SHINJIS NEW LIFE
by Gunman and Reisfriend
Disclaimer: We still don't own anything.
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Chapter 24
Liberation
Ayl and her friends were sitting at the table with her parents sitting opposite of them. For the past hour, Ayl and Shinji had explained their story to them, from their first meeting to this point, while leaving out the part where they had sex.
"This is quite a story to take in. A human with two full blessings of the Gods." Lord Aranel said.
"I knew there was something about you Shinji." Aelene stated.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.
"When I saw you, I could feel that there was something mysterious about you, I just couldn't put my finger on it." She answered.
Ayl felt relieved. She was worried that her mother figured out that Shinji was an otherworlder.
"Thank you for saving my daughters life and helping her avenge Vanir." Aranel said to Shinji.
"It was the least I could do for her. After all, she has been teaching me how to get by in this country and taking care of me when she had no reason to. I owe her more then I could ever pay." Shinji replied.
"You don't owe me anything Shinji. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Ayl said.
"And I also don't want to leave you Ayl. I like your company too much." Shinji countered, which made Ayl smile lightly.
Aelene giggled at the lovey-dovey scene.
"Hey! No flirting in front of me!" Aranel shouted suddenly, which made Shinji flinch.
"Relax father. We are just fond of each other." Ayl stated.
Before Aranel could say anything, Aelene spoke.
"But there is still the question about the worms. Where did they attack you?" She asked.
"One of them appeared when we were roughly 5 miles away from the village." Aranel answered.
"And that is the question. Why did they venture this far west from their habitat and hunting ground?" Aelene inquired.
"Maybe those places are running out of their food?" Shinji offered.
"Unlikely. They also eat other monsters, and the area is teeming with goblins and other beasts that adventurers hunt for materials. It has to be something else." Ayl answered.
"What do you think?" Aelene asked her husband.
"Could it be...?" Aranel started, but was interrupted when someone knocked on the door loudly.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Who could that be?" Aelene asked as she went to open the door.
"Yes?" She asked as she opened the door. There was an elf with stylish clothes and a dozen soldiers behind him.
"Lady Aelene. The Queen wishes to see Lord Aranel Valtharos about the worms that attacked inside our village." The elf explained.
"I'll be right there." Aranel said and headed to the door.
"What are you going to tell the queen father?" Ayl asked.
"The truth." He replied simply.
Shinji got nervous. He wasn't sure what would happen if the elven queen found out about him and his abilities.
"Don't worry Shinji. The queen won't detain you or anything like that. She will most likely grant you access to our village to get into your good graces." Ayl told him, trying to comfort him to some degree.
"Have you ever met the queen?" Shinji asked.
"No. It's not like anyone can just stroll over to the queen residence whenever they want." She answered.
Aranel was now out of the house, so Aelene came back to the table and started asking questions.
"Shinji, what have you done with your powers so far?" the elven mother asked.
"Well, so far I have done stuff like this." Shinji started telling her what he has done with his powers.
Half an hour later, Shinji had listed everything he had done with his powers, leaving nothing out. Lilia felt upset that he hadn't told her about the bear and the fairies, but would let it slide because she thought that he didn't tell her because she probably wouldn't have believed it.
"The fairies blessed you and lead you to the tower where Mirian was hiding?" Aelene asked.
"That's right. And without his powers, Mirian would have won." Ayl replied on Shinji's behalf.
"Again Shinji, thank you for saving Ayl." Aelene said.
He just nodded, since he wanted to end the conversation already and head to bed. The sun was already setting and after all the walking and fighting, he was feeling tired.
"I suppose you would like to head to bed now?" Aelene asked Shinji.
"I am feeling quite tired." He replied bluntly.
"We can talk more tomorrow. And we still have to figure out why the worms came all the way out here. Ayl, let's talk." Aelene said as Shinji and his lovers started heading upstairs.
"What is it mother?" Ayl asked, though she just wanted to head to bed.
"The reason why the worms came here. It might have something to do with Echidna." Aelene said.
"What makes you say that?" Ayl asked curiously.
"It could be that the barrier around her safety is weakening. And the curse that's affecting her is starting to attract monsters." Aelene explained.
"Has there been any monster attacks since my last visit?" Ayl asked.
"No, but there has to be a reason why those worms came all the way out here. And those worms can sense living creatures and monsters from far away, as well as magic. And Echidna's curse could be sensed by those worms." Aelene continued.
"Even if you're right, then what are you suggesting?" Ayl asked.
"We might have to kill her in order to protect the village." The older elf said.
"YOU CAN'T!" Ayl shouted.
"I don't like the idea either, but you should know that lately she has been asking for someone to kill her." Aelene said.
"What!?" Ayl exclaimed.
"You know what she was like before she was cursed. And now after 80 years of being imprisoned in a small room with almost nothing to do, she wants to end it all." Aelene said.
"Shinji can free her!" Ayl said.
"What do you mean?" Aelene asked.
"Among Shinji's healing powers is the power to lift curses. He hasn't lifted any yet, but I'm positive that he can lift Echidna's curse." Ayl explained.
"Hmm. Then you should ask him to do it. Not only would it save her life, it would also save our village." Aelene said.
"I will ask him tomorrow. Huaah!" Ayl yawned.
Upstairs, Lilia and Hana had cuddled up against Shinji in bed and were taking turns kissing him before they fell asleep. Tia also gave him a kiss before heading to another room to sleep.
Ayl slumped on her bed and sighted in relief. It had been a hectic day and she was glad that it was over. And finally she could free her mentor with her companions help.
'Tomorrow Echidna. Just wait a little longer and you will be free.' She thought before she fell asleep.
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As the sun came up, Ayl woke up and immediately started getting dressed. She then ran to the room where Shinji was sleeping with his lovers.
"Shinji, wake up." She shook him awake.
"Uunn, Ayl, what's wrong?" He asked sleepily.
"I need your help with something so get dressed and come downstairs." She said and left the room.
Shinji managed to get up without waking and Hana and Lilia and got dressed. Downstairs he found Ayl waiting for him at the door.
"Ayl, why the hurry?" He asked sleepily.
"Those worms that attacked yesterday, they might have been attracted here by my mentors curse." She answered.
"Your mentors curse?" He asked, confused and surprised.
"I never told you before, but me and Vanir were trained by a dark elf called Echidna. She trained us how to use weapons, magic, survival skills, tactics and other useful skills needed for adventuring." Ayl explained.
"What happened to her?" He asked.
"She was cursed by a client. The client had put out a request for very specific herbs he needed in his research and Echidna completed the request. She had completed numerous requests for this client and he fell in love with her. He confessed to her and tried to get her as his lover but she rejected him. And out of anger, he cursed her with a curse that constantly attracts monsters to her." Ayl explained.
"What?" Shinji asked in surprise.
"Echidna spent 4 days on a run from monsters without sleeping and finally managed to get here, where we have a special room where cursed people like her are safe. The client eventually delivered a message to Echidna, telling her that the curse can only be lifted by him and he will lift it when she agrees to become his wife. But she never did. I tried to persuade the client to lift the curse but he wouldn't. And even after his death 63 years ago, the curse wasn't lifted." Ayl continued the tale.
"Shit. But what is this special room?" Shinji asked, amazed and shocked by the story.
"Millenia's ago, curses were widely utilized on elves who were kept as slaves. Because of the curses, it was very rare for a slave to escape from their masters. When the elven kingdom was founded, they created rooms that were enchanted with protective barriers that prevent the effects of the curses on cursed people. One such room still exists to this day and Echidna has now spent 80 years in that room." Ayl finished the story.
"80 years? Incredible. And you think that I can free her with my powers?" Shinji asked.
"I hope so. Mother told me that lately Echidna has been asking people to kill her so she can finally end her misery. And it's possible that the barrier is failing, which is why those worms came here." Ayl answered.
"The worms sensed her curse and came here because of it?" Shinji asked.
"Yes. Will you help Shinji?" Ayl asked desperately.
"Of course I will Ayl. Show me to her." He answered.
Ayl suddenly kissed him, deeply. "Thank you Shinji."
Before he could say anything, Ayl opened the door and started walking. He followed her.
The elven warrior lead the youg champion deeper into the forest near the house, past the stables. After about a 15 minute walk, they came to a small clearing with a single old tree in the middle.
"Is the room under the tree Ayl?" He asked.
"It is. Just don't be surprised Shinji. Echidna has always been 'unique' in more ways then one. But once you get to know her, she is someone you want as a friend. And she is also a great mentor to those she teaches." Ayl told him.
"Alright." He replied, now really curious about his mentors mentor.
Ayl went over to the tree and opened a hatch that was covered by grass and soil, revealing stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a dim light lit.
"Echidna?" Ayl called out, but received no answer.
She descended the stairs with Shinji following and they saw a small room with a desk with several books piled on it, a cot with a hay mattress, fire and light magic stones on the walls and a toilet at the corner. There was also a curved sword and two kukri like knives hanging on the wall.
On the cot laid a tall dark elf with her legs perched up and she was twirling a coin between her fingers and Ayl noticed a rope hanging on the ceiling in a hangman's noose.
"Ayl, how nice of you to visit me again. Especially on a day I die." The dark elf said.
"I never thought that you would kill yourself Echidna." Ayl said in a disappointed tone.
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not getting out of this hole as long as I live. So even if I die today or 400 years from now, it won't make any difference." Echidna told matter of factly.
"But you are not going to die. I brought someone who can lift the curse." Ayl said bluntly.
The dark elf stopped twirling the coin as her head turned sharply towards Ayl. She rose up from the cot and turned to look at the pair.
"Him? What can he do?" Echidna asked dismissively.
"Shinji has a full blessing from the Goddess of Healing. If anyone can lift the curse, he can." Ayl replied.
Shinji took a good look at the dark elf in front of him. Her clothes were brown cotton and ragged, but her beauty awed Shinji. Her skin was tanned and her body could only be described as over-sexed with her big breasts that were on par with Ayl's and her long legs were muscular but not overly so and she was also quite athletic. Her eyes were red and her hair was dull green with whitish bangs. She was a head taller then Shinji and her face was quite beautiful and her long ears looked quite shapely. The kind of dark elf one often saw in mangas.
Echidna looked at Shinji. "Oh well, it's not like I have anything to lose, so let's just give it a shot." She said in dismissive tone again.
"Appraise." Shinji said and read her status.
[Evelyn Baela. Age: 582 years Race: Dark Elf. Condition: Curse Epor. Effect: Attracts monsters. Required chant: Dispel.]
Echidna's entire body had the glow on it, so Shinji thought that he would just touch her shoulders like he did with Helene.
"Well, can you do something? I ain't got all day." Echidna said impatiently. Ayl glared at her.
"I can lift the curse. But I'll have to touch you to apply it." Shinji said, slightly amused by her commentary.
Echidna just waited until Shinji placed his hands on her shoulders and chanted 'Dispel.'
"HYAH!" Echidna moaned in surprise when the pleasant feeling of his powers coursed into her and the curse was broken.
"Ahh! That felt great." Echidna commented when he was done.
Shinji appraised the dark elf again and her conditions said none.
"Your curse is lifted now. You can go outside now." he said.
"Are you sure?" Echidna asked skeptically.
"I swear that it's safe now." Shinji replied.
"I trust him Echidna. If he says that your curse is lifted, then he is not lying." Ayl added.
Echidna picked up and equipped her blades before saying: "Fine. Just don't blame me if monsters appear when I step outside."
She walked past the pair and up the stairs with them behind her. Outside, she pulled out her kukri's and channeled fire magic into the blades.
She kept looking around and waited for about half an hour and no monsters appeared.
"No way. The curse is really lifted?" Echidna said, finding it hard to believe.
"It is Echidna. You are free now." Shinji replied.
Ayl couldn't say anything at the moment, since she couldn't find the right words. But she was glad that her mentor wouldn't have to die now that her apprentice lifted the curse.
"Your name is Shinji?" Echidna asked the boy as she dissipated the magic from her blades and sheathed them.
"Yes." He answered.
Without a warning, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss.
"AH?!" Ayl gasped when she witnessed her mentor kissing Shinji.
'Oh Damn! She's so good at this!' Shinji thought as the dark elf kept kissing him, feeling an amazing sense of pleasure and euphoria.
She finally stopped the kiss and said: "I have to thank you properly later. But for now, let's get something to eat." Echidna said and started walking towards the village.
"Shinji, are you alright?" Ayl asked him as he seemed dizzy.
"What was that? She just kissed me... but it felt so amazing." He answered.
"That's the trait of the dark elves. Their saliva acts like an aphrodisiac on humans." Ayl answered.
"Oh. Is it going to permanently affect me in some way?" He asked.
"No. The effect is only temporary." Ayl assured.
"Oh good. And I thought that she would turn me into her slave with her saliva." Shinji said sarcastically.
"Phht! Come on Shinji. Let's eat as well." Ayl said, stifling her laughter. They started following the dark elf.
On their way back, Shinji kept eyeing Echidna's ass, which was voluptuous and attractive to say the least. He also noted that she didn't make any sound as she walked. She kept sliding her hands on the trees as she walked and every step she took didn't make a sound. He figured that it was either a trait of her race or a skill she acquired after centuries of practice.
Arriving at the house, Echidna stopped and just stood there. "Echidna?" Ayl asked.
"You know Ayl, I'm amazed that I even remembered which direction your house was. But I have dreamt about this for 80 years. The wind on my face, the sunlight, fresh air, the feel of the leaves and the firmness of the trees. It feels amazing to be outside again." Echidna explained.
"I can't even imagine." Ayl replied. Shinji couldn't even begin to fathom what the sexy dark elf had gone through. Usually people die if they spend 80 years in prison, but Echidna wasn't human. So he couldn't even understand how she even lasted this long in that small room without going insane.
"How can I repay you for this Ayl?" Echidna asked.
"Let's say that we are even now. No more debts or favors owed." Ayl replied.
"I can live with that. And Shinji, we are going to have some fun tonight, so prepare yourself." She told them.
"By fun you mean...?" Shinji started.
"Oh come on now Shinji. We are having sex of course. It's been 80 years, so of course I need to get my jollies taken care of. I will show you the greatest pleasure ever. Are you inexperienced?" Echidna said.
"No. I have three lovers and I have done it with them a bunch of times. I even did it with Ayl twice." He replied with a red face.
"It's true. Shinji has talent when it comes to pleasing women." Ayl added.
"Excellent! Saves me the trouble of having to teach you. Ayl, does your family still have that small house by the pond?" Echidna asked.
"We do. You can use it for today. Are you leaving tomorrow?" Ayl asked.
"Of course. I want to hit road again, but I need to take care of the necessities first. Do you still have my stuff in storage?" Echidna asked.
"I do. I'll go get them, but first let's eat." Ayl said and went to the house.
"You won't hear me arguing." Echidna said and followed Ayl.
Inside the trio found Shinji's lover already eating, along with Aelene and Aranel.
"Lady Aelene, Lord Aranel. Good to see you again." Echidna greeted.
The married couple was stunned to see the dark elf outside.
"Did Shinji remove your curse?" Aelene asked.
"That he did. Which means I am finally free to leave." Echidna said as she grabbed Shinji in a hug.
Shinji's lovers stared at the dark elf in disbelief. Lilia glared at the assets the dark elf possessed.
"What is going on here?!" Hana shouted.
"That's a long story, so let's eat first." Echidna said and started eating. "Mnn, first decent hot meal in 80 years."
While Echidna ate, Ayl and her parents told Shinji's friends about Echidna and her history with Ayl. What she did, where she had been, and especially the curse that was wrought upon her. The group was stunned when the story was finished.
"This is quite a lot to take in." Lilia commented.
"I could never endure that long." Tia said.
Hana wasn't saying anything. She was too surprised.
"My my Shinji. You have three such beauties as our lovers. You are something." Echidna said, smirking.
"And not only that, he also has the full blessing of the God of Metal." Ayl added.
Shinji looked at his mentor. He wasn't sure why she would just suddenly say that when they had been keeping it as a secret from most people.
The dark elf turned to look at Shinji. "A full blessing from the Goddess of Healing and a full blessing from the God of Metal. Are you pulling my leg, Ayl?"
"I'm serious. I have witnessed him tearing apart a mithril golem and manipulating metal as well as curing diseases that are incurable." Ayl replied.
"You're really something Shinji. Makes me want to have my with you right here on this table." Echidna said with a lecherous smile.
Aelene and Aranel were shocked, but before they could say anything, the others spoke up.
"You will do no such thing." Tia said as she stood up.
"I won't let you have Shinji." Lilia said as she also stood up.
"Relax ladies. I have no intention of stealing him from you. I just want to have some fun with him before I leave. And I want to thank him properly." Echidna said, not fazed by the girls threats.
"I suggest that you just let her have her fun with him. If she wanted to, she could floor all of you in seconds." Ayl said.
The girls looked between each other, notable upset on their faces. But they eventually relented.
"Just for today." Tia said.
"If it's just one night, I can live with it." Lilia said.
"You really won't steal him away?" Hana asked.
"It's not my style to steal other women's men. I'll just have fun with him tonight and leave tomorrow. Though if we meet again somewhere, I might want to have more fun with him." Echidna said.
Shinji's lovers seemed to accept Echidna's deal. And they just went with it, since it seemed like she wouldn't let the matter slide.
Shinji was getting nervous about Echidna's declaration. So far he was able to handle the sex he had with his lovers, but Echidna was a whole different matter. She seemed like someone who had done it many times before and he wondered if he could survive her.
"Speaking of fun Ayl, you wouldn't happen to have any mead to spare?" Echidna asked.
"I do." She said and went to get it.
"Nice. Let's go get my stuff from storage and I'll head over to the pond and get ready for tonight. Shinji, don't even think about running away. I will find you no matter where you run." Echidna said jokingly.
"Wouldn't dream of it." He replied, now wondering what she would do to him when he got there.
"I'll bring him to the house later." Ayl said as she handed her the mead.
"Thanks Ayl." she said as she quickly, greedily, drank her mead down. "AHH! So good! Now to the storage." She said and grabbed Ayl hand, dragging her outside.
Shinji just chuckled as his mentor was lead away by her mentor.
Before the girls could say anything to their lover, Aranel spoke.
"Shinji the queen wishes to see you." she said.
"About what?" He asked.
"She wants to extend her gratitude to you for your contribution in killing the worms, and she needs your healing powers." Aranel answered.
"Is the queen sick?" He asked curiously.
"No. Her face was disfigured by monsters long ago and maybe you could fix it." Aranel said.
"Oh. It shouldn't be a problem." Shinji said.
The group escorted Shinji and Aranel out of their house and the group quickly mounted their horses. It was a short ride towards the Queen's home, each of the girls wondering what the queen was like.
While the group was heading towards the Queens home, also wondering what her dwellings were like, they passed a group of elven soldiers who looked at the unique group.
Aeson looked over and saw Ayls father, Aranel, escorting the human who was with Ayl and those other females, heading towards the queens residence. They stopped at a large thicket, where they saw a single pathway surrounded by trees, looking like some kind of tunnel, was guarded by a pair of armored elves.
"Your companions will have to wait outside." Aranel said to Shinji as he dismounted his horse.
Hana, Lilia, Tia and Brighid looked to Shinji, who just nodded at them.
"I'll be back soon." Shinji said and followed Aranel.
(Continued in the next chapter)
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Authors Note: From Reisfriend. I'm sure no introduction is necessary. Echidna from Queen's Blade. One of my top 5 favorites. Her character is quite off here, but I wanted to bring something different to the story. And this chapter was meant to be longer, but I wanted to get something done, since work has been hectic and it's getting busy. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.
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Omake 1 (By Reisfriend)
Echidna stood at the gravestone of the man who cursed her, grinning evilly. Though the man was dead, she was going to get some revenge on him thanks to necromancy.
She placed 3 purple gems on the gravestone and started chanting the spell that would temporarily bring the target back to life in his prime.
A minute later, the man dug his way out of the grave. "What's happening to me?" He asked from no one. He heard a sword unsheathing behind him.
Turning around and seeing the woman she fancied, he was stunned.
"Surprise bitch." Echidna said, pointing her sword at him.
"How can you...?" He started.
"Oh I just had a healer lift the curse you placed on me and then we fucked so hard that we almost died. And now, time for a little payback." She said, loving the disgusted look on his face before she thrusted her sword on his groin.
"GAAAAAHHH!" The man screamed in pain before she chopped it off and started hacking him to pieces.
The spell wore of in 5 minutes and the man was back to being dead.
"That was over too fast. Time for a drink." Echidna grumbled, feeling somewhat satisfied that she got her revenge.
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Omake 2 (By Reisfriend)
Shinji woke up on the bed in the room Ayl provided for him. His arms felt numb as they were used as pillows by the elves Belith and Kadilen who comforted him in a rather intimate way not too long ago.
The elves had been patient with him, since he was mourning for his lovers he would never see again but eventually Shinji gave in and pleasured them and they did the same for him.
"Mmnn, Shinji." Kadilen moaned as she woke up.
He just looked at her without saying anything.
"I'm sorry Shinji. Maybe we shouldn't have done this to you." She said with remorse.
"Don't be sorry Kadilen. I think I needed this." He countered.
"Mnn." Belith moaned as she too woke up.
"But why did you do this for me? We don't even know each other." Shinji asked Kadilen.
"Well, because..." Kadilen started.
"Because we haven't had a man in a long time because of the plague." Belith said.
"Plague?" Shinji asked in surprise.
"Years ago, a mysterious plague unlike any other swept across the land and made men incapable of having sex." Kadilen answered.
"Is that the reason why Isarnia and the others came to find me?" Shinji asked.
"Very likely." Belith said. "Though I suspect not the only reason."
"I will ask them about this later then." He said.
Kadilen had procured a bottle of juice from her magical storage. "Here Shinji. Something to drink."
He took the offered drink and thanked her.
"But I have a request Shinji." Kadilen said.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, but would you tell me about your lovers that are mentioned in your book? I want to know what they were like and how you met. And those three princesses you met as well." Kadilen asked, hoping that he didn't refuse.
He thought about it for a minute before he agreed and started telling them about his lovers.
Kadilen flipped the pages to where the illustrations of the women in question were as he told their story. Belith looked and listened intently.
Suddenly, before Shinji and the others knew what was happening, the door exploded inwards. They all gasped when they saw a shapely, dark-skinned figure rushed into the room and jumped right on top of Shinji. Belith and Kadilen instinctively jumped out of the way as the woman in question started kissing and smothering Shinji.
Everything had happened so fast that no one even realized who it was that was attacking Shinji until she actually spoke.
"SHINJI!" the dark elf squealed as she squeezed him tight. "I Heard The Rumors But I Didn't Dare To Hope Until I Saw You!" his mentors mentor cried happily as she wriggled on top of him.
"E-Echidna?!" Shinji gasped in shock.
Belith and Kadilen just looked at each other in shock. Echidna the dark elf adventurer was one of Shinji's lovers too?!
"Oh, By The Goddess! You're As Cute As I Remember! Ohhhhh! It's So Good To See You Again! Kiss Me You Cutie!" the dark elf cried happily.
"ACK!" Shinji squealed as she smothered him with her intoxicating kiss.
While Shinji was being molested by one of his past lovers, Belith and Kadilen were furiously turning page after page trying to find where Echidna's chapter was.
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OMAKE 3
Cleric healer Shinji Ikari and Elven Druid Rei Ayanami were talking to Ranger archer Mana Kirishima and Swordswoman Mari Makinami.
"I still think it was cheap of them not to give us the bag of gold." Mana grumbled.
"We got the Sapphires of Garnok from that tomb, as well as three bags of rubies that were left." Rei said as she held one of the bags in her hand.
"I still think we should have gotten the gold." Mana said.
"We recovered the Scepter of Trombolin for the Duke, and he paid us for it." Mari replied.
"Yeah. One bag of silver. Cheapskate." Mana huffed. "And all because we didn't get the crown jewels that were also supposed to be in that tomb."
"Well, he didn't mention the crown jewels so we didn't know he wanted them." Mari said.
"Until AFTER we got back to his mansion and he told us about them. Slipped his mind, my foot!" Mana grumbled. "And for that he didn't pay us the gold!"
"We still came out the better, Mana. Stop complaining." Mari said.
"At least we didn't have to worry about dying." Shinji said.
"Thanks to you." Mari said with a laugh. "Who knew that removing the scepter from the crypt would wake up the zombies? Though, it's nice they didn't move too fast."
"If Shinji hadn't cast that anti-curse spell on us..." Mana said with a shiver.
"We'd be the new guardians of that tomb." Mari said as the silver coins in her satchel jingled a little bit.
"I hope that Misato and the others had a successful day." Shinji thought to himself.
(Across the city...)
Fighter Misato Katsuragi and Ranger Asuka Langley Sohryu were arguing with Druid adventurer Musashi Lee Strasberg and clerical healer Keita Asari. Though Asuka and Musashi were doing more arguing than anything else.
"Stop moving, Misato! I can't heal you if you keep moving." Keita said as his hands were on Misato's stomach.
"Can't help it. You're tickling me!" Misato laughed.
"Unbelievable!" Asuka grumbled. "And what the hell were you doing?!"
"What do you mean?" Musashi asked.
"That Ogre came out of nowhere! He nearly killed us!" Asuka shouted. "How could you have missed him?"
"He was using a concealment spell! Probably got it from his boss." Musashi retorted.
"His boss? What boss?" she snapped.
"Whoever hired him to guard that Tower!" he retorted.
"He was the only one in there!" Asuka snapped. "It's lucky I'm such a good shot or we'd all be dead!"
"Good shot? You used up all your arrows trying to kill him!" Musashi countered.
"He had armor!" Asuka snapped again.
"Not on every part of his body!"
"He had thick skin too!"
"Excuses, excuses!"
Misato and Keita just looked at their companions.
"Honestly, I think they enjoy fighting with each other than anything else." Keita said.
"Yeah. HAHAHAHAHA! That tickles!" Misato laughed.
"Who knew your liver was your ticklish spot." Keita groaned as he continued healing the woman.