Author's Note:

Hello again! If you're reading this then you have definitely clicked on this new chapter. If so, then I thank you for doing so. Please continue supporting the story. With that, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: A Quick Refresh

After battling a myriad of foes,

The team of three became tired and weary.

Resting on the ground as time goes,

Their legs are stiff and their breathing heavy.

With their strength now back but somehow weak,

They depart for the nearest village they know.

Now leaving the den of bandits and freaks,

Their enemies have reaped what they sow.

It didn't take long for them to arrive,

At their supposed stopover.

Where they came to unwind after they survived,

The dangerous bandit encounter.

Cupa's Perspective:

Never would I have thought to fight that many enemies at once. I may be experienced to fight multiple opponents during my combat training back at home but this fight went overboard. Although I'm glad we managed to beat everyone, I guess it was thanks to both Chrome and Xander. Oh! And Chrome's canine friend as well.

But something's been bugging for a while now. During the fight, the boss dude was incredibly strong that he managed to overpower Xander easily. Perhaps he was actually stronger than him but the strength he displayed was simply inhuman. And then after he drank some kind of potion or energy drink, his power level went over 9000!

Anyway, those were the thoughts that drifted into my mind while the three of us were resting on Chrome's fluffy friend. All of us were exhausted from the fight so we decided to take a quick breather and regain some of our strength. As everyone rested, I decided to bring up the topic I had in mind.

"Hey guys? Mind if I ask something?" I asked. "Go ahead!" Chrome said. "Sure thing." Xander said. "Do you know why that boss dude became insanely strong?" I asked. "I'm not entirely sure but I think it had so something to do with that 'Effect Amplifier' he had..." Xander replied. "What about you, Chrome?" I asked him. He shrugged, "Beats me... It probably was that potion he drank for all I care." he replied.

"So what did he call it again? An Infect Umpire?" I asked. "It was an 'Effect Amplifier' that he drank." Xander corrected me. "Ooh... So what does it do?" I asked. "I'm not entirely sure but I guess it amplifies effects." he explained. "No sh*t, Sherlock. It's in the name itself." Chrome commented.

Xander sighed, "Anyway, from the name itself I guess it's safe to say it works when someone has an effect on them." he said. "Effect? Like from potions?" I asked, remembering the brewing room back at home. He nodded, "Exactly, so let's say if someone had 'Strength 2' on them, it would probably make it stronger." he explained. "How strong?" I asked. "Maybe it'll increase it by one making it a 'Strenght 3' effect or maybe even double." he explained.

I then realized something from Xander had just said. I stood up suddenly, "Maybe that's why he was so strong!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?" Xander asked, looking confused. "I've figured it out! He had previously drunk a 'Strength' potion before the fight. Making him strong. Then when he drank the amplifier thingy, he became even stronger." I explained, excitedly.

"I never thought of that." Xander said, understanding what I said. "See? No wonder you were having trouble!" I exclaimed. "I guess...you're right. It does make sense why he was so strong." he agreed, looking shocked. I giggled, "Looks I solved our little mystery!" I exclaimed, proudly. I then heard Chrome clapping, "Well done, Princess! Seems like you're the better detective." Chrome complimented.

I took a proud stance from his compliment, "It was nothing!" I boasted. "Looks like I underestimated you." Xander said. His phrase caught my attention so I turned to face him. "Could you repeat what you just said?" I asked. "Ummm...looks like I underestimated you." he repeated. "What do you mean by that, Xander?" I asked.

It seems like he realized what he said since he looked away. "Don't you avoid eye contact with me!" I declared as I knelt next to him. I grabbed his puffy cheeks and made him face me, "Look at me and tell me what you meant." I ordered. Xander tried resisting but it seems he was way more tired than I was. So he gave up and stared right back at me. "Good! Now tell me what you meant by that." I said.

Xander sighed, "I thought that..." he paused. "That? Go on, continue." I told him. "That..." he paused once more. "That? What?" I asked. He took a deep breath, "That you weren't that smart..." he said. Just as I guessed, he thought I wasn't smart. The jokes on him then.

"You thought I was an idiot, didn't you?" I asked him sternly. "I didn't mean it like that! I just thought you weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, that's all." Xander explained. "So you did take me for an idiot!" I exclaimed. "N-no! Like I said I didn't mean it like that!" he said. I let go of him and returned to my sitting position, "Whatever!" I exclaimed, closing my eyes.

Seriously, he thought of me as some idiot! I can't believe he'd done this. I'm so mad at me right now! Is what I want to portray in front of him. In all honesty, I don't mind people calling me dumb because I know to myself that I'm average. Plus, I kind of look like a typical muscle head woman just like my mom. So, I don't mind at all.

So why am I doing this? Why am I acting that I'm mad? It's because in times like this men would normally apologize and say that they'll do a favor. And if he does, I'll make him buy me some snacks in the next town we go to. At least, that's what the book I read once said. But if he just apologizes, I plan to forgive him anyway. I wasn't exactly that furious with him. Seeing his reactions is just priceless, you see.

Now with my eyes closed and pretending to be mad, I quietly wait for someone's apology. It took almost a minute before he said something, I thought that he might not say anything at all. "H-hey, Cupa? Are you mad at me?" Xander asked. "Not really..." I replied, turning away from him. "You look like you are..." he said. "What made you say that?" I asked.

He then went silent again, "Look I'm sorry about what I said earlier." he apologized. "Uh-huh." I responded, nonchalantly. "I know I can say...some mean to others without meaning it that way but..." he paused. "But I'm really sorry if I hurt your feelings...again." he added. I remained silent for a while to see if he'd say anything else. And after waiting for another minute, he didn't say anything.

I sighed, sat back up, and turned to face him. I looked at him in the eye and saw a glimmer of hope in it, hoping that I would forgive him. I sighed once more, "Okay, I'll forgive you. But promise that you'll be more careful next time." I told him. "Also remember to think before you speak and whom you speak to. I'm still a girl you know." I added.

He nodded several times, "I-I will." he said. I sighed, "Looks like it didn't work..." I thought. He suddenly stood up, "I'll be right back!" he announced and ran behind the giant canine. "Seems like you're plan didn't work..." Chrome said. What he said startled mecausing me to step back a little.

He then looked at me with a grin, "You're next line will be P-plan?! What are you talking about?" he said. "P-plan?! What are you talking about?" I asked. "I knew you were planning to make Xander go down the 'I'll do you a favor' route. Am I right?" he asked. I gulped, "I-I don't know what you're talking about..." I replied.

He raised his eyebrow, "Oh? Well, even if you don't confess. This doesn't really concern me." he said. I sighed at his remark, "He is way too aware of things. It's like he's reading my mind." I thought. "I am in a way." he said. "What?!" I exclaimed. "What?" he asked. Both of us stared at each other for a while before Chrome looked away with a grin. "Just so you know, I'm not easily tricked." he said before closing his eyes once more and resting in his dog.

I sighed and dropped onto the white fur behind me to rest once more. "I'm back! Did I miss anything?" Xander asked, finally returning. "Nothing really... What have you been up to?" Chrome asked. "I just went to inspect the mine. There really wasn't anything in it besides old weapons and beer bottles." Xander said. "Sad... I was planning to loot the place too." Chrome said.

"Anyway, I suggest we get going now. I'd be best if we arrived at the nearby village before sunset." Xander said. "Good idea! I don't really want a follow up to what just happened." Chrome agreed. With that, I immediately got up and walked close to the protected carriage. "Hey Xander, can you get rid of this now?" I asked. "Oh! Yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry..." he said, dispersing the bubble.

As I got into the carriage, I noticed the numerous dead bodies lying around the area. "Shouldn't we at least bury the corpses?" I asked both my companions. They looked at each other, "I guess we could." Chrome said. "But how? We need to at least dig a deep hole or multiple holes to bury all of them." Xander said. "I believe you're forgetting about Zoey." Chrome said as he patted his dog.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that too." Xander said. "I guess we better go grab the bodies." he added. "You go first. I'll follow." Chrome said. Xander nodded and began grabbing the nearby bodies. "I need you to dig a deep hole, Zoey. At least 15 feet deep." Chrome ordered his canine companion. The massive dog barked as I sign of approval and began digging a hole.

"Can I help?" I asked, hoping that they would allow me to assist them. "You best rest inside the carriage, Cupa." Xander said. "I'm with Xander. You should leave this to us." Chrome said. I frowned, "But I wanted to help you..." I said. "Having you aid us in battle was unexpected but you were a big enough help. We would appreciate it if you were to leave stuff like this to us instead." Xander said.

Hearing him say that made me smile a bit. "Well, if you insist. I guess I'll just wait here." I said. "Thank you for understanding." Xander said. "He said that I was helpful! He said it! I'm so glad he said it! I feel appreciated!" I happily thought. "It feels good..." I muttered, laying down onto the soft chairs. Without realizing it, I dozed off.

Xander's Perspective:

So after looking around the mine that contained nothing but thrash and junk, it was time to depart for the nearest village. At least, that was the plan at first, until Cupa suggested we bury the dead bodies. And as of now, that's what Chrome and I are doing. We grab the bodies and toss them into the hole Zoey had dug and then bury them afterward.

Honestly, I don't mind burying the bodies. It's just really time-consuming and tiring. Why? Because there are a lot of dead bodies. Carrying back and forth all those corpses to one hole is really tiring, you know. Nevertheless, we had to do it and after several minutes all the bodies were in one giant hole.

Chrome then gave Zoey the command to bury them all. With an energetic bark, she filled the hole up with dirt, effortlessly. Now that was done, we can finally get back on track, literally. As I head back to the carriage, I happen to see that Cupa had fallen asleep on the seats. She was so close to falling off the seat that I had to do something. If there's one thing I know, sleep is important and must not be disturbed.

So I entered the carriage and pulled the bottom part of the seat out. Now with the bottom part out, the inside now looks like a big bed. Cupa suddenly rolls across the bed and stops on the other side. "Good thing I pulled it out..." I thought upon closing the carriage door.

"How sweet of you!" Chrome teased me. I sighed, "It would be rude not to take care of her." I explained. I then turned around and to my surprise saw a furry, white puppy in Chrome's arms being fed dog treats. "What do you got there?" I asked. "Dog treats. Want some?" Chrome replied. "I wasn't talking about the dog treats. I'm talking about that thing you have in your arms." I said, pointing at the little creature.

Chrome gasped at my statement, "How dare you call Zoey a thing?!" he exclaimed, throwing a dog treat at my face. The treat broke apart as it but my face at full force. "Ow! What was that for?!" I asked. "That's for calling my daughter a thing." he explained. I blinked, "Pardon me? Did you say your daughter?" I asked.

Chrome nodded, "Why of course! I treat Zoey like my own daughter. If you hurt her, I hurt you." he explained. Again I blinked, "Did you say, Zoey?" I asked. "Why yes! I did say that." he answered. "The same Zoey that looked like the Ravager?" I asked. He scowled at me, "What do you mean by 'looked like the Ravager'?" he asked. "I was talking about size comparison." I explained.

"Ah! If so, then yes." Chrome said, his face lightening up. "So you're telling me that this tiny fluff of fur in your arms was that same massive canine with insane powers?" I asked. He nodded, "Bingo! You got it." he said. "How did something that massive become this small?" I asked. "Magic. Is that a good enough explanation. I don't really want to explain something complicated." Chrome said.

"Fair enough." I said. "Anyway, why bother making her this small?" I asked. "It makes it easier to carry her." Chrome replied. "No, that's not what I meant." I said. "Then what did you mean?" he asked. "What I'm trying to say is why bother carrying her when you can just make her return to where she came from?" I said. "Oh!" he remarked.

"It's fun having her around. I just feel so relaxed when I'm with her." Chrome explained. "Really?" I asked. He nodded, "Indeed. Want to hold her?" he asked. "Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded once more, "Just don't hurt her. That's the only requirement." he told me. "Well, if you insist. Just so you know, I've never had a pet before." I said. Chrome smiled, "You'll be fine. As long as she or I don't consider you hostile nothing bad will happen to you." he explained.

"Okay then... I'll take on your offer then." I said. Chrome then handed over the fluffy canine to me. "She looks like a Japanese Spitz..." I thought while holding Zoey in my hands. I carried the fuzzball in my arms like a baby as it looked at me with puppy dog eyes. It's was mouth wide open like an overly joyous smile it's tongue hanged from the side. It's fluffy and warm body felt so good to hold as if washing away my exhaustion. It then licked my cheeks and brought me back to reality.

I looked over to Chrome who was grinning from ear to ear. "You seem to be having fun." he said. "W-well I have to admit that it felt good to hold her." I said. "Uh-huh... Why not try putting her down?" he suggested. "Putting her down? Like on the ground?" I asked. "No on the water." he said sarcastically. So I put the dog down on the ground.

Zoey turned around to face me then rolled over, exposing her belly. "What is she doing?" I asked. "My daughters telling you to scratch her belly." Chrome said. "Kindly rephrase that, please. It sounds wrong." I told him. "No." he immediately replied. "Fine. So I just scratch her?" I asked.

Chrome nodded, so I reached out my hand and scratched the dog's belly. Looking at her, she looks satisfied as I scratched her warm belly. "Good. Now to finish things off, give her this." Chrome told me as he handed me a dog treat. He placed it on my hand and held it in front of Zoey. She looked at it and began panting with her tongue out.

"Eat this." I said, lowering my hand enough for her to reach the treat. Zoey came close, took a bite of the treat, and curled up next to me. Chrome began clapping, "Congratulations! You have now successfully befriended, Zoey." he proudly said. "Did I do all of this just to make me befriend your dog?" I asked. He nodded, "Why yes! Do you have any complaints?" he asked. I shook my head, "Not really." I replied.

With that event out of the way, I told Chrome that it was high time we got back on the road. He nodded in agreement and called Zoey to come to him. The tiny canine ran towards him and jumped on his shoulder, resting on my like some kind bed. I chuckled, seeing a cute little dog resting on the shoulder of someone like Chrome really gives off a different vibe.

Anyway, I got back onto the front seat where I was last time and saw Chrome walking towards some scattered bodies. I was about to ask him what he was up to until he pulled out a rope from his inventory and began tying up the remaining bandits with it. Then he placed a sign in front of them before running back to the carriage.

"What did you put on the sign?" I asked. "Nothing much... Just a warning." Chrome said. I shrugged, "Okay. Well, let's go then." I said as the carriage headed out of the clearing and back on the road.

We passed by the same route from before and still saw some remnants of the chase. The trees that Cupa shot down were pushed aside, making it easier for us to head back on the main road. It didn't take long before we arrived at the intersection again. This time we took a look at the signboards.

"Those mofos switched the signs! No wonder we got bamboozled and dragged into that mess of a fight!" Chrome announced. "The old switcheroo I guess..." I muttered. "Let's changed this back." I added. Chrome agreed to fix the signs, he'd be in charge of the mine sign while I'll be the one doing the other. In a matter of minutes, we had finished what we were doing.

Both signs were now pointed towards their correct locations. Nothing really changed about the sign I fixed, it still had the same thing written on it. I just wrote, "Right road leads to the village." underneath the original writings. Chrome, on the other hand, completely changed the sign. He wrote, "Abandoned Mineshaft. Beware of Bandit Bonobos! DON'T GO TO THE LEFT ROAD!" and completely covered the old writings.

Chrome looked proud while looking at his work of art, I guess. After that, we headed down the path we were supposed to pass through. As we passed through the quiet path, I looked up in the sky and noticed that the sun was still shining in the east. It was still morning and the three of are already exhausted.

The long, enduring fight I was in apparently wasn't that long at all. It probably only lasted 30 minutes or less. I sighed from the thought of it all. "How did things end up like this?" I wondered while the carriage pressed onward. At one point I turn to look at my companions, all of them were napping soundly.

Cupa slept comfortably inside the carriage, Chrome was sleep sitting next to me, and Zoey was sleeping on Chrome's shoulder. You could say that Zoey served as Chrome's pillow while Chrome served as Zoey's bed. I, on the other hand, was wide awake despite being the most exhausted of the three. I sighed, "I guess we should rest at the upcoming village instead of making a pit stop. It would be bad if we were to encounter another problem while we're all exhausted..." I thought.

After almost half an hour, we arrived at the village. Unlike towns, they stretched inwards from the roadside. These villages serve as a pit stop for travelers to either refresh or reset. The villages also serve as nearby homes for town guards who work at nearby outposts as well as farmers who work in the open fields. Although, you still have to pay a toll fee to enter.

So, I handed the guards the fee and entered the village. It was a simple yet quiet place to live in. The place had several wooden houses, some were small while some were tall. It also had some rentable stables, an eatery, a workshop, and a decent inn. The village was like a small, profitable town. "I didn't expect it to be like this, not one bit." I thought as we pass through the village entrance.

Upon entering, my first agenda was to have the horses rest in the stables. So I had to locate the stables which weren't that of a big deal. I mean, the place is rather small so it is easily spotted. It didn't take long for me to have the horses rest in the stables. Apparently, if you have a carriage the staff will advise you to leave it with them so they can have it parked in the building next to them. How convenient!

Before I left it with the staff, I woke Chrome up as well as Cupa. Chrome had no problem waking up but Cupa was a bit different. I had to shake her several times before she could properly open her eyes. When she got up, you could still see that she was drowsy so I had to hold her so she wouldn't fall over and sleep again.

Chrome asked what had occurred and I told him what the staff had said to me. He agreed to leave it to the staff and so we both signed a paper that proves our carriage is in their care. We then took our stuff with us and stored it into our inventories, except for Cupa.

After that, we walked our way to the inn and have ourselves checked in. We got two rooms, one that had two beds and the other had one. The rooms we got were also next to each other, just in case. It was decided that Cupa would sleep in her own room, a lady does need her privacy. And that Chrome and I would share a room, separate beds of course.

Once we got hold of the keys, the three of us headed up into our respective rooms. Chrome entered our room first and then shut the door behind him. "Looks like someone's in a hurry to sleep." I thought as I unlocked Cupa's room. After unlocking the door, I head inside with the sleepy princess clinging onto me and gently laid her down on the bed. I covered her up before locking up and exiting the room.

With Cupa fast asleep, I head back to our room to take a nap as well. At least, that's what I hoped to happen. Turns out Chrome locked the door when he closed it, locking me out. I knocked on the door several times to try and wake him up, but it didn't work. I sighed and grabbed the key in my pocket, it was Cupa's room key. "Just my luck..." I thought as I re-entered her room.

I gently opened the door so I don't wake her up and locked it again. Cupa seemed to be sleeping soundly so I quietly walked passed her and onto the sofa. I laid down onto the soft couch and fell asleep as well.

Next thing I knew, I was being shaken wildly by an energized humob princess. "Wake up, Xander! It's almost time for dinner! C'mon wake up! I'm starving!" Cupa declared, continuously shaking me. "Okay I get it. So stop shaking me already." I said, getting up. "Took you long enough." she said. I stared at her and was about to make a retort but decided not to. I just sighed, "Let me just wash my face." I told her, entering the bathroom.

"I'll give you 5 minutes!" Cupa announced. "Sure." I nonchalantly replied before closing the door. After less than five minutes, I came back out feeling refreshed. "You look less grumpy now." she said. "Do I really?" I asked. She nodded, "Yup! You look much better now." she said. "Thanks. I guess." I replied before walking towards the door.

Cupa then followed me as we exited the room. Chrome was waiting for us outside the room with a cheeky smile. "No." I told him. "What did I say?" he asked. "Nothing. I just said no." I replied, locking the door. "Let's just head to the down already. I'm starving." I told them. Both of them nodded and the three of us went down.

You see the inn has it's own eatery that serves it's lodgers free meals a day depending on their stay. Although, the free meals are worth one plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Good thing the plate is jam-packed with food.

Needless to say, the three of us enjoyed a nice, fulfilling dinner at the inn's eatery. After filling ourselves with food, all that's left for us to do is to go back to our respective rooms and sleep. The night was peaceful and quiet...or so I believed until morning came.

Author's Note:

Thanks again for reading the story, I very much appreciate it. If you liked this chapter, do leave a review for me to read. Your reviews help motivate me a lot to continue writing. It can be anything from jokes, opinions, suggestions, or straight up criticism. With that said, I hope you have a wonderful day/night! Thank you as always! Take care and God bless! :)