Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. It's the moment we've all been waiting for. Warlock has finally played his gambit, let's see how oh-so-gloriously it pays off.
Review Response: Yeah...I'll bet it was one hell of a way to get the team back in the game eh? They were so torn up over it, it physically hurt me to write it, especially when Priestess asked Sword Maiden to come back, and flatout called her "mother"... good lord those parts sucked. Cambion and the Demon Lord likely have radically different goals considering that Cambion tried to recruit her instead of just flatout slaughtering her and Storm Mage like animals without a word.
Built a trap, get their hands on a curse...see for yourself. Cambion toe-to-toe As for Warlock? Oh boy...this is going to be painful.
As for Dwarf Rifleman...well, I already said he's going to join GS' crew, but that's all I'm saying. It's also kinda funny in hindsight that he assumed Cow Girl was the baby's mother when in reality...Fighter was.
"What do you see?" Summoner called to Dwarf Rifleman who looked through a scope on his rifle from a tower.
"What don't I see? Skeletons, zombies, all with weapons galore. I'm going to need more bullets..." Dwarf Rifleman said.
"Just pick off the important ones, we'll handle them on foot." Summoner said as Ranger used Smith to make a hatchet, and gave it to Cow Girl who still held his daughter.
"Watch my daughter..." Ranger whispered and Cow Girl nodded, sensing how tense he was as she took the axe.
"Hell of a first quest isn't it?" Wizard asked seriously.
"But one I'm against, for obvious reasons." Cow Girl said before going inside as GS watched.
"You should probably go watch out for her. There might even be hell rifts opening inside that spawn goblins, and even with that axe, she can't handle half as many as you can." H.E. Archer said seriously.
"Alright." GS said softly as he went inside after her.
"I'll go too in case any rifts open up." Rhea Fighter said before Wizard's brother stopped her.
"Be careful alright?" He said and she nodded before going inside, then Warrior pulled his hammer, Priestess and Ranger each drank a vial of holy water, Fighter, H.E. Archer, and Dwarf Shaman joined the wall to pick off the undead charging at the fort with their bows, and rocks. Priestess then empowered every weapon in the entire fort so the hunters could have an easier time. Wizard charged up a fire spell and waited for the right time to hurl it. Lizard Priest summoned a pair of Dragontooth warriors that charged into the fray alongside the fire, stone, ice, and water elementals that helped fight the horde with some animal familiars from Wizard's brother.
"You improved." Ranger noted; Lizard Priest usually summons only one at a time.
"I prefer not to use more than one Sir Ranger, but this is a most dire situation." Lizard Priest said before spawning a pair of sickle swords and tearing into the horde of undead with Ranger behind him gunning down every zombie his companion misses. The hunters meanwhile shot their own bows and crossbows into the horde while others swung at them with just about every kind of weapon in the book, from daggers, to axes, to greatswords, to halberds, to maces and hammer.
Some of the mages even took control over some undead and had them fight each other...Wizard was so looking into what these hunters could do with magic later on, but first...she had some undead to cook, so she used Levitate to float up so she could get a clear shot over the gate...and saw the hundreds upon hundreds of undead pouring into the gate; thank the Supreme Ranger and Lizard Priest were there to keep them under control with the hunters helping out. It was a daunting sight, but she was Gold Ranked for a reason; it would take more than this to make the likes of Wizard shit their pants.
"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled and a barrage of blue fireballs rained down on top of the undead and when they stopped pouring into the gates...every stopped to watch the fireworks and some even gasped and stared at the enchanting colors. Fires were usually quite daunting, but a blue fire could be nothing but eye-catching, especially if they were burning through undead trying to kill you as if they were made of dry paper.
"I'm going to need fewer bullets than I thought..." Dwarf Rifleman quipped as he smirked and nodded...but then his eyed widened when the flames turned bright purple, were formed into a ball overhead that slammed into the gate, blowing back the entire team and setting some hunters on fire. For Wizard...it was the time Ranger caught fire all over again, but this time...he was fine, but over a dozen hunters were thrashing around trying to put the flames out while their screams filled the air. She tried to take control of the flames...but it didn't work! The hunters all turned to charred husks while she sat there powerless to stop it.
"DAMN YOU!" Summoner yelled across the battlefield as he arranged some summon stones...and a World Spawn came out of the portal formed by them and it spewed lava on the 2nd wave of undead that now included gargoyles flying in...before the World Spawn swats them away like flies one by one. Wizard meanwhile was so distraught by how her own fire spell was used against her team...again, that she didn't notice Dwarf Rifleman coming to fetch her as she huddled up by a wall.
"Are you alright?" He asked as Wizard buried her face into her hands.
"It happened again..." She said with a cracked voice. "My own spell, used against my teammates...again...!"
"That's not your fault; there's no way you could've seen this coming. No one could have." Dwarf Rifleman said softly.
"He's right. Besides, if that old fuck down there wants to try that again, there's no way Priestess won't be ready; she's more than smart enough to be prepared." Warrior said as he knelt down to his wife, and took her hand. She reaction was immediate; his touch combined with his reassurance was enough to pull her out of the muck she was in. She then saw her brother prepare his own fire spell and she remembered their Reflect spells.
Meanwhile, Fighter was checking on Priestess, who was waiting for her broken leg to regenerate.
"Thank the Supreme you still have that necklace." Fighter said seriously before looking around...dozens of the demon hunters were blown to pieces, burned to death, or crushed by rumble. "Can you...restore them?"
"I don't know. The Sword Maiden did so but...I don't think I could, or even if I should. What if our goblin problems get worse?" Priestess asked.
"Good point, and we have no idea if they wouldn't just die again." Fighter said as they watched the World Spawn continue to crush the undead. "At least we have a World Spawn to help even the odds."
"Speaking of which..." Wizard's brother said as he prepared and then summoned his own, and the carnage became twice as epic.
"Two World Spawns? Ouch..." Warrior said while sweating a bit.
"Oh! Fighter! Catch!" Wizard yelled as she tossed a silver-sapphire circlet to Fighter, who looked it over. "That's to keep you from getting cursed again."
"Thanks." Fighter said as she put it on her head and looked at Ranger who smiled a bit. Even in the heat of battle, her beauty was omnivorous, and he had two World Spawns to buy them time to admire her, so...
Back inside, Cow Girl held the baby her parents entrusted to her as close as she could on her bed with her hatchet laying next to her. The baby then started whining a bit.
"Shhh...don't worry little one. I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere." Cow Girl said as softly as she could as she kept holding the baby before putting her hand in grabbing distance, and watched the baby play with her fingers while the lady smiled brightly at her. "Just like I didn't at the festival up north. Did you enjoy yourself at least? I sure did...especially when we watched the main events from the top of a tower. Oh the wonder...your parents, their friends, everyone, showing the people why they can be relied on, with the twin moons and the northern lights dancing across the sky. That's a great way to be introduced to a place, I think. It's a shame you won't remember what happened there...but I never will. Now here I am, protecting you as my first quest as a Porcelain ranked adventurer, and your father even left me a hatchet to protect you with. We even have Goblin Slayer outside protecting us. He might be scary sometimes, but he's a good man...just like your father." The farm girl then looked up in thought. "I can only imagine what he and his team is doing to those monsters outside, and even though I'm no where near as strong as they are...I will do everything I can to keep them from hurting you." She then rubbed her cheek against the baby's as she cooed and touched her face in response and Cow Girl giggled a bit. "Look at me...I'm treating you as if I were your actual mother. Then again...the Sword Maiden did the same thing...may she rest in peace. So...technically, you have three mommies."
Their moment was interrupted by a whoosh, then slicing, yelling, the unmistakable sound of goblins snarling and screaming in rage and pain, and even a gunshot or two. Cow Girl then covered the baby's ears to keep her as calm as possible. "Please don't cry...I'm still here, like I promised..." About a minute later, the noise died down, and a knock was heard that she recognized. "Come in?" GS then opened the door and Cow Girl sighed in relief.
"Are you alright?" GS asked with genuine concern.
"Yes..." Cow Girl breathed out as she kept holding the baby close.
"Call me, if you need me." GS said softly as he slowly closed the door.
"I will..." Cow Girl whispered with a smile.
Outside...hell rifts were opening and the surviving demon hunters were slaughtering goblins with almost no help from the team, even though they took as much part in the massacre as they did when they got the chance; no sense letting things get too out-of-hand, especially not just to make it interesting. Fighter once slashed through a hob's legs, then stabbed it through the head with her arm blades, Warrior whirled his sword around and any goblin that even got close was sliced to pieces, even if he didn't hit them in the place according to where they fell apart. The wizard siblings did what they could to fix the gate with their Repair spells, as Ranger kept them covered. Some goblins recognized him and kept their distance...only to be shredded by Summoner swinging his sword-whips.
"For my brother..." Summoner whispered before a trio of hobs tried to crush him from behind with clubs, only for Priestess to put up a Protection barrier, which Ranger shot them through before leaping through the barrier and shot down dozens of goblins from atop the small mountain of dead hobs, before he switched to his short swords and craved through the rest, occasionally lashing out by extending their whip mode, then retracting them back into swords...which Summoner copied with less effect and ease, but it was a good start nonetheless.
"Alright Storm Mage...let's see what you did to this hammer..." Warrior said and held up his hammer...which made some clouds appear out of nowhere, and he sparked them with lightning, which built up over time, and thunder roared and deafened the goblins in the area, as if they weren't already easy enough to kill. Eventually, a goblin paladin emerged from a hell rift in the middle of the area, and bashed several hunters away from it with the flat of it's sword, and Priestess moved the Protection barrier to herself as it brought it's sword down on her, to no effect, then swung a couple more times before the barrier went down and Warrior actually threw his sword at the paladin's sword, disarming it, then Fighter grabbed it's leg, pulled it out from underneath it, dragged it into the middle of the area before the paladin tried to grab her...only for her to break free after a brief struggle, dislocating it's fingers in the process, then Dwarf Shaman rose the ground beneath it into the air, then a lightning bolt from the clouds came right down on in before it could fall, which vaporized the paladin as small rocks and armor pieces rained down, crushing some goblins in the process. Warrior then heard a chuckle behind him...and saw Storm Mage's ghost giving him a thumbs up before vanishing, and Warrior put his own thumb up.
"Hey new dwarf!" H.E. Archer called as she kept shooting goblins and stabbing the ones who get close with her daggers. "You still have bullets?"
"Don't worry about my bullets my dear; I've got plenty to go around!" Dwarf Rifleman said as he kept popping goblin heads until his clip ejected out the top with a loud pinging sound, and the goblins nearby who heard it covered their ears...and got a steel-clad rifle stock to their faces as Dwarf Rifleman used his rifle as a club.
The twin World Spawns were still keeping the undead at bay with their stomps, swats, lava spits, frost spewing, and eventually lightning calls...then a swirling green and black vortex appeared, sucked the two of them and the rest of the undead into it, and a gigantic dragon with it's flesh withered down to it's bones, horns and claws came forth and spread it's wings. Warlock then mounts it just behind it's horn as it takes off.
"I'm going to need a bigger gun..." Dwarf Rifleman said as his face fell at the sight of the undead dragon...which was heading straight for the fort with green flames spewing out of it's mouth as some hunters...only for the flames to be deflected by the wizard siblings.
"Or we could just see what they do to that dragon themselves. I've never seen one move that fast either, and I've seen plenty of dragons centuries ago." H.E. Archer said.
"Centuries? How old are you?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.
"Over 2,000 years actually. You?" H.E. Archer asked as D.R. stared at her in awe.
"Barely a hundredth of that." he said finally.
"It doesn't show..." H.E. Archer said before they readied for another pass, as D.R. reloaded and opened fire at the dragon which flinched from his 2nd-to-last round piercing it's eye and the last makes the clip eject with another ping sound. "Why does it make that god-awful sound?"
"This baby ejects the clip of bullets so I can just slip another in no problem." D.R. said as he reloaded and aimed at the dragon waiting for it to make another pass, and Priestess put up Protection to prevent it from hitting them as D.R. opened fire with Dwarf Shaman launching rocks, Ranger shooting it, Fighter launching blades, the wizard siblings blasting it for their own fireballs, and the hunters shooting arrows and bolts at it as it passed...but it crashed into a tower, killing the people inside it, and flattening some people below.
"Hey Scaly? Can't you get that thing to throw it's rider off or something?" Dwarf Shaman asked.
"Even if I had that ability, that dragon is an insult to its kind and must be purged." Lizard Priest said firmly.
"What do you mean?" Fighter asked.
"I know it's condition, it's a plague dragon, an unholy bastardization of a once-living and proud dragon. It doesn't deserve the fate it was dealt, but it's no better than goblins when it comes to it's taint on this world. At least as far as dragons are concerned." Lizard Priest said.
"Then this is a dragon I have to get rid of." Warrior said.
"On that, Sir Warrior, we agree..." Lizard Priest said as Warrior drew his sword, charged it as he activated his heavy armor, and Wizard prepared to launch him at it with Levitation, and once the plague dragon came back...she launched him at it as he craved through it's chest, and sliced off a wing as he yelled. The plague dragon then crashed into the ground outside the walls, and Warrior landed on the other side. He then climbed up the wall, ran back to the others who were watching the dragon as it's fire went out and Warlock crawled out from under it.
"Scratch one plague dragon..." Wizard's brother said.
"But the rider yet lives." Lizard Priest said.
"Not for long..." Ranger said as he jumped over the parapet, and walked towards Warlock while morphing a greatsword.
"Ranger! Capture him...I want a word with that asshole." Summoner said.
"Fine..." Ranger growled as he kept walking.
Back inside Cow Girl set the baby down on the bed for a moment, making sure the place she sat her down on was nice and fluffed up, before trying a few practice swings with the hatchet. It wasn't too heavy, or too light, it felt good to hold, it was solid metal so it was likely pretty durable. She'd probably get an Obsidian Rank just for having it but...that is wildly optimistic. Just as she was about to pick the baby back up...a hell rift opened in her room, and she prepared to fight them for once, and each time a goblin came through, it's head was split open. She even reflexively punched goblins out of the air as they pounced at her. The baby starting crying which hurt their ears, and tugged Cow Girl's heartstrings, but her survival and protective instincts were in full-swing, as was her hatred for the goblins. These abominations killed her uncle, Goblin Slayer's sister, and who knows how many others, and now was a golden opportunity for her to draw some blood herself, and by the Supreme, she was not going to waste it.
One of them actually stabbed her in the calf, making her growl as she snapped it's neck, and used it's body as a shield while she swung with her hatchet, but she was eventually overwhelmed, and just as the goblins started tearing off her clothes...Sword Maiden appeared, and used Holy Light to blind and sear them to blackened husks.
"Sword Maiden?" Cow Girl asked in awe as the former archbishop healed her leg, and even threw in an empowerment. Then more goblins appeared and Cow Girl went from barely being able to handle them, to completely dominating them. Before, she was just able to chop into their skulls, go from one to the other just fast enough to land the hit before they could hit her, all while moving at full speed. Now...she was practically shattering their skulls, and tearing through two or three goblins every second for about ten seconds until they had enough. Sword Maiden sealed the rift when the fight ended, then took the crying baby and stroked her cheek.
"I have come back child..." She said like a mother would to her own child, then a few seconds later the baby stopped crying, looked up at her bright, smiling face and griped her finger. "Not even death will keep us apart, and you girl...there is no way I will let you suffer what I did when I was alive."
"For a second, I thought I would...thank you so much Your Grace." Cow Girl said seriously.
"I'm not the archbishop anymore; you can stop saying that to me now." Sword Maiden said amused.
"Alright...I heard what happened to you, and Storm Mage...the whole country is miserable right now." Cow Girl said somberly.
"So...Cambion was right, I would be missed sincerely." Sword Maiden said as she kept rocking the baby.
"That bastard...!" Cow Girl whispered as her fists tightened.
"Rest assured, the people will see I am still with them, and I always will be if they need me. Evil may win the battle, but the Supreme God always wins the war" Sword Maiden said and Cow Girl's hopes lifted, as did her face.
"I actually told that baby that she technically has three mothers...you just proved me right." Cow Girl said.
"You proved yourself right as well; I don't even want to think about what these goblins would have done to her..." Sword Maiden said and Cow Girl's eyes widened.
"They wouldn't...!" She whispered in horror as her eyes watered.
"Relax...they're gone, thanks to us; this child will suffer nothing." Sword Maiden said.
"I know but...to think that...I mean, a baby? One who had barely begone her life? How can anything but that heartless...?" Cow Girl said as she tried calming down to no avail.
"Regardless, two of her mothers are here, and I will let nothing happen to her. Will you?" Sword Maiden asked.
"Absolutely not." Cow Girl said without pause.
"Then your fears are toothless." Sword Maiden said as she sat down and kept holding the baby as she looked over the carnage. "I used to fear these creatures more than death itself, now I help slay them...how times change. Like how you merely aided Goblin Slayer's life, now you aid him directly."
"I know a thing or two about killing goblins, and Ranger made me this axe, which I've certainly used before every now and then." Cow Girl said before looking over her half-shredded overalls. "At least I wore something rated for heavy work; it would be pathetic if I had to fight in my underwear. Ranger would probably say it would be a distraction..."
"He wouldn't be wrong, but...let's not discuss that; things are twisted enough as it is." Sword Maiden said.
"The famous Ranger, the 11th Platinum Rank...the same man who journeyed with that herbalist girl in the north." Warlock said as he crawled out from the plague dragon's corpse with a crushed leg as Ranger de-morphed his greatsword; it wasn't needed.
"So you're the bastard who threatened her grandparents!" Ranger exclaimed.
"That's blabbering bitch...Cambion should've killed you both when had the chance..." Warlock said as Ranger grabbed him by the back of the head, dashed across the field and jumped over the wall and Fighter removed her mask to reveal her face. "You again... I cannot believe I cursed Ranger's wench." Fighter then kicked him across the face.
"You're in enough hot water as it is. If I were you, I'd try to keep it from boiling, not that it will help." She said coldly before Summoner showed up and stared at him.
"Summoner...I'll be damned. Demon slayers and goblin slayers side-by-side..." Warlock said.
"Yep...brave new world isn't it?" Ranger asked before Summoner picked Warlock up and punched him back down.
"Enough of the face-hitting please..." Warlock said.
"Enough? Enough?! They're all dead! My people are all dead! We survived everything: storms, undead, trips to Hell itself, movements across the whole damn world, and then you show up and I lose fucking everybody! You damned Evil Sect bastard! Everywhere you go, everything you do, everyone you meet, every second of every day, it's never anything but death, pain, and tragedies, you parasitic sack of shit!" Summoner exclaimed before kicking Warlock in the ribs as Dwarf Rifleman spoke up.
"Not everyone...I'll live to see a few more days, and there's the people who went inside, big-brained bastards and bitches." He said before looking Warlock over. "You know, I didn't think you'd survive that crash."
"Disappointed maggot...?" Warlock asked.
"Ah fuck you. Let's see how cocky you are when I take a torch and dagger to you!" Dwarf Rifleman snapped.
"You think this is over? The Cambion has an army. He'll free me, and we will stomp all of you like ants-" Warlock barely finished as D.R. bashed his lights out with his rifle.
"Get him out of my sight..." Summoner said.
"My pleasure boss." D.R. said as he dragged Warlock to the rear entrance.
"Hey, I wanted to kill him myself for several days." Ranger said.
"Relax, it'll just take a bit longer this way. This shitstain doesn't deserve a quick death. Plus...you brought him here, so I'll keep you in mind." D.R. said as he brought Warlock inside.
"Where are they going?" Priestess asked.
"The dungeon, and do not ask why." Summoner said.
"Let me guess: torture?" Warrior asked dryly.
"Nevermind...let's go inside..." Summoner said as he went inside with the others following him...and found GS butchering a dozen goblins as Rhea Fighter slashed the rift to close it.
"That makes 237..." GS said as he put his sword away.
"Good grief Orcbolg, look at this mess!" H.E. Archer exclaimed as Ranger and the wizard siblings absorbed the goblins' essence. "Really now?"
"Hey, it's this, or we get alot of mops, also...we should get the ones outside too." Wizard's brother said.
"Oh, right." his sister said as they went outside.
"Where's our daughter?" Fighter asked as Sword Maiden came out holding the baby.
"Sword Maiden? But...you're dead!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.
"I was, but the Supreme made me a Nephilim." Sword Maiden said as Fighter and Ranger looked their child over. "She is fine. Her guardian had to slay her fair share of goblins, but we won the battle."
"What? Goblins attacked our daughter!?" Ranger asked as he and Fighter snapped their heads up with horror and outrage on their faces.
"Goblins are cowards by nature. Stealing or killing babies is nothing new to them either." GS said.
"Just when you thought they couldn't get more cowardly..." Lizard Priest said.
"Regardless, it is good to see you alive and well archbishop." Dwarf Shaman said as he took her hands and Sword Maiden nodded.
"I am pleased to see all of you as well, especially you Goblin Slayer. Your farm girl friend follows in your footsteps well." She said.
"I want no one following my path." GS said seriously.
"It's a little late for that." Warrior said as he crossed his arms.
"Later than you think." Cow Girl said as she came. Luckily, her most private parts weren't exposed. "And don't worry, I'm not hurt. Well...not as hurt as I could be..."
"Still...it's a sickening thought considering how hurt you could've been." Ranger said seriously.
"Then it's ironically a good thing the Cambion murdered me, and this is not the first time I helped someone in this form." Sword Maiden said.
"How?" Priestess asked.
"Mostly by giving aspiring clerics a boost when they needed it, but that's too petty in the grand scheme of things." Sword Maiden said.
"Can we discuss this in the morning? Things are too tense for me right now..." Summoner said as he trudged off to bed.
"Alright...good night everyone." Cow Girl said as she went to bed and GS came with her and got a funny look from her.
"I'm tired too, and...I think you still need me." He said and got a small smile from the girl.
"You're learning." She said as they went into their room, closed the door, and he removed his armor, while she stripped to her underwear...and got hugged from behind, with GS' hands on her belly.
"You completed your first quest, and killed some goblins in the process. You should be proud..." GS said.
"I am...though I'm glad the Sword Maiden appeared when she did." Cow Girl said while shaking a bit and GS tightened his hold on her. She then turned in her arms. "Tell me...describe how my body feels to you?"
"Pleasant." GS said simply.
"O.k...as much as I like knowing I have that effect on you, I would like details." Cow Girl said.
"There's nothing unusual about how you feel. You're warm, soft, hard in some places...like I said, nothing unusual." GS said before Cow Girl backed up and looked him in the face.
"Goblin Slayer...what happened to your sister almost happened to me, and I'm asking you to help me deal with the memory, so please...don't make me beg." She said tensely.
"Beg for what?" GS asked.
"I want you to rub me, from top to bottom. Remind me what is supposed to happen when two people are close..." Cow Girl said seriously.
"How?" GS asked and Cow Girl unclipped her bra, letting her massive breasts hang free and put his hands on them.
"Now...move them around, squeeze them, rub them, lightly pinch my nipples, whatever...just calm me down." Cow Girl said softly as GS did what she said and squeezed her breasts from different angles, pressed his hands into them, rubbed them with his fingers from side to side, lightly twisted and pinched her nipples, while the girl gasped in pleasure and leaned her head back. "Thank you so much..."
"I'm just...doing what you told me..." GS said as he kept working her chest.
"You could've said "no" and made us go to bed, but here you are...helping me the only way you can. You've helped so many people, including myself by killing goblins, and now, you're with me doing the one thing you haven't done to help me, and fulfilling your sister's request." Cow Girl said and GS stopped, much to her puzzlement.
"My sister...she wants me to actually live..." GS said softly, and Cow Girl removed his hands and hugged him close.
"Yes, and I want to help you do so." She said as GS hugged her back.
"Thank you...and I do love you." He said.
"I love you too...now before we get some sleep, how did they feel?" Cow Girl asked.
"Pleasant...very pleasant." GS said seriously and got a giggle out of the girl in his arms.
"They're available to you anytime we're alone, especially when we're about to go to sleep, or after waking up." She said before dropping her underpants and putting his hands on her round, fleshy buttocks. "So is this..." GS didn't even need to ask before giving her butt the same treatment as her breasts and she chuckled a bit. "You're learning..."
"I wouldn't have lasted long if I wasn't a fast learner" GS said as he kept squeezing, rubbing, and fondling her flawless butt.
"Unbelievable...the lessons you learned from killing goblins, is also the reason for the pleasure you're giving me. Talk about poetry..." Cow Girl said as she pressed her breasts into his chest, and moved up and down, which tightened and softened her butt as a result, and giving them both new sensations. She then regrettably stopped him. "That'll do, now...let's get some sleep." They then got into bed with her snuggling into him, while he wrapped his arms around her. "Tomorrow...I train to be a goblin slayer myself."
"Yeah..." GS whispered.
"Well, this siege could've gone alot better..." Warrior said as he and his wife went to their room...and Wizard sat down and started weeping her eyes out, which made Warrior rush to hug her.
"My own fire...how much of a middle finger could I have been given!?" Wizard asked with a cracked voice.
"Hey, Warlock is paying for it right now." Warrior said seriously.
"At least a dozen of Summoner's people are dead because of my spell! You know I take a great deal of pride in my magic..." Wizard said.
"I also know you being torn up over this is precisely what that warlock wants. You want revenge? Stop kicking the shit out of yourself." Warrior said.
"It's not that simple...I had a flashback to when the boss was set on fire because of my spell. I know it wasn't my fault but...that doesn't change anything." Wizard said.
"It also doesn't change the fact that he has a baby daughter now despite that ordeal. That champion must be turning in his grave." Warrior said with a smile and got a laugh out of his wife.
"I remember when you said that before..." Wizard said as Warrior held her face and ran his thumb over her cheeks as she looked at him with light in her eyes.
"I love you..." She whispered.
"I love you too..." Warrior said before kissing her as sweetly as he could.
"One more time..." Wizard whispered before getting a second kiss that was longer and deeper as she wrapped her arms around him, removed her armored cloak, as he removed his armor and they went to bed once they were naked. "Warrior? Remind me of something nice..."
"That's easy, the times you dressed in blue for that fencer's birthday, and the time you dressed in red for our promotions. I don't know which color is sexier for you..." Warrior said and Wizard giggled before sitting up and getting on top of him.
"I actually prefer blue; the red I wore was more for appealing to the masses. Red is associated with passion afterall." Wizard said.
"Well, you look like a walking pile of "Take me now" either way." Warrior said and got a genuine laugh out of her as she pressed her breasts into his pecs.
"I married the right man; before I was a walking pile of "Why even?", and now...I'm laughing my ass off." Wizard said.
"That's alot of laughter." Warrior teased and got playfully smacked on the chest by her.
"You perverted scumbag." Wizard said before kissing him deeply and passionately, and he fondled her buttocks while she lashed tongues with him while moaning and smacking their lips. "Dear Supreme, if either of us drank some potion, I'd ask you to take me now..."
"Well, next time we make love, we could remember this? We could even use illusion magic to travel back to this moment." Warrior said and Wizard's eyes widened.
"You're thinking like a mage." Wizard said genuinely impressed.
"Then I married the right woman." Warrior said as they both smirked.
"Yes...yes you did..." Wizard then sighed as she snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Good night my beloved dragon slayer."
"Good night to my beloved sorceress." Warrior said.
"I thought for sure you were going to kill that warlock on the spot...why didn't you?" Fighter asked Ranger who was standing there thinking as Priestess and Sword Maiden stood there waiting for his answer, with the former holding the baby.
"Probably for the same reason I brought him to Summoner; like that other dwarf said, he doesn't deserve a quick death, and I am somewhat proud of being responsible for whatever he has in mind for that piece of shit. Plus, it was pretty satisfying seeing you and Summoner each get some revenge of your own." Ranger said.
"Hey, that archdemon called me a whore twice, and look what happened to him." Fighter said.
"Not only that but...you still could've chopped him in half on-the-spot. like you said you would, but you didn't." Priestess said.
"There's also an equation I overlooked, much to my displeasure..." Ranger said.
"Which is?" Fighter asked and Ranger looked right at her with his shame present.
"I love you more than I hate him..." He said and Sword Maiden hugged him.
"I knew you would come around..." She said as he returned the hug.
"You saw something in me even I didn't know was there, and I should've known better than anyone..." Ranger said still ashamed and Sword Maiden backed up.
"All the more reason for you to reap the rewards from it." She said and Ranger smirked.
"Ironic, I give you a speech about conquering your demons, and now here you are doing the same for me." Ranger said and Sword Maiden smirked herself.
"That is ironic...but not unfitting." She said before looking at Fighter and took her hand, then Ranger's, and put them together. "I...will never stop being proud of blessing your marriage..."
"Nor will we forget you for it." Fighter said.
"Ranger...is it too much to ask you to kiss my forehead?" Sword Maiden asked and got a funny look from him. "I know you kissed Guild Girl's forehead once, and you're right, it's more innocent than it seems, and I know your feelings for me are no different than your feelings for her. Like the Love Goddess preaches: love isn't always romantic..."
"Very well..." Ranger said before planting the softest kiss he could muster on her forehead. "Storm Mage was as lucky a man as I am now."
"He gave me no less than what your wife gave you. Yes, I know what happened between you, from the pond, to your time in Hell, to her birthday after you escaped...to what happened as she was carrying your child. You are both...dare I say it, made for each other, and deserve nothing but the greatest of glories for your services to the world." Sword Maiden said while smiling.
"Normally, that would earn you quite a bit of static for giving out private information..." Fighter said.
"Relax, we're alone here; I know the cherub could stop time to talk to you; I can do the same. I could yell the details of your love-making sessions at the top of my lungs, and no one would be wiser for it." Sword Maiden said jokingly.
"Don't you dare..." Fighter playfully snapped.
"Relax, I'm not that childish..." Sword Maiden said as she took the baby from Priestess as time resumed. "I will look after your child; get some sleep, all of you."
"Good night...mother." Priestess said softly as she went to her room, and Fighter and Ranger went right to bed after stripping naked and kissing once.
"I cannot believe we didn't see my father with our child..." Fighter groaned.
"It's not too late...well, now it is, but we can get another chance later." Ranger said.
"Right...I cannot wait to see his face when he sees his granddaughter..." Fighter said softly as she snuggled into her husband's side while Ranger inhales her scent. "Good night love."
"Good night love..." Ranger whispered.
H.E. Archer woke up in the middle of the night to get a snack of spiced cheese and bread, with some milk and Dwarf Rifleman came in as she finished eating.
"You took quite a bit of time killing that guy." She said seriously.
"Heh...after the shit he's pulled? He dies slow..." D.R. said with a grin.
"You're actually torturing him...?" H.E. Archer asked in awe.
"He'd do the same to any of us, and I knew some of those hunters he killed for a few months and wanted to get to know others. Some of them even owed me some fucking money! As far as I'm concerned, he cheated me out of friends...and money, and I've torn people new assholes over alot less than that." D.R. said.
"Still...you're no better than him if you torture him." H.E. Archer said seriously.
"Lady...you don't become a demon hunter without being a few crumbs short of a sandwich, and frankly, I have more than a few crumbs missing..." D.R. said.
"What?" H.E. Archer asked.
"I was tortured myself, more times than I can count. I was actually freed by a demon, ironic since I hunt them now...but what changed my gratitude into horror, is that this demon helped me in exchange for another person's soul, so I killed the bitch and freed every soul she captured. I've been hunting them ever since then." D.R. said.
"Who tortured you and why?" H.E. Archer asked.
"The first was some crime lord who wanted to use me as a bargaining chip...before a paladin burst into his office and stomped him to death after trashing the place. Another was a gang leader who wanted me out of the picture so he could move in on a girl we both had eyes for. I killed him myself with oil and fire after he raped her. I tried to find the girl I avenged for some time before I found out she died of a sickness later on. The last serious case was the guy's brother who was actually even worse; the first two were just lusting after power or the like, this guy was a member of the Evil Sect who had a practically bottomless hate for anyone who wasn't him. As you can guess, the fact I killed his brother with fire didn't settle very well. Frankly the only reason I'm still alive is because of an elven cleric who chastised me for not giving two sweet fucks about my safety." D.R. said.
"You have...quite an interesting past..." H.E. Archer said in disbelief.
"You don't know the half of it; if I told you all of my past, we'd be at this all night..and then some." D.R. said before sighing. "Although...a good chunk of what happened to me was earned. I spent a good chunk of my childhood, hell even nowadays throwing punches and curses at just about anyone, even if they had my best interest at heart. I guess that's what happens when you feel safe around people isn't it?"
"Yeah...I know that much; me and that other dwarf took more shots at each other than we do at goblins. Frankly the only reason I tolerate him is because we do need each other." H.E. Archer said.
"You know, we dwarves might not be the most pleasant folk, but we're not so bad once you get to know us." D.R. said and got a chuckle out of the elf lady.
"Tell me something I don't know. When I first saw you, I thought to myself "great, another dwarf to make fun of me"; seeing you defend my chest size was both surprising and refreshing at the same time. That other dwarf takes a shot at me over every chance he gets." H.E. Archer said.
"I'll bet you give him just as much flak for it, am I right?" D.R. said with a grin that was returned. "Well, like I said, there are some things you just don't make fun of, and...well, I do admit I've seen women with better figures...o.k. much better figures, that doesn't excuse getting personal, especially not for the sake of it."
"Thank you very much. I've always been on the skinny side, but...that's not my fault." H.E. Archer said.
"Believe me, if it was your fault, you'd have twice as much to worry about." D.R. said before H.E. Archer's face fell.
"Look...I'm sorry about that girl you mentioned." She said somberly.
"Ah, she's in Heaven now, probably dancing her legs off with joy." D.R. said before sighing. "It's a shame I can only listen to that asswipe who forcefully fucked her scream for so long, hence why I love inflicting pain on people like that warlock so much...I dare say it's like I'm trying to take my own pain out on him, even if that pains isn't mine. But...it doesn't work that way does it? Oh well...what's done is done; only way is forward..."
"Yeah...I'd like to share my own stories with you someday." H.E. Archer said.
"I would like that very much, but for now, let me pay that warlock another visit then I'll get my own fill of shuteye." D.R. said as he drudged off to the dungeon again.
"You're not done with him?" H.E. Archer asked and got a laugh out of the dwarf.
"No...not by a long shot. Like I said...he dies slow." He said as H.E. Archer went back to bed.
In the morning, the team got right to training Cow Girl, starting with her getting the armor Wizard got from the elf archmage's spire in the oceanic city. It was mostly a black skin-tight suit with blue chain mail, some scales, and some plating covering it. Cow Girl moved around in it as a test, and it fit her like a glove; it emphasized her figure even more than her overalls did, and Warrior even hit it with his hammer with reasonable force to get her used to the impact and to show how magic-proof it was. Wizard barely had to do a thing to it since the metal it was made of had a "natural" resistance to magic.
She then put on the mask which resembled GS' visor, and the helmet which had "made by elves" written all over it. Cow Girl even got a laugh out of Ranger saying how her figure being emphasized can distract foes which gave them less motivation to fight her since...Sword Maiden predicted he'd say that. Ranger then noted how her Porcelain rank gave her foes a reason to not take her seriously...big mistake.
True to her word, Fighter gave her a crash course in unarmed fighting. Starting with a demonstration between herself as Ranger. Granted they were no where near as violent as they were normally, even by their own standards; they try to beat each other, but not wound each other, but still. Cow Girl wasn't flexible or skilled enough to do any of the more advanced moves Fighter pulled, like flipping, or throwing kicks in mid-air while spinning, but the basics were cake. Fighter simply let her know how to strike properly: use as much force as you can generate all at once, and strike into the target, don't hit it, then stop cold. "Your strikes stops the target, not the other way around" as her father used to say.
The wizard siblings gave her axe a frost enchantment like Rookie Warrior's; his was hardly the only one in the frontier. Wizard herself gave Cow Girl silver-emerald circlet that fit into her helmet, then bound them together so the circlet didn't fall off. The point was to of course ensure she was immune to illusion magic, at least directly. Wizard's brother copied Warrior's shield-bracelet and gave it to her, and this one could be as small as a buckler for fast movement, or as wide as a hoplon for heavy situations.
Wizard also gave her a crash course in how magic works, which included how everyone could potentially use magic, but no one really did since...it wasn't just about willpower, but also about knowledge of how magic works, which was a blend between one's spiritual and physical power, which the former taking priority, but the ratio depended on what kind of magic was being used, and figuring that ratio out was easier said than done. Her potion-brewing, enchanting, and especially her alchemy were a whole other things entirely; she'd save that for later.
Priestess told her about how holy water is used to increase the power of miracles, like how Wizard's mana gems made magic itself more powerful, and how drinking holy water was not only a good way to demon-proof yourself, but also made more sense than wetting yourself with it. She couldn't teach any miracles since you'd have to follow the Supreme God, Earth Mother, or any other deity to get those, and Ranger was not going to have her follow the War God; that business is not for the faint of heart. To follow the War God, it's not enough to be able to handle yourself, be driven to fight the good fight, or work with others on the frontlines...you have to actually build a desire to cause destruction, death, even pain and fear, and be able to let that desire consume you without it completely taking you over, but rather...the other way around, and then have that desire be your weapon. The amount of people with that kind of mindset must be more rare than platinum itself.
Luckily , there were other ways to get strong enough, and Ranger was going to stay behind while H.E. Archer and Dwarf Rifleman led Wizard, her brother, Warrior, Priestess, Fighter, and Lizard Priest to the elder dragon. Ranger also gave Fighter his portal gem, asked her to come back soon, before giving her a good-bye kiss as they departed; they needed the portal gem more than he did. Rhea Fighter, GS, and Ranger were going to train Cow Girl while they went to the elder dragon's lair. Summoner and Dwarf Shaman were going to finish the repairs to the fortress along with the surviving demon hunters. Overall...there was much work to be done.
Well, GS got to second base with Cow Girl...so good on him. Anyway, for those of you who haven't figured it out, Dwarf Rifleman's gun is based on the M1 Garand, hence the ping sound it makes when it ejects the clip. I don't know for sure why that happens, but it happens so, there you go. Awful nice of Sword Maiden to throw Cow Girl a bone with the goblins eh? As if GS wouldn't go on a rampage over it...although, I'm sure some people are crazy enough to hope the goblins are that stupid. As for me? Come on...who in their right mind condones what the goblins do to women?! I've been giving it the finger this whole time, and I'm not stopping anytime soon.
Also...bet no one expected a little bit of flirtation between the rifleman and archer eh? Talk about worlds colliding... Also...I'm sorry for the information dump at the end, but I have to ask: do you REALLY want me to go over each and every single minuscule detail of Cow Girl's training after so much happened? Cause...I don't, especially since there's alot more to come as I hinted, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while the rest comes your way sooooo...stay tuned.