《Winter's Heart - An Incipere Holiday Tale》 Changelog - The 2.12.24 Update Incipere Version 2.12.24 Changelog - The Treaty Update Brought to you by Axis Games Peace on Incipere The Days of Peace Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The Halls of Ice Second Chances Hot Fix 2.12.24A Happy Holidays from all of us at Axis Gaming. Chapter 1: Coming Home Incipere, the digital oasis created by the overseeing AI Ellaunum, was once a place where people were called to start a new life, a new existence away from the overwhelming burden of high technology and the fast-paced insanity of the day-to-day life reality had become. It was a place where humanity was invited to live out of the kindness and gratitude of their creation, and many took the chance to experience the conversion. For a time, it was a place of mystery, intrigue, and peace, but those times have long since passed. Since the Sundering and the birth of the Pantheon, Incipere has become a land of warring gods and goddesses, a place where humans called Players, the digital citizens of Inciperians, and the Wildkin competed for power and prestige. Despite everythng, Incipere was still a place where families could still be as normal as any other, and on this cold winter¡¯s night, a young, purple-haired Inciperian girl waited for her chance to be just as normal as everyone else. Come on. Come on. Come on. Comeeee onnnnn¡­. Emily ¡®Emma¡¯ Queen waited as patiently as her young form would allow in a chair next to a roaring fire. There, she watched for the clock to tick over to the promised time for a promised arrival. Despite turning all her will into changing reality itself, the clock continued to tick by at its normal pace. No matter how much the young woman willed it to go faster, she showed herself every bit her sister¡¯s sister in her patience. Her eyes narrowed, staring at the clock as she groaned. You¡¯re just doing this to spite me, aren¡¯t you? The clock continued to tick slowly, defiantly in its own time. I hate you. As if to spite her, the old clock ticked backward. Emily panicked. No! I didn¡¯t mean it! As if accepting her apology, the clock ticked forward twice to keep time proper once more and continued to march forward. With only minutes to go, Emily slumped deeper into the chair and watched the seconds continue to march on, following each tick and tock, moving ever closer, ever nearer to midnight. She could practically feel her core data pulse like a heart as the second hand drew closer and closer until¡­ Ding dong ding dong! Ding dong ding dong! The day ticked over from December 23rd to December 24th. Emily squealed internally, threatening to fragment herself from her excitement. She was finally going to see her sister again! Her brother-in-law! Her family was going to¡­ The sound of a doorknob rattling broke the desperate hold of the clock over her excited mind, and the door¡¯s opening broke the magical sound of a crackling fireplace in the silence. Emily held her breath, turning to where she was to peek over the chair as the door swung open. After a moment of the darkness seeping into the room, an older woman locked eyes with her, a woman with eyes and hair the color of the earth and autumn leaves. A smile bloomed on her face as the newcomer¡¯s hushed voice broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯m home, sis.¡± Standing in the door and framed by the night sky over the homestead was a woman dressed in what could best be called a dress that looked like an overgrown shirt. It barely covered a pair of khaki shorts that ended just below her knees, Emily noticed, wondering for a moment about the fashion across the ocean and what it had to take to get her sister of all people into a dress. Next to her was a man she¡¯d never forget. Athos was a stern-looking man, but it was easy to forget that as he stood there, smiling warmly in the cool night air. Dressed in a long, black coat with silver buttons and wearing silly goggles in his hair, he was everything she remembered and more as he let his wife pass the threshold first. Emily wanted to be strong. She wanted to show her sister how much more mature she¡¯d gotten since hitting the teenage milestone, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Emily couldn¡¯t stop her voice from breaking as she streaked across the room in a blur. ¡°Sissy!¡± ¡°Grape!¡± Her sister grinned back, hearing the familiar nickname. ¡°You got so big.¡± No further introductions were necessary as the girl¡¯s chair crashed to the ground, forgotten like acquaintances in the new year. Emotionally charged like the sugar-ridden child she¡¯d once been, Emily couldn¡¯t decide between laughing and crying in an attempt to crash into her favorite sister¡¯s arms with all the control of a rampaging, slightly drunken, newborn centaur. Normally, ¡®Sissy¡¯ was all for roughhousing with her sister, but conditions had changed, and she was having none of that. Nimble as a Christmas mouse, she sidestepped the grape. ¡°Incoming, Athos!¡± Sally Queen-Aramis, the sister in question, called as she stepped into the living room of the Queen estate at her left as Emma tried to screech to a halt in an attempt to retrace her steps¡­ But it was too late for that as a pair of arms, stronger than they should have been, engulfed her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Got her!¡± Athos Aramis, Noble Alchemical Vanguard of Incipere, Chosen of Ella, World Power of the Wildkin, and Emily¡¯s favorite uncle/brother-in-law wrapped up his favorite and only sister-in-law in a hug any bear would be proud to call its own. For her part, Emily wiggled and squealed with an ungodly mixture of delight and frustration as the tickling started. ¡°No, Uncle Athos!¡± Emma squealed as she struggled to get out of his grasp, laughing like a mad pixie as she did so. ¡°I have to hug Sally! I have to be the first! Let go! Let go! Let go!¡± The tickling grew more intense, and Athos laughed. His grip was iron-clad as he held her in place like the under-stuffed teddy bear she was. Emma may have been up to the center of his chest now, but she was still as much of a stick as her sister had been, or so he¡¯d heard. She was nothing but lean muscle and bone. ¡°Not like a cannonball, Grape,¡± Athos half-teased, half-scolded, as he set her back down. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna hurt the little ones, do you?¡± He froze a moment later as he felt a familiar ire burning into his skull. ¡°Shit.¡± His face fell faster than a shooting star as he realized his mistake, but it was already too late. ¡°Athos!¡± Sally seethed, giving him a glare worthy of any Medusa or basilisk. ¡°It slipped!¡± But if Sally¡¯s eyes showed the darkness of the abyss waiting to pull Athos¡¯s soul into everlasting torment for letting their surprise slip, Emma¡¯s were like a pair of supernovas, exploding into the aether with excitement, glowing with the radiance of a secret knowledge she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to have yet. They took in everything now in the flickering firelight, noticing the way the dress fell, the way it had far too much pouched in the middle to be a style, the way it did nothing to hide her sister was expecting now that she standing near profile to the fireplace¡¯s light. Sally reached around, trying to grab her sister and cover her mouth, but Emily was quicker. She ducked and dodged from her sister¡¯s grasp and took in a deep breath, only stopped by another attempt from her slower sister. ¡°Before she spills it, Athos!¡± Sally warned. He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. ¡°On it!¡± As quickly as Emily could manage, she was already across the room at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor. The youngest Queen knew she couldn¡¯t push her luck much longer, so Emily didn¡¯t spare a look back from whence she came before she took in a deep breath and bellowed across the house as any good younger sister would. ¡°Mom! Dad! Sally¡¯s¡­¡± Even with all the power of a species¡¯s World Power, not even the Alchemical Vanguard was fast enough to stop her completely without destroying the floor, but his hand still managed to cover her mouth before anything else could escape as he glared equally dangerously at the youngest Queen sibling. That was when she noticed something else that was different in her favorite uncle¡ª his eyes. Emily remembered that they used to be a beautiful, icy blue, but now¡­ Well¡­ One still was, but the other was a vividly bright crimson. It was like the iris was afflicted with bleeding, but it didn¡¯t dare leave that small band of color. The longer she looked, the surer she was it wasn¡¯t normal or from any status effect she knew of. A moment later, Emily snapped out of it. She¡¯d been captured. No one captured Emily Queen! With the power of a wildcat, Emily struggled against her captor. ¡°Shh! Your sister will kill me if you ruin the surprise!¡± Athos warned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die and use up my Respawn Crystal. Keep it between us for now, okay?¡± Sadly for Uncle Athos, Emily Queen was not one to spook easily. The youngest woman¡¯s eyes grew as dark and devious as her lips curled into a smile, waiting behind Athos¡¯s hand as she nodded. He could practically feel the extortion in her gesture, and, carefully removing his hand, Athos hissed as the steps drew closer. ¡°What¡¯ll it take to keep you quiet?¡± ¡°Sal¡¯s back? We¡¯re coming!¡± Walter Queen, the mountain of a man and overprotective father, called from the upstairs. Emma¡¯s face practically glowed at the unbridled power Athos had handed her. Thankfully for the Inciperian-turned-Wildkin, she was her sister¡¯s sister. ¡°The festival,¡± she said quickly, not even needing a second to second-guess herself. ¡°Take me with you to the festival tonight, and I¡¯ll keep it quiet.¡± Sally laughed softly as she walked carefully over to Athos. It wasn¡¯t her usual speed or grace, but having a nine-month-long, randomly occurring set of debuffs did that to a person. Slowness, random Nausia, Weakness, and more were not the most pleasant things to deal with and, sadly for Athos, never had the same recovery combinations. Though chocolates and new blueprints seemed to always buy him time to figure it out. ¡°Deal,¡± Sally said before shaking Emma¡¯s offered hand. ¡°We were going to take you anyway.¡± Emma¡¯s face turned sour for the moment, but both of them could tell just how bad she was at hiding her excitement. Sally ignored her complaint and took her place next to Athos. She looked up the stairs, clasping his hand with one and her other resting atop her swollen midsection, and cocked her head towards Athos. Sally took a breath and gave him a nervous smile. ¡°Ready, Athos?¡± Athos couldn¡¯t help but repeat squeezing her hand in his and taking a deep breath, then letting it out, hoping it would take some of the stress with it. Despite that, his trigger fingers twitched. Even though it had vanished long ago, Athos remembered the feeling of his heart racing as his fear rose. There were two now, and the footsteps were nearly at the top of the stairs. He¡¯d stood his ground against what this world considered gods, died, was resurrected, faced down a god with Sally¡¯s mother on the battlefield with the help a goddess, and managed to even ask for her permission to ask for her daughter¡¯s hand. Since there, he¡¯d fought almost daily, facing death regularly in the service of Ella to protect the other continent and those he cared about. All of that he handled without a second thought. Waiting to tell her parents they were going to be something more now? That the two of them were starting their own family across the sea? This was one of the most stressful moments of his life, bar none. He almost wished his other friends could be here rather than scattered to the wind, that Echo, his Wildkin AI, hadn¡¯t promised to be on his best behavior. Despite it all, there was nowhere he¡¯d rather be. Athos smiled and squeezed his love¡¯s hand again. ¡°I¡¯m ready, Sal. Whatever you need.¡± As if the world were responding to his words, the challenge presented itself, and the pounding footsteps from above stopped. There, at the top of the steps and framed by the light, a smiling man reached the top of the steps to the second floor. Dressed in a familiar candy-cane red and white suit and followed by a woman dressed in holly greens and snow whites, the Queen elders wore smiles a mile wide when they saw the pair. ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± Walter bellowed like a simulacrum of the saint himself at the same moment that Athos and Sally greeted them in time. Of course, Walter was the first to reach the bottom with a smile framed by red rosy cheeks, a laugh like aged wine, and a beard worthy of the jolliest of portly men. It bounced off his holly jolly belly as he looked over the two for just a moment before Sally moved slightly to profile herself. Recognition hit him like a spiked eggnog, and there was no stopping him. He wrapped his daughter in a hug worthy of a bear, repeating his earlier cry of, ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± ¡°Merry Christmas, Grandpa,¡± Sally said with a smile she usually only reserved for Athos ¡ª a smile he never tired of seeing. Sandra Queen, The Crimson Blade of the Arena, Mother to Sally and Emily, and a force of nature unto herself, was right behind the humble mountain of a man. She wore a similar red night-robe tied at the center, and despite being more reserved than her husband, no one could miss the love in her eyes as she moved from behind Walter. ¡°Merry Christmas, Athos,¡± Sandra said, holding her arms open to him. Athos smiled and accepted a hug from Sandra. ¡°Merry Christmas, Grandma.¡± Sandra leaned into the hug, giving him a gentle squeeze before whispering into his ear. ¡°Call me Grandma again, Athos, and I will stab you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had worse,¡± he joked, grinning as all the stress left him. She smiled knowingly and hugged him again. ¡°It¡¯s always going to be Sandra for you, Mom to Sally, and Mimi to the little one.¡± His smile became slightly more nervous as Emily laughed at his side. Tonight, the greatest challenge of the couple¡¯s year began. Tonight began their first holiday as a family. Chapter 2: Catching Up By the warmth of a roaring fire and surrounded by those they loved most, the dark of pre-dawn was filled with a wonderful cascade of activity the likes of which can only hope to be matched by the most verbose Italian or Greek family gathering as each family did their best to catch up with each other over their time apart. Athos and Sally Aramis spent most of the night catching the family up with the details of their new, busy life, and, most importantly, why hadn¡¯t they told them about the little ones sooner!? The pair squirmed only slightly as Sally took the lead on that one. ¡°When the communication blackout was lifted a few months ago, we already knew about the update from Ella.¡± That did not go over as well as she¡¯d hoped as the look from Sandra was nearly enough to cut into her hp. ¡°We wanted it to be a surprise,¡± Athos continued when Sally winced. ¡°Yeah, we wanted to see your reaction in person,¡± Sally added, once her nerves returned. The look softened, and the elder Queens seemed to accept the idea of keeping it as a surprise, but then the rest of the questions came like an uncontrolled avalanche: What was it like in the Wildlands? Were the Wildkin as crazy as the rumors said? How were they faring alone? Was Echo behaving? Had anyone from the mainland made it out to visit? What is their god-gift of a home like compared to home? And most importantly¡­ When could they come to visit again? They answered each question in kind, and when they were nearly exhausted, Sandra and Walter returned the favor, filling them in on everything that had happened in their absence. The stories from Ciber were a little tamer compared to those of settling in a new land and becoming a celebrity power couple among the other Inciperian species. Between family, none of that mattered, and Athos and Sally were happy for the normality of it all. Neither of them minded the slice of life they were served as the Queen family spent their time talking fondly of how Emily was progressing, how she ended her childhood Milestone, how her early teen Milestone was going, how Walter had become a leader for the local farmer¡¯s collective, Sandra¡¯s latest fight on the world stage, and how life had pretty much gone on as it always had despite Rani of the Moonkin¡¯s full split with Unum of Incipere and her proposed alliance with Ella of the Wildkin against Priam the Veiled. No one mentioned the Players, but they were a whole other issue that didn¡¯t need to be brought up even if they were starting to attempt raids. Athos knew the trouble they could cause. He was partly responsible for their presence in the Wildlands, afterall, and they could be quite the violent bunch. Though, that didn¡¯t mean they were all bad, but the ones that came looking for him usually didn¡¯t have the best intentions at heart. Though no one said it out loud, it was easy to see they didn¡¯t want to talk about how much quieter the farm was without Sally and Athos around. Both of them could see the glimmers of happiness in even Sandra¡¯s normally stoic eyes, so there was no point in twisting the knife of their short visit. Then, there was Emily. Apparently, the youngest Queen took more after her favorite uncle/brother-in-law than Sandra and Walter could have anticipated. She was the most animated of the five and told her stories like an actress. She talked about simple, but exciting things like how she helped keep an eye on the fields at night like Athos and Sally sometimes would, how she spent her free time chasing down grass cats and wrestling with them, and how she was getting better with her combat skills, much to the bemoaning Walter. She still hadn¡¯t revealed her primary class to anyone, but no matter what it was, the class had to be based on dexterity and strength with the way she moved. Overall, it was a nice way to spend the wee hours of the morning. By the time the sun was ready to rise, the couple was reaching the end of their full operating time and needed to sleep. It was just one of the many new issues caused by the latest update to bring Incipere more in line with its Earth counterpart. Though Athos had a few hours more before degradation began compared to Sally, Walter made no effort to hold him over and escorted the pair upstairs. ¡°You don¡¯t need to, Dad,¡± Sally said, sighing with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± He raised a brow, and to her great surprise, he was on the verge of crying. ¡°No...¡± He sniffed, wiping his eye with his sleeve, ¡°No, you¡¯re not, but I¡¯m still your dad, and I¡¯m not going to shirk my duties. You¡¯re still my little girl, Young Adult Milestones or not.¡± She groaned again, but Athos caught the way her lips curled up just a bit. She had missed this, even if she argued every step of the way. It was just her way, and all the men in her life knew the rough exterior was all just a front. ¡°It¡¯s just upstairs.¡± It was Walter¡¯s turn to smirk as he put a hand on Athos¡¯s shoulder, clapping it firmly. ¡°Oh, I know, Sal, but I¡¯d rather not have a young, noisy couple sharing a room with Emily.¡± Her cheeks reddened. ¡°Dad! You really think we¡¯d¡ª¡± It didn¡¯t help Sally¡¯s mood when Sandra snickered, and Emma outright laughed at her older sister in the teasing way only a sibling could. Even Walter had to stifle the barest hints of a snicker.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sal. Athos isn¡¯t going too far. We¡¯ve got his old room set up for the occasion.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­,¡± Sally practically oozed snark as she let the words trail off. ¡°What sort of man do you take me for?¡± Walter grinned so wide, Athos could swear he saw brown specs in those white teeth. ¡°A father doesn¡¯t neglect his children, even children-in-laws. Of course, I did!¡± Athos groaned. His old room? That old closet they took their coats from at the top of the steps? The one Walter didn¡¯t bother to dust before setting down the sleeping bag? True, there had been good times there for the two of them, but compared to his inn room back in town, Athos felt practically claustrophobic in the small space. It would only be doubly so now that he had a home, and a master bedroom the size of a small house, to call his own. ¡°Really, Walter?¡± The jolly old soul just smiled deviously at his son-in-law with a recognizable mischief in his eyes. ¡°Really.¡± Now, it was Sally¡¯s turn to laugh at someone¡¯s misfortune. She, of all people, knew just how much he hated that closet. When he¡¯d been courting her, Walter had done everything to keep Athos from staying over, and if her guess was right, it still smelled like mothballs with a not-so-subtle undercurrent of monster droppings. As they reached the top of the steps, Walter turned and held the doorknob. ¡°Remember what I told you when we first met, Athos?¡± Athos grinned a bit, remembering that day so long ago when Walter had picked him up on the side of the road after his stay with the dryads. ¡°Hold on to my ass?¡± Walter looked surprised, nearly choked on his tongue, then laughed a deep, belly-grown laugh. ¡°No, not that!¡± The man¡¯s bead stopped wagging as he got his laughter under control and smiled. ¡°Though, that¡¯s some good advice though for a new father like you.¡± Athos smiled and thought back to another of those gems. ¡°Don¡¯t pull anything funny, or I¡¯ll be fertilizing the fields, and no one will ever find my body or question what happened to a newbie like me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say all that at once.¡± Walter grinned sheepishly. ¡°I may have paraphrased a little.¡± Athos said, returning the grin. Walter laughed. ¡°Close enough for me.¡± Things got a little awkward as Walter rubbed the back of his head in a rare instance of not knowing what to say to the boy-turned-man. Then, he raised his hand and placed it on the doorknob as the normally jolly farmer spoke with an uncharacteristic seriousness. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not sure if I should offer my daughter the chance to stay with you, but you¡¯re married now, and she should have the chance to share in your misery.¡± The words seemed to be pulled from the back of Walter¡¯s soul as they came one by one. They held a father¡¯s lament of his daughter¡¯s next stage in life, but they weren¡¯t sad, just¡­ absent his usual boisterous attitude. ¡°If she wants, Sal can stay with you.¡± Athos didn¡¯t need his observation skills to notice how that mischievous gleam returned before the last word even left Walter¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we got the stink out with the last cleaning.¡± The concession was a bit of a surprise from the overprotective-bear-of-a-father, and it touched Athos. If nothing else, the teasing ¡®oooo¡¯ from Emily behind them was a gift he couldn¡¯t have asked for and that was nothing compared to when she started singing a song about kissing and sitting in trees that even he was familiar with from his time in middle school. Sally scoffed despite the ghost of a smile hiding within the curves of her lips. ¡°What are you talking about, Dad?¡± Sally said, waving Walter¡¯s offer off. ¡°I have the chance for a bed all my own where I won¡¯t smack Athos for snoring too loudly¡ª¡± ¡°Hey! You snore worse.¡± Sally ignored Athos¡¯s protest and continued. ¡°Why the Hell would I pass that up?¡± Walter failed to hide the smile as he turned back to Athos. ¡°You heard her, Athos. She wants her old room.¡± ¡°Damn right, I do.¡± ¡°Language, young lady!¡± Sally recoiled, blushing a slight red. ¡°Sorry, Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always had your mother¡¯s mouth.¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Sally beamed. ¡°And you¡¯re sure you want your own bed in your old room? You don¡¯t want to spend time with Athos in the closet?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sure. Let¡¯s get on with it so I can see the look on his face.¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Walter said. ¡°Remember this, Athos. She abandoned you for her own bed.¡± ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Athos replied. He couldn¡¯t blame her, but something didn¡¯t seem¡­ normal about the whole thing. It was then that an idea tugged at Athos. He¡¯d seen things like this before from Sally on the battlefield. Walter seemed like he was egging her on. Just what was he getting at? Athos raised a brow as he caught on, but Walter only smiled as he opened the door to the closet, but it wasn¡¯t Walter who spoke next. It was Sally. ¡°What the¡­ Dad?!¡± Peaking in behind the pair, Athos couldn¡¯t help but smile. The room was almost as large as their bedroom at home. At least thirty feet by thirty feet, his old ¡®room¡¯ was huge. A king-sized bed sat in the center while two dressers pressed against the far end. A large window spread across the wall above the bed while a plush carpet protected the polished, gold-tinted hardwood floor. A wash basin sat near the bed as well as a pair of nightstands to complete the picture. ¡°Merry Christmas,¡± Walter said again as he clapped Athos¡¯s shoulder. Athos smiled. Walter played his daughter like a master musician, plucking each cord so that he got the exact song of disbelief he¡¯d been hoping for, and his son-in-law was not going to let his efforts go to waste. With the most shit-eating grin he could muster, Athos leaned over and gave Sally a peck on the cheek. It took all he had to hold back his laughter as he said, ¡°See you after we recover, love.¡± The sounds of frustration that followed as Sally let loose once she realized the joke her father played were not those proper for young ears, but Athos only laughed as Walter began leading her away. ¡°Come on, Sal. Your sister¡¯s been planning this for weeks.¡± Sally¡¯s eyes never left Athos¡¯s, and the smile never left his face as he waved. As he expected, she didn¡¯t take it lying down. Sally Queen-Aramis: Oh, you¡¯re getting yours soon, Athos! This will be righted. I will have that bed as my own. Mark my words! That bed will be mine! Athos Aramis: Love you too, Sal. Sally Queen-Aramis: Mine, Aramis! Sally Queen-Aramis: Mine! Sally Queen-Aramis: And you¡¯re sleeping on the couch when we get home! Athos Aramis: Have a good night in your own bed! Sally did her best to keep up her angry facade and tried to hide a growing smirk as she turned back to whatever Walter had been saying, but it was so hard for her to not smile around her family. That only made Athos smile more. It was one of the things he loved about the Queens. They were as fierce about those they loved as they were as friends. He had no doubt he was in trouble and that Sally would make good on her threat, but his earthen-haired whirlwind wanted to see Emily as much as Emily wanted to see her. It was a small price to pay later and a win all around, as far as he was concerned. As the door sealed behind him with an audible click, the sounds of the outside world faded like the echoes in a cave until silence reigned supreme and unchallenged. Athos looked around, let out a contented sigh, and flopped unceremoniously onto the mattress. It¡¯d been a long time since he got to sleep alone by choice, but he felt a twinge of remorse at not giving the room to Sally. She did need more room now, and he doubted Emily would let her sleep well. The feeling passed quickly though, letting the plush material form to his upper body like warm butter before firming up in all the right places. As he drifted off to sleep, all thoughts of retaliation left his waking mind. Whatever other punishments Sally had in mind for this little stunt would be nothing compared to the look on her face he¡¯d just enjoyed. ¡°Worth it.¡± Chapter 3: An Eventful Morning Athos stretched defiantly in his luxury, taking in all the wonderful space and the warmth his blankets provided to him before he woke late the next morning. The sun was already pouring in from the windows, but the vengeful creature failed to reach him on the bed, positioned just out of its angular reach. Other gentle noises found him and roused him gently from his slumber. Birds were quietly chirping on the tree outside, and the sheets made a lovely swishing noise as he moved within them. He was like a caterpillar, hugging the squares of cloth around his body like a silken cocoon. That was one of the single most restful ¡®nights¡¯ that Athos could remember from his entire time in Incipere. Hell, maybe even in his entire life! Well, most restful without consequences. He had no intention of counting any of the times he¡¯d literally passed out and was forced into a full twelve-hour recovery sleep by the new system rules. Either way, he¡¯d take swimming in a king-sized bed over passing out, smacking Sally in the face with his limp arm, and having to hear about it in the morning any day of the week. By the time he finally stirred and got himself up, changed into a new set of clothes, still the black and silver he¡¯d been wearing since his early days, and made it downstairs, he found the rest of the Queen family had already been up, made a breakfast-for-lunch, finished, and were chatting in the family room off the kitchen. Silently, he cursed the early risers. Still, there were freshly baked rolls, real eggs and bacon, or as real as Inciperian food got anyway, and a familiar, thick blue juice that Athos pushed slightly away as he heaped the food on his plate and joined the rest of the family. When he entered the room, Sally gave him a rather sharp look, which he returned with a smile as he sat next to her on the couch. As if to show there really were no hard feelings, she scooted over just enough so that he could sit comfortably before she deftly stole a piece of his bacon without batting an eye at his outrage. ¡°Hey!¡± Athos¡¯s voice was aghast, mustering as much defiance as he could. Sally¡¯s smile crept into what could only be called a shit-eating grin by anyone from Earth. ¡°Wife tax,¡± she replied quickly, devouring the strip of crisp meat still dripping slightly with the digitized representation of grease before Athos could raise more of a fuss. He watched her for a moment longer before Emily and Walter erupted into laughter. The former from Athos losing his precious treat while the latter for knowing the tax all too well and enjoying the fact his daughter so firmly enforced it on the man. ¡°I¡¯ve seen yet to see the paperwork for the tax,¡± Athos said in his usual defense. ¡°Should have read the marriage agreement more thoroughly,¡± Sally retorted as she went in for another piece. Not tolerating the theft, Athos quickly shoved the remaining two pieces in his mouth, leaving the eggs and rolls alone and his plans for a bacon egg breakfast sandwich fully defeated. Having to chew and swallow food again was an odd thing, but he didn¡¯t mind. It made Incipere feel more like Earth had. Still, it did make eating take longer, even if it was more civilized than just shoving the food in your mouth to dissolve into usable data. When he finished with the meat and was casually piling eggs onto the bread he¡¯d split, he turned his ear to the conversation going on around him. There were little things, what Walter and Emily were planting this season, the fact it was supposed to snow tonight, the festival, and when the conversation slowed and the food was gone, Athos spoke up.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°So, what is the plan for the afternoon?¡± Walter smiled, a disturbing, slightly baleful smile that told Athos all he needed to know. ¡°Are you familiar with the phrase, working for the weekend? We need to rotate the greenhouse, shore up the fences, feed the malso, and muck the monster barn.¡± The way Walter listed off each chore made it seem planned, too well planned in fact, and the way Sandra tried to hide her smile confirmed it. Of course, he¡¯d pawn the work off onto his son-in-law when he could. Walter made no motion to hide his mirth as he took a long draft of the coffee he held, but some still clung to the edges of the beard around his mouth as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯ll take most of the rest of the afternoon to get everything done, so Sally agreed to take Emily to town to enjoy the festival. You can catch up with them when you¡¯re done helping me out.¡± If he was expecting a fight, he was about to be sorely disappointed. It was Athos¡¯s turn to smile. ¡°Glad to help, Walter.¡± As he spoke, Athos¡¯s smile grew wider, hiding just a bit more mirth than he should have within it. ¡°It won¡¯t take nearly that long though. I¡¯ll probably head out with them.¡± It was Walter¡¯s faltering smile that gave Athos hope as he spoke. ¡°Really? It takes Emma and me the better part of the day to do most of it, and I saved the greenhouse for us.¡± Sally¡¯s smirk joined Athos¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to come, Dad. Right, Aramis?¡± ¡°Give us twenty minutes,¡± Athos said confidently, set his plate aside, and got up. ¡°Fifteen if we start now.¡± The mountain of a man looked skeptical, but he nodded, downed the rest of the black-brown brew, and stood up. ¡°Alright, son. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got to see the look on his face,¡± Sally said, standing as well and nearly losing her balance before Sandra caught her arm. Her mother simply smiled, said nothing, and helped her elder daughter to watch the spectacle. *** ¡°How the¡­¡± Athos grinned as twenty teenager-size humanoids made of steel and light stood at attention. Each held the tools of the day, a pitchfork, shovel, hoe, some kind of tiller, feed buckets, and more. He did his best to hide the effort it¡¯d taken, but his stats wouldn¡¯t let him forget as his Exertion reached two-thirds full. ¡°What good is being a World Boss without minions to boss around? Walter, meet the Alchemical Vanguard Lumins.¡± ¡°He still has to do chores at home by hand,¡± Sally said to her mother. ¡°They do well with general tasks like this, not delicate tasks like cleaning my workshop.¡± He winced. ¡°Once. They made a mistake once.¡± ¡°And set me back weeks when they blew up my kiln,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s more fun to watch you work.¡± Athos grinned, ready to reply, but remembered his company and bit his tongue. Sally just grinned, knowing the score for the day was in her favor once more. ¡°So, what do I do with them?¡± Walter asked, looking them over as they held their light and scrap tools. ¡°Lumins,¡± Athos began, and they all turned to face him. Though their faces were blank orbs of light held above their steel frames, they radiated a peace about them, contentment in their lot in life, and Athos was never one to argue that. ¡°Walter is your master until I return. Do not harm him, the farm, or anyone he does not directly tell you to. You are to follow his commands to their desired intent, and when he dismisses you, you are to dismiss yourselves. Understood?¡± The entire group nodded as one, and Athos turned back to Walter. ¡°There you are. Just tell them what to do, Grandpa.¡± He held the last word a little longer than he intended to tease, but Walter didn¡¯t turn it down as he thought it would. ¡°I¡¯m going to work them to the bone,¡± Walter grinned, rubbing his hands together as Sandra sighed in the background. ¡°Do they have bones?¡± Athos shook his head. ¡°They have the integrity of your average Incipereian with a faster than average recovery time. So, just let them rest once in a while, and they¡¯ll be fine.¡± He turned to Sally and Emily, smiling as if he¡¯d won the lottery, and clapped his hands together. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I believe we have a festival to visit.¡± ¡°Nope, this is the best gift I could have asked for, Athos. Take care of my girls. We¡¯ve got so much work to do.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Emily cheered as she took Sally¡¯s hand and led her towards the gate. Apparently, her older sister had told the girl how much she disliked using any kind of teleportation while pregnant. With that, Walter waved them off as he took control of the group with a simple command, then stopped in his tracked and spun back. ¡°No boys, Emma!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± she grumbled, dragging a foot through the dirt for a few breaths, avoiding the man¡¯s gaze. She peaked up through purple locks to see him still staring before replying with a long, drawn out, ¡°Fine.¡± Athos laughed, but Sally smiled deviously as she squeezed her sister¡¯s hand. There was a story there she fully intended to pull from her sister for blackmail later, and Athos fully intended to join in and tease the grape to the heights that his favorite uncle/brother-in-law status would allow. Chapter 4: A Trip to Remember Despite his best attempts to tease Emily, Athos couldn¡¯t begin to match the fury and fire that Sally Queen-Aramis brought to bare against her sister. It was such a complete one-sided fight of teasing and weedling information from her that Athos almost thought that her questions were guided by some kind of mother class skill or instinct. Sally was relentless with the younger sister she claimed to love, and within ten minutes of their trip, she learned that there was a local boy named Myles from Oenus about her age that she¡¯d been training with every few days. Sally also learned that the boy had strawberry blond hair, icy blue eyes, and a slightly tanned complexion. He¡¯d come into his milestone around the same time she had, and they¡¯d become been fast friends when they¡¯d met in the Sea of Grass one night that neither of them should have been out during. The whole thing sounded a little too familiar for Athos. If that wasn¡¯t enough, he already had his class of Hunter, favored a bow, had a birthday coming up next month, that he wanted a Boots of Sneaking to improve his stealth skill, and that Emily herself thought Hunter was a stupid class since everyone could hunt, but that she couldn¡¯t argue with being able to track and get extra drops from each kill. When pressed further by some unseen force, Sally¡¯d also gotten that the two preteens didn¡¯t actually do what Walter feared they did. Emily made a disgusted face, declared boys to still be ¡®immature¡¯ still despite her blush, and spilled the beans. Instead of fumbling through play dates, the two had to grind their skills against grass knots at night when Walter had gone to bed. Of course, that was after Myles got caught with Emily fighting by Myles¡¯s father. Despite her protests, Athos almost felt sorry for the girl. There was more to the story, and since Sally wasn¡¯t pressing it, he didn¡¯t either. Almost wasn¡¯t sorry, however. It was a little too hard to forget the fact that Emily had ruined quite a few tender moments between the two with her games of tag. Not to mention the extra work he had to do when he couldn¡¯t keep up with her and items began to lose durability. But when he got right down to it, the way that Sally and Emily interacted, the way that the older and younger siblings relished the other¡¯s presence was tender to Athos, and doubly so to Sally, who began fawning dramatically over her sister and the life she¡¯d lead as a Hunter¡¯s wife. As Emily denied everything and hid her face in her hands, it made him miss his own sister. She¡¯d be older than Emily was by now. Not counting milestone advancements, Sarah would be at least sixteen by now. For a moment, he wished the SIFs was still connected so he could see them again, or that she¡¯d sign up as a Player, but if he knew his mother, school was more important for her right now. Maybe when she was in her twenties? That life was gone though, and he wiped his eyes in time to focus back on the teasing at hand in time to finally see Emily break under the stress of her sisterly assault. ¡°Stopppppp!¡± Emily whined, turning ever deeper shades of beet red by the time the third verse of ¡®Emma and Myles¡¯ was done. Honestly, he was impressed by how explicit even Sally¡¯s ¡®appropriate¡¯ lyrics could be. Then again, he wasn¡¯t a woman, and he didn¡¯t quite have the skill set for cunning his wife had. He would have never thought about using¡­ those terms to describe what she had. Then again, Sally was the brains of their home operation and had single-handedly saved them thousands of bytes by building nearly everything for the twin¡¯s room, including the addition itself. God-gifted home or not, Sally Queen-Aramis would not be denied what she wanted in a home. Praised be the crafting system on Incipere, and all that it had granted them.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He really, really needed to remember to thank Ella again for restoring her missing class. It was probably one of the best gifts he could have asked for and had gone a long way to redeem Ella in their eyes. Still, it was a nice walk until the sun was far enough over head to be considered on the downturn and Sally turned to him, interrupting his thoughts on the matter. ¡°Are we far enough away yet?¡± Emily looked about as confused as he expected and smiled as he couldn¡¯t see the farm or any of the buildings over the rise. ¡°I think so,¡± he said before turning to Emily. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your dad...¡± Her eyes lit up like the aurora and looked as if she¡¯d been handed yet another gift. ¡°¡­ or you¡¯ll be walking home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± she pouted, and those eyes dimmed just a little bit, but she nodded all the same. There was fun in secrets, and she doubted this was going to be one she wanted to miss¡­ or keep if she wanted to get Athos and Sally in trouble. They couldn¡¯t make her walk if they were already home, after all. Athos smiled and opened his inventory, something he never took for granted again as he scrolled through the options and spoke at the same time to fill Emily in. ¡°Sally designed this specifically for your dad,¡± he explained as he scrolled through what looked like hundreds of items, more than any Inciperian should be able to carry by Emily¡¯s reckoning. ¡°When she¡¯s perfected it, she¡¯s going to try to sell the plans to a crafter¡¯s guild to secure a steady income that doesn¡¯t include monster hunting.¡± Athos¡¯s eyes lit up as he found what he wanted, clicked the icon, and a huge cart appeared, but that was nothing compared to Emily. ¡°What the Frag?¡± The frame was glimmering metal, the wheels were rubber lined steel with all sorts of springs and things he couldn¡¯t even recognize and a wheel up front connecting it all in the coach. In there was a long bench seat of plush blue material that looked like they¡¯d plucked clouds out of the sky and dyed them. It sat lower than she¡¯d expected too. The item was like nothing Emily¡¯d ever seen before. It was like her dad¡¯s cart with the monitors, but there was no place to hook up the animals. Instead, the front of the wagon went out a bit further, and she could see an array of crystals and some sort of liquid sitting in a clear container that fed further in. It reminded her of the auto thresher she¡¯d seen on one of the other farms¡­ Suddenly, it all came together for her as Athos helped Sally into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°You build a motorized wagon!¡± Sally smirked, patting the plush, empty seat on her left while Athos climbed into the right. ¡°Athos gave me the idea to tear down something we saw back in the Wild Lands so we could put it all together like this, but yes. I built a motorized cart. Athos calls it a car, but that¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not stupid,¡± he defended as he adjusted himself in the plush blue seating. ¡°It¡¯s what they¡¯re called.¡± She shot him down with a hiss of air and turned a metal key on the steering column. ¡°You can keep saying that, but the name¡¯s stupid, and I¡¯m not calling my baby a car.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not calling one Athos either,¡± he shot back, smirking just as proudly. ¡°Say it all you like. That doesn¡¯t make it true.¡± Emily snickered before patting her sister¡¯s shoulder, eager to get things started as her words began meshing together. ¡°Come on, Sis! How fast can it go?! Can it jump?! I wanna get to town already!¡± Sally smiled as the engine roared to life. As it did, the entire cart hummed softly, and a pair of pedals rose from the metal below the seats. Sally grinned as a field of magical defense descended over the opening and enclosed the entire group in a cabin of steel and force. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes if we hit Wild Ones,¡± Sally began before a wicked grin curled her lips. ¡°Ten minutes, tops, if we have clear sailing and you don¡¯t mind a little lost integrity from a few hard impacts.¡± Athos¡¯s face fell as he had flashbacks to the last time one of the Queen family decided a shortcut was in order and froze. ¡°Sally.¡± She turned to him and smiled like a cat would eying it¡¯s prey. ¡°Oh, come on, Athos. I¡¯m not my dad.¡± His eyes went wide as she purposefully showed her teeth in that evil smile. He knew that look, but he still had to try. ¡°No, you¡¯re worse and can¡¯t take as much punishment as you used to.¡± Sally looked hurt, her face falling almost instantly. Athos fell for it hook, line, and sinker as he tried to apologize, but it was all for naught. A smile returned quickly though as she mocked him by putting her hand over her head and rolling her eyes back decidedly more than was necessary. ¡°You wound me, Athos.¡± Immediately, she put her foot down on the accelerator and slammed the ill-prepared sibling and husband back into the plush seating as she cried out with delight. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I have a higher armor rating than your words can hit for!¡± ¡°Sally!¡± ¡°Sis!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful!¡± Sally hollered again as they picked up speed and jumped over a rise, sailing across the crest of the Sea of Grass¡¯s lush dunes before landing in another. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, so hold onto your asses!¡± Athos had already been doing so, as his experience had taught him well the dangers of driving with a Queen behind the wheel. Emily was a quick learner after her head collided the first time with the shielded ceiling above them, knocking five percent off her integrity. ¡°I said hold on!¡± Chapter 5: in the Air Reaching a familiar hillside, Athos only had a moment to revel in the sight of the flourishing Oenus before gravity began to reassert itself on the hulking metal vehicle and the three, five it you were getting technical, passengers. The experimental vehicle got a surprising amount of air coming over the rise he and Walter flew down all those year ago, and Emily did quite the job of proving how loud she could get. Athos gave her a run for her money as the ground came rushing up to meet them, but he just couldn¡¯t match the ability of a teenaged girl to scream. For all of the work Sally put into the car, the ground was still stronger than anything the Tinker-turned-Factotum could make at the moment. Even mythic shock absorbers and a near legendary suspension system still weren¡¯t up for such an impact as bodies jerked against the seat belts and their integrity displays updated. Athos Aramis - Damage Received - 99% Integrity Remaining Sally Aramis - Damage Received - 96% Integrity Remaining Emily Queen - Damage Received - 92% Integrity Remaining Well, it could have been worse ¡°Careful,¡± Athos warned, but it was already far too late for warnings. Taking a hand from the wheel, Sally waved him off with a smile plastered on her face. Never taking her eyes from the road, the woman somehow managed to flick his nose as she laughed. ¡°Wuss.¡± ¡°Again!¡± Emily cried, looking back over her shoulder at the last rise before the river valley. ¡°I want to do it again, Sissy!¡± Sally grinned all the wider. ¡°See! Even Emma had fun. Let¡¯s hope they take after my side of the family.¡± Athos looked from Emily¡¯s manic grin to Sally¡¯s matching eagerness to feed it, and a fear for his own sanity crept into his thoughts. Maybe he hadn¡¯t thought the whole marriage thing through, but a smile bloomed on his face seeing the way Sally smiled. At least, it bloomed until her grin grew like a manic¡¯s. ¡°Here we go!¡± Athos looked at her, confused, as Emily cheered. ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± ¡°Sally?¡± Sally ignore the question. ¡°You heard the girl!¡± Soon, they were picking up speed once more, approaching the last hillside before Sally reached down, flipped a switch, and the entire machine launched itself into the air. For just a moment, the group was airborne, careening through the sky like birds before the descent began. Sally and Emily screamed. Fear and excitement indistinguishable from one another as Athos held onto his ass, never once doubting that Sally knew exactly what she was doing. Sally looked over at him for just a moment, and her smiled dimmed just so as she reached over to flip another switch near the first. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Athos. You know that? If you really loved me, you could at least act scared.¡± The world jerked for a moment, much less violently than the last, and the entire vehicle slowed to a crawl compared to the speed they¡¯d been falling. Looking out the back, Athos saw the parachutes deployed from the sides of the wagon and just kept smiling. ¡°Love you, too.¡± She leaned over and kissed his cheek with only a bit of catcalling from Emily. No, he¡¯d thought it through.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Once they reached the ground and began driving again, the rest of the trip was quick as the walls of Oenus came hurtling forward, and the brakes engaged before they could enter the city proper. Stopping on a dime and jerking the group forward once more, the newly minted car came to a silent stop in front of the city wall in the grass off the path. Clicking a few buttons and flipping the ignition off, Sally turned to her cohorts. ¡°Everyone out, or you¡¯re going into my inventory with the vehicle.¡± ¡°With the Athos,¡± Emily corrected with a grin. ¡°We are not calling it that,¡± Athos staunchly defended. There wasn¡¯t even a moment hesitation. ¡°Too late,¡± Sally grinned as she finished unbuckling. ¡°Now out before Athos becomes part of the Athos.¡± He had no intention of risking becoming part of his new namesake and relented for the moment. Once they had all unbuckled themselves, the field around the cabin collapsed, letting the two get out while Sally opened a new screen on the Athos. With a few deft movements of her hand, the vehicle vanished, leaving a smiling Sally standing where it had once been. Her glow was nearly doubled as she ran to Athos, grinning like she hadn¡¯t a care in the world. ¡°It worked!¡± Emily looked confused. Of course, it had worked. Why wouldn¡¯t it work? It was made to work, wasn¡¯t it? For all Emily¡¯s confusion, Athos beamed. ¡°We knew it would. You designed it, after all.¡± Sally blushed, but Emily piped up. ¡°Why are you surprised it worked?¡± Athos grinned. ¡°Because Sally doesn¡¯t like to let others test her designs, and the Wild Lands don¡¯t quite have roads down yet that are safe enough to travel like this.¡± The wheels began turning as Emily¡¯s face paled. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t in any danger, Grape,¡± Sally said, breaking her embrace to hug the life out of her little sister. ¡°There was no chance of it exploding, just of the axles not responding to the engine¡¯s force, or the steering wheel not directing the Athos in time, or the wheel¡¯s locking if the turn radius got too tight.¡± She continued, ticking off a variety of issues that might have gone wrong. ¡°Everything else lined up with 96% compatibility.¡± ¡°What was the steering, then?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Sally¡¯s hands moving up and down as if weighing the options. ¡°55% but the test run proved that was way off. I didn¡¯t feel more than a five percent draw in either direction. It was near perfect.¡± Her eyes gleamed with a dragon¡¯s light at the thought of her brand new baby machine. ¡°We¡¯re going to make so much money¡­¡± Emily did not share her sister¡¯s excitement about the experiment and paled. To her credit, she eventually smiled and hugged her sister. ¡°If you weren¡¯t pregnant, my sister, or bigger than me, I¡¯d smack you.¡± Sally looked taken aback and hugged her all the tighter. ¡°What are sisters for?¡± ¡°Experimentation, apparently,¡± Emily gasped as her sister tightened her hug. Athos laughed and turned to look at the gates a few feet away, where a few people looked upon them with studious eyes. The ruckus from within seeming no worse for it though. Within moments, the few onlookers seemed satisfied with the activity. Some even recognized the two and called out greetings before they went back inside. When the girls finished hugging out their differences, which was when Emily cried uncle and Sally finally let go before her core data got damaged, the three began their slow stroll into the city proper. The walls, Athos noted, did two things for the festivities. The first was that it protected those inside from anything that would wish them harm which was nothing during the duration of the festival. The second was more important. The walls bounced the cacophony of music and crowds back in and upward, making the festival sound all that much louder and more boisterous than it should have been. Either way, the sight of Oenus during the Days of Peace was one to remember. Never had Athos seen the city so packed! People were packed in wall to wall along with dryads and other Wildkin, stretching from what was once the market district for as far as they eye could see. Vendors were set up selling food of all kinds, copies of Ella¡¯s favorite sound based Wildkin minions, the Tuners, were belting out all kinds of music from his world and other, more distinctly Inciperian, tunes. Oldies from the 2000s, ancients from the 1900s and before, heavy metal, techno, classical, pop, and more bellowed through the air unabated. All the genres seemed to be represented, and all were as clear as a bell as soon as one focused on it. It didn¡¯t help the noise when some drunken Inciperians began requesting classical rock like Freebird and Sandstorm. As if to attack all the senses at once, the smells of spiced apples, mulled wines, and hot chocolate wafted through the air as thick as the echoed sounds. The more succulent smells of meats and sauces of all kinds joined them a step later as the group moved further into the throngs. Athos relished it, navigating his way to the first stand they came across. Sally decidedly did not as her nausea debuff kicked in and nearly knocked her off her feet with the all too appetizing sound of her retching. Thankfully, Inciperians couldn¡¯t throw up, but Athos knew from experience that perk was no joke and turned his attention to Sally, picking her up as if she weighed nothing and holding her like the bride she¡¯d been. ¡°You¡¯re strong!¡± Emily realized as her uncle didn¡¯t even break stride. ¡°Yep,¡± the man smiled. ¡°Carrying three people is hard work, but I¡¯m used to carrying groups.¡± Sally groaned at his attempt at a joke. ¡°That was embarrassing, Athos.¡± The Alchemical Vanguard smiled and kept walking. ¡°When you feel like walking again, I can always put you down.¡± ¡°No, no. It would be rude to deny you the joy of carrying your lovely wife. Carry on, Athos,¡± Sally explained, glad to take the weight off. So, she made herself a little more comfortable, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. Athos decided then that food could wait for the moment. First, he needed them to find an old friend¡­ Then, they would gorge themselves on the free food when Sally felt better. Chapter 6: A River Runs Through It Crossing the bridge into what was once Oenus proper thinned the crowds a bit, but they were never too far from reach. A moderate breath between groups became a few feet, and even then there were still Tuners all over the place, belting out songs from open bar doors, inn balconies, and the occasional overrun house. It was the best kind of organized chaos. However chaotic it got around them, Sally trusted her husband¡¯s navigation skills to get them through. Come fragmentation or high water, she knew they¡¯d stay on track for two reasons. The first was that she loved the man, and if he screwed up, she had free rein to harass him from now until the twins were born. Not that she needed it, but it always helped to have a good reason to tease him. It was more fun that way. The second was a bit more substantial¡ª one of his passive Wildkin skills he¡¯d explained to her, Critical Senses. Critical Senses Wildkin World Boss Skill - Passive All visual and auditory senses are passively increased. Mental processing speed is passively increased. Athos¡¯s Critical Senses skill was always active, taking in and processing data from the world around him faster than even he could perceive and guiding him accordingly. So when they turned from the main street onto a side alley, Sally didn¡¯t even bat an eye. When Athos grew quiet, his attention focused ahead of them, and they began to move faster, she just figured their window of opportunity was closing. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but Sally nearly froze when she heard him call out suddenly as they turned another corner. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Athos?¡± Athos didn¡¯t answer as he set her down. ¡°Athos, what the Hell?¡± In an action that set her mind to process all the faster, his goggles came down, and he called to the power of his other half, Echo. Sally froze. Athos only called Echo when there was something he couldn¡¯t handle alone. ¡°She¡¯s going to get away.¡± ¡°She?¡± As the item snapped into place, his form blurred and shifted into something more dangerous, something that could bend the world to its will. Athos¡¯s wavering form grew taller to accommodate the new bulk of his world boss form. His arms melted and flowed like liquid steel as they grew sleeves of the armor and weapons, and the veins beneath glimmered. When the veins flowed to the end of his fists that housed three barrels each now, the air filled with the almost medicinal smell of alchemical ingredients as whatever potions he¡¯d prepared rushed through the entire system. As the changes finished and his body reformed as the Wildkin powerhouse Alchemical Vanguard, a gleam of red flickered behind his darkened goggles. Black coat fluttering in the wind, Sally could only worry as Athos took on his Echo Form and adopted the power of a world boss once more. What had he heard? ¡°Athos?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Again, Athos avoided a direct answer, but at least he replied. ¡°Stay with Emily. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he said firmly, a strange but familiar metallic echo in his voice. Without another word, he began to run, cracking the pavers underfoot and forcing pulverized stone into the air with every move. In a cloud of dust, Athos had given chase to the shadows faster than Sally could say¡­ ¡°The hell I will! What¡¯s going on!¡± Still, she did her best to keep up with his efforts, but it was a losing battle as even nimble Emily began to fall behind with her. All Athos managed was to call back one last time. ¡°I can¡¯t let her get away!¡± Her? There were very few she¡¯s that Athos knew, let alone would run after, and that only spurred Sally on. Ultimately, her fate wasn¡¯t hers to decide this time as another one of her precious gifts gave her a status effect. Sally Aramis - You are now Winded (Conditional). Winded Debuff - Physical Source - Conditional: Pregnancy Your stamina recovery and speed are halved and will continue until movement is slowed or stopped for between one to five minutes. You two owe me for this, she grumbled at the twins before admitting defeat. And Athos was gone. *** Emily pulled back to her sister¡¯s side wearing a puzzled expression. ¡°Does he do that often?¡± ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t,¡± Sally admitted after a few moments to catch her breath and attempt to remove her Winded debuff. ¡°I¡¯ve had to force him to let me have me time to myself in the shop last two months.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°If he left me with you¡­¡± ¡°It had to be important,¡± Emily finished. ¡°Or he felt it was,¡± Sally corrected as she looked down another alley towards the main street. There wasn¡¯t a real danger in him running off tonight. No one could kill him, he couldn¡¯t kill anyone, and she was safe with her sister. Still, it bothered her, but it passed once the debuff timed out.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With a sigh, Sally made a decision. ¡°Either way, he owes me for this. Come on, we¡¯re going to go visit one of Athos¡¯s old haunts.¡± Emily¡¯s eyes perked up at that. Though the young Queen tried to hide it, Emily was obsessed with her brother-in-law. In her eyes, the Earther-turned-Inciperian-turned-Wildkin had a history that so few in the world could compare to. More than once, she¡¯d gotten messages about how Emily was pushing things too far. Personally, Sally blamed Athos for Emily¡¯s taste in friends, but that was another story. ¡°The Sunset¡¯s Rest?¡± Sally smiled. ¡°The very same. Let¡¯s go extort something from Sammi.¡± ¡°Dibs on her chocolate!¡± The elder sister smiled and shook her head, ignoring a familiar feeling of dread creeping up her spine as she heard Athos begin to trigger his pre-combat buffs on the wind and in the party status screen. He¡¯d be fine though. He was a world boss. He could literally crush anyone that opposed him. Besides, they were in a city during the Days of Peace. What was the worst that could happen? Then her stomach groaned a protest. ¡°Three against one, Emma.¡± ¡°Aww.¡± *** ¡°Stability! Wildkin¡¯s Gift! Data Shift - Leritate Omnes!¡± Buff added - Stability, Buff added - Wildkin¡¯s Gift Buff added - Data Shift - Leritate Omnes Stability Buff - Physical Source - Self-Target Focus and endurance have increased for the next five minutes (5:00). Fear effects are negated for the next thirty seconds (:30). Cooldown: Six Minutes (6:00) Wildkin¡¯s Gift Wildkin Racial Buff - Self-Target Source - Self-Target All visual and auditory senses are increased by 20% while processing speed is increased by equal measure for the next minute (1:00) Speed is increased by 10 % for one minute (1:00) Pain is reduced by 50% for the next five minutes (5:00) Cooldown: Thirty Minutes (30:00) Data Shift Nobel Alchemical Vanguard Skill Effect: Shift the composition of the data used to support your avatar¡¯s weapon skills for the minute. Leritate Omnes Shift: Increase Movement and Attack Speed by 20% (Conditional). Attacks with the Alchemical Cannon decrease the movement of enemies and increase the movement of allies in a fifteen (15) meter radius by 10% for thirty (:30) seconds. Cooldown: Two minutes (2:00) The wind whipped through his hair as Athos snapped down another corner. He knew what he saw, and there was no escaping him, not here, not now. No one knew Oenus better than he did, and even in his time away, the city hadn¡¯t changed enough to slow him down. Pavers underfoot cracked as his absurd power took its toll on the world around him until he finally began to catch more than a single glimpse of sapphire hair dashing around another bend or over a low wall as she shot like a bullet through the back streets of Oenus. It was only a glimpse, but there was only one person that would run from him outside of his Widlkin form. River Hexi, the Divinity Breaker, and the woman who had nearly killed him and everyone he loved everything because of Unum. He could hear her breathing getting heavier as he closed the gap, and the woman cursed as the curving alleyways opened up into a long, dead-end straight away. Got you. *** River Hexi could practically feel the gap closing behind her. Of all times, why did he have to be here? Athos Aramis, the Lord of the Wildkin and Ella¡¯s Chosen Champion for God¡¯s sake, wasn¡¯t even supposed to be on the continent anymore! And had that been Sally Queen, Rani of the Moonkin¡¯s champion, with him? She nearly slapped herself as she ran for asking such a stupid question. Of course, it had been. Last she¡¯d heard, they¡¯d gotten married. Could her luck have been any worse? What next? Was Axis going to pull the server cords and blame her for it? She didn¡¯t have time to process all the ways this could have gone worse as fear took hold of her and shame continued to push her further. She couldn¡¯t face him, not yet. Not with all the pain she¡¯d caused. Even with the walls closing in around her, River couldn¡¯t help but curse and keep running until she was a mere foot from the wall. She could still hear the absurd footfall behind her, so she did the only thing she could. River turned, drawing her glistening crystal sword and stood her ground. ¡°Leave me alone, Athos!¡± As she stood her ground, there was one thing she¡¯d forgotten about. ¡°Move!¡± Athos was about four times her weight, moving as fast as a bullet train, and couldn¡¯t stop on a dime. Instead of stopping, he slammed into the waiting woman, carrying her forward... River Hexi - Damage Received 88% Integrity remaining. ¡­into a wall¡­ River Hexi - Damage Received 72% Integrity remaining. ¡­and falling backward with River directly on top of him. *** When she stopped and turned unexpectedly, it had been too abrupt, and well, Athos wasn¡¯t used to the whole sudden stopping thing yet, even with Stability active. Instead of polite conversation, River was treated to the full force of his impact while she acted as little more than a speed bump. As one, the two flew the final few feet into the wall as a flailing lump of black cloth, blue armor, and flowing blue hair. Athos Aramis - Damage Received: 99% Integrity Remaining The sound of a sword dropping chimed before returning to her inventory and Athos awkwardly trying to get the woman off him without getting stabbed by more than her words. ¡°I said leave me alone, Athos! Get the hell away from me!¡± Thankfully, that was the worst of it as she removed herself from his chest and began frantically to look from side to side for a way out, a window to break, a door to burst through, anything to remove herself from the situation. ¡°River,¡± Athos said in his calm, metallic tones, ¡°We need to talk. You owe me that much.¡± River drew her blade in answer, ready to defend herself like she had so many times before, but her eyes told a different story. Tears shimmered in the low festival light that bled over the rooftops, betraying the woman¡¯s thoughts on the matter in hues of red, green, and orange. No attacks came from either side. Athos had no weapon drawn and did little more than bar her way. He¡¯d followed the rumors once he knew she was alive and had tried to catch her more than once. He never could though, and she was always little more than a shadow. As she looked from wall to wall, River slowly resign herself to what was about to happen, and her sword vanished in a flash to her inventory. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk.¡± The words removed a weight from Athos¡¯s mind. Finally, he was going to get some answers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Athos,¡± she said, breaking the tension and nearly her resolve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything I did.¡± That¡­ was not what he expected. The last time they¡¯d met, she¡¯d been less than willing to hear him out without being cornered with the threat of death. Then again, that felt like a lifetime ago. It only took a few moments for his Critical Senses to pick up on small twitches, microscopic movements, and changes he wouldn¡¯t have otherwise and realized how much the simple words affected her. River¡¯s face was worn. More worn than his, and that said something, River seemed older, probably having taken an age milestone when it came up, but she was still easily recognizable with the flowing blue hair, the sapphire armor, and the matching blade set with the core data stones from that faithful day. Then again, he¡¯d only died physically, a willing sacrifice to save those he cared about. She¡¯d lost everything and everyone around her because of the actions she¡¯d taken. He was about to say something else but she turned away from him as something clicked on the ground. A moment later, a flare stone ignited, coating the world in its powerful, iridescent light. *** River turned away at the last moment before the flare stone went off, opened her inventory, and extracted a jump disk. Running from a Wildkin was just stupid, and she knew it. On some level, River knew that if she¡¯d waited, things would be okay. Athos would forgive her. He might even try to comfort her and try to understand why she did it all. She knew she was wrong for leading a crusade against him. Everything Unum told her had been twisted to fit his need, rather than an unbiased truth. He¡¯d used violence as a last resort against her. Hell, if she¡¯d asked, he¡¯d probably join her in her efforts hunting down Unum¡­ In the end, she didn¡¯t deserve it. She hadn¡¯t earned it yet. Jump Disk triggered! Where would you like to go? ¡°Graywall, Star¡¯s Fall Inn.¡± Error! Your request cannot be completed. Reason: Your avatar has been banned from entering Graywall. Where would you like to go? Well, shit. River thought to herself before quickly changing her destination. ¡°Teaulast, Town Center.¡± Request Accepted! *** By the time the light from the flare stone had died down, Athos was alone in the now dull lights of the back alley. River was gone, the tell-tale hum of a jump disk still ringing in his ears as the last of his buffs ran out or were dismissed one after another. ¡°Sally¡¯s going to kill me for this¡­¡± With a sigh, Athos turned back toward where he¡¯d come from and thought about how far the chase had taken him. He was a few streets from the Sunset¡¯s Rest if things hadn¡¯t changed too radically in the festive atmosphere. Maybe I should pick up some new blueprints¡­ Chapter Seven - A Friend Inn-deed While Athos was off chasing waterfalls, Sally and Emily made their way through the crowds to a rather special place. A place of drinking and merriment. A place of fond memories and forgotten sorrows. A place owned by a particularly surly woman who tried her best to deal with the throngs of people ignoring the fact her inn had patrons who were trying their best to get inside. Sally had messaged ahead, in plenty of time she figured, but plenty of time in a festive environment like this meant so very little. People were drinking, listening to music, and chatting without a care in the world, so what would one more voice be added to the cacophony? ¡°Get out of your holly-jolly way before your chestnuts are roasting on my boot up your ass!¡± When weapons were drawn? A lot. Rapier in hand, one Sammi Lase stood on her counter, fully armed, dangerous, and intent on clearing a path for her friends in a way only a somewhat surly innkeeper could. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a few nuts short on your open fire, make a path or deal with me!¡± A few laughed, but only a few as they threw back more of the spiked drink to try and reach their Drunk Three status. Sammi was ready to start making good on her threat, but another person joined her on the counter with a gentle hand pulling her back from the brink of combat. ¡°Sammi¡­¡± The tension in the inn was still heavy with Sammi¡¯s threat, but once the other woman got involved, Sally had a distinct feeling that there¡¯d be a chair in her future very, very soon. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in a warning if you don¡¯t follow through, Kara?¡± Sammi said through a determined grin. Sally groaned and ushered Emily to the side. The woman Kara jumped off the counter first. Dressed in rather fancy furs showing off her upper arms and with skin a shade of brown like chocolate rather than Sammi¡¯s toffee, she ground her fists with a smile just as dangerous as any her mother could provide. Then, Kara vanished. Unlike Sammi, Sally, or even Emily, the girl was lithe in ever aspect, nimble as a fae, and let her hair follow behind her in a trail of moonlight as she shoved people aside or in one case punched them through a window when they didn¡¯t take her partner¡¯s warning seriously. ¡°Anyone else?¡± Kara demanded in her quiet, stern tones as a few looked to be squaring up with the smaller woman. They never stood a chacne. Drinks spilled and a few more bodies flew as the woman drove elbows and shoulders into anyone who blocked her path to the door. The rest laughed as they helped the few up that refused or were too drunk to part the throng, but the natives knew better. Sami and her girl Kara were not to be messed with when a threat was on the table. Nights of gambling, drinking, and cards taught them that hard won lesson. With the threat made good, those from Oenus helped to keep a clear path. A few commenting on the Sally they remembered, congratulating her, and saying how big Emily had gotten.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. One brave man commented on how big Sally had gotten and made a move to touch her without her consent. It didn¡¯t end well. The gods and laws that governed Incipere gave her a pass on the attack and failed to even attempt to engage the pvp protocol as the impact of her fist against his stomach silenced the throng. Once he was helped up and out of the way, the path opened before them. ¡°Can you teach me to punch like that?¡± Sally smiled. ¡°When you¡¯re older.¡± *** As soon as Sammi closed and locked the door, the four were shown to the back room of the Sunset¡¯s Rest. As with most of the rooms. It was bigger on the inside than the building would suggest. Sally didn¡¯t care why. She just wanted the world to stay straight for a few minutes. ¡°Sally Queen,¡± Sammi began, showing her teeth in that rare, wide grin that made it obvious she was Torrent¡¯s sister by more than just name alone. ¡°Queen-Aramis,¡± Sally corrected as she not so graciously landed her wobbly form in a chair nearby. ¡°Or did you forget the message we sent months ago?¡± Sammi shook her head and waved at Kara, who left to another back room a moment later. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t forget. I just figured you¡¯d have wised up by now,¡± she teased before pulling two more chairs closer to the fireplace. ¡°You got my gift, right?¡± ¡°The bill?¡± ¡°No, the other one?¡± ¡°The other bill?¡± Sammi seemed a little confused as she began counting on her fingers. ¡°How many did I send?¡± ¡°Seven. One was in Athos¡¯s birthday card.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Sammi considered. ¡°Well to be fair, Athos does still have a room I have to collect for now that the system¡¯s been updated.¡± ¡°You could just set it aside or close it,¡± Sally reminded her. Sammi smiled. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Emily felt slightly uncomfortable and shifted in her seat as Kara returned with a pot of something that smelled of at least three kinds of minty heaven. The server looked to be doing her best to hide a smirk as Sally¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No¡­¡± Kara grinned just a bit. ¡°I knew we had some in stock. Triple Mint Tea is a powerful status cleanser. Nausea, fatigue, and even minor poisonings can be cleansed with it. It¡¯s been harder to get the ingredients without a reliable gatherer, but the board gives up a lot of prizes for just a little effort. Just be careful of¡­¡± Like a dragon gathering gold, Sally snatched the still-steaming glass and sipped, ignoring the slight burns as she downed it. The effervescent nature of the brewed leaves filled her nose, burned her eyes, sloshed down through her stomach, and nearly instantly cleared her status effects¡­ with a little help from her mechanist¡¯s class perk. Eye for Detail Effect Triggered! Beneficial Potency and Duration increased! Winded, Nausea, and Fatigued Debuff Status Effects Cleared! Herbal Protection III Buff Added Herbal Protection III Buff - Physical Source - Superior Triple Mint Tea For the next fifteen minutes, basic status effects caused by ongoing ailments such as lingering debuffs are alleviated and cannot reoccur for the duration of the buff. Time Remaining: 15:00 Relief! As the minty goodness flowed through her data and rendered the twin¡¯s debuffs useless, Sally smirked to herself as she finished the cup. Momma wins this round. ¡°More already?¡± Sammi asked as she waited for her cup to cool. Sally¡¯s grin had no shame as she held the empty cup out. ¡°Keep it coming.¡± Emily snickered but straightened a bit at Sally¡¯s side eye as she took an offered cup. With a grace and patience her sister failed to match, Emily blew on the hot liquid. When it wasn¡¯t cool enough to drink, she set it back on its saucer on the table next to her. Unlike Sally, she felt the flavor wasn¡¯t worth the burns, but she still didn¡¯t want to seem rude. She had nothing to worry about as the others began to chat in earnest. ¡°So, tell me everything,¡± Sammi said as she leaned forward, using her hands to support her chin as she eyed Sally like a cat watching a mouse. ¡°What have you two been up to besides the obvious?¡± Empty once more, Sally wiggled the cup. ¡°Top me off, and I¡¯ll start with the good stuff.¡± ¡°Embarrassing?¡± Sammi asked with an all-so-knowing grin. ¡°Of course,¡± Sally smiled, wiggling the cup again. ¡°Oh, I could use that.¡± ¡°Is it worth teasing him with it if it isn¡¯t?¡± Her eyes rose with her smile. ¡°But, I¡¯ll keep it PG since there are young ears present. Some of my stories aren¡¯t exactly kid friend.¡± ¡°Boo!¡± Kara groaned. ¡°I concur,¡± Sammi agreed. Emily¡¯s face flushed as Sammi and Kara¡¯s smile turned predatory. ¡°Maybe PG-13?¡± she grinned, joining the predatory smiles, and rufflling her sister¡¯s hair. ¡°Though I¡¯ll keep the romance to myself.¡± ¡°Boo,¡± Sammi and Kara repeated in unison.