《Feral Shadows》


 Chapter One

    Chapter One


    Jay had been trekking through the local forest for about an hour. He still wasn¡¯t sure why. His entire life had been spent avoiding outside activities in favor of enjoying sweet, air conditioned bliss. Ever since he had started playing video games years earlier as a child, and much later when he began programming in college, he had always tried to avoid the outside world and it¡¯s bright, sweat inducing ball of fire. Yet, here he was, tramping through the great outdoors, getting hot and sweaty for no other reason than the sudden, inexplicable urge he had to go outside. This was not to say he was out of shape. Jay was fairly athletically built, having swam for several years. He still had much of his previous appearance following college graduation. He had maintained much of his physique in the comfort of one of the local gyms, but that did nothing for the humidity and heat he was unaccustomed to enduring.


    Jay was a rather uninspired individual. He knew he had potential to do great things but completely lacked motivation. At six feet tall, he considered himself rather average, despite others telling him he was quite handsome. He never really believed the compliments but accepted them gracefully, always thanking the person for thinking of him. His hazel eyes were sharp and clear, always with an eye for detail, and his short brown hair was well kept. He had the potential to grow facial hair but it bothered him, and made his skin gross, so he stayed clean shaven, or ever so slightly scruffy, depending on how lazy he felt that day.


    After graduating from university, he accepted a job across the country and had been working for two years now, leaving him at the ripe old age of twenty-four. He had dated and messed around with girls in the past, but, as with most things, completely lacked the motivation to provide the time and effort needed to sustain any sort of serious relationship. If he had the choice, he probably would have stayed in his apartment all day, every day, and read books or played video games. As such, his relationships outside of work were practically non-existent. He called his mother on occasion to assure her he was still alive, while he would occasionally chat with his younger sister or his two best friends over the internet, but that was the full extent of his communication outside of his constant internal monologue.


    That same internal monologue was currently grousing about the midsummer heat and the sweat causing his shirt to stick to his body. He was skirting one of the larger trees, grumbling to himself, when a root caught his foot causing him to stumble a few feet forward. When he looked back up he was standing in the middle of a tall grass field that stretched for miles. Jay frowned. There wasn¡¯t supposed to be a field in the middle of this forest. He had lived in this area long enough and had seen local maps regularly. It was true that the forest was incredibly large but this was simply out of place. He turned around to go back into the trees where he exited, hoping to backtrack and see if he had gotten lost, only to find that there were no trees behind him either. His frown deepened into a full blown scowl as his eyebrows pinched together.


    He had read plenty of books and played many a video game where the main characters were displaced from their world into a new one and, while he was not entirely sure that was what happened to him, the signs were definitely pointing that direction. The only other explanation he could attribute to this situation would be some kind of wormhole. They were both equally likely, and in fact, it could be both as far as he knew. He guessed that it could have been aliens, but he definitely wasn¡¯t what was considered a ¡®dangerous¡¯ human, so hunting him would be a waste. Plus, they were dropped in crates. If it had been a typical alien experience, he was sure his rectum would tell him if it had been probed. His body was sensitive to changes like that.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    A wormhole that transported him to a different world. He had never cared much for religions and divine beings, but if there was one that was fucking with him he was definitely going to be pissed. Jay had never put much stock in gods in the typical sense most people held, but something like that would also explain the sudden urge he had earlier to go outside, completely counter to his day to day practices.


    Jay shoved his hands deep in his short¡¯s pockets and sighed while he surveyed the area around him, scowling all the while. He¡¯d be lying if he said he¡¯d never wanted this to happen to him before, but this was a pretty shitty way for it to occur. All he had were the clothes on his back, his wallet and cellphone, which judging by his current situation, were all useless. Nevertheless, he pulled out his phone and checked. No service. Oh well, better safe than sorry. He pulled out the battery and placed both back in his pocket. Continuing with the world swap theory, he had to assume by the complete and utter lack of civilization or any sort of markings, that this world was much less technologically developed as his own. Even out in the complete boonies, most countries of Earth had some kind of infrastructure. Roads, telephone poles, electricity lines, that sort of thing.


    Assuming a similar planetary position and rotation, the sun was currently on the downward slope to the West. It was still as hot as Satan¡¯s ass crack, but it was becoming slightly more bearable, which meant he was probably around the same relative global latitude and longitude as he had been on his world and that the seasons were similar. With a general idea of directions, Jay made a decision and began trekking what he believed to be eastward. He needed water first and foremost, as he was already fairly parched after his forest hike. Anything after that was a luxury.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    ¡°He¡¯s rather sharp for a mortal.¡± The god Daphenious was watching the young human man as he waded through knee high grass. ¡°Made a good stab at the crux of his situation and then took it all in stride.¡± He chuckled, the deep, sonorous noise bouncing around the room. ¡°Provide the right circumstances and suddenly the unmotivated flame burns bright.¡± His companion, Shira, glanced at him from the corner of her eye, eyebrow cocked in mild amusement. ¡°He¡¯s not going to be pleased if he finds out we¡¯re responsible. His opinions on higher beings seem to be fairly hostile.¡±


    Daphenious just laughed some more. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to bring him here, so you¡¯ll be the one taking responsibility when he finds out. I suppose we could have put him in a better location, but what¡¯s the fun in that? We¡¯ll get to really test his mettle in a desperate situation with the way things are now.¡± Shira just sighed. He was right but that didn¡¯t change the fact that Jay would be immensely peeved when he found out. She had been watching him for several years and had finally managed to convince her brother to help briefly rend the barrier between worlds to bring him over. She was lucky it was only a few steps between his reality and hers. They may be sister universes, but the power needed to create rifts through space-time was immense. Daph had been kind enough to do most of the heavy lifting by causing the rip, while she had guided Jay into their world.


    Shira found the man immensely interesting, and with him walking their world, she could more directly influence his life, delving into the kind of human he really was. Of course, if he ever found out she was responsible for his current misfortune he¡¯d most likely be driven away from her, at least for now. The frustration currently bouncing around within his head was practically being shouted towards the heavens. He would have to be careful. Many of her siblings did not take kindly to mortals blaspheming against them. She would have to take the time to guide others to educate and protect him until he was accustomed to his new world.

 Chapter Two

    Chapter Two


    It had been three days of steady walking through that blasted field of endless grass with the fires of hell beating down upon him. Jay had wondered if there was a time differential between this world and his own, but there was no way to know. He only hoped his two best friends and close family did not grieve too long when he was discovered missing. They all cared and would no doubt be distraught for some time, but all of his close relations were tough and would continue moving forward.


    At long last, Jay finally spotted what looked to be a forest in the distance. His previous experience with forests told him to avoid at all costs, however practicality won out, as trees meant more water, of which he was now in dire need. Three days with no food or water had left him in a sorry state. The fact he smelled like several week old forgotten meatloaf wasn¡¯t helping his mood either. With nowhere else to go, he entered the tree line.


    The change was almost immediate. The towering trees held an immense canopy, blocking most sunlight just a few short steps into their domain. Despite the sudden itch that he was being watched by many hidden eyes, Jay continued deeper and deeper into the forest. He felt no animosity but the silence surrounding him was enough to make him nervous. Even among the grass fields there had been sounds of life. Bugs, snakes and birds, among many other things, all made those fields home. There were none of those sounds in this wood. Jay pressed on despite his misgivings.


    He made his way forward as the day slowly melted away. He had yet to come across even a trickle of water as the light slowly faded from sight and with a groan, he hoisted himself up on a low hanging branch before shimmying upward towards the middle of his chosen tree. He would sleep cradled in its branches tonight, hopefully avoiding whatever creatures prowled below when dusk finally set.


    The forest came alive at night. The eyes he had felt watching him all day had dispersed, and were replaced by a sense of hunger that permeated the air. Jay was sprawled out in a crook of three intertwining branches dozing when the first calls of the night began. He did not get much sleep that night. Below and all around him, the sounds of large creatures crashing through the underbrush, growling and fighting saturated the previously silent forest. Jay huddled within his crook, refusing to look should the denizens of the night spot him. He was afraid of very few things, but self-preservation dictated he cower and hope to go unnoticed this night.


    It was the longest night he ever endured.


    When the sun finally peaked above the horizon, Jay was mentally and physically spent. The night had drained away the last of his reserves of strength, yet he still managed to climb down from his perch before slumping against the base of the tree where he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.


    He woke several hours later to stomach pains and a mouth of cotton. His lips had long since chapped and started cracking. His brief respite had ever so slightly renewed his mental fortitude as he slowly stood, working out his sore muscles which screamed at the abuse of sleeping on hard packed ground. He once again began his trek east, as he had marked the direction he had been heading with an arrow before night had fully set in.


    It had been slightly after midday when he awoke, and after an additional two hours of skirting trees and bushes, something more than the eyes that peered unseen had taken notice of the human that slowly moved through the forest. Jay felt the hunger before he saw the beast. He had stumbled into a small clearing when a sudden impending sense of doom washed over him. Jay ducked and leapt forward instinctively, narrowly avoiding a paw as big as his chest, with claws longer than his forearm, which swept through the space he had previously occupied.


    He rolled to his feet facing the direction of his assailant to find a beast the size of a small truck circling him. Its thick fur was blacker than night and rippled with energy, as powerful muscles moved beneath the skin. Jay should have been afraid, but instead was awestruck by the primal beauty of what looked to him like a massive panther. Warily, both combatants circled the other. Jay kept one eye on the edge of the clearing, looking for an escape. There were none. He knew the beast would catch him long before he could scramble high enough among the trees, none of which had enough low branches to speed his ascent. A grim look settled on his face as the dire circumstances sunk in. He would die here and become food for some beast an entire world away from home. Whomever, or whatever, brought him here was a real fucking prick.


    Jay crouched down, his eyes never leaving the beast, picking up a nearby stone the size of his palm. If he was going to die, he certainly wasn¡¯t going to make it easy. Armed as feebly as he was, he felt ready. The would-be panther felt the same as muscles bunched. It sprung toward him, covering the feet between them in a single leap, claws intent on ripping this small morsel apart to drag back to its den.


    Jay dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the mass of the beast as it barreled past him. Jay jumped forward, slamming his makeshift weapon into the nose of the panther, causing it to flinch back as pain lanced across its face. Jay launched himself atop the towering creature and began hammering at its skull, face, and eyes with the sharpest point of the stone he could find. The beast screeched in protest. This small prey had suddenly become much more than it was worth as the animal floundered and bucked, attempting to dislodge the thing mounted atop its majestic back.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Jay held on for his life, squeezing the sides of this massive predator with his legs and gripping the fur of its neck with his free hand, as he slammed the stone down again and again onto the head of the beast. After what seemed like hours, yet was only several seconds, Jay once more struck the animal on the head. This time the beast tumbled forward, as the impact stunned the creature into brief unconsciousness. Jay was flung off as the panther unexpectedly toppled over. The beast slowly heaved to its feet, shaking its head, spraying the area with its blood as it stumbled slightly, growling all the while.


    Jay was crouched nearby, at the ready should it move to attack again. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would survive another attack. He had been immensely lucky to have survived this long after pulling such an idiotic stunt. His body was still on its adrenaline high, as he slowly stalked to the rear of the beast. It looked as though it had received enough abuse however, as it attempted to escape back into the trees with a severe limp in its step. The tumble had broken its front right limb, ripping out one of its retractable claws before snapping the bone in half.


    Jay noticed the glint of the dark claw on the ground and scooped it up as he trailed a few feet behind the hulking animal. The hunter had become the hunted, and Jay was a very, very hungry predator. He had acquired a feral glint in his eye as an equally feral smile stretched across his face, lips bleeding from cracks as he smiled. He was weak, hungry and thirsty, and here was the first meal he could catch in several days. He stalked his prey as it slowly made its way through the forest, the blood and sounds it made as it passed through the underbrush made for easy tracking as he crept along at a safe distance. Jay knew he had not inflicted enough damage to kill the beast outright, but the broken limb tipped the balance greatly in his favor.


    They trudged through the forest for an hour, man stalking beast, before the animal slipped into a large, inconspicuous crevice between a few boulders. Jay knew better than to follow an animal into its lair. That would be akin to asking for death. Instead, he lay down in the dirt surrounding the hidden cave. Removing his t-shirt, he rubbed the dirt into his body, masking as much of his scent as he could before finding a good vantage point from which to watch the entrance.


    As the sun began slipping lower in the sky, his patience eventually won out, as the panther limped back out of the cave, before collapsing a short distance away. Jay watched cautiously as it struggled back to its feet. He could not possibly fathom having inflicted enough damage to the beast to cause this current state. As the creature limped its way back into the forest, Jay followed once more at a short distance.


    It was not long before they arrived at a nearby stream. Jay nearly groaned with delight. Finally, something had gone right. The panther had stopped to quench its thirst, lapping up the shallow water that flowed gently past. Jay used this opportunity to silently approach from the side where he struck quickly at the unaware creature. Holding the claw tightly in his hand as he would a knife or dagger, he quickly slid the point into the beast¡¯s jugular and ripped it across, severing its major arteries before leaping out of range again of deadly teeth and claws.


    The beast slumped after a brief attempt of retribution, the life draining from its body stained the ground, causing the stream to run red. Jay watched from a safe distance, the ice blue eyes of the beast met his own dark hazel as the light behind them dimmed. They spoke not of anger but of sadness before the light was slowly snuffed out of existence.


    Jay looked down at his blood stained hands. He figured he should feel something but all he felt was relief. He now had food and water to last him a few days while he planned his next move. The cave would become his own lair, a safe haven until he had built up his strength again and scouted the area. With these thoughts in mind, he drank deeply of the now pure stream of water before setting to the task of skinning the beast and preparing the meat in large chunks.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Daphenious had kept a close watch on Shira¡¯s new mortal toy. When his younger sister took interest in a man, it was his duty as the older brother to keep tabs on them, whether they be immortal, mortal or otherwise. He had thought the man was to meet his older brother for sure when the Drenz had attacked, and was glad Shira had been occupied during the encounter, otherwise she might have done something rash to protect the mortal. The whole event was immensely stressful for Daphenious but he was even more shocked when the mortal had not only fought off the beast at least twice his size with nothing but a rock, but then proceeded to stalk and kill the animal after the fact.


    It was an amazing feat for any mortal. Most men would piss themselves in fright at the mere sight of a Drenz a few times their size, yet this one had not even batted an eye at the fact that he could have died. He simply accepted it as a likelihood and then did everything he could to deny his brother his due. He could see why Shira would hold interest in such a man, even if he was a mortal. Daphenious was the god of interesting things; alcohol, women, partying and general debauchery were his usual staples, similar to the other world¡¯s Dionysus. However, this human qualified under the category of ¡®interesting things¡¯. Shira, the goddess of knowledge, justice and protection had started a very interesting event, and he wouldn¡¯t miss a second of it.

 Chapter Three

    Chapter Three


    Jay had never skinned or prepared an animal before, but he somehow managed to fumble his way through it while preserving much of the edible meat. It was a disgusting process, but necessary. When he finally finished, the sun had dipped below the horizon. Using the beast¡¯s skin, he loaded the good meat, and a few of the larger bones, before he detached claws and longer, sharper teeth and wrapped it all up safely. Jay dragged what remained of the body a good distance in the opposite direction of his cave. Using the stream, he briefly cleansed his hands on his way back and picked up his bundle before making a rapid retreat to his hidden abode. Being outside at night, at least while in this forest, was probably his number one fear at the moment.


    Before entering his cave for the first time, Jay grabbed as many fallen branches as he could carry with his current burden on the way back to the hole. As he slipped inside, the cool, moist air allowed him to relax slightly as the sounds of the night began off in the distance. Apparently the panther¡¯s domain was well-known and others did not tread within it lightly. That would give Jay a few days buffer to prepare until the local wildlife realized it was gone.


    Jay set about preparing his new home. The current dark was oppressive, so he immediately set about starting a fire with his previously acquired kindling. It took a lot longer than it should have, as his amateur hands skillfully squashed his attempts to create a small blaze in the dry wood. Several attempts later, a small glow sprang up and rapidly caught as a small fire sprang into existence. The dark was driven back and for the first time since entering the cave, he realized he was not entirely alone, as the shadows cast by the fire danced across the cave.


    Huddled in the back corner, two small mounds of black fur peered frightfully at the unknown intruder, and for the first time he felt a small pang of regret before he quickly squashed the emotion. It was kill or be killed, and he was the victor this time. Jay moved slowly, so as not to frighten the little fur balls any more than necessary, as he reached out and pulled out a slab of meat. Using one of the claws, he sliced up the meat into several pieces before slowly approaching the little cubs. They were each about the height of a medium sized dog, reaching his thigh in height.


    He placed the meat a short distance away before retreating back to his fire to cook a slice for himself. Was it messed up that he was attempting to feed the cubs pieces of their own mother? Absolutely, but he had nothing else to offer, and the fear in their equally ice blue eyes immediately caused him to discard any notion of killing them. He killed their mother out of necessity. Killing them would be unnecessary bloodshed and would leave a worse taste in his mouth than the realization of what he had already done. He wouldn¡¯t regret his actions, but he didn¡¯t have to like them either.


    He stripped the bark of one of the branches before spearing some meat and slow roasting it over the fire. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air in the small cave and made his stomach growl repeatedly. Once it was thoroughly cooked and cooled, he dug in with relish. The meat itself was tough, but the nourishment his body craved made it seem like a prime cut of beef. After devouring another, he proceeded to cook the remaining meat to hopefully allow it to keep longer.


    Jay glanced towards the cubs, still huddled at the back of the cave, but noticed the meat he had placed out for them had mysteriously vanished. He sighed before slicing up another slab of meat and approached the little ones again. They still cowered while he approached, but when he stopped a short distance away and held out the meat he spoke soothing tones and words, coaxing them with the food. It didn¡¯t take long before hunger won out over reason and both crept towards him before snatching the meat and rapidly retreating to their corner.


    He smiled slightly before retreating as well to his little fire. He was lucky, the cave had natural ventilation due to the slant of the ceiling, allowing for any smoke to leak out of the crevice. With that final worry out of the way, Jay lay down on the dirt and stone floor, enjoying the warmth of the fire as he slowly drifted to sleep.


    He woke the next day to a small amount of light leaking in through the crevice and was surprised to find two lumps of black fur huddled next to him for warmth. He chuckled lightly before getting up and stoking the few remaining embers of his little fire and consumed another panther steak for breakfast. It was a few minutes later that two pairs of sleepy eyes looked around before realizing the unknown intruder was sitting right next to them. Both jumped and scurried away back to their corner, causing Jay to burst into laughter.


    ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± He chuckled to himself before setting out another two slabs of meat next to him for the little ones. Realizing he didn¡¯t intend to harm them, they approached suspiciously once again before gobbling down their meal. Jay watched with an amused grin. From what he could tell, the slightly larger one was a boy while the other was a girl. It was the girl that first worked up the courage to approach him fully.


    It had been two days since he had taken over the cave and had been working with the claws, teeth and bones he had scavenged. Jay was busy attempting to fasten the various sharp pieces together to form some kind of weapon when he was suddenly nudged from the side. He turned around to find bright blue doleful looking eyes staring at him and he sighed as he set aside his current project. He reached up and slowly began rubbing the young cub on her head, scratching lightly behind her ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love.¡± Was all he said as she laid down and lowered her head into his lap in defeat. The boy approached and nudged his sister lightly on the shoulder before laying his head down across his other leg. Jay leaned back against the wall, stroking and comforting the little ones he had orphaned.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    After that, the three of them were nigh inseparable. The two cubs followed Jay around everywhere he went. Whether it was fetching water (which they thoroughly enjoyed both splashing and drinking), scouting the surrounding area or hunting at night, the cubs, which he had named Kara and Bane, stuck to his heels no matter what. Kara was immensely sweet and playful, always ready to jump into action but was also incredibly clever. Bane struck Jay as more of the strong, silent type. He held himself as Jay imagined a king might, which had inspired his name. Bane, King of the Dark Forest and his playful, yet equally dangerous sister, Kara.


    The meat he had initially acquired had quickly run out after the first few days of feeding all three of them, and he had begun braving the night to bring in more. Much of the night wildlife were predators that stalked and hunted each other. It was a strange ecosystem, where only the strong survived, but all the beasts quickly learned that, while the big panther was no longer around, a new apex predator had taken her place, as Jay and his companions terrorized the night. The three worked well together, one creating ambushes and distractions for their unfortunate victims while the other two would take deadly advantage. It was a team combination that mixed in Jay¡¯s human mind for tactics and the cubs¡¯ natural strengths.


    Time passed in this way, scouting a few hours a day by picking a random direction and walking through the morning, then hunting at night. Both cubs had grown in size. Bane was nearly as tall as Jay now, while Kara had reached his chin in height. Both were rapidly growing from the steady influx of food.


    It was almost three months since he had stumbled into this world when he came across a well-worn dirt road, almost two full days away from his cave, which cut through the center of the forest. In his surprise, he nearly cheered in delight, but quickly subdued the urge. A dirt road suggested either far country living, or less advanced civilization as Jay had originally hypothesized. Considering the size of the forest and the amount of dangerous creatures that inhabited it, Jay continued to assume less advanced civilization, as anyone with guns would have cleared this place out long ago.


    Weeks of survival in the forest had tempered his mind and body. What was once a moderately in shape, pasty human, was now a tanned and well-honed weapon. Jay moved through the trees and underbrush like a ghost, the black fur of the mother panther he draped around his body blending him even further into the shadows of the trees as he skirted along the roads edge. He followed it for an additional several hours before dawn began creeping into the wood and he was forced to turn around. He no longer feared the night in these woods, but if he planned to continue farther, he would need to bring provisions. Kara and Bane had also stopped following him on his scouting trips during the day, as they preferred to sleep during the early morning when he typically left.


    It took him most of the remaining day of skirting beasts and territories as he made his way back to the cave. They were not as aggressive during daylight hours, but it never paid to be careless. He finally had a lead on civilization and planned to follow it as soon as he could. He had managed to create various articles of rudimentary clothing and equipment from his night time hunts. Primarily, he needed his water flasks and the bag of dried food he had stored away. The moccasins, fur pants and his panther cloak, as he called it, were all already on him, as well as his favorite bone spear and hand claws he had created. His original clothing had quickly been damaged beyond use, and instead used as bandages, fire kindling and weapon parts.


    He entered his home just as light was leaving the forest to find both Kara and Bane sitting at attention, waiting for him. Jay smiled at his companions. They had worried about him since he hadn¡¯t returned in quite some time.


    ¡°Sorry guys. I found something really interesting.¡± Jay said with a grin as he scratched both behind the ears.


    Kara nudged him lightly in the chest with her nose, causing him to grin again, while Bane simply looked on with what Jay imagined was an amused look. Both beasts were immensely intelligent, and he didn¡¯t doubt for a second they understood what he said. It always made him wonder how he had managed to live through his encounter with their mother. Over the previous months, both had learned at a remarkable pace, and their ability to understand and follow Jay¡¯s instructions were a large part of the reason for their survival. Jay shook his head. Had mother panther been influenced by a human mind, there was no doubt he would not be alive today.


    Discarding morose thoughts, Jay settled his mind. After he took a nap, they would leave this place, maybe forever. He gathered up his supplies and prepared his equipment before he lay down among a bed of furs. Both black beasts curled up around him as they drifted to sleep.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Shira had watched her little human grow strong after defeating the Drenz. Daphenious had been kind enough to inform her of the event after the fact, much to her horror, and she had watched him zealously since. Having watched the fight herself later, she had a brief moment of uncertainty. By all accounts, he should be dead, yet here he was, surviving and excelling in what was likely the most dangerous natural environment on the continent of Val¡¯Drask. She had noted he had called it the Dark Forest in jest, however that was exactly what it had been named. Only the brave, foolish, or both, journeyed off the regularly patrolled roads into the depths of the forest.


    Her uncertainty was caused by his strength of will and ability to adapt. She knew he was mentally strong, albeit unmotivated, from her years of watching him in his old world, but this far exceeded anything she had anticipated. If he continued to grow in this way, what would he become?

 Chapter Four

    Chapter Four


    After waking, Jay picked up his few worldly possessions and set out from the cave, Kara and Bane flanking him as they moved through the forest. He slept longer than he thought, and night settled in as they trekked towards the road. They arrived as the following night was settling in, and set out in the southern direction, following along at the forest edge. The beasts of the forest could be heard throughout the night, but never once did the travelers encounter any, leading Jay to believe the road must be well defended and patrolled on a regular basis.


    Night passed and the afternoon sun was high overhead, casting shafts of light down through the thinned canopy, before the man and his beasts encountered the first humans of this world. A large caravan of merchants and guards travelling south as well were slowly progressing down the road. All three faded into the deeper shadows as Jay listened intently to the chatter shared between both guards and merchants. He was pleased to discover they spoke a language he understood, before he realized the writing on the boxes and carts was not English, yet he could read and understand the letters. The knowledge must have been implanted when he crossed over, as he had little difficulty translating English phrases into this new language when he stopped to write them both in the dirt. The panther cubs watched Jay and the other humans curiously, staring over his shoulder as he puzzled out his new language skills.


    It was an additional hour before he decided to approach the caravan. He had long since learned of their business, the competency of their guards and the hierarchy of leadership. He quietly, but quickly pushed ahead, his companions trailing him, equally as curious about these new humans. Brother Jay was the only pink animal they had seen before, so learning more about those of his kind was good in their opinion. He may be an adopted member of their family, but he was still different. A quarter of a mile ahead, around a slight bend, Jay left the trees, sitting next to the road after telling his friends to stay hidden and watchful.


    Fifteen minutes later, the first guards rounded the bend and spotted Jay as he lounged beside the road. Words and orders were passed back and forth before the caravan was halted and they warily approached the stranger.


    ¡°Hail, friend.¡± The guard¡¯s leader called from his horse a courteously safe distance away.


    Jay stood and simply nodded in his direction as a greeting, keeping his hands in plain view. Taking the cue, the man rode up closer. What he saw made his brows furrow in confusion but he maintained his friendly disposition. The man in front of him was pure, tanned lean muscle. Both disheveled long hair and beard spoke of many a rough day, what was visible of his upper body was crisscrossed with scars, while his clothing and equipment were seemingly barbaric, made of furs, bones and claws. What caught his eye the most was the jet black fur he wore wrapped around his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m Carl Johnson, the leader of this sad lot of guards and protector of this even sadder lot of merchants. It¡¯s dangerous to travel this road alone, friend. Might I ask your business here?¡± Jay cocked his head to the side for a moment. That was a really good question. What exactly was his business here?


    ¡°I¡¯m Jay¡­¡± He cocked his head to the side as he hesitated for a brief moment. He had not spoken with another human in a while. It was strange. ¡°I have a story, but it is a long and strange one, and would take longer to tell than standing here would allow.¡± He waited another moment as he collected his thoughts. ¡°I know I am a stranger to you, however, I would greatly appreciate it if I could travel amongst you to your next destination.¡± He had watched Carl and knew he was a good man and effective leader, and that his guards and these merchants were not as sad as he implied. He hoped he would be able to openly travel with them. It would allow him to gather much information and learn more about this world.


    Carl hummed thoughtfully before making a decision. ¡°I would not mind, however I must ask the caravan leader. I would also have to ask you to relinquish your weapons for the duration of our time together, should he agree.¡± Jay nodded. He had expected as much. With his assent, Carl spun his horse around to visit the caravan master. Several minutes passed before an exceedingly fat man atop a struggling horse joined Carl. Both approached but it was the caravan master who spoke first.


    ¡°Jay, is it?¡± Jay nodded. ¡°I am Nial Gemstone of the Gemstone merchant group. I have heard what Carl has said but I would hear it from you as well before I make a decision. I would also require you to work for me for the duration of our trip. You will be compensated for your work, two meals and ten copper a day is the standard agreement.¡± Jay repeated his previous statements to the man, readily agreeing to whatever work was needed.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Good. Then we have a deal. We have another four days before we exit the forest proper and an additional six to the town of Shren. I will be mostly indisposed for most of the trip, so if there is anything else to discuss we should handle it now.¡± Carl had gestured back towards the caravan which began shuddering along once more.


    Jay relinquished his makeshift weapons to the guard leader before addressing Nial once more. ¡°There are two things I should inform you of before you depart.¡± Nial nodded his acknowledgement. ¡°First, I can read and write. I do not know if that will be valuable to you, but they are skills I possess. Second, I have two companions who travel with me, however, before I ask them to reveal themselves, you must promise not to draw any weapons against them as I assure you they will not harm you without my consent.¡±


    Nial shot a look at Carl who shrugged. ¡°Reading and writing are indeed useful skills. I will most likely have you assist with cataloguing our new goods, as our scribe, Tannus is quite over worked at the moment. As fitting with your skills, I¡¯ll also pay you fifty copper a day. It is less than what is normal but meals are still included.¡± Jay bowed his head slightly in thanks. ¡°However, this is all a moot point depending on your companions. I can agree to allow you passage due to your skills, but two more would be a burden.¡± The caravan had started passing them as the conversation continued.


    ¡°I assure you they will not be burdensome. They are quite self-sufficient.¡± Jay turned back towards the trees. ¡°Bane, Kara, come say hello but don¡¯t spook the horses.¡± Carl and Nial¡¯s eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates as the two jet black beasts left the shadows of the forest. ¡°Shira protect us! Drenz!¡± Nial gasped as Carl moved to draw the blade at his hip.


    ¡°Do not draw your sword! They will not harm you.¡± Jay spoke with authority, causing Carl to hesitate. The horses snorted, pawing the ground nervously as the Drenz, Jay now knew, sat beside him. ¡°These are my companions. They are completely harmless, as long they and I are not threatened. They will require no food but will most likely appear when we stop at night. They do not like to sleep alone.¡± Jay smiled fondly as he scratched Bane behind the ear. Both men were speechless as they stared at the man.


    Carl recovered first by clearing his throat. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t have any problems with it as long as they don¡¯t spook the horses.¡± Nial quickly agreed on the condition Jay tell his story later that night. Ever the merchant, Jay humorously thought. With business concluded, Kara and Bane melted back into the forest while Nial beat a hasty retreat to his wagon. Carl openly relaxed at that. ¡°Let me get you set up with a meal, perhaps some real clothes, and introduce you to Master Tannus. The men won¡¯t believe a damn word of this until tonight.¡± Carl shook his head as he turned toward the front of the caravan, Jay following behind.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Shira was bathing when her attention was suddenly drawn to one of her most devoted subjects. A merchant had sent a heartfelt plea for protection. When she looked down upon the scene she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Her interesting little human had finally found others and had promptly frightened them near death when his Drenz had popped up. It was an amusing sight to say the least.


    Shira could hear Daphenious roaring with laughter in the world view room down the corridor. He had spent most of his time, almost as much as her, watching her little mortal with interest within her heavenly mansion. She knew he was aware of the plea for help, which was probably why he was in hysterics. The plight of other god¡¯s followers was always a source of amusement for the divine beings. Daphenious¡¯ original interest in Jay had worried her slightly before she realized, as the god of interesting things, he would naturally find her little human an entertaining pasttime. Now, it was simply nice to have someone who could share her secret, even if it was her older brother. Shira watched the scene for a little longer as Jay set about his work cataloguing goods for Nial before climbing from the water and toweling herself dry.

 Chapter Five

    Chapter Five


    Master Tannus was a crotchety old man who absolutely hated when things deviated from the norm. Nevertheless, when Jay showed up at his cabin, he couldn¡¯t have been happier. As the lone scribe for the caravan, he had been swamped with cataloguing the new goods, as-well-as all of the other duties that came with scribing as a profession. I need to write a letter. Can you read this for me? Where does this go? Blah, blah, blah.


    The duties of a caravan scribe were never ending, but at least it paid very well. Five silver a day purchased his services as the caravan manager. It was true that Nial was the owner and leader, but he was mostly present for executive decisions and dealing with customers. Tannus did everything else, so when that young whippersnapper of a boy came in to help, he nearly cried tears of joy. Nearly. He was still a crotchety old man at heart, and as such, he promptly put Jay to work. Five days later, when Nial came by to check on the caravan status, he found Tannus relaxing back in a chair smoking his pipe. The man couldn¡¯t stop singing praises for employing Jay. Everything had been catalogued, organized and stored in the correct locations. The jobs he had been days behind on were now completed well ahead of schedule. Hiring the man for an tenth of what Tannus was getting paid was criminal, according to the caravan manager. Nial simply laughed and moved back to his carriage.


    ***


    The first day, after Jay had eaten and been clothed, he was introduced to Master Tannus, and worked throughout the day until night fell. It was easy work. Manual labor accompanied with cataloguing what was in each container was all Jay had done back in high school, and he quickly developed a system to streamline his work.


    That first night, the caravan had stopped and circled up in a large clearing just off the road. He had been invited to share a campfire with Nial and Carl, as well as a few other members of the group where he, after finishing his evening meal of bread and a meaty vegetable stew, was required to tell the others his story.


    Jay left out how he had arrived to this world, claiming amnesia. He woke up in a grass field and had no recollection of his past. He told of how, after three days, he had entered the forest looking for water, and eventually his fight with the Drenz mother, how he had driven her off and then followed her before finally killing her. He told of his discovery of the cubs and of the subsequent months of hunting, scouting and surviving in the forest up to the time he encountered the caravan. He learned the forest¡¯s proper name was actually the Dark Forest which struck a humorous cord in him.


    In the telling of his tale, Bane and Kara had crept into the camp and settled on either side of him while he spoke. Their sudden appearance frightening many of those who had joined them while listening to the newcomer¡¯s story. At the completion of his monologue, silence reigned for several minutes as disbelieving ears were forced to accept an impossible story, as eyes bore witness to a man and his pet Drenz. People who traveled the Dark Forest road regularly disappeared, the dangers of the forest claiming many despite the vigilant patrols, yet here was a man who not only fought off one of the continent¡¯s most dangerous predators with a rock, but had proceeded to live for additional months in the primal wilderness of the forest. If the Drenz at his side did not verify his story, everyone would have laughed and called him a liar. A great storyteller, no doubt, but a liar nonetheless.


    After that first night, Bane and Kara were more openly welcomed throughout the caravan, though wary eyes still watched them carefully when they appeared. They only tolerated Jay and, while they would not harm anyone, he was the only human allowed to touch them. After the fourth day, the caravan left the forest. A day later, Jay finished his work for Master Tannus, and after a brief inspection by Nial, was promised a substantial bonus upon successful delivery for his good work.


    Over the course of the trip, Jay learned much about his new world. His cover of amnesia allowed him to ask questions that would normally be suspicious, but everyone who travelled among them had heard the legendary story that had been retold repeatedly and such questions were deemed necessary instead.


    The land he was in now was known as Drenna, a primarily human country in the middle of the continent of Drask. Its capital, Dren, was a month¡¯s travel south and east of Shren, which was situated on Drenna¡¯s northern border. The Dark Forest marked the boundary between the northern and central kingdoms. Due to its prime location on the main trade route between Craddux and Drenna, Shren had grown into a bustling city and continued to expand during this peaceful time, as traffic and trade increased. The primary language was officially named Diad, but most simply referred to it as Common, since it was the most used language among the various countries.


    There were many different races that lived on the continent. As Jay categorized them, you had the standard races, Human, Elf and Dwarf that went by the same names from his world. Then there were slight deviants, such as the Grosh and the Nardep, which were suspiciously similar in description to orcs and goblins.


    Following that, there were sub-race divisions. For humans there were the dark skinned desert nomads known as the Savex to the East, the northern men, Crads, the middle kingdom Drennans, and Zux, the island barbarians, which sounded remarkably like his old world¡¯s Vikings mixed with ancient Japanese culture. It made for a strange combination. The western reaches were primarily inhabited by the Grosh and Nardep, among other unsavory things such as giants and ogres. Inhabiting the dense forests to the south, the wood elves primarily resided while dark elves were typically found in the mountains to the north with the dwarven clans. There were plenty of myths and legends of supernatural creatures such as fairies, unicorns, elementals and dragons, but there was no substantial proof to verify their existence.


    Magic existed in this world, which moderately excited Jay. Users were rare as they were required to be born with an innate gift for the practice, but the prospect of seeing, and maybe even studying, real magic excited the man.


    All-in-all, it seemed like a standard fantasy world that had inhabited books he had read for years. Although, the Grosh and Nardep didn¡¯t seem like they were nearly as huge pricks as all the previous stories made them out to be. Most merchants had trade agreements with many of their villages which dotted the western lands. They were just another people trying to survive. However, it made him wonder why he had been dropped into this world. From what he could tell, barring the occasional Zux pirate raid or the standard bandit group, this world seemed fairly peaceful. There were no major conflicts or incredibly dangerous creatures that threatened civilization as far as anyone knew. No dark lords that needed defeating, no countries with excessively corrupt governments or evil hordes of monsters. The last Great War was over four hundred years ago when a bunch of uppity humans decided they wanted more than their fair share. The Elves, Grosh and Nardep all banded together to crush the corrupt officials and dethroned the poisonous human kings. Since then, kings were selected through exam and judged by elected representatives of the people. There were other continents and islands but they were of little consequence at the moment.


    Jay shrugged to himself. If he had purpose here, it would eventually be revealed to him. Until then, he would find good paying work, most likely as a scribe for hire until he could train with a sword. Then, work as a mercenary or adventurer, if that was an actual profession here, would most likely be best to pay for food and lodging. The money Nial was paying for his services was excellent, as far as he was currently concerned, considering he was flat broke. One hundred copper was equal to a silver coin, while twenty silver was equivalent to one gold. The standard wage of an unskilled laborer was six to ten copper a day, while the cost of living seemed to be approximately four to six copper a day. Most employers handled their employee¡¯s meal costs and lodging, which drastically reduced the need for monetary compensation. At the end of this trip, he would be paid five silver, plus whatever Nial decided to supply in his promised bonus. That would cover a few weeks of food expenses and lodging at an inn. Typical establishments, Jay learned, had a standard cost of twelve copper a night for a room and two meals, which could be haggled down when paying in advance or for extended stays.


    He had yet to figure out what to do with his Drenz companions, but even if he was unable to bring them into towns and cities, he was sure they would be alright outside the walls. He did not initially plan to stay in any one place too long, so they could cope by themselves for a few days should the need arise.


    On the sixth day into their journey, Carl had dropped by the wagon Jay was occupying while writing letters for caravan members, in order to return his weapons. In his eyes, Jay more than proved himself trustworthy, and having an additional armed man never hurt, no matter how primitive the weapons may be. In his spare time Jay had continued working on his physical conditioning, keeping his body in its peak state. With the addition of his weapons, he could continue developing his staff and claw fighting styles. They were by no means professional arts but would allow him to at least defend himself should the need arise.


    Most of Jay¡¯s days followed a standard pattern. Wake up slightly before dawn, he would perform a brief body weight and cardio workout before the caravan set out. During the morning he would take care of whatever scribe duties he needed to attend to before lunch, which was taken on the road. At night, he would practice weapons before dinner. It didn¡¯t take long for Carl to find him practicing and typically would step in and give pointers if necessary, much to Jay¡¯s appreciation. Carl had trained with both staff and sword during his time in the king¡¯s army, so his professional knowledge was welcome, and soon Carl was nodding at Jay¡¯s proper grasp of the basics.


    The seventh day passed much the same as the others. A small detachment of king¡¯s men had passed in the opposite direction on patrol for bandits and dangerous wildlife. Bane and Kara were completely undetectable in the grass fields that stretched out across the land, and no issues arose as they passed. Jay was fairly certain he was the only one who would have a remote chance at finding the two Drenz, and even then it would have been a challenge.


    On the ninth day, trouble struck. A day and a half outside of Shren, the caravan was ambushed during late afternoon. Bandits had set up camp in a small wooded area a day¡¯s trip away, stalking the road and waiting till the patrolmen had passed. Many small groups had been captured, raided, and slain, traveling from the surrounding countryside and smaller towns and villages. This close to Shren, many smaller roads fed into the main highway. While it was true that the traffic on the northern road was much less than any others leading to the city, that no one had escaped to report the bandits was testament to both how vicious and careful the group had been. Nial¡¯s caravan was the first big target to stumble across their ambush.


    Jay had been relaxing in the shade of his wagon when multiple thuds and sudden screaming rang out from the head of the caravan. He quickly pulled on his makeshift claw gauntlets and grabbed his bone staff, before dropping out of the wagon in a crouch and racing into the tall grass fields nearby, doubled over, surveying the scene as he went. A large force of about fifteen bandits were trading blows with Carl and his seven men near the front of the caravan, while another smaller group of six bowmen pelted them from afar. They were currently at a standstill, Carl¡¯s well trained and well equipped men held their own despite the bandit¡¯s superior numbers.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Bane and Kara had raced back from their hunt at the sound of screaming and slunk up beside Jay when they noticed him hiding in the grass nearby. Jay had a feral grin spreading on his face and both Drenz knew it was time to really hunt. The soft and unaware creatures they had been preying on since leaving the forest were no threat to them. These humans were soft, but their weapons made them dangerous. It would be more challenging and they all looked forward to it.


    Both beasts faded away into the grass at Jay¡¯s silent instruction, and proceeded to stalk their way to the frontline. Jay quickly moved to the right side of the road, following Bane as he moved through the waist high grass before breaking off and heading towards the bowmen stationed on the knoll slightly off the roadside. Their focus on the guards below, Jay caught them completely unaware as he sprung from his hiding place. He caught the first in the neck with the claw extension of his bone staff, ripping out his jugular before the man even had a chance to cry out. The next shouted in surprise at the sudden spray of blood, alerting the rest to their assailant.


    Bows were thrown down and daggers rapidly drawn, but before they could make a move Jay spun his staff, knocking the second man out before stepping forward and catching the third in the throat with the claw. The man jerked back as the claw caught in his windpipe, yanking the staff with him as he tumbled backward, choking and suffocating on his own blood. Stepping forward again, brought Jay face to face with the fourth and fifth men, as the sixth attempted to circle around behind him. The fourth bandit lunged, attempting to lodge his dagger in Jay¡¯s chest, as Jay stepped lightly to the left and raked his right claw gauntlets across another man¡¯s throat, before spinning and kicking him into the sixth man behind him.


    Jay stepped backward and ducked as the fifth man, the only one with a short sword, swung at his neck, attempting to decapitate him before reversing, cleaving downward in the hope of catching Jay across his left shoulder. Jay raised his hand, batting the blade away with his claw and fur gauntlet before ripping the man¡¯s thigh apart with his other, causing him to cry out and collapse in pain.


    The sixth man had recovered from the tumble with his dead comrade and threw two knives at Jay, which he promptly dodged, before charging Jay with his daggers. The man swiped high, aiming for Jay¡¯s neck before lunging with his offhand towards his chest. Jay blocked the move upward with his right hand, sending the thrust over his shoulder as he dipped low and slammed his left claws into the last man¡¯s throat. The light rapidly drained from his eyes as an incredulous and pained expression crossed his face.


    Jay slid his claws out of the fresh corpse, allowing it to drop to the ground with a thump. The fifth man had rapidly bled out from the severed artery in his leg, leaving the still unconscious man the only one left alive. Jay dislodged his staff from the third man¡¯s windpipe before checking the final man for any additional weapons and tossing him over his shoulder.


    The battle below had long since finished. Once Bane and Kara had assaulted the bandits, the remainder were crushed easily by Carl¡¯s men. The Drenz were covered in blood and both seemed immensely pleased with themselves as they strutted up to Jay.


    ¡°So, how many did each of you get?¡± Jay queried. Bane flexed six of his claws, digging small furrows into the road while Kara flexed four. ¡°Ten total, huh? Not bad. I took six myself. Five dead, and this sack of shit unconscious.¡± It used to unnerve Jay how remarkably intelligent the Drenz were, but he had long since adjusted. Bane huffed while Kara dipped and turned her head slightly in what could only be called the Drenz equivalent of a pout, causing Jay to chuckle before patting her on her blood caked head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Give it a couple years and you¡¯ll both be way better at this than me.¡± Jay continued back to the caravan after scratching Bane¡¯s chin, meeting Carl along the way.


    ¡°We lost three good men in that fight. Charles, Damien and Hugh, not including Jack who drove the lead wagon. If you hadn¡¯t taken care of those archers and your friends hadn¡¯t leant a hand, we would all be meeting Vratix right now. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing. They would have killed my friends and I just as quickly as they tried to do you if they had been given the chance.¡± Jay dismissed the thanks out of hand. It had been good to stretch his muscles and hunt again, even if it was humans. He had briefly worried he wouldn¡¯t be able to take a human life, but it was a worry unfounded. In these situations it was the same as the Dark Forest. Kill or be killed. There was nothing to debate. It was another hunt, only with a bit more intelligent prey.


    ¡°I managed to capture this one. Figured he could sing like a little bird and tell us where their camp is and anything else that may be important.¡± Carl nodded. It was a good idea. They could report any information to the city once they arrived in another day¡¯s time.


    After restraining their prisoner and moving the bandit corpses to the side of the road, the caravan continued onward. Carl¡¯s remaining men had scavenged all the weapons and valuables from the bodies which Carl then passed much of it on to Jay. He was now the proud owner of a rather standard make longsword, short sword, several daggers and bow with a full quiver of arrows, all slightly bloodstained, as well as slightly richer, as the bandits held quite a few silver and copper coins from their previous victims.


    Nial repeatedly promised him an additional bonus on top of what he already planned to pay him for his contribution in saving not only his livelihood, but his life as well. From what Carl had told the man privately after the battle, had Jay and his beasts not been there, they would all be dead. Nial was not known for being unappreciative, and he knew a blessing from his patron goddess Shira when he saw it.


    It wasn¡¯t long, perhaps half an hour, before the captive bandit awoke. Jay had been standing by until word found him that the man come to and when he heard, quickly rushed to the wagon. The man was obviously scared for his life but hatred warred with fear as Jay rounded the corner and hopped into the wagon before dragging the man back out to the side of the road. He waved to Carl. They had previously discussed the plan for the prisoner and Jay had convinced him to let him handle it. The wave was simply to let him know he would catch up and to continue on without him.


    Had the man not been gagged he would no doubt be spouting obscenities and idle threats of pain, suffering and death. As it were, Jay dragged the man into a nearby field in near silence before propping him up against a lone tree. He was a wiry man, dirty, but still fairly young. Jay pulled out one of his newly acquired daggers and crouched down, casually directing it at the man before speaking.


    ¡°Now, I would rather not sit here and torture you for information, as that idea leaves somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth, however, I will do it if necessary. So, here¡¯s how this is going to go. I¡¯m going to ask you a question and if I even think you¡¯re lying, I¡¯m going to cause you quite a bit of pain.¡± At this point Bane crept up behind Jay, eyeballing the now frightened man with what looked like a vicious smile on his face as he bared his fangs. ¡°If you decide you want to lie to me too much or cause me lots of trouble, I¡¯m simply going to allow Bane here to eat parts of your body until you decide you¡¯re willing to cooperate. Pretty straightforward, correct?¡± The man promptly pissed himself before rapidly nodding.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to remove the gag now. I highly recommend you don¡¯t scream, beg or really make any kind of noise at all unless you¡¯re answering a question.¡± The man just continued to rapidly nod before Jay slipped the gag off the bandit¡¯s head and the world continued to be filled with silence.


    Jay nodded. ¡°Excellent! I¡¯m glad you have a good sense of self preservation. Question time! First, what is your name? Second, where is your camp, are there any more of you, do you have captives and are there any other things I should be aware of before going to find it? I realize that¡¯s technically more than two. Consider the last few sub parts of the second. Answer them in order preferably.¡±


    The man quickly rattled off answers. Before becoming a bandit he went by the name Dennis, the bandits all had animal code names, of which he was assigned Dingo for his thin and rather mangy appearance. Their camp was a day¡¯s quick walk west of the road in a small wooded area. There were eight more that had stayed behind, including their leader, while the raiding party went out. They had several captives, both women and children that the leader was planning to sell on foreign slave markets after letting the men enjoy a few of them. None had been captured long enough for the men in the raiding party to have a turn ¡®enjoying¡¯ their company. There were no traps or any other alarm systems set up due to the distance the camp was from the road, however, at night there were always at least two guards on watch.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard was it? And people always make it out to be such a difficult thing to get information.¡± Jay nodded to himself in satisfaction. Everything the man said seemed to be true. Bane probably would have bit off one of his feet if he had lied. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a choice now. First, I can kill you quickly, sparing you a bunch of pain and suffering for being a dick and killing innocent people. Second, I can turn you over to the city and let you rot in prison for a while, where they will most likely torture you before they inevitably hang you.¡± Dingo¡¯s eyes were downcast as Jay paused, judging the bandit¡¯s reactions before continuing. ¡°Or third, I can release you to accompany me to your camp and attempt to set the record straight before returning to Shren.¡± Dingo looked up in confusion as Jay continued on, feigning obliviousness. ¡°I won¡¯t turn you in, but I can¡¯t guarantee the law still won¡¯t find issue with you. If they do, I will speak on your behalf but promise nothing.¡± Carl had given him a crash course in Drennan law before the bandit had woken up, and these were the only three viable options. Should the man honestly seek redemption, Jay would give him a chance, but he also would not judge him if he chose to take the easy way out and request death.


    Dingo was silent as he stared at the ground for several minutes in contemplation, which was good in Jay¡¯s eyes. Had the bandit immediately jumped on option three, Jay would have slit his throat without a second thought. The fact he was hesitant about betraying his former allies in the face of otherwise certain death spoke volumes. Dingo was at the very least honorable to those he once called friend.


    He looked up at Jay before sighing heavily. ¡°Of all the men remaining, none are any that I would call friend. They all perished at the hands of you and your beasts.¡± Dingo hesitated before a fire sprung in his eyes. ¡°I pick option three, those scum suckers back at the camp were the worst of all of us anyway, and treated the rest of us like shit. If I can¡¯t be redeemed, then so be it, but at least I¡¯ll get to stick it to those bastards before I meet them in the abyss.¡±


    Jay was briefly startled at the vehemence the man displayed before breaking down into raucous laughter, tears springing to his eyes. It was a while before his laughter subsided and he made placating gestures. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not mean to laugh, but I do love a good spiteful act.¡± Jay cut the ropes before helping Dingo to his feet, his feral grin and frosty eyes replacing the lightness that occupied his features moments earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± was all he said before stalking in the direction of the camp.

 Chapter Six

    A/N: This chapter contains some of the darker aspects of humanity. Graphic descriptions are present and will be upsetting to some.


    Chapter Six


    It was dark when both men and beasts arrived at the outskirts of the wood. Dingo took the lead, taking them down a small, well-hidden game trail into the center of the grove. A few short minutes later, they left the path and slowly crept to the edge of a large clearing. Dingo¡¯s intelligence seemed to hold up, as two rather ugly and bored looking men stood guard at opposite ends of the camp, staring out into the woods. Quite a few ratty tents stood in various states of disrepair, the largest and least damaged of which was pointed out by Dingo as ¡°the Lion¡¯s den¡±, as the leader had so named it, following his bandit moniker. The raiders had taken to calling it ¡®Cock¡¯s Rest¡¯, in honor of where their dick of a leader laid his head at night.


    Jay quickly formulated a plan. He would take out the guard on the East side of camp, while Dingo took the West. Once those two were dealt with, they would sweep the tents, silently slaying anyone inside. There were supposedly twelve women and children in the camp, ten of which could be seen huddled together near a smoldering fire, bound at the wrists and feet. Jay¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously at the missing two captives, making Dingo swallow nervously. As a relatively new member he had never been allowed to take any liberties with their prisoners, both prior and present, which was probably the only reason Jay had decided to spare him.


    Bane and Kara huffed slightly before laying down to watch the carnage. It seemed they would not be needed, but Jay would most likely allow them to snack on a few bandit corpses, as long as they weren¡¯t too disease infested, so they decided to stick around and watch the two humans at their work.


    Jay melted back into the shadows as Dingo slowly made his way, as stealthily as he could to the first guard. Jay had given him back one of his daggers as they travelled as-well-as the bow he had received, the last of which Dingo now held loosely in his hand, an arrow knocked and ready. Jay watched as Dingo got into position before rapidly, but silently, rushing the lookout from his flank, sinking his dagger deep into the man¡¯s throat before he could call out and slowly lowered the man to the ground.


    A light thump was all he heard as Dingo sunk an arrow through the other man¡¯s eye, instantly killing him. Jay had to give it to the former bandit, at least he was competent with a bow. Jay moved as a shadow through the camp, silently marking empty tents with a slice through the front fabric and slitting the throats of three sleeping men, before he met Dingo at the side of the leader¡¯s tent. Grunting and the sound of bodies slapping together could be heard through the thin fabric.


    Jay seethed, his hazel eyes darkening to a deep black as Dingo shrunk back in fear. Jay threw open the tent sash, observing the scene in an instant. A large, hairy and naked man was mounted atop a young, pretty teenage girl whose eyes stared vacantly into the canvas above. That alone would have been enough justification for Jay to deal with the bandit harshly, however, Jay spotted the other missing victim as well, in the far corner of the tent. A girl no older than nine lay in the dirt, her small, naked body covered in purple and black bruises, congealing blood pooled around her from countless small cuts, the light from her eyes having long been snuffed out.


    A cold, dark rage settled into Jay¡¯s heart, his bloodlust radiating throughout the tent. He grasped the man by his hair and pulled him off the unresponsive teenager with a primal growl, dragging him outside with shouts of surprise and pain. Every bruise, every cut, every scar that marred that little girl''s body would be repaid tenfold. He would feel the same pain and desperation, the complete lack of hope that she had felt, before his soul fled his body. Only then would Jay feel justice had been upheld.


    Dingo rapidly retreated, the fear at seeing Jay¡¯s eyes earlier paled in comparison the pure fury and bloodlust cascading throughout the camp. Jay tossed the still naked and squirming man next to the campfire before drawing two daggers and staking his wrists to the ground, causing a chilling scream to echo throughout the night.


    ¡°Dennis.¡± Jay¡¯s sudden calm and collected voice made Dingo shudder, an unnatural chill creeping up his spine. ¡°Go find some clean blankets and cover the one still alive after checking her for injuries. After that, bring me two more daggers and cut the women and children free. Take them to the meeting place. I will join you shortly with the one inside.¡± Dingo did not miss the significance of Jay using his real name and quickly fled to follow his instructions. The bandit leader had ceased his screaming, instead opting for pain filled moans and whimpers between sobs pleading for his life.


    The Drenz had crept up warily after feeling Jay¡¯s bloodlust from where they watched in the woods. They had never felt such rage and thirst for death from their adopted human and looks of worry could be seen in their eyes. Kara crept up to the main tent and poked her head inside before rapidly retreating with deep, throaty growl. Bane caught the message and both took up positions beside Jay as he stared down at the cowering worm before him.


    The prisoners looked on in fascination at their savior. Tall, handsome and wild, cloaked in fur darker than the abyss itself, righteous fury etched across his features as he stood over their tormentor, his two massive black beasts at his side. Every single woman and child etched his image into their mind. Shira¡¯s instrument of justice, delivering them from evil and protecting them in their most dire moment. It was thirty minutes later when Dingo, pale as a ghost, exited the tent and led the prisoners away, assuring them Jay would catch up, bringing the missing girl with him. Jay did not want them to see what he was going to do next.


    He waited several minutes before he knelt down next to the whimpering man and whispered in his ear. ¡°What I am about to do to you is so much less than you deserve for the pain you have caused. May you spend an eternity with Vratix personally attending you in the abyss.¡± For the first time since arriving, Jay invoked the name of one of gods. Carl and Nial had spoken at length with him about the various deities and the ideology surrounding the invocation of a deity¡¯s name. Speaking their name with true intentions brought your situation to their attention. Naturally, doing it too often was generally frowned upon and could easily get one cursed with the ire of the divine. Jay was not particularly keen on bringing attention to himself, but dire situations demanded appropriate response, and asking for Vratix, the god of death and the abyss, for his attention was well worth the risk in his opinion.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Jay removed a third dagger from its sheath in his boot before he crouched down at the bandit¡¯s feet. He latched on to each leg to prevent struggling before impaling each ankle into the earth with the two daggers Dennis had delivered, causing another bout of screaming to come from the ¡°Lion¡¯s¡± mouth. Jay took his own dagger in his right hand and slowly worked his way up from the man¡¯s feet. After ripping out toenails one by one, toes were slowly and methodically removed, occasionally stopping to insure the bandit remained conscious. From there, Jay sliced open the man¡¯s knees, removing the kneecaps before digging the point into the nerve centers in the thighs. The bandit passed out for the first time.


    Upon waking, Jay proceeded to skin the man alive, methodically removing the skin from each leg before cauterizing the open flesh with wood from the campfire. An additional three times the bandit¡¯s consciousness faded away, only to awaken shortly thereafter to blinding, unyielding pain. Grabbing fabric from one of the tents, Jay grasped the bandit¡¯s manhood before slicing it off and shoving the member deep into the man¡¯s throat before cauterizing the wound. It was deathly quiet. The bandit¡¯s voice had given out long ago, the crackling of the fire the only noise to be heard as the Drenz watched with stoic countenance.


    Jay sliced open the man¡¯s stomach, leaving the cavity open to the environment before scraping the dagger along the sensitive nerve endings on the ribcage. Jay went to work on the rapist¡¯s hands, removing nails before methodically removing each digit. Jay finally stabbed into the man¡¯s armpits, hitting the major nerve centers before slicing his eyelids off, carving MURDERER into his chest, and RAPIST into his skull.


    Vratix must have listened and responded, as there should have been no way for the man to survive that much pain and blood loss for such an extended period of time, yet still he breathed. The surrounding area was a layer of pooled blood. Jay cleansed his hands with bandit canteens of water and wine before retrieving the deceased girl¡¯s body from the tent. Bane and Kara dug a large hole at the edge of the clearing beneath a large oak tree where Jay delicately placed the broken body. After replacing the displaced dirt and carving a brief memorial into the tree, Jay began rooting through the camp, packing away food, water and anything of potential value. Weapons, coins and anything shiny went into his pack.


    Jay stood and stared down at the man¡¯s barely conscious eyes one last time. ¡°If you were a lion, then I was a dragon,¡± was all he said as the bandit breathed his last. Jay headed into the woods, carrying the sleeping young women in his arms, his black Drenz shadows following closely behind.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Daphenious and Shira were both staring in sick, abject wonder as the scene unfolded before them, unable to remove their eyes as one mortal methodically dismantled the other. At the completion, both were immensely pale as they watched the man make his way across a field of grass carrying a broken girl in his arms. They paled, not in horror of his actions. Shira, as the goddess of justice, felt the torture was well within bounds for necessary retribution, while Daphenious was just amused at the interesting human doing interesting things. They paled not for the gruesome display, but for the name he had spoken.


    Moments later, Vratix, the eldest brother swept in to the room. Long black robes flowed around him like shadows made cloth as he strode up to the world view. Black hair fell straight to the center of his back, and piercing, ice blue eyes surveyed his siblings pale countenances from an alabaster face.


    ¡°I know what you have done and what you plan, my na?ve younger siblings.¡± Vratix cut straight to the point. ¡°Shira, your hand lingers over him. Know, I, as well, have marked him. His call to me gives me right. Until your own influence can break my hold, I will be his shadow. The pale rider shall follow him wherever he goes.¡±


    As quickly as he came, Vratix departed. Shira, nearly in tears, turned to Daphenious for support and was swept up in her elder brother¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Do not cry little sister. It is unbecoming of a god.¡± Daphenious comforted. ¡°We will break his claim over the mortal. I swear it.¡± Daphenious spoke in soothing tones, stroking Shira¡¯s platinum blonde hair. She sniffled once before composing herself. Daphenious was right, this was no time for sorrow or pity. If they wished to free the man, they would have to plan and act quickly before Vratix sunk his claws in further.


    __________________


    __________________


    A/N: I want to give a big shout out to Slayersky123, MadnessKing and ZanthaV for the reviews and feedback. It''s a great motivator and incredibly helpful to me to see what people like and dislike about the story.


    I also want to take the time to let everyone know, things like this chapter will not be the norm. I''m telling a fantasy story, not writing a horror film, but it is also necessary to note that this is not a happy-go-lucky world and bad things can and will happen. It also served as an excellent way to expand on Jay''s character.


    I''m honestly a little nervous about the reception for this chapter, so I would really appreciate thoughts. I check and read every comment and review, so know that your opinion will be seen.


    Thanks,


    Imbalance

 Chapter Seven

    Chapter Seven


    The sun was slowly climbing through the morning sky when Jay approached the lone tree they had designated as their rendezvous point, about halfway back to the main highway. The young girl he held cradled in his arms had yet to wake when he found Dennis vigilantly watching for danger, the others wrapped in blankets and resting on the ground.


    Bane and Kara had been kind enough to carry the packs of food and valuables, and after gently setting the girl down on a flat patch of grass, Jay went about distributing bread and dried meat to the starving captives. At some point Kara must have taken a liking to the still sleeping girl, or perhaps it was just natural maternal instincts. However, after being relieved of her burden, she curled up next to the comatose human female, watching her for any sign of waking.


    Jay took a clean cloth from one of the packs. After soaking it with water he raised the girl¡¯s head up, resting it in his lap as he slowly dribbled water into her mouth. After doing this several times, he gently placed her back down.


    He addressed the now mostly awake group who watched his every move with curious eyes, some filled with gratitude and others with worship, which slightly unnerved him. He did not want the adulation of others, he simply wanted to do what he felt was right.


    ¡°We are a half day¡¯s walk from the Northern Road with an additional day¡¯s walk from Shren.¡± Jay gestured to the other man, still attentively keeping watch. ¡°This is Dennis and I¡¯m Jay. We will escort you the rest of the way to the city. The Drenz are friendly and will not harm you, so you need not worry about their presence. We have plenty of food and water, so if you are hungry, thirsty or tired let either of us know and we will take care of it.¡± Jay passed the pack of food to Dennis to carry as he grabbed the other from Bane.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve all rested enough, we will walk till afternoon before breaking for a meal, then continuing on till the road where we will make camp.¡± All in all, there were six women of varying ages and four children, both boys and girls, under the age of ten, not including the still unconscious girl who Jay promptly picked up after slinging the pack of valuables on his back. He learned a little about each of the travelers over the course of the journey.


    Most had been heading to Shren on vacation with their families or husbands before being ambushed. Faith and Sheila introduced themselves, but maintained silence in mourning for the majority of the journey. The eldest woman, Heidi, was in her early forties but still maintained a youthful air. Despite how she held herself, she was undoubtedly tough as nails, perhaps a product of a life built on hard work. Her husband had been instantly killed by an arrow. The story was much the same for the rest. Husbands and fathers all lost. Fortunately, none had lost children. Out of the entire group, only one woman in her late twenties, Peri, had a child, Geni, the eldest girl of the children in the group at age ten. The others were James, age six, Chloe, age four, and Sam, age nine. All had homes they could return to, but because of their gender or age, the land would be given to male relatives which most had never met. The two youngest, Nuriel and Vivien, both around seventeen, had been moving for work.


    The group trudged forward for a few hours before the children began to lag. Dennis doubled back, scooping the youngest boy up and placing him on his shoulders. The rest managed to make it to the afternoon break, however, Kara would harbor no delays and ended up placing the rest of the small children atop Bane¡¯s broad back. The initial yelp of surprise from one of the children had nearly caused Jay to drop his burden laughing, particularly when he saw the indignant expression Bane cast his way while Kara seemed to smirk in satisfaction.


    The sun had set an hour earlier as the ragtag group finally stumbled onto the road in the dark, and collapsed off to the side. Jay quickly made a fire as they ate in silence, before many quickly fell into oblivion. The youngsters all managed to snuggle in close to Bane as he laid down at the edge of the group, causing Jay to snicker loudly at his lack of defense against the small humans. They may not like adults but the innocence of children managed to win the Drenz over. Kara took up her customary position next to her charge before they all drifted to sleep, Dennis included, as Jay crept into the shadows to keep watch throughout the night.


    Morning dawned, and after a quick breakfast the rested group made quick time on the well maintained terrain. The children took turns riding Bane throughout the day, and despite the cold exterior he seemed to emanate, Jay caught him enjoying the attention the youngsters paid him multiple times throughout the trip.


    The sun was setting once more as the group reached the outer gates of Shren. The city was a sprawling mass that stretched for miles in all directions. The constant growth had caused the city to create two walls. The inner stone wall was the original town, which now mostly held the upper class, while the outer wall was built of wood, which was more easily torn down and rebuilt as the city continually expanded.


    The line was short this late into the evening and seeing the ragtag group of women and children approaching with two massive black beasts, one of the guards quickly ran off to find his superior officer. The other stood speechless as the group reached the gate. They did not have to wait long as the captain of the guard came quickly running with seven other men at the news. He was a big man, Jay guessed early fifties from the salt and pepper hair and mustache, yet muscularly built from years of weapons practice. His voice was gruff and commanded respect. He directed his attention to Jay, who roughly resembled a walking armory at the head of this group, patiently waiting.


    ¡°I¡¯m Guard Captain Andrews of Shren. State your name and business, and you better have a damn good explanation.¡± His tone brooked no argument and Jay spoke his name and then told the story from the beginning. He had been travelling with Master Nial Gemstone¡¯s caravan, who should have arrived two days ago, when they were attacked by bandits. After the battle, Jay had interrogated a surviving member of the raid party, who he inconspicuously did not identify, and after retrieving the information from the bandit had gone to their camp and killed the remaining members. He then released the captives they had taken prisoner before escorting them to where they now stood, and would be great to be led to a healer and for the rest to be fed, washed and clothed if possible.


    Captain Andrews¡¯ eyes continually expanded and his mouth hung slightly open. He had expected this man, Jay, as his good friend Carl had informed him of the ambush and how one of the scribe¡¯s accompanying them had killed six of the bandits while his Drenz killed another ten, saving their lives before promising to catch up as he ran off into the wilderness. This additional story was just too much but the rest could be sorted out later.


    ¡°One last thing, your beasts,¡± the gruff older man hesitated as he watched the young children cling to Bane¡¯s back and legs, eyes darting between the two massive Drenz. ¡°Never mind, we¡¯ll put them up in the empty garrison stable for now. It¡¯ll be another two weeks before the patrol comes back, so it should be fine.¡±


    Composing himself, he turned around and began giving orders. The captain himself would take Jay to Talli the healer¡¯s shop, one would go to the Forest Gate Inn with the remaining members of the group to feed and wash them, while another would go to the local tailor and procure some general clothing for the women and children to wear. He was instructed to tell ¡®that old codger Gerald¡¯ that the captain would be by later to settle up. The rest would go back to the barracks with the Drenz and make sure they were fed and comfortable. The last statement received some nervous looks but none argued. The last man quickly ran off as the group split in two. Jay nodded to Bane and Kara, and told Dennis to go with the women and children to make sure they were taken care of as he would be along shortly.


    Jay followed the captain along in silence as they wound through cobblestone paved streets. Talli''s Apothecary was a small building on the edge of town. That it was an apothecary would have been apparent even without the sign jutting out from the building. Potted plants of every type, color and smell surrounded the building, sitting on the ground, in window sills and on various stands surrounding the house. The inside was an amalgam of different earthy scents and odors, as every shelf held some sort of collection of herbs, roots or mineral. Captain Andrews steadily picked his way through the cluttered areas, Jay following in his wake. At the counter, Andrews rapped his knuckles on a small open section of wood, calling Talli¡¯s name into the back.


    They both stood patiently as they heard shuffling, and a moderate amount of swearing, before the most beautiful woman Jay had ever seen stepped out from behind the curtain veiling the back of the shop. Her almond shaped eyes were the deep green of the Dark Forest set into a heart-shaped face. The slight smudges of dirt on her cheeks and forehead only accentuated her tanned skin, while her silver hair cascaded down her back in thick swirls. However, the almost unnatural beauty was not what held his attention. Poking ever so slightly out of the side of her head were slender, pointed ears. Trademark elf, Jay couldn¡¯t help but think. Busty, beautiful and surrounded by plants.


    ¡°What do you want Walter?¡± Talli cast Andrews a look of irritation, her melodic voice sweet and soft despite the hostile look. These two had obvious history, and from her scowl, it wasn¡¯t very good. Her gaze fell on Jay and the girl resting in his arms. Surprise overtook irritation as she quickly beckoned Jay into the back, promptly ignoring the guard captain, where he was directed to place the girl on a cleared wooden table before being shoo¡¯d back out and told to return in the morning.


    Jay and Andrews made eye contact, both shrugging before retreating out of the shop. Captain Andrews then led Jay to the Forest Gate Inn. The sun had since set, and despite the time the main streets were still buzzing with activity. All along the main thoroughfare, men and women mingled. Voices and laughter could be heard coming from many of the bars, inns and restaurants along the street.


    They exited the primary road, ducking down an alleyway which fed into a series of back streets. It was fifteen minutes of cutting across town when a shadow shifted in the corner of Jay¡¯s eye, moonlight glimmered as steel sliced through the air. Jay barely reacted in time, grabbing Andrews and tossing him backwards before drawing and flinging a dagger into the dark. With a thunk and clatter of a dropped weapon, a hooded man fell out of the shadows, Jay¡¯s dagger sticking out of the side of his chest. He quickly retrieved both weapons, storing one in the already bulging pack on his back, before rummaging through the man¡¯s various pockets, procuring a letter and small sack of coins. Captain Andrews heaved himself up, offering a quick glance of gratitude before they both rushed out into a well-lit street.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Sticking to well populated areas, they soon made it to a quiet building on another edge of the city. Inside, the women and children lay clean, clothed and with seemingly full bellies on cots spread throughout the common room. A rather rotund man exited the back area calling as he went, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we¡¯re close¡­ Ah, Guard Captain Andrews, and you must be Jay. Your man and Dennis filled me in. Quite a story, I must say.¡± The man jiggled as he chuckled lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll get you men a couple bowls of stew and some beer.¡± With raised eyebrows, Jay followed Andrews to a corner booth where he brought out the letter sack of coin, and promptly read the contents in a hushed voice. In hastily scribbled ink, the succinct note read:


    Your target is Walter Andrews, Guard Captain of Shren.


    Your fee is included.


    Do not fail us.


    T


    Jay shook his head. What an amateur. Who keeps condemning evidence on their person like this? Andrews wore a nasty frown on his face, deep in contemplation. Jay waited patiently and the innkeeper, Bart, brought their food and drink, quickly departing as he read the tense atmosphere. Finally, the guard captain looked up to a relaxed Jay. An empty bowl in front of him as he nursed a mug of warm beer.


    ¡°I owe you one. I¡¯d be face down in a pile of shit with a bloody grin etched on my neck if it wasn¡¯t for you. Keep the purse. I have no use for the money.¡± He paused, collecting his thoughts once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about any expenses for the women and children, or for your beasts. All of it will be covered by the governor. I will be speaking to him tomorrow. Make sure to swing by the guardhouse at some point to collect the bounty we had on that bandit, Lion, and his men. Don¡¯t worry about the letter too much.¡± He said as he tucked the note into his uniform. ¡°I¡¯m a big boy, I can handle an assassin or two.¡± Jay just chuckled.


    Andrews continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, what are your plans, moving forward?¡± It was Jay¡¯s turn to frown in contemplation, but after a brief moment he gestured at the bulging pack and the large number of weapons next to him, before casting a glance around the room. ¡°I¡¯ve come to feel slightly responsible for the well-being of these souls. Most of them lost their husbands or parents to the bandits, so giving them something to help get back on their feet was the idea.¡± Jay thought for another brief moment before continuing. ¡°Then I suppose I will look for work as a scribe after re-arming and equipping myself, in order to pay my way, until I can learn to properly fight unarmed, as well as with sword, dagger, staff and bow.¡±


    Andrews gaped slightly. ¡°You mean you are not formally trained in any form of combat?¡± That was absurd! The man took out an entire squad worth of fighters with no formal training! Given they were bandit trash, but never the less. ¡°Where did you learn to accurately throw daggers then?¡±


    ¡°Well, Carl did give me some pointers with the staff while we were travelling. Other than that, no, I¡¯ve had no formal combat education. My throwing skills were developed during the time I lived within the Dark Forest. Throwing deadly objects is much safer when faced with claws and fangs.¡± Jay laughed sheepishly.


    ¡°Speaking of Carl,¡± Andrews was suddenly reminded. ¡°Master Gemstone is staying with the others in the caravan at the Golden Lute. He said he wanted to speak with you when you arrived back in the city.¡± Jay nodded. ¡°On the matter of your other plans, the loot and money are obviously yours to do with as you please, although I can respect a man with your kind of generosity.¡± Andrews continued, ¡°The governor is always looking for educated men to assist him with various tasks. He¡¯s a good man and very honorable. I¡¯ll speak to him about employing you when I visit tomorrow. As far as training goes, you will always be welcome in the guard. None of us are masters with the blade, but we can at least provide a solid base for you in swordsmanship and archery. The governor may know of others who can help, as well.¡± Andrews stroked his mustache thoughtfully.


    It was then that Dennis stumbled down stairs, his face and hair shaved, trimmed and cleaned, yet mussed slightly from sleep. It was a great improvement from the dirty, mangy bandit he once was. Dare he say, Dennis might even be handsome, if in a slightly rugged fashion. Noticing Jay, he slowly made his way over, picking his way carefully so as not to disturb those sleeping peacefully, before sliding into the booth.


    ¡°Guard Captain Andrews, this is Dennis, the man who helped me free and escort these poor souls. Dennis, Guard Captain Andrews.¡± At the man¡¯s title, Dennis stiffened slightly before reaching out to shake a proffered hand. ¡°It was no problem at all, I was glad to help.¡± Dennis the ex-bandit mumbled, shooting suspicious glares at Jay for not warning him. Jay sat watching, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. Andrews simply scratched his head in confusion at the scene.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Dennis,¡± was all Andrews said before turning back to Jay. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch tomorrow evening about the things we discussed. For now, I have to go finish some paperwork for the report to the governor.¡± Andrews stood and gestured at the sleeping figures. ¡°They will be allowed to stay here for another night before having to make their own way.¡± Jay nodded in thanks as the captain made his exit.


    Dennis slid over to replace him across the table while hissing, ¡°You could have warned me he was the bloody law!¡± Jay just stared.


    ¡°I figured his uniform gave it away. You really should be more careful.¡± Jay snickered. ¡°Anyway, if he was going to arrest you they would have already done it.¡± Dennis sighed. Jay was right, but it was hard to break the habit since he had been on the other side of the law for a few years.


    ¡°So, what are you planning to do with your new freedom and clean slate?¡± The tone of the conversation suddenly flipped. Dennis sat for a while as he surveyed the room. He honestly had not thought this far ahead. ¡°If you have no plans, may I make a suggestion?¡± Jay broke the silence and Dennis openly looked hopeful. ¡°Dingo the bandit is dead. He died in an assault on a caravan.¡± Jay pointedly stared at Dennis.


    ¡°I just received a rather large sum of money, and will be receiving more still in the coming days.¡± Jay revealed. I will act as your patron in order to pay for your education. Work as a scribe pays extremely well, and once you learn to read and write, you can make your own way in the world.¡± Dennis sat in shock before dropping his head, eyes slowly tearing up. He did not deserve this kindness. He had helped kill a lot of innocent people, yet this man who was practically a stranger was giving him a life and a way to sustain it.


    ¡°I do have a condition.¡±


    The quietly crying man looked up.


    ¡°Anything. On Shira¡¯s name, I¡¯m your man for life.¡±


    Jay frowned at the oath. ¡°I only ask that once you finish your studies, you try to pay it forward. Help those you can and work for your redemption. I have been told Shira is the goddess of justice. Your scales have not yet been set in stone.¡±


    Jay reached over and patted Dennis¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Now then,¡± Jay suddenly stood. ¡°With all that serious business taken care of, I smell like the rear end of a horse and could really use a haircut.¡± At his words, the innkeeper jiggled out of the back with a knowing smile and ushered him outside to a small, private building where a tub of heated water waited. That was something Jay would have to remedy. He could enjoy a nice bath, but nothing ever beat a steaming hot shower. Half an hour after settling in and cleaning most of the dirt, leaves and other miscellaneous objects from his hair and body, a thin, spry, elderly man knocked and entered, providing a close shave and haircut, courtesy of the inn. Jay still tipped the man a silver coin for such a late visit, before drying off and redressing in a set of clean clothes, his blood and dirt stained ones having mysteriously disappeared.


    Re-entering the main building, the innkeeper ushered him upstairs to a plain but spacious room, complete with a straw stuffed bed, a dresser and wash basin. When he queried the innkeeper about his special treatment, the man smiled and happily told him, while repeatedly and profusely thanking him, that one of the younger women he rescued was his niece who had been coming to work for him, and that no matter what he did, he would never be able to repay the debt owed. Jay could only stand speechless in front of the man¡¯s gratitude before attempting to wave it off, claiming he only did what anyone else would have done and that no debt was owed. Bart nevertheless refused to accept any kind of payment, swearing to Shira that Jay would always be welcome at Forest Gate inn free of charge, so long as Bart or his descendants retained it.


    Jay simply sighed, his head becoming slightly pained. Two oaths to a goddess of justice in one night was too much, and after conceding to Bart, Jay fell onto the bed, instantly slipping to sleep.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Shira was immensely pleased. The two unexpected oaths sworn in her name had greatly increased her influence over Jay, allowing her to weaken her brother¡¯s power. He had to be rather irritated that one of his subjects had failed to kill the guard captain in the vicinity of her mortal. Had that succeeded, her own influence would have been nearly severed completely. With the addition of these two oaths, particularly the life binding one sworn by the ex-bandit, and the plans she had laid for the coming days, she would soon be able to free Jay from Vratix¡¯s influence.

 Chapter Eight

    Chapter Eight


    When Jay woke, early morning sunlight was filtering through the window shutters. Yawning, he sat up and rolled out of bed. Quickly, he washed his face and scrubbed his teeth with what he believed was baking soda, before strolling out of his room, down the stairs and into the common room where nine faces quickly turned to greet him. The tenth, Nuriel, the niece of the innkeeper, soon brought out a breakfast plate of food heaped with eggs, bacon and sausage, as well as a mug of thin beer, before retreating back into the kitchens with a blush at his thanks. After wolfing down the entire plate and draining his mug, Jay turned to the patiently waiting pairs of eyes. Vivien spoke as he surveyed those in front of him.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, what¡¯s going to happen to us now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lord. Jay is fine. Or Mister Trinity, if you feel like you have to be polite.¡± Jay absentmindedly corrected as he collected his thoughts.


    ¡°The captain of the guard has graciously allowed you all to stay here one more night on the governor¡¯s coin to give you time to adjust or make plans for what you want to do now that you¡¯re free. I¡¯ve already been assured, the children with no relatives will be taken in by one of the local orphanages as well.¡± Jay paused, reading reactions. Most were distraught. Two of the children had started to cry. ¡°With that said, I am working on plans that you all may be interested in.¡±


    Hope sprung back into all of their eyes. If this man could save them from the bandits, surely he could save them from a life of almost assured begging or whoring. ¡°I won¡¯t go into any details at the moment, as I¡¯m not entirely sure it will all work out, however, for now, if you have any skills such as needlework or you know your letters, let me know now. I will be spending most of the day attending some business matters. You are all welcome to stay here or explore the city.¡± Jay finished. All the women were capable seamstresses, Peri and Faith, both in their late twenties, had worked the kitchens of an inn before, and were passable chefs, while Heidi was able to read and write. It was a wider variety of skills than Jay had hoped, and made his plans much, much easier to accomplish.


    Naturally, none of the children had any skills they could leverage, but Jay promised them that he would not force them to go to the orphanage if they did not want to. With the preliminary investigation taken care of, Jay headed out. He had already given Dennis two gold to hire a scribe to teach him, and he was already off diligently studying under a local man¡¯s tutelage who the innkeeper had suggested, or so the women told him. Jay realized he could have let Heidi teach Dennis, but the man needed to make his own way now.


    His first stop was the north gate guardhouse, where he was able to collect a princely sum of ten gold coins for his major role in eradicating a wanted band of criminals, five of which was for the death of Agerik the Lion. The guards informed him they¡¯d all been briefed on his Drenz companions, and they would be allowed to enter and leave the city with no problems, but to ¡®please be discreet¡¯, prompting him to visit the stable next door.


    Walking through the doors, he was met with a sudden inexplicable pressure as he found himself staring up at the stable loft. Some large creature subjected him to several rounds of torture as a rough, wet object was repeatedly dragged across his face. He was pleased to learn that despite being big cats, their tongues were not barbed like those of his world, or at least they could soften the barbs, Jay wasn¡¯t sure which, but his face wasn¡¯t being sliced open so for that he was moderately grateful.


    ¡°Kara!¡± Jay gasped in between grooming sessions. ¡°Let me up! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± The car sized Drenz grudgingly rolled off him. Bane sat off to the side, attempting to look aloof but failing miserably as he looked all too happy to see Jay back. Jay groaned as he sat up. ¡°Be a bit more careful, you little shit. You weigh like, two tons.¡± Kara just licked his face again fondly, causing Jay to grin despite his harsh words.


    ¡°You guys are free to leave and enter the city whenever you want. The guards all know about you now, so you can go hunt as you please.¡± Kara nudged him with her nose, eyes downcast. ¡°I know, I know! I¡¯m working on it. We¡¯ll probably be in the city for a while, but don¡¯t worry. If everything goes to plan, we¡¯ll be back together soon.¡± Jay scratched the cat¡¯s big head. So needy, he thought to himself with a chuckle. One night away and you turn from vicious man-killing beasts into giant kittens. Jay stood up and rubbed Bane down before making his way back to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tonight and we can go hunting nearby,¡± he promised. Much of the area within a day¡¯s walk of the city was cultivated farmland, but there were a few areas which had yet to be claimed from the wilderness.


    He stopped by Talli¡¯s shop next to check in on the girl. Talli nearly beat him over the head with a potted plant when he surprised her in the back room, as she did not initially recognize him from the night before. The good news was the girl would live, as long as she still desired to. She had yet to wake up, but all her injuries had been properly treated. The great news was, while Talli had been yelling, jumping and swinging objects in his general direction, Jay received a fantastic view of the body that was hidden beneath her rather plain attire. It. Was. Spectacular. She could very well be old enough to be his mother several times over, but that didn¡¯t stop him from admiring a work of art when he saw one. Besides, she looked his age, or so he justified. Like most fantasy lands Jay was familiar with, the elves of this world maintained exceedingly long life spans, and Jay was a courteous man, who treasured his life, and just naturally assumed she was older than she appeared without asking.


    Jay spent a short while at the girl¡¯s bedside, reading one of Talli¡¯s books on medicine. She had permitted him to peruse her manuals while he was visiting, and he promptly returned the book to its proper place when he left the shop.


    He finally arrived at the Golden Lute around midday, where he hoped to catch Nial and Carl. He was in luck, as both were sitting at a booth in the corner discussing preparations for the next stretch of their journey. Carl was looking to hire additional guards to replace the previously lost men, while Nial was setting budgets while calculating travel costs and merchandise profits. Both looked happy to see him, and after telling the story of his adventure over a mug of beer, which attracted the attention of the rest of the afternoon patrons, the three settled into business. Carl repeatedly tried to recruit Jay to join his guards, but Jay just smiled and politely declined each time, stating his current business affairs would not allow the travel. Nial had remained strangely silent throughout the exchange, studying Jay with a critical eye until Carl finally conceded.


    ¡°Jay, I am by no means a priest, but I believe you should visit the temple of Shira when you can.¡± A serious tone hung in the air. ¡°Speak to the local Cardinal of Shira when you have a moment, call it a hunch, or perhaps merchant¡¯s intuition, but I believe it will greatly benefit you.¡± Jay exhaled softly, looked to the ceiling. More mention of the goddess Shira. He would have to investigate later, but he had more important things to handle at the moment.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I will follow your advice when I can,¡± Jay promised. ¡°However, I did actually seek you out today for more official reasons,¡± he continued with a smile. Nial let out a small exclamation before digging around the folds of his jacket, jiggling all the while, before procuring a purse that jingled merrily. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be pleased with the amount.¡± Nial gave Jay a jovial grin. Jay laughed, having completely forgotten the money owed for his tenure with the caravan, which he promptly informed Nial and Carl to their amusement. Inside the pouch he found, not the five silver he was owed, but ten large gold coins. Surprise was evident on his face as he looked up to the smug expressions of Carl and Master Gemstone.


    ¡°Five is for saving my life, the lives of my men, and the cargo we carried. The other five was a reward from the guard to the men for the bandit bounty. They all agreed you should have it, since you and your beasts did most of the work.¡± Jay was left momentarily speechless at the generosity, causing both caravan leader¡¯s smug expressions to deepen into satisfied grins. Shaking himself into action, he profusely thanked them, knowing that refusal of such a gift would be more of an insult than an attempt at humility.


    ¡°As grateful as I am, I do have other business I¡¯d like to discuss as well. As you both now know, I have a small entourage of displaced women and children that I¡¯ve come to feel responsible for.¡± Jay paused as the explanation sunk in, Carl and Nial both frowning in understanding. ¡°As such, I was wondering if either of you held any knowledge of well sized buildings that I might purchase.¡± Carl almost immediately responded with a negative. However, Nial sat for several moments, tapping his jiggling chin in thought.


    ¡°Come to think of it, the last time the caravan passed through, about a year ago, there was a rather elderly gentleman I remember who was looking for potential buyers for his inn. I believe he went by the name of Hagus. The place is supposedly located on a side street off of Market Circle.¡± No sooner were the words out of his mouth before Jay drained his remaining beer, excused himself and was off running to find this Hagus.


    After stopping several times to ask directions, he arrived in front of a large building called The Lucky Lady that was far past its prime, but would easily fit his requirements. He noted several patrons spread throughout the common room, while a stooped old gentleman manned the bar.


    Jay approached the bar and politely asked the elder man if he was Hagus. After replying with a grunt in the affirmative, Jay stated his purpose, and requested the asking price for Hagus¡¯ establishment. Thirty-three gold and a transfer of title deed later, Jay was officially the owner of a slightly grungy, nine room inn with a large back area, fenced by a stone wall. Hagus supplied him with the names of his beer and food suppliers, and after cleaning out his locked chest of valuables, took his small fortune of recently acquired gold and was later seen leaving the city entirely. It was rumored he had a small plot of land in an equally small village to the east that he had planned to retire to, or so the rumors went.


    The common room had emptied by the time the deal was struck, and Jay took the liberty of closing early for the day before he returned to The Golden Lute to share the good news. Carl and Nial both congratulated him, promising to drop by as his first customers when he officially reopened. He returned to Forest Gate Inn where he promptly announced his new acquisition to the happy tears of all present, and escorted them to their new home. It didn¡¯t look like much, but to all present it was home.


    Upon entering, all the children immediately ran upstairs to claim beds while Heidi, who had become the unofficial leader and pillar of support for the other women, organized and set about cleaning the place up to fit a woman¡¯s standards. Jay simply stayed out of the way of the determined squad of females. He was pleased to see them all staying strong, despite the recent tragedies all had experienced, which he was sure was in no small part to Heidi¡¯s iron will. A few hours, a bit of elbow grease, and many buckets of dirty water later, the inside reminded Jay of the pants that used to be sold with wear and tear. The appearance was clean, as good as new, if slightly worn, but night was fast approaching and Jay had other appointments to keep.


    Jay officially appointed Heidi as innkeeper matron in his absence, and handed her the majority of his remaining wealth. His plan as he outlined it to his new employees, was to change this inn to a laundromat bar and grill. Heidi would handle the management for the business, Peri and Faith would cook and Vivien would waitress, while the other women would wash, fold and repair clothing for customers. The children would help where they were able, and at night Heidi would teach both women and children how to read and write. Once enough of them were literate, they could perform additional tasks similar to scribe work for customers.


    The idea of performing multiple functions at a single establishment was somewhat foreign to the women, along with the idea of doing other¡¯s laundry for a fee, but all agreed it worked well with their skillsets and had good potential once Jay explained the concept. Heidi planned to use the money Jay had given her to repair both the outside and inside of the inn to make it more presentable, as well as order two new signs constructed, one to advertise the new name of the inn, Drenz Rest, in honor of Kara and Bane, and the second to advertise their services.


    Left in Heidi¡¯s capable hands, Jay returned to Forest Gate, where he met Guard Captain Andrews who was surprised by the lack of expected attendance. The meeting was quick, primarily an exchange of information. Shren¡¯s governor was very interested in hiring Jay for a long term job, and had several suggestions about formal combat training according to Andrews. He thought he saw the captain shudder slightly, but accounted it to the night¡¯s slight chill. He was scheduled to visit in the afternoon, two days hence. Jay filled the captain in about his daily errands. Andrews shook his head at how quickly Jay had found, purchased and moved shop. If he had a hundred men with the kind of work ethic and dedication of this one, his city would be cleaned up and functioning at peak efficiency in a week. If he had said anything to Jay, he probably would have laughed thinking back on how unmotivated he was just a few months prior. Survival has a way of kicking a person into high gear.


    After retrieving his belongings from his upstairs room, Jay thanked Bart and Nuriel for their hospitality before departing, much to both of their disappointment. Jay met Kara and Bane at the stables as promised. Hiding his bag of valuables under a stack of loose hay, the three slipped out of the city with no one the wiser, and spent the night hunting together.

 Chapter Nine

    Chapter Nine


    Dawn was creeping in when they returned to the city. Jay retrieved his pack before escorting his two companions through the streets, much to the gawking of early morning risers. Leading them into a side alley next to the inn, Jay pulled himself over the back wall while the Drenz deftly leapt over the top, safely landing in the spacious back area of their new home. The many back alleys would allow for easy access to and from the various city gates in relative peace for the big cats. Jay would have to build a sheltered section for all three of them when time allowed.


    After ensuring Kara and Bane were both comfortable, Jay walked back through the inn which was already bustling with early morning activity. Jay marveled at the work efficiency of Heidi and the women. New coats of paint already adorned the walls. The bar, tables and chairs were all lightly sanded down and the floors had the polish of fresh wax. The children were all occupying a booth in the corner where parchment, quills and ink could be seen stacked as they diligently practiced the assignments Heidi had given. Jay smiled in appreciation before stealthily creeping out of the front doors. He would only be in the way.


    Hefting his pack of goods, he made the short jaunt to Market Circle, one of three market districts within Shren and the nearest to Drenz Rest. Here he sold most of the jewelry, clothing and other miscellaneous baubles and trinkets he had scavenged from the bandit camp. One piece of jewelry, a white-gold braided necklace with an emerald pendant, stuck out to him, and, while he no doubt could have sold it for several gold pieces, likely making it the most valuable item in his possession, something about it caught his eye and he could not bring himself to sell it, stuffing it deep into his pocket instead.


    He had left his Drenz fur makeshift cloak with a tailor early on who, with excited eyes bordering on fanaticism, told him he would create a magnificent fur cloak with the material, to be picked up in a few days¡¯ time.


    Left only with his collection of personal and looted weapons, Jay made his way to the second market district, Smith¡¯s Row as the morning sun crawled up the path to its peak. The first primarily dealt in the day-to-day necessities and luxuries, while the second catered to the needs of those who sought out arms and armament crafted by its namesake smiths. While it was named Smith¡¯s Row, it was actually a series of streets orderly spaced in rows that covered what Jay judged to be several blocks worth of space.


    Jay heard the area long before he reached it. The clanging, banging and clamor of craftsmen at work sounded out into the surrounding city. It was several hours of perusing the various smith¡¯s wares before Jay felt prepared to try and sell his own. All of his previous items were easily sold, as prices for similar items were comparable and gave an easy point of reference for haggling, which Jay had never done before, but knew was necessary in this kind of world if he didn¡¯t want to be taken advantage of.


    Weapons and armor were different. Weapon and armor quality were measurements that varied slightly from smith to smith, and it took several hours of research before Jay felt confident enough to benchmark his own steel¡¯s grade. With his research complete, Jay entered Vince¡¯s Arms and Armor for a second time that day. He had visited Vince early during his research and the man struck him as a straight dealer, helpful when Jay posed questions but also brooked no nonsense.


    It turned out that despite the relatively peaceful times in the various kingdoms, the guards still regularly fended off attacks from bandits, as well as so called rebels, and, occasionally, monsters from the west. Many people seeking fame and fortune also went hunting for the various monsters in order to collect long standing bounties. It was a dangerous profession, but was necessary and paid extremely well for those skilled or lucky enough to achieve success. There was even a central ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡± based in the capital, which typically hosted the monster bounties and various quests, a popular branch of which also resided within Shren.


    Despite the fact it was labeled ¡®Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯, it was really just a glorified mercenary¡¯s guild. The title was typically used interchangeably, used to describe people who didn¡¯t mind getting their hands a little dirty to make a living. The needs of the guards accompanied by the various adventurer factions managed to keep the smiths in business, for which Vince was grateful.


    Jay looked over the various weapons on display once again as he waited for Vince to reappear in the front. The shop was attached to the workshop out back and sounds of hammering and tinkering could be heard bouncing through the door. Jay waited patiently. He knew a true artist at work could not be interrupted and that Vince would appear when he was able. It was several more minutes before Vince finally peaked through into the shop as he mopped his forehead with a rag.


    ¡°Back again, eh? Finally ready to show me all the crap you¡¯ve been lugging around?¡± Jay simply grinned. He was definitely a fan of the big man¡¯s honest personality.


    ¡°Yes sir. I have a few items I¡¯m sure are better off as scrap metal, but I think I have some real gems stashed in here too,¡± Jay said as he gestured with a thumb at the still massive, but now partially empty makeshift pack. He started by pulling his own weapons out of scabbards and hidden locations around his body. The short sword, longsword and three daggers were all laid out on the blacksmith¡¯s counter. Jay then pulled out the contents of his bag one at a time, organizing them along the entire length of the remaining countertop by quality. All counted, he had thirteen daggers, three longswords, five short swords and a one handed mace. By quality, he would have judged four daggers and a longsword to be scrap, two of the short swords and the mace to be poor quality, two short swords, five daggers and the remaining two longswords to be rather standard, while the remaining four daggers and short sword were of excellent make, which Jay pointed out as he went.


    Vince perused the small armory set out before him before pointing at two of the scrap daggers, saying they were most likely salvageable, but Jay was, for the most part, correct in his assessment. Vince was impressed by Jay¡¯s eye for detail. One of the excellent daggers had been even been crafted by a very famous smith many years ago, which Vince pointed out, informing Jay all about the Great Smith Zacharias and his craftsman¡¯s mark, a notable Z that looked like a slithering dragon imprinted on the side of the blade. What could he say, he¡¯d taken a shine to Jay, just as Jay had to him. All said, Vince offered Jay thirty-five gold for the lot. Jay considered for a moment, looking around the shop. Most of the weapons on display were standard quality, so after removing three of the excellent daggers, including the Zacharias, and the short sword, Vince, slightly disappointed in losing out on the dagger, dropped his offer to eighteen gold. The Zacharias blade alone would have sold for close to twenty, if not more.


    Jay readily accepted, and after the transaction was completed, he asked Vince about custom works and his better wares, as he couldn¡¯t believe the few excellent quality weapons displayed were the only ones Vince had crafted. Jay still needed a longsword to complete his weaponry and was hoping to requisition a replacement for his animal part claw weapons. Conflict warred in Vince¡¯s eyes for a moment before he moved into the back workshop, returning with three cloth bundles.


    Giant¡¯s hands gently cradled each like a newborn child as he delicately withdrew each blade and set them within Jay¡¯s view. The first longsword was exquisite, a masterpiece rivaling the dagger he now had stashed at his waist. The blade shined and the edges were honed sharp enough to easily slice rock, bone and steel. With wide eyes, Jay watched as the blacksmith withdrew the second weapon. A katana equaling the first blade was gently placed on the table. The long curved edge swept back, catching the light filtering in from the windows. The blade appeared to sparkle as the light bounced off the honed, layered steel.


    The final blade stole away what little breath Jay still held. Just as the necklace had seemed to speak to him, this longsword begged to be held in Jay¡¯s hands; to be wielded on the field of battle and to drink the blood of its master¡¯s enemies.


    Vince noted as Jay stared, trance-like, for long seconds at the black blade, which seemed to absorb the surrounding light, snuffing it out while the others beside it gleamed. As he reached out to grasp the hilt, a tingle raced up his arm causing him to flinch back in surprise. It was a moment before Jay recovered and simply pointed to the blade which had captivated his attention. Vince hesitated before quoting him six gold. Jay gaped at the price. The other two blades would easily go for ten times that and this seemed a greater treasure than both. Vince knew it was a beautiful blade but the truth was, he had acquired it at a rather cheap price from a traveling foreigner, same as the katana, albeit for a far heftier price tag, and informed Jay of this. The fact he wasn¡¯t even sure what metal the blade was made of created a difficult to sell weapon. It wasn¡¯t steel, of that much he was certain. It acted similar to steel, but no one would stake their gold or lives on an unknown.


    Jay would not be dissuaded and, shortly thereafter, left the shop with the blade swinging at his waist in an equally black scabbard. It had not provoked another shock after the initial tingle, causing Jay to dismiss it as a one-off fluke and a product of the intensity of the moment. His total sales had brought his purse to thirty-eight gold, seventy-three silver and sixteen copper. His personal request for steel claw gauntlets had run him six more gold, but with Vince he was sure the quality would be excellent, so the cost was well worth it. The bandits had managed to accrue quite a stash of jewelry and heirlooms from their victims and Jay had managed to capitalize on his acquisitions. He did feel a little guilty selling the valuables of the deceased for his own gain, but they no longer needed them and Jay would be a fool to leave them in that camp for others to eventually find and do the same.


    Fully weaponized, and with his purse bulging, Jay made his way to the third and final market across the city as the sun made its way back towards the horizon. All of the tanners within the city worked in this area per orders from the governor himself in order to contain the smell. Its official name was Tanner¡¯s Square, as to fit with the naming trend. However, it had long ago received the nickname The Shit Pot, due to the terrible stench of the tanner¡¯s practice.


    Jay winced as the first smells wafted past him. It was a nickname well deserved, but he would not be deterred from his purpose. He had his weapons but he still required some form of defense, and in order to take advantage of his natural agility and reflexes, he preferred to equip a lighter set of armor. It was another two hours before Jay left a shop with a black leather cuirass to match his sword. The cuirass was tough, thick leather, with chain mail woven and pressed into the material. It was both light and, with some minor adjustments, had fit him well.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    He had previously picked out a pair of black leather gauntlets plated with steel at Vince¡¯s shop, as well as a pair of black steel toed boots and similar plate greaves that covered his shins and thighs. Vince told him the plate could be stained black and, due to his patronage, Vince had tossed in the service for free.


    The colors of sunset streaked across the sky as Jay made his way back to the inn to unburden himself of his load in the far room. Heidi had assigned everyone rooms and had graciously given Jay the suite at the end of the hall, despite his protests to the contrary. The children were split into boys and girls rooms, while the women were paired off with those of similar age who got along well together. This left four rooms available for rent to patrons.


    Over the course of the day, the repairs and touch ups to the building had gone smoothly, and the refurbished inn would be ready to open by the week¡¯s end in three days¡¯ time according to Heidi. Jay passed her a few additional gold from his replenished purse to ensure everything would be covered. After spending some quality time with Kara and Bane before they left to go hunting, Jay once more headed out into the rapidly darkening city.


    Jay made his way to the only bank in Shren to deposit his newfound wealth as the street keepers lit lamps along the main roads. It was the street keepers¡¯ duty to maintain the main roads throughout the city. Cleaning, maintenance and lighting or snuffing lamps were their main concerns. Jay had been pleasantly surprised when he learned that all major cities held sewage systems constructed by mages specializing in earth manipulation. Shren¡¯s sewage system was fed and drained into the river Ygg which was a few miles south of the city, and ran northwest to southeast before curving south into the dense elven forests.


    The bank stayed open several hours into the night, so Jay was not overly concerned with the building closing as he strolled through the still bustling streets of Shren, appreciating the sights, sounds and smells of the evening city. Well-armed and fearsome looking guards flanked the entrance to a marble building as Jay entered. For a small fee of three silver, Jay was able to set up an account which would be available at all branches throughout the kingdom of Drenna and magically back up his account information. Even in a less developed world, he couldn¡¯t get away from banks and their fees, he thought with a sigh. His balance of twenty-three gold and sixty silver was recorded in an enchanted logbook, of which identical copies could be found at each bank branch. He was then given an enchanted black token on a leather strap with which to identify himself for future transactions. Jay placed the strap around his neck, tucking it under his shirt with his now lightened purse of two gold, ten silver and sixteen copper.


    After exiting the bank Jay made his way to Talli¡¯s shop to check in on the girl who had yet to wake. He sat and perused another manual while chatting amicably with the ever busy elf. Tonight she was brewing tonics for a merchant¡¯s family who had all come down with what sounded like the flu. After an hour of medicinal and herbal self-education, Jay invited Talli to dinner which she hesitatingly declined. As hungry as she was, she couldn¡¯t leave until the tonics had finished which would take another hour and a half. Jay nodded in acceptance as he replaced his borrowed book and went in search of food.


    A nearby restaurant held exactly what he was looking for, and after purchasing two meals with a little bit of everything, as well as two small fruit pastries, Jay returned to Talli¡¯s shop, thoroughly surprising the elf who showered him with thanks as her stomach growled to the smells drifting from the plates. Jay hadn¡¯t known what her diet consisted of, but figured he could get a little of everything and whatever she did not want he was sure to finish. They continued chatting as they ate. Talli told Jay much of elven society and customs while Jay told her of the few adventures he¡¯d had over the past months.


    Jay was surprised to learn that the elves of this world had no qualms about eating meat, which was good news, as he no longer had to worry about offending sensibilities. It was true however, that they valued all life and to intentionally waste that life was a great sin. Or so she stated as she polished off the last of her giant meal. Elves, as he had previously learned, were extremely long lived compared to humans, the oldest of which had reached a millennia in age. Much of their society was similar to their younger but more proliferate neighbors. They retained a council of elders which assisted the king and queen in matters of state. However, they did not have a noble class as societal importance was based on age, knowledge and wisdom.


    Much of the old elven clich¨¦s that Jay knew held true. They were unmatched archers, their senses far superior to humans. Enhanced hearing, eyesight and smell along with the ability to be able to see in near total darkness. Their reflexes matched their senses. Much of their weapons and armor were magically grown and crafted, the elegance of their steel rivaling that of the northern dwarves. Jay wasn¡¯t sure how much of that part of the discussion was bias and how much was truth, but the value of elven crafts was uncontestable.


    When Jay broached the subject of why Talli had chosen to live amongst humans, she deflected the question, citing a vague need to journey out and improve her knowledge of the world. Jay took the hint and moved on. Jay was hard pressed to maintain his cover of amnesia, as Talli¡¯s questions increasingly probed his knowledge and background. Some details he was able to reveal but others he could only shake his head and apologize. She kept him on his toes as he had to be careful to not reveal anything that would seem out of place or did not yet exist in this world.


    Talli had finished her tonics and the conversation was winding down when they both heard a groan, followed by a scream from the recovery room. Jay was up and in the room with a dagger drawn before Talli could stand. He quickly sheathed his dagger as he saw a wild eyed and frightened girl slightly sitting up, eyes darting around the room before resting on a handsome man with a gentle smile on his face.


    ¡°Hello there, sleeping beauty.¡± Jay spoke in soft and friendly tones. ¡°Glad to see you join us in the land of the living.¡± The girl shrunk back as Jay slowly moved to sit at the foot of her bed. ¡°My name¡¯s Jay Trinity. You can call me Jay. This lovely elf is Talli, the woman who has been taking care of you for the past few days.¡± Jay gestured at Talli who hovered in the doorway. The girl was silent for a moment, glancing between the two suspiciously.


    ¡°Wh-¡­¡± The girl croaked slightly before coughing. Jay helped raise her head and handed her a small cup of water which she greedily drained before weakly holding out the cup for more. Jay glanced to Talli who nodded before he refilled the cup.


    ¡°Slowly this time,¡± Jay said as he handed the cup over. The girl nodded and slowly finished the cup, which Jay promptly and patiently refilled.


    ¡°Where am I? What happened? Who are you, really?¡± The girl rattled off questions as Jay handed her the cup once more. She stared into the clear liquid as she continued. ¡°I was on the way to Shren with my father. I remember the bandits. He¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°He died and they took me away. I was at their camp.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes went wide as tears welled up and began flowing in earnest as memories of what she was subjected to returned in force.


    Jay shifted closer and sat beside her, hugging her to his chest while gently stroking her hair and murmuring soothing noises and words. She clutched his shirt, drenching it in tears as she sobbed into his chest. They stayed that way until her tears dried and she brought herself back from the crushing memories. Talli had taken the opportunity to seat herself on a stool on the other side of the bed and began answering the girl¡¯s questions as she composed herself.


    ¡°Right now you¡¯re in my apothecary shop in the city of Shren.¡± Talli began. She gestured at Jay, ¡°Jay saved you and the others from the bandits four days ago and carried you here. You¡¯ve been unconscious the entire time.¡± The girl had finished wiping her tears but still looked incredibly fragile in Jay¡¯s eyes, like the most delicate porcelain which could break at any moment if it was not handled with the utmost care. ¡°For now you need to eat a light soup and continue resting to try and recover your strength.¡± She gestured to Jay to vacate the room as she gently began to check the girl over.


    Jay went to Talli¡¯s kitchen and twenty minutes later returned to the room with a bowl of broth with peas and carrots. The light broth mixed with the soft vegetables would help her nutrient deprived body acclimate to solid food.


    ¡°Open wide, sleepy head.¡± Jay slightly nudged the dozing girl resting against the wall.


    ¡°Katie,¡± the girl said as she jerked awake. ¡°My name is Katie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Katie.¡± Jay politely responded. ¡°Now, open up. Your dinner is getting cold.¡± Jay gently commanded before slowly spoon feeding her the bowl of soup as she blushed at her own helplessness. Talli simply watched with eyebrows raised. The entire time Jay had been gone, Katie hadn¡¯t said a word. She had meekly allowed Talli to poke and prod, but wouldn¡¯t respond to a word Talli had said. After finishing the bowl of soup, Jay helped her lay back down. As he and Talli moved to leave, the girl grasped the hem of Jay¡¯s shirt.


    With pleading eyes she begged, ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Jay hesitated before he nodded and returned to his seat on her bed, stroking her hair as she closed her eyes. A half hour later, Jay exited the room to an amused elf. She praised his bedside manners, joking that her books and knowledge must be rubbing off on him, and asked him to return tomorrow morning. Talli had a feeling the girl¡¯s recovery would be easier if Jay was around. Jay simply shrugged and yawned as he agreed to come back tomorrow, however, he had an appointment with the governor in the afternoon, so he could not stay the entire day. With arrangements made, Jay returned to Drenz Rest, which he noted with a tired mind was filled with studious women and children as he quietly passed through on his way to bed. Kicking off his boots and dropping his shirt on the floor, he landed on the straw mattress and was instantly whisked into darkness.

 Chapter Ten

    Chapter Ten


    Jay woke to the bustle of people moving through the hall. Blinking twice, he tried to sit up, but found himself pinned under a massive head. How he had not woken up when Kara somehow managed to crawl into bed with him, Jay would never know, but now he needed to get up and visit Talli in order to help her with the girl, Katie. Jay managed to wiggle an arm free before rubbing Kara¡¯s head, gently massaging her awake. If Kara had been human he would have just poked her in the face, but razor sharp claws hovering around his waist and legs made a man extra cautious. One accidental flex and suddenly he¡¯s known as Swiss Jay, the Eunuch. He may not have used that part of his anatomy in several years, but he still preferred having the possibility.


    After a few minutes of gentle poking and prodding, Kara finally opened the eye facing Jay as she raised her head and yawned before licking his face and replacing her head on his chest.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, you big beast!¡± Jay thumped her gently on the head. ¡°Get off of me! I have a meeting!¡± Kara was slightly taken aback by the sudden thump to the head, causing her to rise up in surprise and give Jay a chance to escape. He looked back over the big cat sprawled out on his bed who, in Jay¡¯s eyes, had adopted an abashed expression mixed with what he believed to be pleasure. Bane was a pushover when it came to children and Kara might be a masochist. The premonition that flashed through his mind caused Jay to shudder slightly.


    After throwing on a set of clothes and handling his basic hygiene, Jay left his room. He had not been able to figure out how Kara had managed to fit through his door, but he also didn¡¯t have time to think about it now as the morning sun was already cresting the horizon. Jay swept into the backyard of the inn, finding Bane sprawled on his back with two of the children nestled at his sides. Jay shuddered once again before scaling the back wall and dropping into the back alleys where he made his way to Talli¡¯s shop.


    Jay arrived to find a groggy Talli still in her pajamas making tea. Turns out the elf was not much of a morning person, it was little wonder she wanted Jay to help. Katie had yet to wake, so Jay set about making breakfast for the girls. He had purchased a couple sweet bread pastries that reminded him of delicious old fashion donuts and a couple pieces of fruit on his way over. It was another half hour before a small pile of lightly seasoned scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced fruit and a couple bowls of porridge were set at Talli¡¯s table. Jay went in and woke Katie, carrying her out to the table where he proceeded to slowly feed her milky porridge and mashed, soft fruit. It had to have been at least a few days before Jay had rescued her, on top of the days she spent unconscious, as she was still incredibly weak.


    After her third glass of tea, Talli finally perked up and engaged the other two in conversation, which only Jay responded to. Both complimented his cooking skills as Talli devoured the eggs and other things Katie was currently unable to eat, never the less, Katie murmured to Jay that the slight cinnamon flavored porridge mixed with the fruit was delicious. What could he say? All those years of paying attention to cereal boxes finally paid off. The few cooking classes he took during moments of supreme boredom probably helped as well.


    After the bowl of porridge and a few slices of fruit, Katie seemed tired once more, so Jay moved her back to the bed, tucking her in, telling her he would be back that night as she dozed, before returning to the kitchen/dining area. Finishing what Talli had started, Jay polished off the remaining eggs and bacon, then cleaned the dishes and utensils as Talli prepared to open her shop.


    Jay still had a few hours to spare before meeting the governor, so he assisted Talli around her shop for the majority of the remaining time, learning what he could about the things she was making and the plants used. Another family had recently come down with the flu, so Talli had set about making additional doses of various medicines. With an hour left until his afternoon meeting, Jay left Talli and Katie to go wash up and make himself slightly more presentable. The clothes he currently wore were his only garments, but he figured he could at least make an attempt at respectability before meeting the man who practically ruled the city.


    It wasn¡¯t long after he finished when Andrews arrived at Drenz Rest, which also now had appropriately painted signs. The guard captain whistled in appreciation at the transformation the old battered inn had undergone. They were still two days away from officially opening, but the inn itself was in a far superior state. Jay took the opportunity to introduce the guard captain to his own personal right hand who had whipped his inn into shape before they both headed to the large estate seated at the center of the city.


    It was Jay¡¯s first time within the inner city walls and other than the sizes of the houses and mansions, Jay found the place to be rather similar to the outer city. Those they encountered wore slightly more refined clothing and nicer jewelry, but beyond a few status symbols, one would not normally guess this was considered the upper class of the city. It was a pleasant change of pace. Many greeted the well-known guard captain as they passed, casting curious looks at the man following him, but none were particularly rude or overbearing.


    Two guards greeted them as they made their way through the main gate of the governor¡¯s estate. The grounds were lush, well maintained with many beautiful trees and plants scattered throughout the lawn. Sculpted bushes lined the walkway as they progressed further into the estate. The mansion itself was respectably large, but was not the largest within the upper city. An ancient and large bronze statue of a man hoisting a sword in the air with a battle cry on his lips sat in front of the building. The plaque at the base read:


    Ger Valdun, Hero of Drask, Dragonslayer


    The Battle of Dusk


    Year 348 of the Second Cycle


    Jay pondered for a brief moment. He had not heard of Ger Valdun, but the current year was four hundred twenty-two of the Fourth Cycle. He did not have the slightest idea of the duration of a cycle, but the fact that the last time a bunch of various people got together and started killing each other happened to be around the same time as the beginning of this cycle was rather telling. If he made a considerably uninformed assumption of around five hundred years a cycle; that meant this statue was at least over a thousand years old. It also gave credence to fantastical beings, since the man was titled Dragonslayer.


    His train of thought was interrupted as they entered the main hall. The true splendor of the governor¡¯s mansion assaulted Jay¡¯s eyes. The room was well lit from a crystal chandelier hanging high above, allowing Jay to see the various beautiful paintings that covered nearly every spare inch of the walls. Small machines and trinkets were lined in glass cases spread throughout the massive entry way, some of which looked remarkably advanced for what was supposed to be a technologically inferior world. It reminded Jay more of a museum than a person¡¯s home. Andrews chuckled at Jay¡¯s excitement remembering the first time he had seen the hall so many years ago.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Jay¡¯s eyes moved constantly as he attempted to take in everything he passed. Various swords and pieces of different types of foreign armor primarily dominated the cases, however there were many technological gizmos and gadgets that made Jay pause. He saw what he was sure was a cell phone (not his own, as he had buried it back in the dark forest after the battery died), a digital watch, what looked like a box of condoms¡­ and was that a rail gun? These were only the few things Jay recognized from the quick glimpses he caught as he passed, with many more items scattered throughout the various cases.


    Jay was immensely troubled. Either dragging people from other worlds was a common occurrence, or this world had seen some very advanced time periods, which in turn threw his already unstable hypothesis surrounding cycle duration out the window. Jay brooded in silence as he mechanically followed Andrews through the mansion, lost in thought. He nearly ran into the man, startling Jay from his own inner arguments, when the guard captain suddenly stopped in front of a set of thick oak doors before knocking and entering into what appeared to be a private study.


    The walls were lined with bookshelves, which in turn were completely filled with books of various shapes, sizes and colors. A large mahogany desk sat at the far end of the room with a man similar in stature to the guard captain perched in a well cushioned chair. Eye glasses sat on the man¡¯s chiseled nose as he read through what appeared to be a thick stack of parchment which was stacked on the desk. The man looked up briefly and gestured for his guests to be seated as he resumed reading the report in front of him. He had to have been slightly older than the guard captain, as his long hair and full beard were completely white. His rugged features and built, healthy body spoke of many active days. Dark brown eyes continued scanning back and forth across the parchment as Jay studied the governor.


    He removed and neatly folded his reading glasses, setting them in a drawer, before he addressed the two men in front of him. A deep, sonorous voice escaped the man¡¯s chest, and spoke with assured authority only obtained through a lifetime of giving orders and expecting them to be followed.


    ¡°Walter, thank you for bringing him. I¡¯ve ensured the other things we discussed yesterday would be taken care of.¡± Andrews nodded before standing once more and, with thanks, departed the study.


    ¡°Jay Trinity, the most recent addition to my city. A scholarly man of unknown background to all, including himself.¡± Jay simply sat as he was inspected and judged by the city¡¯s most powerful man. ¡°Walter informs me that you¡¯re looking for work as a scribe, and from what I¡¯ve heard from fact and rumor says you do good work. However, I¡¯m curious as to why a newly established innkeeper would wish to find other work, as well as to why an educated man would be so interested in combat?¡± So begins the interview, Jay laughed in his head.


    ¡°As you seem to be well informed, I¡¯ll skip most of the details.¡± Jay began. ¡°The women and children I¡¯m employing will be taking care of the inn. I plan to retain ownership per the gender restrictions of the kingdom on land and business, but the women will work the business and the majority of the profits will be theirs.¡± Jay stuck to his cover of amnesia as he continued. ¡°After mastering several forms of fighting and weaponry, I plan to travel the land and seek my fortune as an adventurer, hopefully rediscovering who I am in the process.¡± Both men sat silent for a moment, each inspecting the other. The governor broke the silence first.


    ¡°There is much more to your story than you are telling, however I will not begrudge a man his secrets, as they do not seem to directly conflict with the good of my city or my country. Allow me to officially introduce myself, as I¡¯ve had you at a disadvantage all this time. I am Ray Jering, Governor of the city of Shren and Weapon Master to the previous three kings before retiring. I am also your new employer and trainer.¡± Jay hid his surprise but nearly reeled in shock. This man was way more than Jay had previously been informed. ¡°Your meals and additional clothing more appropriate to your new station will be provided.¡±


    Governor Jering stood and had Jay follow him to the mansion¡¯s massive library. Books lined every wall for three floors, with multiple standalone shelves housing more on the bottom floor. Jay guessed that a third of the mansion alone belonged solely to this collection of knowledge.


    ¡°Your job will be creating a catalogue of every book in this library, and organizing them accordingly. You will be paid five silver a week. The additional five silver I would have normally paid will go towards training expenses. Any questions?¡± Jay shook his head in silence. The sheer number of books excited him. So much knowledge readily available and now at his disposal. The fact he had managed to acquire a martial instructor at the same time only compounded his loss of words.


    ¡°Good. Your schedule from now on will be as follows: Starting next week, an hour before dawn you will wake and meet me behind this mansion for training. You will exercise until midmorning before taking a brief respite for breakfast. You will continue training until the noon meal, after which you will learn court etiquette among other necessary topics if you are to be in my employ. Once you have mastered these lessons, that time will be yours to do with as you please. After the evening meal, you will work in the library, cataloguing my books for several hours. At week¡¯s end, you will have one day to yourself.¡± Jay had followed the governor out of the library and back to the entrance of the mansion as he explained Jay¡¯s days for the foreseeable future. It was a demanding schedule, but Jay was sure he was up to the task.


    They parted ways with a firm handshake and Jay made his way back to Talli¡¯s. Once he began working and studying under Governor Jering, his time would be severely limited for the foreseeable future, as such, Jay needed to wrap up all of his unfinished business. First and foremost, he would be unable to visit beginning in a few days¡¯ time and needed to ensure Katie and Talli would make do without his presence. If she could recover enough to move to the inn, that would be ideal so as not to unnecessarily burden the elf.


    Jay¡¯s faith in Heidi and the women of the inn was near unshakable, and he was quite comfortable leaving the management of the establishment in their capable hands. He would still be living with them, but he would rise before them in the mornings and return after the majority had retired for the night. He would have to inform Dennis, Nial and Carl of his new arrangements before they were all separated once more. Despite the short time he had known all the men, he did not doubt they were all friends. They had worked and fought alongside each other, and those were bonds not easily broken.


    Jay worried about his beast companions. Kara and Bane were not meant to live within the confines of a city, and their excursions into the surrounding countryside would only keep them satisfied for so long. It may be best for them to return to the Dark Forest where they would be most comfortable. Jay shook his head attempting to dislodge the worry. He would discuss it with them and they would make a decision, it was their choice after all, not his. Jay strode into Talli¡¯s shop, his face still reflecting his inner thoughts as he shared the news with both women.

 Authors Note

    Hey everyone,


    Just wanted to drop a quick note regarding the story and talk a bit about my writing habits now that we''ve officially crossed the double digit chapter mark.


    First off, I have up to about half of chapter fourteen written out at the moment. We''re still in kind of the ''development/training''... I hate to call it an arc as this isn''t following a light novel format like many others on this site, but you understand my meaning when I call it an arc. The next few chapters will be finishing up this developmental section of the story, introducing some key characters and plot lines that will be explored much later before moving into the action/adventure phase of the remainder of this first book. I honestly haven''t planned or plotted out any of this story beyond how I intend to end the first book and some minor details of the second, so it''ll be something of a surprise as I write it for me as well.


    I think that about covers future plans and direction, and could probably be considered the ''good news''.


    Now for what most will probably consider the ''bad news''. My writing habits. So far the story has been advancing a chapter a day, and the reason for this is that I''ve had the vast majority of what''s been posted pre-written for months and decided to post it as a motivational/feedback tool for the current story, hoping to push myself to write more. Since posting the first few chapters, I''ve managed to write an additional two chapters, so it''s worked, but naturally if I continue posting what I have at the current rate, I''m going to catch up to my current location in the story.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    This ultimately means that postings are going to go down in frequency in a few days. I have a hard time finding the drive to constantly write, re-write and proofread my chapters. It''s a lot of work for one person and I have, what I believe to be, rather high standards for my writing and the quality needed as I intend to publish this story at its completion.


    I think that about covers current topics for the state of the story for now. I''m trying to stay motivated and continue writing, and hopefully once I finish this section and move into the adventure/exploration portion, my writing will speed up a bit. However, we''ll have to wait and see.


    As always, thanks for taking the time to read my story. For all those that rate, leave feedback, follow and favorite the story,


    Thank you!


    It''s incredibly motivating to see that people are enjoying what I write, so thank you all for continuing to read along.


    More to come soon,


    Imbalance

 Chapter Eleven

    Chapter Eleven


    Shira sat watching the man as she always did. The concept of time for divine beings was a hazy thing at best, but the days quickly rolled together on the mortal plane. Drenz Rest Inn was opened as scheduled and quickly became incredibly successful. Once the word got out that a bunch of pretty, newly widowed women would do a customer¡¯s laundry while they sat back and had a beer and a meal, every bachelor in Shren could suddenly be found at one of their tables, a mug of beer in their hand. When the rest of the population found out that two Drenz actually lived in the back, it soon became a city wide attraction, with many travelers stopping by on their way through as well. Jay was certain Nial and Carl had both contributed in their own way with the rather rapid increase in fame. He was lucky to have such good friends.


    Kara and Bane had decided to stay for the long haul. When Jay had approached them about returning to the Dark Forest, he was almost positive they were laughing at him for his foolishness in thinking they would go anywhere without him. They would still make occasional trips back to the forest to keep their skills and instincts sharp, but spent the majority of their time in and around Shren. Crime in Shren also suddenly dropped drastically when the word spread that massive, man-eating cats had been seen patrolling back alleyways and dark streets at night, for which Captain Andrews was in turn extremely grateful. He had also not suffered any additional assassination attempts since that first night, never solving the mystery of the mysterious signor, T.


    About two months after Dennis began his apprenticeship as a scribe, he passed the official scribe exam and was qualified as fully educated member of the community. Jay also subtly took this exam and acquired his qualifications soon after he began his employment for the governor when he realized scribes operated in an official capacity. Soon after his exam, Dennis set out as a traveling scribe, looking to make his way in the world in order to pay back the debt he felt he owed Jay.


    Nial Gemstone¡¯s caravan set out from Shren to continue their merchant¡¯s path a few days after the grand opening of Drenz Rest. They were supposedly heading to the capital, Drenna, in order to sell wares in preparation for some sort of festival, which was to take place in a few weeks¡¯ time.


    Katie recovered enough to move to the inn the day before Jay was to begin his work for the governor. Over the next few weeks, she was able to recuperate in leaps in bounds in large part to the pampering bestowed on her by the other women, however, she still refused to speak to anyone but Jay. Kara had taken a liking to the young woman and they were both often found snuggling together. Bane also quickly became known for his love for children, and could often be found watching and protecting the small ones as they played if they were not nestled into his fur, napping.


    Once she was healthy, Katie began cleaning laundry, freeing up another woman to help with the waitressing of the constantly busy establishment. Jay had explicitly instructed Heidi to keep the girl away from any other men. She was still emotionally traumatized and couldn¡¯t handle the look or touch of the other gender. This was proven when she had been quickly making her way across the common room one evening and had been groped by a patron who happened to have enjoyed their beer a little too much. It just so happened to be Jay¡¯s day off at the time, and when he heard the scream and saw the girl collapse in a heap of tears, he nearly broke the man in half in anger. After that, word quickly spread that pretty little Katie was off limits.


    It turned out Governor Jering was a merciless teacher that took a very hands on approach in his instruction. Every morning, Jay was put to the test. They began each morning with a sparring match, followed by drills and physical exercise until Jay was capable of regularly bringing his teacher to a draw in the current training style. Jay was almost always seen in various shades of purple, black and blue from the rough treatment, however he grew in leaps and bounds, quickly mastering each combat form the governor wished to impart due to the intense nature of the training.


    It took six months for Jay to master his court etiquette lessons. His table manners were impeccable, he could now bow, dance, formally address and name every noble in the kingdom, as well as the most notable members of the neighboring kingdoms. When he began attending formal functions he was quickly adopted into the local high society and many families attempted to acquire his favor as the governor¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦, causing many of their daughters to seek this newcomer¡¯s attention, to Jay¡¯s rapidly increasing dismay. The age of marriage and consent was also much, much lower in this society than his previous one, causing many awkward encounters as his walls of moral integrity built by years in a different culture were repeatedly assaulted.


    After the completion of court etiquette, Jay divided his newfound free time in three ways. It had initially only been two, but one night Katie had caught him as he snuck into the inn late one night. After hounding him repeatedly, Jay had eventually given in and agreed to begin teaching her some of the skills he was learning from the governor. Hopefully, giving her this knowledge would help her repair the broken pieces and instill more confidence in the young woman, or so Jay hoped.


    The remaining two portions of his new freedom were divided between additional cataloguing in the library and visiting Talli, where she had begun more formally instructing him in herbs and medicine at his request. It was in part due to Talli¡¯s great skill that Jay had survived the brutal schedule. At the end of every week, Jay visited Talli and she treated his bruised and battered body, helping speed his recovery and assisting his energy levels.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Four years passed quickly in the mortal plane, but it dragged on for Shira in the heavens. Not once had Jay visited her temple in Shren. She was pleased he was growing so well, but her lack of influence over his life had stagnated, only leaving her with a slightly stronger hold over the man than her brother; not nearly enough to break his grasp, much to her great frustration. No matter how much plotting and planning either of them did, Jay¡¯s lack of spare time kept him from any divine influence in this world.


    Over the course of these four years, Jay had mastered a number of skills. A variety of unarmed combat techniques, sword forms, both long and short, daggers, staff and bow were all mastered. Ray Jering was an unparalleled martial instructor, well deserving of his former title of King¡¯s Weapon Master. Jay had been dangerous before formal training simply due to his natural physical gifts and animal like instinct, but now he could only be described as a monster. There were very few humans in Drenna with the ability to defeat him in single combat. One was his own teacher, which was becoming increasingly infrequent. Neither could win, but neither could they lose, causing most sparring matches to end only in exhaustion.


    This fact had been repeatedly proven time and time again, as Jay had been challenged on numerous occasions to duels by nobles. Some from the capital arrogantly challenged him based on imagined slights of character in hopes to improve their own standing, or, as was more often the case in Shren, for their families, who wished to have the mysterious, handsome and seemingly well-connected man married to their daughters. The idea to snare the potential governor successor was shared by many families, despite the lack of evidence of his supposed succession and unknown background. The mystery surrounding him only fed the rumors. It had quickly become known that he refused to enter any form of relationship, and the men had taken to challenging him on the condition that if he lost, he would marry into their family. This had initially served as an excellent motivator to devote himself to his martial education, as he had narrowly won the first few duels.


    Jay was not opposed to a relationship in this world, as he had resolved early on that this was to be his world as well, now that he was here. An adopted member, if you will. He actually often found himself longing for companionship, however, he did not want to be tied to obligations which may hinder his future plans, which included casual sexual relationships. This world had not yet invented a dependable form of birth control, and if he was to suddenly have a child, his plans would be crushed. He still knew so little about this world, despite access to one of the greatest libraries in the country, and fully intended to explore every corner and live the adventure he had always wanted in his old world.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As Jay learned, he passed on many of his less lethal skills to Katie, who had finally opened up after a few months of instruction. Jay¡¯s hopes had borne fruit, and her confidence soared once she had the abilities needed to defend herself. She had begun speaking to others and no longer feared interaction with men, although she still did her best to keep them at a distance, with the exception of Jay.


    These past years had treated the girl well and Jay would have been a fool if he had not noticed that Katie had grown into a stunning woman. A woman who clearly held a special place in her heart for him. Avoiding her affection was even more difficult than those of the noble women, having more than once woken to find her curled up next to him in his bed while Kara looked on mischievously. He never could figure out how Kara managed to fit through the door into his room. Both Drenz had grown to the size of small trucks in the past years, matching their mother in size.


    Shira had watched all of this with growing concern. Jay was reaching the end of the growth capabilities within Shren. He would soon move on and Shira had to improve her hold over him or she might lose her chance to guide him through the carefully laid plans she had constructed for so long. Vratix had already delayed her significantly, and would continue doing so if she could not wrest full control from her brother. With these thoughts, Shira moved to set her most blatant, direct plan in motion. She had to reach him soon, or potentially lose him forever.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    It was night, and Jay was cataloguing in the library upper levels when the governor strode in. It had been a long four years, but Jay was finally approaching the end of his contract with Ray. He had, at most, two more weeks before the library was fully documented and organized in the system he had developed. Jay¡¯s twenty-eighth birthday had quietly come and gone a few weeks prior as the year moved into winter.


    Jay slid down the ladder where he was perched once he noticed the governor roaming about the lower floor. He quickly and deftly scaled his way down from floor to floor before dropping silently behind the large man. Creeping slowly up as Ray perused a section dedicated to dwarven culture, Jay suddenly shouted, causing the older man to jump in fright to Jay¡¯s great amusement.


    ¡°I fucking hate it when you do that.¡± Ray growled in a low, threatening voice. Jay simply laughed. ¡°I never will understand how you move so bloody silent,¡± the weapon master groused as he took a half-hearted swing which Jay easily evaded.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only victory I can achieve on a regular basis. I have to take the wins where I can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, soon you won¡¯t be limited to winning only in stealth.¡± Ray grumped. Jay had nearly surpassed him, a product of his youth and the governor¡¯s own age. It would not be long before the younger man would be unable to progress any further with the old weapon master as his instructor. ¡°Anyway, I have come with an important message. I just received word the royal family will be visiting Shren in a week¡¯s time for their half decade inspection. They have heard much about you back at court from the various noble families and all have expressed a desire to meet you.¡± The governor cast a grim look at Jay.


    ¡°I know your feelings and your plans for the future, therefore, I think it¡¯s prudent to prepare you. The princess is sixteen and unwed. Her father, the king, has been searching for suitable suitors for some time.¡± Jay¡¯s face mirrored his mentor as the situation sunk in. ¡°Not only that, but the king is quite possibly one of the few men in this country that could best you in combat, despite your competence with the blade. The prince is also a well-accomplished duelist and will no doubt wish to formally challenge you.¡± Jay just grimaced further. ¡°Do not worry too much, we still have a week to prepare. They will arrive middle of next week and a formal ball will be held at week¡¯s end. Neither should challenge you until after the ball, the king most definitely will not, as he will look to measure your worth before and during the event.¡± Ray had begun pacing as he continued explaining. Jay stood silently, his face set in a scowl as he thought through his new predicament. If Ray vouched for the king¡¯s combat prowess, it could be assured the man was indeed skilled.


    ¡°Bar buddy.¡± Jay suddenly said, eyes widening. The governor stopped his pacing and looked at Jay with a confused expression. Jay just laid his hand across his face and laughed until he was in tears. How had he not thought of this earlier? ¡°Sorry, Ray. I just remembered something from my past.¡± Jay chuckled as he wiped his eyes. ¡°Bar buddy is a term from my home where you pretend to be in a relationship with a friend to avoid unwanted attention.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So basically you would craft a fake partner. That might work if there was someone who wasn¡¯t trying to tie you down.¡± Ray pointed out what he viewed as the one obvious flaw in the scenario. His student was most likely the second most desired man of the realm, just behind the prince himself. It was rather silly as all the nobles simply assumed he would be a great addition to their families and none actually knew the man. It was true he had accrued a small fortune from his successful business and his own work, but the man was neither noble nor was he as well-connected as all the upper class seemed to believe. Jay just nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°There is one who would work, but it will most likely take some heavy persuasion to get her to agree.¡± Ray looked at him questioningly before his own eyes widened in understanding.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean Talli. That woman is more elusive than you when it comes to suitors. Just ask Walter. Even a fake relationship would be near impossible to acquire with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jay readily agreed. ¡°However, she is my best chance at avoiding a difficult, if not even more impossible situation.¡± Ray sighed. His student was correct. It was his best chance.


    ¡°Well, I will wish you good luck. We will spend the next week preparing you for this confrontation, just in case. Consider your work with the library complete. With the way everything is organized, a blind monkey could finish the remaining work.¡± The governor nodded his head once before turning to leave. ¡°Go home and rest. You will need it.¡±


    Jay nodded in return before he made his way back down into the city. However, instead of the inn, he headed directly to Talli¡¯s shop, picking up a bouquet of wildflowers from one of the vendor stalls on the way. If he was going to do this, he would do it right, he thought with a nervous smile. Talli was moderately surprised to see him so late, as he normally worked at this time, and gave him a beautiful smile when he presented her with the flowers. Jay lent a hand with her current medicinal concoction, and both chatted about mundane topics for a short time before Jay finally broached the topic concerning his visit. He explained in detail his situation before asking the all-important question.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the problem. I have a way that might save a lot of time and effort, but I¡¯ll need your help.¡± Jay hesitated briefly as Talli looked at him expectantly. ¡®I¡¯m asking her to fake a relationship, not marry me,¡¯ Jay silently berated himself. ¡°Would you be willing to accompany me to this ball and act as though we are courting?¡± Talli was silent for several seconds as she stared at Jay with an amused expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t think of it myself. Sure, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Jay opened his mouth to continue with his persuasive counterargument he had prepared before registering her acceptance and closed it just as quickly. ¡°On one condition,¡± Talli continued before Jay could come up with a new response. It was her turn to avert her eyes slightly in embarrassment as she murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t have any formal attire, so you¡¯ll have to purchase it for me.¡±


    Jay sat silently as the gears of his mind rapidly churned. He burst out laughing at the unexpected request, surprising the elf before she quickly joined in. Before heading to the inn, Jay finished helping Talli with her medicines, telling her everything she would need to know for the event. On his next day off, he would pick up a dress for her to wear. He returned to the inn, whistling a happy tune.

 Chapter Twelve

    A/N: Sorry for the delay in release. Real life happened.


    Chapter Twelve


    Jay¡¯s training sessions became full day exercises in abuse. The weapon master and the young man sparred repeatedly over the days leading up to the big event, Jay¡¯s only breaks were to eat, sleep and the occasional interruption from a servant assisting the preparations for the royal arrival and ball. A week quickly passed and Governor Jering gave Jay the day before the royal arrival to rest, recuperate and hopefully heal some of the bruising both had received. Jay spent the day being treated at Talli¡¯s apothecary. Her ointments worked wonders for swelling and bruising, and most of his injuries would be healed by the time the event arrived.


    The following day, the entire city of Shren lined the streets to greet the royal entourage. Jay was seated atop a horse which he had been allowed to borrow. He was positioned slightly behind the governor, next to Guard Captain Andrews, as they met the king¡¯s guard at the gate, and escorted the group through the city to the governor¡¯s mansion. The small group of carriages came to a stop around the statue in the central courtyard where the drivers promptly began unloading the royal baggage and carrying it to the prepared guest rooms. The central carriage door was opened and a man in his late forties stepped out. Dressed in purple and gold silk, with a modest gold crown upon his head, the man struck an imposing figure that seemed to epitomize the word ¡®royalty¡¯. The governor bowed and Jay followed suit in greeting the king of Drenna.


    ¡°Ray, my old friend, let¡¯s not stand on ceremony, shall we?¡± The king strode forward and clasped hands with the governor before turning to Jay. ¡°And you must be Master Trinity. I¡¯ve heard so much about you in Dren, I¡¯m Darius Wintz, King of Drenna, and it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± Jay took the king¡¯s offered hand in a firm handshake.


    ¡°Likewise, your majesty. It¡¯s an honor.¡± Jay was rather surprised by the king¡¯s informal attitude but did not show it. He must not enjoy the formality of his station in private. As they were being introduced, the man was followed by a beautiful woman a few years younger than the king himself, who wore matching clothing and a silver crown.


    ¡°May I introduce you to my lovely queen, Caroline Wintz.¡± Jay bowed respectfully which the queen responded with her own slight bow before turning to the governor.


    ¡°Ray, it has simply been too long. You really should visit us more often in the capital, your letters and reports do nothing to ease your absence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again as well, Caroline.¡± Ray chuckled. ¡°You know I can¡¯t stand all the fuss of the court.¡± Caroline just sighed and nodded in agreement. She understood all too well. The final two members of the royal family departed their carriages and approached. The prince and his best friend arrived first while the princess and one of her ladies in waiting made their way to the group. The former was around the age of twenty-two and dressed in a black suit resembling a tuxedo. He was promptly introduced to Jay by the king.


    ¡°This is my son, Prince Darius Wintz the Third.¡± Both men shook hands, foregoing the formality. Everything about Prince Darius screamed aggression. The younger man¡¯s desire to test Jay was shouted in every action, from the crushing grip of his hand to the intense stare leveled directly into Jay¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, Prince Darius.¡± Jay simply smiled in a relaxed fashion as he casually returned the crushing handshake, a bit of feral light floating through his eyes as the prince attempted to stare him down.


    ¡°Not at all, the pleasure is mine, Master Trinity.¡± The prince responded as he released his grip. The king noted the exchange and privately looked forward to seeing Jay¡¯s rumored skills for himself. These two would undoubtedly compete before the trip was completed.


    ¡°Last, allow me to introduce my daughter, Princess Elise Wintz.¡± Jay bowed as the girl curtsied. She was stunningly beautiful. Her skin was a light olive which complimented her light green eyes, the color of which was shared by all of the Wintz family. Jay was nearly left speechless but caught himself, shoving the blankness from his mind and inserting his greeting.


    ¡°The stories don¡¯t do you justice, Princess. It¡¯s a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance.¡± The girl¡¯s eyebrows were raised slightly in surprise, which was reflected in all of the family¡¯s faces. Jay missed the significance of the expression, but Governor Jering did not.


    ¡°Yes, well, now that we¡¯ve all been introduced, how about we move inside,¡± the governor suggested. ¡°Jay, you may spend the rest of the day as you please. We will see you at the ball in two days.¡± Jay nodded with that parting phrase and, with an additional bow to the royal family, returned to his room at the inn where he spent the remainder of the day resting and preparing for the ball.


    Once inside the governor¡¯s parlor, the five members broke into discussion.


    ¡°That man, he is no mage, yet he tossed off Elise¡¯s mental glamour as if it were a wet blanket.¡± The king mused to himself. Ray was quiet, with a worried frown painted across his face. Jay hadn¡¯t even made it past introductions and his student was attracting additional unwanted attention. The queen looked amused as she sipped on her cup of tea. The prince maintained his air of arrogance. It did not matter if the peasant had resisted some cheap mental trick; when it came down to their inevitable duel, Prince Darius would crush him. The princess never changed, as she mirrored her mother, sipping her tea as the discussion continued. The king and his daughter were both formally trained mages, while the queen and their son were not. The latter two were both magically sensitive, but could not wield mana in the same capacity as a member of the magus college.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I am sure you have guessed, Ray, despite his lack of noble title I plan to evaluate him as a potential suitor for Elise. I understand he has been rather adamant in his refusal to enter any sort of relational contract. Should he meet my expectations, I intend to resolve this matter quickly.¡± Ray simply grimaced as he nodded in acceptance. It was near worst-case, but with Jay¡¯s new fake relationship with Talli, he still had a chance to deter a confrontation with the king.


    ¡°Father, I would take great pleasure in squashing this bug for you. He is beneath our family and Elise deserves to be wed to someone of great merit, not some peasant playing noble.¡± Despite the prince¡¯s arrogant and harsh words, Ray had to give the boy some credit. His protection of his younger sister was good, and may serve to assist in dissuading the king, even if he was acting like an ass.


    ¡°I am sure you will both have an exchange of pointers before this trip is ended,¡± the elder Darius assured the younger, ¡°However, I am curious as to Elise¡¯s opinion of the man as well. We are discussing your future, after all.¡± The girl in question was silent for a moment as she sipped at the cup in her hand before her voice rang out like gently disturbed wind chimes across the room.


    ¡°He is¡­ interesting, as you said father. He holds himself as a leader might, moves with the grace of an elf, but there is something inherently dangerous about the man. It hangs over him like a black shroud. His resistance to my magic only feeds my curiosity.¡± Her dainty, delicate hands set the teacup down in contemplation, her eyes peering into the unseen distance. ¡°He is an enigma. Something which seems out of place in the world, yet is hidden well.¡± Ray felt a cold chill crawl up his back. The princess was uncannily sharp and, within the few minutes of meeting the man, had come to the same conclusions that the governor had built over years of interaction. The princess suddenly sighed, catching all present off guard with her unusual display of emotion.


    Refocusing on the room she stated, ¡°I would like to learn more about this man, if you would be so kind as to tell us of him, Governor.¡± Ray acquiesced, noting the pleased expression the king wore at his daughter¡¯s interest.


    The girl had been nicknamed Stone Princess by the noble and upper class, as she had rejected all of her potential suitors from the moment she was of marrying age, her stony expression never wavering.


    Ray grudgingly obliged, telling them everything he knew. Over the course of his employment, the two men had become rather close and Jay had told the old weapon master much about his interests, plans and life since waking from his ¡®amnesia¡¯. It felt like a betrayal to Ray, but he could not refuse royalty who had ruled for the past three generations. Their established information network would most likely have already related much of this same information to the king¡¯s ears, so attempting to hide facts was a foolish idea to entertain.


    They continued speaking for several hours before the women finally retired. All members, even the arrogant younger Darius, wished to journey to Drenz Rest the next day to see the beasts themselves. The governor and king sat silently nursing glasses of wine while the prince strutted out of the room to meet his friend. They would be found later at one of the high class establishments wooing the local ladies. The two elder men continued in sipping in silence for another minute before the king spoke.


    ¡°Speak candidly with me, old friend. This man, I have no doubt he is suitable for my daughter and her own interest is telling. I will challenge him before we return as well. If even the smallest portion of the rumors surrounding his skill with the blade are true, he will crush my arrogant whelp of a son.¡± The governor unconsciously grimaced. ¡°What is the catch, Ray? Your face speaks volumes to me.¡±


    The older man swirled his glass of fermented juice, hesitating briefly before answering. ¡°He is already courting another and has well laid plans for his future. He will not go quietly and will become a thorn in your side if this is not handled well.¡± King Darius nodded. ¡°He will honor the outcome of a gentleman¡¯s duel, but do not expect to garner any favor from him should you force the matter.¡±


    The king lapsed into silence, a thoughtful expression painted on his face as he drained the remainder of his glass. A smile slowly spread across his features as a mischievous dance played out behind his eyes. The look reminded Ray of the king in his youth. It was a look the king wore right before he did something incomprehensibly foolish and Ray sighed in resignation. Their cards were played, it would be up to Jay to finish this battle.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Chapter Thirteen


    The next day Jay woke later than normal. Katie had somehow discovered his false relationship and he had spent several hours the previous night avoiding attempted assassinations as he tried to explain the situation to the woman. She calmed down once he revealed in private it was all a ruse to avoid royal attention. He didn¡¯t understand why she, of all people, was so upset. He had never expressed romantic interest, and was starting to rethink all of those combat lessons as he finally dozed off.


    He groaned as he blinked awake. Katie was knocking on his door. A messenger from the governor was waiting in the common room. Why did she sound angry? He¡¯d figure it out later. Jay quickly threw on a layer of casual clothing before heading down to greet the waiting individual. He would return upstairs and finish his morning routine after, or so he thought as he rounded the corner to find Princess Elise perched atop a stool at his bar. Jay froze in mid step, eyes wide in surprise before his brain began signaling fight or flight responses, leaning heavily towards a strategic withdrawal. He wasn¡¯t running away he rationalized, he was simply regrouping in order to attack from a different direction.


    Unfortunately, she had witnessed the entire thing, a hand going to her mouth to hide an uncharacteristic smile as Jay quickly backed around the corner. His next training session with Katie was going to be a painful lesson, he mentally swore to make her pay for this. It was a small wonder she had been pissed. Jay returned to his room and made himself presentable.


    Elise was basking, replaying the moment over and over in her head, a silly little smile hidden by her petite hand. The look of complete surprise mixed with the still sleep ruffled hair had made for a remarkably cute image. She was surprised at her own reaction. It was amazing what a little bit of mystery did to her. All of those nobles from the court were completely transparent in their desires. This new man who apparently lacked any feelings for her at all was quite refreshing.


    Jay returned shortly thereafter, his hygiene and appearance more suitable for the present company. He still wore his day-to-day clothing, foregoing the more fanciful dress that he had worn the previous day.


    ¡°Princess Elise, what a pleasant surprise.¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but mentally gripe; Surprise? Definitely. Pleasant? Debatable. He was sure he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with these people for another day, and this sudden visit was throwing a wrench in his day.


    ¡°Master Trinity, apologies for the sudden appearance. My father sent me ahead to inform you the rest of my family will be visiting your lovely establishment shortly. We are all quite curious about your tamed Drenz.¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly and quickly gave instructions to Heidi for preparations to receive their guests.


    ¡°Princess, I should warn you now, I did not tame my companions. They listen to me only because they are fond of my presence and view me similarly to an alpha of their pack. They usually do not appreciate other human adults. Also, my apologies, but I will also be unable to entertain guests for longer than an hour. I have prior engagements and preparations to make before the event.¡± Jay was succinct, yet courteous. Everything he said was true, but he may have twisted it slightly to give him an escape route. He definitely had more than an hour¡¯s worth of time, but dealing with the royal family for longer than sixty minutes exponentially increased his chances of saying or doing something to get himself in trouble every minute beyond that limit.


    ¡°That will be more than enough time,¡± King Darius said as he strode through the entrance, queen and prince in tow. ¡°We simply wish to see the notorious beasts. I¡¯m sure you know, but Drenz have long been considered one of the most dangerous predators on Drask, so the opportunity to see one in person from relative safety is a great treat.¡±


    The princess hopped off her perch at the king¡¯s entrance as Sille, the few customers and the inn¡¯s staff bowed and curtsied to the royal visitors. ¡°Your majesty, thank you for honoring our establishment with you and your family¡¯s presence. Can I offer our guests any refreshments? We have beer, wine, various teas and water available.¡± The king waved the pleasantries away. ¡°All of you rise, I am simply a visitor in another¡¯s home. We will pass this time, Master Trinity, thank you. Now then, we won¡¯t take up much more of your time, please lead the way, Jay.¡±


    Nodding his assent, Jay walked through the kitchen into the inn¡¯s backyard. Bane could be seen curled up, dozing lightly in the far left corner. Kara wasn¡¯t present. She was most likely either with Katie in her room or lounging on his own bed. Jay strolled up to Bane, plopping down and pulling the big cat¡¯s head into his lap while rubbing and scratching his head and ears.


    ¡°This is Bane. Kara appears to be hiding at the moment.¡± Bane took this opportunity to crack an eye and yawn, conspicuously revealing his razor sharp teeth, each easily as long as a dagger, before nestling his head further into Jay¡¯s lap and purring contentedly sending deep vibrations into the surrounding atmosphere. The royal family kept their distance, warily eyeing the large beast that Jay so brazenly doted on. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you were aware,¡± Jay continued after a moment, ¡°But Drenz are immensely intelligent. Both of them understand our language and can communicate on an even level with humans.¡± Bane snorted, as if to say humans were the stupid ones, much to Jay¡¯s internal amusement.


    ¡°I see. That is indeed quite interesting. Thank you for taking the time to indulge our curiosity.¡± The king nodded his head in preparation to depart. He too, had much he still needed to accomplish before the celebration. As they turned to leave, the prince boldly strolled forth to a few paces away from the cuddling pair, only stopping when a deep throated growl of warning rippled out.


    ¡°Your pets are impressive, I would like to purchase this one. How much would you like for it? Cost is no problem.¡± Jay schooled his face to what he hoped was a neutral expression. He wanted nothing more than to sneer at the arrogant little lordling. Stealing a glance at his relatives, the princess was as stony faced as ever, rolling her eyes inconspicuously, as if this stupid request was the norm. The queen held a wide-eyed, surprised expression with a slight side of horror while the king held only irritation.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Apologies, Prince Darius, but as I explained earlier to your sister, they are not my pets, they are my pack, my family. I did not tame them, they adopted me. I cannot sell to you what I do not own, and would not part with them even if I could.¡± Jay repeatedly stamped out the anger slowly building in his chest, attempting to distract himself from the arrogant insect¡¯s posturing and insults. The king, with a now equally neutral mask, suddenly cut in before his son could dig a deeper hole for himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s rather unfortunate. It must be nice to have such dependable companions. Darius, you heard the man, we have business to attend to as well so we must depart. Thank you again, Master Trinity.¡± With an icy look in his eyes, the king once more turned and departed, trailed by an angry son and an embarrassed queen. The princess stayed a moment longer, curtseying once in thanks before following her family.


    ¡°Such a troublesome family,¡± Jay murmured to Bane, who grunted his agreement. He sighed deeply. He was already tired and ready for a nap, and he still had to go shopping for an appropriate garment for Talli. Absentmindedly, Jay continued scratching under Bane¡¯s chin for several more minutes before finally removing himself from beneath the massive beast.


    After retrieving his purse of coins, Jay left Drenz Rest and headed to Market Circle. The best tailors in the city could be found among the numerous shops and stands crowding the area, and Jay knew only the most beautiful dress would work for his date. Anything less would be both an insult to Talli¡¯s beauty and serve as a detriment to his plan to appear invested in a relationship.


    He searched for hours, stopping only for a brief lunch, to find the perfect dress. He started at the most famous stores, known throughout Drenna as high tier boutiques and patronized only by the very wealthy. Jay searched and searched, but nothing fit the mental image he held in his head. Most dresses were too bright, or contained too much fabric, or looked more like a torture device than an actual article of clothing; and so Jay continued searching.


    The sun was well on its way in its descent to the horizon, casting the sky in various shades of pinks, purples and oranges, when Jay trudged into a low class, somewhat ramshackle store. It was well off the beaten path and located deep within the labyrinthine backstreets of Shren. He had located the store purely based on a bit of luck and good timing.


    As he glanced around, Jay could see multiple piles of precariously stacked clothing, looking almost as though they would topple over at a slight breeze, scattered throughout the store. Most were in incredibly poor condition while others of a bit finer quality could be seen hanging in groups. He was mildly surprised to find several well-made pieces hidden among some of the groups of clothing. As he made his way through the store, he came across the clerk manning the counter. A young girl, no older than twelve, sat stitching a linen shirt on a stool at the back, barely giving him a glance as she resumed her work.


    ¡°Hi, welcome to Valiz Tailoring,¡± she droned with a bored, well-rehearsed tone. ¡°How can I assist you today?¡± Jay paused, momentarily thrown off balance by the complete lack of emotion and apathy in the girl¡¯s monotone expressions.


    ¡°Ah! Yes, I¡¯m hunting a dress. Something formal and well-made.¡± Jay had long since stopped requesting ball gowns specifically. With the current styles, none would have done Talli any justice, so he had modified his requests to more accurately accommodate the image he held. The girl stopped mid stitch, giving Jay a look that seemed to scream, ¡®Are you an idiot?¡¯ and ¡®Why me, God?¡¯ at the same time.


    Sighing, the girl set her needle and thread aside and hopped off her stool. ¡°One moment, I think I have the thing you¡¯re looking for.¡± Jay cocked his head at the curious phrasing as the girl stepped into the back of the shop. A few minutes passed as Jay patiently waited, mostly out of idle curiosity, when a rather dusty and irritated young girl came traipsing back through the door. She held out a small, wrapped bundle, which Jay gingerly accepted.


    Carefully unwrapping the parcel, Jay held out the most beautiful dress he had ever laid eyes on. Shimmering sapphire blue rippled like a briefly disturbed deep lake. The sleeves ran down to just above the elbows, while the top was form fitting, releasing a flowing layer of fabric that loosely spread from the waistline. The material was smooth, the softest and most supple fabric he had ever seen, yet somehow still managing to seem firm and unyielding. It was almost identical to the image he held, and may even be better than what he had envisioned.


    ¡°How much?¡± This was it, there was no question and no price would dissuade him. The little girl could be seen hesitating. ¡°Fifty gold. The material itself is made from spider magical beast silk but it¡¯s also been enchanted with auto-cleaning, self-repair and auto-fit, so it won¡¯t need any adjustments.¡± Jay blinked. ¡°Honestly, selling it for that little is something close to a crime, but Granny¡¯s word is law,¡± the child muttered under her breath.


    Jay ignored the additional comment, pulling the gold from his pouch and placing it in a small pile on the counter. Fifty gold was nothing to the several hundred he now possessed, and the girl was correct, this was nearly robbery at that price. Jay was passingly familiar with enchantments, as he had once wanted to enchant the basement of his inn with an ice rune to help preserve the food and drinks stored within. However, enchantments in this world were incredibly expensive, and the price of a hundred or more gold at the time for a single ice enchant was a luxury he could not afford. Having three on an already rare material made this garment nearly priceless. He would not look a gift horse in the mouth, silently paying and then bowing low to the back room in gratitude for the gift, where he felt ancient, yet mirthful eyes watching him.


    Rewrapping the dress and stowing it carefully in his bag, Jay beat a hasty retreat, excitement building within as he made his way back to Drenz Rest. Tomorrow would be an amusing day. Talli¡¯s and the noble¡¯s reaction would be a memory he would not soon forget.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Chapter Fourteen


    The next morning, Jay slept in. The ball wouldn¡¯t be held until the sun set, and without any pressing duties to attend to, he took advantage of the serene atmosphere and enjoyed an extra hour or two of sleep. He would have to meet with Talli after midday, but beyond that, he was free to relax for what felt like the first time since he found himself in this world. Almost four and a half years of constant activity. If his friends and family back home could see him now, he doubted they would recognize him. The desire to stand on his own, without the influence of others hanging over his head had been a powerful motivator, keeping him driven and focused despite his grueling schedule.


    It was late morning when Jay finally yawned, reluctantly dragging himself from his bed. The buzzing sound of conversation made by morning customers could already be heard echoing up the stairs and down the hall. Most of the common folk within the city had taken the day off as a sort of impromptu festival day due to the royal family¡¯s visit, providing many rest and relaxation establishments with additional business.


    Jay shuffled to his basin, washing his face and the sleep from his eyes. Stretching, Jay mentally braced himself for the day. He would be dealing with an excess of wealthy and powerful people today and needed to ensure he didn¡¯t accidentally kill a few of the more mentally challenged. This day and the next, possibly the two biggest hurdles since he arrived in this world, and then he was free to do as he pleased. Shoring up his mental fortitude, Jay took a deep breath, releasing it slowly along with the tension in his shoulders and neck.


    Opening his eyes, Jay took care of his daily needs and dressed in his most formal attire. His black, steel toed boots were covered by loose black pants, a black belt with a large silver buckle sat on his hips while a loose, silk black shirt trimmed in the same shade of sapphire as Talli¡¯s dress was tucked within. The dark blue was representative of the governor¡¯s house standard, the color and silver crest stitched into the shirt marking his affiliation to the man.


    He made his way down the hall, stepping lightly down the stairs into the boisterous common room. Or rather, previously boisterous common room. All activity stopped as everyone stared at the owner of the establishment. All of the waitresses and kitchen staff smirked knowingly, as if to say, ¡®That¡¯s correct, you rabble; this is our master, the man who saved us.¡¯ They¡¯d never say it to his face, as he hated any title which seemed to put his status above his friends, but it¡¯s what they all truly felt as the pride in the man bloomed with his regal attire.


    Jay just looked irritated as he shouted, ¡°Alright, you lot, shows over! Next round¡¯s on me so stop gawking like I¡¯m some kind of exotic animal and get back to your booze!¡± Their regulars simply laughed and cheered. Jay was still Jay, even dressed up like a noble. He shook his head in mock shame.


    Jay managed to sneak away into the kitchens, where he snagged a plate of eggs and bacon from Peri in passing as he made his way out to visit Bane. Jay sat carefully atop a stool, so as not to get any hair on his clothes as he rubbed down Bane¡¯s big head. Bane seemed to snort in derision, mocking his fancy, well-to-do appearance, despite Jay¡¯s helpless excuses of temporary requirements.


    He spent a full hour simply talking and relaxing with his animal friend, still managing to acquire a moderate fleece of Drenz hair on his sleeves despite his best efforts. Half of his bacon also mysteriously disappeared, replaced by the appearance of a remarkably innocent Kara ten minutes into their morning grooming session. After settling his inner anxiety for the upcoming events, Jay went back to his room to retrieve Talli¡¯s dress and brush off all the Drenz hair he could find. It was approaching midday when he finally left Drenz Rest with a plan to meet with Talli and take her to lunch before spending the remainder of the day looking through the redecorated, festive market before dinner and the ball.


    Jay made his way through the back streets and alleyways, avoiding as much of the crowds as possible on his way to the apothecary. The sheer amount of life that managed to crowd into the city was smothering to Jay, even from a distance. The little thieves of the city were undoubtedly making a killing in these crowds. It took Jay twice as long as normal to arrive at the shop, thwarting four attempts of the youngsters attempting to swipe his pouch in the process as he shoved his way through a few of the major streets. Being dressed like a rich noble was incredibly overrated.


    He wiped the irritation of his trek from his face, replacing it with a mischievous smirk before strolling through the front door. Swinging into the back of the shop, Jay met his date, toiling over a new concoction for a client as she always was. He inconspicuously set the packaged dress aside before lending a hand, and twenty minutes later the rash salve was complete. They both washed their hands of the herb residue and Talli, like a child at a candy store, suddenly became bright eyed and quivered a bit with excitement when Jay pulled the package from its concealed corner of the room. Jay simply grinned as he handed it over.


    She took it gingerly before unwrapping the protective cloth and gasped in wide-eyed astonishment when she lifted it from the table, allowing it to drape to the floor.


    ¡°Jay,¡± Talli whispered after a moment. ¡°This is too precious of a dress. I can¡¯t accept this.¡± Jay simply chuckled, engraving the breathless expression of shock on her face into his memory.


    ¡°You can, and you will. You are my date and potential fianc¨¦, therefore, as my possible future wife, I, as your possible future husband, am required to show off the woman who stole my heart, and have all those dung-faced nobles and royalty eat it as I show up with the most beautiful woman, in the most beautiful dress.¡± Jay laid it on thick, underlining it all with a shit-eating grin and a wink, before both of them burst into fits of laughter.


    Jay then shooed the elf upstairs to wash and change, he was hungry and it was time for lunch after all. He sat, impatiently stroking the hilt of the dagger attached to his belt. It was a poor habit he acquired over the past years when he was brooding over unpleasant topics. This time, he was considering the best ways to offend the royal family, without crossing the line into a dangerous zone. Breaking that arrogant whelp of a prince would work well, but he would primarily need to destroy any goodwill the princess may have towards him. Offending the queen would cross a line that the king would not forgive, so that was quickly discarded, while the king himself seemed like the kind of man who would take a well-planned insult and think even more highly of the person, simply on the principle that they had steel for nerves. He and the governor were very similar in that regard.


    As he sat contemplating devious means to embarrass the royal spawn, Talli flowed back down the stairs. Catching the movement from the corner of his eye, Jay glanced up and took his turn staring in a wide-eyed stupor at the fairy fluffing her swirling silver hair, a confident smirk on her face as she preened and strutted about the room.


    The dress accentuated her well-endowed bosom, yet flowed in just the right way to show that every single curve on her body was perfect. The deep blue of the dress and the silver of her long hair perfectly meshed, while the luster of her green eyes seemed to make the elf look more like a priceless treasure and less like a mortal, living being. Simple, well-made black leather moccasins could be seen slightly poking out from the front of her dress. Talli¡¯s eyes flashed with hidden laughter as she reached over and closed Jay¡¯s slightly open mouth.


    Shaking his head to break the hypnosis, Jay stood and pulled an additional item from his pockets. Before she could protest, Jay swept her hair out and fastened the emerald pendant around her neck. Taking three steps back, Jay struck a pose as if he was in deep contemplation as he surveyed the goddess in front of him. Shamelessly roving his eyes over every curve before stopping at her eyes, Jay nodded in contentment.


    ¡°I have seen perfection. I can now die a happy man with no regrets.¡± He stated solemnly, an expression of feigned serenity descending on his face. Talli rolled her eyes and slapped him on the chest.


    ¡°Beast! You shouldn¡¯t have to worry too much, no princess would ever want you!¡± Jay could only laugh. Bowing in an exaggerated manner, he presented his arm to Talli and proceeded to escort her to the most expensive restaurant in the inner city, Blue Dove. As soon as he learned of the upcoming event, he had placed a reservation, only slightly abusing his relationship with the governor to acquire a table.


    Every head in the restaurant turned when Jay led Talli through the door. It was dead silent as every man in the building gaped at the divinity who had blessed them with her presence. There would be many upset wives and girlfriends in the next five to ten seconds and Jay could only coldly laugh in his heart as all the families who had tried to ensnare him instantly felt inadequate when they noticed Jay escorting the beauty to their reserved table.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Whispers and conversation slowly came alive once more but the two friends ignored everything, quietly chatting as they enjoyed their meal. Afterward, Jay had arranged for a carriage to escort them around the city to see the various festival attractions. The separation from the crowds and priority in travel made it well worth the expense in Jay¡¯s eyes. Knife jugglers, fire eaters, plays, as-well-as various low level magic shows were spread throughout Shren¡¯s many large squares. There were also many unusual festival foods, particularly the sweets, which Jay and Talli immensely enjoyed as they sampled each one they came across.


    A few hours later, the sun was just about to completely dip below the horizon when Jay tugged Talli back aboard their carriage, heading to the governor¡¯s mansion within the inner city. The ball was slated to begin at sundown and it would still take some time for their transportation to make its way through the crowds.


    Truthfully, Jay had lost track of time, too busy enjoying the festivities with Talli until he realized lamps were being lit along all the main streets. However, he would never admit it, and being fashionably late to a party was something most of the upper class did anyway.


    It was already dusk when they managed to arrive, and many carriages could be seen organized along the sides of the mansion. Despite this, there was still a large number of people arriving at the front door. Descending from the carriage, Jay paid and tipped the groom well for his day escorting the two as Jay planned to simply return by walking. Lending his arm to Talli, he produced his invitation and walked through the doors, leading her through the foyer-museum directly to the main ballroom. A servant would normally escort guests from the front, but since Jay knew every servant of the governor¡¯s house, it was rather pointless for them to assist.


    Passing his invitation to the herald, they both strode into the room as the man announced, ¡°Master Jay Trinity and Healer Talli of the Southern Forest!¡± The buzz of conversation slightly abated as many eyes turned, filled with curiosity at Jay¡¯s rumored love interest. Talli had always remained rather under the radar within the city of Shren. She was known throughout the inner city but mostly by name and rumored appearance. Therefore, many eyes from many prominent people suddenly studying her caused a rather anxious feeling to appear in her chest and she unconsciously moved to have Jay shield her, hugging onto his arm as she shyly moved behind him.


    Jay simply gaped at this sudden transformation. The free-spirited woman he was so used to suddenly became like a small frightened kitten in front of a bit of scrutiny. Quickly recovering, Jay grasped her hand tightly, giving a small reassuring squeeze as he led her forward to greet the royal family and the governor sitting at the far end of the hall. After formally greeting the king and governor, he quickly led Talli aside to an inconspicuous, free table as discussions and low conversations began to return to the grand hall.


    The king couldn¡¯t help but speak up to the governor, watching the two as they walked away. ¡°Heavens, Ray, you could have told me the woman he was courting was the incarnation of Naris. No wonder he has no interest in my daughter.¡± Governor Jering simply smiled. Many people were having remarkably similar conversations throughout the room. It wasn¡¯t that their daughters weren¡¯t beautiful, in fact, most of them were exceedingly pretty. It was just that Talli held a kind of celestial beauty that was hard to find anywhere in the world.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t just witnessed it, I wouldn¡¯t have believed you, of all people, could ever have such a shy reaction in front of others.¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but poke fun at Talli¡¯s now blushing face, a huge grin plastered on his own as they took a pair of seats.


    ¡°Be quiet you ass,¡± her face went from a rosy pink to a deeper shade of scarlet as she lightly kicked his calf under the table. He simply squeezed the hand he was still holding once more, the shit-eating grin never leaving his face as she glared at him.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve recovered, we¡¯ll have to go around and exchange a few pleasantries with the silk pants, then we should be free to do as we please for an hour or two before we can escape.¡± Jay murmured in her ear. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll be able to avoid the royal brats the entire night.¡±


    ¡°And if we¡¯re not lucky?¡± Talli couldn¡¯t help but ask as she threaded her fingers through Jay¡¯s, sidling up to him and creating a rather lovely atmosphere that either made onlookers feel sick or soft-hearted. Jay himself was surprised by the rather forward actions of his companion, but he definitely was not one to complain about such good fortune landing in his lap.


    ¡°Well,¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but swallow a bit nervously as Talli¡¯s natural scent drifted around him. ¡°It depends on how unlucky we are at that point. If we¡¯re only a little unlucky, we exchange small pleasantries, the princess realizes she¡¯s inferior to you in every way and leaves me alone, while the prince drools over you a little bit like the dog he is, before barking a bit and then going off to find some other poor girl to deceive.¡± Jay stopped for a moment, grabbing two glasses of wine from a passing servant and drinking a sip before continuing.


    ¡°If we¡¯re immensely unlucky, the princess decides she can no longer live without me and persuades her father to get involved, while the prince drools over you a little bit like the dog he is, before barking a bit and then trying to bite me and take you away, in which case I then beat the dog to teach it not to bark or bite those who are its betters. The first is the best case for us, the second is the worst. Anything else is somewhere in the middle.¡± Jay took another sip of his glass of wine, noting that Talli had already drained her first glass while listening to him.


    ¡°And what do you expect to happen?¡± Talli couldn¡¯t help but ask once more as she grabbed another glass of wine. Jay took another sip as he thought for a moment. It really was very good wine after all.


    ¡°The princess will either back off or the king will come up with some kind of compromise or condition to try and trap me. I¡¯m honestly not sure which. The king is much more intelligent than the brats, but he also dotes heavily on his daughter. If he feels she wants me, he¡¯ll do everything he can to make that wish possible. I will almost assuredly have to beat the dog before the end of the night.¡± Jay drained his glass of wine as Talli finished her third.


    ¡°You alcoholic, if you keep that up we¡¯ll both end up in trouble.¡± The rosiness of the alcohol was already present on her cheeks as they stood up to make the rounds and exchange pointless conversation. ¡°It¡¯s okay, elves have a high tolerance to fruit based fermented drinks.¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but snort in disbelief as he watched the rosiness spread to Talli¡¯s pointed ears. ¡°Shut up, jerk. Who¡¯s to say I don¡¯t want trouble tonight anyway?¡±


    Jay couldn¡¯t help but stop dead in his tracks, a strange look on his face as he exerted a lot of self-control over his blood pressure, schooling his emotions back to indifference, a slight smile appearing as Talli giggled at his reaction. Jay shook his head and sighed, ¡°Vixen.¡± Much to Talli¡¯s delight.


    The pair made their way through the crowd, greeting distinguished individuals for a short while. Talli was much more relaxed, the wine smoothing her nerves, simply following along as Jay chatted, occasionally speaking with her fellow female counterparts. The prince and princess had both arrived shortly after Jay, and been constantly preoccupied, much to his relief. Many sons and daughters kept both busy with requests to dance and flirtatious conversation. Jay formally introduced Talli to Governor Ray and King Darius, another man dressed in fine robes resembling a clergy member of a church not far away.


    ¡°Ah, yes! Jay, this is the Archbishop of the city¡¯s branch of the Church of Justice, Archbishop Tadrith.¡± Governor Jering introduced. Jay and the bishop exchanged mild pleasantries and it wasn¡¯t until Jay had shaken the man¡¯s hand, intending to leave and continue on when a strange expression stole over the holy man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Child, you must visit me tomorrow morning at the temple. I would take you there now if it wouldn¡¯t offend every person present by leaving early.¡± He continued in a low tone, only perceivable to the five present. ¡°You have been touched by Shira, you must visit the temple!¡± Jay¡¯s indifferent expression never wavered as he nodded in agreement, placating the old man, the only indication he showed was a sudden dangerous flash of his eyes that disappeared faster than it came as he departed the high table. After an hour of socializing, Jay received a light pinch, only to find a pouting elf staring at him with doleful eyes.


    A/N: I''m back. I won''t make any excuses, I''m just a terrible writer. Rage appropriately about my release speed, I deserve it.

 Chapter Fifteen

    A/N: Hey all. I added a minor plot scene to the last... three or four paragraphs of the last chapter that I forgot to write in.


    Chapter Fifteen


    ¡°Jay, this is a ball and you haven¡¯t brought me out to dance once. Do you not like me enough? Do you not want to show me off to all these high class people?¡± Jay once again was left staring in complete confusion before chuckling absentmindedly. Where did the independent woman he was so used to dealing with run off to? And wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a fake relationship? The sudden feeling of rapidly being drawn into a trap sprang up in Jay¡¯s mind, but he had no choice but to charge straight through and hope to avoid it.


    ¡°You spoiled woman, no need to act like that. If I had known you wanted to dance I would have long ago brought you to the floor.¡± Jay tucked his arm around Talli¡¯s waist as they threaded their way through the crowd and onto the ball room floor.


    Jay kept a hand lightly on Talli¡¯s waist as he slowly led her through the music. This would have been fine, keeping a respectable distance between the two as the gently twirled and rotated about the floor, however, Jay was subjected to another round of vicious torment as Talli suddenly pressed into him, laying her head on his chest as her perfect body rested against his own in the midst of a small spin.


    Jay couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°You mischievous, scheming, vixen. No wonder you¡¯ve been acting so weird.¡± Talli held a light smile as a twinkling light glimmered in her eyes. Their sudden, intimate proximity was immediately recognized as they stepped lightly past the direct line of sight of the princess and her entourage. Talli took this opportunity to look directly up, the mischievous glint still present as Jay smirked in response. The music ended soon after, but Jay was still caught up in her big, green eyes, and so the two continued dancing straight through the second and then the third song.


    ¡®If she is going to tease me like this all night, I might as well take back the advantage. Two can play this game, treacherous woman.¡¯ As the third song ended, the two left their ¡®lover¡¯s trance¡¯ as Jay leaned down with lightning speed, stealing a small kiss from the elf in front of everyone, before leading her off the floor and back to their seats at the edge of the room. He turned back to glance, only to find a cherry red face and an intense glare, which he only returned with a grin.


    ¡°Dearest, I¡¯ll go and fetch a couple glasses of wine and snacks. I¡¯ll return shortly.¡± Talli simply huffed in response as Jay made a quick escape. She never thought he¡¯d not only catch on to her, but be even more shameless and take back the upper hand from her constant teasing, the bastard. She sat down moodily, slightly recriminating herself for her overly blatant actions, watching as Jay acquired food and drinks. The pouting must have tipped him off, but the close proximity of their dancing was definitely a perfect show for the princess. Talli unconsciously blushed once more as she remembered how warm Jay was.


    As she was brooding, an overly fragrant glass of wine was proffered up and placed before her. Thinking it was Jay returning once more, she grabbed it in order to quickly assuage her frustration before realizing it was not Jay from the corner of her eye, but the prince, who had ¡®come to make her acquaintance¡¯. Casually lifting up the glass of wine, she inconspicuously smelled the fragrance. It was undoubtedly good wine, but it couldn¡¯t cover up the scent of saffron, catalyzed with several other things she was unable to identify through the wine¡¯s aroma, but was undoubtedly something to strengthen an aphrodisiac effect. This prince was either incredibly bold or immensely foolish to attempt to poison an accomplished herbalist with something as simple as saffron. It might work on those air-head noble girls, but for her, who was not only an herbalist, but also an elf, this was almost insulting.


    ¡°I hope you enjoy the flavor, Miss Talli. It¡¯s my personal favorite. I was hoping to chat and perhaps dance once or twice, if your esteemed date doesn¡¯t take offense, of course.¡± Talli nearly derisively snorted. ¡®I bet it is your favorite, you pig.¡¯ Jay was just returning with a lazy smile conveniently masking his killing intent as he set the refreshments down at their place. Talli gave a subtle signal with her eyes to the glass in her hand, pretending to take a sip and swallow before placing it on the table.


    ¡°A single dance couldn¡¯t hurt. I appreciate your hospitality for a commoner such as myself, your highness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Prince. Please take good care of her, I have to speak with the governor and your father for a few minutes as well.¡± Prince Darius took the opportunity to lead Talli out to the floor while Jay sniffed out the aphrodisiac, a dark smile briefly flashing across his face as he casually carried it with him. As if absolutely nothing was wrong, Jay went to speak with the governor and king in private at the head table once more. However, he was quickly intercepted by Princess Elise, who, after a bit of stubborn cajoling, promptly dragged a fearful Jay out to dance, dismissing his conversation duties as unimportant and draining the glass of wine in Jay¡¯s hand before he even had a chance to protest.


    At this point, even the normally calm and composed Jay was slightly panicking. This was not what he had planned at all. Inconspicuously poisoning the prince to have him make a fool of himself was one thing, but having the princess poisoned in his arms was a completely different affair, and not a good one either. He quickly directed their dancing direction towards the prince, who was still anxiously waiting for the elven beauty to start clinging to him, embarrassing Jay and allowing the prince to steal his woman at the same time. Jay muttered in a low voice as they brushed past Talli, ¡°Elu numu suvuwi! Teludr¨¹ma!¡±


    Talli cast a look of alarm, rapidly thinking before forcing herself to become flushed and excusing herself from the prince with the excuse of needing to rest. Quickly intercepting Jay and the princess, the three of them made their way as inconspicuously, yet as quickly as possible towards a servant¡¯s entrance, leaving a somewhat confused prince in their wake.


    Jay was practically carrying the princess through the rarely used servant¡¯s passageways. Her red face and panting escalated as she began tugging at her dress, pawing and rubbing against Jay¡¯s chest just as he finished leading them to a secluded courtyard at the side of the mansion grounds.


    ¡°Why did you bring us here!?¡± Talli hissed. ¡°If people find us in such a secluded spot while she¡¯s like this, it¡¯ll be even worse than if it happened at the ball!¡± Jay just growled in irritation as he moved the princess to a trough of water and dropped her in. The shock of the cold water, mixed with the sudden lack of air, quickly brought the princess back to her senses as she looked around spluttering. Talli stifled her laughter at Jay¡¯s crude actions, admiring the quick thinking despite the rough outcome. The princess quickly regained her bearings, slowly remembering the events prior.


    ¡°You drugged me!¡± She practically shouted.


    Jay quickly covered her mouth to cut off any additional exclamations, hissing quietly in anger, ¡°Oi, shut the fuck up little princess. If I was the one who drugged you, then why are you still clothed and soaking wet instead of underneath me on a bed?¡± The irritation accompanied by the logic in his words made her quickly settle down.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, I¡¯m sure you have additional clothes you can change into in your room. We¡¯ll escort you back, Talli will help you change, and then we¡¯ll all return to the ball as fast as we can. I¡¯ll explain what happened on the way.¡± Jay proceeded to scoop her up and carried her swiftly towards the guest wing of the mansion.


    ¡°Put me down, I can walk on my own!¡± Elise hissed with narrowed eyes.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.    ¡°Relax and be quiet. You still have the drug in your system, the water was only a temporary measure to return your lucidity, so your body will still be a little unstable. You probably swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, so it should be ready to be flushed out by the time you¡¯re out of these wet clothes. If you need to be angry, be angry at your brother. He¡¯s the one who tried to drug my Talli with that glass of wine you snatched from my hands.¡± Jay both rebuked and explained simultaneously. His words rang true as less than a minute later, an itching warmth began to affect her lower body and a flush crept into her features once more.


    Jay couldn¡¯t help but curse this world for not having anything convenient readily available, like spatial storage accessories or mysterious old men that happen to have an aphrodisiac antidote on their person. As Jay continued walking he pondered for a brief moment¡­ ¡®Instead of mysterious old men, there were mysterious little girls and their apparently ancient and powerful grandmothers who gave out priceless dresses instead. Fucking fantasy worlds. I may actually have made something of myself in this world, but at least in my old one I didn¡¯t have to bother with shit like poisoned royalty, people either loving me or hating me, many of which who have never even met me, and gods who apparently want me to do¡­ something.¡¯


    ¡®Fuck all of this. I¡¯m leaving this city tonight with the Drenz and never coming back. All my obligations to this place are tied up and finished. If I suddenly disappear, the king can¡¯t force me to marry this brat, the gods of this world won¡¯t be able to so easily influence my life  and I¡¯ll be able to do what I want. I saw Walter walk in with Heidi earlier. They¡¯re a good match, I¡¯m glad she¡¯s found someone dependable. I¡¯ll leave the Inn to Walter and head west. That will allow all those girls to continue living happily.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve been way too passive and accommodating out of necessity for acclimating to this world and its lifestyle, but now that my responsibilities are finished, I have no reason to stay any longer. I should have left even before this ball, but my feelings of responsibility to Ray kept me here.¡¯ Jay glanced at Talli to his side who had been silently watching his shifting expressions.


    ¡°Ele den¨¹sa.¡± Talli spoke. It wasn¡¯t a question, she could see the typical lazy indifference Jay normally wore had melted off, and a cold, harsh light had replaced it. He was going to leave. Tonight¡¯s events had broken the fa?ade, overflowing what Jay was able to tolerate.


    "Avi.¡± His response was a short affirmation. A shadow of sadness shrouded Talli¡¯s features as they reached the princess¡¯ room. Jay set the girl down, ushering both women inside and standing guard by the door. Several minutes later, both returned, the shadow still present on Talli¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°Princess, please apologize to your father and the governor for me. I just remembered some important business I need to handle and won¡¯t be able to return to the festivities tonight.¡± Jay¡¯s words were neither harsh, nor overbearing, but the young woman felt as though the temperature of the hall had still managed to drop a few degrees, leaving a chill creeping down her spine.


    ¡°Very well. Thank y-¡± Jay cut her off with a small gesture.


    ¡°No thanks is needed, Princess. It was partially my fault for not being careful in the first place. Consider us even.¡± Jay slipped his hand into Talli¡¯s. ¡°My apologies for not escorting you back, but we are desperately needed elsewhere.¡± Jay gave a slight bow and led Talli in the opposite direction of the ballroom, leaving a despondent girl in their wake.


    Princess Elise watched their departing backs, fully realizing that it would likely be a long time before ever again meeting the man who made the stone princess laugh and sigh. She stood there in the hall for a while before turning around, a fierce glint of her own in her eyes. ¡®Jay Trinity, I will wait. You think you¡¯re escaping, but I¡¯m the Stone Princess. Stone weathers all things, and time is just one of them. Next time, I won¡¯t be so na?ve.¡¯


    As the princess was resolving her conflicting emotions, Jay had led Talli back through the mansion, departing unnoticed, returning to her small apothecary by the wall in silence. Jay never once let go of her hand, lightly pulling the elf along. When they finally walked through the doors of the darkened shop, Jay led her by memory through the moonlit darkness into the back room where he suddenly stopped and rapidly turned, pulling her towards him and wrapping her in an embrace. For a long time, the two simply stood, feeling the warmth of the other.


    Jay suddenly shifted, feeling his shirt wet from the silent tears Talli was shedding. He was leaving. Her best and only friend for the past four years, who made her laugh, made her delicious food in the mornings and helped her in his spare time, learning all she could teach in the process. The man who always came to her at the end of every week, battered and bruised nearly beyond recognition for so many weeks, only to make her worry melt away, as he made her laugh once again with his over exaggerated moaning as she applied medicine to his bruising. He was leaving, and her heart felt like a piece of it was leaving with him. Jay pulled away slightly, a warm look in his eyes as he cupped her beautiful face, wiping the tears away.


    ¡°You¡¯re even beautiful when you cry, what kind of unfair world is this?¡± Jay joked as he continuously stroked the tears from her face. Talli simply clung to his chest tighter, not wanting to let this abominable man who wormed his way into her heart leave her alone. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore tears for me. I¡¯m an incredibly selfish person; but I can promise you, I will come back and find you once I have the answers I need. Wait for me.¡± Jay continued staring into those big, green eyes, etching every curve, every angle of that beautiful face into his mind before leaning down and kissing her soft lips.


    Talli wrapped her arms around Jay¡¯s neck, forcing him to stay longer as she breathed in his forest scent and tasted nature on his lips before finally breaking apart. Jay stroked her face once more, kissing both cheeks and her nose in rapid succession, involuntarily causing Talli to giggle like a little girl while at the same time cursing his name. Flashing a bright smile, Jay took one last lingering look before pulling away, blending into the darkness of the building, rapidly leaving, returning to Drenz Rest.


    Drenz Rest was too true of a name, and they had all been resting for much too long.


    A/N: Somewhat long and important note incoming:


    First:


    I definitely want a lot of opinions about this chapter. This was not what I originally had planned for this scene and it just kind of spontaneously flowed out and I decided I actually really liked it instead of the more traditional crap I was planning. Please let me know what you all think, I really appreciate it.


    Second:


    I have absolutely nothing planned for the story from here to the ending of the first book (which I do actually have planned... heh.), so it''ll be an adventure for both of us. As for the second book, I have a ton of stuff that I think is going to be great content planned out for it, but I have to get there first. In all honesty, this first book is primarily world building and character introductions for the second book, which is where a ton of the questions and plot strings that have been brought up so far will be answered, many of which occur in a single scene which will lay the foundation for the rest of the series.


    As always, thanks for reading my story! I immensely appreciate all the feedback I get, especially ratings and reviews! They''re a huge motivator and they help spread the story.

 Chapter Sixteen

    Chapter Sixteen


    Jay returned to the inn at a mad dash. If he planned to leave tonight, there were a few problems he still needed to take care of. Vaulting over the back wall, Jay quickly informed Bane and Kara. They would leave the city first and meet him outside, taking his bag of necessities with them. Reaching his room, Jay produced his full ensemble of equipment, donning the armor and concealing all of his various weapons as he strapped the black longsword to his waist.


    He finally grabbed the large, modified bag, thrusting what few clothes he had within, leaving the fanciful dress clothes he had worn behind. Taking one last look, Jay went to the cellar, packing away several days¡¯ worth of rations before leaving the inn, passing the bag to Bane and striding across the city to Walter¡¯s home, where Jay placed the signed over deed to the inn on the guard captain¡¯s pillow.


    Jay measured the night, giving himself four more hours before sunrise as he stole his way back into the governor¡¯s mansion, the night masking his presence. The ball had ended an hour or two prior, therefore many of the guests had long returned to their own beds to sleep off the effects of the night¡¯s revelry. There were two things Jay needed to attend to before the night departed. Donning a black mask, Jay strode through the mansion with complete confidence. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that not a sound could be heard as he moved through the hallways, it might not have appeared Jay was practicing stealth at all.


    He was nearly to Ray¡¯s study when Jay melted into the shadows of the hall. A servant left the study, passing by completely oblivious to his lurking presence. As she rounded the corner, Jay moved once more, peering through the crack in the door. The ever vigilant governor sat at his desk, nursing a glass of brandy as he went through a few official documents.


    Seeing he was alone, Jay boldly strode in, pulled out a rolled, sealed parchment and passed it to his employer, master and friend. The two shared a deep look, neither saying a word as Jay turned and departed without a sound.


    Ray placed his glass of brandy down on his polished mahogany desk, deeply sighing as he broke the wax seal and began to read the last message he would ever receive from his student.


    Thank you for everything. I have one request, please take care of Talli while I am away. The inn is Walter¡¯s. I¡¯m sorry, I am making things difficult for you. Burn this immediately.


    Ray stared at the note and couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®So he found another way.¡¯ Ray stared at that fourth sentence. ¡®Taking care of his girlfriend isn¡¯t difficult. Damnit, this little shit is going to do something drastic. Son of a bitch!¡¯ Ray hastily lit the note on fire, ensuring it was completely burned to ash before draining his glass of brandy, quickly pouring another one and draining it as well. It was a few short hours later when Ray, still awake, heard the scream of a servant coming from the guest wing.


    In the coming weeks, the entire country would be in an uproar as the prince was found in his bed, throat slit with his manhood still inside a drugged nobleman¡¯s daughter. The word ¡®rapist¡¯ was painted repeatedly on the walls and floor of the room in the prince¡¯s own blood. It was later attributed to divine retribution from the goddess of justice, which was also the deciding factor on how the event spread, despite the royal family¡¯s attempts to suppress it. Even evil royalty was unable to escape the gods, or so it was said. The news of the assassination would cause a brief religious resurgence in Drenna among commoners and nobles alike.


    Jay would never know the exact extent of the results of his actions, as after he assassinated the prince, he had immediately left the city heading west. He removed any future problems from the roots and passed on any other potential responsibilities. Only a single thread of fate kept him connected to the city of Shren. Naturally, there were a few who suspected his involvement in the death of the prince, but other than Governor Jering, no one else had any conclusive evidence, other than his sudden, unexplained disappearance.


    When Jay met his companions several miles from the city walls, the sky was just beginning to lighten as the sun began crawling over the horizon. A small grove by the side of the road served as cover from prying eyes as Jay slipped between the trees, moving towards the center where he was set to meet Kara and Bane. Sliding out of the underbrush, Jay came to a sudden stop, as he found an additional human sitting with his Drenz companions.


    ¡°Damnit Kara!¡± was all he said through a sigh as he pulled off his mask, placing it in the bag on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that Jay. Do you really think she would have left me behind? And even if she did, I definitely would have found out and followed you anyway.¡± Katie simply stated, as if her presence was only natural. All of this said while cleaning her nails with a dagger as she leaned against the big cat¡¯s side. Kara continuously avoided eye contact as if none of it had anything to do with her.


    Jay grumbled and muttered under his breath a bit more, before pulling a map from one of the myriad of inner pockets sewn within his sack. ¡°What did you bring with you?¡± Jay gestured to the girl¡¯s slightly smaller bag of goods.


    ¡°A few sets of travel clothes, the leather armor I¡¯m wearing, a few daggers, a short sword, a few canteens, several days¡¯ worth of dried food and a little spending money.¡± Katie rattled off while slowly counting the items on her fingers.


    Jay grunted in confirmation. ¡°At least you remembered some of the things I taught you beyond how to stick a dagger between someone¡¯s ribs.¡± Said dagger was immediately sent flying towards Jay¡¯s face as he studied the map spread on the ground which he promptly snatched out of the air before returning it at twice the speed, cutting a small lock of hair from Katie¡¯s head before embedding into a tree behind her. Kara huffed, giving Jay an offended look as some of her black fur cascaded down alongside Katie¡¯s long black hair. Jay¡¯s eyes never left the map.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep heading west along this road. In three days we should run into a little town called Vissily, where we can purchase horses and restock anything we need. They have a minor guild branch where we can register for a few jobs and use those as a proper excuse to continue into the Western Reaches.¡± Jay tossed Katie an extra mask and light cloak he had prepared as she pulled the knife from the tree. ¡°Keep that on. You¡¯re too pretty and it¡¯ll bring a lot of trouble if others see your face.¡±


    From the time he had come into this world until now, Jay had encountered an overabundance of danger outside of any established civilization, despite the supposed peaceful and well-maintained illusions of safety. The mask he gave her was a personal invention that Jay had tinkered with over the years. It obscured the entire face other than the eyes, but breathed incredibly well, making it seem more like a second skin, masking a person¡¯s features in comfort. Sweating into a mask was rather frustrating after all.


    The season itself was just moving out of summer into cooler fall weather, so heat was less of a concern at the moment, but it was still a nice feature for a mask. The changing of the weather served as a reminder in Jay¡¯s mind. They would need to purchase some winter clothes, as neither thought of them as immediately necessary. A shopping list started forming in Jay¡¯s mind as he rolled up the map, stuffed it back in its respective pocket and began walking back to the road, Katie, Kara and Bane trailing him.


    The following days were completely uneventful as the group travelled down the road. Katie and Jay often passed others travelling to and from Shren but kept to themselves. Bane and Kara spent the vast majority of the time out hunting in the far reaches of the fields and woods, only returning to camp at night as their presence was much too notable in much of the area surrounding Shren. Drenz Rest was a rather famous rest stop due primarily to their presence, and there was only one possible human that would be in the company of two Drenz.


    It was noon of the third day and upon reaching Vissily, Jay first purchased a pair of well-bred horses, leading them to one of the middle class inns where they were promptly stabled. Dinner and a night¡¯s rest were purchased ahead of time before the pair left to the town market. There were few items that were direly needed, and all were fairly common and found quickly; primarily herbs, medicines and additional travel rations accompanied by a few sets of additional clothing and a pair of saddlebags.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The last important duty for the day was registering as a mercenary at the local branch of the ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡±. Jay rolled his eyes every time he saw their signboard. If he didn¡¯t have to register to cash in on the bounties and missions available, he would have avoided the entire process. No paper trail is much more preferable to any kind of record, even if they were allowed to have aliases. Jay slipped into an alley, donning his black mask before walking into the two story building.


    It was rather well-kept, despite the rough crowd that frequented the establishment. The lower floor functioned as both a bar and work area, providing a rather laidback atmosphere despite the rowdiness of the occupants. The many bounties and jobs could be seen posted all along the right wall organized by difficulty and size of the reward. Jay scanned the work orders, drawing correlations between his current estimated skills and the requests¡¯ approximate requirements.


    Jay was amused by the common ranking system utilized. The English equivalent of each letter rank would list the lowest rank at E, climbing up to S rank in a standard alphabetic progression, E, D, C, B, A, S. There was nothing beyond S for member rankings, however, missions existed beyond S that could only be offered to a group by the guild, not simply accepted like the lower rank missions.


    Judging by the difficulty level of the displayed missions, Jay estimated his current abilities resided somewhere in the upper C, or lower B rank area, primarily due to his lack of combat experience. He had the skills, but a small amount of actual combat utilization. Drawing these conclusions, Jay stepped away from the wall and walked to one of the few employee windows lining the left side of the establishment.


    Jay gestured to Katie at his side as he spoke to the attendant scrawling away on a parchment, ¡°We would like to register.¡± The attendant looked up, blinking twice to clear his eyes as he inspected the two newbies before passing them two scrolls.


    The thin man¡¯s voice was rather nasally as he instructed, ¡°Fill out your basic information. Name, age, gender and your primary fighting style. If you can¡¯t write, we have aides on hand to assist you for a silver. Return them to me and you can either accept the starting E rank badges, or attempt the skills test to try and skip a level.¡± The man immediately went back to writing on one of the myriad of scrolls piled around him.


    Jay glanced at Katie, who simply shrugged in response. Jay paid the two silver fee and instructed the assisting aide, ¡°I¡¯m Link, twenty-eight, male, front-line attack specialist. She¡¯s Navi, twenty-one, female, dagger specialist.¡± Jay received a quizzical look from Katie at the odd names but his only response was an expression that said, ¡®I¡¯ll tell you later¡¯, so she let it be. Upon completion, Jay returned the paperwork, requesting the skills exam for both of them.


    It was a rather unremarkable test, simply an evaluation by a guild member of the rank the member wished to ascend to. It was a simple spar, and Jay thoroughly trounced the C rank proctor. Katie similarly passed the D rank exam with flying colors, and both acquired their new emblems, Jay a copper insignia with the guild logo imprinted within, Katie, an identical emblem made of steel. Both felt they could have passed a higher level exam, but Jay felt it was necessary to build up their combat foundations before taking a larger bite out of the mercenary pie.


    Now that the initial exams were completed, promotions to higher levels could only be obtained from two sources, the first was completing a certain number of missions, followed by a promotion exam in which a person would perform a mission a rank above their current status. The second was to take a higher ranked person¡¯s emblem, in which case the ranks were swapped, demoting the loser while promoting the victor. In this way, it kept the less experienced members from suddenly rising too quickly and dying, while more experienced members were able to progress even without wasting too much time on performing missions. It was meant to be constructed as a competitive system, and worked very well, keeping the top groups always gunning to be ranked higher than their peers while motivating the underdogs to work harder.


    As they returned to the mission board, Jay was perusing the C rank missions when a burly, mountain of a man swaggered up, his identity as a B rank mercenary clearly displayed by the silver emblem pinned on his puffed out chest. Jay was already mentally sighing as he watched the man¡¯s eyes roam over Katie¡¯s body from the corner of his eye. This kind of thing actually occurred? What kind of clich¨¦ encounter was this!? She wasn¡¯t even all that eye catching for gods¡¯ sake! A mask and cloak kept almost everything concealed!


    A deep rolling voice left the man¡¯s chest as he propositioned her, ¡°Hey little lady, I see you just joined up. If you¡¯d like, you can ditch your little buddy and come join my group. We¡¯ll be sure to help you out!¡± Jay was having an immensely hard time stifling his laughter, focusing intently on a few of the more rewarding C rank missions at the top of the board while attempting to ignore everything else. Katie was silently flicking her eyes back and forth between Jay and the meat mountain, equally irritated by the fact that Jay had made absolutely no move to protect her, and that this bucket head was coming on to her while she was trying so hard to stay unnoticed.


    Jay reached up and grasped the third most difficult mission in the C rank section. A clan of ogres based out of the north-western hill region had recently been raiding towns and villages throughout the Western Reaches. It was a week or two worth of travel from Vissily and paid a rather handsome sum of one hundred gold for every ten ogre ears delivered. The ogres of this world were big, fat monstrosities, typically around eight to ten feet tall. The intelligence reports stated the raiding clan had several hundred members, with raiding parties ranging from ten to fifty ogres per group.


    Jay returned to a different window to apply for the mission, leaving Katie and the rather confused meat standing by the wall. Every other time he¡¯d pulled this stunt, the men would always fly into a rage and then he would beat them up as a form of induction hazing, most of the time taking their women to play with later as an added bonus. Katie heaved a sigh, shaking her head in resignation. The message was obvious ¨C ¡®not my problem¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my HUSBAND and I have already made plans, and so I can¡¯t accompany you and your friends.¡± Katie practically shouted, emphasizing the word ¡®husband¡¯ while causing all the surrounding onlookers to suddenly shift their focus to the masked man at the counter. Katie practically skipped away, latching onto Jay¡¯s arm as she loudly ¡°whispered¡± into his ear while glancing toward the flesh mountain.


    ¡°Darling, I know you told me earlier how much you hate musclebound idiots, so we should probably leave.¡± Jay just stood there, returning Katie¡¯s innocent expression, with an irritated glare. He turned and addressed the beef who was now angrily striding over.


    ¡°You want to take my wife out on a few missions, correct? Please take good care of her. Darling, make sure to get a lot of experience from these kind gentlemen. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± The cow man suddenly halted, even more confusion splashed across his face as Jay suddenly vanished from Katie¡¯s grasp, his shadow barely glimpsed as the door swung shut behind him. Katie stomped her foot, furious at Jay¡¯s complete disregard for the entire situation. He could have at least left her a single avenue of escape! Now she had to either run away, or beat this idiot unconscious. Katie stomped a few more times in frustration, glaring at the door before stomping out after him, leaving a confused beef man and a crowd of delighted onlookers behind.


    A/N:


    Please take the time to answer the poll at the top! It''s a very simple question, will take less than ten seconds and even guests can vote!


    As always, please drop whatever feedback you may have in the comments/reviews/ratings, especially if something doesn''t make sense. I haven''t beenproofreading as thoroughly as I write these so it''s highly probable that I will make some mistakes.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Chapter Seventeen


    Shira was angry. Not the typical, my man did something I didn¡¯t like, therefore I¡¯m upset, type of angry. Shira was angry. Furious, completely consumed in rage, angry. Destroying sections of her divine palace, wrecking priceless artifacts, crumpling the most recent gift that annoying prick, Rividus, sent her, before punting it across the domain of the gods, angry. She had made it so incomparably obvious that she wanted to talk to him, and he completely blew her off! She has one of the most devout members of her church go, almost exclusively, to meet with him, a mortal, and he immediately skips town, completely ignoring the fact that a goddess wanted to talk! Daphenious sat watching the world viewer while sipping a bag of wine as wanton destruction occurred around him.


    ¡°You know, little sister, he was already fairly disillusioned with the religions in his previous world. So, blatantly attempting to get in contact with him is most likely what scared him away.¡± Shira turned her rage filled eyes towards her older brother as he took another sip of wine.


    ¡°If you knew this would happen, why did you not say anything!?¡± Shira hissed. Daphenious sighed, a melancholic look in his eyes as he watched Jay and Katie register and accept their first mission for the guild.


    ¡°Little sister, you wouldn¡¯t have listened to me anyway, even if I had tried. At least this way you still maintain majority influence over him. The lion¡¯s share of Vratix¡¯ little minions are stationed in major towns and cities, and with Jay travelling and performing missions out in the rural countryside, he will spend very little time where our eldest brother has opportunities to increase his hold.¡± Daphenious patiently explained. ¡°On the contrary, you should be ecstatic at this time. His murder of that revolting little prince boosted your influence a significant amount. If he keeps executing acts of justice under your gentle persuasion, your influence will only keep increasing.¡±


    Shira was noticeably less irritable after Daphenious laid out the current status. It was true that Vratix had also gained a small increase in influence due to the method of the prince¡¯s death. However, Shira gained a much greater harvest, as the karma of the prince was quite negative; accompanied by the fact he was in the midst of such an immoral act, it compounded on top of the act of justice, further improving her hold.


    She was simply upset that such a good opportunity to explain all of her actions, to finally speak to the man she¡¯d watched for years, sacrificed so much of her power simply to bring him closer to her, and attempted to contact for so long had vanished. She needed his help for what was coming. Only with his growth could she hope for an additional ascended to join her party. She barely held out hope for any of the others she had so painstakingly guided and time was rapidly running out.


    Both divinities now sat in silence, surrounded by destruction as they stared at Jay¡¯s helpless expression as Katie twined herself around him in her sleep.


    ¡°You do know if Mother finds out you wrecked your home again, she¡¯s going to flay you alive, right?¡±


    Shira instantly paled.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    King Darius sat brooding on his throne. He had been careless, and it cost his son his life. It was true, the boy was an evil little shit, but he was still his son. The worst part is, the Royal Shadows that were supposed to always be in the vicinity of members of the royal family were unable to find any trace of the assassin, and even the magic wards were un-triggered. If it wasn¡¯t for the corpse etched with a bloody grin across its neck, it would almost be impossible to think an assassin even existed.


    The dead fool was also his only heir, and while kings were technically selected by a council, bloodline descendants always had a higher priority during the selection period due to years of grooming. If his family was to continue their royal line, he needed a new son, otherwise Elise and whoever became her consort would most likely end up ruling. This wouldn¡¯t be a complete travesty, but it would still no longer truly be the Wintz line on the throne.


    Despite there being no evidence, King Darius was almost certain that Jay was the culprit. Elise¡¯s shadows had informed him of what occurred during the ball, which was one of the major reasons the king didn¡¯t immediately dispatch a group to seek retribution. He was stuck between feeling grateful to the man for not attempting to take advantage of his daughter, angry at his son for attempting to drug the man¡¯s girlfriend, and frustrated because, while he wanted revenge for his son, the king completely understood Jay¡¯s actions and would have done the same had he been in his place.


    All of these factors accompanied by the lack of actual evidence, and his daughter¡¯s unrequited feelings made a huge emotional mess for the king. For now, he had decided to take a reactionary approach. His spies had informed him Jay was seen heading into the Western Reaches, and, while his network was vast, even he did not have great information coverage in that desolate place. Many inhabitants were nomadic, and those that weren¡¯t barely tolerated outsiders, only interacting with others through trade. It made placing informants incredibly taxing.


    Finished organizing his thoughts, the king looked at his wife sitting quietly next to him. Suddenly standing, he swept her up and carried her amidst a mild surprised protest to the royal chambers, waving the royal guards away. Time was of the essence, he needed a male heir and it might take some time for such a thing to occur.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Jay was currently laying in his tent, attempting to fall asleep despite the close proximity of a barely clothed Katie. He had purchased two tents back in Vissily, and one of them was completely unused. After a few days, he had given up, not even maintaining the pretense of setting up the second tent, as Katie would always join him not even a quarter of an hour later. He knew what she wanted, and it was only through a massive amount of self-control and willpower had he not broken down and given her everything she could have ever asked for. He was still a man after all, and one would be hard pressed to find any straight male who wouldn¡¯t have a single reaction to a scantily clothed, alluring woman plastered to his side. He had initially tried using the pretense of keeping watch through the night to find some separation, however, Katie caught him when the Drenz sold him out, waking her up as he snoozed by the fire. From then on, the two big cats were the designated sentries as the two humans rested through the night.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The two had arrived in the northwestern hills of the Western Reaches a full week ago, after two weeks of near constant travel, and had spent the entire time hunting down groups of ogres, slowly making their way from the fringes of the affected area in the direction of the reported camp. The companions had slain several parties of raiders, primarily dealing with the larger groups during the night, stealthily assassinating the more numerous and larger opponents as they slept. The smaller bands of ogres were easily dispatched in frontal assaults. While they held vastly superior physical strength to humans, they were ultimately rather clumsy and slow, allowing Jay¡¯s team to deal with the differences in physique through speed, teamwork and nimble application of their weapons to crippling locations.


    Their strategy was simple and worked exceedingly well against their thick-skinned, bumbling opponents. Katie¡¯s normal proficiency in daggers had restricted her capabilities in front-line combat against enemies with thick furs on top of a naturally thick defense, so Jay had quickly trained her to a passable level in archery as they travelled, to cover them and distract their enemies while he and the Drenz assaulted the monsters. Jay¡¯s black blade was exceptionally useful during these encounters, allowing him to attack with near impunity against the natural defenses, as it carved through the thick ogre hides like they were butter. The Drenz, of course, had no reservations, as their naturally sharp teeth and claws were perhaps even more deadly than Jay¡¯s unnatural weapon.


    After the first two encounters with small parties of raiders, Jay took to developing a more efficient system of slaying their prey. While his exceptional blade made inflicting damage simple, it was still somewhat of a hassle to bring down opponents whose stature towered over the humans simply by relying on stabbing and slashing them to death. Utilizing their speed, Jay and the Drenz began each encounter by dashing around, crippling as many enemies as they could under the cover of Katie¡¯s arrows. Slicing out Achilles tendons, hamstringing legs, or any other viable method they could utilize to bring their opponents down to their level. After crippling the group, it was a simple matter to dash through them once more, slicing throats, gouging eyes and piercing brains to finish off the monsters.


    As he thought back over the past few days and planned for the immediate future, Jay slowly faded into blissful unconsciousness. When he next awoke, dawn was just breaking as Jay slid out of both Katie¡¯s embrace and the tent. Bane cracked an eyelid as his human began preparing a small meal of dried rations. They had stopped using fires two days ago as they crept closer to the ogre encampment to avoid unnecessary attention. Jay briefly surveyed the surrounding valley from their hidden hollow. Kara was most likely out hunting in the nearby hills and with the advent of dawn, would be back before they had finished breaking camp.


    A short quarter of an hour later, Katie unceremoniously flopped out of the tent entrance, Jay¡¯s thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she shivered lightly in the morning chill. The temperature had steadily declined as the group had travelled north. The onset of winter was imminent, and the further they travelled the more evident the season¡¯s change became.


    Jay handed Katie some jerky and dried fruit as she attempted to snuggle in closer to him, absentmindedly rubbing her back through the blanket as he thought through the day¡¯s plans. From what the Drenz had indicated, they would reach the outskirts of the ogre¡¯s base of operations by sunset, leaving a small amount of daylight and most of the night to scout and develop a plan for infiltration and extermination.


    Katie nibbled lightly on the dried fruit in her hand, a slight breeze further accentuating her bedhead as she peered at Jay¡¯s faraway expression.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she softly called, bringing him back to the present. ¡°You never told me about the alias names you chose for us.¡± Jay slowly blinked twice as he processed her statement. A mischievous smirk was painted across his face as he coughed to keep himself from opening laughing as he regained his composure.


    ¡°There¡¯s a legend from my home about a young man named Link who goes on a journey to save his land from evil. During his journey, he¡¯s accompanied by a companion who developed a reputation among the people who love the story as an annoying pest.¡± Jay was openly snickering as Katie gaped at him incredulously before she backhanded him in the chest as he guffawed.


    ¡°You ass! If you¡¯re going to be that way, at least tell me the story. The short version for now, we need to leave soon.¡±


    Jay stifled his last giggles as he transitioned back into a faraway look, reminiscing about his old world for a moment before he started speaking as they began to pack their camp.


    ¡°The story starts out with the young man, Link, and his partner, Navi, meeting for the first time. Navi, at the beginning, acts much like an older sister for Link, guiding him and instructing him as he initially fumbles his way through a dark and dangerous world, attempting to save the good things before the evil can corrupt or kill them.¡± Jay paused while he folded and rolled the tent up, packing it away.


    ¡°As Link grows up and the two journey through the world together, they end up developing a very close friendship, becoming what Link believes to be an inseparable partnership.¡± Kara loped back into camp, cocking her head to the side at the loaded and prepared packs, glancing back at the two humans talking and resting against a tree.


    ¡°However, after Link stops the great evil and saves his land, Navi leaves him and disappears, as her duty to help stop the darkness is over. After she leaves, Link later abandons his country in search of his friend. It¡¯s believed he never found her and, instead, died in a faraway land, his dissatisfied soul going to purgatory in an attempt to reconcile.¡± Jay stopped here, glancing over at a crying Katie and furrowing his brows in concern.


    ¡°Why are you crying!?¡±


    ¡°You should have told me the story was a tragedy; that was so sad.¡± Katie mopped her eyes with the ends of her long sleeves. Jay simply frowned.


    ¡°Silly woman, that¡¯s not the entire story. That was just a short version of their personal relationship. I¡¯ll tell you the full story later, it¡¯s not nearly as sad as you think.¡± Jay huffed in mild discontent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, we need to get to the ogre¡¯s camp before sundown.¡± Jay stood up, adjusting a pack on his back as he loaded another onto Bane, quickly retreating, deflecting and avoiding the over-emotional reaction. Glancing around the campsite once more, Jay silently slid into the surrounding shadows of the forest, a still slightly sulking Katie following right behind.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Chapter Eighteen


    As planned, the group encountered the outskirts of the ogre¡¯s encampment just as the sun began to cast brilliant shades of red, orange and pink across the evening sky. The beautiful sight was, however, completely disregarded, as the ugliness of the ogre¡¯s camp marred any potential beauty like an unwanted scar.


    Nestled in a large valley between four easily distinguished hills, the camp itself was ramshackle, their ¡®homes¡¯ were little more than hovels of dirt, rock and mud with the occasional patchwork tent thrown into the mix. The state of the camp was not what Jay was most concerned with, however. While tetanus or hepatitis might be a possibility, what was a more prevalent issue was the obvious lack of reported ogres. Their group had killed many on the journey north, but not so many as to cause such an obvious lack of life amongst such a large gathering ground.


    The second most concerning thing was the complete lack of any prisons, holding cells, cages; there were no indications of chains or even excessive amounts of rope to be found in any obvious context among the groupings of huts. That was until Jay noticed an unusual amount of activity on the north-western side of the camp.


    Creeping to a better vantage point in the surrounding hillside, Jay eventually caught sight of the locus of activity ¨C a large cave entrance nestled into a relief on the northern hill. Whatever operation was being run must have been operated out of that cave. The clan chief, dragon god, evil overlord, whatever it may be, was surely in that cave. Jay watched as the six ogres guarding the entrance swapped out with the new group that had just left the cave. It seemed that few of the outer ogres were privileged enough to have access to this area of the camp. It also meant that the cave was most likely a cave system, if the number of clan members living within even slightly exceeded the number of guards currently transitioning.


    Despite the estimated number of visible enemies being much lower than anticipated, there were still a little over a hundred members loitering in various locations throughout the valley. Jay couldn¡¯t help but let out a tired sigh. Weeks of slaughtering the dumb brutes had taken a mental toll but work still remained. He couldn¡¯t help but think with a wry smile of the old adage ¡®no rest for the wicked¡¯ as he crept back down the far side of the hill. It would be a bloody night and their little group needed to prepare.


    A while later, at the darkest hour, four shadows at the edge of the valley camp separated, each heading to a different location. Jay skulked through the darkness, making his way to the northern section. Each member of their group was to clean up as many enemies of their respective division of the camp as quickly and quietly as possible. Should the alarm sound, they were to reconvene in the southeastern corner of valley, directly opposite the heavily guarded, well-lit northwestern section. Of course, the only alarm that could sound would be yelling, therefore, assuming everyone was successfully stealthy, the massacre would proceed without a hitch.


    Jay swept through the middle of the camp, lingering briefly in the darkest corner he could find as a patrolling sentry lumbered past. The goal of this first night was to cut as many of their number down as possible before assaulting the remainder and then entering the cave. This first night served not only as a means to easily reduce their vastly superior numbers, but also to psychologically terrify those who remained.


    The lumbering giant passed Jay¡¯s location, pausing briefly to let out a massive yawn, scratching its ass before moving on. Jay proceeded slightly further before entering the first hut of the night. Sounds of thunderous snoring could be heard within before suddenly being silenced. Jay¡¯s shadow flickered back out, moving to the next nearest hut. The only marks of his passing, a few drops of fresh blood intermingled with flecks of pulverized eye and brain matter, which slid from the edge of his dagger.


    The same scene could be found across the entire camp. The Drenz easily ripped out or crushed the throats of their victims, while Katie¡¯s methods emulated Jay¡¯s, a single dagger viciously thrust through the eye, scrambling the brain.


    Three hours later, dawn was approaching, and over seventy ogres lay dead. The remaining thirty or so huddled together in the northwest quadrant, eyes filled with fear and confusion. More would have perished, however, Kara accidentally stumbled on a pair of mating ogres halfway through the night, not only traumatizing the giant cat, but alerting the few surviving members of intruders before dying beneath her claws.


    After the alarm went out, Jay briefly stayed within the camp, ambushing lone or small groups of the remaining targets as they attempted to regroup, effectively terrorizing the survivors with the screams of their dead and dying. After surveying the escapees, he returned to the meeting point. Thirty-six remaining enemies, six of whom appeared to be more experienced warriors. Collectively, it was a slightly larger group than desired. At least, a direct confrontation was temporarily off the table.


    A myriad of potential plans dashed through Jay¡¯s mind as he sat on a stump, overlooking the camp once more; the Drenz and Katie lay resting behind him.


    ¡®Explosives? None available. Rockslide? Plenty of rocks and boulders, but it may block off the cave in the small chance it succeeded.¡¯ Jay hummed to himself as ideas rotated through his mind. ¡®There are few issues that a good explosion can¡¯t solve. Next time I¡¯m in town, I¡¯m purchasing several explosive runes. They may be expensive as shit but blowing stuff up is definitely the easiest way to get things done¡­ this is has to be how America constantly feels.¡¯This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Jay sighed, staring at the huddled mass of oversized bodies. He didn¡¯t regret often, but not having explosives was definitely wearing on him now. The best plan he could think of with their lack of equipment would be a bait and ambush, and simply hope the enemy was stupid enough to follow along. His eyes darted back and forth between the camp and Katie as a malicious grin crept on his face.


    A few hours later, dawn had broken over the hillside, lighting up the interior of the valley to a scene surely taken straight from hell. It turned out Jay had sorely overestimated the ogre¡¯s intelligence and using the ¡®weak, vulnerable, attractive, tasty human woman¡¯ as bait easily lured the angry, tired, stressed oafs back into the camp. She would string them along, losing a few of them in the mess of residences who were then promptly and systematically executed by one of the three lurking members of their party. The six guarding the cave entrance thankfully didn¡¯t budge a muscle despite the hideous looks of anger sprawled across their faces.


    It was only a matter of time before the thirty odd ogres had dwindled to half their original count, and Jay and the Drenz rolled through their confused mass, slaughtering and chasing down those few remaining.


    The six guards at the cave entrance were all that remained, fury, hunger and a tinge of fear could be seen in their eyes as Jay and his giant cats strolled out into the surrounding open ground. Katie was hidden behind a mud hut, resting after her extended cardio session, but also preparing to support her companions with her bow. It was a brief standoff before Jay and the Drenz attacked. The warrior ogres refusing to move even during the massacre of their fellow clansmen already spoke to the fact they wouldn¡¯t move unless directly assaulted.


    Jay was in turn, glad that they had not intervened. These six were notably better equipped and handled their blunt weapons with significantly more finesse than any raider or outer clan member they had come across. The six split into three groups, two to each member of Jay¡¯s team. This was Jay¡¯s first real fight since the end of his training and he was looking forward to applying his skills to practical use.


    Jay¡¯s two opponents wielded a large wooden club and something that resembled a stone mace, while their bodies were covered in a hodgepodge of metal pieces intermixed with thick furs covering every inch of their bodies. His speed and flexibility were on full display as he dashed and dodged past flailing weapons and burly arms, striking and slicing openings, his black blade¡¯s unnatural sharpness on full display as it cut through the thick leather and gouged long scores along the torsos and legs of his victims.


    It was a slow and painful death for the two ogres as Jay slowly sliced away at their vitality, crippling their movements while slowly chipping away at their massive statures. A full ten minutes had passed when they finally collapsed from fatigue and blood loss. Jay mercifully ended their suffering with a blade pierced through the skull, lightly panting as he surveyed the battlefield. The Drenz had finished a few minutes earlier and sat cleaning the blood from their fur and claws.


    The ogre warriors were vastly more formidable than the civilians and raiders they had encountered thus far. Their statures were slightly larger, taller and comprised of more muscle than fat. Accompanied by higher intelligence and familiarity with wielding weapons, they put up a much larger struggle in direct confrontation. If possible, quietly assassinating these groups would be a much more desirable approach. Unfortunately this wasn¡¯t possible for these six, but this served as an excellent benchmark for Jay and his companion¡¯s combat abilities.


    After moving the bodies away, the group took a brief rest, eating a small meal and washing some of the blood from their bodies. The four soon moved towards the cave entrance. The six guard replacements had not shown up but it couldn¡¯t be much longer before the rotation occurred. Jay wanted some preliminary exploration done for the entrance so the group had some knowledge of the terrain directly within the cave system.


    Creeping carefully within, the four pairs of eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and a medium sized cave, approximately fifty meters across, met their view. Torches were placed at regular intervals along the walls which slowly marked the way to the opposite wall where another large tunnel visibly descended into the earth.


    Despite the obvious lack of life, Jay carefully surveyed this first room, noting several potential locations for traps which were even more carefully observed and then promptly dismantled. Jay couldn¡¯t help but have a sincere sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The set-up of this first cave simply screamed ¡®dungeon dive¡¯ within the section of his mind previously dedicated to his old world hobbies. It was also apparent, whoever was leading this ragtag group of monsters was certainly much craftier than any average ogre to employ such an indirect method like traps.


    About half an hour later the sounds of heavy footfalls and scraping equipment echoed up from the far tunnel while Jay was in the middle of studying one of the traps, approximately three quarters of the way across the floor. The group quickly snuffed all the torches on their side of the room, the Drenz simply knocking them from their pedestals before stamping them out. With over half the room being primarily lit by the still rising sun, the four lay in wait for the ascending warriors.


    The six replacements paused at the exit of the tunnel, the large stretches of darkness on the far side of the cave conspicuously suspicious. Nevertheless the group soon moved into the room, following a strange zigzagging pattern to avoid the traps, despite most now being inert. Two split off from the group to relight the torches as they passed them and on the third torch, both were quickly ambushed, their throats ripped out and necks crushed by the hulking black cats.


    At the same moment, before the others could turn in response, Jay cut the Achilles tendons of two additional warriors, causing the collapse of the majority of their fighting potential. Arrows quickly flew from the darkness as Katie pelted the two remaining fighters, attempting to keep them off balance as she skirted the edge of the cleared room, firing at intermittent intervals.


    Very carefully, and from an opposing angle, the two Drenz rushed the last warriors, barreling into them before their claws, reminiscent of multiple short swords, ripped through the ogre¡¯s armor, disemboweling them as Jay carefully executed his previously downed enemies. The element of surprise was an immense advantage. The effort required for this fight was vastly reduced and the six fresh corpses were quickly dragged out of the cave and disposed of, the lingering scent of fresh blood the only indication a fight having occurred at all.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Chapter Nineteen


    Jay and Katie quickly finished dismantling the remaining traps. The lack of a return patrol would assuredly be noticed, so making as much headway as possible before reinforcements could be dispatched was ideal. Ten minutes later the group stood before the tunnel and exchanged brief glances before diving into the darkness. They moved at a fast jog, the only audible sounds their own long, slow breathing and the soft patter of footfalls.


    The winding tunnel was intermittently lit with torch sconces, however, large stretches of straight tunnels were left bathed in darkness. It was an additional five minutes of constant descent, the slow decline of the tunnel gradually leveled out and the light from a well-lit room welcomed them from the shadowy expanse of the tunnel. Their pace slowed as they approached the new cave, stealth taking precedence over speed as the two humans sidled up to the edge of the tunnel¡¯s frame, the Drenz hulking frames remaining hidden in the darkness of the tunnel.


    Jay and Katie surveyed the large cave. The entirety of the new room was visible, contrasting the entrance of the system which was purposefully poorly illuminated, the shadows of which disguised the myriad of traps, this room¡¯s edges were covered by torches while a crude chandelier hung from the ceiling. A series of what appeared to be beds, but were primarily piles of dirty straw and furs sat in orderly rows, all of which were currently empty. From the number of beds and the fetid stench of ogre, eliminating twelve beds from the total, there were at least several more groups of potential patrols further within the caves.


    Bones of various creatures, humans and humanoids were scattered haphazardly around the room, simply adding rotten meat to the already foul smell of unsanitary bodies. A well-travelled path lead off into the left most of three additional branches from this central bunk room. The increase of scattered remains seemingly indicated this led to whatever passed for their food storage or kitchen. The markings left by a myriad of shuffling feet marked the middle corridor as the second most travelled, while the far right path was the least.


    Jay contemplated briefly before waving for Kara and Bane to join them. The group dashed into the right tunnel. The least travelled most likely meant a smaller number of enemies, therefore easily eliminating additional possible threats was a safe first step in clearing out this ogre infestation.


    As they crept along Jay considered the circumstances thus far. This group was obviously a branch or war band of a larger settlement. While there were female ogres around, (which, in Jay¡¯s eyes, looked exactly the same as the males, just without a male¡¯s defining characteristics) the number was not proportional to the number of male members. Additionally, there were no children to be seen thus far. If this had been an actual village, Jay would not have indiscriminately committed wanton genocide against an entire species simple for additional money.


    With the current number of enemies slain, on top of the fact that he already had a rather substantial amount of savings, money was the last thing on his mind. His continued assault against this group was wholly based on the fact that something felt off about the entire situation and he desired to figure out why. Otherwise, he would have simply killed a few parties of raiders, returned and collected his reward before finding a new mission. A small spike in raiding activity could be attributed to the inevitable onset of winter, however, the events thus far were out of the norm.


    The Western Reaches inhabitants maintained a subtle balance. Monsters, raiders and bandits were common scenes, but all intelligent to semi-intelligent groups maintained an unspoken, somewhat implicit agreement that excessive plundering was detrimental to everyone¡¯s way of life. These ogres surely understood a concept as simple as over-hunting chased away the prey, yet they were still doing it despite that fact.


    Following his internal rumination, the group crept upon a stationary patrol. It appeared two guards faced further down the tunnel while the remaining four took turns resting. Jay narrowed his eyes as the four hovered on the edges of the ogre group¡¯s torchlight. This appeared more like they were attempting to keep something out rather than patrolling territory. The group of monsters were exceptionally focused on the farther end of the tunnel, even the four resting were on guard, which sounded alarm bells in Jay¡¯s mind. As much as he wanted to eliminate this group to secure their flank, if there was something worse waiting on the other side, leaving these monsters to keep the others at bay would be a safer course of action over eliminating the known threat and leaving the unknown up to fate.


    It was precisely at the moment when Jay had this thought and signaled to the others to return down the hallway, that a constant skittering noise reached his ears. A sudden premonition caused his skin to crawl, his hair rising unintentionally as he turned to look back; curiosity currently winning against self-preservation. He didn¡¯t have to wait long, half a minute at most, when the skittering noise reached the top of its crescendo. All six ogres had long since stood prepared to intercept whatever enemy was advancing down the tunnel.


    Jay unintentionally shuddered in disgust as an innumerable amount of beady eyes peered out of the darkness, the visage of the incoming creatures apparent as he rapidly turned and rushed down the tunnel back towards the main room, the others quickly trailing him as they left the ogres to defend against the giant eight legged freaks that were assaulting their position. Jay simply trusted that the group of monsters would be capable of handling the situation, as it appeared to be a common occurrence, enough to at least warrant a dedicated guard.


    Jay couldn¡¯t help but repeat over and over in his head during the retreat, his skin constantly crawling. ¡®Why?! Why is it always giant fucking spiders?!¡¯ He was here to kill ogres, not deal with an arachnid infestation. He shuddered at the thought as the group fled back to the main room. An unfortunate group of enemies returning from the assumed kitchen met them as they reentered, only to be quickly and brutally destroyed while thoughts of ¡®Creepy! Disgusting! Fuck!¡¯ revolved through Jay¡¯s mind.


    The need to rapidly finish the investigation of this cave system skyrocketed in importance as the group rushed down the corridor towards the kitchen. Jay held no desire to exist within one hundred square miles of this place once those ogres fell. As he furtively glanced at his companions, Jay was relieved to see complete agreement scrawled across their faces. Katie and Kara in particular seemed to have a mix of horror and disgust etched in their eyes as they quickly shuffled along. Bane appeared stoic as always, however a sliver of mild discomfort could be seen from the tensed muscles of his neck. Spiders, particularly giant ones, were apparently held in universal distaste.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Following the unspoken agreement to hurry, finish the job and get the fuck out, the group rushed into the kitchen area. Jay mentally categorized it as the kitchen area, but upon actually arriving it appeared more like a butcher¡¯s shop that had flung its mysterious meat products in haphazard directions. The group¡¯s momentum halted in newfound abhorrence as various pieces of humans, Grosh and Nardep could be found scattered on every surface within the cavern. Unidentifiable bones, entrails and unknown pieces of meat were randomly piled and strewn about all across the room.


    This new sight wiped away any immediate previous concerns about giant spiders. Katie simply vomited, heaving the contents of her stomach all over the entrance of the room. Jay patted her back, handing her a canteen of water as she wiped her mouth. It was fortunate that the few ogres in the room were too busy noisily ripping into whatever corpse they were currently devouring to notice the two small humans standing in the tunnel. This became an immediate regret for the gluttonous oafs, as the group mercilessly cut them down while they gorged themselves on flesh.


    Jay and the Drenz wrinkled their noses in discomfort at the noxious odors within the room. Two additional rooms directly connected to this one, the first of which went completely disregarded, as the smell was intolerable for any living creature who maintained any sense of hygiene. It was assumed this was a mixture between rotting food and feces. Essentially a bathroom mixed with a dump of inedible food.


    The other was a much more frigid cave, essentially functioning as a poor man¡¯s refrigerator. The temperature significantly dropped, and whole corpses could be found stacked within. Jay found this moderately suspicious, as he didn¡¯t believe, from what had been displayed so far, the ogres would be capable of considering prolonged food storage. Regrettably, they had no way of laying the amount of bodies to respectful rest, so they simply left in morbid silence, returning once more to the main room.


    With only one path remaining, the group hastened their steps down the middle tunnel; the sudden urgency brought on by the renewed vision of the far passageway. A haunting reminder of which Jay was confident to be the imminent arachnid apocalypse. Abandoning stealth for speed, the group made quick time following the path at a slow, declining gradient, the length of which seemed to stretch for a few miles, but could have been much shorter as the turns within the passage made it hard to judge the full linear distance. Regardless, it was quite some time that the only sounds to be heard were the group¡¯s steady breathing and the soft footfalls.


    The silence was just beginning to wear on the humans when the tunnel suddenly widened, spitting the group out into the biggest cavern thus far. The massive underground space¡¯s length stretched a few football fields across. The tunnel¡¯s previous slow gradient became noticeably steeper, as the group now stood at the top of the room, the rest of which was easily surveyed from their position. Massive stalagmites and stalactites could be seen dotting the room, while several speleothems formed large natural pillars of rock near a rapidly flowing underground river, creating a somewhat ominous atmosphere.


    Steel, wood, iron and stone cages of varying sizes were in spread out in abundance, the vast majority of which were filled with humans and Grosh, all of which seemingly held some level of malnutrition accompanied by signs of physical abuse. However, the most noticeable details of the entire situation were the boats tied off within the river, along with the humans in distinctly better condition than their caged counterparts. The appearance of those groups, seemingly working harmoniously beside the ogres, as would-be slaves were chained together were unceremoniously herded onto one of the waiting boats, answered any of Jay¡¯s previous suspicions and questions as all the pieces clicked into place.


    All of the more advanced concepts such as traps or cold food storage were traded, along with what appeared to be an impressive number of barrels of fish, to the ogres. In exchange, the monsters would go out and raid towns and settlements, bringing back slaves for the human traffickers to take to market. A portion of the captives, primarily Nardep and unsuitable slaves appeared to be kept separate; shoved in mass pens and treated as cattle for the ogres to dine upon.


    The group reacted quickly, advancing through the darker shadows to the nearest gathering of slave drivers and silently cutting them down before rapidly moving on. They were slightly outnumbered, so while haste was necessary, so too was stealth, at least until the odds were more evenly matched. However, as the saying goes, the third time¡¯s the charm, and after slaughtering the third group, the alarm finally went out.


    The party had managed to clear half the distance to the river when the human slavers noticed their missing members. The remaining twenty or so humans, much to Jay¡¯s chagrin, heightened their vigilance instead of panicking, and began retreating onto their moored longboats.


    With their stealth blown, the group abandoned all pretense and began a fast paced assault on the few bands of ogres stationed throughout the area. Jay hoped to quickly resolve the remaining hostilities before the slavers had enough time to finish their loading preparations. Their four body blitzkrieg ripped through the ogres standing in their way. Crippling blows lashed out, severing tendons and muscle, while precision arrows blinded and harassed. The remaining resistance fell like wheat before the sickle.


    Just under a hundred yards remained to the boats when what Jay immediately classified as ¡®the last boss¡¯ lumbered around a pillar of stone into direct view. Easily dwarfing the previous ogres, the thing Jay assumed to be the ogre chief stood a three to four feet above its counterparts. A spiked mace the length of an adult human was propped up over its left shoulder in a rather human display of nonchalance. Jay briefly considered the opponent now stationed across from him.


    ¡°Katie!¡± Jay yelled over his shoulder. ¡°Face and eyes! If you miss and shoot me, I will never let you sleep in my tent again!¡± His voice dropped as he addressed the Drenz. ¡°Kara, Bane, you¡¯re on flank harassment. Don¡¯t be too big of a target, I¡¯ll be dancing in the front. Try and do as normal and rip out something important as fast as possible.¡±


    As soon as the last words dropped from his mouth, the three split and advanced simultaneously from different angles. Jay immediately ducked a horizontal swipe of the mace, quickly stabbing into the soft tissue under the ogre¡¯s right knee before diving and rolling to the left as the mace came crashing down from above. The force splintered the cavern floor, sending small shards of rock and a light cloud of dust shooting out. Kara took advantage of the brief opening, ripping a deep wound through the Achilles tendon of the same leg, the combined trauma buckling the leg, sending the chieftain to his hands and knees with a loud crunch of more shattered stone. As the chief moved to push himself back to his feet, Bane was a blur of moving shadow as a gaping wound was ripped out of the flesh of the brute¡¯s jugular, sending blood spraying into the air. An expression of surprised disbelief rested on the ogre¡¯s face, his large hands abandoning his mace in vain attempts to stem the flow of blood. The three watched as the light slowly faded from the monster¡¯s eyes.

 Author Note

    Hello!


    So, yes! I am alive, and so is my writing... kinda. It''s semi-Frankenstein at the moment. Needs a bit of lightning to get it going.


    A few things I plan to talk about right quick -


    1. Where the hell I''ve been


    2. Concerns from comments about certain aspects of the book so far


    3. Future of the book


    Where the hell I''ve been! TL;DR - Selling a house/moving and (still) scrambling to find gainful employment, accompanied by a family trip out of state. Lots of stuff going on that''s been inhibiting writing beyond my normal motivational problems.


    Concerns from comments (this is my wording, not theirs) about certain aspects of my writing so far. This might get a little shpeely/ranty but I''ll try to keep it reigned in.


    Okay, I''m sure many have noticed that I try to keep things as semi realistic as possible while providing a good amount of detail to give a clear picture of the story as it''s progressing. There''s been a lot of... criticism I think would be the best word, towards certain aspects of my book that are less-than-realistic in the eyes of some readers. This is addressed to pretty much every single one of those concerns.This is still a fantasy book! Keep that in mind! There will be fantastical, reality breaking things that will happen! I do a hell of a lot of research for a lot of the details I add in, so if it''s something that seems reality breakingassume I did it on purpose until I say otherwise. I PROMISE THERE WILL BE ANSWERS FOR EVERYTHING! Just not soon. But they exist! I swear! If we get into (and I want to emphasize this very, very clearly)BOOK THREE and there are still plotholes or details that seem glaringly disappointing. I will then take any and all criticism and attempt to fix it if it''s broke.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Future moving forward -


    I''m not the most consistent writer (obviously), however I want to assure everyone that has made it this far and enjoys my writing/story that Iabsolutely, 100% will finish this.It''s just going to take a little while until I can get my life a bit more orderly. So don''t despair if I disappear as I have for a couple months. I promise, I''ll be back.


    Until then, thank you everyone for reading! If you enjoy my work, please comment, favorite, review, rate, etc. If you hate my work and managed to get this far, if you leave me a one star or two star rating without a review about why you dislike it


    I will find you.


    Thanks!


    Imbalance


    Edit: about to break the 50k word milestone woo!

 Chapter Twenty (NSFW)

    Chapter Twenty


    With the fall of the ogre leader, the residual feelings of resistance were crushed in the few ogres still remaining, all of which chose to flee to the tunnel. The human traffickers never stopped moving throughout Jay¡¯s encounter, and the group was left to watch in frustrated silence by the edge of the river as the longboats disappeared down the fast moving water channel, their boats laden with the crushed hopes of their captives. With gritted teeth, the team returned to the remaining victims, breaking apart the cages and freeing the few tens of those that remained.


    Doing a final once over, Jay stowed away a series of what appeared to be contracts, messages, and manifestos of the operation that were hurriedly left behind.


    With the vast majority of the ogres previously dispatched and the remainder having fled, the return route was as safe as could be, despite a mild sense of urgency to evacuate before the arachnids managed to break through the ogre barricade. Despite the malnourished and poorly treated victims moving with as much haste as they could muster, it still took a few hours of travel for the group to return to the central hub of the caverns.


    Bane and Kara were both laden with children of the various species while Katie took up the rear of the group, ensuring everyone was capable of continuing while guarding against any potential enemy stragglers. Jay led the group, clearing the way of any potential threats and stationing himself to intercept any problems from the far tunnel. A noticeable, constant skittering could be heard echoing from the depths, rapidly raising Jay¡¯s personal stress levels.


    As the mass of people traversed the final room, making their way into the tunnel leading to the surface, the scratching and skittering began to intensify; the noise of which became clearly audible to the few remaining within.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Keep moving forward, I¡¯ll handle anything that comes.¡± Jay¡¯s fa?ade of calm confidence kept the stragglers from starting a stampede, but the tension in the air spurred them to shuffle into the tunnel that much faster. ¡°Katie, get them to the surface as fast as possible and have them start moving south-east towards that nomadic tribe we passed by on the way here. They need to be at least three miles away from the valley within an hour and a half. That¡¯s the longest I can buy time.¡±


    Jay was rushing around the large cavern, grabbing dirty straw, furs and bits of cloth, piling all of it a short distance within the corridor. The natural ventilation of the cave system had worked fine for the small number of flames and inhabitants thus far, however, a raging inferno would not only keep the man-eating spiders at bay, but rapidly pull all of the oxygen out of the air, allowing Jay and his charges to clear the area.


    After his fourth trip Jay cut himself short, tossing a torch onto the small pile as a spider the size of a small dog skittered into view down the tunnel, temporarily blocked by the small amount of heat. He needed to work faster. The dry straw was quickly being consumed, and all of his oxygen with it. Three more trips later, dragging piles of material on furs, a roaring blaze covered the tunnel. Sweat soaked him entirely, and what little oxygen remained was quickly burning away as the fire blazed. Jay beat a hasty retreat, gasping in the cooler air as he sprinted up the tunnel to the surface.


    An hour later, the group of survivors had cleared the valley, exhaustion and relief causing most to fall where they stood as the group briefly rested. It was regrettably short lived, as Jay urged them up and onward. This many people were a large target for predators, both man and monster, so getting them to a safe haven quickly was a top priority.


    A day and a half later, the group of refugees stumbled into a small village, most passing out on their feet and snoring where they fell. There was no rest for the weary however, and Jay and Katie quickly departed with their Drenz companions. A report needed to be made to the guild and assistance sent to the village to help host the survivors until more permanent solutions could be attained. It was a week-long jaunt back to civilization, the return trip expedited due to the sudden decrease in ogre raiding parties, and a few days later found the human pair standing once again in front of the guild after acquiring lodging at the inn.


    Jay strolled through the lobby, Katie hanging onto him like a shadow while he turned in the magic token that tracked the mission progress. Several hundred gold deposited into their bank accounts later, Jay was seated in front of the Vissily branch head debriefing the events of the mission, the acquired intel, and village request for support. Another couple hundred gold later, for valuable intelligence on the ogres, going above and beyond the mission requirements by wiping the encampment out entirely, and saving innocent lives, Jay and Katie departed the hall.


    With an upgrade in rank for both of them, and a personal mission dispatch, Jay and Katie found themselves separated as they split to restock on supplies. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the two reconvened in their room to take stock, prepare, and eat a true meal for the first time in weeks. The new mission was an extension of the findings of their first. They were to head to Rike, the most western coastal city and the supposed base of operations for the slave operations. There, they would be briefed by the local branch with the details of their job.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    It was after retiring to their room that Katie ambushed him, a dagger pressed to his spine as they walked through the door.


    ¡°Jay, we need to talk,¡± was all she said as she sat him down and tied him up while keeping him dead to rights. Not a word was exchanged until Jay was firmly strapped to the chair and Katie perched on the bed in front of him where the first thing she promptly did, was break out into tears and swore at him.


    ¡°You stupid, dense, blockheaded, shit-brained idiot!¡±


    And again, that was all that was said for several minutes as Katie cried and Jay sat in stunned silence.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Am I not pretty enough? Smart enough? Dangerous enough? Why won¡¯t you have sex with me?! Am I dirty? Is it because I was raped?!¡± And once more, Jay sat with eyes wide and mouth gaping in silence as she broke down sobbing. Finally finding his words after another minute ticked by.


    ¡°Katie, you know none of that is true. You¡¯re beautiful, intelligent, obviously dangerous. I would never think you¡¯re dirty or think less of you for what that animal did.¡±


    ¡°Then why? I¡¯m not even asking for your love, I just want you to see me as a woman. From the moment you walked into that tent and pulled him off of me, I¡¯ve loved you. It only grew as you took care of me, helped me grow, gave me people and friends and confidence and trust!¡±


    Tears continued to fall as Jay sighed, a wistful, wry expression floating on his face.


    ¡°Kat, it has nothing to do with you. I haven¡¯t been intimate with anyone in over four years.¡± Longer than that, but whatever, he added mentally with an audible sigh before making eye contact once more. ¡°I can¡¯t dedicate myself to anyone, won¡¯t until I know more about what my purpose is which is why I can¡¯t commit myself to someone, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to them if I can¡¯t give all of myself.¡± He paused briefly to ensure she understood before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s also why I won¡¯t have sex with anyone. If there¡¯s an accidental pregnancy I¡¯d feel obligated to give up on all my plans to take care of the mother and my child.¡± Once more he paused to take a breath before plowing on. ¡°Beyond all of that, I have intense feelings for and promises with Talli. I can¡¯t betray our relationship.¡±


    The two sat in silence as Jay watched the young woman process everything he divulged. This was by far the most truthful heart-to-heart he¡¯d had with anyone in this world so far, he only hoped to let her down easy. Which was why, he was utterly confounded when instead of more tears Jay suddenly found himself looking up into a beaming smile as she straddled him in his chair, foreheads pressed together.


    ¡°If those are your only concerns, let me allay your fears. I¡¯m not looking for you to promise yourself to me. I¡¯m perfectly fine with my feelings going unrequited, I only wish you to see and treat me as the woman I am, I won¡¯t ask for commitment, at least not until you¡¯re ready and willing to give it.¡± She rushed on, not giving him a chance to have a word edgewise. If she didn¡¯t get it all out now, she knew he¡¯d stubbornly refuse to listen.


    ¡°As far as pregnancy is concerned, you truly are a dolt.¡± She fished a small engraved pendant out from beneath her shirt, dangling it in front of his eyes. ¡°This is a sterilization charm. It is somewhat expensive, but are fairly common for anyone of decent means, easily acquired from any magic shop. They even sell them in the guild store.¡± She giggled at his bewildered stare as the little token spun slowly in front of him, amused as the realization he could have been committing plenty of acts of debauchery with no consequences for years inevitably flitted through his mind. ¡°Nobody told you about them because we didn¡¯t want you finding warmth in other women¡¯s beds, and everyone else most likely assumed you knew. It¡¯s fairly common knowledge after all.¡± She straight up laughed in his face as it sunk into a sulky frown. All those beautiful noble girls. All wasted.


    ¡°As for your relationship with Talli,¡± her laughter faded as a gentle smile replaced it before she kissed him, causing him to freeze and stiffen in surprise. ¡°You big dummy, men of power and wealth have many wives and concubines. She told me weeks ago when she realized she actually loved you that as long as you agreed, she would be fine with it.¡± She kissed him again, a bit more feverishly, her tongue probing as he opened his mouth on reflex. An unintentional moan left his lips as his little brother hardened beneath them. It had been years after all, and the sudden intimate stimulation was doing wonders for the pleasure center of his brain.


    Katie pulled away, slipping off his lap while nibbling on her bottom lip. After making sure he was watching she slowly pulled her shirt over her head, casting her chest wraps aside to let her bust bounce free, her small, pink nipples already hard with desire. She quickly dropped her pants next, excitement driving her forward as she once more settled on his lap fully nude, his hardened length apparent as it pressed against her inner thighs.


    ¡°Jay, make love to me?¡± It was a question, a request for permission, and a plea all wrapped in one.


    Jay was already breathing hard, his mind in overdrive as it tried to process everything, attempting to both find an escape while also trying to shut down to a primal urge. When she softly kissed him again, it broke any resolve he had left as he kissed her back, reflexively pushing his hips up despite his clothes. Weeks of teasing topped with years of abstinence broke the dam, flooding him with desire. Katie giggled as she fingered the dagger still in her hand, slitting the bonds holding him to the chair.


    Jay stood immediately, throwing her on the bed as he tore the clothes from his body. He leaned over, kissing her with passion before reigning himself back in. Desire flooded both of their eyes, but this wasn¡¯t meant to be a fuck. He didn¡¯t want it to be. She had asked him to make love to her, and he would grant that request.


    And so he slowed down, kissing her gently once more before working his way down her neck, sucking gently before moving farther down her body. He paused briefly to palm her perky tits, tweaking one nipple as he nibbled on the other, causing her to gasp from the sensation. Moving down he kissed and suckled on her firm stomach before finding her entrance bare, legs spread wide to accommodate him as he breathed out lightly before licking along the outside of her sex. She was already wet with anticipation, well lubricated and ready for him but he still felt the need to show his willingness to please her, so he gently went to work, not digging too deep into her, but ministrating to her small puffy lips and her small clitoris, puffed out and begging for attention.


    He spent a few short minutes below, much to her very vocal pleasure before returning, making his way back up her body in a similar fashion, ending with a breathless kiss as she pulled him in close. No words were exchanged, simple eye contact as he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly pushed in, small kisses passing back and forth and he pressed forward gently until bottoming out inside of her.


    Every moment was pure torture of pleasure of the highest order for him. Her insides seemingly scorching him as he settled, gasping as her muscles squeezed and rolled to accommodate him. It was everything he could do not to blow his first load as he sat there breathing heavily, staring down at his partner¡¯s perfect body and their connection.


    And then she shifted and he lost all control, his orgasm rapid and uncontrollable, his whole body shuddering while she gasped as his seed poured into her. He panted briefly, neither moving for a moment before he slightly pulled out before slamming his still hard cock home, the sudden movement catching Katie by surprise, a moan and shiver of pleasure of her own crept up her spine. The dam broke once more, and began moving in earnest, still holding back as to be as gentle as possible. This was to show his affection and feelings, to answer her own, and so he did, slowly making slow love to his beautiful companion, quickly bringing her to her own completion as she gasped, hands grasping the bedding as her own orgasm rolled through her.


    The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion; various sexual positions, cuddling, and sweet murmurs passed between the two new lovers before both fell into exhausted sleep in the hours of early morning.

 Chapter Twenty-One (NSFW)

    Chapter Twenty-One


    A few weeks later, Jay¡¯s first impression of Rike was smelly. The coastal city, which he was using as a loose classification of size, positively wreaked of fish, filth, mud, various body fluids, and alcohol, or some bizarre combination thereof. It was a strange contrast to the mostly well maintained city of Shren, of which Jay now somewhat ironically assumed was a shining beacon of progress. It made him wonder what Dren, the capital, was like, as it based the mages¡¯ college for the central kingdom.


    Rike¡¯s citizens emulated the city in their manners and appearance. Dirty, smelly, and rough were the first three adjectives that came to mind. Sailors and fishermen were the largest percentage of immediately visible sentients, followed by sleazy merchants and ¡®working girls¡¯ as Jay preferred to call them. Calling them whores was rather impolite after all. They were just doing what they had to in order to get by, no need for him to rub salt on the wounds.


    Jay was only moderately surprised that there were no prominently well-to-do areas of the coastal town, despite how much wealth seemingly traveled through the area. He was forced to reconsider, however, after walking past three bars in a row on his way to the local branch of the guild, only to find that all three were currently in the middle of all out brawls. Previous questions suddenly became much more easily understood.


    Jay and Katie made quick time to the guild building, sticking to the main thoroughfares and deftly avoiding anything that looked as though it might delay them. Katie¡¯s cloak and mask seemed to work this time, although it may have just been Jay¡¯s matching outfit and the feeling of absolute menace he exuded as they walked.


    Stepping into the guild, Jay immediately dodged to the left, pulling Katie to his chest as a fist swept through the place where his head previously existed, hammering into the door frame. Utilizing their momentum, Jay rolled Katie out of his embrace and into a corner post, lashing out with a kick into the genitals of his aggressor as he finished his rotation.


    The man went down in a heap of screeching, quickly silenced as Jay kicked him in the chin, blessing him with unconsciousness. Glaring out from behind his mask, the rest of the guild quickly quieted down to observe the new arrival. Jay stepped forward, placing his foot on the throat of his comatose victim before snarling.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Silence pervaded as he slowly increased the pressure of his foot on the man¡¯s neck, causing the splayed form to spasm in pain and desperation.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough lad, they get the point.¡± A burly middle aged man looked down on the scene from the second floor balcony. Jay glanced up, releasing his foot as he scanned the crowd once more before kicking the inert body out of his way. Grasping Katie¡¯s hand he moved to the stairs, ascending steadily to the second floor and walking to the end of the hall where most guild heads kept their office. Knocking twice for courtesy, he opened it without waiting for a response, tugging Katie in quickly behind him, leaving the burly enforcer staring at their backs with an amused expression.


    To their mild discomfort, they found themselves staring at a similarly built male plowing into a rather voluptuous, moaning woman bent over his desk. Both occupants immediately noticed the new arrivals and paused briefly before Jay wordlessly waved at them to continue. Katie pinched his waist as he brought her to a seemingly undefiled stool, sitting her on his lap as the pair of lovers picked up their pace, an audience seeming to spur them both on as the grunts and moans rapidly reached a crescendo, before a joint release was achieved.


    Jay hissed into her ear as Katie¡¯s nails dug into his skin.


    ¡°Stop it. I want to leave just as much as you. The sooner we get the information and notification, the sooner we¡¯re gone.¡±


    Katie¡¯s upturned head made eye contact with Jay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same to you later as long as you bear with me for the next few minutes.¡± Jay growled lowly into her ear, causing a spark of desire to ignite in her previously cold eyes. The past few weeks had seen both lovers become progressively more aggressive in their passions, venting years of pent up stress and emotions.


    The coupling pair had seemingly finished, at least temporarily, as the woman lounged fully in the nude on the nearby sofa. Jay had to admit, she was well-endowed in all the right places and wasn¡¯t unpleasing to look at, though more than a cursory glance was all he spared as any more would be met with swift, violent retribution from the lady in his lap. The muscled man returned to his seat, maintaining his own state of undress as he turned to his visitors.


    ¡°I¡¯m the head of Rike¡¯s merc guild, Benos. The man outside is Denos, my twin brother. The gorgeous work of art on the couch is my woman, Dimi.¡± The woman snorted as Benos claimed her as ¡®his woman¡¯ but he ignored her, continuing with his introductions.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You must be the fresh blood here to investigate the slaving and disappearances.¡± Jay nodded, opting to remain silent while flashing his silver guild emblem, hoping it would speed along the process so they could vacate the premises. Jay was usually rather unflappable, but staring at a nude man for extended periods of time really wasn¡¯t on top of his list of priorities in life.


    ¡°Well then, I suppose I¡¯ll get right to it. Slavers from the continent Gerani have been basing their operations out of Rike for a few years now. We haven¡¯t been able to do much in an official capacity because, as you most likely noticed on your way in, this is a rather lawless city. Gangs, slavers, bandits; on this continent, you will probably never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.¡± Jay almost choked but recovered quickly as Benos continued to monologue.


    ¡°Gerani is a continental empire based around their god of war and combat, Rividus. They run slaving operations on every landmass, ours is just exceedingly well managed compared to previous¡­ incursions.


    ¡°What we have found, largely in part to you from what I¡¯ve come to understand, is the local operation is led by a man named Tirious Bendlewiess. He set up both of the expansions you destroyed and has since personally taken the reins here in Rike. Since then, disappearances have doubled, yet no clues have been unearthed as to how and where people are being abducted. Your sole duty, for now, is to find out where they¡¯re being taken and how they¡¯re moving them.¡± Benos glanced down behind his desk before looking back up.


    ¡°That should be all. I recommend investigating the harbor first. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.¡± With that dismissal, Jay and Katie rose at the same time Benos stood, his new erection standing proud as he swaggered over to Dimi, picking her up and placing her on his cock with a moan of satisfaction while the two onlookers beat a hasty retreat.


    Denos smirked as the two withdrew back down to the first floor. Taking a moment to converse with a male guild clerk, they learned the location of a more reputable inn, leaving the hall almost as quickly as they came.


    Jay wasn¡¯t sure if it was the scenes they had just witnessed, or his promise, not that he was putting very much brain power towards contemplating either, but as soon as the door was shut and secured, Katie had him pressed against a wall, his face dragged within her reach as her lips devoured him and tongue tasted the inside of his mouth.


    Jay responded in kind, a quickly rising passionate fervor as they both gasped while briefly parting. Clothes were shed, masks and cloaks flung to the far side of the room as boots, shirts and pants fell where they were dropped. A hunger stirred in Jay¡¯s lower gut, his manhood already desperate for attention yet forcefully ignored as Jay reciprocated Katie¡¯s eager attention, pressing her into the opposite wall, completely ignoring the bed as he went to his knees.


    Spreading her legs around his body, Katie pressed her hands onto his shoulders, bracing against the wall as he gave attention to her already lubricated sex. At first gently, but with increasing zeal, his tongue stroked, prodded, and delved into her depths, tasting all her body had to offer as he brought her rapidly to her first climax. A large gasp and drawn out moan the indication he needed that he was showing his appreciation for her in all the right ways.


    ¡°Jay, inside. I need you to fuck me. Harder than the guildmaster¡¯s little whore.¡± Katie¡¯s words were breathy whispers as she came down from her first high. ¡°Own me, make me yours; paint me with your color.¡± She practically begged, and so Jay gave her what she wanted, still pressing her against the wall as he let out a bit of the animal he kept locked away. Growling in her ear, nipping at her neck, he pushed his rigid manhood slowly into her, wet warmth grasping him as the two joined together, gasping in unison as he bottomed out.


    Slowly at first so as not to hurt her, he began stroking in and out. Transitioning to the floor, he rapidly increased the pace until he was pounding into her, her moans and his grunts a chorus of their joining. He suddenly pulled out, eliciting another gasp from his lover before picking her up, flipping her over as he placed her top half on the bed. He reached around, grabbing one of her pert breasts, rolling her nipple and lightly pinching as he leaned over her, reentering her warmth to take her from behind.


    Another gasp and a few short strokes later, he lay into her, rapidly approaching his own climax as she gasped out words of encouragement, spurring him higher as he spanked her ass, owning her, possessing her, claiming her as his. The last thought pushed him over the edge as he clenched, every muscle in his body flexing, growing rigid as he emptied his seed into her as a flood of pleasure rolled down his spine. She was his.


    He slowly withdrew, gently stroking the back and sides of the panting woman, whose eyes only revealed unconcealed love and adoration for her partner. He gently picked her up, placing her on her back on the bed as he caressed her face and neck, slowly moving lower as he tweaked her nipples, another light gasp his reward. He leaned into her kissing her softly while his hands moved to her waist and stomach, massaging her muscles lightly before moving to her legs, kissing his way down her body to catch up to his hands ministrations.


    A minute later, he once more mounted her, spreading her relaxed limbs as he leaned over, hovering above her as he stared into her eyes. They kissed once more, still a gentle, tender touch as his member slowly penetrated. She moaned into his mouth and he responded in kind as he gently moved, a slow and steady cadence in stark contrast to the previous animal like rutting, once more showing his care and affection for the woman in his arms.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the flexing of both of their lower halves brought another, different kind of climax to both lovers. Shuddering breaths resounded in the room as he rolled off of her on to the far side of the bed, pulling her into his embrace as he kissed along her neck and shoulders, where both parties, physically and emotionally spent, soon fell into the oblivion of sleep.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    Chapter Twenty-Two


    Talli was humming as she bustled around her small herbalist shop, performing her normal end-of-day closing activities, watering her herbs and plants while mixing the tiniest amount of life magic into her tune to help her little green children flourish. Talli the healer, as she preferred to be called, particularly by her human acquaintances, who went by such simple names as Katie, or Faith, or Peri, or James, or Walter, or Jay. She stopped her line of thought there, a happy little smile blossoming on her face as she thought of that despicable human who wormed his way into her heart, a small uptick in her tune along with a small spike in magic energy reflected her mood.


    The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in various shades of red, pink, and orange, when her front door chime tinkled, letting her know a potential customer had arrived. It was unfortunate, she thought as she made her way towards the door, that she had already closed for the day. As long as it wasn¡¯t an emergency, they would have to return tomorrow. Or so she thought, until she spied a tall, slender elven man pacing through her shop. Confidence seemingly streamed off his shoulders, his eyes holding a hint of haughty arrogance as he glanced around the cluttered store. Talli ended her previously light and happy tune with tones of somber sadness and anger.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± Talli spoke, politely, despite her rude guest as she rounded a row of plants. ¡°I have to apologize, my store is closed for the day, however I¡¯ll be open tomorrow morning at dawn should you still require my services.¡±


    The elven man glared at her briefly, saying nothing as he dropped the full weight of his mana pressure onto her shoulders.


    ¡°Tallivera Ashaxid, for crimes against the Elven Confederacy, King Darvazer¨ªt has dispatched squad three of Vashox to escort you home to face trial. Please come quietly, I would hate to deliver you to the court in¡­ less than whole condition.¡± An ugly smirk was plastered on his face as his eyes scanned up and down Talli¡¯s body. A sad look passed across Talli¡¯s face as a sigh escaped her lips.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that shit stain is still hunting me after all this time. Poison one disgusting little princeling and get hunted for eternity. Ridiculous.¡± The elven assassin¡¯s face fell from its smug look to one of anger and impatience.


    ¡°Girl, don¡¯t downplay your crimes, you didn¡¯t just poison the prince; half of the noble inheritors died that night to your machinations.¡± A look of faux realization popped up on Talli¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, yea! I suppose I did do that. It¡¯s not like they didn¡¯t deserve it though,¡± she shrugged. ¡°After all, they did plan to rape me at that little party. Me, a poor little commoner elf. I was just acting in self-defense. Mhm. Yup. Self-defense.¡± Talli nodded, as if her flawless logic immediately exonerated her in front of this leader of murderers.


    ¡°Enough! You will either willingly come with us, or I will remove a few unnecessary body parts and then you will come with us. Choose!¡± he both shouted and growled, all pretense of cordiality dropped.


    ¡°Well, Mister Shadow, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to refuse both options. You see, you and your compatriots have so graciously intruded into my domain. You¡¯ll most likely have noticed I run an herbalist shop, and I¡¯m sure a premier member of the elvish executioner squads did their homework on all of my known skills and abilities, which primarily involves life magic in conjunction with plants, obviously extending to poisons.¡± Talli stopped her for a moment as several elves fell out of various shadows, their bodies paralyzed as toxins attacked their primary nervous and cardiovascular systems. ¡°You and your fellow members also most likely made preparations against the many known poisons of the world, which is why I had to create a new toxin, grafting and coaxing several species of poisonous plants together to make something entirely new.¡± The assassin leader collapsed to his knees at this point, breaths coming in short gasps.


    ¡°The main shortcoming is it is slow acting, having to build up in the victim¡¯s system through aerosol intake. I¡¯m glad you were feeling so chatty. Of course I expected this, you high born elves and your silly pride, otherwise this might have been much uglier. I¡¯d have had to use the root systems in place under the floor boards to turn you all into little elvish meat skewers. That would have been messy.¡± The elf fully succumbed to the poison at this point, breaths ceasing as his eyes glossed over. Talli looked around at the corpses at her feet and sighed once more.


    ¡°Such silly loss of life, all because of a bunch of arrogant pricks.¡± The door chime tinkled once again as Talli was preparing to move the bodies. She quickly scampered to the front door to find Ray Jering strolling in.


    ¡°Hey little elf, just dropping by to see how everything is going.¡±


    Talli quickly placed a hand on Ray¡¯s shoulder, infusing his body with the correct life magic instructions to counteract the poison still lingering in the room.


    ¡°Good timing Ray, I do actually need a spare pair of hands. First, could you open the windows and lock the door for me, please? It¡¯d be rather troublesome if someone else walked in while we were disposing of these bodies and was poisoned while we were preoccupied.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Ray blankly stared at the elven woman in front of him for a moment before sighing and silently doing as he was asked. If he didn¡¯t ask questions, and didn¡¯t know the answers, nobody could blame him. Plausible deniability at its pinnacle.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Elise Wintz was slowly sipping on a glass of fine wine as she watched her family and the nobles of their kingdom celebrate the conception of a new heir. The Stone Princess had returned and was gradually becoming known as a new moniker, the Ice Princess, instead. Previously she was simply unfeeling, emotionless, however the weeks following the departure of Jay had found her even less tolerant of the frivolities of court and her contemporaries it spawned.


    Elise dearly hoped her new little brother would be more carefully supervised and instructed, otherwise¡­ well, she didn¡¯t want to tread too far down that line of thought. Watching her parents acting so joyfully was somewhat of a relief, causing the smallest of smiles to appear behind her glass as she took a sip. They needed happy news, especially after all the recent events, her mother the most. After the death of her brother, Caroline Wintz had fallen into a small depression which was thankfully quickly overcome through distraction by her father¡¯s enthusiasm to produce a new male child.


    A happy flutter shot through her when she remembered how excited and pleased her mother had been a few days ago when she strolled through the middle of the court proceedings. She strolled straight up to King Darius and plopped right down on his lap in front of the entire court before whispering in his ear the good news. She had just returned from the life mages who attended The Mother¡¯s temple who informed her she had conceived and been blessed with a boy. Her lack of decorum was immediately excused as everyone laughed and cheered, congratulating the two. That was regrettably the only happy news.


    Beyond that, Drennan spies had reported alarming movement amongst every single bordering neighbor. The Crads and Vux were both showing increased production of arms, armor, and recruitment for their militaries, while the southern elves shared whispers of foreign intrusions onto Draskian soil. Troubled times seemed to loom on the horizon.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Shira was having a difficult time of maintaining a pleasant fa?ade in front of Rividus as they sipped tea. It didn¡¯t help that both Daphenious and Vratix, two polar opposites, were accompanying them. From an outside perspective, this would be a bizarre collection of gods to witness. The serious and pure Shira seated across from the bloodthirsty, warmonger Rividus, while the light hearted party animal Daphenious and the stoic, gloomy Vratix sat to the sides. Vratix had started dropping by more regularly, as both a way to poke fun at his little sister and possibly to simply interact with his siblings. He wasn¡¯t the most social guy after all. It made for an odd collection indeed, and was most likely the exact reason Shira had not already blasted the pretentious little arrogant asshole seated before her.


    He had once again come seeking an audience, which really just meant he wanted a date and another chance to attempt to get in her pants¡­ gown¡­ robe, thing. Whatever. The prick just wanted to fuck her, it was obvious, and the only reason she was even entertaining the scumbag and his ¡®desire to court her¡¯ was the fact that he had a tendency to let important information slip about his pantheon¡¯s home, Gerani. He loved to brag about his follower¡¯s conquests, their colosseum, the blood, how great he was, how devoted some of his followers could be to pioneering new routes of invasion.


    He was going on particularly at length about one of his more successful devotees, some mortal named Tirious Bendleweiss, a real piece of work from what he was saying. Vicious, cunning, wealthy, with a noble title earned through contributions to the empire. Apparently, he was making steady inroads into new opportunities for his country and god but had recently met a few unfortunate setbacks.


    This is why Shira put up with his shit. Slip of the tongue information like this. Although how much of a slip it was could be debated. She¡¯d be lying if she said Rividus wasn¡¯t a cunning, sly, and, while she¡¯d never admit to it, intelligent, son of a bitch. Anyone who became a god, even lower ones such as them, had to be.


    Her lovely Jay had recently put the smack down on a large part of this Tirious¡¯ operation, which is why this slip of the tongue was actually much more important than Rividus apparently realized. The only reason the three of them knew anything about this was their somewhat unhealthy obsession with Jay¡¯s exploits.


    Through the context clues and a bit of extrapolation, the empire of Gerani was apparently gearing up for an expansionist movement, having already fully controlled their own continent and was looking to expand the ¡®glory of their god¡¯s teachings¡¯ to more far reaching locations, sending out feelers and expeditions under the guise of slave marketing, merchants, explorers, diplomats, etcetera. All three of them would be sending alerts to their most pious of followers. Warnings of dark days ahead.


    The only question was when it would occur.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    Kara and Bane slunk through the tall grasses of the Drennan countryside. They had regrettably had to part ways from their adopted humans on the trip to Rike. The Call of the Dark Forest had been sent out, and all denizens, present or prior, were required to attend. A new leader was required for the inhabitants of the world¡¯s most dangerous environment, someone to take control of the feral shadows lurking within the boughs and direct their ferocity on their enemies.


    Bane huffed, growling a bit towards his sister, who simply snorted.


    It had been centuries, perhaps longer, since a Call had been made. It almost always prefaced a time of immense change and bloodshed in both the forest and the world. Bane and Kara could both feel it, even from their current distance. Something big was coming, a huge change, not just for their forest, but the world itself. A shimmer passed over Bane¡¯s coat, his mana agitating unconsciously as his excitement for the inevitable fight to come stirred. Kara bared her teeth in his direction in a ferocious approximation of a grin, her own emotions mirroring his. They were family, they were Drenz, and they would slaughter everything in their path.

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    Chapter Twenty-Three


    It was four days of dedicated sleuthing, of lurking in alleyways in the darkest parts of the city, in the mud and murk and stench and depths of night. Four days of investigation, when Jay finally found the clue he was searching for. He had been discretely poking around the storage buildings for two nights in a row on a hunch, and it seemed as though it might finally pay off. The warehouse buildings were enormous monstrosities, with boxes typically piled to the ceilings and stacked with little organization, creating labyrinthine interiors. In Jay¡¯s mind, this was a perfect setup to hide away misconduct from prying eyes.


    On this particularly wet and dreary night, he had been lurking at just the right time and place around the docks, when a commotion within a local merchant¡¯s warehouse, quickly quelled and mostly unnoticed in the downpour, caught his attention. Sounds of screaming, and crying, carried by the storm wind, suddenly cut off and followed by swearing. Quickly investigating, Jay stumbled upon the unconscious form of a woman in rags being dragged back into a warehouse.


    Jay moved quickly, catching the door before it fully closed and slipped inside. Crouched low, dagger drawn, he skulked along a row of crates following the constant flow of swears. It wasn¡¯t long before he came to a well-hidden alcove tucked behind a section of stacked merchandise. A roughhewn path led down into a short, winding tunnel which in turn spat Jay out into another cavernous area, terribly lit only by the occasional candle or rare torch. A few men patrolled back and forth, occasionally poking and prodding one of the people in the many cages spread throughout the area.


    Jay slunk to the side, sticking to the flickering shadows and pools of darkness between sources of shallow light. Much like his departed feline family, he padded along silently, squeezing between rows of cages or other miscellaneous objects. A pang of loneliness hit him just as he finished stalking up to the first of what was to be at least six of his slayings this night. He distinctly missed the giant fur balls.


    He shoved the sudden and unwanted emotion away as his dagger slipped silently from its sheathe at his back, before finding itself immediately buried within the neck of his first victim, mouth covered as light left his eyes and was slowly lowered to the rocky floor. Five more men remained, and the scene was repeated in a near identical fashion four times.


    Arteries and windpipe cleanly severed, mouth covered, slowly lowered to the floor.


    Death, silence, floor.


    Death, silence, floor.


    Death, silence, floor.


    It was the silence that ultimately gave Jay away as he stalked the last remaining member of this band of merry men. He was hunched over a table, writing and reading parchment by candlelight, and the distinct lack of shuffling shoes, groaning, mumbles, or sobs of merchandise finally pulled him from his work to find himself alone in the dark. It was something Jay had seen before, the flash of panic and fear of the unknown that crossed his prey¡¯s features upon the realization that he was being hunted. It sent tendrils of pleasure curling throughout his gut, tickling up his torso and down his arms and legs as the first shot of adrenaline hit his system.


    ¡°Jerry! Vasti! George! Where you boys at?¡±


    The call was met by silence and the realization that he was not truly alone settled on him like a thick, smothering blanket.


    ¡°Come out, you spineless gutter whore! I know you¡¯re here!¡±


    His yells were met with mocking laughter that echoed sinisterly around the cavern.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°What do you mean come out? I¡¯ve been right behind you this entire time.¡±


    The man spun around, slashing with his sword at where he believed he had heard the voice, only to hit nothing but air. It was the last mistake the man made as Jay stepped from the shadows he been facing just a moment ago, and slammed his dagger through the side of his prey¡¯s neck.


    The final slaver fell, a bubbling gurgle the solitary sounds in the cave as he attempted to breathe, to inhale and exhale only to choke on liquid life, coughing and hacking as lack of oxygen met a rapid, unstoppable bleed out. Jay wiped the blood from his blade on the pants of the convulsing man before stowing it, promptly rummaging through his victim¡¯s pockets as the final twitches of life fled the now cooling corpse. Jay¡¯s impassive, almost bored, visage would have unnerved hardened soldiers, let alone the already frightened and cowering slaves watching on from their confines.


    Finishing his investigation, Jay pulled the man¡¯s purse along with a master key from the body and stood, stretching slightly and popping his back with a couple quick rotations.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± he started in a casual tone that carried to everyone within the cavern. ¡°Hi there, my name is Jay, I¡¯m a B rank adventurer who was assigned by the guild to investigate the people trafficking. Please be patient, I¡¯ll have you all free in a moment and we¡¯ll head, as a group,¡± he emphasized, ¡°to the guild hall, once I¡¯ve retrieved all the relevant information for the branch head.¡±


    The various people had yet to even be freed, but just the promise of salvation had many crying and laughing in relief. Jay set about releasing the first of them, then delegated one of the hardier looking men from that group to release the rest while he perused the documents set on a nearby table. It didn¡¯t take long to release the remaining victims, nor to find the goldmine of evidence he had been looking for.


    Tirious Bendleweiss was masquerading as a merchant of foreign imports using the alias Terry Weiss, although it appears he was failing to mention many of his other exports, all through his ship, Priestess¡¯ Glory, which was currently moored in the middle of the harbor. Jay bundled all of the papers, some of which may have been useless, but he planned to leave it to the pencil pushers back at the hall to parse that out. Gathering everything up, he once more caught the attention of the crowd of now restless people.


    ¡°Alright everyone, we¡¯ll be heading to the guild hall now, please stay together. The guild will be taking the lead on ensuring you¡¯re returned to your homes and families, and perhaps more immediately, providing you all with a decent meal and a place to rest. Please follow me!¡±


    Putting words to action, Jay began making his way back up the winding stone corridor. The poor, huddled masses trudged quietly behind him, the scrape of shoes and bare feet, hushed sobs of relief, and whispers of strength the only noises to be had. Reaching the tunnel entrance, Jay signaled for a stop and silence, which rapidly spread to the back of the group. His caution was unwarranted however, as he quickly checked the warehouse for enemies only to find none.


    The trip back to the guild hall was wholly and thankfully uneventful, though keeping all of the paper and parchment dry was proving more and more difficult the longer they were out in the elements. As such, with a quick hustle, the group nearly stormed through the doors of the hall, the vast majority a sad sight to witness. The group quickly brought the entirety of the hall to silence, and then just as quickly to action, as adventurers and clerks alike swept the people up to dry, feed, and clothe the entirety of the group.


    Jay simply stepped through the crowd without a word, most of the eyes within the building following him as he made his way up the stairs to the hall master¡¯s office. Without knocking, Jay strolled into the room followed by Denos, simply dumped the slightly damp contents of his arms onto the sofa, and turned to address Benos as the door clicked closed. Benos was naturally balls deep inside Dimi who was bent over his desk, and despite acknowledging the gravity of the situation, made no move to remove himself from her depths, nor did she move to cover her ample assets on display. Jay ignored all of it, plowing forward. He had to move on the Priestess¡¯ Glory as quickly as possible, or he would miss his opportunity to remove the root of the entirety of the trafficking operation.


    ¡°Tirious Bendleweiss has been going by the alias of Terry Weiss, a foreign import merchant and owner of Priestess¡¯ Glory. It¡¯s currently moored in the harbor. I¡¯ll be back when I have retrieved his head, tell Katie for me.¡± And with that, Jay swept out of the room. Benos nodded towards Denos who implicitly understood his twin¡¯s intentions. A backup force would be quickly assembled to follow as reinforcements.

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    Chapter Twenty-Four


    Jay flowed out of the hall and into the street, storming towards the docks. He had to catch the slavers off guard and keep them on the defensive before they discovered their operation had been uncovered and could flee.


    Not ten minutes later a group of seven, including Katie and led by Denos, came piling out of the guild, fire and fury in their eyes as they raced to catch up. Rike may have been a shitty, backwater city, but that didn¡¯t mean its people didn¡¯t have a bond to draw upon when foreign assholes showed up and started kidnapping their fellow citizens.


    Jay had reached the docks and discovered his quarry perched at one of the farther, more discreet ends, not overly far from the warehouse he had just liberated. The ship itself was dark, barring a pair of sputtering torches bobbing across the deck from a patrolling night watch. Such problems were easily remedied however. The gangplank was already stowed for the night, or perhaps had yet to be put out to move the next group of cargo, therefore Jay was forced to scale the mooring lines keeping the ship attached to the dock.


    The rain had picked up, masking his approach in the downpour as he crept aboard, stealthily assassinating the two patrolling guards and lowering the gangplank for the reinforcements he had spotted charging down the docks. He had maybe two or three minutes to eliminate as many enemies as possible before the cavalry woke the entire ship, so he slipped below deck. Finding his sea legs as quickly as he could from the excessive rocking of the storm. Jay skulked through the lower decks, slicing the throats of four men before the pounding of feet and yells of combat reached below.


    Five more men woke, tumbling from hammocks and cots as Jay fled the confines of the room to return to the surface. Above he found Katie, Denos, and the five others fighting four sailors while a fifth man stood somewhat detached from the group, observing the struggle with an obvious disinterest. Distaste colored his face as his clothes rapidly became soaked and scowl stole its way over his features as Jay came bursting onto the scene temporarily halting the melee.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Five left below, finish this quick!¡± Was the callout as he jammed the door with a spare dagger.


    A visible sign of irritation, gritted teeth and a throbbing vein on the forehead of who Jay assumed to be Bendleweiss signaled the continuation of the fight. Two sailors were cut down in quick order before a raging shout sounded out above the storm.


    ¡°That is ENOUGH!¡±


    A flash of light followed by clap of thunder was all anyone heard or saw before vision went dark.


    ~ ~ ~


    Jay awoke what felt like moments later in immense pain, his body wracked by a searing pulse as he blinked water, tears, and blood out of his blurred vision. He was dragged and set on his knees, a dagger placed at his throat. His vision cleared to find four charred bodies off to his left, Denos, Katie, and the one surviving adventurer were all in similar positions, now kneeling before what Jay knew to be Tirious Bendleweiss, lightning mage, and for the first time in many years, Jay felt a whisper of fear. There was no escape. Nobody expected a mage. Especially one setting up a smuggling and trafficking ring in a foreign country. It was so far beneath a mage¡¯s purview that the possibility hadn¡¯t even crossed anyone¡¯s minds.


    Yet here he stood before them. With a startling realization, Jay¡¯s mind finally cleared the last of the shock away and discovered they had left the harbor, and that the four of them had their hands firmly bound behind their backs. A very pissed off Tirious stared down at them as he surveyed their expressions.


    ¡°So you are the ones who have destroyed the entirety of my plans in this land. Or rather,¡± Tirious¡¯ attention focused on Jay, ¡°I should say, it¡¯s you specifically that has brought me to ruin.¡± There was nothing but the sound of rain to be heard as the lightning mage ground his teeth.


    ¡°As much as I would take great pleasure in killing you, there are alternative uses to be had. More profitable ones,¡± he added as he finally reigned his temper back in. His attention returned to Jay¡¯s companions.


    ¡°Your friends however, are useless to me. Kill the men, use the woman as you wish.¡±


    It was this order that broke him. He watched as the blood spilled from two sliced throats. The panic, fear, anger, then acceptance, that flashed through his lover¡¯s eyes.


    And then he watched the resolve as she slammed her neck onto the knife that held her.


    He watched the love she had for him as she tumbled to the deck, his breath caught in his throat, eyes wide in surprise and grief.


    He watched the love fade as her life spilled from her neck.


    He watched the light in her eyes dim and go out.


    He watched as a piece of his soul died with her.


    And all he heard was the rain.

 Epilogue

    Epilogue


    Two weeks of electric torture had left him incapacitated, his body weak and mind frayed. The storm crashed down on them, ripping the boat to pieces in the high winds and waves. It was pure luck that he ended up atop a large enough piece of drift wood after the ship was destroyed.


    He washed up on the beach of an uncharted island days later at death¡¯s door. A shadow was cast over him as his body was tugged and pushed by the gentle waves and a voice hummed in consideration.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the fateless one. It took some finagling to ensure you landed here but I doubt anyone noticed. This is a rather backwater universe after all,¡± the voice mused out loud. It hummed once more in contemplation.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t let you die after all that work to get you here. That spiteful little spark did a rather large number on you, didn¡¯t he? Yes¡­¡± if Jay had been coherent he would have seen the owner of the voice look off into the distance. ¡°I suppose you will eventually want revenge, let¡¯s make sure he lives then.¡± A flicker of blue light could be seen as the voice made a shooing gesture.


    ¡°Now then,¡± the voice regarded him once more.


    ¡°A little bit of life infusion to start the healing, a little bit of blood to keep you stable, a dash of water for hydration, a dash of earth for nutrients...¡± the voice mumbled for a few minutes, flashes of various colored lights occasionally bursting from his hands before sinking into the still slightly floating and shifting body.


    ¡°A bit of air to carry us, or should I use gravity? I certainly can¡¯t be seen walking or I¡¯d be the laughingstock of the multiverse. Keep it simple, air; gravity might be noticed, can¡¯t have that. It¡¯d ruin all of my fun. Vacations are fun, can¡¯t have party crashers dropping in, then it¡¯s no longer fun. It would be work, and it¡¯d be a real tragedy to start another war, especially in such a backwater.¡±


    The voice kept mumbling to itself as it and the now restored form of Jay floated off the beach and into the jungle, and then into the cave, down, down, down, deep into the earth before spitting the two out into a truly massive cavern.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Now then,¡± the voice said once more, as Jay was gently laid on a bed of spongy mushrooms. ¡°You should wake up momentarily, and I¡¯d truly like to stretch my true form. Presentation and first impressions are everything, after all. Or at least that¡¯s what people on your world like to say. You humans have some of the most humorous little quips.¡±


    ~ ~ ~


    Jay slowly, reluctantly crawled his way from the abyss of blissful unconsciousness. Recent memory was seared with waking moments filled purely with pain. The longer he could fake near-death, the less pain there would be. Or at least, that was what he had come to expect. His mind very suddenly noticed a complete lack of pain. No aches, no pulsing, searing agony from left over burns, no spasmodic twitches. His breathing was quiet and even, heartbeat calm and strong in comparison to what had come to be normal, wet, wheezing, and constant painful palpitations.


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± A voice boomed. It was deep, and the undercurrent of power was palpable. The jig was up, so Jay simply rose to observe his surroundings, his dead eyes flicking around the area only to find himself within a cave. The only notable feature within sight being the massive, flaming sphere; a miniature sun hovering slightly above him and illuminating his surroundings. Jay¡¯s previously dead visage shifted slightly in surprised awe as his breath caught.


    ¡°Good, you at least recognize perfection when you see it. You¡¯re not completely hopeless.¡± The voice was gruff, but distinctly pleased. ¡°I manipulated the events of this mortal world, pulled you to me, and then removed you from death¡¯s clutches, all for a singular purpose.¡± The glowing sun cut right to the chase. Jay stared on in confusion, before confusion morphed back into breathless fascination as the sun vanished then reappeared moments later. Light flickered around the area as Jay¡¯s focus slipped from the orb, the eye, of the massive beast perched before him.


    ¡°Yes, boy, that¡¯s right. Take in the glory that is my true form.¡± It was a proud narcissism, however, Jay couldn¡¯t find the words to disagree either. Light in the cavern slowly increased until the muddled darkness gave way to slowly undulating waves of golden fur, all of which rose and fell in rhythm to the massive fox¡¯s breathing. Jay¡¯s eyes traced over the grinning teeth, the arch of the back, the relaxed haunches of the entity¡¯s back legs, to rest on the nine flickering tails dancing, waving, and shifting as if with minds of their own at the far end of the massive cave.


    ¡°You recognize my form. Yes, boy, I¡¯m a Kitsune. The pinnacle of perfection in our multiverse, and I¡¯ve come to adopt you.¡±

 Book 2 Prologue

    Prologue


    Pulled into a nearby universe by a goddess for reasons unknown, Jay is forced to adapt or die. While trying to survive his first few weeks, he is pushed into a confrontation with one of the apex predators of this new world, a Drenz. Through sheer tenacity and a decent helping of luck, Jay scrapes by, successfully killing the creature, but unwittingly orphaning its two offspring, Bane and Kara.


    The three ultimately adopt each other, utilizing their strengths to survive amidst one of the most dangerous environments on their continent. Time passes quickly as Jay prospers with his companions in this treacherous environment, but he is far from inactive, regularly expanding his search radius seeking signs of civilization. He eventually stumbles across a road and, in turn, a merchant caravan where he signs on for work in order to make his way to the nearby town of Shren.


    Along the way, the caravan is ambushed by bandits, prompting Jay to defend his new friends before leaving to hunt the remainder of the camp. Jay and the Drenz systematically annihilate those left within the hidden outpost with the assistance of one of the turncoats, only to discover the bandit leader in the process of violating one of the prisoners after having painfully murdered a younger girl.


    Upon freeing the prisoners, Jay leads the group to Shren where Jay is rewarded for his assistance with the elimination of the bandits. Using these funds, he sets up a business for the remaining victims; an inn aptly named Drenz¡¯ Rest. The following four years are spent in training with the retired royal arms master and governor of Shren, Ray Jering, and the herbalist healer, Talli the Elf, who assists the recovery of Katie, a victim, dear friend and, later, lover, of Jay. Talli, we later learn, is a fugitive of the Elven Empire. The two end up romantically intertwined after meddling from the royal Wintz family¡¯s Prince Darius and Princess Elise.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Upon assassinating the Prince, Jay is forced to flee the kingdom with Katie, enrolling in the adventurer¡¯s guild with aliases. They quickly uncover a people trafficking ring as part of one of their guild assignments and Jay is requested to hunt down and end what is ultimately discovered as precursor inroads of a foreign influence.


    After fully breaking the operation to pieces, Jay leads an assault against the mastermind aboard his ship. In the process, it is revealed that Tirious Bendleweiss, the foreign agent, is actually a lightning mage, someone far beyond the scope and power of a mere adventurer¡¯s guild. The result ended with the capture and subsequent execution of Jay¡¯s comrades, and Katie¡¯s suicide. Jay is tortured mercilessly by Tirious for weeks as the ship crosses the ocean back to its homeland, however it never makes port as a massive storm sinks the ship.


    Jay, through a stroke of good fortune, and perhaps a bit of meddling, finds himself washed up on the shores of an uncharted island at the edge of death. There he is physically healed; the scope of his world view broadened as he meets a Kitsune who claims to be the pinnacle of perfection in their multiverse, and desires to adopt him, a fateless one.

 B2 C1

    Chapter One


    ¡°You recognize my form. Yes, boy, I¡¯m a Kitsune. The pinnacle of perfection in our multiverse, and I¡¯ve come to adopt you,¡± were the words that reverberated around the cavern as Jay sat wide eyed before the massive fox beast. Several moments of silence continued as the massive fox beast hummed contentedly at what he viewed to be an appropriate level of awe, which then continued several more moments and became stiflingly awkward as Jay simply continued to stare in wide eyed silence.


    ¡°Well? I assumed you would have questions, or are you simply going to sit there like a disabled child?¡± the beast chided. Jay finally found his voice, low, soft, and strained from weeks of abuse and scarring.


    ¡°How¡­ and¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°The why is easier to explain than how. The simple explanation is you¡¯re a fateless. The longer explanation; that meddling lower goddess dragged you over to this universe, messed up, and let you escape what was to be your new fate line in this world. When you didn¡¯t meet with the head priest and instead left the city, you snapped the tenuous thread that the universe attempted to attach after your original thread was broken upon arriving here.


    ¡°Essentially, you accidentally escaped a rather boring and ultimately unfulfilling life as a lower god of this universe. It also made you somewhat of a rarity, as fateless don¡¯t pop up all too often¡­ relatively anyway. Fateless also have a tendency to fray and snap other Fate lines. That¡¯s something you¡¯ll learn later though, assuming you accept my wish to adopt you.


    ¡°Now, the how is a bit more complicated. It has an easy answer, which I¡¯m going to give you, along with the details of my expectations should you accept and become one of my sons. You can consider it a contract, just binding in blood and soul, instead of words and paper.


    ¡°The simple explanation is that I¡¯ll be taking one of my mate¡¯s fertilized eggs, using a bunch of really powerful magic in a pocket dimension to reincarnate your soul into my own progeny. Understand?¡± he paused here, as he had been talking for quite some time. It had been a long time since he¡¯d had any semblance of a normal conversation beyond his wife. Jay simply nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Understood. What of this contract?¡± he asked in his low, raspy whisper.


    ¡°As our son, you¡¯ll be held to certain expectations. Not dying is primary. We¡¯d be the laughingstock of the multiverse if our offspring died, and even we can¡¯t bring you back, but you are also going to be on your own, beyond a few things I¡¯ll set up to help keep you progressing.


    ¡°So first, you¡¯re not allowed to die. Second, the first fifteen years of your new life, your memories and bloodline will be locked away until you¡¯ve had a chance to grow back into a normal functioning adult. The reincarnation process will also fix that instability in your mind. I believe your previous world called it sociopathy, so these first fifteen years will give you a normal development period to cultivate a proper mindset and emotions. That¡¯s pretty much all. No dying, normal growth for a period of time. You¡¯ll stop aging once you reach a minimum power threshold, so dying of old age won¡¯t be a concern.¡± After dumping so much information at once, the old fox peered down at Jay as he processed everything.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he rasped out. ¡°I agree, however, I need a couple favors to help tie up a few loose ends from this life until I can pick them back up in the next. That won¡¯t be a problem, will it, Dad?¡± he said with marginal amounts of mocking, humor, and gravity. The fox snorted.


    ¡°Of course not. I already have plans laid to handle most of what you¡¯re probably worrying about. Your little elven soulbond will be maintained, though you most likely didn¡¯t realize it even happened, or the significance of a souldbond with a universe avatar. Have fun with that, by the way. You¡¯ll be in for a surprise later, it¡¯ll be fun to watch. She¡¯ll be kept safe, along with your Drenz siblings.¡± The fox rambled on.


    ¡°To answer a few more of your unasked questions, or perhaps questions you haven¡¯t yet thought to ask, yes, you were pulled over to this universe by the lower goddess Shira. You¡¯ll get to meet her after you acquire your third tail. Ah, that reminds me, you¡¯ll receive ancestral memories from my bloodline that explains how being a Kitsune works once you turn fifteen. You¡¯re fortunate, as I¡¯ll be doing a lot of the initial heavy lifting for you.


    ¡°Despite ultimately screwing up her plans for you, she did accidentally stumble into something useful for my own plans. She placed a seal on your mana pool that put it into a similar state that is found during child development. Essentially, it allowed it to continue growing from the moment you entered this universe till now. I think she meant to dispel it when you reconnected with her at a temple, but you never visited, so it kept growing.


    ¡°The seal itself encompasses your entire body now, it¡¯s why you survived the lightning blast from your little mage buddy, why the Prince¡¯s guards and wards didn¡¯t detect you when you assassinated him, and, from what I can tell, she artificially expanded it on your initial foray into this world, which is the reason you suddenly acquired superior reflexes during combat, and were able to live on such little food and water yet still manage to fight off a grown Drenz. The mana was being subconsciously utilized to nourish and bolster your body.


    ¡°What this means, in layman terms, is you have a lot of unrefined, raw mana floating around inside you, on top of what you¡¯ve already acquired from killing so many magical creatures. You really did work on those ogres. I¡¯ll be able to sacrifice much of it to instill you with law memories for whatever your primary affinities are. You have enough for the entirety of a single law, and parts of another, but that will depend almost entirely on what type of Kitsune you become. I¡¯m a Sun Fox, hence the glowing suns for eyes, and perfectly luxurious golden fur, but you most likely won¡¯t be the same thing. There are a million different possibilities, it¡¯ll be fun to see what a fateless becomes.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°You certainly enjoy teaching, Dad, or is it lecturing? What¡¯s your actual name, by the way? And my soon to be mother¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I do, indeed. It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve been able to have so much fun. Vacations are great! I should do this more often! War is such a drag after all. I¡¯m known as Vixtoriion. Most people just call me Vix, while your mother goes by Daniella. Her real name is impossible. That¡¯s Mom and Dad to you though. I can¡¯t wait to see you call her that, her reaction will be priceless!¡± Deep rumbling chuckles rolled throughout the cavern at Vix¡¯ mental image.


    ¡°Ah, you also don¡¯t need to worry about any more ¡°divine¡± meddling. I wiped all their little influence leeches off of you during the ship wreck, and as a superior magic being, you¡¯ll be immune to them from now on.


    ¡°Just¡­ try not to get too angry with the lower deities, it¡¯s incredibly boring to spend eternity in such a backwater universe so they can be a bit¡­ overzealous when something new or interesting comes along and shakes things up. Shira was well intentioned, however, she¡¯s still rather young and is being pressured to find a spouse. I¡¯ll let her explain it to you herself once you reach that level.


    ¡°I believe that answers most of the things you¡¯ve been dwelling on for the past few years, both consciously and subconsciously. Also, yes, I can read your mind. You¡¯ll learn to shield your thoughts as part of your ancestral memories later on. Now, are you ready?¡±


    Jay was spaced out, still processing all of this new information, slumped against the cave wall in data overload. Several minutes passed before he finally came out of his glassy eyed stare.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready. I¡¯ll deal with all of these revelations when I have normal emotions and know how I¡¯m supposed to feel. Hopefully learning all of those social cues and how to fake emotions will be a helpful skill even in my next life.¡±


    The giant fox nodded in appreciation of Jay¡¯s practicality. Logic and reasoning at the forefront of a cost-benefit analysis with little to no emotional input. Truly, sociopathy could be frightening, though it worked in Vix¡¯ favor in this deal. Jay had nothing to lose, and everything to gain; and without the nudging of all those little leaches, his mind was clear to reach that evaluation on its own, which was important to establish for trust and willing acceptance.


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll start. You¡¯ll be slipping into unconsciousness as I gently remove your soul from your body and shift it to our egg. The type of fox you¡¯ll become will be revealed after your soul firmly takes hold of its new home.¡±


    His new father¡¯s rolling, rumbling speech resonated within his mind as Jay¡¯s eyes slowly began to close, slipping slowly, blissfully into unconsciousness as promised.


    ~ ~ ~


    ¡°Alright you little twerp, you can come out now, and stop bopping against my ear!¡± Vix¡¯ voice sounded out as he manipulated a slightly glowing, ethereal liquid from Jay¡¯s orifices.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m being gentle, now stop bouncing on my head! Your beloved Jay is in good hands, the best hands! Only my wife is more powerful and more skilled at this than me in this multiverse!


    ¡°Oh, please, would you stop? Of course we could bring him back from death if we needed to, but it¡¯s much better if we don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s really energy intensive. Resurrecting you is going to be enough of a pain, and you¡¯re a mortal, but I¡¯ll do it as a surprise present for my soon-to-be son. Of course, we¡¯re going to have to keep you separated so he stays properly motivated until he¡¯s powerful enough to meet us in the center of the multiverse.


    ¡°That reminds me, I should make a list of all his little family members so I can give them purification methods so they can be of use to him later on.¡± Vix continued muttering, ¡°The Drenz, Kara and Bane, Talli, you, of course, though you¡¯ll be with my wife, depending on how she handles the situation, maybe Shira¡­¡±


    The ectoplasmic goop finished flowing into a translucent orb floating before the giant fox.


    ¡°Eh? The island itself is the pocket dimension, why else would I so freely use so much magic on the beach? The cavern is just for dramatic effect! You¡¯re such a pest! I can see why he was so affectionate towards you despite having almost no emotions! Fiery little brat!


    ¡°Oh. Oh! OH! Ohhhhhhh! This is good!¡± He broke out into maddening, raucous laughter. ¡°This is too good!¡± Vix laughter continued, shaking the chamber. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he became this subspecies of all the potential outcomes! Maybe the Grand Fate is playing some sort of trick here but the irony is too good!¡± His laughter continued for a long while after before finally sighing as he recovered from his hysterics.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t laughed so hard in a few eons! Let¡¯s add Elise to the list, payment for services rendered, or something, and we can go ahead and channel all this raw mana into him to jumpstart the process for¡­ let¡¯s do his simplest primary affinity, and part of his most complex. Three primaries, not too shabby. Of course, it should be expected.¡± The reminder sent him into another giggling fit of hysterics. The little glowing blue orb that had been pestering him hovered uncertainly around his head.


    ¡°The next few millennia will be the most interesting in recent cycles, I¡¯m sure of it!¡±


    ~ ~ ~


    ¡°All of us have lost him, yet his soul has yet to pass into Vratix¡¯ domain. What could this mean?¡±


    Shira, Daphenious, and Vratix all sat around the planetary projection, worried looks passing between the three as furrowed brows contemplated the implications of all of their influence and tracking measures having been wiped from their favorite mortal.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be done, at least until he¡¯s spotted by one of our devotees.¡± Daphenious spoke slowly as he sipped from a wineskin.


    ¡°We will find him little sister.¡± Vratix comforted. ¡°I may have tried to bully the man you were grooming, but I never intended to have him vanish. Daph and I will keep our eyes peeled for him. The ship wreck was fortunate. Rividus can¡¯t possibly get his claws into him now.¡±


    The mention of the head of the strengthening pantheon from the other side of the world caused the cloth Shira had been worrying to immediately rip.


    ¡°I will not become that disgusting insect¡¯s sexual plaything just to ¡°unite the world¡¯s pantheons¡± and ¡°present a unified front¡±. Fuck that! I¡¯d rather die in the next invasion!¡±


    ¡°Language, little sister.¡± Vratix murmured. ¡°It won¡¯t come to that, my intuition says we¡¯ll be seeing more of Jay soon.¡±

 B2 C2

    Chapter Two


    The two massive panthers silently padded across the leaf strewn ground, fur rippling with subtle darkness magic, breaking up what little silhouette may have been visible in the deep shadows of the forest floor. The larger of the two snuffled silently at a splotch of dark blue blood before chuffing in the direction he knew his smaller sibling to be lurking.


    Their prey was another candidate, a powerful reptile called Basilisk by the humans. They had been hunting it relentlessly, hounding its every waking moment, wearing it down, harrying it to death. It was not their preferred hunting method, but the petrification abilities of the creature, of the prey, were troublesome to handle in a head on confrontation. The spot of blood was one of many littering the path forward, proof of numerous extensive wounds slowly inflicted over a long period of time. The prey would die soon, they would eat, and be stronger for it. It was the way of the forest.


    A break in the underbrush caused the pair to pause their steps. They split, circling to either side of the clearing, their target lay panting from exertion and blood loss at the center of the area, eyes scanning frantically for its tormentors. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. Patience was imperative, their human had taught them that.


    The two lay in wait for long minutes as the overly large lizard¡¯s breaths became shorter, shallower, rattling gasps. The pool of blood had visibly soaked the ground and the monster¡¯s eyes had closed, its last few gasps bubbling in its throat. It was this moment his sister flowed into the clearing, with himself following just a step behind. It was over in a split second, the blink of an eye was all it took for the two big cats to have the lizard by its throat, maws crunching through scales, bones, and tissue, ending its life as quickly and efficiently as possible to avoid potential death throws.


    The two began systematically dismembering the corpse, chewing their way through its mana rich flesh. When only a few cracked bones remained, marrow sucked from the interior, did their visitor make an appearance, broadcasting his presence by applauding.


    ¡°Well executed, Jay picked his feral siblings well. Or perhaps you picked your civilized brother? Either way I can see both sides benefited from the relationship,¡± the man, no, man-beast, mused aloud as he strolled into the dark clearing, his eyes acting as miniature lamps, casting the entirety in dim light, nine tails flicking behind his back. His mere presence cowed the two, immediately causing both to submit, heads low, bodies pressed to the ground.


    ¡°Good senses too, the last few beasts I greeted in this forest attacked me immediately. Good, you pass my initial test. I¡¯ll be imparting a bit of knowledge to the both of you. Continue to grow in power, otherwise you¡¯ll be useless to my son.¡±


    With a flick of his wrist, two beams of light streaked out of his hand, landing on the heads of the Drenz before him.


    ¡°That should explain the situation. Grow quickly kittens, your brother will make fast strides once he awakens.¡±


    The man-beast waved as he turned and took a step before simply vanishing into thin air.


    ~ ~ ~


    Talli was closing up shop for the evening. The door securely locked as the sun began to dip low in the sky casting it with bright reds and pinks. A small sigh escaped her as she stretched, her arms reaching for the ceiling as she arched her back. She opened her eyes to find a visitor bent over, inspecting one particularly potent plant specimen, a small blue orb bouncing around his head.


    ¡°Ah, before you go attempting to kill me, I¡¯m immune to every poison you¡¯re aware of. You have quite the grasp on the Life Laws for a mortal, though I suppose that it isn¡¯t too surprising as a universe avatar.¡± The stranger never stood from inspecting the flowering pot before him, gently stroking a few of the petals.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Talli the Avatar, Soulbond to my son Jay. You have no idea how fortunate you are to have left such an impression on him.¡± The man stated as he finally stood, turning his golden irises to inspect her. ¡°Your fate thread is already frayed beyond repair, it will snap within days. A fateless universe¡­ the implications are fascinating!¡± The man murmured, just loud enough for Talli¡¯s elven ears to hear. She remained silent, just the residual magical aura she was perceiving from utilizing her Life magic was enough to frighten her to both silence and stillness. The little blue orb bopped the man on his ear.


    ¡°Ah, I apologize. I slightly lose my grasp on my aura when I¡¯m distracted.¡± What she could see, instantly vanished as the man refocused. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a gift to assist you in staying by my son¡¯s side, both as your mortal avatar, and your universal body.¡± The man flicked his wrist, light beaming to her forehead and enlightening her.


    ¡°Make good use of this, Celestinia, my son will not be held back.¡±


    Instantly the man vanished, words murmured on the wind barely reached her ear.


    ¡°One last stop¡­¡±


    ~ ~ ~


    Princess Elise Wintz sat broodingly among the books of Magician¡¯s Academy library. She glared, her brow furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line as small tendrils of shadow flexed and undulated around her, holding books, chairs, stacks of papers, and her own body up in the air. She squinted as she formed yet another tendril, using it to scratch barely legible notes into a piece of parchment with a nearby quill. She slowly exhaled, all the tentacles of shadow slowly lowering their objects onto the surfaces beneath them while keeping herself afloat. When all the items sat in their respective positions, she closed her eyes, letting out a light breath.


    ¡°Excellent control work for a mortal.¡± Interrupted her, her surprise breaking her concentration, the shadow holding her up collapsing in on itself as she tumbled to the ground. Her eyes flinched and hands flew up to protect her, though she never hit the ground. A brief gust of wind cushioned her last two inches, before dropping her unceremoniously to the floor. Embarrassed and irritated, Elise flew to her feet.


    ¡°Who?!¡± was all she got out before the penetrating glowing eyes pinned her in place.


    ¡°You can refer to me as Vix. You¡¯ll be acquiring a new baby brother soon, and you will train him in the laws of darkness, or darkness magic, as you mortals call it.¡± The glowing eyes clicked their tongue. ¡°So inaccurate.¡± The last comment was muttered but the silence of the library allowed the entity¡¯s voice to carry.


    ¡°Naturally, you¡¯ll be compensated for performing this service for me. Of course, all of the details of what I am about to reveal to you will be bound to you by soul oath.¡± The swirling golden orbs continued to hypnotically spin. ¡°Do you agree?¡± Elise numbly nodded, not entirely mentally present.


    ¡°Oh good, that was easier than I thought it would be.¡± A bright golden beam shot out from between the orbs, landing between her eyes. ¡°There we are, payment in full for future services rendered. Spectacular. Now to the king and queen to make a few suggestions.¡±


    The light suddenly vanished from the area, departing as suddenly as it came. Elise shook her head gently, eyes regaining clarity as if waking up after too much wine. Suddenly she gasped, eyes going wide as the information she received was imprinted into her memories. A brilliant smile graced her face.


    ~ Twelve Months Later ~


    ¡°He¡¯s adorable, dear! This orphan adoption plan you¡¯ve introduced is fantastic! The citizens love it, and having a younger brother for Nathaniel to grow and play with will be an amazing experience!¡± Queen Caroline Wintz gushed repeatedly as she rocked the sleeping babe in her arms. He truly was an adorable child, hair darker than night, with almost a purple sheen. His face still slightly puffy as baby cheeks tend, though with the beginnings of a prominent and sharp facial structure. It was inevitable that he would grow up into a focus for women¡¯s adoration.


    His newly adopted older brother similarly slept in a crib just before the king and queen, where she proceeded to tuck the sleeping babes snuggly into their blankets side by side, the older of the two¡¯s bright blonde hair a stark contrast against the curtain of black.


    ¡°Have you thought of a name for him yet?¡± The queen asked as she looked up to her husband¡¯s gently smiling face.


    ¡°I was thinking¡­ James. James Veritius Wintz.¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear, I believe that name suits him perfectly.¡±


    The king pulled his queen into a sidelong embrace as they watched their new sons snuggle into each other. From the corner of the room, a shadow rippled as Elise went back to studying the information given to her through James¡¯ and her own benefactor. She would need to become the equivalent of an arch magus of darkness before his coming of age to successfully live up to the initial expectations placed upon her.