Hey, readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Therion's Bizarre Adventure! I'll admit, this chapter took a little longer than usual to write in between bouts of writer's block among other things, but here we are with Therion and the gang ready to break into Orlick's mansion! As a result, this chapter is gonna be a tad spoilery for Therion's Chapter 2 specifically, but everyone else's will be left alone for the time being. That being said, let's get right into the reviews, shall we?

KageFuego4: Thanks! I like to think of Therion as the straight man to everybody else's wise guy/girl. I'm glad that you feel that way about the narrative! This is admittedly one of my least serious stories in spite of some moments here and there, but I'm really excited to continue with this story and I'm glad you want to see it. :)

Anthiese: Thank you! I'm glad to have delivered. :) I'm still working on maintaining consistency regarding tone and characterization, and I hope to deliver higher-quality chapters in the future!

DimensionBlade 1.2: Hey, thanks! I definitely saw Therion as the one character who might have trouble fitting in, so the slow burn is definitely something that I hope to execute well in the future. Stay tuned!

ScaredyCheshireCat: Thank you! I'll readily admit that Therion is probably my favorite character in the game proper, so it makes me feel happy that he doesn't seem to be too out of character here.

Guest 1: Thank you! I'm glad to hear your feedback. :) I definitely plan to stay the course regarding keeping characters (mostly) in-character, and I definitely don't mind you guys letting me know if I ever fail to do so.

Soren: I cannot unsee that now. xD In any case, thank you! I'll do my best to write the characters as well as I can!

Guest 2: That's a surprise, I'm afraid. ;)

Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Admittedly, I'm not quite as proud of this chapter compared to the others, but I hope you still enjoy it and please feel free to let me know what works and what doesn't! This one's also a bit longer compared to the first three, so get comfortable!

The next morning was fairly uneventful. The eight of us ate breakfast at the inn, most of the others chatting among themselves about their goals and destinations. I, meanwhile, was more focused on having at least eight contingency plans in case something went wrong during the heist of Orlick's mansion.

"Are you feeling alright, Therion?" Ophilia asked gently, everyone turning their eyes towards me. "Alfyn and I could take a look at you, if you like."

"I'm fine, just thinking," I answered bluntly.

"I could imagine. Being a dirty thief who steals from hard-working innocents must require much in the way of pondering," Olberic noted quietly, staring me down.

"Indeed," Cyrus nodded, eyeing me with a scrutinizing gaze. "I suppose there could be worse occupations, but…"

"You know, I don't need this," I scoffed, standing from my seat. "You guys are the ones that recruited me. Quite forcefully, if I might add. If you don't want me around, just say so and cut me loose already!"

"Olberic! Cyrus," Tressa warned, glaring at the older men. "You're being rude. Sure, Therion might not be a good guy, but… he can't be all bad, right?"

"Oh, that's rich comin' from you, Tress," Alfyn chuckled. "I mean, I don't hate the guy either, but he is a thief. You know, your mortal enemy?"

"Hey, I never said that!"

"Then why do you give him a pass?" Primrose inquired, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Because he's pretty?"

"N-no! It's just…"

"Look, I don't have time for this lunacy," I argued, clenching my fists tightly. "I have a stone to snatch. And for the record, it was stolen from its rightful owner who has hired me to get it back. Call it stealing if you want, I don't give a shit; the point is that I'm here to bring that stone back to its home no matter what. I'm not expecting any of you to help me. I don't want any of you to help me. Just… just let me do my job."

For a moment, no one said anything. Everyone gazed at each other silently, as if daring each other to break the silence. Hell, even the innkeeper looked a little nervous.

"... Well," I coughed. "I'll take everyone's uncharacteristic silence as acceptance. I'll be back with the stone."

"You're darn right you will," Tressa agreed, standing up, "and you've got us all with you."

"I… what?"

"I must admit," Cyrus spoke up, "I'm rather curious to see this stone up close. Surely it must be a stone unlike any other, and what better way to find out than by observing it myself?"

"What?" I asked again. "No, you can't come with - "

"Somebody has to be there to patch you up if something happens," Ophilia said with a gentle smile, rising. "It couldn't hurt, right?"

"I really don't think - "

"I refuse to take part in any thievery," Olberic declared sternly, "but should you find yourself in need of an extra blade to defend yourself from greater evils… you have my sword."

"And thou hath my bow," H'aanit affirmed as she stood with the others.

"And my axe!" Alfyn cheered, pumped up. "Heh, always wanted to say that…"

"Unbelievable," I groaned, my face in my hand. "This is supposed to be a stealth mission! How do all six of you plan to - "

"Seven," Primrose added, smiling mischievously. "Eight counting you, of course."

"Okay… how do all seven of you plan to get involved in what is supposed to be a solo stealth mission?"

"Glad you asked, Theri," Tressa answered with a wink, pulling out a large sheet of paper from her bag and laying it on the table. "While you were sleeping, I drafted the perfect plan to get the ruby dragonstone back!"

"Alright," I chuckled, "let's have it."

"First, you show up and tell the guards the password. Once they let you in, Olberic and Alfyn will sneak up, knock them out, borrow their armor, and take their place as the 'guards' of the manor."

"Gee, never heard that one before," I snorted. "What's the point of doing that if I'll already have slipped in?"

"So they don't get suspicious of your backup, of course!"

"... Backup?"

"Right!" Tressa beamed, standing proud. "See, the guards might not be suspicious of one or two people, right? But four to six? Not happening. Once Olberic and Alfyn are in the guards' clothes and in position, the rest of us can sneak into the manor and split up. I'm thinking it's you, me, and Cyrus in one group while Ophilia, H'aanit, and Primrose are in the other group. That way we can cover more ground in a faster amount of time, you know?"

"... Well," I said at last, "you've certainly put some thought into this. It's touching to know that you care about me this much. Really, it is."

"Isn't it? It was all Tressa's idea too," Alfyn chimed in with a goofy smile. "You really shoulda seen her when she was planning this out, Fluffy. She looked so happy!"

"Alfyn!" Tressa whined, her face flushing as the rest of the travelers chuckled. "A-anyway, it's not even about you, Therion! I just want to make sure that client of yours gets their treasure back, that's all!"

"Right. It's certainly not like you like me or anything," I deadpanned. "Never heard that one before either. Who writes this garbage?"

"Anyway," Tressa continued, "from there, we can just grab the stone and get out before Orlick notices! Hehehe… Orlick…"

"I cannot believe that innocent little Tressa just planned a full-on heist," I announced in a mocking goody-goody voice.

"Delightfully devilish, isn't it?" Primrose chuckled.

"It's not stealing if we take stolen goods from thieves and return them to their rightful owners," Tressa rationalized, a finger in the air.

"Wouldn't that just be classified as 'good stealing'?" Ophilia questioned, confused. "Not that I've ever really heard of any before today, but…"

"Professor, what do you think?" Primrose asked, turning to the black-haired scholar. "Is stealing from a thief still theft?"

"Funny you should ask, young Primrose," Cyrus addressed, taking on a typical "teacher" tone. "Why, this strikes me as more of a philosophical question than anything else as, while I do not condone stealing, it seems this particular incident would be one of noble intentions. Then again, I do quite wonder what the legal system would have to say about a thief whose stolen goods were ironically stolen from - "

"Nobody cares!" I shouted, trying to keep my mind on the dragonstones. "Look, I appreciate it, but I think I can handle this on my own."

"No," H'aanit argued, looking at me sternly. "No, you cannot. We are comen with you and that is final, young man."

"Yes, Mother," I replied sarcastically. "So when do we leave?"

"We should go get the key from Barham at sundown before heading to the manor," Tressa grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Ooh, this is so much fun! I just know that we're gonna make your client's day, Therion. I can't wait to see the look on his face!"

"... Her," I said quietly.

"Huh?"

"My client is a her, actually."

"..."

"Tressa?" H'aanit questioned. "Art thou feelen alright?"

Tressa clenched her fists and pouted, puffing up her reddened cheeks in a hilariously stupid manner as she glared into my soul. "Mrgrgr…!"

"Ohoho," Alfyn chortled. "Now you're in for it."

"What? What the hell did I say?"

"Nn… nothing," Tressa replied, taking a deep breath and turning back to normal. "It's nothing. Be sure to suit up before we head over there tonight, everyone!"

Before anyone could say anything, Tressa spun on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving the rest of us confused.

"... 'Murr-gurr-gurr'?" Cyrus asked aloud to no one in particular. "I must say, I've certainly never heard that before. Do you suppose it's native to Rippletide?"

"Who knows," I sighed, moving to walk out the front door. "I need a drink… or six."

"Barham!" I called from outside the miserable bastard's house, knocking on the door. "I need that key now!"

"..."

"Well, that's just fantastic," I groaned, kicking at the door. "Barham! Get up already!"

"It's no good," Ophilia sighed. "He must be out cold!"

"Olberic!" I called. "We need your expertise here."

"What do you want me to do, kick his door down?" Olberic challenged.

The front door flew off its hinges and onto the floor of the house as the four of us entered the place cautiously. Looking around, we could see that the place was an absolute mess; papers were scattered everywhere and things were haphazardly strewn about the main room. The lights were off, forcing Ophilia to channel a bit of light magic into her staff to illuminate the house.

"What in the Flame's name happened in here…?"

"This place is ransacked!" Tressa cried, searching around the house at random. "Where's Barham?"

I saw something gleam in the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw a shiny crystal key sitting on the counter, a piece of paper underneath it. Pocketing the key, I picked up the paper and read the words on it.

"'To whomever it may concern, the owner of the house has come to my mansion to tie up loose ends. Yes, the obviously creepy mansion at the end of town. If you ever wish to see him again and in one piece, you know what must be done … From Orlick'."

"How cowardly," Olberic spat, shaking his head in disgust. "Still… it strikes me as odd that he would want company, if he's truly as reclusive as they say."

"Poor Barham," Ophilia cried, her eyes wide with fear. "We… we have to save him!"

"I mean… do we?"

"Therion!"

"Relax, I'm teasing," I sighed, throwing my hands up in mock-surrender. "In any case, we might as well while we're there, right? Let's not waste any time."

"Right!" Tressa cheered before posing dramatically. "Onwards, Octolings! To the mansion!"

Before long, our party of four met up with the rest just on the outskirts of the mansion. The two guards stood unmoving from their post, probably not even having spotted us yet.

"Alright," I nodded to the others, "watch and learn."

I confidently made my way over to the guards and was predictably stopped.

"Halt! You're not allowed to be here."

"It's cool, you guys. Orlick sent me."

"Oh yeah? What for?"

"Does it really matter?" I argued. "He gave me the password after all. 'The truth of all things'. Now then, do you really want to be the ones who piss him off when he's having a good day?"

"Eep! N-no, sir!" one guard yelped.

"He almost never has those anymore!" the other quipped. "G-go right on ahead."

"Thank you," I smiled, making my way past them and to the front door. Looking back, I could see Tressa and the others giving me a thumbs-up. I quietly crept into the manor as their plan began to unfold. The halls were decidedly grandiose in nature; this Orlick guy had money, and he wasn't afraid to flaunt it. Surprisingly enough, there weren't any guards in the immediate area; must have put all of his stock into the two goons out front.

A couple of minutes had passed before Tressa and the others finally made it to the front door, Olberic and Alfyn standing guard outside as the latter waved at us happily.

"I cannot believe that actually worked," I noted as I held the door for the other five travelers.

"Oh, you worry too much!" Tressa beamed. "Now let's split up and get to the bottom of this mystery!"

"But… it's not a mystery."

"Therion, just let her do her thing," Primrose giggled, a hand over her mouth. "It'll be easier on all of us, really…"

"Alright, Professor!" Tressa chirped, practically bouncing with excitement. "You and Therion are coming with me to find the dragonstone. Ophilia, you and Primrose should go with H'aanit to find Barham."

"Any ideas of where to look?"

"No, so I guess we'd better head off in either direction and meet back here once the job is done," I said quietly. "And for gods' sakes, keep your voices down! This is supposed to be a stealth mission."

"You got it, dude!"

Not wasting any time, our groups split up and began to wander the halls aimlessly, looking for any sign of where the ruby dragonstone was being held. The halls were as tall as they were wide, and they seemed to go on forever.

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Tressa."

"Oh… How about now?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear," Cyrus responded eloquently, looking around and clutching a tome tightly. "This architecture is nothing if not impressive, however…"

A few more minutes of walking through the halls and up some stairs passed before we finally reached a clearing, a door of epic proportions standing before us.

"Woohoo! We made it!" Tressa cheered in an annoying tone. "And we didn't even have to fight any bad guys!"

"I don't like this," I muttered, looking around suspiciously. "There's no way that Orlick would only hire two guys…"

"A logical conclusion, Sir Thief," Cyrus noted quietly. "Best we tread with caution."

"Right."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crystal key, the tool sparkling under the glow of the chandelure. Walking up to the door and spotting a keyhole, I took a deep breath before inserting the key and turning it to the right.

KER-CHUNK!

Cautiously, I opened the door just a crack and peered inside. The room was as big as it was empty; no guards, no scholars… nothing. Just a bunch of desks with papers strewn about the place. This was pretty big for a simple study room, but nothing in there caught my attention more than the shiny red rock resting on a golden rack.

"Bingo," I whispered, looking back at the other two and signalling them to come closer.

I pushed the door open as Tressa and Cyrus stood behind me with weapons held, looking around warily. I sauntered over to the ruby dragonstone and held out my hand towards it, feeling a great surge of power coming from it -

"Nwehehehe! That's far enough, young man!"

Damnit.

Sure enough, a portly man in fine clothes walked through the door, two guards with him.

"Come to steal my precious stone, have you?"

"It's not yours!" Tressa barked, clenching her fists and glaring at Orlick. "You hired some two-bit thieves like Therion to steal it for your research, didn't you?!"

I looked back at Tressa with an incredulous expression. "Two-bit...?"

"Now that I see it up close," Cyrus mused, "I can definitely see why a fellow scholar such as yourself would be intrigued by it. That being said, I simply cannot condone your behavior!"

"You!" Orlick shouted, pointing a finger at Cyrus. "... You're that Professor Albright from Atlasdam, aren't you? Got laid off after flirting with the Princess one too many times, did you? Nwehehe!"

"Wait, what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at our scholar. "When did this happen?"

"It didn't," Cyrus explained coolly, running a hand through his hair. "It was simply a rumor that got out of hand, I'll have you know."

"A rumor that spread like wildfire!" Orlick chortled. "To think that one as esteemed as you would lose your prestigious position over something as frivolous as another person! Why, just look at me! All I have is that stone, and it's all I need!"

"Hey," a guard spoke up, "what about us, boss?"

"SILENCE! I'm through talking," Orlick dismissed with a flippant hand wave. "Go beat them up so I can get back to my research."

"Oh, great. He's one of those bosses," I groaned. "You know, the cowardly ones where they just have other people do the fighting for them. Cheap flunky bastards."

"I'm not a coward! This is what we in the Video Game Boss community call a strategic victory!" Orlick protested vehemently. "Now, men! Show these ne'er do-wells what for! Nwehehehehehehehehe! And, for the record, that's one 'nwe' and eight 'he's."

"Good to know," I snarled, brandishing my daggers. "C'mon, let's do this!"

"I'm with you, Theri!" Tressa yelled, standing at my right with her spear in hand.

"As am I," Cyrus affirmed, standing at my left with a staff in one hand and a tome in the other. "Thief as you may be, we cannot let your client down! Come, my companions! To victory!"

Orlick merely sat back and watched as his two guards rushed towards us, swords in hand. I was the first to move, sprinting towards the first and darting out of the way of his attack. I used the small window of opportunity to slash at him with my daggers. As he recoiled in pain, Tressa ran up to him and struck him in the head with the blunt end of her spear, knocking him unconscious. The second guard was suitably angered and lunged at her, but I was able to intervene and nick his side. As he staggered backwards, Tressa called, "Now, Cyrus!"

Cyrus grinned and lifted his arms above him as a great ball of fire began to rage above him.

"Time to turn up the heat!" the scholar announced dramatically as he sent the fireball flying into the guard, sending him careening into a nearby pillar.

"Really? Fire puns?" I sighed.

"I also dabble in ice and lightning from time to time," Cyrus explained merrily, completely missing the point. "If you like, I could teach you how to better harness your magical energy once we're done here."

"Not overly fond of magic, but sure," I smirked as the three of us set our sights on the portly scholar before us. "Shouldn't be too long."

"Ack! I'm outnumbered!" Orlick cried in an exaggerated voice. "Whatever shall I do now?!"

I stared at him, thoroughly unimpressed. "Don't tell me. He's gonna summon more reinforcements."

"Yep," Tressa sighed, fixing her hat.

"Outnumbering us three to one?"

"Most likely," Cyrus nodded.

Sure enough, at least ten guards entered the room on either side of Orlick, the scholar cackling maniacally.

"... Bring it on."

Amazingly enough, fighting off multiple opponents at once was actually pretty difficult. If you weren't ducking at one moment, you were either slashing or stabbing. Or both. Cyrus had the foresight to put up a ring of fire around us, but that didn't stop some brave souls from forcing their way through anyway.

"Aiyeeeeh!" a guard screeched, sprinting through the flames and attacking me.

"The hell is their armor made of?" I yelled as I blocked his sword strike with my own.

"Well, judging by how their chainmail reacted to the flames, I believe - "

"Not now, Professor!" Tressa shouted over the chaos, using both hands to let loose a strong gust of wind that pushed several enemies backwards.

"Nwehehehe!" Orlick chortled obnoxiously. "Try all you might, but you are no match for the power of Orlick and his inhumanly-persistent bodyguards!"

For every five guards we cut down, ten more would appear. I panted and heaved as I wiped the sweat from my brow, Cyrus and Tressa doing the same. Was there really no end to this guy's number of minions…?

"Now, H'aanit!"

All of a sudden, a torrent of arrows rained down on the approaching enemies, felling them almost instantly. All of us turned to see H'aanit standing in the doorway, bow in hand. Linde ran ahead of her, mauling and slashing any guard that refused to surrender. As she did so, Primrose waltzed through the room and let off a powerful blast of dark magic, temporarily stunning Orlick.

"Repent, sinner!" Ophilia yelled as she appeared from behind Primrose and lifted her staff in the air. A ray of holy light came down on Orlick, causing him to cry out in pain.

"No! Not the holy light! It buuuuuurns!"

"You three have excellent timing," I snarked. Not that I'd admit it to them, but I was actually kinda relieved that they had finally showed up. "What took you so long?"

"We were busy rescuing an old friend," Ophilia explained, gesturing behind her to a sheepish Barham.

"Friend? He made you rub his shoulders!" Tressa complained.

"Yeah, and you only met him like yesterday," I pointed out.

"Look," Barham began, stepping forward. "I realize that I was being a bit of a… oh, what's the word you kids use nowadays?"

"Meanie?" Tressa chirped.

"Jerk?" Primrose suggested.

"Asshole?"

"Therion," Ophilia warned, glaring at me.

"Yes, yes, all of those things!" Barham explained. "I did many a manner of unkindness, your friends' kindness in saving me has made me see the error of my ways. Let me handle Orlick. Please."

"Fine, whatever," I shrugged, turning towards where the ruby dragonstone sat. "Let me just pocket this before something stupid happens."

"Rrrgh… N-no!" Orlick growled, standing from his position with an arm in his robes. "Y-you can't… my life's work…"

"Orlick," Barham spoke softly, getting his old friend's attention. "It's me… don't you remember? It's me, Barham!"

"Bar...ham? Is that really you…?"

"Yes, old friend," the friendly scholar said, walking towards him. "It's me… that stone's really done a number on you, you know…"

"Heh… has it, now…?"

While the two of them were having a sappy moment, I turned my attention to the ruby dragonstone. Its crimson hue seemed all the more beautiful in the mansion's light, and it looked smooth to the touch. I carefully lifted the gem from its position and placed it in my bag.

"One down," I whispered, "two to go."

"H...huh?" Orlick asked, looking around and spotting me. Seeing the empty pedestal, he quickly put two and two together. "HUH?! You… you dastardly traitor, Barham! You were working with them, weren't you?!"

"N-no, Orlick, I swear!"

"YOU TOOK THAT STONE FROM ME!"

"Wha - ?!"

"Barham, look out!" Cyrus cried, reaching his hand towards his fellow scholar.

Suddenly, a ball of magic flew from Orlick's hand, hitting Barham square in the chest and knocking him a fair distance backwards. Ophilia was quick to help him to his feet as the rest of us glared at Orlick.

"Aren thou mad?" H'aanit demanded, her hand on her bow. "Barham is thine friend!"

"Friend…? Friend?! What kind of friend would try to come between me and my research, huh? Answer that!"

"It's no good," I sighed, shaking my head. "I really don't think he'll listen to reason, Barham."

The older scholar turned to me with an astonished look. "Surely you're not suggesting we…?"

"... No," I responded. "Nobody has to die here. Orlick just needs to take a little nap for a bit."

"Like I'd really just let you waltz out of here with my stone!" Orlick challenged, standing his ground.

"It's not yours!" Tressa screamed, clenching her fists and practically fuming. "That stone is probably precious to whoever actually owns it, and we're gonna get it back to them even if we have to go right through you to do it!"

"What the hell are you waiting for then? Come on, I dare you!" Orlick bellowed before crouching and posing with his right hand in front of his face like an idiot. His body glowed with some sort of magical energy and within seconds, a full suit of armor with a lantern for a head had materialized before him, its head glowing purple with energy. "At long last, the time has come to let loose my ultimate creation! Go, my Golem, go!"

The beast said nothing, but brandished a dark axe menacingly as it stared us down. Quite a feat, considering its lack of eyes...

"Marvelous," Cyrus gasped, scrutinizing the monster warily. "An artificial being made of metal and magic…"

"Indeed, and it's not the first construct Orlick has created," Barham noted.

"Is this really the time for this?" I yelled at the odd duo, my gaze still focused on the golem as I gripped my sword with both hands.

"Well, pardon me! It's not every day that a portly scholar can summon a mighty being from out of thin air, now is it?" Cyrus quipped as he readied his tomes.

"ENOUGH!" Orlick cried, stamping his feet like an angry hog. "Golem, attack! Crush them! Obliterate them! GRIND THEM INTO PASTE!"

"Prepare yourselves!" Cyrus shouted dramatically as his staff and tome glowed with fire magic. "Things are about to get heated!"

"You used that joke already, Professor," Primrose deadpanned as the beast drew nearer.

"... Oh. Well, in that case, how about - "

"F-focus, Professor!" Tressa stammered, now using a bow and arrow. "Here it comes!"

The golem lunged at me with an overhead swing of its axe, but I deftly rolled to the left and slashed at it several times. My sword bounced off of its armor each time, an unsatisfying tink ringing throughout the room.

"Rrgh… No good!" I shouted, barely avoiding a second swing. "This thing is unbreakable!"

"Therion!" Cyrus called as he flung a fireball right into the golem's back, causing it to turn around and face him. "We'll keep it busy, go stop that madman Orlick!"

"Right!" I agreed before sprinting off in Orlick's direction, swapping my sword for my dagger.

"I shall assist thee!" H'aanit announced, Linde standing by her side. Before I could protest, the huntress had already began aiming her bow right at an unamused Orlick. She let loose arrow after arrow, Orlick deflecting most of them with a magical barrier of some sort.

"Flame guide us!" Ophilia cried as she pointed her staff towards Orlick menacingly. Barham merely cowered behind her, unable to make himself useful in the slightest. Ophilia's attack sent several rays of light down from the heavens and onto Orlick, causing him to howl in pain and piercing the barrier.

As the others blasted the golem with magical attacks, I sprinted towards the still-writhing Orlick who was standing a comfortable distance away. Seeing me caused him to panic even more, but he brandished his dagger regardless and took an odd fighting stance.

The fight was on.

I gotta say, Orlick was pretty light on his feet all things considered. The two of us clashed frequently, dagger versus dagger; for a scholar, there was quite a bit of power behind his blows. Maybe it had something to do with his magic…

"Nwehehe! You think yourself a match for me, thief?" Orlick sneered as he swiped at my chest, nicking me. "Even now, your friends are hardly a match for my beautiful creation!"

I glanced off to the side for a brief moment to see that, although they were keeping the golem at bay, it showed no real signs of stopping while Cyrus and Tressa looked physically drained. Primrose was doing her best to keep them refreshed, but even she couldn't dance for much longer. Ophilia had run over to them in order to heal them in the meanwhile, and H'aanit was still trying to get a few shots in on our formidable foe from afar.

"Rrgh… Hah!" I shouted, turning my attention back to Orlick and slashing at him several times. "You call yourself a scholar, huh? Well get a load of this!"

I reached out both hands in front of me and let out a yell, fire shooting from my hands. I never liked casting magic, but maybe this was the distraction I needed…

Predictably, Orlick blocked the flames with a hand, causing them to disperse on either side of him.

"You call that magic?!" Orlick guffawed, nearly doubling over. Once he composed himself, he lifted both arms above his head and began summoning magical energy. "Wait until you get a taste of my Magic Missle, you impudent child!"

"Magic," I muttered to myself, forming an idea in my head. "Magic! That's it!"

Turning to the huntress, I shouted, "H'aanit, now!"

She must have heard me because she took aim at the magical energy above Orlick's head. Her arrow looked like it was coated in… lightning?

"With lightning as my ally, let my arrow flyen true!"

I barely had any time to react as the lightning-infused projectile collided with what would have been Orlick's "Magic Missile", causing a huge explosion. I was knocked to the ground by the explosion, and H'aanit was quick to help me to my feet.

"You never told me you could shoot lightning!"

"Thou never toldst me thou couldst create fire," the huntress replied coolly, turning her gaze to our other allies. Cyrus, Primrose, and Tressa had combined all of their magical attacks into one super blast that, in addition to Orlick's weakened state, had reduced the golem to ash.

"Nn… no! My… gack… my Golem! What have you done to my Golem?!" Barham demanded, now having fallen to one knee.

"Quickly," Barham said as everyone came together before Orlick. "Restrain him while he's broken!"

"Huh?" Tressa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll handleth things from here," H'aanit announced as she pulled some sort of big net from out of nowhere. Not wasting any time, the huntress threw it on top of the incapacitated Orlick. The scholar writhed and struggled, but he only found himself becoming more and more entangled in the web-like net.

"Better than a snare," H'aanit chuckled, admiring her handiwork.

"You know, you really could have just done that from the beginnng," Primrose shrugged. "Still, I like it. It looks rather fetching on him, actually…"

"Nngh… let me out… I'll… get you for this…"

Mentally and physically exhausted from the battle, Orlick finally gave in and collapsed unconscious. Barham sighed and walked over to him, kneeling at his fallen friend.

"He wasn't always like this, you know. Once he received the dragonstone, he… he changed. So much…"

"Yeah, sure, bore us some more while you're at it," I snarked, rolling my eyes. "Not like we have anything better to do."

Ophilia sighed in relief, a hand over her heart. "Well, at least that's over and done with. Is anybody hurt?"

"Not I."

"Nope!"

"Nay."

"No."

"I'm alright," I said in agreement before feeling a sharp pain in my chest. As the others looked at me with concerned eyes, my hand went straight to my chest and came back coated in a familiar crimson color.

Damn… I can't believe he got me that badly. I must be getting sloppy, heh…

Suddenly, everything felt… heavier. I felt my back hit the floor of the manor, everyone beginning to panic. I could definitely tell they were screaming by their faces, but I couldn't quite hear them. Regardless, I clutched the bag holding the dragonstone tightly as if my life depended on it. Kinda ironic, given the current situation...

"... I'm gonna need more than a few drinks this time…"

When I finally came to, I was in a bed back at the inn. I could see Ophilia and Alfyn standing over me, ever the team healers. Both of them seemed to have been talking about something before noticing I was awake, greeting me with friendly smiles.

"Good morning, Therion," Ophilia greeted quietly with a smile on her delicate face. "How are you feeling?"

"Shitty," I groaned, placing a hand to my bandaged chest lightly and then recoiling. "Chest hurts… damnit."

"I don't blame ya, buddy," Alfyn replied with a shrug. "You took a pretty nasty cut. That wound was massive! Not helping was that you already had a scar in that location..."

"Huh?" I questioned groggily before it finally hit me. My chest scar… the one I got before the battle with Orlick… that was when…!

"Therion… are you okay? You look a bit… pale," Ophilia noted. "And… angry."

"Rrghh," I growled, shutting my eyes. "Forget it. It's nothing."

"But…"

"Phili," Alfyn crooned, "it's alright. I'm sure he'll open up when the time is right."

"Hmm…"

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Besides Tressa, everyone else is doing their own thing around Noblecourt one last time before we head out tomorrow," Ophilia explained, wringing her hands. "Don't worry, we'll be able to help you keep up with us."

"I'll be fine," I coughed, looking around. "Hey, where's my bag?"

"Here," Alfyn chimed in, grabbing it from a nearby dresser and placing it in my lap softly. "Quite the rock you've got there. Was that what you were after, Fluffy?"

"Therion," I snarled, "and that's none of your concern."

"Ouch, okay. This is the thanks I get for stitching you back up?"

"Tch… sorry."

"Nah, don't worry about it," the apothecary laughed, shaking his head. "Phili and I are just glad you're alright. You should have seen how concerned she was when I finally got to you!"

"I… that's," Ophilia mumbled, looking away shyly with pink cheeks. "Um…"

"Heh," I chuckled softly. "And where, pray tell, is our esteemed leader in all of this?"

Alfyn merely gestured to my right, where Tressa was snoozing about two beds away, utterly exhausted by the look of it.

"Relax, she's fine. She just got a little overexerted when using her magic, that's all. A few plums and a day of rest and she'll be all good to go!"

"Hmph… Well, at least we're all still in one piece."

"Yup!" Alfyn agreed before suddenly putting his hands on me.

"Ouch, what the - ?!"

"Easy, buddy; I'm just gonna give you some salve and replace your bandages, that's all," he explained gently, giving me an earnest smile.

"Give a guy some warning next time at least! Ow…"

"Sorry! Sorry, heh… You gonna help me out this time, Phili? I know you got a bit flustered the first time 'round."

"H-huh?! Oh, no! No, I think you can handle it," Ophilia frantically stammered, waving her hands. "I'll, uh, tend to Tressa's wounds over here…"

"But I thought you guys said she wasn't really injured…"

"T-to her wounds!"

I could only chuckle as the blonde cleric swiftly made her way over to Tressa's bed. As Alfyn got to work on my bandages, I held my bag and rubbed my fingers over the dragonstone within. It would definitely take me a couple of days to get back to Bolderfall, but just a few more minutes and I could get a head start -

"Ouch!"

"Don't squirm so much, Therion! You'll rupture the wound!"

"This stuff stings! What the hell is in this anyway?" I demanded.

"Apothecary's secret," he winked.

"Well, that makes me feel comfortable. How soon am I gonna be able to get out of here?"

"Definitely not today," Alfyn responded earnestly, shaking his head. "You're lucky it was only a cut and not a full-on stab, but you should definitely stay put for the time being."

"But…"

"Look," he sighed, "I know you're in a hurry to escape from us or whatever, but… Can't you stay at least a little longer? If not for any of us, for Tressa."

"... I wasn't planning on escaping," I explained with shut eyes. "But that stone needs to get back to its proper owner, and I'm the only one who can get it there."

"We could send one of us out there to - "

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm the only one I trust to get it back there."

"Alright, fair enough," Ophilia relented, walking over after making sure Tressa was still okay. "So when do we depart?"

"What? No! You're not coming with me!"

"Where one of us goes," Alfyn started.

"The other six follow," Ophilia finished with a smile. "Well, seven now."

"But… why?"

"Cause we're a team, and you're part of us now!" Alfyn beamed.

"That's a stupid reason!"

"You may be a thief," Alfyn began, "but at least you're not a murderer or anything like that. And if Tressa of all people could find a reason to recruit you, I think the least we can do is give you a proper welcoming."

"But I don't want a… forget it," I sighed, resigning myself to my fate of traveling Orsterra with seven weirdos. "I guess we can leave for Bolderfall as soon as this cut heals up a little."

"Wonderful!" Ophilia cheered, clasping her hands together with an adorable smile. "I don't think we really spent much time in Bolderfall when we were on our way to Clearbrook! I'll go rally everyone else and let them know!"

"Wait, Ophilia!"

"Aaand there she goes," Alfyn muttered, watching the cleric sprint out of the room excitedly. "She's a real beaut, huh?"

"Tch…"

"C'mon, it's just us guys here! You can tell ol' Alfie anything," he winked.

"Suddenly, I'm not feeling too well anymore…"

"Need more healing balm?"

"No!"