(a/n: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Leave a review and all that. Big thanks to Lucius Walker for all his help.)
Ch. 7: That's Life
Morning arrived bright and clear. Gareth awoke, feeling disoriented for a moment. He sat up in his bed and looked about him. He was in an unfamiliar room with bare, white walls. The only furnishings were the wardrobe in the corner in the room and the bed next to his, which was currently occupied by his brother. The vampire was snoring softly and had his covers wrapped around him tightly. The bard frowned, and thought for a moment. The haze of sleep slowly ebbed away, and his memories of the last two days returned.
Right, Gareth thought to himself.
They had set out from the Bronze Ox to explore and gather information of the world beyond their new home. Then there were bandits, the White Clovers, and then a bunch of creepy guards, and then the Green Dragon.
Gareth recalled how they spent the rest of the afternoon talking with the members of White Clover and with Sam. They shared drinks and swapped tales, albeit in a rather one-sided way - Gareth and Kane mostly sat and listened. This Adventurer party was a wellspring of information about this new world, which could come in handy, especially if this world was filled with dangers and people like those guards who tried to take Lydia.
After a few drinks, Marcus produced a map and showed them the layout of the known world, at least part of it. The map focused on a single continent and displayed the borders of the human kingdoms and their neighbors, with the Kingdom of Re-Estize and Baharuth sitting in the middle, detailed and clearly defined. From what Gareth could gather from their discussion, Re-Estize was Baharuth's primary rival in the region. It was a monarchy ruled over by a king, with a noble class beneath him and their military strength comes from an army of peasant levies. Though prosperous and strong, Re-Estize was infamous for its corruption, from the scheming nobles to a shady criminal organization that has a finger in every pie, including the slave and drug trade.
Hearing about them reminded Gareth of some of the troubles back home, though those organizations were evolved and were infinitely more sinister and dangerous than these guys. Still, Re-Estize did have one thing going for it, and that was the outlawing of slavery. It was all thanks to the king's daughter, Princess Renner, otherwise known as the Golden Princess.
Then there was Baharuth, another large power struggling for dominance in this New World. While Gareth was a little more up to speed on things, he did pick up a few new tidbits. The Empire was significantly more advanced than their rival, their army was a full time professional army, well equipped and well paid. The Empire rewarded citizens based on their talent and their merits, which was a big win to Re-Estize's medieval mindset. The only major drawback was the legality of slavery. The Adventurers grew hesitant talking about it, and from the sound of Sam and Marcus's comments, they vehemently were against it but there wasn't much anyone could do about it, save for the Emperor, and even then there was this shadowy criminal organization from Re-Estize. Rumor has it that they have operatives in Baharuth, operating legally as members of the slave market, slowly rebuilding their influence. The Bloody Emperor's violent purge of the old nobility greatly weakened any official support they had enjoyed in the past, but some of them managed to slip through his nets, and were merely biding their time.
To the south of the two was the Slane Theocracy. None of the White Clovers nor Sam were familiar with that particular country, but they have heard stories and news from the region. They were strong in all sorts of magic, with holy magic being their speciality. Currently, they were at war with the Elf Kingdom, far to the south of everyone, where most of the enslaved elves came from. Gareth was unsettled by the information, but such things had happened in their home planet's past, and it gave him some ideas. When questioned about the state of Adventurers there, Marcus admitted that they were even less friendly than Baharuth and were pretty adamant about it. Overall, the bard decided that the Theocracy was one place that he wanted to avoid.
There was the Dragon Kingdom to the east of the Theocracy and was currently locked in a vicious war with a horde of invading beastmen invading from the east. Both the Empire and the Theocracy had pledged and committed whatever resources they had available to their defense. Adventurers were more than welcome to join in the fight, but only those of a high enough skill rank, Platinum or even higher, were likely to to survive. Some say that those beastmen were even more ferocious than the ones from the Albelion Hills. When Sam told them that the queen of that kingdom was a dragon, Gareth almost snorted but then he saw the seriousness of the tavern keeper's face, the bard swallowed.
Dragons exist in this world. Oh joy.
If the dragons in this world were anything like the ones in Yggdrasil, then Gareth and Kane really needed to lay low. Dragons were among the toughest enemies one could battle in the game, and it took a lot of time and effort to kill them. The rewards for killing them were well worth it, as they dropped all sorts of loot, like data crystals and gold. Their remains were highly prized, since they were critical components for various high level items, gear, and potions.
As their conversation dragged on to dusk, Gareth scribbled down some notes with a quill and a scroll he brought along for such purposes. He wrote it in English, and hoped nobody could read it. He had taken another language years ago and used it only when conversing with some of the members of his guild online, but he quickly fell out of practice.
Marcus and the rest of White Clovers paid for their drinks, bid Gareth and Kane farewell, and shambled off into the deepening night. Maggie then showed them to their rooms. The redhead was surprised to see Gareth and the others. Shortly after they had arrived, she emerged from the backrooms to inform her father of how their supplies were faring. When she saw the two brothers sitting at their table, the redhead paused, before growing very flushed.
The redhead didn't say much after that. She brought Marucs and the others their drinks and occasionally chimed in on their discussions regarding the group's discussion about the Empire and the other nations. Maggie's inputs were insightful and interesting, but she kept fairly quiet and averted her gaze from the bard for some reason.
Once the White Clovers left, the tavern keeper's daughter showed Gareth and Kane to their room. Before she showed Randor and Lydia to their room, Maggie thanked the two brothers for rescuing her and the others.
"No thanks are necessary." Gareth smiled, putting on his persona. "It's the duty of a wandering bard to lend a hand from time to time, especially to fair young maidens like yourself."
Maggie's face went red. She bid them goodnight and hurried off to show the dwarf and the elf where they were staying, leaving the bard confused and a little worried that he had offended her somehow.
Gareth's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, prompting the bard to hop out of bed. Dressed in only a loose white cotton shirt and his trousers, he went and answered the door. Standing outside, he saw Maggie. The redhead paused and she looked at him up and down, her face grew very white. "I-I'm so sorry!" she said suddenly, turning away. "I didn't mean to intrude!"
"Intrude?" the bard said softly. "It's alright, you weren't intruding. What can I do for you, Maggie?"
"My father wished me to inform you that breakfast is ready," she told him, facing away from the bard and trying not to look at him. "And-and that I will be your guide for today."
Gareth raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe. "Really?"
"Y-yes. My father heard you say that you got lost yesterday, and that you are new to our city. He felt it best that I should show you around and to help you avoid some of the more...unsavory areas."
"Unsavory?"
Maggie nodded, and her expression turned serious. "Yes. Although our city is well protected and orderly, it does have its share of problems and individuals that you do not wish to cross."
"I understand." Gareth nodded. A thought came to his mind and the words just slipped out. "So I guess that we get to spend more time together."
Maggie tensed up, and she nodded quickly "I-I suppose so. Now get dressed and hurry downstairs before your breakfast turns cold!" She turned on her heel and left a little too quickly.
The bard watched her go and shrugged. He closed the door and he got dressed, pulling on his chainmail shirt, orange doublet, and forest green cloak. When he was dressed, he turned to his brother, who was still fast asleep. Gareth poked Kane's cheek. The vampire remained still and continued to snore. The bard tried again, this time a little harder and uttered his brother's name. Kane stirred, waving a hand but remained fast asleep. Gareth sighed, and he began to shake his brother awake. Kane's eyes snapped open as he sat up.
"What the hell man?" the vampire grumbled, his eyes were a deeper shade of red.
"Come on, breakfast time!" Gareth told him cheerfully. "And we're going to go register for the Adventurer's Guild!"
"Ugh, do we need to?" Kane grumbled. "We kick ass fine enough without having to register for some sort of club that's currently on some genocidal emperor's shit list."
"We don't, but it'll be a fun experience! Besides, if we become Adventurers, we'll get to travel the world without being hassled as much, make money and maybe gather additional information."
The vampire scowled at his brother, sleep still evident on his marble expression. His raven hair was wild and frazzled, and Gareth gagged at the smell of his brother's breath. Kane sighed deeply and scratched himself.
"Fine," he said at last. "Whatever. I've got nothing better going on. Might be fun...I guess."
"That's the spirit!" Gareth smiled. "Now get dressed, breakfast is waiting."
The vampire sniffed the air, and his expression brightened. He threw off his blanket and hurried to get dressed. When they were both dressed and packed, the two brothers left their room. In the hall, Randor and Lydia fell in behind them.
"Good morning my lords!" Randor greeted with a smile. "I hope you've rested well"
"We have, Randor, thank you," Gareth said with a nod. "How was yours?"
"Excellent!" the dwarf answered, beaming. "I slept two whole hours!"
Kane frowned, and glanced at Gareth, who looked at the dwarf with some concern.
"Don't-don't you feel tired?" the bard asked, concerned.
"Nope!" the dwarf replied. "I don't need much sleep, my lord. In fact, I find sleep an obstacle in fulfilling my duties in keeping you safe."
["Wow"] Kane said in Gareth's mind, sounding as astonished as his brother. ["I...I don't know what to say."]
["We seriously need to have a sit down with Randor and the others when we get back."] Gareth replied.
The four companions went down the stairs and entered the main area of the tavern. Sam was behind the bar, replacing an empty barrel of ale with a new one. Gareth, Kane, Randor, and Lydia sat themselves down at the same table they occupied the day before. A few moments later Maggie emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray with plates of steaming-hot food.
The redhead placed a plate before each member of Gareth's group. The plates held scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, bread and cheese. While neither of the brothers got hungry very easily (due to their supernatural nature), the food looked enticing enough for them to dig in anyways. The bard, the vampire, and Lydia ate slowly, methodically and used utensils. Randor just used his hands, not really caring about what he may look like to anyone else.
As they ate, Gareth pondered what Maggie had told him earlier. When she returned from the kitchen to refill their mugs, the bard spoke up. "Tell me more about these...unsavory areas and people that we do not wish to cross."
The redhead paused mid refill, and, when she noticed that her father wasn't paying attention, she spoke in a low tone.
"You don't want to go to those areas," she told him firmly, "Not unless you're looking for trouble. Adventurers don't go there and very few of the City Guard even dare to go there unless they have to."
"Why?" the bard asked, intrigued and worried.
"It's a crime ridden cesspit," a gruff voice said from behind Maggie.
The redhead jumped and spun around. Her father was standing there, a grim look fixed on his face.
"Father, I-" she began, but he held up a hand.
"It's alright," Sam told his daughter. "You're merely warning our new friends. I understand."
"What's so bad about this place?" Kane asked through a mouthful of bacon.
"It's not as bad as some other places in the Empire," Sam continued as he helped Maggie refill their mugs. "But it is home to some unfriendly folk: thugs, thieves, killers. Some of them work at the slave market as hired muscle. From what I hear, some even work for...the Eight Fingers."
From the way the portly tavern keeper uttered the words, whispering in solemn reverence and fear, Gareth knew right off the bat that this "Eight Fingers" was bad news.
"Who, or what, is Eight Fingers?" Gareth asked quietly.
"The worst sort you could ever meet," Sam answered grimly. "Not many people know too much about them, but what is known is that they rule Re-Estize from the shadows, and have their dirty fingers in every dark corner of the continent, from drugs to slave trade."
The bard frowned. "That sounds terrible."
"Aye, it is." the tavern keeper agreed. "And if you were smart, you'd stay well away from them. Don't even mention their name to anyone, otherwise you might get yourself into trouble."
Gareth nodded, as did Kane. Neither wanted to start any trouble just yet, and they were grateful for this helpful information.
Once they finished eating, Sam stepped in to clear their table. When the two brothers offered to help, he politely declined, stating that it was the least he could do for the ones who saved his daughter. The two thanked the portly tavern keeper, and he wished them a good day in return.
Outside, the four adventurers met Maggie. The redhead was dressed in a dull-green dress and had a leather satchel slung over one shoulder.
"You really don't have to do this," Gareth told the girl.
"I know I don't have to," Maggie said with a smile, "but I want to. Besides, I have an errand to run near the guildhall anyway."
"Alright" Kane said, waving a hand "Lead on, then."
"Very well." Maggie nodded, and she turned and started off up the street.
Gareth, Kane, Lydia, and Randor swiftly followed.
The group weaved their way through the streets of Arven, leaving behind the ancient street home to the Green Dragon, and made their way toward the towering fortress that sat in the center of the city.
Maggie led the group through a crowded and noisy street, where stalls filled with all manner of fruits and vegetables lined the sides, with customers and shopkeepers talking and haggling over prices. Once they made it to the other side of the crowd, the group came to a stop at a tall brick building, sandwiched between two shorter but more impressive looking buildings. Hanging outside above the door was a plain looking sign that read something in plain white paint.
"Here we are!" Maggie announced with a grin. "The guildhall of the Adventurer's Guild. Just talk to Meldra, the woman working the counter. She's the one you want to talk to. She'll help you get registered."
"You're not coming in?" Gareth asked.
"Like I said, I have an errand to run," the redhead reminded the bard. "It's just up the road at the apothecary's. If I'm not back when you're done, just wait. I'll be right back."
Gareth and the others nodded. With that, Maggie turned and departed at a brisk pace, heading up the road and disappearing inside a shop half-way out the road.
The bard sighed and looked at his companions. "Let's do this," the bard said.
He opened the door, and the group entered the guildhall.
Neither Gareth nor Kane knew what to expect when they entered the guildhall, but they had expected a little more...more.
The inside of the guildhall was lifeless and dimly illuminated. Positioned around a cold, lifeless stone fireplace was a collection of cushy, though dusty, looking couches and chairs. The only light that filled the interior came from the windows flanking the front door and the windows on the second floor. The sunlight that poured into the grave silent guildhall was filled with dustmotes, which indicated that either the guild had hit really hard times or they hadn't been there in ages.
For a moment the brothers believed that they were in the wrong place, or that this was some stupid prank, but those thoughts were dispelled when they heard wooden planks creaking under one's heels. Gareth jumped and the others went for their weapons, but stopped.
Across from them, descending the stairs beside the empty front desk was a pale, sickly looking woman with black hair. She was slender and dressed in a maroon dress with an apron. Both Gareth and Kane thought she looked like she was a zombie or another vampire. The woman had dark dull eyes with dark circles around them, which made her look like she hadn't had a good night's rest in ages.
The woman stopped at the bottom of the stairs and gave the new arrivals a blank, lifeless look. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild," she greeted blandly. "How may I help you?"
"G-greetings!" Gareth said, putting on a smile to hide the fact that he was feeling very creeped out. "We have come to join the guild."
The sickly woman cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said, surprise evident in her voice. "Really?"
"Yes, indeed!"
The woman blinked, before she waved the group over. "Alright. Come on, I'll get you the forms."
Gareth and the others approached the front desk as the woman shuffled behind the counter and reached underneath it, searching for something until she withdrew four parchments with writing on them. The woman placed them on the counter in front of the four adventurers.
"Fill out these forms," the woman explained blithely. "The entrance fee is five silver coins each. There will also be a literacy test, which will be an additional five copper coins each."
The four adventurers accepted the forms, though Gareth and Kane immediately grew silent and worried. Literacy test? It made sense, though the two should've really asked more questions about the guild's requirements before trying to join. However, luck seemed to be on their side as the sickly woman continued.
"However, due to recent laws enacted by the Imperial government and some decisions made by the Guildmaster, a simple fee of five silver coins and a brief proficiency test will suffice."
"Proficiency test?" Kane asked.
"A small test of skill to show that you're competent enough and won't get yourself killed," the woman answered bluntly.
"What about the literacy test?" Gareth asked, successfully hiding his joy.
The woman shrugged. "You four seem smart enough. Besides, there might not be a guild here for much longer anyways."
The woman produced four ink bottles and four old looking feather quills. She indicated where on the forms they must sign and allowed the four Adventurers to get to work. Gareth, Kane, Randor, and Lydia each filled out their forms and returned them to the woman, who gave them a cursory glance and tucked them away in a drawer behind the counter. She opened another drawer and was rummaging around in it when the guildhall's front door opened.
Gareth and Kane glanced over their shoulders and saw four rough looking Adventurers enter. All four were men and were dressed in wolf skin cloaks. Leading the quartet was a man with white, spiky hair. He looked solidly built, athletic, and had a carefree expression on his face. His comrades were taller and their muscles and scars were more obvious. The leader carried a longsword at his side, while his companions carried spears, hammers, and maces.
"Lovely morning we're having, Meldra," the lead adventurer addressed the woman.
The sickly woman merely shrugged, and continued rummaging through the drawer.
As Gareth and Kane waited for the woman, now named Meldra, to find whatever she was looking for, the four adventurers approached the front desk. The leader of the adventurer party slammed a worn piece of parchment with faded writing onto the countertop.
"Consider that troll problem in the north dealt with," the white haired man said with pride.
"Hmm," was all that Meldra said. She didn't bother turning around and acknowledging his presence.
The white haired man stood there beside Gareth and Kane, waiting and watching Meldra. His confident and easy going expression quickly turned sour. He scowled at the back of the sickly woman's head.
"Hey!" he snapped. "I'm talking to you! I said the job's done. Where's our money?!"
"I'll be with you in a moment, Zasin," Meldra replied in a calm, but firm tone. "Can't you see that I am dealing with someone else?"
The white haired man turned his glare to the brothers.
"Who the hell are they?" he growled.
"New recruits," Meldra simply answered.
The man named Zasin frowned at Meldra. He then began to chuckle, and soon, his companions joined in. Gareth joined in as well, and so did Kane and soon everyone, save for Meldra, where chuckling, though Randor let out a full belly laugh, until Zasin stopped and gave the brothers an odd look.
"Them?" the white haired man sneered, jabbing a thumb at the brothers. "The dwarf I can understand, but an elf and those two clowns?"
Anger and outrage flashed across Lydia's expression, prompting Kane to put a hand on her shoulder, preventing the elf from showing the snarky adventurer what she really thought with her fists.
"Sheesh, the guild must really be having a hard time if they're taking in anyone from off the streets," one of Zasin's companion's chuckled.
"Indeed," Gareth chimed in. "It must be aching for members if they let you lot in."
The snickering stopped and Zasin gave the bard a cold look.
"What did you say?" he growled.
"Don't blame me, blame your friend," Gareth replied coolly. "He was the one who pointed out the dilapidated state of the Adventurers guild, and how they're letting anyone in, and I merely agreed with his insinuation that your sorry party got in due to the guild's lowered standards."
Zasin grew red. From behind the counter, they heard Meldra snort, and quickly suppress what sounded like the beginning of laughter. This only made the white haired man grow redder.
"You better watch your mouth!" Zasin snarled. "We're the Winter Wolves. We're Platinum ranked!"
"Which means what?" Kane asked slowly. "Does that really mean anything?"
"It means we're better than you," sneered one of Zasin's companions, "and that we killed all sorts of monsters that'd leave you pretty boys scared shitless."
"Aw, he thinks we're pretty," Kane cooed, jabbing his brother with his elbow. This caused the man to grow red with anger.
It was at this point that Gareth felt that he needed to de-escalate things before a fight broke out. The bard held up his hands in surrender.
"Look, we don't want to fight," Gareth said softly. "We're just here to register as Adventurers. We're all on the same side here. I think we got off on the wrong foot. How about we just forget about this whole mess and start over." The bard offered his hand to the white haired adventurer as he activated his [Suggestion] ability.
This ability unique to bards allowed him to nudge people to where he wants them to go without controlling them. However, it all depended on levels and luck. He was high enough level to be able to calm or nudge creatures in a certain direction, but the rest depended on luck. Unfortunately, their luck seemed to have run out.
Zasin looked at Gareth's hand like it had the plague, before he slapped it away. He reached for something on his sword belt and drew a large, jagged looking dagger.
"We're way past that now," the white haired adventurer said coldly. "Now we're going to teach you stupid bastards a lesson in manners."
"Oh come on," Kane groaned. "Is everyone in this lousy country murder happy?"
"I have an idea," a familiar voice cut in.
Everyone looked and saw that Meldra was now facing them. Her expression seemed clearer and serious. She held up a golden key.
"Since you four still need to take the proficiency test and since Zasin and his gang want to defend their sullied honor, why don't we do both?"
Watching the interested looks on their faces, she first addressed Gareth and Kane. "For your proficiency test, you shall battle Zasin and the Winter Wolves. Survive longer than five minutes and you will have proven that you are worthy of becoming Adventurers. I'll even start you off at Platinum rank."
She then turned to Zasin and his party. "You are free to use your weapons and abilities as you see fit. You can injure your opponent, but you cannot kill or seriously maim them. You don't want to bring the governor down on us all, do you?"
The white haired man and his companions shook their heads, and began conferring among themselves.
"Does this sound fair to both parties?" Meldra concluded her proposal.
Gareth and Kane looked at each other and then looked at the sickly woman.
"Acceptable," Gareth nodded.
"Good enough for me," Zasin grunted.
Meldra smiled. "Great. Now follow me."
Meldra led both parties through a backdoor and out into a spacious training ground, which looked more like a garden than anything. Surrounded by high brick walls, the enclosed space was large enough to host a large party. It had healthy, yet barely trimmed grass and a large tree at the far end. Growing at the foot of the walls that surrounded the enclosure were a variety of colorful flowers and curious looking plants.
The sickly woman gestured to her left and right, directing where the two parties should assemble. The Winter Wolves went left and Gareth's group went right. Meldra stepped into the space between the groups.
"Each party will send out one of its fighters," the sickly woman explained. "At the end of the match, the fighters shall be replaced by their comrade until every member of each party has had their turn. Now, choose your first fighters."
"My lord," Lydia said to Gareth softly. "Allow me to take the first match and show them the error of their ways. Let me prove myself to you."
The bard hesitated, but from Meldra's rules, it sounded like everyone had to fight anyways, and this might be the perfect chance to test Lydia's abilities and see them first hand. Gareth nodded reluctantly.
"Very well," he told her. "But don't try to kill him, please. We don't want to cause any further trouble. We just want to...impress them."
Lydia smiled and gave him a nod. "I will not fail you," she promised.
When the Winter Wolves had selected their fighter, the two teams backed away and their respective representatives stepped forward.
Gareth was beginning to wonder if he had made the right choice. The guy she was facing was taller than her by a head and looked like he could twist her into a pretzel. He began to wonder if this whole Adventurer thing was a good idea.
"Hey," Kane whispered to his brother, "relax."
Gareth looked, and saw his brother sitting cross-legged on the grass. The vampire motioned for him to sit beside him. The bard sat and Randor plopped on the ground.
"Everything is going to be alright," Kane told his brother, sounding completely sure.
"I hope so," Gareth murmured.
Lydia and her opponent were now only a few feet apart. Meldra stood between them and looked at each of them. She nodded and raised a hand. "Ready…" she said loudly. "Begin!"
Meldra stepped away.
The large, fur-cloaked adventurer sneered at her. "Easy prey." He leveled his spear at the silver haired elf and, as quick as lightning, lunged.
Gareth held his breath, but quickly exhaled in relief.
The large adventurer gaped at the sight of a slender elf standing on the spearhead, looking very calm. The man growled, and he swung the spear, trying to throw Lydia off. She jumped and landed softly on the ground. The man twirled the spear and tried to lunge again, only for Lydia to sidestep the attack. Infuriated by his lack of progress, Lydia's opponent picked up the pace. With both hands, he drove the spear at her, over and over again, hoping to skewer the elf. The silver haired elf simply avoided each attack with ease.
The Winter Wolves were astonished by the display, but they nonetheless cheered their comrade on, while Gareth, Kane, and Randor watched in silence. Lydia was a monk, which meant her attacks were primarily hand to hand combat. Although she avoided her opponents attacks, fighting back might be difficult.
Time moved quickly as Meldra reminded them of the time limit. Covered in sweat and clearly frustrated, the fur-cladded Adventurer snarled, and his spear began to glow white.
"[Martial Art: Winter's Lance]!" the spearman roared as his weapon glowed with a pure white glow, and as webs of frost crackled down the shaft from the spear's tip. He drove the spear forward, the magic enhanced spear whistled and brought with it a fierce wave of cold and ice magic. Lydia raised her hands and assumed a stance to meet the attack head on.
When the spear touched Lydia's studded bracers, the elf was consumed with blinding white light. A cold wind howled through the training grounds and faded.
The large adventurer grinned broadly. "Got you, you little-" he paused, and confusion entered his features.
Standing there, completely untouched, was Lydia. The ground around her was covered by a slick sheet of ice and a thin layer of snow. The spear's head was caught between Lydia's crossed wrists, inches away from her face.
"W-what the hell?" the man breathed.
Before he could process what had just happened or react, Lydia made her move. She grabbed the spear's blade, and with a swift chop, separated it from the shaft. With superhuman speed, she stepped within her opponent's defenses and delivered a flurry of gentle blows to the man's chest, arms, and legs. In a matter of seconds, the elf was done. She stepped away from the adventurer, brushed some dust off of her skirt, and walked away.
Kane grinned as Gareth's eyes were wide with surprise.
"W-what just happened?" the bard asked.
"Watch," the vampire told his brother.
The Winter Wolves were just as stunned, but quickly yelled at their comrade to strike at Lydia and take her down before the time ran out. The man nodded at his companions and took one step forward...then promptly fell to his knees and landed on his face.
Everyone looked on in stunned silence. Even Meldra was astonished. After a long moment, everyone regained their senses.
"Time's up," Meldra announced.
"Booyah," Kane murmured.
The Winter Wolves rushed to their fighter's side. One of the men checked his pulse and looked relieved. Zasin scowled at Lydia, who had just rejoined her party.
"What the hell did you do to him!?" the white haired man growled.
"I merely incapacitaed him," Lydia replied calmly, putting her hands behind her back. "The rules of the match explicitly stated that we were forbidden from harming our opponent too badly, so I merely used the Way of the Gentle Fists to paralyze him. He should be fine in an hour."
Zasin scowled at Lydia, before he stomped away as his companions dragged away their incapacitated friend. Lydia turned to Gareth and asked, "How did I do?"
"You were spectacular!" Gareth said with a smile.
Lydia blushed and curtseyed.
The next match was between Randor and another of Zasin's comrades. It didn't last as long as Lydia's. This member of the Winter Wolves carried a mace and had opened up with a ferocious offensive. Randor blocked the man's attack with his axe, but when the dwarf stumbled a little, the adventurer pressed his attack. Using a similar martial art as his comrade, the man's mace glowed white and pulsated with cold, icy magic. The man brought it down on Randor's head and met its mark, but did nothing but enrage the dwarf. The cold, billowing winter magic was quickly overwhelmed when Randor became consumed by a red hot, fire-like aura.
Randor dropped his axe and grabbed his foe's mace and smothered the glowing white point of magic. Slowly, he bent the weapon back toward its owner and forced it out of his hand. At this point, Randor knocked the man down with a punch and began shouting at the man.
"Let me tell ya somethin' you scrawny piece of shit!" the dwarf roared. "I have not come all this way to be done in by some winter sprite!"
The poor adventurer was confused and terrified as a burly, angry and burning dwarf stomped his way toward him. The man stumbled backward and tripped on his wolf cloak. Randor jumped on top of him and knocked him out with a headbutt.
The Winter Wolves watched in silent awe and fear as the fires that engulfed Randor died away and the dwarf stomped back to his companions, who were all just as surprised by the dwarf's fury.
After everyone had recovered from their shock, it was Kane's turn, but Zasin and the only remaining member of the Winter Wolves, a bald man with a bushy black beard, stepped forward.
"Alright, so you may have the skills to handle an enemy one on one," Zasin admitted, sounding mildly impressed, "but let's see if you can work with a partner."
Kane nodded as Gareth joined his brother's side.
["This is going to be a cakewalk"] Kane nearly cackled via [Message].
["Maybe, but can we at least try to not make these guys hate us?"] Gareth suggested. ["We need friends, not enemies."]
["Seriously? Come on, let's wipe the floor with dickheads. They need a nice slice of humble pie."]
Gareth gave his brother a look, and the vampire sighed aloud.
["Ugh, fine. I'll try to go easy on them."] Kane relented. ["You're a little too nice sometimes, you know that? I swear it's going to get you killed one day."]
Gareth smiled and he drew his longsword, Nightbane. ["That'll be the day"]
Zasin drew his sword and his partner unhooked a dangerous looking pair of hammers from his belt. The hammer wielder allowed one of the hammers to slide from his grip, and let it swing by it's chain a few inches from the ground. Kane shot his brother a look that said, "Seriously?"
Gareth shrugged, and they returned their focus to their opponents.
Meldra raised a hand. "Ready….and...begin!"
She dropped her hand and Zasin took the initiative. The white haired swordsman surged forward with incredible speed, moving way faster than Leto did, hurtling towards Kane.
Meanwhile, Zasin's partner began to swing his hammer about by the chain attached to the base of its handle, causing it to fly about in wide arcs, until with a spin and a gesture, the bearded man brought the hammer down on Gareth.
The brother's wordlessly jumped into action. Though they haven't really tried any coordinated attacks in these new bodies, Gareth and Kane had prior teamwork experience in Yggdrasil. Kane sidestepped Zasin and Gareth jumped out of the path of the falling hammer.
Though both attacks from the Winter Wolves missed, it didn't seem to faze the experienced adventurers much, as Zasin quickly changed course and continued after Kane. The hammer struck the earth, creating a crater the size of a pumpkin, but the hammer wielder simply unleashed the other hammer, sending it after Gareth.
The two brothers continued their avoidance tactic for a few more minutes, but neither Zasin or his bearded partner seemed to let up. In fact, the two veteran Adventurers increased their speed and ferocity. The bearded man with the hammers whipped his weapons around as easily as a child wielded streamers, keeping them focused within the walled training grounds. Meanwhile Zasin narrowly caught Kane when the assassin appeared in the upper branches of the tree. The white haired swordsman shorne through the foliage and left the tree lopsided and bare on one side.
Even though their ferocity and speed increased, the bard and his brother continued to dodge, block or evade. Zasin seemed to notice their plan.
The white haired swordsman broke off his attack and sneered. "Come on! Don't tell me that's all you got? Running away isn't very manly, nor is it the way of an Adventurer."
"Perhaps not," Gareth admitted as he ducked away from another flying hammer. "But personally, I believe that sometimes the best way to win is to not play the game, to turn the other cheek. That way, no one gets hurt."
"That's ridiculous," Zasin said with a scowl. "In this world, it's kill or be killed. You can try to run, but where does that get you? You have to go on the attack!"
With a grunt of effort, Zasin's partner tugged on the chains of his hammers, bringing them both down on Gareth's position at a lightning fast speed. The bard narrowly avoided the attacks by diving and rolling to safety.
"I suppose so," Gareth puffed, brushing some of his own hair out of his face. "But sometimes, you just have to walk away. Some fights just aren't worth it. You got to pick your battles, otherwise you'll just be stuck fighting for the rest of your life."
Zasin frowned at Gareth's words, but shook his head.
"You'll have to fight sometime," the white haired swordsman frowned, "whether you like it or not. Even if the time runs out, you're not going anywhere until you show us what you're made of!"
The bard sighed and hefted his weapon. "If you say so."
With a tug of his chains, the bearded man's hammers flew back to his hands. He hefted them and took a running start at the bard. Gareth waited.
When the man was close enough, he hurled one of his hammers at the bard. Gareth took a deep breath, and just before the hammer could strike, he sidestepped it and swung Nightbane. The blade sliced through the chain like a knife through hot butter, sending the loose hammer flying through the air until Lydia caught it with one hand, centimeters too close to Meldra's head. The sickly woman grew white as a sheet and stumbled backward a few steps.
Gareth winced at how close to disaster they were, being too focused on trying to go on the offensive, but was greatly relieved by Lydia's presence and timely intervention.
Zasin's eyes widened in surprise and before he could react, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder. He looked and saw Kane standing there with a lazy smile. The white haired swordsman swung at the black clad assassin, but found that his sword was now a bouquet of flowers, freshly plucked from the garden.
"For me?" Kane gasped in mock shock. "You shouldn't have!"
If Zasin's eyes could widen any further, they'd pop right out of his head. The white haired swordsman reached for his dagger and found that his belt was gone, and that his trousers were around his ankles now.
"Looking for this?" Kane asked, holding up the swordsman's belt, complete with his daggers, coin purse, and sheathed sword.
How did he…? Zasin wondered in astonishment.
"Now, what was it that you said to my brother?" the vampire wondered out loud, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Something about how this world is kill or be killed?"
The white haired swordsman felt a chill run down his spine as a sinister looking smile appeared on Kane's face. The vampire leveled an equally sinister looking short sword towards the pantsed man. The blade was curved and black like a moonless night. To Zasin, the sword really looked like an oversized thief's dagger, the type that was employed in dirty back alleys by thieves and murderers to slit the throats of some hapless victim.
Zasin had faced many things in his time as an Adventurer, but none elicited this kind of fear, nor were able to get the upper hand like this man.
"If we were playing things by your line of thinking," Kane went on, his voice smooth and even, "then you would be dead. Hell, from the way things looked, it did seem like you tried to kill us."
"No, that's not true, that-" Zasin tried, but Kane brought the blade closer to the white haired man's throat.
"Come now," the vampire purred, his smile widening, "You and I know the truth. My brother, the loveable scamp that he is, has a bit of a trust issue. While he always tries to believe the best in people, I, however, am more realistic. Those attacks, from men of your ranking...if we were an actual group of newbies, we'd be dead right now, Meldra included."
Zasin swallowed hard. He didn't intend for this to happen. He just wanted to teach these guys what happens when newcomers insult their more seasoned superiors. The white haired swordsman supposed he did get a little carried away.
Kane removed his blade from Zasin's throat. The swordsman let out a sigh of relief, but quickly tensed up when the assassin brought it up again, and swung it down in a blur of black. Zasin's heart jumped into his throat, and he expected pain or death, but nothing happened.
"Let this be a lesson to you," Kane told Zasin as he sheathed his weapon. "Don't be a big baby by getting into these petty piss fights. Cause one of these days, the bigger fish might be grateful for such an easy prey."
As soon as he said that, Zasin felt some weight slip off his shoulders as his wolf cloak fell to the ground, as did his tunic and chainmail shirt, leaving him with only his white cotton shirt. The white haired swordsman felt a lump in his throat.
"Got it?" Kane asked, smiling cheerfully.
Zasin nodded quickly.
There was a heavy thud behind him, and Zasin turned to see his comrade lying on the ground, his face sporting a nasty bruise as Gareth stood over him, not looking winded at all.
The bard sheathed his weapon and looked at Zasin, who was standing there in only his shirt and with his clothes and armor pooled around him at his feet.
"What happened to you?" Gareth asked the nearly naked swordsman.
"N-nothing!" Zasin stammered. "Y-you won! You've proven yourselves as Adventurers. R-right, Meldra?"
"Of course!" the sickly woman declared, her face suddenly looking more cheerful and energetic. "Congratulations, and welcome to the Adventurers Guild! Come on inside, I'll get you your tags and make it official."
The raven haired woman entered the guild hall with a spring in her step as Lydia, Randor, and Gareth helped the Winter Wolves up off the ground.
Gareth and Lydia healed the incapacitated Adventurers, and in seconds, the Platinum ranked adventurers were back to their normal selves - sort of.
Kane returned Zasin's belt to him and he quickly pulled his trousers back up.
"Buy you a drink?" the pale assassin offered.
Zasin nodded slowly, honestly needing a drink and not wanting to turn down his former opponent's offer, especially after said opponent had uncovered his plan to cause serious harm to him and his brother.
Back inside the guildhall, the Winter Wolves were sitting around the empty fireplace, chugging mugs of ale and trying to recover from the shock of their bitter defeat as Meldra tended to Gareth and Kane's party.
"There you go," Meldra said, placing four little platinum dog-tag like plates on the counter. "You are now all platinum ranked."
"Thank you," Gareth nodded, accepting his. He lifted up to inspect it. In the dim light, the tag shined faintly.
"So, what do these do?" Kane asked, inspecting his with a critical eye.
"They denote your rank and can grant you some privileges," Meldra explained.
"What kind of privileges?"
"They vary, but for a party of your rank, you'll usually get your first pick of the jobs from the job boards in the guildhalls no matter what country you're in." The sickly woman gestured to a bulletin board hanging on the wall to her right. The board was covered in a dozen aged parchments with images and words scrawled on them. "You'll also receive the pay befitting your rank. Since you're platinum, you will be well compensated."
Kane nodded appreciatively as Meldra produced a hefty looking old tome from beneath the counter. She opened the book and flipped through the pages until she came to a page that was half-filled with writing.
She dipped her quill in the inkwell and looked up at the two brothers.
"What is the name of your party?" Meldra asked.
"The Good Companions," Gareth answered without hesitation.
Meldra nodded and jotted down the name into the book. As the sickly woman wrote in the book, Kane suddenly got curious.
"What's the highest rank an Adventurer could attain?"
Meldra looked up from the book, and the vampire could feel eyes staring at him from behind. Kane looked about, feeling a little awkward. "I'm just curious."
Meldra looked down at her book and resumed writing. "The highest rank is Adamantite."
"What do you have to do to get a rank like that?" Gareth asked
"You pass a test," Meldra answered plainly. "But there are other ways."
"Like achieving a major feat." Zasin suddenly appeared at the end of the counter, holding his mug of ale. Kane stared at the white haired adventurer. The man seemed to have calmed down after he got some booze in him, with his cheeks already turning rosy.
"What kind of feat?" Kane grunted.
Zasin shrugged. "I don't know, something big, something that will catch everyone's attention, like-like slaying the king of the Frost Giants, defeating a Basilisk, or-or even besting a Dragon Lord. After that, you'll advance in rank based on the grandeur of the feat."
"Has anyone ever done that?"
Zasin nodded. "Some but not too many. Adamantite rank is something else. It's beyond anything that most people could achieve."
"Are you planning on doing something like that?" Meldra asked, looking up from her book.
"Pfft, nope!" Kane scoffed, waving a hand. "That just sounds needlessly reckless. We're fine with what we got."
Gareth nodded in agreement. "Indeed. To reach beyond one's capabilities is bold and admirable, but it comes with a risk that often proves fatal. It's best to be content with what you have if you already have enough."
Zasin stared at Gareth in astonishment. "That's incredible," the man breathed. "Are you a sage?"
Kane frowned at Zasin, and then looked at the rest of the Winter Wolves.
The bearded man with the hammers sighed in embarrassment. "He's like that when he drinks too much."
The front door to the guildhall opened, and in stepped Maggie. The young redhead smiled when she spied Gareth and Kane.
"Hi Meldra!" Maggie greeted cheerfully.
"Afternoon, Maggie," the sickly woman replied with a smile.
"Well?" the redhead asked Gareth.
"It's official," the bard said, showing her his rank tag. "We're adventurer's now!'
Maggie did a double take when she saw Gareth's tag. She looked at Kane's, and then Lydia's and Randor's. Her eyes grew wide as dinner plates.
"P-platinum?!" she sputtered. "B-but you're just joining the guild!"
Gareth shrugged and Maggie looked at Meldra.
The sickly woman gave a half shrug. "They've proven themselves to be quite capable against the Winter Wolves."
Maggie looked and saw Zasin, who was drinking at the counter, and the rest of his party sitting around the fireplace. She looked at the bard and the assassin with a new sense of awe and admiration.
"Well, that's that" Meldra announced as she closed the thick old book with a soft thump. "Welcome to the Adventurer's guild."
"Thank you, Meldra," Gareth said with a genuine smile, which caused the sickly woman's cheeks to turn red. "For helping us. If you have a need for our help, send for Maggie. We'll be in town for the next few days."
"O-of course" the sickly woman said with a nod.
"Ready to go?" Gareth asked Kane.
The vampire shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I'm starving."
As Maggie and the rest of the party made their way toward the door, Gareth offered a hand to Zasin.
"Since we're now colleagues" the bard said "How about we start over and forget about what had happened. Deal?"
Zasin stared at Gareth's hand for a moment, and a small, genuine smile formed on the swordsman's face. "Deal."
He shook the bard's hand.
Gareth bid the rest of the Winter Wolves goodbye before he hurried after Maggie and the others.
As Maggie and the party of new adventurers made their way back toward the Green Dragon, the redhead asked Gareth:
"What was that? Back there with Zasin?"
"We kind of got off on the wrong foot," the bard answered slowly and bashfully.
Maggie raised an eyebrow and Kane spoke up.
"Words were said, feelings were hurt, and a fight broke out." the vampire explained succinctly.
"A fight?" Maggie gasped. "Did you get hurt? I have some healing potions if you need."
"We're fine," Gareth told her "The only thing that was seriously hurt was their pride. How'd you think we earned a platinum rank so quickly?"
The redhead gaped at the bard and at the assassin.
"Amazing." The girl breathed in amazement. "The Winter Wolves are a strong party, probably one of the few highly ranked ones still in Baharuth, except for maybe Silver Thread Bird."
"Not anymore~" Kane murmured smugly.
"Anyways," Gareth said, trying to hide his brother's comment, "I just wanted to see if there were no hard feelings between us, and Zasin seems to be alright now."
"Are you sure?" Maggie frowned. "I've heard stories about Zasin's temper, and how he's killed people over petty insults."
Kane gave Gareth an "I told you so" look.
"I'm certain," the bard said with confidence.
"How can you tell?"
Gareth shrugged. "Just a feeling."
"Well, be careful" Maggie warned. "Zasin is unpredictable and dangerous."
"I'm dangerous," Kane murmured under his breath.
"I'll keep that in mind," Gareth told Maggie "But I'm sure the worst is behind us. Zasin may have anger issues, but I sense that he's a good person when you get to know him."
"He's also an Adventurer," the redhead pointed out "If he were paid to kill you, he will. Most will. Adventurer's live by the coin and they'll take it wherever they can get it."
Gareth nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "True, though I have a feeling that won't be the case. There are some things that money can't buy, like true loyalty. A true friend is rare but worth more than gold."
"I don't know" Kane said aloud "I might have to agree with Little Red here. We barely know the guy, other than he has issues and is a mercenary, a sellsword."
Maggie frowned at Kane, making Gareth chuckle.
"True, but forgive me for sounding a little naive when I say that we should change his mind. We should make friends and get to know people in these lands if we're hoping to live here."
Maggie looked at Gareth, a hopeful look appeared on her face. "You're going to live here?"
The bard nodded. "Indeed, and we need all the friends that we can get. After all, as a wise old king from our lands once said: Why have enemies when you can have friends?"
Maggie gave the bard a funny look, but accepted what he said as the party made their way back to the Green Dragon.
[?]
Night gradually fell over the Azerlisia Mountains, bringing with it a deep darkness, illuminated only by a sea of glittering stars and a pale, glowing moon. The soft glow of the moon reflected off of the snow, giving the mountainous landscape an eerie glow. Among the perpetual cold and snow blanketed peaks, a lone figure was sprinting for safety.
The ankle-deep layer of snow slowed the figure but not by much, as he was driven by a frantic, almost excited, energy.
A deep, monstrous roar sounded from behind, echoing among the clear and silent mountains and rocky walls that rose around the figure.
Weaving his way around the jagged rocks and the frozen trees that poked out form the snowy ground, the figure eventually found the place he was looking for: a barely hidden cave, which led to a man made tunnel.
The figure glanced backward and saw that the way behind him was clear but saw shadows cast on the rock walls and snow a short distance away. A smile formed on the figure's face, a feeling of hope surged through him. He began to think that he was in the clear, that maybe he got rid of his pursuers. Those thoughts went up in smoke when a louder, more ferocious roar echoed through the night. The figure frowned. This didn't sound like his pursuers. It sounded bigger and a whole hell of a lot worse.
Something caught his eye and he looked up and his mouth fell open.
"Holy Shiitake Mushrooms," he breathed, "You are not a Frost Giant."
In the clear night sky, illuminated by the faint moonlight, was a giant, scaly creature with enormous batlike wings. The creature soared across the sky and circled high above the figure. The man squinted, and his heart stopped as he realized what he was looking at.
It's a fucking dragon! The man held back the urge to scream.
The enormous winged-beast roared as it spotted him, making him yelp in fear as he made a mad dash towards the cave, hoping to get there in time before he got turned into a popsicle.
The man saw the creature's shadow on the snow as it rapidly grew bigger as he neared the cave's entrance. Sensing how close the dragon was, the man closed the gap between him and safety by diving head first through the entrance. He landed on slush and rock, but he couldn't care less as he felt a massive gust of wind and heard a furious roar from behind, which caused the ground beneath the man to tremble. The man covered his head and remained face down on the ground, as if he were trying to avoid a hail of gunfire. In moments the roaring stopped. The man lifted his head and was greeted by another powerful gust of wind, which was followed by silence.
"*HUFF*, *HUFF*, open new recording," the man spoke into his left wrist, which was where he wore his clockwork watch. His watch beeped in response, prompting him to continue. "It has been three days since my mysterious arrival here from Yggdrasil. I have encountered Frost Giants and now a damn Frost Dragon in this cold mountain, nearly avoiding certain doom. Interestingly enough, it did not choose to try to freeze me alive. Either it was merely acting territorial, or it was hungry enough for a quick snack. Or perhaps it was sent by a Frost Giant to try to capture me. Must conduct further studies on this creature and their potential owners. Damien out."
The watch beeping once more, he let out a sigh as he finally allowed himself to rest for a moment. The man named Damien reflected on how he ended up here. One minute he was on Yggdrasil, a video game he spent a lot of his free time playing until it finally timed out, and the next minute he was in some cold, wintry landscape being pursued by monsters straight out of a medieval fantasy world.
It wasn't bad at first. He was astonished and intrigued by how he was in his in-game avatar and that the guild base and the NPCs he and his friends built together were alive and with him as well. But after a while, Damien grew bored with being stuck inside and wanted to get some fresh air. So he went outside, accompanied by some guards, but seeing the natural beauty of the mountains and fascinated by the prospect of being in a different world drew him away. He wandered a bit, entranced by the wondrous new world that he was in. He found this cave and explored for a bit before carrying. It was then he came upon a group of real Frost Giants, who were camping by a great waterfall.
While every instinct told him to stay hidden and back away, Damien's overpowering sense of curiosity won out. Emerging from his hiding place, he cautiously strolled into the camp, taking care to not surprise them. He greeted them and tried to start a conversation with them. Whether they understood him or not, Damien didn't know, nor did it seem to matter. The Frost Giants began chattering amongst themselves in a harsh guttural language, and picked up whatever weapons they had on hand and chased him for what seemed like a few miles.
His Clockwork Sentinels, the clockpunk automatons that were guarding him, put up a valiant fight, managing to take out two of the giants and grievously injuring the others, but in the end they were smashed to pieces like fragile toys. Fortunately, it bought him enough time to try to run, leading him to where he was now.
After lying there on the cold, wet floor of the cave for what seemed like forever, Damien got up and approached the cave's entrance. The man's hand drifted toward his side, where a leather holster carrying his trusty magic gun waited.
Poking his head out, he scanned the area. Nothing but snow and jagged rocks. Damien waited for a few moments and, when he was sure that it was clear, stepped outside. He only took a few steps before there was a roar and a trio of Frost Giants emerged from almost out of nowhere.
They charged at him, bearing enormous frost covered axes and clubs made of ice, metal, bone, and stone. Damien's blood ran cold. From their speed and how close they were, he might be able to bring down one of them - maybe even two, if he got lucky - but ultimately, he couldn't see a scenario in which he would get out of this uninjured..
Shit! The man thought as he drew his revolver.
POW!
There was a soft crack and the first frost giant tumbled to the ground with a small hole in his head. The other two slowed to a halt, and before they could process what just happened to their comrade, two more cracks faintly sounded off, and the two Frost Giants joined their friend on the ground, holes in their head and dark blood staining the snow.
"Thanks for the save!" Damien called out to his unseen savior.
Although he couldn't see her, he recognized her handy work. He'd seen her in action back in Yggdrasil, when his friend first found her, discarded and forgotten like old junk. His friend found her and fixed her right up, making her an efficient killing machine and guard for the base.
"My pleasure, sir." a woman's silky voice said as a familiar shape appeared from atop the rock walls that surrounded the area in which the cave resided.
The woman who saved his life was dressed in a black and purple dress that accentuated her curves and showed quite a bit of her porcelain flesh, which would be ill suited for a human in this climate and altitude. But the woman wasn't human. With her piercing blue eyes, flowing blue-black hair and deadly accuracy with the brass, custom-made sniper rifle in her hands, the woman named Caitlyn was anything but human.
Caitlyn hopped down from the towering rock wall and landed gracefully in the snow.
"You've wandered off," the sniper said as she approached Damien. The way she said it sounded more like an accusation than an observation.
"Sorry," Damien said meekly. "I just-I just got curious and I saw something and one thing led to another, and, well, here we are."
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow and said nothing.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Damien cleared his throat.
"Where are the others?"
"They're taking care of the rest of the Frost Giants," the sniper reported. "They'll meet us back at the base."
"Excellent." Damien nodded. He thought of the Frost Dragon and asked about it.
Caitlyn shrugged "It wasn't here when I arrived. Must've escaped when its masters were busy waiting to ambush you."
Damien frowned and considered where it could've gone, but he figured that it must have given up.
"Do you have everything, sir?" Caitlyn asked, shouldering her rifle.
The dark haired man thought for a moment but then he remembered. He began patting himself down. There wasn't anything in the pockets of his heavy overcoat or in his pants. He searched his pack and felt relief when he found what he was looking for.
In his hands was a baseball-sized lump of dark ore that Damien discovered in the cave during his initial search. Initially dismissing it at first, his Alchemist and Blacksmith senses kicked in as he touched it, sensing it to be something different. Analyzing it quickly, he realized that it was a natural material that never existed in Yggdrasil. He quickly [Messaged] his NPCs about it,ordering them to prepare his lab before he returned to the base, just minutes before he ran into the Frost Giants.
"Good. It looks like our Supreme Being isn't so helpless after all." Caitlyn smirked, before turning away to lead her leader back to their base.
"Hey c'mon, show some respect for your creator," Damien complained half-heartedly.
She smirked at him. "If some respect is what my maker wants…"
The dark haired woman gave him a wink as she continued walking forward, her hips suddenly swaying seductively.
Damien's face grew red, and he did his best to not stare. "W-We should get back to base. We don't want the others to get worried."
"Of course not," Caitlyn purred, and chuckled when Damien's face turned even redder.
The two set off through the snow, guided by the light of the moon as the raven haired sniper kept a sharp eye out for any potential threats.
(a/n: So, what do you think? Don't worry, we're still sticking with our main duo, this is just introducing a new character and we get to see how it all ties into what's going on next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and stuff. Until next time!)