring over a map, Traukon was there. Level 68, which was impressive but to be expected given the goldmine of experience he sat on. He wore some very impressive armour, and a great, masterfully crafted Hammer was slung on his back. ¡°Estaria! And Elaine! Of all the people, I did not expect you two to turn up!¡± He would exclaim, striding over and giving the two of them a hug. ¡°Hey Traukon. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here either, with the trouble going on right now. You moved cross the country while an Everchosen raves around, to dig around in this place that has never yielded anything but crap. That, is a story¡± The well adorned man would look up, and stare at Estaria, before Traukon spoke up. ¡°Middenheimer. At heart, anyway. She knows about these Mountains¡± he would explain. The man would nod, and head over to them. ¡°Then you are welcome. We are here of personal Dawi business, But nobody treks this far up a mountain just to meet a friend, so you must have business as well¡± he was very to the point, which Estaria could admire somewhat, so she would nod to Elaine, who brought out her sword and unbound it to draw it out. ¡°Ohh. Now that is a bit of metalwork alright¡± Traukon would exclaim, looking at the broken blade. Thin, but forged by the hand of a master such even a Dwarf could stare with appreciation. ¡°Mmm. Family heirloom, forged in the days of Gilles le Breton by the legendary blacksmith Jaque De Arc. I¡¯ve never managed to find anyone who can reforge the pieces I¡¯ve kept in this scabbard¡± Elaine would finish explaining, and then put the sword back. ¡°We would love to help you. Working on that thing is it¡¯s own reward. But we are on a tight schedule here, and can¡¯t spend the time it would need to get that back to full working condition¡± The Dwarf in charge would state, with a sigh. ¡°A trade then. We can help you with a thing to speed up your work while you are working on that. Me and my girlfriend here are pretty capable¡± she would offer. The Dawi would ponder for a moment, and then nod. ¡°Take Traukon with you. He will tell you what most needs doing¡± the Dawi in charge would then turn, and get back to the map he was staring at.