WE'RE BACK AT IT AGAIN, BOYS!

Wow, there have been quite a bit of feedback for this story. Which is crazy considering that I originally didn't plan on making a second or third chapter. So that you to all you guys sharing your thoughts on things so far.

Also, Mr. ignacionicolasdiaz109 reviewed- "Good story, it's rare to find fanfiction that occurs before the first link. My personal recommendation is that you could give it some more serious tones in general because so far it seems that it is meant to be a parody / comedy."

My good friend, ask and you shall receive. Old Supreme Gamer has got you covered. I am confident that this chapter will his that sweet spot of serious and comedy you looking for. In fact, I bet my neighbors cat on it that it shall.

But anyway, hope you guys enjoy the read.

Warning: Reading this warning sigh gains you one free fondle of Princess Gwynevere. (Notice: This offer becomes invalid 2.5 seconds after being read. Any who try to take advantage of our sunlight waifu after such time will be met with a lightning spear to the chest. You have been warned.)

She was getting close. The goddess could feel it in the feather of her wings.

This Kaylen individual had made himself far more known than she initially thought and soon enough, Velka was finding the places he frequented and worked at the most often. After a few hours of questioning the citizens, she began to pick up a very key pattern.

Most of the the human's work was focused on the outer edges of the city.

"Without a doubt, dearie. That boy always heads off to the right whenever he comes to pick up a few spices for me. Saves this old coot a lot of trouble, he does." A very elderly woman said with a gummy smile. "You his girlfriend, young lady? You don't have to worry, that boy ain't the type to go around behind your back, let me tell ya. Though I must say, your hygiene is lacking somewhat. And If an old goat like me can smell ye, ya better believe that the men can too. Why, back in my day, a lady took more pride in herself."

"Thank you for your words, ma'am. I shall endeavor to take them to heart. Farewell." Velka said as she turned around and proceed further down the road, being mindful to show respect to the elderly and ignore her words about the smell.

Nevertheless, she'd gotten the information she needed. The path that the old woman, as well as five others, directed her towards traveled to a path that led not to an area for homes and dwelling, but the gateway that led outside Anor Londo's walls.

"He's a newcomer to the city and despite all of his friendly acquaintances, no one know of where he lives. Compound the fact that they all say that he walks away from habitable homes when he's done working and that he rarely strays far from the outer edges of the city, it's likely that he may have made his home on the outside of the city instead of within." Velka mused to herself as she made her way forward. "Hm…such a thing would be dangerous for a human. Great wolves, Drakes, Wyverns and many other dangerous creatures' dwell within the forest woods. However, the signs so far point to his departure being the case so far. To check with the front gate for confirmation would not hurt my efforts."

Following her gut instincts, Velka continued onward for a handful of minutes until she at last came upon the towering metal entrance that led out of Anor Londo. Complete with two Silver Knights looking bored out of their mind as the stood with their spears at their sides.

One even seemed to look as if he was dozing off on the spot.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?!" Velka said fiercely, startling both of the men. It was only once the two got a good at who exactly was speaking to them, did they straighten out their backs and stand at a stiff attention.

"L-Lady Velka. Ma'am. We were not expecting your arrival."

"And what exactly were the two of you expecting to find staring at the ground in a daze? Your sole job is to keep watch for a few hours and remain alert until you are relieved. Yet I am able to so easily walk up and startle you without even trying? Pathetic." the goddess reprimanded harshly as she narrowed her yellow on the two. "Do you aim to create an opening for infiltration and risk the well being of the city?!"

""No, Ma'am!""

"Then stand-To and remain vigilant at all times, soldiers. Do not let me find this post so lackadaisical again or there will be consequences."

""Yes, Ma'am!""

"Now, were you two on shift all night up until this point?" Velka questioned.

"Yes, lady Velka." One knight responded.

"Good. I'm currently in search of someone who may or may not have frequented this path." The goddess said, having gone through this whole process multiple times throughout the entirety of her morning. "Have the two of you heard of or seen a young human by the name of Kaylen come through here?"

"Kaylen of Astora? Yes, Lady Velka, he comes through this gate practically daily. Either extremely early before the rise of the sun or a bit after noon has set in." One of the knights responded with clear recognition. "From what he told us, he doesn't have much choice."

"What do you mean? What exactly has he told you?" Velka demanded to know, somewhat frustrated that one of the Silver Knight had such information on a wanted man yet she had to come here personally to receive it instead of it being passed along.

Of course, knowledge of the bounty upon Kaylen's head had barely had the chance to reach anyone's ears just yet, so she couldn't exactly blame these two for her frustration.

"Not very much, my lady. He spoke that he could not afford to live within the city and so takes his chanced within the wilds. We have warned him time and time again of the risk, but he still choses to travel too and fro each day." The knight said plainly, confirming what Velka herself already suspected was the case.

"Good work, men. Keeping tabs upon those that frequent the gate has just saved me a world of searching." The goddess said as she spread her wings with an nod of her head and devilish smile on her lips. "I am going to retrieve the human. If I have not returned within an hour, inform your commanding officer to send aid. And if Kaylen makes his way here, detain him."

She highly doubted it would reach a point that she would need help, but better to proceed with caution when proceeding into an unknown situation.

And so, with clear eagerness in her movement, the goddess beat her wings and took to the air. Already narrowing down the possible places her prey would be simply by process of elimination.

"Being human, he won't have gone too far. Maybe a few miles out, if even that. Too dangerous to head to deep into the wilderness. With the sun rising as high as it does over the city, he'll need a great deal of something to drink to make the journey each day. The river to the northeast would provide that no doubt. And what a coincidence, it not but two miles away from the gate. Searching along the bank will no doubt lead me to traces of the coward " Velka thought smugly to herself, using her intimate knowledge of the land to narrow down her search.

It didn't take much after that.

With her being capable of taking flight, Velka could cover nearly twenty five miles of ground in a single hour. Speed was no issue at all for her. So it went without saying that once she reached the nameless river outside the city, it only took her a handful of minutes to do a sweep the surrounding area.

Being a goddess, the trees of the surrounding woodland would do little to hide anything from her keen eyesight and there was only so much river to search across.

If something was here, she wouldn't miss it

Soon enough, at just about three miles along the riverbank, Velka spotted exactly something along the lines of what she was searching for. Namely being a small camp with two rough looking hovels, with walls made of thickets of wood and rope, that looked less than optimal, appearing to hold it all together.

But despite their haggard exterior, the small and considerably basic looking boxes seemed to be put together well enough and would serve as sufficient protection from the elements if one needed them too.

Spreading her wings wide and landing in the middle of the small encampment, Velka took note of the minor changes to the environment. There was a small circle of rocks surrounding a burned patch of earth, clearly meant as a space for cooking. As well as multiple large sticks plunged into the ground around the area, each with some kind of flask tied at the top of them.

"The same sort of container her threw at me last night. Some sort of alchemy? Since it's surrounding the corners of his base, it is likely not a poison or toxin. Hm…perhaps something potent enough to ward away the beast?" Velka mused as she made her way in front of the two small huts. "Very clever. It seems my young friend is well acquainted with surviving in the wilderness. Heh, these little shacks must have taken quite a long time to put together. It would be quite a shame if something were to happen to them."

WHOOOSH-CRUTCH! CRASH!

Not two seconds after the thought crossed her mind did a pair of colossal spectral clawed hands appeared above her and immediately move to crush the doors of the buildings in their grip, before sending them flying out of Velka's way.

"I hope you're decent! And if not, it'll just give me a clearer shot at where I plan to aim!" Velka said openly, more than ready to see her prey in the flesh once again. However, she would come to be disappointed as the inside of both buildings were little bigger than the closet of her own room and each one held not a single soul inside.

Giving a silent cursing at not finding her quarry even when she was on his doorstep, Velka moved to search the small rooms for clues of where he might be.

The hut on her right had nothing but a thick blanket laid across the floor and a few pairs of drab clothing strewn about in a disorganized manner. Nothing of note.

However the hut opposite of it was an entirely different story.

Inside was a table that held an assortment of flask, beakers, throwing knives and a wide variety of flora and moss. Velka, not exactly being one for such things, could only recognize two of the vegetation laid before her.

One was the Green Blossom, a uniquely bitter, biting herb meant to restore one's fatigue and allow for prolonged battle. And the other was named the Black Mercy, a fauna containing a slow working poison that was fatal if introduced into the body. A tool well known among less than reputable circles.

"What is all of this meant to be for?" Velka pondered as she examined the work area and picks up one of the blades lined up against one another. Noting that each held traces of poison along their bodies. "Too small for beast. They'd have time to kill him ten times over before the poison would begin to effect their bodies. So these sorts of weapons could only be meant for other people….An assassin? Hmph. As if I needed further evidence that he was scum. It would explain why he had an item meant to be blind me and allow him to escape. He'd need almost a gallon of such poison to give anyone of my kind any trouble beyond a sick day or two. But it wouldn't take too much to kill another human…. Troublesome. If he has been contracted to eliminate someone within the city, then I must find him quickly and put a stop to it."

A bit upset at this discovery, the goddess pondered this new information for a few moments and what her next step will be.

"The poison along the blade has dried. He doesn't seem to have come back to this hideout recently. Likely knowing he would be found out due to telling the guards his situation." The goddess mused to herself, trying to put the pieces together. "But if that's the case, why would he tell them at all? It would be nothing counterproductive to give away his location instead of lying. Hmm. No matter. With so many of these poisoned blades and no doubt other harmful concoctions, he was definitely planning to use them for something or on someone."

Turning away from the building at last, the goddess spread her wings once more to leave the area. Already having it in her mind to send a small team to guard this place in case her prey came back.

"You've made a grave mistake, human. If you were smart, you would have avoided capturing my attention at all. But now I've got your scent and am on your trail. You won't be able to hide forever within the city. Eventually, you will have to show your face and when you do, I'll pry everything I need to know from your lying lips."

"Wait, wait, wait, just hold on a minute, Mr. Ornstein! Just give me a minute to explain!" Kaylen said as he struggled within the knights grasp to no avail whatsoever.

"You will refer to me as Captain or Sir, Maggot."

"Okay, I understand, Sir. Now can you please stop dragging me by the collar of my tux. This thing wasn't easy for me to afford, you know. What I have to say will only take a second." Kaylen exclaimed, only for the knight to halt his movement and pull the human in front of him.

"Speak." He said, his eye's baring down on the young man with clear impatience.

"Alright, alright, so, uh, like I said before, there is no secret initiative. Never was. The whole thing was made up."

"Lord Gwyn just spoke that the order was real, did he not?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Are you calling him a liar?" the knight said gravely, the tone of his voice more than enough to tell young human that he was walking a very dangerous line.

"U-Uh, no. Of course not. I just think there is a bit of a misunderstanding is all. I don't even know the first thing about being a knight and you said it yourself; I'm clearly lacking in many qualities for the job. So I just don't want to waste your time with-"

"You seem to be the only one misunderstanding things here." Ornstein said as he took a step forward and towered over Kaylen with his raw size and physical presence. "I don't care what you are now or how little you know. The instruction given to me was to make you into a knight worthy of the title and that is what is going to happen. If you don't know a damn thing about it, then you'd better get ready to learn."

"Holy crap, this guys a goddamn lunatic. He's gonna keep this going just because Gwyn told him too. I gotta get outta here."

"I am going to teach by the numbers, boy. You will leave this castle with pride, be it because you were smart enough to learn your duty or because the pain was great enough to etch it into your body. Either way, a knight you will become." Ornstein all but swore, causing Kaylen to sweat drop even further than he already had. "Now do you have any more excuses to speak or are you done wasting my time?"

"…."

"Good. Now follow me."

With that order given, the knight proceeded to walk further through the halls and, not exactly having much of any other choice, Kaylen slouched and did as he was told in a defeated fashion. Cursing under his breath that this was actually happening.

As the two made their way through the castle, passing by an assortment of servants and knights, all of whom turned profoundly curious looks at the unknown human walking at Ornstein's side, Kaylen was doing his best to memorize the pathways and entrances that past them by. Hoping that the information would somehow be useful to him later.

After walking directly to the opposite end of the castle itself, the heavy sounds of what could only be the hammering of steel reached Kaylen's ears. Soon enough, Ornstein came upon a door, which he promptly opened.

Inside was the sweltering home of a blacksmith, with the forge burning brightly and a hefty number of tools laying across a stone bench. And not but a few feet further was the muscular form of a man hammering away at a small piece of metal in deep focus. With each swing causing him to flex muscles that made it look like he could wrestle a bear with ease.

"Andre, I need you to hold off on your current works. There is a special order that I need completed as soon as possible."

"Oh? It's a rare sight to see you down hear, Captain. Even more so for you to personally request something of me." The smithy said in a friendly manner as he ceased his hammering. "And who's this you brought with you?"

"A new recruit. I need a suit of armor forged for him yesterday."

"Hm…" was all Andre said before getting up from his seat behind the anvil and walking over to the table to place his hammer down upon it. He then proceeded to walk up to Kaylen's person and began to examine him in detail. Sliding both hands burly hand down his arms and legs to judge their size and girth, getting a feel for the width of his shoulder's, using some strange metal tool to judge the size of his head.

Needless to say, its was uncomfortably intimate experience for young Kaylen.

"GAH!" Kaylen screamed before showing the old man back just as he proceeded to grab hold of his rear end. "Getting kinda handsy there, don't you think?."

"Oh, forgive me. I'm used to working with more stoic men and women these days. It's purely professional I assure you." Andre apologized sincerely. "I work best when I get a feel for the person I'm smithing for Mr.?..."

"Kaylen of Catarina."

"Andre, of Astora. Good to meet you. Must be a pretty special lad for the captain to bring you here personally."

"Not exactly. I don't-."

"Apologies, but this is not a social visit. There is work to be done with this one. Do you have everything you need?" Ornstein interrupted.

"Enough for a rough estimate of the metal required. Send him back round when he's free and I can get proper measurements."

"Good. Lets go, boy." The knight said plainly, not spending a single second within the forge than necessary.

"Oi. Next time ya come by, mind snagging me one of those tarts that get served during evening chow? They're always gone by the time I get the chance to make my way to the dining hall."

"It's first come first served, Andre. No exceptions." The knight said without missing a beat as both he and Kaylen left the man behind, leaving Andre to sigh and mumble something along the lines of "I bet Gwyn gets extra's".

With that, the two proceeded back within the inner confines of the castle in a mock tour-like fashion; stopping momentarily at particularly important places for a brief description of its function and the importance of knowing where they were in an emergency, as well as allow the boy to voice any questions or concerns he may have.

Kaylen, though he still was taking this all in with the mindset of running away later, could not help but marvel at the things he was seeing. Everything from the bathrooms to the empty dining hall was extravagant and well maintained.

Not only that, but each person they passed, be they godly knight or human servant, all seemed to have a bit of a pep in their step and brightness about their demeanor.

"Why does everyone look so…happy with themselves?"

"Why wouldn't they be? Their work contributes to the whole of the kingdom. From the daily task of a servant all the way to the responsibilities of Lord Gwyn himself, we all have a duty that aids and builds off one another." Ornstein explained sagely, giving off a small sense of pride at speaking of those within the castle. "Drink it in, boy. This is what dedication, unity and understanding of one place within the whole can achieve."

Hearing this, especially being a human himself, Kaylen would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with the system that seemed to allow the castle to function so smoothly and with the satisfaction of seeming all of its inhabitants.

However, he didn't let it blind him to his current predicament. Being here was dangerous for him considering what he'd done to Velka. Not to mention, it wasn't a secret that the standing army of Anor Londo was comprised mainly of gods. Considering that their naturally well-endowed bodies overshadowed a humans by leaps and bounds, he didn't wanna stick around for whatever "Training" they might cook up for him.

For all he knew, they would simply use this as an excuse to torment him for as punishment for embarrassing the "Oh so great and respected Goddess of Sin".

The two continued moving through the halls until they stopped at a door. Ornstein addressed Kaylen in a semi-cold tone. "This will be your temporary room. I say temporary because it may change do to either my decision that you are not fit to have a room due to lack of sufficient effort or because you will be spending more time in the clerics care that it would be a waste to give you one. In either case, meet at the training field in the center of the pavilion at six AM tomorrow morning for drills and introduction to the rest of the squad."

"I understand."

"Are you disrespecting me, boy?" the knight question gravely.

"U-Uh, no, sir. I understand, Sir."

"Good. I recommend that you get up an hour early so that you are able to arrive promptly; considering your failure to report to your previous meeting on time. Of which we will address later."

Kaylen opened his mouth to deny being late for the made-up meeting, but quickly decided against it. Believing that to speak any would be excuse would only serve to annoy the knight, if not make things worse. So instead, he simply decided to release a sigh and accept that there was likely a punishment in his future.

But then an idea suddenly sprang to his mind.

"Uh, Sir, this tux is the only piece of clothing I have here. With your permission, I can make my way home to retrieve more appropriate clothing for my stay here." Kaylen said, glad to have come up with a reasonable reason for him to leave the castle.

"Nice try, boy. I will requisition a few sets of basic clothing be made for you and finding spare footwear will not be an issue. You'll need nothing fanciful here and you'll find our seamstress works quickly." Ornstein said, quickly understanding what the human was trying to do. However, once he struck his little idea down and watched his shoulders slump with a sigh, the knight hesitated for a few moments before speaking once again. "Hm…tell a little about yourself, boy."

"What?"

"Do not make me repeat myself. If you are to be under my tutelage, then I would know more of you. And know that that will be the last time you will be let off easy for not addressing me with he proper respect." Ornstein said sternly, getting the point across that his words were not to be taken lightly. "Where are you from?"

"Thorolund, sir." Kaylen said hesitantly.

"Did you not say Catarina when you spoke to Andre?"

"U-Uh, I moved around a great deal, Sir. I consider both my birthplace."

"I see. Any kin?"

"I never knew my parents, Sir, so I don't really have anyone I'd call family or kin."

"Strike that last comment, pup. As of this day, every solider in this castle is your family. Don't let me catch you telling anyone otherwise or there will be trouble." The knight said firmly with a nod, actually gaining an a bit of a awkward smile from the human before him.

"Was that his idea of a heart-to-heart moment?" Kaylen thought to himself, feeling that the attempt was a little to straight forward to be very touching.

"Do you have any questions of me?"

"Well…would you mind telling me exactly who you are and what you do here, Sir?"

At this, the knight raised his head high as he spoke his next words.

"I am Ornstein, Captain of the Four Knights of Gwyn. Proud warrior of Anor Londo that protects this city and its citizens, alongside my comrades in arms, Ciaran, Artorias and Gough. Each of which, whom you will meet tomorrow."

With his formal introduction complete, the knight decided that that would be more than enough conversation between the two of them.

"Now I have other business to attend too regarding your stay here, so take this day to prepare yourself mentally for the coming strife ahead. I will not be taking things easy upon you and my expectations will be met. Until then, boy."

With that, Ornstein turned on a heel and left the young human to himself. Kaylen entered the room and was somewhat surprised by what was inside.

Almost nothing.

Sweeping his gaze over the small space, Kaylen's eye's focused on the only three important things in the room which was a small bed in the corner of the room with a small window above it and a very small dresser with only four compartments.

Releasing a calming breath to gather himself and feeling a little exhausted, he thought about what his next move would be.

"Great job breaking in here, bud. "Let just go apologize and explain that I didn't have anything to do with that robbery. It'll be just fine.". Brilliant. Now you're basically a prisoner in one of the most heavily guarded places in the city. The minute Velka finds out you're here, she's going to have your head on a platter." Kaylen thought to himself realistically, not at all forgetting the danger of remaining in this place. "I have to get out as soon as I can. But I can't make a move yet. It's bright and early in the morning. To many people out and about. Gotta wait till nightfall, then make my way out. I doubt they'll spend the effort to keep an eye on the "lowly human" and only a handful of people will know that I'm not supposed to leave. So I should be in the clear, as long as I'm careful. Hopefully, this will blow over if I just hide out in the city outskirts for a while and blend in."

With that improvised plan made, Kaylen allowed himself to lay down and make himself comfortable atop the beds relatively soft body.

He hadn't slept all last night. He kept moving from place to place with only brief moments of rest, feeling that it was too risky to stay anywhere too long with Velka likely out and about looking for him. But now that he was laying within the folds of an actual bed, he found that the sweet hum of the sandman was calling his name.

Within minutes of closing his eye's, the young human was dosing off into what would no doubt be a deep sleep.

"You may not want to do that just yet." A feminine voice said in amusement, prompting Kaylen's eye's to shoot wide open and for his body to quick snap up in a panic.

Quickly pushing away his grogginess, he was quick to take in the sight of a woman in blue robed armor and sporting a porcelain mask that seemed to be lined with ivory locks.

"Honestly, you're left alone for but a few minutes and you decide to simply sleep the day away? Tsk, tsk, tsk, for shame, human."

"Ciaran?" Kaylen questioned.

"The one and the same." the woman said with an affirming nod. "I've come to speak with you about a few things."

"Great. Let me guess, here to tell me something along the lines of "This is what you deserve for partaking in crime"?" Kaylen exclaimed with clear displeasure in his tone. "You already screwed me over by having me be forced to stay here, don't you think?"

"Screwed you over? Heh, Is that what I've done?" Ciaran said, the tone of her voice telling Kaylen that she was smiling behind her mask.

"What else would you call this?"

"Hm, I believe I'd call it "Protecting you", human." The goddess said plainly.

"What? How is this-"

"Allow me to be frank. You, my young friend, are a wanted criminal." Ciaran explained as she took as step towards the human's person. "Before, it was merely a matter of a small-time theft, if only by minor participation. But that was before you broke into the royal capital. Of which is quite the serious offense to the crown. Punishable by up to a year of imprisonment. Coupled with your other crimes, your stay within the dungeon would be extended far further than that."

"What other crimes?"

"Not including the theft and your break in, you are wanted for the crimes of assaulting an officer of the crown, namely Velka, resisting arrest, impersonating castle staff, arson and an unsanctioned visit to Lord Gwyn." Ciaran exclaimed, just barely holding back a chuckle as the human paled before her. Even if she knew she was stretching things a bit on just how harsh the punishment would be for such crimes. "Truly, it was not looking good for you before I stepped in and help you. So here's the deal, human…"

She placed her hands behind her back as a show of non-aggression and wisdom.

"I know that you may have considered fleeing the castle and eventually, with enough time, you may find some way to slip through the cracks and accomplish this task. But I bid you to consider this; if you stay here and receive your punishment as instructed, you will be cleared of the crimes you have committed. It will save you name form being tarnished and save us a great deal of paperwork. Let's say…three to four months of training and you're free to go."

"Three to four months? But I already told you I wasn't responsible for that robbery or that fire. And come on, assaulting of an officer of the crown? Velka could literally kick my ass with both hands tied behind her back. I'm hardly able to hurt someone like her or you."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The law is clear on these matters and as you partook in thievery, you are now liable to everything that followed. But if you are displeased with my offer, feel free to attempt to flee the castle if you wish. However, if you are caught, know that your protection will have been forfeited and you will face the full penalty for your crimes." Ciaran said before placing a hand to her mask in thought for a moment. "Actually, now that I think about it, since you are now a knight in training, leaving would mean you will have committed the crime of desertion as well. That's going to add about five years to your sentence."

"Okay-okay, I get it. Don't leave the castle and do as I'm told. I understand, alright?. You can stop threatening me now." Kaylen said quickly in a defeated manner, knowing that now that he had the attention of someone like Ciaran on him, he was as good sunk.

"Good lad. You've made the right choice this day." Ciaran said as she pats the human's shoulder in a friendly manner. "And hey, just to prove it to you, I've spoken to lord Gwyn and he has ordered that Velka not be allowed to harm you unjustly. Isn't that good news?"

"Wait, she can't touch me while I'm here?"

"Heh, well, "Can't" is a strong word. If she for some reason feels you to be a threat to her life or danger to her person, she is of course allowed to defend herself. In other words, try not to go anywhere alone or you may find yourself in an "accident". Of which will be quickly covered up by the many healers within the castle and likely myself if push comes to shove."

"What?! That's not protection!" Kaylen exclaimed in a small panic, feeling his heartbeat rising in his chest at the implication. "What do you even get out of this? There is literally nothing to gain by going so far to make any of this happen."

"Ah. That is where your thinking falls apart. I'm not out to gain anything, I assure you. My aim is simply to offer you leniency and perhaps even make you better than you were before in the process. However…" Ciaran lowered her voice somewhat, adding a layer of coldness to her tone. "I must say that Velka is a dear friend who works herself to half to death protecting all within this city. So I do not appreciate the fact that the first man who actually manages to talk to her and allow her to loosen up for once, turned out to be the reason her one night of rare relaxation was ruined."

Hearing this and being met with the frankly sinister appearance of the porcelain mask, Kaylen found himself swallowing hard as he took a half-step back away from the woman. Suddenly becoming very aware of the fact that she could probably do whatever she wanted with him, and he couldn't really do much to stop her.

But as if it was all an act and she had absolutely no sinister thoughts in her mind, Ciaran returned back to her more approachable demeanor.

"But hey, there's no reason to worry about any of that now. Velka likely won't be back until much later. She's out looking for a certain human at the moment and she seemed quite eager to get her hands on him. So you may relax and get familiar with your temporary home until she returns. Consider me a friendly face around the castle and know that I will be rooting for you in the times ahead. And remember, you may choose to leave whenever it pleases you. Until next time."

With that, the masked goddess made her way out of the room. Leaving Kaylen to once again swallow nervously at the realization that his situation was actually far worse than he originally thought.

But just as she was just about to leave and close the door behind her, Ciaran left him with on final parting comment.

"Good luck to you, Kaylen. You will need it to survive both your training and your apology."

And with that, she let the human be. Giving a slight chuckle on her way out that sent shivers down the young human's spine.

OOOOOKAY, DEAR READERS!

That'll be all this time around. It was a genuine hoot to try touch on a more serious not on this story, while still keeping and keep a bit of a light hearted tone.

Hope everybody got a bit of a smile and a feel a little bad for poor Kaylen for just how badly he's being done in this time around. Trying to get the point across that his situation is a bit for amusement, but also being taken somewhat seriously by some of the gods in some way. So hopefully things turned out alright for you guys tuning in for a read.

As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys thought about this chapter of the story. Was Velka finding Kaylen home a little to rushed and contrived? Was Ciaran a little too harsh on Kaylen? Should Kaylen be a bit more confident and fearless in his actions despite his situation?

Honest opinions are always appreciated as I'm always looking to improve my style of writing to make this story a bit more interesting for you guys. so don't be shy in telling me your thoughts about how things are going so far. Outside opinions will have a huge effect on how this story will play out.

This is Supreme Gamer, Signing out.