Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year Two. I'm sure you're all wondering what was up with that little cliffhanger at the end with Ranger's revolver being used sooner than he thought. Well, FYI, that revolver is yet another Darksiders reference; the horseman of War gets his own pistol in the first game at some point, and since Ranger follows the War God, I thought it would be fitting. For those of you that forgot, Ranger even wears a red cloak nowadays; the horseman of War is also known as the Red Rider...parallels much? Anyway, on with the show...
Review response: Telling and showing is a delicate balance, but the show already covered the things I didn't show in the first act, so that wasn't needed...AS I SAID ALREADY people, please pay attention. As for the prologue, I already apologized for dumping info, but I refuse to go through a year's worth of stuff, and break the consistency with differences so it wouldn't be so jarring.
Taking risks is sometimes unavoidable, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Even if none of that was a factor, which it is...I cannot show each and every part of a sequence, and the times where I could've, nothing came to mind, and I can't write but I don't have. I promise to get better about that later on, but chances are, it won't be flawless.
But for those of you who already did what you should've done, more power to you, but those that didn't...please, acknowledge the method in the madness. You'll save alot of time, effort, and grief, in this story, and in life itself, and I epicly fail to see how that's a disservice. I take full responsibility for my errors because that's the smartest and most ethically sound way to go about it, and lots of people agree, but I can never be responsible for everything that goes wrong, nor will I try.
A good chunk of what I explained by the way is already covered by the GS Light Novels, like Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter, or Hecatonchier, but some things will get away from me here and there, but those are on the table as well. As if that balance I mentioned wasn't delicate enough...
Don't get me wrong, I'm not offended, I'm concerned things might go too far south, especially when it's easy to avoid.
Also, welcome back Danny Barefoot. It hasn't been the same without you. Even though you're a bit late to the party, input is still welcome. I may be a male, but I'm no stranger to the progression stages of child development. Using illusion to heal PTSD is something I couldn't not do, as for that term "swollen"...well, I've seen it used before, and I saw nothing wrong with it, though "curvy" is still solid as a rock. But I did change it so Wizard's figure isn't described as swollen, so your compliant did not fall on deaf ears.
It was the middle of a patch of scorched earth roughly a mile wide, with the exception of a mountain with a portal to the Astral Plane leading down a path. The sky itself was choked with clouds of burning ashes, and sparks of orange lightning sparked between them, highlighting the desolate landscape. Thousands upon thousands of butchered demons and chaos creatures were scattered every which way, and in the distance a series of roars and clanging sounds were heard...
A figure in bulky, blood red armor and wielding twin swords, each one larger than the figure himself, was dancing through a crowd of various eldritch abominations. The figure craved through their diamond-hard flesh like his blades went through melted butter, which was fitting since the swords glowed with the heat of the sun. The figure's movements weren't even human; he twisted, bent, maneuvered, and moved to the sides in ways that a normal human would never be able to, let along do so with ease. Every creature that engaged him, or was engaged by him spent its last moment of life with one or both of the figure's massive blades butchering its body.
When he was done, and the butchered corpses of the monsters brave and foolish enough to face him were thrown about in every direction, he looked into the distance to see a massive mountain-sized centipede crawling around a burnt forest. He then rushed down the mountain he was fighting on with speed that would make a horse green with envy. When he was close enough, he spotted a meteor coming toward him from above, then he jumped over a crater, and punched the meteor to pieces like it was made of rotten wood. When he reached the centipede, he summoned a metallic horse out of a raging fire he lit while running, he then merged his twin swords into a single massive blade. He then craved the insect in two as he plunged the blade into its mouth, and continued riding until the body was completely bisected.
When he was done, he raced toward a fortress in the distance, then jumped off the horse which rammed into the wall as the figure ran straight up the wall. He left small holes in the wall with each step, then vaulted over the wall, and rolled across the ground before bisecting two demonic guards with one swing to each side. The figure then plunged the sword into the ground hard enough to make it shatter...than phantom copies of his blade popped out of the ground and impaled the guards who charged at them before vanishing and incinerating the corpses they impaled. He then melted the sword, absorbed the metal into his gauntlets, and punched one of the larger guards so hard his body was shattered like a watermelon. When the smaller, more agile guards got close, they too were smashed under the figure's mighty fists, if they weren't pulled apart, slammed into each other, or thrown into the walls around them.
A roar was heard and a demonic dragon flew overhead, and the moment it circled back around, the figure aimed his fist at it. He then launched a harpoon with a chain out of his gauntlet, and the metal projectile struck the dragon's chest. The unholy monster roared in pain, then the figure violently pulled the dragon down to the ground with enough force to collapse the ceiling of the fortress into the main hall below. The figure then jumped onto the dragon's back, ripped off the dragon's head with brute force alone, then hurled it into the wall with enough force to bring it down on top of a few of the guards that survived the ceiling's collapse.
The figure then turned some metal from his right gauntlet into a revolver and shot the rest of the guards dead as they rushed into the chamber. The revolver didn't even need to be loaded between shots and a few of the guards dropped dead every second until they all ceased to live. He then noticed a crowned figure run off down a hall with the figure in close pursuit with his revolver absorbed into his gauntlet. Eventually, the royal was cornered in a pantry and the figure's shadow darkened the room...
The figure then walked towards the terrified royal with his gauntlets turning into his swords again, heated them, and as the figure crossed his arms to slice the royal in three pieces, his dying his screams echoed through the outside world...
Ranger snapped his eyes open in the middle of the night, and looked around in his bed to see that Fighter was no longer sleeping next to him. He then slipped on his pants, went out to look for her, and when he found her...she was breastfeeding their daughter. Ranger then stood back and watched them; witnessing such a pure moment between his two favorite females in the world helped restore balance to his mind, heart, and lungs. Fighter even hummed a tone as the baby in her arms sucked on one of her nipples, and consumed the milk the poured out of it.
Eventually, Fighter placed their sustained daughter in her crib, then spotted her husband standing there, shirtless and somehow, even more handsome than he was when they met.
"What are you doing up?" Fighter asked, and Ranger sucked in a breath.
"I just woke up from a...pretty intense dream, and went to look for you." Ranger said.
"I'm sorry but...she wouldn't wait." Fighter said.
"Well...seeing you be there for our daughter is a sight I can not pull myself away from." Ranger said, then Fighter walked toward him.
"And you gave her to me...thank you so much." Fighter said softly before pressing her lips against Ranger's, then the two held each other close.
"I have to admit...I somewhat envy her." Ranger said.
"You did what she did plenty of times, and she needs my milk more than you do." Fighter teased as they walked to their bed.
"I rarely agree more, especially since I don't even try to coax it out of you." Ranger said as the two stripped and climbed into bed with Fighter on top of him.
"Don't worry, I'll have plenty for both of my babies." Fighter said,then Ranger squeezed her butt.
"I'll bet you will...and I'm sure the brood of children we have in the future will thank you as well." He said.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Fighter said before she kissed him deeply, then Ranger wrapped his arms around her. They kissed deeply yet again, before Ranger flipped them over, and felt Fighter ran her hands over his back before he broke the kiss. The pair then looked each other over, then Ranger's manhood began to swell...then he took a moment to think.
"Wait, how is your womb?" He asked.
"Not well enough for us to make love again unfortunately." Fighter said.
"Oh well..." Ranger said.
"I've been taking healing potions, and they do their job, but apparently no one thought about how they treat bodily adjustments." Fighter said.
"Don't remind me...hearing you scream like that was murder." Ranger said, then Fighter sighed.
"Like I said in the bathhouse, if you can handle burning, I can handle this." She said.
"And I love you all the more for it." Ranger said, then they stared at each other.
"I do miss having you inside me...although not right now given what I just went through." Fighter said.
"I told you not to remind me." Ranger said seriously.
"Sorry...but we can do other things while I recover." Fighter said, then Ranger smiled.
"I did tell you I love you right?" He asked softly as he stroked her silky, night-black hair.
"Every day when I was pregnant; you definitely showed your love." Fighter said.
"And it's still not enough, I don't think it ever will be. I still can't believe you had to shoo me away from the house just to leave you be." Ranger said.
"Hey, you had to hold other people's hands too, like you can't hold your team's hands either." Fighter said, then Ranger smirked.
"Wow...you remember that?" He asked casually.
"Yeah, Wizard was so offended when you first said that when we met..." Fighter said.
"We also got on each other about how you had no weapons, and I was a walking armory. Ranger said and Fighter laughed.
"Could we be any less subtle...? Although...to be fair, the fact you had a ranged weapon, namely that crossbow...that probably saved us more trouble than it had a right to." She said softly.
"I remember. The goblins show their faces, then bam, bam, bam, bam, bam! Five of them went down, I can hear Goblin Slayer counting them right now." Ranger said, and Fighter cut off his memory lane trip with another laugh.
"That man has always been something else hasn't he...?" She said, then Ranger sighed.
"Then that hob showed up...man, seeing you get your foot nearly crushed was not fun." He said.
"It's even less fun if it happens to you. I thought that giant sack of shit was going to tear my leg off." Fighter said seriously.
"But he didn't, I put that hob down where it belonged, dragged you back to safety, and I'd do that over and over if I have to. I even checked your leg to see how bad it was...I don't know if you noticed, but I was pretty flustered since I was checking your body for an injury. I'd be even more flustered if I knew what you looked like under that robe." Ranger said before snickering.
"You're such a perv..." Fighter said.
"That just dawned on you? We're married and have a child for the Supreme's sake. Plus I've groped you who-knows-how-many times, not that you mind right?" Ranger teased, and the two then had yet another laugh, especially Fighter who kissed his cheek.
"Bless your father for giving that crossbow to you." Fighter said dreamily.
"Technically he's your father too...just like yours is now mine..." Ranger said seriously, and hugged her naked and plump yet toned form against his bulk as her eyes watered.
"Our fathers really are great men..." Fighter said.
"Your father would be delighted to see our daughter..." Ranger said softly.
"And I'm delighted to be her mother..." Fighter whispered as she caressed her husband's sculpted chest, and stayed there until she calmed down, and Ranger was gracious enough to dry her tears with his thumbs.
"And her father is here for both of you." Ranger said before pulling Fighter into a deep, heart-melting kiss, and holding her close afterwards.
"May I ask about your dream?" Fighter asked.
"Well...it was by far the most intense dream I ever had...it involved a figure wearing blood red armor slaughtering monsters by the hundreds, if not thousands, by himself, and he did things a human being should never be able to do." Ranger said seriously.
"Such as?" Fighter asked.
"Remember how outlandishly strong the Revenant was at the farm? Things like that, only...this guy destroyed an entire fortress with power similar to the magic I learned from the War God, only...he was clearly a master." Ranger said.
"Holy shit..." Fighter whispered.
"I have no idea if it was a vision of the future or past, but it felt so real, it might as well have been either. For all I know, that was the War God himself." Ranger said.
"That's unlikely, since when do the gods come down to Earth? Well...the Death God does, but, he lives here." Fighter said.
"Maybe...oh whatever, if it's important I'll learn more." Ranger said as he held Fighter closer.
"For now though, we have some sleep to catch..." Fighter said as she snuggled into her brawny husband even more.
"Right, good night beautiful." Ranger said.
"Good night handsome." Fighter said, then the two laid there, inhaling each other's scents, and bathing in each other's warmth until sleep finally claimed them.
The next morning, Ranger checked on his baby daughter, and she was unironically sleeping like a baby. Ranger watched her through the bars of her crib, then reached through when she finally woke up and spotted him. Then she clutched his fingers with her own, wrapping her entire hand around one of his fingers, then Ranger caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Good morning daughter, I know you had quite an eventful month of life, but I promise you, things will pick up from here. You may even acquire as much, if not more greatness than myself and your mother when you get to be our age, maybe even sooner. I look forward to watching you grow, and to see the children you yourself will have with the man you no doubt will love as much as your mother loves me. But that will happen when it happens; for now...just focus on your growth." Ranger said softly before picking the girl up and holding her close. He then stood where he holding his infant daughter, then put her back down when she had enough. Ranger then knelt where he was originally, then watched over the baby until she went back to sleep.
Ranger then stayed by her side for a while longer, until one of the servants showed up.
"Sir? Storm Mage is here to see you." The servant said, and Ranger sucked in a breath.
"I must go daughter...I love you dearly." Ranger whispered then went to the front to see Storm Mage.
"Her Grace wants to talk to you, I think it's about a mission." He said seriously.
"What kind?" Ranger asked.
"She didn't say, nor did I ask, but you may want to say good-bye to your family and get your stuff together before going." Storm Mage said.
"Yeah yeah, I hear you..." Ranger groaned, then went back inside and saw Fighter getting out of bed, not even bothering to cover her enticing breasts.
"Who was that?" She asked.
"Storm Mage, apparently Her Grace wants to see me." Ranger said.
"Well...can't keep her waiting." Fighter said as Ranger got his armor and weapons then Fighter started stretching and flexing. Ranger didn't know or care if it was intentional, but he got some...remarkable views of the best sides of Fighter's delectable body. Eventually, Fighter noticed him pausing as he was about to put his undershirt on to look her over, then smirked, and raised her eyebrows.
"What?" Ranger asked casually.
"Seen enough?" Fighter teased.
"I will never see enough of you...and don't call me a perv again. I'm allowed to check out those goods." Ranger said.
"And unless there's a shortage, like when I was pregnant...you'll always be able to get a taste." Fighter said before licking her lips.
"Careful, you know full-well that drives me insane." Ranger breathed out.
"Your point?" Fighter asked casually.
"If you keep that up, we'll have a second child before you know it..." Ranger said seriously, and Fighter smiled..
"Just go see Her Grace before I get out of this bed..." She said before Ranger put his crossbow on his back, sheathed his swords, and holstered his revolver.
"See you later.." Ranger said as he turned to leave.
"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Fighter teased as she sat up with a smirk on her face, while she held herself up with her hands on the bed, behind her back and even bent a leg to add some flavor to her display. Ranger then walked over to her, removed his gauntlets and pressed his lips against hers while holding her up with one hand, and fondling her breasts one by one with the other hand. Fighter moaned through her nose while holding onto Ranger's shoulders and running her hands through his hair.
Ranger eventually lowered Fighter onto the bed and much to her delight, her husband ran his hand up and down her thick, creamy thigh.
"Will this body of yours ever stop being so sweet...?" Ranger asked.
"Only when you say they aren't...boss." Fighter teased before pulling him into another deep, noisy kiss before Ranger reluctantly pulled away.
"I will come back before too much longer..." Ranger said.
"I'm going to hold you to that." Fighter said seriously, before Ranger left.
Storm Mage led Ranger to the Temple of Law and found Sword Maiden in the main chamber, standing there in all her glory, and she smiled as soon as Ranger arrived and bowed to him, to which he bowed deeper.
"Your Grace..." Ranger said softly.
"Ranger, thank you for arriving so quickly. I have a quest for you, and it cannot wait." Sword Maiden said.
"Goblins?" Ranger asked seriously.
"Not likely, I've received reports of strange activity going on in the northern kingdom, but nothing was said of goblins." Sword Maiden said.
"Strange activity...that sounds like an investigation quest to me." Ranger said, then he started thinking.
"That's right, Storm Mage needs to remain here to act as my enforcer, and your wife should stay to look after you daughter, not to mention that the others are still at the frontier facing their own challenges. Supreme watch over them." Sword Maiden said.
"So that just leaves me..." Ranger trailed off.
"Precisely." Sword Maiden said.
"I cannot refuse a quest from the one and only Sword Maiden can I, especially since..." Ranger trailed off.
"What occupies your mind?" Sword Maiden asked softly.
"I remember my first investigation quest. Guild Girl said that investigation quests are unpredictable, and I think this one is probably not going to hold any good surprises. The last one his team took was where we met Abbot, and the old man was kind enough to demonstrate the power of a Gold Rank and gave us some strong gear that benefits us all to this day." Ranger said seriously.
"Well...whatever befalls you, my prayers go with you, as they always do." Sword Maiden said, then Ranger shared her smile.
"Is there anything I should be aware of?" Ranger asked.
"That depends, just how much do you know of the North?" Sword Maiden asked.
"Other than it's got mild summers, bitingly cold winters, werewolves, and a whole slew of other undesirable creatures roaming the wilderness? Not much." Ranger said.
"I see...well, aside from what you said, the guild has a stronger presence there than one would think. There's been almost no major activity there until now, because of not only the vast number of strong adventurers there, but also the fierce warrior spirit that some say inhabits the land itself. The people there would sooner die fighting than become victims. Some even kill themselves by hanging as a shortcut to heaven." Sword Maiden said.
"How does that work?" Ranger asked.
"I believe it's because their Chief God once did the same thing to acquire knowledge from the dead, because hanging is supposedly an unpleasant way to die and it requires a great deal of bravery as such, or both. Regardless, the northerners shouldn't give you too much trouble; they may be fierce, but they also value honor and heroism, not unlike yourself. If you make it clear that you are there to help them, they will surely aid you in any way possible, from hospitality, to directions, to fighting by your side if possible." Sword Maiden said.
"I do like the sound of that. Wait, how far am I traveling?" Ranger asked.
"Not far my good sir, not far at all..." A voice said, then Ranger looked up at where the voice came from, and what he saw surprised only Ranger...it was a child-sized angel, or cherub
"Are...are you-?" Cherub cut Ranger off.
"What? You fought through a legion of demons, on their home turf nonetheless, but seeing an angel floors you? You humans never cease to amaze..." Cherub said.
"Well...may I ask why a cherub, a handmaid of the Supreme God, is fluttering about in front of me right now?" Ranger asked seriously.
"I believe the good Sword Maiden here should have the honor." Cherub said casually while motioning to her.
"This good cherub contacted me in a dream last night and mentioned that something...big was on its way, and whatever is going on in the north is or will be the cause of it, and you were a prime candidate for this quest, so he also intends to go with you." Sword Maiden said.
"So...I'm going on an investigation quest...to find out whatever big thing is going to happen...and I'm going to have a cherub with me?" Ranger asked, then Sword Maiden nodded.
"Nothing gets past you doesn't it?" Cherub said.
"I'm sorry, but won't that be a bit...odd for the northerners, and everyone else for that matter?" Ranger asked.
"Not a problem my good sir..." Cherub said as he disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.
"Cherub?" Ranger asked as he looked around.
"Down here!" Cherub yelled, and Ranger looked down to see a golden, head-sized cage with Cherub inside it.
"How did you do that?" Ranger asked as he picked up the cage.
"I simply weaved the fabric of reality into something more suitable for the situation." Cherub said simply.
"You what?!" Ranger exclaimed.
"Did I stutter...?" Cherub deadpanned, then Ranger stared at him, then Sword Maiden, then Cherub again.
"But...what are you doing exactly?" Ranger asked.
"Hitching a ride on your belt, what does it look like I'm doing?" Cherub asked.
"O.k...back up, since when can you wrap the fabric of reality?" Ranger asked.
"Ranger...you may be blessed by the War God but that only excuses some of your ignorance. But to answer you...all angels can do this to at least some degree. In fact, under the Supreme's orders, the archangels created the Earth, sky, seas, even the stars, and easily too. Granted they haven't been as strong as they were at the time since, but it's still a feat in and out of itself. The most impressive thing I did was restore a mountain range and...you would not believe how much of a pain that was." Cherub said.
"O.k...I have a tiny angel with me who can do pretty much anything, this is hardly fair to my foes." Ranger said.
"Not so fast, I have a code to follow. I am not to interfere in your task in any way that isn't absolutely necessary. I can talk to you yes, but my control over reality is off the table unless the world is doomed without me." Cherub said.
"I see..." Ranger said.
"The absolute most I'm allowed to do for you is help your progress with the powers of the War God, and send you there and back with teleportation, but this is ultimately something for you to do." Cherub said.
"I...guess that'll help enough." Ranger said.
"Also...I can do this." Cherub said as he and his cage vanished like it wasn't there, and then reappeared hovering in mid-air.
"Seriously...?" Ranger deadpanned.
"Yes, seriously. Now, if things get too nasty, I'll return to heaven and reappear when the fight's over. Actually...I might do that regardless, but I'll still be that voice in your head should you need me. Don't worry, I'll try not to annoy you too badly." Cherub said.
"So...you showed me you can form a cage, and shrink yourself to boot, and now you're saying you'll go to heaven and back despite having that power?" Ranger asked which made Cherub groan.
"There's that adorable tendency among humans to summarize the obvious again. I might have second thoughts like humans, but there's a reason for the first thoughts as well, namely...a demonstration of my reality control. Capiche'?" Cherub said.
"Hey, you might be who-knows-how-old, but...I'm not used to encountering supernatural creatures that can wrap reality. I am pretty damn smart by human standards, but that's just it." Ranger said, and Cherub smiled.
"Oh relax, I was just testing you. Even bad things can lead to good things, and it's my job to help people do that, even if they have to figure it out themselves. Like my talking-down-to-humans act just now." He said.
"Right...and not just getting to the point instead of delaying an urgent quest?" Ranger asked seriously.
"Actually...I stopped time outside of this room, and no one is close enough to notice how long or short this meeting is taking. We literally have all the time in the world, and it's well-spent if you ask me, but we should still get going. Stopping time isn't as fun as you'd think." Cherub said.
"Right...well, unless you have any more fun and insightful lessons for me, I'll be on my way back home first, then it's off to the north for me." Ranger said.
"Now you're catching on." Cherub said, then Sword Maiden bowed.
"May the Supreme see you through good Ranger." She said, then Ranger returned her bow before leaving and the Cherub vanished and resumed time.
Ranger then walked down the staircase leading to the Temple of Law's entrance, then began the trek to his and Fighter's manor.
"By the way, that dream you had last night? It was about the War God's champion, or, the Destroyer as he was called back then. And that armor is the Apocalypse Armor, a pretty ironic name since it's supposed to stop the apocalypse, which it did when the forces of chaos got too strong to contain and the Destroyer had to step in, and as you can probably guess, he became a Platinum Rank either before or after, I keep getting that part mixed up." He said.
"Why was I shown that battle?" Ranger asked.
"Because there's a chance you might get either the same power, or similar powers at some point. But what do I know? The Supreme has been pretty tight-lipped, even towards us angels about that fact." Cherub said which made Ranger stop walking.
"If I'm going to become the next Destroyer...what would he destroy, why, and when?" He asked seriously.
"That's up to you, and I also left something out. I'm authorized to give your Wizard friend the power to make lesser version of the Apocalypse armor, with the same tools, but not the same power; there is only one Apocalypse Armor, and the War God himself has it." Cherub said, then Ranger sighed deeply.
"Just what am I supposed to tell my wife...?" He asked.
"Whatever you trust her with, and FYI, I've looked at just about every other woman on Earth. Only a handful would suit you better, but knowing you...even if you found one of them, you'd still stick with Fighter. That kind of loyalty justifies everything the Sword Maiden thinks about you two." Cherub said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ranger deadpanned as he neared his home.
When he got to his and Fighter's bedroom, she was fully-dressed, and sat down with Ranger to discuss what he was told beforehand.
"This has got to be the most insane situation I've ever heard of..." Fighter breathed out.
"You know I would never make this up." Ranger said seriously.
"But...you becoming the War God's champion, that's...while I would love to see how much havoc you would wreak on the right people, just the idea is alot to take in." Fighter said.
"There's no guarantees; just because the chance is there doesn't mean it'll actually happen. Destiny only tells what may be, not what will be." Ranger said.
"I remember you saying that when the old man sent us the first letter." Fighter said.
"I actually forgot about that until now." Ranger said, then Fighter sighed.
"Even though he stopped by every now and then...I really miss him sometimes." She said.
"So do I, but at least he's giving Warrior and Wizard a hand. They might even have Gold Ranks just around the corner, and if things pick up for us, we might as well." Ranger said, then Fighter smirked.
"And Platinum?" She asked casually.
"Come on, we'd have to do something that's mind-blowing even by Gold Rank standards just to have a chance." Ranger deadpanned.
"Right..." Fighter said as she leaned on Ranger's chest as they hugged each other tightly.
"This isn't good-bye." Ranger said.
"I know...but I'm still going to miss you." Fighter said softly.
"I'll miss you too...but I will come back. I don't care if I have to tear through half the total number of goblins in the world...I will come back." Ranger said seriously.
"I believe you...and I believe in you." Fighter said before kissing him deeply and softly.
"Anything more to ask ?" Ranger asked.
"Put the skills you learned from me to use?" Fighter said.
"Of course...I even have this to remember you by." Ranger said before pointing to his ponytail and bangs, and Fighter giggled.
"That is very true..." She breathed out.
"Wow, even when we're apart, we're right next to each other." Ranger said, then Fighter's smile brightened, then Ranger planted a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you." She whispered.
"And I love you..." Ranger said as Cherub opened a portal in the middle of the room and Ranger reluctantly let go of his beloved Fighter and entered the portal.
When he exited the portal, he was struck by a bitingly cold wind.
"Welcome to the north..." Cherub said, then Ranger wrapped his arms around himself, and shuddered violently.
"Damn it's cold...!" He groaned.
"Here." Cherub said as he rectified Ranger's heat problem by putting a spell on Ranger's armor.
"What did you do?" Ranger asked.
"Remember the heat you can put on your swords? Well the armor has a similar magic as well." Cherub said.
"Why didn't I think of that sooner...?" Ranger asked.
"No idea, anyway, try to melt your swords." Cherub said.
"How?" Ranger asked.
"Think about them melting and turning into a weapon type, and insist that it happens. In this case...try a set of large gauntlets, like the ones the Destroyer had." Cherub said, and Ranger drew his swords, did what Cherub said and his swords liquefied and turned into a set of gauntlets ideal for punching. He then looked over his large gauntlets, and the power Ranger felt made his heart and lungs race.
"Wow..." Ranger whispered.
"Wow indeed." Cherub said casually.
"I almost wish I had some goblins to smash." Ranger said.
"Don't get greedy..." Cherub said, then Ranger melted his gauntlets, then sheathed the swords they turned into.
"Well, this is going to come in handy the next time I get into a fight." Ranger said.
"If someone asks, say it's alchemy; it technically is." Cherub said.
"Right...like Wizard herself addressed months ago." Ranger said.
"Speaking of whom, the War God is now o.k. with his blessings being tempered with. Yes I know that golden girl tried to mess with your swords, and the War God wasn't happy, but now...well, at least he won't throw another fit." Cherub said.
"Good to know." Ranger said before looking around, he was in a clearing in the middle of a snow-covered forest, with a town on the other side of a river with a wood and stone bridge between the two sides.
"You should start there, you'll find the rest of your trek on your own from here on out. You know the drill, if you get too stuck or something serious needs your attention and it's not getting it, I'll be there." Cherub said. "
"But that's all I'm getting, I get it." Ranger said as the Cherub vanished and Ranger made his way to the town.
When he got there, he noticed how busy the place was; dozens upon dozens of people were constantly at work with their various tasks. From woodcutting, to hauling in fish, to bringing meats, cheese, and harvests, to fixing and building things, to socializing with other people, and of course, hawking goods for sale. None of the people he saw were adventurers, or at the very least didn't seem to be based on their lack of armor, weapons, and other equipment.
Ranger then noticed a large inn on the far side of the town, and a guild hall on the another. He went to the guild hall first, which wasn't even half full, but since it was just before afternoon, they must all be out questing. His idea was confirmed when the quest board was nearly empty, and the staff said it was full before he arrived. Unfortunately no one knew anything about strange activities, which was questionable, but they still guided him to the inn.
He then went to the inn, and it was full of people who weren't associated with the guild. Most of them were swapping stories, joking, listening to the bards play, and some even flirted with wait staff, which included Ranger to a degree. Some girls looked him over, gave him a wink, smirk, or both, but Ranger paid it no mind. He even saw a girl pull a man into a back room, and they practically slammed the door behind them which he could not take seriously to save his life.
Ranger then spotted a girl coming out of a room and order a small meal...and Ranger was immediately drawn to him. She looked like Fighter, only younger and more slender. She had the same black hair and eyes, but she looked less lively and confident, her outfit was that of an herbalist. She even had some special plants Ranger recognized as herbs sticking out of her pouch.
Ranger then approached the counter, and the innkeeper approached him.
"Can I help you?" Innkeeper asked.
"I heard there were some strange activities going on here." Ranger said.
"There were some sightings of werewolves and some larger beasts, but some of the local Silver Ranks already took care of them. Maybe something happened further north?" Innkeeper said.
"Further north here I come." Ranger said, then Herbalist Girl looked at him, put her leftovers in her pouch and approached him.
"Excuse me, sir? I...I'm heading that way as well, could you please take me with you?" She asked.
"Are you afraid of the beasts that roam these lands?" Ranger asked seriously.
"Not beyond reason, but...it is better safe than sorry, and I noticed you're a Silver Rank. I'd feel much safer if you came with me." Herbalist Girl said.
"O.k. let's go." Ranger said.
"Thank you so much." H.G. said, and with that, the two made their way out of town after the girl got her own horse from the stable. Ranger decided to remain on foot; there was only one horse for him, and getting a new one didn't feel right. They traveled along the river until the town was barely noticeable behind them.
"May I ask why you were here and where you came from?" Ranger asked.
"I'm from the next town we're bound to come across. As for why I was here...I was visiting my grandparents in the woods, who were also herbalists themselves, then...we heard a voice, one that didn't even sound human. My grandparents urged me to leave, and when I did...a man stopped by, and threatened to kill them if they mentioned what the man was doing to anyone." H.G. said.
"What was he doing?" Ranger asked.
"I don't know, but I don't trust him at all." H.G. said seriously.
"What did he look like?" Ranger asked.
"He wore a black robe with purple and red markings on it, wore a large hood, and he had a decent-sized beard." H.G. said.
"I see...well, if I ever find him, I'll wring some answers out of him." Ranger said.
"You don't mean you'll torture him do you?" H.G. asked.
"I prefer not to, but I'll do what I must. I can't say I'd feel guilty if he's part of the Evil Sect." Ranger said.
"Evil Sect? That would actually make sense..." H.G. said.
"Let's just keep going shall we?" Ranger said.
"Alright..." H.G. said, and the two pressed on down the snow-covered road.
The pair continued until they stopped to rest by the bank of a river, then Ranger used the Life Sight spell Wizard taught him. He saw the river had some large catfish swimming near the shore, then drew his crossbow. He then shot three of them, each one large enough to feed them both with some leftovers. He then cut the fish apart as Herbalist Girl started a fire, and they flavored each piece with spice Ranger brought with him, and some Herbalist Girl had on her person, or bought in town, before the two feasted.
"What gods do you pray to?" Ranger asked before biting a piece of catfish.
"The Earth Mother...you?" Herbalist Girl asked.
"The Supreme God, but mostly the War God. The Love Goddess sometimes, but her husband wants more to do with me than she does." Ranger said before biting his catfish again.
"That explains your aura." H.G. said, then Ranger looked at her.
"What?" He asked.
"You seem like the kind of person who would either want to be in battle as often as possible, or has been in battle more than you should've been." H.G. said.
"You're mostly right in the second account, but...the first isn't far off either. There were times where I was in a fight I didn't want to be in, but I disliked the option of running and leaving people to their fates even more. The War God knows this, which is why he favors me." Ranger said.
"I thought the War God encouraged people to fight for glory?" H.G. asked.
"Not true, fighting for glory is a pipedream. The only reason one should ever fight is if something terrible is happening, or if someone needs your help. Otherwise...fate is not on your side." Ranger said before continuing to eat his fish, then he went for another as H.G. watched and stopped eating.
"The Earth Mother must be the opposite of the War God." H.G. said.
"She is, I know a priestess who saved my life and a few of my teammates, and she also worships the Earth Mother. She once told me that the Earth Mother got on her for using the miracle of Purify on a goblin shaman who had tainted blood, but needed it to survive. She doesn't take kindly to her miracles being directly used to end lives, whereas the War God outright encourages his miracles being used to end lives." Ranger said.
"Have you...done so before?" H.G. asked.
"No, but I'm more than willing to do so if I need to, but only if I need to." Ranger said.
"What about this priestess you mentioned? What does she think of the War God?" H.G. asked.
"I actually considered introducing her to the War God's path, but later though better of it." Ranger said.
"How?" H.G. asked.
"Not only does she not fit the bill for what the War God demands, but she also follows the Supreme God even more fervently than I do. She even has the Supreme's miracles." Ranger said.
"I've never heard of someone using the miracles of more than one deity." H.G. said.
"It's not common, but it's not impossible either. Priestess has killed goblins with both the Supreme's miracles, and the Earth Mother's, although technically she used the miracle of Protection to set the goblins up, while me and the rest of our teammates knocked them down." Ranger said.
"Goblins?" H.G. asked.
"Yes...we've been working against them for almost a year and a half now." Ranger said.
"Why?" H.G. asked, then Ranger stared at her.
"That's a question you don't want me to answer..." Ranger said seriously.
"O...k..." H.G. said.
"But let's speak of something lighter if you please." Ranger said.
"Such as?" H.G. asked.
"Well, what are your friends and family like?" Ranger asked.
"My mother no longer lives with us; she and my father divorced about a year ago. My father works with some hunters, and my older sister is carrying my future nephew or niece right now." H.G. said.
"She's pregnant?" Ranger asked.
"Yes." H.G. said.
"That's lovely, about a month ago, my wife gave birth to our daughter." Ranger said.
"You have a family yourself?" H.G. asked.
"You sound surprised..." Ranger said.
"Well...no offense, but I never thought the War God's followers and the idea of a family went together." H.G. said.
"I wasn't always one of his followers. I actually obtained some of his power recently, while my wife was pregnant." Ranger said.
"I've...never seen his power in action." H.G. said.
"Pray you never do." Ranger said seriously as he looked at the sunset.
"We should get some sleep..." H.G. said.
"Right." Ranger said, and then the two grabbed their sleeping bags, and laid down inside them.
Hours later, Cherub appeared, and began shaking Ranger just after he fell asleep.
"Hey Ranger! Wake up!" Cherub's exclaimed, then Ranger woke up.
"What...?" He breathed out.
"Your new friend is in trouble!" Cherub said seriously, then Ranger widened his eyes, and looked around to see H.G. was no longer in her sleeping bag. Ranger then used his Life Sight spell before looking around...and his heart sank. H.G. was being carried through the woods by a pair of small figures...ones Ranger knew all too well. Ranger then tensed up, gathered his weapons, and rushed after them through the snowy, dimly-lit forest.
When he got to them...his fears were confirmed...
"Goblins..." Ranger growled, and the goblins carrying H.G. approached a large camp with over twenty goblins. When they reached their laughing brothers with their captive, the goblins then immediately got to work tearing the clothes off of her unconscious body. Ranger immediately drew his revolver, shot into the crowd, and the goblins yelled in pain and cover their ears...except for the shaman who had a huge hole in its hip.
Ranger then drew his swords, charged into the crowd of about two dozen goblins and craved through their bodies like they weren't even there; he barely even felt any resistance as he butchered them alive. The few that died from their wounds were the lucky ones; Ranger intentionally cut non-vital body parts to make sure his victims would stay alive as long as possible; quick death was too easy for these creatures. He even heated his blades to cauterize their wounds, which stopped their bleeding, and made them suffer even more. Ranger knew the pain caused by burns first-hand, but still felt satisfied making the screaming goblins feel it.
The shaman tried to cast lightning at him, only for Ranger to draw his crossbow with one hand, and hit the shaman in the side of the head. He then gathered the barely-alive goblins, threw them all into a pile then inspected the body of H.G. She had a small gash on the back of her head, but she was still alive, then Ranger used a Repair spell to restore what little clothing was removed from her beautiful body.
Cherub then appeared next to Ranger, and looked over H.G.
"Poor girl..." Cherub said.
"Capturing her from under my nose is one thing...and it's even more insulting to think she'd die from hypothermia or even frostbite on top of these creatures violating her." Ranger said seriously.
"Well...the only thing left to do is put those things out of their misery." Cherub said before disappearing, then Ranger looked over the goblins, then placed H.G. against one of the nearby structures and approach the mass of dying goblins.
"Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace. Raze my foes with the destructive power of chaos. Immolation!" Ranger growled, then a small stream of fire exploded from his hand towards the goblins. The entire pile was immediately engulfed by the flesh-hungry fire, and their screams pierced the air. They thrashed around to extinguish the fire...but their efforts were in vain. It took no less than a minute for the entire pile of goblins to be reduced to a pile of ash, with Ranger watching their final moments of life being spent in total agony with nothing but antipathy in his face. Even the smell of charred goblin flesh did nothing to deter his gaze.
When his work was done, he turned to H.G. who was still breathing faintly, then Ranger picked her up, cradled her in his arms and walked back to their camp. When he got there, he set the girl into her sleeping bag before pouring some healing potion directly onto her wound. To his relief, the potion made the wound stop bleeding, and completely heal in less than a minute.
Now all that was left to do was get some sleep himself...if he could.
I'll bet you weren't expecting a goblin massacre so soon eh? Also it's pretty nice foreshadowing if I say so myself for Ranger to mention the War God's power being used, telling H.G. to pray she never sees it used, then he uses it while her lights are out. Anyway...goblins getting their hands on a girl who looks like Ranger's wife, while he's around equals an automatic death sentence. But why are goblins here? Who was the man Herbalist Girl mentioned? Rate, Review, Share, and stay tuned to find out...