Oh my god. Just who the heck was this guy?

...

Sun Priest?

...

Really?

For a Sun Priest, a man, like he claims to be, the half-shaved head thing was pretty weird. The tattoo was even weirder. Even so, it was something you could poke fun at. And who would do that, if not Lars. Him and Dameon would always fight over something, no matter how small the problem was. The way he was so sweet to Rhen was sickeningly. Just throwing pretty words around, being such a gentleman... such things, like being a gentleman, even involve kissing her hand. Lars remembers the sight with disgust.

They have made for Aveyond again, to escort the Druid of Darkness, Rashnu. There were still quite a few left, this was just the start. The party made their way to the Sun temple, and once they went inside, they saw an unfamiliar figure talking-more like arguing with Talia. When she saw Rhen, Lars, and Elini she stopped arguing with the strange man and broke into a mostly fake smile and went to greet the coming party. Rhen looked at her bewildered and darted her light violet orbs towards the stranger, for a short while, without even listening to what Talia was talking with Lars and Elini. She was drawed in, without knowing why... and it was weird.

"-and finally, the Sun Priest, and my son, Dameon. Dameon Maurva."

The last affirmation as him being her son was quite a stun there, because he did not resemble Talia at all. Not even in the least. Half of his head was shaved, and on the shaved part he had a tattoo with a phoenix unleashing its wings, sorrounded by an sunlight-like aura shining brightly. Its beack was dirrected upwards, thing that meant it always looks up in the sky no matter what, loyal to serve the Sun God and do not give up on hopes and dreams, a sign of joy.

Rhen was quite curious indeed about Dameon, he walked over to them and bent down.

"Milady..."

He gently took Rhen's hand and kissed it, then looked up to her. A slight blush crept her cheeks, while Lars did nothing but roll his eyes. Elini was amused at the gesture he did and chuckled.

"Eager to meet you, milady. May I have your name, if it's not much I ask?" Dameon politely asked Rhen flashing her a smile. She blushed.

Lars scrunched up his nose in disdain.

'In fact, I think it is MUCH.' He would so love to say that out loud and cut off Dameon's too stuck-up remarks, but he would stay quiet... Just for the moment. He couldn't swallow up the guy, just like that, with no reason at all. There was something about him that didn't seem right. Well, at least he wouldn't have to tolerate him. Yeah, in a couple of minutes they would just get out the temple and go save the next druid.

"It's Rhen."

Somewhat the necromancer was surprised. The way the fierce, allmighty, swordsinger said her name wasn't loud at all like when they were arguing. It came out more like...

Shyly?

No...he must have been imagining things. Really? He'd never heard Rhen speak so softly before.

"What causes you to be so deep in thought, northener?" Elini's words were almost like a snap of the fingers to wake him up from his thoughts.

"Deep in thought? Must of have been your imagination," he torted.

"I don't think so." she dissaproved.

"Say..."

Elini started thoughtfully, as Lars looked at her wary.

"What?"

"Could it be you were thinking about this so suppossed Sun Priest?"

"Hah! He is no worth occupying my mind."

"Is that so? May your mind not betray your words then," the Demon Summoner answered back with mischief, from her words, making it clear she didn't believe him. Lars was pretty much aware of that, and wanted to give her a smart comeback reply but he was cut off.

"If it is not too daring of me to ask, may I accompany you on your quest?"

For a moment Lars thought he didn't hear well, but in fact, he heard right. Dameon wanted to come with them. He raised an eyebrow but abstained to make any remarks on that. He was curious of what would Rhen say.

"Of course!"

'What? Don't I really get a say in this? Does my opinion not matter at all?'

At the response, Dameon's face brightened and then he kissed Rhen's hand again.

'Yuck. He did it. Again.'

Lars went through his green mop of hair with his hand. He still couldn't believe what he heard, and it wasn't in his character to stay quiet, but he had to, to not make an ruckus. Not now at least... Though, it was so not in his character to shut up. He just realised he didn't have said anything, not even a word since they entered Sun Temple.

'Might was well leave first, if I stay here too much I either throw up from the sickening sweet words he gets out of his mouth, or either I get blinded by his baldness. Horrific.'

So instead, the young man prepared to take his leave first. He looked back once. She was chatting with him, and she was smiling... and... she never smiled when she talked to him. And if she did, it was mockingly.

'Why would I care.'

"Lars, where are you going?" shouted Rhen from the corner where she was with Dameon.

He turned his head to her.

"I don't know, leaving because an evil sorcerer wants to rule all the world and plunge it into darkness, and we must stop him?"

"Yes Captain Obvious, but how do you plain to go without us?"

Lars turned his back at her and rubbed the back of his head.

"Then I will wait for you outside."

And with that, he was gone.

"Geez...just what's wrong with him? Before we could reach Sun Temple he was fine."

Elini just watched his back and smiled. This quest was going to be more fun than being home in Veldt terorizing men and whipping their behinds.

Since that, there passed like a month of travel. Of course, with Dameon and Lars bickering and Lars saying how he could-

"I could fry your ass to death."

...Yes, that.

"I thought in a month of travel you could at least grow up a little, seems I was wrong."

"Why you-"

The swordsinger witnessed arguments like this almost everyday. The only calm day was when it was raining and they had to seek shelter at an inn, where Lars and Dameon would avoid eachother like plague, one in a part of the inn and one in another. But honestly, Rhen always had to prevent them from ripping their throats or using magic on eachother.

She turned to face the two of them, fuming.

„Guys, enough! The point is fighting the ENEMY, not eachother."

„She has a point," Dameon pointed out.

The sun priest would always agree with her, no matter what. Compliment her. Kiss her hand. And so on with stuff like that... it was making him puke.

„I'm glad at least you can agree, Dameon."

„Because you are right on this, Rhen."

'Blech, not again!'

The necromancer just continued to walk ahead without taking an notice of the two of them, or Rhen yelling after him.

„Lars, in front of you! Wait!"

He looked up only to see a slimy, wet thing.

It had eyes.

And it was staring at him.

But most of all... it was DISGUSTING.

Lars thought of screaming his guts out like a girl but in the situation, in the back of his mind, the Sun Priest was already laughing of him so it was pretty much enough making a fool of himself.

„WHAT IS THIS? SLIMES AREN'T SUPPOSSED TO BE IN THE PENNINSULA, WHAT THE-"

And it engulfed him.

„Lars, stop panicking!" yelled Rhen moving her hands around for him to get the message in case he didn't hear.

And no, he couldn't hear a thing because Lars started moving frantically, his arms and legs, trying to swim through the slime.

„Poor slime." was all Dameon could say.

„Dameon, that was uncalled for." she said sending him a small glare. „Yes, he is immature, but I didn't expect you to be just the same." and she left to help Lars.

„Yeugh..."

Huh?

„Ack!"

Rhen?

„Who knew I would ever be doing this?" Yes, it was definitely Rhen's voice, but he could see nothing. She let out a small laugh between the noises of disgust she made. But she was right, who knew she would end up cleaning Lars of slime? She remembered how she helped once Danny get mud off him, but that was a different story. Danny wasn't passed out. And it wasn't slime. And and... it wasn't so weird. When he would wake up, he would probably make fun of her and laugh of it all day. But that was Lars, and no matter what, he would always be that way. In fact, he started treating her nicer... they'd sometimes even talk normally, but not without getting into a silly argument with them making fun of eachother. Mostly, their hair colour.

They bought a brand new skudder from the dealer in Sedona, helped by Danny because the dealer was apparently his uncle. He convinced him to cut off from the normal price to them, and everyone was more than happy, except Dameon. But hell, it was Dameon, what did Dameon actually enjoy doing, or liked? No, he didn't like it, not in the least when Rhen kissed Danny on the cheek as a sign of gratitude.

The dealer just smiled at them, patting the base of the skudder. „Y'all kids enjoy this one, it came in just yesterday." he said in his southern accent.

„This sourthener would make a good husband."

„Say wha'?"

Sometimes it would be nice if Elini would knew how to whisper. Rhen kept from slapping herself across the face, and hurriedly grabbed her arm to get on the skudder. And that, faster.

„Elini, I think he heard you! Let's just go! Enough husbands!"

„Sometimes, sword singer, you are no fun. You are in need of a hus-"

„Thank you sir, for lowering the price, we wish you that your business goes well." she said with a sheepish smile on her face then continued dragging Elini along. The Demon Summoner sure liked to nag her about things like that. But it was no use in protesting, Elini would not drop it. She would really like to see Rhen married off to some handsome man, but once Elini has gone too far. She remembered when they first bought the house in Sedona, Elini gave her a gift. It was a book called: „Many ways to get a husband."

„Let's just get on the skudder already,"

The Demon Summoner was about to open her mouth again.

„And NO HUSBANDS!"

Elini made just a „Hmph! Fine." face, and Rhen gave her a pleading smile, then went up on the skudder where Lars, and Dameon were waiting for them, like Galahad and Te'ijal. Everyone was doing their thing. Lars and Dameon glaring at eachother, Te'ijal chasing Galahad around saying how beautiful his neck looks in the sunlight and would want to take a bite, with Galahad replying „Stay away from me, you demon spawn!".

The Sword Singer just laughed, what would she do without her comrades? She never thought with that. It would probably be so dull with no one to scream around.

But for the moment, there was a question.

„Um, guys...?"

Though everyone was busy arguing, screaming around, whatever else they were doing.

„Guys."

Still no answer.

„Let me handle this, Sword Singer," spoke out Elini getting her whip from under her coat. With one hand she lashed out the whip on the floor. The whip made such a hard, disturbing noise that Rhen thought the skudder's floor was going to break at its lashing. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and turned wide-eyed.

„Speak out," she demanded. Rhen nodded.

„Allright guys, so as I wanted to ask, who is gonna drive this skudder?"

Everyone was looking at eachother.

„Seriously...none of you thought who would drive the skudder?"

„How about we do it for turns?" Lars asked.

„What do you mean, northener?"

„I mean that everyone could drive the skudder. Just on turns. For the example, Galahad drives it this week."

„I agreed to none of this!" the Paladin yelled out dissaprovingly while holding out a hand to stop Te'ijal from getting closer to him.

„I said for example." Lars glared back at the Paladin. „I'm offering then, if no one wants to."

„Sacrificing those noble hands of yours, tsk." Dameon ironically said stroking his chin as if he was in thought.

„You-"

„Okay then it's settled. Lars drives the skudder this week, untill the next week someone else has to decide to take his place. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded.

„I'm really curious to see if you actually know how to drive a skudder," Rhen smirked at him.

„Of course I do know. I can't wait to see you next week driving this,"

„Why you, I'll drive it even better than you!"

„Try me!"

„I will so!"

They were staring at eachother intently, a line of sparks between them. They eventually brushed it off, and started laughing.

„Allright then cap'n, off to the unknown seas!" she patted his shoulder.

„Only untill you admit you won't be as good as me in driving this." he said playfully.

„Of course, of course."