(a/n: New chapter already? I hope you enjoy this. Big thanks to Lucius Walker for all his help!)

Ch. 6: Why Can't We Be Friends?

Gareth, Kane, Lydia, and Randor raced up the forest road, guided by the sounds of battle and the faint moonlight, not bothering to stop and worry about any further ambushes, until they got as close as either of the brothers were comfortable with. Venturing a short distance from the dirt road and keeping low, the four adventurers approached the treeline as a blinding flash of green burst, followed by a thunderous explosion. Peering above the bushes they sheltered behind, Gareth scanned the scene.

Beyond the bushes and trees was what used to look like a peaceful meadow now turned battlefield. Scattered about the ruined green were small crackling fires, craters and scattered bits of earth and foliage. Among the fires and foliage, the angelic bard spied what looked like bodies, though some were hard to identify, including the one only a few feet away from where Gareth and the others were hiding. This body was charred beyond what was normally identified as human, while others looked all together or were missing some limbs. When it registered that he was looking at a burned, mutilated body, Gareth felt a twinge of sadness but nothing else. The bard was taken aback by his own reaction. He'd never seen a dead body outside of a video game or an old movie. The closest he'd come to death was the death of a close friend, but they had died of an illness. It was saddening but it wasn't as horrifying or traumatic as this. He should be feeling...something, like horror or disgust. He should feel sick to his stomach. Instead, he just felt…sad over the loss of a life.

Before Gareth could ponder the reason for his unusual reaction to this otherwise intense and horrifying scene, a voice broke his train of thought.

"Come on, Marcus!" A gruff voice called out from somewhere in the ruined meadow. "It doesn't have to be this way!"

Gareth looked and saw a man standing at the edge of the meadow, far to his right. The man was large, hairy and wore a dark cloak. He looked a lot bigger than that bandit who refused to let him and Randor pass. In another life, Gareth probably would've been afraid of him, but right now, the bard was fascinated. The man looked like the archetypal medieval fantasy bandit: scars all over his face, large muscles, and a look that says "I'm going to kill you and take your stuff."

As Gareth focused on the man, the bard noticed that there were shapes and silhouettes in the trees behind him. In the silence, he could make out some distant groans and cursing.

"Just give us the girl!" the man continued, his voice was loud and commanding. "She's the only one we want. Give her to us and we'll let the rest of you go in peace."

"You know I can't do that, Burdar!" Another voice replied in an equally loud and firm tone.

This voice originated from the opposite side of the meadow, far to Gareth's left, where a wagon lay on its back, its wheels in the air. The bard could see a man sticking his head up from behind the overturned wagon. This man looked roughly the same age as the bandit name Burdar and also had an impressive looking scar on his face. He had messy black hair and steely eyes. Gareth noticed some movement behind the wagon and could make out some soft chatter, followed by a frustrated grunt.

"You know me," the raven haired man continued, "I get paid and I follow whatever job I'm paid to do all the way to the end. Besides, my code of honor forbids me from allowing defenseless young women from being abducted by scum like you."

"How chivalrous," Brudar sneered. "I admire you Marcus, I really do. A man of principle and honor, very rare in this day and age, but how'd that work out for you when you served the Bloody Emperor?"

The now-named Marcus was silent, and Gareth could practically taste the tension and hostility in the air.

Brudar sniffed. "We've all done things we're not proud of. You and me, we both have dirty hands and we did what was necessary. Well...look where that got us. Either a life of mucking out stables for the Royal Air Guard or be carted off to the southeast to help that dragon's little wretch with her beastman problem."

["Get to the point"] Kane complained in Gareth's head via [Message].

Gareth threw him an annoyed look, before looking back to the scene unfolding before them.

"What's your point?" Marcus demanded.

Gareth could hear Kane snicker at that.

"My point," Brudar huffed, "is that we both have a job to do. We're both struggling to keep food in our mouths. Therefore, I have a proposition for you: Give us the girl and we can divide the bounty between us."

"You're joking," Marcus said in disbelief.

"I'm not," the bandit said unabashedly. "Come on! We were comrades, you and I. Standing together fighting in the Imperial Army, glory and gold were ours for the taking. Look at us now. You, an Adventurer, and myself a bandit. Our fortunes really have taken a turn for the worst."

"Yours, maybe," Marcus scoffed, "I'm still respected, you're a wanted criminal. Was it bad luck that forced you to kill that official? Did the Emperor force you to deprive those farmers of their livestock?"

"I was merely taking what was owed me!" Brudar's face turned red, and Gareth could've sworn he saw spittle fly from the man's mouth. "I gave my all to the Empire, and he tossed me aside like I was nothing. He tossed both of us aside!"

Silence fell over the meadow for a stretch of time that seemed to last forever. After some time, Brudar took a deep breath and spoke again, this time more calmly and less spit filled.

"Listen to me" the bandit said "The amount of money that girl is worth to my employer...it's something you should consider. It's more than enough for your party and for my men. Just think about it. I know that jobs for Adventurers are growing harder to come by in this country and that the Emperor is basically squeezing every coin out of the guild until there's nothing left. I know that you're too proud to be a Worker and Re-Estize is not a better choice. Just...think about it."

Silence reigned over the meadow once more. Gareth could see that Marcus appeared to be lost in thought, as if considering his old friend's words. The silence held for a few moments until Marcus gave Brudar a cold look, and spoke.

"Not a chance," the raven haired Adventurer said firmly.

Without warning, an arrow whizzed out from the upper branches of the trees behind Marcus and the overturned wagon, followed by another. The two arrows sailed through the air until halting in mid air on either side of the wagon. Pained screams sounded as the air around the arrows rippled and two men wearing hooded cloaks appeared, standing there clutching their wounds with one hand and holding a dagger in the other.

Brudar's face twisted into an ugly scowl as the two screaming men were silenced by another two arrows, hitting each of them in the throat.

["Totally saw that coming, by the way"] Kane gloated.

"You can't have her," Marcus declared. "Not for all the gold in the world. Besides, I know how you are with money. There's no way that you would've split the reward with us."

"So much for sentiment," the bandit snarled. "I'm done playing around!"

The bandit turned to the men behind him and began shouting orders, gesturing wildly. In the darkness among the trees, Gareth could see men moving, drawing swords and spreading out. He glanced over to Marcus and assessed the situation. The raven haired adventurer was in trouble. Sure, he and whoever else he's got can hold the line for a bit, maybe deal out some serious injuries to the bandits, but the bandits outnumbered them by a significant margin.

If they didn't get help or escape soon, they're going to be overrun very quickly.

"We have to do something," Gareth murmured.

"My lord?" Lydia questioned.

"We have to help them" The bard said, slightly louder this time but only loud enough for his companions to hear. "We can't let this Brudar person kill them."

"How merciful of you, Lord Gareth," Randor said with admiration. "Thinking of others and showing your infinite compassion." The dwarf hefted his axe and nodded to the meadow. "Allow me. This won't take long."

"Easy there, killer," Kane said as he placed a hand on the dwarf's shoulder and pulled him back. "Let's think about this."

"What is there to think about?" Gareth asked.

Kane opened his mouth to speak but saw that Lydia and Randor were watching and listening very intently. The vampire looked at his brother and jerked his head to the side, indicating that they speak in private.

The two stepped away from their NPC companions and, once they were out of earshot, Kane spoke.

"One, we don't know these people," the vampire said softly. "Remember, this isn't our world. We don't know what we would be getting into if we just jump in."

"They're trying to protect a girl from these rapey Village People rejects," the bard countered. "Besides, from their little exchange, it seems like this Marcus guy has a good head on his shoulders."

"Yeah, but you also heard how they were both in an 'Imperial Army' gaining 'glory and gold' and having 'dirty hands,'" Kane said, using his fingers to make air quotes. "Seems like they may have shady pasts and aren't on the right side of things."

"Or, they were both ordinary guys who did bad things for this Emperor guy and ended upon the bad side of things, only one went insane and the other held true to whatever values he may still have."

Kane frowned. "That's oddly specific and a bit of a leap. Look, for all we know, we could be helping the wrong people or might draw some unwanted attention to us."

"I know," Gareth said with a sigh. "But I just...I feel that we should help this Marcus guy. I can sense that he's solid."

"Sense? Like with your Karma Sense?"

"Yes! And it was right about those bandit guys, right?"

The vampire assassin scratched his chin and considered his brother's words. Meanwhile, Gareth just stood there, waiting for his brother's answer. While Gareth wanted to help this Marcus, he couldn't help but agree with his brother and harbor a measure of doubt. Maybe there was more to this than they know. Perhaps that by intervening the two of them might end up in the middle of something awful and could yield unfortunate consequences. However, despite the consequences, the angelic bard felt that it was the right thing to do.

Before Kane could give his answer, the two heard a new voice echoing through the night.

"Hey, Brudar!" a young voice shouted.

"What now?" Kane grumbled, and the two rejoined Lydia and Randor and gazed into the meadow.

In the meadow, standing before the overturned wagon, facing Brudar and the bandits, was a cocky looking young man in blue cloak, holding a broadsword.

"What is that idiot doing?" the vampire murmured in disbelief.

Gareth only shrugged and watched as the young man stepped forward. The newcomer was average height and had an athletic build. His light blond hair made him stand out in the dark and his youthful face brimmed with confidence. Behind him, Gareth could see Marcus and another man hissing at the young man to get back behind the cart. The young man didn't appear to be listening.

Brudar turned and scowled at the young man. He took one look at the newcomer and frowned with confusion.

"Brudar!" the young man yelled loudly. "I challenge you to a duel. My blade against yours!"

Both of the brothers watched the scene with disbelief. Even Brudar seemed uncertain of what the young man was doing.

"What?" the bandit finally said, scowling at the young man.

"Come on, you and me, duel it out here and now!" the young man crowed "Like the Black Knight of the Thirteen Heroes and the Silver Paladin of the Holy Kingdom. We'll prove who's the better swordsman here and now!"

"Leto!" Marcus hissed from behind the wagon. "Get back here, now!"

It took a moment but Brudar eventually overcame his uncertainty and disbelief and began chuckling. His chuckling turned into laughter.

"Thanks for the laugh, kid," the bandit said after he caught his breath, "but I'm afraid playtime is over."

With a gesture, a tall, dangerous looking man with spiky hair emerged from the trees behind Brudar, carrying a broadsword. The man flashed a sadistic grin and strode forward, obviously intent on cutting the young man down.

Leto, however, looked undeterred. In fact, he looked pleased. He stepped forward to meet the broadsword wielding bandit.

The two closed the gap pretty quickly and with a swing from both swordsmen, their blades met and rang loudly. The brothers, Marcus, and Brudar watched as the two clashed. Though the bandit's fighter was taller and looked more experienced, Leto seemed to make up for it in speed, meeting the bandit's attacks blow for blow and evading whatever attack that slipped past his defenses. As the duel progressed, Gareth noticed that the blond swordsman was beginning to look winded, and was slowly losing ground.

"This is taking too long," Brudar complained. "Finish him!"

"Leto!" a young woman cried out from Marcus's side.

The spiky haired swordsman growled and he batted aside the young man's blade, leaving him wide open. The bandit raised his weapon and growled in a rough voice "[Martial Art: Cleaving Strike!]"

The bandit's broadsword glowed bright red, and before he brought it down, Gareth acted.

Marcus didn't know how things got this way.

Earlier this morning, the former Imperial soldier turned Adventurer was sharing a drink with the party's Ranger and his second-in-command, Allen, at the Three Hooks tavern. Though the Emperor was putting the squeeze on the guild, their party was doing just fine. They had just gotten back from a job escorting some merchants east toward the Karnassus City-State Alliance, and a new job was already lined up. Sure, it was another escort mission, which can be fairly stressful and draining depending on the cargo and the region in which they're traveling. However, this job seemed pretty simple and even relaxing.

All they had to do was escort Maggie up to Azuras, one of the Empire's largest port cities to the north, and back home to Arven. Seemed simple enough. Maggie was a good girl and she helped Marcus and the rest of his party from time to time. Her father, Sam, owned the Green Dragon tavern and inn, and was a good friend to all Adventurers, even now that the Imperial government was doing all that it could to drive them out. It was pretty obvious that they'd take the job. An nice, easy journey through the Empire, helping the daughter of an old friend and worrying about the occasional goblin raid or the odd bandit. What Marcus didn't expect was the Black Skull Company.

The Black Skulls were a band of thieves and outlaws who have been on the rise lately, causing the local governors all sorts of trouble. He had heard that a chunk of them were former Adventurers, deserters from the Imperial Army and even the occasional down on their luck Worker. They usually went after big targets, ones with lots of gold or something of value. He'd never heard of them attacking a wagon carrying barrels of cheap ale and salted fish. But he was wrong.

On the return journey everything was smooth sailing. The night was calm and cool and the road seemed quiet. When they reached the meadow, Brudar and his men attacked from all sides. Fortunately, with Silvia's magic and Allen's sharp eyes, they managed to catch on and deal some serious injuries. The wagon was knocked over in the battle, and the beleaguered travelers took cover behind it.

Marcus knew Brudar very well. He was brutal, unrelenting and sharp. It's how he rose high up in the army so quickly. The seasoned adventurer knew that they weren't going to get out of the meadow easy, but he knew that they had a fair shot. Silvia and Bruno had concocted an escape plan that would have ensured Maggie's safety and allowed the party to fight without worrying about her safety. It was looking like they were getting out of there. Until Leto stepped out into the open.

Leto was a competent Adventurer and a good swordsman, but sometimes, Marcus wondered what went on in his head, especially when he stepped out into the open and demanded a duel. The leader of the party kicked himself for not seeing this coming. The boy had issues when it came to following plans, and now he was going to die!

Marcus watched with horror as the blond young swordsman lost his weapon, and the bandit's sword began to glow with a Martial Arts strike.

He moved to rush to Leto's defense, but an arrow zipped past his head and landed in the trunk of the tree behind him. Marcus swore under his breath and ducked back behind cover. He carefully peered around the corner and could only watch helplessly as the bandit brought his sword down.

A loud clang sounded and the air went still. Marcus's eyes widened in shock.

Standing between Leto and the bandit was a tall, blond figure in a green cloak and a feathered cap, holding aloft a longsword with both hands, blocking the attack.

The bandit's sword still glowed as he tried to drive the blade through the stranger's own. Sparks flew and showered to the ground as the band's sword ground against the longsword.

"You just don't give up, do you?" the newcomer observed in a soft, elegant voice.

The spiky haired bandit gritted his teeth and continued to struggle against his new opponent, but made no headway. The stranger remained cool and composed, as if he were a statue.

Snarling, the bandit brought his sword back and tried to strike again, only to be blocked by the stranger and, surprisingly, the bandit's sword shattered into pieces, like glass.

Marcus blinked in astonishment. Across the way, he could see that Brudar was just as surprised, though he could see outrage and anger begin to form in his expression.

The bandit looked at his ruined sword in horror, then looked up at the stranger, who only shrugged as if he were just as surprised.

"Sorry about that" the stranger apologized, sounding genuinely sorry. "And sorry about this."

He reached up and flicked the bandit on the nose. A loud crack sounded in the dark and the bandit was on the ground, covering his face and moaning in pain.

The stranger flinched, and seemed to be murmuring to himself, something about putting something to sleep. He turned and faced Leto.

In the faint moonlight, Marcus and the others were rather taken back by the stranger's appearance. His face was flawless and devoid of scars or blemish. Long, silky blond, almost white hair reached down to his shoulders and two glittering blue eyes were set in his flawless face. He looked like an elf, but from what the Adventurer could see, the man didn't have pointed ears. The man reminded Marcus of an incredibly handsome nobleman, the way he carried himself and the way he spoke seemed to hint nobility but that couldn't be it.

After all, most of the nobles in Baharuth were dead, and the ones in Re-Estize were nowhere near as pleasant to look at.

"Are you alright?" the stranger asked Leto.

"Why...did you...get in the way" Leto huffed, trying to gain his breath.

Marcus groaned internally and tried very hard not to roll his eyes. The young swordsman can be so infuriating at times.

"I'm...sorry?" the stranger said slowly, trying to comprehend Leto's words.

"You got in my way!" the young swordsman complained very loudly. "I would've had him if you didn't interfere!"

"Leto!" Silvia called out. "Stop being rude, he was only trying to help!"

Marcus couldn't help but agree with the mage. Leto generally meant well, but often enough he comes off as rude and annoying to everyone, even to those who try to help him.

A smile appeared on the stranger's face. "I'm sure you did," he said almost smugly. "Tell me, at what point in your masterful strategy were you going to strike back? Before or after he cut you in half?"

The former Imperial soldier could hear Leto gritting his teeth, and looked like he was about to throw a tantrum at the stranger, but Brudar cut in.

"Hey!" the bandit growled "Who the hell are you?"

The stranger looked about, as if he were confused as to who could be talking to him, until he saw Brudar. "Me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

The stranger chuckled. "Pardon me, I forgot my manners. My name is Gareth Silvertongue" he doffed his cap and gave a theatrical bow to the bandit leader. Returning his cap to his head, Gareth continued. "I'm a bard by trade. Would you care for a song?"

"Just who do you think you are, barging in like this?" Brudar snarled. The large, hairy bandit paused. Something seemed to be going through his mind as Marcus saw a stupefied look appear on his face. "And how the hell did you get past the rear guard?"

"I'm sorry?" Gareth asked, blinking owlishly.

"No one else was supposed to interrupt us. My men were supposed to stop anyone from coming through!"

The bard stroked his chin thoughtfully "Did one of them happen to be a skinny fellow who looked like he could use a meal? He had a friend who was a large, rude lout?"

Brudar scowled, but he nodded.

Recognition appeared on the bard's face. "Ah, those fellows. I'm sorry to tell you but they're not going to be much help. You see, they've taken off."

"What?"

"They scarpered - er, - ran away. Something about a vampire wanting to eat them."

Brudar stared at Gareth for a moment. "You're lying!" he accused.

The bard shrugged "I don't know what to tell you but that's what they told me. I think they might've had a little too much to drink."

The bandit looked ready to explode as he made a gesture.

Marcus readied himself and expected more bandits to appear but after a few moments, nothing. Brudar glared and made the gesture again. Still nothing.

He turned and growled "What is with all of you? Get out here and kill this bastard!"

A moment after the words left his lips, someone did step out of the shadows but, judging from Brudar's reaction, weren't what he was expecting.

Marcus could barely make out who or what he was seeing. The figure was clad in all black and had long dark hair. Only his pale, sickly looking face was visible in the dark. He matched Brudar in height, but the Adventurer couldn't tell much else, due to the billowing cloak he wore.

Emerging from the shadows beside him were a slender, beautiful elf with silver hair, and a burly and angry looking dwarf wielding a large, fearsome looking axe.

Brudar stumbled away from these newcomers, quickly drawing his sword and aiming it at these armed and dangerous looking strangers.

"I'm sorry," the man in black said, his voice was low and velvety, "but I'm afraid your friends are...indisposed right now."

"They're not dead, if that's what you're thinking" Gareth chimed in "But they'll certainly have a nasty headache and spotty memories of tonight. So, I have come with a proposal of my own. Leave now and forget this ever happened or…" the bard shrugged and left the threat hanging in the air.

Brudar looked at the man in black, then to the elf, then the dwarf and finally to the bard, surprise written on his face. Marcus was just as surprised. Gareth and his friends appeared seemingly out of nowhere and unnoticed by both him and by Brudar's men. They must be very powerful and very experienced if they got the drop on the bandits this quickly and effectively.

Moments passed at a slug's pace, but eventually Brudar sheathed his sword.

"Very well," he grumbled, "I know when I am beat."

Marcus frowned. Gareth and his friends may have gained the upper hand, but Brudar wasn't one to give up so easily. As the bandit turned to leave, the former Imperial soldier realized what the bandit was doing.

Before he could shout a word of warning, Bruder spun around, throwing knives in hand and shouted, "[Martial Art: Flow Acceleration]!" The knives flew from his hands at an incredible speed, becoming almost invisible to Marcus's eyes. Brudar's eyes were wild and frantic, a sense of victory filled his expression, but his elation quickly faded when he saw that Gareth was still standing.

"W-What the hell?" The bandit leader breathed.

"Looking for these?" the man in black purred, lifting long pale hands and displaying two handfuls of dangerous throwing knives.

Brudar spun around and saw the strange pale man standing right behind him. He stumbled away in surprise. Marcus frowned.

How did he get there? The former Imperial soldier wondered.

"Watch how a professional does it," The man in black grinned, displaying a mouthful of perfect, pearly teeth and, in a dark blur of speed, hurled one of the knives. The blade caught the edge of Brudar's clothes, close to the shoulder, and pinned him to a nearby tree. A gleam of silver and two more knives embedded themselves into the bandit's clothes, this time pinning his arm and wrist. The last two he placed in the tree trunk near the bandit's head, and the other dangerously close to his groin.

Marcus winced, but was impressed by the man's skillful display.

Sweat trickled down Brudar's face as the man in black approached the bandit.

"W-Wait!" he begged, "Please, don't kill me! I'll-I'll give you anything you want! Money, items, information, anything!"

"Shhh" the man in black hushed the bandit, placing a long, pale finger on the frightened criminal's lips. "Fret not, we're not going to kill you."

"Y-you're not?"

"No," the man in black gave a hearty chuckle and gazed into Brudar's eyes. Marcus noticed the bandit's tense body slowly grow limp.

"You see, unlike you, we're civilized people" the man explained, his voice relaxing but carried a threatening tone. "This is merely a warning. Take it to heart and find a new line of employment. If we see you again, let alone hear about you, then…" the man looked to the dwarf.

Brudar and Marcus followed his gaze and saw the dwarf grinning, wiggling his eyebrows and holding up his axe, suggesting what he was going to do to the bandit.

The incapacitated bandit paled, and he quickly nodded "R-Right, d-don't worry about me. You-you won't hear from me again! I promise, I'll turn over a new leaf!"

"Good boy," the man in black grinned and pulled the throwing knives out and allowed the bandit to sink to the ground. Brudar blinked, and a dazed look appeared on his face. The bandit stood and stumbled away, vanishing into the dark of the forest and was gone. Not long after, his subordinate, the one Gareth had stopped from killing Leto, crawled after him. The bandit was whimpering in pain and nursing his now broken, bleeding nose.

Silence and stillness fell on the meadow and, after a few moments, Gareth turned and smiled at Marcus and his companions.

"So...what are your names?"

After a shaky introduction, the two groups got acquainted with one another. Gareth's group learned about Marcus and his group, learning each of their names and earning thanks for their unexpected rescue. Aside from the raven haired Adventurer, there was Leto, the young swordsman who tried to go 1v1 on Brudar. He pouted and mumbled about how he totally had everything under his control. There was Silvia, a pretty young woman with long, wine colored hair. She batted her eyelashes at Gareth, but the bard didn't notice.

There was Bruno, a large, stoic man with straw colored hair. He greeted the brothers with a silent nod, and went to gather any dropped weapons, extinguish the fires still burning in the meadow, and, most importantly, bury the bodies.

Lastly, there was Allen. He was a lanky man with a kind face and disheveled appearance. He greeted the two with a handshake and a warm thank you.

"You really saved us back there," the brown haired ranger said with a smile. "Got pretty close back there. I almost ran out of arrows." He looked to Kane. "Nice work with the knives."

"No problem," Kane said quietly; his attention was elsewhere.

"It's actually quite an amusing story," Gareth said, putting on his airy, noble voice. He brushed aside some of his long hair and smiled. "We were actually lost and wandering. We bumped into a band of thieves, going on and on about some big job, and then we heard some explosions."

"That'll be me," Silvia piped up. She blushed when Gareth looked her way.

"And then we followed the sounds and found you," the bard finished with a smile.

"What are you doing out here anyways?" Kane asked, looking at Marcus and Allen.

There was a loud, creaking groan of wood and a thud. Everyone turned to see the overturned wagon was now right side up. Randor dusted off his hands and looked at the assembled adventurers with a proud look.

"All done," the dwarf said with a grin.

After loading up what they could salvage, dropped weapons, armor, and a couple of sturdy looking barrels, the two groups set off down the road through the forest. Bruno had retrieved the horses, which were scared off during the ambush, and hooked them back to the wagon.

Allen and Bruno walked on either side of the wagon while Silvia rode in the front with the red haired woman, who kept quiet through the whole ordeal, and Leto took point, walking in the front, his sword drawn and a sure expression on his face.

Gareth, Kane, and Marcus guarded the rear. The raven haired adventurer explained to the brothers their escort mission and what had happened up until the ambush. Gareth nodded, slowly absorbing the information the adventurer related to them, though some of the terms and concepts went over his head. Once Marcus had finished his explanation, the bard asked one of the numerous questions he had floating about in his head.

"What did that Brudar fellow mean by 'the Emperor' and 'squeezing this guild of every coin?'"

Marcus gave him a funny look, but answered. "Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, nicknamed 'the Bloody Emperor,' has grown quite sour toward the Adventurer's Guild. Recently, he's enacted a bunch of new laws and regulations that heavily tax the guild for every job we take on. Meaning, more jobs we take, more coins go into his coffers."

"Why?" Kane asked

"He's never had much love for Adventurers," Marcus said with a shrug. "The Empire's military is the finest in the world, second to only maybe the Theocracy's or the Holy Kingdom's. With a standing army as well equipped and well trained as the Empire's, there's really no need to keep a bunch of Adventurers around."

"And which Empire is that?" Gareth asked lamely.

Marcus looked at the bard again and this time he asked the blond man a question.

"Don't you know where you are?"

Gareth let out an embarrassed chuckle. "My companions and I are from a distant land that you most certainly have never heard of, which is why we were lost. We're new to these lands."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully, accepting the bard's explanation.

"I see. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the glorious Baharuth Empire, one of the finest nations in the world. As of right now, if you're an Adventurer, then this is the last country you'd want to be in."

"If it is, then why are you still here?" Kane asked.

Marcus shrugged. "This is my home. I've got nowhere else to go. There are people here who need me. Besides, it's not much better in the other human kingdoms."

Kane frowned. "Human kingdoms?"

"Kingdoms ruled by, populated by, or at least friendly to, humans. There are numerous other nations on this continent that hate humans. Some of them consider us dinner."

"Charming," Gareth muttered grimly. "What are the other human kingdoms?"

"There's our neighbors to the west." Marcus nodded toward the large shapes, looming in the distance to their right. "Over the Azerlisia Mountains, lies the Kingdom of Re-Estize. Decadent and corrupt, they are our closest rivals. To the southeast, there's the Dragon Kingdom, to the southwest, the Slane Theocracy, full of religious fanatics. West of them, across a vast wilderness, there's the Roble Holy Kingdom."

"They really don't like each other," Allen chimed in from his side of the wagon. "The Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom, lots of bad blood."

Marcus nodded in agreement. "Indeed. There are several others, but none of them are friendly to the Empire or humans in general."

"Sounds awful," Kane said.

The raven haired adventurer nodded but didn't seem too broken up about it.

"So, what country are you from?" Allen asked, dropping back and walking beside the brothers and Marcus. "I like talking to people from far off places, which is why I became an Adventurer. See the world, meet interesting people and all that."

"Like my brother said, you probably never would've heard of it." Kane said, a little too harshly.

"Try me," Allen persisted.

"Yggdrasil," Gareth blurted.

Kane, Allen, and Marcus looked at Gareth, who tried very hard to not seem obvious or appear like he was lying.

"A land called Yggdrasil," the bard resumed, calmer and more slowly this time. "It's far, far away from here."

Allen frowned. "Never heard of it. What's it like?"

"Bleak," Kane answered brusquely. "Barren, awful. Not the kind of place you want to spend a lot of time in."

"Sounds awful," Silvia said from the driver's seat of the wagon.

"It's not all bad," Gareth said gently. "Sure, it's pretty bleak and difficult to live in, but it has its charms."

"W-What brings you to Baharuth?" a new voice suddenly asked them.

Everyone looked and saw that the question came from the young, quiet, red haired woman that Marcus and his party were escorting. Gareth blinked, and he smiled a little.

"I'm a bard!" he said with a flourish. "It's my job to travel the world, collect stories and songs, and share them with those I meet. I've traveled to many lands and have collected many songs and tales, but none from these lands. I hope that I might learn a few things here."

"R-Right," the young woman said, nodding a little too quickly.

The group traveled the road for a long time. Marcus answered some of Kane's questions and had explained the purpose and functions of Adventurers and other basic information about life on the continent. He also informed the two the name of their little party: the White Clovers. The night deepened and the moon had gradually marched across the sky. Eventually came to a stop in a vast, hilly green stretch of country. The wagon was directed off to the side of the road and off a short distance and the group began to make camp for the night. Bruno and Allen collected some wood and built a small fire. Silvia walked the perimeter of the camp, murmuring incantations and aiming her spells at the campsite.

"To keep us invisible," Marcus explained when he noticed Gareth's perplexed expression. "Keeps us hidden from bandits and other things."

"What other things?" Kane asked.

"Goblins and ogres," Allen answered with a shrug. "The usual. They're a lot more active in these parts, since we're so close to the Azerlisia Mountains. We'll be a lot safer when we're closer to Arven."

Gareth and Kane shared a look.

Once Silvia finished casting her spells, the Adventurers and Gareth's group gathered around the fire. Bruno returned from the forest, bringing with him some small furry animals that looked like rats to Gareth. After they were skinned and cleaned, Allen cooked them over the fire. As the rats were cooking, Gareth noticed Leto watching him from across the fire.

"Is there something on my face?" the bard asked.

"Are you really a bard?" the young swordsman asked.

"Yes."

"Is it true, what they say? About how bards can control a man with his voice alone?"

Gareth frowned. He wasn't exactly sure about the bard's in this world, but in Yggrdasil, they could command NPCs, enemy monsters, and assorted enemies, depending on their level.

"I can, to an extent," the bard answered cryptically. "But don't worry, I can't make anyone do something they don't want to do, like fall in love with me. Otherwise I would've charmed those bandits into submission." He let out a rather annoying, arrogant sounding giggle, trying to breathe life into his bard persona and hide the fact that he was lying. Gareth wasn't entirely sure what he could fully do with his Bardic Voice, and he wasn't eager to find out or reveal everything about him in one sitting.

Relief appeared on Bruno and Marcus's faces. Allen seemed emotionless, while the two young women in the party gained color in their faces. However, disgust entered Leto's expression.

"How dishonorable!" the young man sniffed.

"What?" Kane said, frowning at the swordsman. The vampire sat between his brother and Randor, with Lydia sitting on the bard's left.

"I said it was dishonorable!" Leto said, a little louder this time. Marcus shushed him and the young man lowered his voice to a softer volume. "To use such underhanded means is cowardly and without honor! A true warrior faces his enemy on the battlefield head on."

["Oh brother,"] Kane murmured over [Message], throwing an annoyed look at Gareth. The vampire looked back to Leto.

"Oh really?" Kane said. "Just like what you did back there with those bandits? Just walk out into the middle of battle and demand a duel?"

"Yes! True swordsmen prove themselves through duels and single combat! Only a coward uses tricks and magic to win!"

"Leto," Marcus hissed at his companion. "Don't be rude."

"No, no, it's alright," Kane said, waving a hand to the leader of the Adventurers. He sat up straight and fixed the young man with a cold look. "We're just having a friendly discussion about tactics. Please, do go on. Tell me how my brother and I are cowards? We never used magic. We may have used some trickery, but at least we didn't needlessly expose ourselves and almost got ourselves and our friends killed."

Leto's face turned red and he jumped to his feet. "Come on then! Let's go, you and me, a duel!"

"Leto…" Silvia began with a heavy sigh, but went quiet when Kane rose to his feet.

Everyone stared at the vampire in silent awe, who stood a head taller than the young man and looked like a vision of death with his pale features, his dark, dull eyes and flowing night black hair.

Gareth wanted to tell his brother to let it go, but saw the resolve on his brother's face and knew that it'd be futile to try talking him out of it.

"I accept," Kane said curtly. "Prepare yourself for a lesson in humility and the nature of battle, boy."

The vampire glided to the edge of the campfire's light, a short distance from the others and the wagon. Leto scooped up his sword and pulled it free from its sheath. The blond young man assumed a fighting stance and glared at his opponent.

Kane, on the other hand, remained calm and emotionless. His hands remained hidden within his voluminous black cloak.

Tension hung in the air between them as the young swordsman seized the vampire up. A cool wind blew through the campsite, causing Kane's cloak to flap lazily like a banner. The world seemed to grow silent, with only the sound of the crackling campfire. Time passed slowly. Gareth watched silently, hoping that everything would turn out fine, and that his brother knew what he was doing.

"Well," Kane said with a faint smile, spreading his arms and cloak wide. "I'm waiting."

Leto gritted his teeth. "Shut up."

"Come now," the vampire mocked, "where's that warrior spirit from earlier? Why, by your own words, you're being a coward for just standing there and doing nothing! A true warrior charges his enemy head on!"

"Shut up!" Leto snarled.

"Don't let him get to you!" Allen warned, watching the two fighters with interest and worry. "Keep calm."

Leto nodded, though Gareth could see that the ranger's words didn't reach him. The young swordsman tightened his grip on his weapon and he shifted his stance a little.

Kane stood there, boredom becoming more apparent in his face.

"Are we going to stand here and stare lovingly into each other's eyes, or are we going to do something?" the vampire demanded.

"Shut up!" Leto declared loudly, and like a viper, he struck.

The young man was a blur of speed. He surged forward, his blade began to glow yellow and in an instant he had closed the gap between the two.

"[Martial Art: Slashing Strike]!" Leto shouted. He swung, delivering an glowing slashing arch down on Kane's head.

Silvia, the red haired woman, and Bruno watched with astonishment and worry, but Gareth, Marcus and the rest simply watched in silence.

Leto's glowing blade met its mark but Kane was no longer there. Instead, the vampire was at the swordsman's side, holding a curved, black bladed dagger to his exposed throat.

"How did he…?" Silvia breathed in astonishment.

"Do you yield?" Kane asked, sounding bored.

"Screw you!" The blond young man turned to face the vampire, bringing his blade in an upward, diagonal strike, hoping to catch him. He didn't.

The vampire was no longer there. He was a few steps away from the young man, yawning into his hand. "I'm getting sleepy," he announced.

Leto surged toward Kane, swinging his blade and using the same [Martial Art] he used previously. The strike cleaved through the air, sending an arc of golden energy a short distance before fading into nothing. Kane was standing behind the young man, his back practically touching the young man's back.

"If I didn't know any better," Kane said casually, "You appear to have some serious anger issues."

Leto roared angrily and spun around, swinging in a wild arc. Again, he only hit air.

Frustrated, Leto shouted, "Stand and fight you coward!"

"Coward, am I?" Kane cooed directly into the swordsman's ear. "My dear boy, don't you get it yet?"

Leto swung again but this time, his sword made contact with one of the vampire's obsidian short swords. The vampire stood there, holding the young man's strike at bay with a single sword. A grim, serious look was fixed on Kane's face.

"Battles aren't fair," the vampire explained in an even tone. "It's not about some deluded notion of honor and glory. Battles are an ugly mess. It's about survival and when your life's on the line, you fight to win. Forget those notions about honorable duels and whatever 'way of the warrior' nonsense you may have heard because your opponents won't be fighting fair. You have to fight smart otherwise you'll end up dead."

With little effort, Kane drove Leto back, knocking him off balance and with a blur of speed, knocked the young man's blade free from his hand and pushed him to the ground. He aimed his short sword at the young man's throat and gave him a cold, deadly glare.

Leto glared back, but the young man's resolve appeared to wither in the vampire's glare.

A long, tense moment passed and for a moment, everyone worried that either Kane or Leto were going to do something regrettable. Someone began to clap.

Everyone looked and saw that Gareth was standing now, giving the vampire assassin a hearty applause.

"Well done!" he cried. "Well done, both of you! Such an excellent display of martial prowess. Come now, dinner is ready. You both must be famished."

The tension faded and everyone noticed Lydia tending to the rats cooking over the fire, sprinkling seasoning and judging their quality with an experienced eye.

Kane broke his glare and returned his short sword to its sheath at his side. He offered a hand to the young man on the ground, who took one look at it and waved it away.

Leto pushed himself up off the ground and returned to the campfire in a huff, plopping on the ground and grumbled something under his breath.

"You try to be nice…" Kane murmured and returned to his brother's side.

["Jeez, that was a little intense"] Gareth said to his brother over [Message].

["What? He was annoying the shit out of me,"] Kane replied defensively. ["Besides, someone needed to knock some sense into him. I mean, you saw him out there with the bandits. He's probably going to get someone killed."]

["I know, but don't you think you laid it on a little too thick?"]

Kane gave a small shrug, which no one else seemed to notice. Lydia was keeping them busy by apportioning out the cooked meat to the members of the White Clovers.

Gareth sighed, and as Lydia finished dishing out the rat meat, he gave his brother a look

["Seriously, maybe give me a heads up next time. I thought you were going to rip his throat open. We all did. I think you even made him pee his pants."]

Kane grinned, and suppressed a laugh.

The Adventurers and Gareth's group shared a quiet meal. The bard noticed Allen watching Kane intently, questions seemed to be evident on the ranger's face, but he didn't seem to have the courage to voice them. Silvia was chatting with the red haired young woman the Clovers were tasked with escorting. The two seemed to be cheerful and appeared to have forgotten about the bandits already. Leto seemed sullen, but happy to be eating a hot meal, stuffing crispy rat meat into his mouth silently.

As the fire dwindled to a meager flame, the Clovers and Gareth's group settled in for the night. Leto had already laid out his blankets and was fast asleep, snoring loudly and drool beginning to dribble out of the corner of his mouth.

Silvia and the red haired young woman were laying out their blanket rolls close to the wagon, alongside Allen and Bruno. Marcus returned from the bushes and volunteered to take the first watch. Gareth and Kane offered to join him but the adventurer declined.

"We got a long journey ahead, you'll need your rest," the raven haired adventurer said.

"I'm fine," Gareth said with a smile. "Besides, you could probably use the company."

Marcus hesitated for a moment, but accepted Gareth's offer.

Kane, meanwhile, shrugged and bid them goodnight. He went to the edge of the campsite, opposite of the White Clovers, wrapped himself in his cloak and laid down. Lydia and Randor joined him.

Gareth knew that they were pretending to sleep. Although the brothers and the NPCs do need sleep, the four of them didn't feel tired in the slightest, and have gone for more than a day without needing sleep and not felt any side effects.

Once Gareth's companions "retired", the bard sat down by the dying fire, across from Marcus, and unslung his lute. He plucked some of the strings, checking to see if it was in tune. Even in a video game, instruments needed to be kept in tune.

The bard looked to Marcus, who seemed to be watching him. He smiled. "Any requests?"

Marcus smiled, and he shook his head.

"You probably wouldn't know them," the Adventurer said. "How about a song from your lands?"

Gareth nodded. "Alright." The bard thought for a moment, trying to find the appropriate tune and eventually settled on one.

He began to strum his lute, playing a soft, gentle melody, reminiscent of a lullabye. The bard laced his music with a spell of calming and healing, to soothe the White Clovers, allowing them to regain their strength and have pleasant dreams. Immediately, Gareth saw Marcus seem to grow less tense.

"The road goes ever on and on" Gareth sang, his voice like silk "Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow, if I can…"

Marcus's eyelids grew heavy and he began to nod off to sleep. Gareth continued his song and by the end, the White Clovers were all fast asleep, including Marcus, who remained sitting up at his post.

The bard sighed and looked at the fire, which was now nothing but faintly glowing embers. He turned his gaze about and looked about the vast landscape that lay ahead of them. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful, and nothing seemed to set off Gareth's senses.

He looked to Kane, Randor and Lydia. The dwarf and the elf were fast asleep too. Kane was sitting up, cleaning his nails with his dagger.

"Now what do we do?" Gareth asked.

"We keep watch," Kane simply replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"For how long?"

"Until morning, dingus."

The bard looked at the lute in his hands and frowned. "I may have overdone it."

"Ya think?"

Kane joined his brother and the two sat by the smoldering remains of the campfire and waited in the stillness and silence, waiting for morning to come.

Morning greeted Maggie bright and clear. The young redhead yawned loudly as she sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked about. She was alone by the wagon. Silvia, Bruno, and the rest of the White Clovers were tending to the morning fire, cooking what smelled like bacon and sausages. It took a moment for her to remember the events of the previous evening.

The journey home from Azuras, the ambush, and the rescue by Gareth the bard and his party. Maggie blushed at the memory of how the handsome blond man rescued Leto and drove off the bandits. He looked so heroic, brave, and confident.

"Good morning!" a cheerful voice greeted her.

Maggie blinked, still a little drowsy and dazed, and looked up. Standing there, holding a small wooden bowl of sausages, bacon and cheese, was none other than the man who saved them from certain death, Gareth Silvertongue.

The young woman instinctively pulled her close to her body, trying to shield herself, but remembered that she was still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday and felt a little foolish.

"S-Sir Gareth," Maggie greeted him lamely.

"Please, it's just Gareth," the bard said with a friendly smile. "I'm no knight, so don't worry about any formalities or titles. I'm just a wandering musician with not a penny to my name."

"Right," she said softly.

He offered her the bowl of food. "Eat up. From what Marcus was saying, we got quite a journey ahead of us."

She accepted the bowl gladly, trying not to make it obvious that she was starving. She thanked him and as he turned to leave, Maggie blurted out, "I liked your song."

Gareth paused, and looked back at her. "Hm?"

"Your song," Maggie said, softer this time. "I-I really liked it. It was beautiful."

The bard frowned in confusion, but a moment later, realization crossed his face.

"Oh, uh, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's an old favorite of mine. My grandfather taught it to me."

Maggie smiled, which felt like a warm summer breeze. "I hope to hear more of your music."

Gareth nodded, giving her a warm smile in return. "Maybe you will. Now eat, we're leaving soon."

The redhead nodded and dug into her food, savoring every bite and watching as the bard walked away, his forest green cloak flapping in the morning breeze. For a moment, the young woman imagined that the bard was one of those heroes who the singers sang about and whose names were passed down from generation to generation, becoming legends.

Maggie shook her head free from the ever increasingly distracting thoughts and resumed eating. There wasn't time to daydream, and there was plenty to do.

Within an hour, Maggie, the White Clovers, and Gareth's party broke camp, doused the campfire, and were back on the road, heading back to Arven.

The sky was a peach color as the sun slowly rose in the sky. The air was still cool from the night, and the grass gleamed with fresh dew.

The wagon rattled up the rough dirt road, bouncing off of various rocks and bumps along the way. Maggie sat beside Silvia, keeping a tight hold on the reins. Although she tried to remain focused on the way ahead, the redhead's thoughts couldn't help but turn back toward the bard and his companions.

To call them astonishing would be an understatement. The way they arrived and drove off those bandits was nothing short of incredible. Their skills were something to behold. The man in black, Kane was his name if she remembered correctly, was so fast when he dueled with Leto at the camp. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Though she was grateful for his assistance, something about him made her feel unsettled. He was handsome and had an almost hypnotic voice, but there was something there that made her stomach turn.

Maggie glanced sideways and saw the burly, raven haired dwarf walking alongside the wagon with the silver haired elf. She didn't see what they were capable of, but if they traveled with the likes of Gareth and Kane, they must be quite skillful as well. The redhead wondered how the four of them met. They were a peculiar group of Adventurers: two humans, a dwarf and an elf. Dwarves kept to themselves and mainly interacted with the people of the Empire through trade and the occasional feast or diplomatic mission. Very few could boast a close friendship with the dwarves, save for a few individuals like General Zirdam Ginostus of the Imperial Army, who was also one of the few men who could call Emperor Jircniv a friend.

The redhead began to ponder and imagine what sort of circumstances these four peculiar individuals would have met. She heard how they were from a land called "Yggdrasil." She'd never heard of such a land. Growing up, she helped her father with his tavern, the Green Dragon, and had heard stories of distant lands and strange far off countries, but nothing regarding a place called Yggdrasil. It must be very far indeed for the Adventurers and merchants who passed through the inn to have never mentioned it. However, if Kane's description of it was correct, then the tavern's regulars probably wouldn't want to be there, and if they did, they would sooner wish to forget about it.

Even so, how could such a dreary sounding place have produced such a charming and handsome man like Gareth?

"What're you daydreaming about?" Silvia asked suddenly, pulling Maggie from her thoughts.

Maggie jumped a little. "N-nothing!" she said quickly.

"You're thinking of Gareth, aren't you?" the mage asked with a knowing smile.

"What? No, no, no!" the redhead sputtered.

"It's okay," Silvia chuckled, "because I'm thinking of him too."

"You are?"

"Yeah, I mean, he's handsome and he saved our lives. Plus, he saved Leto from that bandit." She glanced over her shoulder, as did Maggie.

Trailing behind them were Gareth and Kane. The bard seemed relaxed as he kept pace with the wagon, plucking a lively tune on his lute.

"He just seems so...perfect" Silvia said admiringly. "Handsome, brave, kind...he's like something out of a fairy tale."

"Yeah," Maggie murmured under her breath. The two stared at the bard for what seemed like a long time, until he noticed them staring and he waved at them.

The two spun around and tried to focus on the road ahead, although they found it difficult to do so.

Morning gradually evolved into midday when the city of Arven appeared on the horizon.

Although she'd lived in Arven her entire life, Maggie never got used to the sight of the city.

The city rose from the rolling green fields like a flower sprouting from the earth. Surrounded by high, thick walls of stone, were the narrow streets and brick buildings that Maggie was familiar with. Sitting in the center of the city, surrounded by the tiled roofs of homes and buildings, was the enormous, formidable fortress of Arven. Long before it became a hub of trade in the western region of Baharuth, Arven was a fortified settlement that acted as the Empire's western most outpost and a shield against the threats that down from the Azerlisia Mountains and the forests that skirted the base of the towering range. The fortress had stood for generations, and will probably stand for many more. As the group neared the city, Maggie couldn't help but look up in awe at the fortress looming over the city, reminding everyone that although the nobility were gone, the Bloody Emperor still reigned supreme and his rule was absolute.

Despite his nickname and dark reputation, Emperor Jircniv was popular among the people. The ancient noble houses that ruled the Empire were greedy and cruel, but ever since the new emperor's ascension, people of all classes had an opportunity to carve out a better life and rise through the ranks on their own merits, which was beneficial for Maggie's family and countless others who lived in Arven.

At the front gates, the city guard stepped forward to meet them. Maggie silently hoped that James and his men were the ones on duty, but was disappointed to see that they weren't. The men who stopped and questioned them of their intentions and cargo were the ones she had hoped to avoid.

Most men among the City Guard were friendly and hard working people, with some of them even being good friends with Maggie's father, but there were some who were rude, unpleasant, and downright awful. The ones inspecting her wagon were of the latter. The captain of the men at the gate was a sullen looking man with a moustache a perpetual frown on his face. He spoke with Marcus, and regarded the Adventurer with contempt. After a few minutes of thorough searching and questioning, the captain and his men allowed them to pass, but not before one of them sneered at Leto and rudely bumped into Allen.

The redhead scowled. She wanted to tell the guards off for looking down on her friends. She hated how Adventurers were treated in Baharuth, and wanted to say something. These people risked their lives to keep her safe, and they certainly deserved more respect than what they were currently receiving, but she wisely kept quiet. Maggie knew it was pointless, and that she'd only get herself and the White Clovers into trouble.

Maggie snapped the reins and the wagon rolled forward. As she passed through the gate, she heard the captain bark.

"Halt!"

She glanced back and saw that the mustachioed man and his subordinates were blocking Gareth, Kane, Lydia, and Randor from entering.

"I've never seen you lot around," she heard the captain say suspiciously.

"That's because we're new here," Gareth answered cheerfully. "You see, we're strangers in this land, and we're hoping to see more of your interesting country.

Maggie didn't hear what the captain said, but she assumed that it wasn't nice. She wanted to turn around and argue with the guards to let them through, but Silvia placed a hand on her arm.

"They'll be fine," the mage assured her. "Come now, we have to get you home. Your father and mother will be worried."

"Oh," Maggie said, blinking. "Right." With all the excitement they've had on the journey home, the redhead forgot about her father. They were supposed to have arrived a day ago, but were delayed by the ambush and by a last minute deal in Azuras. Silvia was right. He must be worried sick. The wagon trundled on and entered the crowded, busy street and made its way toward the Green Dragon tavern.

As Silvia, Maggie and the others entered the city, Gareth and Kane dealt with the surly captain.

"So what brings you to our fair city?" the moustachioed soldier sniffed, giving off an air of self-importance and pride.

"Oh little of this, little of that," Gareth answered, smiling. "Like I told you, we're strangers here and we wish to see more of your country."

"Why's that?" asked one of the men standing beside the moustached guard.

"I am a bard by trade," the blond man explained and gestured to his companions. "And these fine fellows are my companions."

"Oh yeah?" sneered another guard, adjusting his dirty tunic and aged sword belt. "Give us a song then. How about The Ballad of the Black Knight?"

"Or how about Song of the Silver Paladin?" chimed another.

Kane scowled. It was pretty obvious that these guards were just screwing with them. With each little snide comment and with each look of that stupid, irritable looks of arrogant superiority, the vampire was on the verge of exploding on them. He, however, bit his tongue and kept quiet. These assholes weren't worth it.

Just keep quiet and it'll all be over soon, Kane told himself. His anger faded a little bit, but his temper flared again when he noticed one of the guards giving Lydia the elevator eyes.

"What do we have here?" the leering guard hooted. "Take a look at this one. She's an elf!"

The captain and the other guards turned their gazes toward the silver haired elf. A look crossed the moustachioed captain's features that made Kane's gut turn.

"Aren't you a pretty thing?" the captain leered. He walked over to Lydia and began looking her over. A look of disgust formed on Lydia, but she kept still.

"Where'd you come by this one?" the captain asked Gareth. "The capital? They always get the finer ones up at the markets there."

"Markets?" Gareth repeated with a frown.

"Look at her ears," said one of the men, pointing at Lydia's pair. "Probably from Eight Fingers. The Theocracy's merchants cut off their ears to break their spirits."

Kane frowned, unsure at first at what they were talking about, but it didn't take long for the vampire to put two and two together. They think that Lydia was a slave of some sort and from the sound of things, elves were a commodity in this country. This information only made Kane grow more disgusted and angry.

Back home, life was tough everywhere, but the one thing that people from their country could take pride in was that their freedom was still intact. In some parts of the world, corporations had a stranglehold over peoples rights and treated them like property. One of his closest friends from work had grown up overseas, and had endured such a lifestyle. The stories he told still haunted Kane, and these perverse scumbags were talking about Lydia like she was nothing more than a piece of meat. The vampire's long, pale fingers curled up into a fist in an attempt to keep calm, but was failing when he overheard one of the guards whisper to his friend, "I'd give a year's pay just for a few minutes with her."

"I have a proposal" the captain said, turning to Gareth "I'll forget all about this, in fact, I'll give you a personal tour of our city and introduce you to the governor himself. The old man is always quite fond of bards and traveling players."

"...In exchange for?" Gareth asked slowly, all mirth gone from his face.

"Your elf," the moustachioed man said boldly. "I'll even compensate you." He reached behind him and pulled a fat leather pouch off his belt, and tossed it to Gareth.

The bard caught it and opened it. Inside, the bag was filled with glittering gold coins. The captain and his men were all so focused on Lydia that none of them paid attention to either of the brothers or to Randor. A dark expression crossed the bard's angelic features, and Kane's eyes burned crimson. Randor, meanwhile, gripped his axe and looked like he was about to start a massacre.

A moment passed and it was Gareth who spoke.

"No," the bard said simply.

"Hm?" the captain said, spinning on his heel to face Gareth.

"I don't think so," Gareth said, an unpleasant smile found its way onto his face. "I don't need your ill gotten gains, and I don't deal with vermin like you."

He pulled open the bag and dumped the coins onto the ground, before tossing the bag aside.

The moustachioed captain and his men stared at Gareth for a moment, before an ugly smile appeared on their faces.

"Is that so?" the captain sneered, reaching for his sword. "Well then, I'll just have to have you locked in the dungeon and your...contraband taken from you. I mean, it's fairly obvious that a man like you couldn't afford such a fine elf. You must've stolen her."

"You're welcomed to try," the bard giggled, spreading his empty hands wide. "But, I'm afraid that you'll already have your hands full, what with your men senselessly attacking you and trying to kill you."

The captain let out a full bellied laugh but was cut off when he saw a flash of silver and he ducked aside just in time as one of his men brought his sword down on his captain.

"What the hell, Brax?!" the captain demanded. "What was that fo-" Before he could finish his question, one of his other men lunged at him with a spear, and tore at his tunic, his weapon glancing off the chainmail underneath.

Very soon, the guards, numbering four in total, had gathered around their captain, and began attacking with their weapons. The captain drew his sword and managed to fend off a few of his men, before receiving a nasty cut on his arm.

"What has gotten into all of you?!" the captain screamed, sweat forming on his brow and panic beginning to set in.

"I-I don't know," one of the men cried. "I-I can't control my body!"

"M-me too!" another one of his men screamed.

The captain rounded on Gareth and the others, who were standing outside the circle of guards, watching. The moustachioed man grew pale at the sight of the bard's face. Kane looked and was just as surprised to see a deeply unsettling smile fixed on his brother's face.

"What have you done to my men?" the captain asked

"Nothing." Gareth shrugged. "They're merely showing their true colors."

"W-what?"

"Although you wear the colors of your liege and swore oaths to serve and protect this city, I know that deep down, you're all rotten, lying hypocrites. It's like they say: 'No honor amongst thieves.'"

Before the captain could fully grasp what Gareth was getting at, two of his men struck. The captain batted aside one attack, but received a dagger to the side. All the wind got knocked out of the moustachioed man. He grabbed at his attacker and tried to push himself free, but found another blade, this time in his shoulder. The captain screamed in pain.

Kane looked at his brother. "Okay, I think he's learned his lesson now" the vampire whispered.

"Not yet," the bard said darkly. "He has to learn his lesson"

"What lesson?"

"Trust me."

"But-"

Gareth looked at Kane and the vampire saw that the bard was calm, focused, and serious.

"Trust me."

Kane frowned at the bard, before he let out a drawn out sigh. "Fine."

The bard patted his brother on the shoulder, and then he approached the captain, who was currently pinned in place (literally) by his own subordinates.

As he drew close, the soldiers struggled desperately to regain control of their limbs and to escape but failed. They could only watch helplessly as the bard approached.

"Now, I can honestly tell that none of you are fond of stories and songs," Gareth spoke, his voice was soft, but was clear enough for everyone there to hear. "But beneath the flowery prose and snappy tunes, there are timeless truths that act as a warning and guidance for future generations. Allow me to share one."

"H-help me," the captain moaned in anguish. "I-I'm dying."

"Nonsense! I've seen worse. But don't worry, I won't yammer on too long. Essentially, where my brother and I are from, we are taught to treat others with kindness and respect. Do you know why?"

"Please…" the captain whimpered.

"Do you know why?" Gareth asked, a little louder.

"...Why?"

"'For you may be entertaining angels unawares,'" the bard quoted solemnly.

The captain and his men looked confused, but quickly grew astonished when they saw Gareth's eyes beginning to glow a bright, brilliant blue.

"Oh gods…" the captain wheezed.

"Save your breath," Gareth said coldly, "For I have looked upon your soul, and have seen all your sins. Make peace with your gods, for you shall go to meet them. All of you."

The captain's eyes grew wide and frantic, as did the others. They began to beg and plead, but with a small gesture, they all raised their weapons. All of them were poised to deliver the killing blow and turn on each other.

"Hey! What's going on down there!" a voice called out from the battlement above them.

"Oh, thank the gods!" Gareth cried out in horror, stepping away from the guards and assumed a frightened, cowering pose. "You have to come quick! These men have gone mad and have begun to attack each other. I-I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen. Please send help quickly, I think one of them might be dying!"

There were shouts and movement coming from above, and in moments a dozen new soldiers appeared and rushed onto the scene.

The captain's men were pulled off their commander and the injured man was rushed to a healer. As the soldiers carried the mustachioed man through the gate, he watched the black cloaked figure speaking with his subordinates. Each of the frightened men looked like they grew drowsy, and were nodding along slowly to the man's words. The bard, meanwhile, was watching him go.

The angelic man's eyes glowed like sapphire stars and with a gesture of his hand, the captain felt his body beginning to grow extremely hot and his mind began to twist, and everything went red.

After being briefly questioned by the new guard squad, Gareth, Kane, Lydia, and Randor were permitted entrance to the city. As they followed the road in, the four passed the guard shack where the sleazy captain was carried off to. Inside, they could hear the man screaming madly and thrashing about, followed by another man calling for restraints. The bard was silent, and felt deeply ashamed of himself.

He swore to himself that he wanted to exercise restraint with his new powers. He sensed that they would be too dangerous to use on other people, which is why he went easy on the bandits. But when they met that man and his subordinates, something within him changed. They were perverse and corrupt, their leader was the worst amongst them, which was why he struck him with the [Bestow Curse] spell and drove him mad. Some angel he was.

Gareth didn't need to use his Karma Sense to know what those men were planning to do and what they intended to do. When he did use it, however, what he saw was sickening. It was like using a pair of X-Ray glasses, except instead of a skeleton, the bard saw their true selves, their innermost thoughts and their darkest desires. It made him want to vomit. It made him want to take a molten hot shower and scrub every inch of himself off. To say that those men were corrupt would be an understatement.

They made the bandits from the night before look saintly by comparison.

Part of him tried to reason with himself to go easy on them, to maybe scare them or just use his Bardic Voice to slip past them, but he couldn't. He knew full well what these men were going to do. They'd just carry on like business as usual, which would very likely involve extorting people, bullying those who can't or won't defend themselves, and, judging from their reactions to Lydia, would slink off to find some poor unfortunate elf to "play" with. Which was why he had to teach them a lesson, show them that there was someone who didn't put up with their shit, that they weren't top dogs. Far from it.

Gareth shook his head and tried to regain focus on the here and now. They were in an actual city in a new world! Not many could say that with a straight face.

The dirt road leading from the front gate became smooth and paved with stone as they passed through a second gate that separated the city from the military barracks and training grounds. On the other side, the four companions were greeted by the sight of a clean and well populated city.

The roads were smooth and evenly paved with lampposts and trees lining them. The houses were of a fine quality, composed of brick and topped off with tiled roofs. The road they were on ran straight up a broad thoroughfare that led up to the next wall and up to the fortress at the center of the street. The two brothers shared a look, before pressing onward.

Gareth kept his head on a swivel. He wanted to drink in the sights and see all that there was to see. Although this city looked very primitive in comparison to their home world, the bard was impressed. He half expected muddy roads, thatched huts, and carts full of dung. Instead, he found a clean and organized city. It would've truly been amazing, had it not been for what he saw in those guards' souls and that whole fiasco.

While he couldn't see explicitly what goes on in their heads, he could sense that they were fairly confident and were pleased to be part of something greater. Meaning that those men weren't alone. There were probably more of them.

Of course there are, Gareth thought bitterly.

"My lord Gareth?" a gentle voice spoke.

Gareth looked up and saw Lydia walking beside him.

"Yes?"

"I-I just wanted to say...thank you." She said softly. "For what you did, and I-I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I could've handled it myself."

Gareth gave her a genuine smile. "Nonsense! I couldn't bear the thought of those...creatures getting their hands on you. While I am confident that you could've handled them yourself, someone had to teach them a lesson."

"Of course," Lydia said with a smile.

The four carried on up the sidewalk, following the road deeper into the city, as a great big cart lumbered by at hasty speed. Gareth glanced sideways and saw that in the back of the cart was a large cage. Packed tightly within the cage were dirty, smelly, and starving elves.

Gareth's eyes widened in shock at the state of them. Packed in so tightly together like sardines, there wasn't enough room to sit or lay down. They all stood, cramped together. Some stuck their thin, bony limbs out through the gaps between the bars. He could sense a riot of emotions radiating from the cage like heat from a sun at noon: misery, hopelessness, fear, pain. What caught his eyes were the ears. A scattered few within the cage had pointed ears, which was what belied their origins, but the majority had the pointed parts of their ears clipped off.

The bard's eyes were fixed to the cart until it vanished around a corner. It was then that awful feeling returned. Something deep in his gut told him that this was wrong and that something had to be done. Gareth took a deep breath and told Lydia to keep close to him. She nodded, and they hurried after Kane and Randor. Something will be done and soon. First, they had to find lodgings, and then they needed to get to know this city a little better.

A few minutes after they had arrived, Gareth and the others quickly got lost. None within their party could read the strange language on the various signs they passed. They tried entering each building that resembled an inn, but found themselves in a shop of some sort. The customers stared at them and when Gareth asked for directions to an inn, explaining that they're newcomers, the directions they got were vague or hard to understand.

The four had departed the wide thoroughfare, and were winding their way through narrow streets and back alleys. Along the way, Kane got an uneasy sensation in his gut. He sniffed the air and could smell the musk of sweaty men and old ale. In the corner of his eye he spied shapes lurking in shadowy corners and heads poking out from behind walls. The vampire kept a hand close to his daggers. Considering that this whole trip had been filled with unsavory encounters, he expected another inevitable unpleasant encounter.

Gareth, Kane, Randor, and Lydia emerged from a narrow lane and found themselves on an old looking and noticeably quieter street. The street beneath them was made of older looking stones and had wheel ruts worn into them. The buildings were visibly older, weather beaten, and sunbleached, with some roofs noticeably missing tiles or had holes in them. Up the street there were some children playing with sticks and laughing.

Looking about, Gareth spied a sign hanging outside a humble, two story building closeby. The sign was cracked and had faded green and gold paint on it. The bard led the party to this building. Kane frowned and hoped for it to be an inn. The sign reminded him of the Bronze Ox, though this one looked to be in worse shape. Half the letters were faded and the only legible thing on the sign was the dragon that was painted on. He could tell that it was originally gold though it was now mostly yellow, judging from the fresh paint job it got.

"Here goes nothing," Gareth said with a sigh. He reached for the door and opened it.

The interior was very much what Kane would expect from a medieval fantasy inn. A low ceiling held up ancient wooden beams, and stubby candles sat in sconces on the walls and on the scattered empty tables. The interior was faintly lit by the scant candles and by the wide window next to the door, which allowed warm sunlight to filter in. To their left, there was the bar, which stood in front of a wall of barrels, all with names and images painted on them. In front of them was a large, portly man cleaning out a pewter tankard with a rag. The man had rosey cheeks and red hair that was losing its color.

"Be with you in a moment," the man said to the new arrivals without looking up. He looked at the man sitting across from him on the barstool. "Okay and then what happened?"

"And then Leto, for some unknown reason, abandoned cover and stepped out into the field and confronted Brudar!" the man explained energetically.

"He did what?!" the man exclaimed, his face growing pale. He looked at the one sitting at the far end of the bar.

Kane let out an annoyed sigh. "Oh God…" the vampire murmured under his breath.

"I was merely taking the initiative!" Leto argued, puffing himself up. "A true warrior doesn't hide, and he always seizes every opportunity that comes his way."

"Be nearly getting yourself and the rest of us killed," Silvia chimed in, who was sitting beside him, sipping from a mug.

"I was not going to die! I had it all well in hand!" Leto said defensively

"Really?" Gareth spoke up, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Because I could've sworn that that bandit had you disarmed, and was on the verge of splitting you open."

Everyone turned and Gareth stepped into the light, he removed his cap and smiled.

"Gareth!" Silvia squeaked.

"The one and only!" the bard said with a slight bow. "It took us a while but we finally found you, after you ditched us at the gate."

"We didn't ditch you," Allen defended. "We just had business to take care of. Besides, we know you could handle yourselves."

Gareth laughed nervously while Kane scowled.

"Yes, well, we had quite the-er-experience at the gate. That man with the mustache. I don't think he liked me very much."

An odd silence fell on the tavern, with some of the White Clovers sharing looks with each other and the bartender, whose expression darkened.

"I'm sorry about that," the rosy faced man said. "That was Darius. Him and his boys oversee the front gate. Though they're part of the City Guard, they act like common thugs. They like to push travelers around and try to squeeze some extra coins out of them."

Not anymore, Kane thought coldly.

"So what brings you here to the Green Dragon?" Marcus asked, turning around to face them.

"Other than to bid you a proper goodbye" Gareth explained. "We were actually just wandering around and hoping to find a place to spend the night."

"Well, wander no more," the bartender said with a grin. "We have some extra rooms available, if you have the coin."

"Come on, Sam" Allen complained "You don't have to do that. Why not let them stay the night for free. After all, they saved our lives, including Maggie's!"

Kane cocked an eyebrow. So this was Maggie's father, the one who hired the White Clovers.

"I wish I could," the portly man said, sounding sincerely apologetic, "but business has been slow for us, especially now that the governor has raised taxes and those new laws have been slowly driving away all my old customers, who happen to be Adventurers."

Gareth went silent and Kane knew that his brother was trying to come up with an excuse or an idea to pay for their stay without actually paying and helping the bartender out. Fortunately, the vampire thought ahead.

Kane approached the bar. Reaching into the folds of his cloak, the vampire withdrew a fist full of gold coins and he placed them on the counter in a small mound, numbering twenty even.

"Would this do?" the vampire asked gruffly.

The bartender's eyes shot up and the adventurers sitting at the bar looked on with surprise.

"Y-Yes, of course" the bartender said, his surprise melting into joy. "Of course! Welcome to the Green Dragon!"

Kane nodded his thanks and pulled himself a seat at one of the tables near the bar. It was a good thing that he swiped some of Darius's coins from off the ground before they entered the city. Never know when they'd need money.

Gareth, Lydia, and Randor joined him at the table and Sam the bartender brought them each a mug of frothy ale. Though the vampire still had a lot of energy, he was weary of the journey and of all the excitement they had endured thus far. He thanked the bartender and took a sip. The sticky, sweet taste of the drink soothed him only a little but did nothing else. His vampiric body was immune to poisons, being an undead and all.

So much for a relaxing vacation.

"So, what do you intend to do while you're here?" Marcus asked.

Gareth, in the middle of a sip, tossed a look to his brother and the vampire answered for him.

"Take in the sights of this city, resupply, and maybe move on in a few days." Kane explained in a clipped tone. He really didn't feel like talking right now, and he didn't know what they were really going to do, so he listed off whatever came to mind, stuff that he and his brother had discussed previously.

Marcus nodded slowly and, after a few moments of silence, asked, "Have you considered joining the Adventurer's Guild?"

"We have not." Gareth said, finishing his sip and wiping away the foam from his lips.

"Why should we?" Kane asked bluntly

"Although Adventurer's aren't very popular here in the Empire, they still have some rights and privileges." Marcus explained. "For instance, they free to travel about in any country where they are welcome without worrying about imprisonment"

"For now," Allen murmured.

"And you could truly make a difference," Marcus continued. "A party with your skills could prove to the Empire that Adventurers are necessary."

"Aye." Sam nodded in agreement.

Gareth and Kane shared a look. Kane really didn't want to do this. He just wanted to keep his head down and just live in peace. However, there was a part of him that wanted to explore this world further, see what else there is to see and have adventures. The vampire exhaled, and felt like he was going to regret this.

"We'll consider it," Kane said.

"As long as our party gets a good name," Gareth added.

"What sort of name would you want?" Silvia asked.

Kane looked at his brother, who was stroking his chin thoughtfully. If it were up to him, the vampire would've decided on something silly or boring just so he can have some peace. Fortunately, Gareth was into this whole "medieval fantasy land adventure" crap more than he was.

Eventually, the bard snapped his fingers, and he declared, "The Good Companions! That will be our name. In honor of our old friends, right Kane?"

The vampire thought for a moment, trying the name out in his mind, before he nodded. It was the name of their guild before it officially became one. All the way back when they were just a bunch of new players finding their footing in Yggdrasil, having fun and role playing as a band of adventurers in a fantasy world. It was perfect.

Kane smiled, though his good mood soured as he sensed that they were being watched. He glanced sideways toward the window, and saw a figure standing outside, across from the tavern. The figure's form reminded the vampire of that first group of bandits that tried to ambush them last night. Though he couldn't see exact details, Kane could see a pale-green aura surrounding a humanoid figure. Although he couldn't see exactly who or what it was, the vampire could hear a steady heartbeat and picked up a faint, flowery odor. A type of perfume, maybe?

Whoever it was, they just made Kane angry, and he was in no mood to deal with spies and observers, let alone a bunch of rapey guards and bandits. This vacation was beginning to suck more and more.

(a/n: So, what do you think? I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! The lyrics to Gareth's song is from "The Road Goes Ever On" otherwise known as "A Walking Song" by J.R.R. Tolkien. There's a version of it sung by the Tolkien Ensemble on Youtube. Anyways, tell me what you think and until next time. See you around!)