Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year Two. It seems that Ranger is developing a bit of a greedy streak if he's looting corpses for their goods eh? That's something an Orange Lantern would do. For those of your unaware: my favorite fictional concept...period, is the Lantern Corps from DC Comics, and it's not even a contest.
There's a Lantern Corps for each color of the rainbow and each one follows a different emotion: red is Wrath, orange is Greed, yellow is Fear, green is Willpower, blue is Hope, indigo is Compassion, and violet is Love. There's also a Black Lantern Corps for either dead people, or once-dead/undead people. Revenant for example was a complete shoo-in for the Black Lantern Corps since he was undead himself. There's also a White Lantern Corps of Life which requires that someone master EVERY emotion, and guess what? Ranger has just now mastered the last two emotions: Greed and Fear; he's been demonstrating his mastery of the other emotions...ALOT in the first act, but now it's come full circle.
Anyway, I'm sure some of you are asking where the rest of his team is, well to that I say: Patience grasshopper, patience. They and Goblin Slayer are on their way.
Review Response: Yeah...Herbalist Girl got off pretty easy to say the least, but this is Ranger we're talking here; you might as well say he's Goblin Slayer's protege, only...Ranger is perfectly willing to hunt other things beside goblins. Yes, Goblin Slayer kills other things too, but they were just in his way. Ranger is willing to actively go after other things, like vampires.
Speaking of vampires, Jarl probably either tried to send a message to the king or church and failed, he got the message out, but it didn't mean jack shit, or he was threatened into keeping his mouth shut. Let's see for ourselves shall we?
For those of you that haven't figured it out: the North is supposed to have a Scandinavian/Viking vibe to it, from the environment, to the reference to Odin Sword Maiden made, what with the suicide-by-hanging thing, and the lord being called a jarl. Speaking of Sword Maiden: it makes sense for Ranger dropping her name would get him some street cred right? I mean, the lady's famous for crying out loud, and not just somewhat.
Anyway...OMG, Ranger was bitten by a vampire, whatever will he do...?
Ranger drank a life potion Wizard made which bolstered his stamina, gave him a temporary strength boost, which wasn't needed, but was still welcome, and most importantly, healed his bite and restored some lost blood. But that didn't solve the bigger problem: it was a well-known fact that vampires usually become vampires because another vampire bit them...and one just bit him.
Cherub then reappeared and looked over Ranger's blood-soaked neck.
"That's quite a bite you took there..." Cherub said.
"I'm in no mood for stupid jokes...!" Ranger snapped.
"Well excuse me mister. I was going to tell you that you have twenty-four hours to get your butt, and the body it's attached to, to a priest to be cured of your vampirism, but then throw you a bone by curing it myself, but if you're going to be like that, you can hoof it back to the temple to be cured yourself...unless you suddenly want to become a vampire?" Cherub said casually.
"No...nor will I ever want to." Ranger said seriously.
"Let me guess, because of your family?" Cherub asked.
"Yes...a life without a natural end is worth nothing without my wife. My hope for my daughter is to forge her own path when she's ready, but Fighter...I never want to leave her side..." Ranger said softly.
"All the more reason to get going." Cherub said and Ranger stood up from the wall he was sitting by. He then grabbed his bag and encountered the adventurers the vampires enslaved. They had no less than seven captured people with them who all looked like they were released from hell itself.
"Whoa...what happened to you?" One of the men asked.
"I was bitten by a vampire; I need to get back before I turn." Ranger said seriously.
"So were these people, let's go." The man said.
"Wait, what's in that bag?" Another man asked.
"The boss' armor, and I intend to give it to the smith so he can get use out of it." Ranger said.
"Get use out of it? You say that like you're just going to give it to him." The first man said.
"Yes, I have plenty of coin, and I have no desire for a reward aside from the coin I'll get from this necklace." Ranger said as he showed the jeweled necklace in his pocket.
"Now that's got to be worth more than one piece of copper." Another man said.
"Yes, but it's mine, and it's not up for discussion, and don't even think about trying to take it. None of you are strong enough." Ranger said seriously.
"Hey, you took down a whole pack of vampires by yourself, and lived. You've proven you have grit." A third man said seriously.
"Good, now let's get this people back home." Ranger said.
"Right." Another man said as Ranger led the group outside, and back to the city all while breathing hard. His condition wasn't terrible, but it was pretty daunting, even with his unnaturally strong will and love for Fighter...and their daughter spurring him forward. The very idea of his family being cut off from him was enough to drain him, but like Cherub said, it was all the more reason to get going.
Ranger eventually made his way to the temple, then a priest spotted him.
"Help! I need help!" Ranger yelled then the priest approached him.
"What is it?" The priest asked as Ranger sat down.
"A vampire bit me...and I need a cure." Ranger said.
"Wait here." The priest said as he went to fetch a glass of holy water.
"Thanks." Ranger whispered before he drank the water.
"That wasn't the cure." The priest said.
"Still...I can guess what the water is for." Ranger said, then the priest put his hand near Ranger's bite, and closed his eyes.
"Hear me O merciful Earth Mother, cleanse this your child of the muck in his body. Purify!" The priest exclaimed, then Rangers bite glowed with while light, and Ranger sucked in a breath as he felt more at ease.
"Thank you brother." Ranger whispered.
"The vampirism in your body is purged, and thanks to the water you drank, you will be immune to the vampire's curse for some time." The priest said.
"Good to know...also, I thought this was a temple to the Supreme." Ranger said.
"Oh no, we have followers of the Supreme here every now and then, but this temple is mostly devoted to the Earth Mother." The priest said.
"I have a teammate who's a priestess of the Earth Mother. She saved my life several times too." Ranger said.
"Well, you must be honored." The priest said.
"You have no idea. She even healed my wife after she gave birth to our daughter." Ranger said.
"I'm certain Her Benevolence was smiling on your friend, and your wife on that day." The priest said.
"If not her, I certainly was." Ranger said as a pregnant woman approached.
"Your wife was healed after giving birth? She's quite lucky indeed." She said.
"Have you given birth before?" Ranger asked.
"No, this will be my first." The woman said as she stroked her swollen abdomen.
"Well, just a fair warning, only getting burned hurts worse than giving birth. My mother and my wife both said so." Ranger said and the woman lifted her leg up to her hand-level and lifted her dress to show her calf that had a burn scar.
"A torch fell off a wall and hit my leg when I was nine, and I remember the pain quite well. If what you say is true, I think I can handle labor." The woman said.
"I myself caught fire nearly a year ago, and it took the Sword Maiden's aid to restore my body." Ranger said which made both of the people around him widen their eyes.
"The archbishop herself...?" The priest breathed out.
"Yes, and she's also the one who sent me here. Anyway, not only did she restore my body, she specifically asked me to let her bless my marriage." Ranger said.
"You are one of the most fortunate men I have ever met." The priest said.
"Also one of the least." Ranger said seriously as he points to the War God's mark on his shoulderpad.
"It can't be..." The priest trailed off.
"There's a reason the War God favors me so strongly. I was both bred for, and marred by the horrors of war." Ranger said.
"Well...you've proven that you're here to help us, especially by chasing away that vampire, saving those people, and slaying their captors." The woman said.
"Right, but I also confess to some selfishness." Ranger said as he pulled out the jeweled necklace he took from the lead vampire.
"From the vampires?" The woman asked.
"Yes, I intend to see this as my reward, but I'll be more than happy to donate something if you need it." Ranger said.
"Well, on behalf of the people of this city, thank you, we need all the support we can get." The priest said.
"The armor however is up for grabs, once the smith is done with it-" Ranger stopped talking then went to the armor.
"What's wrong?" The priest asked.
"Why didn't I do this before?" Ranger asked.
"Do what before?" The woman asked, before Ranger removed the breastplate from his bag, then used Repair on it, and looked over his work.
"Perfect." Ranger said.
"You know magic too?" The woman asked.
"Some, Repair, Life Sight, and some emotion-inducing spells, but that's all." Ranger said.
"Emotions like...?" The priest asked.
"Fear and rage, but only if it's fitting. The War God condones justice like the Supreme God does, especially in combat...only their definitions of justice are...different." Ranger said.
"Just promise you will stick to that method fairly." The priest said seriously.
"If I don't, I'll risk invoking the wrath of the War God, and who in their right mind would do that?" Ranger said.
"Fair point." The priest said before Ranger turned to the woman.
"Would you like an escort somewhere?" He asked.
"Yes please, I'm on my way to see my sister, an aspiring apothecary." The woman said.
"Wait a minute...I escorted a girl here, and she has the same black hair you have... and she said her older sister was carrying a child..." Ranger said.
"You know her? This will be quite a tale..." The woman said.
After escorting the woman home, it turned out that she was indeed Herbalist Girl's older sister. Ranger then left the house, but was asked to return to stay for the night, and he accepted. He then went off to sell the necklace for a hundred gold and give the armor to the smith in exchange for a mace that caught Ranger's eye. It wasn't a very good exchange when it comes to his money's worth, but Ranger didn't care.
He then went to the Jarl's longhouse who was getting ready for bed, but stopped when Ranger approached.
"Do you know what time it is?" Jarl asked.
"I'm sorry good Jarl, but you must know something." Ranger said.
"You went after some vampires and escorted some of my people home, I am aware. There's a big bag of gold over there with your name on it." Jarl said.
"My thanks." Ranger said with a bow as Jarl yawned.
"Come back in the morning for some more instructions, or information, or whatever is it you seek." He said, and with that he went into a large room, and closed the door. Ranger sighed, took the bag of coin and left the Jarl's hall and returned to H.G.'s home for dinner...which was fairly mundane. All that happened was that Ranger recalled his assault on the goblins, and then the vampires, which earned him a thanks from the three family members.
H.G.'s sister turned out to be married to one of the guards in Jarl's hall, and she herself was an acolyte of the temple, which made their father's hunting career both fitting, and ironic. Priestess once said that the Earth Mother condones respect for nature, but also that people are meant to reap the bounty that nature provides. After they were done, Ranger was given a spare room and went to sleep...after swallowing how much he missed having his wife next to him. Her ample, strong, and warm body being next to his own would probably put him to sleep if he was in danger of being ripped apart. Without her, it was like a bed was barely worth looking for, despite H.G.'s resemblance to his beloved...it wasn't the same.
Nevertheless, he needed sleep, and his body has been through enough, so the choice was made for him...
When he woke up, it was just before sunrise, and he had to meet with the Jarl as soon as he could. He then went outside, and noticed a dark red cloud enter the Jarl's chamber through the window. Ranger then morphed claws onto his gauntlets, and climbed up the wall, then he heard a voice...
"I know you sent him after us. Who else could?" A vampire said.
"I didn't send him! He went on his own accord." Jarl said.
"These humans chose poorly to have a liar as their leader. Now, tell me where he is, or I'm going to have quite a feast on my hands, and if you're lucky, I'll be nice enough to kill you first!" The vampire said, then Ranger entered the room through the window.
"I'm right here." He said seriously, then the vampire turned to see Ranger, then smiled.
"Just the man I wanted to see..." The vampire breathed out, then he tackled Ranger out through the window and onto the ground below. Ranger made the vampire hit the ground first instead, then the vampire kicked Ranger into a stone wall. The force and velocity the vampire launched him with made Ranger crack the wall in several places, then Ranger sat where he was and looked himself over.
"Good thing his armor is blessed." Ranger whispered before the vampire stood up and walked closer to him as several guards watched the melee from a distance.
"Now...come with me. The Vampire Queen wants a word with you." The vampire said as Ranger stood up.
"I don't answer to Her Majesty, nor do I want a word with her." Ranger said before drawing his swords.
"You will answer to her...sooner than you think!" The vampire said before spewing some mist at Ranger who was blinded for a moment. He then took a strong kick to the chest, which launched him back into the vampire who moved at blinding speed to meet him halfway to the building on the other side. The vampire then slammed Ranger into the ground, only for Ranger to flip over and slice the vampire across the face and blind one eye.
The vampire then moved backwards swiftly...and his bloodied eye healed in a few seconds.
"What the hell...!?" Ranger exclaimed, then the vampire started laughing.
"We vampires are superior to you humans in every way, and you're a fool for not joining us." He said.
"I'd rather die with others in the sun than live alone in the dark." Ranger said seriously, then the vampire looked him over, and took a moment to think.
"Wait...who are you?" The vampire asked.
"I am a friend of the Goblin Slayer, a servant of the War God, and the Supreme God, and most of all...an enemy to all they consider enemies." Ranger said.
"You're the Ranger aren't you? Everyone talks about how some adventurers joined the Goblin Slayer's campaign against the goblins." The vampire said.
"I'm flattered beyond words..." Ranger groaned before drawing his crossbow with one hand and the vampire narrowly dodged a bolt in-flight. Ranger then shot a harpoon-and-chain out of his alternate gauntlet, and it pierced the vampire's lower chest. Ranger then pulled the vampire toward him, and punched him into the ground.
When he tried a second punch, the vampire rolled away, then Ranger kicked some of the shattered ground at the vampire. The fragments of earth hit the vampire in the face, and stunned him long enough for Ranger to shoot him again with his crossbow. The bolt hit the vampire's shoulder, then Ranger rushed at him with his swords drawn, and he cut the vampire's leg open as he tried to run away, and stumbled along the ground.
"Damn!" The vampire yelled, and the next thing he knew...Ranger's foot was on his chest, and pointing both swords at the vampire's abdomen.
"Where is this Vampire Queen?" Ranger asked.
"I will tell you nothing...!" The vampire growled.
"Then apparently your well-being means as little to you, as it does to me..." Ranger said seriously as his blades glowed with heat, and the vampires eyes widened.
"Wait! Wait!" He yelled, then Ranger cooled his blades.
"Last chance..." He breathed out.
"She's...she's in a castle, in the center of the snowiest part of the northern kingdom, roughly fifteen kilometers to the northeast of here." The vampire said.
"Thanks." Ranger said before stabbing the vampire in the heart, and the face, one with each blade. He then put his blades away, and the guards who watched the duel cleaned up the mess by removing the body. Ranger then looked at Jarl who watched through the window, then he signaled for Ranger to meet him in his chamber.
Ranger then grappled up to the broken window and climbed inside.
"That was most impressive." Jarl said.
"Are you alright good Jarl?" Ranger asked.
"Thanks to you Ranger, I am unharmed. Had I known I was speaking to a friend of the infamous Goblin Slayer our first meeting would've been even more interesting." Jarl said before chuckling.
"May I ask about the Vampire Queen?" Ranger asked seriously, then Jarl motioned for him to sit at a table with him.
"Not only is she the most powerful of the vampires, or the oldest for that matter, but she is among the most powerful people in the country...maybe the world. Frankly I'm amazed she didn't rip me and my hold apart herself; she could have easily done so. Perhaps she wishes to see me suffer, like an insect getting one leg ripped off at a time." Jarl said.
"Haven't you called for help before?" Ranger asked.
"Many times, but whenever I do, my message is either lost, or the help is worthless. Many church servants, including Gold Ranked crusaders have ventured to the Vampire Queen's kingdom, but none returned, at least...not in one piece." Jarl said.
"How powerful is she?" Ranger asked.
"Not only is she stronger than all her minions put together, but the land itself is under her command. The weather, the snow, the earth, even the bodies of the dead, especially the dead. It is unlikely that the Vampire Queen will ever be killed, only repelled." Jarl said seriously.
"What if I changed that?" Ranger asked, then Jarl widened his eyes, and recoiled.
"You...you want to kill the Vampire Queen? Have you gone mad!?" He exclaimed.
"Not me, and certainly not alone..." Ranger trailed off.
"Ranger...you would do this country a greater service than I can hope to explain if you were to pull off a miracle of this size..." Jarl said.
"I'm not sure when or if I can pull this off, but I have faith that I can muster enough help to at least give Her soon-to-be-last Majesty a hard time. It might even take several tries to pull this campaign off, weeks or months even. But there's no true way of knowing without testing it..." Ranger said as he stood up.
"May all deities you worship see you through this endeavor Ranger." Jarl said as he held his hand out, which Ranger shook without pause before pulling the priestess' sword-and-scale amulet out of his pocket.
"You need this more than I do good Jarl. The vampires bled the priestess you mentioned dry; this amulet belonged to her." Ranger said as Jarl took it, then growled.
"Damn those blood-sucking sons of whores! That priestess was a distant relative of mine, the last person in her family as well." Jarl said.
"Now the vampires who murdered her are paying for it in Purgatory as we speak." Ranger said seriously.
"And good riddance to bad rubbish." Jarl said.
"My sentiment precisely." Ranger said as Jarl walked to the wall and leaned on it.
"Any others news...?" Jarl asked.
"Only that I took some of the vampire's belongings, sold the most valuable, gave the rest away, got a mace from the smith, and I was cured of vampirism by the temple's priest when I got back." Ranger said, then Jarl laughed.
"You had...quite a time here haven't you?" He asked casually.
"Yes I have...and I can't wait to see my wife's face when she hears about this." Ranger said before sighing deeply.
"You miss her don't you?" Jarl asked softly.
"Yes...terribly so..." Ranger breathed out.
"Then go, believe me, love is every bit as priceless as the songs and stories say it is." Jarl said, and Ranger looked directly at him.
"You say that like-" Jarl cuts Ranger off.
"Listen...my wife died of a sickness months ago, and my daughter is married to the jarl of another hold on the other side of the kingdom. Fortunately her husband is a man of honor, but I still miss her. The only thing that keeps me warm is the love of my people; I nearly went into debt to support them, and their love is all I have left. But I'll rest much easier knowing that the Sword Maiden has my hold in her enormous heart." Jarl said.
"Your hold, and the rest of the holds good Jarl. May the Supreme see it through, as well as your daughter." Ranger said.
"You as well Ranger." Jarl said before Ranger left the longhouse.
Ranger the went to H.G.'s home to gather the rest of his possessions.
"Ranger! How did that fight go?" H.G. asked as she came downstairs.
"Quite well, I wasn't bitten a second time, and I got some information out of that vampire. Now I need to return home." Ranger said before he kept walking.
"To your family?" H.G. asked.
"Yes, and to get some help...and maybe get some extra power in the process." Ranger said as he used Repair on his armor and weapons, then grabbed his bags of coins, food, and other items.
"Help with what?" H.G.'s father asked.
"Killing the Vampire Queen." Ranger said simply.
"Kill the-?! You're out of your mind! That vampire you just fought, he was nothing! The Vampire Queen is the Vampire Queen for a reason!" H.G.'s father exclaimed.
"I have faced impossible odds before and won; this should be no different. Although...there's no telling when I'll be back..." Ranger said.
"Whatever you say, but don't make it seem like we sent you to your death." H.G.'s father said. as Ranger stood up.
"Not a problem, but first things first...I must return to my family, and sleep properly for once. By the way...thanks for the meal last night; it was delicious." Ranger said as he left the house.
He then traveled past the gates, and went into the forest as Cherub appeared.
"Smooth." He said casually, and Ranger deadpanned at him.
"Let me see this Vampire Queen's castle." Ranger said.
"If you insist..." Cherub said as he opened a portal to an icy wasteland with a massive series of mountains surrounding it. The snowy plain in the center had a scattered maze of walls, towers, and various defensive weapons. One side had a collection of ice caps next to a massive graveyard with a large, dead trees and other unsightly plants growing there.
Ranger's attention was most intensely drawn to a colossal fortress in the middle distance.
"Holy...the vampire queen lives in that place?" Ranger asked seriously.
"Yep...quite an eyesore isn't it?" Cherub said as casually as ever.
"Just how strong are her defenses...?" Ranger asked., and Cherub stared at him, the sighed.
"O.k...let's say I believe in your strength completely and teleport you just past the front gate to save you the trouble...her defenses would kill you before you got past the first floor." He said, and Ranger's eyes widened.
"Dear Supreme and all who serve..." He breathed out.
"Yeah, if you really are serious about invading this place, it will be the single toughest fight you've ever had to say the least...and I've seen your track record." Cherub said, and Ranger looked down and took a long moment to think before sucking in a breath.
"Just take me home please..." He said.
"First, take this." Cherub said before giving Ranger a turquoise, cone-shaped crystal.
"What is this?" Ranger asked.
"A portal gem, so no one suspects I'm helping you out. Just think about where you want to be, and you get a portal to that location. Try it out." Cherub said, and Ranger thought about his and Fighter's room in the manor.
He opened a portal there, and saw it was empty...then he stepped through. He then used Life Sight to see where everyone was, and saw the servants doing their daily routines. He then saw a mass of people in the living room downstairs...including his old teammates. He then removed his armor and weapons and went to meet them...and Priestess ran to him.
"Ranger!" Priestess yelled as she embraced Ranger.
"Welcome back Priestess." Ranger said as he hugged the little sister of his team, then looked Warrior, Wizard, and her brother over.
"And company." Wizard said casually.
"Very funny." Her brother said, then Fighter approached and handed their daughter to Ranger.
"I'm sure she missed her father..." Fighter said softly as Ranger took his daughter and looked her over.
"And I missed her..." Ranger said, and his daughter looked at her father, then Cow Girl smiled at the display of family love.
"Quite a sight to come home to isn't it?" Cow Girl said casually.
"It must be..." Priestess breathed out, and Ranger continued looking at the infant girl in his arms.
"No matter how bloody my hands get...I'll always have them clean enough to hold you." Ranger said as his daughter kept looking at him and even reached out to him. Ranger put a finger in reach for his daughter to grab as the rest watched their moment until Ranger looked at them. Cow Girl then stood from her seat and approached the baby.
"She's as adorable as ever." Cow Girl said.
"Did anything new happen while I was away?" Ranger asked.
"Eh, you know. Trained some people, crushed some goblins, saved some lives, got stronger, made another mint, same old, same old." Wizard's brother said.
"What about you?" Cow Girl asked.
"Vampires..." Ranger said seriously, then his team widened their eyes, and Fighter backed away.
"Say what now?" Warrior asked.
"There was some trouble with them in he north, and there still is." Ranger said.
"Did you have any trouble?" Fighter asked.
"Nothing I couldn't handle, although I had quite a bit of help, especially since I got bitten and had to be cured." Ranger said.
"Oh thank the gods..." Wizard breathed out.
"Vampires are no joke either; one of them kicked me in the chest so hard that if it wasn't for my armor, I would've died, and they have speed to match." Ranger said.
"Well...you're back now, and we both missed you..." Fighter said, then she put a hand on her husband's face and kissed him.
"Must they be that way...?" Wizard's brother whispered.
"They're married; what do you expect?" Wizard said as the kiss finished.
"We can hear you..." Fighter and Ranger said at the same time, then the group laughed as the Wizard siblings pouted.
"Also...I'm not alone." Cow Girl said, then Ranger and Fighter spotted GS sitting on a chair with his arms crossed.
"Goblin Slayer." Ranger said.
"Ranger..." GS breathed out, then the team watched the pair stared at one another.
"I...encountered some goblins on my quest." Ranger said.
"Did you? How many?" GS said.
"About two dozen, but thanks to the War God's power, they're all a pile of ashes." Ranger said.
"Good." GS said.
"What happened?" Cow Girl asked, then Ranger gave the baby to Fighter.
"I met this girl, who happens to look like Fighter here, but I'll get more into that later...anyway, I was escorting her back home, and in the middle of the night, some goblins captured her right out from under me. Then just as they were tearing off her clothes, I pulled my gun, shot their leader, and cut down the rest...before putting the still-alive goblins in a pile and burning them alive with the miracle of Immolation." Ranger said.
"That's...quite a case of goblin slaughter..." Wizard said.
"You sound a bit nervous..." Ranger said.
"Well, even for how nasty goblins are, that's pretty cold coming from you. I don't feel sorry for the goblins, but being that violent with them is a pretty hard pill to swallow." Wizard said.
"It's not surprising through; I'd probably do the same thing if I was there." Warrior said then the team gave him some curious looks.
"What? That ring on her finger didn't grow there, and he said the girl they captured looks like her, plus he caught them red-handed, plus he serves the War God, plus...Fighter and I grew up together. Need I say more?" Warrior asked, then everyone shook their heads.
"Alright then..." Warrior trailed off.
"I also had to outsmart about a dozen vampires and their enslaved guards, none of whom I killed by the way. Once I picked off the vampires, I freed their prisoners, took some of their stuff, sold a necklace for a pretty nice amount of coin, and I brought...even more fish." Ranger said.
"Great, you brought fish, to a place that's full of fish." Wizard said.
"Still, congrats on crushing some blood-suckers." Wizard's brother said.
"What about the rest of the goblins?" GS asked which made some people groan.
"I don't know, but the Jarl I spoke to said something about alerting his guards and the guild there. Apparently goblins are taken more seriously up there." Ranger said..
"Good, the more the merrier, no cliche intended." Cow Girl said.
"Right, so...what did I miss here?" Ranger asked.
"Oh, just now we were taking turns saying hi to that little bundle of joy there." Cow Girl said softly while pointing to the baby in Fighter's arms.
"I'll bet you were...anyway, it turns out the girl I met was an herbalist, and she worships the Earth Mother along with her older sister, who was also pregnant herself." Ranger said.
"Really? That's incredible! Did they cure you?" Priestess asked.
"No, the priest they follow did. But...I found a dead priestess of the Supreme God in the vampires' lair, the Jarl now has her amulet and...they were distant relatives." Ranger said.
"Well...at least the vampires got what was coming to them." Warrior said.
"They're not much better than goblins in that regard, believe me." Ranger said.
"Nothing is worse than goblins." GS said seriously.
"You're not helping..." Cow Girl said.
"Sorry..." GS said.
"I also got a mace, but I'll test it later. Right now...I need to rest in an actual bed." Ranger said as he went upstairs.
"Don't rest too long; one of the nobles is having a birthday and we're invited. Granted it's a few days from now, but I don't want you having your sleep schedule too out-of-whack o.k.?" Wizard said.
"Right..." Ranger said as he kept walking and Fighter gave her daughter to Priestess.
Fighter went after her husband who dropped down onto their large bed with a deep sigh.
"That much of a contrast?" Fighter teased.
"Love...I'm in no mood for jokes now..." Ranger groaned as Fighter approached.
"Other than how tense your mission was, what's wrong?" She asked as she knelt next to him.
"It's just...I'm about as used to seeing goblins pull shit like that as someone can be, but...sleeping in a bag is so different from sleeping in a bed it's not even funny. I actually lost quite a bit of sleep over it the night of the goblin massacre. But I can forgive that; it ironically helped me fight the vampires since...I needed to be up later at night for obvious reasons. But...sleeping without you next to me was torture..." Ranger said and Fighter touched his face.
"I felt the exact same way...two days without the man I married next to me, caring for our infant daughter with help on only one of the two days. I know you nearly died at least twice...while I'm quite proud of what you accomplished...I'm scared Ranger." Fighter said.
"So am I, that's why I'm not going back until I've mastered my new powers, and brought an army." Ranger said, then Fighter recoiled.
"An army...? For what?" She asked.
"The Vampire Queen Fighter. From what I heard, even the Hero herself would have her hands full. Becoming Gold or even Platinum Ranked isn't just a good idea; it might become necessary in the future." Ranger said seriously.
"What have you gotten us into...?" Fighter asked.
"This was bound to happen, with or without my influence. Anyway, she actually came to the Jarl and demanded he give her a child, and when he refused, she vowed vengeance., and dozens of innocent people were killed by her minions." Ranger said.
"I don't believe this..." Fighter breathed out.
"That herbalist also mentioned that she saw a man talk to her grandparents in a threatening manner. From what she told me, he might be in league with the Evil Sect." Ranger said.
"This just gets better and better." Fighter said.
"But none of that matter now; I'm going to check in with Her Grace when I'm back on my feet. Until then...please lay next to me." Ranger said as Fighter smiled, and laid down on top of him, then Ranger wrapped his arms around her frame.
"We've been apart for far too long..." Fighter said softly.
"Yes, but luckily the Jarl's hold should be fine for now. I believe those vampires were the ones who were dealing blows to the Jarl's hold, and once the Vampire Queen realizes that hold is being protected, she should either weigh her options, or at least rethink things." Ranger said, and Fighter sat up.
"Or she could get involved herself!" She exclaimed.
"Not likely, if I were her, I'd want to dish out the carnage myself a long time ago...but she didn't. So either something is holding her back, or she's the laziest Platinum level person in the world. Either way...can we please just forget the world's trauma for a moment and rest?" Ranger asked.
"O.k..." Fighter said as she laid back down on top of him.
"Damn I missed you..." Ranger whispered, and Fighter shifted against him.
"Should we strip?" She asked.
"No, it's still daylight. Have you not been paying attention?" Ranger teased.
"Very funny...but come tonight, you're all mine..." Fighter said sensually.
"I cannot wait..." Ranger said as Fighter kissed him quickly, then held Ranger there as it turned into a passionate kissing session with Ranger wrapping his arms around her even tighter.
"Welcome home..." Fighter said softly.
"Good to be home..." Ranger whispered as they continued their overdue kiss...
What a welcome home indeed...ever get the feeling someone missed you? Anyways, shit's really going down/hitting the fan with these vampires eh? But at least the team's back together and on the case, but how much good will that do at this point? Only time will tell, so Rate, Review, and Share until then...stay tuned.